Reversescale - Tumblr Posts
꒰১ ✦ : ˚ʚ 【 @reversescale 】 ɞ˚ : ✦ ໒꒱
╰ ꒰১ cont. from 「 X 」
‧₊˚ ⋅ ꒰১ ᯓ ☆ㅤ˗ˏˋㅤ𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒘𝒐 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎 𝒄𝒆𝒓𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒅𝒊𝒅𝒏'𝒕 𝒏𝒆𝒆𝒅 to be tidying up that grand airship; especially not the bellboy who spent much of his existence cleaning up after the guests in The Reverie. Old habits died hard, he supposed and he found himself with his TRUSTY mop back in hand, pushing its blue head across the floors.
˚ʚ ☾ ɞ˚ㅤ˗ˏˋㅤㅤOnly when the other Nameless does he pause; quickly obliging with the request as he carefully passes the cleaning solutions and a bucket to the other. The entire time, there was a SMILE on his face.
˚ʚ ☾ ɞ˚ㅤ˗ˏˋㅤㅤ❛ㅤHere you go, Dan Heng ! I'll get started on the other side RIGHT AWAY !ㅤ❜
˚ʚ ☾ ɞ˚ㅤ˗ˏˋㅤㅤAs the boy moves to the side that he was directed to, he turns back to the other. Though he was still smiling, there was the slightest twinge of CONCERN.
˚ʚ ☾ ɞ˚ㅤ˗ˏˋㅤㅤ❛ㅤAre you sure you don't want ME to do all of it, Dan Heng ? You should be relaxing after what you and your friends did for Penacony !ㅤ❜
‧₊˚ ⋅ ꒰১ ᯓ ☆ㅤ˗ˏˋㅤ𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕. Though it was in a truly complicated way that involved a mess of dreams and memoria, he technically WAS the one that drew all of those people, including the very Nameless he had originated from for to Penacony to save it. Just as his predecessor did, he would have done ANYTHING for the Planet of Festivities. Even if it meant coming back from the dead in a weird and convoluted way.
˚ʚ ☾ ɞ˚ㅤ˗ˏˋㅤㅤMaybe he DID need a vacation. But just like the other Nameless, he would chip in and do his part in cleaning up their brand new airship.
˚ʚ ☾ ɞ˚ㅤ˗ˏˋㅤㅤAfter all that time mopping up the vast halls of The Reverie until he could see his reflection, the former bellboy was a natural when it came to the polished wooden floors of Radiant Feldspar. His duties only come to a pause when the other approaches him with a QUESTION.
˚ʚ ☾ ɞ˚ㅤ˗ˏˋㅤㅤWhat was THE WATCHMAKER like ?
˚ʚ ☾ ɞ˚ㅤ˗ˏˋㅤㅤIt was a question that came with a great weight; a story of tragedy and sorrow and yet filled with just as much love and happiness. Though little Misha had already come to terms with the TRUTH of it all, it was still a strange thing to think ofㅤ—ㅤthat aside from the spirit of the Trailblaze that they all carried, he was the last remaining piece of the Watchmaker's life left in the galaxy. He was serious about HONORING that legacy; easy to tell as he holds his mop still and thinks carefully, gathering up the memories of a life that was once his own.
˚ʚ ☾ ɞ˚ㅤ˗ˏˋㅤㅤ❛ㅤWellㅤ—ㅤThe Watchmaker was a KIND man. He cared deeply for his fellow Trailblazers and he adored the Conductor, even if he did love teasing them just as much ! He was a fantastic mechanic too and I know even now, some of his work is what's helping make the Astral Express run so well after all these years ! ㅤ❜
˚ʚ ☾ ɞ˚ㅤ˗ˏˋㅤㅤ❛ㅤI'm certain you all know this by nowㅤ—ㅤbut he was INCREDIBLY selfless too. I'm sure he didn't really want to leave the Express nor the Conductor. He knew the people of Penacony needed him thoughㅤ—ㅤand he also knew that the Trailblaze would persist even if he departed. A lot of people in Penacony really LOVED him too ! Soㅤ—ㅤhe was a truly wonderful and respectable Nameless until the very end. ㅤ❜
"Considering we Nameless own the Feldspar, it means we all have to chip in. It wouldn't be fair to leave you to it alone."
If anything, Dan Heng liked cleaning. There was something meditative about mindless, menial tasks against such a stunning backdrop. More than that, much of him had been wanting to connect with Misha, the true legacy of the Watchmaker and a member of the Nameless who deserved a connection to the Express that his predecessor had left behind.
Cool fog from the clouds caressed his face as he decided instead to join Misha in taking a side, the mop lapping wetly as he lifted it from the bucket and began mopping in long, slow sweeps.
Just what did one speak about with the legacy of the Watchmaker? The state of Penacony? Anticipation of the journeys they were due to embark upon?
"For what it's worth, you technically had a hand in that, too. Maybe you're the one who needs a vacation most of all."
A small smile flitted to Dan Heng's features, hovering close but not crowding the youth. Still, curiosity weighed heavily.
"If... you don't mind my asking, what was he like? The Watchmaker, I mean."
꒰ྀི ✧ — @reversescale asked: Misha had been working harder than just about any of them. So, for lunch, Dan Heng decided to whip up some authentic, Xianzhou-style beef meat buns just for him.
↳ -: ˚ʚ ( Unprompted. ) ɞ˚ :-
‧₊˚ ⋅ ꒰১ ᯓ ☆ㅤ˗ˏˋㅤ𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒔, 𝒄𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒖𝒑 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒍𝒐𝒓 𝒄𝒂𝒓 and all of the other surrounding cars for the fifth time that week. It was hard work, sureㅤ—ㅤbut he CLEARLY didn't mind it at all. No one was forcing him to take care of the chores eitherㅤ—ㅤhe had taken the ENTIRE task unto himself. If anything broke in the Express too, he would do his best to fix it just like his GRANDFATHER did.
˚ʚ ☾ ɞ˚ㅤ˗ˏˋㅤㅤIt was only when he was presented with a dish of FLUFFY MEAT BUNS did he realize that he once again forgot about lunch. But oh, did those meat buns look delicious ! Bright violet eyes look up at the man; clearly pleased with the gift.
˚ʚ ☾ ɞ˚ㅤ˗ˏˋㅤㅤ❛ㅤOh wow ! Thanks, Mister Dan Heng ! These look amazing ! I've NEVER had these before !ㅤ❜
˚ʚ ☾ ɞ˚ㅤ˗ˏˋㅤㅤAfter placing his cleaning supplies safely to the side so no one has any accidents, he sets the dish onto a nearby table. He sits down; hoping the other would join him for lunch as he takes a bite out of one of the meat buns. It was EASY to tell by the look on his face that he deeply enjoyed it.
˚ʚ ☾ ɞ˚ㅤ˗ˏˋㅤㅤ❛ㅤThese taste GREAT ! They're even better than the Floatdisc burgers back in Penacony ! Did you make these ?ㅤ❜
‧₊˚ ⋅ ꒰১ ᯓ ☆ㅤ˗ˏˋㅤ𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒎 𝒃𝒖𝒃𝒃𝒍𝒆𝒔 𝒍𝒆𝒇𝒕 𝒃𝒆𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒅 ? Wellㅤ—ㅤmaybe that shouldn't have been surprising. Grandpaㅤ—ㅤor rather, Mikhail had poured very heart and soul into the bustling utopia that was Penacony. Surely, there would have been more than just the little dream bubble that he had been BORN from.
˚ʚ ☾ ɞ˚ㅤ˗ˏˋㅤㅤEven if the memories weren't quite so flattering, he still can't help but smile. Though he was still growing used to all these brand new revelations, it was nice to hear about his Grandpa and the LIVES he had touched.
˚ʚ ☾ ɞ˚ㅤ˗ˏˋㅤㅤ❛ㅤYes, I suppose he could have been ! But to his credit, riding a snowmobile into the Taikiyan stadium DOES sound fun if it didn't disrupt anyone ! And maybe ONE Nosewalker cub would make a nice pet ! I can tell you though that even if he DID cause quite a bit of trouble for Pom-pom, he still really cared about them alongside Mister Tiernan and Miss Razalina ! They were all FAMILY to him.ㅤ❜
˚ʚ ☾ ɞ˚ㅤ˗ˏˋㅤㅤThe other trailblazer's words give him pause. Truth be told, he was still getting used to the idea that he was a mere fragment of his Grandpa's life. He had spent so long believing he was an absolutely normal bellboy born in Dreamflux Reef; not the legacy of one of the most accomplished Trailblazers Akavili ever got to have as a dedicated follower. Maybe SHOCK was the best word for it. He was even surprised he was able to give such a formal and well - spoken explanation to the new generation of Trailblazers when the truth had finally been revealed. Maybe that was his Grandpa's last will guiding him to help the Trailblazers save Penacony.
˚ʚ ☾ ɞ˚ㅤ˗ˏˋㅤㅤ❛ㅤTo tell you the truth, it is a little jarring going from believing you're just an ordinary kid and your Grandpa was just an ordinary seafarer to realizing you're the last remaining legacy of a legendary trailblazer. Whether or not I am my own person or I'm simply some sort of weird not - ghost of his past though, I know it's something to be PROUD of rather than ashamed of. And I'll do my best to live up to his name while I'm with you allㅤ—ㅤWITHOUT the snowmobiles and Nosewalker cubs.ㅤ❜
In a way, he felt as though he could relate to Misha. Both were the reincarnation of someone who had come before. Wistfully, he wished his own past incarnation was someone to be proud of instead of a malevolent and terrible tyrant, but what could be done about that? What mattered the most was what he did in this lifetime, and it was no different with Misha. Penacony was a place dear for the Nameless and this was where the present lay.
Meditative and thoughtful with each sweep of the mop, Dan Heng listened to the boy's story intently. He knew better than to think a simple fairytale of heroism told the entire story. Perhaps it was one he'd learn for himself someday.
It made him wonder: would the day come when a new generation of Nameless told his story? Would he be reborn the Express, and would a new incarnation hear about his past and feel proud for what had come before? Maybe... part of him genuinely hoped so.
"It's funny, but I remember being shown a Dream Bubble that Stelle bought from Dr. Edward. It showed a memory that wasn't fully rendered, but apparently, Mikhail was quite the troublemaker. He tended to fluster the Conductor quite a lot with his antics, but he was more or less made to fulfill a kind of community service as recompense. Probably not the most glamorous story there is."
Mikhail reminded him of his friends. The boisterousness, the laughter, the memories they made... and how they had remained together for so long. And now, he wanted that story to continue, too. But, a question lingered in his mind, one that few besides Misha might understand.
"You were... created by him. An offshoot of him. Maybe you think you're one and the same, but really--you're not. You've branched off and become your own person, unless... you disagree." Dan Heng didn't know if he'd meet someone like Misha again; someone so similar to himself. Hee had to know and see for sure if it was possible to live beyond the person who came before, or... if it was all just folly, in the end.
‧₊˚ ⋅ ꒰১ ᯓ ☆ㅤ˗ˏˋㅤ𝑯𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅𝒏'𝒕 𝒍𝒊𝒆; it was rather surreal living with the belief and even the memories of being an ordinary bellboy with an ordinary seafarer Grandpa who just HAPPENED to have ties to the Astral Express as well as the memories of an EXTRAORDINARY Trailblazer who gave up everything for the planet he loved. At the same time, it was SAD. Even if those happy and sorrowful times still remained within him, it wasn't entirely the same of getting to SPEAK to Grandpa, Miss Razalina, and Mister Tiernan and go on adventures with them.
˚ʚ ☾ ɞ˚ㅤ˗ˏˋㅤㅤ❛ㅤYeahㅤ—ㅤit's weird knowing Grandpa was just a long - departed memory all this time. I didn't even remember Miss Razalina and Mister Tiernan until I remembered everything else. It would have been really nice if they could have COME ALONG with us.ㅤ❜
˚ʚ ☾ ɞ˚ㅤ˗ˏˋㅤㅤ❛ㅤBut thank you, Dan Heng ! I really appreciate those words ! I'll do my best as Misha, the newest member of the Astral Express ! I can't wait to explore the galaxy with you guys !ㅤ❜
˚ʚ ☾ ɞ˚ㅤ˗ˏˋㅤㅤThe child smiles bright as he speaks those wordsㅤ—ㅤthough there is a slight twinge of CONCERN when the other slows down. Rightㅤ—ㅤthis ship WAS self - cleaning. Miss Robin had granted ownership of the vessel to the Nameless thoughㅤ—ㅤand it felt wrong to leave the property of the Nameless in a condition less than perfect.
˚ʚ ☾ ɞ˚ㅤ˗ˏˋㅤㅤ❛ㅤAre you SURE ? If you're tired, I can take over ! I'm sure I can get it done in less than a system day ! We can tell stories at the SAME TIME too ! ㅤ❜
Admittedly, Dan Heng felt the inspiration to personally clean the Radiant Feldspar wane a little. His mopping slowed as he listened to Misha's story, especially of the past Trailblazers. He still remembered happening on that Light Cone of the three of them with Pom-Pom, unable to help but feel a resonance with their predecessors. He imagined what it would've been like in those days, when Penacony hadn't become the Planet of Festivities and was still an IPc prison colony. Tendrils of mist drifted across the foredeck, the evening chill of the high altitude nowhere near as biting as it would've been in the waking world.
"I wonder what it would've been like, getting to know them. What it would be like, to build a whole new world." A rare, dreamy look entered gunmetal greens at the notion. He wondered if it would be possible with the Vidyadhara's home world of Sihai, a planet that had been abandoned for thousands of years when it had become impossible to inhabit after the hubris of his ancestors. A water world like the one Mikhail had originally hailed from.
But, that had little to do with the fact that Dan Heng had found a friend in a similar Nameless who had familiar origins. "You might have begun in him, but you're not just an extension of him. You're your own person," Dan Heng told the boy, but he doubted he needed reminding too much. "I think you'll like where we'll go. You might need some time getting used to reality... but I've been there before. Each of us was the newest member, at one time."
"We've been to a lot of places. Places even Mikhail might have gone to. I think you'd like them." Dan Heng glanced across the deck and how much more they had to go, chuffing in embarrassment when he realized. "We don't even have to clean. Everything gets reset in system day, and a new one is coming soon. It might not be a bad time for stories, though."