Ahhhh, I don't know how to start so let's make it - this was so beautiful. And it's so close to Christmas that I may just treat it as (yet another!) Christmas gift and ahhhh, what a splendid present it is. ♥
You've hardly written historical AUs for Homin fandom so besides that one onmyouji fic, this and the djinn fic are my first contact with this kind of themes coming from you. It's like discovering a new flavour of your writing (even though it's not really new for you and everything is top-notch, the taste, the fragrance, the appearance. Just the way it should be in Japanese cuisine which's so fitting considering the setting here. I'm bad at metaphors but! You really paint this world, this setting so well. It's believable - the descriptions of the people, their words; and all these little things such as Changmin seeking comfort in the plum blossoms; his hairpins. It all takes the reader into the realms of 17th century Japan. And Sakabe! Such a schwarzcharacter! A typical cruel evil lord with far too much money and influence, he's like straight out of kabuki plays themselves? It adds to the story too, gives it even more atmosphere. In a way, Homin's relationship is reminiscent of kabuki/joruri plays as well? The clashing of the worlds, the oh so adored forbidden love. ...thankfully it didn't end as such a story would, lol.
I also loved the colours (although there aren't that many) and a certain... play of light(??) in this. The starkness of snow, Changmin's beautiful garments and then we have Yunho who's both a different kind of brightness altogether as well as a flurry of unexpected colours.
I really love how subtle Homin's relationship and its progress are in this. Again - it's so fitting. I also really adore the way Yunho kind of barges into Changmin's life and turns everything upside down? Idk if that's a good way of putting it but Changmin seems to be so... detached? From almost everything (besides music), himself included. Ofc to an extent it's deliberate and it's what he was taught to be (and also, it's what's safe), it's the frames he's been put it and from which there seems not to be an escape. And then comes Yunho and music appears to be the only thing he's interested in and Changmin doesn't understand it, he's not used to such treatment. It was such a delight to see him affected? Even when I was wondering just what exactly Yunho wants. "Not a woman, not a boy" - "what then" is probably a question that most readers will ask themselves? (Is "a koto player" the right answer then? Or is it Changmin, a person caught up and suspended between the two.)
And Yunho, Yunho continues to ask all the questions and provide no answers to the things Changmin's curious about, and, in a way, he keeps testing Changmin? (Idk, it's like he's both demanding and not.) And he doesn't meet Changmin's expectations as to how their encounter should proceed. Like the summary says - he breaks all the rules and it catches Changmin unaware and makes him lose his footing over and over again. But it's enough to make him more than interested, to make him yearn for Yunho. (Except even he himself isn't sure of the reason - in a way it's a bit sad, bittersweet? That he's held his emotions in check for so long that he himself can't tell.)
Changmin has been trained all his life to be still and passive, only able to show his feelings through performance, whether song or dance or conversation or sex. Yunho has exuberance and courage, and Changmin wonders what it must be like to be so free with one’s emotions.
On the second read this shows just how significant the sex scene, or more precisely, the lead-up to it is? For once, there is no payment, it isn't a performance. Changmin finally gets a taste of such freedom? Even if he still belongs to his master, in this moment he is only his own person and he chooses to give that to Yunho. So beautiful.
And then. The committment ceremony ;; Ahhhhhhh, let me love you ;A; Were you planning on including this scene right from the start or did me saying I've got a soft spot for these affect it a little? Either way, it was all kinds of glorious and understated and just perfect. ♥
You've hardly written historical AUs for Homin fandom so besides that one onmyouji fic, this and the djinn fic are my first contact with this kind of themes coming from you. It's like discovering a new flavour of your writing (even though it's not really new for you and everything is top-notch, the taste, the fragrance, the appearance. Just the way it should be in Japanese cuisine which's so fitting considering the setting here. I'm bad at metaphors but!
You really paint this world, this setting so well. It's believable - the descriptions of the people, their words; and all these little things such as Changmin seeking comfort in the plum blossoms; his hairpins. It all takes the reader into the realms of 17th century Japan.
And Sakabe! Such a schwarzcharacter! A typical cruel evil lord with far too much money and influence, he's like straight out of kabuki plays themselves? It adds to the story too, gives it even more atmosphere.
In a way, Homin's relationship is reminiscent of kabuki/joruri plays as well? The clashing of the worlds, the oh so adored forbidden love. ...thankfully it didn't end as such a story would, lol.
I also loved the colours (although there aren't that many) and a certain... play of light(??) in this. The starkness of snow, Changmin's beautiful garments and then we have Yunho who's both a different kind of brightness altogether as well as a flurry of unexpected colours.
I really love how subtle Homin's relationship and its progress are in this. Again - it's so fitting. I also really adore the way Yunho kind of barges into Changmin's life and turns everything upside down? Idk if that's a good way of putting it but Changmin seems to be so... detached? From almost everything (besides music), himself included. Ofc to an extent it's deliberate and it's what he was taught to be (and also, it's what's safe), it's the frames he's been put it and from which there seems not to be an escape. And then comes Yunho and music appears to be the only thing he's interested in and Changmin doesn't understand it, he's not used to such treatment. It was such a delight to see him affected? Even when I was wondering just what exactly Yunho wants. "Not a woman, not a boy" - "what then" is probably a question that most readers will ask themselves? (Is "a koto player" the right answer then? Or is it Changmin, a person caught up and suspended between the two.)
And Yunho, Yunho continues to ask all the questions and provide no answers to the things Changmin's curious about, and, in a way, he keeps testing Changmin? (Idk, it's like he's both demanding and not.) And he doesn't meet Changmin's expectations as to how their encounter should proceed. Like the summary says - he breaks all the rules and it catches Changmin unaware and makes him lose his footing over and over again.
But it's enough to make him more than interested, to make him yearn for Yunho. (Except even he himself isn't sure of the reason - in a way it's a bit sad, bittersweet? That he's held his emotions in check for so long that he himself can't tell.)
Changmin has been trained all his life to be still and passive, only able to show his feelings through performance, whether song or dance or conversation or sex. Yunho has exuberance and courage, and Changmin wonders what it must be like to be so free with one’s emotions.
On the second read this shows just how significant the sex scene, or more precisely, the lead-up to it is? For once, there is no payment, it isn't a performance. Changmin finally gets a taste of such freedom? Even if he still belongs to his master, in this moment he is only his own person and he chooses to give that to Yunho. So beautiful.
And then. The committment ceremony ;; Ahhhhhhh, let me love you ;A; Were you planning on including this scene right from the start or did me saying I've got a soft spot for these affect it a little? Either way, it was all kinds of glorious and understated and just perfect. ♥
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