juhua | ( inbox )

[ so here is feng xin, scrolling through the watch's contents, trying to familiarize himself with its functions and features... when he just so happens to come across a username that is very, very familiar. last he spoke to xie lian, dianxia hadn't known of the ghost king's presence. could this be him?? is it possible there's another san lang here, completely unrelated? such a thing clearly requires a delicate hand; it wouldn't do to startle an innocent or, if this truly is hua cheng himself, agitate the ghost king.

however, a delicate hand, feng xin does not have. and so, ]

Crimson Rain Sought Flower!

Edited (his government name) 2024-01-04 16:38 (UTC)

So.

Little tidbit for you.

Make no attempt to remove your mark that you were given. There will be repercussions.

(◍•ᴗ•◍)♡ ✧*。 Wow, who is that?

(๑♡3♡๑) He is so handsome!

(ง •̀_•́)ง OK, I can do this ...

(人･㉨･)♡ I must be brave ... !

༼ つ ͡° ͜ʖ ͡° ༽つ HERE I COME!!!

( ꈍ૩ꈍ(･ิω･ิ)♡ Hello, San Lang!!!

(*σᴗσ)(ㅎᴗㅎ ) Oh, you want another kiss?

(っ˘з(˘⌣˘ ) Always.

[ Someone has discovered emoticons. ]

[ After waking up alone and scared of his new reality, Xie Lian stripped out of the bunnysuit and threw it in the trash, pulling a dressing-gown on to rush out of the heinously innocent-looking wedding suite in a b-line for the baths. His bare feet carry him to a free grotto with no one else around and there he wades into the water, splashing it over his skin as tears track down his face in angry tears. Not at He Xuan, who was equally (if not more so) wronged, but at the situation that rendered him drugged on aphrodisiac which he hates at the best of times and fully immersed in a world, however brief, where Hua Cheng didn't exist. His memories are clear now and there's no mistaking, however little comfort Xie Lian derives from remembering that all he knew or wanted was Black Water: nobody else was part of Xie Lian's life after he stepped foot in that suite, drugged by its nature and the outfit that poisoned him for hours.

He scrubs his skin, crying hot, silent tears with the occasional sob breaking free as he starts cleansing lower, knowing it won't be enough. Of course he will tell Hua Cheng what has happened, his husband has a right to know, but Xie Lian doesn't want to do it while He Xuan's spiritual essence is still inside him. That would be a slap in the face on top of everything else.

So, he washes. And washes. And washes. Gods, it's hours, and he switches to a different pool in case whatever he gets rid of is still in the first. It takes a whole night where he has to text Hua Cheng to let him know he will see him in the morning, hating the vagueness of that message too because it will leave all sorts of possibilities open to the imagination and none of them are kind, but it can't be helped. Bathing thoroughly is the one thing Xie Lian can do as a kindness. He buys new clothing before returning to their room, a long white skirt and long-sleeved top with a staple cardigan, chunky and wrapped tightly around himself as he opens the door of their bedroom. Hoping, against all hope, that he has rid himself of any evidence ... but having spent hours around it while physically exhausted, he could very well have missed some. Still, he can't stand putting off seeing Hua Cheng any longer even if it means his husband is disgusted and upset with him.

Stressed, with reddened eyes and bitten lips, he clears his throat as he enters and his voice wavers. ]

San Lang?

Edited 2024-03-25 19:24 (UTC)

[ Ghostly markets and risqué sex are as good bedrock for a friendship as anything, she's learning, and Hua Cheng's proven himself to be a decent guy – the ghost emojis don't hurt either. To Nami, Hua Cheng is affable and intriguing in equal measure, and his interest in art – something she's only just found room in her life to enjoy making – made it an easy choice to reach out after his message went up on the network. Hobbies were rare, her childhood efforts to sneak a drawing or two while under Arlong's control resulted in punishment enough times to throw her off trying. Now that she's stuck here, there's nothing but the resort to draw maps of, and enough idle hours to fill the back pages of the leather-bound notebook tucked into the bag on her shoulder, she’s got to admit, she loves doing it.

Most figures she’s drawn lack detail, either pulled from recent memory or sketched out in the wee hours on nights when she’s not sleeping, but she’s also not sleeping alone. Having someone she likes, who might be willing to let themselves be arranged so she can try her hand at certain poses she’s been curious to attempt, is as exciting as a new stretch of islands to take notes on would be back home.

That thought keeps a slight smile on her face as she moves through the familiar (and yet still unending) corridors of the library, heading towards the appointed spot, her mind running through a mental checklist of pencils and the pens meant for drawing she’d taken along with her just in case she gets the chance to use them. ]

Nice corner. [ Is what serves as a greeting as she moves closer and takes a seat near where Hua Cheng’s settled himself, one corner of her lips pinned up in a deeper smile as she looks him over. ]

How do we figure out who goes first?

hua cheng
you want to win the game, right?

[ he doesn't remember where he learned this. maybe in one of their encounters or from stalking the network, but if he recalls correctly, then hua cheng is one who's working towards collecting his 52 cards. ]

[ After a veritable month of silence, there's He Xuan's voice calling out of the blue.

It seems like the right thing to do, given that Xie Lian reached out to him and He Xuan, with his vast understanding, completely misunderstood the reasons for doing so. ]

Have there been any updates?

[ Despite the business-like line, his voice lacks the usual firm edge. ]

Ah, San Lang ... ? I have some news.

San Lang~. Has Black Water ever discussed his partners with you? I'm trying to help Shi Qingxuan with something.

[At this point in his journey, Rinne's, well... noticed that a few people on his list were not quite on the House's list anymore. The thing is, not every one of the people on that list was connected to someone else, and so Rinne had to go digging information on his own. Sure, he can blast it on the network-- Hey guys, you notice anyone missing? Think you can give 'em an interdimensional call to see if they're still gucchi?-- but that might just cause panic. Rinne isn't above causing problems, but he already did last month and need to lie low right now, since there was no solution anyway.

So instead, he decides to hunt the people who are still here, and also importantly, might have a clue about the whereabouts of a missing person.

Which is how he ends up looking for Hua Cheng in the gardens, the same spot they met, in hopes he was meditating. He is pretty sure he can sense Rinne's presence way before he gets close, but Rinne acts like he was coming over coincidentally anyway.

He also does what he does best, drapes over him like a security blanket and leans his whole weight, maybe trying to topple him over.]

Sanrara ☆ Spoil me~

ITS SUMMER 🌞 TIME ⏰ MY LITTLE 🍆 COCKATOOS!!😩😩😩 and you know 👌🏽 what that means 😉 its time to get hot 😩 and sweaty OWL 🦉 day long. 🌞😩 so pull out your peaCOCKS 🦚 and get ready for this sCUMmer 🍆 fun!!! 🏖️ From 6️⃣ in the morning 💯 to 9️⃣ at night 💯 you can 🎉 expect the sun to 😉FUCK😍 your skin up 👊🏾 DON'T GET DUCKED!!! 🦆 Put on your CUMblock 💦 and your SLUTTIEST 👒hat🎩 because the sun 🌞 rays will BLOW 🌪 you away 😗💨 Look out for STEAMING 💦😫 CUMMIES in the sun 🌞 DADDY'S 😩 day was yesterday, today is for you 😩😩 Go out and tan ur fat ass 🍑🍑🍑 while you peliCAN 🦢 and get ready to 🐦 SWALLOW not spit 😉!!! Send this to🖐🏾ten🖐🏾 of your HOTTEST 🙌 CHICKS AND COCKS 🐤 If you get 0️⃣ back then ur a cold ❄️🌨❄️ ass HAWKward 🐦 SNOWMAN ⛄️ If u get 5️⃣ back then u a WARM 😫 spring day but ☝🏽️ If u get 1️⃣0️⃣ back then u get 💦 ALL 💦 CUMMIES 💦 Enjoy ur summer HOTTIE ☺️🙏🏽

[ Funnily enough, Xie Lian's voice pops into Hua Cheng's head this way today. Currently comforting Kaveh, Xie Lian has no hands free to text and no privacy to call. ]

San Lang, Alhaitham has gone home. Kaveh is distraught, so I am spending the night with him in the treehouse, he will hopefully calm down and fall asleep soon, but he is heartbroken and I cannot leave him in such a state.

Please don't wait up for me.

✨⭐️✨⭐️~Hello!~⭐️✨⭐️✨ It's me, Hiyori Tomoe, also known as @ eve! ✨😊✨

This is just a reminder that you're scheduled to perform at the 🪄✨✨MAGIC SHOWCASE✨✨🪄 this weekend. You'll be introduced to the audience as the immortal ghost king, Hua Cheng! Your assigned number is Lucky Contestant #6, which means you'll be closing out our show barring any last-minute signups. According to our previous convo, your magic act will feature a dazzling display of various delights, including fireworks and rainbows! 🌈 ✨🎇✨🌈✨🎆 ✨ And a giant dragon made of flower petals! 🌸✨🐉✨ One lucky audience member will even get to ride the dragon!

Also, your signature blood rain is actually *not* off the table. Someone has volunteered to clean it! And that someone is Loki, God of Mischief!

Since I have more resources now than I did when I first began taking sign-ups, the prizes have been upgraded! The first-place winner will receive a gold trophy, the second-place winner will receive a silver trophy, and the third-place winner will receive a bronze trophy! Winners will also receive a whole pile of vouchers, and a group dinner date at the Red Cardinal! ✨😊 It's not the fanciest place around, but it has an excellent atmosphere and a lovely proprietress!

That should be all. Have a wonderful day! And if you have any questions or concerns, feel free to reach out to me!

[It's been a pretty sweet ride, if he does say so himself. He's managed to seduce a sizable number of his original's friends, and they were mostly willing to engage in the debauchery. It made it easier, because none of them would have to look for Rinne when they were busy with him.

And each time he tested their limits, it emboldened him to try even more, push boundaries that his original had set and see if they would crumble easily if he had tempted it. He knew of one that his original shouldn't have been so strict with, the idea of marriage being sacred was so ridiculous to him, especially now that he's gone and married even more people out of a silly requirement of the House.

Deny it all he wants, but 'Rinne' wasn't going to waste this opportunity. Which is exactly why it's a deliberate hunt, the way he looks for Hua Cheng and grins brightly, tackling him as soon as he sees him.]

Sanrara~ I missed ya!

People give each other gifts this time of year. I want to spend the night with you, and make you duck for dinner.

[ For a week, Hua Cheng doesn't get any response to his gift. Tomura, never being good at this kind of thing in the first place, felt suddenly obligated to provide something in return for a first: a present received not from family or caretakers. The appearance of a message on his Watch acts as further incentive, warning him to reciprocate the kindness he receives during the holiday season, Or Else™.

Because he's so bad at this, it takes several days of puttering around before he makes a decision based off an old conversation he fortunately recalls. Come delivery day, the present will be deposited right outside Hua Cheng's door. It's not particularly fanciful: the bag clearly just comes from the store, and the boxes inside aren't wrapped. When Hua Cheng opens it up, he'll find an instant camera (complete with an instruction guide) and a set of print film. A note scribbled on hotel notepad paper just reads Thanks, with no signature appended. ]

Hey, San Lang - you’re a disgusting romantic, right?

gongzi! are you free tonight for that drink? i would love the pleasure of your company if so!

[ On the date they had arranged, at last, Tomura arrived looking just slightly nicer than usual. He'd thrown on a long-sleeved tee and a pair of jeans, both black, and a light bomber jacket in red; his hair, whether brushed or unbrushed, remains a wild tangle of vines. The two of them had explored the arcade for awhile, Tomura playing tour guide, walking them between the flash and glitz and ruckus of the gaming paradise. To Hua Cheng, he'd introduced an easy first game, or at least one without much need of context: Taiko Pro. Hit the drums to a rhythm, plus there's a simple co-op mode so there's no need to flatten a beginner—easy enough. ]

Is there anything else you want to try?

[ He asks eventually, the screen before them blowing confetti for the end of the song. Tomura had considered suggesting some FPS or racing games too, but he wonders if he would need to explain them. Guns? Cars? Despite the modern fixtures of the resort, he doesn't know if Hua Cheng has had the chance to encounter those things. Maybe if he'd been down to the basement or spent some time watching TV. Well, there's also always the crane games and air hockey—not that Tomura ever frequently made use of the latter, lacking a partner to play with (probably the best for everyone). ]

audio ( @fengshen )

audio; un: meow_wow | idk like a week after they met up

text ( @puqishrine )

( action; post hx encounter )

– insert that meme of that one guy yelling ART here

text [un: pressf]

communication array

audio, @puqishrine