LQR owns a bookshop. It's a new endeavor orchestrated by his nephews to keep him active and happy.
And he is. He really enjoys it.
He has the experience to actually run a business,the necessary patience to temper his love of books.
LXC gets him one of those felt letter boards to put quotes from books and change them every week, and writes "live, laugh, love" as the first message because he's just Like That.
LQR lets him because he really appreciates the support. He'll change the quote soon.
Except for the fact that in the coffee shop at the other side of the street, the next day they put "languish, lament, loathe" in an exaggerated gothic font on their chalkboard.
So it is like this.
Hm.
LQR may not be a big fan of A-Huan's choice on first quote but he's not going to let this pass.
And that's how he ends up in a message board war with the punk barista from the coffee shop.
He's got to give it to the boy, he's often funny and he understands the book references LQR choses.
Soon, putting the quote of the week on the board is something he looks forward to.
Their clients seem to catch onto the trend and enjoy it too. There's suggestions of quotes by regulars. LQR has noticed that many if his regulars seem to come from the coffee shop, where they sit to read their books
Sometimes he recommends the lotus tea, in passing.
One day, A-Zhan visits. He's just finished his degree overseas. LQR gives him a tour and lets him chose this week's quote. The fight with the horrible boy can wait, he's got nephew time to enjoy.
A-Zhan choses a poem about nature, something old and classical. Always the scholar.
The next day, there's a poem on the coffee shop's board. It's a love poem, about being captivated by someone's beauty from the first sight.
Absolutely not!
LQR doesn't even wait the week to put a quote about the importance of minding one's business.
The love poetry doesn't stop.
Worst of all, it's actually good poetry.
A-Zhan, who visits frequently now he's in town, is bound to notice sooner or later.
LQR watched in despair as his nephew enters the coffee shop, enticed by a bunny drawing on the chalkboard.
When A-Zhan comes back, LQR only has to take a look at him to know it's a lost battle.
He delivers a shovel talk in quotes, then resigns himself to accept that awful, terrible menace of a boy into the family.
The quote fights don't stop, at least. So he's got that little bit of fun left.
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Thinking of WWX and Mianmian actually dating because they're exploring together, to see if they like being in a relationship. It's a very loose arrangement, mostly they just do fun things together and talk a lot. It's comforting to have a person to share stuff with, y'know?
WWX just flirted at her once, as he usually does, and she flirted back because he was funny, if a bit dorky. Cue both of them like 🧍🏽♀️🧍🏽 "Oh, it actually worked... Now what?"
So now they do this thing together and become very close.
Obviously this means they get to meet each other's family and friends, including Mianmian's best friend LWJ.
LWJ is like "Ugh, your boyfriend is so annoying, ridiculous, noisy... And also handsome. And smart. And kind. And considerate. And..."
The neighbor boy is going through that stage in which he likes to imitate animal walks. He walks like a crab, gallops like a horse, even goes roaring with his hands close to his body, claiming he's a T-Rex.
LWJ smiles at him when they cross paths, amused by his exhuberance.
He'd like a kid, sometime.
He'd even like *that* kid, as A-Yuan is delightful, but he's not really attracted to the dad, a kind and silent young man who is simultaneously goth and a cinnamon roll. A cinnamon goth.
(That's uncle WN, but LWJ doesn't know yet)
LWJ is *far* more attracted to that other man who sometimes passes through to their house, usually in the evenings. Probably the Boyfriend?
Ugh, he shouldn't be jealous. He doesn't know either of them. He doesn't know if they're right for each other, even if his mind screams no.
Thinking of WWX bartending at a nightclub and befriending LXC, who frequently goes there to dance, flirt and more.
LXC doesn't drink, so WWX makes him fancy mocktails and they chat sometimes, before LXC is snatched up for the evening by some pretty thing.
You see, LXC is very popular. He's gay, but he usually attracts practically every eye in the club with his genial personality, love for dancing and devastating looks.
Not WWX though. He thinks LXC is good looking and a good conversationalist, but that's it.
Then the club gets a new bouncer and LXC turns to him like a moth to flame.
He dresses his sluttiest, dances his most provocative moves, has every single eye on him all night and yet, NMJ keeps doing his job, serious and distant.
He's in the background during WX's awkward arranged date with LWJ.
WX can't see bc WWX is behind him, but WWX keeps making faces and smirking at every subtly bitchy sentence that LWJ says.
LWJ accepts a second date with WX just to see WWX again.
Listen, LWJ didn't have a choice on the first date. As many young people from elite families, he was publicly invited by WX on an 'outing' to get to know each other better and couldn't refuse, or else he'd jeopardize the fragile peace amongst the most powerful ole families.
As many other young heirs and heiresses, he was supposed to be arm candy for an evening, then he would make his excuses and make himself scarce for the following weeks, and that would be all. Hopefully.
Thinking of Dragon!LXC desperately looking for his lost baby brother, only to find him happily munching on a very fierce-looking tiger's ear.
The tiger form is huge and imposing but that's nothing on the man he turns into when he notices an adult dragon appear.
LXC is relieved that his brother is safe, and a bit worried that he was bothering someone so dangerous. He's also a bit speechless at the man's appearance.
Then he feels overwhelming embarrassment when baby DragonJi decides to keep munching on the man's ear even as a human.
When the man just laughs at this and pats baby DragonJi affectionately, LXC minds goes blank.
Scifi AU where the Lan are renowned translators; they manage to be both concise and precise, easing communication through the different species in the galaxy and beyond.
What the public doesn't know: it's because they're low-level empaths and telepaths.
Understanding how someone feels and the concepts behind someone's words help them grasp language very easily.
This ability in their home planet makes everyone very controlled, as others can feel and understand what they mean.
Conversations are brief.
When contact with other species began, the Lan swore to be fair, non-judgemental and use their abilities to be helpful.
Some centuries later, it's not strange to find them participating as mediators in all kinds of inter-species communication.