#Road to Immortality: Raise a Cultivator

[siofreed]

Made a new Discord profile pic to fit our current server RP. Its based of our server admin's own kitten pfp.

[fiorellaboni]

Xianyu

Jiao Fei raised his hand and a piece of paper flew out of his sleeve! Ying Kong turned into a multicolored sword, and Pan Yangzi's rope was cut off with just one twist. This rope is just ordinary green hemp. Only the use of e he o Fei raised his hand to take back the gourd sword amulet. He laughed in his heart and said to himself, "I didn't expect that even such a shallow magic as the demon sword could show off its power.". Look at that green leaf real person's hands and feet flinch, he is also the character who refines Qi Chenggang,ultrasonic dispersion machine, didn't he sacrifice to refine a protective instrument? Jiao Fei did not know that although the Luofu School was also known as the Taoist School, it was like Heshan Road, which was a miscellaneous school. Luofu School is known as "Luofu Three Thousand Dharmas, Dharma and Gods". The magic in the school is complex, which can be called the best in the world. Just worship under the door of Louvre. There are too many spells to practice. Any disciple of Louvre who doesn't know dozens of spells is embarrassed to go out. It's just that these miscellaneous spells are not powerful enough, and they are not much better than casual practitioners. They are used to fool mortals, but they are full of hype and endless mysteries. The monks at the same level are far from fighting. The only serious cultivation method of the Luofu Sect is the Ziyun method of the Zhen Sect,ultrasonic generator driver, which is never lightly passed on to ordinary disciples. This purple cloud formula is also very mysterious. Every time it is built into a layer, the auspicious cloud protecting the body changes a color, and the highest is pure purple. Although this green leaf real person barely reached the realm of refining Qi into Gang, aptitude is loose, this life is over, and did not learn the Ziyun formula of Luofu True Biography, although it is the realm of refining Gang. But even a serious ritual instrument could not be sacrificed. Jiao Fei didn't care too much about himself. "Brother Dao," he said in surprise, "I made a mistake just now. Destroy your magic weapon, but I don't know what the crime is? Poyangzi also flinched when he saw Aoba Zhenren. Annoyed, he said bitterly, "Little Shaggy.". You don't have to satirize Master Dao, and I'll wait here for you to kill him. My magic power is low, and I have no eyes. I will not be wronged if I die in your hands. When Jiao Fei saw that Poyangzi had said such cruel words, ultrasonic spray nozzle ,ultrasonic handheld welder, he was not so surprised. He said with a faint smile, "What is this Taoist brother talking about? Even if you and I quarrel, it's just a momentary impulse. Where did we talk about fighting and killing?" Then Jiao Fei ignored the Poyangzi and sat casually in the corner, closing his eyes and refining his breath. After this storm, the Taoist priests did not dare to provoke Jiao Fei and Su Huan again. After a short time, the guard of the jade gate Hou Jing with the immortal officer Kou Xun to the camp, Hou Jing still, he never told people about their learning, but that Kou Xun is a disciple of the Dragon and Tiger Sect of West Xuanshan, although because of the failure of cultivation, was sent down the mountain to seek human wealth, but aftt's no loss to accept a gift from him. Just don't haggle with such a young man. Although the champion also saw Jiao Fei sitting high, he was a serious disciple of the Taoist school, and naturally he had some tolerance. Besides, although he was sent r of the fourth grade.". But with such a high official title, the evaluation is also strict. I think Kou Xun was born in the Dragon and Tiger Mountain,ultrasonic sonochemistry machine, and has the cultivation of the third layer of Qi refining to respond to heaven and earth. He is only a teacher of the fourth grade. Only two or three of these people are worth seeing. I'm afraid it's not as good as me. Hou Jing is pulling the tiger skin, pulling the downwind flag, and fooling these Taoists. fycgsonic.com

[translations-by-aiimee]

The Husky and His White Cat Shizun - Chapter 45

Original Title:  二哈和他的白猫师尊

Genres: Drama, Romance, Tragedy, Xianxia, Yaoi

This translation is the product of my limited knowledge of Chinese characters as I attempt to learn the language. If I have made any egregious mistakes, please let me know.

Chapter Index

Chapter 45- This Venerable One Knew You Would Come

Xue Meng shouted angrily into the air: "Bullshit god! Are your dog eyes blind? Are we trespassing? You can clearly see that we were kidnapped!"

Shi Mei said: "It's useless. This is the voice he left behind. His real figure isn't here at all. I think it's a fake Gouchen that got confused because of Zhaixin Liu's judgement. It made him think that we're trespassers with bad intentions."

The voice continued:

"Those who are worthy of divine weapons in the world should understand what is benevolence and kindness. They should not sink into illusions, nor lose their minds. Since you are here, you will be tested by me. If you pass the test, you will be safe, and a divine weapon will be offered to you. But if you are selfish and indulgent, if you have a weak heart, then you are not worthy of being a divine weapons master!"

Chu Wanning's blood-stained lips opened and he said hoarsely: "Benevolence and kindness. . . Draining someone's blood is what you call benevolent?"

He knew that Gouchen couldn't hear him at all, but he was still angry. Even if he breathed heavily with every word he spoke, his wounds getting even more aggravated, he couldn't control his harsh words.

The voice continued to echo in the Divine Weapons Arsenal on its own: "To test the nature of your heart. You will fall under the illusion of Zhaixin Liu's Sweetest Dream. If you do not wake up from the illusion in time, your companion will bleed out and be buried here."

When the three of them heard the words, their faces drained of colour.

Shi Mei murmured: "What. . ."

That means that the three of them are about to fall into an illusion.

If they can't wake up in time, will the three of them really live forever in a beautiful dream and let Mo Ran bleed out and die in reality?

Xue Meng was dumbfounded for a moment and then shouted angrily: "What kind of immortal are you!!! If cultivation means cultivating into someone like you, I don't care to touch a sword again in my life!!!"

Chu Wanning also said angrily: "This is ridiculous!"

"Shizun!" Shi Mei panicked and advised him, "Don't get angry, be careful of your wounds."

And the offspring of Gouchen the Exalted surprisingly recited a poem at this time. He slowly said slowly: "If one pours water onto a level ground, it itself will run north, south, east, or west. Man's life is also bound to fate. And we should not lament at work and brood at rest. So I pour out some wine to soothe my anxiety, and raise my goblet to stop singing The Road of Adversity. How can my heart made of no stone or wood be indifferent? But silently I wander around and dare not to speak out.*"

*(T/N: Poem 4 of Bao Zhao's Road to Adversity)

Xue Meng was flush with rage: "What are you talking about!"

Shi Mei said: "Bao Zhao's poem is about the road to adversity, meaning that everyone has his own fate. How can he feel sorry for himself and relieve himself with wine? The poem is interrupted by wine. The human heart is not a solid stone, how can it be devoid of emotion? The desire to speak is still there but he doesn't say it. He wants to talk and not stop."

Gouchen let out a long sigh and said: "In this vast floating world, how many people can give up their lifelong dream to help someone else? The world will not stop killing and conquering. If a divine weapon falls into the hands of a traitor, it's all my fault. How could I forgive myself for the sins committed with a blade I forged. . ."

Suddenly, the Divine Weapons Arsenal went dark. The shards of casting metal flying in the air also stopped moving. A layer of shimmering light slowly lit up at the dome, as if there were starbursts of colour gradually trickling down and shining on the ground.

A voice whispered in the air: "Go to sleep. . ."

This soft and bright brilliance seemed to have some kind of confusing effect. Shi Mei and Xue Meng's cultivation was not very profound and they soon fell unconscious.

"Go to sleep. . ."

Chu Wanning gritted his teeth and forcibly resisted, but the power of the primal god was so vast that he couldn't get rid of the drowsiness that came over him and fell into a dream.

The Divine Weapons Arsenal.

As blood dripped out, Mo Ran was the only one who was awake. He coughed up blood, and across the weakened waterfall, he could vaguely see the three people who fell into an illusion behind it.

Chu Wanning, Shi Mei, and Xue Meng have all fallen asleep.

Mo Ran heard Gouchen's words and knew that if only one of them could wake up in time, the illusion could be broken and he would be saved.

However, as time passed, his mind became more and more dizzy, and his body gradually grew cold. But no one woke up from the dream.

This could only be described as retribution. In his previous life, he did this to Chu Wanning, and in this life, he also felt the taste of blood dripping out of him.

Real funny.

Who among them would give up the best dream in their lives, the thing they wanted most, to come and save him?

Xue Meng was out of the question.

Chu Wanning. . . ah, he didn't want him.

If it was going to be anyone, that person should be Shi Mei, right?

He pondered vaguely. But he had lost too much blood and he was barely able to stay conscious.

Mo Ran glanced down at his feet. The blood leaking to the bottom of the copper drip was diluted by the water in the funnel, flooded with light red waves.

He suddenly wanted to know, if he also fell under Gouchen's illusion, what kind of scene would he be able to see?

Will he dream of crystal clear pure wontons, Shi Mei's gentle smile, Chu Wanning's praise, the wind-blown begonias all over the mountain when he first came to Life-Death Peak. . .

"Mo Ran. . ."

Suddenly he heard someone calling him.

Mo Ran still hung his head. He must be so close to losing his sanity that he was hallucinating, he thought.

"Mo Ran."

"Mo Ran!"

This wasn't a hallucination!

He snapped his head up.

The scene in front of him caused his pupils to dilate-

He almost hissed: "Shi Mei!!!!"

It was Shi Mei!

The person who woke up, abandoned the beauty, gave up his happiness, and still remembered him in the midst of all the things he wished for the most.

It was Shi Mei. . .

Mo Ran looked at the slender boy through the waterfall. He walked towards him, and suddenly he felt a lump in his throat.

"Shi Mei. . . You. . ."

In the end, he didn't know what to say. Mo Ran closed his eyes and said hoarsely.

"Thank you. . . Even in a good dream. . . can still remember me. . ."

Shi Mei waded through the water. His clothes were soaked, and his eyes were dark. His appearance was as gentle as when he first saw him. The same tenderness that he had seen in his dreams many times in his previous life, the same tenderness that he talked about when he reminisced when his body had grown cold.

Shi Mei said: "Don't be silly, there's no need to thank anyone."

He came closer and Mo Ran realized that both of his feet were bleeding.

He didn't know when the ground became hot. Gouchen seemed to be determined to test how much a person would do for his companion, so the temptation of a beautiful dream was followed by callous torture.

Shi Mei's boots have been burned through. If he doesn't move, the ground will remain as usual, but if he insists on moving forward, every step he takes will give rise to a cluster of heavenly fire beneath his feet. The temperature wasn't high enough to burn a person enough to immobilize them, but it was still absolutely excruciatingly painful.

But this gentle person, even though he was already in so much pain, took a glance at him. His eyes became firmer and he walked toward him one step at a time.

"Mo Ran, bear with it a little longer."

He said.

"I'll get you down in a minute."

When their eyes met, Mo Ran didn't know how he could say "don't come over".

This man's gaze was too determined and too stoic.

This man's eyes are too determined and too stoic.

He had never seen such an expression on Shi Mei's face before.

If Mo Ran was a little more in his right mind, he would definitely find it strange.

Shi Mei always called him "A-Ran". When did he ever call him Mo Ran?

He only said that Shi Mei was good to him, but he didn't realize that the person standing in front of him at this time was not Shi Mei, but--

It was Chu Wanning.

Zhaixin Liu's last technique was called Heartpluck.

The so-called Heartpluck was the exchange of hearts and souls between people.

When Chu Wanning broke free from the dream and woke up, he found that he and Shi Mei had actually switched consciousnesses. Under the Heart Plucking Technique, his consciousness was transferred to Shi Mei's body and he thought it probably was the same for Shi Mei. It's just that Shi Mei didn't wake up, so this whole time, he didn't know that he had changed bodies.

Chu Wanning had no time to explain, and Mo Ran, who was blissfully unaware of the truth, really thought that the person in front of him was Shi Mei.

He felt that Shi Mei would definitely be strong enough to push through the pain. He could be experiencing death itself and yet he wouldn't forget his good nature. He was a very stubborn person.

But it was too cruel.

When Chu Wanning finally came to the copper hourglass and went to climb the towering vine willow, trying to save Mo Ran, the vine willow suddenly erupted with thin thorns that were burning with flames.

Chu Wanning hadn't been expecting that. His hand was suddenly scalded. He had to grab onto the vine to climb but Shi Mei's cultivation wasn't very strong. He slid down violently, and the flesh on his hands was instantly melted away by sharp spikes.

". . . !"

Chu Wanning cursed and cringed in pain.

Shi Mingjing, this broken shell!

Mo Ran: "Shi Mei!"

Chu Wanning fell to the ground. The flesh that touched the ground was instantly scalded by the high temperature. But his brow was furrowed while he habitually clenched his lips to prevent from shouting out.

Such a look would appear very stubborn and ruthless on his own face, but when it was replaced by Shi Mei's soft and beautiful face, it was a little pitiful.

Some humans really are incomparable.

"Shi Mei. . ."

Mo Ran opened his mouth, but tears were trickling down his face.

It felt like a knife was piercing his heart. Through his blurred vision, he saw the man's thin and weak body, such a frail person, little by little, grab the vine willow and slowly climb up.

The fine thorns pierced his hand, and the blazing fire burned his body.

They were dyed bright red, and everywhere they passed, there were mottled bloodstains.

Mo Ran closed his eyes. His voice was bloody, his words trembling, and he choked:

"Shi. . . Mei. . ."

The man was very close. Mo Ran saw a flash of bitter pain in his eyes. He seemed to be in real pain, and even the sound of Mo Ran's voice was torture for him.

Therefore, although the expression of the person in front of him was stubborn, his gaze could almost be called pleading.

"Don't call me that again."

". . ."

"Mo Ran, wait a little longer. I'll. . . get you. . . down. . . from there. . ."

Almost the moment the words fell out, the tough light in his eyes came out like a sheathed blade. On that gentle and accustomed face, it was indescribably beautiful.

Chu Wanning's robes surged around him and he jumped on the hourglass.

His face was like golden paper, and he was shaking. Other than the fact that he was still breathing, he looked no different from a dead person.

At that moment, Mo Ran felt that he might as well let his blood be drained and die. It would be better than letting him suffer like this.

His voice broke in his throat: "I'm sorry."

Chu Wanning knew that this sorry was not for him. He wanted to explain but he glanced at Gouchen's silver-blue sword, which was stabbing Mo Ran between his chest and ribs. The source of the spiritual power of the vines may be in this sword. He was worried that Mo Ran's surprise would cause further injury, so he asked, still acting as "Shi Mei":

"Mo Ran, do you believe me?"

"I believe you." There was no hesitation.

Chu Wanning raised his gaze through his eyelash curtain. He glanced at him and held the hilt of the sword. This sword was close to his heart. One wrong move and Mo Ran would die.

". . ." Chu Wanning's hand trembled a little. He held it but he didn't move.

Mo Ran's eyes were still red, but he suddenly smiled, "Shi Mei."

". . . Mmm."

Mo Ran said: ". . . Am I going to die?"

". . . No you won't."

"If I'm about to die, can. . . can I give you a hug?"

He was very careful when he said this, and his eyes were shining with a moist light. Chu Wanning's heart instantly softened.

Yet, at the thought of seeing another person in Mo Ran's eyes, this softness immediately froze into ice.

He suddenly felt as if he was an insignificant clown on stage, hidden behind the water-sleeved clouds of the green-clad flower girl, and no one noticed him.

He was superfluous in this touching piece.

Or maybe the only way forward was to wear this ugly face mask, a smile painted in ink, to match other people's emotions, happiness, sadness, love, hatred and sorrow.

How ridiculous.

Mo Ran didn't know this. He saw the flickering of Chu Wanning's eyes and thought that Shi Mei was reluctant. He quickly said, "Just a small hug. Just a moment."

A faint sigh.

"Actually, I. . ."

Mo Ran: "What?"

". . . Forget it." Chu Wanning said, "It's nothing."

He leaned over, not particularly close, fearing that it would move to the sword, and he reached out and gently gathered up Mo Ran's shoulders.

He heard Mo Ran whispering in his ear: "Shi Mei, thank you for waking up. Thank you for remembering me in your sweet dreams."

Chu Wanning lowered his eyes. his eyelashes were like the flickering of a butterfly's wings. He smiled faintly: "No need to thank me."

After a pause, he added: "Mo Ran."

"Mmm?"

As if he was still in a dream, Chu Wanning embraced him. He stroked his hair and sighed softly, "Do you know that if a dream is too good, it often isn't real?"

After he said that, his hug was like a dragonfly, gone in an instant.

Mo Ran raised his eyes. He didn't quite understand what Shi Mei meant, only that this little hug was a treat that Shi Mei was kind-hearted enough to bestow on him.

It was like a sweet and sour treat and, when rubbed against the base of his tongue, there was a hint of tartness.

At the moment when the sword was removed, blood flowers fluttered like begonia petals being torn off by the fierce wind.

Mo Ran only felt a sharp pain in his heart. For a moment, he thought he was going to die, and a thousand resentments mingled in his heart. He suddenly blurted out: "Shi Mei, I have always loved you very much. What about you. . ."

As the sword fell to the ground, the willow vines dispersed in an instant. The waterfall rushing down from the vault in the sky came to an abrupt halt, and the Divine Weapons Arsenal suddenly reverted to silence.

I have always loved you very much.

What about you. . .

His body had reached its limit, and Mo Ran felt a sudden darkness in front of him.

The moment he fell, he was caught by a pair of blood-stained hands. He fell into Shi Mei's arms. He didn't know if it was an illusion but Mo Ran saw Shi Mei frown softly. He slowly closed his eyes, and water seemed to smoothly escape the edge of his eyes.

It was as if he heard Shi Mei softly say: "Me too."

Mo Ran: "!"

It was an illusion. Otherwise, why was Shi Mei's expression so sad, yet he still promised him.

"I. . . love you too."

His consciousness finally escaped him and Mo Ran passed out.

[bigmilkshakekitten]

MDZS Wangxian - Accidental Baby Acquisition

Stories

↑Description:

Thanks to his ability of soothing children everywhere he goes, Wei Wuxian accidentally acquires a child during the Cloud Recesses study arc and it changes things in how he interacts with the Lan Sect.

↑Description:

If anyone had told Wei Ying a few days ago that he would go on the sort of idyllic road trip he'd always dreamed of, but only after kidnapping an innocent toddler, he probably would have laughed himself to death.

And, yet. Here he is. Doing exactly that.

↑Description:

Nearly a year after the events at Guanyin Temple, Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian return to the cultivation world to participate in the Cultivation Conference. Many things have changed in the year that they were gone.

Or Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian adopt a child while traveling and the cultivation world doesn’t know how to react.

↑Description:

For Wei Wuxian, the apocalypse begins in a petrol station, with a crying baby and its dying mother, and a horde of the undead outside. All Wei Wuxian can think of is making it back to his family, but little does he know that finding his siblings will only be the start of the fight to survive…

A modern zombie AU featuring artwork from the incredible steppjes.

↑Description:

In the Cultivation World there was a Immortal that was said to have Conquered The Burial Mounds of Yiling and Isolated himself in the Mountain filled with Resentment that kept the 5 Great Sects from seeking the Immortal's Power.

After Centuries of waiting The Rumored Immortal Yiling Patriarch meets his destined Light Bearer in the middle of the Sun Shot Campaign.

Or Wei Wuxian is an Half-Qilin who gained Immortality and has been waiting for destiny to a-line his path with his soulmate.

↑Description:

Wei Wuxian swore he never meant for things to get this far out of hand. All he did was joke a little with Lan Zhan about Yuan being his biological son!

in which Lan Wangji believes Yuan is the actual child of Wei Wuxian and the only other possible parent for Yuan would be Wangji. Zhan decides to take responsibility for his child with Wei Ying.

↑Description:

Wei Wuxian turned the Stygian Tiger Amulet into twins! This changes...something?

↑Description:

The one where Yu Ziyuan time traveled but she thought that it was her visions of her alternate life.

She learned that there is a brat named Wei Ying who brought destruction to her and her family's life.

And so in her present, she vowed that she will never allow that to happen.

 

In which Yu Ziyuan found the four-year-old Wei Ying, newly pushed out of the inn where his parents left him, and decided that no, this child must never be associated with her, her family, and their sect at all.

And so Yu Ziyuan thought that she could bring him somewhere where someone may or may not find him but definitely far from where her husband could find him. If he's lucky, he'll survive that winter, if he's not, then death awaits the fevered child.

This is the extent of mercy that Yu Ziyuan could give a child.

With this, she'll raise her children without having to deal with a brat that brings trouble where he goes according to her visions of her alternate life.

↑Description:

At the behest of his siblings, Wei Wuxian is sent to Gusu to recover from the strain of the Sunshot Campaign.

If only he knew how to do that.

↑Description:

Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji take the juniors to investigate a bird-like beast that is said to be kidnapping little girls from a small farming village in the outskirts of Gusu Lan's territory.

But not all is as it seems at first glance.

.

.

.

If you want more Wangxian fics click this → MDZS Fanfictions

MASTERLIST

[gusu-emilu]

miscellaneous MDZS/CQL fic recs (AO3)

broken into sections: Character Study (-esque), Wangxian, Jiang Cheng ships, Yi City (or Yi City-adjacent), Humor/Crack, and Other

Character Study (-esque)

Wei Wuxian

my eyes got used to the darkness by @curiosity-killed (M, Sunshot Campaign era, 4.4k): The funny thing, the thing that makes his lips curl in a grin and his hands shake with laughter, is that all these cultivators with their lofty principles and noble ambitions can’t even notice the ghost among them. Sure, they shiver at his presence and flinch from his cold hands, but not one of them puts it together. Lan Wangji chases him with healing music and Nie Mingjue frowns solemnly at his dancing corpses—and he laughs and laughs and laughs because they just don’t get it. Emilu's commentary: CW for mild body horror.

Jiang Cheng

in our respective ways by @veliseraptor (T, Sunshot Campaign era, 5.7k): Jiang Cheng has his golden core back. But he seems to have lost Wei Wuxian.

You Know I've Fallen, but I Know How High by villainais (M, Post-WWX's death, 2.7k): Jiang Cheng loses both of his siblings in Nightless City. Minutes apart. He trudges home to Yunmeng with one body, holds a private funeral with a single coffin, and allows himself to wear his mourning robes for ten days—permits himself not a single day more. He is still too young and inexperienced, an unfledged boy to the cultivation world, and he is rebuilding Lotus Pier on his own. He will not gift the other sect leaders the satisfaction of seeing him vulnerable. Propriety be damned. Hanguang-jun emerges from his seclusion wearing white. He does not stop.

Nie Huaisang

it deepens like a coastal shelf by @wolffyluna (M, Post-WWX's death, 21.6k): When Nie Huaisang meets Mo Xuanyu, he realises two things quickly. One, this kid is so doomed. Two, this kid would be a great unwitting spy in his plans to bring down Jin Guangyao. It would be so easy to get into Mo Xuanyu's confidences, and so easy to get him to tell him anything he needs. ...only thing is, that wouldn't be very good for Mo Xuanyu's life expectancy. But he'll do it anyway, if it helps him avenge his brother. A fic about man handing on misery to man, the parallels and cycles in the relationships between Jin Guangyao and Nie Huaisang and Mo Xuanyu, and the lengths these characters will go to meet their goals and if there are lines they won't cross.

Lan Xichen

an old man in dried mouths by @tenacious-minds (T, Post-Canon, 3.3k): Xichen thinks. The tea had always stained the crockery red. Emilu's commentary: Lan Xichen and Jin Ling talk about Jin Guangyao.

can you be a quiet man? by @basket-of-loquats (Unrated, Post-Canon, 70.7k+) But something inside him snapped at Guanyin Temple-- and Lan Wangji watched it happen, saw the exact moment that Lan Xichen went from broken to shattered, when he buried his sword into Jin Guangyao’s chest, when his sworn brother stared up at him with wide eyes, blood dripping from his mouth, when he pulled himself closer and closer and closer-- When he whispered "Why don’t you die with me?", and Lan Xichen hadn’t argued. Emilu's commentary: Lan Xichen / therapy with a side of Wangxian.

Wen Ning

breathless (but i'll pretend to breathe for you) by swordsainted (T, Burial Mounds Settlement era, 4.1k): Wei Wuxian is silent for a long minute, and then he looks at Wen Ning, something raw and open and hurting behind his eyes. “I’m sorry,” he says again, softer this time, and Wen Ning shakes his head, still smiling. “You’ve protected everyone. How could I hate you for that?”

Mo Xuanyu

stand at the pit's mouth by @eldritch-elrics (M, MXY's death, 9.3k): The dreams and regrets of a man on the edge of oblivion. Emilu's commentary: Surrealist/absurdist screenplay.

Wangxian

I would wait for a thousand years by bleuett (T, Immortality Post-Canon, 10.4k): During the worst of winter, a traveler comes to stay at Lan Wangji's inn. He wears a red ribbon in his hair. “Do you see the rabbit?” Wei Ying asks and points at the moon. “That’s the moon rabbit, he helps make Chang’e more immortality elixir. He keeps Chang’e company.” “I do not wish the rabbit for company,” Lan Wangji says tightly. “You are the one I want by my side.” “And I’m here, Lan Zhan. If you go to the moon, I’ll follow you, I’ll always be here now.” Emilu's commentary: Lan Wangji meets Wei Wuxian centuries later and does not remember the past. There is also an excellent podfic by @forgotten-envies

Look Not With The Eyes by Spodumene (G, Post-Canon, 28.1k): Wei Wuxian returns from his travels to join Lan Wangji on a routine night hunt, but when things take an unexpected turn, Wei Wuxian will have to fight for what he's really looking for. Emilu's commentary: Case fic.

All In A Good Time by bigboobedcanuck (E, Post-Canon, 8k): Lan Zhan is struck by a curse that brings him intense physical pain unless he's being touched. He is stoic and tries to hide his suffering. Wei Wuxian is worried and protective. Perhaps they will finally admit their feelings?

Across a Lake of Glass by Zizzani (E, Figure Skating AU, 92.2k+): Each year, Gusu Skating Club runs a camp for only the most elite athletes of each region. This year brings a new skater from the Yunmeng Club who wears skates lined with red and a smile made for war. He skates like a demon. Figure skating au featuring lots of healthy rivalry, pre and post-competition bonding, and an inexplicable fall from grace through the eyes of the media.

Jiang Cheng Ships

Chengqing

display my heart for you to see by @souridealist (M, Post-Canon Wen Qing Lives AU, 5.5k): Jiang Cheng has his own secrets. Some of them are part of the unburied past; some of them are about how long it's been since anyone has touched him.

while I'm in this body by @souridealist (E, Post-Lotus Pier Massacre, 3.9k): For just a few minutes, alone in her office, Wen Qing allows her self-control to slip enough to cry. It's just her luck that that's when Jiang Cheng comes looking for her. Emilu's commentary: Femdom.

Chengning

it may be that it doesn't matter by @wildehacked (T, Post-Canon, 6.6k) “Are you crying?” Jiang Wanyin asks him, and Wen Ning frowns. Pats his cheek with one hand. “No.” Emilu's commentary: Holy Grail of Chengning.

Whatever It Is by morau (E, Post-Canon, 20.5k): It starts, as with a lot of things, with a very poorly thought out prank, courtesy of Wei Wuxian. Emilu's commentary: A LOT of sex and even more emotions lol

won't run away (we're here to stay) by @qi-ling (T, Post-Canon, 3.5k): "Please don't feel any pressure to accept this, and you can take as much time as you need to think about it." It's a set of robes, in shades of deep purple, complete with leather bracers. Cut in a different style than that of the disciples or household staff, closer to the understated robes Wen Ning typically wears. He reaches out to feel the fabric. His deadened nerves can't sense delicate textures well, but even he can tell it's of a quality on par to Wanyin's own wardrobe. This is startling enough coming from Jiang Wanyin, but then Wen Ning notices the belt. In particular, the silver bell in the shape of a lotus affixed to it. Only recognized members of the Jiang sect may wear the clarity bell. Or, Jiang Cheng has an invitation for Wen Ning.

Zhancheng

By Proxy by @veliseraptor (E, Post-WWX's death, 12k): Jiang Cheng and Lan Wangji, looking for comfort in all the wrong places. Emilu's commentary: Hate sex that made me cry

Yi City (or Yi City-adjacent)

Songxuexiao

Heaven Has A Road But No One Walks It by @silvysartfulness (M, Post-Yi City arc Canon Divergence, 123k+): One of the most complex spells of demonic cultivation the world has seen is brought to fruition, and Xiao Xingchen draws his first shaking breaths in over seven years. This, it turns out, is only the start of his problems. Emilu's commentary: Pretty sure everyone already knows about Silvy's happy songxuexiao road trip fic but it has to be here.

Xue Yang & Lan Xichen

Hours On Empty series by @lady-of-the-lotus (M to E, Post-Canon, 57.8k+): AU where Wei Wuxian never came to Yi City and Xue Yang is still running around post-canon disguised as Xiao Xingchen. "Fractured Ice" - Xue Yang whisks a nihilistic Lan Xichen off on a murder roadtrip to raise Xiao Xingchen and Meng Yao from the grave. Because that will solve all of their problems, right? "Control" - "Fractured Ice" retold from Xue Yang's pov. "A Thousand Miles In Its Light" - Alternate ending to "Fractured Ice" and "Control"

Songxiao with Xuexiao Flashbacks

Nothing Beside Remains by @eldritch-elrics (T, Post-Yi City arc Canon Divergence, 21.9k): And Xiao Xingchen is dressed in dark clothing that is not his, and his sight is all of a sudden sharp in a way that it has never been before, and Xue Yang is not here. “He wouldn’t,” he breathes. “No, he wouldn’t do that. He’s too—” “He’s too what?” Wei Wuxian steps a foot closer, face hard-set. “Too cruel? Or too kind?” Or: Xue Yang uses the Sacrifice Summon on Xiao Xingchen. Xiao Xingchen lives with the consequences.

Humor/Crack

The Hangover: A pre-wedding Dramedy series by natcat5 (M, Modern AU, 51.6k): It is not a bachelor party. That was made clear on all the invitations. It is a congratulatory get together for Jin Zixuan, attended by his family, the family of the bride, and the young masters of the other two families in their circle. The gathering is not to go later than midnight, everyone must drink in moderation, and no one is allowed to be hungover tomorrow. Wei Wuxian had promised Yanli, three fingers in the air. Jiang Cheng had rolled his eyes, but promised as well. Saturday morning, Nie Huaisang and Jiang Cheng wake up alone in a hotel room, missing shoes, phones, and almost all their memories of what in the world happened last night. Also missing: Wei Wuxian, brother of the bride, Lan Wangji, esteemed guest, Lan Xichen, esteemed guest, Jin Zixun, cousin of the groom, Jin Guangyao, brother and best-man, Jin Zixuan, THE GROOM, who is due at his bride-to-be's house in six hours. That's plenty of time to find everyone...right?

Jiang Cheng Loves Jar Jar Bombad Mui by @lady-of-the-lotus (G, Post-Canon, 1.7k) Jar Jar Binks washes up on the shores of Lotus Pier. Can he win the lonely Jiang Cheng's proud heart? Neb neb answer is yesa. Emilu's commentary: There's also a podfic by @aowyn. Yes, with a Jar Jar voice.

Other

Nie Huaisang & Wen Ning

By Name by nirejseki (G, Post-Canon, 1.3k): After the traumatic events in the now-collapsed temple, Wen Ning lingered behind and unexpectedly saw Nie Huaisang, the undisputed victor of an all-around terrible evening, sitting on the steps of the temple, looking exhausted and miserable, as if he’d won nothing at all. Wen Ning found himself drifting over to him.

Jiang Yanli & Nie Mingjue

utility by magicites (G, Arranged Marriage AU, 2.3k): Jiang Yanli and Nie Mingjue's wedding is a political one — a gesture of unity between their Sects. A way for her parents to finally get some use out of the plain-faced sham of a cultivator they call a daughter. “Jiang-guniang,” Nie Mingjue says, and the formality in such a setting as intimate as their wedding chambers startles her, “I don’t wish to bed you. Or any other woman, for that matter. It isn’t fair for you to live alone because of my own preferences.” She rests her hand on his arm, cool relief flooding her body like water on a summer afternoon. “If it helps, I don’t feel desire for men,” she whispers.

Jin Guangyao / Nie Huaisang

Pulling Strings by @eldritch-elrics (E, Post-WWX's death, 5k): Nie Huaisang, quite drunk, turns up at Jin Guangyao’s door one night with an unexpected request. Emilu's commentary: Nie Huaisang knows Jin Guangyao killed Nie Mingjue. This interaction is more symbolic than anything else...

[eyes-of-mischief]

weekly fic recs | 29

fandoms: aftg, dc, hq, merlin, svsss

aftg

The Crooked Kind by youreyestheyglow

Neil went pro a year ago--and not on Andrew's team. The problem: they're private people, and when the press takes their declarations of hate at face value, Andrew and Neil find themselves unwilling to end the rumors.

Sugar by orphan_account

(explicit)

Neil would always remember the first day he saw Mr. Minyard, fondly known as The Day Neil Josten’s World Was Pleasantly Rocked By Realising He Had The Most Gorgeous Lecturer On Campus.

dc

r/onlyingotham by amurderofmagpies

The unofficial subreddit of Gotham City.

hq

Vicarious Scarring by ghostwriterofthemachine

(graphic depictions of violence, major character death)

Asahi says, “You know,” with his face turned towards the window, eyelashes kissing his cheeks, “I think that, if any of you were drawn, I would volunteer.” The words hit him like a punch to the stomach. Icy fear drips down Suga’s back, wrapping around his heart and freezing his tongue for a long second. “Asahi,” he manages, “what —” “I’m serious,” he says, still so calm, no sign of the anxiety which usually follows him like a cloud. As if he’s not talking about the high possibility of his own death. “I would. I don’t even think I’d be able to stop myself.”

Or: A Hunger Games AU, about the people left behind.

Pathétique by LuckE1

(mature) (graphic depictions of violence)

Pathétique – in music, meaning “passionate” or “emotional,” or evoking the emotions of pity, grief, or sorrow.

Single-father Akaashi is on his last rope. With his desire to give his son a better life, and to escape the struggles within his own life, he is ready to end it all.

But, a certain volleyball coach brings beautiful colors into his dull world.

Musician AU, Akaashi-centered.

merlin

Emrys the Really, Truly Terrible by lindenwaverly

"“Emrys,” said Gaius, raising the Eyebrow of Disappointment and flicking his gaze to where Merlin stood behind Arthur’s chair. “That is who you wish to have as your court sorcerer.”

Arthur nodded gravely, every eye in the council meeting upon him. “Camelot is dangerously close to division even now that sorcery is legal. We need someone who will unite us all, and I cannot settle for less. I’ll send riders out at first light chasing rumours and follow up any promising leads we have myself.”

He looked so beautiful when he said it, every inch the king, with the sunlight through the windows turning him gold. His voice had taken on that richness that sometimes infused Arthur’s words – that for the good of the kingdom voice, that let it be so voice, the voice that Merlin had come to understand meant another brick laid on the road to Albion.

Unfortunately, that voice had been co-opted for a fucking farce."

Or - In which magic is legal and Merlin is still lying for reasons that are absolutely, totally 100% valid and have nothing to do with his love for Arthur

svsss

Uprooted by lethean

(mature)

Shen Yuan never expected to transmigrate, so when he does, he's at least relieved he hasn't become some poor cannon fodder character in that shitty novel he just finished reading. But as he navigates his new life, he discovers that isn't the case at all—he's landed himself right in the role of a minor villain in Proud Immortal Demon Way.

Except ... why are things different from how he remembers them? And why did the white lotus love interest turn into the villain instead??

Metagaming by esama

(mature) (graphic depictions of violence)

[Self-Saving System Activated! You will be now returned to your original starting position.]

Shen Qingqiu dies and gets a second chance and decides to try a different approach.

Part 1 of Master of Dual Cultivation

[baoshan-sanren]

Chapter 27

of the wwx emperor au I’m thinking of calling Lan QiRen’s Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Week oh god it’s only gonna get worse

Prologue | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 Part 1 | Chapter 8 Part 2 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11 | Chapter 12 | Chapter 13 | Chapter 14 | Chapter 15 Part 1 | Chapter 15 Part 2 | Chapter 16 | Chapter 17 | Chapter 18 | Chapter 19 | Chapter 20 | Chapter 21 | Chapter 22 Part 1 | Chapter 22 Part 2 | Chapter 23 | Chapter 24 | Chapter 25 | Chapter 26

WangJi is not familiar with YiLing.

His first sight of the town had been marred by the stress of the six day travel, and all the unpleasantness that the trip had encompassed.  Their inability to find any accommodations for the Lan Sect escort had also contributed to the unfavorable impression. Overall, YiLing is not much smaller than Gusu, but significantly older, its streets and canals having sprouted wherever they were needed.

There is symmetry and regularity to Gusu that has always appealed to WangJi’s need for clearly discernible orderliness; it had been designed with care, roads proportionally wide to the demand, the street market restricted to specific areas built to accommodate the resulting foot traffic.

In contrast, YiLing had formed itself around a popular trade route both by land and by water, and had grown as the fame of the Immortal Mountain had grown, without any order or forethought. Some alleys are wider than the main roads, some are cobblestones and the others dirt, and in some, stubborn weeds and vines have taken root, choking the nearby walls and hedges. Some canals have so many bridges, that one could cross half of YiLing just hopping across them; some only have single, narrow bridge, and those are perpetually clogged by carts and carriages. Handsome mansions sit next to houses of ill repute, next to tanneries and farriers, the stench mixing heavily in the day’s heat. The street markets have taken root wherever there is space, and in many places where they clearly should not have, their stands and awnings blocking the thoroughfare. The result is haphazard at best, an overwhelming chaos made worse by the seven-day festival in honor of the Emperor’s birthday.

Wei WuXian loves it.

WangJi can hardly keep up with him. It is a relief to know that Nie MingJue has stationed multiple members of the Nie Sect throughout the town, because Wei WuXian seems to have entirely forgotten to worry about his own safety. Everything is fascinating to him; everything is new, and exciting, and worthy of exclaiming over. Not a single piece of cloth, or an ornament, or a children’s toy has been overlooked. Wei WuXian has to touch everything, ask about everything, haggle over everything. His smile is so wide and bright that WangJi is finding it hard to focus on anything else. Multiple times, he has found Wei WuXian’s hand wrapped around his wrist, tugging on his sleeve, pressing on his shoulder. He is like a child who needs to see everything, but also needs WangJi to see it as well, even if Wangji hardly has time to offer an opinion, before being tugged to the next stand, the next alley, the next bridge.

Wei WuXian has dressed to blend in. His robes are dark gray, lined in red, sleeves tightly tied off at the wrists. It is a uniform more suited to a rogue cultivator, or perhaps a second or third young master of a middling clan. But WangJi is certain that no set of dark, unadorned robes would ever prevent Wei WuXian from standing out. His smile is infectious; people smile back without meaning to, as if compelled by some invisible force. Those that do not, are still left looking dazed, blinking into the space where his smile had been moments ago. The red ribbon in Wei WuXian’s hair is perhaps the most conspicuous part of his outfit, fluttering as he darts from one corner of the street to another, a bright splash of color WangJi can easily follow even when left behind.

“Did you know you look an awful lot like the Emperor?” an old lady says to him, and Wei WuXian laughs loudly, turning to WangJi.

“Did you hear that Lan Zhan? What do you think? Am I as handsome as the Emperor?”

WangJi feels his face heat, but Wei WuXian is already skipping away, exclaiming over a row of grass butterflies. He buys three of them for A-Yuan, then dashes to the next colorful thing, a row of bright scarves embroidered with lotus flowers.

They have long lost sight of Nie MingJue and XiChen; WangJi knows they had not intended to stick closely to one another throughout the evening, as the sight of two Lan Sect members together may raise suspicion. They do not know if the assassin or their accomplices have eyes and ears in YiLing; the rumors in the Immortal Mountain City have placed the Young Masters of the Lan Sect in the Imperial Gardens, along with the Emperor, and Jiang WanYin had been quite insistent that they do nothing to compromise the plans set in motion. Both WangJi and XiChen had dressed simply enough to be mistaken for the Lan Sect escort still residing outside the YiLing proper, but once they are standing side by side, their resemblance is difficult to ignore. Still, WangJi knows his brother will worry, and wishes he could at least catch a glimpse of him in the crowded streets.

“Lan Zhan! Lan Zhan! Look at this!”

Wei WuXian had stumbled upon rows of paper lanterns, each one delicately painted with a different woodland creature in careful strokes. These are, by no means, the first paper lanterns they have seen on their trek across the market. Later in the evening, when the darkness fully sets, thousands of them will be released to the sky, as is tradition on every fifth day of the Emperor’s birthday festival. But these are the first lanterns WangJi has not found visually overwhelming, and he watches Wei WuXian haggle with the merchant for a little while, before simply stuffing the amount the man had wanted into his hands.

“Lan Zhan! He was going to sell it for less!”

The man shoots Wei WuXian a look that clearly says he was not going to do any such thing, but WangJi does not care either way.

“Which one?” he asks, and that is all it takes for Wei WuXian to become distracted again, exclaiming over hedgehogs and deer, until he settles on a lantern depicting a white rabbit.

“Do you like rabbits, Lan Zhan?”

WangJi nods. He has never before considered his feelings about rabbits in any detail, but now, he finds himself quite fond of them.

“Hm, I think we should eat. What do you think? After, we can find a peaceful spot to watch the lantern festival.”

Anything with a word peaceful in it is more than satisfactory to WangJi, and he nods again, letting Wei WuXian pull him to the nearest winehouse.

The common room is crowded and loud, the stench of alcohol mixing with the sharp scent of spices. Majority of the patrons seem to be merchants, but WangJi sees a few cultivator swords leaning against the table edges, despite the fact that their owners lack discernible sect uniforms. YiLing has always been a popular town for rogue cultivators. The Immortal Empress herself had belonged to no sect or clan, and each year, even the largest Sects see a number of disciples leave to strike out on their own, the idea of being anchorless and sectless doubtlessly more romantic in theory than it turns out being in truth. Still, WangJi is more focused on ascertaining if any of them are Sect members in disguise, than he is on Wei WuXian’s conversation with the serving girl.

Once the proprietor approaches however, he finally recognizes that there is an issue.

A single glance at the man’s face explains the situation fully, and WangJi steps closer to Wei WuXian, who is still visibly confused.

“We should leave,” WangJi says softly.

Wei WuXian does not listen. The common room is crowded, but there are clearly at least two unoccupied tables, and Wei WuXian does not understand why the serving girl would pretend otherwise.

The proprietor, unlike the serving girl, has no qualms about speaking plainly, “The Lan sect is not welcome here.”

WangJi had remained a few steps behind Wei WuXian, and cannot see the expression on his face, but he can perceive the telltale stiffening of his shoulders, the tightening of his grip on the sword. WangJi feels a moment of pity for XiChen, having to deal with his own eerily similar reaction in MoLing.

“Excuse me?” Wei WuXian says, his voice cold.

The exchange has drawn notice of the few nearby tables, most of them occupied by men who clearly know how to use their swords, and WangJi can see this situation escalating past the point where it can be managed peacefully.

He grabs Wei WuXian by the elbow and pulls him backwards, stepping in front of him.

“Forgive my friend,” he says, bowing to the proprietor, “he meant no offense. We are leaving.”

He has to physically push Wei WuXian outside. The line of his back is iron hard under WangJi’s hand, and his grip on the sword has not loosened.

“How dare he?” he bursts out, before they are even fully in the street, and WangJi pushes him harder, hoping to put some distance between them and the common room as quickly as possible.

“Do not be angry,” he says softly.

“Do not be angry?” Wei WuXian spits out, fury making his voice vibrate, “By the time I am done, he will be lucky to run a QiShan whorehouse!”

WangJi steers him down an empty alley, afraid that someone might decide to follow, “We are in disguise. The proprietor mistook you for a rogue cultivator. He did not know that he was insulting the Emperor.”

“He knew he was insulting you!” Wei WuXian whirls to face him, his expression outraged.

This is the second time WangJi has seen him angry in response to the mistreatment of the Lan Sect. It is just as overwhelming as the last time, and he is equally as incapable of formulating the correct response.

“This is YiLing,” he says, “the home of the Empress. The Lan Sect has never been welcome here.”

“Are you saying that they are all like this?” Wei WuXian’s voice is dangerous now, and WangJi does not know how to answer that question in a way that will deescalate the situation.

He should have known that this would happen. He should have steered Wei WuXian away from the places that he knows are likely to refuse to serve him.

It was stupid and thoughtless of him to forget. The evening had been going so well. Wei WuXian had been genuinely happy, and now he is furious, and WangJi does not know how to fix what he had broken.

Feeling agitated and unsure, he reaches for Wei WuXian’s hand, “Do not be angry. The street merchants will not care what sect I am from. We can buy food from them.”

He watches Wei WuXian’s anger bleed away in a rush, but it is replaced by frustration and grief, both nearly as crushing as the anger had been.

His fingers press into the back of WangJi’s hand, “Is it like that everywhere?”

“Sometimes,” WangJi says, “but it does not matter right now. You wanted to eat. We should do so before the festival starts, and the streets become crowded. Come on.”

He tugs Wei WuXian slightly, desperate that the subject be dropped, desperate for the return of the happy, smiling Wei WuXian, who seemed to not have a care in the world.  

Wei WuXian lets himself be led, but it is a long time before he smiles again.

[amedetoiles]

pls tell me your thoughts about the potential for wwx-jgy friendship? i just like the idea of them having similar experiences as like: poor street kid/poor brothel kid, would kill god for the people they care about, made of knives, incredibly charming and personable. i feel like they could have Seen each other and understood each other really well, and like, things would have ended up better maybe?

Gosh. Ok, so full disclosure before I answer this: I am really not the most sympathetic towards Jin Guangyao. I am just not a fan of him in any universe where he is complicit if not directly responsible for the death of his own child to protect his own reputation (up for debate, but nonetheless Jin Rusong fucking deserved better), gaslights his wife / half-sister into committing suicide, and has a monologue meltdown about how difficult his life has been to his own orphaned and bullied nephew whose childhood he had a hand in destroying. I am glad he got kicked down the same stairs twice, and I am glad Nie Huaisang beat him at his own game. All in all to say that my thoughts on him might be colored by this. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

But let’s get into this! Jin Guangyao is a great character foil to Wei Wuxian. The circumstances of his life that shaped his morality (or lack thereof) and the choices he makes in response are tragic and understandable. I definitely think Jin Guangyao could have been a different person, a better person, if his father wasn’t such a trash heap, if society hadn’t been such a gigantic dick about his mother, and if he hadn’t needed to claw his way into achieving everything he did. Wei Wuxian says himself that he doesn’t consider Jin Guangyao a villain.

However, I hesitate to say that had they struck up a friendship, Jin Guangyao and Wei Wuxian could have understood each other easily and that this could have changed things. Don’t get me wrong! I can definitely see how influence could have been made where a friendship between these two would have fixed it all. Or at least improved things. Especially in association with Wei Wuxian, Jiang Yanli’s nonjudgemental kindness (under the condition that nobody hurts her little brothers) would have been extremely refreshing to Meng Yao.

But I also think the differences between Wei Wuxian and Jin Guangyao would have made it difficult for them to truly understand and agree with each other. And it’s these differences that ultimately decide each of their fates.

I will try to organize my thoughts on this. First, the discussion of privilege.

1. Wei Wuxian and Jin Guangyao are not on the same privilege level.

While both Wei Wuxian and Jin Guangyao are scorned in some way, shape, or form for their parents’ statuses, Wei Wuxian is still the son of cultivators. He is still the son of Cangse sanren, a disciple of a famed immortal. His pedigree and legacy are undeniable. Jin Guangyao, on the other hand, is the unwanted son of a lecherous sect leader and a sex worker. In a society where hierarchy and reputation is everything, this places Jin Guangyao in an entirely different pedigree in a way that Wei Wuxian wouldn’t be able to understand.

Wei Wuxian is also brought into the Jiang sect and given a chance to cultivate at an early age where Jin Guangyao doesn’t. Wei Wuxian can punch the heir of a rich sect leader, leading to the dissolution of his sister’s political marriage alliance, and still get nothing but a slap on the wrist because boys will be boys. He can interrupt important post-war celebration dinners to tell that same rich sect leader to fuck off with his marriage proposal and then promptly skip away without any real consequences. He can accidentally send his friend’s little brother into a murderous rampage, and his own little brother will apologize on his behalf and offer to pay reparations.

Wei Wuxian may not have the same privilege as sect heirs like Jiang Cheng or Lan Wangji, but he has far more privilege than Jin Guangyao and Su She. This is important because it is this privilege that Wei Wuxian sacrifices later in order to the protect the Wens. I am not saying Wei Wuxian doesn’t suffer. He does, a truly horrendous amount, but even without his golden core, even when his self-worth is at an all-time low, he is still supported and protected by his status in the Jiang sect until he gives it up to do the right thing. Despite Lan Xichen and the Nies, Jin Guangyao doesn’t have this same kind of backing.

(With that being said though, Jin Guangyao does become Chief Cultivator, so there is only so far one can fall back on their disadvantages in society when they have already reached the top. Being marginalized is not an excuse to be a jackass to your nephew whose parents you had a hand in killing, just saying.)

One can argue that had Jin Guangyao been raised in the Jiang sect while Wei Wuxian continued to scrape for food on the streets, their outlook on life would have been completely different. But even taking into account Jiang Yanli’s overwhelmingly positive influence on a young Meng Yao, I am still inclined to disagree because of my next point.

2. Wei Wuxian and Jin Guangyao are fundamentally different in how they respond/cope with public gossip and ridicule.

Wei Wuxian, for the most part, lets these comments roll off his back. This is not to say he doesn’t care or that they don’t affect him. They clearly do, and his actions, his self-perception, and his increasingly arrogant bravado as the story progresses reflect the deluge of verbal abuse he’s face with, largely at the hands of Madam Yu. But he copes by being loud, by being talented, by becoming even more outrageous and more unorthodox the more people criticize him. So what if people don’t approve? So what if people look down on his father and gossip about his mother’s supposed relationship with Jiang Fengmian? As long as he is true to himself and his moral convictions, he can walk this dark single plank road alone and without regrets.

Jin Guangyao, on the other hand, desperately and reverently wants to be included. He wants to be accepted, to be liked. He wants to be in the room where it happens. He takes every single comment to heart, carries every disdainful remark on his back like an open scar. He is both someone who loves and respect his mother and who hates her for the constant shadow she casts over him and his place in society. He will build a Guanyin statue in her likeness, in her honor. He will wear a hat because she once told him that a gentleman always wears hats. And yet, he will spend everyday of his life trying to rid himself of his connection to her.

Where Wei Wuxian recklessly cares too little about appearances and what people think of him, Jin Guangyao cares far too much. Wei Wuxian doesn’t give one flying iota about politics, about status and acclaim. He was perfectly fine with being a lotus farmer on a mountain. Even if Wei Wuxian had never been taken in by the Jiangs (and managed to survive the streets), I genuinely think he would still have been largely the same – a child who is kind, open, curious, and holds few grudges. I am not sure I can say that even under the best circumstances, Jin Guangyao wouldn’t have . It destroys him. .

This ties into my last point.

3. Wei Wuxian and Jin Guangyao have completely opposing priorities and beliefs on the worth of others.

Wei Wuxian will throw himself in front of anybody if his moral compass tells him it is the right thing to do. He is a genuinely open-hearted person who cares deeply about others and thinks it is morally corrupt to do nothing when something can be done. He is idealistic and optimistic, oftentimes to a fault. Jin Guangyao, as a result of his childhood and circumstances, is incredibly pessimistic and cynical. It is every person for themselves out here. The world is a crooked shitshow, conflict is inevitable, and he has to come out on top no matter what.

This leads to him sacrificing pretty much everyone in his life in order to maintain his own reputation. Like I do genuinely think Jin Guangyao truly cared about Jin Ling! I think he also in his own way cared about Lan Xichen, Nie Mingjue, and Nie Huaisang! But I also think a large portion of that is because he enjoyed how they made him feel. He enjoyed being liked and being depended upon. And we see clearly what happens when those benefits cease. Whereas Wei Wuxian would rather throw himself off a cliff than hurt any more people he loves, Jin Guangyao would rather push his own people off the cliff if it means his reputation and appearance remain intact. And if that’s not possible, he would rather set them on fire along with him.

This has become an entirely too long rambling essay to say that while Wei Wuxian and Jin Guangyao share similar experiences, their primary priorities are so different and opposing that it is hard for me to come up with a way in which a friendship between them could have changed things. Sure, Jin Guangyao could have benefited from Wei Wuxian’s unabashed and staunch defense of his friend. Anyone who talks shit about Jin Guangyao’s mother will get punched in the face, and it would maybe have made Jin Guangyao feel less alone in the world, less like he only had himself and his manipulative ways to seek acceptance.

But what happens when Wei Wuxian being Wei Wuxian runs around causing social and political uproar to do what he thinks is right? Is Jin Guangyao going to help and support him, or is he going to throw Wei Wuxian under the bus to protect his own reputation? Personally, I think the importance he places on public perception would ultimately be too great. It destroys his relationships, and it destroys him.

[eggytranslations]

Volume 1, Chapter 11-Fate

Content warnings: n/a, maybe prequel to some nsfw?

The night was deathly still; even the candlelight barely flickered.

In this meager space, Shen Qingxuan’s voice was soft, yet it shrouded every corner, his expression serious, even solemn.

With such an expression he had asked, “Shall our separate paths converge into one?”

Yi Mo was somewhat surprised.

How could he not be surprised?

He was originally just a snake, and only because of his cold and unfeeling personality, was he chosen and enlightened by someone who had already ascended to the heavens as an immortal.

He had cultivated for thousands of years, and after one more heavenly trial, he, too, could shed his mortal body and be born anew. Joining the immortal ranks was just a matter of another two or three hundred years. But now there was this mortal, Shen Qingxuan, saying clearly and resolutely: Shall our separate paths converge into one?

Where could that possibly be, Heaven or Earth?

He could tell that Shen Qingxuan did not have the constitution needed for cultivation, which had something to do with his fate. Because of this fate, Shen Qingxuan was destined for prosperity and abundance beyond compare, yet he could only drift about in the mortal realm, endlessly reincarnating. Although he was in dire straits at this moment, it was just a fleeting period of misfortune.

From the first time they met, Yi Mo understood that this was his and Shen Qingxuan’s fate.

They were destined to meet, otherwise why would he, who had always hid himself in the mountains, enter the Shen family’s courtyard on a whim, go so far as to coil himself around the railing in his true snake form to bask in the sun, and let Shen Qingxuan drench him with a cup of hot tea?

Helping him was just a matter of yielding to fate.

As the mortals would say, he was Shen Qingxuan's , fated helper, and assisting him through adversity would allow him to obtain merits as well.

This was inherently a good thing for both parties, and after Shen Qingxuan overcame this calamity, he would naturally follow the currents of fate. In the future when he became some high official, he would no longer have anything to do with him. Yi Mo could care less about the wealth and status of the mortal realm, but Shen Qingxuan’s fate was predestined. With a body weighed down by oppressive, mortal bones, he would never be able to transcend this world.

Moreover, a mortal's life lasted less than a hundred years, and to him a hundred years was just a drop in the ocean. In the future, when Shen Qingxuan died of old age, and his bones returned to dust, he would still look like this, wandering throughout the world. How could their paths converge into one?

Mortals, they were always so greedy. They wanted to live long and healthy, enjoy fame and fortune, and even dared to meet with a yao at the end of the road.

Yi Mo slowly walked over until he stood with his head bowed over Shen Qingxuan, and after intensely scrutinizing him for a long while, he remarked, "I really underestimated you.”

Shen Qingxuan knew that his words were rash, even offensive, but even he did not know why Yi Mo would say something so out of the blue. At this moment, Yi Mo’s expression was as indifferent as usual. Unable to find any clues from his face, Shen Qingxuan decided to take this sentence as a compliment.

He did not expect Yi Mo to drily continue after a pause, “Although you are so thin and weak that even the wind can blow you away, your lust is awfully strong.”

Shen Qingxuan, who did not hear clearly at first, stared at him blankly with his face still turned up. When it dawned on him, a brilliant cloud abruptly blazed across his face. Suddenly unable to speak coherently, he berated hoarsely, "W-what nonsense are you talking about!”

Yi Mo, still standing with his hands clasped behind his back without a single ripple on his face, merely uttered each word slowly, "I saved your life, and promised to restore you to full health, so it is only natural that you want to repay me with your body. But I have not shown any indecent desire, and yet you are already this eager. You have truly surprised me.”

His words were spoken clearly and distinctly, yet they churned Shen Qingxuan’s mind into a muddied bog. He knew perfectly well something was not right, yet his tongue twisted into a knot, rendering him unable to utter a sound.

As he watched Shen Qingxuan’s control rupture into a blush across his face, Yi Mo raised his hand after deliberating for a moment, fingers delicately curled, and touched that shamefully hot face with his fingertips. It seemed as if he were inspecting something and toying with it at the same time. His actions were impetuous, yet Shen Qingxuan was in a complete daze. He did not even think to dodge, and allowed those ice-cold fingers to touch his burning cheeks.

They were so cold. Cold and icy, like lifeless porcelain. Yet soft and nimble, a living being devoid of warmth.

A snake yao—not even a human. Shen Qingxuan truly could not make sense of his deep infatuation. He could not help but gaze at his face through half-lidded eyes, taking in those picturesque and indescribably beautiful features. Then his heart began to flutter in his chest, beating so quickly that it did not make sense. But since when did this world ever make sense?

While in a world of his own, Yi Mo continued to graze his cheeks with his fingertips, taking in their warmth, the delicate skin suffused with a radiant blush. With such thin skin, how could he be this shameless? He opened his palm, turned his wrist, and let his ice-cold palm thoroughly cover that heat source. Extremely warm. A foreign yet familiar warmth flowed through his palm, and he could even feel the faint pulsing of tiny vessels beneath the delicate skin. A moment later, his palm slowly traced Shen Qingxuan’s face, moving from his forehead to his cheekbones, then to his cheeks, before finally resting on his sharp jaw. After enduring those ice-cold caresses for a short while, Shen Qingxuan's face not only did not cool down, but instead grew even hotter until it was scalding to the touch.

Yi Mo was a yao who had lived for over two thousand years; what strange stories had he not heard? Yet he did not understand how this half-crippled mortal of merely twenty or so years could have such ambitions. Nevermind that they were both men, he dared to entertain such delusions between a human and a yao.

Aiya—this truly made him open his eyes.

Absorbed in his own world, Yi Mo caressed him for a while before leisurely retracting his hand and remarking, "Thinner, but still smooth.”

Shen Qingxuan finally reacted with a low "Ah" and instinctively shrank back, coming to his senses and scolding at once, "You think this is a business transaction that you need to inspect before buying?”

Yi Mo raised his eyes and looked straight at him. "So you want to repay me with your body, yet not allow me to appraise the quality?”

Although Shen Qingxuan was still blushing, he had regained his wits for the most part. Seeing Yi Mo speak so directly and shamelessly, with just the two of them alone in this room and almost no distance in between them, Shen Qingxuan decided that he might as well lay down his shame. He murmured, “According to your words, I am only repaying your kindness. But have you ever seen a man offer up his body in the name of gratitude? There are no such records in all those books.”

However as he spoke, Yi Mo stretched out his hand again and untied his belt.

As soon as his belt loosened, Shen Qingxuan pursed his lips and swallowed back what he had wanted to say. All at once his heart realized—It was not that Yi Mo had misunderstood.

He had not misunderstood. Rather, Yi Mo had understood him so well, that he deliberately credited his feelings as mere gratitude. In this way of borrowing and returning, coming and going, repaying a debt was much easier to resolve, without too much entanglement.

––Yi Mo did not want to be entangled with him at all.

Once Shen Qingxuan understood this point, his heart felt like it had been drenched with ice water, the chill permeating his core. Even he could not describe his emotions. But he was somewhat calculating after all, and he recovered without betraying his feelings. He could not compete with that shrewd and experienced old yao. Whatever he says, goes, and Shen Qingxuan could do nothing about it. So he remained motionless, allowing Yi Mo to undress him.

The atmosphere in the room abruptly returned to silence, only the faint rustling of clothes audible.

Shen Qingxuan looked down to see the collar of his robes wide-open, exposing his snow-white inner robe. He watched as those slender yet forceful fingers worked nimbly, loosening the ties on the side of his waist, before untying the next one. When those frigid fingers touched his skin, Shen Qingxuan would shiver, goosebumps rising from his skin.

Sensing his reaction, Yi Mo halted, and after a moment of silence, asked, “Are you still willing to give yourself to me like this?”

Shen Qingxuan was also quiet for a moment, before giving a low chuckle and removing his own crown from his hair. A head of long hair flowed down, the silky strands covering half of his face.

"Since I am repaying your kindness, I should show some sincerity.” The corner of Shen Qingxuan’s lips quirked as he put his hair crown aside and turned back with an easy smile on his face. "Not to mention, you are a snake and cannot freeze me to death. Even if you were a glacier, I would still be willing.”

Hearing his attempt at courage, Yi Mo simply pressed his ice-cold palm firmly against Shen Qingxuan, deliberately making him shudder.

"Then show me your sincerity.”

~~~~~

This chapter is translated by Renee (wooo her first!)

Edited by Eggy and Tao 

Happy 520 (an informal valentines day because it sounds like “I love you” in Chinese) so posting one day earlier :~)

Next chapter in two weeks

[siofreed]

Sect members from Road to Immortality as mochi kittens

Pink - our dear bulliable floof of a sect leader @senshi-medusa

Blue - Cheeky Azurite

Green - me!

[joe-england]

Happy 2021, everyone! Well, I meant to have something for you all sooner, but I sort of hopped tracks from one project to another while taking care of house and home. I'll show the other thing later, but I can't resist worldbuilding. And speaking of the world, it's still Winter, still the midst of a pandemic, and.... Well. America is still having a panic attack. But hopefully this will please you while we tough out the dry heaves!

In case you need clarification, these Files from the Stone Society are written at some point in the future, presumably around the time of Zebra Girl's Epilogue. The enclosed picture serves as a historical illustration of the subject matter.

For this case, we briefly revisit Wally, Crystal, and their children, previously glimpsed in a photograph on Khazandra's desk as we peered through time. In this scene (closer to the present), Wally is having a talk with his pups, who have just begun to experience their werewolf nature. He's changed a lot since we first met him, hasn't he?

But, wait, aren't werewolves immortal? Or do they age like humans? There are conflicting stories. Thankfully, the passage of time brings us the Stone Society, an apparent collective of supernatural researchers who can clear things up! This stuff's going into the Omnibus, by the way. Don't think it won't!

- Joe

From the writings of Voctavio Stone, noted Lycanthropologist (date unknown): “There is some confusion concerning the nature of immortality as it pertains to werewolves.  The average lycanthrope tends to be long-lived, but not extraordinarily so.  And yet, amongst their ranks lurk fearsome elders, their powers swollen by time, some of whom claim to be many centuries old.  Why? “First, it must be said that werewolves are, in fact, highly social animals.  Despite their antiquated reputation as rugged loners, very few of them actually want to be alone.  This is the demand of their curse, which drove many of its victims mad before supernatural society somewhat stabilized and communication and destigmatization allowed for the formation of lasting, healthy relationships for lycanthropes seeking love.  These burgeoning packs allowed the positive attributes of the condition to flourish beyond the negative, and the shadowy figure of the wretched fugitive haunting the borders between towns and forests became little more than a stereotype. “Now we must understand that this has directly impacted the expected lifespan of the average werewolf.  Why do some grow ancient, while most others live and die like any ordinary human?  And why do the former generally seem miserable when compared to the latter?  The answer lies in the motive of the curse. “Curses such as vampirism and lycanthropy are sometimes likened to disease, and not without reason (though ideally without prejudice).  We must remember that no virus actually wants to kill its host.  The purpose of any living contaminant is to survive, and symbiosis is more beneficial than parasitism.  The goal is to comfortably thrive and reproduce.  And while misery loves company, happiness does a better job of attracting it. “With modern analysis, we therefore recognize that lycanthropic immortality is a biological pull meant to provide a werewolf with the opportunity to form a strong and stable group.  While the maddening yearning which develops in the absence of true familial bonds may be ameliorated by makeshift gangs or fleeting friendships, the imposition of youth will persist until sincere companionship is achieved, and only once this is firmly established will the march of time resume. “Few wolves ever lament the opportunity to age and pass away, content in their communal comfort.  And some even prosper, their size and strength blossoming as their condition grants them the power to more effectively safeguard their family in the years they have left.  This is called the “Summer Coat”, a boon gained by local leaders invigorated by their ability to give and receive genuine affection. “Thus, compared to mundane humans, the lifespan of a modern werewolf is not often extended to any remarkable degree.  They are usually raised in functioning family units and seldom feel the need to go wandering far from home.  This contentment curtails the yearning which would trigger their immortality (and prevents a population explosion, since many wolves find themselves unmotivated to begin a family of their own while they remain comfortable with the pack they grew up in).  A far cry from the old tales of abandoned children and rabid nomads prowling the woods! “But those myths and legends are still not entirely unfounded, and remnants of darker times persist.  There remains a small number of prominent elders who, perhaps, have lived too long to find the human connection which their kind call the “Silver Bullet”, the simple intimacy which can unlock the clock and free them from their lonely road.  Such creatures are considered highly dangerous, for not only are they potentially sociopathic, but the march of years has granted them the “Winter Coat”, power gained from centuries spent in love’s absence. “And yet, even these frightful beings have a place in the werewolf hierarchy.   More stable individuals may be requested to serve as magistrates or teachers, though they never fully assimilate into any one pack.   Khazandra of the Eastern Lake is rumored to be close friends with just such an elder, having facilitated its introduction to the lycanthrope community in Miscellanea (although, as usual, the recorded details of this relationship are vague at best).  This serves to demonstrate that, in their heart of hearts, even the most fearsome werewolves ultimately yearn to cultivate rather than sever the ties that bind.”

[aki-draws-things]

If you're asking for Ruojue prompts, I got you~! Ruojue and "If you don’t know where to go, you can always come here."

From the first idea, it changed. So, here, love me some soft ruohan and a "people heal faster when their soulmate is close" AU, because why not?

Hope you'll like it 💖

"if you don't know where to go, you can always come here."

Nie mingjue held on the words sect leader wen spoke long before that day, because at the time he didn't need them, he knew where to go, he knew where he would be safe, so he stored the words in his mind and left them for the moment he would need them. Because he knew he would need them one day, he just knew one day even Qinghe wouldn't be so safe.

In the end, Qinghe remained the safest place he knew, while gusu proved to be treacherous. Gusu, with cold and silence and calm. Who would ever believe him?

He ran out, in the middle of the night, through the quietest woods he ever passed through, not even a night bird chirping to keep him company. Somehow, he realized, those woods held many more dangers than the ones around Qinghe, where demons crawled and appeared and raided villages. Because nie mingjue had a deal with the woods and the mountains in Qinghe, and... Well, he had a deal with the demons too, but people wouldn't understand his ways. Because in Qinghe most of the danger came from humans, from cultivators who tried to strike deals of immortality with the wrong Gods who were no Gods at all. Humans who made experiments and raised an army of deads and nie mingjue could only sigh in defeat and go clear this or that land who didn't even belong to the mortal realm because a demon, horns and tail and all, burst in the unclean realm and pretended he deals with the mess his species causes. And honestly, nie mingjue couldn't blame that demon.

But he was in Gusu and the woods were quiet, the night was silent and he felt blood stick the robe to his skin as he ran.

He could return to Qinghe, of course, he could even just cross the border and wait there, let the energy he grew up with heal him so he could return to the unclean realm unscathed, but his people would raise questions, and baxia alone was growling threats at tree branches and insible blades of invisible enemies. Because that was gusu, in the very end, that was its woods. Silent and calm even in its defenses. Wood spirits, not so different from the demons he knew, loyal to a righteous sect. He was running and so he was deemed an enemy. (there was a reason the gusi lan sect had so many rules. A compromise between them and the spirits, they simply omitted that part.)

No. Returning to Qinghe wasn't an option. It would move the demons who called him Master ever since he claimed Baxia against the wood spirits, and it wouldn't end well.

The good thing of a black robe was that hid blood well, unless it looked torn to shreds. That didn't help.

"I thought you said I could come here."

He said, his eyes scanning warily his own hands, covered in cuts, as the face, as his body beneath the robe. He would take a while to heal probably.

"and I did. But I hoped in a less wounded way."

Mingjue looked up briefly, watched as wen ruohan left his seat behind the desk and crossed the room, waited in anticipation as he raised a hand and hovered close to his face. It was nie mingjue who moved first in the end, his head against the hand, closing his eyes and smiling slightly.

"I tripped on my way here."

A lie so obvious wen ruohan felt almost obliged to believe.

"on some knives field?"

He asked, unsure if he should smile back or move war against someone.

"clumsy like that, it seems. - nie mingjue leaned on his touch a little more, he exhaled slowly, not really wanting to move away, of possible melting even more. - I wanted to come here. To you."

People wondered why the younger sect leader began growing close to wen ruohan, it made little sense, to them.

Wen ruohan, on the other hand, watched in mild fascination as a cut slowly started to heal as his lips brushed against his temple.

" how about a safer road next time?"

"how about you stop using your mouth to talk, now?"

[the-kings-of-games]

The Inhabitants of the Mountain Valley of Neo Domino

Or: The Signers Reimagined With Influences from Eastern Asian Mythology

Introduction

In the mountain valley of New Domino, there live some of the most powerful beings in this world. The path there is treacherous as the road is windy and a heavy fogs covers over it like a veil, and the large pillar like mountains stand tall and old even at a distance. The nearby villages and towns know better than to wonder close to it, and elders warn their children of the dangers—the spirits and the demons—that inhabit the valley. However, if one were to go and manage a way on that road and through the fog, there are wonders to behold—for gods and heavenly beings walk on the earth in that valley and call it home.

Jack, the Dragon Prince of Hearth

In the valley, the bowels of the earth are found in the hidden great lake, and it is there that the royal family of the sea go to nest their newborns. It is rare that a lord or lady of the Dragon Palace leaves for that place, perhaps once every five hundred years, but each one of them seeks the fiery nest under that great lake. For millennia, the princes and princesses of the dragon king have been hatched there, and it was no different for Jack, the youngest of the royal brood. Yet he is different. For the fires of the earth had imbued him with a power so unlike a being of the sea. His heart was made a hearth, and so his soul burns, the power within him seen only once before.

Unwelcomed by the Dragon Palace, Jack's home has always been that great lake, and its very water only strengthens him, nurturing him like a mother. He's grown beautiful over the past few centuries, and though his kind stays away from him, other creatures of the sea flock to him, mermaids, naiads, and minor gods among them. He doesn't mind their company, but often, he leaves the comfort of home to seek his bond brothers and friends.

That is the time when a mortal could wish to see him. No other dragon has coral antlers and scales as pure and white as he.

Luna & Leo, Immortals of the Ancient Fairy Dragon

They were traveling with their parents, rich and intelligent people, through the country side in the dead of winter. The ground was frozen, and no flowers bloomed. Nothing should be growing. And yet they came across a peach tree that bore two pink fruits, just ready to be eaten. Leo saw it and wanted them, and so he climbed that tree onto a branch, throwing one down to his sister. Together, they took the bite, and it was the most delicious thing they had ever eaten, its taste succulent and bursting with flavor. Soon, there was nothing but the pit left, and Leo was about to climb down. Then came a terrible noise, and suddenly, both branch and boy fell. So young and small, he died instantly, and Luna was in tears.

That was then when a spirit of the nature appeared, the Ancient Fairy Dragon, who told Luna that she and her brother had been trusted with a sacred duty. Having eaten the peach of the immortality before his death, Leo came back to life, well and unhurt. Thankful, the twins agreed to leave their mortal lives behind, and they were guided to the high mountain valley of New Domino where the body of the Ancient Fairy Dragon remains. It is through them that hope to return her to the mortal plane is rekindled. Through their laughter and dedication, she can regain her powers.

How long ago was it since they arrived? It's hard to tell; since their arrival, neither twin has grown, but no doubt that more than one lifetime has passed.

Akiza, Cultivator of the Knowledge of Healing

The first mortal in decades to ever safely arrive at the high mountain valley of Neo Domino, Akiza came to live among the gods and heavenly beings in order to study the art of healing. Since birth, she had powers beyond human understanding, and that was why she left her home at a young age, seeking the secrets that can only be taught by ethereal beings and watching them. When she arrived, she made a new home under giant boulders held together by the thick roots of a single cao huan dan tree. Like the peaches the immortal twins ate, Akiza arrived right as the ginseng fruit of the tree ripened, crying like newborns, and she ate all thirty of them, granting her immortality.

Now, with such longevity and power, Akiza dedicates her time in cultivation and in the art of healing. Her skills and knowledge have gained much attention from both deities and other immortals. Many fear her, but some have become her friend, guiding her as she takes her step towards ascension. Whispers say she will one day have a place in the heavenly court, but it would not be for a long time as Akiza feels that she is not yet worthy, that she still has much to learn, that there are people to anchors her to this earth.

Her aid is for everyone who needs it, and her price is nothing. Her beauty is beyond compare, her knowledge incomprehensible.

Crow, Winged Guardian of the Valley

With wings as black as night, Crow is the one who cast the mist of the mountain valley of Neo Domino. He is no trickster, however; he watches over the inhabitants, catching secrets and sharing burdens, and the lost humans who wander too far, he leads them back to the right path with a smile. There are, on occasion, when a child finds their way into the valley, an orphan. Adoring children and compassionate, Crow take them as his own, raising them in the mountains until they are of age. He teaches them the secrets of nature—how to listen to the wind, how speak to birds—and they learn a little of godliness. He has many wonderful memories, but the ones he remembers the most are the days when his children come off age and he sends them back out into the world where they belonged, never to see them again.

On those days, he seek out his friends, weeping over his loss and proclaiming he'd never take another human child as his own again. His bond brothers know, however, that he would fail, and the cycle repeats again and again and again. They continue to catch him when he falls, and Crow rises up each time with a smile, his feathers preened and his golden staff polished. Always, he returns to his duties.

To receive his love is to be marked by fortune; to incur his wrath is to be damned and scorned. No one can cross him without consequence.

Yūsei, Young God of Neo Domino

Born in the heavenly court, Yūsei is the first living god of Neo Domino. On the day of his birth, he fell to earth like a shooting star, and for years, he slumbered in the heart of the mountain valley, every exhale breathing life into the dirt, the leaves, and air. It is said that when he fell, Neo Domino had never been so beautiful, and the people prayed in gratitude for the gods had blessed them. They worshipped the young god long before they ever saw him, and when they did, they knew he was conceived by the Sun and the Moon, his heart beating in time with the universe and his words like water, tranquil and clear.

The son of the Sun and the Moon, he takes long slumber, sometimes for years. No one would see him, but they can feel him. Other times, he takes other forms, seamlessly shifting, and maybe even half asleep. Once, he was a rabbit, then a sparrow. After, he became a bear, then a deer. Finally, he was a rock. His friends had made it a game to find him in these forms, something the young god enjoys, and he runs as quick as thunder, here one moment and gone the next. His biggest competition is his bond brother, Jack, who refuses to stop chasing him. The others are right behind.

Certain nights a year, when the heavens creates a stream in the sky, his form gains an ethereal glow like starlight, wrapped around him like a cloak, and he embraces it back.

[herenortherenearnorfar]

Third Baoshan Sanren’s Mountain of Strange Children fic because I had a vision.

Xiao’er is a nocturnal child. That’s fine, Baoshan Sanren lets her students make their own schedules.

Amid the rolling dark he prowls the mountain, a little specter in white. Humans don’t have eyeshine the way that most animals do. Years of cultivation training have given him sharper night vision, a green cast behind his eyes. That extra skill makes his eyes flash green, not red, when he lifts his lantern. Though not necessary, the lantern is important for warning off other night wanderers, the leopards, dhole, squirrels, and owls.

Wild animals give him distance and he returns the favor. Moving lightly through the world means abiding by a system of mutual respect; besides, he’s grown too big to ride the wandering deer the way he did as a smaller child.

These days if he wants to climb to the top of the mountain he must do so himself.

It’s not an impossible climb but it does take most of the evening. Rocky paths of such incline require extra time after nightfall. This mountain was deserted before Baoshan Sanren and her students came five years ago. They haven’t changed much of its topography, haven’t carved easier handholds into the stark stone or worn down wide thoroughfares. The paths he walks were made by stalking mountain leopards and nimble goats. 

Narrow paths lead up to steep peaks. Eventually even the foliage gives way to bare rock. 

He finds his favorite place to watch the world and settles down. Putting out his lantern, he lets his eyes adjust to the full dark. Once he’s wholly immersed the stars peek out from the raw dark firmament, one by one, until the sky is not a flat blanket but a textured immensity, stretching up forever, full of ten thousand lights. 

Being trained in matters of fate and fortune, he can identify the four great divisions of the heavens (each associated with a sacred beast), the three enclosures of the north, the heavenly mansions of the moon, and many constellations besides. Right now the moon is in the Three Stars Mansions, they’re coming out of the territory of the White Tiger as Autumn fades, and-- he checks the sky, craning his head-- the star right above him is Cumulative Corpses. Not the most auspicious one, but he only gets to keep it for a moment. An hour earlier he thinks it would have been something in Well, maybe the Celestial Wine Cup. 

Stars are beautiful and Xiao’er loves them. He loves the moon too, a waning slice growing thinner by the day, steady in its patterns. That isn’t all he came up here to see. 

With the heavens well appreciated he turns his gaze to the stars below. 

There are ancient temples nearby, his teacher chose one of the less used of the Wudang mountains which means that the more traversed peaks are very frequented indeed. Even in the deep night when everyone is sleeping, some lanterns still flicker, some fires still roar. This season is especially good for earth-watching, the midautumn festival was four days ago and the aftermath of the celebration still lingers. Bright red lanterns and an extra hum of activity carry through the temple, visible from miles away. He can see the small lights wind up and down the mountain top, an earthbound River to match the one above. 

There are other earthly asterisms as well. Small tea farms dot the valleys below and the glow of their chimneys, of windows and banked fires, can be seen here and there. On a damp, cold night like this, fires are extra high and extra visible. On the very edge of the horizon is a whole village, a cluster of tiny white pinpricks against a world of dark. 

He loves to see the lanterns. They prove that there are other people out there, something more than the mountain and Baoshan Sanren’s teachings. These barely visible stars are a reminder that there’s a world he cannot see. 

When they moved mountains, he got a glimpse of the outside. He was six then, two years in Baoshan Sanren’s care and one of the youngest of her students. The old mountain, in the north, no longer served its purpose so all her younger pupils packed up and left. Walking hand-in-hand down long roads, they made their way from there to here. Even avoiding the big cities they couldn’t help but pass through a number of towns and while his siblings averted their eyes from the buzz of a world unruly, Xiao’er stared. When his little legs got too heavy and his sister had to carry him, he stared even more, taking advantage of his place on her shoulders to watch every merchant that passed with wide eyes. 

Promises are promises. Xiao’er swore once that his request to come study meant that he would never leave. But he was four at the time, raised in a quiet temple. He didn’t know what the world meant. The priest brought Baoshan Sanren in, a new person with a bright exciting face, and said ‘Xiao’er, this is the famed immortal. If you wish to leave with her you can never return.’

Blindly, he’d accepted. 

He wanted to know her and now he does. Now he wants to know more, wants to know what happens in those little light filled homes, what how people behind those bobbing lanterns act. Are they different from the twenty eight people he has known for the past seven years? 

The lights, temple and home, above and below, go to and fro for hours until dawn finally breaks. Xiao’er loves the dawn too (he is free with his affections, easy and open as a child who has never known fear). Dawn gave him his name; Baoshan Sanren says it’s probably when the priests at the temple found him. 

With just enough light to see by, he picks himself up and goes back home. 

By the time he finishes the climb down, which is easier than the climb up but not by much, a fourth of his brothers and sisters are awake. Morning is the best time for chores. He’ll do his and then settle in for an afternoon nap.

“Did you enjoy the stars, Xiao’er?” asks a sister picking up buckets to fetch water. “The spider moon is always lovely.”

“You should have waited until the new moon, it’s much easier to see in the dark,” advises a brother who thinks he knows everything. Baoshan Sanren teaches wisdom, not social grace.

“Oh, no,” Xiao’er says, “I was looking at the earthly stars, from Mid-Autumn. They won’t last long.”

The older ones chuckle. “Earthly stars, Xiao’er, such a poet!”

“Stars of the earth?” he tries, which only makes them laugh harder.

“Xingchen,” she pinches his cheek. “Our terrestrial astronomer.”

The River of Heaven slants and the morning stars are low.

They have no interest in the outside world. To them the stars above, which influence the fates of men, are more important than those distant flickering lights which will never touch this hidden sanctuary. Xiao’er knows this, so he bears their teasing. 

But his curiosity does not abate. He wants to walk among those thousand lanterns. He wants to touch those stars. 

[eyes-of-mischief]

weekly fic recs | 20

prompt: amnesia

fandoms: bnha, bsd, dc, mdzs, tgcf, tmnt

bnha

Lead Me From the Lethe by orkestrations 

During the Sports Festival, One For All begins changing. At the same time, Izuku begins forgetting. Or is he only just now realizing what he doesn't remember?

I'll tell you where the real road lies: between your ears, behind your eyes

if we could always be so new by jihnari

Hawks panics. "Okay, alright, jeez, you caught me, I..." Hawks hesitates, gulps; tumbles forward, "Have no idea who you are." The eyebrow is still raised. "...Sorry?" Crispy Cream doesn't say anything for a long moment. The mental pressure it creates makes Hawks want to babble, but he manages to hold his tongue this time. "I can't tell if you're screwing with me or what," Crispy Cream drawls. "It's the 'or what'," Hawks offers.

Hawks gets hit with an amnesia quirk. Dabi gets begrudgingly involved.

bsd

Tenfold by dgalerab

(explicit) (graphic depictions of violence)

Dazai isn't expecting an ordinary mission to go wrong, but he should have. After all, Dostoyevsky is on the loose and needs Dazai to achieve his goals. As Chuuya realizes that Dazai's been kidnapped, he allies with the ADA to bring him back no matter the cost.

(Technically after my other Soukoku fics but can be read without.)

Part 8 of "Love"

hide the truth by writingfromtheshadows

When Chuuya wakes up in the middle of an ongoing fight without any memory of how he got there or what happened to him, he ends up turning to someone saved as 'bandage-waster' in his phone. Somehow, it just feels like the right decision.

dc

Don't You Forget About Me by Sohotthateveryonedied

A mysterious stranger visits the Batfamily during the holidays. He remembers all of them, but they don't remember him.

mdzs

I would wait for a thousand years by bleuett

During the worst of winter, a traveler comes to stay at Lan Wangji's inn. He wears a red ribbon in his hair.

-

“Do you see the rabbit?” Wei Ying asks and points at the moon. “That’s the moon rabbit, he helps make Chang’e more immortality elixir. He keeps Chang’e company.”

“I do not wish the rabbit for company,” Lan Wangji says tightly. “You are the one I want by my side.”

“And I’m here, Lan Zhan. If you go to the moon, I’ll follow you, I’ll always be here now.”

how, or when, or from where by sarahyyy

Jiang Cheng sucks in a sharp breath. “What year do you think it is, Wei Wuxian?”

“2001,” Wei Wuxian says, and then cracks up when Jiang Cheng’s eyes widen in alarm. “Calm down, I’m just kidding. I know it’s 2014.”

Jiang Cheng stares at him.

Wei Wuxian is quiet for a beat. “I presume from your reaction that it is not actually 2014.”

“No,” Jiang Cheng says softly. “No, it’s not.”

(Or, the one where Wei Wuxian loses his memories, and tries to figure out why he isn't dating Lan Wangji yet.)

a cicada, singing, weighs on my heart by anatheme

Lan Xichen squeezes his arm once and lets go. Lan Wangji tries not to miss the warmth as the man continues, “Do not worry, Wangji. We have invited Young Master Wei and I am sure that he can help us break the curse. If there is anyone in the world whom I trust to do it, it is him.” All of a sudden, recognition sparks at the surname. It catches him off guard, after everything that happened in the short span of time, the familiarity in the name grips him with hope. Lan Xichen stood and Lan Wangji raises his head and speaks, almost without thinking, “Wait.” The smile on Lan Xichen’s face falters. “What is the matter?” “Young Master Wei,” Lan Wangji repeats even though the words do not fit his mouth right. It feels wrong even though he does not know why. He needs to know why. “What is his name?”

A night hunt leads to Lan Wangji forgetting everything except for his cultivation and his inexplicable connection to a person he cannot even remember - Wei Ying.

tgcf

sometimes the unexplained can define you (sometimes silence is the only sound) by IceEckos12

(graphic depictions of violence)

Every morning he wakes up, and forgets.

tmnt

Nowhere Boy by taizi

He was twelve years old, and he realized that his dreams were always the same. Every single one. "We need you. We'll find you," those indistinct figures would say, their eyes glinting in the darkness, shadows stretching out to him like hands. But he always woke up before they reached him.

[trishmilburn]

An Exploration of The Untamed’s Romance & Mystery, Episode 2

Disclaimer: This post and others in this series will be filled with loads of spoilers if you haven’t seen The Untamed, the Chinese drama based on Mo Xiang Tong Xiu’s novel, Mo Dao Zu Shi (The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation). My chief interest in doing this series is to chronicle the development of the romance between Wei Ying and Lan Zhan, but I also highlight the progression of the mystery that helps bring them together. Keep in mind that I’m writing these posts with the knowledge of what’s going to happen throughout the series and having read the novel. If you’d like to read my post on Episode 1 first, you can see it here.

On to Episode 2 (as I listen to the lovely soundtrack to The Untamed)…

Having left Mo Manor, we see Wei Ying traveling through the beautiful countryside with his donkey companion. While resting at a roadside well, he hears people approaching and soon ascertains some of them are fellow cultivators. One of the guys in the group says to another that his compass still isn’t working. Wei Ying learns from them that they’ve heard about a soul-eating fiend at nearby Brahma Mountain, but another guy says there has been no strange movements in the Compass of Evil (yet something else invented by Wei Ying that is still in use, along with those Spirit Attraction Flags from Episode 1). First guy mentions that Wei Wuxian (aka Wei Ying) is his idol. Now that’s not something you hear every day.

Another one of the travelers, a woman named Ah Yan gives Wei Ying an apple to get his stubborn donkey to move, and thus the nameless donkey becomes Little Apple. A little while later, after Wei Ying climbs to the top of a hill, Ah Yan joins him and starts dancing while facing Great Brahman Mountain, at one point striking a pose that is foreshadowing for what’s to come. Her mother tells Wei Ying that Ah Yan hasn’t been right since she recently lost her husband and father.

Wei Ying hears people calling for help, and when he arrives he finds several people hanging in the air inside Immortal Binding Nets. A teenage guy shows up, and we the audience know this is Jin Ling, even if Wei Ying doesn’t at this point. Jin Ling recognizes Wei Ying as Mo Xuanyu (remember, he’s wearing a mask and Jin Ling was just a baby when Wei Ying died so wouldn’t recognize him anyway). Little does Jin Ling know that he’s talking to basically his uncle. Wei Ying isn’t a Jiang by birth, but he was raised alongside Jiang Cheng and Jiang Yanli (who is Jin Ling’s mother), and Yanli especially considered Wei Ying her brother.

When Wei Ying puts a paper man talisman on mouthy little Jin Ling’s back to keep him down, Jin Ling is furious and warns Wei Ying that he’s in trouble when his uncle gets there. During this conversation, Wei Ying, not knowing who Jin Ling is, gets in a couple of digs about his parents or absence thereof, which understandably upsets Jin Ling. And then the uncle arrives, and Wei Ying is stunned when he hears Jiang Cheng’s voice. And the intervening years have just made Wei Ying’s adoptive brother more bitter and harsh. There’s no hint of the playful, smiling side of Jiang Cheng we’ll soon see when the show goes back in time to show us the characters’ formative years and the beginning of the love story between Wei Ying and Lan Zhan.

Jiang Cheng is upset that Jin Ling let Wei Ying (who he doesn’t know is Wei Ying yet) get the better of him, but the fact that this unknown person has used evil sorcery means that he must be immediately killed and fed to the dogs. Jin Ling thus starts to attack Wei Ying, but his sword is knocked away by a blast of familiar energy from Lan Zhan’s guqin (a type of zither). Lan Zhan arrives with the Lan disciples while the soundtrack plays the beautiful zither music associated with him.

Showing some of his natural humorous personality, Wei Ying thinks to himself, “I should have checked my horoscope for any bad luck before heading out today.”

Jiang Cheng accuses Lan Zhan of being in the woods to look for someone (we all know he means Wei Ying) and mentions how Lan Zhan has done a lot of traveling around the world the past 16 years (also looking for Wei Ying or some piece of his soul). When Lan Jingyi asks Jiang Cheng what he means by that, Jiang Cheng says Lan Zhan knows what he means. And there’s no denying this infuriates him.

Lan Sizhui directs the conversation away from the tense moment between these two men who obviously do not like each other. Sizhui notes that the monster hunt they were all taking part in was supposed to be a fair game, but Jin Ling put nets all over the mountain. Wei Ying is amused when someone in the Lan clan uses the muting spell on Little Lord Mouthypants (Jin Ling). Still stewing, Jiang Cheng looks at Jin Ling and says that if he doesn’t capture the thing wrecking havoc on the mountain to not bother coming to see him. Poor Jin Ling, even though he’s annoying in these early episodes, you grow to love him because not only was he orphaned while a baby, his uncle is an unforgiving ass. His character is one about whom I changed my opinion the most, and you’ll see why in my future posts.

When everyone else leaves, Lan Zhan looks toward where Wei Ying is hiding behind a tree. But when Wei Ying turns away, Lan Zhan lets him be and walks away. He either knows in his heart or at least greatly suspects that he’s Wei Ying, but he doesn’t have conclusive proof yet. And obviously Wei Ying isn’t ready to reveal himself to him. It’s got to be hard for Lan Zhan to walk away when he’s that close after all those years of grieving and looking for some piece of Wei Ying to hold on to.

Next we see Wei Ying walking beside a river. He takes off the mask as he bends down beside the water. In the reflection he sees memories of Jiang Cheng scolding him about assisting him and Yanli saying that she, Wei Ying and Jiang Cheng would be together forever. But that’s not true because he’s lost them both. He overhears someone on the road nearby say that both the Jin and Jiang families are spoiling Jin Ling too much, to which a woman replies that it’s understandable since he lost his parents when he was just a baby. Another man notes how Jin Ling’s dad died because of Wei Wuxian and then his mother, Yanli, also died because Wei Wuxian. The painful truth of Jin Ling’s identity hits Wei Ying hard, and he slaps himself for the comments he’d made to Jin Ling about his missing parents.

The Lan disciples encounter an old man in a graveyard, and Jingyi asks why he’s sneaking around. After learning he’s the caretaker for the graveyard, Sizhui asks if anything strange has been going on in the area. The man says they should check out the Goddess Temple up the mountain, but it’s not until they walk away that he reveals that the dancing goddess statue can move.

Wei Ying sees Little Apple eating Spirit Gathering Grass that can collect the spiritual energy from the soil near cultivators’ graves. He soon shows up at the same graveyard and encounters the same old man, but Wei Ying can tell that the area is masked with a black aura. When the old man tells him this is the Wen clan’s graveyard, he sees a vision of Wen Qing, a woman he knew in his past. She tells him that this is her ancestors’ graves, and Wei Ying realizes the young disciples are headed for a bigger danger than they realize.

The Lan and Jin disciples are in the Goddess Temple, talking about local legends that say the people in the area come to the temple to pray to the goddess who grants wishes. Jin Ling, being his smartypants self, says he wishes the entity causing all the trouble would reveal itself to him right then. And thus the dancing goddess statue starts to move. Wei Ying shows up, starts throwing talismans at the statute and tells the kids to get out of the cave. Once they are outside, he tells the Lans to send up a signal flare to call Lan Zhan, but the disciples realize they don’t have any. They used the last ones during the battle at Mo Manor and didn’t replenish them. Remembering all the trouble he got into as a teen studying in Gusu with the Lans, Wei Ying teases the boys that they’re going to be in trouble when Lan Zhan finds out.

Wei Ying tells them how he knew the goddess statue was the one eating souls – soul-eating beasts and fiends thrive off absorbing spiritual consciousness that has not departed from dead people. If there are so many dead people buried nearby, why take souls from the living? Something be fishy.

We next see a brief scene of Jiang Cheng and Lan Zhan sitting at different tables at what looks like a rural tea house/eatery. It’s abundantly clear that they do not like each other, which is understandable. After all, Jiang Cheng is the reason that the man Lan Zhan loves fell to his death and he’s had to mourn his loss for the past 16 years. This was made even more heartbreaking considering how until he met and started falling for Wei Ying, Lan Zhan was a very closed-off person. Some would say he was even emotionless, but he really had a big heart hidden away. But Wei Ying gradually wormed his way into that heart, filling it, and to have him suddenly ripped away forever was unbearably cruel.

Then we’re back to Wei Ying telling the boys about how Ah Yan prayed to the goddess for her husband, and her spiritual consciousness was taken. Her father, seeing this, went to pray for his daughter to get her spiritual consciousness back. She did, but it was damaged when the goddess spit it back out, and her father’s was taken instead. Ah Yan’s experience was why she was able to pose and smile like the goddess statue.

Wei Ying realizes Jin Ling is missing just before the goddess statue shows up outside chasing some of the Jin clan members. Jin Ling flies through the air and starts shooting arrows at the statue. I have to admit, this looked pretty darn cool. Wei Ying thinks, “Something’s not right. Lan Zhan and I sealed her up.” He takes Jingyi’s sword and cuts a section of bamboo to make an improvised flute, his musical weapon the same way Lan Zhan’s is the guqin. Jin Ling is about to be trampled by the goddess statue when, to everyone’s surprise, including Wei Ying’s, his flute playing causes Wen Ning, aka the Ghost General, to show up. Wen Ning was the first fierce corpse Wei Ying created as the Yiling Patriarch. I must pause here to just share how much I love Wen Ning’s character and Yu Bin’s portrayal of him. Even though he can be unbelievably deadly in his Ghost General persona, he’s an adorable cinnamon roll of a guy with the world’s biggest heart otherwise. It’s a wild contrast. Anyway, the kicking-ass version of Wen Ning saves Jin Ling and destroys the goddess statue, but still everyone except for Wei Ying turns on him. Seeing this, Wei Ying realizes he needs to play a calmer tune to cool Wen Ning’s bloodlust and lead him away from the others.

And the playing of that particular tune is the confirmation that Lan Zhan needs to know for certain this is Wei Ying. It’s a song Lan Zhan wrote and played for only Wei Ying at a moment when the two were in a dangerous situation (which we’ll see in a later episode). It’s a love song named “Wangxian,” a combination of both of their names, though Wei Ying doesn’t know that or that this is how he’s finally revealed to Lan Zhan who he is. (Note: On the soundtrack, this song is called “WuJi” and is sung by Xiao Zhan and Wang Yibo, who play Wei Ying and Lan Zhan.) Lan Zhan shows up and grabs Wei Ying’s wrist. Wei Ying stops playing the flute and looks into the eyes of the last person he saw before he died, the person who tried to save him, the person who evidently has been searching for him ever since that moment he fell off that cliff. Lan Zhan looks at Wei Ying as if convincing himself he’s real, that he’s finally found him.

Wen Ning flies off and when Lan Zhan turns to pursue, Wei Ying drops his flute and this time he’s the one who grabs Lan Zhan’s wrist, his eyes pleading with him to let Wen Ning go.

All this Wen Ning action and obvious touching and feelings between Lan Zhan and the masked dude is too much for Jiang Cheng, who has arrived just in time to make a hateful ass of himself. Convinced the masked dude is Wei Ying, and determined to get rid of him once again, he uses Zidian, his weapon that usually resides on his wrist as a bracelet but can turn into a whip of purple lightning, to prove Wei Ying’s identity. You see, Zidian has the ability to separate a soul from a body they’ve seized. When he tries to use the whip on Wei Ying, however, Lan Zhan steps in between them and sends out a wave of power from his guqin, blocking Zidian. This is the second time that Lan Zhan has protected Wei Ying in this episode, and you’ll see him protecting him a lot more. It’s his thing – protect Wei Ying at all costs. After all, that’s what you do for the person who owns your heart. Wei Ying, the adorable dummy, makes a break for it. Jiang Cheng, seeing another chance, slashes him with Zidian. But when Wei Ying gets up and no soul pops out of the body, Jiang Cheng is stunned. How did Zidian not work? The technicality he doesn’t think of is Wei Ying didn’t seize Mo Xuanyu’s body. It was willingly offered. Big difference.

Furious, Jiang Cheng makes a move to strike him again, but Jingyi steps forward and says it’s already proven that Wei Ying hasn’t possessed Mo Xuanyu’s body, that Wei Ying is dead. To which Jiang Cheng asks him how he knows he’s dead. Jingyi says, uh, weren’t you the one who killed him? And thus begins my love of the Sassy Lan.

During all this, Wei Ying wishes he could go back to 16 years before, back to his home at the Lotus Pier in Yunmeng. And with that wish we are taken back to that happier time, where we will stay for quite a while as we see the characters’ teen years and how this whole story started.

We see Wei Ying lying in a boat with a big lotus leaf covering his face. Jiang Cheng and Yanli are teasing him to wake him up, telling him they’ve arrived at a town in Gusu on their way to study at the Cloud Recesses with the Lan Clan. As they walk through the streets of the town, Wei Ying spots a vendor stall where carvings of little animals on sticks draw his attention. He immediately zeroes in on a bunny one, and this is also foreshadowing. Bunnies will play a part in his story with Lan Zhan. Another bit of foreshadowing is when Jiang Cheng tells his sister that he’s afraid Wei Ying will cause chaos at the Cloud Recesses. Yanli, being her sweet and caring self, responds that Wei Ying just has a lively personality and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

But even the sweetest, most fun-loving people can be driven to take dark paths when they are backed into a corner and lose too much.