#Xisang

[tls123]

— who can fully understand a person?

[jaudraws]

noddleverse / On AO3

this is now officially the worst vacation Jiang Cheng has ever been on, and it's NOT because of the giant murder dragon.

[searchingforserendipity25]

as much as i love every variation of lan xichen & nie huaisang with nie huaisang resenting and blaming him. there's something very interesting in the idea of nie huaisang having tried to protect lan xichen. one interpretation does not erase the other, and i'd argue it enhances the whole thing.

nie huaisang, playing the fool for years and years to keep lan xichen in the dark. nie hauisang, sure to his bones jin guangyao will turn against his er-ge as he did against nie mingjue, if he begins to suspect him, if he thinks to turn against him. nie huaisang, projecting his lost innocence on lan xichen's ignorance, acting for his defense as much as for da-ge's revenge.

he is selfish, indulgent, more interested in vengeance than justice. he is lan xichen's brother's brother, the last person who remembers the young master lan that made nie mingjue smile in the months after their father's death, the only one who could do it despite all of nie huaisang's attempts. that is a debt, too. nie huaisang had felt it, even as a selfish and indulged child.

nie huaisang, who brought the enemy into the unclean realm, made ready jin gunagyao's old rooms to his liking. who joined forces with lan xichen to convince nie mingjue to let jin guangyao play cleansing for him.

nie huaisang, saying 'i don't know, i don't know' at the last, half-punishment and half-kindness. someone should go without knowing, without having to know. jin guangyao moved, jin guangyao did not move, jin guangyao would have moved, would have been willing to move, nie huaisang could not trust he would not move. it makes no difference.

lan xichen does not need to know that, but nie huaisang it sure enough for both of them.

[cryptidcha0s]

fanart for @jaudraws Dragon Lan Xichen au

[bnnywngs]

high school au where 3rd year lan xichen is in love with 1rst year (repeater) nie huaisang, but he's 100% sure huaisang is in love with, also a 1rst year, wei wuxian, and also lan wangji but that's not the point now, because of the way the two act around each other - wei wuxian like a happy puppy and nie huaisang looking at him with the softest smile always taking pictures

but actually nie huaisang is in love with lan xichen and he thinks wei wuxian is very much cute and treats him like a owner who's madly affectionate with their pet (and also, wei wuxian is head over hills in love with lan wangji)

and lan wangji is like if i help xiongzhang, it will help me too *sparkling eyes* but that means he can't kill nie huaisang *pouts*

[ibijau]

For the theme 'in another life" of xisang week

inspire by this strip of @falseknees because it had been living rent free in my head since it was posted

[allthelittlecreepycrawlies]

Posting more old stuff. Finally gathered together enough of my brain to clean up the Petshop of Horror AU shorts and put them in a vaguely proper timeline order.

---

Nie Zonghui is fifteen the first time he enters the aviary and sees a boy watching his movements instead of a bird. 

It's thrilling. 

It's terrifying. 

He's been told all his life what an honor it is to even be considered a potential partner by Sang-er, but for it to actually happen- 

"Remember," his mother warns him gently. "You have to wait for him to pick you. Very bad things happen to those who try to jump ahead with him." 

He nods nervously, remembering how a man from one of the other great sects had "vanished" a year previously after attempting to force the issue, and even the man's own sect leader had written it off as a careless (stupid) mistake and informed the Nie sect there would not need to be any recompense. 

For a time, nothing else seems to change, other than the knowledge he is now in a different -unspoken- class of disciple.

Three months later, he is taking a break from his studies when a graceful hand snitches a slice of peach from his plate. 

That in itself is nothing new, as Sang-er has always been playful whether bird or boy, but the heat in a bright green stare when Nie Zonghui looks up makes his mouth go dry with a mix of nerves and anticipation. 

Sang-er smiles and offers him a hand up and he goes more than willingly, hoping he won't embarrass himself.

---

He's not sure how to feel the day that his perception of Sang-er changes. 

He's heard others talk about nervous anticipation, or hope, or even fear, but... 

"Talk to me, Jue-er," Sang-er murmurs, running long nails that feel like talons through his hair. 

It's a really pleasant feeling, though it doesn't disperse the discomfort in his stomach. 

"It feels like an obligation," Nie Mingjue mutters. 

The look that crosses Sang-er's face makes him feel like an asshole, but now that the words are coming out, he can't make them stop. "Bond a saber, lead the sect, fuck the resident good luck charm. All the requirements to be Nie-zongzhu laid out nice and neat."

The petting stops.

"You know, I only accepted three of the men who were Nie-zongzhu before you," Sang-er says, then quietly gets up and walks back to the aviary.

Oh.

Wow.

Now he feels like an even bigger asshole. 

Sang-er doesn't change back into a bird, but that doesn't lessen the feeling that he has ruined things between them. 

He knows it's on him to apologize, but he doesn't know how. 

In the end, it turns out not to matter much. Sang-er meets him in his new rooms two weeks after his father's funeral. 

"Remember. I chose you," Sang-er says as he sinks into Nie Mingjue's lap and nuzzles up under his chin. 

He won't forget.

---

One of the girls who worked with his mother loved telling outlandish stories of how cultivators would tame magical creatures to protect their sects. 

He had only ever listened with half an ear, dismissing most of them as pure fantasy. 

And then his new sect leader introduces him to the prettiest boy he's ever seen and tells him that is actually a bird. 

"Hm. Not to you, apparently," Nie Mingjue says, looking more amused than anything. 

"I- is that bad?" Meng Yao asks, suddenly fearful that he's failed some kind of secret test. 

One explanation later, he's still reeling a little bit. 

He has been warned that Sang-er might take a while to choose him, or won't choose him at all. But to even be considered an option is overwhelming. 

The stories all said that one had to be an exceptional cultivator to draw the interest of such a being, and he is... very much not that, especially not after being trapped in a bottleneck for the better part of a year. 

So when he returns to his room one evening and finds Sang-er waiting for him, all curled up with his chin resting on his knees, he can't help blurting out the question that has haunted him for weeks. 

"Why me?" 

Sang-er tilts his head, then unfolds himself gracefully and slips off the bed. "I don't see why it matters, but we can help each other. All power has to be refined before it can be used." 

It's an offer to crack open the bottleneck for him, Meng Yao realizes, and his chest and throat close up with painful knots of emotion. "Please. I'll give you anything you want," he begs involuntarily, the words escaping despite being sticky in his mouth.

Sang-er smothers a laugh with a gauzy sleeve, the sound making him shiver. "There's no need for that kind of dramatic proclamation, Yao-er. Just relax," he says, and then leans in to kiss him.

---

He is working the festival crowds, picking pockets and snitching snacks, when a rumble of excited awe goes up in the town's center square. 

"I can't believe they've allowed him out of the fortress," one woman murmurs to her companion. 

"How much do you think old man Chang paid to get them to have him bless the area?" he hears another man say. 

"If it means the crops survive this year, they can have the whole sect treasury as far as I'm concerned," his friend replies. 

Curious despite himself, Xue Yang slips through the very, very few gaps in the mass of people towards the center of all the attention. 

He's almost made it to the front of the crowd when he finds himself on his face in the dirt. 

He raises his head, intent on cursing out whoever tripped him- 

-and finds himself locking gazes with a pale-eyed boy sitting amongst the green and grey robes of a sect that isn't the Changs. 

The boy smiles and gives him a little wave. 

Xue Yang feels dizzy.

Unfortunately, the crowd shifts again, and he doesn't get the chance to see the stranger again before they leave.

---

The first time the pretty boy in green and gold silks that are far too revealing for Qinghe's weather smiles at him, all sweetness and sharp teeth, Lan Xichen feels dizzy. 

Having heard about Sang-er from Mingjue-xiong, he knows what it means that he is seeing a boy at all, but he never thought... he never considered... 

He was the heir, meant to marry and have children. 

Nie Mingjue outright laughs at him when he brings it up. "As if bedding Sang-er has ever stopped anyone else, even a Lan, from doing that." 

He's not sure what to think of that. It should be... indecent that anyone of his sect would have slept with someone, especially a yao, that they had no intention of wedding. 

He starts to wonder if maybe he's a little naive. 

There's a prickly little itch in the back of his brain that says maybe he should ask Sang-er more about it. 

That's... all he'll do... 

Surely.

—

It's… not. 

When, much later, Lan Xichen lies dazed with a pretty boy still curled up against his chest, he has a whole new perspective on things.

---

While Jiang Cheng has heard of Qinghe's strange pet almost all his life, most of the gossip being either jealousy from the Jin sect or denigration from the adults of his own, he doesn't actually meet Sang-er until almost a month after Wei Wuxian has returned from the Burial Mounds.

"Aren't you supposed to be lucky?" he asks, too bitter to remember at that moment that he should be seeing a bird and not a boy.

Sang-er tilts his head in an unnervingly birdlike manner and levels him with an unreadable stare. "Would you like to know how this would be going if I wasn't here?" he asks mildly. 

Jiang Cheng quickly shuts up and retreats to meet with the weaponsmiths.

It's another five days before Sang-er approaches him, alighting in front of him just before he can enter the tent where he sleeps. "My blessing is starting to wane. And you're going to need it for the next push your martial brother is planning." 

Jiang Cheng swallows hard. "Shouldn't you be going to him, then?" he asks, trying not to sound envious. 

Sang-er leans up on his toes and wraps slender arms around his neck, then kisses him lightly. "No." 

Oh. 

Okay. 

He is… very okay with this.

---

Wen Ruohan had only been the third son of the sect, no one important really, when he found himself among Sang-er's potentials.

The first one from outside of Qinghe Nie. The only one among his brothers and sisters.

His father had been smug; his siblings jealous.

Wen Ruohan himself had only been smitten.

Be it the possibility that a little of the pretty boy's luck had, quite literally, rubbed off on him, or a newfound desire to prove himself worthy, he had quickly surpassed his older brothers to steal away the position of sect heir.

But as his strength and standing grew, so too did his jealousy. The fact that Sang-er belonged to Qinghe Nie, that he had other mates, including the sect leaders…

It was hardly fair, was it? When Wen Ruohan could best them all?

And, for three generations, that jealousy quietly simmered. Even as he found himself eventually drawn in by Nie Haoran's irreverent, jovial attitude, found himself becoming friends with the fourth Nie-zongzhu he'd known in his lifetime, it remained under the surface.

Until it escaped.

It is only after Nie Haoran's death that he learns that his old friend and supposed rival was never one of Sang-er's chosen. That for all the clear fondness, they had only been a sect leader and a sect pet.

It's too late to fix things. Sang-er never requests to meet him again.

When the other sects foolishly decide to follow the Nie in standing against the inevitable, he immediately orders the capture of Qinghe's most valuable pet. But Sang-er proves to be surprisingly elusive for a creature of such fame and recognition, and every agent he sends inevitably winds up sentenced to the Fire Palace for failure… until they stop coming back at all, either due to cowardice or because Sang-er has taken note that he is being hunted.

And then, one night, he wakes from his bed in the Palace of the Scorching Sun to find Sang-er watching him from the sill of the open window. 

As a bird, not a boy. 

Incensed by the very clear rejection, he attacks the bird, not caring whether to capture or kill, and the bird retaliates with talons and wing edges as sharp as honed steel. 

Badly injured and mind in a storm, he does not react fast enough when the spy within his ranks (and one of Sang-er's current chosen), steps out of the shadows of the servants' entrance with a sword in hand.

---

He only ends up in Qinghe at all because their father sends him along with Yao-ge as "extra hands", which they both know just means getting rid of him for a while. 

At least Yao-ge is nice about it, sharing lunch with him on the way. 

"Should I go... somewhere?" he asks his brother nervously as they enter the gates. 

"Hm..." Yao-ge flags down a servant who seems to recognize him. "Would A-Yu be permitted to see the aviary?" 

"As long as Sang-er allows it, it's fine. Let's stop by the kitchens to get some fruit for the little ones." 

"Little ones?" Mo Xuanyu asks. 

"Some finches and nightjars found their way in over the last winter. Sang-er likes them well enough, so we never chased them out." 

—

There are not a bunch of little birds and one large bird in the aviary. 

There are a bunch of little birds and a boy his age whose pale-eyed gaze makes him feel like he's going to faint from his heart beating too fast. 

"U- um-" 

The servant who escorted him in makes a noise like trying to turn a laugh into a cough. "I'll let Zongzhu know a new candidate has arrived." 

Wait, what? 

He quickly turns around, but the door has already closed. 

Oh, he's in so much trouble, isn't he?

[web-novel-polls]

WN Rarepair Tournament

Please consider each rarepair and vote for the ship you like the best / find the most interesting / that compels you the most / etc.

[Please be kind and respectful in the notes. Anti-Propaganda is NOT allowed.]

🔽 Propaganda below 🔽

NieWangXian from Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation (MDZS)

Characters: Nie Huaisang x Lan Wangji x Wei Wuxian

No propaganda submitted

NingSang / SangNing from Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation (MDZS)

Characters: Nie Huaisang x Wen Ning

Submission: Pair the spares, yeah, but I think they'd be adorable together. Wen Ning needs someone to talk to so he's no longer the sad third wheel to Wangxian (thankfully he has A-Yuan and the juniors, but still) and Huaisang needs someone since he's now completed his revenge and that often leaves people feeling empty inside.

SangXian from Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation (MDZS)

Characters: Nie Huaisang x Wei Wuxian

Submission: They were already bestie in their teen years and i really love the headcanon that when everyone had forsakes the yiling laozu, nhs had looked after him, squashed rumours, spread some to keep wwx safe, sent supplies, kept in touch via letters... lets also not forget if he wanted revenge for nmj, he couldve gotten it another way...bringing his long dead friend to life and making sure the resurrection terms were easy to fulfill, making sure the body oferre to him had potential to cultivate...yea i love that ship!

Fic Recs: heresy of the sun by tunnelOFdawn, when the caged bird sings by Laxruar

SangYu from Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation (MDZS)

Characters: Nie Huaisang x Mo Xuanyu

No propaganda submitted

WangSang from Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation (MDZS)

Characters: Lan Wangji x Nie Huaisang

Submission:

NHS uses LWJ's birth name to refer to him when introducing him.

“Not that old man,” Nie Huaisang replied. “The one you have to be careful of is his favorite disciple, Lan Zhan.”

Excluding him and Wei Wuxian, no one uses his birth name to refer to him. There's always a chance that they knew each other before they got their courtesies, perhaps due to the shared friendship between NMJ and LXC.

NHS brings that friendship up when explaining the Sabre Hall where he focuses most of the conversation in referring directly to LWJ, since it is his word he requires so that his clan secret does not get leaked. It implies a show of trust in him, considering his words that Lan Wangji has always been a man of his word. Feel free to imagine what other promises he is keeping for him!

It also bears true that it was also Lan Wangji who first recognises the scrap of clothing to belong to Nie Huiasang when they were investigating the Man Eating Castle rumors and it was in fact Lan Wangji who brought him to the inn for interrogation.

Nie Huiasang's plan for starting the investigation for his brother's death involved endangering Lan disciples when they would be out helping the Mo Manor to take care of the walking corpse issue. Obviously, this was to bring Lan Wangji into the fray. His reputation of going after all cases without prejudice, and of being ruthless in executing his own ideal of justice are all well known. Nie Huiasang planned for him to solve the case and gain the ear of Lan Xichen and the wider cultivation world, so that they would side against Jin Guangyao and hopefully end him, effectively completing his revenge.

Outside of that, the personalities are more of opposites at first glance. Lan Wangji is diligent in his cultivation training while detesting laziness and has a very straightforward approach to how he approaches problems. Nie Huiasang fools around all the time and doesn't seem to care about the values Lan Wangji holds close, and has a twisted way of solving things.

Yet, when their loved one is harmed, they would go to all lengths to right the wrong as they personally see fit. Lan Wangji fights 33 elders to keep Wei Wuxian safe, and later in the present time he always sticks to him and stands against the world out of love and faith. Nie Huiasang brings down one of the most powerful people in the cultivation world by years of methodical planning, not caring about the wider consequences of his actions.

They are deeply selfish people, who when they care for one thing, the world ceases to exist for them.

Narrow minded focus, and a case between them and a ruthlessness in their actions and an implied past—I think they could have great chemistry if explored further.

XiSang from Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation (MDZS)

Characters: Lan Xichen x Nie Huaisang

No propaganda submitted

[qiu-yan]

not a haterpost. no ship bashing please

[i-will-cry-you-a-river]

Like all things in Nie Huaisang's life, it started with Da-ge.

When killing Jin Guangyao and causing the heartbreak of Lan Xichen didn't help, didn't bring back his Da-ge nor gave him happiness or peace, at least - he tried something else.

The thing about sacrificing one, and alienating the other source of his to demonic cultivation was that it made everything way harder than it should have been - but he was always a resourceful little demon. Just as easily as he defeated the mastermind behind the murder of his Da-ge, he found himself back in time, when Jin Guangyao was still called Meng Yao and Da-ge was still a living, lovely little ball of rage and fierceness.

It was a strange experience, to be older than his brave and strong and talented Da-ge, but... he would always be his spoiled little didi. It wouldn't take long to get back to being the pampered little Second Master of Qinghe. Except...

He couldn't allow himself to be that lazy and shallow as he was. His Da-ge would. Not. Die. Not under his watch.

He was ready to kill Jin Guangyao, before the man could lay even a finger (or a faulty note) on his brother, but-

The man he met at the first time he opened his eyes in his past - in his new present -, was Meng Yao. His favorite non-Da-ge person, his friend, his first (second, if he wanted to be honest) crush. Da-ge's deputy, whose presence was essential in the daily lives of Qinghe. Nie Huaisang's plans changed in the minute he heard his A-Yao's soft words of concern.

"Is Second Master okay? Should I call for the healer?"

It was real.

Ever since he realized who killed his beloved brother, he questioned everything he knew about Meng Yao. He questioned his care, his love, his friendliness. But it was all real. His A-Yao really cared about him.

Maybe not Jin Guangyao. But Meng Yao did. And that care was what saved him.

"No, it's okay! It was just a quick dizziness, but everything is good now. And how many times more should I tell you that it's A-Sang?! A-Sang! A-Yao is so cruel to his A-Sang," he pouted, and the helpless adoration in the other man's eyes was so clear to him now that he didn't understand how past him had failed to notice it.

"Once more, probably," Meng Yao sassed, his tiny smile and cute little dimples hidden behind his sleeves.

"So cruel..." Nie Huaisang muttered, hiding his own smile behind a fan.

"Sect Leader sent me to tell you to get ready for the arrival of Young Master Lan," A-Yao said, taking Nie Huaisang's hairbrush in his hand to tame the unruly hair, and the younger boy allowed it, deep in his thoughts.

Meng Yao had to stay. Qinghe couldn't afford losing him right now, Jin Guangshan didn't deserve him, Nie Mingjue needed him at least until after the war, and Nie Huaisang... well, he wanted him. But in the past, as soon as Meng Yao had a better option, he took it, be it the adoration of Lan Xichen, the acceptance of Jin Guangshan or the opportunity to become Sect Leader. Meng Yao would do everything to be as close to power as he could, to be acknowledged and respected.

Nie Huaisang couldn't give that to him. He was just the heir, and saving Nie Mingjue was the whole reason for doing the whole time travel thing. He was not powerful enough. On the other hand, he would never allow Nie Mingjue to fall for Meng Yao, as his brother would never survive that relationship. Allowing Jin Guangshan to accept Meng Yao into the Jin Sect was absolutely out of the question. But-

But.

Hm.

That might work.

Lan Xichen had fallen for Meng Yao before. It was inevitable, but it was not enough. They would never do anything with their feelings; Xichen-ge was too Lan for anything, and Meng Yao would always feel inferior. And just the two of them... that would not guarantee Nie Mingjue's survival. (Hah! On the contrary, it would make the whole murder easier.) But!

But...

Lan Xichen always had a soft spot for Nie Huaisang. With some carefully timed helpless tears, some grateful hugs that last longer than appropriate, some flattering words and carefully cultivated image of being soft and sweet and just spicy enough to not be seen as a younger brother, it would be so easy to seduce the First Jade.

A-Yao already adored him, and if he had the means, the opportunity and the incentive to have Nie Huaisang as his, he would take it. Before, he never started anything with Huaisang because being the husband of the Second Young Master was not attractive enough. But being the spouse of the heir of Qinghe AND the heir - soon-to-be Sect Leader - of Lan was a completely different thing. Having connections to not one but two of the Big Sects, being Consort Lan, the husband of a man who would be indulgent to all of his manipulations and power games would be a temptation not even Meng Yao could resist.

Jing Guangshan had to die soon, though. It would be a shame to kill his not-yet-husband because he thought it was a good idea to suck up to his walking sexually transmitted disease of a father.

[roseclaw]

ALLSANG BINGO

Who: Nie Huaisang What: AllSang Bingo! When: the entire month of May Where: AO3, tumblr, bluesky, twitter, dw How: any type of media

Download a copy of this bingo card to play!

Rules and FAQ under the cut!

Rules:

1. All prompts are open to interpretation as long as they focus on Nie Huaisang. He can be alone, in a romantic ship, or in a platonic ship. Poly is also okay.

2. The goal is to make a bingo on your card. (Or more than one bingo if you're ambitious.) There are multiple ways of earning a bingo: horizontal, vertical, blackout, four corners, etc.

3. Squares are marked off toward a bingo by filling the prompt within the square. Multiple squares can be combined in one work.

4. You can submit fics, song mixes, art, vids, podfics, picspams, rec lists, icons, and meta. Make sure all items posted to the collection are in line with AO3's ToS.

5. Bingos can be made up of any combination of media. You do not have to do all fic, all art fills, etc. to make bingo - ex: you could submit 2 pieces of art, 1 mix and 2 fics to make a line bingo. Additionally, a bingo does not have to be all in one pairing.

6. Any rating or pairing is allowed as long as it is properly tagged. This includes incest and dark pairings. No character bashing will be allowed.

7. Anything publicly posted previously may not be used to fill a square. Each fill for your bingo must be newly-created media.

8. You can reuse any square on your card as many times as you want.

9. Fills can be posted where you see fit (tumblr, bluesky, twitter (x), dw, AO3, etc.).

10. Posting will be for the entire month of May. The collection on AO3 is open now and will be revealed on May 1 and close June 1.

FAQ

What is accepted? - Anything including Nie Huaisang as the main character - Any rating - Any genre - Crossovers and fusions

What is not allowed? - AI generated media - Character bashing - Previously posted stories

Is a fill limited to fic only? No. While fic is used as a shorthand you are not limited to fic. Bingo squares can be filled with fic, art, icons, recs, picspams, vids, podfic, mixes, or meta. However, only media that does not violate AO3's ToS is allowed in the collection.

Is there a collection on AO3? Yes! It is here! The collection will be revealed on May 1 and close on June 1. Your creations do not need to be posted to this collection.

How should I tag my bingo fills? Tag with #AllSangBingo and any other appropriate tags

Can I write a series? Yes.

Can I write, vid, etc. as part of a team? Yes.

Can I use a story I have co-written as a bingo fill for my own bingo card? If your co-writer doesn’t mind, yes.

I have a story posted previously that fits one of my prompts, can I use it? No, everything for the bingo should be newly written and tagged as written for this event since the goal of the challenge is to create more Nie Huaisang works.

Can I combine my fill with a fill from another challenge? Yes, as long as it has not been posted previously, is clearly labeled as being for AllSang Bingo as well as the other challenge, AND that the mods of the other challenge are okay with it.

[jaudraws]

noddleverse / On AO3

[veraverorum]

💚💙

[xisangweek]

Welcome to xisang week 2023, organized by the xisang discord!

From Sunday, Oct 8 - Saturday, Oct 14, we will be celebrating the relationship between Lan Xichen and Nie Huaisang.

Please join us by creating art, fic, edits, crafts, or any other content featuring xisang, and share using #xisangweek2023 to be reblogged here! You are also welcome to share on twitter, or on AO3 using the xisangweek2023 collection.

This year's prompts are as follows:

DAY 1 - Sweet nothings / Secret relationship / Between the lines

DAY 2 - Rogue cultivators / Night hunts / Sunshot campaign

DAY 3 - Lxc avenges nhs / Better than revenge / In the next life

DAY 4 - Mythical beast / De-aging / Kidnapping

DAY 5 - Dual cultivation / Identity porn /Bone

DAY 6 - Fear toxin / Betrayal / Funeral

DAY 7 - Aftermath / Mulberries and gentians / Free theme

Prompts are a suggestion--any content featuring xisang is welcome! We can't wait to see your works!

[ibijau]

combo comic for the mxtx museum gala + best boy nhs’s birthday!

I’d initially wanted to write a fic of immortal nhs inflitrating a museum as a worker to retrieve his brother’s sabre, but personal projects+totk coming out meant a comic had to do orz