#(cradles LQG's face in my hands: how did you manage to be so neurodivergent without me noticing?)

[greentrickster]

@droogproxy #my mind went 'oh funny bingliushen' -> oooh powerpoint! -> 'foaming at the mouth for mutually supportive platonic bingliu' #very efficient op! #can't believe powerpoint is such a powerful medium even when it's not technically even in use

Powerpoints are truly the most powerful weapon, even in worlds where the appropriate technology does not exist and instant you have to make the poster-boards and stand yourself and use an old-fashioned wooden pointer as you set each ‘slide’ on the floor behind you when you’re done with it! Possibly... possibly it’s too powerful, this wasn’t how I was planning to have the relationship go when I started writing the post and yet here we are! Not that I’m upset about it, but it’s always a bit of a surprise to end up at an unintended destination, you know?

Anyway, the point is that Binghe’s successfully started the Companionable Hearts quest line, even if he’s still a little sulky about it at the moment, why does he have to share Shizun with stupid Qingge? :<

(He’s working through his issues, but that inclination to be possessive of people he loves/cares about is one he’s still struggling with at times, especially when it comes to Shen Qingqiu, it’s caused by some deep-seated issues that are taking time to uproot.)

Except then he does manage to get Liu Qingge to work with him on this, and Qingge starts being nicer to him as a result, and maybe he’s not so bad after all, and wow, you really are, in fact, Just That Bad at talking to and interacting with people, huh.

...

...has no one looked into this? Feels like something someone in the Sect should have looked into, that their War God’s so bad with words even around people he likes and with topics he enjoys, like maybe there’s an underlying issue or condition here or something...? What Binghe wouldn’t give for the internet and some psych websites right now, why didn’t he read more of that while he was with Tatsu-sensei...

Oh well! The good househusband makes due with what he has, time for Li’l Bro Binghe to sort things out! And maybe shift to questions with simple answers for the moment that don’t necessarily need full words to answer! Important thing is, huh, no wonder Shizun likes you so much, you’re a total tsundere gap-moe type, aren’t you Liu-shishu? Masa-aniki always said those were super popular, guess it’s true.

He’s in the middle of cutting out pieces to make a piplup pillow for LQG to go with Shizun’s tortwig and his chimchar when Binghe realizes, “Oh crap, I think I like him as a person but I don’t even want to kiss him, and I might want to keep spending time with him even if Shizun doesn’t marry him, what am I supposed to do with these horrible, inappropriate, unnatural feelings?!?”

Because, like. He’s doing so, so much better, but he’s still Binghe. It’s hard to get him to change his mind about people, he probably does so pretty slowly, and he still struggles with holding grudges and being possessive, as mentioned. Realizing he’s totally revised how he feels about someone and didn’t even notice himself doing it is a big shock to his system. (Not his System system, though, that one’s been pushing for this for over a year now, it’s just excited.)

He probably gets up from his sewing and goes and just lies face down in one of the training grounds until Ming Fan or Ning Yingying find him and get to enjoy the delightful task of convincing him that making friends with Shizun’s friends is probably a good thing. It probably takes Shen Qingqiu coming out and talking to Binghe about how he’s glad that LQG and he are getting along better, because he really enjoys spending time with both of them together, before Binghe finally manages to process enough to continue on with his existence day.

And Liu Qingge does eventually get that pillow and gets confused and flustered when Binghe explains about it being part of a set of three and that he and Shen Qingqiu have the other two. Because, as far as I’m aware, Liu Qingge is as desperately in need of good friends as Binghe.

These two are about to team up and become absolute menaces to polite society, Binghe just gained a powerful ally in his quest to make Tianlang-jun/Yue QIngyuan canon.

Before Binghe starts actively courting Shizun he realizes that he’s going to have to deal with his most dangerous opponent in this goal: Liu Qingge. He is a powerful adversary who has an (annoying) amount going for him and also those four years Binghe wasn’t there to bond with him. This will take strategy, and a deft hand.

Binghe: (pointing at the third slide of thirty-six slide presentation on why it would be better for Shizun to marry him first) Furthermore, Big Bro Liu is a skilled warrior, but has demonstrated no ability or training in keeping house or entertaining company, both of which are key duties of the first spouse. I, in contrast, have been training for such things my whole life, and would in fact prefer to be the one to handle such things-

(Slide seven gets into how LQG, being a war god, would be better suited for protecting Shizun from enemies and finding him cool monsters via night hunts)

(Slide nine allows for the possibility of LQG taking Shizun along on night hunts, but Binghe gets to come too because he doesn’t trust LQG’s cooking skills)

(Slide fifteen is just “Can you even balance a budget?”, that’s it, that’s the whole slide, it is accompanied by a pointed look and nothing more)

(Slide seventeen gets into how two balance two peak lords being married to each other and living arrangements)

(Slide twenty-two I’m the caretaker, you’re the provider, and Shizun is spoiled rotten, this is how things should be)

(Slide twenty-five admits that Binghe and LQG will probably have to start getting along if they want this to work since Shizun likes both of them)

(Slide twenty-six adds that, as a husband instead of househusband, LQG has 0% right to wearing a character apron. He can have a regular one to help around the house if asked, if he has complaints learn how to do laundry, the character apron is a privilege, not a right)

(Slide twenty-seven puts forth a potential breakdown of timetables for when they should each start courting and how they should support each other in these endeavors)

(Slide thirty-five relents that this is, of course, all hinged on Shizun being willing to marry either of them - Shizun’s word is law)

(Slide thirty-six: Questions?)

Liu Qingge has many questions and much confusion, especially over the fact that Binghe seems to be making some legitimately good points and have some decent ideas in here, especially regarding both their strengths and weaknesses.

And, while I do enjoy a nice throuple with these three, a good ol’ equilateral triangle relationship, in this AU I like the idea of Shen Qingqiu being in romantic relationships with both Binghe and Liu Qingge, and Binghe and Liu Qingge in a queer platonic relationship with each other. The idea of them somehow sliding into this quiet, mutually supportive relationship laced with non-sexual intimacy and shoring up each others’ weaknesses. And Luo Binghe stays home while Liu Qingge comes and goes as he needs and pleases, and they all give and receive different things from each other.

Thinking about it, it might be interesting if Liu QIngge was actually more comfortable with Binghe visiting his dream realm than Shen Qingqiu, just because in his dream realm there’s the whole environment to communicate what he wants to say instead of just words, which he has a hard time with. Possibly Binghe could teach him a little about controlling his personal dream realm, maybe learn how to send messages in dreams so he has a way to call for help if something happens on a mission or night hunt and there’s no one nearby to help him. In return, Liu Qingge helps Binghe re-hone his sword skills (regardless of iteration, this world they live in is dangerous and fighting skills are basically a requirement, even for a househusband), since he and Binghe are both physical cultivators in contrast to Shen Qingqiu’s spiritual cultivation…

…also this was meant to be a semi-humorous post about Binghe trying to get Liu Qingge to go along with his plans via a slideshow, when did it turn into serious relationship development and exploration between the two of them and how this relationship fits into this AU…?

Anyway, point is, these two can be super hot together, but I’ve enamored myself with them quietly leaning on each other in this AU as they care for the man they both love in their own ways.