#courtship gifts

[diabolichare]

Is this courtship?

Danny is going to Gotham for his scholarship.

Good news! There's another halfa in the city, and he seems to be a good guy. Bad news: the nearest path to his university is through that halfta's haunt. He could take the long way around, but the costs would be more than his budget can handle, and he'd like to avoid dealing with a pissed-off Red Hood.

Hopefully the offerings will be enough to sate his annoyance (and help maybe, god that man has the most malnourished core he's ever seen).

Jason is getting incredibly confused over the strange gift baskets that keep appearing on his patrol routes.

[mediocretosubpar-soup]

So picture this. Yue Qingyuan crushing on someone. He fucked up his most important intrapersonal relationship. Who will see him floundering and helpfully offer advice ? Who's got the ego/the balls/ the audacity?

Luo Binghe.

(the sticking point for him is that Yue Qingyuan's success will mean he won't pine after Shen Qingqiu and for that Luo Binghe will do a lot of things)

"Sect leader Yue, look pathetic! Men love their partners being pathetic!"

Yue Qingyuan flashes through numerous of Luo Binghe's pathetic acts from 14 years old up to now.

Luo Binghe,taking his pondering for doubt: Look, I, too doubted Shang Qinghua's wisdom but just look at him!

Their gazes travel across the peaks to Shang Qinghua's leisure house, where he sits on the porch auditioning the peaks while Mobei-jun peels melon seeds for him. Mobei-jun is pathetically inept at this task, his big claws clumsily fumbling with the melon seeds. Everytime he does manage to peel a seed, Shang Qinghua looks up and beams at him lovingly.

Yue Qingyuan turns away before Mobei-jun attempts to cutely handfeed Shang-shidi. There are some things, he's happy to remain ignorant of, his sect siblings' happy marital lives included.

Luo BInghe looks up at him. His eyes are kind of big, his cheeks are puffed up, his lips are weirdly pink. Are that....sparkles?! Yue Qingyuan steps into Luo Binghe's space and grabs him by the lapels when he tries to escape.

"Sparkly fireworks curse." He mutters and throws Luo BInghe over his shoulder, so he can take him to Mu Qingfang without losing precious time.

Half an hour later, he has to woodenly apologize to Luo BInghe as he sobs into Shen Qingqiu's chest.

"There, there. Binghe, Yue-shixiong didn't mean anything bad, he didn't know that your eyes just do that sometime. He actually thought that you were in grave danger." Shen Qingqiu pats the Supreme Emperor of the Demon Realm's head a few more times. Luo Binghe turns his head up. "Really?"

Yue Qingyuan stares at this brazen and shameless display, Shen Qingqiu's blushing, a loving glimmer in his eyes.

Luo Binghe's eyes catch his, see they seem to say, see how it's done.

Yue Qingyuan sees and takes notes.

[serpentface]

HOSPITALITY AND GIFT ECONOMY IN THE HIGHLANDS: A POST.

Rites of hospitality are of key importance and taken very seriously in this cultural context, especially given the frequency at which individuals will be traveling (as herders, or along intra-Highlands trade routes). These rites exist as the concept of 'Shiab's peace', a divinely mandated contract of hospitality under the watch of Shiab, goddess of the hearth and of travelers. This is invoked with a standardized verbal exchange with a member of the household- the prospective guest will greet with “I would ask Shiab’s peace of you”, the host, if accepting, will respond with “You will have Shiab’s peace here.” While not explicitly an oath, it is understood as such and ascribed the same profound significance (both social and spiritual consequences for violation).

A potential host can refuse (though usually doesn't, hosting is an honor and can be a power play), but the mere request for Shiab's peace imbues temporary spiritual protection on the asker- one’s most loathed enemy must at least be allowed to leave unharmed, even if denied guest rite. (This isn’t a get out of jail free card, a request for Shiab’s peace is a request for hospitality, not mercy, the goddess will not be protecting you if you attempt to use it in the midst of combat or etc).

Once mutually invoked, the expectations of Shiab’s peace are as follows:

The host should provide for the guest’s basic needs generously within their means, and allow them to stay for a night and provide them a place to sleep.

The guest and host much each provide their names and titles, though the guest is under no obligation to explain the reasons for their presence and cannot be asked.

The guest must accept all food offered (and gifts, though this is not specific to Shiab's peace and rather part of a wider practice in the gift-economy).

The guest must ask for nothing, and take nothing that is not offered.

The guest is under full protection of the host, and vice versa. Theft, assault, or murder committed under Shiab's peace is a grave broken oath and one should expect very severe consequences (both supernatural and mundane, should others find out).

The guest (unless offered continued hospitality) must see themselves out after sunrise the following morning. They cannot be made to leave early.

If a guest is offered continued hospitality, they should offer to participate in any needed chores (the host can accept or decline at their discretion).

The protection of Shiab's peace continues until the following sunrise after the guest leaves (ie a host cannot pursue their leaving guest to steal from them)

Shiab's peace is universal and transcends conflicts, and once invoked cannot be violated under any circumstances. Members of a rival clan or of a tribe yours is at war with, a foreigner you're suspicious of, etc, are all fully under protection (and under their full expectations as a guest).

A guest that violates their expectations can be made to leave, as they have broken the oath and are no longer protected. (in practice, many hosts will let MINOR violations slide unless the guest is like, really annoying or godawful)

The host, in practice, will usually be the wife of the household (if present), as the wife is considered the owner of a family’s home, land, and property, and has final say on how resources are used and given. The host is expected to provide the guest food and drink and a place to stay for one night, and supply any other obvious basic needs (ie: if the guest’s clothing is worn or wet, they should be given fresh clothes). These gifts should be generous within one’s means, and in practice will usually be a square meal, mead/wine/murre, multiple rounds of tea, and a breakfast the following morning. A host that does not provide expected basic needs within their means is in violation of Shiab’s peace and has broken their oath, and should expect consequences.

A guest is not literally oathbound to practice ideal social etiquette, but it's a cultural expectation (ie, the guest should finish all their food and save some bread for last to scoop up anything left in the bowl, not a hard requirement but good manners). They are fully expected to accept any and all gifts offered. A guest should neither take nor ask for anything not freely given (all basic needs should have been met by the host to begin with). It IS acceptable for a guest to imply further needs in conversation, so long as they do not directly request them: ie mentioning in conversation that their leg is hurt and they can only hope their travels do not make it worse, as it would take days of rest for it to heal (“I need to stay multiple nights, can we work that out?”), or mentioning that their pack khait has gone lame and cannot carry their supplies, they fear they will have to leave both animal and supplies behind (“Will you lend me a pack ox/khait?”). These roundabout requests are still at least expected to be Truthful in nature (and all of this is happening under the watch of a deity, there may be consequences for lying).

Hosts may give extra gifts at their discretion- these can either be charitable, or indebting. A charitable gift will be given with further verbal declaration of Shiab’s peace, which establishes it as an act of goodwill and that the guest is not in the host’s debt. An indebting gift will be given with no declaration of Shiab's peace. The guest is obligated to accept either.

Indebting gifts are a part of the wider political and economic structure of the Highlands, a separate (though linked) practice to guest hospitality. The vast majority of the economy relies on trade of goods, with an additional dimension of this gift economy. Being able to give gifts is a display of wealth and power, establishing one’s family or clan above another in a social hierarchy. The most powerful are able to give the most extravagant gifts, and will have many other clans/families considered perpetually in their debt if the gift cannot be met with one of equal or greater value. This debt is immaterial- it is not actually Expected to be paid (it’s better for the gift-giver if it ISN'T), rather it establishes/reinforces one's place in a power structure and regulates the conduct of the gift receiver (it can be evoked to call in favors or settle disputes). A debt held by a single person translates to their immediate family, while a debt held by a clan matriarch/patriarch translates to their entire clan.

Cattle raiding is both a practical means of resource acquisition and a part of this wider political schema, and often figures into the gift structure. Stealing cattle and then giving them back as a gift is a power play, it declares ‘our men are better than yours (they’ve stolen the cattle successfully) and we are wealthier than you (we don’t even need them)’, while also settling the score and dissuading retaliation. Stealing cattle and then giving MORE (or different, higher quality) cattle as a gift is a massive power play, declaring much the same things to a greater extent, dissuading retaliation, AND putting the theft victim/gift recipient into the debt of the thieves.

Power structures within tribes are passively enforced by this gift giving structure- the ruling clan of each (which in practice usually controls the best agricultural land and largest herds, and is most involved in trade) will provide gifts to all clans subservient to them (and particularly generous gifts to potential rivals), keeping them indebted and lower in the social structure. Ruling clans who lose the ability to afford to give gifts, or find themselves indebted, will often be usurped (not strictly as a result of their debt, rather that losing ability to stay on top of the gift system generally occurs in conjunction with a diminished material power/wealth).

These combined practices result in very complex, often aggravating political power structures, but reduce the frequency of open conflict between clans within a tribe (which are frequently at odds), providing other avenues for power/material acquisition and for the settling of scores. Most open conflicts occur between clans within separate tribes or entire tribes (less likely to have secure power structures enforced by gift/trade), though practices of raiding and combat-sport provide some levels of tension release via less-violent score settling.

Other dimensions of the gift economy are not directly indebting (in not establishing a power structure), and considered paid via mutual partnership. Alliances between clans of different tribes are usually established in continued gift-giving (declared explicitly as gifts of allegiance), with the implied payment being mutual material support (supplying warriors, sharing grazing land, open trade, etc), which is usually reinforced with binding oaths. Marriages also involve gifts. A bride price is fairly standard (which is a straightforward payment for property and assets the wife's mother will be passing into her son-in-law's care), and a husband who cannot supply one is considered in his mother in law's debt (and may not gain full integration into the family until this is paid). But as supplement to the bride price, members of each family will freely give gifts with no expectation of the value of their gifts being matched (declared as such by being specifically described as a gift of marriage), as a means of further allying both families and a show of goodwill.

[randomly--accessed--memories]

After Alastor disappears again and the Vees get Vox back from the hotel crew, whatever mental block Vox had regarding Val and Vel starts to ease up. He still doesn’t remember their old relationship, but he can finally retain who they are from one day to another, like he could with the hazbins. It’s a fucking blessing for them to finally get to build a new relationship with him without it all getting wiped away at the end of each day.

As time goes by, Vox starts developing a little, schoolboy crush on Val, not remembering that before all this happened, they'd been together for 40 years. Vox has no idea how to go about this– he remembers having crushes on boys/men back when he was alive, but he wasn't exactly in a position to pursue those relationships– and Val barely registers that it's even happening, given how resigned he is to the fact that Vox will never love him again in the same way that he used to.

It's both cute and sad, watching Vox fumble around in the dark, trying to show Val he likes him in bizarre, almost childish ways that Val doesn't even register as attempts at flirting. Velvette can tell what's going on, but she's not sure what to do. Vox isn't in a state where he can be in a relationship (and probably never will be again), especially not the type that Val craves, so she's just stuck watching from the sidelines, not sure whether she should encourage or discourage this.

[dyrewrites]

Today we are examining romance, intimacy and sex in the context of the things I've written, because I am manic as hell and it is your problem now.

I like relationships. I like flirty dialogue and naughty teasing and the intimate sweetness found in those who've spent so much time together, and been so open with one another, that they may as well live inside each other. Couples who know their other better than themselves.

So that's what I enjoy writing.

I'm not a big fan of awkward courtships and uneasy touches or will they, won't they tension. It's not fun for me to write.

Now, writing the naughty scenes are fun, but they're not the goal, not the payoff to all the courting. They're more the setup. I want to smack characters together and see how they work after the messy part's over...and how their physical affection changes as they grow closer. That is candy to me. Delicious candy.

I'm sure there's parts of my personal life I can pick apart for reasons, but I won't bore you by trying.

Instead here's a snapshot of some of the main couples I've written (from 'finished' things), to prove my point and show how I can't stop writing couples like this.

In no particular order:

Weald and Wen -- Namael (Delgrij) and Ophnea, this one is a bit odd. Namael starts rather creepy here, in my opinion, as he watches her bathe in ichor for days before speaking to her. She catches him watching long before he speaks, and puts on a show for him, but it's still creepy. They also begin with sex, not even talking first just immediate touch then talking after, with days upon days returning to enjoy each other in the ichorfalls and talk of little nothings. They fall in love a lot slower than he remembers, there are long walks in the woods (with clothes on) and writing poems of flora and fauna (she drew pictures he would later keep in his books even). But his memory of that love is faulty. (I am not counting Namael and Faerai's father as a couple, even though by Fyrni standards they absolutely were, because Namael would not have considered them one...much as he wanted them to be)

Pale Blood -- Delmas and Den, began as a rough and angry one night stand that grew softer and more intimate as the night went too long and they enjoyed each other's company too much to end it. They say the three words a bit faster than others I've written, but there's circumstances to push it a bit. I feel they happen faster than any other over all, actually, but I think it feels natural and earned given the chaos around them. It's easier to cling to something safe and warm when everything around you is so cold and terrifying.

In Fog -- The main couple here have no names. They are the narrator and the monster. When it begins it is the narrator and you, and assumed you've been in a relationship, in some form, since childhood. There's a very strong connection from the start, one about to be severed by you moving away. In comes the monster, who inhabits you, now the relationship cannot be severed. But is it still you inside or is it the monster? The narrator accepts your body's touch either way, berating themselves but not stopping the actions. As things progress the question becomes; is the narrator still in love with you, or falling in love with the monster? There is no question of the love, however, of the intimate nature in which they grow accustomed. It takes time, but not as much as it maybe should...

Before Deluca -- Instant attraction and cheesy flirtations lead to a rough and delightful night and sweet intimate moments, violent fights, delicious making up, and confessions of love in the quiet after chaos (later than they feel it even, both nervous about saying it first). They do not take much time to find how they fit, or secure themselves so tightly to the other, but they do take a bit to navigate insecurities and worries and what a relationship even means to them.

[agiftfrombelow]

Another Follower of New Haven for the Cult! Coming in with Courage, the cult's labor master and one of the Lamb's unseen spies.

More about him, below the cut - along with alternative text of whats on the sheet!

About Courage

Hailing from Anura, he was once a cut throat bandit with his younger brother Fear. However, in recent events - the brothers were separated after a stint of stealing from Heket's cult went foul. Fear,was imprisoned to starve and to become a sacrifice for Heket. And Courage, found himself on the run with the rest of his clansmen slaughtered.

Cornered, Courage had fought off the cultists until exhaustion - surely meant to meet his end at the end of their blades. That is, until the Lamb came along and got him out of the mess. Who had heard of a troublesome and elusive mutt was giving the cultists trouble.

And an enemy of an enemy - was surely ideal to become one of the Lamb's Recruits. And with the Lamb dispatching Heket's followers with merciless efficiency (Courage lowkey has orc-courtship vibes) it was a compelling argument. But with one condition - Find his brother, and Courage would join her cult. But how the Lamb would find Fear, is a story for another time.

Eventually, with his brother brought to New Haven, Courage became a rather known face through the cult. Extroverted, good humored, and a hard worker, many would not think that he was once a bandit...nor would they think that he serves as an spy and assassin for the Lamb.

Reference Sheet Text

To most cult members, Courage is the charismatic master of labor. Many cult members find him easy to get along with.

Can be seen working in the lumberyard most days.

Speed talisman is a token from his old clan, and the longevity talisman bestowed by the lamb. He takes particular pride in wearing them

Courage maintains a civilian persona but actually does the dirty work behind the scenes for the Lamb with his brother, Fear.

Hides his status as one of the Lamb's Chosen to spy on the other cult members without issue.

Was previous a rogue that roamed Anura with his brother and clansmen.

Gambeson and armor come from his bandit days, but now proudly wears red with his gear.

Only wears the camellia medallion when on "business" for the Lamb. Its keenly polished and well taken care of.

Wears a shroud when being sent out to represent the Lamb and dirty his hands. Hides his identity as well.

Eerily quiet when "on the job". A stark contrast to his public persona within the cult.

[petrichorium]

pluvi i need to know if seeing gagamaru with his hair down here did something to u too or were u normal about it lmao

ND FJSND hair down gagamaru Always makes me crazy but also,,,,, the fact that he uses hair ties that he makes himself,,,,,,,, that he seemingly DYES bc how else could he have a “red one made out of vines” sobs oh im so in love w him

[amiharana]

what do you guys think revali and link's love languages are?

for revali, it's absolutely words of affirmation but i'd also like to propose quality time as his "secret" love language. nobody wouldn't expect this stuck up birdie to be a sucker for doing things like flying together or napping in a hammock together, but once you think about it more, it makes more sense. and revali's arrogance and irritation are significantly quelled after getting back from a training session at the flight range or fishing in the hebra plunge with link.

for link, it's most certainly physical touch and i propose his "secret" one as acts of service. i love the headcanon that rito "kiss" by pressing their foreheads together and nuzzling each other or whatever, but i think link is the #1 rito kiss enthusiast. at this point, everyone in rito village has seen link on his tiptoes cupping revali's face in his teeny little hylian hands to initiate a rito kiss and revali's squawking and complaining, but ultimately returns the gesture much to link's delight.

i love the idea of revali braiding and doing hair maintenance on link as part of their nightly routine, or link looking for his weapons because where the fuck did they go until he finds revali in their shared roost, polishing his shields and retying his bow strings, all of his quivers fully stocked of regular and elemental arrows. revali is still quite bristly and blunt, so he's all mumbling embarrassed at being caught doing something sweet for his mate like, "it's incredibly dumbfounding that they still call you the hero of hyrule when your idea of weapon maintenance is sliding your blades against a rock like a bokoblin" or "i see now why you go through bows within a moon as quickly as you eat. you aren't changing your bow strings out and you're just using them until they snap! were i any less disturbingly infatuated with you, i'd dissolve our coupling for such atrocious behaviors." link just smiles at him, fond and warm, and any irritation revali feels dissipates into the air as he returns to the weapons, his feathers ruffling and muttering under his breath.

oop. now i feel like writing fic for this. 😳

[ashleyfableblack]

The Queen Mother on Her throne. A request for my hubbie Ahriman Raven for a custom Magic The Gathering Commander card he's making for a Changeling-themed deck.

A funny thing I noticed in animation of the ponies of MLP is that they tend to sit like cats, more perched than seated. This pose doesn't really work for Big Mama bughorse. Though her body is only slightly longer than the largest pony, much like Celestia, her limbs are almost three times as long. I know the animators just had her "perch" in the show and in those scenes I found the lack of consistency in her build to be pretty noticeable. So I opted for The Changeling Queen of New Canterlot to be seated cross-legged and erect in a more human-like manner, appropriate if you go by The Eternal Courtship backstory of Equestria, not just for the more dominant pose it gives the mighty matriarch of The Hive. 👭💜💚💜👭

[trigunwritings]

Bro,, plant courtship such an ascended idea 👀👀 may you please spare us some crumbs? 🙏🙏 how awkward would the courtship displays be for the boys? Would plant!reader even get it, or are they disconnected and kind of confused by them for whatever reason? What kind of display would impress them? It feels like you opened a floodgate in my brain and now I have to analyse the plant bros under a microscope– /pos

Between the two of them, Vash is the first one to make a move—it’s difficult to tell the difference between his motions of courtship and those that aren’t, as he is a friendly man to almost everyone he meets. Finding the occasional trinket hidden amongst your things was curious, but it never once struck you as something worth mentioning. Once you had found a shiny piece of sculpted metal made from several spent bullet casings, and on another occasion there had been a necklace placed perfectly so you’d come across it after waking up, crafted from a rough-cut gemstone that glittered like the full moon.

They were nice and lovely, but there was a particular gift that made your heart flutter upon finding it: a clean, fresh flower. There was something about seeing it, vibrant and in a full bloom, that made you incredibly happy—perhaps it was because the flower, though plucked, was something truly alive. You could feel the gentle hum of its energy flowing through the stem and petals, could sense the fertile soil where it had been so lovingly grown. The instincts of your true form were hardly needed to understand how precious the anonymous gift was, and you made sure to keep that flower alive for as long as you could spare the energy and attention.

Vash, of course, eventually commented upon it. He must have thought he was being sly, but it wasn’t difficult to figure out that it had been him who had gifted it to you. Despite the desire to know where he had gotten it from, there was something that had kept you silent; it felt like a game between the two of you, and somehow you instinctively knew that the game had to play out properly.

What that entailed was entirely beyond your conscious thoughts, since you understood your plant self about as much as you understood your human form: which is to mean not at all. Instincts and innate muscle memory are what led most things for you, like faraway whispers that tried to help you know what to do when all else failed.

You wonder if this is how your people—how plants so many generations back, before perhaps even human influence—had courted one another.

When Knives begun to follow suit with his brother, the notion became even more clear. One flower had become two, then three, then several more. You kept them all alive and at a full bloom, though you aren’t sure how. Instinct demanded that you treat them as precious things, wonderful things, but it was eventually infeasible to simply carry them in a bundle.

So, for no reason that your mind could offer, you started to weave them together. The motions themselves seemed familiar and comforting despite the fact that you had never been taught them; the stem of one flower braided alongside another, over and over until items formed that you could wear instead of carry. A bracelet of bright blossoms, a crown of beautiful blooms; these things somehow felt right to make of the brothers’ gifts, though you couldn’t place a particular reason as to why.

Was it the act of perceived creation which impressed you so deeply? The idea that they could produce something so fragile and beautiful on a planet that didn’t otherwise allow such things to grow?

You didn’t quite know the answer, and doubted that you ever will. What was more important was the fact that, whenever you started wearing their gifts, you couldn’t help but feel the warmth of their souls and the soft echoes of their thoughts against your own. Instinct or not, that alone made you feel very happy.

[anghraine]

My daily kudos digest always brightens my day (upside of having written so many fics even if I haven't posted or updated anything on AO3 only started a WIP on DW, shh in a year). However, kudos on shorter fics I'm personally very fond of, but which aren't my "major" fics in terms of popularity, are always particularly nice and today was like... a red-letter kudos day :D

[sysig]

Totally unaffected by this gesture of affection, definitely (Patreon)

[bonefall]

in my headcanon brighthearts dog attack also took off all the whiskers on that side of her face, what would this change for her realistically?

The loss of the whiskers is actually more devastating than the loss of the eye.

Whiskers are important for judging distance and are one of the reasons why blind cats are so good at navigating in close quarters without vision. She would have to re-learn skills she took for granted before.

For example, running full-speed through the forest. She used to be able to feel if a stick or tree was too close for comfort, but now she's constantly getting grazed by thickets and other obstacles. She also has no sense on that side of the face, so sneaking up on her is very easy.

Canon greatly overestimated how dehabilitating it is though. It's really not a great big inspiring story that Cloudtail helped her figure out how to adjust. The biggest thing is having a buddy to help her practice who's patient and fun to be around.

I do like how Darkest Hour gave her a distinctive "bob-and-weave" move, even though it's not necessary LMAO. I just think it sounds cool for her to be a very tricky fighter who moves around a lot.

Realistically, she does keep her good side turned to the opponent, so she can keep her whiskers on them. The worst part is that it would expose a broad side of her neck... could be fixed with an armored collar of some kind.

[polysyndetonaddictsupportgroup]

omfg i really hope u finished sk8 the infinity bc that is the most fun, colourful, draindead show I have ever watched and I would sell my soul to the devil for a s2 to come faster.

but like, who’s ur favourite character? langa will always be dear to my heart bc of just how dense he is sometimes. like he genuinely cannot comprehend most things that happen around him and that just adds to his charm.

also am i the only one who was super fucking weirded out by the way adam interacted with the kids?? the dub is just so much more creepy than the sub and he’s just so much worse around these children- the way he speaks to miya, the nicknames he gives reki and the way he behaves with poor sweet langa is so uncomfy to watch???

I finished it and I LOVED it.

Langa’s my favorite character for much of the same reason. Oh my god he’s so dense and so good. My beautiful boy. All he knows is Board and Love Reiki. He’s so chill. He was just like “I have Never Skateboarded in my Life. The first try should be on this Death Mountain in an event with explosives involved. I will destroy the competition.” I simply adore him. I think we should just keep putting him on different types of boards to see if he can qualify on an Olympic level in them within the span of months. Surfboard. Wakeboard. Other types of board. He is so beautiful and so good.

Oh Adam is so uncomfortable to watch during this, especially his entire thing with langa. He’s always giving him roses and touching him and calling him his Eve. He has an entire wall filled with video footage of him. He had cameras following him when he wasn’t even at S. He openly calls Reiki the third wheel as if Langa doesn’t go into immediate depression if his boyfriend is not there to watch him skate. If the post-credits montage is accurate, then he parachuted from the sky with a bouquet of roses when Langa turned 18. Like this is fully stalking and deeply upsetting please go away.

[bloody-bee-tea]

24 Days of Mingcheng 2022 Day 6 - Gifts

Jiang Cheng is absolutely flabbergasted when Nie Mingjue stops him briefly before they go into the conference room and presses something into his hands.

“For you,” Nie Mingjue says as he closes Jiang Cheng’s fingers around the small parcel and then he goes on as if nothing happened at all, instantly engrossed in a conversation with Nie Zonghui.

Jiang Cheng is left staring after him with no goddamn clue just what exactly happened right now and so it takes him a moment to regain his sense.

He refuses to admit that he only manages it because his second in command discreetly clears his throat behind him.

Jiang Cheng stashes the little parcel into his robes, unwilling to open it in front of everyone else and by the time the conference is done he has almost forgotten about it. Jin Guangshan and Sect Leader Yao certainly made sure of that by enraging him like no one else ever could and so it’s yet again his second in command who saves him.

“Do remember the gift,” he quietly says when they part for the evening and Jiang Cheng wonders how he could ever forget about it at all because all of a sudden it feels as if Nie Mingjue’s gift is burning a hole into his robes.

“Sure,” Jiang Cheng mutters back, suddenly desperate to get it open and see what Nie Mingjue got him and so he’s quick to go into his own room.

It’s only when the door is safely closed behind him that he pulls out the gift.

It really is small; small enough to entirely fit into his hand and even allow him to close his fingers around it and Jiang Cheng wonders what it could be.

He doesn’t wonder for too long though, because now he’s impatient and he rips open the wrapping. A small charm falls into his hand and Jiang Cheng is left blinking at it.

It’s delicately crafted and beautifully made and Jiang Cheng is pretty certain the he doesn’t deserve this at all.

It doesn’t help that it’s a small lotus flower that would fit perfectly on Jiang Cheng’s belt.

“What the hell is he doing?” Jiang Cheng mutters even as he clasps the charm onto his belt.

He can already imagine just how self-satisfied Nie Mingjue is going to look the next day when he sees it there and Jiang Cheng has to admit that he can’t wait for the small smile that it will surely bring out on the other man’s face.

~*~*~

It seems now that Nie Mingjue has started once he’s not going to stop with the gifts.

The next time they meet with Nie Mingjue being on an official visit to Lotus Pier, he has something else to give to Jiang Cheng.

“Here,” he says putting something that looks like a dagger on the table, though it is kind of hard to tell with how it’s all wrapped up.

“What are you doing?” Jiang Cheng says after a long moment of staring at the gift and by then Nie Mingjue has long gone back to reading the report in his hand.

It seems as if he doesn’t deem his own actions important at all.

“I’m reading,” Nie Mingjue instantly shoots back though Jiang Cheng can tell by the small twitch of his mouth that he wants to laugh at Jiang Cheng and certainly knows what he’s talking about.

Jiang Cheng huffs but doesn’t say anything else because by now he knows Nie Mingjue well enough to know that if he doesn’t want to explain something he simply won’t.

He can be stubborn like that.

Jiang Cheng gingerly picks the gift up and when he removes the cloth it’s indeed a dagger that gets revealed.

It’s beautiful and the intricate crafting on the handle is breath-taking and it’s exactly the right length to fit into Jiang Cheng’s boot, too.

Where there’s a dagger shaped space right now because he lost his own during the last night hunt he went to.

“How did you know?” Jiang Cheng asks and Nie Mingjue shrugs, even while he still pretends to read his report.

“A little birdy told me,” he easily gives back and Jiang Cheng frowns at the implication that Nie Huaisang was somehow involved.

Or maybe he’s reading too much into this at all and it was one of his own people who told Nie Mingjue about this. Which doesn’t actually make this any better. He’ll have to talk to his second as soon as Nie Mingjue is gone.

“Thank you,” Jiang Cheng whispers and Nie Mingjue only smiles at him in answer, his face soft.

Jiang Cheng wonders what this all means.

~*~*~

Jiang Cheng is still debating what he wants to get to eat on the market in Qinghe Nie when Nie Mingjue materialises at his side, a steaming hot bun in his hands.

“You’ll like this,” he says and presses it into Jiang Cheng’s hands, walking off without another word.

Yet again Jiang Cheng is caught completely off guard and all he can do is stare after Nie Mingjue until the delicious smell of the bun hits him.

It must be filled with something because no way could it smell like that otherwise and Jiang Cheng can’t quite supress the soft moan he lets out when he bites into it.

The filling is absolutely delicious and Jiang Cheng wonders just how many of these he can eat before he makes himself sick. But for that to do he first has to find out where Nie Mingjue got them from.

“Hey, wait,” he calls out, running after Nie Mingjue but despite the height of the other man, he can’t find him anymore.

The market is filled with people and despite his own height and status Jiang Cheng has a hard time making his way through the crowd with absolutely no chance of ever catching up to Nie Mingjue.

He guesses he’ll have to walk around the market on his own then, though that prospect doesn’t quite make him happy.

Jiang Cheng decides not to think any more about that, though.

~*~*~

When Jiang Cheng receives a letter from Nie Mingjue with a little package attached he’s not even that surprised anymore.

Just quietly resigned because it doesn’t look like Nie Mingjue is going to stop any time soon with the gifts, though Jiang Cheng still doesn’t understand why he’s doing it.

He didn’t get a chance to really talk to Nie Mingjue since this whole gift giving started, because even during his visit to Qinghe Nie they were so busy with Sect matters that they didn’t even have time to chat.

But it still doesn’t seem as if Nie Mingjue is deterred in his ways.

“What the hell is this then,” Jiang Cheng grumbles even as he opens the parcel.

He should probably read the letter first but his curiosity is piqued and he can’t be bothered to read first. It’s not as if anyone is present who could tell him off for it anyway.

What falls into his hand once he gets the wrapping removed is a new ink stone.

“What the fuck,” Jiang Cheng mutters, ignoring the fact that he wanted to go out tomorrow to buy a new one for himself and rips open the letter.

He skims over the niceties and the Sect business until he finds the part about the gift.

During my last visit I noticed that you grind your ink too harshly. By now you are probably due a new ink stone. Do try to relax a bit, it’s not the inks’ fault after all, the letter says and Jiang Cheng has to snort at it.

It’s true, it’s not the inks’ fault but he does find grinding it strangely soothing. Even at the expense of his inkstone.

“Why do you even notice these things,” Jiang Cheng mutters, even as he replaces his old, worn-down inkstone and he can’t deny that it makes him happy to see the new one and be reminded that it’s there because Nie Mingjue noticed something about him.

Still, it doesn’t give him an answer to his question, so he vows to ask Nie Mingjue the next time he sees him.

~*~*~

The next time turns out to be just a week later when Nie Mingjue drops by for a surprise visit and just like Jiang Cheng promised himself he refuses the gift Nie Mingjue absentmindedly tries to push into his hands and instead he puts his hands to his hips and levels Nie Mingjue with a look.

“What the hell are you doing?” Jiang Cheng demands to know and Nie Mingjue blinks at him, clearly surprised.

“Trying to give you something?” he then asks, the gift still in his own hands, hovering kind of awkwardly between them.

“No, yeah, that’s kind of obvious.” Jiang Cheng curses himself for his fumble there. “I just mean—why?”

“Because I want to see you happy?” Nie Mingjue asks right back and it brings Jiang Cheng up short.

“What?” he breathes out because this doesn’t even make sense! “You never even wait to see my reaction!” he almost yells out then and Nie Mingjue shrugs.

“Maybe, but I do get to see that you are enjoying my gifts,” he then says with a small nod to the lotus charm that is hanging off Jiang Cheng’s belt.

It makes Jiang Cheng blush and he tries to hide the charm with his hand but of course it’s a totally useless move because clearly Nie Mingjue has already seen it.

Jiang Cheng is convinced he even knows about the knife in his boot. It already saved Jiang Cheng more than once, too.

“I just don’t understand,” Jiang Cheng goes on eventually. “How can you find all these things for me?” he asks because he truly doesn’t understand how Nie Mingjue always has something ready for him, no matter what.

Jiang Cheng was prepared for a lot of things but seeing Nie Mingjue blush slightly certainly wasn’t one of them.

“I just—” he shrugs, clearly unwilling to speak up before he seems to come to a decision because he straightens up. “I just buy the things that make me think of you. It’s nothing more than little trinkets anyway,” he tries to play it down.

“Well, you must think of me an awful lot then,” Jiang Cheng bites out, unsure what to do with this admission and whenever he feels lost in a conversation he tends to fall back on sarcasm and biting remarks.

But for once, it doesn’t work.

“I do. I think about you all the time,” Nie Mingjue honestly gives back and it leaves Jiang Cheng speechless.

And whenever he is met with an emotion he doesn’t know how to deal with, Jiang Cheng has one trusted method to handle it: he flees.

So he turns around on his heels and walks away from Nie Mingjue, into the private part of Lotus Pier where not even Nie Mingjue is allowed in.

He paces on his favourite pier, turning the words in his mind over and over again, looking for the hidden meaning behind them and always coming up short. He thinks he might have to admit that Nie Mingjue simply said what he meant, but Jiang Cheng isn’t convinced.

He doubts that Nie Mingjue even meant it in such a positive way; it’s much more likely that Jiang Cheng annoys the other man to death and that is the reason why Nie Mingjue can’t stop thinking about him.

It doesn’t quiet add up with the gifts though and Jiang Cheng Is this close to tearing his hair out when his second finds him.

“Zongzhu, Nie-zongzhu is about to leave,” he informs him. “If you do want to talk to him, you should do so quickly.”

Jiang Cheng would admonish him for the small smile that plays around his mouth as he says it, indicating that he already knows something Jiang Cheng doesn’t, but the thought that Nie Mingjue could simply leave sends Jiang Cheng into a panic.

He runs off without saying even a word of thanks to his second.

Nie Mingjue is apparently about to step onto Baxia when Jiang Cheng comes running and Jiang Cheng can’t let him leave without getting a proper answer.

“Wait,” he yells out and gets treated to the sight of Nie Mingjue stumbling over his own feet.

“You scared me,” he grumbles once he found his footing again but he doesn’t quite manage to meet Jiang Cheng’s eyes.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Jiang Cheng mutters out once he’s certain that Nie Mingjue won’t simply fly off on him.

“Leaving? It didn’t seem as if I was very welcome here, with you running away from me,” Nie Mingjue immediately shoots back and Jiang Cheng winces.

“I’m sorry about that,” he says. “It’s just—you don’t make sense to me,” he then admits. “Your actions don’t make sense to me.”

“What is giving you trouble?” Nie Mingjue asks and Jiang Cheng would bristle at the teasing tone he uses but he finds that with Nie Mingjue it might be okay.

“You said—I just don’t understand,” he mutters as he stares at the ground and notices from the corner of his eyes how Nie Mingjue smiles at him.

“I’m trying to court you. Does that make more sense now?” Nie Mingjue asks and Jiang Cheng’s head snaps up so fast he fears he hurt himself.

“No! That doesn’t make sense at all!”

“Wanyin, seriously,” Nie Mingjue huffs out and steps close, taking Jiang Cheng’s hand in his. “I just admitted I think about you all the time. I have been giving you gifts for months now; gifts that you didn’t reject and even use. I thought my intentions were perfectly clear.”

“Yeah, well, they are not,” Jiang Cheng grumbles, but he can’t quite bring himself to take his hand back. “You should have said.”

“Alright,” Nie Mingjue says with a nod and takes Jiang Cheng’s other hand in his as well. “I’m gonna say it then. Are you going to run off on me again?” he asks and Jiang Cheng glares at him.

“Just say the damn sentence,” he hisses, causing Nie Mingjue to chuckle and Jiang Cheng finds himself thinking that he wants to do that more often.

“Okay then. I’m not letting you go again anyway,” he says and to emphasise his words he squeezes Jiang Cheng’s hands. “I want to court you. I have been trying to court you.”

The words hang awkwardly between them because even though now Jiang Cheng knew they were coming he can’t find his voice to say something to that.

And he stays quiet for long enough that apparently Nie Mingjue feels the need to ask a follow up question.

“Will you let me? Am I allowed to court you? Is it—wanted?”

He almost sounds unsure and that is something Jiang Cheng can’t have.

“I don’t know,” he snaps out. “Depends on your gift, I guess.”

He gives Nie Mingjue a challenging stare who relaxes again after he tensed at Jiang Cheng’s first words.

“Do not run off again, though,” he says, carefully taking his hands back and eying Jiang Cheng as if he is a flight risk.

It’s probably not entirely unwarranted, Jiang Cheng thinks, because he does feel as if fleeing might be the better option still. He forces himself to stay right where he is though and when Nie Mingjue presses the same gift from before into his hands he even takes it.

“There,” Nie Mingjue says and pats Jiang Cheng’s hands once. “That wasn’t so bad now, was it?”

“I don’t know yet,” Jiang Cheng grumbles even as he tears the wrapping apart and then he is left speechless when he unwraps the most beautiful guan he has even seen.

It’s almost simple in it’s design, and Jiang Cheng thinks that might make it even more beautiful but what really gets to him is the fact that Nie Mingjue somehow managed to combine Yunmeng Jiang symbols with those of Qinghe Nie.

He would have to be a blind fool not to understand Nie Mingjue’s intentions behind this.

“There is no way you simply found this,” Jiang Cheng breathes out and Nie Mingjue chuckles nervously.

“No,” he then admits. “It’s custom made. I know it’s presumptuous, especially with your lack of a reaction to any of the other gifts so far, but I just hoped—”

“Yes,” Jiang Cheng cuts him off, tearing his eyes away from the guan to finally look at Nie Mingjue. “You can court me.”

Jiang Cheng did expect to get another smile for it but what he gets instead is Nie Mingjue distrustfully narrowing his eyes at him.

“If it’s just for the craftsmanship I can refer you to the expert,” he says and Jiang Cheng fights the urge to stomp his foot on the ground.

“You ridiculous fool,” he hisses out. “You give me the most thoughtful gifts, admitting to the fact that each and every one of them made you think of me and then you make this—” he shakes his hand with the guan “—combining our symbols and still expect me to say no?”

“Well, you did run from me not even half an hour ago,” Nie Mingjue says but there’s a hint of teasing back in his voice and that is truly all Jiang Cheng wanted.

“But then I came back. And now I ask you to stay.”

“Is that so?” Nie Mingjue asks and takes a step forward.

“Yes,” Jiang Cheng nods but he narrows his eyes when Nie Mingjue’s eyes sparkle with mirth.

“I didn’t hear a question, though,” he teases and Jiang Cheng slaps his chest.

“You’re horrible,” he complaints, though in all honesty, he doesn’t mind. He hopes Nie Mingjue knows that.

“I hear that from Huaisang all the time,” Nie Mingjue nods. “Still, I did not hear a question. And I’m afraid without that I’ll have to—”

He makes to move towards Baxia again and Jiang Cheng’s hand snaps forward, snatching his robes.

“Will you stay?” he asks and immediately Nie Mingjue pulls him into a hug.

“I thought you would never ask,” he whispers with a laugh and even knowing that he got played, Jiang Cheng can’t find it in him to mind it.

Not when Nie Mingjue thinks about him all the time and even freely admits to it.

Though it seems as if Jiang Cheng will have to step up his game if he wants this to be a real courtship and his mind starts to whir with all the possible gifts he could give Nie Mingjue.

At least right until he feels Nie Mingjue’s lips against the crown of his head and then he doesn’t think much about anything for a while.

He’ll have to come back to the gift later. 

Link to my ko-fi

[lesbianladyeboshi]

Sapphic Sarcastic Spidery Swamp Sorceresses shoots...for my self indulgent niche and I can't even post the rest anywhere else🌈🔮👩🏾‍🤝‍👩🏻🐍🔮🥰

Women do not frighten like little boys....🕸