#he still misses yue so much

[sunderwight]

SV fic where Shen Yuan rationally decides to be gay. For rational, strategic reasons. He has to do it.

Reason 1: every woman in the world has pretty much been reserved for the protagonist. trying to get with anyone would seal his fight as a rival, on top of a villain! he's basically either got to spend the rest of his life a bachelor or find another option.

Reason 2: obviously as a straight man Shen Yuan would prefer the bachelor option, but that's just leaving him wide open to attacks! Shen Qingqiu already did a poor job of cementing any alliances, having no family to speak of and pissing off the majority of his sect siblings. frankly he's left Shen Yuan in a bind that only some kind of concrete financial and social alliance could solve!

Reason 3: no man wants to die a virgin, right?

Reason 4: increasingly progressive standards in fiction have actually made it gauche to kill off openly gay characters. while a stallion novel might still go in that direction, it's not like he could make his fate much worse, so it's worth a shot, right?

anyway this all leads to Shen Yuan carefully reconstructing the image of Shen Qingqiu into the token complicated gay character. obviously he's not going to put the moves on any of his disciples (he doesn't want to fall into those gay stereotypes!), but to cement the image of himself as a gay man he's going to need to put the moves on someone.

it's a shame that the OG was so well-established in his enmity towards the sect leader. Yue Qingyuan seems like he might have at least entertained such interest, although he's also more of a brotherly type and probably not gay, so perhaps it's for the best in the long run.

luckily, another option falls right into Shen Qingqiu's lap (almost literally!) when he saves Liu Qingge from a qi deviation.

Liu Qingge is actually the perfect target for an unrequited crush. it recontextualizes some of his and the original's enmity, Liu Qingge was dead in the original story so it's not likely to mess up anything worse than him just being alive does, Liu Qingge is beautiful enough that it's believable anyone would be secretly in love with him, and a war god is almost certainly straight, which gives Shen Qingqiu time to adjust to the idea of living as a gay man for the rest of his (hopefully long) life. y'know, before he finds an actual gay to partner with!

the only downside is that coming on to Liu Qingge might discourage him from protecting Shen Qingqiu and repaying his debt in the long run. luckily, that doesn't seem to be the case! despite his face frequently turning red (from anger?) and him sometimes literally fleeing at Shen Qingqiu's awkward attempts at flirting, Liu Qingge never misses an appointment to cleanse his meridians, and seems to take his safety and well-being very seriously.

what an honorable man!

shame that Luo Binghe doesn't seem to like him, though. Shen Qingqiu's not sure what to make of all that. that's your future brother-in-law, Binghe! at least make an attempt to win him over! oh well. at least he's not ruining a relationship between in-laws that otherwise could have been good, as he makes extra sure to subtly bemoan, in front of Luo Binghe, the tragedy of his deep unrequited love for Liu Qingge. for like the third time that week.

[kykyonthemoon]

Distraction

When you need to study for the upcoming Hunter competency assessment, yet his presence becomes your ultimate distraction.

── .✦ Character x Female Reader|MC

Included parts in order: Caleb - Xavier - Rafayel - Zayne - Sylus

Ky Ky's note: I chose this particular order for the LIs based on the time of day that you would meet him:

Caleb - early morning

Xavier - around midday

Rafayel: late afternoon

Zayne: evening

Sylus: night

── .✦ Tags: R16, MDNI, suggestive themes, biting, teasing, pinning, soft fluff, established relationship, study/work date, pet names (pip-squeak, kitten), no y/n - as always.

── .✦ Word count: 5k6

── .✦ Requested by Yue AuV

── .✦ Masterlist ♡ Request a fic

Caleb

You awoke when the sun was still sleeping. Even on break, you had to carry a stack of books home to Grandma to prepare for the critical Hunter competency assessment the following week. The combat skills test was no issue for you. You were apprehensive about the theoretical test. That was the reason you had borrowed more materials from headquarters to study during these spare days.

As you proceeded down the stairs, you noticed heavy breathing in the living room. You were on high alert, clutching the book hard in your palm. With its thickness, a single throw may cause someone to faint on the spot. You walked gently down the final steps and entered the living room.

It was not quite as bright, but you could see everything in the room. On the floor, a person was facing the ground and doing push-ups. His unclothed back, soaked in perspiration, was displayed. You blinked for a second and recognized who it was.

"Caleb?"

He placed one hand on the floor and the other wrapped behind his back. He stopped performing push-ups and returned his attention to you.

"You woke up so early, pip-squeak?"

"When did you get back? I feared the house was being robbed!"

You sighed with relief, walked up to the sofa, and sat down. Caleb continued doing push-ups, saying:

“The train was delayed so I came home late. When I arrived home, you were already asleep, pipsqueak. So I missed the chance to say hi."

“I see. And why are you doing push-ups here?”

Caleb shifted his other hand to the floor. He replied:

“This is my morning practice routine at the Academy. But pip-squeak, you don't know this, right? Because you always sleep until past noon.”

Caleb chuckled, while you aggressively grabbed a nearby pillow and flung it at his back. "You are pestering me again! Every time you return home, it's simply to tease me, right?"

He rose up and turned towards you. His bare chest was exposed to you. When you realized you were staring at it for too long to the point it was not appropriate, you glanced away. 

"What about you?" Caleb asked. “Why are you up so early on a day off?”

You were going to respond but lost what to say as Caleb suddenly leaned in close to you. With one hand, he lifted your book to read the title, while the other moved behind you; his intention left unknown. 

Warmth radiated from Caleb, so much that the air in the room became stifling. Drops of sweat rolled down his face, his neck, his chest, and the muscles in his abdomen. He was right in front of you, only a touch away. His breath caressed your hair and cheeks. Burning.

"Review questions for Hunters?" Caleb commented after rapidly reading the book cover. He gazed at you, who appeared rigid and petrified in place. "Pip-squeak?"

You cleared your throat and coughed. Then pulled the book from his grasp. You explained:

“Well… I have to take the Hunter competency assessment exam next week…”

You hastily covered your face with the book, scared Caleb would see your scarlet cheeks. You also had to rely on the fragrance of papers to help you forget the scent of Caleb's body, which was both familiar and emphasized his masculinity more than ever at the time.

You simply hope the sofa would swallow you up so you would not feel embarrassed anymore. You were used to Caleb, including the fact that he trained his muscles in every possible place in the house. But it did not imply you felt fully at ease when you looked at him in this way. Even after you had confessed your feelings for each other.

Caleb knew what was going on in your mind. Why not, given how it was written on your face? He grinned and patted your head. The hand behind you abruptly took out a towel. He stated: 

"You're leaning back against my towel."

He stood up and backed away with the towel. It turned out that was what he needed, not you. You inhaled heavily. 

"Then let me get another one for you…" 

You murmured. But Caleb brought the cloth to his nose. After closing his eyes, he said:

“Mmh. No need. This towel smells like you.”

Your cheeks burned like fire. You turned fast away.

“Y-You should get back to your push-ups!”

After speaking, you quickly opened the book and pretended to read more. You could hear Caleb laughing in the living room. He said:

“Pip-squeak, you can read books upside down? That is very great of you!"

That's when you realized how ridiculous you were. You swiftly adjusted the book in the correct direction and said nothing else. Caleb returned to his morning workout. Your mind could no longer concentrate. Your gaze was attracted to Caleb's strong physique. He looked to be much more purposeful about exercising in front of you. You exhaled. 

"Caleb, can't you bring your push-ups to the garden?"

"Nope." Caleb reacted quickly, as if he had previously planned his response in case you wanted him out. “I was here first. You came here after me. If someone must go, it should be you."

You did not like to give in, but maybe you needed some cool, fresh air to recharge. You stood up. "Alright. I'll go out. Happy now?"

But as soon as you approached the main door, you felt heat emanating from behind. Caleb approached behind you, his chin resting on your shoulder. He whispered, somewhat petulantly:

“We haven't seen each other for a month. Are you just going to ignore me like that?”

You did not dare turn around, instead said gently: "I can't ignore you even if I wanted to..."

Caleb put one hand on the door, the other hand turned you around so he could look directly into your eyes. The book you clutched in your palm felt increasingly tight as he got closer. Your bare arm brushed against Caleb's toned abdomen. You held your breath while staring at him. 

“So, pip-squeak, how should you welcome me home?”

Caleb gently stroked your chin with his hand. You blushed. The feet automatically tiptoed. You gave Caleb a kiss on the cheek. But it appeared that this gift had left him disappointed.

“Is that all? Do I need to go on duty for another month so you will miss me even more?”

You knew Caleb was teasing you, yet you did miss him a lot. It was just that you were still not really used to intimate contact with him. You looked up at Caleb, his eyes still fixed on you, waiting. Having failed to disappoint him, you stepped on tiptoe again, this time with your lips on his.

Caleb grinned softly. He placed his arms around you and pulled you up against his damp body.

"This is... how a welcome home should be like..." Caleb whispered to you between lengthy kisses.

Xavier

“Have you seen my book anywhere? I think I dropped it.”

Xavier's words echoed out over the coffee table. You looked up from the stack of books and stated:

“Why don't you check on the floor?”

The two of you were not on the sofa, instead, the floor. Xavier leaned down and discovered the half-read book lying under the table. "Here it is!"

You sighed. “Did you fall asleep again?”

"What?" Xavier's perplexed expression resurfaced in your vision. He massaged his eyes. “I didn't sleep… I just closed my eyes to rest a bit and tried to remember the information I just read.”

“Hmm.” You glanced at him. Obviously, you caught him falling asleep when he pledged to study with you.

Long story short, all Hunters must go through a competence assessment. The test included both combat skills and a theoretical test. Hence you had invited Xavier to your flat for a study date. Even a top Hunter like him would have to take the assessment exam.

After barely five minutes of sitting, Xavier asked you: "Is it time to break yet?", and then he felt frustrated when he received a shake of the head from you. 

After that, Xavier was continuously distracted by many things around him, like the sound of a kettle boiling in the kitchen, birds chirping outside the open window, and even neighbors arguing down the street. You had to close the windows so you could concentrate on your studies. Xavier gave you one of his headphones and the review session proceeded well for the next half hour. Then he fell asleep and dropped the book on the floor again.

"Xavier, you're cheating!" You spoke as one hand reached out to pinch his face.

"It hurts."

Xavier spoke with a puppy expression. Even if he were like that, you would continue to review. You cleared your throat and coughed.

"Let us proceed. We have to complete the evaluation tomorrow."

Xavier put up his reading glasses and nodded. You heard him mumble a few questions from the book, followed by a long pause. You glanced up to him.

"Why do you keep looking at me?" You asked. 

You placed the book you were reading on the table. You simply could not focus anymore. Your mind was racing, words from the document leaping all over the place. Your body screamed for rest.

You crawled to Xavier's side and rested your head on him. He was silent about everything, but softly rested his chin on your hair. The two of you stayed there for a long time, enjoying the tranquility of the lovely morning. Unfortunately, the test prevented you from going out with Xavier. A walk then would be great. You were ready to invite Xavier for a stroll later, but before you could say anything, you noticed his faint, regular snoring next to you.

"Eh, Xavier?" You were astonished. "Are you sleeping now, really?"

The bit of his head lying on you grew heavy. Even when you sat up straight and grasped his head in both hands, Xavier did not bother to wake up. You thought it both amusing and miserable. You allowed him to recline against the sofa. With a very gentle gesture, you helped him take off his reading glasses and put them away. You set one arm on the sofa, laying your head on it while watching him sleep. How beautiful Xavier was; like a prince, a knight who was always there to protect you. And in times when he was being vulnerable like this, you would defend him.  

You could not resist but reach out and poke his cheek. Xavier did not immediately wake up, although he moved slightly. You tried to suppress your laughter. Your hand found a pen from the floor nearby and began a grand scheme.

You got up very carefully and climbed onto Xavier's lap. With the pen in hand, you sketched him a fantastic mustache. The tickling of the pen tip caused his face to quiver slightly, but he remained asleep. You gleefully painted the tip of his nose and slid a few strokes across both cheeks. After that, you removed your bunny ear accessories and placed them on Xavier's hair.

You reflected on your work once it was completed. He looked like a giant rabbit that had just grown a mustache. You giggled, planning to flee and get your phone to photograph the situation. But Xavier instantly held you back.

"Ouch!" 

The power from him drew your wrist back, forcing you to collapse into his arms. Your rabbit awoke and appeared to comprehend what you had just done. Xavier looked down at your little body lying in his arms and said sleepily:

“What did you just draw on my face?”

“Eh… I didn't do anything…” You chose to deny the crime. You immediately flung the pen away, but Xavier caught you in the act.

Xavier adjusted his posture to sit up straighter, gently pulling you closer to his body. You were hugged tightly from behind by Xavier. His hand caressed your neck, causing you to tilt your head back and stare at him. 

And you could not help but laugh at his funny face right there. Xavier grimaced, obviously dissatisfied.

"A Hunter sneak-attacked another Hunter. You understand that's against the rules, right?"

"Yeah…" Still, you thought it amusing. "You won't go gossiping about this to our supervisors, will you?"

Xavier said, "If you want me not to report back, you have to compensate me."

"How do you want me to compensate?"

Xavier's eyes were keen, unlike his drowsy demeanor only a few seconds before. He smiled gently at you, but why did you sense danger as if you had stumbled into a trap?

"You will know very soon."

Xavier's fingers began to move across your face. He drew an invisible mustache for you, followed by a nose and a bunny's whiskers. You felt ticklish and twitched in his arms, but Xavier gripped you even tighter. A while later, you thought he had finished drawing then realized, he was only getting started

“It would be so easy to let you go like that.” Xavier muttered into your ear before softly biting it, sending a powerful electric shock through your entire body, and a reminder to never tease him while he was sleeping again.

It was too late to backtrack; you clenched your teeth. Xavier's warm breath invaded from the nape of your neck to your ear. The kisses he placed on your hair, ear, and neck made you feel heated. Xavier chewed the shoulder of your shirt and removed it, showing your slightly shaking bare shoulder. He softly bit it, followed by a deep kiss. You inhaled extensively, turning around to feel his lips.

Your intention to go for a walk after the study session that day might need to be postponed.

Rafayel

You were seated across from Rafayel in his sunlit studio. Rafayel was painting and singing gently as you buried your head in the book, clutching a highlighter pen and marking practically every word on the page.

"So loud, Rafayel. You are too loud." You spoke with some irritation. Of course, you did not mean it, but the competency evaluation for all Hunters would be held in a few days. To proceed to higher ranking, you must score well in all tests, including the theoretical test.

"And you're so ferocious, Miss Bodyguard. You scared away my inspiration!"

You rose up and moved around the desk full of books and papers to stand next to Rafayel, gazing at the landscape that he was painting. An afternoon at sea that looked just like the sight outside the studio at the time, but in Rafayel's hands, it felt like an enchanting tale.

“It looks like you're still doing well even though your inspiration ran away.” You replied, folding arms across your chest. “As for me... If only I could pass the test as easily and gracefully as you when you paint.”

Rafayel did not glance at you; his brush was still moving across the canvas. He said, "Painting for me is not as easy as you think. It requires all of my attention, passion, and devotion. You, too, will perform well on the test. You've been getting ready for it over the past few weeks."

"But I still feel worried."

Rafayel stopped painting. He turned and looked at you. "Then it's great if you rest and relax a little. When your mind is at peace, everything you do will be more productive."

You groaned as you looked at the mound of books on your desk. You said:

“Let me find something to do then.”

You turned around, and by some force, your hand accidentally brushed his shoulder. In his artwork, an undesired stripe of color appeared.

“Oops! I'm sorry!" You responded instantly. Rafayel gazed up at you with a sulky expression.

“That's it. I'll have to tell Thomas that you've just chased away my inspiration and you're spraying colors all over my painting."

“I didn't mean to ruin it.” You explained. Rafayel said again:

“It's not really ruined. I can still fix it. But, why should I do that? You're the one causing trouble here. So you have to compensate me.”

"Huh?" Your eyes were wide and innocent as you gazed at Rafayel. He took your palm and placed his paintbrush inside.

“Come on, Miss Bodyguard, how should I fix this painting?”

You were not an artist. When you were a kid, you used crayons to draw on papers, but this was Rafayel's creation. Your fingers shook as you gazed at him. He gave you the palette while tilting his head towards the easel. 

“Just consider this a way for you to relax for the time being.”

Hearing him say that made you even more stressed. You scowled and stared at him. That irritating smile of triumph made you resentful. Obviously, he was able to fix the painting himself, but he continued placing you in a difficult situation.

"So? If you can't fix it, you must give me a hundred compliments this week."

You frowned. His pompous demeanor was too much to tolerate. You grabbed the brush and began working. But instead of painting on the canvas, you traced a blue line over Rafayel's face.

"HUH?!" Rafayel stared at you, puzzled, and you chuckled. You lifted your hand to paint another line on the opposite side of his face, but he seized your wrist. "What are you doing?"

"Relaxing." You responded with a mysterious smile. "You just suggested that I should relax after studying hard, didn't you?"

"I told you to paint on the canvas, not to paint on me!"

Rafayel pouted, encouraging you to torture him even more. You quickly replied: "For me, Rafayel is the most wonderful work of art."

Hearing that, his eyes brightened up and he gazed at you with adoration. However, you must use the opportunity to swipe the brush over his other cheek while he let his guard down. You laughed loudly, and Rafayel became so irritated that you began to picture a fish with smoke coming out of his ears.

Your victory did not last very long. You felt something chilly on your face, and it smelled like paint. Rafayel lifted his index finger, which was coated in pink and purple. He was chuckling:

“You are also a work of art that I want to paint.”

Following that, the war between you and Rafayel began. You even let go of the brush and used five fingers to wipe as much paint as possible across his body. Rafayel applied additional paint from the tubes in the corner. Both his hands were stained. Seeing this, you attempted to flee, but Rafayel immediately grabbed your waist. He seized you from behind, and his pink, purple, and crimson handprints were all over your garments, covering your chest and neck. You resisted until turning the tables and snatching Rafayel's arm, holding it behind his back and forcing him to the floor.

"Ouch! Ouuuuuuch! You're breaking the arm of an esteemed painter!”

You snorted bitterly, then took advantage of the situation by pinning Rafayel to the floor and letting him struggle. You sat on top of him and began your revenge.

Starting with his dream-like, charming face. Fingers in varying shades of blue and white created traces on Rafayel's cheekbones, nose, and chin before sliding down his neck. He shuddered slightly in defeat.

"You… What do you want to do with me?"

You laughed in an incredibly hazardous manner. "What do you want me to do to you?"

Rafayel's face went crimson, and with the colors you had painted on him, he resembled a sunset over the sea. You slid your fingers inside his white shirt, brushed his powerful chest, and watched Rafayel slightly arch his spine.

"You…" Rafayel inhaled heavily. His heart rate surged. You could feel the heart throbbing beneath your hand. You leaned down very close, looked into his eyes, and whispered:

"Turned out, Rafayel also has the effect of reducing stress and giving me inspiration!"

Rafayel's lips curved up to say something, but you gently bit him. Rafayel fought but was unable to do anything since you gripped both of his hands and pinned him to the floor. You caught his heavy breathing between kisses, both unwilling and adoring to be pestered by you in this manner.

Zayne 

Zayne picked up a glass of cold water and pressed it against your cheek, startling you awake. He noticed you nodding on the sofa, with a book face down on your stomach in your lap. He remarked:

“How can you fall asleep after just five minutes of reading like that?”

“It's the book's fault, not mine.” You made an excuse and reached out to grab the glass of water Zayne had given you. Soon, you would have to take the competency assessment for all Hunters. Since studying alone was dull, you asked Zayne over for a work date. However, the only hard-working person here was him alone.

He returned to the desk and typed on his laptop again. A little cool water only woke you up for a while. You leaned your head on the sofa, eyes half-closed, gazing at him in front. When Zayne focused on his task, he looked breathtakingly beautiful. Everything about him seemed to draw you in. These eyes, these eyelashes, the bridge of his nose, and the corner of his mouth... All of a sudden, he turned around and caught you staring at him. He asked:

“Does my face inspire you that much?”

You did not feel shy at all but nodded heartily. The corner of his lips curved slightly. He replied:

“Then after you're done staring at me, go review your papers.”

"Too far." You extended your hand towards him, as if you wanted to hold him. "My inspiration is sitting so far away, no wonder why I am so sleepy."

Zayne gazed at you. Obviously, he laughed. Then he rose up, held his laptop, and approached you. The seat next to you sank when he dropped down next to you.

“Is this okay?”

“Yeah. It's good now." You joyfully responded and resumed reading the book. The Hunters Association handed you a vast stack of books to study, each of which was thick. You were certain that you would perform well on the combat skills evaluation, but the theoretical questions caused you a headache.

After a time, you started to become distracted. You noticed Zayne sitting by your side with a laptop on his lap and wondered how he could focus so intently. He seemed to be able to work at any time and in any location. You looked over to his screen. The stuff displayed there was much more perplexing than your books. You grumbled and struggled on the sofa for a bit, but failed to discover a position that helped you focus. Zayne inquired: 

"What's going on? Are you uncomfortable sitting?"

You nodded your head.

"Maybe because you've sat in the wrong position for too long," he told you.

Before Zayne could give you any suggestions on how to improve your posture, you raised your legs on the sofa and positioned them in his lap, on top of the laptop keyboard. He rolled his eyes at you, then gently raised your knees up with one hand while swiftly taking out the laptop and setting it aside.

"Lean back against the cushion." Zayne placed a cushion between your back and the armrest of the sofa. After fixing everything, he inquired: 

"Are you more comfortable now?"

You chuckled and nodded. Zayne gave you a face that conveyed both surrender and excessive tenderness. You buried your head in the book again, but the words faded away since all you cared about was Zayne's long fingers brushing your exposed uncovered legs. He was softly rubbing them, which made you feel a little ticklish.

Zayne turned to look at you; your face had become scarlet behind the book.

"Read your book." He said. Despite your best efforts, you could no longer recall anything. Your mind was whirling as he touched your legs. His hands are strong but soft, making you feel at ease and eager to be caressed by him. 

So when you saw Zayne's hands leave you as he reached for his laptop again, you stretched your leg and pushed it as far as you could, all the way to the opposite end of the sofa. He grasped your ankle and gently reminded you:

“Be a good girl.”

Then he released you and took the device. He placed it on your legs like they were a desk. Of course, you refused to give up so fast. You continued shifting your legs, causing the laptop to tremble so much that Zayne was unable to continue working. He glared at you, and you retreated behind the book, pretending not to see his agony at all.

"Did you really call me here to work together?" Zayne's voice soared out, as if he had become upset. Before you could respond, he raised the laptop, placed his other hand around your waist, and drove you towards him.

"Erm… Doctor Zayne?"

Being pulled so suddenly, you leaned completely against Zayne. Your forehead lightly hit his chin and your nose touched his Adam's apple. It seemed he was also a bit startled, his throat became dry. For a moment, he looked down at you, and you looked up slightly to observe his reaction.

Zayne said nothing, his eyes fixed on your parted lips. Your heart rate began to rise at such a close distance. Your ragged breathing on Zayne's neck made him gradually forget his original purpose in coming to this place. The laptop was once again put down, and his lips glided lightly across the bridge of your nose.

“Hmm… Doctor Zayne… Are you not working anymore?” You asked softly, when his lips were only about the size of a mint candy from yours. He replied:

“Someone keeps distracting me. In order to work more effectively, I need to address this matter first."

You grinned. You were on Zayne's lap, but when he leaned slightly towards your lips, wanting to touch them, you turned away. His eyes were filled with disappointment when he gazed at you, wondering what you wanted from him or why you placed a little sweetness in his heart just to leave him hanging like that.

You looked up. Your hand stroked Zayne's face before moving down to his lips. Your voice was quiet:

“Doctor Zayne, it's not just your face or your lips that inspires me…”

Your fingertips carefully went down to Zayne's neck. He remained immobile, waiting to see what you would do next. You pressed closer to his body and muttered:

“To me, everything about you serves as an inspiration…”

Zayne's throat was dry. Perhaps when he accepted your offer to come here, he anticipated a work date with you that looked nothing like the way you grinned so wickedly as you pushed him closer to the sofa, slowly turning around and wrapping your legs around his sides. Sitting on his lap, you tilted your head, smiled, then gave him a kiss on his Adam's apple.

Sylus

Sylus appeared at your apartment after the doorbell rang so loudly that if you arrived even a second late, the door would definitely not be intact.

The problem was that he assumed something was wrong with you after learning from Luke and Kieran that you had not left the house in almost three days.

Sylus grabbed and spun you around to ensure you were not wounded. You had to explain that you were alright, but exhausted from several days of studying for the approaching Hunters' competence evaluation.

Sylus shook his head at the mound of books in your living room:

"They teach you these useless things in Linkon?”

“I've got a combat skills test, and a theoretical test. I must pass both.”

Sylus said nothing else. He allowed you to continue immersing yourself in books as he sat comfortably on the sofa, as if this place was his very home. 

A short while later, you heard a rattling sound coming from Sylus. Looking over, you were startled to see his gun pointing in your direction.

"What on Earth—"

Sylus lifted his head to look at you, grinned, and continued cleaning his weapon. You let out a loud sigh. Before he came to shatter this quiet atmosphere, you had memorized many questions for the test. But his presence made it hard for you to focus since your gaze was always drawn to him.

You observed him for a long time. There were a few raindrops in his hair and leather jacket. His crimson eyes focused on the gun in his grasp, his head leaned slightly, and the light illuminated on one side of his gorgeous face. Every now and again, you would look up, and when he noticed your gaze fixed on him, he would smile as if he had you in his palm. And it was true.

When Sylus was around, you had trouble focusing on anything else. You groaned and asked him:

“Why are you still here? You know I'm safe and sound. Go home now, Sylus.”

Sylus replied with a to-the-point question: "Do you really want me to leave?"

Outside, it was pouring rain. It was past eleven o'clock at night. You decided to wait for the rain to cease before telling him to go home again. Otherwise, you would find yourself unable to pass the competency evaluation! How dare he be so desirable and captivating?

You had no option but to sit with your back to Sylus. About half an hour later, when the rain was over and you had finished most of the book that needed to be read, you turned to seek for him. Sylus slumped back on the sofa, his eyes closed tight. It appeared as he was sleeping. You approached and called his name.

Sylus did not respond, so you poked his cheek with your hand. He did not open his eyes, but gripped your hand fast. 

“Let me sleep. I'll play with you later, kitten."

Even after he stated that, he refused to let go of you. He used force to pull you down next to him on the sofa. When you sat down, he leaned closer, putting his head on your thigh.

"Sylus?"

"Shhh. Just a moment..."

You decided to give up. Looking at him sleeping so peacefully, like a vicious cat who had retracted all his claws and snuggled up on your lap. You ran your fingers through his hair, tracing each line from his forehead to his chin. You thought to yourself how tempting it would be to steal a kiss from him. But the moment you dropped your head, he awoke.

His fiery eyes secured on you. You abruptly sat up straight, as if nothing had occurred. Sylus cracked a grin

"I caught you trying to sneak up on me, kitten."

"What are you saying?" You disputed it and then used your hand to shove him down. "The rain ceased. It's time you go home."

But Sylus grasped your arm. His moves were so quick that you were left startled. He rose up and spun around, using enough power to pin you to the sofa in a sitting posture, your hands securely clutched on both sides of your head.

Sylus leaned down to get closer to you. One of his knees was pressed tight to your thigh on the chair, while the other leg kept his body poised in front of you. This position made it difficult for you to flee, even if you wanted to. Sylus glanced at you like a cat toying his mouse. He clarified:

“I didn't come all the way here to Linkon just for you to order me around and send me back like that.”

Your chest started to throb. You said, "So, why did you come here?"

"To help you pass your test, of course."

"Huh?" You attempted to get away from Sylus, but he grabbed you so hard that your wrists began to turn red.

"Now that you've thoroughly read the book, kindly answer me. If a Hunter found herself in a situation like this, what would she do?”

You returned your attention to Sylus after looking at the pile of monotonous books on the table. He appeared to offer you a challenge:

Sylus undoubtedly had superior fighting abilities than you. He knew which way you would go, so he grabbed you around the waist with a simple arm extension. He picked you up with one arm and shoved you hard into the sofa. As you struggled to get away, he grabbed your ankle.

"Ouch! It hurts!" You yelled, but all you received in return was Sylus' smug laugh.

"Too slow, kitten."

He flipped you over so you could see how tightly he gripped your leg against his dominant chest. Sylus chuckled in a vicious manner and asked:

“Are these little tricks all that the Hunters Association teaches you?”

“You… Sylus… I… Argh!”

You were enraged and tossed several cushions at him at once. When one of them smacked his face, he did not even dodge; instead, he closed his eyes. After that, he gazed down at you, your hair tangled and your arms and legs thrashing in an attempt to escape. His fingers go along your exposed leg. He wrapped both of your thighs around his waist, and his enormous figure crushed down on you on the sofa. His hot breath painted your face and neck, causing you to lose track of everything else. He softly bit your ear and murmured:

“Be still. I could teach you a few combat tricks. But, I'm curious how much you would pay for it."

Header photos by x and x

[rarepears]

A nearby country just had a new monarch ascend the throne. Cang Qiong, as was the norm, was invited to pay their respects to the new monarch, reaffirm the standing alliance between cultivators and mortals (which pretty much boiled down to cultivators kill evil things, mortals stay out of cultivation affairs plus some trade agreements), and ensure that the previous monarch's soul wasn't still lurking around the palace as a ghost. You know, the standard stuff.

So Yue Qingyuan didn't think much when he sent the usual delegation of Shen Qingqiu (to handle the political negotiation and come back with observations of the new Emperor), Shang Qinghua (trade agreements), and Qi Qingqi (to talk with the court ladies and government official wives for the gossip).

The last thing he expected was for the new Emperor to recognize Shen Jiu as the little brother who went missing when the previous Emperor - the new Emperor's paternal uncle, from what Yue Qingyuan understood - undertook a military coup to secure the throne.

---

When Shen Yuan finally killed his super fucking evil tyrant uncle who had been sending a million assassins after Shen Yuan and his (unfortunately now dead) brothers, he got saddled with the throne. He knew that was going to happen! It was something he wasn't asking for, but it was either regain the throne or let his uncle finally succeed in killing him, the rightful Emperor, off. It was pretty shitty that his first month in this new world involved surviving a military coup in the palace where his new dad was murdered by his new uncle for the throne. If Shen Yuan thought being transmigrated into a body that drowned in the pond because of some harem politics for the crown prince position was bad, well, his life got a whole lot fucking worse.

But things were over. He was crowned emperor, had a million super tight best friends all high up in his government backing him, and even the cultivators were recognizing his reign as the legit one, so he was all fine.

Right??

NO! Because why the fuck was he just realizing now that his second life was actually taking place in PIDW and why the fuck was that Shen Qingqiu and the Cang Qiong delegation??? Like, he was busy living on the streets and plotting to retake the throne, sure, but how could he had missed that Cang Qiong was that Cang Qiong!?

Fuck, fuck, fuck. Where in the PIDW plot line was he in now? How far along is Shen Qingqiu busy torturing the protagonist and how much longer does Shen Yuan even have to rule his country before the protagonist comes to conquer? How the fuck is he going to stop the plot from continuing - how is he going to remove Shen Qingqiu from the plot?

Shen Yuan isn't proud to admit it, but he rolls with the first shitty idea that pops into his head.

He claims that Shen Qingqiu is his missing younger brother - he had like three dozen of them to be honest, his second life's dad was one horny motherfucker - and tries to keep Shen Qingqiu from going back to Cang Qiong under all sorts of familial pretenses.

Shen Yuan is sure that Cang Qiong is merely humoring his insanity by letting Shen Qingqiu go along with it all, having "family dinners" and making small talk while being careful to skirt around any true political talk, but his plan hasn't backfired on him yet.

YET.

He's sitting on this ticking timebomb and Shen Yuan might be in his 40s but he still feels like the same stupid 20 something year old writing 5k word diss reviews on PIDW chapters some days. If only he had a system to help guide him out of his own mess.

(Meanwhile Shen Jiu: I HAVE AN OLDER BROTHER WHO LOVES ME???? but I'm still sus about his motives. I will reluctantly allow him to shower me in presents and praises and spend time with him to investigate more.)

[charlie-thewitch]

Chapter II

"What are you talking about" Shen Jiu hissed. He does not have the time nor the willingness to entertain this clearly delusional man more than he already has. Honestly, he probably shouldn't have freed his mouth if this is what's coming out of it.

"Gege I know it's been like 20 years or something but you couldn't have forgoten about me, could you? This breaks Didi's poor heart" Said the other, batting his eyelashes like a little mistress asking daddy for a new dress and it's making him sick. Fuck this. Fuck all of this.

"You don't even know my name and this one doesn't have any siblings, so shut up. I'll fucking leave you here if you say another stupid thing" Shen Jiu walks to the corpse of the fat man with a grimace. He would prefert to not do this but the prospect of ruining a nobles day by liberating "the merchandise" is too sweet to pass after all.

Taking the sleeve with just two fingers, Shen Jiu brings it up enough to search inside. Dropping on the ground the knickknacks the man inexplicably had inside. Well, the money he keeps. Shizun is too cheap with her disciples and inns are disgusting while brothels are expensive. He'll need a good night's sleep after this and his prey will be founding it.

"We didn't actually had names" With the keys in hand Shen Jiu walks to the largest cage he can see and passes his founding to the frightened woman inside. Only when she understands what to do and gets to work opening all the cages on sight does he turn around to the nuisance still tied and sitting on the dirty ground. "What?"

"When we lived with mother; we didn't have names. That man-" He said it with so much venom Shen Jiu could for a single moment believe they were siblings after all. "-never let her name us. He was planning on selling us from before we were even born so she 'shouldn't get attached'. She fought him, naturally, but Mother only could do so much... He took you first, I was too sick to be sold just yet"

Shen Jiu is marginally grateful the other slaves ran as soon as they were freed from the cages because he doesn't need reports of what he'll do to this bastard to reach Shizun. A murder outside of the permitted by the mission will look so bad on his already muddy reputation. "Good story, you should write a book" He deadpans.

"It's the truth!" The guy pouts, as if that helps his case at all and doesn't just make him look crazier. "Gege could easily prove we are related with a talisman, couldn't you? I know fancy cultivators have that type of tools just lying around!"

"You want me to believe you remember bullcrap from when 'we' were, what, 4 years old?" Shen Jiu said mockingly

"Gege isn't even denying he was a slave like me" A curious head tilt and Shen Jiu suddenly feels like he's missing something, again. He hates that feeling. "He knows deep down that this Didi is saying something important." That knowing look is pissing him off, but he can't deny felling the littlest bit curious. The guy stole his face, that's undeniable. And a sibling relationship could very well explain it.

But is he ready for the implications? Is he ready to have a family, a fucked up one he is sure, but, family?

Qi-ge Yue Qi used to call them brothers but that didn't stop him at the moment of betraying him for a better life. Is this guy actually interested in Shen Jiu or is this his ploy to be freed? He already saw Shen Jiu give the keys to the others, surely there's no need for him to still be talking to Shen Jiu at all?

Shen Jiu could always just make the test and drop this guy on the streets if it came out negative and... And if it's positive that'll mean there's someone in this world who is his.

There's no way to change one's blood. He knows that very well. His blood may very well be running in this guys veins. An undeniable bond to someone, something unbreakable. This could mean he has a brother, maybe even a mother that... Loved him.

A mother. One that loved this wretched creature. Proff that he didn't came out wrong, twisted.

Is Shen Jiu being too naive? The simple promise of a past loved one has him doubting the most basic instinct of caring for no one but himself. Hope is an ugly thing he thought dead and buried years ago under charred wood and ash.

Shen Jiu returned his gaze to the young man, serious and grave. He can't believe he is doing something so stupid but one thing is true in all street children: If you can take something, do it. And never give anything back. "You will follow me and not say a single word to anyone. Understood? I will have to ask someone back at the sect for a blood testing tool" This guy wants to be his brother? Fine. Let him cope with his horrible personality. Shen Jiu is never diminishing himself for the comfort of others. Never again.

A sly smile is his answer, and he can't quite help the feeling he just got played. "This Didi will do as Gege says..."

Prev - Next (soon)

[iloveboysinred]

No love lost [Firelord Zuko]

synopsis- Too soon after the war ended, you and Zuko became leaders of your respective nations. You struggle not to think about the political repercussions your secret romance could bring.

cw- zuko x gn watertribe chief! Reader, slight angst to comfort (nothing too heavy), forbidden romance, feelings are all over the place, not a lot of editing, fluff

2k words

Masterlist

Anxiety sent jitters up your spine, the chilly balcony under your fingertips providing little to no help in easing your nerves. Below you stood the entirety of the Northern Water tribe, looking up at you with scrutinizing eyes. It was now you felt the weight of what your new status as Chief would bring, especially the mounting pressure to live up to the legacy of your sister princess Yue, who had sacrificed herself to become the moonspirit after the sudden assault from the fire navy. The attack had almost left your home in ruins, and it prompted you to join team avatar in their efforts to take down firelord Ozai. Despite leaving for a good cause, your disappearance had left a bad taste in a lot of the water tribe elder’s mouths, especially when news of the then disgraced Prince–now Firelord Zuko, joining your group had traveled throughout the nations. Many had accused you of treason, protests erupting amongst the tribe as soon as your father announced your return and ascent to the throne. 

Now you stood before your people, wearing your traditional colors and furs, pledging your life to the tribe as its new leader. Your friends stood beside you, silently supporting you as you went through the ceremony, offering hushed words of encouragement and reassuring shoulder squeezes. You were glad they were here to support you, especially Zuko– who was visibly uncomfortable, his heavy red robes making him stand out like a sore thumb. It was impossible to miss him, the cold stares of the citizens following his every move. It made you feel queasy having him here, close enough to catch his eye but never close enough for him to speak to you. You had developed somewhat of a knack to know when Zuko had something on his mind, and the way his gaze kept following your movements whenever he could, was evidence enough for you to avoid him as much as possible.

When you first met Zuko, you were wary of him, understandably so. The memory of Fire navy soldiers invading your home fortress was still too fresh in your mind. Kitara had told you of how he had kidnapped Aang when he was still in the spirit world, attempting to sneak him into the clutches of his father and it had only made you resent him more. You ignored his attempts to prove himself, and rejected the idea of forging a friendship with him. All you could see when you looked at him were the atrocities committed by his homeland. 

 While the days progressed though, you had started to grow a little fond of him. As he acclimated to the group, Zuko had revealed more and more about himself, and it was the first time you had actually seen him as more than a spoiled prince. You began to see him for who he was; a broken child with a bleeding heart, wanting nothing but the love and acceptance of his father. Prince Zuko was a bashful, awkward teenager just like everyone else. Still, it was hard for you to push the apprehension you felt to the back of your mind at first, especially when you were still living in the reality that his forefathers had created.

Seeing the rest of the team embrace Zuko as a friend, it didn't take long for you to embrace him too— but it was different between the two of you then it was for everyone else. Zuko understood your turmoil, he knew what you felt when you explained how you had always been in your sister’s shadow, he held you close to his body when you wept to him about your mother, your tribe, and your upcoming role as chief. He was as warm as the sun, reassuring you that everything would be alright. That he was here. It was clear to everyone in the group that you and Zuko’s relationship had long transcended the bounds of friendship. They had noticed the way you inched closer together during supper time, your knees constantly brushing together as you sat. Even Sokka had pointed out the way his eyes softened with adoration whenever he spoke of you. There was always an air of comfort and warmth between the two of you that nobody could deny. He was your complete opposite, but his warmth drew you into him, and two days before confronting Firelord Ozai, you couldn’t resist the pull anymore. You gave in, allowing yourself to press your lips against his. You could feel his heart beat thrumming in tandem with yours, his lips pressing back into you so desperately it felt as though you were waiting your entire life time for this moment. It was a second of quiet. Nothing else mattered in that moment, the worries about war, the stress of returning home all faded away into obscurity. 

You allowed yourself to dream–to imagine for just that second, a life where you could be together. A different reality in where you could give your all to him, to embrace him without political repercussions and scrutiny. But just as quickly as it started, you pulled away. He looked at you then. His eyes swimming with admiration, a question burning him from the inside out that you couldn't bring yourself to answer. You’d turned away from him at that moment, returning to your camp without speaking another word to him. 

Zuko had always been persistent though, and shortly after Aang had claimed his victory against Ozai, he came to find you sitting alone in his quarters. He sat beside you, the bed dipping under his weight, but you said nothing. Silently staring down at your hands, you avoided his gaze. too afraid to lose against your better judgment if you faced him. “Can you…can you look at me?” he always spoke to you so softly, his raspy voice making your skin warm with goosebumps. You felt him falter after he noticed you still refused to look at him, his bandaged chest aching as he dropped his hands into his lap, staring hard into the red carpet beneath your feet. The silence between the two of you was suffocating, filled with unresolved feelings and questions. You fiddled with your fingers, thinking over the words you wanted to say, and how to get them out into the air. It was a lot easier to think when he wasn’t right next to you. When you didn’t have to fight the urge to pull him close. 

“Look..what happened that night, i-” he cut himself off when you stood up abruptly, your eyes downcast, still not bringing yourself to meet his eyes. “Don’t. Please, don’t.” you whispered, your arms hugging your chest as you tried to keep your emotions at bay. “y/n..please, i don’t want to just pretend like..like that kiss meant nothing! I have feelings for you, I don't know how else I can show you that I'm good now, I've changed! You can trust me, I'll turn everything my father did around, I promise!” You turned to him, tears burning behind your eyes, but you forced them back. You had to be strong, for yourself, for your nation, and for the peace you and your friends had worked so tirelessly for. “Is..is that what you think this is about?” you asked, your voice barely above a whisper. “I know you’re good, Zuko.. you– you’re amazing, and noble and kind” you felt the tears rise up along your waterline and you wiped them away, sniffling as you forced your shaking voice to continue. “Which is why this–” you motioned between the two of you “This..can’t happen. Your nation needs you, and my nation needs me.. everything is so fragile right now, we can’t risk another conflict between the nations, not over something so stupid.” you looked away from the flash of hurt that flitted through his eyes. Instead you looked down at your feet, steeling your resolve. “I’m sorry Zuko.. but I have to put my nation first. And you should too.” Zuko said nothing, watching you leave without looking back. 

That was the last time you’d truly spoken. Defeating Ozai was only the beginning of the end for this war, and after Zuko’s coronation as Firelord it became apparent just how large of a responsibility was on his shoulders. You’d only caught glimpses of him during his ceremony, and saw even less of him during your stay in his palace with his advisors roping him into long meetings with diplomats, his attention constantly stolen away by long documents he’d have to carefully read word by word. Your own responsibilities had stolen you away as well, leaving you no leisure time to join your friends in their bi-monthly escapades to the fire nation. 

Now after your ceremony had ended, you stood alone on your balcony, the moonlight washing you in a gentle glow. You gazed up into the sky, silently hoping your sister could see you now, bittersweet emotion gripping your heart. You didn’t have to look at him to know Zuko was silently standing next to you, the warmth radiating from him in contrast to the frigid air that surrounded you was more than enough to make you aware of his presence. You closed your eyes when his hands held on to the icey balcony. The two of you stood in tense silence, neither one of you courageous enough to say something. It was only when you turned to him that you willed yourself to speak. “Cold night, tonight huh?” you muttered, sheepishly kicking the snow around with the tip of your foot, trying to distract yourself from the fact that he was here. His hair had grown from the shabby mess he had when you first met. In the year you’d been apart, his soft features from adolescence were slowly hardening into one of an adult. You felt your heart pound when he said nothing, staring off into the distance as if he was distracted, his hair was down from its traditional top knot, his crown sat off a few inches next to him. Zuko still looked like the boy you had met what felt like years ago. But he was more regal now, and he carried himself with the exact poise and grace you’d expect from someone of his status. Still, when he spoke, his voice still carried the rasp it always had, and he still spoke to you in the same soft tone he reserved for you. 

“Did…did you really mean what you said that day?” you felt your mouth dry, already knowing where this conversation was going to go. “Yes, Zuko.. I'm the chief of the northern water tribe, and you're the firelord. We have no time to be sneaking around like stupid teenagers–” “Do you really think what we had was stupid?” he looked at you now, his golden eyes catching the soft illumination from the moon. You didn’t know what to say, your words catching in your throat. dropping your shoulders, you returned to the balcony, staring up at the moon for comfort. 

“No, Zuko. It wasn’t. I have feelings for you, feelings I can't have. Don’t you understand? Our nations– the world is still recovering from war, a forbidden romance is the last thing we need. If it gets out that we’re sneaking around, then we could start another conflict between our nations and i…i can’t subject my people to that, not when we’ve been wanting peace for the last hundred years.” you gripped the balcony tight, your stomach knotted up with pent up emotion. Zuko stared at you, mulling over what he wanted to say next. You felt the silence settle once more between you, and you almost wanted to take your leave, but his words stopped you in your tracks.  “It doesn’t have to be that way. We can form a deeper alliance. The Northern watertribe would receive fire nation support and trade, and the fire nation would receive the Northern watertribe’s trade in supplies and support, we can.. we can be together and not have to worry about conflict.” he was pleading now, grasping your hand with his as he looked into your eyes imploringly. “But, the fire nation has no use for water tribe supplies..” you muttered, your hand limp in his grasp. He squeezed your palm in his, and you allowed yourself to feel the familiar warmth soak through your glove, feeling your resolve starting to chip away more and more the longer the contact sustained. 

“Then we’ll make a market for it, i’ll make it work, we just have to try.” he pleaded, pressing your hands to his chest. You stared at him, at a loss for words, feeling his warmth draw you in the same way it did months ago. “Please, y/n. I-i want you to be in my life. I don’t want to hide what I feel for you anymore.” his heart was beating fast and steady against your palm, anticipation clear on his face as he waited for your answer. “But, what if.what if it doesn’t work, Zuko? I can’t just risk everything like this–” “Then I'll give everything I have to fix it. Just trust me.” you closed your eyes, nodding at his words. “Okay. I trust you.” you felt your cheek pressed against the hard plain of his chest, his warmth enveloping you as he wrapped his arms around you tight. “Thank you..i promise i'll make it work– i’ll write a draft as soon as i return home, i’ll court you properly, i-” you interrupted him with a soft kiss over his heart. “Shhh..let’s worry about that when you get home, let me just enjoy you for a few moments.” you whispered, looking up at him through your lashes. The moon seemed much brighter now, you could see his entire face under the glow, his golden gaze pooling with affection as he met your gaze. He leaned down, ghosting his lips over yours as if asking for permission, he was holding his breath, shoulders tensed as if anticipating your rejection.  Without a second thought you pressed your lips to his, melting into him as you let your heart soar. You were no longer afraid to dream, because before you stood the man who would make all of them come true.  

[tcfactory]

Brainrot of the day is all about people mourning the OG Shen Qingqiu, it just happens somewhere where Shen Yuan can't see because he doesn't frequent the places where Shen Jiu used to withdraw when he got anxious or wanted to paint/play music/meditate in peace.

It all starts with Shang Qinghua setting up a kinda memorial - just a pile of rocks, really - but vibes and grief make it so that each time someone discovers it and remembers Shen Jiu they add to it. Someone carves a proper stone for the memorial - no name on it, obviously. Not a fan either, because the new Shen Qingqiu uses fans too. Bamboo stalks, a painter's easel and a pipa - he never played it in PIDW, so Shen Yuan has no idea that it was Shen Jiu's favorite instrument. The guqin is what they teach to the disciples when they are first learning music, so he sort of just assumed that's the one instrument Shen Jiu played.

Ning Yingying, Ming Fan, Mu Qingfang, Yue Qingyuan, Shang Qinghua... even Qi Qingqi starts missing him when his spy network starts falling apart without him. The list of people visiting grows until it becomes a whole thing to seek the memorial out when they miss the old Shen Qingqiu. To offer him a song or a snack or burn incense on his (chosen) birthday...

Cultivators are good at many things, processing grief is not one of them. If it was left to them they would still mourn him a century later as if he died yesterday.

Of course it's Shang Qinghua's fault when something changes. He's visiting the memorial after a very draining argument with Shen Yuan about how much Shen bro is neglecting his peak (he might as well not be a peak lord anymore because he wants to spend all his time with Binghe) when Mobei picks him up one day and takes note of the memorial. And the next time Mobei finds some miraculous rebirth plant (they've been keeping an eye out for something that can bring back Zhuzhi-lang and fix Tianlang-jun) he buries the spares there.

It should be nothing, without a body or even a soul to latch onto. Shen Jiu's presence is mostly gone from the world - except from this one place, where everyone hoards their grief in secret, sharing memories where they can't offend the new Shen Qingqiu.

It's not enough to call a drifting, shattered soul back to life.

Not until Tianlang-jun. He is on his way off the mountain after delivering a thank-you couched in the most infuriating wrapping he could muster to master Shen for his help in identifying what miracle cures were needed to fix him and his nephew up. He sought him out on Qing Jing because at least here his son can't pick a fight without consequences. Still, he's taking the scenic route as a form of spite, so that he can linger as long as possible without giving them an excuse to kick him off the mountain.

The clearing is thick with the presence of someone, a soul that is very much not the peak lord his son is so infatuated with. It's somehow familiar, in the way of people you used to regularly pass on the street remain, even after you no longer live on that street. It takes him a while to remember.

Su Xiyan didn't have 'friends'. Even her 'not-friends' (very much friends in truth, his beloved was just strange about her potential attachments to others) numbered so few he could count them on one hand. Only one of them liked music and arts enough that she introduced them to each other when they met by chance at a recital. They have only met once or twice, but Tianlang-jun carved his memory into his heart, as he did with everything to do with Su Xiyan.

What a curious thing for another Shen to linger so prominently on this peak.

Perhaps it's nostalgia that guides his hand to spill just a few drops of his blood on the dirt. It's not a proper path back, but it's a handhold, if Su Xiyan's last lingering friend wishes to claw his way back to life. Perhaps it's spite, because among all the people that frequent this place and leave their grief dripping over the rocks and grass, he can feel neither master Shen nor Luo Binghe.

Tianlang-jun isn't around for the fallout when Shen Jiu makes his triumphant return, but that's fine. It sounds like it was an unnecessarily explosive affair (Maybe it wasn't his smartest move to add heavenly demon blood to the divine miracle lotus root, but in his defense he had no idea that was there. He assumed, from the general vibe of the clearing, that it was just a plain old grave with a soul that clings through guilt or regret or resentment or, because humans are fascinating and complicated, all of the above). Rumors are always better than reality anyway (especially the ones filtered through Liu Mingyan and the book club) and this one is juicy enough to keep the cultivators gossiping for the next century.

He'll swing around when things have calmed down again, eventually. He wants to meet the new heavenly demon of Qing Jing Peak.

[mystic-kitten-writer]

Update :)

It's funny how it's been such a long time since I've posted here, yet it still feels like home—hello, loves~!

It goes without saying that I owe an explanation as to why I disappeared from the face of the Earth for so long.

The last time I was able to truly connect with you was when my family and I caught Covid (great times, let me tell you) - after that, I totally disappeared, and as much as I would love to say it was for good and positive reasons, to be very blunt and straight to the point, it wasn't.

For those sensitive to the topics of illness and mental health, skip to the image of a giant cat for the good news!

Once again, as everyone knows, my whole family got COVID-19. While my Mom, Dad, and I weren't too hot, we were functioning. But my husband was really struggling. And when weeks passed, and his health started to get worse and worse, we realized that this was something more than just COVID-19.

My husband is hesitant to provide full details about what occurred, primarily because it's still a recent event and something he's currently grappling with. Still, my husband went from being a healthy, physically active person to being bedridden.

It was a really hard time for everyone because my husband is like the sun. All smiles and outgoing - to suddenly unable to eat or hold down food, needing help with showering and to be very blunt, depressed and suicidal because he lost everything due to this sickness.

Unfortunately, cancer runs in his family, and while he got tested multiple times and came back negative (yay!), he is still not out of the dark. He has done numerous surgeries in hopes of getting better (his most recent this January), and at this time, his last resort is getting a colostomy bag. He is currently undergoing some experimental treatments because doctors don't want to do the surgery based on his age.

It goes without saying why I haven't been posting and updating anything. There's been a lot going on, and I want to be on his side as much as possible.

But there is some good news!

I am mainly posting this message because he has improved greatly these past few weeks and is now in a much better physical and mental state. Seeing him get his feet back on the ground has given me the confidence to resume writing.

I have never stopped writing, but I have stopped publicly posting my writing mainly because I didn't have the time to sit down and properly edit.

My friends behind the scenes have been real stars. They have kept me going and encouraged me to keep writing.

I aim to post small works and drabbles until I feel confident enough to finish my biggest baby, Limerence.

To all those messages saying you missed Yue and Zuko, they're back - sorry, not sorry.

Thank you to everyone who has written messages to me. Trust me when I say I read them all, and I truly appreciate them. It meant a lot to get them and read them when I was not active because there were a few dark moments during my time away with everything going on, and honestly, it made me really happy. While I could never express my thanks in enough words, please know I greatly valued it.

I wanted to keep this short and sweet, but as we know, I am not known for short things (I try I swear askdjahjhksdj)😅

Thank you, and I wish everyone a fabulous day with tons of hugs and kisses.

I can't wait to write to you all soon~ ❤️

[yellowbunnydreams]

Bunny Ears (Part 22) ~William Afton X F! Reader~

~Not feeling so superstar today guys, but I'm trying to continue writing whilst I still have the braincell, because you deserve to feel the love from our husband boyfriend~

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* Want more or something different? *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

Tag List: @ruh--roh-raggy @h4nluv @sleepy---head @do-double-g @confiscated-peaches-main @dij-ology @viviennemuerte @robin-the-enby @shari-berri @randymeeksisafinalgirl @hallow1090 @aponia-yue @likoplays @dilflover-3 @oak-leafs @phd-in-fuckery @weirdoartist21 @nicolezghostz @fauine @emmbny

Sorry if I missed you on the tag-list!

CW: Minors DNI, (18+ ONLY), Female Reader, legal age gap (Reader- 20's, William - 30's), divorce/processing divorce, Afton being a sarcastic hot ass, grumpy x sunshine. Sexual connotations, consent is sexy, softdom!Will. Faz-Fuck TM

After lunch at the diner, and the best soda floats on that side of the state just like William had promised, he'd taken his time in driving you back to his house. The now familiar gravel drive soothing as his large calloused hand rested on your thigh for as long as it could and his thumb soothed over you gently. Your eyes had closed at some point, and William smiled at your peaceful expression when he realised that you had fallen asleep with him driving, something he took as a large compliment.

Shaking you awake as he parked the car, you grumbled softly at the intrusion into your sleep, making William chuckle as he got out and moved around to your side, carefully scooping you up into his arms and smiling even wider as your arms wrapped around his neck. Planting a soft kiss on your forehead.

"Somebody just wants to be carried." Whispering softly to you as he carefully made his way to the front door, trying not to disturb you too much as he tried to fish for the correct key in his pocket as you nuzzled into his neck and shoulder.

"I mean, you did save me like a damsel in distress." You teased, keeping your eyes closed as William chuckled and placed another kiss on your forehead, finding the right key and unlocking his front door, kicking it open and dropping the keyring onto the small table in the hallway as he brought you to the couch. Gently laying you down and plumping up some pillow around your head, perching on the edge of one seat, gently brushing some hair from your face as he smiled down at you.

"Well, that might be true. Does this mean I get a reward?" Teasing right back as you hummed and shook your head after a moment. William raised an eyebrow as he looked down at you, his large hand gently stroking down over your shoulder and making you shiver. "No?"

"No, you have to kiss damsels on the lips to wake them up." A playful smile on your face as you heard him laugh, his hand wandering down over your stomach and sides in a way that made your heart race in your chest slightly.

"Oh really?"

"Yep, those are the rules."

William thought for a moment before his smile grew and he continued running his hands down your body. But you kept your eyes resolutely shut, even though you could feel him tugging at the belt he'd leant you that morning. His steely eyes focused on your face to watch for any twitch or sign of discontent as he slowly unbuckled it and slid it from your waist, thick fingers working on the buttons. Pausing as he saw a little from on your face.

"Everything okay, bunny?" He asked softly, watching the way your eyes rapidly flickered under your eyelids, threatening to open as you thought for a moment.

"I thought you were going to kiss me on the lips." Afton thought for a moment and leaned forwards to kiss you just besides your lips, teasingly close to actually kissing you, but letting his stubble brush against your skin.

"You never stated which ones you wanted kissed, my beautiful bunny," Keeping his voice low and soft, holding onto your hips, his thumbs running over the curve of your hip bones. "Do you want a normal kiss, or for me to continue?"

"If you want-"

William gently grabbed your jaw and turned your head towards him despite your closed eyes. He loved the way you looked, but he hated that little frown and the way your brow creased when you were upset by something, or at the very least, concerned. Planting a kiss onto the end of your nose and feeling a smile tug at his lips as he sighed.

"Bunny, it isn't about what I want. I asked what you wanted, and you avoided the question."

You thought for a moment, the furrow in your brow increasing slightly before you felt your lip quivering slightly and whispering softly.

"A normal one, please."

He obliged when you told him, placing a soft, almost chaste kiss against your lips. You finally opened your eyes and saw the soft disapproval hidden behind the golden glasses he wore, but the warm smile he gave you as he leaned in to kiss you again washed away any worries you had. Lips moving together softly in that familiar rhythm that you had both found since that first kiss in the parts and services room at Freddy's whilst you sat on the workbench. One of his large hands slipped to the back of your head as he carefully laid his chest against yours, letting you feel the reassuring weight of his body against yours before the kiss broke and your eyes fluttered back open.

"My love, my heart, you are allowed to not want the same things as me at the same time." He soothed, stroking your cheek with his thumb as he gazed at you adoringly.

"But I thought....Thought that it was a done thing..like..I had to-"

"Bunny, if I find out I have ever made you feel like you had to go through with something I want; there's a gun cabinet in the basement, I want you to shoot me with what's inside."

"William!"

"Apparently, I wasn't very clear last night when I said we could stop at ANY time, bunny. I know I'm a big scary old man." You scoffed at that and he smiled, watching you roll your eyes at him and giving him a soft smile.

"You're hardly scary, or old. Big, yes." You retorted, making William smile as he pulled up your legs and sat down properly before he made you yelp by pulling you into his lap so you could lay against his chest. Cradling you against his broader chest as he put his chin on your head.

"Well apparently you were so frightened of me the first time we met, you had to check that I was not some intruder breaking in and working unpaid." You groaned at the memory and felt your cheeks heating up as William chuckled and kissed your head, watching you hide your head in your hands in embarrassment before he gently pulled them away so he could see how pretty you were.

"You aren't going to let me live that down, are you?"

"Not as long as I live. I think it's cute."

"God that's so cringey to think about."

"Maybe, but it's still funny. The point you've masterfully distracted yourself from, bunny, is that I love you, and I would never want to do something to you that you didn't want. Whether it's sexual or not. You are in control of your consent, would you touch me if I didn't want it?"

"Of course not!"

"The same applies to you. Physical affection isn't a reflection of our love, it's a component of it." William explained softly, peppering you with soft kisses across your forehead and the top of your head too. "Understand?"

"Yes sir." Afton sighed at your playful reply before wrapping you up in a bear hug and falling to one side, making you gasp at the moment of free-fall before you both 'thwumped' into the soft cushions of his couch, feeling his thick fingers stroking your hair and lulling you into relaxing more against him as the other hand temporarily abandoned you and reached for the TV remote, turning it onto some movie channel that seemed to be playing a horror-comedy.

"Let's just chill out, my darling little bunny, I'll order us take-away tonight."

"Isn't that-"

"Shush, I want to spoil you. Remember, I'm a dad who can provide for you." You giggled at the memory of when he said those words to you, turning your head and giving his stubbly cheek a kiss before turning back to face the TV.

"DILF."

"Pardon?"

"You're a DILF and a DWCP."

"....Are...are you having a stroke?" The comment made you burst out laughing and you squeezed William's arm tighter around you, making the older man bury his face into your neck and nuzzle in affectionately. Shaking his head and planting kisses against you as he held you against his body.

All was right again, and the memory of anything going wrong with your day seemed so far away already as you cuddled with the man you loved.

The rest of the day had been uneventful, William had ordered from a Thai place that you didn't even know delivered to Hurricane and the food had been eaten with laughter and exploring new things as William insisted on feeding you things that you hadn't tried before to see how you liked them. And you had fallen asleep together curled up in his large bed, happily pressed against his broad chest and you held onto him like a lifeline, which made the older man quite happy that he had even more excuses to cuddle you to sleep.

But the peace had been disturbed by the sound of loud knocking against the front door, making you both jump as you looked at each other, confused for a moment before it started up again and William reached for his glasses on his bedside table. Putting them on and wiping his hands over his face as he kissed your forehead and padded down the stairs. You groaned at loosing your own giant cuddle partner and wrapped yourself back up in his sheets, inhaling deeply and keeping your eyes closed as you tried to go back to sleep, figuring it was far too early for it to be anything but somebody on their death-bed.

Suddenly, you heard the door slam downstairs and your eyes opened up. Blinking away any traces of sleep as you heard William talking downstairs, deciding that you needed to get up to use the bathroom anyway, you made sure you were decent in his oversized t-shirt and a pair of what you were pretty sure were his boxers before sorting yourself out and then heading down the stairs.

"Hi!!" You heard your name being called with childish excitement as you were rushed by a head full of blonde hair. Wrapping your arms around Vanessa as you realised that it was Afton's daughter that had arrived.

"Hey you! What're you doing here?" You crouched down to ask, keenly aware that you were in her dad's clothes as you felt your cheeks flushed and looked over her shoulder up at William, who was rubbing his face with his hands. Looking incredibly fine in his tight t-shirt and sweatpants that seemed to be his go-to aside from work clothes.

"Vanessa needs to stay here a few days, apparently her mom....has other commitments." You could hear the barely contained anger at the situation in his voice, but you looked at the cute kid in front of you and knew that he loved her dearly, and you grinned at her as she hugged you before bouncing excitedly.

"Well, that sounds like a girls day to me! How about I get dressed, and I can go to my place and pick up some make-up and we can do arts and crafts and make-up? Does that sound fun?" You asked, watching Vanessa's eyes go wide before she squealed excitedly, jumping up and down in your arms before turning and looking at her dad for his approval. William simply smiled at her and shrugged.

"I need to finish fixing that arcade machine anyway, so if you two want to have a girls day..."

"THANKS DAD, YOU'RE THE BEST!!!" The small blonde flung herself at William and knocked him slightly from his feet, but he recovered quickly and groaned as he picked her up with a smile. Hugging her tightly to him as he shooed you upstairs to get changed whilst Vanessa babbled happily about how she was going to make you look very pretty, not that you weren't pretty already.

You decided to put on the dress you had worn to the date you had originally been on, brushing your hair and making sure you had the necklace that William had given you on, as well as your silly purple plastic bracelet before heading back downstairs and taking over Vany to allow William to get dressed.

"DAD! You're supposed to have your bracelet on too!" Vanessa whined, making you laugh as she held onto your hand and looked at the bracelet, William throwing his hands into the air in defeat as he headed for the stairs.

"I'm putting it on! Calm down, Vanny, or I won't let her play with you." He warned, but the tone was far too playful and the small child knew it. Giggling as she clung onto you and you smiled down at her, kneeling down to save your back as you picked up the small child and gave her a big grin.

"Well then, how are your make-up skills little miss Afton?"

"Mummy says I'm shit!"

"....Well let's not use that word again, but practise makes perfect!" You sighed internally, eye twitching somewhat as you were handed your first real opportunity to play home-maker with the man you loved and his adorable kid.

[discordiansamba]

thinking about Zuko in the avatar Yue AU is both so funny to me and also very depressing because like... somehow in the period before Sokka joins them, between himself, Yue, and Aang somehow he's the only one in this group that has common sense. It's part of the whole reason he decides to upend his life and travel with the two of them- because one of them is a talented airbender to be sure, but one that is still very much a naive child, and the other is a princess who has been isolated from the rest of the world since she was born.

he'd like to protect Aang's naivety if he can, but on some level, he knows that's not possible. and Yue... he understands her. it's not like he knew that much about the world either, when he found himself tossed into the Earth Kingdom wilderness. if he hadn't been found by a theater troupe, he probably would have starved to death.

officially, Prince Zuko was kidnapped by Earth Kingdom spies and likely killed. unofficially, Zuko knows that's a load of bullshit. After his mother vanished, and Azula's flames turned blue, the writing was always on the wall- that his days in the Caldera were limited. Or at least- he can see it now, when he looks back. Hindsight is 20/20.

(the kidnappers his father hired burned half his face, so that no one would recognize him as the missing prince.)

then again... Zuko also spends half of his time acting as the vigilante Blue Spirit, so maybe he doesn't have that much common sense.

(sokka is going to be a very, very welcome addition to the team.)

[fun-mxtx-polls]

E'ming vs. Xuan Su

E'ming propaganda:

I just had to come here and wax poetically about E-Ming. Not only is he a) a deadly scimitar that can and has defeated gods, b) the legendary weapon of the strongest ghost king, and c) made USING that ghost king’s eye, he’s also the goodest boy to have ever existed.

He’s basically a puppy dog in sword form and he just wants love and pets. He’s so expressive and adorable that Xie Lian completely ignore all warnings to avoid him to instead treat him like the puppy he is.

Plus there’s his creation story! (Spoilers for TGCF). Back when Hua Cheng was still a weak ghost on Mount Tonglu, he chose to pretext a group of lost mortals by ripping out his eye and forging E-Ming as a weapon. It was a dangerous and risky choice that could have forever separated Hua Cheng from Xie Lian, but he still did it simply because he cares more about others than he likes to admit. E-Ming represents Hua Cheng’s weakness and humanity and even though Hua Cheng resents him for that, Xie Lian loves him for it all the same.

Therefore E-Ming is a) a badass sword, b) an adorable puppy who deserves love, and c) a physical representation of who Hua Cheng is and how he and Xie Lian perceive him. E-Ming is precious and deserves all the votes (and pets)!

Also he just looks really, really cool too! (submitted by @alittlelessalone)

e'ming is babie!!!!!

Xuan Su propaganda:

Xuan Su means "Dark and solemn". Yue Qingyuan's sword, vitality important to his backstory. Its so strong that few cultivators can even stand when he pulls it out, even by a sliver. It drain's yqy's lifeforce in exchange for incredible amounts of power! It wasn't even drawn fully during the sealing of Tianlang-jun, and was instrumental to his defeat. Even pidw Bingge couldn't defeat him one-on-one!

i haven't been able to get 'Xuan Su is YQY's erectile dysfunction' out of my head for multiple days and I have one thing to say about it: it's SO funny, please let Xuan Su win so that this extremely powerful, OP, life ending sword can instead be known as YQY's limp dick. (submitted by @valiantbarnes)

Xuan Su is quite possibly the strongest sword on this list. It is so powerful that when Yue Qingyuan first got it, he was forced (via many broken bones) into secluded meditation in a cave for YEARS to prevent a deadly qi deviation, preventing him from saving Shen Jiu, destroying their relationship. And even once YQY grew to be the most powerful cultivator in the world (Bingge couldn't even kill him without an ambush) he still couldn't draw it without it sapping years off of his life every time. YQY had to carry two swords for his entire life because his first sword could and would kill him if given the chance.

Also, in PIDW, after Bingge killed YQY and Xuan Su shattered, Bingge used the shards to taunt Shen Qingqiu and SQQ swallows the shards to kill himself. Imagine swallowing the shards of a sword that belonged to your beloved childhood friend turned kind-of boss who missed you so much even when you were right there and for whom you feel so much bitterness and longing and yet cared for so much that news of his death is the only thing that could have broken you, even after years of horrific torture. The drama of that alone should win it some points, I think. (submitted by @slythavakna)

[centuryberry]

I left this question on QOTM in the comments on AO3, I left it in Chapter 1, but I didn't really thought much about it. What if there's an AU where Yue was abandoned as a (sorta) newborn on FFM? Like, either her father, out of jealousy, decided to leave her there, or acting on her mother's wishes to protect Yue, Shanzha breaks through the wards, leaves Yue in a basket and runs off before she was caught. How would that work?

Who will be the one to find her? One of the Generals? A soldier? Wukong himself? And if someone does find her, perhaps they find a note by Yue's mother asking for Yue to be cared for, while also saying that her father's clan will most likely be cruel to her? If a soldier or one of the Generals find her and bring her to Wukong (and possibly Macaque?), how would Wukong react to baby!Yue? What about Macaque? Would they adopt her?

Who knows, but I'll admit that I'm especially curious how would the Brotherhood would react, especially DBK, PIF and Red Son when she's slightly older. Speaking of, how different would Yue be like if she was raised by Wukong on FFM?

Oh wow, I must've missed this one! Well, it's a good thing I'll answer this here!

(More below)

So, I can't imagine a likely scenario where Shanzha just up and leaves Yue at FFM's doorstep. Come over there with Yue? Yes. Leave her there and go back to LoES? Very not likely. Also, Yishen would've rather dropped Yue off a cliff instead of going through the effort of safely leaving her at an island paradise.

The best scenario I can come up with would be Sangshen, knowing that she didn't have much time left in the world and not trusting the Zodiac Clan at all, taking the initiative to send Yue away somewhere safe with the help of some artifact. Maybe some one-way transportation circle type thing. Either way, baby Yue ends up on FFM's figurative doorstep with a blanket, a milk bottle, and a note.

It's Beng who finds her. As he is in charge of patrolling the kingdom's borders and being a father himself, he was able to recognize the faint cries of a baby monkey even as the sounds of the forest almost completely drowned out her voice.

Yue's six ears almost immediately gain the General's attention and she's brought over to Macaque. Everyone by that point is convinced that Yue is his. While insistent that he's NOT the father, he still takes her as his own and accepts single fatherhood.

(Lol not on Wukong's watch.)

Wukong is super curious and definitely not-at all jealous about Macaque procreating without him involved, so he comes to meet the baby.

It's love at first sight. Baby Yue is so, so cute. Her little nose scrunches up so adorably. Everything comes out of her mouth in chirps and squeaks. Her ears were darling. And she looks so much like Macaque! Wukong eagerly helps out with child-rearing (since he's such a good friend) and unofficially takes the role of another father. They're both so disgustingly domestic.

All of FFM would hear about Yue's achievements and everything she did would be hot news. She grabbed Wukong's finger! She ate her solid foods for the first time! She's babbling! She's crawling! She's-

You get the point. Wukong even commissioned artists to make multiple paintings of her.

The Brotherhood would be far less antagonistic and threatening in this scenario though Azure would be salty as hell to see Shadowpeach live the domestic dream without actually being married. Yellowtusk would congratulate the new parents and look to Yue very fondly. Peng would be ambivalent.

The Demon Bull Family would react very differently. DBK would cry and hold bb!Yue so tenderly. She's so tiny! And PIF would spoil her with all the baby toys and clothes. Red Son would think she's pretty useless and boring at first but that changes as she grows.

Yue in this scenario would still grow up to be endlessly curious and super responsible, but she's also less tense and paranoid. She's a bit cheeky too. She would be so loved and so happy.

(Shanzha and RinRin would come to FFM for sanctuary one day but that would be another story...)

[bloopitynoot]

Reading SVSSS: Chapter 13

For those who don't know, I am reading SVSSS for the first time and sharing my thoughts!

If you have not read it, there will be spoilers! Consider this a warning.

Also- if you want to follow along, I am aiming to post updates daily. You can find all the posts in the tag bloopitynoot reads SVSSS. You can also check out the intro post for context on my read.

I'm here! Finally posting yesterday's read.

Last night I was watching critical role and making flower crowns for the ren faire today and I totally lost track of time. But I did read earlier and I have the notes!

Anyways; no tea- I slammed this coke zero. The flower crowns ended up being real cute though.

Here we go; last chapter of book 2!

I'm already nervous :( this chapter is titled coercion. Coercion of who?

Well. Shen Qingqiu arrives and the mountain is already under siege- solid start. p283

This is less a reflection on this current chapter and more a thought about the longevity of this character; but I feel like Luo Binghe is going to inevitably perish. The reckless abandon in which he approaches anything Shizun adjacent is going to end this man. Like in this chapter- fully just tells everyone he's of demonic heritage- 0 fucks, no care for his own life now or in the future. Sure, he's powerful as hell but like eventually he has to sleep. p284

Oh gosh. Both Yue Qingyuan and Liu Qingge are in a bad way AND they are in the same room as Luo Binghe. p285

Okay but to be fair, when it comes to the body of Shen Qingqiu I am on the side of the sect here. Like bare minimum even if this man supposedly committed all the crimes (he didnt and they do know this) he still deserves to have proper death rites. Luo Binghe did do some unhinged things. pp 286-287

RIP Shang Qinghua LOL everyone knows you are an opportunist with nary a loyal bone in your body. Congrats on your entire sect knowing now p288

OOP. the audacity of Luo Binghe to Liu Qingge "ah! The loser I defeated" I mean not wrong but you dont have to be a dick about it. p289 Luo Binghe is so cocky!

and here we have SQQ inserting himself into mortally dangerous situations that he could have walked away from. The self sacrificing he has been doing this entire book (intentional or not) is so wild. This man cannot do anything in a stealthy way- everything dramatic and loud and at the centre of attention. p290

WAIT! "caught you shizun" p290 He did know! I had a suspicion!

What did you expect SQQ ofc he meant to draw you out. He could have tracked you but he lost the ability to do so with the other demon. p293

as an aside I am now wondering how this is going to work out. The Zhuzhi-Lang can also torture and track him at a distance- this is going to be a later problem for SQQ and Luo Binghe no doubt

oh poor buddy "you're not a fool...I am" p293

ooooooo. "didn't my sweetness make shizun oh-so happy?" p294. that's not even it oh no so much emotional damage

Also Shang Qinghua exposed again with the mushroom info p294

I am on SQQ's side with this one. How can the sect be mad about him not going there right away when he was kind of underground and also had to relearn how to move his own body p295

I am annoyed at Liu Qingge and I think, maybe, unjustifiably. I feel like his character is complicated and eventually I want to read a character study or two about him for more insight. What prompted this is: he is both acknowledging that SQQ is doing something utterly selfless for the sect but also pissed that he's doing it at all. Like- is it him feeling inadequate? Or is it how he feels about SQQ or the sect? idk- I will continue to think about him. p297

Luo Binghe was not satisfied with mushroom-zun he also wants the original body?? p299

RIP all of SQQ's dignity and his mental health "I've already submitted to you" p299 his word choice though LOL

His body is missing?!?!?!?!?!? p300

what a cliffhanger! Now I need to know who stole his corpse! If it ends up being 2 SQQ's OR that Luo Binghe's dad is using SQQ's original body I am done done LOL.

We finished book 2!

Thank you to those who have been reading along- this has truly been so fun! I appreciate all the comments and clarifications; they have been helpful and have been making this reading process super engaging. Getting to chat about the thing I am enjoying with others who also love The Thing has been a solid highlight of my days!

[brionysea]

if you know me, you may know that I love animation. I think it's beautiful and deserves a lot more respect as an artistic medium than it gets. I still live with my parents, and they don't agree; they think it's for children, which makes it worth less. I put on my favourite film (Into The Spider-Verse) while they were in the room once, in a sneaky attempt to share something I love with them, and they were just on their phones the entire time. if I'd been more open about what I was doing they might have tried more, but as it stands, it didn't even cross their minds that something animated could be worth their time.

I say all this to lead into the fact that I've also never been able to get them to watch Avatar: The Last Airbender. again, I was watching something I liked while my mum was in the room, but just because I wanted to this time. I was watching the North Pole episodes. my mum likes badass female characters in media, so I told her to pay attention to Katara's fight with Pakku, but even that didn't pull her in (although she did note that Katara was "fiery"). she was bored, wanted the TV for something she liked now (I'd had it for a while), but I wanted to finish the 2-parter first. we decided on one more episode. we reached the part where Zuko kidnaps Aang and runs into a blizzard with him, and Katara, Sokka, and Yue find them. Katara, of course, outmatches Zuko in seconds. Sokka frees Aang and suggests leaving Zuko to die in the blizzard, and Aang - being who he is - says, "No. We can't leave him here."

and my mum, barely looking up from her phone, says, "Why not? He'd leave you."

bear in mind, she hasn't watched the show. she doesn't know these people. she doesn't know Zuko. this is a single glimpse into a single moment of his life, one of countless mistakes made by a lost teenager, where someone else had to decide whether or not he was worth saving. I got this sinking feeling, imagining a world where Aang didn't listen to his beliefs in this moment; a world where Zuko died in the blizzard, where Iroh lost another son, where Aang never got the chance to learn firebending from him - a world where Zuko never realised his destiny, all because he was left for dead in a snowstorm.

but my mum didn't know this show, didn't know all the reasons why that shouldn't happen, so all I could think of to say in response was a small, devastated, "He's sixteen."

and I'm looking back on that feeling now, at the judgement made on a boy she didn't even know, and I'm thinking: what gives you the right to decide he's done? that he's not allowed to grow anymore? that he won't be missed? that he should die, and that Aang should be complicit in it?

this may seem silly. animated or not, Avatar is just a show. but it's a show that got me invested, a show that made me care about the characters and what they have to say about morality and philosophy and the world. it's a show that made me not want Zuko to die alone in a snowstorm. it's a show that made me not want Aang to become a murderer at 12 years old.

but that mentality of judging people by their worst moments, of not seeing them as full human beings who have worth and a future and limitless potential for change because you, personally, haven't seen it, translates to real people too.

it's reductive.

I think of it like this: what they decide says something about who they are, but what you decide says something about who you are. are you the kind of person who would let someone die when you had the chance to save them? are you the kind of person who invites more pain into the world? who allows it without protest? who believes it's possible to reach a point where people don't deserve your compassion anymore?

Aang isn't.

I didn't have much of a plan going into this post, but looking at it in full, I think this is the value of redemption arcs. and while on a practical level, you can understand why so many people pushed back against it at the end of the show, I think this is the value of Aang's philosophy: it lets you be more.

[solxce-txt]

⚠︎ . whoops !

please, proceed with caution

ooc aaaa :(( [not a very good nor confident writer 😭]

꠴ (៸៸ ˃ ︿ ˂ ៸៸) ୭̥⋆*｡

﹫yuexing.writes

⟡ . NOTES FROM YUE

my first time posting here (and writing smth properly) so please excuse me ><

reader is gender neutral , dan heng has a pussy.. and, well, my mind is certainly wild at times.

we're not going to talk about it okay.. I need to get this out my mind....

dan heng who is always reserved, never really engaging in social activities with the express crew, always so busy sorting out the archives and adding new information after an expedition

but, who knew that he'd be so desperate while you're away?

grinding against his fingers as he reads through the archive entry about you, every single bit and piece of your person written down like how it was embedded into his mind. having it locked and hidden away from anyone, only ignoring or changing the subject if it's mentioned

he doesn't want anyone to know how you make him go insane, make him so weak and needy. so much so that he'd go to such lengths as to finger himself and etc. just to stimulate his mind filled with filthy scenarios of what you could be doing to him right now..

you were out on an expedition with the rest, leaving him and himeko, who decided to stay, at the express

he missed you, he needed you.

he needed you to fuck him until he's so sore and filled/coated with your seed as he's exhausted, but still needs more.

for now, he'll bear with not having you by his side to fulfill his needs. he's moaning and whining as his fingers were deep inside him, his walls squeezing them with every thrust — all he could think of was you, thrusting against him as you hit every spot in him that needed to be hit. always coming undone so quickly as he keeps begging you for more

his pretty cunt always wet and clenching around nothing as he thinks about you so often, soaking his underwear and it all leads to him grinding or humping on something then fingering himself in the similar pace you always ruined him in

texts, nudes, and needy voicemails are sent to you as you're away, causing you to fluster and excuse yourself. aeons, he's so horny..

but that's okay, right? you don't mind?

"come back soon, I need you." (nudes..)

"mh.. look at it" (nudes #2)

"I wish it were your cock/strap instead, I need to feel you in me again" (his fingers deep inside him, his slick coating his hand)

he was such a whore when you're both alone for some reason, but he's always so quiet and more tame when you're both out with other. maybe he's just that big of a slut for you?

who knows, but hopefully he'll calm down with it once you get home.. (he won't-)

[hyog-blog]

The Double

Definitely a must-watch drama. The leads are on fire - so much chemistry, character, and foxiness from both of them. Delicious lines, yummy not-so-obvious plot. Mind you, romance is not at the center of this revenge series, but it's done very intricately and delicately, and is very believable.

The murderous ex-husband also delivers a stellar performance - you can really see how conflicted he is about what he did, but he still goes far beyond redemption with the evil princess (his kinky love/hate relationship with her was also far from boring and you don't see something like this in cdramas a lot).

All the side characters play well (Tong'er so cute, and so are Duke Su's bodyguards, A-Li's evil mother from the Jiang family is so cunning and evil, with her own back story). All in all, the plot is actually very entertaining.

Visually, it's a masterpiece - I love the colors, floating hair/clothes, pretty lighting, and all those close-ups that really make the viewing experience more intimate (Wang Xing Yue's eyes are magnetic). I've never seen such a filming style before, it's quite refreshing, and overall the beauty and esthetic levels are high in this one.

I didn't mind the ending. They could skip the whole war thing, of course, but then we'd miss those cool fighting scenes and that moment when Xiao Heng takes the pendant given by A-Li into his mouth - oh boy, those were some pretty shots! So, from that aspect, I really don't mind the extra scenes. And they did end up getting back together, so no loss here))

[tcfactory]

Good morning, I bring you another very nonsense SVSSS idea today.

Shen Yuan transmigrates as Shen Jiu's shizun. He has a System, but it really doesn't interfere with anything because what would it even do when Luo Binghe's parents haven't even met yet? Su Xiyan hasn't even been born yet.

So Shen Yuan has several really cool centuries to be the immortal master he really wants to be! Since nothing he has done affects the plot, he spends a lot of that time ignoring his disciples (he figures out in the first few decades that teaching is primarily the job of the hallmasters) and focusing on sightseeing and learning all about the flora and fauna of his least favorite webnovel world. He's considered a fine person, kind when he remembers to be present in the moment, but usually detached from worldly matters, which is not a bad thing for an immortal master pushing his fifteenth century to be, but it's to his detriment in some ways: he is both noble-born and beyond mortal weakness. Some of his modern sensibilities have definitely faded after such a long life in this world and by spending much of that time in the company of his nearly indestructible martial siblings. He's a master who does not wield the whip himself, but orders punishment with the ignorance of someone who has forgotten that to people who don't have more than a thousand years of cultivation, the whip does far more than 'sting a little'.

He still tries to speak up about that whole matter with the boy and the sword and the cave. He knows a plant that could help the boy without all this breaking-every-bone nonsense, but that's the first time his System intervenes and stops him. He assumes the kid would have been someone who could have opposed Luo Binghe eventually so he's fated to die instead and lets the matter go. If anything, he's more excited that the System finally made a move, because that means they are nearing the time when Luo Binghe will appear! He doesn't follow the incident and he's daydreaming about a rare beast he discovered on his latest trip when his shixiong announces the appointment of his succeeding disciple, so he completely misses that Yue Qingyuan survived the cave.

During the fated Immortal Alliance Conference he's too busy checking on his own disciples to be of any help in resolving the incident with Shen Jiu, so the sect leader (who is getting really tired of how unreliable his 'sect strategist' is) dumps the semi-feral orphan on his peak as punishment. Shidi likes wild creatures, right? Here's a wild creature for you, have fun making a man out of him.

Shen Yuan doesn't make the connection between Shen Jiu, prickly street kid, and Shen Qingqiu, peerless immortal with a rotten personality, because he falls into the group of readers who assumed Shen Qingqiu was a noble young master. Shen is a pretty common name, after all. He gives the kid some remedial lessons - in reading, writing, etiquette, the arts, etc. - gives him some encouraging words and then leaves the kid to his own devices once it's clear that he doesn't need coddling. He's a tough cookie who can handle himself and besides, the good-natured head disciple from Qiong Ding keeps coming over to check on him, so he already has other support! His shizun hovering over him and favoring him too much would just make him a target and this kid has gone too through much already for him to do that to him.

They hear the first rumors about Tianlang-jun around the time when his shixiong finally starts to bully him about picking a new head disciple, so Shen Yuan makes a timeline in his head: if Tianlang-jun is really doing the part of sightseeing young master in the human world (which Shen Yuan has personally confirmed) then it should take him a few decades to grow bored of it all, sour on the experience and then go and do the attempted world-conquering he gets mountained for. So he should have at least fifty more years before he has to worry about that nonsense, right?

There's still no sign of young master Shen on his peak (goddamn master Airplane, was Shen Qingqiu really so young during PIDW?! A cultivator under a hundred should not be given a position of authority like that, they are barely an adult! The other future peak lords keep popping up around the sect already, so no wonder he was so paranoid of his position, being decades younger than everyone!!) so he promotes his no-longer-openly-feral Shen Jiu as head disciple in the meantime, because that kid is an overachiever like no other and by far the most competent of his disciples.

Then, in the blink of an eye, he is prompted to give Shen Jiu a courtesy name as his succeeding disciple (how did this happen?! This much-abused feral cat is not the one who should be here, System!!).

And the System finally gives him an order he can't refuse: Shen Jiu is to be named Shen Qingqiu. It all starts to break apart at that moment, his leisure and detachment coming back to bite him where it hurts the most.

Shen Yuan announces the name and watches as his head disciple's eyes flash with hurt and betrayal before his mask slots back in place (he never bothered to investigate deeper into Shen Jiu's past than what the boy shared willingly, but now he goes digging. He traces Wu Yanzi's tracks, interviewing ghosts along the way until he reaches the ruins of the Qiu residence and learns of the horrors that went down there. Please forgive your master, A-Jiu! He did not mean to saddle you with the name of your abusers!).

He tries, in those last few, desperate years to be better for the future scum villain, but it feels like it's too late already (the immortal master came back to earth from his unreachable cloud, but it's too little too late). Shen Qingqiu doesn't trust him, he doesn't trust anyone except himself (Shen Yuan is the greatest expert of beasts in the world and he can see the marks of a cornered, crippled tiger in every move Shen Qingqiu makes. His head disciple is angry and terrified and it's his fault that he never helped to make it better.) his relationship with his martial siblings is horrible and he has learned all the wrong lessons from his time on the mountain (because Shen Yuan, spoiled and absent, failed to teach him better).

Shen Yuan watches helplessly as things spiral out of his control (he knows Tianlang-jun couldn't possibly have wanted to conquer anything yet, but his System shuts him up when he wants to speak. He's the one who creates the array, he's the one who puts the final nail in the coffin of a man and his beloved, all for the crime of loving the wrong person). His shixiong gets severely wounded in the fight and they arrange a very hasty ascension before he could perish from his injuries.

He hopes that ascension would make things easier to bear. He has waited for so long, planned to lean back and enjoy PIDW from a front row seat after a life spent playing his part to perfection.

It's so much worse than he could have ever imagined. The System plays one last joke on him and appoints him god of secrets, so he gets to see everything that goes on in the sect. He's already familiar with Luo Binghe's PoV from PIDW, but now he gets to see Yue Qingyuan (clutching his sword and drinking down potions to dull the pain of his ruined body with every meal, screaming himself hoarse for Shen Jiu every night in his nightmares) and Shang Qinghua (walking the high wire of terror and overwork, System window hovering over him with threats of death if he so much as twitches wrong) and Shen Qingqiu, always Shen Qingqiu who keeps spiraling into bitter cruelty with every mocking word he pretends to ignore, every impassable bottleneck and almost-fatal qi-deviation.

When Shen Qingqiu almost succumbs to one of his deviations that leaves him unconscious with a high fever for days he finally breaks and begs the System to let him do something. Shen Qingqiu has grown up to be exactly the kind of scum he was in the story, but for all that he wants to smack him every time he does something shitty, Shen Yuan has grown to care for his horrible, almost-feral tiger of a disciple. He doesn't want him to live the fate of the scum villain, but as a god he's not allowed to act. He will do anything, System! Anything!!!

The next thing he knows, he wakes up as Shen Qingqiu. It's his chance to change fate for the better, but if Shen Yuan is in the body, then where is Shen Jiu??? His soul is in storage and the System will magnanimously allow him to buy him back to life and give him a second chance for all the B-points he amassed over his long life. It's a choice between getting Shen Jiu back or keeping the points as an emergency save that would allow him to return to his previous role if things go wrong.

It's hardly a difficult choice, isn't it?