#and shen wei should know he is more than a weapon

[tanoraqui]

[continuation of this] [read on AO3]

There was no practical way to hide the fact that the Sunshot Campaign’s dread Yiling Patriarch was a homicidal amnesiac (a mad dog, they said, a crime and danger to keep around; leashed only by the Jiang siblings and Hanguang-jun, and how secure was that leash, anyway? Jiang Cheng held his head high and kept walking, because he didn’t have the time to deal with every little thing and he didn’t have a cogent counterargument.) 

How could it stay silent? He was still Wei Wuxian; he didn’t have a subtle bone in his body. He bounced around each night’s camp greeting people like they were new and asking what they were doing like they hadn’t done the same thing yesterday, and the day before, and the day before that. He flirted with Lan Wangji so outrageously that Jiang Cheng was starting to think the Second Jade really must love the idiot, to tolerate it all. He still remembered Jiang fighting forms, even though he couldn’t do them all without a golden core; he whined to be dragged out of bed and then helped Jiang Cheng train the new recruits every morning, even though not once did he remember their names. He didn’t remember Jiang Cheng’s name, or Jiang Yanli’s, or where they’d grown up or...anything. 

Sometimes he snapped in an instant from Wei Wuxian-typical smiling to something dark and cruel, and utterly heedless of political or other consequences. (So, exactly the same Wei Wuxian, a small, bitter part of Jiang Cheng muttered—no, that was what made it terrible. He so often kept smiling, too, almost the exact same smile.) Usually it was directed at the Wens, but more than one allied cultivator or mundane soldier died in cold blood because they said something rude—not so much to Wei Wuxian himself as to one of the people he “liked.” More to Jiang Yanli and Lan Wangji than Jiang Cheng himself, which was just fine by Jiang Cheng—the less, the better. Nie Mingjue tolerated the losses as part of war, which meant Wei Wuxian stayed, but the only reason LanlingJin didn’t pull out of the Sunshot Campaign entirely was that Jin Zixuan himself insisted he forgave the strangulation incident.

It was inevitable that the enemy tried to take advantage of it.

From the ground it was like this: 

Jiang Cheng was in the thick of battle, wielding Sandu with no room for a whip, but that was fine because he had his disciples (new, all still new) around him to act as his second weapon and more. The Wens weren’t stupid: they came at him several at a time, hoping numbers could overwhelm his skill. He slashed at a red-robed fighter on his left, dodged a blow from his right, and pierced Sandu like a scorpion’s stinger through a man in front of him. Another strike came from the right and as he turned and brought up Sandu to block it, he thought, oh god, it’s contagious.

Because the cultivator was wearing Jiang purple (just an armband, but few of them had more than that), and yet he didn’t recognize her.

Then she tried to take his head off and he just barely parried, on reflex more than anything; the blade bit into his shoulder and he managed a clumsy riposte that bounced off her armguard. At the same time, he realized that he didn’t recognize her because she wasn’t one of his disciples. 

The haunting dizi music that Jiang Cheng had come to accept as natural background to a fight, that couldn’t possibly suffuse all the area of a busy battlefield and yet always did, slid abruptly into a furious shriek. Before his foe could push her advantage, the man he’d just killed flung himself onto her sword, pushing forward up the blade so he could tear at her face, Around them the other Wen dead sprang up as well—as did the fallen of YunmengJiang, an awkwardness they’d all resigned themselves to. Sometimes Wei Wuxian thought to let their own dead lie, but most of the time he didn’t, and most of the time no one minded much—it was desecration, but in the name of fighting the Wen even beyond the very end. 

But this time, they didn’t just attack the Wen. This time, the corpse of Liu Qingbiao, who had run away from her merchant parents to be a rogue and then Jiang cultivator, leapt from behind onto Huang Lao, who had taken up battle with the fighter on Jiang Cheng’s unguarded left. The Wen Huang Lao fought was torn down by one of his dead fellows; behind him, an unknown corpse with a purple armband ripped into another fighter in red. Around then, Wen and Jiang and not-Jiang turned furiously, awash with the dark smoke of resentful energy, on Wen and Jiang and not-Jiang. 

A small corpse guard settled in around Jiang Cheng himself: three Wens, Huang Lao, and another man he didn’t recognize with a bloody purple sash around his waist. 

“Wei Wuxian!” Jiang Cheng bellowed. “What are you—”

He lunged out between two of his unwanted corpse guards to stop a live Wen soldier who would have struck Yu Shanmei, who fought with them because Yu Ziyuan had been her favorite aunt. A moment later, the soldier got back to its feet, black-eyed, and lunged for her again.

“Wei– fuck.” Jiang Cheng flung himself onto Sandu and took to the sky. Toward the ridge overlooking the battle. “STOP IT, YOU IDIOT! YOU’RE KILLING OUR PEOPLE!”

He waved his hands as he shouted, regardless of the dangerous silhouette he was presenting. He didn’t need to worry—one arrow flicked past him and the music changed again; deep and fast as an ocean current and shadows sprang up around him, half-substantial ghosts and tendrils of pure resentful energy. A sudden chorus of cries from the treeline was no doubt suddenly doomed archers.

The shadows only thickened as he approached the ridge, where the Yiling Patriarch stood alone. Wei Wuxian didn’t acknowledge him. His attention remained fixed on the nightmare of a battlefield, his terrible dizi at his lips.

Jiang Cheng landed directly in front of him and yanked the dizi down. “Wei Wuxian, stop!”

There was a moment (there was always a moment) in which he thought Wei Wuxian wouldn’t recognize him. His eyes were as dark as the dead’s and his face showed nothing but implacable cold. By a narrow margin, Jiang Cheng’s heartbreak beat out his awareness that he was likely about to die.

Then Wei Wuxian blinked, some of the darkness receding, at least enough to show the whites of his eyes. He lowered the dizi another inch of his own accord (Jiang Cheng had barely been able to drag it down to shoulder height, even though he was still pulling. Wei Wuxian was weak without his golden core, but the shadows that wreathed him lent him plenty of strength.)

“Are you alright?” he asked, worried like Jiang Cheng had just hit his head on the dock, and nothing worse. He raised one hand to Jiang Cheng’s shoulder. “You’re bleeding.”

Jiang Cheng batted it away. “Stop the corpses!” he shouted. “You’re killing YungmengJiang—” Wei Wuxian remained silent, watched him curiously; names, fuck, names. “The people in purple! You idiot, stop killing them!”

They had so few people to lose. Yu Shanmei was likely already down, unable to perform her best without room to snap a whip. Han Lingya was already recovering from a wound in her arm; Jiang Cheng should never have let him on the field today in the first place. He’d have to write to Liu Qingbiao’s parents, and Huang Lao’s, and Shen Chiwu and Wen Sichen (no relation) and Xi Yanji (they’d get him on the backstroke; he always left himself open—) Jiang Cheng couldn’t look down at them or he’d be lost; he just had to shake his death-eyed, half-gone brother until he stopped—

Wei Wuxian’s hand had come away with some of Jiang Cheng’s blood on it. He licked it off one finger, glancing away like a child who knew he’d done wrong. But when he looked back, his expression was familiarly mulish, save for all the dark and cold.

“They started attacking you. Someone lied to me. I know some of them are our fighters, but I can’t tell which ones, so it’s safer to just kill them all.” 

It was funny because less than a year ago, Jiang Cheng would’ve been quietly ecstatic to be the absolute center of one person’s devotion. Not, admittedly, that he had that dubious honor even now—Wei Wuxian remembered Jiang Yanli better than anyone else, since that terrible night with the sliced wrist, but she was safe at base camp (thank fuck), and even Lan Wangji was with the forces at the other end of the valley.

“I know which ones!” Jiang Cheng snapped (begged). “And so do the ones who are actually Jiang Sect! Just—” they might be equally lost if the corpses stopped completely; they were still wildly outnumbered—“focus on the people in red! A-jie– your shijie would want you to leave the people in purple to sort themselves out!”

Wei Wuxian pouted, with a edge of real disappointment (he only ever seemed truly content anymore when he was slaughtering whole battlefields). “All right.”

He raised his dizi again (Jiang Cheng let go), and after a shuddering moment, Jiang Cheng forced himself to turn around around and watch. There were half as many YunmengJiang cultivators standing as there had been when he’d left, and a quarter as many mundane troops—well, standing and alive. Almost all were upright. It was too far to pick out individuals, but he could tell from the fighting style—he’d been training them all himself for months.

Their dead turned their focus back to the Wen troops in red, as did the Wen corpses themselves, and Jiang Chang let out a breath for what felt like the first time in several minutes. He fought to steady it, to calm his fluttering qi and push it into his shoulder to heal, while beside him, the Yiling Patriarch finished the battle.

It didn’t take long. It had already been hitting the critical point of dead overwhelming the living, before this terrible interlude. Jiang Sect’s fighters knew each other, cultivator and mundane alike; they dealt easily with the few remaining imposters.

As the battle died down (ha), there was a cloth-on-rock scraping to their left. Jiang Cheng turned to see a trio of long-nailed female ghosts—some of Wei Wuxian’s favorites—dragging forward the bloody remains– no, the bloody body of a still-living man. Though from the ghost women’s giggles, he wouldn’t be alive for along. Certainly he must already wish he was dead.

He had a Jiang-purple cloth tied around his left bicep. Jiang Cheng squinted at him, as the ghost women dropped their prize at their master’s feet, and didn’t recognize his face. Ropes of shadow wrapped around the man, cutting more lines of blood into his skin.

Wei Wuxian didn’t stop playing until the last red-robed Wen on the battlefield was dead, his eyes dark and his expression cold. It didn’t change as he left a few notes lingering in the air and looked down at the shadow-bound prisoner. 

He bumped Jiang Cheng’s shoulder with his own like they were kids walking streets of Lotus Pier. “This is the one who came and told me there were reinforcements joining you from the rear, and to clear them a path. The ladies confirm it. Do you know him?”

“No,” said Jiang Cheng, just as cold.

“Well then.” Wei Wuxian nearly sang. The ropes that spread out from his shadow yanked their prisoner to his feet. The man’s mouth was gagged with twisting darkness; his eyes were bleeding but wide with fear. 

Wei Wuxian smiled brightly and tipped the man’s chin up with the end of his dizi. “I can be patient, you know. We can ask him questions before I tear him apart.”

[onemuseleft]

@placidia: For the prompt ask:  #6 and Weilan.

#6: “Is there a reason you’re naked in my bed?”

***

Morning came too soon.

Shen Wei woke as the sunlight hit his face, but it was gentle. He lay there for a long moment, savoring the warmth of the blankets, the soft rumbling purr of Da Qing from somewhere nearby, the way his pillow smelled like Kunlun. He ached, though not from battle or injury. He felt as if he’d been worn thin from stress and worry, and his body was finally starting to rebel.

Beside him, Kunlun sighed heavily in his sleep and Shen Wei’s heart grew immediately lighter.

He reached out and laid his hand on Kunlun’s hip, content with that little touch. It was more than enough to know his lover was there with him, safe and healthy and alive. Shen Wei could face whatever else the day brought with it, with Kunlun at his side and at his back. 

He drifted for a few moments longer. He couldn’t hear the sounds of camp getting ready, though if the sun had already risen, surely the others were beginning to rise as well. But there would be some time yet before the cooks had breakfast ready and he and Kunlun would be needed to patrol and council meetings. Time to rest a few minutes longer, surrounded by the warmth and sounds and scent of the man he loved.

He was on the verge of drifting off again when Kunlun shifted in his sleep, rolling onto his side and into Shen Wei’s chest. His breath was warm and soft against Shen Wei’s throat, and he brought his arm up to hold Kunlun closer, reveling in the feeling of his skin beneath Shen Wei’s fingers, the way his hand instinctively reached for him, holding him back as he settled against Shen Wei with a sigh.

Then Kunlun snapped awake with a startled yell and the squeal of angry bed springs, and Shen Wei was awake instantly.

He had his hand out, ready to summon his weapon, and the only thing that stopped him was the sight of Zhao Yunlan staring at him with wide eyes from half a foot away.

Zhao Yunlan.

Shen Wei’s head snapped up and he took in the room around him. Zhao Yunlan’s apartment. He was in Zhao Yunlan’s apartment, not the tent he’d shared with Kunlan a hundred lifetimes ago. For a moment the loss was new again and he swallowed thickly, his eyes and the back of his skull hot with unshed tears.

And then the realization that he was not only in Zhao Yunlan’s apartment, but in his bed struck him and he snapped his head back to meet Zhao Yunlan’s eyes. 

“Shen Wei,” Zhao Yunlan said cautiously. “Is there a reason you’re naked in my bed?”

“I am not-” Shen Wei stopped himself because it was rapidly becoming clear to him that he was, in fact, naked in Zhao Yunlan’s bed. He gathered the duvet and tugged it a little higher up his chest. “Forgive me,” he said. “I- this is very inappropriate. I beg your apology. I will leave at once.”

“Let me get you some pants first,” Zhao Yunlan said, scrubbing a hand over his eyes. “The neighbors will probably appreciate it.” His eyes drifted low for a moment, lingering on Shen Wei’s chest. “Or not,” he added under his breath, and Shen Wei fought back a rush of arousal. It was too much, too soon after that dream - having Kunlun so close and yet so utterly lost to him was too much and Shen Wei couldn’t be there another moment.

“I can open a gate,” he said. “I apologize. It won’t happen again, I swear to you.”

“You don’t have to swear anything to me,” Zhao Yunlan said. “But an explanation might be nice instead? I don’t remember you coming in.”

Shen Wei had a key to the apartment, but of course he wouldn’t have needed it. Not when he had the ability to transport himself via gate. No, it seemed most likely that in his exhaustion, his mind caught up in the memory of Kunlun, his subconscious had sought out Zhao Yunlan’s company.

It was an unforgivable lapse of control, and an unforgivable breach of courtesy. “I believe I must have transported myself in my sleep. I was - tired. After our fight with Zhu Jiu. And,” he swallowed, trying to figure out how much was safe to say, how much he owed Zhao Yunlan to admit, after this scene. “I was concerned about you. After using the Hallow, and fighting Zhu Jiu. I believe my subconscious must have…. Sought you out,” he finished softly, lowering his eyes to the duvet, clenched in his fists. None of that explained why he was naked, but he was hoping Zhao Yunlan would just assume that was how he normally slept and not ask any questions Shen Wei couldn’t answer yet.

“You were worried,” Zhao Yunlan said slowly. 

It had been a hellish few days, and their relationship, the burgeoning friendship, the tease of something more that had been slowly flourishing between them had taken a great deal of damage when Zhao Yunlan confronted him at the wedding. They would recover - they would, Shen Wei had to believe it - but this must seem to Zhao Yunlan to be one more reason not to trust him.

“I am sorry,” he said, and the words came out helpless and tired to his own ears. He could still feel the warmth of Kunlun’s - of Zhao Yunlan’s breath against his throat, still smell him, still feel the warmth of his skin. It was maddening and cruel, a tease of what he wanted more than almost anything else in this world, and everything he couldn’t have. Not yet. Perhaps not ever. “I spent so much time afraid Zhu Jiu had - I just wanted to know you were safe.” He swallowed, closed his eyes for a moment. “Regardless, this was a wildly inappropriate thing to do, and it won’t happen again. Excuse me, please, I’ll-”

He’s already reaching for his dark energy to summon a gate that can take him back to his own apartment when Zhao Yunlan wrapped his hand around Shen Wei’s wrist.

Not violently, or angrily. Just strong, warm fingers holding him carefully. “Shen Wei,” he said in a gentle voice. “It’s all right. I’m not angry.”

“You should be,” Shen Wei pointed out. He looked up and Zhao Yunlan was watching him with dark eyes. “A man you barely know has just invaded your home-”

“I know you,” Zhao Yunlan said. “Don’t give me that. Maybe not for long. And you certainly have your secrets,” his tone was rueful but not angry or sarcastic as he had been at the wedding and Shen Wei felt a flicker of hope, “but I know who you are. I know what kind of person you are. Remember what I said last night? You can pretend to be heartless all you want, but I know you care.” His voice dropped, little more than a whisper. “You have a good heart, Shen Wei.” 

The moment stretched for a moment, thin and almost endless. Then Zhao Yunlan took a deep breath and smiled at him. “And you have a key, so clearly I want you around.” He patted the back of Shen Wei’s hand. “Thank you for worrying about me. Now go back to sleep.”

Shen Wei blinked at him for a moment. “What?”

“You look awful,” Zhao Yunlan said. “You look about half as tired as I feel and that’s not great for either of us. You need the sleep. I need the sleep - clearly, since I didn’t hear you open a giant swirling vortex in the middle of my apartment. Go back to sleep.”

“But.” Shen Wei clutched the duvet a little tighter to his chest.

“I can get you a pair of pants if it will make you feel better.” Zhao Yunlan yawned so wide his jaw popped and his eyes nearly drifted shut again. “But honestly, I don’t care. It’s barely dawn, neither of us needs to be awake for hours yet, and if your subconscious feels better about you being here, then you should stay.”

“I can’t,” Shen Wei said, barely a whisper. “Zhao Yunlan, you don’t understand.”

Zhao Yunlan reached out carefully and brushed a strand of hair from Shen Wei’s forehead. His fingers were gentle and warm, and Shen Wei leaned into the touch without any conscious decision on his part. Something aching and needful in him flared and all he wanted in the world was for more of this. More of Zhao Yunlan’s touch, his voice, the sound of his heart beating beneath Shen Wei’s ear, the press of his body to Shen Wei’s - a thousand things, so close he could nearly grasp them. 

But all still a lifetime away. A hundred lifetimes.

“I can’t,” he said again, and closed his eyes.

Zhao Yunlan moved, and the old mattress shifted beneath Shen Wei, the springs creaking. Zhao Yunlan wrapped a hand around the back of Shen Wei’s neck and leaned in close, pressed their foreheads together. “Shen Wei,” he said in a low voice. “I know you. And I do understand.”

And Zhao Yunlan kissed him.

It was soft, more reassurance than passion, but Zhao Yunlan’s mouth on his was sweeter than water, more precious than air. Shen Wei opened his eyes so he could see Zhao Yunlan’s face and know this was real.

When Zhao Yunlan pulled back, he was smiling.

Shen Wei couldn’t hold back the sob that worked its way out of his throat. He pressed a hand against his mouth, dragged in a shaking breath. 

Zhao Yunlan wrapped his arms around him and pulled him close, held him against his chest as he eased them both back down to the pillows. “We’re both safe,” he said, rubbing a hand up and down Shen Wei’s back. “We made it. We’re all right. Now go to sleep, Shen Wei. Everything else can wait till morning.” He kissed Shen Wei’s forehead, just a brush of lips, almost unbearably tender to Shen Wei’s aching heart.

He could feel Zhao Yunlan’s breath against his temple, the warmth of his arms around Shen Wei’s waist, taste the memory of his lips.

A thousand things, perhaps somewhat less than a thousand lifetimes away.

Everything he wanted. Possibly just close enough to reach out and take.

He lifted his hand and laid it over Zhao Yunlan’s heart and let the familiar cadence lull him back to sleep.

[lilmistermaya]

Don’t know why

He knew this relationship was not about love. It was about grief and loneliness, the need for comfort. When everything was so different from a home that was no longer home. 

But sometimes it was hard to remember that when the sex was over, when he was deliciously tired and warm… it must have been a bad day for the envoy, he was still holding onto him tightly after they finished, as the sweat dried on their skin. The bed was too small for the both of them, squeezed tightly together. It was dark in his little, bare apartment, and somehow that made everything more intense. The taste of salt on his lordship’s skin, the lightning and burned stone scent of him. How solid he felt under his hands, strong and very male. 

This relationship was not about love, but to use each other for their own ends. But something built in his chest, threatening to spill over and he wanted to share it, to give it to someone. 

“Are you hungry?” he asked without thinking, “I could cook something for you.”

The envoy stiffened against him, recoiling away and he realized he’d crossed some line.

“I should go.” he said quickly, pulling away from Chu to reclothe himself. 

“I’m sorry, I-” if he could pull those words back he would. But the envoy was gone in a snap of ozone, and left him empty and grieving all over again.

They had only come together a handful of times, mutually desperate moments when they both needed something from the other. But laying there alone… it felt like loss. It hadn’t been about loving each other but-

He was still a good spy and soldier for the Envoy. He was happy to be his weapon, his life to be used as the Envoy please. It was not his place to ask for-

Zhao’s professor seemed very familiar. Elegant, quiet, polite. His chief flirted shamelessly with Shen Wei and watching that… it made something sour and angry roil in his gut. It made no sense, he had never met this man before and he had no reason to be jealous.

(he may have imagined it, the professor giving him a quick glance. Familiar, warm brown eyes looking at him with- concern? desperation?)

He missed those brief moments of intimacy, and maybe that’s what was wrong. Zhao had something he wanted, someone to openly flirt and smile with-  and he was so… hungry. A gnawing so strong it was a physical pain, no matter how much he ate. He needed something. 

He kept his gaze down on the ground as he knelt to give his report to the Envoy. That voice, low and calm, still sent something akin to desire down his spine. He wanted to- he was this close to throwing himself at his feet and begging forgiveness for being so…. 

He brushed the tips of his fingers over Chu’s hair, barely a touch. He didn’t dare move, didn’t dare look up and risk meeting his eyes. He’d be undone with a glance, he wanted nothing more than to press those fingers to his lips and kiss the smooth skin on the inside of his wrist. Feel the flutter of his pulse against his lips.

He did no such thing, keeping his eyes firmly on the ground until he was dismissed. 

He was too tired and sore to make it very far into his apartment when he came back. The couch (picked up cheap, it was a horrible color but comfortable) was close to the door and he collapsed on it. Didn’t bother taking off his coat, scarf or even his boots, plopped face down into the cushion. He’d used a lot of dark energy with his puppet today, maybe too much. His head ached horribly. He would stay right here, it was as good of a place as any to sleep.  

Another fond huff, and his boots were being pulled off, his scarf and coat wrestled off because he didn’t want to move. Cool hands checked for injuries and he wasn’t hurt, he was just

“Shuzhi?” the envoy asked softly, but he just buried his face into the cushion of the couch, sure he was dreaming. There was a soft, almost fond huff in response. “Don’t sleep in your clothes.”

He was too tired. He was going to sleep right here, just like this.

exhausted and a little sick from this headache. He grumbled, burrowing back into the cushions. 

He woke up when light hit his face the next morning, still on the couch but wrapped up in a blanket. Like he’d been tucked in. He was warm and comfortable, too much to really wrap his head around how it happened. 

On the floor next to him was a glass of water and a small ceramic bottle of medicine. He frowned at it for a moment, sleepy brain trying to catch up. 

Someone had been in his apartment. Took off his boots, tucked him in, left him medicine for when he woke up. 

A ball of something was stuck in his chest as it sank in. if only he was sure what it meant.

“You looked rather exhausted after the fight with the youchu last week.” Zhao’s professor politely commented. “Have you recovered?”

“Yes.” Then after a moment, he remembered to be polite back. “Thank you.”

“You weren’t injured, were you?” there was a tight, confused feeling in his stomach. The professor had warm brown eyes, framed with long eyelashes which only made the feeling worse.

“No, I was only drained… someone brought me some medicine to help.”

“Good.” a smile flickered across his face. “You will be careful?”

He wanted to say, ‘anything for you.’

He wanted to say, ‘my life is yours.’

But instead he nodded in agreement, not trusting his voice. 

His… Zhao’s professor, he could not forget that, reached for him, pulling back before he could make contact and looking away. He wanted… he did not deserve it.  That warmth of skin to skin contact, that noise he’d make if he put his mouth on his neck. The care of someone tucking a blanket around him, that he hadn’t had since...Care. That's what he was feeling, that’s why he offered to cook for him, that's what he wanted so badly. To care, to be cared for.

“Please take care of yourself, chu shuzhi.” he murmured before walking away.

Chu closed his eyes and leaned up against a wall, trying to figure out how he could miss someone so badly when they were in the same room as him. 

Chu placed the cup of tea and the stuffed bun at shen wei’s elbow, ignoring the offended noise zhao made. 

“What, none for me?”

“Get your own.” he grunted, doing his best not to watch, to see what face shen wei would make as he ate the bun. His stomach twisted unhappily, trying not to think about the sheen of oil on his lips. Or that line of bare skin at the nape of his neck, exposed when he bent his head over the desk. 

“Thank you, Chu Shuzhi. Yulan, you can have half if you’re hungry.”

“Oh, thanks babe!”

He sat at his desk and stared at his paperwork without seeing it, flicking his eyes up every so often to see if he was eating it. He was, in slow, careful nibbles and there was a bubbling feeling in his chest, an overwhelming warmth at seeing him smile and eating the food he made. What would it be like to cook for him all the time?

“Chu-ge?” he realized he was smiling and went back to his usual scowl at xiao-guo. “Did you make professor Shen some stuffed buns?”

He tried to shrug casually. “I thought he might like something that tastes more like Dixing food.” He'd been practicing that lie all night. But xiao-guo, in all his innocence, saw through it.

“You must like him alot to make him something like that, chu-ge. To make food for someone you-” and then he stopped, realizing something with the word he was about to say. “Oh no.”

“Don’t you dare say anything.” he hissed, his face growing hot. 

“Oh, I’m so sorry.” his face scrunched up, as if he would cry. “He and lao-zhao and you…”

“It’s fine. As long as I..” he took a deep breath, holding onto that warm feeling in his chest. “It’s fine. This is enough.” 

“You deserve more than that.” he flinched under those words.

“I don’t. I really don’t.” and it ached again, watching shen wei finish the bun with a smile. “This is enough.”

“You’re hurt.” shen wei’s face was tight and pale. Chu wanted to protest that he was fine, it really didn’t hurt. He just… couldn’t get enough air in to make words. “Where are you hurt, Let me see.”

He shook his head, holding his stomach. It really didn’t hurt, it wasn’t that bad. But shen wei pulled away his hand, showing blood soaking into his shirt, dripping down onto the ground.

Oh, he thought fuzzily. That looked worse than it felt.

His legs suddenly wouldn’t hold him up, and his lordship caught him, guiding him to the ground. It still didn’t hurt, he just felt cold. It was harder to breathe, getting air in short gasps. 

“Hold on, lao-chu.” That name felt strange coming from his lordship. Not right. “Hold on, I can-”

He coughed, mouth filling with blood. Shen wei’s eyes grew larger, putting his hands over the wound.

“/please/ zhi-er.” he said softly… or maybe he thought he said it.  It was hard to tell, but it would have been nice, someone calling him something sweet like that. 

He coughed again, feeling himself start to slip. But he kept his gaze on shen wei’s face, trying to memorize every plane and curve. He would have liked to kiss him again, cup his cheek and feel the warmth of his skin. If he could take his fill of him, just the two of them like this… to die in his arms, that wouldn’t be so bad. A better way to go than he’d ever expected.

And suddenly his belly /burned/, heat and pain growing as shen wei, as the lord envoy’s power forced his body to heal itself. He tried to scream, to pull away from the source of pain. Too much, too much-

Things came back in bit by bit. Still laying down, cold, in pain. His head was on something soft, a gentle hand petting his hair. A coat was covering him, attempting to keep him warm.

“Chu-ge?” xiao-guo asked softly. “Are you awake?”

He tried to say something, but it came out as a grunt and a coughing fit. 

“Shhh, don’t move. Professor shen went to get help.”

“I…” he moaned again, unable to find his voice as he coughed and choked. 

‘Shhh,” guo tried to soothe him, patting his face and hair. “It’s okay, just try to stay still.”

“I’m sorry.” he slurred, “I-”

“Shhh, don’t try to talk.” his face was making that sad, scrunched expression. Was he? It was hard to tell, his vision blurring and fading. 

“He’ll come back, he’s bringing help. He stopped the bleeding, you’ll be okay.” he fussed, tugging the coat a little tighter around around chu.

[extraordinarilyextreme]

finally watched Guardian (2018) and i need to talk

Warning: contains MASSIVE SPOILERS, probably too much music/song analysis, my poor translations from Chinese to English, and some references to the original novel (disclaimer: my novel-reading was mostly jumping around because i have a problem where I’m not fluent enough to read the original Chinese novel and I don’t usually like English translations)

1. the freakin opening theme: We Won’t Be Falling by Chen Xueran... (also I see you Tina Guo on the cello thank you queen)

the amount of chills i get every time an episode starts,,, fantastic! marvelous! the lyrics are very VERY apt to the story of Guardian, esp this drama adaptation

(“We are the one/We will be holding on/For the promise we held for life/For the people we love are leaving” ... “And the story will keep on going”)

1.1. the promise? may i direct you to novel chapter 75? 

Shen Wei: “Sometimes I think if one day you can remember everything, then I will be able to say to you: look, I did it, I did all that I had promised you; not one bit did I miss, not one word did I go back on.”

they promise to keep the peace, to protect both Haixing and Dixing; and in the show, it’s a promise they keep with their lives

2. Zhu Yilong plays THREE characters and is able to differentiate them perfectly with particular microexpressions

-Ye Zun (literally, “Respect the Night”; “Lord/Master of the Night” would be a better title) sets off my fight-or-flight instincts even though i think his name tries a little too hard to be edgy; the way he sneers, the smiles that don’t reach his eyes, also that infamous tongue flick when Zhao Yunlan sees through the act... i think it’s both great and sad that Yunlan could differentiate the twins because, why, Shen Wei would never be so openly flirtatious (and wear a deep-cut shirt like that lol)... the delivery of “Xiao Yunlan” disturbed me so much—wonderful, stellar acting

-Black Cloaked Envoy: does his best to bend the rules where he can for the Dixingren because he’s just so fundamentally GOOD; he’s empathetic despite how stern and strict he seems to be, and how much he claims to enforce the clearly-cut laws... he’s an absolute babie ten thousand years ago (Yunlan, doesn’t it hurt your conscience to flirt with such a babie?)

-Shen Wei: in the novel, his name (both surname and first name) are given to him by Kun Lun’s incarnations—there’s a lot of power in naming something, in naming someone; he’s good-natured and gentle, always polite... he pushes up the glasses [that he doesn’t need] a lot, perhaps because he’s used to pushing up his mask as the Envoy

2.1. i find it very striking that Shen Wei dies without his glasses; he doesn’t die as the Envoy, he doesn’t die as the Professor; he dies as a person, as the person who loves Yunlan the most and has loved Yunlan for ten thousand years

2.2. the other notable moments we see Shen Wei without his glasses are where he apologizes to Yunlan [and Yunlan apologizes at the same time because they’re pining idiots] for not noticing the camera in his office, where he sets aside all his pride as Envoy and Professor and kneels in the rain for the man he loves (lwj kneeling after visiting the Burial Mounds, yea?), and of course after he slices up an orange [cuz food = love] only to find Yunlan asleep and drapes his jacket over the silly silly man... anyway, Yunlan is indeed the only person Shen Wei is comfortable enough to reveal everything to, all defenses and masks (literal and figurative) lowered

2.3. that last instance (ep 26) is when Shen Wei pulls out his necklace and reminisces as he gazes fondly at Yunlan; the song that plays during this is 《乱心曲》or “Chaotic Heart Song”... may I direct you to novel chapter 65 where Yunlan finds all the paintings and pictures his Xiao Wei has kept from the centuries?

“邓林之阴初见昆仑君，惊鸿一瞥，乱我心曲。” which translates to “In the shade of the woods I first saw Kunlun-jun; a glimpse of his grace wrought chaos in my heart’s song”

2.4. but also let’s not forget the [in]famous cut wrist scene of ep 23, where our dear Shen Wei, without glasses, as a person who loves Yunlan—not the aloof Envoy or the well-spoken Professor—is reduced to two words: “Worth it.” Yunlan is worth everything to him; this goes without question, without a second thought. Kun Lun (Yunlan) told him not to regret whatever decisions he’ll make, and Ye Zun scolds and laughs at his brother for giving up his life for a human/Haixingren, but of course Shen Wei doesn’t regret dying to protect Yunlan, dying to protect Haixing. (also, peep the behind-the-scenes where Shen Wei grabs Yunlan’s hand for a moment as he blocks the attack from Ye Zun)

2.5. on this same train of thought, Da Qing brings up a line from ten thousand years ago where Shen Wei claimed he would never kill unless it was for the world... and, well, he kills for Yunlan doesn’t he?

3. Bai Yu plays our charismatic Chief Zhao Yunlan/Kun Lun and hoo boy does he do an excellent job; the found family vibes of the SIU are spectacular and the way he flirts with tries to recruit Professor Shen is endearing and touching

3.1. there’s another piece from the OST called 《一点真心》, translated to “A Little Sincerity” though I would use “A Bit of a Sincere Heart” because it too references the novel

Kun Lun’s confession to Xiao Wei: “我富有天下名山大川，想起来也没什么稀奇的，不过就是一堆烂石头野河水，浑身上下，大概也就只有这几分真心能上秤卖上两斤，你要？拿去。” [I’m rich with famed mountains and endless rivers under heaven, but none of it feels rare when I think about it. It’s all just a pile of broken stones and uncultivated streams. From head to toe, there is probably only this bit of my sincere heart that is worth anything weighed on a scale. You want it? Take it.]

Zhao Yunlan’s confession to Shen Wei: “我别的东西也有，只是你可能大多都看不上，只有这一点真心……你要是不接着，那就算了吧。” [I have other things, only you probably would not think much of them. There’s only this bit of my sincere heart... If you don’t want to catch it, then forget it.)

And Shen Wei’s reply to Yunlan’s confession is of course “我接住了。” [I’ve caught it.]

3.2. the novel is a happy ending because Xiao Guo’s important role actually plays a part (i literally don’t understand why the show couldn’t do that after they built up so many expectations about his good character/merit/inability to be corrupted but ANYWAY)... Shen Wei, Xiao Wei, the little Ghost King has a soul and wow isn’t that just beautiful after everything he did to become worthy/deserving of Kun Lun’s attention and love

4. the Zhang Ruonnan and Wang Yike (death-touch Dixingren) case in ep 3 is an obvious parallel to the “brotherly” relationship of WeiLan... Shen Wei’s line of “Many tragedies were destined from the start” references the show of course but also the paradoxical precognition that marks the drama version of WeiLan; in both of their “first meetings”, one of them was always already in love with the other—Yunlan, as Kun Lun, knew he would have to return to his own time at some point and thus doom this impressionable young Envoy to ten thousand years of waiting and Shen Wei (honestly in a Code Geass Lelouch kinda style) knew he would have to die to defeat his brother

4.1. the importance of “touch” in this case alludes to novel WeiLan, where of course Shen Wei watched over all of Kun Lun’s incarnations but wasn’t allowed to get close to him because hungry ghosts would inevitably devour the essence of the people around them; similarly Yike was terrified of touching Ruonnan all this time... but Ruonnan accepted her (just like how novel Kun Lun lets this intriguing little Ghost King trail after him)

4.2. speaking of Shen Wei’s grand plans and the idea of “knowing”, Yunlan reminds him that “You are not a weapon/blade, you are a person.” and wow once again, only Yunlan can pull the humanity from Shen Wei, who has carefully crafted his disguise and personality to fit what people expect of the Envoy and the Professor... but alas, Shen Wei fulfills his promise by in fact making himself a weapon; he poisons himself to become a bomb that will take down his brother

4.3. as many qualms and complaints as I have with Chinese censorship, much in the case of WangXian, i think i prefer the drama version of WeiLan to the novel version; the plot of the Guardian novel is a lot better in my opinion (with references to mythology and legends, as opposed to, what, aliens?? mutants from X-Men? quirks in My Hero Academia??) and yea the relationship of Kun Lun with Xiao Wei is built up a lot better and makes more sense than the time-travel of Yunlan masquerading as Kun Lun with Shen Wei... but there’s an unadulterated, unconditional kind of love that runs through the drama, whereas the novel had some darker (though probably more realistic) vibes of near-possessiveness and ulterior motives... Kun Lun/Yunlan in the novel can be, well, cruel, which is not necessarily out of character; it’s just seems a little wrong to me that you could threaten your partner in a relationship (if you keep things from me again, i really will turn against you + had i known xyz would happen, i really should have killed you)... plus i’m always a sucker for love without an “i love you”, a love that’s conveyed entirely through actions and gazes

5. Yunlan asks Zhou Weiwei (the mirror case) where her jacket was bought because he “wants to get one for [his] girlfriend” and lo and behold, what similarly-styled and colored coat does our Shen Wei show up in a few episodes later? (also the fact that Shen Wei dies wearing this jade-ish-blue-ish coat)

6. boyfriend jacket during the Moutain-River Awl case... boyfriend jacket!!!! Shen Wei claims he doesn’t need it and well he still wears it anyway because Yunlan’s love is unstoppable

6.1. the way Shen Wei grabs Yunlan’s elbow before running down the hill

6.2. Shen Wei being so freaking fine-tuned to Yunlan’s discomfort/pain as always that he drinks wine for him (and passes out immediately—heroics/bde of yllz! wwx and the alcohol tolerance of our dear lwj)

6.2.1. when Minister Gao brings up Yunlan’s dad and the Chief’s hands tighten... and of course nothing can go by Shen Wei, so he changes the topic of the conversation; also the way he leans forward as if to shield Yunlan

6.2.2. Yunlan is similarly Aware of his boyfriend’s boundaries; cue him politely excusing themselves from the dinner with Vice-Minister Guo when Shen Wei (of all people!) fumbles with his chopsticks

6.2.3. Yunlan also blocks Shen Wei from Minister Gao’s sight (subconsciously?) after that wedding showdown... even though he’s unhappy that Shen Wei has kept the identity of the Envoy from him, he trusts the other man enough to recognize there must be a reason; thus he doesn’t want other people to pry into the possibility that Shen Wei is a Dixingren

6.3. also, also that Shen Wei lets Yunlan have his way and use him as a pillow in the car once again (he also adjusts the actual pillow beneath Yunlan’s head to make it more comfortable)

6.3.1 the other Shen-Wei-is-Yunlan’s-pillow scene is when the professor picks up the poor hurting Chief off the road and in the taxi ride home... apparently this was an improvised scene from Bai Yu who just wanted to mess with Long-ge and our great Zhu Yilong just stayed in character and ran with it

6.3.2. the other notable improvised scene is the cute “Black Cloaked gege~ please be careful~ there’s someone is waiting for you at home~” [sorry that i don’t remember the exact line] but once again our great leading actors just stay perfectly in character

6.4. after Shen Wei wakes up from a night of being drunk (lol) Yunlan has left a note for him “I’ve gone back first, stay in touch. -Zhao” and what’s that on the corner of the note? why it’s a winky face

7. when Yunlan grabs the fake Zhang Danni’s wrist to confirm his suspicions, Shen Wei narrows his eyes... (lol is our Black Cloaked gege jealous)

8. when Yunlan claims he can swallow the painkillers dry, Shen Wei clenches his jaw in his anger at this idiot of a man for not taking better care of himself... you’ll find that a lot of Shen Wei’s anger is directed toward his husband being a self-sacrificial fool

8.1. after Yunlan uses the Hallows again and his nose begins to bleed, Zhu Yilong in all his acting glory has Shen Wei furious to the point that his lips tremble (cue Shen Wei angrily shoving a handkerchief into his husband’s face) [i really want to know if they ever broke character during this scene due to their proximity lol]

8.1.1. Shen Wei all but invades Yunlan’s personal space (he really does stand there between Yunlan’s legs guys) and he’s so careful even though he’s angry as he tries to stop the nosebleed; he’s aware the force might tip Yunlan backwards, so he immediately rests his hands on Yunlan’s thighs/knees to steady him

9. Yunlan has claimed that he doesn’t do things for the sake of gaining anything in return and yet every time he’s wanted things from dear Shen Wei... “take off your mask and smile for me”, “join the SID”... the sexual tension is Unreal during these scenes lol, you can see Shen Wei swallow visibly in anticipation + babie Shen Wei of ten thousand years prior all but chokes on his words when he promises to do ANYTHING Kun Lun wants him to do (honey where is your mind GOING???)

9.1. Bai Yu does have a bruise on his knee after the scene where Yunlan asks Shen Wei for something... dunno if it’s the actor’s bruise or the character’s bruise, but if it’s the character’s bruise—how did he get it? what exactly did WeiLan do that evening lol

9.2. also peep the fact that Yunlan almost always has a lollipop in his mouth when talking to Shen Wei... oral fixation much? (also the whole sequence where he tries to explain how to eat a lollipop to babie Shen Wei, wow the amount of homoerotic tension)

9.3. babie Shen Wei’s ears and cheeks are SO RED when Yunlan snatches the mask off his face

10. Yunlan’s hairstyle changes after Shen Wei joins the SIU (joins his family), much like how a bride would change her hairstyle after marriage in China ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ (random note but CQL WangXian does this too when lwj puts his hair down/styled over the front of his shoulders when wwx wakes up 16 years later)

11. the first time we see Shen Wei spit up blood, there’s an echo of “Xiao Wei” faintly and Shen Wei mutters to himself “Xiao Lan” before looking up and saying louder “Zhao Yunlan” (nicknames/pet names/names only your family or lover can call you... this trope is good)

11.1. i also think a lot about how in the novel Kun Lun muses before he dies that it’s a shame he won’t see this Little Beauty [Xiao Wei] grow up to be a Great Beauty 

12. Shen Wei’s funny little eyebrow raise when Yunlan accidentally reveals he broke into the professor’s apartment once ( “riiiiiiiiight i definitely believe you”)

12.1. though the ep 23 scene is angsty, the fact Yunlan says “It’s the middle of the night, were you hungry?” seems to imply their relationship is a lot closer than just neighbors... they’re probably used to sharing an apartment/room at this point :)

13. when Yunlan is hurt, Zhu Hong looks to him but he only has eyes for Shen Wei

13.1. after Yunlan is blinded, Zhu Hong is the one cradling him but he calls for Shen Wei first and reaches for his hand; Shen Wei of course responds immediately “it’s me”

13.1.1. both times after Yunlan gets his eyesight back, the first thing he sees is the person who loves him the most

14. Shen Wei warms up the congee in the morning with his magic after he watches over Yunlan when his stomach pain acts up (domestic use of magic? yes please)

15. the bomb defusing scene in the hospital (video game -> reality case) really is framed like a wedding proposal... also the way that Shen Wei smirks lol he’s so proud of his husband

16. after his Envoy identity is revealed, Shen Wei all but abuses his Black Cloaked Envoy voice to stop his stupid husband from doing stupid things that will hurt himself and every time Yunlan is properly sh00k by it

16.1. we really go from Chief Zhao remarking in the Mountain-River Awl case that he’s used to ordering people around, not receiving orders to married bickering with Shen Wei to then agreeing to everything Shen Wei tells him to do

17. the fact that “Shen Wei, ah, Shen Wei... You are such a good person, how could I bear to let you go?” is an actual line from the censored DRAMA astounds me, nevermind that Shen Wei just made breakfast for his man and Yunlan is basically pouting up at him from the bed

17.1. the way Yunlan’s dad warns him to stay away from Shen Wei and Yunlan responds with something like “he’s sincerely good to me, I want to be with him”... “be with him”???? [inhales deeply] yea this is definitely a “brotherly relationship”

18. Yunlan’s “WOW” after the Envoy kills the monsters in the cave of the Mountain-River Awl case is hilarious and i dont understand how such a noise is physically possible,,, it sounds like a growl?????

18.1. Zhu Yilong was asked to mimic it during an interview (which he did not do and only half-heartedly gave a “wow”) and then Bai Yu did it again

19. also i inevitably got attached to the side ship of Lao Chu and Xiao Guo... they have so much skinship for a censored “brotherly relationship” lmao

the amount of face-touching and hand-holding that they do is unreal... they’re more canon than WeiLan in the drama adaptation methinks 

20. 《时间飞行》or “Flying Across Time” sounds like Yunlan’s reply to Shen Wei’s《只是太在意》or “Just Cared Too Much”

20.1. the lyrics of both these songs really cements this idea that both of WeiLan believe the other to be too good... Kun Lun was a god in the novel, and Xiao Wei was just a soulless little Ghost King... and then we have the incorrigible Chief Zhao pining after the beautiful and kind Professor Shen... i just have a lot of feelings about them becoming better people for each other, that their love really does make each other stronger

21. my favorite two pieces from the OST are Shen Wei’s theme (arranged by Kun Luo) and Kun Lun’s theme (arranged by Chen Xueran)

head’s up: it’s been like four years since i last even glanced at music theory so a lot of this might just make no sense to an actual professional

-Shen Wei: written in 4/4 time, Ab Major, melody is primarily carried by piano + strings; the piano almost sticks exclusively to triplets whereas the strings are in steady whole, quarter, and eighth notes—which creates in interesting impressionistic effect, kind of like hazy smoke or the ripples across the surface of a lake; every single measure uses decrescendo, so the first triplet is always the loudest and the three that follow get progressively softer (mimicking an echo)... the piece ends on the seventh note of the scale, which is usually a pretty awkward place to end and yet it doesn’t feel wrong it all; the piece uses a ritardando in the last three measures, and we simply drift off with that last G... i think it’s a beautifully written piece that perfectly portrays such a complex character as Shen Wei, someone who loved with everything he had, and was just so overwhelmingly good... and then he simply disappears as if the dream has ended. it makes me think of how he guarded over Kun Lun/Zhao Yunlan for thousands of years in the novel, never ever ever daring to meet him... and yet the other man always felt like he was waiting for someone

-Kun Lun: written in 3/4 time, a minor, there’s no real complex shift in the melody although there’s brief modulation into E major (dominant/fifth note); it’s a fairly somber piece, especially when the strings join in... it’s a steady waltz, and it finishes with the scale (second to last major is g, last major is a), like a circle coming back around [like their love story perhaps?]... there’s a finality to it, a completeness, a wholeness, which makes sense in the drama-verse because the moment Yunlan takes up the name of Kun Lun is when his love story with Shen Wei all fits together. the piece feels a little lonely in its minor key and all, a little sad, indeed as if you were standing at the top of a mountain surrounded by clouds and mist... the constant meter also reminds me of like the steady drip of water, the perpetual and inevitable passage of the days and time

-i don’t really understand how because the keys of the two pieces don’t fit together easily, but somehow it doesn’t feel wrong to play the pieces back to back; the melodies of both seem to call upon each other despite the differences in key and time signature, so it actually feels right. a circle without a beginning or an ending, wouldn’t you want your love to be so infinite?

-when yunlan finds shen wei in their bubble outside of time, when shen wei is about to leave him, shen wei is wearing the outfit of their first meeting. and the lyrics go “Across time, I am in the same place”... surely, they will find each other again.

[tearsofthemis]

Tears of Themis : Chapter 2 “Unbearable Love“ Part 10

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▌Location- Hotel Room 1817

(PAX Group’s successor Lu JingHe was incidentally wrapped into a homicide case, the murder weapon being a box of chocolates Lu JingHe had gifted the victim. After my interrogation with Lu JingHe, I uncovered that before he left, the victim had consumed a piece of chocolate and was alright afterward. Therefore, I’m speculating that the chocolates were tampered with after Lu JingHe left the banquet, although Mo Yi expressed his reservations about my hypothesis.)

Mo Yi: “From what I’ve gathered thus far, your hypothesis may be correct, however not yet infallible.”

MC: “Why would you think that?”

Mo Yi: “There exist loopholes when comparing Lu JingHe’s testimony with the information provided by the detectives.”

~~~Analysis Start~~~

[Select: Shen Xi ate chocolate, Tetrodotoxin content]

(I skimmed over the lab results of the chocolates from the police and came across an important piece of data.)

MC: “Tetrodotoxin may incur a delayed onset period as long as three hours after ingestion.”

Mo Yi: “For most patients, symptoms of tetrodotoxin poisoning will appear around thirty minutes after ingestion, though there also exist people who do not experience symptoms until much later. The sample taken from the poisoned liquor chocolates determined that the amount and concentration of tetrodotoxin weren’t high. This may explain why Shen Xi experienced a delayed reaction after eating the chocolates and did not experience symptoms until after the banquet ended.”

MC: “Lu JingHe saw Shen Xi eat the chocolates about a quarter after 7 PM. If we assume she experienced symptoms three hours later, then… Shen Xi would have displayed visible symptoms around 10 PM.”

Mo Yi: “Do you remember the timeline that Yan Wei gave us? It must have happened approximately between 9 PM and 2 AM.”

MC: “So we still can’t eliminate the possibility that the chocolates Lu JingHe gave the victim were already tampered with.”

~~~Analysis End~~~

Mo Yi: “Besides the information about the incubation period, the report also mentions that not all the chocolates contained the toxin. Of the twelve chocolates in the box, excluding the two pieces that Shen Xi ate, seven out of the ten remaining chocolates tested positive.”

MC: “So let’s say the second piece Shen Xi ate contained the toxin, then there were a total of eight pieces of chocolate laced with tetrodotoxin?”

Mo Yi: “That’s right. The detectives found pin holes on all seven poisoned chocolates.”

MC: “That means the culprit used a syringe to add poison into the center of the chocolates.”

Mo Yi: “Mm, from the looks of it, there exist two possible points of doubt. What do you think?”

MC: “The first point is…”

[Select: Why did the culprit poison the chocolate]

MC: “Why would the murderer choose to poison the chocolates? There would’ve been plenty of finger foods at the banquet.”

Mo Yi: “Why do you think so?”

MC: “What’s your standpoint on this, Dr. Mo?”

Mo Yi: “I think the murderer’s choice to poison the chocolates makes sense. In a buffet-style venue, it is very unlikely that someone would go out of their way to consume something specific. For instance, if a server is carrying a tray of wine, your victim will have a choice between many glasses. Aside from this box of chocolates that was specifically gifted to Shen Xi herself, there was no other way to predict what she might eat yesterday night. Therefore, the box of chocolates is the best vessel to choose.”

MC: “I can’t disagree with that.”

[Select: Why the murderer chose not to poison all the chocolates]

MC: “Why didn’t the culprit poison all the chocolates? Four out of the twelve chocolates were left as is. By chance, Shen Xi could’ve had a one in three chance of surviving.”

Mo Yi: “If Shen Xi ended up sharing the chocolates with others, and she just so happened to consume one of the good chocolates, then the murderer’s plan would have gone up in flames. Even if the culprit was perverse and didn’t care if they would harm others in the process, they needed to guarantee that their target would be eliminated. Therefore, the fact that not all chocolates were poisoned is our first point of interest. The syringe used to administer poison is a point of interest too.”

MC: “If the goal was to poison the chocolates without leaving a noticeable mark, then a syringe would be used, right?”

Mo Yi: “But how would the culprit know that Lu JingHe would give Shen Xi chocolates?”

MC: “Ah, that’s right. Lu JingHe said he bought the chocolates on his way to the banquet. If it wasn’t planned previously, then the culprit wouldn’t have the time to prepare the toxin and the syringe.”

Mo Yi: “If it wasn’t premeditated, then what kind of person would have syringes on them at all times? One possibility is that the culprit has some kind of illness that requires self-administered medicine. The culprit would have already hatched a plot that required the use of a syringe, but upon seeing Lu JingHe gift the chocolates, they could have changed their plan on the fly to frame Lu JingHe.”

MC: “That’s so impressive, Dr. Mo! To be able to deduce all that from one syringe!”

Mo Yi: “Your praise is greatly exaggerated, this is only an occupational habit to look beyond one's actions in great detail. Regardless of the deductions, the culprit must have the chance to interact with the chocolates.”

MC: “So the person who helped Shen Xi keep the chocolates, her secretary Jiang MingYue, is very suspicious.”

(Just then, someone knocked on the door to Room 1817.)

Officer: “Dr. Mo, Jiang MingYue is ready for interrogation.”

(Jiang MingYue stood behind the officer, her head hung low. Her left hand clutched her right side, almost as if she was cold and shivering.)

Mo Yi: “Miss. Jiang, please have a seat over here.”

(Instead of gesturing to the sofa, he pulled a chair over from the writing table and even placed a throw pillow against the back of the chair. After our chat earlier, in my eyes, Jiang MingYue was a suspect. I scrutinized her as she took small steps into the room.)

MC: (Is she the real culprit?)

~~~Observation Begins~~~ 

[Observe her hand]

[Note: It’s an allergic reaction]

MC: (The red patch on the back of her hand and wrist… is that an allergic reaction? Is she allergic to alcohol? There must have been alcoholic beverages served last night at the banquet. Even the chocolates that Lu JingHe gave Shen Xi had liquor in them. What if she came into contact with alcohol after trying to tamper with the chocolates?)

(I took another glance at Jiang MingYue. The red patch on her hand was sizable.)

MC: (If the syringe accidentally brought her in contact with alcohol, the size of her skin reaction wouldn’t be this big. It’s also unlikely that she drank at the banquet unless she was unaware that she was allergic to alcohol. This is something worth questioning Jiang MingYue about.)

[Observe Her Coat]

[Note: She’s not well-off enough to change coats]

MC: (Venus Fashion is a clothing design company. Their boss's secretary must be required to dress impeccably too, right?)

(Jiang MingYue wore a dull business ensemble that was a little too big on her. The oversized clothing made her look even smaller, as if a strong gust of wind would knock her over.)

MC: (There’s no requirement that she has to wear branded clothing labels, but as a professional, shouldn’t she know not to pick clothes that don’t fit her? Unless she purchased this outfit a long time ago? If work gets busy and she isn’t eating or sleeping right, causing weight loss, perhaps she wouldn’t have time to buy new work outfits?)

[Observe Her Eyes] 

[Note: She’s scared]

MC: (When I first arrived at the hotel, I saw that Jiang MingYue was crying. Was she upset about Shen Xi’s death?)

(Suddenly, Jiang MingYue lifted her head and looked at me. Our eyes met, and Jiang MingYue hurriedly averted her gaze.)

MC: (Why would she avoid my gaze? Does she have a guilty conscience?)

(I thought back to the countless clients I had interacted with. More often than not, I notice this type of reaction.)

MC: (If not for a guilty conscience, then is it possible that she’s nervous and trying to hide something?)

[Finish Observing]

MC: (The allergic reaction and her work status are both important points to hit on during the interrogation. It may also be worth delving into whether her relationship with Shen Xi was bad or good.)

~~~Observation End~~~

(Jiang MingYue sat down on the office chair, hugged the throw pillow to her chest, and sighed after a long period of silence.)

Jiang MingYue: “You guys must be CEO Lu’s lawyers, right? Please just ask whatever you have to ask.“

MC: “Hello, Miss. Jiang, I am CEO Lu’s attorney, MC, and this is…”

(I was about to introduce Mo Yi as a psychologist, but…)

MC: (If Jiang MingYue knew that Dr. Mo was a psychologist, would she be more likely to hide the truth?)

MC: “This is the police department’s consultant, Dr. Mo.”

(After the introduction, my phone lit up. Mo Yi had sent me a text message.)

(“If you want to observe Jiang MingYue’s reaction and find the flaws in her story, I suggest you leave the questioning to me.”)

(I raised my head to look at Mo Yi just in time to see him tuck his phone into his pocket and hold his hand out to me.)

Mo Yi: “The person of interest files from the detectives, can I see those?”

MC: “Oh, okay.”

(I passed the dossier to Mo Yi, not knowing whether I should start questioning her right away or if I should wait until after Mo Yi finished reading over the documents. Mo Yi smiled warmly at me after noticing my hesitation.)

Mo Yi: “No need to wait for me, you may start the interrogation. Although, I will be interjecting during this process. For that, I apologize in advance.”

(Mo Yi nodded at us and elegantly gestured with his hand that we may start.)

MC: “Alright then, Miss Jiang, I’ll begin the interrogation.”

——-

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《CREDIT》 Translator: humi Editor: @cL QC: @hallowsivy​ 《未定事件簿》Tears of Themis is a 2020 Chinese otome game by 米哈游Mihoyo. All original credits go to 米哈游Mihoyo.

《 VOICE ACTORS 》 Mo Yi | Jiang GuangTao: https://weibo.com/jiangguangtao Yan Wei: https://weibo.com/lengquanyeyue Jiang MingYue | V17 Vila: https://weibo.com/u/7360408881

[raijinhasverybigpecs]

THE RE-UP: Tu’er Shen, the Leveret Spirit 🐇

“While other gods may proclaim endlessly over the power they have over their domains, causing no end of trouble for their fellow pantheon members and their followers as a result, Tu’er Shen patiently and quietly tends to those who request his services with unmatched loyalty and dedication.”

Name: Tu’er Shen, the Leveret Spirit​

​Pantheon: Chinese, Minor Diety​

Class: Hunter/Healer Hybrid, Medium Difficulty​

Positives: Healer, High Movement​

Negatives: Hybrid Specialisations​

please click on the read more for everything else lol

appearance details 🐇

old (above) vs new (below)

so perhaps i made him a bara rabbit after all lmao. blame the new outfit and how much better it’d look if tu’er shen has big ol bitties to work with :^) it’s still the same hair as the ears work really well with that colour but the basically the whole face has changed to be a lil more Dramatic(tm). the makeup skills have also improved with new tu’er shen rocking more subtle eyeliner alongside some very pretty and shiny pink liner. the eyes are also another major change, they’re a pretty grey as it goes nice with his hair. i still love the idea of his eyes changing colour according to his mood and grey is just a neutral mood :^) anyways, yes he looks beautiful, yes you can compliment him!

outfit details 🐇

tu’er shen now has an in-game outfit!! yay 🥳 it’s been a while coming mostly bc i have no art or visual character design skills but i’m pretty proud of how this turned out lol. it’s super cute and p goddamn chinese if i say so myself but it’s still very hoe and feels modern enough to fit smite’s standards i feel lol. big thanks to @izahunny​ (who is dead on that blog but a clown on twitter) for helping me with designing the outfit, the back layers and lil extra dress fabric for the front bottom left corner of the dress were his idea and they make everything much more balanced 🥰 i didn’t add a weapon but he’s just using a bow, i might update this later if i care enough to add that lmao

abilities 🐇

(please note that i am terrible with stats and don’t care about how viable in-game he actually is, these are just general ideas and the stats can be changed lol)

PASSIVE - Protector​

Tu’er Shen passively grants a medium range aura of regenation around him to his allies, increasing their HPS, MPS and magical and physical protections by 5% of their totals for each statistic. Additionally, Tu’er Shen gains a 3% movement speed bonus every 4 levels.​

40 unit aura radius, 5% increase of total HPS, MPS and protections​

3% bonus movement speed every 4 levels, total bonus is 12% at level 20​

ABILITY 1​ - Passion Arrow​

Tu’er Shen charges his arrows with passion, amplifying his next basic attacks with a small AOE on hit or at max basic attack range and causing them to go through minions. If Tu’er Shen hits an ally while Passion Arrow is active, he heals them for a flat amount. If an enemy is hit the charges deal increased damage on impact and if they are hit 3 times they are charmed and walk harmlessly towards Tu’er Shen for 1.5 seconds.​

Cooldown: 10 seconds

3/3/4/5/5 charges, Heal: 50/75/95/125/150 + 30% scaling​

Extra damage: 10/30/60/90/120, Mana cost: 55/60/70/75/85​

ABILITY 2​ - Matchmaker​

Tu’er Shen calls upon his matchmaking skills to select and connect two allied gods or one ally and one enemy god with each other in a 55 unit targeter. If two allies are linked then their damage is increased by 10% and they receive a heal over time. If an ally and an enemy are connected then the enemy is revealed to Tu’er Shen’s team and the enemy deals 20% less damage to their partner. Additionally, the connected ally receives 50% of their enemy partner’s healing.​

Cooldown: 20/19/18/17/16 secs​ 

Duration: 6 seconds, Heal over time: 20/25/30/35/40 + 20% scaling​

HOT ticks every 1 second, Mana cost: 50/55/60/65/70​

ABILITY 3​ - Bunny Hop​

Tu’er Shen hops in the direction he is currently travelling. If Tu’er Shen hits a wall, player-made deployable or god he bounces off the surface, doubling his movement. Additionally, enemy gods are stunned for 1 second upon impact. Tu’er Shen can store 1 charge of this ability.​

Cooldown: 14/13/12/11/10 secs

2 charges maximum, range of 55 with an amplified range of 110 units​

Damage: 100/150/200/250/300 + 100% scaling, Mana cost: 70/80/90/100/110 mana​

ULTIMATE​ - Romantic Rush​

Tu’er Shen, after a short duration, channels the full extent of his love powers, amplifying all of his basic attacks with the effects of Passion Arrow for 10 seconds. If an ally is hit and they are at full health they receive a a health shield equal to half of Passion Arrow’s healing. On enemy hit, the charm duration is doubled but they cannot be charmed again while Romantic Rush is active. The effects of Matchmaker are doubled and Tu’er Shen receives a 20% damage buff if he is linked with another male god.​

Cooldown: 80 seconds

Duration: 10 seconds​

Mana cost: 80/90/100/110/120 mana​

lore 🐇

While other gods may proclaim endlessly over the power they have over their domains, causing no end of trouble for their fellow pantheon members and their followers as a result, Tu’er Shen patiently and quietly tends to those who request his services with unmatched loyalty and dedication. For he is not a god who takes to the spotlight easily, but one who will see his responsibilities through to help and protect those who he serves, an opportunity he was once not afforded in his youth.​

​Such are the origins of Tu’er Shen, the Leveret God. ​

​Once a young man known as Hu Tianbao, he fell deeply in love with a handsome imperial inspector of Fujian Province. Such was the intensity of his love that he looked upon the inspector while he bathed, peering at him through a bathroom wall. Tianbao was caught in the act, confessing his sincere affections for the other man in hopes of reaching an understanding. The inspector was quick to retaliate in violence, sentencing him to death by beating.

Underworld officials, seeing his crime as one of love, sought to justify his death by appointing him the god and safe guarder of homosexual affections. A month after his death, he appeared in the dreams of a man from his hometown – not as Hu Tianbao but reborn as Tu’er Shen. From this came the erection of a humble shrine for his worship and Tu’er Shen has dutifully served those who seek him ever since.​

​The battlefield of the gods is a strange place to find Tu’er Shen, usually one so far removed from the world of ugly violence and mindless bloodshed. Even so, perhaps love can soothe and heal the wounds caused by the warring of pantheons, or maybe it can even help end the war in some way. Knowing firsthand the true cost of thoughtless hate and violence, Tu’er Shen picks up his bow in the hope that he can protect even one person of those who cannot protect themselves in the war of the gods.

voicelines 🐇

god selection

“Tu’er Shen!” (duh)

introduction

“Is anyone in need of my services?”

“Let’s see what I can do.”

“Wonder if there are any cute gods around? Wait, no! Work first, then play later!”

“In their own ways, everyone here is fighting for love.”

(this isn’t an official one but as a joke it was highly entertaining) “Come on Season 6 let’s get sickening!”

abilities

ability 1 - passion arrow

“Fallen for me yet?”

“I’ve got you!”

“Coming for your heart!”

ability 2 - matchmaker

self/ally match - male gods only

“Our connection is strong.”

“Let your heart speak to me.”

self/ally match - general

“Together we’re stronger.”

“I’ve got your back.”

ally/ally match

“You’d make a good pair.”

“Another successful match.”

ally/enemy

“Swipe left next time!”

“This’ll end badly.”

ability 3 - bunny hop

“Excuse me!”

“Coming through!”

ability 4/ultimate - romantic rush

“Feel the love!”

low health

“I will not give in just yet.”

“I don’t mind playing rough, but this is a bit too much even for me…”

items

when placing wards

“Reveal their hearts to me little ward.”

“Any romantic confessions I should be aware of?”

when buying consumables

“Isn’t this interesting?”

“The colour is lovely.”

when buying offensive items

“I don’t want to harm others but if I must.”

“Love hurts indeed…”

when buying defensive items

“Will this protect my ears?”

“Hope this won’t slow me down.”

“Even the gods have to use a little protection.”

kills

when in a killstreak

“I can heal them later on, right?”

“Love never misses its mark.”

when killing a jungle boss

“That creature was awfully big…”

“Thank you for your sacrifice.”

when destroying a tower

“Love conquers all, man and structure alike.”

“Ack, that’s so loud!”

death

“You’ll never kill my spirit…”

“Love is eternal…”

directed voicelines

Aphrodite - “It’s a great honour to finally meet the goddess of love, I have much to learn from you.”​

Cupid - “Speaking from... past experiences, it seems as though you should work on your aim.”​

Jing Wei & Xing Tian - “I admire your perseverance in the face of insurmountable odds, we are not too dissimilar in that way.”​

Loki - “If you haven’t already, I suggest you pay Chiron a visit at some point. He is single after all...”​

Bellona - “Any luck asking Amaterasu out yet? She’s still waiting for you to make a move you know..”​

Raijin - “I’m willing to bet you’re more satisfying in bed than you are an opponent on the battlefield.”​

Bacchus - “I’m not the drinking type... but perhaps you’d like to come in for tea?’​

Achilles - “How’s Patroclus doing? Maybe you should spar with him more often, you’ve gotten rusty.”​

Apollo - “Playing the lyre isn’t the only thing you make look easy.”​

Ravana - “When I see you, the term ‘rope bunny’ comes to mind...”​

jokes

“I hope Cupid doesn’t get jealous of all the time I’m spending with Aphrodite…”​

“Technically I’m not this closely associated with actual rabbits, but the aesthetic was too cute to pass up.”​

“Considering what I’ve been through, I think I’ve earnt the right to proud of who I am.”​

“It is technically homophobia if you hit me. Just saying.”​

“The Jade Rabbit? He’s certainly cute... but I think there’s another rabbit who’s cuter.”​

taunts

Animation: Tu’er Shen draws a neon heart in the air, shooting an arrow through it shortly after.

“[Yawns] I think I might have a nap, perhaps that’ll give you a chance to catch up.”​

“You have an awfully big weapon there, are you compensating for something?”​

“I’ll show you why they say love hurts.”​

“Fighting for your overblown ego isn’t a good reason to wage war.”​

“Take it from a matchmaker, I don’t think anyone’s standards are low enough for you.”​

skin concepts 🐇

new tu’er shen body

floral fairy

squeaky clean, night corps, bunny server

country cowboy, casual, devilish

old tu’er shen body

kitsune, spring revelry, leather bunny

hello nurse, debonair devil 

old notes 🐇

this concept is super inspired by Kaios’ concept for Tu’er Shen (which you’ll find linked in the description of this post), i loved his ideas for rabbit lad and wanted to add more to the concept. my final kit concept is a lil bit similar but i think i’ve changed enough for it to not be a copy lmao. anyways, i’ve wanted a hunter support since i played tyrande a while ago in heroes of the storm. she was super fun and the mix of dealing strong consistent damage and still being able to support allies is something i’d kill to have in smite​

​tu’er shen is also a really cool god, and recently I’ve been prokoved by my mutuals making lots of god concepts when i haven’t made any in a very long time lol (if you remember my other smite oc you’re a real stan). obvs i don’t think hi-rez would do him justice and gamerbros would totally complain about the Gays™ shoving their unsatiable need for Representation™ down their throats and what not but it’s still a fun concept regardless!

new notes 🐇

he’s back and 10x beefier and sluttier looking than ever lmao. the self-insert squad may be missing plenty of people (y’all better come back like...) but it’d be a waste of time and effort to not do more with tu’er shen. also i love him so! i’m still kinda sad over twink tu’er shen being replaced by bara tu’er shen but it’s for the best, he’s v handsome now and big ol bitties in that dress? iconic. he does fit better into the male cast, the added beef makes him more attractive to basically everyone (he’s serving taric teas now lol) and he was a soldier so there’s plenty of reasons to make him a hunk. anyways... i don’t have much to say about the outfit than it’s flawless lol. it was interesting and p fun to make although i always feel awkward about posting drawn stuff in a serious context. it’s weird but i’m happy about the final product 🥰 i’ll try to write more stuff about him soon but don’t expect too much lol

links/resources 🐇

personal

headcanons (they’re a lil outdated in reference to his body lol)

tu’er shen’s tag

original post

my smite oc tag

other

kaios’ super cool concept for tu’er shen you should check out as it’s cooler than mine lol. his art of tu’er shen goes full furry and it’s kinda cute ngl

other links you can read for more information about tu’er shen: 1, 2

a beautiful short film about tu’er shen helping a guy accept his sexuality, gore warning towards the end

thanks for reading if you got to the end! please send asks or whatever, i’m dying for any excuse to talk about him lmao 🐇

[willowcatkinblossom]

It’s not too bad, the first few days after Kunlun disappears.

There’s a part of Shen Wei that wonders if it was all a dream. Because somehow, the thought that it was never real is less painful. It’s less painful to have never had it in the first place, than to have lost it.

Not having a choice is sometimes better.

Kunlun appeared so suddenly—so abruptly in more ways than one. He had said to Shen Wei, if I disappear someday without saying goodbye, know that we will meet again.

He should have realized that the first half was just as much of a promise as the latter half. But promises, no matter what shape they take, are beautiful when time is scarce. It’s the certainty that it provides that is alluring—the possibility of another day.

To the place I belong, Kunlun had said that night. And Shen Wei had thought that maybe, maybe if he tried hard enough, he could convince him to stay. It’s almost unfair, how obvious Kunlun had been about his eventual departure.

Appearing with a strange weapon and speaking of foreign and unfamiliar skies, Kunlun’s words were hard to believe. He remembers the distant constellations Kunlun mapped through the night sky anyway. He keeps the candy wrapper. He traces the strokes Kunlun had added to the ‘Wei’ in his name until they’re neat and perfect, as though he’ll forget it without practice.

Because there’s nothing else to keep permanent. So, he’ll believe in the changing night sky, the sweet taste that lingers in his mouth, and the voice that echoes in his mind.

When the time comes to decide, he chooses to believe. Even if part of him wonders if he should have tried harder, because for someone whose presence was so transient, Kunlun has managed to anchor Shen Wei in way he had never felt before. How could I have done the same?

It’s almost restricting now. Like staining a cloth with a dark, dark shade that will never wash out. But there must be a better description, because it doesn’t feel like it’s irreversible. It’s something he wants to hold on to. Shen Wei has been grounded in those fleeting, brittle moments.

He keeps track at first. He keeps track of every day, every moment, that he makes it through. He’s not sure when it starts to blur. It’s when he’s searching and searching until there’s a moment when he can’t remember what it was that he was looking for. It was important. It was irreplaceable. It was unforgettable—until it wasn’t.

Who are you? he asks himself. He must have lost something that would have told him. He continues searching, but it’s hard to look for something when you don’t know what you’re looking for.  

When it comes back, he realizes how much knowing can hurt. It comes back in pieces and remnants so fine, it’s difficult to piece together. It’s the smell of dust and the breeze at the highest point of a cliff. It’s reaching out for something that is already gone and wishing for it to return. Each fragment is achingly familiar until he finally remembers.

But now, thousands of years past their first meeting, Shen Wei begins to wonder if Kunlun is looking for him as well. Because Shen Wei doesn’t feel like he belongs anywhere. There never was anywhere until he met Kunlun. But Kunlun is different—to the place I belong. Perhaps, it’s already been too long, and Shen Wei has passed by that moment and place long ago.

He doesn’t stop searching.

[windlion]

Black Rainbow

It’s not the first time they meet, but it is once more than Shen Wei thought would ever be possible.  It won’t be the last.

----- He’d always been a strong swimmer.  The water didn’t care.  

Falling.  His stomach turned as light as his limbs went heavy, his heart hammering in his ears through the roar like dragons.  False calm blanked his thoughts as he turned his head into the buffet of the wind and spray, struck by the incongruous beauty of the blue sky and mountain spires that would likely be his last sight.

Beauty never lasted. The calm shattered upon the rocks below; white spray and froth swallowed him before he could even see the rounded molars of boulders he’d be ground upon.  

Impact.   Cold water, tumbling, fleeting flashes of heat where flesh and bone struck rock.  

Light and fury turned to dark, muted pressure, and as suddenly as the vise grip of the river had seized him, he was released.  He’d never been the kind to face death blindly, so he opened his eyes into the gloom. Sunlight filtered through the water from high above, illuminating bubbles floating away.

And hanging suspended in the water overhead, a silhouette of long, sinuous curves, like a dragon in the sky.  It didn't even occur to him to panic.  Instead, laughter shook him.  He knew he would never die a boring death.  His involuntary bubbles floated upwards, sweeping past the shape of the dragon's head as it darted down towards his outstretched hand.  

Instead of fangs, the flash of white resolved into ivory-pale skin, the dragon's mane a cloud of silk framing clean lines that should have belonged to a painting in a palace.  

Ahh, so his last sight in this life would be of beauty after all.   He woke to sun warm on his face and the certainty that he was being watched.  Considering he was still alive, stretched out on his back on what felt like thick grass, that was a marked improvement over the previous situation.  He was missing his armor and weapons, stripped down to cloth that was drying quickly in the breeze.  He risked a furtive glance through his lashes, catching a glimpse of the riverbank and long green grasses moving as something pale ducked back into the water like a shy otter.

Ahh, a shame; he'd wanted another look.  His rescuer had stayed to see him awaken, though, and that was promising.  He made a show of stretching and slowly waking up, subtly testing his body for injuries.  He felt. . . a bit tired, some lingering soreness, but remarkably well for a man who'd been swept downriver a kilometer or two before a legendarily tall waterfall.  His clothes looked a bit worse for the wear where he recalled hitting branches and rocks, but the skin underneath it was intact.  

Not just rescued, healed.  He scanned the area, taking in the river bank, the gentler flow of water at the river bend, the copse of trees that would shield him from view from a distance.  No signs of people.   He could still hear the waterfall itself, a roar that rumbled steadily in the background, and he thought he might hear a bit of rustling still.  

He slowly propped himself up on his elbows, pitching his voice to carry, low and friendly, "I survived the falls.  This must be a miracle.  I wonder what deity I owe my thanks to."

Now that he sat up, he could see his boots were sitting next to him on a flat rock, then the armor laid out neatly to dry, and his weapons on the other side. Easy to find but out of immediate reach, and closer to the water than to him.  So: benevolent but not too trusting.  He approved.

A man's voice answered him from the grasses, closer than he thought, "You would know of miracles, Kunlun-jun."

His eyebrows shot upward.  In a story, this would be where the hero would easily claim the legendary name, to trick further favors out of the gullible spirit, until the hero was able to steal away with its treasure.  Or its head.  That seemed like a poor way to repay the favor.  "If you were fishing for gods, I'm afraid you've caught something much smaller.  I'm just a man."

"But you are Kunlun."  Stubborn, his savior, and sharp about it.

He laughed, shaking thick hair out of his face. "An easy mistake to make, I'm sure." He pushed himself to his knees, sweeping aside the grass so he had a clear view of the water.  "I'm just me."

To his elation, the beauty didn't retreat, and stayed where he was braced on his arms against the river bank.  With moon-pale skin, lithe lines, and a wild sweep of ink-black hair, he was a lovely vision of a court lord from the waist up.  And from the hips down. . .  He had been close, thinking dragon.  That was definitely a sweep of iridescent black scales vanishing into the water, with a flutter of fins that reminded him of long black sleeves in silk so thin as to be translucent.  

As much as he stared, the beauty stared back in bold challenge, close enough to touch.  

He waited.  He would wait as long as he needed to.  

At last, the name came.  "Shen Wei."

He smiled and bowed from his knees, "I am fortunate to meet you, Shen Wei."

[onemuseleft]

Untitled Guardian fic, 1/1

Fill #2 for @placidia

#6: “Is there a reason you’re naked in my bed?”

Pairing: Weilan Warnings: Lots of shmoopy fluff

~

By the time Shen Wei realized the time it was nearly eight in the evening. 

“I have to go,” he said, accidentally interrupting one of his dinner companions. “I didn’t realize the time. Excuse me, please.”

“No, Shen Wei, stay a little longer.” Jiang Yue pouted at him from across the table. She and the half dozen other people who had joined him for dinner were all current or former colleagues who were attending the Annual Biological Sciences conference in Phoenix City. He hadn’t seen some of them in years, and was enjoying the opportunity to socialize. 

“Yes,” Lin Cheng, a professor at one of the private Phoenix City colleges, said. “I don’t know about all of you, but I’m up for a drink or two. We can continue this in the bar.”

“Shen Wei doesn’t drink,” Jiang Yue said. “But I bet the lounge has coffee and tea. Come on, Shen Wei, stay a while longer, we don’t get to hang out much anymore now that we aren’t students.”

“And I want to pick your brain some more on the Dixingren and Yashou situation,” one of the others piped up. “We’ll all have years of work to do to catch up with you!”

“I would love to,” Shen Wei said, and it was even the truth. He’d been enjoying himself a great deal, but he had other, more pressing, commitments. “But I promised my husband I would call every night. Perhaps another time?”

Lin Cheng groaned. “You newlyweds,” he said pointing between Shen Wei and Jiang Yue. “All romance, no time for us boring old folks.”

“None at all,” Jiang Yue agreed cheerfully. “Shen Wei! You didn’t tell me you’d gotten married. Is this your policeman?”

Shen Wei could feel the blush heating his cheeks. It was an embarrassing slip of the tongue - he had long since thought of Zhao Yunlan as his spouse, but he’d never said so out loud before. Haixingren were so particular about such things - it wasn’t enough to decide it amongst yourselves, you had to file paperwork and get the government’s permission. He needed to be more careful. “Yes, Zhao Yunlan. You’ve met him a few times.” 

The rest of the table sent him off with some lighthearted teasing and a promise to continue the conversation over breakfast the next day. 

Whatever social energy had kept him going through the evening started to wear off as he made his way to the elevator. He was enjoying seeing old friends and colleagues, and the conference itself was packed with information and presentation - the very recent revelation of the existence of Dixingren and Yashou had everyone talking, and Shen Wei’s expertise and research was now in high demand. And yet if he had been given the choice to leave, he would have taken it in an instant. 

This was the first time he and Zhao Yunlan had been parted for so long since Shen Wei had found him again. Even including the time he had been Ye Zun’s prisoner in Dixing, they hadn’t been apart more than a few days in the last year. Shen Wei had expected to miss him, but he’d been struck by how much.

It wasn’t as if he didn’t have practice, he thought ruefully. He’d lived long, lonely years looking for Kunlun, and managed to get by, but now that he had him, spoke with him on the phone every evening, knew where he was and could return to him at any time if he truly needed to - now he couldn’t sleep without Zhao Yunlan’s soft breath in his ear. Perhaps most ridiculously, the hotel bed springs didn’t squeak every time he moved, and the silence had literally woken him twice the night before.

Truly he’d been spoiled.

He paused at the door to his room and thought wistfully for a moment, of how easily he could walk through this door, into a gate and be in Zhao Yunlan’s embrace in only a few seconds.

It was an appealing fantasy and he let his mind linger on the way Zhao Yunlan’s arms would feel wrapped around him. But a gate over such a distance would exhaust a large amount of his dark energy, and there was a risk he wouldn’t be able to reproduce the effort in time to make tomorrow morning’s presentation. 

Plus, there was a part of him that worried Zhao Yunlan would be - not unhappy to see him, exactly. It was only that they spent so much time together, and perhaps Zhao Yunlan had been looking forward to a little time to himself. Perhaps he’d had plans to see old friends, or have dinner with his father, or even sit around the apartment in his underwear, drinking too much and not doing the dishes the way he had before Shen Wei moved in. 

The thought was still tempting though. Shen Wei allowed himself a small sigh of regret, and let himself into the room.

He removed his shoes, and hung his bag on the back of the door before shrugging out of his jacket. The light of the city came in through the open window and he crossed the room to stand there for a moment, taking in the view for a moment before he reached for the room phone. Zhao Yunlan had made him promise to call every night at 8pm, and Shen Wei had no intention of missing him. 

He dialed Zhao Yunlan’s mobile, and settled down in the chair by the window.

A phone rang inside his room.

A spike of adrenaline had him on his feet with his weapon in his hand even as his mind consciously recognized the ringtone as the same one on Zhao Yunlan’s phone. 

And then his eyes landed on the bed.

“Hello, baobei,” Zhao Yunlan said. He was lying on his side, his head propped up on his fist, and he was completely, gloriously nude. Shen Wei’s heart beat a little more heavily in his chest at the sight of him.

The bed was hidden from the front door by a partition so it couldn’t be seen from the hallway - that and the relative darkness was the only reason Shen Wei could give for not having seen him immediately.  He realized the phone was still ringing and carefully replaced the room phone, then banished the glaive with a wave of his hand. 

“Zhao Yunlan,” he said, carefully hiding his smile. “Is there a reason you’re naked in my bed?”

Zhao Yunlan affected a dramatic pout. “Aren’t you glad to see me?”

He was teasing, of course he was, but Shen Wei wasn’t sure he had it in him to deny it. “Always,” he said. He crossed the room toward the bed and Zhao Yunlan’s pout dissolved into a wide smile. “I just wasn’t expecting to see you so soon.”

Zhao Yunlan held out his hand and Shen Wei took it, let himself be tugged down onto the bed and into Zhao Yunlan’s arms. “I missed you,” Zhao Yunlan confessed, nuzzling into his throat. “I didn’t want to go three more days before I could see you again.” He sighed, his breath warm under Shen Wei’s chin, then pulled back to look him in the eye. “I probably should have asked first. If you had something planned for the rest of the night I can-”

“You,” Shen Wei interrupted. “My only plan for the evening was to hear your voice.” He ran his palm down Zhao Yunlan’s spine and pressed his hand to the small of Zhao Yunlan’s back, pulling him a little more firmly into his embrace. “I missed you, too.”

“Yeah?” Zhao Yunlan kissed him, slow and lazily. “I’m glad.” 

They lay there for a long moment, exchanging soft kisses. Shen Wei couldn’t quite stop his hands from roaming, fingers drawn to the warmth of Zhao Yunlan’s bare skin. Zhao Yunlan, for his part, seemed content to pull Shen Wei half on top of him like a blanket, hooking his ankle around the back of Shen Wei’s leg to hold him there. His fingers slipped into the front of Shen Wei’s shirt, slowly undoing each button. The brush of his fingers over Shen Wei’s bare skin made gooseflesh rise on his arms and he could feel himself begin to harden. 

“I almost came to you,” Shen Wei admitted. He was interrupted by another kiss, and his attention diverted by the taste of bitter coffee on Zhao Yunlan’s mouth. “I wanted to. I thought about it all day.”

“Good,” Zhao Yunlan said fiercely as he pulled Shen Wei’s shirt open and shoved it off his shoulders. “If you hadn’t missed me at least a little bit I’d have cried my eyes out.” He rocked his hips up into Shen Wei’s even as he dragged Shen Wei’s head down into another kiss, deeper and hungrier than the previous ones. 

The idea was preposterous. Foreign. Shen Wei missed him when he had to work late - a week’s separation was like being told to live with half his heart in another city. “Always,” he said, pulling back just enough to help Zhao Yunlan get his belt unbuckled. Zhao Yunlan pulled his pants open, shoved them down his hips and then they were pressed together again, moving together again, and there was no room for anything else in his thoughts.

It was much later when Zhao Yunlan sighed, a deep gust of breath that moved his whole body in Shen Wei’s arms. “Maybe in a few years I’ll be less clingy and you can enjoy an entire weekend away without me showing up uninvited.” He shifted his head on the pillow until he could nudge Shen Wei’s nose with his own. His eyes glittered a little in the moonlight, and his smile was soft and a little rueful. “Probably not, though. I’m probably always going to want you close to me. Do you think a few years from now you’ll still want to spend time with a clingy slob who breaks into your hotel rooms while you’re trying to work?”

Shen Wei cupped the back of Zhao Yunlan’s head, cradled it gently against his palm. He remembered his earlier thoughts that Zhao Yunlan might want a break from him, his regret that they couldn’t be together for the night, the urgency with which he anticipated their next phone call. He shook his head, and pressed his mouth against Zhao Yunlan’s for a moment, enjoying the press of lips, the way Zhao Yunlan’s parted beneath his without hesitation. 

“Would you like to get married?” Shen Wei asked, whisper soft, the words spoken against Zhao Yunlan’s mouth.

Zhao Yunlan’s eyes widened. “Are you just asking that because I’m being clingy, or-”

“Earlier today, I was talking about you with my friends.” Shen Wei kissed him lightly. “I called you my husband by mistake. It didn’t feel like a mistake,” he said forcefully. “It was right. It was what I wanted to be true. I’d have us bound so we could never truly be parted, no matter how far apart we are.”

Zhao Yunlan’s arms tightened around him. “We already are,” he said, and then Shen Wei was lost in his kiss again.

****

The next morning Zhao Yunlan convinced him that sharing a shower would be more efficient, which meant they were nearly twenty minutes late to breakfast. 

“Hello, everyone,” said Shen Wei as he approached the table. “Forgive me for being late. I had some unexpected company.” He rested his hand on the small of Zhao Yunlan’s back. “I believe some of you have already met my husband?”

[onemuseleft]

So there was the Meet Cute Prompt List and I couldn’t resist. Here’s #13, for @musicalluna: “Accidentally opening a door on their face.”

Fandom: Guardian Pairing: Shen Wei/Zhao Yunlan Warning: Minor mention of blood. Alternate first meeting. *Note that this spoils some stuff that isn’t revealed until toward the end of the show.*

~~

Shen Wei was on his way to his afternoon lecture when a visitor walked into his office.

Unfortunately, he was reaching for the door handle when said visitor barged in without knocking, hitting Shen Wei in the face with the edge of the door and knocking him back several steps into the room. His glasses hit the floor with a clatter and he pressed a hand over his nose, which he could already feel starting to swell. 

"Shit!" The voice was strangely familiar and vaguely muffled, as if he was trying to talk around a mouthful. "I'm so sorry, Professor, I should have knocked. Are you all right?" A hand touched the back of Shen Wei's hand, very gently. "Here, let me see."

Shen Wei tried to wave him off with his free hand. "No, no, I’m fine." He couldn't see much around the hand clutching at his nose, but he saw long legs in ripped denim, and black motorcycle boots. He risked just the smallest touch of dark energy to heal the fracture, but resigned himself to the fact that he'd have to let the rest of it alone - the door had hit him too hard to believably come away without even a bruise. He sighed a little. His students were going to want to hear the story. All of them. 

"Come over here, sit down." His attacker took him by the upper arms and guided him toward his desk. Shen Wei didn't resist, letting himself be settled into one of the guest chairs in front of his desk. "Lean forward," the man said. "It looks like you're bleeding a little."

Shen Wei could feel a hint of wetness on his upper lip, now that it had been brought to his attention. Wonderful. "There's a handkerchief in my bag," Shen Wei said. He leaned forward a little, hoping he hadn't gotten any blood on his shirt. He couldn't go to class covered in blood, the bruising would be bad enough. "If you wouldn't mind-" 

"Of course." The stranger darted away and came back with Shen Wei's satchel. "Here you go - " He had it open and was rummaging around in it one-handed. Shen Wei would normally object the liberty, but his face was starting to throb in time with his pulse and he mostly just wanted to rewind time five minutes. He made a mental note to check the Dixing Book and see if anyone had developed time travel capabilities in the years since he'd last checked.

The man found one of the handkerchiefs Shen Wei kept tucked inside the inner pocket. "Here, here, hold on-" Shen Wei reached for it, but the man bypassed his hand entirely and carefully pressed the fabric against his nose. Shen Wei braced himself for a flash of pain, but the stranger was careful, pressing gently around his upper lip and wiping away the blood left there from the collision with the door. "Okay, this doesn't look too bad," the man said. "A little banged up, but none the worse for wear in the long run. I don't think it's bleeding anymore either." There was a brief pause as he gave one last quick pat with the cloth, then he added, a little ruefully, "Already starting to swell up though. Let me get some ice, that'll help."

"I really need to get to class," Shen Wei demurred. "I'm sure it will be fine." 

"You can't leave that untreated," the man said firmly. "I'm going to get some ice, there has to be a kitchen or a drink machine around here somewhere. Stay there, I'll be right back." 

"I really do - my students-" Shen Wei's objections were soundly ignored as the man strode off before Shen Wei could even finish speaking. He sighed a little, touched at the bridge of his nose carefully to make sure it wasn't more damaged than he'd thought. He scanned the room quickly to make sure the man was truly gone, then summoned another pulse of healing energy to make sure the bleeding was done with and to keep the swelling from getting any worse. A glance at the clock on the wall showed he was officially late for class for the first time in years.

He checked his shirt and the front of his pants, but apparently he hadn't bled enough to make a mess, a minor blessing, all things considered. The bloody handkerchief was sitting on the edge of his desk and he carefully folded it and tucked it away in his bag to be cleaned. He hesitated for a moment, feeling a little bad about leaving before the stranger came back, but he really did need to be in class, and he had tried to stop him from leaving, after all. 

Decided, he grabbed his bag and was heading for the door when the stranger barged in again. 

This time Shen Wei was just far enough away to catch the edge of the door with his hand before it struck him. There was a brief pause while they both blinked at the door and contemplated the near miss. "That was close," the stranger said. He sounded rueful, but there was an edge of amusement in his voice, a hint of laughter that stirred something in the back of Shen Wei's mind. "Professor, I'd really appreciate it if you took a step back before I come in. I already feel pretty guilty about damaging such a handsome face - I think I'd have to die of shame if I actually broke your pretty nose."

Shen Wei schooled his features into his sternest expression, the one that cowed rowdy crowds of first years in seconds without a word spoken, and met the stranger's eyes. 

Kunlun was standing before him, a sheepish smile on his lips, and a lollipop sticking out of the corner of his mouth. 

Shen Wei's heart kicked against the inside of his ribs, painfully hard so that Shen Wei actually pressed a hand to his chest. His breath stuttered in his lungs, and he felt light-headed. 

Kunlun frowned. "Professor? Are you okay?" 

He looked different, of course he did. His hair was shorter, styled in the modern fashion and brushed forward to fall over his eyes. His beard was shorter, trimmed closer to the face. And his clothing was modern, a brown leather jacket and cream colored shirt over the denim (intentionally ripped, not worn - Shen Wei didn't understand that particular fashion trend. Clothing was expensive, why would you purchase it already damaged?)

Shen Wei could smell grass, and mountain air. He could hear the clash of weapons on the battlefield. He could taste Kunlun's last kiss, feel the last embrace of his arms, hear the echo of his voice calling out to Shen Wei as the Hallows tore them apart.

He'd nearly given up hope - ten thousand years he'd slept and he'd known, he'd thought he'd accepted, that there was every chance he'd missed any chance of their reunion in the intervening millennia. But he'd hoped, nonetheless, kept that hope alive because letting it die meant letting Kunlun die. As long as he had hope, then there was a chance Kunlun yet lived, somewhere Shen Wei might find him again. 

And now he was here. 

"Professor?" Kunlun asked again. His voice was so familiar now, despite the lollipop, and the edge of concern in his voice was so familiar, so Kunlun. It was the tone Shen Wei had heard after every battle, after every scouting mission - every time they parted and reunited, Kunlun would reach for him and check that he was alright. Shen Wei hadn't realized how intensely he'd missed that feeling, that comfort of knowing someone cared for him that much, and now it threatened to overwhelm him. 

Kunlun, for his part, was starting to look worried. "I think you should sit down. Did I hit you again? Is your head hurting?" He planted a hand in Shen Wei's back and started guiding him back toward the desk. 

"I'm all right," he said. "I'm fine. You -" he swallowed whatever he was going to say next, he doesn't even know what it would have been. "You startled me. I wasn't expecting to see you there."

"I said I'd be right back." Kunlun flashed him a quick smile, but firmly steered Shen Wei back to the chair. "Here, I got you ice." He had a small plastic bag clutched in his left hand, Shen Wei noticed. He had no idea how he'd managed to procure ice so quickly, but he ignored that fact in favor of drinking in the sight of the man before him. Kunlun urged him to sit and Shen Wei did. He felt almost dumb. If Kunlun had asked him to jump out a window in that moment he might have done it. 

"All right, hold still." Kunlun carefully pressed the bag against Shen Wei's face, against the side of his nose and right cheek, which had taken the brunt of the door's damage. "I know it's cold, but I want to make sure the swelling doesn't get too bad." He tipped his head to the side and gave Shen Wei a coy grin, tracing his tongue over his lower lip. "I couldn't live with myself if I permanently marred such a nice face."

Shen Wei wanted to grab him by the front of the shirt and drag Kunlun into his lap. He wanted to devour him, to bite that lip until it was bruised and swollen. He wanted to touch and he didn't care how. He reached up and curled his fingers around Zhao Yunlan's wrist. He drew in a shuddering breath at the touch of his skin, slid his fingers over Kunlun's wrist until he could feel the steady beat of his pulse.

"It'll be fine," he said. "Thank you. I-" He met Kunlun's eyes and couldn't stop himself from smiling at him. Kunlun smiled back, friendly and warm, and more than a little interested. 

But unfamiliar. Unknowing. That wasn't the smile of an old lover and dear friend. It was a man meeting another man. Nothing more. 

Shen Wei's chest ached, but he breathed through it. Kunlun lived, and walked the earth, and had come back to Shen Wei. It was more than he'd hoped for just that morning. 

It was more than enough. 

"I don't think we've met," he said.