#I might need to send Wind in to Big Brother them…

[sunfloweraro]

LUtober day 26: Ruins

Warriors is tired. So is Sky. They find comfort in each other.

(Part 2 with comfort)

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 .

Sky wasn’t meant to be awake. They finally had the opportunity to sleep at an inn—a safe place, where they could all rest through the night. By all means, he should be taking advantage of such a treat. And yet, his body refused to relax, to settle into the soft blankets and rest. The rest of the group had long-since drifted off by now, and somehow, Sky found himself staring at the ceiling, eyes and chest aching.

Rustling nearby. Sky’s ears flicked in the direction, eyes following in time to see Warriors slip out of the room without a backward glance. Sky waited five, then ten, minutes before he followed their Captain, concern pressing heavy against his chest. A quick glance at the bathroom to confirm it was empty, and he stepped outside, wincing under the bite of the cold and drawing his sailcloth close. The night was dark, the moon covered by dense clouds, but Warriors hadn’t gone far; Sky spotted him sitting atop one of the many, many ruins littering Wild’s era, swallowed up by crumbling stone and splintered wood and looking too small for someone normally larger than life itself.

“Can’t sleep?” Sky asked as he drifted over to his friend, his fatigue making him feel like a ghost. Warriors flinched, head whipping up, eyes meeting Sky’s briefly, just long enough for Sky to realise why Warriors was out here in the first place. “Hey, what’s wrong?” He hurried over, settling alongside Warriors, the sight of his tear-stained face one Sky knew he wouldn’t easily forget.

Warriors said nothing. When Sky reached out to touch his shoulder, Warriors shied away from the contact. Something heavy settled in Sky’s gut.

“Wars?”

“I’m—Don’t worry, Sky. I’ll be back inside in a minute.”

“Nonsense,” Sky huffed. “Something’s wrong.” He was stating the obvious, but he was much too exhausted to be delicate, much too…

Warriors sighed. “I’m so tired.”

…tired.

“I tried to sleep, but my mind wouldn’t calm down—it’s like we’re in the middle of a fight. I think… I think all these months are starting to catch up to me.”

A sad sound escaped Sky and he shifted closer, not yet touching, but supportive all the same. Warriors inhaled, as if to apologise, but Sky spoke first, his voice soft, fragile: “Me too.” Just the admission left his eyes burning with tears, his breath hitching.

“Sky…?”

“I couldn’t sleep either,” Sky confessed, eyes firmly in his lap. “And yet I’m so tired.” His eyes slipped shut, warm tears trailing down his cheeks, emotions that had been pushed to the side for far too long brimming to the surface.

Warriors sniffled, nudged him in the side now that he knew he wouldn’t be judged. “What a pair we make,” he joked weakly, his voice breaking as more tears escaped. Sky leaned against his friend in response, an exhausted sigh escaping him. He wouldn’t break down, wouldn’t sob or shout. He was too drained, too strung out from months of adventuring, of keeping it all together, to do anything more than let the tears slip down his cheeks, pattering to the ground.

Warriors hummed in agreement, leaning his head over Sky’s. Tears dripped into Sky’s hair, an assurance that he wasn’t alone in this. Even as more tears spilled down his cheeks under the cover of the night, Sky found a pulse of warmth pressed against his chest, comforting him. He hoped Warriors felt the same.

“What do we do, Sky?”

“I don’t… I don’t know,” Sky confessed. “Can we stay here a while longer?”

Warriors took in a shuddering breath. Another patter over Sky’s hair. “Yeah. I’d like that.”

“Thanks, Wars.”

“Same here, Sky.”

“We’ll figure something out. Together.”

“Yeah,” Warriors said, his voice more hopeful than Sky had heard it in weeks. “Together.”

[vrystalius]

I have been way too shy to ask you for a request and now that i am here writing it, it feels weird but, i love your writing way too much ❤️❤️❤️ can we get the Hashira and upper moons if it's not too much 😅. A scenario where they always been in love and had this huge crush on reader but they always say "I will confess when the moment is perfect" but then the reader falls in love with a boy from the village ,but then he breaks her heart by leaving her and now she is crying and sulking in her favourite spot when they find her and now they take the opportunity to confess telling her she needs someone who actually loves her and takes care of her.

(Sorry if it's too much it's my first ask and I don't know how else to put it please pardon my bad english) ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Heartbroken

You’re crying from being heartbroken. What will the hashira do?

Note: I kind of completed this request differently and noticed it too late, I’m so sorry! And I apologise that it took so long. Thank you for sending in a request, I am extremely honoured that you entrusted me with this ask. I’ll try to write one for the Upper Moons as well. Your english is perfectly fine! Again, thank you!

Pairing: Sanemi, Kyojuro, Gyomei, Giyu x gn!reader

Sanemi Shinazugawa

He’s been denying his feelings for you for a while now. You’re too pretty, too smart, too strong and way too good for Sanemi to even have a single chance at dating you. He has been holding his feelings inside while watching you talking interacting with that damn kakushi everytime you saw them. Sanemi saw how much your eyes brightened up and your smile widened when with them.

He hated it so much. He fucking hated himself for feeling all these things and how much they’re making his heart hurt. It was distracting him from doing his missions properly. Sanemi started to get careless, getting slashed more often and taking more hits during practice. The others started to notice how absentminded he seemed and grew worried for the wind hashira.

Sanemi felt selfish when he helped you lean against his shoulder, holding you close to himself. Your tears were dropping onto his shoulder, beginning to soak his uniform. That damn kakushi rejected you and broke your golden heart, and now you’re here, crying against him. His hand was gently rubbing up and down your arm, trying to soothe you.

His mind was clouded with guilt, now thinking that he might have a chance with you. Was that shitty of him to think of that right now while you wrapped your arms around Sanemi and cried into his shoulder?

“I’ll kill that damn boy for ya. You don’t deserve gettin’ your heart broken…”

Kyojuro Rengoku

You two have been friends for such a long time and Kyojuro fell for you quickly after meeting you. He rants about you to his little brother, boasting about your incredible kindness and intelligence and how truly powerful you are. An incredible hashira who managed to defeat so many demons on your own! Senjuro would always listen quietly while sweeping the porch or preparing a meal for him as his brother. He noticed how brightly Kyojuro begins to glow and how his eyes shine. He truly loves you, he can tell. His brother might not even be aware of how much he actually fell for you.

Kyojuro was more heartbroken to see you this upset than being happy for himself that he has a chance now. He tried everything in his power to cheer you up and comfort you by giving you encouraging words, comforting touches and a big bear hug.

You two have been talking for hours now, about your feelings and what you want to do now. Kyojuro even offered you his dessert while you talked.

“How about you come home with me and we could eat dinner together with my brother? Company might do you good!”

Gyomei Himejima

Gyomei would feel guilty for wanting to have you for himself after hearing that you expressed interest in one of the kakushi. Instead of persuading or trying to convince you to not confess to the kakushi, he’d actively try to bring you two together. If you are happy, Gyomei is. That also included on behalf of his happiness.

He’d encourage you to speak with the kakushi more, to create a bond between you two and create more of a chance that you might have a romantic relationship with him. Whenever you got nervous or unsure, Gyomei was there to encourage and offer advice to you every time.

After your heart was broken, the first person you thought of seeking comfort from was the stone hashira.

His deep voice and gentle hand on your back was incredibly comforting, making you lean against him. Your head was resting against Gyomei’s chest after he wrapped his large arm around you and soothingly stroked your back, offering his comfort.

“It will be okay. Your heart will heal in time. Please know that I will be here for you if you need any support.”

Giyu Tomioka

Giyu didn’t want to get close to you after noticing how much you like that kakushi. He doesn’t want to interfere with your love life and who you choose to be. Instead, he drowns in misery and a wave of depression. Giyu barely spoke to you, and now he’s completely ignoring you. You felt bad for him and wondered if something might have happened that caused him to be so… downcast and depressed. Fearing that you are the reason why Giyu’s acting like this, you decided to stay out of his way as well, just in case.

He accidentally stumbled upon you after your heart was broken. You were crying your heart out while Giyu just awkwardly sat down beside you. His posture was stiff and he wasn’t sure how to comfort you, so he just patter your back silently. He felt a slight glimmer of hope in his chest after finding out why you were so upset, but was extremely bewildered why someone would reject someone as perfect as you.

In Giyu’s eyes, you are the most beautiful, intelligent, powerful, fast and best person in the whole entire world. How could someone be this blind and not see that? Even Gyomei probably knows how beautiful and perfect you truly are, and his eyes are completely clouded. Giyu carefully scooted a little closer to you and made you lean your head onto his shoulder in an attempt to offer comfort.

“You’ll be okay, trust me.”

💠

Again, so so sorry it took so long. My brain was being a little fried and I couldn’t work on any asks and I instead posted my own things. I’m planning to work on more requests!

Anyways, make sure to EAT, SLEEP and DRINK enough!

Take care of yourselves <3

[bijouxcarys]

Bad News (Roman Reigns x fem!OC)

Masterlist

Description: They told her to stay away. But something about him makes her keep coming back for more.

Word Count: 2.5k

Tags: @octaviastargirl @trippinsorrows @empressdede @thetribalqueen @bigsimperika

@cyberdejos2 @keyaho @heauxvibez (let me know if you want to be tagged in any future Roman fics)

Saturday, May 27th 2023 – Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

It had always been the three of them.

Despite not sharing a father, the sibling bond between Jasmine and Kevin was unshakable. Their shared history spanned so many years that neither could recall a time when it was otherwise. Although he was nearly a decade her senior, the two of them wreaked havoc together like a dynamic duo from Hell. The real transformation came when Sami entered Kevin’s life, escalating their antics to new heights.

Inseparable, irreplaceable, indestructible. Nothing could come between them.

Except… the face of pro wrestling. The one man that Jasmine was incessantly warned against—stay away from him, Jas; he’s not worth the trouble.

Roman fucking Reigns.

Ever loyal to her brother’s and best friend’s advice, she made an earnest attempt to heed their warnings. Attempt being the operative word here.

“Give me a bit of slack, man, I’m trying my best here,” she’d mutter, her face buried in the couch pillows.

“There’s no slack when it comes to that man, Jas. He’s dangerous.”

“He’s a wrestler, not the mafia.”

“Well…”

“Don’t be so dramatic—”

“I’m not. He just has a way of…” Sami shivered slightly, “getting into your head.”

“Yeah, we’re well aware of your little man crush.”

Jasmine was fully aware of her family’s fraught history with Roman and The Bloodline, so it wasn’t unusual for them to vent whenever they had a private moment backstage. They were always careful—God only knew the repercussions if the wrong ears caught wind of their conversations.

“He has kids, doesn’t he?”

“And an ex-wife.”

“Yeah, but kids.”

“What’s your point?”

“…Potent dad nut?”

“Jasmine!”

She understood the gravity of someone overhearing Sami and Kevin. Being a new addition to the main roster afforded her certain privileges that others might not have. However, nothing—absolutely nothing—would compare to the trouble she’d be in if either man discovered her… extracurricular activities.

> Still held up?

Jasmine glanced down at her phone, the text neatly displayed under the name BDU—an alias Roman had adopted from a fan’s moniker for him, “Big Daddy Uce,” circulating on social media.

She hesitated for a moment, thumb hovering over her screen, before typing out her reply.

Just a bit longer. Kevin and Sami are running late.<

Hitting send without a second thought, she sighed to herself. Navigating this bullshit lie was exhausting. The thrill of sneaking around with Roman clashed with the constant fear of those who loved her the most finding out. She glanced at the clock; time was slipping away.

Just then, the door to the locker room inched open, a familiar voice calling inside.

“Jas, you in here?”

“Yep. Just me, Kev, you can come in.”

She swore she felt the contents of her stomach clawing its way up her body when she noticed the stern expression on her brother’s face. Oh, shit, he’s found out. Time to move to Antarctica and live amongst the penguins.

“What’s up?” she asked after clearing her throat and sending him a nonchalant smile.

With a grunt, Kevin flopped down beside her, chewing over his thoughts. “Look… I know you’re trying…” he began slowly, choosing his words carefully. “And I can only interfere so much, and as your big brother, it’s my responsibility to prote—”

“Will you just spit it out already?”

“You really need to stay away from him, Jasmine. A-and it’s not just about us—he’s bad fucking news. I don’t wanna lose you because of all that.”

“I get it, I really do…” Jasmine furrowed her brows, unsure as to why he was spouting the same lecture he’d already given her a million times already. The two of them locked eyes, as if they were trying to see into each other’s thoughts. Jesus, just tell me what you really mean.

“I noticed it, y’know.” Kevin sighed.

“You noticed what?”

“The little smiles you give him whenever he goes past catering, or whenever we just so happen to cross paths before and after a match.”

“Sorry, am I not allowed to smile at people anymore?” Jasmine huffed, reaching down to tighten her bootlace.

“That’s not what I’m saying! But I know you, Jas—I know how you get with guys—”

“What the fuck is that meant to mean?”

“It means you’re a flirt, and so is that asshat,” he stood up, angled over her just to solidify his point.

“And?” she looked up at him, her hands flying out in an act of defence.

Kevin studied her face for a moment, before eventually sighing. “Just… please be careful, okay?”

“Listen,” she stood up, still inches shorter than him, but with the same gusto. “Nothing you’ve said to me about Roman Reigns has gone in one ear and out the other. I get it. You and Sami drill it into my head enough, how could I forget to be careful with him?” Her face softened and she placed her hand on her brother’s arm. “I’m fine, Kev. Really. I’m a big girl, I can handle a 6ft 4 Samoan wrestler, even if it means telling him to fuck off when he steps wrong.”

Kevin rolled his eyes. “Yeah, okay… I’d like to see you square up to him.”

“You know what I mean, idiot. Now, go and do whatever you were doing and stop worrying about me and my wondering eyes.”

Jasmine took the seconds after Kevin’s departure to release the heaviest sigh known to man.

You’re really not making this easy for me, Big Dog.

Giving herself a once over in the mirror, she slipped out of the locker room, making her way through the labyrinthine halls of the arena. The crowd’s distant roar echoed around her, reminding her of just where the fuck she was and the spectacle unfolding just beyond the breeze block walls. The audiences in Jeddah were always loud.

Finally, she reached the private room where she knew Roman was waiting. Knocking softly on the door, she slid in as smoothly as she could, meeting the never-faltering intense gaze of the man she really shouldn’t be seeing right now.

“Jassy,” he drawled, pulling her further into the room and closing the door behind her. “Thought you were gon’ stand me up.”

“I’m here, aren’t I?” she replied, rolling her eyes as he wrapped his girthy arms around her. “Kevin practically cornered me.”

Roman’s expression shifted, a smirk playing on his lips. “Always playin’ the big brother, huh? Thinks he can keep you from me.” He lowered his gaze to her lips, looking over her face with the same shit-eating air of arrogance he displayed in the ring.

“Maybe he should,” she shot back, though her tone was more teasing than anything else. “You’re a bad influence on me.”

He chuckled lowly. “You like bad influences, baby.”

Dramatically sighing, she couldn’t stop herself from smirking herself. “Maybe. Doesn’t mean I have to like you, though.” She poked at his chest in a half-hearted attempt at separating their bodies.

“Oh, you like me, Jasmine. More than you wanna admit.” He leaned into her, breath warm against her ear. “And that’s what drives your pretty ass crazy.”

She huffed, her palms flat against his bare chest, still waiting to be oiled down. “You’re so full of yourself.”

“And you’re full of it if you think you can keep resisting me.” Hands settled on her waist; he tugged her closer. “But I get it, baby, I do… You’re just mad ‘cause you can’t get enough.”

Her lower lip slipped between her teeth as she attempted to suppress a smile. God-be-damned if she even so much as thought about matching the grin on his perfect fucking face.

“You wish.”

“Shh, you gotta stop tryna push me away so much, mama.” To her utter surprise, Roman placed a tentative kiss to her forehead, though the grip he had on her remained possessive. Territorial.

The two stood there for a moment, savouring the rare peace of their stolen time together. But the reality of their situation loomed large, regardless of their circumstances, and Jasmine knew they couldn’t stay in this tiny ass room for long.

Reluctantly, she pulled away completely. “I should go before they start looking for me.”

Roman nodded, though his qualms mirrored her own. “Be safe out there, Jassy. And remember,” he quickly added, causing her to stop in her tracks and half-turn in his direction. “Anythin’ goes wrong over there, you got me.”

She smiled, a genuine, warm smile that reached her eyes. “Always.”

Of course, he couldn’t resist landing a small, teasing, slap to her ass just before she pulled the door open and disappeared for the night. She could still feel the light sting as she made her way down to catering, where she knew Sami and Kevin would be.

“Everything okay?” Sami asked, noticing the distant look in her eyes.

Jasmine nodded, forcing a casual tone. “Yeah, just needed a breather. It’s hot here, don’t you think?” She took a seat opposite the pair, instantly pulling her phone out once she felt the small buzz in her pocket.

> See you later ;)

You’re so sure about that aren’t you?<

> I told you… you can’t stay away

She tucked the phone away with a determined smile, knowing he was right. He always was.

And that proved to be true a lot sooner than she had hoped. Later that evening, as the arena buzzed with the looming anticipation of the night’s main event, Jasmine found herself once again lost in the battle of her morals. Roman and Solo’s tag team match against Sami and Kevin was literally minutes away, and she knew she had to wish him luck. Even if it meant risking another confrontation with her brother.

Taking a deep breath, she made her way to where she knew The Bloodline would be. Distant from everyone else, so she was thankful for that aspect.

Jimmy answered her knock, his eyes narrowing slightly at the sight of her.

“Hey, Jas. What you doin’ here?”

“Just wanted to, uh… wish Roman luck, I guess,” she said, trying to sound casual about her impromptu detour.

The Uso raised an eyebrow but stepped aside to let her in. Inside, the air was thicker than it was in the corridors. It was like the pre-match mental preparation seeped into the ethos. Paul and Solo were over on the couch, both eyeing her with curiosity. And in the very centre of the room, angled towards a mirror as he adjusted his red glove, was Roman.

“Look who decided to show up,” Roman chimed, his voice dripping with playful pride. Sauntering over to her, his wet hair hung at the sides of his face as he angled down to look her in the eye. “Told you, you can’t stay away… You here to give me a good luck charm, baby?”

“Maybe I am,” she crossed her arms and met his gaze head-on. “Not that you need it, Mr. Head of the Table.”

“Ooh,” he chuckled, eyes darkening with that familiar glint. “You know I love it when you call me that.”

Jasmine snorted a small laugh with a swift roll of her eyes. “Don’t get used to it.”

Roman leaned in closer, dropping his voice to that husky whisper she usually only ever heard in their most private moments. “You sure you don’t wanna stick around? Might need a little extra motivation.”

Even though his tone caused a shiver to shoot down her spine, she maintained her composure. “I think you’ll be just fine without me distracting you.”

“You always distract me, Jassy. That’s half the fun.”

Before she could respond, Jimmy interrupted with a grin. “Hey, Uce, you better focus on the damn match. Don’t let Jas here mess with your head.”

Roman shot his cousin a glare. “I got this. Ain’t nothin’ gon’ mess with my head tonight.”

Jasmine shook her head, unable to suppress the amusement that came with every visit to any locker room belonging to The Bloodline. “Alright, alright. Go out there and show them why you’re the Tribal Chief.”

His intense glare softened as he looked back at Jasmine. “You gonna be watchin’?”

“Aren’t I always?” she raised an eyebrow as she made her way to the door.

“As long as you keep acknowledging me, baby, that’s all I need.”

She shot him a grin before closing the door behind her. Oh, I’ll always acknowledge the fuck out of you.

Roman’s domineering presence was palpable, right from the very start of the match. She wasn’t sure if it was just where she watched on from the shadows of Gorilla, but every move he made exuded a confidence in him like never before. But… Kevin and Sami were relentless. They pushed The Bloodline to their limits. And her eyes couldn’t decide where they wanted to be focused. Once again thrown into the back and forth of what outcome she really wanted…

Roman and Solo seemed to have the upper hand at times, but her own family fought back with a determination that left everyone on the edge of their seats, even her.

Eventually, Kevin had Roman alone. Squaring off in the ring. Their rivalry coming to a head in a series of brutal exchanges. A Stunner from Kev, an immediate Spear by Roman. Usually, she could tell which direction a certain match was going. But this? A whole other level.

The climax of the match came in a flurry of action. Solo unleashed a devastating assault on Sami, while Roman engaged Kevin in a battle of wills. The crowd erupted as the evening reached its fever pitch, the finale hanging in the balance.

In a final, dramatic moment, Sami managed to evade Solo’s grasp and tag in Kevin, who launched into a brutal offence against Roman. And despite Roman’s best efforts, Kevin and Sami’s relationship proved too strong. Another Stunner to Roman, followed by a classic Helluva, secured the pinfall that retained her family’s title.

Everyone seemed to explode with cheers. Jasmine couldn’t decide if she was proud of Sami and Kevin for their win, or disappointment that her illegal partner of sorts had actually… lost.

The same engulfed her as she tried her best to celebrate with her brother and best friend backstage. Tried to look happier than she really was. A horrible feeling if there ever was one.

You’re betraying your family; you should be happy!

Then she caught it. Focused, intense eyebrows narrowed down atop eyes that lit up whenever in her presence. Though, this time, approaching was out of the question. Roman passed from afar, followed by Jimmy, Solo, and Paul. His fists clenched at his sides, and his nostrils flared, she held no remorse for him ignoring is surroundings. He was in his head, and she empathised.

However, no amount of losing could stop him from approaching her.

Her phone buzzed as she flopped down onto the bed in her hotel room, snug in a fluffy robe after a hot shower.

> You busy?

Nope<

It took him a while to respond, but once he did, a wide smile overtook her features and she shot up into a seated position.

> Unlock your door and sit on the bed. Don’t fucking move. I’ll be there in 15.

[winchestergirl2]

December's Reading Recs 2024

Thank you to all the incredible writers here on tumblr, who provide us with these fantastic stories and thank you to everyone who interacts with these fic recs posts to help spread the love for these writers.

Happy New Year, everyone, and happy reading!

To show some love and appreciation to all the amazing writers here on tumblr, who take the time to give us all these incredible stories (for free), allowing us to escape into these worlds. Here are all the fantastic fics I've read this month. 💖

Many of these fics and blogs are 18+ only, and NSFW please heed the author's individual fic warnings and requests regarding no minors. I am not responsible for your media consumption.

Reading Recs Masterlist

Big Sky

Beau Arlen

Home in the Snow @dean-winchester-is-a-warrior

Authors Summary: Little Christmas tidbits to enjoy for the holiday season.

Shades of Him @zepskies

Authors Summary: You make sure Beau isn’t alone this Christmas.

Polaris Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11 | @waynes-multiverse

Authors Summary: When Beau Arlen moved to Montana, he left behind a past he wasn’t proud of. But when a series of murders requires the FBI’s help, Sheriff Arlen‘s ghosts come back to haunt him one by one. With a wrong turn waiting at every crossroads, it’s hard to make the right choices and find his way back home – back to you.

Supernatural

Sam Winchester

Wake Up Call @zepskies

Authors Summary: Sam often gets up before you in the morning. He enjoys luring you into the waking world. 

Nobody Cares @caplanbuckybarnes

Authors Summary: Sam tells you you're not important to him anymore, not when there's a war coming.

Santa For Someone @cleighwrites

Authors Summary - Sam struggles to find a Secret Santa gift for Dean

Reap The Rewards @queen-of-deans-booty

Authors Summary: Working out is always fun whenever your boyfriend is involved. He’s such a great motivator.

Dean Winchester

Rumours (Masterlist) @deanwinchesterswitch

Authors Summary: Fear and anger forced them apart. Pain and regret kept them separated. An opportunity arises to repair the damage when a well-meaning friend pushes them into a reunion. Yet, rumors threaten to tear them apart for good.

Against The Wind Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | @zepskies

Authors Summary: You wake up in a strange alpha’s cabin in the middle of a snowstorm, all with a busted ankle. He holds shadows in his eyes, even though his hands are gentle. There are iron shutters around his heart, even though he saved you. You might just save him in return.

12 Days of Deanmas @thinkinghardhardlythinking

Authors Summary: It’s been a hard year for Y/N. And for Dean. But he has a project to try and get her in the Christmas, no wait, the Deanmas spirit.

Tracker

Russell Shaw

Off Limits @thebiggerbear

Authors Summary: When Reenie sends you to assist Colter with whatever he needs after getting arrested for breaking into a morgue in Virginia, you meet his older brother Russell for the first time. There's some flirting and definitely a mutual attraction there before you Colter sends you off. Little do you know at the time that Colter has warned Russell that you're off limits and that Russell has no intention of listening to said warning.

Lost Time @zepskies

Authors Summary: When Russell takes longer than usual on a job out of town, you realize how hard it is to live half a life with him.  

More Of This @zepskies

Authors Summary: Welcoming Russell home, where he belongs.  

The Boys

Soldier Boy

Where is she? @thebiggerbear

Authors Summary: Soldier Boy only has one thought in mind when Homelander wakes him up: you.

Sneak Peeks

Beau Arlen

Coming in 2025 @thebiggerbear

Jason Teague, Alec McDowell, Boaz Priestly

Coming in 2025 @thebiggerbear

[curtain-caller]

The Parallels Between Korsica and Roquefort

So, when I was setting up my plans for Fly-High Rush, things were a bit one-sided in terms of group numbers, so instead of keeping Korsica the same, I decided to swap her and Roquefort. I figured they were similar enough to make a switch work.

But then I realized they were... really similar. Like, very, very similar. The comparisons just kept coming and they didn't stop.

So here we are. Welcome to my Ted Talk.

1. WIND ATTACKS:

Let's get one of the bigger comparison out of the way: both of them fight with wind. Korsica uses it all the time, from turning off generators to putting out fires to kicking Chai's ass. Then there's Roquefort, who throws out little tornadoes during his fight and tries to send Chai flying with his Big Bad Wolf attack several times. That move also requires Korsica specifically to hold it back with her own wind gust. Yeah, not much to say here.

2. Connection to a Vandelay Sibling:

See, this is the point that really got the gears turning in my head. Both of them have a close connection to a Vandelay sibling who saved their lives: Roquefort to Kale, and Korsica to Peppermint.

"I was on my deathbed when Kale saved me. I was smart, but weak. He fixed that." - Roquefort

"Your wound was really bad...We didn't have a choice." - Peppermint "You... saved my life." - Korsica

Not to say Peppermint saved Korsica single-handedly (shout out to Mac and CNMN, the true mvps), but then again, I doubt Kale painstakingly upgraded Roquefort's body piece by piece on his own, so my point still stands. Both Vandelay siblings had a hand in saving their lives respectively, and because of that, you can see the bonds formed between these two duos.

Peppermint tries to be welcoming and reassuring to Korsica when she first comes to after Kale's murder attempt, and Korsica returns that reassurance later on in Mimosa's level. She hasn't even been with the gang for a full mission yet, is probably still getting used to these changes, and she still tries to comfort Peppermint, especially during her "Kale's my brother" reveal.

Not to mention, during the optional conversations in Roquefort's office before you face Kale, Korsica's dialogue is slightly different in terms of topic. Everyone has something to say regarding their own specific character arcs and motivations, but part of Korsica's dialogue is specifically her worrying about Peppermint.

"But I'm a bit worried about Peppermint. This is personal for her." - Korsica "After all we've been through, it might not be easy... but I think she can handle it." - Chai "You might be right about that, but we need to be there for her when she needs it." - Korsica

Now going back to Kale and Roquefort, while their interactions are brief, you can tell that both of them have at least some respect for each other, which is a hell of a lot more than they give to most of the other Department Heads. Especially Kale.

"Zanzo, Stop. Just stop. Even you jumped the shark on this one. IN THE EYE? What the shit?" - Kale to Zanzo (via SPECTRA Hub vlog) "Only one of of four, Korsica? That's not a passing grade." - Kale to Korsica "It better! No slip-ups! And no defects." - Kale to Mimosa and Rekka Versus...

"Why not? I want to see just how angry you can get, if those punks make it in here." - Kale to Roquefort Sure, Kale still lashes out at him, he's not nice all of a sudden, but it feels like such a massive difference. Kale questions why he ever hired Zanzo, he tried to straight up KILL Korsica, and he's harsh enough to Mimosa and Rekka to the point that they flinch. Hell, REKKA of all people flinches twice. But here? Kale trusts Roquefort to handle things, even if he is a bit dismissive with the "you're just a number cruncher" line.

And on the other side of things, Roquefort is not only loyal to Kale, but surprisingly calm and casual around him. Casual enough to correct him and talk back.

"We...shut down the cafe." - Roquefort "When I said close the campus down, I didn't mean THE CAFE!" - Kale "You said close down everything." - Roquefort

The casual tone of voice is palpable. I genuinely think that's the least angry we see Roquefort, except maybe during the Boss Zoom meeting.

And if you want to go the shipping route, yes, shout out to my lesbians, not much to prove there, but... Hey Kale, do you want to explain why you, a confirmed dog person, gave Roquefort a robotic wolf fursuit? YOU WANNA EXPLAIN THAT??? HUH???

3. Similar Personalities:

They're cold, they're direct, and they're aggressive, and despite their rare goofy moments, I feel comfortable saying they're the most serious of the Department Heads.

Excluding the visual aspects (because this point would be null and void thanks to Roquefort fursuit), these two are by far the least hammy of the bosses. Unlike the others, who provide witty banter, plenty of cheesy lines and over-dramatic reactions, the dialogue for these two is rarely comedic or high-energy.

Here's some examples for comparison:

"I like defects. I like how they taste." - QA-1MIL

"So let's get ready to crumble!" - Rekka

Do I even need an example for Zanzo?

"Let's raise the stakes, and turn down the lights!" - Mimosa

"You've had a few hits, but I think it's time we break up the band." - Kale

Compare that to...

"Caught you off guard." - Korsica "I'll make sure you stay down this time!" - Korsica "You cocky LOSER!" - Korsica

"You sure made an entrance, lad. If you've come for me... I'd walk away." - Roquefort "Where's your confidence now, kid?" - Roquefort "I put my stock in futures, but not yours, kid." - Roquefort

The other bosses are willing to taunt and even go along with Chai's goofiness, but these two? Oh, they don't have much time for that. They barely hesitate, and are not holding back in the slightest. Korsica fucking yeets him down a slope, puts him in a headlock, knocks him out, does whatever she can to hold him back from getting to her office, and only pauses briefly to gaze upon his stupidity before whipping her batons out when he busts in. Even after she gets knocked out and sustains, like, 3 different flavors of concussion(5 if you count Chai and the vent hitting her), she gets RIGHT BACK UP! In a way, Roquefort is a bit more lenient, letting Chai into his office once he gets that far... but the "I'm not fucking around" energy is still there. He's like "Oh, you're really that determined? I respect it. Come at me, kid, I'm not fucking scared." And then he proceeds to back that up. He doesn't even bother attacking Chai with his regular form at first (or at all, frankly), he goes from 0 to 100 and refuses to fall somewhere in the middle. And finally, there's one similarity between them personality-wise that gets its own section, that being how...

4. They're Fueled by Anger:

Basically every boss is aggressive in some way, throwing all kinds of things at Chai as he consistently grinds their 30 day chips from anger management to dust, but here's the thing... When I say "fueled by anger", I mean health-wise. These two heal themselves on-screen because of their anger. With Roquefort, this is pretty well established. He constantly says that all Chai is doing is making him angrier, and that so long as he's mad, he won't be stopped, to the point that thousands of pounds of gold getting the drop on him was the only thing that could take him down. During the verse/phase changes, you can see his health bar quickly refill itself each time, and his wolf form model viewer description wraps this all up in a nice, neat little bow with this line: "Powered by Roquefort's own anger, attacking it will only make it more aggressive and powerful." Now, getting to Korsica... I'll only say this one thing. Can we just acknowledge she went from THIS:

TO THIS:

ALL BECAUSE CHAI CALLED HER OBLIVIOUS??? SHE'S OUT FOR BLOOD, SHE WANTS THAT TWINK OBLITERATED. "That's it! Now I'm mad!" - Korsica Anger Management? More like Angry Management, am I right?

5. Chai is Out of his Element:

*Holds Chai up by the scarf* Get his ass, you two (I say this affectionately)

Yeah, Chai is severely out of his element with both of them. These two fights are especially humbling for him, albeit for opposite reasons. Korsica is the one boss Chai can't just run in and beat the crap out of, so we see him struggle a lot as he constantly rolls nat 1s on charisma. He and the gang go through, like, three different plans in the span of the whole boss fight; first going with Peppermint's plan to state the facts and stay cool, followed by Chai's plan of trying to tire her out until she's willing to listen, and finally ending with "Fuck it, let's just kidnap her, we'll work on a plan D later". And to top it all off, Korsica throws an entire new addition to the parry mechanic at Chai in the middle of all of this, and he just has to keep rolling with it. For Roquefort's fight, I think it's pretty clear that Chai is TERRIFIED of him. He goes in all cocky and confident, thinking Roquefort's a pushover, and gets humbled QUICK when Roquefort reveals his true nature. You only very briefly see his confident attitude resurface during this fight, like when he knocks Roquefort through the glass pane to his money vault. Otherwise, he's either terrified or exhausted, especially at the end, gritting his teeth and getting ready to keep fighting because he has no other option. Not to mention the others are constantly reassuring and being protective of Chai during the fight via their call-in dialogue. Chai is straight up NOT having a good time. At least he got an unintentional nap after Korsica's fight, dude needs a rest after dealing with Roquefort. Where's SMIDGE when you need him, dude needs an energy drink, stat.

6. Boss Music:

Okay so I am NOT well-versed in musical vocabulary so like... bear with me on this. Hopefully this is coherent. Anyways, Negotiation and The Fizzith just... have the same vibe to me. Yes, I'm mostly focusing on The Fizzith, I believe in Streamer Mode Supremacy. First of all, I guess I can start off by saying that they're the only bosses with pure instrumentals for their tracks, with everyone else having lyrics in theirs. Second of all, both of their song formats just sound so... similar to me? Idk how to describe it, but like... They both start with a dramatic build up as they instill the fear of God in Chai, with Roquefort having that iconic classical music "DUN DUN DUN DUUUUUN" intro and Korsica having a shorter, but still just as powerful, build up as she jumps up and whips her batons out. This is then followed by, like, a slightly softer and steadier follow up as it proceeds with the rest of the intro cutscene, as Roquefort leaps over Chai and Korsica turns down Chai's offer to talk. Then the tension gradually grows as the fight goes on, with each phase adding another instrument or two to make things more intense. The Fizzith is already a lot more intense than Negotiation at the start, but you can still hear the build up with each phase for both. And then finally, there's a small "calm before the storm" section, aka where Chai almost talks Korsica down, and when Roquefort is amping up for his final Big Bad Wolf attack. Roquefort's goes back to a steady sort of beat for a moment, while Korsica's has that quiet clapping and softened tone. This is then followed by an intense, deep, high-energy climax as Korsica starts throwing everything she has at you, and as Roquefort sends this lengthy tornado sound-wave barrage at you. While this format is by no means an original one (hell, I noticed a lot of this in Mimosa's fight too), there's just something about their music that just... feels interconnected to me. Like, if I had to sit down and imagine any other boss having a parry-based boss fight like Korsica's, just going by their boss fight music, I'd go for Roquefort (with Mimosa as a close second). And genuinely, I have actually sat down and imagined it, and it's almost perfect. I'm connecting the two dots, motherfuckers (I'm not connecting shit) I'M CONNECTING THEM-

7. Control Over Security:

And with that, we're now arriving at the much smaller points that I don't have as much to discuss about. So I don't really need to say much about Korsica during this section, for obvious reasons. But as for Roquefort, he IS the one who takes over once Korsica's out of the picture and shit starts to hit the fan. "Kale, I prioritized shielding the tower. Reallocated the budget so not a bug will get in." - Roquefort And both of them are damn good at holding Chai and the others back. Korsica takes 3 whole stages to get to her, keeping you on your toes the whole time with lasers, brakes, and enemies galore. I imagine it would've been difficult as hell to get into the Security Department in the first place if Chai didn't get knocked out and held for questioning. And while his segment is pretty short, all things considered, Roquefort gives it his all to shield Vandelay Tower, locking it down so well that even the smartest members of the TEA-m are stumped. Chai's the only one with an idea, and even that had several hurdles. The second they started connecting to the cannon to launch Chai, security comes rushing in, and he probably would've gotten caged in if SMIDGE didn't unintentionally hold the door open for him. Let's also not forget the big-screened wanted posters, the whole Invaders Must Die cafeteria fight, and that one specific fucking bird that threw Chai around like a hacky sack. THEY. WANT. THIS. TWINK. OBLITERATED.

8. Their Affection Towards Cats:

Korsica has a folder on her computer labeled "CAT Gifs", and Roquefort fawns over 808 when she uses her Steal the Show ability. I rest my case.

9. Accidental Puns:

Okay, so I would've titled this "both like puns", but the jury's still out on Korsica in my opinion. Yeah, Chai says she's lying about hating puns, but to me, she seems like she's... on the fence of liking them. Like, she's hesitantly annoyed by them. But I CAN say that they've both accidentally made a pun. "You think you can strong-arm ME?" - Korsica "Hey, YOU chose to fight-...Wait, you like puns too?" (points at his arm) - Chai "What? No!" - Korsica "Roquefort here. Shut this place down! Protect Finance at all costs! (Heh, I said "costs!") - Roquefort "Ughhhhhhhh." - Peppermint

10. Probably Awakened Something in Players:

It's no wonder how thirsty the fandom is when these two have some of the most charged lines in the game... "You broke my concentration. So how 'bout I break you?" - Korsica "Let's take this somewhere a bit more secure. So we don't disturb the neighbors." - Roquefort Welcome to Hi-Fi Rush, where they appeal to both the "I love the kind of woman who could kick my ass" community and the furry werewolf boyfriend sugar daddy community.

11. Visual/Dialogue Similarities:

Finishing this off is a section dedicated to miscellaneous visual or dialogue similarities that I couldn't fit elsewhere.

(The camera zooms in before I can get a good shot of Korsica actually ON her desk, so standard shot it is.) TOP 10 WAYS TO ENHANCE YOUR LEADERSHIP SKILLS IN THE WORKPLACE #1: Jump onto your desk to establish dominance

Smug little losers...

GET FUCKING YEETED

Man, they even intimidated the camera man, they can't keep it straight.

Spiky, anime-ass hair/fur. Triangular.

Of course they have blue eyes and nails and pronouns (ft. Chai living the dream) Also, speaking of blue... maybe it's because both of theirs glow blue, but some of their cybernetics have the same vibe to me.

Mostly just the chest and the arms (since that's all Korsica's got). Maybe I'm just looking too hard but like... the blue tubes connected to the arms, the glowing chest... Okay, I'm running out of red string for my evidence board, moving on. Anyways, not as much to bring up about remaining dialogue similarities, but I still have a few. "Is that a floating cat? Ugh, nothing about you even makes sense!" - Korsica "The numbers are in... and YOU are OUT!" - Chai "Wow. That makes no sense, you idiot!" - Roquefort Behold Chai's natural ability to deal psychic damage by not making any sense whatsoever. And finally... mission plan dialogue. "Mission report. Just...go up." - Peppermint "Up?" - Chai "Up." - Peppermint "That's it?" - Chai "Looks like Korsica's in her office, and it's on the top floor. Hence, "up"." - Peppermint

"Chai, you're doing it! The Tower is unguarded. We're headed your way." - Korsica "Chai! Roquefort's office is a couple floors above you. Get up there and kick his ass!" - Peppermint When in doubt: go up.

So in conclusion...

[cosmetichorror]

Remember that hc I wrote about the poes from TOTK? I wrote it as a warm up before I get to all my requests

—

Wild was strange. It was no secret to the eight others and certainly nothing he tries to hide at any point in time. Right off the bat everyone knew he was a wildcard, very spontaneous and reckless, yet he still held a sort of noble tone. Some of his actions told the others he must have had some kind of fancy past, one he can remember in body but not in mind. And yet despite every action and strange comment he has made across the last few months of traveling, nothing could have prepared them for this one secret he didn’t know was a secret.

The stars shine brightly this night, all complimented by the crescent moon. A soft breeze blows throughout Kakiriko village this eerie night, rustling the grass and kicking up the occasional leaf. Time leads the chain ahead, as he is familiar with this land. It is his Hyrule, after all. His eyes scan the surrounding town. No one is out, most prefer to sleep at this late time. But he seems set on checking on the graveyard.

“I’ve just got a feeling…” he mutters to the others, not really caring if anyone hears him or not. As the sign for the graveyard comes into view, some of the boys look between each other.

Warriors places a hand on his hip, “What are we doing here?” He asks, looking over to Time.

“I suspect there may be some monsters here we need to take care of.” Is what he responds with, pausing for a second to look over his shoulder at the others, before carrying on without another word. Most of them sigh, exhaustion weighing in on them. But Wild, however, seems intrigued.

“Graveyard, eh? Don’t think I’ve seen any of this caliber, save for the makeshift one in my own Kakiriko.” He casually says, examining the sighs, before pulling out the Purah Pad and snapping a quick photo. “Most graveyards I’ve seen are villages that were ransacked by the calamity, or the occasional mass grave.” With his eyes downcast, he sighs and shrugs it off. “But ey, what can you really do? At least we’re working on it.”

Legend gives Wild a pat on his shoulder and a sad look, but the Champion waves him off. “‘M fine! Just a tad strange to think about is all.” He tells him. And so they continue on.

Entering the graveyard was sort of surreal. An almost ghostly fog surrounds the countless gravestones that decorate the grass. Time glares at seemingly nothing. “They’re here.”

Sky looks at him with a nervous chuckle, “Well that’s not ominous at all.” He scuffs his feet in the dirt for a second, taking a big look around. “Sooooo… Who exactly is here?”

Time pulls out his sword, muttering a single word. “Poes.”

Wild’s ears twitch as he visibly perks up at this, a small smile creeping up on his face. “Poes, you say?” He immediately runs ahead past Time, ignore how he has his sword drawn.

“Wild, wait!-“ but as Time calls out, a Poe comes running towards Wild.

First thing Wild notes is how different it looks from his poes. It looks more disheveled and somewhat angered. Then again, if he were a Poe, he might be angry too, so he won’t judge. Second thing he notes is how it seems to be wanting to attack him. Huh, that’s new. But as the Poe comes charging in and before the others can reach him, a teal glow shoots out of Wild’s chest.

At first it appears to be some kind of orb, but swiftly it seems to grow arms, legs, a head and armor. Along with that comes a sword and a shield. With a swift, experienced swing the ghost knight sends the aggressive Poe tumbling back.

The others stare on in shock as this ghost points its sword at the growling Poe.

“Calm yourself, brother. Anger will solve nothing.” He tells him. Surprisingly, the poe calms down, while still holding it’s angered look.

“What. The fuck?” Wind mutters out, his head cocking to the side as if another view will make this make sense. It doesn’t, it just makes everything sideways.

Time runs up and grabs Wild’s shoulder, about to scold him when the champ brushes him off. “Not now. After.” He says, then begins to walk to the poe.

“I know you’re angry… I’d be angry in your situation too. Your feelings are valid, my ghostly friend. But attacking me will not make you feel better, I promise…” he smiles and reaches out to touch it. “You must be so tired… being a spirit for so long. I can help you rest, friend.”

Now it was the poe’s turn to perk up, looking at Wild excitedly.

“Come with me, buddy. When I get home, I’ll help your spirit rest. You can finally move on. How’s that sound? You up for it?” Wild gives a bright, toothy smile. With his hand outstretched, the chain waits with bated breath, not wanting to anger the poe and cause it to lash out. But, the poe doesn’t.it walks forwards and leans into his hand, and its form vanishes, curling into a blue flame like orb much like the knight was just a few moments ago. The orb floats into his chest, and Wild stretches out before turning to the knight.

“Thank you, friend. If I may ask… who are you?” He asks. And the knight chuckles, taking off his helmet and holding it against his body.

The knight doesn’t need to say a thing, because as soon as his helmet is off, Wild’s ears twitch and his eyebrows raise in surprise. In a swift, muscle memory movement, both of his arms fold behind his back as he straightens his posture.

“Captain!” He calls out, holding back a smile. The captain laughs and ruffles Wild’s hair.

“Ah, buddy, no need for those formalities!” He speaks and wraps an arm around his shoulder, bringing him close. “Just look at you! You’ve gotten so big! And your hair- it’s longer! It’s a good look. You’re all grown up, kid.” He gives a bittersweet smile. “I remember when you were just a tot, runnin’ around your Pa’s leg, asking when you’ll be big enough to hold a real sword. Now look at you!”

Wild can no longer hold back his wide smile as he turns and brings him into a big hug without a word.

“Your dad would be proud of you, buddy.” He whispers as pats his back. They stay that way for a few seconds, before they separate, smiling at each other.

“Thank you.” Is all Wild can force out of his mouth. “I’m sorry you’re stuck here, I’ll let your spirit rest as well next time we’re in the depths. Promise.” He rubs the back of his neck- a nervous tick of his. But the captain smiles at him.

“Don’t be sorry. Seeing you kick monster ass is pretty neat, I don’t regret my time here.” He tells the champ with a light, playful shove. “But, before I return to a true poe, I have something for you.” He hands out the sword he was holding. It looks pitch black to him and the others at this moment, but when Wild grabs it, it takes form into a true sword with a golden and purple hilt. A royal broadsword. Wild brings the spirit into a one armed hug.

“Thank you, thank you! I really needed this!” He laughs a bit.

“Yeah, I noticed.” The spirit responds with a hearty laugh, patting his shoulder. “See ya next time, kiddo.” And just like that, his form curls up into that same orb, and floats back into his chest.

Wild casually turns around and walks back to Time with a wide smile.

“Man, that poe sure was pissed off, eh? Are they always like that?” He asks, before taking in Time’s absolutely flabbergasted state. “…Time?” And when he looks to the others, he sees them all in similar states of shock. “What’s up with you guys?”

Wind runs up, grabbing him by his shoulders and shakes Wild around. “Fucking Farore what the hell was that?! How did you do that? You’re friends with a GHOST? and you DIDN’T TELL ME?” He nearly shouts, and Wild shakes his head.

“That wasn’t a ghost, that was a poe!” He casually responds.

“Not the poe, that ghost knight that showed up!” Wind tells him.

“Yeah… that was a poe.”

“WHAT?!”

[ppeasants]

Hi. I saw you mention something about a villain Wind au and I was hoping that you would share something. Have a nice day

Hi! Thanks for sending in the ask, I'd love to share more! Keep in mind this might be a bit rambly, since this is the first time I've taken these ideas out of my head and put them into writing.

I think the one of the biggest things about this AU is that Wind did not start as a villain. He turned into one throughout The Chain's adventure. He chose to leave his path as a hero, leave his brothers, and become a villain. This adds a lot of connections to the other heroes and a lot more angst, which is why it's so fun.

What is my villain wind even like? I think he's a lot angrier than normal Wind. He channels his usual range of emotions into just one: rage, and his single minded goal. He's a lot more prone to angry outbursts at those around him. He's not afraid to be underhanded, his time as a pirate serving him well, using dirty tactics in fights and easily manipulating others in speech using his childlike face and by easily reading others and learning what makes them tick.

His fighting skills, aside from his already existing speed, get augmented from the skills he learns from the others. His wind magic gets a huge boost, as well as his general magic pool, allowing him to use to as an offensive tool, defensive shield, and overall speed increase, as he zips around (nearly flies) in fights. He also gets back his time stop magic in the Phantom Hourglass (but how he gets it back is another story [he kills Oshus])

So what turned Wind into a villain? There was no one singular event, but a lot of moments which slowly swayed Wind from his path of being a hero.

*cw character death*

In my head, the catalyst for everything is Wind's grandmother dying. He's distraught by it, but after a short funeral, he's basically forced to continue his journey, forced to stay stong, because he's a hero. But being a hero, going on his journey, is what made his grandma sick, is what killed her to being with. He starts to resent being a hero.

*cw end*

Other moments include when Wind learns about Vaati, showing interest in his wind magic, but being told that Vaati is evil. Is wind magic evil? Is he? Another moment is when he says some words of sympathy for his Ganondorf, a man trying to bring back Hyrule. They others tell him Ganondorf is always evil, but Wind just can't get himself to believe it (its an hc of mine that Wind feels sympathy for Ganondorf). There's the idea that he came from a world which shouldn't exist, with no hero (even though he's there), and the ghost of a true timeline in Twilight right in front of him. And, there's the fact that Wind wasn't a chosen hero. He forged his spirit, and the sword, but the Triforce was never really his; he isn't a true hero of courage.

All of these ideas slowly pile up, and Wind gets more and more resentful of himself, of heroes, and of Hylia. It doesn;t help that Wind tries to contact Vaati, and succeeds, and is slowly learning more wind magic from him. From his contact with Vaati, he meets up with the other villains in secret. As they support (manipulate) him, and The Chain gets further and further away from his own ideals, he wants to make one last decision - but he needs to talk to one more person about it.

This all culminates, eventually, into a moment where Wind and Tetra meet up, and they talk. Wind tells her all of the doubts he has, and he says that he thinks he hates Hylia. I haven't fleshed out exactly how their conversation goes, but in the end, they have a big fight, and Wind leaves the Great Sea, hurt, with Tetra no longer on his side and with his mind made up.

The next time they sleep, Wind leaves the group for the villains, and when they wake up, they can't find him, and his gossip stone isn't responding to the slate. Wind is now a villain.

But what is even Wind's goal as a villain? He wants to kill Hylia. Believing her to be the reason that his grandmother was killed, that his world was flooded, that all heroes have to suffer, that Tetra has to be someone she's not, he wants to kill her. In his anger, rage, and single-mindedness, he will stop at nothing to kill her. If his brothers get in his way, he will kill them. The only weak spot he has is his home, the Great Sea. He will never hurt his world, his people.

As a villain, he joins a new group, consisting of Dark Link, Ganondorf (undecided which one), The Lizard, and Vaati. he also has different relationships to the other heroes as they learn he's a villain, ranging from Wind's hatred of them, their hatred of Wind, regret at his turning, and even sympathy and a potential turning of another hero, which Wind is ready to use to his advantage.

In my head, I have many, many, many scenes of this AU, at various points in time, so if anyone has anymore questions about this AU, the relationships between the other heroes, or villains, or other specific scenes, please ask! I'd love to talk more and more about it!

[andjesslikethat]

Ravens, Doves, & DIY Disobedience

Genesis 8–11 gave what it needed to give.

Today's Bible reading had me side-eying Noah, squinting at the people of Babel, and just sitting with my journal like, “Lord… your kids are wild.” Genesis 8 through 11 was doing a lot, and I am here to give you the highlights, my takeaways, and a little holy side-eye of my own.

🕊️ First of all… Noah and these birds.

After the flood, Noah is watching the water slooooowly recede like a cheap lace front in the wind. He sends out a raven. That raven? Didn’t come back. Just out here doing the most with no direction. A whole false start. Then he sends out a dove... soft, gentle, on assignment... and the dove comes back with a little olive branch like, “Hey boo, land’s lookin' good.”

The raven was all vibes. The dove had purpose. There’s a sermon in that, but I’ma keep moving.

🐑 Noah and his family get off the ark and immediately get to work.

They are caring for the animals, tending to the land, basically starting the world over. And then Noah… bless his heart… he decides to spend some extra time in the vineyard.

Like… real extra.

And next thing we know, this man is drunk and naked. Laying out like it's Spring Break: Mount Ararat Edition.

Now, one of his sons... Ham... walks in, sees his daddy laid out like a deflated pool float, and instead of helping, he runs off to tell his brothers like it’s some juicy tea.

And this brings me to two quick takeaways:

💡 Takeaway #1: Be about all your business.

God gave Noah a job. And if Noah had been about all that job... stewarding the land, leading the family, staying spiritually grounded... he wouldn't have ended up sloppy in the vineyard, vulnerable to disrespect.

Let me keep it real: being partially obedient will get you fully exposed. Hello somebody!

💡 Takeaway #2: If someone’s down bad, hush and help.

Listen. We’ve all walked in on someone mid-mess... spiritually, emotionally, literally. But why do some folks act like it’s their job to “go tell it on the mountain”? No ma’am. No sir. Just hush… and help.

When I had my t-shirt business, I made one that said, "If You're Gonna Talk About Me, Do It In Prayer." Still applies. Might put it back in print.

🧱 Now let’s talk about the Tower of Babel.

Whew, chill-lay. People are something else.

God had one instruction: “Spread out. Fill the earth.” What did they do?

Grouped up like little gnats at a porch light, building a tower to heaven like God was hosting open mic up there.

Now… I get it. These folks probably had some post-flood trauma from all that rain. Maybe building the tower felt like control, safety, a flex. But if I had just lived through a world-destroying flood, I would be out here logging 10K steps a day, moving wherever the Lord pointed.

“I would walk 500 miles, and I would walk 500 more…” (That’s not Bible. That’s just wisdom.)

But instead of obedience, they chose ego.

“Let’s make a name for ourselves.” “Let’s build something BIG.” “Let’s challenge God just a lil’ bit.”

And now look at us.... barely keepin' a streak on Duolingo ‘cause they couldn’t follow instructions. 🤦🏾‍♀️

Final thought?

People are still building towers. Still choosing visibility over obedience.[ it's giving THE WIZ "I've got to be seen..."] Still gossiping when they could be helping. Still following vibes instead of purpose.

But the Word is the Word, and the lesson still stands:

👉🏾 Stay on assignment. 👉🏾 Mind all your business. 👉🏾 If you see someone down, cover them, don’t clown them. 👉🏾 And if God tells you to go somewhere—GO.

...And Jess Like That, we learn from birds, vineyards, and bricks. Amen.

[eleanorfenyxwrites]

The Man From Y.I.L.I.N.G.

Chapter 6: "Family Matters"

Jess's art for this chapter was inspired by this gif from the movie, which is definitely one of the funniest little quick humor moments in my opinion: Tumblr Post

--//--

SUITE B203 - 监理处 LUXURY RESORT

“You got my mark PREGNANT?!” Jin Guangyao cries in something perilously close to despair. Jin Zixuan at least has the good grace to look sheepish. The same cannot be said for Qin Su, currently busy giggling into her hands and watching the two of them through her fingers as she at least tries to pretend like she isn’t having the best night of her life watching them argue.

“No!” Jin Zixuan protests after a moment of spluttering. “She wasn’t your mark yet when I got her pregnant!”

Jin Guangyao doesn’t resist the urge to slap his hand over his eyes as Qin Su loses the battle with her giggling to throw her head back and cackle instead.

“So let me get this straight. You’ve been on an extended holiday for months while I pick up the jobs father would normally send you on only to find that what you’ve been doing instead of working is starting a family with the Jiang Heiress, who I’m now meant to be investigating because she’s probably in league with the Yiling Laozu, who I’ve been instructed to stop at all costs?”

“That sums it up really nicely, Yao-ge,” Qin Su offers through her snickers. “God if I’d known you two have this much fun working for Guangshan I might have reconsidered joining the family business.”

“You definitely wouldn’t, A-Su,” Jin Zixuan sighs. “Trust me, it’s not fun at all.”

“No. No it is very much not,” Jin Guangyao mutters. “Father is going to murder me if he catches wind of this. When was the last time you spoke to him?”

Jin Zixuan wrinkles his nose a little. Jin Guangyao wants to flick him right in the middle of his stupid, perfectly-proportioned forehead.

“It’s been at least a few weeks now, I think? Definitely before we realized A-Li’s situation, I’ve been avoiding his calls since we found out. He still thinks I’m off following his grand tradition of sleeping my way through every brothel in Yunmeng. Oh..Uh…sorry, Yao-didi.”

Jin Guangyao ignores the accidental blunder with an ease only his brother is granted, takes a deep breath in, and shakes himself all over once in a dubiously successful attempt to get himself back on track.

“Okay. Okay this is fine. I need to go check in with A-Huan and Mingjue, you two just..just stay here, I want every scrap of information you both have on the Jiangs once I’ve made sure those two aren’t killing each other.”

“Ohh so the pretty one is already ‘A-Huan’, is he?” Qin Su titters and raises her eyebrows at Jin Zixuan, who raises his right back at her with a knowing little smirk — even though there’s nothing to know! “This just keeps getting better and better.”

“I miss being an only child,” Jin Guangyao hisses at the pair of them as he stalks out of the room, his sister’s laughter following him out into the hallway.

Jin Guangyao doesn’t even bother knocking at the door to 191, he just lets himself in with his stolen key to find Lan Xichen alone, curled up comfortably in the armchair with his feet up and reading a newspaper (his book is still sitting on Jin Guangyao’s nightstand. Oops). Lan Xichen barely even glances up at his entrance, just meeting his eyes long enough to give him a tiny smile that somehow manages to dissipate his irritation with Jin Zixuan like it was never there.

“Huan-ge. Where’s Big Red?”

Lan Xichen gestures with his chin towards the ensuite. “He’s been in there since the moment we returned; at least half an hour.”

Jin Guangyao raises an eyebrow at that but Lan Xichen just shrugs and gets back to his newspaper, hunkering down a little further in the chair to get more comfortable.

“Mingjue? What is it with you and doing questionable things in bathrooms?” he calls with a knock on the wood. “I heard you put the heir of Yao Textiles in the hospital today.”

Nie Mingjue’s tone is dry as the desert when he replies, muffled through the door and talking over the sound of faint splishing, “He had soft bones.” Jin Guangyao is not going to laugh at that. He’s not. A little more snappish, Nie Mingjue adds, “And don’t question my methods.”

No, Jin Guangyao is actually, definitely not going to laugh. Rude.

“What’s this, A-Yao?”

Jin Guangyao turns his attention to Lan Xichen’s gentle concern to inform him, “Tough guy in there had a bit of an incident with a few nice young men in the bathroom.”

“They were not nice, and they had it coming!”

“Mingjue,” Lan Xichen sighs and tips his head back for a moment as if something on the ceiling will help him find the strength to chastise his ‘fiancé’.

“You need to control your temper, Mingjue,” Jin Guangyao reminds him.

“And you need to keep it in your pants, Meng Yao.”

Jin Guangyao freezes at that and feels the blood drain from his face. “What?”

“He thinks you seemed…awfully cozy with Jiang Yanli—” Lan Xichen murmurs with an apologetic little grimace. Jin Guangyao can’t help but notice that he doesn’t say he disagrees. “—as well as the young woman who recognized you just as we were leaving.”

“The Jins are notorious for running honeypot missions, but I don’t work that way, nor do I approve while we’re supposed to be working together,” Nie Mingjue adds, still muffled through the door — good, since Jin Guangyao isn’t sure what his own face is doing and he’d very much like to punch Nie Mingjue in his, so it’s better for everyone involved that they’re not currently in the same room.

“Need I remind you you are engaged to Huan-ge in order to get close to Lan Qiren and use him to find out where Lan Wangji is?” Jin Guangyao can’t help but point out that particular hypocrisy. “What is that if not the very definition of a honeypot?”

“We aren’t sleeping together,” Lan Xichen protests, his ears flushed. “In fact I apparently spent last night in bed with you.”

That accusation — it might not be much of one, but it certainly feels like it could be if pressed — stops Jin Guangyao short, and he knows in an instant that he hasn’t managed to hide the genuine flash of hurt that just spiked through him.

Jin Guangyao clears his throat and tugs on the hem of his jacket to twitch it straighter. “I’m not sleeping with anyone, and even if I were it would be none of your business. However, if you must know, I’ve found out that Jiang Yanli is romantically involved with someone who can be very useful to us. And as for the second young woman — she had better have been comfortable with me, considering she’s my sister.”

Jin Guangyao straightens his jacket again in the awkward silence that follows the explanation that he shouldn’t have even had to give in the first place. Any desire he might have had to tell his companions that he’s got such a good lead on information about the Jiangs has been thrown very firmly out the window, and he has more than half a mind to just leave them to stew in their guilt.

“A-Yao—” Lan Xichen starts, sitting up a little straighter. Jin Guangyao shakes his head and starts to head for the door, though he only makes it a step before Nie Mingjue yanks the door to the bathroom open abruptly with a spill of red light from behind him and steps around the frame to stand right next to him.

“Look at this.” Jin Guangyao folds his arms over his chest and, after a beat of considering his options, reluctantly leans over to see the freshly-developed photos Nie Mingjue is holding out for his perusal. “I’m using film that’s been treated for gamma radiation. These spots—” he points to a dark, blue-green, slightly wavy patch on an otherwise monochrome red photo of Lan Qiren “—mean that something has been in close proximity to radioactive material within the last 24 hours. Look.” He flips through his little stack to the next photo, this one of A-Qing and Jiang Wanyin talking next to the yacht taken from some distance back from the docks, both of their hands clearly covered in those same dark patches despite the distance the photo was taken from. “They’ve got the supplies moving already, I’m sure of it. We need to act fast.”

Jin Guangyao takes the stack of photos and flips to the last for himself, this one of Jiang Yanli when she’d been kissing his cheeks to say goodbye. Her hands bear the same marks as the others’, the dark stain of it spreading to his elbows where she’d been holding them to pull him in close.

“Hm. You know what I’m going to do with this?” he asks Nie Mingjue. “Sleep on it.” God that was worth it just for the gobsmacked expression on Nie Mingjue’s annoyingly handsome face.

“What?”

“Goodnight, both of you,” he smiles and heads for the door before either of them can stop him again. If he’s going to have to choose between getting his siblings’ thoughts on the situation or talking it through with the companions he apparently can’t even trust not to assume the worst of him (when he’s given them no reason to!), then the answer is obvious.

Once back in his room, he finds Qin Su and Jin Zixuan where he’d left them, chatting idly and picking through the snacks he’d had brought down for them all to share.

“Why’s your girlfriend covered in traces of radioactive material?” Jin Guangyao asks his brother, tossing the photos down to the bed next to Jin Zixuan’s hip.

“Is she??” he asks, bewildered, and picks up the photos to study. “Oh. That can’t possibly be good for the baby, can it?”

“My guess is no, ge, so why is she in contact with it?” Jin Guangyao sighs. He settles onto the tiny sofa next to Qin Su and accepts a palmful of sunflower seeds from the bowl of them she’s munching her way through.

“I don’t know! We don’t really…talk about work when we’re together.”

“I swear, Zixuan, if you’re about to tell me that for months you’ve kept each other too ‘busy’ to so much as talk—”

“Not like that!” Jin Zixuan hurries to say, face beet red and his expression more than a little desperate as he looks to Qin Su for help, though she’s too busy laughing again to be of any assistance. “Well…maybe sometimes like that. But no! I just mean..we talk about other things. Like…what we want with each other in the future, what we’re worried about, what we like, things like that. It’s really Wanyin who wants to talk business all the time, but that’s what he’s got Qing-jie for.”

Jin Guangyao’s attention sharpens and he sits up straighter, though Jin Zixuan doesn’t notice as he’s started flipping through the photos with a little frown.

“Qing-jie?”

“Oh I know this one!” Qin Su pipes up. “You saw her today, Yao-ge! She’s been with the Jiangs for years now, longer than a lot of the people that work for them. Most people figure that she’s Jiang-jiejie’s personal assistant, but there were rumors when she first got involved with them that there’s more to her than meets the eye. Apparently she’s there for all of their meetings no matter how private, and she’s pretty much always talking business with Jiang Wanyin. I also heard from some aunties a while back that she and Jiang Wanyin got married when the Jiang siblings came back and started rebuilding Jiang Shipping after the war, but I don’t know if that part’s true. It seems like someone’s always gossiping about Jiang Wanyin’s marriage status every other month, so who really knows.”

Jin Guangyao blinks through the implications of there being, perhaps, another key player behind the scenes so high up in the Jiangs’ organization, someone who can hide in plain sight as well as he can, if not better. And if she really is married to Jiang Wanyin? Jiang Yanli, sweet and kind Jiang Yanli, might not be the driving force behind their connection to the Yiling Laozu at all — what if this woman is?

“You said you talk to Jiang-guniang about what she’s worried about,” Jin Guangyao says.

“Yes…what about it?”

“Has she been worried about anything in particular lately?”

Jin Zixuan sets the photos down again to give the question due consideration, brows scrunching together again as he thinks.

“Not…really? Nothing out of the ordinary, anyway. I mean she always worries about her brothers, but that’s just part of being a sister I think, isn’t it A-Su?”

“Mhm, it’s true. I worry about you two and Xuanyu all the time, especially since I know even a little about what you’re doing for a living.”

Brothers.

Plural.

Jiang Yanli worries about her brothers.

Jin Guangyao opens up the folder in his head (a photo-perfect copy of the folder his father had left them that day he’d briefed them for this mission), and he flicks through his memories of the photos until he settles on the one he wants.

Jiang Yanli caught and held between two tall, lanky men, one of whom is a younger Jiang Wanyin, and the other the Jiangs’ late ward, Wei Wuxian. He’d recognized Jiang Wanyin from a different photo that day as well, and with a mental flick he pulls out the photo of Lan Wangji with some of the Yiling Laozu’s highest ranking staff that he’d shown to Lan Xichen that first night in East Yunping.

And there, standing in between Jiang Wanyin and another, softer looking man he still doesn’t know, stands this mysterious A-Qing, Qing-meimei to Jiang Yanli, stern and sharp-eyed, so different from her unassuming presence at the party that even he nearly hadn’t recognized her at all.

But no, it’s definitely her: she’s got the same sweetheart face, the same round ears, the same wide, dark eyes.

She’s trusted by the Yiling Laozu.

She’s invaluable to the Jiangs and involves herself in all of their business dealings.

Jin Guangyao is on his feet and heading for his suitcase before he can think twice about it.

“A-Yao?” Qin Su asks, startled.

“Is that your sneaksuit? Where are you going?”

“It’s better for both of you if you don’t know,” Jin Guangyao shrugs off their concern as he disappears into the bathroom to change into..well he wouldn’t call it a sneaksuit, that sounds weird, but he supposes Jin Zixuan’s right enough; Dark, comfortable trousers, a dark knit sweater with a high collar, his usual utility belt strapped around his hips, a pair of back holsters strapped criss-cross over his chest, and a leather sheath with his favorite knife strapped securely to his upper thigh, and Jin Guangyao’s ready to infiltrate the Jiang Shipping warehouses.

He reemerges in record time and Qin Su stands to leave with him. “I really don’t like this, whatever it is,” she warns. “You’ll be careful, won’t you?”

“Of course,” Jin Guangyao soothes her with a smile. “And if anyone catches me I’ll just say I’m there on official business for the father of the next generation of little Jiangs.”

“Not funny, Yao-didi,” Jin Zixuan huffs. “I’ll stay here until he’s back, A-Su, don’t worry.”

Jin Guangyao hides the way he wrinkles his nose at his brother’s meddling as he slides on a dark jacket to hide all his various weaponry, but he’s in too much of a rush to bother arguing about it. He ducks out into the hallway with Qin Su on his arm and together they head down to the lobby, just another well-dressed pair ostensibly heading out to dinner for the evening.

They part ways a few streets over from the resort, where Jin Guangyao puts his sister in a rickshaw to her hotel on the other side of town and disappears into the shadows between streetlights to head for the river for the second time today.

... -.-. . -. . / -... .-. . .- -.-

JIANG SHIPPING RIVERSIDE INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX — YILING

The Jiangs’ Yiling warehouse is a long, hulking sprawl of buildings surrounded by plenty of space for transport trucks and barbed wire fences, the entire complex hugging (and partially enclosing) a deep bend in the river in a way that likely ensures that there’s no traffic up or down the waterway without their approval. It’s an incredibly strategic location if one wants to be in the business of owning everything on the water between here and Yunmeng — a fact that Jin Guangyao is capable of appreciating in the abstract as he makes his way past the outermost ring of patrolling security to head for an untended stretch of fencing. It requires a handful of minor acrobatic feats up and down a few walls between areas of the complex, nothing too strenuous; he’s just starting to feel good and limber when he reaches the fence and takes shelter behind an empty supply truck to pull out-

A hint of movement a few feet away snags his attention, and when he turns his head it’s to find none other than Nie Mingjue kneeling half in shadow behind the rear bumper of the same truck in the split second before every bit of artificial light in this half of the complex abruptly fizzles out.

Jin Guangyao sighs, hangs his head for a long moment to lament his lot in life, and turns to approach his (ugh) partner with his arms crossed over his chest.

“Is this what you call ‘sleeping on it’?” Nie Mingjue asks with a sardonic glance up at him from under his lashes.

“I suppose I have you to thank for the lights?” he snarks back.

The moonlight is just bright enough for him to see the flash of Nie Mingjue’s teeth as he smirks up at him with a short, “You’re welcome.”

Jin Guangyao grinds his teeth for a long moment before he steps closer and drops down to one knee next to Nie Mingjue. “Listen — I work better alone,” he says shortly. Nie Mingjue studies him for a long moment before he shrugs.

“So do I.”

Jin Guangyao absolutely will not admit that something of an understanding passes between them in that moment. He’s just going to…breeze right past that. He does not enjoy working with this man, and he never will.

“It’s just for tonight,” he says, “and tomorrow morning it’ll be like it never happened.”

“Agreed.”

Jin Guangyao nods, that sorted, and turns to the fence to start snipping at the links as quickly as he can.

He’s only managed to cut through a few links when Nie Mingjue clears his throat very pointedly and asks, “What is that?”

Jin Guangyao brandishes his clippers in his direction for a brief moment. “Super hardened boron, sharpened by a CO2 laser,” he smirks as he returns to his snipping.

“We have approximately 10 minutes before the power comes back on and that’s how you’re choosing to cut the fence?”

“Well what was your plan, glare at it?”

Jin Guangyao glances over at his companion, startled by a burst of red light accompanied by a high-pitched but barely audible electrical whine. He looks up from the device in Nie Mingjue’s hand to find the red light is throwing the dimples hidden in his self-satisfied smirk into deep relief.

“What-?”

“CO2 laser.”

Jin Guangyao grits his teeth and waves for Nie Mingjue to get on with it then, and when he’s sliced through the fence as easily as a cleaver through a block of tofu Jin Guangyao stands and dusts off his knees. Nie Mingjue holds one side of the split fence aside for him with a sarcastic sort of ‘after you’ gesture and Jin Guangyao ducks through, darting quickly across the open space between them and the nearest access doors into the main warehouse.

“I’ll take the bottom,” Nie Mingjue says when they spot the dual locks on the door.

“I’ll take the top.”

They pause at the door for a moment, assessing. He might have…just slightly underestimated the height of the lock. Jin Guangyao looks up at Nie Mingjue, finds the man already looking down at him, but there’s no way in hell he’s changing his answer so Nie Mingjue doesn’t either, he just ducks down to his knees again to start pulling some ridiculous contraption out of his pocket — it’s got earphones, for basic lockpicking — while Jin Guangyao stretches up on his toes with his trusty universal pick in hand.

It’s the work of a few seconds and a particularly deft flick of his wrist before he feels and hears the tumblers disengage and he steps back to peer along the side of the building, keeping a watch out for the patrol — that’s headed straight for them.

“Mingjue,” he mutters as the man fumbles with his stupid gadget.

“Quiet.”

Jin Guangyao huffs and watches the bobbing pair of flashlights grow closer.

“Anything I can do to help?” he tries again when it’s clear that yes, they are in fact about to get spotted before they’ve even made it inside.

“Yes, be quiet!”

The door rattles again as Nie Mingjue attempts to get the device placed just right and Jin Guangyao swats him on the back of the head.

“Just let me do it,” he hisses and drops to his knees. Nie Mingjue twists smoothly away and up onto his feet to swap places with him, gun held at his shoulder to keep lookout. Jin Guangyao pops the second lock just as easily as the first and stands to pull the door open, waving Nie Mingjue in ahead of him with a little bow.

He shuts the door behind them as silently and quickly as he can — with all the stealthy reflexes of a man who lives a decent portion of his adult life hiding from Madam Jin — and exhales a sigh of relief as the guards try the door not two seconds later only to find it safely locked once again. He glances down at the absolutely useless device in Nie Mingjue’s hands and exhales another, longer sigh through pursed lips paired with a raised eyebrow that he hopes comes across as judgmental as he intends.

They watch each other for a long moment as the door rattles behind them, and when they hear the guards moving on Jin Guangyao gives Nie Mingjue his best mask of a smile and extends an arm to wave him further into the echoing warehouse.

“Shall we?”

Nie Mingjue just stares at him so Jin Guangyao goes first, heading deeper into the silence of hulking machinery and gleaming chrome.

“Loving the way you work, Big Red,” he calls over his shoulder, unable to resist the dig when Nie Mingjue had criticized his work (his perception of Jin Guangyao’s work) not even an hour ago.

Jin Guangyao steps further into the space as his eyes adjust to the lack of lighting save for moonlight coming in through the banks of windows roughly 30 feet overhead, just below the ceiling. He spots a row of what looks to be a series of laboratories along the mezzanine overhead and he points up at the darkened windows with a glance at Nie Mingjue at his side.

“You want to take the labs and I’ll take down here?” he asks. Nie Mingjue shrugs which is…so not helpful, but whatever. “Fine. Meet me on that gantry in five minutes. Try not to get lost,” he points to the structure overhead in question before he heads off into the shadows around the corners of the room without another word.

-... .-. . .- -.-

Why does Jin Guangyao have to be so competent?

Not that Nie Mingjue isn’t as well, he knows he’s good at what he does or else Wen Ruohan wouldn’t have let him (or Nie Huaisang) live this long, but there’s just something about Jin Guangyao that snags his attention and keeps it.

He watches Jin Guangyao dart off into the darkness with barely a whisper of fabric rubbing or the clunk of his boots on the cement floor and he shakes his head to refocus on his own assignment.

He takes the stairs two and three at a time up to the mezzanine and starts peering through the windows of the labs at the top of them, though he’ll admit it feels a bit fruitless to be looking for something out of place when the whole point of a lab is to keep things clean and neat. (And it’s not as if they’re just going to leave crates of enriched uranium laying out in the open overnight no matter the circumstances.)

Still, they know that the Jiangs are working on something — if they’re right then they’re working on a lot of somethings — and the evidence of that doesn’t just disappear when the goods start moving as they so clearly have. His grip is confident on his pistol raised at the ready near his shoulder as he makes his way methodically down the bank of labs and turns the corner to the next, gaze sharp as he hunts for he doesn’t quite know what.

-... .-. . .- -.-

Jin Guangyao makes quick, thorough sweeps of the ground floor of the warehouse, Geiger counter in hand and chattering softly in the way of all small gadgets. He scans every single storage tank, overhead crane, and suspicious machine of unknown purpose he can possibly think of, waving the probe near anything even remotely capable of being contaminated and watching the needle stay obstinately within the normal range.

He finishes his sweep of the ground floor quickly and heads upstairs, leaving the labs to Nie Mingjue as promised but heading for the catwalk suspended over the central space to scan more tanks and heavy machinery, his patience thinning as everything comes back negative, negative, negative.

-... .-. . .- -.-

Nie Mingjue turns the next corner and finds a door left ajar. He takes it, entering this row’s labs and passing through them directly rather than looking into them from the outside, but the new perspective offers up nothing that the previous hadn’t — there’s nothing here. Papers are neatly in order in their folders, the enormous computer banks nearly the size of the labs themselves lining the walls are shut down and dark for the night, lab coats are hung neatly on designated hooks; every single surface is tidied up for the night. His frustration builds as he comes to the end of this third row and finds himself on the gantry Jin Guangyao had pointed out from below, his (temporary) partner just stepping up to meet him at the junction of their two paths.

Nie Mingjue shakes his head and Jin Guangyao sighs as he stuffs his Geiger counter back into his utility belt with a head shake of his own.

“I didn’t find anything either,” he reports. Nie Mingjue is just opening his mouth to suggest a new place to look when he glances over Jin Guangyao’s shoulder and spots a lone guard far too close for comfort, his deep blue uniform the perfect camouflage in the gloom of the unlit warehouse. Nie Mingjue snags Jin Guangyao around the waist and ducks with him into the last lab he’d just passed through, determinedly not thinking about how easy it is to just pick him up and haul him where he wants as he tucks them both into the tight space of a shadowy corner just beside the door.

“Let go of me,” Jin Guangyao hisses with a slap to Nie Mingjue’s hand pressed tightly against his stomach; Nie Mingjue just claps his free hand over Jin Guangyao’s mouth instead with a little smirk and a flash of vindictive pleasure that isn’t even tarnished by Jin Guangyao licking and gnawing on his palm like a child in retaliation. (He’s got a little brother, he’s pretty sure Jin Guangyao can’t throw anything at him that Nie Huaisang didn’t hit him with a hundred times as a boy.)

Jin Guangyao goes still as the guard comes around the corner, murmuring something too low and quick for Nie Mingjue to catch into the radio in his hand as he steps right into the lab with them a mere half a foot away from their hiding space.

He straightens up and lets go of Jin Guangyao at the sight of a glint of glass and metal on the guard’s exposed wrist, his heart sticking in his throat and his entire body yearning for the watch he can just barely make out through the shadows.

He’d know that watch anywhere. 

Nie Mingjue pushes Jin Guangyao behind him and slips out of hiding (ignoring Jin Guangyao’s hissed, “Wait!”) as the guard crosses to the changing cubicles on the other side of the room, nudging a few of the lab coats aside to open a hidden compartment containing a bright yellow hazmat suit. Nie Mingjue steps up into place behind the guard, plants his feet roughly shoulder width apart, and extends his right arm straight out to the side, taking a few wide practice swings inward as the guard chatters on into his radio, unaware.

On the final swing, Nie Mingjue puts proper momentum behind his swing and smacks the side of the guard’s head, catching it as it falls to the side with the other hand to leave the man standing upright and slumped ever so slightly to the left, apparently knocked out cold.

“Okay…why?” Jin Guangyao asks as he emerges from the shadows, peering up at the unconscious guard with narrowed eyes. Nie Mingjue ducks around to lift the man’s wrist and steal back —

Oh.

“I thought it was my father’s watch,” he explains, gruff. He shifts to start digging through the opened secret locker at least in part to hide the fact that he’s embarrassed. “My mistake.”

“And ah..what exactly did you…do to him?”

“It’s a Nie technique, takes years to master,” he says as he rummages through the toolbox on a shelf at the top of the cubby to start identifying its contents. “It’s called the Kiss. So long as no one touches him he’ll be unconscious like that for about 20 minutes.”

“Handy.” Nie Mingjue blinks in surprise for the simple praise and glances over his shoulder at Jin Guangyao — who he can abruptly see perfectly.

“Generator’s back on,” he notes as the lights in the room and beyond all flicker back to life. “Look at this. Radiation gear and a protective suit in the back of a strange lab — in an antiques shipping warehouse?” With the lights back on he suddenly notices a little electrical box in the back wall of the cubby, and when he flicks open the lid it’s to find a pair of buttons, one green one red. “Next to a hidden button?”

Jin Guangyao shares a glance with him and nods, so Nie Mingjue clicks the green button and steps out of the way as a section of the floor just behind their feet starts to slide away with a soft hydraulic hiss. When the section of the floor has slid a few feet back, it reveals a staircase down into a reinforced concrete space full of pipes and red-lit gleaming steel.

“And we wouldn’t have found that without my father’s watch.”

Jin Guangyao rolls his eyes at him and Nie Mingjue is pretty sure he mutters something rude under his breath, but he heads down the stairs without any real complaint; Nie Mingjue is willing to count it as a win. 

The stairs lead down to a short hallway, the end of which cuts off abruptly at a vault door as tall as he is, every single high-security measure on it gleaming under the overhead lights.

“You want to try this door too, or shall I?” Jin Guangyao asks him with that unfairly handsome smirk. Nie Mingjue glances down at him out of the corner of his eye and snorts.

“All yours, Little Viper.”

“Excellent choice. Hold this then,” he says, holding out the geiger counter chattering softly in his hands; before Nie Mingjue can do more than glance at the dial of numbers on the front of it Jin Guangyao is pressing a device of some sort from his utility belt into his hands saying, “This too.” Nie Mingjue watches on, bemused, as he pulls something else again from the belt and swaps it for the second. “Unwrap that,” Jin Guangyao nods at what seems to be a leather pouch, which Nie Mingjue unrolls curiously to find an assortment of gleaming lockpicking tools that he starts poking through as he listens.

“This —” Jin Guangyao starts as he attaches the device to the dial on the front of the vault and sticks the little headphone attached to it in his ear “— is a Jiangxi Yuanjin high security vault, Class C, model 1703-B. It has a four-wheel combination mechanical lock, internal relockers triggered by different common mistakes made, and fully synchronized cylinders all the way around the central mechanism.”

Nie Mingjue glances up when Jin Guangyao turns a lever with a satisfying metallic clunk, his little device for the combination dial whirring away through some sort of pattern that he’s just going to assume is correct. Jin Guangyao takes his earbud out and re-winds it loosely around the spool in the middle of the device before he comes back to Nie Mingjue, swatting his hand away from his idle perusal of his tools to dig around for a one inch wide, flat strip of metal, which he pulls from its slot along with a suction cup from another pocket of the pouch.

“It is very nearly state of the art, but not the latest Jiangxi model. The earlier models had a design flaw—” he says as he pats Nie Mingjue’s hand and turns back to his task without seeming to think about it “—and it’s a flaw I intend to exploit.”

Nie Mingjue blinks at Jin Guangyao’s back and then down at his own hand…and goes back to digging through the delicately implements to amuse himself with trying to figure out what each one is for (how many ways are there to pick a lock, after all?) instead of thinking about whatever…that gesture was.

He glances up again when Jin Guangyao returns to him, this time with an entire panel off the front of the door in hand. He glances at it for a moment before dumping that into Nie Mingjue’s pile of things to juggle along with the little tool he’d apparently used to pry it off.

“Still, this is very difficult to open; but — and this is very important — not impossible,” Jin Guangyao continues as he returns to the door yet again to stick his hands inside the cavity behind the panel he’d just removed and turn some new dials Nie Mingjue can’t see well enough to identify. 

Nie Mingjue snorts and wonders if this monologue is strictly necessary. He doesn’t bother to examine why he finds Jin Guangyao’s monologuing quite a bit more entertaining than Wen Ruohan’s, even though it’s clearly being used for similar dramatic effect. Maybe those two would get along better than Nie Mingjue ever has in Qishan. It’s highly likely that he doesn’t actually want to find out.

Jin Guangyao steps back as tumblers audibly fall into place and a light clicks on inside the panel in the same moment his gadget on the combination lock stops spinning, a little bulb above the dial lighting up green. He looks up at the door with his hands on his hips in obvious satisfaction as suddenly, through the muffling of bulletproof steel, comes the rhythmic, syncopated clanging of each of the series of cylinders that ring the interior wheel withdrawing away from their casing in the door frame to disengage the lock.

Damn him.

That’s kind of sexy.

Jin Guangyao steps forward the moment the clanging stops to start turning the massive spoked wheel in the center of the door, well-oiled steel gliding effortlessly in his expert hands. “The flaw, if you’re wondering, was that the people who designed this model weren’t actually very good at stealing things.” Jin Guangyao turns his head to watch the piston attached to the wheel turn into place just so, and after a beat the final piece of the lock disengages, the door popping open a millimeter as the internal pressure is finally released.

Jin Guangyao finally turns to look at him over his shoulder with a pleased smile as he takes the handle and begins to walk the well-balanced door open, calm and casual.

“I, however, am.”

Nie Mingjue blinks at the open vault in front of him, hands still full of his own gun, Jin Guangyao’s tools, and the panel off the door. With an effort, he swallows down anything embarrassingly wanting that he might say that he would absolutely regret once the adrenaline of the evening fades.

Jin Guangyao frees his Geiger counter from the jumble in Nie Mingjue’s hands again and it crackles instantly, needle leaping from one end of its arc to the other as Nie Mingjue watches the readout over his shoulder. Nie Mingjue gathers his wits enough to ask, “Did you disengage the alarm?”

Jin Guangyao raises an eyebrow up at him, smarmy and self-assured. “The 1703 models don’t have an alarm.”

Nie Mingjue squints down at Jin Guangyao and nods in (thoroughly mocking) approval, lips pursed to keep himself from smirking, as said nonexistent alarm starts blaring from a loudspeaker right over their heads.

“Loving your work, Viper,” he can’t possibly be expected to resist teasing. Jin Guangyao yanks his belongings back out of Nie Mingjue’s hands before he darts into the vault and Nie Mingjue uses his newly-freed grip to aim his gun at the stairs they came down, his blood up and adrenaline even higher than before, though the stairs are still empty for now.

He glances over his shoulder to find Jin Guangyao standing perfectly still over a long open metal box of some kind (alarmingly nuclear missile-sized) and his heart rate spikes as he faces th stairs again with a shout of, “Let’s go, A-Yao!” that echoes back at him off the walls of the bunker.

Just barely over the sound of the alarm he hears shouts starting out in the lab and he glances back over his shoulder again to find Jin Guangyao seemingly empty-handed and running straight at him. He snaps into action, gun at the ready as he takes the stairs two at a time back up to the lab with Jin Guangyao hot on his heels.

-... .-. . .- -.-

Jin Guangyao tucks the…whatever little thing he’d picked up out of the otherwise empty container (damn them, the Jiangs are fast with getting their shit cleared out) into his jacket and trades it out for one of the pistols holstered in the small of his back. Nie Mingjue’s broad shoulders make for a decent shield to shoot from behind, which he quickly discovers when they reach the top of the stairs and barely make it around the corner before they’re caught by two guards pounding down the catwalk to come investigate the whooping siren.

Jin Guangyao fires off two quick shots echoed by a sharp snap from Nie Mingjue’s silenced pistol and they’re off again, pounding through the middle levels of the warehouse with clattering and clanging now that stealth is a lost cause.

Guards shout behind them, around them, the warehouse swarming with men in Jiang blue and amethyst pouring in from outside and all aiming semi-automatic rifles or pistols straight at them. Jin Guangyao puts on an extra burst of speed as he follows Nie Mingjue through the labs he’d just investigated, trusting his partner’s mental map of them to get them back to the exit. He fires off a few warning shots over his shoulder at the men hot on their heels and ducks down to avoid a spray of glass when the next burst of rapid-fire blows out the windows that look out into the main warehouse bay.

Nie Mingjue’s trajectory spits them out of the labs at the bottom of an enclosed staircase that only goes up, and Jin Guangyao flies past him when Nie Mingjue darts to the side to let him up first so he can cover their retreat himself. Jin Guangyao manages to find a scrap of attention to spare on the thought that it’s actually…nice, to have someone covering his back for once. He hasn’t had that since he was stationed in Europe, and actually he’d trust Nie Mingjue more than a solid 3/4ths of the people he’d spent his years fighting the war (and reclaiming art) with.

At the top of the stairs Jin Guangyao looks up to the highest level of catwalks overhead and fires off a few rounds at the guards he can just spot through the grates, baring his teeth when he misses but they at least duck away from the gunfire and give them a few seconds of breathing room, so it could be worse. Nie Mingjue behind him fires off a few more shots at the guards coming up the stairs they’d just ascended, and the second he’s done Jin Guangyao takes him by the hand to drag him further into the warren of metal grates and catwalks at a dead run, the main floor far enough below them now that his vertigo threatens to tip him over the banister.

Nie Mingjue’s hand tightens around his as he overtakes him and takes the lead again, feet pounding on the metal in a steady, booming rhythm that helps settle Jin Guangyao again enough to follow after him and duck for cover behind a wide metal cabinet halfway down a catwalk between the two halves of the cavernous space.

More bullets whiz right past them to pang off the metal handrail of the gantry as they press tightly together behind the cover and catch their breath, heads tipped back so they can look at each other out of the corner of their eyes without needing to turn their heads and get caught unawares by the men still taking shots at them as they close in.

Jin Guangyao fumbles for the…something he’d taken from the empty box in the vault and holds it up between them. “Does this mean anything to you?” he shouts over the deafening patter of automatic gunfire.

Nie Mingjue nods, reloads, and risks sticking his head out long enough to squeeze off a few shots and buy them another moment of breathing room. “It’s part of a centrifuge — for refining uranium!” he shouts back in between bursts of rattling gunfire, his hand coming up to wrap around Jin Guangyao’s wrist again, completely engulfing it so he can give it a little shake as a fresh volley of bullets clang and bounce off the lockers around them. “I’m not staying here!”

“Where the hell are you going to go?!”

Jin Guangyao turns his head to follow Nie Mingjue’s glance past his shoulder and feels himself pale at the realization that they’re quite high up, and Nie Mingjue is going to —

“Swimming!” he shouts and aims past Jin Guangyao to shoot out the windows looking out over the river because yes. He’s running to jump out of them and into said river.

Fucking bastard —

Jin Guangyao gives himself approximately half a second (he’s feeling generous) to gather himself for the fall and makes a sprint for the same window, leaping off the edge of the sill with his eyes firmly on the water —

That he’s not at all on the right trajectory to hit.

He falls with an undignified oof straight onto concrete and loops of mooring line, rolling off the pile of rope with a groan when his entire body stops vibrating from the impact. Nie Mingjue laughs over his head, and Jin Guangyao grumbles through hauling himself wincing to his feet. He takes at least a small bit of vindictive pleasure in knowing that Nie Mingjue had done the exact same bullshit stunt to the exact same effect, if the way he’s hunching over a little further than necessary to hotwire the speedboat he’s helped himself to is any indication.

Jin Guangyao scrabbles to join him as fresh gunshots patter down onto the pavement on all sides with a spray of concrete and gouged wood from the dock, and he lets Nie Mingjue drag him half-into the boat just as the engine roars to life. They tear away from the quay less than second later, Jin Guangyao clinging onto slippery, polished wood in an attempt to not go flying off into the churning black water.

... -.-. . -. . / -... .-. . .- -.-

Jiang Cheng stands with his hands on his hips in front of his wide open, top-of-the-line, high security, bullet- and thief-proof reinforced steel vault, and wishes it wouldn’t be completely undignified to plug his ears so he wouldn’t have to hear his stupid brother laughing his ass off at his expense.

When Wei Wuxian stands upright again (leaning heavily on Wen Ning’s shoulder to manage it) Jiang Cheng gestures at the phone beside the vault with a jerk of his chin.

“Call Jie, have her ring the Supervisory Office and get this ‘Meng’ guy’s room number. You’ve had your fun but it’s time to close in.”

“Aw c’mon Jiang Cheng, don’t be so mad!” Wei Wuxian needles. Jiang Cheng, not nearly as immune to his brother’s needling as one would think after their entire lives spent together, just shoves him towards the phone and gestures for his brother-in-law to fall in step beside him.

“Come with me, A-Ning, let’s go do some damage control.” At least one person around here doesn’t make him despair for the whole human race; Wen Ning draws up smoothly on his left, leaving Jiang Cheng’s whip arm free, and pulls his pistol from the holster on his back.

“Clean up your mess, Wei Wuxian!” Jiang Cheng shouts over his shoulder before he hurries off to join the fray over their heads in an attempt to get things under control.

... -.-. . -. . / -... .-. . .- -.-

YILING CITY — 莲花 VILLA

Jiang Yanli is just putting the finishing touches on her nail lacquer when the phone at her side rings, abrupt in the quiet peace of her Yiling City apartment. Her heart jumps in her throat as she lifts the handle off its cradle to tuck it between her cheek and her shoulder.

“Hello?”

“It’s me,” Wei Wuxian says over the sound of distant gunfire and, closer at hand, a jangling, whooping alarm blaring in her ear. Jiang Yanli sighs and holds the phone a little away from her ear in an attempt not to be deafened. “The plan worked, they bought it, hook line and sinker — do you feel like bringing Meng Yao in yourself tonight?”

“Mm I suppose I’d better,” she sighs again and laments that the drive to the Supervisory Resort is probably going to smudge her perfectly painted manicure. “Leave it to me A-Xian, just don’t let A-Cheng get carried away?”

Wei Wuxian laughs, short and sharp, and she smiles a little as she caps her lacquer again with a flick of her wrist. “A tall order, shijie, but you know I’ll do my best!”

“You always do,” she hums. She hangs up when the line clicks dead and picks the phone up again immediately to ring the operator.

“Yes, hello? The old Wen Supervisory Office Resort, please,” she requests and listens to the switchboard click, the line ringing through. It’s answered promptly by the night concierge, and she makes sure to smile widely enough for it to be heard in her voice as she asks, “Hello, Meng Yao’s room, please.”

Jiang Yanli blows on her nails to dry them a little faster as the line rings and rings, and when she knows she can reasonably claim to have attempted to get in touch with her new friend she hangs up and stands to get dressed to go out, as she’s fairly sure her silk slip and matching dressing gown alone would cause a bit more of a stir than she’s looking for this evening.

... -.-. . -. . / -... .-. . .- -.-

SUITE 191 - 监理处 LUXURY RESORT

Lan Xichen is sitting in the center of his and Nie Mingjue’s bed, propped up on a few pillows and trying his damndest not to chew on his thumbnail, when the bedside phone rings and he leans over with the appropriate amount of haste to answer it.

“Hello?”

“Xichen.”

“Good evening, Shufu.”

“I hope I’m not calling too late?”

Lan Xichen leans back against the headboard and drops his hand into his lap as quickly as if he’d been scolded for the habit like when he was a boy.

“Not at all, I was just…No, it’s not too late.”

“Hm. It was good to see you today, Xichen, but..I’m afraid I was a bit too harsh on your…fiancé. I’d like to apologize to him.”

Lan Xichen glances down at the empty bed beside him and tucks his nail between his teeth again, only remembering not to bite at the last moment. The lie that he’s asleep is right there on the tip of his tongue, but he lets it go with a sigh. Old habits die hard, and all that. “He’s stepped out. Will I tell him you called?”

“..Mn. I also thought I could take you for lunch tomorrow, there’s something I’d like to discuss with you. I can pick you up at 12.”

Lan Xichen rubs at the spot of tension between his brows with a fingertip. “Yes, Shufu.”

“Good. Goodnight, Xichen.”

“Goodnight.”

The line clicks off and Lan Xichen takes a deep breath in before he dials down to the concierge.

“Yes sir?”

“Room 304, please.”

Another click, and then the line ringing just long enough to leave him sure that no one will answer. It’s been such a long time after all, how can he be sure —

“Mn?”

Xichen closes his eyes and takes a deep breath in.

“Everything is confirmed,” he tells his brother, the first words he’s been allowed to say to him in over a year.

He hangs up without another word and sets the phone aside to keep waiting for Nie Mingjue to come back safe and sound.

[moocha-muses]

Hallowpoems

We're halfway through October and you know what that means! I wrote it at the top of the post! Happy spooky season, everyone. Send in as many prompts as you'd like!

Smother me in them.

Ahem. This one's for @dunne-ias! It's about crochet.

I had metal hooks once. It was better, when I had metal hooks, but it was not to be between us, and our affair was soon over, because my skinless hands leaked so much blood out of themselves, that the poor things soon rusted. I made myself new hooks, new hooks from the bones of my sister, her big lovely leg bones. She was the only one that didn't burn. It was a long fight. A bloody fight. A fight that ended with them squabbling like children in the grass, nails out, scratching and kicking, crying for whatever mothers they had left to them. The men and women who killed her only had the strength to drag themselves back to town. They left my sister in a field to be eaten by crows, but I ate her instead. All her best and squishiest organs down my gullet. She had begged me to eat her once, childishly, when she was too young to understand that such things were for mates, not sibs. She had been so sweet, then and she was almost as sweet now, and I loved her to much to let her go to waste. Her bones are kind to my hands, kinder than steel, but the yarn I spun, out of flax and tendon and her hair and then my own hair, (and even wool, when I could get it) gets caught in all the rough edges of her. Pulled out from their womb of soft, wet muscle, her wounds are sharp, brittle things. As are we all. The men and women who killed my sister my mother, my father, my sweet little aunt and my tiny little brother, are brittle. And fragile. And their children are the most breakable of all. Too soft. Too trusting. Too vulnerable. Too greedy. They're all like that, all of them, when they aren't busy killing. If a package appeared on my doorstep, smelling just a little still like freshly crocheted veins, I might be less quick to wind the soft scarf inside around my thin neck, I might hesitate to slide my breakable fingers into marrow-patterned mittens. I might not pull a hat, jagged with stitched-in shards of bones to hover just above my eyes. But everyone likes getting something homemade. And I. Well. I always need just a little more material, if I'm to clothe them all before spring.

[tuxedo-rabbit]

Hey, just wrote a little angsty drabble about Simon's childhood, and a memory that sets up his relationship with Leandra later down the line. He's like around 12 in this.

Magic Serves What is Best in Me

Simon listened to the wind whistling through the trees.

He was supposed to be asleep. It was hard though, with the twins snoring next to him. They’d been traveling for half the night, they had only stopped a few hours ago when Bethany had complained that her feet hurt. The twins weren’t as used to walking long distances as Simon was.

It was his fault they were having to learn.

Simon sat up, suddenly sure he wouldn’t be able to sleep at all. He crept over to the tent flap, and pulled it open, just enough to look out at the family’s haphazard campsite. Mother and Father were still awake. There was no fire to sit around of course, too eye catching Father had said, instead Simon saw his parents sitting together on an old log. Even in the dark, Simon could tell they were arguing. They were trying to be quiet at least.

“This is the third time he’s lost control Malcolm,”

“It’s not like he’s doing it on purpose!”

“The point is he isn’t doing it on purpose! That’s what makes it more dangerous!”

Oh. Simon’s stomach dropped. Of course they’re arguing about me again.

He and Carver had been play-fighting by the creek this morning. He’d purposefully been sticking close to his brother because the butcher’s son, William, had been picking fights with Carver lately. Simon was trying to be a good big brother.

When William had shown up, all Simon had meant to do was scare him off. But then William had punched him, and then Carver had punched William, and then it had turned into a full-on fistfight. Simon was just trying to get the two of them to stop. And they had. Carver and William had both hit the ground hard. Simon still wasn’t sure exactly what he did, but it was obvious enough that it was magic. William had hit something when he fell, a rock maybe? He hadn’t gotten back up again. Carver had started crying.

Father had found them, and father had fixed things. Father was always good at fixing things. He’d healed William, though the boy had still been sleeping when they fled the village.

Simon glanced back into the tent to check on Carver. He seemed alright. Thank the Maker. Still snoring away, seemingly without a care. Simon hadn’t meant for the spell to hit him. He hadn’t meant to use his magic at all.

It was, as Mother had said, the third time since his magic developed that he had accidentally revealed the family’s secret. It was the first time he’d accidentally used magic on the family.

“Magic is dangerous, Leandra. You knew that when you chose to run away with me.”

“Yes, but we have a family now. We need to keep the children safe.” Mother’s voice had a raspy quality, as if she’d been crying. Simon was always making his mother cry.

“What’s that supposed to mean? We’ve talked about this. Leaving keeps us safe.”

“All I mean is,” Mother’s voice caught on something, and she took a breath and tried again, “Malcolm you’ve tried your best. But we have two other children to worry about. It might be time to think about...to think about what the best option for all of us is.”

Simon felt the air leave his lungs. Mother couldn’t mean--

“Please tell me you aren’t suggesting we send him to a Circle.”

“Malcolm, please just listen,” Father interrupted her, “No. The answer is no. We aren’t doing that.”

Simon saw the shape of his father get up and storm of into the trees. He heard his mother’s soft sobs.

Eventually, the camp became quiet again. And Simon sat silently in front of the slim opening of his tent, watching the stars, and thinking about how long it might be before Mother won this particular argument. And what he might be able to do to convince her he could stay.

[chains-of-destiny]

Hi! Your introductory post is amazing?

Care to share some facts about the ROs?

Hey! I'm not sure if you meant this, but here you go (I haven't completed their character pages just yet, so this text might change in the actual game):

Barnabas

Barnabas's personality is a constantly shifting landscape, shaped by the winds of circumstance and the company he keeps. One moment, he can come off as overbearing and controlling, demanding that things be done his way without compromise. Then, in another, he would transform into a charismatic and charming figure, effortlessly winning over those around him with his quick wit and playful banter.

But within this ever-changing terrain lies treacherous crevices and volatile eruptions. The slightest inconvenience or disagreement can trigger Barnabas's explosive anger, causing him to lash out with insults and sharp remarks. This left a trail of fractured relationships in his wake, as those who had experienced his temper found it difficult to forgive and forget. Yet, there are moments of genuine kindness that shine through Barnabas's rough exterior. In those moments, he surprises both himself and others with acts of selflessness and compassion.

Loyalty is the cornerstone of Barnabas's values. He expects unwavering devotion from those in his inner circle and fiercely protects them in return. However, any hint that someone views him as inferior or disregards him will send Barnabas into a rage that can last for days.

As an officer in the Republican Army, his position was secured through his brother's influence and his own magnetic charisma. His comrades respect his tactical prowess but also fear his volatile nature. Many speculate on the origins of Barnabas's temperament, with numerous rumors circulating but none of them providing a definitive answer. Perhaps even Barnabas himself doesn't know the true reason behind his ever-shifting personality.

Zenon

Zenon is a gentle soul, always careful with his words and actions. At social gatherings, you can often find him tucked away in a corner, observing quietly from a distance. Just when it seems like he may finally join in on the conversation, Zenon instead flashes a shy smile and retreats further into his shell. But in the company of close friends, his true personality blossoms like a flower in sunlight. He becomes animated and lively, engaging in deep conversations that showcase his vast knowledge and passionate opinions. His eyes sparkle with excitement as he delves into his favorite topics, eager to share his perspective with anyone who will listen. In these moments, it is impossible not to notice the fire within Zenon—the burning desire to be heard and understood.

Loyalty and honesty are two values that hold great importance to Zenon. He treasures the few close friendships he has cultivated over the years, valuing their trust and unfaltering support above all else. A reliable friend, he is always there to offer a listening ear or lend a helping hand whenever needed. And if you ever want to see him flustered, just look in his general direction for more than a few seconds, and his cheeks will flush a bright shade of red.

Renna

From the moment Renna opens her eyes in the morning to the second she collapses onto her pillow at night, she is in constant motion. She thrives off the adrenaline rush, the thrill of pushing boundaries and testing limits. Every day is a new adventure for Renna, an opportunity to conquer the world and leave her mark. She is charming and charismatic, drawing people in with her infectious energy and magnetic personality.

She values ambition and drive above all else. Renna has seen too many people settle for a mediocre existence, letting complacency creep into their lives like a disease. But not her, she refuses to let that happen. Renna has dreams of dying rich and famous, with her name sung by drunken strangers in rundown taverns. But for now, she settles for the thrill of the chase, the anticipation of the next big score. She knows that success doesn't come to those who wait; it comes to those who chase after it relentlessly and refuse to take no for an answer.

Along with her unwavering determination and infectious energy, Renna possesses proficiency with melee weapons. She wields them with precision and grace, but don't underestimate her ability to fight dirty if necessary. After all, winning is all that matters to Renna, no matter what tactics she must use to come out on top.

Iris

You can learn a thousand little stories and details about Iris without coming any closer to deciphering her true self. When confronted with personal questions, it's like trying to catch a butterfly with a broken net - often deflecting with a witty joke or steering the conversation elsewhere, leaving you more confused than before. Yet, on the surface, she emanates kindness and charisma with a constant smile on her face and a sparkle in her eye. From her parents, she inherited a sharp wit and a curiosity that seems to know no bounds, teetering on the edge of recklessness.

Above all else, she values connection, human connection. It's not the kind of connection that can be easily quantified or measured, but rather the intangible bond that forms when two souls truly understand each other. Iris craves these moments of genuine connection like a desert craves rain, and she will go to great lengths to find them. She would strike up conversations with strangers without hesitation, eagerly listening to their unique stories and uncovering hidden gems just waiting to be discovered. In Iris's eyes, every person holds a story worth hearing within them, and she relishes uncovering them.

Elaine

Elanie is strong-willed and assertive, and she will often come off as rude or abrasive to others, but she makes no apologies for her behavior. Trust does not come easily to her, and she always expects the worst from people. As a result, she tends to stay away from others and prefers to keep to herself in her own corner. With a sharp tongue and quick temper, she isn't afraid to speak her mind, often using sarcasm and biting remarks as her contribution to any conversation.

She values assertiveness and getting things done, no matter the cost. Though she may never admit it, she secretly respects those who stand by their beliefs, even if they differ from hers. However, weakness and indecisiveness are qualities she has no patience for. In any argument, Elanie is a formidable opponent. She will fight tooth and nail to prove her point, never backing down without a fierce struggle.

Along with her sharp mind, her skills in hand-to-hand combat are formidable, and she is highly proficient in using a variety of weapons.

These are the things that come to mind about the ROs without spoiling the story.

[bigsoftmarshmallow]

Hiiii~! Today's been a good day & I was just hoping to spread some blessings (or good vibes, if you prefer)!

Aw, dude! I finally got around to listening to Epic the Musical (with an animatic, because it was amazing) & ya'll!

The music was on fire & even the small amount of humor was pretty great! Haven't gotten to the final saga or 2, but my brother & I have enjoyed ourselves!

So far, I think my favorite was Athena literally only needing to tell Hera that Odysseus had never once cheated on his wife to get her vote.

Just, like, the music immediately screeches to a halt & she goes, "Yeah, no. In this society of rampant adultery, I gotta reward fidelity wherever I can."

Then Zeus had to go & be a big swinging D-bag, but that was to be expected.

If nothing else, you can at least rely on him to be a petty a-hole. It's just so interesting how no matter how low I set the bar, he always somehow manages to go lower.

I'll be honest, I really wanna see him have to face someone who is not only more powerful than him, but also a better, more mature person than him.

Like, I already have a character (oc for another phandom, but the beauty of that phandom is that despite the environment is that it has canonical built-in crossover allowance) who could, & would quite happily, do so with great pleasure.

I have actually made a scene between her & Demise based on the hiding after an argument question, I just haven't sent it in yet.

All the Epic Songs are such a bop. Can't wait for the asks you send in!

Let's have a freebie on me.

************************************************************************

How would the Ganondorfs (Wind Waker, Ocarina of Time, Twilight Princess, Hyrule Warriors, and Tears of the Kingdom) & Demise react to an SO who loved to sing and serenade him?

The Ganondorfs and Demise, all embodiments of power and authority, would be deeply affected by an SO serenading them, especially when the songs are filled with love and praise. Each would react differently to being serenaded like this:

Wind Waker Ganondorf (Wake): Wake is introspective and more in tune with emotional undercurrents than some of his counterparts. Hearing his SO sing love songs would make him nostalgic and perhaps even contemplative. At first, he might watch in silence, the waves of melody stirring memories of a time when his ambitions were pure and focused on saving his people.

Scene: As Wake stands in his chamber overlooking the sea, his SO’s voice drifts through the air. The song brings to mind his long-lost dreams of restoring Hyrule, but her tender words pull him back to the present, filling the void in his heart with warmth. He would approach her, laying a hand on her cheek, and whisper, “Your voice calms the storm inside me.” He would likely treasure this, as it humanizes him in a way few have ever attempted.

Ocarina of Time Ganondorf (Bandit): Bandit, the more arrogant and ambitious Ganondorf, would be initially suspicious of such overt adoration, even from his SO. However, as the sincerity in her voice becomes apparent, he would relish the praise, finding it a confirmation of his own greatness.

Scene: His SO’s song wraps around him like a spell, and while his eyes narrow at first, assuming it might be an attempt at manipulation, the earnestness in her tone breaks through his defenses. He would grin, a mixture of pride and amusement, and pull her closer, saying, “Even the gods don’t deserve this, but I do.” He would bask in her songs, making it clear he expects more serenades in the future.

Twilight Princess Ganondorf (Noctis): Noctis would be taken aback by the emotional intensity of the serenade. Known for being brooding and cynical, his SO’s voice would cut through his darkness like a beacon. He wouldn’t know how to respond at first but would eventually let himself enjoy the vulnerability of the moment.

Scene: Sitting on his throne, cloaked in shadow, Noctis hears his SO’s soft, ethereal singing. Her voice swirls around him, making his heart ache in a way he had forgotten he could feel. After a long pause, he might murmur, “I don’t deserve such a voice... yet I cannot refuse it.” He wouldn’t show outward affection right away, but the song would leave a lasting impression on him.

Hyrule Warriors Ganondorf (Hedony): Hedony, proud and always in command, would view the serenades as both a source of pleasure and a tribute to his might. His SO’s love songs would be like a victory anthem to him, celebrating his conquests and power. He would enjoy the music but expect it as part of his due.

Scene: As his SO’s voice rises in passionate praise, Hedony would stand taller, his chest swelling with pride. “Yes,” he would say, his voice deep and commanding. “Sing of your love, sing of your king.” He might pull her into his lap afterward, offering a reward of his own in the form of affection and indulgence. For him, the serenade is a celebration of their bond—and his dominance.

Tears of the Kingdom Ganondorf (Vendettas): Vendettas would be affected by his SO’s serenades in a way that borders on possessive devotion. The way her songs praise and adore him would strike at the heart of his ambitions, soothing his darker urges while fueling his desire for power—if only to protect her.

Scene: Vendettas listens in the middle of battle preparations, his SO’s voice rising over the clash of steel and distant echoes of war. For a moment, his mind is no longer focused on conquest but on her. He strides over, cradling her face in his hands. “Your love... it strengthens me more than any sword or magic.” His eyes would glimmer with intensity as he promises to make her his queen once he claims all.

Demise: Demise would be the most conflicted. As the origin of all darkness and hatred toward the gods, he might struggle to comprehend the depth of the affection his SO shows. Her songs would make him feel something close to softness—an emotion he is not used to—but they would also enrage him because they threaten to expose a weakness within him.

Scene: As Demise listens to his SO’s voice, something within him stirs. His first reaction is fury, sparks of fire flaring around him, as though the love she sings of is too much for him to bear. But as her voice persists, pure and unwavering, his flames die down, leaving him cold and silent. He would not speak, but he would return to her more often, drawn to the power she holds over him—a power beyond even the gods.

[margindoodles2407]

Rest in Peace Big Hero 6 AU (2023-2023)

@isasan347

Okay so basically. I was watching Big Hero 6 one day and then I decided to make a Linked Universe AU about it. Hold up I have to find all my old posts about it

Okay I found them

Alrighty

Characters

Wind was Hiro. As the de facto leader of the group, he used the theories of Aerodynamics and wind-related stuff to fly around and fight, and was Rulie’s main handler (gosh i hate using that term but what else was i supposed to call it? his owner? that sounds like slavery) and best friend, and laid claim to Hiro’s impulsivity and nerdiness.

Four originally split Hiro's role with Wind, but I ended up changing that later. He preferred to stay behind while the others do their fighting and backed them up remotely, giving them updates from the ground and aiding them with inventions of his. He also built the minishbots (like the microbots in the canon movie). He and Wind used to do Bot Fighting together- Four would build the bots and Wind would enter and control them. They were best friends and inseparable. (Four is 2 years older.)

Wars was Tadashi (yeah sorry he died) and Wind's biological older brother (it was an au i could do what i wanted). When he was Wind’s age, he was also into Bot Fighting, so he understood Wind's obession with it a little more than Canon Tadashi, but he still didn't approve (because of the violence he saw in the competitors). He was studying to enter the army as a military nurse, and, sharing Wind's mechanical genius, built Hyrule (short for Hyrule Medical Droid) to be a field nurse to avoid endangering the lives of human medics. Rulie was his prototype.

Rulie was Baymax, chosen because of his penchant for healing magic. In this AU, he was an android built by Wars before his death, designed as the prototype for a line of Robotic Army Field Nurses made to reduce the risk of sending human medics onto battlefields. He was more human-looking than Baymax, but wind upgraded him with extra human-y features (like silicone skin and fiberglass eyes) so that Malon wouldn't get suspicious. He and Four were able to convince her that Rulie was a friend from school who needed a place to stay as he was from out of town. Wind was not his “pilot” per se, like Hiro is to Baymax in canon, rather they fought in conjunction in some way. I was orking on it but then I abandoned the AU, so.

Malon was Aunt Cass. She was married to Time (who… has more information below) and was kinda FURIOUS when she found out that her husband wasn’t actually dead and that he was the dangerous criminal who threatened to tear Central Hyrule apart (and, also, you know, that he let one of their nephews die but moving on). It actually put their marriage in jeopardy for a time, so there was actually a post-canon plan for a slowburn lovers to enemies to reluctant allies to friends to lovers again side arc for them. She was also not as oblivious as Canon Aunt Cass to her nephews’ and their friends’ secret identities and knew that something was going on. However, she was in the dark about Rulie being an android. 

Twi was Wasabi. He couldn't turn into a wolf in this AU but his science field was the study of Twilit Matter (sorta like… a magic version of real-world dark matter), and he had built devices that allowed him to manipulate the Twilit Matter around him, usually into blades. Twi had always seemed like the most lawful good of all the Links and while rewatching the movie that made me think he’d line up well with Wasabi’s slightly neurotic personality (which i can relate to, being a lawful good myself). I said earlier that he couldn’t turn into a wolf, but he loved dogs, and another one of his favorite Twilit Matter manipulations was a giant wolf that he used to attack from range.

Legend was Go Go. His special area of science was the study of taking archaic technologies and trying to update them for modern usage, and his favorite project was a reinterpretation of Pegasus Boots. The parallel for this might be kinda obvious because both Legend and Go Go were the snarky, sarcastic ones of their respective teams, but I also wanted to keep in mind that Legend has a special friendship with Wars and Rulie (albeit in different ways) and so in this AU he actually helped Wars build and design Rulie, giving tips on medical assets based on the ancient healing magic of fairies. He was the human that Rulie is closest to outside of Wind and Wars.

Sky was Honey Lemon, because they’re both sweet mom friends. The main difference was that Sky was a Biochemist instead of a Chemical Engineer. So instead of throwing balls that produce a tangible chemical reaction, Sky’s actually synthesized hormones that affected his targets on a neurological level. But he had to be careful about his precision because the hormones could end up affecting him or his team if he wasn’t, so he also had several small mechanical Loftwings that homed in on his target by reading their chemical signature.

Wild was Fred. He studied Ancient Sheikah technology- sort of like Legend but on a narrower spectrum- and ended up successfully building himself a freaking Ancient Sheikah Mech Suit, to pair with Fred’s in-canon dragon-mascot suit. Also because Fred’s main thing is fire and we all like to joke about Wild being an arsonist :P As for the whole “Fred is secretly dirty freaking rich” thing, Wild was currently living with his best friend Flora, who was the daughter of the Mayor of Central Hyrule (by the way, even though i am a zelinker until i die, in this au, he and Flora were cousins and there was no romance between them ever). 

Time was the equivalent of professor Callaghan, trying to save his young cousin, Navi, from the trans-dimensional portal where she was trapped. He was actually Malon’s husband and therefore the uncle of Wars and Wind, and was the favorite teacher of Twi, Legend, Sky and Wild when he taught at Central Hyrule Technological Institute. UNLIKE in BH6 canon, he had no idea that Wars ran into the burning school to try to save him and felt incredibly guilty over his death, because even if I started him off as a villain he was still my favorite Link and I wasn't gonna turn him into some psychopath who let his nephew DIE on PURPOSE. Anyway, during his villain arc he wore the Fierce Deity mask, which was how he was able to control Four’s minishbots. In this AU, however, after his villain arc he (reluctantly, and i didn't figure out how the others started to trust him again) ended up joining forces with the boys and trying to fix his marriage with Malon. He never quite got over losing Navi AND Wars and ended up becoming quite overprotective of the boys once he did join them.

I will also link the original draft of the first chapter, back from when Wind and Four still shared a role as Hiro. It was a really cool concept in my opinion but I just. Ran out of steam for it.

[aoi-midori]

Fanfic Recs...

so uh…. I learned the hard way that tumblr has a tagging limit when I reblogged that fanfic post from earlier, meaning ... not all my tags went through AND IT MISSED ONE OF THE FICS I REC’D. so fuck it, I’m making my own post: a more detailed one that has all my fav fics and for sure won’t get eaten by this hellsite! there are eight of em, and as i attempted to note with that reblog, all of them can be found on ao3, but i'll be linking them here for easy access! More under the cut!

Embers and Frost by SolarisLupi

One Piece/Rise of the Guardians Crossover, Canon-Divergence

Rating: Teen & Up

Synopsis: After becoming the new Spirit of Summer, Ace struggles with the knowledge that one day he will be forced to leave everyone he loves behind. Jack questions how far he would go for those he cares about. And Luffy, unaware of Ace’s rebirth, is plagued by visions of his brother’s death and other horrors. But those nightmares may be more than just dreams…

complete fic, with 49 chapters and a 414k word count

so yeah, Jack gets stuck in the op 'verse and ace becomes the new summer spirit after his death in marineford. Pitch winds up there too, and he's far more of a threat here thanks to everyone being able to see him, and if you've seen Rise of the Guardians, well... then you know that CAN'T be good. also this is actually part of a series with a kind of prologue that comes right before it that's called Fire and Ice. I'd probs read that one first if you want the context since that one showcases how Jack gets into op 'verse (and also where he first meets ASL trio).

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As N Approaches Infinity by Corisanna

Puella Magi Madoka Magica/Bleach Crossover, Canon-Divergence

Rating: Teen & Up

Synopsis: Despairing as yet another timeline goes horribly wrong, Homura wanders into Karakura. There she discovers that while the spiritually-aware people of Karakura were distracted by Ichigo Kurosaki and Xcution, Kyubey had managed to contract the Kurosaki sisters as magical girls. Drawing the attention of the shinigami could be just the advantage Homura needs.

Incomplete fic, currently sitting at 84 chapters with a 481k word count (last updated March 2021, might be dead, idk)

yeah, so Homura runs into the Kurosakis at the tail-end of another failed timeline, and if you know Ichigo, you can imagine what happens next. his big-brother instincts go into full-throttle here. also Kyuubey is still a little shit as always and it turns out he got up to even MORE fucked up shit than everyone initially realized! so that's fun... oh yeah, there's also a companion fic called Polynomial Expansion that's basically a bunch of bonus scenes from the main fic!

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There May Be Some Collateral Damage by metisket

Bleach/Harry Potter Crossover, Canon-Divergence

Rating: Teen & Up

Synopsis: Ichigo’s been ordered to go undercover at a magic school to bodyguard a kid named Harry Potter, and this would be fine, except that he’s about as good at bodyguarding as he is at magic. And he considers it a good day, magic-wise, if he hasn’t set anything on fire.

Complete fic, with 3 chapters and a 61k word count

I personally love the author's note for this one: "I wrote this mostly because, despite the surprising number of Bleach/Harry Potter fics out there, none of them seem to address the fact that sending Ichigo to Hogwarts is basically the same as swinging a wrecking ball directly into the side of the castle." this fic honestly changed the way I want to write fics and actually turned me on to present-tense. the narration itself is just so good. made me think, "goddamn i want to write like that." also one of the funniest fics i've read in my life. it's basically bleach characters (mainly Ichigo) looking at the HP 'verse and thinking "what the actual FUCK."

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RWBY/Zero by orphan_account/TheMaster4444

RWBY/Fate Franchise Crossover (mostly Fate/Zero with a bit of /Stay Night and Apocrypha in there too), Canon-Divergence

Rating: Teen & Up

Synopsis: With the Vytal Festival in full swing, Teams RWBY and JNPR are shocked when an unexpected family member arrives at the school. Elsewhere, Cinder's wild-card teammate proves himself a dangerous enigma, and Arturia tries to prevent a loved one from following her old path while enemies from a past she thought she left behind come for her new world. New players have come to Remnant, and a golden shadow is ready to change the game for everyone.

Complete fic, with 94 chapters and a 574k word count

so as i mentioned in the tags of that reblog, Remnant is literally the remnants of Earth after the fallout from Fate/Zero (so Fuyuki fire affected the entire planet basically). so you've got the surviving characters from Fate/Zero living in present-day Remnant due to the circumstances, and Arturia happens to be Jaune's mom. start of the fic takes place during volume 3 and it starts out a bit slow, but that doesn't last long. once it reaches the volume 3 finale... holy SHIT does it take off. worldbuilding here is absolutely nuts, and the way the author meshes the two series together is downright flawless. also ruby herself gets some really cool and interesting lore here, so that's pretty neat.

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∞:∞ by divisionten

Kingdom Hearts/The World Ends With You Crossover (given this is a KH fic tho, there are other series sprinkled in here too, but I won't say what they are bc spoilers), canon-Divergence

Rating: Teen & Up

Synopsis: He got off the pavement, wet, dirty and alone. They left the beach, ready to chase him down. She gripped her Keyblade, twisting it tight enough in her hands to leave marks. It was time to go home.

Complete fic, with 44 chapters and a 201k word count

this one's set directly after the end of KH3, so... Sora's dead! and he's found himself in TWEWY shibuya. but wait, Riku's also dead, but he got sent to TWEWY shinjuku! neither of them are in the reaper's game tho bc of special circumstances... meanwhile just about the entire rest of the kh cast is out there searching different worlds for these two, and let's just say that "getting into hijinks" is a bit of an understatement.

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Infinite Nuisance by Luluwoo

Jujutsu Kaisen, SukuGo Slow-burn, Canon-Divergence

Rating: Mature

Synopsis: When a strange incident leads to Gojo being trapped along with the King of Curses in Sukuna's Innate Domain, what everyone assumes would lead to destruction surprisingly grows into something more.

As Sukuna and Gojo are forced to interact and learn more about each other, they realise that hatred isn't the only tie that binds them.

And, as Sukuna quickly realises, he is far from prepared for the unlikely temptation that is Gojo Satoru.

Ongoing fic, currently sitting at 9 chapters with a 43k word count

AND THEN THEY WERE ROOMMATES. quite literally! so these two have no choice but to interact with each other, and that goes about as well as you'd expect (at least at first). also another thing to note here is that Sukuna's relationship with Yuji is MUCH much better than in canon, so they don't actually hate each other.

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Firehouse 4 by easyontheredeyes

Jujutsu Kaisen, SukuFushi Slow-burn, Modern AU

Rating: Explicit

Synopsis: For years, Megumi worked hard to become an EMT and carve his own path through the Emergency Medical Services world, outside of his father's reputation and Gojo's connections. All he asked was not to be housed at a firehouse, with firefighters. Apparently, that was too much to ask for. Or Megumi can't stand firefighters. His new EMT job leaves him working with a particularly cocky, arrogant, ironically smoking-hot one named Ryomen Sukuna.

Ongoing fic, currently sitting at 15 chapters with a 145k word count

AND THEN THEY WERE ROOMMATES... IN A WORK SETTING. lmao I kid. but yeah, slow-burn at it's finest here. animosity at first followed by one-sided flirtation, then followed by mutual flirtation... while trying to make each other jealous at the same time. smh

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Stars in the Dark by Nshi

Persona 5/Final Fantasy XIV Crossover, Canon Divergence

Rating: Mature

Synopsis: "In spite of… or perhaps because of this, I choose to believe. In mankind's potential. In his ability to find a way forward."

It was supposed to be a proper summer road trip this year. No combat, no god-slaying, no desperate last stand to save the world from certain ruin. But fate has ever had a habit of stringing Joker away from the peaceful and mundane, hasn't it? Not that even he could have ever expected to be hailed as the 'Warrior of Light'. Kind of ironic, really.

Or: a Persona 5 x Final Fantasy XIV crossover fic in which Joker, instead of a much-belated post-Strikers break, gets his ass Isekai'd into The Source and somehow winds up in the role of Eorzea's champion. As one does.

Ongoing fic, currently sitting at 33 chapters with a 415k word count

THIS IS THE ONE THAT GOT EATEN UP IN THE TAGS BY THE GODDAMN HELLSITE. also the fic that I recently just left a MASSIVE comment on to the author, bc holy shit did this one blow my fuckin mind. that word count is no joke, but don't let the long chapters intimidate you. takes place after Royal and Strikers on the P5 side, and at the start of 'A Realm Reborn' (base game) on the XIV side. XIV veterans will know how much of a slog ARR can be compared to the expansions, but the author actually makes it SO much more enjoyable here. THE SCIONS ACTUALLY DO SHIT. not that they don't in canon, but they're actually a lot more involved here, like they join Joker for the dungeon runs! also the camaraderie he has with them all is infectious as hell. oh another thing! Joker can still use personas, but besides Arsene, they work VERY differently in this fic, and it's actually really fucking cool. OH, also there's a side-fic for this one called Among Uncountable Stars that covers scenes and quests that couldn't fit into the main fic. author has also made art for the fic, which they link in the chapters themselves!

[stiricidewrites]

The Damage You Do: ch 24, pt 3

L.J. was briefly mentioned in chapter 13. They're the leader of the group's financial division, who lwj is hoping doesn't learn about his new sub anytime soon.

Unfortunately, my keyboard broke, and I had to order a new one. I'm not sure how my sketchy glue repair will hold up yet, so I might not post until the new one arrives, hopefully by Tuesday.

Previously

~

Now was for winding wwx up, for digging his nails into the man’s flesh, for making him beg or cry or melt into the floor—even he wasn’t sure. Scenes with wwx were like tornados, unpredictable and wild, every bit of planning flooding out of his head the moment the man’s eyes were on him, the moment his hands were on that body. It had been like that from the first moment they met, the man snapping his self-control like it had never existed to begin with.

It was dangerous.

It was intoxicating.

It was addicting.

wwx’s breath shuddered as lwj’s hips pressed into his ass, the man’s glutes flexing so hard he could feel it through their bottoms. Fuck, that ass. He wanted to bury himself in it. His dick, his face, his entire arm. He knew wwx was going to be a size queen—the word nhs had once told him meant the bottom liked things big. lwj had had no desire to know there was a specific word for such people, but when nhs wanted to tell you something, there was no getting around it. He also knew what a pillow princess was thanks to his pimp, and was quite certain wwx also fit that description—or whatever the gay equivalent was—to some extent, what with how overwhelmed he became during sex.

There was also no getting information out of nhs when they didn’t want to tell you, either, unfortunately, and the Nie heir was still avoiding his phone calls. Eventually, he was going to have to track the little menace down personally—he was under no circumstances sending anyone other than L.J., his cousin or himself to find nhs. For one, they wouldn’t be able to find them, and for another, nhs was dangerous, even if certain people—namely both of their older brothers—still saw them as an innocent baby.

lwj almost snorted at that thought as he manhandled wwx around the mat, the man turning into a limp doll that he had to repeatedly remind still had muscles that needed to be used if he was going to get any benefit out of this.

nhs had never been a baby, nor had they ever been innocent. Even when they were children, the Nie heir had been scheming and planning, ripping his childhood enemies to shreds without anyone being any the wiser. Anyone, except lwj, L.J. and his cousin, and that had likely been an accident (it was always a little hard to tell if accidents involving nhs were actually accidents). He couldn’t exactly say the four of them were friends, each of them too careful with people outside their own groups to consider themselves that, but they were close enough that lwj was sure that once he got his hands on the little bitch—

“Lan-laoshi~” his sub whined, blinking watery eyes up at him. “Can we move now?”

lwj blinked slowly down at the beautiful man, every instinct inside him screaming to wreck him. Take him right there on the mat and make him scream.

“Yes, wy,” he said, pulling both of them backwards. His feet settled under him, his hips pushing upwards as he dragged wwx into Adho Mukha Śvānāsana.