Chapter Text
Dan Heng hadn’t been thinking about finding a gift for him when he saw the record, but he saw it, and he knew it would be perfect.
They had been shopping around Penacony–March’s idea–for the Express’s gift exchange, when Stelle had suggested they go to Dreamflux Reef. Seeing as they had nothing better to do and March was still unsatisfied with her heap of gifts, all of which were held in Dan Heng’s arms, of course; they wended their way to Dreamflux Reef.
Dan Heng had never been before, so he spent much of his time wandering the streets. Many of the windows were barred and the place looked rather run down but it was clearly lived in.
March and Stelle, who had gotten bored of Dan Heng’s seemingly mindless wandering, had gone off to some snack store on the northwest side of the city, some place called “Jessie's Snack.”
As Dan Heng familiarized himself with the Reef, he passed idly through the rather dark streets of the city. He made his way to a woman standing on a box, surrounded by many TVs, stacked on top of each other, singing. The woman’s voice reminded him of an old melody he used to know.
A melody that had comforted him in the cold and the dark of his past prison–The Shackling Prison. Though just moments ago, he would not have been able to recall the memory; he remembered it so vividly now.
The voice in his memory was deeper, more refined. It was smoother too, like red wine. The voice was soft and warm, like the sun in the sky. As he stood and absorbed the music he recalled all the times that voice had lulled him to sleep and muted the pain of the shackles that held him. As he lingered, trying to place its origin, his feet carried him forward.
As the memories washed over him, he moved in a daze through the streets, the crisp wind dulling his sensations as he walked and the echoes of the man in his memories singing washing over his mind.
His trance was interrupted when the sudden sound of broken music filled his ears. He looked around stiffly, ready for danger when he caught sight of a cello. The cello was leaning against a wall and stood in front of a large display window filled with instruments of all kinds and records, covered in dust. The scent of aged wood wafted from the shop's open window, its golden light bathing the street in its glow.
As he walked over, eyeing the instruments on display the cello beside him spoke up.
“Welcome! You’re a new face… did you come over from the Dreamscape? No… you’re not a tourist. Hm…”
Her strings vibrated faintly and Dan Heng stared at her, he had not expected this.
“Oh, sorry! Once I get going, it’s hard to stop. I’m Nancy, and this is Auto Band. Let me show you what we’re about!”
Dan Heng was momentarily surprised, of all the Planets he’d visited, he’d never seen a talking Cello. But Penacony was an odd place, he supposed it wasn’t so out of place with all the other things he’d heard about could happen here.
“Here at Auto Band, we’re all talking automated instruments, just like me. Our main trade is in automated instruments. For a small price, you can take home an instrument of ours and have it play for you at home.”
That, Dan Heng thought, was interesting. He was sure these automated instruments had to be very complex, Himeko might have fun figuring out how they ticked. But at hearing the instrument's next words, Dan Heng paused.
“We also sell our own vinyl records here… come here and flip through some if you’re bored or feeling down. After all, our store motto here is “Bring joy to the world through music”.”
Dan Heng looked through the dirtied window and immediately noticed the records stacked in a pile on the side. They looked old, sure, but they looked interesting.
“May I… take a look at the records?”
“Of course! Pick out whatever you like.”
Dan Heng nodded and reached over to the now-open window-door thing, pulling out the pile of records and flipping through them. As he flicked through them, listening to the preview recordings, one in particular caught his attention.
He felt his grip on it go a little slack and his breath got caught in his throat when he heard the tune.
The gentle and slow rhythm of the song was calming, but the tune itself was… so familiar. He felt he had to have heard it somewhere, it brought back the faintest memories, ones that slipped through his questing fingers like sand. He supposed that was just the beauty of music, the slightest familiarity could make you feel so at home.
The record reminded him so much of someone–so much of the white-haired General with the shining smile and the honeyed eyes. Dan Heng could almost feel the warmth of the Xianzhou Luofu on his skin, could almost feel the ginko leaves falling from the trees and brushing his shoulder, he almost felt as if that General–Jing Yuan–was right there, with him.
He stopped the recording and turned to the cello–Nancy.
“I’d like to purchase this, how much?”
Nancy’s strings vibrated in excitments and she spoke quickly.
“10,000 credits.”
Dan Heng placed the money on her table and held the record in his hands, a sense of awe and reverence in his eyes.
“Thank you for shopping!”
“Thank you, for the record.”
As he walked away, he couldn’t help the sense of excitement that washed over him. He knew exactly who this gift would be perfect for.
When he made it up to the snack place where he was supposed to meet March and Stelle, they met him with broad smiles on their faces as they munched on… pickles? Pickles from a jar they’d seemingly bought off of Jessie. He sat down on the bar stools, still holding the record in his hands.
March and Stelle looked up from their snacking and March immediately asked in a loud and buoyant voice,
“You were gone sooooo looong…! Where were you?”
Before Dan Heng could so much as open his mouth, she soldiered on.
“Oooohhh! Who’s that for?”
Her starry eyes were wide and bright with excitement as she leaned in eagerly, Dan Heng smiled faintly at the sight and shook his head softly.
“A certain… old friend.”
. . .
The day had been tiring, that was for sure. It had been filled with paperwork, and paperwork, and paperwork. Of course, Jing Yuan could never regret the peace he had brought to the Luofu, the peace he had fought tooth and nail for. But sometimes, he felt absurdly bored. Stuck at his desk, putting his pen to paper and listening to the skritch, skritch, skritch. It made for hours on end.
So, as he walked the sun-bathed streets of the Luofu, watching the artificial clouds roll across the artificial sky, he let himself relax. He had always preferred the chill of the wind and the comfort of the moon, but he could appreciate the warmth of the sun when it was needed.
The people of the Luofu had already put up their trees of light–that shone through their windows like stars in the sky–and their beautiful paper lanterns. The sun was just beginning to set and it made the view he had truly stunning with the way it painted the artificial sky with strokes of red and pink, the beauty of his home never failed to steal the breath from his lungs. Yet, it also never failed to sink the knife into his chest just a little deeper.
Jingliu had been right, what a lonely job Arbiter General could be. The chatter surrounding him felt so far away and so muted, that it was as if he wasn’t really there.
The memories flashed before his eyes, Baiheng darted through the streets with Jingliu at her heels, candies, and sweets held in her arms. Her laughter and Jingliu’s grumbling still rang in his ears. Dan Feng and Yingxing, up on a balcony looking over the horizon, drinking floral wine and speaking their faraway truths. Truths he never got to hear from their lips.
And him–Jing Yuan–the lone and uncolored figure in this memory filled with light, standing on his own. No sweets in his hands, no truths falling from his lips, no more stars reflected in his eyes.
He blinked his eyes and brushed the memory off, he would have time for reminiscing the following day, in the comfort solitude of his home. Ginko leaves crunched under his feet as he walked, the sound bringing him back to his senses as he made his way home even as the memories tugged at the edges of his mind.
It really only felt like home part-time, Jing Yuan thought as he closed the front door to his estate behind him. The halls were quiet, Yanqing had long gone to sleep. He was used to the quiet so late at night, it did not disturb him as once it would have–back when those sunlit and halcyon days of his past still felt so close. He removed his boots and the most inconvenient pieces of his armor and made his way up to his study.
He closed the door to it behind him with a soft click and let himself fall into the plush pillows of the couch. The warmth of the room from the fireplace was a small comfort, but Jing Yuan’s life had long since been kept going by such things. He was used to it.
His study was his comfort space, the walls were lined with bookshelves filled to the brim with old and dusty books. Some were books from the Luofu, some were from the Yaoqing, and some from the few planets he had managed to visit before he had the title of Arbiter General thrust upon him.
He picked one of his favorites off the shelf. An old, exclusive, collector’s edition, volume with a half-broken spine. He could no longer remember where he had gotten it, but he knew it was not Xianzhou-made. The volume had long been kept on his shelves and had long been one of his favorites. The book was about the local myths and legends of unnamed world upon unnamed world, once he picked it up he could never put it down.
Jing Yuan chuckled softly to himself, the book had ceaselessly reminded him of a certain Archivist, a certain… Dan Heng. He sipped the tea out of his cup in contemplation as his free hand slid across the volumes on the shelf.
This book always brought him back, to a time before. To a time when those azure eyes still held his, to a time when the Dan Feng in his memories didn’t have to live there.
It occurred to him, that Dan Heng might actually take an interest in the book. After all, the Data Bank he managed was much like this book. Maybe he’d find something of value in the stories this volume held. He put his cup down, his hand coming to lightly brush the cover of the book with his fingertips.
Maybe this year… he should reach out. He felt a warmth bubbling in his chest at the thought, it wasn’t as if it could hurt… Dan Heng had always been so polite, if he didn’t find value in it, he wouldn’t show it.
At least now Jing Yuan had plans for this book. Maybe, just maybe, It would make a gift worthy of the Archivist’s attention. The thought brought a smile to his lips, perhaps this book could bridge the distance.