#she's holding a jian | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

m1ckeyb3rry · 7 months

Text

── THE GLASS PRINCESS // FOUR

Series Synopsis: You wake up in a strange room with no memories, broken glass at your bedside, and a prince named Zuko as your only chance at figuring out who you really are.

Chapter Synopsis: You go to the zoo with Ty Lee. Later, you and Jia-Li watch a brutal confrontation between Kaho and an underclassman.

Series Masterlist

Pairing: Zuko x Reader

Chapter Word Count: 5.3k

Content Warnings: complicated relationships (strangers to friends to lovers to enemies to strangers to lovers to enemies to lovers), amnesia, alternate universe, lots of secrets and lying and mystery

A/N: big reveal HAHA jia-li is ruon-jian’s sister and kaho is chan’s!! idk if that was what people were expecting or not but i thought it was funny so here we are

To Zuko,

I suppose that, if you really are set on it, it would not hurt me to think of you as my friend. I hope that you are prepared for what that may entail.

I jest. I do not think I am a particularly difficult person to have as a friend, though you might get a more honest review from Ty Lee or Jia-Li. At least in my own opinion (which one might find to be unfairly high), I am agreeable enough to get along with most people — at least those who are agreeable in return (so, not Kaho).

Ty Lee and I went to the zoo. It was entertaining. I am fond of animals, and I found I enjoyed myself more at the zoo than in the academy. At least the birds sound pretty when they screech! The same cannot be said for my dear classmates, who are of the disposition to speak quite incessantly but without anything of substance or value to contribute.

My classes have been going well. I am already at the top of the year, which is partially due to how much I study and partially due to a different factor. I will not call it memory, because it is nothing that that is personal to me, but it is true that at times I will understand something before our teacher has even taught it. I must have been a very learned Fire Nation soldier, indeed.

I had to watch an Agni Kai. One of the girls in the year below us fought Kaho. Of course, she lost. It is such a brutal custom, you know…though of course I understand the cultural significance, it is not a joy to watch. Certainly, I don’t understand how some of the girls were eating snacks and placing bets on the outcome. Luckily, the girl who went against Kaho is alright. Kaho let her off with only a small burn, but it could’ve been much worse.

In better news, Jia-Li has invited me to spend the next break at her house on Ember Island! So I will go there instead of taking up space at the palace. I am excited — I am not sure if I’ve ever been to the ocean or not. It will be exciting to see it for the first time; or, if not for the first time in my life, then for the first time that I will remember. Of course, I will continue to write to you even on vacation, and Jia-Li has already said that I can borrow her clothes and things, so there should be no strain put upon you. If there were, then I would not even suggest it.

The next time I shall see you in person will be after the term is properly over, then. I look forward to it will hopefully be the Fire Nation lady you want me to be by then.

From, Your friend Ursa

P.S. You should not be surprised by what I am about to say: I still don’t remember anything.

“Wow,” Ty Lee said, chewing on a piece of candy as the two of you walked down a gravel pathway together. “I still can’t believe we got free admission!”

“Apparently, all students do,” you said, holding out your hand. She dropped the small, round, fruit-flavored disks in your palm, and you popped it in your mouth, smiling at the burst of flavor. “Though it makes sense they don’t advertise that.”

The Strategy Mistress was sick, so you all had been given leave to spend the afternoon as you pleased. Ty Lee had offered to take you to the zoo with her, remembering that you had mentioned wanting to go when you had woken up in the palace, and you had jumped at the chance to not be in the suffocating dormitory for a little while.

At the moment, you and her were standing in front of the dragon moose enclosure, watching as they grazed. One of the dragon moose had a calf, and it was a sweet looking animal, somehow adorable in its awkward ugliness. As you watched, it had a spurt of energy, jumping and bucking through the pasture, racing along the fence line and only skidding to a stop when it realized it was being ignored. Its ears drooped as it trotted back to its mother’s side, lowering its head to the grass once again.

“These dragon moose look a little different than the ones that pull the carriages,” Ty Lee said.

“Oh, I know why that is,” you said, eager to prove your competence. “Dragon moose are actually only native to one small part of the Fire Nation. The ones that pull our carriages are the offspring of ones that were domesticated many centuries ago. They’ve been selectively bred to best fit our purposes almost since the day our ancestors first tamed them, so they’ve evolved into very different looking animals. The wild dragon moose, such as these ones, never had that push to evolve and optimize to our needs, so they look the same as they have for all of those centuries.”

“You sure do know a lot, Ursa,” Ty Lee said gamely. “Was that school knowledge, book knowledge, or past knowledge?”

“Book knowledge,” you said. “I don’t know if I was that interested in the convergent evolution of domestic and wild dragon moose in my previous life.”

Ever since the first day of your classes, when you had discovered a mysterious aptitude and innate understanding of the rules of etiquette, you and Ty Lee had come up with three categories: school knowledge, book knowledge, and past knowledge. School knowledge referred to the things that you learned in your lessons, the offhand comments and the droning lectures that you remembered better than anyone else in your year. Book knowledge was the summation of the many pages upon pages you had committed to memory, encompassing everything from the political structures of the Fire Nation to the fauna of the Northern Water Tribe. Finally, past knowledge was the most mysterious and ambiguous category, because it meant the random things you just knew in your mind, even though you had no real reason to.

More things than you were really comfortable with fell into that latter category. It really didn’t feel fair — why was it that you could recall the pillars of etiquette and the different battle formations of the Soldiers of Agni, but not anything about who you had been in the past? Why was your identity, which you wanted to know the most, the only thing you could not remember?

In the middle of the zoo was a large, artificial lake. You and Ty Lee stopped at the fence and leaned over to watch the flying dolphin fish leap through the air before diving back into the water with great splashes. A little ways away from you, a child raced up to the fence and gripped it, staring at the flying dolphin fish in awe. One of the fish noticed him and swam over towards him before slamming its tail against the surface of the lake, bowling the child over in a great deluge of salty brine.

You and Ty Lee exchanged looks, neither of you laughing until you saw the other’s face, whereupon you burst into fits of giggles, unable to hold them in any longer.

“Should we go help him?” you gasped out, wiping away the tears gathering in the corners of your eyes. Ty Lee, who was doubled over at this point, shook her head.

“I think — I think his mother’s got him,” she said breathlessly. True to her word, an adult woman was yelling at the boy as he wailed, still face-down and drenched to the bone.

“He should’ve just stayed with the turtle ducks,” you said, shaking your head and pointing at the small flock floating placidly along, far from the mischievous flying dolphin fish. “They’re so cute!”

“From what I remember, there’s a petting zoo area somewhere in the zoo, if you want to try feeding turtle ducks,” Ty Lee said. “I wasn’t able to see it when I came with Azula and Mai, though, because Azula hates turtle ducks.”

“Hates turtle ducks? How could someone hate them? They’re so sweet and guileless,” you said. “Was she wronged by one as a child?”

“You could say that,” Ty Lee said. She didn’t offer further explanation, but considering you had never even met Princess Azula, you didn’t blame her. Whatever her past with the turtle ducks was, it was the princess’s own secret to keep or share at her own discretion.

It took you a while to find the petting zoo, as they had no signs, so you had to ask people to point you in the correct direction. Unfortunately, most of the people that you asked were other visitors, and by the time you finally found a staff member to take you there, you had all but given up on the prospect of going at all.

“Mostly, the people who come to the petting zoo are kids, or at least have some of their own,” the zookeeper said. Ty Lee scowled at her.

“Some of us are young at heart!” she snapped, earning a snort from you and a bewildered look from the zookeeper, who raised her hands in the air and back away.

“I cannot believe that was your response to her,” you said as you reached the counter where a different zookeeper handed you little bags of food to give to the animals.

“I panicked,” Ty Lee admitted. “But really, she had no reason to be judging us! It’s her own job that relies on visitors like us. Who cares about how old we are?”

“Quite right, Ty Lee, and anyways it can be argued that I have about as much life experience as a child, in one way, so she really has no ground to stand on,” you said.

“I wouldn’t say you’re all too childlike,” Ty Lee said. “You act like most anyone else our age would. Maybe more mature, even, but certainly not less, even though you have no memories.”

“Of course, it isn’t as if the effects of my formative experiences on my psyche have been erased just because I can’t remember them,” you said. “They still shaped my spirit, even if I cannot recall how they did so.”

Unfurling your fingers and offering your hand to one of the dragon moose — which was of the domesticated variety, not one of the wild ones from earlier — you used your other hand to rub its forehead.

“Ew! It slobbered all over me!” Ty Lee said as the dragon moose she was feeding swiped its long tongue over her now-empty palm and then across her cheek, ignoring her attempts to shove it off of her.

“That must mean it likes you,” you said. She stopped trying to shove it away, her expression growing contemplative as the dragon moose used its lips to play with her long braid.

“Aw,” she said. “Now I feel kinda bad for being so mean.”

“I don’t think it’s offended, but maybe you should get your braid out of its mouth before it chews it off,” you said. Ty Lee yelped and yanked her braid out of the dragon moose’s grasp, jumping away to stand behind you.

“As soon as we get back to the academy, I’m going to have to shower,” she said, shuddering.

“You do smell somewhat like dragon moose,” you said, sniffing her delicately and then wrinkling your nose. “Wanna go back to the flying dolphin fish? I’m sure they’d be happy to rinse you off.”

“Very funny!” she said.

“It feels like you don’t think it’s that funny,” you said, snickering. “Which is a shame, because I do.”

“Let’s just go see the turtle ducks. They’re the whole reason we came here,” she said, stomping off.

“You don’t want to visit the hippo cow?” you said, pointing at the enormous beast that was allowing toddlers to clamber over it as it dozed with one eye open.

“I don’t even want to think about how things could go wrong if I go near that,” Ty Lee said. “Turtle ducks are nice and safe and little. As I said, let’s go there.”

These turtle ducks were kept in a pond which had no fence, allowing them to wander about as they pleased, swimming amongst the lilies blooming in the water and hiding in the bulrushes on the part of the bank further from the path.

Crouching, you broke off pieces of lettuce and threw them towards the turtle ducks. They paddled over and began to squabble amongst themselves, racing to snag the treats before their companions.

Ty Lee joined you, and for a little bit, the two of you were quiet, tossing lettuce at the turtle ducks and observing them eat. Only once all of your lettuce had run out did Ty Lee speak again.

“I thought turtle ducks ate bread,” she said.

“They do,” you said. “They love it a lot, which is why people give it to them. But it’s bad for them. Makes their stomachs upset.”

“Then why do they love it?” she said. “If it makes them sick, why do they keep eating it?”

“I don’t know,” you said. “It must taste very nice. Sometimes, it’s like that, I guess. You do things that you know are bad for you because you think that they are good.”

Ty Lee glanced at you out of the corner of her eye. “School knowledge or book knowledge?”

“Neither,” you said. “Past knowledge, I think.”

You couldn’t explain it, but then again, when had you ever been able to explain your past knowledge? Ty Lee exhaled but did not question you, which you were grateful for. You doubted you could’ve explained further, anyways.

“There you are!” Jia-Li hissed when you and Ty Lee walked into the dormitory building together. The light mood of the outing had faded after you had fed the turtle ducks, a pensive melancholy settling over you both in place of the earlier humor as the two of you considered your own respective thoughts.

“What’s wrong?” you said.

“Where have you guys been?” she said.

“We were at the zoo,” Ty Lee said.

“Didn’t I tell you before we left? Did something happen? Oh no, did the Strategy Mistress suddenly feel better and decide to hold class after all?” you said. “We have an exam coming up. If I missed a class, then I’m going to have to double down on my studying.”

“Those are words I never want to hear from your mouth again,” Ty Lee said. “How can you ‘double down’ on your studying when you already spend almost every waking moment doing exactly that? I mean, there’s only so many hours in a day, you know!”

“Never mind all of that!” Jia-Li said. “No, the Strategy Mistress is still sick, so you didn’t miss anything — at least, nothing academic.”

“Good,” you said. “I don’t mind missing anything else. Which I’m assuming we did, considering you look near to fainting, Jia-Li.”

“One of those idiots in the class below us has been spending the entire afternoon antagonizing Kaho! I’m afraid she’s going to blow up, and sooner rather than later,” Jia-Li explained.

“That sounds like something I’d like to be far away from,” you said. “We should’ve stayed at the zoo a bit longer, Ty Lee.”

“Mhm,” Ty Lee said emphatically. “I’d take dragon moose slobber any day!”

“I don’t think this girl realizes what she’s getting into,” Jia-Li said. “See, the thing is, whenever you’re around, Ursa, Kaho’s too busy hating you to get annoyed by anyone else. But since you were gone all afternoon, she’s had nowhere to channel her inner anger.”

You made a face. “So? Are you suggesting that I should’ve stayed around and let her be rude to me or something?”

“Not at all,” Jia-Li reassured you. “It’s more that she’s seemed downright gentle recently — or, I guess, gentler. That’s why that girl thinks she has a chance, but the truth is in terms of Firebending, Kaho is probably the most talented student in the entire academy at the present moment. And when you mix that talent together with an ill temper, it’s a bad combination.”

“Has she challenged her yet?” Ty Lee said.

“Not yet,” Jia-Li said.

“It’s only a matter of time,” Ty Lee said, sighing. “Ugh. This is all so ridiculous! We should all just get along.”

“Let’s just avoid them all for as long as we can and hope everything has smoothed over by the time we go down to eat dinner,” you said. “Ty Lee, you can stay in our room, as long as Jia-Li is okay with it.”

“Of course,” Jia-Li said. “I wouldn’t send you into the dragon’s maw like that.”

“I can handle her if it comes down to it,” Ty Lee said. “And I really need to shower — bad run in with a dragon moose’s tongue, Jia-Li, it’s a bit of a long story. But thanks for offering!”

“What can she do against someone like Kaho?” Jia-Li asked you. You shrugged.

“I have no idea, but she is one of Princess Azula’s closest friends, so she must know a thing or two,” you said.

“That’s true,” Jia-Li said. “Let’s stop talking about Kaho and her idiocy now, though. There’s no point in letting her spoil our time together. Did you have fun at the zoo?”

“I did!” you said. “It was nice to see all the animals, and we got to feed some of them at the petting zoo, which was nice. They were all very friendly.”

Jia-Li smiled fondly. “That’s good. I used to love going to the zoo as a kid. My brother and I used to visit together — his favorite exhibit was the flying dolphin fish, but I always liked going to see the koala sheep.”

“Were you and your brother close?” you said, feeling a pang in your stomach. You had no idea if you had a brother or a sister or any siblings at all. What if you did? Would they be missing you right now, or would they have moved on from you already? Would they resemble you, or would you look completely different? Would they have cared for you in your youth, or would you have cared for them in theirs?

“We used to be,” Jia-Li said. “When we were very young, that is. He was my best friend.”

“What happened?” you said.

“We grew up,” she said, undoing the ribbon tying her hair back and beginning to comb through her long locks. “I came here, and he went to the school for boys. Then I suppose we just learnt to have different interests. He preferred hanging out with his other boy friends, and so I was left to find my own entertainment.”

“That’s sad,” you said. She set down the comb and retied her hair.

“It is,” she said. “What I wouldn’t give to go to the zoo with him again, or some other such activity. Actually, I just wish we were children again…but we are grown now, aren’t we? It’s fine. That’s how life is.”

“Is he much older than us?” you said.

“Only by a couple of years,” she said before brightening. “You should come meet him!”

“Uh,” you said. “Where would we do that, exactly? And why?”

“Our next break is soon. My family has a house on Ember Island; you can come stay with us! Unless you have other plans already or something, of course,” she said.

“I don’t have any plans,” you said. “I probably would’ve ended up going to the palace again, but visiting this Ember Island place sounds a little more appealing, in truth. As long as you and your family are alright with it.”

“My family won’t care,” Jia-Li said, waving you off dismissively. “My father will probably be delighted to have the girl sponsored by the royal family staying in his home, and my mother will just be happy that I’m bringing a friend home. As for my brother…nobody cares about his opinion, anyways! If he wants to complain, then he can just run along and stay at his best friend’s house. They’re going to be on Ember Island then, too.”

“Then I would really love to do that,” you said. “Thank you for inviting me, Jia-Li.”

“Sure, you’re a great roommate, so it’s not an issue,” she said. “I was a little sad about having to leave you during break, but now I’m just excited! You’ll love Ember Island, I promise. It’s so beautiful there.”

“I’m excited, too,” you said. “Actually, I was a little scared about the break — I wasn’t sure if I had a place in the palace or not, and either way, there’s something a little intimidating about staying there. It’ll be much more fun to be with you the whole time, in a place that I can feel somewhat wanted.”

“Of course!” Jia-Li said, growing starry-eyed. “And I can take you to the ocean for the first time! Do you know how to swim? Wait, you probably wouldn’t know if you do or don’t. Well, if you don’t, I’ll teach you, and if you do, we can swim together! You can borrow my things, I think we’re probably close in size.”

“Alright,” you said, overwhelmed by the many plans she was already coming with. “I’ll leave all of that to you. Just tell me what to do, and I’ll do it.”

“You can count on me,” Jia-Li said, giving you a thumbs up. “I promise it’ll be the best break ever!”

Since Ty Lee had apparently gone to her room after showering, you and Jia-Li decided to make your way to dinner together in the hopes that you’d find her in the dining hall. Both of you were hungry by that point, though, and you unanimously agreed to just eat, even if she wasn’t there.

“I’m surprised,” you said when you walked in and found no traces of Ty Lee anywhere. “She’s normally so timely when it comes to dinner.”

“Yeah, but remember how long it takes her to wash and dry her hair? She probably won’t be down for a while,” Jia-Li reminded you.

“Right, I forgot about that,” you said. Ty Lee took a lot of pride in her personal appearance — rightfully so, of course, given how lovely she was — so her pre and post-shower routines were quite extensive, to say nothing of the actual shower itself. And especially because she had gotten covered in dragon moose saliva at the zoo, Jia-Li was correct to assume that Ty Lee might not be out for quite some time.

“Uh-oh,” Jia-Li said as you two sat down with your dinners. She nodded at the end of the table, where a girl you vaguely remembered being in the year below you was smirking at Kaho, whose jaw muscles were twitching with every word the girl spoke.

“Someone should stop her,” you said, though you made no move to get up, wanting to stay far away from the disaster zone that was about to emerge. Jia-Li hummed in assent, but she obviously had the same idea, remaining firmly put beside you. “It’s like she has a death wish.”

“She’s just trying to prove her superiority,” Jia-Li said. “There’s a clear hierarchy in this school, and right now, Kaho is at the top. She doesn’t like when people come for her spot, but of course, everyone wants to be there, to be number one, so they’re always trying to best her. It’s why she doesn’t like you — you’re beating her in terms of academics, which she hates, because she’s supposed to be the best. At least with you, though, you’re not a bender, so she can console herself with the fact that you’ll never be able to compete with her in any way that matters on that front. This girl, though, is challenging everything that Kaho is. She wants to be the most respected girl in the academy, but to do that, she needs to prove that Kaho isn’t worthy of that place any longer.”

“Can she do it?” you said.

“No,” Jia-Li said bluntly. “Plenty of people have tried. None of them have succeeded, except for Princess Azula, and she’s a special case in that she already was afforded a different status than the rest of us because of her bloodline.”

“Then she’s a fool,” you said.

“There’s more fools in this world than not,” Jia-Li said.

The girl continued to tease Kaho, who was obviously doing her level best to ignore her, not even affording her the dignity of looking at her. One could argue that it was maturity, but you understood it for what it really was: a way to demean her opponent, to prove that the other’s existence was meaningless to her, that she was so insignificant it was as if she truly did not exist in Kaho’s eyes.

“Honestly,” the girl said, voice lilting impishly, “I feel for you, Kaho. I mean, you used to be the top student, and then a girl with amnesia took your spot! It must’ve been embarrassing, losing to someone who doesn’t even have any memories. And to make matters worse, the prince really does seem to favor that girl, and we all know what he thinks of you…”

“What is she talking about?” you whispered under your breath to Jia-Li. “Why is she bringing me into this? What does Prince Zuko have to do with anything?”

“You’d do well to shut up now,” Kaho said, though it was the wrong thing to do, for her reaction was proof that the girl had struck a nerve.

“It’s like I told you,” Jia-Li whispered back. “Kaho is used to being at the top. When we were younger, before everything with the, ah, banishment, she tried very desperately to befriend the royal family. She was never able to endear herself to Princess Azula, but her sights were always on the prince, anyways, so that mattered little to her. It was marriage she sought; the prospect of being Fire Lady was too appealing.”

“I’m assuming she was unsuccessful,” you said. Jia-Li nodded.

“Extremely. It wasn’t even her fault, really; Prince Zuko was always kind, but unattainable for all of us. He had no interest in dallying with girls that went to school with his sister, so Kaho was never able to gain his approval in the way she wanted. Perhaps it might’ve been different if he hadn’t been…you know. They might have grown closer as they grew older simply due to her sheer persistence, but we’ll never know,” she said.

“For being the supposed best of us, you’re not the best at a lot of things,” the girl said. “I mean, I bet you’re not even that good at Firebending!”

Kaho slammed her fist on the table, standing to face the girl and glaring at her.

“Is that the game you want to play?” she said. “Fine. I’ll go along with it. I challenge you to an Agni Kai!”

“I’m assuming that’s not a good outcome,” you said.

“Nope,” Jia-Li said grimly. “Let’s just say that things have gone from bad to worse. Come on.”

“We’re going to watch?” you said.

“It’s all but mandated. I don’t like it, either, but we kind of have to,” Jia-Li said. “Hopefully, it’s over soon. Sometimes, Kaho can be inventive.”

You and Jia-Li stood in the very back of the crowd, though your view was still perfectly unobstructed. You almost wished there was something blocking your vision, though, something in between you and what was surely going to turn out to be a grotesque sight, one way or another.

“Want some?” the girl in front of you said, turning around and proffering a bag of candy to you and Jia-Li.

“No, thank you,” you said, for you were already queasy and knew that sweets would only worsen the effect.

“I’m okay,” Jia-Li said.

“I’m betting on Kaho,” the girl said, grabbing a handful of candy and dropping it all in her mouth. “Wanna join the pool? One of my friends is running it.”

“Like a betting pool?” you said.

“Yup! It’s how I could afford to buy this candy — I won last time,” the girl explained.

“No way,” you said.

“We’re good,” Jia-Li said when the girl looked offended at your short response.

“I can’t believe they’re betting on something like this!” you said.

“It’s common, believe it or not,” Jia-Li said.

“I believe it, sadly, but I wish I didn’t,” you said. “It’s so heartless.”

“That’s just how things are here,” Jia-Li said. You pursed your lips as the fight between the girl and Kaho began, deciding to keep silent, because your words would be wasted when your argument was not even with Jia-Li in the first place.

Even though the girl was no slouch in terms of Firebending, the fight was over almost as soon as it started. Kaho’s power was too much for her opponent, and she seemed bored as she coated her palm in fire and slapped it against the girl’s bicep.

“I got the first burn,” she said, miming a yawn. “So I guess that means I win. Why are you crying like that? Honestly. Just shut up. Why’d you agree to fight me if you couldn’t accept defeat like an adult?”

The skin on the girl’s arm was red and angry, already beginning to blister, but you could tell even without an explanation from Jia-Li that Kaho had been merciful. She could’ve done worse, but she had chosen to let that girl off with a warning. A reminder to never be so daring again.

There was something odd about it all, though. Despite the fact that her opponent was standing across from her, you noticed that it was not the burnt, sobbing girl that Kaho was scowling at so darkly.

It was you.

Ursa,

I’m glad you were able to make it to the zoo. I know you mentioned wanting to go a while back, so it makes me happy to know that that desire of yours was fulfilled. I wish I could’ve been there. Did you get to feed the turtle ducks? I remember doing that when I went, though of course I only visited once, with my mother, and that was a long time ago, so maybe things have changed and they don’t let people do that anymore.

I wish you hadn’t had to see an Agni Kai. They are definitely a darker part of Fire Nation culture. But, then again, for a nation that values honor so greatly, they are just a natural consequence. I hope you haven’t been frightened too terribly. Mai says that Kaho isn’t always so generous with her opponents, so there’s something to be grateful for: at least it was only a small burn. You’re entirely right — it could’ve been worse.

You shouldn’t worry about taking up space at the palace. It would be my our pleasure to host you once again. But Ember Island is a nice place. You will have fun there, I’m sure. The ocean is very, very beautiful. It’s the bluest thing you’ll ever see, and it goes on for what seems to be forever. The Fire Nation is lucky in that our ocean is warm, and the tides are not so vicious — nothing like the poles, where it is so treacherous and cold.

It is nice to know that you are enjoying yourself so thoroughly. That is what I am really concerned with; it matters little to me if you ever become a proper Fire Nation lady or anything along those lines. I would even prefer it if you didn’t. It’s more important that you are happy.

Yours, Zuko

P.S. Perhaps I am not surprised, but I am still disappointed on your behalf.

#zuko x reader #zuko x you #zuko x y/n #zuko #avatar the last airbender #atla #reader insert #canon au #the glass princess #m1ckeyb3rry writes

180 notes · View notes

wherethewhumpthingsare · 26 days

Text

Challenges at Midlife (相逢时节) Whumplist

Source

Whumpee: Ning Shu; Portrayed By: Lay Zhang

Synopsis: Yu Ning was betrayed by her husband and got a divorce. Jian Hong Cheng discovers that Zhang Li Xin wants to sell the factory to pay his debts. Not willing to let his father's efforts go to waste, he returns to his hometown to protect the factory. There, he reunites with Ning Yu and finally finds out the reason why Ning Yu keeps rejecting him - she is the daughter of Cui Hao. Jian Hong Cheng uses his ways to solve the crisis at hand. However, Ning Yu's brother, Ning Shu, secretly kept making trouble for him. Jian Hong Cheng and Ning Yu worked together to stop their illogical relatives. Facing constant trifles, the two of them experienced the pain of mid-life, which allowed them to know each other again and also realize the type of life they truly wanted. (MDL)

Genre: Drama

Where to Watch: KissAsian

Note: There wasn’t a whole lot of whump in this one, but I highlighted the episodes that had the most whumpy scenes in red.

SPOILERS AHEAD!

Episode 1: reprimanded, shouted at (27:35)

Episode 2-5: None

Episode 6: angry, argument with girlfriend (38:50)

Episode 7-11: None

Episode 12: argument with sister (12:50)

Episode 13: furious, upset, shouting (35:00)

Episode 14-16: None

Episode 17: slapped, stumbling, shocked, blood on his lip, scared, swallowing, threatened to be beat up (20:50); bruise on his jaw (38:10)

Episode 18: None

Episode 19: rock thrown at his window, threatened (8:45)

Episode 20: argument with sister, shouting, talking about his seizure disorder (6:40); interrogated, scared, taken away & beaten (off screen but you can hear it happening), begging, thrown on the floor, face bruised & cut up, bleeding from the mouth (20:13); in the back of a car looking tired, worried over, tended to, holding ice packs to his face (29:50)

Episode 21: depressed, not eating, bruise on his cheek (20:20); angry, arguing, protecting his mother (34:15)

Episode 22-25: None

Episode 26: tired, mom worried about him (8:55); angry, shouting, argument with sister (38:30)

Episode 27-33: None

Episode 34: ambushed, hit in the back with crowbar (35:40); waking tied up, manhandled (38:30)

Episode 35: still tied up (6:40); slapped, stumbling, protecting his mother, in a fight (28:30)

Episode 36: girlfriend breaking up with him (26:20); ambushed, grabbed, arguing, angry, punched someone, manhandled (40:38); fight, grabbed and held, punched, shoved and hit the back of his head, suddenly seizing, foaming at the mouth (42:15)

Episode 37: people watching a recording of him being attacked and seizing (5:25); awake in the hospital, worried over (14:40); girlfriend leaving him for good, kneeling down crying (42:20)

Episode 38: receiving upsetting call (17:30); rushing to hospital, panting, seeing his mother unconscious on a gurney which triggers a seizure, collapsing, foaming at the mouth, sister holding him, in hospital bed unconscious (19:50); left hospital without permission, going to confront someone, angry, knife pointed at him, grabbing knife blade, hand bleeding, stabbing someone by mistake (25:50); in prison, flashback to being taken to prison in handcuffs (29:00)

#whumplist #asian whump #whump #challenges at midlife #cdrama whump #lay zhang

57 notes · View notes

svsss-fanon-exposed · 7 months

Note

A question about the disciple hierarchy in the CQM:

I was under the impression that QJP disciples were higher up the ladder than the disciples of the other peaks (excluding Qiong Ding), and I think LMY calls LBH 'Luo-shixiong' in the donghua (?)

But there's a theory that the seniority is still decided by when the disciple had entered the sect (regardless of the peak they belong to), and so NYY isn't necessarily LMY's shijie.

Could you clarify the matter, please?

Your assumption is correct! The following quote clarifies that peak seniority outranks time-of-joining seniority:

All successive peak lords had addressed each other in accordance with this ranking rather than by their order of entry into the sect. Therefore, even though he’d entered the sect quite some time after Liu Qingge, because Qing Jing Peak was ranked second—only below Qiong Ding Peak—while Bai Zhan Peak was ranked seventh, Liu Qingge still had to address Shen Qingqiu as “Shixiong,” if through gritted teeth. (Seven Seas, Ch. 24)

Though the quote specifies peak lords, it can reasonably be inferred that it also applies to disciples, as this seniority is still respected by these two before their ascension.

Cang Qiong Mountain is a bit like a coalition of twelve separate, smaller sects that all operate as one-- each peak is somewhat its own entity. How seniority is decided is first, based on peak, so all members of Qiong Ding Peak within the same generation have seniority over all members of Qing Jing Peak, and members of QDP's older generation would be addressed as " 师伯 shibo" rather than as "师叔 shishu," as QJP's disciples would address older generation members of other peaks.

Within the peaks themselves, however, seniority is decided by time of entry into the sect, with those entering earlier having seniority to those entering later.

Therefore, Ning Yingying is Luo Binghe's shijie because she entered Qing Jing Peak before him, as well as Liu Mingyan's shijie because she is part of a higher-ranking peak, despite the fact that she is younger than both of them.

Of course, there is still one point of ambiguity that is not answered in canon-- where outer disciples fit into this hierarchy, and whether an outer disciple of Qiong Ding Peak would still outrank an inner disciple of Qing Jing Peak based on peak seniority. The only example we have of outer disciples and inner disciples interacting is when Shang Qinghua interacts with the Wan Jian Peak disciples in the airplane extras, but that cannot resolve the issue as Wan Jian Peak is senior to An Ding in general, and Shang Qinghua does not interact with any inner disciples from lower-ranked peaks while he is an outer disciple. Personally, my assumption is that peak rankings still hold precedence as we have direct statements regarding the importance of this ranking, but that's a little more up for interpretation.

I do think, however, that within a peak itself, all inner disciples have seniority over outer disciples based off of genre convention-- in this way, the inner vs. outer disciple ranking is similar to the peaks' ranking and takes precedence.

#answered #svsss #cang qiong mountain sect #ning yingying #luo binghe #liu mingyan #cqms hierarchy

139 notes · View notes

jade-of-mourning · 9 months

Text

Tenzin stares down at the scowling, scrawny kid. He's dressed in a patched grey shirt bound hastily at the forearms, equally-patched trousers hanging off his frame despite the long length of his skinny legs, and his feet are currently bare aside from some more dirty wrappings around the arch and heel. A shockingly red scarf loops around his neck, several times too-big and frayed at the ends. He's maybe fourteen or fifteen despite the heavy grey lines underscoring his features, because there's a familiar despair written in the recurring story — prominent cheekbones sticking out of his thin, pointy face, lips chapped and pale from the freezing winter nights of Republic City, gold-flecked brown eyes glaring back at him defiantly.

And he's in a pair of handcuffs.

"So this is the one, you say," he addresses to the woman standing next to him. Her arms are crossed against her chest, a glare plastered across her face — precisely mirroring that of the scrappy boy handcuffed to the table in front of them. They're having an intense stare-down.

If he didn't know any better, he'd almost think this was her kid.

(But he knows all too well that he's not.)

Lin Beifong scowls. "Fucker tried to hit Jian with lightning after spotting her during a stakeout on a Triple Threats warehouse. He then managed to single-handedly fight off three officers while the rest of the gang bailed, looking like a feral, lightning-happy pyromaniac while at it —" The feral, lightning-happy pyromaniac looks pleased for a moment, before promptly dropping back into a glower "— and when I sent a cable at him from the back, he shot a pillar out of the concrete ground to block it."

"How do you know it was him?" Tenzin asks.

"I know the motions. I am an earthbender, in case you forgot."

"Perhaps there was another man waiting behind to assist his escape, who earthbent the ground upon seeing his comrade in danger."

Lin grunts. "The team split when the cowards scrammed, and managed to capture a few of the accomplices. None of those fleeing were in the vicinity by the time the incident occurred."

"There could have been more of them involved than just the ones you saw fleeing the scene," Tenzin suggests.

"We were in the middle of a stakeout, Tenzin. If you need a definition, a stakeout is a period of time where the police conduct surveillance on —"

Tenzin cuts her off, conceding before she can keep going on at him. "Understood. But how can you know for certain that there weren't other members coincidentally passing through who elected to lend a hand?"

Lin acknowledges the point; the outside world doesn't come to a standstill when there's a fight inside. "One of the captured men said that the kid is Zolt's protege, which adds up with the frequency of which I see him in the aftermath of incursions. They're shamelessly bitter about him being the boss' favorite, and they clearly don't hold any well-regards towards him, so they don't have reason to offer assistance, aside from attempting to curry favor from a fourteen year old — and no faces were shown to that point, so that's out of question. Besides, they're gangsters. What sense of loyalty to each other do you really think they have?"

"More than you've got to the city." Both Tenzin and Lin whip their heads around in surprise at the low, raspy voice, having forgotten of the boy's presence during their back-and-forth. He looks almost like he wants to curl inwards on himself, but instead raises his chin higher up and manages to glare at them with even more force, if possible. "You police ain't done shit for us. You're all the same purposefully ignorant bastards. That's how we get here, but you knew that." The subject of we goes unsaid; all three of them in the closed metal room know precisely what he's talking about.

"So are you saying that one of your loyal friends stayed behind and bent that earth for you?" Lin demands, ignoring the jab at her dignity. Tenzin knows she's retracted the heel of her uniform, searching for a heartbeat.

The boy leans back in the chair flippantly. "Nah," he says curtly. "They're smart enough. None of 'em would stick 'round for me." It's contrary to the earlier claim of mutual loyalty, but unsurprising.

"So it was you," Tenzin concludes.

"I never said it was."

"Then who else could it have been?" The frustration is bubbling up in him, the way it always has since he was a kid; Dad had always laughed and said that he must've gotten it from his mother, quick to anger and full in force, but Tenzin has never been able to quell the feeling down despite his best efforts to be more like his father.

"Bet it was one of your cop cronies." There's something intense and unhinged and wild in the kid's half-pyrite eyes, almost glowing in the gleeful challenge. "Pro'ly got bored of the metal rod permanently stuck up your ass n' thought it'd be funny if —"

"Young man! You will not speak of —"

"I'm jus' sayin' —"

"Enough." Lin slams her fist down on the table, and the light in the boy's eyes dims in an instant. "I've had enough of your hog-monkey shit. Either you be straight with me and we can settle this quickly, or I'm holding you here as long as I deem necessary."

Which can be a very long time, goes unsaid.

Tenzin inspects the kid carefully, sees the minute way his shoulders slump down, and suddenly, all he can see in front of him is Jinora, hunching in on herself as her parents lecture her about not feeding her dinner to the sky bison. He doesn't know why — after all, this is a lightning-bending gangster, almost certainly raised by the streets in poverty and desperation; he couldn't be further from Tenzin's family.

But.

He's still just a kid.

Beneath all that bravado, those bitter, biting words, the degenerate behaviour that brought him here in the first place, the skin stretched too-thin over bones jutting out of his face — the harsh exterior is made to protect a kid who's seen too much. Tenzin knows that for certain.

And Tenzin is suddenly tired, because the boy is right. There's a reason that kids like him run with gangs, learn to fight dirty and low and vicious, and he's not naive enough to believe that it's not in-part due to their own failure as adults in power. He places a hand on Lin's shoulder — a silent request for her to step back and trust him. She looks over at him, green eyes meeting blue, and he's struck by how beaten down she looks by this conversation despite her infallible presence. Despite their time away from each other, despite the inevitable fallout that halved their world together like a splintering ravine and left no chance of reprieve, she knows him.

She steps back.

Tenzin seats himself at the table as Lin moves to the corner of the room. Takes a deep breath to steady himself, tries to channel the way his father always made people feel like everything would be alright. "Young man," he says in a reasonable tone, "please, let's try again. Would you be willing to tell me your name?"

"It's —"

"Mako," the boy interjects before Lin can finish for him, take his autonomy, eyes dropping to the table. There's an unmistakable air of defeat around him, one at total odds of the snapping, feral boy described and seen from before. "My… My name's Mako. Why's it matter to you?"

Tenzin nods resolutely, ignoring the question. "Well, Mako. I have a proposal for you — one that should keep you out of the police station."

A raised eyebrow.

Once it's out of his mouth, he can't retract it. He knows that there will be consequences for speaking without consulting Pema, Lin, his kids.

But his heart is telling him that this is right. Not just that it's the right thing to do, but also that the kid sitting handcuffed to the table in front of him is the Avatar. He can see it in his eyes, hard and resentful and gold-brown and so different from his father's, yet still the same in some inexplicable way. Reconciling the idea of this lightning-bending gangster of a street kid with the man who co-founded this city is… overwhelming, and Tenzin would almost rather blow this situation off and let himself live in remembering his father for who he is, not for whoever Mako turns out to be. But Tenzin has a duty to the world, and a duty to his father, and so he will ensure that he does the new Avatar right.

"I would like to invite you to stay on Air Temple Island for the time being. We can discuss the objective after I am able to gather the resources necessary to run an evaluating test. Do you accept?"

Mako glances over at Lin; Tenzin resists the urge to do the same. He doesn't need her approval for this — it's his home, and he knows what he's doing. He can't read the thoughts behind the boy's eyes as they flick between the two adults who hold an infinite amount of power over him, can't follow what internal strife might be occurring in his head.

Then Mako shrugs, an abrupt, jerky motion. "Sure."

Lin Beifong throws her hands up in the air, and leaves the interrogation room. She can't be bothered to deal with this; it's five in the morning. She needs some fucking sleep.

my ao3 (but it's not posted there)

sorry this was a crack idea i had while practicing piano and i had to crank it out. i Might write a series of oneshots on this if i get too inspired lol (similar to what empty shores was supposed to be)

yes bolin is alive in this au, yes i have an unfortunate amount of ideas, yes i'm still writing my normal conceivable-to-complete fics.

if tenzin thought korra was hard to work with, he is going to have a blast with mako, who comes pre-packaged with fifty times more trauma that korra had when she pulled up to air temple island. (and is also prone to stealing, and running away, and murder as necessary, probably.) (this is going to be so terrible on all sides until it gets better!)

#lychee's word trash #mako lok #mako tlok #don't ask about the logic i don't want to think too hard about it #just a silly au that i thought up while reading some fic #feel free to ask me questions about it lolll #also!! finally started my lok rewatch!#i genuinely love korra so much she's so cute and sweet and batshit insane aughgdzhzchzcj #snowglobes don't shake on their own

73 notes · View notes

joyburble · 10 months

Text

The Swords

So I was watching, as you do, some videos by some very charming and passionate martials arts practitioners comparing and contrasting various designs of sword and their usage. And I remembered that I had vaguely, perhaps subconsciously, noticed something strange about the magical swords used in this show.

The first one we see is the Hellfire sword which Dongfang Qingcang materialises as he calls Shangque.

It's straight, with no curve to the blade at all, and both edges appear to be sharp. It's basically cross-shaped, with a large, decorated cross-guard extending parallel with both edges. And it has a fairly large roundish pommel, by which he holds it:

I think I semi-consciously noticed that this looks a lot more like a European longsword, except that it's not all that long. Chinese swords are usually curved, even if only slightly, are usually sharp on one side only, and usually have disc-shaped handguards. [Edit! see reblogs for information on jians, which are straight and double-edged but with tiny crossguards] They sometimes have pommels, but the kind you see in the Wuxia genre generally doesn't.

So I thought, is this one of the subtler ways in which they're setting out to make Dongfang Qingcang and the Moon Tribe seem a little bit foreign and therefore barbarous, "not-Han-coded", as someone on Discord put it?

But then I checked the other swords, and that's not it.

Changheng's is a bit ambiguous. It has a pronounced cross-guard, less elaborate but more fantastical - it seems to be thinking about morphing into a 16th-century European basket hilt, as that downturned curve wouldn't work to catch your opponent's blade, but it isn't quite there yet:

The blade also looks very straight, and we don't see the prop without the CGI for long enough to tell whether it's meant to be sharp on both edges. It might be more of a sabre, a design that pops up in martial arts traditions everywhere.

The third sword we see is Lady Chidi's battle sword, which is the same basic design as Dongfang Qingcang's:

As you can see in the closeup, it's cross-shaped, double-edged, straight, and symmetrical, with a pronounced pommel, a long hilt for two hands, and a large cross-guard parallel to the edges.

This shape is important, because scale is an optional setting for powerful immortal beings, and she will soon turn it into this mountain, with the cross-guard becoming a very convenient platform for conversation and sunbathing:

The other plot-relevant sword, in Episode 31, is the same cross-shape, with a really big cross-guard and a fairly pronounced pommel.

However! Intriguingly, to spar with Ronghao in the illusion-forest in Episode 32, Chidi uses a very simple blade, straight, but with neither cross-guard nor pommel, like a civilised Chinese lady:

It might be double-edged or single-edged, I can't tell, but it has virtually no hand guard at all, not even a round one like a katana:

But when in a later scene Ronghao confesses, it is her own, true sword she drops, as a sign that things are getting simultaneously more magic and more real:

In Ep34, she uses it to kill some unfortunate pikemen:

Meanwhile, back in Ep 16, Yannu's sword was the same plot-relevant shape, like Dongfang Qingcang's, and she holds it like a medieval warrior saint looking down from a Gothic arch:

He held it the same way when Shangque greeted him in Episode 2.

Danyin's sword, when she manifests it, is in a rather modest and perhaps youthful style. Still straight and symmetrical, but with a very small, sharply hooked cross-guard:

When Dieyi's whip-chain-flail-thing turns into a sword, it's even more European - it looks very like a rapier with a basket hilt! Kind of appropriate to her general look, actually, and her street-fighting personality.

When she changes stance we see this bonkers wiggly blade, which looks still rapier-ish (long, pointed, thrust more than cut), only insane. She doesn't use it like a rapier, though.

Ronghao's sword for killing is a curious design, still straight and with a pommel, but this curious sort of vestigial, bulbous thing that isn't really a guard of any kind. I don't know what's going on with this but the shape is a little bit like Theoden's sword in Return of the King. Not quite.

However, when Chidi eventually attacks him, they both use their simple sparring blades again:

Anyway! I was surprised to discover how nearly all of the swords used in this particular show visually followed styles I am familiar with both from western drama and from western historical collections, and none of them, except the ones in that last shot, looked at all like the most common styles of sword you see in Chinese dramas.

Obviously the weapons function exactly like the costumes in that they're primarily artistic visual references to various moods and ideas, rather than functional objects, but I think that makes this choice even more interesting. I don't know how usual it is for this genre, or what it means.

I haven't found where, if at all, we see Xunfeng or Shanque use a sword, and it's long past my bedtime so I'm stopping there.

#can lan jue #lbfad costumes #costumes and weapons meta #lbfad #love between fairy and devil #dongfang qingcang #rong hao #this is actually weird in a fascinating way #I don't think we ever see shangque use a sword

81 notes · View notes

culiehua · 3 months

Text

Imagine: our beloved shadowhunters in a vampire diaries S4x22/23 type of scenario where the veil between the living and the dead falls and chaos ensues

angry dead people are back for unifinished business with the mcs, you name it, they face it

(hint hint it's terrible)

magnus & co. are looking for a way to bring it back up but it's difficult enough without the now corporeal walking dead terrorists

the veil separates the living and the ghosts of those who are not ready to move on but also other supernatural whatnots

meaning that demons frequently infiltrate the other side bc it's a parallel dimensional death realm but usually rarely find weaknesses in the veil to cross over (and be killed by "stupid hot people")

but the whole thing is gone so demons are flooding everywhere and it is not that great

because the dead can now become tangible again (if they want to that is), they do that, e.g. Valentine and his posse go for Clary, and there are just so many

(we'll get back to them)

Meanwhile in London, Yanluo has crawled his way into Cirenworth because demons can hold grudges forever and he still has quite the bone to pick with Wenyu, Yiwen and Elias' blood (i.e. Jem holds the #1 spot in his deathnote (yes yanluo has a deathnote in canon myth even though it works a bit differently))

and why give up such ample opportunity for petty revenge?

nobody at the Carstairs home knows what is going on however (Tessa is with Magnus in New York)

so Mina is ripped out of her cradle in the middle of the night and held hostage until Jem hears her cry

listen. my chinese violin man has seen some shit

in his long (but not as long as it could have been) life he has spent more time flirting with his death than most and seems practically unflappable atp

but this is a nightmare he's never been able to completely get over (because watching your parents die while being tortured is traumatic™)

so jem is restrained and absolutely terrified to his core bc this cannot be happening again

fate has a really fucked up sense of humor, he thinks

history repeating itself was not on his bingo card and he is not sure if it's him or his sweet sweet baby girl that is going to croak. After all that effort to stay alive

and he prays to the angel it's him. Anyone but little love Mina, and he wonders, distantly, if his mother had felt the same way when she died

(The anguish and agony forever carved into his memory and onto her face tell him she would have)

Yanluo's ready to strike and poison him again but instead get's flung to the other side of the hall

(no minas were harmed in this scene)

things are moving too fast for him to see but in his injury induced haze he swears he hallucinates the image of his mother reaching for him before passing out

when he wakes up again it's to a destroyed foyer and his crying baby in his Kit's arms who looks a lot worse for wear

so the fight had been real. he definitely didn't imagine that

But he soon comes to the realization that he must have imagined his mother in someone else's stead, coming to protect him. How pathetic of him. He'd have to thank them later.

He hasn't spotted the unsheathed Jian coverd in ichor on the left side of the room yet.

For a couple of minutes he takes deep breaths. It was over.

He's as calm as he could get under his circumstamces

But it's Kit's disgruntled throwaway comment that shatters all semblance of peace he's found

"What the heck? Wenyu never told me she could fight like that!"

(amidst it all, young brown eyes and golden ones meet over Kit's shoulder)

Back in New York, a desperate redheaded girl was surprised to see another pair of green eyes joining the chaos and helping her fight off Valentine

and maybe, though she'll never admit it to anyone but herself, a long standing heavy weight was now off her shoulders after this day

(and if she felt lighter than she has in a long time, nobody had to know.)

#the shadowhunter chronicles #the mortal instruments #cassandra clare #shadowhunters #the infernal devices #jem carstairs #tessa gray #clary fairchild #mina carstairs #kit herondale #the dark artifices #magnus bane #the last hours #jonathan morgenstern #ke wen yu #james herondale #i only have mini snippets bc i suck at actual writing #tsc

35 notes · View notes

stitch1830 · 5 months

Text

In honor of Mama's Day here are some Kantoph-universe headcanons for Mama Toph!

Metalbabies (or Kantophlets ;) are: Lin, Suyin, twins Xinyi and Xie, Jie, Mei, and Jian :D

To calm the babies down, she usually holds them and sways, and then presses her lips to the baby's head. It doesn't take long after that for bb to calm down.

The Kantophlets love to nap with her because she pulls them into her warmth and they could lay there for hours. Even if they're not sleepy, they'll just lay with her, sometimes they like to babble and Toph listens and chimes in with a comment every now and again.

Play time usually involves earthbending, a bit of meteorite shape bending, and lots of running around to get their energy out.

Toph would deny this, but Kanto has heard her sing soft lullabies to the babies when they're having trouble sleeping.

The Kantophlets almost always insist that Toph help them get dressed in the morning. Usually requires a match-check by Kanto, but she knows how the dressers are organized and does a killer job getting them ready for the day.

Toph is also easily persuaded by the Kantophlets to skip daycare/work and have a day out in the town. Kanto and Toph typically do a day with each baby to make it a lil special.

One of her favorite things to do is teach the kiddos seismic sight. Especially with Jie, she loves being able to pass down her knowledge to the kids and to help Jie see the world better (Jie is a blind bb that they rescued/adopted).

Throughout the day, Toph tries to check in on the Kantophlets and their whereabouts. She's not trying to be snoopy, she just likes to know they're safe and happy.

She loves feeling their heartbeats accelerate with excitement and tries to feel that every day.

The Kantophlets don't like going to bed until Mama tucks them in. If there are evenings where she has to work late, she'll come back home for bedtime, and then go back to work if she has to. The babies always come first, though.

Toph is the more lax and carefree parent, but that doesn't mean she doesn't worry. No one messes with her babies, or they will feel her wrath.

Okay that's all for now. :D

23 notes · View notes

apeachthatplaystheflute · 4 months

Text

Magical boy Xie Lian; his hair becomes long when he transforms but when he detransforms, it becomes a bob style. His elemental power is light, or whatever, and he wields a sword or scepter. In a particularly bad fight, he reminded of his past life as XianLe Prince and all that jazz, and he breaks under the pressure, but Hua Cheng helps him while Feng Xin and Mu Qing fight. This makes me froth at the mouth.

Hua Cheng would have the elemental of darkness or whatever (I’m going off of colors) because he’s mysterious ig. He doesn’t care so much about himself, but he’s quite selfless for Xie Lian, and respects him. He’s the yin to Xie Lian’s Yang; he balances them out, and he’s there to care for Xie Lian. He understands Xie Lian inside and out, but doesn’t force him to do anything. He fights with a scimitar.

Mu Qing would be Aqua because he’s catty, but logical. He’s terrible at expressing himself and is called cold by most, but he just wants f-f-friends. He also starts to warm up to Feng Xin, and finds himself relying on him too much for simple things, or affection. Like a cat. He fights with a polearm or sword.

Feng Xin would be fire because he’s warm but brash. His bashful ways typically get Xie Lian and Mu Qing in trouble when they’re in a fight, but when the time comes, he still manages to work with Mu Qing. He’s also very kind to others and is besties with Jian Lian despite their rough dating history. He fights with a bow and arrow, but has a dagger as back up.

Shi Qingxuan would be aqua or grassy because she’s carefree and bubbly. Shi Qingxuan cares deeply for others without a second thought, but she’s not quick to put them first because she understands she has her times too. She befriends everyone and makes a lasting impression on them, friends and foes alike. She’s a mentor to Xie Lian, and helps him stand out. She would fight with a whip or moon ring blades.

He xuan would also be dark like Hua Cheng, but he holds actually bad intent. He’s reserved, calculated and cold. He holds no interest in helping others, but he does so because he’s “friends” with Shi Qingxuan and Hua Cheng. He fights with pistols that hold a special powder to disable or stun foes.

Qi rong would be grass because he wears green, but he’s also a loud person and he secretly cares about Guzi and Xie Lian. He wields a giant hammer because he’s so clumsy.

Yin yu would be aqua because he cool headed, helpful, and logical about most things. He’s also a huge helper with Hua Cheng and a good friend to Xie Lian. He fights with a staff and can summon different things to help fights. He also good with hitting people with his staff.

Mei Nianqing would be a mentor to Xie Lian and his little trip, but lose his powers after a particularly vicious incident. His powers would’ve been dark, and he would be a typical catalyst or wielded a staff like Yuna from FF10 or a scepter.

Jun Wu’s elements are light like Xie Lian, and he’s the “ideal father”. After doing a series of mishaps, he gave up his powers temporarily until he gets therapy, which was when he met Xie Lian. He cares deeply for Xie Lian and Mei Nianqing. And deciding to be good, he gains his powers back to help guide Xie Lian.

♪♪♪♪

I HOPE YALL ENJOYED JTS 3:39 AM RN AND J CANT SLEEP!!! I FROTH AT THE THOUGHT OF MAGICAL GIRL/BOY TGCF!!! 💚🧡💚🧡💚 GOODNFINTTTTTTT

#heaven official's blessing #xie lian #mu qing #tgcf #hua cheng #hualian #fengqing #feng xin #magical boy

26 notes · View notes

redbeanbunsworld-if · 2 years

Text

Introduction - Tears of Tianchao

Interactive fiction - Tears of Tianchao

DEMO / Patreon / Discord

Latest update: June 30, 2024

After a decade from your home nation of Tianchao, you become Xiaowei Mao in the army involved in the intranational civil war called "DaiZai-Yige." You are sent by the Emperor of Zhongguog to another emperor to restore an ancient power from the late god Heibao. Your mission: kill the Holder of the Mark of Heibao. When caught in an unplanned, "attempted" assassination of the prince, you are thrown into a fight for life and death, traversing through the treacheries of civil war, betrayal, and honor. What was a simple assassination had only turned more sinister. Met in the face of human trafficking, political agendas, and with no one to trust, you uncover the untold lies of those involved in the fight. Will you be able to survive the wrath of the Holder of the Mark of Heibao till you earn his trust, or will you fall into the pits of death?

Tears of Tianchao is an ongoing interactive fiction with over 161,000+ words (excluding code) with tons of flavor text, 5 distinct personalities, and 6 ROs to choose from. Following the war as a Xiaowei, a high-positioned commander of an army and influential court official, every decision you make holds weight, and nothing is as it seems.

This is an 18+ interactive fiction containing graphic violence, gray morality, abuse, drugs, sexual content, and many more triggering content. Please proceed with caution and read the trigger/content warnings in the start menu of the game. Thank you.

Features

Choose to be a female or male Xiaowei.

Have any sexuality: gay, lesbian, straight, ace, or bi

Choose to romance the elites of the the war or share an unforgettable friendship.

Navigate between two sides of a civil war and use wits to satisfy both sides in favor of the one you choose: Empire and Rebel

Subdue the prince's suspicion or face the consequences.

Master martial arts, keen perception, and charisma to influence major decisions.

Gather information and learn about the nation of eternal spring, Tianchao, and deal with the corruption that plagues the dying land.

Character list

List of short stories and drabbles

Available Patreon Content

1. Ji Qiangxin HD Wallpaper + Art

2. Mo Ge HD Art

3. Luo Ying HD Art

4. Ji Shenglian HD Art

5. Ji Qiangxin thirst trap (SFW&NSFW) HD Art

6. Interactive Short Story: As the Green Willow Wilts

7. Interactive Short Story: Little Mandarin Minds

Lore Compilation

The Clearance

Song of Liberty

Crimson Festival

The Mark of Heibao

Massacre of Desert

(Click the link above)

Romances

RO Main Portraits (full portrait list under each RO)

Ji Qiangxin (he/him)

[only romanceable with an mmc + special route available if fmc (not romance)]

character profile

character official portrait/art

Known as: Heibao prince; exiled low-born; The Jian of XueHua

"This was not spoken by this prince as of yet, but before you leave, know this: betray me once, and not even Ji Yang-Guang can save your throat."

As the current holder of the Mark of Heibao, Ji Qiangxin was the next crown prince of Tianchao before his uncle took the throne. Fueled by his thirst for vengeance and the prosperity of his nation, the cold and intimidating prince believes that the imperial family of Tianchao must fall, and nothing will get in his way. He will use all means, even killing, if that is what it takes to restore peace, and that includes you—a Xiaowei sent as an assassin of Zhongguog. No one can temper the burning iron heart, and he never believes any can.

Ji Shenglian (she/her)

Character profile

character official portrait/art

[only romanceable with an fmc]

Known as: Lotus Princess; Grand Keeper of the South

"As the only princess of Tianchao, I have a duty, but sometimes, I do wonder if my birth was a mistake, just as Zhongguog and the current imperial family believe."

Benevolent and strikingly beautiful, Ji Shenglian is the only living princess with the blood of the imperial family in both Zhongguog and Tianchao. As the head magician of the rebel forces, she plays an integral role in war in secrecy, and foes tremble under her powerful manipulation of soul energy. Under the guise of the lychee eyes and delicate smile, she holds a fervent spirit and utmost loyalty to her brother, but even behind the shadows of him, a most humane and sincere desire burns brights.

Wu Shen (he/him)

character profile

character official art/portrait

Known as: Green snake; Peddler

"Yeah, I don't give a shit as long as I'm payed. If that prince can pay, that's all. Hmm? Don't I feel guilty for ditching others? Hahaha! You sure are funny."

Snarky and charming with skills of disguise, Wu Shen uses his looks and slippery tricks to get what he wants. Being the main spy of the rebel forces, he knows all the right places and people, and every dirty secret never escapes his ears. With a great lust for money and luxuries, he will willingly betray others if the price is right, but when he truly opens his heart, not even the world is enough for him to sacrifice those that he loves.

Fu Xiuying (she/her)

character profile

Character official portrait/art

Known as: Pinnacle lady; woman with the golden tongue

"Do I really look that sly? Hehe, you haven't see the worst. Or...do you want to see it? I may be intelligent and elegant, but don't let it fool you, little fox."

Bold like a cat with a spiked tongue, Fu Xiuying is a woman of little words but many schemes. Born into a famed clan of scholars and poets, her skills in politics are unrivalled more so after serving as the handmaiden of the current empress. She keeps her friends close, and her enemies at her fingertips. As the main intelligence gatherer of the rebellion, she is fiercely loyal to her nation and wishes to see a better world. Outside, she appears to be as lovely as a flower, but under her elegant nature, a beast lies dormant.

Mo Ge (he/him)

character profile

character art/official portrait

character

Known as: Scholar of a thousand years; Favored of Highest

"It's been too long, old friend. You've grown, just as I did, and we're no longer kids. I hope to form a diplomatic relationship, no matter what our past was."

Upright and soft-hearted, Mo Ge is the tutor of the imperial prince of the current family. Well-spoken and skilled in all areas of philosophy, science, and arts, he is one of the most skilled man in the history of Tianchao, and the youngest to be an imperial tutor and imperial secretary. People around him comment about the dried mandarin peels he carries in a small box. He is diplomatic and kind, and he is willing to sacrifice himself for the one he loves most.

Luo Ying (she/her)

[only romanceacble with an mmc]

character profile

Character official portrait/art

Known as: Scorpion Courtesan; Lady Misfortune

"So you are the Xiaowei. I don't know what I expected, but aren't you a bit too stupid to be one? I heard that that Xiaowei Mao was smart, but if so, how come you don't know me?"

Uncouth, violent, and rude. Hostile towards anyone, and unforgiving to enemies, she relishes to see them in pain. Despite all this, she is a vulnerable spirit. Easily flustered, a classic tsundere, and a bit heartless with words, she easily falls for candid people and lets her guard down when faced with such pure, unfiltered person.

(Demo: 19th October 2022)

#interactive fiction #twine #chinese inspired #qin dynasty #han dynasty #political fantasy #romance #novel #writing wip #if wip #interactive story #interactive novel #tears of tianchao #tot #fantasyworld #not history #itchio

473 notes · View notes

nightfayre · 2 years

Text

(for @beautifulboysbeingbusy, who requested a drabble about guan shan’s mother and he tian. enjoy! <3)

———

There’s no doubt about it: He Tian is a bright, polite, and kind boy.

Mrs. Mo particularly enjoys the way he carries small talk. He’s attentive and responsive, neither too eager nor too formal. He has great posture and makes eye contact often. He asks about her work and offers to help set the table or put away dishes. He never lets the silence stretch too long, always filling it with insightful questions or amicable comments. Yes, from the few times she’s met him, Mrs. Mo can tell that He Tian is a courteous, respectful, and well-tempered boy.

It’s for those very same reasons, however, that she simply can’t understand Guan Shan’s taking to him.

“Auntie?”

She blinks. She’s standing near the table, looking at He Tian. He looks back at her, a cup of orange juice in his bandaged hand, clearly waiting for a response to a question she hadn’t heard.

“Oh,” she says, a bit embarrassed. “I’m so sorry, dear. I got lost in my thoughts for a moment. What did you say?”

“I was wondering if you made this yourself,” He Tian says, raising his cup. “It’s delicious.”

“Yes, I did,” she responds, smiling. She isn’t used to her cooking being complimented so often by anyone other than Guan Shan, but between last night’s soup and today’s breakfast, He Tian can’t seem to stop. “I used the juicer. Guan Shan always preferred juice fresh-squeezed, so I try to do it on special occasions.”

He Tian hums, raising the glass for another sip. “And is this a special occasion?”

Mrs. Mo pauses. Down the hall, she can hear the faucet running in Guan Shan’s bathroom. They have a few minutes at least. Setting down the bowl of rice she holds, she sits in the chair opposite of He Tian.

“In a strange way, yes, I think it is,” she says. “You know, you’re the only friend Guan Shan has had over before — much less spend the night.”

He Tian smiles. “Really? I’m surprised.”

Suddenly curious, she asks, “Are you?”

He shrugs. “Guan Shan has a following at school. I mean, it’s only two or three others, but I assumed he’d known them for a while before we met.”

“Oh.” She sits back, hands falling to her lap. A following? “I… didn’t know that. Guan Shan has never mentioned them.”

He Tian studies her for a moment. He must see something in her expression because eventually he puts his glass down, shifting in his chair.

“Between you and me,” he says, and she looks up, “I don’t think they’re very close. I’ve never seen them together outside of school, at least. But there are two others — Jian Yi and Zhan Zheng Xi — who’ve really helped me bring him out of his shell the past few weeks. Maybe I’m optimistic, but I’d like to think he considers us friends.”

She chuckles. “Well, I’m sure it wasn’t easy to convince him.”

He Tian laughs too. “Absolutely not.” He smirks, adding, “Guan Shan is just about the biggest closed book I’ve ever seen.”

“His father is the same,” Mrs. Mo says, fond. “You have to take a hammer and chisel to those two to get anything out of them. Trust me — I’m still mastering the art. But, once you do…”

And for a moment she remembers the night before, when she turned to find Guan Shan tugging He Tian away from the dinner table in a rush. She’d almost called out to them if it weren’t for the split-second glance she caught of her son’s face. His jaw was set and his brows furrowed, but his eyes were bright and focused in a way that didn’t mirror the bruises scattered across his body. It wasn’t the first time she’d seen her son in a battered state, but it was the first time she’d ever seen him so indifferent to it, as if whatever urgency he held for He Tian overcame the unspoken resentment of his injuries. Somehow, she knew better than to interfere.

“There’s a lot to gain,” she finishes, a soft undertone to her words. “And a lot to learn, too. You just have to be adamant.”

“I think I’m starting to understand that.” There’s a pause, and then: “Your son is really an amazing person, you know.”

It brings an ache to her heart; a yearning tug full of love. She looks at He Tian and finds sincerity in his eyes, open and warm. And although she feels quite ridiculous for it, a quiet sting begins to build behind her own eyes, and she quickly blinks it away before reaching out to lay her hand over He Tian’s on the table. The bandaging feels rough against her palm, and although she still doesn’t know how the two boys ended up in such a state, she knows that whatever lies beneath their wrappings is the reason she’d been looking for; the reason behind Guan Shan’s taking to him. Whatever it is is enough for her, too. She gives him a featherlight squeeze before pulling back.

“He’ll never see himself that way,” she says, a touch of sadness tightening her throat. “His teachers and all the kids who pick on him have convinced him otherwise.”

He Tian shakes his head. “He’s hard working and good at heart,” he says. “It’s hard to find that in people these days.”

“I think he found it in you, dear.”

“I think he brought it out of me.”

She smiles. “All the better, then.”

Down the hall, a cabinet door thuds shut. It’s followed by shuffling and clanging, and Mrs. Mo knows her son’s routine well enough to know he’s almost done. Looking at He Tian, she offers one last sentiment.

“Always read between the lines with that boy. He’ll never say what he feels — he’ll show it.”

And if He Tian’s responding smile is anything to go off of, Mrs. Mo thinks her son already has.

#19 days #tianshan #this was so refreshing to write <3

191 notes · View notes

gildedmuse · 9 months

Text

ZoLaw AUs Nobody Asked For Presents....

Fairy Tale Twist

Part One: Abduction!

[This was inspired by watching the first episode of the anime Heaven Official Blessing with @jhaernyl. However, for the purpose of this ficlette all you need to know is the whole thing is your typical fanfic set up: a bunch of young women are disappearing, so in order to solve the mystery our main male character is forced to go undercover as a shy, virginal bride-to-be in hopes that the sexy bad boy will notice him and carry him off to his liar.]

[You know. The only sensible solution to a rash of kidnappings.]

"Please," the old lady begs, tears running down her face as she falls to her knees in front of the trio. "Even if there is no hope for my Liula, this village can't bear to lose another one of our daughters!"

Zoro scratches behind his ear, apparently unmoved by the old ladies tears, as well as the wet faces of the town folks who have gathered all around. It isn't that he doesn't care - he's sure it's hard to misplace a daughter or whatever, though it does seem to him as if it's at least a little the villager's own fault. Why do they keep sending the girls through the forest is they keep disappearing?

"So they're always taken in the forest?" Saga - Zoro's second best friend and training partner - always knows exactly the right questions to ask. He's just good at that kind of detective thing, the way Marines pretend to be. As a crew of bounty hunters, they may not be the most well known or most feared (they certainly aren't their richest) but between him, Kuina, and Saga, Zoro figures they have all the right talents to work their way up to the top, wherever that might be.

For Saga, Zoro is sure that eventually means becoming a marine or, as his overly dramatic friend would put it, "becoming a sword for justice!" Or that's what he says it if you get enough sake in him, though honestly it doesn't even take one drink to notice the look he gets in his eyes whenever a bunch of men in their clean white uniforms go marching pass. Not even Kuina's mocking their stupid insignia ("why do you want a shirt with a pair of boobs drawn on. I've got the real thing and they're nothing but annoying!" / "For the last time, the insignia is the mighy gull! Not a pair of blue boobies!" / "As someone who has seen plenty of both, trust me, no seagull looks like that..not unless it's had some major work done.") or Zoro pointing out he's never seen a single marine carrying a shuangshou jian, which he thinks is the far better argument. After all, Saga wouldn't want to have to get rid of his beloved sword, would be? It's the one thing he has from his parents....

If there is one person who would understand how important a sword can be, it would be Kuina, but he thought Saga would be next.

"Sounds like instead of worrying about your bridal traditions, you should have worked to make sure these girls could protect themselves," Kuina says, her voice low and steady, but there is an undercurrent of anger there. One Zoro finds adults often miss, due to Kuina's former, almost old fashioned, language and proper samurai etiquette.

Her father always said there was more to being a Kenshi than just holding a sword. Unfortunately, one of the things he believes makes for a Kenshi is....

Kuina stands up, bowing politely to the very same adults she'd just been so angry at. "We will find this pirate who is taking your lost daughters and ensure this does not happen again," she promises, and Kuina promises something it's like you can see the threads binding her, holding her to her word. It makes Zoro sit up straighter, happy to be her rival. "If what these girls want is to be married, they deserve to make that choice without some creep ruining it for them."

Kuina's small, and because of that, most everyone underestimates her. Only to be surprised when the girl they had just been laughing at is suddenly behind them, the sharp white blade of Wado Ichimonji pressed against their kidney, with Tenno Megumi clashing against their own steel, stopping them from being able to make a move. She's a fast, technical fighter and a slow, methodical thinker. She probably knows more about Zoro and Saga then the two boys know about themselves and, honestly, Zoro is alright with that. He doesn't even know where he'd keep all that knowledge, but Kuina seems to do a good

They had only come to this island to pick up some Nobody, Kuro of 1000 Cats or something stupid like that, but they had barely dragged him and his crew of losers to the local Marine base when an older woman, face wrinkled and worn from sadness, had grabbed a hold of Zoro's arm.

These people were desperate, and the small four man marine outpost they have seemed unable ("or unwilling," Kuina had muttered only once Saga was distracted - they didn't need to have that fight again) to help against what seemed to be some knd of curse.

"Qell it's not a curse," Saga decided immediately, the three of them gathering just outside of the town hall were the citizen had plead their case. And as much as Zoro hates being distracted from his goal, his one true dream, he has to admit their pleas were.... heartfelt.

"Hmm," Kuina puts her hand to her chin, her foot digging into her dirt as she stares down, her brain trying to ferment a plan of some kind. At the very least a place to begin. "It seems he only comes out when there is a bridal procession. What should we do?"

There is silence as they all contemplate this impossible task.

"I know!" It's Saga who gets a these first, slapping his fist in his hand, and with his eyes burning so bright, Kuina and Zoro are immediately doubtful. This is going to be one of those ridiculous plans like in all his marine centered manga. As far as Zoro has seen, Marines never actually do any sort of undercover work or whatever. They just stupidly fire bullets at things and hope one hits. But that's not how Saga sees them, not at all.

Saga gives a sharp, proud smile, his support of his own plan entirely unwavering. Zoro assumed they would just stare at him until sanity sunk back in but suddenly, he notices Kuina going all stiff, as if a realization had just hit.

"Not it!"

Zoro stumbles some, not used to the usually calm depth that is his number one rival and best friend moving with such a reckless, her arm flying up as of theyre back at the dojo answering questions. "Hey!" He pushes his shoulder back against her. "What are you-"

"Good point!" Saga says, his intensity still bur ing as usual. "I am also not it."

Zoro looks between his two friends. His two companions. His twisted sworn brother and sister. And the evil grins that were creeping up along their faces.

"I am NOT-"

Kuina leans in so hard, Zoro ends up squashed up against Saga. "Your mouth says no," the older girl teases, sluttering her eyelashes in a way that Zoro didn't understan. Was that supposed to make him do something? "But your eyes - and my blades," she adds that bit with a pat at the swords at her side. "Say yes."

At his other side, Saga gives him an unnaturally bright smile despite the narrowed eyes glare Zoro is giving both kenshi. "You really should try and look happier. It's your wedding day after all!" He teased, nd Zoro can only grumble.

He did call not it last, damnit.

"We will just have to set up a convincing bridal procession then!" Saga pulls back, striking what Zoro feels is an all too excited pose considering the fate they've just sealed for him. "Kuina and I will act as guards, while Zoro gakes place of the bride to be. We'll put the whole thing together and make it look just like a real bridal procession! That's how we will draw this scoundrel out!"

The two npeople only seem mildly confused by the bounty hunter's plan. Zoro isn't sure what the confusion is aboit. He's hardly looking forward to this mess, but he does think Saga and Kuina did an excellent job at setting the trap and as for his part, well, he can only hide one of his three swords under the bridal gown, but with the other two concealed in the carriage in easy reach, he doesn't imagine he'll habe any difficulty grabbing for them in time. The whole plan is actually one of their better thought out schemes, so he isn't sure why the villagers take moment to get on board, but eventually they do. They even lend them materials to help make the ruse undetectable.

"I've got this!" Kuina declares in reference to the dress. She isn't much for fu-fu clothes herself - it's all so much fabric for so little practical coverage, and it always has at least one part that hangs in the weirdest way. However, she's had years of practice learning to make men's clothes for her properly so they aren't baggy and in her way and also wouldn't.... disrespect her father (Zoro knows she would never wish to voice this, but he has also seen her on holy days with his image. Holding it as tight as if he were a long honored ancestor. Looking to the stars as if they would grant her his approval.) Plus, she definitely knew what looked good on girls. Just because she doesn't wear fancy kimono and jewelry and other useless pretty things doesn't mean Kuina can't APPRECIATE what other women look like in such elaborate get ups.

It's the make up where they run into something of an issue.

"Katatsumuri," Saga asks, holding out their den den mushi. Him and the snail wince together as Kuina gets angry enough to break the brush shed be using to try and apply Zoro's lipstick, yelling that it was a subpar tool unworthy of its title and a shame to whoever forged its.... it's.... it's stupid hairs or whatever! Grr!

"Can you play a make up tutorial," Saga requests, sitting cross legged in front of Zoro. Luckily, he is very good at copying moves even from videos. Maybe this is why he appreciates marine uniforms so much, Zor thinks, cause they're all neat and orderly and it feels like you have to keep your make up neat and orderly as well.

So with Zoro looking appropriately alluring ("You're a vision," Saga promises, his breathing just a little too rushed considering they haven't even started on the hard part of the quest just yet. "You almost look decent," Kuina laughs, making sure Katatsumuri takes a picture for future reference) they gather everything else they will need for their little nightie deceit. The procession, the carriage, the spooky nighttime forest that the temple lies in the middle of for some reason no one could adequately explained.

"just sit tight," Kuina whispers from the side of her mouth as they walk deeper and deeper into the darkness. "I'm sure this willl-"

"Kuina!?" Zoro knows he is supposed to be sitting there straight and well behaved, just the way he's practiced with that overly nice girl - the one who kept getting a little bit touchy, like Zoro couldn't figure out how to hold his hands just by LOOKING at her; there is no reason to touch - but at his friend's sudden silence he couldn't help but peak out of the carriage window.

Nothing but wind and leaves and darkness.

"Zoro," Saga growls from the other wise..Zoro turns to try and ask him to go check on Kuina. That's what he should do, rather than break character. Good call. "Keep on guar-"

Silence.

Suddenly there is nothing.. No horses. No Marines pretending to be maid in waiting. No guards. No friends. Just darkness, and a low, soft whisper of the wind. Something dark, something.... stirring.

Zoro licks his lips, that awful taste of the lipstick coming off with it. He reaches for the trap door where his two other swords are stored when -

Click.

The door opens a light storm: the fall of rain, wind sweeping through the trees, dark hair, striking eyes, and such long and slender fingers reaching out for him, not grabbing, but making an offering. Holding his hand out for the supposedly young and virginal bride.

And suddenly Zoro can feel it in his chest. This lightness. This heat.

He fumbles, trying to find the damn torch. Where were his matches? Why is he going for the stupid candle and not his swords? What is wrong with him?

"I can't help but notice," the strange is silhouettes in the darkness, out the moonlight behind him offering any glimpse. But that voice. So dark, like a shadow. Like the way a smooth sake feels sliding down your throat. "You seemed to be in trouble, my little lamb. I hope those ruffians didn't cause you any harm."

As if you didn't send those ruffians, only Zoro's voice is entirely gone. The boy's golden eyes pierce through him like an arrow. Where is his voice? It seems the only part of him that can speak is his heart, and that is beating so loud it filled the entirety of the carriage

It only gets louder when the stranger's lips quirk upward, the water running down his hair, his pale skin, sliding around his lips. Making them shimmer and shine in the low candle light. "What a remarkable beauty. How could anyone wish to hurt such an angel?" His hand is still hanging there, half way between them. Zoro licks his lip subconsciously, the water clinging to the stranger's lower lip making him want....

No! He's meant to focus! He is here on a mission, not some silly game.

Yet the way the stranger smiles does leave his stomach feeling all sorts of silly. Are those his finger tips shaking as he reaches out, gently entrusting his hand to the stranger.

Immediately he is being pulled forward, so close it Zoro can't keep the gasp escaping his lips. He's not used to these shoes, there's far too much of them for starters, and the heels catches on the fabric of his dress and-

As he falls foward, the stranger moves in close and through the low light of the moon and a single candle, those gorgeous golden eyes stare right into Zoro's soul, soft and yet certain as he reaches out, easily pulling Zoro into his arms.

Pressed against the man's chest, Zoro understands why so many of those manga he finds Saga hiding away have girls pressed up to marines just like this. The way his heart beats in Zoro's ear, the protective warmth of his arms....

"Where did-"

"You men seem to have run off," The stranger says, holding him close. The hold is gentle and yet formal, as of purposefully being polite and careful with him. "I believe they were trying to lure the attackers away."

He knows that hadn't been the plan, but he can only stare up at the stranger, his cheeks so warm he thinks of lifting the veil, just to get some fresh air. But surely if he saw him that would give them game away.

"Your physical beauty must only be surpassed by that of your heart, to have such a loyal and fearless guard. I would hate to see their bravery go to waste. I don't have much, certainly not lodging worthy of such a precious gem, but there is a small temple nearby that will offer us shealter. I can keep you safe until your entourage regroups. That is, if you will allow it."

His golden eyes are staring down at our hero, soft and intense all at once, and they leave his tongue feeling equally confused: heavy and light at the same time.

"You have my permission to do with me as you please." Zoro hadn't practiced any sort of script, the plan had been to attack and words had seemed unnecessary. He still isn't sure where such a sentiment even came from! What a silly thing to say! He must look like a gu-

Wait, that isn't the what Zoro is supposed to be concerned about. Why does he even care if he looks like a fool!?

Even as he tries to hide himself against the stranger's chest, he catches a glimpse of that smirk. That horribly cocky, confident turn of his lips that leaves the poor kenshi melting, all the heat not coloring in his face pooling much, much lower.

"I shall take you with me then, beauty-ya, and act as your guide until we can reunite you with your proper assembly."

"Mmm," Zoro mutters, voice high and breathless. Perhaps to ensure the act is believable? "Take me with you, unite with me, yes..."

Just an act, that's all. Right, that's why he's doing this. To go along with the plan.

That's why he puts up no struggle as he suddenly finds himself lifted up into the strangers arms. The man's hat keeps his face mostly hidden, but Zoro is sure to memorize the edges of his cheeks, his lips and chin where rivlets of water drip from his dark skin. The beautiful dark ink that covers the strong arms that have Zoro safely held against his chest.

All for the sake of the mission, Zoro reminds himself, leaning his cheek against the stranger's wet shirt, tucking in closer to his warmth as a blue light suddenly involves the both of them.

"Shambles."

And then the forest is quiet, nothing but an abandoned carriage left behind.

#the bounty hunting trio we deserve #shimotsuki kuina #wants to be the world's greeatest swordsman and also a great ppirate of the seas because screw samurai #if women can't be samurai then she will leave the dojo and become something better #Saga One Piece #he has a bit of a marine kink #IT'S NOT A KINK TO CELEBRATE THE BRAVERY OF THE MARINES #no but it is when you want your girlfriend to dress up like one #roronoa zoro #who only knows he wants to be the world's greatest swordsmen #one piece #trafalgar d. water law #trafalgar law #zolaw #I promise Law isn't just out here kidnapping helpless girls #okay he is but it's not as bad as it sounds - the townspeople left out some important information #not that hes helping - he's a pirate; pirates don't help people #however spoiler alert his little sister isn't a piarte and Lami has a lot of pull over her brother's heartstrings #though she's about to have some major competition #Corazon also lives #one piece au #one piece fanfic #I know no one asked for this but its the first real fic I've really written in a long time so it's what you get #the zolaw au nobody asked for #fairy tale twist #part one #law x zoro #later kuina x lami BECAUSE I CAN #all the girls live #my writings

22 notes · View notes

brother-lipsmackariah · 4 months

Note

Jem Carstairs!

Now, be ready for LONG post, anon. You can't just ask about Jem and expect to be brief

Sexuality headcanon

Definitely Demisexual. With Tessa, I always felt like Jem became attracted to her AFTER they were already close friends and besides that one line in After the Bridge, there's no signs of Jem being attracted to anyone. He also doesn't even think of anyone besides Tessa in that, he's too oblivious.

Also, not a sexuality but I ADORE the idea of Non-binary Jem

OTP

Jem x Himself (literally and metaphorically both). While I love Jessa and until recently, didn't ship Jem with anyone else, I don't believe Tessa loves him as much as she loves W*ll, CC wrote her that way and tid books are proof.

The only person good enough for Jem is HIMSELF.

BROTP

Jem and Church, my soulmates!!!!

And even though I hate W*ll, I love Heronstairs. Well, to be specific, I love how dedicated W*ll is to Jem.

Brother Zachariah and Brother Enoch are also cute.

NOTP

Heronstairs as a romantic ship is a big No. Just no. Let people have close platonic relationships for fuck's sake.

First headcanon that pops into my head

Jem posts violin covers + his original songs on Tiktok, Instagram, and YouTube and his comment section is filled with people trying their best (and failing) to respectfully thirst over him.

Later when Mina does the same, and posts videos with her dad, HER comment section is "can your dad fight"

Oh and he's very kinky

Favorite line from this character

So, SO many to the point he would simply say "hm" and I would cry of happiness.

But the ones that that pop into my head rn are "my apologies" *corset rip* "to antiquity"

"We are all the pieces of what we remember. We hold in ourselves the hopes and fears of those who love us. As long as there is love and memory, there is no true loss."

"She could be anything she pleased. She was everything already."

"You hurt everyone. Everyone whose life you touch." And "Alone? Whose fault is that?" (DESTROY HIM, JEM)

"Unless there were secret Silent Brother orgies I wasn't invited to. I always worried I might not have been popular"

"If you insist. W-H-O"

One way in which I relate to this character

Our love for cats, our inability to let go of things, our insecurity. While there are some similarities, Jem is the opposite of me in many ways, and that is one of the reasons why I can love him so much. Everything I am not.

The thing that gives me second hand embarrassment about this character

Jem. My love, my darling. My Jian Ming.....LOOK IN THE DAMN MIRROR!!

Sometimes, I think someone has put a curse on him to never see his beauty because WHAT THE HELL?? He can recognise everyone's beauty but not his own? I think he might need glasses.

Oh, and sometimes he's so fucking horny, like geez

Cinnamon roll or problematic fave?

The furthest from problematic a character has EVER been

Send me a character and I'll answer these questions

#Jem Carstairs #Ke Jian Ming #james carstairs #tsc #jessa #Mina Carstairs #tid #asks

16 notes · View notes

t1bb1zoey · 2 years

Text

Okay, I've had time to process and internalize the TianShan kiss (A KISS OMFG!!!!!!).

I have many thoughts about this chapter in general, so before the TianShan stuff ...

First half of Chapter Thoughts:

So when the chapter begins, we have the aftermath of the fight. I do not care where they have dragged She Li off to, and I also do not care (for now) how He Cheng is going to acertain that She Li is no longer an issue to Jian Yi (and by extension, Mo) again. Like, how has She Li been totally defeated? What threats will be made to keep him away? They still go to the same school afterall, and She Li is a psychopath. It was always my understanding that She Li was sort of a low ranking underling to someone somewhere higher up on the mafia food chain. He comes from a rich household like He Tian, so I assumed his family had ties to the mafia too somehow. But He Cheng reassures Mr. Jian that it was just kids fighting and nothing to do with "the other side".

WHO IS THE OTHER SIDE THEN? Folks, we've got a bigger enemy coming up in the story or something. If there are people from the other side looking to harm Jian Yi or He Tian, and He Cheng considers She Li to be just "kid stuff", imagine how bad this new enemy will be. I guess the She Li scare is going to mean that Jian Yi has to go away now for his own safety and so he can learn how to defend himself properly. This has proven that Jian Yi is not as capable as He Tian is when push comes to shove. He Tian can hold his own for a bit against even multiple adults, but poor Jian Yi didn't stand a chance.

Mrs. Jian thanks Zhan for always looking after Jian Yi, and it is a sweet moment, but I can't help but feel like this is her way of saying "thanks for everything, but he doesn't concern you anymore. Time for him to come home." Zhan is going to be devastated. They've been together since they were kids. I wonder if he joins the police force so he can better protect Jian Yi from his enemies? I wonder if Zhan being an officer will effect their relationship in the future, since Jian Yi is pretty much set to inherit the mafia kingdom. There's gonna be tension on what's right and wrong, I'm sure. I don't know if Zhan can accept darkness the way Mo can. Mo's life hasn't been kind, and he blames himself for the death of a man, so of course he can accept He Tian. But of Jian Yi returns to Zhan as a darker version of himself, I don't know how Zhan would handle the change. We all love Jian Yi because he is honorable and wishes to protect his loved ones no matter what. What if that will to protect becomes less honorable? What if Jian Yi is taught the same lesson He Tian is: that you have to give into the darkness if you are truly going to protect anyone. Jian Yi tried talking to She Li at first before he was beaten. He hasn't fallen into the darkness yet, but under Qiu and his father's tutelage, that could change. Being away from Zhan may change him too, since Zhan has always encouraged him to be soft around him, as we saw in this chapter. Jian Yi doesn't have to be a "tough man" around Zhan. I guess we'll see.

And speaking of falling into darkness ...

The TianShan Stuff:

Again, we see Mo and He Tian after the fight. Mo's just standing there watching He Tian get patched up and have pain killers injected into him because he's had his hand stabbed through and because he was punching the ever loving shit out of She Li. His hands must be pretty fucked up, and no doubt Mo is feeling MANY THINGS watching He Tian get bandaged.

Mo asking him where he's going after this was so touching to me. It's like he was anxious He Tian was going to run off again. Mo two chapters ago was running around like crazy trying to find him. They've been nearly inseparable ever since Mo was jumped by She Li, so I think He Tian suddenly being gone is a disturbing thought to Mo. Also, I think it's important to Mo that He Tian be taken care of at this moment.

I've seen a lot of people saying He Tian is so depressed this chapter because he knows he has to leave Mo soon, but I think it's so much more than that, if you can believe it. He Tian has basically given up his soul in that last chapter. He's admitted, by turning to his family for help, that he can't be independent the way he was dreaming he could be a few chapters ago.

In the hotel room while spooning Mo, he told him "I'm going to find a way to give you a good life." He had wanted to do that on his own, and even asked Mo what he could do to earn money. He Tian was dreaming that he was OUT. He could be with Mo and live an honest life. It didn't matter if he was rich or not. He has Mo, and that's all he'll ever need. But that's not the reality of his situation. In the hospital, He Tian told Mo he was wrong to think he could protect anyone with his own bare hands. Without his family's influence, money, and resources, He Tian cannot protect Mo from the cruelty of their world. Bad things happen to Mo all the time because he is a genuinely good person. He is a magnet that draws bad people because of how good he is, and He Tian knows he can't protect Mo properly from all these evils if he doesn't have any influence or power. Without the fear his family uses to intimidate their enemies, how would She Li ever leave Mo alone? Or the "other side", who probably framed Mo's dad for some heinous crime. Mo and his family will always be preyed upon unless they have someone big and mean to keep the evil at bay. He Tian has realized he has to give into the darkness, the thing he is terrified of, if he is to keep Mo safe. The darkness isn't just literal dark, but the actual mindset and actions he knows he has to partake in if he is going to make any improvements on Mo's life. The darkness in his room or in his nightmares reminds him of this oppressive feeling, of the look in his brother's eyes when he has just done something dark.

So He Tian isn't just dealing with being taken away from Mo and his two best friends, the only people he lights up around or is even remotely real with (he pretends to be something else to teachers and to other students), but he's also dealing with the fact that he has sold his soul to his father in order to protect Mo. Not to mention he's hurt and he's exhausted. He just lived through a crazy night where he ran back and forth from the hospital, once with Jian Yi on his back, and then fought a bunch of dudes. And he's just so tired and so sad, but HE'S TRYING TO KEEP IT TOGETHER. He keeps smiling at Mo, and when he catches Mo looking at him in concern he's quick to reassure Mo that the soup is delicious and he's a-okay

and that just fucking BREAKS Mo.

He Tian has been very strong for Mo all this time, and I think Mo is just overwhelmed that He Tian fucking loves him this much, and then I think he has realized that he loves him too. I think they skipped over the "we're dating" business and cut straight to love. There is no other explanation for why Mo is just so suddenly compelled to grab He Tian and drag him to his room so he can have a moment of closeness and connection with him like they've never had before. Some people are saying this is their first official kiss, which confuses me because I thought they kissed after Mo was beaten up? But either way, He Tian initiated that one. This one was ALL MO, and you could just really feel that he wanted to express his love for He Tian there. He wanted He Tian to know that whatever was running through his head, they can deal with it together and Mo's going to be there for him the way He Tian was always there for Mo. And I think he did just want to kiss the hell out of He Tian, because OF COURSE HE DOES, THAT BOY JUST WENT TO WAR FOR HIM, AND HE WON!!

I love how He Tian just waits and lets Mo do whatever he feels comfortable doing, and even though Mo is afraid and shaking because THERE'S NO GOING BACK NOW, YOU'RE GAY, MY MAN, he goes for it, because he just won't deny his feelings anymore, or He Tian's for that matter. It's all out in the open now. They've like, beared their souls to each other. It's crazy how madly in love they keep falling. In comparison to ZhanYi, which is a crazy slow burn but a profound sort of love grounded in friendship, TianShan is just 100% passion. It's just as profound a love, but look at where they've come in a short amount of time (in the world of the manuha, anyway!). In story, it's been what since they first met, a few months? And they've just done so much more physically than ZhanYi has. Maybe even emotionally, because these two are just all feelings all the time. They even have had arguments that were explosive. Their love is just so different and just turned up to 100 all the damn time, and I love it so much.

Mo explicitly showing He Tian he's going to be there for him and he loves him back is so heartbreaking when you remember he doesn't really know for certain He Tian is leaving yet. He thinks they're going to deal with He Tian's trauma from this together, but he still doesn't understand just how much He Tian has sacrificed to make sure Mo is protected. It's devastating that the moment Mo opens up fully, He Tian is going to be wrenched away.

I'm depressed just thinking of it. Ughhhh.

Anyway, those are my thoughts. I'm never going to recover from that kiss, and that was in fact A DANG KISS, AND EVERYONE KNOWS IT! FUCK CENSORSHIP.

#19 days #old xian #he tian #tianshan #19days #mo guan shan #tianshancontent #jian yi #she li #zhan xixi

188 notes · View notes