Namor and his cousin Namora, Trevor Hawkins, Wolverine... Is Daredevil a mutant or just skilled? I know him too but I can't tell. There are so many superheroes out there that sometimes it's hard to remember how people got their powers.
That makes it all even harder. [ And he imagines that Limbo is not a good place to live in any capacity. He doesn't want to upset her by asking further about it. ]
That's a relief. Can you sense where the sword is, since it has part of your soul?
And yes, they are. It's safer if I always carry them with me because Chiyou's demons still try to get after them. They also cause chronic pain; Shou Lao's chi helps with that, but sometimes it worsens it.
There are two different kinds of magic coursing through my body where there shouldn't be any, so they don't always mix well.
Ew to that first one. He's not a representative. [ Is she really much of an improvement over Namor? Yes. She likes to think so and will insist on it. ] And no, Daredevil isn't a mutant! Trevor's not bad.
I suppose, but I don't need sympathy. [ Because she's stubborn and wants to pretend it wasn't the worst experience ever. ]
Usually. I had trouble once but that was due to...complications.
That's unfortunate, that it causes pain. If you stopped Chiyou's demons completely would you be able to take it out and stop the pain?
Ah. I can understand that in a way. I don't always get along well with certain kinds of magic.
Don't worry, I am aware that he's an asshole. The first time we met, he was causing trouble on the surface because of a misunderstanding. There was a sea dragon involved. And sirens. [ Everyone's an improvement over Namor, at least in Lin Lie's opinion. ] Gotcha on Daredevil, sorry!
Sorry, I'm not trying to make you uncomfortable. It's just. I saw what hell on earth would be like if Chiyou were free; I can't imagine what it would be like to live in a place similar to that while growing up. I just think you were really brave.
Annnd I'll stop yapping now before you decide to stab me with your fancy sword.
[ Illyana, honey :< ]
Complications of the villain or magic kind?
Eh, could be worse. At least they're not constantly bleeding. Perhaps but he's really hard to kill. The last time he was defeated, his body was still not possible to destroy completely, and the remains were cut into 3 parts then buried in 3 different tombs, each containing a fragment of his soul. it was centuries ago and he's still causing trouble to this day.
I'm convinced he just uses 'misunderstandings' as an excuse to be a huge dick. [ She can just imagine how that misunderstanding went. Which is to say she can really see how badly it probably went. ]
I wasn't brave. [ She was, but in her opinion she did horrible things that don't really deserve praise or admiration. But she's just down on herself. ] Smart, I was starting to think about it.
Both? I died and a villain resurrected me the wrong way. It meant I didn't have it with me and couldn't really find it.
Ugh. I hate villains like that. You wouldn't believe what I had to do in order to get rid of mine. [ and she probably shouldn't tell anyone about it. ]
They are. Some types of magic require a lot of purity from the caster. I don't have that.
You might be onto something. Has he given you all trouble recently? [ Namor nearly drowned half of Asia, so yep. Big misunderstanding. ]
You survived; that takes courage.[ She was put in a horrible situation and did what she could to get out of it. Even if Lin knew all the details, he would not judge her. ] Luckily things are different now.
Ow, yeah, that would make things complicated. Glad to see you're back to yourself. [ Why are all of her stories more horrible than the one before? Poor woman. ]
They're the worst. Trust me, I can believe all sorts of weird things, so do tell. Maybe it might inspire me to find a definitive solution for Chiyou.
I see. [ Oh, he understands the implications of that statement. ] Magic can be really picky sometimes.
The Fu xi sword didn't speak per se, but it also had a personality and sometimes we sort of argued about how to do things because it did not agree with me. It's a little less argumentative now that its shards are on my arms, perhaps because it's stuck with me.
[ She's in her right to do that, and he won't press the issue further. ]
Yeah, I believe you.
You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. But if you do, I'll try to keep an open mind.
See, I have this friend. She's a Kumiho, a Korean shapeshifting fox demon. Most kumiho hurt humans in the past; that's why they were reviled and even feared by past Sorcerers Supreme. When she was just a kid trying to make friends people learned what she was, and they were just so afraid of what could happen that they attacked her and her family, even though they hadn't killed a human in generations.
People often act irrationally out of fear; it wasn't her fault. But even though she had suffered terrible cruelty, she still helps others to this day because she is better than that and it's the right thing to do. Her nature won't define who she is.
[ And that's the person Lin Lie was protecting when he got murdered, so he's a ride-or-die friend. ]
A shame, but if you are a master in the other, then at least you know your niche well enough.
Not in my head but the shards in my arms sometimes hum in alert if Chiyou's demonic forces are near, or they hurt like burns.
Have you ever heard of the mutant Legion? The one with the different personalities that can warp reality?
Your friend sounds impressive. Did she ever go after the people who hurt her when she was young?
[ Because Illyana would have. Maybe not as she is now, but in the past she certainly would have gone after revenge. Even if that revenge came years later. ]
I am the Sorceress Supreme of Limbo, of course I'm a master of the other. Maybe someday I'll master both.
[ Maybe what's holding her back is really her own self-loathing and uncertainty. Who knows. ]
My sword does that sometimes inside of me. Hums or vibrates when there's danger nearby. It's a weird feeling.
No, sorry. I can't say I've ever had the pleasure. I'm not super familiar with Dissociative Identity Disorder either. [ He know enough to remember the updated term for the condition, at least. ]
I think you'd like her too if you two met. She's great. So if you've ever heard of a Korean superhero named White Fox, she's the one.
She didn't tell me, but no, I don't think she did. [ There are some things harder to ignore than others. If someone had murdered his father and brother, Lin Lie would also not be that forgiving either. Maybe even now. ]
I am not trying to glorify a place that treated you so badly, but wow, that is such a cool title. I'm sure you'll success eventually, or maybe find a new kind of magic you enjoy even more.
Heavens, yes it's so, so weird. Yours doesn't hurt, I hope? I could feel mine being scared, once.
Ah, well. Then my story won't make much sense to you. He's caused big problems for the world and the X-Men. He's considered a major threat and kept confined. I freed him so that I could use his powers to erase my enemies from existence.
[ Normal things for someone to do. Definitely not extreme at all. given that her enemies happened to be elder gods, she would definitely insist that extreme measures had to be taken. It didn't help that she lacked a soul at the time. ]
I'll keep a look out for her. [ She could probably use more friends. ] Probably for the best she didn't. It can change you. [ Not for the better. ]
It is a cool title, I'll give you that. But I did work really hard to get it. [ Did questionable things too. ]
Nope, it only really hurt when it was gone. Must have been something for it to be scared.
I'll look him up on Google later, promise. And that's a strategy for sure. Did he do it? What happened after?
[ I mean, that's really bad, it's true. But considering how Lin Lie knows now that her enemies are demons too, and he's got some unpleasant experience with those, he can see why someone would go for drastic actions. It doesn't justify them, but it explains the reasoning. ]
If you ever visit Korea or Shanghai, let me know and I'll introduce her to you. [ More friends are always good. ] Yeah, I trust you. It's a hard line to cross. The strangest things would be if it didn't.
I know. I wish things hadn't been that hard for you.
Having part of your soul being AWOL would do that to you. A demon got really close to some of the broken shards and was about to steal them. It's why I ended sticking those into my arms as well, on top of the shards that were already piercing the skin. [ So, talking about extreme measures... ] They're safer if I always carry them on my person.
Of course he did it. I planned this out throughout time. [ which even included going to different futures. she was a planner. ] Now the elder gods are no more and I'm free. Well...free from them. [ her friends were...not happy. nobody was happy. and now she's not free from those consequences, but oh well. ]
I could do with a trip somewhere. [ Oh wait he said those terrible words. ] You shouldn't. Trust me.
[ Nobody should. ] Wishes don't hold much, it's alright.
People really do sleep on how much safer things are if you just store them in your body.
Older gods? Ah, shit, those are always bad news. Legion really must be insanely powerful.[ Note to himself: not to piss off that particular mutant. ] Did the X-Men or you put him back into confinement, or is he still free?
[ Talk about being precise and dedicated, uh. It's not surprising that people were a little bit pissy about this whole idea, though. Oops. ]
Well, if you are ever close to New York, I have set up a portal there that connects to my home city, so visiting Shanghai is possible already. I shouldn't have to do so many things, and yet.
[ Still his choice. Someone has to show some faith. ]
Sadly no, that's true.
Oh, finally someone who gets it. It's not always the most comfortable solution but still the best option.
Oh they were. They tormented me most of my life. [ Which is why it's so important to her that it's finally over. ] He's free. That was part of our deal. [ Was it an insanely bad deal of her to make considering the guy created the worst major alternate reality that everyone knows about? Probably. Oh well. ]
I'm a teleporter. I can be close to whatever I want to whenever I want to.
[ The perks of her powers. ]
There's no where safer than inside you, right? Someone would have to go to a lot of trouble to rip it out.
At least something good came out of that mess. [ It must be a huge relief for sure; it's why Lin Lie can't judge her too hard. He can judge her a little, though. ] You're not worried that now that he's free, he might make things worse for everyone, including yourself, too? Or was it part of the deal as well that he has to try to hold back?
You got, like, the best powers, girl. I'm jealous. [ Yeah, he can see that. So lucky! ] Come visit me one day and I'll take you to try Xian rou yue bing. They're pastry-like savory mooncakes, filled with ground pork.
Exactly! Do you store your sword inside yourself too? The Fu Xi shards in particular also want to stay with me, so if anyone tries to pull them off by force, they refuse to budge and pull back. [ The downside is that it hurts like you wouldn't believe. Literal acid in his veins. ]
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I was a child. [ But an unusually willful one probably. Or maybe just unusually stubborn. ]
That does sound pretty cool. Mine got messed up once but I was able to get it back. Are the pieces of your sword still in your arms?
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That makes it all even harder. [ And he imagines that Limbo is not a good place to live in any capacity. He doesn't want to upset her by asking further about it. ]
That's a relief. Can you sense where the sword is, since it has part of your soul?
And yes, they are. It's safer if I always carry them with me because Chiyou's demons still try to get after them. They also cause chronic pain; Shou Lao's chi helps with that, but sometimes it worsens it.
There are two different kinds of magic coursing through my body where there shouldn't be any, so they don't always mix well.
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I suppose, but I don't need sympathy. [ Because she's stubborn and wants to pretend it wasn't the worst experience ever. ]
Usually. I had trouble once but that was due to...complications.
That's unfortunate, that it causes pain. If you stopped Chiyou's demons completely would you be able to take it out and stop the pain?
Ah. I can understand that in a way. I don't always get along well with certain kinds of magic.
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Sorry, I'm not trying to make you uncomfortable. It's just. I saw what hell on earth would be like if Chiyou were free; I can't imagine what it would be like to live in a place similar to that while growing up. I just think you were really brave.
Annnd I'll stop yapping now before you decide to stab me with your fancy sword.
[ Illyana, honey :< ]
Complications of the villain or magic kind?
Eh, could be worse. At least they're not constantly bleeding. Perhaps but he's really hard to kill. The last time he was defeated, his body was still not possible to destroy completely, and the remains were cut into 3 parts then buried in 3 different tombs, each containing a fragment of his soul. it was centuries ago and he's still causing trouble to this day.
They're very particular, aren't they?
no subject
I wasn't brave. [ She was, but in her opinion she did horrible things that don't really deserve praise or admiration. But she's just down on herself. ] Smart, I was starting to think about it.
Both? I died and a villain resurrected me the wrong way. It meant I didn't have it with me and couldn't really find it.
Ugh. I hate villains like that. You wouldn't believe what I had to do in order to get rid of mine. [ and she probably shouldn't tell anyone about it. ]
They are. Some types of magic require a lot of purity from the caster. I don't have that.
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You survived; that takes courage.[ She was put in a horrible situation and did what she could to get out of it. Even if Lin knew all the details, he would not judge her. ] Luckily things are different now.
Ow, yeah, that would make things complicated. Glad to see you're back to yourself. [ Why are all of her stories more horrible than the one before? Poor woman. ]
They're the worst. Trust me, I can believe all sorts of weird things, so do tell. Maybe it might inspire me to find a definitive solution for Chiyou.
I see. [ Oh, he understands the implications of that statement. ] Magic can be really picky sometimes.
The Fu xi sword didn't speak per se, but it also had a personality and sometimes we sort of argued about how to do things because it did not agree with me. It's a little less argumentative now that its shards are on my arms, perhaps because it's stuck with me.
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[ maybe he has a point, but she just ignores it. ] Lucky indeed.
That's the life of an X-Man, complicated. [ and shitty. ]
You'd probably change your opinion of me if I told you. Everyone else did.
[ Rightfully so to be honest. ]
Too picky. I've tried to get better at white magick but it just doesn't like me as much.
'A little less'? So it sometimes still chimes in with an opinion in your head?
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[ She's in her right to do that, and he won't press the issue further. ]
Yeah, I believe you.
You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. But if you do, I'll try to keep an open mind.
See, I have this friend. She's a Kumiho, a Korean shapeshifting fox demon. Most kumiho hurt humans in the past; that's why they were reviled and even feared by past Sorcerers Supreme. When she was just a kid trying to make friends people learned what she was, and they were just so afraid of what could happen that they attacked her and her family, even though they hadn't killed a human in generations.
People often act irrationally out of fear; it wasn't her fault. But even though she had suffered terrible cruelty, she still helps others to this day because she is better than that and it's the right thing to do. Her nature won't define who she is.
[ And that's the person Lin Lie was protecting when he got murdered, so he's a ride-or-die friend. ]
A shame, but if you are a master in the other, then at least you know your niche well enough.
Not in my head but the shards in my arms sometimes hum in alert if Chiyou's demonic forces are near, or they hurt like burns.
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Your friend sounds impressive. Did she ever go after the people who hurt her when she was young?
[ Because Illyana would have. Maybe not as she is now, but in the past she certainly would have gone after revenge. Even if that revenge came years later. ]
I am the Sorceress Supreme of Limbo, of course I'm a master of the other. Maybe someday I'll master both.
[ Maybe what's holding her back is really her own self-loathing and uncertainty. Who knows. ]
My sword does that sometimes inside of me. Hums or vibrates when there's danger nearby. It's a weird feeling.
no subject
I think you'd like her too if you two met. She's great. So if you've ever heard of a Korean superhero named White Fox, she's the one.
She didn't tell me, but no, I don't think she did. [ There are some things harder to ignore than others. If someone had murdered his father and brother, Lin Lie would also not be that forgiving either. Maybe even now. ]
I am not trying to glorify a place that treated you so badly, but wow, that is such a cool title. I'm sure you'll success eventually, or maybe find a new kind of magic you enjoy even more.
Heavens, yes it's so, so weird. Yours doesn't hurt, I hope? I could feel mine being scared, once.
no subject
[ Normal things for someone to do. Definitely not extreme at all. given that her enemies happened to be elder gods, she would definitely insist that extreme measures had to be taken. It didn't help that she lacked a soul at the time. ]
I'll keep a look out for her. [ She could probably use more friends. ] Probably for the best she didn't. It can change you. [ Not for the better. ]
It is a cool title, I'll give you that. But I did work really hard to get it. [ Did questionable things too. ]
Nope, it only really hurt when it was gone. Must have been something for it to be scared.
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[ I mean, that's really bad, it's true. But considering how Lin Lie knows now that her enemies are demons too, and he's got some unpleasant experience with those, he can see why someone would go for drastic actions. It doesn't justify them, but it explains the reasoning. ]
If you ever visit Korea or Shanghai, let me know and I'll introduce her to you. [ More friends are always good. ] Yeah, I trust you. It's a hard line to cross. The strangest things would be if it didn't.
I know. I wish things hadn't been that hard for you.
Having part of your soul being AWOL would do that to you. A demon got really close to some of the broken shards and was about to steal them. It's why I ended sticking those into my arms as well, on top of the shards that were already piercing the skin. [ So, talking about extreme measures... ] They're safer if I always carry them on my person.
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I could do with a trip somewhere. [ Oh wait he said those terrible words. ] You shouldn't. Trust me.
[ Nobody should. ] Wishes don't hold much, it's alright.
People really do sleep on how much safer things are if you just store them in your body.
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[ Talk about being precise and dedicated, uh. It's not surprising that people were a little bit pissy about this whole idea, though. Oops. ]
Well, if you are ever close to New York, I have set up a portal there that connects to my home city, so visiting Shanghai is possible already. I shouldn't have to do so many things, and yet.
[ Still his choice. Someone has to show some faith. ]
Sadly no, that's true.
Oh, finally someone who gets it. It's not always the most comfortable solution but still the best option.
no subject
I'm a teleporter. I can be close to whatever I want to whenever I want to.
[ The perks of her powers. ]
There's no where safer than inside you, right? Someone would have to go to a lot of trouble to rip it out.
no subject
You got, like, the best powers, girl. I'm jealous. [ Yeah, he can see that. So lucky! ] Come visit me one day and I'll take you to try Xian rou yue bing. They're pastry-like savory mooncakes, filled with ground pork.
Exactly! Do you store your sword inside yourself too? The Fu Xi shards in particular also want to stay with me, so if anyone tries to pull them off by force, they refuse to budge and pull back. [ The downside is that it hurts like you wouldn't believe. Literal acid in his veins. ]