#I've taught you I've hunted you I've killed you I've conspired with you

[autisticlaezel]

Kind of want to write a Thing about Dabria meeting Thaos in different lives and different situations

[silverstark]

Hua Cheng Amnesia Ficlet

This is HEAVILY inspired by VampireFaun's beautiful wonderful Hua Cheng amnesia-curse fic,"Thousand Gold Come-And-Go Stew" on Ao3. Go read it I'm obsessed with it. This scene is fanfic of that fanfic.

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"I want a kiss from Hua Chengzhu," Xie Lian declared.

Silence descended upon the Gambler's Den. Xie Lian didn't know whether to laugh or cry. How did everyone manage to go silent in unison like that? Wasn't this a den of chaos and revelry? What happened to the heckling? The groans and shouts? The rattling dice?

The croupier broke the silence, replying as if nothing were the matter.

"What will you gamble?"

"...."

This again. If Xie Lian weren't under watch by every ghost, human, and disguised god in the building, he might have had the face to offer up the treasure he'd brought. But, as it was, Xie Lian suddenly realized how tasteless it would be to offer up the gifts Hua Cheng had given him. Even though Hua Cheng wasn’t here now, and even if he was he couldn't know, with his memories of Xie Lian locked away by a curse, Xie Lian would know. It was too disrespectful!

He debated internally for a moment but in the end, he really couldn't do it.

"A lifetime of servitude," he hastily muttered instead.

Now that he had had his spiritual powers unlocked, his service might actually be of some value. Anyway it wasn't like he had anything else of worth to offer.

He lowered his head over the gambling cup to avoid everyone's gazes as he waited for the croupier's reply. A wave of whispers started up, probably trying to predict what the croupier would decide. However, the croupier did not weigh the decision for long.

"Very well," the croupier said.

Xie Lian breathed a sigh of relief.

"Even is a loss, odd is a win. Once the cup is tipped, there is no turning back. Now, please."

Xie Lian grasped the cup and tried to remember the posture Hua Cheng had taught him all those years ago. He knew it really wouldn't do anything, that Hua Cheng had just used those 'lessons' as a clever ruse to lend him luck, but he was feeling a little sentimental.

A few days ago, Xie Lian had been out answering prayers when he received an urgent communication from Yin Yu: There was something wrong with Hua Cheng! Not just him, but all the citizens of Ghost City seemed to have forgotten about Xie Lian, and Hua Cheng's relationship with Xie Lian, and all the events since Xie Lian's third ascension. Yin Yu had not been able to investigate the matter deeply before he found himself locked out of Paradise Manor with all his Waning Moon Officer powers revoked. Xie Lian had been unable to contact Hua Cheng too. Thus, he had spent the past few days hunting down and interrogating the conspirators to find out the nature of the curse and how to break it.

The curse was terrifying in its simplicity: Rather than kill Hua Cheng directly, the curse took away his reason to remain in the world. If he couldn't remember why he refused to leave, then, any day now, Hua Cheng could simply...

Xie Lian's hands became unsteady. He stopped shaking the gambling cup. Rather than that, he closed his eyes and sent out a brief prayer in his mind.

"San Lang, won't you lend me a little luck again?"

Of course there was no answer. Xie Lian waited only a moment. Then he opened his eyes and flipped the cup.

He stared in disbelief at the dice. What...what did this mean?

The sound of laughter brought his head up. It was familiar laughter, and dear to him, and he had missed it so much the past few days.

It was also a laugh cold with malice.

"This must be a fated meeting," Hua Cheng mused. "I've recently found myself in need of a new servant."

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