[ yingxing nods, then wipes his face and collar with a rag to clear away the sweat, dropping it onto the pile of slate. leave it alone, dan feng!!
and then he's leading her back through the small compound, to where his forge is located, a sprawling work area fitted exactly to his needs. leaning down, he retrieves a small wooden box from a drawer in his work bench, and holds it out. ]
[ She'd been distracted by the forge some-- she's seen more impressive, as it's hard to get more intense than the Zhuming, but seeing a private one was a special nicety-- so she almost walks into him when he finally stops and offers the thing. She blinks at it, frowning, but takes the box after a moment. ]
more specifically, it is a rose gold cuff in the shape of a dragon - simple, but exquisitely crafted, no detail spared. even its eyes are inset with tiny azure stones. the shape of it, she might realize, is made to fit her right ear wing. ]
What do you think? I know you said gold, but I thought rose gold might go better with your hair.
She's stunned, that much is clear. For a long moment she just stares at it wordlessly, color rising in her cheeks and her neckwings starting to fluff. She looks up at him-- back to the dragon, back to him-- before she stutters a response. ]
Yinxing, I-- I couldn't possibly-- this is too much.
[ it was a risk, he knows, considering he doesn't really know her taste well yet. some people prefer bolder statements, some prefer lesser - he'd gone somewhere in the middle, but maybe it's still a little too ostentatious for her liking.
[ oh - oh, he gets it. yingxing shakes his head. ]
It's just a small thing, honestly. I've made much bigger things that I spent much more time on. [ not that he didn't put good effort into this - he puts effort into everything he makes, and pride - but he doesn't want her worrying that he broke his back over it. ] Besides, it wouldn't suit anyone else here.
[ she'll learn, eventually, that this is what makes him happy - that gift giving is one of his languages of affection. it's also a sort of.. a promise? an olive branch? not that there was ever bad blood between them, really, but navigating relationships when two people love the same person can sometimes be tricky. this is yingxing's way of acknowledging how she feels about dan feng, while also conveying his support for it. ]
You're welcome. Sorry if I surprised you. This is just kind of what I do. Want me to help you put it on?
[ with careful fingers he plucks up the cuff. yingxing's hands are rough and worn with scars and calluses, and yet they move like a master artist's might, with dexterity and grace as he delicately weaves the rose gold dragon over the curve of her wing.
it settles nicely. not a bad fit at all, considering he'd only eyeballed her measurements there. ]
[ It feels strange, to have such a heavy weight there when she's used to simple rings and studs. She stretches the wing a bit, testing, her cheeks red with heat. It feels good, to have something-- special.
She lifts a hand to gently cover one of his own. ]
[ given its draconic shape and azure eyes, it's not necessarily expressing a deep connection between them, but.. there's time ahead of them. things to learn about one another. maybe one day, yingxing will give her a gift that symbolizes only the two of them. ]
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and then he's leading her back through the small compound, to where his forge is located, a sprawling work area fitted exactly to his needs. leaning down, he retrieves a small wooden box from a drawer in his work bench, and holds it out. ]
Here. Open it.
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... What's this?
[ And opens it. ]
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more specifically, it is a rose gold cuff in the shape of a dragon - simple, but exquisitely crafted, no detail spared. even its eyes are inset with tiny azure stones. the shape of it, she might realize, is made to fit her right ear wing. ]
What do you think? I know you said gold, but I thought rose gold might go better with your hair.
no subject
She's stunned, that much is clear. For a long moment she just stares at it wordlessly, color rising in her cheeks and her neckwings starting to fluff. She looks up at him-- back to the dragon, back to him-- before she stutters a response. ]
Yinxing, I-- I couldn't possibly-- this is too much.
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[ it was a risk, he knows, considering he doesn't really know her taste well yet. some people prefer bolder statements, some prefer lesser - he'd gone somewhere in the middle, but maybe it's still a little too ostentatious for her liking.
he runs a hand back through his mussed hair. ]
No problem, it's fine, I can tone it down.
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No-- no, that's not what I'm saying at all. It's beautiful, I-- did you make this? You truly didn't have to go through so much effort for me...
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It's just a small thing, honestly. I've made much bigger things that I spent much more time on. [ not that he didn't put good effort into this - he puts effort into everything he makes, and pride - but he doesn't want her worrying that he broke his back over it. ] Besides, it wouldn't suit anyone else here.
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[ She's quiet, for a moment, before she carefully removes the cuff from its box. ]
... Thank you.
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[ she'll learn, eventually, that this is what makes him happy - that gift giving is one of his languages of affection. it's also a sort of.. a promise? an olive branch? not that there was ever bad blood between them, really, but navigating relationships when two people love the same person can sometimes be tricky. this is yingxing's way of acknowledging how she feels about dan feng, while also conveying his support for it. ]
You're welcome. Sorry if I surprised you. This is just kind of what I do. Want me to help you put it on?
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... Yes. Please.
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it settles nicely. not a bad fit at all, considering he'd only eyeballed her measurements there. ]
Heh. Looks good.
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She lifts a hand to gently cover one of his own. ]
Thank you, Yingxing.
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[ given its draconic shape and azure eyes, it's not necessarily expressing a deep connection between them, but.. there's time ahead of them. things to learn about one another. maybe one day, yingxing will give her a gift that symbolizes only the two of them. ]
But, uh.. I should get back to work.
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She gives his hand a small squeeze before letting go. ]
My apologies, for interrupting you.
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It's nothing. Was a good interruption. Go get yourself something to eat and drink, yeah?