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[goldenjoined]

[lol good luck]

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[goldenjoined]

[in a voice like a creaky door:]

Never call me that again.

[skypiercing]

[There's a beat of silence, and if Blade raises his eyes from Dan Heng's shoulder, he'll easily see the mortified blush on Dan Heng's face, even with the earlier bloodloss still in play.

Maybe not the right choice.]

I just thought-- Noted.

[A pause.]

Do not tell anyone about it.

[His dignity will not survive.]

[goldenjoined]

We never speak of this again.

[dry. he is sneaking a look up at this humiliated dragon.]

[skypiercing]

Never.

[Yeah that blush stands out all the more given how pale he is still.]

[goldenjoined]

[cute...]

I'll make it worse.

[abruptly.]

[skypiercing]

Make what worse...?

[Oh no.]

[goldenjoined]

The situation. With them.

[skypiercing]

[...Oh.]

...Why do you think so?

[goldenjoined]

I do not... de-escalate.

[skypiercing]

[...Well.

Yeah. That's kind of not Blade's thing when it comes to them. But--]

Except you're the only one left who has a chance of pulling it off.

[Sorry Blade he failed. You're their only hope.] With my... new situation. Dan Feng has some control over me in this regard.

[Not all. Never all, because Blade knows already precisely how stubborn Dan Heng can be. But it takes extra work, certainly.]

[goldenjoined]

It is not a good sign that I'm considered having a chance at all, let alone the only option.

[skypiercing]

[Just going to gently pat Blade's back in a 'there, there' gesture. His tone comes out more than a little bitter.] My attempt led to a threat to break every bone in Jing Yuan's body if I didn't sign a contract with him, so.

[Yeah. You're Their Only Hope Bladie.]

[goldenjoined]

You are surprisingly terrible at negotiations.

[skypiercing]

I am not.

[He is terrible when he isn't keeping his cool, actually.]

[goldenjoined]

Then how did it get that bad?

[skypiercing]

...I was worried for Jing Yuan's safety.

[Things that probably don't surprise Blade at all: Dragons that get irrational when Protective.]

[goldenjoined]

[just,

judgment aura. tired judgment aura.]

[skypiercing]

what.

[goldenjoined]

It's not your fault, but it wasn't going to succeed from the start.

[skypiercing]

What was I supposed to do, then...?

[goldenjoined]

I don't have the answer.

[skypiercing]

[That response seems to take what little energy Dan Heng has regained and drain him of it, something defeated settling over the set of his shoulders.]

...He wanted me to walk away. He told me to stop, to allow Dan Feng to punish him. But that is the one thing I cannot do.

[goldenjoined]

I don't... think there was a way to win there.

[skypiercing]

I wish there was.

[Does Blade mind Dan Heng faceplanting into his chest? Because he's gonna.] But you're probably right.

[Words muffled into blade's bountiful boobs.]

[goldenjoined]

[ssssighs. and places a hand on the back of dan heng's head.]