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luvyanfei · 3 years

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with a short & insecure s/o (hcs)

ft. xiao, kaeya, zhongli, & xingqiu requested by anon

this,,, this is me

xiao.

he’s appalled when he finds out people actually tease you for your height. xiao has always known how terrible humans can be, but to think they would attempt to tear someone down, specifically his lover, just because they’re considered small irate him to no end. you might want to hold on to him tightly before he can storm off and declare war on the bullies who dared to torment you in any way.

he honestly doesn’t care if you’re short or tall, ugly or pretty - your appearance isn’t what’s important here. he fell in love with you for what’s inside of you, don’t forget that, okay? xiao may not outright say all that because he’s embarrassed of showing his soft side to you, but if your insecurity gets the better of you, he’ll at least lend an ear to you as you rant to him while stargazing together.

however, what xiao despises more than others treating you poorly is you belittling yourself. he has zero tolerance for that kind of attitude and will react quite aggressively, gripping you by the shoulders and shaking you. he can’t help himself. it hurts him deeply, dare he say more than a stab to his heart, seeing you wallowing in self-hatred. he’s harsh, but he means well. xiao would much rather see a content smile on your face than having you look disconsolate.

“have you finally stopped your wailing yet?” xiao peers at your face drenched in tears in disinterest, but really, he’s pretty concerned on the inside. your sobs have been reduced to quiet sniffles, but your body won’t stop trembling. he looks away for a minute, sighs heavily, and pulls you into his arms, a blush coating his cheeks.

he stays silent the whole time, too nervous to do anything really, as your palms press against his chest lightly and will yourself to calm down. xiao clears his throat and brings a finger down to brush away the glistening tears from your eyes.

“look, just because you’re short, it doesn’t mean i don’t like you any less,” he whispers only for you to hear, and presses his lips to your forehead, letting it linger there for a few seconds. “even if you, or anybody else, don’t think you’re worthy enough, i at lease still care about you, so don’t let others’ opinions get to you.”

kaeya.

not to be blunt or anything, but kaeya being, well kaeya, he’s probably going to relentlessly tease you. he doesn’t do it because he harbors any ill-intent towards you. it’s just, kaeya is very fond of your flustered expression. if you happen to end up crying from his words, he’ll immediately stop and apologize guiltily. the last thing he needs is for you to abandon him too because of a fault on his end.

kaeya really does love you a lot, despite your flaws and silently admires you for your empathy and altruism. one good thing about being shorter than your boyfriend is that you can wear his clothing on and he’ll be a gushing mess in no time. he’ll purposefully place his jacket somewhere for you to find in hopes you’ll put it on. he may be doing this just for the purpose of having fun, but he likes knowing that it means you're comfortable and accepting in your relationship with him.

he likes patting you on the head when you pass by each other at random times, his lips curling in a knowing smirk. if you ever need help obtaining items that are out of your reach, kaeya will conveniently be there to lend a hand. it fuels his confidence how you always go to him for help instead of seeking support from someone who might be more reliable. it goes to show that your trust in him is deep.

“having difficulties, [name]?” kaeya hollers to gain your attention as you look down from the ladder to glance at the knight, your hand outreached to grab at the material you need with failed attempts. “allow me to be of service~”

he gestures for you to climb down and gets up the ladder himself, easily grasping the object in his fingers. once his feet has touched the ground, he lowers his hand to give it to you, but before your fingertips can make contact with it, he pulls it away from you. "ah ah ah~ shouldn’t i get some kind of a compensation for helping my dearest?” you stare at him in confusion before an idea plants itself in your head. ah. so that’s what he wants. with a roll of your eyes, you stride up the ladder till your eyes meet and kisses him on the lips.

as you push your body away from him, he gives a closed-eye grin and nods in satisfaction. “that wasn’t too bad, now was it?” kaeya finally hands you the item, but he grips your free hand in his and guides it to press against his warm cheek. “you should realize by now what you’re capable of doing, stealing my heart like this. you’re so cruel [name], but perhaps that’s why i’ve grown to love you.”

zhongli.

zhongli is an honest and good-natured man. he’ll immediately tell you that he doesn’t think to care about your height, so there’s no reason for you to worry about it either. he’s not an idiot though. he’s aware that your self-deprecating thoughts won’t disappear so easily with his consoling words alone. actions speak louder than words, after all.

if anyone ends up insulting you for your size, zhongli won’t hesitate to politely stand up for you. although, if they stubbornly persist in demeaning you, it’ll push him to the brink of indignation, but he’ll still attempt to keep up a courteous manner for your sake as he calmly tells them to back off. like kaeya, he loves it when you wear his clothing! he’s lived for a long time to see many things, but witnessing you cuddling him while his jacket is draped snugly over your body has got to be the cutest thing he’s seen yet.

ever the supportive individual, zhongli will help you come out of your shell and build up on your self-esteem. he’s there with you every step of the day, so if you ever slip and feel like you’re about to fall into an abyss of despair, he’ll take your out-stretched hands in his and guide you back into the light.

“[name], is something the matter? you look as if you’re bothered by something.” zhongli questions innocently, studying your face carefully. your eyes droop slightly, but you reassure him that you were pondering how it would feel like if you were as tall as him. he nods in understanding and brings a hand up to his chin in thought.

before you know it, he’s turned his back towards you and kneeled down. perplexed, you stare at him, unsure of what he’s doing. “you said you desired to know what it’s like to be around my height, so this is the only thing i can think of.” hesitantly, you place your hands on his shoulder blades to balance yourself and he makes sure to hold onto you tightly as he stands up slowly. you smile in appreciation at zhongli’s consideration over your feelings and presses your body closer to his.

he beams back at you, sealing a kiss to your lips. “if you ever feel down, remember that there’s at least one person in the world that loves you - one of them being me, of course.”

xingqiu.

he also reacts similar to kaeya, although his teasing is slightly toned down and less vocal. like, if you wanted to give him a kiss on the cheek, he might lean away from you and probably use a stool to make himself taller, but he’ll stop after a bit of fun and laughter. it’s not funny unless both of you are smiling, right?

he finds your short stature to be one of your charm points and will compliment you for that, calling you adorable and such. it’s kind of perfect for him because he likes being the big spoon, embracing you from behind and nuzzling his face against the back of your neck. if you’re around the same age as him, it’s alright! there’s still time for you to grow. he’s sure the both of you will be tall soon. there’s no judgement when you’re with him, so don’t be afraid of being yourself around xingqiu, alright?

if he finds out your confidence is still lacking, he’ll scribble down a list of all the things he loves about you for you to read to lift your spirits up! although, that might prove to be a challenge considering his handwriting is infamously known for being illegible.

“hmm... isn’t that the picture we took at liyue harbor together?” xingqiu observes the photo in your hand, reminiscing the fond memories. his honey irises flicker to you. “hey, what’s with the frown?”

you shake your head and tries to change the subject, but he presses on to persuade you into explaining. when you finally do, he bursts into a fit of laughter, wiping away the tears pricking the edge of his eyes. “i apologize for my behavior, but [name], you shouldn’t have to concern yourself with such a trivial matter.” he tucks away a stray strand of your hair behind your ear, his index finger ghosting over your lips.

“have i ever told you that you’re cute?” xingqiu murmurs, a sense of genuine compassion laced in his tone. “don’t stare at me like that, please. i’m quite serious, so there’s no need to compare yourself with me. no matter the height difference, i’ll always love you - if you’ll allow me too.

tagging. @liliisacutieowo, @scarymoosh

#genshin impact #genshin impact x reader #xiao #xiao x reader #zhongli #zhongli x reader #kaeya #kaeya x reader #xingqiu x reader #xingqiu

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thedandelion-writer · 3 years

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hii omg congrats on 600!! could i pls request a matchup?

1. any gender is fine but preferably males :)

2. im an ENFP-A and a taurus!

3. im not too good at describing myself, but a lot of my friends say that i act like tanjirou if that helps lol. if anything, im probably the “older sister” friend. uhh im kind of gullible and trust people too easily and am kinda like a free spirit? ig?? like if we were at school i could sit at any lunch table and get along with the people there just fine

4. uhh i really like gardening so my ideal first date would probably be in nature! typical cliche stuff like stargazing or whatever, im really easy to please :,)

5. first date kisses are 100% ok with me i THRIVE off of affection and am so touch starved especially with this pandemic omg </3

6. really my boundaries are pretty simple just dont try to get in my pants and we’re good :,)

7. yes pls lol

if this is too much dont feel obliged to do my matchup!! again, congratulations :)

A/N: Hello!! And thank you for the congrats ^^ Okay, you see, for your matchup I must say I was a little biased. Hear me out, my otp when I was in my kny phase was Tankana, and well- you can say I was influenced by that in your results hehe. Nontheless, I hope you're happy with the outcome!

But without further ado, you're going with...

Ganyu!

My reasons!

I know you said you preferred males, but I just had to match you up with her if you don't mind~ I just think it was too perfect (she can be the Kanao to your Tanjirou <3). Someone caring would be good for her since Ganyu tends to overwork herself, she's a dedicated lady, which is good, but sometimes she needs someone to tell her when to take a break. She's also a little insecure and feels out of place, so if you'd be able to get along with everyone, I'd only assume that you are an accepting person, which is perfect in this case. You don't have to worry about being gullible or trusting around her, Ganyu is honest and wouldn't lie to you. She's a bit shy, so you'll probably have to initiate the affectionate stuff in the beginning. Just because she doesn't ask for it, doesn't mean she doesn't want it (you can tell when she wants to hold hands/hug/etc anyway, I do think she flusters easily). Another one I considered was Xiao, but he didn't really fit too well in some areas so Cocogoat it is :)

The First Date:

It was finally summer, and that meant that the two of you finally had time on your hands

So you decide, what better way to unwind than in nature, and with your favourite person no less (who definitely needs to relax more than you do, she has no excuses this time)

"W-where are we going?" Ganyu held down her wide brimmed sunhat that you bought her recently, since you thought its ribbon matched her hair, while her other hand was on your shoulder to steady herself on the bike.

"You'll see!" You grinned, pedalling a little faster, wind whistling in your ears.

Cycling there had been your idea. It felt refreshing after many months cooped up inside. But since Ganyu was terrible on a bicycle, you just let her sit behind you.

The weather was bright and warm, not yet a sweltering heat that summers were known for. Touches of spring could still be seen and felt here and there, the perfect conditions to go strawberry picking!

"Buying them from the store can't beat right-out-of-the-bush freshness," you said as you locked down your bike to park right outside of the gardens.

The wait in line to buy tickets to get in didn't take long at all, and soon you were taking a sparkly eyed Ganyu into the area where guests were allowed to pick any of the succulent red fruits.

Keen to pick out the best of the bunch, you rolled up your proverbial sleeves and bent to pluck them, rolling them into the small plastic bowl the place provides customers with.

"Is this one any good?" Ganyu, sounding unsure, showed you a perfectly good strawberry to which you nodded your approval.

The two of you weren't afraid to get the slightest bit dirty if it was to get the best looking ones and soon enough, when the sun was higher in the sky and it the heat was starting to get a bit uncomfortable, you brought the now full bowl back to get them weighed, washed and packaged.

"Say aaa~" you singsonged, holding up the plumpest, richest in color amongst them all to her mouth.

You could see a tint of pink on her cheeks when she opened her mouth slowly and bit down gently with a soft "aaa-m."

"How is it?" You prompted.

"It's sweet and sour, perfect for-"

"Smoothies," it was said at the same time.

Your eyes met, heart speeding up seeing her flush upon hearing that, shyly tucking a lock of hair behind her ear and looking downwards.

"Yes, yes, and pies. We'd be able to make a good strawberry pie with it too, or perhaps some jam..." Ganyu rambled, probably to cover up her embarrassment.

You laughed a bit, her adorableness sometimes made you want to cup her cheeks with both hands and smooch her on the forehead.

So that's exactly what you did :D

Tilting the brim of her hat a bit to prevent bumping into it, you pressed a kiss right smack dab in the middle of her eyebrows

Cue Ganyu.exe having a system overload!

"I think we have enough to make all three," you took her hand in yours, whilst she was still semi-paralysed. "We still have a long way to go until sunset, what say you we put these strawberries to good use?"

Just play it cool, play it cool, you kept repeating it in your head. At least one of you needed to not be in a daze to actually ride the bike.

Ganyu nodded at your suggestion, and you breathed a sigh of relief (quietly.)

During the ride back, you noticed she was a lot closer to you than the ride coming here; because you were able to feel her heartbeat on your back that was racing as fast as yours.

#genshin impact #genshin impact x reader #genshin impact imagines #genshin impact matchups #ganyu x reader #ganyu #ganyu genshin impact #ganyu imagines #Lynn's 600

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0606-hyuck · 3 years

Text

Y/N tapped away on her keyboard as she finished up the last sentence of her paragraph. She grabbed her phone from its position on the table and checked the time - it had been exactly twenty-two minutes since Donghyuck said he was leaving so he should be there by now.

Y/N sighed. She was eager to see Donghyuck and wrap him in the biggest hug possible since he was no longer involved with his soulmate, Kikumi, and she was growing slightly impatient. How long did it take him to walk a couple of blocks?

The table Y/N was seated at was further back in the cafe, and she scanned the faces of other patrons because it was possible she had missed Donghyuck entering the cafe. Her table had a clear view of the counter, though, and she hadn’t seen her boyfriend-who-is-not-actually-her-boyfriend order from the counter, so he was likely still on his way. Slowpoke.

Over the top of the quiet chatter of the other customers came the clear, distinct chime of a bell, indicating someone had just entered the cafe. Y/N’s eyes were instantly drawn to the top of the door, which she could only just see, as it closed, and then followed the path the customer would take towards the counter. Automatically, she sat up straighter in her chair and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, but quickly released a sigh when she saw the new customer was not Donghyuck.

However, her curiosity was slightly piqued. The new customer was a young man who Y/N guessed was probably only a couple of years older than her. As he pointed to the new matcha flavoured item on the menu, Y/N let her eyes wander from his dark brown hair (that looked very soft and clean), to his brown eyes which were crinkled as he laughed at a comment the barista said, to his soft pink lips that were curled up into a warm smile. This new customer was attractive, Y/N admitted to herself, although she was only staring because she needed a way to pass the time. Okay, and because he was good looking.

The new customer paid for his order and went to stand against the wall, only a table over from Y/N as he waited for his drink. He turned his head to examine the decorations in the cafe and noticed Y/N staring at him. Before she could do anything, he shot her a smile and a polite ‘good morning’ before turning back to face the counter. Embarrassed that she’d been caught looking, Y/N felt a redness appearing on her cheeks so she turned her focus back on her phone.

She sent a quick text to Donghyuck asking where he was, and received ‘like w mins away’ followed by a hurried ‘*2’. Y/N started to type a reply to him and heard the barista say something. The barista then repeated themselves, louder this time, which caught Y/N’s attention.

“Xiaojun? Your coffee is ready.” The man turned towards the worker and pushed himself off the wall, spilling out an apology as he reached for his drink. Y/N knew she did not recognise the young man, but his name sounded familiar somehow. She wracked her brain, trying to remember if she had a classmate named Xiaojun or something similar, but came up empty. Maybe Yangyang had mentioned a Xiaojun before?

Y/N watched Xiaojun thank the barista and head through the cafe to the door, still unable to figure out where she knew the name from. She shrugged, deciding she would ask Yangyang whether he knew a Xiaojun, when it suddenly hit her. She tugged off her cardigan and glanced at her shoulder, which had the name of her soulmate marked on her. Her breathing hitched. ‘Xiao Dejun’, her Mark read.

This attractive man from the cafe couldn’t be her soulmate, could he? Surely not. What were the odds? Yes, this Xiaojun could have easily dropped the second character of his name, but there could also be many Dejuns out there who were more likely to be her soulmate. By now, Xiaojun had reached the door, and Y/N finally started moving.

“Excuse me!” She called as she wove her way through the tables to the young man, who had turned to her when she called out.

“Yes?” He questioned when Y/N reached him, his eyes studying her face for the reason why this stranger had stopped him.

“I could be completely wrong here,” Y/N started, “but is your name Xiao Dejun?”

Y/N watched as the man’s eyes widened and his eyebrows arched up in surprise. “I haven’t gone by that name in years, how do you know my name?”

Y/N shrugged off her cardigan again and pointed to her Mark on her shoulder. Xiaojun leaned in closer to read the small letters, and his eyes darted from Y/N’ shoulder to her face. He let out a long breath as he leant back and regarded her for a second.

“I’m making an educated guess here, but your name must be Y/N?”

Y/N’s mouth formed a perfect ‘o’ as she gaped at the man in front of her. She had found her soulmate.

Xiaojun laughed kindly. “My name is Xiao Dejun, but I go by Xiaojun. It’s really amazing to meet you,” he said, and opened his arms to pull Y/N into a quick hug. “I was planning to have this coffee as a takeaway, but I guess I’ll be staying here for a bit longer!”

Donghyuck pressed the crossing button impatiently as he tapped his foot against the curb. He hadn’t hung out with Y/N since he found his soulmate, Kikumi, and now he was finally going to be seeing her after so long. He just couldn’t wait any longer, and he had already decided he was going to kiss her cheeks until they turned pink as a punishment for denying him her stunning smile for so long.

The vehicles on the road stopped and Donghyuck realised he was technically jaywalking only when the red man turned green when he was almost halfway across the crossing. He felt his phone vibrate and scanned the street for the cafe he was meeting Y/N at in order to reply to her text. He was pretty sure he spotted it down near the next intersection and there was a slight skip in his step when he remembered he’d be seeing Y/N in only a few minutes.

Less than two minutes later, Donghyuck approached the front door of the cafe. He was still a few steps away when he noticed Y/N was already standing in front to the glass door. Donghyuck was confused until he saw she was talking to a young man near the door. As he walked closer, he observed Y/N pull off her cardigan and point to her shoulder. Donghyuck froze. That was where Y/N’s Mark was. The name of her soulmate. Why was she showing a random stranger?

Donghyuck felt a sharp sting in his chest when he finally understood what was happening. That man wasn’t a stranger - that man was Y/N soulmate. Donghyuck watched on in shock at the pair’s interaction, and finally turned away when the two embraced each other with wide smiles. A large group of young women left the shop beside the cafe so Donghyuck moved aside to let them past. By now, he could no longer see Y/N and the man by the cafe door.

Donghyuck turned on his heel and headed back towards the crossing, trying his best to ignore the uncomfortable feeling in the bottom of his stomach. Was it jealousy? Sure, there was definitely some jealousy there, he conceded. But he soon discovered it was more than that. It hurt. It was pain. And then it was guilt, because Donghyuck had had the opportunity to get to know his soulmate, and that surely wasn’t easy for Y/N to deal with. So she deserved to get to know her soulmate, too.

Besides, Donghyuck thought bitterly, she looked happy.

Part 26 - How The Turn Tables

Half The Sun // Haechan X Reader

Description: You live in a world where, on January 1st of your twentieth year, a name will appear on your skin in harsh black ink. Being “Marked”, as it is known. This person is your soulmate, and regardless of whether you choose to have a romantic or platonic relationship, you are destined to spend the rest of your life with them by your side. So what happens when you start a relationship with someone you’re not Marked by? Navigate tears, heartbreak, and the complications of forbidden love (as well as your first year at university!), all before you turn twenty one.

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ibijau · 4 years

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Worst engagement AU // on AO3

The war ends, the boys get married, life is good

final chapter of the story y’all!! I am... more than a little emotional TAT Thanks to everyone who followed this story, and reblogged it, and extra special thanks to those people who chatted in the tags because honestly that made my day each time TAT This fic has been a fucking adventure and I wouldn’t have managed without y’all reading it TAT

Nothing has changed. Nie Huaisang is engaged to Lan Xichen, as he already was. He’s in love with Lan Xichen, as he already was. Lan Xichen loves him which… he wasn’t sure of, but he had strong suspicions about that, so it’s not exactly new either.

Everything is still the same.

Everything is different, because Nie Huaisang wakes up to strong arms holding him, to his face pressed against warm skin, to tangled legs, to a dozen proofs that he didn’t dream, that Lan Xichen is still alive, that they are in love, that they’re going to marry not because they were ordered to, but because they want it. Nie Huaisang grins to himself, giddy with happiness after months of bleakness.

When Lan Xichen too wakes up, Nie Huaisang sees his joy mirrored on his fiancé’s face and he has to kiss him once, and twice, and enough times that he starts losing count, his mind empty of anything but the happiness of knowing Lan Xichen is there with him.

They were good last night, both of them too exhausted to do more than fall in bed and quickly drift to sleep as they clung to each other, but that was last night. This morning Nie Huaisang doesn’t see any reason to be so well behaved. It’s not unwelcome anyway. Lan Xichen doesn’t protest or stop him as his kisses grow more insistent, nor when his hands start wandering and caressing in a way they never got to before, exploring the warm skin hidden by Lan Xichen’s inner clothes. Nie Huaisang starts pressing biting kisses down his fiancé’s throat and playing with the hem of his pants, just as a suggestion for Lan Xichen to take or reject.

A knock on the door interrupts what otherwise promised to be the best morning Nie Huaisang ever spent in the Cloud Recesses. Even like this it’s tempting to ignore this unwanted visitor, until they hear Lan Qiren’s voice, threatening to enter if they don’t answer.

Lan Xichen throws an arm over his eyes and sighs deeply, as if this exact moment is the very worst thing he’s ever gone through.

“I’ll be here in a moment, uncle!” he announces as loud as he can without breaking even more rules, before dropping his arm to smile weakly at Nie Huaisang. “I’ll probably be leaving the Cloud Recesses after talking with uncle but… I’ll come back to you as soon as I can.”

Just like that, reality creeps back into Nie Huaisang’s perfect little bubble of happiness. There’s still a war out there. The people he loves are all alive for now, but that can change at any moment.

Nie Huaisang curls up on himself as he sits up, unable to so much as look at Lan Xichen now. All of this could end at any moment, the Wens could return to the Cloud Recesses this very instant and slaughter them like they did to Lotus Piers, or they might catch Lan Xichen alone later and kill him then, or he’ll disappear like Wei Wuxian and never be found, or fall in battle, or…

He feels movement on the mattress as Lan Xichen too sits up, his fiancé’s hands on his, trying to catch his attention, thumbs rubbing circles on his skin. Nie Huaisang refuses to look and wants to tear his hands away. Everything felt so good and perfect earlier, but now…

“Give me a second,” Lan Xichen asks, dropping a careful kiss on his forehead before getting off from the bed.

Instead of getting dressed as Nie Huaisang expects, Lan Xichen walks directly to the door, barefoot and in nothing but his inner clothes. Shocked out of his bout of misery, Nie Huaisang looks up as his fiancé exchanges a few words with Lan Qiren, demanding further delay before coming to talk about whatever he’s needed for. Although Lan Qiren is hidden from his eyes Nie Huaisang can tell he’s not happy about this whole situation, and yet Lan Xichen doesn’t back down. Nie Huaisang can’t quite catch what they’re saying, but he can tell when Lan Xichen wins the argument, closing the door again with a satisfied smile. A little puzzled over what happened, Nie Huaisang tries to leave the bed as well (there’s so much to do, there’s always so much to do) but Lan Xichen stops him with a gesture as he starts searching among the clothes he so carefully folded last night.

“Sit down,” Lan Xichen asks, pulling his xiao from its qiankun bag. “I’ll play for you.”

Nie Huaisang quickly obeys. He doesn’t even need to ask what Lan Xichen intends to play, though he feels embarrassed that his mood was so obvious. His only defence is that nobody has really paid attention to that since he arrived in the Cloud Recesses, and so he’s stopped trying to hide… but Lan Xichen isn’t just anybody, of course he noticed.

“Don’t you have important things to do?” Nie Huaisang mumbles as he gets in a meditative position on the bed.

“This is important too,” Lan Xichen replies without hesitation. “Uncle can wait. And when I talk to him, I’ll tell him that you might need that song played to you. I can’t solve everything that’s wrong in our lives at the moment, A-Sang, but this… this I can do, and I will.”

Even the song doesn’t solve everything, no more than it did the times before. But like before, Nie Huaisang at least finds that his terror and distress are a little less sharp after and when Lan Xichen has to go, Nie Huaisang can kiss him and say goodbye and truly hope that they’ll see each other again soon.

It surprises Nie Huaisang a little when Lan Qiren does, in fact, start playing that soothing song for him once a week. He doesn’t think his fiancé’s uncle likes him much, partly due to some of the mischief he got up to as a student, partly because his failure to pass at the end of his first year must be a stain on the teacher’s career. And yet Lan Qiren plays that music for him, simply because Lan Xichen asked him to, and slowly Nie Huaisang finds himself dealing with things a little better.

Away from the Cloud Recesses, the war continues. Nie Huaisang starts paying more attention to that. Most of what reaches him is nothing but gossip of course, but whenever Lan Xichen comes home to discuss the situation with his uncle, Nie Huaisang gets to be there and to find out what’s true. So far, it seems that the wildest rumours are usually the ones closest to the truth.

Like when Wei Wuxian is found alive, refusing to say where he’s spent the last three months or how he’s suddenly a master in a brand new form of cultivation that he might have invented while he was gone. From what Lan Xichen says, and the letters from Jiang Cheng and Jin Zixuan he passes on to Nie Huaisang, Wei Wuxian’s new powers are nothing short of terrifying, and this alone should shorten the war. They’re all worried about him though. Jiang Cheng in particular, every time he writes, does that thing of his where he gets angry to avoid showing he’s sad. Something happened to Wei Wuxian, and it has changed him.

Another big rumour is about a new Qinghe Nie disciple named Meng Yao. Nie Huaisang never gets the whole story until after the war, but what he hears during it is this: this young man, this boy really since he’s roughly the same age as Nie Huaisang, somehow rose to become Nie Mingjue’s second-in-command for a few weeks, then was welcomed into Lanling Jin because apparently he’s actually one of Jin Guangshan’s many, many bastards, and Jin Zixuan has decided to help out his half-siblings if he can. Only that backfires when this Meng Yao fellow just murders a Jin commander, right in front of Nie Mingjue, and escapes to maybe join Qishan Wen. Only it later turns out that Meng Yao has gone there with Jin Zixuan’s blessing to be a double agent, one who saves Nie Mingjue’s life when he is captured (although the details of how, exactly, he saves his former employer’s life seem to have provoked some argument between them) and he’s the one who kills Wen Ruohan, ending the war, and…

And so, the war is over.

The sons of a servant and of a prostitute shorten it by months, by years even perhaps. Wei Wuxian is acclaimed for the victories he’s won on the battlefield. Meng Yao, soon given the courtesy name Jin Ziyao by Jin Zixuan, earns his place in the family in which his father apparently never wanted him to join. From what Nie Huaisang hears, Madam Jin is not particularly happy about this development, but cannot object when Jin Zixuan, Lan Xichen and even Nie Mingjue points out all that Jin Ziyao has done for the Sunshot Campaign.

The war is over.

It is over, and they won.

Because mourning periods must be observed, it is still another few months before Nie Huaisang and Lan Xichen can marry. In the meanwhile Nie Huaisang goes back to the Unclean Realm where there is much work to be done.

It is odd to be back there, knowing when he leaves it again, it will be for good. Without anyone to play music for him Nie Huaisang falls into occasional bouts of melancolia again, but months of Lan Qiren playing for him seemed to have healed him enough that his mood never really got as bad as it used to, or at least never for long. It also helps that there is so much to do. New territories to be assessed, war prisoners to check on, debt to pay, the wounded to heal, the wedding to prepare…

Then suddenly, Lan Xichen’s mourning is over, and the wedding is there.

Nie Huaisang feels nearly dizzy on his last day in the Unclean Realm, as Nie Mingjue and Nie Zonghui help him pack the last of his possessions. His whole life now lies in a dozen wooden chests. His fans, his paintings, his best robes, all his brushes, his books. It feels so little, and it feels so much. It’s terrifying that everything is about to change, and it is just as scary the intensity with which Nie Huaisang craves that change. He has barely seen Lan Xichen since the end of the war but they’ve written to each other as often as they’ve been able to and it only strengthened Nie Huaisang’s conviction that this is what he wants for his future.

He wants this.

He still spends most of that last night cuddling his brother who is just as emotional about seeing him leave. There might be a few tears spilled, although Nie Mingjue firmly denies it. Nie Huaisang teases him about, because Nie Mingjue thinks he’s so tough now that he’s the oldest leader among the Great Sects and he has a title, but really he’s still as much of a brat as Nie Huaisang himself.

Even if things are good with Lan Xichen, it’s a relief of sorts when Nie Mingjue promises his brother that should things go wrong, he’ll always have his place in the Unclean Realm, that it will always be home, even if he’s making a new one in the Cloud Recesses.

“Even if things go bad because I’m the one messing up?” Nie Huaisang.

“Yes, you brat. It’s an unconditional promise. I don’t think you could mess up badly enough to make him give up on you at this point, though. He’s stupidly in love, which shows even the best education can’t give you taste.”

Nie Huaisang pinches his brother for that remark, which soon turns into a playfight like they haven’t done in years. Nie Huaisang is proud of himself for holding his own pretty well, though he still ends up having to yield.

It’s a little weird to walk around with that veil on his face, but the Lan elders insisted that it would be a break of tradition for Nie Huaisang not to have it. Lan Xichen negotiated for it to be a more translucent veil than usual so that they both get to enjoy the ceremony. Initially Nie Huaisang was somewhat indifferent on the matter, but now he’s glad both that he can see what’s around him, and that he doesn’t have to bother about hiding his emotions.

He almost cries when Lan Xichen helped him down the sedan. His fiancé looks amazing in red and gold, it accentuates his jade skin, his ink black hair. Lan Xichen is always handsome but like this he is breathtaking. Nie Huaisang is so distracted that he almost falls on the ground as he gets down from the sedan, only to be rescued in time by Lan Xichen.

“It’s becoming a habit,” Lan Xichen chuckles against his ear as he helps him on his feet.

“I guess I just can’t help falling for you,” Nie Huaisang retorts.

There’s no veil on Lan Xichen’s face to hide the way he blushes, how he looks at Nie Huaisang in wonder, as if even now he can’t quite believe this is real, and… Nie Huaisang’s heart speeds up because he loves him so much, they are getting married, and maybe he’s also having trouble realising it’s all real. He just wants all this stupid ceremonial to be over already so they can take those damn bows and just be together already.

Of course, that’s too much to ask. A sect leader’s marriage is too important an event to be rushed, and the Lans love their traditions too much. There’s a dozen steps to follow before they can go to the ancestral hall to take their bows before their guests, and even when they get there, Lan Qiren has to delay everything by starting a long winded lecture about their duties and what marriage means in Gusu Lan.

Nie Huaisang’s attention starts drifting away about ten words in, and hidden by his veil, he takes the chance to look around at the assembly.

The first face he spots, mostly because he’s so stupidly tall, is Nie Mingjue who looks like he’s trying hard not to cry. Of course to anyone who doesn’t know him that might pass as a scowl, but… Nie Huaisang knows better. His brother can act as stern as he likes, he’s a sap. Jin Ziyao, standing next to Nie Mingjue, has the smile of someone who also knows what his former employer’s expression really means, which makes Nie Huaisang grin. Things are a little tense still between those two, but everyone agrees that with a little more time, they might get back to the good relationship they briefly had during the war, when they worked together.

Not far from these two, Jiang Yanli and Jin Zixuan are standing together, whispering quietly under Wei Wuxian's suspicious gaze and Jiang Cheng's resigned one. Something happened during the war, which Nie Huaisang is still trying to get the full story for. Some business about soup that Jiang Yanli made for her former fiancé, only for an ambitious servant girl to take the credit. If Jiang Cheng hadn't happened to notice that soup during a visit to Jin Zixuan and explained the truth, things might have gone bad. Instead, Jin Zixuan ended up thanking Jiang Yanli for what he apparently called ‘the best part of his days’ (Jiang Cheng reported this to Nie Huaisang with a grimace) and they started chatting whenever they had time for it. It is now almost certain that these two will resume their engagement when their own mourning is over.

Wei Wuxian is not happy about that. In fairness, he's not happy about much these days. Jiang Cheng is getting pretty anxious about what happened to his adopted brother while he was gone, as is Lan Wangji. Nie Huaisang hasn't been able to do much on that subject, all the way up in Qinghe, but he's determined to get the truth into the light now that he'll be closer. If nothing else, maybe that soothing song which helped Nie Huaisang will do Wei Wuxian some good as well. He'll start throwing the idea around next month, when he goes to Lotus Piers for that brotherhood oath that Jiang Cheng has demanded to take with Nie Huaisang.

"A-Sang," Lan Xichen whispers, low enough others shouldn't hear. "Pay attention, it's almost time."

Hunching his shoulders, Nie Huaisang feels grateful for the veil that hides how he blushes at being caught like this. Lan Xichen doesn't seem upset though, clearly knowing the effect his uncle's lecture can have on others.

When finally Lan Qiren finishes his drawn out speech, Nie Huaisang and Lan Xichen step forward. Lan Xichen undoes the white ribbon on his forehead, and together their tie it around their wrists before taking their three bows. When they stand up for the final time, it's done.

They are married.

Nie Huaisang’s hands start trembling from the shock of that realisation. He has spent nearly half his life waiting for this moment, either with dread or anticipation, and it's over now. They are married. If he could, if it weren't a breach of tradition and decorum, Nie Huaisang would kiss his husband right now. Lan Xichen looks down at him with such wonder on his face that he knows it wouldn't be unwelcome.

There’s still more stupid ceremonies and traditions to go through before that. Nie Huaisang bears with it as patiently as he can until finally, finally it is time for them to retire from the ceremony and go to their new home. Nie Huaisang doesn’t pay attention to anything on the way there, except for the warm sensation of Lan Xichen’s hand in his and the way his husband can’t stop smiling, how gorgeous he is like that.

When the door closes behind them, when they are alone at last, Nie Huaisang feels so nervous and excited that he’s sure he must be vibrating from it. He wants to tear away that stupid veil and just kiss Lan Xichen already, but through an immense effort of self-control, he doesn’t.

“Won’t my husband uncover me?” he asks, delighting in the way Lan Xichen blushes at the word, the slight gasp he can’t contain, the way he smiles as if this is the best day of his life, as if nothing in the world could be better than this exact moment.

“If my husband wishes,” Lan Xichen replies, which sends Nie Huaisang’s heart racing and his cheeks burn.

He’ll have to tell Lan Xichen not to call him that too much, because the embarrassment might kill him. He’ll have to tell him to say the word husband over and over again, because he loves the way it sounds in Lan Xichen’s voice.

Before anything else, Lan Xichen undoes the knot on the ribbon that tie their wrists, gently tying it again on Nie Huaisang’s arm in a gesture that feels almost too intimate. Then, with great care, Lan Xichen takes the hem of Nie Huaisang’s veil and slowly lifts it, revealing his face. Nie Huaisang knows he probably doesn’t look like much at the moment, he’s blushing so much, and his eyes must be red as well from trying not to cry, and he’s grinning like a fool. But Lan Xichen must like what he sees because as soon as the veil is out of the way, he lowers his hands to Nie Huaisang’s cheeks and pulls him into a kiss, as if he cannot wait a second more, as if he too has been biding his time all day.

Nie Huaisang half laughs into the kiss, too giddy to contain himself, and throws his arms around his husband’s neck to keep him close, as close as they can be.

They are married, and Nie Huaisang never thought it was possible to feel so happy.

It’s still mostly dark when Nie Huaisang opens his eyes again and half panics because he can’t breathe right. He struggles and kicks until he can free himself, only to hear a discontent grunt and be pulled back into a tight embrace.

As his eyes get used to the meagre light and his brain continues waking up, Nie Huaisang realises where he is and relaxes. This unfamiliar room is his own now. That tight embrace is his husband's, who even in sleep can't seem to let him go. Nie Huaisang chuckles quietly at the idea, wondering if anyone else would ever guess how clingy Lan Xichen, the mighty Zewu-Jun, can be in private.

Clingy doesn't even begin to cut it. Last night was… well, Nie Huaisang has no complaints about that. He used to think that his married life would be a cold one, but that clearly won't be the case. Lan Xichen is, to put it mildly, very enthusiastic about marital activities, and Nie Huaisang can't wait to show him some of his more private books to give him a few ideas on how to use all that enthusiasm. Even just like this though, being together was better than Nie Huaisang expected. Of course his only basis for comparison is that afternoon with Jin Zixuan. It's funny how different last night felt. It was mostly the same acts, but with this much pent up emotion behind them, driven by desire rather than just curiosity…

So far, married life is pretty good.

If he could, Nie Huaisang would go back to sleep. It’s awfully early, they’ve had a long day yesterday, and today promises to be longer still, with more celebrations they’ll have to take part in. Sleep, however, eludes him. There’s too much to think about, too much novelty. After trying for a while to close his eyes and wait, Nie Huaisang gives up and decides to just leave the bed.

That’s easier said than done. Lan Xichen really is clingy, and he’s stronger than anyone has any reasonable excuse to be, so it’s a struggle to escape him and not be caught back. Nie Huaisang manages in the end, and makes a mental note to tease his husband about it later.

For now, he dresses up and takes a moment to wander a bit around the house. Their house. He hasn’t had a chance to see it before. It used to be Lan Xichen’s father’s house, and since it was left relatively untouched by the fire, it’s theirs now.

In his letters, Lan Xichen has somewhat hinted that he isn’t too happy with this state of affairs and would have preferred to live nearly anywhere else in the Cloud Recesses. A sect leader must have a house worthy of his rank though, and the circumstances make it difficult to justify building a new one. Maybe in some years, when everything else has stabilised… until then, they’ll make do with this. Nie Huaisang is intent on decorating this place and leaving his mark everywhere. Lan Xichen, so far, hasn’t explained why it upsets him to have anything in common with his father, but it doesn’t matter. If Lan Xichen is upset, then Nie Huaisang will do his best to distract him from it.

As the night gets lighter, Nie Huaisang quickly explores a few rooms. This one will make a great office for Lan Xichen, that one needs to be tidied but could be used by Nie Huaisang to paint because the light in it must be perfect during the day. Here to see guests, there to welcome family and friends… there are even rooms that could be great for children, when they decide how to deal with that.

Dawn is fast approaching when Nie Huaisang gets to the house’s entrance. He’s tempted to go for a walk, even if technically that’s a break of curfew. Hopefully, being the sect leader’s husband gives him a few special rights.

He only makes it through the door of the Hanshi before he has to stop in his tracks. There, in front of the house, there’s an old tree to which he barely paid attention yesterday when he came in. Now, he can’t take his eyes off of it.

On the branch of that tree hangs a bird-feeder.

Not only that, but there’s a few sparrows enjoying breakfast in the first ray of the sun, chattering between themselves and fighting for the best seeds. It’s nothing much, it’s just sparrows, but Nie Huaisang feels himself grinning at the sight. It’s just sparrows, and wild ones at that, but they’re his birds, his husband’s way of making him feel at home and he could almost cry from how emotional that’s making him.

All thoughts of a walk gone, Nie Huaisang sits on the porch of his home, watching his birds.

Then, because life is good, before very long he hears some ruffling behind him. The sparrows freeze for a second at the noise, a few even flying away, but most quickly go back to their feast as Lan Xichen sits down right behind Nie Huaisang, covering both of them with a blanket before wrapping his arms around his husband’s waist.

“You were gone,” Lan Xichen sleepily mutters, just a hint of reproach as he buries his face in the crook of Nie Huaisang’s neck.

“But you found me. Is it okay to stay here a bit?”

In answer Lan Xichen shrugs and vaguely grumbles, already relaxing against Nie Huaisang’s back, as if he’s already falling asleep again. Nie Huaisang bites his lips not to laugh, not wanting to scare the birds or wake his poor tired husband again. He puts his hands on Lan Xichen’s and leans into the embrace, a wide smile on his lips.

Life is good, and he can’t wait to see what awaits the two of them.

#xisang #worst engagement au #jau writes #I have a LOT of emotions right now fuck #125K in two months like wtf???#how did this happen?#It happened because people were kind that's how it happened!!#also I'll probably revisit this AU in the future because I still have some unfilled prompts that sound fun!!#but for now wow it's over and that's just... a big feeling

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wtfy-cyzj · 6 years

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*SPOILERS* CYZJ Subbed Ep. 9 reaction

Episode 9 is finally out with subs, so you know what that means: another play-by-play reaction text post! And it’s another 2-hour episode, so we’re back to the super long format.

As with previous installments, each major section of the show has a header so you can scroll if you’re looking for something specific. And, of course, spoilers and foul language kinda come with the territory.

Mission reveal and song assignments

Another two performance mission assignment – picking the third finalist pair and then establishing a ranking for the finalists – because they just gotta be ranked going into the finals *rolls eyes* - I could rant about how much I wish the producers would stop pushing the competitive aspect of the show while talking about it being about “breakthroughs”

Hao’s little goddamnit-esque laugh when the 1v1 mission is announced :/

Anybody else get the feeling Victor’s the reason Eric & JC are worried about the other team picking their song? Like Hao might give them something out of left field because he wants them to show a new side or because he thinks it suits them, but not to torpedo them – Victor, however, seems a bit of a wild card

…! I seriously thought Eric had the card down the front of his pants for a moment there!

Aw, Hao’s smile is so sweet – I already knew Eric/JC got to do one of Eric’s songs – that little “you’re welcome” bow & Victor being totally checked out makes me think that was all Hao’s doing

So, yes & no – I expected Victor to at least playfully push to mess w/ the other team – he seems kinda disengaged though

Wait, is that Hao’s handwriting?! I was admiring it when Eric first revealed the card – I know people who only know English who don’t write that nicely – kid’s definitely an artist

“How can I not be satisfied with my own song?” XD

Aw, that was really sweet of Victor to say he hopes they don’t mess w/ the song too much

I love that when Victor asks “by who” Eric & Xiao Wu both go “Drake” w/ a very soft “duh, who the fuck else” feel – and then Hao gets stoked when they start singing it

Yes! I’m so glad Jiacheng said that about Hao & Victor’s performances not being them together! I thought it about the last 2 performances, but since I didn’t really see anyone else talk about it, I wondered if it was just me. Plus there’s the whole cultural disconnect & not being part of the target demographic that added to it. It’s good to see someone who’s in the thick of it with them recognize that same thing

I want to talk about the warm fuzzy feelings I get from Eric & Jiacheng being so thoughtful about their choice and how this reinforces my desire for the show to stop leaning into the competition narrative, but Eric mimicking both Hao & Victor is too cute

I love that Jiacheng doesn’t know how to process Eric’s goofiness for a second – same Xiao Wu, same

Aw, the doodles!

Hao’s “don’t say anything” is great! – take a stand & make Victor dance!

“Okay fine, alright, I’ll dance. I’ll dance” – damn straight!

Second mission reveal

“Sprint Out” Attack? And that means…?

Meh… Another drawn out process to pick a collaborator? - it was cute w/ the ladies but since I haven’t seen anyone talking about the guests and the tease at the beginning of the episode was blah, I’m not really looking forward to it

Trying to ignore the elevator talk and not roll my eyes too hard

Meeting the musicians

Oh dear god, Yanan is so fucking cute watching Liron Man play! – tell me someone’s giffed that doofy expression and weird little wiggle! *heart eyes*

Ooh, Liron Man’s got a great smile – has nothing to do w/ anything but I couldn’t leave it unremarked upon

“The sound produced is very cute […] like a tortoise who lost its soul” – say what now, Yanan?! – that does not seem like a “cute” sound, sir!

Once again, being thoughtful and aware of the other contestants – brownie points to Jun

I’m so glad dude knows some Chinese! We don’t need another person stranded behind the language barrier even if it’s just one episode

Apparently, I love the pipa and didn’t even know what it was – now that I have a name, research will be done!

“My mother’s profession is also in the pipa” – poor girl stepped in it! XD

Here I was thinking they reacted much better than with the previous lady guests, but no, still shy as fuck

I realize that as an apparently internationally-recognized musician, Wangtao probably plays the clarinet in ways that I never could imagine – unfortunately I took band from 7th through 9th grades, including marching band, so I cringed when I saw what he plays – and I immediately had to go look up this Eddie Izzard bit because my brain wouldn’t stop going “clahr-en-ahrt” and “WEzul WEzul” until I did

Watching Jun & Yanan discuss their options is a really interesting look into their personalities – “are we choosing calm or movement?”

“You decide” – brave words, Jun – I wonder where this fell on the timeline of Yanan deciding to leave the show

It’s not going to be a famous Western artist, Samuel – it’s never going to be a famous Western artist – sorry to burst your bubble, kiddo

Bahahaha! For all Zhennan’s “leave us a good one” in the elevator, Jun & Yanan picked the most obvious choice for the kiddies – …yes, I know I’m an asshole for finding that so funny

…Does Zhennan’s shirt say “same shit different day”?!

They completely lost that whole “working w/ musicians will be hard” thing real quick

“I feel like I tortured little kids” XD

Someone’s setting himself up for a headache confusing jazz with jazzy, especially when picking a classically trained accompanist

It’s really cute seeing Eric & Xiao Wu being a little awkward with the pipa player after they seemed to calm with the previous female guests – they both barely look at her

I love arrogant!Eric, especially when he’s immediately replaced by embarrassed!Eric – I am, however, more than a little creeped out by the cartoon bull being blown around by, what, an umbilical cord?!

Aw, Jiacheng immediately defends his “arrogance” *heart eyes*

Wait, did Xiao Wu’s lyrics sound bad? Eric said it could “be a little better” so maybe the phrasing was awkward, but the translation of “lately, I’ve been scared of sleeping alone” grabbed my attention and made me wonder what prompted those words

They’re dorks and I love them

Poor Hao being left to talk to their musician alone

…! I totally blanked that this could be Minghao’s first chance to really do a traditional Chinese sound – aw, yay!

Hmm, Victor really agreed to do purely traditional? I guess “purely Chinese” doesn’t have to mean traditional instead of modern

And then we flash back and I stand corrected!

Performance day

Wait, they’re not gonna show how they chose the performance order between MH/Victor and Eric/JC?! I feel so cheated! thank god

Minghao & Victor are up first – 1v1

“I’m always ready!” *heart eyes*

Hao accidentally proposed confessing to the other contestants XD – just because you think something is meaningless doesn’t mean it really is!

What’s cuter: Hao’s reaction when he realized putting in the other contestants’ names wasn’t the best idea or Hao’s reaction to the thought of name-dropping exes?

I love MH’s logic! Victor’s trying to downplay any romantic intention behind calling out a female artist by saying it’s about respect & admiration, so Hao throws out Jony J & Gong Ge - if it’s about respect & admiration he’s not wrong, but Victor’s face says otherwise – I laughed so hard I had to stop the video and go calm down by doing a load of laundry

I’ve gotta say, as someone who liked both JJ & GG from the beginning & still really likes them and as someone who started watching specifically for Minghao, I love that he brought them up again and in such a positive light. Fans can – and do – hate on them, but he’s got every right to continue to look up to them. He’s the one who was directly affected by their actions, yet he continues to admire them and voice that admiration. I don’t get how people try to drag them on his behalf when he says things like this.

Aw, it breaks my heart a little that Victor thinks making the song about the show is “limiting” their creativity – Hao’s had a lot of fun and had made connections on the show that he obviously values – how is making an ode to that a limitation?

I love when Hao speaks in English – it always surprises me how rich & deep his voice is – like I usually chalk it up to being an artifact of the language, but it’s genuinely appealing – does that make sense? Just me?

Am I the only one who thinks changing the names to their own makes it about self-doubt, not narcissism?

Victor’s so American!

I feel like Victor having to dance is a little bit of karma for being a pain in the ass >:D

That little intro clip is adorable!

Aw, Victor did MH’s 8 hand sign!

Overall thoughts: I loved that! It wasn’t perfect, but I think, after Clap, it was Hao’s best performance by far. He definitely had fun and loosened up with Supernatural in ep.8, but this was a whole other level and I think a lot of it was from actually playing w/ Victor during the performance. I love that they switched it up and Victor had the vocal parts; he’s a talented singer so it was nice seeing him step out of the rapper role. And I was really impressed with Hao’s English. A lot of times, non-English-speakers do odd things with their emphasis on words, but he was pretty damn spot on. It makes me wonder just how fluent he actually is since we don’t see him speak it much beyond simple phrases. The one thing I wasn’t entirely feeling was Victor’s rap. It felt a little rushed? Cramped? It’s understandable since he’s working within a pre-existing song, but it did stick out to me. I don’t know why Victor was worried about dancing. That bit was less choreography and more conscious swagger, if that makes sense, and he pulled it off swimmingly. I wish they hadn’t cut to the audience during Hao’s dance break because it was my favorite one he’s done so far – less artistry and more simple fun. Can we take a moment to thank Eric & Jiacheng for making this gem happen?

“And we were constantly laughing at Victor’s attempt at dancing” – Eric! I’m glad he finally has someone else’s dancing to pick on but also smh

Eric & Jiacheng’s 1v1 prep and performance

Aw, Jiacheng gushing about the comradery on the show and wanting to help each other show their best sides XD

The idea of them singing acapella is actually really cool – if anyone on the show could pull it off really well, it’s these two

I love that Xiao Wu seems to throw out more English the longer he’s w/ Eric – he’s gaining experience and confidence in other areas – why not English, too?

Back to Eric’s crush on Dilireba XD

Aw, JC says they got close – of course they’re (probably) going to in a situation like this, but it’s cute that he’s talking about it – I know I’ve said it before, but I love that he’s so open with talking about stuff like that

Xiao Wu really looks like he’s about to cry reading those comments – and then Eric ruins the moment telling him not to cry

I already saw @bathtubofdonuts’s post talking about them incorporating the fan comments in the stage but seeing them get to that point is so sweet

Wait, so why is it important to tell us the screenwriter lady is in the audience? Was it the OST for her drama?

Aw, Hao’s so touched already

I was starting to worry the editing was going to lose the comments to those close-ups

It’s not weird to comment on how pretty Jiacheng’s hands are, right?

Wah! JC’s teary-eyed!! I was already tearing up – don’t make me cry!

Ah, okay, so she helped Eric write the song

Overall thoughts: I was sniffly & teary, but I managed not to cry. That was beautiful. This is why I was worried when they were talking about making a more impressive set design in ep. 8. They do simple so, so well, and they really don’t need a bunch of extras. Just having that one element of the comments playing behind them was so gorgeous and impactful. I’m really glad that they didn’t have accompanists on stage with them because they’d just be a visual distraction. I know I’ve talked about it in previous reactions, but the combination of their voices is incredible. I doubt Eric has ever sung a sour note in his life, and I wish Jiacheng knew how gorgeous his voice really is. His little power vocal moment toward the end? Ugh! So good! I’m gonna keep saying how happy I am that they got to work together because of this show.

“I feel that this bundle here is trembling” – I’m going to be so sad not to see this sweet kid after the show ends! TnT

1v1 performance results

Nooo! I know what’s about to happen – I’m not ready for the angst!

Poor Jun looking so nervous over there w/o Yanan

I hate this fucking setup so much. I’ve said that I think the way Jony J left the show was probably at least partially prompted by the production staff. Knowing that Jun was given options after Yanan left and that, for all his extraness, Jun is super shy, I have a hard time believing the production staff didn’t go, “So you don’t want to be in the running anymore and ~play by the rules~? Okay, so how about we make it look like there’s gonna be an elimination then you come out and dramatically withdraw? Wouldn’t that be awesome!” Jun’s never been my favorite because his playfulness can come of really childish to me, but I highly doubt he would put Minghao this scenario again for funsies.

Having seen translations of this weeks ago when the episode aired, I was not prepared to tear up. It hurts to see Hao so freaked out again and try to pull Jun back bodily. And seeing the distress on Jiacheng’s face as he says “no!” at him, my breath caught in my throat. Ugh! I’m seriously starting to cry watching JC panic more as Jun compliments them all. X(

Oh god that whole bit after the interview section was… weird. It’s pretty obvious the way Eric & Jiacheng are smiling in the background that things were cleared up. But that audience reaction… It’s so cold? This weird sort of idea that idols “betray” their fans is something I’ll never understand in kpop. (This is taking into account all the chaos that happened because of Jun’s decision, not just what made the edit.) Disappointment I get, but there’s no compassion for the grace he displayed in a shitty situation or relief that he’s going to continue performing. This whole situation was made so much worse being in front of a live audience.

The interviews after Jun’s reveal are so sweet, but why does it feel like a memorial? It’s just shy of saying “in loving memory of Wen Junhui”

Top 3 ranking performances

I love when the show has to blur someone’s phone because it’s not the sponsor phone – it’s usually Samuel, but this time Eric’s the culprit

And there’s the performance order ceremony

Minghao, Victor & Lian Pieru (pipa) are up first

Interesting thoughts about the Mechanical Era – it seems like Peiru’s a good match for Hao

So the interview thing is the only lead up we get? I don’t want to episode to be 3 hours, but they’ve got such an interesting story they want to tell and Peiru seems like such a character, I was really looking forward to the preparations – now I do actually feel a little cheated

Overall thoughts: I may have actually liked this performance better than In My Feelings. It wasn’t as entertaining, but it was a cool concept that was executed really well. I’ve gotta say before I go on though, I’ve seen people complain about the editing of other performances, but this is the first one that’s been distracting to me throughout. :/ If I didn’t know before going in that Victor was supposed to be the narrator, I don’t think I would’ve gotten that. The harsh stage whisper sort of effect in the beginning comes off kind of judgmental and, well, harsh where I was expecting more of an impartial observer style narrator. I wish his character had either done less interacting (to be an observer) or done more (to show his investment in the storyline and justify the judginess). It was a nice change of pace to see him being subdued while Hao was the higher energy partner. Hao’s rap in both performances this episode was great. They felt more natural and less stylized, which I really dig. He also showed his vocals more here than I think he really has in a while. At least it was more impactful than past performance. I would love to see a purely vocal song from him – no rap, light choreo – because he does really interesting things with his voice and we don’t get enough of it. [I just got a flash of him singing w/ Susu O.O] The choreo was impressive even if the edit made it hard to get the full effect. The end was great with the angry faces and the final little trill of the pipa.

It weirdly warms my heart to see them acknowledge they’ve been kind of at odds in their partnership up til now

Eric, Jiacheng & Lian Peiru (pipa) perform second

Uh, does Jiacheng’s overcoat have Donald Duck smack in the middle of a traditional tapestry?!

Not gonna gush about the VCR, but these two are so damn cute

We don’t even get an interview lead-in for them?! >.<

Ooh, pop-style pipa is really cool…

Somebody put Xiao Wu in a musical please - even my theatre-hating ass would pay to see that

Aw, Liron Man reacting to them uwu

Overall thoughts: I really enjoyed that. It was soft and sweet, and of course their voices are amazing. The set design was really pretty with all the florals. For some reason, thought, for most of the song Eric seemed strangely pulled back? Maybe it was because Xiao Wu was still on a high from the previous performance and the pipa is so distinct, but his parts just got overpowered to my ear. It was still beautiful.

Huh, Samuel really hasn’t gotten much screentime in this episode, even for reactions

Zhennan, Samuel & Wangtao (clarinet) are up third

Maybe it’s because he’s a good bit older, but I really appreciate the way Wangtao talks about Zhennan here – at least I assume he’s referring to Zhennan since Samuel seems pretty cool with being a kid – it doesn’t soften me to him, but it’s a needed reminder that his bravado may be more façade than arrogance – still find it annoying though *shrug*

Anyone else have to look up what an elaphure is? – it’s a Père David’s deer

Excuse me, mister clarinet man, don’t make me start thinking clarinets are sexy – I’ve already resigned myself to the fact that I’m probably gonna look up your music but that’s just taking it too far!

Overall thoughts: For anyone who thinks I’m just going to shit all over this because it’s Zhennan and Samuel, you’re wrong. I actually kind of dug that. It’s not really my bag, but I don’t dislike it at all. First off, the stage design is impressive with that cube setup. It’s really interesting having Wangtao on top of it (but also, get off the tall thing!). I would love to see a fixed cam of the performance to get the full effect. I really liked Zhennan’s solo in ep. 2, so seeing him go back to that sleepy, almost lazy delivery style is really nice. I’ve complained about him leaning too hard into his imagery (or did I cut that bit because I was being an ass?), but it was used beautifully here. Samuel really impressed me. His rap style still sounds a little like he’s trying to be someone else, but it didn’t sound awkward this time. It’ll be really interesting to see where his style goes as he comes into his own. And these are his best lyrics yet. Yes, I snorted at the LeBron reference in the otherwise whimsical song, but I really liked the honestly and depth. The dance break was beautiful and a nice escape from the more stock mainstream choreo Samuel’s been showing us. He does hip hop well, but I’m glad he gave us something more contemporary here and showed off his range. If I have a complaint it’s that Samuel’s voice gets lost in the “I don’t want” bits. I wish they’d at least brought him forward so you hear him more, or better yet, given him something a little more ornate to weave around Zhennan’s more drudging sound. His little vocalization before ZN’s final part was a pleasant surprise, and I would’ve liked more of that. They’ve made the best use of the accompanist so far, too. The whole thing was lovely and haunting and understated. Of all their stages, I think this performance has been the most effective in delivering the message they wanted to get across.

Jun & Liron Man (handpans) are up last

Why are the lead-ups getting shorter?! We’re going straight into the performance with no interview or VCR. I get that he’s not eligible for votes anymore, but I still want to see something, man

Total Pure Moods vibes here – fun fact: I wanted that CD so badly that both of my (divorced) parents got it for me for Christmas that year – I was a weird kid

Aw, is he singing along with Jun?! So cute! *heart eyes*

…off the tall thing, please…

Overall thoughts: If you’d told me before this that I would eagerly watch a Jun solo three times in a row, I would’ve laughed in your face. His style just isn’t for me usually. And yet, I watched this three times in a row (I zoned out and just listened to first time, watched the second, and read the lyrics the third). Thank you, Yanan, for picking the handpan. I never would’ve thought the distorted ring of a handpan would complement Jun’s very unique vocal quality as well as it does. This is the most at ease we’ve seen Jun on the show, and I don’t mean relaxed or confident. It didn’t seem at all like he was performing or was “on” but like he was singing for the sheer personal pleasure of it. After his stress in previous episodes, it was so good to see. As for the song itself, I have no fucking clue how to describe it. It reminded me of the weirdest things without really sounding like any of them. I mentioned Pure Moods, but also The Little Mermaid and “What Is Love” – as in the song from A Night at the Roxbury (listen to it, young’uns, and be confused). There were others, but I’ve blanked because that last one was a little too wtf.

“He was definitely enjoying it, really” – you know it’s true when the guest is saying it

Wait, no contestant reactions even?! Why are we getting robbed of the good stuff in this episode, goddamnit!?

Points reveal for the finals

This is for the ranking going into the finale – plus starting points which seems weirdly unnecessary?

Hao & Victor got 66 votes – why so low?

Xiao Wu & Eric got 73 – better but still really low considering the stages & past scores

Zhennan & Samuel got 72 – why so low?!

Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad my boys are leading, but they all gave incredibly good, polished stages and those scores really don’t seem to reflect that. I mean, they’ve given out 80s before – are the panelists given criteria or is it purely a matter of preference? – the contestants all look a little disappointed with the scores, too

After show nonsense

“passionate teens Zhou Zhennan and Samuel, gentle warriors Wu Jiacheng and Zhou Xingzhe, mood players Xu Minghao and Ma Boqian” – I don’t know why those labels amuse me so much but they do

I’m glad we get to see Samuel & ZN react to the handpans because they were so cute with the other instruments

Damn, Samuel really is a quick learner

Did he mean to play Eric’s song? He’s definitely got a bit of an artist crush on Eric, but that’s adorable if he was trying to play it. And impressive that he did it well enough on something he just learned how to get a sound from that the others recognized it!

My personal rankings

MH & Victor

Jun

Eric & Xiao Wu

Zhennan & Samuel

Usually picking my rankings is super easy. My favorite and least favorite have been leagues away from the others, but I really liked everybody this week :D

And now, another long wait until the subs come out for the finale...

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ionica01 · 7 years

Text

Day 2: Tradition

And here we are, with day 2 of almei week! I hope you guys enjoy this, too!

“You know you don’t have to do this, right?” Mei asked, holding the light, silky material that was supposed to be draped Al’s waist and tighten the kimono around him. There was concern painted across her face, like she didn’t want Alphonse to force himself into something unnecessary.

“I want to!” He told her softly, trying to look as excited as possible and placing a hand over hers to encourage her to continue her work. He gave the best smile he had, trying to hide his nervousness.

It had been about two weeks since Alphonse arrived in Xing, and Ling had decided it was high time for him to hold a ball to welcome Al in his country. And what a ball! All the court and the other 50 clans were invited! The Amestrian had a gut feeling the Emperor just wanted to hold a sumptuous feast and Mei’s roll of the eyes confirmed it, but he couldn’t deny him this pleasure. Moreover, he was seeking to show the Xingese court that he was fit to be there and that all the judging glances thrown in his and the Chang’s clan leader direction whenever they were seen together weren’t grounded.

Alphonse did everything in his power to make sure he wouldn’t make a foul out of himself: he read all the books on Xingese culture he could find in Amestris and even learnt as much as he could of the language; he reread all of his letters with Mei to pick up any custom or important gestures the easterners had as to not commit any kind of insult; he had even asked Mei to write the last few letters in Xingese only for him to exercise.

“Is it too tight?” Mei asked, pulling him out of his thoughts. He realised he must have been frowning while trying to recall all of the advice Lan Fan had offered him and forced a smile on his nervous face.

Mei’s brows knitted and she inched closer to his face, her breath now warming Al’s flushed cheeks. He stared at her dumbfounded, trying to understand her motives for closing the distance between them so much: he remembered Lan insisting on the fact that Xingese people don’t like having their personal space invaded.

By the time he had started running possible scenarios through his head, it was already too late: Mei bumped her forehead against his with more force than he remembered her having, causing all of the redness from his cheeks to rise to his forehead.

“Ouch!” He exclaimed, rubbing the injury confused. “What was that for?” He asked, glancing at the woman through his fingers. She had crossed her arms over her chest and was now fuming:

“Because you’re worrying too much again, Alphonse!” If she had dropped the “sama”, she must have been really angry.

Al let his hand drop against his sides and suddenly felt his body go numb as he muttered:

“I just… Don’t want to mess up.”

Mei’s expression softened and she picked up his arm, which felt heavy as led and foreign, as it was while Al was in an armour:

“And you won’t!” She said in a healing voice, probably regretting having snapped at him earlier. Al had discovered Mei was the type of girl who changed moods quickly, though she was much more balanced than his childhood friend. In times like this, he blessed Winry for her mood swings that gave him years of exercising how to deal with them.

“Whatever you do, you can never mess up, Alphonse-sama. At least not in my opinion.” She smiled, squeezing his hand and offering him a bright smile. Xiao-Mei climbed up on Al’s shoulder, rubbing her face against his cheek as well.

“Thank you, Mei!” He smiled, trying to hide the fact that these kind of encouragements only made him more nervous. Maybe he couldn’t embarrass her, but the impression he made on the others affected their relationship, as well.

Mei sighed, closing her eyes for a moment and shaking her head. Al should have known that no matter how good of a front he put up, he could never fool Mei. Not only because she could read his qi, but more so because she didn’t miss anything when it came to him. She could even pick up the smallest lie when their only method of communication was writing, let alone now, when they were face to face.

“I’ll get ready and join you in half an hour.” she finally sighed. “Meanwhile, you go out there!” She said, pushing him towards the entrance to the huge dining room, which also served as a ball room.

Al reluctantly stepped towards the exit from his safe zone, stopping in the doorway to straighten up his back and turn around to offer a confident smile to Mei, who mirrored his gesture. Confidence was the last feeling his brain intercepted at the moment, but nailing this was something Al had to push himself to believe.

He stepped into the room with the right foot first, twenty minutes early. Even so, the place was far from empty: there were servants putting up the table, and Ling, along with a few others Al recognised as the heads of the Wei, Wang and Xiu clans, were sitting at the round dinner table.

“Alphonse!” Ling called out to him, friendly and yet official at the same time. The Amestrian was still amazed at how dignified the Xingese Emperor carried himself when in high-class company, much in contrast with his usual aloof self.

As he approached him, Al also spotted Lan Fan behind the Emperor’s chair, her dark costume blending in the shadows as she stood there, ready to protect Ling with her life.

Al stopped three steps before the King and bowed, his body forming a perfect 135 degrees angle. Once the King raised his hand as to put him at ease, he turned towards the three other clan leaders and performed the same gesture.

“I must excuse myself for interrupting your discussion.” Al started in the most formal tone he could, relieved that his brain hadn’t gone blank when he began talking. “I must introduce myself. I am Alphonse Elric.” He added, refraining from extending his hand for a handshake and indeed bowing again, this time much less.

The rest of the introductions went on without a hitch. Slowly, more and more people came in and Al repeated the steps and then proceeded to make small talk (usually politics-related) only to then pass to the next person and so on.

By the time Mei arrived, he was already exhausted and felt the muscles of his cheeks might be blocked in the position of “polite smiling” forever. Out of habit, he bowed in front of Mei, too. She immediately started chuckling, and jokingly bowed, as well.

“Sorry.” Al got up fast, scratching the back of his neck. “Force of habit.”

“Don’t worry. You seem better now.” She noticed, following Al as he led the way to her seat.

“Yeah well, the people here are friendly.” He admitted.

“See? Told you it would be fine!” Mei beamed, sitting down next to him without breaking eye contact.

The dinner started and everyone inquired about Amestris, and how come Al came here and about the start of his friendship with the Emperor and Princess Chang. Al explained everything in polite words and omitting the disturbing facts, asking formal questions as well.

“Now then!” The Emperor clapped his hands as soon as the first course was over, attracting everyone’s attention. They turned to him, waiting for Ling to continue:

“I figured it would be a good idea to ask Alphonse to show us one of the traditional Amestrian dances!” He smiled, directing the statement into Al’s direction.

The blonde froze, his mind going blank at the words. He didn’t have problems with the Xingese dances, Mei had taught him everything he needed to know, and his brain could cope with speaking the intricate language, but Amestrian dances phased him. Al doubted he even knew the songs! Being stuck in a suit of armour trying to save the world wasn’t exactly the most favorable context to learn how to dance.

“What do you say, Alphonse?” Ling asked.

Al gulped down and nodded: what else could he do? Ling happily got up and made a sign for the Xingese Orchestra to start the music. Al got up slowly, feeling his body even heavier than before and even more so than when he was in a suit of armour. He needed all of his self control to keep a good front and not to fall into despair. ‘All that effort… For nothing!’ he thought as his feet led him to the dancing ring.

As soon as the song started, Al was surprised to hear the familiar tone: it was a waltz!

“This is a dance for two.” Al politely explained the others, glimpsing at Mei from the corner of his eye. She must have read his mood again, because she let out a sigh of relief as soon as he started talking.

He confidently went towards her and extended an arm with the usual Amestrian bow, asking something he was very much familiar with from Führer Grumman’s Military parties:

“Would make me the pleasure of accepting this dance?”

Mei smiled in return, placing her had in his and getting up: “I’d be delighted to.”

They headed back towards the free space that served as as a dancing ring and Al placed his hand on her waist, bringing her closer. She, in term, placed her hand on his shoulder and tuned her body movements to his, so that they would move into the familiar waltz-square at the same rhythm. It proved to be an easy task for them: after all, they had done it before at Edward and Winry’s wedding.

It had been awkward back then, and they had moved clumsily, so much unlike the gracious steps they took now. Mei was no longer averting her gaze, instead holding his fond look with an equally infatuated one.

“Alphonse-sama!” She had scolded him during one of their dancing lessons. “You must remember, dancing is communicating feelings you can’t otherwise exteriorize!”

And right now, he perfectly understood what she had meant. Holding her so close, he could feel his love overflowing and flowing into her spirit in a continuous connection. For what seemed like an eternity, the world was just theirs, the dancing ring was their little universe, but it was enough, because they had each other.

The song finished sooner than either of them wanted, but they didn’t realise it was over until they heard claps from the table.

“That is one amazing dance.”

“Yes, please teach us!”

“Do Amestrians always dance it?”

The questions were coming from all around the table, making Al smile: Mei might have just been right. He had worried over nothing.

Ling was watching the guests learn the Amestrian waltz proudly, nodding like a doting parent (despite the small age gap) at Alphonse’s progress in getting integrated into the Xingese community.

He felt Lan’s stare on him and smirked. “Something weighing on your mind?” He asked her, reading the unspoken question.

“When did you get the performers to learn this song, Young Master?” Lan inquired, stepping out of her shadow.

“Oh. It was after we returned from Ed’s wedding. It was the song playing while we danced on the roof.” He reminded her, innerly sulking at the fact that she had to wear the mask, which was doubtlessly covering a delightful blush right now.

“Did you know? It’s an Amestrian tradition for this to be the first dance the married couple shares.” He told Lan, smirking in Mei and Alphonse’s direction.

Lan followed his gaze and smiled under the mask: soon enough, they might see them share that dance yet again.

#almei #almeiweek #alphonse x mei #Alphonse Elric #mei chang #May Chang #mei chan #al x mei #fanfic #mine

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