#no open-ended prompts here. i mean you could if yu want but

[todayisafridaynight]

So he’s fuckable but people personally wouldn’t fuck him… okay that is interesting for the majority but hey it’s a similar to Gohan where he’s very handsome but I don’t think everyone would fuck him. For me it’s Ichi and Gohan all the way ❤️❤️❤️ I feel like when we do the Daigo poll we going to get that thirst!!!

tumblr decrees ichi in fact has game, they just personally wouldn't be a player... interesting but can't complain bout it

anyway daigo time please don't disappoint me

[rosethornewrites]

NR, E, & M reading since 2/15

Finished

Not Rated:

Second Madame Nie update, by nirejseki

Prompt: I'm still in love with Second madam nie. Anything from her POV, maybe including her favourite person, nie mingjue?

No Loss, by eb4life (24 chapters)

After being forced to remain stuck in his wolf form by Madam Yu, Wei Wuxian conforms to her wishes of making it appear that he's runaway from home by doing just that. When he's God knows how far from home and manages to get captured by the knights of a king he's only heard rumors of, Wei Wuxian expects to be killed or imprisoned as the king's personal attack dog. He doesn't expect to move from "exotic pet" to "closest friend" within only weeks of his stay at the king's side. This story is inspired by Bisclavret.

Explicit:

vintage youth, by sami (3 chapters)

After thirteen years spent believing Wei Wuxian was dead, Lan Wangji isn't going to let a minor detail like Wei Ying is a fugitive from the law come between them.

all the trembling ways, by typefortydeductions (🔒)

"Lan Zhan. I haven’t -- I mean, I’ve kissed people! But I’ve not. Not anything else.”

Wei Ying can’t look up. He can feel how hot his cheeks are. His whole face must be burning. He wishes he’d worn something else, something less obviously wanting.

“Not anything?” Lan Zhan breathes. He sounds -- Wei Ying isn’t quite sure what he sounds, but it isn’t disappointed. He risks a peek upwards, through his eyelashes, like Lan Zhan’s face will be more bearable in the diffuse. Lan Zhan’s mouth is open slightly. Wei Ying shakes his head, and Lan Zhan’s hands come up to his cheeks, tipping his head back up.

“Wei Ying.” he says, softly, and leans in to kiss him. It’s softer this time, but just as deep, his tongue sweeping gently along Wei Ying’s lower lip, coaxing. Showing, Wei Ying realises. Letting him learn. He feels the heat rise again, but it’s different this time, contained, somehow, by Lan Zhan’s firm hands, the warm press of his chest.

“Will you let me show you?” he asks."

//

Lan Zhan teaches Wei Ying how to feel good.

Mature:

At the end of all things, by Entityx (🔒)

Lan Wangji is aware that he is not the only one who is left haunted by constant bloodshed.

Everyone has changed over the course of the Sunshot Campaign. However the one who underwent the most drastic change was undeniable.

It's subtle- he's still friendly and boisterous with members of his sect. But he is not truly open anymore. Gone is the optimistic boy who radiated sincerity with every word. Instead he is replaced with a hollow imitation, with a smile cracked at the edges, and a laugh that is too hollow to fool anyone.

if you could see the man I am, by sami (2nd in a series)

Lan Wangji spent thirteen years believing Wei Wuxian was dead.

Unfinished

Not Rated:

The Devil That You Forgot, by pottedplnt

Wei Ying has always been a smart child, so when he finds himself back on the streets he was taken from, he decides to make the most of it. Even when he's half-starved, severely injured, and just thrown into the worst place he can think of, he'll come back. And god help anyone who gets in the way of his peaceful life.

The worth of a life with no regrets, by SnowdropsAndDreams

It was hopeless. Utterly hopeless.

The night hunt had gone disastrously wrong and Wei Wuxian's tiny pebble of a core isn't enough to save him. But Jiang Cheng will be damned before he watches another sibling die in his arms, especially one that miraculously came back from the dead.

"I'm going to die here, Jiang Cheng. We both know it. But unlike last time, I'm going to make it meaningful."

"I know of a forbidden array that can turn back time."

"Didi, do you want to come with me?"

Or, a time travel fix-it fic where Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng work together as brothers.

Explicit:

The Second Hand Unwinds, by trulywicked (🔒)

Sent back in time without his husband after a night hunt gone wrong, Lan Wangji is determined to ensure that Wei Wuxian’s safety and in the process hopefully mitigate, if not prevent, the war.

Through marriage among other things.

Heart of the Beast, by WaitForTheSnitch

“Wei Ying?” Nie Mingjue prompted him gently. “Where are your parents?”

“They went on a night hunt,” Wei Ying said, a bit evasively.

“Your parents are cultivators?” Da-ge asked in surprise. “Did they leave you here while they hunted? When did they go on their night hunt?”

“Four summers ago,” Wei Ying said a bit uncomfortable.

“Four summers ago,” Nie Mingjue repeated. “What are your parents’ names?”

“My mama is Cangse Sanren and my baba is Wei Changze,” Wei Ying told him, and recognition registered in Nie Mingjue’s eyes.

“Wei Ying,” Nie Mingjue said, sounding a bit regretful, “Your parents aren’t coming back.”

Or, Nie Mingjue and Nie Huaisang run into Wei Ying while in Yiling and decide to bring him home. And it changes everything.

Mature:

A twist in time, by Souldealertm

Wei WuXian and Lan WangJi got their happy ending, however the pain and loss of the past is still haunting them and many others. The previous generation has messed up horribly and caused the generations to come great pain. Now some of the people from the previous generation have gotten a second chance to fix everything and give their children and grandchildren a better future.

fighting for both of us, by chocosmei

When Wei Wuxian loses control to the Yin Tiger Tally at Nightless City, possibly his last siege of this life, Lan Wangji tries to take the Yiling Laozu to safety by trying to hide him. Without success and finding no other option, he will take the most dangerous risk, trying a method that he doesn’t even know if it’ll work:

An unknown talisman.

In hopes of this being their last chance to surviving, but feeling extremely miserable for resorting to something as dangerous as demonic cultivation, he takes Wei Wuxian’s injured body in his arms, takes his sword “Bichen”, and cuts his own fingers just enough for them to bleed tiny bloody droplets. He takes the talismans written with his and Wei Wuxian’s blood and activates it before anyone can reach them and stop Lan Wangji. The voices of his Shufu, Xiongzhang and elders disperse to complete silence and darkness.

[giggly-squiggily]

💝Candy Heart Valentine Event 2024!💝

We're back again- WHOOO!

Heyo everybody! It's the sweetest time of the year; Candy Hearts time! Thank you so, so much to everyone who's participated in the sentence starters survey this year; it really helped me figure out what prompts to keep and which to change out! I truly appreciate it!

Another major thank you to everyone who's also sent in suggestions! There were so many good ones to pick from; and I ended up choosing a few from the ones recommended!

💝 Rules💝

- Send me a pairing (Platonic or Romantic) from the fandoms listed below along with a candy heart phrase (Sentence Starter) from the list! (Ex: ObaMitsu- True Love) and I will write a short dabble for it!

- The event will be open from January 28-February 13th, ending at 8:00 PM EST. I will make an announcement when prompts are officially closed!

-Multiple prompts are allowed! The limit is like- 5? Just be sure to send them in separate asks if you send multiples! (Helps me make sure I get them all :D)

- Dabbles will start coming out Feb 1!

- I do write “Character x Reader!” (If you want it to be platonic, please specify with “Platonic!Reader”)

-Multiple sentence starter requests are allowed!

- Requester’s Choice: This is essentially a blank Candy- you can pick whatever sentence starter you want for it! :)

-Please check my pinned post for any characters/ships/things I will and won't write! Thank you :)

~Candy Hearts and Fandoms Below The Cut~

💝 Candy Heart Sentence Starters 💝

**: Recommended by you lovely folks!

❤️ Be Mine: “Oh that is IT! Come here!”

🧡 Miss You: “When’s the last time you smiled?”

💛 True Love: “I could do this all day.”

💚 Cutie: “You can't hide from me, I can hear you laughing!"**

💙 XOXO: “Hey, do you like raspberries?”

💜 Angel: “What happens if I do this?”

❤️ I love you: "What a brave thing to say for someone so ticklish."**

🧡 Bestie: Requester’s choice: Pick your own sentence starter!

💛 Sweet Heart: “Oh? Is someone ticklish?”

💚 Cupid: “I’m gonna get you!”

💗 Say Yes: “Hey did you- give that back!"**

💙 Smile: “I didn’t know you were ticklish here!”

💜 Hug: “I just want a hug!”

❤️ Darling: “Do you want me to tickle you?”

🧡 Love bug: “What’s so funny?”

💛 Soul Mate: “Not there? What about here?”

💚 Sweet Pea: “Is this a bad spot?”

💙 Adore: “I haven't even touched you yet!"

💜 Kiss me: “Don’t stop? If you say so!”

❤️ Me + You: “No way! I didn’t know you were ticklish!”

🧡 Always and Forever: “Look how red you are! How cute!”

💛 I’m Yours: “You like being tickled, don’t you?”

💚 Puppy love: “Where are those giggles I love so much?”

💙 Only You: "Stop squirming!"**

💜 Hot Stuff: “Come over here and make me!”

🩷 Be My Valentine: "I know all your weaknesses!"**

❤ It's Love: "Hey could You...You Know?"

🧡 Babydoll: "Keep your arms up!"**

💝 Fandoms 💝

-Some of the fandoms on here will have **Limited Request** beside them. This means I will only be taking up to a limited amount of that fandom.

If the fandom is crossed out, it means all slots for it have been filled!

Big Windup

Black Clover

Blue Lock

Buddy Daddies

Bungo Stray Dogs

Chainsaw Man

Code Realize

Collar x Malice

Danganronpa

Demon Slayer **Limited Request**

Dr. Stone

Fire Force

Fruit’s Basket

Free! Iwatobi Swim Club

Given

Haikyuu!!

Heartstopper

Hell’s Paradise: Jirokuraku

Hunter x Hunter (Up to Greed Island arc)

Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure

Jujutsu Kaisen

Komi Can’t Communicate

Moriarty The Patriot

My Hero Academia **Limited Requests**

Piofiore (Dante's route; still working on others)

Pokemon **Limited Requests** (All Gens)

Rain Code: Master Detectives

Sk8 The Infinity

Spy x Family

Toliet Bound Hanako Kun

Tokyo Revenges

Vinland Saga

Yu Yu Hakusho

Thanks again to everyone! I'm so excited to see what y'all have in store! :D

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

High risk, high reward

@krispydestinydefendor

🥂🚨🚑 ahem preferably wwx centric but like i love every single thing you've written so hehe <3

There is a saying in my country that's roughly translated as "either the ball [as in, the prom/banquet], or the hospital", and it means taking the leap no matter the risks because everything could either go terribly wrong or terribly right. It's an elegant way of saying "fuck it" before doing a high risk activity.

This prompt made me think of that.

Wei Wuxian likes risks. He likes the thrill of it, and the fact that, most often, he gets the reward that's made him take the risk in the first place. Whether it's a dare or an idea he wants to see if he can put into practice, he doesn't shy away from anything.

However, there are times when the risks he takes aren't necessarily calculated, and land him in trouble - nothing major, most often with getting yelled at by Madam Yu and having to replace whatever he broke or damaged using his own money... but this time, it's a bit more... difficult to do that.

Because Wei Wuxian won a bet he made with Jin Zixun just to shut him up - but now, Wei Wuxian is feeling like he's going to die. Or puke his guts and his soul out.

The bet was about Wei Wuxian being able to take 10 flutes of champagne at once. They're at this afterparty of some high class gala of the four great families, and since the parents and the uncles have retired for the night already, the younger generation has been left to have fun freely, without any formalities. It was uncle Jiang's idea, bless him, but Wei Wuxian kind of wishes it hadn't been.

Cause even with his massive alcohol tolerance, he's pretty sure he's well on his way towards alcohol poisoning.

"Huaisang, I think we need to call an ambulance..."

"An am- Wei-xiong, are you dying?!"

Wei Wuxian rolls his eyes. "I will if you don't call the ambulance. Just tell them what happened and to send in someone quick. I don't know, a doctor, a nurse, a priest..."

"Serves you right for getting into it with Jin Zixun." Jiang Cheng says, handing Wei Wuxian another glass of water. "You'd sooner die than mind your business."

"I'm really not in the mood for any of your lectures right now. Yell at me when I feel better. Or when I die."

Wei Wuxian closes his eyes and decides to try and at least get himself in a stable state of mind. Last thing he needs is to panic, so he tries to take in deep breaths and ignore the nausea and the impending sense of doom he's feeling.

He knows he's going to have to pay his own hospital bills, and he's going to also have to do Nie Huaisang's homework for months to cover the cost of the ambulance ride (which he has been generous enough to offer to cover), but at least he won't be dead. He'll wish he was when Madam Yu finds out about this, but that's a given.

If she ends up kicking Wei Wuxian out this time, like she threatened she would if he got into trouble again, he'll have to figure out how to make himself useful enough to convince one of his friends to take him in. He's pretty good in the kitchen and he can do a decent job cleaning, so maybe he could be their live-in maid or something... Well, didn't Madam Yu say he'll end up just like his father?

The sound of the ambulance alarm pulls him out of his thoughts. Right, the hospital. He almost forgot about it, which isn't necessarily a good sign of his mental state right now.

"Wangji-xiong, he's right there, I think he's almost passed out and I really don't know-"

Wangji-xiong? Oh, right, Lan Zhan is working the night shift as an EMT tonight, that's why he couldn't come to the gala... What a coincidence...

Wei Wuxian feels himself gently lifted in a pair of very strong arms, and he makes the herculean effort to open his eyes. "Lan... Zhan...?"

"I am here. You'll be okay."

"Mm... if you'll take care of me, I will..."

Lan Wangji tells Jiang Cheng something but Wei Wuxian doesn't really hear it. He's focused on trying not to throw up on his crush, who's so strong and smells so good and is holding him like a bride, and maybe it's the alcohol but Wei Wuxian really wants to kiss him, but...

"Lan Zhan..."

"Mn?"

"I like you..."

"I like you too, Wei Ying."

"No, like you as in I want you to be my boyfriend."

"Ask me again when you're sober."

"Will you say yes?"

"I will."

"Lan Zhan?"

"Mn?"

"I think I'm about to throw up."

[myherowritings]

hearts intertwined | t.s.

— You and Todoroki have been roommates for months now but have barely had more than a two minute conversation. When quarantine hits and everyone is on lockdown, you find yourself forced to spend more time with him and actually end up...enjoying it? 

pairing: todoroki shouto x reader word count: 3,055 genre: roommate au, pro hero!shouto, fluff warnings: suggestive content, 16+, mc and todo are both mid-20s

a/n: this is written as part of the crackhead sanctuary’s server collab! (pls excuse my server name lmfdkgfdg i have terrible naming skillz) i hope y’all enjoy and pls lmk what u think!! xx sof

In many ways, Todoroki Shouto was the perfect roommate. 

He cleaned up after himself, always made an extra serving of food and set it aside for you (though it may only have been because he sucked at measuring out ingredients rather than him intentionally planning on leaving you leftovers), and generally kept his volume to a minimum when entering the apartment at ungodly hours of the night. 

There was also the fact that he was the most attractive person you had ever shared a living space with in your life, and seeing him shirtless on his way to his bedroom from the bathroom was a definite bonus.

But despite all that, he was never someone you considered yourself close to.

You needed help paying for rent and expenses and he happened to be a friend of a friend of a friend who was looking for a place in the city to stay. Call it a divine intervention, a gift from the gods, or even fate… But you still wouldn’t consider yourself his friend.

It wasn’t as if you didn’t want to befriend him--Todoroki seemed like a sweet person. It was more along the lines of neither of you having the time. While you spent most of your day in the lab studying and doing research, Todoroki was always working in his office or out in the field to fulfill his new hero duties. 

This quarantine was probably the first opportunity either of you had to be in the same building for more than thirty minutes at a time. Which was why, as the two of you sat side-by-side on the living room sofa, no one knew exactly what to say.

“So, the weather--”

“Looks warm out--”

Both of you opened your mouths and shut them at the same time.

“Sorry,” Todoroki said with a small smile. “You first.”

“I-- Oh… It was nothing,” you managed, clearing your throat in an attempt to compose yourself. “Just trying to make some small talk.”

With a tight-lipped smile and wide eyes, you slowly craned your head away from his view. Who admits they’re trying to make small talk? That breaks all the rules of how to properly talk to someone.

The faint sound of the television playing old infomercials buzzed in the background while you and your roommate sat in silence. You never struggled to talk to him during those brief moments of passing, so why now? 

Looking at the screen to pass time, you noticed an outdated commercial of an older Tamagotchi game playing and felt yourself breaking out into a grin.

“Aw, I miss that game!” you cried as you turned to Todoroki with an excited glint in your eye. “Don’t tell anyone, but in elementary school I used to play it in class and since I was such a goody two-shoes, the teacher never suspected a thing.”

He raised an eyebrow in response. “I see we have ourselves a rebel in disguise here.”

“It’s our little secret, though. To everyone else, I am the epitome of innocence.”

You couldn’t help but notice the way his gaze travelled down your body and lingered on where the fabric of your oversized pajama shirt stopped and the expanse of your thigh started. 

“Sure. I believe you,” he said in what was almost a teasing tone. 

You felt your face growing hot but you paid it no mind. 

“As you should,” you sniffed, crossing one leg over the other haughtily. When he chuckled, you turned back to him. “How about you? Are you a secret bad boy who played with his Tamagotchi in the back of class?”

Todoroki shook his head. “I never had one. I actually never even knew what it was until high school, I think.” 

“Really?” Your eyes widened. Sure, the hand-held game was marketed to girls, but to never have heard about it through your whole childhood? You weren’t sure how that was possible. “Not even your older sister had one?”

Now, you didn’t know much about his personal life (whether or not he was dating someone, if he slept on the left or the right side of the bed, which leg he put in his pants first, et cetera), but you did pick up on a few things about his siblings from the previous interactions you’ve had with him.

“Not to my knowledge,” he said, looking away thoughtfully. “My father never afforded us such luxuries.” 

You frowned. “What about toys like Pokemon? Oh! Or Yu-Gi-Oh cards?”

“Yu-Gi-Oh cards?” repeated Todoroki slowly, as if he was unsure what you were talking about.

Your jaw dropped in disbelief. “You never played--? Oh, never mind. How about family games like Twister or Just Dance?” 

As far as you were aware, Todoroki Shouto came from a rather affluent family. So it was a wonder why he never participated in at least one of these experiences that characterized a whole generation’s childhood.

Again, he shook his head. “Never did those either. I wasn’t exactly allowed to play with my siblings, let alone other kids my age. My father always made me prioritize my training.” 

“That’s not right of him.”

You winced. Of course he never had the opportunity to have a “normal” childhood. How could you be so insensitive? It was no secret Endeavor had a troubled relationship with his family, but you weren’t exactly sure to what extent. You didn’t focus much on the whimsical world of heroes and, ever since you were a child, you know you wanted to pursue the field of research rather than use your quirk. The lives of heroes--even top ranking ones--was something you never paid much attention to. Still, even you have heard some gossip about the estranged Endeavor. 

“Sorry for pressing you,” you said, toying with the hem of your shirt. “I didn’t mean to be so insensitive.”

He gave you a nonchalant shrug and a small smile to let you know it was okay.

“Don’t worry about it, Y/L/N. You didn’t mean to,” he comforted. “Besides, it’s been a long time. It would be useless to hold a grudge against my father for this long.”

You tilted your head to the side. “Forgiveness, huh? That’s very mature of you, Todoroki. I think I admire you.”

His shoulders moved upward in silent laughter. “Thank you. I admire you, too.” 

Ignoring the faint heat you felt in your cheeks, you beamed. “Thanks. Anyway-- You know what I just realized?”

“What?”

“You did not have a childhood.”

While his face remained passive, you could have sworn you saw his eye crinkle in amusement.

“I suppose I can’t argue with that,” he said in agreement. “My youth was spent quite differently than most.”

You nodded profusely. “Right. And while I don’t think there is anything inherently wrong with that, per se, it could be beneficial to do these things you haven’t had the chance to!”

He examined you curiously as you bounced up from your seat on the sofa with an excited grin. After a few moments of silence, he craned his neck, prompting you for clarification.

“You’re bored on lockdown, I’m bored on lockdown,” you stated matter-of-factly. “What better time to reclaim your childhood than now?”

Todoroki didn’t bother to hide the small smile making its way across his face at your determined words. “Okay, then. Count me in.”

- - - - -

When you decided you wanted to help your new friend Todoroki reclaim his childhood, you expected your days to be full of cute Beanie Babies and Webkinz, as well as the presumed amounts of chaos that followed edible bubbles and candy kits. And while the first few days of the week consisted of that, the tone changed rather drastically when a certain game was introduced. Of all things, what you expected least was to be practically panting on top of Shouto as you braced your muscles and tried not to collapse onto him.

“Left hand, blue,” he called after flicking the spinner. 

How he managed to turn the spinner with one hand and keep his body balanced with the other on a Twister mat without toppling over was a mystery to you.

Stupid heroes with their stupid, bulging muscles, you thought crossly as you relived your many previous losses. You tried to ignore the bead of sweat dripping down your face as you struggled to stay up. 

Somehow, you turned your head just enough that you had the perfect view of Todoroki’s flexed triceps as he held himself in a modified pushup position of sorts. There was a look of concentration on his face and, while you found his furrowed brows to be rather cute, you still couldn’t help but focus your attention on his arms. He had a lean type of muscle that you thought would feel especially comfortable wrapped around your waist-- 

“Y/L/N, do you forfeit?” 

You blinked, feeling lightheaded both from this game which you lacked the stamina for and from the lack of oxygen that travelled to your brain as you held your breath while staring at Todoroki. 

Once your mind processed his words, you huffed. “Forfeit! Me? Never! Why would you think that?”

“Because I called ‘left hand, blue,’ minutes ago and you still haven’t moved.” 

Blood rushed to your face and you were thankful you had the exertion to blame it on. It wasn’t your fault Todoroki’s arms were so toned and strong and...distracting.

“No,” you said, unsure if there was even a question asked for you to reply to. “I don’t quit!”

Your eyes scanned the mat feverishly, looking for a blue circle to place your left hand on that would cause the least amount of strain. Shouto had already won the first two rounds and you’d be damned if you were to let him win again. (As much as you loved witnessing him succeed, your pride would simply be too hurt if you lost a third time in a row.) 

“Find a spot yet?” he asked in amusement. “I’m not sure how much longer my arms can hold.”

Of course, just the mention of his arms drew your attention from finding the optimal Twister position to staring stupidly at his triceps again.

As you attempted to tear your gaze away from him, you spotted hints of a smirk lingering on Todoroki’s face.

Did he notice your staring? There was no way… 

You looked at him, wide-eyed and dubious, and almost choked when you saw his shoulders start to shake as he tried to hide his laughter.

His laugh was muffled by his shirt in an attempt to keep his volume down, but it still rang rich and deep in the air. It was the first time you heard him laugh like that and you wanted to do anything to hear it again. 

With a shake of his head, he removed his hands from their spot on the Twister board and sat upright beside you.

“I concede,” he said when he saw you eyeing him with curiosity. “You win this round. My arms were getting too sore.”

After hearing the sweet sound of Todoroki saying, “You win,” you let yourself collapse on the floor, rolling onto your back to get a clear view of your cream-colored ceiling.

“For some reason, I sincerely doubt that your arms were getting sore,” you said, stretching your own--genuinely sore--arms out in front of you. “But seeing as I was about to fall flat on my face if I waited any longer… Thank you for conceding.” 

“Doubt I’d be sore?” he repeated, craning his neck to peer down at your face. He placed his left hand on his right bicep and gently massaged it with his thumb and forefinger. “What for?” 

By then, whatever rational thought was left in your brain had been fully replaced by Shouto’s arms and Shouto’s arms only, and you couldn’t even complain. 

“Mmm, what did you say again?” You blinked, clearing your throat. You suddenly had the desire to chug a cool glass of water.

Todoroki’s only reply was another small--almost imperceptible--smirk. It would have been easy for someone to miss, but to you, someone who was perhaps being more attentive to their roommate and newfound friend than they’d care to admit, it was clear as day.  

“You’re totally messing with me!” you groaned, covering your face with your hands as you continued to lie with your back on the floor. “Aren’t you?”

He let out a breathy laugh and shrugged, the corners of his lips quirking upwards. “Sorry. It’s just cute seeing your reactions. I didn’t know you liked my arms so much.”

You could’ve sworn he flexed once more for dramatic effect and an indignant squeak escaped your mouth.

“I-I don’t!” you protested, making sure to look anywhere but his arms. “I just never noticed how...proportionate they were before! Just thinking about how da Vinci would admire them. For scientific purposes, of course.”

“Sure.” 

You gaped at the knowing look on his face. “How did you even notice? Aren’t you a bit of the oblivious type?” With wide eyes, you slapped your hand over your mouth. “Wait-- I’m sorry. That was rude to say.”

Todoroki waved it off with a smile to show he wasn’t offended in the slightest. “I guess I was rather oblivious in the beginning of high school. But as I grew up I became more accustomed to picking up on such things.” 

You hummed in silent contemplation. Of course he had to have grown used to people making moon eyes over him. He probably got it all the time.

“I usually pay it no mind,” he continued as he stood up, peering down at you sprawled out on the floor. “But when you do it, I find it sort of cute.” 

As if he didn’t just say something that caused your heart to skip a beat, Todoroki extended a hand out to help you up.

Ignoring the heat rushing to your cheeks, you gently placed your hand in his.

“Thanks,” you murmured as Shouto pulled you off the mat and towards his body, a feeling of lightheadedness overcoming you at the sudden motion.

One hand held yours while his other was placed firmly above your elbow to help you steady yourself.

“You okay, Y/L/N?” he asked, a hint of concern in his voice as he watched you regain your balance.

“Oh, yeah! No worries. This happens all the time, to be honest,” you admitted, vaguely taking note of how your chest was almost fully pressed against his. “Whenever I move my head too fast I get a bit dizzy. And whenever I stand too fast my knees sort of just crack.” 

Your words did nothing to soothe the worried furrow between his brows.

“Is...Is that not normal?” 

He blinked.

You grimaced. “Okay. Guess not. Maybe I need to work out more.” 

“You can work out indoors with me,” Todoroki suggested with a small smile. He looked so sincere you were just about to agree until he opened his mouth for a second time-- “As long as you don’t spend the whole workout gawking at my arms.”

With an indignant cry, you pulled yourself away from his loose grip, face burning with such intensity you wouldn’t be surprised if he were able to sense the rise in temperature. “I never gawked at your arms.” 

He hummed. 

“Well, okay, maybe I did,” you relented with a huff, bending down to fold up the game mat in front of you. “They look very strong. Being a hero must be hard work.”

Todoroki shrugged, helping you clean up. “It’s worth the toll it takes. I can imagine your research requires hard work too.” 

You tried to hide the look of surprise on your face. You briefly talked to him about what you did during the roommate-finding process, but you didn’t think it was anything interesting enough for him to recall. It brought an odd warmth to your stomach knowing he cared enough to remember. 

“I guess. But I’d say it’s nowhere near as difficult as hero work,” you brushed off. “Not everyone has what it takes to be a good hero.”

A faint blush colored his cheeks as he followed you into the kitchen for a glass of water.

“There are lots of great heroes,” he stated, filling up two cups and handing one to you. 

“Yeah, there are. And greatness is one thing, but you’re a good one-- In the heart.” Your gaze flitted to his, unsure why you were filled with the sudden urge to have such an intimate conversation after a game of Twister. Still, you rolled with it. “I know we haven’t talked much prior to this lockdown...but even I can tell how caring you are. And I’m looking forward to getting to know you more.” 

A comfortable silence filled the air as he took a seat beside you. If Shouto was taken aback by your sudden compliment, he did a good job at hiding it, simply giving you a small smile as he let his shoulder rest against yours. You glanced over at the point of contact and bubbled with elation. 

“Todoroki?” you called quietly, the edge of your pinky brushing against his. 

He looked down at the gentle touch of your hand and didn’t move away. Instead, he took the initiative and placed his fingers on top of yours, his hand surprisingly soft despite the calluses on his fingertips. The back of your neck heated at the sudden movement, but you decided you rather liked how his hands felt on yours. 

“Hmm?” 

“Thanks for letting me drag you along to play these childhood games,” you said, letting out a sigh of contentment. “It’s a nice change of pace while we’re stuck indoors.”

Shouto shook his head. “I should be the one thanking you. These are much better childhood memories than the ones from my actual childhood,” he admitted with a light laugh. “I’m glad we had the opportunity to spend more time together, Y/L/N.”

By now your fingers were intertwined with his, his thumb lightly stroking the peak of your knuckle.

He continued, “I hope this continues even when quarantine is over.” 

“I hope it does, too.” You couldn’t stop the grin from spreading wide across your face as you nuzzled your head on his shoulder. “Let’s keep making memories together, okay, Todoroki?”

“Happily.” 

[stiltonbasket]

Hi!! I love renouncement verse So Much!!! The balance of angst and fluff is just 👌 and I love every single prompt! In the one where the couple is comforting the bride, LWJ mentions a paperman. If WWX were to find it, what would his reaction be?

anon 2: I just read the ficlet with arranged marriage verse wwx and lwj talking to a nervous bride, and now I have to ask: does wwx ever find those paper men? Or any other keepsakes lwj might have of him?

Wei Wuxian finds the dusty box under Lan Zhan’s old bed.

As far as boxes go, this one is so completely unassuming that it practically blends in with the floorboards. It's nothing like the deep red wood that Wei Wuxian’s dowry boxes were made of, or the delicately carved chests that held his late mother-in-law’s old dresses. But Wei Wuxian has never been one to quash his curiosity, and Lan Zhan has often said that the jingshi and everything in it belongs as much to Wei Wuxian as it does to him--so Wei Wuxian gives in to impulse, and pries the little chest open with the point of one of his fingernails.

At first glance, the box seems to be full of letters. All of them are dated in Lan Zhan’s own hand, meaning that the chest had not belonged to Madam Lan as many of the older treasures remaining in the jingshi did; and Wei Wuxian flips through the unsealed envelopes one by one, wondering why his husband never sent them.

“They were for you.”

Wei Wuxian nearly leaps out of his skin. “Lan Zhan!” he gasps, as his husband’s soft lips brush the top of his head. “You startled me, xingan. I thought you were going to spend the afternoon in the nursery with A-Yu.”

“Mm, I was. But he wanted to play with San-shushu’s children, so I took him to visit Lan Li and Lan Yue. Third Uncle is watching over them now with Shufu.”

He goes gracefully to his knees at Wei Wuxian’s side and takes the box from his hands, setting it down between them before digging out a small grass butterfly. “A-Yuan had this in his robes when I found him in the Luanzung Gang,” Lan Zhan murmurs. “I put it here for safekeeping, since it was the only thing he had from that time save for his clothes.”

“It looks just like it did then,” Wei Wuxian marvels. The butterfly has been meticulously preserved, right down to the straw fringe on the battered wings and the dent at the bottom of the tail where A-Yuan always gripped it, so worried that his favorite toy might be lost somehow that he never learned how to hold it gently. “Have you kept it here all this time, sweetheart?”

“En, I did. Xiongzhang bought an identical one after he recovered from his fever, so I let him have that one instead.”

Casting one last reverent look at the grass butterfly, Lan Zhan returns it to the trunk and presents Wei Wuxian with what looks like one of his own red ribbons, folded away in a nest of dried mint leaves and lotus petals.

“You left this behind in your guest quarters when you stayed here during the lecture,” his husband explains. “That side of the compound survived the fires, and nobody stayed there after you did, so I found the ribbon in one of the drawers after we retook the Cloud Recesses. I meant to return it to you, but with everything that happened afterward...”

“Ah, I know. My Hanguang-jun was too shy to tell me that he went to visit the guest house I stayed in, just because I was the last one to visit there,” Wei Wuxian teases, bringing a soft flush to Lan Zhan’s cheekbones. “Lan Zhan, did you really carry my ribbon in your lapels all the way through the Sunshot Campaign?”

Lan Zhan nods. “Sometimes I wept, on days where it was plain that your cultivation was hurting you, and held the ribbon while I slept to keep nightmares at bay. And after--” and here his breath catches, as if the pain of their sixteen years apart were wearing on him still, even with Wei Wuxian alive and well in his arms. “After the Nightless City, I knew I would never have anything more of you even if I cultivated to immortality. So I put it away, and covered it with mint to prevent moths from chewing it, and lotus petals so that it would not lose the fragrance of your hair.”

Wei Wuxian trembles against him, sniffling helplessly into his shoulder as more keepsakes come forth from the box: the old drawing Wei Wuxian made in the library pavilion, one of the peonies he threw at Lan Zhan during the crowd hunt on Mount Baifeng, now dried and wrapped in white silk to protect it from crumbling, and even...

“You kept these?” he cries, as a pair of red papermen crawl out of the box. “And they still have a trace of my lingli in them! How did you manage that?”

“I preserved them in a spirit-trapping bag, because they kept trying to escape,” Lan Zhan says bashfully. “I did not know that would catch the spiritual power you put into them, but now and then I would take out the pouch, and...”

His voice trails off into silence, and Wei Wuxian bites his lip at the thought of it: Lan Zhan mourning him, wounded and in pain as he held on to the little qiankun bag to feel the tiny papermen wriggling inside, imagining that he was protecting a part of Wei Wuxian himself.

“I’m here now,” Wei Wuxian whispers. “I’m never going to leave you, Lan Zhan. You’ll never have to lose me again.”

Lan Zhan reaches out and brushes back a loose strand of his hair.

“No, I will not,” he replies. “But if I did, I would never survive it.”

I spent half a lifetime without you, is what Wei Wuxian hears instead. And if I could have joined you without leaving our son, or if I had gone to the Luanzung Gang and not found A-Yuan after the siege, the day I realized that you were dead would have been the end of me.

Lan Zhan is already aging again, Wei Wuxian knows. His own jindan is gone forever, his dantian and meridians so thoroughly damaged that he will never regain the ability to cultivate; but Lan Zhan’s body was about Wei Wuxian’s physical age when it stopped sensing the passage of time, and the first thing he did after their wedding was alter the flow of his spiritual energy, so that the both of them will age together with the coming years and pass on into death almost as one.

“We should fill another box. Perhaps more than one,” Lan Zhan says quietly. “One for A-Yu’s baby keepsakes, and A-Lan’s, and another for our wedding--and we can keep them here, beside this one and the chest where I saved Sizhui’s things. What do you think, Wei Ying?”

Wei Wuxian’s eyes fill with tears.

“I’d love to,” he chokes. “But not now. I’m going to spend today right here, in your arms, and we can start tomorrow.”

[immacaria]

Almost

  Hello there! How are you? I hope you are alright! So, this is day 5 of Beetober 2021 from @bloody-bee-tea and the prompt is Almost. This kind of a sequel to Day 1 and takes almost exactly from where the first part ended, so it would be good if you read the first part if you still haven’t. Anyways this day’s word count is 4269 words, way bigger than the previous one lol. Well, this being said, I hope you enjoy this and are okay!

________________________________________________________________

  After the reveal, all hell broke loose and the only thing that Jiang Cheng did was put his mask back on and walk to Nie Mingjue’s side, sitting on the arm of his throne and watching amused as everybody around paled and started throwing questions at him. Beside them, the Nie disciples were invading the room with their sabers in hand and ready to attack. They only stopped because Jiang Cheng lifted a hand and kept staring at the irritated Sect Leaders. 

  “I thought you were dead! You were dead!” Jiang Fengmian said and Wei Wuxian moved to hold him back when two of the oldest disciples stepped ahead, lifting their sabers. “What are you doing here? Why are you here?” 

  “A-Cheng, what happened?” Wei Wuxian asked, surprise and confusion written all over his face. 

  “I died, Wei-gongzi. That’s what happened.” Jiang Cheng crossed his legs, shrugging before leaning back on the throne. “You even mourned me, don’t you remember?”

  “Of course I remember! We all mourned you and what were you doing? You were her-...” He screamed, stepping in front of Jiang Fengmian. 

  “I was dying, that’s what I was doing.” He snarled, eyes lighting up in anger. 

  “Stop saying that! You aren’t dead!” He screamed and this time it was Jiang Fengmian who held him back while the Nie disciples stepped ahead and around the throne. 

  “Because of the Nies! I’m still alive because of the Nies.” He screamed back and Nie Mingjue put an arm in front of him, holding him back, as Nie Huaisang stepped ahead. 

  “Let’s calm down, alright? We can’t do much if -...” Nie Huaisang started but Jin Guangshan spoke over him quickly. 

  “Nie-gongzi, and I don’t mean to offend when I say this, but I think this is a matter between the Jiangs and --” He started but Nie Huaisang quickly cut him off back. 

  “He is not a Jiang anymore, Jin-zongzhu, despite his given name saying the contrary. This is a matter between the Nies and the Jiangs, one that wouldn’t be solved now.” He closed his fan, pointing it at him and the Nie disciples stepped ahead one more time. “When no one but the Jiangs and the Nies are present. So, if you all are to be so kind, please leave so we can settle this down.” 

  “I’m sure that you will ne--” He tried again, but this time it was Nie Mingjue to cut him. 

  “This does not concern you, Jin-zongzhu, or anyone on the Jins for all the matter.” He got up and Jiang Cheng looked up to him, before standing as well. “This conference ended, we will continue this tomorrow.” He announced out loud and saw Jiang Fengmian’s face reddened in anger as he turned around to Jiang Cheng and whispered. “Come on, A-Cheng, let’s go.” 

  “He is not going anywhere!” Wei Wuxian screamed and, to his bad luck, he pulled his sword out. 

  “Wei-xiong!” Nie Huaisang screamed, eyes wide as the first Nie disciple clashed swords with him. “A-Yu!” 

  "Nie Daiyu, retreat right now!" Jiang Cheng barked, lifting his hand to the girl as a thin string flew off it and circled her waist. "Retreat." He said one more time as the string retread and pulled her back. 

  "Wanyin…" Jiang Fengmian started, but he only shook his head, not stepping away from Nie Mingjue. 

  "Swords down. Now!" He said and all the Nie disciples put their swords down - though very bedrungigly so - before looking at his father and Wei Wuxian and sighing. "Later." With that he turned around and walked out of the room with both Nie Huaisang and Nie Mingjue behind him. It wasn’t until they were away from the conference room and sure that nobody was listening to them that Jiang Cheng finally took his mask out and turned to Nie Mingjue as Nie Huaisang disappeared from a side door, pulling him to sit down next to a table and looking all over his face and body. 

  “A-Cheng, I’m fine.” Nie Mingjue said, holding his shoulders at the same time Nie Huaisang came back with a pot of tea and three cups and sat beside them. “That explosion did nothing to me, I swear.” 

  “You are still taking the tea, though.” Nie Huaisang said and passed a cup to him. “What was that, A-Cheng? What the hell?” 

  “I’m so, so sorry. I lost the grab on myself.” He sat between them, hugging his legs and putting his head between his knees. “When they started talking about Shijie marrying that peacock, I- I saw red and before I could think I was ripping the mask out.” 

  “We understand, we really do.” Nie Mingjue said and both of the others said in unison. 

  “Drink the tea, Mingjue.”

  “Shit.” He hissed, before carefully bringing the cup to his lips and making a face at the taste. “This thing is fucking horrible.” 

  “And we are going to drink three of those.” Jiang Cheng added, not looking at him and somehow still urging him up to drink the damned thing. “I just wanted them to take my opinion seriously on that matter.”

  “Well, they did. And that was, for sure, a power move.” Nie Huaisang nodded, opening his fan and smiling slightly when it brought a chuckle from both of the men. They fell in silence, one of them with his eyes closed and face hidden while the other two looked at him worryingly. Jiang Cheng’s shoulders were bended downwards and his breath came in shallow and quick breaths, his hands fisted in the fabric of his robes and every part of his body screamed discomfort and tension. It screamed fear. “Care to share your thoughts with the rest of us?” 

  “I do, actually. And I would prefer not, thanks.” He whispered, curling up even further. “Just let me breathe for a while, okay?” He said before falling silently once more and the brothers shared a look between them. They had been living with that boy for eight years by now and they knew how he could get sometimes.

  In the beginning, it was practically impossible to rile him out of the training fields because he felt that he needed to repay them for letting him stay there instead of kicking him back to Yunmeng like other clans may have done and wanted to learn their style as quickly as possible. When they finally managed to explain that he didn’t need to let his old fighting style go, that he could very well stay practicing the Jiang style, Jiang Cheng had only looked lost for a moment before nodding and leaving. They deemed the topic solved until Nie Huaisang came across him in the dogs’ shelter, sitting exactly like that while one of the biggest and most terrifying Nie dogs simply sat by him and whined. 

  Nie Huaisang had entered there and asked what was wrong but was only met with silence. So, he did the only thing he could and knew that helped his brother and hugged the sad bundle of boy in front of him. The amount of time that they stayed like that wasn’t something that he actually remembered, but he knew that at some point Jiang Cheng’s breaths settled down and, slowly but going, he started to talking and Nie Huaisang swore by the umpteenth time to never let him come back to his old family. 

  “Do you want me to go get Xiao Mifeng for you?” Nie Huaisang asked, already thinking about the maneuver that it would be to bring that beast of a dog to him without destroying absolutely everything.

  “No. He took a bath today, he’s going to be all ridden up all day long.” Jiang Cheng said, this time a little louder than before and shook his head as it lifted up. “Better leave him to lick his wounds in peace.”

  “Like we should do with you?” Nie Mingjue tried and Jiang Cheng turned to him, eyes going from his face to the cup of tea on his hand multiple times. 

  “Drink the tea, Mingjue.” He said, before putting his legs down and taking another deep breath. “No, I don’t need to be left alone. Not now, at least.”

  “Alright.” Mingjue nodded as Nie Huisang scooted closer to him and held his arms out with the best puppy eyes he could do. 

  “A hug, then?” He asked and Jiang Cheng huffed in exasperation.  . 

  “A hug, then.” He rolled his eyes before leaning down against him and having his feet pulled by Nie Mingjue. “And a foot massage, by the look of it. Drink the tea, Mingjue, you still have two more to drink.” He nudged his stomach with his toes and smiled when the man groaned and downed the rest of the tea in one go, shivering and making faces at the taste. 

  “This thing is fucking horrible.” He shuddered and pulled his feet closer. “And a foot massage too.”

  “That and you talking.” Nie Huaisang said, putting his head on the top of his and hugging his shoulders from behind. 

  “Oh, why do I get to be this pampered? I'm going to be useless by the end of the season.” He put a hand on his chest and chuckled along Nie Huaisang when Mingjue groaned loudly. “I’m sorry, Mingjue, really. For not thinking before taking the mask off.”

  “It’s okay, Wanyin. If it was Huaisang in the same situation as Jiang-guniang, I would do the same even if I had passed some time without us talking.” He shrugged, starting massaging his feet. “You should really stop walking around barefoot.” 

  “But it’s so good and freeing. And I was wearing boots at the conference.” He said back, throwing the same puppy eyes Nie Huaisang did before. 

  “Your feet are still all callous and rough from walking around barefoot.” He waved a finger at him and Jiang Cheng rolled his eyes at him. 

  “I’m not a maiden, Nie Mingjue. Leave my feet alone.” He kicked him weakly and heard Nie Huaisang gagging behind his back.

  “You two are gross. Ew!” He made another gagging sound and Jiang Cheng elbowed him in the thighs. “Ouch. Evil baby, evil.” 

  “I’m only five months younger than you.” He muttered, crossing his arms and Nie Mingjue patted his leg pitifully. 

  “We are running away from the topic.” He said and smiled when Jiang Cheng mouthed a 'I hate you' while Nie Huaisang nodded. 

  "Exactly, we are running away from the topic. Talk, A-Cheng." He nudged his shoulder and Jiang Cheng groaned, letting his head fall against his shoulder. "You were saying you were sorry for taking the mask so impulsively." 

  "And I am. I am sorry for it, but I am not sorry for the looks that I put on their faces. That shit was hilarious." He smiled slightly, putting his hands over Nie Huaisang's. "But, thinking now, they aren't worth the hassle I brought upon your clan. I mean, our clan." He corrected himself when Nie Mingjue tightened his grip on his left foot. "It's just that, I know my mother and my father and they are too proud to not take this as an offense. And Shijie is going to be so disappointed at me for not coming back. Wei Wuxian is going to be so mad.” 

  “And none of them are going to do anything because, officially, Jiang Wanyin is dead and you are Nie Qinghua, our cousin and little baby.” Nie Huaisang squeezed him and Nie Mingjue laughed at the wheeze he let out. “Unless you want to go back?” 

  “I don’t want to go back. I don’t want to leave Qinghe and come back to Yunmeng with them. I want to stay here.” He tightened his grip on Huaisang’s hands and hooked one of his feet under Mingjue’s thighs as if afraid that someone would come and take him away from them. 

  “Okay, then. You are not going away. And it isn’t like A-Sang would let you anyway.” Mingjue shrugged as Nie Huaisang nodded and kissed the top of his head. Jiang Cheng smiled at him, patting Nie Huaisang’s hands gently, and turned his face when a knock reached their ears. “Who is it?” 

  “It’s me. Nie Daiyu.” The girl said, still not sliding the door open and by that alone they knew that whatever problem she had brought to them was serious. “I can come back later, if you want.” 

  “No, no, come in, A-Yu.” Jiang Cheng said, sitting up and stealing his boots back. “The tea.” He slid one more cup towards Nie Mingjue at the same time the door opened and revealed a disheveled and angry Daiyu. “What the hell happened to you?” 

  “I got angry and almost got in a fight with Wei-gongzi. It was only because Nie Zonghui held me back that I didn’t end that boy.” She growled before remembering who she was talking to and bowing deeply. “This one apologizes for the indiscretion and causing problems.”

  “Alright, A-Yu, but why are you here?” He chuckled as Nie Huaisang opened his fan to hide his smile and Nie Mingjue lifted the cup to his lips. In front of them, Nie Daiyu took a deep breath and her shoulders went back as she gathered the courage to speak. Or the patience to.

  “Jiang-zongzhu wants to speak with Nie-guwen, I mean, Jiang-guwen, I mean... Wait, what should I call you now? Nie-guwen still or something else?” She shook her head and lifted her hands. “I’m lost here.”

  “Poor girl.” Nie Huaisang chuckled and Jiang Cheng hit his shoulder weakly. “Wait, I didn’t think about that either.”

  “What an idiot.” He rolled his eyes before stopping too and looking between both Nie brothers.  “Do you mind if I still use the Nie name? Like, if the kids keep calling me ‘Nie-guwen’?”

  “What? No! Of course we don’t!” Nie Huaisang said, snapping his fan closed and looking at him horrified. 

  “But you don’t want your name back? Don’t you want people calling you ‘Jiang Cheng’ or ‘Jiang Wanyin’ again? They are your names, after all.” Nie Mingjue said, turning to him and moving to put the cup down before Huaisang’s fan appeared under it and pushed it up again. 

  “The more you delay drinking the tea, the worse it will get.” He said while Jiang Cheng fell silent between them. He was staring at his hands, lost in thought, and his eyes got unfocused for a moment. Slowly he furrowed his eyebrows as he turned to look in Nie Mingjue’s general direction before looking back at his hands again and closing his fingers slowly. 

  “I…” He started before he fell silent again and Nie Daiyu looked at them with fearful eyes. They understood, really.

  In all the years that Jiang Cheng kept living with them, the disciples got used to call him ‘Nie-guwen’, ‘Yin-gege’, ‘Hua-shixiong’ and even ‘Cheng-gege’ and they were used to see him like this constant moving person, always barking orders or helping them with their stances in the gentlest way while simultaneously bickering at them. Gods, Daiyu was used to seeing him as this unstoppable person that not even death could hold back and was crazy enough to dump a whole pot of paint on their Sect Leader’s head without fear. 

  So, seeing him with an unfocused look on his face and a loss of words like that, it was terrifying. And all because some asshole didn’t care enough about his son to search properly for him and know where trying to give off the image of a good and worried father. Seriously, she was happy that Nie-zongzhu had come across him and they got to grow up with him because that way they could go and fight tooth and nail for him. 

  “Call me like you always called me, Yu-meimei.” Jiang Cheng said finally, looking up to her with still unfocused eyes but determination written all over it. “Bring the name ‘Jiang Wanyin’ back or even ‘Jiang Cheng’, it’s the same as bringing a boy who has been dead for eight years back.” 

 “So, Nie-guwen still?” She said, face illuminating at the answer. 

  “Yes, Nie-guwen still. And tell my father and my brother to find us in the smaller conference room. I want to end this topic as soon as possible.” He said, smiling at her before turning to Nie Mingjue with furrowed eyebrows. “Drink the damn tea, Mingjue.” 

  “Oh, fuck off.” Nie Mingjue said, downing the thing all at once and making a face at the taste. “This was a bad decision.” 

  “And you still have one more to go.” Another cup was deposited on his hands while Nie Daiyu got up and walked around the table to kneel beside Jiang Cheng with a wide smile on her face. 

  “So you're staying, right? You are not going back?” She nodded, practically jumping up and down on her seat and it was hard to see her as the sixteen years old she was. “Can I hug you?” She asked when Jiang Cheng nodded and squealed when he nodded, throwing herself at him and squeezing him for a moment before grabbing her saber and running out of the room in her giddiness. 

  They smiled at that and when Nie Mingjue finally finished the last cup of tea, they headed to the small conference room, only stopping when Jiang Cheng said that he wanted to change his robes. When he stepped out of his room, he was wearing outer robes in the colors of the Nie clan and inner ones in a pale shade of purple. His hair was half held up by a simple ribbon and he was wearing two earrings with intricate metal work and a purple gem in the middle. It was the first thing that he brought after finally presenting himself to the world as Nie Qinghua. 

  When they finally arrived at the smaller conference room, Jiang Fengmian and Wei Wuxian were already there along with Nie Daiyu, Nie Zonghui and some other Nie disciples. There was a pot of scalding on the table and some pastries on the top of the table and Nie Mingjue quickly reached for one as Jiang Cheng poured them five tea. They sat down with Nie Mingjue in the middle, Nie Huaisang staring at Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng at Jiang Fengmian. 

  Some minutes passed without them saying anything, just looking at each other and Nie Mingjue saw the way that Jiang Cheng started turning his ring around. In front of them, Jiang Fengmian was looking all over his son, taking in all the changes and new details. Wei Wuxian looked torn between starting to say what he thought aloud at any given moment or staying quiet and seeing what they were going to say in their defense. 

  “You look well, A-Cheng.” Jiang Fengmian said, smiling at him and Jiang Cheng smiled back weakly. “Your hair is shorter, though.”

  “A beast got me by it some months ago and I had to cut it to prevent getting my head bitten off.” He shrugged and some strands of his hair slid over his shoulder, barely reaching past his collarbone. 

  “Or maybe it was because you didn’t want to have something to do with the Jiangs anymore.” Wei Wuxian muttered, crossing his arms and looking to the side when Nie Huaisang glared at him. 

  “A-Xian, please.” Jiang Fengmian said before smiling placantigly to Nie Mingjue. “Please, excuse him, he’s just a bit shocked.” 

  “We understand that the situation isn’t the best, Jiang-zongzhu, but please understand that we only want what's best for A-Cheng always.” Nie Mingjue said, smiling back at him and Wei Wuxian glared at him before huffing and saying. 

  “By doing what? Keeping him from his family?” 

  “No, by respecting his wishes.” He retorted and Wei Wuxian huffed again. 

  “Wei Wuxian, please, can’t you believe someone else just this once?” Jiang Cheng said, sighing and looking at his brother tiredly. 

  “No! Not when they are lying and keeping you from us.” He uncrossed his arms and glared right back at him. “Why are you even there, anyways? Why didn’t you come back?”

  “To be what? A ghost? A-Die had already decided that you were going to be the heir of the clan by the time I was strong enough to get back to the clan and I didn’t see any reason to get back if I was only going to be a reason for A-Die to be resentful.” He said, furrowing his eyebrows. “At least here, I had a purpose, Wei Wuxian. I have a purpose.” 

 “What about Shijie? What about me?” He said, put his hand on his chest.

  “What about you? You had Lan Wangji, Shijie had the peacock! I had Nie-zongzhu and Nie-gongzi with me.” He took a deep breath and Nie Mingjue surprised himself with the way that he hadn’t screamed once yet. 

  “But th--”

  “No! Wei Wuxian, stop. Let me talk, at least this once.” Jiang Cheng interrupted him and held his cup to his lips. “After that night hunt, I don’t know if you searched for me or not, and if you did, thank you, but--”

  “They did. The same night you disappeared and when they didn’t find you, they said you had died. Simple like that.” Nie Huaisang said, at the left side of Nie Mingjue and glaring at both Wei Wuxian and Jiang Fengmian. “Sorry, A-Cheng. Didn’t mean to interrupt.” 

  “It’s okay, A-Sang. Anyways, after the night hunt, I woke up disoriented and started walking around until I found a kind enough lady that took me back to Yunmeng where I discovered that I was dead. Surprise, surprise. The lady waited for me and explained that apparently the Jiang heir was missing and had been declared dead two days before.” He shrugged, drinking the tea before continuing. “I thanked her and kept walking away. At first, and maybe because I was disoriented and poisoned, I thought that I was a ghost. So, I started wandering around and traded some of my old things for new and unbloodied robes. That was how I found Nie-zongzhu, near here actually. That way, I think.” He pointed to the general direction of a part of Qinghe’s forest before turning back to his brother, eyes sharp and angry. “I’m still alive because Nie Mingjue found me and took care of me. I’m still alive because Nie Huaisang didn’t let me go back. I’m still alive because I didn’t want to go back. So, if you want to scream at the Nie clan, scream gratitudes and thanks for keeping me alive and well. Because if I had come back, I surely would have died.”

 “What? But, we called you! We called for you multiple times.” Wei Wuxian said, eyes frantic as he looked between the three of them. “‘Surely would have died’? What are you trying to say, A-Cheng?” 

  “Nothing, I’m just stating facts. The poison in my body wasn't merely from the beast we had been fighting against that day, there was something more. Something that was there before we got to the beast.” He shrugged before his eyes went to Jiang Fengmian. “Nothing to say, A-Die?” 

  “What are you trying to imply here, A-Cheng? Are you trying to say that someone tried to poison you? Someone from Yunmeng?” Wei Wuxian asked, eyes wide, as Jiang Fengmian and Jiang Cheng stared at each other. 

  “I don’t know, Wei Wuxian. The day is a blur in mind, but what I know is that I almost died and I’m not risking it again.” He shrugged, finishing his tea and taking one of the pastries on the plate. “Have you tried one of these, A-Die? I find them especially delicious.” He smiled and his smile was nothing beside just a pull of his lip, a dark and dangerous thing. 

  “I have. They are good, yes.” Jiang Fengmian said, smiling and drinking some of his tea too. “A-Li will disappointed you are not coming back, A-Cheng, and your mo--”

  “Will live, I’m sure. I’m not coming back, A-Die. I’m staying here with the Nies and If you must call me something, call me either Nie Qinghua or Nie-guwen.I’m not a Jiang anymore.” Jiang Cheng said and bit at the pastry as Nie Huaisang closed his fan and smiled at them.

  “Are there any other matters you want to solve, Jiang-zongzhu? Because if there is not, Zonghui will gladly take him and Wei-xiong to your quarters for the night.” Nie Mingjue said and watched as Wei Wuxian turned between him and Jiang Cheng. “We’ll see each other at the conference tomorrow, I assure.”

  With that Nie Zonghui stepped ahead and bowed at them, waiting for them to get up and follow him. Jiang Fengmian stared at him for some more seconds before smiling and bowing at him, thanking him for tea and the pastries while Wei Wuxian followed suit, though a lot more bedrungigly so. After they left, Jiang Cheng sighed and leaned against Nie Mingjue, putting his head against his shoulder and nipping at the pastry in his hands. 

  The next morning, Nie Mingjue explained what they had decided and followed with the conference as usual. Jiang Cheng stayed at his side the whole time, this time without his mask, and didn’t run away from any questions that the other Sect Leaders threw at him as much as he didn’t even blinked when he refused to go back to Yunmeng. He had almost died once in there, he was not risking it again. Not when he had a family that loved and cared for him in Qinghe. 

[robininthelabyrinth]

What do you think the aftermath of the sunshot campaign would have looked like if the Wens had targeted the Jin sect instead of/as well as the Jiang and Lan sects in their attacks. Either as a prompt or just musings on what you think the results would be I'd love to hear what you think would happen you're so good at canon divergence.

“I don’t care what you do,” Madame Yu said to her husband, her voice frosty. “But she is my friend. I will not stand aside as her home is invaded.”

Jin Zixuan wisely did not say anything to interfere with the fight – wisdom currently being enforced by Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng sticking to his sides and pinching him every time he tried to open his mouth. He was still covered in the dirt and dust of his journey to get to the Lotus Pier, a combination of running and hiding on boats; they’d never seen him look so disheveled before, or so lost -

Or so young.

Wei Wuxian might not like the peacock much, but he wasn’t much of a peacock now – more like a bedraggled pigeon, flying desperately through a rainstorm to try to get help for his burning dovecote.

(Besides, he looked so grateful to shijie when she gave him soup – maybe now he’d finally realize what a treasure he’d missed out on, wise up, and finally marry her the way shijie had dreamed of for so long. After all, Wei Wuxian loved his shijie far more than he disliked Jin Zixuan.)

And anyway, he didn’t understand Uncle Jiang’s reluctance. It wasn’t as if staying passive was going to stop the Wen sect – hadn’t the Jin sect been even more than merely passive? Hadn’t they been playing both sides with a smile on their face, thinking only of what approach would profit them the most?

In the end, Madame Yu just lost her temper and announced that she was going, and to hell with Jiang Fengmian’s view on the matter; she was mistress of the Lotus Pier as much as he was, entitled to take a number of Jiang sect cultivators as she wished, and currently, she wished.

Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian looked at each other, a moment of perfect understanding between them.

“I’ll go with you, a-niang,” Jiang Cheng said, standing up. “I’ll see what disciples want to come with us.”

He slipped out before Jiang Fengmian could scold him, while Wei Wuxian tugged Jin Zixuan out the other way.

“Is he going to get into trouble?” Jin Zixuan asked, worry creasing his face, and for the first time Wei Wuxian thought he might not be half bad under all the sparkle and spackle the Jin sect had piled on top of him.

“It’s fine,” Wei Wuxian assured him. “I’ll stay behind here with shijie, and we’ll distract Uncle Jiang; you focus on recovering your strength, since you’ll need to go back with them to Koi Tower.”

“Thank you,” Jin Zixuan said, but his eyes were already moving past Wei Wuxian. “All of you.”

“It’s our duty to help, whatever Father may think,” Jiang Yanli said. “I only hope we can do enough, and in time.”

Wei Wuxian wisely removed himself from the scene, and went to find Jiang Cheng.

“Be careful,” he said, worrying. He was a better fighter than Jiang Cheng, would much rather go himself, but the lines in their family had been drawn long ago, before they’d ever had a chance to decide for themselves: if they split up, Jiang Cheng always went with Madame Yu, and Wei Wuxian with Uncle Jiang. “The Wen sect is dangerous.”

“Be careful yourself,” Jiang Cheng said, glancing back at him with the same anxiety. “If the Wen sect is daring enough to attack Lanling, they might come to Yunmeng next – don’t do anything stupid.”

Much later, Wei Wuxian would reflect to himself that Jiang Cheng had a crow’s mouth, shaking his head because thinking about it was better than thinking about how he was alone and hurt and shivering in the Yiling Burial Mounds, cold because his golden core had been melted away at Wen Zhuliu’s touch – a worthwhile sacrifice, because otherwise that blow would have fallen on Uncle Jiang’s back, and Uncle Jiang was necessary, he needed to get Jiang Yanli away from the Lotus Pier because Wei Wuxian didn’t trust the way Wen Chao looked at her – and wondering how long it would take for his family to come to rescue him.

The answer, it turned out, was about a month – enough time for Wei Wuxian to have figured out the basics of demonic cultivation, and that, in turn, was enough for Madam Yu to spend the first half-shichen of their reunion yelling at him for being stupidly self-sacrificing and reckless enough to try something as outrageous as this.

She offered a bunch of tips to help make it less awkward to use immediately afterwards, though, so he knew she didn’t mean it; she was a bit like Jiang Cheng, angry because she couldn’t process any other feeling, and he knew she felt guilty because she’d thought, as he’d thought, that this meant that at last Uncle Jiang would have no choice but to finally get serious about treating Jiang Cheng as his proper heir.

Wei Wuxian didn’t hold it against her in the slightest.

Besides, like she said, it wasn’t as if the Jiang sect wouldn’t continue to back him, demonic cultivator or not – it’d be the same as it was before, except maybe instead of being their head disciple, he’d have more of a job teaching anyone else with similar deficiencies that needed an alternate path.

Either way, they could figure it out later.

They had a war to win.

[giftwrappingpaper]

wangxian bakery au

prompt: "I'd love to enable a creator to write/draw that self-indulgent niche workplace AU they've always wanted to make."

Lan Zhan finds Wei Ying baking bread in the kitchen of a hole-in-the-wall bakery in Yiling.

-----

A low, all too familiar voice hesitantly calls his name. "Wei Ying?"

No fucking way. Wei Ying looks up, raised eyebrows wrinkling his flour-dusted forehead. Yep, that’s Lan Zhan alright; no matter how many years pass, Wei Ying could recognize that face anywhere. His sharp, meticulously perfect appearance makes him look like a high-fashion magazine model cutout slapped on a stock photo of yellowed plaster and secondhand baking equipment.

“No customers in the back,” Wei Ying advises before returning his attention to the dough in his hands. A picture of informality, with a small smirk playing on his lips — a half-hearted attempt to conceal the shock and surmounting panic bubbling in his gut.

How the hell did he find me? one side of his brain despairs, while the other side reassures that at least it isn’t Jiang Cheng.

Lan Zhan continues his stalwart breach of Burial Bakery’s kitchen. What a rebel. “Wei Ying,” he says again.

“That’s me.”

“You’re here.”

“Uh, yeah?”

“You’re in a...bakery. Baking.”

Wei Ying breathed in the calming smell of fresh sourdough and tangy levain. Thank the heavens he had been able to convince Wen Ning to take a lunch break, leaving Wei Ying to man the kitchen alone. This isn’t going to be pretty.

“That’s kinda what we do here, yeah,” he says, eyes trained on his workbench, crowded with floured bannetons and formless lumps of dough. “A helping hand would be nice. I’d appreciate that much more than the gawking.”

Lan Zhan blinks, jawing clenching and ears flushing. Wei Ying’s smirk lifts into something softer. Even after all this time, it’s still so easy to rile him up.

“How’d you even find me, anyway?” he wonders, stretching his dough flat against the workbench, stopping right when it’s about to rip. Gently, of course. Wouldn’t want to pop the gas built up after hours of proofing.

“The back door is open,” Lan Zhan answers faintly. His expression mirrors the face of a guy after finding a years-long missing sock long since chalked off as having been eaten by the dryer. “I saw you from the counter.”

A quick glance to the entrance confirms this. Wen Ning must’ve forgotten to close the door when he left. Damn, that’s no good. Can’t let the cold air flow in. Might mess with the dough proofing in the walk-in.

“Could you close that for me?” Wei Ying asks, briefly letting go of the dough to rub the back of his neck. When Lan Zhan continues to stand there, motionless like a beautiful, bewildered statue, Wei Ying tsks and says, “I’m not going anywhere, Lan Zhan. Gotta get yesterday's proofed loaves in the oven by the hour.”

Miraculously, Lan Zhan obeys. Wei Ying half expected him not to. He and Lan Zhan have never been the closest of friends; Wei Ying was an annoying student, and Lan Zhan has a zero tolerance for annoying classmates. But people can change, he supposes. It’s been over four years, and neither of them are the same people they were before Wei Ying packed up his things and gave up his cushioned life in the Jiang estate and his scholarship to one of the most prestigious universities in the country to start slumming it with the Wen siblings and A-Yuan in their closet of an apartment.

“Aw, thanks,” Wei Ying says when Lan Zhan returns. He belatedly realizes that he should’ve asked Lan Zhan to close the door behind him as he leaves the kitchen that he, as a non-employee, isn’t supposed to be in. Oh well; Wen Qing can chew him out for all the health codes he’s violating later. Isn’t she supposed to be manning the front? Lan Zhan must have snuck past her to get here, so she’s just as guilty.

“So you’ve been here the whole time?” Lan Zhan says, watching Wei Ying shape the dough. “Since you — left?”

“Basically.” Stitch the dough into itself. Then fold and tuck. Push the dough underneath itself with the palm of your hands to create surface tension, giving the newly formed loaf that tight, professional finish. Took Wei Ying ages to get the method down pat enough to be consistent. “Wanted to get out of the Jiangs’ hair, so I left soon after dropping out of uni.”

Dust the loaf with rice flour. Place it into a banneton, seam side up. Into the rack, then repeat. “A friend of mine had just inherited their family bakery. I volunteered to help out, and it eventually ended up becoming a full-time thing.”

Lan Zhan stands there without a word — not that Wei Ying minds. He hadn’t let himself dream they’d see each other again, hadn’t wanted to get his hopes up that he'd be lucky enough to see a familiar face again after all this time. Damn, he thinks, sneaking glance after glance between the loaves he’s shaping, he’s more handsome now than ever. Who knew the gorgeous teenager he’d harassed throughout two years of university would turn out to become a gorgeous adult who somehow stumbles into Wei Ying’s bakery? Even the unflattering cast of the yellow, flickering overhead light Wen Qing had been meaning to replace can’t wash out how black Lan Zhan’s hair is, how his skin is as smooth as a baby’s. How golden his eyes are, peering at Wei Ying as if he’s the sunrise after a long, cloudy night.

Bah. Where the hell did that come from? Maybe Wei Ying really is as self-centered as Aunt Yu claimed him to be.

“I wasn’t aware of your...baking aspirations,” Lan Zhan says, causing Wei Ying to choke out a laugh. He’d forgotten how funny Lan Zhan could be.

“Me neither,” Wei Ying admits. He sidesteps the kitchen mixer he’d spent the last year fixing up — he’d bought it in a sorry state, but Hobart engines are built to last a lifetime, and he couldn’t pass up the deal he paid for — to place another filled banneton into the rack. “But I’m not too mad at where I’ve ended up. Speaking of. How did you end up here?”

Lan Zhan's shoulders hunch suspiciously, and Wei Ying's eyebrows arch into fucking parabolas. “I wanted bread,” Lan Zhan replies defensively. “So I went to a bakery.”

Wei Ying scoffs, unimpressed. “A bakery all the way in Yiling?”

Lan Zhan glances away. “I travel a lot for work.”

Fine — he’ll let it go for now. “Well, as long as you don’t tell anyone back home about this, I guess it’s fine.” Wei Ying pauses. “You’re not gonna rat me out, are you?”

The thought should scare him, but a traitorously large part of him thrills at it instead. The Jiangs' are a key food supplier for the Lans' hotel chain, so Lan Zhan has to have some form of communication with them. Does Jiejie think about him from time to time? And Jiang Cheng...well. They’re still brothers, aren't they? Surely he must, at some small capacity, miss him.

But no brotherly love, whatever left there may be, could erase this: the cold silence that hung over the Jiang family table whenever Wei Ying would show up for dinner. Aunt Yu’s constant disapproval and Jiang Cheng’s wavering willingness to put up with it. The car ride. The screech of metal. The hospital said their Range Rover flipped four times. Wei Ying must have passed out after the first. But he was lucky: only a broken arm and whiplash. He had lied about being too hurt to attend the funeral.

It had been a good decision to leave. It had to be.

The back of his neck stings; a constant reminder. He hangs his head low as he stitches the dough.

“I’m not going to...rat you out,” Lan Zhan denies. He’s closer than he’d been since the last time Wei Ying looked up, his slack-clad hip brushing against the corner of Wei Ying’s workbench. “Not if you don’t want me to.”

“I don’t. Thanks.” Another banneton in the rack. Slower output than usual. He’s going to have to speed up to reach today’s quota. He gestures to the door. “Now, if you’re not gonna help out…”

Lan Zhan doesn’t take the hint. “You left. Without saying goodbye.”

“Must’ve forgotten to leave a note,” Wei Ying says, nonplussed.

“No one knew where you had gone off to.”

“Kinda preferred it that way.”

“But I didn’t —” Lan Zhan stops. Takes a breath. This is the most emotional Wei Ying has ever seen him, if mildly discomfited could constitute as emotional.

When he meets Wei Ying’s eyes again, his face is in its usual state of aloofness. “I was worried about you,” he tells him. “I wish I had known that you were alright.”

A block of guilt presses on Wei Ying’s shoulders. “Oh,” he says. “Sorry.”

Lan Zhan shakes his head. “Don’t apologize.”

“It’s just — with all that happened with the, the accident, and the handling of the estate —”

“You don’t need to explain anything to me you’re not comfortable with.”

“And my relationship with Jiang Cheng was down the fucking gutter —”

“He misses you.”

“I just felt that it everything would’ve been better off if —”

“I understand.”

“— I just left, y’know?”

At this, Lan Zhan frowns. “I fail to see how your sudden disappearance made anything better,” he says.

“Well, you weren’t there.” Wei Ying sighs, and what little fight he had to defend himself from the past drops to the floor. “I don’t want to argue with you.”

Lan Zhan bristles. “I didn’t mean to — that’s not why I’m here.”

Then why are you here? But Wei Ying is done playing this game. “Look, it’s really nice to see you again. But I kind of have a lot on my plate right now, so if you don’t mind.” This time, his gesture to the door is clear. Leave.

Of course Lan Zhan doesn’t leave; he’s always been so damn stubborn. After a beat, he walks over to the empty sink — Wei Ying prefers to wash the dishes as he goes — and washes his hands. Dries them. Rolls up the sleeves of his button up, revealing forearms Wei Ying can’t help but swallow at. Makes his way to Wei Ying’s side, staring down at the lumps of dough like how a runner glares at the bottom of her shoe after stepping on a pile of dogshit.

“Alright,” he says, “how do I do this?”

Wei Ying blinks. “What?” he asks, like an idiot.

Lan Zhan experimentally cups the nearest dough mound with his palms. It sticks to his hands as he lifts them, streaks of the stuff already clinging to his slender fingers.

“Gross,” he says, monotone, pinching two ends to stretch it; an imitation, Wei Ying realizes, of his own technique.

Wei Ying stares. An incredulous smile spreads across his lips. “You’re —” He laughs. “You’re so weird, Lan Zhan.”

Lan Zhan squints at him, confused, hands still making a mess out of the dough. “You asked for my help.”

Perhaps all those years away from home was enough penance for, at the very least, this. “Yeah," he says, soft. "I guess I did.” Wei Ying sways closer to Lan Zhan’s side. He discreetly sniffs the air in a selfish bid to find...ah, there it is, masked between notes of wheat flour and sourdough starter: sandalwood aftershave, brushing past Wei Ying's nose when Lan Zhan turns to him with an expectant glance.

Wei Ying laughs again. “No, not like that. Like this.”

He lays a floured hand over Lan Zhan’s and, together, they get to work.

-----

also posted on ao3

promo post on twitter

fic commissions

[tossawary]

Chapter 24: “Seeing is Believing” of “pride is not the word I’m looking for” random favorite lines and commentary. Not a full list or full commentary, but longer commentary than usual to talk about quest construction. 

-

AN: This was... a weird chapter to write. When I started outlining, I had... the conversation with Shen Qingqiu planned... the conversation with Shen Yuan planned... the fact that SQH, SY, LQG, and LFL was the quest party... and the fact that they get the Eye at the end of it. That was everything. 

The entire rest of this chapter came together FRIDAY LAST WEEK. 

Huan Hua Palace wasn’t going to be there. The Weeper didn’t exist. The Eye or its previous owner wasn’t at all connected to the Garden Master. The Shadow Cave Wolf Spiders didn’t exist. The murder plant didn’t exist. The mysterious monster showing up at the end wasn’t originally planned either. 

I mean, I had a lot of pre-existing plot threads to tie in and weave with, but ohhh boy! Picture someone lying facedown on a floor like, “I forgot to plan the contents of the super important quest...” 

I was originally going to have the Eye quest a lot simpler, but given the weight “Death of the Author” had when I finally reached this part of the story, that wasn’t really going to do! It had to be bigger than that! It needed oomph! This also felt like a good opportunity to really establish the new SQH-SY dynamic. To explore SY fumbling to find a place in this world without strict character role, especially in relation to settled and well-supported SQH. 

- 

“One attempts to remain dignified,” Shen Qingqiu agrees. “As there is little point in kicking and screaming about how such ignobility isn’t fair.”

“Ha! Is there ever?”

“Not in my experience.”

“Yeah, it’s definitely not cute when I do it,” Shang Qinghua jokes.

Shen Qingqiu’s lips actually twitch at that.

Success?!

- 

AN: I wasn’t going into this fic with the intention of writing any Shang Qinghua and Original Shen Qingqiu almost friendship! But it started developing and it seemed a shame not to explore Shang Qinghua developing a real relationship with Shen Qingqiu (though not a particularly close one) when the man is suppose to be the scum villain (and the readers know that the man might get replaced by Shen Yuan). 

I can see myself writing more Shang Qinghua and Original Shen Qingqiu content in the future. Someone dropped a particularly nice prompt for them in my inbox that I’m looking forward to exploring at some point. 

(I mean, not to say that Shang Qinghua has a type, but Shang Qinghua has a type and it’s handsome, deadly, intimidating, frosty men with a villainous character design and trust/abandonment and communication issues. I could make it work.)

- 

“Ah, well, two ‘ideal’ situations come to mind: severing the personal relationship for good… or, ah, talking about how to do better and trying that. You don’t have to forget or even forgive if you don’t want to! But, ah… there’s got to be a difference between totally swallowing your anger and cutting ties forever, right?” Shang Qinghua says awkwardly. “If there’s… ever going to be anything good afterwards…”

Shen Qingqiu stares at him for a sweat-inducing length of time.

 “Ah, fuck,” Shang Qinghua thinks.

“Sorry,” he says. “Ahhh, I’m just… thinking about something someone told me… in… in regards to some of my own problems. Never mind! Never mind!”

- 

AN: Luo Jiahui really is out here making Moshang and Qijiu get their fucking act together just by setting a better example. 

- 

“Shizun, my apologies for the interruption, but I came to ask Shizun if he would be willing to join our music lesson today? The disciples have missed his playing and are eager to present their improvements.”

“...Very well, unless anyone here would disagree…?” Shen Qingqiu looks directly at the Qian Cao Peak cultivator, as though daring her to object and die.

“It’s an excellent suggestion!” the Qian Cao Peak cultivator says quickly.

The young woman smiles. “And perhaps Shizun could sit in on the calligraphy lesson afterwards? In order to offer his opinion on my progress as a teacher?”

“Fishing for compliments is unbecoming,” Shen Qingqiu says dryly.

“Wait, what?” Shang Qinghua thinks.

- 

AN: So, this has all been happening in the background, but Shen Qingqiu accepted this House of Rejuvenation woman onto his Peak about... 6-ish years ago now? This is kind of meant to parallel Shang Qinghua’s once-secret relationship with Luo Jiahui. 

Shang Qinghua was out here trying to be a better person and Shen Qingqiu noticed; now Shen Qingqiu has his own positive (platonic) relationship with a nameless background character who was meant to die for plot reasons. What a thing, huh? If the story was saved because Shang Qinghua started a domino effect of saving random people who went on to change things? 

- 

After all, as Shang Qinghua said to the kid, besides Peerless Cucumber’s apparent talent for cultivation, he knows that his fellow transmigrator has three very important skills that will serve him well on An Ding Peak! 1) An encyclopedia knowledge for even seemingly pointless bullshit (which is kind of flattering, honestly). 2) The willingness to fight total strangers over seemingly pointless bullshit. And 3) a sharp enough tongue to win.

Peerless Cucumber didn’t find these points as funny as Shang Qinghua did.

- 

AN: Shen Yuan was always going to end up on An Ding Peak. I thought about sending him to Qing Jing or Qian Cao or Qiong Ding... or any other Peak... but that would take him too far away from Shang Qinghua to really explore their relationship and to move him around conveniently in the story. And SY sticking to An Ding seemed to best illustrate the fact that SY is lost and doesn’t know what to do except cling to SQH. 

- 

“It’s not much, sure, but it’s yours,” Shang Qinghua says finally. “You’ll be joining the talisman classes soon, so don’t try anything from a book and then need to request some home repairs.”

Peerless Cucumber nods and puts his stack of manuals down on the table.

“How’s your tutorial mission going?”

“Fine,” the kid says shortly. “Have you found anything for the other one yet?”

“Ah, not yet.”

- 

AN: “Are you winning, son?” meme energy here. 

- 

Ah, now Shang Qinghua recognizes his fellow transmigrator’s expression! That’s the same stunned expression one of his Huan Hua not-disciples, Yu Chaonan, made upon meeting the Bai Zhan Peak War God for the first time. Shang Qinghua assumes that Peerless Cucumber was expecting a man who looked more like a musclebound giant and less like a pop idol (if one with amazingly muscular arms), which is a super common and never-not-funny misconception people have about Liu Qingge.  

“Brother of one of the most beautiful women in this world, bro,” Shang Qinghua reminds his fellow transmigrator, amused. Aha! Now Peerless Cucumber’s vehement disinterest in the harem stuff is making even more sense than before!

Shang Qinghua’s assumption gets 100% confirmed when it comes time for Peerless Cucumber to fly with Liu Qingge for the next leg of the journey. The other transmigrator is so embarrassed and awkward about it that Shang Qinghua’s super direct brother-in-law asks if the young man is alright.

- 

AN: This was so fun to write. Shang Qinghua really can use the Liu siblings to gauge people’s sexual/romantic orientation. 

- 

The map (or rather, the copy Shang Qinghua made of the delicate original map) takes them to a green and grey landscape of leafy trees crawling over a wide network of tall cliffs and deep gorges. Gurgling rivers cut through twisting rock formations. Shang Qinghua can’t see any of these rivers on the map. Or these deathly drop ravines. From the outside, the whole thing looks like a natural maze (holy shit, there could be so many monsters and death-traps in there!), and Shang Qinghua would know those golden robes flying low over the hanging trees anywhere.

“Huan Hua,” Liu Qingge mutters.

“Do you think they’re looking for what we’re looking for?” Luo Fanli asks.

“That’s usually how it goes,” Peerless Cucumber says, before Shang Qinghua can.

- 

AN: I came up with the skeleton idea first. Then I was like... “I should give it three eyes.” And then I was like... “But who IS this dead author? A god? A spirit? What grander implications am I spinning here?” 

And THEN I remembered that I had some ambiguous powerful being force the Garden Master into exile due to a flood. This was because, in the Epic of Gilgamesh, the immortal man Gilgamesh meets in the abyss is the survivor of a great flood. So I was like, “Reduce! Re-use! Recycle! There’s my skeleton!” 

So I wanted to relate the skeleton to water because of the flood angle. Water as a symbol of cleansing/reincarnation is a big thing throughout many cultures. I can’t remember exactly how the crying aspect came up, but I knew there was going to be water in the temple now, so at some point my brain like was, “Bro, this skeleton should totally be crying because mythology vibes.” 

So I built the surrounding land off the idea that there was water flowing from or around this temple. At this point, I had decided that Huan Hua Palace should also be looking for this artifact, so I had to come up with a way to hide the temple, yet have a way for SQH’s party to track it down. 

- 

The damage to the doors is worse: someone once upon a time collapsed a part of the cliff face around the entrance, essentially leaving only the top fourth of the utterly smashed stone doors visible. It’s a wall now and has been for ages. It looks like it would take days to dig through the rubble. Someone has even super helpfully carved, “These doors will never open again,” just above the wreck.

“Guess we’ll have to go in as intruders rather than guests!” Luo Fanli says.

“What would be welcoming us inside a lost temple exactly?” Shang Qinghua asks vaguely, inwardly cursing the fact that explosive mining techniques will definitely attract the Huan Hua Palace Sect cultivators’ attention and also probably collapse the whole cliff on them.

“We only have to clear a passage for us, not the whole door,” Peerless Cucumber says optimistically. “Is there a special technique for this kind of thing?”

“Aha, not really.”

“Oh.”

“Why don’t we just keep following the water?” Luo Fanli says.

“...How so?” Shang Qinghua asks.

“Some of those waterfalls could be passages inside,” Liu Qingge explains, because he and the little sister-in-law apparently share the same brain. He’s already eyeing the waterfall wearing down the giant statue on the left.

- 

AN: Temples in quests need to have traps and obstacles and monsters! Well, not ALL of the did, but this one did. I based the obstacles they faced as much as I could around the whole “Death of the Author” theme, while using this whole quest to explore Shen Yuan, Shen Yuan and Shang Qinghua, Shang Qinghua and Liu Qingge and Luo Fanli, and so on. 

The idea here with the door is that the “author” is not going to let them inside the temple to take the interpretation of the narrative (the Eye) for themselves. The story is over (the temple is closed for business)! The author is dead! If they want to get inside, they have to break inside or slip inside as intruders. 

This also creates a convenient obstacle to hold up the Huan Hua Palace Sect cultivators so that our party can be nearly caught later! And shows off Shang Qinghua, Liu Qingge, and Luo Fanli’s twisty lines of thinking. 

- 

Luo Fanli is holding the light and Shang Qinghua passes the other transmigrator to her, while accepting Liu Qingge’s hand for help getting out of the water.

“Ahhh, that was fun,” Shang Qinghua mutters.

Then he notices that Liu Qingge has the Cheng Luan sword out and ready. Shang Qinghua looks through the surrounding darkness, but all he can see are columns and water. For a moment, he thinks he sees something, a prowling shadow at the other end of the cavernous room, but he wipes the water out of his eyes and it’s gone.

- 

AN: The water in Shang Qinghua’s eyes briefly lets him see a flash of the invisible monsters who show up later! It helps up the tension. 

- 

Another low growl rips through the darkness and Peerless Cucumber shuffles a little closer to Shang Qinghua. Because that sounded really fucking close and yet Shang Qinghua still can’t see the thing that’s making that sound.

He doesn’t see Liu Qingge lunge at him either. He only feels his brother-in-law shove him into Peerless Cucumber, knocking them into the water, out of the way of something that howls when Liu Qingge slashes at it with his sword. Shang Qinghua rolls off Peerless Cucumber and looks up just in time to see dark blood splatter across the watery floor. Liu Qingge pursues the attacker with a second slash, but only seems to meet thin air this time.

“It’s invisible!” Luo Fanli cries. “Fuck!”

“Behind you!” Liu Qingge snaps, and spins to slash at the thin air beside him. Dark droplets of blood hit the water again and something hisses at him.

Luo Fanli whirls and slashes, searching for an opponent.

“They’re reflected in the water!” Liu Qingge yells at her, standing guard over Shang Qinghua as he gets to his feet again. “Listen for their footsteps and vocalizations! Feel the demonic energy and air displacement!”

- 

AN: I got this from a list of Dungeons and Dragons puzzles. The idea is that there’s some puzzle that must be solved, but the truth of the room can only be seen in the reflection of the nearby water (or mirror or whatever). 

Which felt fitting for a “Death of the Author” quest! Whatever an author’s intentions, the story is what they actually wrote, so the audience interprets a text without the context of the author’s insight. The truth (of the story) is in the reflection (audience interpretation)! It felt like a fun idea. 

It also allows Shen Yuan to actually contribute to the quest via monster lore and bring up his impaired vision problem. And to confront Shen Yuan with the reality of this world. And to show off Luo Fanli’s fighting skills. And to show off LIU QINGGE’S legendary fighting skills, instincts as a warrior who fights many dangerous beasts, and the fact that he’s clever and observant! 

Liu Qingge is good at what he does! And this is what he does! 

- 

Someone has… angrily… or desperately… carved a lopsided message into the wall.

 “‘If I go blind, so does the world,’” Peerless Cucumber reads.

“...That’s probably not good,” Shang Qinghua says.

“Nooo…” Fanli agrees.

The messages continue as they climb, carved into the walls, the ceilings, the floors. Most of it is illegible. Some of it is just nonsense. Some of it looks like the same kind of historical records carved into the broken tablets. Some of it looks like someone attacked the walls after reading what was written there. There are deep gouges in the walls and cracked marks that would match a giant’s hands.

 “‘The water cleans the lies,’” Peerless Cucumber reads. “‘I am the only one who can see.’ ‘Lies everywhere, lies everywhere, lies everywhere.’ ‘The water cleans the evil.’ ‘I do not have enough tears.’ ‘Everything is nothing now. Everything in vain.’”

“You really don’t need to read them!” Shang Qinghua tells the kid. “It’s fine. It's totally fine.”

- 

AN: This is mostly here to up the tension, but it’s also here to try and give insight into this being and relate them more to the “Death of the Author” and the “Seeing is Believing” themes. 

I also saw the phrase “If I go blind, so does the world” while I was browsing a list of riddles for D&D campaigns and I was like, “THAT’S SICK, I’M USING THAT.” Really brings the “an eye for an eye” and vengeance vibes. (The riddle was longer than that one phrase, but the answer was “the sun”.) 

- 

The top of the temple reveals one massive room that looks like someone was alternatively scratching their insanity into the walls and tearing chunks out of the interior design with their bare hands. Overtop of the rubble is that eerie overgrowth. There’s a fine layer of water over the floor. At the center of it all is an incredibly enormous desk, cracked in half, with a robed skeleton sitting behind it, slumped over the top. It’s a little too large to be an ordinary human.

Plus, its skull is a little too long, probably to accommodate the third eye socket in the forehead. There’s something gleaming softly yellow in the third eye socket.

“Is… there water dripping from its eyes?” Luo Fanli whispers.

“It looks like it…” Peerless Cucumber whispers back. “Like it's crying…?”

“Still…? Is it dead or not?”

 “Holy shit,” Shang Qinghua thinks, slightly nauseated. “System, bro, the worst bro I’ve ever known, tell me that we have not been swimming in a three-eyed skeleton’s magical undead tears or something this whole time.”

The shitty, no-good System stays unsurprisingly silent. 

- 

AN: Okay, so the idea here is that this being was someone who recorded history and shared their knowledge freely. This being had the ability to discern the truth of a person - they were extremely perceptive. (The Weeper is either female or doesn’t have a gender, by the way.) 

The Weeper met the Garden Master at some point. The Garden Master was an asshole, a liar, arrogant, etc.. The Weeper and the Garden Master clashed badly, until the Weeper sent the cleansing flood that nearly destroyed the sect and the Garden Master essentially had to flee to a personal abyss. 

The Garden Master sent the plant as a final “fuck you” to the Weeper. The plant caused the Weeper to slowly go mad. The smashed tablets and destroyed temple are the Weeper’s work. The Weeper (not in a great state of mind) had the temple closed themselves once they realized they and their work had been corrupted. This was a “you destroy my (embellished) reputation, I destroy yours (and your entire life)” plot by the Garden Master. 

The idea behind the tears is the whole “water is cleansing” thing. The Weeper tried to clean away the madness using their magical water-related abilities... and it actually worked for a long time. But eventually the madness began to overpower the effects of the magical water. The Weeper’s tears are from frustration and helplessness at losing control. 

The water inside the temple combats the plant’s physical effects. Also stabbing the root killed the plant and essentially broke its mental/spiritual powers. 

- 

Unfortunately, to get the fuck out of here, they have to go back through the temple. But hey! That’s still a lot better than an extended hike through an underground, haunted desert in darkness! The battle with the now-dead plant caused its growth to writhe around the temple. The vines need to be hacked through sometimes as they travel down through the rooms of broken shelves and shattered tablets.

“So much history lost…” Peerless Cucumber murmurs.

 “He still thinks of himself as a reader - an observer, a visitor, separate from the flow of fate.”

- 

AN: This is... absolutely based on the Heart from the Dishonored franchise. But this sort of item didn’t originate with Dishonored and I need it! It’s a surprise/mystery tool that will help us later! 

The Eye isn’t exactly a mind-reading object. I mean, it kind of is, but it works in a very specific way that I’m looking forward to getting into. 

- 

From there, their path back out of the natural maze is even more careful and stressful than before, now that the Huan Hua Palace Sect cultivators are actively looking for them rather than the temple. It’s slow-going and stressful and silent, except for when the Weeper’s Eye presses too close against his chest.

 “He is afraid that if he starts screaming, he will never stop,” it tells him, when he’s looking at a pale-faced Peerless Cucumber, as they fly over a particularly deathly-looking drop.

 “Oh, me too, bro!” Shang Qinghua thinks. “Seriously! Tell me something I don’t know!”

- 

AN: Having Shang Qinghua be totally unimpressed by an object like this was very funny to me. He’s the author! He’s a transmigrator! He knows these people well! He already has insight into their situations. 

- 

Shang Qinghua groans, but supposes that Peerless Cucumber would have at least been disguising Liu Qingge from the back. “You tell them that you were tracking thieves who stole something from Cang Qiong Mountain Sect,” he says quickly. “Rule of embarrassment! Admitting something that makes us look bad to a rival makes it sound true. Don’t tell them what was stolen and act really offended if they try to poke into Cang Qiong business. I’ll come back as soon as I get these two out!”

Liu Qingge nods and launches forward into the fight.

“We’re just leaving him?” Peerless Cucumber says, as they do exactly that.

“I’ll get changed and come back ‘looking for him for urgent sect business’ as soon as I’ve dropped you two off in the last town,” Shang Qinghua says. “I’m really good at acting stressed and confused, and at desperately needing an unstoppable wandering Liu Qingge back at Cang Qiong Mountain Sect immediately. Now let’s go! Let’s go! Mission isn’t over yet!”

- 

AN: Shang Qinghua is, at heart, a liar. I love him. 

[watch-grok-brainrot]

For the character and letter prompts: how about D. Subtle kindnesses, with the yunmeng trio?

Here you go! Sorry it took me so long! I got overwhelmed making gifs and then doing some other stuff. I really enjoyed this prompt. It wouldn’t have been something I explored on my own. I don’t know if the kindnesses were all SUBTLE, but this is what came out of it. 

Assumptions: 1) WWX and JC are on speaking terms. 2) Post canon. 3) CQL JC who is softer and kinder than MDZS JC. 4) WWX lives in CR and doesn’t really go to Lotus Pier much. 5) WWX and LWJ are married. 

Thanks again for being patient! <3 

Visit Often in the Future

Word count:  ~1540

Characters: Wei Wuxian, Jiang Cheng, Lan Wangji (brief appearance), Lil Apple

Rated G

Warnings: Not much really... canonically dead characters. 

-------------

“Are you sure you don’t want me to come along?” Lan Wangji asked his husband as Wei Wuxian packed a qiankun pouch. 

“I’ll be fine. You need to preside over Qingming events in your family. And I owe it to Jiang Cheng to show my face in Lotus Pier.”

“If he lays one fin-” Lan Wangji began, but Wei Wuxian shushed him with a finger. 

“He won’t. He’s always more angry and louder than he actually means. I need to go see Shijie and let her know everything that’s happened and show her that Jiang Cheng and I will be ok.”

“Fine. You know I cannot deny you anything.”

“You’re so good to me Lan-er-gege. When I come back I’ll thank you properly,” Wei Wuxian said as he bid his husband goodbye with a kiss and went to fetch Lil Apple for this trip to Yunmeng. 

~~~

The familiarity of Yunmeng never failed to surprise Wei Wuxian. After nearly two decades and across two lifetimes, the place seemed unchanged: the same smells of food and rain, mostly similar shops and stalls, and even many familiar people. 

He guided Lil Apple through the crowds, stopping to look at trinkets in stalls. He picked out something Jiang Cheng and Shijie would like from their childhood. For Jiang Cheng, he got a little glass dog, clear bodied with purple floppy ears -- he blamed his residual guilt from when Uncle Jiang got rid of Jiang Cheng’s pets when he was first taken in. He then purchased a simple sandalwood hair stick with one end intricately carved into a blooming lotus flower for Shijie. Her style had always been elegant but not ostentatious. Maybe he could burn it as an offering to Shijie this year. Maybe the peacock would enjoy seeing her wear it in the afterlife. 

Wei Wuxian settled Lil Apple in the stables and went to watch Jiang Sect sword practice. Before he even got close to the Sword Testing Hall and main courtyard, he could hear Jiang Cheng barking out instructions. 

“Lift up your arm! Squat lower for a better horse stance! How can you call your base stable with that form?!” 

Wei Wuxian smiled and lept onto a banister, perching and watching. 

Jiang Cheng seemed to have matured in the last two years since their altercation in the Jiang Sect ancestral hall. He held himself with less tension and his instructions were more precise. Instead of hitting the disciples as Wei Wuxian remembered him doing in the past, Jiang Cheng guided their arms and adjusted their legs in place. He could see some of Uncle Jiang’s kindness in the current sect leader. 

Wei Wuxian reached into his qiankun pouch and held the dog in his hand, rubbing his thumb over the coarse ears and smooth body. The little figure really seemed appropriate for Jiang Cheng -- hard as rock, cute (at least for such a wretched creature), and full of various textures. 

“Jiang Cheng! Mind if I join in?” Wei Wuxian called from where he perched. 

“Wei Wuxian! I didn’t think you’d show your face! Do you even remember any of our forms? Can your weak body handle it?”

“Well, we won’t know until we try!” Wei Wuxian hopped down from his perch and set his stuff onto the ground. He grabbed a practice sword and joined the students in their forms. 

“Let’s see if the former head disciple remembers Jiang Sect teachings,” Jiang Cheng huffed as he continued drilling his sect. 

Wei Wuxian felt himself falling into the familiar pacing and movements of the Jiang Sect sword forms. Each thrust, jab, and extension of his arms brought him a sense of ease. He quietly thanked himself for picking up cultivation shortly after the Guanyin Temple events. It took him a few months to get accustomed to Mo Xuanyu’s body proportions but afterwards the movements and his qi started flowing in unison -- something he had not felt since the fall of Lotus Pier years ago. 

By the time sword practice finished, Jiang Cheng approached his former shixiong. “I see you picked up cultivation again.”

“Yup! Since i have a new body, I figured I might as well see if I can make use of it.”

Jiang Cheng hesitated before clenching his jaw and asking, ”Do you want to spar with me?” He paused and then added, “Wooden swords. No spiritual energy.”

Wei Wuxian’s eyes lit up, “Just like old times. I”ll do my best to kick your ass! Loser buys lunch!”

Much to Jiang Cheng’s chagrin, he was forced to buy Wei Wuxian lunch. But he did get a cute purple glass dog as thanks. Why Wei Wuxian even had a dog figurine was beyond Jiang Cheng’s comprehension. 

~~~

The next day sword practice was canceled for Qingming preparations. 

“Wei Wuxian! How dare you think you can visit Lotus Pier for Qingming without helping out?” Jiang Cheng’s voice bellowed across Lotus Pier, trying to track down the elusive Yiling Laozu. 

“Jiang Cheng, I am helping! I’m supervising, can’t you tell?” Wei Wuxian leaned against a pillar of the Sword Testing Hall, held up a small bottle of Lotus Breeze Wine, and gestured in the general direction of the bustling Jiang Sect disciples.

“You need to clean too!” Jiang Cheng said as he plucked the bottle of alcohol from Wei Wuxian’s hand and replaced it with a broom and a few rags. “Go to the Ancestral Hall. Sweep the floors, polish the tablets, set out the offerings. Get it done in two shichen. There are many more Qingming preparations to finish!”

“Alright alright,” Wei Wuxian said as he sauntered towards the Ancestral Hall.

“And pick up the pace. Don’t set a bad example for the juniors!”

“Alright! Alright!” Wei Wuxian called back and headed to do his task. He stepped into the Ancestral Hall and stopped. There was an extra table set up with two memorial tablets. Did someone else die? But wouldn’t he know about it? 

He shook his head and started cleaning the floor. He’ll have to clean them anyway. He’ll find out then. After the floor was swept, mopped, and polished,  he pulled out a new rag and started cleaning the memorial tablets. He remembered Shijie sitting by the lotus-shaped altar and crying over Madam Yu and Uncle Jiang’s tablets. He remembered himself and Jiang Cheng as children being forced to kneel before the spirits of the dead after they got into trouble. He remembered learning the names of all the Jiang Sect ancestors from the last few hundred years. From the oldest to the most recent, he carefully wiped the dust from their names. 

He got to Madam Yu and Uncle Jiang and held them a bit longer. Closing his eyes, Wei Wuxian muttered, “I hope you’re proud of Jiang Cheng. He’s done well for the sect. Under his care, Lotus Pier has gotten stronger and become well respected. I’m sorry I wasn’t able to help him more. I hope you forgive me for that.” He opened his eyes and returned Madam Yu and Uncle Jiang to their rightful spots. 

He then reached for Jiang Yanli’s tablet. He wiped it down and spoke to her, told her about A-yuan and Wen Ning and Lan Zhan. He spoke of the rabbits his Lan Zhan kept for him and of all the new Gusu rules. He described the way the pine trees bent under the snow in Cloud Recesses winters and the food Lan Zhan cooked just for him during that time. He told stories about night hunting adventures with Jin Ling and the Lan Juniors, about how Jin Ling was growing up to be a respected sect leader. After a quarter of a shichen, his voice started to crack and he finally returned his Shijie to rest beside her parents. He then pulled out the hair stick he bought for her. “I hope you like this Shijie. I miss you so much.”

The last two tablets were not with the others on the lotus altar but set aside on an offering table in a prominent location. Wei Wuxian almost dropped them when he saw the names: Zangse-Sanren and Wei Changze. What? Why? His fingers brushed over his parents’ names. Was this why Jiang Cheng told him to come here? Did Jiang Cheng plan this all along? 

He fingers tightened as he slowly lowered himself onto the floor. Even when Uncle Jiang was alive, memorial tablets of his parents were never in the Ancestral Hall. He had never gotten a chance to speak to them or tell them about his life. Suddenly faced with two lives worth of memories, Wei Wuxian found himself speechless. He opened and closed his mouth a few times and finally returned the tablets to the table. 

Pulling over a pouffe, Wei Wuxian knelt before his parents’ names. He lit three sticks of incense and bowed solemnly thrice. “This unfilial son, Wei Wuxian, pays his respects to his parents, Wei Changze and Zangse-Sanren. Forgive me for my years of transgression.” 

Outside the Ancestral Hall, Jiang Cheng leaned against a sliding door, hidden from view. “Uncle Wei, Aunt Zangse, A-Jie. I hope you’re enjoying your time with A-Xian today. I promise he will visit you often in the future.”

[bunnyywritings]

Hi, I'm sorry to bother you, but could you please do an imagine where the reader is super shy, like they can't even look anyone in the eye, and her amd noya bump into eachother or something and start becoming best friends, but the reader gets a crush on him and he doesn't know he really likes her back until she comes to one of his games to cheer him on and some guy from other team starts flirting with her and yeah, and so sorry this is long, but please do this🙏🏽

an unlikely match

nishinoya yu x fem!reader

[a/n: you’re no bother my love, thank you for the request🥺!! This is my first ever nishinoya request and I love this prompt, enjoy!! -yours truly, bunnyy -`ღ´- ]

It was a normal sight to see you walking down the hall, head down and scurrying to your next class but that means that who don’t take the time to notice, are completely blind to your presence.

With that being said, you had gone to the gym to find Kiyoko. She had approached you about joining the team as a manager, she found it a little endearing that you had barely looked up into her eyes, your cheeks a permanent crimson color. After dropping off the form, you rushed out. Head down, as always. That’s when-

“Oof!”

The person you had bumped into groaned as you lost your balance, a small shriek of surprise leaving your lips as you landed on the hard concrete. You looked up to see a boy that you thought was in one of your classes. His eyes were wide with worry.

“Nishinoya! Don’t just run in so suddenly like that!” Daichi scolded before making his way into the gym.

“I-I’m sorry.” Nishinoya stuttered as he held his hand out to you, frowning a bit when he saw you stare at it in confusion before hesitantly reaching out and taking it, shakily getting back to your feet.

“T-Thank y-you...” He noticed that you had been staring at the ground.

“O-Oi...are you that upset about it?” He asked curiously, crouching down to get eye level with you. “I said I was sorry.” He grinned, eyes finally finding yours. Your breath hitched once you made eye contact with his golden-brown gaze, a strange feeling erupting in his stomach as he gazed into your gorgeous eyes. His smile quickly dropped into a frown once he noticed you looked away. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

You nodded before softly murmuring a ‘yes’ and running off.

He stood there, a bit shocked before making his way into the gym, not wanting to be late for practice. He couldn’t help but be a little distracted, your eyes were mesmerizing and he couldn’t quite pinpoint why he was feeling so giddy. Even the rest of the team had pointed out that he was extra energetic during practice, he shrugged it off as it just being a particularly good day.

That next morning, there you were. Sitting at your desk while mindlessly doodling in the margins of your notebook while you waited for the bell to ring. A light bulb went off in his head and with a grin, he rushed out of the classroom.

You almost jumped out of your skin when something suddenly thumped against your desk, meekly looking up, you were a litttle surprised to see the boy you had bumped into yesterday. There was a carton of milk and some bread sitting beside your notebook.

“I didn’t know you were in this class.”

“Y-yeah, I’ve sat behind you s-since the beginning of t-the year.”

From then on, he had paid more attention to you. Asking to be paired up with you on projects and inviting you to have lunch with him. You had ended up not joining the team as a manager since the social aspect of it was a little overwhelming.

Your guys’ friendship had been the talk of the second year class. Nobody had ever really seen you open up that much, it was definitely surprising to see you smile or laugh with some during class. Tanaka being...well, himself. He blabbed about it to the team. Basically in tears because ‘Noya was leaving him for some girl.’ Everyone shrugged it off since they thought he was talking about Shimizu but they were all shocked when they had seen the both of you walk towards the gym, stopping right outside. They watched as he gave you a hug and the way you had shyly waved goodbye before scurrying off.

“Wah! Noya-senpai has a girlfriend?!” Hinata shouted the moment Yū had entered the gym.

“I didn’t know you and (y/n)-san were dating.” Asahi asked, teasing grin on his face.

“Wait, who said anything about dating?” Tanaka tilted his head in confusion.

“Dating?” Noya echoed his confusion as he stood beside his bald friend.

Tsukishima shook his head, unbelief clear on his face as the gym fell silent.

“You just said that Noya was leaving you for a girl?” Suga clarifies.

Tanaka frowned and shook his head. “I meant that he had a new best friend...”

“Wait...who am I dating?” Nishinoya scratched his head.

“(Y/n)!” Everyone shouted in frustration.

...

“Eh? Me and (y/n)?”

After having denied it, practice went on as usual but he was a little distracted. Did he like you like that? He did feel strange when’s he was with you, it was a good strange though. Like his heart was doing flips. It wasn’t until the next day that he had realized it. The team was setting up for a game when he realized that he had let you borrow his club jacket. He remembered the blush on your cheeks when he had draped it over your shoulders, it made his own cheeks heat up.

Once warm ups were over, the starting lineup made their way to the court. He had hopefully searched the stands but you were no where to be found. He didn’t focus on it too much but you were still on his mind.

Spirits were low, hope almost lost. There were in the middle of their third set and things weren’t looking so well. Especially Nishinoya, he was beating himself up for not saving the chance ball they had and you could tell. You had been watching since the start of the second set and his mood had significantly gotten worse. It ached you to see him so angry at himself. You took a deep breath, hands clutching around the fabric of the jacket you were wearing.

“YOU’VE GOT THIS Yū! SHAKE IT OFF KARASUNO! YOU’LL GET THE NEXT ONE!” your voice echoed through the silence. Both teams looked up at you. Everyone from Karasuno was surprised. The day you had trial tested the manager position, you had flinched when someone so much as looked at you. Nishinoya was grinning so wide he thought his face was gonna split open. Watching you shout with all your might, eyes screwed shut, cheeks flushed, and clutching onto his jacket was all the confirmation he needed.

“Well you heard her.” He smirked, Asahi and Daichi nodded determinedly.

They ended up winning the match, excitement coursing through their veins as the whistle blew.

You waited for people in the stands to start leaving so you could rush down to the court. As you sprinted passed the threshold of the double doors, you had crashed into someone and stumbled back a bit.

“Oh I’m so sorry.” You apologized, looking up in confusion when he didn’t move away.

“You’re that cutie that was shouting in the stands, aren’t you?” He flashed you a flirty smile.

“Please, can I just pass through?” You asked meekly, meeting eyes with Nishinoya.

“Come on sweetheart, what’s the rush?”

“Leave her alone man.” The guy turned and sure enough, there was Nishinoya. Arms crossed and glaring.

“Tch and what are you-“ then Tana and Daichi appeared behind Nishinoya, a scary look in their faces as they crossed their arms.

“Is there a promise here?” Daichi’s voice rumbled. The guy that was hitting on you rolled his eyes and gave up, walking over to his team. Before you could say anything, Yū grabbed your shoulders and planted a big smooch on your lips. Surprising yourself and everyone else.

“Y-Yū! What’re you d-doing?” You stuttered, self conscious about all the eyes on the both of you.

“Well, I really like you. S-so I just thought-“ you cut him off by throwing your arms around his shoulders and pressing another kiss to his lips, burying your face in the crook of his neck.

“I-I really l-like you t-too.” He grinned and wrapped his arms around you, holding you nice and tight.

Let’s just say that wasn’t the last time you cheered for him at a game.

𝔤𝔢𝔫𝔢𝔯𝔞𝔩 𝔱𝔞𝔤𝔩𝔦𝔰𝔱 (open) : @ohbois-biggay-bnha @yuiji-yuiji

[myhaikyuuthings]

“Is this it?” pt 2

warning: angst, fluff pt 1 here

prompt: high school reunions are always messy, especially if you’re y/n

Nishinoya x reader

word count: 2330

a/n: i was listening to music and a sad song came on shuffle about lost love and i couldn’t help myself

‘Karasuno High School 10 year reunion’ screamed at you every time you passed the side table. It was in two days and you still couldn’t decide if you were going to go.

After the break up with Nishinoya you hadn’t been back to Miyagi, let alone the high school. The minute you graduated you went to stay with your grandmother for the summer, starting college directly after. You hadn’t spoken to anyone back home aside from your parents in ten years. There was no point in going. 

With a sigh you knelt beside your bed and pulled a box out from under it. You moved to sit on your bed, lifting the lid for the first time in six years. There were movie ticket stubs, amusement park tickets, zoo brochures, even little notes. You took everything out one by one, laying them out. Underneath it all, the pictures.

Just like that, your feelings rushed back. You were so sure it would be safe to look now. Ten years is more than enough time to move on from someone, but you never did. You tried, you went on dates, blind dates, speed dates, tinder dates. No one ever made you feel the way he did. You reached for your phone, and for the first time in a decade you dialed the number and prayed it was the right one.

He answered on the second ring.

“Hi, may I ask who’s calling?” he asked, a woman’s laughter echoing in the background. 

“It’s Y/N.. Y/N Y/L/N, I wasn’t sure your number would be the same after so long,” you said, holding your breath. 

“Y/N holy shit, it’s been a while. You kept my number all this time?” he laughed, shushing whoever he was with.

“Ah no, it was in my old journal I found, how are you? How’s everyone been?” 

“Did you really call me to catch up when the reunions in two days?” he teased you, it really seemed like he hadn’t changed much.

“I’m not sure if i’m going to come to be honest,” you admitted, feeling just a little guilty for it.

“You have to come! You have got to see who I married,” he whined, but you could hear the pride in his voice.

“Tanaka, you could always just tell me,” you whined back, laughing softly with him.

“No can do, if you wanna know how anyone’s doing you better be at that reunion. I know a lot of people want to see you.”

When you hung up, you spent the next several hours reading through your old diary and the letters Nishinoya had given you. You had saved all of them, down to the sticky notes with random faces doodled on them that he used to stick to your notes during class. You opened a bottle halfway through, letting yourself reminisce. It didn’t take long for your pillow to be covered in tear stains and the pain in your chest to resurface. 

In the end, you decided to go. You even dressed up a bit, wearing a nice black dress with some heels. Your nerves were high as you walked through the gym doors. The last time you had been here, Noya was yelling about needing to perfect his receives. It scared you a bit how vividly you remembered every detail of your time together just from stepping into the room.

The first person you saw was Tanaka, still as bald as ever with his arm around Kiyoko. He caught your eye, smiling widely and gesturing you over. You walked over, saying your hello’s. 

“Bet you didn’t guess I married Kiyoko,” he beamed, giving her shoulder an affectionate squeeze, “she actually said yes to me, can you believe that? Been together nine years now.” 

“I’m actually not that surprised, she used to talk about you a lot when we were younger,” you sent Kiyoko a wink as she sputtered around her glass of champagne. 

“I can’t believe you remember that,” she laughed, taking your hand, “I missed you, what have you been up to since you disappeared? I tried to keep up on social media but you didn’t post much about how you were.”

“I got my masters, I actually run my own business in my field now, that’s mainly it,” you give her hand a small squeeze, you had deeply missed your best friend, “i missed you too though, I’m sorry for just ghosting you guys like that.” 

“I’m not gonna lie it was kind of shitty y/n, but I understand to a degree,” Tanaka admitted, scratching the back of his neck, “Now that the gangs back together though, don’t think you can get away so easily this time.” 

“Wouldn’t dream of it.”

You spent the next hour catching up with everyone, assuring them all you weren’t going anywhere this time. Most of them understood why you left, knowing how difficult it would have been to be around them with how close they were to Nishinoya. But Tsukishima made a good point, why didn’t you ever come back? Everyone agreed, wanting to know why you didn’t try to reconnect or respond to their messages once you moved on. You just gave a shrug, claiming it would have been too awkward. You know Sugawara saw through your lie though, he was always good at reading you. 

“I’m going to go get another drink, I’ll be back,” you excused yourself as Hinata boasted about his team beating Kageyama’s  recently, Kageyama threatening him with violence if he didn’t Hush.They had both changed so much but at the same time they were still the exact same. You really missed them.

Grabbing your drink from the table, you turned quickly and smacked right into someone. Your dress was soaked and from what you could see, so was his shirt. You released a string of apologies, trying to pass him napkins while drying yourself up. When he took the napkins from your hand, that’s when you noticed the name tag. 

‘Hi, I’m Yu Nishinoya’ it read. Your heart stopped. 

You couldn’t believe it. Was it really him? You refused to believe it. You glanced at his face and instantly regretted it. It definitely was him, and he was just as beautiful as you remembered. You winced seeing the shock on his face, not knowing what to expect. This was probably the worst way you could have met him again. He shook his head, seeming to shake himself back into action.

“Here come with me, they still have the towels in the same place,” he smiled, offering you his hand, “they’ll probably do a better job than these napkins.”

You took his hand, following him to the old clubroom and tried to ignore the raised eyebrow from Tanaka. He passed you a towel, turning to take care of his own clothes. You shivered slightly from the cold, regretting going for a second glass. Wordlessly Nishinoya removed his jacket, holding it out to you.

“No I’m okay I can’t take your jacket,” you rushed, suddenly grateful for how low the lights were as your face flushed. 

“Just take it y/n, please? I don’t want you getting sick because I messed up,” he insisted, moving to drape it over your shoulders.

“I’m pretty sure I’m the one who messed up, I did turn around into you after all,” you laughed, accepting the jacket, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, and don’t worry about bumping into me I should’ve looked where I was walking,” he laughed with you, his hands still holding the edges of the jacket. The two of you just stared at each other for a moment before he dropped his hands. “Sorry.” 

“How have you been?” you changed the subject, “It’s been forever.”

“Uh yeah, it has,” he coughed, turning to face the window, “I’m the coach for Karasuno now, I have been for about three years since Ukai decided to retire. You own your own business now right?”

“Yeah I do actually, how’d you know?” you asked, genuinely shocked that he knew. 

“Just because we haven’t spoken in a decade doesn’t mean I haven’t tried to keep up on how you’re doing,” he smiled, but even in the dim lighting you could tell it wasn’t a happy smile. 

The silence was only a few seconds, but it felt like hours. He kept looking out the window, and you kept looking at him. You put your arms in the jacket, placing your hands in the pockets due to the cold. There was a small box in his pocket. You froze.

‘He’s planning to propose to his girlfriend tonight,’ you thought, trying to fight off the horrible feeling in your stomach. 

“So Nishinoya, other than coaching what have you been up to?” 

“I spent a lot of time fishing after I graduated, helped Ukai out with the shop while he coached, then we kinda switched, that’s really it,” he shrugged, turning his attention back to you. “I’ve dated here and there but it never really lasted.”

‘What?’ you thought, stunned. 

“What about you?  Aside from your business you don’t really post online,” he chuckled, his own cheeks a dark red, “have you found the one?”

You did. Twelve years ago, and you lost him too soon. You couldn’t tell him that though, it wasn’t fair to him so instead you said, “I haven’t actually, no one ever felt right for me.” 

He nodded like he understood. He probably did honestly, and you two went back to the silence. You nodded at nothing, looking around the room. When you glanced back at him you saw his eyes locked on your hands in the jacket pockets. 

“Oh! Right um, if you don’t want me to hold onto the things in your pocket I can give them to you, I didn’t even think-” you rushed out, blushing furiously. 

“Don’t worry about it, the only thing in their is yours anyways,” he cut you off, coughing again. You tilted your head in confusion while he just avoided your eyes. “You can open it if you want.” 

Your curiosity got the best of you and you pulled out the box. The bump of your heartbeat against your ribcage didn’t help your anxiety. You slowly opened it, a shiny ‘N’ pendant staring at you head on. You glanced up at him, trying to figure out why he brought this. Not to mention why he still had it. 

“I lied back then,” he blurted, smacking a hand over his mouth as soon as the words left it.

“What? Yu what are you talking about?” you were trying not to let your hopes get the best of you, heartbreak hurts enough the first time. There’s no reason for you to suffer again when you haven’t even recovered from the first time.

“When you asked me if I meant it,” he sighed, shaking his head at himself. “I don’t know why I lied, but I did and I don’t know why I’m even telling you this now or why I brought that necklace.” 

“You lied,” you repeated, touching the initial softly, “if you lied, what did you really mean? Please Yu, I need to know.” 

“Nothing is worth losing you, I wanted to go back in time and spend more time with you instead of practicing, or even just invite you to study at my practices so we could be near each other,” oh, why didn’t you ever think of that, “I wanted to restart those months. That’s what I meant, it’s what I should have said.” 

You hadn’t realized you were crying until you watched a tear drop glide off your nose into the box. You quickly wiped your eyes, not wanting to cry in front of him. 

“I wish you would have said that,” you admitted, giving him a sad smile.

 You closed the box, putting it back in the jacket pocket. You pulled off his jacket, placing it in his hands. With a breath to collect yourself, you smiled at him one last time. “I think I’m going to head home, thank you for telling me the truth.” 

You didn’t make it three steps before his hand wrapped around your wrist. 

“I watched you walk away before and I have regretted it every second of every day for ten years, I can’t just let you leave again,” he said, his voice filled with emotion. 

You closed your eyes, trying not to break down. Keeping your back to him, you moved to remove his hand from your wrist. He reluctantly let go, the both of you standing silently, tears falling freely. 

“Noya-”

“I still want you,” you felt him take a step closer, nearly touching you, “I still need you, I’ll make it right I swear, I’ve loved you from the moment  I saw you and haven’t stopped since.” 

You turned to face him, jumping slightly when you realized how close your faces were. His face was red and blotchy from the crying, his cheeks wet. You reached your hand up, wiping away his tears. He leaned into your touch, closing his eyes. 

“I haven’t met the one since we stopped talking because I always knew you are the only person for me,” you whispered, resting your forehead against his and closing your eyes. 

He wrapped his arms around your waist, pulling your body flush against his. You felt his tears wetting your shoulder but you just cried with him. Holding him felt like waking up from a bad dream and realizing you’re safe. You have never felt as comfortable and safe in any aspect of your life than when he’s holding you. 

“Can we try again, properly y/n,” he whispered against your neck, tightening his hold on you.

“I never stopped loving you either,” you replied, pulling back and giving him a teary smile. 

When you two walked back into the reunion hand in hand, his initial hanging on your neck, it felt right. For the first time in forever, everything felt right. 

[merryfortune]

Old Times’s Sake

Fandom: Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS

Ship: Respectfulshipping | Ryoken/Spectre

Word Count: 2.9k

Rating: G/T

Tags: Sad Fluff, Childhood Friends to Lovers, Sharing a Bed, Minor or Implied Possessive Behaviour

Synopsis: Not wanting to be alone with his thoughts, Ryoken makes his way to Spectre's quarters, thinking about how what he was doing was just like when they were kids.

  Ryoken recalled that between the two of them, Spectre was the one who usually instigated this sort of thing.

   It wasn’t because he was weak, he was a lot tougher than he gave himself credit for, but because he was curious. It was sad although true but coming to the Kogami household was the first time that he had been loved, as strange and stilted a love as it were so he kept wanting to test it. Something that he decided was easier by the cover of night, the sound of crickets and the glimmer of faint moonlight.

   He had been so strong for so long and he was finally at a place where he could indulge - and even be rewarded - for being vulnerable. At least by Ryoken. The assistants, when they were just the assistants and not yet the Lieutenants, kept him at an arm’s length. Not that Spectre cared much for them. He had a strong dislike of adults but at least these ones had given him something the previous adults who had cared for him at the Orphanage did not: they had given him the Hanoi Project.

   Spectre had been the sole member of the experimented cohort who had enjoyed the Hanoi Project. The way he smiled, the sounds of his laughter: Ryoken would remember it for better or worse. The way that he cherished the joy in what should have been misery was, in of itself, chilling in all sorts of other ways but getting to know the boy behind the glass, Ryoken could almost call Spectre’s unpredictable reaction to the Incident understandable. Almost. Spectre was a bit odd and it showed in how he played. How he interacted with the environment of the Kogami household.

   Ryoken still held very fond memories for the various nights in which Spectre had snuck out of bed, crept down the hall, and all so he could crawl into bed with Ryoken. He would open the door and close it behind him, dragging in with him a pillow and in the colder months, a soft, cuddly blanket as well to share. All because he knew that he was loved by Ryoken; he was completely enamoured.

   Most nights were giggles under the covers. Sweet, innocent moments shared in hushed voices, excited to be together after bedtime when it was forbidden for them to be together. It was exciting and tantalising. These were the nights when neither of them would remember falling asleep, only that they could have chatted the night away.

   There was something entirely and pleasantly different about sharing a room - a bed - with Ryoken compared to shading space with the other children at the orphanage, Spectre found. They would lie so close and clustered in cots, on mats, on futons: whatever fit in the room, all but overlapping and Spectre recalled distinctly that it was the worst. A distaste and disdain he never stopped yapping about to Ryoken, his first friend. The first child who didn’t hold him in contempt or outright bully him when he was a socially clumsy or awkward child, shy but not sweetly so.

   Ryoken didn’t mind. It was different for him as well. He had never been invited to sleepovers and he had never had a friend quite like Spectre either. He was his first, true friend and it felt like something incredibly profound, so Ryoken could only assume that it was this unique bond that they shared that made even the little things like sharing a bed, snuggling under the covers, so happy and special. 

   Those were definitely the nights that both held incredibly fond memories of. The way they waxed poetic about philosophy the only way children could and held onto one another through the sweetest dreams. But not all nights were such giddy, childish bliss. There were nights when it was as though Spectre had known that Ryoken needed comfort. He wouldn’t put it past Spectre to have known that intuitively. Or even psychically. He was so strange and his eyes were so big, maybe he really was some sort of changeling, that he had sprouted up all the same as a mushroom from the ground in a fairy circle. 

   Still, it was those colder nights where Ryoken was on the edge of terror that he was probably the most fond of even if the dredges of them still harrowed him. He was truly grateful for Spectre and his company at those times when things were going bump in the night, making his heart race with horrible memories and guilt. All of it tinted by the recollection of Spectre’s overjoyed laughter at being tortured: or in his eyes, tested for greatness.

   Here it strikes Ryoken that it should have been impossible for Spectre to have comforted him at all. Or even in reverse. The way they should have been so incompatible to give comfort to one another and yet, going beyond that and accepting how the Incident impacted the other without so much as a word a foul. Though it terrifies him, Ryoken never once made Spectre feel as though he ought to be a disgrace for wanting to be important in the cold, cruel eyes of the Hanoi Project. 

   Ryoken had never so much as breathed a word that could be construed as derogatory towards Spectre’s experience of the Incident.  A courtesy that was never extended to him by others in his life: the doctors who had seen to him in the aftermath, the matrons of the orphanage who were disgusted by his enthusiastic recollections of the trials that he had been through. They had all told him that he was wrong. That his feelings were wrong. And for a child like Spectre who already had a delicate and disturbed psyche, that was more traumatising than the electric shocks or the starvation. They had thought themselves correct; Ryoken thought them cruel.

   Thus, it pains Ryoken - even now, perhaps even especially now after everything had transpired as it had - that he was the first person to love Spectre. It was a depressing realisation to have, bumbling, at the age of eight. Even worse at eighteen given that things hadn’t changed much.

   Spectre had come to their lives, feeling only loved by a tree. Ten years later, he felt loved by a tree and by the Knights of Hanoi. What a dismally small circle. A tree that had been cut down and a handful of criminals. So what kind of love was that? Ryoken had sent him to die three times over. 

   But that wasn’t even the root of the agony that Ryoken felt into Spectre because of his woeful love for him. He had wanted to protect him from having his feelings hurt but that had just caused more anguish in the end. Ryoken had told him that all the Ignis were unrepentantably evil but it was just one. Ryoken had always known that and by the collarary, he had always known that Spectte and the Earth Ignis could have had a superb bond. It would not have been much more than what pitiful small gains that he already had but it would have been something. He didn’t even have to be like Playmaker and the Dark Ignis but it still would have been something special. The bond between Ignis and Origin was powerful. Even at a distance.

   Spectre had tried to hide his tears but Ryoken knew. The breaching of Spectre’s well honed devotion was something that was unsubtle. Spectre’s heart was wounded and Ryoken was the salt to it, rather than the balm. Ryoken curses himself for such short-sightedness but at the time, in the rush of the adrenaline that some good was coming of their war and again, that desire to protect Spectre, no matter how misguided, has spurred a strong impulse. Ryoken had said many things, implicitly and explicitly, to Spectre and away from Spectre, about Earth’s demise and they were all cruel and goading. When Spectre was hurting, not realising how deep the bond with his Ignis went, even though their tie was incompatible and never met, had been deep. And Ryoken’s cruelties had cut deeper.

   He had many regrets regarding that. Ever kind, or at least well meaning, in his own way, Spectre forgave Ryoken. 

   With the rebirth of the Dark Ignis on the ever nearing horizon, Ryoken has no idea if reconciliation was possible. Whether or not the Earth Ignis resurfaced, whole, once more was just as unknown. But Ryoken did want to take a solemn vow of redemption. 

   From his redemption, he wanted to embrace his innate role as a protector. He had wanted to protect his Father, so he took up arms against the Ignis. He had wanted to protect Spectre but all he did was distance him and hurt him in other ways. It seemed futile but Ryoken wanted to believe that if he could finally be a protector to the Ignis, not their destroyer, a role that he had always known was transgressive to his nature, then maybe he could finally do some good. Heal some of that hurt he had caused - and some other hurts that he wasn’t responsible for as well.

   Yet for all this noble navel gazing, its present culmination was just standing in front of Spectre’s door in the middle of the night and in the dark. It was silly. It was nostalgic. And he didn’t mean to disturb or intrude but that’s exactly what he did. He knocked on Spectre’s door, calling out to him, quiet and groggy, half hoping to be ignored and dreading that he might be.

   “Spectre?” he called out, his own voice sounding odd to him, muffled by the silence of the night.

   Ever attentive, Spectre was prompt and he opened up the door to Ryoken. He might not have been bright-eyed and busy-tailed like he usually was, pawing at his sleepy eyes as he welcomed Ryoken but he was there. Crumpled and yawning in his pyjamas, holding onto the doorframe to stay awake.

   “Yes, sir?” Spectre replied. His voice sounding strange, too.

   “I can’t sleep.” Ryoken quietly confessed. He licked his lips and he swallowed his selfishness. “Can I sleep with you? Like when we were little?”

   Spectre nodded and even in the bluish dim of the dark, he looked fond, “Yes, you may.” there was almost a giggle to his reply.

   He opened the door up a little further and allowed Ryoken inside. He closed it behind him and together, they shuffled on back to bed. It was still warm from before. Spectre slotting himself back in where he was before, on the left side of the bed, closer to the door. Ryoken naturally taking the right, closer to the window, and it really made him realise just how big their beds were nowadays, he had gotten so used to those tiny cots on the yacht. Laying down on the bed, Ryoken smiled and it shifted with Spectre’s weight too as he got comfortable again. They were close but not close enough, Ryoken felt as he helped to straighten up the sheets, trying to distribute them and the doona evenly to share.

   Spectre put his head down on his pillow and his lips quirked. He could feel Ryoken staring. He was lying straight, Ryoken was on his side and it was a little bit distracting.

   “Did you need something else as well?” Spectre asked, turning his head to the side slightly and only opening one eye at first.

   “Not really, I suppose.” Ryoken murmured. “I’ve just missed you, is all.”

   “I’m sorry.” Spectre whispered. “I’ll do better next time.”

   “There won’t be a next time, I promise.” Ryoken assured him. Ryoken inched closer to Spectre, his eyes were soft. “I was really scared this time, that you may not have woken up this time.”

   “Ryoken-sama…” Spectre murmured. 

   His eyes were glistening in the dark and Ryoken was so worried it because there were tears in them. And he was worried again when he was proven right. He reached across that ravine between them - a few centimetres’ worth of a silken expanse, all in all - and drew his finger along the precarious edge of Spectre’s tear duct. Those mere milimetres were damp.

   “I’m still scared that you may not wake up again,” Ryoken continued, his voice fragile, “I just want to go to sleep, listening to your heart beat, feeling your breath on my skin.”

   “I understand.” Spectre replied.

   That gap between them, physically, vanished. Ryoken was swept up in Spectre’s arms under the covers, he buried his face against Spectre’s breast. It was soft and warm, Ryoken smiled. Sighed. He felt more comfortable resting his head against it than a pillow. The thump of his heartbeat was placid and consistent, perfect to lull Ryoken to sleep - and the feeling of his arms. Ryoken could only describe it as protective.

   He thought, or at the very least fancied himself, as protective but the way Spectre swathed him was an entirely different sensation. It was strong and powerful and made Ryoken wonder if Spectre knew that this was a strength that he had the whole wide world trumped for.

   “Thank you.” Ryoken murmured.

   He closed his eyes and Spectre’s head tipped forward, he kissed Ryoken’s forehead through his fringe. His kiss was gentle and for it, Ryoken felt perhaps more beloved than he felt worthy of. Spectre held onto him and Ryoken fell asleep first. 

   It was completely unlike what they were like as children. They had much more energy back then, perhaps. Or maybe it was because the only things left to talk about in the wake of all the harrowing things that had happened were terrifying. Unknowns and chances and things like that. Ryoken wasn’t ready to know if Spectre wanted Earth back or things like that, if Spectre even forgave him deep down for the harsh things that he had said about Earth’s demise; he just wanted to know if Spectre was safe.

   Ryoken slept well in Spectre’s arms. Easily the best sleep that he had gotten for days, weeks, months… maybe even years. He was still entwined in them, Spectre’s hands resting against the back of his head, his fingertips ghosting the back of his scalp, in the morning. Even held onto so tightly, so posessively, it was like he was the one that was afraid that the other may not wake up this time.

   Ryoken was surprised by it though. His eyes were groggy as he looked up at Spectre, moving ever so slightly as not to disturb him since he still seemed deeply asleep. Spectre was nothing if not a creature of habit and his habit was to wake up early. He had many duties of a morning, after all. Making coffee for them both, making breakfast for them both. But he must have felt Spectre stare again. He opened just one eye again.

   “Good morning.” he greeted Ryoken with the sour notes of bemusement and rough sleep, not that he seemed all that annoyed by it since it was Ryoken but it was still there in his voice.

   “You didn’t wake up before me?” Ryoken asked. He squirmed slightly in Spectre’s arms, halfway to trying to escape Spectre and halfway to almost pinning him down instead.

   “No, I did,” Spectre confessed, “I even thought about getting up, but you looked so happy and I treasure that above all else, so I thought I would get some more sleep.”

   “Oh.” Ryoken murmured. “Thank you then.”

   “So are you ready to get up? I could make us pancakes, if you like.” Spectre suggested as he started to prop himself up in bed whilst Ryoken remained laying on his side.

   “With bacon for me and maple syrup for you?” Ryoken added on.

   “Of course.” Spectre smiled and he looked so dazzling in the yellow, morning sun as it bounced off the pale walls of his quarters, squeezing in through the rather small windows but he was breathtaking, nonetheless.

   “Then yes, I’d really like that.” Ryoken replied.

   “Sounds good.” Spectre agreed.

   He slipped out of bed and Ryoken at to hold his tongue. He still just wanted to hold Spectre from now to forever. It was selfish but meaningful to Ryoken. The difference of what Spectre’s bed felt like without him. It was still warm but that warmth was evaporating quickly. Not to mention how lonesome it was. But looking up at Spectre was quite the view. It was a shame to ignore it as Ryoken shifted in the bed, trying to get up, swinging his legs over the other side of the edge.

   “And Ryoken-sama?” Spectre prompted him whilst straightening up his pyjamas, Ryoken turned his head, “We should do this more often.”

   “I think so.” Ryoken murmured. “And Spectre?”

   “Yes?” Spectre replied.

   “I love you.” Ryoken said, not quite out of the blue but almost.

   Spectre’s face softened. It was fond. “I love you too.” he replied with the hope to say it again over breakfast, using browned butter and smoky bacon and lukewarm maple syrup, and again tonight, when Ryoken invariably would wander to his quarters again seeming for old times’s sake.

[higuchimon]

[information]

I decided since my old 2021 Resolutions post was so horrifically out of date, that I should write a new pinned post. I recommend reading this for information about me.

First: no more writing resolutions. I'll write what I can, when I an.

Second: I am non-binary/agender. Pronouns are they/them, though I responded to she/her so long that I am not bothered by them. I'm also asexual & aromantic.

Third: I am nearly fifty. My fandoms of choice are, in no given order, are: Power Rangers (MMPR-PRLR, with occasional dips into later ones), Digimon Adventure, Digimon Adventure 02, Digimon Tamers, Digimon Frontier, Digimon Xros Wars/Hunters, Digimon Applimonsters, Digimon NEXT, YGO DM, YGO GX, YGO 5Ds, YGO Zexal, YGO Arc-V, YGO VRAINS, YGO Sevens, Binan Koukou Chikyuu Boubeiu Love & Love Love, Binan Koukou Chikyuu Boubei Happy Kiss, Kingdom Hearts, Pokemon, and Trollhunters. Digimon tri & Digimon Kizuna I might take small bits from but am not overly fond of them. Nothing more needs to be said on that front. YGO GX is the blood in my veins. I am unlikely to writee any given game for Pokemon.

Fourth: I have a large backlog of prompts for fics, both submitted by others and taken up for myself. If you wish to send in a prompt, the inbox is always open but it may take time for me to get to it, depending on my mood and what the prompt sparks. Please check "higuchimon prompts" for lists of prompts.

I warned you. All right. Here we go. You'll see some concepts and preferences pop up repeatedly. Tread with caution.

Digimon Adventure 02

Non-epilogue compliant: fics where the epilogue (and now that they exist, Tri and Kizuna) isn't going to happen. Non-canon ships (most often Ken x Daisuke & Taichi x Yamat0) abound. Fics seldom related to one another unless otherwise noted.

Loss, Gain, & Other Heartaches: A new enemy brainwashes a lot of human Chosen and their partners, after destroying the original twelve's patners, leading to the Digimon's data being merged with the Chosen's.

Division of Destiny: What if Vamdemon turned Sora into a vampire and from there defeated the Chosen? Well, he ended up turning Taichi, Jou, & Mimi into vampires as well, while imprisoning Hikari and giving Yamato, Takeru, and Koushiro to Piemon and the Dark Masters as slaves. A pesky rebellion formed of Daisuke, Iori, Miyako, Ken, Osamu, and various other charactes tries to fight them. Firm ships are currently just Ken x Daisuke.

When Blood Crosses: Oh, one of my favorites and probably my oldest AU altogether. What if humans and Digimon could have children together? And what if they did already? Seven out of twelve of the Chosen are part Digimon - or more. This is a full-blown multiverse. Stories don't always relate to one another, but the basic concepts tend to be the same. Ships can vary but for the most part are Taichi x Yamato, Jou x Koushiro, Mimi x Sora, Hikari x Miyako, Ken x Daisuke, and Takeru x Iori. Not averse to Piemon x Takeru, either.

Quiet Interlude: Little fluffy pieces featuring Taichi x Yamato in an establihsed relationship during 02 and beyond.

Adaptions: I don't have much written here but I have Such Plans. It will involve Things Happening to Taichi (in season 1) and Daisuke (season 2). It will probably end with Taichi x Yamato and Ken x Daisuke.

Take To The Skies: In this world, some people have wings and can fly. Daisuke is a Flier. The Digimon Kaiser thinks that makes him the perfect pet. But he will need training, of course. Kaiser x Daisuke. Other stories might involve the others who have wings.

Return of Old Enemies: Takeru is captured by two strange Digimon and collared so he can't speak. That's only the beginning of what's going on.

Fragmented Memory: Kaiser x Daisuke. Kaiser has wiped Daisuke's memory and convinced him that they're together. The other Chosen are not happy about this.

Broken Bonds: A soulmate AU featuring Piemon x Takeru. This is also a breeds AU. Piemon murders Patamon and takes Takeru.

Fight To Remember: Kaiser has lost his memory. So has Daisuke. Together, they need to learn who they were, who they are, and who they're going to be. Ken x Daisuke, obviously.

Services Rendeed: Daisuke gets poisoned and the cure lies within territory controlled by the Kaiser. The only way to save him is for the Kaiser to do it. His price - Daisuke himself. To be his until he gets bored with Daisuke. Sadly, the Kaiser isn't easily bored. Ken x Daisuke.

Stirring Shadows: Ken had a very naughty dream about being the Kaiser again and wanting to dominate Daisuke instead of the Digital World. Now, it was just a dream - right? Ken x Daisuke, older.

Scars of Victory: The Digimon Kaiser defeated the Chosen and took Daisuke as his trophy. For seven years he's ruled over the Digital World unopposed, having blocked the older Chosen from entering the Digital World. Now the barriers have dropped - and revenge is best served cold. Ken x Daisuke, brainwashing, off-screen death.

Course of Events: Set in a breeds AU: Vamdemon notices something unusual about Daisuke when he's in line to meet Tailmon and sends him to Piemon, who discovers who and what he is. How interesting. No current ships.

Walking The Edge: The Chosen have fought the Kaiser for years without knowing his true identity. Daisuke has also been dating Ichijouji Ken for years. So when the Kaiser finally reveals who he is - well, Daisuke has a choice to make. And the Kaiser will only allow one.

Dark Brotherhood: breeds AU. Ken, as Kaiser, has discovered that his half-brother is Yamato. Or rather, Anbumon. An alliance is offered. Ships: Yamato x Taichi & Ken x Daisuke.

Danger Zone: The Kaiser is very annoyed at Daisuke's continued existence as his enemy. So he decides to change where Daisuke's allegiance lies. Kaiser x Daisuke.

Hidden Truths: Miyako-centered breeds AU, also involving Jou and his dark side Fuseiimon. No ships centered, but light indicationss of Ken x Daisuke, Jou x Koushiro, and Taichi x Yamato.

Errors of Love: Aged up AU. Daisuke is dating the Kaiser. This is probably a very terrible mistake. KEn x Daisuke.

Magical Educations In Love: Magical school AU. Established ships: Ken x Daisuke, with possible Ken x Daisuke x Takeru.

Shadowed Soul: Piemon x Vamdemon x Takeru. is it love or just sex? Takeru wishes he knew. It's also a soulmate AU.

Melody of the Heart: A world of magic and magical creatures. Loosely a mirror of my breeds verse (and I do mean loosely). Established ships: Taichi x Yamato, Ken x Daisuke, Jou x Koushiro, Mimi x Sora. Others to come.

What He Wants: M rated/non-con, Kaiser x Daisuke. That's pretty much all there is to it. Just a couple of drabbles now but I'll expand it later.

Game of Life: breeds AU. The Kaiser's noticed something about some of the Chosen and wants to know what's going on. Undecided ships.

Bitter Bargains: The Chosen have fought the Kaiser for years. He's shown a rough attachment to Daisuke - kidnapping him on a regular basis. Then one day, Daisuke wakes up to find the Kaiser in his bedroom. Oh, dear. Non-con Kaiser x Daisuke.

Sanguine Bindings: Aged up AU - and Ken's a vampire, who mind-controlled Daisuke from episode 2 onward. Brainwashing/mind control/non-graphic non-con.

Purpose of Existence: Kaiser found out about Daisuke being a very special breed and claimed him for his own. Daisuke doesn't like this but something isn't right - he listens, whether he wants to or not. Aged up/breeds AU. Ken x Daisuke.

Buds and Blossoms: A romance between Hikari and Mimi. That's about it.

No Good Decisions: Daisuke accidently eats something he shouldn't have in the Digital World. It wouldn't be so bad - if the Kaiser hadn't found him and determined that someone needed to watch him. Ken x Daisuke.

Blood Of His Blood: Breed AU. Piemon wants to live again and will ensure that he does, through his oldest son.

For All Time: Taichi's been in an accident and Yamato's not sure when he will wake up. Taichi x Yamato.

Heart of Demon, Soul of Angel: AU where Taichi is an angel and Yamato is a demon. At least it starts off that way. A lot is going to change. Established ships: Taichi x Yamato & Ken x Daisuke.

Bonds & Bondage: Kaiser goes ahead and Rings V-mon. This affects Daisuke, unexpectedly. Now what will the Chosen do? Ken x Daisuke.

Fireblood: Breeds/Firestarter/Healer AU. Vamdemon bites Yamato and awakens his dark side - not good for anyone at all. Taichi x Yamato.

Flaming Ivy: The 02 Chosen are Healers and Firestarters and are working out what that means for them. Ken x Daisuke.

Digimon Tamers

Fair Wings: Some of the Tamers have wings, including Juri, Kenta, and Ruki. Adventunres and romance thereof. Established relationship: Juri x Takato.

Digimon Frontier

Consequences of Games: Just a set of fluffy post-canon fanfics featuring the Chosen playing games and what happens after the games. Firm ships include Kouji x Kouichi and Junpei x Izumi.

Heirs Apparent: Lucemon's spirit escaped confinement and was able to have an encounter with Kimura Tomoki, siring twin boys.

Godslave: So, Lucemon is the God-King of the world, ruling humans and Digimon alike. What he wants, he gets. And now he wants Kouji.

Tales of WInd and Water: Stories that cicle around Ranamon and Izumi.

Reflections of Dark Shadows: An AU where Kouji doesn't have a twin. What he does have is a reflection - and the reflection doesn't like his boyfriend. Established Takuya x Kouji, one-sided Kouichi x Kouji.

The Wind-child: A fantasy AU where Izumi is the daughter of AncientIrismon and has many adventures.

Yu-Gi-Oh Xros Wars/Hunters

Not Telling All: Yuu is a vampire with a taste for Tagiru. Tagiru doesn't know - at least not yet.

Hunting The Great Game: A rewrite of Xros Wars/Hunters. Set three years instead of one after the Xros Wars. Taiki finds himself back in the Digital World and that's where it all begins.

Digimon NEXT

Knight Tales: Fantasy AU. Kahara Shou's village is slaughtered and burned down and he's the only survivor. Taken in by Barbamon, he becomes the Demon Lord's devoted Knight.

Yu-Gi-Oh DM

Pleasures of Shadows: Yami no Malik has been revived as an incubus.

Crimeland: An AU where there are three Kaiba brothers (Seto, Seth, and Mokuba) and - many other differences I haven't gotten to writing yet. Only set 'ship is Seto x Kisara.

Uncertain Choices: A modern day AU, with Atemu and Yuugi as twin brothers. Only set ship right now is Atemu x Mahaado. If I ever finish the sequel I have in mind, I will add Seto x Yuugi.

Ways of Magic: a magical AU. Seto and Mokuba are dragons. Pegasus is a sorcerer. Mai is a pirate queen. Otogi is a djinn. A few scattered set pairings such as Otogi x Bakura Ryou.

Heart of Magic: a magical AU. This one involves a magical school where various characters are students or teachers. Established ships: Atemu x Mahaado.

Gifts of Power: A Superhero AU. A large chunk of people have powers. Established relationship: Isis x Mana.

Yu-Gi-Oh GX

Reversal AU: In canon, Juudai has the poewr of the Gentle Darkness. Here, in a world very like Dark World but with differences (such as a sun), he has the power of the Destructive Darkness - and he is pure evil, enjoys it, and has the overall goal of destroying all of creation. A small, plucky rebellion stands against him. Do they stand a chance? Time will tell. Be warned: non-consensual Juudai x Johan, as well as someone becoming a vampire, and many other twisted plot points. I love this AU.

Stronger Than Water: We don't know much about Johan's past. So what if he actually grew up in Dark World, as Brron's adopted son? And was sent to kill Juudai? Firm ships are Yubel x Juudai and maybe Yubel x Juudai x Johan. I havevn't gotten far enough to be sure.

Hell's Ice: What if Ryou were the one taken by Kagemaru and Amnael instead of Fubuki? Well, add in some elemental affinities and we have the Hell Kaiser of Ice - one of the Seven Stars. No set ships othe than Yubel x Juudai, though I am debating a few.

Itch To Scratch: Juudai and Yubel are demons. Johan's an angel - or he thinks he is, anyway. What he really is, he'll find out eventually. Firm ship is Yubel x Juudai x Johan.

Bridges: So, in this series, Juudai's power is that of the Light of Creation. Johan has the Gentle Darkness - and Juudai has been possessed by the Light of Ruin for seven thousand years.

Dead Weight: It's the zombie apocalypse! Ahhh! No set in stone ships yet.

King's Champion: When a late-night break-in goes very wrong, Yubel ends up taking Juudai to Dark World for his own safety. He ends up being raised by Brron. But taking him away from Earth has consequence, both good and bad. Yubel x Juudai. Not ruling out Yubel x Juudai x Johan in the future.

Shadow Demons: Juudai: King of Hell, with Yubel and Johan as his Consorts. Ryou, a demon prince. Fujiwara Yuusuke, a shadow mage with Honest as his guardian angel. Fubuki as an angel of love. Asuka slays evil vampires. And much, much more. Established ships: Ryou x Yuusuke and Yubel x Juudai x Johan.

Echoes: Rewrites of different parts of GX. Currently only the Haou arc, but others to come. Established ships: technically none but eventually Yubel x Juudai.

In The Shadows of the Fae: Juudai is the King of the Fae with Yubel and Johan as consorts, and Shou as his servant. A delicious AU that I enjoy. Established ships: Yubel x Juudai x Johan.

In Chains: Fantasy AU. Brron is gifted Shou as a slave, and Shou has to deal with that. Not easy. Established ships: Yubel x Juudai x Johan & Edo x Ryou x Saiou.

In Any World: A series of non-connected Yubel x Juudai AUs. Each is a one-shot and is in a different AU.

Past and Future: Yubel shows Juudai events that happened in their past lives together, as they forge a new future with one another. Yubel x Juudai.

Sky Stories: A lot of people have wings. Juudai didn't - until he fused with Yubel. Ryou has rusted metal wings - until Edo takes care of them. ANd many more stories. Established ships: Yubel x Juudai x Johan.

To Accept Fate's Will: A soulmate AU. Established ships: Yubel x Juudai, Edo x Saiou x Ryou. O'Brien x Sea God's Priestess.

Hole In Your Heart: Not fighting means that Shou's in danger. Especially when he gets captured and sold to one of Haou's servants. As if his third year wasn't already going downhill. No actual ships that I know of (probable future Yubel x Juudai)

In Space, In Light: Juudai sent Yubel into space to be healed by the Gentle Darkness. In canon, it failed. Here, it worked. Uh-oh. Yubel x Juudai.

Paladin's Quest: post ending series. Ryou dies of heart failure and is reborn as a duel spirit without his memories of his past. But that's going to change, because what he did in Dark World cannot be forgotten.

In Darkness We Find FIre: An AU of my own devising, that I call Healer/Firestarter. Healers can heal & communicate/grow plants, and Firestarters bun things. There are a lot more details than that but this tale is a retelling of canon through that lens. Established ship: Yubel x Juudai.

Politics of Ages: Asuka is a vampire queen with two consorts: Manjoume and Ryou. Lots of vampiric politics.

Infinite Love: A magical AU with soulmates. Features Ryou x Yuusuke, Camula x Ruthven (OC), and Edo x Saiou.

King's Knights: Post-canon series. Juudai offers Ryou, Fubuki, and Yuusuke as his Knights. But that's just the beginning. Johan has his own tale to tell.

Passion's Flight: Soul-wings universe. Established asexual/aromantic Asuka. Future Yubel x Juudai.

Prisoner of the Black Tower: Johan is trapped in a black tower by someone called Haou. He doesn't know who that is. And he wants to leave.

Apprentices: A mild alternate timeline, where Kyle and Nero from season 3 meet and become friends - while in Haou's dungeon.

World of Fusion: Brron fused all the dimensions and the world that results is so very different. Now Brron also has three sons: Juudai, Johan, and Rune (the Johan lookalike from season 3). Also, Ryou is a vampire. Established relationships: Yubel x Juudai.

Fate's Heart: Multiple tales of Yubel and Juudai as soulmates.

Power of Earth: Healer/Firestarter AU, featuring Jim and O'Brien.

Family Flowers: Healer/Firestarter AU, featuring Rick and Cobra.

Red Zinnias: Healer/FIrestarter AU, featuring Saiou and Edo

Destructive Flames: A merging of the Firestater/Healer AU and the Reversal AU. It's even less fun than the usual REvers - well, for values of fun.

Spirit Friends: People become friends with Duel Spirits aren't in their decks. Such as Wolf for Juudai and SQuall for Amon.

Bonds of Kinship: Exploring the relationship between Johan and the lookalike - his twin brother.

Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal

Order of the Outcasts: A fantasy AU loosely inspired by AD&D. The Order of the Outcasts is the Barians. Yuuma is a powerful healing mage and Astral is his fae companion. Much fun to be had! Co-written with SilvorMoon.

Committed To Her: Kotori is Queen Merag's slave, and devotedly loves her. Merag would like to return it, but it's not that easy. Obviously, a Merag x Kotori story, and an AU.

Cry of Vengeance: Vector wants revenge on Nasch for a long-ago offense, so he attacks Nasch's boyfriend Durbe. But that's not all he wants his revenge on and he has an interesting way to get it. Vampire/slight magic AU.

On Dragon's Wings: Mizael is a dragon. Vector is a prince who becomes a demon. And many other changes for a fantasy AU. Established ships are Vector x Mizael and Alit x Leo.

Inevitable Encounters: soulmate AU and how they deal with it. Established ships: Kaito x Yuuma, Durbe x Nasch, Kotoi x Merag/Rio, Vector x Mizael

Fae Whispers: Durbe x Chris. Chris is a Fae Prince who offers for Durbe to become a Fae Knight.

Different Numbers: Another soulmate AU. Features Durbe x Nasch, Vector x Mizael, V/Chris x Kaito, Gilag x Sanagi, & Alit x III/Michael x Yuuma.

Prison of the Prince: Vector wishes to keep Fae Prine Mizael as his prisoner. Mizael isn't so thrilled about that. Vecto x Mizael.

Hating Humanity: Durbe finds Nasch and Merag before the Astral Messenger arrive. Without Yuuma's influence, what will Nasch do? Durbe x Nasch.

Blurring: There are multiple ways to detect one's soulmate. Mizael has Vector's name on his right arm and Kaito's on his left - right arm is for the soulmate and left for the enemy.

Yu-Gi-Oh Arc-V

Beat of Wings: Some characters have wings, including Yuuya, Yuuto, Yuugo, and Yuuri. And Shun. And others. No real ships (that I know of) and Yuuri is going to have fun!

Life With A Demon: Featuring Masumi x Yuzu, Asuka x Selena, and past Selena x Masumi. Demon AU, along with other creatures of magic.

Confusing: Yuuri has captured Shun and is training him to be a warrior of Fusion. Shun would rather not - but his mind is now Yuuri's plaything.

Angels, Demons, and Deciding Factors: Angel/demon AU. Yuuri is a demon, who encounters the angel Shun in his territory. Yuuri decides that he wants this angel for his own - mostly because Shun doesn't want that, nor does Yuuto. M rated/consent issues/brainwashing.

Collars and Keeping: Yuuri captured Shun early in the war and Shun escapes the first chance he gets. But Yuuri won't let him go - and there's a horrible punishment awaiting his pet.

Fae Song: Selena x Rin x Ruri x Yuzu. Selena is a Fae Princess and the others are her servants.

Deadly Daughter: Professor Leo Akaba decides he can't trust Yuuri and thus trains Selena to be his sgent to find and captue the other gils with her face. Selena's girlfriend, Asuka, helps - only seeing what happened in the war turns her away from Fusion. Undecided ships.

Dragon and Falcon: Yuuri's a dragon & Shun's a shapeshifting falcon. Yuuri claimed Shun as a part of his hoard and his servant. And it just seems that dragon saliva does something to shapeshifters. non-con/drugged Yuuri x Shun.

Soulwings: In this AU, when soulmates meet one another (or when one's true purpose is found), wings are developed. So when Kaito and Edo cross paths... Established Kaito x Edo and alluded to Yuuri x Shun.

Strike Hard, Strike Fast: Vampire AU. Sora, Yuuri, and Dennis are vampires. Ruri and Shun are vampire hunters. So when Shun crosses their paths, Yuuri decides to take him for his own.

Opposite Ends: Yuugo is brought to Shingo as his slave. Yuugo doesn't like Shingo. Oh, they're going to have a lot of fun.

Dragonflame and Nature's Spark: A HEaler/FIrestater rewrite of Arc-V, mostly featuring Ryou and Mizael, along with Yuuri and Vector. Ship: Ryou x Mizael, Durbe x Chris, and Shou x Michael.

Yu-Gi-Oh VRAINS

A Model Life: Kogami Ryouken is a supermodel. You know, when he's not a cyber-terrorist.

Power Rangers

Flip Of a Coin: Tommy Oliver is Tommi Oliver here. Gender-switch from birth.

Soulborn: Soulmates from the Power Rangers. Established ship: Cassie x Phantom. Future ship: Kat x Tommy.

BKCBL

Burning Inscription: Soulmates have the most important words spoken to them by their soulmates written on their arms. On Kinshiro's: I am Battle Lover Epinard! Nonsense. Atsushi x Kinshiro.

Love of Spirits: Kinshiro is a spirit of the sun. Atsushi is a wind spirit. The others are also magical beings. Kinshiro x Atsushi.

Crossovers

Elemental Ties: YGO GX & Digimon Frontier. Juudai and Kouichi cross paths. But they're not the only ones who share elements.

Replacement Vampire: YGO GX & Digimon Adventure 02: Post his defeat in 02, Vamdemon awakens in his Perfect form again, in a new world, where he meets someone he never thought he would - a female vampire. Camula didn't think she'd ever see another vampire. He's not quite her species, but he's definitely her type. Firm ship: Camula x Vamdemon. Also, vampire Seven Star!Ryou.

Scorpion Strike: YGO GX & YGO Zexal: Ryou wakes up in the Barian World, and doesn't know his name or anything else. But he's a Barian now, so he works for the Barian World. Ryou x Mizael.

Those are all my current series. Here are the series that I have waiting in the wings:

Power Rangers

Unexpected Tales: A series of fics about ships I like: Rita x Zedd, Emily x Jason, and Tanya x Adam.

Yellow & Blue: A pair of fics involving Trini x Billy

Digimon Adventure 02

Blossoms of Death: Non epilogue compliant, where a new enemy attacks the Chosen and a lot of things happen including friendship between different Chosen and their partners.

In Our Veins: Breeds AU. Non epilogue compliant and the breeds slowly start to awaken to their powers. Known ships: Ken x Daisuke.

Far From The Tree: Breeds AU, rewrite of a very old story of mine. Starting in the Devimon arc, the Chosen begin to awaken.

Last Dark Master: Breeds AU, another rewrite of a very old story. Yamato attracts Piemon'os attention. No ships at this time.

To True Love: A series about Taichi x Yamato. Mild Ken x Daisuke also.

Heed The Call: The Kaiser discovered the breeds - especially Anbumon, the strongest of them all. Time for an alliance. Ken x Daisuke & Yamato x Taichi.

Digimon Tamers

After Tamers: Post-canon, the Tamers have even more adventures with their returned partners.

Burning Brightly: An alternate take on Ruki and Renamon meeting one another.

Yu-Gi-Oh GX

In Solitude Lies Strength: A slight divergence changes a great deal about Juudai's rule in Dark World.

Different Kind of Darkness: When Juudai encounters a vampire before his rule in Dark World begins, everything takes a dip to a deeper darkness.

After Academia: Graduating doesn't mean that their adventurs have ended. They're just different now. Yubel x Juudai.

Colors of Love: A different soulmate concept - those who have soulmates only see the colors of their soulmate's hair and eyes until they meet - at which point they see all colors, and sprout their wings. Edo x Saiou and Yubel x Juudai, with others to come.

Hi Kari Kouri E: Healer/Firestarter. Kagemaru wants a powerful Frostflame on his Seven Stars team, so sends people to recruit a six year old Marufuji Ryou. Future Yubel x Juudai and Ryou x Yuusuke.

Yu-Gi-Oh Arc-V

Prey and Hunters: Yuuri captures Shun and has a good old time tormenting him. Rewrite of my original "Yuuri torments Shun" story. It will have a crossover with Mythology of Love by SilvorMoon eventually.

BKCBL

Seduction of Shadows: a realm with Io being human, Akoya being a demon, and Ryuu being an angel.

Crossovers

Love Is Out Of This World: BKCBL & Digimon Adventure 02. When the Digimon Kaiser drops into the Student Council Room, things become very interesting. Ken x Daisuke, Atsushi x Kinshiro.

Ties To Magic: Digimon Adventure 02, Digimon Tamers, and YGO GX. A fantasy world where anyone can meet anyone at all.

From Shadows Within: Digimon Adventure, 02, Tamers, and Frontier. A new adventure for everyone! Ships: Ken x Daisuke.

I fully expect to develop more of these in the future. Time will tell! And I will update this when or if the time comes.

[stiltonbasket]

Arranged marriage au! Experiment gone wrong lwj ends up turning into a large affectionate rabbit

(brief author's note: please please reblog if you can, since that's how we get prompts for future ficlets!)

Wei Wuxian hadn’t meant to leave the door to his workroom unlocked. He hadn’t meant to skip lunch, either, but the fur clippings he was using in his latest protective talisman proved more promising than he hoped they would, and he wasn’t really hungry anyway, so he decided to stay in the jishi and work until the talismans were finished. 

But Lan Zhan, dutiful husband that he is, decided to bring his lunch to him--and Wei Wuxian was so flustered by the sound of Lan Zhan’s voice that he knocked over a pair of shelves, which knocked over a few buckets of spirit water, and then the spirit water splashed onto his desk and activated all the talismans at once. 

Things escalated. And there was rabbit fur in the guarding talismans, which is probably why Lan Zhan seems to be a rabbit now.

“Your uncle is going to kill me,” Wei Wuxian says dolefully, after he finishes screaming himself hoarse. “Lan Zhan, he’s really going to kill me this time, and I’ll deserve it. You’re a rabbit.”

Lan Zhan seems to dislike that idea for some reason, probably because Wei Wuxian is still his best friend even if he did turn him into a rabbit. Or maybe Lan Zhan thinks that Wei Wuxian might deserve to die just a little this time, but there’s no way to tell for sure because Wei Wuxian can’t speak rabbit, even if the insistent thumping of Lan Zhan’s hind legs is supposed to mean something. It probably does, since the rabbits on the back mountain sometimes make the same gesture, but Wei Wuxian never thought to ask Lan Zhan why.

His zhiji’s practice in rabbit-rearing would be very useful in a situation like this, Wei Wuxian laments. But his aforementioned zhiji is the rabbit here, so Wei Wuxian is going to have to figure this out on his own. 

“At least I know what rabbits eat,” he tells his husband. “You haven’t had lunch yet, have you? Stay here and don’t touch anything, and I’ll get some carrot tops for you.”

He tries to move towards the door, but then Lan Zhan makes a heart-breaking crying sound and launches himself right at him, landing in Wei Wuxian’s fumbling arms only just in time. “Lan Zhan!” he scolds, as his husband pushes his fluffy head up under Wei Wuxian’s chin. “Lan Zhan, you can’t jump around like that! You’re a rabbit, not an immortal master--you could have hurt yourself! What if you’d broken your neck, ah? What would have happened then?”

Lan Zhan only whimpers again and twitches his long ears at him. He absolutely refuses to get down, even when Wei Wuxian promises to come back with some food and a bowl of water so Lan Zhan can eat, and then he curls into a fat white ball and cries pitifully until Wei Wuxian carries him back to the jingshi. And after that, he cries some more while Wei Wuxian wraps him up in a blanket and cuddles him, petting the soft silvery fur between his ears until they go back against his little head in pure bliss--which is when Lan Zhan finally falls asleep with his nose tucked into the crook of Wei Wuxian’s elbow, and stops making his heart ache with his sad rabbit noises.

“Good boy,” Wei Wuxian whispers, looking around the room for something to put Lan Zhan in. Xiao-Yu’s pillow-basket is just the right size, since Lan Zhan is rather a large rabbit, but Wei Wuxian never gets to put him in it because Lan Zhan starts crying again the moment he lets go of him. 

“Oh, Lan Zhan,” he sighs, his lips quivering a little as he peppers kisses all over his husband’s furry face to quiet him. “Don’t cry, sweetheart! Your Wei Ying will take a nap with you, and then I’ll feed you all the nice vegetables you want, and then we’ll go bring Xiao-Yu back from the hanshi and figure this out, ah? I promise.”

Lan Zhan gives a tiny nod and nestles a little closer, and then proceeds to cry again every time Wei Wuxian even thinks about getting out of bed.

“You’re a horrible rabbit, my Lan Zhan,” Wei Wuxian tells him, hugging him even tighter. “I’m never going to let you forget this when you turn back, you know.”

---

When Wei Wuxian opens his eyes again, Lan Zhan is still asleep on top of him, just as sticky he was earlier that afternoon--but he is decidedly human this time, which is why Wei Wuxian nearly faints when Lan Zhan sighs into his throat and presses a soft, damp kiss to the curve between his neck and shoulder.

“Lan Zhan!” he gasps, nearly fainting on the spot as his zhiji kisses him two more times in quick succession before stroking Wei Wuxian’s cheek. “Lan Zhan, wake up! You’ve changed back, so you can get up now, right?!”

This is torture, he thinks, blushing like a sunset as Lan Zhan wraps his arms around him and grumbles into his ear. My heart isn’t ready for this yet! You’re going to kill me, Lan Zhan!