#✧ ft : chanyul .

[afterburning]

in amity.

ft. @tamedflame

the sun’s still on the rise when jiyu climbs the steps towards surya arena, but the streets are crowded, with nobles eager to warm up and others scrambling for the best seats. jiyu’s bothered by neither; he’d agreed to spot keran, but his place in the arena is saved and it’s not like he’ll be participating. sometimes (rarely) his greatest failure is a blessing in disguise. at least his nerves remain unfraught.

when he finally gets there, chanyul’s loitering at the outskirts of the crowd. jiyu glances up: there’s still time left until he has to join his sister. if she were around, he wouldn’t approach. as is, chanyul and him have bonded over things he wouldn’t dream of telling his siblings back home, and that sort of relationship requires saving in dire circumstances, like impending death by boredom. chanyul looks fine, but jiyu knows exactly where colonel kim is headed, and that woman has a talent for droning on and on until her victims’ thoughts have gone buttery soft and abstract. jiyu’s imagined himself strangling her on several occasions, and feels justified in doing so.

so he quickens his stride to make sure he gets there first. once he’s caught chanyul’s attention he makes for the sort of formal bow he has to show in public, although the effect is ruined by him still walking. he grasps at chanyul’s shoulder and, with a firm tug, turns him away from the crowd, leaning close to talk. “your grace. kim’s coming your way.” a glance over his shoulder confirms that she’s not been stopped by his interference. jiyu’s been taught to drown with the ship (a commander doesn’t flee), but he’d rather they don’t start sinking in the first place.

#rs.bloodmoon #ft. chanyul #chanyul: in amity

[orchdaries]

to @tamedflame with ♡

     the night of the blood moon is an event that had aera excited not because of the perspective of having her bending abilities enhanced before they're taken away from them during the night but because the night of the black moon means a beautiful dinner and an even more beautiful garden party. aera herself has always been more of a social butterfly than a wallflower so it's given that she'd love any events that involved socializing with other houses, going around greeting lords, ladies and lieges that she doesn't have much of an opportunity in other scenarios, besides interacting with her own friends of course, having the chance to see them in a much more formal attire and therefore in a much prettier version of them than she normally would.

     even though that isn't the case for chanyul since she was assigned as one of his healers — most likely due to their proximity when they were younger —, aera is still excited to see her old friend in the party. she's on her second glass of wine, barely started sipping on it but there's already a healthy flush to her cheeks and she can feel a different kind of euphoria filling her chest, one that made her tongue a little more loose even if not enough to cause a scene, just enough to create some fun memories that she might or might not feel embarrassed about the next day.

     " your grace . " even tipsy, aera still remembers her manners when greeting the prince. as soon as that formality is done with, it's obvious how she changes to a more friendly and relaxed posture; one that suits the kind of friendship a little better. of course that they aren't as close as they were back when they were kids, still somewhat trying to find how to navigate their friendship again but it doesn't mean that they aren't trying, that by each interaction that they have, they don't get a little closer than before, even more so when aera found something that they could bond over.

     " are you enjoying your evening ? " aera asks, half genuinely curious and half wanting to find an opening to what she actually wants to talk about. " mine just started so i can't be too sure , however my morning was simply lovely . " she can't help the giggles that escape from her lips at the end of her words simply from remembering what exactly happened for her to feel that her morning was that blessed. " did you see commander zhao ? " she asks however doesn't really wait for an answer, reaching out to hold onto chanyul's sleeve like an overexcited child retelling how she got extra dessert after dinner. " he had the prettiest smile today , so much so i'm sure even the sun felt dazzled by its brilliance . "

#rs.bloodmoon #tamedflame #✧ 최애라 : writing . #✧ ft : chanyul . #jiyu blessing their morning with the prettiest smile 🙏 #not my best work i'm sorry 😭

[afterburning]

until death.

hari bulkan, zhao residence; ft. @tamedflame

chanyul comes to him in the afternoon, after jiyu’s gone through his forms and met with his superiors. he’s doing well considering the circumstances, which really isn’t saying much. back on his feet and back to work, or what he can do of it anyway; jiyu’s not a man made to sit still and wait for the future. he gets impatient when he calms himself to meditate, lets his thought wander in prayer - it should be expected that he wouldn’t take this opportunity to rest.

his friend finds him at the desk in his rooms, one foot drawn up to rest on the chair and his chin pillowed on his knee. in front of him is a book, old enough that he’s worried about it falling apart with his touch. jiyu likes to read, but he seldom is in the right mood for it, and he’s not combing through the pages for pleasure, either. there’s a method to it: he truns them efficiently, scans the contents for any mention of his affliction. it’s useless, but he feels better with purpose than without.

if he had expected company, he might’ve had the servants prepare refreshments, and otherwise dressed more presentable. but chanyul’s seen him looking worse countless of times, and jiyu can’t deny that he’s grateful for the distraction. when he looks up and nods at chanyul, much more informal than he really should act with a child of the crown, bordering on disrespect - jiyu can’t find it in himself to care.

“your grace.” there’s nothing to gain here; he closes the book. stands, belatedly, and bows, and then ends up drumming his fingertips against the table. he’s been feeling so restless lately. “i hear you’re looking to marry?”

#ft. chanyul #chanyul: until death