a golden little yijing moment i unearthed in my drafts:
“It is true that there is nothing which makes you, in essence, more significant than anybody else. The distinction is that you are more significant to me. If you want me to tell you why precisely… well, why do we care for anybody?” Jing Yuan’s eyes slid over to Yiju. “I’m sure you would like to answer that love is a survival mechanism, ultimately evolved to improve our own chances of survival, and there is certainly truth to that. It’s entirely possible—one may venture to say probable—that there is somebody out there who is a better match for me, and likewise for you; yet we have our unique history, and our unique experiences, and in the entirety of the universe, the history we share belongs to ourselves only. If the universe is truly all a matter of random events and chance encounters, does that not make the fact that we found each other even more beautiful?”
“More beautiful, perhaps. Or, just as likely, as mundane and unremarkable as any two people who ever encounter each other.”
Jing Yuan sighed. “You do not have any faith in anything, do you, Yiju?”
At this, the hints of a smile curled at Yiju’s lips. “For once, Jing Yuan,” they said, “you’re wrong.”
Jing Yuan drew closer, intrigued. “Oh?”
“A few years ago, you would have been correct. It’s true I don’t have faith in the Aeons, no, nor people, but… I recently found something I could rely on.” Yiju placed a light hand on his chest, above where his heart resided. “I have faith in you. In your goodness. In your ability to keep moving forward without losing your kindness.”
For a moment, Jing Yuan’s lips parted, but no words came out. Then he smiled and closed his hand around theirs, so that both rested above his heartbeat. “Whether you believe it to be unremarkable or not,” he said, “I am honoured to have happened to stumble across you, Yiju.”
Yiju lowered their eyes, observing their interlocked fingers. Quietly, they murmured, “The feeling is mutual, Jing Yuan.”
because i’m in the mood to gush about my ocs (basically yiju and aphros), i thought it might be fun to set up an ‘interview’ event; namely, you can send in asks addressed to the ocs (or their relationships with other characters) and i’ll write how they’d answer as if in an interview setting.
so the options are basically this:
you can address an individual oc in a question (e.g. ‘i’d like to ask aphros what their opinions are about visions’, address the question to both members of the relationship (e.g. ‘for xiao & aphros: what traits do you admire most in each other?), or even the partner alone (e.g. ‘jing yuan, how would you summarise yiju’s character in one sentence?’)
with aphros, the pairing (if that’s who you want to address the question to) is obviously xiao, and for yiju, it’s jing yuan.
the questions can be very light-hearted, like what the oc’s favourite animal is, or you can ask something more deep, like things about their relationship with the other, their past, or their thoughts on generally deeper topics.
i hope i’ve explained this clearly enough (and that people will actually send asks) because this seems like it could be very fun, but we’ll see.
The rumoured ‘Dream Listener’ and elusive owner of Aurum Alley’s Hē Sōng Tīng Mèng tea house. Supposedly, more goes on inside this establishment than mere tea brewing, but they are quick to shoot down any rumours which begin to stir.
(Voicelines UTC.)
First Meeting
Welcome to my tea house. Please, take a seat. Whether it be tea, a listening ear, or business that you come for, I can provide you with it. …My name? Yiju will suffice.
Greeting
Are you here for a drink? Wait there for a moment. I’ll bring you a pot of tea, and then we can discuss other matters.
Parting
Thank you for stopping by. The tea house is closing soon, but next time, I would like to hear some more of your stories.
About Self: Information
There is little to say. All that is important is what you already know: I run a tea house, and I serve tea. Any further detail is surely arbitrary.
About Self: Tea
Making tea isn’t only an art of leaves and water, but of people, too. Even the quietest people will talk a surprising lot over tea. They’re all too happy to believe that because they’re in such an empty shop, they can whisper their secrets as loudly as they want without supposing anyone else is listening. I simply happen to overhear them.
Chat: Brewing Methods
The brewing methods I use originate from the Cangcheng, not the Luofu. That’s why you will hear many customers say the tea here tastes different to that of other tea houses. As to how I acquired the methods… that is unimportant.
Chat: Names
There is no such thing as a ‘real’ name. A name is simply something a person is called: as with any other word, it has no inherent value beyond the significance we give it. For example, a birth name, if forgotten, holds no more value than a nickname given by a friend, or a false name one chooses. In a way, the ‘false’ chosen name becomes more ‘real’ than the birth name: it no longer matters what somebody was born as if all people use is the ‘false’ one.
Hobbies
To be a successful tea house owner, brewing and serving is only the beginning of what you need to know. On the tea side, one must conduct tea ceremonies and pour tea to the same millimetre for every cup, but that’s hardly everything. How to win a game of weiqi, how to play the guqin, how to do calligraphy, painting, write poetry, perform storytelling… All of these skills must be honed to near perfection if your guests are to truly appreciate their experience in the tea house. Though, I wouldn’t call these things ‘hobbies’ as much as necessities.
Annoyances
I have little respect for those who expect to be treated differently because of their status. It doesn’t matter to me whether you are a street urchin or a noble. As long as you step foot in my tea house, you are a customer, and will be treated as such.
Something to Share
If you have trouble sleeping, have some xie cao tea. If you have high blood pressure, consistently drinking biluochun will help. If you simply want a nice, calming drink… one can never go wrong with chrysanthemum.
Knowledge
People call me ‘Dream Listener’ as if I can see into their minds. Of course, this is all baseless rumours. I possess no such ability. Once you’ve been in this role for long enough, you simply learn how to read people. Through observation, you begin to pick up on the body language which reflects one’s mood, or the quirks in an expression which can give away a true intention. I just cater what I serve to a customer’s mood. Nothing more, nothing less.
About Jing Yuan
We have worked together in the past. Jing Yuan tends to think that because we know each other, I’ll be more lenient about charging him. I have to remind him every time that a customer is a customer: an Arbiter-General is no exception. Oh, and if he could stop stealing finches from my establishment, I would appreciate it. Please pass that on the next time you see him.
About Jingliu
The cruel irony of being a long-life species is that, to resist mara, we must slowly cut away the memories which have shaped us lest they consume us. By retaining the physical semblance of humanity, we sacrifice our own personhood. I wonder how much of Jingliu was truly left before she succumbed to mara.
About Fu Xuan
I hold respect towards the Master Diviner in many things, but… her treatment of herbal tea is, quite frankly, an insult to the art form. She seems to prefer her brew to be more sugar than tea. If she must satisfy her sweet tooth, I don’t see why she can’t order sweet food instead of committing such sacrilege upon a perfectly good cup of Hunter Maofeng.
About [X — TBA.]
About the Crew
To have seen so many places and met so many people… I wonder, do you ever regret the involvement which comes from associating yourself with all these things? Then again, I suppose to sit by and observe is not the way of the Trailblaze.
Eidolon Activation
The past may shape the present, but is ultimately forgotten.
Character Ascension
As a flower grows away from its roots, people walk towards the future; never faltering, never regretting, and never looking back.
Max Level Reached
The people we once were… no longer have a hold on us.
Added to Team With Jing Yuan
*sigh* What do you need this time, Jing Yuan?
Added to Team With Fu Xuan
What have you foreseen as the outcome of this battle, Master Diviner?
Added to Team With Jingliu
Master Jingliu… it is an honour to fight alongside you.
