[ wow?? he makes a mock offended noise and touches his hand to his heart. ]
Is poetry all just horny to you? [ but, he leans over wrath for a moment, smiling that twinkly bright smile of his. ] It's a saying. [ a beat. he has to force it, the switch to language, but. ] Shìwaì taóyuán. - The peach blossom spring.
[ gu yun's voice softens a bit, here, falling into the melodious, easy lull of telling a story. he still sounds just a bit amused as he's telling it, though, ever a mystery as to why, and his fingers move absently through her hair as he talks. ]
The story goes that during a period of great war and strife, a fisherman was desperately trying to survive. One day, by utter chance, he sailed his boat into a stream that led to a grove of nothing but peach trees, as far as the eye could see. Peach blossom petals touched the ground and filled the air, and the world smelled as sweet and fragrant as the first spring breeze. When he followed the stream to its very end, he found a grotto; and though it was a difficult fit, he squeezed the boat through, and was met with a beautiful village on the other side.
The villagers there had been living in a secluded place, away from the wars and instability that racked their nation. They were confused as to where the fisherman came from, but greeted him warmly, and provided him with food, rest, and most of all, a break away from the miserable world he'd come to know, in a place with no strife. He stayed for a week, soul restored, heart restored, and when he left, he swore he would find his way back, to find peace and safety for others, too.
However, when the man left, the villagers warned him - it will be worthless, to inform others of this place. And though he kept signs and made markers for himself on the way back, no matter how many times he or anyone else tried, they couldn't find the place again - but, the man held it in his heart, for as long as he lived.
[ his eyes crinkle at the corners, a bit, as he finishes recounting the fable, and leans back over her again, tucking a lock of hair behind that twitchy ear.] So, to say "the peach blossom spring"... it's a form of paradise, in a time of trouble and strife.
he's already being sweet with the way he runs his fingers through her hair - she's already unsteady with that. but the story kind of kicks her ass a little, because for as goofy and ridiculous as wrath can be, she's not an idiot. the comparison is not lost on her. her ears are bright red by the time he's finished, and she just sort of stares up at him.]
Jesus. Has anybody told you how dangerous you are? [she says, a little dumbly.]
[ ohhhhhh cute. cute!!! wrath is so cute!!! he looks, frankly, a little delighted, as he pulls his fingers back down that lock of hair to pull the end of it up to his mouth and press a kiss to it.
smiling like a fox, gu yun lowers his head to do so, looking up at her from under his lashes as he hums - ] Frequently. [ though, the mischief there makes it clear it's usually in the "its the marquis of order we're doomed" way not the "i'm so charming" way.
horrible! never let him have the upper hand in anything. ]
[she is quickly learning that letting him have the upper hand is a quick path straight to flustered hell for her, which is why she rolls over and pounces on him.
she straddles him, her hair spilling down over her shoulders, embering at the tips. she steals a kiss, both hands on either side of his face, and then just. bites his nose? gently.]
Menace. [she playfully scolds.] Ugh. Who told you you could get away with that.
he does not yelp when he's rolled over, but makes a startled noise that dissolves into laughter, until gu yun's grinning. it's less shitty - okay, he's still pleased with himself, so maybe it's still shitty - but it's a smile none the less, nearly ear to ear once she's broken away from the kiss, and especially when he gets bitten. hey! ]
Ah, certainly not you, apparently. [ he wrinkles his nose, playfully afterwards, freeing up a hand to rub at it before dropping it back against the pillows, relishing a little in his victory, and also in how close wrath is to him. ]
It is, isn't it? It's a children's fable. [ the shittiness does soften after that, though. gu yun hums. ] I rather enjoy poetry, believe it or not. Beautiful things like that should always be appreciated.
[she laughs, too, when he does. she's caught up in it, in the way he's grinning up at her. it's a smile, and it's genuine, and her heart does a little flip in her chest. dangerous, a voice whispers, and she ignores it.]
Poetry is for nerds. [she informs him, teasing.] But I guess I can suffer through it if you like it.
[a pause. she strokes the side of his face with a warm hand, running her thumb along his cheekbone.]
You didn't seem to mind it. [ he's just saying!!! gu yun's smile remains, though, still amused and pleased. spending time with wrath is - it's fun. there's really no one in his realm that's similar to him, in terms of interest, in terms of sense of humor, in terms of just about anything, and... maybe it's a form of indulgence in its own right, but it has been nice, just to be able to enjoy that, here.
his head tilts to the side, leaning into the warmth of her hand. gu yun runs cold, as ever, and his lashes flutter, eyes shut, content. ] Mmm?
[she works at warming him up, quietly, carefully, settling close and letting herself burn enough to give him heat. she continues stroking at his face, settled in his lap.
the question takes a minute, like she's struggling with it a little. like she's not sure how to phrase it, maybe, or she's not sure if she should say it. and then, quietly:]
[ this answer comes immediately, zero hesitation as he opens his eyes again: ]
You don't. [ his brow furrows, and gu yun sits up a little, pushing himself onto his elbows properly to regard her instead of laying around like a lush, his expression immediately shifting into something far more serious. ] Is this about what Fukuda and Vlad were saying?
No - well, yes, I guess, but. Other people have said it this past week too. You seem like you're pro-murder or whatever, and uh, I just. I wonder what part of me is giving off that vibe.
gu yun's expression shifts - for a moment, he's the marquis of order. ]
To make a base assumption based on someone's sin in this place is an idiot's game. [ his first statement is harsh, but, delivered as a cold fact - not to wrath, but rather to the people of this place in general. it's something he's been thinking since the very beginning. ] Especially with you all. I think some of the participants in this place see you all as merely 'Avatars' in the vision you present us in public - faceless, only deigned to be associated with a sin assigned to you by who knows what - and aren't willing to separate the fact that you aren't just figures brought here to help or hurt us, or what have you. Each of you have your own personalities, your own motivations, that we cannot claim to know, especially from sideways observance, or seeing you here and there in public, doing a job that we do not know. There is a marked difference between duty and person.
[ and wouldn't he know that, better than anyone?
sitting up more fully, he reaches for her cheek, pulling wrath's eyes back towards him, so she can see how serious his face is - how he means every word. ]
If someone would bother to speak to you, to try and know you, they wouldn't have thought along those lines for a second. To clinically consider the possibility of "someone with a great, powerful fire caused Grell's injuries" is one thing, but something that, upon even an ounce of further thought about who you are, should be set aside quickly as a possibility. Equating 'wrath' with 'I want to kill others', as if wrath and temper are things that can be so easily controlled - if anyone should associate you with anything of the like, it should be your flames, instead.
[ that's a place he can see it. fierce, sometimes uncontrollable - but life giving, life meaning, too. a fire is a blaze as much as it can be a hearth. ]
Anyone who only sees you for the mark on your hood, and uses that as a bias to color their perception of your every word or action for our time here, is a fool. [ periodt. ]
[ that expression of hers is impossible to miss. for a minute, gu yun meets her gaze, brows a bit furrowed, but... ultimately, he fumbles for what to say, what to keep that sad look off of her face. there's a beat where his thumb strokes her cheekbone, like she'd done to him just a few minutes before, but ultimately, he can't spit out ivory in the moments when he really needs it the most, so. ]
From me, or from all of us? Are you asking me for a list? I'll write you one. [ this comes out instead, though it's lacking the often gleeful edge to his teasing - a little softer, instead. ]
he makes a soft hum as his forehead's kissed, and settles again, dropping his hands away from her cheeks to lace them behind her back, instead. ] People buy poetry I write, so, I hope you'll prepare to be amazed!
[ a beat. ] Not that I ever see a damned coin of it. Tch.
[ stupid. maybe if he gets her to laugh she will stop being sad. ] Unless, of course, this loss of skill thing remains - in which case, I might write you something terribly unimpressive. I hope it doesn't, I'm rather tired of losing things I'm good at.
[she lets him lace his fingers behind her back, but just like, slides a bit so she can curl up against his side instead. she rests her head on his shoulder, and closes her eyes.]
That should be over soon, hopefully. [she hums.] If you write me something unimpressive you're going to have to make up for it all next week! So just keep that in mind.
[ we're snuggling now, it's cool. gu yun holds still as she gets comfortable, shifting enough to make sure there's all the space she wants, before he gently plunks his head on top of hers, and chuckles, the noise soft. ]
Well. I would hate to disappoint you. [ huff. that's a bit exaggerated in tone, but... he means it? wow. ] And I should hope so. I wasn't able to speak, Wrath. More than once. It was a travesty! [ ok there thats less sincere thats embarrassing ]
he lifts his head off of hers to bat his eyelashes at her. bat bat bat. ] Would you still enjoy my company, were I only something beautiful to look at?
he shifts again, resting his head on top of hers. ]
Well, luckily, I have experience in pretending to be mute, at least, so I couldn't quite be easily silenced. Just before I came here, I was undercover, pretending to be blind and deaf as a fragrance master.
it's wrath, he's not even going to bother to ask. as the blanket flops down, he sticks his hands under it so they won't be so freezing, though he'll shrug it off of his shoulders if it ends up there instead of his lap. ]
...anyway. A Fragrant Master [ please ignore that i spelled it wrong i had to go look it up ] is usually made blind and deaf as a child to be trained in the art of separating specific scents and creating certain types of incense and other goods, as well as appraising them. A good mix created by a fragrant master can sell for thousands of gold pieces, and make a business rich beyond its wildest dreams. To have one is to make your business legitimate.
I came upon a smuggling operation by chance [ the actual story behind why? extremely stupid. ] in Jiangbei's harbor, from the nation of Dong Ying - trying to sneak an important resource called ziliujin away from Great Liang disguised as a fragrance merchant selling tins of incense and scents to cover the smell. They were supposed to be meeting a bribed fragrant master at the harbor in order to pass inspection, so my soldiers kidnapped him, and I went in his place.
[it's fine it's not her if she's not making everybody around her go ???
what if she took one of his hands though. she wants to hold.]
What the fuck. [hold on, made blind and deaf as a child EXCUSE? the rest of the story is probably really great but she has a PROBLEM with this.] Wait, like - hold on. That's just a thing where kids are blinded and deafened? Gu Yun?
[ anyway. wrath can have his hand, yes! she already probably knows that it is very calloused, and his fingertips are a little cold again, but he laces his fingers with hers. warm... ]
Don't look at me like that, I don't like it either. From what I've heard, they're more likely to begin training when they're adults, but the rarest are the ones who've trained that long. I can't say that I know that much about it - I'm a soldier, not a fragrant master, and this was the first time I've ever had contact with one personally.
[ don't look at him for other people's bad decisions! ]
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Is poetry all just horny to you? [ but, he leans over wrath for a moment, smiling that twinkly bright smile of his. ] It's a saying. [ a beat. he has to force it, the switch to language, but. ] Shìwaì taóyuán. - The peach blossom spring.
[ gu yun's voice softens a bit, here, falling into the melodious, easy lull of telling a story. he still sounds just a bit amused as he's telling it, though, ever a mystery as to why, and his fingers move absently through her hair as he talks. ]
The story goes that during a period of great war and strife, a fisherman was desperately trying to survive. One day, by utter chance, he sailed his boat into a stream that led to a grove of nothing but peach trees, as far as the eye could see. Peach blossom petals touched the ground and filled the air, and the world smelled as sweet and fragrant as the first spring breeze. When he followed the stream to its very end, he found a grotto; and though it was a difficult fit, he squeezed the boat through, and was met with a beautiful village on the other side.
The villagers there had been living in a secluded place, away from the wars and instability that racked their nation. They were confused as to where the fisherman came from, but greeted him warmly, and provided him with food, rest, and most of all, a break away from the miserable world he'd come to know, in a place with no strife. He stayed for a week, soul restored, heart restored, and when he left, he swore he would find his way back, to find peace and safety for others, too.
However, when the man left, the villagers warned him - it will be worthless, to inform others of this place. And though he kept signs and made markers for himself on the way back, no matter how many times he or anyone else tried, they couldn't find the place again - but, the man held it in his heart, for as long as he lived.
[ his eyes crinkle at the corners, a bit, as he finishes recounting the fable, and leans back over her again, tucking a lock of hair behind that twitchy ear.] So, to say "the peach blossom spring"... it's a form of paradise, in a time of trouble and strife.
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he's already being sweet with the way he runs his fingers through her hair - she's already unsteady with that. but the story kind of kicks her ass a little, because for as goofy and ridiculous as wrath can be, she's not an idiot. the comparison is not lost on her. her ears are bright red by the time he's finished, and she just sort of stares up at him.]
Jesus. Has anybody told you how dangerous you are? [she says, a little dumbly.]
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smiling like a fox, gu yun lowers his head to do so, looking up at her from under his lashes as he hums - ] Frequently. [ though, the mischief there makes it clear it's usually in the "its the marquis of order we're doomed" way not the "i'm so charming" way.
horrible! never let him have the upper hand in anything. ]
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she straddles him, her hair spilling down over her shoulders, embering at the tips. she steals a kiss, both hands on either side of his face, and then just. bites his nose? gently.]
Menace. [she playfully scolds.] Ugh. Who told you you could get away with that.
... That was a sweet story, though. [softer.]
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he does not yelp when he's rolled over, but makes a startled noise that dissolves into laughter, until gu yun's grinning. it's less shitty - okay, he's still pleased with himself, so maybe it's still shitty - but it's a smile none the less, nearly ear to ear once she's broken away from the kiss, and especially when he gets bitten. hey! ]
Ah, certainly not you, apparently. [ he wrinkles his nose, playfully afterwards, freeing up a hand to rub at it before dropping it back against the pillows, relishing a little in his victory, and also in how close wrath is to him. ]
It is, isn't it? It's a children's fable. [ the shittiness does soften after that, though. gu yun hums. ] I rather enjoy poetry, believe it or not. Beautiful things like that should always be appreciated.
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Poetry is for nerds. [she informs him, teasing.] But I guess I can suffer through it if you like it.
[a pause. she strokes the side of his face with a warm hand, running her thumb along his cheekbone.]
Can I ask you a question? You have to be honest.
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his head tilts to the side, leaning into the warmth of her hand. gu yun runs cold, as ever, and his lashes flutter, eyes shut, content. ] Mmm?
[ ask away. ]
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the question takes a minute, like she's struggling with it a little. like she's not sure how to phrase it, maybe, or she's not sure if she should say it. and then, quietly:]
Do I seem like a murderer to you, Gu Yun?
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You don't. [ his brow furrows, and gu yun sits up a little, pushing himself onto his elbows properly to regard her instead of laying around like a lush, his expression immediately shifting into something far more serious. ] Is this about what Fukuda and Vlad were saying?
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No - well, yes, I guess, but. Other people have said it this past week too. You seem like you're pro-murder or whatever, and uh, I just. I wonder what part of me is giving off that vibe.
[she glances away.]
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gu yun's expression shifts - for a moment, he's the marquis of order. ]
To make a base assumption based on someone's sin in this place is an idiot's game. [ his first statement is harsh, but, delivered as a cold fact - not to wrath, but rather to the people of this place in general. it's something he's been thinking since the very beginning. ] Especially with you all. I think some of the participants in this place see you all as merely 'Avatars' in the vision you present us in public - faceless, only deigned to be associated with a sin assigned to you by who knows what - and aren't willing to separate the fact that you aren't just figures brought here to help or hurt us, or what have you. Each of you have your own personalities, your own motivations, that we cannot claim to know, especially from sideways observance, or seeing you here and there in public, doing a job that we do not know. There is a marked difference between duty and person.
[ and wouldn't he know that, better than anyone?
sitting up more fully, he reaches for her cheek, pulling wrath's eyes back towards him, so she can see how serious his face is - how he means every word. ]
If someone would bother to speak to you, to try and know you, they wouldn't have thought along those lines for a second. To clinically consider the possibility of "someone with a great, powerful fire caused Grell's injuries" is one thing, but something that, upon even an ounce of further thought about who you are, should be set aside quickly as a possibility. Equating 'wrath' with 'I want to kill others', as if wrath and temper are things that can be so easily controlled - if anyone should associate you with anything of the like, it should be your flames, instead.
[ that's a place he can see it. fierce, sometimes uncontrollable - but life giving, life meaning, too. a fire is a blaze as much as it can be a hearth. ]
Anyone who only sees you for the mark on your hood, and uses that as a bias to color their perception of your every word or action for our time here, is a fool. [ periodt. ]
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You're a sweetheart. [she says, finally, smiling. it's weak, but it's there.] Thank you.
[there's a lot she feels like she wants to say, but this can be enough for now.]
I wonder what I did to get such a positive review.
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From me, or from all of us? Are you asking me for a list? I'll write you one. [ this comes out instead, though it's lacking the often gleeful edge to his teasing - a little softer, instead. ]
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Yeah, actually! Write me a list, poetry boy. Have it on my desk by Monday.
[... and she kisses his forehead, as well.]
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gu yun will remember this
he makes a soft hum as his forehead's kissed, and settles again, dropping his hands away from her cheeks to lace them behind her back, instead. ] People buy poetry I write, so, I hope you'll prepare to be amazed!
[ a beat. ] Not that I ever see a damned coin of it. Tch.
[ stupid. maybe if he gets her to laugh she will stop being sad. ] Unless, of course, this loss of skill thing remains - in which case, I might write you something terribly unimpressive. I hope it doesn't, I'm rather tired of losing things I'm good at.
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That should be over soon, hopefully. [she hums.] If you write me something unimpressive you're going to have to make up for it all next week! So just keep that in mind.
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Well. I would hate to disappoint you. [ huff. that's a bit exaggerated in tone, but... he means it? wow. ] And I should hope so. I wasn't able to speak, Wrath. More than once. It was a travesty! [ ok there thats less sincere thats embarrassing ]
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Oh nooo. What a nightmare. [she says, teasing.] It's a good thing you're pretty. You don't have to be able to speak if you're pretty.
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he lifts his head off of hers to bat his eyelashes at her. bat bat bat. ] Would you still enjoy my company, were I only something beautiful to look at?
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Nope. I like the package deal. If you weren't a nerd, I wouldn't have any interest!
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he shifts again, resting his head on top of hers. ]
Well, luckily, I have experience in pretending to be mute, at least, so I couldn't quite be easily silenced. Just before I came here, I was undercover, pretending to be blind and deaf as a fragrance master.
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actually, she brings a hand up to snap, and a blanket appears and flops down over the two of them. good, yes.]
A - what? Like a perfume person? Like the ones at Fantasy Macy's?
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[ ...
it's wrath, he's not even going to bother to ask. as the blanket flops down, he sticks his hands under it so they won't be so freezing, though he'll shrug it off of his shoulders if it ends up there instead of his lap. ]
...anyway. A Fragrant Master [ please ignore that i spelled it wrong i had to go look it up ] is usually made blind and deaf as a child to be trained in the art of separating specific scents and creating certain types of incense and other goods, as well as appraising them. A good mix created by a fragrant master can sell for thousands of gold pieces, and make a business rich beyond its wildest dreams. To have one is to make your business legitimate.
I came upon a smuggling operation by chance [ the actual story behind why? extremely stupid. ] in Jiangbei's harbor, from the nation of Dong Ying - trying to sneak an important resource called ziliujin away from Great Liang disguised as a fragrance merchant selling tins of incense and scents to cover the smell. They were supposed to be meeting a bribed fragrant master at the harbor in order to pass inspection, so my soldiers kidnapped him, and I went in his place.
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what if she took one of his hands though. she wants to hold.]
What the fuck. [hold on, made blind and deaf as a child EXCUSE? the rest of the story is probably really great but she has a PROBLEM with this.] Wait, like - hold on. That's just a thing where kids are blinded and deafened? Gu Yun?
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Don't look at me like that, I don't like it either. From what I've heard, they're more likely to begin training when they're adults, but the rarest are the ones who've trained that long. I can't say that I know that much about it - I'm a soldier, not a fragrant master, and this was the first time I've ever had contact with one personally.
[ don't look at him for other people's bad decisions! ]
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