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Even though Stelle's been conscious for less than a year, she's seen a lot of weird, concerning shit on the internet. This, though, might take the cake.
"Is that... Dan Heng?"
Guinaifen, seated at the position of honor in front of their official ghost-hunting-channel laptop, shrugs. "Is it? I dunno. You recognize him?"
Stelle nods, still scrutinizing the photo attached to the investigation request. It's Dan Heng, no doubt, only he's holding a comically large bouquet with tiny golden flowers spilling over the sides.
"Those are pretty," Huohuo breathes. "Are those Lan's Breaths?"
"Are they?" The other three all look at each other, but it quickly (and awkwardly) becomes clear that none of them know. Stelle and Guinaifen are outworlders, and Sushang... well, let's just say it's not Sushang's area of expertise.
Against all odds, it's Sushang that spots the damning clue of the request. "Wait, what's that?" She points at the area between Dan Heng's fingers and the bouquet, where a few white pixels with an odd accent of red are visible.
Guinafen zooms in on the area, before furrowing her brow. "No clue," she says. "Looks like a sheet of paper or something."
It's only a few blurry pixels, but everything clicks into place for Stelle. "Guys. Holy shit."
"What?" Her friends all chorus. Nearby, some of the Ten Lord's Commissions' guards are trying to pretend like they're not interested and doing a terrible job of it.
"That's a heart. It's a love letter."
The girls all gasp. Guinafen fake-swoons. Sushang has a confused look on her face, probably trying to reconcile the taciturn man she met during the Ambrosial Arbor crisis with the lovelorn heliobus possession victim she sees before her. "You're kidding."
"Nope," Stelle says, popping the 'p', "he's definitely possessed by a heliobus, then."
"Um... he could just be confessing to someone, right?" Huohuo ventures timidly.
Stelle laughs. "Dan Heng? No way. Who'd he even be confessing to, anyway? Jing Yuan? Blade?"
Her friends all glance at each other.
"What? Did I miss something?"
Guinaifen elbows Sushang in the stomach.
"No, you're probably right," Sushang says quickly. "It's a heliobus, no doubt!"
Stelle pumps a fist. "Sweet!" She gently nudges Guinafen's hand aside, taking control of the mouse and clicking a few times. "Just confirmed the investigation. We'll save you, Dan Heng!"
Surprisingly, the others don't cheer along with her. Guinafen and Sushang make a half-hearted attempt, but Huohuo only shoots her a nervous glance.
Eh. Whatever. Stelle has a friend to save!
-
The Exalting Sanctum is as lively as ever, and Stelle has to jostle her way through the throngs of people before she reaches a quieter area where she can breathe. She pulls out her phone, doing her best to stay vaguely aware of her surroundings.
-
Ghost-Hunting Squad
Stelle
I'm at the Exalting Sanctum.
No sign of him yet.
Guinaifen
[Pom-pom with a magnifying glass emoji]
Detective Stelle is on the case!
Sushang
Are you going to make that the title of your next video?
That would be pretty cool
What about Detective Sushang?
Nah, I'm more of a culprit
-
Before Stelle can answer, she feels a tap on her shoulder. When she turns around, a familiar face greets her.
"Stelle," says Dan Heng, still carrying the ridiculously large bouquet of flowers. "I've been looking for you everywhere."
"Heya," she says, giving him a little two-fingered salute with her free hand as she shoves her phone in her jacket pocket. "Whatcha got there?"
In lieu of a proper answer, he holds out the bouquet of flowers in her direction. It's clear he expects her to take it.
"Uh..." Stelle scrambles to come up with a response that isn't just what the fuck what the fuck what the fuck. "Thanks? What's the occasion?
At this, Dan Heng looks conflicted, gaze unfocused. The heliobus must be focused on coming up with the perfect response. "No occasion," he says, finally. "I just... thought you would appreciate them."
Stelle takes the bouquet hesitantly, even though it won't leave her hands free for fighting. "Thanks, Dan Heng. They look really nice."
"They match your eyes," Dan Heng adds, softly, and Stelle goes tongue-tied.
It's not Dan Heng. It's obviously not Dan Heng, because Dan Heng would never be this sweet to her.
Except, wouldn't he? He's done so much for her, often from the shadows, but mostly in everyday life. Is it that much of a stretch to think he'd be giving her a bouquet like this? To be (possibly) confessing to her like this?
No. Nope. Not going there! The heliobus is trying to get her to let her guard down, and she's not going to fall for it!
She shifts the bouquet so it's tucked under her arm, before pointing a (totally not shaky) finger at Dan Heng. "The jig is up! Leave Dan Heng's body at once, you foul creature!"
"Stelle?" The heliobus has the audacity to look confused, and a little cross-eyed from staring at her outstretched finger. "What are you doing?"
Stelle scoffs. "Don't try to play dumb with me, heliobus. You may have taken over Dan Heng's body, but I know all his weak spots. You're going down!"
"Stelle," the heliobus says, raising Dan Heng's arms in a 'calm-down' gesture. "It's me."
"Oh, sure. That's exactly what a heliobus would say!" Stelle summons her bat, smacking it in her palm a few times for emphasis. The bouquet is still under her arm, but she'll have to set it down when the battle truly begins. "Prepare for the takedown!"
The heliobus sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. "What can I do to convince you it's really me?"
Nothing, Stelle wants to say. And how dare you try to trick me by disguising yourself as one of my friends.
But something gives her pause. The heliobus is really acting a lot like Dan Heng. And, hold on: would a heliobus know that her name is Stelle?
Oh, Aeons. Please tell her she's not about to put the beat-down on the real Dan Heng.
"Prove it," she says instead, not lowering her bat but not making another move. "What's something only Dan Heng would know?"
Dan Heng doesn't respond for a moment. Stelle shifts her weight back-and-forth, from foot-to-foot.
"When you first woke up," Dan Heng says finally, quietly, "I almost performed CPR on you."
"That's your go-to?" Stelle blurts out without thinking.
But Dan Heng is on a roll. "On Jarilo-VI, I saw you skewered and it felt like I was the one speared through the heart."
"Dan Heng-"
"Here, on the Luofu," he continues, louder, and passersby start to look over, "I revealed my powers, tapped into my Cloudhymn magic. To save the crew. To save you."
"I-"
"So, you can understand why it's surprising to me," he says, most of the fight having left him, "that you find it strange for me to do this."
Oh, shit. It's actually Dan Heng.
"It was posted on the forum," is all Stelle can say, weakly.
Dan Heng blinks. "Forum?"
"Supernatural rumors forum," she explains, aware that she sounds ridiculous. Rarely does she feel this ridiculous, even when her friends are resting their heads in their hands from her antics. "Sometimes, when famous people on the Luofu act out-of-character, they get posted there. It usually ends up being a heliobus possession."
"Oh." Dan Heng blinks again, like he's trying to get the new facts to mesh with his brain. "I assume that's why you're here? Because I seemed to be acting strangely?"
"It was strange!" Stelle protests. "This giant bouquet of flowers?" She gives the arm it's trapped under a little shake, careful not to dislodge it. "A-and the love letter?"
At this, Dan Heng flushes. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a slightly-crumpled envelope, heart seal still intact. "I was planning on throwing it out," he admits. "I wrote it in a moment of weakness, but I ultimately decided to forgo it."
Stelle plucks it from his hand before he can react. "No take-backs!"
Dan Heng stands there for a minute, before gently, gently grabbing her wrist. He leans in, closer, so Stelle is the one nearly going cross-eyed, and waits, until she gives a tiny nod.
Their lips brush, ever-so softly, before Dan Heng pulls away.
"No take-backs," Dan Heng murmurs, before awkwardly taking a few steps back and letting himself be swept up into the crowds.
Stelle's hand flies to her mouth, her face burning. "Dan Heng! Get back here!"
-
Ghost-Hunting Squad
Stelle
So uh.
Turns out there was no heliobus after all.
In completely unrelated news, I have a boyfriend now.
Guinafen
[Pom-pom holding a heart emoji]
Sushang
[Pom-pom holding a heart emoji]
Huohuo
[Pom-pom holding a heart emoji]