#playing jump rope with zidian

[khazadspoon]

Jump Rope

Well I got reminded of that post about playing jump-rope with Zidian so I just did it. At least I wrote it. SO have a slightly emotional but cathartic thing that happened in the space of half an hour. 

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He has been trying to be better in the past year. Trying to be kinder, gentler, softer when talking to Jin Ling. He knows he has failed the boy by being as harsh as he has been for most of his life. 

So when Jin Ling asks to practice with Zidian he doesn't refuse. Jin Ling is surprised but grateful, accepts his teaching with that same sharp focus Yanli tried to hide but never really could. It hurts to see some days, but it is worth it for the joy on his nephew's features when the whip strikes its target without fault. 

And, after a few lessons, even a hug or two as thanks, he starts to think maybe things are going to be alright. 

Then Zidian is missing. 

He wakes and knows someone has been in his room. The door is ever so slightly open, his books and scrolls are just a little out of place, and there is a smell of dog. That only leaves Jin Ling as the culprit and he can't help but wonder why the boy would take Zidian instead of just asking him to-

Laughter trickles in from the courtyard, the one only family and close guests have access to. Jiang Cheng is on guard despite the happy sound, still cautious about letting anyone near his home even though it has been the better half of two decades since it was destroyed. He throws on a robe, hastily slips on his boots and ventures outside. He keeps to the sides, hugs the walls as though this isn't his home and he hasn't been woken by theft and laughter. 

What he sees strikes his heart in a multitude of ways. 

The first is “I'll kill the little shit” as he spots Jin Ling, Zidian on his finger, the loose end of the whip secured round a tree across the courtyard.

The second is “he is actually quite skilled” as his nephew swings the whip round in large arches, controlled and precise. Better than he himself had been at that age.

The third is “why didn't we think of that...”

A gaggle of teenage boys, some in crisp white, some in red or blue, some in purple, Jin Ling the only one in gold, are gathered to watch as Lan Jingyi bounces happily in the ring Zidian makes. He jumps with a burst of laughter each time it comes to his feet, ducks his head as the crackle of energy gets too close to his hair, and jumps out when it becomes a little too dangerous. 

The next to try their luck is a girl, one from his own sect, and he makes a mental note to find out who she is later as she deftly jumps in and plays the game with ease. She even manages to tuck into a ball between jumps, skipping on one foot then another, earning gasps and claps as she spins and dances. It is impressive, to say the least. 

Lan Sizhui steps to take a turn and a loud voice cuts in. 

“Ah ah ah! Not before me, A-Yuan” the voice cries, jubilant to all ears but his own. He hears the worry in that tone and knows the expression on Wei Wuxians face before it comes into view. Of course he would be involved.  

Wei Wuxian strolls towards the arch of purple energy with the slightest hint of trepidation on his face. They have both felt Zidian's sting and the pain lingers in the memory far longer than on the skin. Jiang Cheng watches as Jin Ling hesitates, the arch slowing just for a moment before they share a look of understanding. It stings to see, but less than it had this time a year ago. It was… nice to see his family coming back together, small as it might be. 

“Alright. Now watch how the experts do it.”

His idiot brother steps, jumps, hops, and-

Falls flat on his face, the portion of his robes on his backside sizzling slightly as Zidian connects with a graze. 

Jin Ling retracts the weapon, concerned and red faced, while the other kids gasp and try to stifle their laughter. 

Jiang Cheng does no such thing. 

He laughs, loud and unabashed, the sound foreign to his ears after so long, but it feels beyond good. His chest heaves as he enters the courtyard, pointing shakily at his brother sprawled on the ground and pouting up at him. He grips his sides, sure the pain will kill him while tears roll down his cheeks. 

Wei Wuxian huffs at him. “Jiang Cheng! Stop laughing!” He moans, pointing up at him. 

Jiang Cheng shakes his head and reaches out, pulls his brother up by his hand and thinks maybe he isn't laughing now. The tears still come but they aren't as bitter this time. After all the crying he has done, it's nice to not feel broken when it happens now. He hugs his brother, tighter than is needed, and he knows the young gaggle of kids are looking at them in confusion (except Jin Ling who has grown so much since becoming a leader, his posture straight and proud but able to bend and show humility, able to accept he isn't always the strongest or smartest). They cling to one another, and he can hear the sniffles from Wei Wuxian even as he hears his own.

He lifts his face from Wei Wuxian's shoulder, extricates himself from his brother's grip and glares at the kids halfheartedly. “Alright, show's over! Next time you try to use a powerful weapon so carelessly, I will personally kick each and every one of your asses back to where you came from. Got it?” He bites. It sounds too soft even to his own ears, but the disciples all flush and lower their heads, bowing to him respectfully. 

They begin to leave and he grabs the back of Jin Ling's collar. 

“I- I'm sorry, uncle,” Jin Ling starts, his lips in a pout and he looks so much like his father-

Wei Wuxian claps them both on the back and tugs them into his sides. “No harm done. Except to me, which I think is more acceptable to our great Sect Leader here.”

“You-!” Jiang Cheng swats at his brother's arm but doesn't let the sting of the jibe get to him. He can see from Wei Wuxian's face it was an unintended sting. “Just… ask me next time, alright? You're skilled and improving with Zidian, but it is still dangerous. You need supervision for things like this.”

Jin Ling nods once and his lips curve up in a smile. “Okay.”

Moments later they are both squawking as Wei Wuxian ruffles their hair in tandem, laughing as their hands come up to bat him away. “And what's with all this hair being down this morning? Do you two have no sense of decency? Get back to your rooms and get dressed properly!”

He sounds so much like Madam Yu that Jiang Cheng feels his spine straighten and his face go ashen. “Yes-” he begins, before scowling and chasing his already running brother. “Wei Wuxian!”

He is doing better, now. The anger in his chest is still real, still potent and painful, but he knows how to temper it. His family is growing, there is more than just revenge and searching for answers to fill his time. The world is changing for the better and Jiang Cheng is changing with it.

[khazadspoon]

YES!!! This is what inspired the Jump Rope fic. I couldn’t find the post at the time so now I can add it as the inspiration there. 

a dangerous game indeed

[ibijau]

Ahhh 85 for the prompt list (the guns one uwu) with jc and xy. I’m not envisioning it being romantic but please do what you think is best!!!

“children shouldn’t play with guns.” “who said I was playing?”

I have no idea what’s happening there but it’s happening anyway  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

warning for some mentions of violence

Jiang Cheng carefully stepped into the alley indicated on the email, expecting to find something dirty and dark, the sort of place an over dramatic informant might find suitable for this sort of exchange… and his informant was dramatic, he’d proven it more than once. Sometimes, Jiang Cheng suspected the man was just playing with him. Not that his tips weren’t good, he’d tracked down nearly all the demonic cultivators the Jins had ditched when Jin Guangyao had taken over his father’s business and decided to go clean. There had been too many close calls though, people who had clearly been warned, carefully laid traps he had only barely escaped.

So, Jiang Cheng expected drama.

Instead, he stumbled upon a bunch of children playing together, some jumping rope, others involved in a complicated pretend game. A few, the older ones of the bunch, were flying a drone, the sort that Jin Ling kept begging to have even though they were too fragile and delicate for a kid his age.

They all stopped their games when Jiang Cheng came into view. A few turned toward the young boy holding the drone's remote, the only kid who didn't acknowledge Jiang Cheng in any way. Soon enough, the others also returned to playing, but kept glancing toward this adult who was intruding into their world. 

Jiang Cheng checked the map on his phone. The coordinates were right, and he was barely one minute early. 

Less than a minute. His phone biped, informing him the time was now right. At the same moment, a melody rang, coming from the group of children playing with the drone. Jiang Cheng recognised it as the opening of a popular cartoon, one he sometimes managed to catch with Jin Ling when it was his turn to have him. 

Hearing it, all the kids froze, glanced at the boy with the drone's remote, and ran away screaming and laughing. Only that boy remained, and two young teenagers hanging out a little further, pretending to check something on their phone. 

The boy was still pretending not to notice Jiang Cheng, but his drone started closer and closer to him, nearly touching him a few times. It got annoying enough that Jiang Cheng had half a mind to grab it next time it passed close enough. 

He noticed the razor blades attached to the toy just in time to avoid slicing his palms open. 

The boy laughed. 

"Hey Jiang-ge, you're not half blind, eh?" 

Jiang Cheng glared at the kid, trying to keep zidian under control so it wouldn't reveal itself. 

"Are you working for Chengmei, kid?" 

The boy grinned in a way that would have looked playful without the intent glint in his eyes and his slightly too big canines. 

"I don't work for nobody, Jiang-ge. I'm an in-the-pendant." 

"Independent?" Jiang Cheng guessed. 

The boy's grin turned to a grimace. 

"I'm what I say I am, what's your business correcting me if you understood?" he snapped. "Jiang-ge, I get why there's all those guys who don't like you. I've just met you and you already piss me off." 

"It's mutual, brat. Now get Chengmei here." 

The boy started laughing again. 

"Jiang-ge, you don't get it?" he mocked. "I had figured already you weren't too bright but that's too much." 

Jiang Cheng glared at him, to which the boy replied by another smirk before launching his drone at him. This time Jiang Cheng simply drew out zidian and unleashed its power on the toy, frying it in a second. He turned again to the boy, ready to get threatening, only to find he had thrown away his remote and was now holding a gun, pointed right at Jiang Cheng’s chest. 

It wasn’t common to see that sort of weapon in Jiang Cheng’s circles. Guns were uncivilised and crude, cultivators still preferred to use swords or spiritual weapons. There was an unspoken rule that firearms were just rude. Still, he’d seen enough of those to tell the boy wasn’t just threatening him with a toy.

“Jiang-ge, you’ve really pissed off the wrong people,” the kid laughed. “It’s too bad, I had fun playing with you, and you’ve really helped me get rid of my competors.”

“Competitors,” Jiang Cheng grunted, tightening his grip on zidian and wondering if he could be quick enough. “Children shouldn’t play with guns, you know.”

“Who said I was playing?” the kid retorted, pulling the trigger at the same time Jiang Cheng lashed at him with zidian.