#Anyways TGCF AU>>>>>

[finisnihil]

hi mootie just wanted to know ur thoughts on a jingluo tgcf au bc now i know we both have thought of it 🤑 i’d honestly love to hear ur thoughts and ideas on it bc they r SO HUALIAN CODED ITS CRAZY!!!!!!!!

HIII BELOVED MOOTIE I WILL HAPPILY GIVE THOUGHTS OKAY SO

First of all I LOVEE your casting of Dan Heng as Shi Qingxuan and Sushang as Lang Qianqiu???? Like not only does it call back to the OG trio after boarding the Luofu but that also fit so well??? Dan Heng may not have the same personality but his two forms fit the mechanics of Shi Qingxuan's two forms and he fulfills the roles of Shi Qingxuan's character in the Blackwater arc (Blade as Blackwater would fit bc Jing Yuan and him collaborate to take down Phantylia its so good omg). Sushang on the other hand is like Lang Qianqiu: young, capable but impulsive, and constantly battling pressure from those in her ear (her mom in this case). I can so see a murky falling out between them as Sushang had such a favorable opinion of Luocha when he first boarded (even wanting to take him to tea and storytelling) but we never saw her reaction to him being arrested yk? I can totally see the tragic master/student dynamic there. You're so genius for that I want to study your brain (a high compliment I assure you)

Anyways ONWARDS your clocking of Xie Lian and Luocha is SO on point especially with the fall of Xianle. Luocha's backstory is unknown rn but it's been basically confirmed that it's related to the Purity Palace relic set. If you haven't read it, it's like beat for beat Xianle's fall, with the people gaining the attention of an Aeon (implied to be Yaoshi) and suffering insanity (Mara) for it, being driven insane until a figure known as The Maiden and her "devil" knight lock all those afflicted in the church and burnit all down. If Otto's (Luocha's HI3 counterpart) lore can be referenced in this, he would've been from a pretty influential family matching Xie Lian's royal status.

Getting into this, idk if they'd be Jun Wu but Yaoshi VERY MUCH fits White Clothed Calamity. If Luocha is an Emanator his relationship with Yaoshi would match Xie Lian and Jun Wu so well???? Like Yaoshi ascended out of the desire to see death and suffering eradicated only to accidentally perpetuate it. That would match so well with scenes like where Xie Lian is stabbed repeatedly in the temple, albeit with a different motive like "to eradicate suffering/death those who can must take it on for others (futher Jesus parallels)" or something like that. In end the suffering of the people is ended but perpetuated onto Luocha as a consequence yk?

Also just little details too. Like Luocha likes wine (he gifted us some when he departed the Express) so the scene of Xie Lian drinking in the graveyard would fit him so well. Destroying his mind and his power source that makes him "valuable" just to escape his exteme emotions for a little while and falling into a grave, just lying there, unable to die. Ruoye could be the divine body of Tazzyronth, an entity that ascended from extreme loneliness that bonds with another lonely being and wanting to protect him.

Anyways ONTO JING YUAN AS HUA CHENG BECAUSE HELLO??? WHO'S COOKING, I NEED THE RECIPE!!!

Firstly, Jing Yuan being somebody who uses masks/personas to navigate situations/problems and Hua Cheng literally changing his appearance to suit his needs. The vulnerability of shedding that mask even under fear of rejection (which translates so well to Jingluo).

But especially that Jing Yuan's luck is like tit for tat with Hua Cheng??? Always ending up in bad situations but getting out unscathed. Hua Cheng is born under the Star of Solitude, having good luck but doomed to bring calamity unto those around him. Jing Yuan is the same with the HCQ being a good example, he himself being relatively uninvolved and not being too hurt in the chaos but being left alone because everyone around him was caught up in it. Also him being prepared to die fighting to Phantylia like Hua Cheng was prepared to die during the parade but both being caught and consequently, forced to continue living even though it's harder???? AMAZING I NEED SECONDS!!!!

OH AND the umbrella symbol being present in both??? They're like mirrors fr.

Anyways this is pretty long so i'll stop there BUT YEAH JINGLUO TGCF AU GO BRRRRRR

[otaku553]

Cooking up something reaaaalllyyy silly right now

Uhhhh cookie run kingdom tgcf au with pure vanilla as xie lian and shadow milk as jun wu. Do you see the vision

[meltinii]

hualian fits!

[themaymoth]

the Evil King's daily routine💕🪞💘

✨yaaaayy another fairytale au, another day of Yin Yu dealing with his masters crush on the prince✨

[benevolenterrancy]

hi!! I think your art is *so cool* o(≧∇≦o)

do you think you could draw more moshang? either post canon or that au you did last time?? (baby mobei has my heart and all I own)

(˵ •̀ ᴗ •́ ˵ ) oh! how about return to childhood—moshang flavor?

don't question this king, shang qinghua, he knows what he's about

[tempo-takoyaki]

Transmigrator!Hua Cheng AU (aka SVSSS x TGCF AU) | I mean technically it's an AU but I wrote it in a way that would make it fit as HC's POV throughout TGCF, so AU or theory? Take that as you will | Warning: Canon Compliant Violence, Suicide ideation, Implied non-con (not between Hualian and never actually happens here)

"A Tale of Three Princes" was Airplane Shooting Towards the Sky’s latest novel. Unlike his previous success, Proud Immortal Demon's Way, ATTP (as it was called by the fans) was a renowned  masterpiece. Far from the stallion novels Airplane readers had been used to, ATTP was more akin to one of those classics that would be taught over and over again throughout  the centuries. What made it so peculiar though was the narrative device used to tell its story.

ATTP was not in fact a single story, but three, set in the same universe, centuries apart. The three stories were updated one after another daily, by chapters of ten thousand words (as Airplane readers were used to). Which meant that the readers had no idea how each story ended before being swept up into the next...

Which also explained why Zhu Qiang did not know any of the three endings when he got reincarnated into ATTP.

It had been just another terrible day for Zhu Qiang when he died. He had found a quiet spot in his school's stairwell to unwind and read the latest update of ATTP when his bullies had found their way back to him. He had put up a good fight, maybe too much, as he could still remember losing his footing and falling head first onto the stairs. When he had opened his eyes, it was not to the stairwell's ceiling, or even a hospital, but a busy street where people in ancient clothing looked at him strangely.

After a few minutes, he had put two and two together relatively quickly. He  had transmigrated in none other than the second story of ATTP, also called the Xianle Arc. As for which character he was supposed to be... He had no idea. When he had asked the system about it, it only flashed him a [System has encountered an error. System update…] which was not helpful in the least. Despite his more introverted personality, he had no other choice but to ask around… And the answers came relatively quickly: “It’s the monster child!” “Get away you fiend!” “Disappear!” With a sigh, he came to the realization that unlike many of those popular transmigration novels, this life wouldn’t be too much different from his previous one.

He hadn’t been the best looking guy back in his hometown, at least from what he knew, and people had always bullied him for it. This time around, he had no mirrors or phones to confirm what others said, but he supposed he wasn’t much different. (Though to be fair, even back in his previous life he had always carefully avoided mirrors and photos, he couldn’t even recall what his own face actually looked like). Once the system had finished its update, it tried to give him some helpful directions to survive, like where he could find food or shelter, but any questions about what character he was supposed to be were left unanswered. (All that he knew was that he was about ten years old). However, he finally got access to his stats (after days left to his own devices) and he almost choked on the spot.

“MINUS THIRTY-SIX ON LUCK?! WTF?!”

The reason for  these god-awful bad stats? A passive skill called Eye of Misfortune which reduced his own luck by a hundred points, and the one of surrounding people by fifteen percent. Completely unfair… But it explained people’s glares and insults. Again, with no mirror to look for, Zhu Qiang had no idea of what that Eye of Misfortune actually looked like. But at this point, he had understood that the best way to stay on the down low was to hide it. Usually, those types of novels would then introduce a special ability only the protagonist could have to solve his main issue and become a total badass… But asking the system about it, for the very first time, it seemed to express an actual tangible emotion.

[System apologizes. There has been an error. UV003 has no special ability attached to this vessel besides Eye of Misfortune and Demonic Heritage.]

Ah, yes Demonic Heritage. Another passive skill that actually was useful, unlike the other, as it made him less receptive to pain by fifty percent. He supposed it was linked to Eye of Misfortune in some way… But again how could he know when he’d apparently spawned out of nowhere with a backstory he wasn’t aware of? As time passed, the hope of bettering his life slimmed down until it seemed barely believable. 

He had no parents to take care of him. No home to find shelter in. No prospect of finding a job with his “deformity” as people called it… Only two months went by before he called it quits.

If he hadn’t died in that stairwell, he probably would have jumped from the rooftop of his school. He wasn’t afraid of death, he had hoped for that prospect for many years prior to reincarnating. But reincarnation hadn’t been kinder to him. It hadn’t offered him a life he could change, one he could better to prove he was worthy of something, anything. The system flashed him warning signs, but fuck it, he was tired. So tired of playing into God’s hand. 

[Major Event Activated: The Last Parade of Xianle.]

At the top of the castle’s wall, he could remember the first chapter of the second story of ATTP. “His beauty was beyond compare, his stance the one of a mighty warrior, and his gaze behind the mask: determined, fierce, and maybe even sly in his own childish way.” (Chapter 2 of A Tale Of Three Princes) He was too tired to go on, but if he had to go one last time, he wanted to see the prince, his favorite character, before doing so.

Once he saw him in his golden clothes, Zhu Qiang took a step beyond the edge and…

…

[Congratulations! Congratulations! Congratulations! Great things must be said three times! You have successfully changed the plot "The Star of Bad Omen" into "A Fateful meeting"! Character role changed from "Canon Fodder" to "Side Character". +100 B-points!]

… Uh?

He was cradled into a pair of strong arms, holding him tight against embroidered robes despite his dirty appearance. He heard the sound of a wooden object hitting the floor, and he looked up. There, with the most gentle eyes he had ever seen…

[New Character Unlocked: Xie Lian, Prince of Xianle. Second protagonist of A Tale of Three Princes.]

Zhu Qiang wanted to strangle the system with all his might. Finally, finally he knew which character he had been transmigrated into: THAT ONE STUPID KID WHO KILLED HIMSELF DURING THE PARADE OF XIANLE, CURSING THE ENTIRE COUNTRY IN THE PROCESS. WOW. That one child who had no name but haunted the entire second plotline of ATTP. Never named but always present, the curse of the city, the failure of its inhabitants, a character full of symbolism but no actual practical utility to speak of… No wonder his luck stat was so low and the system did nothing to make up for it!! He was born to die!!! 

That alone, pissed him off enough to reschedule his suicide at a later date. If he had to die he wanted it to be by his own hands and his own choice. If the system wanted him dead, then it was no better than his bullies back in his previous life! Besides, he was already laughing in its face, because he had been held by the Crown Prince of Xianle, a beauty amongst beauties, the most perfect and fascinating character ever written (in Zhu Qiang’s own biased opinion as a 16 year old).

What happened afterwards though was embarrassing to say the least. First he had been found out by Qi Rong (that bastard traitor, he had always hated him even when he was only a reader) who had beaten him to a pulp (he was so thankful for Demonic Heritage at that moment), then Xie Lian had saved him (yay!) and he had taken care of him (double yay!) and then he and his subordinates had asked him questions (fuck).

“What’s your name?” He doesn’t know. “What does your mother call you?” Uuuuh people said his cursed eye was red so maybe… “Hong…Hong-er?” “How cute!” Nailed it. “Where are your parents?” Damn, he wishes he knew! “I… ran away from home.” “Poor boy��” He would have felt awful if it weren’t for Xie Lian’s gentle hands and his soft smile. Any lie in the world was worth it if it allowed him to see him. He was however, feeling very uneasy in the presence of Feng Xin and Mu Qing, Xie Lian’s two closest servants and friends who were eyeing him as if he had a bomb hidden under his clothes. Especially Mu Qing, the last chapter of ATTP about Xianle he read implied that Mu Qing was about to betray the prince, and so Zhu Qiang (now renamed Hong-er) didn’t trust him one bit.

But even so… After that awful cultivator told him he didn’t deserve to live (and god did he already know that)... Xie Lian took him in his arms and said he wasn’t a monster. No matter how ugly his sobbing was, no matter the reason for his misfortune, Xie Lian, unafraid of him, held him and told him he was not a monster… that was more than anyone had ever done for him in two lifetimes. And for the first time in a long time, Zhu Qiang cried.

He already knew he was a curse on legs, and so no matter how thankful he was, he couldn’t extend his stay. He knew what sort of character he was, if he did, things would only get worse for Xie Lian from then on. And he didn’t want that for him… And then Xie Lian ascended.

It was a miracle that he stayed alive for so long. His saving grace? Not Xie Lian’s temple he had built himself and took care of. No. It was beating the other street kids like they had beaten him up before. Hey, no judgement, those weren’t modern times, the worst that would happen is some other kids coming back to get revenge and then he could whoop their ass over again. Uh? He was an adult beefing with kids? That’s a detail, system, buddy! Let him enjoy this miserable life of his that had not improved one bit in three years besides that!

[+32 exp point. User has obtained a new success: Child Beater. Congratulations… (-_-)]

Now it’s just making stuff up. Anyway, life was going, that was it. Every day was the same: go in the fields to get a flower for the crown prince’s statue (not only did it make him happy, it also raised his Faith stat!), pray, take care of the temple if need be, take leftovers from one of the big houses in the neighbourhood, beat other kids up when they came to provoke him (or steal his food), go back to the temple to pray (again), clean it up (again), steal food (again), beat kids (again) and sleep where no one will see him (...again). It was fine the first year. The second, it had become redundant, the third, he was wondering what the heck he was doing. Beating kids raised his stats slowly but surely, but becoming stronger wasn’t his goal. What he wanted… And that was it, he didn’t know what he wanted. And after three years, doubt made its way in the cracks of his broken heart: he lived so he could spite the system for attempting to kill him… But was it worth it? 

Xie Lian was a god now, and with his shitty luck, was he going to live long enough to even see him for the upcoming civil war? What was the point of it all in the end? He wasn’t supposed to live. He had never been meant to live at all… So why…?

“If you don’t know what to live for, then live for me.”

[Class upgrade: Beggar -> Soldier. Skill update: STR +15. DEF +13. CHAR +5...etc]

[New passive skills acquired: Blade of Xianle, doubles the amount of exp gained from killing humans. Demonic Heritage II, the might of your ancestors give you +20 to your Strength and Speed.]

[Major event coming soon: Land of Tender, Land of Loser.]

Reading about the Land of Tender had been excruciating. One of the main criticisms towards ATTP was how downright cruel some chapters were towards the main three princes. Each had one specific traumatic event that would shape them up for the rest of the story, their own fall from grace. In the case of Xie Lian… It had been the Land of Tender.

Unlike his previous novel Airplane hadn’t romanticized what happened at all. It was so raw and so awful many readers had considered dropping the story right here and there, Zhu Qiang had been one of them. It was the start of the fall of Xianle, marked by this cruel beyond humanly possible event.

Now, standing straight with his sword in hand, Hong-er faced the flowers. He couldn’t let them close, he knew what would happen if he did. It’s the exact reason for why he had followed Xie Lian in the forest to save Qi Rong even if he hated him. If he gave up, if he wavered for just one moment… Never could he forgive himself.

And then the flowers changed appearances, and laughing, they took the face of the Crown Prince.

Back when Xie Lian only used to be a character in Zhu Qiang eyes, he admitted he looked at some fanarts or some skimpy fics about him, sometimes even watched videos imagining it was him. Face with the real deal, he had vowed himself to never see him again as some sort of forbidden pleasure. And yet those flowers had seen right through him… Maybe they had all been right, his bullies, his parents, his teachers, the villagers, everyone… Maybe he was a monster.

“You’re not a monster,” he had clinged onto those words for years. But his palm against the white skin of his prince, he felt his devotion waver. He thought it was faith, he thought it was fate, now… he wondered, hadn’t it all been in the name of lust and obsession? When Xie Lian left, and he asked for him, he reminded himself of why he shouldn’t have gotten closer in the first place: he was a jinx.

Mu Qing kicked him out of the army after this event. There was no point in arguing with him. No matter how Hong-er told him he was the one at fault for abandoning the prince, the only acknowledgement he got from him was a slap to his face and his insignia snatched out of his hands. And back to the street he was. He wasn’t beating kids anymore, no point to that, he would destroy them at the first occasion. His stats were high thanks to how much he had killed (Paper men, he reminded himself after washing the blood off his hand, paper men). There was the epidemic too. Since he was immune, he got recruited to take care of the transport of the ill. The grotesque faces made him want to puke, but it hadn’t been the worst he’d seen at that point.

He saw Xie Lian one last time. And then another time, his eyes closed, holding the pagoda… And then Xianle fell. And he was back to beating kids up to protect the temples he rebuilt.

“I’ll never forget you!!” His one reason to hold on in two lifetimes.

He died in Xie Lian’s temple, stabbed by Qi Rong, not without smashing his head in retaliation. Heavens, he hated that guy. He laughed low and quiet, the system flashing his health bar lowering and lowering. And then… As he had expected it, everything faded to black.

[GAME OVER. 2/3 life left, start again?]

Wait… HE HAD SPARE LIVES???!!

[Class update: Soldier -> Malice. Base stats changed from Human to Ghost. Passive skills still active: Eye of Misfortune, Demonic Heritage I, Demonic Heritage II, Blade of Xianle...]

[To continue…?]

(I don't know if I'll do it in multiple parts or not, if you like it I'll continue. Other than that, here's the tweets that started it all:)

(I added one of the replies mentioning that it could explain why his writing is so bad because I hadn't thought about it when I made my first tweets, but looking at his writing in adaptations and comparing it to how modern chinese students write... You can see similarities.)

If you enjoy the concept you can add onto it in the replies, the reblogs or send me asks!

[levemetal]

@sillyxaly suggested Jw adopting SJ and it was too fun to brainrot about with @ace-shenanigans too.

Rest assured, no matter the au variation, as long as SJ is adopted by a tgcf character, he shall be the bane of Jw's existence and make him consider early retirement.

[theredcuyo]

You know that little spell Sqq uses sometimes where he puts some spiritual energy into leafs/petals

You bet your ass Wwx is taking it and making it into an even deadlier weapon or into a communication thingy, or both!

If Hua cheng were to use it, it's mostly for making a flower on the whim so he can give it to Xie Lian, after all, his butterflies are deadly enough

[stiltonbasket]

I almost never post TGCF on this blog, but this concept has been plaguing my mind for a solid week, so here goes.

Consider an AU where, for various reasons, Bai Wuxiang never really notices Xie Lian. Xie Lian finds little Hong-hong'er long before the Shangyuan Festival where they met in canon, which means Xie Lian never stops to save a falling child during the parade (though baby Hua Cheng was already smitten by then). Xie Lian never ascends, since the demon of Yi Nian bridge never appears at the bridge after the festival; and the Xian Le-Yong'an civil war still takes place, but ends in Xian Le's favor within a few years.

Eighteen months into the war, Feng Xin disappears during a raid.

Xie Lian and the rest of his men search for him for months; but eventually, they're forced to report him as missing, assumed dead. At some point, Xie Lian returns to the palace and is sought out by Jian Lan, who was in a secret relationship with Feng Xin before he went to war—and who now has no one to legitimize their unborn child, although Feng Xin knew that she was pregnant and was planning to marry her during his next leave.

As the king's sole child, Xie Lian is under immense pressure to marry and father an heir to succeed him in case he dies in battle. In addition, he blames himself for Feng Xin's apparent death; and when Jian Lan comes to him for help, Xie Lian offers to marry her and accept her child as his own for Feng Xin's sake. This way, Xie Lian gets to maintain his cultivation path, and Jian Lan and her baby become members of Xian Le's royal family.

The war ends six months after the baby's birth: and eventually, Feng Xin returns alive from Yong'an, having been imprisoned there for over a year. When he gets back to the capital, he learns about Jian Lan's marriage to Xie Lian and is understandably distraught; but he makes peace with the situation relatively quickly, because 1) he knows that Jian Lan's life would have been ruined if someone hadn't stepped in to marry her and 2) Xie Lian has given him and Jian Lan his blessing to continue their relationship in secret.

His only stipulation is that they keep the relationship secret, because any speculation about the new Crown Princess's fidelity could call her child's legitimacy into question. And while Xie Lian would never object to an amicable divorce and co-parenting situation so that Jian Lan could marry Feng Xin, a divorce would be detrimental to all three families involved and damage the new baby prince's future prospects.

It's surprisingly easy for the three of them to work out an arrangement, since Feng Xin is expected to spend most of his time close to Xie Lian (and by extension, to Jian Lan as well). Fenglan get to be together, baby Xie Yan grows up being doted on by his mom and two dads, and Xie Lian is blissfully free of any obligations to continue the family line now that he has successfully "fathered" a son.

This goes on without a hitch for over ten years, until one of Feng Xin's old war injuries acts up and forces him into retirement. He still spends 100% of his time with the royal family, but he no longer accompanies Xie Lian when the latter is away from Jian Lan and Xie Yan.

Enter young army general Hua Cheng, who won the right to serve as the Crown Prince's bodyguard after a very intense trial by combat.

And so begins a long year of Hua Cheng absolutely losing it because of how badly he wants to be with Xie Lian. He knows that Xie Lian would never betray his wife, and has no intentions of breaking up his beloved's family: but he manages to keep it together until the day Xie Lian and Jian Lan announce that they're expecting their second child, because he catches the "unfaithful" Crown Princess kissing Feng Xin in a deserted hallway right after the congratulatory banquet.

Xie Lian was just trying to have a nice night in with Xie Yan when a sobbing Hua Cheng dragged Feng Xin into his room and started begging him (Xie Lian) not to give in to despair at his wife's and best friend's betrayal. Hua Cheng does get a complete explanation about The Arrangement, but he's very distressed about not being able to beat Feng Xin up to his heart's content.

(He and Xie Lian get together a few months later, after which Hua Cheng surrenders the title of Most Heartbroken Man Alive and becomes the Smuggest Man Alive.)

[monhiio]

He sees Feng Xin right outside and he's unable to look away from the red in his eyes, nose and cheeks. The sight tugs at his heart and he almost breaks down himself before he reaches out with a gentle hand to cup his cheek.

He caresses the skin with his thumb and whispers "Feng Xin..! No…"

---

He stares ahead, letting his eyes rest as he appreciates how pretty his Highness is even when his eyebrows are knit in worry. His eyes are so round and warm, the slope of his nose so gentle, his hair frames his face so nicely. Its agonizing. It only makes the pain in his chest worse.

"How did this happen.. What did I do wrong.."

[ghost-kings-court-jester]

Just saw a recommend post that said if Xie Lian hadn’t been around Hua Cheng would have been such a menace and straight up evil and like no honey he woulda have been a ten year old pancake.

[vinzulu]

the same reverse au 'Shi Wudu didn't mess with He Xuan's fate and things only got worse'

the man will judge you for breathing too loud

(without a personal enemy he creates his own judgemental system and also has all the heavenly rights to eat punish a dozen of extremely rich mortals for lunch) (his moral principles are getting more random with every decade)

[sillygoofyqueer]

Modern AU streamer He Xuan whose handle is Ming Yi and nobody sees his face, and he spends most of his time finessing legal systems while calling out the corrupt with mountains of evidence at hand.

When he sends out a warning announcement that he's posting, everyone watching his social media pages lights up, some with fear and panic, others with delight and excitement. All anybody knows is if Ming Yi mentions your name in one of these announcements, there is no hope for your survival.

He's a silent predator, a creature crawling from the underwater abyss and when he's on your radar, it's likely you've been on his for far longer.

[bookwyrm-art-stuff]

I analyze fandoms the same way I analyze the media they're built around and that should concern all of you

[horsegirlwarcrimes]

⊹₊♡🐾 Heartwarming! Rescue Dog's Incredible Transformation After... 🐾♡₊ ⊹

cw: animal abuse

Hua Cheng steps past the red curtain and, in the same breath, shifts. He makes himself shorter, his figure softening and filing out. The ghost who takes the steps down from the platform has a round, androgynous face; large black eyes, soft black and gold robes, a diaphanous curtain of black ink for hair. He folds his hands together in his sleeves and taps the croupier at the table on the shoulder. The croupier takes one glance at his placid expression on his mask-less face, gulps, and leaves. 

Hua Cheng turns his smile on the drunken human. “Greetings, gongzi. This one will deal the tiles.” 

They play several rounds. The human bets for money, and Hua Cheng lets him win hand after hand, slowly building up a pile of gold as he drains his wine jug. When the man tips his bottle over his cup and only a drop falls onto the ceramic, Hua Cheng only smiles and waves for a server to bring a new bottle. 

“Something good, for the lucky gongzi,” he tells the server. The man laughs so loudly that the dog, who was starting to sag towards the ground next to him, startles. The man grunts and yanks it close again. 

“Don’t be so quick to run off,” he slurs at it. “You want me to let you go here? These ghosts would eat you, bones and all if I let them. Be grateful I’m keeping you with me.” 

A game tile shatters in Hua Cheng’s hand. He carefully unclenches his fist, letting the dust fall to the floor. 

“Would gongzi like to bet for something a bit more interesting this round?” he asks. 

The looks over and hiccups. “Like what?” 

“This is the Gambler’s Den. Anything that you wish for can be bet at our tables,” Hua Cheng says, spreading his hands grandly. 

A slow, ugly smile spreads over the man’s face. “Yeah. Yeah! Why not? Fortune favors me tonight.”

“What does the gongzi desire?” 

“A political position,” the man says, sloshing his cup confidently in Hua Cheng’s direction. Strong, sweet wine spills over the edge. “I want to be an official. I’ve been toadying for that fucker Linhai too long… It’s time I was the one in charge.” 

“You wish it, and Crimson Rain Sought Flower will make it so. If gongzi wins the bet. What will gongzi give the den if he loses?” 

The man blinks, looks around. “What do I bet?” 

“We trade in lives, in riches, in precious items. Does gongzi have anything like that?” 

“Humph. How about my pendant?” 

The man lifts a jade pendant from under his shirt. Hua Cheng shakes his head, lowering his lashes demurely. “I’m afraid it must be more significant than that, for such a bet.” 

“Fine, fine. I bet my house!” the man declares. 

“Very well.” 

They play. Hua Cheng smiles behind a long black sleeve as the man takes a narrow victory. Feeling like they have worked for it always makes the patrons even bolder, even more zealous. 

“Congratulations, gongzi. When you return to the mortal world, you will have a position as an official waiting for you.” 

If he returns to the mortal world. 

The man lifts his cup in a cheer, and others around the table cheer with him or curse their own losses. The atmosphere in the den is rowdy, as it always is when the ghosts know he is in residence. He’s sure there would be an even greater din if they knew he was running the table. 

The man has drained most of the new bottle of liquor. The dog is standing under the table, not quite sitting and not quite standing upright, its legs shaking and its tail pressed tight to its belly. A ghost fire has drifted over and hovers next to it. The dog looks down at the small fire and pants. 

Another ghost reaches out towards them. The dog shies back, and the ghost grabs the ghost fire. It pops it in its mouth. 

“Watch it,” the man says, nudging the dog out of the way. The ghost snorts.

“Please, that thing is a bag of bones and flees. Who wants to eat some diseased dog?” 

“I’ll have you know, I have this thing to thank for my victory,” the man boasts. He kicks the dog lightly again and its front legs give out, pushing its face into the floor. One of its eyes is weeping, irritated and red. “It’s good luck?” 

“That thing?” the ghost asks, a sneer on its long, crocodilian mouth. 

“You bet! It’s not much to look at, but ever since I found it I’ve had the best luck. It must be blessed by a god of fortune.” 

The ghosts nearby harrumphed and accused the man of cheating, but Hua Cheng only smiled at the man. 

“Gongzi is lucky indeed. Would you like to make another bet?” 

Bolstered by his wins, the man gulped down his cup of wine and slammed it on the table. “Yes! Yes, I will. I want the woman who scorned me to come crawling back, and take me for her husband.” 

Hua Cheng kept the disgust off his face only by reminding himself that he would soon no longer be a blight upon the world. 

“Gongzi makes a good bet. What will you offer in return?” 

“My house, again. While I’ve still got it,” he said with a boisterous laugh. 

Hua Cheng hums. “I’m afraid gongzi will need to increase his bet as well.” 

The man scratches at his wispy beard. “I don’t have much else. What do you want?” 

“Hm. For a bet like this, how about your life?” 

The man paled. “My life? Ridiculous!” 

“Not to worry. If you lose, you won’t be killed. It’s only that your life will be the city lord’s to do with as he sees fit.” 

The man started to shake his head, but the ghost next to him elbowed him. “Come on! Weren’t you just saying how much luck you’ve got? Don’t pussy out now!” 

“Yeah!”

“Yeah, come on! All big talk until the betting gets real, huh?” 

The server comes by with a new bottle of wine for the man. She pours for him with a flick of her wrist and a small smile. “On the house,” she whispers. 

The man takes the drink and looks down into the wine, then raises it in another cheer. “I’ll do it!” 

“Very good.” 

The man loses the bet, of course. Crimson Rain always wins his games, in the end. 

In the aftermath of the game, the man is pallid, sweating and fearful. For the first time, Hua Cheng’s smile is genuine. 

“Don’t look so nervous, gongzi. One loss tonight isn’t such a bad thing. The night is young. Why don’t you bet again, for your life to be returned? If you win, the debt will be forgiven.” 

“Yes, yes! Please. I’ll bet again. Anything you want.” 

“Chengzu already has your life,” Hua Cheng says, humming thoughtfully. “What else do you have?”

“Anything, anything!”

“How about your good luck charm? If you lose, we’ll take the dog.” 

“This thing?” the man asks. His eyes are blown wide, his face red from drink where it isn’t pallid from fear. “Take it, yes.” 

“Very good,” Hua Cheng says, and beats the man again. 

As the den’s bouncers carry the drunk, screaming man away, Hua Cheng shifts into his true form. Ghosts around the tables scramble away from him, fleeing like mice with shouts of “Chengzhu, Chengzhu!” 

He kneels on the floor in front of the dog and puts a hand out for it to sniff. Its ribbon-leash lays on the floor of the Gambler’s den, trailing away from where its former master let it fall in his terror. The dog doesn’t move towards or away from him, but it's long, lean head follows the drunken man as he is hauled off. It makes as though to follow up, but it wobbles when it walks, as if it too is drunk. 

“Didn’t you hear him?” Hua Cheng asks. “You’re mine now.”

[coffeeshopdrawings]

Magical girl MXTX au. Magical girl MXTX au save me