#(my Qin post is not counted-)

[kyat-kyat]

Incorrect Record of Ragnarok Quotes #1

Hades : I truly belive that water is always the solution to problems.

Zeus : thirsty? Drink water.

Adamas : want clear skin? Drink water.

Poseidon : want to get rid of someone? Drown them.

Hades : .....

[beneathashadytree]

A TASTE OF HONEY - SYLUS QIN X READER

Warnings : insecurities & body image issues, chubby & curvy!reader, mentions of stretch marks, body worship, praise kink, marking, very mild breast & nipple play, implied cunnilingus, reader is AFAB and uses she/her pronouns!

Genre : smut n loooots of comfort☹️🫶🏽

Word count : 1.4K words

Additional notes : This was a paid commission I made of a lovely OC with Sylus, and this version is just the slightly more non-specific version I took permission from my commissioner to post, so that all fem!readers can see what my commissions are like! If you’re interested let me know💗

Commissions are open here!

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Masterlist

“Another event, another dress with your name on it, sweetie.” Sylus’ grin as he walked into their bedroom would’ve almost been infectious, had her mood been entirely different than it currently was. Right now, though? His words seemed to have cast a curse onto her.

She had to fight against her growing irritation. It’s not his fault, he didn’t do anything to deserve it—unlike the majority of the times he’d earned her ire. This time, the dismayed feeling in her chest at the sight of the exquisite dress draped onto the back of the dresser’s chair was entirely because of her own racing thoughts.

“Skipping out tonight,” she simply mumbled under her breath, collapsing onto the bed with weary bones and an exhausted expression like she’d run a hundred miles. And she really had, just inside her head.

Sylus—ever perceptive Sylus—frowned at that, taking a seat at the edge of the bed beside her. “Tired?” Concern filled his eyes, and it only grew worse as she seemed to curl in on herself and burrow deeper into the mattress. “I could cancel.”

With a sigh, she shook her head “You’re Onychinus’ leader. You have to be there. My moods shouldn’t dictate whether or not you go.”

“You have the privilege of commanding me to do whatever you want. I say you abuse that right.” It was clear from his teasing tone that he was trying to get a lighthearted reaction from her, and upon receiving none, his voice turned softer. “Seriously, what’s wrong, darling?”

Her grip tightened on the bedsheet, blinking back the tears as she trained her gaze on her fingers. “I just… don’t want to wear that dress.”

Sylus was silent for a few moments, before he nodded. “Okay. Is it not to your liking?”

“Not really.” With a shuddering breath, she sniffled a little, trying to calm herself down as Sylus’ hand gently stroked her calves in a soothing motion. There was no point in getting so worked up after all, it’s always been the same. “Those types of dresses always show my stretch marks. They’re… kind of short. And tight. And weird-looking on me.”

Screw not getting worked up; her tears were dripping down her face at this point, her vision blurry and her heart heavy with each word that spilled forth. “It feels like every single one of these outfits makes my thighs look big, and my body’s not made for wearing them. It’s just… wrong, like I’m unworthy,” she choked on the last word in despair.

She could hear Sylus sighing, a twinge of sadness she’d never heard before lacing his words. “You couldn’t be more wrong.” Firm in tone, yet not unkind, her boyfriend leaned in and rubbed her forearms gently, making sure to meet her watery eyes as he did. “These dresses only show just how breathtaking you are, and how you belong by my side.” A crooked grin made its way on his face. “If anything, it feels like I have to earn my place next to you.”

“No! You—”

“See how absurd it sounds?” His deep voice was soft as he gently nudged her on her back, climbing in on top of her as his fingers delicately brushed back her hair. “I can never get enough of you. Of every inch of you. I almost refuse to believe you.” His gaze grew impossibly softer, voice even quieter, and his hand even gentler as it traced down her ear, rhythmically stroking at her neck. “But I know that really is what you’ve driven yourself to believe. And I can’t blame you for that.”

Wiping at her own cheeks, she tried her best to make herself feel less sorry. “It’s no one’s fault but mine. It’s not like anyone else has been telling these things to me.” What on earth was she doing, crying to him over dresses? Or her appearance at some stupid events? Or was it simply her body? She didn’t know at this point. All she knew was that she wanted to stop feeling so distraught over something so…

Before she could continue that train of thought, Sylus had silenced her rushing brain with a slow, open-mouthed kiss and a steady grip on her waist. Even now, he was ever the tease, nipping at her lower lip and huffing out a fond laugh as he heard her breath hitch, before pulling back. In half-defeat, he said, “Maybe I’m the one to blame for neglecting to remind you of what I think of you.”

He peppered kisses down her jaw and to her neck, his teeth grazing and sucking at the warm skin there. With a hiss, her hand reached out to pull him closer by the back of his head, and all he could breathe out against her was a stilted, “How often I think of you.” Practiced hands almost blindly pulled down the strap of her silk slip for more access, as he left his bold marks across her neck. His hair tickled her, but she reveled in the feeling even more as he traced a path down the top of her breasts.

They were heaving with the effort of having to pretend she wasn’t falling apart at the seams with his mere touch, and he let out a half-groan as his hand reached out to cup one, while he sucked more hickeys onto the flushed skin of the other. It was too much, but somehow not enough to ease the growing ache between her legs. “Sy,” she whispered, a plea in his name, quickly turning into a whimper of pleasure as his tongue boldly flicked at her nipple through the silk. “Don’t be cruel.”

“Mm. I could never. My pretty girl likes it when I indulge her, I know,” he muttered, ruby eyes flicking up to meet hers and pinning her down with just a gaze as he kneaded at her soft breasts through the thin fabric, his touch burning through her like wildfire. “Tell me where you want me. What you want me to do, to show you how I could never stop wanting you and your body.”

Swallowing thickly, her fingers dug into his silvery hair, like it was second nature, guiding him where she needed him the most. “Want your lips on me, please,” she whispered, as if it were explanation enough for the sudden dizzying heat of the room, and her eyes swimming with unwrought desire. “Tell me you want me like this. I… I need it. Need you.”

The chuckle that spilled from Sylus’ lips was lovesick, and then his large palms pushed her smooth slip up to her waist and expertly tugged down the ruined lacy underwear. “As if I could stop wanting someone so divine.” He sweetly kissed her navel, then completely diverted from his path for a second to squeeze at her thighs, hooking them up on his broad shoulders.

Even between her legs, he looked invincible—more so when he maintained their intense, passion-riddled eye contact as he suckled at the skin of her inner thighs. “So sweet, so perfect right in front of me,” he sighed, almost in just as much pleasure as she was while he brushed his thumb back and forth near the apex of her thighs, mapping out every stretch mark under his adoring touch, and giving her hips a firm squeeze as his hands wandered everywhere they could reach.

Her head was filled with cotton, all her senses consumed by him and all he was. “I can spell out just what you want me to say with my tongue instead.” The very prospect of it sent even more molten heat pooling to her core. Sylus’ tongue would be her undoing. She knew it, her body knew it, and his grin that turned wicked meant that he could see perfectly well just how dripping wet the idea made her.

That smirk was almost predatory; like she was his prey, all prepped and prettily pinned for him. It shouldn’t have aroused her so badly, knowing that he’d torture her with sheer blinding pleasure and a sinful tongue, and yet she could feel herself clench around nothing. He was her undoing, and always would be, especially when his voice was such a low purr. “And you can ride my face until you can translate every filthy word. What do you say, sweetie?”

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[wasted-women]

ROUND 1A, MATCH 1 OUT OF 8!

Causes of Death & Propaganda Under the Cut:

Jiang Yanli

Cause of Death: Stabbed; Self-sacrifice to save her brother.

Propaganda:

she's your pfp that's got to count for something

I love JYL don't get me wrong! But also. She is solely written as a part of the male characters and does not get much in her own right. She is Wei Wuxian's older sect sister, or Jiang Cheng's sister, or Jin Zixuan's fiance/wife, or Jin Ling's mother he never got to know. Even what characterization people give her (like liking soup/cooking or standing up for her family despite being gentle) are things that have to do with her brothers. I wish we got more of her in her own right.

AND ALSO. ALSO??? HER DEATH MAKES. NO SENSE. Okay first of all - she was in Lanling grieving for her very recently dead husband & taking care of her newborn baby. Who would let that woman out of Lanling????? WHY???? How did she get out of there SO FAST????? She doesn't have a sword/isn't a cultivator (at least in MDZS) so she couldn't have flown. And then after she got there WHO LET HER JUST OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BATTLEFIELD???? WHY DID SHE GO THERE???? Even if there was a short part of her saying "I need to talk to Wei Wuxian about how he killed my husband and I'm going to get there no matter what" would've clarified things a little bc it's like okay she needs to go there even if we don't know how. Where are my answers MXTX, where are my answers????

Qin Su

Cause of Death: Suicide; Stabbed herself with a knife. (NOTE: In some versions of the story, she was being controlled and thus forced to kill herself.

Propaganda:

I'm fairly certain this character was only created as set dressing for the main villain's tragedy. We get zero insight into her inner life, zero hints that any such inner life might even exist, and after she dies basically no other named character other than the aforementioned villain is shown to be majorly affected by her death, even those who logically should have meaningful relationships with her.

Compared to the other two main female characters in this series (who are also fridged) Jiang Yanli and Wen Qing, Qin Su is probably the least aggravating because she's barely in the show and has very little character that we see. But I still think it's worth noting. I really wish that she could've survived and been there in Guanyin Temple IT COULD'VE BEEN COOL OKAY.

Wen Qing

Cause of Death: Executed; Burned to ashes.

Propaganda:

The fact that Wen Qing is the character that originally said the thing about "I'm sorry" and "Thank you", which is repeated multiple times in the post-resurrection parts of the series, but is so rarely mentioned by name is so aggravating! She's such an important part of the plot that did SO MANY THINGS but just basically disappears after her death!!! The only time I really remember her being mentioned is when her brother, Wen Ning, mentions her integral role in the golden core reveal. Jiang Yanli's ghost haunts the series after her death, but Wen Qing's really doesn't, and that's so fucked up to me. She even dies during the same time that Wen Ning does, but then it's revealed he survived (well, "survived", he is a zombie, but he was that beforehand too) SO WHY COULDN'T SHE HAVE SURVIVED TOO????

[endless-season]

9 Fandom Peeps to Get to Know Better

tagged by @defeateddetectives /o/

3 ships you like: *looks into void* do I even have 3 proper ships

1) MikoIzuTotsu (Suoh Mikoto x Kusanagi Izumo x Totsuka Tatara) - K

And no one was surprised. I MEAN ITS BEEN OVER TEN YEARS. BUT A GOOD CHUNK OF THOSE TEN YEARS WERE DEDICATED TO HOMURA TRIO (well technically... the real answer is Totsuka Tatara however we will ignore that for the sake of this meme). Get yourself two others who will go through it all with you thick or thin. Get yourself a leash i mean what. Get yourself a Kusanagi-san! Settle down in a bar and raise i mean gather a gang family!

2) Qin Jiu x You Huo - Global Examination

Felt obligated to include them since I'm currently trying to drag ppl to read this lmao. Also bc i have no ships to answer with, help. BUT THE CHEMISTRY! I mean, this is probably the first time I clearly see what people mean by the word ~ chemistry ~. Qin Jiu is such a chaotic menace, You Huo is such a chaotic menace, they are similar but also different and then put them together and everyone suffers, it's beautiful *wipes tear*. But they are also so so so soft together (i was going to say, in private.... but also in front of people's salad so!!!) *clutches heart*. The author, 木苏里 just does a create job exploring the two throughout the story, READ GLOBAL EXAMINATION! THERE'S ALSO AN ONGOING MANHUA THAT COVERS LIKE A THIRD. DO IT. and then send me liveblogs pls and thanks.

3) H-h-help... ships... are hard... I... don't ...

first ship ever: IzuTotsu (Kusanagi Izumo x Totsuka Tatara) - K Shamelessly links to that post where I sobbed over everything #Actual Marriage Goals The trust! The intuitive understanding! The communication! (sorry Mikoto, your grunting fails you) The ~ G o S s i P i n g ~ ! The mutual support and comfort ;_;! The domesticity of it all! The quipping and doting! The we're all in this (this = Mikoto doom but with matching wing tattoos) together! The seemless division of labor haha

last song you heard: i turned on my playlist when i saw this question so that by the time i finish answering the meme and come back to this question, i will have an answer… Anyways, so the answer is…. ~ wHAT A coINcindENce ~ Dark Night Fireworks, Lucien's season 1 theme from MLQC.

favourite childhood book: Uh........ idk.... Deltora Quest? Alex Rider series? If manga counts then maybe Detective Conan? lmao.

currently reading: I’m Not Shouldering This Blame (这锅我不背) Current novel in my danmei binging spree. 40 chaps in, enjoying it so far. Synopsis gives a pretty good idea of what to expect. Hordes of book transmigrators trying to derail or benefit from knowing the plot, military dealing with the supernatural mess and notifying MC and ML who are supposedly the villains, MC... just trying to work in peace cmon, ML... just trying to seduce MC cmon.

currently watching: Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End Just finished it over the last few days hence why there's a few posts in my queue. It’s nice and chill. I admit I was eyeing Himmel the moment he appeared in the first episode and didn't know whether to laugh or cry at his instant transformation / flashforward to old bald man. Was pleasantly surprised to see him appearing constantly in flashbacks haunting the narrative ethereal dead wife style lmao.

currently consuming: I waited for dinner to write this! Was lazy tonight so just a bunch of easy to prep in 5 min sides. Rice, Prawn dumplings, Chilli Bamboo (Fu Chi brand), Century Egg + Tofu + Pork floss, Smashed cucumber salad that I managed to ruin :/

currently craving: A reason to live A shiny new satisfying fandom obsession... Motivation and energy and wisdom to adult... A yakult and WangLaoJi... ... ...... *walks to fridge and grabs yakult and wanglaoji*

---

A rare meme where I'm gonna actually tag!!! See what ppl are up to and eating these days >:)

@qserasera @chiaki-c @nervous-sheep @alice-chan-chan @jelly-cooperation

@laxmiree @caesurables @pu-san @vanishing-apples @dijeh

@ittybi @ellie-winthrope @bloomingmitsuri @a-justaway-is-just-a-justaway @constastan

As usual feel free to skip if tagged or do even if not tagged :> Edit: why is tagging not working *squints*

[enihk-writes]

[dancing in the dark, in the pale moonlight]

pairing: baek cheon x afab!she/her!reader

summary: fuck that stupid ass job that almost cost you your relationship, am i right?

word count: 5.54k

[01] ║ [02]

content warning: an attempt at the reader's life // reader's injuries are gory (kinda) // mentions of someone (not the reader) being buried alive // misogyny as per the product of the era // reader talks a little on religion and the afterlife

author's note: i started writing this the moment i posted the other part because my brain was still working in high gear and all... i'll have to postpone my other baek cheon fic for a while,,, i wrote topics in that one that are a bit toooo heavy for me rn. i researched on fashion through the dynasties in china for like,, one short segment on the story. so anyways... if my guess is correct hwasan timeline is most likely inspired by the sui or tang dynasty during the 581-907 AD which means that the spirit here is going to be from the qin or han dynasty around 220 AD and most martial artists uniforms come from this era iirc. i feel like i might not actually use this research too closely,, but i had to put this in to tell yall about what i found lol...

[PLEASE PROCEED WITH CAUTION! I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY TRIGGERS CAUSED BEYOND THIS LINE]

═══════════════

by the time you arrived at the deserted manor, the clock had struck midnight. and in a few moments, the spirit or spirits behind all the bride murders would be making their appearance.

chief...

the vice-captain starts, uncharacteristically. they've always been on the quieter side, never really talking unless they were spoken to. you raise your eyebrows, curious about what got them to speak up.

chief, please be careful.

you smile softly, tussling the vice-captain's hair.

i will.

you look around for a moment. hm, looks like you'd have to put in your best effort tonight, as the oldest since these kids relied on you. with a flick of your hand, everyone on site dispersed to their assigned positions, waiting for their next orders.

you stood all alone outside of the bedroom, waiting patiently for the critters to grow quiet. animals, after all, are said to have a keen sense for things outside of the human realm.

finally, the long-awaited silence fell onto the empty courtyard and you slide open the doors to the room — stepping in carefully. your padded feet barely making a sound as you walk into the carpeted room. from where you stood, you could see the shadows cast by the sparse furniture under the dim moonlight. you hadn't decorated the place, not really seeing any need to.

click.

the doors to the bedroom had been slid shut. you fold your arms behind your back. the spirit should be here soon.

hehehe...

a tinkling laugh swept past behind you in the dark bedroom.

you grip the short blade hidden under your sleeves, honing your senses to pin down the other presence with you at that moment. it was harder than anything you've done before, were you dealing with something far bigger than what you were capable of?

no. you had to snap out of that thought. if not you, then who would get rid of this vicious entity? those kids were still too inexperienced, you shouldn't grow disheartened now.

sighing, you walk around the room, stopping by the open window, looking up at the moon hanging in the cloudless sky.

how peculiar, it seemed the longer you were staring at it, the heavier your eyelids felt. it was almost bewitching, looking at the moon, you wonder if it was a trick of your hearing or was the moon calling you to move closer towards it? and also —

wasn't the room growing awfully cold?

your body reacted faster than your mind did, the blade whistling as it cut through the air to slice at the shadow forming behind you.

an ear-piercing hiss came from the shapeless being, slowly backing away as its features took form in the body of a girl no older than sixteen. she clutched her neck, and though the cut was shallow, she certainly looked like she felt the pain from it.

how dare you cut me!

she yells and lunged at you, catching your neck in her hands as she pins you to the ground, the furniture around you clattering away from the impact. you were sure you could've heard a bone crack in you.

keugh...!

you felt the air leave your body, you tried to breathe but it was hard, with the way her hands pressed down on your throat. how was a dead spirit this strong? your fingers grip the blade tighter, cautiously getting it ready so she wouldn't see.

with a swift action, you stabbed into the girl's side and she retreated to the furthest corner of the room with an almost animalistic growl, all while glaring at you.

you throw the ripped veil off your head, the flowers falling off and your hair coming undone. you stood up, wincing at the dull throbbing in your head, your vision going blurry for a moment — curse your anaemia for acting up now of all times.

you crazy hag! i can't believe you fucking stabbed me!

okay, now that was just straight-up disrespectful.

hag?

hag?

oh, so the insane bride-killing ghost that died at sixteen years ago, even before you were born, wasn't the hag — but you were? you were the hag? where the hell was the justice in that, huh?

you roll your eyes and sigh. no, you shouldn't be swayed by your short temper, you shouldn't let the spirit find an opening to attack you. remember — you had to finish the job before the night ended and the spirit got away.

you walk towards the girl in large strides, arms raised above your head, ready to strike her down with the purification sword. you didn't want to think about how much worse it could get if a spirit that didn't know how strong it was found out about its strength. not leaving a trace of their presence after such a gruesome act? you shudder from the thought.

the girl begins to cry.

you tell yourself that this was all an act, but it was hard to convince yourself. especially when the spirit had curled herself into a ball, shaking in fear, her eyes peeking out from her arms to look at you like a scared little girl.

your movements falter.

that was a mistake.

a hazy, clawed hand unfurls from behind her and reached out to slash at your chest, right where your heart lay. you stagger backwards, the cut had been deep enough to have you cough up blood. as your open wounds stained your already red dress darker, the shadow lingered at your feet, seemingly trying to collect your blood.

you tried to move back but you weren't fast enough.

the girl lunges at you again, but this time, her spirit went straight for your core, in a final attempt to possess your body and finish you off, probably.

as you fought to stay conscious amidst the myriad of voices assaulting your mind, you think back to something your master told you in passing when you were still in training.

something about spirits and their last will?

silly girl, every spirit has a last will. and not everyone knows what to do with that will. their grief takes the form of vengeance and i can only hope you know what to do when you ever come across a restless soul like that.

═══════════════

you wake up facing a young village girl.

gasping, you stumble backwards and hit a hard surface. but, it was weird. well more accurately, it felt weird. you were sure you were in a wooden house, so the walls would be rougher, so why did it feel fuzzy?

wait. the girl didn't seem to see you.

you walk cautiously around her, looking at her features carefully. her skin was tan from the time she spent under the sun, it was a little uneven and spotty in some areas. she was just a teenager, and that was kind of expected. you follow her gaze and see that she had been looking at herself in the mirror.

you wave your hand in front of her eyes to get a reaction out of her. she didn't seem to notice.

you blew air to see if she would hear it, but not even a single strand of her hair budged.

defeated, you try to swing your arm and slap her back — only for your whole arm to phase through her body.

ah?

your mouth hung open in shock. your whole arm went through a person, have you truly died and become a spirit?

no. that wasn't it. you reason with yourself.

this was the ghost's doing, and she wasn't here with you right now. this scene unfolding before your eyes, could they be a clue on her, or were they a distraction to fool you?

a horse whinnies on the road outside the girl's window. a barrow wheel squeaks as it turns, the horse's feet clipping noisily on the pavement. you peek past the wooden panes, eyeing the passing residents. their clothes were all plain and coloured in dull or muted tones. the texture looked rough. this wasn't a well-off part of town.

you look at the village girl. her hair was slicked back and tied into a low bun. her clothes were a little worn and a little dirty at the hems. her hands and feet calloused from the years of hard labour.

小燕！

the voice of an older woman calls from another part of the house, wiping her hands on her apron, the girl fixed her appearance one last time before she scurries towards the direction of the voice, while you stayed behind in the room

xiao-yan? as in little sparrow?

my name is actually 春燕 (chūn yàn). my mother just likes to call me xiao-yan at home.

the ghost had been standing next to you, her voice still edged on hostility but was softer now, nonetheless.

your mother?

the person calling to me.

the ghost walks out of the room as you trailed behind, looking past to see the old woman sitting on a chair by the doorway. needle and thread in hand, patching at tattered clothes. her crows' feet settling deeply on her features.

my xiao-yan ah... please be careful on your way out... come home before dark okay? don't make me worry okay?

you worry too much ma.

the village girl, or rather, the human incarnation of the spirit next you chirped as she made her way out the door. you wondered what the spirit was trying to show you, was this her life story before she crossed the bridge into death?

you kept your mouth shut, not wanting to ask more questions. the spirit continued to narrate.

i forgot everything about my time alive, except for this one day.

a sigh.

everything went wrong all in this one day.

═══════════════

you blink your eyes slowly, now walking alongside the village girl and the spirit. to your left you could see the sprawling acres of farmland and the town bustling with life below. looking ahead and past the hanging branches stood a towering gate.

no one had to tell you that this was where the lord's family lived.

the girl was led to the main hall where the lord and lady of the house resided. you and the spirit followed closely behind, passing through the countless maids and attendants working around the compound, it was fascinating seeing how no one could see or sense either of you. two beings who were not a product of this era, your bloody clothes and the ghost's tattered ones, you both stood out like sore thumbs.

it was silent. muted, almost, in the main hall. the lord and lady sat side by side as their son stood by his mother, his hand resting reassuringly on her shoulder.

do you know why we have called you here today?

the lord asks, gravely.

no, my lord.

the village girl shakes her head, confusion swirling in her eyes, as she sat on the ground, kneeling before the family.

the lady grows agitated, she leans forward in her chair, opening her mouth to spew a tirade of grievances when the young master of the house gently pushes his mother to lean back in her chair.

let me, dear mother.

the village girl feels her heart race from his smooth and velvety voice. she'd only ever heard about the young master through rumours and quick glimpses through the crowd, so to be this close to him, the other girls from the village would be shaking in envy. she quietly notes that he was much more stunning up close — she must be really lucky today.

perhaps she had been staring for too long because the young man had cleared his throat awkwardly.

miss, i assume you must have heard about my older brother?

she nods, remembering the procession from earlier that year.

yes, may the first young master rest in peace.

the room grows silent to pay their respects to the deceased.

the young man spoke up again.

we are worried for my brother in the afterlife. he died without ever getting wed. we don't really want him to be made fun of by other spirits in the afterlife you know?

the village girl grows confused. she wasn't sure what he was getting at. what has the marital status of a dead man have to do with her?

the fortune teller we consulted has calculated that you are the best marriage candidate for my oldest son. so we want you to get married to him as soon as possible. by tonight if time permits.

with her voice shrill from agitation, the lady of the house sits up, fist shaking in the village girl's face, unable to contain her anger at the young girl's supposed stupidity.

the village girl on the other hand, felt her jaw go slack, she tried not to let it hang open from the shock of her lady's words.

marriage? to a dead man?

she's heard of horror stories of young brides being buried together with their deceased husbands whom they had married before his life expired. but those were supposed to be just stories! not an actual practice... right?

miss, i don't know what you might be thinking. but i assure you that this marriage will not be as morbid as it sounds. take it as any other marriage ceremony, except without the groom. you just have to sign papers and be my brother's bride on official documents! after that, you and your family will be rewarded handsomely for the trouble. this won't take over a day!

sensing the village girl's worrying silence, the young master interjects quickly, wringing his hands trying to close this deal as soon as he can. the faster their family gets this done and over with, the faster his life can continue from this standstill. his thinking was truly like a businessman's.

hearing that her little contribution would be compensated generously, she didn't think twice before agreeing to the suspicious deal. if it was like that then, when she goes home with the money, her mother wouldn't have to work anymore.

well, if that's the case, let's start the preparations now. the faster we get this done, the faster we can all go on with our lives.

the lord finally spoke up and with a clap of his hands, the room was filled with attendants, most of them surrounding the confused village girl. helping her to her feet in hushed tones, taking her away to presumably prepare for the ceremony that night.

the spirit follows the crowd and you hesitate following behind. the whole exchange felt off to you. surely, if you stayed here the family might let something slip, something that would prove your suspicions.

though you didn't have much choice in this matter. the features of the people in the room began to melt and drip, the scene morphing rapidly to the next part of the spirit's memory.

that's right, you had forgotten again. everything you saw was from the spirit's perspective. anything else beyond that was all up to one's imagination. was there really nothing you could do?

you hated this feeling.

this feeling of knowing something is going to go wrong, yet being so powerless to stop it from happening.

═══════════════

imagine having to sit in a tight space with a spirit, and a memory fragment who doesn't know you and the spirit exists. there was only that much space in the palanquin, and your knees touched the spirit's even when you were hugging them to your chest.

sorry about the space...

you try to start a conversation. but the other just wasn't interested, opting to stare at the image of herself — the village girl sitting across the both of you in this tiny palanquin. you look around the boxed space, noting the shoddy workmanship. looks like those nobles were really in a rush to get this done and over with.

the wind picks up and the curtains flutter upwards.

the night scenery was beautiful but—

this isn't the way to the lord's house?

the village girl mutters. and you had begun to think the same. sitting up with your senses heightened, you try to make out where the attendants were taking the girl. the spirit continued to remain unfazed.

something bad was about to happen. wasn't it?

the movements stopped abruptly, and you felt the palanquin being set down on the ground. the curtain slides open, a slender hand reaches out to guide the village girl sitting inside.

don't take his hand...

you try to tell the girl, you didn't like the heavy smell of incense and dirt surrounding the area. but of course, you were nothing more than a spectator to this whole ordeal.

you watch on helplessly next to the spirit as two footmen threw the village girl into the freshly dug-up pit. the fortune teller circles the pit, tossing water into the hole as she chants mantras of matrimony. all while the village girl calls for help, begging tearfully for mercy and her life. the overwhelming feelings of her fear washing over you again and again, knocking the air out of your lungs at each crashing wave, your heart squeezing tightly in your chest.

it seemed as though this just wouldn't end, as you watched the dirt fill up the hole and the poor girl's voice grow tired and hoarse, the pain grew from your heart to the tips of your fingers and dropped down to your stomach, swinging up and down like a pendulum continuously, making you even more nauseous than you already were.

but finally.

finally, the ordeal stopped. the sensations you felt lifting and leaving your body in a heated mass. everyone stayed silent at that moment, letting the sins of what had occurred sink into them. no one spoke, no one dared breathe a sound under the moonlight, lest the spirit of the village girl heard them.

there was shuffling and low greetings of reverence left the people's lips as they all stepped aside for a hunched-over man in heavy white robes to make his way to the edge of the covered-up pit. you could tell from where you were knelt over in pain that he was an exorcist similar to you.

he mummers prayers and covers the ground in talismans written in red ink, bells shaking with each step he took. binding chains reaching up from the scattered talismans to wrap around the spirit taking shape above them. poor girl, even in death, she wasn't allowed to rest in peace.

═══════════════

you blink, wincing at the bright sun shining into your eyes.

the spirit stands next to you, chains holding her down on the ground. you didn't have to look to see that you were both above her grave.

i was so stupid, believing all those lies. my mother collapsed when she heard about what happened to me. she couldn't pay for the house and she eventually died in an alley without anyone finding her corpse until days later when rats had already gotten to her. maybe if they had given her that money they promised to me, i wouldn't have been as angry about dying like this.

the spirit clenched her fists, teeth gnashing together in rage.

as if burying me alive wasn't enough, they called a fucking exorcist to cleanse this area, all because they were scared i would come and bite back at them for doing this to me.

the spirit's voice grows more irritated.

it's not fair! it's not fair! why do they get to die and move on to the afterlife? why did they get to continue to live their lives like my blood isn't on their hands? why did they get to have a happy marriage, a healthy baby watch their children and their children's children grow up to have their own families like my life was just... was just...

the spirit, no — chun-yan, began to cry, her back heaving as her sorrowful wails pierced your heart. she was just a girl. she was just a little girl barely on the cusp of adulthood. how could anyone be this cruel to her? how could the heavens let this happen?

you reach out to hold her in your arms, letting her cry her dead little heart out.

you wished things could be better for her. you truly did, however, what about all the innocent lives she had taken in vengeance? she still has to atone for that action.

it was abit of a shot in the dark, she didn't tell you nor did her memories reveal anything to you. but to free her spirit, you had to fulfil a wish of hers, this was the one and only shot that you had with this. if you got it wrong, you might have to go through a harsher method of exorcism. you hoped it wouldn't go to that stage.

yan-ah.

the girl sniffles.

chun-yan.

hm?

she asks you her eyes watery and tired.

is this the wish you had while you were dying?

you ask, throwing over the red veil slightly tattered at the edges, somehow still in your possession. you smooth the crinkles over the girl's head like an older sister would on her younger sister's big day.

═══════════════

the memory was collapsing.

you look around the dark space around you, taking a while to register that you were back in the bedroom where this whole thing first began. you lean back with a sigh, your head was starting to spin, you were sure that by tomorrow, you would be down with a fever.

chun-yan stood up, making her way to the vanity with a mirror at the other end of the room. she looks at herself for a long time in the mirror. a strong gust of wind blows through the open windows, toppling the remaining standing furniture. the curtains billowed in the currents, hiding chun-yan behind them.

your worries subsided when the winds died down and brought down the curtains with them, revealing chun-yan now dressed in proper wedding attire. a clean and crisp red veil, a long and thick wedding dress made of red silk with golden decorations embroidered into the fabric. the girl's hair was done up in two half buns with fresh peonies and flower buds woven into the thick tresses.

you bite back from making any noise. your heart swelled with a bittersweet feeling. you wished chun-yan's mother, the little old lady who you've only caught a glimpse of, could see her beloved daughter like this too. you rub your nose, sniffling.

...it suits you well.

chun-yan looks longingly at the moon, and then turns her gaze towards you. fidgeting, she asks quietly.

am i going to hell now?

yeah. you are.

your shoulders drop and you look at her sadly. you wished you could give her good news. you wished the world to be more fair, but you weren't god. you were merely someone who built bridges for spirits to cross over to the afterlife, in the end.

because i killed all those people... right?

you nod.

is it going to be scary?

probably.

chun-yan fiddles with her thumbs, picking on her nails.

mother always told me that bad people go to hell. and i became a bad person that's why i'm going there... right?

chun-yan... listen.

you ponder for a moment, you didn't really want to send her off with this heavy feeling.

sometimes, good people also go to hell. and it's because these good people made a mistake... and then another... and then another without stopping or thinking about stopping. and when they realise that they have been doing all these terrible things, they feel bad and if they are willing to atone, i think they should be allowed that chance to change...

you pause.

chun-yan... remember that you are going to hell to repent for the lives you have taken wrongfully. it's not because you were always meant to go there... i think. i hope that's not the case.

what did you want to say, what were you trying to say?

you weren't sure but, you wanted to ease the girl's burden a little.

hm.

chun-yan hummed. taking in your words. it seemed like she had understood something you hadn't. but whatever it was, it must have comforted her.

she stood still, flames growing at her feet. she didn't move or wince from them, letting it grow bigger and engulf her in it. as she disappeared along with the hellfire, she gave you a nod, perhaps as thanks for keeping her memories in your heart. you bow your head in reply, keeping it down until the crackle of the blaze grew quiet.

═══════════════

chief!

good god, who was it yelling so loudly in the morning?

chiiiieeeeffff!

heavens, were they crying? why are they crying like you were dead?

chief... don't die...

even your calm and collected vice-captain? now what was going on?

you try to sit up. emphasis on try, because for some reason you had been swaddled in layers upon layers of bandages. the smell of herbs crushed and rubbed onto your wounds and bruises was overpowering. to put it lightly.

ugh. what's going on.

chief!

the chief is awake!

you're still alive... huhuhuuuuuuu...

a chorus of ecstatic shouting and sobs was heard across the crowd gathered around you. judging by the voices, your best guess was that everyone there was the kids in your unit. seeing how happy they were, you must have passed out after the events of last night. truthfully, you barely remembered stumbling past the doors of the bedroom and into the vice-captain's arms.

all's well, ends well.

now, if the emperor would be so kind to give you a month—

no. a year, off work... you think you would be his biggest supporter. hell, you might even work for free.

but that aside, you think there might just be something you were forgetting right now.

═══════════════

baek cheon had volunteered to keep watch for that night. he barely slept since he came across you in that wedding attire. he was trying not to cry, but he's sure the junior brother sleeping across him must have heard him tossing and turning and borderline sobbing.

it was a little embarrassing to face everyone in the morning with his eyes puffy and face swollen. thank god chung myung wasn't with them this time, or baek cheon would have never heard the end of it.

he sits on a rock further away from where everyone else had set up camp. they were next to a stream, the sloshing of the water and the cackle of the firewood breaking apart soothed his senses. he thinks back to the times he had spent with you when the moon hung high in the sky just like this.

he sighs, leaning back against a tree with arms crossed — his fingers gripping his sleeves as he thinks again about the encounter with you the other night. you looked so pretty in a wedding dress, was he being too delusional when he dreamt about a future where you were wearing that for your marriage to him?

he sulks by himself, feeling jealous of the person he made up in his head, the person that he was sure you were going off to get married to.

he thinks the guy would be a little closer to your height, so that it made sharing kisses easier. the guy might have nicer hair, fluffier and maybe a little matted so you'd have a reason to run your fingers through it. your husband-to-be might have a more childish personality, much like yours so that the both of you would be on the same wavelength. he thinks the guy might also be mature enough, like you were so that you and him would ground each other. the other guy might have nicer skin that was soft and smooth and unblemished. his eyes would be fierce but gentle all at once, the shape of his eyebrows would be thick in a single stroke...

he realised the image of the guy was looking a little too much like chung myung.

tsk. that's no good, he was starting to get even more pissed off and upset.

cheon-ah!

this was no good. he was starting to hear things because of how much he missed you.

cheon-ah!

how was it that he could replicate the sound of your voice in his mind? truly, the yearning of a man in love was so fascinating.

cheon-ah!

baek cheon wonders if he was going crazy for thinking the voice was growing closer to him. poor guy didn't even get the chance to look over before he felt the full weight of somebody colliding with him. his arms instinctively wrapped around the other's waist, his body recognising that it was you faster than his mind would.

you're here?

he asks, bewildered.

baek cheon couldn't wrap his head around how you got to him so quickly. did you really abandon your husband-to-be at the altar like that? for him?

listen to me baek cheon.

the man nods mindlessly, revelling in the warmth of your being so close to his — he was barely listening, let alone registering what you were saying right now.

maybe he should steal in a kiss.

his hand find its way to the back of your head, pushing you down to have your lips meet his. whatever you had been rattling on about died in your throat, muffled sounds of shock morphed into soft sighs. you pull away, moving to sit more comfortably on his lap, legs swinging on either side, straddling him.

holding back a laugh, your arms circle around him, pulling him closer. he hadn't heard a thing you said from having his head up in his own clouds. what were you going to do with this man?

cheon-ah... did you hear what i was saying?

you ask, peppering kisses on his cheek, brushing his hair out of his eyes. baek cheon shakes his head, still very much starstruck.

tsk, tsk...

you tut disapprovingly, pinching his nose, breaking him out of whatever fantasy he was deep into. he looks at you, wide-eyed and a little offended by your gesture. he sulks when he meets your unimpressed stare.

i'm sorry... i'll listen well this time...

he whines quietly. not wanting to lose you to some other man again.

the other night, when you saw me in the wedding dress... it was for an assignment... you ran off before i could tell you about it... my poor baek cheon, tell me you didn't lose sleep over that?

his eyes widen.

an assignment? so... you weren't getting married for real?

the melancholy settling in his bones lifted instantly, his gloomy expression brightened, and his eyes started to sparkle. he didn't care about acting borderline pathetic these past few hours, you weren't getting married to someone else! and that was all that mattered to him right now.

what's going on in that pretty head of yours?

nothing... i... i'm just so happy that i still have a chance...

he mutters the last part of the sentence, hoping that you wouldn't hear it. but you did, of course you did. he can't have let the nature of your occupation slip from his mind now, has he? your squeal of excitement reached his ears, barely registering the flurry of kisses you were raining down all over his face.

cheon-ah! you like me enough to want to marry me? ah! my lovely baek cheon, hehehehe...

you were acting a little strange, he noted. were you ever this affectionate? what's going on?

he catches a whiff of the herbs slathered under your bandages, your forehead brushing past his cheek felt hot in the feverish sense. one closer look at you and he could see your eyes glossing over along with the sniffling you had been trying to hide.

no way... was the great inspector... sick?

you whine, throwing your head back as baek cheon desperately tries to catch you from falling head-first on the rocks. your temperature was rising and your head had begun to spin. no wonder it did, after all, you did run out of the room you were to carry out your bedrest in — without any food in your stomach or any breaks from what happened with the exorcism last night.

you just knew you had to clear things up with baek cheon, the feeling of leaving the misunderstandings in the air, weighing at the back of your mind consistently.

ugh. it was embarrassing to have him see you in this out-of-character state. maybe when you got better, you will have to meet up with him again to talk about your relationship more seriously.

for now though, you just needed him to know how much you liked him back. and that you weren't going to get married to someone else anytime soon.

baek cheon though?

he's going to have to worry about how to explain why you were here to his martial brothers, and also bring you back to your unit somehow. but that was none of your concern, was it? you were already knocked out from the fever catching up to your body.

[sinni-ok-sessi]

a rec list of sorts (2023)

@inimitablereel's rec list has inspired me to make my own! an eclectic assortment mostly defined by 'did I remember to bookmark this fic?' and 'do I remember why I bookmarked this fic?' As my memory is very bad, there are no doubt some extremely good fics I read this year that are not included here, for which I can only apologise

Beyond Evil

boy, don't you know you're a hurricane? by pale_and_tragic (M, 51k, Han Joo Won/Lee Dong Sik) Somehow the only BE fic I bookmarked this year? I'm sure there were more, but I do love an almost-canon-but-not AU, and I loved how this fic handled Han Joo Won's relationships with the rest of the cast.

Mysterious Lotus Casebook

like rain that you slept through by mimosaeyes (T, 4k, Lotus Tower trio in various permutations) Again, surely I read and loved more MLC fics than just this one? But I did love this one (and its sequel) very much. A post-canon slow healing.

Nirvana in Fire

darkness had a queen by Stratisphyre (T, 14k, Qin Banruo & Consort Jing) Two extremely intelligent women play 4D chess and manage to render much of the canon plot unnecessary. I have sent this one to basically everyone I know, so its inclusion here can't be much of a surprise.

Pour Herbal Oil by ShanaStoryteller (unrated, 20k, Yan Yujin &/ various) If you are a Yan Yujin Enjoyer you have almost certainly read this a thousand times, but I am as ever late to the party. Fundamentally altered how I see Yujin as a character

suffer the same condition by plalligator (T, 3k, Mei Changsu(etc)/XiaoJingyan) This is cheating of me because I definitely did not read this for the first time this year, but I did read it (and its sequels) at least twice this year so maybe it counts. Anyway. Plalligator's fics are a perfect mix of very funny and also sad if you think too long about anything, which is precisely what I want from NiF fic.

Miscellaneous

Ted Lasso/Station Eleven crossover: all the men and women merely players by laiqualaurelote (T, 51k, Ted Lasso/Trent Crimm, Roy Kent/Keeley Jones/Jamie Tartt, plus various canon relationships) Oh boy. I think I spent like half an hour after finishing this just staring blankly into space. Have you ever wanted the Richmond gang to become wandering actors in a post-apocalyptic world? I didn't know I did, until I read this. I'm not usually a fan of crossovers but this is really, really well done.

Protector of the Small (Tortall): We're Leaving Our Shadows Behind Us by lady_ragnell (T, 70k, Keladry of Mindelan/Nealan of Queenscove/Yukimi noh Daiomoru) Neal's perspective on some of the later events of canon. Feat. some interesting considerations about the Chamber of Ordeal.

Lord Peter Wimsey novels: Lord of Misrule by [anonymous] (T, 6k, Peter Wimsey/Mervyn Bunter) An extremely late entry to the list, given I read it on the train uh yesterday, but I am always fond of fics that engage with period-typical attitudes to queerness.

[poorlittleyaoyao]

I appreciated your thoughts about MDZS Vol. 2, since you were able to help me realize just what bothered me about Wangxian/WWX in the novel. It always felt to me that LWJ was WWX's only romantic option in a way bc WWX didn't have to think about his past as much with him? Personally I felt like his relationship with JC was more intense and meaty and interesting. And also why JYL maybe HAD to die. Honestly the ending just feels so strange and unhealthy the more I think abt it.

[pt 2 i guess??] but also can you imagine JYL if she had lived post-timeskip? how she would react to WWX being back? how she would feel about the core reveal as well as WWX + JC's reactions it and the way WN revealed the truth? how she would feel about what happened to Qin Su? also JYL had to die bc no way she's taking LWJ forcing her son to be quiet lightly (only half joking here).

ANON YES I AGREE WITH ALL OF THIS. I got another anon back when I first complained about Novel WWX who defended his lack of concern about his past actions with that exact argument: that meaningfully acknowledging and processing the consequences of his past actions would get in the way of his happily-ever-after with LWJ. But yeah, for my part, I much, much, much prefer the tangled mess of love and sacrifice and perceived betrayal that all iterations of Chengxian have going on to the Novel Wangxian holding pattern of LWJ behaving romantically towards WWX and WWX misinterpreting and/or not remembering over and over until they finally have bathtub sex.

And oh my god, there is SO MUCH GREAT STUFF you can do with JYL living! Yes, okay, you don't have as profound a rift with JC... but I think that's compensated for by there now being a rift between WWX and his beloved shijie whom he previously could count on to mother him and laugh good-naturedly at his antics without ever questioning. Suddenly, WWX's least complicated relationship has become one of his most complicated. How would he respond to that, especially since he can't write off JYL as being a cranky asshole like he can JC? When the sweetest person in the jianghu is unable to forgive you, but you know she loved you enough to risk her life to save you, what do you do with that? I get why the drama was reluctant to change such a huge plot point, but I'd love to have seen that explored within drama canon with its more-developed JYL in particular.

Re: JYL and QS, ahhhhh there are so many ways that could go! Is that particular tragedy prevented entirely, as JGS marries JYL off to JGY to keep JL at Lanling fulltime? Does JYL somehow get wind of Madame Qin's secret and break the news to QS herself? Does NHS use JYL--either wittingly or no--as one of his informants, and she delivers the letter not realizing the consequences it will have? At the very least, JYL would be a trusted friend and ensure that someone gave a damn about QS's death other than her husbandbrother who's trying to conceal a severed head.

And omg. Yeah, Hanguang-jun, you go ahead and try that silencing spell shit in front of JYL. JC has sect politics to consider. JYL's priority and actual job as dowager is to defend her son. The gloves are coming off.

[fourseasonsfigs]

Snowy Mountain

Yesterday's White and Black Chocolate Beans were figs from Wen Kexing and Zhou Zishu's first encounter in Episode 1, and today's figs leapfrog all the way to the epilogue in Episode 37.

Since we're all familiar with the epilogue for these figs, I'll give you a little bit of a different clip:

This puts a big smile on my face - my favorite is how it holds on them looking and smiling at each other at the end for a long time. Ah I love these two so much.

This particular art style of figs, if you recall, is called 胖胖, pangpang, chubby or chonk style. They are very cute and continue to be all the rage among fig makers!

These are pretty solid figs, but you never know what the shaking around on their long ocean travels will do to them. Luckily, these two immortals were as tough as their namesakes.

These arrived with no assembly required except for A-Xu's hairpin, which thankfully also arrived unscathed.

The hairpin was an easy enough - just slid it in and it was fine. No sticking or wobbling like some other hairpins on figs.

What cuties! I don't live in a snowy climate, but if I did, these two would fit right in.

The snowman on top of Lao Wen's head is just too funny!

Their little arms are so cute and short, and their heads are so big, that I can't get their wrists to cross like in the show. But that's ok, it works just fine to have their hands touch.

You can see how the hairpin fits in perfectly here. I'm so happy it arrived safely, I had a run of broken hairpins in this fig batch.

Their hair is so cute! Lots of gentle movement molded into the hair here - I like how they designed it. A little more style in their hair than just hanging straight.

I will say that I have always wondered what happened to Lao Wen's original hairpin. Did it break off in the door? Did they recover it later? I really wish I knew!

Their little hands are adorable. All blushy and cute!

The hands are more like little paws, really. Too cute.

Have the chonks won you over yet? I hope so, since there's lots more figs of this style coming.

These two, as you can tell, stand just fine on their own. The wider feet help, but these are also just well balanced overall.

I've always liked Lao Wen's big sideways swoop of bangs with his white hair.

I won't bother saying how we were absolutely needed more screentime with Lao Wen and his white hair, since we all know that. I didn't realize I was missing out on was Lao Wen with a snowman, which is ridiculous, given the number of times snowmen actually figure in the show, whether it's Zishu with Qin Huizhang or Gu Xiang and her childhood snowmen.

But here we have one!

Material: Resin

Fig Count: 490

Scene Count: 31

Rating: Snowy wonder

[link back to Master Fig Index for more posts]

[trickybonmot]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favourite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers.

(this was an askbox meme but @tiltedsyllogism made it tags and tagged me)

I think my favorites change from day to day and year to year, but RIGHT NOW I'm fond of these ones:

At the End of the Road (the Untamed, Wangxian) I like this one because I feel it was a successful fulfillment of my artistic ambition, which was to write a sexy and unhinged fill for the prompt "practice edging". It basically wrote itself, I didn't overthink it, it's hot and funny and even has emotions! Also it has by far the most kudos, so it's my favorite in the way that your favorite child is the one who brings home lots of awards from school.

2. A Heady Cocktail (the Untamed, Lan Wangji/Jiang Cheng) is also Just Smut, but I am fond of it because it's my manifestation of the one specific flavor of this ship that I like. Two prickly characters who only know how to soften up in the presence of their mutual beloved, alone together and figuring it out. I had a good time playing with how Wei Wuxian was involved in their dynamic even while not physically present. Also I just wanted to describe modern Jiang Cheng looking great and making negronis, for Reasons.

3. My Apple Tree, My Brightness (The Untamed, Wangxian) This fic is hella good and makes everyone cry, even me! It's a science fiction AU where post-siege LWJ, in seclusion, runs simulations to try to figure out how he could have saved Wei Wuxian. Spoiler: he couldn't, but it turns out to be worthwhile, anyway. The ending is especially well written, IMO, and the sci fi worldbuilding is pleasingly deft. I put this third on the list but it's possibly actually my favorite.

4. Veritas (the Untamed, Wangxian) A Fake Dating fic where a pining Lan Wangji agrees to be Wei Wuxian's "terrible" fake date to the Qin Su/Jin Guangyao wedding. Some parts of it feel rushed or underdone to me, but I'm proud of the humor and the climactic set piece, and The People do seem to really like it! I don't naturally think of myself as a humorous writer, but perhaps I am...good at it?? Oh, and, fun fact, I did more research for this fic than any other (not counting listening to a lot of vintage goth music for the Quiet Room).

5. Anchor Point (Sherlock, Johnlock) I'm only giving one slot to Sherlock fic in this list, and it has to go to this weird cool thing I made. It was for a kinkmeme prompt, a Sherlock/Truman Show fusion where Sherlock is Truman and "John" is an actor hired to play his John Watson. Mycroft is the mastermind. Writing this fic was a really educational exercise in making it seem like something Really Big was going on while not being able actually explain the details (a trick I learned from Moftiss, LOLLLLL) It was very tricky and fun and I'm still quite proud of it.

As usual I'm very ??? about tagging people but how about @porcupine-girl @impossibletruths @veliseraptor @dulosis @sophia-helix and please do tag me if you do it!

[miss-ingno]

Everything I Wrote In 2023

...or at least the bits I posted to Ao3 :D 21 works with a word count of 71,998 total! I'm honestly surprised, I thought it was much less considering how little I felt like writing between work and health issues sapping my energy.

I'll sort these alphabetically by fandoms and within the fandoms chronologically from first posted to last.

Assassin's Creed II Title: Return To Sender Ship: Claudia Auditore/Desmond Miles, Claudia Auditore & Ezio Auditore Words: 3.5k Tags: Epistolary, Time Travel, Marriage, POV Outsider (as in Outsider on the Time Traveller PoV), In-Universe Documents Summary: Over the years, Ezio and Claudia exchanged many letters. These are the ones concerning Claudia's husband, then-stranger, Desmond.

Deja Vu by Dreamcatcher (Music Video) Title: All Our Memories, They're Haunted Ship: Jiu/Yoohyeon Words: 1.1k Tags: Memories, Regret, Grief/Mourning, the Queen is dead; long live the Queen, Dark Yoohyeon, Murder Summary: There are no witnesses to her ascent. There is no one she trusts not to stab her in the back. Title: Our Love's A Curse Ship: Jiu/Yoohyeon Words: 833 Tags: Backstory, Happy with A Bad Ending, Off-screen Character Death, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Yoohyeon's descent into madness, Assassin Yoohyeon Summary: Yoohyeon worked hard to create a perfect world for Jiu and herself. But perfection isn't forever.

Detective L Title: Both Is Good Ship: Ben Jieming/Luo Fei/Qin Xiaoman Words: 1.5k Tags: Relationship Status: It's Complicated, Pre-Relationship, Developing Relationship, Background Case, Post-Canon, Pre-Poly, Polyamory Negotiations, Insecurity, lbr they all have their issues but they love each other for who they are and that's what's important Summary: The day before the police ball, Ben Jieming and Luo Fei discuss who should accompany Qin Xiaoman. Unbeknownst to them, she already made her choice.

Dimension 20 - Mentopolis Title: Where in Mentopolis are the Prefrontal P.I.s? Ship: Ensemble Words: 800 Tags: Logic Grid Puzzle, Worldbuilding, Post-Canon Summary: It’s the Grand Opening of Daniel Fucks’ new Emporium of Exquisite Pleasures, but none of the other Prefrontal P.I.s have shown up! However, through his criminal network, Daniel hears some rumours about what they’re each up to. Can you help him find them and drag them away from whatever they’re doing for this most important of all events?

Granting You A Dreamlike Life Title: The Hero Returns Ship: Hong Lan & Luo Fusheng, implied Duan Tianying/Luo Fusheng Words: 826 Tags: Late Canon Fix-It, Somebody Lives/Not Everyone Dies, PoV Tianying Summary: The first thing Hong Lan does as head of the Hong family is to order Luo Fusheng back home.

Grimm (TV) Title: Back In A Spell Ship: Sean Renard/Juliette Silverton, Nick Burkhardt/Juliette Silverton, pre-Nick Burkhardt/Sean Renard/Juliette Silverton Words: 7.2k Tags: Time Travel Fix-It, POV Juliette Silverton, former Hexenbiest Juliette, Nick is not a Grimm yet, Identity Reveal, Magic Revealed, Dinner Date with Ulterior Motives, Secrets Summary: Going back in time has a price. Juliette will make damn sure it was worth it. Title: Sting Of Love Ship: Nick Burkhardt/Monroe Words: 1k Tags: Kissing Slice of Life Action/Adventure Wesen of the Week Episode Style Summary: Monroe accompanies Nick on Grimm business.

Guardian (drama and novel) Title: Growing Pains Ship: Shen Wei/Zhao Yunlan & Da Qing Words: 2.5k Tags: Case Fic lite, Haixing-Dixing politics, set between Episode 4 and Episode 5, Early in Canon, Zhao Yunlan takes a bullet for a Dixingren Hurt Zhao Yunlan Protective Shen Wei (Guardian) Morality Summary: During their most recent case Zhao Yunlan's superiors put him in a difficult position: follow orders, or summon Heipaoshi to hand over the Dixingren? Title: Telenovela Ship: one-sided Zhao Yunlan/Zhu Hong, background Shen Wei/Zhao Yunlan Words: 315 Tags: Slice of Life, Zhu Hong gets to be snake-y, Pining, Denial Summary: Zhu Hong watches dramas in her free time. Title: In This, As In All Things (WIP) Ship: Shen Wei/Zhao Yunlan & Da Qing Words: 13k+ Tags: Time Travel Fix-It, Time Travel: Post-Canon to Pre-Canon, Secret Identity, Identity Shenanigans, Established Relationship, Family Issues Summary: Given the chance to right the wrongs of the past, Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei go back to before they met (again). But how much can they change faced with a very different SID than the one under Zhao Yunlan's lead? Title: Ruffling Feathers Ship: Zhu Hong & Da Qing & Ya Qing Words: 7.1k Tags: Post-Canon, Handwavey Fix-It, Yashou Politics, Case Fic, Zhu Hong and Da Qing team up to solve a theft, Yashou High Chief Zhu Hong, Yashou Worldbuilding, Mistakes Are Made, Zhu Hong is new to this job Summary: Zhu Hong is more than ready to delay her responsibilities for old times' sake when Da Qing approaches her about his missing bells. But the case takes them smack-dab into internal Yashou politics and Zhu Hong's mettle as High Chief is put to the test. Title: Two Of A Kind Ship: Ya Qing/Zhu Hong Words: 12.9k Tags: Time Travel Fix-It, Pre-Canon, Yashou Politics, Yashou Worldbuilding, Pre-Relationship, PoV Ya Qing, mentions of the Time Loop, Background Shen Wei/Zhao Yunlan, mentions of the canonical ending, Antagonist Ye Zun, BAMF Ya Qing Summary: Zhu Hong approaches Ya Qing with a warning from the future. Ya Qing is... intrigued despite herself. Title: Freezing Ship: Chu Shuzhi/Guo Changcheng/Ye Huo Words: 507 Tags: Character Study, Missing Scene, Episode 19 Summary: Stuck in the experimental lab, Chu Shuzhi has time to contemplate his newest companion. Title: Days of Splendour Ship: Shen Wei/Zhao Yunlan & Zhaodad & Zhaomom (novel) Words: 1.9k Tags: Wedding Planning, Wedding Fluff, Post-Canon Summary: Zhao Yunlan knows what he wants: Shen Wei, at his side, forever. Title: Happy Hour Ship: Shen Wei & Shen Wei's students, Shen Wei/Zhao Yunlan & SID Words: 975 Tags: Background Case, Shen Wei's terrible lies, undercover at a bar Summary: A criminal, a professor, and a cat walk into a bar. The professor's students did not expect to be part of the joke. Title: An Intimate Touch Ship: Shen Wei/Zhao Yunlan Words: 2.2k Tags: YOHE, Facial Shaving, Hair Brushing, Hair Braiding, Almost Kiss, Domestic Fluff Summary: Shen Wei helps Kunlun shave his beard. Title: Gossip Mango Ship: Shen Wei/Zhao Yunlan & Shen Wei's students Words: 1.9k Tags: Social Media, Episode Related (1-8), Canon Compliant, mentions of canon suicidal ideation and murders Summary: Not only does Dragon City university have a great and sophisticated study program for many different majors, it also has a flourishing social media site for students to discuss their studies social activities recent events.

Harry Potter Title: To Seek Knowledge Ship: Hermione Granger & Luna Lovegood & Ginny Weasley Words: 4.4k Tags: Female Friendship, Spell Theory, Bullying, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Hogwarts Second Year, Golden Trio (background) Summary: A precocious pre-teen on a quest for knowledge ends up changing the future. She even makes a friend or two on the way.

Naruto Title: Adventitious Ship: Haruno Sakura & Hatake Kakashi & Uchiha Sasuke & Uzumak Naruto Words: 5k Tags: Developing Friendships, set after the Wave mission but before the Chuunin Exams, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, in which Team 7 grows closer and Sasuke doesn't defect, Dai-nana-han | Team 7 Have Issues (don't worry they're working on it), Mission Fic (sort of), no literal geese were involved in the making of this fic, in which Team 7 accidentally topples several villains' plans Summary: To keep Team 7 busy, Kakashi-sensei sends his students on a wild goose chase. Much to his dismay, they actually find a golden goose.

长公主在上 | Zhǎng Gōng Zhǔ Zài Shàng Title: By Your Side Ship: Li Yunzhen/Gu Xuanqing, Li Yunzhen & Li Chenglin Words: 2k Tags: Post-Canon Court Politics Dom/sub Undertones Established Relationship Relationship Development Summary: After tricking the Chancellor into publicly rebelling, Li Yunzhen retires from politics.

[mqfx]

id love to hear your thoughts on jyl! freudian or otherwise, with however many mentions of soup that you prefer 🥺🤲

just saw this :0 well i wouldn't say that i have many intelligent thoughts about jyl anymore especially since i don't really get the chance to talk about mdzs / cql much so i'm afraid i'll have to disappoint you on this count (which makes me a hypocrite i know)

but i did go insane below this line so watch out!

but i will say again what i said a few weeks back about us (fandom, society--you choose) missing out on a broader richer storytelling experience (?) when we continue to look over women's stories to get to the "more interesting" men because "well the author made more content about them so there's more to work with". not gonna belabor this point bc many have already pointed out that people will come up with all sorts of elaborate headcanons to talk about mr. blorbo who showed up in the back for ten seconds but nary a word to spare for the women who did quite a lot of narrative heavy lifting. did you know that i literally found a fic where wen chao becomes a ghost and gets together with qi rong in the underworld? do you see the same effort given to women with a similar level of narrative importance or prominence?

in this case part of it IS the fault of mxtx; more named men have died in mdzs than there are named women characters in it altogether (and even then, most of those women died too!). let's count:

women: wen qing, granny wen, jiang yanli, yu ziyuan, luo qingyang (mianmian), baoshan sanren, cangse sanren, a-qing, madam jin, jinzhu and yinzhu, meng shi (jgy's mom), qin su (jgy's wife). i bolded the ones who are dead by the end of the series (total: 13 women, 11 of whom are dead)

"important" men who died: wei changze, jiang fengmian, jin guangshan, jin zixuan, jin zixun, jin guangyao, jin rusong (child), su she, wen chao, wen zhuliu, wen ruohan, wen xu, wen ning (came back), song lan, xiao xingchen, xue yang, nie mingjue, wei wuxian (came back), mo xuanyu (total dead: 19, or 17 if you don't count the resurrected, 16 if you don't count the child)

13 total women characters vs let's say 16 dead men. and i'm sure i missed a few (<- nearly forgot xue yang) but who cares right now. what does this say about mxtx's priorities as a writer, or at the very least how women figure in her imagination?

''but charlie! they had a great impact on the narrative!" this is true. without meng shi's suffering there would be no raison d'etre for jin guangyao. without baoshan sanren's teachings there would be no xiao xingchen and song lan's tragedy, and no a-qing means we wouldn't even have known. no cangse sanren means no wei wuxian means no story at all. no wen qing = no core transfer. no jiang yanli = no jin ling, no yunmeng brothers, no heart to tether them from falling off the edge of morality (both have committed heinous acts in war regardless but jiang yanli represents for them why they had to do it. she's their home and their family that they fought to protect--and for what!) i could go on with each one, but my point is that if you take even one of these women out of the story, it all falls apart, right?

so why don't i hear anything about them?

and because you asked and i love you, let's focus on jiang yanli here: WHY is she more often than not excluded or otherwise glossed over in all the myriad discussions about how tragic the yunmeng brothers are? was she not also their sibling, their family? did she not also suffer the war and the near-total wipeout of her sect? the death of her husband? she DID but no one seems to give a shit about her unless it's to fucking call her SOUP as if that's the only thing she did!

no paragaph-long popular elegiac posts on her experiences and the incredible fortitude it might have taken not only to withstand all that but to do so with nothing but forgiveness? (speaking of forgiveness: that she forgive jin zixuan at all? out of unwavering love????) because it's not easy to stay kind in regular real-life conditions let alone what she had to face, on top of which was the daily terror that she might lose the last three people in her family she depended on as a non-powerful woman in a misogynistic society. how much of this was because mxtx couldn't be assed to develop her character, and how much of it is actually because despite what mxtx might have written, most people would not even notice because she's a woman?

the thing with interpreting fictional works or talking about characters is that you can't accurately pinpoint how much of the character was authorial intent, how much is your projection, and how much was a happy accident. what makes the curtains blue? i could just as easily say that "jiang yanli was the strongest character in mdzs because unlike the men who used their pain to justify their descents into crimes, heinous acts, and corruption, she (who had suffered equally or worse) managed to remain steadfast to her principles" as i could "jiang yanli remained static as a character because mxtx couldn't think of a way to develop her, or otherwise didn't give a shit about her role aside from sacrificial lamb for wei wuxian's and jiang cheng's pain".

but we can't even get to those goddamn discussions when people refuse to take her as seriously as they take their fucking war criminal beeboos so i'd be wasting everyone's FUCKING TIME

[thatswhatsushesaid]

congrats to that ding dong for effectively sapping the joy out of poking fun at an objectively stupid joke post in the character tags I guess, but their latest response just made me lose my mind

like let's just set aside the fact that nie huaisang literally convinces mo xuanyu to off himself for the sole purpose of yoinking wei wuxian out of the afterlife to murder his entire family, or the fact that qin su would also not have killed herself without nhs' direct intervention. fine. whatever. he did not do the deed with his own two exquisitely manicured hands. I will allow it. reluctantly.

lan wangji is an actual war veteran! if he had a nickel for every wen sect cultivator he introduced personally to the business end of bichen, he could probably have financed the rebuilding of the cloud recesses himself and still have plenty left over to buy wei wuxian a bottle of emperor's smile every night for the next year. at least.

lan wangji has a kill count of one lmfao god I'm offended on his behalf

[overdrivecycle]

shining nikki characters with jojo stands

Because I already did LN characters like a year ago so I think it’s finally time for Shining Nikki.

Nikki: I stand by what I said in my last post. I assign Nikki Cinderella, which not only is able to alter the user or others’ facial features, but also change their fate with these facial features according to the rules of physionogomy. I think this applies very well to Nikki, especially the idea of altering fate based on appearances. That’s pretty much the plot of the whole game.

Yexiao: What stand could be more fitting for our timeline hopping girl than Funny Valentine’s stand, Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap? D4C has the power to connect alternate universes to another. Also it looks like a rabbit and Yexiao has that one bunny reflection.

Aeon: I was torn between him and Leonid for this stand, but I’m giving it to Aeon because I feel like it better applies to his role in the Ark. Made in Heaven has the power to create new universes by speeding up time really, really fast.

Zoey: I have decided on the Stand Manhattan Transfer for Zoey. Manhattan Transfer has the ability to redirect bullets, but the user can also use its wind reading powers to determine the location and basic details of a target. This is perfect for Zoey, who not only needs to shoot people quite frequently but also had vision problems and could no doubt benefit from the extra help.

Mercury: After some deliberation I have decided that the mysterious and ruthless leader who is well known for employing a poor little meow meow of a man should get the stand of the other mysterious and ruthless leader who is well known for employing a poor little meow meow of a man. Thus, I assign Mercury King Crimson, which can basically skip over short periods of time. Also imagine Vulture with Epitaph.

Qin Yi: This was a hard one, but I think I’ve settled on Dragon’s Dream as a Stand for Qin Yi. Dragon’s Dream predicts the areas in which the user will have the best luck according to the principles of feng shui. This reminds me of Qin Yi, devious guy that he is, constantly predicting his opponents next moves and deciding how best to strike.

Lilith: Lilith gets Magician’s Red, which can summon magic controllable fire. I don’t feel like I need to explain my reasoning for this one.

Loen: This was an easy pick. I assign Loen Emperor, the stand that is literally a gun. It’s just a magic gun. That’s it. I feel like that works considering his whole “Major Snowhawk” backstory.

Caprico: Ok, we’ve only had Smooth Operators for like three chapters, but I feel like it works. Smooth Operators is a colony stand with the ability to alter small details, such as a license plate number or an ID. I can’t quite explain why I picked Caprico but the vibes just fit.

Jiang Beijing and Vivian: I count them as one person. Anyways, ever wondered how they always have their hands on a scoop? I assign one or both of them Hermit Purple, which has the ability to take spirit photographs that can provide important information to the viewer.

[film-in-my-soul]

ReformedTsundere's 2022 AO3 Wrapped

While I wasn't necessarily tagged be the wonderful @lookforanewangle (on my anime side account, but the pseudos run strong with me, so XD) they still mentioned me in their post and I felt compelled to do one as well :3

Thank you so much, darlin' <3

Works published: 70 (hi, I'm sorry what?)

Words written: 375,793 (published, about 40k from Nano still sitting in WIPs)

Hits: 153,642

Bookmarks: 4,755

Most popular by kudos: Feels Like the First Time (NSFW) 1027 kudos!

Most hits: 100 Different Kisses (kinda feels like a cheat since it's chaptered .-.) 17,601 hits!

Longest: I'll Be Home for Christmas (And I'm Making it Your Problem) [This is the longest full story, not just prompts in 1 thing] 26,495 words!

Shortest: Your Body Tells Me What Words Don't Have To 983 words!

Most comments: Mr. Swipe Right (NSFW) [Again, not gonna count the 100 Kiss Prompts for this again XD] 90 comment threads!

Fic that made me cry: @aortaargent 's time to let go (NSFW) I haven't cried over a fic in so long and this one was just so beautiful with its imagery and its intimacy I found myself tearing up before I even realized it.

Fic that made me smile: I'm just gonna direct yall to my master rec list - HERE but honorable mentions for authors that have given me a lot of joy to read are @boasamishipper @icemankazansky @lookforanewangle @qin-ling @cristinuke @yikes-00 @maroonmorons @floydsin and so many more. I cannot explain the joy that this fandom has brought me in 2022.

Gifts: received 8, gifted 16

Collaborations: you know that i'm falling and i don't know what to say (NSFW) a fun take on a 5 + 1 :3

Events taken part in: Top Gun Maverick: Fic Exchange, Top Gun Flight School 2022 August Prompt Month, Dicked Down December 18+ Fic Exchange

Tagging: Anyone!!

[mx08z7kz6gqrs]

人间不值得 - This Human World Isn’t Worth It

人间不值得 - 黄诗扶 This Human World Isn’t Worth It - Huang Shifu Original Song Here Lyrics: Chi Yi Composition: Huang Shifu Arrangement: Mzf Xiao Mu 渡口爱上深山 薄雪中意晚莲 夕阳熬红双眼 想等来晨钟聊聊天 The harbor falls in love with the mountains in the distance, and a beautiful evening lotus catches the eye of the cold winter snow. The sunset stays awake until its eyes are brimming red just waiting for the dawn to come by for a chat. 心上人在梅边柳边 偏不在身边 小白蛇浇透临安 许仙却没带伞 My beloved stands there beside plum blossoms and willow trees, but remains out of my reach. The white snake finds herself soaked through near the West Lake, but Xu Xian did not bring his umbrella. 少女压坏秋千 书生十年落选 命运总是挑挑拣拣 诸事不成全 A young girl tumbles as her swing falls apart beneath her, and a young scholar fails his exams again ten years counting. Fate is such a fickle thing, never fulfilling anyone's wishes. 小和尚没化到缘 又路过烧鸭店 A young monk comes back empty handed, as he passes by roasting ducks on a street stand. 拈杯酒眯着眼 说专心看人间 看长安建安与潘安 都想沾一沾 Cups of wine in hand, with heavy eyes barely open, they say they are watching this human world carefully. Looking over the beauty of Chang'an, Jian'an, and Pan'an, they wanted a taste of everything. 神仙掐指算 此去少圆满 得来失 聚了散 千万莫求全 The gods count each one out one by one- few things are ever truly completed. Things we gain will lead to loss, and those who come together will inevitably part, so we must be careful never to ask for too much. 借泥炉烧碗饭 在檐上种炊烟 管小寒大寒与心寒 都来暖一暖 Let's borrow a clay oven, and cook a bowl of food, raising billows of smoke over the eaves Whether it's a icy storm, a cold spell, or a bitter, frozen heart- may they all be warmed a little. 好提胆闯人海 再叩风月关 兜兜转转八十一难 我们走着看 So that we may gather the courage to push through the sea of people around us, we bow again to the quiet moonlight above. No matter the ups and downs that await us on this winding path of life, let's walk along and see. 竹马去寻竹马 青梅意兴阑珊 A young boy comes along on a bamboo horse, but trots away to play with the others, And the little girl beneath green plum trees grows tired of waiting. 伯牙琴弦摔断 叔夜刚绝交山巨源 Bo Ya snaps the strings of his qin in grief, And Shuye (Xi Kang) severs his ties with Ju Yuan (Shan Tao). 知己半路就散 结发总另结新欢 小情侣恰好遇见 喜鹊没来上班 The friend you hold closest abandons you halfway through, as the one you love marries another, A pair of young lovers finally happen to meet, and yet cupid seems to have abandoned his post. 长生岂能如愿 古稀尚靠垂怜 老病倒比莺莺燕燕 多陪二十年 Over the course of such a long life, how could you expect everything to go as you may have wished? In the end, the elderly continue to lean upon the mercy of others. The illness of old age accompanies you twenty years longer than the spring of youth. 小嫦娥偷吃灵药 却反而羡人间 A young Chang'e stole the elixir of immortality, only to turn and envy the lives of humankind. 拈杯酒眯着眼 说专心看人间 看长安建安与潘安 都想沾一沾 Cups of wine in hand, with heavy eyes barely open, they say they are watching this human world carefully. Looking over the beauty of Chang'an, Jian'an, and Pan'an, they wanted a taste of everything. 神仙掐指算 此去少圆满 得来失 聚了散 千万莫求全 The gods count each one out one by one- few things are ever truly completed. Things we gain will lead to loss, and those who come together will inevitably part, so we must be careful never to ask for too much. 借泥炉烧碗饭 在檐上种炊烟 管小寒大寒与心寒 都来暖一暖 Let's borrow a clay oven, and cook a bowl of food, raising billows of smoke over the eaves Whether it's a icy storm, a cold spell, or a bitter, frozen heart- may they all be warmed a little. 好提胆闯人海 再叩风月关 兜兜转转八十一难 我们走着看 So that we may gather the courage to push through the sea of people around us, we bow again to the quiet moonlight above. No matter the ups and downs that await us on this winding path of life, let's walk along and see. 人生在世不称意呀 失眠或失恋 只劝你来把个盏 侃呀么侃大山 喝完大酒撑条船 说今生不靠岸 去天涯海角浪个遍 失意当尝鲜 Our time in this human world can be so bitter, whether it's sleepless nights or broken hearts. One can only advise you to take a cup, and come by for a bit of idle chatter After finishing the wine, take a boat out and swear never to land again in this lifetime. Go forth to the ends of the earth and sea, and taste each new disappointment as it comes. 这一路手握剑 身侧有千帆 时不时～回头看看 百味是人间 时不时～也睡个懒觉 醒来多加餐 Along the way, keep a sword at hand, and a thousand sails beside you. Every now and then, look back at the hundreds of flavors of the human world. Every now and then, sleep in a bit, and once you wake, help yourself to a another meal. Side Note: There are a lot of direct references to Chinese literature here, and some other more ambiguous ones. I'll be posting some notes later to capture the ones I found. There are some localizations I did where possible, but for the most part I left things relatively literal because there was so much.

[demoniqt]

I posted 347 times in 2022

43 posts created (12%)

304 posts reblogged (88%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@demoniqt

@naniya27

@sarah-yyy

@stiltonbasket

@megalodont

I tagged 164 of my posts in 2022

#demoniqt fics - 52 posts

#shen jiu - 39 posts

#svsss - 33 posts

#mdzs - 27 posts

#wangxian - 26 posts

#svsss fanfic - 25 posts

#svsss fanfiction - 23 posts

#qijiu - 22 posts

#mo dao zu shi - 22 posts

#wei wuxian - 21 posts

Longest Tag: 66 characters

#this is so scary though.... bro what if this happened to you......

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Qijiu Week 2022

Day 3 - Hot Springs or Hidden Infatuation

Yue Qingyuan knew on an instinctive level that Shen Qingqiu would be considered a classic beauty, with his pale countenance, high cheekbones and phoenix eyes. It was something he marvelled at whenever he had the rare chance to enjoy a cup of tea with his acerbic childhood love.

Of course, Yue Qingyuan himself was no slouch. He was tall and built in a way that complimented Shen Qingqiu's slim figure. The Cang Qiong Sect Leader was used to fighting without his sword, so he had practice using his physical strength to his advantage.

In fact, the only other sect member that could fight on par with him in terms of physical cultivation would be none other than Liu-shidi.

Liu Qingge was also a widely-known beauty, even despite his brusque manner and blunt honesty.

 

"Why did you have to here!? Couldn't you have settled on the other side!?" Shen Qingqiu snarled, wiping the spray of hot spring water from his face.

Liu Qingge rolled his eyes, "It just water. Not acid. It won't ruin your pretty face."

"That's rich coming from you, pretty boy," returned the Qing Jing Peak Lord with a sneer.

Admirably, he restrained from returning the favour by splashing the Bai Zhan Peak Lord like the other man accidentally did when he slid into the pool. It was only because it was by accident that Shen Qingqiu didn't retaliate like he clearly wanted to.

Liu Qingge's face turned pink, perhaps from the heat of the spring they were all sitting in.

Yue Qingyuan sighed as Mu Qingfang slid into the pool beside him.

"This is a good idea to promote teamwork and camaraderie, zhangmen-shixiong," the Healer said with a sigh of appreciation.

"Yes," Wei Qingwei agreed, pouring a cup of wine for himself. Then he continued, "I only wish that we left those two behind."

As he spoke, Shen Qingqiu's patience finally broke and he swung a hand into the hot water, splashing an annoyed Liu Qingge in the face.

"You!"

Yue Qingyuan sighed again before getting up to stop the physical fight between the two most beautiful people in his life.

All he wanted was to enjoy the view. Was that too much to ask?

 

Oh,  he also wanted his shidi all to get along but apparently, that was all just wishful thinking.

End Hot Spring and Hidden Infatuation

Notes:

YQY is a secret pervert. Hahaha.

19 notes - Posted September 10, 2022

#4

Qijiu Week 2022

Day 2 - Fulfilling a Promise or Dragon AU

The water drips...

drips...

drips...

Shen Qingqiu had long since stopped counting the seconds that passed and had moved on to just waiting for his time to end.

The former lofty lord of Qing Jing Peak took a shaky breath through perforated lungs ruined by prolonged exposure to air saturated with acid and wished he could throw himself into the acid pond and end this miserable existence of his.

His remaining eye never left the dull broken shards scattered on the dirt even as his laboured breathing begin to petered out slower.

Qi-Ge...

Qi-Ge...

Qi-Ge, this Xiao Jiu will join you soon.

The single emerald eye closed as the thought came to him and for the first time in his life, he was assured by the bleak future ahead.

This time, Xiao Jiu will forgive Qi-Ge.

Even if Qi-Ge didn't rescue Xiao Jiu...

At least you tried...

A gleam of light propelled him to open his eye again and standing before him is a familiar and beloved figure that reached out to him with one hand.

"Xiao Jiu," the apparation breathed, crystalline tears falling from his pale cheeks.

Shen Qingqiu gasped around a bloody mouth empty of a tongue.

You came back.

Qi-Ge came back.

And that was all that mattered.

End Fulfilling a Promise

22 notes - Posted September 10, 2022

#3

The Hidden Flower (隐花) - Chapter 1 - demoniqt - 人渣反派自救系统 - 墨香铜臭 | The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System - Mòxiāng Tóngxiù [Archive of Our Own]

Summary:

Shen Jiu returns to his time as a slave in the Qiu Estate after his second life as a pampered young master of a rich family in the modern world ends. He opts to NOPE out of the situation and gets the hell out of dodge. Then, he found a place of sanctuary and offers it to girls who are in need of one.

Suddenly, he's the Grandmaster of a hidden sect!

Then, Luo Binghe returns as well and decides to obsessively court him. For what? Revenge?

And Qi-ge... when did he become interested in getting hitched?

Liu Qingge! Stop leaving dead animals and beasts at the gate of his hidden sect! It's supposed to be hidden!

And what of the other Peak Lords? What is wrong with everyone!?

32 notes - Posted July 20, 2022

#2

Jumping into the Mamajiu bandwagon late!

The Bamboo Child

His loneliness was overwhelming on nights he couldn't sleep.

His bamboo house was quiet and even the crickets outside had cease to sing, leaving nothing but white noise humming persistently in his ears. It drove him insane, left with nothing but his ever spiralling thoughts.

Normally, he valued his silence and solitude.

When he was a disciple, the sounds of breathing from other male disciples disconcerted him so he could only sleep in the wood shed. It also gave him the privacy and safety that he needed to ease his mind.

But after he became the Peak Lord, he was given his personal sanctuary in the form of his teacher's bamboo house.

But on some nights, the silence was so overwhelming, he'd be reminded of being locked in the wood shed of the Qiu Manor. It was stiffling and it would make him antsy, as if he was anticipating something terrible to happen.

He could go to the Red Pavilion to seek the companionship of his Jiejies but he'd just been recently reprimanded by Liu Qingge and Yue Qingyuan for it and he didn't feel like getting into another argument with those two idiots over this issue at a Peak Lord meeting when they had better things to do.

So on one lonely night, he left his bamboo house to take a walk amidst the bamboo forest at the back of Qing Jing Peak.

He'd walked this path a thousand times before, even as just a mere disciple. The familiar rustling of the leaves in the wind, the smell of the crisp air mixed with the scent of the bamboo helped settle his troubled mind and ease his anxiety.

Then a sound caught his attention and his ears perked.

There was a baby crying in his bamboo forest.

Shen Qingqiu followed the sound, trying to trace the source.

Did someone, a female disciple of his!?, give birth in the forest and abandoned their child?

He followed the sounds of the baby's wailing until he came to a huge bamboo stalk. Which was odd, because he was familiar with this forest and had never seen such a thick bamboo stalk the colour of jade before.

And the odder thing about it, was the glowing segment at nearly the base of the bamboo stalk.

It was where the sounds of the crying came from.

Without thinking, Shen Qingqiu swiped his fan against the bamboo segment, splitting it open. The huge stalk toppled backwards onto the ground, revealing its treasure within.

In the hollows of the bamboo segment, lay a small baby, crying and hiccuping pitifully. He was so tiny he could fit into Shen Qingqiu's palms.

The baby was curled up and shivering in the cold, so Shen Qingqiu shed his outer robe and folded it to swaddle the poor child, wrapping it warmly in the folds of the silk.

He carried the child home, singing to his bamboo child bestowed upon him by the full moon on his most loneliest night.

End Bamboo Child

Shud I continue this? How should I continue this? Reverse Harem? 🤔

63 notes - Posted December 20, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Qijiu Week 2022

Day 5 - Family or Farming AU

Summary:

Usually, it's Shen Jiu who returns to have a second chance in life. This time, a jaded Yue Qi returns to do over in this time travel remix.

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Yue Qi wiped a hand over his forehead, looking up at the rising sun with his other hand resting on the hoe he was using to till the dirt. Soon, the sun will be up high on the sky, making it too hot to continue his farming.

To his annoyance, he spied a figure flying in the distance. First a dot in the blue sky and then coming close enough for Yue Qi to identify as Liu Qingge.

Before, he would never describe his ex-shidi as annoying, but recently, the younger man's existence was grating on him like a thorn to his side.

That man can be so persistent.

Yue Qi waited until Liu Qingge landed before speaking.

"Peak Lord Liu," he greeted, face unsmiling, quite unlike the Cang Qiong Sect Leader he'd once been in another life.

"Any change?" Liu Qingge asked, straight to the point as always.

"No," Yue Qi answered. "He still doesn't remember his life... from before."

Liu Qingge's fists tightened as he audibly grinded his teeth. Before he could storm toward the direction of Yue Qi's home, the farmer stepped forward to block off his access.

"Peak Lord Liu," Yue Qi said with a warning tone.

"Let me see him," Liu Qingge said through gritted teeth.

"No," Yue Qi replied, still unsmiling. "Leave him be."

"Let me talk to him. I'll remind him," Liu Qingge said, attempting to advance forward but his respect for his former sect leader prevented him from shoving the other man away.

"Remind him of what? How we abandoned him? How we ostracized him and abandoned him at the time he needed us the most?" Yue Qi uncharacteristically spat, anger thick in his voice. The memories of the past never ceased to provoke the normally placid farmer into a rage when he remembered how foolish he had been.

His hesitance and foolhardiness had cost him more than just his life, it had cost him Xiao Jiu. Lead to Xiao Jiu losing his cultivation, his reputation, his limbs, suffering for years before finally losing his life.

Yue Qi vowed never to make the same mistakes again. Even if that meant keeping Xiao Jiu away from Cang Qiong.

"Yue-zhangmen, we need the both of you in Cang Qiong. The war.." Liu Qingge started but was cut off by Yue Qi.

"No," he repeated. "You don't need us."

Then, before Liu Qingge could continue with his appeal, he continued sternly, "Or at the very least, we don't need any of you."

Liu Qingge swelled in anger and Yue Qi felt a sudden wave of self pride for being able to do what only Shen Qingqiu frequently managed to do in another life.

"The demons have taken Huanhua Palace," Liu Qingge gritted out, as if it was anything but good news. Yue Qi felt nothing but vindication at the thought of the Old Palace Master falling at the hand of Tianlang-jun. It would be karmic retribution for what he did to the demon Lord in their previous life.

"Cang Qiong is still fighting but we've lost our tactician-," Liu Qingge was once again interrupted.

"Xiao Jiu and I are unconcerned. We are not of Cang Qiong and not involved in the politics between sects, nor are we involved in the struggles between the demon world and this world," Yue Qi answered, picking up his hoe.

"It will concern you once the demons overwhelm us," Liu Qingge protested.

"The South demons are not interested in the subjugation of humankind," Yue Qi said with a certainty that made Liu Qingge immediately suspicious. "Tianlang-jun is only aiming to bring down Huanhua Palace but Cang Qiong and the other sects got involved needlessly."

See the full post

84 notes - Posted September 23, 2022

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