inbox | video/voice/text/action | midwesternmayhem

[eggshell]

Talk.

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[lifeban]

[damnit man]

Because that would have worked.

[lionsleeps]

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

[lifeban]

What are you talking about?

[lionsleeps]

[SIGHS, leaning against the nearest wall to put a polite distance between them.]

Judging by his reactions, I may have been the first to encounter him. Rather than warn you or contain him, I... ran away.

Even if I wasn't the first, I was still a coward.

[lifeban]

...I-

[stops. reconsiders his words.]

You realize I also ran away from him, yes?

[lionsleeps]

[He sees where this line of questions is going and moves to shut it down immediately.]

You are not responsible for him. You should run.

[lifeban]

I am no less responsible for him than you are.

[lionsleeps]

That's not true, Dan Heng.

[lifeban]

He's making trouble with my face.

I'm the one who brought him inside.

[lionsleeps]

I'm the one who's known him since before you were a thought.

...And the one he loves.

[lifeban]

Am I responsible for everyone Blade has killed trying to get to me, for being the object of his fixation?

[lionsleeps]

Of course not!

[This is quickly turning into an argument Jing Yuan doesn't actually want to have. He's pretty openly eyeing the door at this point.]

This is different.

[lifeban]

It isn't different at all.

[lionsleeps]

I appreciate your concern, Dan Heng, but you don't know what lies between him and myself.

[lifeban]

Do you? He's not your Dan Feng, Jing Yuan.

[lionsleeps]

It is truly astounding how little that matters.

[lifeban]

Why are you convinced the blame has to fall on you?

[lionsleeps]

It isn't something I can explain to you so easily. But I will refrain from mentioning it in the future. My apologies for upsetting you.

[lifeban]

So you're going to continue blaming yourself for his actions and just try to keep from reminding me you're doing so.

I don't particularly enjoy prying, but I may have to, at this point.

[lionsleeps]

[ugh. UGH!!! Jing Yuan huffs, crossing his arms but trying to look cool and collected.]

Have you ever been in love, Dan Heng?

[lifeban]

[ah it's working

ah we're going down that road.]

Not personally.

[lionsleeps]

Then you cannot and will not understand me.

[lifeban]

[opens his mouth.

closes it. he won't do either of them good if he's genuinely nasty about this.]

...I would have encountered him anyway. And I brought him back. His affection for you is stronger, but he is still interested in myself. So please don't bear this alone.

[lionsleeps]

[He goes quiet at that, staring at the floor as he formulates a response. He knows he's being petulant, and he's irritated at himself for not keeping his relaxed front up. Another mistake. He shouldn't have shown weakness.

And yet he did, and Dan Heng is trying so hard to drag him out of the emotional pit Dan Feng threw him into. But... he doesn't know how to let him do that. He's been bearing everything alone for far too long.

He can, at least, put his smile back on when he elects to lie.]

Alright, I hear you. Thank you, Dan Heng.

[lifeban]

...Okay.

[the wind goes right out of his sails. he doesn't know whether he should believe it. he doesn't know jing yuan well enough to contest it, not really.]