fall into the sky.

Roleplay tumblr for Xu Shu from KOEITECMO's Dynasty Warriors Series. Part of the Dynasty Warriors Masterlist. Some content may be nsfw. tracks: #dwmlxushu Don't give up; I'll fight, if you show me a sign.

[reiiko]

Favorite Dynasty Warriors characters - 7/? "I think it is safe to say this enemy has learned the importance of strategy."

[veiledstrategy]

decretum &; diaochan

[deceivingdancer]

The day turned into night much slower than the dancer would have liked. This man- whose name she had not even gathered had trusted her to the point of openly subjecting himself to torture and possible execution. How cruel would it have been to reel him in and have him killed for simply strengthening the apparent trust Lord Dong Zhuo has placed in her? It crossed her conflicted mind as she laid in bed- how thick the threads of trust could be wound…

Alas her performance did not warrant such a desperate deed. Trust was fine and gradual and required patience and dedication- things the maiden had in surplus. As she had done countless times before, Diaochan slipped from her room as silent as the very night sky itself, proving only her expertise when it came to performing. The dungeon was not located terribly far and she knew the guard’s paths almost better than they did. She brought with her several little things that clung to the inside of her gown. Lately the dungeon held few captives and only one that was currently alive. Diaochan could hear his breathing, which guided the maiden to his side. He was currently chained to the wall, the scent of blood heavy and unmistakable.  "My friend.." The dancer urges through the thick black, resting a warm and soft hand on his darkening cheek. "I have not forsaken you to this darkness.." With her free hand, Diaochan reaches for a damp cloth within her garb, and presses it to the man’s face, her hand which had previously cupped his cheek moving to cover his mouth. A precaution, should he choose to groan or whine in reaction to the maiden cleaning his wounds. "I am sorry to have put you through this.. please understand I did what I had to for the sake of your family, friend.." Diaochan turns the cloth inside out, examining his bound wrists. His skin is cut- the metal too tight on his skin. Gently as before, she cleans his wrists and ankles. With that being taken care of, she rests the cloth on the ground and pulls out the dungeon key- the trinket long lost due to most prisoners being chained up for life. The key slides quietly into the lock, and the heavy shackles fall one by one from the man’s appendages. 

[veiledstrategy]

The lady's voice had been one of the best things he could hear at the moment, and instinctively Xu Shu found himself leaning into her touch, as if he wanted to prove he hadn't already begun his tumble into delirium. He does bite down into the makeshift gag she's given him; this wasn't painless in the slightest and he had to feel more before he got better. Once his bonds were free though, a weight had been lifted. Cuts and bruises aside, Xu Shu had enough energy in him to make it out of here. "I understand. Please, my lady, you may call me Xu Shu." he said, carefully putting aside the shackles in a manner that made the least amount of noise, "I...thank you."

The words were weighted, really; there was more there than mere thanks. He was thankful that placing his trust in her wasn't something that backfired on him horribly, and he was thankful that she was so inclined as to help him reunite with his daughter. If she'd allow it, he'd ask her questions when he was sure they were out of danger, if only temporarily.

[veiledstrategy]

decretum &; diaochan

[deceivingdancer]

She could only imagine the fear the man felt- it was almost tangible in his reluctant agreement. She wets her lips, nodding against the man’s shoulder. “Each day, this land is getting darker and darker. I see hope in you, a light that more of us as human beings need to hold. I swear to you, on my father’s life you will not be let down. Your daughter, more importantly.. will not be let down.” She pulls back, tracing his jawline with her lips- a thank you.

"Guards!" She cries out, hands reaching for the whip bound around her waist. She fixes the man with a serious stare, all traces of understanding seemingly gone in an instant. "The thief! He’s admitted to me he was the one who stole Master Dong Zhuo’s treasure- seize him at once!"  Their actions were immediate, Xu Shu had surrendered to them and was led away quietly by three of the guards. He would be taken to the dungeon, beat, and chained up before nightfall.. She had to work quick to make sure everything would go off without a hitch. Almost as if nothing had happened, the dancer makes her way towards the market.. the wheels of her mind forever spinning.

[veiledstrategy]

Xu Shu wasn't surprised at the degree to which he was imprisoned and then later beaten; it all seemed right in the same vein of approval Dong Zhuo would give. It was why men like him needed to be erased. At the front of his mind however, lay the reason he was even in this dank and disgusting cell: his eventual freedom and reunion with Taohua.

Freedom had never been so appealing before; he felt this way the first time he had been imprisoned and beaten until he submit. This second time, instead of being rooted in fear and panic, he had just wanted it to be over. When the men had gotten tired, Xu Shu only spit out blood, grunted, and dragged himself toward the nearest wall, his iron bonds cutting into his skin as he slowly lifted his head to look at the barred window.

As he exhaled through clenched teeth, he leaned his head against the cool, rough stone, all in vain attempts to refrain from inhaling the scent of rotting flesh in the air, and inevitably vomiting. Xu Shu wished this imprisonment on no one; not even the old warden responsible for beating him the first time. This was all in the hopes of Diaochan returning to get him.

Xu Shu had to believe in Diaochan this once; his life depended on her decision to continue through with this ploy. Otherwise, he'd be subject to more torture, this time in front of Dong Zhuo, who would  then order for him to be executed when his amusement was sated. He wanted to ask why Diaochan found it bearable to serve a man loyally, but he figured the only answers he would get were ones he wouldn't be surprised at.

[veiledstrategy]

parentage (part one) &; drabble,

"My lord, she is an adept learner." the Elder's voice was soft, but still enough to grab Xu Shu's attention. He stood, bowed his head, and he waited for the Elder to continue.

"She will learn for the rest of her life. She is not yours, but she easily mirrors you. Take great care in letter her spread her wings."

Xu Shu nodded, "I know. I...will try. She has great interest in scholarly pursuits. But...I'd also like for her to be safe, and help others in need. Taohua has constantly been moving--eager, really, and I have been chasing after her since. Sometimes, I feel as if I should stop her now. This land...all of the fighting...Elder, I want her to have no part of that, but..." the strategist paused for a moment, and his eyes drifted over to where Taohua had been. She had been underneath the shade of one of the large trees, one hand shaking at the branches until one peach had fallen into her lap. Xu Shu watched her cut into it carefully before she held it out to her classmates, and waited until her hand was empty before she repeated the process again until all of her classmates were eating. He waited until she shook the branches again, but only chuckled weakly when she didn't, and simply returned to talking with her new friends.

"Hah...how odd..." he continued, "I thought she would take care of herself finally. She really is becoming too much like me..."

"It is not odd, is she not your offspring?" the Elder asked.

"She is not truly mine--" Xu Shu answered immediately before the elder interrupted him.

"And yet, you do not leave her."

"How can I?"

"You cannot. You will not, and I know it. She is in the safest of hands here with her friends and her teachers, and you will return and stay for as long as you can."

"Yes." Xu Shu said once more.

"Why did you want the young lady Taohua to be taught baguazhang and all of its principles?"

"I was fascinated with sword play before my troubles. I spent the majority of my youth mastering swordplay. My movement used to be pure, fluid, but now they end sharply and power is in every strike...but it's power in which there is murderous intent. Taohua shouldn't fight to kill."

"But she should fight to protect others. She can't escape the trouble this land is in...and she will greet death like we all will. How she does it though, is uncertain. The young lady is constantly moving, in search of one higher level and then another. Because you've taught her well, Master Xu Shu--"

"She will not only master this, but whatever it is she sets her mind to. She will become so much than I am."

"And," the elder gestured to Taohua, who had moved from her position under the tree and a little closer to the tent where he and Xu Shu were, "she still will not abandon you. Perhaps you should stay for a while longer during her training."

"I will," Xu Shu said, "I trust you, Elder."

"I will not fail her father."

"I...Er..." Xu Shu had begun to grip the collar of his jacket, tempted to pull up the hood, but knew that would be rude of him. When he relaxed enough, he mumbled a quiet "thank you" before he headed outside and was greeted by Taohua.

"Do we get to stay for a while longer?!" Taohua asked as she stood up on her tip toes and she raised her arms to Xu Shu. It was just like when she just barely reached his knees, and didn't want to walk or run anymore, so she wanted him to carry her.

Taohua was a young lady now; the short and slightly curly copper hair she had now reached mid-length, and the chubby cheeks, arms, and legs she had as a baby were no longer there, and the only thing he could take comfort in was that she would never fit his jacket; it would only hide her much less. He hadn't realized how attached he had become to the days where he carried her everywhere, and how fascinated he had been at her being small enough to sleep in his lap.

"Yes." he finally answered, one hand reaching up to pat her head, and he smiled when she leaned into the touch

"So, then, where do we go next?" Taohua asked, and she proceeded to walk alongside him, "Not that it matters or anything! Wherever you go Father, I'm going with you too!"

Xu Shu couldn't put into the words what he felt every time Taohua addressed someone like him as 'Father,' but he most certainly didn't want the feeling to ever fade.

[veiledstrategy]

en route &; diaochan

[deceivingdancer]

There it was, just as the dancer figured. His voice trembled with the sudden crescendo in emotion. Absolutely, there was no faking or fabricating such raw responses, and Diaochan believed him one hundred percent in the same instant that he dashed forward and grabbed at her shoulders. She did not flinch, in fact she had expected a reply like this one it seemed, for her hand was already raised telling the guard who had shifted loudly to step back. His groan and worry were almost as audible as his armor clinking into place. 

"Never lose that, stranger." Diaochan says, locking eyes with his. Gone was the calm blue, replaced by a warm and dedicated blaze that only seemed to burn brighter when gazing at Xu Shu’s currently panic stricken visage. "This world is so dark…" Shrugging carefully and with purpose from the man’s grip, she runs the back of her hand across his cheek, taking heed of the rough stubble towards his jaw. "Never lose that love- that care and that worry." She leans into him, her lips touching the shell of his ear. "We have two options here. I will let you pick the next course of action- though both admittedly have their faults. I can convince the guard to raise the bridge, but that will surely draw attention from Master Dong Zhuo and he will be livid and curious as to why.. It’s safe to assume this guard lingering will spill what happened- rest assured Master Dong Zhuo will send men after you.. and your daughter, my friend. The second, more attractive option would be for you to pretend you are the thief- listen carefully to me. Dong Zhuo is a man of gluttony and entertainment. When he finds out you were captured, you will be taken captive and held overnight, the following morning you will be tortured and put on display to teach others what will happen should anyone cross him… A public execution will follow almost certainly. I can not promise that your night will not be full of pain tonight.. though I do know he will leave you able for the following day of shaming. But I will be able to break you out and help you escape the city with the cover of night should you trust me. The choice is yours, but please pick carefully and quickly.."

[veiledstrategy]

Xu Shu had learned to consider each and every possible option, bad outcome or not. He knew he couldn't afford to flee, or even risk putting someone else in danger for him. Even if this young woman was in league with Dong Zhuo, the man seemed like he would make her suffer time and time again if it so pleased him; perhaps going as far as to deliberately find whatever pleased her and crush it in between his hands.

As close as Xu Shu was to reuniting with Taohua, it seemed that his will and strength were to be tested. It wasn't as if he hadn't been imprisoned and suffered before, either. To cause commotion in the middle of a search would draw the wrong attention and yes, he and Taohua would be forced to continue fleeing, and he eventually wanted her to know stability. However, to deceive Dong Zhuo outright, and then attempt to flee...Xu Shu would have to put his trust in this young woman. and know she would break him out before the execution and torture. It was all he had now; even as skilled as he was, the numbers of men would overwhelm him.

"...Then I suppose you have captured your thief." he said quietly.

Despite his gaze fixed toward the ground, Xu Shu swore to himself that he would be there to greet Taohua first thing in the morning.

[veiledstrategy]

en route &; diaochan

[deceivingdancer]

Importance, hm? Diaochan peers at the man with the same collected and calculating pale eyes as before. How careless people were to share and speak of their loved ones- in times like these those were the deadliest and easiest weapons to acquire. “You speak so coldly of my beloved Master Dong Zhuo…” With ease, the maiden speaks warmly of her apparent master. None could know of the brilliant, bustling plot constantly stirring and stitching itself together. “And you hide your face, your eyes…” Another pause, Diaochan sounds almost as if she is speaking in song. “At first glance.. one could only assume you to be the thief everyone so desperately is searching for…~” Her words trail off in a curious whisper, low so the nearby guards didn’t hear of course.

The accusation is heavy but the way the dancer talks leads one to believe she doesn’t whole-heartedly mean it.. Right? This man… Diaochan feels her brows rise- the gesture is small but a crack in the carefully placed mask she wears. A father? At best, a likely story.. Yet she could not help but feel the sincerity radiating from his chest- or was that urgency. Perhaps they were one in the same.  "Ahh.. the poor thing must be frightened beyond belief, especially with all of the rebelling and tension this land is darkened with….Is she alone? I’ve heard terrible, terribly stories of younger children being kidnapped and sold… " Perhaps just to sell the point.. the maiden plucks at a potentially tight string within the man’s mind. Simply, Diaochan wishes to push his urgency and fear to it’s maximum.. after-all, how else was she supposed to trust him if she couldn’t elicit the fear and worry every father should have over his daughter with ease. The raw reply she expects will be all the proof she needs..

"How am I expected to trust a stranger who cannot even speak to me while showing his face and his eyes? Speak to me with your heart, stranger."

[veiledstrategy]

"My lady, I cannot afford to remain trapped in here!" Xu Shu blurted, his hand shifting up to his hood and tearing it back in one motion, the sound of fabric in the wind audible. His fists were clenched next, followed by his jaw, but it had lasted but a few seconds before it immediately switched to panic. He was not angry at the young lady, no; he wanted to continue on his way to his daughter. There mere thought of Taohua being taken away and sold...

Xu Shu had suddenly begun to regret not teaching Taohua to be ruthless or merciless, but there were far too many people in the world like that already. He just...he wouldn't let thieves take her away and erase who she was, and who she could be. He himself was a lost cause, or so he liked to believe..

He had thrown any personal space barriers away, and approached the young lady, not in attempts to do her harm--that was the further thing from his mind and it would always be--and his hands found her otherwise fair shoulders and he grabbed them, "Please...my daughter means more to me than anything Dong Zhuo could ever have in his possession or want. I am not your thief, I want nothing to do with Chang'an! Let me return to her!" he stressed, refusing to break his eye contact with her. He had nothing to hide from her or from the guard in plain sight, no reason to deceive.

[veiledstrategy]

Visit Original Link

[veiledstrategy]

en route &; diaochan

[deceivingdancer]

The resounding thud that followed with the gates locking was enough to make Diaochan pause for a moment. She wondered briefly if the civilians closer towards the center of the city could feel the vibrations, she felt nothing of the outside world when in Dong Zhuo’s castle.. save for the beautiful storms that sang and twirled beyond the walls. They were gorgeous, loud.. commanding and absolute in their carelessness for what and who they bothered. In a weird way.. comparable to her lord Lu Bu. Perhaps that was what drew her to him.

Observant, maybe to a fault, the fair maiden lingers for a few moments longer. Pain touches the hooded male’s voice, the sincerity and way his worlds trail off are raw and intoxicating. She listens to him step closer, her back for the moment still turned towards him.  "I see.." Muses the dancer after the silence that follows suit. "I’m sorry, there seems to be nothing I can do. Just what is it you must do that cannot wait a couple days…?" Alas she turns and lets her eyes fall on the figure bowing before her. 

[veiledstrategy]

"There is someone of the utmost importance to me waiting outside these walls. I don't know what man is foolish enough to warrant a search in territory belonging to Dong Zhuo, but everyone else shouldn't be punished for it." Xu Shu responded, voice firm. Instantly he felt his stomach turn and he hung his head, green hood obscuring his face.

"I made the promise to my daughter that I would return shortly. A few days is something I do not have...not with what lurks inside and outside of these walls. Please understand, my lady." he continued. The word 'daughter' had come easily to him, despite him thinking of her as everything else synonymous to treasure came to mind. The thought of him breaking his promise to her, and her being at the mercy of the outside chaos set him on edge.

He had hoped the young lady would understand his plight and let him go. Xu Shu, since his release from prison and foray into strategy had decided to abide by the law, and no longer lose his inhibitions. He had too much to lose now to be as careless as a thief.

[veiledstrategy]

en route &; diaochan

[deceivingdancer]

"And just where has Lu Bu gone too now!?" Growled the fat tyrant before her. He was quick to anger, quicker to lash out. Obnoxious violet veins pulsed visibly in his face. Irritated didn’t exactly seem to do him justice. Few could keep Master Dong Zhuo’s patience, and as far as the maiden was concerned none enjoyed his presence as a whole. Her lips pull upwards just briefly, she twirls from his side and graces him with that same gentle smile. It’s enough to keep him seated, and a way out of the castle presents itself. How foolish would she be for not taking full advantage of it. 

"Master Dong Zhuo, I do not know where Lord Lu Bu has wandered off too. Please, allow me to go secure the gates." Protest is evident in the way his thick brows move. Of course, Diaochan is prepared for this. Her pale hand extends, and she captures the tyrant’s plump hand in her own, running the smooth pads of her fingers over the sweaty skin of her supposed master. At once his features smooth out- er.. return to normal if nothing else. Ensnared in the web of her beauty, he nods defeated. /// Visits outside of the castle were rare. It was simply that Dong Zhuo was a selfish lover, her beauty was his as far as he was concerned. Supposedly, some lowly thief had made off with one of the countless treasures Dong Zhuo had accumulated. By order of Dong Zhuo himself, the city was to be sealed off while his army searched every house and crevice. Who knew if the thief had already passed through Chang’an.. She made her way with more grace than the moon would ever hope to emit. Diaochan didn’t exactly walk, she swayed and twirled almost like a petal moving forward in the wind. Beautifully, but with a certain sense of purpose. Just as she had managed to get to the gates of Chang’an, a hooded man was seen atop a horse.  By this time, she had already explained to the guardsman what exactly was going on- who was in the process of lowering one of the couple gates. The walls of Chang’an were thick, and a moat surrounded the perimeter of said city. Needless to say, no body was going to get out unless she or someone else of importance gave sign to lower the bridges which lead to the stable stone bridges. 

[veiledstrategy]

"No..." Xu Shu began, worry evident in his voice, "I have to leave here, there's someone outside I need to get to!"

He was a man who usually kept his promises, especially when it came to his foster daughter. Usually, nothing could keep them separated for long, for he would always find his way back to her. She could protect herself, yes, but he had become selfish in the fact that he wanted to make sure she didn't have to fight. Being that the guard had been issued new orders to raise Chang'an's gates, his daughter would have to fend for herself until he returned.

In one motion he dismounted his steed, gave it an affectionate yet quick pat and proceeded to hastily make his way to the gates, hood falling to his shoulders, "Wait, please-"

"Only on the orders of the Lord Dong Zhuo or the young lady Diaochan may one enter and leave Chang'an now. There's a search in progress!" the guardsman spoke brusquely and Xu Shu groaned in frustration before he turned sharply, pausing only when he caught sight of the young woman nearby.

She, with her fair skin and lustrous, ornately styled brown hair (finely and carefully looped into the exotic-looking hair and headpiece), and blue eyes made the wandering and always wishful Xu Shu look once, and then another time for confirmation; it was rare anyone grabbed his attention and made him suddenly want to be seen as someone worthy. If he had been slouching, he stood upright and his mouth remained closed while his mind worked to put together a feasible sentence. When it came up with something passable he only bowed his head slightly toward the young woman and uttered the words: "The gates are apparently closed. We're not leaving...but it's imperative that I do..."

[veiledstrategy]

en route &; diaochan

Xu Shu had even more of a reason to keep moving; he had no idea when something like rest was in sight...and it needed to be, not for his sake, but for the sake of his traveling companion. It wasn't doing Taohua any good to not have a home just as it wasn't doing him any good to simply be a man who was passing by all the time. He had been careful enough to avoid any intense battles, especially considering it seemed like a couple were beginning to take shape. This land was lost and littered with corruption, violence, and death. It had become increasingly difficult to trust anyone or to speak of the current issues; that only warranted a fight, or at worse: death.

Trust was a rarity for the always traveling Xu Shu, especially considering he had a target on his back. He had served his sentence, yes, even paid for his crime if the always hidden scars on his back counted for any of it, and he even put his mind toward scholarly pursuits and eventually the art and flow of large scaled battles. He'd kept up his skills in strategy even as meager as they had been ever since he had been hearing about one man his two oath brothers. All three had garnered a reputation of sorts...but they too happened to be akin to vagrants, simply wandering without a place of their own to call home. Xu Shu wanted that: a home. If not for him, then for Taohua. Their time here in Chang'an was coming to an end, and now he had been further in gathering supplies before they would begin to leave in one or two days.

People here had been quiet, but safe. They kept to themselves, and rightfully so; Dong Zhuo's name was still very much terrifying and influential. Xu Shu wouldn't carelessly talk about him either. If anything they seemed much more interested in talking about the impressive warrior Lu Bu and a young woman who seemed to have come right out of a storyteller's scrolls.

It was said that young woman was so beautiful that she even eclipsed the moon, and she had made her place with other beauties who had come from myth. Xu Shu remembered only Xi Shi, who was so beautiful fish forgot how to swim when she walked by, and Wang Zhaojun made birds in flight fall from the sky. It seemed far-fetched, but if this young beauty was comparable to those women, and she happened to be in the possession of Dong Zhuo, she was one that such a tyrant did not deserve.

"No time to remember myths," Xu Shu told himself after he had paid the man at the stall and proceeded to continue moving, "I have to make sure things are well before we go."

[veiledstrategy]

Visit Original Link

[veiledstrategy]

afencingsword -> veiledstrategy.

[veiledstrategy]

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[veiledstrategy]

source

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