#god i really want gege to get into politics of his world

[posletsvet]

My thoughts keep circling back to some similarities I spotted a while back between the Hasaba twins and Nobara. There's a handful of them, really, from what I can gather -- even if we exclude the fact that both the twins and Nobara originally come from the countryside, which would be the most obvious coincidence.

Take, for instance, Nanako and Nobara's matching personalities: they both are outspoken, confident, brash and boisterous, with somewhat an air of a typical school bully around them. At first those traits might come off as off-putting and offensive, but when you delve deeper it becomes more apparent that such abrasive attitude might just serve as a defense mechanism of sorts and what it really shows is that these girls were taught, for better or worse, how to stand up for themselves.

Then there are curious similarities between their innate techniques. Techniques of all three of them require usage of inanimate objects, and in both Mimiko and Nobara's cases it's an effigy of the target, a voodoo doll -- whether stuffed one or made of straw. Their techniques also allow them to manipulate targets from afar.

Nobara also shows unusually high tolerance of pain, and it's something that keeps bothering me. And though we know that she was trained to be a sorcerer by her grandmother, and being a sorcerer involves adopting a certain mindset, that's not something one can simply order oneself to get used to.

One other thing that doesn't seem to escape my mind is how Nobara was only ever drawn to outsiders back in her childhood, and then proceeded to look up to Maki, finding it in particular admirable how she withstands the oppression of her own family. I guess it's also worth mentioning how Nobara doesn't believe people are excused just by the circumstances they grew up in. Again, I don't think that's an attitude one can afford without facing those hardships oneself.

So what if all the similarities really stem from the background they, Nobara and the twins, come from? I doubt that being a jujutsu sorcerer in a small, enclosed society such as found in a village in the middle of nowhere is a pleasant experience. People get nosy. They also get intolerant towards something they're not prepared to include in their tiny circle. We've already seen how an outsider unwilling to assimilate, Saori, was ostracized and driven out -- and she was just a city girl. We've also seen what being a sorcerer in an environment full of narrow-minded superstition costs.

How much bias and bigotry might Nobara face? Isn't it why she jumped at the first given opportunity to leave for the city? Why she only ever made friends with newcomers to the village? Why she considered all locals to be at least at some degree insane?

I don't know where I'm going with all this, really. If anything, it serves as yet another example of how the conservative mentality of those in charge of jujutsu society harms its sorcerers. Where both sides could've benefited from cooperation, non-sorcerers are left to ignorance and the misplaced antagonism towards sorcerers which that ignorance enables. I wonder if current, somewhat anachronistic, suspicion and superstition that still lingers with some parts of non-sorcerer population are fossilized remnants of the awareness their ancestors once possessed. What was it like to be a non-jujutsu user in the Golden Era of sorcery? Was it chaos and fear of that time which created an unbridgeable rift between sorcerers and non-sorcerers? I wonder what repercussions the current situation would have for the relationship between the two. Would it be history simply repeating itself, or is there an opportunity for real, substantial change, now that the system upheld by outdated tradition is utterly destroyed? Where are we heading with the story now?

[estrella-etoile]

HuaLian Are So Bad at Flirting They're Good

Oh my god. How can we not fall completely and entirely in love with Season 2 of the donghua?

Why do I say I adore it so much? Because of just how cringe HuaLian are with one another. It's so embarrassingly endearing seeing these two complete love failures try to figure out how to flirt (and do it terribly for anyone not named the other).

Let us start with our sweet lonely old man Xie Lian. He feels his loneliness so hard at Pu Qi shrine it hurts. He clutches a ring and the second Ling Wen reaches out he hides that ring under his robes, guarding it like a precious secret. And yet... does he think "hmm, I had a wonderful time with San Lang! I hope he had a wonderful time with me, maybe I should try to figure out how to get in touch to "try" to return this ring (but really to see him.)

Good thing Jun Wu tried to drive a wedge between them by sending XL to Ghost City to find out (for the first time in his life) that it was Hua Cheng's territory.

Then XL is in Ghost City. And he's trying not to swoon when he sees that his handsome San Lang maxed out peak hotness and is letting him win and touching him. "He's teasing me." (He let you bet a god for a half-eaten mantou and played fake rounds until he'd rubbed enough of his luck onto you to lose gracefully. SIGH) Yet instead of going "wow I wonder if San Lang likes me?" he watches an indirect kiss and a smirk and runs away.

You would think that this would make XL the biggest dork? And at episode 2, you would be right.

But my dear San Lang. My lovely precious ghost king BB goes so far into the cringe the next episode that he grabs the prize from XL.

We start with the try to be cool "gege pretended not to know me and then did not come find me!" while accidentally leaving the impression he was headed to a brothel (which... given XL's first three minutes in Ghost City... not entirely impossible). So yeah. Off to a great start ghost king.

He did at least look okay with the discussion of a home versus a residence (and scored himself a perma-invite to Pu Qi... because XL was looking for any possible opening to make that clear too.) And a pretty good explanation of why he's in charge of the city of sin. Then the trying to take care of gege during a PTSD flashback, yes! Go San Lang Go!

And then... the armory. It was adorable watching XL fangirl over the weapons. And seeing him smile and talk about how great they all were.

But babygirl HC... don't just smile smoothly and say "I will give you the whole armory." Yes yes, we all know you feel this way, but... not on the first date. When XL also politely refused (because that's kind of a HUGE offer to him), don't double down with "then you can have this room and visit any time you want! OH! I can help you with upkeep!"

XL has not really even come to terms with the fact that there is this person who enjoys his company yet. He's really really confused about the whole why the world's most handsome ghost king wants to be around him. You're just going to confuse him way way too much by trying to give him an arsenal of spiritual weapons.

But here's the thing. It worked. Sort of. Not because XL accepted the swords, but because he accepted the affection and the friendship. He doesn't want HC's status or his wealth. He wants to pet HC's uber-weapon and talk about sacred swords with someone. He wants HC's company. And maybe because HC's existence has pointed out that most relationships are transactions, he starts his approach using that mentality, even though his love and affection for XL is the opposite of transactional.

HC doesn't need to wine and dine XL. He needs to visit Pu Qi shrine as much as he wants.

Neither of these precious beans understand what a normal relationship looks like. So it's not a surprise that what they both want is the same: a genuine and unconditional connection. They have it already, so even when they both attempt to flirt with each other in ways that would make Pei Ming have an aneurysm, they still eventually triumph.

Because below the surface attempts is something so sincere and deep that they'll get there, and even find those silly cringe surface things hilarious when they sort it all out together.

[weiying-lanzhan-fics]

say it's here where our pieces fall in place by Lirelyn

Second time reading this wonderful story. Enjoyed it very, very much! Love getting both LZ and WY POVs and watching their relationship grow.

Quotes:

With Wei Ying he had to be particularly careful because there were so many things he wanted to be true. For a minute he’d thrilled to imagine Wei Ying saving a place for him every Saturday. Thinking of him. Wanting him there. He couldn’t afford to take that seriously; it would hurt too much to learn he’d been wrong.

Besides, making customers feel welcome and happy to be there was part of the barista’s job, and Wei Ying was very, very good at his job. He could appreciate it in that light: a skilled professional at work.

That settled, he returned to the next exam in his stack. The next time Wei Ying called out, “Am I right, Lan Zhan?” in the middle of a discussion with his coworker, Lan Wangji only raised his eyes briefly, causing Wei Ying to laugh and say “Sorry, sorry, I’ll stop bothering you.”

He didn’t, of course. He rarely went more than ten minutes without calling out to Lan Wangji, or catching his eye and grinning, or stopping by his table to ask how his students were faring. “Are you a strict grader, Lan Zhan?” he’d asked once. “I bet you are, I bet you’re one of those teachers that has students bragging in the halls if they get higher than a B minus.”

“I try to give clear expectations and make consistent judgements,” he’d answered, and for some reason Wei Ying had beamed at him.

————

He struck polite off his mental whiteboard of Lan Zhan Traits and replaced it with ruthless. What is your real concern, like it was an obvious evasion and he wasn’t going to waste any more time on it.

In a different world, he could have loved him for it.

“Well, what’s yours?” he said, because if they weren’t going to make this easy they could at least make it fast. “You wanted to talk.”

“Yes.” Lan Zhan paused long enough for him to pace a tight circle twice. “Why did you leave?”

That wasn’t at all what he’d been bracing for. “Why did I — on Saturday?”

“Yes.”

“Uh. I wanted to go home, I — why are you asking that?”

“You saw us, and you left. My son was distressed. As you can imagine, he has experienced abandonment too often already. I would like to understand what caused it in this case.”

Oh my god. Oh my god. He sat down right on the floor, heavy, banging his tailbone. Abandonment, this was about... this wasn’t about what kind of role model he was or any attacks on his character, this was about Lan Zhan thinking he had abandoned A-Yuan. A-Yuan who had already lost his birth parents and a sister and at least one other caregiver and...

E, 68k

Summary:

“It’s okay that you miss him,” said Lan Wangji, a familiar litany to them both by now. “Do you feel sad?”

“I feel sad,” A-Yuan repeated, shoulders hitching with tiny hiccuping sniffs. “When is he coming back?”

“I don’t know. I am not sure where he is.”

But this seemed to frustrate A-Yuan. “Xian-gege! I miss him! Please, baba?” He looked up at him with wet cheeks and a wide, quivering frown. “Please baba can you ask him? I really miss him!” He sobbed again, heartbreakingly.

It stabbed straight through him, cracking open the reservoir of loss and helplessness that was all his own. His child’s grief did that, sometimes. It always took him by surprise. He caught his breath sharply and gathered A-Yuan into his arms, holding him tight until the pain ebbed.

“I will try,” he said softly into A-Yuan’s hair, when he could speak again. He never made uncertain promises and tried not even to raise uncertain hopes, but his son was hurting. His son believed he could make it better. He couldn’t not try.

Wen Qing might at least know who this “Xian-gege” was. He would text her in the morning. It would be a start.

@ginnymoonbeam

[unikittythings]

I'm back baby!

Jujutsu kaisen manga chapter 200:

So we're playing charades now😂

It's interesting that he can still control his body even when he's in the internal domain (or I'm just reading it wrong)

Yuji is completely ready to die if it helps everyone else 😟

That's a lot of people

He's doing politics, omg Geto

Yeah let's get the government involved, what a great idea 🤦‍♀️😬

What?! You want to use it as a power source?! Huh??!!

It's getting worse by the second 😰

Forget Sukuna the pure incarnation of evil is this fucking brain tumor

Chapter 201:

Things that fuck up people in these imaginary worlds: government/higher class and parents

"Humane"?!! Oh fuck off

Gege why did you put this in?! I already hate this subplot/plotpoint

Yeah, uhm, that didn't work in your favor

Chapter 202 to 204 Blood and Oil:

Surprisingly homey here in your domain, Tengen

Omg, so Tsukumo really is a star plasma vessel

Of course he's here 😤

I'm proud of you Choso for talking back

A cinema, ok?

I'm just going to pretend that I understood what they were talking abou

Oh Choso 🥺 you care so much about Yuji, you are a great brother

It was a good try Choso

Strangely enough, the way Choso is drawn right now, is giving me Toji

Chapter 205 to 208 Stars and Oil:

So what's your plan against Kenjaku

Let's go Girl!

I guess you got him where you want him

Reading the end chapter notes got me even more confused, how does Gege come up with this?

At this point I think you need a degree in like 3 different fields to understand what's going on

Sounds like a plan

"They miscalculated" 😰 I don't like the implications of this

Yeah this doesn't look like a closed barrier

Fuck

She's though I like it

Honestly, patricide is absolutely deserved in this situation

And another person with a hole in their torso, great 😬

Oh Choso 🥺

What is this comparison between Tengen and Sukuna? 😧

Oh my god 😮 GIRL

Fuck

[moonwaif]

So I've been thinking about some CQL crossover ships for Xie Wang, and one of them is XieWang/Lan Xichen. Long post with headcanons under the cut.

Also, like. I guess all of these take place within a xianxia/cultivation universe? More high fantasy than the universe of SHL. And none of this is based on novel universe for either fandom--both are strictly SHL and CQL universes.

Xie Wang/Lan Xichen (aka Zewu-jun can have a murder boyfriend, as a treat.)

The Dynamic.

First off . . . there’s no age gap. Both of them are adults. I’m not sure how old either of them are exactly in their respective canons, but. I just want to make that clear.

Both have been deceived/manipulated by people they care about. Interpret it how you want to interpret it, but they gravely misunderstood one of the most important people in their lives and paid the price for it.

The, "No matter what you've done, I can't kill you" one is dating the "But I can!" one.

Also, like? Pipa and xiao jam sessions? Matching outfits? Sign me tf up.

The early stages.

I’m not sure how they would meet. Perhaps Xie Wang is on an undercover mission in Gusu. Meanwhile, Lan Xichen has finally left seclusion so that his brother can go on a honeymoon with the Yiling Laozu.

When Lan Xichen and Xie Wang meet, I think it would be nice for there to be instant attraction. This can be on a physical level, but also on an intellectual level. They both have silver tongues, are intuitive, and are excellent communicators. I think these two kings would recognize that in one another just after one interaction.

However, they don’t trust each other. Xie Wang is probably operating under some kind of alias. Lan Xichen is more guarded now. I’m sure he still wants to believe the best of people, but life has scarred him. He feels like Xie Wang may be hiding something. Xie Wang, meanwhile, thinks Lan Xichen is just “too good to be true.” Someone with such a peerless reputation must be corrupt on the inside. I mean, just look at the Venerated Triad and how they ended up. Could the only surviving sworn brother really be THAT good?

But as time goes on, they see more sides of each other. It gets harder and harder to believe the worst about the other person. Xie Wang probably falls first, and falls hard. He likes Lan Xichen’s balanced outlook on life, his willingness to overlook rumor and reputation and make his own judgments on a person’s character. In an unguarded moment, Lan Xichen might imply that this has been one of his flaws or weaknesses in the past. Xie Wang just smiles at him and says it’s a strength. (Lan Xichen’s heart flutters, but so what? He doesn’t feel like he can trust his heart yet.)

Anyway, back to Xie Wang. He is impressed by Lan Xichen’s acceptance of Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian--particularly considering Wei Wuxian’s less than pristine background. I think there is a lot of good material here for some intimate conversations in which Xie Wang asks Lan Xichen about his opinion of Wei Wuxian, but he’s not actually talking abou Wei Wuxian--he’s really asking about himself.

The ordeal of being Known.

Nevertheless, Xie Wang doesn’t completely trust Lan Xichen yet, and he’s terrified of what will happen when Lan Xichen finds out who he is, but . . . Xie Wang still cares about him. He enjoys Lan Xichen’s company. He craves Lan Xichen’s praise and attention, and resents anyone who tries to steal it away. He wants their time together to last as long as possible. And inevitably, he wants to do whatever he can to help Lan Xichen succeed in his goals. Which, to Xie Wang’s surprise, have less to do with personal gain and more to do with making a positive impact on the cultivation world. As more time passes, it gets harder and harder for Xie Wang to play it cool and hold his cards to his chest.

Lan Xichen is touched by Xie Wang’s earnesty, enthusiasm and loyalty. It softens his heart. He finds himself growing fond of Xie Wang’s company, looking forward to his visits, indulging in conversations about music and art and calligraphy and politics. At the same time, he witnesses instances of violence and cruelty from Xie Wang that disturb him. It reminds him of Jin Guanyao--the red flags that in the past Lan Xichen either rationalized or ignored. It puts Lan Xichen in this awkward position of growing closer to Xie Wang, opening up to him, only to pull back suddenly. Rinse, wash, repeat.

Xie Wang, of course, doesn’t really know what’s going on in Lan Xichen’s head. Fortunately, he’s perceptive. As he does more digging into Lan Xichen’s past, he probably puts two and two together and realizes that Lan Xichen is trying to protect his own heart. However, he’ll also wonder if Lan Xichen knows more than he’s letting on--if he is perhaps aware of Xie Wang’s true identity, and that’s why he won’t open up to him. Or perhaps it’s just Xie Wang’s personal flaws. He’s always been too impulsive, too selfish, too distracting. Someone of Lan Xichen’s calibre may find these characteristics distasteful.

I actually think Lan Xichen may put the pieces together and begin to suspect Xie Wang’s true identity. If Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian are around, they would probably do the same and accelerate this realization. However, I am not sure that Lan Xichen would act immediately on it. He may instead try to give Xie Wang opportunities to come forward with the truth on his own.

Xie Wang will dodge all of these opportunities like “lol nope.”

Cat’s out of the bag.

Anyway, after lots of like. Cute moments, and moments of camaraderie, and moments of yearning and angst, things finally come to a head. Perhaps Lan Xichen finds himself caught up in a scheme that involves the Scorpion and a rival group. Xie Wang ends up having to take Lan Xichen captive in order to protect him. In this moment, Lan Xichen is able to see another side of Xie Wang--one that he’s only caught glimpses of before. Xie Wang is cold, domineering, calculating, and cruel. It’s sexy but also terrifying. Lan Xichen hardens his own expression and is quite distant to Xie Wang, which of course just breaks Xie Wang’s heart. But Xie Wang can’t show it just yet, not while they are still surrounded by onlookers. It wouldn’t be wise to reveal any weaknesses to those who are constantly at the ready to take advantage of any vulnerable bits.

As soon as Xie Wang can find a moment to be alone with Lan Xichen (truly alone, with no spies or eavesdroppers), he would sit down and speak honestly with him. He tells Lan Xichen that he harbors no ill intentions towards him or the Lan sect (or perhaps he does, at least with concern to the latter--it’s up to how complicated you imagine this kind of AU). And against his better judgment, the more Lan Xichen hears . . . the more he finds himself believing Xie Wang. In fact, he’s relieved that they can finally reach this point of honesty with each other.

Lan Xichen is terrified he’s making a mistake, but . . . he wants to believe Xie Wang. He wants to believe him so, so badly. After some difficult conversations and lots of promises exchanged between them, Lan Xichen relents.

Xie Wang is just absolutely delighted to the point of tears. All of his softness and sweetness comes back.

From this point on, I think we can see a power couple at work. Both of them are intuitive, intelligent and nuanced. They can work together to solve whatever scheme is happening. Collaborating brings them closer, honestly.

Xie Wang is reluctant to let Lan Xichen go, but does so. (He’s mostly worried about Lan Xichen’s safety.)

(If you want to make things really painful, you could have Lan Xichen temporarily reject Xie Wang. This would probably be motivated by Lan Xichen’s past experiences, when he continued to support and defend Jin Guangyao despite all evidence to the contrary. Terrified of making the same mistake--of letting people he cares about become hurt because of a temporary lack of judgment--might actually lead him to betray Xie Wang and reveal his true identity to the Lan clan. This would lead to a temporary and very angsty “break up” arc. The irony could be that Lan Xichen actually regrets NOT trusting Xie Wang or supporting him down the road. I would like to see something like this culminate in Xie Wang being injured/narrowly escaping a dangerous confrontation with an enemy, and Lan Xichen rescuing him, holding him close, and whispering, “I’m sorry.” GOD Xie Wang would just fall apart. The hurt/comfort potential. My word.)

Hurt/comfort potential.

At some point, Xie Wang might be injured or suffer some kind of loss. Perhaps he went after someone who was a threat to Lan Xichen in some way, and got himself in a pickle. He makes it out, but is the worse for wear. Lan Xichen, who is normally so polite and intentional with his words, finds himself losing his temper. How could Xie Wang make such a rash decision? Isn’t he supposed to be the Scorpion King for a reason?

These words push Xie Wang over the edge. He snaps back that yes, he knows he’s reckless--that he’s too impulsive--too demanding--that he’s always letting his emotions get the best of him, again and again. But he was scared for Lan Xichen. What was he supposed to do, just sit back and bear it?

Lan Xichen’s anger dissipates. He consoles Xie Wang, tells him that he’s not any of those things. Xie Wang is shocked speechless. He’s even more shocked when Lan Xichen admits he was wrong for speaking harshly and asks for Xie Wang’s forgiveness. “It was only that seeing you in this state unnerved me. I would not want any harm to come to you on my account. I’m sorry.”

Xie Wang melts.

Xie Wang drinks vinegar.

Being together means that Xie Wang and Lan Xichen are more intimate. They are moving physically closer, becoming more familiar with one another’s spaces. Xie Wang is very greedy for this closeness, and probably starts to become a little possessive about the things in Lan Xichen’s room. Keeping things tidy, adding decorations, sorting through things, etc.

Anyway, one day he comes across Jin Guangya’s hat by accident.

“Gege :+) who’s hat is this? :+)”

He begins to engage in a recurring fantasy where he slices the hat to pieces.

It’s just that, well. Xie Wang is intensely jealous of Jin Guangyao’s hat. He is intensely jealous of Jin Guangyao’s memory. Just hearing his name is enough to make Xie Wang lose it a little on the inside, like, “Not this b**** again.” But on the outside he is very calm.

Most of the time.

Look. It’s already hard enough knowing that someone like Xie Wang, the leader of a shady group of assassins, will probably never be accepted as a suitable partner for Lan Xichen. And this isn’t the first time something like this has happened. He’s been used before by Zhao Jing, the person who was supposed to be his yifu, the person who kept Xie Wang in the dark and only brought him into the light when it was useful. So Xie Wang can’t help but feel nervous that Lan Xichen will just want to keep him in the dark, too. Like logically, he knows Lan Xichen wouldn’t do that. Lan Xichen is a better person than that, he wouldn’t take advantage of anyone in that way, especially not Xie Wang! Lan Xichen cares about Xie Wang! But Xie Wang also knows he’s miscalculated in the past. He can’t help the nugget of uncertainty that weasels its way in.

You can play this up as angsty if you want, or you can play it for comedy. Maybe Lan Xichen receives a gift from a potential suitor. Xie Wang sees it and asks who it’s from. On his best day, he smiles calmly and says something like, “How elegant and thoughtful. I know just the place to put this.” (That place is the trash.) On his worst day, he wines and says, “How tacky! Gege, why do you continue to even meet with that old cow?”

Lan Xichen is exceptionally understanding and patient, although he does need to set some firm boundaries from time to time.

Jin Guangyao causes drama from beyond the grave.

Eventually Xie Wang is going to have a very off-day. And on this off-day, he talks about a topic that he should definitely have avoided, which is Jin Guangyao.

Basically, Xie Wang is not going to understand why Lan Xichen feels guilty for what happened to Jin Guangyao. Or rather, he does not believe that Lan Xichen SHOULD feel guilty. And he tells Lan Xichen this, very insistently. Lan Xichen, who has been coping through the good ole Lan technique of Repress And Don’t Express, becomes frustrated. His frustration builds when Xie Wang basically says that no matter what Jin Guangyao may have suffered, he shouldn’t have betrayed Lan Xichen--that Jin Guangyao even deserves what happened to him (and perhaps Xie Wang believes this last part, or perhaps he’s just being petty--it’s up to you). Lan Xichen almost loses his temper--almost. But then he just. Shuts down, completely. Like very coldly and calmly says something to the effect of, “I expected you of all people to understand me. I see I was mistaken. Excuse me.” And just. Leaves.

Xie Wang is a MESS. Honestly he would have preferred being yelled at. This calm reaction is disconcerting and makes him worry that he’s lost Lan Xichen for good. He’s also shocked at himself for being so purposefully wilful and obstinate. He was trying to be good!!

Making up.

Instead of pulling away, Xie Wang waits an appropriate amount of time for things to settle (lmao like 12 hours), then shows right back up acting like nothing ever happened. He’s very talkative and sweet, chatting peacefully about unrelated topics. He probably flits about the room, straightening this and that, then perches beside Lan Xichen. His heart sinks when he sees Lan Xichen’s expression.

Xie Wangs cautiously begins speaking. “About yesterday . . . I shouldn’t have contradicted you. I was being difficult and impetuous. Gege, please forgive me.”

And like, what is Lan Xichen supposed to do with that? Say “no”? Lmao.

Fortunately, Lan Xichen has taken some time to self-reflect. He’s a bit dismayed that he continues to act out of character with Xie Wang. Normally, he is so good at maintaining his composure. With Xie Wang, however, he continues to get caught up in his own feelings until he fumbles.

Anyway, Lan Xichen actually takes this opportunity to reflect and open up to Xie Wang about his friendship with Jin Guangyao. He tells him about what happened between him and his sworn brothers, where he believes he made mistakes, how he wishes things would have worked out differently. He also says that he sees it as a weakness of his own that even now, he isn’t able to completely blame Jin Guangyao. It’s not like this is Xie Wang’s first time hearing about any of this, but it IS his first time hearing the information directly from Lan Xichen.

Xie Wang takes his hand and says that kind of loyalty and kindness is what makes Lan Xichen dear to him, and is its own type of wisdom. Lan Xichen doesn’t completely agree with this assessment, but he doesn’t argue against it, either. He merely asks Xie Wang if there is anything else he’d like to know.

Xie Wang is a bit hesitant. Without meeting Lan Xichen’s gaze, he observes that Jin Guangyao and Lan Xichen were very close. He wants to know what place Jin Guangyao still occupies in Lan Xichen’s heart.

To be continued . . .

(Lol I ran out of steam for a minute)

[honibee-arts]

ship prompts: nielan ageswapped with their brothers?

The first time Nie Mingjue met Lan Xichen, he was a tiny boy holding tight to his stone faced older brothers hand. His tiny arm was almost swallowed by Lan Wangji's enormous, flowing sleeves. He stood at his brothers side, his honey eyes wide and curious as they peered at Mingjue, studying him curiously.

"Come on didi, say hello to Xichen." His da ge urged quietly, a gentle hand on his back as he clung to the olive and grey silk of his skirts, trying not to pick at the glittering gold embroidered into the fabric.

"H-Hello..." He mumbled.

"Introduce yourself." Huaisang said softly, gently patting his head.

"M... Don't want to."

"Forgive me, Wangji, he's very shy. A moment?"

"Mn. Of course."

Mingjue felt his ears burn in embarrassment as his da ge kneeled down in front of him. He looked away from his brother as Huaisang gently took his hands, softly nudging the slight pudge of his cheek with his fan to turn his head back to face him.

"Didi..." He sighed.

"Mm."

"What's wrong, didi? You can talk to your da ge."

Mingjue said nothing, only stared at the ground, tiny fiat's clenched and cheeks puffed.

"Are you nervous?"

"Keeps looking at me..." Mingjue mumbled.

"Hm?"

"He keeps looking at me like I'm weird..."

"Xichen has never really seen anyone outside his sect before, let alone someone outside his sect who his own age. He's just curious."

"Why can't I be with you and Wangji-ge?" Mingjue mumbled.

"Because Wangji-ge and I have boring things to do. Last time that happened you were lonely, so Wangji-ge brought his didi so you two could play together and make friends." Huaisang said gently. "Can you do that for me? Can you play with Xichen today?"

"Mm... Okay. For da ge."

"For da ge? Okay. Can you introduce yourself to Xichen?" Mingjue nodded hesitantly. "Do you still want da ge to hold your hand?" Mingjue nodded again and Huaisang stood up, taking his small hand in his, squeezing lightly.

"Mm... I'm... I'm Nie Mingjue..."

Xichen let go of his brothers hand and held his short arms out in a small bow.

"I am Lan Xichen. It is nice to meet you. I am sorry for upsetting you."

Mingjues brow furrowed as he reached to stop the boy, holding his arms. The white fabric of his robes was soft and warm in Mingjues hands.

"Why are you bowing?"

"For respect. You are the Second Young Master of the Nie sect. Shushu says I must bow to show respect."

"You don't have to bow to me if we're friends. Da ge says friends don't need to how to each other because they respect each other already."

"Oh... Are we...?"

"Friends?"

"Mn."

"Yeah. You're my friend."

".... I've never had a friend before." the little boy looked down, his sad, honeyed eyes staring at his little white boots.

"Well I'm your friend now."

They had played all day, albeit with some encouragement. Mingjue had learned that day that the Lan sect had many rules, and to him they made life sound miserable. What child could be happy if they weren't allowed to run and laugh and climb and fight?

As the evening began to come in, the boys found themselves growing tired. The last thing Mingjue remembered of that day was his da ge draping his outer robe over them as they curled up in his room on one of his large pillows, Xichens head resting on his chest.

Mingjue had been right about the Gusu Lan Sect rules. Studying here was miserable. He missed his home, the comfort of his own bed. He missed his own rules, his own routine. He missed being able to run, train and fight whenever he wanted. If his days were filled with study back in the Unclean Realm then he would practice the saber until the sun had long since set.

The cursed curfew had banned him from such things.

The lectures were long and dull, his only reprive in this nightmare was Xichen. Mingjue rested his cheek on his fist as he huffed, glaring a hole through the row of Jiang disciples blocking Xichen from his view. He never glared at Jiang Yanli, though. The girl was too kind and gentle for that.

Beside his uncle, Lan Wangji stood tall, the newly minted Hanguang Jun a jade pillar of discipline, the picture of the perfect Lan disciple in modest, flowing white and sky blue robes. His hawk-like eyes bore into Mingjue, silently demanding he sit up straight and pay attention, lest he had to punish him.

Mingjue glanced at the soon-to-be sect leader apologetically. The long lectures made him restless and it was easy for his mind to wander. God's, he couldn't wait to get out of here. He checked to see if Lan Wangji was watching him, but his attention had turned to Jin Zixun and his snickering gaggle of Jin disciples, his bright gold eyes burning as he glared at them.

Taking advantage of Lan Wangji's divided attention, he took a small piece of paperman talisman paper and scribbled a message onto it. His da ge was right. It was a good idea to keep some on him during his studies.

He activated it with a thread of qi and checked if anyone was watching before he sent it in Xichens direction. He hid his smile behind his fist as he watched the red paperman dance toward Xichen in the air, perching playfully on his elegant shoulder.

He felt his fingers twitch as its little arm played with his hair, seeing how Xichens lips twitched into a smile as the paperman relayed Mingjues message. Was he... Jealous of his talisman?

No, no, that couldn't be possible-

Xichen laughed softly, smiling at Mingjue so brilliantly it made his cheeks grow hot.

Okay.

Maybe he was jealous of his talisman but... Xichen was so... So... Pretty. He put everyone around him to shame with his radiance. Since they had been reunited here in Gusu after so long, Xichen had grown almost a full head taller than him and had begun to fill out as he entered the later half of adolescence. His shoulders appeared broader under the countless layers of his blue and white robes, tapering at his waist. His face had lost its child-like softness, giving way to the sharp angled features of a man.

Oh.

Oh no.

He was in love with Lan Xichen.

"Nie Mingjue!" Lan Wangji said sharply. Mingjue startled, turning his attention to the glaring First Jade who was crumpling the paperman in his fist.

Mingjue swallowed thickly, looking up at the glaring first jade nervously.

"Yes, Hanguang Jun?"

"You're in for it now." Snorted Nie Zonghui behind him.

"You were passing notes during a lecture. Go to the library pavilion after this lecture and transcribe the disciplines twenty times. I will supervise you myself."

Twenty? That's a little harsh...

Ignoring the whispers around him, Mingjue stood up and brought his arms out to bow to the First Jade.

"Yes Hanguang Jun. My apologies. It will not happen again."

"It better not." Lan Qiren said sharply, narrowing his eyes at Mingjue. "You may be seated."

Mingjue swallowed thickly, nodding as he sat back down. He felt countless eyes on him as he straightened his spine and squared his shoulders, trying to ignore the snickers of the Jin disciples.

"Try not to take it too personally, Nie-Xiong." Jiang Yanli said quietly, looking over at him sympathetically. "Hanguang Jun has always been harsh with his punishments. A-Xian got punished a lot while he was here."

He gave her a grateful nod, turning his attention back to the lecture.

3000 - appreciate the good people.

Mingjues wrist ached after painstakingly coping all 3000 rules twenty times. He withheld a groan as he pit his brush back into the water, grimacing at ink on his hands, unable to wipe it off onto his white robes. He missed his familiar dark grey robes, comfortable and functional rather than the white guest robes he was ordered to wear.

He checked his ink was dry one last time before collecting the copied rules into a pile. He steeled himself as he stood up and walked over to Hanguang Jun.

"Ah... Hanguang Jun..." Mingjue said awkwardly. He felt his blood turn to ice in his veins as he was met with the First Jades cool gold eyes. "I have finished... I hope these are to your satisfaction."

He plucked the copies from his hand, deathly silent as Mingjue bowed, scanning the copies diligently.

"Nie Mingjue."

"Yes, Hanguang Jun?"

"What are your intentions with my didi?"

"E-Excuse me?"

"You heard me."

"Xichens just my friend..."

"Lying is forbidden in Cloud Recesses." Lan Wangji fixed him with a blank stare. Mingjue was beginning to feel an anxious cold sweat run down his spine. "I care very little for things in this world. My didi is one of the things I do care about. If you hurt him, if you even consider an action that may harm him emotionally, physically, mentally or spiritually, I will not hesitate to flay you down to your bones in front of your sect, do you understand me?"

"Y-yes Hanguang Jun." Mingjue mumbled, terrified and bewildered at the monotone delivery of such a violent threat.

"Begone. I have other more pressing matters to attend to than your lacking discipline."

Since the day in the library, Mingjue hadn't exactly avoided Xichen per se, but tried not to linger too closely, out of fear of his brother. Jiang Yanli walked beside him, chatting brightly about her family back in Yunmeng as he nodded and listened. Da ge was quite fond of Jiang Yanli's own gege, and spoke of their times in Gusu often. The Jiang sect heir had been something of a role model to Mingjue growing up, as he was admittedly more disciplined than his da ge and a much stronger cultivator.

He smiled politely as she tittered on brightly, laughing happily as she recounted the memories of her summers back at home. The mention of such things made him miss Qinghe too.

A gaggle of Jin disciples walked by, snickering about something.

"- too plain for the Young Master. I heard she's willing to kiss up to anyone at this rate. Who would want her? It's a pity really, considering how strong her brothers are." a boy from the Jin sect sighed.

"Is Wei Wuxian really her brother though? From what I've heard they seem... Close." another sneered. "She might be like her father... Unfaithful. Impure."

Mingjue shot a glare at the disciples, gritting his teeth and clenching his fists. The small group bunched together and made a startled sound.

"Nie-Xiong, please, its not worth it. It is nothing to worry about. " Jiang Yanli said softly, but the tears collecting in her eyes said otherwise.

"Keep walking you brute." one of the braver disciples snickered. "She knows what she's worth. She doesn't have her precious brothers to protect her now." behind him, Jiang Yanli sniffled softly. "Especially not her precious A-Xi-"

"Jin Zixun, was it?" Lan Xichen interjected, the polite smile ever present on his face but something dark and enraged behind it.

"You should know who you're sitting next to instead of gazing over at that Nie brute like a cut sleeve."

Oh, that was the last straw.

Baxia pulsed on his back, itching to strike and stain the Jin disciples robes with his crimson blood. The blade twitched, rattling in its holster as Mingjue reached for it.

"A-Jue, don't." Xichen urged, stepping between Mingjue and the Jins. "Fighting is forbidden, please. If you let this de-escalate and calm down then I can get Gege and he can punsih them, alright?" Mingjue grit his teeth, glaring at the cowering disciples. "Please."

".... Fine."

"Report to Hanguang Jun for your punishments. You have broken three rules: no gossiping, no use of frivolous words and no arrogance. You are aware of the rules and yet you have broken them, therefore you must be punished." He said firmly, towering over the Jin disciples who quickly ran off. "Anyway. Gege has heard reports of water ghouls in Biling Lake. He was wondering if you would accompany us on a night hunt, Mingjue-Xiong."

"Water ghouls? A-Xian and A-Cheng could be of help. They're not too far from Gusu and they have lots of experience with water ghouls. They're very common in Yunmeng."

Xichen grinned, laughing softly to himself.

"Yes, I'm sure they'll be of much assistance." He said lightly. Jiang Yanli laughed gently.

"I feel as though I am missing something here."

"You'll see, Mingjue-Xiong. You'll see."

"LAN ZHAAAAAN!" Wei Wuxian screeched as he launched himself at Lan Wangji, throwing his arms around the First Jade.

He had heard tales of the Yunmeng Jiang first Disciple endlessly teasing Lan Wangji, but this happened to be something else... Something more personal as he watched Wei Wuxian wind himself around the statuesque form of Xichens Gege.

"Wei Ying. We are on a night hunt. Behave accordingly."

"He's never behaved accordingly in his life." Jiang Wanyin snorted, folding his arms. "Why is he here? There's no rivers or lakes in Qinghe. I doubt he can swim. His brother couldn't."

"I invited Mingjue-Xiong along so he could gain experience in things like this. Its important to have a broad scope of abilities as a cultivator." Xichen said brightly, humming as he twirled his xiao between his fingers.

Mingjue felt his cheeks burn as Xichen beamed at him. He inhaled deeply and hoped he didn't screw up this whole night hunt.

The water finally settled as the vortex closed, the boats rocking under his feet, causing his stance to waver. He gasped as he stumbled back, colliding with Xichens chest as his arms wrapped around him, steadying him.

"Mingjue-Xiong, are you alright?" Xichen asked, holding him by his waist.

"Hm? Yes, yes I..." I'm trying not to focus on the way you're holding me. Or how beautiful you look when you're a little wet. You're just beautiful. I think I love you.

"You're all wet. Let's get out of here so we can stop to change at the tavern, alright?"

"A-alright."

"Didi." His da ge called from the shade of his seat on the deck surrounding the courtyard, watching diligently as Mingjue moved through sword forms.

"Yes, da ge?" Mingjue replied, flicking his hair off his bare shoulder as the sun bore down on his skin while he trained.

"When were you going to tell me you had a crush on Lan Xichen?" He asked slowly.

"I-I don't!" Mingjue said too quickly, his face flushing rapidly as he whirled around at his brother.

"Your lips say one thing, your body, heart and mind say another. Even your core yearns for him, didi."

"Aiya... Leave me alone... There's no point. I can't have him." He sighed, pointing his blade down into the stone beneath his feet, leaning against the rounded pommel.

"Why not?" Huaisang asked, gently fluttering his fan.

"He's Lan Xichen." Mingjue replied, stating the obvious.

"And you are Nie Mingjue. You are not sect leaders. He is not a sect heir. Union between two men is uncommon but not unheard of."

"So you're, what, asking me to march to Cloud Recesses and demand Lan Xichens hand in marriage from his uncle and gege because of some childish crush?"

"Didi. I brushed off my feelings about Jiang-Xiong like this. Did I love him? Yes. I called it a childish crush to protect myself. When Ba... Joined Mama and A-Niang... I knew not only could I take another sect leader as my husband, but I could not have any weakness. That is why I pushed you to be as strong as you are. You are my weakness, but you can protect yourself. I have my regrets... All I wish is to ensure you do not have to live with yours."

[mousehole5000]

more tgcf chapters 143-173 lets goooooo

PEI MING BOO HISS except actually okay he’s mostly funny i think but still boo hiss

“hey who’s this guy who’s really pissed at you?” “oh thats my sword. i broke it.” alright then!

i think i need to go back and reread the banyue pass arc bc im still confused as to whats going on with banyue and pei su

“Banyue dropped from the sky with two pots raised. Without a word, she plummeted with the mouths of the pots facing down, trapping and detaining the shocked Ming’guang and the roaring Ke Mo within.” - THATS MY GIRL

“It must be known that, to heavenly officials, it certainly was more than natural for kingdoms of the mortal realm to fight and annihilate one another; the acts of these plays progressing on endlessly. But when it came their own turn, it was often hard to let things go. If one must stand in the same court as the one who annihilated their own kingdom, and that man cavorted in the heavens, exceedingly flashy, then it must be vexing.” - hmmmm!!

“I’ve spoken too many words in this lifetime. What are you referring to?” - okay to be fair thats a mood

okay its nice to get some pei ming backstory and its funny that he and xie lian are bonding but also still whenever pei ming interacts with a female character my hackles rise like a cat lol

“Xie Lian watched as Banyue thought really hard before cheerfully pulling out a few long, wine-red scorpion-snakes, and putting them into the bubbling pot.” - THATS MY GIRL

“Although “smell” was something colourless and formless, the instant Banyue removed the pot cover, it was as if some mysterious physical object had twisted all the air around the mouth of that pot. The group stared at the sight within the pot for a long time. Their pupils reflected an endless, bottomless darkness; like it could pull them into the abyss. No words could describe the sentiment expressed within their eyes. A moment later, Xie Lian patted Banyue’s shoulder and gave a thumbs-up.” - like father-figure like daughter-figure. amazing.

“However, what if one day mortals discovered something completely new that ran faster than horses? Then, when this new invention overtook horses, worshippers of this heavenly official who controlled horses would inevitably decrease. Such heavenly officials, flashing by like shooting stars, made up the majority of the heavens.” - obsessed with this, genuinely. life and change. worship and its purpose. my religious studies diploma on my wall is screaming at me rn. ALSO i am once again thinking about celebrities

“...” It was only then that Pei Ming seemed to notice, and started to contemplate this question. A moment later, he answered, “A habit. In a dark, creepy place like this, isn’t it normal to hold women in your arms, to comfort them and calm their fears?” “I’m sorry, but I wasn’t scared,” Banyue said.” - BANYUE I LOVE YOU. I MISSED YOU SO MUCH. god this takes me back to every college party i ever went to

LING WEN BACKSTORY????? shoeseller chosen for godhood bc she wrote a political essay and got arrested...... and now she’s face to face with the official who appointed her..... do go on.....

“Ling Wen laughed out loud, seeming to be enraged, and her voice dropped. “Very well! You said I couldn’t reach that high. Then, might I ask you: had the prominence of the Palace of Jing Wen at its peak ever reached even the knees of my Palace of Ling Wen??” - GET HIM!!!! BOO HISS JING WEN

“Compared to you, I’m not that bad,” Ling Wen said. “You’d personally order me to stay in the Palace of Jing Wen until midnight, then turn around and say I shamelessly hang around ‘til late to harass you. Words murder without form; I was much nicer responding with blatant violence.” - ling wen im love you..... also this bit... feels Real

BLOOD RAIN BLOOD RAIN BLOOD RAIN!! FLOWER PETALS TRANSFORMATION!!! see hua cheng? look as how cool it can be when you leave the story for a little while!! bc then you get to return and make an entrance!!

“Not only can you bring forth bloody rain, you can also make flowers shower. I didn’t know that. How fun!” - cute!! and in that moment we were all xie lian

“Everyone was stunned by his deed, and Ling Wen arduously gave him a thumbs-up. ”Ol’ Pei, what a man!” Pei Ming gritted his teeth. “WELCOME!” - aww three two tumors buddies!!

okay yin yu is here and xie lian did the equivalent of asking someone when the baby is due only to find out theyre not pregnant at all. then rong guang taunts yin yu and no one says anything. i do love the amount of awkward moments in this book tbh sometimes there are no words.

“All around was sand and mud crushing at him, exceedingly suffocating. The sand and mud was also moving endlessly; the feeling was like he was swallowed into the stomach of a giant monster, and that monster had also eaten a bunch of other things besides him, tumbling everything in its stomach, trying to digest” - ooooh creepy!!! the red string thing... is cute.... also xie lian being able to see hua cheng’s butterfly vision by looking directly into his eye is kinda cool. and obviously homoerotic.

“Are lower-ranked heavenly officials below other people?” Quan Yizhen asked. “No,” Yin Yu replied. Were they not? It was obvious that he himself didn’t believe in his own words, and Quan Yizhen also noticed. A good while later, he said bluntly, “I don’t like it here.” Yin Yu said nothing.” - im having emotions. and then yin yu also saying he doesnt like it there either.... also idk how this scene is going to play out but as much as im enjoying quan yizhen being an icon i can also possibly see how yin yu could eventually get to the point of “i am tired of being nice. i do just want to go apeshit” even if he really cares about qyz. it happens </3

“Indeed,” Hua Cheng said. “Half a year later when Quan Yizhen actually ascends, he won’t find it so funny anymore.” “Can we watch that part too?” Xie Lian asked. “We can. Hold on,” Hua Cheng replied.” - quan yizhen king of taking things literally. also why did this turn into hualian having a movie night

jian yu seems like the kind of asshole who would purposely give someone regular soda when they specifically asked for diet soda. god yin yu is really having a bad day i really feel for him in the whole situation with the brocade immortal

awww okay at least jian yu tried to take responsibility. im still mad at him tho that was objectively a terrible idea. god this whole situation sucked :(

“Rocks and earth crushed at them from all around, forcing their bodies to press tightly against one another, their faces brushing, their ears warm. Although it wasn’t the right time, a thought flashed through Xie Lian’s mind: “‘To die buried together’ doesn’t feel so bad.” - okay... im kind of emotional.... gay people....

okay obviously these murals and the prince of wuyong have some connection (im guessing pretty direct) to xie lian and are important but everytime they start analyzing one i feel like im back in art history class fhadskfhskjdhf not that thats a bad thing!! i liked art history a lot tbh

“Don’t worry, they’re not human,” Hua Cheng said. “It’s precisely because they’re not human that we have to worry, alright….” Xie Lian thought.” - goth ghost bf problems

xie lian: well, there is one person i trust more than anyone else, someone who’s first in my mind hua cheng, oblivious: oh :/ xie lian, also oblivious: what? hua cheng: you shouldnt trust so easily its dangerous xie lian: oh. haha. yeah. well. wanna,,, know who it is? hua cheng: its :) fine :) it :) doesnt :) matter :) but of course you can tell me if you want to gege xie lian, internally: well now ive made it weird hua cheng, 5 minutes later: actually i need you to tell me. right now. its totally for your security me: gay people smh

“As they suspected, he had been captured by Qi Rong. Although no one was bound by ropes, there were balls of greasily green ghost fires hovering over every one of their heads.” - completely off track but anybody else remember the great green globs of greasy grimy gopher guts song

“Could there actually come a day when Qi Rong was embarrassed that someone might see the manner in which he ate? Before Xuan Ji entered, she put Guzi down. Guzi, ta-ta-ta, ran in, rushing straight to Qi Rong’s side. But when he saw him, he pointed his finger. He cried, “Dad is eating bad things in secret again!” “I’m not!” Qi Rong retaliated.” SCREAM IS QI RONG LEARNING THE POWER OF LOVE NOOOO also god that poor man whose body he has im starting to doubt if he’ll ever be free jimmy novak flashbacks

everytime we get another ghost king power somewhere someone should be writing hua cheng the cyborg bf in a high tech futuristic au i think thats the only other potential setting that could truly capture this wild ride

“In truth, throughout history, there was no man in the world who didn’t love bragging. A breeze could blow the handkerchief of a brothel girl into a man’s hand, and he would turn around and say the most beautiful of renowned escorts had fallen in love with him; holding shoes and wiping benches for the emperor’s mistress’s uncle’s grandson’s cousin’s mistress would for sure become him being an important administrator at the residence of royal relatives, raising his status. Thus, men who didn’t brag were a rare species.” - SCREAM this is going in my favorite tgcf quotes folder god... mxtx come here let me shake your hand

read the story of rain master yushi huang’s ascension. why am i crying. also this bit im crying again me with my stuffed animals “Thus, while Yushi Huang was cultivating at the Temple of Yulong, every time when she went to seek water and passed that door, she would rub the head of that ox. The door knocker soaked in her essence of life, and when the Rain Master ascended, the ox ascended with her.”

okay thats enough for now i have 7 more chapters to book 4!!! woo!!!

[oneiriad]

For MDZS promt; There is something much worse than ferocious corpses and resentful energy in the Burial Mounds, it is hopefully the last resting place of a tainted and hurting divine creature. When WWX is dropped to the BM it makes a note of him and when WWX comes back it makes itself known. The creature is old and jaded but it also likes WWX and the Wens and appreciate their efforts to purify the land. What do you think would happen if Jin other sects attacked BM in this au? Thanks ☺️

A/N: Probably not what you were looking for, but have a crossover with a bit of Chinese lovecraftiana, Oobmab’s “The Flock of Ba-Hui”, because I’ve been reading a certain short story collection.

******

It’s Wen Yuan who finds the crack.

It’s deep within the cave that Wei Wuxian has named the Demon Slaughtering Cave, hidden in a shadow and halfway behind a large rock. It really is the sort of thing a small, curious child is far more likely to find than an adult.

It’s Wei Wuxian who finds that while the crack itself is barely large enough for a somewhat thin adult to squeeze through, behind it is far more space, as it opens into what appears to be a somewhat rough-hewn tunnel sloping downwards.

Well, technically Wen Yuan is the one to find it, except Wei Wuxian is the one to bring a light talisman along when he goes to fetch a crying A-Yuan who can’t find his way back and has sat down inside the tunnel.

Of course, once his Xian-gege is with him, Yuan is soon comforted and not at all inclined to go back. He wants to explore, and so does Wei Wuxian. Perhaps bringing a small child along is a choice Wen Qing will stab him with her needles for later, but - he’s got his flute and all the resentful energies of the Burial Mounds. What could go wrong?

So they walk together down the sloping tunnel, followes it as it meanders first to the right, then to the left, then right again, undulating their way deeper under the mountains.

At the end of the tunnel is a cave, and in that cave is an altar. The walls are covered in half-faded murals of fantastical things, that seem almost and yet not quite human - too large, too feral, too - wrong in sundry, subtle ways.

Wei Wuxian does not spare them much notice, though, because there are things on the altar - a bowl of rice and one of fruit as vividly coloured as gems and a single, burning incense stick.

If he’s any judge, it was probably lit - a very short while ago.

Worryingly short.

He tells Yuan to stand behind him, backs the both of them back to the tunnel they came from, and lifts Chenqing to his lips, but nothing stirs.

“Xian-gege,” Yuan whines, having gotten bored fast. “I’m hungry!”

The fruit is clearly a sacrifice to whichever ancestor or god this cave is dedicated to, but - well. Wei Wuxian bows to the altar and apologizes, putting two of his finest talismans on the altar and takes the bowl of fruit to share with Yuan. They settle down by the tunnel and lose track of time for a bit.

They smell it first - a musty smell, though not unpleasant. Then they hear it, a faint noise of something scratching, of small stones being disturbed by something’s passing.

Finally, they see it as it rises behind the altar.

At first Wei Wuxian thinks it’s just a snake. Perhaps a measuring snake, like those the Peacock had thought to impress his shijie with back on Phoenix Mountain. Some form of yao, anyway.

Then he sees the arms. The hands, thin, long fingers tipped with claws, holding a handful of unlit incense sticks.

The snake, in turn, sees him. Sees them.

For a moment all is frozen except the snake-person’s flickering purple tongue. Then - as Wei Wuxian watches, Yuan clinging to the back of his leg and breath ready to blow a tune - it puts down the incense sticks, lifts its arms and bows in polite greeting.

***

“I don’t trust them!” Wen Qing states, firmly.

Wei Wuxian doesn’t argue. He did that days ago, when he and Yuan came out of the Demon Slaughtering Cave laden with baskets of fruits they could not name, bearing the news of their strange, but very polite neighbours.

The snake people have so far proven to be excellent neighbours indeed. They’ve brought gifts - cloth, farming tools, and of course food. Fruits, mushrooms, even dried meat - some form of pork, Wei Wuxian thinks.

They haven’t been to visit, though. The crack that connects their tunnel with the Demon Slaughtering Cave is too narrow for their serpentine bodies. But that’s alright. Wei Wuxian is happy to spend hours in the temple cave, listening as they tell their stories - of an ancient god, Ba-Hui, who sleeps deep beneath the mountain, about pilgrimages slithering through tunnels that a human would find all but impossible to journey through.

In sibilant voices, they tell him of a human kingdom long past, of sharing their alchemical secrets and their worship with people from the surface. Of having come together as something greater than their parts, and of how it ended, in blood and tears and flight deep, deep underground, as the neighbouring kingdoms took up arms and brought war and fire to their homes.

Wei Wuxian dreams of Lotus Pier that night, of the Cloud Recesses, of faceless armies of Wen cultivators.

And still, Wen Qing speaks against them, their kind neighbours. Several of the Uncles have gone into the caves to light incense in the temple cave and say prayers of thanks to the great Ba-Hui, and barely a day goes by without Yuan talking either Wei Wuxian or his uncle Wen Ning into letting him go below. He is endlessly fascinated by the snake people, and they in turn seem fascinated by him, letting him climb all over them as they carry on sibilant conversations, as they offer him more of those gem-like fruits and pinch his cheeks as he laughs.

Wei Wuxian almost gets a little jealous, sometimes.

But only almost.

“We do not have children, not like humans do,” they explain. “Our new brethren are fully formed upon their first shed, as Ba-Hui wills it.”

***

When the invitation to Jin Ling’s one-month celebration comes, they are delighted for him. They bring him jade from their home in the depths for him to make a suitable present, and they encourage him to bring the child back to the Burial Mounds for a visit.

They offer to take him to Lanling along their paths, deep beneath the world, but he refuses. He walks in the sunlight with Wen Ning by his side and his world begins to fall apart.

***

He hears them as he lies paralyzed in the cave.

If he could turn his head, he thinks he might see a grey-green arm trying to reach through the crack at the back of the cave.

He hears them scratching, claws against rock.

He doesn’t look back once as the third day comes and he runs out of the cave, barely takes the moments to reassure Yuan, safe in Granny’s care, that he’ll be back, before he leaves the Burial Mounds, far too late.

***

Lan Wangji brings him back to the Demon Slaughtering Cave, because where else would he bring him? He tells a weeping Wen Yuan to hide, and then he walks out, Bichen and Wangji at the ready, to defend the two of them.

The snake person, the old priest with the scales gone greyer than any of the others, slides out of the crack, enlarged by sheer tenacity, large enough to let a snake person through.

It rises above where Wei Wuxian sits, ignoring his furious shouts at everything and nothing in favour of wrapping its arms around the scared Yuan.

Then it starts to sway, raising its voice in something a bit like a hiss and a bit like a song and perhaps most of all like the whistling of a flute, and Wei Wuxian finds himself grow calm.

Grow cold.

“Come,” the snake person says and Wei Wuxian does, without a glance towards the cave opening and beyond, without pause for the sounds of ringing blades and screams that he cannot hear.

Once they are past the temple cave they carry him.

The tunnels are dark, and undulating. They’d be impossible to climb or crawl through, for a man, but the snake people move fast and sure, and Wei Wuxian and Wen Yuan are safe in their arms.

Far below the world they are taken.

The old priest sings to him as they travel, sings to him of the god Ba-Hui, of the rites of his priesthood, of the great gift. Sings the names of those who have been on this pilgrimage before him, and somewhere in the dark he hears the voices of his brothers-soon-to-be answer to the names.

Eventually they reach their destination and it is a cave of enormous proportions, strange crystals reflecting light to let him and see, and oh, he sees.

The snake is gigantic. The Xuanwu, horror that it had been, was like nothing compared to the snake.

Compared to Ba-Hui.

They carry him to the god and he watches as the jaws open, and somewhere he can hear Yuan crying. He’d like to turn around, like to reassure the boy that all is well, that this is right, but finds that he cannot.

The jaws shut around him, down here at the deepest part of the world.

And he is reborn.

***

Lan Wangji returns to the Burial Mounds for the second time when the three years of his seclusion comes to an end.

He knows there’s nothing to find. He knows that - others have searched, covered every inch of the Burial Mounds to find the hated Yiling Patriarch. He himself searched the caves and the area around the settlement, searched every nook and cranny, but found nothing.

No sign of Wei Ying and no sign of the child he’d left with him,

He does not expect today to be different.

He’s carrying two tablets, carefully carved in the finest wood. He’s carrying incense, and paper money, and jars of Emperor’s Smile.

He’s carrying a toy butterfly.

He’s making his bows, offering his prayers for the dead when he hears a noise behind him, like many stones sent tumbling, and he jumps to his feet, Bichen unsheathed as he turns to face - a snake.

Or perhaps not.

The thing emerging from an opening in the back of the Demon Slaughtering Cave, an opening that must have been covered by many rocks when last he was here, searching, is certainly akin to a snake, but also not, a pair of arms at its sides as it pushes itself upright, swaying slightly as if not entirely accustomed to the position.

It is naked, the snake thing, except a red ribbon wrapped tightly around its wrist.

There’s something thin and black cradled in its claws and Lan Wangji gasps at the sight, before letting his cold fury rise and Bichen with it. He does not care what this thing is, he does not care whence it came, all that matters is that it dares to be here and now and waving Chenqing around like some perverse trophy.

Except - except then the snake swallows its flickering purple tongue and hisses.

Hisses words.

“Lan Zhan?”

[somepinkthing]

WANGXIAN! POKEMON AU! WANGXIAN! POKEMON AU!

Summary: Wei Wuxian is pretty sure he’s been labelled the most annoying Pokemon trainer on the face of the Earth at this point, and he intends to defend his title. He’ll start with this stuck up kid who just caught him mud-wrestling a Yungoos.

Eevee and Gengar held him back by his jacket, the little traitors. He hand raises them and this is the thanks he gets? They would allow him to be disrespected by this Yungoos without a fight? Clearly, they've been spending too much time with Jiang Cheng and his incessant nagging. Wei Ying loved his brother, but he lived his life on the straight and narrow too much--what's life without a bit of trouble?!

Trouble, this time, took the form of a thieving Yungoos taking his sandwich. 

Did he have others? Yes. Did he need that back? No. The sandwich was filthy now, he couldn't even eat it. But no little rodent was gonna steal from Wei-gege and get away with it that easily… unless his Pokemon have something to say about it.

Wei Wuxian tugged at his jacket. "Hey, come on! Heel! Sit! Lemme at him!"

Eevee shot him a truly unimpressed look and didn't loosen her jaw in the slightest. Ok, fair. Wei Wuxian has never once taught his Pokemon any commands to follow so he probably sounded like a madman screaming orders at them. But still! She understood him! He knows she did! Show some filial piety here, girl!

"Fine!" Wei Wuxian groaned, shoulders sagging in defeat. "Fine. Let me go and I won't do anything. On my honor."

This time, his whole team shot him judgemental looks. Mimikkyu even stuck his fake head out from inside the bag to judge him with beady little fake eyes. They weren't even his real eyes and Wei Ying could still feel the judgement rolling off of them!

What is up with that?! Zero respect, he gets zero respect! 

"I won't!" he insisted. "Besides, what are you gonna do? Hang onto me forever?"

Eevee looked like she was considering it, but she followed suit when Gengar reluctantly loosened her grip. 

"Thank you," Wei Ying said calmly, being the bigger person. "See? I won't do anything. On my honor, I won't."

And he really wasn't going to. He reached into his pack to grab another sandwich, to prove to this Yungoos that he wasn't any broke bitch and could afford his own food without having to steal it from unsuspecting travellers. 

...But then he heard a derisive sniff come from the Yungoos. The little creature actually scoffed at him!

"Got something to say?!"

Yungoos only sniffed again and… turned his tail at him?! Showed Wei Ying his ass-end?! Disrespected him in front of his own children!

Oh. It was ON. 

He thrust his bag at Gengar and jumped into the fray before any of his team could react.

Sorry guys, he never had much honor anyways.

---

“What are you doing?” 

Wei Wuxian freed himself just enough to look up towards the source of the question. He found a boy dressed in pure white staring down at him with a pinched expression. 

“Nothing much?” Wei Ying replied, managing to free his shoulder from the sharp jaws digging into his flesh and face slam the screeching Yungoos into the dirt. “Why do you ask?”

The boy’s expression only became more pinched. “Let the Pokemon up, please.”

Wei Ying suddenly realized how this must look from an outsider’s perspective.

“Hey, hey! Listen! He started it!” But he let the Yungoos go anyways. The little demon hissed and ran towards the boy in white who easily plucked the little creature up and checked him over. Oh sure, now it was docile. Determining that it wasn’t truly injured, the boy set the Pokemon down. 

Watching Yungoos race off, Wei Ying asked, “Hey… he wasn’t, like, yours, was he?”

The boy shook his head and Wei Ying sighed in relief. At least he could avoid that earful. Though, the boy was still looking at him like he was dirt beneath his pristine boots--which, considering the state of him right now, was kind of fair...

Well! No time like now to make a new friend, then! As soon as this boy spent some time with him, Wei Ying was sure he would be able to wipe this horrid first impression clean from his mind! 

...Which could be hard to do if the boy left.

Wei Ying hopped to his feet and gave chase. He couldn’t let this boy leave until he’d at least gotten the chance to explain! He couldn’t lose out on a potentially interesting friend because of a stinking Yungoos. He heard the pitter-pattering of little feet following after him, letting him know that his team was right behind him. 

“Hey, wait up!” Wei Ying called out. When the boy didn’t stop, he tried again. “Either you stop or I’m grabbing your perfect white jacket with my muddy, muddy hands!”

The boy halted and turned to grimace at Wei Ying. “What is it?”

Wei Ying wasted no time. “I’m Wei Ying, courtesy name is Wuxian. And you are?”

The grimace got deeper, but apparently the boy was too polite to not answer him. 

“Lan Zhan. Courtesy name is Wangji.”

“Cool name!” Wei Ying admired. “You can call me Wei Ying. Or XianXian. Or even A-Xian, if you’d like.”

The boy nodded. “And you may call me Wangji.”

Ouch.

“Lan Zhan rolls off the tongue much better!” Wei Ying pressed on, undeterred.

“Wangji is just as easy to say,” his new pal insisted.

Stingy! Wei Wuxian was sure that even Jiang Cheng wasn’t this prickly! At least his brother would try to get along with anyone who wanted to befriend him. This guy was obviously giving off some very strong “Do Not Breathe Near Me, Filthy Mortal” vibes. 

Well! Unfortunately for him, that only made Wei Wuxian more likely to suck in all the oxygen around him! Back home, they called him the world’s most loveable menace (or at least his sister had)! He wouldn’t be giving that title up easily! This boy could obviously use a friend and some lessons in chilling out and Wei Ying would happily provide them for him.

Plus, it didn’t hurt that, objectively, this was the most beautiful person he’d ever seen in his entire life. Wei Ying would like to think he was good looking for a kid and no one in his family was ugly by any means, but this guy blew them all out of the water! Skin as white as alabaster and as smooth-looking as jade! Features that looked as if they were carved by a master sculptor working on his magnum opus! Long, inky hair flowed with every step he took! Thin, pale lips with no sign of dryness or imperfection! Groomed, broad shoulders, narrow hips, long legs, tall, well-dressed! He was like a prince out of a fairytale! 

And Wei Ying bet that he’d be even prettier with a genuine smile on his face! Though, that wasn’t to say that the look of mild-disdain he was giving Wei Ying now took away from his attractiveness in the least.

He was entirely fascinating! And Wei Ying was definitely staring! 

“Well,” Lan Wangji sniffed, turning to leave yet again, “If that’s all then…”

Shit. Wait. He hadn’t at all managed to redeem himself! All he had done was give his name, annoyed the kid more, and stared at him like a creep. Wei Ying hurriedly wracked his brains for something to keep the boy around. Somehow, that translated into him frantically looking around the area looking for something more to talk about. It was then that he noticed….

“OH MY GOD! You have a Glaceon?! Did you evolve her yourself? Oh, look at her!” 

Wei Ying didn’t even give Lan Zhan a chance to respond, lunging forward and scooping up Glaceon and swinging her around, making sure to get a good look at her from all angles.. 

“How did you already get her evolved, you can’t be too much older than me! Eevee, are you seeing this? Evolve into this, she’s so pretty! Woah! Her fur sparkles! What?!”

Lan Wangji cleared his voice sharply, grabbing Wei Ying’s attention.

“He doesn’t like to be touched by strangers.”

Wei Ying felt his fingers go icy-cold. He looked down at his hostage and only caught a glimpse of Glaceon’s glare before yelping at the feeling of sharp claws raking across his cheek.

---

“It’s very minor frostbite,” Lan Zhan told him, “You should recover fully within a day. The scratches should also heal without scarring, they were very superficial.”

He was gentle as he finished applying some antibiotic to Wei Wuxian’s cheek. 

"Thanks. For bringing me to your medical bay and for the help. And sorry for scaring your Glaceon."

Lan Zhan nodded his acceptance of the apology and started to pack up the supplies. Wei Ying laughed awkwardly, never any good with silence.

"So your brother's the gym leader, huh?" Wei Ying had gotten to meet Gym Leader Lan Xichen and was embarrassed that he hadn't made the connection until he saw the resemblance between the two brothers. He had helped both boys to the medical wing when Lan Wangji had dragged a bleeding Wei Wuxian onto his doorstep. He was as kind and serene as people said he was, even if he had looked close to cracking once he'd heard the full story. 

"Yes. You are here to challenge him, correct?"

And, technically, he was right. Wei Ying and his brother had both set out to challenge trials and gyms, trying to get as many as they could. It was a trial a lot of young trainers underwent and there was no way Madam Yu would ever allow her children to skip it. If they were going to do this, they would do it right! Or so help her, lord….

But now that Wei Ying had seen Lan Xichen's lineup, he was starting to wonder whether or not he should wait. He didn't even know where he'd even begin with a Wailord, how does one take down something the size of two whole houses? That thing could fit a city on his back! The only thing he could imagine might work would be to have Pachirisu zap the water and that was dangerous on so many levels! Even Wei Ying wasn't that reckless, no matter what his reputation was! He wasn't looking to die die.  And, well, not to mention that it may not even work--Pachirisu could hardly produce a bolt that strong yet.

Of course, it didn't hurt that the longer he waited, the more time he'd have to get to know Lan Zhan, who only got more and more fascinating the less he talked to Wei Ying. And he really did not want to talk to Wei Ying. At this point, the ever-silent Lan Wangji was practically the most curious thing on the planet!

"I don't know," Wei Ying said with a shrug. "Hey, maybe I'll stick around, see the area. It's beautiful landscape and I'm something of an artist! Maybe… you could show me around?"

Lan Wangji looked like he enjoyed that idea as little as Wei Ying had expected him to. It took everything in his power to not laugh at the sour face the boy was pulling. His face could really get stuck that way at this rate!

Lan Wangji opened his mouth to--presumably to tell Wei Wuxian to get lost and die (probably in much more polite terms but with the same meaning)--when a melodious voice interrupted their conversation.

"If Mr. Wei truly is so taken by our humble little corner, you are naturally welcome to stay as long as you like. We have more than enough empty rooms in this compound," Lan Xichen offered generously as he entered the room with quiet, graceful steps. 

"R-Really?!" Wei Ying cannot say he was expecting this outcome. He knew that Gym Leader had probably found him cute enough for a kid, but not enough that he’d want to invite him willingly into his home! Expecially with how much his brother obviously hated him.

Lan Xichen nodded though. "Of course! Presuming you show me the art you produce. I consider myself something of an artist too, you see."

"Brother…" Lan Zhan protested, his voice flat and filled with disapproval, but he was silenced by a single smile.

"Wangji, show Mr. Wei around, will you? Maybe he can even help you on your task.”

"That is not necessary," Lan Zhan cut his brother off as quickly as possible, clearly trying to nip that idea off at the bud.

Too late, Wei Ying heard that.

"Gym Leader Lan, you're as good as they say! I'll be happy to share any of my sketches!" Wei Ying thanked the big brother before turning to hound his new friend (and they would be friends. Wei Ying would get to know this kid if it killed them both).

Lan Wangji’s expression couldn’t be called a sneer, per se. But Wei Ying had a feeling that it was as close as the other boy had ever gotten to sneering in his life. 

Excellent.

"Hey, I can help with your task! I'm actually pretty strong, you know. And, more importantly, I'll literally do anything! Nothing is too lowly for me, I have zero use for pride! No need to be embarrassed, just ask away! What do you need? Hey, don't ignore me! I'm saying I can help! Hey! HEY! Lan Zhan, wait for me! I'm coming too!"

Glaceon hissed at him as he made to follow Lan Zhan out the door. Wei Ying happily ignored him.

[true-aim]

[ Morphine ]

I broke my arm once. I was at my high school’s swim meet, ready to compete against our rival school’s team when I slipped. I fell off of the high diving board, hitting the concrete with my arm. They said I screamed, but I can’t remember that. I was rushed to the hospital with a few bruised ribs, but my arm suffered the worst of it. The pain was excruciating and I was given morphine. The relief was something I can’t quite describe. I almost felt like I hadn’t broken anything at all, and at the same time, I felt like I could fly. This incredible sense of euphoria came over me, like I could do anything. It was the only time drugs had ever had that effect on me. But it wasn’t the only time in my life I’d felt that way.

∙∙·▫▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫▫·∙∙

The petrichor preceded the pitter patter of rain that tapped at the old window. Slowly, it intensified before the distant, rumbling hum of thunder announced the thunderstorm quickly approaching. Danny could feel the fidgeting beside him.

“Are leaving me now, gege?” Ujin asked with that semblance of mirth that Danny learned to understand as somewhere between trying to keep it casual and being actually concerned, as if he already knew the answer to that question. Danny had a study group, and had agreed to go have dinner with a few friends later. This was only supposed to be a quick roll in the bed before he had to get ready. Rolling away from Ujin for a moment, he grabbed his phone from the night stand and tapped away a quick message. He then gently slapped his phone back down and turned to Ujin again, pulling him closer this time.

“I’m not going,” he murmured, his deep voice dropping to a near-whisper.

"Wait, really?”

Danny quietly exhaled a laugh through his nose and nodded, leaning into the other a bit. His nose gently grazed Ujin’s jaw, lips gently touching down and planting an easy chain of kisses along the curve of it. His kisses migrated down the slope of his jaw towards the soft warmth of his throat where he could almost feel Ujin’s racing heartbeat. His kisses continued down to the valleys of his collar where he suckled until he was satisfied that Ujin would carry a reminder tomorrow that the one and only Daniel Zhang was here.

“And you’re not going anywhere,” Danny mused quietly, bringing the hand that wasn’t wrapped around his lover up to the shock of sweat-dampened red hair on his face, pushing it back. He imagined briefly what it would be like to just break away from his family’s expectations, running away with Ujin and traveling the world together. Maybe he could become a travel vlogger. He was decent enough at writing, and it’s not like he didn’t enjoy exploring new places.

“Well, I guess there’s a first hmphff--” Danny’s hand came up to press over Ujin’s soft, plush lips, exhaling another quiet laugh. “I’ll leave if you question it any more,” he warned, before pulling Ujin closer and on top of him now. The sounds of rain falling around them intensified as Ujin turned his hips, easily sitting on Danny now and looking down over him. Strong, slender hands came up to Ujin’s stomach, slowly moving upwards.

But Ujin’s hands protested, pushing them to his sides. Danny noticed it before on several occasions. He didn’t need Ujin to tell him with words what his body language spoke in volumes. He was self-conscious.

“You’re gorgeous, Uji,” he began to protest, his gaze coming up to search for the other’s.

He was met with a hand to his mouth. His turn to shut up. “Don’t.”

A quiet laugh was muffled into that hand as Danny nodded, kissing the palm on his lips while convinced that his words were true. He knew Ujin didn’t believe him, or maybe he just didn’t want to hear it, but it was true. Ujin was perfect through his imperfections in ways that Danny couldn’t explain. He didn’t care about Ujin having the chiseled body of a swimmer, or the softness that came from eating too many ramen bowls late at night during video game binging. He’d never felt more at home with anybody, even in little stolen moments like that. It didn’t matter whether Ujin prattled on about his social analysis on latest manga he’d been reading, or the production quality and attention to detail of his latest anime series. It didn’t matter that Danny didn’t understand Para Para culture all that well or the Korean cursing that flew from his lips whenever he was upset, or the internet pop culture slang he dropped here and there. What exactly did it mean to simp for someone anyway? Ujin gave him a comfort that nothing else could, lighting up parts of Danny that he didn’t even know still existed beneath that studious, responsible veneer. He was Daniel’s morphine.

But slowly, Daniel’s practicality spread like a sickness and ruined it.

∙∙·▫▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫▫·∙∙

“Shh, they’ll hear us,” Danny whispered jokingly, his lips spread to a broad, toothy grin as his button-up flannel shirt was practically torn off and thrown to the floor without a care in the world.

This is reckless. We should be quiet.

“I don’t give a fuck, baobao. You’re all mine tonight. Besides, there’s no one here anyway,” Ujin said, mischief painted on his handsome face. And there wasn’t. As he looked around, he couldn’t remember how they’d gotten into that hotel room with a gorgeous view of the city, who would even be around to hear them, but it didn’t seem to matter. His focus was on the man that was now on the bed under him and the stiffness that tented beneath his ass, just begging to be released from its tightening, uncomfortable denim prison.

Ravenous hands sought out the hardened curves of Danny’s defined abdomen, chest, and up over his shoulders like kneading climbers looking for the heights of Everest as Danny leaned down. Their lips met in a hurricane of hungering kisses, tongues seeking refuge against one another in kisses that were the furthest thing from polite and modest. They were vulgar and disruptive, slippery and wet.

Ujin shoved Danny over, flipping him onto his back and swiftly tugging his jeans and underwear away, as if they were on fire. Danny’s hands scrunched the fabric of Ujin’s black t-shirt, pulling it up and over his head with no time to waste.

“Are you hard for me already?”

As if he needed to ask. Danny’s hot, turgid length stood at full mast just begging to be touched. It was answered when Ujin wrapped his hand around Danny, pumping him slowly and making him writhe in pleasure. Danny’s back arched a little as he did his absolute best not to buck into that hand. Then it all became a blur.

Before he knew it, Ujin was reaching into the night stand drawer, pulling out lube to slick him up, fingers slipping into the tight heat that anticipated his intrusion. It didn’t take long for Ujin to work him open before slicking himself up and pushing into Danny slowly.

Danny loved being able to look up into Ujin’s lust-filled eyes, watching as he took what belonged to him with no hesitancy and no mercy. It turned him on to see a dark, sizzling desire he thought he’d forgotten over time, manifesting in the way the other looked at him. Ujin established a rhythm, slamming into Danny as far as he could, then brought a hand up to wrap around that smooth, graceful neck, giving it a slow squeeze.

“You wanna cum?” The question was exhaled with as much control as Ujin could muster, it seemed.

“Mhmm... fuck. Y-yeah...” Danny was a writhing mess, barely able to string a thought fragment together enough to respond with words.

“Tell me how much you want it.”

It felt amazing. Daniel never relinquished control of himself: no woman ever took him like this, and certainly no other man. Only Ujin had taken him like this, and only Ujin could ever take him like this again.

The hand around Danny’s neck let go, and the hard palm smacked against the smooth plane of his ivory cheek, spiking his waves of pleasure with the crisp, sharp bite of pain.

“I said tell me how much you fucking want it, you perverted son of a bitch,” Ujin replied, the corner of his lips curling to a grin.

“Oh, fuck... I need it,” Danny said breathlessly before the same hand slapped him again with an even more satisfying crack.

“Louder. And don’t forget your manners, baobao,” The command dripping with Machiavellian intent.

We should be quiet. They’ll hear us.

“I want you to fucking make me cum like the dirty fucking whore I am, Sir.”

“Ah, fuck,” Ujin groaned. “Why didn’t you say so?”

You dirty little bastard. God, I fucking love it.

Ujin hammered mercilessly into him, their sweat-slicked bodies slamming together in a glorious cacophony of echoing smacks, followed by deep, guttoral groans of pleasure and the shifting of the sheets as Danny’s hands gripped into them. Pleasure mounted higher and higher, Ujin’s length slamming into precisely the perfect spot that had Danny begging him not to stop until they both released in explosions of mutual ecstasy.

The comedown was pure bliss. Ujin took his time giving a few last thrusts, milking himself entirely before pulling out slowly. Danny could feel the gush of Ujin’s fluids, a sensation he’d long forgotten over time. Ujin wasn’t the last man he’d slept with, but he was the last one he’d slept with raw like this. The other collapsed on him, both of their bodies spent from their laborious ministrations on one another, and Danny held him close, strong arms wrapping around his smaller frame, never wanting to let him go.

His fingers lightly caressed the other’s warm skin, tracing over the beauty mark near his collar like it was a spot on the map. Daniel Zhang lives here. Do not trespass.

Danny smiled to himself, then lips found the top of Ujin’s thick, sweat-dampened dark hair. His heart was full, and his heart fluttered for the other. “Uji? I...”

The words formed in his lips, and he could feel their truth engraved in every fiber of his being, but his lips faltered. The breath wouldn’t come. He swallowed hard and tilted Ujin’s chin up slowly, but when he looked into his eyes, they were glassed over. In fact, his entire face was deteriorating right before his eyes, as if he’d somehow been bitten. A low growl came, and he jolted back away from him.

∙∙·▫▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫▫·∙∙

Daniel breathed in sharply, eyes opening to the harshness of the sun shining directly into his face.

It was just a dream.

There was immediate discomfort in his pants when he realized he woke up with a bad case of morning wood. Thank god he didn’t actually cream himself, or he would’ve been in trouble. As the rest of his senses awoke, he could feel his body was sore, but not in the ways he expected. His arms and legs throbbed from running, his bruised ribs hurt, and his head pounded from dehydration and the stress his body was under. Worse yet, he was far from that beautiful room that offered a brief reprieve from the nightmare he was actually stuck in.

He wanted to remember the softness of those sheets for just a little while longer.

Ujin was still asleep, and when Danny turned his head to look, he looked as angelic as he had in his dream. Perhaps only a little older, a little more worn out, but still just as gorgeous, if not more so, than in his dreams. He still had that cute, perfect nose, the cutest cheeks that puffed out when he stuffed his face, and full, round lips that once upon a time drove him wild. And still did. His heart was beating faster.

My rude ass xiǎo tùzǐ.

Ujin Moon was an addiction Daniel didn’t want to get clean from ever again. Whether or not he himself made it out west, he knew he was going to fight tooth and nail to protect Ujin. Even from himself, and even if they DID fight each other. Danny wasn’t going to abandon him ever again, but he couldn't bring himself to say it. Not if saying it would only hurt Ujin if he didn’t believe him. He’d royally fucked up, after all.

Just then, Ujin stirred, and Danny quickly shut his eyes, pretending to be asleep.

“Stop staring at me, you perverted mongrel,” Ujin said, his sleepy, groggy voice laced with the same venom they had the day before. His eyes weren’t even open yet, and Ujin could already sense him, it seemed, until he flipped over and away from the direct sunlight. “I could hear you fucking moaning, you degenerate.”

The illusion was over, and he was back to present time. Everything came flooding back faster than he wished it would. But his heart was still set. This was a second chance, and second chances didn’t just rain from the sky like mana.

I did this. And I’ll find a way to undo it, even if it kills me.

@zombelfies​

[thelizardqueen33]

On love and Zhang Yixing

I've realized I really love Yixing. I watched Operation Love yesterday and even though it's silly I just want that man to be happy. It’s not just his looks. He is a beautiful man, no doubt, but honestly, there are people more beautiful and handsome than him. I’m aware of that. I’m also aware that he’s not perfect. He makes mistakes. But what I love about him is that he apologizes for them and tries to fix them. It’s in his character. I love how hardworking he is; he takes every opportunity to learn and grow, which I find immensely inspiring. Still, I’m sad that I can’t emulate his ways. I have to admit I don’t have such a strong desire to learn. I’m quite lazy I guess.

But he does inspire me in so many ways. He saved my life, there is no doubt about it, and he’s making me a better person every day. I believe I’m more honest and confident because of him (not only when it comes to looks, but also when it comes to my abilities, opinions, passions and hobbies). I’m not as ashamed of myself as I used to be.

I want to work hard, for myself and also for him.

I thought seeing him in person would bring closure to this meaningless pain (I realized clearly that I will never walk beside him the way I want to, I will never wake up beside him and see his silly beautiful face, no matter how much I wanted that), but he made me feel calm and protected. I can’t remember the event properly, or how I felt exactly, but right now, sitting on my couch at home, I love him more than ever.

I love his beautiful cute face, his slightly curly hair, his long nose, his kind eyes, his full lips, his dimples, his pierced ear, his smile and oh god his laugh. His pure, sincere laugh is the cutest, most beautiful thing in this world. I love his sensitive neck, his shoulders, his thin but strong torso, his arms that are just perfectly muscular, his small bum, his slightly short legs, his bulge XD.

I love his walk full of swag, I love his sexy moves and stares on stage, as well as his unbearable cuteness. I love his silly moments and his wise moments (I know he’s smart and I love how he still has a childlike side, his wonder is precious). I love it when he speaks Chinese because he sounds rougher and is much more eloquent. I love it when he speaks Korean because he’s still not good at it and it’s cute. I love it when he speaks English because it’s full of attitude and I can’t handle his pronunciation. I adore his language plays, his puns and cheesy lines. I love how he loves his fans and how he spoils us and teases us. I know he never wants to disappoint us. I love his loyalty and my heart breaks when he likes his members’ photos, knowing that he can’t participate.

I love his hands and his charitable heart. I love how polite he is to everyone, no matter what age or what status. I love his blank face when understanding escapes him and I love his smirks when he gets something right. I love his friendship with his geges. I love him wearing Suho’s shirt.

I love him when he talks about music, when he’s looking at his first son (album) with so much love and when he’s absolutely over the moon about his upcoming second one. I love it when he dances and I feel the day has just become infinitely better. I love his passion and I wish I was that passionate about something.

I love him in many more ways than I can think of right now, but there are times when I don’t love him. I don’t love him when he works too hard and doesn’t eat. I don’t love him when he faints from exhaustion. I don’t love him when I can see the sadness in his eyes but he pretends he’s fine. I don’t love him when he just stands there and takes all the hate without a word, hate he doesn’t deserve at all. I don’t love him when he’s too beautiful for words, because it makes me cry. It makes me realize I’ll never be able to call him mine. Maybe one day I’ll love him less, maybe this will fade and I’ll forget him, but my heart won’t. It will never forget the man who made it want to beat again.