deercountry | Winter Be Gentle And Kind [Open]

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Winter Be Gentle And Kind [Open]

Who: Shen Yuan's CR group, as well as anyone else who'd like to join in <3
What: Open CR, meeting with people to discuss the Trench almanac, FURNITURE SHOPPING 8D The regularly-scheduled Shen Yuan had just moved into a new apartment in Gaze when Decembered ended, and just because the alternate version will only be living in Trench for the month doesn't mean he's going to sleep on the floor. What is he, a college student? Get out of here.
When: Throughout January and into February
Where: Shen Yuan's new apartment and the Archives in Gaze, furniture and antique stores in the Wilful Machine, more locations TBD

Content Warnings: Oblique references to kidnapping, harem politics, casual violence and romance between a kidnapping victim and their captor. This Shen Yuan comes from an fanfic-inspired AU where he was kidnapped and wooed by a Luo Binghe who had already become emperor, and while he considers himself a fully-consenting partner in their relationship others' mileage may vary. Please contact me privately if you'd like more details or have requests about topics you'd like to avoid while we thread together.

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Oh, so polite. Well, at this point he's told every other living soul in Trench, or it sometimes feels like it, so he's much less recalcitrant with this particular information. "I was dead for nine hundred and nineteen years before I was brought here," he says. So he's not joking when he "this-old-man"s himself, though call him Lao He and he might not appreciate it.

Shen Yuan reacts like he's just been handed a precious treasure, something to be held gently and studied carefully, like a Faberge egg; endlessly intricate and lovely in its rarity.

"That's amazing," he whispers, struck breathless with wonder. "The things you must have seen... Please forgive me," he interrupts himself with a self-deprecating little smile. "But between one thing and another, I've never gotten the chance to actually speak with a ghost. I'm liable to let my curiosity get away from me, if I'm not careful."

He Xuan isn't the blushing sort, but he's deeply embarrassed by this awe. "I didn't get out much," he contradicts immediately, folding his arms over his chest to make sure his heart stays in there. "There's plenty of centuries-old people to bother." Anyway, doesn't Shen Yuan know that he's the interesting one? What's with this attention all of a sudden!

Pfft, Shen Yuan, interesting?? He'd suspect He Xuan of pulling his leg, if the ghost had actually said that out loud.

Instead he grins and points out, "But none of them are as approachable as He Xuan!" without a single detectable shred of irony. "Or as kind," he says, gently jiggling the fishing pole. You see any other immortals teaching Shen Yuan a new skill? Okay, so Duty did it too, but he't not here right now. He Xuan is, and Shen Yuan is fascinated by him, has been from the moment he introduced himself on the network.

"Was it very strange for you, waking up here?" he asks sympathetically, reaching for more of that shy, slowly-growing rapport he believes he can detect between the two of them. "It was for me, the first time I transmigrated. I'd been a homebody too; as soon as I finished school, I moved into a tiny apartment by myself and started getting nearly all of my social interaction from my world's network. I probably wouldn't have died so young if I'd gotten out a little more." Said like he thinks this is funny, and also a justly-deserved sentiment. He's grown quite a lot since he arrived in Trench, but Shen Yuan's contempt for his past self, and the mulchy layers of self-deprecating humor that he uses to hide yet nuture it, run very deep indeed.

Approachable? Kind? Is He Xuan losing his touch? Should he push this overly friendly transmigrator into the water after all?

The urge to say something brusque and mean — not me, dream on - rises, but he resists long enough that Shen Yuan keeps speaking. And even though He Xuan was just thinking about how to verbally crush him beneath his foot, Shen Yuan self-deprecates with a laugh and He Xuan is immediately indignant on his behalf.

"I was plenty social when I lived and I still died before my prime," He Xuan says in a sharp tone, his expression a little scary, but he really isn't reprimanding for his own sake. Be more sympathetic to that Shen Yuan of before!

"I'm sorry to hear that," Shen Yuan says honestly, and meets that scary look with earnest sympathy. "Would you like to tell me about it? Or should we change the subject?" He's sure whatever happened, it must be a painful, sensitive subject for this poor ghost...people usually don't stick around after death unless something went terribly wrong, after all.

Hey! No! This isn't about him at all! It's about you, Shen Yuan, yooou!

The dark expression falters, flickering a little as He Xuan's brows draw in and his teeth catch unknowingly at his lip. Even after all this time he doesn't love to think about his death, though he's spent plenty of dark nights going over it as he stubbornly catalogued each and every sin against him. That stopped with Shi Wudu's death, though.

"It's sort of a long story," he hedges gruffly. "I just meant — you shouldn't blame yourself like that."

No you!!! He Xuan is the most interesting person here, they should talk only about him!!! Passive-aggressive mortal combat goooooooo!!!

"Ah...?" Shen Yuan laughs again, rueful and self-deprecating. "But it's sort of true, though...if I'd been even a little bit more self-aware, if I hadn't let myself get so caught up in caring about things that didn't really matter...I ate spoiled food by mistake," he finally explains, embarrassed. "And then I didn't notice how badly I was sickening, because I was too busy yelling at the author of a book I'd been passionate about over the network...I'm aware of how ridiculous that sounds, you don't need to worry about my feelings..."

His very first day here in Trench, he'd accidentally shared memories with another Sleeper, and they'd mocked him for how poorly he'd died and called him a spoiled princeling. Shen Yuan doesn't see any reason to contest that title, or the attendent aspersions on his character. He was spoiled in that life. He had so many opportunities, and he wasted them all. He can't change that...but at least in this life, he think he's doing better.

"And you didn't have anyone to take care of you?" He Xuan asks, because of course he's used to a more communal standard of Chinese culture. And okay, maybe he secretly wants to know if Shen Yuan used to have a girlfriend or something, but — with a mild case of the patriarchy — he is also wondering about why his mother or sister hadn't noticed.

"Mm-mm. I lived separately from my family...it wasn't so unusual in our society, but I took it to a bit of an extreme." Shen Yuan smiles sadly, looking down at the water. "I just didn't want to be a bother to anyone. I convinced myself it was my choice and I was happier that way, but looking back I think that was just a lie I told myself to make it easier...I practically exiled myself, so nobody would have to deal with me. I feel bad for my neighbors and the landlord, who knows how long it was before somebody found my body..."

He hopes nobody from his family had to actually see him like that, losing him so suddenly would have already hurt them enough.

He Xuan feels inexplicably tender at that — he has always been too stubborn to fully remove himself even in his most pathetic depressions and misanthropic states, but he can certainly sympathise with the urge and the ensuing loneliness.

"You're not like that anymore, though," he points out, since they wouldn't be here pretending to still be fishing if Shen Yuan hadn't pushed to meet off the network. "Everyone makes stupid decisions when they're younger. Even gods have mortal lives they regret."

He reaches out again, pats Shen Yuan's shoulder, this time without any intention of pushing him off the pier. "Shen-xiandi might still be the kind of idiot who says a demon is kind, but he's pretty smart. Don't disrespect him."

"Oh well, when you put it like that..." Shen Yuan laughs, ducking his head a little. His shoulder feels very warm under He Xuan's hand, even though He Xuan's skin is so cold. "I've been doing some work on myself," he says, letting just a trifle of his pride show through. "Trying to put myself out there more, be more honest with myself about things...I think it's going well." After all, here he is! On a pier with a new friend, and He Xuan can call him an idiot for it if he likes but Shen Yuan thinks he's very, very kind indeed. <3

"I think that's the silver lining to being reborn in a strange world," he says leadingly. "Nobody knows you here, it's a blank slate. You can choose who you want to be."

"I spent a few centuries pretending to be someone else," He Xuan says bluntly, his hand now sliding naturally away to lean on the pier between where skirts of their robes make puddles. "Enjoying being myself for once." Even if most people seem to find him difficult, it isn't all of them. And he really is enjoying himself, maybe more than he should. It's nice to feel so free of burdens, to simply fish and fight monsters and light incense in ocean devotional. "Almost makes up for the shitty nightmares."

"Fair enough." Ah, he's far too aware of that hand resting between them. It'd be so easy to switch to holding the fishing pole with just one hand, and rest the other next to He Xuan's...maybe let their little fingerlips overlap, like something out of a drama. Would He Xuan let him get away with it? Would he maybe turn his hand over...let Shen Yuan's fingers slip into his palm?

Augh, what is he even thinking about!! Is he twelve?? This is ridiculous!

Shen Yuan swallows thickly and switches the pole to a one-handed grip after all, so he can fan his face with the other and try to cool it before his creeping blush becomes visible. "It's been getting rather warm lately, hasn't it?" he says, trying to save himself some face.

He Xuan raises an eyebrow at that, arch. "Has it?" he asks, not even teasing because he isn't really one to pay attention to the weather. Cold, hot, it's all the same to him. Anyway, it becomes clear that he is actually taking Shen Yuan seriously, because he adds: "Ah, perhaps that explain's the fish today, perhaps this isn't such a good spot as it was in the cold."

He hums, and then takes the lid back off the fish bucket and reaches in, pulls out... ice? Yes, He Xuan has no use for a lunar orb in his home, so he has used it in this container he bought at Jinx's store, in order to keep his fish fresh and allow him to sell them at better prices. It's basically a quiet portable freezer, though it just looks like a bucket from the outside.

He offers the fishy glob of ice to Shen Yuan, so he can cool himself down a little. What a romantic gift. Way better than holding hands, right?

Well, he's definitely not thinking about holding hands now!

"That's a neat trick," Shen Yuan says, and also, "Thank you," as he accepts the orb of ice and, inwardly steeling himself, begins to rub it under his chin and over his neck. What's a little hypothermia between friends? Even if he ends up smelling like fish all day, it's better than having to walk back his words or look ridiculous in front of his new friend!

"Spring has apparently come quite suddenly to Trench in the past," he says, as if there's nothing at all unusual happening below the level of his lips. "If historical patterns hold true we should start seeing the signs of it in a matter of days."

Edited (missed a word) 2023-03-09 04:17 (UTC)

He Xuan watches him unblinkingly, and it's hard to say whether he finds this erotic or baffling. Maybe he couldn't even say himself. He tries to give the man some face and not watch the ice melting beads of water to drip down his neck to his collarbones but it's difficult. At least he won't mind if Shen Yuan ends up smelling like fish?

"Is that so," he says fairly unenthusistically. "Well, at least the fish will breed. Maybe my cave won't flood so much." Or maybe it will start flooding more, with the storms. He finally tears his eyes away, looks out across the water—

Ah, the fishing rod! Is it moving with another fish? It would be nice to land another catch before the day starts to end, so he can send Shen Yuan home with something to eat for supper. "Here," he says quietly, reaching for the rod, "Let me."

"Cave...? Oh!" Shen Yuan hastily handles over the rod, his other hand still occupied with the chunk of ice. "Did you see something?"

Oh, he can see it too now, something pulling on the line! That's great, really, but what really draws his gaze and holds it is how adeptly He Xuan handles the rod and line, his long fingers deft and sure, the bones of his knuckles and wrists prominent and deceptively elegant, his arms bulging slightly beneath his sleeves...

Shen Yuan applies another layer of ice water to his neck, accidentally soaking the collar of his robes and and a few strands of hair and making them cling to his skin without noticing. It really is hot out here, so very hot, how strange!!

He Xuan makes the mistake of glancing over while he's reeling in the fish and immediately loses his focus. The line whips out a little, the fish gets the slack it needs to wiggle free of the hook, and the next turn of the crank pulls in the line without any difficulty at all. It is somewhat crankily that He Xuan reels in an empty hook, catches it in his hand and inspects it for damage.

As expected, it's been bent a little, and he uses the sharp tip of one nail to pick at the knot of fishing line that keeps it fastened so he can replace it with a new one. It's intricate work and He Xuan nearly cuts himself, which is just about the last straw.

"You're too distracting like that," he says bluntly, looking up and pointing rudely at Shen Yuan. "Go home before you get a sunburn."

Distracting?? Like what????

"Okay...?" Shen Yuan says, caught off guard by He Xuan's sudden change in mood (tsundere??? Nah, he's probably just annoyed about the lost fish), but he does his best to take it in stride, pushing himself to his feet and --

"Oh, hello!" he says as the bone fish suddenly thrashes, disentangling itself from the skirt of his robe with a tiny rip of fabric. "I'm sorry, did I wake you? I'd have been more careful if I'd known you were there," he cooes, and this time dares to gently pet the flat section on the top of its skull. "I had a nice time today," he tells He Xuan, smiling shyly. Even if it's ending a little suddenly, he enjoyed himself...could he dare to hope that maybe they'll do this again sometime?

The bone fish cats into his hand happily and darts around his ankles, growing back to its ordinary size, which is bigger than most arowana, about as long as a person though slighter due to its skeletal nature.

"Seems like you caught something after all," says He Xuan with a straight face, ordering with a quick series of gestures that his Omen should come closer and behave. He fixes the newly freed hook into a notch in its bones so he doesn't lose it and starts to thread the next one. The Omen bumps his hands impatiently, trying to get him to stand and show courtesy, and with a beleaguered sigh he does so.

He stands all the way upright, circles his arms, and gives a deep bow. He's still annoyed by how pretty and interesting this guy is, but it was a nice time. "Tell me where you live," he says directly. "Or send directions. I will clean your fish and bring it to you." Since he did actually make a catch of his own earlier, and He Xuan will honour that. A pause and he glances down at his bucket. "Or you can take it now?" And just travel through the city with a single fish in hand. Yes.

Ah! It's like He Xuan read his mind! Shen Yuan is smiling brightly with open delight as he returns the bow, and as he straightens up he announces, "I'll send the directions to your omni," he replies, and he doesn't mean at some hypothetical point in the future: he takes his omni out right then and there proceeds to do exactly what he said, sending He Xuan location markers for his apartment and the nearest public lamppost in Gaze. "Let me know when you're about to stop by," he says cheerfully. "I'll put the kettle on." Which...

Well, does it really need to spelled out? Shen Yuan has every intention of inviting this hungry ghost he just met into his own personal house for tea and snacks, if He Xuan will let him. And the damage to the notorious Black Water Sinks Ships' reputation won't stop with Shen Yuan, oh no: once he's finished his farewells and left He Xuan's sight, he'll take his omni out again, this time to send a message to Jin Guangyao which reads:

Just took my leave of He-xiansheng! He was lovely, shigi, I don't think we need to worry about him at all. He comported himself like a perfect gentleman! ^_^

And that, as they say, is that.

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Winter Be Gentle And Kind [Open]

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cw: discussion of character death

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