hi! on account of an unexpected hospital visit, i’m back on your dash. you can pay me to draw something for you!!
these will all go through my vgen. additional services not pictured: three-drawing comms + collage-style comms, or anything that falls outside of these bounds via custom inquiry~
lol. lmao even. this is fucking hilarious. not only am i the one that has always been the one to take my siblings to the hospital, my account is the one charged with the hospital copay. god.
bright side i have found a new chryzurecore manhwa. packing up my room with friends. thank you everyone that was open to calls late last night. and i’m taking ayla straight to obsession once she gets out. art looks good. forced a friend to also watch so i married an axe murderer last night too and that’s good
current fav chryzure au is the one where they were accidentally genetically modified to be codependent. they didn’t have to worry abt building it up. chrysi sees azure and azure sees chrysi and they both agree that it’s time to emotionally cheat on chrysi’s fiancé. and then chrysi is brutally murdered but idc abt that
The winter holiday brings even more development for Jing Yuan and Venus.
Aka, whoops christmas fic in summer because its plot relevant.
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Venus had never been much of a party person.
Not that she would describe herself as antisocial per say. She loved her friends and hanging out with them. But she felt more comfortable when those activities were one on one, perhaps in small groups. Large groups of people, some of whom she knew and some she didn't? Yikes.
The only reason she found herself in this situation now, nursing a warm cup of tea and using the calming, repetitive sight of the snow falling outside the window to avoid getting overwhelmed by the loud, overlapping sounds and too bright lights of the party around her, was because a friend had invited her. They were the host actually; one of her fellow artisans, Xiaohui, had decided to throw a holiday party. Venus had become well acquainted with many of the other artisans since moving her, this one included.
“you should come; it'll just be a casual gathering between friends.”
Though she cared for them, her first instinct was to decline. But it was the first party she'd been invited to since coming here, and if she declined straight away then maybe they'd never invite her to another or to any type of social thing again. “Yeah, sure. It sounds like a great time.”
“Wonderful! You can even bring a plus one with you if you'd like; maybe even a date.” She winked at Venus.
All Venus had been able to do in response to that comment was laugh awkwardly. Being so new here, she didn't really have anyone she was close enough to she could invite. Most of her new friends were also artisans and also already likely invited, or they were back on Penacony or the Zhuming. And a date? Definitely not.
Well.
There was technically one person who came to mind, but there was no way.
“Do you have any plans as we approach the holidays?”
She and Jing Yuan had met up at a local tea house to chat while they both had a free moment. It'd only continued to grow colder since the fall and Venus had made sure to bundle up on her way there. Even a couple weeks after returning his coat, Jing Yuan still liked to tease her for forgetting her jacket that one night.
“Nothing much really. The biggest thing is I'll be taking a vacation soon.”
“Oh?” Jing Yuan gave a nod of thanks to their server as he refilled their cups.
“Yeah, it'll be my first time leaving the ship since moving here. I'll be going back to Penacony for the first time in a while.” She'd left her home planet to study on the Zhuming a few years ago and had come straight to the Loufu after; in her time on the Starforge, she'd made a few visits back home but it's felt like ages since she last went back.
“I see.” He did the thing again. Jing Yuan so rarely let anything he didn't want to be betrayed by his expression, but if you looked closely, which she did, she could see the changing looks in his eye. That didn't mean she could always decipher them though. Maybe this one was forlorn? Though he closed his eyes and took a sip from his tea almost as soon as it appeared and she was cut off from trying to figure it out. “How long will you be away?”
“I got permission to be away for two weeks. Long enough to enjoy some of the holiday celebrations back home.”
“I imagine the planet of festivities certainly knows how to throw a party.”
“Oh yeah.” She giggled. “Whether in or out of the dreamscape, you can count on things to be super lively wherever you go.” Venus bit the inside of her cheek, mulling over her thoughts. “Speaking of parties…”
Jing Yuan tilted his head, giving her a chance to go on. Did she dare bring it up? Would he say yes? Was it presumptuous to even mention it in the first place?
“Well…” Fuck, okay, she already brought it up so she has to elaborate. “Before that, I actually got invited to a party a friend from the artisanship commission is hosting.”
“That's exciting. Are you planning on attending?”
“Yeah, I said I would. I'm a bit nervous though, since I don't really go to parties and I might be a bit awkward by myself. Um, they said that I could, like, well I could actually bring a plus one with me. I'm not really sure who to bring, but, um, you probably have plans but if you don't and you think it sounds cool you could come too?” She actually said it, she got it out. Oh, Aeons.
Jing Yuan ponders his tea, not responding at first. Again, she can see in his eyes some sort of forlorn look and braces herself. “That is a very tempting offer, but considering my work…”
Venus shakes her head, quickly course correcting. “Right, I know you're probably busy. But, if you happen not to be, just consider it an open invitation kind of thing.” Her voice gets smaller as she speaks until the sentence fades out. Her fingers nervously tap against the side of her cup. Maybe this was stupid.
Reaching across the table, Jing Yuan's hand is placed over the back of her's, stopping her fidgeting. He gives her a reassuring smile. “I will, thank you.”
And that brings her back to now, to the party where she has no plus one. Based on her texts with Jing Yuan earlier, he was trapped in paperwork and meeting hell today. So, it seemed she was officially flying solo tonight.
It's about what she expected, really. Maybe it was kind of silly to think he'd have time for something like this, and he's technically the boss of basically everyone here so that might also be awkward. Still, it kind of stung. Not because he did anything wrong, but just from her own messed up heart.
Weeks ago, when she had first realized she had a crush on Jing Yuan, she had asked herself how she should navigate her relationship with him going forward. And in all that time between then and now, she really hadn't come up with any answers.
Back then, after he had walked her home, it was a few days before they had seen each other again. Her mind had swung like an out of control pendulum between confessing or not confessing. Part of her wanted to scream her feelings at him as soon as she realized them. The other part wanted to set herself on fire before doing that.
She wanted to tell him, she really did. She wanted to show him how much she cared for him, wanted to have him accept and sweep her into his embrace. But, Jing Yuan was a complicated man. He was gentle and sweet, but he had the weight of an entire ship on his shoulders. He was always willing to lend an ear, but he rarely shared anything from the depths of his own heart. Was a man like him even looking for a relationship? Did he have the time or the desire to settle down with anyone? And if he did, would he even choose her?
She didn't have an answer for any of that, which only made things harder for her. Maybe it was best not to think about that right now.
She's been at the party for a few hours at this point. She really tried her best to mingle and even had some fun conversations. But there were just so many people who knew each other better and it was so loud, maybe it'd be fine if she left soon?
She stood up, and that's when one of the other guests she'd been talking to earlier stumbled over. It was actually someone she'd spoken to a few times who worked in the sky faring commission, Zhi Han. “Heyy, Venus!”
She was drunk, clearly. Not quite black out, but she was definitely going to be feeling it tomorrow. Zhi Han threw an arm around Venus, who had to quickly catch herself before she spilled her tea all over the floor, and gestured to her with her own cup. It definitely smelled heavily of some sort of alcohol. “I noticed you've just been nursing your tea over here; why not let loose and have something a bit stronger? It's a party, after all.”
“Oh, um,” Venus put a hand out shaking her head. “No thank you, I don't really drink alcohol.”
“Huh? Why not?”
“Well…” She'd never really seen the appeal of getting drunk. Besides, ever since her senses became so heightened, the pungent scent and taste became three times as disgusting. She didn't want to launch into all the details, though. “I just don't really like the taste.”
“There's a bunch of different kinds though. You look like you could use something a bit sweet. Here!” Zhi Han dragged her over to the beverage table and grabbed a cup of something that, in contrast to her own cup, smelled almost too sweet like it was compensating for something. “You can barely even tell this one's alcoholic at all.”
That somehow sounded even more dangerous. But with the cup thrust right into her hands, Venus took it with an awkward smile. Just as suddenly as Zhi Han had stumbled into her bubble, someone else called her from across the room and she took her exit.
Well now what? Venus stared at her own reflection in the cup. It was true she could barely detect the scent of actual alcohol in the cup, but did she really want to drink it? She looked around, taking in everyone with their flushed faces. Maybe she should try just a taste so she didn't seem rude or like she wasn't having any fun?
Venus raised the cup to her lips, sipping at the drink. Ugh, there was definitely the after taste of the alcohol there, it couldn't hide from her sensitive palette, but it wasn't as bad as every other time she's tried the stuff. And now she's sipped from it so if she puts it down now she'd just be wasting a whole cup that someone else could've had. Guess she's got no choice now.
Not always one to think things through to completion, Venus made the poor decision to simply get it over with and chug the entire cup. Seeing as she hasn't had a drop of alcohol in who knows how long, Venus's body didn't exactly have much experience handling alcohol. Combined with the fact she's already naturally a light weight who'd eaten very little in the past couple hours, chugging the entire cup hit her hard.
She stuck her tongue out against the offensive after taste, crumpling the used cup and throwing it away. Her face felt too warm now. Actually, everything was too warm, and this room hadn't gotten any less overstimulating. Venus dodged through the crowd, hitting her toe against a table and almost falling on her way out, and stepped out onto the deserted balcony.
Everything felt much better as soon as she had a door between her and everyone else. The winter air even helped to calm down her tingly face. It was still snowing, but only a little bit; tiny white flecks falling and barely sticking to the ground. She slid to the ground against the railings behind her, taking in a much needed breath of fresh air; being within sight of the stars always made her feel better. She probably should've just gone home when she first felt like it, though; really she should know better than to listen to peer pressure like that. Now she had to wait out her swimming head.
This kind of sucked, actually. Her skin was crawling from all the stimulation and the alcohol was making it harder to tune everything out. She hated that she swung between enjoying herself amongst everyone and wishing she had stayed home. Would it have been better if she had come here with someone whose side she could've stayed by so it didn't feel like she was floundering for social interaction? Maybe if she had managed to get Jing Yuan to come…
No, that only made things worse, thinking about that. She still had no idea what to do about that. This sucked.
Venus sniffled. Oh no, was she a weepy drunk? It was a good thing she didn't have enough to get well and truly drunk, otherwise she was afraid she would've started bawling. A few tears did spring to her eyes, though. She hid her face behind her wings; she was hidden from view if anyone looked out the glass, but she didn't want anyone who might come outside to see her like this. She really wanted to go home soon.
In her pocket, her phone pinged. Venus lifted one wing just enough to peer down at it. She wasn't really sure who would be-
It was Jing Yuan. Why was he texting her? Was he done with work? What was he doing?
Opening the text, it was simply asking how her night was going. At least that's what she could tell through her slightly blurry vision from the buzz and the tears. She went to text him back, but all of a sudden she was hit with the overwhelming urge to just hear his voice.
Without thinking, she clicked the call button.
“Venus?” He sounded confused, but pleasantly so.
“Heyyy. Um, sorry, I guess I didn't need to call.”
“It's fine. I- Venus, are you alright?”
She sniffles, wiping away the little tears that had stubbornly formed. He probably heard “Oh yeahh, sorry. I… I'm okayy.”
“Are you sure? It sounds like you've been crying.”
“Nooo. No, I jus’… just got a little over- overwhelmed is all.”
Jing Yuan hummed on the other end of the phone. He didn't sound entirely convinced. “Forgive me for asking, but have you been drinking?”
Well, she was hoping he wouldn't hear that in her voice either, but seems like he's too perceptive for her own good. “Jus’ a lil.”
“I thought you didn't like alcohol. “
“I don't.”
“Did someone make you-”
“No, no no. No, I was stupid. I didn't really wan’ to but I thought maybe I should I- I don't know… I don't think I'm having fun anymore.”
His voice dropped an octave, laced with gentle concern. “I was going to ask how the party was going, but I suppose that answers my question. Did something happen?” She hears him moving around on the other end of the phone, though she's not sure what he's doing.
“Nothin’ really, I think it's just a bit too much. I was having fun, but now I don't know. It's too loud, and everyone is… too much.” Venus brings her knees up to her chest, rubbing the heel of her palm against her eye.
“Well then, if that's the case,” She hears him moving again, a door closing behind him. “Would it be impertinent to ask if I can steal you away?”
“What?”
“I'm all done with my work, I can come over and take you home. It sounds like you could use a bit of help. I can be there in 15 minutes.” More noise behind him, someone greeting him as he entered a starskiff.
“You don't have to.” He was coming here after all? Oh no, was her makeup ruined from crying? “Really, I'm alright."
“Be that as it may, you know I hate to leave you to fend for yourself. Especially if you've been drinking and you're not used to it.”
“Are you sure?”
“Completely. May I come pick you up?”
“Please.” She couldn't fight the whine that entered her voice.
“I'll be there as soon as I can. Wait outside for me if it's safe. Do you want to stay on the phone?”
She shakes her head. He can't see her. “I gotta say goodbye real quick. I'll… I'll see you soon, Jing Yuan. Thank you.”
“Think nothing of it. I'm only ten minutes away.”
She hung up the phone. Was he really on his way just to pick her up? Venus pulled herself to her feet, swaying a little. She had to say goodbye to Xiaohui at least, since she was the host. One quick appearance check later, she sneaks her way back into the party. Xiaohui isn't hard to find, and thankfully she's alone for a moment.
“Hey,” Venus says, grabbing her attention. “I think I'm gonna head out for the night.”
“Oh, of course! It's starting to get late, huh? Are you okay?” A bit of concern flashes across her face, taking in the slight disheveled look to Venus.
Is she really that bad at hiding how she feels? First Jing Yuan, now her? “Yeah, I'm jus’ a little tired.”
“Okay, go get some rest. Do you have someone picking you up?”
“Mhm. Jing Yuan is coming.” She doesn't think that maybe she shouldn't be broadcasting that, or referring to him so casually in front of people.
Xiaohui laughs a little, clearly thinking it's a drunk joke. “Sure. Seriously though, you're alright?”
“Yeah, he'll be here soon. I'm jus’ gonna wait outside.”
With a little more reassurance, Xiaohui hesitantly sends her off. Venus waves goodbye to a few more people until she's again out in the fresh air. Her wings flapped, swiping away some snow from getting in her eyes. She ends up leaning against a pillar on the porch, squinting at her phone. How long has it been since Jing Yuan said he was coming? What time was it?
She hears the crunching of boots against the pavement, crushing some of the fine snow that stuck there. It was pathetically relieving to look up and see Jing Yuan at the edge of the sidewalk a couple feet away. He smiled, holding out his hands. “Just under 15 minutes; not bad on my part, I'd say.”
Venus jogged down the steps, thankfully not tripping over herself. She took his hands, as warm and reassuring as always, but that didn't feel like enough. She slumped forward, her face hitting his chest.
“You made it.” She said into his chest.
He released one of her hands, wrapping his arm around her waist to keep her supported. Her other hand, though, he keeps in his grasp and squeezes gently. “Did you think I wouldn't show up? I told you I was on my way.”
She shrugged. “I just thought you'd be working all night.”
“I finished as soon as I could. I may not have been quick enough to join you tonight, but it seems like I was just in time, at least.” He pulls her back a bit, enough so he could take a closer look at her face. “Are you ready to go home now?”
She had been, but it was strange. All of a sudden, standing there with Jing Yuan, a different feeling had overtaken her. “Not yet, actually.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Did you change your mind about leaving early?”
“No, it’ not that. I still wanna leave but, I don't think I want to go home just yet. Can we…” She trails off, gathering her courage. “Can we go for a walk or something instead? Do you have time for me now?”
His gaze softened. Venus felt his hand rubbing up and down the length of her back. “Of course I do.” His eyes locked on something behind her for a moment and he cleared his throat. He leaned in a little to say quietly. “We should probably get going now, then.”
She looked behind herself to see for herself what he'd noticed. It looked like Xiaohui, out of concern, had peeked out the window to check on Venus. She stared with wide, curious eyes at the pair outside her house. It looks like she realized Venus wasn't joking. It wasn't as if people didn't know Jing Yuan made visits to her workshop, but this definitely went beyond a professional relationship. She was going to have to explain this later, for sure.
Jing Yuan started to lead her away, but it quickly became apparent that natural clumsiness, alcohol, slippery sidewalks, and slight exhaustion all were working against her.
“Sorry.” Venus mumbled after another stumble.
Jing Yuan seemed unbothered, but she felt bad she had suggested a walk and could barely do that right. “Oh my, it seems like you really can't handle your alcohol.”
“Don't make fun of me, Jing Yuan.”
“I'm doing no such thing.”
“Promise?”
“Of course; I would never.” He paused for a moment, then slid his arm around her shoulders so he could keep her close to his side.
This was so embarrassing. But, even so, was it alright that she was enjoying this?
Their walk was slow, Jing Yuan made sure to match his pace with her's. The cold air and star light gradually helped to clear Venus's head, lifting some of the fog and undoing the effects of her earlier overstimulation.
They reached a bridge overlooking a small, unhurried stream. Without saying a word, they mutually came to a stop along the railing. Venus could see their reflections ripple in the water, surrounded by blurry points of light from the street lamps.
“Thank you for coming.” She finally said, breaking their silence.
“Think nothing of it.” He rested his hands on the railing, poised as ever. “If anything, I'm sorry I couldn't accompany you to the party.”
Venus shrugged. “It was a big ask, don't worry about it.”
“It wasn't, though.” She saw his reflection turn to look at her. “I hope you know that I did want to attend with you. It's just a bit more complicated of a matter than my personal desires. But, that doesn't change the fact that the entire time I attended to my duties tonight, I was thinking about how I would have much rather been in your company.”
Venus fought the urge to shrink in on herself. Now that she was thinking clearly, she could really think about the situation she was in. He'd really come for her. They were really here, alone together late at night, and he was being so sweet. The same question that was constantly on her mind player.
How does she navigate this?
She doesn't know what to say, but for better or for worse one thing is clear. Even if she doesn't have the courage to confess to Jing Yuan, yet or possibly ever, she doesn't want this feeling to go away. Maybe that's enough for now.
Venus leans her head onto Jing Yuan's shoulder. “I did have fun talking to people tonight. I'm not the best at mingling, but it wasn't all that bad. But, I thought about how much more fun it would have been if you had been there with me. I also like when it's just us, though; it's much more peaceful.” His reflection was still looking at her. Venus finally felt brave enough to face him head on too. “I'm gonna miss you while I'm away.”
Jing Yuan smiled, heartbreakingly sweet. “You'll be a bit too far away for me to take a starskiff over and help if you're in a bind.”
She chuckled, breath puffing out in front of her. “Yeah, just a bit.”
“I'd still come, though, if you needed me.”
“Think you could get away from work that long?”
He shrugged. “I cannot ignore my duties to the Loufu, but I would still find a way.”
“Can I call you while I'm away?"
“I would be offended if you didn't.”
A small, genuine smile came to Venus's face. She let herself nuzzle her face just a little further into Jing Yuan's shoulder. “Good. I'll bring you back a souvenir too. Something that really screams Penacony.”
“I look forward to it. I've heard there's a rather famous drink over there. Soulglad, was it?”
Venus laughed. “I'll bring you some if you want, but I was thinking of something a little more interesting than just a bottle of soda. Besides, the stuff you can get in reality is way inferior to the kind in the dreamscape. You'll have to visit yourself someday to get the authentic taste.”
“I'll keep that in mind.” Jing Yuan glanced away, towards his coat pocket. “Speaking of gifts.” He reached inside, pulling out a small box. “Since you won't be here for the actual holiday, I thought I should give you your gift now.”
Venus's mouth opened and closed like a fish. “Wha- Jing Yuan, no fair! I don't have your gift with me.”
“It's fine, I swear. Truthfully I was waiting until it got a little closer to your departure day, but something tells me this is a better moment.” He holds the box out to her, gesturing for her to take it. “Go on.”
Slowly, not wanting to appear too eager, Venus took the box. It wasn't wrapped, save for a small bow placed on top; she could tell it was a jewelry box. She glanced up at him one more time, his eyes encouraging her to continue.
Inside was one of the most beautiful bracelets she had ever seen. Gold, the same shade as her usual accessories, decorated with pink star shaped gems that glimmered even in the dim light. Twisting it, she could see the facets within the crystals shift, as if they contained tiny fragments of space itself. “Oh, wow. This- it's so pretty.” She looked back at Jing Yuan, who seemed quite pleased. “I don't know what to say. I mean, thank you. Like, honestly. Thank you.”
“I'm glad you like it.” He held out a hand, eyes looking between the bracelet and her. “May I?”
She placed the bracelet in his palm. With all the gentleness in the world, Jing Yuan clasped it around her wrist. “You're right.” He said. He didn't release her hand right away, keeping it in both of his. “It's stunning.”
To her true shock, Jing Yuan raised her hand to his lips. It was just a graze, barely even a brush, but he placed a faint kiss against her wrist beside the bracelet. “Happy holidays.”
Venus took a deep, deep breath. “Happy holidays.”
—
The next morning, Venus hadn't had enough alcohol that she had to suffer the consequences from it. No, what she did have to suffer the consequences for was her lack of subtlety. She woke to maybe 100 text messages from Xiaohui, all curiously demanding to know why the general of all people was personally picking her up at night. It appeared she had another situation she had to learn to navigate.
Some sketches for Venus in her mara struck arc and her boss fight form possessed by the Abundance Aeon, Yaoshi.
I wanted to make her mara struck form feel sort of like a dark magical girl. For the possessed version, it's mostly inspired by Yaoshi's design but there are small details from Venus that cling to her.
Venus's boyfriends look at these and understand that obviously they have to stop her and free her from this. But also... if evil, why so sexy? I guess evil also means tiddies out too.
I started this months ago and got writers block before picking it up again. Idk if it's my best work but I'm glad I was finally able to get this all out.
---
Venus (3:36pm):
*sent 1 photo*
One of the artisans gave this cat a fish the other day and ever since he's been coming by begging all the local workshops for food.
Jing Yuan (3:39pm):
He certainly looks well fed; I suspect it wasn't just one person who's given in and fed the little guy.
Venus (3:41pm):
Well… I may have given him a few treats myself, too.
Venus (3:41pm):
He's just too cute to resist!
Venus (3:42pm):
ᓚ₍⑅^..^₎♡
Jing Yuan (3:49pm):
Haha. If it were me, I wouldn't have been able to hold back either.
Jing Yuan (3:50pm):
With eyes like those, it's a miracle he isn't a sphere from being stuffed full of treats.
Jing Yuan (3:50pm):
Perhaps you could give him a fish on my behalf.
*sent 1 sticker: happy fish*
Venus chuckles, eyes on her phone while her free hand rubs the belly of her, rather round indeed, feline visitor. It's become a regular occurrence for her and Jing Yuan to text throughout their day. He's often a lot busier than she is so his responses are very rarely immediate, but whenever he can, without fail, he always sends at least a short reply.
She looks forward to checking her phone and seeing a text from him. A flutter in her chest appears whenever she wakes up and sees her friend has sent her a text. She spams hearts back whenever she gets a photo of Mimi or compliments his pictures of the sunrise from his home's balcony. She also makes sure to question him if he’s eating throughout the day and not overworking himself, and she's gotten pretty good at figuring out when he's being truthful or when he's dodging the question because he hasn't eaten since that morning. He always takes her scolding in stride and promises to have a meal, sending her a photo as proof.
Slowly but surely, his texts have become one of the highlights of her day. She's rarely felt this kind of comfort just from talking with someone through a text message, not even having to hear their voice.
She's found herself especially hanging onto every text recently since she hasn't actually seen him in person in about two weeks. His duties as the Divine Foresight have been keeping him busy lately, there hasn't been any time for him to sneak over to her workshop let alone for them to meet up elsewhere. She's glad she can at least text him like this, but an undeniable part of her misses him. When did she get so used to his presence in her life that the lack of him would affect her like this? They're still on the same ship, still so close, but he feels so far away.
She wonders if he misses her too…
At least he says his busy period is winding down. Given a few more days, while his work is never truly slow, he should have more time on his hands. Hopefully soon she can spend some with him again.
Even Yanqing, who's made a slightly more infrequent but still noticeable habit of coming to visit her, hasn't been by lately. It sounds like he's been very helpful to Jing Yuan as his retainer, and for that she's grateful. But the lack of his presence is noticed too, not having someone at her side asking about her process for forging and trying to hold in his child like glee at receiving presents and snacks.
Letting the cat waddle off, with an extra treat in his mouth, Venus pushes herself to her feet and checks her phone again. She smiles at the silly sticker he sent her. Sometimes he really does text like an old man, but he can also be surprisingly cute.
Venus (3:52pm):
Mr. Cat says thank you for the extra treat :3
Venus pauses for a moment, then adds:
Venus (3:52pm):
BTW, how's work going? Still busy?
She debates adding more to the text, asking if maybe he'll have time to meet soon or maybe even just have a phone call, but she deletes it. She doesn't want to seem desperate or anything like that. Surely he'll let her know on his own when he's free. Whenever that is…
She checks her phone again, three seconds later, and right up top she spots a new text notification. Her heart leaps and she immediately clicks on it to confirm that it’s Jing Yuan. Definitely not desperate.
Jing Yuan (4:01pm):
My work has been proceeding smoothly for the most part. However it seems we've hit a slight issue.
Venus (4:02pm):
An issue? What's wrong?
Jing Yuan (4:02pm)
Well…
Distantly, she hears a ding from one of her computer screens across the room.
Jing Yuan (4:02pm):
Perhaps you should check your messages.
Slightly confused, Venus weaves her way around some discarded parts littering the ground over to her computer. There's many screens dotting her workshop, most of which are for her to hook machines up to and run diagnostics or check coding and such. This particular computer is primarily for the more boring aspects of her work, namely writing reports or sending and receiving work related messages. Most official requests come to her through here if they're not given in person. There in her inbox she sees a new message, and when she checks who the job is for…
“The seat of Divine Foresight?” She mumbles to herself. She glances at her phone, eyebrow raised, and then continues to read the job in full.
The message comes directly from a man named Yong Hai, a secretary at the seat of Divine Foresight. It appears to be something of an emergency request; some of their circuitry malfunctioned and, while it hasn't completely shorted out their systems, it caused several pieces of equipment to malfunction. They gave a bit more information on the equipment that shorted out, but basically wanted her to come in and evaluate the problem as soon as possible and make the necessary repairs.
The fact that they contacted her of all people was a bit of a surprise, but she suspected a certain general had something to do with it. It's nerve-wracking, just a little bit; she's been here for a few months now but there hasn't been any reason for her to make the trip over to the Seat of Divine Foresight, the central hub of the inner workings of the Loufu. It's where Jing Yuan's office is, as the Divine Foresight himself.
She really doesn't have any reason to refuse; a main part of her job on the Luofu is to answer to the jobs given to her by the artisanship commission, and while she hasn't yet received any official jobs from them until now, the Seat of Divine Foresight proceeds that as well. So from a professional stand point, she has reason enough for why her hands fly to the keyboard to confirm she will be right there. But from a more selfish reasoning… Jing Yuan is most likely at his office right now.
He spends a lot of time outside of his office attending to various duties, but she knows from his earlier texts he was mostly dealing with administrative tasks at his desk today. So unless he suddenly has to run out, she'll get to see him for the first time in two weeks if she accepts the job.
Obviously she's not expecting them to be able to hang out, she probably won't even get to really speak to him while there, but the promise of being near him again is enticing enough for that not to matter.
Once again, not desperate.
As she steps away from her desk, she grabs her phone again.
Venus (4:09)
I think I got an idea of your “issue”.
Jing Yuan doesn't send much of a reply to that, all she receives is a sticker of a closed eyed smile. Venus shakes her head, but her lips twitch into a small smile.
She gets some tools together and heads out, weaving through the pathways of the artisanship commission. Some of the other artisans out and about call over to her in greeting to which she responds in kind; there's too many artisans employed by the Luofu to say she has become acquainted with even close to everyone, but by reputation and her own clumsy charm she's managed to integrate herself into the community decently well.
There's a starskiff dock right outside the main entrance of the artisanship commission, though it won't take her straight to the Seat of Divine Foresight. For security purposes, there's only a few starskiffs that go directly to the grand structure overseeing the Luofu. A quick connecting trip drops her off in the Exalting Sanctum, from which she can find a starskiff to take her the rest of the way.
The cloud knight before her stares her down; his gaze is hidden from her behind his helmet, but she can feel his eyes trying to pick her apart. Behind him rests the starskiff she's trying to board, one with a direct path to her destination. “What is your business at the Seat of Divine Foresight?” He asks her, voice gruff and edging on accusatory, as if she'd already done something wrong. He eyes the bag at her hip suspiciously.
Venus already knew she'd be questioned, but it's still intimidating being under his stare. Still, she fumbles with her phone, taking it from her “suspicious” bag. “I'm with the artisanship commission.” She begins. “There’s been a malfunction with some equipment that they need repaired immediately.” She shows him the official requests for repairs sent to her, as well as her identification as an artisan. The guard stares at it for what feels like an excessive amount of time, but she supposes it's better to be safe than sorry when you're guarding such an important place. Whatever the case, he relents eventually and hands her back her phone.
“Very well.” Is all the gruff guard says, stepping aside.
Venus breathes a quiet sigh of relief after she steps past him.
The ride there is uneventful; she's worried about being questioned again when she arrives, but it seems like either the guard at the dock sent word ahead or the secretaries told the ones guarding the front door about her arrival, because she's let in without much extra fuss.
“Miss Venus.” A foxian in a crisp uniform approaches her. He dips his head in a polite nod. “I'm Yong Hai, the secretary who sent you the maintenance request. Thank you for your quick reply.”
Venus readjusts the strap of her tool bag, the stiff material digging into her hand a little as her grip flexes on it anxiously. “Oh, no problem! It's nice to meet you.” Her eyes slide away from Yong Hai to examine the rest of the grand entrance hall she finds herself in. The whole building feels larger than life; the doors are all twice as big as they need to be, the ceiling towers high over her head, every aspect of this place feels like it radiates power and sophistication. She can hear quiet chatter in all directions, the thrum of dozens and dozens of people all working together to keep the Luofu's heart beating.
It's different from the seat of power on the Zhuming, but the feeling is the same; this isn't a place to be taken lightly.
Yong Hai smiles to himself. “Is this your first time in the Seat of Divine Foresight?”
It's said as a question but it's not really, she can tell he's already guessed the answer; the stars in her eyes must be obvious. She laughs weakly, trying to play it off. “Well… yeah, it is. It's really pretty; I can't help but admire whoever designed it. Um, I'm honored to be here, to be the one entrusted with these repairs. Thank you for reaching out.”
“Of course. Though, you shouldn't thank me. The general was the one who personally requested you.”
Venus pauses. She'd had a feeling, but getting it confirmed brings the butterflies back to her stomach. “He did?”
“Oh, yes; he said you came highly recommended by General Huaiyan on the Zhuming. He felt confident in your ability to take care of this issue.”
Venus doesn't really know what to say. Hearing how Jing Yuan praised her to his staff and felt confident enough in her abilities to personally trust her with this stirred something in her chest. She was too focused on the heat in her cheeks and the lump in her throat to formulate a reply.
Yong Hai turns, indicating for her to follow. “The Divine Foresight's office is this way; that's where the root of the issue is.”
She follows him down a straightforward path through the hall and a few extra doors before reaching a set that felt even grander than all the others. The two guards posted outside step aside as Yong Hai and her approach, giving them entry to the grand office beyond them.
It's surprisingly peaceful, she finds. The noise from outside fades as the doors close, and inside there's only a few silent guards and staff members dotted around. She hears the rustling of paper work and the quiet gurgling of the ponds lining the walkway just beyond the door, all above the hum of machines in the background. A giant holo pad spans most of the floor space in front of her, she thinks it's supposed to be a humongous star chess board, but it flickers in and out at random. Looking around, she sees multiple pieces of tech with either flickering or dim lights.
“It appeared to have stemmed from some worn out wiring in one of the hologram devices, the resulting shortage spreading to multiple systems that were connected to it.” Yong Hai whispers to her. One of his ears twitches sheepishly. “Honestly, when it started sparking and letting out these weird popping noises, it really gave me a fright.”
Venus chuckles, but her eyes aren't focused on Yong Hai. At the end of the long room, at a desk framed by the massive windows overlooking the Luofu, was Jing Yuan. He stood facing partially away from her, discussing a document with another secretary.
There was something in his eyes, a focus she hadn't seen before. It spread to the rest of his face, to the way he carried himself. She's never doubted his position as the general, but in all their hang outs together she's only ever seen him acting like a fluffy house cat, one who wanders up to her doorstep on a whim and flops down on to her couch, staring at her until she gives him attention and then going back to sleep. With his tired, gentle eyes, the way he intentionally slouches his shoulders to seem a little smaller around her, and the lazy way he carries himself, the Jing Yuan in her eyes is ever soft spoken and sweet to her.
The Jing Yuan across the room was definitively the general of the Xianzhou Luofu. Standing at his full height with an attentive gaze, this was him in work mode.
It's a side of him she hasn't experienced before, and it captivates her.
But, she too is here to work. She clears her throat, continuing to follow Yong Hai over to a panel by the near side of the giant star chess board. “You have all the tools you need to get started, I trust?”
Venus nods, jostling her bag of tools so it makes a clinking sound as they hit each other. “Got it right here. Just leave this to me; I should have everything done within a couple hours.”
Yong Hai leaves her to her work at that, going back to his own tasks. The panel is easy to remove, just a few screws to undo and she's in. The circuitry itself inside is a mess; she can see a bit of scorching from where it sparked and the coating that melted off of some of the wires. She tugs her heart shaped goggles down over her eyes; time to get to work.
She spares another glance at the grand desk across the way from her. Jing Yuan looks so natural, giving confident direction to the staff around him, the way he's framed by the fading orange light streaming in through the window behind him. It was like a portrait. One that, despite the other people in the room, felt like it was for her eyes only.
She had noticed Yanqing up there as well, a ways away discussing something with a vidyadhara woman. She was more used to seeing him acting the part of a proper adult, driven to fit in and be seen as someone worthy of respect amongst so many people with more age and experience on him. It brought a smile to her lips, seeing the boy holding his own in this environment.
Neither of them have looked over at her yet, which she supposes makes sense. Everyone in here is working and she wouldn't want to be a distraction. It was good enough just to be near the two of them again to fill a bit of the void the weeks of absence have left in her.
Even if maybe she did want a glance spared her way.
Not for the first time, she wonders at exactly what point she got so used to Jing Yuan and his retainer being around her.
She pulls out a destroyed circuit, careful not to get herself shocked. While she works, her phone buzzes at her hip. Odd, who's texting her?
Glancing around to make sure nobody's watching, not wanting to seem like she's slacking, she slips her phone out just enough to see who it's from. The name on her phone makes her eyebrows furrow.
Jing Yuan (4:56pm):
So, how go the repairs?
Venus glances up, eyes immediately catching the gold of Jing Yuan's gaze meeting hers. He's seated at his desk now, slouched to the side with his head leaning on his palm. He has more of that laid back air she’s so used to now, she could almost think she dreamed up the other version of him. From the way he's positioned, she can just barely tell it looks like he has his own phone held in one hand, obscured underneath his desk.
He gives her a slow, lazy grin, just waiting for her to respond.
Venus (4:57pm):
I've only just started, but the damage isn't as bad as I was picturing. It'll still take me a bit to check everything, but it's manageable.
A moment later, she's interrupted again.
Jing Yuan (4:58pm):
Excellent
*sent 1 sticker: pleased smile*
Venus (4:58pm):
Also… I can't help but feel like we're back in school sneaking peaks at our phones. Why are you texting me from just over there? Lol
Jing Yuan (5:00pm):
I wouldn't want to distract you from your work by standing over you the whole time
Venus (5:00pm):
And this is less distracting?
Jing Yuan (5:01pm):
Would you like me to stop?
Venus shakes her head with a small smile, mostly to herself although she can feel Jing Yuan's eyes back on her.
Venus (5:01pm):
I didn't say that.
Venus (5:02pm):
If anything, I'm worried about distracting you from your work.
With her eyes on the circuits in front of her, she can hear another staff member approach him. His reply comes a couple minutes later.
Jing Yuan (5:10pm)
You're always a most welcome distraction.
Venus makes herself calm down by repairing a bundle of wires before responding.
Venus (5:15pm):
Flattery won't get you a discount on this; especially since this project will keep me working late. I'll be charging extra, you know.
*Sent 1 sticker: tongue sticking out*
Jing Yuan (5:21pm):
Haha, I'll make sure you receive a well deserved bonus once the work is completed.
Jing Yuan (5:23pm):
Thank you for agreeing to this job.
Venus (5:27pm):
Thank you for thinking so highly of my abilities that you personally requested me.
Jing Yuan (5:29pm):
Hm, Yong Hai told you, didn't he?
Jing Yuan (5:30pm):
Well, I've seen first hand what impressive mechanical feats you're capable of, I had no doubt you could make the repairs. And, given your apprenticeship with general Huaiyan, it's certain you can be trusted in a space containing such sensitive information as the Seat of Divine Foresight, which was also a necessary requirement.
Jing Yuan (5:33pm):
And perhaps… I had some more selfish reasons for requesting you.
Before Venus can respond, a shadow falls over her. Jolting at the sudden presence, she sees another secretary standing over her. His nose is scrunched in distaste, looking down at her on the floor. She realizes she must have been staring at her phone too long, and is a little ashamed she got so absorbed she was able to be snuck up on.
“Excuse me, mechanic,” His voice drips with condescension. “I must inform you that this is a venerated hall, one where we see to the most important work on the Luofu. It is a place of decorum and professionalism. It is assuredly not a place for idle texting especially when you've been given a job by our general. Put that thing away and stay on task.”
Her cheeks heat up in shame. She wasn't ignoring her work, in fact she's already made significant progress on this panel, but she can't really argue with the guy here. She finds herself ducking her head. “Sorry, um so sorry; won't happen again.” She definitely doesn't point out that the person she was texting was the general, who's also sitting a little ways away in the same “venerated hall”.
The secretary sniffs and walks away. Venus lifts her goggles briefly, catching Jing Yuan's eyes again. He gives her an apologetic smile, though she also sees him flick his eyes over the secretary who'd just spoken to her; a flash of annoyance entered his expression and was quickly masked.
Venus sighs; she wants to text Jing Yuan again, but as she sets back to work she sees that secretary eyeing her. Sneaking any look at her phone would be impossible around him, at least if she wanted to avoid getting called out again. That text he sent her floats around in the back of her mind, however; what did he mean by “selfish”?
She resigns herself to having to wait once again to speak with him, soldering a new circuit into place. Above the din of conversation in the room, she picks up on Yangqing's voice.
“You there.” He says to someone. His voice sounds more clipped than when she overhead him talking to other staff members or the general, it's verging on the point she'd almost chastise him for being rude. Who's he speaking to?
“Yes, lieutenant Yanqing?” Oh, it's the secretary who just called her out. She doesn't look, instead keeping herself focused on the repairs.
There's a rustling, a few scrolls being held out. “These reports need to be delivered to the Sky-Faring commission as soon as possible. You're being tasked with delivering them to madam Yukong personally.”
“Huh. I-” The secretary stumbles. “Lieutenant Yanqing, if I may, aren't these reports something that can be sent digitally to the commission?”
“The malfunction of our equipment is affecting our connection, it's better for these to be delivered in person.”
Odd, as far as she can tell from the work request and the brief look she's had of the damages, there shouldn't really be an impact on their ability to send anything electronically.
The secretary seems to want to argue with the errand he's been given, but he ultimately knows he's out ranked. “Very well, Lieutenant; I'll leave at once.”
She follows the sound of the secretary taking the scrolls and walking out of the hall, the doors shutting behind him. As she mulls over that strange interaction, Yanqing's footsteps approach her.
She sits back, raising her goggles to look at him. He has his arms crossed behind his back, an air of seriousness around him. But she also sees the way he puffs out his chest and tries to hide the gleam in his eyes; he seems rather pleased by something.
Venus raises an eyebrow, smiling inquisitively. “Yes, Lieutenant? Is there anything I can do for you?”
He raises one hand to clear his throat into his fist. “I just wanted to acknowledge your hard work restoring our equipment. Thank you very much.”
Venus bites the inside of her cheek to try and hide her amusement. If she chuckles, Yanqing might think she's laughing at him even though that's not the case. She can't help feeling a little giddy, is all. He's just too damn cute acting so official. “Thank you, Lieutenant; I appreciate that.”
His pride bubbles up beneath his calm exterior. “Right, no problem.” He looks like he wants to say more, but holds himself back. “Well, if you'll excuse me, I have to be going now.”
Bidding each other polite farewells, Yanqing exits the Divine Foresight. The heavy doors thud shut behind him and Venus is finally able to shake her head in amusement and allow herself to quietly laugh. Yanqing likes to take any opportunity to act like a proper adult.
She can't help but wonder… did those reports really need to be delivered in person?
Her phone buzzing at her hip draws her attention again. Taking a sneaky look around, no one else in the hall seemed to be paying her attention, she checked to see what it was. Surprise surprise, she saw a new text message from Jing Yuan.
He was echoing the same thought she'd had.
Jing Yuan (5:49pm):
That boy, one moment he has the air of a child, the next he plays the mature adult.
Venus (5:49pm):
*Sent 1 sticker: pouting*
Jing Yuan (5:50pm):
Oh?
Jing Yuan (5:50pm):
Have I done something to upset you?
Jing Yuan (5:50pm):
*Sent 1 sticker: confused*
Venus (5:51pm):
You got me in trouble
*sent 1 sticker: pouting*
*sent 1 sticker: pouting*
*sent 1 sticker: pouting*
Jing Yuan (5:52pm):
Ah
Jing Yuan (5:52pm):
If it's any consolation, the only one in this room who could truly get you in trouble would be me, and I have no intention of punishing you.
Venus (5:53pm):
*Sent 1 sticker: sulking*
Jing Yuan (5:53pm):
I'm sorry
Jing Yuan (5:53pm):
Would it be better if I didn't send you any more messages while you work?
Venus (5:54pm):
*sent 1 sticker: sigh*
Venus (5:54pm):
No, as long as we both get our work done
Venus (5:54pm):
After all, who is going to distract you and give you an excuse to slack off if I'm not texting you?
Jing Yuan (5:54pm):
You've certainly changed your tune. Do you want our work to be done or not?
Venus (5:54pm):
*sent 1 sticker: shrug*
Venus (5:55pm):
Also… that wasn't an abuse of power, sending that guy away, was it?
Jing Yuan (5:55pm):
*Sent 1 sticker: calm smile*
Perhaps only a little.
Venus shook her head, biting her lip to hold in a grin. A quick glance up from her phone to the general's desk showed him concealing his smile behind one hand, his eyes looking up to meet hers as if he sensed her stare. She could see the mirth behind his gaze; it was a warmth she could feel even across the long room.
The work of a general and the work of a mechanic can both be rather time consuming. As the moon of the Luofu's artificial sky rose higher and slowly more and more workers filed home for the night, the hall became much quieter. Still Venus and Jing Yuan worked at their positions. Every few minutes one of them would text the other with some little comment.
Venus moved across the room one panel at a time. Checking wires here, replacing wires there. It was more time consuming than actually anything complicated, really.
The texts between them dwindled at a certain point when they both locked in to finish their tasks. Venus had snuck a hidden ear bud under her hair at some point to have her own music going while she worked. Technically she could work in silence, but that was somehow harder than having it going. It made it easier to get lost in the flow of her work and before she knew it, another hour had passed. She wasn't sure if it was really proper to be listening to music here, but if no one noticed then no one would care.
A thin wire connected the tablet on her arm to the console before her. With just a couple of button clicks, the last of her checks was complete. All of the repairs she needed to run were taken care of and the Seat of Divine Foresight should be in perfect working order again. Thank goodness.
And it was about time, too. She catches sight of the time on her tablet and realizes just how late it's gotten. Swiveling her head around, she notices that all of the workers are gone. She doesn't even see Jing Yuan at his desk-
“Are you all done as well?”
Venus spins around fully in her spot on the floor. As soon as she sees Jing Yuan behind her, a coat thrown over one arm as he prepares to leave, she tears the ear bud out of her ear so she can actually pay attention. “Jing Yuan! Um, General! You startled me.”
He tilts his head in amusement. “Wrapped up in the music, were we?” He points to his own ear. Even though her ear bud was hidden by her hair, he knows her habits well enough already to have guessed what she was doing.
She looks away in embarrassment, wings covering her cheeks. “I was just distracted, is all…” She grumbles. “But to answer your question, yeah, I just finished. Diagnostics look good and everything should be in perfect working order.”
Jing Yuan walks forward a few steps to the device she sits at. He bends down to experimentally touch a few points on the screen, humming to himself.
Having her work examined makes her feel nervous. He's silent for a second. Too long, really. Why can't he just say something already?
“Um, if anything continues to malfunction I can definitely come back and do further repairs.”
Jing Yuan shakes his head. “I doubt there will be any need for that. I'm no technician, but I can tell you've done some fine work.” He's saying all good things, but he sighs all of a sudden. “What a shame.”
Venus blinks, perplexed. “Sorry?”
He turns back towards her fully. The smile on his face is a bit unreadable, as many of his expressions are. “I'll have to think of a different excuse to invite you here next time.”
A sound squeaks out from the back of Venus's throat unbidden. “General!” She hisses through her teeth.
He just clicks his tongue. “Just because we're in the Seat of Divine Foresight doesn't mean you need to resort back to the formalities.”
Venus looks away, arms crossed and face once again partially covered by her wings.
Not wanting to just let it go, Jing Yuan takes a half step closer, not bothering to hide his grin. She's still on the floor, so he's looming over her with that knowing grin of his. “Come on, now.”
“Jing Yuan, you're embarrassing me.” The room is empty except for the two of them, but she knows for sure there's cameras and security officials who monitor the place all day. If anyone was watching and misunderstood then she'd be absolutely mortified.
It seems like he got what he wanted, at least, because he backs off. “It's gotten rather late, hasn't it?”
Venus isn't entirely sure it's safe to remove her wings from her face just yet, she can still feel the heat emanating from her cheeks. “Yeah, looks like we both have a problem burning the midnight oil. I hope you know that I was serious about getting that overtime pay.”
He chuckles. “Rest assured, you will be well compensated for a job well done. Although, to avoid draining the Loufu's pocket tonight, let's get you home.” He extends a hand down towards her.
Aeons, why is his hand so much bigger than hers? She can feel each of the callouses on his palm too, formed from years and years of training and wielding that massive guandao of his. He makes sure she's steady on her feet before releasing her hand.
They retrace the same path she Venus had taken to reach the office in the first place in silence. It's not exactly an awkward silence, no it feels rather comfortable, but still she wished she could think of something to say to fill it. Jing Yuan seemed unbothered though. He rarely ever looked bothered by anything, actually.
Stepping outside, Venus is confronted by just how late it's gotten as she feels the rush of a cold fall breeze sweep across her. Immediately both sets of her wings and her arms fold across her body to preserve some of her warmth. It won't be fun walking home like this; she should've brought a jacket just in case she had gotten out late like this.
But, the cold doesn't last long. Suddenly, there's a warm presence draped around her that blocks out the chilly wind. Her head snaps up, and there's Jing Yuan. He readjusts his coat on her shoulders, making sure it sits right without falling off. “Honestly, a bird as frail as you are shouldn't be going anywhere without a coat; your wings will freeze and snap right off.” He starts to button up the coat, the soft rustling of fabric following each one.
Venus couldn't even respond. She didn't even know how. “I- wait hold on- what about you?”
He finishes the last button, knelt on the ground before her so he could reach. He looks up at her through his lashes. “Hm?”
“Well, it is really chilly and you only have the one coat. Aren't you going to be cold?” There were several reasons to object to this swirling in her brain, but that was the one that fought its way out before anything else.
“Oh, that.” He shakes his head. “You needn't worry about that; I tend to run rather warm anyway. A brisk walk in the cold can be refreshing, actually.”
“Well, I mean, that's very nice of you, but…” she lifts her arms inside the coat and looks down at her feet. She's a good deal shorter than Jing Yuan, and the coat he gave her was long. Her hands weren't even visible through the arms of the coat and the hem of it brushed the ground. “I think it's going to get dirty if I walk around like this. I don't want to ruin your jacket.”
“Clothing can always be cleaned.” He takes her hands, helping her roll up the giant sleeves as best as he can. “I'd rather you be kept warm than worry about preserving a piece of fabric.”
He finishes tidying her up and straightens back to his full height. Venus takes a moment, looking at the way she's swimming in the coat, and starts laughing to herself. She looks utterly ridiculous in this fit, like a child playing dress up. Swept up in her laughter, Jing Yuan joins in.
“Okay, okay.” Venus finally takes a deep breath, shaking her head. “Fine, I'll accept. I'll get it cleaned or something before I return it.” She wipes a small tear from her eye that formed from laughing so much. “Oh, speaking of, when should I return it? You're still gonna be pretty busy for a bit, right?”
Jing Yuan brings a hand to his chin in thought. “I suppose it would be a good excuse to have you stop by again, but this time there's no need.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean,” He extends his arm out towards her. “I'd like to escort you home, if that's alright with you.”
Venus's back goes rigid. “Oh, no no no, you don't have to do that! It's already late and you have work again tomorrow, I don't want to keep you out.”
“Ah, but you are only out this late yourself because you were helping me. I wouldn't feel right sending you home alone; any time I saved on getting home earlier would only be counteracted by the stress I'd feel worrying about if you made it back safely. Please, allow me to see you home.”
Venus chews on her cheek. She doesn't have a reason not to accept, really. The only thing holding her back is that the thought of him escorting her home makes her want to vomit in what she thinks is a good way. She doesn't get it. But as nervous as it makes her, at the same time she can't stand the idea of letting the opportunity go.
“Well… alright. If it won't be too much of a bother, then sure.” She steps beside him and takes his arm. At least this time she can just blame the cold for her pink cheeks.
It's a quick trip on the starskiff back to the Exalting Sanctum. Normally she could take another to bring her closer to home, but at this hour most of the public transport had finished their routes. Besides that… She couldn't really picture the general of the Loufu taking the bus anyway. She lived close enough that walking would take a little bit but it wasn't too much of a chore, so it was decided they'd walk the rest of the way.
That was fine, Venus wasn't exactly eager to let go of Jing Yuan's arm just yet.
Her fingers flexed subtly around his forearm. His muscles were so firm, it was almost ridiculous how much strength she could feel from him when he was at rest. And he really did run warm. If he asked why she walked so close to him, she could just say she was leeching some of his body heat, right?
“When spring comes around, I plan to introduce a new variety of peony to my garden, actually. It's known as the “bowl of beauty” peony, named for the way the outer pink petals cradle the delicate white petals at its center.”
“Woah, that sounds really pretty.” Their conversation had meandered through a few different pleasantries since they started their walk. Talking with Jing Yuan never felt hurried or like there was some pressure on her; it was easy to be natural around him. The conversation had winded its way around to talking about Jing Yuan's garden, something she already knew was a hobby of his. He'd once described his garden as an oasis away from the responsibilities of the Loufu.
“They are. Part of me wishes I could plant them now, but spring is when their blossoms can truly shine.”
“Well you are the general, you could just order the realm keeping commission to adjust the ship's weather systems and bring spring around a bit early if you're feeling impatient.” She says it mostly joking, though it wouldn't be a lie to say it is technically within his abilities.
Jing Yuan raises an eyebrow at her. “I believe I recall you being the one to admonish me about abusing my power a mere few hours ago. Besides, I wouldn't dare to mess with the beauty of the seasons like that. Part of the reason we find such meaning in plants is their ephemeral nature. Patience is a skill that must always be practiced; the peonies will look even lovelier when allowed to bloom on their own time.”
Venus sighs. “Always so wise, huh?”
“It's in the job description.” He chuckles, a faint puff of visible air leaving his lips.
“So then, what do you have planted right now? Is there anything that can last in the cold?”
“Of course. I have chrysanthemum, sunflower, sweet alyssum, fountain grass, Hydrangea, and so on. There are plenty that grow the best in cold weather. Deep in the winter there are fewer, but I've experimented with varieties from distant, cold planets that have become adapted to growing through the frost so I always have something to keep my garden full.”
“I had no idea there were so many. With all those varieties, I bet your garden is gorgeous to see.” Venus spends most of her time tending to her mechanical creations. A green thumb has never really been something she's possessed.
Jing Yuan is quiet for a moment, seeming to mull something over. “If you'd like, you could come and see them for yourself.”
Venus has never been the most coordinated person. The only time she has any sense of balance and a steady hand is when she's locked in on crafting. Intricate machine parts, sure she can handle those. A task as simple as walking? Somehow more difficult. Especially if she happens to be caught off guard. All that to say, the moment she hears Jing Yuan's invitation one of her feet knocks into the other and she stumbles. She nearly falls right over onto her face if it weren't Jing Yuan grabbing her around the waist, mindful not to crush the delicate wing there, and use the hold he already has on her arm to not only keep her upright but to pull her closer to himself.
Right up against his chest, she can feel the deep inhale and exhale he takes. He feels even warmer this close, too; she wishes she could get in even closer until he chased away the cold around them.
“Careful.” He says. Is it just her, or did his grip on her waist just tighten? “Are you alright?”
“Um, yeah.” Oh aeons, she's done it now. “I just… slipped on a bit of ice.”
“Really now?” The look on his face tells her he doesn't believe her but wants to humor this. “I didn't think it was cold enough for ice yet.”
“Yeah, yeah it is. There's a little bit on the ground. Right here. See?” She nudges the ground with her toe in a spot where there very clearly isn't so much as a hint of ice.
“Ah, yes.” He nods along solemnly. “Quiet the treacherous path; it's a good thing I came along with you after all.”
“You're right, it is…” She barely more than breathes out the admission.
She doesn't want him to let go. The silence stretches on and she begins to wonder if he wants the same thing because he keeps his grip on her waist. If she got up on her toes, it'd be easy to-
He releases her waist, positioning her back at his side. “Stay close; we wouldn't want any more ice related accidents.”
She can only nod her head. What was she just thinking? They were so close but it wasn't close enough. Nope. She can't think about this yet if she's going to get through this walk.
They get a bit further down the path before she is able to find her tongue again. “If that was a serious invitation, you know, to come see your garden, then… I would like that. Whenever you're free.”
She can't bring herself to look directly at him, eyes glued forward, so she can't see his expression. But she feels the way his free hand comes to rest on the arm she has looped with his. And the way his thumb rubs softly against her. “My door is open to you anytime.”
A few minutes later, her door is in sight. Her house isn't all that impressive, but it's nice. A single story, a cute little backyard, and an extra room for her to work on the projects she chose to take back with her. She liked it.
Regretfully, she released herself from Jing Yuan's hold at this point. Climbing the couple steps to her door, she turns back to face him. Like this, she's actually at face height with him. “Thank you for walking me home. Really, it was very sweet of you.” She has her hands behind her back which conceals the way her fingers nervously twist at the back of her jacket.
“Think nothing of it. I have to admit, I almost started to think you lived at your workshop. It feels like I rarely see you outside of it.”
“Oh aeons, don't tease me like that. I swear I have a life outside of machines too.” She glances down, looking at the coat draped over her. “I should give this back now, since I'm home and all. You've got even more of a walk ahead of you to get back to your place.”
Venus starts to undo the top buttons, but Jing Yuan's hands wrapping around her's stopped her. “Actually, I changed my mind.”
Venus looks up at him, caught off guard. “Huh?”
“I just think you should hold onto it for a bit longer. Perhaps you'll need an extra coat as it continues to grow colder. You can return it when you make good on your promise to come see my garden.”
She already has several coats of her own, plenty enough to keep her warm. It went against half of the pretense for him walking her home for her to hold onto the jacket any longer. But if it could provide her an excuse to face her anxiety and go to his house, then maybe none of that mattered. She swallowed the lump in her throat. “I'll make sure it's nice and clean when I return it, then. Who knows, maybe I'll even iron it.”
His smile really might undo her. “Excellent.” With a final pat to her hands, he takes a step back. “I'll take my leave now. Have a good night, Venus; I'll see you again soon.”
They bid their farewells for the night and Venus is finally able to escape to the safety behind her door. Once inside, she half collapses against the nearest wall.
Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck.
It's no secret to anyone that Jing Yuan is an attractive man, people go so far as to secretly sell candid photos of him. This is a well recognized fact among the residents of the Loufu. She'd recognized this fact ever since their first meeting. But it was one thing to take notice of how attractive someone is, it was another to be swept away by the curve of their smile, the endearing way they cock their head while considering their next move in star chess, or the way they hold you oh so gently while they guide you home.
Her wings aren't enough to hide her this time, her hands fly to her face to provide maximum coverage. She might…
Just maybe…
Just possibly…
Be developing a crush on Jing Yuan.
And now she's wearing his coat and it smells like him and his presence still feels like it's surrounding her and damn it she's promised to go to his home.
as far as fae romantasies i’ve read, this isn’t like terrible. it’s a totally a locally edited first draft and rather wordy, but im very curious. not a fan of the male lead but i suppose there’s 800 pages for him to change <- which i didn’t know when i picked it up…
vaporwave
pixelskylines
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