tl;cr meme

[marriagebroker]

post your character, people reply, give them the deets. you know how this goes.

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[poans]

If Yi Sang seemed stilted in their first exchange, it was because he was caught in the whiplash of his contradicting emotions, and that severely impacted the way he responded to Rom and their fellow players in the game. He'd left Gubo in search of hope, only to be strangled by despair with each step he took. While he was drawn to the game for its promise of a destined partner—not necessarily for romance, but for a reason to continue living as opposed to wishing for death amid the agony of isolation and lassitude—he was also resigned to the indifference of a set that would last a mere four weeks. Although he'd briefly considered the prize of a wish to regain his lost wings, he dismissed the thought as a futile dream and promptly lost interest. And so, despite having been driven by desperation for change, he was drowning in the struggle of a fruitless existence by the time Rom happened across him.

That being said, perfunctory as their first meeting was, Yi Sang actually stewed heavily on what Rom had to say about lingering spirits. Grief-stricken though he still was by the collapse of the League of Nine, an inventors' organization of which he'd been a part, he had no idea which, if any, erstwhile member had survived the explosion aside from himself and Gubo. All he remembered was the immolated face of his friend, who'd set off the explosive in protest, and he wondered if she'd succumbed to her injuries soon after. If so, had her final moment been one of immense pain and regret? Did she linger among the League's remains still? Despite these burning questions, he lacked the energy to voice them, or he might have inquired about demises brought on by fires. Out of courtesy, and simply because he couldn't be bothered to protest, he opted instead to hear about Rom's methods in calming ghosts.

The next time they ran into each other was at spin the bottle, where Yi Sang specified lips out of ignorance. He automatically assumed that this was where they were supposed to kiss and, as was customary for him, ceded full control to Rom. While the privacy was an unusually considerate touch, the peck was what stood out as surprising after the more impassioned exchanges surrounding it. As he was slowly warming up to the novelty of friendly company, he found himself a little embarrassed upon accidentally implying a want for a longer kiss, but in actuality he was growing an impression of Rom that was of someone who was a man of his word and rather transactional in the sense of treating everything as business. It was, he supposed, not too far off from how he himself was. Going into the first ceremony where Messmer was chosen, Rom struck him overall as highly enigmatic yet deliberate.

The second week took them on a date to the ice cream parlor, where Yi Sang straight-up refused to muster even a semblance of enthusiasm. This was by far his worst time in the game, having tentatively put a shard of his true feelings forward at the ceremony to questionable results. He hadn't conveyed himself clearly, which had been a lifelong struggle of his to where he'd long given up by defaulting to "nothing" if asked what was on his mind, and the resultant frustration in tandem with the reminder of all things' ephemerality killed what hope he might have been growing. Thoroughly discouraged, the void in his chest remained gaping insofar that he could barely feel anything. He wasn't in pain, because even that was beyond him. He was just tired, which was why he wasn't troubled in the slightest over the idea of being kicked out for a dissatisfactory performance in the game. At this point, he was persisting simply out of obligation to authority (Wei Wuxian) and to his fellow players. If he was cut off, then so be it. The end result would have been the same whether he stayed or left: Either way, he was "nothing." And poor Rom was left to deal with that.

While Yi Sang noticed that Rom's attention was somewhat divided throughout the date, he neglected to comment on it due to the above. His inclination toward slothful behavior was in full force, and his general reluctance to make decisions without careful deliberation aggravated his noncommittal actions like his answer to the question of flavor. What would have ordinarily been an exciting venture filled with discovery was little more than a chore. That said, he was still making observations of Rom and even stirred enough to offer help if the latter found his position in the game precarious. For all of his passivity, in early canon Yi Sang is most likely to come out of his depressive stupor when someone is hurting before retreating just as swiftly. At any rate, he would have followed whatever Rom deemed necessary to persuade the audience, because, like Luka, Rom had a performative air about him and seemed well-versed in such a practice; however, it was true that Yi Sang's disinterest would have been apparent regardless of what they did. All the same, that Rom had given thought to the staff when considering the flavors of ice cream to order, as well as his inquisitive nature, suggested to Yi Sang that Rom was a rather thoughtful person.

(As Yi Sang is not haunted by anyone, I neglected to comment on Rom's permissions post. One day, he might ask Rom, with no small amount of hesitation, if he actually is, then be relieved once he hears that his erstwhile fellows aren't clinging to him. Perhaps they are alive, and he'll see them again sooner than later. Knowing this much would ease his heart, filling it with immense gratitude to Rom.)

And, because he didn't participate much in the game's discussions in favor of observing and listening, he absorbed the impromptu lesson on slangs from Rom as a bystander. Parroting some of the jargon back at him at the end would be his way of expressing his sincerity by trying to meet the people familiar with Rom in Rom's way.

Anyway, Yi Sang's impression of Rom grew steadily over the next couple weeks. On the third, it was Rom who took note of Yi Sang's breathlessness and asked if he wanted to sit down while passing out balloon souvenirs with Maya. It was a quiet consideration, the same as when Rom put the balloon hat on, which Yi Sang wasn't expecting. It was, perhaps deep down, nice. And, though Maya deserved the lion's share of the credit for proposing that they make balloons for everyone in the first place, Rom doubled down on how Yi Sang should claim some more of it for himself. All of Rom's actions overflowed with attention, even if Yi Sang wasn't in the mood to fully appreciate it. At the very least, he noticed.

As for the hwangcha, he was a bit warmed by the nostalgia of a taste reminiscent of his hometown. He didn't know for sure that Rom had been involved, but might have hazarded a guess based on locational clues in the moment.

By the time they all visited the onsen, Yi Sang was fresh off the boat of a paradigm shift and anxiously eager to approach his fellow players. It all felt odd and new to him, but that was part of the appeal. Yi Sang had created the mirror, because he'd wished to fly—to live out the ideal dream where he wouldn't have to exploit others for survival as he had in the City. Yeonsim, the mirror, has two names depending on the characters used to read it. Later in canon, Yi Sang posits that its truest name is a bridge that joins hearts together. This is why he bears a deep affection for all of his possibilities, because by connecting to them and accessing that endless potential he can soar. He'd go on to share this revelation at the third ceremony, but his other burgeoning sentiment was that the home he so desperately sought could be found in people, too. Yi Sang is fondest of the sky after a sunshower; the air had been exceptionally clear during the days of his membership in the League, because of the innocent laughter and warmth he'd shared with those around him. Realizing this, he wanted more than ever to connect with the game's players in their remaining time together as opposed to lamenting the eventual separation. They had imparted their wisdom unto him and saved him in doing so with their collective warmth; ergo, he was much more responsive to Rom and expressed an active interest in talking to him this time around. In his eagerness to learn more about everyone by reading their cards, he was so engrossed that he failed to realize how hot he was, similar to how he'd once forgone sleep and sustenance in pursuit of his technological passion. And, because he was growing more attentive, he received the water from Rom with much appreciation.

By the fourth week, he was certain of Rom's kindness. Like Edamura, Rom's heart was honest in his intentions, even though his words were often evasive, if not outright dismissive. Now that Yi Sang could express himself a little more confidently, he managed to convey this observation to a point. There were heartbreaking revelations with their final secrets disclosed, and he simply couldn't accept how much Rom othered himself. Different, abnormal—those were mere societal constructs. Rom was Rom. He was a human being with a beating heart, and Yi Sang reached out in what small way he could by offering his heartfelt thanks.

At the farewell, he humored Rom with a message to the masses. While he isn't terribly interested in engaging with a large audience as a performer, he'd be chuffed to show up for a stream in order to spend more time with Rom in the future, even if he won't understand what the latter's saying half the time! Yi Sang is of the belief that he didn't capitalize nearly enough on his time with Rom during the game, so he'd strive to make up for it now, especially now that he's more aware of the latter's heart. He truly believes that Rom is a good, loving person. There was nothing to forgive from the final ceremony. While he understands why Rom's parents did what they did, he also wants Rom to recognize that there's far more to life than that singular path far removed from others. As such, he's incredibly happy for Rom and Edamura. They're an ideal match for coaxing each other out of his respective shell, and Yi Sang wishes them nothing but peace and comfort going forward.