hongjuee

[hongjuee]

with every word, the man's character becomes clearer and clearer: mischievous, carefree, and with the ability to laugh at himself. despite his efforts, hua cheng does find himself entertained by the other as he continues to speak, similar to the way one might find a rather silly puppy entertaining.

"so getting ripped from my own world and thrown into this shitty city isn't enough to warrant wanting to burn it down?"

the amused tone stays, and the way he reaches out for the drink is all casual grace, but there's a flicker in his easy expression - something that might almost look vulnerable, if it'd been on a softer face - as he thinks, maybe this man isn't an idiot, after all.

or maybe hua cheng's more obvious than he thought.

instead of disregarding the words as he'd usually do, though, he thinks he'll divulge just a part of the truth - just to see if it'll help soothe the ache in his chest.

"imagine losing the only important thing to you for a long, long time." swirling his cup, his lone eye stares down at the clear liquid with contemplative look, "and just when you've finally managed to reunite, you get separated again."

here, he takes a deep drink, only to quickly lower the cup once the taste hits him. when his gaze lands on the man once more, it's more serious than it's been this entire conversation.

for a moment, he says nothing, and then -

"this shit is watered-down garbage. i wouldn't even serve this to my prisoners. do you not have any standards?" and yet despite his words, he takes another sip without batting an eye.

𝄢"A thief? Do I really appear that clever to you? Ah. But you got me I pickpocketed you the moment you sat down so in a sense you're buying us both a drink-" He dug into his robes to pull out a coin purse just to pull along his rather clear obvious prank. Plus there was no way he'd be able to steal from the eyepatch stranger anyhow- not that he wanted to anyway. 𝄢"Ever heard of the expression kill them with kindness? I mean did you even think that I'm being generous just because it's in my nature? Though the idiot part is not far off.." he adds as he leans back into his chair and relaxes his posture clearly not finding this stranger a threat despite his earlier scowling appearance.

𝄢"So tell me...why did you walk in here looking like you were ready to burn the place down? Besides the whole being taken from your world against your will- I'm sure there's more to it right?" as Wei Wuxian finishes up his question the server comes back with both their drinks. The cultivator slides the other male his before taking a sip of his own. He watched the other closely waiting for a reaction of some sort to his choice of beverage.

𝄢 "How is it? It's one of my favorites this place has to offer."

#xsuibianx #i swear if hc ever finds out about lwj and wwx messy ass dynamic going on rn he's going to look at the camera like he's in the office #like “look at these two fools”

[hongjuee]

under normal circumstances, this whole thing with the creatures and challenges would be of little interest to hua cheng - small animals and the like do little to soften his unbeating heart, and fighting via proxy has never been his style -, but nothing about his current situation could be described as remotely normal.

which is why he's currently standing in the midst of a small crowd of noisy people with their even noisier animals, eyeing the current team undertaking the challenge with a blank expression. it's not the most thrilling of displays, or anything particularly groundbreaking, but it's a change of pace from watching people beat each other up at the gambling tables.

his animal had wandered off somewhere at some point, but he's not particularly concerned - it knows not to stray too far or cause him any trouble, and it's capable of defending itself.

for those reasons, he'd put the thing completely from his mind - until he hears its familiar cry sound out, sounding somewhat angry. clicking his tongue, he turns, and momentarily regards the scene - that of a fox growling at a shrieking chicken -, before languidly walking over and picking the fox up by its scruff.

the fox lets out a - frankly, pathetic - series of whines, but otherwise goes limp in his hold.

"shut up. of all the things to get up worked up over." it lets out another, more subdued whine, which he ignores in favor of eyeing the distressed man that's most likely the other creature's owner.

"quite the pair of legs on that chicken of yours. its reflexes could use some work, though."

★ --;; For as loud as this little beast can be when surrounded by an ocean of people far taller than it, anxious at the viewpoint and nigh on demanding for a higher one, it has an awful aversion to being held by its owner. Anyone else? Sure, no problem. It's content and fluffy and may even shift upwards to roost on their head, completely at peace. But being held by Vash the Stampede? The person it's supposed to belong to? Worse than torture, apparently.

Somewhere in there is a joke buried deep down about the way Vash feels about himself, but he's far too preoccupied trying to keep up with the tiny terror for it to even be a blip on his radar.

Just this once, it had gone with him without a fuss-- only to start squawking and leap from his arms in some attempt at getting away when the pair of them had accidentally wandered to close to one of the battle challenges littering the city, very quickly followed by the distressed yelling of its owner.

Except instead of away from any potential conflict, because it can't rightly see between all of the legs of the drawn crowd, it's very much running into it; and whoever or whatever may happen to be in its way as it careens through forest of limbs only serve as too-tall slaloms-- until it slams face first into something bright and orange with another loud shriek.

@hongjuee

#amoirsetpacis #isola event #no worries!! it worked perfectly thank you!

[hongjuee]

a city of flowers blooms for you

[hongjuee]

"sure." he acquiesces after a moment, before shrugging. "but with this shitty quality, i'd be surprised if it didn't break after landing one good hit with it."

in hua cheng's mind, it's not even an exaggeration; as someone who's used to having countless rare weapons at his disposal - not to mention a certain infamous saber -, a wooden sword, no matter how well-crafted, would look like trash in comparison.

that it hasn't been tossed aside or reduced to kindling yet is because he still recognizes the one advantage it has over unhanded combat - you can only throw a fist so far, while a well-aimed sword throw can cross an entire room.

"i don't know why they even bother with such convoluted bullshit." rather than anger, its ridicule that coats his words, his heart filled with mockery for the ringleaders in charge of this circus.

after all, resorting to such tactics to ensure that people follow your rules - to him, it's the sign of an incompetent ruler; if you're someone whose wishes are worth respecting, people will naturally do so - even at their full power.

"those inclined to cause trouble will always find a way. in fact, i'd say taking everything from them only makes them more desperate."

in his mind steven weighs the pros and cons of walking home in such a downpour. if his condo wasn't so far away, he might just cut his losses and try -- as soaked he might get -- but it is pretty far, and he doesn't like the idea of wet socks. and unfortunately the storm shows no sign of letting up. he's resigned himself to sit and wait in silence before the unfriendly looking stranger beside him finally speaks.

"Guess I was left out." he shrugs. he's used guns in the past, lances and spears of ice, too, but in the end he's always preferred his combat empty-handed. works better for him. "I didn't really want one, anyway, so it's no bother." he also can't help but think it's probably for the best not everyone is running around with something dangerous in their hands.

he's heard about these stars and their love of giving people toys in place of their actual possessions. he's happy he's never had anything on him worth taking -- nothing sentimental he couldn't bear to part with. this man sounds bitter.

"I don't know, blunt force trauma can be pretty nasty. If you swing hard enough."

#scarrfaze

[hongjuee]

hua cheng had taken to the local gambling scene like a duck to water, and on nights he didn't spend in his room forlornly chiseling away at a new project, he could be found at one of the seedier places placing bets with seemingly little care for the results.

watching the dice roll in his favor, and his opponent's manner grow frantic, hua cheng resigns himself to another mundane evening - barely batting an eye as the man across from him begins to stutter out excuses, he stands from his seat.

the fool's shameless begging is quickly souring his mood, and he makes to leave -

only to suddenly pause in his steps, head turning in a certain direction as he's addressed by name. when his gaze meets the familiar visage of his assistant, he shows no sign of surprise at the other's presence except for the slight lift of his brow.

"why should i?"

"he shouldn't have bet beyond his means. all things considered, going hungry for a meal or two's a good thing for him - maybe it'll teach this idiot a valuable lesson."

@hongjuee || starter call |☾| Yin Yu is able to recognize his Hua Chengzhu anywhere even by stance alone he could pick him out from a crowd of look-alikes if needed. Though maybe that's just a side-effect from having been working with the ghost king for so long. He's able to pick up on some of his common mannerisms. |☾|This time it's Hua Cheng's string of luck that catches Yin Yu's attention. He finds the other in what appears to be one of this strange place's gambling dens, however, there seems to be a lack of extreme gambling taking place and those around appear to be rather civil in their reactions. |☾| Expect the individual who decided to bet against the ghost king himself. Now that poor soul appears on the verge of groveling at his lord's feet and begging for mercy. As apparent by the way, they are drenched in a cold sweat, Yin Yu almost wants to offer to knock them unconscious to save them from any further humiliation.

|☾| "Hua Chengzhu...your luck precedes you even here. Though maybe you should let this poor fool off with enough to buy his next meal."

#xiaxian-yue #akdsjlkada not the familiar face he was hoping for BUT he's not upset about it either #very sorry for the potential shit hc will drag him into

[hongjuee]

hua cheng only gives an enigmatic smile in response to the man's question; there's a certain enjoyment to be had in denying people the answers they seek, and he indulges whenever he can.

he waits patiently, then, to see how the man will react, how this will play out; when the man disappears and materializes right beside him, he lifts a brow, still wearing a grin even as his dark eye narrows, anticipating a fight -

only to toss his head back and let out a laugh at what actually happens - and it's the first bit of genuine emotion he's displayed, indifference and feigned pleasantness momentarily set aside at the unexpected turn of events.

"by all means," amused, he slides his cutlery over to the other, uncaring of the theft that's just occurred. he wasn't planning to touch any more of that slop, anyway.

"should i be offended that a mediocrely cooked plate of food is suddenly more appealing than my head?"

Despite being stripped of his demonic energy, the temperature in the room does drop slightly. Not enough where one would see their own breath, but enough to notice that there was a chill in the air. That was the extent to which the ice demon could muster his strength, it irritated him just as much as that smug grin.

"What reputation might that be?" This is said with an interesting note of disdain. He fixed the crimson stranger with an icy look, tapping his nails on the wooden tabletop impatiently. The lone chicken is all but forgotten, even the pork that sat on his plate turns cold from neglect. He has no appetite, not that he did before.

"Mm." Mobei Jun was always a man of very little word, and very little patience too. Shadow cloaked his entire being from head to toe, and swallowed him whole. He vanishes from his seat at the table and in the same breath reappears beside the crimson man, snatching his uneaten plate of food and sliding it in front of him.

"I've decided to take this instead." He's claimed this plate of food as his now.

#hanlengjun #hc in his mind: that's so black water of you #ENJOY THE CHICKEN MBJ FILL OUT THAT CHEST MORE

[hongjuee]

being able to spy on people is great and all, but this also means.... he can now summon these little guys for the very important purpose of looking cool.

meanwhile e-ming's sitting in a forgotten corner somewhere, rattling sadly.

#ref

[hongjuee]

#SAVING THIS #grips yin yu like a stress toy #ooc

[hongjuee]

#HELLO HELLO HELLO #ABSOLUTE MADLAD OMG #ooc

[hongjuee]

timid

#zoo wee mama

[hongjuee]

"and what do we have here?"

arms crossed, hua cheng inspects the scene before him with mild amusement - as does the one-eyed companion he currently has curled around his neck. in one graceful motion, the creature - somewhat alike the one currently causing a scene on the ground - leaps onto the floor, padding over to give it a cursory sniff.

at this, hua cheng clicks his tongue, the sound causing the red fox's ears to flick, and it lets out a yip before trotting back over to sit obediently by his feet.

"come now, wei-gongzi," heavy emphasis is given to the title, making it sound more impudent than respectful, "with a scene like this, it's almost difficult to tell who the master's supposed to be."

𝄢 “You can’t possibly be serious right now…come on get up.” Wei Wuxian stands in the middle of a busy sidewalk trying to reason with what appears to be a shadow? No. A fox? Well something resembling a fox that lays by his feet. “Aiyah- you have not one…not two..but FOUR working legs. I’ve seen you jump around from tree branch to tree branch and now you’re acting as though you cannot move a single muscle!”  𝄢 The fox creature seems to huff in a rebuttal as it turns to lay on its back and lay on the dramatics of not wanting to move unless carried. He even has HALF the gull to close his eyes and hang his tongue out of his mouth as though he is withering away. 

𝄢 “Línghún please..people are starting to stare.” 

#xsuibianx #xsuibianx 02 #isola event #AAAAA I COULDNT RESIST REPLYING #esp bc hc's own little creature is a red fox (since that's the animal he gets associated with most)

[hongjuee]

a dimly lit shithole where the dregs of society gather in the desperate hope of turning their ill fortunes around, oftentimes walking out with even less than the pittance they'd come in with - why, it's all so reminiscent of home it's like he never even left.

hua cheng's frequented this dump enough times by now that the accusations of cheating have finally begun to die down; unlike the half the scum here, he doesn't need any loaded die or hidden card to win, and unfounded rumors can only survive for so long without any evidence to back them up.

still, he finds that there are less people willing to sit down at tables he's at, these days. a shame, considering his tendency to go all in.

it's this very problem that plagues him now, as he and two other patrons wait on one more to join them - ideally, they'd wait for even more to sweeten the pot, but crooks aren't known for their patience.

by the time someone finally does take the last seat, one of the other men has already worked himself into a foul mood. hua cheng ignores the man's muttered complaint in favor of examining the new... person seated across from him.

"the seat was free when you sat down, wasn't it?" a quirk to his brow, his eye briefly trails across the newcomer's features - or lack thereof -, with a curious glint, before he gestures to the dealer to begin the game.

as their cards get dealt, instead of paying attention to his starting hand, hua cheng's gaze returns to the man, the ends of his lips curving upwards into an almost-friendly smile.

"not your usual type of haunt, i take it. what brings you here?"

@hongjuee || starter call !

Crimson Lane is precisely the sort of place Johnathon would have avoided like the plague before the accident. Dark, dangerous, and full of opportunities he would not have wanted to take, it's about the worst place one could think of to stick a socially awkward physicist who had never thrown a punch in his life.

But he's not that man anymore. He's a villain, now, a real one, and it's about time he learns to mingle with his new crowd.

He strides confidently into one of the dimly-lit entryways tucked against a side-street. He has no idea what sort of building he's entered, but it becomes apparent soon enough when he sees tables of cards and dice filling every available inch of floorspace not taken up by the bar on the far wall. It's a little shocking to see this all occurring out in the open-- he hadn't even been stopped at the door!-- but he supposes that they can afford their indiscretions when there are no policemen or Spider-Men here to stop them.

Yes! This is exactly what he needs! This is real, and raw, and-- and honestly a little gross, with all the smoke in the air and spilled alcohol on the floor. But this is where the real worst of the worst hang out, so John ignores the lingering stares of patrons as he passes them and sits himself down at an empty seat near the back.

He's not wearing any sort of disguise. He's past that now, powerful enough to meet the derision of strangers with something far worse. Still, he feels a twinge of self-consciousness once he's actually seated, staring face-to-face-hole with a rather intimidating-looking man with all the dark, luxurious hair and piercing eyes that John now lacks.

Mimicking the sound of clearing his throat, Spot hunches his shoulders and pulls his phone from somewhere to display the Spirazon Wallet app to the table.

"Hey, man, uh... do you have room for one more? I've got Dust and I definitely can't count cards even though it's just keeping track of numbers to help with calculating simple probabilities, I swear."

#alchemaxed

[hongjuee]

"and here i thought only tasteless fucks like qi rong went around biting humans. who knew human flesh would be something people fought over here."

#dash comm #wwx getting bit left right and center oop #watching shit go down is very much his hobby

[hongjuee]

not only does he dress himself in white, but he fashions himself to be righteous and selfless too - perhaps, if they’d have met under different, better circumstances, these traits would work to endear the man to him.

as things are, though, in the absence of his beloved, the similarities only serve to make the man appear a pale, mocking imitation.

"oh, it seems i've managed to offend this good sir." the innocence, poorly feigned, is far below his acting capabilities; he follows his words up with a shallow bow. "you'll have to forgive me. i've been told my words can be a little too harsh."

"but surely an upstanding character such as yourself would be willing to overlook my previous insolence, and continue to offer his assistance? your help would be much appreciated."

The man’s attitude bothers Lan Zhan, but he forces himself to take a deep breath, doing his best to ignore the glares and almost condescending manner with which he spoke to him. 

“It goes against my beliefs and how I was raised to accept payment from others when doing what I believe to be right.” He says simply, trying to not engage in long conversation with him. He wasn’t a talkative person, and this man was irritating him beyond what he thought someone could be capable of.

“Of course, if you do not wish for my help, then let me be on my way. I do not wish to waste my time talking frivolously.” 

#gusubound #sigh… time to add lwj to the list of people who dont like hc then : (

[hongjuee]

📜 a cryptic letter

𝐖𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐍 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐒 𝐌𝐄𝐌𝐄 | 📜 a cryptic letter

an unassuming envelope arrives in the mail for the black-clad demonic cultivator. the fact that it's even delivered to the right address is already nothing short of a miracle, but the reader will need another miracle to be able to decipher the words contained within it:

so i heard you're in the business of raising and controlling the dead. how morbid!

i wonder if it still works when the dead no longer have access to their corpse. ever try to control a ghost? would be a pretty handy trick to have - some of them can get so fucking annoying.

#xsuibianx #hc while writing about how some ghosts are annoying: not me though #idk if this is 'cryptic' enough but if half of it is illegible then naturally it's more mysterious #good luck trying to read it wwx godspeed

[hongjuee]

📋 a shopping list 🤔

𝐖𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐍 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐒 𝐌𝐄𝐌𝐄 | 📋 a shopping list

it seems that, due to the sender's atrocious handwriting, the unsigned letter is - quite understandably - delivered to the wrong address. for the curious soul, opening the letter would reveal what appears to be a very normal shopping list.

except it's almost indecipherable, decidedly making its content appear less innocent than it is:

silver polisher

clay

paint and paint brushes

canvases

candles

heavy duty padlock

carving knife ( + others )

#nicawlette #ty for the ask!! #he's just getting ready to get all artsy... it's how he copes

[hongjuee]

😔 best apologize, slut

𝐖𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐍 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐒 𝐌𝐄𝐌𝐄 | 😔 a written apology

a sealed letter with what resembles three distinct words written on it is delivered to a certain ice demon's residence. should the recipient be willing to spend the herculean amount of effort and time needed to decipher the near-illegible scrawl, he would find its contents as follows:

to mobei jun,

i'll cut to the chase: our first meeting was shit. tensions flew high, and some very choice words were exchanged. writing this letter, i can't take back or change any of that, but i'd still like to offer you a sincere apology for that day.

i'm sorry. that a couple of mean words were enough to get under your skin. and i'm also sorry for laughing out loud when you started piling on the threats. in hindsight, it was probably kind of damaging to your fragile ego. whoops.

i hope this apology brought a smile to your face, because it sure did for me writing this.

also, i know where you live now.

hua cheng

#hanlengjun #YOU BET HIS ASS WAS GIGGLING WHILE HE DELIVERED THE LETTER TO MBJ'S DOORSTEP #also it's all nicely typed here but you just know. the actual letter looks like a hellscape