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[illicitly]

« sandpiper » TEXT ✧ AUDIO ✧ VIDEO ✧ ACTION Nie Huaisang ✦ Mo Dao Zu Shi
RESIDENCE ✦ 4 BR House in the Sumar Province
GEMBOND ✦ Amethyst

35. Male. Bisexual. Crushes on handsome male friends who touch him a lot and has no idea what to do with a woman besides get awkwardly drunk, cry into her bosom, and ramble about his hobbies. Professional hot mess with secret aspirations of guiding his home society into being less of an infighting shitshow. Powerful 'step on me' energy. Unfulfilled boyhood dreams of being a useless trophy husband and pillow king.

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[surexpose]

Monsieur Nie, hello.
Have you been getting along well? Do let me know if you need further assistance with anything.

[illicitly]

It is good to hear from you, Count Joseph.

[Please forgive him, Huaisang is still in the process of learning Western naming conventions. But at least, he remembered the title?]

I am certain that I still need assistance but I do not know where to begin. There is still so much I do not understand, far too many to list. I would welcome more help with making Manna if you are willing.

[It might be a little clumsy, bold, and lacking in finess but Huaisang's never been particularly smooth when it comes to asking about things like this. But it seems to a proposition worth making, considering neither of them have the means they accustomed to living with.]

[surexpose]

[Don't worry about it, Huaisang! If it weren't for his fellow hunters in the Manor he would absolutely think your first name was "Nie".

As he reads the message, Joseph's lips curl into a little smile. Surely the man is not that young, but reading his correspondence is not unlike watching a young deer navigate terrain with its spindly legs.]



By all means. There are lounges in the Diamond District we can meet at. You have not been trying to make any on your own?

[illicitly]

I have been busy learning about the many oddities in this world. I am still meeting people and establishing connections. I do not fall into physical relationships so quickly or easily. I do not have much experience with such things.

I have been busy learning about the many oddities in this world. I am still meeting people and establishing connections. I do not fall into physical relationships so quickly or easily. I do not have much experience with such things.

[Mostly because in Huaisang's youth, he was too shy and lacked the self-confidence to really put himself out there. And as an adult, he simply hasn't had the time or energy to pursue such relationships with outside the occasional trip to a courtesan. His focus had been on investigating and avenging his brother's murder for so long, what mental energy hadn't been expended there, had all been directed into his duties as sect leader. Life hasn't been much fun for Huaisang is a very long time.]

I would be delighted to visit the Diamond District with you. It has been a long time since I have had drinks with acquaintances or friends.

[His life truly has been dreadful for years. All work and no play makes a very dull boy, indeed.]

[surexpose]

Do not worry about that. It is better to be selective about who you make your bed with... pardon the somewhat crude joke. And I imagine you will learn.

[It actually pleases him. The boy may be slow, but he's not impulsive. That's a good sign, and much better than a hotheaded type who doesn't think.

He presses a few buttons, sending an address to Huaisang.]


I've sent you the location of a brasserie I like. It will be my treat, of course. Does tomorrow work for you?

[illicitly]

[It's a relief to not be rushed into things, honestly. After all, Huaisang isn't attracted to just anyone and there's only so far he's capable of pushing himself before panic or exhaustion sets in. He truly is grateful for the man's reassurance and guidance as he adapts to this unusual situation.]

Tomorrow should be fine. Thank you for your kindness and generosity, Count Joseph. I look forward to seeing you again.

[Just a simple bit of honesty but the thought of this little outing is putting a smile on his face.]

[surexpose]

I am glad.

[And so the next day, once Huaisang gets to the little restaurant, he'll find Joseph sitting at an outside table, legs crossed, observing the menu as he sips white wine from a glass.]

[illicitly]

[In the time since they'd last seen one another, Huaisang's taken to local fashion like a fish to water. Today, he's dressed in a long coat, loose trousers, and an envelope hat, all in shades of dark green and gold, and knee-high leather boots. As soon as he arrives, he takes his coat and drapes it over the back of a chair before taking a seat.]

It's good to see you again, Count Joseph. I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long.

[His tone's a little less frazzled now as he greets the other man with a smile. Well, Huaisang did say that he's been focused on settling in...]

voice | during feral week

[famili]

( to an extent she is not inclined to delve into other people's privacy, or be overly concerned for fellow adults: aside from those she is, and at present, that desire to know that all those she's familiar with, that she knows of and cares for to whatever extent, are okay—it brushes past hesitations she'd have in being more polite or formal, particularly to someone who was more her shidi's friend (from her remembered past; there are depths of changes there that, worlds aside, she does not know) than someone ushered underwing for her to flutter at in concern.

she doesn't even have wings right now, just an immensity of form that she tried to contort into something smaller and less imposing when she comes across those she cares about, or those she doesn't know, but who need grounding of another kind. thus she's glad for things like spoken commands making the tiny phone device work, or else she'd be truly at wits end. )

Nie-ergongzi? How are you faring?

[illicitly]

[The sound of the phone ringing startles Huaisang out of his frantic door pawing at his apartment door in an attempt escape and find help somehow. He quickly realizes that his current form presents a bit of a problem. He barely knows how work the device with his hands. How is he supposed to operate it with paws? So after several rings, Huaisang carefully extends one claw and tries to tap the touch screen, wincing as he feels the screen crack beneath it, but at least, he successfully manages to answer it, voice coming very odd and distressed to his own ears.

H..Hello? Madam Jin? I've changed into something and I don't have any hands! I'm trapped in here and can't get out!

[He might be sounding near tears with his frustration at trying to navigate a world without thumbs.]

voice | after a night of drinking with huaisang

[zidianing]

Huaisang.

[He pauses before continuing]

...Huaisang and I were drinking last night but he was gone when I woke up this morning. I went to his place and he didn't answer the door there either.

voice

[illicitly]

[A slightly groggy voice replies.]

Huh? He's not home? What time did you check in on him?

[He can't be completely sure what his double's hangovers are like for certain without witnessing them firsthand but if they're anything like his own, he's probably laying motionless on the floor of a dark room with the curtains drawn and regretting every life decision ever made to get to that point.]

Re: voice

[zidianing]

[Jiang Cheng doesn't sound THAT Much better. But he can withstand hangovers]

Some time around noon. I figure that was enough time to sleep off the alcohol.

[illicitly]

Sometimes it takes longer. But it's been a few hours since then, he should be awake by now, at least. I don't usually sleep past the afternoon so I guess it might be the same for him?

[This is all just guesswork, really, but he's doing his best! And he's gotten results from guessing at things before.]

[zidianing]

[It's an hour later when he calls again]

He's still not answering.

[illicitly]

He's not? Someone taught him how to use the device, right? He didn't accidentally turn the sound off or anything?

[Look, it happened to him, okay. It'd make sense to him if it happened to another version of himself, too. These things are hard to figure out and learn!]

Try going over again now? He might have just not felt like answering his door. Sometimes it's a real bother to get up out of bed when you're hung over, you know?

[zidianing]

My understanding is that he's possibly more familiar with these things than I am. And I'm at his door and been knocking for the last five minutes.

[illicitly]

Where does he live? I'll meet you there.

[If nothing else, he might be able to give some more insight if he actually sees the area.]

Dinner after moving into new house first week of April

[curtails]

Standing over the stove in the kitchen, he's eyeing the knobs with a hint of distrust before looking at the paper Yanli had given him with directions. The dish itself was a simple one, fish and rice with a side of steamed vegetables, but he's still getting used to these new machines.

"It shouldn't take more than half an hour if everything works like Shijie said."

[illicitly]

It hadn't taken nearly as much time to save up for a proper home as Huaisang had expected it would. The two story, four bedroom house might have some peculiarities here and there and be built in an unfamilar style but it's still an improvement over the apartment he'd been living in previously. The furniture might be rather basic but as long as he lives here, Huaisang now has house and land of his own and that's comforting. There's still a lot of work and decorating that needs to be done but enough progress has been made toward making it livable that he's satisfied enough for now.

Presently, Huaisang is sitting on the same stool he's occupied during most of the moving, content to leave most of the actual labor to Jiang Cheng when he directed the proceedings and occasionally rearranged things as best as he could to his personal liking.

"You and Madam Jin are learning these things faster than I am. I still don't know how it all works."

[curtails]

"Being able to cook is a necessity. As varied as the food seems to be here, I don't think we'll find anything that tastes like the dishes we're used to." Not that the food is bad, but it's not necessarily something he wants to make a habit of eating.

"What was your favorite meal at home, anyway?"

[illicitly]

"I don't know. Braised pork with chestnuts, I suppose. Or steamed dumplings filled with mutton to snack on."

He's partial to meat and seafood dishes and the food in Qinghe tends to be on the salty side or have delicate flavors.

[curtails]

He files that away for later, glancing over his shoulder. "I'll see what I can do." That said, his attention returns to the food in front of him, at least for the moment.

"I'll finish unpacking after dinner. There's not that much left."

[illicitly]

"Thank you."

Lazy as he is, Huaisang's not so self-centered that he can't thank those who labor for him, especially those of equal rank.

"I'll handle the organizing later."

It's usually a better application of his skills.

"Once another payment arrives, we can go do more shopping if you like. There has to be better furniture than this."

Huaisang waves a hand toward the incredibly low quality furniture that been all he could afford. The house and land itself and used up most of his current savings. But at least, they have beds to sleep on, a table and cushions to sit on for meals, and enough housewares to get started here.

[curtails]

"It serves its purpose." It's not like their furnishings at home, but they're serviceable, even if the beds are too soft for his tastes so far. But he'll get used to it.

"I don't know if they'd have anything close to that, anyway."