i soar, pure azure.

[reversescale]

Jade Sea, Blue Sky

Sideblogs: @houyin (Ren/Yingxing), @vanagander (Ashveil), @lordsilenced (Polka Kakamond) Status: Semi-hiatus Disclaimer: This portrayal functions heavily around the theory of Dan Feng's innocence and that the Sedition was a conspiracy enacted by the Preceptors and Disciples of Sanctus Medicus specifically as a ploy to usurp him and gain the secrets of the Transmutation Arcanum only High Elders are privy to. This video explains the theory in full. That said, if this doesn't agree with you, simply don't engage with my blog.

[minban]

vitriol  alarms  his  sensors,  windows  flashing  in  his  peripheral  alerting  "warning:  danger"  in  a  cacophony  of  blaring  red  lights.  normal  scents  would  not  trigger  an  alarm,  but  the  acidic  smell  pierces  through  his  artificial  orifices,  fumes  pungent  and  deadly.  who  would  have  thought  that  the  abomination's  blood  would  be  acid,  melting  steel  where  the  liquid  pools  on  the  ground.  "eugh,"  boothill  grimaces  as  he's  pulled  back  to  the  freight  lift,  "what  in  tarnation  was  that  thing."  the  shaft  shakes  and  tremors  as  said  thing  pursues  them.  as  they  ascend  higher,  the  tremors  grows  weaker.  fortunately  for  them,  the  lift  is  faster  than  the  monster,  granting  them  precious  time  to  find  their  way  out  of  the  ship.  boothill  shivers  at  the  thought  of  the  acid  splattering  against  his  steel  plates  and  melting  through  wires  and  hardware.  if  it  were  to  destroy  his  processing  core,  then  who  knows  how  long  he  would  remain  offline  for.  forever,  is  a  possibility.

"yer telling me. we need to be outta here, like, yesterday." as  the  distance  between  them  and  danger  grows  larger,  boothill's  mock  adrenaline  wanes  and  he  begins  to  fuss  over  dan  heng,  grabbing  him  by  the  arm  and  turning  him  this  way  and  that  way.  "we'll  get  out,"  he  says,  frowning  and  checking  every  inch  of  the  nameless. "but  ya  didn't  have  to  step  in  front  of  me.  that  was  dangerous, pardner.  who  knows  what  that  blood  could  have  done  to  you.  flesh  is  a  lot  harder  to  heal  than  replacing  a  couple  pieces  of  metal,  y'know? hell, we're lucky that the blood we stepped on earlier wasn't from that thing. if we see it again, remind me to not shoot it when we're in a confined space." satisfied,  he  pats  dan  heng's  shoulder  and  steps  back,  looking  towards  the  freight  lifts'  doors  as  it  dings,  signaling  their  arrival  at  their  designated  floor.  "next  time,  you  should  just  use  me  as  a  shield.  i'm  a  lot  sturdier  than  you  think."

boothill  throws  a  grin  over  his  shoulder,  wide  and  toothy  as  he  steps  out  of  the  freight  lift.  he's  relieved  to  be  done  with  the  combination  of  the  creaking  of  the  elevator  and  the  danger  from  the  abomination.  although,  the  monster  remains  in  their  pursuit.  the  sound  of  muffled  scratching  comes  from  the  lift,  growing  louder  with  each  passing  second. boothill doesn't want to stick around to see how far that thing can climb.

the  same  time  that  he  turns  away  from  the  lift  is  the  same  time  that  the  ship's  alarms  blare  red,  reminiscent  of  his  own  body's  danger  warnings.  the  alert  is  loud,  and  the  lights  flicker  unnaturally. the ship wasn't in the best condition when they first got here, and it certainly won't hold up with it's newfound damage.  "well,"  boothill  grabs  dan  heng's  hand  and  starts  booking it for the exit.  "you  were  right  'bout  that  thing  creating  a  vacuum  in  the  ship.  let's  get  outta  here!"

[reversescale]

The moment they ascended to the final floor, the sound of another explosion from within the engines sounded cacophonously, rocking the ship so terrifically that Dan Heng almost lost his footing and lurched into the elevator wall that met him harshly. But, he caught himself before he could slam into that wall. With the state of urgency that nipped at their heels, they didn't have time to stand around and ponder. As the bulwark doors slid open with a deep, rattling screech, he was bitten by impetus and snatched Boothill by the hand. There wasn't any time to talk as he strove to remember the route back to their ship. Banking around sharp turns and galloping down corridors, he skidded to a halt and noticed the ingress that would lead them back to their ship. "No talking, just-- Go!" Dan Heng urged as he shoved the gunman through and back onto their own vessel. As the airlock door slid shut and sealed, Dan Heng raced into the bridge and fiddled with the autopilot, mapping a chart back to port.

The ship lurched away as the thrusters propelled it away, Dan Heng racing back to the porthole where the freighter they'd been aboard was beginning to collapse, practically pressing his face to the glass as he saw the creature from before clawing at the exit they'd made, unintelligibly screaming into the aether as their ship put distance between them and the doomed vessel that was beinning to implode from the enormous disparity of pressure between it and the silent sea of stars. The freighter became smaller with the increased distance until it shrank to a small, insignificant blot against the vast expanse of space. A bright flash presaged an enormous explosion that bloomed like an infernal flower, billowing outwards in the vast darkness as it became consumed in an inferno. Then, and only then, could Dan Heng relax. "...Sorry. I just... had to make sure," he apologized at first, mulling over Boothill's words from just a moment ago. He sighed softly. "I know, it's just... I don't think in those moments. My body reacts on its own, and usually, it tends to mean thinking solely about protecting my comrades. I can't help it. But... I'm sorry if doing that worried you. I can't promise it won't happen again, though."

At the very least, they now had some idea what had been responsible for that freighter's demise. Dan Heng would have to go over the ship's logs he'd managed to transfer, but then and there, he honestly felt exhausted. As the adrenaline that had been powering him bottomed out, Dan Heng tried to shake off his tiredness. He at least needed to ensure his friend hadn't been compromised.

"Are you alright, Boothill?" Dan Heng asked finally, pushing his own weariness for now. Normally, it wasn't common for him to become this fatigued, but perhaps it was because they'd been awake for hours beforehand trying to find their mark. However true, it would simply have to wait for now.

[reversescale]

So, I finished 4.3 and I have a feeling that my own impressions probably aren't that much different than a lot of people's out there.

In short? It was too short. While a lot of the story and lore beats were excellent, and do raise a lot of neat possibilities, it was just too rushed. For example, I just thought that Ren's arc in this chapter was way too hasty. While it did hit a lot of the goalposts a lot of us were expecting, too much of it was shoved behind relics/lore/voicelines which has been a big problem for DH and Ren's dynamic for a while now. The fight they both had? Off-screen. Their redemption? Shoved in his voicelines. Hell, even the fabled trinket that Yaoguang possessed that calmed him down was never specified, even if we can infer what it probably is/was.

Himeko's arc definitely had the most justice done, which makes sense. Here, the pacing has been excellent, especially with the huge bomb that was dropped on us. This was her version, and that's fine. It'll probably wrap up in 4.4 with the release of her new SP, and it's been a great journey so far. As a core member of the main cast, her story has been superbly done.

My last complaint is probably how woefully underutilized Elation-related factions/characters have been. Again, it's the same problem: this is a world of Elation, and while we've gotten the lion's share of the Fools' lore in readables and relics, they've been woefully absent. Sparxie showed promise in 4.0, but then that was it. Sampo was thrown in here and there, while Giovanni felt like fanservice. If I'm honest, instead of Ren, I feel like Sampo should've been the one to get an SP specifically because he was our first introduction to Elation, a core character in Belobog, and the immense parallels folks have drawn between him as a foil to Elation like Asat has been. He's already our ally, and as someone so similar to Enroute/Isee/Absenti, he would've been an amazing parallel against Asat.

My initial disappointment over Isee = Elio being debunked aside, Planarcadia has felt like 50% focusing on the good (Himeko/Elation lore) while pandering too much to characters who I don't think should've been the main focus like Yaoguang or Silver Wolf (even if Ashveil's inclusion is fine and I felt he got an ample amount of coverage of such a major character without hogging the spotlight).

So, while Planarcadia hasn't been a bad ride at all, it's still been disappointment, especially when Amphoreus raised the bar so high with how well it focused on the CH's and their stories.

[amoransias]

"Only the best restaurant to exist here on Planarcadia - is what the manager told me to say! For example.."

She begins to shuffle through obvious cue cards. Surely nobody will notice her eye twitching at the corny marketing dialogue she has to mentally prepare herself for reading out loud.

"If you want a place that'll guarantee an explosion inside and out, take a seat at- ugh- Yum Yum Alley... Anyway, you want a voucher or not?"

[reversescale]

As he listened to the woman continue to pitch the restaurant she was working for, there was an ineffable kind of awkwardness proliferating.

It wasn't the first or last time he'd met someone unenthusiastic about their job, especially as many in places like Planarcadia or Penacony tended to be ruthlessly soul-sucking and even demeaning. So, that didn't surprise him any. Still...

"If it wouldn't get you in trouble... I could take all of them off your hands. I know several people who like... even prefer street food."

[reversescale]

Just popping in to say I brought my Polka! She's a sideblog to here, but she's there if anyone wants to bother the butterfly lady: @lordsilenced

[minban]

"well  fork  me  sideways,  like  hell  you're  okay.  ya  got  a  whole  darn  amber  era's  worth  of  dirt  to  deal  with  in  that  noggin  of  yours."  boothill  frowns,  looking  at  how  the  nameless  continues  to  carry  himself  as  if  he  hadn't  just  leaped  out  of  a  horror  story.  "hell,  just  being  alive  is  worth  celebrating.  you  want  a  hug,  bro?"

[reversescale]

A hug? "Ah... sure," Dan Heng acquiesced a little awkwardly, but not to the suggestion of distance between them. Opening his arms, he took enough steps forward to envelop the Ranger, settling in for a moment when tapered ears twitched with interest. "It's funny... but I can 'hear' the metal that composes your body. Almost like how you could hear internal processes of an organic lifeform--" Realizing how odd it sounded, Dan Heng cut himself off with a slight flush. "...Sorry."

[amemoire]

ㅤㅤAs if he even need ask.   Phainon only smiled and shook his head to say he wouldn't mind at all.   Always more than willing to give all his time to his friends— at least, when that time wasn't already spoken for by official matters.   He can only imagine how different their days would be if circumstances had allowed them all more freedom.   Perhaps one day they should find out.   “ Debate subjects ? ”   That hadn't been a question he'd heard for a while.   A hand raises to his chin in thought.

ㅤㅤ“ Truth be told, I think it's more fun to debate nonsense.   Things that don't really matter.   After all, debates don't have to be about arguing what you believe in.   They're just about being convincing enough to win others over. ”   Titans know there'd been several times in the past in which Phainon held the opposite opinion of his assigned topic.   The first time he'd ever raised issue with it, Professor Anaxa told him that if he couldn't even come up with  ONE  proper argument, then he'd already forfeit.   Er... more or less.   There were certainly more embellishments to his words, and a blunt edge to them, but that's what it boiled down to essentially.

ㅤㅤ“ If every debate were a serious topic, things would quickly become less enjoyable.   I've been in some that touched on the personal beliefs of my opponents and... let's just say they got a little heated. ”   Those times might have been few, but they were definitely far from his favorite.

[reversescale]

"You know... you have an interesting outlook. In a way... it could even feel like training for when you need to actually debate." Somehow, Dan Heng couldn't shake the feeling that this had been an outlook imparted by a certain Nousporist, but it didn't feel necessary to bring up when it was likely the case. Still, it wasn't a far cry from what he tended to get into with March and Stelle; being as ridiculous and serious as they were oftentimes meant contesting with their absurdity against what he assumed were more reasonable stances, but over time, he caught himself echoing similar ridiculous ideas without even realizing it.

"As a Nousporist, do you tend to keep your, ah--"nonsense" more reasonable, or maybe throw it in to throw your interlocutor off guard?" Once again, he knew from experience. While his debates tended to be more online, Dan Heng spent some down time, now and then, watching the debates of the Court of Four Seasons. Sometimes, he considered joining in, but part of him felt self-conscious of his speech delay that made him sound hesitant or unsure, even if he was anything but.

That was something he understood well, too. "I suppose... it's harder, depending on how well the other person knows you. If they're a stranger, there's less to attack... in a way." That was an advantage he could have, if he ever intended to try his hand at public debate, that was.

[reversescale]

In any case, if anyone wants to keep up with me through this semi-hiatus, Clear does live—kinda. Or rather, it’s the original incarnation of Clear his HSR version was based on, and he does have an HSR AU that continues from it. If this interests anyone, I’m over at @hypenotist

[reversescale]

Anyway, like I hinted at in my last post, I’m putting my HSR blogs on semi-hiatus for the time being. I’ve been too hyperfixated to the point of feeling stressed and burnt out and I need a break. The queue will keep going, if a little slower, and I may keep it that way for the time being. I need a break, and got the kick in the rear to finally take one.

[reversescale]

God, I feel so goddamn disappointed. The flavor text for the Isee relic set came out, and everything points to the notion that Isee became Absenti, who is said to be Asat. Fucking hell, I was seriously hoping Isee = Elio would be true, that Ashveil would have such a cool connection, but I was totally wrong. It’s bad enough that this animation MHY released soured my interest in ash/ren, but now I feel seriously let down by this and it’s honestly depressing.

I know this sounds over-dramatic, and it probably is, but I’ve been seriously struggling with my muse for Ashveil these past few days and I was hoping maybe this person he knew wouldn’t be a fucking LR. I was hoping maybe all that time and energy I spent writing theories wouldn’t be for nothing, but as it turns out, MHY went with the worst possible direction.

If I’m honest, the hardest thing about writing Ashveil is the fact that MHY reduces him to such a joke. I know all the GRs are, but I was hoping it’d be different this time. Obviously, it’s childish and immature to throw a temper tantrum like this, but I was hoping for better. I was hoping all this effort and stress wouldn’t be for nothing, that Ashveil might have a connection that would be meaningful and reach beyond the crap MHY has heaped on the GRs.

I don’t know. Maybe Elio and Ashveil might know each other and something might build between them, but at this point, I highly doubt it.

Honestly, I’m glad I did all my drafts on here. I might go on semi-hiatus for a bit, maybe until it runs out. I’m not even excited for the patch anymore and I’m not sure if anything about it will change my mind. I’m just depressed and let down and tired.

[honkaisteinrail]

She was very mindful of her grip strength as they shook hands, she could never tell exactly how strong someone else was. "Heehee, wait, you're so right. I like that a lot! People are all smart in their own ways! Like, I know how to put down fussy kids for naps better than anyone else I know!" She had enough practice, that's for sure, she could be a kid scientist! Was that a thing? Wait...wasn't that just a pediatrician? She could be a pediatrician!

"Omg yes! Yes totally I know where one really close by is!" Her excitement at his acceptance to go to an arcade with her seemed to throw her restraint to the wayside a bit, her grip tightening just a touch too much. Which she quickly released and pulled her hands back, "Sorry, you good?"

[reversescale]

"Hm... looks like you don't need any help figuring that out, then," Dan Heng quipped with an indulgent smile, but it did make him wonder: would Yumi have such an ambition? It was a noble one, and with all the turmoil that had been plaguing Planarcadia lately, children were sometimes the most overlooked in the face of a disaster. It was a grim reality, but one he'd seen played out before. Maybe, once all of the impending disasters were over, it could be a dream she might pursue. Of course, it wouldn't be up to him, but it was a hopeful tangent to entertain. "Although... if you have ambition for the future, it's something that makes the next day something you can look forward to."

Dan Heng choked out a reply as the recoil of Yumi yanking him along caused him to become a little unsteady, but he quickly corrected himself before he could stumble. Righting himself once he was freed, the Nameless nodded a little dazedly. "Yeah... I, ah, can't exactly fault your enthusiasm. Is this... arcade nearby?"

[cloudhymn]

@reversescale.

          “   why are you always in opposition of me, can we not be on the same side for once ?   ”

it probably did not help that dan heng came into his own dreamscape hoping for memories of yingxing instead. when met with the conscience of his predecessor his own reaction was … more juvenile than one thousand years in the memory tide would presume. he’d been subject to many weird bouts of stress during his time in planarcadia, and had been driven to rather unconventional means of relief between uproarious disasters. an appearance from dan feng of all people meant that he was most likely in for a revelation that was both deeply unwanted and sorely needed.

          “   just because we are still karmically bound doesn’t mean we’re still married. he’s not even nice to me.   ”

plotted starter.

[reversescale]

"No, you are. Besides, I feel as though you'd dislike it if I said I was the one still married to him."

Dan Feng regarded some mite of dust on his cropped jacket with feigned interest, as if he wasn't aware of the thinly-veiled provocation laced in his words. As much as his dear reincarnation refused to admit it, Dan Feng knew him better than he did his own reflection. And with that knowledge came the fact that Dan Heng was at his most honest when he was enveloped in some passionate emotion or other: fear, anger, love. Anger was the easiest to provoke between them, and so, it was a pressure point he was more than willing to apply force to. He needed honesty, not Dan Heng's favorite games of evasiveness and stonewalling that only served to deepen chasms of attrition between them. Even if he'd hoped Amphoreus would've fostered an understanding.

"You've been antagonistic before now with each other. Maybe he doesn't know how to... yet."

[lighthouselullabies]

It was an odd thing to say aloud, March flashing him a dubious look before she rolled her eyes and flounced back to her room, something about a livestream she was due to host in a few minutes. Sighing in relief as silence reigned again, Dan Heng faced the mysterious stranger with a droll look; strange entities appearing on the Express was such a frequent occurrence that there was almost no point in mentally bracing himself for it. By now, he was completely desensitized to such circumstances whenever they occurred. At least he wasn't in a private situation...

"Can I... ask who you are?" he asked the now-guest, mildly interested in the intruder.

Which makes one wonder just how well the security is for the Express is if mysterious strange entities popping up in the train. Colorful tendrils drift near the silhouette as their neck tilts to the window that is cracked open, nothing fancy for them this time, the possibility of simply slipping through a crack in the wall.

It takes a while for the golden silhouette to answer, noise sounding like its trying to adjust similar to an old radio finding the right station.

" M "

[reversescale]

Something about this felt... off. Dan Heng was in the same place he'd always been, as familiar as the back of his hand, yet his mind felt as though it was wrapped in a fog. He'd felt this way before around someone else; someone who was only a facet of one of his dear friends who was like a sister to him. The more he ruminated on it, despite the way his previous thoughts drifted away from him, the more it occurred to him what was responsible for this phenomenon.

"...M?" he parroted back, but his eyes narrowed suspiciously. "This... is familiar. Tell me, M: are you related to the Enigmata? Once you've experienced the Fog of Thought... it's a little difficult to forget. I'm sure you can understand."

[the-lytenye-realms]

Food car, bath car, book car, greenhouse...it was at least as it should be. And no haunting yet thankfully. They were happy that he was leading the way through this as it were. Even if they had themselves ventured a bit further they just weren't sure of if it'd be the same. Maybe they couldn't trust their memories, or it was just different for one reason or another or maybe...they'd open the door and it'd lead to the vacuum of space because the next car over was really an illusion...though they quickly dismissed that last idea if mostly because they had gone there before and they were pretty sure they can't breath in space (even if it is an unproven theory).

"Ready, steady and holding my breath." As soon as they finished speaking they inhaled deeply; visibly holding their breath. Maybe they hadn't quite convinced themselves next car over wasn't an illusion.

They moved a bit closer behind him as they watch him open the door; also now holding their bat in hand as if anything would jump out at them from inside the safety of the express.

[reversescale]

Now that he thought about it, Dan Heng wondered if he shouldn't have studied blueprints of the Express beforehand, but then he remembered: he had, but the problem lay in the fact that, historically, there had been dozens of Astral Expresses in the past and they didn't all have the same, uniform schematics. Ergo, even if the make and mechanics were the same, that didn't mean all of them would be structured similarly. It would likely simply be up to them.

Well, that and there was the fact that the Astral Express had been breached on Planarcadia for literal eons, data had been lost that not even Himeko could fully cobble back together. There had been enough on her plate, and with such a small crew, between their expeditions and affairs on and off, there hadn't been enough time to dedicate to simple exploration.

"Hm? Oh... just stay close to me. Just in case... I mean." Glancing back between them and the door ahead, it slid open noisily, and he admittedly felt a little foolish at bracing himself for some unseen threat.

Dan Heng's shoulders fell as all they saw was the mechanical workshop, a car greatly expanded upon by Mikhail. Practically its own manufacturing plant, not only could anything be fabricated here, but just about every tool and schemata existed, crammed on its shelves.

"Ugh... false alarm. It's just the workshop car."

[marichive]

MULTIMUSE MEME: Send a " ⭐ " and I will list muses I would be interested in throwing at yours, or potential muse combinations if you are also a multi. If you like any of the suggested combinations, you are welcome to come plot or start interactions with them.

If you can't see / use the symbol for any reason, send " star! " instead. If you are a multi and you want to see which muses I would be interested in throwing against a specific muse of yours, send ⭐+ that muses name.

[vanagander]

what color is your aura?

Honey

friendship bracelets, beehives, school busses, children's books, flower petals, honeyed toast, polaroids. your essence is honey: you are devoted and endlessly enthusiastic. your friendships are your security; you shroud yourself with people who make you smile and feel lost at sea without them. often you are quick to dedicate yourself to whatever hand feeds you. you are the companion. you are the confidant. you find kinship in like-minded individuals of peach, marigold, yellow, and orange, who share your love of teamwork. you are also drawn to the streamlined souls terracotta and chiffon, who will help you grow and discover your own confidence. however, you may struggle to get along with the heedless personalities of orchid and chartreuse who seem like fair weather friends.

Tagged by: @inominati & @sungracd ty <3 Tagging: @kohouri, @amemoire, @lightricks, @traincarsandstars, @zhisi, and you!

[iniziare]

“You hesitate each time I say your name.” The observation arrives before anything else, and it is quiet enough that the sound nearly dissolves beneath the distant rush of water coursing through the ancient veins of the Waterscape Gorge below. Frost has gathered thinly along the edge of her sword where it rests unsheathed across her palms now also subjected to its chill, and the slow drag of her thumb against the flat of the blade leaves fractured lines spreading delicately through the ice each time the metal shifts beneath her touch. Dan Heng. The syllables sit strangely within her mouth still— not because they are unfamiliar, but because they are not. That is the cruelty of it. Time has altered the face before her, the voice, the posture, the careful restraint folded so tightly into the line of his shoulders, and yet there remain moments where memory insists upon resurfacing regardless, uninvited and sharp enough to cut cleanly through centuries of discipline.

A thin fracture finally gives way beneath her thumb, scattering crystalline shards softly across the damp stone near her before the rushing currents below swallow them entirely. The sound lingers only briefly beneath the low hum of the gorge’s waters, pale light shifting in restless reflections across the steel balanced motionless over her knees.

“The Vidyadhara elders spent centuries attempting to carve him into something the Luofu could endure more comfortably.” The words settle into the cool air without bitterness, worn smooth instead by the simple exhaustion of memory revisited too many times. Her gaze lowers briefly then toward the frost still clinging stubbornly to the guard of her blade before finally, finally lifting toward him beneath the pallid glow surrounding the gorge. “You carry that same caution differently.” A pause. It is a brief thing, and precise. “Less arrogance, more restraint.”

As requested. One Jingliu. I hope that this works! // @reversescale

[reversescale]

"...It takes some getting used to, Jingliu," he replied with much less bitterness and bite than he might have years ago; months ago, even. Yet, that's what made the disparity so odd: all at once, they were both young and new, withered and old to each other. To Jingliu, he was barely forty years old, a blink of the eye for a species that could live to be several centuries old. To Dan Heng, he was pushing six thousand years old, and it made him feel ancient. Yet, that oldness had been of time steeply dilated, where a few seconds in the real world would yield hundreds of years within Amphoreus. They had lived within that simulation for just over four months, less than a twitch in the eye of some galactic timekeeper. And during that time, the Xianzhou Alliance had transitioned from their fatalistic war against the Abundance, to a battle that was a flash of its existence, brilliant and destructive as a star gone supernova. And then, they had returned to their original course, the Destruction a fork in the road that would ultimately return them to their ultimate and intended destiny. A fate that had been almost nine thousand years in the making.

Scalegorge Waterscape felt so painfully young. When he had been reborn as Georios, he remembered when the sky of Aquila and the waters of Phagousa had been born of the very mountains and earth, when the beginnings of life had begun at Kephale's behest-- Everything he had once been felt so infinitesimal by comparison. The High Elder inherited the power to command the waves from the original Azure Dragon, Axiuhe, but hadn't become them to the degree he had when he'd become Georios. This place felt young, felt new, as much as it was a cradle of life for the newest generations.

"I'll admit... I have half expected you to call me Imbibator Lunae like before. 'Dan Heng'... It takes a minute to get used to." Dan Heng hadn't called Jingliu the Sword Champion, even if that title held true; even if she'd been damned from ever holding a title she had no attachment to. "Hm... I suppose you don't need me to say that you're different from the Sword Champion of yore," he continued with a note of amusement, of someone who had regained the memories of his past life and had since made peace with them. A thoughtful sound came, holding a vibrato like a hum. "When the Abundance falls... do you intend to see the world that comes after? Or will you end with it?"