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It was day three, and they were still stuck in this place called 'the modern-day world.' Even now, Lan Xichen was trying to wrap his head around it. He still couldn't believe this was happening; it just all felt like some wild dream that he'd eventually wake up from.
Upon waking up, he would find himself back in his quarters at Cloud Recesses… Except that's what he told himself the two previous nights and nothing resulted from it. No matter how many times he pinched himself, that didn't seem to do the trick either.
He heaved a sigh. Perhaps now was a good time to meditate, to clear his mind before he set a plan for today. Right as he was about to get into position, he felt a sudden scurrying movement on the bed. It didn't faze him all that much as he'd grown quite accustomed to it. And then, from the corner of his eye, he saw as the petit figure approached.
It just so happened to be his furry little companion. The critter crawled onto his thigh, looking up at him with large, dark eyes. He wrinkled his little snout, ears twitching about every now and then. Teensy claws poked past the fabric of his pants, but Zewu-jun could hardly call it painful.
"Ahh, is it about that time for your snack, A-Yao?" He inquired as he gingerly stroked the delicate chin with the tip of his finger. A serene smile formed upon Xichen's lips, quite the contrast from how he felt on the inside. He was stressed, worried, anxious to return home and to restore A-Yao's human form. Despite these troubles, his precious A-Yao had been a great help in setting him at ease; it didn't matter how different he looked.
In fact, he looked rather adorable in this form. His coat was cream-colored, similar in shade to the Lanling Jin sect uniform. And those large, curious, innocent eyes were also quite reminiscent of A-Yao's own eyes. A sugar glider truly was a fitting animal for his A-Yao to get turned into.
Immediately, Lan Xichen shook his head at the thought. No, no, he shouldn't be thinking that. If A-Yao ever found out, he would be none too pleased. This matter was not something to be laughed at, and was actually quite serious.
Zewu-Jun needed to focus. He needed to find out who that mysterious woman was and why she did this to them. He needed to decipher the clues if he wanted to get anywhere closer to the truth. And that in turn would eventually lead them back home…
The Lan sect leader was soon drawn out of his thoughts as a certain little marsupial barked and began crawling up his arm. "Ahh yes, your snack," he exclaimed as he remembered. "How careless of me. I'm sorry, A-Yao."
Lan Xichen promptly got to his feet, making sure that sugar glider A-Yao was clinging tightly to him. He walked them over to the mini-fridge and opened it, pulling out a cup of peach yogurt. Peeling back the protective seal, he then grabbed a plastic spoon from last night's take-out that he'd left atop the fridge. Finally, he sat on the rolling desk chair and scooted himself closer to the table.
Unable to wait any longer, the famished creature scampered from Xichen's shoulder to his bicep before hopping onto the table. He then turned himself around, gazing upon the man expectantly.
"Thank you for being patient," Zewu-jun praised, granting a gentle stroke of his finger to the tiny, furry head. A-Yao had behaved well this time while they retrieved the snack from the fridge.
Wasting no more time, Xichen dipped the spoon into the cup and scooped up a generous amount of yogurt. He set it in front of the eagerly-awaiting marsupial and watched as he hastily feasted on it. "Now, now, there's no rush. Take all the time you need, alright?"
Sugar glider A-Yao barely paid him any attention, too enamored with his delicious treat. He eventually licked the spoon clean before looking up at Xichen.
"More?" The Lan sect leader asked, though he was pretty sure he knew what the answer was.
At hearing A-Yao let loose an adorable chirp, Xichen couldn't resist the smile tugging at his lips. He promptly scooped up more of the nectar-flavored substance before placing it in front of A-Yao.
Again that rapid, lengthy tongue darted about in the yogurt, the taste of it like absolute paradise to sugar glider A-Yao. He savored his snack up until the last drop. On the spoon at least, for there was no way his small stomach could handle a full cup of peach yogurt! Once satisfied, he clung to Xichen's stomach, crawling up to his chest and aiming for those long raven locks.
"You're quite fond of my hair, aren't you A-Yao," He observed, bringing up a hand to gently brush along the critter's back all the way down to his lengthy tail. Said tail eventually curled around his finger, and Xichen felt he could interpret its meaning in various ways.
It could have been a thank you. It could have been a comforting gesture to wordlessly say 'I'm here for you, and you're doing great.' Along those lines, it could also have been a type of encouragement. Or perhaps it was even a plea with Xichen to not leave him alone or to not give up.
Whatever it was, Zewu-jun felt more determined than ever. There was no way he could ever give up; he would never give up on his A-Yao. He would figure this all out in due time, and they would be able to return to their normal lives. "I promise, A-Yao," he vowed, placing a gentle kiss to the creature's little head. "I promise I won't let you down."