[color=fffaa0][center][h2]A Night Under Moksha[/h2][/center][/color] Amid chittering quolls, snapfruit saplings and young patches of sweetgrass, Yisu sat hunched in her new birthday dress. It was plain and blue, but her mother had sewn it just for her and that made it special enough in Yisu’s eyes to match even Lord Wenbo’s Shengshese outfits. Yisu’s eyes were closed, and her knees were pulled up to her chest as she sat nearly in a nap. The day was exciting but long, and with the sky turning dark and Moksha peeking out between the clouds, Yisu’s young mind could barely keep her awake much longer. She stirred and patted her messy alabaster hair, “Rice cake?” Her eyes opened and she knitted her brows, “Rice Caaake?” She shifted onto her feet and spun around, tiny red circles under her tired eyes, “Rice Cake??” She stuck out her bottom lip in an exaggerated pout. She shoved little fists into balls and stomped towards her parents’. The walk was short, with her father having taken the closest house to the Tendlepogan-esque fields. Yisu pushd the door in, the orange glow of a soft fire hitting her. The foyer was really the living room, with a cozy set of chairs and footrests, plus her own mother sitting by the fire with a spool of wool. Seeing her daughter stumble in with hands rubbing her eyes, she let out a sigh, “Yisu, I was just about to call you in -- it is far past your bedtime, missy.” “Mom, have you seen Rice Cake?” Yisu pouted, ignoring her mother’s warning. “No dear,” Yisu’s mom put the wool down, “I’m sure he is fine, now off to bed.” “But mom-” “Do you need your father to tell you too?” Yisu’s mom rested a hand on her hip. Yisu pouted, but her mother didn’t seem to back down. “Okay...” Yisu shuffled into the house, finding the long hall that separated the various rooms. Yisu’s mother called out to her from the living room, her voice a harsh whisper. “And don’t wake up your brothers!” Yisu stuck her tongue out in her mother’s direction and made a face. Puffing up a little, Yisu quietly strolled down the hallway, her eyes falling on the closed door that separates her from her own bed. Her eyes trickled to the right a little more, the door to the cellar was ajar. She pursed her lips and silently shuffled over to the basement door. Peeking through the crack of the opened door, she shivered -- it was dark down there. Something moved, her heart slammed against its cage and she jumped back with a loud yelp. “Yisu!” Her mother whispered harshly, a couple of thuds indicating that she was now on her way. “Mom it wasn’t me, there is something in the basement,” Yisu pointed at the door pleadingly as her mother came angrily down the hall. “You always think there is something in the basement, Yisu,” Her mother ushered her away from the door. “But mom, I really think I saw a monster this time.” “Yisu, you’re being silly.” The mother pursed her lips. “Mom,” Yisu whimpered and her mother sighed. “Would it make you feel better if we put a new pebble on the house guardian’s shrine?” Before Yisu could nod, the basement door suddenly snapped open, forcing a loud shrill scream from Yisu and a surprised yell from her mother. All at once, a pillar of cloudlings flooded out of the basement, popping wildly as they crackled their way to every open window, door and crack in the building. They smelt of the wine that Yisu’s father kept in the cellar, especially one specifically saturated cloudling painted a dark maroon. It bumbled through the air drunkenly as the other cloudlings had already cleared the house. It landed on Yisu’s nose and she giggled. “Mom, it was just Rice Cake.” Yisu’s mom stood with wide eyes, “[i]Just[/i]?” [hr] A deep rumble vibrated in the back of Batbayaar’s throat. He sat atop the roof of the academy, legs folded and his fists open in his lap. His chin was tilted up, Moksha washing over his face. By his right knee was a clay tablet with three gentle lines of poetry adorning it, and by his left knee was a minimalist hand-sized painting of his older brother and his father. He tucked his thumbs flat against his palms as he held them open, the light of Moksha seeming to pool between his fingers. As he meditated, thoughts of his father kept invading his mind -- the large man riding on an albino tree-eater, a victorious grin twisting the blue stripe that dominated the left half of his face. Batbayaar lifted his left hand, tracing his own stripe. A watery tear caused his finger to stop its journey. He wiped it away from his cheek and opened his eyes. His pupils dilated, having opened to the sight of the swirling nebula that now served as the final memory of his life before Chengweng. Thoughts fell to his wife, who was likely putting their daughter to bed as he thought, his eight sons were likely already asleep having worked the fields of heritage. He sucked in a shaking breath, it wasn’t easy being the only one of your family to decide to stay. He also couldn’t let the remaining dreamers forget the ways of the elder clans, and as the youngest of his father’s -- it was his duty to keep the traditions. He could still see his mother crying, a sight he had only seen once before. His gut twisted. He was the mountain, he was the stone, but even then he could feel the tug of erosion in his heart. He clapped his hands back together and closed his eyes, refocusing on Moksha. He could feel the anger and the frustration that kept him silent during the day swirl as easily as the nebula. He could feel his distaste and his concerns, his hesitant acceptance of Ming’s leadership, and his own queries over his Elder Wenbo’s ability in light of her appointment. [i]Pop![/i] Batbayaar’s eyes shot open, “Cake?” [i]”CRACKLE-POP-POP-POP-POP-POP-CRACKLE![/I] Suddenly a flood of cloudlings passed over him, nearly causing him to tip over as they blasted by. A surprised laugh chuckled from his throat, the first since he had left his home. Finding his feet, he watched the stream of cloudlings swirl onwards. Tucking a newfound smile in his cheek, he sent after them. [hr] Nergui let out an exhausted groan and stumbled through one of the academy’s many exits. Planted along the cobblestone walkway of the academy gardens was a myriad of different flowers, with two meter tall obelisks standing at every corner. All of it slowly swirled to a black stone platform in the center, a white and black obelisk standing side by side. As she passed through the door proper, she plucked a pebble from her pocket and dropped it into a ceramic bowl by a miniature black obelisk. Her gait was more of a sleepy stumble than one of an uptight scholar as she made her way down the swirling path. Finding the center, she kicked off her leather boots and slipped on quoll fur slippers before stepping on the black platform. She fell to her knees and walked on them all the way to the twin obelisk shrine. She dipped her head three times before the empty bowl that sat in front of the shrine, then dipped her head twice - leaving her forehead against the cold stone on the second dip. “K’nell, My God -- keeper of my family, receive me and my prayer,” She kept her eyes closed as she sat back on her ankles, hands set on each knee. Sucking in a breath, she opened her eyes -- Moksha swirling between the obelisks. “I’m scared,” She admitted, “I feel alone.” A tear fell down her cheek, “I miss my grandfather, and I pray he isn’t mad at me. Tell him that I had to, tell him I didn’t know I’d be the only one to go.” She held a fist to her chest, “Forgive my candidness, my God.” She sucked in a breath, “Recieve my mind, so I may see them again when my day comes.” Nergui sat in silence, her eyes fluttering all around the arms of Moksha before she finally let out an exhale she didn’t know she was holding, “I don’t want to be alone. I thank you for Master Zhong Wang, and the others -- I do... but I can’t help but feel...” She flicked a finger across her Temujinite nose, “Alone.” “I pray, God K’nell, that you take away my loneliness, take it away, take it far away -- I don’t want it, my God,” She whimpered, “It weighs upon my mind-” Suddenly a loud crackling wave washed over Nergui, the white flood of cloudlings wisping through the air. Dancing on popping sounds and tiny raindrops, the cloudlings soaked through Nergui’s clothes before continuing their nighttime journey. Nergui sat drenched with wide eyes, “T-Thank you, God!” Was all she managed through a surprised chuckle, her tears dry. Jumping to her feet, she quickly ran after the cloudings. [hr] “AaaaaUUUGGGHGHHH” Ming groaned loudly, landing backfirst into her bed. The bushels of grass pushed against her spine, releasing the day’s work and causing her to ache. She whimpered silently, letting her body drain of its exhaustion. She turned her head as she laid starfish, eyes peeking out of the open window and at the starry sky above. She shot out an exhale from her nostrils as she saw Moksha swirling away. “I’m supposed to meditate on you, huh?” Ming said quietly, “Expose my weakness and my secrets I bet, too.” Without turning her body to the window she closed her eyes, “Well I’m afraid you won’t find any here... I’m the great General of Chengweng.” She shot another sgh from her nostrils and her nose pulsed with a little pain. She flinched, “The greatest, beaten down by a nose bleed.” She huffed silently, Moksha swirling the same as ever, “I just want a little respect.” She surrendered, “I’m trying my best-- I can say that because I am. I know, I KNOW, I could do better, I know.” She bit her lip, “And I’m trying to get there, I really am.” Moksha didn’t reply, “Well it isn’t my fault that Batbayaar wasn’t chosen,” Ming gulped dryly, “Maybe he should’ve...” She cast her eyes away from the nebula, “But he didn’t, I did, because I asked -- and I’m trying my best. He can... he can just get over it!” She looked back at Moksha, “I know he is bigger and stronger, and knows more about this than I do, but this is a new world. This isn’t the plains anymore. A new world needs new leaders... Who cares what he thinks.” Anger tinged her voice and she clicked her tongue. A long silence fell between the two before she gurgled out of frustration, “I do.” She raised a hand to her forehead and groaned, “I do, I care what they all think. I know how they see me, I’m not blind.” Moksha was silent. “Well fine!” Ming almost shouted, “You tell [i]me[/i] what to do then!” As if answering her, flickering shadows blinked across Moksha and Ming’s eyes widened with shock. A chorus of popping filled the night air, forcing Ming to sit up, her fingers holding her nose gently. “What the...” [hr] Zhong Wang stood in the open plaza that intersected the residential and market quarters. Here the night wind was strongest, and the view of the night sky was the best -- in his opinion at least. His eyes carefully studied Moksha above, to think that’s where they all will go someday. He sucked in an impressed breath, and to think that here he is until then. He put his hands on his hips, he went from a lowly student of his father to being the master of all academic research for the dreamers in a single day. He could feel the pressure on his shoulders as strongly as the butterflies in his stomach, though. Something about the responsibility caused his gut to clench up, forced hunger from his mind and dried his eyes endlessly on the infinite writings of Shengshi and his own. Even now he wasn’t sure if he was hungry, full, stressed, or even relaxed. He pinched the bridge of his nose, if he didn’t have Nergui, he wouldn’t know how well he would be faring in his position. Sure he had the knowledge, but the ability to actually do is a lot harder to keen than the ability to know. His gut clenched as his mind skimmed over all the things that could go wrong, and what sorts of disasters he would be responsible for should he ever hiccup in his position. Some days he could barely look at the other dreamers, their faces no longer holding the friendly visages of family but rather the scared looks of people his actions would directly affect. “Oh Lord,” he moaned, eyes rising to Moksha, “You know my pain.” He sighed, “It’s just... been so long since I’ve...” He stifled on his words, “To relax just seems forbidden.” Zhong Wang’s eyes rested on Moksha and he closed his eyes in an attempt. His body swayed slightly in the night wind as he focused, trying to picture the great swirling mass in his minds eye. He strained and then slowly relaxed his shoulders -- and as his muscles went limp, he swore he heard something. Two gentle violin’s playing against each other, hidden behind the sound of the night wind. A small smile formed on Wang’s lips as the music played in his mind. It reminded him of a story his father used to tell him in jest. A long time ago now, Chagatai had gone to Zhongcheng and Wenbo in a fit of frustration: he needed to write a song for his teenage crush, Altansarnai. His brother’s agreed to aid him, and spent all night constructing the perfect song for him to use to woo his beloved -- only to find out on the day he went to sing it to Altansarnai, that she too had gone to Zhongcheng and Wenbo for a song to sing to [i]him[/i]. In Zhongcheng’s clever way and Wenbo’s wisdom, the brothers wrote each of them half of the same song -- turning their meeting into an entwined duet of their truest feelings. Zhong Wang smiled, picturing the scene between the fiery couple, their words fresh in his mind as if he were there. He gently sang out Chagatai’s opening lines. “Blue hair so as the sky, Blue hair so as my soul.” [right]”Blue stripe so as river’s low, Blue stripe so as heart’s sigh.”[/right] Nergui’s voice surprised Wang and he turned to the woman, a gentle smile on her face, and a rush of cloudlings crackling behind her. Zhong Wang’s brow furrowed and his eyes widened in surprise, “Cloudlings!?” The apprentice went to speak, but was cut off by Batbayaar’s deep voice, calling out as Chagatai once did: “Blue hair take my love, Blue hair take my heart.” [right]”Blue stripe never part, Blue stripe my dove.” [/right] Nergui’s singing voice nearly tripped as Ming’s and Yisu’s joined hers. She turned to see Batbayaar’s family standing next to the general, all wearing surprised smiles. Batbayaar walked over, arms wide as he pulled his wife into an embrace, his voice joining Zhong Wang’s. “Blue hair you’re my night, Blue hair you’re my day.” [right]”Blue stripe always stay, Blue stripe never flight.”[/right] “Blue hair never go, Blue hair as above.” [right]”Blue stripe my love, Hello from Wen-bo.”[/right] The impromptu group broke into laughter as the line finalized. Zhong Wang could feel his stress falling from his shoulders as the cloudlings crackled along, and Nergui gave him a friendly grin. The woman felt her worries wash from her as easily as the dye was running from her soaked clothing. Batbayaar laughed loudly as he held his family tight, his sons punching each other playfully, his little girl clinging to his leg. Seeing Ming standing idly between his family and the other Scholars, he reached out with a hand. His knuckle bumped her shoulder and she turned to him. His smile was gone, and she gulped. Her flicked his nose twice and gave her an approving nod, causing a smile to form on the general’s face. [i]“Thank you, Lord K’nell.”[/i] [hider=Summary] Yusi, a young dreamer, loses her cloudling amid a field of sweetgrass, quolls, and other things brought over from Tendlepog. She finds him having gotten in the wine cellar and creating a burst of new cloudlings. These cloudlings slowly bring together a quartet of narratives and personal feelings among dreamer characters, ultimately ending with Zhong Wang, Ming, Batbayaar, and Nergui singing a song under Moksha and finding the answers to their prayers. [/hider]