#'undying devotion' and such like that

[trashlie]

kousuke.exe not only stopped working but was unable to process the input and was glitching and malfunctioning the entire night lmaooo sigh. i want to remain hopeful that this night will spark at least some kind of change in him despite yui doing yui things… but we'll see.

speaking of yu jing, do you think rand has assured her some kind of protection from yui once the article comes out? yu jing must be aware of how risky all this is. is she prepared for when yui seeks her revenge? idk maybe i'm overthinking this because i'm from a country where journalists get killed all the time, but i still wonder what makes yu jing so brave. what is, to her, worth making an enemy of yui? is it really just righteousness? i'm lowkey really scared for her tbh but ahh i can't wait til we get to the article.

aahhh i'm glad the romance is giving you everything you want!!! it may not be my personal focus but i do enjoy the romance in ily a lot. slowly learning about all the ways shinae and nol are delicately interwoven has been a delight. it adds so much to the story and i can see their romance blooming into something very beautiful! and please, i'm looking forward to you talking about them in more detail when/if you have the time <3

…..actually, thinking about it, maybe "devotion" wasn't the word i was looking for 😅 sorry, i'm not a native speaker so i wasn't aware the religious connotations were so strong. but i really like your interpretation, and it was very kind of you to not dismiss it! i guess i was looking for something stronger and more emotional than "loyalty". because to me, shinae's actions read not only as "you were a good friend to me so i'll be a good friend to you", but also as "you mean a lot to me and i don't want to lose you". idk if there is even a word that captures this?

and not to get too analytical but i find it interesting to compare nol to minhyuk in that aspect. maybe you will disagree but imo shinae's actions aren't necessarily romantic. i believe she'd be just as affected and do the same things if it was minhyuk, who is similarly meaningful to her. except with nol, there is a different layer to it. there is the soulmateism she isn't aware of (yet), but she IS aware of her heart thumping and not being able to hold his gaze, there's also the change in his behavior, and her attraction to rand which she still has to unpack (it's not just for comedic effect it's obvious she's projecting lol) and i cannot wait for her to do the math and realize what's happening lmao it will likely take her some time but that's fine. she'll get there 👍 and yes yes yes after everything these two (and kousuke too) have been through all i want is a happy ending whatever that may look like 🥺 and therapy for all of them. maybe they can get a group discount /j

-lil anon 😼

That is a REALLY good point about Yujing. It's partly why I do believe this piece she's working on started with her friend at the root - it HAS to be worth risking her career and potentially life. Yujing surely knows the risks she's taking. I remember at the beginning of 151 she tells her friend that what she's working on might take several years, but that it's something her friend would be very interested in. If Manli is the friend Yujing has that was sa'd, then it would give her a reason to chase the story, I think. Once she finds out Nol pled guilty, though, she calls her mysterious contact and the story that once was seemed like it would take years suddenly has only the amount of time as Nol's sentencing.

Isn't that interesting? I still am not entirely sure what to make of it. Clearly everyone expected Nol to plead not guilty, for the trial proceedings to take place, for Shinae to give her testimony. Also something that stands out to me - Meg was told her testimony wasn't needed, that it wouldn't matter if she testified anyway because it'd get thrown out and before Nol could get much more out of her, Yui appeared. Not so subtle, right?

That's a small tangent lol but the point is: yes, I think that this is an important story to Yujing, not just for her journalistic integrity, but for something more personal. Vindication for a friend? For multiple friends? Because while I don't know if Yujing is aware of the full extent of how Yui has raised Kousuke, I think she knows enough to sense otherwise. She was disappointed to find that Kousuke hadn't changed, much like Nol is disappointed he hasn't changed - in a way, they've been rooting for him to come to the conclusion we have, right? They've been waiting for him to really comprehend the full scope of his life the who his mother is.

Another interesting thing is that Yui absolutely tries to play her tricks with Yujing, to put on that maternal mask, but Yujing doesn't even bother entertaining her. Also, that day that she was interviewing Nol, Yujing wrapped up with Yui's entrance. She definitely has an inkling that Yui's presence would compromise Nol's responses and make him uncomfortable, and she could probably deduce that was exactly what Yui was hoping for, to meddle more than she already had.

And that comes to another point about Yui. She notes that what she's doing with Nol is below her paygrade and she's doing it as a favor to Rand, but I have to wonder if it wasn't rather self-serving. Nol's drug-related charges link right back to Yui, and we have enough to deduce that this isn't the first time Yui has provided such drugs. If you haven't read this post yet, please do! It poses an interesting link between Kousuke's college incident and Yui providing drugs.

All this to say: I think the story must be very important to Yujing for her to tackle it, knowing who Yui Hirahara is and what she's capable of. But it also leaves us wondering what kind of protection can Rand even provide? He couldn't protect Nol. He couldn't protect Kousuke, though perhaps he was just too late. He can't even really do much to protect himself. And the way the judge managing Nol's case just so happened to retire? We know she pulled some kind of strings, intimidated someone, something. She has so much power and we don't even know the extent of it all. So. What kind of protection can Rand even afford her?

But yes, I do worry about the outcome of this story, even though I also look forward to it. It feels like it will end up being a bombshell in a lot of ways. I also wonder about how the setting of ILY plays into this. In the past, quimchee has referred to it as the United States of Korea - not quite Korea, definitely not America, but as the story has unfolded and characters have gone to and from America, England, Ireland, Japan, does that mean we definitively are set in Korea - and if yes are we following Korean laws? Libel and slander in Korea are a big deal - you could sue someone for running a story defaming you, even if they reported the truth! And again, with the contacts Yui seems to have, I have to wonder what her reach is.

I guess that's what makes Yujing seem like such a cool and formidable character. I want to know what she knows lol i want to know what her angle is. Also while I'm talking about her, here's something interesting I just noticed. Yujing spoke of Kousuke and Nol with familiarity when she interrupted their fancy meal. She said that it was a surprise to see them getting along enough to eat because the atmosphere would be hostile whenever they were in the same room together. There's also that history between her and Nol and her dog Senator. It raises some questions - when has Yujing been around them together? Especially because of the way Yui played dumb about her; it could be an act altogether, asking if they went to university together full well knowing it's so.

Also one other thing while I'm on this subject lol. The morning that Yujing saw on the news Nol pleaded guilty, she was going through a news story about an altercation between Nol and Kousuke. Without knowing the angle of her story, I wasn't sure what this had to do with what she's working on - sure the framing of Nol as a bad person plays into it, but also - during his interview with Yujing, before it got cut off, he says to her "It's not the first time the truth has been twisted in the media to fit a narrative". Is he speaking about that article, the one that frames him as the aggressor? Is that the one Kousuke has that fabricated memory of? Ahhhhhhh the more I think about what Yujing is working on the more desperate I become to read it!

and please, i'm looking forward to you talking about them in more detail when/if you have the time <3

This will definitely be coming hopefully soon! It's just something that's been on my mind as I reread lol. Like you said, it's very delicately woven! For me, there's something about watching two characters really come to matter to each other; it's not something I feel like I'm good at writing myself, but it's something that just really gets to me. I'm definitely ILY for the story and learning about their pasts, and seeing what will come of everyone, but the possibility of romance is just the icing on the cake, tbh! I really enjoy scenes where we get to see Shinae be honest, and we tend to get those when Nol is involved lol. (But also while looking at some earlier chapters I got weirdly emotional re-reading Yujing and Shinae's first meeting at the mall, when she helped pick out clothes that flatter her and Shinae asked if it was weird or wrong to favor comfort over style and Yujing reassured her it's not. idk it was a nice little moment, Shinae deserves all the reassurance!)

But I definitely get what you mean! I think devotion DOES work - frankly I'm not a particularly religious person I think of devotion as lol one of those foundations for a lasting marriage/partnership lmao. And I don't think it necessarily needs to be seen as a romantic thing, either! I just enjoy the religious imagery of it because it makes it feel somehow... idk, transcendent? Since right, it's a stronger word that loyalty is! And I do agree that her devotion, her dedication, her insistence on being there itself is not inherently romantic, which is what I love about it!

Idk how to explain this so please bare with me lol. It's like... to me romance isn't a raging forest fire, because eventually that kind of fire will just. Burn up and one day all that will be left is ash. It burns hot and strong and it's passionate, until there's nothing left. But a steady burning flame? Something that isn't so extreme, isn't so magnificent? But it's steady and constant, it's reassuring. You can trust it to continue. Sure a candle will eventually burn itself out but it's not like that wildfire that just burns and consumes until there's nothing left.

So when it comes to romance and things that seem otherwise mundane, I love it SO MUCH. Because I think it really plays into that narrative of how do you even define platonic vs romantic love? Shinae could very well have the most platonic feelings about Nol and still want to sit by his bed and keep watch over him, to make sure he's okay, to make sure he doesn't go out of her sight again. She absolutely would do the same thing for Minhyuk, someone we know is one of the most important people to her outside of her family. She did it as much as she could for her father when he was in that same position, too.

there is the soulmateism she isn't aware of (yet), but she IS aware of her heart thumping and not being able to hold his gaze, there's also the change in his behavior, and her attraction to rand which she still has to unpack (it's not just for comedic effect it's obvious she's projecting lol) and i cannot wait for her to do the math and realize what's happening lmao

THE BIG DUMB SMILE THAT GREW ON MY FACE WHILE READING IT because that's it THAT'S EXACTLY IT lol that's why it just GETS to me! Because she WOULD do this for any other person she loves, anyone else who is important to her, but this isn't any other person, it's him, and it's the way she can't hold his gaze, it's their tendency to lean towards each other (metaphorically or literally), it's the way he's let his defenses down a little more than she's used to, it's the way he's acting on something she once upon a time thought he was and told him not to but now she's not so concerned about crossing that line. In fact, that's BEEN going on! She went from telling him not to be too familiar with her lest he make his girlfriend mad at him waaaaaaay back before the formal to LMAO holding his dumb hands because it brings her comfort so she assumes it will do the same for him. It's all those little things!!!!!!!!

I, too, am waiting for her to have that realization that this version of Nol, this side of him he's shown her, that intensity, is SO much like Rand LMAO. I fully agree - that was not simply for comedic affect LMAO that was a little seed planted (although, hands down, the conversation Nol and Kousuke have following that is one of my FAVORITE scenes. There's something about the way Nol is just. Talking to Kousuke like maybe they don't hate each other and maybe they aren't at each others' throats all the time, casually noting that sure he finds Dieter's mom hot but is he going to SAY so and Kousuke just like PLEASE SHUT UP THIS IS SO UNCOMFORTABLE such a FUNNY scene lmao).

BUT ANYWAY YEAH IT'S EXACTLY THAT!!!!!!! I love love that isn't grand and overstated. Like, that's fine and I definitely can enjoy a really grand gesture, they're fun to read! But I love the kind of love that blooms from a seed that was planted long ago and maybe you didn't even realize you were nurturing it but eventually it grows and will bloom and that bud has grown and it may not have completely unfurled itself but. In time!!! Soon!!!!! It's the "calling insistently to check up on you and worrying even when i'm told you're okay because i want to hear it for myself". It's the "defending you even when you aren't around to see it because it's not an act i put on you are special and i don't like it when people mistreat you." It's the way!!! Her acts of care!!!! Linger even after she's gone!!!!! It's the way he always seems to reel from whatever mark she's left - her hands bunching up his coat, the earbud she returns to him, the stupid chicken nugget hand holding. AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH all these little moments that could just as easily remain platonic, except they're stirring something up!!!!!

That they are each people who aren't good at receiving care from others but end up doing exactly that for each other! And how they receive that concern and care! Nol always seems SO affected by the times she pays attention to him, when she notices things. The medicine she bought him!!!!!!! Because he is a person who deserves to be taken care of!!!! When no one else but Nana does that. ;A; Like alfkjakfjkjaf lmao see I'm accidentally going on the tangent already but that's! Exactly what I love about them. That, as you put it, they are so delicately woven, it's been happening all along but NOW we can see that tapestry they've been weaving. We can see exactly how they've affected each other in a way that's led to these flirty little fingers dancing, to this additional layer atop something that could be otherwise so platonic. It could be Minhyuk and she'd still be asleep at the side of his bed, but it's not, it's Nol, and that makes all the difference.

;A;!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

GROUP DISCOUNT THERAPY FOR ALL!!!!!!!!! lmao I really do look forward to the end even though I HATE things ending and I tend to hold off finishing them as long as I can lmao because I get sad but ILY is special because I DO hope as many characters can get the happy endings they deserve, can find the comforting peace they need. I think everyone will always carry some kind of baggage, but bagage isn't as heavy if you can share it with someone, if someone can lighten the load. I mean that very platonically, too - I just want to see these characters find some kind of peace and have someone who understands, who gives them that space.

But I definitely want them all to get therapy LMAO PLS

[suntails]

(mild gore)

fealty

[mecachrome]

Who's most likely to forget their best friend's birthday?

[a-mint-bear]

Yandere Girl Types

The Super Fan

● She can't help but trail after you like a lovesick puppy. She looks at you and everything you do with the rosiest of rose-colored glasses. Whether you're the talented type or just an average person, she looks at you like you are her everything, because you are!

● Whenever you're together, she's a little clingy. But it's nice to have someone who likes you as much as she does. It makes you feel special, wanted. She's not shy about making the first move, and she's especially not shy about telling you how she feels. But she makes sure you know that you don't have to say it back if you're not there yet. She knows you will though. Soon.

● She sits and smiles at the pictures of you all over her room. Anything you've touched, she considers her greatest treasures. She saw you drop your favorite pen one day and meant to give it back to you, honest. But the moment she touched it, it was like something came over her. She stuffed it in her bag and took it home, and ever since, she can't help but take your things. Especially the stuff that smells like you. She keeps taking more and more of your things, but it's not enough. It's never enough...

● She makes copies of your keys when you "lose" them on day. At first, it's just to sneak into your place and take things she can't get otherwise, but it quickly escalates. She lets herself in and plays house, imagining your life together. Soon, she's watching you sleep and even lies down next to you, just for a little bit. She wants to touch you so badly...

● She wonders... if you woke up, would you smile like you always do? Would you hold her close? Would you be hers?

The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing

● On the outside, she's the nicest girl. Whenever you see her, she's always got a sweet smile on her face and is always willing to help you if it means she gets to spend a little more time with you. You think of her as the kind and generous type, but she doesn’t extend this behavior to anyone but you.

● She doesn't really seem interested in dating. Anyone who actually has asked her out gets turned down gently. But a few of them swear they could see a look of disgust flash across her face for just a second before the rejection, but they always thought they just imagined it. In reality, there's only one person on her mind, so no one else can even compare.

● No one sees the other side of her. The way she stares down the girl who always laughs at your jokes. How she swears under her breath when she sees how your best guy friend just casually touches your arm, how her nails dig into the palms of her hands until they bleed. But when your eyes meet hers, you’d never guess the things she’d just been imagining.

● She hears a rumor that someone is going to ask you out. At first, she just plans to put them in their place and remind them that you deserve better, maybe just harass them or scare them. Or maybe ruining their life a little, poisoning their friends against them or getting them fired. But the thought of them getting pity from you or running to you and telling you how she acts when you’re not around… The thought of you holding them close, telling them you how much you love them... Something in her just snaps. She catches them when they're isolated and gets rid of them. Nothing can ever be traced back to her.

● She can't risk you seeing her in a bad light, even if it's so the two of you can be together. Everything she does, it's all for you!

The Secret Admirer

● She's had a rough home life. She has no one in her corner, no one's been there for her. She doesnt have anyone she can call her own. Until she sees you for the first time. Something about you is just... right. You fill that empty spot she's felt her entire life and the thought of you is the only thing that makes life worthwhile.

● She's quiet, reserved, and always looking your way. You can feel someone watching you sometimes, but when you turn around, no one's there. You don't connect it to the girl you've seen around lately. It doesn’t matter to her how you treat her, whether you say hello, smile politely, or give her a look for staring. Any attention, good or bad, is everything to her. You're everything to her. But she can't tell you, not yet. If she messes it up, if you reject her... She couldn't live with that.

● You start noticing things. Little gifts someone has left you, sometimes snacks and treats. The book you've been reading suddenly has a pressed flower inside the front cover, baby's breath. You find love notes in your bag. Some are flowery poetry, others get a little steamy, but it's all a bit clumsy, somehow. At first you think it might be one of your friends pranking you, but no one you know would pull something like this. Maybe someone actually has a thing for you? But how are you supposed to respond when there's no way to give anyone an actual answer? You decide to just ignore it until this person actually decides to meet you face to face.

● You don't smile when you see her gifts anymore. The notes she pours her heart into get left where you find them. Seeing you just walk away when she does something for you shatters her. Love her, hate her, anything! Just don't ignore her!! Without you, she has nothing to live for... Please... Don't leave her behind. Through her tears, her agony turns to desperation.

● You can't get rid of her. She won't let you. Maybe... it's time for you to meet.

The Boss Lady

● You've been working under her for the last few years. She's powerful, she's beautiful, and so very, very intimidating. She gets what she wants, no matter who she has to step on. She seems to have locked onto you for some reason, having you run and get her things and having you stay and work overtime.

● She seems to like running you ragged and seeing you flustered. You have half a mind to believe that she’s been “accidentally” brushing up against you reaching for files or leaning to talk in your ear as you sit at your desk, her charming, sultry voice sending shivers up your spine. Your damn body is betraying you. You don’t want to think that damn tyrant is attractive! Your coworkers are jealous that you're spending so much time with her, but you think they'd think twice if they were the ones picking up her dry cleaning and coffee orders, day in and day out. You tell a coworker you'd quit, but you need the money too much.

● One day, she calls you into her office. She says she has a proposition for you. She wants you to be her executive assistant. It comes with great benefits and a HUGE pay raise. The work will be harder, sure, but you'd have to be an idiot to say no. But the conditions get more specific and odd. You would accompany her on all her business trips, eat all your meals with her, you'd even be living in her penthouse suite. At first, you think it's just a weirdly intensive position, she just needs someone to manage her life. But the way she's looking at you... it's like she wants to possess you entirely.

● All you can think to ask is, why you? There's a bored look on her face as she starts talking about her career. How her job and climbing the corporate ladder were the only things she put any effort into. Everything else was so tedious and dull. Until you started as an intern, dropping off her coffee order with that nervous smile. She started noticing how hard you work, how you never turn down her requests, how you try to hide your smile when she praises you... How your breath hitches when her hand brushes yours. And how, every day when you clock out, her world stagnates until she sees you again.

● Say yes, and you'll have everything you could ever want. But make no mistake, you'll be hers. And she has no plans to let you go.

[glowsticcc]

keep that thing on a leash

[vulturereyy]

i deleted this ask after screenshotting bc i didnt want to even give this the time of day but this is objectively the funniest anon hate i think ive ever gotten. i am holding this person in particular alone at gunpoint to see gay old man bugs. have u ever heard of muting tags and blocking people. you come to the lurimol coiner's blog and ask me to not post lurimol. death by 1 thousand suns blast

in conclusion, thanks to @salthien:

[cruelyear]

sorry yellowjackets posting again but everyone saying adult van seems normal and well adjusted missed this part of e8 i think cause

this reaction is nuuuuts esp considering how nonchalant she's been up until this moment....tai refusing to move or make eye contact....the tense silence...van kinda lunging at tai and then booking it to throw shauna's car keys somewhere... i get the vision u may not but i do

[lollytea]

Ok maybe that person was onto something in the sense that. Yes. Hunter probably has trouble disentangling his feelings of wanting someone good to follow and believe in, while getting used to asserting his autonomy and agency. Meanwhile Willow wants to lead and be strong, and struggles w vulnerability and emotional needs. So maybe the TENSION is there's this risky potential for them to get what they want but not what they need, at least at first. But i find that dynamic quite interesting?? Idk??

There are SO many feasible reasons why hunlow potentially could be unhealthy but the haters usually don't think about them deeply enough to ever come up with the correct reasons. I'd feed them airtight hunlow critiques if they'd pay me for it. I'm pretty sure any hunlow enthusiast is capable of doing so.

Like YES they are both so traumatized and sometimes their respective trauma conflicts with the other's and results in a complicated mess of a situation.

I think that fucks honestly. I think we should mess around with hunlow's dynamic being a little unhealthy every once in a while. Maybe I don't want smooth sailing from first meeting to death. Maybe I want problems.

[gilbertscarrot]

finally, finally finished reading the empty grave and now i don't know what to do with myself

[alexiethymia]

Oh I get it now. Lucy’s color being blue in the show despite wearing mostly black in the books might be because of the sapphire.

[bizlybebo]

fuckinf gay ass podcast got me crying on a saturday morning over demonkicks wtf

[pucciverse]

what’s the matter, hood guy? cat got your tongue?

[theb0nesofmymind]

If u think cheating is hot I kinda hate u

[marimeeko]

Just for fun I ran to my desktop to aid me with Google translate, which isn't perfect. But given that I don't know Japanese myself....

Here's what I found; on my own, with only translate and my existing language skills.

This is wrong:

This is CLOSER, AND MORE INDICATED OF THE CORRECT SUBJECTS OF THE SENTANCE. :

While it isn't one to one, Japanese has a lot of feel and implication, from what I understand. There's a lot of context.

So I tried scanning the fan translations a few times just to see what it said on my own. I broke it down into parts:

AITSU: him, that guy (in this case, Izuku)

The "Nuguenee" part seems to mean "can't wipe it" or "to wipe away"

Kocchi- here

De nuguu - means something like 'take off with "

Eventually, I felt like it wasn't scanning off the screen well enough, and I actually WROTE THE KANJI in the translation of the panel out on paper, which was very interesting bc again, don't know or write Japanese.

But I scanned that:

(The word "if" is covered by the icon)

"IF YOU CANT WIPE IT OFF

I WILL WIPE IT HERE"

Shows that the verbiage used is "wipe," or "to wipe away," but it is SO MUCH CLOSER in spirit to "I'll step in for what he can't handle" and also the use of Aitsu indicated he is talking directly about Izuku.

I GET that the official translator's job is to try to capture the dialogue in a way that FLOWS for the new audience, since Japanese is a very differently constructed language than English.

They are supposed to find a way to translate certain things with keeping the mood and intent of the dialogue.

"OFA couldn't keep you in the ground, but we'll finish the job and then some"???

Where the hell did they get that???

I didn't dig any further back bc it might take a while but everyone has also pointed out that the original dialogue is a direct reference to the apology scene(I know it is in the fan translation but I think it is also being indicated that it is the same in Japanese as well? Pls fact check me of you desire)

So bc it was originally referring back to that scene, there is an added STING that comes with this official translation

And the ADDITIONAL BLOW that is katsuki once again being kind of...pigeon holed into the aggressive, more self-focused kid that he once was...a caricature of his former self, instead of his emotionally upgraded, self assured, "needing to help Izuku or he will perish" self.....instead of letting this moment be a crazy cool declaration about how HE is the one you fuck with when Izuku needs help.

Which like yeah, in itself is a little bit agrandizing, HOWEVER it is literally also serving as a vow or a completion of his vow earlier in the story that he will take on what he can't handle!

It's super important for Katsukis arc! It acted as not only a THREAT to anyone who give Izuku a run for his money and tests the limits of his OFA, but a VOW to Izuku that HE HAS HIS BACK.

He just YELLED ABOUT IT on a battlefield, while Izuku is probably still staring at him with heart eyes.

And ultimately, there is NO REASON THE ORIGNAL TRANSLATION, WHICH PLAYS OFF THE OFFICIAL TRANSLATION OF THE APOLOGY SCENE CANNOT BE USED OFFICIALLY.

It reads properly, and packs a HELL OF A PUNCH EMOTIONALLY. More so than essentially "I'm gonna put you in the ground bc Izuku CAN'T"

It seems like the fan translation kept the literal meaning but added the flavor to make it flow, such as "stepping in" "to handle" and calling Izuku a Nerd. But the official translation just tweaked it by too much to where it just reads differently and most importantly, doesn't carry that punch.

In conclusion, I did a little bit of independent research and decided that YEAH it doesn't make sense why they translated it so wildly different. Other than just wanting Bakugou to remain a frigging caricature, even in the Finale.

[monstergreentea]

i'm watching the untamed with my friend and lwj is pretty in every adaptation however live action hits different this man is ethereal. like yeah im a lesbian but who knows really. (thats a caption on a lwj edit i watch at least twice a day. soooo real) i sighed wistfully so often that friend said "should i leave you two alone for a moment????"

[misspermitted]

AU where everything is the same except Zhou Xu is super acquainted with Scorpion because they both (used to) head the two biggest assassin organisations and came across eachother many many years ago.

They despise one another but in a bickering “I’m better than you” way which disguises legitimate admiration on Scorpion’s side (because the scorpion sect was founded after Window to Heaven and is clearly somewhat inspired by Xu) and begrudging affection on Xu’s side (because Scorpion is a traumatised young psycho and we know Xu has a soft spot for those).

I imagine it’s kinda like Ye Baiyu and Wen Kexing’s semi-sibling dynamic except a lot less aggressive threats and fights and more extremely venomous passive aggressive remarks, suiting their different characters.

Of course for this au to work it means Xu knows a lot more about that side of the empire. I’m imagining he’s told to bring Chengling to Zhao Jing he’s like, oh for fuck sake, that guy? The Scorpion’s owner?

Wen drags Xu to Jing’s celebratory banquet and he still ignores everyone but entirely more pointed. He’s more guarded and protective of Chengling after seeing how the douchebag snake (Jing) treats him.

Xu discovers the Scorpion Sect and the Window of Heaven are working together and he’s personally offended.

Wen’s all “Why does the Scorpion Sect matter if Chengling is safe?” and Xu is like “Because, unlike Window of Heaven, Scorpion’s assassinations are messy and lack tact, it’s a complete misuse of recourses” and Wen’s just like “…what”

The three have their dramatic meeting after killing two of the four scorpion assassins and Scorpion is like “Chief Zhou, a pleasure to see you, an unexpected pleasure, however, given I thought you were hiding away like the traitorous coward you are :)” And Xu bites back “Scorpion King, I sincerely hope you’re enjoying life as a pet dog. My apologies for killing your assassins, I truly believed they were trained enough to withstand a sick man. My mistake.”

Wen just stands there like bad news: my soulmate and Scorpion seem to know and are currently on the verge of killing one another, good news: I am very turned on right now.

Scorpion is still like “why the FUCK have those two psychos found eachother this is not good” like the icon he is.

Possible subplot of this AU: Scorpion tries to manipulate Xu into rejoining the Window of Heaven because quite simply it is so much less useful to him without Xu heading it. They just mindlessly use Xu’s previous plans and trinkets. There’s no ingenuity and it’s far less brutal and organised than it used to be. Sure the poisons are useful but that’s it.

His plan is to piss off Xu and frame the current head of Window of Heaven, hoping to make Xu angry enough at them to stage a mutiny.

He attempts this 1 time. Xu realises quickly that it was actually Scorpion, proceeds to set one of Scorpion’s bases on fire, killing a bunch of his subordinates. Scorpion gets the ‘don’t fucking try me bitch’ message and stops.

Side note to this: Xu disappears for a few days to do this. Wen goes insane. Where the fuCK IS HE ILL KILL ALL OF YOU

Xu comes back to calamity. Wen is literally the embodiment of “I thought you were never coming home so I panicked.”

Another side note: Xu realises it was Scorpion because he brutally tortured the person directly responsible for the action. Safe to say he was pissed off.

Yes I might just want more of Xu being a brutal and epic assassin lord. In my defence I think Wen would enjoy that too. Also I want Scorpion to have more friends because he’s a baby and I love him.

Ghost Lord Wen later has to deal with the dead ghosts because most of the subordinates at the base were actually his and he’s just like: Xu did w h a t

“Yeah they’re all dead, mainly burned to death because they were drugged with smoke and locked in the base.”

Bad news: my soulmate has killed a bunch of my subordinates. Good news: I am once again turned on

I just like the idea of Scorpion immediately triggering Xu’s inner incredibly brutal and violent assassin lord because Xu often fools us audience into believing he’s not a psycho just because he’s retired and I think it would be a nice juxtaposition.

“Don’t kill innocent people!!” proceeds to murder 40 people as a warning.

Xu realising Wen is the Ghost Lord goes pretty much the same except hes like “but did you HAVE to work with the Scorpion Sect.” And Wen is like “I have literally killed people. I led to the death of Chenglings family. This is what you’re upset about??” “yes”

ALSO before the offical reveal I want a discussion where Wen is like: “Do you dislike the Scorpion Sect so much because they’re… ghosts??” And Xu, having been asked this before by people in the Window of Heaven when he was still the leader, immediately triggered “The fact that they’re ghosts is not an excuse for Scorpion’s idiocy! Clearly the current lord of Ghost Valley has no issues having a well organised and competent group!!”

Wen: *blushing* oh ok

Xu, recovering himself, “oh an also murder is bad of course and ghosts are evil and everything.”

Also headcanon that when he’s really mad Xu calls Scorpian Xie’er and it’s kinda terrifying and kinda sweet

Possible extreme plot divergence where Scorpion is like ‘hey if I can heal the nails can you work for me’ and Xu is like ‘no’ but Scorpion puts it on his list anyway because he’s gonna open the armoury anyways so why not? Plus, you know, the Ghost Lord seems to care about Chief Zhou, so it could be good leverage. Totally not because Scorpion cares whether Xu dies or not. No. Definitely not. In fact he’d kill him himself if it wasn’t so inconvenient for him. Why is it inconvenient for him? Oh you know because the, uh, because, um, are you dARING TO QUESTION HIM

Wen and Scorpion end up fighting over the Yin Yang book and they almost kill one another until Xu arrives and breaks it up like “it’s fine Wen leave it alone if you die I’m going to kill you.” Wen begrudgingly backs off and Scorpion is like “fantastic now Chief Zhou come with me I’ll use the book to remove your nails.”

Wen: What

Scorpion: What?? He said he’d work for me if I removed them

Xu: no I didn’t

Scorpion: yes you did

Xu: No I didn’t. I specifically said “Respectfully, I would rather die right now then spend more time with you than necessary.”

Scorpion: Well yes but you will work for me

Xu: no I won’t

Scorpion: just come, say you will work for me and then break your word and don’t Jesus Christ do you have no survival instincts

Xu: what

Wen: you do realise I was going to use the book to heal him right? You could’ve just let me win the fight and avoided all this??

Scorpion: … oh

CONCEPT (yes I know this au post is becoming way too long but my brain box will not shut up so neither will I):

So they’re first meeting is preluded by a bunch of vicious attacks on eachother because they’re assassin organisations fighting for dominance what do you expect

And then Scorpion kidnaps one of the Window to Heaven members and tortures them to get information out of them. He reasons that this member is a lower member and the information he’d know wouldn’t be worth the manpower to save him, but it’s still information and he can’t really get anything on Window to Heaven or their mysterious leader, so worth the risk to kidnap. 2 things make this not go to plan.

1. This member is stupidly loyal to the leader of Window to Heaven. Like, will not break. Closest useful thing he says after hours of torture is when Scorpion’s main assassin says this member will not be rescued, to which they responded “I will suffer and die for my lord.” Insane.

2. While Scorpion was right that this lowly member wasn’t worth the manpower, he failed to account for the fact that Xu is feral. He literally just travelled over there himself, with no backup, slaughtered everyone, and rescued this guy. Technically not a single manpower was wasted. Less technically, what the fuck.

Scorpion arrives to check on the situation, after hearing the guy won’t break, only to find everyone dead, the young Window to Heaven member crying about how the fact that he got kidnapped put Xu in danger, and Xu in his assassin get up, covered in blood, with an awkward hand on the member’s shoulder. Scorpion just stands there for a solid minute watching this like what??? the??? fuck???!? This member has literally no importance why is he getting such treatment????????

Im just super here for Scorpion being very confused by Xu for a while because he doesn’t understand the idea of kindness. He only understands being treated well for a purpose. Our poor traumatised boy.

Tbf Xu is a merciless assassin lord out of all the people who you’d expect to express kindness you would not think him but hey the duality of Zhou Zishu we love him

Scorpion defends this confusion by being very aggressive of course which Xu responds to in turn because he’s mad he can’t pay back the losses Scorpion caused (his whole “I never suffer a loss that I don’t pay back” is very unhinged and I love that for him) as he’s been ordered to stop attacking the Scorpion Sect and come to an agreement.

“But they are disorganised and the assassins follow their own whims we could easily take them.” “Zhou I gave you an order.”

By the time Scorpion realises Xu is straight up just a kind person the rivalry has already started and he can’t really go back now woops.