Show it.

Yo.

Sister, sister... please...

And what are they up to?

"I understand. Why won't you stop your existence, then?"

"Alright. I will be watching you."

"No problem. Please, rate my joke on a scale from 1 to 5."

@oflunarswords.bsky.social You!

I will be waiting.

Live rose it is, I suppose. If you actually want to go through with it.

She brings one of the blades closer to Iris' face... ... “Boo!” The weapon vanishes. “I was only joking. Keep your tongue, little one.”

“Free of your curse, you mean?”

“And letting your patients eat something so spicy could be easily considered such. I suggest you reconsider your approach before someone complains.”

She wishes she could one day say the same about Shuhu. “Good then.“

No plastic.

Sister, sister...

ᅠ ⠀ ᅠ⠀ ⠀ 🆈our show must go on ᅠ ⠀ ᅠ⠀ ⠀

Worse than mine, I would hope?

“Knowingly putting someone in danger is a crime“, she reminds him.

She nods. It appears they are quite similar in that regard. “Personally, I would advise taking a bite here and there, simply to enjoy the familiar taste.”

You did not laugh. Was my joke that bad? ( The bird tilts its head to the right side, eyes locked on Cipher. )

Oh. That feels so familiar. “I know the feeling”, she says quietly. “But it is all in the past now, I assume.”

“Right. Now, present that tongue.” She summons her weapons, two blades of teal, sharp and scary.

That is quite sad, if you think about it, is it not? How about a rose that won't wither?

Yes, I am a bird in the body of a Judge. Or was it the other way around? This was a joke. Please, laugh. ( She spreads her ingenium wings. ) My name is Xueyi. Pleasure to meet you, Cipher. Could I touch your tail?

“Cycles of hell?”

“I would assume a healing being would be in need of something gentle, completely spiceless.”

“I see. It makes sense, yes.” For a split second she wonders about the blood of an undead being, like her sister: would it taste rotten and spoiled? What a sad imagery. “And are you able to consume normal food at all?”

“Of course not. You wouldn't be able to lie without a tongue, would you?”

She answers him not, focused solely on their dance — a skillful fighter with an upper hand like himself can afford the banter, but she has to stay vigilant. Internally, however, she slightly chuckles at the question. She is sure she won't defeat him today either, but with every fight she will learn

I don't mind. Any gift from you would make me happy. I would keep it in my coffin until it withers.

“Ah, the Trailblazer.” Suddenly there was a hint of life in her voice. “They find a way to save the day anywhere they go. Yes, the Alliance enjoys a beneficial relationship with them, helping the Astral Express in their time of need.” Hm. “So you hail from Amphoreus. Long travel, I imagine.”

“For example?”

Chirp chirp. Hello, miss Cat.

“Definitely skip that one.”

“Any last words, Iris?”

Interesting. Roses are beautiful flowers, but their meaning is often that of passion. Darker shades, however, might suggest tragedy... Very fitting, I suppose. I'd gift you a handmade card with Xianzhou calligraphy. I am not as talented as sister, but my ingenium nature makes all lines perfect.

She did. That is precisely why she's here, her weapons drawn out as she pounces on him, two slashes of pink following her on both sides as the horrific screeching breaks forth from the Underworld. She has studied her recording of their previous fight long and hard — he won't catch her with the same

Her eyes are glued to the tail. Oh-huh, what a sight. Wait, he is talking to her. Collect yourself, Xueyi! “Greetings to you too. Are you visiting Xianzhou?”

... ... “Do you like the taste of it too or do you drink it solely for sustenance?”

Good chirping.

“You feed this to your patients?”

It appears they made a good team, both acting swiftly and with precision, in a way only two Xianzhou natives would. As the last soldier of the Swarm was sliced into pieces, Xueyi just stood there for a second, calculating something. “What a pity that the Swarm does not count as my target.

What kind of flower?

“A common punishment for lying is a fine, or, in some cases, a loss of a tongue.”

“You lied?”

“If you happen to see me in the living world, you can always ask me to analyse something for you. I could provide a nutritional breakdown or access the suitability of the spice levels for a regular human being.”