[ One morning, as your character steps out of their home, they are greeted by an owl messenger, bearing a letter. The letter tells them that they have been selected to participate in a gift exchange, and they are to deliver a gift to Blue by the end of the month. The letter says nothing more, and once the letter is read, the owl will fly away. ]
[On his doorstep Li will find a wrapped bottle, looking slightly rumpled. Inside there's a note.
Hi!
I'm sorry I cut this so close, but I'd heard you liked wine, so I had to ask around to find out what people preferred as a good vintage from this world. Unfortunately, people kept thinking I was asking because I wanted it for myself, so when I finally DID get the answers I needed, word had gotten around that a kid was trying to get themselves alcohol!
So after, ah, some subterfuge, getting thrown out of a tavern at least four times and discovering my disappearing spell is working again, I have this eighteen year aged wine from the Gelflings! Don't worry, I paid for it!
[At some point not immediately after this but within a few hours, there is a knock on the door--just two crisp raps and then silence. A look out the window or door soon after might catch a glimpse of Blue in her wool coat retreating briskly back to the road (before the snow obscures her from sight), but otherwise the only sign of her passing will be her footsteps gradually filling with snow...]
[And a small bag hanging on the knob of the door. Inside are three knobs of ginger and a note in a curling vine-like script:]
Warm regards to doctor and patient alike. I hope these will make a few pots of good tea. If anything else is needed, send a message. I can leave it as such.
Everything had been going so well. Granted, that definition of well hails from the reckoning of Di Feisheng, who is not an ideal authority, but even so. If it were up to him, every wood- or water-fetching trip would come with the potential for combat; the weather he can take or leave, but the eerie snow spirits were, by his calculation, a marked improvement to his chore list. Very inconvenient in the technical sense, but a welcome novelty and a chance to keep sharp. Much longer without something to keep him more on his toes than handling an axe requires and he would probably have shamefully regressed in what abilities he can still call his own.
Or maybe he already has dulled a bit, though he also never expected to fight in such disorienting circumstances. Or maybe the less than superlative replacement for his dao should take some blame, if he's feeling spiteful. Not that either weapon is the best approach for fighting supernatural snow monsters, but at least he hasn't been going hand to hand. Or hand to cursed ghost sword. That has to absolve him of some poor judgment. Maybe that and the firewood, at least.
Because he is aware that things are no longer going well, even if the full extent is not yet apparent. He does not yet believe things are going terribly—he hasn't even been properly stabbed, though if he had been just a little slower or less precise in twisting out of the way, it would be a different story entirely. The creatures must have had just about enough of Di Feisheng to aim so viciously, assuming they're smart enough to know where things like organs are or how to form grudges that last longer than a gust of icy wind, which is anyone's guess. As it is, an upward slash bridging high from ribcage to shoulder is not something he will be proud of carrying home, but is surely of no serious concern, even with no inner force to call on. He will make it back just fine, conscious and under his own power, which automatically puts this at the lower end of the injury list.
There isn't even any blood in the snow he tracks in, so how bad can it really be. Seeking out Li Lianhua, once he's sufficiently unburdened of weapon, wood, and the limited amount of winter gear he has accrued, seems closer to a formality than any kind of emergency. There will be warmth (he can't feel the lack as much as he knows he should, but it will surely emerge from the fatigue, once he stops moving), a little help with what seems like an encouragingly modest amount of blood (surely a natural talent is at play), and a limited amount of castigation for his earlier zeal (snow's haunted). If there's something almost contrite in his mostly-steady steps, the downward cast to his gaze, it's more to do with the latter than any other variable.
“We may be in trouble if the storm keeps up much longer.” This, a very grave admission that never would have flown an hour ago, which surely Li Lianhua can recognize for the bad omen that it is.
Li Lianhua spots Di Feisheng's slightly less than triumphant return through the window over his desk, where he's currently taking notes on recipes he'd like to try. The visibility isn't great, for once not even owing to any advancing illness, so he doesn't notice anything wrong with his gait and there's no reason to meet him in the kitchen while he takes care of his usual post-trip tasks.
And no need either, it seems, since Di Feisheng comes to meet him instead. There's something off about the footsteps approaching his room even before Di Feisheng enters carrying himself like he knocked a potted plant off the windowsill. If he'd gotten into a fight outside that Li Lianhua is expected to pay the clinic or carpenter bill for - something that has, pretty shockingly, not really happened yet but is probably only a matter of time - there would be a lot more smug triumph to those understated words. This can only be worse.
So there's already a displeased twist to his mouth when he turns around to face the man and sees the long gash running up his torso ever so slowly dampening the torn fabric with blood. That Di Feisheng, always so helpful, knowing this is just what they needed in this weather. "Why, is it snowing blades? Where did this come from?" he asks, nodding at the cut. Though as much as he'd like to stick with petty annoyance, Li Lianhua can't help but notice the lack of healthy flush to Di Feisheng's skin, growing more ashen by the minute. That admission really was too grave. He sighs, practically a scolding of its own, though it may also serve to push back the concern trying to nest in the pit of his stomach. "If you're going to pass out, do it over there," he gestures with his brush towards the unused bed in the room, "Fang Duobing isn't here to carry you."
[In the small hours of the morning, two small but movable tiered planters are left on the porch near the railing. A small red ribbon is tied off on one of the arms with a note attached in (unfortunately recognizable) viney script:]
To Li Lianhua:
A generous stranger repaired my fence not long ago and left me with some extra wood, so I thought I might pass that good will to you.
The stain is tung oil, you might find that familiar. The tiers will make weeding easier, retain water better, and require less physical effort to maintain.
You'll find no tricks here. Just my hope that you'll use them when the weather improves.
[The planters will remain where they are exposed to the elements for a few days, but eventually those eyesores do get moved to the very back of the tool shed.
[ Unsolicited one evening, not long after nightfall, Li Lianhua will receive this foreboding text from that kid. It's shortly followed by a photo: a cozy, but sparse,humble kitchen, ostensibly in one of the treehouses despite the apparent electricity and running water. Apart from the branches weaving through the ceiling, there's nothing all that remarkable about it; it's a kitchen. But it does look rather uncluttered and clean. The dishes are tidily left to dry in a simple wooden rack beside the sink, more dishes stacked neatly on the simple shelves above it. Li Lianhua may notice an espresso pot on the stove and a grinder nearby, not unlike the ones gifted to Di Feisheng. There's a short stack of recipe books sitting below the spice rack, but all in all, not much unnecessary counter clutter. In fact, their somewhat limited kitchen space seems rather well-utilized. Especially for children.
The photo is quickly followed by another text. ]
A picture of satisfaccion!
ò ó U d
^ (he's smiling! See it? Because he did a great job! HA)
[ Li Lianhua has never received an "emoticon" from Alberto, but, uh... now he has. At least it's captioned? ...No. It just makes it worse. ]
[Alberto is lucky that Fang Duobing had literally just retrieved the phone from wherever Li Lianhua had most recently "lost" it and dropped it back on his desk like some kind of cursed object one can never get rid of... Which is exactly what this device is, to Li Lianhua. Otherwise Alberto might not have received a reply in hours, or possibly ever. Cell service in these hill houses is so spotty, you know how it is...]
Little friend, that's clearly a picture of a kitchen. Don't try to fool me, eh?
That thing looks like a little demon! Don't send me such scary pictures anymore. How will I sleep with that thing in here?
If it’s necessary to Li Lianhua’s mental stability not to be indulged, then on this anniversary his safety is absolute. There’s nothing indulgent about how Di Feisheng tracks the days down to this one like a persistence hunter and keeps an eye on Li Lianhua’s kitchen puttering and daily routine with a kind of glacially remote curiosity. If he’s aware of the anniversary of the Eastern Sea battle of course he doesn’t let on, but that isn’t any surprise. It doesn’t matter if he remembers or keeps track of how the calendar used to run or if he doesn’t, because neither time nor Di Feisheng can be placated, ultimately. And ultimately, one part of what he means by today is a threat reminder of that fact.
Though not an unpleasant one by any means. That much, like the overall air of resolve, is unchanged. Changing or not changing, like being aware of the date, is also not Li Lianhua’s responsibility, and that's fine. Di Feisheng is good at nothing so much as delegating where practical, but the reverse has to be just as true.
Li Lianhua's allowed to go about his day until a restful point of the afternoon where he's free and settled and unlikely to make a getaway, at which point he is (civilly but unyieldingly) ambushed with wine and scrutiny. But no qi board, because the only challenge being issued is too sublimated to require one, and Di-mengzhu is doing more than enough moving pieces around already.
It's a day like any other, up to and including the vague but persistent sense of being under observation. An unfortunate consequence of being more likely to require assistance as the days go on, no doubt, and another item on a long list of things Li Lianhua is choosing to accept and ignore to the best of his ability. There's no point in pretending otherwise, and if Di Feisheng wants to study his decline so badly, that's none of his business.
And because it's a day like any other, having a pair of wine cups suddenly placed in front of him by a Di Feisheng seating himself nearby with a worryingly cheerful air really does feel like an ambush. Li Lianhua's gaze rises from his book to stare at the cups, a little nonplussed, then to Di Feisheng, before he looks over his shoulder like he expects this ambush to involve more than one man. As if Di-mengzhu required any help. But there are no clues to be found in their otherwise quiet home, so he can only turn back to his friend and do one thing.
[It was inevitable - this walk of shame to find Li Lianhua an unfortunate outcome from their ill-fated meeting. The asshole saved him. Wonderful! His gratitude should be overwhelming and immense. A feat impossible when the hunched over form of said heroic asshole makes a blind furry pass through his body. Intense. Hateful. He can't stand the sight of him, but-]
Oh, hello. I was hoping you would be out here.
[Neutral. Calm. Swallowed down passive aggression in lieu of a pleasant smile. He gives a small wave with feigned hesitancy.]
While it's grossly overdue on my part, do you mind if we chat for a moment?
[None of this is inevitable, actually. Someone clearly made the very deliberate choice to come bother Li Lianhua while he's weeding a few rows of vegetables in front of his little house. It's work he should probably not be doing while he's still recovering his energy, but there's no stopping him from tending to this small patch of land, especially after the overgrowth uprooted part of the planting they had already done. Anyway, he's happier out here than in bed.
At least until this little brat walks up to his property. Li Lianhua has already put the whole sorry affair behind him, his time too precious to bother with resentments or regrets. Now, he can't imagine what they could possibly have to chat about. The polite affectation is like nails on chalkboard to someone who's already heard pure hatred drip from that voice. Li Lianhua grimaces beneath the brim of his sunhat.]
Eh? Can't you see Huli Jing isn't working right now?
[He waves towards the dog sprawling in the shade of the porch, sleeping peacefully. But he still heaves himself to his feet with the help of the rake next to him.]
Come back another time if you want to consult him, alright? Get going now.
[Yes, he's offering Akechi an encouraging wave not unlike that he gave to those beasts some days ago, chasing some unwelcome rat away from his turnips.]
He'd only meant to take shelter for a short time -- as long as it took for immediate danger to pass, and then he'd be on his way to find whatever remained of his own house. A frantic hour of licking wounds with his ears on alert, close to a second hour of trying to figure out the best way to breathe without feeling like he's dying, and then several more wondering how he was ever going to bring himself to move out from under this porch when just trying to get back on his feet is proving to be as difficult as lifting a tree. He isn't sure how much time passes, then, spent struggling on and off to stay awake. The next day is more 'off' than 'on', though all his wishes of his brain turning off and the time passing so he doesn't have to deal with the pain and nausea anymore aren't answered. It's exhausting.
It's too early in his life for his muscle and bone to act like stone. He'd shown that beast that made him like this that he still bled red, so he knows he still has time. At least the proof of that is something he can negotiate with his concussed self on to not view the conflict as a total loss, even while he's giving up on moving after a mere handful of inches, when it isn't necessary. In every other way, though, victory had gone to that monstrous wolf, who by all rights should be having to use his broken bones and whiskers to floss out bits of his flesh from between her fangs.
By the dawn of day three, Cat can't stand the filth anymore, and he thinks that even if he had anyone to cry to, all that would come out was a creak that would confuse even an old door. He can feel his tongue too thickly and his wrists in taut strings, and he wonders if this body will hold out as long without water as his human one could. He doesn't need to find out... Ah, just how pampered has he become during the months away from Krat, only treated to rare entanglements, and never having to work for his meals?
The little orange, tuft-tailed cat eventually limps his way across to another wrecked, half-collapsed porch, luckily one home over, that his tiny ears pick out the steady drizzle and drip of broken pipework leaking. Most of his caution comes from holding himself in such a way and moving at a pace where he can keep himself from hissing or crumpling. His mind is much too taxed to pay attention to predators that might still be lurking between vines or debris, and his body is quick to claim the limit, too, as soon as he's out of the open. Of course it couldn't hold out until he was close enough to the pipe's opening to lap water up -- that would be too much of a good thing for someone so permanently stuck in a bad way. Between the cleaning away some of the blood stuck in his fur that he could actually reach and the coughing fits that felt like knives, the pathetic moments of chewing grass to keep his stomach from whining too much were just barely a reprieve from the taste of metal. He thinks he tastes it again in his shuddered exhale as he closes his eyes. Just for a bit, until he can stand moving again.
Li Lianhua didn't know how long he'd been unconscious in the care of the clinic, but as soon as he awoke (yet again) he knew he couldn't stay there. The bed was needed for someone who wasn't at death's door regardless of anyone's efforts, and the place was busy enough with the arrival of more victims of poisonous growths and maddened animals. No one looked too closely when he bit down on the icy pain in his bones and held his breath against the raw wheezing in his lungs to get to his feet and appear steady as he walked out.
Navigating outside is proving a little more difficult. He knows he should get somewhere safe to rest. Knows the streets aren't that by any means. But... the damage done by the monstrous plants and roving beasts makes what little he can still see unrecognizable. After a few steps, he's already lost track of where even the clinic was. None of the vague washed out shapes identifiable as buildings seem familiar. Has he even been down this street before? Which town is this? Did he leave the Lotus Tower... No, no Lotus Tower. But nowhere else, either. At least not anywhere people will needlessly worry over seeing him like this. Just, somewhere quiet and alone, to rest.
Li Lianhua takes one shuffling step after the other, wandering aimlessly with his head bowed against the throbbing behind his eyes and an arm wrapped around his aching chest as if that could somehow hold his failing body together a little while longer. Unsurprisingly, his illness catches up with him sooner rather than later and a hacking cough forces him to pause, bent over some wrecked building's porch railing for support while he waits for recovery or collapse.
Late enough that maybe Li Lianhua even outright forgot what he told Inigo in the first place. Late enough that it's likely Inigo spent all day running across town to try and find something that would fit within the parameters of what Li Lianhua asked him.
There's no text at first. Just an image. If Li Lianhua looks to see what it is, it's a picture of a particularly round frog. It's kind of out of focus, like Inigo "definitely not a technology guy" FireEmblem took the picture himself. ]
[Li Lianhua has indeed all but forgotten about this, though that's mostly to do with what happened after Inigo had been sent on this mission. He's lost the right to call Cat a friend, and that conversation with Di Feisheng hadn't been much easier. His concern for others had been rejected because he doesn't know how to worry about his own life, and he still has no answer to that hours later.
Hours which he spent sitting by the ocean, taking refuge in its indifference. It's so hard to know what to want for himself, now that living and dying by himself is no longer his fate. It's hard to see how it matters at all, when he's still dying.
And then his phone chimes (which he did remember to take along for once, because what he doesn't want is to make his companions fret yet again). When he sees who it is, Li Lianhua has to laugh. It feels like crying, but better.]
What 'my'? It's you who is always conspiring with him. Go help him out! I'm busy.
[As if he can't tell when he's being baited. If it were a serious issue, Di Feisheng would be doing something about it, not tattling to Li Lianhua. That Di Feisheng really has too much free time these days.]
[ Has Inigo been debating for days whether or not he should send this message?
Yes. Of course he has. After all, Inigo doesn't ask for help, not even in the current circumstances. He just keeps going. That's what he has to do. Not think for too long, try to not let his emotions take over - just keep going, and try to help out his friends where he can. It's what he has been trying to do.
But there's a heaviness to it all. Especially with how much everything that has happened has affected Cat, both physically and emotionally. Inigo has been trying to spend time with him where he can to help, but it's-- It's still a lot, especially when he wouldn't dare voice anything about what he feels in front of Cat when the other obviously is not in the mood, when Inigo should be the one to look out for him, not the other way around.
He needs help, though. And-- Asking for that feels impossible, but he tries to tell himself that this isn't about that in an attempt to trick his brain into believing it. It's just a convenient excuse to check up on Li Lianhua, to make sure he's also doing okay in this cold and in the mood that has settled over town. Surely he's being looked after well by the others, but..
.. L-Look, he needs an excuse for his own peace of mind, okay? It's the only way he could ever bring himself to ask for help. And he's worried anyway, so it's not like it's a lie! ]
Could I come over?
I think I forgot how to properly do the whole meditation thing.
[It's certainly a message that catches Li Lianhua by surprise. A bold request, or at least bold for this boy. And since when did he still have an interest in mediation? Hadn't it been just a small, desperate measure to take in harder times, in a harsher place, to discard once the crisis had been survived? He hadn't even been sure it had made any difference at all, with how much that boy had struggled to calm his mind. Him forgetting is the least surprising part of this.]
What do you mean, forgot? Didn't I tell you to practice well?
[But Li Lianhua needs only to look outside his window at the piles of deep snow and deeper darkness to have an inkling about what might convince Inigo to make such a request now.]
Well it's better you asked now than never. Come by in an hour and we'll see how much you really forgot.
[An hour should be enough time to get an apple tart in the oven, he figures.]
[Sometime during December 25, Li Lianhua will find a medium sized package on his doorstep. Inside is a batch of homemade moon cakes, a small selection of teas Eilonwy things will pair with them, and a pair of knit gloves. Underneath all of THAT is a wrapped package of dog safe treats for Huli Jing] Hello Li Lianhua! Thanks to the cooking demonstration earlier in the year, I felt confident in trying to make some of these mooncakes. I don't know if the tea will match, but I hope it's at least enjoyable; and I wanted to make something for Huli Jing as well. With good wishes for the new year, Eilonwy
Edited (Forgot a gift!) Date: 2024-12-25 01:37 pm (UTC)
Hello there! Is this the inbox of Li Lianhua? My name is Dr. Takahashi, and I was told by one Akechi-kun that you may be interested in assisting with a medical trial.
[Dr. Takahashi may have already lost interest, or secured more reliable test subjects, because it takes fully 24 hours before anyone even looks at this message. And then it's truly a miracle the phone doesn't end up at the bottom of the compost heap for those words. What nonsense has that little maniac signed him up for this time? Ugh. WHERE'S THE UNSUBSCRIBE BUTTON]
Really? Not before offering his own assistance first, I trust? That young man really is very eager to help with all sorts of endeavors, it would be a waste not to make use of it.
[ Is the cooking thing still a little weird to Inigo?
Sure. Of course. But his conservation with Di Feisheng about it that while back has lead Inigo to think that he just ought to not question it. Di Feisheng very much made it sound like A Thing That Just Happens, after all. And you don't question things that just happen, especially when you're Inigo. So even though it's not like he came over for the food or anything - having told Li Lianhua he's just here to go over meditation again, and as far as Inigo is concerned no one has to know more or think otherwise than just that - Inigo is just.. there. Being the standing man emoji. Letting it happen.
But it's not like he can just stand there in awkward silence. The awkward silence might kill him. It might make him pass out randomly like one of those fainting goats. So after having stood there awkwardly and silently for a moment, Inigo just asks-- ]
[Inigo needn't have worried; one moment longer standing there as useless as a coat rack in summer and Li Lianhua would have roped him into chopping vegetables or fetching herbs from the windowsills anyway. Nobody gets to be idle in this kitchen (unless your name is Cat). He just needs to get this dish in the oven and then they can get to their meditation practice, or whatever other reason has brought Inigo around the house yet again, despite matters no longer being quite so bleak as they were a few weeks ago.
It's just Li Lianhua might have slightly misjudged how long this would take him to prepare before Inigo's arrival, so he's still in his apron with his sleeves rolled up, just now starting to cut up an assortment of vegetables. The beginnings of a tomato sauce are bubbling in one pot, while a large pan is heating up some oil. At least Inigo's in no rush, and Li Lianhua seems pretty pleased with his question, though he doesn't look up from his carrots to answer.]
Ah, it's something called a vegetable lasagna. Have you had it before? I haven't, but I found a recipe in one of those books in the library.
[He vaguely gestures with his knife behind him in the direction of a bookshelf filled with cook books and notebooks. Notably, there is no recipe laid out anywhere nearby for this endeavor.]
[In the small hours of the morning, a package wrapped in red paper and tied with string has been left on the porch just beneath the window. A note is tucked beneath the string, inked with vine-like writing:]
My dear lotus,
Did you hope I would forget you this near year? Perish the thought. Please accept this gift with my warmest new year's greetings, and I hope you'll think of me often when you read it.
~ Iris
[Inside the package is a book of mythical creatures and other dubious folklore that might or might not be found in this land, purchased in the bright city of Stellari.]
[How generous. As expected of Miss Philanthropist. Naturally Li Lianhua wouldn't dare not to pass forward her generosity, and so on her next visit to the library she may find a familiar book tucked in with some other shabby nonsense.
Only because paper is too precious to be tossed on the compost heap.]
KICKS DOWN THE DOOR no he doesn't need to do that, nor does he particularly want to. He barely has the energy, even if most of it was saved by having Inigo carrying him all the way over here and then having a fairly stationary visit with the woman in the next house over. It was time to tag out, now.
He isn't nearly so anxious and heartbroken as the other had been, either. He doesn't doubt that Li Lianhua is going to be struggling, with how that man always seemed to be wiggling this way and that to avoid what he really wanted or meant. He also doesn't doubt that if this illness takes the man the way it had already taken Blue, it will devastate him in ways he wouldn't have thought were possible when they'd met that first night in the castle garden, both too worn by the liveliness of the evening and of life to protest too much about finding someone to share a bit of truth with.
...Maybe the last visit was lively, and maybe life, while improving, had still been tiring. Maybe they can find it in them to not protest too much again.
"Oi," he calls down the hall by way of preparation. And to hopefully rope in a certain recruit. "Huli Jing, come here, be a good guide dog and bring me to that crafty master of yours before he finds a way to hide away. Ha! As if he can, I bet."
But in the end, he doesn't really need Huli Jing's help to navigate the rooms. He's called this place 'home enough' before. Should he be too unwilling to leave Li Lianhua's side, soon enough they'll be joined by Cat all the same.
Even if Huli Jing proves unwilling, all it takes is an encouraging gesture by his master for the dog to leave his post and come running, tail wagging happily at the sight of the visitor and eager to earn some scratches. It's the least Cat deserves for his trouble, to be greeted properly by a little friend.
Li Lianhua shouldn't be surprised to have another young man visiting his sickbed, but he still is, a little. He would have expected at least Cat to have enough sense to worry about himself first and save himself the reminder of their time spent together in that awful place. Or the reminder of how suddenly the boy's own fragile health could still be ruined in the blink of an eye, and all his efforts dashed. But then, Li Lianhua had been wrong about him back then, too. Even Cats aren't safe from sentimentality.
Although the painful burrowing of hungry roots in his chest has finally relented, easing his breathing a little, Li Lianhua still feels like the wrung out, near lifeless husk of a person as he rests in his bed. It still feels wiser to accept that something within him may yet give out at last from the strain, than to hope that he could ever return to the former vitality he'd been fortunate enough to enjoy these past months. All things will end. That hasn't ceased to be true just because he's enduring yet another brush with death. It's just become less comforting.
But he tries not to dwell on it. A difficult battle indeed while there's nothing else to do, and so Cat's visit does bring a small smile to his face, though he doesn't bother to try raising his own empty gaze as the boy enters. His voice, raw and faint, still bears the marks of the bloody struggle for air he's been fighting, even if his amused tone tries its best to make up for it.
"Friend Cat, it seems your lungs haven't suffered lately." Considering the ruckus he'd just brought to this house. "I'm glad to hear it."
[That didn't take long. He was really hoping for more of a head start.]
Eh, Lao Di, wouldn't I have to be a fool to think that? I'm just telling you an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of big black cat. Nobody appreciates friendly advice anymore these days.
Look, you don't have to tell me where you've gone, but at least tell me that someone trustworthy knows where you are, and that they know to contact me if you start feeling unwell.
[It was only two months and change ago that Li Lianhua thought he was dying again. He won't escape without some fussing.]
[These demands are so shockingly reasonable, Li Lianhua almost feels bad for leaving without giving Fang Duobing a chance to make them in person. This young hero really has grown up already.]
Xiaobao, is there really a place in this world where I could go without you finding me? Don't worry, I'm fine. And you'll know if that changes.
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no subject
Date: 2023-12-17 12:14 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2023-12-24 03:55 pm (UTC)Hi!
I'm sorry I cut this so close, but I'd heard you liked wine, so I had to ask around to find out what people preferred as a good vintage from this world. Unfortunately, people kept thinking I was asking because I wanted it for myself, so when I finally DID get the answers I needed, word had gotten around that a kid was trying to get themselves alcohol!
So after, ah, some subterfuge, getting thrown out of a tavern at least four times and discovering my disappearing spell is working again, I have this eighteen year aged wine from the Gelflings! Don't worry, I paid for it!
They just don't know it yet.Anyway! Merry Christmas, and I hope you enjoy it!
Your Secret Santa!
FW:
Date: 2023-12-24 08:33 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2023-12-24 10:34 pm (UTC)(no subject)
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From:[action? not really, just cvs delivery]
Date: 2024-01-06 06:47 pm (UTC)[And a small bag hanging on the knob of the door. Inside are three knobs of ginger and a note in a curling vine-like script:]
snow's haunted, unfortunately
Date: 2024-01-10 09:50 pm (UTC)Or maybe he already has dulled a bit, though he also never expected to fight in such disorienting circumstances. Or maybe the less than superlative replacement for his dao should take some blame, if he's feeling spiteful. Not that either weapon is the best approach for fighting supernatural snow monsters, but at least he hasn't been going hand to hand. Or hand to cursed ghost sword. That has to absolve him of some poor judgment. Maybe that and the firewood, at least.
Because he is aware that things are no longer going well, even if the full extent is not yet apparent. He does not yet believe things are going terribly—he hasn't even been properly stabbed, though if he had been just a little slower or less precise in twisting out of the way, it would be a different story entirely. The creatures must have had just about enough of Di Feisheng to aim so viciously, assuming they're smart enough to know where things like organs are or how to form grudges that last longer than a gust of icy wind, which is anyone's guess. As it is, an upward slash bridging high from ribcage to shoulder is not something he will be proud of carrying home, but is surely of no serious concern, even with no inner force to call on. He will make it back just fine, conscious and under his own power, which automatically puts this at the lower end of the injury list.
There isn't even any blood in the snow he tracks in, so how bad can it really be. Seeking out Li Lianhua, once he's sufficiently unburdened of weapon, wood, and the limited amount of winter gear he has accrued, seems closer to a formality than any kind of emergency. There will be warmth (he can't feel the lack as much as he knows he should, but it will surely emerge from the fatigue, once he stops moving), a little help with what seems like an encouragingly modest amount of blood (surely a natural talent is at play), and a limited amount of castigation for his earlier zeal (snow's haunted). If there's something almost contrite in his mostly-steady steps, the downward cast to his gaze, it's more to do with the latter than any other variable.
“We may be in trouble if the storm keeps up much longer.” This, a very grave admission that never would have flown an hour ago, which surely Li Lianhua can recognize for the bad omen that it is.
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Date: 2024-01-11 12:35 am (UTC)And no need either, it seems, since Di Feisheng comes to meet him instead. There's something off about the footsteps approaching his room even before Di Feisheng enters carrying himself like he knocked a potted plant off the windowsill. If he'd gotten into a fight outside that Li Lianhua is expected to pay the clinic or carpenter bill for - something that has, pretty shockingly, not really happened yet but is probably only a matter of time - there would be a lot more smug triumph to those understated words. This can only be worse.
So there's already a displeased twist to his mouth when he turns around to face the man and sees the long gash running up his torso ever so slowly dampening the torn fabric with blood. That Di Feisheng, always so helpful, knowing this is just what they needed in this weather. "Why, is it snowing blades? Where did this come from?" he asks, nodding at the cut. Though as much as he'd like to stick with petty annoyance, Li Lianhua can't help but notice the lack of healthy flush to Di Feisheng's skin, growing more ashen by the minute. That admission really was too grave. He sighs, practically a scolding of its own, though it may also serve to push back the concern trying to nest in the pit of his stomach. "If you're going to pass out, do it over there," he gestures with his brush towards the unused bed in the room, "Fang Duobing isn't here to carry you."
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Date: 2024-02-10 03:20 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-02-13 04:46 pm (UTC)Always good to have emergency firewood around.]
text; un: signor vespa
Date: 2024-02-29 10:26 pm (UTC)[ Unsolicited one evening, not long after nightfall, Li Lianhua will receive this foreboding text from that kid. It's shortly followed by a photo: a cozy, but sparse, humble kitchen, ostensibly in one of the treehouses despite the apparent electricity and running water. Apart from the branches weaving through the ceiling, there's nothing all that remarkable about it; it's a kitchen. But it does look rather uncluttered and clean. The dishes are tidily left to dry in a simple wooden rack beside the sink, more dishes stacked neatly on the simple shelves above it. Li Lianhua may notice an espresso pot on the stove and a grinder nearby, not unlike the ones gifted to Di Feisheng. There's a short stack of recipe books sitting below the spice rack, but all in all, not much unnecessary counter clutter. In fact, their somewhat limited kitchen space seems rather well-utilized. Especially for children.
The photo is quickly followed by another text. ]
A picture of satisfaccion!
ò ó
U d
^ (he's smiling! See it? Because he did a great job! HA)
[ Li Lianhua has never received an "emoticon" from Alberto, but, uh... now he has. At least it's captioned? ...No. It just makes it worse. ]
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Date: 2024-02-29 10:53 pm (UTC)Little friend, that's clearly a picture of a kitchen. Don't try to fool me, eh?
That thing looks like a little demon! Don't send me such scary pictures anymore. How will I sleep with that thing in here?
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From:happy birthday you tyrant
Date: 2024-03-25 03:49 am (UTC)threatreminder of that fact.Though not an unpleasant one by any means. That much, like the overall air of resolve, is unchanged. Changing or not changing, like being aware of the date, is also not Li Lianhua’s responsibility, and that's fine. Di Feisheng is good at nothing so much as delegating where practical, but the reverse has to be just as true.
Li Lianhua's allowed to go about his day until a restful point of the afternoon where he's free and settled
and unlikely to make a getaway, at which point he is (civilly but unyieldingly) ambushed with wine and scrutiny. But no qi board, because the only challenge being issued is too sublimated to require one, and Di-mengzhu is doing more than enough moving pieces around already."Will you toast first, or is it up to me?"
<3
Date: 2024-03-25 12:51 pm (UTC)And because it's a day like any other, having a pair of wine cups suddenly placed in front of him by a Di Feisheng seating himself nearby with a worryingly cheerful air really does feel like an ambush. Li Lianhua's gaze rises from his book to stare at the cups, a little nonplussed, then to Di Feisheng, before he looks over his shoulder like he expects this ambush to involve more than one man. As if Di-mengzhu required any help. But there are no clues to be found in their otherwise quiet home, so he can only turn back to his friend and do one thing.
"Huh? T-Toast to what?"
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From:text, regrettably, time of Tiger Chicken
Date: 2024-03-26 09:37 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-03-26 10:38 pm (UTC)(no subject)
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From:MAY
Date: 2024-05-21 10:44 pm (UTC)Oh, hello. I was hoping you would be out here.
[Neutral. Calm. Swallowed down passive aggression in lieu of a pleasant smile. He gives a small wave with feigned hesitancy.]
While it's grossly overdue on my part, do you mind if we chat for a moment?
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Date: 2024-05-22 12:07 am (UTC)At least until this little brat walks up to his property. Li Lianhua has already put the whole sorry affair behind him, his time too precious to bother with resentments or regrets. Now, he can't imagine what they could possibly have to chat about. The polite affectation is like nails on chalkboard to someone who's already heard pure hatred drip from that voice. Li Lianhua grimaces beneath the brim of his sunhat.]
Eh? Can't you see Huli Jing isn't working right now?
[He waves towards the dog sprawling in the shade of the porch, sleeping peacefully. But he still heaves himself to his feet with the help of the rake next to him.]
Come back another time if you want to consult him, alright? Get going now.
[Yes, he's offering Akechi an encouraging wave not unlike that he gave to those beasts some days ago, chasing some unwelcome rat away from his turnips.]
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From:1/3
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From:backdated to april's overgrowth plot
Date: 2024-05-25 04:11 am (UTC)It's too early in his life for his muscle and bone to act like stone. He'd shown that beast that made him like this that he still bled red, so he knows he still has time. At least the proof of that is something he can negotiate with his concussed self on to not view the conflict as a total loss, even while he's giving up on moving after a mere handful of inches, when it isn't necessary. In every other way, though, victory had gone to that monstrous wolf, who by all rights should be having to use his broken bones and whiskers to floss out bits of his flesh from between her fangs.
By the dawn of day three, Cat can't stand the filth anymore, and he thinks that even if he had anyone to cry to, all that would come out was a creak that would confuse even an old door. He can feel his tongue too thickly and his wrists in taut strings, and he wonders if this body will hold out as long without water as his human one could. He doesn't need to find out... Ah, just how pampered has he become during the months away from Krat, only treated to rare entanglements, and never having to work for his meals?
The little orange, tuft-tailed cat eventually limps his way across to another wrecked, half-collapsed porch, luckily one home over, that his tiny ears pick out the steady drizzle and drip of broken pipework leaking. Most of his caution comes from holding himself in such a way and moving at a pace where he can keep himself from hissing or crumpling. His mind is much too taxed to pay attention to predators that might still be lurking between vines or debris, and his body is quick to claim the limit, too, as soon as he's out of the open. Of course it couldn't hold out until he was close enough to the pipe's opening to lap water up -- that would be too much of a good thing for someone so permanently stuck in a bad way. Between the cleaning away some of the blood stuck in his fur that he could actually reach and the coughing fits that felt like knives, the pathetic moments of chewing grass to keep his stomach from whining too much were just barely a reprieve from the taste of metal. He thinks he tastes it again in his shuddered exhale as he closes his eyes. Just for a bit, until he can stand moving again.
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Date: 2024-05-25 08:20 pm (UTC)Navigating outside is proving a little more difficult. He knows he should get somewhere safe to rest. Knows the streets aren't that by any means. But... the damage done by the monstrous plants and roving beasts makes what little he can still see unrecognizable. After a few steps, he's already lost track of where even the clinic was. None of the vague washed out shapes identifiable as buildings seem familiar. Has he even been down this street before? Which town is this? Did he leave the Lotus Tower... No, no Lotus Tower. But nowhere else, either. At least not anywhere people will needlessly worry over seeing him like this. Just, somewhere quiet and alone, to rest.
Li Lianhua takes one shuffling step after the other, wandering aimlessly with his head bowed against the throbbing behind his eyes and an arm wrapped around his aching chest as if that could somehow hold his failing body together a little while longer. Unsurprisingly, his illness catches up with him sooner rather than later and a hacking cough forces him to pause, bent over some wrecked building's porch railing for support while he waits for recovery or collapse.
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From:backdated to after that sleepr thread, you know the one
Date: 2024-09-07 07:53 pm (UTC)Late enough that maybe Li Lianhua even outright forgot what he told Inigo in the first place. Late enough that it's likely Inigo spent all day running across town to try and find something that would fit within the parameters of what Li Lianhua asked him.
There's no text at first. Just an image. If Li Lianhua looks to see what it is, it's a picture of a particularly round frog. It's kind of out of focus, like Inigo "definitely not a technology guy" FireEmblem took the picture himself. ]
He made me smile.
He doesn't count as a person, right.
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Date: 2024-09-07 10:32 pm (UTC)Hours which he spent sitting by the ocean, taking refuge in its indifference. It's so hard to know what to want for himself, now that living and dying by himself is no longer his fate. It's hard to see how it matters at all, when he's still dying.
And then his phone chimes (which he did remember to take along for once, because what he doesn't want is to make his companions fret yet again). When he sees who it is, Li Lianhua has to laugh. It feels like crying, but better.]
Inigo, I admit defeat. You've really bested me.
Why does he make you smile?
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From:un | a.fei
Date: 2024-10-03 04:36 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-10-04 03:38 pm (UTC)[As if he can't tell when he's being baited. If it were a serious issue, Di Feisheng would be doing something about it, not tattling to Li Lianhua. That Di Feisheng really has too much free time these days.]
text; un: melancholic.gentleman
Date: 2024-10-03 05:30 pm (UTC)Hey. Do you want to cook something with this?
text; un: INIGO
Date: 2024-12-07 02:59 pm (UTC)Yes. Of course he has. After all, Inigo doesn't ask for help, not even in the current circumstances. He just keeps going. That's what he has to do. Not think for too long, try to not let his emotions take over - just keep going, and try to help out his friends where he can. It's what he has been trying to do.
But there's a heaviness to it all. Especially with how much everything that has happened has affected Cat, both physically and emotionally. Inigo has been trying to spend time with him where he can to help, but it's-- It's still a lot, especially when he wouldn't dare voice anything about what he feels in front of Cat when the other obviously is not in the mood, when Inigo should be the one to look out for him, not the other way around.
He needs help, though. And-- Asking for that feels impossible, but he tries to tell himself that this isn't about that in an attempt to trick his brain into believing it. It's just a convenient excuse to check up on Li Lianhua, to make sure he's also doing okay in this cold and in the mood that has settled over town. Surely he's being looked after well by the others, but..
.. L-Look, he needs an excuse for his own peace of mind, okay? It's the only way he could ever bring himself to ask for help. And he's worried anyway, so it's not like it's a lie! ]
Could I come over?
I think I forgot how to properly do the whole meditation thing.
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Date: 2024-12-08 07:30 pm (UTC)What do you mean, forgot? Didn't I tell you to practice well?
[But Li Lianhua needs only to look outside his window at the piles of deep snow and deeper darkness to have an inkling about what might convince Inigo to make such a request now.]
Well it's better you asked now than never. Come by in an hour and we'll see how much you really forgot.
[An hour should be enough time to get an apple tart in the oven, he figures.]
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From:Night (Day) of Dec 2024 event
Date: 2024-12-16 09:19 pm (UTC)no subject
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From:12/25 gift delivery
Date: 2024-12-25 01:34 pm (UTC)un: idoctor
Date: 2025-01-27 06:49 am (UTC)un: mouthfuloflies
Date: 2025-01-29 11:12 pm (UTC)WHERE'S THE UNSUBSCRIBE BUTTON]Really? Not before offering his own assistance first, I trust? That young man really is very eager to help with all sorts of endeavors, it would be a waste not to make use of it.
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From:really thought i had replied to this, sorry!!
From:no worries, it happens!
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From:action; preference class
Date: 2025-02-09 07:42 am (UTC)Sure. Of course. But his conservation with Di Feisheng about it that while back has lead Inigo to think that he just ought to not question it. Di Feisheng very much made it sound like A Thing That Just Happens, after all. And you don't question things that just happen, especially when you're Inigo. So even though it's not like he came over for the food or anything - having told Li Lianhua he's just here to go over meditation again, and as far as Inigo is concerned no one has to know more or think otherwise than just that - Inigo is just.. there. Being the standing man emoji. Letting it happen.
But it's not like he can just stand there in awkward silence. The awkward silence might kill him. It might make him pass out randomly like one of those fainting goats. So after having stood there awkwardly and silently for a moment, Inigo just asks-- ]
So.. [ ... ] What are you making?
[ Real smooth, dude. ]
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Date: 2025-02-10 01:26 am (UTC)It's just Li Lianhua might have slightly misjudged how long this would take him to prepare before Inigo's arrival, so he's still in his apron with his sleeves rolled up, just now starting to cut up an assortment of vegetables. The beginnings of a tomato sauce are bubbling in one pot, while a large pan is heating up some oil. At least Inigo's in no rush, and Li Lianhua seems pretty pleased with his question, though he doesn't look up from his carrots to answer.]
Ah, it's something called a vegetable lasagna. Have you had it before? I haven't, but I found a recipe in one of those books in the library.
[He vaguely gestures with his knife behind him in the direction of a bookshelf filled with cook books and notebooks. Notably, there is no recipe laid out anywhere nearby for this endeavor.]
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From:[backdated to 1/29]
Date: 2025-03-03 04:36 am (UTC)[Inside the package is a book of mythical creatures and other dubious folklore that might or might not be found in this land, purchased in the bright city of Stellari.]
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Date: 2025-03-03 01:10 pm (UTC)Only because paper is too precious to be tossed on the compost heap.]
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From:February Hanahaki finally............
Date: 2025-03-16 04:10 am (UTC)He isn't nearly so anxious and heartbroken as the other had been, either. He doesn't doubt that Li Lianhua is going to be struggling, with how that man always seemed to be wiggling this way and that to avoid what he really wanted or meant. He also doesn't doubt that if this illness takes the man the way it had already taken Blue, it will devastate him in ways he wouldn't have thought were possible when they'd met that first night in the castle garden, both too worn by the liveliness of the evening and of life to protest too much about finding someone to share a bit of truth with.
...Maybe the last visit was lively, and maybe life, while improving, had still been tiring. Maybe they can find it in them to not protest too much again.
"Oi," he calls down the hall by way of preparation. And to hopefully rope in a certain recruit. "Huli Jing, come here, be a good guide dog and bring me to that crafty master of yours before he finds a way to hide away. Ha! As if he can, I bet."
But in the end, he doesn't really need Huli Jing's help to navigate the rooms. He's called this place 'home enough' before. Should he be too unwilling to leave Li Lianhua's side, soon enough they'll be joined by Cat all the same.
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Date: 2025-03-29 12:18 am (UTC)Li Lianhua shouldn't be surprised to have another young man visiting his sickbed, but he still is, a little. He would have expected at least Cat to have enough sense to worry about himself first and save himself the reminder of their time spent together in that awful place. Or the reminder of how suddenly the boy's own fragile health could still be ruined in the blink of an eye, and all his efforts dashed. But then, Li Lianhua had been wrong about him back then, too. Even Cats aren't safe from sentimentality.
Although the painful burrowing of hungry roots in his chest has finally relented, easing his breathing a little, Li Lianhua still feels like the wrung out, near lifeless husk of a person as he rests in his bed. It still feels wiser to accept that something within him may yet give out at last from the strain, than to hope that he could ever return to the former vitality he'd been fortunate enough to enjoy these past months. All things will end. That hasn't ceased to be true just because he's enduring yet another brush with death. It's just become less comforting.
But he tries not to dwell on it. A difficult battle indeed while there's nothing else to do, and so Cat's visit does bring a small smile to his face, though he doesn't bother to try raising his own empty gaze as the boy enters. His voice, raw and faint, still bears the marks of the bloody struggle for air he's been fighting, even if his amused tone tries its best to make up for it.
"Friend Cat, it seems your lungs haven't suffered lately." Considering the ruckus he'd just brought to this house. "I'm glad to hear it."
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From:text, un | a.fei
Date: 2025-05-04 02:04 pm (UTC)MEOW.no subject
Date: 2025-05-04 02:28 pm (UTC)Eh, Lao Di, wouldn't I have to be a fool to think that? I'm just telling you an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of big black cat. Nobody appreciates friendly advice anymore these days.
[SO QUIT MEOWING]
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From:Telepathy - may tdm
Date: 2025-05-17 04:05 pm (UTC)She says you won't even play proper chess with her! Surely you're not that boring.
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Date: 2025-05-17 04:17 pm (UTC)Friend Cat, doesn't this chatter give you a headache? It sure gives me one.
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From:text; un: melancholic.gentleman (following the disruption of Be Loud and Disrespectful Manor)
Date: 2025-06-01 07:00 pm (UTC)[It was only two months and change ago that Li Lianhua thought he was dying again. He won't escape without some fussing.]
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Date: 2025-06-01 10:15 pm (UTC)Xiaobao, is there really a place in this world where I could go without you finding me? Don't worry, I'm fine. And you'll know if that changes.
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