forum "You with the dark curls..." "You with the water colored eyes..." (Closed - OxO) (MATURE)

Started August 18, 2023 by @bleeding_hearts

tune

HE'S BEAUTIFUL OML!!
Don't even worry, he was so worth the wait!!! Also, the timing was very fitting because I just found a new Chinese artist that I'm absolutely in love with. I was listening to this song, in fact, when I read through Jingyi's template for the first time.

This is going to be fun!! Regal and feral energies are about to clash and I'm all for it XD

So sorry!! I'm back! Hopefully I can get a starter up soon, this weekend is going to be hectic.

I can vouch that I also had a hectic weekend, my gosh. Honestly a huge understatement, but I'm managing—mostly! Anyways take your time! As always, I'm not in a hurry ^^

Glad to hear you're managing! I should be able to get a starter up in the morning!!

Once again, it's all good!! I'm the queen of promising activity when I cannot in any way actually guarantee activity lmao. And anyway, I've been rapidly approaching burnout 'cause of work, so I've been dedicating most of my free time to either drawing or watching One Piece. All that's just a long-winded way of saying that I truly do not mind the wait and would rather you don't pressure yourself into writing something when you're not feeling it!

Thank you for being so understanding, and honestly, I felt that. Here's that starter, by the way!

Xian Jingyi was trapped to put it simply. He was trapped in a loveless marriage with a man who did not love, nor respect him. Jingyi did not care about the lack of love. There was no mutual love, but rather it was a marriage put together by his parents and this wretched human being, out of fear that Jingyi could not fend for himself. It was supposedly an "alliance to make the kingdom stronger", after all, having this horrible husband as an ally to the Xian Empire, was a bonus for all except the first born son of the king. His sister, a woman with stunning grace, a strong personality, and power that the family had not seen in centuries, had married her wife out of love. The two of them had run off together, occasionally popping in to update the family about their quiet life together, and how well things were going. Jingyi was pleased to report if his husband didn't hit him.

But Jingyi cared about the lack of respect. Silas was a cruel man, finding pleasure in others pain. No judgement about what people prefer in bed, but his "husband" was a man who took pleasure in hurting his people, commanding them with fear. He enjoyed luxurious parties where he drank himself into a stupor, had the lust of a beast chasing after its prey, and took great pride in making sure that Jingyi was as miserable as possible. Jingyi turned a blind eye to all the men and women Silas bedded, did not care for the lavish parties, did not enjoy the scent of alcohol on his husbands lips, but the one thing he hated most was the lack of respect. Respect of not allowing Jingyi his own room, so that he did not have to wake in the middle of the night to someone else being swept away by his husband. The lack of respect when it came to Jingyi's ideas, thoughts, and words. He was just seen as a beautiful prize, with a powerful kingdom behind him. And Silas wanted that power.

Power that Jingyi refused to give him.

So now he was stuck. And he could not escape it. He desperately wanted to. Wanted to run, but there were too many responsibilities on his shoulders. So he stayed. But as he sat in front of a mirror, brushing out his hair as moonlight seeped in from the massive window beside him, he could not help but curse at his situation. His body ached from his husbands last bout of lust, and the bruise on his cheek was starting to form. Deep purple and black against jade skin. Every time he moved, somewhere in his body something screamed in pain. But he knew that the pain would be gone soon. The bruise, since it was not an open wound, would take about 45 minutes to heal, but that was fine. So long as it was gone in the morning. The pain in his body would recede in about the same time, so Jingyi had nothing to worry about except for the next bout of abuse in the morning. His hands trembled as he set down the brush, and a single, silver tear slipped down his cheek. He was so tired of this marriage. He had promised himself that he would not cry. But he missed his home, he missed his sister, he missed the peaceful life he had before all of this mess. He missed physical contact that did not hurt. He missed being treated as a human being.

But he could not harm his husband, that was the deal. And he stuck by his honor. His hands, still trembling, carefully braided his long thick hair for a night of rest. He would need as much as possible in preparation for the next day of hell. A hell that he didn't want. A hell that would leave him suffering, just as it did tonight. He feared his husband would return later, completely drunk, and continue the abuse, but Jingyi hoped in his mind that the man would get blood alcohol poisoning and never return. But that was foolish wishing. His husband was unfortunately, not that stupid.

_{Not at all! I promise I'm a really unbothered person in general, and if ever I am actually frustrated or upset about something, I'm the type to communicate openly about it! That out of the way—NOOO I want to give Jingyi a big (but gentle) hug and wrap him up in a blanket burrito and brush his hair for him until he's all healed T.T It's been two minutes and I already want Silas GONE.}

The curtains fluttered delicately in response to a soft breeze spilling into the room. A shadow blotted out the pale light for a passing moment, and then the curtains settled.

All was still. And then, a baritone voice from the window: “You carry a number of unsightly bruises, for a prince.”

There, perched on the windowsill and leisurely polishing his blade, was a young man dressed in the traditional ecru garments of the castle staff. The sleeves draped gracefully over tanned wrists, decorated with monochromatic embroidery in threads the color of blood oranges. The man’s hair, though naturally dark, shone gray in the moonlight and cast a darkened shadow over the planes of his face.

Another gentle breeze lifted the curtains lightly and the scent of tobacco, sweet and mild, drifted in.

This time when the fabric fell still, the young man was inspecting his blade at an angle. As he tilted the weapon, the moonlight caught on a thin scratch across the length of it. A strip of reflected light glided over his skin with the motion, illuminating two half-lidded eyes locked on Xian Jingyi.

The face regarding the prince was impassive, calm, and above all—bored. A bold orange powder traced the contour of his eyelids, giving the man an ethereal appearance only aided by the silhouette of moonlight at his back. Though the color of his irises was indecipherable in the lighting, his stare seemed to command attention.

"Do not raise your voice," came the warning. "The guards will not answer your call tonight. Neither, should I think, will your beloved, as he is…otherwise engaged at present." His voice carried the accent of a foreigner, though faint, and seemed to rumble throughout the four walls despite the lowered volume in which he'd spoken.

_{Silas is an even bigger dick in Jingyi's original story lmao. Like- WAY worse. And Jingyi would very much enjoy the attention and affection lmao. Lord knows he needs it-}

Jingyi barely flinched when the shadow flitted across the room. There was a heavy feeling in his gut, and the skin prickled on the back of his neck, but he did not move. His eyes did not meet the strangers, instead, he opted to put down the brush and finish tying off his braid. "They heal quickly enough." His voice was steady, calm. Almost… eerily so. He did not doubt that his asshole of a husband would most likely send someone to kill him. It was no secret Silas had a distaste towards Jingyi.

Slowly, Jingyi raised his eyes to face the intruder, gazing at the man through the reflection in the mirror. Stunning features… eyes that made something shiver along Jingyi's spine. He did not know what the feeling was. Something about it made the prince want to run in the opposite direction, but also lured him closer. Jingyi's expression also remained calm and collected, his heartbeat remained steadily pumping in his chest, though he doubted it would beat for much longer.

"Why should I?" The prince questioned. "No one here cares. Even if I were to scream my lungs out, begging for help, none would come. They never have." Flashes of the first night he was trapped in this wretched palace raced amongst his mind before he quickly pushed it out of mind. A bitter laugh left his throat. "Beloved? No, no. That monster is but a husband. Not even that. An agreement, perhaps."

Jingyi did not care if death came for him that night, it was clear in his eyes. They were heavy with exhaustion, pain, and… acceptance? "What do you want me to do? Beg, scream, cry? Save me from the claws of death, when I would rather prefer her embrace?" He stood slowly, movements filled with pain. It was like watching an empty shell. Many had spoke of the prize jewel of the Xian Fang Empire. Jingyi, the darling prince, loved by his people, now stood like an empty shell. Breathtaking in beauty, but… drained of the life that many spoke of.

"Where do you wish for my body to fall? The ground? Make it seem as if it were sudden? Impulsive? The bed perhaps? Have it appear I was murdered in my sleep?" He motioned to each space he spoke of. "Perhaps in the very chair I was sitting in? By all means, take your pick. Anything is better than these wretched walls." Slender fingers moved to rest against his throat. "I only ask one question, perhaps to confirm whom I might haunt once death has taken her grip. Who sent you to kill me? Was it the man my family so foolishly married me off to? Was it my family? Or perhaps it is someone I do not know. Or perhaps you enjoy killing off those of royal blood." He winced, his body screaming and begging for him to relax. To just- fall asleep and never wake up. "That is the only question I have before you decide to spill my blood."

The intruder watched with an inscrutable expression, naught but his eyes moving to follow the shell of a prince. If he was put off by his acceptance of the circumstances, he did not show it. Rather, he leaned forward, cradling his chin in the palm of his hand and lowering his sword to rest against the wall.

This prince was broken, that much was certain. And yet, there was an undeniable beauty about him. His body, yes, but the younger man was far more transfixed by the void behind his eyes. Something was missing and, inexplicably, he wished to see what used to belong there. Was there anything left of the prince from before? He was not one to deny himself such curiosities.

With the grace of a feline, the intruder advanced, his slow stride bringing him close to the prince while his weapon remained by the windowsill. Rather than approach him from the front, he circled around so that he faced the window. Then, with an uncommon gentleness, he lifted a finger up to Jingyi's chest and pushed, pushed until the frame of moonlight illuminated him in full. He raised his hand to the underside of his chin, batting away the slender fingers and tilting his head ever so delicately to the side so as to better see the bruise on his cheek.

"I think," he whispered, and now the brilliant reseda tone of his irises was clear, "That a death of the likes you described would be a waste on one such as you." With those words, he withdrew, leaning soundlessly against the wall beside the window with his hands clasped somewhere behind him.

"Does it matter who sent me?" He countered, in response to Jingyi's question. "Why do you seek to save your wrath for the afterlife, where it will be useless to you, rather than try and deny me the act of stealing your life now? Surely you were not always this hopeless. What exactly, Xian-taizi, keeps you confined to your misery?"

A pause, and the intruder's eyes flashed with something unintelligible. "Is it your family, who you suspect capable of hiring an assassin? Obligations to a kingdom that cares little for you? Or perhaps it is the stipulations of your deal with the monster."

His lips twitched into something of an amused smile. "You may have one question, but I have many, and my decision is not as made as you seem to believe."

Jingyi didn't seem to care all that much about the highly relevant danger he was in. Though his eyes did follow the movement of the sword. Beautiful eyes, the color of stormy seas and royal onyx flickered to gaze at the man that had broken into his room. Eyes, once filled with laughter, warmth, imagination, were now cold and void. They offered many stories to those that would listen. But none had listened to Jingyi in a long time. He turned to follow the prowling of the man sent to kill him. He paused when he was pushed into the moonlights caresses.

Despite the exhaustion haunting his face, Jingyi was stunningly beautiful. Raven black hair as soft as silk, jade skin cool to the touch, sharp features enhanced by the moons soft glow… it was understandable why in his home, he was sought after. He flinched when his chin was grabbed, fearing to be hit again, however he calmed when the intruder simply wanted to look at the deep bruise, that even now was beginning to fade. It still hurt of course, but it was healing. That's all that mattered. Slowly, his own eyes decided to meet the man's eyes, taking in their bold color, the life that glistened behind them, and a small flame flickered to life before dimming again.

"Death would be welcome at this point." He shrugged helplessly. His family… had done what they thought was right. They did not know how miserable Jingyi was, though they mistook his sorrows for homesickness. He felt a breath he did not realize he was holding escape his lips once this stranger had moved back. "Perhaps the reason I ask is to confirm whether I stay, or throw myself from the very window you entered." His response was cool, levelheaded. "My wrath… I have very little of it left. Perhaps if you had come a month or so earlier, I would have leapt at the chance of a fight. But now, I grow weary. I am tired." He murmured softly. "My chains of misery," He motioned around the room. "Are the responsibilities that bound me in the first place. An alliance that would empower both my wretched husband, and my parents. I simply… grin and bear it."

"Ask away. A dead man simply offers honesty." Jingyi settled back into his chair, wincing at the pain shooting through his body. He just simply hoped he would either die by the hands of the man in front of him, rather than at the hands of his husband.

The intruder closed his eyes, humming in quiet acknowledgment at the words. "Ironic, that a prince of the Immortal Empire should actively seek death," he commented. He rested there a moment, deliberating, then pushed off the wall and ambled over to the far corner of the room, carrying his sword pointed downward. "In any case, I implore you not to throw yourself into the night just yet." For the longer their conversation continued, the more the gears in his mind turned. The more a dormant feeling, heated like a stone in the pit of his stomach, grew.

He slowly wandered the length of the walls, stopping to inspect or touch the various items around the room. He did not turn to face Jingyi, though he caught his reflection every now and again on the surfaces of shiny trinkets. Each time, he remembered the feeling of cool skin against his fingertips. Strange, that a prince could be perceived in such close proximity by someone like him.

"What is the reason you honor your promise not to harm your husband?" he asked, and at those words he did turn to the prince, unrelenting gaze fixed on the pale man's face as he waited for the realization to set in. 'Yes', his eyes seemed to say. 'I know things that an outsider should not. What do you think that means?'

His tanned hand brushed against the wall, trailing along the surface in his wake. When he came across the bed with its lavish sheets of silk, he pointedly skirted around it. That, he did not touch.

The prince did not watch the stranger wander the room that he shared with the king. This room… how he hated it. He did not answer when the stranger spoke of the irony. He knew of the irony. But he did not want to live for centuries with the man that he shared this bedroom with. He had not yet given the king his blood, nor did he want to. His thumb moved to rest against his wrist, wincing at the memory of their first night, and the king being misinformed… He shook his head, willing away those memories. He did not want to think of them at the moment. "And why shouldn't I?" He asks curiously, tilting his head, his gaze moving to watch the stranger in the reflection of his mirror.

"It is not to honor my husband." Jingyi saw the look in the strangers eyes. Of course an assassin would know more things. But that only made him wonder more who might have sent this man to kill him. "It is to honor the vows I made to my family, to this… alliance. It strengthens both kingdoms. It keeps my people safe. That is why I honor our deal." He shrugged and leaned against his chair. A snake slithered from under the bed towards him and he picked her up easily, letting her wrap around his wrist.

"Why would a stranger implore that I do not throw myself from this window? Especially one sent to kill me. That's what curious to me. Why? Do you offer some sort of solution to all that you have heard, do you simply think that I should stay in this prison of a palace?" He wondered vaguely why the stranger would avoid the bed, but he did not question it. If it weren't the place Jingyi was supposed to rest every night, he would have avoided the bed as well. But sleeping on the floor wasn't kind to his already aching body.

His ears picked up on the sound of his husband's uproarious laughter and Jingyi tensed visibly. His hand moved to shield the snake in his hands, and his body instinctively curled up on itself. "Well. If you aren't going to kill me, you should probably go. I can hear him returning."

"So it is selflessness that keeps you here," concluded the younger man, ignoring the initial question and continuing his trek around the room.

He paused only once to watch the snake, though his expression was one of mild intrigue, not caution.

Jingyi's continued questions hung in the air for a long moment, and then the silence was broken by an amused breath. "I did not come here to offer solutions, nor to take pity on a broken prince," he said, and though the words were harsh on their own, there was no particular hostility to his tone. "I merely wished to satisfy my own curiosities before I carry out my deed, which is difficult to accomplish when the source is already dead."

He arrived, finally, at the door of the room. His hand slipped away from the wall and he soon found himself standing before the prince. Without preamble, he thrust his sword a mere centimeter away from the beautiful man's heart.

"However, as it may be, I find myself growing quite annoyed at this demonstration of complacency." A tight-lipped smile spread over his face. "I see no chains here in this room except for the ones you have created for yourself. And I have decided."

The tip of the dulled sword pressed against the prince's chest now, and for a moment it seemed the intruder truly meant to kill him.

Then the edge of the sword whipped to the side and, with a loud 'CRACK', shattered the face of the mirror. For a heartbeat, the prince's shattered reflection stared back at him, then fell away as the glass dropped out of the frame.

"My name is Davi. And, as it stands, I have just destroyed the only version of you that I see fit."

Davi lowered the sword and turned away from the prince, listening to the footsteps rapidly approaching, and he knew the monster must be hurrying to investigate the noise. If he escaped now, Jingyi would be left alone to face the frenzied wrath of his husband.

"Now, you have a choice. Stay here and be killed at the hands of your husband, or leave this prison and reacquaint yourself with the world outside of this stifling room. If you still wish to throw yourself out of the window, I will not stop you. But consider, for a moment, the lack of consequence for escaping under the guise of abduction." He gave Jingyi a cheeky grin and stepped up onto the windowsill, knees bent and his robes ruffling gently with the wind. "You can always decide to die later," he added in a softer tone, glancing over his shoulder at the prince.

The snake seemed to be interested in the intruder, perking her head before moving up Jingyi's arm and settling along his shoulders and wrapping around his neck. Not tight enough to choke Jingyi, just enough to hold on securely.

As for Jingyi, he simply shrugged. He had tried various ways to escape this wretched castle, but the guilt of taking care of his people, his responsibilities kept him loyal, and kept him confined to these rooms. His misery had indeed chained him, and after fighting for so long, he had given up, hoping for some sort of break away.

Jingyi simply gazed at the dull knife pointing at his chest. To him, the way he looked at it, a sword that dull would cause more damage. A sharp sword would mean a quick and simple death. A dulled sword was used to inflict pain… suffering. He did not move when the sword touched his chest, only his gaze moved to stare at the man about to kill him.

When the mirror shattered, something within him shattered as well. It crawled out, screaming, clawing at his chest. A faint spark lit in his eyes and he felt the smallest bit of life return. He glanced at the door and bolted to his feet, shoving a dresser in front of the heavy oak doors. He then hurried to a small chest that rested beside the vanity and unlocked it, grabbing two wrapped items. He shoved them in a bag and bolted towards the window. Shedding his long outer robe, in the moment, it felt like adrenaline.

He, in the first time in months, felt freedom he had never experienced. No rules, no responsibilities… just. Him. "Get us out of here." There was something wild in his eyes as he turned his attention to Davi.

The door shuddered, and he could hear his husband screaming at a few guards. The door thudded a few more times, budging slightly. The adrenaline shot through Jingyi's body, but he looked to Davi calmly.

At the words, Davi resheathed his sword with a flourish, tucking the scabbard safely back into a hidden slit in his robes, and grinned over his shoulder at Jingyi.

The smile was all teeth and dimples, and had the effect of making him look incredibly smug.

"After me, then," he said, and without further preamble, tumbled out of the window.

In midair he twisted, realigning himself, and landed in a low crouch with only a quiet 'thump' and the faint scraping of tiles.

At the same exact moment, Davi made an obscure gesture with his hand and items all around the room silently collapsed on themselves. Everything he had touched, broken into pieces—though none flew close enough to hurt Jingyi.

He glanced back up at the window and arched an eyebrow at the prince, gesturing that he'd help catch him if necessary.

From the sounds coming from the door inside, there was no need to remind him of the urgency.

Jingyi nodded and watched as Davi leapt from the window. He took a deep breath, startling when everything shattered in the room. The sounds of yelling got louder as more guards hurried to try and get the door open. Without a second thought, Jingyi leapt from the window.

He laughed as freedom swallowed him, the wind feeling crisp and cold. He twisted himself elegantly and landed surprisingly gracefully. The grass beneath his feet felt soft, as if welcoming him. Everything came back to life in his eyes. "Come, I know a quick way out."

Jingyi, after making sure Davi would follow him, hurried towards the forest line that lined Silas' estate. He knew where he was going, he had found a way out in the forest, an old secret passageway he had discovered when he had first arrived at this wretched place. Silas did not know of its existence it appeared. And it was a shortcut into a nearby town.

After a few minutes of running through the trees, following the subtle markers he had made for himself he made it to an old oak tree. It's roots were above the surface, old and gnarled. He carefully stepped on a rock and with a startling crack a stone door moved in the hill beside them.

"We can go this way, or we can go through the paths. Up to you." Jingyi tilts his head expectantly. He could hear the cries of the kings hounds. Searching for them now. His heart was racing in excitement, his hands trembling from the adrenaline.