Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

The boy awoke once more with a strange yet known sensation surrounding him.

Pressure was upon his entire being -acute but still present- and the boy opened his eyes to find himself under a pale blue glow within an infinite abyss of darkness, one only found in the ocean; five or so people surrounded him with their much larger proportions to him, making the boy realise that he had died once more to become a child. And Yue Qingyuan must have been the one to murder him since he would be the only one to do so that he had met upon that day…

That, in itself, was not as cruel as his death could have been, and that man had more than a couple of screws loose, and so only had to have had a mediocre day to consider such a crime… but why should he care if he was already dead? The boy had another opportunity to live, yet he was without his loved ones.

My. What a horrible fate for the boy. The boy began to feel a stinging sensation in his eyes as he found himself all alone after having just become civil with Yue Qingyuan. He now had neither his husband nor his beloved daughter. Shit.

[… This System is immensely remorseful. I endeavoured to reach you about the matter, though User 002 refused to listen to the lowly system. As well as your supposed beloved. (⁠눈⁠‸⁠눈⁠)]

Hua Qingban huffed. With bubbles floating up after he did so, a few of the elder people swooned at the expression before the woman above him glared.

[As much as The System has to adhere to its own task, User 002 is the main person who can mend everything, as well as ruin it. You are the most important part of this story. ] 

But he did not desire to have such a shallow existence. He wished to be with his husband and his child, who had yet to even reach adulthood.

How could the man once known as Hua Qingban cope without anyone he loved there to know who he truly was; instead, he would be seen as a baby who hadn't a thought from others as to his conscience. He was a thoughtless being to them; a burden to bear.

The tears he saw appeared to harden into an iridescent ball that sparked confusion in the newborn. One of the women grabbed it, although she wore no robes and had a large tail extending past her torso, and dispensed it to his supposed mother. Silence. As if awaiting her decision on the youth.

"Seems that despite being born to a human, the boy still has the ability to mimic a Jiaoren. What is his name?" The woman brought the pearl to the boy's clutches as the little thing looked towards the woman with a scowl.

The woman had a light brown shade that took control, yet within the hair were strands of pure, shining gold. She had deep blue eyes that could be mistaken for black due to the coldness of her gaze now upon the child.

"YinJiao. For he is the descendant of evil, and yet so fragile... He shall not carry my surname." The woman did not hold YinJiao, and instead, the boy floated through the ocean that gave him a home, for now at least. The woman he assumed to be his mother was beautiful, but she looked at him with a deep hatred that was barely concealed. The woman's face held a line of hatred that pulled half her face down with furrowed eyebrows to form more lines as she looked upon the child with contempt and disgust for the child.

But he could attempt to live differently and by himself.

[… This system does not believe this to be wise, but if User wishes to seal his power than he may.)

[Yes] [No]

The answer was clear.

"Go. None of you need not be here to watch." The woman's gaze turned behind her with the same sharpness present.

The women huffed with the odd one muttering about Bo Luoshui being cruel. The name meant falling water with the surname of wave. It felt like a stereotypical name of a Jiaoren -like a joke. 

Water may be a silent poet of the earth,a verse forever inscribing in ripples and waves,a language older than the words humans claimed for themselves,

spoken in few drops from heaven that collected sections of the intricate painting, but it was also a spirit that was too often made dead by others actions when they could not hear. 

To have such a mockery of a name as a Jiaoren -an entity to speak for the ocean when it needs it.

"You hear that, Bo Qingshan. Your cousin will be called YinJiao! My little wave, you must take care of him for you are the third born and have no chance of becoming my heir -this is the least you can do for your family." 

His auntie? Spoke in a higher pitch to the boy, who looked about five and had eyes full of wonder and excitement despite his mother's blunt words.

Yin Jiao looked at his aunt and found a woman with curly hair that contrasted with his mother's straight one and she had the same hue as a tsunami, although it shone much brighter than his mother's. Bold.

The boy of five looked nearly a perfect match but had softer features due to baby fat, and with wavy hair.

"Hello, my name is Bo Qingshan. It means 'wave' and 'celebration of goodness', and I promise to protect my baby cousin! Oh, and to make myself stronger than you, as mama said." The boy spoke slowly to enunciate everything better, but was smiling brighter than the sun towards the boy who detested the sight.

A man who had lost his best life was now stuck having to relive his life once more from a point where he was hardly able to breathe by himself. Yin Jiao did not want this, no matter how a cousin was always there to protect him.

"Bo Qingshan, do you remember our divine divide?"

The young boy hid most of his body behind the kind woman as his head popped out to look at YinJiao with a sense of awe for his miniature form.

"Yes, the males are weaker, and so only those who prove themselves can find a mate." His aunt smiled as she swam slightly away from the boy, who then turned fearful from the absence of a barrier from the rest of the ocean.

"Keep the half-breed near, else you will always look invalid." The woman swam away with Bo Qingshan following quickly behind.

… YinJiao did not understand why he must be seen as the weaker one due to his heritage; the hierarchy would take a while to get used to if so.

His mother sighed deeply and let her hair loose from the shell-made hairpin, which looked much too sharp, and looked at it deeply, contemplating how she could do something. She placed her non-dominant hand to the side of YinJiao and raised the hairpin above her head.

She was going to kill him.

The savage series of thoughts arrived -in fragmented pieces- and were stolen as she shot her hand forward; to her hand… the hand that had been holding the pearls. 

The thing rod created the personification of his sorrows into beads, to which the woman attached a thin stone. "When you turn one, you can wear pearls. First, your ears will be adorned with them. Then you choose, but you must wear everyone. You are not a human." Her mouth resembled a predator through her obvious distaste of the humanity that coursed through YinJiao's blood; such confusion began to shape his mind as the woman had clearly been intimate with her to produce offspring, yet recalled all with hatred.

YinJiao saw a figure sinking from the top gradually, remaining in the same posture like a statue. His mother did not notice the movement and instead left -most likely to find her sister.

The figure came closer in the absence, though slowed by the heavy clothes that they had worn the last time YinJiao saw the person, and YinJiao suddenly felt some warmth separate from the water.

"Master?" Xue Yongnian questioned, his eyes looking for something parallel to the man he had known for years.YinJiao nodded.

Xue Yongnian knew the password to his personal array and so called again to the man… boy before him. 

'Master is in such a young body.' There was a sense of shock present, and YinJiao began to smile; he was deeply unhappy with the thought of never seeing those of which he cared so deeply for like a swan in their eternal connection to who they loved.

'Yes, and Xue Yongnian is still with me,' YinJiao thought for a moment before continuing. 'So because Xue Yongnian is forever bonded to my life, he can leave for one and live. This one does not wish to limit you. At least one life should be your own.'

Xue Yongnian's already pale skin now turned even more sickly as his eyebrows rose to confront the idea of him being disconnected from YinJiao and yet YinJiao noticed that there was a second of considering leaving him for another life.

'I cannot leave you, Master.' He responded, though his eyes lacked any spark.

'Wrong, you can, you just don't want to leave me alone, but I am fine being so. This is not the first time I have reincarnated with my memories intact.'

Xue Yongnian had an acute reaction of shock before attempting to bow in the water and swim away to reach the surface.

It would be a while since the two would meet again.

⊹ ࣪ ﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏⊹ ࣪ ˖

YinJiao tried his best to be well-suited to his new but not unwelcome environment.

He learnt the basics. One was to remain either in their nest or with their guardian; being more than a meter away caused great concern regarding bonding for both, as his mother did not bond with the child all that greatly, they ignored this convention. 

YinJiao had his ear pierced when he was one and cried more than most as a result of recalling what he had lost, resulting in the young Jiaoren having a lot of pearls adorning his being. He had earrings, a bracelet and two wrap necklaces. There was also a pearl headpiece being crafted at the moment, but the maer had not yet delivered the item.

It was good for his cousin's image as the stronger of the two, for pearls were a sign of gentleness and caused shielding instincts in others, other than his mother... of course.

YinJiao was now four years old, beginning to express a need for a further connection separate from that of his mother. The boy seldom saw his cousins, and if he was most likely to see one, it would be Bo Qingshan. His aunt pushed for them to meet more, yet his mother commonly refused, saying he was too young; YinJiao could bet that she frequently forgot his age, yet said not a word, for she would scarcely pay any mind to him. Not like he cared. Yet.

The majority of his clan would make friends at the age of three, typically in unclaimed open areas, as it appeared that most, including the youth, were territorial. YinJiao looked to be on the taller spectrum of the clan despite his youth. strange.

His mother was of average height from what he could see, though she commonly kept her head down and preferred to be at a peculiar angle to the boy; it was hard to determine her real height. YinJiao watched as his aunt once again tried to convince his mother to let the two roam together. The boy remained silent.

Bo Qingshan looked at him, and his eyes looked at all the nacres that found their way around his form. There was a softness that grew as he saw the many accessories that were far more than his two bracelets. The other cousins stayed next to the boy, holding relaxed manifestations that Bo Qingshan soon replicated as he ascertained the boy before him was not even a threat.

YinJiao did not speak and soon watched the fish that swam past; The gentle rhythm contrasted with the liveliness of his kin who bounced around. It felt awkward for the child who refused to go out of his way to do much. The sand that covered the floor was soon disturbed by merriment as the young Jiaoren shouted, and Bo Qingshan came closer to grab the boy with his teeth bared in a mischievous manner. "Mama said that YinJiao is mine! Not any of yours." 

The boy pouted as he pulled the younger onwards to a free area with great speed as the others whined at the loss of their new plaything, who was unwilling anyway. The sensation of the current was unfamiliar, yet he did not refuse the excited boy despite his own vacuity.

There was the sound of water resistance attempting to slow the boys down, yet it failed as Bo Qingshan managed to go further still.YinJiao felt like an accessory with how he struggled to keep his head straight. The area he was brought to had four other Jiaoren, each of whom was from a separate clan of Jiaoren.

Both he and Bo Qingshan were flamboyant with their fins being large and resembling a peony. His was a teal colour, and his cousin was a more muted green. In contrast, most had a beige colouring to their tails. One had a prominent spine that protruded out as well as nails that could not retract. The female’s fins were thin and of the same bland colour. Whiskers seemed to be standard amongst the two, counting the one YinJiao was speaking of.

Another had the same colourings with a long, thin body with sharp features. He had small, but round eyes. “This is my younger cousin, YinJiao. This is Bai Yong Cheng from the kikuchii clan, “ He pointed to the latter than to the former, “and Wu WenHe from the gladius clan.” YinJiao smiled maladroitly as he bowed his head in greeting.  

The boy then turned to face the final two, one of whom had a more yellowed appearance, and the other had whiskers. The boy had a lopsided smile and short hair that was comparable to his first world; the boy caused some confusion. “This is Huang Ye from the Sinensis clan, and finally Kong Jing.”

The second most diminutive friend, as his cousin was shorter, was a female, although she was still of a higher stature than YinJiao. She was an olive colour with spots upon her tail. “She is from the Aymonieri clan.”

The diverse group sounded quite peculiar to the young Jiaoren. Bo Qingshan may be a little too strange for his liking, as this was his first attempt at companionship, and it was with entirely different clans. The rest seemed to be opposed to his presence as well, as they held a look of confusion. “He looks to be half our age; however, you want us to befriend him?” Bai Yong Chen asked with one side of his lips drawn up.

“My cousin is young -yeah- but he does not do well in front of others and has no friends.” Bo Qingshan smiled as he pulled YinJiao further forward. The sudden gaze of others caused him to tense up and go still as he looked teary-eyed at the elders.

“We were all like that once, were we not. I declare that Jiao-er is welcome to our group!” Huang Ye came forward and positioned his hand on YinJiao’s shoulder. He let out a simple smile in response to the grin of Huang Ye. 

“He’s still my cousin! You can’t just take him.”Bo Qingshan immediately grabbed him back, embracing him despite the truth that the two had never even held hands. It was a small shock to feel another touching him, and Yinjiao felt entirely repulsed. Laughter from the four others surrounded the boy, resulting in an accretion of excess nerves.

“A-qing is so strange.” Wu WenHe spoke as Bo Qingshan hesitated before releasing his cousin. The boy smiled along with the rest; however, there was a level of sorrow at the reaction of his friends. Clans were essentially a different species, and none seemed to understand -that was one of the reasons YinJiao was confused by the different clans being buddies.

“Let’s go!” Huang Ye began to swim off, the rest giggled as they followed the bold one who rushed ahead, and YinJiao was left holding onto his cousin’s hand once more, for he knew not where they were all going. There was a prick within his chest at his intrusion into the group. If he had legs, one would be bouncing.

It was soon enough that the group reached a cave. It was east of their original location and was bathed in a blue light that danced on the ceiling in response to the water.

The group conversed in a way that showed their closeness as they brought up small details to eachother's life and inside jokes providing laughter that echoed off the cave walls. The boy moved himself to the corner because he felt awkward. And he was not noticed.

That was good. Right?

It was much better to fade into the background than to be a target of their pity. And YinJiao wanted nothing more than to live in darkness. Darkness was all around him as he existed within the almost infinitely large body of water. His vision caused light to persist despite his deepest wishes.

The lighting in the cave was winsome, however. It was a hue that made all emulate each other, fostering cohesion despite the many visual differences. One could imagine them from the same clan in such a location.

YinJiao stood to the side -forgotten despite how Bo Qingshan clung to him before. The first to notice was Bai Yong Chen, who paused for a moment and moved over to make space while turning to the rest. YinJiao did not want to enter that world, though.

The boy grimaced before beckoning him forward. YinJiao had no reason to logically refuse; he slowly moved towards the gathering of the Jiaoren upon the rocks. None responded, but others did meet his gaze.

The speech continued as Bo Qingshan slowly made his way closer and soon wrapped his arm around the boy's shoulders as he leaned in to his cousin.

"YinJiao, why haven't you made any friends? I mean, you now have to join us when we are double your age; it's unexpected." Wu WenHe asked with a slight tilt to her head.

YinJiao took a second to think, however this was interrupted by Bai Yong Chen. "It's obvious that he's just so awkward, he must have never spoken to anyone if he was just floating in the corner, not even trying to join."

YinJiao could not look any of them in the eyes and so turned to look at the walls. "Gege is quite right, I haven't spoken to anyone outside of my family, nor do I speak with my mu-qin that frequently, and so I hardly have any experience."

The air grew thick with the silence that protruded throughout the group. "Well. At least you speak better than all of us despite that whole thing!" Huang Ye smiled and giggled.

YinJiao reciprocated with a smile that was gentle as he tilted his head slowly, the harshness slowly melted as others sighed and smiled, their faces pulled by force but soon smiles turned real as Huang Ye began to speak once more.

He... He would make a good leader for too often was the job about speaking with others -just as he saw with Yue Qingyuan- and the other half was about knowing how to maintain efficiency.

So yes. YinJiao thought the boy could go far in his clan due to what he saw from the extroverted Jiaoren.

YinJiao smiled along but remained quiet as he watched the world passed him by as he listened and observed to the group who would speak as if they hadn't any way to stop. It was rather cute.

YinJiao leaned back into his cousin who grinned at the surrender into his group that none could reach but him.

YinJiao chuckled under his breath at the thought of him being considered Bo Qingshan's property.

It was a peculiar thing to imagine as he had always considered himself an independent person but his cousin desired them to share an identity with him, not that YinJiao particularly minded, just so long as he was not treated like he was weak and pathetic.

Though. Based on his aunt, Bo Qingshan would be brought up believing that and then it would be YinJiao's job to prove him wrong.

He would have to fight.

Something he did not want to do as he had the opportunity to be lazy, he just wanted to be respected as he did laze around.

YinJiao did not have to worry yet, as he was only four, for now.

⊹ ࣪ ﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏⊹ ࣪ ˖

YinJiao was now nine…

Time had passed and the boy hardly grew as much as the other Jiaoren his age and he went from being one of the tallest to being one of the shortest; his clan was one of the smallest already and he felt so weak looking.

Shame?

YinJiao did not feel any at all, he was strong and had been picked on before.

A group of three tall bullies.

To put it short, the other party was a fool to think that he was weak, they supposedly went missing and no one knew why the small thing looked so prideful yet beaten and bruised. 

He was far from respected but had yet to be picked on in public.

Older women called him cute and gave him free food and trinkets on occasion if he behaved like his Hua Lei persona, one that he perfected long ago thanks to Wen Chunhua, and so he was getting used to using it once more.

Fun.

That was until the day another larger boy believed his strength was as grand as his ego.

The middle of the market were for those who purchased goods. However it was also a spot for youths who would stay to the edge of the main market and were rarely spoken to if they weren't cute enough.

YinJiao smiled as he looked to the ocean floor where a lonely crab created a line of light fog from the sand that floated before resting back in its original position; YinJiao felt like the sand as he would always return to his mother.

Shame. Part of the Jiaoren wished to forever rest in the cave along with his friends who he had grown closer to.

"So you keep taking money by acting cute to my mum?" The boy was built like an average boy upon Bai Zhan, but he knew multiple fighting styles and so tied his hair using a ribbon of a purple hue.

"I did not intend to steal!" 

YinJiao looked up with teary eyes as the boy only a few years older blushed and grew embarrassed by his own betrayal to his original emotions and so furrowed his eyebrows as his resting hand grew to a fist and YinJiao smiled.

"FIGHT!" Another youth cried out as more gathered to see the fight that had a clear victor -at least they thought he would win.

YinJiao finished his hair with a bow to patronise the other.

The deep expanse of the ocean provided room to escape but the dark fog of the abyss of the deep water was hardly what YinJiao wished to know. He fixed his posture.

In order to mimic the fighting style of a peak lord, he tried to recall the different styles of Cang Qiong based on the peak: Bai Zhan focused on weight of their throws but we're slowed by it, Qiong Ding focused on stability rather than deflecting blows.

Thankfully. Qing Jing was the peak he was most familiar with and focused on speed and elegance but admittedly fell short in stability.

Shen Qingqiu and Yue Qingyuan would be the most formidable opponents if they spoke.

The teen rushed forward in a deep attac, but kept his body open and so YinJiao let his hands push his away without dodging, to which the attacker growled at.

He began another attack.

YinJiao countered this with ease as he swished away but the other caught his tail and forced him to the floor as he began to punch the smaller boy with all his might to harm the weaker, but YinJiao grew hate from his soul.

Surrounded. YinJiao drew the hate that filled half his innards and flipped their positions to be on top.

He had grabbed his wrist and used his strength to swap.

The then hit at his windpipe to make sure he could not fight back anymore before using his first upon the Solar Plexus, a pressure point that caused the man to be deeply uncomfortable as he hunched in.

YinJiao then used his teeth.

The young Jiaoren bit at the older's shoulder and ripped the skin off the rest of his fragile flesh -the man may have cried but it changed nothing- YinJiao elbowed his collarbone and the other screamed in agony at the… misshapen bone.

Oh...

YinJiao paused and laughed in anxiety as he got off the boy, holding his hands to rest together as silence grew.

"Jiao-er, cousin, who dared to try fight you..." 

The crowd was thick as the teen grew worried for his family who had apparently entered a fight despite the fact the boy was so very young.

He was extremely worried.

Bo Qingshan pushed through the crowd to see his baby cousin freshly bruised -yes- but he was not the crying mess of the other boy who was struggling to breath as blood leaked from his shoulder and even a bit of his mouth.

"Um... I t-think I may have broken his collarbone so it's best we get him a doctor..." YinJiao smiled awkwardly as he backed up slowly.

His tail made his movements much too obvious whilst the crowd that had gathered started to whisper about the young Jiaoren who was much too small and young to take down any boy of the other's size.

Bo Qingshan paused before grabbing YinJiao.

The older of the two dragged the younger, leaving the rest to yell about the boy who's pearls were escaping into the ocean and mixing with his blood like a permanent dye would be cast upon the iridescent balls of sorrow.

"Gege. Are you mad that I hurt that boy… despite the fact that I wasn't the one to start the fight?" YinJiao swam ahead to face his cousin.

The boy's face was overcome by something else as YinJiao saw something so different from what he could describe; he rarely saw this pale face with a warmth present under his cheeks.

"You weren't supposed to fight anyone." 

So the boy did believe what YinJiao's aunt said about him and had to have fully believed that to be true and so YinJiao played stupid as he should not know about a conversation had when he was just born.

"Gege. I know that you may want to protect me… but this didi can handle a couple bullies." YinJiao flashed his puppy eyes and the boy changed.

His face was filled with an acute shock before fixing up and gently smiling to the little one who he should have no reason to hate.

"Yes, Gege wants Didi safe."

In the gentle lighting, the boy almost looked to be telling the truth, but YinJiao was not stupid enough to believe that his cousin would give up on such an ideology for his baby cousin and would instead pretend until they fought, and YinJiao would definitely win.

"YinJiao. I don't want you to fight because I want you to be safe… you are too… young." Bo Qingshan paused before the older embraced YinJiao tightly enough that the smaller of the two believed that Bo Qingshan was attempting to suffocate YinJiao for his crimes.

YinJiao squirmed under the pressure.

Bo Qingshan finally realised what he was unintentionally doing and immediately loosened his iron grip whilst still hugging YinJiao, muttering many apologies as he kept his face buried behind the boy's shoulder; YinJiao soon got bored and squirmed again against his cousin.

"Alright. How about you and I go meet up with the gang for today, my rebellious cousin?" 

Rebellious was a stretch when the other started the fight.

Bo Qingshan quickly swapped his expression but YinJiao could see how there was a small branch of red within his eye infecting the rest in addition to a clenched fist.

The two began to swim east.

YinJiao soon learnt that Huang Ye had been the one to find the cave during his migration and liked it so much that he made that the official home to their club; he was technically the leader of the six. Unofficially.

From the corner of his eye, YinJiao noticed Bo Qingshan place what was in his fist in the pouch that rested on his hip. YinJiao felt a prick in his chest from knowing why he now had pearls.

Bo Qingshan noticed the watching eye and held YinJiao's smaller hand and continued the path forwards, passing a large collection of krill that peacefully swam in the same direction.

It was a pretty sight.

A galaxy of apricot and tangerine painted the ocean with areas that faded into the deep blue of the sea and the eternal pattern resulted in some kind of hypnosis that took hold of YinJiao's eyes before Bo Qingshan pulled him away.

"What? They're just prey, they are hardly enough to loose yourself in, plus, the sharks are coming in; The krill will be gone soon." Bo Qingshan swam faster to escape the view of the larger predator.

YinJiao felt a little ashamed to simply look past the small creatures to focus on something bigger but continued as they entered the cave where a few already were.

They were barely doing anything.

Kong Jing lied upon the elevated rocks resting as Wu Wentle read scripture made from seaweed that had been cleaned using a deeply alkaline substance similar to bleach, so much so that Jiaoren have to travel to the surface to make sure their environment is not contaminated.

"Hello! I fought this older and bigger boy and managed to win, is that not amazing, Jiejies?" YinJiao pulled his lips upwards to match the girls expectations.

To say the truth, YinJiao was not a massively smiley person but it made his friends happy to see it and so he completed the expression and felt better after.

"What, are you alright?" Kong Jing immediately sat up and moved to the water the youngest was in to check for injuries before frowning at all the bruises that littered his cheek and torso, and a slightly warmer colour in the shape of a hand on his tail.

"Qingshan. You are supposed to make sure he isn't hurt, especially considering that he is the youngest among all of us. It’s hard to believe that you actually let him get involved in a fight like that! 

I mean, what were you thinking? He doesn’t have the same experience nor maturity that the rest of us do. We all know how rough things can get in those situations, and it’s our responsibility to protect the younger ones -like our YinJiao- and not put them in harm's way. He deserves better than to be put in danger like that." Wu Wentle placed her litterateur on the rocks and cornered Bo Qingshan.

"It's not my fault, he was the one who got into a fight when I was not there, plus, you should see the other boy who was beaten black and blue."

"I bit his shoulder." YinJiao noticed a piece of his flesh in-between his teeth and picked it out, pinching it tightly before showing the two girls who looked horrified at the sight of the stretched skin with visible tear marks, it was far from a clean cut.

"Oh... That's great," Kong Jing immediately pulled herself and Bo Qingshan to the side while Wu Wentle pat the younger's head. 

The sensation was most pleasant under the surface of the beloved water as his long, wavey hair stretched out to make way for the hand that ended up lightly scratching also.

"I know that your clan focuses on fighting, but that cannot be normal." Kong Jing spoke quietly, but YinJiao just needed to focus more to listen and so didn't pay attention to what W

Wu Wentle was falsely praising him.

YinJiao knew that he had hurt the boy immensely but he truly did not care yet thinking about his own lack of care brought a new wave of guilt of which he was unused to and he had to fight against to not scrunch up.

"Trust that it is not normal." Bo Qingshan awkwardly smiled as he looked and locked eyes with the smiling boy; his eyes soon turned to the woman who was trying to take the skin from his hand with little success as he pulled his first away.

"Didi! Please give me that thing, it is not clean and will rot in due time so please!" Wu Wentle did not give up as she swam after the speeding boy.

But unfortunately, Huang Ye caught the small Jiaoren as he entered, the boy squirmed but Huang Ye did not release him as Wu Wentle thanked him profusely.

"What's going on, little one!" 

"I fought with this older and bigger boy -and won- but Wu-Jie is trying to take my first trophy, I managed to rip the skin off of his shoulder before I broke his collarbone, though the latter was an accident!" 

"Oh... That does make sense Didi, please do give me the skin and I can get you new jewellery with the pearls you said you had." YinJiao huffed at the boy who's eyebrows were scrunched in concern.

But YinJiao retreated and handed the admittedly large section of flesh to the boy who smiled and placed it in his own pouch that they all matched with -usually for pearls but it had different sections inside.

YinJiao passed his pouch. He had a great excess of pearls within the pouch and had no idea what to do with them, in fact, he had new ones from seeing the krill being killed despite their apparently mundane beauty according to his cousin.

"Thanks. This little rascal may have managed to win his first brawl but he can't beat us!"

"But that wasn't my first fight, Kong-Jie."

Silence grew as all looked to the most troublesome child they'd ever meet, Kong Jing clutched her head as she let out an exhausted exhale as she placed her hand on his shoulder. 

"Let's pretend we didn't hear that." The rest nodded as they reached the rocky shore, YinJiao preferred to be in the corners and the rest stayed near the young one but preferred the light that made them look more alike in a beautiful way, it was the place you could mistake them for being from the same clan.

Perfect. 

The three caught up every week when they could with the exception of one being sick or migration. Though Huang Ye was the one who did the latter most.

Huang Ye left for three months every year yet managed to be the most liked within the group as all listen and looked up to the boy that brought the rest together.

He first met Bai Yong Chen. The stark contrast was only there for those who did not know Bai Yong Chen that well as the boy was true to himself and cared for many in his own particular way as he did like kids but was seemed cold. Ha!

In the beginning, he seemed mean but he was truly showing concern as YinJiao did not know how to interact with kids his age. Bai Yong Chen was very cute at his core.

The next to be friends was Wu Wentle who was going against Huang Ye in a youth group for leadership of clans -they were still the same species- and the placements would be decided next year. 

She was a confident speaker.

But Huang Ye was able to seem more down to earth; it was difficult to say which of the two would win the one free spot but it was clear the other candidates would not win due to the greatness of the teenagers. And there was only one person generation. Still.

They became friends due to their great ideals being close together, they wanted a better society. Then there was Kong Jing who Huang Ye met with the other two.

She was a kind but quiet girl who gave free books to Wu Wentle in exchange for silk as her clan sold their fabrics, even to humans. It was of great quality.

However the two clans were in a petty rivalry that had lasted three hundred years and so Wu Wentle was able to convince her with the fabric that was hydrophobic and so would not weigh her down whilst swimming, not that clothes were common.

Shame. It was mainly those of high status that wore clothes, or those who interacted with humans. The reason why was partly because of humans.

They were predators who liked pearls and had tortured Jiaoren for the Jewels and so anything associated with humanity that the Jiaoren had not already been using was looked in contempt. 

Clothes were unneeded.

Modesty existed through pearls, and to wear clothes was expensive and showed one did not have to hunt as the fabric would absorb water, to not hunt meant you had enough food to not need more, or you had people to do it for you.

Lazy. YinJiao became a vegetarian because his mother never taught him to hunt fish and half were too fast to catch. It was much simpler to copy the veg that he saw on the market.

But regular clothes would also cost and entire bracelet for the fine silks that Wu Wentle's clan produced but Kong Jing never wore any of it despite the exchange of her families collection of books. It was sweet.

Huang Ye managed to become proper friends with her first, and Kong Jing joined because she wished to be closer to Wu Wentle and became the heart of the group as she cared for all like they were a couple of her younger siblings.

Goodness. Kong Jing was the eldest and had five younger siblings, so she did know how to deal with most events. Wu Wentle may be the one she favours most but YinJiao believes all see her as the one to turn to when anything happens and she can help. 

Then there was Bo Qingshan.

The boy was a fighter -like all of their clan- and found Kong Jing being bullied for being seen with the silk of Wu Wentle's family and called a human-lover as Huang Ye tried to step in but failed and got punched.

But. Bo Qingshan attacked all three of the attackers and stayed nearby, though YinJiao suspected it was mainly in case of another battle on the horizon.

But he liked the group enough that he ended up joining.

It took a while for Bai Yong Chen to tolerate him because he was from the clan that favoured violence but Huang Ye was kind enough to bring him with the group until he tolerated him. It took four months.

By then, they were six and Bo Qingshan would speak of his little two year old cousin frequently, speaking of their meetings that only occurred once a month like it happened every day with how much substance he managed to say of his relative.

Afterwards. It was relatively easy for them to befriend the boy who was so very known of. It was rather embarrassing for the boy.

To have so much known about you it was a difficult thing when you know nothing of them and so it felt like their relationship was one-sided. But it got better.

Hua Qingban just had to wait for five months before he felt a true connection to the others, it was worth it to have his one and only friends within this lifetime; YinJiao loved everyone within the group and it would be difficult to live without them now that he had them.

But. There were struggles as he was naturally more violent as evident by his two fights, which was unfortunate for their much greater morals. He was almost completely unable to control himself.

YinJiao sometimes chimed in to their conversations and would grin as he did but that day he felt a little tired from the physical task of his fight. YinJiao yawned.

The group soon noted the reaction as Bai Yong Chen pet YinJiao's silky hair and made their chatter more quiet and even moved away to silence themselves greater for the small one beginning to fight the fall of his eyelids. Unsuccessfully.

YinJiao let out a small in acknowledgement of the group's small act of kindness towards the youngest Jiaoren. The day had been rough to the boy who simply wished to relax.

The fight had honestly been a mistake as now Bo Qingshan would be looking to him to make sure that he was behaving properly and fitting to what his role was. He's supposed to be a child.

But YinJiao had been bored and wanted more, so he accepted despite the fact that fights are usually only acceptable once a child reaches the age of ten; he was a year short to qualify according to the main rule. Shame.

The gentle flow of waves that was cast upon the ceiling lulled the small Jiaoren into sleep. In a half lucid state, YinJiao listened to the ocean.

The plopping of water dripping from the ceiling and small waves hitting and clinging to the rocks was something that always calmed the Jiaoren enough to desire rest. The salty smell remained present.

It was most present within the cave as salt crystals sat just below the deepest point of the cave and spread throughout the layout to form a beautiful and delicious water source that YinJiao loved to be in and smell. Perfect.

The weight of his limbs was like a stone sinking through water, slow and inevitable.

YinJiao began to fade into a deep slumber and the darkness consumed him and YinJiao was able to fully rest comfortably as his mother did not give much comfort.

But he suddenly awoke.

There was a yell that he could not yet understand as he opened his eyes to blink and turned to where his friends were but found no one as he sat up and leaned with his entire torso on his arms, and only then could he understand what was said.

Human.

YinJiao turned around and saw the figure with two legs standing upright.

Humans seemed so immense and threatening in this form as they stood to be tall naturally, alert, he stared at the human with fear present.

The human examined him for a moment and took a step forward, to which he slid back closer to the water; the human immediately stopped then. It observed.

YinJiao felt like a prey being hunted under those cold and sharp eyes, and it was well known that Humans did not lose hope on a hunt and would continue for hours to catch a big meal, they were stalkers. Shit.

But the human did not attack and instead stayed still, even half turned so that it could run..

And in the moment of calm, YinJiao noticed that the human was in fact a boy, something around his age and height but had ocean blue eyes contrasting his magenta eyes suited to the butterflies upon land, strangely the most common colours in this world was magenta and purple.

"You. You're a Jiaoren, aren't you?" The boy asked, the mole underneath his eye buried in a new crinkle of his eyes as he squinted at the being.

"Yes, My name is YinJiao, and you, human?" YinJiao came a little closer as he kept in his mind that this human was his age and probably had not learnt what it meant to truly fight.

"Liu Mingcao… why are you here?" The boy questioned with a sharp tone to which the Jiaoren tilted his head before answering.

"Me and my friends meet up here every week or so, what about you Ming-ge?" YinJiao smiled at the figure who hesitated at the nickname given on a whim. "I wanted to practice fighting."

YinJiao was immediately very interested as he looked to see a wooden sword held behind Liu Mingcao's back.

"Please, fight me -i am good at fighting- please I need this!?" YinJiao begged as he slid closer.

"How am I meant to fight you when you can't move properly?" The boy asked and YinJiao hesitated; it was admittedly a problem, but the Jiaoren slid back into the water and looked back at the boy with a smirk.

"Gege can fight me in the water?" YinJiao looked over his shoulder at the boy, his hair clinging in the well-known water that he loved.

"But... It's not fair?" There was hesitation.

The boy looked to the floor of the cave, wet from the Jiaoren who had just been there and thought of the choices that were present: he could stay and certainly lose or he could refuse and walk away from the unknown.

YinJiao could not allow the latter.

"Come on, this Didi needs a challenge and gege looks strong enough, not to mention I can help you learn. Certainly if you are going to join a cultivation sect you will fight different types of battles in different environments; weight training allows for pressure off lims to minimise tearing muscles and building them with water resistance."

The human gege looked confused as his clouded brow joined with squinted eyes. "How do you know I want to join." 

Oh please, 'Liu' as a surname, a mole under his eye and blue eyes -it was obvious as to what his true identity was.

"Once again, Gege looks strong, I wouldn't imagine someone like you not becoming a cultivator!" 

⊹ ࣪ ﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏⊹ ࣪ ˖

This Bare-top trickster!

Looking at Liu Mingcao like that and assuming he'll fall for this spell to follow him. He shall not fail this rest by the heavens.

The boy looked to be a bit taller than he and thin enough to make his height even more noticeable, his tail was long and had the main colour of purple though had different hues within that shined like a rainbow with curling fins similar to a chrysanthemum cut in half.

The long hair was filled with loose waves that clung to the figure that. Wore. No. Top.

Not a single item of clothing was upon the being to tempt the ten year old to betray what his tutors had taught him of being righteous.

The beckoning was slow and hypnotic as drops of the water clung to the Jiaoren's eyelashes. 

His eyes were a beautiful shade that he had never seen on a human yet brought to light his ethereal form as he batted the eyelashes towards him; the eyes almost seemed to be glowing as they enchanted the boy.

But he could see those sharp teeth.

Strangely enough, the danger did not deter the boy and in fact interested him more as he desired to examine those teeth and the pink lips that encased them beautifully.

"Shameless!" Liu Mingcao turned his head away as he felt heat reach his cheeks.

"Gege~ won't you fight me, this Didi was hoping that he would make this one happy!" Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Yin Jiao -strange surname that it was- swim closer as it took ahold of the side of his trousers and pouted with his baby face highlighting the cuteness of the Jiaoren.

"Alright, just stop that look!" Liu Mingcao had to have been horrible in his past life to find such a beautiful curse on his hands, adorned it hundreds of pearls as he was.

Ethereal. Such a beauty should not be allowed as he could probably convince Liu Mingcao to do anything. It was much too dangerous to see the smile upon his face.

His eyes sparkled like the stars at his acceptance as he slowly reached for Liu Mingcao's sleeve and pulled the fool towards to the water, the human accepted and followed the ask of the beauty that was this Yin Jiao. No.

But the stars would cry out in envy towards the beauty of his sun that would light up the sky each day and the moon could only hope to imitate such a heavenly thing.

Yin Jiao chuckled under his breath as Liu Mingcao entered the water that caused his clothes to cling to his form. His hands then reached for his wooden blade.

"Gege needs to use this. Not just stare at this one." But that was impossible with such hypnotising eyes before him.

"Stop." Yin Jiao made a sound of confusion as his head tilted once more and smiled awkwardly.

"Stop what Gege, this one wants to fight?" 

Liu Qingge raised his blade and tried to to hit him immediately only for them to slither like he was never there, the blade hardly was fast and caused a large splash.

There was a constant battle with Yin Jiao dodging what used to be considered fast attacks for the young boy who's spirit was slowly decreasing. He could not understand.

He was well known in his manor for desiring to battle with every master who tutored him and would force one when they refused. Liu Mingcao was able to beat half the masters, so he suspected that he could certainly beat someone around his age (maybe a year younger) but he was failing. He continued in his attempt to win against the Jiaoren.

Liu Mingcao attempted to turn around but it was much too slow and Yin Jiao had already found the most perfect position and pushed him to the rocks, a wave following the Jiaoren as he grinned fully to show off every one of his teeth.

"Shame. Gege needs greater aid in defeating this one -though this one supposes that was to be suspected."

He was just too slow. Liu Mingcao frowned as he looked to the blade that was fast for humans but not for the creature that caused feelings within his gut, something he was told to follow.

The Jiaoren came closer to him and held onto his sleeve once more.

"Gege looks disappointed by his loss, but shouldn't feel discouraged; this one's clan is for fighting, we are basically breed for strength and agility." Liu Mingcao looked away not out of confusion but of Shane despite the words of this creature that was covered with items of wealth that few wore separate from his own mother who loved her looks just as his father did.

"Cousin! Are you alright, you aren't-" another Jiaoren showed up, less beautiful, but still wearing pearls along with others. There were two females but only one of them was wearing a shirt!

Liu Mingcao looked away.

The one wearing a shirt implies they can, but won't, which makes it worse as his face reddened and eyes became an accessory with how much he shut his eyes closed. However he could not stand the suspense and peeked.

"Didi, get away from that human." Another asked, this one had short hair similar to a criminal, his tone serious as he glared at Liu Mingcao.

"But, Huang-ge, I already beat him in a fight! He's my first friend my age." Yin Jiao pouted and the older Jiaoren's eyebrows furrowed further as he came closer. 

"No. You need to stop causing trouble now!" The teen was now yelling as he grabbed Yin Jiao and tried to pull him away from Liu Mingcao.

The boy's eyes watered from the pull and a pearl(?) fell. Yin Jiao soon ripped the sleeve of Liu Mingcao and was forced away.

Liu Mingcao was left in shock as to what he saw, his robes were soaked and ripped but he picked up the two pearls and hoped he would meet the ji- Yin Jiao once more.

He was much too intrigued.

⊹ ࣪ ﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏⊹ ࣪ ˖

"What the fuck was that." Huang Ye yelled at him with his hand still holding onto the boys arm.

"A-huang, you could hurt him if you keep holding my cousin like that, he doesn't need more injuries!" 

Bo Qingshan tried to convince the mad Jiaoren by lending his hand upon Huang Ye's shoulders despite the stubbornness that Huang Ye possessed; though YinJiao had not seen this kind of hatred before.

"Remember this, Didi, humans have killed us because our carcass can light lanterns for longer, because they went to hard in search for tears and they thought we were pretty pets; they are heartless and I don't want you near them." Power. 

Huang Ye's kind exterior was gone to reveal a new side to the boy who used to be a human. It was out of concern.

But looking at his once kind Gege now appearing cruel from the sharp glare he gave the young boy for fraternising with the supposed enemy: humans.

"This Didi is sorry, he thought Ming-ge was harmless."

There was another murderous glare as Huang Ye pressed his palm to YinJiao's mouth out of the hatred for the words that escaped YinJiao's lips, Bo Qingshan moved to face the direction Huang Ye was glaring at and managed to tear his gaze from YinJiao and focus it on Bo Qingshan.

"Idiots. You two haven't suffered by their hands, you two have your family but I don't -because of them." Huang Ye scrunched his face up.

It was an attempt to keep up the hateful appearance but YinJiao saw the tears forming and hardening into pearls as Huang Ye scrapped across the slit of his closed eyes.

"Don't call him anything, and don't see that human." Huang Ye's tone was serious however YinJiao knew he could not accept the request when he wished to know about the childhood of the man he knew and respected so heavily in his second life, it was not an option to avoid Liu Qingge.

"Gege. I accept so long as Huang-ge does not cry for this Didi hates to see it." He embraces the teen.

Huang Ye refutes the obvious truth of his emotions, claiming that someone his age does not cry that easily, but he is still a child who should be able to express himself.

Bo Qingshan also hugs the other teen.

The two were best friends -that much was obvious with how much time they spent together, if he wasn't with YinJiao, he was with Huang Ye- but his cousin was not as good with emotions as clear by the awkward expression present.

"Didi. I think it is best you leave me and your Huang-ge alone, your mu-qin should be expecting you." As if.

YinJiao had not grown any sort of connection with the woman who birthed him, in fact, the two were even more separated than before with YinJiao possessing friends. 

All she did was give him money to eat.

YinJiao was thinking however, because he could not get a lot with what she gave him, he would most likely remain smaller than most of he continued to eat this badly but his mother would not care, she would not even know.

But. YinJiao was able to gain extra food by acting cute, though he had now been hit because of doing so. However food wasn't he gained.

Through rumours, he eventually learnt why his mother hated him: his father was a human and abandoned his mother for his true wife when he realised she was pregnant.

YinJiao did not believe that to be enough to hate a child however.

His mother may hate what he stands for, but he was still half of her and the two were so visually similar that all who met him immediately knew who he was the son of without a second to think.

Ugh. He returned soon to him home nest in a cave and returned to his room that he made himself. He forced it larger.

It barely fits him when he was four and it was the same now, for he would claw at the walls untill the space got larger. He could just barely catch up to his height.

Either his claws would chip or he'd be too tired after a long day and collapse within his lightless room within the cave, he suspected his mother wished him to suffocate within the room and was still waiting for the day.

He snuggled up. The boy was much too tired to dig today from both his fights and from swimming back and forth to the cave.

A deep sigh escaped him.

YinJiao was happy to meet Liu Qingge when he was a cute baby but Liu Mingcao seemed weak and distracted by something about his new friend. YinJiao was happy to see him but he didn't know if their friendship would last.

Huang Ye would certainly kill the Jiaoren of he found out that he and Liu Mingcao were meeting up after the teen explicitly asked for YinJiao and Liu Mingcao to never meet again (he could repent for his sins later).

But. It would be difficult to move forward with the meetings as everyone was on high alert. Especially his cousin.

YinJiao sighed as he realised that he was having a headache, of which was rare for the peculiar boy, perhaps him finally having one was more peculiar.

YinJiao chuckled under his breath as he smiled to himself.

The darkness did not hinder on the young Jiaoren's joy and -in fact- expanded it as the Jiaoren could imagine the space was larger and that he had much more comfortable things within instead of just rock covering every surface. 

However. The boy needed to strategize on what he could do: either come early to meetings or stay late. Each were suspicious.

YinJiao felt he would soon give up as he thought of proper rest that would not be interrupted by the fools of the ocean who did not understand that not all members of a species were the same.

The same that there were many different clans.

Not that Huang Ye would ever accept the truth due to his own educated experience; YinJiao did not fault Huang Ye for his bias against humans, just that Liu Mingcao was not yet able to hurt the smallest of the group.

Warm. His surroundings were warm as he felt a desire to rest grow stronger by the second. He was tired.

His day had been long and he's thought hard and come to the conclusion that he and Liu Mingcao could meet on a completely different day. That way, few would notice him gone.

But would that work when Bo Qingshan knows that he has a growing tendency to fight and can hold himself together well within a fight despite his minimum experience, he could not lose his pride in addition to his cousin.

He both loved him and found him troublesome, which was true.

Anyways, here's some art! (⁠◕⁠ᴗ⁠◕⁠✿⁠)