人生如梦 ...

[tiantangs]

𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐬. 天堂 ( tiāntáng ): heaven, paradise ( from 天 “sky, heaven” + 堂 “court, large room.” )

a collection of indie fandomless original characters with original lore, with a focus on shénmó / xiānxiá / wǔxiá and historical court drama themes. written and adored by annabel ( 25+, she / her. ) personal blogs will be blocked on sight !

𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐦𝐨 / 𝐱𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐱𝐢𝐚:

the devil god, xiāo jìn / the supreme demon lord, wáng zhìsǐ / the master of scarlet moon palace, xuán huāyìn / the last of the zhūyàn apes, xiāo yǔxiē.

𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐭 𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐚 / 𝐰𝐮𝐱𝐢𝐚:

夜深人静 : shēng yuán, emperor of jìn / xī jiǔ'ān, imperial grand preceptor of jìn.

何人算贤 : hèlián jìngyán, first prince of dōngshā / hèlián yànxī, fourth prince of dōngshā / hèlián chūntáo, grand princess of dōngshā / lǜ shìyuè, marquis of zhènān / gōngyě jùn, emperor of dàníng.

孑然心 : xiè ānlǐ, duke of yàn / xǔ fēngpíng, county magistrate of yúyáng.

任重道远 : xià qīngyán, crown prince of dàxī / chén mòzhāng, commandery prince of shānyáng / liú jīngquè ( xuě yán ), former crown prince of yǎn / lǐ tónghuā, the merchant.

荣耀回归 : jìng kē, grand general of héxī / jìn táo, the orphan.

永恒之想念 : xiè shèng, seventh prince of great yōng / xiè láng, ninth prince of great yōng.

see: rules / historical muse bios / xianxia muse bios / interest check !

note: muse names on this blog are always formatted with the family name / surname written first, i.e., [ family name ] [ given name ]

[tiantangs]

ugly mobile post but work is gonna have me in an especially immense chokehold tmrw and Thurs but if I get lucky I’ll have Friday off … which is to say, I’ll return then ～

[tiantangs]

𝗧𝗜𝗔𝗡𝗧𝗔𝗡𝗚𝗦 𝗟𝗢𝗥𝗘 𝗘𝗫𝗖𝗘𝗥𝗣𝗧: 𝗁𝖾𝗅𝗂𝖺𝗇 𝗃𝗂𝗇𝗀𝗒𝖺𝗇 𝖼𝗈𝗇𝖿𝗋𝗈𝗇𝗍𝗌 𝗀𝗈𝗇𝗀𝗒𝖾 𝗃𝗎𝗇 𝗂𝗇 𝖽𝖺𝗇𝗂𝗇𝗀'𝗌 𝗂𝗆𝗉𝖾𝗋𝗂𝖺𝗅 𝖼𝖺𝗉𝗂𝗍𝖺𝗅. ( ᴇɴ / 中文 ... 𝖾𝗇𝗀𝗅𝗂𝗌𝗁 𝗍𝗋𝖺𝗇𝗌𝗅𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇 𝖿𝗈𝗅𝗅𝗈𝗐𝗌 𝖾𝖺𝖼𝗁 𝗉𝖺𝗋𝖺𝗀𝗋𝖺𝗉𝗁 !)

在乾封之13年，为了给大宁国的圣帝公冶俊置之死地，东沙国的昆宁王赫连靖炎去过了大宁国。

in the 13th year of the qiánfēng era, prince kūnníng of dōngshā, hèlián jìngyán, traveled to dàníng, for the sole purpose of backing the holy emperor of dàníng, gōngyě jùn, into a corner, leaving him no way out.

赫连靖炎人生中最大的志向 —— 就是让大宁圣帝公冶俊给他跪下 —— 在那一天实现了。

hèlián jìngyán's greatest aspiration in life —— to make dàníng's holy emperor, gōngyě jùn, kneel before him, was realized that day.

志高气扬的赫连靖炎说：“ 本王已经告诉过了你，总有一天你的性命会掌握在本王的手。看来 … 今日就是那一天。然则，本王要问你：你会不会乞求本王饶了你的狗命呐 ？”

now in high spirits, hèlián jìngyán smugly said: "i told you before, one day your life would be in my hands. it seems that day is today. that being the case, i'll ask you: will you beg me to spare your worthless life ?"

t/n: jìngyán uses a formal self-address, běnwáng ( lit. "this prince" ). he also uses a pejorative term, gǒumìng ( lit. "dog life" ) to refer to gōngyě jùn's existence.

满脸是血的公冶俊泰然处之说：“ 乞求你 ？昆宁王，你有病啊 ？你和朕二人俩之中，谁配得上 “天子” 这一称号，而谁到底是狗 ？”

gōngyě jùn, his face covered in blood, nevertheless remained unfazed. " beg you ? prince kūnníng, are you crazy ? between the two of us, just who is worthy of being called "son of heaven," and who is the dog ?"

t/n: gōngyě jùn uses the emperor's formal "i", zhèn ( can be likened to the royal "we" in english ) to refer to himself. tiānzǐ is typically translated as "son of heaven" in english, as this is its literal translation, but more broadly means "the [ rightful ] emperor."

愤然的赫连靖炎难以置信地喊道：“ 狗屁吖 ！公冶俊，你真的还在说废话吗 ？你敢 ？！”

furious, hèlián jìngyán cried out incredulously: "bullshit ! gōngyě jùn, are you really still spewing such nonsense ? how dare you ?!"

屡教不改的公冶俊辩难：“ 朕凭什么不敢 ？那只狗终究是你，昆宁王。实则 ... 你是朕目击过的第一只会想它自己值得登极的狗。”

utterly unrepentant, gōngyě jùn retorted: "why shouldn't i dare ? it's you who's the dog, prince kūnníng. in fact ... you're the first dog i've ever seen that believed itself worthy of ascending the throne !"

赫连靖炎立即击中了公冶俊的面部，将他击倒在地。

hèlián jìngyán immediately struck gōngyě jùn's face, knocking him to the ground.

公冶俊流血了得很 … 但他还是死不改悔 ！他说：“ 人是人，国家是国家 … 狗是狗，而天子也是天子 … 他们都不同。可是你，赫连靖炎，你仍然没有意识到你自己之本性。你要杀朕就杀了，但无论朕会或者还是会死了，朕所说的话依然真相。你否不克。”

despite bleeding profusely, gōngyě jùn remained defiant. "a person is a person, a nation is a nation, a dog is a dog, and the son of heaven is the son of heaven ... they're all distinct. but you, hèlián jìngyán, still fail to recognize your own true nature. if you want to kill me, then kill me: whether i'm alive or dead, the truth of my words will remain unchanged. you can't deny it."

赫连靖炎又击了大宁圣帝公冶俊一下，这次暴力重得多。他的剑造成了公冶俊流血了。

hèlián jìngyán struck dàníng's holy emperor again, this time with far greater violence. his sword drew gōngyě jùn's blood.

公冶俊吐出了血，拨开赫连靖炎的剑，慢慢站了起来，然后说：“圣帝向卑污之狗乞求是不合适的。所以，朕根本不会乞求你。如果你要杀朕，朕会站立着死。”

gōngyě jùn spit blood, pushed aside hèlián jìngyán's sword, stood slowly, and then said: " it's not befitting of the holy emperor to beg such a lowly and vulgar dog, so i absolutely will not beg you. if you're going to kill me, then i'll die standing."

[tiantangs]

“ I shall do one thing in this life — one thing certain — this is, love you, and long for you, and keep wanting you till I die. ” (about to hurl) endgame zhanyuan.

with the summer solstice having come and gone, the passing days grow gradually shorter —— it's unnoticeable on any given one, perhaps; but in sum, the sun now hangs low over the horizon far earlier than it had only mere months ago. sunset still paints the sky in countless resplendent shades of pink and orange, the waning light reflecting off the fountains and ponds of jìn's imperial garden —— and yet now, there's a certain sort of chill that comes creeping in as night draws near.

as shēng yuán carefully tucks a handkerchief stained with dried blood into the folds of his lóngpáo, his gaze settling along the horizon, he can't help but feel it's a fitting metaphor, somehow.

tucked away in the heart of shēng yuán's treasured garden —— seated on a stone bench overlooking the koi pond, surrounded by flowers yuán grew by hand himself —— it feels as if the outside world can't reach them. above, the leaves on shēng yuán's beloved ginkgo tree are gradually changing colors; a few float to the ground on the heels of a gentle breeze. wind-chimes hanging from chāngpíng palace's eaves tinkle faintly. somewhere in the distance, a bird cries out to its mate, then bursts into a joyful song when its call is returned.

it's peaceful here: just the two of them sitting side by side, as the rest of the world fades away around them.

( each coughing fit is worse than the last —— where once jìn's beloved emperor could at least catch his breath afterwards, now there's only the muted, ragged gasping that follows. it's perhaps worse than the cough itself, if only for the haunting inevitability it holds. )

in years past, shēng yuán's lips had once been naturally as pink-red as the lychees he's always loved so dearly. their color has long since faded to a ghostly pallor —— but they nevertheless tug up into a serene smile once he's carefully wiped the blood from them. he turns to zhanying, and says softly: " 别难过了，阿英 … 我还能经受了。"

at long last, the sun sinks below the horizon, final vestiges of daylight yielding to the coming night.

shēng yuán leans closer to zhanying —— close enough that his cheek rests against his most treasured person's shoulder. when he laces their fingers together, zhanying's hand is so warm against his own.

" 阿英 —— "

" 陛下 … 这辈子我只将做一件事 —— 一件确定的事 —— 那就是爱您，思恋好恋您，而且至死都梦寐以求您。"

it's like watching a dam break in slow motion, no longer able to hold back the emotion it once held at bay. shēng yuán's breath catches in his throat, then —— and not on account of the disease that will inescapably rob him of the future he should've had.

" 阿英 ... "

shēng yuán has never mourned for the years that should have been his and now will never be, whatever promise they may have held stolen away by illness —— has never held any resentment towards fate for treating him so unfairly. and yet, in this moment he simply cannot help the tears that gather in his eyes, threatening to fall. the pad of one thumb brushes gently against the back of zhanying's hand; the other traces the hem of his handkerchief, eyes fixed as if in quiet contemplation on the splotchy bloodstains littering its silk.

这辈子，你对我特别好 … 我生元对你感激不尽。但终究 … 是我让你失望了 … 是我只能不一会儿离开你了。没有法 … 我别无选择。

" 日薄崦嵫 … 我之末叶果然会早结束。" shēng yuán's voice is whisper-quiet. " 但 … 人死并非终结；我们的故事还未央了。所以，阿英你就答应我，当我最后的那一天终于到来时，切莫要太难过了，好不好 ？"

a pair of lovebirds suddenly take flight from the gingko tree, their wings beating in unison as they soar up towards the heavens above. shēng yuán's expression softens, his grip on zhanying's hand growing imperceptibly tighter. " 快看一看，" he says, tipping his chin in their direction. his gaze flicks back over to zhanying. this time, his smile is reminiscent of the way it used to be: soft and sweet, full of an indomitable hope. " 或许下辈子我们会变两只小鸟，一起比翼向上天飞飞，平平安安，快乐的很。"

a sweet breeze blows, gradually chasing away the heavy cloud-cover blanketing the sky. somewhere in the mortal world below —— invisible and insignificant to the universe and its enigmatic machinations —— two star-crossed lovers sit side-by-side, their hearts beating as one, bathed in the twinkling light of a moonbeam.

shēng yuán lets his cheek come to rest against zhanying's shoulder once more. "所以，你莫要哭，阿英，" he continues, " 无论我会变成刮过你肌肤之轻轻风，还是会变落在你脸上之小雨，或是会温暖你之阳光 … 阿元永远会在你身边。"

我心爱的阿英 … 这就是我对你之承诺：在每一个辈子，在整个宇宙里，我会一直配置你。

@yishuns

[jamsmemes]

(     *     WORD ASSOCIATION. 

a selection of uncommon words to base writing prompts on ( and expand our vocabulary while we do! ). these may be an emotion, an action, or simply a state of being. send a number between 1-50 to choose a word to theme a starter/drabble around, or send 🖉 for a random number!

equanimous. calm and in control of emotions.

ineffable. too great or extreme to be expressed in words.

indelible. impossible to erase or forget.

assiduous. hard-working, diligent.

sedulous. working hard and never giving up.

elucidate. to clarify, explain.

reticence. being quiet and not sharing thoughts easily.

indolent. unmotivated or not trying.

altruistic. caring for others without expecting anything in return.

cyclothymic. having mood swings between happy and sad.

reverie. a pleasant daydream or deep thought.

prattle. talking for a long period of time about insignificant things.

ataxia. loss of control of body movements.

prevaricate. to avoid giving a direct answer or deviate from the truth.

ethereal. heavenly, exceptionally delicate or refined.

comely. attractive, beautiful.

evanesce. to slowly disappear or fade away.

accrue. gather or receive over time.

teetotaling. choosing not to drink alcohol.

nincompoop. a foolish or silly person.

ostentation. excessive showiness.

kaffeeklatsch. a casual gathering for coffee and conversation.

cerebration. thinking deeply about something.

hygge. a cozy feeling.

numinous. the powerful, personal feeling of being overwhelmed and inspired.

enigmatic. mysterious, difficult to understand.

perfidious. disloyal, unfaithful.

hemorrhage. loss of a large amount of blood.

competency. the ability to do something well.

introspect. to examine your own thoughts or feelings.

percipient. someone who notices or understands things.

fervid. very emotional or passionate.

somnolent. sleepy, drowsy.

boor. crude person, one lacking manners or taste.

livsnjutare. one who loves life deeply and lives it to the extreme.

ataraxia. a state of serene calmness, free from emotional disturbance or worry.

gaffe. an unintentional act causing embarrassment.

renitency. resistance to control or authority.

garrulous. talking a lot, especially about things that are not important.

befog. to make someone feel confused.

necrotic. related to dead tissue in the body.

debonair. having a charming or sophisticated manner.

exiguous. very small in amount.

nexus. a link between two or more things.

nadir. the lowest point or worst moment of something.

mendacious. dishonest or untruthful in speech or conduct.

placid. calm and peaceful.

disconsolate. deeply unhappy and without hope.

lacrimation. the act of shedding tears.

acquiesce. to agree without protesting.

[tiantangs]

made a lil interest checker based on currently-active muses ( tho if you wish, you can request retired muses as well ! ) ... check it out here

[tiantangs]

恭喜恭喜 shēng yuán, once again resuming his rightful spot as the icon / face of ye olde tiantangs ! i wanna do more with my fated-to-die-but-nevertheless-he-smiles og emperor of all time sdfsdfk lmao

[tiantangs]

wake up honey, the lady from this post has a name and a story now ~

huá wúshuāng only daughter of the duke of dīng

when huá wúshuāng's beloved older brother, huá jìnbǎi, is sent to the remote northwestern chéngguān commandery --- historical territory of the powerful huá family --- as soon as he comes of age, taking up the post vacated by their dearly-deceased father, wúshuāng believes with all her heart --- and with all the willful naivete of a fifteen-year-old girl --- that everything will be all right, that the nation will continue to be blessed with years of peace.

but only three short years later, jìnbǎi is wounded in action, and dies of his injuries before he can return to the capital to set up arrangements for his soon-to-be-orphaned sister.

and then, the invitation comes, an opportunity like none other: enter the palace as a 才人 ( cáirén ) to serve the emperor. it's a chance to make a name for herself --- and perhaps even more.

( it's a chance for something else too, something she dares not speak aloud --- for seeing through a broken heart's most sordid desire to its bitter end. )

at eighteen years old, huá wúshuāng enters the palace, finding herself immediately surrounded by the splendor and schemes of the imperial city and its denizens --- and it is here that our story begins ...

read her full bio here, at the tiantangs historical muse masterlist ~

[tiantangs]

housekeeping ! i temporarily retired quite a few muses from both my historical and x.ianxia muselist, since i wasn't doing much with them. i won't drop / delete any threads / asks / etc for them, i'll just tuck them into my back pocket pending inspiration returning for the retired muses.

the following x.ianxia muses remain ( plotting preferred ); all others have been retired: xiāo yǔxiē, wáng zhìsǐ, xuán huāyìn, xiāo jìn.

the following historical muses were retired: xià jìngsī, yáng liǔ’àn, mò jùqiū, yán lì, sù yuántōng, qí jìngyáo, wú shuāng, chéng hánxī.

of course, if there's a muse on this list who you had / have interest in but they didn't make the cut, feel free to reach out and we can plot something 8)c ... also, you may see some of these names get recycled ( lmao ), but they'll be used for a different muse if it happens.

[tiantangs]

housekeeping ! coming soon to ye olde tiantangs ... a major muse list shakeup ( i'll be retiring a bunch of them and temporarily pausing the x.ianxia muses while i decide which ones i wanna keep and which ones i wanna retire for now ), as well as a new addition based on this post. anyway, hope u all are having the goodest timezone and sorry i'm slow af in replying to ... everything lmao.

[vhsmeme]

* watership down

watership down is a novel by richard adams.

‘ by yourself, alone? ’ 

‘ you can’t. you’d die. ’

‘ i’ll look after you. ’

‘ i think that’s something we can only wait for. ’  

‘ what do you think of that? ’

‘ you need a rest. ’ 

‘ i’ll tell you all about it later on. ’

‘ you hurt? ’

‘ they didn’t want to disturb you. ’

‘ just let me look after you for a bit. ’

‘ are you all right? ’

‘ how did you get that wound? ’

‘ can you hear me? ’ 

‘ i don’t blame you. ’

‘ you haven’t got to. ’

‘ if you are not careful, people will begin to trust you. ’

‘ i can’t trust anyone else, but you’ll come with me, won’t you? ’ 

‘ can we trust you? ’ 

‘ i don’t like this story. i know i’m not brave – ’

‘ let me go! let me go! ’

‘ why did you cry like that, if you were all right? ’

‘ you’re all alone, sharp and clear, like a dead branch against the sky. ’

‘ come down there: we can talk more easily. ’

‘ you can see the whole world. ’  

‘ the funny thing is that you feel terrified to stay and i feel terrified to go. ’  

‘ there’s nothing to be afraid of. ’

‘ there’s nothing to worry about. ’

‘ i don’t want to go. ’

‘ i feel very sad. ’ 

‘ he seems quite at home with you. ’  

‘ where do you come from? ’

‘ does the thunder worry you? ’ 

‘ are you sure? ’

‘ and if that’s not meeting your fears halfway, then i don’t know what is. ’

‘ why can’t we go home? ’

‘ do you really think we will? ’

‘ what’s your idea, then? ’

‘ why’s he called that? ’

‘ he’ll remember that. ’

‘ that is the test of your belief. ’

‘ well, i thought, this sounds hopeful. ’

‘ couldn’t wake him up. ’

‘ how can we find them? ’ 

‘ are you trying to make me angry? ’

‘ how can we find them? ’

‘ do you know he was out all night in the rain? ’

‘ can we go back to sleep now? ’

‘ we can’t fight them. ’

‘ let’s hear the rest of the story. ’

‘ i hope you understand. ’

‘ have a look outside and you’ll see why. ’

‘ i’m not going to get angry because you call me stupid names. ’ 

‘ what’s the alternative? ’

‘ it doesn’t matter where. ’  

‘ just you and i? ’

‘ but what else is there to hope for? ’  

‘ it’s all forgotten. ’

‘ then all the rest follows. ’

‘ it’s no good. ’

‘ run! ’

‘ piss off! ’

‘ bad place. ’

‘ yes, yes, all friends. ’

‘ i don’t know what it is. ’

‘ you can hide there and i’ll join you. ’ 

‘ come on, hurry up. ’

‘ they’re all mad, you know. ’

‘ blame you? blame you for what? ’

‘ unless you feel it isn’t safe? ’

‘ no, it’s safe enough. ’ 

‘ it must be something very bad. ’ 

‘ we’ve all got to stop running one day, you know. ’ 

[yiyiren]

         — ; @tiantangs . . . booked one audience with a Xie Prince & An Artisan

While the majority of nobles and royals came to indulge in sweet daydreams, interacting with beautiful young women who mastered instruments and poetry like the great beauties of legends for a few hours, some of them indeed just chose this establishment to escape. Who would dare to disturb once entering? It would be greatly looked down upon, as those who came here considered themselves to be the finest gentlemen of the realm.

Yúnhuá was often chosen when such a case stormed in. Maybe so because she grew up around military men with complicated temperaments, and looking back, she was glad for it. Her heart had known no fear since, not when she was exiled and not while living in this world of men, full of uncertainties.

Her movements remained elegant as she closed the door, offering a bow before a calm smile rested on painted lips. “His Highness did not request a specific artisan. It would be my honour to perform for Your Highness, but I'll gladly summon any of my sisters if he changes his mind.” With that, she knelt onto the pillow on the opposite side of the table made of expensive wood and elegantly poured a cup of tea, placing it in front of him.

[tiantangs]

" 我有一种感觉某事不对了 … 宫里时下太危险了。九弟，如若你在那个楼避避风头一会儿，那就更好了。后来，我会带你出去。我要探究一下 … 就等哥哥吧。"

his older brother's words are still echoing in xiè láng's head as he steps across the threshold into the pavilion, scarcely paying any mind to his surroundings: not to the sweetly-plucked strings of a pipa, nor to the beguiling woman playing it --- or to any of the other mesmerizing beauties who surround her, silk whirling around them as they dance. the spirited tune of a popular song, the sound of laughter and conversation, the countless brilliant colors rendering every sight more captivating than the last --- all these things are lost on xiè láng, drowned out by a mounting sense of unease. it's unlike xiè shèng to get so worked up --- whatever it is he's found out, it must be a matter of grave importance, and ---

--- the sound of a door sliding open jerks xiè láng from his reverie. he'd half-expected it to be ā-wǔ returning with some little dessert he'd sought out to wring a smile from his prince --- but the familiar greeting shared between master and servant quickly dies on his lips once she steps across the threshold. her beauty and grace are undeniable --- the sort of thing that would earn her a fortune in the capital.

( somewhere in the corner, ā-qī deftly disguises a laugh as a cough, and xiè láng realizes, with no small measure of red-cheeked mortification, that he must've been staring. it's already a welcome distraction from the matters weighing heavily on his heart. perhaps xiè shèng was right after all --- it's better to wait things out here. )

" 没有必要了，本王对你视为很满意。美女 --- " ā-qī "coughs" again, and xiè láng shoots him an acrimonious look, " --- 本王该叫你什么名字啊 ？" he accepts the offered tea, taking a measured sip before continuing, "i've only just returned from xǔchāng commandery ... whatever you perform will surely be a welcome change of pace."

" 快点儿啊，" ā-qī calls out from the corner, folding his arms across his chest, " 向我们的王爷展示你的才华吧。"

[tiantangs]

hmm, i wonder ... would anybody have any interest in interacting with a lower-ranking woman in an imperial harem ( think a rank below 嫔 pín / concubine, i.e.: 婕妤 jiéyú / 美人 měirén / 才人 cáirén, etc ) who can slot easily into your imperial ( male or female ) muse's story, whether as an ally she's secretly supporting as she tries to gain the emperor's favor herself ... or as someone whose wrath she's trying to escape / whose schemes she's trying to expose, etc. ? i feel like this kind of dynamic lends itself well to romantic / platonic / antagonistic / enemies-to-lovers / etc plotlines pretty well, and while i don't usually write female muses, lately i kind of want to dabble in it a bit ... anyway, if there's any interest, i'll make her 8)c

[tiantangs]

( 𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐄 ) ; one muse has been slowly deteriorating mentally/physically, the other takes it upon themselves to make sure they’re taken care of. [from wen minrui to chen mozhang]

& comforting actions.

summer in shānyáng commandery lasts only as long as a heartbeat; in a single blink, the long, warm days are replaced with blustery winds whipping across the plains. each passing day grows slowly shorter and shorter, each coming night longer.

sometimes, when the sun hangs low and heavy above the horizon, set against a backdrop of rolling thunderheads, chén mòzhāng likes to sit atop the ramparts and stare out over the endless grasslands below, watching as each stalk bobs and weaves together in unison with the others, creating a rolling illusion not unlike waves on the sea.

( two years have passed --- whether it's been an eternity or just the blink of an eye, mòzhāng can no longer tell. )

--- there's no telling how long he would've lingered there, ignoring the slow-growing gnawing hunger in his stomach or the sting of powdery sand against his eyes, blown in by the mounting winds, were it not for a gentle touch against his arm that breaks his reverie.

( the more mòzhāng thinks he knows about men's hearts, the more enigmatic the nature of man himself seems to become. but on some level, he figures he understands this well enough, at least: only one who knows grief can parse out all its little tells --- the gaze that settles on an indistinct point only those with heavy hearts know; the way there's a subtle droop to even the strongest of shoulders when they bear the weight of the whole world ... )

" --- i hope i didn't make you worry." the corners of his lips curl up in a ghost of a smile as he gestures for minrui to join him. this man, mòzhāng reflects, must surely know the weight of grief, too.

( perhaps one day, mòzhāng will find a way to ask. but for now ... )

"would you like to watch the sunset with me ... ?" already, mòzhāng is reaching for the flask of wine he'd brought with him --- intended to be finished alone, but perhaps shared between two lonely hearts isn't so bad, either. "in shānyáng commandery, the sunset is always a spectacle this time of year, and, well ... it's been awhile since i had company."

@ashencranes

[kikismemes]

𝓙𝓸𝓾𝓻𝓷𝓪𝓵 ー send 📖 for a journal entry my muse wrote about yours.

[vhsmeme]

* (1) word prompts

send a number and i’ll write a prompt about the following!

wounded 

cold

silence

safety

hot

secret

bury

run

loss

nightfall

smile

hitchhiker

blood

laughter

disgust

wrath

remorse

cry

numb

alone

danger

food

matches

hallway

sunlight

forgotten

lie

sleep

scratching

soaring

power

winter

death

panic

insomnia

rain

myth

bury

gun

clown

cult

bug

creature

tire

lost

[mythshire]

✦ ⋆ 𖤓 ⋆ ✦ 𝐁𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐃 𝐎𝐍 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐒𝐋𝐄𝐄𝐕𝐄 ··· a collection of injuries tended in silence, pain worn like armour, the intimacy of being seen at your worst. genre: hurt and comfort, angst, romance, drama.

• You're bleeding through your shirt. Don't tell me you're fine. • How long have you been walking around like this? • I'm not going to hurt you. I just need to see how bad it is. • You should have told me the moment it happened. • Hold still. I mean it. Hold still. • This is going to sting. Bite down on something if you need to. • You've been hiding this for days, haven't you. • Who did this to you? I need you to tell me who did this. • Stop being brave for five minutes and let me help you. • I've seen worse. I've also seen men die from worse, so let me look at it. • I found the bandages in the trash. You want to explain that? • Don't you dare apologize for bleeding on me. • Your hands are cold. That's not a good sign. • I'm not angry. I'm terrified. There's a difference. • Come into the light. Let me see your face. • You should have stitches. I know you won't go. So sit down and let me do what I can. • You're white as a sheet and still trying to stand up straight. • I could hear you in the night. I didn't say anything. I'm saying something now. • Don't look at it if it makes it worse. Just look at me. • It's not weak to let someone see you hurt. • You came to me. Of all the places you could have gone, you came here.  • Lay back. You're not getting up until the color comes back to your face. • I'm not going to ask what happened. Not yet. First let me fix what I can. • You've been holding your left side since you walked in. Think I didn't notice? • This is going to leave a mark. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. • I've patched up a lot of people in my time. None of them scared me like you do right now. • You could have died out there. You could have died and I would have been the last person to know. • Sleep. I'll be right here when you wake up. I'm not going anywhere. • You're allowed to make a sound. Nobody's watching. • I need you to stay awake for me. Just a little longer. Talk to me. • You're lucky the cut wasn't deeper.  • Stop apologizing for needing help. Stop it right now. • I've seen what it looks like when someone's used to this. That's what scares me most about you. • Tell me your name. Tell me what day it is. Stay with me. • You're going to be alright. I promise you.  • You went back out there after this? With this? • Nobody takes care of you, do they? That ends tonight. • I've been gentle with you. I need you to be honest with me in return. • You're safe now. You're here, you're safe, and I've got you. Just breathe.