#pbss: back in my time...

[filialdisciple]

HI TINN ITS ME PITTY 🙇‍♀️🙇‍♀️

i was wondering if youre still open for prompts… and if u are can you write about pbss somehow tranported to current mount hua, and everyone is confused af and just watches pbss and divine dragon interact (and maybe argue) with each other

PITTY HELLO ♥✨♥✨♥ yes i'm always open to prompts !!! im literally rotating rotmhs in my head 24/7

this first half was actually born from another prompt by mei on discord but I want to build on it, so dumping it here 👍 HAHAHA

»—————————–✄

The Plum Blossom Sword Saint lets out a ragged breath, his vision rapidly fading. His sword falls from his hand and soon after his body follows.

"...Mount Hua..." he mumbles, aware that the only thing left that awaited him was the cold claim of death.

He dies. And in the next second, he blinks up to a clear sky, the dead bodies that surrounded him gone.

%%%

Dawn had barely broken when an incessant banging against Mount Hua's gates and shouting started and broke the tranquil silence, rousing several disciples.

"OPEN UP!" Someone barks out from the other side. "Fuck. Fuck. Shit. Open this gate right now!!"

Un Am frowns at the lack of manners and respect being shown by the source of the shouting. He reaches the gate and pulls it open. It takes Un Am a bit of effort to ensure that his voice sounded cordial, "Hello, we aren't accepting any visitors this ear—"

Un Am cuts himself off as he takes note of the state of the man in front of him. The man's robes and face were crusted with dried blood despite a lack of any visible injury. That is, if one ignore his lack of an arm.

It still didn't explain the amount of blood he had on his body that was free from any wounds and visible scars.

The man's eyes were bloodshot and trembling. Un Am, even from afar, could tell that there was something deeply wrong with this man. He seemed unconscious of the way he emanated a manic aura; there was a charged sort of energy surrounded him that made an instinctive part of Un Am grip his sword handle in response.

The most notable and unexplainable part of the man, however, was the blood-stained plum blossom embroidered on his chest.

"Who...?" Un Am finds himself unable to react to the man's speed and freezes in place as the man grabs him by the lapels of his robe. He pulls Un Am towards himself and grits out,

"What. Happened. To. My Sect."

%%%

Baek Cheon was quickly ushered into the Sect Leader's residence the moment he returned with a few others from their last excursion to Xi'an.

"What's going on?" He asks.

Elder Un Geom, for a lack of a better word, looked harried. His face twists into a grimace. "It's a bit complicated..."

Baek Cheon doesn't know how he should feel about that response.

Surely, it couldn't be too terrible. After all, their sect was still standing and they did leave Chung Myung behind to stay on Mount Hua as he and the other chosen second-class disciples only had to deliver some goods and tokens to their subsect. Their youngest wouldn't let anything dangerous happen on his watch.

Baek Cheon tries to probe more information. "Before you pulled me away, Baek Sang mentioned something about a guest...?"

"We aren't quite sure of the specifics either, I'm afraid. But the man claims to be one of our ancestors from over a hundred years ago."

"An ancestor? Was he able to verify the claims?"

Un Geom nods. "I've never seen someone weild our plum blossom technique with as much power as he did."

If that was the case, then maybe their supposed ancestor could help them develop and improve their sword techniques even further by teaching them more about the skills that have been lost through time.

"Isn't that a good thing then?"

"It should be, but Chung Myung..."

Ah. Hearing those last three trailing words did not promise anything good.

When they finally opened the door to the Sect Leader's residence, they were greeted to the sight of a soulless Hyun Jong slumped against the wall, a freaked-out Yoon Jong who seemed to be torn between jumping into the fray and throwing himself out the window, and—

"WHY ARE YOU TRYING TO BEAT UP OUR ANCESTOR, YOU BRAT?!"

Their ancestor and Chung Myung pause in their positions as they both turned eerily similar pink gazes towards the two new entrants.

Chung Myung had the end of their ancestor's ponytail pulled towards him and scrunched up in his fists. His knee pressed against the older man's chest and neck while his jaw was unhinged as he was clearly attempting to bite the man's single arm.

Their ancestor in turn had his one hand closed around half of Chung Myung's face, trying to push him away. His legs were wrapped around Chung Myung's lower half in an inescapable hold and he seemed to have been gearing up for a headbutt before Baek Cheon and Un Geom interrupted them.

"You want me to call this brat my ancestor?!" Chung Myung shouts out as he renewed his attempts to bite the man by roughly grabbing onto the base of his ponytail.

"I'm one hundred years older than you!" Their ancestor grits out as he unashamedly bites Chung Myung's arm. "You disrespectful descendant! Back in my time—"

"'Back in my time', my ass!"

"You...!"

Off to the side, their current sect leader lets out a pitiful moan of mental pain. Baek Cheon would comfort him if he didn't feel the same amount of psychic damage as he watches his youngest sajil and ancestor continue their childish scuffle, rolling on the floor and uncaringly biting into each other like they were both five-year olds.

Later on, after tempers have cooled and everyone (read: Chung Myung and their ancestor) had managed to settle down into a tenuous truce, Hyun Jong turns a tired, but respectful nod towards the bruised man, "May we know this ancestor's identity?"

"Hm?" Said man absently rubs against the embroidered plum blossom on his new uniform. "Ah, I supposed you would know me as the Plum Blossom Sword Saint."

They would have expressed their shock and surpise, but they get easily distracted by Chung Myung's mocking scoff as he rolls his eyes in response.

[ge]

i dont care how out of character it would be i need chung myung to give his kids a big fat kiss on the forehead

sniffles.. if life had been kinder to him, chung myung could have gotten to be the grandpa he was always meant to be..

very cute to imagine if the disciples r all weary and worn and upset for whatever reason, chung myung gives them a casual paternal forehead kiss and it immediately boosts morale despite them being confused as hell about it

[serenitys-alcove]

Special Treatment

PBSS!Cheong Myeong x Fem!Reader

Cheong Myeong is in his 20s here.

A part of this fic’s dialogue was inspired by Not Jealous! By blossoming-mind-palace

"You've got to be kidding me," you closed your eyes, pinching the bridge of your nose.

"Oyyyy," the drunken idiot slurred, face first into the table. "Anotherrrr!"

You resisted the urge to smack him, sighing deeply as you hesitantly hovered a hand over his shoulder. God, your sect siblings owed you big time for this one.

You gritted your teeth, lightly grasping a limp shoulder and carefully turning him over.

Glazed pink eyes lazily climbed up to your face before squinting. "Haaah? You're not Sahyung."

"You're right," your smile was tight, eyes staring at him without an ounce of pity. "If I was, my boot would have already been lodged up your ass."

He scowled at you, but it lost its effect when his gaze focused slightly above your left shoulder. Your eye twitched. Why the hell were you on Cheong Myeong sitting duty again?

"Get up," you ordered, flicking him in the forehead.

He only grunted, turning his face the other way. Your patience finally snapped.

Cheong Myeong yelped as your arms slid under his legs and behind his back, lifting him up bridal style. "H-Hey! What do you think you're doing?"

"What does it look like, idiot?" You snapped. "Bringing you home, since your useless drunk ass can't crawl your way up Mount Hua."

Cheong Myeong was silent, a little tense in your grasp as he stared up at you, like he couldn't believe the audacity to pick him up in such an undignified manner. Then, something changed in his expression, and he went totally limp.

"Oy!" You sputtered, pulling him tighter against you as his weight tipped. "Stop that!"

"Nope," he said, popping the p. He looked up at you like a damsel in distress. "I fear the alcohol must have finally taken over, Samae. Won't you take pity on your poor Sajil?"

"Y-You!" You clenched your jaw. "I will drop you."

"Nooo you won't," he laughed. His cheeks were red with alcohol as he beamed up at you.

No, I won't, you thought in irritation.

"Don't test it, brat," you huffed.

"Yeah, yeah."

He was surprisingly tame for the rest of the way to Mount Hua, only a few irritating comments thrown here and there to rile you up. You had to shift him onto your back to scale the mountain, and he complied with suspicious ease, wrapping strong arms around you and burying his face in the crook of your neck. Your breath hitched at the feeling of his soft bangs tickling your skin, a small flush rising on your cheeks.

Ohhhh no. No no no. Not happening.

You chased away the thoughts furiously, trying to focus on literally anything else but the musky scent of man and pungent liquor. Oh, come on. This was Cheong Myeong, your unruly brat of a junior brother. You seriously needed to get it together.

The looks you received from your sect siblings ranged from pitying to amused as they watched you trudge past the training grounds with the resident shit disturber slumped on your back. You glared at the ones that snickered, shutting them up quickly. The message was crystal clear: he's my problem now, but he could be yours very, very soon.

"Hey, brat," you shook him, once you'd arrived at his residence. He didn't respond. A vein throbbed on your forehead. "I SAID, WAKE UP IDIOT!"

Cheong Myeong groaned into your ear, making you tense. "Ehhhh? Why are you being so damn loud?"

You closed your eyes, trying to compose yourself. "We're at your house. You can let go now."

"Hmm," he hummed contemplatively, before tightening his grip. "Nah."

"What do you mean, no?" You seethed. "Get off, you slob!"

"You would abandon your poor Sajil in his moment of vulnerability?" He gasped, scandalized.

"What the hell are you—?"

"I feel faint," he smirked, leaning around to look at you with hooded eyes. "Won't you help me, Samae?"

You ground your teeth. Counted to five. Took a few deep breaths, and one more to steady yourself. "Fine," you said, voice strangled.

You felt him grin against your skin, leaning his head against your shoulder. What a spoiled brat.

You carried him inside, closing the door behind you. The trek to his room felt ominous, your shoulders tensing with every step. It was admittedly strange, being in his private space like this. Almost like you were intruding, privy to a part of him you weren't supposed to see.

You sat down on the edge of his bed, still unmade, the covers hastily chucked to the side. You imagined him kicking them off impatiently in the morning, not being bothered to fix them as he trudged to the bathroom.

Yeah, that tracks, you thought with a smile.

"What's that stupid look on your face for?"

"Alright, off," you scowled, letting him go.

He mumbled something into your shoulder, before loosening his grasp and flopping onto the mattress in an ungraceful heap.

"Give me your feet," you ordered, rolling your eyes at his raised brow. "Don't be disgusting."

"Mm sure," he snickered, but obeyed nonetheless. You held his ankles, carefully pulling off each boot one by one. Then you tucked his legs back onto the mattress and pulled the covers up to his chin. When you looked up again he was already staring at you, magenta eyes unreadable.

"Just spit it out," you crossed your arms, narrowing your eyes at him. "I can tell you want to say something."

He blinked, almost deceptively innocent. God, it was so unfair for a man to have eyelashes this luscious and long. He looked like a porcelain doll, eyes glittering like marbles.

"Would you do this?" He asked quietly.

Your brows furrowed in confusion. "Huh? What are you—?"

"For your other Sajils," he interjected. And for a moment, you could have sworn that the haze of alcohol had completely disappeared from his eyes. "Would you do this for them too?"

Of course, you wanted to say, but something stopped you.

Would you? Would you really?

Your sect siblings had always berated you for the soft spot you held for Cheong Myeong. Perhaps they were right, and you had contributed to spoiling him rotten.

"Y-yes," you tried to say firmly, but it sounded hesitant, even to your own ears.

His lips quirked up. "Liar."

Your heart began to pound in your ears, the tips of them reddening in embarrassment. "What the hell are you talking about, you brat?" You glared. "For once, speak with respect—!"

Lightning fast, a hand shot out and grabbed your arm, causing you to stumble forward.

Fuck!

Your hands rushed forward to steady yourself, landing on a hard chest. Your eyes widened.

Oh.

"Hmm? Respect? Why should I?" Cheong Myeong hummed beneath you, cheeks flushed and dark hair splayed across his pillow. And the way he was looking at you—like—like—

You closed your eyes, trying to banish the impure thoughts from your head. You were better than this. Responsible. Controlled.

"Samae."

Lord, have mercy.

A large hand gently cupped your face, making you crack an eye open. You were silent as you stared at your troublesome junior, who was looking at you like you were the only thing that existed in this room.

"Don't do this for anyone else, okay?" He murmured. "Only me."

"Uh-huh," you said mindlessly, transfixed.

"Promise?"

"Y-Yeah."

"Good," he smiled.

Suddenly, you were yanked down without permission, cocooned in a warm embrace as your head was tucked snugly beneath his chin.

"O-Oy!" You flailed. "Let go!"

"Nah.”

[blossoming-mind-palace]

PBSS! Chung Myung x Reader: “Under the Saint’s Wing” (SFW/Part 2)

Summary: Chung Myung still needs more convincing in order to take in Yu Iseol, so you formulate a plan to persuade him. Tang Bo helps you by bringing his own student, Tang Soso, to Mount Hua so she can spar with a martial artist. Yu Iseol ends up being her partner, but their training session comes to an abrupt end.

Contains: Gender neutral elderly reader & the found family trope is starting to show

A/N: The Tangs have arrived! I hope I did them justice because this is the first time I’ve written them. I hope I didn’t butcher their characterization. Also, sorry for the hiatus. I’m back and passionate about writing and ROTBB again.

WC: 3,476-ish

“Tang Soso, this is Yu Iseol. Yu Iseol, this is Tang Soso,” Chung Myung awkwardly motions his arm towards each girl as he introduces them to each other. Tang Soso is already beaming at Yu Iseol; meanwhile, the black-haired one doesn't know what to think of her just yet. “Hi, I'm Tang Soso! It's nice to meet you!” The girl bows and waits for Yu Iseol’s response. Yu Iseol copies her in a less cheerful manner. In the distance, you and Tang Bo watch everything unfold.

“D'awww, it looks like they like each other!” You gush over Yu Iseol's potentially new friendships, and Tang Bo looks at you like you're crazy. “How can you tell? Yu Iseol hasn't said anything, and her facial expression has barely changed,” he points out. It's true that Yu Iseol struggles with expressing herself, but, after spending more time with her, you and Chung Myung have learned how to empathize with her.

You watch as both girls rise, and Yu Iseol keeps her gaze on the girl in front of her. Her mouth says nothing, but her eyes are filled with a friendliness and curiosity that most people wouldn't notice. “If she didn't like Tang Soso, she simply would have left without saying a word. Trust me, she likes her,” you explain before picking up a couple of swords. Tang Soso is doing most of the heavy lifting in their conversation while Yu Iseol nods or sprinkles in short answers. The Mount Hua disciple is surprisingly warm and receptive towards the Tang girl, and you're hoping that after this, Yu Iseol may finally make a friend.

You both continue to watch them under the morning sun, and Tang Bo sighs before leaning over and whispering to you,”I hope you're right, and I hope that your plan works.” “What plan? What are you two whispering about?” Chung Myung has walked away undetected from the younger disciples and interrupted your one-on-one conversation with your old friend. The plan is to get Chung Myung to warm up to teaching after watching Tang Bo show off his student, but Chung Myung doesn't need to know all of that! You need to think of something to cover up your meddling. Tang Bo quickly pulls away and clears his throat,”Our plan to strengthen the relationship between Mount Hua and the Tang family, of course! What else could it be, and why else would we pair my little Soso and Yu Iseol together?” His crow’s feet appear when he smiles confidently as if his acting is flawless, and you nod in an attempt to show your support.

‘He looks so suspicious… Chung Myung, my dear, please do not catch on!’ You think while watching your beloved cock an eyebrow at the both of you. You subconsciously hold your breath as you wait for him to call the both of you out, but you release it when he finally turns around. “Whatever. Stop talking and concentrate on why we're here in the first place,” he says as he walks back to the girls. You and Tang Bo's shoulders simultaneously relax, and you glare at him before whispering,”Don't blow it.” “Yes Mr./Mrs./Mx. (Y/N),” he snickers and playfully salutes before you both approach the girls.

Chung Myung has already started helping Yu Iseol adjust her posture while Tang Soso takes inventory of the various poisons and daggers Tang Bo helped her hide on her person. Thanks to Tang Bo's high status in his clan and a little bit of persuasion from him, Tang Soso, and her father, she miraculously became the first girl to learn about both the clan's poisons and their medicine. Like Yu Iseol, she has a promising future ahead of her and has been able to master her techniques quickly. ‘It's only natural that we pair them up, right? Hopefully they'll become close comrades, too,’ you think as you watch everyone prepare for their training session.

Tang Bo whispers in his descendant's ear while you stand on the sidelines. After deciding that her stance is sturdy, Chung Myung backs away from the Mount Hua disciple and Tang Bo does the same with his own descendant. After announcing that the sparring match is beginning, Tang Bo starts to approach you and Chung Myung is right behind him. You peak over Tang Bo's shoulders, and when you see your lover, you mumble,”It looks like someone doesn't want us whispering again.” The Tang elder snorts before returning to your side, and Chung Myung gets in-between you two.

“What's so funny, huh?” Chung Myung asks and looks at you with a wary expression, and you ‘innocently’ smile at him. “Don't worry about it!” You anxiously reply before breaking eye contact to watch the girls. You're silently praying that they'd distract him, but your prayers reaped no rewards. “You two are up to something. I know you are!” Chung Myung insists while putting a hand on your shoulder. You try to think of something to say to take the heat off of you, but your mind draws blanks. Thankfully, there's a distraction right in front of you guys.

“Dodge faster, Yu Iseol!” You cup your mouth to amplify your yelling, and Cheongmyeong's attention is finally ripped away from you. Her speed is actually perfect and she looks confused as to why you would yell that. She trusts your judgement and goes faster, anyway. Meanwhile, Tang Soso is struggling to keep up with her. A few daggers fly, but none of them hit. The tables suddenly turn, and the Tang girl has started dodging instead of Yu Iseol.

All three of you watch with a collective, intense interest and wait for someone to make a move, but the two girls are currently dancing around each other instead of attacking. “You're going to have to throw harder and faster. Remember what I taught you?” Tang Bo attempts to verbally nudge his student in the right direction. “Don't interfere too much! They won't be able to think for themselves if you keep telling them what to do,” Chung Myung buts in as all three of you keep your eyes on the young girls.

Under your collective and intense gazes, the girls continue dancing around each other, and the Tang’s pace gradually quickens. Tang Soso throws a few more poison-laced daggers, but her projectiles suddenly stop when she notices how low her inventory has gotten. Yu Iseol begins closing in on her and attempts to slash at her, but the Tang's reflexes are starting to improve even more. She continues dodging, and finally creates a decently large distance between her and Yu Iseol before reaching into her sleeve once more.

Everyone watches and waits to see how the Mount Hua disciple will react, but she side-steps instead of moving forward again. “She's assuming it's another dagger,” Chung Myung says under his breath, and is being careful with his volume. “Trying interfere?” You whisper back and jab at his elbow. He opens his mouth to react to your comment, but the training ground is suddenly enveloped in smoke.

“Ohhh, smart girl!” Tang Bo unashamedly praises his student, but thanks to her smoke bomb, no one can see the girls. Thankfully, Tang Bo doesn't back away or try to hide his nose, so you’re certain that it’s just a harmless, non-poisonous gas. “Yeah, but it's a shame that we can't see them now,” you turn towards Tang Bo while pointing this out. The only thing you can make out is the sound footsteps and the occasional clanking of Tang Soso's daggers being deflected by Yu Iseol's sword. It sounds like she’s going to use the last of her daggers while Yu Iseol is blinded, and, in your opinion, she deserves the praise Tang Bo gives her. She really is a promising student.

Suddenly, you hear the familiar ‘ting’ near you, but this time the noise is too close for comfort. A metallic blur shoots towards your group and the two men side-step. You dodge with what you thought was impeccable timing, until you look down at the small red dots beginning to form on your once-crisp uniform. What just happened doesn't entirely register until you look at it and feel a tingling sensation coming from your side. As reality sets in, so does the poison.

“Wow, Soso, those daggers actually hurt! Great jo-” your sentence abruptly stops when the tingling spreads throughout your body. The last thing you hear is an “uh oh” come from your old friend as your body goes limp. Your body ragdolls onto the ground with a loud thump, and you can hear people yell, but you struggle to process what they're saying as your consciousness begins fading. All you see before you close your eyes is presumably Yu Iseol's shadowed figure quickly darting out of the opaque smoke and towards your direction.

-

The first thing you notice when your senses return is the horrid aftertaste of disgustingly bitter medicine. It’s actually so repulsive that the first thing you do when you regain consciousness is cringe and uncontrollably gag. “Oh! She's finally awake,” You're greeted by Tang Soso beaming down at your twisted face. “Here, drink this,” you hear Yu Iseol's calm voice, but this time there's a hint of worry in it. You try to sit up but your arms wobble thanks to how weak they feel, so Tang Soso helps guide you. When you finally sit up, Yu Iseol gently puts a small cup of water in your hands. You waste no time in drinking it and hurriedly let the bitterness wash down your throat.

“Eugh, that was disgusting!” You whine before analyzing the room. It looks like you've been sleeping in the medicine hall, and Tang Soso and Yu Iseol have pulled up a chair so they can both watch over you. The training session started in the morning, but the warm hues of the sunset are currently seeping through the window. Tang Soso gives you a sheepish, apologetic look when you glance at her. Meanwhile, Yu Iseol's eyebrows are slightlscrunched, but you aren't entirely sure why. “What happened?” “You were accidentally hit by one of my poisoned daggers, and you've been out for almost a whole day,” Tang Soso explains while rubbing the back of her neck nervously. “Sorry, by the way,” the young Tang apologizes and sheepishly smiles at you.

Before you can say anything, Yu Iseol anxiously interjects,”No, I'm sorry. It ricocheted off of my blade and hit my elder. It's my fault.” Now that you think about it, you’ve never seen Yu Iseol wear such an upset expression on her face. The guilt must be eating her up, because her brows haven't relaxed since you woke up. You reassure both girls with a warm, comforting smile and gently put a hand on Yu Iseol's shoulder. “It's okay, I'm not mad at either of you. If anything, I'm proud! If you two work together and turn that ricocheting into an attack of some sort, you'd be quite the duo to reckon with. Not only that, but you managed to take down an elder that's much more experienced than you,” you pat Yu Iseol’s shoulder while you talk, and when you’re finished you pat Tang Soso on the head before folding your hands on your lap. Both of the girls look confused by your answer.

“We took you down by chance, though, and you weren't even the target!” Tang Soso points out. “Oh, well, we all make mistakes. You were still able to take me out with the combination of Tang poisons and Yu Iseol's force, so it's technically progress in both of your journeys. It may not be the progress you two were aiming for, but it's still progress,” you start lecturing them until you hear someone open the door. Your attention shifts to the door, and it’s none other than your dearest partner.

“They're right, y'know?” Chung Myung points out while walking into the room and pulls up a chair on the other side of you. He must’ve overheard your conversation from the hall. He sits and looks at Yu Iseol before continuing,”Your defense has improved and you kept your stance despite the force of the daggers being thrown at you. The only problem is that you need to keep a closer eye on your opponent's openings and become more confident when you close in on them.” He turns towards Tang Soso and leans back in his chair before continuing,”And you have some solid tricks up your sleeves, but you shouldn't rely on them too heavily. Like Tang Bo, you need to focus more on martial arts, and learning more close-ranged moves would benefit you.”

He has the expression of a stern teacher while he gives them his constructive criticism, and you think that he looks quite handsome during his lecture. ‘He's so on the fence about teaching, but he's doing a flawless job,’ you think as you admire how well your husband is doing and his dashing good looks. “Yeah, he's right. What would you have done if Yu Iseol had successfully closed in on you before you could even whip out that smoke bomb?” You ask and wait to see what kind of plan the Tang girl might formulate. “Uhhh, stab her with my dagger?” She nervously answers and she doesn't look very confident in her answer. You can see how insecure she is based off of how she anxiously plays with the ends of her sleeves.

“That is a terrible way to react. A sword is much longer than a dagger, so Yu Iseol would’ve stabbed you before you could even get it out. Also, what if you had accidentally thrown your last one beforehand?” Chung Myung points out. His tone is harsh, but you know he means well. If they don't get the criticism they need, they'll never improve. Tang Soso's hand comes up to her chin as she thinks for a moment, but her face brightens when she remembers something. “I'll just throw this at her!” She pulls out one of her impressively sharp hairpins. “Oooh, that's quite the weapon! Your back up plan needs some work, but those are definitely sharp enough to pierce skin,” you point out before holding out your empty palm. Tang Soso places the pin in your hand and lets you take a closer look at it.

Chung Myung glances at it, but isn't as intrigued by it as you are. You give her the floral pin back before gazing at your husband and waiting for his input. “Still, it's not enough. Focus more on close combat and try picking up a sword,” Chung Myung sighs. His lecture is perfect, and it's a shame he's still on the fence about taking in Yu Iseol as a student. Chung Myung catches you spacing out and staring at him, so he stares back with a suspicious look on his face. You have a feeling that you should change the subject as soon as possible.

“Where's Tang Bo?” You quickly ask to get his focus off of you and your thoughts. “My elder isn't too far away. He said you'd be okay under my care, so Yu Iseol and I have been looking after you. Speaking of him, he might be waiting for me to join him so we can go home,” Tang Soso grins at you, and you can see her little dimples peek out. “Oh, wow! You must be proficient at medicines, too, if he trusts you that much,” you gasp at her and she sheepishly nods. She enjoys the praise, but it seems like she doesn't want to look cocky when agreeing with you. “I guess you could say that… May I check on you one more time before I leave?” She asks and her cheeks have a slight glow. ‘Aw, I didn't know she could be so bashful!’ You think before giving her your wrist so she can check your vitals.

After letting Tang Soso check on you one more time, she bows and leaves the room with the gratefulness you'd expect from a Tang lady. After seeing what she can do, you're certain that she'll be elegant and lethal when she grows up. After she leaves the room, you notice Yu Iseol is still staring at you with the same worried look. “Do you have something to say, little one?” You ask her softly in an attempt to not stress her out anymore than she already is. Her hands that were once folded on her lap are now balled into fists as she apologizes once more,”I'm sorry, you wouldn't be here if I hadn't blocked her projectile towards you.” “It's okay, it was an accident. Don't get stressed out over it,” you try to console her by patting her head, but when you retrieve your arm, she still looks displeased with herself. Now that you're really looking at her, you notice that her eyes are looking a little glossy.

“But you could've died, so I'm sorry-” “No more ‘buts’ or ‘sorries’. They didn't die and they said it's fine, so there's no reason to keep apologizing,” Chung Myung cuts her off before she can go any further. An almost inaudible sniffle comes from her, but she nods after listening to Chung Myung. “See? It's fine, and I'm fine,” you say while lifting your arms and flexing as a way to playfully show her you're back to your old yet healthy self. “So there's no need to feel guilty. Now, you should go eat dinner with your fellow disciples instead of staying cooped up in the medicine hall with a couple of old coots,” you grin and playfully ruffle her hair.

Her lips curl up slightly, but her eyes are still a little glossy when she nods at you. She bows before silently leaving the room, and now it's just you and your husband. You hold your hand out to him and he grabs it. He lets you rub his knuckles and play with his hand while you converse. “What did I do to deserve such a handsome and loving husband? Not only that, but you're flawless at teaching, y'know?” you compliment him while bringing his rough knuckles up to your lips. “I know you're buttering me up for something,” he accuses you of plotting, but he doesn't look upset. It's the opposite, his lips have curled up as if it's a reflex to the affection you're giving him. His cheeks even have a rosy tint, and if he tried to act upset, he still wouldn't be able to hide how flustered he is.

At least, not from you. You've known him for too long, so it's hard to hide things from each other when you know your partner so well that you can predict their thoughts and movements. It's not a surprise that he's catching on to your meddling fairly quickly. “Oh, my dear, I have no idea what you're talking about,” you feign your ignorance with honeyed words as you kiss his knuckles. He scoffs but continues soaking in the attention you shower him with. You pull away from his knuckles but keep holding his hand as you suggest,”Little Iseol seemed like she was still upset when she left. Maybe you should try spending time with her to cheer her up?”

You quietly hope that your question wasn’t too revealing as you wait for his answer. “I don't know why you think MY company would cheer her up,” he groans and weaves his fingers with yours. “She admires you much more than you realize,” You reassure him and tuck some of his hair behind his ear with your free hand. He goes quiet and looks like he's deep in thought, and you let the silence linger so he can keep mulling over your suggestion.

“Please? For me?” You beg while playfully batting your lashes at him. He rolls his eyes at your theatrics and sighs before answering,”Fine. I'll try to talk to her or something if you think it’ll make her feel better.” You beam at him when he finally agrees with you. Your plan is in full swing.

“Fantastic! Now, I need to get out of here. I literally haven't eaten all day,” you say as you dangle your legs off of the bed and attempt to stand. The weakness has finally worn off, and now the only thing that’s wrong with you is the cramping coming from your empty stomach. Despite knowing that the poison is out of your system and you've been treated, Chung Myung gets up and keeps an eye on you just in case you're too weak to stand on your own. When you're finally up, he wraps his arm around you as you both start to exit the medicine hall’s patient room.

Part 1

[gojosatoruwifey]

ㅡdreaming torrents

✑ the what ifs random snippets postwar rotmhs that no one asked for (◕∇◕✿)

✿ warning/s: fluff , g/n! reader , swearing, tell me if i missed something!

✿ character/s: pbss! chung myung , junior! reader (feat. small baek cheon)

part of the senior reader agenda (tba)

thumb ring

sleepiness seems to overlap either day or night. the issue used to not bother him but now that being groggy is catching up to his body, chung myung finds it hard to stifle a yawn. bed hair of ink black falls to his shoulders, white robes thrown in haphazardly as if he’s not bothered by the incoming scolding from his tidied junior later in the dining hall he will be meeting for breakfast, drowse clung to his eyes, hand busy itself to close the door of the room.

“sahyung,” a voice called out from the side.

chung myung glanced to see a cultivator disciple in black, a carefully embroidered tassel hanging on their sword as it sways from side to side with each step they made, a thin sheet of sweat cling to their forehead making people who see them want to applaud at the sight of an outstanding figure doing work once the sun is up, there is a tender smile on their face as their hand waved at him from afar. “your hair isn’t tied up. want me to do it for you?”

like sent into a trance, chung myung wordlessly gives to your awaiting hands his green ribbon, it was brief but he catches a band around your thumb. “were you wielding a bow? you have a thumb ring.”

“i went out hunting,” you stood up behind his sitting figure as your fingers card through his fluffy hair. on the side of the doorway of chung myung’s room, there’s a wooden side table with two chairs you can pull under. it’s a highly convenient furniture that chung myung bought on a whim. who said impulse buying is always a bad thing? they clearly haven’t seen the side table. the craftsman was so happy that his ‘unusual’ invention was bought and seeing that it was the highly regarded plum blossom sword saint, his spirit reached the heavens.

chung myung perks up, “does my dear junior willing to give me their catch?”

he may have his back facing you but you well know that he was wearing a teasing expression, a grin on his lips as he closes his eyes while you tighten up the ribbon. “sure. i wonder if senior can eat all of them up, though. as they say 'time is of the essence'. tang bo is waiting. hurry up, or face the consequences of being beaten."

“damn, that guy is already here?”

you patted his shoulders, laughing. you step to the side as chung myung stands up to his full height. you leave first but not when a callous warm hand lifts your hand with the thumb ring closer for chung myung to look at. his eyes glimmer with an unknown light you can’t name. so you just let him hold it like that — his own thumb stroke it a few times before he let it go — matching your pace as the both of you walk to the stoned pavements, 

later that day, before you turn around to go back to your room, chung myung tosses a shiny material to you which you catch with a heart in your throat. who wouldn’t be surprised, anyway? you were about to mind your business and sleep after a whole day of labour then your sahyung passed something to you without any words. opening your fist, a beautiful jade thumb ring sits on your palm as your wide eyes flicker to chung myung’s self-satisfied figure.

a huge batch of char siu is due.

fuzhou fish ball

you can’t believe the day will come that a certain senior who hasn't taken a single disciple in that long life of his finally arrives. it’s strange to see a small figure beside his imposing height, much more strange that it was a kid once they got nearer and a clear view of a refine-looking boy, with straight hair and a pair of big, strong eyes that remind you of a stone with a similar colour on them, they bring you a sense of refreshing waft of salt in the air accompanied by a low crashing of waves.

there was one question you badly want to voice out.

annoyed by your staring, chung myung huffed. “What?”

“...you didn’t kidnap this child for a ransom, did you?”

chung myung looks scandalized, “what the fuck are you sayi–”

“sahyung! the kid can hear you!”

“so what? he will soon learn that.”

you cleared your throat and knelt to level your gaze at the kid. the last thing you want is to frighten him. with the bickering that just happened right now, you give him a timid smile and the boy’s shoulder drops a little as he hides behind chung myung’s legs. it’s a small change, nevertheless, still change and you’re happy to see that his guard is down and not up. “hello.”

he shyly returned a small ‘hello’. if you’re not a cultivator trained to have good hearing, you’ll not catch it, his greeting might get lost in the wind.

“don’t hesitate to tell me if this bad guy is threatening you, okay?” a giggle slips out from the kid.

“yah!”

“you should eat something.” you ignored the glare in your way as you offered a cheery smile to the kid whose name you haven’t known yet. “this one is called y/n, third grade disciple of mount hua. can i have the pleasure to know the young one before me?”

the kid blinked at the figure in front of him. an air of dignified pillar surrounding you making you appear trusty. having a good intuition, he opened his mouth to say his name but he was beaten to it by the older man.

“the kid wants to change his name.” chung myung said.

“oh,” a click of understanding registered on your face as you nodded and stood up. “after eating, do you want to meet the sect leader? he will bless you with a given name if that’s what you want. feel free to say to this elder here, hm?”

as expected, once the three of you stepped foot inside the courtyard, everyone bombarded questions as they gathered you to the center. the sect has always maintained a family ambience yet it feels the bond is deeper now that the war is over and a child especially the one that is picked up by the plum blossom sword saint is seen as a blessing. the excitement never dies down even when the sun is starting to set as the women with their daughters prepare an impromptu banquet. long line of tables decorated with vibrant red and gold, a group of baek disciples tying the plum blossom flags in the ceilings, another group carrying boxes of drinks and the others keeping the places tidy.

an auspicious occasion is what the old people say.

“just where did they get the money to get those expensive things?”

“sahyung, you didn’t know? the government may keep away from the events of the martial sects but the emperor owes the mount hua sect big time.” you explained. “i handled that matter a few weeks after the war ended as per the sect leader’s permission. the bank notes and everything else is in my care, the treasure chests are with the financial hall. you see those wines?” chung myung glanced at the spot you are focused on where the two older baek disciples are carrying a box with care, then followed by another set of disciples. “gift from the emperor. the ones that reached early were only one-third. the second deal of the agreement…do you remember those men fixed the damages to our sect? that’s the second deal and the last, ownership rights documents of land properties. it wasn’t long ago that these hidden precious gifts were placed underground.”

“hundred years ago is not long ago!”

chung myung side-eyed your relaxed figure, completely baffled at the way you casually bring you’re a walking dungeon. “you hoarder…are you sure you’re not a descendant of dragons? you seem to stick your nose in places with mountains of rewards.”

it’s your turn to glare at him. “i don’t want to hear that from you, of all people. now, where is that cute fuzhou fish ball?”

“what???”

“your first disciple.” you clarified. “he is like a fuzhou fish ball.”

“he is with the sect leader and why are you calling him fuzhou fish ball? are you hungry? you can go eat first, you poor thing.”

awaiting for the last dance

whimsical as the shower rain, you spent a sleepless night opting for a productive path — train. the music of sword cutting the air with the intent of precise point, feet steady to the ground yet agile as a feline, it’s a footwork to allow yourself an escape in a bind, unsettled water that was agitated and quelled. the blade flared cold light, striking a purpose, a sword dance following an illusionary image of an empty plane as the void of life suddenly comes alive with the arrival of plum blossoms.

nights at mount hua are cold and unforgiving. they take advantage of the light clothes worn, crackled frost nipping on the skin turning to a hungry bite, the scenery of plum blossom trees deep red under the chilly moonlight and mocking the pitiful soul to catch a glimpse of it as the first fall of snow buried them. your graceful form in the wintry night comes to mind. chung myung leaned his back on one of the trees as he watched quietly and listened to the light tappings of your boots, sounds heavy landing a blow, wind urging the leaves to dance and chung myung tip of his head to the sight as the vicious swift blade tore the trunk.

it’s hard to discern the difference between the petals drifting slowly in the air from the plum blossom tree sprouting in the ground and the petals unfolded by two elders of the sect. the musings of the night giggled, the series of fists either blocked single-handedly or avoided in a way his body is angled to the side. second slower, you will come to scathe the vital points of this hailed saint. chung myung leapt back, putting distance as you come emerge in the shadows, swinging your leg to kick the side of his face and like your other attempts, it also failed. chung myung seized the opening — suddenly dropping as he pivoted a leg to lose your footing. unprepared, you immediately tumbled, closing your eyes to embrace the impact that never happened, a deep chuckle reverberated above.

chung myung had his arm wrapped around your torso, carrying you like you weighed nothing as he had you hoisted, the feeling of floating strange as he walked back to the newly established dormitories. he passed by the same tree that your sword had pierced in its spot, he applied a spell as it hovered in the back. “that’s enough training for the night, dear junior. i’ll never hear the end of sect leader sahyung’s nagging to find out you sneak out.”

“looks who is calling the kettle black. put me down.”

“no.” still childish at his age, he stuck out his tongue to make fun of your worm-wriggling figure.

[enihk-writes]

[kiss, kiss, kiss, 단 하루도 빼먹지 말고]

based on lyrics from day 1 by red velvet

paring: various!hwasan men x gn!reader

(OR) various!hwasan men x preferred pairing free for all, ambiguous, can be them with anybody of your choice (i.e. tangchung / whiterust / cmxilso)

summary: short headcanons of where they like to kiss their beloveds

characters: geumjon (pbss) // geumhyeop (mhdd) // chung mun // tang bo // tang gunak // baek cheon // jin geumryong // lee songbaek // namgung dowi // jang ilso // chung jin

author's note: gagged when i typed the word beloved oh god when i say i get physically sick writing sappy romance i mean it yall my stomach is having issues rn....................... listening to rizzotto's sexyback cover on repeat and day 1 at the same time for maximum effect............ (looking like an insane homebody) also i feel like i should apologize to soso for this... yanno... just in case uhhhh what else???? AHHHHHHHHHH DEUKAE COMEBACK ON THE 22ND SO IM GOING MIA!!! I LOVE ROTBB BUT I LOVE MY GIRLS MORE!!!!!!! RAAAAAAGGGGGGGHHHHHHH I AM A FEMINIST FIRST!!!!!! AND A C0CK SUCKER 2ND!!!!!!

GEUMJON is still very immature at heart so, kisses from him are more innocent and well, somewhat child-like. he's not experienced with things like this so he mostly settles for impromptu cheek kisses whenever he's the one initiating. surprisingly conservative, won't go any further than innocuous touches unless the relationship is established to be romantic with the intention to marry. even then, out in public especially under broad daylight, he won't be the first to make a move even if he really, really wants to.

GEUMHYEOP is quieter, more grounded and direct. he doesn't like to waste time. if he has the urge to kiss his partner, he will. it doesn't matter where they are, he would cup their cheeks in his hands and give them a proper kiss on their lips... unless they are both in the middle of an important discussion or in a room with the others. he still has some basic manners and decency to not embarrass the other one. expanding on the way he goes about it — he likes to observe his partner's face, and remember their every detail because he recognises that memory is unreliable and hopes that doing this would burn their image in his mind for good. doesn't seek out for kisses often but doesn't push away his partner's advances. if he does seek them out, it's more likely because he's going through something at that moment and isn't in the mood to talk about it yet.

JANG ILSO is the complete opposite. no shame, no patience. they could be in the middle of a conversation with someone else or out and about in public under broad daylight. it's either he gets a kiss from his partner now or he will have them wait until he's back in the mood. doesn't really care if it pisses the other off... lowkey gets off on their anger. very tall guy so he likes to grab his partner's chin and tilt their head backwards so he can lean down and give a short peck, sometimes the kisses are more heated and lasts far longer — so they often end up in... situations... no matter where he is with his partner...

CHUNG MUN is the type of guy someone brings home to meet their parents. will not make a move, not even hand-holding until he gets explicit permission from his partner. date-to-marry type, and super conservative. even after having their first kiss, will not do that again unless it was during the wedding ceremony, wedding night and subsequent special occasions relating to his partner. prefers to convey his affections through interlocking fingers with his partner, and when they are alone, he'd bring them up to his lips and kiss their knuckles tenderly.

CHUNG JIN can often be found in between rows of bookshelves taking archives. that's also usually the place where he shares kisses with his partner. most times it's a quick peck on their eyelid as he walks past them, other times it's a brief nuzzle of the side of their head. ever so often, when he was staying late to transcribe the pages and pages of text, he'd take breaks by leaning on their shoulder, enjoying his moment of shut-eye. and it's during these times when he would turn his head and pepper kisses on the other's jaw. if he's feeling a little bold, he would block their faces from the window view with an open book — leaning in with apologies for his lack of attention these days as he pulls them in for a kiss.

TANG BO... is a wild card. if he's the initiator, he likes to be playful about it. always a tease, and thoroughly enjoying the reactions he pulls from his partner. if the roles flip and he finds himself on the receiving end, would be stunned into silence. all the other has to do is kiss him, not anything one-and-done — it has to be a proper and genuine kind of kiss on the bridge of his nose, more specifically the spot between his eyebrows. he tends to stay up late and it does create tension that results in headaches in that area because of that. so when he feels his partner's tender touch, this guy is putty. for all that cockiness, he is the easiest to come undone.

TANG GUNAK... an older man with experience for sure. he has children for fucks sake, let's be realistic here. doesn't matter how much brainpower his duties as the head takes up, he is very attentive to his partner's likes, dislikes, wants and needs. always acts according to the results of those observations. but in his downtime, when he is going to bed, he finds himself enjoying the embrace of his partner. resting his head on their chest, listening to their heartbeat because well, one might never know if they could have a heart attack soon or not. will always place a kiss on the other's chest, right over their heart just before he falls asleep.

NAMGUNG DOWI. a good guy. an earnest guy. really trying his best. he's not good at this romance thing... please be patient with him... if things so south, he tends to use his face card to have his partner forgive him. and they do, because he's insanely good at pulling the sad, kicked, wet puppy face. when that happens, he would happily kiss them over and over again on every corner of their face, or well, whatever parts he can reach. he did make them sit on his lap without any wiggle room.

LEE SONGBAEK prefers hugging more than kissing. partly because he's surrounded by kids so any grown-up action would have him be the brunt of their teasing for weeks. his partner is mostly understanding, maybe a little spiffed when it seems like they might kiss but a child waddles into their vicinity. he feels sorry for disappointing his partner, and often hugs the other from behind, muttering a string of apologies into their hair. eventually pecking the small bundle of nerves at the back of their ear, and the top of their jaw — his surefire way of leaving them a little hot and bothered.

JIN GEUMRYONG suffers from emotional constipation to an extent. so it goes without saying, his partner has to be blessed with communication skills that can honestly end all wars. he is strict, mostly stern, but he means well. and his partner has been by his side long enough to understand that. he feels sorry they've chosen to stay regardless. he isn't one to let lose until it's time to rest, so it's only in these times they get to see his unguarded sides. downturned eyes that look at his partner wistfully, he would hug them and rest his chin on the crown of their head. occasionally moves down to press his lips on that spot as one hand cradles his partner's neck, fingers playing with their strands of hair.

BAEK CHEON is undoubtedly a little pathetic. it's endearing, but it's still hard to watch sometimes. poor man still trips over his words and stumbles on his feet when he wants to ask his partner for a kiss. just one kiss please? god. it's hard to say no to a handsome face on the verge of tears... he's lucky they weren't a sadist. or well, trying not to be. it's so hard fighting those urges, that they ask him to reward their efforts. his pale face grows bright red, but he complies with his partner's request anyways. it's a timid kiss on their forehead that goes down the bridge of their nose, then the tip of it. he coyly kisses their cheeks, steering away from the other's lips so obviously that they lose patience and pull him in. he melts far too quickly into this, hands going all over his partner's body, tugging on their clothes. tsk, sly boy. so he had planned for this to happen, and like a fool they fell for his siren song.

[theuniverseawakens347]

10:06 pm back at library…

6 types of love .. 7 … it’s on the blog and I don’t have service to look it up… but take what you need when you google it if you do or you already have the post thoughts or community talk going …

Babies are sooooo fragile when it comes to this… formative years … 0-7 they record their environment moms voice

energy

Dads voice

Energy around mom and dad when fighting … tension in body .. you calm I’m calm sleep on a chest .. it’s not just big boobs.. yeah pillows nice but it’s soothing energy … u at ward with yourself internally you at war with you child’s restless energy … it’s like lilo and stick record player …

Record their family’s voices and energy …

It’s a like a puppy … overly excited dog too much energy look at the face happy smile good energy but needs an outlet …

Pupils big… prey drive .. so “ADHD” LETS MOVE .. run jump .. then get into aniticipation builds patience .. wait and stay treat training…

If it applies to your baby ddg add it Iman,

Kevin gates …. 7 and on they start to pick up their environment and shape themselves into the energy ..

You become your environment …

So if at 1..2 baby is stumbling and walking and getting steady BOOM … ya gettinging dance …

STOP THINKING BABIES ARE HUMPING THINGS .. when trying to crawl… or when they get they little boogie dance on… I haven’t been there with an infant so I won’t speak too much on that,

BUT NEFFI.. doing something I didn’t like.. I got her an anxiety jacket … it helped but I didn’t use it much… she would bite my shirt for playful energy / teething to move emotion… and I would give her a toy or make her chase something…

Distract the mind.. change the movement ..

Now we get into like 5-7 yrs old and moms twerking walking naked or half naked …. Now ya got ya babies looking at skin DEPENDING ON HOW A WOMAN AND MAN CARRY THEMSELVES … it’s cool to educate about the body.. but there comes a time in which … the body “naturally” does things …

And needs a little structure requiring …

Energy pick up… dad or mom gets blood flowing for hormones… baby gets boner boys.. gets start … dry hump…

Ya need to be in a different room or again distract the mind change the movement…

And once ya like .. 10 depending on ur child’s rate at growing and processing and understanding you can bring in the conversation of your body this and that … boys ya gotta learn to pee w wee wee touch so like… ya know dads moms I wouldn’t say go right into a boner convo but keep it child pbss… “this is a wee wee you go pee pee”… this part not my domain but ya dads who walked thru it can share …

And dads w girls Chris brown.. it probably got awkward … trusted grandma? Aunty? Sister? TRUSTED .. ya stand on stand by for comfort but not helicopter… specially period … YOUTUBE.

And those of you now watching in on me and in a mother or father or uncle position yes I have my magic triangle and then some… but like getting blood flow down there DICKS UP.. MENTAL RUSH… new wires of chemistry flowing … HAPPY CHEMICALS NATURAL THAT WERE SUPRESSED BY DEPRESSION FILLED ENVIRONMENT DRUGS AND ANXIETY … “parchments” too psych meds over do drowning natural emotion… movement and brain exercises and passions of art outlets … z

ART THERAPY..

[viralhottopics]

The battle for Mosul: ‘I have never seen such hard fighting like this’

Iraqi forces have been trying to oust Isis since October but they must fight among, protect and win over the many thousands of civilians in the city, finds Ghaith Abdul-Ahad in a report made in collaboration with PBSs Frontline

Rasoul, a 26-year-old radio operator, stood in a narrow street in east Mosul a mile from the frontline, peering into the early morning light as the armoured truck packed with explosives crawled towards him.

The other troops around him fired a volley of bullets that ricocheted harmlessly off its thick steel-plated armour before they ran away. But Rasoul, still wrapped in his night-time wool sleeping cloak, stood his ground shouting warnings to anyone who could hear. He darted and hid in a side street when it was just metres away.

The counter-terrorism forces Mosul brigade had made its temporary headquarters in the small residential street just a few days earlier. As the truck bomb exploded it felt as if the ground was lifted into the air and dropped back down again. The force of the blast flattened two houses, damaged several more and incinerated four of the units vehicles.

Across the street from where Rasoul had stood, two officers had been asleep in the back room of a two-storey house as the family who normally lived there rested elsewhere. Suffocating smoke and dust filled the air, the house had largely collapsed, only the back room had weathered the explosion. One of the officers moaned while the other made long wails that mixed his pain with the word Allah.

A member of the counter-terrorism force escorts an Isis suspect into the interrogation centre. Photograph: Ghaith Abdul-Ahad/The Guardian/Frontline

The family survived, but civilians elsewhere on the street bore the brunt of the attack. Since October last year, when the operation to prise Mosul from the grip of Islamic State began, the fight between Iraqi forces and the jihadi group, which captured Mosul in June 2014, has taken place on a battlefield inhabited by civilians. Iraqi forces have now claimed to be largely in control of east Mosul, but in the west of the city an estimated 750,000 civilians are still living under Isis control.

As the dust from the truck bomb began to settle, civilians started trickling out on to the east Mosul street, which only a week before had been in Isis hands. A man rolling up his robe against the chilly December air came out of one of the houses carrying a child, then went back inside and helped a tall man whose face was covered in black ash. Another civilian and a soldier helped a family extricate themselves from a shattered house, holding the mothers hand while leading her over the debris. Everyone carried a bundle of what they could salvage and filed down the street, their only option to go and join the tens of thousands of civilians filling the camps for displaced people set up in the wake of the offensive.

The street was now a mix of fires, puddles of water and crumbled walls. In the middle stood the twisted wreckage of the truck bomb. Any civilians died here? asked one soldier. How would I know? answered another. No one, not even the Iraqi government, knows how many civilians have been killed in the battle for Mosul.

Bullets, fired by the Isis troops who had dispatched the truck bomber, flew overhead like whistling birds. Listen, listen, one soldier told the other. They are trying to come closer.

Let them come, his comrade replied.

The two soldiers were joined by a third, still dazed and limping, as they scrambled for cover. The three of them kept firing as the rest of the brigade collected weapons and salvaged what equipment they could. Rasoul stood inspecting the wreckage of his radio car, his face contorted with pain at his lost equipment.

Liberated areas in eastern Mosul. Photograph: Ghaith Abdul-Ahad/The Guardian/Frontline

The Mosul brigade of the counter-terrorism force had been using one of the houses on the street as an armoury and a makeshift prison. Officers and soldiers were billeted in other civilian houses. Now, the man who had sheltered the two officers in his back room stood at the entrance of his flattened house, his family had survived but the price of his hospitality had been grave.

The brigades commander, Lt Col Muntadher, known to his men as Fulath, meaning Steel, listened silently as his aide reported how the Isis truck bomb had driven through supposedly liberated areas. Within 45 minutes of the attack, he and his men drove back to the front in their two remaining vehicles. They were back on the offensive. By the end of that day another 11 of the brigade would be injured and one killed in fighting.

The launch of the battle to liberate Mosul was a political landmark in the fractured politics of Iraq. Kurdish leaders, ever suspicious of Baghdad, allowed army units to cross their areas and sent their peshmerga forces to fight alongside them. Shia paramilitaries were convinced to take a minor role and pledged not to enter the Sunni city. US jets, helicopters and special forces teams worked closely with Iraqi forces on the ground.

Mosul map

There was hope that maybe, just maybe, 14 years after the US-led invasion that had devastated the Iraqi state, the defeat of Isis might bring an end to the years of conflict.

When the troops reached the outskirts of the city, both Iraqi and international media declared the liberation imminent, but as troops pushed deeper into Mosul, the soldiers were bogged down in tough urban battles, attacked by about 300 suicide car bombs while civilians were left to fend for themselves.

A childs toy in a house destroyed by an Isis car bomb 17 members of one family died there. Photograph: Ghaith Abdul-Ahad/The Guardian/Frontline

Most of the narrow residential streets in the drive from the brigades base to the frontline were fortified with objects from cars to rubbish bins and olive trees in an attempt to stop the car bombs. The roads were full of bomb craters filled with mud, the wreckage of cars tossed on the side of the street and civilians wrapped in thick coats against the cold walking up and down, looking for food or fuel. Children waved at or ran alongside the armoured trucks in a maddening combination of war and life.

I have never seen such hard fighting like this one, not because they have good fighters here, no the hardest fighters were in Ramadi, but here its maddening to fight amongst the civilians, said Muntadher. Our soldiers have to be very careful. We cant just bomb a neighbourhood and then go clear it, we have to fight from house to house and that is costing us men.

With its educated, relatively wealthy and religiously conservative Sunni population, Mosul was seen with great suspicion, if not outright hostility, by Baghdad before its fall to Isis. Its social structures had survived the US invasion relatively intact and its Sunni political identity acted as a counterweight to Iraqs Shia centre and the south. The presence of the largely Shia Iraqi army was resented by its residents.

Casualties are treated in Erbil following a car bomb attack in Mosul. Photograph: Ghaith Abdul-Ahad/The Guardian/Frontline

When Isis came we saw them as liberators, I have to tell you, said Fathi, an ironsmith in his early 40s, as he crouched in his small neat living room surrounded by relatives and neighbours.

The Iraqi army had terrorised us, they blocked neighbourhoods, conducted night raids with dogs, treated us like criminals and and then in one afternoon that mighty army collapsed and fled the city leaving their weapons behind.

You think you have democracy in the west? What we had in the first three weeks after Isis took Mosul was better, they didnt stop anyone, you could smoke, you could move freely, but then things changed.

The aftermath of a car bomb attack in eastern Mosul. Photograph: Ghaith Abdul-Ahad/The Guardian/Frontline

First Isis went after the few Shia families, then the Yazidis and Christians. The jihadis next turned against the Sunni population. We became scared of our own wives and children lest they go denounce us, Fathi said. Even with the war life is hundred times better than Isis, but we are wary of the future.

Since October, proximity has forced an interdependent relationship between the soldiers and civilians. The civilians rely on the soldiers for protection and whatever help they can get. The soldiers depend on the goodwill of the civilians to find Isis collaborators.

Muntadher has found himself taking the role of not only an officer, but a civil servant, a policeman, a water supplier. It is not my job to talk to civilians and make them feel good my job is fight and defeat the enemy, he said. But in 2013 and 2014, the Iraqi army behaved like an occupying force here. I now have a responsibility to give a better image of the army to the people.

Read more: http://ift.tt/2keNix8

from The battle for Mosul: ‘I have never seen such hard fighting like this’

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Have you read the beginning of the novel? The part that was covered by manhwa. It has so much pain and desperation, it was suffocating and overwhelming in a way that I didn't feel while reading manhwa (I love manhwa adaptation, don't get me wrong).

In particular - parts in the first chapters where Chung Myung thinks that the pbss dies like a dog, alone and in the dirt, and thinks 'Their death was better than mine' 'At least there was someone to weep for them. Chung Myung wept for them'

And how he cried while lying in the streets, unable to move from hunger, beaten and with still fresh memory of everyone he cared about dead. Cried because he was given alms like a real beggar. And despite every bit of self-respect he shouted blessings and gratitude. 'His pride was long dead. He needed to live'

It's just.

I'm on 300+ novel chapters and every time I remember first chapters, before he started to train Chung disciples, it still pains me deeply.

JgguUGH.. i never read the beginning chapters, my introduction to rotmhs was thru the webcomic so when i finished s1 i skipped like a hundred chapters to catch up to where the manhwa left off BUT IVE BEEN MEANING TO GO BACK AND REREADING THOSE CHAPTERS oh i feel nauseous.. i know lico tries to lighten things up for the audience but this is making me siickkkkk like thats entire character depth shit they tossed out

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those tang bo survives but pbss still dies au so tang bo ends up waiting a hundred years for chung myung to come back... this is how our peepaws can have a danmei story

soooo good literally one of my fave versions of tang bo lives aus....even better is if in this au chung myung thought tang bo actually did die in the war so when he comes back and goes to the tang sect for the first time and sees this older colder more mature version of the tang bo he once knew he passes out right then and there on the spot probably

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🎭— sorry im in a song roll today. and that means im spreading my "who lives, who dies, who tells your story" & cheong myeong agenda here because boy do i love mashing two interests of mine with zero things in common

main notes:

"Let me tell you what I wish I'd known, when I was young and dreamed of glory. You have no control, who lives, who dies, who tells your story." — Self explanatory tbh. cm has many regrets and things he'd never known back when he was the pbss. he had no control in the ones who remained on hwasan, the attack on mount hua, nor the people who still talked about the past glory of their sect.

"Every other founding fathers' story gets told, Every other founding father gets to grow old, And when you're gone, who remembers your name? Who keeps your flame? Who tells your story?" — Everyone else who participated in the war continued relatively normal, and it was mainly only Mount Hua who suffered the most afterwards. Nobody was there to keep their legacy alive, and iy was really only the beast clan who truly remembered their name.

"I put myself back in the narrative. (Eliza) I stop wasting time on tears, I live another 50 years, it's not enough. (Eliza)" — (ignore the name) Basically just .. you know, Cheong Myeong living once more, not having time for grief and pushing away any feelings to build the sect back up.

"I try to make sense of your thousands of pages of writings, You really do write like you're running out of time." — I interpret this as either.. when Cheong Myeong first saw the vault, or when him just constantly writing technique books for the sect.

"I ask myself, what would you do if you had more time. The Lord, in his kindness, He gives me what you always wanted. He gives me more time." —Cheong Myeong asking himself what his Sahyung would do if he were still alive. He was given more time and he dedicated it all for the Sect, because the sect is his home and the only thing that ever mattered to him, the only place that cared for him.

"Oh, can I show you what I'm proudest of? ...... In their eyes I see you, Alexander. I see you every time, And when my time is up, Have I done enough? Will they tell your story? .... Oh, I can't wait to see you again. It's only a matter of time."

— Cheong Myeong, who is so proud of his sect— his children. Who asked his sahyung if he was proud of him. Seeing the ghosts of his past in the eyes of other people. His sahyung in Hyung Jong and Yoon Jong, Tang Bo in the other Tang family members, etc. And, of course, inevitable, Cheong Myeong will have to leave the sect to the hands of the other sect members. It will be up to them if they will be able to carry onward, to tell the stories of past sect members. And of course Cheong Myeong just missing his Sahyung and family....

this might be too long. im not sure though. Anyways..... WLWDWTYS CHEONG MYEONG CANON BABYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!! MY AGENDA WILL SPREAD

ohhh..what an interesting analysis.. i cant say im a hamilton fan nor have i seen it or heard any of the songs so i cant connect to them like u have here i guess but i can definitely see and understand ur reasoning for making a chung myung connection w this song.. very intriguing