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[eggshell]

Talk.

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[lionsleeps]

[Jing Yuan deftly avoids the can! He's serious now, with Dan Heng at risk. He'll stand up to Dan Feng for someone else much more quickly than he will for himself -- and for someone he cares about, especially. For Dan Heng, who he's already promised to protect, there's no question. He's decisive and willful and angry when he reaches out in an attempt to get a handful of Dan Feng's hair and yank him backwards.]

Leave him alone.

[lifeban]

[dan feng saying his name like that actually helps dan heng catch on better, turns his attention back to the struggle. not that it helps much, when cans are being tossed in such close quarters, but dan heng is quick. he doesn't need to dodge by a large margin if he simply doesn't get hit.

unfortunately, he is not yet accustomed to his horns being a very physical, present target. the crack as the can strikes a horn is painfully loud.]

[eggshell]

[the sound dan feng makes when jing yuan catches him by the hair is low and throaty and really, uncomfortably close to a moan. his centre of gravity follows, and he tilts back to crash in jing yuan’s direction.

he’s laughing as he goes down.]

Does it hurt, darling? [because his own horn breaking off was the worst pain he’d ever felt. a rotten tooth compounded a thousand, thousand times. a raw nerve scraped with dozens of knives. even now, the jagged stump was unbearable to touch.]

[lionsleeps]

[That sound is horrifying. Jing Yuan wants to attend to Dan Heng immediately, but he can't even afford to look in his direction when Dan Feng is still able to move. He releases the hair and lets the old fool hit the floor, then drops to sit on him, straddling his waist and using his knees to try and pin Dan Feng's arms. Only then can he look over at Dan Heng.]

Dan Heng! Are you--

[He'd say alright, but that's probably a stupid question.]

[lifeban]

[dan heng crumples to the ground in silent agony, a hand up to grip the horn that was struck.]

[eggshell]

[dan feng goes down easy as anything. he could swipe at jing yuan with his tail, he could buck him off, he could do several dozen things and not break a sweat, but the look on jing yuan’s face is intoxicating.]

That was your fault, a-Yuan, for letting me into your bed.

[lionsleeps]

[He'd resist that verbal blow, if he hadn't already been thinking exactly that. He wanted to soak in that kinder, more familiar Dan Feng so badly he let himself be reckless, and now this. It's his fault for being a fool, and it's also his fault because he knows a big part of Dan Feng's motivation in hurting Dan Heng just now was his desire to hurt Jing Yuan.

It's gut-wrenching, and he doesn't know what to do besides clapping his good hand over Dan Feng's mouth to silence him. Dan Feng can lay there and enjoy seeing this Jing Yuan going through the earliest stages of breaking down, just like his own had done hundreds of years ago.]

When I let you up, you will leave this house. Do you understand me?

[lifeban]

[dan heng slams his tail into the wall, sudden and loud, as if to snap himself out of it, grits his teeth and picks himself up.]

I'm okay. General, don't let him- talk to you like-

[eggshell]

[it doesn’t matter if jing yuan stops him from talking. dan feng knows he already won this scuffle, even if he’s the one pinned to the ground.

it shows in the way dan feng’s eyes crinkle in deranged joy up at jing yuan. he lifts his hands as best as he can in the universal gesture for surrender.]

[lionsleeps]

[He startles at the sudden loud noise, and when he looks up at Dan Heng there's a half-second where his expression is unfiltered hurt. But he covers it in a blink, looking back to Dan Feng as he cautiously gets to his feet, unpinning him.]

...Go.

[lifeban]

[unfortunately the bare moment of hurt is enough, and dan heng freezes. did he do that? was that because of him?

(his horn isn't broken, at least. but there's a chip now, with hairline fractures spidering out.)]

[eggshell]

[dan feng climbs to his feet, docile in the way predators are after a fresh kill.]

I’ll see you soon, baobei.

[he picks up his boots. slants a triumphant smile at dan heng, tail curling happily behind him.] You too, my cute little successor. Do look for me when the pain starts being unbearable.

[and he actually leaves without further violence, in and out of this room.]

[lionsleeps]

[Jing Yuan clenches his hands into tight fists, barely containing the urge to scream at Dan Feng. Stay away from Dan Heng, he thinks. Don't call me that! But he holds it in, to make sure the encounter is over and to avoid giving Dan Feng extra ammo.

When Dan Feng has gone (and they've heard the front door close), he grabs his hair ribbon from wherever he'd stashed it before bed and comes over to check Dan Heng's horn.]

We should tie this. Stabilise it, so the fractures don't spread.

[lifeban]

[his lip curls in a snarl to match dan feng's smile, but he doesn't make a sound, more focused on watching him leave, then fixing his attention on jing yuan.

he's shaking, in that way that he couldn't force himself not to even if he was really aware of it, from the pain of his larger wound and the adrenaline and the bone deep agony in his horn. his breaths are forcibly even, but too deep and slightly too fast, dan heng trying so very hard to keep it together.]

...If you don't mind.

[lionsleeps]

Of course I don't. You just focus on bearing the pain for now.

[It's more than a little awkward, wrapping the ribbon around Dan Heng's horn and tying it. He's careful not to make it too loose or too tight, but it still takes longer than it ought to, since he's working with one busted arm.

Dan Heng seems so upset. He's in so much pain, and Jing Yuan is desperately wishing he could roll back the clock and keep him from ever encountering this horrible version of Dan Feng.]

[lifeban]

[dan heng opens his mouth- closes it. all he can think of to say are apologies, but he's keenly aware jing yuan won't want them. won't accept any of dan heng's own blame in this.

he twitches, grits his teeth. jing yuan is being achingly careful, but there's really no way to engage with his horn right now that doesn't make him want to scream with the pain lancing into his skull, so he leans against the wall and keeps forcing himself to breathe as even as he can.]

[lionsleeps]

[It's true, he wouldn't accept it. Dan Feng was right that he won this battle. The seed of self-blame has already taken root.

At least he also chooses not to apologise. He doesn't want to hurt Dan Heng any more than he already has -- more than he has to even in this moment. He gets the ribbon tied as quickly as his fumbling will let him, then gently takes Dan Heng's hands to tug him towards the bed.]

Come and lie down. Would you like me to fetch a doctor of some kind?

[lifeban]

[dan heng lets himself be led to bed, and is loathe to let go of jing yuan's hands even once he's settled down.]

...Just painkillers, for now. Miss Bailu will probably know best.

[but he's scared to let jing yuan out of his sight. he's the one who let dan feng in, and he knows who his predecessor has the most interest in.]

[lionsleeps]

She would. But Miss Megumi is also a healer. You'll have help no matter what.

[He does unfortunately take his hands back, so he can go find whatever shitty otc painkillers they may have a bottle of.

He's very carefully staying calm, but internally he's thinking about the future, and all that could go wrong or right with it. Without any outward indication, the anxiety is rising into a choking, black cloud he can't see past at all.]

[lifeban]

[wwwatching him, miserably.]

She did mention knowing others with horns...

[lionsleeps]

I think we can trust her.

[He comes back with a bottle and hands it to Dan Heng.]

Just don't take tips from Dan Feng, no matter what he says.

[lifeban]

[sitting up to swallow a few dry.]

...

[struggling. not to apologize.]

[lionsleeps]

[Do your best, Dan Heng. Jing Yuan is losing that particular inner battle.]

...I should've kept you two apart from the beginning.

[lifeban]

[damnit man]

Because that would have worked.

[lionsleeps]

It would have been better than doing nothing to stop him.