A quick change in the room’s illumination caught Wufei’s attention, and he glanced up to see the door open and close, as two travelers entered the inn and shrugged off their outer layers. They were both large, and bulky men, with rather mulish set features; one had a shaggy blond mop of hair, and the other short, tangled dark hair. They took a table in the corner, and the chairs creaked when they sat. Wufei paid them little attention, his thoughts quickly returning to this new and disturbing dilemma. It had never occurred to him to doubt his own preferences, although he had never really had an opportunity to explore. His studies had always occupied his time, before his marriage -- he swallowed against the lump in his throat, and blinked back a threatening stinging in his eyes. His six-hour marriage. No, he had never had a chance to discover Meiran... That memory was too painful, and he forced his thoughts away from it. It was true that he had found Meiran attractive, and in fact had admired the virtues of many of the village girls. But it was always a purely aesthetic attraction, and he had never been excited by any of them. He had always assumed himself merely to be a late bloomer, and that such desires would show themselves in time. This was a hell of a time for it, though... He forced himself to consider the problem objectively. Did he, Chang Wufei of the Clan of Dragons, actually find another man... Duo... desirable? He had a bad feeling he already knew the answer to that question... He was abruptly jarred out of his musings as his ears caught a change in the surrounding atmosphere, a sudden increase in excitement. He glanced over to the table in the corner, only to find the two travelers staring intently back at him, talking excitedly to each other. Studying them more carefully, Wufei realized that the sturdy leathers they were dressed in were black and tan; from the belt of one hung a coiled whip, and as the other shifted, he caught a glimpse of metallic links. Wufei’s mouth went dry as he realized what, exactly, they were. Bounty hunters. This could be very, very, bad... As if in answer to Wufei’s thoughts, the two got up from their table and sauntered over to him. He looked up at them as they approached, feeling suddenly small. “Look at this, Alex,” rumbled the dark-haired one. “In’t this the Dragon mark what killed His Lordship Khushrenada?”
Re: THE DRAGON AS AN OBJECT OF PREY
Date: 2006-02-21 10:09 am (UTC)Wufei paid them little attention, his thoughts quickly returning to this new and disturbing dilemma. It had never occurred to him to doubt his own preferences, although he had never really had an opportunity to explore. His studies had always occupied his time, before his marriage -- he swallowed against the lump in his throat, and blinked back a threatening stinging in his eyes. His six-hour marriage. No, he had never had a chance to discover Meiran...
That memory was too painful, and he forced his thoughts away from it. It was true that he had found Meiran attractive, and in fact had admired the virtues of many of the village girls. But it was always a purely aesthetic attraction, and he had never been excited by any of them. He had always assumed himself merely to be a late bloomer, and that such desires would show themselves in time.
This was a hell of a time for it, though... He forced himself to consider the problem objectively. Did he, Chang Wufei of the Clan of Dragons, actually find another man... Duo... desirable?
He had a bad feeling he already knew the answer to that question...
He was abruptly jarred out of his musings as his ears caught a change in the surrounding atmosphere, a sudden increase in excitement. He glanced over to the table in the corner, only to find the two travelers staring intently back at him, talking excitedly to each other. Studying them more carefully, Wufei realized that the sturdy leathers they were dressed in were black and tan; from the belt of one hung a coiled whip, and as the other shifted, he caught a glimpse of metallic links. Wufei’s mouth went dry as he realized what, exactly, they were.
Bounty hunters.
This could be very, very, bad...
As if in answer to Wufei’s thoughts, the two got up from their table and sauntered over to him. He looked up at them as they approached, feeling suddenly small.
“Look at this, Alex,” rumbled the dark-haired one. “In’t this the Dragon mark what killed His Lordship Khushrenada?”