backyardbbq | Post-redacted threads + other nonsense

[ im gonna say xl totally forgot hc in this time loop for the purpose of doing shippy things okay? okay cool

extra funny bc hc is on this post. ANYWAY.

xie lian's sipping tea and sitting with shiro this evening, and he watches a bubble float between them. his mouth quirks up with a smile. ] Is that so odd? I think it sounds sweet.

[ cute... dad shiro.... that's the kind of just human thing that xie lian loves.

but, he takes a sip of his tea as he considers the next question. ] Mostly, I have been avoiding them - with the luck that I have, I think I would end up sharing something that no one would want to see.

[RIP HC, we knew thee well.]

I suppose it's sweet to look back on, but it was a lot at the time. I tried to raise them on my own at first, but newborn twins are a handful! I had to pull in a couple of friends to help me, because after three days of no sleeping I just couldn't take it anymore.

[He does miss that age, though. When they weren't crying, Rin and Yukio were so cute.]

Mmm, I think I understand. Though it's unfortunate that your bad memories outnumber your good, you deserve more good days.

[He goes to sip his tea, but he pauses when he realizes something, and he chuckles.]

Aah, pun not intended there.

Haha... I can only imagine. [ he's never exactly spent much time around children himself, after all! xie lian was an only child, and he certainly is never planning on having kids of his own.

but... the comment (and the pun) makes him huff a laugh, and xie lian ducks his head, humble. ] That's very kind of you to say, though, Shiro. Really - I have lived for eight centuries. It is probably only to be expected that the bad have outweighed the good.

Even so, it makes me treasure the good memories, and the good days, all that much more. [ he eyes a bubble as it floats by... ]

It might also be that the particularly 'good' or 'bad' memories are what stick in your mind the most. After all, people don't really remember days spent cleaning the house, or preparing meals, or other stuff like that. The neutral days, those are forgotten first.

[He sees Xie Lian eyeing that bubble, and in that moment he comes up with an idea.]

Tell me about a good memory. Maybe speaking it out loud will have it at the forefront of your mind, so that'll be the one the bubble shows if you touch it.

Ah, but, the neutral days are my favorites. I like to think that the best parts of life are the parts where we have minor worries - things like "did I sweep the front step today", or "I spent some time with someone I cared about for a little while." Those minor worries mean we're safe.

[ hmmm, a happy memory... xie lian tilts his head. ] ...As for a happy memory, is it silly to say my happiest memories come from things like good meals, or like a particularly sunny day?

[ most of his childhood memories tend to be tinged with sadness! because, you know. gestures at xianle. rip. ]

There's nothing wrong with that, I don't think. It means you value peace and quiet.

[Which is honestly pretty cute. And Shiro probably likes those days best too, the quiet days when he and the boys didn't have much to do. But he's trying to get Xie Lian to share here, so.]

Tell me about one of those days, then. What's a good meal you enjoyed?

Hmm...

Around the time of the Autumn Festival, it is traditional to eat tangyuan - a sweet rice flour ball that's served in a broth. I couldn't tell you when it happened, now, because it has certainly been centuries, but I lost track of days when I wandered the world, and stopped to have tea at a tiny shop in the middle of nowhere. I didn't really have any money, and watching everyone else eat tangyuan, I remember thinking how nice it would have been to have some... and I thought I had saved enough money that I could afford a bowl.

However, when it came time to pay, I realized I didn't have enough.

[ there's a beat, and then, xie lian smiles, his whole expression softening with the memory. ] ...But the owner of the shop gave it to me anyway, for no reason other than to simply be kind. He said it would have been a waste to throw it out, but... to me, it tasted a little sweeter that day, knowing someone simply wanted to be kind to a humble scrap collector wandering the world.

Those sorts of memories are the type I always cherish.

[For a moment Shiro thinks this might turn into some sad story where Xie Lian didn't get any at all, but then the story ends on a happy note and Shiro is left smiling.]

I think I get what you're saying there. An act of kindness really does make even the mundane feel better.

[And there's that fond look again, the one that shows up when Shiro is speaking from his heart.

It only lasts for a moment though, before Shiro's tone turns a bit cheekier.]

But hearing you talk about such simple things, it makes me want to spoil you with offerings and treats.

[ oh - shiro gets the exact reaction he's expecting by which i mean, xie lian's ears immediately turn bright red. ]

Shiro ah... [ why are you always so embarrassing!!! he waves his hand to try and dispel that notion!!!! ] I really don't need that kind of thing... I'm a scrap collector, to say I live a humble existence would be putting it lightly...

Then you can humbly accept some sakuramochi, hmm?

[Shiro it's not even the right season for sakuramochi.

But that actually gets him to think about sweet foods, and he's tapping his chin thoughtfully as he considers his options.]

You know, there's a lot of good food from my time that you should try. Especially the candies, those are pretty creative nowadays. Matcha-flavored things are pretty popular too, and that's something I think we have at this inn here so I could make matcha-flavored mochi.

Is that so...? Well, I'll eat anything, so...

[ xie lian has absolutely no idea what sakuramochi is, so, he can cook it however he wants...!

but the idea of it being an offering is still a little embarrassing. xie lian smiles at shiro anyway, though, touched, if flustered. ] ...Well, alright, if you'll cook it, but only on the agreement that we share, alright? Not as any sort of an offering...

Ah? So you would rather share it as a friend?

[Shiro did like to tease Xie Lian with talks of prayers and offerings, and though he did intend on actually giving him both someday, he could also accept giving a gift to someone he cared about instead of giving it as an offering.

But as he's going to grab his cup of tea again, he bumps into one of the bubbles, and Xie Lian will get to see a brief memory that makes Shiro stop for a moment. It's not a negative one, but it's clearly an important one, because he's definitely staring at the bubble even after the memory ends.]

Oh -

[ the first thing he feels, watching the memory is...

warmth. warmth that has little to do with the weather, if the cold they seem to experience is any indication. he's not sure what the yukiotokio is, or.. most of the context of this memory, but a younger shiro's emotions are much, much more familiar.

he blinks as the world shifts back into reality, eyes a little wide, and slowly closes his mouth, trying to contain any of his reaction as he exhales out. ]

...That young lady...

[ he doesn't finish, there. if the wash of affection any indication, he wonders - if maybe that is the mother of rin, and yukio. ]

...Yuri. That's Yuri.

['Sharing with a friend' is definitely a good summary of that memory. Though he didn't consider Yuri to be a friend until years after that moment.]

She called me 'yukiotoko' because I yelled at her. It was her way of saying I had a 'cold heart.' The nickname stuck around for a while, up until we were adults.

I can't believe I still remember all of that so clearly. It happened decades ago.

Things that are important to us stay around in our minds, no matter how long ago they were. [ considering how old xie lian is!!

anyway, whether he's human or not... these little interactions are xie lian's favorite thing about humanity. he leans forward a little to catch shiro's facial expression - and he can't help but smile at him, as he finishes. ]

...Cold hearted, hm? I suppose it stopped sticking around... because you stopped being cold hearted?

[ is

is he teasing back? ]

[It's a bit nostalgic, honestly. Yuri is still a very heavy weight on his soul, but sometimes the good memories aren't so bad. It makes him miss the past more than anything.]

Aaah, well. Growing up and becoming a father certainly helped. You can't be cold-hearted when you have kids to take care of. They absorb everything you say and do. If you wanna raise kind children, you gotta be kind yourself.

I think cold-hearted is the last thing I would call the you I know, now, so I'm glad to hear that.

[ gosh, he loves hearing about shiro's kids. xie lian's smile remains, pleasant as he sips his tea. ]

Do you think they are? Kind, anyway?

I guess she did a good job, then. She always believed I could be kind.

[The fact that he keeps talking about her in the past tense is something too.]

I'd like to think they are. They're teenagers, so they have their moody days, but there's still kindness in them. I just hope they remember to always be kind.

[ xie lian smiles a little, at that, vaguely recalling the only teenagers he's ever really known... as very feisty, himself included. but.

...but, that past tense isn't lost on him. his tone softens a little, a bit more solemn. ] It sounds like you raised them well, Shiro.

[ ...by himself, it seems.

loss is always heavy - especially the loss of who must have been such a very important person to him. he's quiet for a little while after that, sipping from his tea.

its only when another bubble floats vaguely in between them that he speaks again, glad for the distraction. ] ...You shared something with me. It's only fair - I can return the favor, but I cannot promise that it will be a memory worth sharing...

I did try my best. I guess that's all you can do, yeah?

[Talking about himself in the past tense might not be as much of a surprise, since Shiro has already told Xie Lian that he knows he's dead within a few months of going home.]

Only if you want to. And even if it's a bad memory, it's alright. The fact that you want to share at all, that makes it worth sharing.

[ he hates that! it's kind of hard to hear honestly - you would think he'd be used to death, but somehow... shiro leaving this place only to face his own death back home feels unbelievably brutal. the only reaction it gets is a slight furrow of his brow, but xie lian smothers it beyond that, and instead looks to the bubble.

he takes a deep breath, sends out a silent prayer to ling wen that her infinite knowledge will somehow make this less bad, prays for the heaven official's blessing and pops the bubble!

shiro gets a glance into xie lian's life - the day where he was fighting against the ghost brides back at mt. yu jun.

...as a bride himself. it's fine. ]

[That sure is fighting someone in bridal wear. And we're going to say Shiro is aware that it's a bridal outfit because that makes this funnier.]

You know, for all the times I joked about you being a blushing maiden, I didn't mean it literally.

[TEASE TEASE TEASE]

Impressive fighting skills, by the way. That must've been hard to pull off in that dress.

[ STOPPPP

that definitely could have been worse, in terms of a memory! it's just. well, it's embarrassing, and xie lian is doing his game best not to blush, which means the minute shiro opens his mouth and says something, his face turns bright red. ]

It's not a hobby of mine or anything, please don't think that.... [ waving his hands god ]

...Rather, we were trying to catch a 'ghost groom', who had been kidnapping brides, so ...I went as bait because I could defend myself if I was attacked...

[ rubbing at his red cheek, he'll take the compliment to his skills, though, nodding his head. ] It was more restrictive than I was used to, but it wasn't that bad.

Such a brave bride, fighting a ghost groom like that. Hopefully you didn't have to say the vows before you got to fight him.

[While his teasing is gentle, it is clear that this is something he is going to remember for a while. He'll remember it for the rest of his life! :)]

Seeing you fight makes me wanna show off, you know. I used to be something, back when I was a bit younger.

[He just wants to impress Xie Lian.]

[ maple. :gooseknife:

anyway. xie lian shakes his head, rubbing his cheek to dispel the last of the flush. ]

She wasn't a groom - she was a bride. A jealous former lover of the Martial God of the North. [ to say the least. and now xuan ji was... well, still really a problem, though a minor one at best. one of the things he has to look forward to whenever things end in the realm. yay! ] ...She was incredibly skilled, though. A Wrath-level ghost is nothing to mess with.

[ so, xie lian was glad he was there to deal with it!

...but, ah. for that last remark, xie lian tilts his head. there's something... almost playful, in his tone? ] Didn't you say that you were, ah... no longer in your prime?

[

rude, ]

Post-redacted threads + other nonsense

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