Sunday Six

[clevermanka]

I'm well into Ghost Story and feeling good about it! Just gonna post the opening of Chapter 1 because I kinda love it. I think I've mentioned the basic plot already, but just in case: this is an AU where the SID members (most of them) are international graduate students in English on a year-long grant/exchange program.

The lollipops weren’t cutting it.

Zhao Yunlan ground his teeth on the candy’s stem and tried to direct his irritation at Da Qing, two seats over, passed out against the window he’d insisted on having for the flight. Between them, Zhu Hong turned the page of her magazine and slid a glance sideways.

“I thought you were going to bring nicotine patches,” she said in the prim voice of someone who quit smoking in undergrad.

Zhao Yunlan shoved his sleeve up to reveal the patch on his arm that wasn’t helping at all as far as he could tell. His fingertips itched. His lungs ached for sweet, heavy, comfort. He closed his eyes to imagine it—shaking a cig from the pack, placing it between his lips, holding a lighter to the tip, the sound of tobacco and paper catching flame, then that glorious sensation of smoke and chemicals flooding his lungs and bloodstream.

He threw back the last of his watery whiskey soda in a last-ditch attempt to keep from clawing the skin off his face.

Full disclosure: the story absolutely takes place at Kansas University (where I worked for 20 years) which really does house the specialty programs/centers I incorporate into the story--The Confucius Institute, The Center for the Study of Science Fiction, and The Project on the History of Black Writing. I name the programs, but leave everything else vague (yes, I'm using some of my besties from the English department in the fic--even asked them what they wanted me to use for their names). I don't plan to name even the country they're in (or the one they're from) to avoid political shadows and other potential weirdness. It's non-powered AU (there's no Dixing or aliens) but it's not this world. Also, the house they move into is the house where I lived for seven wonderful years here in Lawrence. The only changes I made to the layout is it's not broken up into an upstairs/downstairs apartment. Everything else is accurate, including the terrifying basement.

I hope people like it. I'm having a blast writing it. Just over 5k in.

Comments

[writedragon]

OOoo! Very nice so far! You write creatively and it's fun to read. :)

[clevermanka]

Thank you! Fun to read is pretty much the ultimate compliment to me, so hurray!

[jo_lasalle]

Awww, Zhao Yunlan! (Okay, I'm lying, I hope he doesn't go back to smoking!!!)

Go go go with longfic story! I am excited!

[clevermanka]

Oh, yeah, sorry, he smokes a lot in this fic. It kind of winds up being a plot point. Hope that doesn't ruin it for you!

[jo_lasalle]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

(LOL! No, don't worry. Honestly, I am precious about some things but I am really not precious about all the things. I will judge him a little! And make faces! And maybe imagine a brief sequel where he quits! But I can handle fictional cigarettes and most of this comment was tongue-in-cheek. *g*)

[clevermanka]

I personally wanted him to smoke because I have A Thing for smoking (I know it's terrible, sorry not sorry =D) but also I justified it =D because he's four or five years younger than the ZYL we see in the show, and that one just quit smoking recently, so... Zhu Hong judges him hard through the whole story, so you'll have good company.

[jo_lasalle]

Zhu Hong judges him hard through the whole story, so you'll have good company.

HA! Excellent!

I've had to cope for years that both dudes Solo and I write in KAT-TUN fandom smoke, and one of them in a very dedicated way. *g* I have written smokers! And I totally do see your point about ZYL, even though I'm still personally glad he switched to lollipops on the show!

[forestofglory]

What a good opening! Poor Zhu Hong.

I love that you are putting so much of your personal history into this fic -- I think that's going to make it feel detailed and realistic.

[clevermanka]

Thank you! There is SO much of me in this fic, tbh. Including the oh-god-I-want-a-smoke feels because God Damn I miss smoking. =D

Zhu Hong is gonna wind up being the best part of this fic, for real. I LOVE HER. I made her and ZYL bffs in this story with Da Qing as more a little brother figure. I hope people like the dynamic because I'm having a great time with it. =D

[elizacake]

I'm having a blast writing it.

It shows. :D And that's really the most important part. I love that you've made Zhu Hong the bff. Zhao Yunlan really needs a much stronger hand than Daqing can ever manage. ;)

[clevermanka]

All the love for Zhu Hong! <3

[umadoshi]

I adore this opening. *^^* And I'm already looking forward to Zhu Hong Being Awesome.

[clevermanka]

She's getting most of the good lines, that's for sure.

[khellekson]

This sounds like a total romp!

[clevermanka]

Oh, I'm so glad! Still nervous about tackling such a long project, but can't do it unless I try and it really is SO much fun to write.