#dan: O:

[radiation]

[ryuucha]

General Gotta Catch Them All

[braisedhoney]

the fundamental problem

[keyotos]

loved you every single day

summary ⎯ what is love for the xianzhou guys? that's basically it. very sappy and tender and sentimental.

includes ⎯ dan heng, blade, jing yuan

tana's words ⎯ hi...

dan heng

⎯ dan heng had a vague understanding of what love felt like. before the astral express, he never really knew what love really felt like due to memory loss. but he learned, eventually.

⎯ he found love when himiko always offered to make another coffee cup for him (this time, with the blend he enjoys). he found love whenever march/stelle would check on him during the late hours of the night, knowing he'd be buried in books. he found love whenever welt offered to shoulder the burdens of keeping watch during trailblazing missions.

⎯ but he has never felt love like this before. not with you anyway.

⎯ there was a sense of loyalty he had for you. of course, he was obviously also loyal to the crew, but it was different with you.

⎯ you made him want to follow you towards the end of the universe. you made him want to run with you into the light or whatever awaits the both of you later on. he was willing to do all of it.

⎯ why? a lame question to ask, he thinks. there are hundreds of reasons why, and he could list them easily. was your smile and the way it instantly warmed an entire room enough reason? or should he add onto the fact that you were practically made of stardust and cosmic radiance? that you have some kind of miraculous or even transcendental ability to string words so brilliantly that it manages to calm the harshest of voices down?

⎯ and love was scary for dan heng, at first. there were too many hindrances and difficulties in his life. for one, he could not let you get caught up in his past. he wouldn't: he would make sure of it. for two, he wasn't very used to love.

⎯ yeah, there was the express crew. but there was also you. dan heng thought that he would spend the rest of his life alone. he still has not settled into his room on the express because he reasoned that he'd stay until the archives until he was ready to leave. but you challenged all of that.

⎯ how is it that one person could make him want to stay by their side forever? how is it that you have such an enormous effect on him, yet you aren't even aware of it? every wall or barrier he's put up, you've always managed to erode it down. you allowed him to be vulnerable and you allowed him to be carefree. you allowed him to relax. to breathe.

⎯ loving you, was to breathe, for dan heng. you were the gasp of air that he needed while he was drowning beneath the waters. finally being able to decompress and unwind; he felt lighter around you. less stressed, less worried. less stoic. less somber.

⎯ he has never even thought of love like that before he had met you. but you changed him. and he is eternally grateful for that. eternally grateful for you. you are his home, his safe space, his sanctuary of security.

⎯ so he repays you often. he knows what kind of tea you drink and how to make it by heart. he makes a cup for you every morning. you have your own shelf in his archive. hell, you have your own damn space in there as well. there's an indent of you in every corner of every room.

⎯ or maybe, dan heng is so accustomed to you that he sees you in everything.

⎯ he lets you read from his shoulder. he has a shelf filled with all your favorite books from various worlds in his archives. he lets you sleep on his body rather than the flacid mattress on the ground, because he wants to keep you as comfortable as you've kept him. his fingers trace your body every night you stay with him, to ensure that you are safe and you are here, and he is home.

"are you sure you're comfortable like this?" you ask, situated on top of dan heng's body. you're partly afraid that you'll crush him with your entire body weight on him, and that his back would hurt after tonight, "wouldn't it just be smarter to crash in my room instead?"

his chest rises and falls underneath you, getting slower and slower as time goes by, "if you'd like. we can go."

you bite the inside of your lip in thought. it would be safer to do so, for both your and dan heng's safety. but, to be honest, you were very comfortable and tired. "is your back gonna be okay after this?"

"it'll be fine," he brushes off, "besides, you've been sleeping on me for the past few nights now. i can handle one more night."

"huh???"

blade (contains lore spoilers)

⎯ love was something blade has always lived without. as a child, with war and battles as a constant on his homeworld, there wasn't any room for affection or anything similar.

⎯ but then you came along, practically shaking his entire world. there you were, dragging him off to drink god awful mung bean soda. to force him to go outside on days where he was over-occupied with work. to let him enjoy something for once in a while. to let him rub his thumb over yours in the quiet hours of the night, forgetting about work and all other duties.

⎯ he had never thought that loving could be so easy until he met you. it seemed as though time would stop in his tracks whenever he saw you. blade thought it was a myth coming from romance novels (one he had heard from you, ironically enough), but it proved to be, in fact, real.

⎯ and everything was easy. up until everything wasn't. it was one thing, then the other. baiheng passed, jingliu was extremely distraught. it was wearying to see everything go so downhill, so fast. nobody was ever the same after that period.

⎯ yet even after all that, you still had the same look in your eye. you looked at blade the same way you looked at him all those years ago. so much has changed between the both of you, and you know that the both of you would never be able to return to the past.

⎯ though, even after all of that, some things remained the same. for example, the way you never failed to take his breath away. seeing you for the first time in years had him going through a plethora of feelings: distraught, appalled, and slightly less dejected.

⎯ but most importantly, there were still parts of the other's heart still beating for each other. even if you couldn't love him anymore, you still cared about him. you cared about him the same way you did all those years ago.

⎯ you went out of your way to find him. you went out of your way to offer him solace, even if it was for one last time. why? he didn't want to know, he didn't want to ask. he has a mission: he has to pursue it, always. nevertheless, he still found himself underneath the sun's rays, as it managed to follow him wherever, saying, "i'm here. even if you don't see me sometimes, i am still here."

⎯ and if you still cared... well, there was still hope, right?

he's leaning over a rail, looking over the xianzhou skies and the starskiffs racing by. he hasn't been back in ages. it feels... strange; it feels as if he's experiencing his first day all over again.

blade is so fascinated by the sight that he fails to hear your footsteps come closer, now reaching his side. he only hears you after you clear your throat. he's startled, for obvious reasons: but, when he sees you hold up a mung bean soda in surrender, he's surprised at how fast the panic dies down.

"aren't you going to arrest me?" he took a step back from you. you didn't move, but instead held out the drink.

"i could," you dragged out, checking your watch, "but... i'm not on duty," the corners of your lips turn up ever so slightly, like you were happy at the fact that you were having a drink with a criminal. you pull open the tab and take a sip, then offer it towards him.

he blankly stares at your hand. remembers the feeling of it in his. now, his mind is skewed. maybe even grotesque if he wanted to sound dreadful about it. but there are few happy memories he can recall, as well as the feelings during them, and it seems like you are recreating one of them currently. and oddly enough, there are no feelings of bitterness that follow him this time.

he takes and drinks the mung bean soda, and to his surprise, it’s not as bad as it was many years ago. maybe it was because your lips were on it, or maybe it’s because the once atrocious drink did get better. and when he looks up and is greeted by your curious face, he hopes that love is like that as well.

jing yuan

⎯ years ago, if you had asked jing yuan what love was, he'd say something benign: love is indescribable. a simple answer for a simple man in love. but oh, has time took its toll.

⎯ it isn't to say that love isn't indescribable. on some days, he finds it worrying that he may love you too much⎯that his willingness to give you the world was a bit concerning at times. others point it out, but jing yuan chooses to be blindsided. but he is always aware.

⎯ aware. jing yuan is nothing short of perceptive. he has been around for centuries. he has been there for wars, for battles, for decrees. and it sticks with him: forever. he does not simply forget, yet he is forced to stay in one place forever. immorality may be a blessing for others, but a curse for xianzhou natives.

⎯ he does not give himself a moment to fully relax. even if it seems that way a lot (the dozing general needs his power naps), he is always back to his duties.

⎯ however, it's different with you. with you, he has no burdens to shoulder. he has no secrets to keep from you. there is no wall of tension blocking between you. with you, everything is for grabs. his feelings, his emotions, his heart.

⎯ vulnerability. many look down at the vulnerable. and in jing yuan's line of work, the cost of vulnerability comes with a substantial price. his guard has to be up at all costs, because if not, there would be another catastrophe. his act as a lazy general is just a rouse, because there is so much that's weighing on him inside.

⎯ in a city that flies, jing yuan feels rooted by the weight of the luofu.

⎯ so imagine the amount of unconcern he feels when he's around you. the feeling of rocks suffocating him has subsided, and you are here to remove them. and one by one, he begins to feel lighter and lighter as you hull them off.

⎯ and you don't get tired. you're still here. you keep picking off the rocks, even the smallest ones. you relentlessly continue until everything is gone, and the only things left are just you and him.

⎯ by now, he understands what love is. it's when he knows how your fingers have ran through every crevice of his brain, every knot in his stomach, every knot in his soul. it's understanding. it's being able to shoulder the weight of the world with another. it's someone staying to help you get the rocks off of your body.

⎯ love is being met with soft touches instead of daggers. love is being met with mhms and reallys while retelling a story from this morning. love is being able to speak about the past, the truth of it all, and allowing the light to peek through instead of the darkness. that is what love is.

"and then, get this, i found him in the midst of a fight with blade," jing yuan throws his head on your shoulder exasperatedly, disregarding the fact that you were halfway through your novel.

"well, he was doing his job," you counter, looking back towards your lover.

"i know," he slides a hand across his face, "it's just tiring. and i don't want him to get hurt." like others, is the unspoken phrase here. it's on the tip of his tongue, you know it.

you place a bookmark in your book before shutting it. you finally turn your full attention towards jing yuan, "he's strong. you trained him."

"but," he sighs, "what if it's not enough?"

you decide the mood is a little too melancholic, so you decide to lighten the mood a little bit, "then i'll take over as general of the luofu," you grinned. jing yuan smiled as well: your smile was infectious, how could he not?

you ran a hand through his hair, "you are good enough. i hope you know that. you won't fail yanqing. he's tough and stubborn... he sadly gets that from you."

jing yuan chuckles, a real chuckle, and pulls you closer to him as you grab your book once again. he presses a chaste kiss to your temple as he reads along to the same words on a page as you.

yes, things will be okay, he thinks.

hi y'all! i have been sooo busy w sm stuff lately, like i've been preparing for college and i've been going to the gym and i've been doing sm. updates have been scarce except like the 3 alhaitham posts (i couldn't resist). but hopefully during these last few weeks of summer i can get my grind back on!!!

[ahappyphjl]

boop ฅ^•ﻌ•^ฅ

[its-short-for-jackalope]

...and this is why Donna takes the lead on Morning Cup O' News.

click for quality!

Happy Tin Can Tuesgay! to celebrate, here's a silly comic I made of the Sacred Text, delivered by Dan Reynolds & Donna Daggit. thank you Elizabeth W, Raptor Face, and the rest of the youtube chat for the inspiration! and a giant thank you to Corey for sharing the Sacred Text with us in the first place. TCB with you all. 🙏❤

also yes, sorry, I did decide to post these images in the Most annoying way. not as bad as the 'do you like the color of the sky?' post tho!!! could be worse is all I'm saying, lmao. <3

[prince-o-sky]

[deathpov]

[myfanfic-urfantrash]

Brain went brrr on Frienships headcanon and reminded me that packs are a Thing™ in A/B/O so now my brain is brainrotting about how our boys' Friendo (when they're close enough as friends, gender dynamics don't mean squat) decided to declare to their bestie that they're a pack mate/family now.

I'm all about wholesome A/B/O tbh, nothing screams fluff than just platonic friends looking out for each other having all the cuddles in the world in cozy nests and then Friendo being hit with a sudden thought before declaring thou shall be my pack mate to the boys—

I went crazy and added basically everyone I've written for which means March gets to be part of the boys :P

I love wholesome :3

cw: omegaverse

-------

Lying there in the comfort of their shared nest everything is calm and content. There's no where they'd rather be and if anything came up it better be important because there is no way they're leaving this comfort surrounded by warmth, their mixed scent, and their dear friend. Just as their eyes begin to droop they're startled awake by a sudden declaration: "Thou shall be my pack mate."

Blade

Is silent at first before he melts further into the nest. He's a little unsure how to feel but he doesn't feel bad about the situation and grunts in response when they ask him if he heard them. He does worry about the future and their reaction to his inevitable death but they reassure him they'll stick with him till the end as pack mates do.

He's a bit quieter with his declaration but he's just as happy to become pack mates with them. He actually starts purring though it's just as quiet as his declaration. The mara doesn't bother him for quite sometime after becoming pack mates with them and their presence only seems to ease his pain even more.

Jing Yuan

Pretends to be asleep after their declaration but is truly freaking out. Pack mates are serious business so he's honored to be considered as someone to be their pack mate. Once he's done teasing them or rather calmed down enough he responds to their declaration in equal measure including the odd way they said it.

Eventually does go to sleep because of how exciting and comfortable everything is. He pulls them into his chest and curls around them purring in contentment.

Welt

Snaps out of his sleepy daze so fast it's like he took an espresso shot. He looks at them in shock and amazement before he asks them if they're sure they want to become pack mates with him. Gives them the cutest smile once they reassure him that they want to become pack mates with him and he agrees to become their pack mate.

He watches over them like he used to but everyone can see he's glowing with pride and happiness after becoming their pack mate.

Luocha

Teases them for their odd phrasing but he's happy of course, who wouldn't be happy to become someones pack mate after all? He agrees to be their pack mate without fuss and considers taking them on a trip to celebrate if they're not busy. It's a little hard for him to fall to sleep after they've made their declarations because he feels energized from the news.

His expression doesn't show much but he seems even more delightful to be around after this like a flower that's been freshly watered.

Dr. Ratio

Tells them that they're already pack mates considering their shared nest and all the other stuff they've done together. He does agree to become pack mates with them though he's a bit moody about it considering he had to make it verbally known to them. Now that he's more awake he grabs his knitting materials and begins to knit with shaking hands. He's got to get his overwhelming positive feelings out somehow.

He doesn't change too much after this but he does give them more handmade gifts and goes a bit easier on them when they've got some difficulties they have trouble solving.

Sampo

He...never expected this that's for sure. He's overjoyed honestly but he's taken aback considering his whole "shady" lifestyle. He does agree to be their pack mate though with some flare of his own.

After this he's a little more open about himself though it doesn't seem like much to others it's quite a bit for him. Definitely looks out for them should they ever get themselves into trouble, even if it's trouble he'd normally avoid.

Dan Heng

Confused by their wording but he's happy he really is he's just still tense from his past where he knew he had a pack but things didn't end so well for them. A little reassurance goes a long way in easing his worries and he agrees to be their pack mate though he's still anxious.

Looks out for them much more diligently than before but he does ease up if they ask, he's just worried is all. Has a noticeable kick in his step from the joy he feels knowing he's got a pack.

Caelus

Has the biggest dumbest grin you could imagine when the words register in his brain. He's so glad that they've chosen him to be his pack mate and agrees without hesitation. It's hard for him to fall asleep and might want to burn off some energy because he's overwhelmed with joy.

Looks after his new pack mate with pride and a little hop in his step. Everyone can tell he's they're pack mate and how much it means to him.

March 7th

At first she questions them about their oddly archaic language before what they said kicks in. Practically screams from how excited and happy she is. Tackles her new pack mate and hugs them as tightly as she can without hurting them.

She's never had a pack mate before- at least as far as she can remember- so she's pretty excited and touched to be chosen as her best friends pack mate. After that she'll take a celebratory photo of them in their shared nest and declare right back that they're her pack mate as well.

[marbearmarigold]

*clicks out of instagram*

*stares at phone home screen*

*slowly and shakily moves thumb over to the tumblr icon*

[stray-somnium]

this was my infinity war

[upsidedowneye]

not me thinking about how dh’s wet little dragon boy instincts might look into any gifts that you give him and see them as courting gifts. no sir.

[ireneead]

You KNOW Egon's thinking, "Shut the fuck up, Venkman!"

[icallhimjoey]

"ricky locked me in the bathroom"

[anominous-user]

^ stick, and without the stick v

[dykedarling]

someone get a24 on the phone