七 - qī

[getsomesleep]

[The words are written in haste, a note made while distracted.]

They are hints; and unclear as they are, we should be grateful for the knowing.

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[getsome-sleep.livejournal.com]

[She hadn't noticed - or at least hadn't commented on his moment's distraction, and whichever it was, he was glad for it. He was not sure hw to communicate his thoughts on that to her, nor if he ought to, at all. Not when he could be sure of nothing. He was still not sure how much anything he had said to Hawk was rooted in reality - the other man's reality, which could be nothing at all like his own - and was not happy at what amounted to reassembling a fragile vase of clay in pitch darkness. It was almost better to have to have to discuss what he was learning - no, what he was suspecting of himself.]

I agree. But without the information, it's the same either way. [His voice was soft. He knew that she was basically humoring him in not getting to the point.] They are hints - but do they indicate past deeds? Or perhaps inclinations? Some hardly speak of deeds at all, nor do they all point to infamy. [One hand brushed lightly against another - the characters crowding on his skin, spelling out verses on the art of war and strategy. To him, these were the most mysterious of all.]

[sumi-eight.livejournal.com]

It could be that they speak of many things. Deeds and inclinations alike, it doesn't have to be one or the other. That would be, perhaps, too narrow a notion. [She allowed her eyes to drop to his hands as he fidgeted, mentally trying to arrange the puzzle pieces in a way that would make sense and coming up with more holes and gaps each time. She sighed and met his eyes again.]

As we regain our memories, I've no doubt that the meanings of these markings will become more clear in time. For now, we can only speculate with what limited knowledge and understanding we can muster. One symbol might mean something to me, but mean something entirely different to another. [Although, some things had fairly universal meanings. Blood and blades, frightful images. Those things almost certainly couldn't represent anything positive.

But if the tattoos only represented negative things, what did that mean for Huo, who was now covered with them? He was unerringly polite, scrupulous and kind, and she was loathe to believe anything uncharitable about the man.]

[getsome-sleep.livejournal.com]

Some symbols can only mean so much. [He was fairly sure that he could guess her thoughts, and was confirming them, looking her in the eye. It had, after all, been his purpose in coming. He could have hidden away but he was not not, would not. Some symbols could not be interpreted away and undone with clever words. Some things would not be hidden.

And perhaps it was should never have been a secret. If he stood in full behind what he had been saying to others over the journals, then it was unscrupulous of him to have waited until the tattoos gave voice to a truth he had known in his heart from the moment of waking. He considered that with mild detachment, the only outward hints to his preoccupation in the slight but constant movement of his hands, fingers brushing against each other, seeking to be occupied with something. Why had his instinct been to hide? He simply hadn't given it much thought, as though something could vanish simply by merit of not being spoken of. With only a dream to go on, it was puzzling, presumptuous almost to think of himself as -

- dangerous. A dangerous man.

Again moving almost on its own, one of his hands strayed to the table, index finger tracing a single character over its surface. Once, and again.] Do you know what my name means?

[sumi-eight.livejournal.com]

Fire. [Although their languages were different, she knew that character, instantly recognized its meaning. It was an odd contrast to his entire persona. At least, upon first inspection that seemed to be the case. Fire represented a terrible destructive force, yes, but it also represented passion and drive, and Huo was certainly driven.

He was also still fidgeting. Sumi glanced over at her desk and narrowed her eyes slightly, then reached over to pluck a paper fan from a cup full of pens and brushes before holding it up for Huo to see and pushing it gently into his hands.]

Even fire, as a symbol, has more than one meaning. Consider that before you are too hard on yourself. While it is always good to examine one's faults and flaws, we must also keep in mind that our flaws are not necessarily the heart of our nature. Therefore, though we are reminded of our failings and perhaps even our baser natures, it also gives us something to strive for. With each glimpse we see of our pasts, we have the choice of following the trends of our previous lives, or crafting new paths here. This place is, if nothing else, a place where we can all have a second chance at defining who and what we are.

[getsome-sleep.livejournal.com]

[He was caught mildly off-guard by her putting the fan into his hands, and gave her a sheepish smile.] Ah - thank you. I hadn't realized that I was so obvious. [He brushed a hand along the fan, feeling the delicate paper, and was soon toying with it, looking thoughtful. He had held a hawk's-wing fan in his dream, and it was more than a tool to still his restless hands. No, the fan had been a symbol...

He was silent as she spoke, and for a long moment afterward. She cut through things quickly, with a resolve that made him wonder if she truly believed it. It was easy simple to tell a polite, mild-mannered scholar that he should not be so quick to pass judgment on himself in this way, but if that scholar was only a paper-thin skin worn by a demon of war and flames...

He didn't know. No more than he knew if under her own skin, this equally mild-mannered, studious woman carried the might of Heaven.]

You are not mistaken, [he said at last, cautiously.] But we've spoken before of responsibility, and that it behooves us to take all possible precautions and be prepared for a situation in which we become dangerous. And so, here I am.