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fandomweekly2023-05-22 12:42 pm
curiosity) wrote in fandomweekly2023-05-22 12:42 pm
Entry tags:
[#179] Faking It (MDZS)
.
Theme Prompt: #179 - Faking It
Title: Faking It
Fandom: MDZS, my one true love.
Rating/Warnings: 17+, JC is in a mood. People cry.
Bonus: Yes
Word Count: 1,000
Summary: Jiang Cheng shows up the day after his outfits for the fashion show have been ruined, ready to work. He is not prepared to suffer any. more. complications. Too bad.
Jiang Cheng walked into the venue with his sunglasses firmly in place. He carried a gigantic mug of tequila-laced coffee and Daffodil’s leash tucked through the belt loop of his jeans. He was ready to work.
Mo Xuanyu sauntered down the catwalk, wobbling all the way. Nie Huaisang called out directions. But he shook his head. “I know what I’m doing! I swear!”
No, scratch that. Who was Jiang Cheng kidding? He was walking into what was essentially an alley with a tin roof tacked on. With a makeshift catwalk of plywood on cinderblocks, all covered in aluminum foil, out in front.
If it wasn’t for Huaisang, he’d been on a plane and probably be most of the way back to his apartment by now.
This whole ‘show’ was a joke.
All of it. The clothes were a joke, the job was a joke. And he’d be damned if he’d put another fourteen hours in without the only tolerable soul in this entire stinking town; his dog.
Something of his foul mood must have conveyed itself to the crew. None of them dared approach him. Huaisang even gently pulled Mo Xuanyu to one side and gave him quick, whispered instructions.
Well. Good. Fine.
Daffodil nudged his knee, looking up at him with her dopey, doggy smile. It was enough to remind Jiang Cheng to pause his mental litany of wishing death and misery on everyone he saw. Just long enough to scratch her ears and tell her how wonderful she was.
“Can we talk?” Nie Mingjue had snuck up on him while he was praising Daffodil.
Jiang Cheng walked on past the man as if he wasn’t there, heading backstage to his little manager’s nook. He had to verify Huaisang’s updated inventory, go over any new notes, meet with the crew about the progress, inspect the catwalk himself, and a dozen other things.
There was no time to waste on half-wits. Not today. He sat down at his little desk. As he’d suspected, it was piled high with papers. But first things first.
Today, Daffodil wore her pretty purple harness and a matching backpack. He pulled her water bowl and a bottle of water out of it. He filled the bowl half full and gave her one of her treats. If he spent a few more minutes loving on her, well, she was the bestest girl and deserved it.
Only then did he turn his attention to the paperwork.
Nie Mingjue tried twice more to talk. But to Jiang Cheng, he didn’t exist. Huaisang intervened the first time, no doubt to give his older brother a talk similar to the one he’d given Mo Xuanyu. The second time, Daffodil gave the big man a stern ‘woof’ instead of greeting him by begging for pats or asking to play.
That, if nothing else, seemed to get through to him and Jiang Cheng didn’t have a single other impediment to his work day. In fact, things went almost too well. Every item of clothing was exactly where it was supposed to be. Every safety spec for the catwalk was met down to the millimeter. Every delivery that came for their group was correct and on time. Even the glitchy lighting board worked as required.
The sun was long set when Jiang Cheng was finally ready to call it done. Two more days before the show. Three more temporary models had been hired and fitted to their outfits. Daffodil had been the bestest girl all day.
He stood and stretched, his back cracking in a dozen different places. Gathering up her toys, he packed Daffodil’s backpack and make sure her harness wasn’t chaffing or rubbing anywhere, after wearing it all day.
“Ready to go, my good girl?” He asked, when he’d finished.
Daffodil pranced in place. Jiang Cheng chuckled at her antics, feeling a little bad that he’d kept her cooped up in the tiny backstage area for most of the day, instead somewhere with room to play. But he’d needed her soothing presence.
He probably would tomorrow, as well. He gave her a pat and stood up. If they left now, there was time for a shower and six hours of sleep before they had to be back.
As much as he’d avoided thinking about it all day, there was no doing so now. His outfits for the show were ruined. Huaisang had no way to fix them in time for the show. He was out. Huaisang had been oddly calm about it when Jiang Cheng had delivered the clothing the night before.
Whatever. It didn’t matter anyway.
“A-Cheng?”
He glanced up at Nie Huaisang to see his friend wringing his hands, red-eyed and weepy.
Instantly on alert, he asked, “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, it’s just. I think we need to talk. I made a mistake. Can you come with me?”
Jiang Cheng followed him, Daffodil at his side, down and around until they stood in the audience area, looking at the end of the catwalk. Nie Mingjue sat there, crying.
“Tell him what you told me, Da-ge,” Nie Huaisang said, hopping up to sit beside his big brother and lean against him. “I promise A-Cheng will listen and understand.”
“Why should he?” Nie Mingjue asked, wiping his face on his sleeve. “He hates me and I can’t even be mad.”
“What the hell is going on?”
Nie Huaisang wrapped his arms around his brother’s. “This is my fault. I thought Da-ge saying he didn’t want to help just his normal complaining. I didn’t realize he was actually scared.”
“Why should you?” Nie Mingjue asked. “How many years did I spend convincing you I wasn’t afraid of anything so you wouldn’t be scared after our parents died? But I truly hate being on display. I don’t like being the center of attention. I’ve just been faking it.”
"All this time," Jiang Cheng retorted. "Really."
"If it's for work, that's one thing," Nie Mingjue explained. "But this? This is different. This is you."
Theme Prompt: #179 - Faking It
Title: Faking It
Fandom: MDZS, my one true love.
Rating/Warnings: 17+, JC is in a mood. People cry.
Bonus: Yes
Word Count: 1,000
Summary: Jiang Cheng shows up the day after his outfits for the fashion show have been ruined, ready to work. He is not prepared to suffer any. more. complications. Too bad.
Jiang Cheng walked into the venue with his sunglasses firmly in place. He carried a gigantic mug of tequila-laced coffee and Daffodil’s leash tucked through the belt loop of his jeans. He was ready to work.
Mo Xuanyu sauntered down the catwalk, wobbling all the way. Nie Huaisang called out directions. But he shook his head. “I know what I’m doing! I swear!”
No, scratch that. Who was Jiang Cheng kidding? He was walking into what was essentially an alley with a tin roof tacked on. With a makeshift catwalk of plywood on cinderblocks, all covered in aluminum foil, out in front.
If it wasn’t for Huaisang, he’d been on a plane and probably be most of the way back to his apartment by now.
This whole ‘show’ was a joke.
All of it. The clothes were a joke, the job was a joke. And he’d be damned if he’d put another fourteen hours in without the only tolerable soul in this entire stinking town; his dog.
Something of his foul mood must have conveyed itself to the crew. None of them dared approach him. Huaisang even gently pulled Mo Xuanyu to one side and gave him quick, whispered instructions.
Well. Good. Fine.
Daffodil nudged his knee, looking up at him with her dopey, doggy smile. It was enough to remind Jiang Cheng to pause his mental litany of wishing death and misery on everyone he saw. Just long enough to scratch her ears and tell her how wonderful she was.
“Can we talk?” Nie Mingjue had snuck up on him while he was praising Daffodil.
Jiang Cheng walked on past the man as if he wasn’t there, heading backstage to his little manager’s nook. He had to verify Huaisang’s updated inventory, go over any new notes, meet with the crew about the progress, inspect the catwalk himself, and a dozen other things.
There was no time to waste on half-wits. Not today. He sat down at his little desk. As he’d suspected, it was piled high with papers. But first things first.
Today, Daffodil wore her pretty purple harness and a matching backpack. He pulled her water bowl and a bottle of water out of it. He filled the bowl half full and gave her one of her treats. If he spent a few more minutes loving on her, well, she was the bestest girl and deserved it.
Only then did he turn his attention to the paperwork.
Nie Mingjue tried twice more to talk. But to Jiang Cheng, he didn’t exist. Huaisang intervened the first time, no doubt to give his older brother a talk similar to the one he’d given Mo Xuanyu. The second time, Daffodil gave the big man a stern ‘woof’ instead of greeting him by begging for pats or asking to play.
That, if nothing else, seemed to get through to him and Jiang Cheng didn’t have a single other impediment to his work day. In fact, things went almost too well. Every item of clothing was exactly where it was supposed to be. Every safety spec for the catwalk was met down to the millimeter. Every delivery that came for their group was correct and on time. Even the glitchy lighting board worked as required.
The sun was long set when Jiang Cheng was finally ready to call it done. Two more days before the show. Three more temporary models had been hired and fitted to their outfits. Daffodil had been the bestest girl all day.
He stood and stretched, his back cracking in a dozen different places. Gathering up her toys, he packed Daffodil’s backpack and make sure her harness wasn’t chaffing or rubbing anywhere, after wearing it all day.
“Ready to go, my good girl?” He asked, when he’d finished.
Daffodil pranced in place. Jiang Cheng chuckled at her antics, feeling a little bad that he’d kept her cooped up in the tiny backstage area for most of the day, instead somewhere with room to play. But he’d needed her soothing presence.
He probably would tomorrow, as well. He gave her a pat and stood up. If they left now, there was time for a shower and six hours of sleep before they had to be back.
As much as he’d avoided thinking about it all day, there was no doing so now. His outfits for the show were ruined. Huaisang had no way to fix them in time for the show. He was out. Huaisang had been oddly calm about it when Jiang Cheng had delivered the clothing the night before.
Whatever. It didn’t matter anyway.
“A-Cheng?”
He glanced up at Nie Huaisang to see his friend wringing his hands, red-eyed and weepy.
Instantly on alert, he asked, “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, it’s just. I think we need to talk. I made a mistake. Can you come with me?”
Jiang Cheng followed him, Daffodil at his side, down and around until they stood in the audience area, looking at the end of the catwalk. Nie Mingjue sat there, crying.
“Tell him what you told me, Da-ge,” Nie Huaisang said, hopping up to sit beside his big brother and lean against him. “I promise A-Cheng will listen and understand.”
“Why should he?” Nie Mingjue asked, wiping his face on his sleeve. “He hates me and I can’t even be mad.”
“What the hell is going on?”
Nie Huaisang wrapped his arms around his brother’s. “This is my fault. I thought Da-ge saying he didn’t want to help just his normal complaining. I didn’t realize he was actually scared.”
“Why should you?” Nie Mingjue asked. “How many years did I spend convincing you I wasn’t afraid of anything so you wouldn’t be scared after our parents died? But I truly hate being on display. I don’t like being the center of attention. I’ve just been faking it.”
"All this time," Jiang Cheng retorted. "Really."
"If it's for work, that's one thing," Nie Mingjue explained. "But this? This is different. This is you."