daozhangs: ~limeade (dns) (grin.)
xiao xingchen. ([personal profile] daozhangs) wrote2020-08-14 12:22 am

ic inbox, ryslig.



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<XIAO.XINGCHEN> I am often away from my laptop, but I will do my best to answer as soon as I'm able.
legbreakings: (22-28-2)

[personal profile] legbreakings 2021-07-30 09:12 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Jiang Cheng had been so caught up in the feel of his own body, he had indeed completely missed both the gate opening and the soft footsteps - he is entranced by the sensation of human muscles tensing and relaxing, by the stretch of skin over flesh, the way his breath fills his lungs and blood his veins and qi his meridians and he is simply alive. Even now, it doesn't feel quite right. In his first month in Ryslig, his then human body had felt off for the lack of a golden core and spiritual energy cultivated through it vitalizing it, and now this humanity feels wrong, feels off in a similarly disquieting manner.

It is the placid surface of a lake with deadly currents beneath - but even this is better than none, and he can make himself look at nothing but the surface.

The snikt of a blade being drawn abruptly attracts his attention, just in time for his sword forms to have him move around and his blade to sweep down in a deadly strike against a phantom opponent. Where there should be thin air stands Xiao Xingchen, his blade lifted to parry his own. Metal hitting metal rings loud in the silence of the courtyard and echoes in his almost-human ears.

He remains standing in place even as Xingchen lowers his sword, his eyes flickering down appreciatively at the elegant twist of his wrist, the blade a natural extension of his arm as he always tells his disciples it should be. The movement ends smoothly with the blade behind his back, and Jiang Cheng extends his own, resting the tip of it lightly against Xingchen's heart while a smirk curls the corners of his lips. ]


Don't you know better than to raise a sword against a sect leader, daozhang [ he says, human voice light with teasing, a honey-sweet undertone of coyness to it. He had never been coy before, never been flirtatious, never even had the voice for it either when his tends to be grating and its pitch better suited to bellowing or nagging. Yet he feels heady and so alive right now and it does not matter anymore what he doesn't do well. ]
legbreakings: (22-22-2)

[personal profile] legbreakings 2021-07-31 07:42 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Jiang Cheng's mouth twitches a little when Xiao Xingchen only steps closer, fully trusting Jiang Cheng that he won't let him come to harm. It isn't the first time he has shown such trust, he has shown it on far greater occasions already, but it still leaves him feeling ridiculously warmed as much as he is fondly amused. Only one of these his pride will permit him to display openly, so there goes the smile. ]

I feel... [ He trails off, taking his time to sheathe his sword while he mulls about it and feels into himself.

He feels good. He feels like his burden has been lightened. He feels more grounded and more himself than he has in a long time. It is not quite the same as Felfri, having neither his cultivation nor having his humanity back for real still hangs over him, and Jiang Cheng has always been more prone to focusing on the negatives.

But... ]
I feel almost human [ he finally declares. Almost because he has promised himself to be honest with Xingchen and he doesn't believe in candying his words or truths. But there is still the same, the relief in his eyes and his voice, and he is certain that Xingchen will be able to read his words as they are intended. He is extraordinarily good at that, after all. ]
legbreakings: (JC 32)

[personal profile] legbreakings 2021-08-03 10:00 pm (UTC)(link)
[ It is a simple good and yet there is so much emotion in it, and there are all these slowly budding hopes and wishes that had built up over months and conversations wrapped up in this single word. There is so much more to it than a single word could capture, yet one is as good as many who would be equally insufficient.

So he just smiles, a genuine, sweet smile, his head slightly ducked, eyes full of fondness and warmth as they look at Xingchen.

He gives a little laugh, more startled than anything else, and jostles Xingchen with his elbow. ]
Of course you can't, because you can't possibly outdrink me! Don't think that I don't recall the past times you were drunk!

[ He drops a hand down to his forearm and hesitates between taking him by the hand or the wrist, finally awkwardly deciding to stick to the wrist. Everything is so much in this newly almost-human body, and he finds himself very aware that he will once again give human tells of embarrassment. ] Come. Now that Mana granted me my prize, there are many things you can't talk your way out of anymore.
legbreakings: (c436)

[personal profile] legbreakings 2021-08-04 07:50 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Touch does feel different now - still not quite right, just like he isn't quite himself, but closer to it - and it is terribly distracting. He itches for more touch, more sensation, more... Just more. Jiang Cheng snorts, shaking his head at himself, albeit with a small smile. Ridiculous. He is being ridiculous. He still lets his fingers slip lower, until he is awkwardly grasping Xingchen's palm instead of his wrist, and his fingertips trace over the skin on the inside of his palm. ]

Well, that is good then that you say you won't talk your way out of anything [ he says, voice loud and obnoxious and so very human, though he is really just buying himself time to distract Xingchen from the touch that is so very distracting to him. ] Because I have all kinds of plans for us. We are going to celebrate, of course. I haven't been able to get drunk since Felfri. I want to eat, too. In fact, I say we drink at the pier, and catch fish. We can roast them. It won't be a proper meal but I have no food at home. And then of course I will teach you proper swimming... though not today, we need to be sober for that. But your form was an eyesore! I can't stand for that.

[ He shoots him a sharp look from the corner of his eyes. ] So you see, there will be plenty of things you can't talk your way out of, and I also expect to see more of you for sword fighting. I need to spend more time practicing to get used again to fighting in this body. The transformation was creeping, over months, I didn't even realize how much all my movements and my sword forms had changed until I was human again.
legbreakings: (50-07)

[personal profile] legbreakings 2021-08-05 10:40 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Jiang Cheng makes a strangled little noise at the back of his throat when Xingchen intertwines their hands such as he had wanted but not had the courage to do all along. He can already feel the traitorous heat warm his cheeks, too. Why does he have to be human enough to once more be capable of blushing? It's terribly inconvenient and nearly enough to drive him to pouting. ]

We're going to be fishing while we drink! Or drink while we are fishing. Whichever way you prefer to think of it. You are bringing the alcohol and I have already deposited fishing rods by the pier. [ Which, well, yes, he might have been a little bit excited to be spending time with Xingchen. Ridiculously so. But it is after all his first time spending time together in his human body since everything between them changed. Their relationship had been very different last year in Felfri.

His fingers tighten on Xingchen's and he gives him a tug as he speeds up, guiding him to a dock leading towards a pavilion with fluttering curtains to protect from glaring curtains and furniture set out. However, Jiang Cheng isn't aiming for the pavilion but for the dock itself, where fishing rods lay abandoned along with a wooden box filled with the snacks he keeps in the house for guests. ]
I thought we could sit and enjoy the view [ he says, a little sheepish now as he has to say it out loud. ] It's not the proper view of Lotus Pier but....
legbreakings: (50-04)

[personal profile] legbreakings 2021-08-17 11:05 pm (UTC)(link)
Do you think so? [ There is something vulnerable to his question and the wide-eyed look it comes with - it could be called shy, even, if Sandu Shengshou still knew how to show shyness without hiding it behind bluster and hostility. ] I don't have much time for fishing anymore in the past years, when I was younger, we would catch fish in all kinds of silly manners.

[ Nowadays, he has his sect leader's dignity to preserve, so proper fishing rods it is. But that is still fun, especially when shared with someone he likes so very much. He still doesn't release his hands though he has already dragged him to their destination, and just lets his gaze wander over the scenery of the now-familiar Lake Minska. ]

The landscape isn't like the lakes of Yunmeng, and not even the fish are the same, but... [ He presses his lips together. ] I would have you visit my real home, if we had the choice. [ A sharp inhale, shoulders straightening. ] So this will have to do.
legbreakings: (47-18-2)

[personal profile] legbreakings 2021-08-21 11:18 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh [ he exhales, and now that he can blush again, he could swear his cheeks are instantly turning hot. How embarrassing. He is well past the age where he should be blushing like a junior with his first crush. Next he is going to start babbling and then he might as well throw himself into the lake.

But. But it makes him happy to hear Xingchen say that he wants to be here, or imply that this place has become his home - Jiang Cheng having played a part in that even, it wouldn't be too bold to presume so - and that's not a bad thing, is it? Maybe it is a weakness to need this for his happiness but it still makes him happy all the same. ]


I wouldn't want to be anywhere else either [ he says, studiously keeping himself busy sorting through the alcohol Xingchen had brought, and finally thrusting a bottle at him. ] Here. Weren't we going to celebrate? You have to start drinking.
legbreakings: (20-52)

[personal profile] legbreakings 2021-08-24 06:20 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Jiang Cheng freezes at the gentle touch, going still and wide-eyed, sucking in a sharp breath which strikes him as very loud in the quiet interrupted only by the gentle lapping of the waves against the pier and the chatter of the birds.

It feels different now. Every single touch feels different now that he has this almost-human body - maybe not fully as it once did, but it is so much closer, and so much more intense than what he had felt in his Simulacrum body. It feels so... so intimate, even this tiny touch.

He coughs. ]
Well. Yes. Of course. I wouldn't let you be an embarrassment by yourself, of course [ he parrots awkwardly and lifts the bottle obediently to his lips. He takes quick gulps, hoping to hide his mortification behind them. The alcohol burns down its path, sharp and vivid and making him feel very alive. ] I want to see you make a fool of yourself, and then I will mock you with it forever... as it should be.
legbreakings: (47-23)

[personal profile] legbreakings 2021-08-25 11:09 pm (UTC)(link)
[ That counter earns him eyebrows raised in mock surprise, and a soft, affectionately playful smile curling the corners of his mouth upwards. ] That's what you are here for, isn't it? [ He waves the wine bottle around to punctuate his point, then thinks better of it and brings it to his lips again for a more measured sip, before thrusting it back at Xingchen's chest. ] You decided to come and get drunk with me. Agreeing to make a fool of yourself comes implied in that!

[ And oh, how eager is Jiang Cheng to be made into a fool now. It has been so long since he has gotten truly drunk in company at home, it simply wasn't appropriate for a sect leader to be seen like that, and he had long since convinced himself he didn't miss the merriment. But his time in a Simulacrum shape had him rethinking many things he took for granted. ]

I will have to teach you, if you don't know how. Are you going to risk that?
legbreakings: (47-26)

[personal profile] legbreakings 2021-08-27 09:33 pm (UTC)(link)
Bah! [ He rolls his eyes dismissively and even waves a hand dismissively to underscore how unintimidated he is by Xingchen's display of being unintimidated. ] If you aren't going to be properly appreciative of me teaching you important life lessons, then just give me back my wine!

[ Which... really, amounts to showing him how to make a fool of himself, once Jiang Cheng is properly drunk. There are good reasons why he doesn't get drunk in company. Wine makes fools of all men, and while he is no Lan, he does become foolish when drunk. But that's a problem for tomorrow's Jiang Cheng, just like the hangover.

Still grumbling, he busies himself with preparing the fishing rod and with drinking more of the wine, eventually going back between paying attention to the fishing and drinking and in-between, engaging in idle chatter. It is easy enough to talk to Xingchen - telling him little stories about work and Kulen villagers or the annoying bird that keeps chirping right outside his bedroom window early in the morning. This is nice and easy, and Xingchen's company is always enjoyable anyway. He just has to remember not to think about home or his monster existence so he won't ruin the mood. ]
legbreakings: (34 (69))

[personal profile] legbreakings 2021-08-28 11:33 pm (UTC)(link)
[ The offer of foxy bird assassination has Jiang Cheng laughing, his mirth making him further relax into the moment and his own delight in it.

The drink is warm and burns nicely in his belly, and his mood becomes more unrestrained with every time it is his turn to drink. He doesn't need the alcohol to be happy but it's so much easier not to think about the reasons why he shouldn't be happy or carefree, or to refrain from worrying about overt propriety. He can simply enjoy himself and enjoy Xingchen, no overthinking anything.

It is very easy to enjoy him with the smile lighting up his face like this - and yes, Jiang Cheng is well aware that he is tipsy, but so is he and that smile is so very pretty and he finds himself desperately wanting to kiss it, though he isn't quite tipsy enough yet to come out and simply say so.

But maybe he's not so subtle either, sitting now with his legs dangling over the edge and a hand abandoning the fishing rod settle on the back of Xingchen's neck. Maybe giving in to a little bit of petting, which he personally thinks is very stealthy. He scoffs. ]
You look dumb down there. If you aren't going to catch anything you should come here. [ What he means with here? He isn't quite sure, except someplace closer. More in kiss-reach, preferably. Yes, that would be good. ]
legbreakings: (47-5-2)

[personal profile] legbreakings 2021-08-30 12:14 am (UTC)(link)
[ So he may have been distracted. Just the tiniest little bit, mind you, but he may have been distracted by the way that Xiao Xingchen had crawled forward and the way he was leaning down and his black hair fell forward and also by the curve of his back and that ass and...

Well. He may have been distracted.

All of which adds to his surprise when he suddenly finds himself with an armful of flopping fish - and also to the startled squeak with which he receives the offering. He tries to clutch the fish, which is harder than you would think with the fish wet and slippery and Jiang Cheng, you guessed it, distracted. ]


You... What... How did you do that! [ he demands, making a triumphant noise when he finally throws the fish farther onto the dock from where it shouldn't be able to escape again. He gives it a stern look, too. ] Stay right there, dinner!
legbreakings: (47-20)

[personal profile] legbreakings 2021-08-30 03:56 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Why, yes, of course it does mean that - technically. But who would Jiang Cheng be if he simply agreed? That just won't do.

So he holds the wine out of Xingchen's reach with a smirk and clicks his tongue. ]
Ah, ah, ah! You think giving me one measly fish is going to get you the wine? You'll have to do better!

[ Mostly because he wants to see what Xingchen will do when goaded. It makes sense to his own tipsy mind, anyway. He is awfully cute when he argues back. ]

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