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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"I don't know what you're talking about," He Xuan responds immediately with a perfectly straight face. Jail for Black Water. But it's such a violently bald-faced lie that it seems almost like a joke, and he hates to be laughed at, so he immediately just pretends he didn't say it. There is no denying what Shen Yuan is getting at here. They're enjoying each other's company. They snuggled. Earlier they almost kissed.

"I don't really see how I'm a better choice," he says in his deep timbre, trying again like they can just both agree he didn't say that first thing. "If the married person is alive and of mortal age, they are a clear winner." And he definitely won't ask who they are so he can hunt them down and eliminate the competition. That would be excessive. And would probably make Shen Yuan sad, which, as covered, is illegal.

It does indeed land like a joke; Shen Yuan snorts and nearly spills his tea. He quickly tries to calm himself and pay attention to what He Xuan's saying, but -- honestly the objections he's raising barely register at such, in Shen Yuan's opinion!

"What about me makes you think I care about things like whether they're 'living' or 'mortal?'" he asks, amused. "Cultivators are supposed to advance to immortality, does that disqualify them from r-romance?" Despite his best attempt at keeping his cool, he stumbles slightly over saying the word out loud. Blushing and trying to pretend he's not, he continues, "I switched places with another version of myself in January, and he was married to a half-yaogai who was also their world's emperor. Does that make him a loser? I don't think he'd agree with that."

He sips his tea again, weighing his words his mind. Does he really have the face to say what he wants to say out loud? Well, maybe just a part of it. He tries, "He Xuan is very h-handsome, and considerate towards people who show consideration to him. He's been kind to me, and giving with his time and skills. Why, um, why wouldn't I want to be close to someone like that...?" Oh god, his face is so hot right now, and he can't even pretend it's the sunlight! Shen Yuan quickly gets up from the table to search his cupboards aimlessly, just for an excuse not to make eye contact until he's calmed down. Eventually he comes back with a little packet of miniature cakes, which he opens and gently pushes towards He Xuan's side of the table. "Here, help yourself," he says awkwardly.

Well, at least he capped all of that with food. He Xuan doesn't stuff the entire pack in his mouth at once, but probably only because he actually has something to say for once.

"Yuan-di," he says very gently, still trying to process all of that even with the momentary reprieve of Shen Yuan ransacking his own kitchen for vittles. "Forgive me, things are moving very fast for this old man." And at this point it sounds like Shen Yuan might actually have more experience with any of this than he does. Though he absolutely isn't going to lose face and admit that, especially when kind and considerate struck like arrows to the chest.

"But I like you a great deal too, of course," he does tack on. Like, of course, who wouldn't catch feelings for Shen Yuan and his Big Wife Energy. That's about as close as he's willing to step to the word romance. Much easier for him to focus on the physical, making deliberate eye contact; now Shen Yuan can have a little of that hunger: "And cute when you're sleepy."

"O-oh," is all Shen Yuan manages to say for a moment; he's blushing again, all that effort calm himself down wasted. He gives the decorate fans hanging on the wall behind He Xuan a longing look (no, of course he's not really looking at He Xuan, that'd just be shameless!) before lowering his gaze to the table, fiddling with his empty teacup. "Good to know," he manages to whisper awkwardly.

"Although, if I'm making He Xuan uncomfortable by talking about this, of course we should stop," he adds, and it's much easier to say this than the...other things. He's always had a knack for denying himself; it's all the practice he's put in. "I...don't have any experience with these things. At all," he admits. "I apologize if I overstepped..."

Now he really is caught between a rock and a hard place. It would be easier for both of them just to let this sort of talk peter out, right? But Shen Yuan looks flustered like he thinks he's done something wrong—

"Hardly overstepped," He Xuan hears himself saying. "I'm not easy to offend, so don't start worrying about that now." After barrelling with such delightful obliviousness into his life starting with the pier. Not caring about social mores or status or purity or anything like that, just continually choosing to engage with He Xuan even when he was rude. Shen Yuan has pushed this boat forwards the whole time, maybe he deserves to rest and let He Xuan do a little rowing.

He stands, tea basically forgotten, biscuits ignored, as he moves around to perch on the edge of the table much closer to Shen Yuan than before. "Just not into talking about my feelings," he says bluntly, reaching to tip up Shen Yuan's chin with a finger. Apparently he'd rather be demonstrative. He missed his chance earlier with the hair-brushing but doesn't intend to let it slip away now.

"Just not into talking about my feelings," He Xuan says, and that gets a quiet laugh out of Shen Yuan, the self recognizing itself in the other. "I can understand that --" he starts to say, but then He Xuan is moving closer and -- and t-touching his face, his fingers like so cold on Shen Yuan's skin, or maybe Shen Yuan's just blushing that hard? He can't really tell, but it's like the hairbrushing all over again, him looking up at He Xuan looking down at him, his eyes so deep and dark...

"Oh," Shen Yuan whispers, and unthinkingly licks his lips. "Then...if He Xuan prefers not to talk," he says softly, unable to look away this time no matter how shameless he feels. Maybe it's even good to be a little shameless, at times like this. "What would he like to do instead...?"

Edited (fixed a typo) 2023-03-17 04:03 (UTC)

He Xuan dips down and takes his mouth in a slow kiss, not too deep but hardly shy, either, his tongue tracing over where Shen Yuan's tongue just darted across his own lower lip. It sends a hot thrill through him, to be holding Shen Yuan so sweetly and pliantly for him, to be taking something he's been craving.

His other hand goes to Shen Yuan's hair again, combing through it (a little tangled again from sleep, how careless) and then pulling just lightly to arch him even further back, stretch that pretty pale neck so that the cold fingers of his other hand can trail down it, brushing his pulse, his adam's apple, the divot of his collar.

Then he breaks back just to look down and see that pink flush spread.

Spread it does, a pink flare that grows to cover Shen Yuan's cheeks, his ears, even reaching down onto his neck as if trying to follow the path of fire He Xuan's touch etched into Shen Yuan's nerves, leaving him staring open-mouthed and wide-eyed at his own ceiling. Is it really normal to be so strongly affected by such a simple touch? Maybe if you're as virginal as he is, it is. Which leaves him only one (appealing) option...

He slowly lowers his head to look shyly at He Xuan, licking his lips again -- the lips that He Xuan had just licked, oh god -- and reaching out to gently wrap his fingers around the fabric of He Xuan's skirt. "Again?" he whispers shyly, eyes skittering away from He Xuan's gaze and then returning helplessly, drawn once more into those endless black depths.

Yes, again. It's not as though He Xuan is going to get enough. Maybe if Shen Yuan had ever truly seen the way he could eat he'd be able to predict that.

Another kiss like he's starving, the immediacy of human connection clawing into him and making him shiver. He isn't really careful or gentle, just doing as he will with Shen Yuan's pretty pliant mouth, one kiss turning into more with barely a break for breath. His hand is still in the other man's hair, tugging to direct the angle of his head how he likes it, and his teeth are sharp when they nip Shen Yuan's lower lip.

He's a little more inhuman now than when he arrived, a hint of grey to his skin, teeth and nails sharper, demon's eyes brightening. Digesting the plant's poison had taken some internal use of blood, and his emotion-suck aura is particularly taxing, and his own emotions are high, corruption pounding along excitement in his veins, ticking that metre up just a scant few degrees. Not dangerous, not yet, but notable, as though Shen Yuan like this can genuinely make him feral with want.

He leans in for another kiss, and then pauses, mouth quirking slightly in a wicked smirk. Waiting to be asked again, no doubt.

Shen Yuan whines at being denied, a high and helpless sound like prey caught in a trap -- but there's nothing timid or shy about his gaze, when he opens eyes that had fluttered closed and finds himself staring straight into He Xuan's hungry eyes. "Oh god," he gasps, cheeks flushed and mouth wet and kiss-bruised, and his hands tighten in He Xuan's robes, feeling the way the maelstrom inside him pulls and plucks at the heat in Shen Yuan's hands, the yang energy in his veins and the arousal in his -- heart. Almost as if there's something in He Xuan that would like to devour Shen Yuan whole.

It might be a little sick, as these things go, but Shen Yuan thinks he wouldn't mind being nibbled a little.

"Please," he begs, tugging on He Xuan's robes. "More?" Perhaps, if he had a little more courage, he'd make his request more assertively. Perhaps he'd even pull He Xuan back down and claim a kiss himself. But for now this will just have to do.

More, he can do, and without a word He Xuan kisses him again, a little slower this time, like tenderness is Shen Yuan's reward for asking so prettily. Though it's all very deliberate; no matter how deep and hungry the kisses are, He Xuan isn't exactly heated, and he keeps a tight rein on his own control.

This time when he pulls back, it's not to tease, but instead he straightens and sits back on the edge of the table, considering the little human who is so appealing to him with his joy and neediness, the innocent way just kissing seems to have overcome him. He Xuan idly wonders how pink he'd get if they went further.

"So bold, xiandi, what's gotten into you?" he murmurs with a straight face, like Shen Yuan is solely responsible for all this kissing. But his sense of humour is just like that.

"Ah, don't tease me," Shen Yuan retorts, embarrassed and pouting at being denied. "It's not as though I've been sitting here kissing myself, now is it?" He shyly tugs on He Xuan's robes again, trying to induce him to come back down...but when that fails to bring him immediate results he sniffs indignantly, his pout growing, and asks, "Surely He Xuan isn't growing bored already?"

Or at least, the words are indignant. But the eyes, oh, that's a different story. He peers up at He Xuan with shyness and confusion, interest of course, but also no small amount of anxiety. Watching him carefully for a hint of his coming reaction, studying him for cues on what to do next. What does Shen Yuan know about behaving properly in this kind of situation, after all?

What does He Xuan know? Well, enough to say, "Not bored," at least. And he's very fond of that sniffy little pout, finds a smile curling the corner of his mouth like a wisp of smoke before he leans back in and kisses that bratty expression away.

Is it really okay to just keep kissing like this? Every time he wonders enough to draw back, think about finding an excuse to leave, he finds himself drawn in again, and then his hands are in Shen Yuan's hair and his mouth is on Shen Yuan's mouth and — how do people do anything other than this?

Maybe he understands that butterfly simp a little better now, following around Xie Lian all those centuries. If a guy can make you feel like this, why not just follow him forever and be his dog?

Okay, so his thoughts are getting a little excessive, but he's always been prone to thinking a lot and saying very little so mostly how these feelings express themselves is by nuzzling along Shen Yuan's jawline and playing with his hair, disgustingly foolish behaviour, what has he been brought down to, etc.

Now that's more like it. Shen Yuan takes the renewed kissing as his sweetly trembling due, sighing happily and kissing back while he wraps his arms around He Xuan's waist, holding on so he won't get any silly ideas about pulling away again. (Not...not that he wouldn't let go if He Xuan really wanted to leave, but Shen Yuan doesn't want him to want that. At the very least, He Xuan should be sure of his welcome.)

"That's nice," he whispers as He Xuan's lips move from his mouth to his jaw -- meaning both the kisses themselves and the hands in his hair, each gentle tug sending making his scalp tingle in an entirely novel, lovely kind of way. "Xuan-ge, that's really nice..." He turns his head to kiss He Xuan's ear, innocently trying to return the affection he's received.

"Xuan-ge" gets a bite, a sharp nip to the jawline. It's not a reprimand, even if it might feel like one, he's just flustered and needs something to do with his feelings, so they come out through his teeth. There will be a little mark there now, though it wasn't enough for it to linger long on the skin — still, it's primally satisfying to leave even temporarily.

"Say it again," he says roughly, because he's spent long enough under a pseudonym that he likes hearing his real name, especially in Shen Yuan's breathy voice. Of course, compliance will be rewarded, given they're still making out like useless teenagers.

"Ah!" Another gasp, high and breathy, as he finds himself soundly nipped -- but at a time like this, even a bit of pain feels exciting, and he's all too willing to obey that gruff command.

"Xuan-ge," he whines, "That hurt..." But it's a mere crocodile complaint, as fake as the tears standing in his eyes. "Kiss it better," he demands, already thoroughly spoiled by all this attention he's getting, and tips his head to the side, exposing the entire length of his white throat to He Xuan's gaze.

What a brat. He Xuan doesn't kiss it better, just leans in to bite again! He makes a pleased, amused noise there, and the biting does turn to kissing, exploring the sensitive skin of Shen Yuan's neck shamelessly. Kissing mouth to mouth seems very vulnerable, while this is much easier, making Shen Yuan squeak and squirm with careful attention. Really if Shen Yuan isn't careful he might end up kissed all over, since he's tugging aside robes and pushing away hair to get to as much skin as possible, down the neck to the shoulders and collarbones. So if Shen Yuan ends up sitting in his kitchen with his robes pushed down to his waist then it's his own fault for inviting such a hungry monster into his home.

Eventually, though, He Xuan does stop, resting his forehead on one bare shoulder to calm himself down. "I should go," he murmurs, even though there isn't really any good reason. The other option is just staying here and spending his time like this, but it's getting late in the evening and it feels too untoward to just spend the night. Even this rude demon has some social shame!

He draws back, considers the marks he's left and the state of Shen Yuan, finds his mouth curving into a smirk of its own volition. His long lashes flutter low, almost coquettish a moment, before he looks up and meets Shen Yuan's eyes resolutely. "Let's do this again some time," he says directly, even as he starts to stand and put his own clothes back in order.

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Winter Be Gentle And Kind [Open]

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