#{ yi — backdated }

[lgcichika]

in the dark

sometime prior to crystallis' most recent move - @lgcbk ( tw / cw : stalking )

She’s always been the independent sort, always the one to prefer to do things herself than wait around, always the type of person to think of the risks before moving forward. It’s why she didn’t think twice before moving so far from home, and why she put off close friendships during her trainee years; she was fine on her own and could take care of herself. Or so that’s what she likes to think. While things have changed a good deal since then, at her core, Ichika remains the same. The same girl who waves off her members when they inquire about joining her on outings (because after days and hours surrounded by them, she craves some alone time), and the same girl who doesn’t think to invite personal friends along (even though she’s sure Jieun would join her if she could). 

For a girl who thinks so much usually, the past weeks have felt like a blur — a complete haze where she’s sure she’s just moving through the motions — but perhaps that’s another reason she needs space. Bundled up to protect herself from the cold or excessive attention, she lets herself enjoy a self-date at a cafe, a drop by an international bookstore, and a quick peek into a stationary shop. Even as the little bit of winter sunshine filters away, a bit of comfort and happiness seems to pierce the fog. 

It’s why she doesn’t notice it at first, or rather him. She’s so stuck in her own thoughts, she doesn’t even consider the idea that someone might follow her. Her face is mostly obscured by the large, soft scarf tucked into her coat, as well as the cute hat her mother had sent over just for her. But it’s a few blocks away from her dorm that she feels it. Something is not right, and her footsteps slow down for a moment before she starts up again, more quickly than before. She doesn’t want to look behind but she can hear it now, the heavy fall of feet. A man’s stride. She’s starting to feel the fear in her chest, the panic— is it even safe to lead him back towards her dorms? 

M-maybe if there’s a shop nearby by she can safely call a manager. Oh god.

[lgcichika]

“I—” Ichika’s words die in her throat as she looks at the items in the shop. Truthfully she doesn’t even know how Asami got her to go shopping with her, but she can’t say she minds much at all. Even if they’re still getting to know each other, there’s something nice about having a Japanese friend. Despite the attempts by others, there’s something particularly comforting about it now. “I was only twelve when my younger brother was born, so I really don’t have much of a frame of reference.” 

Taking in a small breath, Ichika furrows her brow in actual consideration. She didn’t know much about the younger girl's relationship with her family, though from her question, perhaps she could guess they were close enough that either option would be good. Crossing her arms, she lets out a small, thoughtful hum before voicing her thoughts. “I personally think something practical or useful would make the best kind of gift. Your brother and his wife are going to be grateful for your gift every time, but also—” She bites into the corner of her lip as she observes one of the crocheted dolls not too far away, “something the baby can play with eventually would be sweet.” There’s a small pained look at her own words as if she’s fighting her own nature not to suggest the doll instead firmly. “What is your budget?”

starter for: @lgcichika

When her brother let Asami know that she was going to be an aunt back in September, she didn't fully grasp the idea of what that would entail, mostly because it felt like such a faraway event. She wasn't there to live through the experience of seeing her sister-in-law's belly grow, and Asami wasn't part of their day-to-day life to see all the changes they were making to prepare for the arrival of the little kid.

Now that they were three months away from the due date, and because Asami doesn't have a whole lot to worry about anyway, this suddenly became a worry. The fact she's not going home for the holidays feels like a blessing and a curse at the same time, to be honest. "What do you buy for a newborn?" She doesn't know why she'd think Ichika would have the answers to her questions. Maybe it's because she's older and wiser and also looks like someone who knows how to give people good gifts. Either way, they are both around the company premises at this festive time, and Asami could use some good advice. "Because I'm their aunt, do I need to get them something expensive? Or fancy? Or especially meaningful?"

[yi-dashi-a]

//Mmmmore Yi parent drabbles, the home stretch edition. I don’t know why I’ve been so nervous to post this part, so I decided I would post it at the dead time of the night when no one is up pfft. I love these two a lot though, and I’m sad that I’m almost near the end about writing them. Maybe I’ll do some prequel stuff that lends more context, and then backdate it in the tag. IDK.

  But anways, if you read this, enjoy the Yi’s Mum Now Has A Bad Time edition, as if to imply she’s been having a good time this whole time.

Some kind womenfolk of the village, at some point, approached her with a clean pair of robes. She let them undress her where she knelt, caring little for their generosity or her decency. It was of a boorish design, though she could admit that the make of silk was comforting upon her tired muscles.

“Fitting for a woman who’s to be wed someday.” They may have said in overly chipper spirits, “And for the wife of a Wuju Master. You’re so beautiful! You and Master Chao make an excellent pair. I hope he wakes up soon.”

She’d told them thank you, though she didn’t remember how she said it. Her hearing was static, her focus only on internal words that would assure her she might be married some day. But there was nothing. Not even the background noise of a man’s thoughts he couldn’t keep a hold on. It was so silent. He was silent.

She was kneeling right in front of him, yet she felt alone.

He breathed in and out, but otherwise he seemed comatose. Occasionally jade electricity would flicker about his form, and she noted these occurrences with a sudden explosion of hysterics. Even if she wept atop his body, bedded in one of the tens of sleeping dorms in the grand school, he said and did nothing.

It only began to feel like days waiting once sores began to develop on her knees. Da-Jhei had to drag her to her feet by then, though she was grateful for it in the end. He said something about a trial having taken place. Something about Chao’s father petitioning exile for himself, and that now he was gone. It all didn’t matter to her. If he was here, she’d deal with him. If he was gone, hopefully he’d deal with himself in his exile.

Only when tea wet her throat did she finally feel like she could internalize what people were saying. It wet her vocal chords too, and after so long only using them to scream, speaking sentences were welcoming to them.

“Thank you…” She said simply. She had to start small.

“It’s no problem. And when Wuchao wakes up, he’ll find that he’s now Yi Wushi.” He replied with a comforting smile, “I’m not sure how the ceremony will go, but we’ll figure out something. He deserves it either way. Though if you’re his stolen wife, I’m not sure you know all about… why.”

“We weren’t going to get married.” The woman took a sip from her tea, too tired to even stop their plots from spilling out her mouth, “I know everything he’s been willing to tell me. It was all a ploy to stop the abuse…”

“… O-Oh. Uh… I guess it worked in a way? What I mean to say is… It has worked. Definitely. But if all that’s so, then… what are you to him? If you don’t mind me asking. Obviously it’s… serious, between you and him.” The world almost began to fade out on her again, but not before she could steady herself to say,

“I love him. He loves me. We love each other.”

“Right… Good! It’s good. I’m glad for him, and for you…” She had to wonder if it was simply a Wuju trait to be so bad at small talk, but she enjoyed her tea instead. When she was finished with it, and was absentmindedly pouring herself a second cup (even as he reached to do it for her), she finally felt the need to examine the burly stranger. The one who had done all he could to care for her and Chao in the days that had swept by her,

“… What are you to Chao, Da-Jhei?” She asked the man. His squarish jawline would have surely been appealing to some people, though he covered most of it with a thick scruff. He had that light brown Highlander beard though, kept so pencil thin about his mouth until it sprawled off into braided segments. Shorter hair too, at least for a Wuju man. He kept it in a short top knot, though any free hair barely made it past his chin.

But in all her examining of him, she hadn’t taken a moment to consider her own words. She quickly amended her statement, “I mean… Wuchao, or… I mean…”

“Just call him what you like.” Da-Jhei’s eyes grew sad, “And I guess you can just call me Jhei now. I don’t think I’ll be going back to my Master. But… We’re like brothers, in a way. I came here to study Wuju when I was six. Chao was already in his twenties or so then. I’ve always looked up to him. Always thought of him like my older brother, even if he didn’t think the same. And we were all almost like a big family, but… you’ve met my Master. It wasn’t to last.”

All she could do was let out a contemplative hum, and that was leave enough for him to continue, “He would reprimand us for our failures, but if Chao were to falter at something…” The man shuddered, “… Yi Wushi, or Master Heng, has something planted in his mind that none of us are privy to. There is something about Chao that made him into a beast. Others have said it’s the lust for control, but then why wasn’t it all of us that set him off? Even though Chao is a brilliant Wuju Master, better than all of us, Master Heng was determined to make him feel like a dog... But I don’t want to go on. You’re already tired.”

“… It’s okay.” She whispered, “He doesn’t tell me. I want to know…”

“I guess… I just don’t want to talk about it.” The man hid behind his teacup, “It’s hard to think about. It’s been decades so… I’m just glad it’s over now. For his sake, my Master’s sake, and just… everyone’s sake. It’s been a rough… whole of my life, but I wouldn’t be the man I was without everything that’s happened. Chao wouldn’t be either, I guess.”

“And that’s a good thing..?”

The man before her stopped for a moment, his face washing to some sort of mix of fear and concern. Her eyes were dead against his of darting brown though. It seemed so very logical to her, but he seemed to take his time to muster his voice,

“Miss Shouhou…”

“Huan.”

“Huan, then.” He looked away, though she didn’t flinch or follow his eyes, “… I’m grieving the loss of my brothers and father right now. It might seem strange to you… but we were all raised here together. I wasn’t born here, but all I know is that my actual mama and papa left me here and never came back. Whether it was because they didn’t want to, or that my Master didn’t let them, I don’t know. But now I’m a man, and I just had to tell my father to either leave or die because he tried to kill my eldest brother. I really, really… don’t want to be scolded as if I had a choice in this. I’m taking the positives out of my experience. I was able to still stay myself even when some of my brothers could not…”

“I understand...” She said, when she didn’t understand at all, “It’s hard for everyone.”

“But hey. It’s… over. He’s gone. Chao is the Master now, and when he wakes up I’ll happily serve him as the Lord of these Lands.”

“Chao…” It was as if, suddenly, she realized she wasn’t spending every second of her time staring at him. She placed down her tea, caring not as she spilled some upon herself, and tried to rise. But her legs complained, and even if she wobbled to her knees she felt herself fall down upon the backs of her legs once more, “I-I have to—”

“Huan.” He had that Wuju grace and speed surely, because Jhei was at her side before she knew it. There was a background sympathy to his expression, but she chose instead to focus on his dumb smile, “Take it easy. If you want to get up, just say so.”

“I want to go back to Chao.”

“He’s going to be the same as always. I don’t want to tell you how to look after yourself, but I think you need to get up and away from that room for a while.”

“What if he wakes up while I’m not there?” Her voice was frantic, as if her vocal chords were fearful of all this life they now felt, “I need to be there when he wakes up.” But all Jhei did was stare with his stupid, expressive eyes. He let silence speak for him, and she despised what it said, “Do you think he’s not going to wake up?”

“I think you need to go for a walk with me, is what I think.” The man endeavored to stand, taking her with him whether she wanted to be half carried or not, “You’re going to be here for a while, perhaps longer than that if you and Chao decided to get married. Let me show you around the village. There’s plenty to see, and we need to stop your blood from pooling in your ankles. I don’t want to see a lady get swollen feet just because another of Heng’s sons is not polite enough to wake up already.”

If she had learned anything over the past weeks, it was that she wasn’t a force to be questioned. At least not in that moment, as spacey as she was. She was a mage of power and scope the likes of which had impressed Elders, was another lesson remembered, and she quickly realized she needed not his help. So she broke away from him, and she watched herself levitate off the ground in his wide, darting eyes.

“He needs me now more than ever.” She said to him then, floating away slowly, “Perhaps another day.”

“H-He’s… He’s not going anywhere, Huan.” The man stammered, but even stammered words could make good points. When she spirited herself away on the winds of her mana, it was as if more days passed her by the moment her knees hit the floor. But it was justified, all this time spent. She had to feed him, or at least try. Turn him to prevent bed sores. She had to whisper comforts to him, just in case he was still conscious in there. It did, however, become apparent to her that he was to be the same as always, and his burly Wuju brother was there in the doorway, waiting to finally take her on that walk no matter the time she took.

And, in her own good time, she did learn to walk again. She saw the sights of the village by his side, protected from those angry village folks that blamed her daemoncraft for everything. But it was quaint all the same. Homely, secluded, and tucked away. She could see herself living here the more she convinced herself she was unsatisfied with her teaching work. It was also good to have an impassioned guide to lean on, and he seemed not to mind if she took more comforts in that than he knew.

But more time passed. More ritual turning of his body. More spoon feeding, and more whispers while she cleaned him. However, with more time, the more she learned how often she could stray away from his bedside. Meditation sustains him, or so Jhei had told her, though she still took her moments to cry regardless. And, so enthralled in his suffering she was, she didn’t even notice when womanly cycles passed by uneventful. She was, if anything, glad to not have to deal with feminine discomforts, though that wasn’t to say she didn’t feel them elsewhere. The rational woman in the back of her mind panicked at the implication, but her outward face bore her pains and changes as if it were merely a part of caring for her love.

Her only true problem then became Jhei. He acted as Head of House, though he seemed woefully unprepared for the duties of a Clan Lord. That wasn’t to say she knew anything about that, but her studious nature lent well to keeping House. But the time they spent together made her mind do somersaults. The longer it was just her and he in the halls, the more she felt herself irrationally magnetised to the man. Whenever he would make a quip he thought was funny, though in reality wasn’t at all. Whenever he would get frustrated and snap, demeaning her for her gender before apologising for it soon after. Whenever she would catch him crying; mourning over the loss of his father, and the brother that seemed would never wake up…

… She had to remind herself, when glances were had in the mornings they’d happen to use the bathhouse at the same time, that he was not Chao. He may have had similar struggles, but he was no substitute for her rational mind. Even when he tenderly lay a hand upon her bare shoulder, and she felt like she could whip around and kiss him regardless of his intent, all she could reply with was that he may help her wash her back. He protested her continued hope Chao would wake up, though not in so many words, and did an acceptable job at helping her prepare for another day.

Chao had never been unfaithful, and she’d cry about how foolish her heart could be.

And miracles weren’t predictable things, she found as the second month of her time there was half way to becoming her third. They happened suddenly, and never how you planned them to. She certainly wasn’t expecting anything interesting to happen when she was in the middle on sorting bartering accounts for the Wuju Lands, and checking through mail to see if any letters she had sent had been responded to. Her and Jhei were content to discuss the previous Master’s dealings in foodstocks and horses, before her mind picked up on the faintest mental static,

Is someone..?

It was a mumble, a whisper, or barely coherent syllables, but she at least made out a voice not her own in her mind. Her posture perked up immediately from her boring work, and even Jhei seemed affected by the slurred tones. Of course he’d say something when she wasn’t there. That had to be just like him.

… Is… there someone… talking… about me?

“Chao!” Even if it were just a hallucination, it was powerful enough to make her rise to her feet. Even if her legs were numb with all her sitting around, she still found it in her to run. Faster than even the learned Wuju Disciple lost in parchment across from her could. She’d memorized the route to his room exactly, and her feet held her true until she stumbled into his presence. Though she almost knocked herself unconscious when her face hit the wooden floor, or maybe it was just exhaustion catching up with her, she still used her arms when legs had failed.

She crawled to him, crawled to on top of him, because she needed at least this one comfort before she could move on with her life. She grasped at his face and blinked the tears away from her eyes, only to find… nothing. He was still unmoving, bar the rise and fall of his chest.

… Huan?

But there was that voice. It almost made her want to laugh with excited relief until her throat was raw.

“Chao. Open your eyes.” The words came from her in breaths gifted directly to his ears, “Open your eyes. Talk to me with your words.”

I’m still tired. I can’t… but I’m trying. I’ve been… trying.

“You can’t be that tired, you stupid child. You’ve been sleeping for so long!”

Is that so..?

She slapped at him. Just for good measure. Just to see if he would chide her for it. He didn’t,

“Yes! I want to see your eyes. Open your eyes so I can see them.” But she was impatient, so she opened them for him with a thumb. Clearly she saw his pupils adjust to the light of the room, but there was no conscious reaction from him, “Chao, can you see?”

I’m not awake. I can’t see anything.

“Chao.” Said Jhei from nowhere. At the very least he wasn’t present in her world, “Come on now. I can hear you. Wake up already. You’ve been worrying this woman half to death. What’s a few pints of blood lost to a Wuju Master? I think you’ve just been playing this up, all this time.”

Don’t rush me… He continued on in spite of any chidings, Did you hear… what I’ve been trying to say this whole time? Any of you? I’ve been trying to talk to you this whole time...

“I don’t know what you’re talking about…” She soothed, taking her thumb and instead using it to caress his cheek, “Open your eyes first.”

And then, sluggishly, the miracle. He took his time because of course he did. Stubborn was the old man; she felt as if he’d never let him live his stubbornness down. Not that she was complaining too much. A few hours more was nothing in the face of months. But there was subtle movements and squirming. Convulsing even, so jarring in motion that she almost thought she’d lose him again. Life was returning to him though, and eventually, softly, his distant eyes left their lids by his own volition. The only failure of his efforts was that when he tried to open his mouth to speak, nothing but husky rasping spewed forth.

But he had his telepathy. Never had she been happier for it.

I wanted to apologize… He thought with subtle movements of his lips to complement the notion, … for dying, for a second or more. I didn’t mean it…

She was too far gone in her hysterics to even think of a response back, so she merely took his head into her hold and threatened to have him pass out again with how tightly she clutched him.

[ignitxr]

PRINCESS YURI:

(...) then crackling sounds like that of broken bones follow suit, loud enough to disturb the placid groves. the forest bellows at its injury, the wind howls as the distant sound of birds beckoned her to hide. but she doesn't. yuri keeps her ground, calm and unafraid, flowers at hand. "a dance like that deserves applause, why allow only the trees to see?" her intrusion, perhaps, warrants more than a response or a conversation so she anticipates the worst by putting out the fire. the princess pulls off her hood back and flashes a well-crafted smile, her demeanor changes to one that is sublime and worn by the fire lord's comely daughter. "apologies for my... intrusion, i assumed house yue had their hands full with my request, i didn't need the unnecessary gathering to greet me out front."

Curious eyes greeted the princess, dark with unspoken questions. It was the first time Wanning saw a member of the royal family this close and her grace was not quite what she expected. For starters, the princess was not...intimidating. Her smile was kind and her features were soft. She reminded Wanning of a blaze lily, with orange-red petals that resembled tongues of fire and a golden center. A flower, but one that was bold and vibrant, unlike the delicate ones she carried.

Yet...Wanning also recalled the weapon they had crafted for Princess Yuri. She thought of the sharp blade and cold chain, remembering how it wrapped around a small tree and sliced it into pieces when they tested it.

The sword that was also a whip. A sprig of wildflowers. Which one was the more accurate representation of the princess? Which was more suitable for her lovely hands?

Wanning bowed.

Perhaps it was not her place to find out.

At the mention of the dance, a hint of scarlet found its way to Wanning's cheeks. "Your grace is too kind," she whispered. "The dance..." Wanning looked down, contemplating her next words. "It is...special. My mother was taught by her mother and she had performed it only once...for her beloved, my father." Wanning's father was handsome and grew up surrounded by looks of admiration. He was a kind man of few words and Wanning took after his gentleness. Her mother was also beautiful, just not like her father. She spent much time crafting weapons and had thick callouses on her hands.

One day, after acquiring a significant amount of liquid courage, lady Yue said blast it, I am just going to do it. I am going to make him mine! And off she went like a hawk descending upon her prey rabbit. She found the object of her affection and dragged him deep into the woods. It was the first time she wore a dress before him, and with her hair loose and cheeks rosy from spirits, she danced. You know the outcome. Lord Yue appeared to be dragged, but it would not be difficult to flee from a drunk woman's grasp. He actually followed quite willingly, with an amused gleam in his eyes.

"I have those too in a vase." Wanning wanted to distract from the embarrassing topic of the dance and shifted the focus to Yuri's flowers. "They grow in such abundance in these woods." And now. "Please come in, your grace. The weapon is ready for you." She led the way in. "It is one of the most beautiful pieces to ever come out of House Yue." There was a hint of pride in Wanning's voice. As always, she was proud of their work.

[lgcichika]

The thing with Alex was he never treated her poorly, at least when he actually saw her. He was kind and thoughtfully, if not a bit foolish at times, but he was good. And when she needed him the most, he cheered for her. Absolutely without a second, and not to mention that his family was kind to her too. The few times she visited, she always felt welcome and cared for but the longer she dwells in her own mind, the more things start to churn and sour. What if this was wrong? What if, by even expecting this much, she was asking too much of him? 

She tightens her arms around him and blinks back this uncomfortable lump in her throat. She’s supposed to be comforted by the kiss on her forehead, but instead, it only seems to add weight to that lump, and she has to struggle to force it down. She still remembers how easily she laughed and smiled when she spent her first Chuseok with his family — when he kept playfully kissing her while they tried to watch that movie— but instead, she realizes she wants to cry. 

She’s never been a crier; in fact, for the longest time, she prided herself in hiding every little bit of her emotions in favor of maintaining a pretty face. Alex had been one of the first people to start chipping away at it all, and had actually seen the imperfections in her personality, and said he liked her despite or even because of it. If anything that should mean she could trust him, but perhaps under that structure was soft, unstable land— property that would one day it’d collapse and take everything down into the depths of the earth. The louder the voices get, the harder it feels to hold things back.  It’s okay if he doesn’t answer messages or can’t call her when she wishes he would because she’s not worth it. She’s the needy one. The one who walks in the rain because she just wants a moment with this person. And she hates it. She hates this person she is. Selfish, and needy, and stupid, and completely unfit. 

What if she was wrong in thinking she deserved to be loved. 

“Alex… I…” She can’t look at him because she’s a coward. “ Let’s break up.”

even though alex would usually be less 'shocked' and more excited to see ichika, with the way the two of them had been busy recently this little visit from her was definitely unexpected. it wasn't that he wasn't happy to see her, actually he was really glad that she had been the one at the door when he opened up, he honestly missed her more than anything else in the whole world. how could he not miss his own girlfriend?

he furrows his brows slightly at the mention of a text, shaking his head slightly back and forth. "i'm sorry, i probably missed it. i was a bit busy most of the day helping my mom move around some furniture." giving a small chuckle at her next words, he nods slightly in response. "probably so, though if you had shown up about an hour ago i'm sure she would have cooked you a full course meal. most likely would have even scolded you for being out in this weather." he states, thinking of how his mother would have been more or less freaking out over ichika coming here on her own and not having someone like alex pick her up instead.

alex is about to speak, about to comment and tell her to let him grab her a change of clothes temporarily, though the moment that his mouth opens she's in his arms. a gentle smile appears on his face as he wraps his arms around her, holding her in his embrace while placing a soft kiss against her forehead. "i've missed you so much." it feels different though, as if something is a bit off, and his smile soon fades before he finally speaks up. "is everything okay?" of course after dating her for as long as they had been together, alex was more than capable of picking up even on her slightest mood changes.

"do you want to change first? i'm sure i have some sweats around here somewhere that may fit you. well, they may be a bit baggy but..." he gives a small shrug as he looks down at her. "or if you want, i'm sure one of my cousins left something behind for you to change into. i doubt they'll mind you borrowing a change of clothes until we get yours dried."