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fandomweekly2022-03-07 06:51 pm
curiosity) wrote in fandomweekly2022-03-07 06:51 pm
Entry tags:
[#128] A Different Kind of Cultivation (MDZS)
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Theme Prompt: #128 - Gardening
Title: A Different Kind of Cultivation
Fandom: MDZS
Rating/Warnings: G
Bonus: Yes
Word Count: 1,000 words
Summary: Jiang Cheng takes an opportunity to relax while hosting Sect Leader Nie and Nie Huaisang. Only for things to escalate drastically.
“It’s too early.”
Jiang Cheng cracked an eye open. His guests were seated at a short table not far from where he sprawled on a few large cushions. The afternoon air held a bit of chill still, blowing damp and cool off the waters of Lotus Pier. Braziers had been placed around the pavilion to ward off the cold. Instead of frost, however, the air was laden with scents of wet earth and spring flowers.
“Too early for what?” He gave up waiting and asked when his guests’ argument had quieted to grumbles between them.
Nie Huaisang squeaked and jumped, his hand-painted fan unfurling as he hid his surprise behind the artful display. His ornate pine green and slate grey robes fluttered as he slid off his own cushion as surprise overtook him.
Across the table, his older brother, Nie Mingjue snorted and took a swallow of wine before placing his cup back on the table. His robes were less fancy and did not flutter so much as stretch to contain his muscles and power of his body.
“We are debating when the lotuses will bloom,” he quirked an eyebrow at Jiang Cheng. “Huaisang thinks it is too early.”
Jiang Cheng propped himself up on one elbow, scowling at his guests. “Why didn’t you just ask me? I’m right here.” He waved a hand to indicate all the space he was taking up.
Nie Huaisang laughed lightly. “We thought you were sleeping and didn’t want to wake you, Jiang-xiong. We know how hard you’ve been working. It’s admirable.”
“Why would I sleep when I have guests? How poor a host do you think I am?”
“You are an excellent host, Sect Leader Jiang,” Nie Mingjue grinned. “The Nie Sect has nothing but praise for the Jiang Sect. And I have only compliments for Jiang Wanyin.”
Jiang Cheng scowled once more, hurt and refusing to show it. “Don’t mock me. Just say you are sick of my presence or that my efforts are inadequate. You would be far from the first.” He rose in one supple motion and bowed. “Excuse me. I have work to do.”
He strode past them only to be stopped by a large, warm hand on his arm. Nie Mingjue looked up at him, immune to the vicious glare Jiang Cheng shot in his direction.
“Let me go,” Jiang Cheng ordered, restraining Zidian as the ring sparked on his finger.
“Wanyin, I was not mocking you. Everything I said is true,” Nie Mingjue said, brows knit with concern and perhaps frustration. “Why do you always think the worst?”
Jiang Cheng jerked his arm free. “Isn’t that all life has trained me to expect?”
“Jiang-xiong,” Nie Huaisang peeked over the edge of his fan. “Please don’t be angry. Da-ge was trying to pay you a compliment. Sit down. I’m sorry we disturbed you. We were enjoying ourselves and want you to stay.”
“Please,” Nie Mingjue echoed, his voice a bass rumble to his brother’s alto. “Sit. Drink. Tell us about your lotuses.”
Jiang Cheng was stunned. His brain spun wildly.
“How do you not know something so basic?” He scowled at them both, but dropped onto a cushion. Daring, despite the past's lessons, to hope.
Nie Huaisang rushed to pour wine, smiling brightly, the fan whisked away as if it did not exist.
“I know you were awake that day in Cloud Recesses, Huaisang,” Jiang Cheng continued, “When Grandmaster Lan went over all the Sects and their specialties.”
“Jiang-xiong,” Nie Huaisang whined, his eyes wide and pleading, his mouth forming a pout. “You know I don’t remember any of that!”
Jiang Cheng gave up, sipping from his cup. “Summer and autumn. Most of the crop will come to full bloom in late summer. Harvest will be finished mid-autumn.”
“Can we come back for that?” Nie Huaisang asked eagerly. “Only imagine how lovely Lotus Pier will be in bloom! I want to paint it. I’ll gift you a painting, of course,” he promised hastily.
“You hate the summer heat,” Jiang Cheng pointed out. “You told me once that you were allergic to sweating.”
Nie Huaisang yipped and cast a quick look at his older brother, who only looked resigned.
“Come visit us for a week or so in summer,” Nie Mingjue suggested, passing on the chance to roast his baby brother’s laziness. “And then we’ll return here for a week. A fair exchange. To compare the differences between our Sects.”
Jiang Cheng narrowed his eyes, suspicious. “Why?”
To his surprise, Nie Huaisang sighed. “You must know this is Da-ge’s attempt at courting, Jiang-xiong,” he mock-whispered. “Please be gentle, he isn’t used to it. I can only work so many miracles, despite my own proficiency at the arts of love.”
It was yet another surprise for Jiang Cheng that his own eyes didn’t roll out of his head with how hard he was rolling them. “Don’t mock me,” he repeated, prepared to walk away for real this time.
“He isn’t,” Nie Mingjue muttered, staring at the table. “I’m not, either. I’m just not good at this.”
“Right. The most respected Sect Leader of our generation wants to flirt with me, the least regarded cultivator in the jianghu,” Jiang Cheng retorted in disbelief. “That makes perfect sense.”
“Oh my god,” Nie Huaisang said, eyes wide as he continued in his mock-whisper. “You’re both idiots. You were made for each other. I can only imagine what your children would be like if it were possible to create them between you. This is so painful to watch.”
Jiang Cheng jumped up from the table, glaring at Nie Huaisang, who didn’t even pretend to be startled, this time.
“Sect Leader Nie,” Jiang Cheng said, instead of kicking Huaisang, “Would you like to see the crocuses that bloom now? It would be my pleasure to show you Lotus Pier's gardens. Then, perhaps a spar?”
Nie Mingjue grinned, rising. “That would be absolutely perfect.”
Nie Huaisang shrieked giddily as both men ignored him and walked away.
Theme Prompt: #128 - Gardening
Title: A Different Kind of Cultivation
Fandom: MDZS
Rating/Warnings: G
Bonus: Yes
Word Count: 1,000 words
Summary: Jiang Cheng takes an opportunity to relax while hosting Sect Leader Nie and Nie Huaisang. Only for things to escalate drastically.
“It’s too early.”
Jiang Cheng cracked an eye open. His guests were seated at a short table not far from where he sprawled on a few large cushions. The afternoon air held a bit of chill still, blowing damp and cool off the waters of Lotus Pier. Braziers had been placed around the pavilion to ward off the cold. Instead of frost, however, the air was laden with scents of wet earth and spring flowers.
“Too early for what?” He gave up waiting and asked when his guests’ argument had quieted to grumbles between them.
Nie Huaisang squeaked and jumped, his hand-painted fan unfurling as he hid his surprise behind the artful display. His ornate pine green and slate grey robes fluttered as he slid off his own cushion as surprise overtook him.
Across the table, his older brother, Nie Mingjue snorted and took a swallow of wine before placing his cup back on the table. His robes were less fancy and did not flutter so much as stretch to contain his muscles and power of his body.
“We are debating when the lotuses will bloom,” he quirked an eyebrow at Jiang Cheng. “Huaisang thinks it is too early.”
Jiang Cheng propped himself up on one elbow, scowling at his guests. “Why didn’t you just ask me? I’m right here.” He waved a hand to indicate all the space he was taking up.
Nie Huaisang laughed lightly. “We thought you were sleeping and didn’t want to wake you, Jiang-xiong. We know how hard you’ve been working. It’s admirable.”
“Why would I sleep when I have guests? How poor a host do you think I am?”
“You are an excellent host, Sect Leader Jiang,” Nie Mingjue grinned. “The Nie Sect has nothing but praise for the Jiang Sect. And I have only compliments for Jiang Wanyin.”
Jiang Cheng scowled once more, hurt and refusing to show it. “Don’t mock me. Just say you are sick of my presence or that my efforts are inadequate. You would be far from the first.” He rose in one supple motion and bowed. “Excuse me. I have work to do.”
He strode past them only to be stopped by a large, warm hand on his arm. Nie Mingjue looked up at him, immune to the vicious glare Jiang Cheng shot in his direction.
“Let me go,” Jiang Cheng ordered, restraining Zidian as the ring sparked on his finger.
“Wanyin, I was not mocking you. Everything I said is true,” Nie Mingjue said, brows knit with concern and perhaps frustration. “Why do you always think the worst?”
Jiang Cheng jerked his arm free. “Isn’t that all life has trained me to expect?”
“Jiang-xiong,” Nie Huaisang peeked over the edge of his fan. “Please don’t be angry. Da-ge was trying to pay you a compliment. Sit down. I’m sorry we disturbed you. We were enjoying ourselves and want you to stay.”
“Please,” Nie Mingjue echoed, his voice a bass rumble to his brother’s alto. “Sit. Drink. Tell us about your lotuses.”
Jiang Cheng was stunned. His brain spun wildly.
“How do you not know something so basic?” He scowled at them both, but dropped onto a cushion. Daring, despite the past's lessons, to hope.
Nie Huaisang rushed to pour wine, smiling brightly, the fan whisked away as if it did not exist.
“I know you were awake that day in Cloud Recesses, Huaisang,” Jiang Cheng continued, “When Grandmaster Lan went over all the Sects and their specialties.”
“Jiang-xiong,” Nie Huaisang whined, his eyes wide and pleading, his mouth forming a pout. “You know I don’t remember any of that!”
Jiang Cheng gave up, sipping from his cup. “Summer and autumn. Most of the crop will come to full bloom in late summer. Harvest will be finished mid-autumn.”
“Can we come back for that?” Nie Huaisang asked eagerly. “Only imagine how lovely Lotus Pier will be in bloom! I want to paint it. I’ll gift you a painting, of course,” he promised hastily.
“You hate the summer heat,” Jiang Cheng pointed out. “You told me once that you were allergic to sweating.”
Nie Huaisang yipped and cast a quick look at his older brother, who only looked resigned.
“Come visit us for a week or so in summer,” Nie Mingjue suggested, passing on the chance to roast his baby brother’s laziness. “And then we’ll return here for a week. A fair exchange. To compare the differences between our Sects.”
Jiang Cheng narrowed his eyes, suspicious. “Why?”
To his surprise, Nie Huaisang sighed. “You must know this is Da-ge’s attempt at courting, Jiang-xiong,” he mock-whispered. “Please be gentle, he isn’t used to it. I can only work so many miracles, despite my own proficiency at the arts of love.”
It was yet another surprise for Jiang Cheng that his own eyes didn’t roll out of his head with how hard he was rolling them. “Don’t mock me,” he repeated, prepared to walk away for real this time.
“He isn’t,” Nie Mingjue muttered, staring at the table. “I’m not, either. I’m just not good at this.”
“Right. The most respected Sect Leader of our generation wants to flirt with me, the least regarded cultivator in the jianghu,” Jiang Cheng retorted in disbelief. “That makes perfect sense.”
“Oh my god,” Nie Huaisang said, eyes wide as he continued in his mock-whisper. “You’re both idiots. You were made for each other. I can only imagine what your children would be like if it were possible to create them between you. This is so painful to watch.”
Jiang Cheng jumped up from the table, glaring at Nie Huaisang, who didn’t even pretend to be startled, this time.
“Sect Leader Nie,” Jiang Cheng said, instead of kicking Huaisang, “Would you like to see the crocuses that bloom now? It would be my pleasure to show you Lotus Pier's gardens. Then, perhaps a spar?”
Nie Mingjue grinned, rising. “That would be absolutely perfect.”
Nie Huaisang shrieked giddily as both men ignored him and walked away.