farsickness | Carry On my Wayward Son

Sam isn't the only one out and about, poking around. Xue Yang has grown used to people of various worlds as well as the locals, and the venders like to banter with him (when he's not in a foul mood, in which case they know to go find Zichen to calm him down) when he comes by for supplies or just news. Though some have also started placing orders for metalwork on his daily walks, so he's taken to carrying parchment and one of the odd pencils the locals use to write.

Which is what the Chinese man has out now, grinning as he listens intently to the details one of the merchants is spouting out for a new brace for his stall, which is starting to wear down. New faces are just a normal thing, though the height Sam has is enough to make him blink over his shoulder, peering up curiously. And up...! That hunch doesn't fool him, though it makes him wonder if this guy's been picked on for being tall.

Xue Yang has a sword strapped to his back, though otherwise could fairly easily blend in as he's taken to wearing local garb - if tougher than average due to his work.

"Hello!" He chirps, deciding to grin cheerful welcome. "First time in Gazin?"

Sam smiled and waved at the person who greeted him. "Yes," he replies in his quiet way."I just arrived." He looks around taking everything in. "This place is nothing like back home."

One last detail gets noted down before Xue Yang rolls to his feet, tucking parchment and pencil away in his tunic pocket before giving himself an absent brush off and turning to the taller man.

"So you're another like me. Welcome, it's not a bad place." He tilts his head at a sharp angle, cheek almost to a shoulder as he considers the other man.

"What's your home like?"

Sam considers the question. "Quiet," he replies with a smile, "at least on slow days." Or world ending ones. "My brother and I live in a bunker underground...it's a nice place really. What about you? Where do you live when you aren't here?"

He chuckles at the answer, head straightening. "A bunker? What's that? What you call your house? But you said underground...why would you live underground?"

So many questions! "I lived in an abandoned city of coffin makers. You could say it was the meaning of quiet, when the dead weren't out wandering." Because of him, but shhh.

"A bunker is a word that means underground home, yes," Sam explains, "living underground keeps my brother and I safe when we need to rest. We hunt things like ghosts and demons and the safer we are the better."

He blinks and looks Sam over again with a new assessing eye. "You don't look like any cultivator I've met," he muses. But then grins again.

"Not that it matters, I guess. We do about the same thing. There are plenty of beasts and monsters here, I don't think you'll get bored unless you stay inside all the time."

"We don't call ourselves cultivators," Sam explains, "our word is hunter." He smiles back. "I'm looking forward to using my skills here, but I don't know the best place to get the weapons I need. I didn't come with any."

He turns out his pockets to show how empty they are. "I came with pretty much everything you see."

Hunter? Huh. Xue Yang ponders for a moment, then shrugs.

"I work at the forge not far from here. I can probably make something for you - you can pay me back when you get a job and start earning money."

Before coming to Gazin, he wouldn't have offered such a thing. He wouldn't even think of being generous to anyone, except, maybe, Xingchen. Yet here he is.

"I've been forging swords and starting on bows and arrows. Have a preference?"

"I could work out a trade," Sam offers, "I'm good at woodworking and I'm strong. I'd be happy to help out at the forge." He smiles. "As for weapons I've used a little bit of everything, guns, knives, swords, crossbows you name it. So I would lean a bit more toward a bow when given the choice."

"I can take you to Merlan, whose forge it is I work at."

Though there's a word Sam uses that he doesn't recognize, so he tilts his head and peers curiously at him. "What does a gun do?"

"That would be wonderful thank you," Sam says and then he considers the best way to explain what a gun was to someone who has never seen one.

"A gun is a weapon that uses gunpowder to send a metal projectile at an object at high speed," he says, "depending on the monster, the projectile is made of different things like silver or even salt."

He nods at the thanks. Then waits for that explanation, his head slowly moves back upright as he ponders, trying to picture it.

"Like fireworks? We use magic for that! Magic and talismans, when our swords aren't enough to dispel the monsters. Some sects use music." He's actually completely serious about that last bit!

"I might be able to figure something out, if you can help me with the design, if Merlan doesn't know them."

"Your world has magic too," Sam says, "so does mine. Maybe we could trade ideas. I love to learn new magicks...I picked it up from the witch who trained me." He smiles slightly. "I'd be happy to design a gun for you. There are different kinds depending on a hunter's skill set. I'd need to see how you work with a bow or other weapon to figure it out."

Xue Yang grins and bounces on his heels a bit. "Sure! I'm not the best at teaching of those from my world here, but I could introduce you to the others. My learning was mostly self taught, but my husband was brought up in a Temple. He's a great teacher."

Plopping back properly on his feet, he turns to gesture for Sam to follow him. "If you have time now to work on that design? I can introduce you to Merlan and we can get started on something for you. And you can see what we have already that you can use while we make other things for you."

Sam smiles and nods. "That sounds great. As long as you have something I can write with and on I should have a design done in a little under an hour. Then we can get to work on the weapons itself. The more delicate bits are going to be the hardest."

Xingchen can't see so he maneuvers the market more by touch. Still getting used to things here, he is learning what the market is like. It's very similar to the one he used to get vegetables at back home and so he figures he can handle things here.

He's currently talking with a vendor about some vegetables he would like to purchase. It's obvious to anyone who is able to see that the vendor fully intends to sell Xingchen the worst he has knowing that he can't tell any better. And Xingchen has no reason not to trust the man.

Sam however can see the problem and it's angering him. He hates seeing people being taken advantage of. He pulls himself back up to his full height and moves over to the merchant. He fixes the vendor with a firm look and speaks in a quiet rumble. "He might not be able to see but he isn't stupid. Cheat him and I find out I'll make sure you don't do it again." Sam isn't above using his skills and his imposing look to make sure people are treated fairly. "He's paying for the good stuff, make sure he gets it."

Xingchen turns his head in the direction the voice comes from. Tilting his head slightly as he listens to what the man says. Suddenly he can hear vegetables being place in his basket and the vendor saying that it was just a misunderstanding.

Xingchen smiles at Sam, "Thank you for your assistance."

Sam spoke rather than nodding, keeping one eye on the vendor until the basket is full. "My pleasure," he replies quietly, "I don't like seeing people taken advantage of most of all people who might be missing a sense but are still able to function. I'm Sam by the way."

Xingchen encircles his arms and gives a little bow, "Xiao Xingchen. It is nice to meet you Sam." Even if he can't see any greetings, Xingchen still will give them since it is trained in him to do so. He then reaches back and collects the now full basket, bowing his head towards the vendor as well.

"It is my fault. I fear I am a little too trusting that people won't do so."

Sam chuckles and bows in return. "I know the feeling, believe me. I've been too trusting to the point it's gotten me into trouble. I'm glad you didn't mind my stepping in."

"Of course not. It would be rude to not accept help when it is given. He rests the basket over his arm as he steps away from the vendor so that he can welcome other customers.

"I wish I could repay you in some way."

Sam smiled. "No need," he says, "helping people is kind of what my family does. Knowing I stopped you from getting scammed is it's own reward."

"You must have a very kind family. Not many would make a living of helping people." Most want to take advantage..like the vendor. Xingchen has always believed in kindness over anything else.

Sam chuckled quietly. "We try," he says, "but we kind of fell into the work and just stayed because someone has to fight the things normal humans want to believe are fairy tales."

Xingchen tilts his head slightly, "Oh? So you are a protector of some kind? What is it that you fight?" He wonders if perhaps he has encountered another cultivator.

"We call ourselves hunters," Sam explains, "we go after those creatures that make a choice to hurt innocent people." Sam is tired of using the word monster because he has many friends who aren't human who choose not to hurt humans. Garth, Castiel, Amy...Rowena." "demons, werewolves, vampires...the things that most humans think are just stories made up to scare kids at night."

"Ah how interesting. We have similar occupations it seems. I'm a cultivator where I am from. We hunt the dead that are trying to harm the living. Demons, spirits, fierce corpses..not everyone can defend against them."

Xingchen knows that there are dangers in this world as well based on what he has heard from others so he knows both their skills will be put to use here.

Sam considers this. "Really," he says, "I've been to alternate universes before and I've always enjoyed learning about the differences between the people who live in them. I'd love to talk over lore and skills with you."

Xingchen smiles and gives a little nod, "Of course. I'd be happy to share stories. I imagine we have a lot of them." Xingchen's sword is strapped to his back, a beautiful blade that is well known in his world. The decorative hilt the only thing showing at the moment but it is the only weapon he chooses to use against resentful enemies. He wonders how this other man fights and if he has a spiritual weapon as well to aid him in his battles. Questions already forming in his mind that can be shared over tea.

Sam is missing his angel blade and his demon knife he feels naked without them tucked into his belt. "Is that a blessed blade of some kind," he asks careful to add, "your sword...it reminds me of an angel blade but longer."

"Ah..That is Shuanghua. It's my spiritual weapon. Every cultivator has a sword that is exclusive to them. It has the special ability of detecting and pointing out the direction of corpse energy."

Which is still useful, especially since xingchen can't see the corpses himself now. Being able to locate them with Shuanghua makes it easier.

"Wow," Sam breathes looking it over, "I've never seen a weapon like it...a few of the things I've used have come close, but it's amazing. Hunters track ghosts using something that picks up their energy signatures...and EMRF reader."

Xingchen removes it from his back and frees it from the harness, holding it out to Sam to get a better look. He is sure that he can trust the man to give it back. The sleek white sword is beautiful and he is proud that even now it still must be impressive to those that see it.

"EMRF reader? I'm afraid I'm not familiar with such a weapon."

Sam takes the weapon and examines it carefully checking the balance and the weight before handing it back just as carefully. "It's not a weapon," Sam explains, "it's a tool. Hunters use a combination of a lot of things to help in their work. Spells, books, notes, that kind of thing. Sometimes we trap a creature instead of killing it."

He takes the sword back, always able to sense the sword even without his sight to guide his hand. He returns it to his back with the practiced ease of someone who has done this many times.

"It sounds like you have to take on some difficult enemies." Most of the things that Xingchen encounters only know to attack and aren't smart enough to plan.

"Yeah we did," Sam admits quietly, "some of ours...they start out human so...it can be hard to make the moves you need to to save people."

"Our always start off as human...unfortunately we simply have to understand that the ones that come back are no longer actually human and helping them move on is the only decent thing we can do."

Xingchen's sword is able to distinguish from the living and the dead and he uses that to be able to tell who he needs to strike down. He can always count on it since he can't rely on eyes to do so.

"Our ghosts retain some form of their mind depending on how they died," Sam says, "the more traumatic the death the more trouble they can cause. We also deal with haunted objects...that's always fun."

"I have heard of haunted objects but I have not encountered any myself. I have heard those can be quite tricky to deal with."

Xingchen would like to avoid such things considering the difficulty he would have with it. He doesn't doubt his skills or his ability to do things without his sight. But an inanimate object would be much harder for him to sense.

Carry On my Wayward Son

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