#w. zhilan

[andromacheflints]

consort chun lesbian rumours real??????

[cursesmade]

<---- tjhe librarian is beefing with him and hes about ot get a lifetime ban

[archaictold]

❝ Alright, I've put tea on the stovetop. ❞ Zhilan announces with a leisured stroll back into the living room. A delectable scent wafts off the take-out bags resting on the coffee table, which he plops himself in front of with an easygoing sort of eagerness. Without further ado, his hands clasp together with a smile. ❝ Let's dig in before it gets cold! ❞ The plastic rustles as they unpack each entrée, and sometime after they've dug in, wherein Zhilan has sucked a noodle into his mouth, he pauses to poke around at his dinner. ❝ Oh, right. Um... You might be wondering why we're not dining in my room this time... ❞ Stir-fry still sits hot in his belly, but the fluttering alongside it has him pondering if he's mistakenly ingested some butterflies as a side dish to their dinner. It's not as though he thinks his brother will react poorly, nor that he's not excited about this decision of his. But... It feels almost reminiscent of when he told him and their grandparents of his plans to relocate to the Harbor: guilty, to have placed such physical distance between them. ❝ It's packed up and full of boxes. ❞

❝ Haochen, I'm moving in with Xerxes. ❞ @stoicstoryteller

[archaictold]

𝐆𝐈𝐕𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐇𝐈𝐌 𝐀    playfully light shove at the shoulder, Zhilan chuckles, only to lean his weight on Xerxes' side.     ❝ You look pretty good for a mummy, then. ❞

    ❝ You'd even rival Lady Mai, the diva mummy! Perfectly preserved— ❞ Two fingers lightly walk themselves up the length of his lover's arm. ❝ A fine specimen, indeed! ❞

   ' aw, they made a documentary about little ol' me? '

[nobully]

empatheorem event guide

Wang Yi

powers

magical wig (changes his looks to 1 specific blond-haired girl) 10min/day

mind control (no memory manipulation) 30min/day

ice manipulation (weak ice attacks) 5x/day

mental connection with S-0 ("Sao Ling"), his Villain System taken on the form of a pudgy black cat [he's...somewhere in the city]

mannerisms

varies between very formal and relaxed body language depending on who he's with, naturally fluid/graceful due to years of swordfighting and training, excellent balance and reflexes. speech is straightforward and blunt, tends to ask people about things he doesn't understand because communication is the only hope he has of "getting it."

lies as naturally as he breathes, smiles as naturally as he lies.

lacks the ability to properly experience feelings, but does a freakin' good job acting like he does; must work hard very consciously to retain "normal reactions" (and it works better with closer friends, e.g. eiden/nicolette/zhilan); without effort he just comes off as cold

knows sarcasm, tries not to overuse it.

tends to panic when things/events/dialogue goes beyond his control/expectations, or when people misunderstand him, or when anyone gets too intimate/physically close, but is also experienced at reining his reactions back in. when temper triggered, gets very loud and yell-y. may be a different, more visual way of expressing his "panic" instead.

has a specifically complicated attitude towards xerxes break that isn't quite pity, but also isn't dislike. for now it borders on resigned indifference (will still save him w/o reservations if dude's in danger though). 80% of his sarcasm output now goes here.

closet sadist who enjoys seeing people in pain. he's quite self-conscious about this and tries to hide it whenever he can.

memories

original life - digital System in charge of overseeing transmigrators' lives in novels (very vague and mostly incoherent)

human life - college student majoring in chemistry. witnessed his classmates die in a horrific accident, currently trying to reverse that.

novel 1 - sadistic big brother of a rich family

novel 2 - heartless city lord of a zombie apocalypse world + death

novel 3 - genius scientist of a secret underground lab + death

novel 4 - prodigy disciple of an aloof cultivation master (in progress)

icons

i can give u the ones he's using for his current look (long hair) tho there's a few short-haired ones mixed in that you can ignore hehe

[nicawlette]

empatheorem event info

weapons + abilities

doesn't carry any specific weapon, but she's likely to have, at minimum, a pocket knife— or something equally portable, but deadly— on her person at all times.

blood manipulation!! her hemokinesis can create up to ten weapons no larger than a regular sword per day that will disappear ten minutes after being constructed, while hemostasis can be used to prevent and stop bleeding through forced coagulation/clotting up to five times a day

nicolette's body is quite adept at fighting; it's built for violence— she's proficient with most weapons, and if that's not an option, her legs and fists pack a mean punch

high pain tolerance!! yippie!

similarly, her body can withstand losing a lot more blood than the average person without entering hypovolemic shock— neat!

get used to being strangely and acutely aware of the blood flowing in your veins at all times— took her awhile to tune that shit out

physical

5'8" and sexy; her muscles aren't just for show, though

flexible and quick on her feet

peruse the excessive scar collection, but be prepared to experience various phantom pains and body aches from old and new wounds ( her recklessness is not without consequence )

biggest scars on her face, across left eye, but they can be found in various shapes and sizes just about everywhere else, including both hands

two-tone colored eyes— left is a lighter lilac hue compared to darker purple of the right

enjoy her long, luscious locks of hair; it's heavy and gets everywhere, but beauty is pain or w/e!

mannerisms:

quick reaction time and great instincts— trust her gut, because it's usually right

highly emotional and feels things strongly, but has perfected keeping a straight face through most situations

great actress 10/10; fake smiles and charm come naturally

speaking of anger!! she's got a lot of it!

not flight or fight, just fight

if you manage to get her worked up, she blushes quite plainly— from cheeks, to ears, and to the back of her neck

urge to drink when stressed out, fairly high tolerance

soft spot for cute animals

has ptsd and reacts poorly to being physically restrained, confined spaces, medical facilities & equipment, and getting touched unexpectedly by strangers

touchy with close individuals— craves physical affection from trusted sources

memories

grew up with an alcoholic and endured his abuse until she tried to kill him, but made a mistake— very prominent memories of standing over the body of her abuser's son, her step-brother, covered in his blood; the guilt weighs heavily, still

arrested and taken to an imitation of a prison— underwent highly painful and traumatic experimentation/torture that left her temporarily comatose; discovered her new powers upon waking

forced to fight against fellow prisoners for both survival and continued administration of the drug

received the wound that became her facial scars during one of these fights— this was the turning point for her; she became quite ruthless and cruel after that victory

other:

lives in rainsworth mansion with break ( and zhilan )

dating wang yi ( don't fuck with him or she'll Get You )

nicolette has a complicated relationship with her appearance— she's very secure in the fact that she is conventionally beautiful, but her excessive scarring is a point of insecurity and trauma, so keep that in mind if addressing it

icons:

i've got multiple different faceclaims that i use, as well as commissioned art ( about 1,000+ icons altogether )— i don't mind sharing them on a google drive!

[archaictold]

      ❝ It's a celebration from my home world. With plenty of food and time with our families for the occasion, the Moonchase Festival marks the arrival of fall. Seeing as autumn is right around the bend, I've had it on my mind. ❞ Easy and breeze-like, Zhilan gently laughs when he remembers to tack on: ❝ And on my stomach too, I suppose, given my hankering for Black-Back Perch Stew. ❞ Her comment receives his instant agreement. He tips back his head somewhat, smiling, and fuels the fires of his imagination with a brief daydream about a heaping bowl of it, right there in his hands.

      ❝ Oh, believe me, it is! If you like seafood soups, you're certain to enjoy it. The simmered, spicy fish and aromatic chilis are perfect for fall weather... Ahh, I could really go for a bowl. ❞

"What's the Moonchase Festival? And more importantly...what's black-back perch stew? It sounds really yummy!"

[eternalrecurrxnce]

“It isn’t much, but you’re free to use the lab as you wish-- all of the books and tools available are at your disposal, as well.”

Introducing someone new to the university was something that felt like second nature to Richter, now-- guiding the young man who had wandered through the doors just earlier that morning into a room adjacent from the research lab he shared with Aster. Though the main part of it was filled with their studies, notes and diagrams written on the white boards all around them, there was always room for new inquiring minds, from Aster’s point of view especially.

It would bring disappointment to his friend if Richter did not at least try to help a new face, especially one who still seemed to be collecting his barings.

“It doesn’t need to be a space you use permanently, but until you find something else, it’s yours,” his eyes scanned over the room, over the notebooks on the table, the bookshelves lined top to bottom with encyclopedias.. it was something he saw almost every day, yet Richter couldn’t ignore the spark of familiarity all of it gave him suddenly. “At the very least, this school is capable of building spacious rooms for its students-- the lab I was held in was nothing more than a shoebox, and even calling it that is a kindness.”

...

What? 

The colour drained from Richter’s face almost instantly, pointedly turning his head away from Zhilan as a look of horror struck his features. Where.. did that come from? What was wrong with him? Again, he was freely speaking of things that only two people on this island knew about-- but.. why? 

“.. please disregard that. I’m.. not sure what came over me,” clearing his throat, Richter pushed a few strands of hair out of his face, hoping the man wouldn’t question him on what he’d just implied. “In any case, the point still stands: you have the freedom to do what you wish here. If there’s anything else you need, I’ll retrieve it for you.” 

                                                                      –   ☼☽;   ( @archaictold​​ )      

[dotthings]

Was happy to see the A18-49 demo went back up a bit on Kung Fu this week, probably due to all the markets knocked out by the Verizon-Nexstar mess being restored.

Been a while since I've talked about Kung Fu so I decided to take some notes on this week's ep. I used to tweet about Kung Fu a lot but since I'm not on twitter any more, I might start doing more episode reaction blogging here.

Season 3, episode 5 "The Harvest"

Pei-Ling and Xiao -- it's a common trope in heroic narratives like Kung Fu that the hero loses her mentor. It's not all that often she gets her mentor back. I'm really enjoying this arc about the resurrection of Pei-Ling, Nicky's mentor, and Pei-Ling's internal fight being possessed by Xaio.

There's quite a lot of symbolism about women being trapped in this ep. Xiao was locked in a mystically sealed cage and starved to death. Henry and Nicky research a way to free Pei-Ling that involves a candle from the Salem witch trials era, to expel Xiao from Pei-Ling, that involves a magical candle used to exorcise evil spirits from accused witches. Henry mentions the women were falsely accused, just to add another level to it. And Pei-Ling has a chain around her ankle in case Xiao takes over and becomes a danger.

Simon and Zhilan -- he gives her his sword, that was sweet. I know she killed him once but I kinda ship it. Zhilan having to watch Simon die again though, ouch. Even though the first time it was her fault.

Zhilan and Pei-Ling -- eventually the narrative of the two sisters intersect. Zhilan and Pei-Ling each fighting their enemy in a non-corporeal kind of place. The set design on this series is lovely. Both places are in black & white (Pei-Ling's mind battle with Xiao) or washed out gray (Zhilan's with the soul eater), with splashes of red. Turns out the soul taker and Xiao are linked and Xiao is feeding on the light of the souls, something both Henry and Pei-Ling see during the ritual. (Henry seems deeply shaken after, maybe because of his role as the compass, it affected him a certain way).

"My mind is like a cage...I thought the poison I felt was your anger. I know now it wasn't your anger. It was fear." Pei-Ling contains Xiao by shutting her in a mental cage. "My mind, my rules." (One of Kung Fu's EP's is Robert Berens who worked on SPN, and this put me in mind of Dean Winchester containing AU Michael in his mind--"I'm the cage.") It's not going to hold Xiao forever, but Pei-Ling (like Dean) has a strong will so it should hold for a while.

Jin -- Jin seems like he should be the politician and run for office since this guy he's working for seems a bit shady.

Althea and Evan solving crimes together for hire is fun. Althea Shen, PI.

Nicky and Henry -- so Nicky and Henry are very much broken up right now but when Nicky's worried about Pei-Ling, she turns to Henry. Only after Ryan suggests it. Nicky is trying to give Henry his space. But as soon as she's face to face with Henry, she shows her fear and vulnerability and it's clear she relies on him still. Just something about couples who break up and then at the first sign of trouble, draw together again and act protective and are there for each other. I realize this might not mean the romantic relationship is going to be restored or healed anytime soon necessarily, but the bond between Nicky and Henry is a strong tie regardless and I really enjoy them.

Zhilan and Pei-Ling --

Nicky and Bo -- there is nothing wrong with Bo except he's not Henry. I won't hold it against him. Bo was right to step back when Nicky seemed that distracted and every time he turns around, she seems to be running back to her ex, whose apartment she was living in while Henry was gone. But Nicky does seem to be into Bo and wants to make that work. We'll see where that winds up.

Mei-Li, Carrie, and Sebastian -- there's a rich small arc in this ep about privilege and culture told via the lens of food. I really like how this show gets written. Carrie (played by the wonderful Kim Rhodes), a white woman, giving lectures to Mei-Li and Sebastian about what can and can't count on the menu of a Chinese restaurant, for an "authenticity" that by Carrie's own words, is a corporate business consideration mandate. "For the brand." Carrie's corporate voice was insisting on a purity, but not an authentic one--it was a purity of brand based on marketing not the views of the two Asian people she works with. Carrie spoke over them. Sebastian rightfully calls Carrie out policing Sebastian's Filipino dish, although he cuts short of saying the blunt words we know were about to come out of his mouth. And I don't think he's wrong. Mei-Li works things out with Carrie more gently, and assures Sebastian's Filipino dish stays on the menu, then asks Sebastian to be more gentle with Carrie, who is a partner with them. There's a lot of layers there on different approaches, maybe different generational approaches too, in calling people on white privilege. I don't like that Carrie is snooping into Sebastian's background, although I think Carrie is a decent person. She is no doubt still concerned about "the brand" and the success of the restaurant and worried about Sebastian but I think she's going to have more of her assumptions disrupted. Should be interesting to see how Carrie and Mei-Li navigate each other, and how Mei-Li and Sebastian's friendship fits orbiting that.

[dancingkirby]

Azula Week Day 5: Smiles

Summary: Zuko decides to invite all of his and Azula’s illegitimate half-siblings to the brunch on his and Mai’s wedding day.  It goes less badly than Azula had feared.

Warnings/Notes: Multiple non-graphic references to past sexual abuse of multiple underage girls, leading to one death and one near-death in childbirth.  (Don’t worry, it has a happy ending!).  Classism, internalized misogyny, etc. on Azula’s part.  OC-heavy.  One GoT reference that sort of wormed its way in there under its own volition.  

Word count: 2667 (longer than I had been anticipating!)

After many, many delays, the day of Zuko and Mai’s wedding was finally imminent.  There, would, of course, be intense media coverage and a general holiday for the populace, as well as thousands of guests. However, Zuko had also come up with the idea to have a pre-wedding brunch for family and close friends only. This wouldn’t be so outlandish, except that to him, “family” included Ozai’s bastards…every single one that he could find.

“Even the commoners, Zuzu?” she had sighed when he broke the news.  “It’s not a good image.  People at court are already talking.  We ought not to remind everyone of our baggage.”

“They’re not baggage, Azula,” he retorted.  “They’re our siblings.”

“Half-siblings,” she corrected as she brushed a cherry blossom from her shoulder; they were sitting in the courtyard watching the decorations being put up.  

Azula,” her brother admonished.  He spent what seemed like an absurd length of time trying to figure out what to say next, looked to make sure the decorators weren’t eavesdropping, then added, “I’ve been to their houses, you know that.  I’ve spoken with them personally, and I know all of their names and their stories.  You don’t want to know what I found out.”

“Don’t I, brother?” Azula inquired in faux innocent tones.  Zuko rubbed a knuckle against his forehead.

“Fine.” He conceded. “Here’s just one of the stories. There was a girl.  Lian.  Her father died suddenly, and her mother was sick a lot.  So she and her older siblings had to find jobs in the palace so the family wouldn’t starve.  She wasn’t even old enough to legally be hired, but they found work for her in the laundry under the table.  Her job was to go from room to room, gathering the dirty clothes.  I think you can see where this is going.  And…she died giving birth.  She was just a child.”  Sparks flew out of his nose as he exhaled forcefully.

“You’re rambling, Zuzu.  And watch the volume,” Azula stated almost without thinking.  Internally, however, her mind was spinning.  As much as she hated to admit it, Azula had not been prepared for that last part.  Died? Five years ago, she would have dismissed Lian as not fit to live anyway.  But now…she knew that she herself had been near death in that same situation, no matter how much the doctors had tried to sugarcoat it.

She was able to remain expressionless, however, and asked, “And the baby?”

“His name is Chun. The youngest of the bunch; just turned four.  Cute kid.”

That would place his conception sometime in the weeks after the Day of Black Sun, during which Ozai had lost his last vestiges of self-control and everyone else in the palace suffered.  For all she knew, Lian could have been one of the ones Azula herself had witnessed; she’d never bothered to find out any of their names.

“Any other dead?” she queried.

“No, thankfully.  Many of the mothers have permanent medical problems, though.  Some have turned to alcohol.  A few of the kids were adopted out.  Acknowledging and welcoming them and their children...well, it’s the least we can do.  It’s the…”

Wait for it.

“honorable thing to do.”

And that was that.  Once the h-word was added to the equation, there was no changing her brother’s mind.

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

It was the morning of the big day.  Zuko had decided to get the inevitable family photos done at the brunch, since Fire Nation weddings were lengthy and the smaller children would probably be tired after a long day of ceremonies.  Currently, he and Mai were standing at the entrance to the courtyard, greeting the guests as they walked in.  

There were twenty-one acknowledged bastards; everyone at court knew that.  Zuko had managed to track down an additional twenty-three, and he wasn’t even certain that he’d found them all.  This meant that their lord father had sired at least forty-six children…well, technically forty-seven, Azula thought as she fingered the footprint pendant on her necklace.  Twenty-eight of those had been born during his not quite six-year reign as Fire Lord.  Had she not known for herself how insatiable Ozai had been, she may have found the number mind-boggling.

What was more, their heretofore unacknowledged half-siblings tended to skew younger than the acknowledged ones.  The noblemen of the court who were actually decent people (or at least concerned about marriage prospects) had started keeping their young daughters home a couple of years into Ozai’s reign.  That meant a veritable flood of children ten and under, most of them having never come anywhere near the palace prior to this.

She nibbled on a green onion tartlet as she stood on a slight rise, surveying the goings-on in the courtyard.  Some children were wandering around, looking at their surroundings with big eyes.  A sizable group had been attracted by Ty Lee’s impromptu acrobatics performance.  Ursa was sitting by the pond, commiserating with some of the young mothers.  Kiyi had taken it upon herself to give people tours of the grounds whether they asked for it or not.

But…where was…?

Azula was so lost in her thoughts that she didn’t even fully register the timid tug on her sleeve until it was repeated a few seconds later.  She looked down for the source, and saw a small boy, wearing what must have passed for finery in whatever tiny village he came from.

“Bathrooms are that way,” she said for about the tenth time today as she pointed with her finger. But apparently that wasn’t the reason this child had sought her out.

“Are you the Princess?” he asked.  Except the “r” sounded more like a “w.”

“I am,” she confirmed. Then she watched, bemused, as the kid sank into a kowtow with surprisingly good form for a child of that age…not to mention a peasant.

Azula would not smile. She would not smile.

“You may rise,” she told him automatically, with all the solemnity she would give to an adult.  He sprang back up.

“Aunty said we have to do that if we see the Fire Lord or Fire Lady or Princess,” he explained in a rush.  “I saw the Fire Lord and he said don’t do it, but I wanted to do it because I practiced!”

Pwacticed.

She…was smiling, wasn’t she?  Damn.

“What is your name?” she asked him.

“Chun,” he answered. Azula had already had her suspicions when he had mentioned an aunt instead of a mother, and this confirmed them. This was the one Zuko had mentioned, whose mother had died.

“Well, Chun,” she said, “Your aunt was correct, generally speaking.  However, Zuzu does have his hangups about etiquette.  If you really want to pay obeisance, I would suggest a bow instead.  Would you like to learn the correct form for that?”

“Yeah!” he cheered.  Azula was quite sure that in the entire history of the world, no four-year-old had ever been as enthused about learning courtly manners.  

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

Chun had the three different depths of bowing down in about five minutes.  Azula had always considered herself good at sniffing out potential, and this child had heaps of it.  Perhaps one day he could find work as a palace bureaucrat, and even ultimately be appointed to a seat on the Fire Lord’s council.  She supposed that Zuko’s incorrigible stubbornness had had some merit for once; otherwise, Chun’s talents would have been wasted among the riffraff.  He was also tremendously eager to please, and refused to leave her side.  Azula got the feeling that nobody paid much attention to him at home.  

It almost made her wish that she hadn’t been so harsh toward Mai’s younger brother a few weeks ago. For someone who continued to know nothing about children except that they liked gross stories, she sure seemed to attract a lot of children.  

As the two of them wandered back to where the main crowd was, Azula provided a running commentary about their various half-siblings.

“That woman in the glasses is Anshi, the oldest,” she informed Chun.  “Great with numbers, and even beat Iroh at Pai Sho once.  Very boring conversationalist, though.  The lady in that hideous gown next to her is Zhilan.  She can lightning bend, yet refuses to actually learn how to use it effectively because she prefers to spend her days arranging flowers and playing the erhu like a proper lady.”  She shook her head.  

“She’s fat!” Chun exclaimed brightly.  Azula chuckled.

“Sssh.  Well, to be fair, she doesn’t have my flawless physique, but actually she’s expecting her third child.  Perhaps she thought that people would be so blinded by that monstrosity of an outfit that they wouldn’t notice?” She pulled Chun along before her vision was permanently ruined by what even Ty Lee would likely reject as too over-the-top.  Although it was unclear how much of her gossip the child actually understood, he didn’t appear bored.

“There’s Ichiro; he’s skilled at archery and so aloof that he makes Mai seem warm and inviting. And…ugh, that’s Eri, stuck-up as ever. Do not go near her,” Azula cautioned. The girl apparently ruled over the Royal Fire Academy for Girls just as Azula herself had done a decade earlier, but unfortunately lacked the intellect to be anything more than a common bully. Best to give her a wide berth like Kiyi did.

“Who’s that?” Chun piped up while pointing at a pair of children dressed in bright red from head to toe.

“Those are Akane and Akemi.  Twins. They’re the youngest of the Acknowledged, and they’re…”

Azula never got to say exactly what it was that Akane and Akemi were, since just then, there was a commotion at the courtyard entrance.

“Sorry I’m late!” yelled the new arrival.  As she turned to greet the soon-to-be newlyweds, her face was somewhat obscured. However, Azula had no difficulty recognizing her.  She’d know that short haircut anywhere.

Ruanyu.  Azula’s breath caught in her throat.  They hadn’t seen each other in nearly five years.  After so long without any contact, she’d been starting to think that her half-sister was dead.

“How about you run over to the Fire Lord and show him your bow?” she asked Chun.  He scampered off happily enough.

Azula was not anticipating that this would be a happy reunion.  Once, they had been close, and Azula had even allowed Ruanyu to call her by her given name.  However, she really had treated the girl more like a pampered yet disposable pet than anything else, and had all but forgotten her in the events leading up to Sozin’s Comet.  In fact, she hadn’t remembered that she had left the girl to her own devices until months later, when she was in the hospital.  

Then Ruanyu looked her way, paused for a split second, and began running toward Azula at top speed. Azula steeled herself, her heart racing. She remembered that the feisty little girl had held her own in sparring matches, and she was prepared to repel any firebending that might come her way.

What she was not prepared for was being nearly knocked off her feet by the sheer enthusiasm of her half-sister’s embrace.  When they pulled apart, Azula attempted to remain stoic, but the sheer magnetism of Ruanyu’s famous ear-to-ear grin was too much for her to resist.

“I see you managed to escape,” she commented dryly.

“Yeah.  My mom smuggled us out after the whole Phoenix King thing,” Ruanyu answered while shrugging, as if it were of no great importance.

Azula became painfully aware that everyone in the courtyard was watching them.  In fact, Zuko was leading the spectators in some applause, Ty Lee ran over to get her hug, and Mai made a cough that sounded a lot like the word “Finally.”

“You knew about this, didn’t you?” Azula accused Zuko.

“We wanted it to be a surprise,” was all he said in response.

“It seems that you succeeded in something for once,” Azula remarked in as deadpan a tone as she could manage.  Then, to Ruanyu, “Let’s go talk somewhere more private.”  Ruanyu agreed, and they retreated to Azula’s favorite shady little enclave.  Once they were out of earshot, Azula decided to cut right to the chase, as she looked at the face that was almost like looking in a mirror.

“If you’re angry at me, then say so.  Don’t hold back on my regard.”

Ruanyu bit her lip as she considered.

“I was angry at you.  Really angry for a while,” she commented.  “But I decided to forgive you.  Zuko told me about what Ozai did to you.”  Her eyes hardened.  

“Did he do anything to you?”   Azula had to know.

“Nah.  Well, he kept saying all this creepy stuff, but I was always faster than him,” Ruanyu replied.  She was obviously trying to be casual, but not quite succeeding.  She was sixteen; old enough to know that she had only just dodged a lightning bolt, and that others had not been as fortunate.

“And just what have you been doing these past years?” she inquired.

“Mom took us back to the village where she grew up.  She wanted me to settle down with some boring man and raise a family.  But that’s…not me.  So I’ve been doing a lot of traveling, seeing the world,” Ruanyu explained. Yes, Azula remembered her half-sister’s thirst for adventure well.  In fact, she had briefly considered taking the girl to the Earth Kingdom, but had decided against it since she knew that Ruanyu would never have gone along with taking Zuko and Iroh prisoner.  

She asked, “Any plans for after the wedding?”

“I’m not sure yet,” Ruanyu answered.  “I think I might stay at the palace again for a bit, then set off again.  I’m interested in seeing that new city that Zuko and his friends are building; he told me that they’re looking for settlers.”

Someone cleared their throat behind them.  “Did someone say my name?”  Azula turned to see that Zuko was indeed present, with one twin hanging off each arm.

“Yeah, I was just telling Azula that I wanted to see Republic City.”

“Well, we’d be glad to have you there.  But, uh, anyway, I came up here to tell you two that the photographer’s setting up.  He has a prototype model of a new kind of camera; one that can take the picture instantly.  I thought the younger kids might find it harder to stand still.”

“Don’t get him started on that special camera,” Mai chimed in as she walked up with Chun trailing behind her.  “He’ll probably spend our entire wedding night talking about it.”

“Not the entire night,” Zuko protested.

“Oh, really?  I suppose I will just have to make sure that you keep your word.”

Azula said, “There are children here, you two!” in almost perfect synchrony with Ruanyu’s “I don’t think I wanna hear this…”  They must have pulled identical faces, since Akane exclaimed, “More twins!”

“Oops.  Forgot about the kids,” mumbled Zuko. “So…yeah.  Picture time.”

And so the soon-to-be-wed couple kissed as they temporarily parted; Mai had to leave to undergo the ordeal of getting dressed in her many-layered wedding outfit.  (“If I’m really lucky, maybe it’ll actually get done sometime this decade,” she said.)  Zuko eventually got the whole group of Ozai’s progeny rounded up.  As her brother enlisted Sokka’s help to explain how the camera worked to those children who had never been photographed before, and Azula snuck appraising glances at the latter, she felt oddly at peace. They made for an odd collection of individuals indeed, but Zuko had been right just this once.  That awful trial was behind them, and they were all stuck in this same recovery boat together.  

After some time, they were all arranged in a more or less organized manner, and Azula made sure that her necklace would be clearly visible in the picture.

“Smile!” the photographer ordered.

And, as they saw weeks later when the developed pictures were sent to them, nearly everyone had.  Even Azula.

[archaictold]

.

[archaictold]

—

HE remains there, tucked into the refuge of Xerxes' shoulder, blushing fiercely to the tips of his ears. All the shyness has since caught up with him, his stride in boldness slowing its race from the first point of his initiation. Zhilan thinks it's because he's indecisive. We should probably slow down... But I also want to keep going. Is that selfish? And it is, he decides, though they're both at home with their greed in this scenario. Maybe it's alright to be just this once, he wonders. To be selfish. ❝ Well, not you, ❞ Zhilan quietly amends, feeling the silence of Xerxes' laugh move through him where there's contact. ❝ Me, or—both of us. I think. ❞ The humor behind the correction is lighthearted; a means to lessen the giddiness still making him breathless, to distract him from palms pathing across his shoulders, down to his chest where one curiously settles over his heart. His pulse must be like a drum beneath Xerxes' fingers, pounding to an erratic beat and ratting out the calm he's trying to project. Zhilan doesn't really mind his cover being blown, however. He wasn't exactly succeeding in the first place. Xerxes prods him with a question, and it pulls Zhilan from his hiding. It's not a joke—by now, he can glean whenever he is, familiar with his teasing. And he knows Xerxes doesn't intend to tease him, not when he's just as sheepish. He asks him sincerely, only earnest, meaning to gauge what's alright and what might not be. Zhilan observes him while the hair over his eyes is ran through with thin fingers, sucks in a slight breath when a kiss is laid on his throat. And he mulls it over, mulls Xerxes over until the corners of his mouth tug upward into a small smile, finding that the fondness there has bloomed into something beautiful. Something he can't quite name and is content with leaving nameless—at least for now.

❝ It's good, ❞ he murmurs back, certain. ❝ I meant it... in a good way. ❞ Zhilan rests his lips on Xerxes' own for good measure, letting him feel his smile should he not have heard it. It smothers the sound of his name whispered to him like a plea, but only for a moment, because Xerxes pushes his hips up in a way that's indescribably wonderful. His lungs draw in a muted gasp in an instant, face falling somewhere against a burning cheek as a mouth lays affection to his ear. A question follows it, stammered and eager. Zhilan isn't sure he has an answer for it. He squirms at the hips beneath the pin of the leg hooked over him, not knowing what he's searching for. His fists ball at Xerxes' shoulders, using him as a tether to keep him grounded. 'What would you like?' 'Tell me.' ❝ You, ❞ he tells him before he can think better of it. ❝ More of this, ❞ a soft breath adds. Silent as it exhales out, wavering under the pressure built in his chest set to blow. ❝ But... I'm not sure if I should. ❞ He squirms again, full-bodied this time, words pressed into the space beneath Xerxes' jaw. ❝ I'd never grow tired of it otherwise... Not of this. ❞ Not of you.

—

NOBODY'S EVER SAID HIS NAME LIKE THAT. rewarded once more, xerxes all but preens with the noise that interrupts zhilan, nuzzling closer into the nape of his neck, chuckling with the giddiness that has him cling to him so urgently. almost better than the whimper, zhilan's breath coming just as quickly as his own. they really haven't done anything to warrant the way they're both so winded, bordering the edge. and yet, xerxes fails to regain calm just as much as the man on top of him, fascinated by the thrill of it.

   a blind man doesn't experience vertigo very often. and yet, his breath stumbles when zhilan pleads with him. the boldness of him ... he laughs again, though it's without voice.

   ' me? that's— ' who started this, again? it's mock offense, xerxes' hands coming down to draw his palms across strong shoulders, and, without thinking about it, continuing down zhilan's chest. it doesn't feel like much of a jump, mostly just feeling the fabric of his shirt, the same one he was wearing all day, yesterday. the stitching, the buttons. resting one where his heart resides, waiting patiently, until the hastened beat of it reveals itself to his touch.

   ' is it a ... bad mad, or a good mad? ' a question that could very easily be a joke, instead genuine in nature, sincerity and nervousness in his tone. he feels zhilan's hair, brushing over his eyes, as he shuffles, tilts his head enough to be able to kiss at the pulse point near his throat. not quite daring to fully commit, it's more of a brush once more. no matter how much fun this is turning out to be (and that's a strange realization in and of itself, that it's this exciting), he wouldn't want to overwhelm where it isn't welcome.

   maybe it's that nervousness, or how they're slotted together. xerxes isn't sure, isn't thinking about it. ' zhi ... zhilan. ' the leg hooked around zhilan's, xerxes pushes his hips up halfheartedly, moves the brush of his lips up to an ear. he doesn't know what he wants to do. he only knows that he wants to keep going, even if the rush of it is too much all at once, almost insatiable, now that he's given into his own greediness, like the gates of a dam finally opened.

   flooded by zhilan, seeking him out, as he's curled into xerxes. ' what ... what would you like? '

   you pleaded. what are you pleading for? what can i give you?

   ' tell me? '

[registrardailyreports-blog]

United States Diatomaceous Earth Market- Chanye, Zhilan Diatom, Imerys, EP Minerals, Domolin, Showa Chemical

United States Diatomaceous Earth Market- Chanye, Zhilan Diatom, Imerys, EP Minerals, Domolin, Showa Chemical

This report studies the Diatomaceous Earth Market in United States , analyzes and research the Diatomaceous Earth development status and forecast. Diatomaceous Earth industry report focuses on the top players in United States industry, shown below. The report covers Diatomaceous Earth United States sales and United States Diatomaceous Earth market growth rate [2017 to 2022]. United States…

[nicawlette]

PLATONIC & ROMANTIC TOUCHES! PART ONE

@archaictold asked: [ MOVE ] for the sender to reposition the receiver when they’re too drunk/tired/injured to do it alone!

Though she's loathe to admit it, the words on the pages had begun to blur and bleed away about two chapters ago, yet sheer stubbornness is what keeps slim, scarred fingers turning from one to the next. None of the information sticks— Nicolette can't remember if the male protagonist has just stepped into the light and started glowing like a disco ball or if that plot point is entirely imagined.

A groan slips out before she can stop it, the pounding in her head becoming a tad too noticeable the harder she tries to focus her swimming vision. The expression on her face is one of pure concentration, though it probably looks ridiculous paired with the deep flush of her fair cheeks. Nicolette wonders if her late night companion has noticed her struggle or not— prays he's too absorbed in his own research as usual to catch the fact that the book is upside-down.

The library certainly hadn't been her intended destination, but she'd left the bar more than a little tipsy and simply wandered around till she was too tired and bored to keep going. In the heat of the moment, bothering the little scholar who seemed to frequent the location just made sense. But then she had miscalculated and gotten too swept away by this novel about a supernatural being and his torrid, yet toxic romance with a human girl! It was a work of art to her intoxicated mind. It was also no longer legible.

❝ Ugh... ❞ Another noise of discomfort and confusion is made as Nicolette rubs at her drooping, two-tone eyes. She blinks—or actually it turns out she's closed her eyes entirely because the next time they open, she very nearly faceplants into the open book. A gentle hand upon her shoulder stops the slow decent forward, and Zhilan's soft voice says something she doesn't catch. She doesn't really need to hear it to know it's probably overly kind and concerned.

He helps her sit back up as a pout settles on her lips and she grumbles a complaint, words whiny and slurred. ❝ 'm not finished... 's getting good, Lanlan... ❞ However, her body doesn't seem keen on putting up a fight, pitching to the left and depositing her weight against the scholar's shoulder, quite ready to sleep off her inebriation.

[archaictold]

DOWNTURNED lips give a sigh... No matter what he does tonight, it seems progress on this paper just isn't in the cards. He should probably put it away then. But——

Instead, the farthest he's succeeded in that is simply staring at everything laid out, blank parchments, ink pens and all, like they'll magically put themselves away. Maybe... he needs a walk to clear his head. Yeah, that might be good.

[schleckermaul]

   A PEACE OFFERING? extending an olive branch, you call it, right? doesn't really feel that way. feels like bribery. but, break's never pretended to be above as much, at least when it comes to candy, stuck in a house filled with people that mean to feed him healthy things. they crinkle as wang yi slides them over, so break's eye settles on them as soon as they come into reach.

   he stares. then he glances up at wang yi, testing. his hand shoots forward to grab them without looking, and while one lands in his lap, the other is unwrapped immediately.

   it's strawberry.

   okay, that's pleasing. break is fatally distracted, giving the candy a small lick, before it disappears in his mouth entirely. how nice. how tasty. his mood lifts immediately, even if his expression doesn't change that much, eyebrows only a bit higher than before. he munches away silently, not needing to fill the silence, enjoying himself as he is. not really a sensation he gets a lot, these days.

   licking his finger after it's all done dissolving, just as wang yi had said, he finally gives his guest some attention again.

   ' what do you want? ' he stretches out his hands, stares at his nails. he's considered this, before wang yi even came here. he honestly hadn't expected him to be so softspoken about the entire thing ... did he mess with him that badly? maybe he should feel bad about it. counting on his fingers, break lists: ' you pulled me out of the carriage. your servants healed me up. i choked you out. you bring me candy. as much as i hate to say it, i owe you. '

   squinting, he points at wang yi. ' so, what do you want? '

Wang Yi eyes Break gingerly. What he learned from Oz was a whole lot of something, and yet nothing at the same time. It framed the guy in a new perspective, but he isn't sure if he's got the right focus on his lenses just yet.

' You would feel that way, huh, ' he murmurs almost in wonder, then coughs to himself. ' Oh. They're fine. I can already walk around and stuff. '

But he keeps his voice quiet and his own scarf up (stupid itchy thing it is), since it seems a little crass to show off his bandages when Break's like 60% mummy already, even if the guy is blind. Also because it'd be awkward if Zhilan walked in midway and started asking questions. Ugh, he should just move them away from this topic.

He digs into his pockets for the things he smuggled in, then slides them, crinkling softly, across the carpet until they're a foot away from Break. It feels a little like baiting a wild animal...

' ...I actually brought you something but. It kinda got confiscated? '

' I had these two pieces saved, though. It's the kind of candy that dissolves on your tongue after a while...easy to eat. '

Also strawberry flavored, but he keeps that to himself.

' Anyways. The rest is there for when you get better so, ' he tugs at his scarf again. ' Get well soon. '

If this doesn't work, I should just leave...