[Edel PRP] The Stars and the Sea

[Sosiqui]

Tian Yue padded down the hallway of the Pantheon's upper floor. The Dragon King was wearing fairly elaborate robes, having just held court with the mortals that looked to him... and mortals, being what they were, expected certain things from their gods. Things like elegant garments, regal bearing, and profound statements. All of which Tian Yue was happy to provide, naturally, but doing so for extended periods left him an odd combination of replenished and drained - replenished in spirit and strength from their belief, and drained in social energy from everything else.

He was, at heart, a solitary beast. Small wonder Tien Lung and Universe had dwelled together in the heart of deep space.

Still, returning to his chambers to be fluttered over by Toki wasn't exactly what he wanted at this moment. What he wanted was a brother, to be able to relax and just be without having to worry about appearances or carefully choosing every word.

Tian Yue stopped before the familiar door of living wood; one hand reached out to trace the edges of the tree carved there. He turned the gesture into a knock and leaned inwards, calling out to the brother (hopefully) within.

"Xun? Illisia?"

[Zero Dream]

It was neither of the two named that answered the door, but rather an aoidei - Lindita's eyes widened slightly in instant recognition. "Lord Tian Yue ! It is so good to see you !" The mirror image of her memories, even. She had not met any of her lord's brothers so far, beside the host of Mang. And the priest's hate of demons, unfortunately, made it hard for her to do much there. Which was sad, really.

"My lord is..." She turned, then made a face. "...Um... Was... Here... ? Ah..." She stepped aside to let Tian Yue enter, hooves clicking on the stone tiles as she headed back toward the lake. "My lord ?"

What would Illisia be doing in a lake ?

What would Illisia be doing in a lake, indeed. This wasn't Illisia, and Xun Jiang had scurried in the lake as soon as he had seen a flash of purple and fancy robes. He had just a tiiiiiny bit of payback for this one brother. It involved a lake and scaring the unholy hell out of what was now a part of his psyche.

Serious Dragon Buisness, of course. He just needed to wait until Tian Yue came closer...

[Sosiqui]

The Dragon King nodded politely to the aoide, then followed her in; the soft sound of water was an immediate balm to his nerves. If only the room and pool were a bit larger...

Well. They weren't, and that was that.

Tian Yue approached the pool, a wistful expression on his face. "Brother?" he called out, adding his voice to that of the aoide.

[Zero Dream]

This was all Xun Jiang needed - one forward push and poor Tian Yue was drenched.

"Payback." Xun laughed, more than a little proud of himself. He didn't feel sorry for the nice robes at all - it was just water. It would dry off.

He came out of the water then, his wings shaking of the excess water off themselves as he did so. "It is very nice to see you, brother." He grinned.

[Sosiqui]

SPLASH!

Tian Yue surfaced with a shake of his head, his hair in his face, every bit of him sodden and soaked. "That's hardly a courteous greeting, brother," he said, sounding hurt... except for the thread of amusement running under his words.

Then he pushed out to the deeper part of the lake and submerged again before kicking back to the surface, brushing his hair back this time. "However did you guess I'd been wishing for a swim? You've provided such a handy excuse."

The robes were a bit of a hindrance, though, and kept tugging him down. He couldn't really drown, but he wanted to talk to his brother, damnit! Tian Yue frowned and tried to fumble the overlayers of the robes off while treading water, but it wasn't exactly working.

[Zero Dream]

"I do not remember ever saying I was courteous." Was Xun Jiang's rather amused reply. He certainly could be... when it was needed. He could be serious, but why would he need to be so serious with one of his brothers ?

Really.

"When it is not a good time for a swim ?" Answer - never. Through he had to admit seeing his brother struggle along with wet, heavy robes did made him feel guilty.

A little.

[Sosiqui]

"Alas, I would rather bathe in my dragon shape, but I fear I would crack your room like an egg," Tian Yue lamented, cheerfully.

Then, finally, he focused on Xun Jiang's form completely. "... You have changed."

It wasn't a question.

[Zero Dream]

"Well, I would certainly prefer not ending up squished, through... We can certain go outside." He laughed then, amused, when Tian Yue finally seemed to realize what had happened.

"It honestly took you so long ?" Xun Jiang let out a clearly exaggerated pout. "Just because im tiny... Seesh~"

Well, not that he had even tried to take dragon form yet.

[Sosiqui]

"The majesty of your physical form was obscured by the water," Tian Yue replied, sticking his tongue out at his brother. "And I am quite comfortable here now, thank you. I may stay here the rest of my days, dwelling in utter bliss."

[Zero Dream]

Xun pulled himself out of the water then - rather easily, in fact - and sat cross-legged in the grass, tail curled up around him and wings resting along the ground. Done purposely so that his brother could admire him ?

That was very, very likely.

"Well, I knew I had the best room, but..." He grinned. "Lindita, could you please fetch us something to eat and drink ? Tea for my brother, I believe."

He watched as the aoide bowed and went on her way, and patted the space in front of him for his brother to sit in. "One day, I might remember a table and chairs..." Personally, he saw no need for them.

[Sosiqui]

"Furniture, bah. It's mostly good for accidentally smashing with my bloody great coils. Shaiming had the right idea, dwelling in the high spaces with no walls to crush chairs against..." A faint sigh at the thought of the other reason Tien Lung had for living where he had, but... well. That pain was well known, now, and the thought brought no new facets to life. Only the same old, tired road.

A road he could ignore, for now. The Dragon King pulled himself from the water and settled in the indicated spot, robes dripping. He never had managed to get the bulkier top robes off. "When did it happen, brother? Is your host...?" The question was a delicate one, and he asked it quietly, as gently as he could.

Zero Dream

[Zero Dream]

"I can't say I've had this problem yet." And, well... He did remember Tian Yue being much larger than he was, so this might very well be a problem that he would never have to deal with to the same severity than his brother.

Xun Jiang happily settled in the grass, not minding as blades of it clung to his still wet form. The question Tian Yue was asking was a delicate one, and one that many would not have gotten an answer for.

"It is fairly recent." He couldn't quite tell how long - time seemed... abstract. He wasn't used to keeping track of it. "And you need not to worry about Illisia. She has done me a great service - and will continue to do so, unseen."

[Sosiqui]

"Of course," Tian Yue said, in response to the host-unseen comment; he inclined his head and smiled gently. "As do they all." Hard to think about, sometimes, and hard to watch, but the process of host renewing god was inexorable. "Every step towards a fully-glorified, united Brotherhood is a great victory, brother - especially for our kind. We seem so strangely delicate, so prone to failing compared to the 'simpler' gods..." He barely remembered the first person he'd seen with Ti Lung's gem.

[Zero Dream]

"As I have noticed..." Xun Jiang shook his head sadly, his finned tail giving a twitch of irritation. "So many of us... Had it been only I, had it been only my mistake, then I... would be less bothered." It was one thing to know that there had been one host before Illisia, that both host and... himself did not manage to bring forth rebirth, two lives extinguished for no results.

But to think his brothers also went through such a thing... It was heart-wrenching. He would not have wished this to anybody, even less so his own kin. "I can only hope that those I am unaware of are only absent, kept away by their own will, rather than..."

Well.

Tian Yue knew what he meant.

[Sosiqui]

"But now is a time for celebration, not for mourning - if I had a glass, I'd raise it in your honor. As it is..."

And suddenly a fan-tipped tail was swishing through the water, delivering a heaping pile of water directly to Xun Jiang's face.