[Closed to Four Seasons Manor residents + Ye Baiyi]

[yeoldmonster]

⌛ Who: Ye Baiyi and residents of the Four Seasons Manor
⌛ What: Missing arachnida (scorpion)
⌛ When: August 30
⌛ Where: Four Seasons Manor
⌛ Warnings:

He'd woken up to a strange but minor pain he couldn't identify. It lingers and he's not used to feeling something like this, but there are more important things to deal with. Namely, he can't find Xie Wang. It was odd given how the young man had been as glued to his side as a loyal hound the last week or so. It was also annoying, since that meant no breakfast. Fortunately, he knew where he could go that also had good food.

Like he has since he arrived, he shows up at the Four Seasons Manor and walks through the door like he owns the place. "Zhou Zishu? Brat?" He calls, making his way to the kitchen.

Comments

[dragonrising]

"I don't think it is useless if you are able to find any comfort in drinking it."

Medicinally? Likely useless. But sometimes the best medicine was the comfort of it in the first place. He would let the man decide what he felt would suit him the best though.

Quietly, he listened to the story of the young man. He considered it then lowered his gaze as he nodded. "Sometimes people are not so ready to forgive right away. Or at all. I know that well."

[yeoldmonster]

Looking quiet irritated, he takes a few moments to consider what he wanted to do with the tea. In the end, he doesn't want to waste the herbs and if there's even the slightest chance it would make him feel better he'll drink it.

"That's what I told him. You know as well as I how well the young do with patience." He shakes his head and rolls his eyes. "They're all a pain in the ass, just like the 'lords' of this manor." There's a hint of fondness beneath that complaint.

In a lower tone, he adds, "We are old but we have not seen the end of our story yet. There is no absolute."

[dragonrising]

He smiled a little. It was so clear how fond of Zishu and Kexing this man was. They were family to him, that much was obvious. It honesty very heartwarming to see they had someone who cared about them like this.

"It's true. There is no telling what our stories will be until the day they have truly come to an end. Such can be said for everyone really."

[yeoldmonster]

Baiyi would prefer no one see that about his relationships, but it's the truth. Even if Zhou Zishu wasn't his direct descendant, he is close enough. For whatever reason, Zishu adores that brat, Kexing, so the immortal begrudgingly includes him as family as well as the little brat girl.

"Some people are more predictable than others," he remarks lightly, before smirking. "And some are more important." Which, obviously, included the two of them.

"Speaking of importance, since you live here and I don't shouldn't you be offering something to eat to go with our tea?" He admonishes in lieu of simply asking for food.

[dragonrising]

"This kitchen is not my domain. Nor do you want me preparing you food."

He was one who would visit certainly but use it? Or use it with any reasonable skill? That he could not do. If the guest wanted any food then Runyu was not the one who would be able to get him any.

"I am quite skilled at the brewing of tea but you do seem to have that covered."

[yeoldmonster]

Baiyi tsks and shakes his head like this is a great disappointment. "I had such high hopes for your usefulness."

With a chuckle, he looks down at his tea. "You never offered," he points out cheekily. "Do you sustain yourself on your spiritual energy?"

[dragonrising]

"I could if I needed to but I don't. I enjoy having meals. However I have no skill for cooking and as for where things are located in this kitchen? I lack all of that. So I never offered because fools offer what they're not able to."

Runyu gave him a smile and a sip of his tea. He hardly minded being called useless. After all, he knew his worth. It simply didn't rest within the kitchen.

[yeoldmonster]

The old man grins and nods, completely on Runyu's side about enjoying food over the discipline of abstaining from it. He chuckles at the confession of the dragon's skills. It suited the man well. He is clearly a nobleman and therefore his place shouldn't be in the kitchen.

If Baiyi is calling him names, Runyu has officially been befriended. "Do you rely on your lovers or do all of you wait for Wen Kexing to cook?"

[dragonrising]

Runyu laughed softly. It was rather fun having banter like this. He got it plenty with his loves but he did enjoy that he could have it with someone he just met. He'd found how much he valued gaining dear friendships here. And now he would include this man on that list.

"I would say it's less that I rely on them and more that Ya'er insists on cooking for his poor, helpless nobles. Since it makes him happy to take care of us, I don't want to take that from him. And, I do enjoy the meals he makes us from the meats he hunts."

[yeoldmonster]

"This is the only reason I put up with Zishu's husband," he says with a chuckle. He can admit to valuing Kexing for his cooking skills. He won't admit to anything else, but at least that.

He sighs and looks around the room. "Now that Xie'er is gone, I will likely be eating here more often. I should tell that brat to keep more cake on the counter since he has gentlemen staying here."

"Where around here does your lover hunt?"

[dragonrising]

He could tell right away that wasn't the only reason. But he let the man have his way and just smiled. There was no need to correct him. He could see what the truth was and that was plenty for the dragon.

"In the forests outside the city. He's very accomplished with his bow. Other weapons too but he favors the bow for hunting."

[yeoldmonster]

He's allowed to lie if he's joking, right? It's an untruth they both enjoy playing up, so he doesn't feel guilty for it. The things Kexing says about him would be at least as rude as this.

"He's the one who does the falconry and has the horse, right?" He asks. That man had left a positive impression on Baiyi, even with their missteps. "Do you ever go with him on these hunts?"

[dragonrising]

"He does. And sometimes. Though usually he tends to go out on his own. Which I think is good for him. As comforting as he finds us I'm sure he values the time he has to himself doing what comes naturally to him."

And he wasn't about to take that from him. Not at all. If that made his love happy then he was only ever going to support him in that. Every time. After all, if Ouyang was happy then so was he.

[yeoldmonster]

"I can appreciate that desire," Baiyi remarks thoughtfully. He'll have a lot more time to be alone now that Xie'er was gone. The prospect is confusingly both appealing and dreadful.

"I approve of him," he adds belatedly with a small smile, raising his glass to his new dragon/ god/ friend person.

With a sigh, he looks once more toward the hall leading to his descendants' rooms. He tosses back the rest of his tea. "It was nice meeting you Runyu, but I'm tired of waiting for them. I'm going to go drag them out of bed."

[dragonrising]

That made the dragon burst out laughing and he nodded. "That should be very amusing. I will leave you to it and return to my rooms since they're so close to theirs. It'll give me a good view."

He could be mischievous when he wanted to be. Now and then.