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[ It takes Runyu a few minutes to realize that someone is watching him and to lift his head, his usual suspicion stayed the work before him and a willful decision on his part. That which is rewarded at the sight of his friend on the treeline. A welcoming smile lifts his face and the fluttering anxiety over his project melts away as his friend moves away from the sunlight, revealing a small surprise as well. The fact that his Xingchen is no longer clothed in the simple white robes he’s worn diligently for as long as Runyu’s known him. Those that Runyu has wondered, even if he has ever asked after hearing the story, if they were mourning white unlike the robes of his office. Perhaps it’s the vibrant green robes, but he senses something new in his friend’s stride, too. The gravity or purpose of his walk hasn’t faded, and yet each move seems less weighted. As if the burden of his existence is no longer controlling him. Maybe such a reflection is Runyu’s own emotions or determination shining through but the calming sensation from such observations leaves little room for the worry of the past few days to remain.

Then comes Xingchen’s compliment and another realization. That his friend can see! and he’s covered in dirt! What a way for gentleman to offer his gratitude to a friend. Runyu laughs and a wide grin splits his face, sheer delight warring with flickering embarrassment at being caught. All the more so because this is Xingchen. What he’s offering isn’t perfect or as stunning as anything he could have done in the past, but there’s no mistaking the pleasure radiating from his friend.

Maybe it’s enough. ]

( Runyu can’t help but turn aside so can hide some of his awkwardness as he makes his reply, wings quivering behind his back. ) Maybe so, but I wasn’t the only one who wanted the garden, if I recall correctly, and I left the jar of seeds alone. For the other side. If-if you want.

( the robes were indeed a mourning white, worn so diligently for the better part of a decade now. perhaps runyu has only seen the last few months of that time, but he's certainly noticed xingchen's steadfastness on the matter.

but now he's in teal, and it's true enough that runyu has spotted a lightness to his step (to his entire being, really), and now he's arrived back to this beautiful floral array made even more beautiful by the effort his dear friend has made to create it. and runyu is laughing and grinning, and a helpless laugh bubbles up from his throat along with a delighted grin of his own, one which he has no chance of swallowing down.

and the delight lingers even as runyu turns away, enough so that it feels such a terrible shame that his friend has succumbed to embarrassment, and xingchen's shifting his bundle carefully into one arm now to reach out with his freed hand and tug at runyu's sleeve - a wordless 'come back' as he says, ) I do, thank you. ( but more pressingly, ) I've actually brought you something, as well. ( with a slight nod toward the long cloth-wrapped bundle he carries. )

[ Even when overwhelmed by this outpouring of warmth from this silly reunion and needing at least another few minutes to properly compose himself, Runyu’s helpless against that little nudge. Something he can’t quite name catches in the vicinity of his heart as he turns, and any lingering bashful signals slip away as Xingchen emphasizes his gratitude and gestures to the long bundle.

Another gift for him? Is there no limit to his friend’s high regard and kindness towards him? Such questions aren't meant to be answered only to be held close at night, and unlike inquiries of the past, leave nothing cold in their wake. ]

(His eyes dance as he faces his dearest friend, and he teases. ) Is this another day of gifts or did you decide that you needed to use some of your excess money on those around you?

A boon from Mana, actually. ( because what better manner to tease in return than to catch runyu even further off-guard?

he gives one last tiny tug to the sleeve, an indication to follow as he makes his way to the table now, greeted pleasantly by the renewed scent of the chrysanthemums which now sit potted beside it. he'll admire those properly in a minute, though - more importantly right at this moment is the bundle, the gift, which he's setting down on the tabletop now to unfold the cloth wrapped around it.

what lies inside is a guqin - the instrument runyu claimed to prefer, in their talk some weeks ago. his friend probably thought he'd forgotten, but it wasn't so. he'd simply made a promise first, an agreement that the next thing he spend his tokens on be some manner of sight rather than something for someone else. but now he's bartered for both. and xingchen is no expert regarding instruments, but it seems finely crafted in his brief assessment, and the painting adorning the front is quite lovely as well. it seems, he notes with mild amusement, that they've each surprised the other with flowers today.

his gaze lifts to runyu now, gauging his reaction a moment. ) I know such things as instruments may vary in form between realms, but I hope that it's familiar enough to suffice.

[ Runyu has thought that he would be prepared for anything his friend bestowed on him. He’s even started practicing with the paper inside while he’s been away, preparing for the artistry benefitting a canvas. And yet, when Xingchen unwraps a guqin not only of fine quality but of stunning artistry, his throat closes up. Shy, he ducks his head, but needing to express something approaching the emotions inside him, places his fingers on the strings. The trembling fingers remain there when he reaches for Xingchen’s sleeve, keeping him there in case his silence and very red face is taken in the wrong way. Unable to express himself with anything approaching words, his grip tightens and he lays his head against his chest.

He’ll recover in a few moments. But even if it’s foolish, he wants to be close to Xingchen. ]

Thank you...

( no, xingchen certainly doesn't take such things the wrong way. how could he, when only minutes ago he himself felt similarly overcome? it's recent enough in mind that he feels an echo of it again now just witnessing as his companion struggles for proper response.

and so when the hand finds his sleeve, he lifts his own to cover it in wordless assurance, and perhaps a subtle attempt to help steady the shaking a bit as well. but it's short-lived, because runyu shifts closer now, his head coming to rest against xingchen's chest, and some formless swell of emotion wells up in that very same chest for a moment before he's gently extricating his arm from between them to wrap it around runyu's shoulders in something closer to a proper hug instead. )

I'll have you know, ( he says, a faint warm teasing note to his near-whisper, ) that I've made it a goal of mine to see a day in which kindness no longer catches you by surprise. ( his head tilts just enough to rest the side of it lightly against runyu's hair, one more point of connection to hopefully soothe all that his friend is feeling. ) So I'm afraid you'll have to deal with quite a bit more of this.

You underestimate me … ( Runyu mutters against his clothes, feeling that he has to make some kind of protest even when these gestures are the most beautiful thing anyone’s given him. ) I could never take them for granted. Not in a hundred years.

[ As a former immortal with centuries of servitude and more of nothingness, it’s not an exaggeration of time but an honest vow, even then, that doesn’t seem to express the depth of their meaning near enough.

He steps back, letting Xingchen’s arm fall from him reluctantly to focus again on the guqin. A soft smile lifts his lips, wondering if anything he can offer will serve as great a gift as what his friend bestows him with. Awed at the wonderful fleeting chance before him because of his meeting with this man. He's content with this home and whatever horrors that will come because of his selfish emotions. Of finding this place to belong in. It's with this conviction that he sets one hand on over his necklace underneath his robes and runs his fingers over the strings, releasing the first notes. They vibrate through the clearing, blending with the wind chimes hanging from the roof. Runyu’s eyes close.

For a moment, he’s glad that he’s not ready to play anything for Xingchen. He doesn’t want his first music upon the guqin to be something shallow.

He stills the strings’ call soon after, releasing an inhaled breath and opening his eyes once more. ]

I will need time, ( he confesses in a voice above a trembling whisper, ) but when I’m ready…

[ He leaves the promise unspoken in the air. ]

( the token protest earns a quiet hum of warm acquiescence, because whether or not xingchen intends acclimatize this man to kindness here in this realm, he also wouldn't dream of implying that such a thing as kindness might ever be taken for granted. he'd argue that those are hardly the only two options, having each little kindness pull him entirely off his axis or taking them for granted instead, but he's not in a particularly argumentative mood at the moment. a fond embrace is preferable by a wide margin, even if that too ends all too soon.

when runyu shifts back, xingchen allows his arm to sink back down to his side, quietly admiring this new little smile in the corner of his figurative eye... and as such, he sees his companion's hand lift to the front of his robes, to-... oh. the coin - xinchen can see the cord there, peeking out from the collar of runyu's robes. and this, too, has that formless little pocket of sentiment swelling that much more in the space between his lungs, tightening his breath just slightly. it's imperceptible, with runyu's attention thoroughly occupied by the guqin now, and in truth xingchen's own attention soon follows, that first gentle strum tugging his gaze away now from the hand which rests on the coin like an anchor. he has always been fond of a guqin's sound, so clear yet never sharp at the edges, and even so idle a strum sounds nothing short of lovely.

'i will need time.' the words are both quieter and more shaky than xingchen expected, and he looks to his dear friend again, the faintest concern in the set of his brow just below the edge of his bandaging. but it softens away as more words come and he realizes quite what it is that runyu's trying to say. and instead, he offers a smile of assurance. ) When you're ready, ( he says, ) I'd be honored to hear it. ( and that's left to sit in the air for a moment, before he follows up with the more practical - ) Now, I know that you wouldn't dream of asking for privacy in which to play, but I fully intend to make a nuisance of myself in Lotus Pier a few times each week regardless. Will that be enough time? ( he's not learned an instrument before, so he doesn't know what sort of commitment the maintenance of such skills actually is. all he knows is that he doesn't want runyu to feel like he needs to disappear off into the woods for the chance to play in solitude. )

( Runyu's answering smile is a little over bright still, his vision blurring on the edges with withheld tears of gratitude, as he nods. ) Plenty, ( he utters voice still trembling. He inhales and returns his eyes to the guqin. ) It will take time to adjust to being allowed it. Time to accept it as much as time to remember what I know.

[ He retrieves the cloth, stares at the instrument for another moment, before carefully rewrapping it. He leaves it on the table for now, hand lingering on the top until he pulls it away. His emotions flip in another direction as he hides one arm behind his back (the same one that wouldn't leave the instrument) and turns to his friend with a larger smile. ]

How long will your sight last? Do you have time to see the flowers when I give their names?

( does he have time? his own smile renews now as well, and he nods an affirmative. ) I do, ( he says, because while he hasn't any firm idea how long he'll be able to maintain his sight like this, he made certain to save it for his arrival here, so at the very least he has something close to an hour. )

( Runyu releases a little sound of joy with his response and turns to the garden around them. ) They aren't the flowers I knew in my realm but seem common enough to make them easy to plant and hopefully, take care of. The small ones in the meadow are called Pansies. I chose them because they were the first ones that caught my eye at the market, already in bloom, with the striking painted center. ( He chuckles quietly. ) If you look closely, some of the patterns look like little faces. Maybe that seems a little strange or ominous, but the faces don't remind me of ghosts but of children peeking around the corner. Their roots are shallow, too, so the holes aren't difficult to dig. ( He rubs the back of his head with a sheepish puff of breath. ) Hopefully I didn't get too many.

Edited ((Caught a late typo lol)) 2021-06-16 01:10 (UTC)

( and if that quiet delighted sound weren't enough to leave xingchen thoroughly endeared, all of that which follows certainly would. make no mistake, runyu is quite true to his word - he does indeed name the flowers as promised (pansies, xingchen files the word away) - but along with that name comes quite a bit more, a retelling of why they were chosen and even more regarding the little face-like patterns near the middle.

then comes a sheepish, 'hopefully i didn't get to many,' and though xingchen knelt to examine the nearest pansies just after runyu introduced them, his light touch falls away from the nearest blooms now. instead he's rising to his feet again, turning to face his companion with a definitive shakes of his head and a terribly fond sort of smile. ) You've gotten just enough, I think. ( with luck, these flowers will thrive here - will grow and flourish until xingchen and runyu have lost most of their yard to the whims of the pansies, and willingly so. perhaps then, runyu might begin to see life in flowers rather than simply pain and loss. )

[ Runyu chuckles again and his wings flutter behind him, releasing some of the warmth filling him at his friend’s diligence to his work. And from completing a promise and being allowed to see the end with someone who will remember the moment. Even if it is something as fleeting and delicate as a flower garden. ]

I’m glad you believe so because I got a little attached to all the patterns. I didn’t want to leave anyone behind.

[ How foolish to even talk about these flowers like he would people.

Runyu turns away, embarrassed at his own silliness, and continues with his explanation. ) Their scent isn’t very strong so they won’t be as vibrant when you lose your ‘sight’ again, but the others I chose hopefully can be appreciated even without your sight. The purple ones against the house are called- ( He reaches into his sleeve and pulls out a couple flower tags, fumbling a moment to turn them the right way to read the small labels. ) Hyacinths. Their scent is similar to honey and vanilla. I hope that’s not too strong for your nose when you’re a fox, but I wanted you to enjoy the garden even if you were blind, and the wind chimes didn’t seem enough.

[ Runyu abruptly shuts up, realizing that he’s rambling for probably the first time in his life. And even confusing topics. Hearing and smell. He covers his lips with a fist to keep his blush down.]

I may have put to much thought into this… My apologies, Xingchen.

( on the contrary, a flower garden is far from fleeting. perhaps in bavan proper it might be, what with the city being the focal point for most of the alarming occurrences on the peninsula - but tucked away in the woods like this, they'll likely have more trouble containing such a garden than keeping it alive.

and of course, runyu has to continue on being endearing. 'i didn't want to leave anyone behind,' he says, and though he's already shifting to turn away in his embarrassment, xingchen nonetheless agrees, ) Most certainly not. ( and however silly the notion might be, his support seems entirely genuine.

the explanation carries onward from there, about the scent of the flowers and the care that runyu took to ensure that some might smell strongly enough to be appreciated without sight. and truly, it's so much care... enough that xingchen isn't at all sure how to receive it - only sure that he will receive it, won't allow himself to deflect or assure that it wasn't necessary, because this deserves far more appreciation than that.

runyu closes with an apology, and xingchen again shakes his head a bit. ) You haven't. ( put too much thought in, that is. his voice goes slightly softer but no less genuine as he continues: ) Forgive me if I haven't responded appropriately. I'm... unused to receiving so thoughtful a gift, and I can't seem to find the right words.

( his gaze turns back to the pansies now, their variety of colors and faces. ) Rest assured, however, that I'm more than capable of delighting in this garden with or without my sight. My sense of smell is much sharper than it once was, even in this form - and were that not the case, it would be enough simply to know that the flowers are here.

[ Wings trembling once more, Runyu turns his head aside again, nearly overcome by the well of emotions that surge in him at the generous response Xingchen bestows on him for the work on the garden and home. There’s a whisper inside him to dispel such vulnerabilities — to lay claim to its selfish nature of creating something to keep him near him — and yet, a larger part inside him remains silent, soaking in the warmth and the validation behind the praise. That it may be selfish or small but that it has still made his friend happy and that’s what he wanted.

Only that.

But the silence and the blush to his cheeks is a little too much. A few minute later, he turns back and excuses spill out in an attempt to find a manner of balance in this scene. ]

It’s nothing. ( He waves a hand to dispel some of the gaiety inside him but unable to hide his smile. ) I’m glad you will enjoy it, but I don’t need anything more than that. I already received something equally precious.

[ His wings quiver once more at speaking a phrase of such value aloud before he releases another tremulous laugh. ]

The other plants are chrysanthemums. People enjoy their softer scent with strong flowers like the hyacinth. I ended up getting two colors. I missed the presence of a white flower, but I needed a bolder color to balance the hyacinths and pansies.

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