Shen Yuan hums happily and turns around, showing Lan Xichen his back. "Sect Leader will take good care of me, won't he?" he asks, looking over his shoulder demurely.
"Mm, please be gentle. It's been a long time since I let anyone do this for me." It goes without saying that Shen Yuan is blissfully unaware of any double meaning that could potentially lie behind his words, just as he's unaware of what effect it might have on someone to hear the happy sighs and humming that comes out of his mouth as Lan Xichen begins to massage soap into his scalp.
"Sect Leader is very good with his hands," he sighs. "Actually," he continues, one thought leading into another, "it occurs to me Sect Leader hasn't seen me handle a sword yet. There's all kinds of ways this one could be useful to the sect."
"I would enjoy seeing how you use a sword," he agrees, working long, deft fingers through Shen Yuan's hair. It really is lovely; long and luxurious. He must have been quite popular before the war.
"Perhaps you would consent to train with me?" he suggests, gently working free the beginnings of a tangle. "I am always interested in a partner."
Shen Qingqiu probably would have been very popular, if it weren't for that terrible personality. Shen Yuan tried to repair the damage where he could, but some things just aren't fixable ~_~
"Sect Leader honors me," he replies with unconcealed pleasure at being asked. "I think I'd enjoy that very much. What weapons does Sect Leader favor?"
Personality can mean very little when one has a pretty face.
Lan Xichen gently guides Shen Yuan's head back so he can rinse his hair a second time with warm water. He's very careful, ladling it out the basin and down his scalp, gentle fingers combing and coaxing it through the thick curtain of Shen Yuan's hair.
"The sword as well," he affirms. "Though I'm always intrigued to see different techniques. And it will be nice to spar with someone other than Da-ge; he is always so rough."
It would be interesting to see how the moves Shen Yuan had picked up on Qing Jing Peak compared to the Lan styles...It seemed like their two sects had similar aesthetics, but since Shen Yuan hadn't seen any of the Lans fight beyond a beginner level in training classes, he had no idea if they carried over to their combat styles...
"Mm?" he's surprised out of his train of thought by what seems to be a totally new piece of information about his friend and benefactor. "I was under the impression Sect Leader was the oldest son of his generation," he says, peering over his shoulder at Lan Xichen. "He has an older brother after all?"
Shen Yuan has to literally bite his tongue, actually chomp on it with his own literal teeth, to keep from blurting out anything stupid. There's no guarantee that it's his Jin-ge; it might be a completely different person, and even if it's technically the same Jin Guangyao it might still not be his Jin Guangyao; people come to Trench from all different universes and points in time, after all. He might have transmigrated into a parallel universe or some point in Jin Guangyao's past; there's no reason to suppose that if he and Jin Guangyao met in person, the other man would recognize him at all...
But god, Shen Yuan's heart aches to see a familiar face. Lan Xichen's gone above and beyond for a stranger, Shen Yuan couldn't ask for a better benefactor, but that doesn't change the fact that he's still starting from scratch in a strange world. Just seeing someone he knows, even if they don't know him...it'd probably hurt like hell, honestly. But maybe it would help too?
And maybe, just maybe, just this once the odds will be on his side after all. "Jin Guangyao?" he asks hoarsely, and has to immediately clear his throat. He tries again afterwards, saying, "This one might be mistaken, but it feels as though I once knew someone with that name."
Shen Yuan goes alarmingly tense under his ministrations, and Lan Xichen looks up at him, bewildered.
"It's possible," Lan Xichen says. If Shen Yuan were formally of the Wen Sect, Jin Guangyao's name would stand out; he was the one who snuck into Wen Ruohan's service and slew him after all.
"He is the friend I wrote. He'll be visiting within the next few days, once he wraps up some business for his father."
Well, that was convenient. And hopefully didn't mean anything untoward for his cover story, if Lan Xichen had already wrote about him...
"I'd like to meet him," he says quietly. "I don't mean him any harm!" he adds anxiously, looking back at Lan Xichen over his shoulder. "I'd just like to know. If he recognizes me."
"I ... did not think you would," he says, pleased but puzzled. "Even if you have not actually met before, I think you two would get on well - he and da-ge's little brother are good friends who is quite like you in many ways."
He means it as a compliment.
Taking a towel, he pats down the length of hair, his touch as gentle as a summer breeze.
"Oh, well. I just wanted it to be clear." Shen Yuan lets out a nervous little laugh. "Sometimes it seems like I worry more about keeping Sect Leader safe from me than the reverse," he mutters, before turning himself around and gently taking the towel from Lan Xichen's hands.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2022-10-25 05:26 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-10-25 07:21 pm (UTC)Truly Shen Yuan's hair is enviable; so long and elegant. He's quite thrilled to have this chance to help him.
"Do you have any specific preferences...?" With his routine, of course. "I'm happy to accommodate however possible."
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Date: 2022-10-26 04:12 am (UTC)"Sect Leader is very good with his hands," he sighs. "Actually," he continues, one thought leading into another, "it occurs to me Sect Leader hasn't seen me handle a sword yet. There's all kinds of ways this one could be useful to the sect."
no subject
Date: 2022-10-26 05:52 am (UTC)"Perhaps you would consent to train with me?" he suggests, gently working free the beginnings of a tangle. "I am always interested in a partner."
no subject
Date: 2022-10-26 05:57 pm (UTC)"Sect Leader honors me," he replies with unconcealed pleasure at being asked. "I think I'd enjoy that very much. What weapons does Sect Leader favor?"
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Date: 2022-10-26 07:25 pm (UTC)Lan Xichen gently guides Shen Yuan's head back so he can rinse his hair a second time with warm water. He's very careful, ladling it out the basin and down his scalp, gentle fingers combing and coaxing it through the thick curtain of Shen Yuan's hair.
"The sword as well," he affirms. "Though I'm always intrigued to see different techniques. And it will be nice to spar with someone other than Da-ge; he is always so rough."
no subject
Date: 2022-10-26 08:59 pm (UTC)"Mm?" he's surprised out of his train of thought by what seems to be a totally new piece of information about his friend and benefactor. "I was under the impression Sect Leader was the oldest son of his generation," he says, peering over his shoulder at Lan Xichen. "He has an older brother after all?"
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Date: 2022-10-26 10:09 pm (UTC)"Not by blood," he says, once Shen Yuan's hair is rinsed. "He is my sworn brother, Nie Mingjue. And there is a third of our triad, Jin Guangyao."
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Date: 2022-10-26 10:29 pm (UTC)But god, Shen Yuan's heart aches to see a familiar face. Lan Xichen's gone above and beyond for a stranger, Shen Yuan couldn't ask for a better benefactor, but that doesn't change the fact that he's still starting from scratch in a strange world. Just seeing someone he knows, even if they don't know him...it'd probably hurt like hell, honestly. But maybe it would help too?
And maybe, just maybe, just this once the odds will be on his side after all. "Jin Guangyao?" he asks hoarsely, and has to immediately clear his throat. He tries again afterwards, saying, "This one might be mistaken, but it feels as though I once knew someone with that name."
no subject
Date: 2022-10-26 10:33 pm (UTC)"It's possible," Lan Xichen says. If Shen Yuan were formally of the Wen Sect, Jin Guangyao's name would stand out; he was the one who snuck into Wen Ruohan's service and slew him after all.
"He is the friend I wrote. He'll be visiting within the next few days, once he wraps up some business for his father."
no subject
Date: 2022-10-27 02:17 am (UTC)"I'd like to meet him," he says quietly. "I don't mean him any harm!" he adds anxiously, looking back at Lan Xichen over his shoulder. "I'd just like to know. If he recognizes me."
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Date: 2022-10-27 03:32 am (UTC)He means it as a compliment.
Taking a towel, he pats down the length of hair, his touch as gentle as a summer breeze.
no subject
Date: 2022-10-27 04:12 am (UTC)"My turn now?" he offers uncertainly.