jikan_rpg | Curse/Kizuna Catch-All for September

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Curse/Kizuna Catch-All for September

⌛ Who: Runyu and anyone he encounters
⌛ What: For about a week he'll be cursed (close CR) and then he'll experience his first full Kizuna transformation...
⌛ When: Mid-September
⌛ Where: Various locations
⌛ Warnings: Childhood trauma will be mentioned as part of the dragon transformation. May include implications of child abuse/neglect.

A. Cursed (Closed to Close CR only)

The tea set he'd been given was an odd one. Still, he was willing to give it the benefit of the doubt, even with knowing the curses this place had on offer. It was one chipped cup and something about that drew him in. One chipped up in a set... No, he shouldn't apply personal experiences to something as simplistic as a teacup.

Still, he prepared tea in the set and set the chipped up before his own place. The other cups were for anyone who wished to join him.

Of course he was noticing that the more tea he sipped the more bitter it became. And dry? Confused, he frowned and looked into the tea in the pot curiously. Which was likely how someone would come across him if they were at the Four Seasons Manor.

B. Transformation (Open to all)

Of the three of them living in his rooms, he was the one who hadn't yet experienced a full transformation. Probably for the best given what his transformations had been so far. However, today was about to change that fact. Because today he felt the pain in his body as he changed and quickly rushed outside. The large and unexpected dragon form meant that some things were broken on his way out of Four Seasons, rushing into the sky to go into the forests.

There he moved into a pool of water, his scales glistening. He didn't want to be seen. It wasn't the pain that caused it though. Instead it was the idea that someone could see this body of his. His true body. Only a few had been allowed to see it and now here it was on display without him having control of the fact.

Anyone coming across the water in the forest would likely see the large silvery dragon shy away from them. Between pain and panic, he was stressed. In need of reassurance honestly. But he certainly didn't know how to ask for it...

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He smiles and nods his head back respectfully. As the dragon disappears in the water, Baiyi sits down again in his original spot in the grass. He appears to be meditating as well. However, he watches, listens, and reaches out spiritual all around them protecting his new friend.

Even though he is using spiritual energy for this, the act of sitting by the lake in the shade was very pleasant. This new world could be uncomfortable with its heat. Right now though, there's a nice breeze and he takes the time to appreciate how amazing it is he has seen a real dragon.

When he hears the water rippling, he rises and turns to face the god. He's disappointed to see the other is no longer in the other form. When Runyu bows to him this time, he returns it.

"You're welcome." He gestures to the shady spot next to him. "Are you alright?"

"I'm afraid I'm rather tired and my body aches. But I'll manage."

Coming over, he let himself come to sit with the man. It felt good to sit. His movements seemed a little heavy at the moment but he at least wasn't injured. That was something.

"Usually I have control over the transformation. Though I confess that I rarely change into my true body."

Not even for the sake of practicality.

"You should've meditated longer," he admonishes. There hadn't been any hurry as far as Ye Baiy was concerned, but the god could certainly handle some body aches.

"What might have caused your transformation to happen outside your control?" He asks with concern. He hopes there's someone he can stab on Runyu's behave for doing this to him- though, he knows there probably isn't.

"Why wouldn't you want to be in your true body? It's beautiful."

He laughed softy and nodded, not at all arguing with the man. He wasn't wrong and he wasn't going to do him the dishonor of pretending that he was.

"My bonds. One of the more extreme changes that can happen is that you can become the animal that you wear the traits for. It just seems to have happened today."

But he didn't regret his bonds. Not even for a second. This was one side effect of having them but he wouldn't want to lose them for anything. Though the man's question wasn't unexpected. He could refuse to answer it but he decided not to.

"I do not have a kind history with what I am. My father slept with other woman than his wife and my mother was one of those women. The Empress would be angry if she found out so my mother had to hide me." Slowly, he loosened his robes a bit to reveal a patch of hideous scarring on his chest.

"I couldn't control my changes when I was a child. So my mother would cut my horns and scale off. After awhile I tried to do everything I could to make her smile so I would cut them off myself. I wasn't old enough to have cultivated enough energy to heal them properly so I wear these scars as a result. But being a dragon reminds me of the terrible man my father was and the pains it caused my mother."

The immortal feels a shudder run through him at the reminder of those bonds. It had feel so uncomfortable when his had broken and he knows it was mild compared to ones that were older and more established. What would become of Runyu or Zishu if their lovers vanished?

He turns his thoughts away from that to focus on what his friend is saying. Even with the risks and this change, he knows the dragon sees his relationships as the blessings they are. What wouldn't Ye Baiyi give for another day with Changqing?

The old man's stomach turns as he listens to the god's story. Anger boils within him as he sees the damage on Runyu's body. His fingers itch for his sword, but there isn't anyone he can go after to avenge his friend.

"That isn't fair to yourself. You are more than your past and you deserve to embrace what you are for what it is alone!"

Covering the scarring again, he looked up at the sky. For a time he was quiet and then he smiled a little. "I couldn't find it in me to do that for a long time. I reached out to ask for acceptance of who I am from someone I loved very much but she rejected me. Between the pain of my past and her rejection my arrogance and selfishness took over. If I couldn't be given warmth then I could take it.

"I hurt so many along the way and in the end she gave her life to end the war between my brother and I. In that moment I realized all that I had done, the forbidden techniques that I had used, the lives that had been hurt by my hand, the lives lost due to my actions... For many years I've punished myself in isolation. Ruling in darkness to heal realm I was meant to protect."

Was it easy to confess all this? No. But he said it anyway. He refused to hide who he was or what he'd done in his life. Especially not to someone he considered a friend.

"Coming here I met the men that I love. They were able to accept me even knowing everything that I've done. To love me and to love every part of me. Because of them I've started to heal and to embrace myself. I still have a long way to go but for the first time in my thousands of years of life I've found the strength to look ahead instead of behind."

"Someone you wished to court or is this 'she' your mother?" Baiyi asks. He probably shouldn't, since that is an incredibly personal detail that had been notably excluded from this story but what are boundaries?

The rest of Runyu's story is difficult. In his own world, he might've vowed to slay someone like this for his crimes against the world. He had nearly done that to Wen Kexing.

However, he senses the same sincerity within Runyu that he did with that loud, obnoxious brat that he's taken a new path toward the light. It helps that the dragon is away from those he had hurt before. They could live in peace while he's here, learning to be righteous.

"They're good men if they've done that for you. I approve of Ouyang in particular." He wonders what the other one is like. "How can I help?"

"The one I was to be wed to. She loved another...my brother."

He gave a soft laugh because what a story that was. Fighting with his brother over the same woman. A woman who would never love him anyway. And he'd gone and hurt thousands and had been about to commit genocide over it. What a monster he'd been.

"I should have been killed for what I did. But my brother spared me. He asked me to live and so I do."

A warm smile spread across his face at the way Baiyi spoke of his loves. One that soon turned sad as he looked to the man. "If I ever become a monster like that then drive that sword you carry through my heart. It will be what I deserve for falling that far again. And I feel that you would actually follow through with it unlike so many others I know."

Baiyi almost keeps himself from wincing at the answer. Even though he'd guessed as much, the memory of a similar pain, a similar rejection, is like an ice lance through the heart.

He'll need to meet this brother sometime. Few would have made the choice to let someone who had hurt them so extremely live.

The request is taken seriously and after a moment, he nods. Runyu is right to know Baiyi isn't the type to not follow through on a promise like this. He also has enough arrogance to think he can defeat Runyu should it be needed. "I will not fail you, my friend."

"When you talk to the people I love please don't tell them of this. They would try to stop you and in that moment I don't want them to save me. I've hurt enough people. I've hurt enough people I love."

Letting out a shaky breath, he closed his eyes and let himself be in the moment. He'd found a good friend in this man and he truly appreciated him. So much more than he knew how to say.

"My crimes are many. It's a comfort to have there be someone who would stop me if I tried them again."

"Of course, I understand," he assures the dragon. He also knows that this request may result in his own death by the ones who love Runyu but it's an honorable one and he'll accept the consequences.

"You shouldn't worry about such things, Runyu." He shakes his head. "You'll be stopped long before you reach this point. Between your lovers, myself, and other allies we'll save you before letting you tarnish your soul any further. Instead, we should focus on your progress forward. What are you doing to help those weaker than you?"

"A friend showed me to the hospital. There I visit late at night to offer the weak some of my energy so they can heal more quickly. And it may seem so small a thing but there as a little dog who was dying from injuries and I gave her some of my years."

That wasn't all of it of course. There was more. But those were the things he was actively doing to try to atone for what he had done. "Otherwise I try to just talk to those around me. I've shared my story at times in the hopes that it might show someone what greed and arrogance can accomplish in your life."

Baiyi smiles at the news and nods approvingly. This is even more reason why he doubts his friend will ever stray close to the edge again. He chuckles at the news a dog had ended up getting healed in such a powerful manner. It's sweet and unusual from the culture Ye Baiyi is used to.

"Does she stay with you now?" He asks, curiously. He wonders if the cat in Ouyang has any trouble with this.

"Then you can rest with me since I have heard your story and know this lesson," he says encouragingly. "You're free to speak of other things."

"She does. Her name is Daiyu and she's at the Manor. Either with one of my loves or with my Dream Beast."

Runyu looked over at the man in mild surprise. Not only at the offer of rest but the encouragement to speak of other things. It was very kind and he appreciated it immensely. He smiled at him.

"Thank you. I'm glad to have met and befriended you, Baiyi."

"What's a Dream Beast?" He asks with a frown, trying and failing to picture what this is.

It's always possible that the old monk will say something and it be taken the wrong way. He is slowly getting better around others now that he's spent a bit of time away from his mountain, but his tact is still very poor. It would've been easy to take that as Baiyi wasn't interested in listening to more of Runyu's story and not the friendly intent it was said in. He would gladly do so or whatever the dragon wanted to speak of. The pressure to educate or warn wasn't there though.

Unaware he'd sort of dodged a bullet, he smiles warmly. "Does this mean you will let me see you in your dragon form again one day?"

"They are creatures that look something like a fawn. However their purpose is to consume the dreams people have and store them in their bodies before releasing them when the time is right. I suppose you could say they are dream protectors in a way."

He could summon the creature to him if he wished to but he didn't. He rather loved letting the little thing have the freedom to go anywhere it wished when it wished. Besides, it was also daylight so it was probably sleeping anyway. Let it rest until nightfall.

Runyu gave a soft laugh then. "If you will give me time to get used to it then yes. Please have patience with me though. It takes a lot for me to show that form. Even to my two loves."

"By consume the dreams, they protect them? How does that work?" It's certainly easier to picture a fawn that dream up some weird creature just on the name. "Are they like the small, greedy deer in the parks around here?"

Baiyi chuckles. "I have nothing but time, my friend."

His expression shifts to a distracted look. He doesn't know why but his belly suddenly feels somewhat.. itchy? Not quite itchy enough to make him want to scratch it, but there's a mild discomfort that should definitely not be there. Shaking his head, he tries to refocus on his friend and ignore whatever is going on along his skin.

"They live inside their bodies as little bubbles. They can, mmm, hiccup these bubbles later. It's cute actually." But then the mention of the deer in the parks made him laugh. "A little bigger. Mine can be greedy about demanding affection once it gets comfortable with you at least."

The man agreeing to have patience with him brought a warm look to his face. He did notice the look and the scratch but perhaps it was just an itch. Baiyi seemed fine otherwise. So he didn't draw attention to it and instead offered the man a distraction.

"You know, it did feel good to have my body exposed to you like that and for you to accept it so readily. It's something I've always dreamed of. Having it happen with the people here warms me every time."

Baiyi breathes a laugh. The concept seems absurd, but yes, also cute. "So it's more like they preserve the dreams for a while." There's something nice about that idea.

He rolls his eyes knowingly. "Aren't all pets, children, and wards?" They all want so much attention. Particularly the one living in his house.

Listening to his friend, he reaches out and gives his back an affectionate pat. "This place is strange, but there are some nice parts to it. Hopefully with some more time you'll be able to see how you truly are and not the lies you've been taught or convinced yourself of."

"Yes. Exactly. Part of my duties as the Night Immortal was to record the dreams that it released." It had been one of the parts of it that he'd enjoyed no matter how lonely the duties had been. Moving the stars and tracking dreams had always been so nice.

Smiling some at the feel of that warm hand, he gently shifted to nudge his friend. "Are you worrying about me?" he teased a bit. But then he returned to a more serious tone even as the smile lingered on his lips. "I've been finding myself more and more each day. It helps to have people like you in my life. People ready to remind me if I look like I might feel lost."

It's a sweet thought that there's a god out there recording all of their dreams. To think it was Runyu makes it even more comforting. It makes him remember all the years he was alone meditating and studying. There's some beauty to that kind of solitude, but isolating and lonely as well.

His attention is brought away from his mountain, his ward, and all else with that nudge. "You think you're important enough for me to worry about?" He retorts in a grumpy, almost perfectly deadpan tone. "You're just like those other brats at the Four Seasons Manor. Only you're less useful since you can't cook."

"How are you feeling now? Still out of sorts?"

He truly laughed at the grump he was given in return for his words. Baiyi was quite the character and he adored that about him. Being friends with him was never going to be tiring of that he was certain. Looking out over the lake, he shook his head to reassure his friend.

"I'm alright now. Resting here and talking with you has helped a lot. And that you were good enough to offer some of your energies to help the pain. It lets me know how important I am to your even if your words pretend otherwise." Because he simply couldn't resist teasing him a bit.

Baiyi makes a begrudging grunt in response to that. He tries not to, but there's a shadow of a smile teasing his lips as his friend laughs at him. He enjoys the banter and is glad Runyu jumps on board with it- and can see right through it to what Baiyi is actually saying. The dragon really is just like 'those other brats'.

As he looks out at the water for a few moments, he finds the nerve to ask about something only someone old like Runyu would understand. "How old are your lovers? Ouyang is young, is he not?"

"Their twenties, I imagine. Probably early thirties at the latest. They're young."

Had he ever asked specifically? Not at all. Their age didn't matter to Runyu. They were his loves, his precious ones. He wasn't going to think about their age all that much when he knew their immense difference was due to him being Immortal when they weren't.

Baiyi nods slowly, thinking that over. "How do you relate to them when they are so young and have such small experience in the world compared to yourself? Can someone truly be loved like that if their lovers know so little about them?"

Xie has a slight advantage here to Riley because at least he's from the same world. The young scorpion has heard of his reputation and knows the proper respect Baiyi has earned. On the other hand, Riley is so fresh, new, and intriguing. He is more like a puppy than boyfriend at times with how little he understands and his enthusiasm. Could they really have more than lust and that caregiver/ pet relationship when Riley has no real idea of who Baiyi is? He's just not sure.

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Curse/Kizuna Catch-All for September

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cw: child abuse and self-harm

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