bloodbound. (earinor & akira)

    • People came and went but Yujin barely saw any of them up close - in fact, he could only see them from his window and that wasn't much either. Sometimes he peaked out of his room, just barely, but he also didn't leave it often, he just wanted to see no one and hear nobody, not as long as he was stuck in here and forced to adhere to these ridiculous rules. Whenever he was offered food, he brought it back to his room and whenever he actually had to leave his room, he stalled for so long, he was sure everyone else was asleep - sometimes he couldn't, though, and just spooked some servants by sticking his head out of a crack between door and doorway, asking them to bring him something or to take a look if anyone was around. Unsurprisingly, Shuren was at home the entire time and yet, he couldn't get past him, even if he only tried once, he found himself back at the beginning, huffing and puffing in his room. Why was he in here in the first place? He wondered, just for a while, but he did realize that it was because of Richard soon thereafter. Why on earth was he forgetting all that stuff so fast again? It had been fine when he was alone with the blonde, but this just wasn't fair! He had fun out there, damnit, and he was now stuck in here. How long had it even been? Long enough to be bored.

      Whatever was it that he could do? Try and grab another book with content he wouldn't remember either way, or was he going to lay around in bed, pull the curtains shut and try to sleep, in hopes of not getting spotted by anyone? Not even Quan stopped by, but even if he did, he most likely wasn't going to get to see him - which, again, sucked. Had Richard tried to get into here as well? Yujin didn't know, he just wanted to turn over and fall asleep, but a thud at his window let him get out of bed, blinking at the windows, to which bits and pieces of a snowball were stuck now. What kind of cheap tactic was that? It reeked of Jia and Quans dumb ideas, but given the fact that it was going to be very dark very soon, Yujin stapped up to the window and fumbled with it, before it sprang open - he stuck his head out, probably looking like the mess that he was, before he found a blonde figure all the way down there, on the ground, accompanied by crashing waves in the background. Theoretically, this could almost be romantic, but Richard had thrown no roses or other flowers after him just yet. What a bummer. "Can't get in?", he asked, putting both of his elbows on the window sill and support his head in his hands as he stood there, leaning over and marbling at Richard. Fuck, what was he, a damsel in distress smitten by her knight in shining armor? "What did you even throw a snowball for?"
      Looking back, it maybe is like the toy carts you rode when you were a kid. But those toy carts could never go beyond the walls of the lawn. We want to follow the rugged concrete road beyond the wall. As we've grown, we've decided to leave behind the toy cart.

    • It took only one snowball for Yujin to come to the window, even though Richard had already prepared the next one. He didn't throw it though, otherwise it probably would have ended up in Yujins face. "To get your attention."; richard explained. Why did he have to explain the snowball? How else would he have been able to summon Yujin to the window, so he could talk to him? He didn't look to unhappy though, or maybe he was just glad he got a visitor. Richard wasn't sure what a suitable volume was either, the sea was rough and loud, but he also didn't want to draw unwanted attention to himself. "I didn't try to get in.", he then explained. "It doesn't matter anyway, you have to come out!" He woulkd have been turned away at the gate probably, but as he said, it didn't matter, because he wanted Yujin to leave the castle. He probably was just going the get him grounded even more, if they could figure out a way, but Richard felt responsible for his predicament and he also had to tell Yujin about what Nayantai had said, but he gave him another reason. "You told me you'll help me with some clothes. For the ritual too, right?" Richard didn't care much about wearing something white and he felt like he couldn't move as good in Thrian clothes, but there Yujin got a reason to move his butt out of his room.

      The castle wall looked pretty even, Richard doubted one could climb that and it was slippery too, after all it was made of ice. Maybe Yujin was able to sneak out front, or maybe they could build a ladder on the wall. Ice was easier to pierce than stone, if they found smething to pierce it with. "Do you have an idea how I could get you out of there?", he asked a little bit lost. Jumping wasn't really an option, was it now? Richard could get something for Yujin though, whatever he needed. maybe if he'd bring a rope? Yujin just needed something to tie it to in his room and he was good to go. Maybe he would even get back in without anyone noticing. "I can bring you what you need. Maybe a rope?", he also asked Yujin. It was getting dark, but that was a good thing for breaking out, right?

    • This was a fever dream, Yujin was entirely convinced of the fact, and he was wondering if he'd burst his own bubble any minute, wake up and realize that he had dreamt of something that would never become reality. Richard was, by all accounts, one of the best people to fantasize about, but this seemed so out of the ordinary, even in his daydreams, that he wasn't sure if he wasn't seeing things that came and went as they pleased. "You have it, as much as you want.", he complimented and smiled at him, looking almost forlorn, but there was no way for Richard to actually see the dreamy expression he had on his face - the blonde was his knight in shining armor, if only figuratively and the sole thought of it made Yujin chuckle, even though he wasn't generally in a good mood. "I would come out if I could, you know? But I'm glad they don't know you're here just yet, and I'm glad you bothered with coming here at all." What was this? Were they really not meant for each other? Yujin started to doubt himself and his feelings a while ago, but this here just seemed silly - why didn't he bring his friends? Was it because they were useless, or rather because Richard wanted to be someone that pulled off all of this alone? No matter what, Yujin liked the thought of it. "I've been locked up in here pretty much the past few weeks, unfortunately I couldn't get anything done, but yes, I promised that." Could they even accost a tailor at this hour?

      Not only that, Yujin doubted they'd keep their mouths shut, especially when he'd make his father foot the bill for Richard or write it up as a royal expense - whatever the case, he hadn't been able to do anything at all just yet, simply because there was nothing to do for him, he'd been stuck in here with as little human contact as possible. "I tried knotting some bedsheets together, but those aren't enough to get down there and I have nowhere to really tie it to. If my leg wasn't fucked, I'd probably manage the jump, though.", he whined, knowing that he could at least scuffle inside and go get what he was talking about - and that he did, as he presented it to Richard by letting it fall out of the window, only holding one corner of it as he stood there. "If you find a rope I could tie to this, I guess? I think it would also suffice if we got a small mount of snow at the bottom of the blanket rope so I could jump down, but I'd rather not hit my head on something a second time." It was scrambled enough anyway and he didn't need to be completely braindead. Though, what if another head injury fixed his problems? That would be fun, too! Then he wouldn't have to worry about not remembering anything, but Yujin didn't think it worked that way. "Do you even know where to get rope? I don't have any more fabric, unfortunately."
      Looking back, it maybe is like the toy carts you rode when you were a kid. But those toy carts could never go beyond the walls of the lawn. We want to follow the rugged concrete road beyond the wall. As we've grown, we've decided to leave behind the toy cart.

    • as it just Richard or did Yujin seem a little bit odd? He almost seemed too happy to see him, though Yujin was always like that, right? Still, his head didn't truly seem in the game, but it didn't matter all too much anyway. "I kinda got you into this mess, didn't I?", Richard answered and if he stood here much longer his neck would get stiff from looking up. At least the window was out here, where no one else was and no one botheres Richard. "I wouldn't let them bring me away anyway, it doesn't matter.", he told Yujin though. And what if he broke a soldiers nose? Whatever, he doubted he did care about the consequences. If Nayantai was asked to leave with him he was able to seek out his plans sooner. "Don't be overdramatic, it hasn't even been one week. We would have missed the fireworks and my birthday. But that also means there is only one week left for me to prepare for that ritual.", Richard replied, but he genuienly believed that Yujin simply forgot how long ago he got locked in there. He wanted to get him out regardless, if Yujin was fine with it that was.

      "Can't you tie it to your bed?", Richard asked, if he had absolutely nothing to tie it to, bringing a rope wouldn't help either. Yujin vanished for a bit though and the next thing that happend was a rope made out of bedsheets falling out the window. It was very cliche. Richard looked at how far it was to jump and it probably wasn't a comfortable height, not even for him. Yet Richard took Yujins suggestion to heart. "Then tie it to something.", Richard told him while he was getting to work and got as much snow as possible to the spot underneath the window and the makeshift rope. "I don't know. Buy some? Steal some?", Richard asked, he probably also had rope at home, but that was too long of a journey. Maybe he could ask Quan. "If you don't care about getting back in then jump. I will catch you.", he said from underneath the window looking up. With the snow he got a little higher and he'd have it softer too, in case he fell, or in case he wasn't able to stop Yujins fall completely. "Just climb down and let yourself fall the last few meters." It was maybe two or three, that was managble, especially if Richard tried to catch him. "Or should I run to get a rope?"

    • "I mean, yes, but I don't mind! It was fun being outside with you, I'd like to do it again!" Preferably not now when his father still had an iron grip on him and maybe he'd prefered it if Richard had come by at a later time, but this was just right, in fact, he could get out of here before dinner and come back when it was already way too late. Would his father notice? Probably not, he had locked the door and the curtains to his bed were still pulled shut, anyone who took a look through the milky blue ice would just think that the prince had went to bed early, which was hardly out of the ordinary. "That's good to hear! If you actually get me out of here, I owe you one." Why would he? Richard had said he was in here because of him and Yujin recalled that, yet, he felt as if he had to repay him regardless, almost as if he didn't want to stop owing him something, only so that they could drift back toward one another and keep each other around for god knew how long. Why did Yujin want that, though? Richard would eventually leave, maybe never come back, but that was a problem for a different Yujin, not the one he was right now. "It's only been a week? This felt like eternity, but you're right, let me get out of here! We have stuff to do!" He had a present to buy! Fuck!

      "Uh, I think, maybe? But my bed isn't the closest thing to the window.", he told Richard, but he went back inside to do it anyway, and secured it as best as he could. Yes, he had to compromise the length just a little bit, but it was nothing too bad, especially when he did take a look out of the window again and saw where it hang. "You can't just steal some, everyone's going to know that it was you!", Yujin explained, yet he knew that it was just like that and that wouldn't change - there was no other blonde wolf down here and even when he had no idea how any of Richards former siblings looked, he was sure that they'd stick out much like he'd done and much like Yujin himself sometimes did. "You'll catch me? Are you sure I'm not too heavy?" He couldn't be, Richard had a way better body than him and given the fact that Yujin didn't work out a lot, he probably was easy to lift for Richard - had they ever tried? Not that he recalled, it was the other way around once and that had been a strain, actually! "I'll trust you on this." And trust he did as he grabbed the makeshift rope and tried to figure out the best way to not slip and fall down immediately, given that the icy castle walls didn't offer much support, but he'd make do. "No, no, we're fine - no need to run, stay right where you are!", he implored before he did climb all the way to the bottom of the rope, just before checking in with the situation down there once more - and he let himself fall. It didn't take long for something to catch him, though, he wasn't sure if Richard had actually caught him or if they both had hit the little snow mount. "Hi there.", he giggled as soon as he found Richards face, though.
      Looking back, it maybe is like the toy carts you rode when you were a kid. But those toy carts could never go beyond the walls of the lawn. We want to follow the rugged concrete road beyond the wall. As we've grown, we've decided to leave behind the toy cart.

    • "Maybe if we'll camp just close to the border your father is fine with it.", Richard answered. It hadn't been his intent to get Yujin intro trouble. He told him he wasn*t allowed to leave, but they didn't go far in the first place, after all they were back in just one full day of riding. Richard just needed to get away from everyone and everything, that's why he wanted that trip, but it would be also fine if they visited that one forest again, It was still located before they reached the border. Well, first Yujin probably had to be able to go anywhere again and breaking him out probably wouldn't reduce his sentence, yet Richard wanted to help him. At the other hand he also was a little bit egostic. His birthday was soon. He didn't plan a celebration or anything fancy, but he said he'd do the becoming of age ritual. He was going to do that alone, but in the end he kind of wanted someone to greet him when he got back with his prey. He wouldn*'t admit it but when he thought about how this would go, he always imagined coming back into town with Yujin grinning at him like an idiot, congratulating him and leading him to those elders he was supposed to show the carcus. "Don't worry about it...", Richard replied, but probably too silent for Yujin to hear who was way up there.

      Richard still looked up and Yujin vanished again for a bit to tie the makeshift rope to his bed. It took a while until he came back and the rope was a little bit shorter than before, but it would still be fine. "So what?", Richard asked regarding the rope. He never was a troublr maker and he always adhered to the rules and laws, but since he was here he didn't really care. He didn't respect the people here, that was probably the reason. "It'll be fine.", Richard reassured Yujin. He'd catch him, it couldn't been that bad. Dayan had done that numerous times when they were younger and Richard didn't know hot to climb down from a tree he climbed up on. Maybe Yujin shouldn't trust Richard, but he apparently did and started climbing, while Richard readied himself and got in position. Yujin looked down again and Richard nodded at him. Then Yujin let go. He was falling faster than Richard anticipated, but he cought him with both of his arms. He couldn't stand his ground though and landed on his butt and Yujin right on top of him, still in his arms, though one of which let go to soften his fall. An almost silent gasp had left Richards throat, but that was about it. His butt hurt, his left wrist too, but they both were fine as it seemed. "Hey...", Richard replied looking at the wolf he just caught jumping out of the window. That had been a stupid idea, hadn't it? Yet it worked out somehow. "Are you alright?"

    • The fall hadn't been too bad, especially not with a life-sized Richard cushion that kept his princely ass safe from further harm, but the thought alone was romantic enough - escaping from his misery by being caught in his lovers arms? Yujin did like that, but he'd still rather do it the other way around, though, Richard was no damsel in distress that had couldn't help himself, no, that was Yujins job and he had to accept that - didn't he say he'd be the housewife? Why on gods green earth was he thinking about that, right here and right now of all places and why did it not bother him in the slightest? Accepting ones fate wasn't his thing either, as evidenced by the fact that he had opposed his father very obviously, but in hindsight, he'd only verbally done so and refused to speak with either of them any longer - had he even exchanged much more than a word with them in the past week? He doubted it, but that was nothing he wanted to think of, instead, he smiled at Richard, who he eventually got off of, only to grabs his hand to also get out of the snowy mess they'd created. "I'm fine, what about you? I hope that didn't hurt too much." That had been a stupid decision, but once he'd put his kind to it, there was no way of stopping him anyway. Unless somebody seriously checked from outside, they'd not see anything of this anyway, which meant they were good to go.

      "You're suggesting we test my fathers limits then? How far he's willing to let me go? I haven't talked to him the past week, so we either just try it out or I seriously ask him the next time. What will he do? Board up my windows and lock my room from the outside?" Shuren wasn't that cruel, no, but he had somewhat of an impulsive streak within him and given the fact that Muhan had already said he had no say in what was happening to him and him alone, it felt weird to even consider them both his parents ... they both cared for him, yet only one could make decisions, huh? As he tried to get his mind out of the gutter, he only then realized that he probably looked like an uncombed, not exactly well-cared for mess, and he was glad that he'd at least taken a bath in the morning, lest he'd probably not smell quite desirable either. "What drags you out here anyway? Missed me?", he asked, not letting go of Richards hands just get, instead, he went for a different approach and used his hand to pull the blonde into his direction and into a hug. "I missed you.", he declared, and as shabby as it probably sounded, as shabby it felt. He let go of Richard eventually, the night - or whatever one had to call it - was still young and they had some errands to run, didn't they? "Tailor first, fun second I'd assume?" Yujin couldn't go back in like this, maybe he'd just find a place to spend the night at instead.
      Looking back, it maybe is like the toy carts you rode when you were a kid. But those toy carts could never go beyond the walls of the lawn. We want to follow the rugged concrete road beyond the wall. As we've grown, we've decided to leave behind the toy cart.

    • "I'm fine. Nothing broken.", Richard answered calmly while Yujin got up and off of him. He took Yujins hands to let himself be helped on his feet again and afterwards brushed the snow he landed in from his clothes and checked himself once more for any injuries. His butt would stop hurting eventually and his wrist... well maybe it was a little strained, but nothing more. He was fine and so was Yujin, which was kind of a wonder. Richard also turned his head back around, even though Yujin hadn't let go of his hands yet. The makeshift rope was too high up, even if Richard took Yujin on his shoulders, he doubted he'd be able to reach it to climb back in. Well they'd figure it out somehow. Maybe if Richard started a ruckus in front of the gates, Yujin could sneak back in at the sides or something. Maybe even Yujins friends could help if he wanted back in without anyone noticing he was gone in the first place. His father probably would lock him up even longer. Did he even intend to let Yujin go outside ever again? His motives were still not clear, even though Nayantai gave Richard an idea about what happened.

      "Well I mean if he lets you out again, we could try asking next time...", Richard mumbled. Not that he cared too much, but the ultimate destination for their camp didn't matter either and it would mean less trouble if Yujin was allowed to go. Richard was suddenly pulled into a hug though and he didn't quite know how to react, even though they did that before often enough. Richard felt a little awkward for saving Yujin like that, despite them agreeing that they weren't a couple or anything of that sorts. "As I said... I kind of felt responsible. And I take offense in people getting locked in.", he answered. Maybe because of his father and because of the fact that he could have met the same fate, despite being way less fragile than the dead king. Richard was let go again and he looked at Yujin somewhat puzzled. "We don't actually have to do that though. I'd assume it will blow your cover.", Richard replied and he also didn't know what fun they could have. Showing Yujin the plants would be too much of a hassle. First of all, Nayantai was home and even though he probably wouldn't rat Yujin out, it was still odd. Second of all it was such a long way there. "I... have to talk to you though. About what Nayantai told me about... well your family. But maybe not now. Let's decide where to go first, we can't stay here after all." He wasn't even sure how he'd tell Yujin about Nayantais suspicions, or maybe he shouldn't after all. Shuren at least didn't want Yujin to die and maybe having fun tonight was more important.

    • "That's good to hear, I hope I wasn't too heavy." Was he? He'd have to make sure again, but he didn't want to annoy Richard after he got him out of his own little personal hell just now, so there weren't many things that he could think of right on the spot. His head felt still kind of heavy, he himself was drowsy from trying to sleep before a snowball got thrown at his window and while the cold air did wonders for both, he wasn't ready just yet. Richard only did this because he wanted the best for Yujin in some kind of way, shape or form, right? Breaking him out of his own home would probably bring Yujins father to a boiling point, one that sealed their fate and finally showed them that they weren't allowed to be together to begin with, but that wa about it - and Yujin didn't want to talk or think about it, either. "And if not, I guess I'll watch the rest of the world from my room like he wants me to. Let's just leave that aside for now, I just got out, I don't want to think about being locked up again, please." That would happen in due time, especially since neither Quan, or Jia or Kun were stupid enough to hide him at their place for the night, or for the next few weeks - and Shuren would cause a ruckus once he figured out that his son was out and about and not in his room, like he had sworn to be, or something along those lines.

      "You do? Why is that, if you don't mind me asking?", Yujin blabbered, curious about what it meant. Surely, being locked up meant many things for many different people and while he was sure that he wouldn't be able to stand that for longer than a day, he also knew there was no way out once he was in there and his father would not let him go unless he felt like his son learned something, anything. "Probably, especially since I wanted to take you to the court tailor and if he tells, we're fucked. Not just me." Could Shuren even do something for or to Richard? Would Nayantai allow that? He doubted it, though, Shuren often enough didn't even care and just did that he thought to be right, even when it was completely wrong. Who had raised this man? No, Yujin was asking too many questions he wasn't supposed to ask, and instead, he wondered where he could take Richard - and suddenly, two places came to mind. "Do you want to be around people or do you want to go somewhere silent? I could show you the spot I offered you for when we are going to watch fireworks, unless you want to keep it a secret up until then and would prefer something warm. I'm not opposed to seeking out the den or walking all the way back to your hut, you know?" He hadn't moved in so long, he was going to lose it sooner or later - and that despite the fact that he didn't even like extensive training! "About my family? What kind of family secret did he pick up on?"
      Looking back, it maybe is like the toy carts you rode when you were a kid. But those toy carts could never go beyond the walls of the lawn. We want to follow the rugged concrete road beyond the wall. As we've grown, we've decided to leave behind the toy cart.

    • "You weren't. It's all fine.", Richard answered ans hook his head slightly. Yujin worried too much. He didn't his his head, neither did his messed up leg hurt and Richard was fine too. That reminded him, the last time his heart acted up had been a long time ago, maybe he should take it a little slower... Not that that ever stopped him. Even if he was careful now, maybe it took another month before anything happened and then he would have wasted all his time. Did Yujin even remember that one time? And the explanation? Maybe not... maybe that was also why he asked Richard why he took offense. He was right though, they didn't need to speculate about being locked up again, Yujin was out now, so they should do something with that freedom. "My father was locked up over twenty years of his life and it didn't need to be. I'm not blaming my grandfather, but Shuren knows about all that and as far as I know he knew my father very well. That's why I can't understand why he does the same to you. I'm not quite sure if they were friends anymore though... it sounded like it prevously, but Nayantai doesn't seem to hold him in as much regards as I thought he did." Maybe he was seeking Muhans help, not Shurens. Then again it seemed like Muhan had no power or say anyway...

      "I will just go alone... or wear my own stuff.", Richard answered, he didn't mind too much. Yujin was the one that wanted to buy something for the ritual and that got excited by the thought of buying Richard some clothes that actually fit and weren't second hand. Richard didn't exactly want to owe him something or take presents like that anyway. "By the way, I still ow you for the seeds and soil and you haven't told me how much... but I guess you had no time asking. Just... don't forget it.", Richard pointed out and then shrugged. "Wouldn't people at the den also recognize you and rat you out?", Richard asked. Did he even want to go there? Smoking mostly let him sleep in peace, but he always had to be dragged in there, he wouldn't go there otherwise. "Nayantai is home. I don't think he'd tell your father, but... yeah well he's home.", Richard answered. "But if you want to see the plants thats fine, some of them start to grow actually." There was nothing much to see. Only one little leaf that fought it's way outside. "You can decide, I don't mind.", he concluded. "Well let's not talk here about it. Or not at all. He hadn't been here for years, so..."

    • "I'm glad to hear that." He really was, after all, he could have just asked Richard to go fetch some rope and not wait for him to propose that he'd catch him like this. Yujin liked the idea, though - it had a nice, romantic ring to it and if he thought about it for too long, he'd simply fall in love with the concept of doing it again, of doing it as long as there was nobody to do it with or for him, because Richard would eventually turn into an empty husk he'd never see again and once that occured, he no longer would remember tender moments like these, either. "I'm not sure if I told you, and I know that your reasoning makes sense, but from my fathers standpoint, I guess he's just ... scared of something, if he can't control it? It sounds silly, and I can fend for myself, on my own, if I had to, but he doesn't want to hear that." Shuren never did and if Yujin had to guess, his father still thought of him as a toddler, helpless and young, small and without a doubt in need of assistance. Being cooped up for twenty years sounded like a mess, too. "Why would anyone lock your father up for that long? That can't be good for your health, mentally and physically ... I don't mean to prod, I'm sorry, but did he never get bored?" What did this poor man even do all day? Daydream, much like Yujin did? That sounded no fun at all, though, if Yujin was honest, sometimes daydreams were nice.

      "I'll give you a hand, actually. I promised you something, I want to keep it that way." And promise he did, which therefore meant he would have to do something, even if it was nothing out of the ordinary - he'd have to annoy a tailor, someone that Richard definitely wouldn't visit on his own. The wolf would not dare him, lest he'd actually sour the mood again, but he'd extend a hand towards him and offer him some general advice, or something in that direction. Would the blonde take it? Who know. "I wrote that down, but thank you for the reminder regardless. Once I get out for real, I'll let you know." Plenty of things were written across plenty of half-filled books, barely touched, strewn all across his room - and Yujin wondered why he didn't take better care of his stuff, yet he also knew he'd never touch them again if he didn't have a glaring reminder of their existence right in front of him. "Probably, I don't even want to know if I want to get high, but we don't have to use the room we get for anything but talking. The staff is the one that's least likely to rat me out, my parents don't even know I go their regularly." And even when he came home, reeking like all kinds of things, they never questioned too much as long as they knew he was only loitering around Silesse and hadn't gone further than that. "How about we go look at the plants then? If we want some privacy, we can still leave ... and don't get me all worked up and then refuse to tell me! That's just not fair!" Yujin grabbed ahold of Richards hand once more, to string him along, back to his home - die the blonde even like that?
      Looking back, it maybe is like the toy carts you rode when you were a kid. But those toy carts could never go beyond the walls of the lawn. We want to follow the rugged concrete road beyond the wall. As we've grown, we've decided to leave behind the toy cart.

    • Yujin seemed very happy Richard came here and when he thought about it, it was very out of character, wasn't it? But so had the trip been and the fact that he didn't scream at Yujin for quite some time. When Richard was with him everything felt different, maybe less dark and gloomy and as if he could be himself, his former self to be exact. There were other problems to address but his own and he always was greated with a radiant smile. Yujin did a good job, he managed to keep Richards head out of the mess he was usually in whenever he was there, well almost at least. "You told me. My father was locked up too, because my grandfather and his grandfather were scared. They thought he'd die whenever he sat foot outside the door, but when he had to flee, he didn't die, not even after coming to Thria. I'm sure he talked with Shuren about all of that. He probably didn't complain, but Nayantai certainly did...", Richard answered. Shuren had the same reasons as Richards grandfather, but he should know that this was stupid. In the end Richard probably inherited the need for freedom, for everyone at that. The late king had been locked up all his childhood and more and Nayantai had been locked up too, even though they never truly talked about that time. Either way, both were prisoners for a long time and maybe that was the reason they let Richard and Dayan roam free. "Well I inherited my weak heart from him, only that his condition was worse. Doctors told my grandparents he'd die if he went outside and even meeting a lot of people was bad for him, which was why he mostly didn't attend any gatherings and eventually Fhaergus stopped hosting them altogether. It wasn't all wrong I guess... but he survived the way to Thria and back. He even survived the war, though he didn't fight in it. But he was sick very often when I was a child and... well... he got sick one last time a few months ago...", Richard explained averting his gaze and sighing. That wasn't necessarily his favorite topic. "He learned a lot, he read and he played piano for some time. That was all. He always said Nayantai saved him though. Not from those who wanted to harm him, that's not what he meant by it."

      "Well its not your fault if you can't keep it.", Richard explained. "Besides, shopping isn't my favorite thing to do anyway." If anyone was interested in clothes it was Dayan, but also not really. He had looked good in anything anyway. "If you want to go there I'm fine with it.", Richard said once more, if they had a room alone he did mind even less, but it seemed like Yujin was interested in the plants after all. "If you want to, sure. But don't get too excited, the plants just started growing, it will take a while before they actually bear fruit.", he said and was grabbed by his hand. Richard actually didn't mind that too much though he would have never grabbed Yujins hand. As long as no one was around it was totally fine and Richard assumed they'd not walk through town anyway. It would take a little while longer, but they'd reach the hut undetected hopefully. "I... I didn't mean to. I'm just not sure if you want to hear it and it might ruin your mood.", he then explained. He usually wasn't one to think before speaking, but he had a whole week to think about all of this. If he told Yujin what he suspected could be the truth, maybe he'd get mad at him for even considering it.

    • Did he ever consider Richard would come for him? Maybe in his dreams, but he did the blonde disservice - he had sought him out at least once, if not twice before and now he did it again, which Yujin appreciated, more than he could put into words in the first place. Why that was, he didn't know. But what he did know was, that he liked to have the blonde around and that there was nothing to change that opinion regardless - Richard was someone that, albeit quite the though nut to crack, seemed reliable and full of silly ideas himself. Why that was, well, he probably already told the wolf who was ashamed that he couldn't recall so much and needed to be brought back up to speed whenever they spoke about something they had previously touched on, too. "So, what you are, essentially, saying is that Shuren should know better because he knew your father, well, both of your fathers? You aren't wrong, but I doubt there's hardly anyone who can influence his very outdated way of thinking and his questionable beliefs." Hadn't Muhan mentioned something along those lines? Yujin was none the wiser, though, he was sure that Shuren wouldn't question someone like Rain or not put his faith into him - from all the things he heard about the late king, he seemed somewhat gullible, if not decentralized, but they all kind of were, so it didn't matter. "I ... I didn't mean to dig that deep, I'm so sorry Richard, you don't have to say more if you don't want to. And I mean, what did he mean then? That he saved him from all the boredom he found himself occupied with?" Did he even want to dare and ask what a piano was?

      Nothing made too much sense, especially not when it was Shuren that was friends with two people that had been locked up for so long, they both probably loathed in - and yet, Yujin had to admit that he barely saw Nayantai outside, ever, but given the fact that he was outside and gone, he seemingly took his freedom liberally. "Why? Because I forget? Isn't that especially my fault then?" His brain was messed up, they all knew that and nothing would change that, unless they suddenly found a magic cure for all things aiding humanity - which seemed to be a bit of stretch. "Mhm, then to the hut we go!", he chuckled, but kept his voice down until they were out of harms way. Yujin avoided the obvious pathway through town and chose some of the backroads, if one could even call them that, all the while he didn't let go of the blondes hand. He wasn't sure if this was reality or dream, he wasn't sure if anything was going to happen if he let go, but he liked to believe he'd snap out of his well-deserved daydream. "Mh, no no. I get you. I just want to see if they sprouted or not!", he declared and it sounded exciting. Barely anything grew out here, could find nourishment here and the things that did were not something that Yujin did keep an eye on, especially if they did grow in complete darkness. The closer they got to the hut, the happier he got about finally being out, but he didn't mind, he walked an even tempo so Richard could walk next to him instead of behind, instead of being strung along, and because he wasn't sure if he wasn't in the mood for some cuddling once they settled down when they got home ... that wasn't even Yujins home. "It's fine, just tell, it can't be too bad, right?"
      Looking back, it maybe is like the toy carts you rode when you were a kid. But those toy carts could never go beyond the walls of the lawn. We want to follow the rugged concrete road beyond the wall. As we've grown, we've decided to leave behind the toy cart.

    • Richard wasn't quite sure what he expected of this night. He didn't think much further than getting Yujin out of there, because he felt like if it wasn't for him, Yujin would have never gone on that journey. Did he also just want to see him? Maybe, but probably not, right? Why would he? Though was denying that he liked Yujin even working anymore? Life around here was a little easier with him. If Richard had only Nayantai he probably would have gone mad already, but the qustion was how long he'd still stay here. He'd do the ritual, maybe he'd wait for the firework and then...? Could they even leave Silesse in winter? If not he had half a year more here, but he didn't like the sound of that. Maybe after the firework he'd finally ask Nayantai for that fight. Asking Muhan for training was out of question now probably though. Well, not that Richard wanted to talk to a stranger anyway. Richard looked at Yujin bewildered. Outdated ideas maybe fit his father, though if anything he was protectingf Yujin from exactly that, or was he missing something? That all only held true if Nayantai was actually right, but he was the first and only person who'd tell them something. "Don't worry. It's fine...", Richard sighed and the shook his head. "Less boredom, more loneliness I guess.", Richard replied. "I don't think he would have ever said it, but my father was looking forward to die at that point I think... not that he would have done something to himself, but he also was sick of fighting." All of those stories were second hand though and if anyone told them it had been Richards grandparents. His father and Nayantai sometimes spoke of those times too, but mostly they just talked with each other and not with their children.

      "I mean because you're locked up. Forgetting would be kind of your fault.", Richard answered though he knew that anyones standards should be lowered for Yujin on that front. It wasn't his fault either, so there was no point in blaming him. For now however he followed Yujin who led him a route without prying eyes. They toned it down at first but once they left the town behind there was no one around anyway. It was dark though and the moon was the only lightsource. "Well they did.", Richard nodded. If growing those plants worked almost everyone around here could do that actually, but maybe they weren't interested. Richards father designed some things for Fhaergus, to be able to grow food during winter too... well it probably was too cold in Silesse. "Well okay. Nayantai told me about traditions... like how one becomes king around here.", Richard started and wondered if Yujin shouldn't know that, but maybe it was a secret tradition? Just given forward to the oldest son? But why would Shuren tell and then try to protect Yujin because of it? Ugh... none of this made any sense. "Well essentially to become king you have to get rid of the old king and all other heirs.", Richard repeated what Nayantai told him. "And I guess he strongly implied that that might be what appened to you..."

    • What would he do once he looked at those plants and talked a bit with the blonde? Beg him to not send him back home and maybe take the blame? That didn't quite sound like him, but at this point, Yujin was up and open to just about anything as long as he figured out how it worked and how much he had to do for it - Richards pile of fur had been nice to sleep in, but the blondes presence was nice as well and he would be lying if he hadn't tried to at least figure out how to make the blonde take his mind off of thngs and not be preoccupied with the same things all the time. It didn't help they talked about it, but there was no way of knowing for sure, wasn't there? "Ah, but I mean, nobody wants to die from loneliness, I get that." Yujin was one of those people that feared they would, yet all of that was baseless and he knew it himself. Why did he insist on it then, though? Because he'd feel void of anything as soon as he fell back into old patterns and couldn't be who he ought to be? Was this even who Yujin was or was he just trying his best to be someone else? "I didn't know him and I'm in no place to judge, but sometimes life winds up like that. If he's been locked up for all those years, just because he's suffering continously, no doubt he wouldn't mind a swift and painless death." Did he ever consider that? No, not once that he recalled.

      "Both kind of is my fault. If I adhered to the rules that have been laid out for me, I wouldn't have to be locked up." That was hardly how it worked, he wasn't the one that necessarily got himself into those circumstances, but he also didn't want to paint Richard as the devil and much less did he want to shift blame onto anyone of the two of them. "That's good to hear, it will be even better to see!", he excitedly giggled. What was he? A little kid that tried his darnest not to explode from excitement, or was this really just for show? What if he had other intentions once he set a foot inside the hut? No, he wasn't like that and Nayantai was also still around - he'd not just force himself onto Richard either and he actually liked talking to him and holding his hand, wandering aimlessly through snow as the moon watched them. The fireworks were soon, weren't they? "He told you about what now?" Was that what the two had been blabbering about when Yujin had been busy yelling at Muhan for being an useless numbnut? It seemed to be, or he just imagines things and the two of them actually wasted some of their private time talking about it all. "That's a good one, but it's not entirely true!", Yujin suddenly laughed aloud. "Theoretically it is the way to become king, or whatever it is that you need to become to call Silesse your own. But if you're born the heir, you don't have to kill anyone, even if you want the throne. That means, essentially, I would have to kill everyone of my family if I wanted to be a stupid king, which I don't, but Xu has no need to ... so, I mean, it's quite the interesting theory? But he already gets to be king regardless, why would he try to kill me stil?"
      Looking back, it maybe is like the toy carts you rode when you were a kid. But those toy carts could never go beyond the walls of the lawn. We want to follow the rugged concrete road beyond the wall. As we've grown, we've decided to leave behind the toy cart.

    • Richard wondered if he should give Yujin some plants for home if his actually grew, but then again, a castle of ice probably wouldn't work out, yet he still had that bathroom. He could turn it half garden, half bathroom and the climate there probably was even better for growing some plants since the air was always moist and steamy. It was even different from Adrestians climate, except maybe some places in Lavern or Olette, though they mostly had less humidity. Richard didn't know a whole lot about plants though, but he just tried to scrape together everything that he might have learned at some point in his life, mostly from watching his own gardeners in Myriad, or his father who had an interest in that sort of things, at least from a scientific point of view. "My father didn't have any visitors either, you know. But... I can understand why, whenever he had to travel to some place or he invited a bunch of diplomats and lords, he ended up sick..." Richard was lucky he wasn't the same. Atwick and Flora hadn't been either, though they had been a little bit less energetic than Richard. Actually he had been the only one with that weak as shit heart, wasn't he? But he learned to live with it and neither the cold, nor many people made him sick. "Well... Nayantai came around at quite the right time I guess..." There story was something else anyway... but so was his grandfathers and Rikiyas.

      "If the rules are shit, it's not your fault for breaking them...", Richard replied and afterwards sighed. "Though I still feel like I made you do it... and I also kind of wanted to defy your father with that, so if anything it is my fault. I told Nayantai to tell that to Shuren, but apparently that didn't help. I don't know if he actually said it though, but he tried to bail you out." That had been at least something, although it hadn't been Nayantais problem at all. The old man would do anything for Richard though, except letting him go back to Adrestia. Richard was a little bit annoyed by that. He never fought with his parents, but if he did something stupid he expected appropriate reaction and maybe that even led him to thinking about more stupid shit, he just didn't know what he should do. Stealing a rope would have been a start... Since getting into fights and coming back home bruised did nothing. "Well Nayantai grew up here, right?", Richard explained and looked at Yujin somewhat puzzled, because his reaction was amusement. "Well maybe to be one step ahead of you, but....", Richard shook his head, dismissing further ideas. "You're probably right. That's just what he told me and I expected you wouldn't believe it, or maybe even get angry at me for talking smack about your brother." He didn't think Nayantai would just come up with something like that and so much couldn't have changed around here in Silesse, yet all of Thria had changed, so what did he know? Nayantai hadn't been here for over twenty years, probably more like thirty. "Nevermind then."

    • What kind of seeds did he even bring Richard? Yujin had no recollection of that, as much as he had forgotten that, theoretically, he did own Richard a bill or something that he could, because he'd stood up the guy that had sold him the wares in the first place. Fuck, everyone in Silesse knew that their second prince seemed to not be good at about anything, but the more this went on, the worse it got and he was fairly convinced that he was not doing a good job at all. Why was that, well, he couldn't tell but he also knew that no matter what it was that he seriously put thought into, all those things - if not spoken aloud and remembered by people for him - were going to be gone soon enough, they'd disappear into nowhere and he would be stuck wondering about the many things that he missed and the opportunities that just went by without much viable information as to why he never had tried to improve his lousy memory. "That doesn't sound like fun either, but I get that he might as well have to take precaution to avoid getting sick. But ... he doesn't sind like he was sad, right? At least not when he had all of you." Yujin had his siblings as well, much like his parents, but he refused to speak to the latter and the former were not always around - it was as if they lived next to each other instead of with one another. "Sounds more romantic than it probably is." Wasn't it the same for the two of them as well? Though, Yujin wasn't even sure which way it was for them.

      "They are kind of meant to be broken either way." That they were, though, who even told him that? Had it been Quan? Yujin couldn't put his finger on it, not that he needed to, though - Richard was, what he was supposed to hold in high regards right now, not somebody else he could barely even think of. Making his way through the snow, it wasn't long until he saw the flickering lights in the hut that they had spoken of - it got closer and they'd be home soon, not that they had to go inside immediately, though, whatever would they do about Richards father? He didn't seem like the nosy kind, but he obviously didn't speak much either. Not to anyone. "He tried to bail me out? How did you get him that far?", the wolf wanted to know. Was his father not some big and scary menace, a war hero of sorts that chose to live out his life with no other person than his dearly beloved, the godforsaken sheep king? This man was a mystery in and of itself, wasn't he? "Your dad's from Silesse, that would be correct, yes." But still, he shrugged his shoulders. Xu had no reason to actually accost him and even then, it wouldn't explain why and how a lot of these things were happening. He'd just been unlucky and Quan had been unreliable, that was all there was to it. "Who knows, I doubt it, but that's nothing to get fed up with, you know? Silesse is a place that feeds on rumors and I've heard much more ridiculous things about what happened to me. Either way, there's no proof because I can't remember, but I don't mind insight from others ... we should probably find a less gloomy topic to talk about, though."
      Looking back, it maybe is like the toy carts you rode when you were a kid. But those toy carts could never go beyond the walls of the lawn. We want to follow the rugged concrete road beyond the wall. As we've grown, we've decided to leave behind the toy cart.

    • Richard wondered what he would do if he wouldn't go back to Adrestia. What life could he have here besides eventually moving into his own silent, out of town hut to hunt and sell fur. Anyone could do that on their own around here though, so that probably wasn't even worth much. Maybe his plants would be, but in the end, sitting around here and living his life all alone, occassionally eating with Nayantai in silence sounded pretty glim. He rather got back to Adrestia to kill his enemies there and eventually die. Even if he'd not die, the road to be king was probably blocked off though and he didn't want to be one in the first place. "No, I don't think he was after the war ended. I don't even think he was unusually sad during the war. He also never cared about getting sick when we came home from a trip and were full of dirt. He was happy to have his family around and he made the best of his life, but deep down we all knew, that he'd die too young... he aged well past the expacations though.", Richard explained with a sigh, thinking back to his childhood when they came home and Nayantai grabbed them by their jackets before they could hug their father, but then he just told his husband to let go anyway. Then they'd tackle the feeble king and he laughed and put them into the bathtub himself. "Well I think it is...", Richard just mumbled. Maybe he idolized the relationship of his fathers a tad bit too much.

      The hut came closer and closer and the flickering light actually didnt even prove Nayantai was home. After all, they always had a fire burning, lest Richard was just cold and Nayantai wanted him to come home to a warm place instead. How much wood did they even burn? Sometimes Nayantai got some himself, sometimes he traded some, maybe Richard should help next time. "He offered it.", Richard explained Nayantais motives. "As of now I think he'd do anything if he thinks I want him to..." Richard grumbled a little. That was a good thing, yet very odd... "I feel like he wants to do anything so I forgive him for locking me up here as well... I don't know. Not that he wouldn't have done almost everything for us before all that..." Nayantai actually had a kind heart, at least when it came to his family and the friends of said family. Yujin probably could ask him for favors as well. "Well Nayantai isn't one for rumors, but... I guess he doesn't know Xu... or whatever his full name is, I forgot. You told me it's inpolite to call him that, but you only told me his full names weeks later!" That had been mean of Yujin, but that also wasn't the point. "He just knows your fathers and if I had to guess I'd say he doesn't like Shuren that much. I don't know why though. If you ask him, maybe he'll tell you."

    • Was Richard even here for much longer? Yujin thought about it and it was sad to begin with - he wanted nothing more than to be with the blonde, to spend as much time as he could, to have him remember all of this for years to come, but he was fairly convinced that, by the moment the blonde crossed the border and he couldn't trail after him, he'd find that nothing was lastin forever and that, as silly as it sounded, not everyone was always there for him. Yujin was no toddler, no little kid that didn't understand the general rules of the world, but it still was pretty unfair that he couldn't have Richard around him all the time - hopeless infatuation and adoration was, what he had for the grim looking guy that he didn't dare idolize, yet, he somewhat had already done that. "I'm still sorry. I can't imagine that you got much time to process all of ... you know. That just seems like a lot, stacked on top of each other." The loss of his father, his siblings, his kingdom - all that he ever wanted to be, just to find himself in a godforsaken place like Silesse that he didn't even like. Yujin was sorry for Richard and maybe it was wrong to be selfish, maybe he should just let him go and not keep him here for his selfish needs. "It does sound like it is." Wasn't that something he yearned for as well? Unconditional love was hardly found anywhere anyway, but it also wasn't quite right to force it.

      Wasn't it slowly getting colder too? There hadn't been much snowfall, but snowstorms weren't quite unlikely and while that never stopped any silessian person from going out, who knew how bad it would get and how safe Richards crummy little hut was. Could he invite the blonde over if that was the case? Maybe, or he'd rather stick with his father, although, Yujin wasn't even sure if the blonde liked him or not. "So that's what got you on edge? The fact that he'd do whatever you want from him?", he wondered aloud. Sometimes, he spoke without thinking and that definitely was one instance of it, but Richard could hardly be mad at him for that. "So we're theoretically both locked in Silesse, huh? I don't want to pick sides, whatever he is right or wrong is none of my business, but have you tried talking with him about it? Who knows, sometimes people just mean well and are oblivious to the fact how annoying that can be." Just like his father, right? Shuren was only trying to do the best for all of them, yet Yujin wasn't even sure what the best was, not in this case. "I did? Oh, well, I probably thought it was easier, since you already know Quan and they kiiind of share their name? I mean, Quan is Quan and Xu's full name is Quanxu, but anyway, I'm sure he doesn't mind if you just call him Xu!", Yujin giggled, but what did he know? Even that Nayantai wasn't one for rumors seemed not out of the ordinary, but he couldn't quite understand that scary old wolf either. "So, I'll just have to ask him, isn't that weird?", he questioned and once he arrived at the hut - this hadn't felt like fifteen minutes - he opened the door, only to immediately spot the old man, conjuring something that faintly smelled like dinner anyway. "We're home!", he announced, only to earn a glance from Nayantai. "We? Do you live here now?", Nayantai questioned, unfazed - what Yujin couldn't spot was, that he definitely seemed slightly amused. "W-well, uh, uhm. C-Can I?", Yujin asked. "No." "Pardon?" "I'm kidding. But you should ask Richard first." Kidding? This old man made jokes?
      Looking back, it maybe is like the toy carts you rode when you were a kid. But those toy carts could never go beyond the walls of the lawn. We want to follow the rugged concrete road beyond the wall. As we've grown, we've decided to leave behind the toy cart.

    • Richard couldn't say much more and he wasn't even sure if he should, or wanted to. Some time had past since Richards life took this sudden turn and at least in that time he could process some of what had happend, not all. His father though died a natural death and they always knew it could happen, though when it did it was very sudden. Either way, people died, parents especially and it was just how life went, Richard was fine with talking about his late father, his siblings were something entirely else. His father didn't haunt him, his brothers and sister did. "It's fine. Thank you though.", Richard replied eventually while approaching the hut with Yujin. Nayantai probably felt the same. He always knew Rain would die eventually and sooner than him. It was sudden, he was sad, maybe even angry, but he probably was prepared. That his children died however, so soon after his husband, that probably hurt him even more. Richard knew why he just wanted to run away and yet he wished Nayantai didn't. For a war hero, that wasn't what anyone would have expected, right? what would Richards grandparents have done if they were still alive? Maybe Rikiya would have gone back to Thria too, Caelan though... he probably would have fought for his grandchilds future, if he asked that of him.

      "I talked to him and I know why he keeps me here. It's not like he will never let me leave, he just wants me to be prepared. But we don't even know what goes on in Adrestia and finding my siblings killers will get harder and harder...", Richard grumbled. "Im also not sure if we can leave during winter. Either way... I will wait until after my birthday and until after the firework." The firework was just one week after and Richard felt like he had an obligation to attend it with Yujin. He also wanted to do the ritual for Dayan, the more he thought about it, the more he believed that he would have wanted that. "I think I caused enough trouble involving your family, I might just stick to his actual name." Shuren probably already hated Richard, he didn't know what Muhan thought about him though. But he wasn't going to marry Yujin, he didn't need any approval. "If you want to know stories about Shuren, you might try.", Richard shrugged his shoulders. Yujin opened the door and Nayantai was in the kitchen and made some food as it seemed. Yujin and him had some short and kind of odd conversation to which Richard raised an eyebrow. He knew Nayantai wouldn'*t aks what he was doing here, or if he even was allowed to visit. "If you build your own room onto the hut first, maybe I'll consider it.", Richard answered stepping in and getting rid of his coat and boots. "Is there enough for three?", he then asked. Nayantai probably cooked for himself and Richard, no one knew Yujin would come by. Well technically Nayantai didn't even know if Richard would want to eat something, but he always made something for him regardless. "Do you want to see the plants?", Richard then asked also going towards the kitchen where he placed his pots.