thestone-and-theflower

[thestone-and-theflower]

*holds out a pipe bomb*

do you know how to light this?

theres a syndicate i wanna get revenge on

Ah, sorry, I unfortunately don't~

...Which one?

Hm?

What syndicate?

[thestone-and-theflower]

most attractive abno?

H-huh?

...Excuse me?

I mean... Hmmm...

I'm not answering that.

...Der Fluchschütze? Maybe?

You don't have to come up with an answer if you don't want to. ...Besides, that's the most default sounding one I've ever heard.

Haha, you think so?

[thestone-and-theflower]

Baoyu, what's the scariest thing Daiyu has ever done? Daiyu, vice versa: what's the scariest thing Baoyu has ever done?

Well, it was always scary when Daiyu got badly hurt before we joined Limbus Company. Boluses tend to not work on them, so I would always get worried about them!

...There was that one time Baoyu almost lost his eye. The way he acted immediately afterwards was... quite unnerving.

Haha what?

Don't worry about it.

[thestone-and-theflower]

Thoughts on Baochai?

Ah, Baochai of the Xue family! She's a nice girl we spent a lot of our childhood with! I wonder how she's doing~

...Are you just not going to mention...

Hm? What's that?

...Nevermind.

[thestone-and-theflower]

//guess this is now officially a fully OC blog now lmao

[thestone-and-theflower]

Writing this on April fools day, so in the spirit of the occasion, do you two play any pranks on each other or the other sinners?

Ehehe~ Don't tell anyone, but we actually did play a little prank on Manager Dante recently.

They were complaining about the Sinners not listening to them and mentioned something about making us walk in each other's shoes to themself.

So, when we were walking the Corridor in the Backdoor at night, we pretended to have swapped bodies when we saw them~ We did a really good job too, haha!

Manager Dante seemed a little freaked out at first though, I wonder why.

[thestone-and-theflower]

Meow~ ���

*A cat gives you a rat*

Mrrow? 🥺

Ah~ ...Lovely! Thank you... so much.

You're squirming.

Can you throw the rat out please?

Sigh. Fine.

[thestone-and-theflower]

what's the color code for exhausted crimson

// #a40021

[thestone-and-theflower]

[The jade and the flower spun together. In different directions, yes, but it tied them closer all the while.

And with them, the music jumped and leaped into its climax. Instruments synthesised from the whirring of it's steel internals created a symphony of a distant past, dutifully carried forward into modern day.

Memories turned from a cloudy spring to clear, brought farther than even the mind's internal eye - it was as if the past became present, as if it was all happening again.

The lines of faces were clear and sharp, eyes held the vibrancy of life as if they were real, the feel of rich fabrics were almost overwhelming. 'Twas as clear as summer's best days, warm as them too. The memories carved themselves into the mind anew.

But clarity has a price, see, for blurring the best of the past was not unlike using glasses tinted rose. It hid what wanted to be hid, and now they had no shadow over them.

Shade that lingered back towards the periphery of ones eyes. Starker still with that brightness front and centre, darker with new light as its contrast. Why, those shadowed parts seemed almost to chisel themselves into anything that was not the focus of one's eyes, so to keep that focus was of the utmost importance.

Wouldn't want to experience anything particularly negative, right?

As with any Abnormality, you must respect it and play by its rules, right?

Or else you'd have the have the price carved out from your own flesh and blood, right? There would be things that lingered past the music, right? If you don't focus properly the tune becomes discordant, directionless - and of course you don't want that to happen - then the memories it summons back for you won't be bright, will they? The past it drags back up shall only be the broken shells of once beautiful life, truly.

But that's simple to avoid. Just keep looking forwards.

Play by it's rules.

A tool doesn't hurt on its own, you know, it's all on its user]

[Happy memories... Indeed, despite everything there were moments of happiness to be cherished back at that Household. It's been many years, and yet the sound of a song long lost yet oh so familiar brings them back as if it were yesterday.]

[One is brought forth, the first moment of their mutual existence. The beginning of their fates becoming entwined. It was on that day that the Flower was brought to the Rongguo Mansion, their body haunted by sickness no treatment could cure and their carers no longer able to do much on their own. A Debt that the Jia Family was so graciously repaying by taking the Flower in under their Wing.]

[It was while the Flower was being guided through the labyrinthine corridors of the Household that their eyes met the Jade's. A connection made through a single gaze, and yet one that felt as if uncountable amount of years had passed in each other's company. A connection that couldn't be described through any mortal language.]

[Their first conversation was tumultuous, and yet from that single meeting a spark was born. One that the Elder Matriarch of the Jia Family recognized and fostered. For her own entertainment, most likely. But that support surely meant there were many happy years ahead of them.]

[Did you see them? The shadows of those memories, forcing their way in through the biases of the two Sinners? You can tell which mind let those thoughts in. A mark will be made, for such is the Debt to be Paid.]

[thestone-and-theflower]

Daiyu, if you're up for sharing, mind if you share some of the beef you have with the other sinners?

Haaahhh... Where do I even begin...

Actually, I know where to begin. Outis pisses me off to absolutely no end. It's as if the entirety of how she presents herself is something she came up with for the sole purpose of getting under my skin. That bullshit entitlement to being a figure of authority - the Smoke War ended years ago! Give it up, nobody gives a shit about what you did during that time anymore! And don't even get me started on the way she treats Baoyu. ...The worst part is that I'm pretty sure she sees something within me that she actually respects and wants for herself. ...I hate the way she looks at me like an asset she could make her own.

...

...Now, when it comes to Ryoshu, that shit gets personal-

[thestone-and-theflower]

I know you already talked about who you both like and dislike in the bus in general, but are there any relationships in the bus that differ between the two of you? Like a sinner that one of you don’t particularly care about while the other does, one who you like while the other actively dislikes, etc, or is the opinion between the both of you usually the same?

Oh, we differ in our opinions a lot~ A lot of the Sinners that I find entertaining are people that Daiyu gets annoyed with quite often. There are also a few that Daiyu actually gets along with that I don't really mesh with nearly as well unfortunately.

The former is a lot more common though!

What can I say? Someone has to make up for how hard it is for you to dislike people.

[thestone-and-theflower]

I suppose by the one who sent it - 'it' here being the music box - you would mean me?

I am merely a collector of trinkets and wares, though unlike most of my ilk I usually try to give them to fitting owners.

See, jade and flowers aren't uncommonly placed together, beauty wants beautiful company, but I decided that only you two could properly represent their duality. This it was sent over as a gift.

Names have... baggage. So I did not leave any trace of mine - a few others on that bus would agree, sometimes no name is better. And to take credit for doing the work of fate in getting an item to its proper owner... I wouldn't dare. 'Tis worse than blasphemy.

I did nothing past opening it once, I assure you. It's secrets are for you to descover. You can't well send it back to me (by design), so if you really don't want it, I suppose that 'LCF' or whatever its called would like it. Fascinating thing, utter darling of the daring, that box is.

Good day and good bye. Though do remeber that not all of fate's designs are pleasant.

[There's a look of outward skepticism on Daiyu's face, though they don't say anything in response. They're curled up on themself, breathing methodically to rest their strained lungs. Worry rests on Baoyu's features.]

I... think I understand what you mean. There are certain things that we've had to keep quiet about for... our own safety.

But, I think we've also been keeping things from each other, ever since...

[Daiyu shakes their head, as if to let Baoyu know to stop.]

...

...Look, I know what you'd say. That we shouldn't keep going. That it's too dangerous. That... it has to do with whatever you saw that led us here...

But... I still want to know.

...Bao, please-

It's okay.

[She takes a few steps around and crouches down in front of Daiyu, placing her hands in their lap.]

Everything will be fine. I promise.

...

Just this once?

...Okay. Just this once.

[The handle is turned. The flow is followed.]

[thestone-and-theflower]

[The handle turns.

The tune that plays is one of suprising depth and complexity, surely made by a master of these machines. Despite its age, each note is clear and rings out as if proud to be part of the choir, with a sharpness only a machine could provide.

The music in their ears danced, brought to surface the mercies of their lives, joyful memories swam to their minds. Blurry as they were, still.

As if to dance along, the flower in the middle has its petals move to and fro, spinning clockwise in its circle, unfurling further as the song goes on, revealing the faint paintings along its inside.

The jade danced to, counter-clockwise this time, yet just as fantastical as the flower. It moved up and down as if floating, tilted this way and that - each angle gave it a different face as parts of its carved surface moved in and out of view.

The flower was slower than the jade, and the jade faster than the flower - at least, at the song's begining.

As the score went on, however, the two seemed to reach ever closer to matching their speeds, to dance as a whole instead of two disparate parts.

But just as they were about to do so, and just before the part of the song they could have sworn to be able to sing themselves; the whole contraption stopped completely.

The handle remains obvious.

The effects are not.

Do they turn it?]

[Baoyu watches quietly, a sense of calm radiating from his presence despite his blank and unreadable expression. He silently hums along to the music. Daiyu doesn't take their eyes off of the dance between the flower and the jade, a dawning sense of realization, and soon, horror, painting itself on their face.]

[As the music box jams itself, Baoyu reaches for the handle. Daiyu stops her, motions rigid, breathing quickened and raspy.]

Why- I don't... I don't think this is a good idea.

...Do you know something about it?

I...

I have a hunch. But...

[Daiyu turns to the communicator. As if it held answers to anything and everything.]

You. One of you sent this here. Explain yourself, what the hell is this?!

[They take a breath in to keep going, only to start coughing. Baoyu startles and rushes to their side, guiding them to sit down.]

Hey, it's okay! It's okay... Let's just... Calm down, alright?

[thestone-and-theflower]

have any idea on whose "turn" is up next?

Not really~ We'll see when we get there, like we always do.

...

...Daiyu?

[Daiyu stares intently out of the bus window, suppressing a cough from the smell of smoke that lingers on the adjacent seat. Their brows crease in an unreadable tension.]

...I don't have a good feeling about this.

What do you mean?

...

I've been paying attention to which direction the bus is going, and... We've been heading east for the past few days.

You don't think that...

I...

I don't know.

But if that is the case, I...

I don't think I'm ready to go back to H Corp.

[thestone-and-theflower]

do u leik grls?

Oh, girls are wonderful! They deserve the whole world! I wish nothing but the best for all girls.

...They mean if you like them romantically.

Oh! ...Oh...

Hmm... The jury's still out on that one, hehe~

Sigh. I'm not interested in either direction.

[thestone-and-theflower]

hi Baoyu um. you're such a scrunkly scrimblo a little. spoingle maybe even a mipy

Promise?

[thestone-and-theflower]

What weapon do you guys usually wield while not using an ID? Do you both use the guandao? Actually, how would you say your dynamic is like when put on the field at the same time? Do you guys like to do something special while together or do you just fight alongside each other like any other sinner?

Oh, I'm the one who uses a guandao! I'm actually trained in using a couple of different weapons, but I'm most comfortable with a polearm like this~

Helps you make up for your height too.

Hey! Uncalled for!

...Anyway! As for Daiyu, well...

I'm used to fighting bare-handed.

Mhm! And they're really good at it too!

As for what we do in actual combat, we mainly focus on making up for each other's shortcomings! I'm really quick and can keep going for a long time, but my body's not prepped for getting hit. Daiyu on the other hand is a powerhouse that can take a good beating without any worry, but can only hold out for a short bit before being too exhausted to keep fighting.