AW 8

[20:26] Jianyu Xi asks, "Have you forgotten all about Aeliana?"
[20:27] Yuri says, ".. I-"
[20:27] Yuri says, "..."
[20:27] Yuri says, ".. She said I was the 'best choice'."
[20:27] Yuri averts his gaze.
(Yuri)
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[20:27] Jianyu Xi says, "Really? So I'm here until she decides to look at you."
[20:28] Yuri says, "She looked at me already."
[20:28] Yuri says, ".. And I looked your way."
[20:28] Jianyu Xi asks, "But where am I looking?"
[20:29] Yuri's emerald hues shifted towards Jianyu's, locking with them.

"Where are you looking?" He asked.

A step closer.
A lean.
(Yuri)
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[20:32] The heart was vital and fragile. It's best locked away and sealed. Excruciating, the pain dealt there, likely worse than anything else-

At least to a teenager.

His gaze met their own. He's defensive, though it wasn't towards them, it's about them as he closes in.

"Where I always have." Vague.

"What do you expect from me, Yuri? When you hesitated at the very first thing I asked of you?" Jianyu creates that distance once more as their bow remained drawn, ready for yet another dance.

Trust was its loudest when represented in drops of blood.
(Jianyu Xi)
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[20:40] Hesitation. Fear. He had been cornered that night with them, left between his desires to move on forward with forbidden love while being hurt or to push it all away for Aeliana's sake. For the one he loved.

The one he should love.

Even to this day he was not sure if he was ready to bleed like that, to hurt himself, to be... vulnerable, physically, before a snake so menacing. His green eyes remained upon them when he finally spoke.

"Do you still want to see me hurt myself to prove I'm serious?"

He had, in a way. Even if it weren't them who was in danger, he'd stepped in-between the crazed rodent and his would-be love interest. His eyes never left Jianyu's as he uttered the next words, words that had been deserved after the way Jianyu themselves moved in, ready to bleed for his sake.

"Because I will.

Because.. even if I'm afraid I know you'll bleed for my sake, too."
(Yuri)
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[20:47] "Yes."

"If you're serious then when I say, then you'll bleed." Because they said so.

Even if he placed himself between them and Misha it wouldn't be the same thing. Would he see?

Narrow hues remain on his. He happily took bites of a forbidden fruit, one that would bite him in return.

"It's not too late to run to your Princess because..." Their stare grew colder from this distance, digits spark with an orange, vile flame.

"If you become very, very dear to me then I'd spill blood for you. If your gaze wavers then your blood spills, too."

He's given no time to reply as they release these flames towards him.
(Jianyu Xi)
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[20:52] {Lost Restrained RPB against Jianyu Xi}
[20:56] They don't speak, not a word.

Where did they look?

He knew where they looked. Yuri inserted himself in hopes he'd be the one their gaze shifted to.

Love was tricky and ugly. Is he falling in love with a venomous snake?

Now he'd feel it, physically, the negative effects of being near them. It's not bad nor entirely detrimental but the mists they produced sought to alter how he thought.

However that may look.

Again.
(Jianyu Xi)
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[20:59] The more they fought, the more... dangerous it felt. Each and every blow grew into something that he wasn't certain was in the same range as the affection they'd shared for such, such a long time.

It was that... cold. That frigid heart. That fear-filled precious treasure that was meant to be protected at all cost trying to perhaps poke its head out. He could feel the shifts grasping at his mind. That... horrible reality. The ride of insanity that would come from them being together.

Was it better to run away?

He seemingly didn't think so.
(Yuri)
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[21:03] {Lost Restrained RPB against Jianyu Xi}
[21:12] It's happening...

A mind in tatters allowed to unravel. Can he feel it? Prods at every negative thought and feeling from orange ebbs of foul mana. It slid along light blue sparks that seek more than simple spar.

Would Aeliana restrain herself?
How nice would Aeliana treat him?
Wouldn't he be happier with Aeliana?

Movements are erratic, the mist thickened.

More lethal than that of a demon. A bringer of a plague unlike any other and it's brought up a young man who fell into a pit and called it love.

It seeped into his flesh, coursing through his body- Is it an honor to have a 'piece' of Jianyu like this? Their venom and the burn of their sparks on his skin?

Not a word is spoken.
(Jianyu Xi)
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[21:18] It's when his mind began crumbling with worries a tad that this spark ignited within his heart. That same push that fought so hard against Jianyu's own flames, against their vile darkness. It burned bright with a blue light, one surrounding Yuri and rising heavensward, swirling around his form.

For a moment his emerald hues reflected a bright blue, only for him to...

.. move forward.

It was as if this dance, this toxic back and forth had finally ticked into his mind as not being all that playful. It was a battle. A struggle. Something that both of them needed to overcome together. To test themselves. To see if he could only look at them. To see if they could trust him forever.

That's how it felt to him.

That venom that seeped into his skin was reduced to its purest form, both physically and emotionally. Mana from Jianyu. Actions from Jianyu.

He says no words, yet this time he seems...

.. willing to fight. For real.
(Yuri)
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[21:22] {Won Restrained RPB against Jianyu Xi}
[21:37] It took Yuri to finally understand that it was a real battle for him to close the gap between himself and the occultist. His energies were burning at their brightest, roaring with power, with strength untold. The fire in his eyes was blazing and his entire body trembled with a mix of excitement and fear.

Each spell was more infectious than the previous one. It felt like Jianyu was trying to transmit a message. A warning, perhaps, of what was awaiting him on the other side of that mountain of darkness. That hill that seemed to stretch on for miles and miles. Forever.

The more vile it became the stronger that push from the ether was upon his back. A swing of the broad side of his massive blade forced the Shengese down on the ground with enough force to render them defenseless.

... That's when Yuri realized it.

His breath sped up more and more. His thoughts began flooding in. The questions he asked Aeliana back then were shifting into the light.

Is it fine to betray someone to make someone else happy?

It was uncertain back then who he would have to end up betraying. She called him the best. She had praised him as a choice unlike any other. And he...

... he turned away from that. He ran back to this toxic, devilish relationship that had no purpose in being, in existing. The energy drawing from the spirit realm had sent his circuits working overtime. His heart was pounding against his chest.

The decision was in his hands, now. It was... Right there.

He could end it all.
He could end this occultist, this self-proclaimed horrible person.
He could end the young Demon in the making.

Just one swing.

He stepped closer, taking in those lessons that were once brought upon him by none other than the King of all Rhoynish. A hand was freed from his blade's handle while the other dragged it. Would he reach out an open hand or a fist.

He stared down towards Jianyu, thinking.

.. He never was one for decisions.

"What do you see in me?"

Jianyu's fear would, no doubt, go into overdrive too. This was nightmare fuel for someone who was so afraid of this very scenario happening. Yuri wouldn't have it in him to kill them, but... still.
(Yuri)
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[22:02] It's like before, where righteous met sin and he first felt the sting of their venom on his lips, when fear erupted around him and his own essence kept him safe.

Though no it's serious and with a stake. They wanted to consume him, to squeeze the very life from him so he could never run away and never leave them.

Dark ebbs dance along light blue sparks, seeking to further taint them and go beyond what it could. Poisons wanted to weaken him, leave him too heavy to move so that they could feast.

Their mind ran rampant with that thought-

How does he taste?

Demons plucked humans from the streets and overpowered their kin and consumed the weak in order to strong. The mindset of a demon made them rabid and each strike sought to bring Yuri to his knees.

Cross over with them, take their hand and walk into the depths of Hel.

There's enough time to feel regret and shame but he should be without it with them. This influencing essence should speak comforting whispers in his ears as he lay his head at the chest of the snake that claimed him.

Was it worth it? Hel over a Star chosen Queen?

Thoughts ceased, their mind screamed. Eat him, taste him, have him.

But their heart thought of a certain person, as it does. It's a twisted thing, ugly and obsessive, dominating yet submissive, bloody and impure. Was it because of this path they walk or was it just them, their heart?

The dance grew intense, Yuri took the lead. Their heart raced, breath felt gone and spent. How long have they been at this?

They stumble and found themself vulnerable and at his mercy, the mercy of a Knight, a righteous young man with a heart of gold.

Jianyu Xi's story should end now.

His eyes, they fell them as flames threaten to burst from them. They tremble, it's different from their bouts before. It's serious, the two are serious.

What do they see in him?

At all times, he's concerned on how he's perceived.

Jianyu remained were they are but they do curl- Rarely did they weave occult for so long- It hurt, it burned on the inside and ebbed into their mind and thoughts and words.

"You- listen..."

They turn slightly to meet his gaze with a half-lidded one.

"...And care... But you're annoying and you get on my nerves." Could they love him? Truly? Could he be the object of their care, affection, desires? Was he ready for that, a claim as such, a commitment like that and deal with a growing demon?

"Yuri..." Their stare on him deepens. "Make me spill... blood..."

He loved them, did he not?
(Jianyu Xi)
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[22:35] He listened. He cared. But no matter what he did, he still got on their nerves. Had he truly fallen for one that could never love back while running away from the very same situation? Had he ran away from love that was present in order to doom himself with a love that could never be?

The pressure was on. He could feel his mind racing, unsure of what decision was the best to make. Those emerald hues had been completely consumed by the bright, bright blue light that surrounded him. His heart was damaged. Infected.

They had poisoned him.

They wanted him to bleed.
They wanted him to make them bleed.

Yuri had no experience on the matter but it did not stop him from uttering those next words, eyes locked with Jianyu's own.

"You're not the right choice for me. You'll never love me. You want me to trust you, but you won't let yourself trust me."

His right hand gripped more tightly upon the blade's handle. His thoughts still remaining undetermined. Unsure. His lips parted, and words that held more weight than any he had ever said were uttered.

"I should kill you. I should bring you back to Nysea and tell them the truth."

He should. He should lay waste upon the one that laid before him and take everything from them, the same way they wanted to take everything from him. His heart banged against his chest, begging to be pulled out of this wrenching misery.

Did he love them?
He loved his time with them.

He loved it until it turned to abuse. A deep breath was drawn in. His free hand finally reached into his pocket were a slightly deeper blue glow was localized. An... odd sky-colored sphere, a gem was gripped within his grasp. Some of his energy was poured into it, and in turn it finally... Reacted.

A link was made. A bond with each other magi that had come upon that very object was finally formed and solidified. A bridge that linked Yuri to those odd pushes he kept feeling coming from the spirit realm was established, allowing him to pull from the past without any restraint.

He began glowing like he never had before. His circuits were pushed to their limits as raw mana coursed through them, flushing away the influence of the occult, of that venomous snake before him.

He couldn't have been thinking straight with it. They came at him with the intent of taking him for themselves, after all. They... wanted him to spill his own blood.

And now they believed he had earned the right to make them spill theirs.

An intense, ancestral roar of energy came by as he brought his right hand upwards, the gigantic blade held towards the skies as if it had no weight of its own. He held it firmly.

Eradicate the occult.
Protect the Princess.
Remain with his friends forever.

Goals that defined the man the world was supposed to see in him were laid bare before him, yet he felt unable to keep those vows forever. Jianyu was... sweet. They merely didn't know how to properly trust someone.

Yuri had freed himself from the poisonous snake.

"You don't know how to be a friend. You don't know how to be a lover. You don't even know how to be a person."

His words may sound harsh, but the situation that brought them about demanded it. The blade within his hold was gripped more tightly and...

He swung down.

It crashed with insane speed, with a burn that could kill any non-magi easily, and wound even the most talented of all magi. It sunk right by the occultist's head. Not hurting them. Not killing them.

Yuri... was a good person. A boy with a golden heart, even if he wasn't pure. Even when Aeliana admnonished him for talking with Jianyu he didn't let it stop him.

"I won't. Not unless I have to."

He had made his decision, at last. They always told him to be less of a coward. To take what he wanted, to do what he needed to do. To be bold. To be direct. To be strong.

Yuri fell down to his knees, straddling Jinayu where they were curled up. He still carried that burn, that... brightness about him. That spirit manifested into reality. His free hand burned with that same fire.

"Never poison me again. Never harm me again. Never try to test me. Trust me. Now, and forever."

His right hand lowered itself towards Jianyu, right above their chest, right above their heart. The... very same place where Yuri bore his own scar of battle. His hand burned at their garments. The mana was heated, furious, and held no regards for Jianyu's safety.

"I'll always be there."

His promise was more than merely one of physical promiximity. He began burning their skin, pressing his hand down right above his heart and leaving a trace only he could leave. Right where he heart lay.

He would always be there, and there.

He wretched himself free from the snake's influence, and sought to make the most unlikely of animals in a companion. He rejected their influence, and embraced them. There was only one reason he would go this far.

"I think I love you."
(Yuri)
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[22:38] ** Yuri has inflicted an injury upon Jianyu Xi. ("Love", "Yuri's handprint has been burned into Jianyu's skin right above their heart with his raw mana. It lays claim on both them and their heart. Now, and forever.", "Permanent", "Severity: MINOR (-5 VIT)") **
[23:23] Bonds formed and grew stronger with blood. To bleed for another and them to bleed for you. Tenacity and always returning no matter the words said and actions taken.

The poison.
The threats.

Their eyes remained on one another. He's surrounded with such a beautiful azure light as his mind weighs with ugly thoughts, surely, his hands gripped a blade that could end them right here.

Dying now, at Yuri's hands.

It left them shuddering. A chill crept up their spine at the thought of it. Dying, it's too soon. No work had been done for them to die like that, like this. While the thought of fading slowly had been enticing, exciting, it wasn't time for it.

There's a lot that he should and shouldn't do. He shouldn't kiss them or be close after figuring out what he knew. They should be dragged to Nysea to have the evil tortured out of them.

The snake from Hel was the wrong choice. Love wasdifficult and ugly from them along with trust.

Jianyu could feel how tight he gripped the hilt of his blade as they laid on the mountain's grounds. Does he love them enough to kill them? Did he not love them so, it was easier to kill them?

The abuse and mistreatment, the poison that fell from their lips and to his.

Lidded icy hues kept on him and shifted to his hand as it went for his pocket. A gem of some sort revealed itself, like that of the sky, lighter than the bright light around him.

Yuri... did something. They never understood how he used his mana, this energy around him and the depth of it all. But something happened and was established. It changed this shroud and pushed it.

His blade rose with a roar and Jianyu closed their eyes. Content? Ready for it?

Their body trembled and not from the chilling, howling winds.

To be a friend, a lover, a person. It was locked away behind layers and layers of walls that sought to protect them, to keep the world from hurting the friend they could be, the lover they could be, the person.

Before they could react properly or even utter a retort, the blade swung down and-

Jianyu felt themself nearly curl into a little ball, letting out a sudden, pained scream. Trembling hands came to their face and like a floodgate did tears pour into their palms...

No dark abyss greeted them. The gates of Hel did not welcome them, not yet. It was merely the dark of hands covering the face of a terrified individual.

Heat radiated from his blade as it sat inches from their face. Yuri hadn't the heart to purge this growing evil from the world and instead, took to his knees over them.

It's hot and threatened to eat at this horrid essence within them. He made demands for them to never hurt him and for them to trust him.

His hand came towards him, one burning and searing. Their face soon left their own, now wet hands, the sobs ceased for a moment. It's not blood but it brings about a similar reaction were he to. It's brought closer to them, burning through the garments and layers worn and reaching down to unmarred flesh with a heat greater than the Stars and Hel, his mana burned and marked them.

The pain greater than anything they've ever experienced. Their back arched, tear soaked hands grabbing at Yuri's wrist as they tried to hold back a pained scream.

He'll be there for them, forever, and he marked that promise.

Their heart felt like it'd sink and implode on itself. The heat surely reached it and sent their body into a frenzy. This was his want and desire, to be with this snake.

To have what he shouldn't. Dainty, trembling hands stayed on his wrist.

"...Then... rest with me in Hel when... the time comes..." If he'd love them?

It would be one eternal.

Jianyu's breath slowed considerably. The stress they were put through made their consciousness slip--

Did they... die?

Their chest rose and fell slowly, tears clung to long lashes.
(Jianyu Xi)
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[23:30] It was a moment far too intense for him to be able to move just yet. The mana surrounding him was hardly dissipating on its own. Breathe in, then out. A promise. A promise to damn himself alongside the snake that could not be trusted. They both knew it was wrong, and yet... they seemed to be willing to thrust themselves into this without a doubt in mind.

A boy had turned into a man, fully on that night. Heavy breaths carry his chest up and down for a few. And silence. The silence they loved so, so much. It was... relaxing.

Relaxing to think this nightmare would be over. To think that he could stop fearing, that they could stop fearing one another. For this nightmare to finally turn into a dream. Seconds passed. Minutes.

.. And eventually he brought Jianyu up from the ground as he rose, carrying them in his arms, holding them as one would their bride.

He knew where he wanted to go.
(Yuri)