[ there's a little grunt of acknowledgement - yeah, yeah. he will. jiaoqiu's tough, he knows he had a lifetime long before therion met him, but he knows just as well that it's been years, and that he also complains when he sleeps wrong. and though he's not much of a comforter or a protector of anything, awkwardly, clumsily, he tries. especially now, after fucking up so, so beyond reason, after finding himself not dead in an alleyway but in a moment of limbo, curled up with a person who he knows, without question, loves him.
so, these are the ways he shows his love. by watching jiaoqiu's back. by keeping them both safe. jiaoqiu's survival instinct terrifies him, sometimes - the fact that he came out here is part and parcel of that - though he'd never admit it, and therion's own stubbornness at clawing his way to staying alive will serve them both, for as long as he can let it.
so. he lets jiaoqiu doze, watching the windows. hazy, but no less focused - everything that hurts feels like an afterthought from the painkillers. the world outside is quiet, the stillness of an evening drenched in snow, and though the raucous thief types come running through the streets once or twice, they're drunk and stupid, bursting out of the local tavern, stumbling over each other in the streets. getting into fistfights, here and there. it's nothing they need to worry about in this little corner, and with his hand settled against jiaoqiu's chest, feeling his heartbeat thump under his hand, he observes, quietly, hurt too much for too many thoughts.
two hours or so pass, uneventful, until - there's a soft, familiar voice in a single fluffy ear, and jiaoqiu will find himself rustled. ] Jiaoqiu.
[ the house is very dark, but therion's single visible eye is nearly luminous in it, bright green. ] C'mon.
[ he sleeps pretty peacefully. it's only two hours, but it's enough - he's good at this, at making sleep count, and even though he complains a lot about his back or various aches and pains, they very rarely stop him. in a pinch, he can make it through the worst conditions without hesitation. so, he curls around therion, and doesn't rouse once, even with the drunken thieves and scoundrels around town. there's trust both ways. he's protected, he knows.
he's practically attuned to therion's voice, even in his sleep, though. so when therion speaks up, he's awake in seconds, blearily opening his eyes with a sucked-in breath. instinctively, he tightens his grip on therion, and meets his gaze, ear flicking. ]
[ well being gripped a little tighter does ruin therion's cool (?) plan of slipping free of him to save himself a little bit of dignity, but he has never been able to do that, ever, so who knows why he was thinking it. the ears flick - he glances up at them briefly, and then shakes his head, starting to shift free. ]
Ride's here. [ a little dryly, as if this is just them waiting for an uber or something. he glances over his shoulder, nose wrinkling just slightly when it makes his head hurt, and it is only then that jiaoqiu might realize there is in fact another person in the room. he's standing a ways to the side in the kitchen area, barely stepping out of the shadows enough to be seen - an older man with well kept facial hair and a very nicely fitting suit, who glances over upon address and offers the hint of a smile.
therion starts to wriggle free, at that - despite everything, he might also notice that his ears are visibly pink in the dark. ] C'mon.
[ oh. huh. that was fast! he's a little embarrassed to be caught curled up with therion, not because he's ashamed of him but because any sort of affection like this is meant for therion and therion alone. but he recovers well enough, letting him wriggle free. his own ears can't go pink (they already are, technically) but the tops of his cheeks go a little red. just a dusting.
he'll pull himself up out of bed with a slight wince, because sleeping sitting up fucked his neck up, and then moves instinctively to help therion up. a beat, and then, voice low just in case, but enough for said older man to hear: ]
[ at least they can both be embarrassed. therion slinks free of jiaoqiu's grip, winces, and then is helped up, which is!!! also embarrassing!!! he huffs a little when he moves and waves it off. it feels like being watched by your dad. not that he would know what that's like, but the point stands.
the elderly man who looks entirely too old to be in the line of work that he is in, merely smiles, hand to his chest. he keeps his voice low as well, pleasant. It's no trouble. For some people, asking is the hardest step, after all.
therion immediately glowers at him, and the elderly man ignores it, still smiling. Mr. Jiaoqiu, is that it? I am Heathcote. Come - there's a car waiting.
and in true butler fashion, he heads to the door first, briefly checking, and then opens the door for jiaoqiu and therion to make their way through! he probably cleared the area, therion notes to himself, briefly sideeying jiaoqiu and looking him up and down to make sure he's alright. there is a nice little car out there, and he even opens the back door for them both, which makes therion make a face, but he's really in no position to complain. ]
[ therion is SO rude to this nice old man, wow........
no, jiaoqiu can sense the no nonsense sort of attitude from heathcote, and it kind of amuses him, actually. this is therion kryptonite. jiaoqiu is unfortunately too polite to let this go without thanking their savior - he's not too proud for this. so, with a little bow of his head, he makes his way out the door and towards the car, sticking close to therion. not just because he's worried about him, but because even though this man is obviously trustworthy, considering therion is going anywhere with him willingly, he's a little paranoid. this city is a wreck. jiaoqiu feels... a little poorly, leaving it behind in such a state. but there's not a lot that one person can do. even if he wants to go find that one guy that stabbed therion and poison him to death.
so, he gives another little thank you at the door being opened for them, and then slides into the backseat, leaving a lot of room for therion to get in. he doesn't crowd up against therion once he's inside, but he settles close, quietly reaching to hold onto his arm out of habit. softly, to therion: ]
Everything alright?
[ how are you feeling. where are we going, what's the plan? ]
this is one of the places that therion and jiaoqiu don't really match - in that this city, to him, is already a lost cause. there's no saving something like this, and he's not really the type to care. sucks for the people who do live here, but therion wants to put northreach into the rearview mirror and never, ever come back, like half the other places he's been. he's spent his whole life in shitholes like this one way or another, and though northreach is maybe the worst he's seen in a while, his focus has always been on his own survival.
(well, mostly. therion has a few people he'd upend the world for. and his soft core means he's suckered into helping others more than you'd expect, even if he's sneaky about it, but he's practical enough that something like this is beyond helping.)
therion slides into the car, shuts the door, drops himself into the seat. his body hurts, but the adrenaline of escaping matches jiaoqiu's paranoia, and he keeps his head on a swivel, glancing out the window, up at the rearview, even as heathcote comes back around and puts the car into drive, heading out through the streets.
the touch to his arm does catch his attention. he glances over at jiaoqiu, glances up at the mirror again, and after a moment... accepts it, huffing softly and turning back towards the window. truthfully, he doesn't feel great, but it's probably just the exhaustion, and if he leans a little more into jiaoqiu's touch than usual, it's probably nothing. ]
'm fine. [ which is not necessarily untrue - he's not any worse than he was a few hours ago. ] Think we're heading to the next town over to catch the train.
[ heathcote's left them be, with all the gesture of a man who is used to driving a car with a fancy lady inside around, though he does comment, from the front: You really ought to take a night before you return. Lady Cordelia would be pleased to have you.
therion scoffs, as therion does, rolls his eyes. ] Yeah, well. She can get over it.
The less traveling we do while you're injured the better.
[ jiaoqiu says, voice soft but insistent. but he's not going to pester - he really does want to go home. he's exhausted, he wants to sleep in his own bed. if therion can make it, that's what they'll do, but if he doesn't feel good, jiaoqiu isn't going to risk his health just because the two of them would rather be back in sunshade. he's keeping a close eye on how therion's moving, what he's doing while they're mostly at rest.
a beat. ]
Lady Cordelia is generous to open her home to us. We'd like to be back as soon as we can, but we'll keep it in mind.
[ there's that military general's right hand coming out, there. his fingers wrap around therion's wrist - nothing more than just holding onto him because he wants to. it makes him feel better. focus on who you can save, he reminds himself, putting northreach out of his mind for now. therion is his priority. ]
[ you know, therion knows jiaoqiu is smart. he knows he's good at navigating complexities, but there's something nice - something attractive, really - about seeing him utilize those skills. for therion, who would rather not talk in most situations, it's especially nice to be able to trust jiaoqiu to handle it, because whether he trusts heathcote or not, he doesn't really want to deal with him right now.
his glance flicks from the rearview mirror to jiaoqiu, as they peel out of the town and off into the night. the hand around his wrist is allowed to stay there - he leans back a little further against the seat, feeling some of the weight and exhaustion of the day starting to weigh on his shoulders, dizzy in the rocking motion of the car.
therion closes his eyes, indicating an I'm Done With This Conversation - his wrist turns just slightly into the fingers pressed to it, and he trusts jiaoqiu to handle it. whether he talks to heathcote a lot or doesn't, he can handle it.
heathcote hums a little in response. "There's hardly a need for the train, then - Master Jiaoqiu is correct. We'll head that for Sunshade directly."
cordelia can wait, because she'll get a full report of everything that happened here anyway, so. off they go. heathcote's as quiet as you might expect as a butler, polite and elegant, and he doesn't necessarily start conversation unless jiaoqiu wants to ask him something of him, but it seems he's fine to take them all the way back. ]
[ he can tell that therion is starting to waver, which is why once heathcote goes quiet, jiaoqiu hums, and shifts so he can be a better pillow. carefully, he nudges therion to lean on him if he wants, and - either way - settles his tail so it's settled over the both of them. comfy. it'll be a decently long drive back, so he's content to rest. he only had two hours of sleep, after all.
and he's a little hesitant to do so only because he doesn't always like to be affectionate where other people can see, but he rests his head against therion's shoulder, and closes his eyes. he's exhausted, so he's going to be out in seconds if nobody talks to him.
he figures he'll need the rest for when they get back. ]
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[ there's a little grunt of acknowledgement - yeah, yeah. he will. jiaoqiu's tough, he knows he had a lifetime long before therion met him, but he knows just as well that it's been years, and that he also complains when he sleeps wrong. and though he's not much of a comforter or a protector of anything, awkwardly, clumsily, he tries. especially now, after fucking up so, so beyond reason, after finding himself not dead in an alleyway but in a moment of limbo, curled up with a person who he knows, without question, loves him.
so, these are the ways he shows his love. by watching jiaoqiu's back. by keeping them both safe. jiaoqiu's survival instinct terrifies him, sometimes - the fact that he came out here is part and parcel of that - though he'd never admit it, and therion's own stubbornness at clawing his way to staying alive will serve them both, for as long as he can let it.
so. he lets jiaoqiu doze, watching the windows. hazy, but no less focused - everything that hurts feels like an afterthought from the painkillers. the world outside is quiet, the stillness of an evening drenched in snow, and though the raucous thief types come running through the streets once or twice, they're drunk and stupid, bursting out of the local tavern, stumbling over each other in the streets. getting into fistfights, here and there. it's nothing they need to worry about in this little corner, and with his hand settled against jiaoqiu's chest, feeling his heartbeat thump under his hand, he observes, quietly, hurt too much for too many thoughts.
two hours or so pass, uneventful, until - there's a soft, familiar voice in a single fluffy ear, and jiaoqiu will find himself rustled. ] Jiaoqiu.
[ the house is very dark, but therion's single visible eye is nearly luminous in it, bright green. ] C'mon.
no subject
he's practically attuned to therion's voice, even in his sleep, though. so when therion speaks up, he's awake in seconds, blearily opening his eyes with a sucked-in breath. instinctively, he tightens his grip on therion, and meets his gaze, ear flicking. ]
Mm. [ yeah? he's awake. what? ]
no subject
Ride's here. [ a little dryly, as if this is just them waiting for an uber or something. he glances over his shoulder, nose wrinkling just slightly when it makes his head hurt, and it is only then that jiaoqiu might realize there is in fact another person in the room. he's standing a ways to the side in the kitchen area, barely stepping out of the shadows enough to be seen - an older man with well kept facial hair and a very nicely fitting suit, who glances over upon address and offers the hint of a smile.
therion starts to wriggle free, at that - despite everything, he might also notice that his ears are visibly pink in the dark. ] C'mon.
no subject
he'll pull himself up out of bed with a slight wince, because sleeping sitting up fucked his neck up, and then moves instinctively to help therion up. a beat, and then, voice low just in case, but enough for said older man to hear: ]
Thank you, for coming to collect us.
no subject
the elderly man who looks entirely too old to be in the line of work that he is in, merely smiles, hand to his chest. he keeps his voice low as well, pleasant. It's no trouble. For some people, asking is the hardest step, after all.
therion immediately glowers at him, and the elderly man ignores it, still smiling. Mr. Jiaoqiu, is that it? I am Heathcote. Come - there's a car waiting.
and in true butler fashion, he heads to the door first, briefly checking, and then opens the door for jiaoqiu and therion to make their way through! he probably cleared the area, therion notes to himself, briefly sideeying jiaoqiu and looking him up and down to make sure he's alright. there is a nice little car out there, and he even opens the back door for them both, which makes therion make a face, but he's really in no position to complain. ]
no subject
no, jiaoqiu can sense the no nonsense sort of attitude from heathcote, and it kind of amuses him, actually. this is therion kryptonite. jiaoqiu is unfortunately too polite to let this go without thanking their savior - he's not too proud for this. so, with a little bow of his head, he makes his way out the door and towards the car, sticking close to therion. not just because he's worried about him, but because even though this man is obviously trustworthy, considering therion is going anywhere with him willingly, he's a little paranoid. this city is a wreck. jiaoqiu feels... a little poorly, leaving it behind in such a state. but there's not a lot that one person can do. even if he wants to go find that one guy that stabbed therion and poison him to death.
so, he gives another little thank you at the door being opened for them, and then slides into the backseat, leaving a lot of room for therion to get in. he doesn't crowd up against therion once he's inside, but he settles close, quietly reaching to hold onto his arm out of habit. softly, to therion: ]
Everything alright?
[ how are you feeling. where are we going, what's the plan? ]
no subject
this is one of the places that therion and jiaoqiu don't really match - in that this city, to him, is already a lost cause. there's no saving something like this, and he's not really the type to care. sucks for the people who do live here, but therion wants to put northreach into the rearview mirror and never, ever come back, like half the other places he's been. he's spent his whole life in shitholes like this one way or another, and though northreach is maybe the worst he's seen in a while, his focus has always been on his own survival.
(well, mostly. therion has a few people he'd upend the world for. and his soft core means he's suckered into helping others more than you'd expect, even if he's sneaky about it, but he's practical enough that something like this is beyond helping.)
therion slides into the car, shuts the door, drops himself into the seat. his body hurts, but the adrenaline of escaping matches jiaoqiu's paranoia, and he keeps his head on a swivel, glancing out the window, up at the rearview, even as heathcote comes back around and puts the car into drive, heading out through the streets.
the touch to his arm does catch his attention. he glances over at jiaoqiu, glances up at the mirror again, and after a moment... accepts it, huffing softly and turning back towards the window. truthfully, he doesn't feel great, but it's probably just the exhaustion, and if he leans a little more into jiaoqiu's touch than usual, it's probably nothing. ]
'm fine. [ which is not necessarily untrue - he's not any worse than he was a few hours ago. ] Think we're heading to the next town over to catch the train.
[ heathcote's left them be, with all the gesture of a man who is used to driving a car with a fancy lady inside around, though he does comment, from the front: You really ought to take a night before you return. Lady Cordelia would be pleased to have you.
therion scoffs, as therion does, rolls his eyes. ] Yeah, well. She can get over it.
no subject
[ jiaoqiu says, voice soft but insistent. but he's not going to pester - he really does want to go home. he's exhausted, he wants to sleep in his own bed. if therion can make it, that's what they'll do, but if he doesn't feel good, jiaoqiu isn't going to risk his health just because the two of them would rather be back in sunshade. he's keeping a close eye on how therion's moving, what he's doing while they're mostly at rest.
a beat. ]
Lady Cordelia is generous to open her home to us. We'd like to be back as soon as we can, but we'll keep it in mind.
[ there's that military general's right hand coming out, there. his fingers wrap around therion's wrist - nothing more than just holding onto him because he wants to. it makes him feel better. focus on who you can save, he reminds himself, putting northreach out of his mind for now. therion is his priority. ]
no subject
his glance flicks from the rearview mirror to jiaoqiu, as they peel out of the town and off into the night. the hand around his wrist is allowed to stay there - he leans back a little further against the seat, feeling some of the weight and exhaustion of the day starting to weigh on his shoulders, dizzy in the rocking motion of the car.
therion closes his eyes, indicating an I'm Done With This Conversation - his wrist turns just slightly into the fingers pressed to it, and he trusts jiaoqiu to handle it. whether he talks to heathcote a lot or doesn't, he can handle it.
heathcote hums a little in response. "There's hardly a need for the train, then - Master Jiaoqiu is correct. We'll head that for Sunshade directly."
cordelia can wait, because she'll get a full report of everything that happened here anyway, so. off they go. heathcote's as quiet as you might expect as a butler, polite and elegant, and he doesn't necessarily start conversation unless jiaoqiu wants to ask him something of him, but it seems he's fine to take them all the way back. ]
no subject
and he's a little hesitant to do so only because he doesn't always like to be affectionate where other people can see, but he rests his head against therion's shoulder, and closes his eyes. he's exhausted, so he's going to be out in seconds if nobody talks to him.
he figures he'll need the rest for when they get back. ]