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bloody-bee-tea · 4 years

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If you ever feel like it, I would love to see a fic for the scenario where wwx and jyl call jc after a family dinner only to find out that their parents didn't invite him. I loved all your bad parents + jc fics! My favourite so far was the mingxicheng one, where madame yu made jc leave them for 3yrs! And the series where lxc saves jc from zidian and takes him to cloud recesses has a special place in my heart (first cql fic ive ever read!)

BeeTober 2020 Day 15

Spite - Golden

Day 15 of BeeTober 2020 finally gives me an excuse to finish this wip that has been laying around for far too long now. Have some family feels between these three siblings!

Jiang Cheng is enjoying a rare, quiet evening at home, when his phone rings.

He put it on the table when he swaddled himself in a blanket, and it’s biting him in the ass now, because he not only has to unwrap himself, but he also has to stretch uncomfortably to reach the phone.

When he half slides off the couch in the process, Jiang Cheng figures it would have been easier to simply stand up, but by then the phone is in his hands.

Nuisance it says, and Jiang Cheng groans into the couch.

He was having a calm evening. He does not want to talk to Wei Wuxian, who will upend Jiang Cheng’s tranquillity.

Jiang Cheng is still debating weather he should mute his phone or not, when it suddenly lights up again, but this time it says A-jie.

There is no way in hell that Jiang Cheng wouldn’t pick up when Jiang Yanli is calling but seeing her name on the phone so shortly after Wei Wuxian’s makes Jiang Cheng panic.

“Is everyone alright?” Jiang Cheng asks as soon as he accepted the call and when Wei Wuxian huffs at the other end of the line, Jiang Cheng feels betrayed.

“So you have time to answer shi-jie, but not me?” Wei Wuxian asks and Jiang Cheng rolls his eyes.

“You know I love her more,” he gives back, laughing at Wei Wuxian’s indignant squeak. “What do you want?” Jiang Cheng asks once Wei Wuxian calmed down and he feels slightly betrayed when he realizes that his siblings are together and didn’t even ask him to join them.

Jiang Cheng tries to push that thought away, because they are allowed to spend time together without him—of course they are—but Jiang Cheng has a hard time fighting his insecurities.

“What are you doing?” Wei Wuxian asks and Jiang Cheng looks down at his blanket.

“Nothing?” he asks, because he doesn’t think it warrants being said that he is a slob tonight.

There is a very icy silence from Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng frowns.

“Why?” Jiang Cheng carefully asks, already on the defense.

“What do you mean ‘nothing’?” Wei Wuxian snaps and Jiang Cheng shrugs, even though Wei Wuxian can’t see him.

“I mean, I’m on the couch, about to start my second movie?” Jiang Cheng unsurely gives back.

“You stupid asshole,” Wei Wuxian seethes and before Jiang Cheng can react to that Wei Wuxian snaps out “Just stay where the fuck you are,” before he simply hangs up on Jiang Cheng.

Jiang Cheng is left to stare at his phone, wondering what that was all about, before he remembers that Jiang Yanli must have been with Wei Wuxian.

He clicks into his conversation with her and quickly types out Is everything alright?

It doesn’t take her long to answer, but when Jiang Cheng gets the message, he feels as confused as before.

Yes. Stay where you are!

As if he was going to leave his blanket nest, Wei Wuxian’s mood be damned.

It takes them almost half an hour to get to Jiang Cheng’s apartment, and when they ring, Jiang Cheng stays on the couch.

They are being cryptic, and rude for no reason, and they interrupted Jiang Cheng’s relaxing evening; so just to spite them Jiang Cheng makes them search for their own keys instead of getting up and opening the door for them.

Jiang Cheng can hear Wei Wuxian curse before he even gets the door open, and Jiang Yanli’s calming murmur is not far behind, but still, Jiang Cheng is entirely unprepared for the way Wei Wuxian storms into his living-room.

“What the fuck,” Wei Wuxian says first thing when he sees Jiang Cheng all bundled up on the couch, and Jiang Cheng glares at him, because he told him that was what he was doing.

There really is no need to be this surprised by it.

“What?” Jiang Cheng asks, directing the question more to Jiang Yanli than Wei Wuxian, because she’s bound to be the more helpful one here, but Wei Wuxian steps between them.

“Have you been doing this all evening?” Wei Wuxian asks and his voice is so accusing that Jiang Cheng immediately bristles.

He’s allowed to take the evening off, thank you very much.

“Yes,” he bites out, not bothering to explain anything, as long as Wei Wuxian doesn’t tell him what has him worked up like that.

“And you think this was more important than coming to family dinner? Where Uncle Jiang announced that he’ll be stepping down soon? Really?” Wei Wuxian demands to know and Jiang Cheng goes ice cold all over.

“Family dinner,” Jiang Cheng repeats and he starts to tremble all over.

“Yes, for fucks sake. The one you couldn’t attend because you’re so ‘busy’,” Wei Wuxian bites out, but Jiang Yanli puts a calming hand to his arm.

“A-Cheng?” she asks, clearly picking up on Jiang Cheng’s mood, but Jiang Cheng is already untangling himself from his blanket.

“I need to be alone,” Jiang Cheng says, and he feels very removed from his own body.

He’s cold all over, and he thinks he’s still shaking faintly but he barely registers it. All he knows is that he needs to be alone right this moment.

So he gets up and walks past Wei Wuxian and Jiang Yanli without looking at them, and then he makes a beeline for his bedroom.

He feels like he’s frozen, rather than angry, and so he closes the door behind him with a soft click instead of throwing it shut and then he simply stands in the middle of his bedroom for a moment, before he walks over to the bed and crawls under the blanket there.

He pulls it up over his head, and then he simply stares into nothing.

A family dinner. Where his father made a very big announcement.

And Jiang Cheng wasn’t even invited.

That thought finally breaks through his shock and his eyes start to burn with tears.

He always knew that Wei Wuxian was his father’s golden boy and that Jiang Yanli would always be the most beloved by his parents, but to think that his parents didn’t even ask him to this family dinner cuts deeper than Jiang Cheng could have ever imagined.

Jiang Cheng curls up into a small ball and presses his face into the mattress, overly aware of the hot tears that slide out of his eyes.

When his door opens, Jiang Cheng startles. He forgot that Wei Wuxian and Jiang Yanli were still in his apartment and he wishes they would just leave him alone.

He doesn’t want them to see him fall apart.

“A-Cheng,” Jiang Yanli says, and her voice is soft and careful.

“Don’t fucking coddle him,” Wei Wuxian mutters, clearly still angry, but Jiang Yanli doesn’t pay him any attention.

“A-Cheng, did you not know about family dinner?” Jiang Yanli carefully asks and Jiang Cheng presses his eyes closed even harder than before.

“What?” Wei Wuxian gasps and Jiang Cheng can just imagine how he shakes his head. “But Uncle Jiang said Jiang Cheng couldn’t make it because he was busy!”

“A-Cheng?” Jiang Yanli carefully prods him again and Jiang Cheng feels how she sits down on the bed. “Did you know about it?”

“No,” Jiang Cheng croaks out and he hates how his voice breaks.

There’s a horrified gasp, most likely coming from Wei Wuxian, and Jiang Cheng curls up tighter.

“What do you mean ‘no’?” Wei Wuxian repeats and now the familiar anger bubbles up in Jiang Cheng.

He flings his blanket away as he sits up, not caring that the tears are still streaming down his face as he glares hard at Wei Wuxian.

“I mean that no one fucking told me about family dinner tonight,” he hisses out and he cannot stand to look at Jiang Yanli, because he can imagine the heart breaking look on her face and that is already bad enough.

“No one told you,” Wei Wuxian whispers, the disbelieve clear in his voice. “But Uncle Jiang said you couldn’t make it!”

“Right,” Jiang Cheng bitterly says. “And no one ever lies in this family,” he tacks on and looks down at his hands.

He’s still shaking, he notes, and that’s rather unfair, because shaking implies that he’s feeling something. But all Jiang Cheng can feel is a pitch black hole, right where his heart is supposed to be.

He knows that his parents don’t like him, knows that his father prefers Wei Wuxian and that his mother thinks him useless and worthless, but to have it thrown in his face like that still hurts more than Jiang Cheng could have ever imagined.

“We didn’t know,” Wei Wuxian says, just as Jiang Yanli pulls him into a hug.

Jiang Cheng doesn’t have the strength to fight her hands on him, and so he falls into her deceptively strong arms.

“It doesn’t matter,” Jiang Cheng mutters, because his parents were going to do whatever they fucking pleased.

“It does matter,” Jiang Yanli determinedly says and presses a kiss to Jiang Cheng’s head. “You’re family, and what they did was despicable.”

Jiang Cheng wants to cry and break down and agree, but all he does is ask “What were the big news again?”

“Uncle Jiang is stepping down soon,” Wei Wuxian says, just as he plasters himself to Jiang Cheng’s back. “He wants to announce the next CEO soon.”

Jiang Cheng huffs out a humourless laugh, because with how today went, you don’t need to be a genius to realize that it will not be Jiang Cheng’s name he announces to the world soon.

“Congratulations,” Jiang Cheng bitterly says and he feels how Wei Wuxian shakes his head.

“No. I won’t take that position. He never asked me, and it’s not right. I won’t do it.”

“Well, I won’t do it either,” Jiang Cheng gives back, because he has no intention of accepting that position as a second choice.

Either his father wants him to lead the company or he can go look for an heir elsewhere.

“Good,” Jiang Yanli says, and it’s so surprising that Jiang Cheng moves out of her arms.

“What?” he asks, because usually Jiang Yanli is the one to mediate between all of them, and to keep the peace in their family.

But going by the dark look on her face, she’s over that now.

“This will be the last dinner we attend with them,” she says and pulls Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian back into her arms. “I’m tired of seeing them fight, and of hurting you two. We’re not going back there.”

“It won’t be quite that easy,” Jiang Cheng says, because he knows his parents. They have ways to make their life hell, if they don’t do as they say.

“It will be. I will not allow them to hurt you further,” Jiang Yanli decides and Wei Wuxian is quick to agree.

“We’ll make our own family dinners,” he decides and puts an arm around Jiang Cheng as well. “Once a week, and we will never invite them.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Jiang Cheng chokes out, fighting with his tears again, but for completely different reasons now. “I don’t want to see you that often.”

“Hey,” Wei Wuxian yells and then topples them all over when he tries to tickle Jiang Cheng in retaliation.

Jiang Yanli moves out of the way, though she doesn’t do anything to stop them and simply watches on.

Wei Wuxian’s clever fingers find all of Jiang Cheng’s weak spots and soon enough he’s crying he’s laughing so hard and once the tears start, he can’t seem to stop, so it turns into pitiful sobs soon enough.

It seems like Jiang Yanli and Wei Wuxian simply waited for that, because they bracket him in on either side, and simply hold him while he cries and cries.

“We’re your family, A-Cheng,” Wei Wuxian whispers and Jiang Yanli presses a kiss to his head.

“And we don’t need them,” she agrees and Jiang Cheng clings desperately to both of them.

It still hurts, to know that his parents wouldn’t even think to ask him to come to a family dinner, but with his siblings at his side, it’s almost bearable.

“I love you,” Jiang Cheng chokes out when his sobs started to die down and Jiang Yanli and Wei Wuxian are quick to return the sentiment.

It’s not enough, not right now with the hurt so fresh, but Jiang Cheng knows that he can count on them, always.

And in a week he might also believe them when they say they love him, but right now he needs to wallow and be coddled.

And Jiang Yanli and Wei Wuxian seem more than ready to do whatever Jiang Cheng needs.

Link to my ko-fi on the sidebar!

#bt writes #beetober 2020 #untamed fall fest #the untamed #mdzs #jiang cheng #wei wuxian #jiang yanli #family feels #jfm and yzy are fucking assholes #and i will stand by that #hurt/comfort #jc has the best siblings #Anonymous

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crossdressingdeath · 3 years

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i might be way off because i don't know what the discourse is like in the chinese side of the fandom regarding JC but maybe the reason people insist that he's ~the most human, relatable character~ is because out of the main cast, he's the only one who falls into familiar character archetypes found in western media - the gruff, angry but secretly caring character. (altho in jc's case he doesn't quite get the soft underneath part)

Like i can't think of a single protagonist in western media that really has wwx's characteristics? with his cheery optimism, he is more similar to the best friend who counters the protagonist's pessimism trope that is common in western media. (this comes back to jc again, protags in western media are so often pessimistic, woe is me types, maybe thats why people are inclined to relate to jc, and end up projecting other western protag tropes like the 'underdog who eventually proves himself' onto him).

i think people maybe find wwx's outgoing, sometimes arrogant, personality alienating, like his relentless badgering of lwj when they're teenagers - this isn't a common trope for a protag, and people don't know how to relate to a character who doesn't behave how they expect. and western media loves the 'reluctant hero' whose forced into their role by destiny or circumstances, but wwx's heroism always comes from his own agency. he doesn't invent demonic cultivation bc of some dumb prophecy or anything, he chooses to do it. western protagonists rarely have this much... agency? they normally just get pushed around doing whatever the narrative requires

and while lwj has some characteristics of the stoic love interest, he's different enough to how that trope is played in western media that he can't be reduced to that trope either. then there's the people who find him ~problematic~ and refuse to look at his character beyond the surface level

maybe wwx and lwj are just too complex for people to pigeonhole into character tropes, so they give up with them and take JC instead, because he's easier to reduce to his most basic characteristics

a;lkfdjalskfj you didn’t have to come for the stans like that.

I’d disagree that Western protagonists generally don’t have agency; if it feels like the characters are just fulfilling the requirements of the plot without any actual personality or agency of their own beyond the bare minimum, then it’s Poor Writing no matter where the author is from. That said, JC is definitely the easiest character to shove into simple archetypes. Also I’m very much starting to suspect that it’s a result of people pitching it as YA, which does tend to have more simplistic, tropey characters who just act as the plot demands.

#mdzs #grapehate #anon #asks

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ibijau · 3 years

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How about MingCheng with 30? As far as I remember, we have no textual evidence that NMJ knows how to swim, so it’s a great opportunity for JC’s accomplished swimming skills to be needed!

set in the short window of time between JC returning from Gusu, and the Wen Summer Camp From Hell

Nie Mingjue turned around when they reached the edge of the dock and frowned.

“Where’s Huaisang?”

Jiang Cheng, interrupted in the middle of his explanation about the trade they got thanks to the lake, turned as well to check. Wei Wuxian was a few steps behind them, as he had been for most of their visit of Yunmeng, but there was no trace of Nie Huaisang with whom he had been chatting.

It was, sadly, not as big of a surprise as it should have been. Jiang Cheng knew his shixiong, and he knew Nie Huaisang too… and neither of them were subtle people when they were planning mischief, no matter how clever they seemed to think they were.

Wei Wuxian laughed, just a little too high pitched to be sincere. Nie Mingjue scared him, Jiang Cheng suspected, so it must have been Nie Huaisang who had come up with whatever they were doing, since he was the only person in the world who didn’t fear Nie Mingjue.

“Oh no, I guess I lost Nie-xiong in the crowd!” Wei Wuxian gasped. “I will go look for him right away, don’t worry Nie zongzhu! Just continue the visit with Jiang Cheng and we’ll catch up with you later!”

Jiang Cheng glared at him. If Wei Wuxian insisted on lying, couldn’t he learn to do it well at least? He was so transparent when he was dishonest, and without surprise, Nie Mingjue noticed, because he was a lot smarter than his reputation led people to expect. Cleverness ran in that family, though Nie Mingjue had the good grace of being less annoying about it than his brother.

Nie Mingjue frowned at the lie, and started looking around, trying to catch a glimpse of his brother. There weren’t too many people around the docks at the moment, so if Nie Huaisang was missing, he must have ditched them earlier, when they went through the market.

“I’ll find him,” Nie Mingjue grumbled, more resigned than properly angry. “That damn brat…”

“No, no, it’s fine, I’ll take care of this!” Wei Wuxian insisted. “Don’t bother, stay with Jiang Cheng and continue the visit, it’s fine, I know Yunmeng well and, uh…”

Nie Mingjue ignored him and passed by him without so much as a glance, like someone far too used to youngsters’ antics.

Wei Wuxian laughed nervously, and then, because he always made the worst of decisions, he shoved Nie Mingjue to the side. This caught Nie Mingjue completely by surprise, and since he wasn’t bracing himself for an attack, he lost his balance and fell.

Since they were on a pier, he fell into the water with a loud splash.

Jiang Cheng gaped at Wei Wuxian who winced and scratched his nose uncomfortably.

“I slipped?” he tried. “Oops? Anyway, I’d better go look for Nie-xiong now, bye!”

“Wei Wuxian!” Jiang Cheng roared, but it was already too late. The other boy had already dashed away, leaving Jiang Cheng to deal with his mess, as always.

Not feeling particularly eager to get yelled at for something he hadn’t even done, Jiang Cheng walked to the edge of the pier to look down at Nie Mingjue, ready to apologise and to tell him how to get back on dry land. There were a few spots with ladders along the docks, precisely for that sort of situation, and they were never too far away.

When he looked down, he saw Nie Mingjue behind oddly still and silent in the water, his head thrown back and gasping for breath, his eyes wide and panicked. Once or twice he made movement with his arms, as if trying to raise himself above the surface of the water, but his flapping was too clumsy to do anything.

It took Jiang Cheng a moment to understand what was going on, because he hadn’t seen it often. Everyone in Yunmeng knew how to swim at least a little. And since Nie Huaisang had come to play with Wei Wuxian and him near water more than once, Jiang Cheng knew his friend could swim as well.

Apparently, his brother couldn’t.

Nie Mingjue couldn’t swim, and he was drowning.

As soon as he realised this, Jiang Cheng dove into the water, only to find it cold enough his muscles tensed instantly. He forced himself to warm up and relax through controlling his Qi as his father had taught him, then swam toward Nie Mingjue. In that short amount of time, the young man had already gone underwater, still weakly flapping his arms. Jiang Cheng managed to swim closer and, approaching him from behind, grabbed him so they could both get back to the surface.

By then, the fact that there were two people in the water had been noticed, and people were coming to help. A few passerbys pulled Nie Mingjue out of the water, and helped Jiang Cheng as well.

Thankfully, Nie Mingjue didn’t seem to have swallowed too much water. Once back on firm land again, he coughed up water and started breathing with only small difficulty, though he was shaking pretty bad. The water had been pretty cold, even for cultivators. Jiang Cheng himself was starting to shiver, though he hardly noticed, too focused on Nie Mingjue.

“Someone get me some a blanket!” he ordered toward the crowd that had gathered. “And go warn Jiang zongzhu that there’s been an accident. Now!”

At some other time, it might have pleased Jiang Cheng that his order was obeyed without delay. For the time being, he was more worried about making sure Nie Mingjue didn’t fall into hypothermia, so while circulating his Qi to raise his own temperature back to normal, Jiang Cheng started pulling on Nie Mingjue’s wet clothes.

“Buy me a drink first,” the man grumbled, though he didn’t push him away. “If you planned this with Huaisang to get my attention…”

“Yes, I always try to murder the people I like to make them think well of me,” Jiang Cheng grumbled, struggling with wet ties for a while. “Why… how do you have so many layers? What are you, a Lan?”

Nie Mingjue chuckled weakly. He didn’t complain when Jiang Cheng gave up mid-way on undressing him to instead wrap him in the blanket someone had brought. Nie Mingjue seemed to be doing better already, but still looked a little unfocused. They’d have to keep a close eye on him for the entire day to come, Jiang Cheng knew. After that he’d be fine, but the first day after that sort of incident was the most dangerous.

Mostly it’d be dangerous for Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng.

Madam Yu was going to murder them for causing a diplomatic incident.

#mingcheng #nie mingjue #jiang cheng #wei wuxian #mo dao zu shi #jau writes #somewhat trying to get back into it #I now know more about drowning than I wished to know #it's actually one of my biggest fear so this was... interesting to write to say the least #Anonymous

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vermillioncrown · 3 years

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Have you listened to the CQL character songs?

yes i have. and obviously that's not a satisfying answer on its own so here we go, half-baked and incoherent thoughts on the songs (style, instrumentals, vocals, lyrics when i deem relevant) please remember that i have no legitimate nor professional leg to stand on

preface on my 'meh' with character songs: when i listen to a character song, it hits the bad spot of 'too-on-the-nose' lyrics that squick me. i don't want other people to know i'm listening to this nerdy fan shit. i don't want a recitation of the plot. but this is easier to when i can't fully understand the lyrics (so very fast mando or jpn) if i even catch a hint of a lyric i understand and i don't like it, my face scrunches up like eating a whole lemon

so...

wwx: 'song ends with chenqing' - oh man, that is peak cpop cheesy ballad, w the sound effects, production, the melodic development. i like the operatic bridge. but it's not the one i think of as an untamed character song. but i guess like wwx it's a bit unexpected. while i like the song, there are songs i like more and go to first, and i end up forgetting this one. xiao zhan has a nice voice, but it's too perfect. compared to the character he plays, it's quite tame.

lwj: 'never forget' - oh this is a fucking character song. gusu. emperor's smile. all the wangxian checkmarks lol. and the way the chorus goes up - made for wailing during karaoke (aka the best metric for judging cpop/cballads) i can't listen to it too much bc the instrumentals really demand your attention, with the guqin in the beginning, and the big crescendo as the bridge. also i'm not used to wang yibo's voice being so soft. (btw check out his song 无感/no sense; i think it was a clapback to some of the rather harsh criticism he got for his role in cql. also he sang a song for this outdated mmo that's v cute)

wn: (i might be wrong) 'red child' - idk if the phrase has another meaning, but that's what i recognize the characters as (someone translated it as 'pure child'??? wtf). i like yu bin's vocals. i can't watch the lyrics video bc it's def a character song. the backing strings are so traditional chinese score-type music. cute pipa (i think). again, i like it but it's usually not the song i'm looking for.

jc: 'hating separation/hate-filled parting' - HOLY FUCK I LOVE THIS ONE. wang zhuocheng's voice is the right pitch and timbre, the instrumentals are enough to set the stage and let the melody of the vocals lead the way, and despite it being very distinctly a character song, the lyrics and melody almost feel like a folk song. like an oral tale, like a lullaby or someone singing it out on a river. idk how to describe it, when the notes feel like they're flitting up and down, birds coasting along the wind (that's what i liked about audio drama wangxian's verses and then their chorus cocked it up)

i love the melody of the chorus - karaoke material. and then once again with that final chorus key change, oh you're wailing it!

okay moving on

lxc: 'beyond control' - i love the piano start. so many sad cpop songs like this fuck, and then the drums and the winds WOW aurally satisfying! and liu haikuan's voice is this nice angsty, raspy quality that just slays me. the lyrics are quite poetic, to the point it's hard for me to pick up without the words in front of me and that's great! the melody doesn't do it for me as hard as others, but overall, the best thing i can say is that i would be willing to play this over aux while chauffeuring my parents w/o fear of judgement.

nmj&nhs: 'separation at qinghe' - the lyrics are too character song for me. but i love the instrumentals (i would put it in my two steps from hell-eqsue playlist for extreme coding time), and the vocals. this is a song to be belted out under the moonlight after 3 cups of soju. but it's too intense for regular listening.

wq: ' whisper of the woods' - it's not wq's actress singing this one. it hits all the prerequisites to be in my middle school cpop playlist: not too intense instrumentals, a clear and sweet voice, a typical .. uh, melodic resolution for these types of songs? i think there are a few lines i don't like the cadence of during the chorus, but eh. i'll live.

xy: 'liberation at the deserted city' - also not sung by the actor. this is a movie soundtrack song, the vocals go off but the instrumentals give it space. like, in a theoretical yi city movie the song would play w/o vocals and during the credits, the w/ vocals version would play. i like her 'lalalalalalaaaaaaaaa' but it's not enough to get me listening to it all the time. also... xue yang's song is like this????

yi (-eet) city: 'lonely city' - (by a-qing's actress chen zhuoxuan, and sun bolun) FUCK THIS SONG MAKES ME CRY. it's too nerdy to play out loud and that sucks. because I LOVE THE INSTRUMENTALS BECAUSE IT'S SO FUCKING LONELY SOUNDING AND THE VOCALS AND EVEN THE CHEESY AND DIRECT LYRICS FUCKING GET TO ME BC OF THE CADENCE OF DELIVERY. tell me about shuanghua and the candy that xy wants to eat, you sing about that sad shit!

hhhhhh....

AND HOLY SHIT SECOND VERSE, THAT INSTRUMENTAL COMING IN W THE DRUMS; WHEN CHEN ZHUOXUAN TRADES OFF W SUN BOLUN oooooohhhhhhhhhh every time my breath catches in my chest just from the transition into a more complex version of the same drum rhythm, and how his voice does this thing that feels like he's exhaling a sob, and the harmony with chen zhuoxuan's voice throughout, holy fuck, i'm not a musicologist but something about this song and how it came together fucking hit the resonance frequency for my shitty brain and oh fuck. oh god.

they got it. the characters. the mood. yi city. i put this shit on repeat. i purposefully went on long drives and blasted this song on my fancy sound system.

(there are some songs that trigger an instant tear response, just by the combination of notes and sound textures they hit. this is one of them)

junior squad: 'youths that should not be underestimated' - look, by now my opinions are not new. none of the character songs are offensive by any means. sick guitar wails - i like that. but i cannot deal with the vocals bc without visuals, i imagine a middle-aged man singing on the chinese equivalent of american idol (not saying middle-aged men cannot sing bc they fucking hit it), but the cognitive dissonance is there and kills me. the vocal... uh idk the way to describe it, but it would suit an instrumental backing w more traditional elements or a slower song. or an adult character.

jyl/jzx: 'eternal farewell' - not by the actors. i don't pay too much attention to the lyrics for this one bc my mando sucks. female voice by itself is a bit jarring bc it's a bit saccharine. but that duet for chorus is giving me mad karaoke vibes. definitely a fun one to sing, but i don't seek it out to listen to.

jgy: 'the birth of hatred' - HAHAHAHAHA IT'S THE DUBSTEP ONE. i laugh but i had this on repeat in... uh, apr-aug 2020 to get me through early quarantine. good for mindlessly working. the singer is an idol singer (not the actor), which makes perfect sense with how the song turned out. i really love the melody of the chorus, and zhu xingjie's voice really goes into it esp near the end. the rap/hip-hop verses is cheesy but i'm down for a decent verse - he's got aight cadence but there's not much leeway when it comes to character songs. you run into the issue like vocaloids where people cram too many words in one line.

the chorus makes me want to sing it, gives me good nostalgia for 2000s chinese cpop songs. my mind is stuck on richie jen's 诛仙我回来/zhuxian wo hui lai/??? I'm coming back vibes. i want to play it out loud, but it needs to be by myself. people who don't understand chinese go ???? at the dubstep fusion, and people who understand chinese that aren't cql watchers/fans will be (ʘ ͟ʖ ʘ)(ʘ ͟ʖ ʘ)( ͡ಠ ʖ̯ ͡ಠ)

like i don't want to be stuck for more than 20 mins and this song plays while my dad is there to lecture me. i'd just put the car in park at the intersection and walk out.

and that's a wrap!

#opinionated verm #Anonymous #inquiry #i do the 'repeat a song until i go deaf' thing and why i like a song isn't... it just has to hit right #so don't feel offended if i didn't like your favorite song as much as you did #you asked and i told #cql #verm is listening...

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purplesurveys · 3 years

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1183

survey by xflirtykaosx

Alphabetti Spaghetti (1/3)

And we will fall in love with shooting stars. - A

Have you ever seen an Aardvark? I don’t think so.

Were you ever abandoned in a public place as a child? Where? Abandoned is a pretty harsh word lol. My parents did like playing pranks on me and hide whenever I’d get distracted at the grocery or department store. They’d let me get nervous or even tear up for a bit until showing up again.

What accent do you have? I guess just your standard Filipino English accent that’s common among people who were able to take up English studies. I don’t really know how to describe it.

Is there someone in your family addicted to something? What is it? I don’t think so.

Have you ever been under general anaesthetic? What were you having done? I think so? When I had a tooth extraction done on me two years ago I was told I was going to be injected with anaesthesia, but I didn’t feel as if anything changed throughout the procedure. Either my dentist told me fake news lol or he’s just really good at his job for me to not notice anything.

How do you show the ones you love affection? It depends on the person. Around my friends, I know I’ve had taken a liking to them once I start getting especially talkative with them. For people I have even deeper relationships with, I like...buying them gifts, I guess. Getting them things that remind me of them. I would also bend over backwards to do nice deeds for them, like driving them to their destination even if I find it far.

Are you more passive or aggressive? I tend to be very passive aggressive in the way I deal with things.

Do you like the band Aha!? Not in particular.

Do you know anyone called Aidan? What are they like? Nope.

Ever heard of the band Ajax? No but I know that’s a brand of like cleaner or something. That’s close enough to ‘band’ haha.

Do you know anyone called Akash? I don’t either.

Do the sound of fire alarms scare you? They would obviously be scary if it rang for a real reason. Who wouldn’t freak out over a fire?

Do you live in America? If so, which state? If visited, where'd you go? No, and I’ve never visited either. I’d love to take a trip to cities like New York, New Orleans, Portland, and Chicago one of these days.

Have you ever had an ant infestation in your house? Only when there’s food left out accidentally.

Aora - did I spell that correctly? I don’t even know what you’re referring to, so I can’t tell you if you’ve spelled whatever it is right.

Do you have a preference in Apple? What type do you prefer? I don’t quite get this question - like a preference within Apple products? I mean, a phone and a laptop are essentials for me, and generally I do prefer having an iPhone and Macbook over other brands; but I can live without an iPad, an Apple Watch, iMac, Apple Pen, etc...if this is what you mean.

Are you an Aquarian? Is anyone in your family/your partner/best friend? ...You mean Aquarius? No. I don’t believe in astrology nor pay attention to zodiac signs either, so I wouldn’t be able to name Aquariuses that I know right off the bat.

Have you ever worn any type of armor? Which type? I don’t think I’ve ever had to, no.

Do you use the word ass a lot? Kinda, but it’s usually part of a longer word, i.e. asshole, asshat, deadass, etc.

Have you or your family had an attorney? What for? Not to my knowledge.

Is your car/family’s car an automatic gear or manual? Automatic.

Are you interested in aviation, piloting and aircrafts? Just the slightest bit. I would love to learn how to fly a plane, and I would be willing to pay for lessons. It’s just the type of activity that’s super hard to squeeze into an already-hectic schedule of mine.

What was the last award you recieved for? A academic distinction in college.

Axl Rose - like or dislike? Like, but I’m nowhere near a passionate fan. I just don’t have any reasons to actively dislike him.

Do you like air being spelt ayre or ayer in rap or hiphop or is it nasty? I don’t care.

Is the sky outside Azure? If not, what shade is it? No, it’s pitch black.

Belle amour (we've been here before). - B

Do you call anyone baby? Is it sweet or an overrated name for affection? Just my dogs. I find it sweet; it’s my preferred term of endearment if in a relationship.

Bby - does this shortened version bug you? No; my friends and I use this with each other.

Do you know what BC in terms of time stands for? Before Christ, but I prefer using BCE.

BDf - For or against? I don’t know what this is referring to.

Do you prefer beach breaks, city breaks or winter breaks? Why? Beach breaks. Winter break is an immediate cross-out since we don’t even have winter; and I already live and work in an urban area as it is. Beaches are my way to go if I want to escape life for a bit and completely unwind.

Do you spell out boyfriend properly or put bf in texts/online? I can use either depending on what I feel like typing out. It’s not that serious haha.

Do you know what bg is short for? Upon reading this question I immediately thought ‘background,’ but if this question had another meaning in mind I wouldn’t be aware of it.

Do you know anyone with the last name Bhays? No.

Have you ever been bird watching? What did you see? No, doesn’t sound like my kind of hobby.

Do you like Bjork? Not in particular, but just like the Axl Rose question I don’t have anything against her either.

What does this read: bk 2moz miss u lyk fk. Doesn't this text speak annoy? No one types like this anymore at least among people I know, but I imagine it would lowkey bother me a bit.

Do you like BMWs? They’re whatever. I don’t pay attention to cars much.

What is the nearest book to you called? How many times have you read it? There aren’t any books here up on the rooftop.

BnQ - gone there? What did you buy? Idk what that is.

Are you more brainy or brave? I wanna say brainy, if anything? I’m pretty jumpy lol.

Did you like the BSBs (Backstreet Boys) as a kid? How about now? No, I’m a little too young for that generation of artists and groups.

Burgers, Hot Dogs or Salads at a Barbecue? We don’t really practice ~barbecues~ here. But at Filipino parties I would usually flock to lumpia and fried chicken, hehe.

Do you have a Byro? No, because I also don’t know what that is.

Cold eyes and filthy lies all leave me petrified. - C

Do you have a Cactus (Cacti)? No, I don’t like plans.

Do you know what a CCTV is? Yes...?

How many CDs are in the room you are currently in? None where I am right now but I have all of Beyoncé’s albums save for Lemonade in my bedroom. I also have Paramore’s self-titled album and Hayley Williams’ Petals For Armor. My CD collection is about to experience a revival because of BTS, though. My plan to get all versions of all their albums is rock solid, lmao.

What's your favourite cereal brand? Cookie Crisps.

Do you like children's TV shows still? Which one(s)? I’ll revisit an episode or two of shows I watched as a kid at a given time for old times’ sake, but I don’t regularly watch children’s TV shows anymore. I haven’t for a very long time.

Cinnamon - Yum or Yuck? I’m actually kind of in the middle about it. I feel like too many desserts have been banking on cinnamon, so the taste of it can be a little tiring. It’s delicious if I haven’t had it for a while, though.

Do you know anyone with the initials and or name CJ? Quite the opposite; I know PLENTY of JCs, even my sister is one. I know one or two CJs but that’s it.

Have you ever met a self professed clairvoyant? What did they do/say? No.

Do you watch CNN News? What's your prefered news channel/show? I don’t tune into the channel but every once in a while I will encounter a CNN link on social media that I’d actually click on and read through. As for preferred news sources, I don’t have one as there are matters to criticize about 99% of them lol; but I am most likely to trust articles I from AP or Reuters. Just things you pick up as a journalism student.

How many cousins do you have? I have 9 first cousins. I lose count by the time I try to go beyond that since I don’t even know all of my dad’s cousins, which makes it hard to track who my second cousins are.

Do you still draw with crayons? When was the last time you did? Drew what? I don’t remember anymore.

Do you know what a CSS feed is? What is it? I’m familiar with the term but never bothered to learn about what it is.

Do you like cycling/biking? What type of bike do you have? ...I don’t even know how to ride a bike.

Do you really like it, is it is it wicked. - D

What is the most dangerous animal you've petted/held? I can’t decide between snake or crocodile.

Do you like Death Metal? If so, which band(s)? I wouldn’t say I do.

Did you ever keep a diary/journal? I did a million attempts to keep a diary when I was younger, but I was never able to keep up with any of them and I ended up having 4598358395 notebooks with one or two entries each at most. Having a Tumblr page for surveys has so far been my most successful streak at keeping some type of journal.

Do you prefer small, medium, large or no dogs? I prefer all dogs.

Do you know what DP stands for in porn? Yes.

Have you ever dressed up as a celebrity for a party/Halloween? I went as my favorite female wrestler once. I wouldn’t strictly call her a celebrity, but she’s a very well-known personality in the wrestling industry so she’s popular in that right.

DS or Wii? Why? Wii. I was able to make more memories with it.

Does dust make you sneeze or cough? Sneeze, usually.

How many DVDs do you have all together? Idk, I don’t buy DVDs anymore.

Do you dye your hair regularly, sometimes or never? I’ve never done it.

Every love lies sometimes . . . - E

What's something you refuse to eat? Most fruits.

Don't you think the word ebb is so pretty? I’m neutral about it. I don’t use it a lot.

Do you like Chocolate Eclairs? I love eclairs in general haha. Chocolate eclairs in particular sound delicious.

Ever tried edible paper? Yeah, with the White Rabbit candy.

Eevee - pretty name or too Pokemon-y? Definitely very Pokemon-y.

Do you sometimes mix up the spellings/meanings of affection and defection? Erm, no? They have completely different spellings and meanings, so I personally have never switched them up.

Do you have a big ego, low self esteem or somewhere in between? I think I’m somewhere in between. I’m insecure about some things about myself, but I don’t really put myself down 24/7. I feel like that would put such a strain on my mental health, which I certainly would never need.

What Element does your starsign fall under? I think earth? My co-workers were just discussing this last Friday, but I couldn’t really butt in since I can’t bring myself to care about astrology. I know they mentioned Taurus being an earth sign though.

Do you show your emotions easily and freely or hide them? Depends...I can do either depending on the situation.

What is your favourite form of entertainment? Korean reality shows are quickly becoming a favorite of mine at the moment. I also like compilation videos on YouTube.

What will they write on your epitaph? I’ve honestly hadn’t put much thought into this yet, and I don’t plan to anytime soon. It just seems like a super grave thing to think about lol.

Estimate/guess what number we are on now? Maybe 60s or 70s?

Do you know basic social etiquette? I mean etiquette will always differ per country or culture, so what is basic in other countries might not be here, and vice versa. I think it’s hard to measure.

Does your country use the Euro, Great British Pound, Dollar or other? Other.

Do you still get excited on Christmas Eve? Yes. Mostly for the free food and the opportunity to see relatives I really only ever see every December 24.

What animal/creature that is extinct do you wish wasn't? Those that went extinct from human activity.

What colour eyes do your parents have? Black/dark brown.

#survey #surveys

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marvinswriting · 4 years

Text

Coffee burns

Prompt(s): lmao this had prompts but i forgot about them and this fic went in another direction it turned into i love the gang lets write them

G/T mean girls

The co-sized mall- which wasn't very co-sized- was one of my least favorite places to be. Each individual store had tiny areas with a small cashier and tiny workers and shit, but the mall itself had no form of tiny transportation or tiny recreation areas, like food courts or those random couches you just find to take a break.

Northshore, like its high school, did not have many tinies. I could name everyone and their moms who live in the tiny neighborhood.

It's no secret that I hate being in primarily giant places. I mean, I feel like I'd hate high school anyway, but anywhere other than Damian's house just makes me all around nervous.

Now put me in a crowded mall?

Yeah, I'll pass.

Except I didn't.

Regina had somehow convinced the whole group that a trip to the mall would be fun. I didn't believe her, but the whole group was going so why not.

We were currently at the food court. Regina was on Gretchen's shoulder eating a fry she stole from Karen. Probably the funniest visual of Regina I have to date. She broke off part of fry yet it was still half the size of her.

Aaron was in his own conversation with Cady who had her elbows propped up on the table and was holding Aaron in her hands.

Food court tables are nasty. You won't catch me (or any tiny with common sense) sitting on them.

I was on Damian's shoulder only partly paying attention to his conversation with Karen. Too busy making faces at Regina to contribute to whatever was going on.

Yeah, sometimes I can see why Aaron calls us 'literally children'. But hey, we aren't hurting anyone.

"You sure you don't want food, Janis?" Damian asks.

I look away from Regina. "Yeah, I'm not hungry."

Like every time I get nervous, the pit in my stomach prevents any appetite. I don't know why I was nervous. I think just being around so many people puts me in a constant state of anxiety, whether they're giants or not.

"Jesus, Regina!" I watch as she finishes the fucking french fry.

"We don't talk about it." She says. "I already regret that decision."

I lean closer to Damain's neck with a smile. It's nice to have a group where, no matter where we hang out or at what time, it's always fun.

"Guys," Aaron speaks up, grabbing all out attention. "Who's right. Me or Cady. We're sayin-"

"Cady." Damian and I say in unison.

"You don't even know what we're talking about yet!"

"Yeah, but it's Cady." Regina says.

Aaron huffs. "Crazy."

Cady gives a good-natured chuckle and brings Aaron to sit on his shoulder. "Everyone done eating?"

There a chorus of yeahs from around the table.

"Can we stop at forever 21?" Gretchen asks. "I know its not a store for all of us but there's a shirt I wanna get while it's still on sale but Regina needs to see it first."

Damian shrugs lightly but it's enough to make me tip a bit. I ignore Regina laughing at me.

"Doesn't matter to me." Karen says.

Cady waves her hand. "I don't mind."

"Cady's my ride. I gotta go where she goes." Aaron says.

I shrug. "Sure."

There aren't many tinies in high school, but they're also is a smaller group of giants. All people of all ages go to the mall, and most tinies avoided it like the plague. So the ratio of tinies to giants is even greater here.

In high school, you only get in trouble for fucking with tinies when you're caught. In the mall, you only get in trouble for shoplifting or doing coke in the back of the JC Pennies while on a lunch break from your job at Spencer's.

True story.

The kid moved on to be a teacher in the next town over. He's got kids now.

The point I'm trying to get to is, even if the mall did accommodate more for tinies, I don't think we'd start going. It's dangerous.

Damian wasn't wearing his jacket and I had nowhere to hide. I think that stressed me more than anything.

Whatever it's fine.

Damian was wearing a sweatshirt. I was sitting pushed against his neck with the hood pulled over my legs for warmth. Its tits cold in the middle of December and the mall is fucking air-conditioned. Why? Who knows. Not me.

We walk past a trio of women I can only describe as "karens". Not our Karen. The shoulder haircut, let me speak to your manager type vibe. The gross karens.

One of them eyes me and I can't help but pull Damian's hoodie further over me, the knot in my stomach is back.

"Young man?" She asks as Damian walks past.

For fucks sakes.

Damian turns to her, and I don't even need to look at his face to know he's unamused. We both kinda know what's coming.

"Are you aware of the tiny on your shoulder?"

"Yes. I am." He states flatly.

"Is it bothering you?"

It? Well, that's better than space dyke I guess.

"No, she's my friend." Damian states. "Why, is there an issue here?"

The rest of our friends have walked away without noticing Damian got stopped.

"How can you stand with tinies?" One of the ladies speaks up.

Wow. Rude.

I leaned against Damian's neck more, pulling the hoodie over me fully like a blanket. I wasn't offended, just bored. These ladies can go on for hours about how 'tinies don't deserve rights'.

"How can you stand against them?" Damian retaliates. He begins walking away, ignoring the offended gawks he received.

I laugh a little, looking over his shoulder.

"You showed them." I cheer weakly.

"Sure did." Damian nods catching up to the group. They were still at the entrance to forever 21.

"Where did you guys go?" Cady asked. "We turn around and you're just gone!"

"Got stopped by annoying old ladies," Damian says with a dramatic eye roll.

"Don't fuck with Damian and his tiny!" I point to myself with a grin. "They called me an it."

"That's original." Aaron remarks.

I watch as a soft smile passes Damian's face at the 'his tiny'. After we had the dreadful emotion talk, he was a lot more open to the idea that his tiny her tiny was not as self belittling as it seemed. When it came from a tiny of course.

"If I was their size, I could and would punch them." Regina said from Gretchen's shoulder.

"I dunno man, some of them were pretty short. I think you could." Damian smiled.

"Hell yeah!" I cheer.

"Well, now that mom friend and reckless are here, let's go see that shirt, Gretch." Regina says motioning further into the store.

Everyone follows Gretchen into the store. Even though we're only here for Gretchen a shirt caught Regina's eye that 'Cady would look so fucking hot in'.

I'm still tucked carefully under Damian's hood, watching as Regina makes Gretchen and Cady try on the two shirts. Cady walks over to Damian holding out Aaron. "Can you?"

Damian grins. "Yeah, shoulder next to Janis?" He asks Aaron as Cady hands him off.

"I won't shove you like Regina!" I throw jazz hands and both boys laugh.

"Sure, shoulder."

Because I'm curled up so close to Damian's neck, Aaron can sit in the center without it feeling too crowded. We watch as Cady walks out first in a shirt.

Its pink, obviously, and loose. The pale pink brought out the constant rosey shades in Cady's cheeks. It shows some mid-drift and- Jesus christ I'm gay.

"Cute!" Damian says. I pull the hoodie up in a vain attempt to hide how hard I was blushing,

Cady went back in to change as Gretchen came out. She was wearing a shirt. It was whatever.

As the two girls got up to pay I could feel the stressed feeling fade. I pushed Damian's hoodie off me a bit. Even as a barely co-sized mall, the fun nature of the group didn't leave. It was nice.

Cady walks over to retrieve Aaron. "What'd you think of the shirt, Janis?" She asks, scooping up Aaron wordlessly.

"It- it was pretty," I say, trying to will my face from getting hot. "It looked cute on you. Nice color."

Damian chuckles and I elbow his neck slightly.

Cady grins. "Thanks, Janis!"

"No problem." My face is red again.

It's so red she can tell oh god why am I like this why-

Cady gives one last smile before walking away to catch up with Gretchen and Karen. Damian does too but he stays a bit behind to talk with me.

"Smooth one, Janis."

"I didn't lie. It looks fucking good on her."

"And I'm the too gay to function one."

"I was functioning! Just poorly."

"Sure." Damian teases.

I huff crossing my arms as a hand scoops me up.

"You know I love you." Damian says holding me to his chest as he weaves through a crowd. There's a lot of shoulder bumping and I'm glad to be here instead of up there. Or more likely on the floor. "What's going on?" He asks catching up to the group.

Gretchen shrugs, Regina in her hands. Both tinies seemed to be in a similar relocated-for-safety- position.

"The crowd came out of nowhere," Karen explained.

It didn't seem like anyone was standing waiting for something, more like we just his a bit of traffic where too many people are all walking in different directions.

We pull over and sit down on one of those charging phone stations with a couple of couches and a table. We're gonna wait for the crowd to pass.

Damian sets me gently on the table in front of the sofa and sits down.

Aaron joins me on the table but Regina stays on Gretchen's shoulder with a huff after being told she isn't allowed to push me off.

We sit and talk for a while, waiting for the crowd to clear out when I see the old ladies from before approaching the area.

Great.

They were sporting coffee from the shitty vegan cafe next to the Starbucks. Pretty sure old cranky Karens are the only thing keeping the store open.

The way the seating area was laid out had two couches with a coffee table in the center.

The 'karens' sat on the other sofa. While I didn't feel great about having my backs to them, I could see Damian and Cady both eyeing them nervously.

"Um," A cranky and high pitched voice speaks up from behind me. "Maybe you shouldn't put your dirty tinies on the table."

And this is where possession became an issue.

"We don't own them," Damian said dully.

Hell yeah, baby.

"They're also cleaner than most things on that table, including the table," Cady says, but both her and Damian lean forward in their seats a little anyway.

"Then where am I supposed to put my coffee?" Another voice whines.

"It's a big table, Miss," Damian says. "They don't take up much room."

"You're mother did a poor job in raising you, young man." One of the ladies speak.

You insult Sherry Hubbard one more time and I'll stab you with one of those plastic coffee mixers. As much as I wanna vocalize my opinion and get violent, I figure its best I left this one to Damian.

"My mother taught me the value of living beings. Tiny or not." Damian says calmly, but I can tell he's as pissed as I am.

There's shuffling behind me and a huge cup of coffee gets slammed down next to me.

I'm sorry, what?

Out of the huge fucking table, you chose half an inch away from me.

It's not even the worst part.

Scalding hot coffee splashes over the edge a bit, landing on my arm and steeping through my jacket.

I shake my arm, jumping back with a yell.

"Janis!" Fear flashes in Damian's eyes as he reaches over and scoops me off the table. "What was that for?" He asked one of the ladies who looked very smug with themselves.

"All I did was place my coffee on the coffee table."

I bit my lip, slipping off my jacket despite all my inner protest to never take it off. The coffee drenched my entire sleeve and left it burning hot. My arm underneath the coat was red and splotchy.

Aaron, who had been transported to Cady's shoulder the second this got violent, looked down at me and gasped.

It didn't hurt too bad, it just looked bad. It felt like sunburn, not blistering burns.

Damian looks down at me and I can see the fear in his eyes turn to anger.

"Do you even care that you hurt her?"

The lady shrugged. "Not particularly, no."

"Yet if somebody spilt boiling hot coffee on a dog, you'd flip shit I assume." Cady said. There was an edge to her voice. Cady never cursed. She's gotta be pissed.

"Somebody spilt coffee on a dog?" Our Karen asked with extreme worry.

"No. Somebody spilt boiling coffee on Janis." Gretchen explains.

"Janis, that's awful!" Karen throws a sympathetic look at me.

I give her a thumbs up knowing she can't hear me.

It hurts to move my arm. I poke it. The skin stays white in contrast to the red around it momentarily. Just like sunburn.

It'll be worse tomorrow, for sure.

I tune back into the conversation after doing a quick harm check.

I don't think I've ever seen Cady chew somebody out so hard. It isn't long before the trio mysteriously has somewhere to be.

The walk away and Cady leans back into the sofa. "One thing I don't miss about Africa? Entitled Karens."

"They disrespect my name." Karen agreed.

"You okay, Jan?" Damian asked, holding me up to eye level with him.

His hands were laid pretty flat like he was scared if he touched me he'd hurt me.

"I'm fine," I say. "For now."

While I may hate high school, I do miss Regina being in charge. Since the whole gang kinda got more open about our friendship with eating lunch altogether or walking the halls with each other, people stopped bothering Damian and I.

Regina George's friends are off-limits.

But the mall isn't high school.

I lay backways in Damian's hands, looking at the ceiling.

"I remember why I don't come here often," I mumble.

Damian laughs, but the stress on his face doesn't ease.

"We should start heading home," Gretchen says. "It was a nice day, lets ditch before more shit goes wrong. You know our luck."

"Yeah," Cady laughs. "No kidding."

"The bad stuff always happens to me!" I groan.

I watch as Cady silently slips Aaron into the chest pocket on her flannel.

He fell asleep.

Lucky bitch.

"I want to take a nap." I say, turning on my side. The coffee burned arm is in the air.

"Sucks that Damian doesn't have his jacket." Regina teased as everyone gets up.

Damian grins. "Still have pockets though."

Damian shifts me onto one hand as he gets up, lowing me to his hoodie pocket.

I typically only go here post-panic attack or something, when I need to hide way but don't want to get claustrophobic with something as snug as the chest pocket.

Still, I'm not complaining.

Damian's hand stays in the pocket, cupped gently around me. I lean further into his hand, without my jacket on I feel cold as fuck. His hands, as always, are warm and soft.

His fingers curl around me protectively and I can't help but laugh softly.

Leave to Damian to worry about me over even the little things.

Hot coffee is by far not the worst injury I’ve gotten over my years. But I could trip and fall on a flat surface or fall from someone's shoulders and Damian would get equally stressed about both of them.

I smelt like burnt black coffee but it was overpowered by the familiar comfort of Damian.

Damian's thumb ran up and down my uninjured arm softly as he continued on with his day like there wasn't a tiny being in his pocket.

The conversation outside of the pocket was muffled. Occasionally Damian spoke up, clearer than the rest, but even his voice was hushed so I could fall asleep.

And to be honest? I wasn't hard to.

Gretchen was right, we had a really fun day.

A little coffee burn can't change that.

Especially if it means my day ends with a nap.

And I'll probably get to stay at Damian's then, where I can see his mother, the wonderful lady who taught him about the value of lives, no matter what some old karen says.

I wrap my arm around one of Damian's fingers as I let myself fall asleep.

i had so much fun writing this fic while yelling at bear about pocket content,,,,its not a g/t mg fic with out pocket time

@realmisspolarbear @musicallygt @smallsoysauce @sourishlemons

#g/t mean girls #i love pockets okay?#oh to be tiny janis and hide in damians pocket at the slightest inconvenience #tiny janis #tiny regina #tiny aaron #giant gretchen #giant damian #giant karen #giant cady

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deathfrisbeeinthetardis · 4 years

Text

Call me Yours

So @helloitsvehere had to go ahead and this under one of my reblogs and even sent me a whole headcanon on the subject, so I had to go write this little thing.

Thank you for the idea Star, I love you so much and happy Valentine’s Day!

Summary: “I’ll write it on you next.”

“What you just did right there, is sacrilege of the highest form."

Ryan angles his head, leveling what he proudly deems his intimidating look at Shane sitting in the chair next to him.

They’re shooting Top 5 in Ryan’s living room, the spread of his kitchen behind him the most confusing mix of comfort and stress. Sure, they’ve spent hours and hours in this very spot discussing and planning and going crazy over this stupidly high-risk project, but up until a week ago when they really put down the cash to get the filming equipment, it all seemed as real as a dream.

Now, with the scorching lights and cameras trained on him in his place of residence, cloth thrown over the windows to block out the night, casting the room in a soft beige tint, Ryan thinks anything could happen.

Shane leans back with his board in his hands, the very sight of the scrawled name of the restaurant comfortably nestled in third place paining Ryan on both physical and spiritual levels. It is completely unacceptable. An abomination to humanity itself.

"I’ve never even heard of that place. Steven!” He gesticulates at Shane with his marker and calls out to Steven sitting just out of the frame, because he’s gotta get some sort of sane Californian opinion on this, no matter what Steven’s actual native state is. Ryan cannot be alone in this.

“Thank you!” He throws out a hand in a half salute when he receives–an albeit longsuffering– frown and shake of the head from Steven. But it was a vote in his direction.

“I like it, and that’s enough,” Shane smiles at him with his curvy eyes, waving a hand in a there-there gesture and Ryan can feel himself bristling. “Our opinions are different, isn’t that the whole point of this show?”

“The point,” Ryan says tightly, an accusing marker pointed at the offending name, “Is that you provide sensible reasons in support of those opinions.”

“I laid out a very well-made argument, you’re the one that shot it down."

"I did not,” Shane’s giving him that look that says you know you’re wrong, something he has had to endure for the past four years on Unsolved. And fine, maybe he is, but that’s not important. “It broke down on its own, it’s so little known you may as well have written your address on there to represent your mom’s cooking.”

“Watch it Bergara, my mother’s cooking is amazing."

"Well, you better write the Madej name down on that board there then.”

“I’ll write it on you next."

It’s a stupid comeback, really, like what a middle schooler would come up with. Ryan would have realized this, may even have commented on it, if only he could think at all.

Because there is just something about the way Shane leans in, voice pitched low and eyes narrowed with intent, his big hands curled around the edge of the modified whiteboards in a secure hold. Ryan shivers, he can’t help it, feeling heat rising high on his cheeks.

It’s barely been two months, and this thing they have between them is the best thing that has happened to Ryan by far, he’s sure.

It has just happened so fast, their first kiss, first date, first everything had been caught up in the whirlwind of setting up their own company, finally getting to create under their own names with no higher order than themselves. It is a lot, all this fresh freedom wrapped up in the new restraints they fight around every corner, but he’d be lying if it isn’t exhilarating, like riding a rollercoaster with no seatbelt.

So there hasn’t been much time to process, to nurture their relationship the way that Ryan would have wanted. And every once in a while, the fact that there is now another layer to the bond they had accumulated and enforced through years of work and partnership; the strange not-changes that had just shifted into place. The fact that all the half-hidden and not so veiled suggestions and hints now have a secure chance of being acted upon-- it comes round to hit him all at once, leaving him flushed and tingling at the fingertips, desperately wondering what if.

Dimly, Ryan realizes that he hasn’t said anything in reply. How long had he sat there with some kind of dopey look on his face, just staring at Shane? This is so absolutely not the time to do this.

Out of the corner of his eye, he can see Steven shaking his head, that pained frown making another appearance. Shane has dropped his serious face, a satisfied tilt to his mouth that Ryan wants to see turn into a laugh.

So Ryan works with what he has, and sometimes that doesn’t include spoken words.

"Oi!” Shane hollers when Ryan launches an attack on his bare arm via marker, the taller man scrambling to shift in his chair and holding his board out like a shield, inching his head out the side to peek at Ryan, “Now that’s just rude.” He declares, and Ryan thinks Shane would have even stuck out a finger if he wasn’t gripping the board so hard.

“You brought it on yourself, big guy.” Ryan arches an eyebrow, watching with some satisfaction as Shane’s eyes slip down to his lips for just a second. At least he wasn’t alone in this.

“So what was all that about?”

Shane must have noticed more than he let on, Ryan thinks later, when Shane crowds him against the sink, dipping his head to nip at the shell of Ryan’s ear, words a rumble against his back.

“You’re gonna have to be more specific,” Ryan hums, leaning back into Shane to let the man feel his warmth, appreciating the sight of the two of them reflected in the mirror. Shane runs cold, something to do with circulation losing the fight against his stupid height and extra-long limbs. But it is quite nice when it comes to sharing a bed.

“You got real red back there, even Steven noticed.”

Ryan’s really tired, out-like-a-light tired, but heat coils in his gut almost instantly. He drops his gaze, suddenly too shy to even look at where Shane’s eyes are twinkling. But it really doesn’t help his situation, because then he sees what Shane’s holding delicately in one hand.

It’s the marker, the very same one, in fact, that he had used to dot Shane’s arm with little black spots. Now those marks stook out stark against Shane’s skin in the white light of the bathroom.

“You’d like it if I wrote my name on you wouldn’t you?” Shane murmurs into his ear, twirling the plastic tube around in his hand casually, like he would have allowed himself to do while on camera. Now that’s a thought. Ryan doesn’t think he’s breathing, he gives the barest of nods, eyes trained on the movement.

“Where would you like it, hmm? Here?” Shane’s other hand skims along his side, leaving a trail of goosebumps in its wake. He nudges the side of Ryan’s neck with his nose, voice low, “Or here where everyone can see, where they can read my name and know you’re mine?”

There’s a pressure building, and Ryan’s immensely glad they’re doing this after he changed out of his jeans.

“Maybe I’ll write it on you right here, so you can watch yourself come in the mirror?”

“Fuck.” Ryan has to scrabble for a hold on the sink then, his knees losing friction and buckling under him. He feels like one of those car-wash blowy things, and Shane had just ripped out the plug to the engine, leaving him to crumple haphazardly towards the ground in a boneless heap.

But Shane’s there to catch him, hands circling Ryans’ waist in a steady hold.

“Too much?” Shane asks, catching his gaze in the mirror.

“Jesus.” Ryan breathes, feeling Shane chuckle against him, the taller man ducking his head to press a kiss into Ryan’s neck.

“There’s not gonna be room for our pal JC tonight, I can promise you that.”

“Shane. Oh my God.” Ryan complains, eyes fluttering closed against the gentle brushes of hands and breath.

“Not him either.”

“Shut up, Shane.”

“Do you want me to?” Shane’s stubble is tickling the back of Ryan’s neck, Shane’ voice a quiet murmur in his ear, and Ryan’s has always been a sucker for those sweet sweet acoustics.

“Fuck no."

"Open your eyes for me, baby, I want you to see yourself for the next part."

Oh this is definitely a good way to end the night.

"Look who came in with makeup today.”

Ryan’s jolted out from his morning haze, head jerking up to see Jen smirking at him between the gaps of their computer monitors. It’s a bright Monday morning, and they’re back to shooting Unsolved at the ol’ BU office.

“What?” He asks, setting his mug carefully down on his desk, already half empty. He should really watch his caffeine count, he wouldn’t be much use at work if he got all jittery during a shoot. But it’s on Buzzfeed, so he’s going to indulge just a little.

“Busy night was it?” Jen taps a hand on her neck lightly, eyes flitting over to where Shane was opening up his laptop, hair fluffed up and messy. And oh, oh fuck.

Ryan’s hand shoots up to the side of his neck, mouth dropping open. They had left his place so hurriedly this morning, barely pulling on t-shirts and pants to fall into an Uber, Ryan had had to forfeit toothpaste for mints. There was no time for mirrors and grooming.

No time for other things too, as it turns out.

“How…?” He can’t really bring him to finish the question, it seems so wrong to even talk about this here, but Jen takes pity on him.

“Very.” She offers him a sympathizing grimace.

He reaches out to Shane blindly with a fluttering hand, and he thinks he accidentally taps the man across the face, but it does get his attention. Shane’s eyes widen when Ryan turns to show him his neck.

“Oh shit.” There’s worry in his face as Shane does a quick once over to check if the others are showing, which they weren’t. It’d be really problematic if they do, considering where they are. When he meets Ryan’s eyes again, Ryan thinks he sees something like excitement glint there.

And maybe, just maybe, there’s a thrill in Ryan’s chest as well.

“Do you need…?” Shane starts, one arm outstretched as if he would bolt and fetch Ryan all the wet-wipes and concealer that he’d ever need, the moment Ryan asks. And Ryan’s heart just absolutely melts for this man.

Slowly, Ryan lowers his hand to bare the black lines, the span of Shane’s signature arcing across the side of his throat, probably along with the faint print of Shane’s hand, if the tenderness there was any indication. Ryan’s wide awake now, feeling his face heat up when Shane’s eyes darken in the morning light.

“Oh Ryan.” It shouldn’t be possible to look sultry and soft at the same time, and Ryan is immensely glad that he gets to have this all to himself.

“Shane.” He echoes, sitting up straighter in his seat. Jen whistles from across his desk.

“So you’re leaving it on?” Shane leans on the arm of his chair, and now he’s more confident, a smile pulling at the corner of his mouth, “People are gonna take pictures, social media, etcetera, etcetera.”

“Let them.” Ryan crosses his arms and hooks a foot around Shane’s ankle, offering the taller man a sly smile and savoring the sight of the blush creeping onto Shane’s cheeks. “You did say it looked good last night.”

Shane’s eyes tilt until they’re curvy, and he flashes a devious grin back, and Ryan knows today’s gonna stretch like decades before they can rush home and fall on something soft, or crash against a wall. Both have proven equally effective.

“Oh you bet it does."

#Shyan Valentines <3 #I love you star for you and your ideas #alex writes #this was so much fun #shyan #skeptic believer #otp: we took an oath #shyan fic #shyanvalentines2020

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myakkoh · 4 years

Text

Into the Stars (I Didn’t Mean To)

[AKA; WTF IS A GALAXY]

(Read here on Ao3!)

So before we get into this, you may blame @ladyteldra for this prompt, which was JC falling into Mace Windu’s lap. Literally.

Please thank @nillegible for her subtitle and the fact of this is apparently going to be the first of so many more dimensional travelling things! And without further ado, please enjoy!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jiang Cheng would like to say this is none of his fault to begin with.

He was visiting Wei Wuxian when the latter asked for him to come by and say hello to his new niece. Jiang Cheng did come by and stop to say hello to his niece, checking up on his brother to make sure he isn’t coming up with more crazy stunts. It’s nice to spend time with his former brother, despite their differences now.

Lan Wangji had been out that day, with Lan Sizhui and the other kid to guide some junior disciples in a night hunt. Jin Ling offered to come along, so it had been only Wei Wuxian, his niece, and himself inside his former brother’s home.

Then he accidentally tripped into one of Wei Wuxian’s stretched arrays and found himself falling from the ceiling to... wherever this place is.

And tumbling straight into a man’s lap.

Said man is staring up at him with a raised eyebrow, large, warm hands already placing themselves on his hips so he doesn’t fall. His own hands are gripping the man’s shoulders, straddling the man’s lap like he’s hanging onto him for dear life. The man’s warm, his gaze flickering to the side before blinking slowly at him.

Jiang Cheng feels his face flush hot as he stares into impossibly dark eyes before someone clears their throat. This is embarrassing. He’s a Sect Leader, he’s not supposed to be stumbling into a misplaced array and tumble straight into someone’s lap. But the man’s not letting go so he has to make do with what he can do.

He has to turn his head around to see who made the noise, only to stare at the most fucking ridiculous thing he has ever seen in his entire life.

It’s green.

It’s short and wrinkly.

It has fucking long ears.

“What the fuck are you?” Jiang Cheng asks in disbelief and horror.

“The translators are on, correct?” another voice asks cheerfully, rather muffled, and Jiang Cheng turns his head yet again to see a different, orange thing that has some kind of mask placed over its mouth.

“What the fuck?” he says again, if not in a higher-pitched tone. “What the fuck?”

Clearly, this is some kind of nightmare that Wei Wuxian casted upon him. No creatures, Demons or Ghost or a Fierce Corpse look like these things; not even when they were at Burial Mound did they see these things. He licks his lips and the man’s hands tighten on his hips as if to steady him.

“Perhaps we should let him sit down before we start interrogating him?” a female’s voice inquiries. “He’s full of panic and fear.”

“His thoughts are spilling into the Force,” another thing murmurs when he turns around his head to look again. This time it’s a thing where there’s several horns on its head and strange line tattoos. “Does he even know what the Force is?”

“You have horns,” Jiang Cheng says in disbelief and the thing looks up to steadily look at him. “What the fuck are you? A Ghost? Demon?”

The thing blinks, before it slowly raises a brow. “I am a Zabrak.”

“What the fuck is a Zabrak?”

“A sentient species in the galaxy,” another answers, slightly confused.

“What the fuck is a galaxy?”

“Clearly, he’s not from here,” one, who has a long fucking neck, says slowly. “He doesn’t show any recognition for any of us, nor does he know where he is. We don’t even know where he came from.”

“No fucking shit,” Jiang Cheng snaps, slightly hysterical as he looks from one thing to another thing, whatever they are. He needs to get out of here, get back to Wei Wuxian and strangle him. “What the fuck even are you... you things? You’re not even a Ghost!”

“Well, clearly he doesn’t, seeing how we are things to him,” one of said things says dryly.

“Enough,” the man under him says firmly, and Jiang Cheng swings his head back around to stare down at the man. The room goes silent, seemingly waiting for the man’s continuation as the man’s hands tighten against his hips. So, he must be the leader, Jiang Cheng thinks, coolly looks down at him.

The man doesn’t scare him as much as others have. Jiang Cheng has fought in a war, against murderers and slaughterers of his Sect, has faced down Wen Zhuliu and survived, even if he lost his original golden core for it. He’s not scared of one simple man who is a leader. He has seen worse.

Dark eyes only blink once, then the first question comes– “Who are you?”

“I think that,” Jiang Cheng says slowly, dangerously, and rises above him, his hands gripping the man’s shoulders tightly. The man doesn’t flinch to his credit. “You should be telling me who you are, before I can tell you my name.”

“Is that so?” the man asks with a raised eyebrow.

“Indeed.” He lets Zidian crackle against the man, allows him to feel the spark of lightning, sees him stiffen under him. Jiang Cheng has been Sect Leader long enough to know when to give an aggressive threat, or a passive one, even though he grows short-tempered most of the time. “Tell me who the fuck you are, and maybe I won’t use Zidian.”

A considerate hum escapes from the man under him, like he doesn’t notice Zidian sparking and the stiff silence around them. His hands are loosening from Jiang Cheng’s hips, steadily says, “I am Jedi Master Mace Windu.”

Briefly, Jiang Cheng wonders what kind of last name is Mace. A Jedi Master clearly sounds like a Sect Leader, but he has no way of knowing, no way of telling. “So... your family name is Mace?” he says, and tastes something sour in his mouth as the man stares at him, brow furrowing.

“... no. Windu is my... family name.”

“... oh.” An awkward silence emerges. “I am Jiang Wanyin, Sect Leader of the Jiang Sect.” Better time tell them his courtesy name instead of his personal one. Mace’s hands are still on his hips, feels his cheeks heating up from the warmth of it.

“What’s a sect?” something asks, after a moment.

Jiang Cheng can feel a headache coming on.

#my writing #mdzs plunny hell #mo dao zu shi #the untamed #star wars #jiang cheng x mace windu #jiang cheng #mace windu #blame tel for this ship

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satonthelotuspier · 4 years

Text

Day 7 of Xichengclipse is here, and we’re almost done!

This turned a little away form the original concept into wanting to explore how societal pressures affect JC's notion of himself. He has this role he has to play in canon, especially young jc, the sect heir, the more sensible one to WWX's shenanigans, and I wonder if he ever found that stifling. I wanted to take a look at what that might mean in a different verse.

Lotus Lakes In Spring

Lan Xichen has suddenly started working late every night, and Jiang Cheng, insecure at the best of times, is imagining the worst. Although he had thought they had developed feelings for each other theirs was still a match of convenience, tying to powerful families together, and perhaps he's has enough of Jiang Cheng.

How far away from the truth is he? His therapist suggests there's only one way to find out - communication in relationships is key.

Featuring a JC struggling with societal expectations and his own nature, and a misunderstood LXC who's taking some matters into his own hands.

“It’s fine,” Jiang Cheng assured, except it really wasn’t. It wasn’t fine. They hadn’t spent any time together for weeks because Lan Xichen had been working constantly, and this afternoon was just another call to excuse himself from dinner, because he’d be working at the office until into the evening again.

It was a herculean effort, but he killed the needy keen in his voice; an omega begging for attention from his mate might sound cute in theory, but Jiang Cheng hated that he was so weak to the natural reaction.

“Well, I’ll see you tomorrow evening then, I have to be up early for a conference across town, so I need to go to bed early tonight.” He didn’t sound terribly pathetic, but it was a close thing.

“Sleep well, Wanyin, I’ll be quiet when I get in, so that I don’t wake you.”

He could feel the wetness behind his eyes, but worked hard to keep it out of his voice.

“Thank you, Xichen.”

With a few more pleasantries they ended the call, and Jiang Cheng stared at the bright-screened mobile in his hand.

Was Lan Xichen growing bored of him? Their relationship was complicated, no doubt, it wasn’t any secret that their match had been a power move, two of the biggest families in Suzhou, united in an act of politically motivated showmanship.

But Jiang Cheng had thought they had come to care for each other, despite neither having been the other’s choice. Lan Xichen was a kind and caring man, and an attentive alpha mate, and Jiang Cheng tried his best to be a good omega. Despite his quick temper, neediness, and easily embarrassed nature, he did try to be as good to his alpha as Lan Xichen was to him.

Perhaps with mixed results.

And that must be why the other was pulling away, having had enough of having to pander to him, to address the flaws in his character, and yes, in his body.

Jiang Cheng whined low in his throat, as he acknowledged the white elephant in the room. It must be, in part, because their matings hadn’t taken yet. Despite numerous heats shared together, he had yet to become pregnant. He was failing in an omega’s most basic function, and powerful dynasties, like the families they both came from, required heirs, and he wasn’t providing.

What was the point in bringing an omega into the family if he couldn’t breed?

Lan Xichen said it didn’t matter, things would happen in their own time, but that was just Lan Xichen, being nice, paying lip service. If it wasn’t an issue why was it in every gossip magazine? Every tabloid newspaper?

Taunting headlines about separate bedrooms and a lack of intimacy between the Lan heir and the Jiang heir, married for convenience, to further two powerhouses of political and economic might, but cold and distant with each other.

Until a few weeks ago they couldn’t have been further from the truth, he had fallen asleep in his husband’s arms every night, and they shared a full and mutually satisfying sex life, even outside of his heat cycles.

He was assured by the specialists he had consulted that there was no physical reason for it, that everything was in perfect working order; Lan Xichen had even supported him, attended the appointments with him, even submitted himself to a physical examination and tests to ensure there was no problems on his side either.

Jiang Cheng had been pleased to find that out that the kidnapping he had suffered as a young adult had left him with no lingering effects other than a pervasive fear of the dark.

Which meant it was him. He wasn’t broken medically, he was just broken.

Had Lan Xichen gone back to the lover he had stopped seeing in readiness for their marriage? Had he finally had enough of a mate that didn’t provide the things he should?

Who could blame him? Maybe these were the first tentative steps towards divorce?

He unlocked his phone and dialled.

“Wen Qing, can I talk to you?”

“I’m not your therapist, A-Cheng.”

“Your monthly invoice says differently. You’re damned expensive for someone who isn’t,” he snapped, and she snorted.

“I have a client in half an hour, but I’ll give you a call before I go home. It will be around five, alright?”

He agreed and they hung up.

***

He tried to process her advice that night as he lay in the bath he had taken to try and relax a little. The gist of their conversation had said he could drive himself silly with the what ifs, the suppositions, and the only way he’d get any closure on the issue was to ask Lan Xichen directly.

And that he should also talk to the other about his needs, that he missed the other and wanted attention.

Out of the two, Jiang Cheng thought the latter was the least likely to pass his lips. How pathetic would it make him seem to be begging his own husband for attention?

He was that pathetic though, he really, really wanted to.

He bathed, changed for bed, and, ensuring the small lamp near his side of the bed was on, settled down to sleep in a bed that seemed all too empty, because Lan Xichen wasn’t in it beside him.

***

It must have been the sound of the thunder that awoke him, as he shot upright in bed, and began to panic. The room was pitch dark, and he felt his chest tightening and his breathing speeding to shallow pants in immediate reaction to the darkness. He mewled; a lost child. It was oppressive, and closing in on him ever faster.

“Wanyin?” Lan Xichen’s voice sounded, clear and soothing by his ear. “Damn.” There was some scrabbling around, then a flare of light in the darkness. “Here, take this, baby.” Lan Xichen’s phone, with the torch function on full, was pressed into his shaking hands, and he waved it wildly around the room, checking in the shadows while the other gave him space to ensure he was safe.

Eventually he calmed enough to accept Lan Xichen’s arms around him, as he was pulled into the other’s lap and hugged tightly.

“You’re safe, sweetness, you’re safe here with me.” Lan Xichen kept up the steady, soft, stream of reassurance, stroking his hair and kissing wherever his lips landed until Jiang Cheng regained some measure of control over himself.

He didn’t have quite enough to control his tongue, however, “Don’t leave me, Xichen, please don’t leave me. I’m trying so hard to be better for you. I am.”

The stroking hand paused, then slid to his shoulders and held him away from Lan Xichen’s chest so the other could look at him, “What do you mean, Wanyin? Of course I’m not going to leave you, I know you don’t like the dark, it’s not a surprise to me. I’ll hold you until dawn or the power comes back on. I don’t mind.”

“B-but you’re avoiding me. You’re staying at work all the time now, like you don’t want to be with me, or you’re seeing someone e-else.” It could only be described as a wail, and Jiang Cheng hated himself for it, but he couldn’t stop now the dam had burst. “I kn-know I haven’t given you heirs yet, but I’m trying my b-best.”

“Wanyin? Why…” Lan Xichen sucked in a breath, then moved his hands up to cup his face gently, “you silly thing, we’ve discussed this again and again. I don’t care. It will happen when it happens, or it won’t, and that’s fine too,” Lan Xichen’s thumbs rubbed over Jiang Cheng’s cheeks, wiping away the tears, “I’m working late because I’m trying to clear my schedule early, before your next heat cycle. I’ve been looking for places we can get away from the city and take it easy for a while, and you might relax enough to enjoy yourself a little more, instead of worrying incessantly about something that is so completely out of your control.”

Of course, Lan Xichen’s words only made him cry harder, and try to wrap himself around the other.

“And how could I consider seeing someone else? Who would ever match up to my beautiful omega? No one else smells of lotus and soft spring rain on a lake like you, no one else has that fiery, challenging gaze for me,” Lan Xichen feathered his lips against Jiang Cheng’s jawline, and he preened at the praise falling from the other’s lips, hmming his approval, “and no one else would look half as divine spread across our bed, tousled and well-loved and marked so completely as mine, as you do.”

Jiang Cheng growled, “Yes, I want that, show me, alpha, Xichen, show me I’m yours.”

Lan Xichen pulled the torch phone out of Jiang Cheng’s hands, and placed it besides them, so it still cast a glow, and pushed forward to pin the other beneath him. “As my omega wishes.”

***

Jiang Cheng lay back against the unfamiliar-smelling bed, while Lan Xichen rubbed gently at the arch of his right foot. He had never considered his feet erogenous zones but the way Lan Xichen touched him, anywhere, everywhere, so possessively, so soothingly, with such an intent to relax, to make love to. He made a soft, light sound of delight, surrender, and contentment in his throat, which was mirrored by a more aggressive sound in his alpha’s.

The bed would soon be flooded in the scent of their pheromones, overwhelming whatever neutral washing agent the hotel used, when his heat hit in earnest.

But at the moment he was riding it’s edge, extremely sensitive, a little excited, by the nearness of his alpha, but too relaxed to move. That would change soon enough, but he intended to enjoy this for as long as he could.

He was so lucky, to be this cared for, to be this precious to someone. He still felt so guilty that he had suspected Lan Xichen of having an affair, when the other had been working hard to provide an environment where the mate he knew was so tense and stressed about their inability to fall pregnant, could relax, let go, and forget about the newspapers, the pressure of his family, and just enjoy what should, after all, be a pleasure-filled few days, worshipped by his alpha, like any beautiful omega should be.

“I love you.” The words were out before Jiang Cheng realised, and he would have slapped a hand over his mouth, but the deep, pleased, possessive sound that came from Lan Xichen’s throat made his toes curl.

He felt a flush of heat begin to run through every nerve ending in his body at the same moment Lan Xichen released his ankle, and moved between his lifted knees, almost more tuned in to Jiang Cheng’s heat than he was himself. He looked dangerous, and hungry as he lowered his head to mouth at the pulse pounding at Jiang Cheng’s throat as the room flooded with the smell of lotus lakes in spring.

“Love you too,” he raised his head briefly to reciprocate, before returning back to sucking a mark against Jiang Cheng’s throat.

***

It had been a wonderful idea, to take this away from the city, from all the factors pressing expectation down on Jiang Cheng, and they decided to stay for a day longer than Lan Xichen had originally planned, as they were both exhausted after a very pleasurable heat spent worshipping each other.

It became a regular thing, and it was no surprise to Lan Xichen, who had theorised privately, that it was probably the stress of expectation and regard on Jiang Cheng, that was causing the problems, that it wasn’t too many heats later that they were cuddled on their bed together awaiting the results of the chemist-bought pregnancy test Jiang Cheng had purchased on his way back from the office earlier that evening.

He had sat through so many hopeful tests himself, only to have them come back negative, Jiang Cheng was almost too terrified to look after the required time. He hadn’t wanted to expose Lan Xichen to this side of him, the failed omega, desperate to fulfil his purpose and obsessed with his inability to do so, but he felt that this time, even if it was negative he was in a better place to deal with that, with his alpha, his mate, his husband, by his side.

It was positive, however, and it was a long time before Jiang Cheng was coherent enough at the news to discuss it with Lan Xichen, who held him close as he went from elated to terrified and back again over and over again.

The feelings only abated a little that night in bed, where they lay together in the soft sheen of the lamp behind Jiang Cheng, talking about their future.

“You’ll have to cut back on those ridiculous coffees you drink, baby.” Lan Xichen teased him gently, and Jiang Cheng frowned unhappily.

“Ugh, but where are the gossip mags going to get their photos from if I don’t go to the coffee shop?” He grinned suddenly, “I can’t wait to maternity it up, they are going to get so many baby bump shots. Infertile, separate beds, hah,” he ground his teeth in irritation, then forgot it just as quickly as he went through another plateau of delight at the thought their child growing tenaciously in his belly.

#xichengclipse2020 #xicheng #alpha/beta/omega verse #mpreg #struggling to become pregnant #mdzs fanfic #Shay's stuff

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enbyleighlines · 4 years

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What about if nhs had a Little exhibit of his photos? And it's still early days for qingsangcheng (is that right? Or I guess it's more sangcheng & qingcheng right?). Anyway. It's early days for those three, and nhs only mentioned it off hand to jc but the two of them show up to support? 📸

Awww, so many wholesome prompts! Thank you, anonymous, for sending me a request. I love writing about my fav head-shaker~

—

It’s the first night of the nature photography exhibit at the local art center. The building used to be a wool mill, and half of the rooms are either in renovation for various tech companies, or still waiting to be bought. But the basement has been turned into an art studio, which hosts both pottery classes and the occasional art exhibit.

It’s not a high honor, to be included in this haphazardly prepared exhibit. Nie Huaisang knows this. And yet they can’t help but be nervous.

Nie Huaisang stands in front of the folding panels that display their photographs. They’re primarily shots of different local birds, with the occasional deer, fox, or raccoon. Nie Huiasang’s favorite photo is enlarged and framed. It was taken near sunrise, with a great white heron dipping its beak into its own reflection in the river. The colors are especially vibrant, due to the early morning glow.

When people stop to stare at it, Nie Huaisang feels the pride all the way down to their toes. They’re standing nearby, to answer questions about their methods and equipment. And, of course, to try to sell their work.

That last bit turns out to be harder than Nie Huaisang expected. They eagerly chat up any passerby who lingers at a particular picture, describing the story behind it, and dropping subtle hints about where it might look the best hanging up in their home. But though most people laugh and listen with interest, very few actually buy anything.

Even the heron kissing its reflection, Nie Huaisang’s magnum opus, remains unsold.

At least Nie Mingjue stops by around noon, which lifts Huaisang’s spirits. Though their Gege doesn’t possess a single artistic bone in their body, he pointedly gives each individual photo a long look.

“You did good,” he says, and pats Huaisang on the head.

Nie Huaisang chuckles into their hand. They will never stop being amused by their Gege’s stilted attempts at being supportive.

But then Nie Mingjue has to leave for work, and Huaisang is left alone once more.

Another boring hour passes without much to comment on. Nie Huaisang manages to sell a couple of postcards with songbirds on them, but they’re not exactly wracking in the dough.

Money isn’t really a huge concern for Nie Huaisang. That is, they come from a comfortably well off family. Huaisang’s parents and Gege would happily pitch in if Huaisang ever needed it. After all, it was Mingjue who convinced their Fuqin to pay the entirety of Huaisang’s college tuition. But Nie Huaisang doesn’t want to need their help, now that they’ve graduated. They want to prove that they can survive off of their art, that their BA in Photography was worth the heavy investment.

Unfortunately, so far Huaisang has not been able to live off their photography alone. They also have to work part-time at an arts and crafts store, which so far has been less exciting that Huaisang had expected.

That’s just how retail works, Wei Wuxian often said. He and Wen Ning also had to take on customer service jobs.

But maybe that was just a necessary part of being an artist. Perhaps all artists had to struggle before they could blossom. At least, those are the type of thoughts Nie Huaisang tells themself, to make the frustration more bearable.

Nie Huaisang is just starting to go down that mental rabbit hole again, but they hear their name being called.

“Huaisang, hey!”

Huaisang whirls around, surprised to first hear and then see their boyfriend Jiang Cheng.

They’ve only been dating a little over a month at this point, and Nie Huaisang had only mentioned the exhibit in passing. Again, it wasn’t exactly a high honor, to be included in such a rinky-dink exhibit. So there was no need to ask Jiang Cheng to come.

Yet there he is. And he brought Wen Qing.

The two walk arm in arm. They are a good looking couple, though they still avoid labeling themselves as such. Jiang Cheng is all sharp edges and tightly coiled muscle, while Wen Qing has soft curves, with a relaxed, confident posture.

Nie Huaisang, meanwhile, feels like a gangly stick bug in comparison.

“You came,” Nie Huaisang says, brushing aside that unwelcome, unnecessarily self-deprecating thought. Jiang Cheng seems to like the way they look just fine.

“Of course I came,” Jiang Cheng replies. He sounds offended at the idea that he wouldn’t come.

“Are these yours?” Wen Qing speaks up unexpectedly. She detaches herself from Jiang Cheng to get a closer look at the photos. “All of these?”

“Everything on this side of the panel, yes.”

Wen Qing stares down a deer that is facing the camera. “Look at that,” she says, “How beautiful. This deer lives around here?”

“Yes,” Nie Huaisang confirms, “All these pictures were taken locally.”

“Talented, aren’t they?” Jiang Cheng says, throwing an arm around Huaisang’s shoulders. He points off to a picture of a fox. “I was there for that one.”

Nie Huaisang tries to stifle a giggle and winds up snorting. “You mean, you were asleep in the tent.”

“Oh,” says Wen Qing, understanding, “is this from that time you two went camping together?” She studies the fox photo, even bending down to get a better view. “Maybe I should come next time. I want to see a fox.”

“That was a rare chance encounter,” Huaisang rushes to tell her, “I can’t guarantee any fox sightings in the future.”

But Jiang Cheng latches onto the more important aspect of Wen Qing’s words. “Wait, you’d go camping with us? Seriously? I thought you said you hated camping.”

Wen Qing shrugs. “I hated camping as a kid,” she says, without tearing her gaze away from Huaisang’s photographs, “But that was mainly due to the fact that I’d be forced to interact with Wen Xu and Wen Chao. Also, the adults would stay up late drinking and then spend the days in their beds with horrid hangovers, so I’d be left babysitting all the younger kids. Neither of those factors would come into play if I went camping with the two of you.”

Jiang Cheng hums, a short sound to acknowledge the weight of Wen Qing’s words without making a big deal out of them.

Huaisang throws in a cheery, “We’d love to have you tag along,” to lighten the mood.

Jiang Cheng presses a kiss to Huaisang’s temple. “We would,” he agrees.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Wen Qing says. She moves to the great white heron, in its magnificent frame. “Wow,” she breathes out a sigh of wonder, “This is yours, too?”

“It is!”

Jiang Cheng squeezes Nie Huaisang to his side. Presumably, it’s to show his pride.

Nie Huaisang finds themself melting into the one-armed embrace. Leaning against Jiang Cheng’s warm, solid torso always fills Huaisang with a strong sense of comfort. Jiang Cheng’s fingers curling into the fabric of Huaisang’s shirt provokes a different, equally pleasant feeling. Huaisang feels desired. And being desired makes Huaisang feel like they’re capable of moving mountains.

Wen Qing slowly, almost reluctantly, turns away from the photo. “How much are you selling this one for?”

A shard of hope pierces Nie Huaisang’s heart. They attempt to ignore it as they answer, “Forty-five, with the frame. Thirty without the frame.”

Wen Qing arches a brow at Jiang Cheng. “What do you think?”

Jiang Cheng’s face scrunches. It’s adorably evident that he doesn’t understand the question. “What do I think about what?”

“Do you think I should buy it?”

That shard of hope wedges deeper into Nie Huaisang’s chest.

Jiang Cheng steps away from Nie Huaisang to get a better look at the photo. “You should,” he answers, “if you want to.”

“I do want to.” Wen Qing’s gaze is back on the heron. “I’ve been looking for something to cover that nasty hole in the bathroom wall.” Then, without prompting, she tells Huaisang in an aside, “It was already there when I moved in.”

Nie Huaisang nods wordlessly. They’re more focused on the possibility of making a sale, though they try to keep the greed from showing on their face.

“I’ll take it,” Wen Qing decides, “With the frame, please.”

“Of course!” Nie Huaisang rushes to their large canvas bag, where they have several copies of the print stored. Then they take a frame from a nearby box, and summon all of their focus so that they can slide the photo within the frame with steady fingers.

Huaisang can feel two pairs of eyes on them, but that doesn’t phase them. Over the two months they’ve been dating Jiang Cheng, Nie Huaisang has grown incredibly comfortable around the both of them. Of course, Jiang Cheng has been a casual acquaintance of theirs since high school. So, to a certain extent, Huaisang was already comfortable around him. But Nie Huaisang wasn’t expecting to get so close with Wen Qing. Especially since they were sharing a lover. And yet here they are.

“Finished,” Huaisang announces once they’re done. They gently transfer it to Wen Qing’s care.

In return, she gives them the cash. “Thank you,” she says, “I can’t wait to hang it up. In fact, I think I’m going to go home and do that now. Jiang Cheng, are you sticking around?”

Jiang Cheng looks at Nie Huaisang and nods. “Yeah, I think so.”

“Alright.” Wen Qing gives them both a wave. “I’ll text you later,” she tells Jiang Cheng, “We should go out to dinner tonight, the three of us. I’ll pay.”

“Okay,” Jiang Cheng and Nie Huaisang respond in unison. They share a look.

Nie Huaisang giggles. “I’d like that,” they add, but while facing Jiang Cheng, “And then we can watch a movie at my place, if no one has to get up early tomorrow.”

Jiang Cheng’s face softens a bit. “That sounds nice,” he admits, almost like it’s an embarrassing confession.

“It’s a plan, then.” Wen Qing steps forward and tugs Jiang Cheng by his collar into a passionate farewell kiss. She makes it look like they’re parting for weeks, and not just for a couple of hours.

Then again, Jiang Cheng isn’t any better.

One thing Nie Huaisang has noticed from watching Jiang Cheng kiss Wen Qing, is that he tends to look like he’s in pain. Or maybe he’s just concentrating really hard. Huaisang doesn’t know why it happens, only that it’s super cute.

Finally, the two part, and Wen Qing strides off with her framed photo.

“You don’t actually have to stay,” Huaisang tells Jiang Cheng, “It’s pretty boring, just standing here all day. I promise I won’t hold it against you if you leave.”

But Jiang Cheng shrugs his shoulders. “I want to stay, at least for a little while longer,” he says, “Keep you company.”

It’s said so softly, so cutely, that Nie Huaisang has to squee quietly to themself.

Jiang Cheng must hear the sound, because the skin beneath his eyes turns a purplish red color. “It’s not that big of a deal,” he scoffs.

“Still,” Huaisang says, “Thank you.” They pop up on their tiptoes to give their boyfriend a kiss. “I love you.”

That makes Jiang Cheng choke, as it usually does. One day, Huaisang hopes, Jiang Cheng won’t look so taken aback every time he hears the L word. But, even in his shock, he manages to echo back: “I... I love you, too.”

#asks #sangcheng #chengqing #mo dao su zhi #mdzs modern au #drabbles #leigh’s writing #anon #anonymous

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jadelotusflower · 4 years

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Jesus Christ Superstar, aka purgatory is white jumpsuits and fringe

As it’s Good Friday (for some) this is the obvious choice, because I really, really love this movie. Yes, it was one of those musicals we had on tape and I watched over and over as a kid, and yes it is so overwhelmingly 70′s and a bit camp, but it’s also really good okay? Strap yourselves in, this is going to be a long one (and please note discussion is directed to the characters as they appear in the film, it’s not a comment on the religious figures on which they are based).

Norman Jewison, 1973

Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber/Lyrics by Tim Rice

Jesus Christ Superstar is one of those musicals that needs to be redone every generation, because it is can act as a mirror to society of the time. Now, this version plays it straighter than later productions, in that while it retains some modern clothing and sensibilities, it’s played as actors putting on a performance rather than literally setting the story in the modern day and making relevant alterations as latter productions do. But it was still a gutsy move to make it at all.

Okay, so imagine you’re pitching the film to the executives, a successful musical that’s already had its share of controversy as an interpretation of the last days of Christ through the eyes of Judas, that ends with the crucifixion and no resurrection. Then you tell them you want to film on location in Israel and you want to open the movie with the actors literally arriving on set, unpacking the props and getting into costume.

There must have been a few nervous nellys in that broadroom.

But it works! Now, personally I rather like an overture and I think JCS has one of the best. It is the right choice to have action on screen at the time rather than just a traditional title card or credits.

Just watch it!:

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i really can’t express how beautiful those ruins are and how much the scenery and cinematography just makes this film. Then those opening strums on the electric guitar, the bus arriving, this young troupe of friends so excited as they prepare, talking and laughing and dancing together.

Then bam - they walk to their starting positions, with that haunting vocal over the top.

So we start with Judas and the utterly great Heaven on their Minds. Carl Anderson is so good in this role and what a voice; ultimately this is Judas’ story, from his perspective (a technique that inspired Lin Manuel-Miranda when writing Hamilton), and there can be no doubt that he is sympathetic. I really think Anderson captures that fully, whereas some later productions tend to give Judas a bit of a leer (let’s not talk about the 1999 version, okay?)

But you can understand where Judas is coming from! We are occupied/Are you forgotten how put down we are?/I am frightened by the crowd/For we are getting much too loud/And they’ll crush us if we go too far.

He’s raising legitimate points, but he’s too far away, he’s no longer in the inner circle. I just really love the way it’s staged with Judas on the dunes and cliffs desperately trying to reach out, but remaining unheard.

I also love the way the presence of the Romans (homogeneous in purple tank tops and silver helmets) loom over that of Jesus’ followers; the former march above ground on patrol, the latter underground, unnoticed for now.

Ted Neeley as Jesus - what a voice again! Yes he is the traditional western “look” of Jesus and the film wasn’t brave enough to stray from that, reserving the diversity in casting for Mary Magdalene (Yvonne Elliman), Judas, and the followers.

70′s Alert! At exactly 13 minutes, “Hey, cool it man” from Simon that makes me laugh every time.

“It’s not that I object to her profession” Judas is sex worker positive! Just not near Jesus, because it would ruin his image. Okay, maybe that that positive.

Peter’s hair has entered the chat.

Look, I know people get dragged for shoehorning in a new song to an adapted musical in order to qualify for the Best Original Song, but I personally don’t mind it (yes I even liked Beautiful Ghosts in isolation) and I actually think JCS benefits from Then We Are Decided in giving a bit more depth to Caiaphas and Annas, their dynamic, and scope to their motivation:

The difference is they call him King/The difference frightens me/What about the Romans/When they see King Jesus crowned?/Do you think they’ll stand around?/Cheering and applauding?

It breaks up the momentum of What’s the Buzz?/Everything’s Alright, but I think it works. I also just want to flag the latter for Judas Making Good Points (People who are Hungry/People who are starving/They matter more/Than you feet and hair) since it’s hard to be on Jesus’ side in that one.

I just really think this version is the best as expressing the growing alienation that Judas feels and his mounting concern - it happens in this very song, he and Jesus have their hands on each others shoulders, they are having a discussion, but the apostles have their hands on Judas too, and as Mary sings again, they gently pull him back, and there’s this lovely shot of their hands slipping away, then clasping, then releasing. The human connection is broken as Mary puts a robe over Jesus’ head and he becomes the object of worship, still in the centre of raised arms and chanting, a long fade out with Judas leaving the gathering. It’s great visual storytelling.

I really dig these costumes:

The Palm Sunday crowd is a bit anemic, but taking into account the framing device of this being an actor’s troupe it’s forgivable. Although children appear in this one and only scene, and didn’t get off the bus! Some local urchins, perhaps, wanting to join in the fun?

The Roman soldiers gathering in the far background is a nice touch, as is Pilate’s wife, who has a silent role but I appreciate the attention to detail.

Simon Zealotes is another great song that makes fantastic use of visual storytelling. The dancing acolytes appearing one by one and then massing in a group. Judas looks on with concern at the increasing frenzy as the acolytes roll around in the sand and the soldiers get closer to surround the gathering. The acolytes, now including the apostles and Mary, are circled round Jesus ever closer, flailing their arms and prostrating. He and Judas share a look, but Judas leaves before hearing Jesus chastise the crowd in Poor Jerusalem:

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There are some fantastic dancers in this group (include Neeley’s wife who I believe is the woman with long dark hair in the bikini top - they met on set!) and there are some actors...struggling with the choreography. Go back and watch the clip again from 3:20 and keep and eye on poor Peter in the background. Bless him, he did his best.

There’s a nod to modernity in The Temple, with drugs, machine guns, and paper money. Neeley’s Get Ouuuuuuuuuuuuut is at a non-human level.

I Don’t Know How to Love Him is a nice song; Elliman is a very subdued Mary.

Tanks! Tanks! And nothing but Tanks! It’s an interesting catalyst to Damned for All Time/Blood Money. Anderson really sells the anguish of a man out of options.

Surprise warplanes!

This is a very nice touch.

A jaded mandarin/a jaded mandarin/like a jaded faded a faded jaded jaded mandarin

Look, I think the most of the lyricism in JCS is really great, but I can’t defend this line.

Gethsemane, however, is so, so good and Neeley knocks it out of the park. But it’s the instrumental bridge where we’re suddenly taken out of the reality of the fim, a series of close-ups of religious paintings of the crucifixion - nails, the crown of thorns, the pain, followers crying, how non-followers will be depicted. Chills, every time.

Then we cross-fade from the sunrise to Judas: the answer to all that questioning.

However, the moment is somewhat undercut by the apostles all Hang on Lord/We’re gonna fight for you, while standing PERFECTLY STILL.

The Arrest is a number that works better in a purely modern setting, as it’s meant to be the press hounding Jesus on his way to Caiaphas, which is great if they have cameras and modern technology, not so much the actors just holding up their fist as if its a microphone.

They really use the natural landscape to their advantage - Pilate’s house is a cliff with the gold eagle the only adornment, yet his status is clear. Also note Pilate’s wife looking rather upset - a nod to the gospel of Matthew where she intercedes with Pilate on Jesus’s behalf (the prophetic dream was actually hers).

I don’t think you’d get away with the way they do Herod’s Song these days. It’s...yeah. It’s delightful camp, but with a pejorative edge.

I love a reprise, and nothing hits harder the Judas’ callback to I Don’t Know How to Love Him. The hanging is always hard to watch.

Well this is new/Respect for Caesar?/Until now this has been noticeably lacking

I feel like I’m getting repetitive but staging! It’s so good. Watch again for Pilate’s wife silently pleading with him not to do this - that actress really did well with a background role with no lines. And the growing regret of Caiaphas and Annas.

Mary’s visceral scream at the 39 Lashes - this is another hard scene to watch.

The 70′s!

But once again Anderson brings it, and it’s campy fun combined with genuine anguish of the unknown; the juxtaposition with the nighttime slick musical number with backup singers and dangers in their bright costumes, with the daytime Jesus carrying the cross to his death.

Then the music cuts unexpectedly, and then there’s only a background hum and the sound of hammer hitting nail. Mary collapses, people laugh and jeer. There’s a frenzied, discordant piano piece out of sync with the choral voices, and an otherwise traditional depiction of Jesus’ final moments.

Then there’s no music at all.

The performers get back on the bus one by one. They’re not so exuberant now - Pilate, in sunglasses and carrying his costume, looks back at something we can’t see. Others don’t look back at all, quietly talking or smiling at each others; they’re friends again, the play has ended.

Mary looks back for a long moment, but Judas is behind her, and she tenses before moving on. He looks back too, and keeps looking as the bus drives away.

It’s sunset. The cross is still there, but barely visible. In silhouette is a shepherd leading his sheep in the foreground.

Which would be a lovely touch, but it was unintentional! Apparently it was an actual shepherd leading their flock, not realising someone was filming, and Jewison didn’t realise until he watched the dailies. But it worked, so they kept it in.

So yeah, I love this movie a lot.

I think the reason why this musical is so resonant and will continue to be revived is that it remains so prescient. It has so much to say about the superstars we build, worship, and then tear down, and can be re-imagined in different settings and times with different implications, but the core is universal.

Favourite Song: Gethsemane

Second Favourite Song: Heaven on their Minds

Favourite Lyric: Buddha was he where it’s at/Is he where you are/Could Mohammed move a mountain/Or was that just PR?

Fun Fact: Josh Mostel who plays Herod, is the son of Zero Mostel, Broadway’s original Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof. Barry Dennen, who plays Pilate, also played Mendel in the Fiddler film (aka ”Moses said that!”). And of course Norman Jewison directed both.

#jesus christ superstar #movie musicals #my musical long weekend #my musical binge watch #jlf posts #jlf rewatch #Youtube

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motleycrueroadie · 4 years

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Along for the Ride (pt. 4)

Thank you again to anyone that has been taking the time to read this! I love writing it!

One I Two I Three

Tonight being Friday, I fully expected the diner to have more people than usual but I hadn’t expected to be sweating an hour and a half into my shift with no end in sight. Even though Tiff’s is on the Sunset Strip, we were not the “happening” place on Friday night. This coupled with the manager’s inability to pay anymore than he had to, meant that the diner was only ever manned by two people: a chef and a waitress. For some reason, Tiff’s was swarming with people tonight, so there were only a few booths that were vacant at this hour. I’ll chalk it up to the fact that everywhere else was occupied and I was blaring our prized jukebox with quarters that I got from tips. I needed a continuous loop of upbeat rock to get me through tonight.

Despite the newcomers, there were a few regulars that came to the diner every weekend after the shows. My regulars were a group of teenagers, buzzed in every sense of the word, who came by consistently for greasy food to satisfy their munchies before stalking off into the night to do whatever it is they did. I would give them credit though, they tipped me well and had never caused trouble in the diner, so I always turned a blind eye to their underage drinking (they loved slipping vodka into their sodas). However, I made sure they all had at least one glass of water before they left. I hadn’t seen them yet tonight, so I was beginning to wonder what kind of trouble they had got themselves into.

“Janis!” a slurring voice called out, exaggerating the N in my name. Looking over my shoulder as I grabbed some meals from the window, I realized I spoke too soon. My regulars were coming in the door and headed for their favourite booth. Daniel, the one who had called my name held the door open while the rest of his group entered. He haphazardly wandered over to the jukebox while I carried the food from the window over to a table. Placing their food down, Daniel called out “What do you want to listen to Janis? My treat, anything you want!”

I had to laugh at the kid while I continued whizzing around the diner, he did this every time he came in.

“You know what Danny boy, I’m feeling some ZZ Top tonight.” I said to him as I rang in someone’s bill on the cash register, “In particular, Tush.” He looked up from the jukebox, raising his eyebrows to indicate he had found some sort of “hidden message” in my request.

“Not yours Danny boy, I might as well be your older sister.” He just nodded to himself, knowing I was right. Popping in the quarter, he headed back to his friends.

“Poor kid thought he had a chance there didn’t he?” said a familiar voice. None other than Nikki Sixx was at the opposite end of the counter from me.

Nikki must’ve noticed the sudden head turn in the direction of his voice, “Is that a look of surprise on your face Joplin? Did you forget I was coming?” I shook my head at him, reaching under the counter to grab a clean rag.

“Didn’t hear you come in, rock star,” I said while turning on the tap and letting the cold water run over the rag. “I just can’t believe I missed you coming, what with that beautiful mess of a nose you’ve got going on.” Pointing at the dried blood mixed with fresh underneath his nose, he reached up to rub it with his hand.

“I thought I cleaned it up,” he mumbled to himself as I handed him the rag. I lightly snickered at his comment as I motioned to a booth near the jukebox.

“I’m a little backed up at the moment, so have a seat at the booth right there and I’ll come get some more details from you in a moment” he looked to where I was motioning and back at me nodding. I started to hand him a menu when he opened and closed his mouth before opening it again.

“Do you have a newspaper?” I knitted my eyebrows together before replying,

“There’s a stand near the entrance” He nodded to himself before taking the menu from my hand and heading over towards the newspaper stand. As I rounded the counter to head towards Danny and his group, two people walked in the door - a tall lanky young guy and a shorter gal.

“Take a seat where you can find one and I’ll be with y’all in a moment!” I called out to them as I passed.

“Well kids, will it be the regular order?” I asked as I reached their table, knowing the answer to my question already. Danny nodded to indicate a formal decision while the rest of them barely acknowledged my existence. I knew that if I was to try and take an order other than the regular, that it would be like herding cats. Instead of waiting to hear if there was any opposition, I winked at Danny while heading back towards Carlos to give orders and prep drinks.

“I see your friend is back mija, he better not be looking for free food here too.” Carlos gave me a side eye while he focused on the grill. In response I rolled my eyes at him while starting on the drinks and grabbing menus for the new people that came in.

Carlos was a little old fashioned in that he made assumptions based on appearance. He thinks that Nikki is a stray that I’ve brought in because I felt bad for him. I don’t think I made that any better when I told him that I had been having Nikki over for dinner, but Carlos was a little wayward in his assumptions. He wasn’t wrong in thinking that Nikki was a stray, but I don’t think he realized that I was too. People only know as much as you tell them, and I don’t particularly enjoy being vulnerable around others, so I tend to keep some information close. Carlos and I had been working the night shift together since I started at the diner, so I trusted him with a tad more information, enough so that he knew what I did outside the diner but that was it. I didn’t let Nikki this close into my life because I felt bad for him, I just related to him. Initially, all I had known was that Nikki and I were both out here on our own so I wanted to know him better, except I kept the wall up. Despite this, he was the one to initiate a deeper conversation by asking about my folks today. Nikki put me in a vulnerable state and I wanted to back out even though I knew it wasn’t an option. You can’t unshare what’s already been in the open. Nikki dove in head first to this new information by sharing his own vulnerability with me. Him and I were both strays, so how can you feel bad for each other? You don’t. You just let the other know they aren’t alone. Once you know you aren’t alone, you can be comfortable in the face of discomfort.

I returned to my table of regulars with their drinks in one hand, and a promise that their food would be out within the next 15 minutes. As I rounded the diner to head to the table of newcomers, I noticed one was missing. The tall, lanky boy. He wasn’t hard to miss considering his height and the fact that he was currently at Nikki’s booth. As I passed by, I glanced over my shoulder to see that Nikki wasn’t entirely thrilled with the conversation. Looking back over to the girl, I could tell she was a little annoyed with the situation so I slid into the booth across from her. This way she couldn’t continue to glare at her date.

“You plan on having something to eat tonight sweetheart? I’m sure it’s on his dime.” She looked at me now instead of through me. I watched her turn the idea over in her brain before shaking her head.

“Can I at least get you something to drink?” I asked while she continued to look disappointed.

“You know what? I would actually really love a root beer float.” I smiled up at her, liking her choice in drink.

“I’ll see what I can do about getting your date back over here” I said while getting up before continuing, “That is, of course, if you would like him to come back?” She laughed at me while she nodded her head.

“Yeah I would like it if he came back” I laughed with her as I moved along to the table with her date and Nikki in it.

“Sixx, can I make the safe assumption that you would like a Jack and Coke to start off with?” Nikki looked up towards the sound of my voice while I approached the table, nodding as I stopped next to the lanky kid.

“Can I get some blueberry pancakes?” was the greeting I received from the kid, who had yet to make a good impression on me.

“Sweetheart, what’s your name?” I asked him as he looked up at me confused. If there was one thing I know from working in the service industry, it’s that sometimes people need to be reminded to use their manners. This kid looked to be around my age, so I was going to feed him the lesson straight. No pussy footing around.

“Tommy” I smiled at this, a childish name that fit the youthful energy and forgetfulness.

“Tommy, let me level with you” I lost the smile to communicate the severity of my next statement, “You ain’t getting those pancakes until you say please and when I bring them out, they’re going to the table where you’ve left your date.” He looked back over his shoulder to where his date was people watching out the window. Turning back to me he slouched his shoulders over a little bit, and I caught him glancing at the name tag.

“I’m sorry Ms. Janis, would I be able to get some blueberry pancakes please?” I broke the stern look, smiling at him.

“Of course you can Tommy, would you like some syrup brought to the table as well?” Tommy nodded adamantly while I looked over to Nikki.

“Do you want any food to go with your JC?”

“I would love an order of blueberry pancakes as well…..” He watches as I raise my eyebrow at him, I know that he’s teasing me but I’ll indulge it. “Oh did I forget to say please?” Flipping him off, I grab the menus from in front of the two of them.

About an hour and a half had gone by before the diner was clear of everyone except Nikki. Tommy had returned to his date when I brought out his pancakes, but not before slipping a napkin across the table to Nikki. He tipped me well and even apologized again on his way out the door, to which I had only laughed and told him all was good. Danny and the rest of the regulars pitched in a few quarters each so that I could continue playing tunes on the jukebox, and all stopped to compliment Nikki on the “kick-ass” show he put on tonight. After they had left, Nikki sat patiently looking through the newspaper while I made sure the tables were clear and sanitized. With an armful of the diner’s napkin holders and the other hand carrying a package of napkins, I sat in the booth opposite Nikki for my first opportunity to sit down since starting the shift.

“A kick-ass show tonight?” I questioned while starting to refill the napkin holders. He nodded while motioning to the rag abandoned on the edge of the table.

“Lead singer and I went at it in front of the crowd at the end of the set.” Pausing what I was doing and raising an eyebrow at him, I prompted him to keep talking.

“We’ve been at each other’s throats for the past couple of weeks and I just snapped over him changing the order of the songs around.” Again, without saying a word he could gauge my reaction just from my face as I continued on with my tedious task.

“Listen I know it sounds like some stupid ass shit, but it was just my boiling point you know?” I nodded knowing the feeling all too well.

“So I take it, that’s the end of London then?” He nodded while sort of laughing to himself over the way it ended. Reaching across the table, I grabbed his empty glass and raised it up into the air for an impromptu toast. “To London!” I shouted in a god awful British accent while Nikki looked at me as if I was the one who walked in here tonight with a bloody nose.

“Janis Jade! Quit being so damn loud!” yelled out Carlos from the kitchen window, where I knew he was peeling potatoes for the day shift.

“What are you going to do now then?” I said, sliding the glass back across the table to him and stood to return the napkin holders to the table.

“Well I grabbed a newspaper to start looking at the ads for new people, but a drummer arrived in front of me.” There weren’t too many people who had gone up to Nikki while he had been there, and knowing that Danny and his group hadn’t spoken to him for long enough to form a band, that left the lanky kid. The napkin I saw him slipping Nikki most likely had a phone number on it then.

“Tommy offered to be your drummer?”

“Didn’t you see the drumsticks the kid was carrying around?” He spoke with genuine disbelief that I hadn’t noticed this apparently great detail.

“Wasn’t paying that much attention to him” Which was a truthful statement.

“That’s because you were too busy giving him an earful” Grabbing my cleaning rag off the main counter, I turned around and snapped it in Nikki’s direction. He moved further back into the booth while laughing.

“Well he deserved it!” I said, pleading my defense.

“I’m not saying he didn’t, Ms. Janis” he said, snickering to himself at what Tommy had called me. Rolling my eyes I replied, “So you’re a bass player and you’ve got yourself a drummer. Now you need a guitar player and a lead singer at the minimum.” He nodded, holding up the newspaper to indicate that this was his starting place. I smiled at him, it was clear that this was what Nikki really loved to do. Without even skipping a beat, Nikki put London behind him in search of the next batch of people that would help him put out music. I could only hope that whoever ended up being his next band were people that he could be friends with. After all, music is great but it’s even better in good company. Inspired by this, I spoke without thinking, “Tell you what Sixx.” He looked interested. “Once you get this band of yours together, I will come to your first show.” Nikki sat up straighter at this comment.

“Really?” He asked, to which I nodded. He looked almost taken aback by this but his smirk quickly returned to his face.

“Can I count on you to post our flyers in the window to promote the show?” I only laugh at him.

“Form the band first, then we’ll talk.”

Next Chapter

#Motley Crue #the dirt fanfiction #douglas booth!nikki sixx

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moonlight-breeze-44 · 4 years

Note

Hey! Do you think you could write a Malec fic to the song of “Bones” by JC Stewart?

Hi, anon! Thank you so much for the prompt! I really hope you like what I did with it. (I was going to write something fluffy but then, before I knew it, I was staring down 2k+ words of angsty post-breakup writing.) In any case, I loved your prompt and I hope you like my fic just as much, you beautiful human!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Read on AO3

A World Without You

The evening had dawned sunny and light before, so Alec didn’t quite understand why the clouds had slid over the moon and darkened until they resembled the colour of pitch above. He heard a distant rumble of thunder and knew he should head for the Institute if he didn’t want to get caught in the storm. He shoved his hands in his pockets and began to walk. His fingers struck something hard and he reached inside his pocket to pull out the device Clary had given him a month ago.

An MP3 player, she had called it.

It was supposed to hold songs, music that he could listen to whenever he wanted. She’d handed him a pair of headphones and informed him that she’d taken the liberty of adding a few of her favourites onto the MP3 player for him.

Alec hesitated for only a second before he started the device and put the headphones in his ears. Maybe her music would give him something he didn’t know he needed. Maybe her music would be enough to calm his racing nerves and soothe the frayed edges of his heart.

Alec took a deep breath and scrolled through Clary’s list of songs until he reached one that captured his attention. It was called Bones. Perhaps the simplicity of the name, which left so much mystery to it still, was what drew him to it. Perhaps it was fate. Or perhaps it was just a chance of the universe, yet again playing tricks on him.

Alec pressed play.

~ ~ ~

Back in the Hunter’s Moon, Magnus was on his fourth martini and even Luke, who was perhaps drunker than anyone else in the bar, was telling him that he should take a break. He decided to listen and placed his drink down on the bar.

After all, alcohol could only do so much for him.

“Hey, Magnus!”

Magnus turned to face Isabelle and Clary, who were standing over a beat-up jukebox by the pool table. His breath caught in his throat when he remembered how he and Alec had played at that very pool table, listening to a song he’d chosen on that very jukebox only a few short weeks ago.

Magnus wanted, more than anything, to turn away and ignore them, but Isabelle and Clary were becoming insistent. He sighed, took a huge gulp of his martini, and wandered over to them.

“What is it, my dears?” he asked heavily, with a long-suffering sigh that had Isabelle rolling her eyes.

“We can’t decide between these two songs,” Clary said, pointing to two song choices displayed in gold on the jukebox. “Izzy thinks You Are The Reason, and I think Bones.”

Magnus raised an eyebrow. “And you need me why?”

“To help break the tie!” Isabelle said, leaving the ‘duh’ in her voice unsaid.

“I don’t know either of those songs,” Magnus deadpanned.

Clary rolled her eyes. “Yes, you do. I’ve heard you humming mine while you work when you come to the Institute to fix the wards. Don’t lie.”

Magnus sighed. “Fine, fine. Well, Isabelle, I’m sorry, but Clary is right; I do know her song. And it would be a shame for everyone to miss out on it.” He smirked at her. “You have good taste in music, biscuit.”

Isabelle groaned as Clary put Bones into the jukebox, shouting, “Thanks, Magnus!” and beaming gleefully.

Magnus shook his head in exasperation at the pair of them. “You’re welcome.”

He made his way back to the bar and was about to order his fifth drink of the night when the first chords of Bones began to play, and Magnus’s hand hesitated in midair.

~ ~ ~

All we are are ghosts

Shadows at the most

Our fingertips are holding on

To something that we know is gone.

Alec shivered in the cool night air and pondered the merits of his bright idea to listen to music while he walked home - no, not home. Home was the loft. The Institute hadn’t been home in a long time.

The notes of the song seemed to wrap themselves around his throat, and he had an overwhelming urge to take the device and throw it into the air. It would smash onto the pavement and he would never have to hear the godforsaken song that seemed to know exactly how he was feeling ever again.

Yet, something - maybe some hidden masochistic desire he wasn’t aware of - held him back. Something anchored the headphones to his ears, something made him touch the volume key twice more to turn it up. Something tethered him to the song, for better or for worse.

You say that you need space to breathe

Well, maybe you need space from me.

You know just what I need

You said you couldn’t give it to me.

The air had turned cold and chilly in the space of a minute or so, and Alec could see his breath. It made small white clouds in the night that hung in the darkness for a few moments before dissolving into wisps of nothing, like they were never even there. His heart clenched painfully when he thought of how similar it was to his relationship to Magnus. What they had was beautiful and precious and unique and like a live, burning light in a world full of darkness, until it no longer existed. Like the little clouds he had made, it had vanished into thin air between one breath and the next.

Alec guessed it must be true, what they say: nothing gold can stay.

Alec’s eyes burned with an insistent urge to cry, and he chided himself for being so ridiculous. He had no right being so affected by a song, for fuck’s sake.

His heart was heavy as he continued trudging his way, alone, towards the Institute.

~ ~ ~

Magnus took a deep breath and tried to steady himself. He’d heard this song before; it was nothing new.

So why, why was he letting it affect him this way?

What you say, what you say

Say what you mean to say

‘Cause I won’t wait, no, I won’t wait

If you’re gonna walk away.

Magnus remembered a different time, a time when Alec was so afraid to take a chance and do something for himself, for once, that he pushed Magnus away from him with such force that Magnus almost relented. He remembered a time when he told Alec he wouldn’t offer again. He remembered walking into Alec’s wedding and giving him one more chance than he would have given anyone else.

Magnus remembered it vividly.

Clary fixed him with a look, and he suddenly realised that he’d been staring into space for longer than it was appropriate to. He sent her a blinding smile back, to which she scoffed and picked up her phone. A second later, not to his surprise, he received a text.

C: What is going on with you?

M: It’s nothing.

C: It’s clearly something. I noticed Alec left early, too.

M: I don’t want to talk about it.

C: Fine, I won’t force you. But just consider this: I don’t think I’ve ever seen two people more in love with each other than you and Alec.

Magnus put his phone down and stared gloomily into the depths of his martini glass. He was centuries old. He’d lived through dozens of heartbreaks. This, however, felt different.

Magnus didn’t think he’d ever felt so open, so vulnerable.

Somehow, Alexander had managed to tear down all of the walls he’d spent so long building around his heart in a matter of weeks.

And Magnus didn’t quite know what he was supposed to do with that.

~ ~ ~

And down to our bones

I think we both know

I know we’re counting the cost

It’s better to have lost

Than never have loved at all.

Alec stumbled over a crack in the pavement and fell to his knees, breathing hard. Tears froze on his cheeks, though he barely noticed their presence, and his breath was coming in short, quick gasps. He ripped the headphones from his ears and shoved them, along with that fucking MP3 player, into his pocket. He cursed himself quietly, unable to reconcile his reaction to the song with his parents’ voices in his head, hissing at him that this was not how a Shadowhunter was supposed to act.

Alec got to his feet and made his way over to the slate-grey stone wall adorning a nearby shop building. He leaned against it, allowing himself the small comfort of closing his eyes.

The world was too dark for him.

Without Magnus, it looked nightmarish and hopeless.

Without Magnus, Alec didn’t know if he could believe the last two lyrics of the song.

He didn’t regret Magnus; he could never regret Magnus.

But if this was what heartbreak felt like, Alec knew for a fact that he never wanted to experience it ever again.

Alec opened his eyes and chanced a quick look around. He was fairly hidden by the shop; no one looked underneath the overhang far enough to see the young man covered in runes that stood there, shoulders shaking and hands twisting together in the midst of a thunderstorm that he hadn’t even noticed had begun.

He was alone.

Alec bit his lip and hesitated for only a second before he allowed the tears that had been threatening all night to escape.

~ ~ ~

And down to our bones

I think we both know

I know we’re counting the cost

It’s better to have lost

Than never have loved at all.

A single tear made its way down Magnus’s cheek at the final lyrics of what was once one of his favourite songs. Now, it brought him nothing but pain and regret. His hands shook on the stem of his martini glass and he found himself wishing, suddenly and painfully, for Alexander.

A small voice in the back of Magnus’s mind reminded him that he was the one who had broken up with Alec, he was the one who had ruined everything. It was him that needed to fix things if ever they had a chance of becoming an ‘us’ again.

Clary cleared her throat next to him, and Magnus startled, turning to face her. She smiled sadly and put a hand on his arm. “Alec isn’t mad at you,” she said.

“How could you possibly know that?” Magnus replied bitterly.

Clary sent her thumb flying over her shoulder to point at Jace, who sipped a beer behind her, watching Magnus with barely-concealed protective anger in his eyes. Magnus raised a lazy eyebrow at him, trying to let Alexander’s parabatai know he wasn’t intimidated by his glare.

“Alec isn’t angry,” Jace said, a hard edge to his voice. “Even though he has every right to be.” Clary elbowed him in the gut, and he grimaced and said, “I can feel his emotions through the bond.”

A small spark of hope bloomed in Magnus’s chest.

“He isn’t mad,” Jace continued. “He’s sad.”

Magnus’s eyes softened and he felt more tears rise to them. Clary made a soft sound of sympathy and wiped away the few that decided to fall with the pad of her thumb.

“He’s hurt,” Jace said. “He’s heartbroken.” He sounded less cold now and more sad, defeated. “But he isn’t angry.”

“Do you...do you think he would let me talk to him?” Magnus asked Alec’s parabatai. He was gripping the stem of his martini glass so tightly that Clary pulled it from his hands, setting it and his cocktail napkin, which he had begun to shred in his anxiety, away from him.

“Maybe,” Jace answered. “In any case, if you don’t go talk to him, I’m going to kick your ass into next week, warlock.”

Magnus ignored Jace’s comment and rose from his seat. He sent Clary a blinding smile and Jace a grateful glance, which was all he could manage through his guilt. “If you’ll both excuse me, I have some pressing matters to attend to.”

He found Isabelle by the jukebox again, debating between an old love song and something by Kesha. After directing her towards the Kesha song, he inquired about Alec’s whereabouts. Now that Jace had spoken to him, he finally felt like he might be able to right the grievous wrong that he had made.

“He left early,” Isabelle replied. “Said he was going home, so he’s probably at the Institute.”

“Thank you,” Magnus grit out, his heart leaping with anticipation.

“Of course,” Isabelle replied. Before he could turn away, she grasped his sleeve and said, “Alec’s been different these past few days - sadder, more withdrawn. He doesn’t smile anymore. Is everything okay between you two?”

Magnus felt guilt shoot through him like a lance and he winced. “Hopefully it will be by the end of tonight.”

“Are you going to - ”

Magnus was out the door before she could finish her sentence.

~ ~ ~

Alec felt a warm hand catch his arm in a vice-like grip, and he whirled around to face whoever had touched him. His breath caught in his throat when he recognised plum-painted fingernails and the silver ear cuff of the person he’d longed to see the most for the past few days.

Magnus.

“W-What are you doing here?” Alec asked, hating himself for stuttering. He used his free hand to try and wipe away the worst of his tears, but Magnus reached up and brushed them away tenderly before he could do so. Alec couldn’t stop himself from leaning into the touch, exhaling shakily.

Before he knew what was happening, Magnus’s lips were on his and his hot breath was fanning over Alec’s cheeks and Alec felt himself beginning to warm from the inside out. Rain fell in jagged torrents around them, and lightning crackled overhead, but Alec and Magnus had eyes and ears only for each other.

Alec closed his eyes and sank into the kiss, hoping against hope that it wouldn’t be the last one he would be allowed to receive.

Magnus finally pulled away and said, “Does that answer your question?”

Alec felt a small smile overtake his face and he pulled Magnus into a crushing hug.

“I love you,” he whispered against the warlock’s spiked hair.

“I love you, too, Alexander,” Magnus whispered back. “I was a fool to believe I had to choose between you and the Downworld.”

“I don’t think I can live without you,” Alec admitted. His voice was muffled against the other man’s shoulder, but Magnus heard him well enough to warrant a sharp intake of breath. He pulled back just enough to see Alec’s face, to see the intensity of his cool blue eyes, to see the truth of his love’s statement.

He didn’t know what to say to that - he knew it was a conversation for another time - so he paraphrased Alec, when they were first beginning their relationship.

“I’ve heard that relationships take effort.”

Alec chuckled. “That’s an understatement.”

“You know what isn’t an understatement?” Magnus sidled closer until there were mere inches of space left between him and Alec. “This.”

Magnus felt more than heard it as Alec sighed into his mouth, the tension bleeding out of him, and he couldn’t contain the smile that broke out across his face.

With Magnus’s lips on his own, standing off to the side of a crowded street in the middle of the night, Alec couldn’t help but think that if the universe gave him nothing else in his life, nothing else that he had yearned for and dreamed of, nothing else but Magnus, he would still be happy.

Alec was content to spend his forever on that street corner underneath the stormy sky as long as he was with Magnus.

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gusu23 · 4 years

Text

Fanfic: The Gusu Lan Rift Healing Show!

Part 1

Summary: What if Jiang Cheng had to appear in a reality TV like show where he had to talk through his feelings? What if Jingyi and Sizhui hosted the show? And thus a Crackfic was born.

Music started up, the two flautists played a jaunty ditty accompanied by cheerful clashes of cymbals, and the strumming of a single guqin. The colourful troupe of musicians sat just in front of the elevated stage. The crowd is bubbling with excitement. Blue silk brocaded curtains hung across the large stage, obscuring it from the audience.

“Wow, it is packed in here!” Exclaimed a young cultivator from a sect too small to be well-known, he happened to be seated right near front. This was his first time at an open air theatre for a show like this.

“Of course,” said the older man next to him, working his way quickly through a paper bag of sunflower seeds, methodologically cracking, sucking, chewing, spitting. “The show today, is not to be missed!”

“Not to be missed?”

The man next to him was shocked, “Don’t you know?! Today’s guests come from the four biggest cultivation sects. I hear one of the clan leaders will be here as well.”

The young cultivator’s eyes brightened up, he’d never gotten close up to the big clan leaders before. He was still new to Caiyi town, and when he’d asked what were the most interesting things to do in town, the innkeeper had suggested his try his luck in the lottery to get a ticket to the hottest show in town, the Rift Healing Show. He thought it was worth a try and as luck would have it, he won a ticket. To hear that he was going to get to see a clan leader from the big four, the gods were smiling on him indeed.

“Who is it?” he asked excitedly, would it be the leader of Jin Clan, or from the Nie Sect? Of course it might be Gusu Lan Sect leader, but he couldn’t quite imagine him coming to this show, based on his reputation.

Suddenly a loud gong sounded and the audience quietened down. Two young men wearing plain white clothing came up and slowly drew the heavy curtains apart to reveal the stage.

The stage was split in two by large black lacquered partition decorated with cloud patterns. On the left side of the partition were three lacquered seats, next to each seat was a table with a small white cup and matching jug. The right side of the partition was empty of people and furniture with a red silk curtained doorway at the back.

A gong sounded again, the crowd cheered as the two hosts walked onto the stage.

It was Jingyi and Sizhui, the handsome young disciples from the Gusu Lan sect.

JY: Hello everybody, I am Jingyi.

SZ: My name is Sizhui

JY: And we are the hosts of this ‘Rift Healing Show’

SZ: We are here to help the cultivation world move from solving everything with fighting and towards more peaceful means resolutions.

JY: It is purely coincidental that this type of public show has attracted more - ow!

SZ: [Smiles] Thank you Jingyi, for your thoughtful words. Today we have a very special guest from the YunMeng Jiang Sect, please give a warm welcome for Sect Leader Jiang!

The crowd applauded warmly. Sect Leader Jiang was known to be a dashingly handsome, albeit with an awful temper; this was guaranteed to be a good show. The snack sellers were having to rush about with their trays of ‘bingtanghulu’, skewers of hawthorn dipped in syrup to meet the audience demand.

There was a loud hurrumph and a tall man dressed in rich purple silk strode across the stage to sit on the chair furthest away from the two hosts.

The young nameless cultivator was drinking it all in, the man certainly was handsome, though the clean look was marred by the deep scowl that drew his eyebrows in like a brewing storm.

Behind him he could hear two people chattering to each other.

Person A: Aiyo, he’s got a face like dried bitter melon.

Person B: I heard he was forced to come here, rumours had it he’s recently gone a bit wild with capturing anyone who even breathed the name of the Yiling Patriarch. One of the men he whipped turned out to the young son of a very wealthy merchant. Under pressure, the sect leaders had to show they were doing something about the issue.

Person A: This is punishment?

Person B: The sect leaders combined to ask him to deal with his anger management issues or else they might be forced to publicly denounce him.

Person A: Is this much different?

Person B: Hehe, you may be right there! I heard the merchant is also in the audience.

The young cultivator immediately glanced back around him, but he did not know anyone from Caiyi, so could not tell who were the distinguished guests, as there were so many refined looking people in the crowd.

SZ: Along with Sect Leader Jiang, our second guest is the young master Jin for the Lanliing Jin Sect.

JY: The spoilt princess Jin - OW - Prince Jin is renowned for his lavish attire and arrog- ow, haught- ow. Young master Jin is renowned.

SZ: He is also the young nephew of Sect Leader Jiang.

Jingyi glared at Sizhui who continued to smile innocently at the audience.

A young teen strode come in from the left side, dressed in dazzling golden attire. A silver bell jingled as he moved. The vermillion mark in his forehead contrast with his jade like pale skin. His eyes swept across the audience, a look of disdain on his face.

JL: Why do I have to be here?

JC: Sit

His uncle’s tone brooked no disobedience and so Jinling could only pout silently as he took the middle seat. As he was feeling thirsty, he picked up the cup set on the table to his right , but upon inspection, he sniffed and put it down again. He snapped a finger and one of his servants hurried up to replace the drink with a new jade jug and delicate jade cup.

His uncle saw his action and scowled again, his nephew was too much like his father at times.

JY: Today we are going to try and understand the deeply rooted issues that has lead to the - uh - exponential increase in whippings in the area governed by YunMeng

Person A: Isn’t it obvious why?

Person B: Yes, but you can’t say it too directly you know.

This was very exciting indeed, but wait there was a third seat laid out, who was going to the third person? The young cultivator wondered.

SZ: We are also very honoured to have a third guest today.

JY: Voted the most handsome cultivator of year for 16 years running. I’m sure you can guess it!

The high tension ratcheted up a few extra notches, and suddenly wafts of wind hit the young cultivators. As he looked around, he saw many of the women around him had started fanning themselves, and a few of the men too.

JY: Please welcome one of the Two Jades of Lan. Han. Guang. Jun!

The crowd clapped rapturously, there may have been some screaming as well. The young cultivator was overwhelmed by the volume, and the pitch. He stared intently to the left of the stage, as did everyone else, but after what seemed like a very long wait, nobody appeared. The clapping died down, and murmurs arose. Just as this was about to turn into discontent, there was the sound of a guqin being strummed, coming from above, and everyone immediately craned their necks upwards. There, a figure in white floating down from the high pillars that held up the main gate of the theatre. This man drifted down slowly the sleeves of his white outfit billowing delicately, descending like a god from the heavens. He landed noiselessly right on the final seat.

There were gasps heard all around.

“What perfection.”

“I’m not prepared for this, someone please hold me”

“Screen yourselves with the fans, we cannot look him directly in the eyes”

In amongst the hubbub the young cultivator was sure he could hear some saying

“Does he have to be so fucking extra?”

It sounded like it was coming from the stage.

Person A: Why would Hanguang Jun be here?

Person B: You sure ask the right questions at the right time. But you know what they say, Hanguang Jun goes where trouble is.

Person A: Is there going to be trouble?

Person B: Heh, we shall see!

Link to Part 2

#mo dao zu shi #mdzs #lan zhan #the untamed #cql #wei wuxian #lan wangji #jiang cheng #wangxian #fanfic #lan jingyi #lan sizhui #jin ling

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