clevermanka | Sunday Snippet

What brilliant person referred to Sunday Six as Sunday Snippet last week? If you read me, please give yourself some credit because I'm yoinking it. ETA: Thank you,

frith_in_thorns !

Ghost Story hit the chronological halfway point yesterday at 47,522 words. I think story time will be passing in fewer words the rest of the way, though. Ye Zun just suffered a major setback and won't be able to cause trouble for a little while. I'm not gonna share that, though. It's a long setup and serves as the mid-point climax of the story so that's gotta wait. Instead, I present to you some of ANGST WEEK:
**
Hours of steady caffeine ensured he wasn’t going to fall asleep easily that night. At ten o’clock, he took a shower, telling himself that it was just to relax, but when he wiped the condensation off the mirror to examine the state of his unshaven face he had to admit what he was really doing. He had to get out. Get over this. Get this over with. Get the stink off.

Some digging under Lao Li’s sink cabinet produced, miracle of miracles, an old can of shaving cream and a bag of disposable razors. Zhu Hong’s voice echoed in his head as he cleaned up his cheeks and neck.

You can’t run to strangers in clubs every time something scares you emotionally, Zhao Yunlan!

“Watch me,” he muttered.

Not all relationship problems can be resolved with anonymous sex, Zhao Yunlan!

“Yeah, well, how would you know?”

He was way too used to holding conversations with disembodied people.

You are better than this, Zhao Yunlan.

“I’m really not,” he sighed, after gratefully rinsing the last of the foam off. He couldn’t bear to look at his reflection any longer. He looked good enough.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

AHHHHH I am having the best reaction of angsty delight at this?! Zhao Yunlan doing things he knows he probably shouldn't to cope with feelings he doesn't want to have is catnip to me.

Also: AMAZING WOW at almost 50k?! You are on fire and I love it!!

OUCH. Oh, I am here for this, even more than for the ghost sex!

It was me! I renamed my tag and everything. *happily claims the credit*

Poor angsty Zhao Yunlan! He doesn't seem like he's in a good place...

(and no, he's really really not)

It was me! I renamed my tag and everything. *happily claims the credit*

I also just renamed my tag. ^_^ Snippets! Snippets for everyone!

Renamed my tag, too. And gave you credit. (I don't know who thought a defined boundary such as "six" was a good idea in fandom.)

For once its "oh Zhao Yunlan no!" instead of "Oh, Shen Wei, no!"

Usually (with the exception of well-negotiated poly scenarios where A and B are both unambiguously into C), B so much as seriously considering having sex with someone else while they're supposed to be in a relationship with A is one of those things that make me go, "Nope, no way, I'm out!" But in this case (assuming that that's what's even happening here), I'd totally sympathise with Zhao Yunlan. Heck, when you mentioned Angst Week last time, my first thought was, "Is that when ZYL realises that there can be no future for a human with a ghost and decides to go back to actual living people instead?"

Of course, I may have jumped to conclusions because this snippet seemed to align with my predictions, but I'm just saying, if that's what Angst Week is actually about, it'd add a nice realistic touch to the story, which would be worth it despite the heartbreak (on Shen Wei's account) and the cringe (on ZYL's). And this from someone who really isn't a huge fan of angst in fic, seeing as canon gave us enough and more of that!