bloodbound. (earinor & akira)

Triffling, poising around - none of their circumstances were particularly lovely ones, and as Yujin observed, both him and Richard were painfully aware of that. One of them a caged songbird that knew nothing but the comfort of its own cage, and next to him, shoved into said tiny, almost claustrophobic cage, was a hawk or maybe a raven, giant and foreboding, not resembling any of those songbirds at all, and yet forced to live like one, among the hubris of his own design. Was any of this truly enjoyable? One yearned to confine himself in a space too small for him, and another was particularly begging for freedom - one that he didn't partake in, now that the door to their shared cage stood there, open, all because a much tinier force was trying to compete with somebody much grander, much better at the many things he was doing. Yujin couldn't help but wonder if Richard was bored of him, his presence and insistence on doing things the way he wanted - he wondered if Richard truly wanted him by his side, for the rest of eternity, however long it'd be, before shaking that feeling off, alongside most of his clothing, before trailing after the blonde and letting himself particularly fall into the water. Today was ... one of many days, but not a fruitful one, as it seemed.

"Mh? Did you want to pick up that wooden sword yourself?", he soon asked, somewhat teasing, before forcing his head underwater once more, ridding his face of those annoyingly long strands that, if anything, made him look like a deep sea monster from an outdated myth about something as silly as a swamp monster. He'd never seen a swamp, now that he thought about it. "It's not that heavy, we can go back and try if you'd like? Or tomorrow after the training?", he suggested. Fighting Muhan was out of question for now, considering that - while Richard surely had more theoretical fighting prowess - his body and his strength hardly competed with Yujin at this point, and he didn't want to hurt his fellow wolf. Yujin was unsure what Richard truly wanted, however, and their mood had shifted again, something that happened often enough in the past few weeks and seemed inevitable; everything reminded Richard of home, or of what he'd lost, and it felt like a gut punch for Yujin, who was simply trying to help the blonde get over it. "Would you mind if I tried washing your hair?" Richard didn't like him too close, which was fine, and he'd also been somewhat cautious about showing what his very being entailed; Yujin had long since figured that it wasn't because Richard didn't want him to see, but rather he didn't want to see himself, didn't want to look at his own, so very foreign reflection, and Yujin didn't envy his pain - pain he couldn't soothe, even now that he slowly crept closer, softly putting his hands on Richards shoulders, letting them rest there for a bit, before he started softly kneeding them. "What's on your mind?", he whispered as he leaned forward. Then, he his head wandered back, down to Richards shoulder, only to bite it. "Payback!", he announced, giggling.

"You were strong physically, I'm sure.", he affirmed, but at the same time, he shook his head, giving Richard the warmest of smiles he could muster. Not once was Yujin doubting any of the words that the blonde threw at him, and while his back was like a sea of scars, while he seemingly grimaced at everything that was flung his way. Yujin didn't care for that. In reality, he cared for Richard himself, not the gestures that he offered up to a world that was much too harsh on him, full of pain and traps, harsh and unrelenting in their efforts to break what had already been torn to shreds. "But you are still strong. You're still here, right? Don't underestimate your mental strength." Merely encouraging Richard wasn't going to change much, however. He'd cupped his hands to a bowl and let water trickle out of it, soaking every blonde lock that he could find, all the while he made sure that he got everything this time - they only needed some soap, any that Yujin could grab, and that was that. "Everyone learns from their mistakes, even if they have to take the fall first. But still, your life hasn't been exactly fair in the past few years, has it?" Yujin mustered a pained smile, one Richard couldn't see like this, but he was unmoving now, still hellbent on helping the blonde, who - all things considered - had a dampened mood now. He should've shut up, shouldn't he? But instead, he hadn't and now, the delicate, broken glass that Richard was made out of, that Yujin was helping him piece together metaphorically, was splintering again. "You are strong, don't tell yourself otherwise! Just because you lost once doesn't mean you can't try again - and your father isn't dead, is he? And besides, admitting to your own wrongdoings takes its own kind of strength."

Chastising Richard had been the last thing he wanted to do, and yet, he'd just blurted all of that out like he'd meant it, which Yujin positively did. It didn't take much to understand messages and gestures like that - the small figure, the one that had seemed so much grander before, was seemingly slouching back into itself, almost like all hope had been drained from his tired body; and Yujin wasn't going to stand by and just let that happen, damnit, Richard didn't need to talk himself down! "Fun. Or hunting. Or nothing at all. As long as you enjoy it, do you really need a reason to?", he mumbled and cast his gaze aside, putting his hands back on Richards back for a while, as he still thought about it for a good chunk of time. "I'd like you to protect me, but if you truly don't feel like fighting anymore, I'm content with protecting the two of us. I give you my word." They weren't done here, not in the long run, but there wasn't much more he could do for Richard like this, when he himself seemingly was zoning out and not reacting much. Yujin took his finger away and shook his head. "It's fine. You needn't apologize. I said you can have as much time as you need, and I'll give you just that. It'll be alright, yes? That's a promise." Healing didn't happen overnight, it never had, but even if wounds turned to scars and ones body found itself to be back in its former shape, or close to that, the mind itself might not have healed in the slightest. Not once would Yujin judge Richard for that, he simply had no reason to and he never would. "It's ... hey, don't be ... it's going to be alright. I'm here.", Yujin mumbled, wrapping his arms around the blonde. He couldn't make things right, no, but he could try. "We can take it slow and steady, but ... I'll never think any different about you, no matter what. You're safe here." Yujin pulled the blonde a bit closer, rubbing his arms, as if to warm him up and assure him that everything was alright. "If you want to go back upstairs, just say the word. We don't have to do anything today if you don't want to."

Understanding and cheering Richard up were two different kinds of things - Yujin wasn't great at either of them and any subsequent attempt at helping the blonde heal was full of hardships and, contrary to popular belief, not as easy as one would have made it out to be. In reality, Yujin was trying, he wasn't struggling, but even then, any and all attempts he made into what he believed to be the right direction seemed to suffer a setback whenever the blonde suffered because of his memories alone; they never quite moved back to square one, but even then, they seemingly failed to realize that brighter future that was out there, somewhere, waiting to be grasped by both of them, and yet, neither of them was able to reach it just yet. The body in his arms was shivering despite the water being warm, and with those strained words that fell from silent lips, it seemed painfully clear that Richard was lost within his own mind, occupied by thoughts that he had wanted to cast aside a long time ago. Not only that seemed to plague him, however, and while Yujin couldn't will himself to remember, he wished for his former self to be here - for the guy that knew the blonde like an open book, that knew how to soothe him and not realize how hard it was to keep his spirits high and occupy his wandering mind with silly tasks.

Yujin rubbed his hands against the shivering, wet skin that was pressing onto his own, now that he was hugging Richard once more. What would keep his mind off of things, then? Asking Shuren felt out of question, and with all things considered, he didn't even dare voice such a thought, lest he'd be branded as an insane lunatic with an ulterior motive. There had to be a fix for someone like Richard, something like a bandaid to cover his mental wounds with, but even now, Yujin struggled with conjuring one, or thinking of anything that helped even remotely. "Hey now, you don't have to force yourself to do anything, alright?", he chirped, watching any and all of the blondes movements that he could, and deciding that for now, he'd stick to him as best as he could, without being too touchy - it wouldn't help either of them, let alone would it calm Richard if he got too handsy too fast yet again. "I'm here for you, you know that.", Yujin assured him further, smiling despite remaining behind the blonde, unseen by him and yet, he didn't want to move, not in the slightest. Instead, however, he moved both of them back to the edge of the water, slowly and surely, to make sure that neither of them would stay behind in here - and neither of them would feel lonely. "Yes, that's perfectly fine. I'll work on your little surprise then.", Yujin giggled, finally making Richard turn around in his arms and smiling at him, wiping away what was seemingly one of many stray tears dripping down the blondes face. "You don't need to hide, crying is only natural. I have no reason to judge you, either." Assurance was one way to help, but even then, it wasn't always the best method of achieving something. In truth, Yujin was only trying, not actually achieving anything - and Richard was definitive proof of that. "Let's get out of here, yes? Need a hand?"

Leaving Richard to his own devices hardly was a good idea and Yujin knew that well enough, but even then, they had agreed to this and he didn't feel like undermining the strength that the blonde seemingly still possessed, the strength that, with all things considered, was close to wanning at this point. Why did Yujin care for someone that, despite all of that, he hardly knew? Sure, it felt like his duty to keep Richard save, to protect what was left of someone that had once been someone else, but even then, Yujin barely knew him as was - and still, he owed him to a person that he no longer was and owed it to Richard, whom he'd loved before and who he'd seemingly always love again. Sometimes, it was hard to comprehend his own thoughts himself, but even then, there was only so much he could and would do for someone that, if he could, would probably do so much more for him than anyone would ever dare to otherwise. Yujin pranced off in this very moment, adamant on bringing about a better life for someone that, with all things considered, was trapped into an icy prison with him, someone that didn't dare leave a place that - to outsiders - probably seemed hostile. But even then, Yujin wanted to cheer him up, wanted to be there for him as best as he could; Richard deserved the world, deserved to be just like any other - and with that, the prince made a deal with himself to steal himself away for a few hours, but not before telling one of many maids and butlers to keep an eye out for Richards wants and needs for the afternoon.

What followed was someone that brought tea without asking, or rather an employee to attempt something like that - and Shuren snatching it from their hands, not to keep it for himself, but rather to take it to Richard, all the way up the icy stairs. Truly, it was a shame that Yujin had taken off and the fact that Richard wasn't keeping the pace with what Shuren had in mind for him was, in all fairness, nothing short of outrageous. He ascended the stairs with the hot cup of tea in his hand, something that he'd normally think to be above himself, but even then, he only gave the door of Richards room a short knock - it was his castle after all - and opened the door, feeling like stale air was billowing through his robes and wondering when, for goddesses sake, someone had last let fresh air into this awkwardly warm room. There he sad, the blonde bundle of misery that no longer was recognizable, that failed to look like any of his fathers, yet, suffer a gruesome fate, too - twice, in a row, and both times, he appeared changed before Shuren. "Good afternoon.", he announced, his voice pleasant, but his face stoic, as the door fell shut behind him. His legs carried him over to the bed, as he sat the cup of tea on the nightstand. Richard, however, seemed to be out of it, quite taken aback by all the things he could do on his own, yet, there was nothing - he was empty, and empty things took shape if one cared for them and forced them into a desired direction. "I brought tea.", Shuren voiced the obvious, standing in front of Richard, before he crouched down a bit. "What's the matter?" If there was one thing that Shuren excelled at, it was feigning interest - and if he could fix Richard, then he could possibly rid himself of an enemy that had requested him to take care of this ball of pain in the first place. Everything would fall into place in due time, much like a game of chess did, but even then, games were more predcitable than human emotion ever would be. Without asking, Shuren started brushing some hair out of Richards face, before pressing the cool back of his hand against his forehead. "Hm, no fever .. bad dreams, then?"

Human minds were feeble, Shuren had one of his own and he knew that, in some way, none of them worked the way they were supposed to. Pain and hurt weren't things that, despite all that happened, could just be swallowed down and forgotten about; studying ones mind was as important as taking care of ones body, and the assumption that life was but a fleeting glimpse in a higher beings wretched play was, without a doubt, something that constantly etched itself into the back of his mind. Shuren didn't challenge the gods, not yet, but he would if he could, knew that what he was doing was what he had been intended to do, and right now, he only sought out a lost lamb that he'd much rather help than let it wallow in darkness. His throat sounded dry, and while Richard tried to avert his gaze, Shuren smiled. "You may look at me, no need for formalities.", he spoke soon enough, but even then, he wasn't sure why he was doing that. Making someone feel save and secure was an utmost priority, but still, he wasn't trying to make words matter, as long as he had the chance to - with someone vulnerable, formless and lost, such a task would probably be an easy one, but there was no need to get cocky just yet. "I figured ... hm." Sleeping medication would be in order, from an unbiased and medic standpoint, but from the latter, Richard probably wouldn't be able to deal with it quite well.

"I'm not keen on giving you some, you know that.", he spoke, taking his hand off of Richards forehead but remaining in the position he was in, sporting a somewhat puzzled look on his face. In any circumstances, it was unwise to just act out upon ones impulses, something that the lost weren't capable of thinking about. "Do they haunt you during the day, too? Is that why you look so sullen?" Shuren wasn't sure if the feeling he wanted to invoke in Richard was curiousity or complacency, though, both were fine and even then, he wasn't sure what to do with him. There were times when he himself didn't feel like talking much, bad days and horrid days, but none of those related to Richard in any way and Shuren himself wasn't keen on sharing anything, not that he cared or that they impacted him all too much - there were different things at hand. "You know, if you need a good nights sleep, I could at least give you something that calms you down. You should get a bit better before I can give you sleeping medication, but I'm sure it's hard to do that if everything keeps you on your toes and up all the time." Shuren shook his head, before he peered in those sad, reddened eyes again and procured something akin to a tissue from his sleeve. However, it was doublesided, woven into colorful fabric that contrasted Silesse and Shurens clothing, and filled with something, carrying a waft of lavender around it, with what felt like seeds between layers of fabric. "Would you like to see if this helps? It's no magic, however." Now, he offered it up to Richard. "Though, I suppose that everything that has happened is a bit much on you and that's what's clinging onto you, isn't it?" It was obvious, and Richard obviously was just bound to fall into a trap.

Shuren understood, as best as he could and as much as he wanted to, but that was very much it. It honestly didn't matter how he felt about interacting with someone that, by all accounts, was a pawn in a game that he was playing with somebody else right now, no - Richard was his triumph, the last card he could hide up his sleeve if things turned too sour too soon and Shuren appreciated Yujin for a second, for making Richard comfortable and taking a burden upon himself, one that made Shuren much more mad than anything else these past few days. Griping at his hair and pulling it from his head didn't suit him, didn't suit eternal beauty however - if one wanted to be a god, they at least should look the part and Shuren, for better or for worse, thought of his own looks as ethereal and divine, and a blessing sight for any sore eyes. This play, however, wasn't about him and it never had been. Richard was the main attraction, and Shuren was simply the enabler. "You got something or they forced you to take something?", he questioned, raising an eyebrow, before shaking his head and offering the piece of fabric back up to Richard. This wasn't much, it truly wasn't magic and it never would be, but it helped sometimes, even if it was intended for smaller children who had night terrors, rather than young men who were plagued by their own sins.

"I won't force anything upon you, you can take my word for that. I'm glad you're feeling better already, though." Being harsh to someone that had lost it all wasn't fair, much like it wasn't fair of Lucien and Dayan to hand Richard to him, presented like a feast on a silverish plate, offered up to him like they were trying to appease him. Surely, he was lots of work, but even then, he wasn't unfixable and he never would not be. "It's lavender and some dried seeds, that's what makes the noise.", he proclaimed and, as a demonstration, slightly tilted it. Superstition had no basis in medicine, and yet, sometimes children were easy to delude - and compared to him, in terms of age at least, Richard was a mere child, which forced a shiver down his spine. What silly thoughts those were. Nothing lasted forever, surely, but he was different and he could prove that to anyone in his way, even if it seemed rather irrelevant now. "You put it on or under your pillow, whatever you prefer. I suppose it also provides comfort in some ways ... speaking of which, Yujin isn't too overbearing, is he?" One inquiry more and Shuren wondered where certain things had gone, or why they had shifted in this room specifically - something was up, an untraceable stench was sure to hang somewhere, suspended in the air. As he handed the tissue over to Richard, plopping it on his lap without asking, he stretched a bit - now that he looked at Richard, he noticed the fact that not only was he covered in Yujins clothing from head to toe, he'd also been draped in Yujins coat, the one he'd worn today. His son had his eyes on the wrong things, and was seemingly unsure of too many things - which also meant he probably wasn't taking that stupid medication of his. "I have a question, or rather a proposal - pardon my rudeness, but ... do you think you'd feel better if you could just forget what happened?" Would it fix things? Absolutely.

"I figured. That's no way to treat anyone." Shuren knew he wasn't better, though, but even then, he wasn't physically shoving Yujins medicine down his insufferable throat but it sonded like he should, as he was back at disobeying him to begin with. Why was this twerp so ungrateful? Richard seemed to be the cause of all those strange happenings, of his rebellious phase and the fact that, no matter what, Shuren had lost his power - but that just meant there had to be someone else he could gain power over, someone that was sitting right in front of him and easy to lull in with a few well-placed and ill-meant words, something that made him see the world for what it was. There was shifting, some of it nonsensical to him; dropping ones guard this early on wasn't a good way to practice what he wanted Richard to do, but in turn, Shuren only wanted to claw himself between the walls that Richard had metaphorically errected between him and the world, keeping any intruder out of his general vicinity and driving home the fact that, despite all vulnerabilities, he still possessed a certain knack for keeping himself save. Shuren hadn't expected much in the first place, but even then, he seemed somewhat resilient. "I'll make suggestions regarding your medication, then. If you'd like, I can elaborate on what exactly to expect - I'm sure that will benefit you."

Surely, Shuren didn't have the duty to disclose anything to anyone, but at first, one had to gain someones trust, worm themselves into somebodies heart, before they found the ability to do anything, something for someone - the world was a small one, one that, despite everything, never stopped revolving around itself and in Silesse, where night and day blended into one another, all of that became so much more apparent. "I'm glad, he sometimes can be a bit much, but I'm sure you know that." Keeping up his friendly demeanor, Shuren rose from his crouching position, fixing his clothes in the process, as well as dusting them off. It was stuffy in here, and Richard still looked like he could use some sun, some air, something that wasn't this bleak room out here - where the fire would melt any ice, aside from Shuren himself. "No need to apologize.", Shuren chuckled, something that sounded so uncanny when it came out of his mouth and yet, it wasn't beyond him to experience. "He's here voluntarily, right? That's his own choice to make, and besides, if he helps you feel comforted or more at home, I don't mind." Factually, he did, but Richard was a somewhat funny kid and with all things considered, Shuren felt like he owed himself some leeway to pry open the box that the blonde seemed to be - he was so much like Rain and Nayantai, yet, nothing like either of them at all; just like Yujin was like him, despite never being anything close to him. It was a curse, nothing else, it never had been more than that. There was silence and Shuren wished he'd brought himself some tea, yearned from something he hadn't even thought about in the first place when he had the chance to. "However much you'd like. There's no way to selective cherry-pick from your memories, but the more ingrained it is into your brain, the longer it might take to forget. And it's not like they're gone forever either."