a great escape;

[loong]

[ 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. ]

Comments

[loong]

[ for a little while, dan feng is left to his own thoughts, but.. that is nothing new. he has spent a long time on this planet alone, with only animals for company, and he has long since grown accustomed to the silence, and the heavy weight of his own thoughts and memories. seeing jing yuan again is almost too much to bear. he had been so sure that he would spend the rest of his days on this doomed world.

but that would have been a mercy that he supposes he is not worthy of, any more than he is worthy of the things that jing yuan soon offers him.

at first, dan feng is silent, absorbing it all as the starskiff begins to rise, gliding away from the planet he has called home for a long while now. jing yuan's every word feels like a barb, like a lash of the whip, or another nail driven into his flesh, and yet he offers kindness as well.. still, what dan feng truly wants is not something that jing yuan is willing to give him, perhaps not something he is even able to give at all. ]

Some paper and a pen. That's all I would ask of you.

[ his voice is smooth and soft as dan feng collects himself, his gaze flicking through the skiff's window, watching the imposing shape of the luofu grow closer and closer. ]

But why, Jing Yuan? You say you harbor no anger, yet your words feel as cold as ice. You offer me freedom in one hand, and claim I am unforgivable with the other. You're conflicted.

[ he shouldn't poke and prod, yet this wound is old and it festers terribly, an ancient infection that calls for debriding. he presses his lips into a thin line. ]

Mm.. nevermind. I suppose I already know the truth.

[liongeneral]

I am speaking to you as the General of the Luofu and nothing else. As someone who once knew me I imagine you are expecting some warmth to exist within my words when we speak. I would advise seeing me as I am now and not the little boy you once knew. [Blade said he changed. Jingliu said he hadn't changed at all. He hardly knows the truth anymore and in the end he supposes it doesn't matter.] And the good thing about hands is that I have two of them. I can still make my claims. What you have done and the lives cost and crimes committed are unforgivable but I can still set you free with the other.

[He glances towards the window, shoulders returning to their tense state.]

At this point... Yingxing has committed more heinous and horrible acts that can be comprehended. No one garners an 8.13 billion dollar debt with the IPC for no reason... If I can let him go I can do the same for you. Just the once... Consider it for old time's sake, if you would.

[He caught it before... The way Dan Feng held his arm no longer bearing the bracer. The way his form shifted and expression flickered. It is the only leverage he has in regards to conversation with Dan Feng. His partner whose short life has stretched over seven hundred years must be a topic of interest. Though he does not wish to add cruelty and bring him up to simply be unkind. After all... Nothing about Yingxing's current fate would bring the other any peace.]

As someone who is keenly aware of what the Shackling Prison is like... I would not send you back there. Not when the sentence has been served. That you slipped past execution is no concern of mine. Dan Heng exists, after all. All is as it should be. Others, however, would claim otherwise... Consider the conditions of of me setting you free to be one of convenience to the Luofu rather than you returning to a dark prison and the chaos that would rise in your return.

Would you prefer it otherwise, Dan Feng? If the Shackling Prison is what you'd prefer than I will take you back there.

[loong]

[ speaking to him as the general of the luofu.. dan feng does not believe that one bit. it may be partially true, but any other general would not grant him the kindnesses that jing yuan is offering. he claims professionalism, but dan feng thinks otherwise - he is letting things slide. he is being soft with his old lover.

but what use is there in arguing it? in arguing any of this? jing yuan is not amenable to crossing the rift between them, dan feng does not consider himself worthy of forgiveness, so there is little more to discuss. his heart sinks. his soul aches. the weight of those souls who died - his own people - hangs around his neck like an iron anvil, and it feels spiteful, pointed, that jing yuan would remind him of what he already knows, but dan feng supposes that that is his prerogative. he does not have a leg to stand on in any argument between them, and he does not think jing yuan would ever understand his motive. his heart.

so dan feng lapses into silence, for what else is there to say?

he turns, long tail swaying behind him as he watches the luofu grow nearer still, and thinks he would have preferred the doomed planet over this pain, this old wound being torn open again, prodded with hot knives. ]

Do as you please. General.

[ his voice is cool, distant, and he no longer meets jing yuan's eyes. his thoughts are in the past, somewhere warmer, caught between the two people he has loved most. ]

[liongeneral]

That is not a luxury I have as General of The Luofu.

[Now that is a spiteful response and he regrets it the moment it passes his lips. It’s not him to respond in such a way and… He’s in agony. How many times will the ghosts of the past make him do this? When will it all leave him be?

It’s bad comedy.

The trip isn’t much longer and as he steps onto the Luofu he is greeted by the usual accompaniment of soldiers and an eager Yanqing who is hurrying up to speak with him.

“General!” He glances between the two adults with a puzzled expression. “And… Dan Heng?” The confusion turns into a pout. “He got to go with you!? General—“]

No need to get riled up over nothing, Lieutenant.

[The young boy looks between them again, brow furrowed as if he’s trying to solve a puzzle. Finally settling on: “Did you two have a fight? You usually have a different expression on your face when Dan Heng comes to visit.”

Despite the astute deduction Jing Yuan only chuckles and ruffles the young man’s hair.]

Can you see my expression clearly from all the way down there? [An indignant squawk is the response.] Go attend to your duties but I appreciate the welcome.

[A bit of grumbling later and the young apprentice is leaving and with a wave the rest of the soldiers are dismissed leaving him with Dan Feng once more.]

That was my apprentice and Lieutenant, Yanqing. Should he corner you try to entertain the idea that you know him… but don’t agree to any sparring as he will challenge you. [Jing Yuan begins to walk forward, leading the way.] He’s more talented than I was at his age by a large margin. He’s talented… so I hope to steady him in my time left. Raw talent can be dangerous if not tempered properly and… well, he’s young. That comes with the usual troubles.

But he’ll be quite the champion when he gets a little older. I’m certain of it.

[Rescuing Dan Heng and finding Yanqing and giving him a chance in this world are his two proudest achievements. He’s done what he can for both of them and hopefully they thrive.]

[loong]

[ dan feng can't help but flinch at that, but he says nothing, does not rise to the challenge. there's no point. he's not interested in a spat.

so he keeps his mouth shut and says nothing more until the starskiff arrives, and when they step off of the gangplank it's like walking both forward and backward in time at the same moment. the luofu is just as he remembered, and yet different still, in looks and in feel, the faces passing by all unfamiliar. his heart twists.

they're suddenly approached by a bright-eyed youth, and dan feng's eyes settle on him curiously. once it's explained, he can't help but make the comparison between yanqing and a young jing yuan.. the parallels are certainly there. the heartache sets in, but he keeps it from his expression as best as he can as he dips his head in a nod, but thankfully he need not say anything.

which is good. he's not sure that he has it in him to speak normally right now. it's been centuries since he last spoke to anyone, before jing yuan showed up.

when the young boy finally scurries away, however, dan feng releases a breath that he hadn't realized he'd been holding, and slides into step beside the general, content for now to follow him along to.. wherever it is that jing yuan is leading him. ]

No doubt he will, should he take after you.

[ he says, mildly conversationally, though his tone is still cool and distant. jing yuan has made himself abundantly clear, after all. ]

[liongeneral]

Ideally he will grow to be better than me. That is always the wish for those that come after us. With the hopes that they will thrive where their predecessors could not.

[Jing Yuan folds his hands behind his back and continues to lead filling the silence and not letting it linger and fester.]

The Luofu is both the same as you remember it and vastly different. Aurum Alley went through a serious decline and is now thriving again. We had a recent Heliobus crisis that has since resolved itself... more or less. There was a Stellaron Crisis shortly before that.

We've known a great deal of peace... Our last war being thirty years ago. [Though it was a devastating one. And while victorious out of the million pilots across the Xianzhou that fought no more than one hundred thousand returned.] But before that there was hundreds of years of peace. Save for the usual skirmish here and there... The Luofu you see today is one recovering from a vicious war that stole many thousands of lives. These things take time but slowly but surely it all begins to thrive once more.

[Jing Yuan stops at the Alchmey Commission and nods towards the purple haired dragon lady who is hurrying around and helping those in need.]

And life marches onward in interesting new ways despite it all. [She spots them both and waves, her little potion bottle shaking violently in her movements before she's back onto her tasks.] Her name is Bailu... And she is the current High Elder. [He glances back at Dan Feng, expression neutral.] From beneath the ash and rot of our mistakes there is always a chance for something to bloom from it, despite all odds...

[loong]

[ there it is again, yet another barb sneaked in, as if dan feng could ever forget the ash and rot of his mistakes. he's beginning to wonder if the general isn't attempting to provoke him on purpose, to get a reaction out of him, and perhaps.. that might even be for the best. a fight. shouting. venting their frustrations in the easiest, basest way possible. like lancing a festering boil and letting the infection run out so the wound may be able to heal again.

the very idea tires him, makes his heart feel heavy, however much the accusations sting. ]

Yes, General.

[ the word is quiet, but dan feng's eyes are sharp as they meet jing yuan's, boring into him in silent defiance.

beneath his own hubris, dan feng knows full well that this is what he deserves, that jing yuan has every right to needle him endlessly, but that does not make the sensation easier to bear. the nails driven into his body were less painful than jing yuan's spite. there was a time that none of them could have ever fathomed speaking to one another in such a tone.

nevertheless, his gaze settles on bailu as they pass, his hackles settling, but only a little; he can't help but feel sorry for her. the weight of the high elder, and the dragon's heart.. it had all but crushed him, once. ]

I can only pray that she will bear it better than I was able to.

[liongeneral]

[Jing Yuan cants his head at the response... the stern expression turning into a frown.]

I brought you down this path with intent... Look at her again. I have come to my own conclusions about what happened... The intent behind your actions, or at least some of them, was to restore the life of Baiheng... The abomination in which summoned was a result of your actions.

But it was a dragon. A dragon still infused with the tools you used to make it. And from its demise came a reincarnation... A reincarnation that seems more in line with your intent. Surely it has not been so long that you cannot see the resemblance.

No love for the skies but a genuine longing for freedom, no memories of the past but a heartfelt desire to heal and be kind. Your efforts bore but a single fruit but it was at least a prosperous one. I thought you should see her before you depart the Loufu. That you deserved to know she existed...

[loong]

[ dan feng holds jing yuan's gaze for several measured moments, almost in challenge, but he breaks away again and does as requested, allowing his gaze to settle more firmly on the childlike vidyadhara as he listens to jing yuan's words.

the hair. the eyes. her features are more youthful, of course, than baiheng's had been, and yet.. it feels like a needle to the heart, and dan feng feels his throat run dry, tightening with emotion, his eyes filling with haze. surely it cannot be -

but of course, he cannot deny the idea, the sliver of possibility. she is not baiheng.. she is not baiheng any more than dan heng is him, and yet the memories of their dear friend rush back, filling him up to bursting. after a moment he must look away again, the sight of her nearly too much to bear. that the horrid monstrosity his mistakes had produced could have borne fruit.. ]

I see.

[ he cannot look jing yuan in the eye, not when what's left of his heart is crumbling. he's spent so long now being punished for his sins that it is difficult for dan feng to accept that something good may have risen from the ashes of his sedition, the very idea stings and burns, like being pulled into bright sunlight after too long spent indoors. his throat bobs as he swallows thickly. ]

.. thank you. [ a sharp breath, as he struggles to collect himself. ] We should not linger.

[liongeneral]

You do not need to thank me. [He means that... It was simply the right thing to do which is a creed he has always tried to live by.] I have done my best to look after her... But the affairs of Vidyadhara are not ones I am welcome in.

[Especially after all the trouble with Dan Feng and Dan Heng. The Preceptors have had enough of him and quite frankly... the feeling is mutual.

But Dan Feng is right, they should not linger. So he continues to lead on, past the Alchemy Commission and through the Artisanship Commission. They don't stop here, of course, but it serves its own purpose. Though Yingxing's shop has long since been taken over and reinvated a dozen times over his fingerprints still exist all over. His work replicated and added to. Perfected in some cases. People attempting his fine blades seven hundred years later but truly there has never been a better blacksmith than he.

And then a quick stroll through Aurum Alley and dipping through Starskiff Haven where one would have found Baiheng most days. There's no good way to get to Jingliu's favorite places nor would it be wise to step near Scalegorge Waterscape and so the journey ends at his home. For where else is he to keep the presumed dead Dan Feng?

Honestly, he can't imagine the other will want to stay anymore than he particularly wants him here but it's the situation at present and Dan Feng may leave if he wishes.

Upon entering the residence he finds that it feels eerily quiet. More so than usual, he thinks. Whatever the reason he leads to the room that holds such ancient treasures. Front and center is the old mechanical lion that Yingxing made for him long ago. It used to move and roar and its eyes would light up but it has long since stopped working, it's leg at an odd angle. But there are other things too. Old weapons that Yingxing made that he managed to recover. And trinkets and jewelry all finely crafted with love and care.]

I salvaged what I could from Yingxing's residence before it was taken and thrown away or burned... Whatever they may have done to it. But I could not gain entry way to your domain with the Vidyadhara nor could I save much of my Master's things though I suspect they were few.

Take what you like before you depart the Luofu... You'll be in need of a weapon, at the very least. Of which there are many. I do not know what will become of most of this when it is my time... Best to be in the hands of others that will use them as was their original intent.

[loong]

[ this is all quite literally a trip down memory lane, and while for many it might have been a pleasant experience, dan feng can only find it painful. this was his home once, after all. the luofu was once a place of comfort, of warmth and love and companionship, now it belongs to others, and soon enough.. it will be gone again, once he leaves once more, and all he will have is his memories, until those too fade with hatching rebirth.

well.. all the more reason to take in as much as he can, right now. to absorb it all. soon he will be gone, and he will not see the luofu or jing yuan again.

together they move on through the artisanship commission, past yingxing's old haunts, through starskiff haven, and dan feng had thought that he would grow accustomed to the emotional hits, yet each one tears him open anew, the memories sweet and painful in equal measure. so many are lost to them now. even those that still live are changed irreversibly, himself included. he's silent, but his thoughts are a tempest of roaring water and winds, his heart a storm of pain.

jing yuan leads him to the manor, a fine place fit for an arbiter general, but it does not seem to entirely fit him. he seems incongruous with this place, dan feng things, perhaps because this never should have been his calling at all.

dan feng looks upon the little mechanical lion, and that alone threatens to be his undoing. the sight of it brings forward a surge of memory so strong that he's sure it will drown him, and dan feng can't help but lift his hand, his fingertips so lightly laying against the shelf below the item. he doesn't dare to touch it, it's old and it is precious, but he knows the hands that crafted this lion so meticulously, knows the smile jing yuan wore when receiving it. ]

I've told you.. [ his voice wavers. ] .. paper, and something to write with. That's all I ask for.

[ these trinkets.. they would be a constant reminder, and besides, they are jing yuan's now. dan feng will not take anything more from him. ]

[liongeneral]

[Just paper and a pen... It sounds so ominous but he does not refute. He simply leads the way to his office, through the halls of his home. The office he resides in is one of the larger rooms in the home. Suited for comfort with large open windows and a door that leads to the garden beyond. Finches sit on the sill and begin to twitter and flutter about with excitement at the sight of him.

One even flies right in to land on his shoulder.

For now the feathered friend goes ignored as Jing Yuan rifles through the drawers to get what was requested. He lays out the blank sheets and ink and pens and then steps away from the desk.]

As requested...

[He's not sure where to leave it after that... Does Dan Feng intend to stay? To abide by the clear rules about needing to stay until the Express is rumored closer? Or... Is this letter some final farewell and he'll disappear never to be seen again without a word goodbye.

He does not know and the emotional weight of this entire interaction is reaching a breaking point. So he departs from the room, leaving Dan Feng to his writing, and into the garden. Easing the chirping of his feathered friends as they excitedly descend and make their usual roosts on his person.

He does not stray far from the door to his office. Past the wooden deck where the chessboard lies mid game. And past the cushioned seating which is usually perfect for napping. He opts, instead, for beneath the gingko trees that grow in his garden. A, perhaps, ominous thing to have growing for the long life species. But they did not always mean such dark things to the people of the Xianzhou. They used to mean hope and strength and resilience where the leaves represented healing and longevity... He does not mind sitting beneath their boughs.

So that is where he rest for now, back pressed up against the trunk in a way that makes his capes catch and legs splayed out onto the soft grass.

It's comfortable enough despite the stifling feeling of his armor. All the small discomforts feel amplified with the ache in his heart. Of old memories tightening around his neck like thorny vines. Each barb feels poisonous and he's been pricked dozens of times over at this rate... It's weighing on him. The long parade of friends like a funeral procession.

The little bird trills a sad note, catching his attention and he brings the one on his hand up, letting it rub its feathered self against his face.]

This too shall pass, little one...

[Tomorrow will come regardless and whatever will be will be. For all his power he can't turn back time. He can't stop his old friends from fighting and he can't fix their mistakes or make them love him in the way he once desired... still desires.

The sting of tears is noted but not indulged... Not yet. There is a time and place for such things.]