#Mildly unreliable narrator

[pyrepostings]

Free Birds And Fiddlers: Dragon Au

Cw: aftermath of implied self harm, magical brands, noncon body alteration, forced to perform, mildly unreliable narrator (applies to maybe one line)

~~~

Kevin was left in the master bedroom, with a thick bandage on his throat underneath the golden collar, and his wrists bound together and tied to the headboard. He couldn't even move enough to lay down, rather he was forced to sit amongst the pillows.

He knew there was a guard on the other side of the door, listening for any sounds of renewed efforts of rebellion. But there wasn't much he could do like this.

The door opened, and he made a conscious effort not to acknowledge it. He kept his gaze firmly in front of him, towards the curtained window. He wouldn't give Aloskos an inch, now that he's taken so much.

But it wasn't Aloskos who entered, but one of his guards, and Julian, who crossed the room to sit on the bed near him but definitively not close enough to touch.

"Hey, Kevin. I- I heard what happened. How are you feeling?" His voice was tentative, slow.

Kevin wished he could explain everything that just happened, but he was too scared of what might come out if he opened his mouth, or made any sound at all.

"May I touch you?"

The request sounded fuzzy, as if muffled under too many layers of sand in an hourglass. With a nod, he scooped himself to a moment in the past.

Julian sat beside him, closer now. With the sleeve of his own robe, he dabbed at the tears Kevin didn't even realize were falling.

"May I ask technical questions?"

That same voice, the same tone, as those years ago. Julian was one of the few people in the entire world, and the only one in this castle, who could ask him technical questions now, and always. He nodded.

"I'm not asking you to prove it, but do you think you're still able to physically speak?" And when Kevin remained still, he continued, "You don't have to answer that. I'm just trying to assess damage."

Kevin shifted, straining against his bonds to do so. He lowered his head towards Julian in hopes he understood, and he did, sliding up beside Kevin in kind. Kevin nudged his face into the space between Julian's chin and shoulder, right up against the silver collar, and let out a shaky breath when a gentle hand found his hair. It was quite possibly the first breath he took since being tied to the bed that morning.

"I can speak," He said, hoarsely quiet both to prevent the guard from hearing, but also due to damage done. The spell last night and his begging for it to stop had both done a number on his voice.

"That's good," Julian said, dropping his own voice even lower in volume. Kevin could tell he didn't fully think so. "I won't force you to."

I know, he almost replied. I know and I do want to talk to you but I just can't bring myself to say anything more at all.

"I was told, he branded you again. That this one was worse. That he could force you- Kev, I know how much your music means to you. Genuinely, are you alright?"

How will I ever be alright, when I can't even hold that one thing for myself? He shook his head.

"Is there anything at all I can do to help?"

He nodded. Probably not, but please stay with me anyway. He hooked an ankle around Julian's, hoping that said everything he needed to. It seemed to land.

"Alright. I'll stay for as long as I can."

[stuffyflowers]

People will literally just say things

[aaronymous999]

The thing that bugs me about Higurashi When They Cry is about how- they do the unreliable narrator thing but it’s like ( to be fair the anime does this worse ) there are no cracks in this unreliability? Like occasionally we see things as they are, Mion and Rena just being kind friends and helping Keiichi, but some of the other stuff is like? Unless he is having all forms of hallucination right now this makes zero sense in context to the later answer arcs?

Also Mion and her family like actually kill people that’s not a delusion or anything they straight up have a torture room in their basement.

[wangxianficfinder]

In the mood for...

Jan 24th

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1. Any fics that have wwx coming back and lwj is the lan sect leader?

~*~

2. hii itmf a fic where there is acknowledgment or focus of the fact that mxy's body is smaller/younger than wwx's original would've been! same idea as All Technicalities by DummyDiplodocus like an outsider pov of it like jc or the juniors. or lwj noticing it! doesn't necessarily have to be the focus btw just like it's there. tysm!!!! :)

a tide in two seas by occultings (microcomets) (E, 80k, WangXian, Modern AU, Parallel Universes, Modern with Magic, Post-Canon, Getting Together, Mutual Pining, Established Relationship, Mild Horror, Case Fic, mildly sci-fi, Yunmeng Bros Reconciliation, First Time, Loss of Virginity, Married Couple, Love Confessions)

🔒 Forget Myself in Memories by geethr75 (T, 10k, JC & WWX, JC & JL, JL & LJY & LSZ & OYZZ, WangXian, LXC & NMJ, JYL/JZX, Junior Quartet Dynamics, Time Travel Fix-It, Juniors travel to the past, Post-Canon, Canon Divergence, double trouble, Past WWX meets future WWX in MXY's body, Past JC meets future JC, JL and his jiujiu, Sect Leader JL, Sect Leader OYZZ, Sect Heir LJY, Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending, JGY dies as Meng Yao, SS and JZn dies, JGS dies, WQ and WN lives, JYL and JZX Lives, no golden core transfer, No golden core melting, The Juniors save the day, WWX saves the day too, Alternate Timelines)

Brothers, Brothers-in-Law and Husbands by xxxMiaHikarixxx (G, 7k, WangXian, LXC/JC, LWJ accidentally hurts WWX, Injured WWX, WQ is alive, protective Lans, protective JC, for once both LXC & JC are good, Wedding, Protective Wen siblings, LJY and LSZ are best boys)

Out with the new, in with the old by XxRainbowHeartxX (T, 13k, WangXian, LXC/JC, Curses, First Kiss, Love Confessions, Fluff and Angst, Twin Prides of Yunmeng Feels, WWX Has a New Golden Core, Bodyswap, Good Uncle LQR, Hurt WWX, Sad WWX, Family Feels, JC & WWX Reconciliation, Memories, POV WWX, Unreliable Narrator, Light Angst)

Is Your Old Body Considered a Halloween Costume? by The_peregrine_falcon (G, 3k, WangXian, WWX’s original body, Junior quartet makes an appearance, LQR’s blood pressure is going up, LWJ is chief cultivator, Fluff, Canon Compliant, Post-Canon)

Saw My Life in a Stranger’s Face by timetoboldlygo (T, 27k, WangXian, Post-Canon, Established Relationship, Married Life, Domestic Fluff, Light Angst, wwx’s face changes post-canon to look like his original face, Slight Panic Attack, because lwj doesn’t recognize his husband, the mortifying ordeal of not knowing your own body, the terrifying inevitability of change, taller!wwx theory)

What Is Left Over by Loriqod (T, 30k, WangXian, JC & WWX, Yunmeng Shuangjie, Yunmeng brothers, Post-Canon Fix-It, WWX Has a New Golden Core, Happy Ending, WangXian in Love, bite-sized angst, Canon-Typical Violence, JC & WWX Reconciliation, Training Montage)

~*~

3. I'm in the mood for wangxian fics where lan zhan is struggling to come to terms with his love of pretty clothing and femininity/or some repressed gayness/internalized homophobia. Explicit fics generally preferred but I'm not picky. Thank you!! @pussyaside

See all this and more for just ten dollars a month!series by ScarlettStorm (E, 382k, WangXian, JC/WQ, JYL/JZX, Modern, Getting Together, Pining, Porn, like in the writing and also as a plot point, onlyfans au, repressed LWJ, sex worker WWX, in this house we support sex work, Minor Angst, major shenanigans, hornt™ way too many details about onlyfans probably, mental health, therapy is good actually, Angst, Nonbinary NHS, Established Relationship, Fashionista LWJ, Fluff and Smut, they’re horny and in love, Domestic Bliss, tender kink, Fiber Arts, autistic LWJ, Neurodivergent WWX, switch rights, a soupçon of gender, get in losers we’re introspecting about queerness, Genderfluid Character, Gender Exploration, Hurt/Comfort, past trauma, But They’re Working Through It, aggressive mutual caretaking, knitter LWJ, genderfluid WWX, Adhd WWX, Feminization (absolutely not forced and in fact very desired feminization), Date Night, they’re just disgustingly in love and they gotta fuck about it)

Bunny Baby by deliciousblizzardshark (T, 9k, WangXian, Modern AU, College/University, LWJ Has Feelings, Soft WangXian, Gender-Nonconforming LWJ, Protective WWX, Bad Parent LQR, Fluff and Humor, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, POV WWX, Autistic LWJ, [Podfic of] Bunny Baby by frostedhearth)

Soul Deep by El_Toro (G, 1k, WIP, JC/NHS/WWX/LWJ/WN, Polyamory, Nonbinary LWJ, Modern, Trans WN, LWJ Wears a Dress )

~*~

4. Are there any wangxian fic where nobody believes they are married it could be modern setting or any anything else

Marital Claims by yeolinski (M, 5k, WangXian, Lawyers, Established Relationship, Marriage, Married Life, Accidental Marriage, the juniors are interns, nobody believes they're married basically)

‘cause it’s worth the sacrifice to finally be strong by MichelleFeather (G, 4k, WangXian, LSZ & LWJ & WWX, LQR & LWJ & WWX, 3zun, Modern, reverse trope, Jiang Family Bashing Everyone sucks, Established WangXian, Married WangXian, Married WangXian Have Children, Good Uncle LQR, Child LSZ, LWJ & WWX Adopt LSZ, Homophobia, Supportive LQR, Friends to Lovers, they met in middle school, cutting off people who aren't supportive, Good Person JZX)

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5. Hello! ITMF Fics set pre-Sunshot Campaign where it is just the teenage characters being young, dumb, and having fun. It could be the Cloud Recesses study arc or an au teen arc. Bonus points if Wei Wuxian, Jiang Cheng, and Nie Huaisang are besties and dealing with teen crushes (LWJ). I just want something light and fluffy where all the characters are happy, please! Thank you so much!

🔒 The Golden Cutsleeve by syrus_jones (E, 77k, WangXian, Crack Treated Seriously, Fluff and Crack, Humor, Aged-Up Character(s), WWX POV, WWX is a gremlin, Internally Screaming LWJ, No Sunshot Campaign, First Times, Accidental Sex, Masturbation, PWP, Porn with Feelings, WWX experimenting with things he shouldn’t like always, Happy Ending, Porn With Plot)

Bet Your Heart by Vamillepudding (G, 14k, WangXian, LXC & WWX, Canon Divergence, Romantic Comedy, Mutual Pining, Hurt/Comfort, Getting Together)

it’s just (aah) a little crush (crush!) by sweetlolixo (T, 9k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Romance, Fluff, Pining LWJ, Humor, Courting Rituals, Teen Wangxian)

lan xichen by antebunny (G, 6k, LXC & LWJ, WangXian, LXC & WWX, Canon Divergence, Fluff, LXC needs friends, LXC is Tired, LXC is wangxian's #1 fan, drunk LXC, Getting Together, Cloud Recesses Study Arc)

loveliness by orphan_account (T, 1k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Love Confessions, First Kiss, Pining, Teen Romance, Getting Together)

Orchids in Lotus Pier by Vamillepudding (G, 21k, WangXian, JC & LWJ, Canon Divergence, Romantic Comedy, Mutual Pining, Protective JC, Friends to Lovers, Misunderstandings)

Pigtail Pulling by protos_metazu_ison (G, 3k, WangXian, Fluff and Humor, Crack Treated Seriously, Cloud Recesses Shenanigans)

🔒 Three changes. by orange_crushed (M, 18k, WangXian, Fluff, Hijinks & Shenanigans, Cloud Recesses, Cloud Recesses Shenanigans, Friends to Lovers, Romantic Comedy, Kissing, Fade to Black, Mild Sexual Content, Canon Divergence, No Sunshot No War AU, Falling In Love, Non-Graphic Violence, Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Sparring, Harm to Animals, Don’t Worry The Animal is Fine Wangji Makes Sure of That, Developing Friendships, Wangji Makes Friends At Summer School, teenagers in love, Hurt/Comfort, Mild Blood, First Time)

🔒 Tangible by apathyinreverie (T, 2k, WangXian, Cloud Recesses Study Arc, Canon Divergence, LWJ is smitten, and furious about it, WWX is just as smitten, and shows it by pestering LWJ for attention, who just wants some peace and quiet to read, although if he gets to hold the sunshine disciple in his lap while doing so, he's actually more than fine with that, Fluff, Humor, Possessive LWJ, First Kiss, Getting Together, the library scene)

A Purrfect Day in Gusu by DrJLecter (T, 21k, WangXian, JGY/LXC, LWJ gets turned into a cat, WWX thinks it's hilarious, Canon Divergence, Cloud Recesses, no Wen clan, Fluff and Humor, Light Angst, Idiots in Love, Happy, Cute, Falling In Love, Love Confessions, Supportive LXC, Meddling LXC, Matchmaking, matchmaking LXC, POV WWX, NHS Knows Everything)

For the Sake of a Smile by Reikosama7716 (Not Rated, 94k, WangXian, WWX/Everyone, CSSR/WCZ, WIP, Older WWX, Oblivious WWX, Jealous LWJ, Possessive LWJ, ProtectiveJC, JZX's Attempt in Public Confession, WWX and his ducklings, Everyone is young and gay for WWX, WWX and Jiāng siblings are cousins, Canon Divergence, LQR Metaphorically Qi-Deviates, WWX in his YLLZ appearance, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Third wheeling of unfortunate sect disciples, Not Everyone Dies, LWJ is princess carrying WWX, WWX is self-proclaim gege, QHJ tries to be a better parent, LWJ's attempts to buy courting gift, Cold Springs, Disciples peeking at WWX, Cinnamon Roll WN, CSSR's shameless flirting attempts, LWJ reading 'books', NHS translates bird language, JZX playing straight man for once, LXC too, XY is a Little Shit, Shameless WWX, Implied "Everyday is everyday", Papa Lan ships it and he's the MVP at it, Papa Lan: Is it possible for my son-in-law to conceive?, Sect Leader WQ, JYL being dark and maybe a secret sadist?)

~*~

6. Hello! 👋 for the next itmf id like a fanfic in which lwj is talkative with wwx, but ONLY with wwx. Or, if that’s too specific, a fic that shows the difference between how lwj behaves with other people and how he behaves with his Wei Ying.

Thankssss :D

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7. Hi! ITMF some 5+1 fics

together all along by stellarmusings (G, 5k, WangXian, LSZ & WWX, LSZ & LWJ, Modern, 5+1 Things, Getting Together, Misunderstandings, Family Dynamics, Fluff, Domestic Fluff)

Cotton Wool by incendir (M, 34k, wangxian, LJY/OMC, JL/LSZ, JC & WWX)

Criteria by incendir (T, 10k, LSZ & LWJ, wangxian, OCs)

one of our own by glitteringmoonlight (G, 7k, WangXian, Post-Canon, wangxian is mentioned but not the focus, this is just the lans being a wwx defense squad, people being nice to wwx, people being mean about wwx but immediately getting shut down, POV Outsider, 5+1 Things)

Revenge is a Side Dish Best Served With Tea by merakily (G, 7k, WangXian, Post-Canon, Canon Compliant, Protective LWJ, Petty LWJ, Fluff and Humor)

You Are My Euphoria by orphan_account (M, 18k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Fluff, Making Out, 5+1 Things, Mutual Pining)

💖 You, Asleep and Dreaming by etymologyplayground (M, 9k, WangXian, LWJ POV, 5+1 Things, Literal Sleeping Together, Sharing a Bed, Cuddling & Snuggling, Intimacy, Getting Together, Fluff, Post-Canon, Undressing, wwx’s ‘angry lwj’ kink)

A Start on How by misscam (M, 7k, WangXian, LXC & LWJ, LXC & WWX, Modern, College/University)

had a marvelous time ruining everything by livinginaworldofnoise (G, 8k, WangXian, Modern, Established Relationship, Fluff and Crack, tfw you're trying to propose but you're thwarted by some cats your boyfriend found under a dumpster, Marriage Proposal, assuming wangxian's new kittens stop thwarting them, WWX is only slightly less feral than these kittens if we're being real, [Podfic] Cold read of had a marvelous time ruining everything by kisahawklin)

🔒 Lessons in Belonging by Nyatci (M, 12k, wangxian, Modern, Childhood Friends to Lovers, POV LWJ, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Canonical Child Abuse, Bad Parents JFM & YZY, Not Jiāng Family Friendly, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Homophobia, Good Uncle LQR, background 3zun, Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Assumed Asexuality, but it’s just an assumption, some mild non-overly-explicit smut, LWJ really wants to put a ring on it, so he does, Domestic Fluff, wangxian adopt a-yuan, 5+1 Things, softer than how the tags make it sound)

spoke like we meant it by BlackWiresOnHerHead (T, 10k, WangXian, Modern AU, 5+1, Fluff, oh my god they were roommates, Friends to Lovers, Getting TogetherP, ining, Cuddling, Accidental Confession, Humor, Abandonment Issues, Light Angst)

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8. Hi! For ITMF, I am looking for well-written fics where WWX goes through qi deviation (I've read Twelve Moons and a Fortnight). Thanks! @kesterling

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9. Hello! Have you got any pre canon fics as in after Wei wuxian's death, lan wangji's grief(ofc one need not ask for that specifically it'd always be in a fic) and his relationship with lil A-yuan(and other lan disciples) Ik it's not totally wangxian so perhaps I shouldn't ask for it, but I don't know where else to ask and I couldn't find anything myself. I wanted to read it cause the way juniors admire him in the main book, it's so heartwarming and enough to show how good lan wangji was with them. So yeah if you've got anything...

❤️ To be of use by Erisette (Not Rated, 53k, WangXian, Found Family, Accidental Baby Acquisition, Father-Son Relationship, Missing Scene, Good Teacher LWJ, LSZ is an angel, LJY is the best of brats, Cloud Recesses, Seclusion Lite(TM), Everyone under 20 at Cloud Recesses worships Hanguang-jun, Fluff, Hanguang-jun is the coolest, Worldbuilding, this is not sad tho even though it's set in the time jump, the fluff-to-sads ratio is v high, Mojo’s post) This is one of my favourite fics

🔒 the map of days by everythingispoetry (M, 20k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Permanent Injury, Recovery, Disability, Parenthood, Character Study, Thirteen Years of WWX’s Death)

Gathered Herbs & Sweet Grasses by hansbekhart (Not Rated, 19k, LSZ & LWJ, WangXian, dad wangji, LWJ’s Questionable Parenting Skills, Grief/Mourning, Recovery, Injury Recovery, Hopeful Ending, Canon-Typical Violence, Gathered Herbs & Sweet Grasses [podfic] by someplacelikebolivia)

it’s a long road but we’re not alone by Stratisphyre (M, 61k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Somebody Lives/Not Everyone Dies, Parenthood, Grief/Mourning, Family Feels, Reunions, Golden Core Reveal, Getting Together)

Inquiry by incendir (G, 10k, LSZ & LWJ, WangXian)

🔒 Response by Aki_no_hikari (G, 12k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Family Feels, Love Confessions)

🔒 藕断丝连 by RoseThorne (G, 456, WangXian, Grief/Mourning, Memory Loss, Memories, POV Third Person, POV LSZ, Rituals, lotuses)

🔒 A voice long gone by Vrishchika (M, 11k, WangXian, WIP, Angst with a Happy Ending, Epistolary, Grief/Mourning, Stream of Consciousness)

~*~

10. Thanks so much for all your amazing work!! For the next itmf, can I have some delicious angst with a happy ending based on misunderstanding. I just really love the docs where lwj reads wwx all wrong and is a jerk and then realizes the error of his ways. Especially if he isn't so subtle about his opinions and disdain. I just require a happy ending. Also not a fan of wwx forgiving too easily. He deserves to have lwj grovel or suffer a little, too.

我的皇后是農民 | sowing seeds in the cold palace by sweetlolixo (E, 84k, WangXian, Imperial Palace, Emperor LWJ, Imperial Consort WWX, Farmer WWX, Angst, Romance, Wingman LJY, Wife-chasing-LWJ, Arranged Marriage, Best Boy A-Yuan)

much sweeter than by mellowflicker (T, 3k, WangXian, Royaltyish, Arranged Marriage, a little bit of, YLLZ WWX, Hurt/Comfort, Happy Ending)

Tempo Rubato by Spodumene (E, 108k, WangXian, Modern, Angst with a Happy Ending, Romance, persuasion au, Separations, Mutual Pining, Depression, Miscommunication, Emotional Roller Coaster, Self-Harm, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Reconciliation, Eventual Smut, Jane Austen Fusion, Underage Kissing)

🧡🔒 Truth Will Out (when caught on video) - End_OTW_Racism! by KizuKatana (E, 178k, WangXian, WN & WWX & WQ, graphic depictions of violence, modern cultivation, canon divergence, YZY abuses WWX, caught on camera, partial core removal, WWX kicked out of Jiang sect, livestreamer WWX, meet ugly, dual cultivation, smut, no war)

🔒 Snow by kuro (M, 38k, WangXian, Modern, Snow, Sick Character, Caretaking, Fluff, Sugar Daddy, only they’re like… bad at it, Angst, Rabbits, Food, Sexy Times, occasionally)

the earthquake in the room by phnelt (E, 39k, WangXian, College/University, Modern: No Powers, Canada, Getting Together, Mentions of lwj/others, inter-faculty romance, strangers to lovers to frenemies to lovers, mostly book characterisation)

🔒 Wish I could forget the taste of your skin and the feel of your hands pinning me down by KizuKatana (E, 63k, wangxian, WQ & WWX & WN, Modern Cultivation, weapons-grade thirst, Getting Back Together, Trying REALLY hard to not still like your Ex, but failing, BAMF WWX, BAMF LWJ, Canon Divergence, Case Fic, LWJ’s canonically big dick, sort of a ‘thirsting for your co-worker ex’ vibe, it eventually gets worked out, Mutual Pining, Guest-starring LWJ’s canonically poor communication choices after romantic cave encounters, novel canon relationship dynamics, basically this fic is about escalating sexual tension)

🔒 The Second Jade of Lan’s late but incendiary sexual awakening by KizuKatana (E, 41k, wangxian, First Time, LWJ’s Horny Grip, LWJ does not know what hit him, and yet somehow he still realizes it before WWX, canon wangxian dynamics, college AU, LWJ starts off annoyed at WWX, But quickly discovers both his competency kink and a caretaking kink, Genius WWX)

Betrothed by Dixielis (E, 10k, WangXian, A/B/O Dynamics, Hybrids, Fox WWX, Dragon LWJ, Arranged Marriage, Omega WWX, Alpha LWJ, Miscommunication, Angst with a Happy Ending, Mildly Dubious Consent, Mpreg, Unplanned Pregnancy)

what you have tamed by lianhua_lianzi, Senforza (E, 94k, WangXian, Animal Traits, misunderstandings, Courting Rituals, Pining, Lan family dynamics, Drama, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Arranged Marriage, Wangxian break up but get back together, Eventual Happy Ending, Implied Mpreg, Unresolved Sexual Tension, unintentional and eventually resolved “gaslighting”, Dragon LWJ, Fox WWX) lan zhan fucks up so bad prepare to cry on this one but the happy ending makes it better

~*~

11. Heyo, are there any Wangxian fics where its actor Au? Like the who mdzs plot is actually a show and the actors are all friends/couples or actor au where they act in stuff and its really dramatic and Wangxian is also dramatic? Please and thank you and I hope you have a nice day or night😁 @yasssbassss

call me, beep me by myung (T, 39k, WangXian, MM/WQ, JC/WN, JYL/JZX, Social Media, Modern, Actors, Celebrity, Chatting & Messaging)

~*~

12. Hello, could you please help me find fics where WY is ashamed of his scarred and malnourished body during cloud recess period or in modern au (where no lost core or war happened, only Jiang family)

Thank you!

🔒💙 Holding shreds by barisan (T, 5k, WangXian, Cloud Recesses Study Arc, No Sunshot Campaign, Body Swap, Not for sexy shenanigans, Chronic Pain, Hurt WWX, Hurt LWJ, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Abusive YZY, Bad Parent YZY, Bad Parent JFM, Good Uncle LQR, Hurt/Comfort, Medical Inaccuracies, POV WWX, Angst with a Happy Ending, Jiāng Family Bashing, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Getting Together, Smart WWX) I'm not sure if Wei Ying feels ashamed of his scars in these but he's definitely uncomfortable with people finding out about them.

🔒 Warming up (to him) by barisan (T, 9k, LQR & WWX, WangXian, Hypothermia, Cloud Recesses Study Arc, Temporary Character Death, Medical Inaccuracies, YZY Abuses WWX, JFM Bashing, pre-wangxian, Good Uncle LQR, Angst with a Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort)

~*~

13. Do you have any Lan Xichen focused fics without xiyao? :) <3

and he sang about the stars by hauntme_then (M, 29k, WangXian, Brotherhood, Growing Up Together, Canon Compliant, Canon-Typical Violence, Angst, Grief/Mourning, Canonical Character Death)

🔒💖 Drag Me Into Your Coffin (I Will Drag Your Sins Into the Light) by the5leggedCricket (G, 2k, Canon Divergence, Temporary Character Death, Time Travel Fix-It, BAMF LXC)

🔒💖 Alternative Choices by StarClearWaters (Readoutloud) (T, 20k, WangXian, LXC/WQ, POV LXC, Protective LXC, Time Travel, Temporary Character Death, Butterfly Effect, Mpreg, Panic Attacks)

🔒💖 The blame game by apathyinreverie (T, 13k, WangXian, LXC & LWJ, LSZ & WWX, WWX & WQ, LXC & WWX, Fix-It, Time Travel, LXC time travels, Canon Divergence, Possessive LWJ, Oblivious WWX, Fluff, Siblings, Romance, Golden Core Reveal Golden Core Fix-It, crack-y idea taking itself far too seriously)

🔒 Postlude: Lan Xichen by treemaidengeek (G, <1k, Grief/Mourning, Post-Canon, Angst, Past 3zun, LXC needs a blanket and some hot chocolate, smol fic full of feelings, preceding larger fic full of even more feelings) and the rest of the series sort of counts—it's focused on Lan Xichen/Song Lan, so spotlight on both of them

~*~

14. Hi I was the confused newbee i think im doing this right 🙈. I have a kink for fics with wei ying's frist time with a guy is Lan Zhan. Could you plz help me find some long fics like this. I don't have any other preference in what the fic is about it can be a fix it/retelling/time travel etc any thing will do as long as Lan Zhan is his first male partner.

I hope i did this right��🙈🙈😳 @wangxianbff

a tide in two seas by occultings (microcomets) (E, 80k, WangXian, Modern AU, Parallel Universes, Modern with Magic, Post-Canon, Getting Together, Mutual Pining, Established Relationship, Mild Horror, Case Fic, mildly sci-fi, Yunmeng Bros Reconciliation, First Time, Loss of Virginity, Married Couple, Love Confessions) link in #2

i'm the one for your fire by occultings (microcomets) (E, 43k, WangXian, Modern with Magic, Mind Reading, Enemies to Lovers, it's only enemies to lovers in WWX's one braincell, Misunderstandings, Compulsory Heterosexuality, Whump, brief illness/injury, Pining, light bdsm in the first chap, Cherry Magic AU, Getting Together, [PODFIC] i'm the one for your fire by occultings by mulberry_graceful, i'm the one for your fire [podfic] by esbielle)

Once Patience Bears Fruit by FinallyGotTheInvitation (E, 109k, WangXian, WIP, Immortal LWJ, Immortal LSZ, Mortal WWX, soon to be Immortal WWX, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Happy Ending, almost every character diesand then, ALL CHARACTERS LIVE, And I mean ALL, be prepared for some returning faces, Fluff, Smut, WWX Has a New Golden Core, Oblivious WWX, Protective LWJ, uncovering the past, Reincarnation, Sex Magic, magical sex, "dual cultivation", novel canon, Age Difference, Drunken Kissing, Light Bondage, Major character death in a flashback, Angst, "Straight" WWX, Until he finds out he is in fact not straight, WWX has a bit of self discovery, Power Play, Dom/sub Undertones, Intercrural Sex, LWJ Has a Big Dick, Orgasm Edging, Anal Sex, Praise Kink, WWX is a Brat, Virginity Kink, blowjob, Multiple Orgasms, Biting, WWX is a Tease, POV Alternating)

the earthquake in the room by phnelt (E, 39k, WangXian, College/University, Modern: No Powers, Canada, Getting Together, Mentions of lwj/others, inter-faculty romance, strangers to lovers to frenemies to lovers, mostly book characterisation) link in #10

Walk the Circle in the Other Direction by notevenyou (E, 31k, WangXian, Modern, College/University, High School, Coming Out, Homophobia, Bad Parenting, Alcohol, Recreational Drug Use, Vomiting, Panic Attack, Bullying, Minor Injuries, Blood, Fighting, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Oblivious WWX, honestly not as dark as the tags make it seem, bisexual WWX, WWX/MM, sex between a man and a woman, [Podfic of] Walk the Circle in the Other Direction by notevenyou by AuntieIroh)

Marriage of duty by ninho_emy (M, 33k, WangXianm Rape/Non-Con, A/B/O Dynamics, Arranged Marriage, Mpreg, Canon Divergence, Angst and Tragedy, Happy Ending, First Time, First Kiss, Rape between the main characters)

~*~

15. Hi! I’m in the mood for WWX and JC not going to back to Lotus Pier while occupied by Wen. JC doesn’t lose his core. WWX doesn’t get forced into an alternative cultivation method. Any ideas? @hairybeardtongue

Wei Ying & Jiang Cheng don't return to Lotus Pier in these because Jiang Cheng injuries Wei Ying so I'm not sure if these fit really: 🔒 Bright Voice Roughly Rendered Softly Silent by Preludian_Staves (T, 26k, WangXian, Canon-Typical Violence, Canon Divergence, No Golden Core Transfer, Muteness, Hurt/Comfort, Getting Together, Not JC Friendly, Confessions, Angst, Choking, Red String of Fate, Appearances by Paperman WWX, Inventor WWX, Good Uncle LQR, WWX Goes to Cloud Recesses, Feelings Realization, Caretaking, Supportive Lan Family, Genius WWX, Angst with a Happy Ending, WangXian Get a Happy Ending, Protective LWJ, Protective Lan Family, Character Death (not wwx or lwj)

Obscuring the Sun by Karmiya (E, 24k, WIP, WangXian, WWX & WN, the sunshot campaign, Past Domestic Abuse)

The River Brought You Here by ChilianXianzi (Not Rated, 11k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, POV Outsider, Amnesia, not JC friendly, Past abuse, Strangulation, Found Family)

Lay my body down by tawaen (M, 48k, WWX & WQ, WWX & WN, wangxian, WWX & JYL, Canon Divergence, Time Travel, Rogue Cultivator WWX, Eventual WangXian, No Golden Core Transfer, Not Cultivation World Friendly, Canon-Typical Violence, Not JC Friendly, What if WWX saw the first siege of the burial mounds and said Nope to the war, OCs, OC point-of-view for one chapter for plot reasons) Jiang Cheng returns to LP on his own in this one and is imprisoned by the Wens but doesn't lose his core

~*~

16. Hello! ITMF Wei Wuxian cultivating a new golden core? Not modern, please. Thanks everyone!

💙🔒Away from Trouble by Ilona22 (M, 15k, WangXian, Not JC Friendly, WangXian Get a Happy Ending)

Discarded by teawater (E, 187k, WIP, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Dying Lan children, Hurt/Comfort, YL WWX, Golden Core Reveal, Case Fic, Depression, Family Issues, Self-Esteem Issues, Self Confidence Issues, Self-Worth Issues, Angst with a Happy Ending, and it’s not always dark, POV Multiple, BAMF WWX, dubious morals in the Lan sect Feels, Pining, Grief, Fix-It, BAMF LWJ)

Overcome by thunderwear (E, 7k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, First Time, First Kiss, Feelings Realization, Love Confessions, Marriage Proposal, Idiots in Love, Fix-It)

Practical Considerations by teawater, the_anthropologist (E, 97k, WangXian, JC & WWX, LXC & WWX, LQR & WWX, Arranged Marriage, Canon Divergence, Found Family, Spouses to Lovers, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, Politics, Scheming, Lán Elders are assholes, BAMF WWX, BAMF LWJ, eventually BAMF LXC, learning to make decisions, Learning Self-worth, Self-Esteem Issues, Sweet Wangxian, Domestic Fluff, Fix-It, JC is a big asshole, he improves somewhat but it's open-ended, WWX learns to stand up for himself, POV WWX, POV LWJ, POV JC, Golden Core Reveal, Teacher WWX, Golden Core Transfer Fix-It, Alcohol as a Coping Mechanism, Past Suicidal Thoughts, Post-Sunshot Campaign, WWX Protection Squad, Feelings Realization, WWX protector of the twin jades, Protective LWJ, Protective WWX, Protective LQR, Demonic Cultivator WWX, WWX is Loved, Married WangXIan, Genius WWX, Everybody Lives)

Sunder by naqaashi (E, 32k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Soulmates, Golden Core Reveal, Golden Core Transfer Fix-It, WWX Has a New Golden Core, Heavy Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Denial of Feelings, Mutual Pining, Emotional Sex, Porn with Feelings, PWP, Light BDSM, Fix-It, POV LWJ, YLLZ WWX, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, Top/Bottom Versatile | Switch WangXian, Light Dom/sub, Explicit Sexual Content, Miscommunication, Misunderstandings, Grief/Mourning, Five Stages of Grief, Suicidal Thoughts)

the breaking of your soul (upon my lips) by sunsandships (M, 40k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Fix-It, Mutual Pining, Golden Core Reveal, Happy Ending)

The Core Issue by Hauntcats (T, 21k, WangXian, Angst with a Happy Ending, Not JC Friendly, Canon Divergence)

~*~

17. Hello! Im in the mood for A/B/O mating run fics either Lan wangji or Wei wuxian are the alphas thankyou! @lunamooonn

~*~

If you didn’t get an answer to your ask here, don’t forget to make use of @mdzs-kinkmeme and MDZS KINK MEME on Dreamwidth. Authors actually do use them for ideas. You may get what you order!***Your prompt doesn’t have to be kink! Fluff, crack, whatever - it’s all good!***

[throwaway-yandere]

𝗖𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 [Yandere!Dottore/Reader]

a/n: this fic is 100% dedicated to @leftdestiny-posts and they would know just how much they had inspired me in this fic once they finished reading it HAHAHAHAH. P.S.: the classical songs mentioned are actual songs. Yes, the title is half a joke. Here's the spotify playlist if you're curious.

Unreliable Synopsis: You cannot remember your past, but your doctor has been with you every step of the way— and he's more than willing to spend some time with you outside the hospital. Still... did you always have pure white hair?

CW: yandere themes, light body horror, manipulation, its dottore, c'mon LOL.

Concert II "Tristezza Di Fine Anno", performed by the Morespoke Philharmonic with their conductor, Lady Columbina, began nearly an hour ago. And you had the fortune of hearing their songs for yourself.

The well-dressed crowd filled the seats, behaving in what was appropriate for their high station. It was fully booked. The music overwhelmingly masked anyone's breaths, if they had one to start with. Her program can be felt deep in the audience's bones. Rattling them in each sforzando before it lulls down through the sound of her handpicked musicians— with Lady Columbina as the lonesome soloist when the moment calls for it.

"This piece, Symphony No. 5 in C-Sharp Minor, is not Columbina's own making, she had failed to mention that," your company hummed. "This was by another composer who hid behind the name Safed. They were a self-fulling prophecy. Do you wish to know what they said about this piece?"

You said nothing as Zandik— Lord Dottore— stroked your unnaturally "white" hair.

"They said that nobody understood the piece and that they wish they could conduct the first performance five centuries after their death."

Zandik smiled.

"What say you? Do you think those words are true?"

Your company was a tall and thin man with artificially pale-ish skin and wavy blue hair. His eyes were reportedly bloodshot crimson, although you had not received proof of that in this lifetime. But, you were drawn to his deep ocean-like colors, and that was enough to keep you mildly complacent to his strange remarks.

Zandik is surprisingly a considerate man, but he must've brought you with him for a reason. He told you himself that the reason he brought you out of your prison-like hospital room was a mere experiment on his behalf. Paradigm-shifting consequences of his strange social experiments with you are likely to occur, and he cares not for its ethical debates. He won't ask for rhetorics; these to him are tangible outcomes and no questions will be entertained.

All except his.

"I think… "

The composition had a serene, slightly asymmetrical feel to it. You were certain this was Lady Columbina's creative liberties at play. Something about it did not capture its true authenticities. The show purported to narrate three stories: the first concerned a judge who had to find a loved one guilty; the second concerned a prince who drove their beloved into despair; and the final was a tale of a knight who disregarded his obligation to defend a loved one.

But it felt incomplete. As if there was a missing piece— a secret fourth act hiding between the notes and stage.

"A person can't completely mourn for something they would never experience," you told him. "But even so, if I were Safed, I'd feel like my effort would've been a waste."

His eyes remained trained on your hair as you spoke. Zandik seems to dislike it. Unlike his cells mixed with engineered nanomaterials, yours are uniquely… "natural". His hair has a color intensity, whereas yours was the presence of every color— as physics explained it.

"Something they would never experience…" Zandik repeated, tasting the words on his tongue— a smirk etched on his face as though it tasted like bitter irony.

You continued.

"I have a hunch that Safed put everything they worked hard on all their pieces because Lady Columbina wouldn't have performed it otherwise. Since all the songs on the concert's program are marketed as underappreciated compositions, I would… um… infer that they also questioned their works and ultimately themselves if it all had worth in the end. Hopeless for the lack of attention, they probably thought there's more hope if they lived in another generation."

You wanted to say, though you're not sure where this negativity came from, that they probably despised how their well-crafted works were ignored and their sloppy yet significantly more popular compositions angered them.

But you're not Safed. You don't want to put words in their mouth.

".... Hmm, an acceptable hypothesis— a decent one, even," whatever monotonous response Zandik wished to convey, his voice betrayed his grand satisfaction. "Yet I won't give you any confirmation."

"I know."

Zandik laughed.

"The next piece is Norn's Adagio for Strings Op. 11, before the closing Symphony No. 6, better known as Pathétique Symphony, in B Minor Op. 74."

You tilted your head innocently. "Pathetic?"

"Another piece by Safed. It's a Fontaine-translated title. It's originally named pateticheskaya, which meant passionate or emotional, not at all pitiable."

He crossed his arms, insulted as though he was the one who came up with the original title.

"Roughly half a millennium past, the masses attributed Safed's demise to the strains of their final composition, the so-called Pathétique, a mere nine days preceding their exit from this mortal coil. The prevailing narrative spouts a tale of a tragic surrender to the clutches of undiagnosed clinical depression. I find such simplicity in analysis rather pedestrian, wouldn't you agree?"

You took a while to process his inquiry before hesitantly nodding.

"I… I think so."

Zandik smiled.

It's hard to tell if it's genuine, especially when such a protruding mask hides his eyes. Should its existence vanish, you aren't certain you'd see a soul within his pupils either.

"Safed hated this piece, believing it should be cast aside and forgotten. They were living in the woodlands when they wrote it— and when they decided to live with their benefactor, it was suddenly difficult to tear them away from their work."

You nodded to cue that you were still listening.

"They have an incredibly deep connection with their works. One might say they see in tunes rather than color."

You nodded again.

"Your inclination towards a perpetual affirmation of propositions, presumably to veil any potential lacunae in your cognitive purview, does not escape me. It is, if I may be so bold, your agreement that conceals your specter of unfamiliarity, right?"

You rarely understand a word he says when he is in this passionate state. You just nod as if you knew.

"Adorable," Zandik chuckled.

His voice was chillingly low yet… comforting. 

"Your sincerity constitutes an enchanting facet of your comportment."

He had to be teasing you.

"Although…" Zandik grabbed a few locks of your hair as though it was slimy and unpleasant— quickly retracting them with a disapproving tilt. "You could stand to utilize more (h/c) hair dyes. How is it conceivable that it has returned to white yet again?"

You opened your mouth but Zandik raised a finger.

"No. I am the scholar here. Do not answer."

You giggled. "Understood, Doctor."

He grinned, inadvertently showing off his pointed canines.

"What a good test subject you are, my dear (Y/n)."

Whether good was a subjective or objective assessment or not was up to interpretation.

The mid-concert intermission began, allowing Lady Columbina's pressured musicians a 20-minute sigh of relief. Zandik ushered you to the back where the Lady Harbinger reposed on a white sofa, her cheek brushing a visibly soft and cloud-like pillow. The bright backstage lighting made her seem ethereal.

She looked like heaven, but Zandik would argue that "(Y/n)" is the true epitome of the word.

"Greetings. As expected, you'd initiate conversation at the earliest convenience." She cooed. "You look younger today, Doctor."

"You know very well that I do not take that as a compliment, Columbina." Zandik scoffed. "How many times will we rehearse this canned script until it is a learned lesson?"

"Perhaps it shall end on the day you refrain yourself from recreating… perspectives."

"Since my encounter with the Dendro Archon, I have not revisited that notion."

Columbina's gentle smile dropped coldly. "You know that your segments are not what I am referring to."

You looked back and forth between the two. Each of them was a distinctively unique person and it's a challenge to take your eyes away from the other.

Hence, when you felt Lady Columbina's eyes on you, you shook and straightened yourself before bowing stiffly.

"G-Greetings, Lady Columbina!!!"

Her gentle smile resurfaced.

"Greetings to you as well, dear Safed."

You blinked.

Dottore clicked his tongue, and Columbina laughed softly.

"Apologies, I meant to say (Y/n)— that is the name you go by in this era of humanity, right?"

You'd rightfully claim that between the three of you, you were the most human. Zandik has his clones, Columbina's origins are of strict secrecy, and you are a mere amnesiac patient. But the way she addressed you was sounding awful like stripping you away with that sense of humane identity.

"Yes? I guess?"

Columbina delightedly buzzed in your reply. "(Y/n)— truly a lovely name. That must mean that you're very healthy! It warms my heart to hear that name again. The other ones had terribly dull names, but if the Doctor had given you this title, then it must mean his research is finally drawing to a close."

Her remarks made little sense. You know little about yourself and trust only the Doctor's judgment. Should you trust her words, then it must mean (Y/n) isn't your real name…

But… that doesn't seem right either. 

"Not quite, the name deserves no celebration," Dottore replied happily. "I merely ran out of translations. Bianco, Wit, Bái— what else is there? Ancient Natlan?"

"Scientists truly make for terrible poets— Why not try Inazuman?" Columbina offered.

Those words must have had a heavy weight to them because Zandik pondered for much longer than expected.

"Hmm. I'll keep that in mind," Zandik muttered. "Although it is preferable it does not have to reach that point."

"May I ask why did you bring them here?" Columbina asked.

"It's a bit of an unconventional experiment, but I've been exploring how to elicit positive associations with certain stimuli. Exposing them to music as I accompany them should cause them to associate the emotional response it elicits with being around me." Dottore hummed. "It would be asinine to put them in a chaotic yet controlled environment such as a theme park. While a racing heart may be effective, I shouldn't risk a (Y/n)'s well-being by subjecting them to roller coasters."

"Are you sure you're not the scared one?" You asked cheekily. Zandik rolled his eyes.

She shook her head.

"What a roundabout way of saying you're taking them out on a concert date…"

Columbina looked at you once more.

"Oh, but (Y/n), you appear unwell, my dear…" she pointed at stage left. "Why don't you fix yourself up in the nearest restroom?"

Dottore raised an eyebrow, which made you want to decline Columbina.

"I'm r-really okay, Lady Colum—"

"I insist."

Columbina smiled wider. Her laced mask cast a gloomy shade on her visage.

You had no other choice.

"O… Okay."

The halls that led to the restroom were mostly empty. Perhaps it was due to Lady Columbina's performance that made them patiently await the next song.

But there was one young man you encountered along the way. He had blonde half-way braided hair and purple-ish eyes. You paid him no mind as he circled a small rectangular paper, likely the concert's ticket, between his fingers. However, within a second, that paper vanished.

You stopped in your tracks and looked at him curiously, wondering if your eyes played tricks. He laughed, noting your attention.

"Ah! Sorry," he cheerfully gestured a small wave. "Didn't mean to practice in public."

The blonde man approached you with a smile.

"You're #9805, right?"

Immediately, you both got on the wrong foot.

Your nose scrunched, "I prefer (Y/n)."

The man flinched. "Oh, yikes! I'm not making the best first impression— nice to meet you (Y/n)! I have something for you."

You thought he was handing you his concert ticket for a moment but when you took a good look, it was a grayscale brochure.

And a white tulip…

"Um…"

"Needless to say, I'm something of a—"

"Trickster?"

"Magician, but an astute guess nonetheless!" He laughed sheepishly. "I was waiting for you, I thought you wouldn't go to the restroom."

So, did Lady Columbina plan this?

You caressed the binding and skimmed through the pages. "What's this for?"

"Father said you might be interested in its contents," the young man said. "That's all."

You blinked.

"... Are you saying you missed out most of the concert just to hand me this?"

He laughed awkwardly again. "My dear sister says I have a habit of missing a hint of romanticism when it counts, so I guess today's just one of those moments."

"Did you not like the music?" You scoffed, temper rising.

"Did you hate the composition? Did you not understand the e-emotion behind the chords? Don't you understand just how d-disrespectful that was?!"

"Woah, woah, I didn't say any of that." His eyes widened.

He didn't expect your voice to crack.

"I'm so sorry if you're offended— are you one of the original composers?"

…

You took a deep breath.

… Why were you mad?

… Why did it feel like those songs mean more to you than meets the eye?

"Sorry, I just…" You shook your head. "I guess I'm not feeling well. Oh, no, I'm so SO sorry…"

An unknown part of you thrived to hear him praise the music. That same part pitied the composer who worked day and night to perfect their piece. It's an ugly voice, but it was sincere.

… What was wrong with you? Why did you suddenly lash out? What was going on?

"Oh, well there's no need to be sorry then." The blonde man took his hat off and bowed.

"Farewell, Mx. (Y/n)!" He grinned. "The greatest magician in all Teyvat will take his leave. Thank you for your time!"

With the sway of his dark cape, he disappeared.

You entered the restroom to wash your face. It didn't do much to soothe your nerves. The lingering dread for your strange emotional mood swing remained.

To distract yourself, you read through the article.

The Enigmatic Legacy of Composer Safed

In the annals of musical history, few figures emerge as enigmatic and hauntingly captivating as the orchestral composer, Safed. Born five centuries ago amidst the ancient woodlands of Sumeru, this ethereal musician seemingly materialized from Vanarama with no familial relations.

Huh… So it's about the one who wrote the previous compositions earlier.

No wonder that blonde man asked if you were one of the composers. He was being a smartass.

A Fiery Finale: The Pathétique Symphony

Legend has it that in their final act of emotional expression, Safed penned the "Pathétique Symphony," a composition so emotionally charged that, overwhelmed with disdain for their creation, they purportedly set ablaze their woodland home. Seeking solace and escape, Safed accepted the benevolent offer of a city-dwelling benefactor.

…

…

Safed… burned down their house?

No…

No, that's not how you remembered that.

No.

No. No. No. No. No.

That's not what happened. "Safed" didn't burn their house down.

Suddenly, you stilled. Your thoughts ran wild, but your inner rationale tried to force them to a halt. This peak in anxiety did not make sense.

… Why would an amnesiac like you know what happened?

A Swansong: Il Dottore's Beneficence

Their benefactor, now celebrated as our Lord Harbinger, Il Dottore, welcomed Safed into the city's heart. It was here that the truth unfolded: Safed had been grappling with hearing loss for years, an affliction that fueled their artistic brilliance yet cloaked them in a muffled world. They were unaware of their disability, yet thrived in their field.

…

…

Wait…

Before you began to read the final paragraph in Safed's brochure, you hurriedly went back to Dottore and the composer's vintage photographed portraits.

After seeing their face, you dropped the brochure in the restroom's sink.

You saw their face.

You saw YOUR face and Zandik's.

But not quite. That was you, but at the same time, it wasn't. Zandik looked stiff in those photos with "you", likely a product of the time since Kamera photography was used only in rare formalities that required a bit of dress up. But the "you" you saw was sickly way beyond the formal costumes. They had (e/c) eyes and (h/c) hair, but yours were all white. 

White…

Safed… That's the Sumeru translation for white, isn't it?

Bianco, Wit, Bái— they're all translations for "white", aren't they? And if Dottore and Columbina's earlier conversations were to go by, the one after you would be named Shiro.

…

The one… after you?

"Tut tut."

You trembled at the familiar sound.

You slowly turned your head around and there he was, leaning against the restroom door.

"You were in the restroom for too long. It appears my suspicions were not unfounded."

Without waiting for a response, he approached with large strides. His gloved hands seized your stressed shoulders. The grip tightened harshly as he forced you to meet his intense gaze. Blood trailed from the corner of your mouth, and your anxiety heightened. He angrily bared his sharp teeth as he watched it stain his gloves.

And yet Zandik looks…

Sad.

And distressed.

He pressed his earpiece.

"Test Subject #9805 exhibits troubling symptoms. Hematemesis suggests a severe physiological response. Persistent manifestations of albinism in ocular and follicular pigmentation indicate underlying deformities. Immediate isolation is warranted for the researcher and subject's well-being."

His hand was cold. Skin imbued with silver nanomaterials after several operations, reminiscent of the age-old philosophical question: "Is it still the same ship if you gradually replace all of its parts?" 

Then Zandik did something unexpected.

He dropped his hold and you prepared yourself by shutting your eyes as he swung his arm.

To hug you.

"I'm sorry, I have failed you again, (Y/n)," Zandik muttered. "I should not have raised my expectations."

"W… What? Why are you putting me in isolation?" You asked, rattled. "What have I done?! I just— I didn't do anything wrong! What did I—"

He shifted, dragging your arm to hug him back as though you were a little girl's doll. Zandik rested his head on your shoulder, shaking slightly.

"In your innocence, no fault lies. I thought I had accomplished what I had set out to do, and met unfulfilled expectations" Zandik gritted his teeth, voice somber. "Despite centuries of refinement, it appears that I still have room for improvement in perfecting the process… I was right. This deserves no celebration."

The doctor laughed sadly.

"When will I ever be proven wrong?" He asked himself as he wiped the blood off the corner of your lips.

He pulled away, pecking your forehead.

"I'm sorry."

Those were not the words you expected from his mouth, and yet you heard it more than once. I'm sorry. It does not fit his character, nor does the tender yet cold hug he had given prior.

You're scared. You're terrified. You know what was bound to come. You know what awaits you. White walls. Silence. Separation.

Solitary.

Far from a choice. Far from negotiable.

There's no amnesty.

And yet, the words flowed from you naturally.

"... I forgive you."

You have no idea why you said what you said. There's no certainty that you believed your own words. Zandik's lip twitched downward.

"You should not," Zandik croaked. "Why? Why must you always forgive and accept my selfishness? Do you derive satisfaction in seeing me in this state?!"

You opened your mouth to answer but were stopped abruptly as he grabbed your hair.

Zandik had always favored you compared to other patients. You know this very well. He's an evil man and the list of actions he had done that had harmed you in the name of science is at least two pages long upon your awakening. Yet, you were sure he liked you enough for he told you of his new exciting experiments. He scolded you when you left his research institute for fresh air. And he would hold your hand whenever you dreaded those thick injections.

You just didn't know he had it in him to fold from his intimidating facade just to kiss you like a desperate man. 

Breathless under his control, he softly pressed his lips against yours. His lips were chapped and cold, and he took you in gently as though he'd break you. Zandik, as strange as it was, still seemed to prioritize your comfort over his needs. Normally, this tension would've made him so short-tempered. But this will be your last interaction. The doctor tasted your blood in his mouth, and he was nauseous at the thought of hurting you more. But he stopped. Even though he wishes to force all his pent-up desires onto you. Even though he wanted to love you thoroughly that you'd forget your name again.

Zandik whimpered quietly as he pulled away— sounding like a dog that would not sleep that night. What was left in between was a thin disappearing line of saliva and blood that quickly broke off.

The doctor should be happy he finally got to have a proper date with you after 9805 failed attempts. 

But he's not content.

He was about to lean in for the second time but stopped himself. Selfish. To think he nearly saw you two finally walking down the aisle. Why was he always so selfish when it came to you? But those rhetorics mattered not in your head.

You were silenced. You were held.

You were loved.

"No." Zandik breathed in, laughing humorlessly. "No— I am the scholar here. Don't answer."

And you will be disposed of.

"Take them away." He spoke to his men calmly. They had entered long enough to witness what he had done. The men did not hesitate to grab you, thinking Dottore thought you no more than a mere toy.

But calm was deceptive. It does not convey the distress that chokes him.

Maybe…

Maybe in the 9806's trial… he'll have you as he always wanted.

The Fatuus that escorted you in was gentle. A silent guide. The expression on her face was clear that she wanted to extend her apologies as well but mustn't.

You already have a white tulip in hand.

Arlecchino already sended her regards in advance.

When she opened the door by tapping a card against the lock, she bowed her head. You let yourself enter without a fight. The room was pure white with the rest of the furniture matching the drapes. But Dottore didn't just provide the necessities. There were books, sketch pads, and other recreational materials.

As you were about to approach the center, something was off on both sides.

You looked to your left.

Two clear mirrors divided your room from the others. There's a sign on the left wall. Code #4135.

You stood, shocked, grieving at the sight of your predecessor. They were a mirror of you but with a different name— and an even worse state.

One had made a slight sound coming off their skin— rotting slightly. There's a tube connected to their mouth and you could see yourself— you could see them dripping. They had your face. Their hair and eyes were white. The nose was gone, leaving a gaping hole. Their neck was cricked back at an unnatural angle. You don't know if they're still breathing. They're still bleeding. They must've bitten off their tongue.

There's a lone white blanket that covers the rest of them.

You think they might be dead.

You think "you" might've died more than once.

THUD!

You jolted at the sound coming from the wall behind you. Upon seeing their body, you froze.

Code #032.

They were but a head. You wish you could only focus on that aspect, but you looked lower and your hair raised. They cannot feel the same, for they were almost only a spine left. The rest of them were their skeletal frame, guided by thin lines one can barely call flesh.

Their head banged against the mirror. The thought that the sound was what made you flinch earlier made you unwell.

They seem to be telling you something. Their breath fogged up the glass and their thinned white hair splayed across your view. Their mouth said something urgently you couldn't comprehend because their tongue was paper-like in size.

#032 was shaking. Their pain grew vivid in every movement that the room was starting to spin. You sensed their turmoil.

They looked like death.

You all looked like death itself, both the pretty and ugly ends of it.

"Don't." You whispered, begging as you knelt to their level. "You don't have to speak."

You laughed deprecatingly.

"We're not the scholar here. He is."

In every syllable, you saw the outline of their esophagus strain. The nerves were blueish purple. The little skin they have left on their cheeks is sunken. Their lips were gnawed, likely as a response to the pain they'd gone through previously. Fists of bone tapped against the glass, and you quivered, imagining their pain.

You were not afraid of them. You only mourned their anguish. In fact, you feel at ease to be in the presence of yourself from the past.

It reminded you of what "Safed" had allegedly spoken years ago.

Nobody understood the pieces you made and you wished you could conduct the first performance five centuries after your first death.

And now, here you are.

Seeing two "people" who do understand you.

And they share your face.

"Pathetically", the only one that can understand you is yourself.

You're all flies trapped in a web that the predator refuses to wrap and consume out of pity. Compared to the others, you looked fine.

But your lungs were blistering.

Despite their deathly ill and mutilated bodies, you were the one bound to die soon enough.

His experiments worked.

You love him.

You love Zandik.

And how tragic it was that the person who learned how to love him was doomed to perish.

In your last minutes, you recalled something vital:

As an outsider, your body was not meant for this world, but after encountering the woodland creatures and Zandik, it became tremendously difficult to part ways with it.

You coughed up yet again with a gentle smile on your face. Maybe you're not dying…

Maybe you're just returning home, for every atom in your multiple bodies was once part of the galaxy.

You are (Y/n) (L/n).

And you were not from Teyvat.

Much like the rest of the descenders, you have a quirk about you that sets you apart from the norm. For the travelers the world reveres today, it was their distinct determination and questionable age that was remarkable. Yours slightly titters to an inhuman level.

You can "clone" yourself.

Zandik and the "original" you wouldn't phrase it in that manner, but it's the easiest way to describe your talents.

"So, it is cloning." Zandik paused. "Mind letting me in on the science behind the process?"

He was an ordinary student when you both met. Far from a doctor, but at least he was a registered scholar in the Akademiya. Zandik didn't have an eloquent tongue as he does in the present, yet his curiosity burned all the same.

Which is why, back then, you thought his questions were cute.

Not dangerous.

"It's not that I can make copies of myself without consequences," you humored with a grin. "I'm just making… fragments of myself. Segments, if you prefer to call it that. It's a common ability for the people back in my world. None of us do it excessively— especially since we're kind of an invasive species." 

Zandik raised an eyebrow, "is that a commendable trait?"

"My kind says so. Whether good is a subjective or objective assessment or not is up to interpretation." You answered noncommittedly. "I don't think that's right. Our soul splits apart until we're just… empty. We lose some memories in the process."

"But functioning?"

"In a sense, yeah, but we lose a part of ourselves like memories and well, hair color, I guess." You nodded. "Why are you so curious?"

"Since you have rejected my confession, I want to try my hand at seducing a copy of yours instead," Zandik said. You couldn't tell whether he was joking with his naturally piercing red eyes. "Until then, you are not allowed to asexually reproduce without my authorization. Understood?"

You laughed. Unaware of his arsonist crimes, you willingly indulged his words.

"I owe you my ears, so it's only right that I'll listen to your commands, Zandik."

"Good." Zandik grinned, shark-like.

"What a good test subject you are, (Y/n)."

Centuries later, that closing sentence will continue to remain true.

Since then, his life has changed. Multiplied, even. Upon studying your genetic makeup, he found ways to duplicate himself as well. Despite his feats in science, Zandik remained unhappy.

Deep down, all the Harbingers pity the Doctor who cannot save his most loved one. That includes both Columbina and Arlecchino.

No one protests even when harmful orders are given; everything appears fine until the symptoms are felt. Because the organism— the astral descender— has no nerves or voice, he continues to assume that the patient is not in pain.

The patient needs peace but because they are not to speak, they remain silent, and the need persists.

The patient wants to eat and breathe fresh air, but because such desires might hurt the feelings of the doctor who thinks he has done everything needed, the patient remains quiet, contemplating desires out of fear of reprimand.

The original (Y/n) (L/n) suffers in silence. In a white room only accessible by a man who continues to nurse his unrequited love: Zandik.

No one else can enter this room.

He won't allow it. Only he can be obsessed with you.

The thought of you haunts him like a smiling reflection upon window panes— like a gift of a Trojan horse with nothing but your echoing laughter and hospital monitor beeps inside. Your thin limbs were marching clock hands with rusted gears that miraculously function till the end of time.

What is immortality for if every day was a death loop?

It is such a lonely concept…

You ought to be thankful that he's willing to be your eternal company.

"I endeavored to elicit a reciprocation of my sentiments from the latest subject. Regrettably, their discovery of my antecedent experiments transpired prematurely. Nevertheless, as asserted several times, it remains but a temporal inevitability until an iteration of yourself succumbs to having an interest towards me." Dottore hummed.

He held your feet.

He held Test Subject #01's feet.

If you spoke up, he would've bragged about how he was right. How people do love your songs. But no one knows if you can't or won't answer him. This one-sided conversation is the punishment for his hubris.

He took out a sharp knife and cut off one of your toes. You no longer feel any pain as you bleed into his hands. What a kind man the doctor is, for he blocked all your pain receptors years ago. It's a good thing you regenerate quickly.

That's what he loved and hated about you.

You only gave and gave.

But you never ran out of soul. You never ran your heart fully dry— and that left you ill. Zandik could never let you go.

You're already a part of him.

Hence, he must not make clones of exaggerated memories. He wanted your perfect yet healthy replica.

Praise be the white corpuscles extracted from your veins which had brought him new life. You were the reason for his research. You were the breath that gave his segments life. You were his muse, much like he was yours.

"Fear not, (Y/n)," he reassured with a measured tone. "Upon my mastery of the arts, I intend to reinstate your autonomy and awareness. Perhaps then, you shall find the organic inclination to reciprocate affection toward me by the 9806's trial. Until then…"

In other words, give him more time and he'll reinvent love.

He leaned his forehead against yours.

"I'm so, so sorry."

And ultimately, he'll reinvent YOU.

"Can I have another piece of your scalp?"

"No."

"Do you not understand the weight of this research or must I expound on it further in another three-hour presentation?"

"Alternatively, you could start by saying that you're sorry," you raised an eyebrow. "I'm still not over the fact you randomly cut a piece of my ear when I was asleep, doctor. You know, I heard from the aranaras that white tulips are given to someone when they ask for forgiveness."

Zandik smirked.

"Regrettably, it seems that such an occurrence is unlikely to transpire. Do not expect such words and gifts from me."

You smiled.

"We'll see, we'll see."

Taglist (pls notify if you wish to be on the taglist for the last two): @average-yandere-enjoyer @pix-stuff @sagekun @vennnnn-diagram @dilucragnidvr @tnsophiaonly @lsleepysimpl

[nerd-at-sea5]

i keep seeing sm anti percabeth (idk how i am very pro percabeth tumblr what are you doing) and like. i feel like a large amount of people forget that they are both massively traumatized kids/teenagers who are in their first and only relationship.

they’re gonna fuck up, they’re gonna be a little toxic, but overall they’re is so much communication and time and like. life that we DONT see.

percy is also an unreliable narrator (no hate but he is), he’s sarcastic and sometimes people don’t pick up on his sarcasm. he insults himself a lot and he really does see some things with rose colored glasses

annabeth and him were also friends first, so a lot of how they behave is very friend-like. the teasing of being smart (god knows my friend and i tease each other religiously for being smart or not smart). honestly the judo flip as well (can’t tell you how many times my friends and i have thrown punches at one another and before you say ‘yes well he’s an abuse victim! so it’s different!!’ yeah, so are some of my friend and so am i. we’ve talked about it, and don’t step out of line) communication is important kids!! (so is consent!!!! had to throw that in there)

we didn’t see them talk about it! they 100% did, why else would annabeth be comfortable enough doing it?

anyway i know this is a long ass rant, i’m just mildly annoyed that people think these traumatized kids with absolutely no therapy experience whatsoever are going to be 110% perfect 24/7, like yeah they’re a great relationship but hey, they’ve still fucked up. we all have

* also ik i didn’t go into every single minor detail. i am not that focused. i’ve got adhd and it’s vacation so fuck that. i also haven’t reread in a while (rlly into fantasy right now) so…..sue me 🤷

[cattakeover]

Sometimes I think about how disgusting the fandom was towards sally between like 2018-possibly 2020 and ooooooooooooooo I start feeling mad, one small benefit of having a very small fandom is that I don’t have to see any of that anymore.

Sally got so much hate whilst Arthur was everyone’s “poor little meow meow pookie can do no wrong twink” and sally was the evil slut who ruined Arthur’s life or something. I don’t hate him he’s like top 3 characters for me but we can’t forget that he is kinda an asshole and at the very least mildly misogynistic (the game is set in the 1960s after all) AND a unreliable narrator (well to be fair him, sally and Ollie all are) and we he says and hears about sally shouldn’t be taken at face value, especially when it comes to what his dad did.

I gotta let nature heal, I gotta bully that pathetic man to make things right. I will not accept any sally slander

[makethosenarratorsfight]

UNRELIABLE NARRATORS; SIDE B

Shen Qingqiu Propaganda:

The entire series is told from his POV and the story seems like a comedy. The side stories from other characters POVs make the story sound like a tragedy. He thought that Luo Binghe hated him and wanted him dead while everyone else knew that Binghe was in love with him.

the whole book he’s using his OWN interpretation of the world to explain literally everything, not knowing that his introduction into the world changed it so fundamentally that his prior knowledge of it is less than useless. he’s like “binghe is being sweet to me because binghe is sweet to people that wronged him before repaying their slight a thousandfold, and he only adds their acceptance of his sweetness to his tally of their sins!! i have to run away forever or he’ll tear my arms and legs off!!!!!!” and binghe in reality is like “wow the love of my life my beloved shizun is scared of me still :( i should act sweet and nonthreatening so he’s not scared of me :(“ and he literally doesn’t have this corrected until the end of the book. but even when that one thing is corrected he still is like “haha okay but these other six things-“ bro……. cucumber bro………….. you homosexualized the world just accept it

He examines the entire reality he's isekai-ed into as if it's still fictional and his inner monologue ignores any "character trait" of the people around him that doesn't fit into his perception of "canon" despite everything he's done to change reality from the canon of the novel he first read. He routinely mislabels his own emotions as well as making heteronormative assumptions about himself and the people around him before he finally realises he's in reciprocated gay love with a man. It's a book that benefits being read twice, so the second time around you can focus on the implications Shen Qingqiu blatantly misses.

Transmigrates into a novel he “hates,” assumes he’s doing a good job pretending to be the character whose body he got stuck in, assumes other characters will stick to their original paths. Lotta assumptions, lots of rationalizing, lots of incredible feats of misunderstanding/misinterpreting things. His internal narration is also hysterical.

Cale Henituse Propaganda:

Motherfucker is out here saving the entire continent and then gets confused when they become loyal to him. he's all like "oh yea, they're just repaying their debt then they'll leave and I'll be able to slack off" and then he gets mega confused when they DONT leave and instead fight anyone who mildly insults them. He chalks this up to them all just being unstable. Also he casually wins a war, doesn't realize he's a war hero, and casually walks away thinking it wasn't a big deal. Fucking idiot I love him

[marcandreyuri]

rating: explicit

relationships: Sidney Crosby/Nathan MacKinnon, Sidney Crosby Mario Lemieux (mentioned)

word count: 3,366

additional tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Mildly Dubious Consent, Anal Sex, Blow Jobs, Established Relationship, First Time, Unreliable Narrator, Additional Warnings In Author's Note

summary:

When rookies score their first goal, their captain gets to fuck them as a reward. After the Penguins draft Nathan MacKinnon in 2013, Sid knows it's only a matter of time before he gets him in his bed.

written for day one of @kinkuary: age gap

[bucketsofmonsters]

Where the Light Enters - Part 18

Cole/Female Inquisitor

cw: unreliable narrator, hurt/comfort, slow burn, enemies to lovers, referenced noncon, mildly suicidal ideation, happy ending

word count: 4k

ao3 link

Masterlist

She could tell Solas was getting irritated with her but she couldn’t help it, it wasn’t her fault he wasn’t making any sense. 

“I have to go to what?” she asked again.

“It’s called an Eluvian,” Solas said, patience clearly running thin. 

“I don’t know what that is and also I’m not going,” she said, which felt like a fair counter to her.

He looked like he might strangle her. He spoke slowly, like he was talking to a child. “If we lose it, we lose this war.”

“Then someone should go get it,” she informed him helpfully.

“There may be rifts.”

“Maybe. There may be rifts anywhere,” she said. 

“We need this to go smoothly. I don’t like it any more than you do, but we have to go.”

She threw her head back and groaned. “Fine. Blackwall and Varric can come then.” She didn't even think to mention Cole, he was a given. 

Solas shot her another pointed look. “You need a mage,” he said through gritted teeth. 

She groaned. “Fine! Come along if you must, why not? I don’t know why you even asked if you were going to strong arm me into it anyways.”

“Iron Bull is coming too.”

She threw her hands up in surrender. “I was unaware you were the new Inquisitor, congratulations. You’ll be able to approve so many stupid excursions now all on your own. Oh, and Cole is coming or I swear I will throw the biggest fit you’ve ever seen.”

“Fine,” he hissed. 

“Fine,” she spat back. 

It was not the most relaxed journey she’d ever taken. There appeared to be some tension amidst the group and she had a nagging suspicion she may have been to blame. 

They reached the elven ruins with minimal issues, though they saw signs it had already been broken into by enemy troops. She was quietly glad they hadn’t encountered any thus far. “Can you sense your little artifact?” she asked Solas.

He shook his head. “There’s something else here, something even more powerful.”

She groaned. “You took me here without even being sure your thing actually was here?”

“I don’t know what you don’t understand about something more powerful but clearly we needed to be here.”

“Dumb luck. That’s what it is.”

He scoffed and trudged onwards into more empty temple rooms that he stared at in awe and she walked through without a care, staring at her feet as she moved. 

Solas seemed well acquainted with the layout, probably through some ancient blueprints he had stowed away or something else of the sort. He took them through secret paths and alternate routes until there was suddenly no sign of enemy break-ins, only distant bangs echoing off the walls. 

As they got further into the temple, Solas got more and more apprehensive. She could see it written all across his face. 

“You’re right, it wasn’t dumb luck. You know something,” she said, pointing accusationally at him. “And you’re going to tell me what it is or I swear, I will leave your ass here.”

He visibly paled. “We’re so close. We cannot leave.”

“Close to what?”

“Vir'abelasan. The well of sorrows.”

Well, with a name like that, how could she not want to go visit it? “What is that? Why is it so important?”

Cole froze, cocking his head to the side. “Is that what keeps calling to me? Whispers of voices that had been. They want to be heard.”

Solas nodded. “It’s a pool that holds ancient elven knowledge. If our enemies learn their secrets, the war is as good as lost.”

“Can we just destroy it?” she asked, already having a bad feeling that she knew the answer. 

Solas shook his head. “To be destroyed, it must be used one last time. The voices of the elven ancestors have to go somewhere.”

She shot him a deeply insincere smile.“Well then, today is your lucky day Solas, you get a direct hit of elven history.”

And then she saw exactly what she didn’t want to see. He flinched and she knew he would be stepping nowhere near that pool. 

“It’s more complicated than that, I-”

“No,” she said, backing away. “We’re leaving.”

“There is no time. If we leave, we lose. Someone has to step into the well for us to stand a chance.”

And she already knew exactly how this was going to go. 

“You’re still not telling us something,” she hissed at Solas, half ready to attack him. She wished she hadn’t given Cole her only knife. 

“I cannot tell you something I do not know. There will be a price, as there always is for power, but what it is is beyond me.”

“Having a bunch of voices forced into your head is the reward?” she cried out. “I’m sorry, I thought that was the price.”

“Most people would be thrilled to hear the wisdom of ancient elves.”

“Not you, it seems,” she snapped, and that shut him up.

She did not need the others to speak up to know where they stood on the subject, and yet they spoke up anyway.

“I’m not going anywhere near it,” Bull said, and she wanted to shout at him that she was well aware of that but she couldn't see the point in it.

“I’ll do it,” said Cole, and she knew she had to plan fast, before he caught up to what she was thinking. 

She turned to Bull and blurted out, “I’ll owe you one,” and without another word he scooped Cole up, pinning his arms to his sides as Cole struggled. 

“You don’t owe me shit,” he said, securing Cole to himself. She hoped the pool wasn’t far. “We’ll just call it even on all the other shit, yeah?”

“Even? I thought you were still pissed at me for that?”

“I am, but I hurt you. You do this for the Inquisition, I’ll forgive you. I stop Cole from sacrificing himself, you forgive me. Square everything off.”

She nodded. “Sounds fair to me.”

Solas watched this occur, eyes wide. “Surely this is not necessary.”

She glared at him, wishing he’d pushed back more against Cole coming. “Unless you want Cole making whatever sacrifice is coming, I assure you it is.”

As they exited the room, they found they were close to the well of sorrows indeed, with it lying in the center of the very next room. She could tell what it was from the gasp that escaped Solas as he laid eyes on it. 

Part of her just wanted to shove him in the water, but he seemed well aware of this, keeping his distance from the water's edge as he admired the pool. 

“Let me go!” Cole shouted, writhing in Bull’s grip. “The Iron Bull, please! I don’t want to hurt you.”

“You won’t,” he reassured the spirit. “I’ve got thick skin.”

Britches knew that Cole could absolutely hurt Bull if he wanted and sped up, walking towards the pool of water with something approaching determination. 

“It could kill you,” Solas warned, though he didn’t seem to be all that interested in stopping her. “I don’t know if a human has ever taken from the well.”

She shrugged. “You could still do it.” She didn’t even wait for a response. She knew he wouldn’t, knew he’d planned all of this exactly how it was playing out, had brought this exact group to force her hand. “You know,” she said, faltering as she reached the edge of the pool, aware that she was stalling, “you were right to force this on me, Solas. I’m running out of useful years anyway. Maybe it'd be best if I die soon, while I'm still worth something.”

And then, with Cole struggling and yelling behind her, unable to slip out of his physical form as she knew he wanted desperately to do, she stepped into the water and the world faded away.

It was incredibly dark, the kind of dark that left you wondering if maybe your vision had just given out. If it weren’t for the fact that she couldn’t feel the water on her legs anymore, she might believe she had, especially after what Solas had said. 

And then voices began to talk, all distant, barely understandable. It was deafening, a horrible cacophony as they all tried to be heard over the others. The horrible chorus meant she couldn't make out what any one of them was saying. All she could hear was the noise of it all. 

She keeled over, unable to see whatever her knees had hit, just more dark in the black expanse of whatever void she was in. 

She felt herself fading into unconsciousness, the voices overwhelming her, and wondered if there was something she was supposed to do to get out, if there was some trick to it that Solas had neglected to tell her so he could be rid of her. 

Cole would’ve known. But then again, if it had been Cole, Solas wouldn’t have hidden anything in the first place. But frankly, it didn’t matter, because Solas would never have let it have been Cole at all. 

As she began fading away, she wished she’d said goodbye, said anything to Cole. He’d feel so guilty if something happened to her, but she’d only been thinking of herself. Typical. 

As she cracked her eyes open, escaping the endless void, she was in Skyhold. Not the medical tent she’d assumed she should be but in some random bed in an unfamiliar room, Cole and Solas the only ones who’d stuck around to watch over her. Somehow she imagined Solas’s intentions were less genuine than Cole’s.  

While the blackness faded away, the voices remained, insistent and demanding attention. She couldn’t make any of them out, all echoing over the others. Surely this could not be the great power their enemies wanted, she couldn’t even make sense of it. 

“It’s hard to hear you,” Cole said from where he was sitting beside her, voice low and sad. “They’re too loud.”

She couldn’t fault Cole for that. It was hard to think, the low echo of voices omnipresent behind her thoughts. It would get easier, she presumed. She would grow accustomed to tuning them out, letting them become a constant buzz in the background. This was the worst it would ever be. 

And maybe Cole would get used to it too, be able to pick her out of the cacophony of voices. She found herself hoping he would, despite the fact that he was rapidly losing the power and it seemed unlikely he’d ever hear her like that again, just a voice lost to the crowd. 

“What are they saying?” Solas demanded of her, looming over her bed, refusing to let Cole and her have this moment.

“I don’t know,” she said, the voices only getting worse as she tried to figure out what they were saying. “They’re too loud. Something about a dragon, I think?”

“A dragon?” Solas asked, hanging onto every word she said. “Interesting. I will go discuss this with the others.”

Neither Britches nor Cole were invited to this discussion. They were, however, grabbed by Dorian about an hour later.

“What are we doing?” Britches demanded as he dragged her out of bed.

“Dragon hunting,” Bull yelled from around the corner.

Dorian gave her an apologetic look and she shot him an incredulous one in return. “Dragon hunting? I’m recovering from an evil elf well, I’m not going dragon hunting.”

“Relax,” Bull called out. “You’ll be fine.”

“It’s not like you do much actual fighting anyway,” Dorain said, in a statement that seemed intended to be reassuring. 

“Why would we hunt a dragon?” Cole asked as Britches got ready, slowly and with as many intermittent glares as she could manage.

“Practice,” Bull said. “Solas thinks we’re going to have to kill some sort of dragon to close all the rifts. There’s a bunch of groups going out to kill different dragons. No one else wanted you two so you’re stuck with us.”

“Figures.” She couldn’t think of anyone other than Varric that liked both of them, and she didn’t fancy their odds just the three of them. “Well, off we go then.”

When she was informed they were going to someplace called the Emerald Graves, she assumed it must be some sort of trick. Surely they were going to some sort of desert or icy tundra or maybe a mossy bog full of disgusting insects.

Instead, when they arrived, she saw the most beautiful place she’d ever seen. It was entirely green, a soft layer of moss and clover covering the ground between the roots of the hundreds of trees surrounding them. The trees provided them a pleasant shade, the air tinted green from the leaves, and they let just enough sunlight in to make sure the clover and spattering of flowers on the forest floor could thrive. 

“Why don’t we have our base here? This is incredible,” she asked. No one bothered to respond and she quickly realized they’d begun fighting a bear while she was admiring the scenery. 

Bears aside, she was more than content to wander around here, taking in the sights. 

Even combat wasn’t as stressful. There were plenty of hiding places for her, the ground softened by the moss, leaving her happy and comfortable. 

There were a lot of creatures in these woods, presumably drawn here by the same comfortable parts of the environment she was. It was no wonder the giants and bears had chosen this over freezing cold or endless sand. 

Her companions could handle it though. 

Cole kept stopping to grab handfuls of flowers as they walked, temporarily falling behind and then running to catch up. He braided their stems in his hand, creating a little rope of rainbow flowers that hung almost to his knees. 

She did her best to pin it around the band of his hat, though Bull and Dorian refused to stop for them so they didn’t have long before they had to run back to the group. 

It seemed a bit hypocritical because Dorian and Bull seemed to have no problem wasting time. They were almost obsessively flirty and touchy with one another, although Bull tended to be the instigator of the affection while Dorian just seemed flustered. She ensured they knew where she stood on the issue by loudly dry heaving whenever they got too affectionate. 

Eventually, the calm of their lovely stroll, with only a few dozen bears along the path, had to be interrupted. The roar of the dragon certainly did that.

The noise shook the ground, not enough to actually move her but it made her legs feel weak anyway.

Cole quickly tucked her away in some ruins, promising they’d come back for her, and it occurred to her that she wouldn’t even be able to see them as they fought. One of them could die and she wouldn’t even know. 

“Stay safe,” she said, pressing a kiss into his cheek. 

Cole grinned, seeming excited by Bull’s excitement to face the dragon. “The thoughts are never this loud anymore, cheer and joy and energy.”

“Just be careful,” she said, not feeling quite as enthused as he seemed to be. 

And then they left and she was alone. 

She strained to hear them but she couldn’t make out anything. It was hard enough with the newfound voices incessantly screaming inside her head, with the roars of the dragon echoing through the forest she stood no chance. 

And so all she could do was wait. 

She had no idea how long had passed. It felt like hours, sitting there with the ambiance of an angry dragon. It might well have been minutes. Maybe she should have been counting. At least it would have given her something to do. 

She decided to take the roars of the dragon as a good sign. It may have meant the dragon wasn’t dead, but at least it meant that she was still agitated. That probably meant at least one of them was still there, causing problems for her. 

As long as Cole walked out of there she didn’t care much what happened to the rest of them. 

As time ticked on and on, she wanted to call them back, to say that nothing could be this important. To tell them that this was all a stupid idea and they never should have decided to fight this thing. 

But with all the noise and the chaos, she’d have to get right up to them to do that. And she couldn’t do it, couldn’t manage it without dying. Even if they made it out alive, she doubted she would. If she did, there was a good chance it would be due to someone else’s sacrifice and that she would not risk. Selfish as it was, she’d rather them die out there alone than die because of her foolhardiness. It would be easier to live with if it wasn’t her fault. 

So instead she cowered, waiting to see if any of them would come back to her. 

Eventually, they did, although they were clearly a little worse for wear. All their clothes were a little singed and shredded and almost all of the flowers had been knocked off of Cole’s hat but they all smiled at her, well everyone except for Dorian who was staring down, disgruntled, at his fine clothes that had been ruined.

He didn’t have much time to mourn the fine silks because before long, Bull lifted him into the air with a whoop, throwing the mage over his shoulder and shouting, “Let’s make camp!”

She didn’t let herself run to them, to show any great relief or sign of how worried she’d been as they returned to her. She just smiled at Cole and just hoped he could read it off her face now that he could no longer peer into her head. 

They set up two tents and Britches did her best not to make half a dozen derisive comments in response to it, only rolling her eyes a few times at Dorian and Bull. 

Say what you will about her and Cole, at least they weren’t this obnoxious.

She got fed up with them pretty quickly and retreated into their tent, dragging Cole in behind her with only a few rude comments from Bull following them.

Cole seemed almost nervous, which was absurd considering how often they’d shared a room, or in this case a tent.

“You okay?” she asked, laying out their bedrolls one beside the other so he could sprawl out. She barely took up any room anyway, it wasn’t like she needed the space. 

“I think I’m aroused.” He didn’t say it the way he usually spoke about these things, with a lack of shame, if occasionally a little shyness coming just from her gaze. He instead looked mortified. 

She shrugged, trying to assuage his fears. “Honestly, I think that’s pretty normal after a big fight. Adrenaline is pumping and all that.”

“But you’re not?” he said, fidgeting with the hem of his shirt. “At least I don’t think you are.”

She shook her head. “Not really. I’m sure you’ll find a way to survive.”

But he didn’t look upset at her for not engaging with him, he looked devastated. 

“Are you okay,” she asked, pulling his chin up to force him to look her in the eyes.

“I’m like them,” he whispered. 

“What?”

“I want you even when you don’t want me and that makes me like them.”

“It absolutely does not. In fact, I’d say you resisting those urges makes you unequivocally not like them.”

He collapsed into her chest with a huff, settling on her stomach like it was a pillow. She pulled his hat off and tucked it beside them so she could run her hands through his hair. “Better?”

He huffed and settled, pushing his head back into her hand like a cat. “If you say so. I don’t like not being able to hear you properly.”

“You can hear me just fine in all the ways that count.”

He didn’t seem to like that answer but he let it rest, content to just lay with her in silence. 

And then they heard a moan from the other tent and Britches burst out laughing. “Well that didn’t take them long.”

Cole shook his head. “Dorian was getting desperate.”

“Gross.”

“I’ve heard the adrenaline will do that to you,” he said, and she could feel him smile against her stomach.

“You are such a little shit,” she said, giving him a playful swat to the head.

He pounced on her in return, starting a small bout of wrestling that she giggled her way through and won entirely due to her own merit and not because anyone let her win. 

When she’d pinned him properly, she collapsed atop him, ready to go to sleep like that. 

He just wrapped his arms around her in return, seeming perfectly happy to be crushed underneath her for the rest of the night.

[fluffydice]

Here’s a small essay on Saiki’s aromanticism that I’ve been meaning to write lol

I think a big reason why some people absolutely go insane when Saiki is shipped with someone (despite the fact that being aro is a spectrum) is that there’s a certain degree of complexity in understanding it. I’m not aro, but I am pretty sex-neutral most of the time (and if my feelings change in this, I’m more likely to be repulsed than positive on most days), and it’s not always an easy thing to get. It’s fascinating, but sometimes scary and disgusting. Despite this, I’m not totally against the idea. It’s not just not a black and white situation. And I think the same could be argued for Saiki’s sexuality.

He’s been shown to at least experience romantic attraction. Whether that’s through something as obvious as Satou to more subtle things like being mildly flustered over Teruhashi. Even though he seems pretty averse to it sometimes, it intrigues him. He likes romance stories, whether fictional or not.

And there’s that complexity again

Saiki is a hard character to understand if someone struggles with the idea of complexity in characters, because that’s all he fucking is. He’s such an unreliable narrator about so much that it’s hard to tell truths from just his words alone. (And sometimes people don’t agree on what should be taken as truth!) You need to pay attention to the things he does, and know when to take his words with a grain of salt. I think that a lot of people on tiktok and stuff struggle with dichotomies like that in literature, and things that aren’t spoonfed to them just aren’t payed any mind.

Of course, it’s totally okay when people want to headcanon Saiki as entirely romance repulsed. That’s a perfectly good interpretation of his character. But when aggression starts because someone believes it’s the only way his character can be read, I believe that’s when we start seeing the issue of being unable to see complexity in characters (especially for a sexuality that’s a spectrum. I’d argue it’s harder to understand than someone being entirely gay or straight).

[howdoesagrapewrites]

If your still taking request, it’s it okay if you can do yandere poly pavitr and gayatri x reader who used to get bullied alot(if you want to add it) and doesn’t mind their yandere tendencies nor doesn’t question it since this is the first time someone loved them cause they were always asked out as a joke and on a date, to the point that they thought no one would ever loved them(+if when yan pavitr and yan gayatri asked reader out, reader thought it was a joke and also thought they hated them cause when reader accidentally catch yan pavitr and yan gayatri staring at them, reader thought they were judging them so they were very nervous cause they thought they were gonna go through the bad treatment again)

𝙁𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙛𝙖𝙧 𝙚𝙭𝙘𝙚𝙚𝙙 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙤𝙣 𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙚

Cw: poly!reader x lovesick!Pavitr Prabhakar x lovesick!Gayatri Singh, toxicity, normalization of abusive behaviors, socially outcasted reader, angst, Pav and Gayatri are not that bad before they start dating but reader is an unreliable narrator

You shift uncomfortably in your seat, once again, hoping the class would be over soon. You don't particularly dislike the subject, they're just very nervous by the staring. You transferred from your previous highschool due to the bullying two months ago, and despite your best efforts to avoid attracting any attention, you failed.

For the most part, people ignore you, no one's mean to you, and that's enough, but you shut down any attempt at socialization when you first arrived, dismissed all the cheery individuals who came to you in hopes of getting to know the new student, they complimented your hair, and the way the uniform looked on you, but you simply thanked them politely and left quickly, the memories of the fake smiles and cruel laughs were still fresh in your mind, thinking all those words were nothing but mockery.

Looking back, some of them seemed sincere, you regret not giving them a chance, maybe you wouldn't be spending the next recess alone if you did. You cut that line of thought, the irreparable truth dawn upon you, no matter how many chances you give, how many times you trust people, you don't seem to be important enough to anyone, always left behind or ridiculed, it seems to be a fact, a condition, something about yourself, that won't disappear, no matter where you are. So you know the staring is ill intentioned.

You wonder how it must feel to thrive in the spotlight, to feel "like a million dollars" when people state at you, knowing they watch in awe, admiration, something that clearly isn't your case. Why would these two people be staring at you for any other purpose than to make fun of you? They're popular, and beautiful, they have everyone fooled thinking they're nice, but you know better, you've seen this scenario play out many times, the guy is probably a jerk, no matter how nice he looks, and the girl probably makes so many empty compliments to people she doesn't care about. You know, you've seen what people like these are capable of, and you fear what they may have in store for you.

When the bell rings, you take your things and go to the schoolyard to spend recess, tables and hang out spots get filled with friend groups from many classes, all around your age.

You sit quietly in a mildly isolated spot and sit on your phone, scroll mindlessly trough instagram posts.

You feel a presence approaching, you straighten your spine like you've been caught red-handed, you try and emulate normality, like someone just walking towards you is a mundane part of your daily routine, so your eyes go back to your phone, and you try to relax your stiff muscles with encouraging words like "it's okay", "maybe they want to ask about the class", but your made up possible excuses grow useless as the two people that were staring at you, take a seat on the wooden bench next to you, one in each side. They say a few words before sitting, asking if the seats are taken and other questions that seem more rhetorical than anything.

They introduce themselves and try to strike conversation, the most awkward ten minutes of your life, as your answers shift from shy, to nervous, to fake friendliness to defensive and rude one-liners.

Sometimes they look into eachother's eyes, and you can feel that silent electricity in the form of secret messages and expression that due to societal consensus, can carry an entire conversation with just looks. You fear that. You don't posses the skills needed to realize this exchange, this telepathy.

And these conversations are the worst part, not content with invading your space and depriving you of a normal anxiety-free recess before the next period, they nonchalantly badmouth (or bad-eye?) you in your own face. And yes, you're sure it's bad, otherwise, they have no reason to hide it behind knowing smiles and glances, you're not stupid, you recognize they're making fun of you, but you don't want to stand up and leave, and maybe annoy or anger them enough to start being mean. What you have learned in the savagely cruel jungle of highschool socialization, there's the cats and there's the dogs, the dogs are nice to everyone but their victims, and launch to attack you as soon as they see you, they perceive certain things about others to be a threat to their precious social pyramid, so they act to protect it. Then there's the cats, you suspect that these two might be cats, cats are aware of their power within the other minionized working bees, (the ones that do not get any benefits from the stupidity of the social hierarchy, yet prefer to preserve it so they don't end up at the bottom of it) and don't want to attack or get their hands dirty, they enjoy watching bullied kids squirm in discomfort when they are "nice" only to amuse themselves with the anxiety and fear that their victim show, like a cat playing with an animal that's already agonizing and could be finished with a single strike, but they don't want to finish it, they want to see.

For weeks they toy with you this way, seeming infinitely entertained by your fidgeting and stammering, even getting close or throwing an arm over your shoulder just to see your reaction. You hate it, you hate them, you hate when they pretend to listen to you, or get you things to earn your trust, when they smile at you and offer to take you out with a fondness that seems to genuine you almost want to say yes. You hate how you had to stop bringing your sketchbook to school because it was filled with drawings of them, you hate the empty compliments and how you let your heart be fooled just for a little bit before going back to reality. You let yourself lift your feet off the ground just a bit, fly just a bit, thinking that you won't get hurt from that distance, but you become addicted. It doesn't matter if they're big or small highs, you crave their attention and thank heavens above that you don't really have to do anything, they come to you, you ignore that they're doing it to get a good laugh, because for a short moment that night after school, you look at yourself in the mirror while washing your teeth, and you let yourself think that maybe Gayatri was right, and your hair does look better out of your face.

But the bomb finally had to drop, the apple had to fall, the black cloud had to rain, the natural course of things had to be resumed, and they asked you out, not as a friend, like romantically asking you out.

"We wanted to do this more romantic, maybe at sunset or bring flowers, but you never go out after school with us, so this was kind of our only chance" Pavitr states with a lopsided smile that makes the little wrinkles and folds close to his eyes all the more visible, all the more beautiful.

You're trapped in this situation once again, it's a joke, but you have to proceed with caution, rejecting them can cause their pride to be hurt and that could backfire for you, accepting them is off the table, as you don't want to be the laughingstock more than you have already been in their presence, and calling out their bluff could have the same results as your first option, in other circumstances you just feign ignorance and they get too bored by how "dumb and dense" you are, leaving you alone, but this is a confession, this is way too straightforward to do that, so you decide to just buy time until you know what to do.

"I- uhm, this is really sudden and- I think I need to think about it, also I have super strict parents so that's that, and, uhm, I'll have an answer soon"

You hear their disappointed okay's and reassurances before leaving and heading to your house, the bus ride is torture. You knew this day would come, and you still let yourself be comfortable with their existence around you, you honestly would've preferred they were your friends instead, hiding feelings is much easier to deal with than being played this way.

You look at your reflection in the glass, and try to comprehend what is it about your humiliation that makes it so attractive, and what about your personality that makes it so unwanted. What's the point in these sick games people play on you and many others? What do you gain? You spend all that time trying to make someone trust you just to laugh at them behind their back? Everytime you had a friend, you felt like defending them with your life, and even knowing this was all a lie, you catched feelings for Pavitr and Gayatri, so why is it that they're so insensitive? They counted with you saying yes and they'd break your heart afterwards, how can they not feel bad? You continue to spiral.

When you came back to school, they didn't approach you for some time, you figure they accepted defeat and moved on to whatever other hobbies they had. But they still acknowledge you, they still smile at you, and you smile back. You think you finally decoded the secret messages you've seen your whole life. "Are you alright?", "I forgot my book", "it's cold outside" none of these things touch the subject that's keeping you three apart, but you love it too much to make it stop.

You start noticing how much your gloomy days lightened up since Gayatri and Pavitr came into your personal space, you notice how where once was a pillow to keep you from hitting yourself too hard, now there's the hard concrete beneath you, how you're self deprecating mental ramblings aren't stopped by a golden retriever like energy forcing you out the trance, how there's no one to tell you you should make your uniform more form fitting because you have cute shoulders. You notice that for all you tend to distrust and internally badmouth others, the worst company you've had so far, is yourself. You say honesty is the best policy and with that excuse you absolutely wreck yourself and ruin every nice thing you've ever had, you don't allow yourself to buy nice clothes because "it's expensive and you're ugly anyway", you never gave anyone a chance to get to know you in fear they'd bully you, rejecting everyone that came close. You should've waved back to that classmate that one time, you should've said yes to all those times Gayatri and Pav invited you to hang out, you should've actually listened to them talking instead of labeling everyone but you as untrustworthy and shallow. You, Y/N, have always been your personal and number one bully, when you thought you learned to toughen up and be more intelligent instead of naive, the only thing you learned was to replicate the behaviors of the ones hurting you. And even though you still don't believe those two actually want to date you, you are now aware of how pointless and cruel it had been to treat yourself and others the way you did. And now you miss them, now you wish you could go back to your first day here.

You didn't come back to them, and basically you ghosted them, not even looking them in the eye out of shame, you don't want to get hurt, but now you give them the benefit of the doubt, and it's horrible, all those things you thought, all those times you ditched them, you did it thinking it was just survival, that you were dealing with a couple of bored mean kids who latched onto you to mock you, but now your heart breaks thinking of all the genuine smiles you dismissed as a performance, and that the image you painted in your mind, where you were the foolishly in love victim of the heartless villains, could've been more like two people in search of true connection being unappreciated and dumped by someone too insecure and scared to even see them as human beings.

So when they come to you, when they apologize for making things awkward and just beg to spend time with you again, you feel like some sort of cold dictator.

"I shouldn't do this, but, why did you liked me?"

"Why shouldn't we? You're beautiful, and interesting, even though you tend to catch yourself mid-sentence and stop talking, it makes me so happy to see you explaining and ranting about things you like, and how you- sorry, this must be making you uncomfortable" Gayatri had leaned towards you, but after saying the last part, she straighted her spine in a movement all too similar to yours, you didn't like seeing her get away from you

"We're sorry we misinterpreted things, Y/N, but we'd still like to be your friends, not as a consolation prize, but I just really enjoyed spending time with you, and Gayatri did too" Pavitr also controlled his body language, he was usually so touchy and enthusiastic, but now he stands keeping his hands to himself, stiff like an english royal guard.

"I didn't want to hurt you... I realized that, well, I never really treated you with the respect you deserved, for the longest time I thought you were just going to, uhm, it doesn't matter, I'm sorry"

"You can tell us" Pavitr said, his presence eased you

"I thought you were asking me out as a joke, I thought that you were near me to... Laugh"

You expected them to be offended, to call you names and take back their apology, retrieve any sympathy they may have harbored for you, you accused them of something so ill intentioned when they hust wanted to be with you. But they just look at you with sadness, Pavitr sort of reaches for a hug, but stops himself, you notice this, and get close so he can wrap his arms around you, you tremble. Gaya joins, and you feel overwhelmed by the comfort and acceptance, your eyes let out a few tears.

Time passes and your relationship blossoms, you learn a lot of new things about relationships, for example, you learn more about communicating with glances, now you know exactly what they mean.

You know exactly what looks mean, "stop talking", "I don't like them", "don't go away". It seems kind of perfect, sometimes you feel like you're so happy and lucky you'll explode, so you cry, and they comfort you, it makes you feel heard, seen. You are also there to comfort them when they say love is too overwhelming, that they don't understand what else to do with all the love stored for their partners. Kissing so hard it feels like punching, hugging so tight that ribs make a cracking sound and break, all that intensity only makes you feel worthy, makes you feel loved like you've never been.

You had a tendency to compare human behavior to animals, and you keep doing it, because it makes sense, humans in its more raw form, are animals, so it's not surprising that feelings are so intense that they block out humanity, that loving is an animal desire. A love so pure that you can call it violent it's not something you see as wrong, as out-of-place, because that's the love you know, and it's the most perfect relationship you have ever seen.

You have never gotten into a fight, if someone doesn't trust a friend of yours, you simply cut them off, they'd do the same for you, and truth is that you don't have much desire to socialize either.

You never fight, you never yell, and you have two people who will always be on your side, that would jump off a cliff if asked, people who love you so much that they'll defend you from yourself, if you ever feel you owe an apology, they say you don't, in their eyes, you do no wrong, and you trust their judgement simply because you're the same.

You hope that one day you can love as intensely, because that's what they deserve from you.

[wangxianficfinder]

In the mood for...

Dec 5th

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1. Hello do you know any fics where Wei Ying and Lan Zhan travel to the past and meet their past selves? @lianetteeee

💖 vinegar jug by dandelion_san (G, 7k, WIP, WangXian, Time Travel, Humor, Awkward Crushes, Jealousy) Only Lan Wangji time travels and it's been incomplete since 2020 however it's really funny 😭

How did I end up with this Frozen Heart? by Grace_ShadowWolf (TaubeLePigeon) (T, 53k, WIP, WangXian, Time Travel, Fix-It, PTSD, Angst with a Happy Ending, YP!WWX, twin prides of yunmeng are horrified at the relationship between their future selves, YP!WWX has short hair, Canon Divergence, Self-Indulgent, wangxian get together early, Songfic, JC Bashing, LXC Bashing)

How to get anxiety from time trave and not mess up (by fall out boy) by SerlinaBlack (T, 5k, WangXian, Time Travel, Post-Canon, Fluff, Family Fluff, Cloud Recesses Study Arc, Pining LWJ, Pining WWX, WWX in WWX's Body, Slightly, Canon JC, he isn't there much, like two lines mentioned at tops, but JC fans might jot like it)

🔒 ripples spread out when a single pebble is dropped into water by RoseThorne (G, 1k, wangxian, JYL/JZX, JYL & WWX, JC & WWX, WWX & WQ, LQR & LWJ, LQR & WWX, Time Travel Fix-It, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Past Character Death, Future Character Death, Timey-Wimey, Truth, Honesty, Guilt, Crack and Angst, POV Third Person, POV WWX, Cloud Recesses Study Arc)

River Stones by littlesystems (M, 18k, WangXian, Time Travel, Post-Canon, Cloud Recesses Study arc, Junior Quartet, Oblivious WWX, Suffering LWJ, Voyeurism)

花无百日红; the flower that withers by yiqie (M, 29k, wangxian, Time Travel Fix-It of Sorts, Case Fic, Spells & Enchantments, Hurt/Comfort, Forgiveness)

Wei Wuxian’s Terrible, Horrible, No Good First Meeting With His Future by Enigmatree (T, 3k, wangxian, Time Travel, Cloud Recesses, YLLZ WWX, POV Outsider)

a tide in two seas by occultings (microcomets) (E, 80k, WangXian, Modern AU, Parallel Universes, Modern with Magic, Post-Canon, Getting Together, Mutual Pining, Established Relationship, Mild Horror, Case Fic, mildly sci-fi, Yunmeng Bros Reconciliation, First Time, Loss of Virginity, Married Couple, Love Confessions) link in #11 LWJ/WWX and LZ/WY meeting

Though I'm Gone (Still Think Of Me) by sami (M, 7k, WangXian, JC & WWX, LWJ & Madam Lan, Crack Treated Seriously, Crossover, WWX/WWX (kinda), honestly what did you expect, Chaos Gremlin WWX, Yunmeng Shuangjie, Asexual JC, yunmeng bros reconciliation) Also, for 1, you can try Sami’s contribution to the fabulous fix-it time travel series The Same Moon Shines, a later episode “Though I’m Still Gone (Think of Me) even if you must (oh, the ‘torture’ to have to read a great work to get to this point!) to have it all make sense

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2. Hi, this is for itmf. Do you guys have any recs that’s based on this scene. Anything angsty or with miscommunication. Thanks in advance !

You are not enough by deliciousblizzardshark (M, 2k, WangXian, Canon Compliant, Canon Rewrite, POV LWJ, Episode 21, drama queen LWJ, bitchy LWJ, resting murder face LWJ, Unreliable Narrator, Hurt No Comfort, Emotional Constipation, LWJ thinking with his sword) my fic is a retelling of that episode from LWJ’s point of view.

Futile Devices by beautiful_crimes (G, 3k, WangXian, Fix-It, Episode Fix-it, Making Up, Love Confessions, First Kiss, Fluff and Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Swearing, Friends to Lovers, kind of?, Mutual Pining, spoilers for later epsiodes)

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3. Hello. Thank You for all your recommendations. This blog has been Godsend.

This is an ITMF request: I was wondering if there were any WangXian versions of the Taiwanese BL drama We Best Love? @shenmiao98

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4. Itmf wwx finding/adopting a baby (or kid) during the sunshot campaign & how that my effect things (his actions, people's perception of him) was the kid orphaned or abandoned? Lost parents due to elements/resources/bandits/animals/monsters? Were parents refugees? Part of razed village or sect? Etc.

🧡 Never Again by Hauntcats (T, 67k, WangXian, WWX & WQ & WN, Canon Divergence, Time Travel, Golden Core Transfer Fix-It, Angst, Not JC Friendly, BAMF WWX)

❤️ And Time Is But a Paper Moon by sami (M, 138k, WangXian, XiChengQing, Time Travel, Fix-It, Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Healing, Mental Health Issues, PTSD, Hurt/Comfort, Depression, BAMF WWX, BAMF JC, BAMF LWJ, BAMF JYL, Getting Together, And Time is But a Paper Moon [PODFIC] by sami, Winterstar1412, [Podfic] Cold read of And Time Is But A Paper Moon by kisahawklin) (many translations and 2 podfics available) this has WWX and LWJ adopting A-Yuan during the war, but they aren't able to spend much time with him during the war so the way he changes people's perceptions of WWX mostly comes up after the war

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5. Hi, thank you all for your great help! ❤️ I'm here again with a long ask lol

ITMF for fics where Wei Wuxian is a bit (or a lot) more angry at the cultivation world. At their bigotry and cruelty, corruption and ignorance to the suffering of innocents. Where he really reacts to everything that happened to him and his, admits to himself how hurt he really was and still is, how he does not deserve it. Speaks or screams about it cleanly, exposes their flaws with words and actions.

Maybe he says "go to hell" and leaves to live heal on a faraway island with lemurs and bunnies, leaving the cultivation world to rip itself apart with political conflicts or just rot like a swamp.

Maybe he takes revenge, either with calm head or in saint anger-induced agression, though i would prefer him as still the Wei Ying we know and love (like, more bitter, and on the same level of violence as the MDZS itself is, but no sudden OOC with him becoming a tyrant, or commiting genocide just for it's sake, etc.)

I don't mind there being or not being any good people among the sects, but if he gets someone nice and kind to snuggle at the end or stand by his side, it would be awesome.

Can also be an ending where Wei Ying remains bitter, angry and depressed and does not let these feelings go, though please mention that there is an open/unhappy ending. Thank you!! ✨️🥰 @shellennium

🔒 Ad Oblivione by Baph, HikariNoHimeWriter (M, 70k, WangXian, Time Travel Fix-It, Temporary Character Death, Canon-Typical Violence, POV Multiple, Hurt/Comfort, Grief/Mourning, Identity Reveal, Golden Core Reveal, Cultivation World Critical, Not JC Friendly, Abusive YZY, Angst with a Happy Ending)

If only you knew by 10thNoNamePerson (E, 17k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Heavy Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, JC & WWX Reconciliation, dive into wwx mental health, And LWJ being there for him since the beginning, Suicidal Thoughts, Angry WWX, Supportive LWJ)

even wildflowers wilt. by cop_ulate (Not Rated, 1k, Angry WWX, Guanyin Temple Scene, Canon Universe, Canon Compliant, Golden Core Reveal, WWX Has No Golden Core, Golden Core Transfer) Please note that the last one does not have a happy ending.

Cradle by Dragonesque (T, 196k, WIP, Canon Divergenc, Adopted children, Yiling Wei Sect, BAMF WWX) has one of the greatest diss scenes I've ever seen. Yiling!wei sect, he dolls himself up all badass and crashes a conference to yell at the cultivation clans

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6. Hello! I am in the mood for a fic that goes differently from the cave scene

the cave scene being after LWJ took WWX and WWX is out of his mind, LWJ confesses and then fights the elders

Are there any that start here and change up the rest? Like for example maybe WWX actually heard the confession, or LWJ realizes WWX is not in his right mind, and then maybe takes him away / protects him / etc

A Measure Of Time by NebulusCharlie (Not Rated, 309k, WangXian, Revenge, Darkji, jiang bashing Protective LWJ, protective wwx, happy ending but things are gonna get bad first, Time Travel Fix It, good uncle qiren, Murder Babies, Heavy on the angst in the middle but i swear it gets better, Canon Typical Violence, Rewrite of the story, Kidfic, Hugs, Good Parental Figures, Found Family, bad Qingheng-Jun, Heavenly Trials, destroying the Yin Iron pieces)

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7. I'm in the mood for ...

so i finally read 'Life without regrets' and now have the urge to read a fic where Lan Xichen gets told off for his part in everything that went wrong - like how he completely blindly trusts JGY, even over his own brother - that he was definitely told by Wangji what the burial mounds are really like but just ignored it / didn't brlieve it / believes JGY when he says it's war criminals - and so on

probably too much to ask but i would love if the setting was somewhere after WWX rescues the Wens - but this is not a must!

(disclaimer: i love Xichen and equally enjoy reading fics where he is tge kindes, most trustworthy human being ever - but not this time 😅)

Mourning Dove by jaemyun (Not Rated, 29k, WIP, WangXian, Post-First Siege of the Burial Mounds, Canon Divergence, Eventual WangXian, WWX is dead at first, dark LWJ, rogue cultivator LWJ)

this blood in my mouth by ShanaStoryteller (Not Rated, 3k, WangXian, LSZ & WWX, POV LXC, Post-Canon, Yunmeng brothers)

🔒💖 When has silence saved anyone? by Vrishchika (T, 6k, wangxian, LSZ & WWX & LWJ, post-canon, LXC  critical, family feels, angry LWJ & LSZ, LXC gets scolded)

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8. hi do you have any fics where wwx compliments lwj's physical attractiveness a lot? his body and muscles, his face, etc. @ashxi-wx

Dispersing Clouds by dreamingofcake (E, 283k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Genius WWX, Inventor WWX, Not Jiang Family Friendly, Abusive YZY, Canonical Child Abuse, Hurt/Comfort, Slow Burn, Eventual Sex, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm (Background Character), Background Character Deaths, child deaths, Canon JC, Good Uncle LQR, Accidental Baby Acquisition, Cultivation Sect Politics, Homophobia, Heteronormativity, Feelings Realization, WWX is Not Oblivious)

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9. Hey! So I've come to realize that I have quite the masochistic streak when it comes to reading WangXian, so the angst is chef's kiss these days.

This goes for the ITMF fics, so I re-read "Honesty is the Best Policy (Except if You're an Asshole)" by piecrust, and oh, the burn was so good!!! I mean, I did want to bang Lan Wangji's head on a wall a couple dozen times throughout the fic, but I liked it. No, I loved it rather.

So please do me the biggest favour and give me fic recs where Lan Wangji is a complete asshole to Wei Wuxian but also like he has to realize that he's being really really mean for no damn reason and over-compensate because please let the man grovel. I liked how piecrust portrayed the characters, so yeah. I don't mind if it is Canon or AU, I just need some fics to relinquish the sudden thirst for these types of fics.

Thank you in advance. @poetic-writes

🔒 The Second Jade of Lan’s late but incendiary sexual awakening by KizuKatana (E, 41k, wangxian, First Time, LWJ’s Horny Grip, LWJ does not know what hit him, and yet somehow he still realizes it before WWX, canon wangxian dynamics, college AU, LWJ starts off annoyed at WWX, But quickly discovers both his competency kink and a caretaking kink, Genius WWX)

the river and the sea by sasamelons (T, 7k, WangXian, Soulmates, Arranged Marriage, Misunderstandings, Angst with a Happy Ending, Idiots in Love, Falling In Love, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Mutual Pining)

我的皇后是農民 | sowing seeds in the cold palace by sweetlolixo (E, 84k, WangXian, Imperial Palace, Emperor LWJ, Imperial Consort WWX, Farmer WWX, Angst, Romance, Wingman LJY, Wife-chasing-LWJ, Arranged Marriage, Best Boy A-Yuan)

When the Words Stop Coming by mrcformoso (T, 7k, WangXian, Canon Compliant, POV WWX, POV LWJ, Cloud Recesses Study Arc, Pre-Sunshot Campaign, Burial Mounds Settlement Days, Canonical Character Death, Love Confessions, Rejection, LWJ is a Panicked Gay, Temporarily Unrequited Love, Trauma, WangXian Get a Happy Ending, WWX confesses early on, But canon still happens, LWJ starts confessing after, but the tables have turned, Angst with a Happy Ending, LWJ rejects WWX, Then gets rejected by WWX after, “Get Lost”, Перевод на русский | Translation in Russian)

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10. heyy so I've been looking for some friends with benefits fics! I'd prefer modern but canon is all right too

Threadfic by SpearmintMimi If you don't mind threadfics this one is really good and one of my favs

Almost Lover by vesna (mrsronweasley) (E, 37k, Wangxian, modern, Angst with a happy ending, Hurt/Comfort, a bad thing happens to WWX, LWJ gets very sad, Hospital Scenes, Dubious Medical Science, pining for the person you’re fucking, Friends With Benefits, friends who come together stay together, learning to use our words, there are also rabbits, Traumatic Injury, mention of past WWX/WQ)

be still, my foolish heart by mirrorofprinces (E, 6k, WangXian, Modern, Friends With Benefits, Friends to Lovers, Pining, Blow Jobs, Shower Sex, Misunderstandings, One innocent rabbit who did nothing wrong, based on a reddit post, Getting Together)

got your way with me by vesna (mrsronweasley) (E, 51k, wangxian, modern, Friends With Benefits, Fuckbuddies, in which brain cells are barely used, WWX is always the last to know, wangxian/others very briefly, otherwise it’s OTP all the way, LWJ FUCKS)

the moon lives in the lining of your skin by sarahyyy (M, 9k, wangxian, Modern, College/University, Friends With Benefits, Misunderstandings, Oblivious, Pining, Love Confessions, Sharing a Bed, Roommates)

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11. I'm in the Mood for fanfics where WWX is someone special. Like he has special ability/powers or he's just someone really unique. Thanks!

🔒care by everbrighter (T, 35k, LSZ & WWX, wangxian, modern w/ magic, resurrection, family bonding, getting to know each other, past character death, pining)

Pure Imagination by Witch_Nova221 (T, 119k, WangXian, LXC/NMJ, JYL/JZX, LSZ LWJ & WWX, WIP, modern w magic, Romance, Toys, Toy maker, Magic, Found Family, Family Feels, Family Drama, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Hospitals, Mentions of Cancer, Minor Character Death, Grief/Mourning, Loss of Parent(s))

🧡 The Shade of Old Trees by Kryal (T, 363k, WangXian, Ridiculously Long Notes, History, Canon Divergence, Modern AU, Slow Burn, Worldbuilding, Slow Life, Action/Adventure, Magic Returns, BAMF WWX)

a tide in two seas by occultings (microcomets) (E, 80k, WangXian, Modern AU, Parallel Universes, Modern with Magic, Post-Canon, Getting Together, Mutual Pining, Established Relationship, Mild Horror, Case Fic, mildly sci-fi, Yunmeng Bros Reconciliation, First Time, Loss of Virginity, Married Couple, Love Confessions)

transmuter by WithLoweredVoices (Not rated, 113k, wangxian, Modern with Magic, Magical Realism, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Angst with a Happy Ending)

Devotion of Love by SaiaiSaiko (M, 47k, WangXian, 3Zun, WWX Lives, NMJ Lives, MXY Lives, Servant WWX, WWX in MXY's Body, Sentient Burial Mounds, Healer WWX, BAMF WWX, LWJ and WWX Adopt LSZ, POV Alternating, Canon-Typical Violence, Petty LWJ, Petty WWX, Canonical Self-Harm, LWJ Plays Inquiry, WWX answers Inquiry, Golden Core Reveal, Family Fluff, Family Dynamics, Good Sibling JC, Franken-canon, in the sense it's canon from donghua manhua drama and novel mixed and matched as I like, Good Person JGY, Domestic Fluff) maybe? Wei Wuxian has all the skills of making spiritual tools and this deep Connection to the Burial Mounds.

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12. Is there wangxian fics where they were using double end dildos? Trans4trans wangxian or cis4cis wangxian are welcomed.

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13. ITMF! Given how yzy resents wwx because of his mother I wonder how she'd be if jfm actually had an affair only yzy was the other woman. Recommendation for such fics please (canon or modern au anythings fine) @aristocraticteacup

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14. Hi!! This is for the itmf!!

I recently read Watch Me Ignite It by Tawaen and I was wondering if you knew of anything similar? Or in the same vein as YLLZ!WWX being sect leader/WWX taking over the Wen sect. Thanks!! @namjoonsc-cuptits

Heliocentric by Coolio101 (T, 8k, WangXian, in which WWX is born as part of the Wen Sect, Mutual Pining, LWJ and JC are friends….kind of, Wen Sect WWX, Fix-It, LWJ has zero chill and is always 2 sec away from throwing hands, but that’s basically canon, also WRH is still an asshole, so if you were expecting redemption fic this might not be for you, Canon Divergence) features Wen Ying who was Wen Ruohan's son. Wen Ying becomes sect leader after killing his father, so hopefully, this is close to what they're looking for.

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15. Hi, thank you so much for all the work you do! I'm in the mood for fics where any or all the Jiang family pay for what they did to WY. Not just with political consequences, but also corporal punishments or even execution, if possible. Thank you so much! @boxedbutterfly

Train Rides Change Everything by Seriana (E, 508k, WangXian, NHS/WX, JC/NMJ, JYL/LXC, A/B/O, Alpha/Omega, Non-Traditional A/B/O Dynamics, Mpreg, Abusive Jiang Family, Alpha LWJ, Omega WWX, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Slut Shaming,bFluff and Angst, Unplanned Pregnancy, Feelings,bAbusive YZY, Bad Parents JFM & YZY, Beta JC, Omega JYL, Modern, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Beta NHS, WC Being an Asshole, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Misunderstandings, Mating Bites, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Scenting, Scent Marking, Scents & Smells, Slow Burn, Forced Marriage, First Time, Forced Bitching, Alpha WX, Minor Character Death, Murder, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Kidnapping, drug overdose, Sexual Tension, Omega JC) It's a bit of a beast but ooo the pay off is worth it imo

Dispersing Clouds by dreamingofcake (E, 283k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Genius WWX, Inventor WWX, Not Jiang Family Friendly, Abusive YZY, Canonical Child Abuse, Hurt/Comfort, Slow Burn, Eventual Sex, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm (Background Character), Background Character Deaths, child deaths, Canon JC, Good Uncle LQR, Accidental Baby Acquisition, Cultivation Sect Politics, Homophobia, Heteronormativity, Feelings Realization, WWX is Not Oblivious)

Reclamation by CordialCoroner (CordialCrow) (M, 6k, Major Character Death, Not JC Friendly, Canon Divergence, Angst, Post-Sunshot Campaign, WQ is understandably angry, WQ gets some revengeas a treat)

Symmetryby Vir_Abelasan (M, 13k, LSZ & WWX, WangXian, One-Sided JC/WWX, One-Sided JC/LSZ, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Canon Divergence, LSZ is raised by WWX, WWX still dies sorry, Revenge, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Dark LSZ, Manipulation, Power Imbalance, Torture, Not JC Friendly, JC’s Canonical 13 Years Murder Spree, BAMF LSZ, WangXian Get a Happy Ending, LSZ Gets to Go Apeshit)

so i cut the shackles and changed my name by MichelleFeather (T, 34k, WangXian, LQR & LWJ, LQR & CSSR, LQR & WWX, CSSR/WCZ, WWX & The Lan Clan, WIP, WWX Leaves the Yunmeng Jiang Sect, WWX is a Lan, Good Uncle LQR, Supportive LQR, Protective LQR, Non-Graphic Rape/Non-Con, JFM & YZY Bashing, Jiang Family Bashing, Abusive Jiang Family, Running Away, WangXian Get a Happy Ending, Hurt WWX, Genius WWX, No Sunshot Campaign, Gusu Lan Sect Rules, Cloud Recesses Study Arc, Cultivation Sect Politics, Additional Warnings In Author’s Note, Canon Divergence, Protective Gusu Lan Sect, WRH isn’t a power hungry tyrant, mostly)

Hua Xianle by Tiffany_Guinne (Not rated, 260k, HuaLIan, WangXian, WIP, TGCF Crossover, Jiang Family Bashing, Madam Lan Lives, JFM and YZY Bashing, Bad Parent JFM, Bad Parent YZY, Overprotective Hualian as parents, WWX is good at feelings, WWX knows self preservation and self love, WWX NHS and JZX are friends, JC Bashing, No Golden Core Transfer, Canon Divergence, Ghosts and Gods are wrapped around WWX's fingers, LWJ is a Panicked Gay, WWX is kinda sickly, WWX is not named Wuxian, HuaLian Adopt WWX, WWX has selective mutism, PM is the uncle that teaches you how to flirt, Grandfather JW, MNQ is the grandmother then?, SQX is the aunt/uncle that spoils WWX, all of them spoils him actually, Creepy JFM, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault, HUA YING DOES NOT GET RAPED!, Can't say the same for some unwanted...people, DLDR, This starts of mild and fluffy though) If the requester doesn't mind a crossover with TGCF, then Hua Xianle also works.

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16. Itmf canon era wedding fics. Wedding fics with proper wedding with traditions and wedding rituals and the 100s of relatives. I ask the relatives because my country's tradition is fairly similar to Chinese traditions and well, different relatives with different roles for the wedding rituals is kind of a given thing. So hope for a wedding fic like that please!

I'm not sure if these are quite what the requester was looking for but maybe: With Absolute Splendor by Lise (T, 43k, WangXian, JC & WWX, Post-Canon, Wedding planning, Yunmeng Bros Reconciliation, Complicated Relationships, Angst with a happy ending)

蓝色生死恋; a blue love (to live and to die for) by yiqie (M, 24k, WangXian, Post-Canon, wedding fic, Psychological Trauma, Empathy)

A Lifetime of It (Please, and Thank You) by misscam (M, 5k, WangXian, Wedding, a mix of series and novel, Humor, Fluff, Angst, some naughtiness, Switching)

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17. In that same vein, I would love stories recs similar to Aftermath by KouriArashi. Where Jiang Yanli kills to protect her family, quietly and unassuming, in the background, if possible. @marietsy40-blog

A Bell That Tells Us to Rise and Fight by DeerstalkerDeathFrisbee (T, 120k, WangXian, ChengQing, XuanLi, SongXiao, Canon Divergence, Arranged Marriage, Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Everyone Needs A Hug, Women Being Awesome, BAMF Women, Minor Character Death)

Sail Away Sweet Sister by sami (M, 73k, WangXian, YZY/CSSR/MDM Lan, MingLi, Time Travel, EXTREME Canon Divergence, Wide Focus Narrative, Some People Live/Not Everyone Dies, Most Named/Canon Characters Live, Childhood Friends to Lovers, Families of Choice, Parenthood, this work contains a major tonal shift, Fluff, Angst, Underage Sex, not particularly explicit, but not at all ambiguous, PTSD, Only a tiny bit, Unforeseeable consequences, The butterfly effect, Slightly Dark JYL, Asexual Characters, but that’s not really the focus, Canon-Typical Violence)

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If you didn’t get an answer to your ask here, don’t forget to make use of @mdzs-kinkmeme and MDZS KINK MEME on Dreamwidth. Authors actually do use them for ideas. You may get what you order!***Your prompt doesn’t have to be kink! Fluff, crack, whatever - it’s all good!***

[just-my-latest-hyperfixation]

In the ruins

Written for the @steddieholidaydrabbles, day 2

Rated: M

CW: Apocalypse; Off-screen character death; Imprisonment; Body horror; Blood and gore; Hurt, no comfort; Starvation; Vampirism (referenced)

Tags: Darkfic; Came back wrong; Vecna won; Unreliable narrator

Notes: Whoopsie, I did two fills for this. The other one is here!

The stairway to the basement gapes before him like an abyss. Steve doesn’t try the light switch. He doesn’t remember for how long the power has been gone, but the dark hardly bothers him anymore. He's taken these steps so often the descent feels like muscle memory. 

As normal as the red sky outside, as normal as the cracks in the fabric of reality where two worlds are oozing into each other. As normal as the heavy rattle of the padlock and chains as he unlocks the door at the end of the corridor. He spent a long while wading through the skeletons of fallen houses before he found something sturdy enough. He's not taking risks anymore, though. Not after the first few flight attempts. 

His ears pick up the sound of springs creaking and more chains clinking before his hand finds the torch. The light is dim and stutters - he'll need to find some new batteries on his next supply run. If there's any left. 

"Hey," he greets, sets his bag on the floor, then allows himself to sink down on the cot. Closes his eyes and scrubs a hand over his face. He's feeling so damn tired, so damn hungry. But that, too, is normal these days. "Can I take out the gag or are you gonna try and bite me again?" 

He doesn’t get a response. No growl, no muffled curse, not even a glare. Just the hollow eyes of a boy he used to know staring back at him. 

They've always been large, always dark. Pretty, he caught himself thinking, a long time ago. Wishes he'd admitted it to himself then, wishes he'd said it out loud. Wishes for so many things he has no way of fixing now - that, too, is normal. 

Now, they look like huge black pools in a sunken and hollow face. 

Steve's stomach growls. 

He sighs and reaches over to undo the gag, doesn’t get his hand bitten this time. 

"Huh," he mutters, mildly surprised, pulling his bag closer and rifling through the contents. "Brought you food. You think I can undo one of your hands? I know you hate it when I feed you…"

Again, no answer, just those empty eyes staring at him from behind a mop of matted hair. He shrugs and scoots closer, digs the keys for the handcuffs from his back pocket. He swiftly unlocks one wrist, then snaps the cuffs back into place around the pipe. Then, he digs the food out of the bag. 

Even though he has wrapped it in several layers of plastic bags, the smell is almost enough to make him retch. He turns his head, holds out his hand, as far away as he can. Waits for bony fingers to snatch the offering, the sound of plastic tearing, the sound of chewing, swallowing. He doesn’t look. 

"You can't keep me here forever." 

Steve huffs, stares at the weak keg of light the torch is casting across the far wall. 

"Told you, I'm not planning to. Just until this is over. Until I find a way to bring you to your senses." 

A laugh, a brittle echo of the bright and lively thing he once knew. 

"It'll never be over, big boy. You know that better than anyone else." 

"Shut up!" He grits his teeth, squares his shoulders, hands curling into fists. "You have no idea what you're talking about." 

"Damn right I don't," snarls the boy he once knew. "Because you're keeping me locked up in this hole and you won't fucking tell me-" 

The words crack. 

Silence. 

A sniffle. 

"Hey," Steve mutters. "Don't." 

He turns, reaches out. 

"Don't fucking touch me!" 

A flurry of movement and he's pushed off the cot. The half-eaten loaf of bread tumbles to the floor. 

Steve growls. His spine prickles. His head pounds. His stomach rolls with anger. With hunger. 

Breathe. It's normal. 

"I'm not trying to hurt you." 

The stranger that was once his friend recoils into the shadows. 

"That what you told the others?" 

Steve's vision flickers red. There's something under his skin, crawling and writhing like worms, like vines, trying to get out. 

He's so, so hungry. 

"Don't talk about the others," he rasps. "You don't know how it was. I didn't wanna- they wouldn't listen, they wouldn't see reason, wouldn't join him-"

"That's because he's a fucking monster," the boy is sobbing now. He's beautiful in his despair, tears running down his face, gathering in drops at the hinge of his jaw. Steve would only need to move just so. Grab him, push him down into the mattress. Lick them off. Drag his tongue down to that pale neck, feel the rabbiting pulse underneath. Warm and alive and delicious. 

"Look what he turned you into," the boy whispers. "Steve would never have-" 

He bolts. 

Hardly manages to lock the door - his fingers are trembling, their shape is all wrong. Crawls up the stairway into the red light, collapses in the ruins of a crumbling world, a heaving pile of pain and despair and hunger. 

When he looks up, a monster is staring back at him. Skin mottled and gray, leathery wings growing from the festering holes in its back, hands contorted into black claws. Eyes like two glowing coals. He snarls at it and it bears a row of gleaming fangs.

It's trapped in the shard of a broken window, sticking out of the rubble like a splintered bone. 

Oh, right. 

It's his mirror image. 

The thought is beginning to feel normal, too.

Soon, it will. 

He dreads the day.

All of my holiday drabbles

[krashlite]

Scar and Grian are probably the most unreliable narrators in this series and that’s just so fascinating I think

If you watch any other perspective they look so evil, not just in 3L either!! Grian specifically is mildly terrifying whenever he’s on screen and while Scar is very cheerful, he makes it clear he only has loyalties when it’s entertaining (minus clockers and partially minus desertduo)

Obv they’re more complex than just this but they’re always talked about like these poor sad puppy dogs trying to survive a train wreck when half the time they’re the ones derailing the train in the first place