Winter Be Gentle And Kind [Open]

[xiaoxiuya]

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.

Comments

[poorlittlesange]

In the bathroom, Jin Guangyao takes the intervening seconds between his abrupt departure and their arrival at the doorway to compose himself. He frowns sternly at his reflection in the mirror above the sink; now is not the time to waste energy unpacking his lapse in... in something.

He quickly activates the lights, turns on the little space heater, and is drawing the shutters securely closed by the time Lan Xichen and Shen Yuan join him--plenty of time for his usual mien of mild, gentle solicitousness to have returned to his voice and eyes. "I would be glad to run you a bath as well, to help with the chill," he offers as he crosses the room to join them. (Probably only Lan Xichen will note the tension in his posture, but Jin Guangyao is making an effort to pretend that tension doesn't exist, so please do him a solid and ignore it too, Er-ge. :c)

[xiaoxiuya]

"I would appreciate that," Shen Yuan softly agrees. His clothes are very heavy and very cold on his body, and though the idea of being left alone to take them off fills him with a terrible horror, it might almost be worth it just to be warm and dry again.

He'll endure, anyway. He's good at that.

[poorlittlesange]

He needn't be left completely alone; there is a privacy partition kept in one corner of the bathroom normally, and Jin Guangyao has taken the initiative to unfold it and place it in such a way that Shen Yuan can step behind it to undress without an audience. "Don't worry about your wet clothes," he assures him with what he hopes is a gentle smile, "we will take care of them."

He turns then and heads over to the bath and keeps his focus there, on getting the water running and ensuring the temperature is correct--just this side of too hot, to chase away the chill. He keeps his eyes carefully averted from Shen Yuan.

[baiyueguang]

Jin Guangyao and Lan Xichen are ever the well-oiled machine, working in tandem. He stays just on the opposite side of the partition from Shen Yuan so he can undress in peace and privacy, but there remains the reassurance that he is not alone.

If what he said before is aught to go by, Shen Yuan has had his fill of isolation.

"I'll take the clothes to be laundered," he says reassuringly. "For now, I'll fetch some of my own things. They may be a bit big, but..."

Well, a bit big was better than too small. A-Yao was certainly sturdier than many gave him credit for but he was still a slight man. He reaches from behind the screen to rest a reassuring hand on his husband's shoulder. Please, he thinks, be at ease. We'll help him.

"If Shen-gongzi needs anything while in the bath, A-Yao and I will not be far. Unless he'd rather we stay?"

[xiaoxiuya]

"I'm, I'll be fine," Shen Yuan lies helplessly, knowing he won't be believed and struggling not to cry. Too good, they're really too good to him, he doesn't deserve this...

But then, inspiration strikes. A solution occurs to him, and it's actually rather elegant; later, when he's feeling less raw, Shen Yuan may actually be a little pleased with himself. But for now he gathers his courage, and tentatively suggests, "Perhaps, if he doesn't mind, Lan-gongzi might stay with me? While Jin-ge fetches some dry clothes. I think --" And he throws Jin Guangyao, still standing by the faucet, an apologetic look. "I think I would prefer that," he says quietly: a polite lie, to spare Jin Guangyao's feelings and give him an out from this encounter that he clearly finds so torturously awkward.