yoon's palace

[strawsandals]

I thought I told you to leave me alone.

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CHAPTER 4 1/2

[strawsandals]

[ The flower is cut down and split apart, torn up from the outside going inwards. It's wilted, dead on the ground, never to come back again. Yoon's appearance have you given both questions and answers, but at least you got that final piece of confirmation that yes, this is his Palace. And knowing all of that, what was once violent and hateful seems to be no more, as the petals turn a dark shade of brown.

But you know better. You know that it's not over yet. You've got someone you need to see. You made that hot pot for him after all, didn't you?

It's not over.

The hut rumbles, and in the same fashion that Yoon and Yona entered the boat, you fall through the floor. ]

2/2

[strawsandals]

[ Your landing is more cushioned than you'd expect, though, because you fall quickly through darkness with light beneath you – and when that light hits, your speed seems to slow down abruptly, like someone is trying to gently set you on the floor beneath you.

...Floor that is apparently grass.

You are in a valley now. The field is, surprisingly, warm. Bright. Sunny. Tress and bushes line the edges of it, like it's making some sort of pathway. There is a waterfall nearby. It is strangely comforting...almost like coming home.

But if you walk up the pathway, you will see something very interesting.

Music

The White Dragon.
The Blue Dragon.
The Green Dragon.
The Yellow Dragon.

All of them are blurry, almost like they're semi-detailed silhouettes instead of being real and tangible, facing you. Behind them is a familiar cloaked figure. The Dragons are quiet, but the figure will speak. ]

...I warned you.

[ ... ]

I told you – I told you to leave me alone! Haven't you all been hurt enough already?!

[ His words may be kind, but they sure are distorted, and from underneath his hood, you see yellow eyes that are glowing, just like the butterflies you saw when you first arrived.

I tried. I tried to protect you. This is the only way I can. ]

...This is your last chance. Leave. I will not let you destroy my friends.

[supherb]

[Arven lets out a huff as he takes in the scene. He can't help but feel like something is missing...]

Aren't you forgetting something, Yoon? You've been hurt too! We're not just gonna ignore you!

We don't wanna fight you...but we're not gonna leave either.

[bloodweapon]

Arven's right. We're leaving this place together.

[Fray's ready for a fight if it goes that direction, but he hasn't drawn his sword just yet. Better to see if they can get Yoon to stand down without a fight first. Besides, he'd rather not smack the poor kid with his giant sword???]

[prozaic]

[Another fight... Things just aren't that easy, are they?

He sighs softly, shedding the layers people shoved on him-- the hoodie gets knotted around his waist at least, and the coat thrown back at Yi Sang-- until he's simply himself again, stretching and cricking his neck like he just woke up from a nap. He feels like he just woke up from a nap.]

Unfortunately... We endured all of this for a reason. Not to destroy your friends, but for an entirely different reason that has to do with you. [Hopefully he'll see reason...? Shalem doubts it, if Soujuurou was anything to go by.

But he's not being violent right now, so Shalem won't, his staff wrapped up in his tail.]

This all feels like a nightmare, doesn't it? A never-ending dream of horror.

It's time to wake up.

[gardenful]

[ She clutches onto her staff in determination as she fixes Yoon with a serious look. ]

We've come this far. Do you really think we're going to leave, just like that?

[ But there's more that she thinks is important to say, too. Yoon is caring, and he clearly cherishes his friends as much as Aerith cherishes her own. So, she adds: ]

We don't want to fight you or your friends. So... let's go, all of us.

[emptyself]

[ this place is beautiful. the homesickness is not just from the effects of the palace, but one that comes from his own heart. soujuurou would be left breathless by it, if there weren't a bigger issue at hand. he looks at the figures of the others, but focuses only on yoon. ]

We don't want to hurt you or your friends. [ soujuurou is, despite everything, a pacifist at heart. this would all be so much better if they just didn't need to fight at all.

he's not even in fighting position, his hands resting at his sides. ]

But we can't leave without you either. Please, Yoon, let's talk.

[cleansewithfire]

No.

[ To both of the things Yoon has said. ]

We will not be leaving without you. Nor do we want to destroy your friends.

[destage]

[Sayaka isn't sure what to make of any of this, and yet, it's that last line that gives some context.

These are Yoon's friends. These must be people, no matter how vaguely shaped, who helped him at some point. Even so, Sayaka's hands clutch together in front of her, and Atropos floats beside her as Sayaka shakes her head.]

Yoon-san, we don't want to destroy them. We don't want to hurt you, either. You've always been so kind to us, even at your most distant...

You've been hurt so much. We're...we're not leaving without bringing you back home. You're our friend too!

[ledbythewind]

We aren't here to destroy anyone.

[Will Yoon believe it? He's not sure, because he understands the desire to to be left alone so keenly it's almost painful. But... Asbel hadn't left him alone, had reached out to him instead, and so it only seems fitting to be the one to try to do the same this time.]

But that doesn't mean we can just leave you alone, either.

[...]

Because that isn't what you really want, is it?

[metagame]

What happens if we don't? You'll destroy us instead?

[Atem doesn't want to fight.]

Is that what you want?

[moodwrecker]

Stop assuming things! Why would we even want to fight your friends?

[Her bat is set aside for the moment, that rabbit hairclip clearly keeping her bangs out of her eyes.]

[finalmix]

[ they're not really friends (yet) but they're also not really enemies either, but in typical joshua fashion when he hears that ultimatum all he does is just.

roll his eyes. ]

Are you done yet?

[ arms folded, like he's kind of bored. ]

If you think we're here to destroy you or your friends I question if you're blind or something.

[ bruh :/ they made u hotpot. in what universe does that equate wanting to fight. ]

Re: 2/2

[beathollow]

Yoon- I promise, never once was that our intention. We just want to help you.

[townmusician]

[People really out here saying the most cringe things with their whole chest... Yeah, Haruka understands the sentiment! But it's kind of embarrassing!

Anyways, he doesn't have much to add just yet, so he's hanging towards the back of the group, watching to see what Yoon does next.]

[finalmix]

[ +1 in agreeing that the shounen protag speeches are. hm. ]

[emptyself]

[ wanna say that out loud buddy ]

[idealitas]

[ ZOOL's album covers are also cringe ]

[destage]

[imagine not believing in the power of friendship.

cringe tbh]

[prozaic]

[imperiosity]

[Of course, it was always going to come down to this. All of the palaces (or even that pseudo-palace) had ended with a confrontation with their owners thus far, so why would this be the exception?]

Who're you to tell us we've been hurt enough? We're just doing what we feel like doing, and that's dragging your ass outta here and back where it belongs.

So what's it gonna be: are we doing this the easy way, or the hard way?

[cirquedesang]

[So... it would seem these 'dragons' are his friends - or at least are playing the role of them.

But everyone else assembled here... the brighter Yoon would also, likely, call them friends, too.

They may have been anticipating a fight, but with how things are shaking out - how gently they were set down, how Shadow Yoon had assisted in the last fight...

Instead of drawing his weapon, Celeste puts his hands on his hips.]

Yoon. [It's the chiding older brother tone, watch out.] No friends are being destroyed. Come now, introduce them to us.

[idealies]

Everyone's right. Come back to us! We can eat together and cook together again. Your friends can join us, too.

[ Come on, Yoon, before the hot pot gets cold! Ai is in the camp that doesn't want to fight either. ]

[bloodandstars]

[ Frustrating, isn't it? Having to hurt people again and again and again, while they're still too stupid to leave you to your own devices? Or your own destruction?

Maika looks around the place in uncertainty as she picks herself up, brushes herself off. It's not like Aubrey's palace, where the rage felt so resonantly familiar that she thought she knew what to say. Here she's awkward and out of place... though she can't deny the notes of familiarity some of these things have struck with her. ]

...You wanted to become strong. Is that it? You're strong enough now to protect them. Nobody's taking them from you. Is that enough?

[idealitas]

[ Oh yay, he got his coat back. Thanks Shalem.

But he'll hang back quietly and finally cast a Diarama on himself to mend up most of the damage Dongplant dealt to him. ]