loong | a great escape;

a great escape;

[ this planet.. is a tranquil one. lonely, but peaceful. there are no intelligent species here, but that is, perhaps, for the best - dan feng's penance continues, after all. in escaping the luofu he was not attempting to escape general punishment, only the molting rebirth. fear of losing himself, of losing his memories, his sense of self..

perhaps it made him a coward, to flee, but warm memories are all he has now, and he could not bear to part with them just yet.

so here he waits, alone in his own beautiful purgatory, awaiting the end of his days, nursing his ailing mind, existing in torment and in bliss in equal measure. his hatching rebirth will come in time, and only then, perhaps, will he be free of his sin, or at the very least, free of his pain. the crime of the previous life must be atoned for in the next, but.. his memories of the quintet would vanish, save for in dreams, and his reincarnation could live on.

it's a lush, lovely planet, where he has escaped to, slowly orbiting the glowing deep of a black hole, where time, for him, runs more slowly, dragging out like a string of sticky molasses. there are thick forests and vast wetlands, eighty percent of this world is water, and there is no sign that intelligent life has ever existed here. no ruins. no scrawled paintings in caves. no hidden chambers beneath the seas. three hundred years he has spent combing the globe and found nothing to suggest that anyone but he has walked the earth here. only animals. insects. fish. they make decent company, but dan feng still keeps to himself, living out of a modest shelter built near the water's edge.

three hundred years, and he speaks to no one, says nothing, until the day the majestic luofu blots out the light of the diffracting black hole.

the sight of it stills his heart in his breast, and dan feng finds his throat running dry, but when the small starskiff lands he is standing quietly, watchful and calm, the tip of his tail swaying behind him as he watches jing yuan disembark, resplendent in his general's clothing. he takes a deep breath.. releases it. ]

.. you must have been very keen to find me, to brave the dangers of the black hole.

[ for time.. time is a precious thing, every hour he spends here could be a year on the luofu. ]

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[ dan feng remembers. he feels the sharp pang in his chest as if it were yesterday. the last time he held him like this.. was the last time he held him at all, before this night. jing yuan had been delirious with pain, the air thick with the scent of his blood as dan feng hurried him to the healers, his own energy having been too spent to see to a wound of that magnitude. aeons, he'd been terrified, and so, so sure that their time together would have been cut tragically short. in a way, he wasn't wrong.

the weight of it all had simply been too much. the knowledge that yingxing would die young. the loss of baiheng. the possibility of losing jing yuan too soon.. he was in danger of losing nearly everyone he had ever loved; the dragon delirium had taken him with ease.

but for now, he banishes those thoughts. his time with jing yuan is woefully short, he doesn't want to spend it thinking too much about the past. ] Don't be sorry. Not for anything. [ he says gently, while carrying him over the threshold and into his room, then right into the bathroom where he carefully sets jing yuan at the edge of the tub. leaning down, he cups his lover's face, then kisses him softly, slowly, nudging their noses together. ]

You can get cleaned up, I'll see to your office.

[ he says, smoothing his fingers through jing yuan's hair before drawing away and whisking from the room. ]

[Ah, he should probably be sorry for some things but he lets it go for now. Mostly because he has to. Dan Feng takes him to his bathroom, kisses him and leaves him.

He’s too sluggish to reach out to him and stop him. Office be damned… He has the thought of going back down the stairs just to be the brat Dan Feng remembers but… To make that trek with the aches he’s currently feeling is unappealing. Tempting but unappealing.

So he simply gets a bath ready, filling it with hot water soothing oils. He then strips his clothing off and sinks into the water. It feels good as a warm bath always does. Especially on his aching entrance. He rests his arms on the edge of the tub and his chin on top of them, eyes on the doorway waiting for his old lover to return to him.

And in classic Jing Yuan fashion, and a habit that has not left him at all, he dozes off in his wait. Cheek tucked comfortably in the crook of his arm, expression relaxed.]

[ it does not take dan feng long to clean up, to wipe away their mess and straighten jing yuan's desk, before he's returning to find him.. dozing in the bath. of course.

dan feng's mouth curves into a soft smile, and quietly he disrobes, shrugging away the layers of his hanfu and draping them delicately over a towel rod, baring his scarred, scaled skin and the sleek muscle beneath. his softened cocks have long since retracted into his scaled vent slit, though the remnants of their mess still cling to his hips and thighs.

not for long. soon enough, dan feng is stepping into the water and settling behind his old lover, gathering jing yuan up into his arms and easing him back to lean into him, his chin hooking over the general's shoulder. ]

You should rest soon.

[ he chides, knowing full well that they likely will get little rest tonight. there's too much to talk about, too many touches and kisses to savor and indulge in.. ]

[The stirring of the water rouses him slightly and he awakens more fully at being pulled into the other’s arms. He settles comfortably against him, remembering just where he likes to tuck himself.

He tilts his head up to nuzzle into Dan Feng’s neck, sighing contently.]

No.

[Spoken softly yet it is, without question, a little petulant. But there is a coy smile pulling at his lips.]

I can’t waste time sleeping… Every moment must count.

[When they part this next time it must be without regrets or at least much fewer than before.

He nips at the skin within reach debating if he should actually bite. There is a gentle throb in his shoulder where Dan Feng sunk his fangs in. That he wants more of. In fact, an unwise thought comes to the forefront of his mind and he doesn’t even hesitate in his request.]

Mark me… before you go, A-Feng.

[ dan feng's initial reply comes as a low hmph. ]

I'm not leaving tomorrow, qīn’ài de. We still have a little time.

[ though yes, he should leave before things become so comfortable that leaving feels impossible (perhaps it is too late for that), he doesn't need to be so hasty as to take the soonest starskiff out. the astral express isn't leaving tomorrow, and if it does, well, he can disguise himself easily enough. a few more days.. that's all he'll ask. long enough that jing yuan will need some sleep.

his head turns, lips brushing over the crest of jing yuan's soft cheek while his cool fingers smooth over the mark left on his lover's shoulder, tempted to heal it without another thought. but.. jing yuan wants more, and dan feng is entertaining the idea of giving it to him. leaving him with a parting gift. ]

Perhaps.. if you promise me something.

[Thats true… Perhaps some rest then. Get Dan Feng to heal the unwise and self inflicted soreness so that they can continue unimpeded tomorrow and the days after.

It was pretty dumb of him to go into that as unprepared as he was but he doesn’t regret it for a second. He’d make the same choice again if he had to.

But hopefully he won’t have to. Because that was pretty painful.]

What do you need me to promise?

[He doesn’t eagerly agree as he once would have. That would be foolish. He’ll, of course, hear him out but he won’t deny they there is a part of him that feels weary at what he will have to promise in exchange for a mark.]

[ his lack of enthusiasm is noted, but that's not too surprising, all things considered. they've reconnected a little bit, but that doesn't mean that things are the same as they once were, that doesn't mean that their trust is what it was. a soft hum, and he closes his eyes, nudging his nose affectionately against jing yuan's ear, but his tone is solemn. ]

When you're near the end.. when you feel your mara beginning to fester..

[ he says, softly, his arms around jing yuan tightening. ]

.. I'd like you to find me. Find us both. We deserve to be together, one last time, the three of us.

[ he will find yingxing, and by the aeons he will do whatever it takes to bring him around, to soothe his fury and help him to remember what it was that they lost, what it is that they still need. he can't ask jing yuan to leave, not when he has people and responsibilities that hold him here, but.. perhaps, in the end.. ]

[It is a deeply sad notion and promise to make. And one he’s not even sure he’ll be able to keep. As the one that sits in the seat of Divine Foresight he has insight on the path the Luofu will eventually take.

And he’s not certain he’ll make it through when the Astral Express cashes in on their favor. It is suspected to be quite the favor after all.]

I… I can think of no better end than to be with the two people I love the most. But there is one more great battle in my future. One I am destined to attend. And I must go… But should I return I will come find you. I will have no more promises to keep or oaths to fulfill. And my retirement has long been pushed for.

If I return alive I will keep this promise. Because all I desire is one last moment between the three of us. It is a good end… [A slight tremble takes him as tears burn in his eyes.] If a little unfair…

Why must I come to you both last and leave first…

[Life has been cruel to them all but perhaps the next one will be better for all. He can only hope.]

[ jing yuan's answer is satisfactory, he thinks. he can ask no more of him than this. he's always been a man who stuck to his responsibilities, who always repaid his favors, and that is an incredibly admirable trait.. he would not be his jing yuan if he were any less stalwart and dedicated. it warms his heart as much as it pains him. ]

I understand.

[ he murmurs, and buries his face against jing yuan's hair, breathing in its achingly familiar scent. it's all he's wanted, all he's ever wanted - to be with them, to keep the quintet together always, no matter how it was destined to break apart. there was no helping it, and his hand in that great disaster was..

well. he made his choices then, and met his destiny on the road to avoid it. ]

After, then. I'll wait for you. We will wait for you.

[ his hands move beneath the water, sliding over jing yuan's abdomen and chest, holding him tightly as his breath gusts against his lover's ear, gentle and warm. ]

For now.. we will make these days count.

[He puts his hands over Dan Feng's, keeping the one to rest near his heart. It's such a sad thing they're speaking of but there's a sense of relief to it as well. A place to rest... He knows Dan Feng will take care of him. Make sure that the mara does not do harm to any innocents.]

Then with the condition I return from this journey I give you my word and promise to find you. [The mara is already a gentle churning... He knows it is. He also knows he could feasibly go another century more but if he does he'd rather do it in the arms of a loved one. And maybe Blade will entertain the idea for a while before the price is finally met.] Should we have the time... Explore the stars with me for a while? A journey we are both long overdue for.

[Dan Feng has been chained to his own position for as long even if the person changed it was still a life bound. And then to that dying world. There is much the stars have to offer and they should see what they can.]

Until then...

[Yes... They must make these days count.]

[ there can be no chasing away the ache in his heart, but.. dan feng is warmed by his lover's words nonetheless, his words and his presence, so warm against his cool skin. dan feng's palm spreads open over his steadily beating heart, enjoying the thrum of it against his fingers. ]

Yes.. I'd like that very much.

[ he's never had the same desire to travel the stars as jing yuan, but he has always desired the freedom to do as he wishes, something that dan feng has never really had. before the shackling prison very physically shackled him, he was chained to his role as high elder, to the duties he needed to perform, and the mask he had to wear, a face that had never truly been his own. to be able to shrug away everything that has restrained him.. ah, the very idea feels like a breath of fresh air.

of course, there will be yingxing to deal with.. but. that is what it is, and will be what it will be. perhaps fate will once again not favor them, and blade will strike him down with his steel, but still he must try.

he says no more, only holds to his lover, presses soft kisses into his hair and along the curve of his neck, over the rise of his shoulder. ]

[A plan for the future then. As for their present... There's other things to be said and asked and spoken about but... He thinks he's content for now. A lot of the bigger aches in his heart have been soothed, at least somewhat.

Dan Feng loves him... He doesn't know why things happened the way they did but he's loved now. And he's been in dire need of it.

He attempts to mouth and kiss back. Nibbling on those pointed ears he's always adored and pressing kisses to whatever he can reach. The gentle lull of the water as they kiss and pet each other is such a balm.]

Until that day comes I will enjoy the now. And right now I want you...

[Maybe not anything too physical tonight but the want can extend towards just cuddling against one another. He turns a bit in his lover's grasp so he can wrap his arms around Dan Feng's neck, pressing their lips together in a gentle kiss.]

Edited 2024-02-12 10:54 (UTC)

[ his sweet jing yuan.. truly, he's such a soft man, so warm and open. he has always been the beating heart of their love, always kept dan feng's blood from running too cold, his smile and his warmth like a pulsing beacon. how could anyone not love such a man as him? a man so loyal and dedicated, a man with such a generous, tender heart? dan feng could not resist him then, and he cannot resist him now, so when those arms come around him he responds in kind, winging his own around jing yuan's middle, pulling him in close.

the kiss is lovely, sweet and warm and deep but not hungry, wanting without the ferocious ache. sex is very nice and all, but this has always been what dan feng preferred more - physical closeness, kissing and touching, sharing warmth, skinship. ]

You have me.

[ he whispers, both hands sliding over jing yuan's lower back, rubbing in slow, easy circles. enjoying the texture of his skin, so familiar.. ]

And even once I leave the Luofu.. you will still have me.

[ his love will endure, as it has endured these centuries, and not a day will pass that he does not think of jing yuan. ]

[When Dan Feng breaks to talk his own lips continue to press against the cool skin, warmed up some by their bath. Along the jaw and cheeks his temple and ear... He doesn't cease the trail of affection and gives a soft hum of acknowledgement that they will still have each other long after they depart.

How long will it be this time? The favor owed to the Astral Express... He doesn't think it's that far away. A decade, perhaps? He will need his Master Diviner to predict a path so that he has some idea of a timeline. It won't be long, he doesn't think. Surely not another century or anything close to it. It's surviving that big battle that is the most pressing concern. And because that is uncertain he must treat this encounter as if it will be their last. He suspects it might be. But there cannot be room for any regrets should he not be able to keep his promise.]

You're still going to mark me, yes? [He nips at Dan Feng's ear, words soft against the shell.] I'm well overdue to be claimed by you...

[Although it is not technically needed even if it is wanted... He will continue to remain loyal to his partners and return to a chaste state of affairs after they part ways.]

I am. But I don't need to mark you to know that you're mine, and I am yours.

[ a light chuckle, soft and still quiet, but rumbling gently nonetheless. he can't remember the last time he was able to laugh, however muted it might be. ]

Give me some time. I'll do it when the moment is right.

[ no sooner, and no later.

he's going to get riled again soon, however, if jing yuan keeps toying with his ear like that, and dan feng shivers, the water rippling around them. no, they may not have matching gauntlets to sense one another, but they can have something else, a mark between them, something else to share. something jing yuan can look at to remind himself that he is loved. ]

Feeling clean enough for bed?

[Patience he was told in the past. Patience he's being told now. He huffs but doesn't argue. There's never any arguing with Dan Feng... So he simply settles, letting his chin rest on the Elder's shoulder, and lets his eyes drift closed. The gentle laugh making his heart swell and fills him with such ease.

The question is responded to with a sleepy sound. More or less? He thinks? He didn't get a chance to clean himself out but the thought of even touching his ass is not a particularly ideal prospect. He's sore! But as far as the sweat and the mess on himself... That's all been washed away.]

I think so... [He murmurs the words softly, not yet ready to release the other.] Are you going to carry me to bed too?

[It's said with the sleepiest hint of mischievousness. A coy teasing that was usually reserved for Yingxing but now Dan Feng gets the brunt of it.]

[ look, jing yuan, the patience will be worth it. dan feng wants it to be as meaningful as possible when he makes his physical claim, but he will give his lover what it is that he wants, soon enough. he can feel jing yuan's petulant unhappiness with his response, but all that does is make dan feng smile, in his own soft, gentle sort of way. ]

Mm.. if I think you need it. Do you?

[ he'll heal his partner's pains soon enough, but he'll let him enjoy the ache and soreness for a bit first, before they go at it again.

reaching beside them, dan feng opens the drain so the water can begin to lower, before he's dislodging himself to get to his feet, scooping jing yuan right back up into his arms again, as if he weighed less than a feather. the water on their bodies is simple enough to contend with - a little cloudhymn, and it's drawn away from them both, spilling into the draining tub with but a flicker of his power. ]

[Jing Yuan's koala like clinging eventually ends and he slides off of Dan Feng's wet skin and exists in the lingering remains of the bathwater, taking his time. Or... would have if he wasn't scooped right back up.

Alright... he was teasing before. And this time he's more aware. Sleepy but aware. A pink flush takes hold of his cheeks but he does not wiggle or protest, simply wrapping his arms back around Dan Feng to keep himself close. His eyes squeeze shut though and he nuzzles against the other's temple, breath coming out in a shuddering exhale. His emotions still clearly at an all time high and every loving gesture and act of care has him trembling in response.

His room is draped in mostly scarlets and whites... The star of the show being the kingsized bed... Large and comfortable and only holds the one. He reasoned in getting one this big at the time because of Snow Lion. Snow lion needed a big place to sleep! And it was well worth it because he was a big bed hog... But after he was gone it remained just as large but terribly empty. But more than big enough for three... should time find a way to reverse itself.

And while it has not... The next few days will see it well used and fairly full. Only two but enough for now.]

No more running off to take care of something or clean up a room. Stay with me...

[It's not a command or a request. It's a gentle and unmistakable plea.]

[ dan feng is slow and gentle as he carries his lover out of the washroom and into the sleeping area. he's glanced it once or twice while staying here, awaiting the astral express, but didn't have the chance to look it all over well - granted, he isn't exactly looking it over well now, either, he's far more interested in jing yuan - and he can't help but feel that it's too much space for one lonely man. he has spent so many nights here, sleeping alone..

.. and he will spend more nights alone, soon enough. but these next few days, at least, will see dan feng at his side.

there's no reason for them to dress, really so dan feng moves toward the large bed instead, carefully setting his lover down onto the bed before he leans to pull the covers back, smoothing a hand over the soft, clean sheets that they will no doubt dirty soon enough.

climbing onto the mattress, dan feng reclines comfortably, his long tail draped over one thigh, the furred tip twitching back and forth as he pats the space beside him, encouraging his partner to join him. not that he thinks jing yuan really needs the encouragement.. ]

Come here, qīn’ài de, let me heal you.

[He's set down with such love and care that he hardly knows what to do with himself. He simply lays there for a moment, eyes fluttering closed as it does once his head hits these pillows. He feels the dip in the mattress beside him and at that request he scoots over instantly to tuck himself against Dan Feng.

He noses against the dragon's chin as he tucks head head beneath, hands trailing down the former high elder's sides, eventually finding the tale which he begins petting with gentle earnest.

Healing... He's missed the gentle balm of Dan Feng's Cloudhymn magic. Dan Heng's is mostly destructive and Bailu's has a different feel altogether. But this will be familiar and will surely lull him right to sleep.]

I remember how nosy you can be, A-Feng... So if you're going to check my qi while I sleep you should know it's a bit out of sync. The recent crisis had me cross paths with the Destruction, Abundance and of course the Hunt. [At the same time. Through his body. Quite literally. The details are not important and Dan Feng shouldn't hear them. That protective dragon instinct is not to be trifled with.] So don't concern yourself over it... It's settling. Your predecessors have all been looking out for me.

[ dan feng frowns as he listens, but he has no place telling jing yuan what to do or how to spend his time, not after all that has happened. he doesn't love that jing yuan has had to contend with three paths, that he's had to deal with a crisis at all, but he is the arbiter-general of the luofu, these things are to be expected. so in the end, he simply nods. ]

You would do the same, were our situations reversed.

[ he reminds, with one brow raised, then lays a hand on jing yuan's chest and closes his eyes. ]

Get some rest.

[ the warm flood of energy from his palm should be soothing and gentle, his cloudhymn magic curling through jing yuan's body, seeking out any ache and pain that he can find - his beloved's sore rear, of course, but he also finds the remnants of that more recent injury. it's mostly healed by now, closed up and in no danger of festering, but dan feng soothes the affected muscles and bones nonetheless, encouraging them to renew themselves, driving away any lingering pain. ]

Are you calling me nosy? [He makes an attempt to be affronted by the notion but he's too sleepy and... it's true. No use in fighting. Had he the ability and places exchanged he'd have absolutely done the same thing he knows his lover is going to. Best to simply settle in for the night.

The Cloudhymn magic puts him directly to sleep. The weaving soothing patterns that heal and ease new aches and old. The injury that Phantylia gave him is the nastiest by far though mostly healed at this point. Her claws still leave a lingering bite and the essence she used to try and him into a mindless Void Ranger, while gone, took some time to completely be rid of. Aside from faint traces of damage and echoes of those who have touched when they should not have... He's fine.

The current High Elder's careful touch is all over him though faded since his greatest bout of recovery.

Cloudhmmn magic cannot heal everything, of course. The creased brow as Jing Yuan sleeps and clutches to his old lover tightly and how tears still cling to pale lashes even while wandering the paths of dreams. Such injuries are deeper and harder to heal but even this is slowly mending in their time together. He nuzzles into the soft cool skin as he sleeps, easing and relaxing more at the scent and familiar rise and fall of the dragon's chest.]

[ it takes some time for dan feng to find sleep. he holds to jing yuan, pressing his cheek to his lover's hair and closing his eyes, humming soft, quiet little tunes into the silence between them.

thoughts flit in and out of his mind, old aches and pains that flare and sting, aggravated by his time here, but there is catharsis here as well, there is something like healing.. a wound that he was sure would never close beginning to knit. there are old scars between them that will always be sore, but dan feng is feeling renewed in a way that he never expected he could be, had he stayed on that doomed world. his fingers run through jing yuan's hair, soothing and soft as the night crawls onward, but it has been an exhausting night, and he is but a long life species.

so soon enough, dan feng drifts off to sleep as well, nestled up beneath the blankets with jing yuan, dropping into a light, meditative rest. ]

[Sleep is peaceful for him. Warm and comforting and cozy. He's out like a light and continues to be throughout the evening... And, quite unlike him, he does wake up before Dan Feng. He's content to linger like this for a bit.

He stretches lazily and cat like and dozes off and on before he begins feeling a needy desire. In the past he'd have certainly tried to awaken either lover by delving between their legs in the hopes of getting an early treat before the day began in earnest. If he wound them up enough he could get a quick handjob before he had to be off for practice with his master.

He has no such obligations today and... well... Why not slip between those thighs he's missed so much? He slinks out of Dan Feng's arms and slips beneath the covers. He noses between the thighs, brushing his lips against their creamy insides and then noses against the vent. A full bodied shiver hits him as he takes in the scent and feel of it. He hadn't the opportunity last night but he won't miss his chance going forward.

Not wanting to waste the time of either of them he simply licks a stripe up the vent. And another... He laps around the edge and slips his tongue within its depths, seeing how far he'll be allowed to go. He noses at the place he knows the cocks come from... God he wants those too. He wants both of them in his mouth so badly.]

[ likely the only reason that jing yuan awakens first is because it took dan feng so long to fall asleep to begin with, so even once the light begins to filter through the curtains, dan feng continues his rest. he sleeps as jing yuan dozes in and out, he sleeps as his lover slides down his body and kisses his thighs, he sleeps as that wicked tongue moves against his slit. ]

Mmn..

[ at last, when jing yuan's tongue begins to delve deep, he stirs, moaning low in his throat as his hips shift, blood rushing immediately south. one hand drops, slipping into pale hair, and dan feng blinks blearily, trying to make sense of what's happening, to parse the scene in his sleep-addled mind. ]

So greedy..

[ he murmurs, his voice roughened from slumber and deep with arousal, the folds of his vent beginning to swell and open like the petals of a lotus beneath jing yuan's warm tongue. his lovers have always been so damnably needy.. few mornings would pass without one or both of them attempting to rile him. yingxing had been especially persistent, in the way that only a short life species could be.

but it's been so long that they have been apart that dan feng is more than happy to indulge, to spend these days making love as often as they can before they must part again. dan feng's hips roll fluidly upward as he begins to grow hard, his cocks beginning to slip slowly from their sheathes with jing yuan's consistent attentions. ]

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