[ ugh, don't phrase it like he has to practice. therion pulls a face. he learns by experience, thank you very much, which is exactly what jiaoqiu is saying, but despite forgiving claims a few nights ago he does have an ego.
thankfully, it doesn't really mean anything beyond his usual grumbling. he tries not to react to the fingertips on his arm, over bandages, trusting and allowing him in his space, tries to pretend it doesn't send goosebumps up his forearms. i'm not going anywhere. he has to do something to keep from jittering away or at least to save face, so after a second, therion frees his hands and reaches for the blankets, and pulls them up over them both up to the chin. he's small enough that he could disappear if he moved, and that suits him just fine.
with that, he huffs. now that the emotional high of the moment is out of the way and there's a little extra armor, therion's a little less unmarred, a little more comfortable, and a bit of grumbling helped to ease the way of that, too. jiaoqiu says he's not good at it, and that actually does get a snort. it hurts his chest a little, but it's not in a bad way. ]
Yeah. I could've told you that months ago. [ rude. lacking heat. ] Fucking psychopath inviting a thief into your house.
[ in the blankets, jiaoqiu's tail twitches, and then flops over to settle over therion's legs. his face free, jiaoqiu tugs therion closer and tucks him against his chest. it kind of hurts to do, but whatever. he doesn't care, the closeness is more important to him. ]
I had nothing to lose. [ he hums, adjusting so he can run his fingers through therion's hair. ] Things change.
[ he knows therion is grumbling to save face, and he ignores it. ]
Will you let me say thank you? Really hear it, now.
[ unless lingsha cleaned him up his hair is so gross because someone bled in it a lot. also he smells like fire and smoke and. incense, which is like nice smoke so that's an improvement. it's all just bad.
the warmth over his leg is becoming increasingly familiar. is he going to let himself have this, from now on? despite everything? his eyes close, head spinning, heart heavy and light all at once. therion listens to jiaoqiu, the rumble of his voice where he's settled, nearly hidden under the blankets, and then huffs again, muttering under his breath. ]
Can't exactly stop you. [ he has tried many creative efforts to get jiaoqiu to stop talking with mixed success. but, after a moment, he lifts his head from where he's been tucked just enough to peer at him from behind his bangs, expression pulled into a small frown, but - a sign that he's listening. alright, fine. ]
[ he does in fact wrinkle his nose a little at the smell, but it's fine.
and when therion peeks up at him like that, from under his bangs, jiaoqiu's heart squeezes so tight in his chest that it nearly takes the wind out of him. how many people have ever seen him like this? he can't imagine it's been many, with how closely guarded therion is. that thought from before, that he can't lie to himself about how he feels, comes back even stronger, and he has to bite his lip for a second to stop himself. don't be silly. just take this, don't ruin it.
jiaoqiu takes a deep breath. and then he brings his hand down to gently brush therion's hair out of his face. just enough, just so he can see both of therion's eyes, no armor. ]
Thank you. For saving me.
[ from hoolay, but. for saving him from a life where the only thing he had to look forward to was sitting in front of two graves for eight solid hours once a year. it's clear he means more than just today. ]
[ just like that, he's laid totally bare. there's a tiny second where he almost flinches away out of sheer instinct, but he stops himself - the hand curled in his clothes tightens, hard, but he keeps his face steady for at least a second. both of his eyes, bright and murky green, focus up on jiaoqiu's face and he takes in a small, shallow breath.
no armor. and then jiaoqiu says that, and of course he'd have to be an idiot not to understand what he means. it feels overwhelming - there's a rush of warmth in his chest that aches something fierce, the formation of glass from sandy ground, heat and healing and reforming all at once. some part of him wants to protest, that defensive. does he look like a hero? it was his fault that he ended up there. normally, he'd play it off as nothing, shake his head and scoff, let him know it was just out of convenience's sake, for payback, but there's no convenience or payback or tradeoff here, and there hasn't been for a long, long time. he could tell himself that he's using jiaoqiu, because he's a bad person, and used to tell himself so often - it was just for sex, just for knowing you have a healer in your pocket, just for a free meal - but it's a lie. it's a poorly constructed lie. no thief worth their own skin would have run into that wolf's den, piss off a powerfully connected crime lord, to save someone else. he didn't even hesitate, not for a fucking second.
he searches jiaoqiu's face - for a lie, maybe, for anything that could tell him that this wasn't real, and for once, he lets himself believe that this might be something he can trust. that it's somewhere he can rest his head.
therion swallows. hard. ]
Yeah. [ the awkward, husky-voiced, raw one word response more or less says everything. that he's accepting to thanks. that he understands what he's trying to say. his chest, his throat - they feel tight, burning like he might cry, which is insane, because he hasn't done that since he was a literal baby and he has no plans of doing it now, but he doesn't look away. yeah. you're welcome. he's not sure if he can say that, but the emotion's there as he stares up at him, for just a second like a lost shelter cat who finally found a home. ]
[ the thing that moves him the most is that therion doesn't look away.
that's the biggest thing that tells him therion is trying. he knows that the meaning behind his words hit, and he can see that he's fighting it, and fighting that. it's the same thing jiaoqiu does. sometimes you have to wrestle like eight layers of self loathing and trauma to get to a point where you can just hear something, and accept it. therion looks at him, and jiaoqiu doesn't break his gaze, just waits patiently, lets him sort through it. watches the expression on his face turn from something like crunched, shattered glass to a window. there's still cracks. it's still being repaired, but the damage isn't so devastating.
therion put himself so solidly into danger for him, and he takes the thank you, and jiaoqiu, stupidly, is so very proud of him. the look that he gives him makes all of this worth it. a realization that he can rely on someone, that he has a home. it's this that makes jiaoqiu believe that therion is going to try, and it settles the uncertainty in him. no matter what comes next, it'll be okay.
there's no lie in his own expression, it's - probably the most honest he's ever been. and jiaoqiu leans a little. presses a kiss to therion's forehead, and then lifts his chin a bit to kiss him on the mouth, in that same sort of way - understanding. hearing it. keeping it close. a tacit response. he heard what therion was trying to tell him, and he believes it, he's not backing away this time.
and when he pulls away, he doesn't go far. he strokes therion's back, fingers up and down his spine. he doesn't say anything, he just lets therion sit with it for a bit.
lets himself sit with it a bit, too. his chest hurts, and his eyes are burning. ]
[ thank god he lets him sit with it because he's going to need a xanax and about ten years to fully process the span of emotions he's had in the past twenty four hours. the kiss to the forehead is such a sweet, tender gesture that for a second it feels like he can't breathe. it's so unfamiliar, so unknown - he might need ten years to get anywhere even remotely used to that, too.
he takes a breath, a little shakier than he'd like for it to be, and his eyes flutter shut at the gesture. by the time it comes to his mouth in a kiss, he's somewhere between exhausted and wide awake, firefly sparks flickering through his synapses, moving so slowly and too fast all at once. it's such a strange, unmooring feeling, adrift at sea with someone's hands on your waist, but it's not bad. for once, he's trying to let himself have something. for once, something good shines in.
i had nothing to lose. things change. yeah. yeah, he gets that, now, doesn't he?
that's about it for therion, who cannot stand to stay face to face, open to open any longer than that or he might actually implode on the spot. he's learning how to display a tiny bit of emotional intimacy. he is not anywhere near the stage of looking lovingly into someone's eyes. red cheeked, he huffs again, dropping his head down and burrowing a little further into the blankets, nearly disappearing underneath them so there's just a tuft of his white hair sticking out. ]
Happy fucking vacation. [ he mutters, eventually - grousing, grumbling, sarcastic, but it's at least at both of their expense. yay. what an ending. ]
[ no, that's absolutely fair, because jiaoqiu closes his eyes after he pulls back, forehead to forehead. he also cannot handle staring. he's fine with therion sinking under the blankets as long as he doesn't try to leave. and like, eventually he'll allow therion to be more than five feet away from him, but right now he thinks that this is the only thing keeping him grounded, so.
therion's comment makes him laugh, despite himself, and it dissolves into a little cough that he muffles. he's fine, he just feels like he's been run through with a sword. in multiple ways. ]
I think we need a vacation from the vacation. [ he says, exhausted. sorry if he curls a little closer, he's fuckin cold. blood loss will do that to you. ] We can recover here.
[ as he heard, lingsha would bring down unholy levels of hell if anybody tried to get them, so. at least there's that. ]
[ okay, yes, it's much better to be half hidden. armor firmly back in place, though it's really too late now - jiaoqiu's seen his squishy underbelly in more ways that anyone else in the entire world has. even darius, though, then again, he'd hardly built up any armor in the first place back then.
curling closer is fine. he does not care - he is also cold, and exhausted, though if he closes his eyes he's just going to see darius' stupid fucking face staring down at him again and he's not about that, so a more normal level of conversation is settling for therion in a hundred different ways. there's a soft grunt that could maybe be a laugh. ]
Yeah. I heard. [ that lady was shouting the borisin's ear off. which... unfortunately, the logical progression of that makes his face pull into a frown, and the rest of the cogs move into place, ticking through the plan of the future. the future. god. ] You have weird friends.
[ ... ]
... Gonna need to get out of the city, this time. [ he says, quietly. muffled. ]
[ if you give a fox an emotional intimacy, he's going to want another one, so therion's tsundere days are limited,
he tucks the blankets in around them, resting his head against therion's. he'll just deal with the nasty blood hair. whatever. they can shower later. right now he thinks if he got up he'd just collapse. and that's not even counting his busted leg. ]
My friends are as weird as I am. [ this is not a good defense, dude. as for the rest: ]
That's alright. Any suggestions?
[ like. easy. he'll just pick up and go. whatever. who cares. ]
That's not as good of a defense as you think it is.
[ i mean listen he'll say it. seeing as how therion is here, with him, he is not excluded from that number of people but like at least he knows he's a freak.
the easy response - the simplicity of "sure, okay, where are we going" shouldn't surprise him. he pauses. looks up, now, from his blanket armor and likely dislodging jiaoqiu, but he needs to look at him. one eyebrow raised, expression a little flat. ]
You understand what I'm saying here, right? I don't know for how long.
[ after all, he did used to disappear for weeks at a time. he still does, sometimes, though time has taught him to be kinder about it, to at least open up an avenue of communication, and to stay for more than a few hours when he returns. ]
[ he meets that gaze! he can't... raise his eyebrow back because his face hurts too bad, so instead he's just serene, letting therion look. ]
I'm afraid I'm not as stupid as you sometimes think I am. [ he says, amused. ] I understand the implications, so I'll ask again - any suggestions?
[ he's really not afraid to just quit his job and go. it's not like he has any attachment to this town other than like... sushang and lingsha, but they'll be okay. sushang will be fine with texts, and lingsha spends half her time with jiaoqiu wanting to pin him to a washing line to dry. ]
............I've got a couple safehouses in a couple different cities. [ therion mutters. his face is burning. ] And if I don't have one, I can get one.
he's a little amused by this, but he doesn't tease...... for now. ]
I can supplement our cash flow by treating people that we find. [ he's not good at thieving so he's going to leave that to therion, but. ] I may have connections in places, as well. Foxians often help each other, even if they've never met before.
[ he really doesn't look that pleased about the connections part, but that's probably not surprising. he's also lacking a lot of his usual sourness because he just got really embarrassed and rightfully so. ahem. ]
Former's better. [ than the connections. ] Don't really need those.
[ he's too slow to trust for that. just because he trusts jiaoqiu does not mean he trusts his friends. he trusted lingsha out of sheer necessity and also because he passed out. ]
... world's your oyster, I guess. The farther away from this place, the better.
[ local thief absolutely disarmed by emotions news at eleven
he looks slightly huffy about the connections thing but. whatever. he supposes he can't trust anybody he's never met before, but... depending on where they go, he does know people who would never sell him out.
he shrugs. ]
I don't care where we go. I've seen the world enough. We can go far. But we aren't going anywhere until I can walk.
[ okay. okay, deal. and he'll maybe soften up on the connection thing, eventually, but right now, therion is especially paranoid about strangers. ]
Forget walking. You're gonna have to learn how to run a mile if you really want to keep up with me. [ this is a joke and a very bad one but what else is new he doesn't have a good sense of humor. it's a joke especially because, well... he likes it, that jiaoqiu's not a thief. it's another degree of separation from that fucking word - partner - and the life that he left behind all those years ago. it's nice. he can huff and puff and wheeze and therion will tease him for it. or better yet, he'll make sure he never has to run for his life at all. ]
[ this is about the response he's expecting, from the whining to the awful joke, and he shouldn't laugh, but he does, anyway, and it kind of hurts, and that's fine. ]
Nice knowing you. [ so, so dryly.
but, after a longer moment of mulling something over, all joking aside, therion goes quiet. and then... ]
anyway. he does not look at jiaoqiu, tucked back into his spot. ]
...Sunshade, then. Should keep the wolves off our tail.
[ sunshade, a famous desert oasis, a little town with a name that goes down as a place full of desert blooms. certainly not the most above board place in the world. but... a place with one of the very, very few people in the entire world that he more or less trusts, and a place where a successful young woman who once was a dancer now owns and runs a tavern in town. it's also far. no better way to lose a scent than to toss it into the sand, and... he thinks that jiaoqiu might like her, too, but he'll keep that part secret for now.
she'll also probably be the least annoying about this than literally any other vague 'connection' that he's ever had so. that's a win. ] Better get used to sand in your tail.
he's never been to sunshade, before. he has heard plenty of men during the war talk about wanting to go, though - it's the only time that he's heard about soldiers who wanted to serve around the desert. it's also the kind of place that he sincerely doubts hoolay will care enough to chase him to. he's got better things to do. he doesn't know about darius, but he's like, way less afraid of darius. darius is the type of dude that jiaoqiu could set on fire without a second glance. ]
Any sand in my tail is going to be sand in your bed. [ he says, primly. ] You can help me brush it.
[ uwu
but, yeah. that's agreement enough. he doesn't mind. and once he meets that dancer, he'll like it even more. ]
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no subject
thankfully, it doesn't really mean anything beyond his usual grumbling. he tries not to react to the fingertips on his arm, over bandages, trusting and allowing him in his space, tries to pretend it doesn't send goosebumps up his forearms. i'm not going anywhere. he has to do something to keep from jittering away or at least to save face, so after a second, therion frees his hands and reaches for the blankets, and pulls them up over them both up to the chin. he's small enough that he could disappear if he moved, and that suits him just fine.
with that, he huffs. now that the emotional high of the moment is out of the way and there's a little extra armor, therion's a little less unmarred, a little more comfortable, and a bit of grumbling helped to ease the way of that, too. jiaoqiu says he's not good at it, and that actually does get a snort. it hurts his chest a little, but it's not in a bad way. ]
Yeah. I could've told you that months ago. [ rude. lacking heat. ] Fucking psychopath inviting a thief into your house.
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I had nothing to lose. [ he hums, adjusting so he can run his fingers through therion's hair. ] Things change.
[ he knows therion is grumbling to save face, and he ignores it. ]
Will you let me say thank you? Really hear it, now.
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the warmth over his leg is becoming increasingly familiar. is he going to let himself have this, from now on? despite everything? his eyes close, head spinning, heart heavy and light all at once. therion listens to jiaoqiu, the rumble of his voice where he's settled, nearly hidden under the blankets, and then huffs again, muttering under his breath. ]
Can't exactly stop you. [ he has tried many creative efforts to get jiaoqiu to stop talking with mixed success. but, after a moment, he lifts his head from where he's been tucked just enough to peer at him from behind his bangs, expression pulled into a small frown, but - a sign that he's listening. alright, fine. ]
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and when therion peeks up at him like that, from under his bangs, jiaoqiu's heart squeezes so tight in his chest that it nearly takes the wind out of him. how many people have ever seen him like this? he can't imagine it's been many, with how closely guarded therion is. that thought from before, that he can't lie to himself about how he feels, comes back even stronger, and he has to bite his lip for a second to stop himself. don't be silly. just take this, don't ruin it.
jiaoqiu takes a deep breath. and then he brings his hand down to gently brush therion's hair out of his face. just enough, just so he can see both of therion's eyes, no armor. ]
Thank you. For saving me.
[ from hoolay, but. for saving him from a life where the only thing he had to look forward to was sitting in front of two graves for eight solid hours once a year. it's clear he means more than just today. ]
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no armor. and then jiaoqiu says that, and of course he'd have to be an idiot not to understand what he means. it feels overwhelming - there's a rush of warmth in his chest that aches something fierce, the formation of glass from sandy ground, heat and healing and reforming all at once. some part of him wants to protest, that defensive. does he look like a hero? it was his fault that he ended up there. normally, he'd play it off as nothing, shake his head and scoff, let him know it was just out of convenience's sake, for payback, but there's no convenience or payback or tradeoff here, and there hasn't been for a long, long time. he could tell himself that he's using jiaoqiu, because he's a bad person, and used to tell himself so often - it was just for sex, just for knowing you have a healer in your pocket, just for a free meal - but it's a lie. it's a poorly constructed lie. no thief worth their own skin would have run into that wolf's den, piss off a powerfully connected crime lord, to save someone else. he didn't even hesitate, not for a fucking second.
he searches jiaoqiu's face - for a lie, maybe, for anything that could tell him that this wasn't real, and for once, he lets himself believe that this might be something he can trust. that it's somewhere he can rest his head.
therion swallows. hard. ]
Yeah. [ the awkward, husky-voiced, raw one word response more or less says everything. that he's accepting to thanks. that he understands what he's trying to say. his chest, his throat - they feel tight, burning like he might cry, which is insane, because he hasn't done that since he was a literal baby and he has no plans of doing it now, but he doesn't look away. yeah. you're welcome. he's not sure if he can say that, but the emotion's there as he stares up at him, for just a second like a lost shelter cat who finally found a home. ]
no subject
that's the biggest thing that tells him therion is trying. he knows that the meaning behind his words hit, and he can see that he's fighting it, and fighting that. it's the same thing jiaoqiu does. sometimes you have to wrestle like eight layers of self loathing and trauma to get to a point where you can just hear something, and accept it. therion looks at him, and jiaoqiu doesn't break his gaze, just waits patiently, lets him sort through it. watches the expression on his face turn from something like crunched, shattered glass to a window. there's still cracks. it's still being repaired, but the damage isn't so devastating.
therion put himself so solidly into danger for him, and he takes the thank you, and jiaoqiu, stupidly, is so very proud of him. the look that he gives him makes all of this worth it. a realization that he can rely on someone, that he has a home. it's this that makes jiaoqiu believe that therion is going to try, and it settles the uncertainty in him. no matter what comes next, it'll be okay.
there's no lie in his own expression, it's - probably the most honest he's ever been. and jiaoqiu leans a little. presses a kiss to therion's forehead, and then lifts his chin a bit to kiss him on the mouth, in that same sort of way - understanding. hearing it. keeping it close. a tacit response. he heard what therion was trying to tell him, and he believes it, he's not backing away this time.
and when he pulls away, he doesn't go far. he strokes therion's back, fingers up and down his spine. he doesn't say anything, he just lets therion sit with it for a bit.
lets himself sit with it a bit, too. his chest hurts, and his eyes are burning. ]
no subject
he takes a breath, a little shakier than he'd like for it to be, and his eyes flutter shut at the gesture. by the time it comes to his mouth in a kiss, he's somewhere between exhausted and wide awake, firefly sparks flickering through his synapses, moving so slowly and too fast all at once. it's such a strange, unmooring feeling, adrift at sea with someone's hands on your waist, but it's not bad. for once, he's trying to let himself have something. for once, something good shines in.
i had nothing to lose. things change. yeah. yeah, he gets that, now, doesn't he?
that's about it for therion, who cannot stand to stay face to face, open to open any longer than that or he might actually implode on the spot. he's learning how to display a tiny bit of emotional intimacy. he is not anywhere near the stage of looking lovingly into someone's eyes. red cheeked, he huffs again, dropping his head down and burrowing a little further into the blankets, nearly disappearing underneath them so there's just a tuft of his white hair sticking out. ]
Happy fucking vacation. [ he mutters, eventually - grousing, grumbling, sarcastic, but it's at least at both of their expense. yay. what an ending. ]
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therion's comment makes him laugh, despite himself, and it dissolves into a little cough that he muffles. he's fine, he just feels like he's been run through with a sword. in multiple ways. ]
I think we need a vacation from the vacation. [ he says, exhausted. sorry if he curls a little closer, he's fuckin cold. blood loss will do that to you. ] We can recover here.
[ as he heard, lingsha would bring down unholy levels of hell if anybody tried to get them, so. at least there's that. ]
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curling closer is fine. he does not care - he is also cold, and exhausted, though if he closes his eyes he's just going to see darius' stupid fucking face staring down at him again and he's not about that, so a more normal level of conversation is settling for therion in a hundred different ways. there's a soft grunt that could maybe be a laugh. ]
Yeah. I heard. [ that lady was shouting the borisin's ear off. which... unfortunately, the logical progression of that makes his face pull into a frown, and the rest of the cogs move into place, ticking through the plan of the future. the future. god. ] You have weird friends.
[ ... ]
... Gonna need to get out of the city, this time. [ he says, quietly. muffled. ]
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he tucks the blankets in around them, resting his head against therion's. he'll just deal with the nasty blood hair. whatever. they can shower later. right now he thinks if he got up he'd just collapse. and that's not even counting his busted leg. ]
My friends are as weird as I am. [ this is not a good defense, dude. as for the rest: ]
That's alright. Any suggestions?
[ like. easy. he'll just pick up and go. whatever. who cares. ]
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[ i mean listen he'll say it. seeing as how therion is here, with him, he is not excluded from that number of people but like at least he knows he's a freak.
the easy response - the simplicity of "sure, okay, where are we going" shouldn't surprise him. he pauses. looks up, now, from his blanket armor and likely dislodging jiaoqiu, but he needs to look at him. one eyebrow raised, expression a little flat. ]
You understand what I'm saying here, right? I don't know for how long.
[ after all, he did used to disappear for weeks at a time. he still does, sometimes, though time has taught him to be kinder about it, to at least open up an avenue of communication, and to stay for more than a few hours when he returns. ]
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I'm afraid I'm not as stupid as you sometimes think I am. [ he says, amused. ] I understand the implications, so I'll ask again - any suggestions?
[ he's really not afraid to just quit his job and go. it's not like he has any attachment to this town other than like... sushang and lingsha, but they'll be okay. sushang will be fine with texts, and lingsha spends half her time with jiaoqiu wanting to pin him to a washing line to dry. ]
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...Might not stay somewhere for long, either.
[ just like. trying to put it out there. again. this is one hell of a commitment to be making. ]
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Do you want me to stay here, after all of what I just said to you?
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LISTEN
his ears turn red.
and there's a long, long pause. ]
............I've got a couple safehouses in a couple different cities. [ therion mutters. his face is burning. ] And if I don't have one, I can get one.
no subject
he's a little amused by this, but he doesn't tease...... for now. ]
I can supplement our cash flow by treating people that we find. [ he's not good at thieving so he's going to leave that to therion, but. ] I may have connections in places, as well. Foxians often help each other, even if they've never met before.
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Former's better. [ than the connections. ] Don't really need those.
[ he's too slow to trust for that. just because he trusts jiaoqiu does not mean he trusts his friends. he trusted lingsha out of sheer necessity and also because he passed out. ]
... world's your oyster, I guess. The farther away from this place, the better.
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he looks slightly huffy about the connections thing but. whatever. he supposes he can't trust anybody he's never met before, but... depending on where they go, he does know people who would never sell him out.
he shrugs. ]
I don't care where we go. I've seen the world enough. We can go far. But we aren't going anywhere until I can walk.
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[ okay. okay, deal. and he'll maybe soften up on the connection thing, eventually, but right now, therion is especially paranoid about strangers. ]
Forget walking. You're gonna have to learn how to run a mile if you really want to keep up with me. [ this is a joke and a very bad one but what else is new he doesn't have a good sense of humor. it's a joke especially because, well... he likes it, that jiaoqiu's not a thief. it's another degree of separation from that fucking word - partner - and the life that he left behind all those years ago. it's nice. he can huff and puff and wheeze and therion will tease him for it. or better yet, he'll make sure he never has to run for his life at all. ]
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as for the running comment, jiaoqiu actually whines. like, wehhhhh. it's really lame. ]
You might as well leave me behind as a snack... [ he shouldn't joke about dying but listen they both have bad senses of humor ]
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Nice knowing you. [ so, so dryly.
but, after a longer moment of mulling something over, all joking aside, therion goes quiet. and then... ]
... How do you feel about hot weather?
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I don't mind it. I run cold, as you've likely noticed.
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[ cold ass fingers
anyway. he does not look at jiaoqiu, tucked back into his spot. ]
...Sunshade, then. Should keep the wolves off our tail.
[ sunshade, a famous desert oasis, a little town with a name that goes down as a place full of desert blooms. certainly not the most above board place in the world. but... a place with one of the very, very few people in the entire world that he more or less trusts, and a place where a successful young woman who once was a dancer now owns and runs a tavern in town. it's also far. no better way to lose a scent than to toss it into the sand, and... he thinks that jiaoqiu might like her, too, but he'll keep that part secret for now.
she'll also probably be the least annoying about this than literally any other vague 'connection' that he's ever had so. that's a win. ] Better get used to sand in your tail.
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he's never been to sunshade, before. he has heard plenty of men during the war talk about wanting to go, though - it's the only time that he's heard about soldiers who wanted to serve around the desert. it's also the kind of place that he sincerely doubts hoolay will care enough to chase him to. he's got better things to do. he doesn't know about darius, but he's like, way less afraid of darius. darius is the type of dude that jiaoqiu could set on fire without a second glance. ]
Any sand in my tail is going to be sand in your bed. [ he says, primly. ] You can help me brush it.
[ uwu
but, yeah. that's agreement enough. he doesn't mind. and once he meets that dancer, he'll like it even more. ]
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[ is.
is this true? hard to tell ]
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