little shit

Relationships

 

kě no dànhúa | Hands of Dànhúa

  Senfeng is the most standoffish of all the members, which is really saying something.   As toji, none of them are aware the others are alive, and they miss each other terribly. Regardless of initial interpersonal issues, the struggles of war permanently banded them together. It is common for time to add rose-tinted glasses to their memories of one another, which is a little bit of a slap to the face when they do eventually find each other. Many of them immediately try to fall back into old habits/dynamics, but centuries of suffering leave their marks, and no one is quite the same. Those that 'died' earlier were more taken aback by the changes of those who died later, as they'd assumed that the others had lived through the war and died of old age (and they hadn't seen the steady emotional decline of the survivors).  

Xianshèng

  Xianshèng and Sẻnfeng are like oil and water. They are always at each other's throats, often due to Sẻnfeng's propensity for disrespect and Xianshèng's cultural expectation for respect. Xianshèng was everything he wanted to be, but wasn't allowed to be among his own species. He was shoehorned into a religious role, when all he wanted to be was a fighter. Xianshèng was chosen from a young age based on their abilities and combat prowess to take the most significant fighter position among their people, and saw combat from a very young age.   Sẻnfeng, especially in the beginning, constantly challenged Xianshèng's authority. He wanted a reaction and wanted it to hurt. Xianshèng, who was actively establishing their position as leader, met him with the force that was characteristic of Masuge warriors (comepletely disregarding the fact that he is not Masuge). Any time he toed a line, Xianshèng met him with threat displays, and-- if he didn't back down-- with blows. Sẻnfeng wasn't particularly knowledgable in hand-to-hand (or really any combat) at that point, so he always ended up in a lock or flat on his back with teeth at his throat. That happened... a lot in the early days. It did not help that both were at the tail end of adolescence, or that Sẻnfeng was the last to be assigned, only being placed in the group in Year 268, so he felt even more isolated. (tldr: older teens, one in a position of immense responsibility and the other feeling extremely isolated/outcasted, will lash out at each other)   Both began to get used to each other as time progressed, so their fights became physical far less often (though still more than was acceptable). Sẻnfeng had privately started to trust Xianshèng (at least in combat contexts), though still thought they would betray him (be it by turning him over to the government of his home city, by discovering and exploiting his combat inexperience, or in some other way). By this point, Xianshèng had really started accepting him into the fold; they still had reservations around his... everything, but their instincts had begun recognizing him as a kě no dànhúa | Hands of Dànhúa (Masuge take leadership very seriously, and they consider those under their command "theirs" to varying degrees. Since this is such a small group, it's more intimate and a much stronger impulse), rather than an outsider or potential threat. Of course, both are horrifically emotionally constipated, and simply don't discuss their feelings. Sẻnfeng comes from deep distrust of everyone around him, and was required to bottle his emotions entirely, so he just never learned to process healthily. Xianshèng comes from a species/culture with a lot of interpersonal information communicated nonverbally, and, while they are aware that not every species does that (or is familiar with how Masuge communicate), they don't really understand at that point. Since they only left the archipelago to visit Rethi, they had only interacted with species/communities that were intimately aware of Masuge mannerisms (and Xianshèng was equally aquainted with said species'/communities' own eccentricities).   They don't come to a deeper understanding of one another until sən.feŋ Kidnapping Arc, which takes place during Setting Earth Phase of Year 270 (a bit over a year and a half after the war started in earnest/called upon the conscripted magic users). Sẻnfeng was effectively forced to accept that Xianshèng cared for his wants and wellbeing, which deepened his tentative trust by a hundredfold. In his city, Xianshèng was his only ally, and he got to observe their subtle mannerisms without his usual veil of defensiveness-- effectively recontextualizing all his interactions with them. After Sẻnfeng expressed the sheer depth of his trust by tattooing his design on them, they both settle into thier new understandings of one another. They still clash often, though it's less serious, and really just part of their dynamic. Sẻnfeng doesn't suddenly stop disrespecting Xianshéng, and Xianshèng certainly doesn't stop reacting, but they are far less likely to carry sour feelings after the active conflict ends. They can actually interact without arguments, and even fool around a bit (the stick has been thoroughly removed from Sẻnfeng's ass, and Xianshèng-- not fielding constant serious challenges to their authority-- no longer feels the need to act like a professional hardass).  

Shiyanxā

more wrods  

Meihkén

  wordddddds  

Ka'a

  even more words  

Zhìshèn

  fprmatting is my personal hell  

Koyi

  i hurt  

Dànhúa

  not actually in group (how can he be his own "hand" lol), but close enough