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Since the conclusion of the Stelleron crisis at the Xianzhou Luofu, Kafka had commented that he was more reserved. Or in her words, less violent. He supposes there’s some truth to her comment. There had been more moments of tranquility since he left the planet fleet. Perhaps it’s because he had been doing a lot of thinking on the matter. Matters that seem to plague his mind.
His feud with the newly reincarnated YinYue Jun and what members were left of the previously respected High Cloud Quintet was partially resolved. Partially . There’s only so far one can get with any kind of “resolving” when trying to kill each other and last he checked, he’s still not dead.
Do not get him wrong. Just because he was not chasing Dan Feng’s reincarnation as frequently doesn’t indicate that he no longer wished to pursue the other — to atone for their sins he reasons. After all, of Five, Three must pay a price. Any thoughts in regards to how the cold dragon was fairing or doing, should be tossed straight to the trash. Should. He willed down the tightness in his chest.
It wasn’t the first time issues relating to the High Cloud Quintet and their sins crossed his mind. But he just wasn’t sure why these thoughts and feelings felt a little different this time. He had pushed the thoughts aside in favor of the few missions Elio had him run and during his time off, he had surprisingly indulged Silver Wolf with her games —once, and also probably the reason for Kafka’s comment.
“You’re overthinking. Get a hobby,” Silver Wolf says dryly, throwing one of her extra gaming consoles at him. “It’s about time you started doing something other than stare at a wall and plan the murder of your ex whenever you’re not out destroying something.”
“Maybe you should try doing things you would like to help you get this out of your mind.” Kafka gently adds on.
And before someone argues that he didn’t, he did try. Somewhat. He had started to reenact the blade works of decent swordsmen he had come across. Or at least the forms he had witnessed from the few slashes that encountered his sword. Unsurprisingly, most of those men happened to be on the opposite side of the battlefield from him and were now either six feet under the ground or a pile of ash. He supposes that it’s “something” compared to “staring blankly at a wall” and “overthinking”. But it wasn’t effective. By the end of the day, thoughts relating to the dignified vidyadhara would resurface.
The same could be said with his missions and the aftermath of the mara. Most of the time, with Kafka’s help, he would be left alone to recollect himself. And in the times when Kafka couldn’t get to him, he rode out the pain and that was enough to take up day. His mind was usually blank and he hardly thought back on what was left of his memories. Neither did he try to recall the specifics pertaining to each memory.
But lately, when he closed his eyes, even for a moment, the image of the newly reincarnated YinYue Jun would always appear first. The way the cold dragon ran to his shipmates with concern. The small smiles he gave to reassure them that he was fine. The close distance between them.
Yet the angry dragon has only ever directed expressions of discontent and uneasiness at him since their first meeting. Perhaps, in this life, the only time they would ever be so close to one another is during the exchange of their attacks. His chest was heavy at the thought.
After years of battles and deaths, his body had grown accustomed to the feeling of pain be it internal or external. He knows the feeling of swords slashing him, of spears piercing through him, of death lingering close to him. Yet he was unsure of where the feeling of a bundle of rocks that seemed to sit in his guts was coming from. There was a sense of unfamiliar familiarity — like he had felt this a long long time ago.
Was it because of their situation? Or it could be because of their hatred towards each other. Perhaps it’s because his anger has yet to be quenched. He’s been doing a lot of thinking on it. And in the rare moment where he confided his thoughts to his co-hunters, they simply shared what seemed to be a knowing look and shook their heads.
“You’re just jealous”, Silver Wolf deadpans, not looking away from her screen.
He stares blankly at her, letting the words sink in and his face scrunches up a bit in disdain.
Remind him to never listen to his co-hunter’s advice. He’s talking specifically about Kafka. For someone who states that communication between each other is good for the team, the said team sure does come up with useless and crazy thoughts. What was there to be jealous of? Instead, he had concluded that this feeling was some sort of lingering anger derived from whatever unfinished business was left between him and the reincarnated dragon.
Currently, the heap of rocks still stays sitting in his guts. And it felt like a few more were added to the top of the pile since his latest encounter with the noiret. Not that he had a scale to weigh it or could weigh it.
His latest mission happens to be on the Xianzhou Luofu…again. At least this time, when Silver Wolf snuck him in, he didn’t have to pretend to be caught. He still didn’t understand why Elio sent him of all people for a simple job. It had been an easy kill and retrieval of data from some guy who fled to the ship.
He had assumed that his only problem was going unseen by the Ten Lords Commission — a minor problem really. However, his co-hunters and boss had failed to inform him that the members of the Astral Express were also there. Now that he thinks back on it, there’s no way they didn’t know the express crew would be there.
Either way, he’d rather not run into any of them. It would only serve as a catalyst for more problems. He even tried to ignore the heartwarming scene of the newly appointed higher elder braiding the previous higher elder’s hair by the square’s stone table — it only reminded him of a memory where his hands had once combed through those similar long black locks and wondered if Dan Heng’s hair was just as silky.
It was the red ribbon that tied the loose ends of the noiret’s braid in a nice bow that threw him for a loop. He could recognize that ribbon anywhere. The color, the length, the material. It was the same red ribbon that stood out boldly from a tied-up high white ponytail. The same ribbon that Dan Feng had gifted a young boy for joining the ranks of the Cloud Knights — he’s unsure why he still remembered that. The same ribbon that rested on Dan Heng’s hair.
So what if someone argues that the ribbon could have just been any common red ribbon you can find at an accessory booth. He doesn’t even need to see an initial on the ribbon to know that it belonged to a certain lazy general. Jing Yuan might not have been in sight, but with Mimi lazing around with head pats from the vidyadhara, he had no doubt that the brat was somewhere close by and missing a ribbon.
He sighs and relaxes his bandaged hand, revealing the wrinkled red fabric he had all but gone up and snatched from the unexpecting vidyadhara’s hair. The simple ribbon now lying on his palm, taunting him. He doesn’t want to think about it but he also can’t stop himself from thinking about it and it’s been a day now.
Silver Wolf, who had followed him with her hologram out of boredom and annoyance, cackled the moment they were back on their airship.
“A-Ren, It’s about time you stop sulking.”
“Ha. More like he’s brooding. I can’t even tell if he’s mad at his ex for using someone else’s hair tie or at the other person for giving his hair tie to his ex.” the gamer girl laughs. “You should have seen his face, Kafka!”
“If you’re that put off, why don’t you pick out a ribbon or something for that bodyguard instead?” The hypnotic hunter suggests.
He had scoffed at Kafka’s idea. Another useless piece of advice. As if Dan Heng would accept something from him. But here he was strolling down the streets, after bribing Silver Wolf to sneak him back into the Loufu.
He doesn’t understand Kafka’s suggestion. In the first place, it makes no sense for him to give that cold dragon something given their situationship. They were far from friends. It also makes no sense why a part of him kind of wanted to give Dan Heng something. In the same way, it makes no sense for him to feel any type of anger from seeing Jing Yuan’s ribbon on Dan Heng’s hair. If he thinks about it reasonably, it was just a ribbon. Was the mara affecting his judgment again?
He grumbles and stuffs the wrinkled ribbon inside of his pant pocket. The image of a lazy general smirking pops into his head and he sneers. That damn brat.
For the past hour, he had glanced at the items displayed on each booth. But none of them seemed to fit. It was either flowery, cutesy, or dangly. He watches as a couple in the next stand picks up a flower hairpin and places it on the girl’s hair. Both laughed joyfully as if there wasn’t anyone glaring at them from behind. Was it really that easy to find a gift? Can a gift really make someone that happy? He clenched the ribbon hidden in his pocket.
“Xiān sheng, are you looking for something in particular? How about a nice brooch?”, the young lady manning the stand asks, bringing him out from his thoughts.
He glances down at the accessories that line the tables, noting the assortment of flower pins and brooches, and mumbles a no. Nothing there stood out. Nothing that would be suited for the regal dragon.
“All the items here are handmade by my father. All are made with the finest material. Great quality!”, the girl pipes up, persistently.
“Don’t need,” Ren grunts, staring at the pins. Handmade huh. He wonders just how long it has been since he last created something of his own. He examines the bandages on his hand. When was the last time his hands were used to create rather than kill?
In his moment of distraction, the young lady had opened up another container filled with accessories.
“We have more designs that are not displayed. Are you looking to buy a gift for someone?”
He furrowed his eyebrows, annoyed. She was persistent…he was really just passing by. He didn’t even plan to take Kafka’s suggestion seriously.
“What do they like?”, the lady pushes on
He sighs. He didn’t even know what Dan Heng liked. Did he like the same things as Dan Feng? Even then, he could barely recall Dan Feng’s preferences with the few good memories he retained.
“Spears”, he settles with, grimacing at his own answer. Maybe he should have ignored the seller.
The vendor gives him a deadpan look. “Dear customer, this is not a weaponry smith. I can not help you if you’re looking for a spear.”
Those ordinary spears can’t compare to Cloud Piercer anyway. He turns away. He should really leave.
“Is there a particular animal this person likes? How about a flower?”
His face creases in concentration. Dan Feng was pure like a lotus flower. Dan Heng…he is… resilient. Strong. Someone who has yet to fully understand who he was. Dan Heng was different in that aspect. Like…— he frowns, eyes raking over the display table and the additional transparent containers until he spots a golden orange leaf — like a maple leaf.
He picks up the hair stick from the box, examining the maple leaves that clustered at the tip of the stick. It wasn’t perfect. If it were him, he would have made the nib of the stick flat with a tinge of gold and moved the pearl from the top of the body to the lower half — similar to Cloud Piercer.
He stops himself at the thought. Thinking about it wouldn’t do him any good. After all, it’s been years since he last held up construction tools and even longer since he had any inspiration to create. He supposes the craftsmanship of the hair stick was decent enough.
He sighs, placing the delicate accessory down gently. “Is delivery possible?”
“Yes. We have an option for delivery using the Loufu’s cranes. Just let me get a paper and brush to jot down the address and total.”
He pauses. He had but the slightest clue where any members of the Astral Express were staying. The only people who would know where…this was bound to be a bad idea. He’s not looking forward to Silver’s Wolf’s questions and comments.
“And your total would be 1.5 million credits!” the young vendor beams happily, showing her calculations. “How would you like to pay?”
He stares at her in dismay.
The lady blinks back at him, holding his gaze. “Look, dear customer, the body is made of high-quality jade. You can see the-”
His hands twitch at the hilt of his sword. This scammer .
---
The sounds of alarms blare through the quiet night and Jing Yuan looks up from his scroll with exhaustion. Who would dare to sneak into the Seat of Divine Foresight knowing the high security that surrounds it?
They must have a death wish. He sighs and rubs the bridge of his nose. He turns back to his papers and the mountain of scrolls left to the side of his desk, waiting to be looked at. The Cloud Knights could handle the intruder.
Nevermind. He rethinks as the doors of his office slam open with a loud bang. There, an edgy male storms in, red eyes glaring at him with disapproval. His own wariness shifts into amusement at the sight before him and he stifles a laugh as the man he had looked up to as a brother stomps in like an angry cat.
“Oh my, old friend, what brings you here tonight? Missed me?”, he laughs.
“Never.” The other sucks his teeth and throws a red ribbon at him instead.
The wrinkled strip of cloth gently flutters down onto his desk and he picks up the familiar ribbon he had last seen when lending it to Bailu for Dan Heng’s braid. “Awe, how kind of you to bring it back to me. You know how much I treasure it.”
He’s offered another glare from the hunter and he laughs. “But dà gē, look at this!” He says playfully, pointing at the green ribbon that tied up his hair. “Dan Heng got mad when you stole this one”, he held up the red ribbon, “so he went out and got me another ribbon!”, he grins, tugging the ends of the green one lightly.
“I seriously thought that you would never give the red one back to me. I wouldn’t be surprised if you had burned it but hey, now I have a ribbon from Dan Feng and Dan Heng,” he smirks with triumph. He laughs as the temperature drops a degree along with a black murderous aura suddenly surrounds the glaring man.
His older brother simply sucks his teeth again and turns towards the doors. “Keep your grimy fingers away. Next time, I’ll really burn them.”
Dan Heng would just buy me more. He thinks, a grin plastered on his face. He supposes he provoked Ren enough for the day. “Next time we should go out and drink.” He says instead. “All of us.”
Ren spares him another glance, a grimace on his face, and turns away.
Ah, gē didn’t close the doors. He sighs. Now he needs to get up.
He looks back to the wrinkled ribbon in his hands, folding it neatly. He’ll have to get it ironed out later.
A small group of Cloud Knights bursts through the opened doors with his concerned disciple leading them.
“General! We heard the alarm. Are you alright? We’ll arrest the intru…der?” Yanqing questions looking around the room, confused that no one else besides them was there and nothing was displaced.
He smiles at the ambitious child. “There’s nothing to worry about, Yanqing. You can resume back to your night”.
Just a salty old friend paying a brief visit. He grins.
---
Dan Heng stares at the small wooden box in his hands that Pom-Pom had just given to him. “Package for Dan Heng. Delivery Option: Cycranes” is written on a piece of cardstock taped to the top of the box. Except, he doesn’t remember ordering anything.
Carefully, he peels off the cardstock paper, noting the flower design on the lid of the box. He remembers seeing the same design as a logo for one of the shops in Central Stariff Haven. Was it a jewelry shop?
He unlocks the toggle latch and flips open the box, revealing a hair stick lying on top of a red fabric and another piece of paper. He picks up the hair stick, examining the thin jade body. At the end was a pearl surrounded by small red and gold maple leaves.
Such an intricate design. Whoever gifted him this sure knew what he liked. But weren’t accessories like this usually given as a sign of affection or courting?
He flips over the card inside the box, looking for the clues of his gifter.
Next time you need a ribbon, use mine.
His eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Ribbon? Next time? The only time he remembered using a ribbon was when Baliu had used Jing Yuan's ribbon for his hair and Ren… no way . He looks back at the note and the box. Ribbon? Mine? He picks up the piece of silky cloth that once cushioned the jade maple hair stick, observing how long the ribbon was.
Who would even need a ribbon this long? Since when did Ren even use … he thinks back to the red fabric that once tied up the back of Ren’s trench coat.
You’ve got to be kidding me.