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fandomweekly2022-02-21 05:32 pm
curiosity) wrote in fandomweekly2022-02-21 05:32 pm
Entry tags:
[#126] Harmony (MDZS)
Theme Prompt: #126 - Illusion
Title: Harmony
Fandom: MDZS
Rating/Warnings: G / Angst, Hurt/Comfort
Bonus: Yes
Word Count: 1,000 words
Summary: Nie Mingjue wakes up and thinks he's going to die. Jiang Cheng convinces him otherwise.
Note: This fic also uses the 'our song' prompt on myallbingo February Bingo Card.
“It was all … all a lie.”
Jiang Cheng looked up from his paperwork. His guest was finally awake. He put the invoices aside and went to his bed. Sprawled across the quilt, dressed in Yunmeng purple, Nie Mingjue stared up at the ceiling. Tears tracked down his cheeks.
Jiang Cheng sat on the bed and put his fingers on Nie Mingjue’s wrist. The Nie Sect Leader’s meridians were off rhythm, the push and pull of his power still unsteady. But it was strong.
The threat of another deviation had passed. Jiang Cheng allowed himself a relieved breath and called for a servant.
Huaisang’s hysteria when he’d summoned Jiang Cheng to Qinghe was a vivid memory. Jiang Cheng had arrived to see Jin Guangyao restraining Huaisang and Nie Mingjue bleeding out as his meridians ruptured.
Jiang Cheng looked forward to telling Huaisang that Nie Mingjue would live.
“How are you feeling?”
Nie Mingjue laughed bitterly in response.
A knock at the door came.
“Send the messenger,” Jiang Cheng called. “Bring food and drink for two and a hot bath.”
“Yes Sect Leader!”
“Why waste food on me?” Nie Mingjue slung one arm over his eyes. “I’m a dead man walking.”
“You’re a betrayed man recuperating,” Jiang Cheng took Nie Mingjue’s free hand in both of his own.
He began a massage designed to stimulate and regulate the flow of qi. Bit by bit, Nie Mingjue began to relax. The food and drink arrived on disciples’ silent feet. A bath was set up behind the partition. Jiang Cheng paid no mind, Nie Mingjue did not so much as twitch.
“Come on, old man, get up and in the bath,” Jiang Cheng said, when they were alone again and footsteps had long faded. “I’ll wash your hair.”
“Why waste the effort?”
Jiang Cheng scoffed. “Were you always such a crybaby?”
Nie Mingjue moved the arm covering his eyes and glared at Jiang Cheng. “My sworn brother, my oath. sworn. brother.”
“Jin Guangyao was a deceitful and murdering bastard. I know. I was there,” Jiang Cheng tugged Nie Mingjue upright, to the taller man’s obvious surprise. “You can sulk just as easily in the bath.”
“I’m not sulking,” Nie Mingjue protested, shedding the borrowed robes and getting in the bath.
“Sure, sure,” Jiang Cheng helped Nie Mingjue lower himself and get settled.
He watched carefully as Nie Mingjue began to wash himself. Only when it was clear no sudden collapse was coming did Jiang Cheng kneel at Nie Mingjue’s back and begin to brush out the many, many braids.
“He was my brother.”
“Yep.”
“He was trying to kill me.”
“Yep.”
Nie Mingjue glared over his shoulder. “Why aren’t you more upset?”
“My brother defected when I needed him most, to protect the people who murdered our family. Then Huaisang’s spies uncover the fact that said brother doesn’t have a core anymore and that one Wen Qing has a theory about golden core transfers. This is well after said brother swore to me his mother’s master fixed mine.” Jiang Cheng didn’t even bother keeping the bitterness from his voice. “I know betrayal and sheer fucking stupidity just as well as you.”
Nie Mingjue huffed. “At least your brother thought he was helping with his lies and illusions. Even if he did harm.”
“Jin Guangyao was giving you the harm and Zewu Jun the help. But he’s dead now.” Jiang Cheng sighed, pouring a pitcher of water over Nie Mingjue’s head. When it was empty, he set it aside and shuffled around the tub to meet Nie Mingjue’s eyes. He bowed low. “I am sorry for the part I played in his death.”
Wet hands scrabbled at his elbows as a slosh of water wet his robes.
Nie Mingjue was furious. “You did not kill him! I did.”
Jiang Cheng shook his head. “When I arrived, he had Huaisang restrained. When they heard my bell and saw it was helping you regain control, Jin Guangyao attacked me with that string of his.”
“And Baxia went berserk. She sliced him into ribbons. I was there,” Nie Mingjue glared. “It wasn’t you.”
Jiang Cheng shuffled forward, resting his arms on the edge of the tub. Nie Mingjue leaned back, frowning in confusion.
“The Jiang Clarity bells have many uses, did you know?” Jiang Cheng rested his head on his arms.
Nie Mingjue narrowed his eyes.
“They help balance and regulate qi. Restore equilibrium and emotional equanimity. Heal. Shatter illusions,” Jiang Cheng recited. “But they also have another purpose.”
Nie Mingjue waited.
“In cultivation, they chime in a sonorous, single note. But when the Jiang find someone they love, someone who … well. Anyway. What my bell did that day wasn’t cultivation. It was playing our song, the tune created by two hearts beating in tandem, two souls harnessing qi.”
“But I was dying.”
Jiang Cheng nodded. “Hence why Baxia went berzerk. She knew, even if she couldn’t say, that Jin Guangyao had orchestrated your illness. But my bell gave her the qi to act on her own.”
“Then why hasn’t she done it since?”
“The bell isn’t ringing.”
“And what does that mean?”
Jiang Cheng grinned, waggling his eyebrows. “It means I’m an old man and I need a nap before I have enough qi to spend making your sword dance again.”
Nie Mingjue was startled into a laugh at the sheer absurdity of the expression. His breath caught, however, at the fond look on Jiang Cheng’s face that followed. The younger Sect Leader was known for his fierce, scathing temper. But this Jiang Cheng was all shy boy and tentative suitor.
Nie Mingjue found that he liked this Jiang Cheng as much as he respected and admired the Sect Leader.
“Tell me about it,” he suggested, getting comfortable in the tub. “While you wash my hair.”
Jiang Cheng grinned and got the necessary oils. His bell began to ring in soft, sweet song.
Jin Guangyao’s betrayal hurt but despair wasn’t eating him alive anymore. Thanks to Jiang Cheng.
Title: Harmony
Fandom: MDZS
Rating/Warnings: G / Angst, Hurt/Comfort
Bonus: Yes
Word Count: 1,000 words
Summary: Nie Mingjue wakes up and thinks he's going to die. Jiang Cheng convinces him otherwise.
Note: This fic also uses the 'our song' prompt on my
allbingo February Bingo Card.“It was all … all a lie.”
Jiang Cheng looked up from his paperwork. His guest was finally awake. He put the invoices aside and went to his bed. Sprawled across the quilt, dressed in Yunmeng purple, Nie Mingjue stared up at the ceiling. Tears tracked down his cheeks.
Jiang Cheng sat on the bed and put his fingers on Nie Mingjue’s wrist. The Nie Sect Leader’s meridians were off rhythm, the push and pull of his power still unsteady. But it was strong.
The threat of another deviation had passed. Jiang Cheng allowed himself a relieved breath and called for a servant.
Huaisang’s hysteria when he’d summoned Jiang Cheng to Qinghe was a vivid memory. Jiang Cheng had arrived to see Jin Guangyao restraining Huaisang and Nie Mingjue bleeding out as his meridians ruptured.
Jiang Cheng looked forward to telling Huaisang that Nie Mingjue would live.
“How are you feeling?”
Nie Mingjue laughed bitterly in response.
A knock at the door came.
“Send the messenger,” Jiang Cheng called. “Bring food and drink for two and a hot bath.”
“Yes Sect Leader!”
“Why waste food on me?” Nie Mingjue slung one arm over his eyes. “I’m a dead man walking.”
“You’re a betrayed man recuperating,” Jiang Cheng took Nie Mingjue’s free hand in both of his own.
He began a massage designed to stimulate and regulate the flow of qi. Bit by bit, Nie Mingjue began to relax. The food and drink arrived on disciples’ silent feet. A bath was set up behind the partition. Jiang Cheng paid no mind, Nie Mingjue did not so much as twitch.
“Come on, old man, get up and in the bath,” Jiang Cheng said, when they were alone again and footsteps had long faded. “I’ll wash your hair.”
“Why waste the effort?”
Jiang Cheng scoffed. “Were you always such a crybaby?”
Nie Mingjue moved the arm covering his eyes and glared at Jiang Cheng. “My sworn brother, my oath. sworn. brother.”
“Jin Guangyao was a deceitful and murdering bastard. I know. I was there,” Jiang Cheng tugged Nie Mingjue upright, to the taller man’s obvious surprise. “You can sulk just as easily in the bath.”
“I’m not sulking,” Nie Mingjue protested, shedding the borrowed robes and getting in the bath.
“Sure, sure,” Jiang Cheng helped Nie Mingjue lower himself and get settled.
He watched carefully as Nie Mingjue began to wash himself. Only when it was clear no sudden collapse was coming did Jiang Cheng kneel at Nie Mingjue’s back and begin to brush out the many, many braids.
“He was my brother.”
“Yep.”
“He was trying to kill me.”
“Yep.”
Nie Mingjue glared over his shoulder. “Why aren’t you more upset?”
“My brother defected when I needed him most, to protect the people who murdered our family. Then Huaisang’s spies uncover the fact that said brother doesn’t have a core anymore and that one Wen Qing has a theory about golden core transfers. This is well after said brother swore to me his mother’s master fixed mine.” Jiang Cheng didn’t even bother keeping the bitterness from his voice. “I know betrayal and sheer fucking stupidity just as well as you.”
Nie Mingjue huffed. “At least your brother thought he was helping with his lies and illusions. Even if he did harm.”
“Jin Guangyao was giving you the harm and Zewu Jun the help. But he’s dead now.” Jiang Cheng sighed, pouring a pitcher of water over Nie Mingjue’s head. When it was empty, he set it aside and shuffled around the tub to meet Nie Mingjue’s eyes. He bowed low. “I am sorry for the part I played in his death.”
Wet hands scrabbled at his elbows as a slosh of water wet his robes.
Nie Mingjue was furious. “You did not kill him! I did.”
Jiang Cheng shook his head. “When I arrived, he had Huaisang restrained. When they heard my bell and saw it was helping you regain control, Jin Guangyao attacked me with that string of his.”
“And Baxia went berserk. She sliced him into ribbons. I was there,” Nie Mingjue glared. “It wasn’t you.”
Jiang Cheng shuffled forward, resting his arms on the edge of the tub. Nie Mingjue leaned back, frowning in confusion.
“The Jiang Clarity bells have many uses, did you know?” Jiang Cheng rested his head on his arms.
Nie Mingjue narrowed his eyes.
“They help balance and regulate qi. Restore equilibrium and emotional equanimity. Heal. Shatter illusions,” Jiang Cheng recited. “But they also have another purpose.”
Nie Mingjue waited.
“In cultivation, they chime in a sonorous, single note. But when the Jiang find someone they love, someone who … well. Anyway. What my bell did that day wasn’t cultivation. It was playing our song, the tune created by two hearts beating in tandem, two souls harnessing qi.”
“But I was dying.”
Jiang Cheng nodded. “Hence why Baxia went berzerk. She knew, even if she couldn’t say, that Jin Guangyao had orchestrated your illness. But my bell gave her the qi to act on her own.”
“Then why hasn’t she done it since?”
“The bell isn’t ringing.”
“And what does that mean?”
Jiang Cheng grinned, waggling his eyebrows. “It means I’m an old man and I need a nap before I have enough qi to spend making your sword dance again.”
Nie Mingjue was startled into a laugh at the sheer absurdity of the expression. His breath caught, however, at the fond look on Jiang Cheng’s face that followed. The younger Sect Leader was known for his fierce, scathing temper. But this Jiang Cheng was all shy boy and tentative suitor.
Nie Mingjue found that he liked this Jiang Cheng as much as he respected and admired the Sect Leader.
“Tell me about it,” he suggested, getting comfortable in the tub. “While you wash my hair.”
Jiang Cheng grinned and got the necessary oils. His bell began to ring in soft, sweet song.
Jin Guangyao’s betrayal hurt but despair wasn’t eating him alive anymore. Thanks to Jiang Cheng.
no subject
*SPOILERS FOR MDZS and THE UNTAMED*
In NMJ's case, it's made to look like he dies because of his sword, but really, his sworn brother Jin Guangyao had been poisoning him all along. NMJ dies very messily, in canon, with his younger brother, Nie Huaisang watching while Jin Guangyao holds him back.
This is problematic because NMJ never trusted Jin Guangyao. He was only his sworn brother because another cultivator who was his best friend, Lan Xichen, talked him into it because Lan Xichen was blind to the fact that Jin Guangyao is an evil little troll.
In my story, Jiang Cheng is called to NMJ's home by Nie Huaisang and arrives in time to save him using the Jiang Clarity Bell. Jin Guangyao can't handle his careful plan unravelling and shows his hand only for Baxia to go berserk and turn him into mince meat. NMJ isn't sure how to feel about it.
Re: *SPOILERS FOR MDZS and THE UNTAMED*
Re: *SPOILERS FOR MDZS and THE UNTAMED*