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[ He presses a kiss to Shi Qingxuan's cheek, nuzzling after with his nose. That he stays there after, eyes still only half open, speaks to his comfort more than the rest. Focussing on the man in his arms and the emotions he's talking about is much simpler than what he can't control in the chaos of their landscape. ]

Mm, people who feel loyalty like that, who try seeing good in a world that isn't always kind... and people who are genuine in what they feel, whatever it is.

[ He's listing things that he feels in tune with, things he either admires or wishes he could emulate; there's a steadfastness in both the men he's speaking about that he wishes he'd have, if he were their age, but that's not something he'll say. ]

They'll still be there for you when I can't be. [ He adds, voice quieter. ] Love is something I can't understand giving up, or being afraid to feel, and with them, just like you... I think that's something they can handle. If that makes them my type, then I guess they are.

[ The last comes out somewhat teasing, with his lips curling into a half grin, but he doesn't move away or laugh it off when he says as much. His "type" doesn't exist on a physical level, but on a level of people who he can care about, who he can see caring for those he cares about, yes.

Even if he thinks with the Hua Cheng guy, it's more a focus toward Xie Lian, he doesn't see anything wrong with it either. But it makes him someone worth love, too. People who aren't afraid and aren't suicidal. Isn't that worth it? ]

[ He had only meant to tease Shino on if he thought his colleagues were attractive; he hadn't thought he would receive such a serious answer in return. But now that he has, he quietly considers it. So that's the kind of thing Shino likes.

He doesn't take the They'll still be there for you when I can't be as anything permanent, his thoughts more on who is available at any given time in any given place, and of course different people will be available at different times. That's just natural. It all makes sense to him, wanting to be with someone that can love with the same devotion that he feels. That the two of them feel for each other. And Xie-xiong is loyal, and Hua-chengzhu is at least loyal to Xie-xiong. In the end, Shi Qingxuan just hums. ]

Well, if that's Shino's type, then I like your type, too.

[ And he leans in to press a kiss to his lips. ]

Xie-xiong really is a special person... I know he'll absolutely be there for you when I can't be, either. But I'll still always try to come if you call for me, so don't stop doing that.

[ It's also nice, to have people that he can rely on and who can rely on him... ]

[Hijikata sees this well-dressed young person walk up to his hologram display, read the godawful shitty description, and still place a bid.]

Ah... excuse me! May I have a word with you?!

[This is bad. Who the hell would bid on such a crappy date offer with such a happy face? Surely only a sadist. He would know, after all that crude text was written by one. Damn it, Okita. Why was he punished with such a subordinate? But for now he needs to focus on doing some preemptive damage control with the bidder.]

[consider this a declaration of intent: wei wuxian, self-aware and appropriately versed in the comedies of shameless enticement, is inviting one and all (for some measure of all, as he is only one man with two hands) to take part in a little... experiment.]

as the snow thaws,
as new grass springs from the earth,
as the sun rises, warmer—
i offer my hand to hold,
without question,
without judgment.

-

a favor for a favor: a confidence, a deed, or a kiss. my ask: a child's toy for gusu lan's hanguang-jun, in honor of his fatherhood.

[ Is this a prayer? This is clearly a prayer intended for the Lady Wind Master!!

And so, Shi Qingxuan answers it as she would a prayer: By leaving the requested gift in the hands of the only Lan she knows.

Oh!

[ Shi Qingxuan turns around, smiling with a fan with the word wind is written across the front held before her chest.

Ah, he sounds how he looks, too. ]

Hello. It's Mister Hijikata, isn't it? I wasn't expecting to meet you so soon.

[ ...Yep, just skipping over the fact she bid on a date listing that said he pleasures himself with mayonnaise. Go ahead and have your word!! ]

Well... I was, uh, in the area...

Look, that description, that's all rubbish!! I'm not lonely at all! And the mayonnaise bottle thing, I'd never do that!! It's a prank, you see.

[This is mortifying!! He hopes Okita gets carried off by a big bird or something.]

[ He smiles, or at least makes an effort, thoughts still further away than close in this room they're sharing. That kiss to his lips brings him back with a blink, then another; the idea that Xie Lian will be there for him when Shi Qingxuan can't being the same thought Shino has, for a world divorced from the here and now.

Shino won't be lonely with his family still alive, but gods? Gods and demons, both are lonely. That much he knows.

It is not simply in the realm of humanity to feel such things as loneliness, however different it may be from person to person, entity to entity. ]

I won't. And I can't hear you the same ways, but don't stop calling out for me either, okay? I'll come running as long as I can.

[ When it comes down that separation is what they face, then he can't bridge that time or distance, but until then, he'll fight to stay by Qingxuan's side, and to protect him in whatever ways he can.

Though having said this, he simply buries his face against Shi Qingxuan's neck, eyes closed. Better thoughts and actions can resume tomorrow, or later. Right now, in the circle of his embrace, is enough. Because talking about wanting to add more is not to say any of this is less: it's not. This is a warmth and connection he hadn't imagined months and months ago, and he can understand in yet another nuanced way the stupid things people do for concepts of romantic love, much as he already understood what it meant to familial love.

Seeing the person or persons you love happy, seeing them in places where they can feel safe more often than threatened, knowing they're fed and warm... it's all important. And Shi Qingxuan, who never speaks like any of this will end, is going to need the ones who can be there when Shino cannot.

And he thinks, when considering Shi Qingxuan, Xie Lian, the more mysterious Hua Cheng, that perhaps in all of each other, they'll find the balances for themselves, too. Just like he does. ]

A prank? You must be really good friends to have things like that written about you.

[ She waves her fan at him placatingly. ]

Don't worry, I'm sure you're not the only one whose friends put them up as a joke? I ended up signed up by someone else too. That description of yours was so over the top, though, no-one will really believe it.

[Good friends indeed... but hearing that she was also signed up without her knowledge makes him feel less alone in his screwed-over-ness.]

You think people won't buy into it?

[He assumes she's just trying to make him feel better about it, but even so, he appreciates that. Maybe he was wrong and she isn't a sadist out to humiliate him further.]

Do you really want to go out with me? I can just pay you back instead.

Nah. Maybe they'll think you're lonely, but you didn't even sign yourself up, so you can't be too desperate. Your write-up screams, "my friend thinks they're funny"—Who could believe something like that?

[ Her tone is purely casual, like this is a completely normal chat. She can't say anything about her own descriptions; they were both very flattering! So she opts to just not mention them. ]

But there's no need to pay me back. Isn't this for a good cause? Of course, we can skip going out if you're busy.

[ That is, if you don't want to go out on a date you didn't even sign up for, here is your out! ]

I'm not too busy. Besides you're my highest bidder.

[~~Karma, whom he already knows, will shortly bid on him too, but only to drive up the price on Okita's behalf.~~ She shouldn't be left disappointed after giving her share for a charity event, and she's being nice about him being set up for it in such a shoddy way, so what's the harm... other than him feeling emotionally unavailable and preoccupied with trying to avoid dealing with the memories brought up by that trance last month? He should probably give her a warning of sorts, but first he wants to understand what her expectations are.]

Is there anything in particular you have in mind?

[As far as he recalls it's his job to make all the arrangements for the outing.]

((Congratulations! You're a winner! Well... everyone who bid on Yanyou is a winner, since he absolutely will not accept any explanation that he's only supposed to go on a date with ONE of the people who expressed interest in dating him. He will seek you out at the charity ball if he can find you, or he may simply text you the time and location for your date:

I'm excited to go on our date! Will you meet me at The Dragon's Den on Level One?

Of course. I'll call for you, too.

[ He pets Shino's hair back, tucking the loose strands behind his ears. He knows he can depend on Shino - he knows Shino genuinely cares. And knowing that makes him feel warm and safe. There are multiple people Shino cares about (and loves), but he can't be jealous or upset about something like that. The one Shino in his arms isn't replaceable, and the feeling must be mutual. Shino, Xie Lian, and Hua Cheng are all irreplaceable people.

Those thoughts drift through his mind as he feels Shino cuddle and relax against him. His breath is warm against his neck, and Shi Qingxuan thinks, he's really cute like this...

Smiling, he curls arms around Shino's waist and pulls him against his chest like he can't be close enough. Shi Qingxuan isn't lonely, and he isn't despairing, for all he's lived centuries with only one best friend and one brother standing beside him. At this moment, he's simply happy and content and enjoying Shino's company. The somber thoughts weighing on Shino's mind are lost to Shi Qingxuan.

But later and tomorrow, he'll help Shino have brighter thoughts anyway, as always. ]

[ Oh.

She really wasn't expecting him to actually agree with how he was sounding there.

But now that he has, her face lights up and is quickly hidden behind her fan.

~~And if you'd like Shi Qingxuan to win, we can handwave Shi Qingxuan having bid again. \o/ She'll take him out either way!~~ ]

Hmm... There's nothing in mind, but we can find something to do together. What kinds of things do you like? It's almost the end of flower-viewing season, though moon viewing is always interesting here. And there are also more fine restaurants here than I can name.

[ She's just rambling, listing things off. ]

[~~He's all hers!~~]

[He saw how she brightened up before she covered her face... is she really genuinely interested in going out with him? He was sure she placed her bid out of pity if not sadism. He's trying to decide how he feels about this. It's not like he's as traumatised by the recent events as some other people, but he wasn't able to really resolve things either. He certainly can't try to be in a romantic relationship with a woman, not after facing the memories of all the damage he caused the last time a woman wanted to be with him. But who's saying it means all that much to her? He's overthinking this. His cattle ears flick as he makes a decision.]

We can combine those things if you'd like. If we meet for flower viewing in the late afternoon we can watch the moon come up. I'll bring food.

[Surely there are restaurants that will sell him some take-away assortments suitable for flower viewing.]

If there are no more warm days before the end of the season we can go to a restaurant with a moon view instead.

...

I'm sorry, I'm saying all this, but I haven't even asked for your name.

[ While the purpose of this charity event is far from lost on her, there's no personal dark cloud hanging over her head, nothing personally impeding her from enjoying the event for what it is: a noble cause with a light tone attached to it to ease the current tensions. Personally, she likes these sorts of parties and mingling, and she enjoys the attention that comes along with it.

That said, Shi Qingxuan knows she looks good, but how many people would actually go along with her whims so easily? Even more so without any promise of present or future reward for doing so? It isn't as though he's even being untoward about the whole thing. Going out with her, going flower viewing with her... If Hijikata is actually lonely, she doesn't know why. He's very kind! Really, what an unfair description that was... ]

Then it's a plan! I'll bring the wine, and we can wait for an evening with clear skies. Whether it's at a restaurant or under the trees, I look forward to it!

[ And there's not a cloud in her expression to suggest that's not the case. ]

Ah! That's right, I forgot to introduce myself... [ She snaps her fan shut and taps herself on the head before making a small bow. ] My name is Shi Qingxuan, Wind Master Qingxuan.

Now, I know your name, but how should I address you? Is it Mr. Hijikata?

[He'll forever overthink every single thing when it comes to interacting with a woman who expresses the slightest bit of sincere interest in him (not the hostesses at home; they just want him to drink himself under the table and spend his money). The bottom line is that he doesn't want her to get hurt. But what are the chances of that happening, really? It's only one outing. He reminds himself again to relax and not make assumptions about what she may want in the long run.]

Shi Qingxuan, it's good to know your name. As for me, just Hijikata is fine.

[Sure, it's not truly polite, but 'Mr. Hijikata' gives him such a formal feeling, and letting her call him by his given name would be way too much. He won't confuse her with Japanese honorifics either. This is fine. Should she insist, though, he'll try to get used to the 'Mr'.]

Once you know a good date, will you let me know? My user name on the network is also 'hijikata'.

[He wants to offer taking care of the wine as well - isn't that his job as the auctionee? -, but decides against it. He doesn't want to come across as overbearing.]

[ If he did give a Japanese honorific, she would have rolled with it as if were part of his name.

As it is, though, the Japanese people she knows here are even more casual than her and asked to just be addressed by their given names. Calling him "Hijikata" feels like a more appropriate level of familiarity. ]

Hijikata, then! [ She straightens up. ] I'll let you know. My name on the network is "windmaster," so we should be able to find each other easily when the timing is right.

[ Her black-and-white fox tail sways behind her happily. Going out to watch the moon and flowers together, drinking wine, it will be like some of the best times she's gone down to the mortal realm... ]

I'll be sure to win your listing for you. Then your friend can eat their words, writing something like that, hahaha-!

[He smiles at her words... and makes a mental note to neither let Okita know who won his auction (because he has no doubt that she will win) nor when or where they'll be meeting.]

We'll be in contact, then.

[He'll review his calendar and call or privately message her once he knows a good date. If nothing else he'll make sure it's not during the Sanguis moon phase (though she didn't seem deterred by his cattle traits).]

Enjoy the rest of the ball, Shi Qingxuan.

[He gives a small bow. Is he actually looking forward to it? It sure seems like he is.]

[ Guess who finally figured out texting? This demon. Why? Because he didn't want anyone to hear anything that might be concern in his voice. It was learned out of necessity. ]

Did you and foolish brother stay out of trouble or were you incapable of proper thought while I had been away?

[ ?!

What a "I'm back!" message to receive... Shi Qingxuan needs to curb his offense remembering that Sesshomaru isn't actually referring to his brother here. Haa... ]

We're very well. Thank you for checking in with my family, Lord Sesshomaru. I hope you've been in good health as well?

That aside, there's no need to use insults against us! We're both grown men who are perfectly capable of taking care of ourselves!

Who do you think I am? Do you think I'm a person incapable of ensuring I am well?

I have yet to see that to be true, so what other lie do you have for me?

[ how is xie lian friends with the most prickly and rude person shi qingxuan has ever met ]

I wasn't making an accusation, but that isn't a yes or a no? Have you been well?

I am not lying! Do you need to be so rude the moment you come back?

Yes.

And yes.

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text; un: sesshomaru

text; un: windmaster

i'm back a dinosaur story

sesshomaru is dino-aged confirmed

it's true!!!