transcendent

Affiliated OC - Anqi Sheng 安期生 《 delta. nobody. stats. 》 You ask me why I dwell in the green mountain; I smile and make no reply, for my heart is free of care. As the peach blossom flows downstream and is gone into the unknown, I have a world apart that is not among men.

[isolaeotr1]

The Fujiwara? They went out of power a LONG time before Oishi was even born!

“Eh. I already tasted every kind of death and suffering that out there. Just because i’m a immortal don’t mean by body is perfection at all. Still your right. Fate have a funny way of biting you in the ass later.”

Anqi next question hit him right in the spot as….he was right. The godess DID only ask for him to retrieve the artifact but she bought him to someone who she knows HATES her guts and can’t get revenge againts her. While anqi was right he went overboard. Oishi KNEW his patron know where she was sending him to as she was oddly calm when he ask for help to take down the dragon king since none of his weapons are working.

“Question. Do fate always go according to plan or one man will? Your right. The battle in the dragon king palace COULD have been prevented but my patron send me to somewhere she KNOW would be dangerous. While the ideal route was to retrieve the artifact without trouble. Things got complicated and i did what i do best. Was i wrong in doing what i did? Yes. But it was either that or lay down my arm and have the dragon king take revenge on my patron though my suffering.”

ANqi flick him in the forehead as Oishi take it without flinching. For some like Anqi what he doing might seem wrong and hardheaded but people like them just don’t CHANGE. He gotten a bit better but before he died he was still a hot blooded samurai kid with a sword. He didn’t enjoy what he do but he did what was needed.

He can’t change so simply from a warrior to a daoist.

“Beside isn’t chinese new years in February also?”

[anqient-archive-blog]

「☁」Everything turned complicated as soon as someone brought feelings into the equation. Cruelty or kindness--both had their place in the world, but to what extent? And for what purpose?

There was the question, and it was one for every soul to consider--warrior or Daoist, immortal or human. 

“Fate has its own plans,” he replied. “It’s not for humans to know. Even for immortals－－there are very few who can see the entire picture.” And we are not those few. We can only guess.

"I don’t like what you did, and I think you could’ve done it better--but what’s past is past.”

“I can’t be the judge of your Fate, just as you can’t control mine. So I’ll leave it at that.” He paused, and then shook his head. “Well...”

“Unless you beat up any of my dragon kings who end up in this city. Then I’ll give you more than just a forehead flick.” It was the principle of the thing. His was his, and Oishi’s was Oishi’s. No offense intended. 

But in the end, Anqi stood by his policy to not interfere unless necessary.

“What’s this about February?” Those tongue-twister names still didn’t make sense. (Why name the months after dead emperors who didn’t exist anymore? It was weird.) “Sure, new year’s is in it this year. Anything special about that?”

“Besides the Valentine’s cult, I mean.”

[anqient-archive-blog]

如時如畫

[coolheadedhozuki]

Hozuki had many memories of District Delta; the hieroglyphics always caught his interest, not only as a curiosity or pastime, but as a possible help to solve the mysteries of the city. In the first months, he used to spend long lonely periods trying to find patterns and clues carved in the walls, searching for anything that could perhaps lead to an exit or expose a weakness of the city.

Unfortunately such efforts were most in vain, and it was frustrating that his experience and knowledge were useless to put even two pieces of that huge puzzle together… timed passed and priorities changed, but still, he was stubborn and wouldn’t totally give up on that labyrinth.

So, sometimes he would make his way under Sector 4 to visit the district, looking for clues and “inspecting” the place - old habits die hard, and when you are an old demon, chances are they never die.

And when his eyes caught an unexpected sign of activity in the dark halls, he was sure that stay vigilant was the right decision. Someone seemed to be writing on the walls, and he didn’t hesitate about get closer, club resting in shoulder ready for any eventuality.

He just didn’t expect to meet a friendly welcome and even listen to a very known name. Still, he kept the stoic usual expression and calm voice tone while clarifying the statement.

“I am not his brother, even though we are both onis. I’m his boss. Here and back at home as well.”

He would then lay eyes on the wall behind the boy.

”Tao Te Ching, chapter one. Did you do it?“

What a sight to sore eyes, that familiar language.

[anqient-archive-blog]

「☁」What a sound to wistful ears, those familiar words. He’d pronounced them all correctly, too--and Anqi was already on his way to feeling kindred spirit before the oni said anything further.

“That’s right! You’ve heard of it?”

“It’s one of the few glimpses of Dao left to humans--so I’ve memorized it by heart,” he explained, eyes laughing. “I think this is easier for them to understand.”

The Way and its intricacies could be a fog without a light to point the way after all. And even as he talked, his mind worked through possibilities for the stranger with Karauri as the link. He was someone who carried himself well--confident, dignified, a little scary-looking (but far less than some of the oni he’d seen in his world). In fact, he’d even count him better-looking than some humans!

“You’re Karauri’s boss? I think I remember something like that...” And as he spoke, one hand doodled a drawing on the side, of a child-like oni with twin horns and a cat-like mouth--the very one he’d talked to a few weeks ago. “There was a ‘Hozuki-sama’ that he mentioned often. Someone respected by all of Hell--even its ruler.” 

He stopped drawing then, pausing to give a sweeping bow. 

“But I won’t presume. I’m Anqi--Anqi Sheng, or whatever you’d like to call me. Are you looking for something? Or did Fate see fit to arrange our meeting today?”

[ginnotkin]

“This isn’t fire emblem, dammit. In any case, I’m going out there to see if anyone’s been injured. The dead may revive, but I’m not going to just let people bleed to death or whatever. Find some shelter if you can, in case another Earthquake hits.”

[anqient-archive-blog]

「☁」Err...what emblem? Earth dragons had nothing to do with fire. Never mind, he’d figure that out later.

“Are you going by yourself? Seriously?”

“Who’s going to pull you out if you fall into a hole? Ugh, should I try to find everyone else, at least? It’s not much of an organization if everyone goes their own ways.”

[ginnotkin]

“.. Eh?”

How did this happen? He literally turned away for less than a minute. All he went to do was take a piss and suddenly.. What the on earth had happened to the city?! Moreover, what about the Yorozuya members?!

[anqient-archive-blog]

「☁」Did someone say Yorozuya 

Probably trying not to fall through the cracks, honestly. Good thing he was quick with reflexes.

“Boss!”

“Boss, I think someone’s trying to summon a dragon!”

That aside, did we ever get paid for the Valentine’s stuff--

[bethikins-b]

Taoist philosophy in a nutshell.

[cyberxxlife]

[isolaeotr1]

“Look as a immortal you sometime go though phase okay? Plus the bitch of a goddess who bought me back rather a big slacker anyway. Guess being locked inside a cave since the birth of japan could that that to you. Most of the time she simply complain to me about how much Japan have change, how Izana…..her EX husband have yet called her. I mean if you read the story about her and actually meet her in person it’s a complete different story. Scary godess actually a lazy klutz with a rather snarky personality. ”

Oishi can tell anqi not happy with what he heard as he DIDN’T meant for the who incident to go that far yet when push came to shove he lost his temper and bomb the place.

Not his best days. But then again the Dragon King did drown him for at least 10 times and he had been torn apart by sea creatures at least five times. Oishi consider that even it out.

“I AM ABOUT 200 HUNDRED YEARS OLD! The end of the samurai era wasn’t that long ago you know? Look i don’t know how many gods are in your world but almost every god damn country god have some truth to them and Yu Wang Da Di can’t look after all of them.  Pulling strings? After a Necromancer try to use my past to seal me i’m rather iffy about bringing people back from the dead senpai. NO THANK YOU. Beside senpai unlike you i was granted immortality simply because of one thing.”

Maybe the fact he was his patron first friends after so long and help her escape her prison was another reason why he was bought back.

“I’m a USEFUL attack dog that all, I’m someone who sole purpose is to be the tool of the gods to “protect” man kind no matter what. I’m not like you anqi. Someone who have the chance to be a hermit. I fufill my job as a immortal by cutting down threats to man kind future.”

Oishi the Ronin don’t have the luxury of Anqi the sage. Seeing his parents death only one thought drove him for a long time. It was to be STRONG. Keep honing his craft and keep fighting because he never going to let anything be taken away from him again. So he swing his sword and he swing swing swing….

It wasn’t before long he realize he just a sinful murderer, He cut down others for the sake of his lord. People who have their families and even dreams. Oishi have long since abandon the idea he “justice”. While he is trying his best to make sure mankind don’t kill them self. He did MANY horrible things he know he be judge for one day. Do that mean he stop sinning? Nope. It just means he knows he a piece of shit and he not going to change. He going to keep moving and forcing his brand of ideals, never look back. He keep staying alive even if he deserve to die because if he stop running and look back and reflect on his mistakes it will break him.

[anqient-archive-blog]

「☁」By the blessings of the Heavenly firmament, what had happened to this kid? Headstrong, impetuous, and loud--the Daoist’s face creased into a frown as he digested the words.

"...Sa-mu-rai Era?” He’d heard of samurai--those warriors who pledged themselves to lords in...Dōngyíng, was it? The island kingdom.

“You must be talking about a different time. Last time I dropped by, the--uh, the Fu-ji-wa-ra Regency was still in power. They’ve still got a couple of centuries left before their influence dies out.” History lesson aside, that wasn’t the main point here.

“Look,” Anqi sighed. “I’m not familiar with your gods. But attack dog or not, there’s a difference between being labelled one and accepting it. And just as there are good spirits, there are bad ones. Sometimes karma will bite you and it’ll hurt--but there’s a reason for everything.”

“It’s not necessarily something you did in this life, you get me?”

Would he? Chances were 50-50 for the Oishi model. Sometimes they were too stubborn (too angry) to see with their own eyes how much Fate had to string them along. And again, he sighed.

“If you’re bound to a goddess, that’s a little more complicated. I’ve got to ask you, though.”

“Was it her command to poison the dragon king of the South Sea? Or kill her son-in-law? Were those two spirits a threat to mankind’s future?”

“...or did she just tell you to retrieve an artifact?”

[yangnotyun-deactivated20180610]

“A cart?!” Yang didn’t know where to start with this guy, where has this guy been living for the past 100 years. Sheesh.

Yang decided to start with the very simple things, hopefully this guy could catch on at a decent place. “You know about the asphalt in the city, the hard ground we walk on. These ‘shoes’ which are called rollerblades are used on this firm ground to move around easily.” Yang was getting a bit tired of explaining, maybe he can help assist him in a better way.

“Do you want to try them on? See for yourself just exactly how they work? I’ll teach ya!” Yang ended with a smile on his face, hopefully it will invite the other in. 

[anqient-archive-blog]

「☁」Smiles were good. They were harmless when they came from the heart, and brought people closer with little effort on both sides. 

“Sure, sounds like fun.”

“...but we still need to find a place that stocks them, right? If you have your own on ya, I don’t think my feet will fit.”

He stretched his arms over his head, cracking his shoulders as he mentally ran over the shops he’d passed that day. Food and gifts and clothes and bright, shiny rectangles (which he’d later learned were called tablets, though they look far too big to swallow), foreign and strange and wild.

“I guess it makes sense that humans would want to move faster, but it’d be easier if they just learned to fly.” It wasn’t exactly hard. It just took time and dedication and cultivation of inner Qi but didn’t all the good things come that way?

"Anyways...I think I remembered a shoe store down past that street. Want to try there first?”

[isolaeotr1]

“Let’s just say i’m quite the felon. I was there to retrieve a artifact from the dragons kings and not only did i ended up having to blow up a part of the palace to rescue a team mate of mines but i also poison the south sea dragon king with a toxin i borrow from my patron, killed his son in law and also i might or might not have stolen a COUPLE piece of treasure. In my defense they were gonna murder a good friend of mine out of pure spite for something my patron did to them a thousand year ago and he was a REALLY good buddy of mines that can’t come back after being killed. So i try to reason with them and since they wouldn’t listen….i went kind of a bit overboard..”

It was after that mess that Oishi swear never to travel in water unless force to as it’s either plane, car, or walking for him. No way in hell is he going back into the sea again after the shit he pull. His death counts for that adventure was in the 40 as he REALLY should know better then to pick a fight with a dragon in the DEEP FUCKING SEA.

[anqient-archive-blog]

「☁」Wow, what a mess.

“You’ve got some abilities of your own, huh?” It’s about the first coherent sentence he can managed after hearing about this carriage wreck. “If I was your master, I’d give you a nice long punishment about now. Maybe half a century under a mountain, for starters.” Like a certain errant monkey.

“Immortals have to use their powers responsibly! Giving us a bad name won’t help anyone! What are you－－200-years-old?!”

Maybe he was a little brash, but the sea kings were good dragons－－and more importantly, the life blood of their domains. If the seas and rivers were allowed to run wild, who knew what calamities would befall mankind? Floods, droughts, erratic waves－－even Nature had to follow rules to keep the world in harmony.

“Listen－－I don’t know about your world, but there’s laws about these things in Heaven, and an emperor to enforce them. If you have an issue with the higher ups, fine someone to tell the highest. There’s a whole bunch of wandering gods who spend their spare time looking for souls in trouble! Even if your friend died, they could pull strings to recall them from the afterlife!”

And most importantly－－

“Killing should always be the last resort!”

[anqient-archive-blog]

貓咪

[lamourestbleu-deactivated201603]

 ’ —same here. We Umbra witches are almost extinct. In fact, I’m pretty sure me and friend of mine are all that are left. It’s quite lonely. ‘  she remarked, not showing any kind of sadness in her tone. In fact, it was quite sarcastic.

 ’ —hm? Well, If i ever do learn how to speak cat, then I’ll call you up, hm?  ‘  she said, chuckling.   ’ —what language do you have in exchange for me? ‘  

[anqient-archive-blog]

「☁」‘Friend’ of hers, huh? They must have an interesting relationship. And Anqi smiles ruefully, wondering how things had ended up like that kind of tone.

“I’m not sure how witches work in your world...but in ours, we take on disciples to pass on our skills.” He paused, adjusting his hat. “That way--even if by some chance we die, a part of us will always live on.”

“...it’d depend on which language you wanted to learn. I don’t think they’ve brought over creatures from my world, but I can teach you the common tongue of water and wind.” 

Nature could be a chatterbox if you kept her talking.

[yangnotyun-deactivated20180610]

Yang raised an eyebrow and started to think where could this guy have came from where they don’t have rollerblades. It seems like a hopeless cause asking this guy for directions when he doesn’t even know what rollerblades are, then again, he could just be pulling his leg. Either way Yang explained. “Uhm, they’re worn like shoes, but they have wheels on the bottom of them, they server the same purpose as a bicycle. Just makes it easier to get from point A to point B”

[anqient-archive-blog]

「☁」Shoes with 'wheels on the bottom’ was probably the only part of that conversation he understood. (What the heck were bicycles, even...)

“You mean, like a cart?”

“That’s gotta be hard to control for slopes.”

And the time it took to make tiny wheels and attach it to your feet sounded ridiculous. What happened if it rained and the road got muddy? And what about mountains and pebbles and forest paths?

“Uh, unless you’re using them for training or something...” He did mention sports, didn’t he? “Anyways, I’m better with directions than traveling on foot. Where d’you want to go?”

[anqient-archive-blog]

建功立業

[kowaihito-blog]

The creative process is fickle and all consuming.

Every thought and his very mind are wrapped around the pen in his hands and splayed across the smudges and streaks of cardboard bound paper in his hands. This is the last place he expects company (company outside of the quiet voices that mumble from around corners and peer over his shoulder– unseen unless they wish to be seen).

“Huh–?” It’s not a particularly graceful response, and it’s more a squawk than actual words.

He looks up, sitting up straight so that he leans against the mound of engraved stone behind him (its owner doesn’t mind, he’s already checked).

“These aren’t robes, kid. Do I look like some kinda’ monk to you?”

“Can’t a guy just pursue his artistic visions in a graveyard without someone questioning his world views?”

His shoulders draw back, and he settles more comfortably against the tombstone. His fingers tap along the white spaces of his sketchbook– his companion seems like he wants to stick around.

“What about you? What’s your path of enlight– whatever you said before.”

[anqient-archive-blog]

「☁」Wow, tetchy.

Or maybe he’s interrupting a ritual. There’s a volume of bound paper and inky scribbles just out of sight, though nothing else to mark the boundaries of potential spells. Huh. Unless he was creating new ones...

“Well,” Anqi admitted, “It’s less ‘how you look’ and more ‘what you radiate.’ Kinda hard to hide things like innate inborn quality.”

“Most ascetics try to stick to a standard cut of uniform, so the humans know where to give their alms. You are on a pilgrimage, aren’t you? Burning karma through suffering, pondering over the meaning of existence, etc, etc?”

Yeah, who else would spend their free time hanging out in frozen graveyards himself notwithstanding?

“I’m a Daoist,” he added. “A follower of the Way, and the disciple of a disciple of a disciple of one of the Three Pure Ones, he who was the Celestial Venerable of the Primordial Beginning, the Jade Pure One and--” Anqi broke off, frowning.

“Um, do you really want all the details? It’ll take me a while to go through all my masters’ names...” He leans over, just shy of too close, and makes a curious nod towards the mysterious papers.

“I’d rather hear you talk about yourself instead!”

[isolaeotr1]

“What is there to talk about? It’s a palace under the water senpai. There was a lot of drowning and sea creatures. After the whole fiasco i’m about as on top of the black list as Goku from journey of the west. I can name a handful of people who love to do nothing more then chain me in the bottom of the sea for the rest of eternity.”

[anqient-archive-blog]

「☁」He raised an eyebrow. Considering how much havoc Wukong had wrecked in both the heavens and the seas, Oishi was making some serious claims.

“What did you do, offend one of the Dragon Kings?” 

“They’re grumpy but they’re not that bad. Unless you stole one of their treasures, or killed off their kin. In which case, you probably deserve it.”

At least for the first hundred years. Sea dragons could really hold a grudge.

[whxtscolor]

“Mmph…”

The android could, thankfully, make out the words being said to him, but considering he was buried up in snow, it was kind of hard to give out a proper response.

He was okay, for the most part, except for. Well, his predicament.

Kaito starts to wiggle himself out, almost freed from the snow’s grasp, before he feels something hit his rear end. 

He jolts upright, fully emerged from the snow but not without letting out an “ack!” in surprise. And that hurt a little bit, too.

But–oh, wait, the one who had been speaking was now on their back on the ice. Well…

“A-Are you okay there? Do you need any help? Uh…”

[anqient-archive-blog]

「☁」As for him, he’d settled on the ice with a quiet laugh, amused over his misfortune.

“Ah, it’s fine, it’s fine.”

“This ice is pretty smooth--good surface for a bed! If only it was warmer...”

An ice bed, how about that? Some of the great martial arts masters used to use one for training. Though digging them out and lugging them home was a real pain...

“Anyways, like I was saying before,” the Daoist continued, still on his back. “I got your paper! You should take it back.” He stuck up his arm, waving the slip between his fingers.

“Must be pretty important, right?”

[anqient-archive-blog]

妖精

[yonaguniuma-blog]

            Furrowing tensions thickened beneath the demon’s skin. Why such shock, such a beast’s twin? “Hakutaku-san escaped the Yellow Emperor after exchanging information. His drawings to this day have torn many away from medicine. As for company, he has plenty of women he cheats on. He and his apprentice come every Sport’s Day to dress our wounds and initiate pissing contests with Hozuki-sama.”

            “We wardens need that kind of medical management for our intensive labor training. We scratch Heaven’s back, they scratch ours. It’s an impractical myth to assume we don’t have other jobs. It’s bad enough the realms outside of Jigoku slack off and tempt their sinners instead of reforming them. We’re a community, bottom line.”             Leery, Karauri delivers his explanation with skepticism. It was by Satan’s cowardice the two Hells hadn’t erupted into a schism. Karauri had been introduced to the Ten Judges of the Afterlife in Hozuki’s sponsored dinner. King Godotenrin came to mind in resemblance to Hakutaku’s apparent wisdom, though he had more than a reputation of being out of touch in judging sinners.                          The lucky beast was out of touch with many things, so much so that Karauri had difficulty picturing him as a recluse. Perhaps there actually was another Hakutaku on the loose! 

                        “Kurotaku is REAL?!”

[anqient-archive-blog]

「☁」Kuro-who-now? He was busy enough keeping all the new names (and their variations) in check. “You’re going to have to explain that to me,” Anqi said frankly. “Is Kurotaku some sort of legend from Hell, or something?”

“Anyways, things sound pretty troublesome for you. I’m sorry to hear that...but really, Hell did great at their specialty.” (You know. Torturing sinners and burning souls and all that.)

Maybe Karauri hailed from a different era than him? He’d heard stories, of people coming from the same planets but different times (or was it different planets during the same time)--ehh, anyways, it was a regular mishmash of lives here.

“If that’s how your Hakutaku’s behaving, it’s no wonder he’s in Hell. Heaven doesn’t tolerate cheaters and petty rivalries.”

His Heaven, at any rate.

“Oh yeah--I’ve been meaning to ask, but who’s the reigning human emperor for you guys? I don’t mean in your country--but the other one, across the sea. It’ll give me a good gauge of when we’re talking about.”

[anqient-archive-blog]

💖 心口如一

[bereavedbelle-deactivated202007]

… This guy is crazy. Almost as crazy as Maxwell.

And, honestly? It’s a little funny. A giggle, then a full laugh comes from Wendy, one of the rarest occurrences in the history of ever. She looks around, giggling even more at the hearts and love signs put up. He’s worried over this? She’s seen worse, by the bucketful!

“Valen isn’t a guy. This is… for people to spend money to somehow prove their love. It’s… a lot less complicated than what you have in mind.”

[anqient-archive-blog]

「☁」Eh...? Ehhhhhhhh?

All of a sudden, she’s laughing--but Anqi’s more lost than ever. It’s dangerous to assume things are harmless just because they look that way. Judging based on appearances wouldn’t get you anywhere!

(Well, the same goes for him, but he thought he had a stronger argument.)

“That’s even worse!”

“Buying love with money? What about destiny? What about fate? What about star charts and life lines and karmic bonds between reincarnations?”

He peered at the card in his eyes, disapproval growing.

“They’ll upset the balance of the Universe at this rate.”

[anqient-archive-blog]

蜀犬吠日

[hansei-hansui-deactivated201609]

It’s not like Haruka is ignorant – and he’s not, reaching past barbed wire gates and summer skies in his mind to his memory. There’s something nagging about those names, and his fingertips brush against them, loose in grip to coax them forward… but it’s no use. World History (or maybe it’s Classic Literature?) fails him, and so Haruka turns his mind to more important problems, content in letting go.

He’s just a little worried, that’s all.

‘I think they’ll probably fight if you keep doing that?’ he says. His eyes flicker to the left, and the boy busies himself with… thread. So he reaches forward, gets his scissors back, all while he leans down to get closer to the dogs. They hardly pay him any mind. ‘So maybe… huh? Oh.’

The dogs both have collars, and he reaches forward to take their tags in turn. Their names are nothing like either of them imagined – Isaiah and Dally – and a little ridiculous in their own right. He purses his lips… and…

… says nothing.

‘That’s enough, right?’ he asks, and glances again at what the boy is doing.

[anqient-archive-blog]

「☁」He’s looking for the scissors, actually, because he wasn’t done with them. Seeing the pair in back with their owner, Anqi gently takes it--Haruka’s hand and all--to snip off the tip of his knotted string. In other words, the place he’d licked before threading the needle.

“What is?” he pauses to grab a hot dog, “Oh, the meat? Yeah. For now, maybe.”

“Thanks for the scissors. Again, I mean.”

And now that that’s done, he starts to string up all the sausages in a neat row, end-to-end, enough to form a chain of them so he can wrap them around his shoulders. Like a sausage scarf.

“I figure I’d give them a gift,” he explains, nodding at the dogs. “For keeping me company all morning. Y’know, they just started following me out of the blue...but it was pretty great!” He dangles the growing string of yum-yum-protein away from two pairs of eager jaws, and waves at Haruka to come closer.

“Hey, I’m not tall enough for this--do you mind if I borrow your shoulders for a bit? I need to drape these somewhere...”