#//about; (MERLIN'S CLAW)

[the--firevenus]

Merlin, listening to a tale or legends about himself from random local villager: oh wow! That's so interesting (he doesn't remember if that ever happen but regardless he enjoys the story telling)

Meanwhile hammie tries not to blow her magister identity , but can't stand false info: UM. ACTUALLY—

[everlastiingiimmortals]

A Review of the Borisin: Feixiao's History and the Mentality of War Culture

hey. it's me again. wanna talk about one of the most fucked up factions presented in the game so far? sit down, this is going to be long.

to get matters out of the way, i'll be addressing quite a number of things here: borisin culture, my theories about feixiao's history, how a borisin environment has affected feixiao's mindset all the way into the present, and a theory on the parallel between moze and yingxing (this is heavily delulu) and the cyclical nature of generational trauma (particularly when a culture subsists on and is defined by war). heavy topics all around, including death, abuse, slavery, and general violence, so do mind yourself if you're not in a place to read about this analysis! no spoilers or leaks involved; all this is pulled from lore available in game or from official media.

so to get started, i want to first and foremost address the borisin; all of my information for them stems from the duran planar ornaments and the prisoner relic set. from these two sets, and especially the duran set, we glean that the borisin are, historically, of a nomadic origin that mainly raised and herded livestock. however, over time, after receiving the blessings of abundance and warring more and more with the original foxians, they eventually grew massively in strength and became what we know now: a society and culture wreathed in the worst interpretations of "survival of the fittest," one built on conquest and war. to this date, the borisin, even after decreasing in strength with the defeat and capture (evidently not for long) of their warhead, hoolay, still have foxians and other species enslaved to use as cannon fodder, livestock to breed and construct their weapons for them, and fuel for their mechabeasts. this mentality is not just directed towards other species, but also to their own kind; borisin pups go through what is effectively a trial by combat as their coming of age ceremony, where they have to hunt, fight, and ultimately tame a mechabeast of their choosing (a reminder here, too, that their mounts are both machine and organic, and can breed and eat. horrific.) to be considered an adult. if they failed, they would become slaves themselves, or be devoured by the very beast they were hunting. some would even kill each other in an attempt to get the best mount. the borisin, as is evidenced by hoolay, will even commit cannibalism. it's as i said to jace: to the strongest go the spoils. anything less than that is seen as cowardice, and here is where we really see that "survival of the fittest" on steroids mentality shine through. if you aren't one of the fittest, you aren't fit to survive. period. it's no surprise to see how quickly the borisin grew in strength like this, and with their mastery over gene manipulation (either via experiments or traditional selective breeding).

and naturally, this applies to their slaves, too. we learn a lot about the borisin's treatment of their slaves -- and especially the foxians -- from a plethora of sources: the aforementioned sets, the valorous relic set, and baiheng's travelogue about the zhuming. but the key information for my purposes comes from the valorous relics and duran ornaments. from these, we learn that a significant portion of the slaves and the majority of the borisins' slaves, historically, are foxians, and that the borisins particularly favor aggressive and warlike foxians to take hostage and effectively become fodder farms under the same mentality, experiments, and selective breeding as their livestock. we learn that, as a result of this history, the foxians enslaved have mixed bloodlines, both foxian and borisin in descent. these mixed foxians, though possessing the fearsome strength and speed of their wolf-headed masters, also suffer from shorter lifespans and a heightened risk of succumbing to frenzy and mutation. they were subject to being sent out against the xianzhou, with paralyzing bridles latched around their necks to control and subdue them. from the best (read: the most vicious, the most violent) of these foxians, more were bred to sustain the borisins' campaigns and living war machines. this is the environment that feixiao was born into. she grew up with the mindset that survival was for the fittest, because anything less would mean being subject to getting torn apart and fed to the mounts, or even devoured by the borisin themselves. i have an image of feixiao, prized for her aggression and talent for battle, being set against mechabeasts and other half-blooded foxians for sport. every single day was a fight for existence, and from the borisin she learned to fight, learned to hunt, learned to survive, learned to kill. under them, she became a dangerous weapon, even at a young age. this is the feixiao, newly freed, that the previous yaoqing general met.

i will remind you, too, that the previous general saw feixiao as a beast at first; described her with an animal-like figure, felt the pressure of her predatory drive. to her, feixiao was neither wolf nor fox, having become so far removed from her foxian culture under the borisin. only after declaring her wish for vengeance did the previous general see feixiao in a new light. and this wish is what would carry feixiao up the ranks. feixiao takes with her the lessons learned from the borisin, her survival becoming her perfect weapon against them: she knows how they hunt, how they move, how they think. they taught her ruthlessness; she is ruthless towards them. and though she has reunited with her foxian culture, it's evident that she will not, or perhaps cannot, undo the conditioning she faced under the borisin. she declares herself lacking in "worries, rivals, and regrets." that's not just an empty statement. applying this to her history offers a rather sick perspective. does she view her past as trauma? i hesitate to think so. trauma is a source of weakness, in her opinion. there is no room for weakness with the borisin. she does not suffer nightmares of her childhood. she views her upbringing, rather, as a source of strength, and looks upon it with twisted pride; pride in herself for surviving, prevailing, seeking revenge. she values these terrible lessons from her past, not because she agrees with them, but because they give her purpose, and something to destroy. something to direct her rage towards. there's something to be said about the previous general's statement, as well: you were born for war, and you will die for war; from the moment of her birth, she was intended to be fodder to slaughter and slow the xianzhou. now that she's on the other side of the field, she will not rest until her thirst for vengeance is sated (it never will be). i struggle to imagine that feixiao can wrap her head around a perspective that differs from hers regarding her mentality. this is trauma — you can see it in her eyes, no light shines in them — but she simply does not comprehend it as such. it goes so far that i truthfully believe feixiao would be unsatisfied drawing her last breath in peace. her entire life has built up to destroying the abominations, her entire life a fight to prove she's worthy of more than survival. she would rather earn her place in death with teeth and claws, even if it means being killed as an abomination by a beloved one or even herself. she would be incapable of giving up and surrendering peacefully. i cannot see her accepting otherwise.

and unfortunately, feixiao is not the first, and she's absolutely not the last to be caught in this cycle of vengeance. the verdant knights routinely recruit mixed foxians, and when they succumb to their rage, their armor becomes their shackles, their prison. this cycle of trauma and war doesn't start and end with the foxians either; yingxing was also a victim. he, too, was obsessed with vengeance against the abominations. he took joy from creating the devices that caged them in their prison cells. it's possible that moze, too, is a short-life (noting the scar on his arm) that was enslaved by the borisin and freed by feixiao. because unfortunately, tragedy follows war, and the xianzhou subsists on it as much as the borisins. the alliance lacks a purpose without their war; it defines them, has given them their fearsome reputation. it is glorified, genocide is justified on either end. regardless of which side feixiao, jing yuan, hoolay, or any other member of this conflict lies, the cycle continues so long as both sides stand. feixiao, for one, has no intent of breaking the cycle that defines her entire life. she was born for war, and she will die for war. she sees no greater glory.

[onceandfutureheartache]

number one worst face arthur pendragon has ever made.

[ariaste]

listen ok so i made some good jokes yesterday about Lestat having an onlyfans but i am back today with a new essay and this one is entitled

Why The Invention Of Social Media Is Going to Permanently Save Loustat's Fucking Marriage

come on this journey with me.

ok so on one hand we have Louis, who does not like to leave the house except when he absolutely fucking has to and even then he resents it. my man wants to be at home with a book 100% of the time and he's so fucking valid for that. When he leaves the house, bad things happen to him. He has learned this and honestly i can't fault his evidence. it sucks out there. it truly incredibly sucks out there.

the problem is that sometimes he is married to lestat, who starts clawing at the walls if people aren't paying attention to him for 12 consecutive seconds, and being Out Of The House is the best place for him to go foraging for People To Pay Attention To Him. my man once had a rock star career the way that some people get addicted to meth brewed in a trashcan in someone's garage. Louis, through no fault of his own, is simply not capable of filling this psychological need no matter how hard he tries, except he should not even HAVE to try like that, because no one can do it, because Lestat is fucked up and like wasn't hugged enough as a child or something

this imbalance in their relationship is the core source of all their marital problems since day 1: THIS man's idea of a good time is chilling on the sofa in silence and maybe staring contemplatively at the wall for a while, and THIS man starts self-destructing at a truly astonishing rate if no one is making eye contact with him. If you make Louis go outside and socialize with people, he's miserable and sulking and whining about "are we done can we go home". If you make Lestat sit in silence in a chair for five minutes he starts crying and claiming that No One Has Ever Loved Him, Ever, Ever, And No One Understands Him, And He Hates Everyone In This House and He Is Being Actively Neglected And Cruelly Mistreated Right Now And No One Even Bothers To Feel Sorry For Him, This Is BASICALLY Domestic Violence Against Him Personally, If Only Anyone Knew About The Quiet Hidden Tragedies Of An Unhappy Marriage, and then he breaks some furniture and a window and isn't seen again for six weeks and comes back like "you will not believe what just happened, i [checks notes] met Merlin and also a dragon who gave me three wishes, brb i'm going to write another book about it :))))"

all you fucking have to do to fix their problems is to hand Lestat a cellphone and say the words "do you know about social media? you can say whatever shit you want and there's always someone awake in some time zone to talk to you." Suddenly Lestat is now very interested in sitting quietly on the couch, Lounging Alluringly and posting thirst traps on instagram and finally getting emotional fulfillment from all the likes and comments of "omg???? omg this is the hottest man alive". he does not have to leave the house anymore to get his attention meth. His yawning abyss of neediness is being fulfilled by having parasocial relationships with millions of strangers online who all think he's sexy and don't have to experience how fucking awful he is up close. he can flirt pointlessly with 200 people at once which is FINALLY ENOUGH FLIRTATIONS FOR HIM TO SATISFACTORILY JUGGLE

Meanwhile Louis is 3 feet away, vaguely reflecting to himself that HE is feeling all emotionally fulfilled because they're spending this great Quality Time together in perfect silence while he reads his book and Lestat plays on his cellular telephone and only OCCASIONALLY giggles to himself or says "louis which of these photos do you think is sexier, the one with four buttons undone or the one with five buttons undone" Louis is feeling like his Opinion is being Valued, Louis feels like he is being Consulted on Matters that are Important To Lestat. He has opinions about the photographs. It is not that much trouble to be interrupted from staring philosophically at the wall to spend five seconds looking at a photograph and then saying "that one". Finally he is experiencing Cozy Domesticity. he is so horny about it. lestat is surprised and bewildered about the sudden sharp increase in the amount of sex he is now getting but before he can make any vaguely mean comments about it (bc he's confused and vaguely defensive and worried that it's going to stop out of nowhere and he doesn't know any other interpersonal skills for expressing a thought) his phone pings about how he's just broken 5 million followers on instagram and he totally forgets to even mention the sex thing, which means that he continues getting the sex instead of inciting an argument about the sex and going through his 800th divorce from Louis

all their friends are extremely confused when a whole month, and then six months, and then a year goes by without another Loud Divorce happening and no one crashing through their front door like "I HAVE TO SLEEP IN YOUR GUEST COFFIN FOR THE NEXT MONTH, HE IS INTOLERABLE". They are worried. they are concerned. what is going on over there. are they both dead. no, they can't both be dead, Lestat just posted another tiktok of him sucking on his own fingers, which he would not be doing if Louis were dead. there is an ecosystem collapse happening in the groupchat and it's because the main Drama Vectors have been neutralized

[gonzodangerfeels]

Cats were made large so the devil dogs in hell wouldn't get too bored

[ambros1an]

foxian ears — jiaoqiu

summary: Foxian tails are said to be off limits, but no one said anything about ears.

cw: none

Foxian tails are said to be off limits, but no one said anything about ears.

Maybe it was the fabled “pheromones” foxians are said to give off. The ones are said to induce a type of romantic attraction. Or maybe it was the way his ears perked up in attention to the sizzling of the grill.

They twitched if the steam rose too high. They swayed to the side when someone called him, while still focused on preparing the dishes.

What would it be like to touch them?

“Seems that there’s something on your mind. I’m not just a cook, you know,” Jiaoqiu lightly fanned himself, “I’m also a healer.”

“I’m not so sure you can sort this one out,” you look off to the side. How can you just tell a foxian that you want to touch his ears? You feel warm at the thought.

“How can you be so sure?” Despite the lack of eye contact, there’s a mischievous grin attached to that face.

—

It should’ve dawned on you that attempting to hide anything from the adviser of the Merlin’s claw would end in failure.

Normally, his eyes were closed, but now they were locked onto yours. His eyes were a beautiful golden. You would’ve described Jiaoqiu as having a serene presence. One that soothed the mood, with his soft voice and caring disposition. But, now, it was intense.

Your hand must’ve stopped in mid-air because suddenly, Jiaoqiu was guiding them to his perked ears. He seemed…eager?

“Weren’t you so interested in touching them? Take this as a cure for your curiosity.”

The soft fur grazed your knuckles, then your palm. It wasn’t that different than petting a cat or dog, but you kept that to yourself for your own sake. Outstretching your hand, you lightly caress the inner rim of the ear, while lightly scratching the outer ear where it meets the head. Jiaoqiu couldn’t help but reluctantly lean into the touch.

The white inner fur tickled your fingers. It was even softer than the pink fur around it. You could tell it was sensitive. Although, you had barely touched the white fur, Jiaoqiu’s ears twitched.

“How is it?” You inquire.

The man had simply hummed or leaned in as a response in lieu of talking. He didn’t dare express his thoughts. Though the swishing of his own tail betrayed him, unwillingly wagging back and forth.

“Just don’t offer to touch any other foxian’s ears. I’ll be your only cure.”

It seems he’ll have to cure your curiosity for his tail next.

[trendywaifus]

you smack feixiao’s hand away from your cup of wine, casting your woman a quick glare before going back to talking to jing yuan. she pouts, resting her cheek against her palm, elbow propped up on her knee as she lazily tunes into the conversation about daily life between you and jingyuan.

“ i heard that yanqing and yunli has been getting along lately. is that true, jing’? “ you inquire, idly tapping a finger against the wooden surface of the low table. jing yuan chuckles, taking a sip of his wine.“ they’re getting there. it seems like their little “battles” are a form of kiddy dates. “ you let out a soft laugh, barely aware of feixiao’s hand sneakily reaching for your cup. noticing his fellow equal in title’s antics, the white, long-haired man shakes his head disapprovingly. she press a finger to her smirking lips as she slowly slides your cup towards her and—

“ you know i can see your hand from the corner of my eye, you sneaky vixen! “ you instinctively grabbed her fox ear and pulled at it.

she yelps, “ ow, ow! dearrestt, i was just kiddding—ouch! “

“ yeah right! what did i tell you about trying to drink liquor you know you can’t handle? this poor man told me you downed a whole thing of wine, destroyed his gazebo a few days ago, and passed out drunk! “

“ heh–ouch! i got a little carried away and i was thirsty—ouuuch! i was just visiting and wanted a—ouch, ouch, ouch!”

“ a visitor but not. a. guest! “ you hissed. jing yuan turns his head and stifles back a bellowing laugh at the comical sight of the merlin’s claw of the xianzhou yaoqing getting scolded by her lover. you finally let go of feixiao’s sore ear and sighed exasperatedly. “ you should of stayed with jiaoqiu at the tea house. there’s a reason why the loufu doesn’t sell alcohol when— “

feixiao stubbornly cuts you off, “ nonsense! to hell with it! “

she swiftly swipes your cup, brings it to her lips, and downs the strong, rich content. you and jing yuan’s jaw drop in astonishment as she gulps everything down.

“ fei—y-you didn’t— “

“ and i did! seee, mymostamazingbelovedmate?” she drunkenly slurs, slamming the cup back on the table. “ i can handle a little cup of wine jusst fine! your most fantastic lover can handle it! “ feixiao’s bright ocean eyes are already half-lidded and dazed as she clumsily stands up, nearly falling backwards trying to maintain her balance.

“ that’s not—feixiao! sit your stupid ass back down before you fall and hit your head! “

“ you should listen to your spouse. we wouldn’t want the lacking general to get a knot on her head after getting defeated by a mere cup of wine, hm? “ jing yuan advises casually before clearing his throat. he takes a long sip of his wine. you pinch the bridge of your nose because of his mocking comment.

“ haahhhh? “ feixiao glared angrily at the man before raising her foot, and slammed her heel down on the table, sending it flying in the air. did this man just purposely provoke feixiao? you can’t even call him petty at this point because she was the one who destroyed his property the last time he saw her.

“ let’s take this outside, jing yuan! just because my dear lover is here. . .doesn’t mean. . .i won’t. . “ feixiao trails off sleepily, losing her footing and falls sideways. luckily, her head lands safely on your lap, body stretched out perfectly on the tatami mat. you sighed in great relief, stroking her head as she sleeps soundly. “ you knew she’d do this which is why you made that comment earlier, huh? “

jing yuan simply smiles at you, the smug look evident in his golden hues.

“ not exactly. but i’ll say this, i forgive but i don’t forget. “

you roll your eyes at him.

[ellecdc]

I HAD AN IDEA FOR A REQ BUT I FORGOT IT AND I JUST REMEMBERED AGAIN

okok so shy!reader (similar to r in the poly!marauders + lily fic that i am genuinely obsessedddd with) but with barty and she just gets so flustered and blushy when he’s so loud and outspoken about his affection for her

barty would absolutely accidentally (& lovingly) torment poor shy!reader. thanks for your request! (I'm obviously currently in my Barty-girl era - I deserve jail time ur honour)

Barty Crouch Jr x fem!reader who tries hiding from Barty, much to Remus' chagrin

There were very few places in the castle that Remus could escape to from his nettlesome roommates. Thankfully, his roommates would rather be trampled by a stampede of hippogriffs than spend their precious free time in the library of all places. Unfortunately, Remus was still too easily spotted in his current hideout.

“Rem! Hide me!” He heard you squeak as you came flying around one of the stacks of books; eyes wild like a prey animal looking for their last chance at survival. 

“What?” Remus asked dumbly, but it was no use. 

You let out a cartoonish ‘eep!’ sound and dove underneath the table Remus was currently sat at; your head basically situated in Remus’ lap as you looked up at him desperately. 

“Please.” You practically begged. “You never saw me!”

“Who’s looking for you?” 

Remus' question was answered in the form of a haunting whistling weaving its way casually through the aisles and aisles of books before pausing directly in front of Remus’ chair.

“‘Lo, Junior.” Remus greeted politely, causing the Slytherin boy to narrow his eyes at him.

“Lupin.” He drawled suspiciously. “Aren’t there usually…more of you?”

Remus grimaced as he felt your nervous claws dig painfully into his calf. “Nope.” He replied an octave too high to be considered casual. “Just me.”

Barty simply offered him a disbelieving hum. 

“So, Lupin,” Barty continued, chewing the vowels of Remus’ surname as if it tasted particularly rancid in his mouth. “See anything around here lately?”

Remus hummed as if pretending he was in thought. “No…nope, definitely haven’t seen anyo- anything.”

But it was too late.

“Haven’t seen anyone, hm?” Barty surmised with a wicked grin. “Not even…say…a certain witch who happens to be the object of my affections?”

You dejectedly thumped your forehead against Remus’ knee, hitting the nerve which caused his leg to kick out reflexively, thus pushing you over under the table.

“Merlin’s tits, Lupin, are you having a fit?”

“Oh my sodding Godric.” You finally grumbled from under the table, causing Barty’s face to brighten up astronomically. 

It took you far longer than Remus would have liked to be sitting in the awkward semi-company with Barty to extricate yourself from under the library table, and your efforts were accompanied by an awful lot of painful sounding bumps and cursing before your - albeit rather bedraggled - form materialized beside Remus. 

“There’s my girl.” Barty nearly sighed in relief; a dopey lovesick smile spreading across his face.

“Do you see it too?” You whispered to Remus conspiratorially.

“See what?”

“That look.” You whispered again, causing Remus to snort.

“The look of adoration currently decorating Junior’s face? Yeah, I see it.” 

You scoffed at him. “Barty doesn’t adore me.”

“Says who!?” Barty nearly screeched, causing Remus to look around nervously at the attention the trio was quickly gathering. “I’ll kill them.”

“What?”

“Can I be excused from this conversation?” Remus groaned as he returned to his seat.

Barty quickly agreed at the same moment that you hissed no!

“Listen - my darling angel - though I think you’re really great at just about everything you do, you are absolute pants at hiding.” Barty offered you solemnly as if he were gently giving you quite devastating news.

“Maybe you’re just too good at this finding thing.” You huffed as you crossed your arms; quite petulantly, in Remus’ opinion.

“At finding you?” Barty asked as his face broke out in a Cheshire cat grin. “Always.”

Remus was certain you were going to melt through the floor below you, and - quite frankly - if it got you two away from Remus’ library sanctuary, so be it.

[milunalupin]

— all-american

james potter x reader ★ 869 words

"Can you two stop giggling? People are staring."

The boys followed the tallest Marauder through the streets of muggle London, on their way to some American diner Peter had told them about. The purebloods couldn't help but 'ooh' and 'ahh' at all the unusual things they didn't have back in their world. A large neon sign came into view, the 'C' in 'Nick's Diner' flickering on and off. The loud jingle of the bell as they opened the door announced their arrival, only a few other patrons scattered around the diner. A voice from somewhere back in the kitchen called out.

"Welcome in, take a seat anywhere you'd like!"

They decided on a red leather booth near the back corner, a 'Taxi Driver' poster plastered right above the table. The black and white checkerboard flooring and jukebox made it feel like they were in that film 'Grease' their friend Lily makes them watch every other week.

"Evening boys, how's everyone doin'? My name is Y/N, can I get anyone started with a drink?"

James thinks he must've gotten hit by a muggle car crossing the street to get here because he believes he's seeing an angel in person. You just look so pretty, in your little red dress and white apron, curly hair tied up in a ponytail. Your smile. Merlin, he was going to need to get his eyes checked again after dinner because your smile was truly blinding. Were those wedding bells he was hearing?

"I think James over here is good, all that drool should last him a good week or two."

A hard slap on the back took him out of his daze. His eyebrows pinched together and he was about to say something back to Sirius when he realized he was drooling, quickly wiping his mouth with the sleeve of his sweater before turning back to you with red cheeks and a sheepish smile.

"A Coca-Cola for me, please."

You think the blushing boy before you couldn't get any cuter. You grinned and nodded, telling them you'd be back with their drinks as you strolled back to the kitchen.

Once James finally took his eyes away from your swinging ponytail, he was met with three shit-eating grins. He glares back but their smiles do not falter, causing James to scoff with furrowed eyebrows. "What."

Dinner goes by in a flash with the friends enjoying their meals and sneakily changing the music from the jukebox, wands hidden under the table. The boys notice they just so happen to have a very attentive waitress, your lovely self coming around to their table often. It was interesting that even after they'd finished eating, you would appear to fill their almost overflowing cups with water or drop off extra napkins. James did nothing but send a dopey grin your way, and he does consider talking to you but freezes the second your big brown eyes stare back at him.

Remus groaned as he watched his friend be so pathetically consumed by you, setting down his now empty mug. "Prongs, tell me. Are you going to ask her out or just sit there with your tongue out like Padfoot begging for someone to throw him a bone?"

"I do not beg!" The dog animagi sputtered, hitting the dirty blonde beside him, "Tell 'em Pete!"

"Piss off Moony, it's not that easy. She's perfect."

Your shift was over, and truthfully it could've been worse. The table of four boys really made up for the more sour customers you had earlier in the day. The disappointment on your face was obvious when you had gone to clean their table and there was no number left behind on any of the napkins.

After finishing your closing duties you walked out the back door and turned the corner to find a large eagle owl perched upon the diner's bike rack. It wasn't too common to see owls in this area, but the shine of its feathers and well maintained claws tell you it's not from around here. Taking careful steps towards the bird, you offer your hand. It expanded its wings and flapped them twice at you before butting its head against the palm of you hand. You smiled and smoothed the beautiful creature's feathers back, now realizing there was an envelope sitting between the owl's talons. Taking the envelope and opening it up, you find a letter written to who you presumed to be yourself.

Dearest Y/N,

You have me infatuated with your beautiful smile and killer table waiting skills. I'm pretty funny and can show you a good time. Not like that though, unless you wanted t

What I mean to say is, I would throw all of England's tea in the ocean again if it meant I could win the honor of taking you out. On a date that is, not like killing you. I promise to make the night magical. I'll come by the diner next week with flowers and hopefully you don't punch me in the face for being a creep.

Yours,

James Potter

Smiling to yourself, you gave the owl one last pet and a thank you before pulling your wand out and disapparating home.

[justaz]

okay but have we considered morgana x freya?? two women who believed themselves to be monsters, hunted by the same man and his loyal followers, cursed, doomed to death the moment someone finds them out, alone. they wish for freedom, somewhere where they can be themselves, where they dont have to hide, where they can embrace their power and who they are without fear or without harming anyone.

[everlastiingiimmortals]

a few preliminary headcanons and theories on feixiao, based on existing lore and notes in game (none of these should be spoilers!):

she, i believe, is one of the youngest (if not the youngest) generals currently. the valorous relic set doesn't belong to her, but to the previous yaoqing general, because one of the stories describes exactly what happened during the third abundance war in which they lost their life. what this means is that feixiao rose to her throne only 30 star calendar years ago MAX, and in such a short time frame has become known as one of the best generals in terms of warfare and military prowess, even winning 4 consecutive victories over the abominations in a single year (2-3 years ago).

that relic set also mentions more of the history between the foxians and borisin, especially those of the yaoqing, who are cited to be the most genetically similar to the borisin out of all the ships. what's more is that, while most foxians do not have the capacity to shapeshift (i.e. moon rage/moon madness -- did they change the terminology recently?), it's more common on the yaoqing and feixiao is cited to suffer from it. the reason for this is because the foxian war slaves of the borisin are typically of mixed blood, likely half blood, and the verdant knights of the yaoqing were especially involved in rescuing them. i think that, according to the relic story, the foxian girl mentioned is feixiao, and she's half borisin -- which also is the reason she lacks a foxian tail, because the borisin's tails are stumpy.

further comment on the relic set is her whole "Lacking General" thing, "lacking in worries, regrets and rivals," gives me a very terrible 'ends justify the means' impression. she has claimed countless victories, but at what cost? i hesitate to think she's as concerned about preserving numbers as jing yuan is. this is a prevalent mentality throughout all of the alliance, but especially so in the yaoqing as one of the most aggressive ships of the xianzhou. the previous general has a mantra of 'we are born for war, and we will die for war,' and it's a very clear mentality shared by all cloud knights but, i think, especially the verdant knights of the yaoqing. this is unfortunately also emphasized with the half-foxians, who are stronger and faster but also shorter lived due to the horrific mutations they are at risk of, to the point of being imprisoned in and/or ultimately dying in the armor they once so proudly wore. i think that feixiao is no different, especially with her claim to being a 'perfect weapon'.

the Lacking General sounds so stupid and SHE CHOSE IT HERSELF i love her so fucking much. i genuinely think she has no idea the implications of the nickname on its own or really cares either, she shines confidence out the wazoo and it's amazing

re: the militaristic culture of the xianzhou, it's really no wonder with her track record why she's praised as "the Great General," because the emphasis on victory is so prevalent. this is also why in contrast, jing yuan is considered a coward by enemies and alliance citizens alike. they make for very interesting foils just based on the differences in their personalities and approaches to war (pspsps jing yuans 👀).

this is more of a personal thing than a theory or hc but i also hope she's so mean to jing yuan, because just look at how sushang talks about jing yuan and how she looks down on him compared to feixiao, and jiaoqiu's comment on jing yuan's conduct (which to be fair he did let blade go and lifted dan heng's exile decree without permission) -- mind you fu xuan complained that "jing yuan has committed quite a few violations this time around, and I'll have to deal with them one by one... [sigh] the cloud knight generals are all such a hassle." which gives me the impression that violations are... more common than we think, by all the generals LKHDSAFGKJSH

i. honestly don't think she's well read, both due to her background (and that stupid nickname) and the militaristic culture of the alliance -- especially the yaoqing. i get the impression that she's more of the brawns compared to jing yuan's brains, so she relies far more heavily on her counselors and strategists (jiaoqiu)! to map out plans and such than he does. she's very handy, but she also is described as a perfect weapon, so. yknow. less thinking more fighting.

adding onto that but it's apparent to me that feixiao, while probably involved in the skyfaring commission given the yaoqing's specialty in starskiffs and pilots, probably isn't involved in more administrative matters like jing yuan is, who has ties to the realm-keeping commission and has been involved in regularly transferring and retiring his cloud knights to different departments like with da hao. i get this impression because jing yuan has always been about prevention while feixiao is obviously... not. i don't think she's very big on foresight because who needs it when you kill the enemy first anyway--

a side comment on administration, it's... honestly really quite sad that the yaoqing's realm-keeping commission regulations and sky-faring commission's merchant guilds seem weaker than the luofu's, given how sushang comments in the aurum alley event that the yaoqing has lost a significant aspect of its cultural landmarks and identity thanks to the ipc's involvement in their trade and taking over of the merchant guilds. there's a reason she fought so hard and aggressively for the preservation and revitalization of aurum alley. given that the seat of divine foresight's depository notes oswaldo as a high threat and the damage done to the yaoqing's traditions in the name of convenience and 'modernization', it's not hard to see why the citizens of the alliance tend to react negatively to the ipc even if they have formal trade agreements.

going back to headcanons, based on her half-borisin blood i think that her sense of smell is especially heightened compared to most foxians. i wonder if she's in fact more receptive to lupitoxin, or if it has a different effect on her -- for sure it would probably trigger her moon rage, as it does in full blood borisin. i wonder if she's also more affected by the scent of blood, and perhaps has to take additional medications before fighting the borisin so she's unaffected by both lupitoxin and bloodlust.

feixiao in the midst of bloodlust... surely a terrifying sight to behold. i have a visual in my head of her drenched in the gore of her enemies, screaming a blood-curdling victory cry that's probably far more frightening than morale-boosting. as such...

...i also wonder if jiaoqiu's food and medicine is useful in mitigating or controlling her risk of moon rage? there is something to be said about spicy food being an anecdotal remedy for depression (however this is also contradictory with some correlative studies), and in chinese traditional medicine heating foods (like spicy, hot, or bitter food!) is thought to lessen fatigue and calm and strengthen the heart. i could definitely see this as very useful for countering the side effects of her affliction, especially with bitter or cooling foods quelling the rage.

that said, iron stomach is a go! feixiao loves jiaoqiu's food and will very happily eat anything he offers her without any discomfort in the slightest. super spicy? that's fantastic and delicious! super bitter? that's supposed to be good for her, right? sure! it's good! super sour? she likes the flavor even if her face scrunches up, give her more!

[dernier-mystere]

! SPOILER WARNING FOR 2.5 UPDATE! READ WITH CAUTION ! summary: the yaoqing trio returns back to the yaoqing, though things are a little different, being an alchemist in the alchemy commission, you receive the instructions and diagnosis from the cauldron master of the luofu, lingsha, about jiaoqiu's condition and what needs to be prepared for him and his treatment plan. despite being someone who worked a few times with the healer, you find yourself assigning treatments to him for once, despite his stubbornness and negligence when it came to his own health. pairing: jiaoqiu x alchemist!foxian!reader (afab) warnings: slight gore, injury descriptions word count: 3.4k a/n: how are we feeling jiaoqiu fans? a mess? :,) me too <3 so we need some comfort yes <3 the idea is based on an idea oc that was an alchemist and as the xianzhou yaoqing is mostly foxians, it makes sense right? hope you enjoy it <3 sorry for the medicinal rambling too! sorry if this may seem ooc, I feel so rusty with writing these days... ^^; I plan to write some proper fluff, I apologise this isn't lovey dovey, if anyone has suggestions please send them please support me by following or sharing! it's much appreciated! <3 twitter/x: @derniermystere ao3: Dernier_Mystere

The diagnosis was almost painful to read, you knew the trio was reckless, and a part of you thought it would be the Merlin’s Claw that would come back with the injuries, not Jiaoqiu. Even Moze who lingered in the shadow of the General had his incident report of injuries, most of the events that had occurred on the Luofu remained on the hush, so unfortunately, it left you and numerous other healers in great distress when the commission received the outpatient details and care instructions for the pink-haired foxian. Toxins in the wounds have caused surrounding flesh to decay and atrophy… acute shock from severe blood loss…? Disturbed blood circulation from Tumbledust results in disturbed blood circulation, massive internal bleeding, neurological atrophy and optic neuropathy, leading to… blindness. These were just a few lines written in his injury reports, you felt your eyelids flicker in concern at the words, each description made your lips crease further into a frown, your heart wavering as you could only imagine the pain he would’ve struggled with in that short period, not only ingesting a lethal amount of Tumbleweed but also baring the injuries sustained by the Borisin Warhead, Hoolay. Not to mention there were found traces of Lupotoxin still present in his bloodstream, in short, he danced on the thin line between life and death, a second too late, and he would have died an agonising death.

As you sat in the cool room of your examination office, the rhythmic ticker a counterpoint to the steady hum of the medical equipment in the room still trying to convince yourself how Jiaoqiu remained in such good spirits, and oddly with a good appetite despite his situation… his calmness and sly exterior made you fear the worse, after all, he hid a lot of his emotions, using his fox-like smile as a mask to pretend all was fine, even if inside he could have been begging for a semblance of hope. Your e/c gaze flickered up to the Foxian who hummed softly, sitting on the examination table with a Gaiwan* in his hands, as he curiously took in a whiff of the scent of the tea, swirling it occasionally in his hand as he tried to depict what herbs were in it. “Not much to say honestly, I feel quite fine besides the fact, I have been told not to eat spicy food… it’s truly a torturous treatment,” his voice was calm, yet the mention of not being allowed to eat his favourite food made him click his tongue, one of his long ears flicking in annoyance, “But, other than that, I am quite alright,” 

Your eyes squinted as you observed him talking to the pot plant in the corner of your examination room while you were seated on the other side of him, yet… you felt your insides soften that, he was still adjusting to his new condition after all. “Master Jiaoqiu, you know ingesting amounts of spicy food will only increase inflammation of your wounds.” You spoke softly, choosing not to comment further that he was talking to the plant rather than yourself. Jiaoqiu’s ears flicked in your direction rapidly, as he quickly adjusted himself to face the direction your voice came from, acting as if he knew the whole time you were seated there, it made you softly giggle in amusement as you slowly lit a stick of Dreambranch Incense in the office, in hopes of providing calmness to the mind during his routine follow up examination.  

“You always say you’re quite alright to avoid unnecessary long appointments, who dropped you off today? Was it the Merlin’s Claw or Moze?” You teased, prepping the small station beside him with all the necessary tools and treatment needs. Jiaoqiu’s tail flicked in annoyance as he crossed his arms, followed by a tiny pout on his lips, “I will have you know, no one dropped me off, Thank you.” His tone was almost childish and petty, “I came as instructed by the Cauldron Master of the Luofu, nothing more than a routine check-up.” He clarified, yet the creases in his brows seemed to convince you further that someone made him actually arrive at his scheduled appointment. “For a healer, Master Jiaoqiu… you should always look after yourself before treating others.” You commented, your fluffy tail swaying behind you in amusement as you spoke, enjoying the small amount of petty banter with the Foxian healer who had left the field a while ago now. Being a long-life species, a mere few years seemed to fly by in the blink of an eye, but when one formed friendships or any kind of relationship when they left or moved on, it felt as if they had left for centuries, this was no different to Jiaoqiu. His sassy nature and his usual greeting with a cunning smile were oddly something you missed, but deep down, you knew the losses on the battlefield tore and ate away at his heart, leaving nothing but emptiness, a path of Nihility to creep in. Some days, you found yourself sitting on the stairs of the commission, looking at the fake night sky of the Yaoqing, wondering if your research and treatments meant really nothing in the end. Countless patients slipped between your fingers like sand, no matter how hard you tried to grab the delicate granules, it would still slip through. The many nights where you prayed to Lan or any aeon to hear your pleas and silent begs to help a young patient that was slowly succumbing to the effects of Mara, the way their limbs twisted un-naturally, root-like appendages growing from his body like a deformity as they slowly lost their mind day-by-day, yet none of them cast their gaze on you or your pleads… they always replied in a numbing silence. You felt his pain… you sympathised with his feelings for those who were lost in battle… You could treat a thousand patients, but what was the point if they returned to the battlefield and lost their lives in the end… was their sacrifice in vain? These were the many questions that went through your mind on a daily, and something you assumed most alchemists thought. 

Your eyes fluttered closed as you shook your head to dismiss the darkening thoughts, you forced yourself to read over the letter submitted by Lingsha. As written in his treatment plan, you were to clean his wounds with Pathovore bugs, before applying liberal amounts of medication and dress them up firmly. As well as take a deeper examination of his blindness and relay any suggestions to her for possible treatments of his blindness. “Well, I know you want this to be done quickly, so I will start with the treatment of the wounds, Master Jiaoqiu, then if possible, I would like to examine your eyes…?” You asked hesitantly, your h/c ears pinning back against your head as you cautiously asked him, you honestly didn’t know why you were nervous, it was your job… but he had only recently just lost his vision, was it a touchy subject? Or maybe would flat-out refuse and say it was nothing.  

Jiaoqiu simply remained silent as he continued to hold on to the delicate clay cup, he gave the tea one last sip before he gently pressed the edge of his hand along the surface of the table to confirm he could safely place his cup upon it, “Why are you concerned, Y/N? it’s your job after all. Do what you need. For once, I am simply the patient, and you’re my healer now, are you not?” He spoke up, turning to face in your direction, though you could hear the slight hesitation laced in the last few syllables of his words but you slowly nodded in reply, not that he could see it. 

The initial examination was rather simple, you had to look over his wounds, the deep lacerations on his chest, the state of his collarbone, checking him for any signs of Lycanthropic symptoms which came in the forms of excessive hair growth, elongation of the canine teeth, hostility (namely to Foxians) and a heightened increase of Lupitoxin which are evident in a blood rage. Further examination of his red blood cell, Platelets and the protein count in his plasma, to gauge how well his blood would coagulate over time, while the effects of consuming Tumbledust has significantly lowered the count, he was slowly making progress as there were some improvements. While it wasn’t much, it was better than none… 

“So far, you seem to be on the road of recovering… slow, but I am sure we can get there eventually, there has been a minimal increase in your plasma counts, and platelets, but not much to say you can return to handling sharp objects… I am hoping you’re not, Master Jiaoqiu, and you have no signs of Lycanthropy so that rules out any further conclusion of you becoming a borisin.” You explained, all while scribbling on his patient forms that would be sent back to Cauldron master Lingsha, and further approval by Head Alchemist on the Yaoqing, Yingyue. “With this, I would like you to be placed on a higher dose of anti-inflammatories, to help reduce the swelling in your wounds. That, or need I remind you that you are not to ingest spicy foods, Master Jiaoqiu.” You slowly raised a brow at him as he turned to you, pulling out his fan that was underneath his alchemy commission uniform that he had removed so you could treat his injuries. He delicately fanned himself a few times, before hiding his lips behind the coloured feathers. 

“I would never betray the doctors’ words, no knives or spicy food here. Are you insinuating that your patient ingested spicy foods? Y/N you wound me… I would never,” He stated with a cunning smile pulling at his lips behind that fan, his tail swaying behind him as he took in the results of his examination. “But is it really my fault that Moze had hotpot, I couldn’t turn down such a request, even Feixiao was there.” He soon added, nodding his head innocently as his ears twitched in your direction. 

“So you did have Spicy food, is that what you're telling me?” You pressed, raising a brow as he kept fanning himself, concealing his smile. 

“I never said that, I just said that Moze might have offered it to me. But as such a good patient, I never touched a drop. I instead had to sit and watch my so-called friends enjoy a hotpot in front of me, it was quite cruel, really…” His fluffy ears drooped down, as he dramatically acted as if it had taken a toll on him that he couldn’t have some. Your expression fell into a deadpanned glare as he kept innocently fanning himself, humming all innocently, you knew that this sly foxian had made the hotpot himself and threw the blame at Moze to get off any kind of lecture. You feigned a sigh in defeat as you allowed him to win at his little game, “Alright, whatever the patient says… but know your slight increase of white blood cells, and redness on your laceration tells me otherwise,” You simply pointed out as you began working on removing the now loosened bandages around his shoulders and chest, you had seen your fair share of injuries and wounds, but the deep claw marks along his chest with lingering parts of decaying flesh seemed to leave a deep pang in your heart… reading about his injuries were bad enough, but seeing them in person was just as bad. 

The audacity he had as he simply hummed in reply and with a nonchalant shrug, “I have no idea what you’re insinuating here, doctor,” He added, placing his fan down to reveal that sly fox-like grin, as he lifted his head proudly, more so that you could work on his wounds better. But upon sensing your concern with his wounds, Jiaoqiu slowly fell into silence as he turned away, “This is nothing. I can handle this, there is no need to look at me with… pity.” 

You felt an all-familiar annoyance stir inside you as if small flicking flames lapped at the insides of your chest as your movements slowed down, “It isn’t pity… it was concern Jiaoqiu when the incident reports were handed to us, it was worrying… especially when there was no news or context from the Luofu. I knew something was covered up, and it involved Hoolay, something for sure went wrong… it may not be my place to ask what happened, but… You shouldn’t bare yourself to a wolf's fangs… and ingest Tumbleweed… even if you had a plan.” you whispered, gripping the bundle of bandages in your hands that you had removed, “You could have died, then what-” 

“I would have died fulfilled and content, Y/N.” He cut her off, a heavy sigh ruminating from his chest as he still refused to face you entirely, his brow furrowing in annoyance as he refused to accept your concern for him. 

“Would you really say that?” You pressed, your shoulders slouching as you continued to remove the last of the bandages to fully observe the wound in its entirety. Yet unlike before, you weren’t phased, instead, your heart simply felt like it was crumbling at his words. However, Jiaoqiu remained silent when you pressed him, his ears folding back a tad, it was a sign that you were right in some way. Despite the deafening silence, you continued to work on him, applying the Pathovore Bugs onto the rotting parts of his wounds, all while she delicately ran her scalpel over the unhealthy flesh to promote excess skin growth. Jiaoqiu grunted softly, leaning back onto his arms as he tried to push himself through the uncomfortable sensation, he didn’t want to be seen as weak or vulnerable, even though he was the one knocking on death's door. Yet his stubbornness to admit anything or the fact that for once he required treatment was unyielding, even when he was in pain. 

The silence continued to hover between them, once playful banter turned to a darkened cloud of tension, but, Jiaoqiu managed to face Y/N once more, parting his lips as he tried to find the words to say something, “Why do you care so much. Don’t they say laying your life out on the path of the hunt is a blessing…?” He managed to whisper out, his voice almost weak and one could even say vulnerable. Y/N glanced up, but unlike the look of annoyance or a frown, she offered him a compassionate gaze, “We are both healers, different kinds sure, but in the end, we are here to help those in need. I know you have lost many patients, as have I… I may not have been through or seen what you have on the Front Lines… but we share the same burdens of what we do is the right thing…” Your voice was soft, yet anyone could hear the way your words seemed to break through the ragged breaths you took in as you tried to formulate each word with sincerity, “But… we… no, you shouldn’t allow yourself to go through such measures… General Feixiao is already strong on her own, and your patient can only go as far as they can if their healer is also healthy, I have seen too many people die over nothing to claim they did so in the name of The Hunt… but it felt like they were throwing themselves away.” 

You gently removed the bugs, placing them in a glass beaker as you kept talking, “As I said… I don’t know what happened on the Luofu… but I know, you shouldn’t have risked yourself at such a high stake. There is always an alternative, another way to do things, picking the dangerous path isn’t always the right way.” You whispered, head now falling downwards as your ears drooped once more. You had seen so many soldiers come back from the battlefields injured and proclaiming proudly that if they died, they did so for The Aeon Lan, but, it more so felt like they were throwing themselves at the denizens of Abundance without another thought of a better strategy. Y/N slowly bit on her bottom lip as she continued with the treatment by applying liberal amounts of the ointment onto his wounds, before securely wrapping them up in bandages. 

During the quiet moment as Y/N worked, Jiaoqiu found himself sighing once more, shaking his head as his expression softened slightly to that of contentment. “You might have been right, I could have found another way… but I made it, did I not?” He replied in a lighter tone, even if you swatted his side with the flick of your fluffy tail, “You’re just as reckless as the Merlin’s Claw, she is rubbing off on you. You know… there would be a lot of people upset if you had died… I am sure even Moze would be upset in his way… you may have been fulfilled as you say, but what about the others that care for you?” you added, making sure that each one of his wounds was fully covered, before you soon sat back in your chair, your mind also wanted to add ‘what about me?’ yet, you didn’t. The Foxian offered you a sad smile, as he turned to the direction of the pot plant, “You’re not wrong, Y/N.” He reluctantly whispered, his voice holding a sense of vulnerability yet again, each word spoken like a prayer, with an ear twitch he turned back to you, this time with a more genuine smile.

“I am sure you would have been deeply hurt. To think during your training you said you hated me and my spicy food you could smell from a mile away…” His demeanour shifted to his usual self, sly and jabbing, which seemed to stir you up, evident as your tail swished around in annoyance as you finished up with his wounds, giving him the space he needed to change back into his clothes. “Stop being snarky… you seriously need to take better care of yourself.” You huffed as you turned to clean your instruments, all while he resumed fanning his delicate face once more, his soft pink hair flowing with each motion of his fan as he continued that same mocking smile. “I know. I can’t promise anything.” He hummed, for once he spoke truthfully, “But, I will do my best, I have no guarantees.” 

“That's all I wanted to hear, Jiaoqiu.” Your shoulders eased up and relaxed at his words, her heart feeling ever so lighter. 

“You know, you dropped the formalities halfway, this is quite intimate, Y/N, I am almost flattered, after many years and now you call me by my name and not Master Jiaoqiu,” As usual he tried his best to get under your skin, still calmly fanning himself. He expected you to retaliate or shoot back another snarky comment, yet you did something that surprised him… You gently hugged him, wrapping your arms around his lower torso to avoid touching his wound, as much as he wanted to open his eyes in surprise, the Foxian instead felt his expression melt into a soft fondness, one that wasn’t all that often seen. “You were that worried?” He finally admitted, moving one of his hands to delicately brush against your back soothingly. 

“Just promise me you will be more careful next time,” you whispered faintly, near one of his long ears that twitched at your words, his tail swaying side-to-side. 

“I can’t guarantee anything… but, if I get hugged like this, I might consider it.” He purred, still fanning the two of you with his fan, blissfully unaware of the edge of the fan catching a lit with the sizzling of fire lapping at the tips. Jiaoqiu quickly moved the fan to stop the fire from continuing with a silent huff of annoyance, “Maybe we could even go for some hotpot sometime?” 

You wanted to say he wasn’t allowed spicy food, but you were content from his words, you simply hoped that one day, he would take your words to heart, if not for your own sake, but maybe for those that were close to him…

[shalomniscient]

imagine the scratches and nail marks are still there from the night prior with Feixiao and when she uses her ult the enemies are just like: “🤨🤨🤨 wonder which poor lucky bastard managed to get a hit in on that general.” before they inevitably perish

anon i can’t breathe this is actually so fucking funny ??? imagine feixiao and you don’t initially go public with your relationship at first. normally she keeps her coat on, so any evidence of your passion goes unnoticed. until she had to take it off for a sparring session with moze, and oh boy was the yaoqing in for the hottest tea session of the century. no one in the cloud knights could shut up about their fearless general, the merlin’s claw, having her back utterly mauled by some secret lover. they give you all sorts of names, all in good faith, but the one feixiao finds the funniest is the one which describes you as the only person alive able to put a scratch on the famous lacking general (who people now say doesn’t lack for some really good fucking sex, either). it gets to her because it’s true—and you don’t even need a weapon to do it, just your adorable little self all spread out and needy on the bed beneath her.

feixiao herself is quite shameless about it. moze gets horribly red in the face whenever he has to witness the state of her back after a night of passion with you. feixiao only grins and says you should see the marks i gave her. moze very pointedly declines and throws her coat back at her. jiaoqiu, on the other hand, finds it all very amusing. he prefers to tease you about it more, slyly asking if you’re staying hydrated at night. you turn as pink as his hair whenever he does, but under his teasing tone you know he means well.

[lowkeyrobin]

Hello!! I saw you have a groups option on your descendants masterlist and was wondering I'd you'd write something for the Descendants 4 vks, maybe one where reader is a hero kid and a detention monitor that somehow ends up making (slight) friends with them? I hope I explained that well and no worries if you can't do it, thank you! Have a nice day :))

oooo okay okay! I can definitely try for you 🫶🫶 ; sorry this is so short, I just didn't have any ideas lol ; thank you for requesting, hope you enjoy!!

FEARFUL FIVE ; detention

summary ; youre an AK and a detention monitor, and make friends (kind of) with a group of vks

warnings ; language

word count ; 488

masterlist

The VK's landed themselves in detention after attempting to steal the forbidden recipe book, which was expected to you, unexpected to them. You sit in the library, watching over them as they quietly chatter amongst themselves. You couldn't care less about what they did, as long as they were sat in their seats and behaving, you'd be happily enjoying your book.

"They're kind of cute" Hook whispers to Morgie.

Morgie shrugs. Uliana behind them leans forward. "They're an AK, shut your trap"

Hook shrugs, leaning back in his chair.

You glance up from your book, the obnoxious whispering getting on your nerves. "Please, just.. talk like normal people. The whispering is annoying as hell."

Hades and Maleficent snicker.

"Sorry!" Hook flatly replies. He looks to Morgie, the two sharing an eyeroll.

You turn back down to your book, feet resting on the desk in front of you.

"Whatcha reading?" Morgie asks, leaning forward.

You look up, not moving your head. "It's a little thing on magic, spells, and sorcery," you reply.

Uliana, Morgie, and Hook share looks. Meanwhile, Maleficent files her claws for nails while Hades paints his fingernails black with nail polish at the table beside Uliana.

"What kind of magic, spells, and sorcery?" Uliana asks, intrigued.

You shrug. "Like love spells, earworm spells, dumb stuff. I'm looking it over for a test"

"Are there any spells that could... maybe cause people harm?" She continues

You shrug, looking up at her. "Not in here, nor in any book in this library. Any books with 'dangerous' spells or magic in general are restricted"

The trio whisper amongst themselves before Hook slightly slaps Morgie's shoulder.

"Ehm-" Hook speaks. "Where are those books residing at, then?"

"Merlin's office," you answer. "There's a solid wall filled floor to ceiling in books. Such a shame, even if there's only one bad part, it has to be restricted"

"Yeah... how sad," Hook flatly replies, looking up at the clock, reading 3:59.

"So... if someone were to try and get access to those books?.." Uliana leads on

"I shouldn't really be giving away information on this, especially to VKs..."

Morgie quickly puts on his puppy dog eyes. "You know... not all VKs are that bad. We're just adventurous and curious, and people think we're evil because we accidentally do bad things"

Hook rolls his eyes, finding the gaslighting kind of not fun at all.

"Can you please tell us?" He continues. "We'll be your friends for life."

You sigh, your heart quickly falling for Morgie's lies. "Well, you'd have to sneak into his office, and some books have special magic locks on them, so you'd have to break through them. You could probably use some simple little spell, or probably melt them for that matter. I dunno for sure-"

"Alright, well, we're out of here. Thanks for all your help." Hook smiles

You watch as the group collect themselves before walking toward the nearest exit.

"Uh, yeah. Bye..."

[akutasoda]

ambrosial spices

synopsis - some opposites attract like a complimentary dish

includes - jiaoqiu

warnings - gn!reader, fluff, more fluff, maybe ooc??, wc - 554

a/n: what is this? i don't know. new jiaoqiu scenes just got me thinking and there was someone talking about food and i immediately thought of this man-

some say opposites attract. a saying that has been repeated over and over, even by some may use to describe complementary pairs that seem oh so different yet work together perfectly. some might even say that opposites do attract but they drift away eventually, but you were confident that that wouldn't happen.

loving jiaoqiu was a task in itself. as pretty as the foxian was, he tended to be rather cunning and that didn't exactly go well with the smile that he always wore in public - it made him always seem rather shifty. rumor was that he even withdrew from his practice because of a broken heart, so gossipers among the yaoqing had a field day when your relationship with the chef became speculation.

you two were truly the definition of opposites. there was jiaoqiu who was sly and rather conceited, a chef that made redolent dishes in the means of providing healing. and then there was you, a content being that offered honeyed greetings to yaoqing residents, even helping to keep the yaoqing a pleasant place to live under merlin claws guidance.

your relationship was like adding something saccharine to a peppered dish. on the outside, it seemed the same but if you were to have a taste, one could note how the flavor subsided from a dancing flame to a simmering ember that coincided with it’s newly introduced sweetness.

and if somebody asked, you would say that jiaoqiu’s love was like a cup of warm spiced chai - the kind that usually comes very spicy but with personal preferences, can be milder and sweet. sure they may look at you weird but you knew jiaoqiu, and you knew your jiaoqiu.

you met the jiaoqiu who was a celebrated medicinal chef who was renowned for well seasoned remedies that left the patient with a piquant aftertaste for days. the one that was praised and celebrated for his skill even if he was completely insufferable sometimes - especially with patients who refused to take their medicine or complained about the spiciness of his dishes.

but you became much more acquaintanced with your jiaoqiu - the foxian who knew your food preferences like the back of his hand, even if they didn't align with his. you'd watch from the kitchen doorway - you knew how passionate he got when cooking and you most often would be shooed out of the kitchen - as he prepared a meal for you and you'd observe how he stared at the food horrified. you would witness him dramatically pinch his nose and sigh before he added a certain ingredient or two because all though, never in a thousand years, he would've imagined making such a dish, he did it for you.

jiaoqiu never complained to your face and if anything, he always still probably presented those dishes to you because he knew you liked them. sure he'd rather die than eat such a dish and he always added his preferences after he plated your meal, but nothing could take away from that smile of yours that made his day when you thanked him.

yes, you two had different preferences. yes, you two led different lives but at the end of the day, some would say that you only complimented the other perfectly, because you both knew that he wouldn't do that for anyone else.

taglist - @little-miss-chaoss, @frankiesteinn

[villain-crown]

forbid | @jegulus-microfic | words: 657

critical care, part 3 (part 1, part 2, part 4, part 5, part 6, part 7, part 8, part 9)

a Jegulus nurse!AU

The thing about calling a code blue was that it could quickly turn into social hour if you weren’t careful. Mates that you hadn’t seen in awhile came out of the woodwork from all over the hospital to get in on the action, leading to a sort of impromptu reunion over the patient you were working to snatch from the claws of death.

“Lily! Oh my god, I haven’t seen you in ages—“

“Dorcas! What unit are you on these days?”

“Oi, Barty, I thought they fired you!”

Like now, apparently, as every person James had ever fucking met decided to grab a front row seat to spectate as he tried to make small talk with Regulus Black.

“It was a lovely day yesterday,” James began when they’d finished delivering a second shock to their patient. “The sun was out. Do you get out much, Regulus?”

James could feel Sirius’s suspicious gaze as Regulus glanced incredulously away from the new rhythm tracing itself on the cardiac monitor.

Still v. fib.

“…No. Sirius locks me in my bedroom and just lets me out four days a week when it’s time for me to be here—what the fuck kind of question is that, Potter!?”

Bloody hell, but Dorcas had clearly lied to Marlene about Regulus’s personality.

Sweet, Dorcas had called him.

No. This was a feral devil cat with a mouth full of knives and Merlin save him but James was so fucking into it.

“I wouldn’t rule that out,” Barty Crouch Jr. butted in unnecessary, watching Regulus’s vitriol land with an entertained expression. “One time I asked Reg if he wanted to check out my new apartment and Black threatened to peel my face off and put it on the CPR mannequin. I still haven’t gotten a proper answer.”

“There’s no need for him to go anywhere with you unsupervised, Crouch,” Sirius scowled, turning up the energy level of the defibrillator for their next attempt. “Just describe it to him.”

“Describe it? Well, okay. Picture it, Reg. You and Evan, in my bed—“

“Stop messing with him, idiot,” Regulus rolled his eyes, finally shoving Crouch’s arm off his delicate shoulders as Sirius picked up a spare saline flush and squirted it right in the blond’s face. To Sirius, he added, “he’s just trying to get a rise out of you, you know.”

“I’m calling HR you fucking asshole!”

“Fine, if you want to play that game. I’m sure they’d love to hear about you taking it from Lupin in the supply room last month.”

“Reggie! You can’t say dirty things like that! I forbid it!”

“I say a lot worse under the right circumstances, Sirius.”

James felt a flash of lightning race down his spine as Regulus maintained unwavering eye contact with him as he said so, ignoring Sirius’s outraged sputtering.

“I told you not to let Sirius catch you looking at his baby brother,” Marlene pointed out in an undertone, sidling up to James in the already crowded room.

“He’s bloody perfect.” James replied, unrepentant. “I’m going to marry him.”

“Dorcas called him sweet. I’m not getting that vibe.”

“Maybe he just needs a little… persuading.”

Marlene rolled her eyes, opening the airway drawer of the crash cart at Dorcas’s behest. “He’s mean, James.”

“He’s pretty, Marlene.”

“…You aren’t going to see reason, are you?”

“Absolutely not. Regulus Black is going to have my children.”

She looked back at the petite man with obvious misgivings. “If he doesn’t kill you first.”

“He could carve his initials into me with a scalpel and I’d thank him.”

“…You’re fucking crazy.”