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THE SUMMER HIKARU DIED - 1.01 "Replacement"

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ughhh I need to draw them more actually

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a little reminder than dan heng's birthday is on the 30th of july! feel free to send in an ask early.

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“I still remember you as a little girl who overwaters plants because she doesn’t know when to stop giving.”

— Trista Mateer (24 of 30)

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100 small details for kisses

whispering ''kiss me'' to your lover

wrapping your arms around your lover's neck

kisses that travel from your lover's nose to their lips

breaking the kiss but instantly pressing your lips back together

intertwining your fingers

kisses that start out gentle but grows more passionate

forehead against forehead

running your fingers through your lover's hair

unbuttoning your lover's shirt, pressed against the wall

surprise kisses, in which your lover weren't prepared for it but responds immediately

a kiss in which, ''we're late for work but let's be later''

kisses shared under a waterfall

pulling your lover closer by the waistband

kissing under the stars

messy kisses, destroying furniture trying to reach the bed

a kiss that isn't meant to happen but it does anyway

sliding your hands down your lover's chest

grabbing your lover by the collar

''if we get caught kissing we're dead but let's risk it''

hand kisses

exploring each other's lips

smiling in-between kisses

now-or-never kisses

caressing your lover's cheek

good night kisses

''i was supposed to take a shower alone but sure, jump right in''

brushing your lips together, lingering for a moment

an accidental kiss between two exes

kisses in which, we've already said goodbye but can't help stealing another one

this might be our last kiss ever so let's make it last

kitchen counter make-outs

jumping into your lover's arms

soft kisses while cuddling in bed

i missed you kisses

a kiss that leave you breathless

stopping a kiss when it gets too heated

a kiss on the cheek turns into a kiss on the lips

trailing kisses from your lover's lips to their neck

''everything is going to be okay'' kisses

kisses that start of passionate but grows more delicate

pulling away from a kiss to look at each other, then smiling as you dive in for another kiss

a kiss to celebrate an engagement

wrapping your legs around your lover's body as they lift you

a goodbye kiss, but neither of you can quite let go

''we shouldn't do this'' but they do so, anyway

a swirling reunion kiss

''i've had a terrible day at work so just kiss me''

a kiss that lasts longer than it should

tending to your lover's wound, placing a kiss on top of their head, grateful they're still alive

a goodbye kiss to say, i don't love you as much as you love me, and i'm setting you free

spinning your lover into a kiss on the dance floor

kisses in which, i can't believe this is real, but i love you so much

tucking a strand of hair behind your lover's ear

tracing your lips against the corner of your lover's mouth

light kisses scattered across your lover's face down to their collar bone

pulling your lover into your lap, making them straddle your hips

bushing your lips against your lover's, wanting to savior the moment

playful kisses, such as, ‘‘i’m not going to kiss you.’‘ ‘‘why?’‘ ‘‘because if i do, i don’t think we’re getting out of bed today.’‘

kissing your lover's wound after having bandaged them up

mistletoe kisses

surprising your lover from behind, smacking a kiss on their cheek

caressing your lover's cheek

trying to concentrate on a task, but your lover's kissing your neck, making your head spin

looking deep into your lover's eyes, before dropping your gaze to their lips

shushing your lover as they try to kiss you, telling them that tonight is all about them, not you

a kiss only meant to last a moment, but when your lips meet, you can't pull away from each other

leaning into your lover's touch, their fingers tracing down your stomach, their body pressed against yours

a tender kiss on your lover's chest

kissing your lover so gently, worried that if you pull away for just a second, they might disappear

an accidental kiss that confuses you both, but only a moment pass before you crash your lips back against each other's

lingering forehead against forehead, consumed by each other to the point of barely having strength enough to breathe

accidentally bumping noses

kissing your lover's forehead, then bending down to meet their lips

a kiss to forgive each other for an argument

standing on your tip-toes, frustrated that you can't reach your lover's lips

unrequited love that is now requited, feelings revealed with a kiss to prove it

legs wrapped around your lover's body

pushing your lover towards the bed, laying them down gently

throwing your lover over your shoulder, carrying them over to bed

crashing your lips together during an argument

kisses in which, we just broke up, but i want to kiss you one last time

whispering ''i love you'' in-between kisses

your lover pinning your arms above your head, telling you to stay quiet

trying to deny your feelings, and attraction to your lover, but you're hiding behind your lover's door with your lover on the other side, until attraction gets the best of you, and you swing it open, jumping into your lover's arms

smiling in-between kisses

reunion kisses stemming from i thought you were dead

not being able to focus on anything during a conversation because you're too busy staring at your lover's lips

kisses in which ‘i’ll kiss you right now to prove i don’t feel anything for you.’‘ but kissing each other, they prove the exact opposite

crying during a kiss, your tears mixing with your lover's

your lover pulling away from a kiss to ask you to marry them

telling your lover you want all of them tonight

grabbing hold of your lover's collar, begging them to kiss you

sliding your hands down your lover's chest, unzipping their zipper

untying your lover's tie, using it to pull your lover into a kiss

not being able to unbutton your lover's shirt because their kisses are everywhere

kissing your lover's tears away

passionately making-out against a wall

“let’s just kiss to see what it’s like,” then pulling away, lingering, going in for the second kiss

hungry kisses and ripped apart clothes

''it's always been you'' kisses

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dossier placeholder.

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“i’m chilling”, i say as i’m obviously and visibly spiraling out of control,

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i've been very, very slowly working through my plotting call ( while at the same time realising i need to update verses, update headcanons, put them all in one spot ) while dealing with extenuating circumstances ( colds, short-staffedness, existential dread, the all-encompassing drain the monotony of capitalism has had on a cardboard cut out of one's psyche, oh and papercuts ) so thank you so much for your patience.

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the universe outside of an imbibitor lunae’s gilded cage had been a reoccurring curiosity throughout many lifetimes. just like other buried desires, the curiosity would often build and build into a bitter longing, accumulating until it manifested into the resentment of the next life. speak with anyone who had known more than one of the vidyadhara princes, and they would tell you their countenance grew colder, and their fury more unmanageable. it was no wonder dan heng’s predecessor had found peace in yingxing, and war with anything that tried to put itself between them, even death.

despite everything they had put one another through, dan heng found the same comfort in ren. when it was peaceful like this, and they were not at the whims of their tragedy, their anger, or the weight of everything that pitted their fates against one another, dan heng’s guards were let down, slowly and without his express permission. shadows of his horns manifested, the cooling weight of his tail winding between their sheets. the way ren soothed through his hair fell in line with his heartbeat, trusting and slow, in and out like the crashing of waves. i am, he said, and the serpentine tail flopped off the bed, just enough to make a dramatic thump noise against the bed. how did they do it ? ren said, and it flicked to life once more, just so, waving just fast enough to betray happiness.

( as happy as one could be, talking about human sacrifices. )

“ it depended on which member of the pantheon they worshipped. a lightning based worshipper sacrificed others by placing them in a pool surrounded by lightning rods ... the page i was reading was focusing on how people are chosen to become worshippers verses sacrifices. ” he spoke more with ren than with most people. a thousand extenuating circumstances had led to the possibility of these quiet moments, where - whether that had been his intention or not - he was the first to tell dan heng to take up space. as it turned out, the place next to ren was a perfect fit.

“ it could have been one of the older civilisations that sacrificed infants with deformities, or once they reached a certain age and could no longer work they became sacrifices. though i haven’t reached the part on why the human sacrifices increased towards the end of an amber era, or even if they ever managed to produce a destruction emanator. ” his hand made small circles in the skin of ren’s arm, realising that his eyes were becoming heavy with the next slow blink. his tail swished lazily, moving to drape across ren’s middle where the book had once perched, at ease with cloudhymn armour falling like a veil. “ there are a lot of inconsistencies. i wonder if a history fictionologist tampered with this book. ”

as with most moments when dan heng shares something — be it fragments from a book, observations from his research, or obscure facts ren never would’ve thought to wonder about — the hunter does what he always does. he listens. not out of politeness, and not with the sharp curiosity of someone trying to memorize details. the silence that stretches between them isn’t awkward, nor is it burdened. even if ren’s features betray fatigue with dark circles under his eyes, a softness to his posture that speaks more of surrender than agitation, there are few things in the universe that would compel him to ask dan heng to stop talking. and that, of course, goes without saying.

his gaze fixes on a spot on the ceiling as dan heng speaks, eyes slightly glazed with thought, but never inattentive. he conjures images from dan heng’s words, scenes stitched together by imagination alone, a flickering slideshow only he can see. his hand moves steadily across dan heng’s back in slow, languid strokes, gentle enough to feel intentional, aimless enough to pass as unconscious affection. he shifts in just a little closer, the way someone does when they don’t want to admit they’re seeking more. fingers continue threading through dan heng’s hair, sweeping it back, as if trying to smooth it into permanence. a twitch of his thumb stalls him for a second, some buried tension he pretends not to notice, before he resumes the motion, slower now.

when ren reads books on his own, whatever catches his eye by title or worn spine, the facts don’t always stick. he’ll blame fatigue, or a fickle memory too selective for its own good. but for some reason, the things dan heng tells him always linger. twin stars millions of light-years apart. the ancient use of herbs for healing or hallucination. the average lifespan of a fish he’s never seen. and now this polytheistic religion with too many gods and not enough answers. dan heng’s quiet question pulls him back from where his mind had drifted. he doesn’t answer immediately, lets the silence stretch just a breath longer. then, finally, his voice slips out. it's quiet, hoarse, stripped of its usual edge and terribly obvious in its motivations.

❝ i am. ❞

... but ?

❝ how did they do it ? ❞ it's some incentive to keep going, a request even, if dan heng were to read thoroughly between the lines. ❝ the human sacrifices ? ❞  

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the way taoran needed to steal abundance juice to rejuvinate himself because he was balding. he has potent and undeniable balding energy and thin-lipped takes.

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ship partners can like this for a saucy ask.

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look. it’s us. 🌳 🪨

in between the third and fourth rib. a clean cut through the lower thyroid artery. lan, he was going to strangle this man with his bare hands.

[ id : r*n. ]

mssg : oh, okay.

mssg : let me try.

mssg : 🍴🔌⚡️

mssg : so cute, right ?

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dan heng’s response was to swivel his head to look up at ren briefly before lifting the tome to show him what had him perplexed. he supposed this came with the hazards of their missions, various clues taken away from the scene were often found damaged. the page had been torn in a jagged line, leaving all the information to the left side of it up to the imagination. he’d been debating for a little too long whether he should try to read ahead and hope that context clues would be enough. he hadn’t noticed ren had noticed, able to keep up the steady ministrations in his hair without faltering once. he’d been having trouble keeping his eyes open before this blatant attack on literature, but for different reasons.

“ there’s no page to turn. ” he replied, dumbly, despondently. curiosity had him clinging to the torn words, mind lost in the remaining pieces of research on this ancient and long-extinct religion. “ i don’t know if i can move on without knowing what happened. ” hyperbole, murmured into the air between them quiet, soft, encouraged by the amusement in ren’s tone, and the way dan heng could feel ren’s hand on his waist. he flattened the book, back to where he’d slipped ripped up pieces of the hotel brochure to secure notes for later. “ this is research on a polytheistic religion whose calendar relied on a sort of countdown to the next amber era, and marked by an increasing number of human sacrifices. the pantheon was made of contenders to become a destruction emanator - ”

while dan heng spoke, he lazily traced aspects of the research notes, only to fall on the arm holding his waist, resting there content.

a pause.

“ … are you tired ? ”

did you want me to stop talking ?

@yingren. / from.

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”I know exactly what you want and how you want it.” Oops—

@remembranced.

“ do you ? ”

sometimes he felt like even though clear talked about so much, he wasn’t saying anything. whether he liked to talk just to talk or whether he made an effort to dance around the point, dan heng wasn’t sure. despite the time they spent with one another, he felt like he didn’t know clear at all, that the other might like it that way. that didn’t really fit well with one of dan heng’s growing fixations, his affections, his need to dissect things ‘til he could recreate them from the inside out, tendon by tendon, rib by rib. he was sure he could reach into cavities of clear’s chest - whether he would be able to pull anything out was the question.

he thinks about the theory of faith-based mass, about whether his touch actually reached the entity becaused he willed it to in this reality, about whether clear felt him or the memory of him or whether it was simpler or more complicated than that. he did this holding onto one of clear’s hands and trying to register the feeling of skin on skin, whether he could actually register whether the texture was soft or course, or whether that was just a projection clear had made up, an amalgamation of bodies that were or weren’t his own. dan heng wonders if he’d bleed, or whether that “ blood ” would be something else, the memories imbibed in someone else’s dna maybe. he wonders if there was pleasure to extract from a form that did not exist, or whether a being that skirt the plane of physical existence would allow himself that.

“ or did you hit every single pleasure point until one stuck ? ”

clear’s ability to provide a wealth of sensations ; hands, tongues, filthy kisses lain to flushing skin was an indulgence, a banquet for the touch starved. but the entity had said himself he didn’t linger in the minds of emanators, envoys of the permanence moreso, should he let time get away from him. how much of their time together had been guessing, reacting to dan heng starving for contact ?

“ what if what i want is to unravel you ? would you give me that ? ”

prompt.

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let me know you.

@yingren.

you first, was the combatative, almost instinctual response to such a request. dancing on the tip of his tongue. even asked in seriousness, in earnest, maybe even with a gentleness that dan heng couldn’t completely comprehend. the request in itself was one phrased with tenderness, the kind of care the both of them used around one another sparingly. somewhere in the back of his mind he couldn’t help but think that to weaponise the request might be what ren expected ; what was familiar and damaging and hurtful, but he did like to prove him wrong.

the stare he fixed ren was intense, not with anger, refusal, or suspicion, but with a deep, water - like clarity that transcended lifetimes. there was a yearning for understanding there that no one else could even dream of touching, not until they had pried away his ribs and dug out the heart of him. without much thinking, the vidyadhara closed the gap between them, steady but sure of himself. with a hand resting between the hunter's neck and shoulder, he pulled him down just enough to nudge his forehead against ren’s temple.

“ okay. ”

again, softer.

“ okay. ”

let me ___ you.