Are you - but you're -- wait, are you from the same time as Qi Rong?!
[ as he's like, about to let baraqiel answer that he jumps up and covers baraqiel's mouth with his hand?! is he covering it because he doesn't want him to talk or because that smile is attractive and he doesn't know how to handle it? (yes) his ears are still red this is nonsensical but also ] - Don't tell me if you're going to be turned to dust!
[ he's not unmasking i just want to use this icon because it's basically the energy of what's happening here
there's some muffled words behind the hand. against xie lian's palm. where baraqiel's mouth is soft and cool and his fangies are just barely felt there, as well. ]
[ unfortunate. so, he guesses the four ghost king thing was, in fact, true... ]
... Either way! It feels - it's a little embarrassing, that you would let me call you gege! You've gotten very cheeky! I suppose it's not that surprising....
[ before, maybe not so much - a devotee and his god. but... now? ]
It is as you said, isn't it? That we had the chance to get to know you all without biases. And, though I have known... [ the name on the tip of his tongue - he stops himself, though, careful of being subtle. ] ... known of you before, in one way, I've known of you as Baraqiel, too.
I've already decided that I like you. I'm very stubborn in such things - though, I think perhaps such a cheeky nickname... well. [ xie lian's cheeks start to turn a little pink. ] ... In private, if you continue to call me Dianxia, I think is alright.
[ a hum, thoughtful, absent, as he inclines his head to look at xie lian while he speaks. the masks close them off from the others, and this is the only person that he's removed his for thus far - he would rip it off now, if that was something he could do with so many people around. ]
Someone so young couldn't possibly know you in such a way as this. I suppose these masks have done some good, considering.
[ there comes a familiar, if pleased, moo from behind baraqiel as he walks, daemon leaning around to look up at xie lian. it can't purr, being so big, but it seems like it would if it could. ]
[ there's something about what baraqiel says that just makes something very strange swell up in xie lian's chest - it feels like his heart does a backflip, or like it's too big for his ribcage. he almost misses a step looking up at him, and it's only the moo noise that keeps him from tripping over his own feet. ]
...yes. Yes, I'd - I'd like that. [ get it together? hello? he would like that very much, but those words just refuse to come out of his mouth, and xie lian nods, quickly shifting to look at the world around them.
it's getting close to dark, thankfully - stars are starting to blink into the sky up ahead, and that was xie lian's hope for the evening, anyhow, now that silly party games have wound down. ]
Let's see here! Ah, we should find a good spot to look up at the stars, right? Let's see, let's see... [ he glances to the rooftops the buildings, looking for one that's fairly flat as he takes the distraction!!! what was that!!! ]
[ oya? well, baraqiel doesn't say anything, and xie lian looking away to survey the rooftops around them has made it all the easier for him to smile something sly and pleased to himself for a moment. he even reaches to scratch his tender fingers across the tabby-mottled brow of his oddly colored daemon's brow, briefly tactile. ]
I have an idea, I think, Dianxia. If you trust me?
[ offering a hand, bandaged still since xie lian last tended to him. he's pressing his luck, after seeing the way that xie lian reacted. but he's always pressing his luck, when it comes to xie lian. ]
at the bit about trust, there's no question - xie lian makes a soft 'en' noise and presses his hand into baraqiel's, looking at him curiously. where to! ]
xie lian takes his hand, and baraqiel spreads his wings. they're still bandaged, in nsome places, but he doesn't seem to be in pain while moving them. his other hand moves to xie lian's waist, and his daemon shifts suddenly and fluidly.
it takes off at the same time as he does, his hand moving from waist to scoop underneath xie lian abruptly, the both of them hitting the air with powerful wings and bringing both xie lian and san lang up into the air. ]
[ one minute, he's watching his wings, wary over him agitating any of his injuries, and the next, there's an arm around him and suddenly he is scooped off of his feet. the noise is startled - he throws his arms around baraqiel's neck, surprised, and san lang makes a funny little "reee!!!" noise in perfect unison with his person as he is now scooped up by an eagle.
it would be a noise of terrified prey if either of them were actually terrified at all. ]
[ baraqiel laughs, more a chest-deep rumble to be felt than actually heard, as he sweeps him off his feet and up into the air over everything. it's easier, this way, to find somewhere to land. the rooftops are domed or slanted, but there are some places where it's flat to allow for a common area, stairwells for access to the house itself.
that's where he goes, taking xie lian with him, their daemons right behind him. his wings shift, and parachute almost, allowing him to touch down gracefully and let xie lian back on his feet.
his daemon lands carefully, so as not to squish san lang. scree! ]
it reminds xie lian of his cultivated skills in jumping from buildings, when he was at the height of his power - the resplendent prince of xian le, flying from the ten story walls in fluttering gold and silk. he hasn't flown or anything similar in a long time, and there's something particularly special about doing it like this.
the view is beautiful, too, and when baraqiel laughs, xie lian's initial surprise melts into a smile, slipping instead into wonder, as the world just quiets into a sea of stars, from the wings above them and the sky, even further ahead. he looks out at the landscape as they're starting to drift down, and then, one foot delicately touches the ground, followed by the other, as he's set on his feet.
that affection week means xie lian's arms stay around baraqiel's shoulders for just a moment longer, as he looks up at him properly, pink cheeked and delighted, a moment of breathless delight. ]
[ if there were time, to relive every memory of xian le in its prime, resplendent and glorious, baraqiel would gladly go back and do so for him. would take him through the air and across rooftops every day, would spar with him for however long he'd like.
wings slowly folding back into his cloak, both hands find themselves on xie lian's waist. his thumbs and fingers touch together in a perfect circle around it, as he looks down at xie lian like he's the only person, the only thing, in the whole world - maybe he is the world? it's obvious even through the mask.
not something that xie lian has seen, with so much devotion, in a few years now, but nothing in his expression wavers as he draws his hands away. one does rise, though, catching xie lian's chin briefly, then letting go. ]
a lot! from the look on baraqiel's face to the hands at his waist, xie lian seems to snap out of his thoughts, flustering as he looks to - his daemon, or something, to make sure that both san lang and the eagle are alright. san lang is playing dead in the eagle's claws, mostly because he looks just as embarrassed as xie lian, who pulls his hands back, one to his mouth, a little surprised at his own boldness, and also, at the fact that his heart feels like its run a hundred li. ]
I think - this will do nicely, Baraqiel-gege.
[ yes! not. not the hugging, the. the star gazing.
clearing his throat, xie lian gives him a little smile, and then makes his way over towards the most secluded spot of the roof, tucked away and out of the sight of the public eye, then moves to sit down, moving the silks of his robes and patting the spot beside him with a little smile!!! ] Come, come. Let's look, shall we?
[ while baraqiel doesn't completely remove the cloak, he does pull his hood back and take the mask off. it's set down on the edge of the roof, leaving it there as he goes to follow after xie lian. there's something smug about him that is apparent in his daemon, who preens san lang carefully with its beak before carefully releasing him from its talons. another chirrup, and then it's a weasel, sitting upright with its long noodle body, preening its whiskers with its lil paws. ]
I'm glad Dianxia thinks so.
[ but he does come to join him, wings opening to move his cloak but also so that he doesn't sit on them. the one closest to xie lian curves around him, the hinge of it against his further shoulder. it's chillier, at night, even under the distantly burning stars. ]
as he takes his mask off, xie lian's smile noticeably grows in size, his gaze softening. it's nice to get to look at baraqiel's face, he thinks - his true face. he prefers it this way.
san lang makes another dying chittering noise, and then sits up when there's a weasel - he then tackles it, squealing in a noise that is probably just mortification and also playful getting back at baraqiel's daemon! this is how his soul copes with being embarrassed, apparently.
xie lian himself just lets it happen for the moment and lets baraqiel come as close as he likes - he's not particularly warm, but, as the wing comes around xie lian, he can't help but scooch a little closer into the warmth of it, away from the chill, and looks up.
and the sight ahead is gorgeous. stars, as far as the eye can see, galaxies painted like brush strokes. as to be expected of a desert, but... for a moment, it feels like home. xie lian turns his gaze to the heavens, not for the first and not for the last time ever in his comparatively short life. ]
...Like this, I could almost be traveling away from the Holy Pavilion, again. [ before his ascension. ] Underneath the stars.
[ though there is a squeal from the daemon, it engages in the wrestling happily, accepting this retribution. this is just how their daemons are, probably. playfighting and teasing each other and fussing. rather familiar and alike.
baraqiel ignores them - they're close enough that san lang won't be at the end of the bond limit for he and xie lian - and instead curls the wing around xie lian when heh settles in close. the feathers almost seem warmer, for being in contact with him, much like the feather that is his own now. at least, like this, there is no calming effect to go with it.
he looks at xie lian, instead of the stars. why look anywhere else? they've already been painted on his wings, and there is a grand difference between the sights presented to him. ]
Perhaps you'll tell me a little of your travels, then, Dianxia..?
[ oh, cozy. the trouble with xie lian's injuries that still remain is that they are not well meant for the desert - the heat can be unbearable without a hat, and the cold is no less pleasant. he shivers, a little, tucking into the warmth of the feathers, and folds his hands gently into his silks.
he's been fairly good at resisting the call of the need for affection this week. after all, xie lian's heart is as still as water, and resisting temptation is the easiest thing for him to do in the world, but... with baraqiel, he seems to just let it happen, content to settle in with him and watch the stars.
the comment about his travels makes him smile - he teases, raising an eyebrow: ] A devotee who doesn't already know such tales? The travels that led to my ascension.
[ tsk tsk! it's not like he has other ones. besides... well. besides their flight from xian le to yong'an, but he's trying not think about that right now. ]
Why would I not want to hear them from the source, himself, rather than such secondhand retellings? After all, your own heart knows best how you truly felt as you traveled, and what you thought when you stood on that bridge.
[ he puts his cheek in his hand, looking at xie lian more attentively and less gayly.
well.
still gayly. but less like the entire world - all the stars in the sky, included - revolves around this single person. divine or not, poor or exalted, young or wizened. xie lian is xie lian. and this is the only person he's actively reached out to initiate affectionate contact with, while tolerating others that have entered his space. baraqiel prefers to not be touched, and sheer stubbornness have let him ignore it. but here, he is gentle, offering it of himself freely. ]
Or perhaps I would rather hear the stories I didn't know, like a young prince as a small babe.
[ the part about him being a kid!! the last time baraqiel was told a secret about xie lian when he was a little younger, he laughed...! xie lian will not be telling him any childhood stories anytime soon!
but, he says this very serenely as he moves on, considering. stories of his travels, as he leans into baraqiel's side. ]
...Alright. Perhaps... well. I don't know how much you can say to me, but I should like to hear a story of yours, in exchange.
[ yes! this seems a good plan.
anyway he will tell hua cheng a story about visiting somewhere because you and i both know tgcf never gives us a goddamn thing about this. it is a very enthralling story. ]
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Are you - but you're -- wait, are you from the same time as Qi Rong?!
[ as he's like, about to let baraqiel answer that he jumps up and covers baraqiel's mouth with his hand?! is he covering it because he doesn't want him to talk or because that smile is attractive and he doesn't know how to handle it? (yes) his ears are still red this is nonsensical but also ] - Don't tell me if you're going to be turned to dust!
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there's some muffled words behind the hand. against xie lian's palm. where baraqiel's mouth is soft and cool and his fangies are just barely felt there, as well. ]
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Baraqiel ah. [ he will
slowly remove his hand . his face is very red. ]
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[ that much seems safe for him to say. ]
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[ unfortunate. so, he guesses the four ghost king thing was, in fact, true... ]
... Either way! It feels - it's a little embarrassing, that you would let me call you gege! You've gotten very cheeky! I suppose it's not that surprising....
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[ a gentle and rude correction, simultaneously. ]
I am older than you, now. [ beat. he isn't dusted, so: ] By a lot.
Besides, I liked it. It was nice, to have a nickname from Dianxia, that you would call me something in such a friendly way.
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[ before, maybe not so much - a devotee and his god. but... now? ]
It is as you said, isn't it? That we had the chance to get to know you all without biases. And, though I have known... [ the name on the tip of his tongue - he stops himself, though, careful of being subtle. ] ... known of you before, in one way, I've known of you as Baraqiel, too.
I've already decided that I like you. I'm very stubborn in such things - though, I think perhaps such a cheeky nickname... well. [ xie lian's cheeks start to turn a little pink. ] ... In private, if you continue to call me Dianxia, I think is alright.
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Someone so young couldn't possibly know you in such a way as this. I suppose these masks have done some good, considering.
[ there comes a familiar, if pleased, moo from behind baraqiel as he walks, daemon leaning around to look up at xie lian. it can't purr, being so big, but it seems like it would if it could. ]
... in private, then. A secret thing for us.
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...yes. Yes, I'd - I'd like that. [ get it together? hello? he would like that very much, but those words just refuse to come out of his mouth, and xie lian nods, quickly shifting to look at the world around them.
it's getting close to dark, thankfully - stars are starting to blink into the sky up ahead, and that was xie lian's hope for the evening, anyhow, now that silly party games have wound down. ]
Let's see here! Ah, we should find a good spot to look up at the stars, right? Let's see, let's see... [ he glances to the rooftops the buildings, looking for one that's fairly flat as he takes the distraction!!! what was that!!! ]
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I have an idea, I think, Dianxia. If you trust me?
[ offering a hand, bandaged still since xie lian last tended to him. he's pressing his luck, after seeing the way that xie lian reacted. but he's always pressing his luck, when it comes to xie lian. ]
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at the bit about trust, there's no question - xie lian makes a soft 'en' noise and presses his hand into baraqiel's, looking at him curiously. where to! ]
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xie lian takes his hand, and baraqiel spreads his wings. they're still bandaged, in nsome places, but he doesn't seem to be in pain while moving them. his other hand moves to xie lian's waist, and his daemon shifts suddenly and fluidly.
it takes off at the same time as he does, his hand moving from waist to scoop underneath xie lian abruptly, the both of them hitting the air with powerful wings and bringing both xie lian and san lang up into the air. ]
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[ one minute, he's watching his wings, wary over him agitating any of his injuries, and the next, there's an arm around him and suddenly he is scooped off of his feet. the noise is startled - he throws his arms around baraqiel's neck, surprised, and san lang makes a funny little "reee!!!" noise in perfect unison with his person as he is now scooped up by an eagle.
it would be a noise of terrified prey if either of them were actually terrified at all. ]
Baraqiel-gege!!
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that's where he goes, taking xie lian with him, their daemons right behind him. his wings shift, and parachute almost, allowing him to touch down gracefully and let xie lian back on his feet.
his daemon lands carefully, so as not to squish san lang. scree! ]
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it reminds xie lian of his cultivated skills in jumping from buildings, when he was at the height of his power - the resplendent prince of xian le, flying from the ten story walls in fluttering gold and silk. he hasn't flown or anything similar in a long time, and there's something particularly special about doing it like this.
the view is beautiful, too, and when baraqiel laughs, xie lian's initial surprise melts into a smile, slipping instead into wonder, as the world just quiets into a sea of stars, from the wings above them and the sky, even further ahead. he looks out at the landscape as they're starting to drift down, and then, one foot delicately touches the ground, followed by the other, as he's set on his feet.
that affection week means xie lian's arms stay around baraqiel's shoulders for just a moment longer, as he looks up at him properly, pink cheeked and delighted, a moment of breathless delight. ]
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wings slowly folding back into his cloak, both hands find themselves on xie lian's waist. his thumbs and fingers touch together in a perfect circle around it, as he looks down at xie lian like he's the only person, the only thing, in the whole world - maybe he is the world? it's obvious even through the mask.
not something that xie lian has seen, with so much devotion, in a few years now, but nothing in his expression wavers as he draws his hands away. one does rise, though, catching xie lian's chin briefly, then letting go. ]
A quick flight for the stars.
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a lot! from the look on baraqiel's face to the hands at his waist, xie lian seems to snap out of his thoughts, flustering as he looks to - his daemon, or something, to make sure that both san lang and the eagle are alright. san lang is playing dead in the eagle's claws, mostly because he looks just as embarrassed as xie lian, who pulls his hands back, one to his mouth, a little surprised at his own boldness, and also, at the fact that his heart feels like its run a hundred li. ]
I think - this will do nicely, Baraqiel-gege.
[ yes! not. not the hugging, the. the star gazing.
clearing his throat, xie lian gives him a little smile, and then makes his way over towards the most secluded spot of the roof, tucked away and out of the sight of the public eye, then moves to sit down, moving the silks of his robes and patting the spot beside him with a little smile!!! ] Come, come. Let's look, shall we?
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I'm glad Dianxia thinks so.
[ but he does come to join him, wings opening to move his cloak but also so that he doesn't sit on them. the one closest to xie lian curves around him, the hinge of it against his further shoulder. it's chillier, at night, even under the distantly burning stars. ]
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as he takes his mask off, xie lian's smile noticeably grows in size, his gaze softening. it's nice to get to look at baraqiel's face, he thinks - his true face. he prefers it this way.
san lang makes another dying chittering noise, and then sits up when there's a weasel - he then tackles it, squealing in a noise that is probably just mortification and also playful getting back at baraqiel's daemon! this is how his soul copes with being embarrassed, apparently.
xie lian himself just lets it happen for the moment and lets baraqiel come as close as he likes - he's not particularly warm, but, as the wing comes around xie lian, he can't help but scooch a little closer into the warmth of it, away from the chill, and looks up.
and the sight ahead is gorgeous. stars, as far as the eye can see, galaxies painted like brush strokes. as to be expected of a desert, but... for a moment, it feels like home. xie lian turns his gaze to the heavens, not for the first and not for the last time ever in his comparatively short life. ]
...Like this, I could almost be traveling away from the Holy Pavilion, again. [ before his ascension. ] Underneath the stars.
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baraqiel ignores them - they're close enough that san lang won't be at the end of the bond limit for he and xie lian - and instead curls the wing around xie lian when heh settles in close. the feathers almost seem warmer, for being in contact with him, much like the feather that is his own now. at least, like this, there is no calming effect to go with it.
he looks at xie lian, instead of the stars. why look anywhere else? they've already been painted on his wings, and there is a grand difference between the sights presented to him. ]
Perhaps you'll tell me a little of your travels, then, Dianxia..?
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he's been fairly good at resisting the call of the need for affection this week. after all, xie lian's heart is as still as water, and resisting temptation is the easiest thing for him to do in the world, but... with baraqiel, he seems to just let it happen, content to settle in with him and watch the stars.
the comment about his travels makes him smile - he teases, raising an eyebrow: ] A devotee who doesn't already know such tales? The travels that led to my ascension.
[ tsk tsk! it's not like he has other ones. besides... well. besides their flight from xian le to yong'an, but he's trying not think about that right now. ]
no subject
[ he puts his cheek in his hand, looking at xie lian more attentively and less gayly.
well.
still gayly. but less like the entire world - all the stars in the sky, included - revolves around this single person. divine or not, poor or exalted, young or wizened. xie lian is xie lian. and this is the only person he's actively reached out to initiate affectionate contact with, while tolerating others that have entered his space. baraqiel prefers to not be touched, and sheer stubbornness have let him ignore it. but here, he is gentle, offering it of himself freely. ]
Or perhaps I would rather hear the stories I didn't know, like a young prince as a small babe.
no subject
[ the part about him being a kid!! the last time baraqiel was told a secret about xie lian when he was a little younger, he laughed...! xie lian will not be telling him any childhood stories anytime soon!
but, he says this very serenely as he moves on, considering. stories of his travels, as he leans into baraqiel's side. ]
...Alright. Perhaps... well. I don't know how much you can say to me, but I should like to hear a story of yours, in exchange.
[ yes! this seems a good plan.
anyway he will tell hua cheng a story about visiting somewhere because you and i both know tgcf never gives us a goddamn thing about this. it is a very enthralling story. ]