Zhenxi manor stood on the western side of Fanxing’s many streets, a quiet and calm place compared to the bustle of the more populated areas, the marketplaces, the avenues lined with street stalls and buskers of all sorts. On this side of town one could hear the wind as it traveled on the air of […]
063. the two tribes
Gui Ao’s shadow was long as he returned to the Fengs’ House of Infinite Dawn, passing between murmurs of him and his brother’s thrilling show from those who kept watch to see the shunned side of Fanxing’s most curious lover’s spat retreat. The sun was just beginning to peek over the buildings, illuminating the sky […]
061. endless night
4 MONTHS AGO. When Loquat’s eyes began recording Yuhui, he was sitting on the edge of his bed, back turned to the bird, skin fully exposed. His shoulders were shaking and his breath was ragged, softly gasping, hairline choked. His hands were busy with something in his lap. After a few moments, he took a […]
060. split grapes
4 MONTHS AGO. Three days after their parting, Prince Tian Yuhui arrived at the Fengs’ House of Infinite Dawn. Normally, when he traveled outside of Skyline Manor’s walls, he had somewhat of a convoy with him—a handful of royal guards present to protect both him and those he would encounter from his unpredictable chaos, as […]
059. loquat
4 MONTHS AGO. Lin opened his eyes; he took his first breath like he was waking from the dead, given life by an errant sunbeam tickling the glinting tracers inlaid upon his cheek. He felt as though he’d barely slept. He was in and out of consciousness the whole night through; he was in and […]
058. still
4 MONTHS AGO. Lin’ai’s speech may have slurred but his eyes were steady, trained on the royal poised above him. “What are we gonna do now? “I don’t know.” The prince shrugged a shoulder. “Are you going to remember this in the daylight or are you a forgetful drinker?” “I’ll remember,” Lin’ai said as he […]
057. right here waiting
4 MONTHS AGO. It was midnight when a rapping fell upon Yuhui’s door. Just outside of the middle Tian’s quarters was a rather frazzled Tian Xiaoxu holding up a drunken stranger, red cheeked and dour, sun bleached braid hanging over his shoulder. The city was alive, loudly celebrating some arena victory or another with the […]
056. dead set
4 MONTHS AGO. Lin’ai leaned forward, arms crossed on the table as he watched his brother pour another glass of wine. “—and he says to me, he says I love you Lin but he won’t let me take him home, he won’t give me any straight answers when I ask about him and his life, […]
055. in love with a secret
4 MONTHS AGO. It seemed that Yuhui’s heart was a constant stutter. Whenever he was around Lin’ai, it felt like that muscle was going to jump out of his chest, was going to break his ribs with the force of his affection. He laid back upon his pauper’s clothes spread out in an open meadow, […]
054. afterglow
4 MONTHS AGO. Ren Fei was a studious child. He came early to the Tian estate to do extra reading before his lessons with Yuhui. He found the Tian library far more calm than the study at his own family’s home and relaxed at one of the calligraphy desks, absorbed in the epic held in […]