#silver landings

[mandymoore]

By Carter Smith for Silver Landings Album - 2020

[egophiliac]

this is basically what happened, right?

(these guys are very lucky that everyone at NRC 1) has the combined intelligence of a sack of bricks, and 2) is easily distracted by shiny things.)

[suntails]

governance

[chasingrainbowsforever]

~ Aqua and Silver ~

[game-of-style]

Gowns for Queen Aemma Arryn, mother of Rhaenyra Targaryen - Atelier Couture Spring 2022

[aioliravioli-69]

Here you go!!

Silver in a pretty dress, that ISN'T her usual one!

Some of you may already know this, but I LOVE drawing frilly and poofy dresses! ESPECIALLY when they're moving!!!

I love the ways the folds rearrange themselves!!!

This first dress wasn't really inspired by some barbie doll dress, just a random redesign I guess??

I feel like the lineart isn't that visible though, but I'm too lazy to fix it lol

Aight, up next is a request!!

This dress was requested by @tea-132 and I thank them!!!

It's REALLY pretty and I would've missed out on it otherwise aqnd it was extremely fun to draw so thanks a lot :DD

here it is!!

And yes, before you ask, she will come in more poses I just need to figure them out and nothing seemed more fitting for this dress than the 'joyful-walk-with-a-new-skirt' pose!!

I will say that I totally put no effort into the design on the outer lace and ibis Paint was a giant help with the stars (I love you ibis, marry me <333)

I'm happy with how it turned out and be prepared to expect more dresses soon

I will draw them until y'all are drowning in them

MUHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH

[qiribov]

Jamil and Kalim - Bort and diamond

I really like to see the parallels in their dynamics

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revelation.

Silver and Lilia.

Part 4

[yellowbrickramble]

Obviously, Dorothy didn't wear the exact same dress for her entire stay in Oz. She was there for roughly two months!

Nonestica is often the name given to the continent where Oz is located. A map first appeared in the 8th book, Tik-Tok of Oz. Many of the surrounding countries are from some of Baum's other non-Oz books. For instance, the forest of Burzee on the lower left is from The Life & Adventures of Santa Claus.

Now, this is a low resolution image, but if you're very clever, you may not have needed to read the compass rose to notice that east and west are reversed. Even people who have only ever seen the 1939 movie know the witch of the EAST enslaved the Munchkins and the witch of the WEST enslaved the Winkies.

Dick Martin and James Hoff later came up with an expanded version of the map that "corrected" the directions:

A lot of people like this one and I'm not an exception, but it wouldn't hurt to make the surrounding areas a little bigger.

Now, Robert A. Heinlein (yes, that Robert A. Heinlein) once proposed that the compass in the first map is flipped because Oz is on planet with a retrograde rotation. I love that explanation. It's canon to Yellow Brick Ramble.

So, I based the planet of Nonestica on all three of these interpretations with some tweaks of my own. I included a few other continents. One of them is called Tazara. I doubt all the lands on this planet are magical, as Oz is a special land. I did a little math and I'm guessing Oz is roughly 4 times the size of Kansas?

The planet of Earth, on the other hand, is one most of you are familiar with.

If you like my comics, please support me on Patreon (link in bio)

[wardrobeoftime]

House of the Dragon + Costumes

King Aegon II Targaryen's Valyrian steel armour in Season 02, Episode 03 & 04.

// requested by anonymous

[radiantrookie]

For certain power ups, Luigi gets a unique appearance

Super Leaf (Super Mario Bros 3 and New Super Mario Bros 2)

Mario (+ others) get Raccoon Forms while Luigi gets a Fox Form

Super Leaf (3D Land and 3D World)

Mario (+ others) get Tanooki Forms while Luigi gets a Kitsune Form

Gold Flower

Mario gets a Gold Form while Luigi gets a Silver Form

[babylemonart]

Preorders are Open! Playful Land, Diasomnia + Pokemas Merch

I got Diasomnia Halloween goods! You can get wooden charms and holographic badges. Every order with keychain sets (all four) gets a mini print of the boys!

Next up is Playful Land stuff! Sparkly and dangly charms, and holo badges as well.

And last but not least , Pokemas glittery charms! Both sides feature the regular and EX color version of the character. :)

Come get your merch here and feel free to message me if you have any questions :)

[hanafubukki]

It’s funny when you think about how much trouble Lilia had with Grim in the rollercoaster ride, especially after he raised Malleus and Silver. 😂😂

But it makes sense! Of course he would have trouble with Grim.

Malleus, while he did have his outbursts, had to learn quick how to act like a prince and was isolated. Not only that, for his own freedom he had to mature and become powerful to visit Lilia and Silver as he pleases. 😭😭

Silver, of course, was a wonderful baby to raise. Well behaved and loving, he also had the Zigvolts take care of him. And we have seen those memories of how precious he was. 💞💞

When he started training Sebek, Sebek respected Lilia and wouldn’t cause him any trouble either knowingly.

So Lilia really, technically, didn’t have children like Grim to deal with. None of them really caused him as much trouble as Grim did in that rollercoaster ride. So no wonder he was so frazzled at the end of the ride 😂

Good. I’m glad Grim caused trouble. He needs to realize how easy he had it with Malleus and Silver. 💞😈

(Also love how he acknowledged that Prefect must have a hard time too always dealing with Grim)

[egophiliac]

I love how you draw Grim the size of a small cat. It genuinely blows my mind that according to the game he's actually approximately 70 cm tall... Like, Ortho is 148 cm. That's only two Grims! If Grim stands on Ortho's head, they'd be just a bit taller than Malleus (who is 202 cm and I'm not sure that's counting the horns)! The proportions are just so wild to try to imagine realistically... (and I do like the small cat Grim take more, it's very endearing)

every time I remember Grim is actually supposed to be the size of, like, a medium-to-largeish dog, and then I just...draw him cat-sized anyway. I also think it's cuter that way! 🤷 (let's just say he's not allowed to ride the servant unless he takes the shrinking potion first.)

ultimately I figure we all get a little artistic license in our fanart, and mine are:

cat-sized Grim

Lilia with hair spikes up to the heavens

w i d e Silver

[mysteryshoptls]

SSR Ortho Shroud - Playful Gear Vignette

"That's super rare and amazing"

[Playful Land – Stage]

Ortho: Heheh, I got to sing and dance with everyone from Night Raven College, as well as all the other guests…

Ortho: That was the best stage show ever. I'm super glad I got to come to Playful Land!

Ortho: Now then. Time for me to check out some more places.

Ortho: I was at the game corner with Vil's group earlier, so maybe I'll get on some rides in a different area.

Lilia: Well then, how about you join us, then?

Ortho: Oh, Lilia Vanrouge-san, and Trey Clover-san!

Ortho: Thanks for inviting me to go with you. Where are you two heading now?

Trey: We're heading to the Undersea Walk area. Apparently, they make it look like you're actually at the bottom of the ocean there.

Trey: Really makes you feel like we're in a theme park, huh. Just walking through that will probably be fun.

Lilia: And of course, we're gonna find stuff to ride, as well. The one I'm looking forward to ride is the 'Whirl Bottle"!

Ortho: "Whirl Bottle"… That's one of those trackless rides. According to the park guide map…

Ortho: "This is a thrilling attraction where carriages shaped like glass bottles spin around on a revolving floor."

Ortho: "Once you climb on board, all that's left to do is to leave your fate to the ocean's tides! Careful not to become too dizzy."

Lilia: Yup. Doesn't it sound like a swell old time?

Trey: So basically, it's a teacup ride.

Trey: Back home… At the amusement park in the Queendom of Roses, just like the name says, the ride is with teacups.

Ortho: I bet that's 'cause the people in the Queendom drink tea basically every day. It's fascinating to see the differences just based on the region.

Ortho: Since the Playful Land's attractions are all based on the Wish Upon a Star story…

Ortho: Whirl Bottle must be modeled after the scene where the Wooden Puppet's teacher braved the stormy seas by using a bottle as his ship, right?

Trey: Aah… That makes sense. Now that you say it that way, I can see it now.

Lilia: I can't wait to see it in person. So let's hurry and get on to check it out ourselves!

Ortho: YEAH!

[Playful Land – Bazaar]

Lilia: ALRIGHT YOU SCALLYWAGS, TURN THE WHEEL, TURN THE WHEEL～～～

Ortho: AYE AYE SIR!! LET'S GOOO～～～!!

Trey: Both of you don't go so hard…! Urgh, I'm starting to get dizzy…

Trey: …That was a much harder ride than I was expecting. My head is still going in circles.

Ortho: Trey-san, are you alright? Did you get motion sickness from all of our spinning?

Lilia: I'm perfectly alright, but… Guess I just trained my inner ear better.

Lilia: Here ya go, I brought you water. You should take a rest on that bench yonder.

Trey: Thanks, Lilia. Once I feel a bit better, I'll go see how Ace's group is getting on and take a stroll around the park a little.

Trey: So you two go on ahead and have some fun. Go and enjoy Playful Land.

Ortho: Oh… Alright. Then we'll head on out.

Trey: Yeah, go on. Take care, have fun.

Lilia/Ortho: Yeh! / Okay!

Ortho: Trey-san said he'd be alright so we just left him there, but… Was that really okay?

Lilia: Kufufu, no need to worry about him. He said it himself, didn't he? It was just a slight bit of motion sickness.

Lilia: He's the Vice Housewarden of Heartslabyul. There's no way he's that weak of a person.

Ortho: I don't think being the Vice Housewarden of Heartslabyul really matters… But I do agree that he's not weak.

Ortho: But that ride just now…

Ortho: …Honestly, it wasn't too wild, right?

Lilia: RIGHT!? I was just thinking that it wasn't thrilling enough.

Lilia: Just as you surmised, the Whirl Bottle ride was based on the scene of the Wooden Puppet's teacher floating on the stormy seas.

Lilia: So don't you think that they should have had water splashing us, or a giant seagull attacking us during the ride?

Ortho: Absolutely! And instead of just spinning around and around, I would have loved being shaken all up and down, left and right too.

Lilia: Mhm. That would've been a great idea. There's not many rides out there that can give you the feeling of roughing it in a storm.

Ortho: But if we want to implement more random movements, we'd have to completely redesign the attraction's structure…

Ortho: Ah, but if we just adjust the program, maybe the movement and spinning could become even more random.

Ortho: It would be much more exciting to not be able to predict which way it'll move next, don't you think?

Lilia: Mhm. That's because it's just as thrilling whenever you face a foe that doesn't showcase their next move, after all.

Lilia: ...AH! ORTHO, CHECK THAT OUT!

Ortho: EH!?

[Playful Land – Bazaar]

Lilia: ...AH! ORTHO, CHECK THAT OUT!

Ortho: EH!?

Ortho: THAT!? …WAIT, WHAT THING!?

Lilia: When I say that, I of course, mean that. The ever exciting…

Lilia: GIFT SHOP!!!

Ortho: A gift shop…? Ah, I see it. They have a lot of character merchandise and sweets on display.

Ortho: It's probably a little too early to even think about going home yet… But are you thinking of looking at souvenirs already?

Lilia: Mhm. So actually, last night I tried to invite Silver and Sebek here too, but…

Lilia: Neither of them had the slightest interest in skipping school.

Lilia: Malleus had gone off somewhere on his own again, so I couldn’t find him. I wasn't able to invite him at all.

Lilia: That's why I thought I'd at least bring home some souvenirs from Playful Land for them.

Ortho: I'm sure if you got them special Playful Land merch, it'll be just like they came here with you.

Ortho: In general, the souvenir shops get crowded near closing time, so…

Ortho: The risk of the item you wanted selling out, or rushing and forgetting to buy something you wanted may increase.

Ortho: I've decided! I'll shop for souvenirs with you, Lilia-san.

Lilia: Good. Then, let's go on a little treasure hunt!

Ortho: They have chocolate crunch, cookies, and candy… They have the whole array of standard theme park fare.

Lilia: These are marshmallows, hm. I'm not really a fan, but the package is so cute that I'm seriously considering it.

Ortho: Ah! This pasta snack is made into the shapes of the Friendly Fox and Gentle Cat.

Ortho: This looks easy to eat even while gaming… I think I'll get this for my brother.

Fellow: Well, well, what a discerning eye you have, young scholar! That pasta snack is the third most popular gift here.

Gidel: … [nods]

Ortho: Fellow-san, and Gidel-san! You surprised me showing up out of the blue.

Lilia: It's usually my forte to catch others unawares, but… Looks like you've won this time.

Ortho: You said the pasta snack is the third most popular, right? So then…

Ortho: The assortment tin that had plain cookies in the shape of the Friendly Fox and cocoa cookies in the shape of the Gentle Cat must be the second popular!

Ortho: And the chocolate crunch with 12 different kinds of little charms randomly thrown in must be the first popular!

Ortho: …Is my calculated prediction, how did I do?

Fellow: Amazing deduction, young scholar, what keen insight! However… Mmm～ You're just a little off!

Fellow: You're correct about the second popular. However, the first popular is something else entirely…

Ortho: Ehhh～ I was wrong? I chose those based on the rankings of other theme parks in general, though.

Lilia: Kufufu… How naïve of you, Ortho. I knew at a single glance, you know.

Ortho: Eh, really?

Lilia: Mhm. The number one popular souvenir for Playful Land is…

Lilia: WITHOUT QUESTION, THE WHALE FIGURINE!!

Ortho: EEH!?

Lilia: Those raging waves, the violent sprays of water, and the lone figure of the fiercesome whale that opens its mouth widely to swallow everything it can!

Lilia: I'm surprised an amusement park has something of this quality. Isn't this more of a work of art?

Ortho: Hmmm… I do think it's really well made, but… Isn't think too big to even fit in one of the park's lockers?

Ortho: It looks heavy, too, and I don't think it'd be a great souvenir to want to haul home after a long and tiring day at the park.

Ortho: Besides, the scene depicted here is one of the scariest scenes in the Wish Upon a Star story.

Ortho: I can't expect this to be anywhere close to the top of the popularity rankings.

Fellow: Well now, how astounding that this figure caught your eye. You certainly know your stuff!

Fellow: This figure was made as a souvenir for those who have ridden the Expedition Whale ride.

Fellow: The whale's teeth, the waves, and the spray of the water… Everything is so meticulously added down to the smallest detail!

Lilia: As I thought. Come now, Fellow, tell us. Where on the popularity scale does this figure fall!?

Fellow: The rank of this figurine is…

Lilia/Ortho: Is…?

Fellow: Dead last.

Gidel: …

Lilia: DEAD LAST…!?

Fellow: Indeed. Rather, ever since this park opened, never has a guest actually chosen to buy this item.

Fellow: Ortho-kun hit on every possible reason. It's heavy, unwieldly, and above all, terrifying!

Fellow: It seems our pursuit of quality was our downfall. Ahh, how disastrous!

Ortho: That's what I thought… So then, what's the number one popular item?

[Playful Land – Bazaar]

Fellow: Playful Land's number one popular souvenir is… The "apple core" flavored candy.

Ortho: Apple core flavored candy! You mentioned those to us earlier.

Lilia: An apple core flavor is rather unusual. I wonder if it has its own specific tang.

Ortho: Vil-san said that the apple core flavored popcorn just tasted like regular apples…

Ortho: But if you're interested, we can go to Candy Road after this.

Lilia: Mhm. But first, I have to find proper souvenirs to bring home here.

Lilia: Oho, here's a hat that looks like the head of the Friendly Fox! And they have one of the Gentle Cat as well. I need to get both.

Lilia: I'll give these to Silver and Sebek, and for Malleus… I think the goldfish hat would be cute.

Lilia: Oh but wait, would he even be able to wear this with his horns…?

Fellow: Come now, Ortho-kun, you should also pick out something you want. Please take as much as you want home.

Ortho: Thank you! Although, both my carrying capacity and the space available in my room is limited, so I'll have to be more selective in my choices.

Ortho: My brother doesn't really tend to use stationary… Ah, but these might be good!

Fellow: This? Ah, our postcards. They're light, thin, and easy to carry around, so it's perfect.

Ortho: There's a ton of different designs, and there's even some that have a pop-up. I bet my brother would love something like this.

Ortho: It says here that we can drop them off in the mailbox in Gentle Square, but…

Ortho: If I write the address and drop it in the mailbox, will it really reach Night Raven College?

Fellow: Why, yes. It should reach your school in a few days. In addition, it'll come with a special stamp.

Ortho: A special Playful Land stamp! That's super rare and amazing.

Ortho: It'll be a nice little surprise for it to show up in a few days… I think I'll send a postcard to my brother.

Fellow: You sure are rather thoughtful towards your brother, Ortho-kun. Now, what sort of card design are you thinking to choose?

Ortho: There's so many good scenes in Wish Upon a Star, it's hard to decide.

Ortho: This one shows when the Wooden Puppet met the Friendly Fox and the Gentle Cat. Heheh, they're all smiles.

Ortho: It's always great to make new friends. But I think my brother would be more scared that bright and cheerful strangers are coming up to talk to him…

Ortho: This scene of the Old Toymaker and the Wooden Puppet dancing looks really fun too…

Ortho: The card with the scene where they're searching for a whale at the bottom of the ocean is really interesting with these little moving fish and shells.

Ortho: And this hologrammed card is… The scene of the miracle of when the Wooden Puppet became a real boy.

Ortho: Hrrrrm… There's so many that it's hard to choose, but…

Ortho: If I have to pick one to send to my brother, then it has to be this one!

Fellow: Have you made your decision? If so, then please, use our counter available for you in the back to write your message.

Ortho: Thank you! I picked out the card, alright, but now what about the message?

Ortho: If I write about how I had fun hanging with Vil-san and Lilia-san, that may go into too much detail and may hamper his ability to read everything.

Fellow: Oh my, is there that much you wish to write about? I'm so honored that you have enjoyed Playful Land so dearly.

Fellow: Sure hope your postcard actually arrives where you need it to safely～

Gidel: … [nods with smirk]

Ortho: Yeah! …Oh right, I'll write down about the Playful Stage performance.

Ortho: With all that singing and dancing… I had such a great time!

[Ignihyde Dorm - Idia's Room]

Ortho: Nii-saaan, you have a package. It's that thing you mail ordered, and… Ah, this is…

Ortho: As I thought! It's the post card I sent out from Playful Land!

Ortho: All of my souvenirs were left with the amusement park, so I had completely given up hope that this card would ever show up…

Ortho: What a surprise that it actually arrived here safely!

Ortho: I wonder if Fellow-san sent it for me? That must mean they made it safely to some other town.

Ortho: …That was really an ordeal, but I guess it still made for a good memory.

Ortho: I sure hope my brother likes the postcard I chose.

Ortho: Similar to how the Wooden Puppet and the Old Toymaker used their wisdom and courage to escape the belly of the whale like in this postcard art...

Ortho: As long as me and my brother join forces, we can take on quests of any difficulty.

Ortho: That's why next time, I really hope we'll be able to go to an amusement park together!

[yulen-the-ghost]

(Unedited) Land of Tender + Post Marriage Hualian interaction

(There's no title either lol)

Fragment:

"M-my Lord!! I have been loyal to you, the rest of my girls just didn't get it!!" She weeps. "My Lord, it's true that I tried to poison you the first time we met, and... Several other times, but I've changed!! You, you, YOU GAVE ME A HEART!!" "Didn't you say I 'broke your heart' just moments ago?" Hua Cheng points out bemused. "WELL IT DOESN'T MATTER, I-- I LOVE YOU!!" Xie Lian turns around with a dangerous expression. His face is full of black lines as he finally steps forward in front of Hua Cheng and slashes with his bare hand. Not an ounce of spiritual power was needed to turn that demon into a literal pulp. Xie Lian shakes his hand to get rid of the substance—that can't be called blood—and turns around to face his husband. "Now I see why this business was so urgent. I'm glad to have come personally." He says plainly, but the detachment makes it sound dangerous.

"Your Highness, you're here." Hua Cheng turns around, making the silver jewelry ring lightly.

"Of course, I--"

"Wait. Cover your mouth and nose. You can use Ruoye." The ghost interrupts.

"Oh, ok but why?-" Xie Lian tries to ask, when Hua Cheng turns suddenly.

His eye shines even in the middle of the dark of the cavern, and his next steps are cautious.

His gaze narrows, and when Xie Lian turns to look in his direction, a field of red flowers is seen ahead.

"Oh, what is-?"

An arm stops him from moving forward.

"Be careful, Your Highness. These aren't regular flowers." Hua Cheng warns through the communication array.

What could possibly be so serious as to warn me through that method? And he's even calling me by my title. Xie Lian thinks.

But his concern is quickly answered when the ground shifts, like something was moving underneath.

Roots rise from the ground, and one of the flowers blooms into a beautiful tall woman.

Her skin is pale and tender, long dark hair cascades like a straight silk all the way to her calves, and she is dressed with nothing but a soft pink lipstick to enhance her face.

Long dark nails adorn the hands that are placed in her hips.

She frowns slightly, her notably sweet voice tampered with irritation. Or fear.

"L-lord Chengzhu!! What are you doing here? We already paid our debt!!" She rages, using an imposing tone.

"Of course, I know. I'm not here for that. But I'm expecting you didn't forget about our agreement?" Hua Cheng replied icily.

Xie Lian had barely ever seen the ghost king speak like that. What kind of deal could they have?

He blushed slightly and shook his head. If he doesn't visit brothels, why would he make THAT kind of deal? He scolded himself. ...Unless that's the reason why he doesn't visit such places.

"Of course I haven't forgotten. We pay our rent, unlike anyone else in ghost City, maintain order, and are forced to stay here to wait until you feed us." Her naturally alluring voice contrasted with the current stern tone, gives her an air of elegance.

FEED THEM!!?? Xie Lian automatically recited sutras internally to erase any impure thoughts about the exchange. Imagining Hua Cheng like that... Xie Lian gripped the hem of his robes.

"And what happened this time?" Hua Cheng arched an eyebrow.

"What do you mean? We have been following your rules, however unjust they are." The woman proceeds to cross her arms.

"Admirable," Hua Cheng sneers. "You can keep that attitude even after one of them snuck to bite my residents."

"SHE'S A YOUNG ONE!!" The flower excuses. "And that wouldn't have happened if you fed us more generously."

"Maybe I'd feed you better if you paid in time."

The woman scoffs. "Are you gonna kick us out?"

"You know the rules. I'm the only one who is willing to shelter you, and the only one that can feed you without either falling for your tricks or running out of power."

The woman winces. Just then, another one of the flowers blooms into a young beauty, and swings her claws towards the prince.

Xie Lian has a perfect instinct for danger, and dodges effortlessly. When the young one swings back for a second strike, the ghost king grabs her by the arm and lifts her up in distaste.

He turns to the first woman and arches an eyebrow.

Her face is finally showing her distress and she kneels to the ground.

"PLEASE LEAVE HER ALONE!! THIS ONE HAS FAILED TO EDUCATE HER PROPERLY AND IS WILLING TO TAKE HER PUNISHMENT INSTEAD!!!" She begs.

"This is the third time, Lady. A couple innocent passerby, the brothel in my city, and attacking my honoured guest." He swings the lady to the rest of the flowers, releasing her without the risk of getting attacked.

She lands lightly on her feet and rushes to hide behind the tall woman.

"You know the Land of Tender attacks in groups. I don't think I can believe your honesty so much after this." Hua Cheng warns, stroking for once, the hilt of E'ming.

"W-well, if I need to fight you to protect my girls, I will!!" The woman snarls.

"I knew it was a terrible idea to believe you had a heart."

"Maybe I'd still have one if you didn't break it." The flower rages.

She jumps forward, summoning a vine to whip at the ghost.

"Nonsense. All you've ever felt has been thirst of lust." Eming flies forward and it's countered by a third flower woman, who uses a thorn-dagger to fight back.

He lets Eming have fun on his own as he snaps his fingers to summon his silver butterflies. In the light of the room, it's revealed the red vastness of the place, who is just a field of flowers. Many more bloom into raging and laughing women.

Some of them lung towards Xie Lian, praising his looks and themselves, explaining that they would be the perfect match.

He fights back perfectly fine, but the sweet words seem to strike a nerve on Hua Cheng.

He turns around just in time to hear Xie Lian saying "Ruoye!!"

Your Highness, remember it's already covering your mouth!! The ghost king warns.

Right. Thank you, San Lang. Xie Lian answers, and a wall of butterflies covers just in time before one of them scrapes the prince.

"You worry too much. Look at how resilient your 'honoured guest' is. He didn't need you to count this as a 'third incident.'" The lead woman rolls her eyes as the vine strikes a group of butterflies shielding Hua Cheng.

"That's not the point. I will not tolerate anyone who disrespects my husband."

The sharp gaze of Hua Cheng strikes her as much as his words, and her already pale face turns into a paper sheet white.

With that reaction, the rest of the flowers seem to lose focus, and the butterflies easily reduce them to sap.

"The only reason you managed to survive this long," Hua Cheng starts, stretching his arm to receive E'ming back, "is because you took my energy. The only reason you're alive is because I allow it."

The flower falls to her knees once more, looking pitiful.

"M-my Lord!! I have been loyal to you, the rest of my girls just didn't get it!!" She weeps. "My Lord, it's true that I tried to poison you the first time we met, and... Several other times, but I've changed!! You, you, YOU GAVE ME A HEART!!"

"Didn't you say I 'broke your heart' just moments ago?" Hua Cheng points out bemused.

"WELL IT DOESN'T MATTER, I-- I LOVE YOU!!"

Xie Lian turns around with a dangerous expression. His face is full of black lines as he finally steps forward in front of Hua Cheng and slashes with his bare hand. Not an ounce of spiritual power was needed to turn that demon into a literal pulp.

Xie Lian shakes his hand to get rid of the substance—that can't be called blood—and turns around to face his husband.

"Now I see why this business was so urgent. I'm glad to have come personally." He says plainly, but the detachment makes it sound dangerous.

"Gege, I--" Hua Cheng's voice trembles.

"Are you immune to their scent?" Xie Lian asks, pointing out that Hua Cheng has nothing to cover himself with.

"No. I just don't breathe."

It makes sense. Xie Lian nods.

"I see." Xie Lian rubs his chin and proceeds to place his hands where his lips are covered by the silk. "How did you transfer spiritual power with them?"

The prince asks honestly, but Hua Cheng can't help but panic. "Not like that!! Gege, there is an array inside this cave. I don't even need to enter to give them the energy they need to survive!!"

Xie Lian hums, and Hua Cheng proceeds to explain further. "They made it sound dirty, but actually, the deal was for them to 'pay for the damage done to their victims and don't attack anyone else.' They had to stay here for me to protect and feed them, and the money wasn't for me. Let's just say... Some of the residents of my city were not originally ghosts."

Xie Lian remains silent for some time, looking up at his husband with what could only be described as an incredulous look.

Hua Cheng proceeded to panic further. All because of some stupid attempt at being merciful to some heartless demons.

Xie Lian turns around and crosses his arms.

Out of respect, the butterflies are already gone, so he can no longer see his face.

The only reason his pulse isn't rushing at top speed is because he deliberately stopped his heart and kept it that way to avoid the poison from flowing in his veins.

Xie Lian snorts. His shoulders are shaking, and then he bursts out laughing.

"!!??"

"HAHAHAHAHA-- SAN LANG, I MEANT IT HAHAHAHAHAHAHA" Xie Lian turns back around to his husband and looks at him in the eye. "I'M GLAD I CAME PERSONALLY!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA"

"Gege?"

"Hahahaha-- sorry, did I surprise San Lang?" He smiles through the bandages, wiping away a tear in his eye.

Hua Cheng doesn't dare to even move, acting like a real corpse.

"Sorry, I would never doubt you. I did get mad at the flower tho..." He looks at the mess on the floor, guiltily remembering how good he is at stepping on flowers.

"I see. Gege saw an opportunity and took it." Hua Cheng smiles.

Xie Lian's face brights once more, glad about the reception of his husband.

"You deserved it for the marriage joke!!" The god pouts.

"I already said sorry for that!!" Hua Cheng whines.

Xie Lian lets a couple of dice fall and roll on the ground, hugging his beloved. As soon as they're transported into their bedroom, Xie Lian tears Ruoye from his face, and the silk rushes out of the room, sliding beneath the door instead of opening it.

Xie Lian tips on his toes to kiss Hua Cheng. He's greeted back without complaint, and the kiss depends with a sweet scent.

When the god retreats, he asks "San Lang, are you ok?"

"Hm?" Hua Cheng asks innocently. "What do you mean?"

"You're all red."

"Well, I am Crimson Rain Sought Flower."

"No~ this means something else." Xie Lian taps the border of the bed to invite Hua Cheng to sit next to him.

"I am in love with Gege," he says, obediently following his beloved.

Xie Lian blushes and denies with his head. "Yes, but that's not what I mean."

The prince's eyes are dazed and he tugs at the left arm of the calamity, revealing a gash on the skin.

"You're poisoned."

Both of his eyebrows rise. "I already told Gege not to worry. I can prepare an antidote to expel the poison without getting affected."

"Hm, that would work if your blood wasn't rushing again," Xie Lian pointed out, looking at the wound.

The blush on the ghost king's cheeks means that blood is rushing underneath. The poison is moving inside, and soon it'll become a problem.

Xie Lian pulls the arm close to his face, and starts to suck the poison.

The ghost's eye widens at the familiar scene, but he feels as if his soul just left his body when the prince swallows.

"GEGE, YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO DO THAT!!" Hua Cheng cries.

A soft light shines next to him and then, he's pinned to the bed with the sight of His Highness donned in his fine royal attire from XianLe. A particular set that he will never forget.

Xie Lian's eyes are already lewd, and he whispers "My good soldier, I am poisoned with the Land of Tender. Will you help me out?"

Immediately, the ghost king grabs him and turns around positions. Now his own self is wearing the soldier garment from the same kingdom, and E'ming is sent flying out of the room.

The prince rips his robes in the same way he did hundreds of years ago, and lifts his arm to caress Hua Cheng's cheek.

"My beautiful, brave San Lang." Xie Lian whispers.

"Gege."

The hand proceeds to pull the bandages loose, revealing a red eye.

The soldier obeys a non verbal sign to lower his head, and the prince kisses his eyelid.

"My beautiful, brave Hong'er." Xie Lian smiles.

"Your Highness."

They look at each other with blushed faces before kissing again.

Notes:

As I previously said, this is unedited, so I'm going to clarify some things here:

- The Land of Tender (at least here) is all a single entity. Hua Cheng decided to give it an opportunity to prove being innocent, but in the end, it wasn't.

- Xie Lian heard there was an affair Hua Cheng had to handle personally, and decided to tag along as soon as he was available.

- Hua Cheng started calling Xie Lian "Your Highness" kinda out of reflex because he remembers the Land of Tender and Xie Lian being involved as a prince 😭

- The demon had permission to get away, but it would no longer receive 'food' nor shelter from Hua Cheng. Since the resented souls of her victims still lingered on, it didn't want to get out.

I'd like to post this later on AO3, and I might make an extra chapter of the aftermath if this gets enough attention. 😏

- She wasn't in love with Hua Cheng. It was just a trick.

[garblegarden]

It's fun to draw metallic stuff sometimes. This time, disembodied arms of various characters whose arms are at least a bit shiny.