[ It's true, at least. He doesn't look at her as he assesses the constellations above their heads, expression level as always - save for a tightness at his eyes, for a moment. ]
But here they are, however far away from Zhongguo we truly are - and so are we.
[Our stars... that makes her smile, because she's an idiot, and she is immediately distracted by the way he takes her wrist and guides her hand to trace out more of the dragon's shape.]
I see... I can almost imagine what the dragon must have looked like.
[ A sort of intimacy comes from this moment, the touch. He is deeply aware of it, and irritated by it, but doesn't comment or stop. ]
It's not hard to see, really - especially as the tail swoops, ends here. [ And he guides her so that she can track it, through the other stars that make up the constellation. ]
[ If he's going to do this, then he's going to goddamn commit to it. So, He Xuan suffers the wrong name being spoken yet again, and takes his other hand to place on her waist. Nudging her is easy enough, to guide her to another part of the sky. ]
The Purple Forbidden Enclosure is the center of the sky, and from there you can usually find the others if you know where to go from there. [ For the readers at home, this constellation includes Ursa Minor and a little of Ursa Major. ]
[He Xuan is having such a bad time. Shi Qingxuan is having a really good time, allowing him to turn her so that she can see the part of the sky he's pointing out. His hand on her waist is more relaxing than anything else.]
Right... That one there, that's the Crown Prince, isn't it? [Indicating the one of the stars.] And the Emperor, and...
You've named parts of it that make up the Five Star of North Pole. It's the Crown Prince, the Emperor, the Son of the Concubine, the Concubine herself, and the Celestial Pivot.
[ His voice is tinged in amusement, this time, and he actually answers - so! ]
[ He was diligent in his studies. Hidden exam results or not, he didn't earn the name Scholar He for nothing. ]
Hm? [ A glance, and he moves where he's standing at her side so that he can be a little more behind her, squinting to where she points. ] ... First Imperial Guard, one of the eight guardians in the left wall.
[That modesty of his is probably part of why he only got 444 lanterns. Should have been more!
Anyway, she looks up, leaning back a little and settling against his chest, since he's more behind her. It doesn't seem to bother her at all, but then, she's accustomed to hanging off him.]
What about... that one?
[She points at another star at random, fully expecting him to know exactly what it is.]
It isn't modesty so much as it is simple fast. My studies were not focused on the stars. [ Ming Yi was the Earthmaster, after all, and He Xuan took on the waters while Hua Cheng ruled the land when it came to ghosts. He focused on numbers, trades, mercantile work.
But his memory for the stars stays, anyways, even as Qingxuan leans back into him. The thought to step away occurs to him, but - he doesn't. Even with the stone sinking, slow, in his chest. ]
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[ It's true, at least. He doesn't look at her as he assesses the constellations above their heads, expression level as always - save for a tightness at his eyes, for a moment. ]
But here they are, however far away from Zhongguo we truly are - and so are we.
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Maybe we can find some other familiar constellations?
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Alright. And what ones do you think you know?
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That's... the Azure Dragon's heart, isn't it?
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[ Our stars. Terrible. He Xuan moves to stand closer to her, looking past her shoulder and reaching to take her wrist to move her tracing along. ]
There's the head - the horns - and the neck higher up.
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I see... I can almost imagine what the dragon must have looked like.
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It's not hard to see, really - especially as the tail swoops, ends here. [ And he guides her so that she can track it, through the other stars that make up the constellation. ]
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[She really should have stargazed more, back home! Oh, well. At least she has the chance to do it now.]
Which others do you recognize, Ming-xiong?
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The Purple Forbidden Enclosure is the center of the sky, and from there you can usually find the others if you know where to go from there. [ For the readers at home, this constellation includes Ursa Minor and a little of Ursa Major. ]
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Right... That one there, that's the Crown Prince, isn't it? [Indicating the one of the stars.] And the Emperor, and...
[...yeah no she didn't learn all the names.]
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[ The comment is almost amused, as he runs his fingers along her arm from her wrist, before letting go so that it's only her waist that he holds. ]
But at least you're right about some of them.
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Sometimes I forget just how blunt you are.
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[P O U T S]
What are the names of the ones I don't know?
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[ His voice is tinged in amusement, this time, and he actually answers - so! ]
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[She points at one at random.]
Which one is that?
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[ He was diligent in his studies. Hidden exam results or not, he didn't earn the name Scholar He for nothing. ]
Hm? [ A glance, and he moves where he's standing at her side so that he can be a little more behind her, squinting to where she points. ] ... First Imperial Guard, one of the eight guardians in the left wall.
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[That modesty of his is probably part of why he only got 444 lanterns. Should have been more!
Anyway, she looks up, leaning back a little and settling against his chest, since he's more behind her. It doesn't seem to bother her at all, but then, she's accustomed to hanging off him.]
What about... that one?
[She points at another star at random, fully expecting him to know exactly what it is.]
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But his memory for the stars stays, anyways, even as Qingxuan leans back into him. The thought to step away occurs to him, but - he doesn't. Even with the stone sinking, slow, in his chest. ]
The Hairy Head of the Baihu.
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[Honestly, it's impressive.
Then, looking to another grouping not too far off - ]
That must be... the Baihu's stomach?
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But he glances to where she's referring to, giving her a slow blink. ]
It is, actually. Good guess.
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[He's.
He's not wrong, it was a guess.]
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[ Do not bullshit him he knows you. ]
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[lol]