[Qiu'li]

[attr="class","popqiu"] ❝May the crimson leaves show me the path I must follow.❞ wc: 882 | twc: 5049 Qiu'li

[attr="class","qiutext"] Qiu'li had a thoughtful look on his face as he observed the two of them with his slanted eyes that bore his sharp stare. Two separate people, with wholly different upbringings with two completely different ideas of what strength is. For the first time in a while, Qiu'li was glad that he had left his home in Forever Fall in his search for the answer to that question. This short conversation between his fellow peers is proof itself that there is no definite answer, or rather, perhaps it is a multitude of several answers. The way that each one had eloquently spoke about their thoughts and opinions were surely swayed by how they experienced life, much like he did. Their fears, worries, aspirations, and dreams are shape their views, and in turn, what they hold closest. As Aegle began to describe what strength was to her, Qiu'li tried to interpret it, saying it slowly and methodically as he tried to understand what she meant. "True strength to you... Means finding a purpose that is worth working the bone for..." Qiu'li thought about her follow up statement as he rested his palm on his chin. Despite what she said, the purpose that she is looking for is still not quite within reach yet, huh? The raven-haired man continue to stare at her for some time as he reflected on this answer. Searching with earnest for one's purpose is different than wandering aimlessly and hoping to bump into it are two different things. While they may or may not reach the eventual answer, they both have different mindsets that will determine whether or not one's had a fulfilling life. Qiu'li nodded slowly as he took another bite. His attention then turned to Alexandros as he listened to his reasoning. He tried to make sense of it. It wasn't too far away from Aegle's, but it was his own, and Qiu'li tried to interpret it as such. "True strength means... Taking responsibility of the duties that others cannot." The raven-haired man leaned back a bit as his gaze bored into Alexandros. Despite not knowing what true strength really meant, he decided that he would continue to pursue what his idea of what it is to him, even if he knows that he may not fully reach it one day. However, it was the follow up comment that he said aloud after he had snapped his weapon shut that caught his attention. Selfishness. Something that was a double-edged sword. One would think that being selfish meant thinking about oneself and shunning out the feelings of others, but Qiu'li thought differently. To be selfish means to prioritize one's own well-being, to ensure their own survival, less they surrender it to the others who are equally selfish. However, the other side of that coin is reliance. Relying on their teammates to make up for their shortcomings, or asking for help in times of need. Is that selfish, or is it strength? By acknowledging one's own weaknesses and coming to terms with it. Qiu'li took another bite and thought about it. These two were strong in their own ways. He had plenty of things to write about, but that wasn't on the forefront of his mind. Rather, he was drawn into the conversation between them. It had been a while since he got to share an evening meal with others, all things considered. Qiu'li vaguely recalled the silent meals he had with Master Sattota, and the few times that he got to eat with Flower, but it felt so long since then. Subconsciously, Qiu'li had missed this kind of interaction, and wanted it to continue, even for a little while longer. His gaze went upward towards the sky as he continued to eat. Just like the skies at home, it was populated with stars that twinkled across the darkened sky. The shattered moon was bright and shone overhead, unmoving as ever. Another memory flashed in the raven man's head. A similar evening just like this from even before his time in the forests. The comforting feeling of having his back stroked gently as he was lulled to sleep. A female voice, one that Qiu'li hadn't heard in a long time, echoed distantly in the depths of his mind. "What kind person do you want to be in the future, xiao jiahuo? What will you aspire to be? Will you be a kind person? A brave person? What... ... Kinds of dreams do you have?" Qiu'li blinked briefly before looking at Aegle and Alexandros once more. His words kind of tumbled out, but he cleared his throat and tried again. "What do you want become?" He asked the two of them. He had never really thought about what he wanted to become. Most of his life consisted of learning to survive, but for what reason? Of course, nobody wanted to die, but Qiu'li thought long and hard about what was beyond that. What kind of person did he want to become? What kinds of dreams did he have? Were they good dreams? Realistic ones? What about other's people dreams? Did they share those dreams with others? Were they willing to sacrifice some dreams in favor of seeing others come to light? Qiu'li was curious, therefore he asked. The night continues on. -- Fènnù (+Strength +Agility +Projectile Sword Beam) | Rank D Lóngtóu and Panlong | Rank F Featherfall I (Leap) | Rank D Weapon Proficiency I (Martial Arts) | Rank E Dance of the Wild Winds II (Acrobatics) | Rank E Shadow Step I (Stealth) | Rank F Resilience of the Crimson Oaks II (Durability) | Rank E

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[Aegle Verdant]

They had very different ideas of what true strength was, as it turned out. Aegle could not pretend to be surprised; Alexandros had lived a life much different from hers. That was the thing about people, no two were exactly alike. One need only look to Aegle's brothers to see that. Vulcan and Aaron were born a year apart from one another and couldn't have been much different, while Paeon was only a couple of years older than she was and...
'And he's attending Atlas Academy, where as I had to go half way around the world for an academy desperate enough to take me.'
It wasn't a happy thought, but neither was it false. Paeon was hail, hearty, with a semblance which, if not suited to combat, would at least be useful. What a difference a couple of years could make.

Still, she had to respect Alexandros' answer, even if it shared little resemblance to her own. After all, she had to imagine it was an answer most huntsman would have given, and why else would she have been there if she didn't think that was an ideal worth emulating?
'Because it was this or stay in Atlas city?'
That wasn't a happy thought either.

"I know a little somethin' 'bout selfishness.' Aegle said, once Alexandros was done, "And that don't sound all that selfish to me. What's the point of livin' if not figurin' things out for y'self?"
She smiled her best smile, and tried to believe her own words. There had been a time when she'd trusted Paeon's truisms without hesitation. In the years since he'd handed her that one though, Aegle had developed her own thoughts on what the 'point' of livin' was, and she did not think her optimistic big brother would have agreed with many of them.
Not that she was in any hurry to tell Qiu'li or Alexandros that.

They were quiet for a few moments after that. Aegle did not doubt her companions were considering what had been said, and she was too, after a fashion. Not so much as she was wondering what the two of them had thought about what she'd said though.
'At least neither of them laughed...'
It was Qiu'li who broke the silence next.
"True strength to you," he said, settling his flinty eyes upon her and sounding as though he were chipping out each word from stone, "Means finding a purpose that is worth working the bone for..."
It was a much more eloquent and to the point way of saying it than she'd chosen, and Aegle was glad he'd been able to make such succinct sense of it. Whether or not he liked or disliked the answer, or even considered it valid, Qiu'li gave no hint. Instead, like the grinding of tectonic plates, his eyes shifted to Alexandros.
"True strength means taking responsibility of the duties that others cannot."
That hadn't been Aegle's interpretation, not exactly. It had sounded to her more like Alexandros considered the whole question of 'true strength' to be moot, that he didn't really know what it was but hoped he would know it when he saw it. Then again, perhaps that was simply Aegle reading her own feelings into what the brawler had said, since that was the approach she'd taken to trying to divine a purpose for her shambles of a life.

Again, Qiu'li gave no hint whether he approved or disapproved of the answer Alexandros had proffered. He simply stared hard at the other boy, eyes sharp as flint beneath his stony mantle of brow. Then, abruptly, he lifted his eyes, and Aegle and Alexandros were left to guess for a little longer what he might have thought of it all.

Aegle thought about asking Qiu'li what he thought true strength was, then she realized he didn't know. He was searching for it, the same as she was searching for her meaning. It made perfect sense; It had been the first thing he'd asked them. She thought of Doc, and how she'd asked her for the meaning of her life, and the reason she'd done it.
It was a strange thought, to realize she and this massive man could have something so fundamental in common.

It was Qiu'li, of all people, who broke the silence a second time. Aegle did not catch what he said at first, something about dreams, unless she was much mistaken. Leveling them with his stare however, his next question was all too intelligible.
"What do you want become?"
'That's an odd thin' t'ask...' Thought Aegle, whose misgivings on openness were redoubled.
"Well..." She said, leaping right in before she could really give much thought to the consequences of her honesty, "S'really more of a question of what I hope and what I expect, yeah?"
She shone them her most crooked grin, eyes twinkling emerald green by the firelight.
"Cause, y'see, the thing about hopin', 'bout dreamin', is y'dreams don't need to be all that realistic."
Aegle spread out her hands again, "Mine never were."
'I dreamed of going to the Academy, and serving Atlas like my big brother. Worse still, I went on dreamin' that even after they told me there was no cure,' her grin crooked a little, flexing on her pale face, 'Stupid, crippled girl...'
But she knew better than to say any of that. They didn't want, nor did they need, just how long it had taken for her to start thinking a bit more 'realistically'.
"So, far as what I want, what I hope to become? Well, that's an answer long in the tellin'..." Aegle looked down at her hands. She'd made it this far by acting before she could think, just barely outpacing her better sense with each word she spoke. Now her better sense had caught up, and she wondered just how honest she ought to be. Then she remembered she'd already spoken about her family's move to Atlas. Did it really matter if she confirmed for them, what a sad and wretched thing she was?
"I guess, puttin' it most simply. I want to become stronger. Physically, I mean. I want t'be able to do the things I used to do, before I had..." she'd been about to pull up one sleeve, to show what Alexandros had already seen and what Qiu'li had almost certainly heard. It would have made a good punctuation for what she was building towards. But Aegle hesitated. She had her fingers hooked under her cuff, ready to pull it up, and unable to make it move. Her heart was hammering in her ears all of a sudden.
"Before I needed..." She said, trying to work up her courage, then she showed him. She pulled the recently repaired sleeve up all the way to her elbow, so Qiu'li could see the thin metal and the thinner arm it supported.
Then, just as quickly, she covered up again, and looked away, just as though she'd flashed her bra instead of her forearm. Even that rankled, made her feel soiled and less than human, that she should be so ashamed of her own body...
"I want to be normal again." she finished quietly, "I want to be just like everyone else." She worked her smile back into place, made herself lift her head, made herself meet Qiu'li and Alexandros' eyes.
"I reckon that must seem kinda petty, and I reckon it is. Most people, they don't stay unhappy with what they've become; They get used to it, yeah? It becomes the new normal, and they're no more unhappy than they were before. Works the same in reverse, gettin' better don't make y'any happier, it just becomes the new normal, and y'no more happy than before. S'how people are, how their brains work, aye?"
Aegle shook her head, "Not me though. I wake up every mornin', and there's this moment, this fraction of a second, where I think, I believe, that I can just sit up and start my day..."
She grinned, so wide it showed off every tooth in her head, and she giggled quietly, "Y'would think I'd learn, aye? But I don't. Every mornin', makin' the same mistake... For years, I've been doin' it, and I still ain't learned."
Her eyes dropped, her hands curled into little, misshapen fists in her lap, and she giggled again,
"I don't dream anymore, or, if I do, I don't ever remember 'em. I reckon if I do, the me in my dreams must not rattle and whir. Reckon that when she starts to, that's when, in the mornin's, I won't need remindin' anymore."

She was quiet after that. Then, with a little flick of her head, like she was shaking off a fly, she glanced between Qiu'li and Alexandros, and looking contrite.
"Only reason I'm even tellin' y'all this is 'cause I'm tryin' t' be braver. Sorry t'be such a downer, y'know?"

It could have been worse, she supposed. Instead of telling them what she wanted, she might have told them what she expected.

---

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[Alexandros Skouriá]

He held Thrash dearly for a moment longer, then returned it to the holster with the same level of respect shown as when he had drawn it. Much like before, it was a stark contrast to the usual fervour and energy which summoned up the gun into his hands; it was calm and concentrated, done as if the weapon was made of fragile glass only a whisper away from shattering. In a way, it was: the revolver was some thirty years old at a minimum, picked up by his father in the early days of the war and kept safe all the way through to the declaration of peace. In that time it had seen action, but it had not been perfectly maintained. Thrash was as weathered and as scarred by wartime woes as the soldier that brought it home, with much of its framework considerably more beaten-up due to shoddy and cheap construction. Its barrel was oddly warped yet still somehow fired true, its extractor would seize and lock in place when the top-breaking action was enacted without care -- a fact the boy knew all too well from how he most often practiced with it in 'real' scenarios, and, indeed, in his first exposure to the monsters it was newly destined to slay -- and its trigger was needlessly imprecise and heavy to pull. The only part of it which showed few signs of wear was the cylinder, composed of a darker and duller metal that wore not a single imperfection. Alexandros knew all too well that one day the gun would fall apart and break, and that his heart would surely break with it. A sad memento, but a memento all the same; caring for Thrash in his free time was a deeply relaxing and meditative affair, serving not only combat purposes and values, but a certain degree of emotional release too.

Tending to the tea, Alex nodded in agreement to Qiu'li's assessment of what he had said in response to the question. It wasn't a topic he had ever thought much about, but the prompt from the fellow student had given all the reason needed to let everything come rushing out. The answer -- if you could really call it such a thing -- was more a dismissal entirely of the notion of 'true strength' in any capacity. Still, it mattered not if the two of them had both understood what was said; Qiu'li seemed happy enough, at least for the time being, and it wasn't as if something so broad and steeped in personal philosophy could have a wrong answer. If there was anything worth taking away from the little speech, it would have been the comments concerning duty and necessity of action, and it was precisely this which the Orchid had noted aloud. Not a bad outcome.

Qiu'li probed further for information.

Aegle was the first to go, yet again. Alexandros did not mind this much, as it gave him time to think. The question this time concerned dreams and desires, and what the two of them aimed to become in life. On the surface it was, to the boy at least, a more immediately approachable and answerable question. It was likely that each and every student of all the major combat academies across the world shared a similar dream of 'become a hunter of Grimm,' but the similarities would surely end there. Then, he thought about it some more; perhaps not everybody was in that position of their own volition. It was entirely possible that families could have placed pressure on sons and daughters to give themselves up for the greater good, or that others still turned toward the life of a huntsman or huntress for simply having nowhere else to go.

It seemed as if fate had decided to substantiate these thoughts, for the girl expressed no such desire to be where she currently was in life. Indeed, she expressed the exact opposite of such an idea, wanting to be 'normal' more than anything. A sad dream, Alexandros thought, but certainly not all that surprising -- it was rude to think it, but Aegle was an especially awkward character. Her supportive brace was obvious and obtrusive, her frame tiny and emaciated, and every part of her crooked and somehow wrong. She housed a wild and dynamic tenacity, however, and the boy found it worthy of much admiration; where Aegle yearned for bravery, Alexandros mused that she was already rich in it, richer in it now in her self-admitted weakness than he had even been in times of strength. That damn boarbatusk, he thought some more, it would have killed me, without her.

As quickly as it had been her time to speak, it became his.

Alexandros took a deep breath, and mentally braced himself before he let even a single sound spill from his lips. It was not going to be a long answer -- not like the previous one -- but would instead be direct. Aegle had done enough vocalized wondering for the two of them, so he had no reason to wax philosophical any more than he already had with the previous question; besides, he had already sort of given an answer by way of saying that he desired to help people. It was a perfectly noble dream, and one which had thus far stayed strong enough in his mind to bring him all the way to the academy and successfully find placement as a student, but it was only half of what the big man was after. Indeed, Qiu'li had also asked what Alex wanted in life, and for this there was truly only one answer:

"I want to be wanted; that's all."

--

WC 954/5711

[Qiu'li]

[attr="class","popqiu"] ❝May the crimson leaves show me the path I must follow.❞ wc: 580 | twc: 5629 Qiu'li

[attr="class","qiutext"] Once more, Qiu'li nodded slowly as he tried to think. The meanings behind their desires were much more clear this time, or at least he thought they were. His interpretations were his own, and quite honestly he was still bad at reading people at times. Though to his surprise, he managed to keep up with the two of them. in terms of pacing. Rather, it seemed like he was setting the pacing, which was a first for him. The raven-haired man had a brief worry. Was he going too slowly? Were they bored of him? Such thoughts clouded his mind briefly before the sharp crackle from the firepit brought him back to the present, causing the previous thoughts to flutter away. Qiu'li turned his head to Aegle, figuring out the words to best put her dreams and desires. The presence of the metal contraption on her arms. Was it some kind of strength enhancing tool? No, it was more of a supportive mechanism. In other words, something she had to rely on in order to function normally. That much was confirmed by Aegle's response. What did it mean to rely on a tool to function on a day-to-day basis? Was it the same as farmers using their farming equipment to work every day? Qiu'li didn't understand, yet her statement of trying to be brave gave him some understanding. As he tried to think, the first words that came to his head flowed out. "You wish to be normal... What does it mean, to be normal? I am of not complete understanding. However, I know that what you call 'normal' may be different from what I or he may call normal. Is it more than simply doing what you normally cannot?" Qiu'li let the question hang in the air as his gaze shifted to Alexandros briefly before looking back at Aegle and nodded. The raven-haired man closed his eyes slowly before turning his head to Alexandros. "You wish to be wanted... Except haven't you already achieved that? Everyone has family, are they not ones who want you?" Qiu'li tilted his head and gave a somewhat puzzled look through his permanent frown. "Or are you seeking to be desired by someone specifically?" Qiu'li somewhat understood what Alexandros meant. Everybody wanted to be wanted to a degree, but when does that degree of 'want' become satisfactory? Qiu'li finished the last of his food and stood up slowly, towering over the fire as he stretched. "Regardless of what I say, dreams are special to self. It is what pushes oneself, including me, to the goal that we set." Qiu'li turned to gaze at Aegle. "I hope the Spirits will guide you along the path which you seek towards your ideal self, or that you can come to accept your current self and find solace on your journey towards strength." The raven-haired man then turned to Alexandros. "May the Spirits guide you to which you seek, be it a sense of belonging or to find someone that can make you feel wanted." Qiu'li concluded their conversation by walking towards the branch where his weapons and armor had rested. The fire had dried it for the most part, and the notebook was within view for a moment. Eyeing it, Qiu'li decided to record it later on when he got the chance. "Rest here for the night. You can depart in the morning to complete your goals." He said as he swung the glaive over his shoulder. -- Fènnù (+Strength +Agility +Projectile Sword Beam) | Rank D Lóngtóu and Panlong | Rank F Featherfall I (Leap) | Rank D Weapon Proficiency I (Martial Arts) | Rank E Dance of the Wild Winds II (Acrobatics) | Rank E Shadow Step I (Stealth) | Rank F Resilience of the Crimson Oaks II (Durability) | Rank E

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[Aegle Verdant]

It was from Alexandros that the most telling statement came however.
"I want to be wanted; that's all."
Ejected into the silence which had followed Aegle's own self-involved confession, like a spent cartridge of dust from smoking gun, Alexandros said a great deal with comparatively few words. Aegle looked over at the brown haired brawler, and her empathy for him in that moment was a blade so sharp it threatened to cut her to the bone. It was such a relatable want, to be wanted; She knew precisely how that felt, and knew there were few hopes more insidious. In its own way, it was a desire for purpose, but one defined not by some personal metric, but by the metrics of others. To be wanted was to surrender the meaning in one's life to others and let them define one's usefulness. Which could be quite liberating, Aegle supposed, if one actually believed they could be useful or that anyone would want them.

Looking at Alexandros, Aegle wondered if he believed he could be wanted, knowing full well it was not the same as wanting to be wanted. After a moment of deliberation, she reached out and, very gently, placed her hand on the brawler's wrist. It was a small gesture, about the only sort of gesture she was capable of, but she felt the powerful need to do something. There was something, haunting and ineffable, that she needed to express to him, and it was only by that brief touch that she could think to convey it.

"What does it mean," Qiu'li asked, dropping his own question into the pool of silence which had followed Alexandros' admission, "To be normal?"
Aegle twitched her hand away from Alexandros wrist, suddenly quite conscious of its thinness, its twitchiness, the weakness in each of her fingers, just as she was suddenly quite aware of the mountain man's eyes upon her.
"I am of not complete understanding. However, I know that what you call 'normal' may be different from what I or he may call normal. Is it more than simply doing what you normally cannot?"
"Normalcy is subjective, yeah." She agreed, though without really knowing what more to say off the top of her head. Normal, the type of normal she wanted to be, was not something she could so quickly put words to. It was a feeling more than anything else, one which she hadn't known since she was a child, and then only fleetingly. Aegle had always been a little odd, a bit weird. She asked strange questions, got strange notions in her head, and did strange things for strange reasons, and had done since she was very young. To her, normal was not simply a matter of muscle mass and bone structure, but of attitude and awareness as well. She'd always felt out of place in the world around her, like she didn't quite fit. That otherness had only grown more pronounced as her body had fallen apart around her. As her condition worsened and more of her life and the lives of her family had come to revolve around it, her strangeness had grown ever more pronounced. She was a crooked girl, not simply in body but in mind and spirit too, who did not fit easily into any spaces the world around her had to offer. Even at Haven, she felt apart, divided from others by her own hangups and insecurities. In a school full of people who were different, who were strange, who wore their individuality like badges of honor, she still felt left out. It was like there was a veil upon the world, and she was the only one who'd so much as glimpsed what lay beneath.
"_{Normal's not feelin' like I'm the only one who knows everyone dies...}"

Qiu'li, speaking to Alexandros now, puzzled out the brawler's own desires with terse inquiries. Strangely, though he had not asked the same questions as Aegle had wondered, she saw something acutely familiar in the way he'd asked them. Qiu'li asked questions without any pretense of knowing the answers, and the words he left unspoken were almost as evocative as those which left his mouth. Though his craggy plain of stony face was almost immobile in its stoicism, more and more Aegle was beginning to sense that there was a lot more than met the eye happening just beneath the surface. His difficulty with the common tongue aside, it was not so hard to imagine a deeply introspective mind dwelling behind those flinty eyes.
"Regardless of what I say, dreams are special to self. It is what pushes oneself, including me, to the goal that we set."
Qiu'li's hard eyes settled on Aegle, giving no hint as to the depth of reason which lay behind them, "I hope the Spirits will guide you along the path which you seek towards your ideal self, or that you can come to accept your current self and find solace on your journey towards strength." Aegle did not believe in spirits, or anything else of that nature. There were no extra-normal entities watching over any of them, benevolent or otherwise. It would not have been polite to say so though, so she accepted Qiu'li's words as the well wishes they were, knowing all the while that wishes weren't worth much at all. Strange though that, despite that knowledge, she still appreciated his expressing of them.
He turned to Alexandros next, "May the Spirits guide you to which you seek, be it a sense of belonging or to find someone that can make you feel wanted."
Then, to them both, "Rest here for the night. You can depart in the morning to complete your goals."

Aegle watched the big man rise from the fire and move to where he'd stowed his weapon and his soiled clothes. She'd almost ceased to notice that he was topless, the whole time they had been speaking, and that detail was suddenly recalled to her mind as she followed the tight muscle and hard outline of bone that ran up Qiu'li's back. She had found herself thinking of him as a 'big man', when he wasn't really especially tall for Haven, but the sense of scale and power which radiated from him more than compensated.
"Where are y'going?" Aegle asked, as Qiu'li gathered up his weapon and draped it across one slab of a shoulder.

---

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[Alexandros Skouriá]

He glanced down as Aegle reached out to him. It was a silent and simple and honest gesture, and said more than words ever could have. It told Alex, more than anything, that she understood him. The act was tiny and transient, yet it carried an absolutely immense degree of weight all the same. Understanding was a wonderful thing, after all, which was perhaps the very backbone of all society; without it, and without love and trust alike, the world would surely be a far scarier place. That must have resonated with her, he thought, a true smile finding its way back on his face.

Once more, Qiu'li shared his interpretations of the answers given to the second question, and once more Alexandros found himself nodding along in agreement. With regard to Aegle, Qiu'li spoke of what sort of effect subjectivity and interpretation had with something as broad as 'normality' and what it could mean to different people. Next, to Alexandros himself, came pointed and well-deserved remarks that a need to be wanted could largely be fulfilled by the unconditional love of family. He wasn't wrong, either; there were people in life without families to call their own, and to them a wanting to be wanted would mean far more than it could possibly could for a boy who had lived much of his life happily with a mother and father. The boy scooped up the unspent rounds from Thrash as the other spoke, placing them into a pocket for later use, then finally poured a portion of the tea into his empty canteen. With a quick taste and a contented sigh, all the energy spent throughout the day came back to him, and the young brawler was at peace. Alex would have happily kept talking for hours, all the way through to daybreak, but the regulations were against them; they were a group of three, so somebody would have to break off and camp elsewhere for the night.

Qiu'li had thought the same, it seemed. Standing yet again at long last after their discussions, the warrior dressed himself and collected the gear he had strung up out of sight during dinner. With a great deal of ease, his long glaive was slung over a shoulder, and a supremely kind offer extended to his guests.
"Rest here for the night. You can depart in the morning to complete your goals."
"I appreciate the offer, Qiu'li," Alex interjected himself, "but it wouldn't be right. You've gone to all this effort setting up a safe-haven in the forest, and she's already offered to stay here through to the morning; our team isn't meant to be doing this sort of thing in a large group, so we can't go breaking the rules right at the very end. I'll be fine on my own. Besides, you still need to have some tea, right?"

Alexandros took the still-hot measuring cup and set it upon one of the broad and flat stones surrounding the deep pit of fire. Then, with a quick search through his bag, the boy plucked another small measuring cup from out of his medical kit, setting it down beside its larger metal brother. It was a miracle that he had the thing tucked away, but its presence was certainly welcome. As quickly as he had poured his own portion of the warming brew, another was prepared -- itself an approximate third of the liquid -- and handed over to Aegle between just the thumb and forefinger. "Here," he offered, "for you."
With as much grace and tact as the situation required, the Skouriá boy then slowly stood, opening up the ammo-stove and used the backs of his gloves as improvised mitts to lift it up and shunt its contents right into the heart of the blaze -- what little remaining fuel and tinder which was not consumed quickly found a new home amongst the flames. It did a wonderful job of retaining heat, but without being expressly designed as a stove first, the ammo box was somehow just as quick to start cooling itself off when fully vented. The night air was likely a contributing factor, even through all the warmth, and in no time at all it was ready to be placed back with the rest of his supplies, separated from it all with one of the two towels inside.

Heaving the duffel bag up over his shoulder, the boy took a moment to ready himself for the departure. By any objective measure, wandering off alone into the dark of night in the domain of monsters was not a particularly intelligent idea, but objectivity and intelligence mattered less to Alexandros than meeting the demands of Haven faculty with his future as a hero on the line. Indeed, all caught up in exhaustion and adrenaline and newfound introspective confidence, the brawler was ready to take on the world. He had revealed to both Aegle and Qiu'li a tremendously weak part of himself, but it was in this weakness that the boy had found his wellsprings of power. It was a mental process that was maddeningly familiar after only three years: hold a desire to do what he understood was the right thing, and hope dearly that the world would want him to do it -- two thoroughly-entwined aspects of his personal code which largely lay hidden at the deepest of levels inside his soul, and both of them were utterly steeped in naïveté and sickening optimism. Funny how that works, he weighed up in his mind. I never wanted to tell anyone any of this, and now I've told two people.

He backed up to the edge of the camp, where the light of the fire was growing dim, and took a moment to get some final words out for the both of them. Qiu'li was still standing, giant weapon across his shoulder, staring back with the same sort of stoicism he had worn for the duration of their conversation -- initially it was confronting, in a way, but it was clear now after their back-and-forth chatting that it was simply the concentration of a keen mind manifesting as a rather fierce glare. Alexandros was certain that he would like to speak with the warrior again, but it would have to come later.

"It's been a pleasure meeting you, Qiu'li. I hope you don't mind, but I only had the one big metal cup and the little one for medicines, so... yeah, there's, uh, some tea left in the big one for you, too. Make sure you don't grab hold of the whole thing, just use the handle -- it'll still be pretty hot from boiling." Had he had more forethought to better prepare a set of teacups, Alex would have done just that -- but it was obviously too late to be concerning himself with that sort of thing. Next, he looked over to Aegle, and cleared his throat before speaking again. "Thank you, for earlier. I couldn't have done that without you, so I really do owe you something; maybe even more now than just before."

Alex stood there for a moment longer, tapping away at the ground with a foot. Hesitation was surging inside him, begging from the inside out for the boy to reconsider the offer and stay the night-- but how could he? No; it wouldn't be right, he repeated silently, it's not what I should do.
"Stay safe," he finally said after a prolonged and awkward silence, "both of you."

With a motion halfway between salute and wave, Alexandros offered one last grin to the both of them and manifested a glow down the lower length of his right arm, then turned and set off into the black. "I'll see you both tomorrow morning!" he chimed across his shoulder as a parting gift, moving slowly and steadily. "I promise!"

Then, into the depths of darkness, he left.

--

WC 1321/7032

[Qiu'li]

[attr="class","popqiu"] ❝May the crimson leaves show me the path I must follow.❞ wc: 761 | twc: 6390 Qiu'li

[attr="class","qiutext"] Qiu'li looked at Aegle and pointed his glaive to the surrounding darkness. "Patrol. Make sense to remove the danger instead of waiting for it to come to us." The raven-haired man said as he lifted the glaive and swung it over his shoulder. "No worry, I stray not far from the fire." His gaze went up to Alexandros as he gazed at him with his stone-cold gaze before nodding slowly. He eyed the tea kettle and the herbal liquid that invited him for a warm, familiar drink. The raven-haired man thought about home in the mountains, and almost felt a twitch of a smile across his mouth as he turned to walk beside Alexandros. "If you are certain, I shall accompany you to edge." Whether or not Alexandros would agree or not would simply result in Qiu'li still seeing him off until he disappeared into the evening forest, watching for a bit longer as his classmate descended back into the unknown. He would be lying if he wasn't a bit concerned, but seeing the vigor in his eyes, Qiu'li was sure that he had little to worry about. While there were two of them left, Qiu'li wasn't sure how to go about things. There was still the matter of Aegle remaining at the camp. Despite his offer, she wanted to stay with him. All things considered, this was a situation that he didn't know how to anticipate- he supposed that this was favorable to him since his assignment was to finish with one other person, but what of Alexandros? Qiu'li eyed the darkened area where he had gone off, and hoped for the best. Perhaps he would come across another camp, but the chances were slim. There wasn't anything wrong with hanging around for one night and then departing the next day, but a faint memory reminded him to never interfere with a man's decision once they set their mind on it. He couldn't help but feel a little happy after this exercise. Qiu'li had never been able to get along with others in the past. His demeanor, unfriendly face, and standoffish personality made it difficult to get along and become close with others. Hell, even his relationship with Sattota was one of respect at most. The raven-haired man gazed up at the starry sky once again as he reflected on this exercise. What was the purpose of this exercise? Was it more than simply to address their personal weaknesses? He couldn't help but think that there was more to it than that. It felt too easy of an answer. 'Find some things to learn about people and then conclude your tasks with at least one person.' Qiu'li frowned as he tried to think deeply about what these tasks truly entailed. Perhaps he'll find it out if he reflects on it a bit more with some meditation. Qiu'li turned to Aegle and eyed the steaming container of tea. He'd save it for later, though for now he would resume on plans for patrolling the area for Grimm. Except, uh... Was it really a good idea to leave her alone like this? Qiu'li had no doubt that she could handle herself in a fight. The fact that she was here with them proved that much, even with her reliance on her braces. The raven-haired man had respect for her tenacity, and could undoubtedly see her as a Huntress. In the middle of him staring at Aegle, his head whirled towards a familiar roaring noise that echoed faintly in the distance. "Grimm." Qiu'li growled as his eyes darkened and his head lowered. His cold stare turned into a hard glare as the he picked up additional noises. Turning to face the general direction it came from he glanced briefly at Aegle. "Stay here, I will not be gone long." The raven-haired man said as he looked back into the dark. "The forest is difficult to navigate at night unless you know it well. Someone may also arrive at the camp too, like you and Alexandros have when I was here." Qiu'li would await just long enough for a response of affirmation from Aegle before he leapt into the night, hurling himself towards the sound of the Grimm. While it was true that he heard the sound of a Grimm in this direction, there was something else that he heard that concerned him more: It was the sounds of yelling, and one that he recognized. "Eva." Qiu'li said in a low voice as he descended further into the forest towards the sounds of fighting. -- Fènnù (+Strength +Agility +Projectile Sword Beam) | Rank D Lóngtóu and Panlong | Rank F Featherfall I (Leap) | Rank D Weapon Proficiency I (Martial Arts) | Rank E Dance of the Wild Winds II (Acrobatics) | Rank E Shadow Step I (Stealth) | Rank F Resilience of the Crimson Oaks II (Durability) | Rank E

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[Wolfe]

XP Distribution:

Qiu'li: 64 x 200% (event bonus) = 128

79 + 128 = 207XP new total

Alex: 70 x 200% (event bonus) = 140

136 + 140 = 276XP new total

Aegle: 73 - 20% (inflated word count, likely from counting code as words) = 58

58 x 200% (event bonus) = 116

62 + 116 = 178XP new total