#Lan crest

[ananc1tes]

Lan crest embroidery, felt box.

My writer brain is on hiatus, but my arts & crafts brain came back to life. And the Lan crest is pretty, so this happened ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ The lower part is inspired by the pattern on Bichen's sheath.

(my technical approach is "whatever works in the moment", so if you know anything about embroidery: sorry 😅 I'm doing the best I can)

[lilnasxvevo]

See this would be such a cool cross stitch or any one of these would be a cool-ass tattoo that isn’t obviously fandom-related if you don’t feel like explaining your Passions to people

[dilemmaontwolegs]

I know your request are closed. But I just wanted to send this one in while is still remember it.

Can you do one with reader having bad anxiety and lando her boyfriend is there to comfort her. Like she is picking at her nails and shaking her legs and he put his hands k her legs and hands to stop her.

Also I love your aftermath serie for lando :)

Meet the Parents || LN4

Lando could feel the slight vibrations shaking the table and he could see the carafe of water rippling with each bounce of your knee. Slipping one hand beneath the tabletop, he ran long soothing strokes up and down the skin, feeling the jittery movements calm until your shoes settled flat on the tile floor.

“We can go, love,” he offered quietly as he took your hand. Your palms were clammy against his skin and he looked down to see the nails bitten back to the quick. The cuticles were even worse, inflamed and red from picking at them in your anxious state. “Come on, let’s get out of here.”

You dragged your eyes away from the fixated space beside the door and found Lando already getting to his feet. “B-but they are your parents,” you stammered as a fresh wave of panic crested. You were meant to be introducing yourself to them, the next step in your relationship with Lando and you feared how cancelling at the last minute would be taken by the people Lando loved most.

“And you are my girlfriend,” he said as he pulled you to your feet and kissed the corner of your mouth. “I don’t want you being uncomfortable, love. They’ll understand.”

You bit your bottom lip as you tried to lie and say you were fine but he saw right through the weak words. Leading you to the door of the quaint cafe, not far from where they lived in Glastonbury, he opened it and was greeted by a friendly smile. You barely had time to process that his mother and father were in front of you before the older woman wrapped her arms around you with the same energy her son had.

“You’re even more beautiful than Lando described!” Cisca pulled back with a warm smile that eased some of the anxiety in your chest and you found yet another similarity between the mother and son.

“We were just heading off, mum, I was about to call-”

“It’s okay, Lan,” you said softly as you squeezed his hand and gave a reassuring nod before smiling back at his mother. “It’s wonderful to finally meet you.”

[mxtxfanatic]

Fandom Gripe #22: I wish the novel fandom would stop ascribing to Jiang Cheng things that he did not do (at least not alone) to make his character seem like some outstanding model citizen who pulled himself up by his bootstraps instead of the rotten product of wealth and nepotism that he is.

No, Jiang Cheng did not rebuild Lotus Pier on his own. In fact, Lotus Pier didn't need to be rebuilt at all because it was never destroyed. Wen Chao was using it as his supervision office, which is why Wang Lingjiao showed up in the first place:

Wang LingJiao spoke in a tender voice, “Young Master Wen, congratulations for moving into Lotus Pier.” Wen Chao, “What Lotus Pier? Change the name. Bring down any door carved with the nine-petaled lotus crest and replace them with those with the QishanWen Sect’s sun crest! JiaoJiao, come dance for me your best song!”

—Chapt. 59: Poisons, exr

If anything, any "rebuilding" that was done happened after Wei Wuxian defected, as Jiang Cheng remade Lotus Pier to be more extravagant than it originally was:

It was perhaps because too many places had been renewed. The training field was two times larger. Each new building seemed to be taller than the previous, adorned with curving roof decor. It seemed grander than before and had more splendor. But, compared to the Lotus Pier of his memories, it had changed too much. Wei WuXian felt a sense of loss from deep within. He didn’t know whether the old buildings from the past were blocked behind these impressive new buildings or if they were torn down already.

—Chapt. 85: Loyalty, exr

No, Jiang Cheng did not recruit new disciples on his own. He was recruiting on his own during the war for the 3 months that Wei Wuxian had been trapped in the Burial Mounds, as per Wang Lingjiao's musings:

...leaving only Jiang Cheng, who was younger than even Lan XiChen and was still a child born yesterday, who had nobody in his hands but still dared call himself sect leader, holding up the banner of rebellion as he recruited new disciples.

—Chapt. 60: Poisons, exr

But after Wei Wuxian returned, Wei Wuxian had a large hand in disciple recruitment, specifically because of the interest his ghost path garnered amongst cultivators at banquets where they were recruiting, such as the Phoenix Mountain Hunt:

One of the sect leaders spoke in a sour tone, “This time, Lotus Pier is really the center of the show. Almost all of the spirits and corpses were summoned to the YunmengJiang Sect’s grounds. There’d definitely be a number of cultivators interested in them.” ... Someone sneered, “Huh? Interested in them? I don’t think so. To put it simply, they’re interested in Wei WuXian, aren’t they? Didn’t the YunmengJiang Sect grow in fame during the Sunshot Campaign only because of Wei WuXian?”

—Chapt. 70: Departure, exr

Despite the above quote being gossip from jealous cultivators, we know this to be true because after Wei Wuxian defects, cultivators begin to flock to the Burial Mounds to ask to be his disciples, still:

After he found himself in the limelight during a few night-hunts, there really were quite a few people who came for him, hoping that they could be accepted by the ‘patriarch’ and become one of his disciples. The mountains that used to be so deserted suddenly became crowded. None of the fierce corpses Wei WuXian set up on patrol down the mountain would attack on their own. At most, they’d send the person flying and roar their throats out. Nobody got hurt, and so more and more people gathered down Burial Mound.

—Chapt. 75: Distance, exr

No, Jiang Cheng did not raise Jin Ling on his own. First off, Jin Ling is the heir to the Jin Clan, so him being raised wholly by Jiang Cheng would make absolutely no sense. Which is why nowhere does the novel say this happens; Jin Ling spends his time split between Lanling and Lotus Pier:

When Jin Ling was young, he was brought up by two sects. He lived at the LanlingJin Sect’s Jinlin Tower half the time, and the YunmengJiang Sect’s Lotus Pier the other half, so he should be carrying belongings from both sects.

—Chapt. 38: Grasses, exr

(However—and this is just my conjecture—I doubt the overtly homophobic and sexist Jiang Cheng would personally go about changing the diapers of a child who only knew him to be merciless and cold:

From the beginning of his memory until now, Jin Ling had never seen such a look on Jiang Cheng’s face before. This uncle of his who led the prominent YunmengJiang Sect ever since a young age had always been cold and dark. When he spoke, he was willing to neither show mercy nor do good.

—Chapt. 23: Malice, exr

Rich people have servants for a reason.)

No, Jiang Cheng does not spend his time helping the people of Yunmeng. He really does spend a good deal of his time fobbing off his duty to the people (not unusual for a large sect) in favor of hunting down and torturing people (very unusual, the reason why his citizens prefer to pray to gods) who either had the surname Wen or that he suspected of either being possessed by Wei Wuxian because they remind him of the latter, which extends to people who use his inventions:

Jiang Cheng spoke grimly, “Break his legs? Haven’t I told you? If you see this sort of evil and crooked practice, kill the cultivator and feed him to your dogs!”

—Chapt. 7: Arrogance, exr

Zidian definitely wouldn’t deceive [Jiang Cheng] or make a mistake, so he quickly calmed himself and thought, this doesn’t mean anything. I should first find an excuse to take him back and use every possible method to get information out of him. It’s impossible for him to not confess anything or give himself away. I’ve done things like this in the past anyways. After thinking it through, he made a gesture. The disciples understood his intention and came over.

—Chapt. 10: Arrogance, exr

The owner, “Young Masters, you’re not from Yunping City so you don’t know. The Jiang Sect is responsible for all of us along the Yunmeng area. The Sect Leader’s got quite a bad temper. It’s almost frightening. His subordinate’s said so a long time ago. Only one sect is in charge of such a large area. Each day, there are almost a hundred cases of small ghosts or other creatures pulling pranks on the living and all that. If every single small thing had to be dealt with immediately, would there be enough time and energy? Those that don’t kill anyone aren’t malign spirits, and we’re not supposed to disturb them with trivial matters that aren’t malign spirits.” She complained, “What is this supposed to mean? Wouldn’t it be too late if we waited until somebody’s died to find them?!” ... The owner continued, “On top of that, Lotus Pier is truly a scary place. How would anyone dare go there again?” Wei WuXian moved his gaze from Lan WangJi’s calm face with a short pause of surprise, “Lotus Pier is scary? How could Lotus Pier be scary? You’ve been there?” The owner, “I haven’t been there myself, but I know someone who went because his house was being badly haunted. But it was all bad luck. That Sect Leader Jiang was cracking a glowing whip right on the training field. The victim’s flesh and blood flew as high as his screams! A servant secretly informed him that the sect leader caught the wrong person again, that he hadn’t been in a great mood, and that he definitely shouldn’t be irritated in any way. He was so scared that he dropped off the gifts he brought and fled at once. He never dared visit again.” Wei WuXian had long since heard of how Jiang Cheng had been searching for cultivators of the ghost path who seemed like they seized another’s body, taking all of them into Lotus Pier to be tortured and questioned. The owner’s friend probably just happened to have ran into him when he was letting off steam. It wasn’t hard to imagine how hideous Jiang Cheng would’ve looked, so no wonder a normal person would make a run for it. ... The owner, “No, no. It was his misfortune. The person’s surname was Wen, and that Sect Leader Jiang’s archenemy happened to have the surname of Wen as well. He’s hating on everyone in this world whose surname is Wen. Whenever he sees one, he’d grind his teeth in hatred, wanting to skin them alive. How could he give a single friendly look to...”

—Chapt. 92: Longing, exr

The time he isn't spending hunting down people to torture, he uses to trail after Jin Ling on nighthunts to make sure nothing happens to him.

Wei WuXian, “Huh? Jiang Cheng? How did you run into him while night-hunting?” Lan SiZhui, “We invited Young Master Jin to join our night- hunt last time, so...” Wei WuXian immediately understood. One could even guess that while Lan SiZhui led the group in the night-hunt, Wen Ning naturally wouldn’t be idle either. He must’ve followed them in the dark to protect them, so that he could provide assistance when they encounter danger during the night-hunt. Jiang Cheng must’ve been sneaking behind Jin Ling as well, scared something would happen to him again.

—Chapt. 116: Banquet Extra, exr

Any other "single jiujiu!jc who don't need no man!" fanon I'm missing?

[bnnywngs]

A young man with a elegant uniform was standing still right in front of the school gate, arms crossed and a stern expression in his beautiful face. By the crest on his chest and the color, it was clear he was from the extremely expensive prestigious private school two streets away from the public one he was currently glaring at - Cloud Recesses Academy. And by his look (the way his shoes shined, his bag looked expensive, and his haircut was very much like a young master) he could see he was from a prestigious family, too.

Yiling High School was an average public institution with it's lack of facilities and funds. It has a quite gloomy vibe around, with dark unwashed outside walls, dirty overgrown lawn and the vandalization that could be seen anywhere you walked by.

"Maybe he came to ambush our Louzu." a student murmured to their friends.

"Eh~? But why would Louzu be close to these rich kids?" one of them asked back "He's always talking shit about them."

"Right? Maybe this one didn't like it." another one laughed "They're quite sensitive, right?"

"Yeah!" they all laughed together, staring at the private school boy as they walked past.

They boy didn't even move to acknowledge the students staring at him not at all discreet, he was just standing there waiting for something or someone.

The ones ready for a good gossip, or who liked to watch their Laozu, the leader of the delinquent group of these school, the fear of the others, fight stayed close by waiting to see what was going to happen.

Some girls got interested in his beautiful face and wanted to get close, but decided to also wait.

They didn't need to wait for too long, because not long after, a boy with the same uniform as them came running out of the building, his long hair flying behind him quite prettily. It was the Yiling Laozu himself, going straight to the private school boy.

"Lan Zhan!" he yelled, a bright smile in his face.

The stern expression have way to a soft look, a barely there smile, and his arms uncrossed to open in wait. The Yiling Laozu jumped and hugged his boy with his long arms and legs, looking very happy.

"Wei Ying." the one holding him with too much easy said.

"Did you came to pick me up?"

"Mn." he nodded, sparing a small look around him using the corner of his eyes "Came to pick my boyfriend so we can walk home together."

Every student around them froze in shock hearing those words. Since when their Laozu had a boyfriend?!

With the happiest expression they ever saw on his pretty face, Yiling Laozu kissed the other boy on the mouth quite shamelessly, putting the last nail on the gossip billboard.

"Then, let's go!" Yiling Laozu said, getting down and walking away with his boyfriend holding hands in a very, extremely romantic way, the sunset making everything look even more surreal.

"Eat the rich, huh?" someone said in the silence they left behind.

It was complete and utter chaos the other morning when Wei Ying arrived in school, a hickey on the back of his neck.

(apparently, someone tried to confess to Wei Ying that week, and couldn't take no as answer and kept insisting and stalking him, so the boyfriend, Lan Zhan, decided to take matters into his own (big) hands)

[sminny-wew]

Meeting of the Nettos

-

THUD!

After what felt like an eternity of freefall, Megaman.EXE suddenly hit solid, hard ground.

"Oww..." The orange navi groaned from his landing spot on the ground. After taking a moment to recover and gather himself, Megaman pulled himself upright and tried to inspect his surroundings.

He blinked his green eyes in confusion. He was standing in some kind of strange, white void. He squinted his eyes, straining to understand how far the space stretched, but no matter how hard he focused, he could not make out any sort of horizon; there didn't even seem to be a floor, despite the ground feeling completely solid beneath his feet. It couldn't possibly be the real world, but this place didn't feel like anywhere on the net, either. Was he dreaming somehow?

"Where the heck am I??" he cried out.

"Whoa! Another navi me?!"

Megaman whirled around at the voice of a sudden new presence in the void, and found himself face-to-face with...

...himself?

The other navi definitely had his face, but certain other details were different. He had the same orange gloves and boots, but his bodysuit was a plain black compared to his own dark orange. He also wore a full orange helmet, with a white antenna on both sides and short tufts of dark artificial hair poking out at the back. All the same, the Hikari family crest rested on the front of his helmet, the sides, and on his chest. But perhaps the biggest (and most curious) difference was that the other navi had brown eyes.

Hub's eyes.

"Whoa...!" The delayed shock finally struck Megaman, and he jumped in surprise. "Who are you? Why do you look like me??"

"That's what I wanna know!" said the lookalike, seeming oddly less surprised than Megaman figured he should be, and far more excited. "You're a Netto too, right?"

He blinked. "Huh?"

"Ah, wait, you go by Lan, don't you?"

Megaman's eyes widened slightly at the use of his real name, and he forced out a rather unconvincing laugh. "I dunno where you got that name from, but you're looking at the one and only Megaman!"

The other navi's eyes lit up in a surge of excitement. "No way! You go by Megaman too??"

Megaman deflated slightly. "Y-Yeah...? Is that name common around...wherever we are?"

"Sorta," said the other Megaman, "But in my case, I'm not usually a navi."

"Aaaaand you lost me," said Megaman, his brows furrowed in confusion, and brought a hand to his chin. "Hey, wait. If you're really another me, then...were you made the same way?"

The other Megaman shrugged. "I dunno, did you and your Rockman fight an ancient net entity that grants people's wishes by warping reality?"

Megaman merely blinked in silence.

The other Megaman grinned sheepishly, rubbing his hand against the nape of his neck. "Guess not."

Megaman let out a small sigh and shifted into a sitting position. "Normally I don't like to talk about when I was made. But, weirdly enough, I feel like I could talk to you about it because you remind me of more than just...well, me. You kinda remind me of Hub, too."

The other Megaman tilted his head with curious interest, moving to join him on the ground. "Who's Hub?"

"He's my operator. He's kind of shy and quiet, but he's a really nice and friendly kid. He's also really smart and focused!! Without him, I never would've stood a chance against World Three or anybody else!"

"Hey," said the other Megaman suddenly, "Just, out of curiosity, are you and Hub...twins?"

Megaman's eyes widened. "I...how'd you know?"

The other Megaman gave a weak smile. "Normally, I can be pretty clueless about a lot of things. But, if you're me, and you're a navi, and you were made, then...I think I understand."

Brown eyes locked with green.

"You were the one who had HBD, weren't you?"

Megaman gulped, but it was more of a phantom reflex than anything else. "...Yeah. When we were born, Hub turned out perfectly healthy, but...I wasn't so lucky." He shook his head, as though to ward off any negative thoughts. "But Dad didn't wanna give up on me. He worked day and night, trying to incorporate my DNA with the Navi Project to bring me back. And eventually, right around Hub's 10th birthday...there I was, all finished and ready to meet him. We've been together ever since: stopping netcrime and making the world a better place for humans and navis to live peacefully." He tilted his head downward. "I just wish we weren't always separated by a screen."

A silence hung between the two orange navis. Neither was entirely sure what to say next.

"...Are you mad at your dad?"

Megaman looked to his counterpart. "For what?"

"For doing that to you. Did he ever make you feel...inferior? Like you were just a backup of the real Lan?"

Megaman's brow raised. Where was this coming from? "Not...really? I mean, for a while I couldn't tell Hub who I was even though I really wanted to, and it was kinda hard to keep it secret, but other than that...Dad always seemed to think of me as Lan. I mean...I feel like I'm the real Lan. Never really had any reason to doubt myself."

The other Megaman hummed flatly. "Gotcha."

Feeling a sense of concern, Megaman side-eyed his counterpart. "Is...is your Hub okay?"

The other Megaman gave a solemn nod. "His name's Saito, actually, but he also goes by Rockman. And...he wasn't okay for a while, but I didn't know it at first. He'd been building fences around his true feelings and keeping them hidden, so I never knew just how much he was hurting." He brought a hand to his chest. "He was so scared at first when the entity switched our places. I had to keep reminding him to breathe just so he wouldn't pass out. I could tell he was really excited to be human and getting to just, live, y'know? But he felt like he didn't deserve it, like he'd stolen my life from me. Like he'd stolen Saito's life."

He looked back to Megaman, though the melancholy on his face had given way to vigor, and his brown eyes shone with it. "But after everything we've been through together, especially on Torishima...I feel like those fences are finally gone, and me and Saito are closer than ever! Brothers, no matter what!"

That smile was infectious, and Megaman couldn't help himself. "Yeah...just like me and Hub! Nothing can stop us, 'cause no matter what, we're always connected!" He then sighed defeatedly. "I just wish one of them was here now, they could help us find a way out of this place."

"I guess we better go find the others then."

Megaman did a double take. "Others??"

"Yeah! You didn't think we were the only ones here, did you?" He stood up and gestured for Megaman to follow him. "C'mon!"

The two walked for some time, though exactly how long, Megaman wasn't certain. For all he knew, time may not even exist in this endless white void. But, soon enough, they came upon a growing crowd, and Megaman's eyes widened.

An entire group of other Lans, or Nettos, or whatever they called themselves, stood amongst each other. They were either chatting, laughing, or just looking around in excited confusion. Some were navis, just like him. Others seemed to be completely human. At least one of them even appeared to be a girl.

Netto Megaman slung his arm around his shocked counterpart's shoulder. "We still don't really know where we are, but since it just seems to be other Nettos and Lans here, I've been calling it 'the Nettoverse'! Pretty cool, huh? It's like something out of a superhero movie!"

His mind spinning faster than he could keep up with, Lan Megaman shook his head.

"This...is...AWESOME!"

[wangxianficrecs]

like blue flame over my fingertips by tangerinechar

like blue flame over my fingertips

by tangerinechar

T, 37k, Wangxian

Part of the 2020 MXTX Mini Bang

Summary: Lan Wangji’s roommate is brash, noisy, messy, annoying, and — absolutely terrible at feeding himself properly. (Or: food as a metaphor for love, featuring Lan Wangji’s A++ cooking skills, five times Lan Wangji cooked for Wei Wuxian, and one time Wei Wuxian reciprocated.) Kay's comments: Lan Wangji falls in love like a cat falling into a filled bathtub or however the saying goes, but ah, I absolutely love this! Wangxian college roommates and we have Lan Wangji's POV of him coming to know Wei Wuxian slowly and starting to care for him and showing that care by cooking for him. This story feels like a comforting bowl of soup for me, tbh. I just really like it. Excerpt: Lan Wangji is, he realizes, stabbing into the slim shoot of a scallion, annoyed. Really, truly, annoyed. Why won’t Wei Wuxian just take care of himself? Another stab, but well placed, so he can pretend he meant to slice the scallion up all along. Why does Wei Wuxian insist on doing these self-destructive things — why does Wei Wuxian not sleep, and not eat well, and laugh it all off — why is Wei Wuxian so smart and good and amazing, yet so infuriating — Oh. Lan Wangji’s water is boiling over. He slides the udon into the pot with a vague sense of detachment. If this itching, antsy feeling is annoyance, then what has he been feeling for Wei Wuxian, the past month and a half? Because this — this is something Lan Wangji can easily categorize. It’s a version of the distant annoyance he’s felt at his classmates, at loud and garish places, at people talking in libraries. A version that slices his tendons with iced knives and slams against his ribcage with the force of a typhoon. But for the past month, there have been silkworms in his lungs and mulberry leaves crested along his collarbone, a nervous and inevitable explosion of feeling from his trachea that Lan Wangji is too scared to acknowledge. And now. Now, Lan Wangji is cooking at 9:45 PM in the silent frost of winter for his irresponsible, irritating, incredibly and irresistibly beautiful roommate. When, Lan Wangji thinks, draining the udon and scattering the garlic-ginger-oil mix in the wok to sizzle, did I start caring this much about Wei Wuxian?

pov lan wangji, modern setting, modern no powers, college/university, roommates, mutual pining, 5+1 things, food as a metaphor for love, jin zixuan & lan wangji friendship, strangers to lovers, getting to know each other, falling in love, college student wei wuxian, college student lan wangji, living together, domestic fluff, fanart

~*~

(Please REBLOG as a signal boost for this hard-working author if you like – or think others might like – this story.)

[ghostofskywalker]

An Impromptu Snow Day

Din Djarin/Reader

Words: 1,853

Summary: When the three of you are left stranded on a snowy planet, you resolve to try and make the experience as much fun as possible. In hindsight, you should have expected him to be this competitive.

this is my contribution to the @pedrostories secret santa gift exchange! my prompt was from @oogaboogasphincter , and i really enjoyed writing it!!

Din Djarin Masterlist

You should have known at this point that nothing ever went to plan when you and Din were traveling. Even something as simple as a stop to refuel would often get foiled by rival bounty hunters, people who just wanted to kill one of you, or large beasts that you had accidentally woken up from hibernation. This time however, it was nature that was preventing your plan from coming to fruition (which was a new one for you at least). You weren’t an encyclopedia of knowledge about every single planet in the galaxy, there was no way you could have known which planets have changing weather patterns and which ones remained the same climate no matter what, so this really wasn’t your fault. It wasn’t anyone’s fault, just a bout of bad luck that prevented the Razor Crest from getting back into the planet’s atmosphere.

Thankfully, you had already successfully acquired the fuel and added it to the ship’s receptacle when it began to snow, and it just meant that your departure from whatever this planet was called was delayed, not the entire operation. You had originally looked at the sky in wonder, Grogu in your arms, as the delicate little flakes fell and accumulated on the ground below. It was previously something you had only heard of and read about, and seeing it in person for the first time was a sight to behold.

When the snow and the wind didn’t let up even as the day went on, that’s when you started to grow annoyed with the so-called breathtaking natural phenomenon. Din was silent and stoic as ever, but you could tell that it was bothering him too. You were lucky that this planet seemed to be out of the way of anyone who wanted to hurt Din or Grogu, but it was still dangerous for the three of you to remain in one place for too long, no matter how off the grid it seemed to appear.

Grogu was also getting antsy. He would jump down from your arms and waddle across the floors of the ship, pushing buttons that he could reach and generally causing mayhem as you tried to get him to sit still for a little longer. Eventually (after he had wandered towards the door of the ship one too many times), you had an idea.

“I’m going to take the kid outside for a little bit,” you told Din. “Let him play a little in the snow, because he’s clearly bored just waiting in here.”

“Alright,” Din said. “Do you have clothes warm enough to go out there? Because I can stay with him if needed.”

You shook your head, offering a warm smile. “Don’t worry, I’ve got enough clothes,” you said. “You can stay in here if you’d like.”

You couldn’t see the expression he wore due to the helmet on his head, but he have you a nod before you went to go put on a few more layers. Din was still something of an enigma to you, even after you’d traveled with him for so long. You couldn’t deny the way you were drawn to him, or the strong bond you had forged with him and Grogu. You couldn’t really see yourself anywhere else at this point, that’s how much those two had become a constant in your life, and you thought that he felt similarly towards you (although maybe your fantasies about kissing him weren’t reciprocated). He was as openly affectionate with the kid as someone clad head to toe in beskar could be, and you would occasionally fall asleep with him when you weren’t alternating who was piloting the ship (as there was only one bunk besides the hammock where Grogu slept). You had never seen him without his helmet, but you didn’t need to know what he looked like to know how you felt about him.

When you stepped out onto the ground, Grogu hopped out of your arms and landed in the fluffy white snow, sinking through it almost immediately. Your eyes widened as you watched, but you relaxed as you heard happy coos and giggles from where he was standing.

Tentatively stepping across the snow-covered ground, you couldn’t help but smile too. There was something special about being here right now, something that made you feel like a child again, despite the fact that you had grown up on Tatooine, with a climate nothing like this.

You reached down and started to gather a bunch of snow in your gloved hands, watching in awe as the snow clumped together to form a crude sphere. Grogu watched you with intense interest, you knew how he felt about that particular shape. When you tossed your packed ball of snow in the air, the two of you watched as it hit the ground and broke apart once again.

A smile on your face, it seemed that you and the child had the same idea, and for a while you both did just that, tossing balls of snow in the air and watching them fall and reunite with the blanket of white already on the ground. It was only after you laid eyes on the ship again did your idea expand a little, and this time instead of throwing the snowballs you made up into the air, you stockpiled them behind a nearby rock. Grogu watched you with inquisitive eyes, and even contributed a few snowballs of his own, making some of them hover in the air at your eye level before gently placing them next to your small pile.

When you felt that you had enough ammunition, you pressed the button to turn on the comm device that rested on your wrist (it was supposed to be for emergencies only, but in this moment you didn’t care). “Can you come out here for a moment please?” you asked Din, keeping your voice even as to not give away your intentions.

“Is something wrong?” he immediately sounded worried. It was probably a valid reaction, given the kind of troubles you had faced with him in the past, but you didn’t want to arouse any suspicion.

“No, nothing like that,” you said. “The kid and I wanted to show you something, that’s all.”

“Alright.”

You waited with bated breath for him to appear at the top of the ship’s boarding ramp, and soon your shining target was visible. Quickly and without warning, you launched two of your snowballs in his direction, and they both hit him gently in the chest, sliding down from where they hit his armor. You stared at him for a few moments after that, and you knew by the tilt of his helmet he was staring right back. But he didn’t get a chance to say anything before the child had launched a snowball of his own, hovering through the air and landing on his left shoulder.

Everything after that happened so quickly you couldn’t really keep track, but Din raced down the ramp and quickly made his own snowball, launching it in your direction before you could make your next move.

Eventually, it was all out war between you. Of course Din’s reflexes were the best you’d ever seen, he was a Mandalorian for Maker’s sake. But it warmed your heart that he was willing to play along with this little game, even if you were now being pelted with snow. You had that large rock to hide behind, but the little bit of shelter it offered wasn’t nearly enough to successfully evade Din.

You launched snowballs at him, he fired right back. Grogu found enjoyment in making his snowballs float high in the air and then dropping them over your heads, and the two of you retaliated with a few gently tossed clumps of snow at him too. You and Din took turns chasing each other around the area where the ship was parked, laughing and attempting to scare each other with threats you would never actually make good on.

“Get back here!”

“You’ll have to bring me in cold, Djarin!”

“Oh cyar’ika, I can do that.”

You stopped momentarily as you tried to register the term he had just used, but it seemed that was exactly what he wanted. It was too late to dodge as he tackled you, but you knew that you could take him down too, so you threw your leg out and caught the armor on his calf, sending him down onto the snowy ground along with you.

Neither of you landed on top of each other, but when you both turned to see if the other was okay, you ended up way closer to him than you had even been before. You couldn’t see his face due to his helmet, but you knew that if you leaned in a little you would be kissing the cold metal.

Suddenly overcome with emotion (and the realization of what position you were in), you and Din pulled away from each other. “Are you okay?” he asked.

You nodded. “Yeah, what about you?”

“I’m fine,” he said, and the tone of his voice made it known that he was aware of the situation’s awkwardness as much as you were. “It’s getting dark, why don’t we bring the kid inside?”

You nodded again, trying to get your brain to stop thinking about kissing him. “Yeah, that’s a good idea,” you said. “We can go to sleep, and hopefully be able to leave this place tomorrow once the snow stops.”

Grogu, as it turned out, was watching the exchange between you and Din the entire time, and he thankfully seemed to agree that it was time to go back into the ship. Right as you finished getting changed into dry clothes and settling the child into his hammock, the light from this planet’s sun had completely disappeared for the day.

It was pitch dark in the barrack of the ship, and you couldn’t see a thing. So when you felt Din’s warm body slide into the cot next to you, it was a pleasant surprise. This wasn’t an uncommon experience for you and him to fall asleep together, seeing as the ship was only so big, but you worried that you had somehow ruined that with the events of the snowball fight this afternoon. Not saying anything so you didn’t ruin the moment, you just snuggled closer to Din’s side, taking in the scent of him that you found so pleasant and comforting.

“I had fun out there today with you and the kid.” His voice was different without the helmet’s modulator, and it was always a little bit of a shock when you heard it, but you also thought it was one of the most attractive voices you’d ever come across.

“I had fun too,” you said. “I think the experience was good for him.”

Din hummed in agreement as you yawned at the same time, and soon the two of you were drifting off to dreamland together, your brain just barely registering the feeling of soft lips on your forehead as you finally fell asleep.

- the end -

i no longer have a taglist! if you're interested in being notified when i post, you can follow my library blog @ghostofskywalker-library and turn on notifications!

[mdzs-owns-my-ass-i-guess]

Gambling man

When Nie Huaisang all but dragged him out of his bed and away from his sappy, romantic K-drama marathon, Wei Wuxian had expected to be taken to some cafe, bar, night club or something down-to-earth like that - not the highest end casino in town in a limo that Nie Huaisang definitely shouldn't have been able to afford. Not after his older brother cut off his allowance due to his abysmal grades, that is.

"A-Sang, how did you even pay for this? Did you start selling drugs or something?"

Huaisang opened his fan in offense. He had dressed in his fanciest clothes and looked every bit as elegant as he did androgynous. "I'd never step on Xue Yang's turf like that, and he's my best dealer anyway, it would be a breach of trust."

Before Wei Wuxian could say anything (since when was Huaisang buying drugs, let alone from Xue Yang of all people? There was no way he didn't know of the massive scandal that broke out at their university over him), Huaisang continued, "And anyway, I only spent half of my allowance on this, it was a bargain!"

"A-Sang, half of your allowance is like 400$."

"Exactly! So cheap! Plus, we can't just show up to the Cloud Recesses in a taxi or something, it's bad taste and we're not poor!"

Wei Wuxian sent him a pointed look. "We are, though. I mean, I am."

A shrug. "Yeah but at least you're finally no contact with that terrible woman! And you have me! I'm also poor but not as poor as you - no offense."

"None taken, it's the truth. But since we're both basically broke, why are we going to a casino?"

Huaisang waved his fan closed. "To get rich, of course! Like hell am I going to live off 800$ every month! That's not even enough for makeup, do you know how much some good foundation costs nowadays?!"

"Uhh, no, not really..."

The fan was pointed so close in his face that Wei Wuxian felt Nie Huaisang might poke his eyes out with it. "Of course not, you people with good skin just don't get it! Da-Ge didn't even want to hear it! And all because old teacher Lan has it out for me!"

"He doesn't, A-Sang, you just only showed up to his class once and slept through it... never turned in an assignment, never showed up for the exam-"

"Who wakes up at 6 am to attend his lectures?"

"Me, Lan Zhan-"

"Okay, let me rephrase that: who in their right mind wakes up at 6 am to attend his lectures?"

The limo stopped in front of the large, lit up establishment. It looked every bit as luxurious and grandiose at night as it did during the day, white marble and light blue accents, the family crest serving as the logo on its large glass doors.

"What if we lose the money we do have?"

"Ridiculous! I never lose! Especially not when I'm wearing my tightest pair of pants. Have a little faith in me, A-Ying, I've been doing this for a long time! Come on in, and try to look as if you belong here!"

Wei Wuxian ran a hand through his hair, trying to tame it. "And how do I even do that?"

Huaisang opened his fan and undid the front two buttons of his silk shirt. "I don't know, just be self-centered and entitled I guess."

"So like Jin Zixuan."

"Exactly like Jin Zixuan!"

---

Nie Huaisang hadn't been kidding, he really was a pro - of course, he was surprisingly skilled playing all sorts of games, from the roulette to blackjack and poker, but if he just so happened to have a losing hand, he knew how to bat his eyelashes or wiggle his assets enough to still win something in the end.

"Men are easiest to distract." Huaisang instructed as he pocketed yet another win to claim at the exit. "Women are a bit more... subtle, and we're not in a position to play the long game right now. Anyway, you try it too, your ass is fatter than mine."

"Let's get a drink first, I'm too sober for this."

But just as they're about to order, Wei Wuxian noticed Nie Huaisang paling, as if he'd just seen a ghost (or their monthly expenses).

"What is- Lan Zhan?!"

Stone-faced, academic extraordinaire, rule-enthusiast Lan Wangji was just... standing there, glaring Nie Huaisang down. And he looked so good doing it, in a white suit so perfectly tailored on his body, and a loose side ponytail styled in such an elegant, subtle manner, a white ribbon woven through the-

"A-Ying, you're staring." Huaisang whispered in his ear as he hid behind him. "But he's staring too. I told you the tight shirt was a good idea."

Snapping out of it, Wei Wuxian let out an awkward laugh. "Uh, what a surprise to meet you here, Lan Zhan, I never took you as a gambling guy."

Nie Huaisang sighed in Wei Wuxian's ear. "His family literally owns the place, how do you not know?"

With a half mouth, Wei Wuxian replied, "I don't frequent the casino world like you rich people, I have a retail job!"

"Wei Ying. What brings you here?"

"Oh just..." he felt Huaisang glare at him subtly, "...just curious, I guess? I've always been good at poker and stuff and I was bored on this Saturday night so I decided to just... drop by!"

"Mn. Have you been successful?"

"Oh, I haven't really played yet... I'm, uh, trying to get used to the... atmosphere..."

"I could accompany you if you wish."

"I-"

"HE DOES!" Nie Huaisang all but shouted, emerging from Wei Wuxian's back and pushing him ever so slightly towards Lan Wangji. "He does want your company. More than you know. But, say, Wangji-xiong, is-is your brother here tonight?"

Lan Wangji gave Huaisang a long, judgemental stare. "Yes."

"Is my brother also with him?"

"Obviously."

You could see the cold sweat form on Nie Huaisang's temples, a wide, pleading smile on his lips. "Say, why don't you go ahead and spend some quality time with A-Ying and you pretend you never saw me?"

Wei Wuxian turned slightly towards Nie Huaisang, and whispered. "Why do I feel like I'm being traded right now?"

"You are." Huaisang whispered back. "Now be a good war prize so Da-Ge doesn't behead me and I'll give you half my winnings, alright?"

Lan Wangji didn't seem to react, but he did place a very respectful hand on Wei Wuxian's lower back, pointedly refusing to look at Nie Huaisang. "Follow me."

"Where are we going?"

"The VIP."

"The VIP?!"

"Mn. I do not like playing with an audience."

"Playing cards, right?"

"..."

"Lan Zhan, that's what we'll play, right?"

"Mn."

Nie Huaisang sighed, relieved, and downed both his and Wei Wuxian's drink in one go. Then, he reapplied his Chanel lipstick and sashayed towards one of the poker tables, where he had already seen someone checking him out from afar.

He had severely miscalculated when he saw who else was among the players.

"Ah, Wen-guniang... fancy meeting you here... haha..."

Wen Qing shot him a bored look. "Drop the act, Nie Huaisang, it's embarrassing."

He clicked his fan closed and sighed. "You're really going to leave me penniless, aren't you?"

"I've already shaken Jin Zixun off half his fortune, I'll go easy on you."

"Delightful."

---

(By the end of the night, Nie Huaisang managed to win some 5K back after a debilitating loss to Wen Qing, but at least Da-Ge never found out he'd been gambling a few rooms away from him. As the saying goes, a win is a win.

Anyway, Wei Wuxian didn't come home that night, but Nie Huaisang had expected that. After all, it was high time he and Lan Wangji confessed their feelings and fucked about it - it was getting insufferable to see them both pine like some cliche romcom.

Nie Huaisang would be more than happy to take the credit for finally pushing them in the right direction (AKA towards each other and a private room), and if it just so happened to have saved his ass in the process - well, that was just his quick wit at work.

Serves you right, old teacher Lan, I'm not as much of an idiot as you think I am!)

[stiltonbasket]

lan siwen's secret attack: cresting wave of angry baos. They hear that someone's being mean to siwen-gege and they just mob someone. extremely effective because it's mortifying to be covered in baos who are crying and/or trying to bite you.

They've also been promised honey cakes if they succeed in causing Severe Damage. Shushu Xiao-Yu won't be very pleased about this when he hears, so Siwen is trying to keep his bao army under wraps. D:

[ananc1tes]

Jiang crest embroidery, felt box

I really liked how my Lan crest embroidery came out so I made another one 😁

[mdzs-is-rotting-my-brain]

Wangxian Mermay 2023

Day XIII: Seashells.

Some light angst for Hump Day

It had been years since he'd seen the ocean.

Mama had taken them once, before her heath finally failed. Shufu had come with to ensure they did not overtax her, nor she pushed herself too hard for them.

That day had been gray, overcast, a light drizzle of rain kept everyone else away.

Lan Wangji had loved it.

A day with his mother and brother and uncle, for once not reciting a single rule about calm or moderation as they collected seashell after seashell to present to their mother.

She had left them soon after.

He understood it now, standing on the same beach, a box of seashells in his hands, better then he had at six.

"Lan Zhan?"

Wei Ying.

Upon meeting him Lan Wangji did not understand his alternating desire to push him away, and wanting to be close to him at all times.

Lan Wangji was a Clan raised Jiaoren, his life governed by order, routine, and rules.

Wei Ying was the opposite. Growing wild among the reefs and shallows, flitting between the humans and the Jiaoren like he was equally a part of both.

He knew how to twist, and tease, how to break every single one of Lan Wangji's restraints with heated looks and well-timed teasing winks.

Mama would have loved him.

He was brilliant. His rogue Jiaoren. As he knew how to be fun and delightful. He also had a capacity for gentle kindness Lan Wangji had not thought him capable of upon their first meeting.

He saw the look on Lan Wangji's face when they found the dust covered box during renovations. Knew it was important.

"We don't have to do this love." Wei Ying kissed his cheek, warm in affection even as he shivered when the cold wind cut down the beach.

Lan Wangji looked down at the box, then back to the slate gray ocean, white tipped waves cresting against the shore. The air thick with the smell of rain.

"I want to." He held the box tighter to his chest, the sharp edges of the wood pressing against his skin.

He felt Wei Ying staring at him, knew his brilliant mind was working up a way to make this easier. That is what he did. Somehow. He took heavy burdens and made them lighter. Easier to carry. It did not make sense. The burden was the same, but with Wei Ying it all felt…lighter. Easier.

He took Lan Wangji's arm, gently pulling him to the edge of the water.

Opening the chest he looked over the large assortment of shells, before he picked up one of the smallest ones.

He met Lan Wangji's eyes, searching him, silently asking for permission.

Lan Wangji swallowed and slowly nodded.

Wei Ying's gentle smile felt like the warmth of the sun across winter's frozen ground.

He turned to the ocean, crouching low, holding the shell between both hands. He treated it like a treasure. He treated everything important to Lan Wangji like a treasure.

"Mama Lan. From this humble husband, thank you so much for raising such a kind, and polite man." Wei Ying told the ocean where she had come from. "He is truly the best of this world. You have so much to be proud of. When you meet him again, and he is your son in that next life. I pray you both can walk longer together."

He looked back, his brows lifted in sympathy. Lan Wangji felt the bitter burn at the back of his throat. The heat in his eyes.

"He misses you mama Lan." He said softer, more reverent, "He always will."

He tipped his hands into the next oncoming wave, letting it take the shell from his hand.

It caught on the sand, swirling with the next two waves, as if it did not want to go yet.

Wei Ying stood, sliding his hand into Lan Wangji's.

When the third wave retreated, the shell was gone.

"A little at a time." Wei Ying wrapped his arms around Lan Wangji, hiding the box with his sleeves, "That's all. Just a little bit at a time."

Lan Wangji turned into him, hiding his face in Wei Ying's shoulder.

Around them the rain gently fell.

[cranberrytaboo]

4, 8, 12, 15, 17, 21, 24, 33, 25 for whatever ships come to mind for each!

Katya voice: THAT WAS A LONG ONE

all under the cut!

4 - Where it hurts WangXian "Wei Ying... Why did you let yourself be branded?" If Lan Wangji had expected Wei Wuxian to take his question seriously, he would be seriously disappointed. Wei Wuxian smiled, still dazed and drunk from the agony of his burning flesh. "And let poor MianMian be marked forever? Such pretty skin as hers should always be protected. It was not such a great sacrifice in the defense of true beauty."

But the only true beauty here is you, Lan Zhan wanted to say. He forced his tongue into stillness, so as not to let the errant thought run out of his mouth. Instead, he continued his ministrations, tending to the angry raw skin on Wei Wuxian's chest, letting his eyes sharpen with hate as he beheld the Wen crest tainting his Wei Ying's perfect body. As Wei Wuxian drifted in and out of consciousness, Lan Wangji bowed his head, pressing his lips tenderly to the wound.

The smell of burning flesh branded itself likewise into his mind.

8 - In secrecy HarryKim

Kim rested his elbows against the balcony at the Whirling-in-Rags and looked out towards the bay. There, the sun was slowly climbing down from the sky, painting the ice and snow soft pinks and creamy oranges. He lifted one hand to rub the bridge of his nose and sighed.

"It is... difficult, to try and balance your love life with secrecy. I'm sure you remember just how *avoidant* your friend, the Smoker, was, even in his own apartment. It's called the Homo-sexual Underground for a reason. You have to keep it quiet, you can't *show* it. I don't know... Do you think you're ready for a life like that?" He finally turned to face Harry fully.

Harry, who had only just recently remembered what homo-sexuality *was*, stood looking nonplussed. "So, if I wanted to hold you, or kiss you, I couldn't do it in front of everyone?"

"That's what I'm saying, Harry. In public, you have to act as if nothing at all is going on. There are *tells*, yes, signals, but it all has to be discreet." Kim wondered briefly if Harry was even capable of discretion.

"That seems like an awfully painful way to live."

"It is." Kim turned his head away again, not wanting to show his partner that much vulnerability. Thus, he was surprised when Harry approached, guiding his chin with one hand to press a kiss to his mouth. The sun itself slipped beneath the horizon at that moment, as if to give them privacy.

"But painful sounds worth it, if it's you."

12 - In grief ChengXian

The reeds in all directions whispered in the wind and crackled under the weight of Jiang Cheng's body, rustling as his shoulders racked with great, heavy sobs. As quietly as he could muster, so as not to disturb the tension, Wei Wuxian knelt beside his sworn brother, eyes reddening.

"Mother...! Father!" Jiang Cheng's teeth gnashed bitterly, lips pulled into a wrathful snarl for a brief moment before he continued to wail, unable to even hold on to anger in his grief.

Wei Wuxian lowered beside Jiang Cheng and turned to face him, hands gripping at the arm nearest him as tears finally spilled past his lashes. Everyone in Yunmeng Jiang is gone. You, and Yanli, and Jiang Cheng, are all that is left. It was not a vacuousness that Wei Wuxian was unfamiliar with, but one he had prayed night after night that he would never feel again. And now, Jiang Cheng was feeling it too.

He leaned on his elbows to lift up his own weight, drawing close to Jiang Cheng and kissing away the tears, not caring when the other flinched.

Jiang Cheng seemed at a loss for a moment before gripping at Wei Wuxian's back and pulling him close, desperately, like Wei Wuxian would turn into smoke and dissipate if he didn't.

15 - Passionately JohnnyV

Before V met Johnny, he didn't think such an intense form of self-love was possible. But now, with an entirely separate psyche hanging out in his head, V was finding creative ways to show Johnny just how much he meant to him, even as they cohabited his body.

He knew Johnny could interact with him physically, at least in theory- the punch Johnny had thrown when they first spoke had sent him flying- but it was awkward to try and show affection to someone who nobody else could see.

Thus, he asked Johnny to work with him, to try new things. Johnny could take over control of V's body- so surely, he could take control of just a part of it, right? His legs, or a hand, for example. They tested this theory-- then tested it again, and again, with satisfying results each time.

And every time, V would lean in to feverishly kiss the palm of his own hand, showing appreciation for the specter that lingered with him.

17 - To distract MariAli

"I know what you're here for, and the answer is no." Alice folded her arms and frowned, her foot tapping impatiently.

Marisa flashed her a winning smile. "What do you mean? How could you possibly know why I'm here, when I haven't said anything?"

"You don't have to say anything. Every year, I make plum wine when the season turns, and every year, you and Reimu come and steal it to drink back at the Hakurei Shrine." Alice's Shanghai and Hourai dolls stood before the jars of honey-colored liqueur, guarding them with their tiny lances.

Marisa folded her arms and grumbled, making a show of frustration while cutting her eyes to Reimu, her partner in crime. The witch's eyes sparkled with an idea, and Reimu slowly nodded her head in recognition.

Recklessly, Marisa swept Alice into her arms, dipping the magician low to the ground. "Now!" She crowed, before pulling Alice into a deep kiss. Alice's limbs tensed, then slacked, her head spinning.

Flustered and high on a giddy sort of energy, Alice's mind muddled until she was finally released. As she collected herself, she looked to the window, where Marisa and Reimu were beating a hasty escape, arms laden with jars of plum wine. The Shanghai doll moved to give chase, but Alice simply lifted a hand.

"Ugh... Let them go, this time. If Marisa is willing to go that far, she must really need it." Alice couldn't help but entertain the idea of making more plum wine, this time to be traded instead.

21 - On a place of insecurity CyGate

Cyclonus had noticed, in even the short time he had known Tailgate, that he had a great number of insecurities. Surely, Cyclonus thought, anyone would recognize this in him, but he seemed to be the only one who really paid attention to how Tailgate clung so desperately to any sort of validation, any sense of belonging or being a part of something greater.

And one of the places where Tailgate's insecurity most manifested was in his Function. On his forearm were carved carefully the words "Waste Disposal," and it apparently caused Tailgate no end of resentment. On a quiet night, Cyclonus resolved to confront the little bot about it.

"It's so degrading," Tailgate finally admitted, his optics gleaming as he averted his gaze. "Everyone else has such grand purposes, but me? I'm just a janitor!" He held his head in his hands. "Every time I look at my arm, I feel so humiliated that I just wanna tear it off." He sniffed. "I would, if I weren't such a coward."

"Wait, listen to reason." Cyclonus tried to force himself to speak gently, knowing just how jarring his voice could be. "First of all, there's nothing wrong with cleaning waste. It is a necessary task like any other, and we wouldn't be able to live in a place full of garbage." He paused, realizing that might not have been what Tailgate wanted to hear, even if he needed it. "And two, your Function is not indicative of your worth. I have seen you, Tailgate, and your intense spirit, and you are worth far more than most any bot on this ship."

"You really think so?" Tailgate finally looked back up at Cyclonus.

"I know it." Cyclonus carefully took Tailgate's hand, lifting his arm and brushing his mouth across the lettering. "And I will keep telling you so until you believe it."

24 - In danger Sufferer/Disciple

Each day in hiding, the Sufferer grew more distraught. Even as many times as they relocated, however many of their pursuers they killed and however often they covered their tracks, he knew it was only a matter of time before they were caught. He watched as his beloved mother, the Dolarosa, retreated to a place of solitude in the cavern they inhabited, lifting her hands and praying under her breath. To his side, the Disciple sharpened her claws, dragging them against the rocky floor and watching them file down to shape with marked intensity.

"Why is it that you continue to follow me?" He looked to the Disciple with a mix of sorrow and resignation. "If I asked you to run, to let them hunt me while you escaped to live your life safely, would you?"

"Never." She replied plainly. "I have chosen this path, knowing it would be hard, because of my endless devotion to you. Why do you think I would flee now, just because we're nearing the end?"

The Sufferer lowered his head, teeth grit. So, she was aware, just as he was, that they did not have long. "I only wish that... that my actions here had caused any change."

"They did." The Disciple moved close to his side, nuzzling her cheek against his. "You may not have changed the highblood's minds, but you have moved the hearts of those who struggle like us. It won't be immediate, but you have invited a wave of change."

"I would have liked to be around to see it." The Sufferer laughed, bitterly, before pressing a kiss to the Disciple's cheek. "Thank you. I'm sorry. I hope you can forgive me one day for bringing you into this."

"I already have." And yet, she could not help but wish that they could remain curled together in the vague warmth of that cavern until the end of days.

25 - As a Yes HecaJun

Junko couldn't remember half of the catalysts of her pure rage. She couldn't remember the faces of her husband and son, nor the face of Chang'e, who took them from her. She couldn't even remember her name from before she became a vengeful spirit. All she could remember was the concentrated rage that boiled in her throat.

But she was slowly making new memories, and most of them were of Hecatia. Hecatia, smiling and agreeing to fight at her side. Hecatia, laughing and playing with Clownpiece, dancing across the crater of a dried-up lunar lake. Hecatia, pushing back a lock of Junko's hair and asking her if she would be interested in trying to love again.

Junko didn't quite know how to answer. She wanted to say yes. Desperately. But her lips threatened to betray her, as they quivered behind years of near-forgotten heartbreak. So instead, she closed the distance between Hecatia's mouth and her own, agreeing in a silent sort of way.

33 - Forcefully HarryJean

"Jean, please look at me."

Rather than give in, Jean continued to stare daggers at the floor in front of him. It was all he could do to keep his attention focused on that one spot, eyes burning as another wave of despair welled in his chest and threatened to crush his lungs.

"Listen! I want to apologize, but I need you to stop acting like I'm not *here*, can't you even pretend to hear me?" Harry pushed a hand through his own hair, his initial repentance giving way to frustration he knew he didn't have the right to feel.

Jean's fists gripped at his knees where he sat, teeth digging into the inside of his lip until he could taste blood. "I get you feel like shit. I can sympathize. But that doesn't mean you get to treat the rest of us like shit till you feel better..!"

"This isn't about the others. I'll talk to them later, but right now, this is about me and you." Harry's fingers twitched. "You knew what you were getting into when you started getting closer to me, I warned you about the kind of man I was becoming."

"Is that supposed to be an apology?!" Jean's eyes snapped upward to stare at Harry hard. "Because that sounds like excuses."

"I'm *getting* to it!" Harry exhaled, too harshly, trying to force out the anger in his stomach. "I *am* sorry! I hate hurting you!"

Jean's eyes narrowed, and he looked back down at the floor. "Then stop hurting me."

The same frustration that Harry tried so hard to repress flared back up. If only it were so *easy.* Why was Jean convinced that he could just change in a day? And why was Jean not looking at him? The aloofness made him *sick*.

It was so easy to stride across the floor, to grab Jean by the jaw and to turn his head upward, to lock their lips.

He wasn't sure what he expected in return, but it wasn't a hand tangled into his hair, keeping him close, as Jean's mouth worked against his own. He could faintly taste blood on Jean's tongue. When he pulled his head back, Jean chased him, briefly, before leaning back again.

Harry let out a ragged breath. "Let me start from the top."

There was a moment's silence before Jean nodded. "Yeah. Please do."

[callunavulgari]

Top 25 Fics of 2022

1. all that and more by Euphorion | The Untamed | Wei Wuxian/Lan Wangji | 20k

His first thought is that Lan Zhan meant them for someone else. That he just woke up at—he checks the timestamp—6:30 am on a Sunday and decided to go absolute full nuclear seduction option on some poor boy he met on Grindr, who would now be missing out on the best thing to ever happen to him because Wei Wuxian had a bad habit of distracting—of—oh.

Heather Says: So, I don’t normally go for the “dude thinks he’s straight and is increasingly dense about wanting to fuck his best friend” trope, but whew, this one here is an exception. The way Euphorion writes Wei Wuxian is this perfect storm of chaos and VERY in character. Also, it’s really sexy.

2. A Thorough Reassessment by veilchenjaeger | The Untamed | Song Lan/Xue Yang/Xiao Xingchen | 37k

Xue Yang looks up at him, his usually piercing eyes softer, almost shy, under hooded lids. It’s just a fleeting glance, but it’s intense, and when his eyes return to the ladle in his hand, his smile is sticky sweet.

Oh, Song Lan thinks. Xue Yang is in love with me.

Heather Says: Okay, just trust me here. I fell in love with this OT3 last year as the wangxian hyperfixation was slowly easing, and this was a really delightful fic. I secretly love fics where Song Lan and Xue Yang are sharing Xiao Xingchen and end up accidentally falling for each other.

3. haarlem by spqr | Hannibal | Hannibal/Will | 6k

“Hannibal,” he thinks he says. He gets told later that he doesn’t really say it at all, but that the entire police station—most of which is waiting outside in the rainy parking lot—hears his voice clattering around inside their skulls like someone standing on a roof banging pots and pans and screaming at the top of his lungs: HANNIBAL, HANNIBAL, HANNIBAL.

Heather Says: Okay, so this is first of a truly shocking amount of @andthepeople’s work that made it onto this list. I will not apologize. I’d considered limiting it, and to a certain extent I have, but restricting it more than I have didn’t feel honest. Fact of the matter is that their fic blew me away this year. I haven’t even really thought about Hannibal in ages, but I had a brief spell earlier this year where I clawed through as much of it as I could get my hands on. This one features a Will Graham who is a telepath, which is very obviously my cup of tea.

4. here's a story by mimilamp | The Untamed | Wei Wuxian/Lan Wangji | 45k

Wen Qing tells her about the couples’ retreat and Wei Ying laughs like, Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!, like that, four times in a loud row. Wen Qing says, “So that’s like, a rude no?”, and Wei Ying says, “Biiiiiiig no. No thank you. Nooooo thank you.”

Heather Says: Rule 63 Lan Wangji/Wei Wuxian, featuring the sexiest butch Lan Wangji that I have ever read and typical disaster Wei Wuxian with bonus lady parts. Mimilamp writes the best rule 63, it is known.

5. A Twist of the Knife by RC_McLachlan | The Untamed | Lan Xichen/Nie Mingjue | 14k

Xichen, do you remember when we were younger—before Sunshot, before our brothers gagged on the metallic taste of war—and I stayed at the Cloud Recesses that spring? On the first morning, you woke me at that ungodly hour and dragged me to the crest of the mountain that overlooked Gusu to the east. As the first rays of the new day touched your cheeks and cast you in gilded vermilion, I felt the strangest feeling in my gut. A shifting and settling. A sense of finality.

When I picked up the brush to write this, I felt it again. It crept into my fingers and eased the tremors that seem to plague them constantly, which explains the sudden improvement in my penmanship.

This will be my last letter to you.

Heather Says: Lan Xichen/Nie Mingjue is a pairing that I typically appreciate in an aesthetic sense, but don’t often actively pursue. This though, was just really lovely—and yes, tragic—all the way around. Told from Nie Huaisang’s POV after Nie Mingjue’s death, he finds a series of letters that his brother never sent to Xichen.

6. Heal Thyself by @astolat | Harry Potter | Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter | 46k

"Are you going for the course?" Lovegood asked. "You have the NEWTs.”

“What course?” Draco said, then, “No, don’t be ridiculous,” when he realized she meant the notice pinned up on the board he’d been staring at: Applicants To The Introductory Mediwizard Course For The Coming Term Shall Present Themselves In The Chief Mediwizard’s Office By August 24th.

Heather Says: I love a good Draco redemption AU. I also am very, very weak for every single thing that astolat produces. This one was honestly probably my favorite that she’s written in a very long time, featuring found family and a very long pursuit towards redemption.

7. heat lightning by spqr | Avatar: TLA | Sokka/Zuko | 9k

It’s a text from Toph. Heads you socks and cookie mocap again – which with Toph’s shitty speech-to-text software means Heads up Sokka and Suki broke up again.

Heather Says: And here we have the second and certainly not last of spqr’s fics to feature on this list. This one is a blast from the past Zukka in a delightful modern setting featuring sexting and messy boys. spqr is a master of characterization, and it really shines here.

8. Coral Bone by @kaikamahine | Arcane | Silco/Jinx | 57k

"It's not like you to leave a vacancy," she said. "Let me be useful."

Heather Says: Okay, okay, okay. Let’s talk about toxic relationships and how with this particular one, all I really wanted out of fandom was a fic where Jinx tried her damndest to throw herself at Silco and be (mostly) neatly rebuffed every time. Or, the even more bad wrong option, successfully seduce the old man, but the dubious consent being entirely on Silco’s side of the equation. Eh, eh? Nobody else came out of Arcane wanting that? Anyway, this fic is amazing and is basically exactly what I was craving. 

9. Grenadier by @kaikamahine | Arcane | Violet/Caitlyn(/Jinx) | 24k

Then, yesterday morning, Caitlyn had walked yawning into the bathroom and found Jinx sitting on her vanity, swinging her heels and eating the cucumber slices right out of her waiting face mask.

She put her hands up immediately and bared teeth. "I surrender! Cuff me, sheriff, I'm at your mercy."

Heather Says: Okay, so all that I said up there about what I came out of Arcane craving? This was not that, at all. I came out of Arcane with no real inclination to ship Violet/Caitlyn in any real sense because they’re too put together as a couple for me to really pursue the ship outside of canon, but apparently when you add Vi’s crazy sister to the equation, I get incredibly interested. Also, I got THREE whole Elizabeth fics this year and am ecstatic about it. There’s another one where Jinx lives in Ren’s ceiling and I just! It’s so good! They’re all so good!

10. 1-800-ROBIN by spqr | Batman | Tim Drake & Jason Todd | 12k

“Gotham Youth Mental Health Hotline, this is Jason speaking. Can I ask who I’m talking to?”

Heather Says: Oh look, the third one. Like I said, this is probably going to get embarrassing but look. Sometimes one author dumps a series of bomb one-shots over the course of the year and like ten of them make your top 25. It happens. Anyway, I had never once considered venturing into the Batman fandom, but I trust this author with my life at this point. There are several other Batman ones from the same author, but this one was my favorite. Found family is very much my weakness.

11. Lifeline by astolat | Fast & the Furious | Dom/Brian | 37k

"Vampires dominate by biting, alpha wolves dominate by fucking. What the hell’s going on between the two of you, I don’t even have a clue."

Heather Says: Another fandom that I have never once had an inkling to delve into, but again, I trust astolat and would basically read anything she’s written. Also, I love the vampire trope so so so much, and this was astoundingly hot.

12. what survives of us by @wildehacked | The Magnus Archives | Jon/Martin | 32k

I don't forgive you, Tim says, and then there's a click.

Heather Says: Considering there’s twenty-five of these, I obviously can’t pick just one, but if I could, this one would definitely be in the running. This brought me all the closure that I never knew I needed after the Magnus Archives finale, every gorgeous, heart-stopping word of it a love letter to this podcast that stole so many of our hearts.

13. Royal Flush by astolat | GOT | Jaime/Brienne/Margaery | 85k

Robb Stark had swept his entire hand of cards off the table, and Tyrion couldn’t see how to make a single play at all.

Heather Says: Oh, look, another astolat fic. I’d say I’m surprised, but I’m not. Her Game of Thrones fics have always been long, epic, and usually incredibly compelling in more ways than one, but I THINK that this one may have been my favorite. I really like the way that she writes Jaime and Brienne together, and adding Margaery to the mix really worked. I mean, I’m downplaying the sheer amount of politics and world-building and just about every other reason to love this story, but the shippy parts were a delight.

14. if i stare too long by @brawlite & @toast-ranger-to-a-stranger | Stranger Things | Billy/Eddie/Steve | 191k

After the end of the world, Billy Hargrove is a mess. But at least he has company.

Heather Says: Okay, I know that it’s long. It is very, very long. But, it was my first real taste of this OT3 after I finished the most recent season and it’s really, really good. Character’s voices are spot-on, and I love their Eddie. I love the way their Eddie is with Billy, in particular, but obviously with Steve too. 

15. Lovesick in Loch Nora by red0aktree | Stranger Things | Eddie/Steve | 62k

Even though Eddie's name has been cleared legally, he's still very much on trial in the court of public opinion. Dealing drugs isn't a lucrative occupation anymore, and getting a legitimate job in a town who still considers him a killer isn't much of an option, either. Eddie is beginning to think skipping town and starting over somewhere no one knows his name is the only chance he has left. Steve has another idea.

Heather Says: I think this was the first Steve/Eddie fic that I read this year that I really sat down and enjoyed (in a non-OT3 context). It’s really good and super sweet and just all around a fantastic fic.

16. The 1,000 Hour Sleep by spqr | Star Trek | Spock/Kirk | 27k

“You’ve been exposed to a novel form of radiation,” M'Benga explains. “It seems to prevent you from sleeping, and yet requires sleep in order to leave your system. One thousand hours of it, by my estimate.”

“Hell of a catch-22,” Jim jokes, but his smile feels weak.

Heather Says: I do love how Star Trek just kind of spawn and catch me with my guard down. I never seem to have to go looking for Star Trek fics, they just find me when I need them most and boost my mood for like a month and a half after. At the risk of sounding like a broken record - this is really good! Characterization! Sleeping together (in a non-sexy way!) as a plot point!

17. (feel like i die) ‘til i feel your touch by decideophobia | Star Wars | Obi-Wan/Anakin | 15k

Their bond, ever since Obi-Wan had gone to the Halls of Healing, sits eerily silent at the back of his mind; mute in a manner it hasn’t been in years, maybe ever. Anakin hasn’t touched it since the—diagnosis. Obi-Wan keeps running careful fingers over it, wondering if he’ll feel anything. He never does. With Anakin’s side of it so tightly shut, the once vibrant connection is void of—anything; nothing there to even give him a slight zap at the contact.

Obi-Wan has never considered himself a masochist. Now, a little pain is lightyears more preferable to the dead nothingness that’s constantly lurking around his connection to Anakin.

Heather Says: Ahhh, tragedy! Touch starvation! Curses! So much to love in one perfectly sized 15k fic.

18. Heat Wave by spqr | The Sandman | Dream/Hob | 6k

“Sounds like you’re horny to me,” says Matthew.

Heather Says: The Sandman was SUCH a delight this year. I did fall in love with the whole cast and was intrigued enough by the Hob/Dream pairing that I hunted a couple relatively unsatisfactory ones down, and then this one (and the two-three others by the same author) found me! I really loved everything about this, particularly the dream settings. 10 out of 10, would read again.

19. oh it's not real (if you don't feel it) by BeeLove | Stranger Things | Chrissy/Eddie | 31k

In which Chrissy Cunningham gets the chance she deserves to take control of her life and also maybe falls in love with a too-cute-for-his-own-good, tattooed rocker boy along the way.

Heather Says: I really fell in love with Chrissy Cunningham this year. We had for a small portion of one episode, had her and Eddie together for even less time, but you know? It woke something within me.

20. sick part of a sick thing by betts | Stranger Things | Chrissy/Eddie | 45k

“Gotta say, I didn’t have ‘sneak into Chrissy Cunningham’s room at three a.m. to help her come down from a bad high’ on my senior year bingo card. Excuse me if I’m a little in over my head here.”

Heather Says: This was actually the fic that made me fall in love with Chrissy. I read it all in the span of a day and had some incredibly severe emotional bleed-off (mind the tags), but you know what, it was a great ride. A lot of this fic colored my characterization of Chrissy. It’s sexy and sweet and takes an abrupt dip into very angsty before coming out the other side. 

21. Dirtbag by betts | Stranger Things | Chrissy/Eddie | 10k

“Eddie,” Chrissy says, looking away like she’s shy, like he hasn’t dicked her down in every way imaginable a thousand times. “We haven’t seen each other in a year. Don’t you want to get caught up before we start?”

Is that how she sees the obligatory pre-fuck small talk? Getting caught up?

“Health, good. D&D, good. Band, good. That’s all I’ve got.”

Heather Says: I ALMOST didn’t read this one. The tags spooked me a little and after the last Chrissy/Eddie fic from this author, I was very concerned about more bleed off, but I’m really glad I gave this one a chance. It is sweet and yes, angsty, and the infidelity, while not to be ignored, is a lot more nuanced than I was expecting, with a couple surprises.

22. In A Year by tenddisorder | The Untamed | Song Lan/Xiao Xingchen/Xue yang | 58k

When Song Lan wants to defy the natural order of things, there's only one person he can turn to.

Heather Says: Another long one, this fic did a VERY good job at bringing the Hozier song “In a Week” to life. It was immersive and slow and dreamy in all the best ways. Again, there was angst, but it was such a perfect sleepy kind of angst that you almost don’t notice how saturated in it things are until it comes out the other side into something sweet.

23. dirtbag by spqr | The Goldfinch | Boris/Theo | 10k

y did you do that, he types out to Boris, meaning why did you kiss me and why are you reminding me about it, why aren’t we ignoring it like usual, then deletes it and slams back the rest of his drink with extreme prejudice so he doesn’t have to remember what his best friend tasted like. He tasted good. Fuck.

thx 4 the tix, he texts, frowning hard.

💋, Boris replies.

Heather Says: I read The Goldfinch in 2017ish. I watched the movie a couple months after it came out. I haven’t really thought about it since. Then spqr published this fic and it basically punched me in the throat. It is unapologetically horny and so, so incredibly good. The characterization is the stuff of legends.

24. i like my empty life (but dang!) by @wildehacked | What We Do In the Shadows | Nandor/Guillermo | 15k

“Speak to me,” Nandor says, sounding portentous. God, he has a good profile. Just, Guillermo doesn’t know how someone can have a perfect forehead, but Nandor has a perfect forehead. A really good brow bone. “Remind me you are a rational creature.”

“...I am speaking to you,” Guillermo says. “Actually, I spoke first.”

Heather Says: It was really, really hard picking only one of these WWDITS fics. But as much as I love the slice-of-life’ness that is wilde’s other WWDITS fic, this one really, really took me by the throat and shook me. Characterization obviously means a lot to me since I can’t stop talking about it, but the characters really come to life in this one.

25. Clear Blue Sky by spqr | Suits | Harvey/Mike | 17k

Whenever Mike’s allowed herself to think about Harvey and sex, she’s mostly imagined: Clooney and Lopez in Out of Sight, Bruce Wayne and Bond girls, clandestine choreographed encounters in anonymous hotel rooms, gorgeous Italian and Russian and other such intimidatingly foreign supermodels peeling him carefully out of tuxedos with price tags that would make Mike’s eyes water – neat, elegant encounters that left the women as puddles of goo and Harvey cooly unaffected, lighting a cigar on the balcony and looking appraisingly out at the city while his partners recovered.

She’s gratified to discover that she was completely, totally wrong.

Heather Says: Yet another fandom that I did not expect to make any kind of comeback since I haven’t thought about Suits since.. god, 2013? Maybe? Anyway, rule 63 where Mike has always been a girl. There is trauma. There is also some REALLY sexy moments of pure UST before you even get to the sex. It was. A DELIGHT. 

[sminny-wew]

Self Care (Nettoverse-adjacent side story)

[@dunedragon I initially wasn't gonna expand on this past that one post but it wouldn't leave my head lol]

Some want to see // Those who've gone above Friends that they lost // People they love I'd rather meet // The me down the road To lead me through the fog // Wouldn't ask for more 🎵: "Future People" - Alabama Shakes

Hub didn't know what to make of all this.

It was already unsettling enough to find himself dropped unceremoniously into an endless and seemingly-empty white void, with Megaman nowhere to be found. It was another can of worms entirely to find yourself in the exclusive company of...well, yourselves.

Some of the counterparts he'd encountered so far were humans, like him. Others were navis, and he briefly marveled at the possibility that he could have been the sick child reborn in a virtual world, instead of his brother. One even appeared to be some kind of spirit, which admittedly made him anxious, but at the very least they did not seem outwardly hostile.

But one of these counterparts somehow managed to be both navi and human at once. And it was this one that currently sat in Hub's presence.

Hub sat at one side, his counterpart opposite him a few feet away and attention focused on the Hikari crest necklace in his grasp. Hub's understanding was that this version of himself went by Saito, his navi name being Rockman. Hub didn't have the full details; all he knew for certain was that Rockman had been Netto's (his Lan's) navi until an ancient reality-bending net entity swapped their places, making Netto the navi and Rockman the operator.

Since arriving here (wherever here was, and however long ago that had been; the inability to keep track of time here lowkey unnerved him), Hub noticed that Saito was...distant. When he wasn't interacting with his other counterparts, even then keeping conversations to a cordial minimum, he often seemed to be on the verge of a panic attack, always stopping just short by reminding himself to breathe.

The sight tugged at Hub's heart. Though he himself had never been as prone to panic, he recognized that reservation and isolation. But after everything Hub and Megaman had gone through together, how Hub had grown and changed as a person...

He couldn't bear to watch that silent suffering happen again. So he swallowed his nerves and made the first move. "Saito?"

The other boy jumped at the sound of Hub's voice, clutching his heaving chest and turning to him with green eyes wide and panicked, like a deer in the headlights. It made Hub's heart twinge.

"Um...are you okay?" he continued, pulling down his headphones so that he could hear better.

His grip relaxing against his chest, Saito calmed his breathing before answering. "Y-yes, I-I'm fine."

His eye contact was dodgy. Hub didn't want to pressure Saito, knowing his own history with shyness, but he pushed further. "Are you sure?"

Saito nodded tensely. "Yeah. I'm used to weird situations like these."

Hub's brows furrowed in concern, and, hesitating only for a moment, he reached a hand out to Saito's shoulder. "I-If you want to talk--"

Saito cringed at the touch, and Hub's hand recoiled in shock. Fearful green eyes locked with hurt brown.

What had happened to Saito to make him look at Hub with such...what even was that feeling in his eyes? Fear? Resentment?

Hub's eyes trailed to the side. "I...I'm sorry to bother you." He pulled his headphones back over his ears. "I'll give you your space."

Before Hub could shift to stand up, a hand rested on his shoulder, and now it was his turn to jolt at the sudden physical contact.

"Wait," said Saito, "I'm the one who should be apologizing. It's not your fault. Not you specifically. It's just..."

Saito ran a hand through his bangs as he took a deep breath in, then out. This would be difficult to explain without sounding like a jerk on some level.

"It's still not easy for me to see my face with those eyes," he finally answered, "Without being reminded that I'm not...him." He darted to face Hub, hands anxiously raised. "B-but again, it's not your fault! I'm just..." Saito's gaze fell to his own, unclenched hands. "I guess, even after everything, I'm still tearing down a few of my fences."

Hub cocked his brows. Fences, huh? That certainly rang a bell.

Hub shifted back into a sitting position. "I wasn't trying to pry. I only asked because...the loneliness I saw in you reminded me of how I used to be. Before I met Megaman--my Megaman--I didn't even realize I had a twin brother, though I'd always suspected it. We were only two when it happened, and I never asked my parents about the other boy in our family pictures because I could tell it still hurt them to talk about it, even if they should've just told me. The only other person I had was Maylu, and even then, we weren't as close as we used to be. It wasn't until Lan was reintroduced to me as Megaman, and we started having all these adventures, that things began to change. Maylu and I started talking again, I stopped being scared of Dex and even befriended him and Yai... And I didn't just meet new people, I also got to see so many new places and try new things!"

Hub once again slid the headphones off his ears, pulling them off and holding them in his lap. He gazed at the Hikari crest emblazoned on each earpiece.

"I know our circumstances are different, Saito, but I understand more than you might think."

A silence hung between the two boys for a moment, though the tension of before had gradually begun to disperse. It didn't even really feel like an awkward silence anymore.

It was Saito who spoke first, braving eye contact with Hub.

"I...I'm afraid of ghosts," he began, and Hub nodded, acknowledging their shared phobia. "And I used to worry that, someday, his spirit would come to take back everything I'd stolen: his life, his loved ones, his face... I don't completely feel that way anymore, but..." He paused to let out a sigh, and his eyes trailed down to his hands again. "Sometimes, when I dream, I still find myself wondering what the...original Saito would think of me."

Then, without warning, Saito found himself embraced in a sudden, gentle, warm hug.

"Well, if it's worth anything," said Hub, "I think you're doing great."

The cracked dam burst, and warm tears quickly fell from Saito's eyes. Saito hugged Hub back, his fingers digging into the back of his counterpart's buttoned overshirt as though for dear life. His sobs left him in heaves, and Hub held him the entire time.

At some point, after Saito had finished crying his eyes out, the two boys pulled away from each other and stood up, determined to figure out where they were and find their respective brothers. As they began walking, Hub looked back to Saito.

"You know, I don't think you've told me much about your adventures with your Megaman--Netto, right? Tell me about Torishima. As much as you feel comfortable sharing."

"Well," Saito began, "There's so much that comes to mind: all the textures, the smells, the colors, I don't even know where to begin." He smiled fondly. "But, I guess I could start with the ocean..."

[iviarellereads]

The Eye of the World, Chapter 48 - The Blight

(THIS PROJECT IS SPOILER FREE! No spoilers past the chapter you click on. Curious what I'm doing here? Read this post! For the link index and a primer on The Wheel of Time, read this one! Like what you see? Send me a Ko-Fi.)

(Blighted tree icon)(1) In which there's a conversation that catches some readers off guard.

That morning, Lord Agelmar and all the lances rode east at daybreak, the farmers and most of the common people riding out a different gate toward a city further from the Blight and battle. The only people remaining in the city were a few old men, and a handful of soldiers who volunteered. Fal Dara could not be allowed to fall totally undefended, in the worst case. The smallest column leaving the city were headed north, to the Blight.

Ingtar and a hundred lances accompany the party to the border with what used to be Malkier. He's grumpy because this means he'll be late to the battle at Tarwin's Gap, but he's also been commanded not to set foot in the Blight, and Agelmar wouldn't tell him why. Moiraine tells him it's as she planned with Agelmar, and Ingtar grumps and bids them farewell, so he can ride hard to Tarwin's Gap and get some battle in. Nynaeve asks if he's so eager to fight Trollocs, and Ingtar replies that it's what he is, what he was born for.

An hour's ride north of the border, the temperature starts to rise, but it feels wrong. Rand sees a tree that looks mottled with yellow and red spots, and Lan tells them some of the dangerous creatures that live here, a stick bug which can bite and leave a venom that will digest a whole body being the least of them.(2) Every mile further they ride, the wrongness gets more intense. Lan and Perrin are the only two who don't seem to be affected.

Eventually they get to an area near enough to the mountains to have cold breezes, but even those feel bad, like the icy chill of opening a tomb. Moiraine says there's an area nearby where they can make camp, it will be a good omen to camp there, and they'll be able to cross the mountains at noon, when the DO's eye is weakest. They crest a hill, and Lan slows, so Rand looks where Lan does. There are seven hills in the distance, and as the sun lowers to a certain angle near the horizon, a couple of them glint. Not hills: seven towers. Lan dismounts, his face as stony as ever.

Nynaeve asks if they can't camp by some small lakes in sight of their hill, and Mat adds that he'd stick his head in and maybe never take it out. Then something disturbs the surface of the water, rolling on and on, until a tail raises five spans into the air. And along the whole length of the tail, tentacles writhing like worms. It fades, and Rand exchanges a look with Perrin, both disbelieving. There couldn't have been *HANDS* on the ends of those tentacles. Mat changes his mind about the lake.(3)

They make camp, and settle down for the evening. The camp is surrounded by a “Bending” of the light, to keep them less visible with the fire going. Egg says she could probably do it even now. Nynaeve says she should go to Tar Valon with Egg after this, just so she’ll have a familiar face around. Egg gets excited and says the boys will come too, right, and Rand can train to be her Warder. Rand agrees, even as he remembers Min’s warning.

Later, Rand lays in his spot though he has trouble finding sleep, but nearly everyone else is snoring in short order. Everyone except Lan and Nynaeve, who are still sitting up by the fire.

Nynaeve hands Lan a cup of tea and says, she should have known he would be a king. He says he's not a king, just a man, with nothing to his name. Not even a farm. Nynaeve says steadily that some women don't ask for land, or gold, just the man. Lan counters saying the man who would ask her to accept so little wouldn't be worthy of her. He calls her remarkable, a lioness.

“A Wisdom seldom weds.” She paused to take a deep breath, as if steeling herself. “But if I go to Tar Valon, it may be that I will be something other than a Wisdom.” “Aes Sedai marry as seldom as Wisdoms. Few men can live with so much power in a wife, dimming them by her radiance whether she wishes to or not.” “Some men are strong enough. I know one such.” If there could have been any doubt, her look left none as to whom she meant. “All I have is a sword, and a war I cannot win, but can never stop fighting.” “I’ve told you I care nothing for that. Light, you’ve made me say more than is proper already. Will you shame me to the point of asking you?” “I will never shame you.” The gentle tone, like a caress, sounded odd to Rand’s ears in the Warder’s voice, but it made Nynaeve’s eyes brighten. “I will hate the man you choose because he is not me, and love him if he makes you smile. No woman deserves the sure knowledge of widow’s black as her brideprice, you least of all.” He set the untouched cup on the ground and rose. “I must check the horses.” Nynaeve remained there, kneeling, after he had gone.(4) Sleep or no, Rand closed his eyes. He did not think the Wisdom would like it if he watched her cry.

=====

(1) Not to be confused with the dead tree, which is for forests at night. This one is special for the Blight. (2) How very bidi-taurabo-haza of you. (I've been rereading Seanan McGuire's InCryptid series leading up to book 13, and one of the Patreon shorts has one of these as a plot point. I couldn't just NOT comment on it and drop a rec for one of my other favourite book series.) (3) Good call, bud. (4) This really came out of nowhere for me the first time I read it, but in retrospect, it's sort of set up, particularly in Nynaeve's chapters. Just. Sigh. Lan so firmly believes that he's doomed because of the promise on his behalf as a child to avenge his country, as part of the oath of kingship. And Nynaeve has grown feelings for him anyway. And the best-worst is that he has no lack of feelings for her, but he wants so much more for her than what he thinks his life has to offer. Tragedy.