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 Posted: Tue Dec 08, 2020 7:24 pm
A change of scene had been a good idea. Sterling had been worried about Priam, of course he had. Everything seemed like it was going downhill, and he couldn’t understand why. There had been no reason for Yu to have been blamed for the fire. There was no way that he would have set it, and now he was just so jumpy all the time...it broke Sterling’s heart.
The idea to go up to Qingcheng’s wonder had been one that he had decided on the night before Yu worked a double, and he had texted Soleiyu to pack a nice lunch and set a time for him to meet the two Squires.
Getting up to his wonder had been easier than he had anticipated, though he should have seen that by how easily Nalanda had done it, but it seemed as though it took no effort what so ever, and then he was there. And it was beautiful.
They were on the top of a mountain when they arrived, the sky full of stars, even though it was almost as bright as day. The stars themself gave off the light, and it was breathtaking. A large temple of some sort stood behind them, looking a little worse for wear, but still, it was obviously beautiful, and had been quite splendid in the past. Whenever the past was.
There was a village that he could see, it was down the mountain a little ways, and he figured that the path could be taken to it...it would make a beautiful hike.
Thankfully, Nalanda was feeling well enough to do a little hiking, and they explored some before settling down to eat the lunch that Soleiyu had brought, next to a waterfall which sent up soft, rainbow colored mists.
When the food was consumed, Qingcheng laid back on the soft grass and sighed, closing his eyes. “...I suppose we should look for my ring, hm? I...have a feeling we should try the temple? I’m not sure how sound it is if it’s really been a thousand years but...it seems that if I was going to have protected something...I would stay there, don’t you think?”
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Posted: Tue Dec 08, 2020 7:44 pm
Nalanda couldn't help but admire the waterfall; he seemed absolutely enamored by the colors it let off. Even with the hiking they had done, he seemed to be in good spirits. The time he'd spent on his own wonder--and the strange bone that Soleiyu had cracked for him--had done wonders to restore him, it seemed. He was tired, but that was mostly his own fault and not simply a biproduct of healing.
The food had been delicious and, full, he was content to lay on the grass next to Qingcheng.
Soleiyu was pawing around nearby, unable to resist investigating. He hadn't eaten as much as the Squires had, but he seemed driven to explore every little place he could.
"Haven't you been looking already?" Nalanda blinked, wearing a slightly amused smile. "I was so sure it was going to just be lying on the ground there, somewhere totally random. There were so many beautiful things to look at on the way here."
He closed his eyes and relaxed, wriggling just a little closer so he could rest his head on Qingcheng's shoulder as they laid back.
"I'd love to look at the temple. Mine was hidden behind an alter, so it seems like a good place to start. It looks like the most well preserved building we've come across," he mused. "So maybe there's something worth protecting inside."
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Posted: Fri Dec 11, 2020 5:45 pm
Qingcheng nodded, looking happy, relaxed. This place...their wonders...had that effect on them. It was just…
It felt so much like home. “I’ve been looking, but...I don’t know. That temple seems important, and if I would have had the choice...I would have left it there for um. Future me to find...or whatever.” Hopefully the past knight of this wonder would have thought….at least a little bit along the same lines as he did. Besides. It was the nicest looking place around and...he wanted to see inside. Felt as though he were being drawn to it, if he were being honest.
“The next time we come here…” He murmured, nuzzling closer to Priam and giving a heavy sigh as he sat up. “It’ll be just us...I wish...I wish we could bring Yu with us too...he would love it, I bet...I hate keeping things secret from him, but I know why we have to...it just. It sucks, you know?”
Of course he knew. He was keeping the same secrets. Obviously.
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Posted: Fri Dec 11, 2020 6:31 pm
Nalanda nodded and smiled as he nuzzled back. "...I know. I don't want him in danger of any sort, especially not with everything that's already happened. At least we have the benefit of...well." He gestured and sat up as well. "...Wonders to heal on. I'm sure Soleiyu would offer whatever he could to help heal Yu if something happened. But..."
He sighed. "...I don't know if who I am when I'm powered up extends at all to me, when I'm not powered up. But if we're being honest...it feels like that's the only reason I even survived that fall. If Yu doesn't have that hidden strength..."
He swallowed and, despite hiding it well, his voice raised a pitch accidentally. "...I want to get stronger. To make sure that if anything happens...I can protect him. And you. And maybe myself, too. But now that I have you two...honestly, I don't know what I would do without you."
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Posted: Fri Dec 11, 2020 7:18 pm
Shuddering, Qingcheng nodded and stood up, unable to remain still after an ominous speech like that. He didn’t want to think of Yu being hurt. Couldn’t think of either of them being hurt. He would die if anything happened to them...he would rather die than lose either one.
“...We’ll protect him, Priam. You and I were blessed to be given power, and we’re going to protect our Yu. Nobody will be able to harm him if we’re there. And...you’re right. We’ll be able to heal him if anything...if anything ever does happen. Now...ah. No more of this talk. It’s giving me really bad chills...and it’s far too beautiful here to be chilled with the thought of more bad luck…”
He held his hands down to Priam and managed a small smile. “I love you, Nalanda. I’m changing the subject, but I’m letting you know that I’ve never been happier than I am with the two of you by my side...so...you’ll never have to worry about what you would do without us. We won’t leave you.”
Not by choice, at least.
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Posted: Fri Dec 11, 2020 7:36 pm
Nalanda looked apologetic for saying anything but he took Qingcheng's hands and carefully pulled himself up.
"Thank you, Sterling. I've been having a lot of thoughts recently, not so many of them good. It's very reassuring to hear you say things like that." He had too many nagging thoughts in the back of his mind and it was difficult to sift through them--and he didn't want to burden Sterling with them. They had so much going on already; these were thoughts he could manage on his own. Things he could process, could bury.
"I was...so nervous to get involved with you two. So afraid that I would mess up what you have--and then, on top of that, lose you two as friends. Thank you for...everything, to be honest. But mostly for being patient with me. And for giving me a chance. And...well. It's sappy, I know, but. Thank you for teaching me how to love again. How to love properly. I didn't know if I'd ever be in another relationship--but here I am, in two. Well."
No, that wasn't quite right.
"One," he corrected. "With the two kindest, most wonderful people I've ever had the pleasure to know. You make me feel whole again. Despite the broken nature of my body, at least. I feel inspired again. I feel...ah. I feel so much again. I feel sappy, right now, if we're being honest. But I love you both so much. I want to write love letters, to buy flowers, to surprise you with romantic gestures of love. I am absolutely smitten, you know."
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Posted: Fri Dec 11, 2020 8:41 pm
Qingcheng grinned, the bad feelings fading with Priam’s words, and without any more of his own, he drew the male close and kissed his lips gently, sighing softly. “...I’m utterly smitten too. Yu always said I liked you. I...just never realized how much until we almost lost you. I can’t even begin to tell you how much it means to me that you’re always there if I need to talk, or when...when Ilya first appeared on the doorstep, I’m not sure...what I would have done without you coming over.” He sighed and kissed the male once more before drawing away and taking his hand.
“...we should stop this before Soleiyu decides he wants to utterly abandon us for being too clingy.”
Qingcheng grinned, somewhat wickedly and began walking towards the temple, moving just slow enough that Priam didn’t tire, but clearly eager to get there. “I wonder what the inside is like...I hope it doesn’t crash down on us...a thousand years is a long time…”
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Posted: Sat Dec 12, 2020 12:39 pm
"I've already found something interesting. And since you're so smitten with each other, I'm not even going to share," Soleiyu called, obviously not far enough away not to be able to hear them. He'd done his best to give them a bit of privacy, because they needed it; they had been under a bit of stress and if they needed each other to draw strength from, so be it.
He was entranced with the shiny little bauble he'd found; he didn't know what it was, but when the light hit it, it seemed to sparkle. Really, it wasn't much larger than a golf ball, and might have just been a fancy marble, but he was pawing at it as it lay on the ground, watching as it caught the light in different ways.
Nalanda just smiled, both at Qingcheng and Soleiyu, glad that time and space seemed to just melt away while they were here.
"I'm sure if it's lasted this long, it should last a little longer. Now that you're here, you're supposed to make the world stronger, aren't you? ...So even if it is in a bit of rough shape for now, maybe you being here will strengthen it. Maybe there's something inside to help?" he suggested. He was going as quickly as he could--visibly eager, himself, but trying so hard not to hurt himself in the process.
He had fallen in love with his Wonder almost immediately--and he was falling in love with Qingcheng's almost as quickly.
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Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2020 5:42 pm
Qingcheng snorted at Soleiyu and shook his head. “Enjoy whatever you’ve found, okay? Love you, fluffball…” He slid his fingers between Nalanda's and nodded. “That’s true. I didn’t think of it that way...it’s just. Surreal to be up here, you know? There’s a part of me that feels like...I should know something more about this place...but another part of me that…”
He scratched his cheek and tugged absently on a lock of hair. “...Part of me that keeps telling me I should leave. That I don’t want to know. If that...makes any sense at all to you.”
It didn't make sense to him that was for sure.
He pulled his boyfriend into the temple regardless and looked around, drawing in a deep, interested breath.
It was beautiful. Nearly everything was gilded, and even though the shine of the gold had faded quite a bit, it was still beautiful.
It seemed to be some form of a shrine, at least on this level. He could see where there had been an alter, a faded image of...something, or someone hung over it. “I…”
Qingcheng’s eyes slid to a staircase in the corner and he hesitated. “...I want to go upstairs. I feel like...whatever it is is pulling me there.
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Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2020 6:55 pm
"It makes sense," Nalanda answered, looking around in what seemed to be awe. "...Curiosity and all. It's a hard thing to shake. Even when there's something to be afraid of in the answer. But...I find that I tend to expect the worst, so may the truth isn't as bad as whatever you imagine. Let's go upstairs," he said, and squeezed his hand supportively. "I'll be with you."
"I'll be here too," Soleiyu said, trotting after them. "...I'll look after you, I'll make sure you don't get into trouble. Most of these worlds are...well, dead is the wrong word. But...most of them don't have anything really alive here. You might have some memories of a different life. Oh. Or you might have a ghost here. I might have forgotten to mention that. Either way, you'll be fine. I'll protect you," he assured, bumping his head against Qingching's ankle as he hurried to walk next to him.
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Posted: Mon Dec 21, 2020 7:22 pm
A...a ghost. That sure wasn’t anything that Qingcheng had been expecting to hear today...but...honestly? This place seemed like it could be full of ghosts…
He was quiet as he squeezed Priam’s hand, and had to resist the impulse to simply scoop up Solieyu and try to drape him over one shoulder...he was way too big for that...but…
It would feel so nice to have that warmth and reassurance.
Quietly he began to climb the stairs, going slowly, not wanting to fall, and definitely not wanting the stairs to crumble under his weight. When he was on the second floor, he looked around and began peering into the different rooms, finally stopping at one that held a large bed with sheer hangings. It was...lovely, actually, though the bed looked hard as a rock…
Walking into the room, he began to look around, and paused when he saw a small doll laying on what seemed like a dresser. It was covered in dust, but it was…cute. And it made something in his chest ache. And his heart simply start fluttering. “...well. This is cute.”
Quietly, he picked up the doll and began brushing off the heavy layer of dust, trying to be careful, not wanting the thousand year old object to simply turn to dust in his hands.
There was a small circle of gold on the dresser where the doll had been sitting, and Qingcheng sucked in a breath. “...I think...I found my ring…”
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Posted: Tue Dec 22, 2020 1:41 pm
Nalanda felt a shiver run down his spine at the mention of ghosts; he hadn't seen any at his Wonder but then, he hadn't exactly ever looked.
The temple felt strange to him, not unpleasant but just out of his element. He didn't know if he should be waiting to be attacked, or if there was something more. He couldn't seem to take in enough of it though, and kept glancing around, solidifying each and every detail he could manage.
"Oh," Nalanda mused, and tilted his head just slightly to examine the ring--and the doll. "...It's lovely," he said of the ring, but the doll wasn't so easy to describe. On its own, it seemed charming, but it was Qingcheng's expression that gave him pause. "The doll is cute, too. Are you all right?"
Soleiyu's brows were knit; any delight he'd had that Qingcheng had found his ring was immediately replaced by visible concern; he bumped his ankle and looked up at him, as if silently parroting Nalanda's question.
He knew that if it weren't ghosts in one sense, they were in another. He hadn't had any visions of the past himself, but he knew what being in these places could do to people.
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Posted: Tue Dec 22, 2020 5:19 pm
Qingcheng hesitated and looked over to the two of them. “Hm? I...I’m all right. I...the doll just...kind of made me sad. Ah...Soleiyu...do you think...is it safe to bring it back with me? It...looks so lonely here.”
He slid the ring onto his finger, both surprised and a little pleased that it had such a perfect fit, the small multi colored crystals that surrounded the star half hidden by a cloud image inscribed on the thin gold were beautiful, twinkling and sparkling. “It’s a beautiful ring..Ah...this...do you think this was...my room or something? Qingcheng’s...ah. Room?”
Obviously. It had to have been.
God, he wanted to dust this place...make it beautiful again…
Idly, his fingers stroked the hair of the doll, wanting to keep it close to him.
It was important. He didn’t know why...but it...it was important.
“...I like it here. We need to come back again sometime. Sometime soon, if we can?” Or...perhaps he would come back alone. This…
It would be nice to look around and not worry about people asking if he was okay...since...honestly...he didn’t know the answer to the question at this very moment.
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Posted: Tue Dec 22, 2020 5:55 pm
"Well. It's a doll," Soleiyu seemed a little needy, trying to see more; Nalanda knelt and carefully lifted him. The Mauvian sniffed at the doll and reached a paw out, as if that would grant him any more insight than his eyes could give him. "...It doesn't seem evil. And we haven't sprung a trap with you taking it. Does it seem like it means something to you?"
Nalanda tilted his head a bit and then glanced around the room.
"You think this might have been Qingcheng's room? It's beautiful." He had expected something different, assuming this was a temple, but he trusted Qingcheng more than he trusted his own eyes. There was a sixth sense on your Wonder, he knew that. He cast a somewhat worried look at his boyfriend but refrained from expressing any further worry. He held Soleiyu still and, despite the cat's size, still seemed comfortable doing so. "Your Wonder is lovely. It's peaceful. I wonder if all Cosmos Wonders are so charming, or if I love it this much because it's yours."
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Posted: Tue Dec 22, 2020 6:43 pm
For a moment, Qingcheng blinked and then gave a snort. “...It is a doll, yes...I’m glad...you can see that too, Sol…” He stuck his tongue out at the Mauvian and held the doll out, looking almost sheepish. “It...makes me...really sad...but...also happy? I don’t know how to explain it...but I want to bring it home. It...seems lonely. If that doesn’t sound too stupid.”
It totally did sound stupid, but hopefully Soleiyu would be well mannered enough not to comment on the fact. He knew that Priam was but…
Sometimes the Mauvian could be...a lot. He was wonderful though, and there was nothing that Qingcheng would trade for his friendship.
“I’m...going to bring it home...since...it’s mine. And, yeah I mean...m...my ring was here so...that makes sense to me...and I don’t know...it feels...safe in here? Well, the wonder as a whole but...the room...that bed looks terrible though. What were they thinking so long ago, right?”
He looked to Nalanda and tried to smile, but for some reason, his eyes kept tearing up, and he couldn’t figure out why.
Yes...he would have to come here alone one day. Soon.
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