& you caused it

[miniature-cop]

Four Dads and a Baby (Camping Trip Thread)

[jewfrocop]

[miniature-cop]

At the very least, Li Dian - please don’t urinate in the lake. Come with me, Ma Dai - we’ll go find some fire wood together. 

[mainfoldiron]

I’m going to have to take Taohua into the water—

"immi immi immiiiii!" [Taohua squeals and continues wiggling about until Xu Shu picks her up and searches around for her water wings]

Yes, love. We’re going to go swimming.

[theheartisacanvas]

"Let them have their fun! You can pull him out of the water by the ear once we get back--make him build and tend to the fire."

[miniature-cop]

Four Dads and a Baby (Camping Trip Thread)

Tents are all set — I’ll go look for some fire wood, in the mean time. Would anyone like to accompany me? 

[mainfoldiron]

Maybe this is the time for you and Ma Dai to go bond a little more. My mission in life is to keep this one [he gestures to a squirming Taohua] from running toward that lake.

[theheartisacanvas]

Count me in! I'll keep my eye out for marshmellow roasting sticks!

[mainfoldiron]

[facebook status update]

Finally introducing Taohua to her own room in the townhouse, I’ve got the color scheme all picked out and it’s colored but the green walls are missing something. She adores safari animals…so maybe I’ll just get some decals or something.

[theheartisacanvas]

I bet she’ll love it! Do you have anything safari-related in there now? What kind of animals? Sounds like you’re having a lot of fun too.

[mainfoldiron]

She’s got a couple of stuffed lions and zebras roaming about, but I just don’t want all of the walls to be this blank green color. I’m thinking maybe she’ll like a giraffe or two…

[theheartisacanvas]

You know--in my opinion, I think she'll love it the way it is. If you still think it needs something more in a few days, you can always find something up later. Maybe let her pick it out?

[mainfoldiron]

[facebook status update]

Finally introducing Taohua to her own room in the townhouse, I’ve got the color scheme all picked out and it’s colored but the green walls are missing something. She adores safari animals…so maybe I’ll just get some decals or something.

[theheartisacanvas]

I bet she'll love it! Do you have anything safari-related in there now? What kind of animals? Sounds like you're having a lot of fun too.

[quanny-butt-blog]

[facebook status] via mobile

portugal wins

[quanny-butt-blog]

*portugal what

autocorrect now is not the time 

[theheartisacanvas]

I was going to ask if you were even watching the game, but now I'm just judging you.

[mainfoldiron]

The words crept down Xu Shu’s spine first and then he exhaled. He wouldn’t be as selfish in the future, that much he could promise. But for now, he’d take just this moment to be completely and totally selfish. He pulled away for a moment, giving a tug at the other’s shirt.

"Take it off." he commanded gently, before he removed his own shirt and tossed it aside.

[theheartisacanvas]

The warmth of Xu Shu's hands left his body as he moved away, and as he did, Ma Dai nearly found himself following as if he was lead along by an invisible string to do as such. He only paused at the gentle demand; to which he complied.

The moment his shirt was released by the other's hand, he took the initiative to tug it off his body. Once it was dropped to his feet, he found it acceptable only then to close the space between them by grabbing at Xu Shu's exposed waist to drag him back.

[mainfoldiron]

"I could," Xu Shu answered, "I would."

Any effort needed, Xu Shu would most certainly put it forth. He couldn’t remember any other time he had been this happy with someone, and this kind of close. Admittedly, he had started to resign himself to a life of just him, Taohua, and the people he was with often…but with lesson after lesson, he had begun to found it hard to picture that, and not have Ma Dai be apart of it in some shape or form. His hands slid up Ma Dai’s shirt first while he kissed him again, “Stay with me,” he repeated in between kisses, “stay the night with me.”

[theheartisacanvas]

There was a sudden clench; a vice-like grip around his thumping heart from such a breathy plea. Ma Dai's eyes slid closed as he leaned in and tilted his head, his own mouth seeking out the side of Xu Shu's face, and eventually, the contour of his ear. 

"I'll stay as long as you need me," he breathed as his mouth was pressed against the skin beneath it, body relaxing beneath the stretch of fingers that glided beneath the material of his shirt "--as long as you want me." It was a promise--acceptance, in a way. Whatever was asked of him now, Ma Dai would likely oblige.

[mainfoldiron]

Xu Shu’s problem lied in getting too lost in the moment; he normally would forget and it wouldn’t have been until they were a mess of tangled limbs, with Xu Shu asking the question at a moment he shouldn’t have been asking it. 

His eyes closed as he felt the other’s hands in his hair, and he couldn’t keep the smile from appearing on his face. He dipped his head down again, his lips moving from Ma Dai’s jawline, and he spoke: “Can you,” his lips moved to kiss along the other’s neck, “change the fact that you are not wholly mine?”

"I…" his grip on Ma Dai tightened just a little, "not wholly thine…"

He’d ask it in every language he knew if need be.

[theheartisacanvas]

A sudden breath escaped him--as if it in itself was a release; relief in the other's mouth trailing his neck, and alternatively, the words that lanced through his mind so clearly despite the thick, fogginess that gripped him in the midst of it all. His head tilted, chin lifted, and Ma Dai sucked in a breath with the intention to reply.

"And if I were," his fingers continued with their movements, "would that not be your choice as much as mine?" He could not simply make it so; not by his own will alone. There had to be equal effort and desire openly admitted and agreed upon. That much was certain.

"Could you," he began again, hands falling then to the sides of Xu Shu's face again, "--would you change it too?"

[mainfoldiron]

To think that it wouldn’t be a tad messy would’ve made Xu Shu a fool, but that was the furthest thing from his mind as he felt Ma Dai’s lips against his own, and instinctively he opened them just a bit. He felt some vodka slip from the corner of his mouth, but he chose to slip his arms around Ma Dai instead, and keep him close, careful not to move too much, lest this entire thing backfire.

Xu Shu could however, feel that familiar warm sensation from the alcohol slip down his throat and move into his stomach as one of his hands moved to the back of Ma Dai’s neck. Once the vodka was gone however, he allowed himself to breathe out through his nose slowly. He wanted to pose the question he had sent in the text; the words just about ready to leave his mouth, but he wasn’t sure why he was refraining from it.

Instead of posing the question he merely backed Ma Dai toward the desk.

[theheartisacanvas]

It was a bit messy, but it was an overall successful endeavor. And to see that it had indeed been an invitation after all allowed Ma Dai to progress and respond further in turn. He took what he could of the vodka into his mouth and swallowed it, pulling away enough to clean up what spilled from between his lips before breathing him in again.

He felt the desk behind him again, to which he willingly put his weight against. Fingers slid up from the back of his neck and over his ears then, knitting into the short, unkempt mane from the bottom up. Dai gave a heavy albeit content sigh then, engaging in sloppy exchanges between which he meant to ask--meant to request the verbal inquiry in a language he had yet to understand--

--but instead he relished in it and drew him closer until the opportunity was right.

[mainfoldiron]

If there had been anything Xu Shu prided himself on, it was his honesty. It was put forth in every single aspect of his life, especially when it concerned relationships and his daughter in general. He didn’t bother to tidy up his office too much, because it was Taohua’s just as much as it was his. Taohua was just about everywhere in his home from a couple of scattered toys to pictures.

However…he was indeed human, and companionship was something he missed.

He grabbed a glass, cleaned it and dropped thin pieces of ice into it before he unscrewed the cap off the vodka and poured it over the ice. He hadn’t expected to get so attached to Ma Dai either. At first, Xu Shu pegged it to be problematic, but time seems to alter things and people too and here he was. 

Glass filled, he returned to the office, quiet as usual, if only to watch Ma Dai for a moment. When he found it best to break the silence, he moved the glass so that the ice cubes clinked together, “Here.” He paused though, and put the glass to his lips and downed the vodka until there was nothing left in the glass. If Ma Dai wanted the vodka, he’d have to acquire it by other means.

[theheartisacanvas]

Ma Dai found himself drawn back not by the presence in the doorway, but by the clinking of the ice in the glass that was held. The neutral expression split once again into a bright grin and he pushed off the desk to close the space between them. The glass was lifted and he reached to take it, but it was drawn back in the moments that followed--disappearing between a pair of lips. At that he paused, then proceeded to quirk a brow in mild curiosity. That wasn't at all fair, was it?

The pace or two between them was closed, and Dai moved to take the empty glass from the other's hands. He examined it at first, tilting it to watch the ice tumble around with whatever fluid remained whether it was melted ice or a few drops of vodka. But it was set aside in favour of admiring Xu Shu again, upon whom he advanced upon to retrieve what had been initially offered to him--more or less.

Palms reached up to grip either side of his face as his mouth met Xu Shu's. He moved enough to taste the faint, metallic traces of alcohol lingering upon his lips and further within. Hands slid back to frame his face and grip his head more firmly, and with a tilt of his own head and an unintentional bump of his nose, he immediately leaned further in figuring he was given enough of an invitation to do so.

[mainfoldiron]

"Hm. I should’ve said in a complete sentence, but…you did do as I asked," Xu Shu responded before stepping aside and allowing Ma Dai entry into his office, "I’ll be right back. Would you prefer it on ice or straight?"

Xu Shu shouldn’t have been so excited to get the other a drink, or more importantly he shouldn’t have been excited about just how the other was going to get the Vodka in the first place.

[theheartisacanvas]

"Ice, please." He answered politely before his eyes turned away, gaze wandering first to the walls of the office, and then to the furniture and the objects that were littered upon and around it. He took care to step over the blocks in place at its base and proceeded to lean against the side of the desk with his arms folded once again across his chest.

Once left--albeit temporarily--he continued to glance about his surroundings, ever-curious by what he found. It all told of the man who he came to visit; to whom he would eventually insist to repeat the very words sent to him via text.

[mainfoldiron]

Xu Shu liked it—Ma Dai’s seemingly carefree grin. He pushed the front door closed and pointed down the hallway in the direction of his office, “Can I get you anything?” he asked, “Tea? Coffee? Water? Vodka?”

The last was said differently—slowly—as if he’d been alluding to something else. Well, sure Xu Should could provide Dai with whatever he asked for, but…

"Only under the condition you ask for it in the language you’ve learned." he added on quickly as he remained in the doorway of his office. Xu Shu would take just about every opportunity that came up to throw in a lesson; he wouldn’t be an effective teacher if he didn’t.

[theheartisacanvas]

The artist parted his lips to respond as he entered into the office area, however he found himself restricted from entry without giving a proper reply. He glanced into the room, then back towards Xu Shu before folding his arms across his chest and leaning against the doorframe where his host stood.

"Vodka," he answered with a hint of a hollow-sounding tone; an accent more or less. The expression that followed was a smug one, for the grin simply stretched further across the width of his face. He technically answered how Xu Shu wished him to, just not in a full sentence; and he hadn't necessarily asked that of him either.

[mainfoldiron]

Xu Shu had been busying himself with a cup of tea when he heard the door. Happily abandoning the stacks of papers on his desk, and mindfully stepping over some discarded plush building blocks, he headed down the hallway and to the front the door.

It wasn’t until he caught a glimpse of Ma Dai in the doorway that he remembered their series of text messages. Really, Xu Shu had no intentions of sending it first, but he figured he run with it, and now here they were. 

"Bonjour," he teased as he stepped aside so the other could enter.

[theheartisacanvas]

He didn't need that translated, that much was obvious. Ma Dai grinned as he bowed his head, hand sliding from the back of which to grip the brim of his hat in order to tip and then remove it politely. He held it between his fingers as his coat was unbuttoned, removed, and hung up accordingly. 

"Hello," Ma Dai responded simply, pushing the boots off his feet by clipping his toes to the back of one heel, then the other. Keys were stuffed into his back pocket as he whirled around to face his host, grin remaining plastered across the expanse of his face.

"Your distraction, as requested."

[theheartisacanvas]

He never gave a specific time, but between the last received text message and now, Ma Dai found his way to Xu Shu's doorstep; though it was only with a summoning knock that he alerted the man within of his presence. 

Fingers curled into a fist to hammer against the sturdy door, and with a shake of his hand following such a physical announcement, Ma Dai took a step back. After a beat or two, he lifted a hand to knit his fingers into the unkempt, wild mess that was his hair as he waited in silence for the linguist's appearance.

[mainfoldiron]

[text to ma dai]

[mainfoldiron]

· Well, I’m certainly free now; I was just grading leftover papers and Taohua is with her usual sitter.

[theheartisacanvas]

· then I’ll stop in—so long as you’re done with your papers.

[mainfoldiron]

· Trust me, I look forward to having a break from using up red ink.

[theheartisacanvas]

· well, you're in luck. I can change that as well. I'll be over shortly.

[mainfoldiron]

[text to ma dai]

[mainfoldiron]

· Well, I’m certainly free now; I was just grading leftover papers and Taohua is with her usual sitter.

[theheartisacanvas]

· then I'll stop in--so long as you're done with your papers.

[mainfoldiron]

[text to ma dai]

· pouvez-vous changer le fait que vous n’êtes pas tout à moi?

[theheartisacanvas]

· hey now, that’s not fair. you going to tell me what it means this time?

[mainfoldiron]

· ‘can you change the fact that you are not wholly mine?’  · sounds better in its original format, I’m sure.

[theheartisacanvas]

· if I could hear you say it, I’d agree. · and who knows; maybe I can.

[mainfoldiron]

· Then I promise to say it to you in person the next time I see you. · feel free to scold if I don’t.

[theheartisacanvas]

· not to sound eager, but how soon would that be? · and I don't scold. Not you.