Thread by @beizhaan

i played a solo ttrpg journaling game about farming, and imagined a modern jc fucking off and reclaiming his parent's abandoned farm in the countryside. each day had a randomized prompt picked out from a deck of cards! ((#xicheng))

Day 1: [you meet someone who claims to be a wizard]

JC started sweating early on in the morning, & hadn't stopped. The windows and doors are all flung open in an attempt to air out the dusty farmhouse. So the polite knocking on his clearly wide-open front door, does surprise him

"Excuse me, do you have a moment?

"Huh?" JC grunts intelligibly, his limbs shaky from all the physical labour he's unaccustomed to. He's about to yell that he's not interested, or whatever, but then he spots the extremely handsome man peering in.

The man is tall with a kind smile, though he's garbed in some kind of traditional robe that JC would normally find very strange. But it weirdly works for this man, the flowing fabric cinched around a trim waist. JC eyes the long lusciously braided hair draped over a shoulder.

JC self-consciously runs his fingers through his messy pony-tail, hoping he didn't look too disheveled.

He remembers he's sweating through his tank top, and crosses his arms. Then tries to casually rest against the door frame.

"Hi there, I wanted to introduce myself to the newest addition to our quiet county!"

The man's smile is a force of nature. JC grunts in acknowledgement, and the man beams even harder.

Sticking a hand out, the man presses a hand to his chest, ducking his head courteously.

"My name is Lan Xichen."

JC takes his hand, and gives it his business handshake. Firm and strong. He lets his hand linger there, surprised by the responding squeeze.

"Jiang Wanyin," JC says.

LXC repeats his name, and the way 'Wanyin' sounds coming from his mouth makes JC want to squirm.

"Only my mom calls me that," JC quickly says. "Jiang Cheng is fine."

LXC nods in understanding, but there's a knowing glint in his eye.

JC tries to gloss over it, wondering if he's being that obvious.

"So what do you do, Lan Xichen?"

"Oh," Lan Xichen startles, like he forgot why he came there in the first place. "I'm the local wizard."

JC grins, doesn't even bat an eye. "Suuuure."

Maybe it's the fresh country air, or the fact that he's left his soul-sucking office job, but JC entertains it. It's a fresh new start, so... why the hell not? People out here have some weird hobbies probably - and ok it does help that the so-called "wizard" is ridiculously hot.

Lan Xichen keeps smiling at him, then pulls out a piece of wood from a pocket. Not exactly the kind of wood JC would like from him (ha ha ha can you tell JC is thirsty) but a nice chunk of soft wood, perfect for whittling.

"This is for you."

JC misses the expectant stare from LXC, too surprised by the gift.

"Wait, really?" he touches the wood with his fingertips. It's a good piece. He picks it out of LXC's palm, and examines it in the sunlight.

JC is touched by the gift. But still suspicious.

"How did you know I'd want this?" he asked, trying to remember if he mentioned his wood whittling hobbies to the villager who showed him to his farm. "Is that what you're a wizard of, magically knowing what to gift people?"

He's mostly joking, but LXC nods seriously, his smile growing with delight. "I had a feeling," LXC says mysteriously. Then steps back, "I look forward to seeing you again, Jiang Wanyin."

JC watches LXC leave, noting that the "wizard" takes the less-travelled dirt path he knows leads to a forest mostly untouched by humans.

[Day 2: Obtain a new animal]

JC gets a goat.

(((some prompts i did not do much with HAHA)))

[Day 3: Create something or obtain something with a learned skill]

In between cleaning and getting his home set up, Jiang Cheng starts to find time in between his chores. He sits in the shade of his porch, his whittling knife freshly sharpened. He doesn't think too hard about it

The block of wood starts to take shape in his hands. First the generic shape of an animal on all fours. Carefully, JC whittles a fluffy dog. As fluffy as it can be in wooden form. For a spontaneous piece, it turns out much better than he could've planned for.

He wipes it clean with a damp cloth, and rubs his thumb over the head.

Maybe he'll adopt a dog soon.

[Day 4: You discover nearby forest teaming with wildlife]

JC finally sets out to explore his surroundings, and follows the trail through the forest. The shade from the trees is lovely in the hot afternoon, and he can hear birds chirping and the trickle of running water.

He stumbles across an unassuming cottage - and discovers where the 'wizard' must live.

He finds LXC on his knees, tending to his garden. LXC is delighted to see him, quickly inviting him in for a cup of tea. JC feels awkward and out of his comfort zone.

He's never been the guy people wanted to have tea with. He's never really gone out of his way to socialize simply for the sake of it. But the solitude of setting up his farm alone is catching up with him, and he would love the opportunity to learn more about LXC.

Who knew that JC would like to sit across the table from someone as kind and interesting as LXC. JC is introduced to very rare strains of tea - LXC's family specialty apparently. Their conversation flows easily despite JC's awkwardness.

The warmth of the tea fills his belly, and LXC's warmth and kindness fills his heart. LXC doesn't scoff at his previous number-crunching job. He doesn't think JC is stupid for uprooting himself and moving across the country to reboot his family's abandoned farm.

JC accidentally interrupts himself when he notices what's in LXC's hair.

"Did you braid flowers into your hair???"

LXC smiles. "Do you like it?"

Dumbfounded, JC nods. "Actually... yeah." He touches his own messy bun, self-conscious again. LXC was always so put together.

LXC watches him, again with those knowing eyes!

"Would you like me to braid your hair too?"

JC laughs. "Do you just have a basket of flowers ready to braid into your hair??"

LXC shakes his head, but gets up from the table.

"Come," LXC gestures back out to his garden.

No one else is around to see JC respond embarrassingly quick to LXC's commands. He follows LXC, until LXC pushes him to sit by a patch of wildflowers.

LXC seats himself comfortably behind JC, pulling his hair free from its bun and combing his fingers gently through the tangles

"Sorry," JC feels the need to apologize, "my hair isn't... it's a mess. It's probably more trouble than it's worth to do all this..." he trails off. LXC slowly untangles his ends, then works his fingers through the roots of his hair, rubbing his scalp.

JC sighs. It feels... good

It's nice. When did anyone last touch him like this? So gently and carefully.

JC tilts his head back, his eyes slipping shut. He can hear the summer breeze rustling through the leaves, the sunlight filtering through the waving branches and warming his face.

He loses himself to the rhythm of LXC's fingers working it's way through his hair. First, braids that grow along the sides of his head. Then they join into a larger braid at the back.

Sadly, eventually LXC finishes. He secures the end of JC's braid, and goes to fetch a mirror.

JC has a horrible moment, where he pictures how he looks, and worries he looks stupid.

But LXC comes back out, and proudly shows him with a handheld mirror.

Oh! JC tilts his head from side to side. It looks good?!

He carefully touches the braids, admiring the pink and purple daisies LXC had braided into them. There is a large blue flower JC doesn't recognize, tucked behind one ear. With his hair framing his face like this, his sharp features are softer in a way JC didn't know was possible

He turns to LXC, feeling silly at how warm he feels.

"You're good at styling hair," JC says, not knowing what else to say.

LXC nods. "I'm good with my hands." He doesn't seem to realize his words could be taken suggestively.

JC shakes his head, laughing. "You're good at a lot of things." Like getting under my guard, JC thinks.

Feeling like he's filled his vulnerability quota for the day, JC gestures that he should head home. Before he leaves, JC lingers by LXC's little picket fence. LXC waits expectantly, patient and curious.

"Thank you." JC doesn't know if he's thanking LXC for the tea, the company, or the braids... or maybe he's thanking LXC for his touch of humanity. "I'm happy I made the move here. I think it was the right choice."

He avoids looking at LXC in the eyes, so he misses LXC's soft smile.

"I think so too." LXC says quietly.

JC nods, then pivots and starts marching back home. He keeps touching his hair, trying his best not to ruin it.

That night, he makes sure to take the blue flower out of his hair, plopping it into a jar with fresh clean water by his bed.

He sleeps well.

[Day 5: Sell your crops or items made from a skill at the market]

JC ventures off to the local market in the closest town. He's there to sell some fruits he's picked from fruit trees and bushes on his property, a variety of berries and some pears. He takes his whittled dog too.

It's such a small town that people are excited to meet JC. It's obvious they don't get many new people in this area.

Some people take interest in his little wooden dog figurine too.

JC realises he's emotionally attached to it when someone offers to buy it.

"Uh, no it's not for sale." JC stares at the wooden figurine. "But if you'd like, I can make something custom for you. I don't know when I'll get it to you though."

He goes home with a few requests. An owl, a wolf, and a crow.

He sets the dog on the mantle by his fireplace.

"I guess you're staying with me," he says to the dog. He taps the snout for good luck.

[Day 6: You meet a possible love interest]
JC makes a trip to the creek nearby.

He finds LXC there, kneeling on a large rock, a flat bucket filled with clothes next to him. His sleeves are tied back, exposing his forearms as he washes his clothes.

JC approaches, already smiling.

"You again?" he asks teasingly.

LXC looks up, and laughs. "We have to stop meeting like this."

JC doesn't know about that. He has no complaints about coming across LXC kneeling.

[[ this is as far as i got before i stopped journaling!! in my head, LXC is a wizard! he had a dream about JC, and knew to expect him. he found the piece of wood in the forest, and something inside him said he should hold onto it until the right moment.

LXC may have also enchanted the big blue flower to give JC good dreams, bc of course JC is still recovering from chronic stress and burnout. LXC continues to give JC bits of wood for him to whittle, and JC sells them to villagers. They're always imbued with a bit of good luck.

LXC continues to braid JC's hair for him whenever he asks. which is... verbally never. but!! LXC learns to read his pining looks very easily, and will sit down and pat the ground in front of him expectantly. JC appreciates not having to ask for it.

I think at some point JC installs modern laundry machines in LXC's cottage, and LXC gets really excited about it.

JC continues to sleep well ever since he gets closer to LXC. He rarely has nightmares now, and will sleep all the way through the night.

link to the solo game i used to journal all this!! tsfatal.itch.io/life-on-the-ho… ]]

thanks for reading!!
beginning of thread:

https://twitter.com/beizhaan/status/1592715862217486336?s=20&t=9NQS4xaApmajoqR9drrsVA