cuckoo-among-beasts

[cuckoo-among-beasts]

FYI, I'm building up my queue and planning to release it on the 11th of December, since I'll go to Sweden the day after for my yearly family visit. So, I am around and I have done reply, they're just put in the queue.

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Where Niko Can Be Found

All Day Every Day

@ice-and-lightning - HSR MuMu, feat. Yanqing, Arlan, Moze and 2 OCs

Weekends Only

@cuckoo-among-beasts - Nie Huaisang from MDZS

↳ @assortedsouls - Xianxia MuMu, canon & OCs

↳ @hetaoren - Lan Qiren from MDZS

@goodheartedfool - My ol' OC Nathanael, so many verses

↳ @adashofheroism - Superhero MuMu, feat. Tim Drake, Francis Barton, teen Tony Stark and my OC Yoyo.

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My take on Baxia and Huaisang's unnamed saber, inspired by CQL's designs

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How people in the past processed fresh tea leaves for long term storage by chinese artist 山白shan bai

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It's Friday, meaning I'll be around tomorrow and Sunday. I hope to get some stuff in a queue again.

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sometimes theres so much stupid in my head it falls out [ID: flat drawings of characters from MDZS as moomintrolls characters: lan wangji and lan xichen as moomin trolls, Wei Wuxian as Snufkin, Nie Mingjue as a Hemulen, etc]

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@emeraldincandescent made a very generous kofi donation and asked for NMJ braiding little NHS's hair 🥹

buy me a kofi and get a doodle

kofi doodle archive blog

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"My ancestor became a cultivator simply because there were no one else around to defend the area. He was a big strong man with a variety of sharp blades, though his preferred one is said to be a cleaver, which eventually became the sabre that we use today." Huaisang gently fanned himself as he spoke. "Anyway, there were no soldiers or cultivators in this area back then, being a rather inhospitable one, so when a wave of monsters and walking corpses came through, he stepped up. What started as an occasional thing eventually became a regular thing, with him starting to seek out the threat before they could reach the village. From that, it then grew and now we're a sect."

When talk about marriage comes up, Huaisang chuckles. "I'm sure some of the Nie might be interested. We generally let people get married by choice and not arrangement, a peculiarity for our sect. Unfortunately, that doesn't stop the Elders from pestering me about a wife." Huaisang laments.

"If it was in my clan, and your founder was a butcher, it simply meant your group has more skill in martial arts then most. A basis if you will, it is amazing to begin with that a butcher can create , showing that skill is everything."

"Potential lies in people you least expect, it is a useful and dangerous lesson to learn. In honesty, I believe the more I know of your clan, the more I can see people from my own trying to manage a marriage contract of sorts."

the wisdom clan had ignoble roots, had to fight and claw to the top.

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the BEAUTIFUL nie mingjue

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@antihxroiism sent: "Uncle Fairy !!! I have been so excited to see you, come let us sit and chat for a while. I have some tea and cookies !!"

Huaisang chuckles at Xiu's excitement. When he first met her, he was a little nervous that she might not like him, and he really wanted her to like him, since she is one of the most important people to Mulan. He needn't have worried. Xiu seemed to take an instant liking and his flair for the dramatics and the artistic.

"Xiu, I've missed you too," he replies, smiling. "I have so much to tell you." It's gossip hour. The two of them together are a pure gossip machine and there's pretty much nothing Huaisang doesn't know and he is willing to share most of it. Some, he keeps to himself, either out of security or due to Xiu's tender age. Don't want her to know too much of the darker side of the world just yet. Or at least as little as possible.

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chinese gardens in winter by 糖果味道

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Quote from Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult.

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the world is full of insecure overachievers. have you tried being a secure underachiever? you'll have more life in you that way

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The baby is adorable. Normally, Huaisang doesn't find babies to be cute, but there's something special about little Yuan. Maybe it is because he has Sizhui's eyes?

As Mulan sits down on the cushion, explaining that the baby is usually calm and easy to care for, he finds no comfort in the words. Despite that, he sits down next to her. "See, it's probably because he doesn't like me." Huaisang has handled a lot: war, betrayal, sect running, death. Now, he looks terrified, honestly terrified, by a baby.

Being closer to the boy now, he seems to notice the guest, head turning towards Huaisang and a chubby hand reaches out for him. Wasn't babies blind at first? He had heard something about them being unable to see properly. Then why did it feel like the little boy looked straight into his soul?

Before realising it fully, Huaisang reached out and the chubby fist grabbed his index finger. "Oh!" he exclaims, the fear in his eyes mixed with surprise and the baby makes, what to Huaisang sounds like, a happy noise.

Moments later, he has the boy in his arms. It's awkward and they're staring at each other, but the baby seems to have calmed down. For some reason, Huaisang can feel his eyes tearing up and it makes no sense. "May your life be pleasant, little Yuan. May you never see war or feel the sting of betrayal. I promise, I will do everything in my power that you will live as happily as possible." This generations shouldn't have to go through what his own had, what Sizhui and Mulan had.

For a moment, there is such a determination in his expression, that anyone who knew Mingjue would've been taken back by the resemblance. Thankfully, the expression is soon gone, replaced by a soft smile and tear-glassy eyes.

🌸  ┊ letter received from @cuckoo-among-beasts        Nei Huaisang : " a-actually, maybe you better keep holding him. i mean, what if i hurt him by accident? or what if i scare him? babies don't like me, they never have! " / 𝙁𝙄𝙍𝙎𝙏-𝙏𝙄𝙈𝙀 𝙋𝘼𝙍𝙀𝙉𝙏𝙎 𝙋𝙍𝙊𝙈𝙋𝙏𝙎 (𝙋𝙏. 1)

          Mulan rocked her son within her arms, her body swaying ever so slightly as the fabrics of the cloth holding him draped over her arms. she smiled at Huaisang, for she was truly so happy that he had come to visit her for a change, especially since she was still in recovery after the birth of Yuan. the infant was awake, his violet colored eyes holding a curious light to them as he watched his mama talk to her friend. he had just been changed, fed and the remainder of his needs taken care of. most days, it would have put him right to sleep to be held like this and sang to, but today he was fussing as he seemed to sense that someone knew was around.

          she could not help but smile, for it was a nice change from the usual pace, especially since Sizhui had to tend to the Sect for a short while. the company alone was appreciated, though she did wish that Huaisang trusted himself a bit more.

        ❝  if you do not feel comfortable holding, Little Yuan, then you do not have to. but, i am more then sure you are capable of keeping him safe.  ❞    she assured him, as she carefully moved to sit on a cushion, a soft hushing sound made to keep the boy from squirming too much at the movement.      ❝  he is usually a very calm baby, often times he only fusses when he needs to be changed or is hungry.  ❞

          lifting her eyes from her child, she looked at Huaisang and smiled even brighter, her long hair loosely cascaded around her body as she did not yet have the time to put it up in order to host properly.     ❝  he takes after his, Bàba in many ways, and i am sure that one of them will be liking his Uncle Fairy.  ❞

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cont. from here with @h3artf3ltint3nt

Huaisang is not a brave person. Not when it comes to things like pain and death. Not in the way his brother is, or many of his peers. Though seeing one of the Nie disciples being so ruthlessly attacked, getting his core melted, by Wen Zhuliu, both terrified and angered him. How dared they hurt a Nie? Of course he doesn't speak up. Doesn't show his anger. Instead he lets nothing but fear be visible, which isn't hard since he is indeed terrified as well.

Having noticed his shimei's reaction, he quickly grabs her hand, squeezing it. It's rare to see her scared, but he doesn't blame her. Getting your core melted is every cultivator's worst nightmare. Except Huaisang's. Not that he wants it to happen to him, but it's also not his worst nightmare.

He nods in reply. "Wens have no honour. Don't forget that," he replies, voice so low that Kexin is the only one able to hear him. Never trust anything any of them say. Wen Ruohan had killed his father and now, a disciple just for speaking up. Yes, Mingjue would've punished such brazenness too, but it would've been something like laps or cleaning the stables, not something like this. They had to get out of here. All of them.

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"Hanguang-jun I thought pets were forbidden in Cloud Recesses?"

"Mm."

(Headcanon that since Huaisang was already in Cloud Recesses during the war, after discovering Wangjis secret stash of bunnies, he made habit of visiting and feeding them)

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"A-Sang will train every day!" he proclaims loudly. Oh how wrong that is. Both his father and brother would end up chasing him to train. More Mingjue than their father though. Huaisang will come to hate sabre practice, but he has forgotten all about that now. Just as he has forgotten what Han-shushu did and that he should be very much dead.

Suddenly something changes with Ruohan and he can ask about it, the man is gone. Did he do something wrong? Huaisang doesn't understand. He didn't break any rules or said anything wrong. Was it the kiss? But Han-shushu had never disliked a kiss on the cheek before? A-Sang is young, but he is already good at sensing changing emotions and he is sensing something off with the man. Something that has been off since the start, but he didn't say anything and he isn't planning on doing so now. Adults are confusing and often they feel one way, but say they are another. Da-ge says that Huaisang will understand when he is older, but he isn't sure he wants to understand.

Fearing that he will upset Han-shushu more, Huaisang remains on the spot as he waits for the other to return. To not feel bored, he hums to himself. A song his father use to sing when he works.

“They... They surely will be, A-Sang.” His voice makes it clear that he knows otherwise, but he’s sure the toddler won’t be able to tell. Still, he works quickly to raise another smile to his features, is sure to force a genuine lilt to it to mask everything preceding.

“But of course you will—in fact, I’m more than sure of it.” He ruffles the boy’s hair with a small laugh. “Just do your best in training, as your da-ge does, and you will be just as he is soon enough.”

He’s horrible. He’s horrible for feeding into this disillusion, but he can’t ruminate on it. For his sake; for Huaisang’s; he’ll worry later—For now, it’s time to find adequate clothing.

Though, as he begins to set the young boy down, as he thinks, Ruohan’s brow furrows. Is...Would I even have anything adequate?

He hadn’t been searching for any robes that would fit a child, after all. He never expected to have to. Must the world be so cruel so continuously?

...The answer is apparently yes, what-with the way Huaisang kisses his cheek so suddenly. If the boy hadn’t been out of his arms already, Ruohan is sure he would have been stunned into dropping him.

“A-Sang...”

Such tenderness, such kindness—oh, is he selfish to wish the boy won’t remember this when whatever is afflicting him wears off? Will he be allowed this one joy, when all is done? Will he allow himself to remember it?

Terrifyingly, a tear wells up in his eyes. Ruohan has to turn his back on the boy before it falls, lest he bear witness to it.

“Han-shushu will be back.” Is what he leaves with, is all he can leave with, all but running into a room opposite. Huaisang had already resolved to staying put, so he just has to trust that the boy will be alright.