#been thinking a lot about Aftermath

[fallenwhumpee]

"An Hour."

• Masterlist •

Warnings: Hospital settings, aftermath of captivity, mentioned death.

Medic, despite what their job would suggest, wasn't a caregiver. They were just a mechanic working on circuits, not who carefully kept the whole mechanism running. They could fix people, but it was that. Someone would have to take over the aftermath.

Much to Medic's relief, Leader was a caregiver. A good one, even.

Too good, they lately noticed. Too good that it was starting to make Medic worried. But just like every other day, Medic knocked the infirmary door in exactly same time, before opening it fully. Youngest was asleep in the hospital bed - Medic had said Leader that it was unnecessary, but Leader  brought one anyway - and at last drops of their IV.

"An hour," Leader muttered. At this point it felt like a ritual. So, without a word, Medic moved and changed Youngest's IV to antibiotics as Leader deserted the room silently. Probably to sleep.

Good, Medic thought. Leader needed it.

Medic made their way to the armchair, only to see Leader's office keys on it. For a moment, they considered giving it back. They respected privacy, but they were also curious. For the last one month and a half, all Leader did was looking for Youngest, caring for Youngest or staying in their office. The first two was understandable, but the third...

Now Medic could learn whatever Leader was doing in their office.

Medic hesitated. They shouldn’t invade Leader’s privacy—Leader had done nothing to earn suspicion, at all. And Leader never broke anyone's boundries, so Medic doing it to them was just wrong. But something had been gnawing at the back of Medic’s mind for weeks now, something beyond the usual worry for Youngest. Leader’s behavior, so single-minded, so intense, felt wrong. So wrong for someone almost obsessed with making the future better. And if there was something in that office that could explain it...

Steeling themselves, Medic turned and walked down the hall to Leader’s office. The key slid into the lock with an ease that almost felt too simple. "Where's Leader?" Medic shouted. Leader's room was wide open and Leader wasn't there.

"Went for a quick walk," Right Hand shouted back.

Medic took a deep breath. "Okay," they muttered. With a simple twist, the door creaked open. Medic slipped inside, shutting it quietly behind them slowly. The room was dim, the only light filtering through the half-drawn blinds, casting long shadows across the walls. At first glance, it looked like any other office—neat, organized, professional. Just like how Leader liked to keep everything. Medic opened the lights.

Notes. Dozens of them, pinned to a board on the wall, scattered across the desk, and even taped to the edges of the bookshelves, almost creating a wallpaper. Most were in Leader’s precise handwriting, detailing locations, names, dates, and other pieces of information that, together, painted a picture out of a detective's office. Medic’s gaze was drawn to a map on the wall, marked with pins and red string connecting various points. They moved closer, recognizing the locations as places where incidents had occurred—break-ins, disappearances, attacks. All related to Youngest.

Their heart pounded as they picked up a file from the desk. It had a picture, the person's face partially obscured, but there was no mistaking who it was. Medic had seen that face around Whumper—one of the underlings of them. The person had been found dead two weeks ago, the cause still under investigation. There were detailed reports about them, autopsies, locations, biographies... informations that Medic doubted Leader had the authority to kno let alone storing.

They set the file down, their hands trembling slightly. Leader had been gathering evidence, but it wasn’t just about finding Youngest. It was about something more.

Another photo on the desk caught their eye. Medic took it, revealing more photos, more notes underneath. Some were crossed out, others highlighted. A list of names—people connected to the kidnapping—each one with a note beside it: confirmed dead, under surveillance, possible lead.

Some of these people were no longer a threat because they were dead. Was it coincidence, or had Leader...?

The sound of footsteps in the hallway snapped Medic out of their thoughts. They hurriedly closed the folder and placed thr picture back on the desk, glancing around to make sure everything was as they’d found it. The door clicked shut just as the office door opened.

Leader stepped inside, looking tired but alert. They froze for a moment, eyes narrowing as they stared in the sight of Medic standing in their office.

“What are you doing here?” Leader’s voice was calm, but there was an edge to it, a warning.

Medic tried to keep their expression neutral, forcing a casual shrug qs if they weren’t digging through the room for the last ten minutes. “You left your keys on the chair. Thought I’d drop them off.”

Leader’s gaze flicked to the keys in Medic’s hand, then back to their face. For a moment, neither of them moved. Then, slowly, Leader crossed the room, taking the keys with a nod.

“Thank you,” they said, their tone polite but distant. “Please wait for my return next time.”

Medic nodded, feeling the tension in the air like a physical weight. They turned to leave, but couldn’t help one last glance at the desk, at the folder now lying innocently on the surface.

Leader didn’t miss the look. “Is there something else?”

“No,” Medic replied quickly, shaking their head. “Just... take care of yourself, okay? You look like you haven’t slept in days.”

Leader’s expression relaxed, a smile so soft and tender taking over. “Don't worry. Byt you should get some rest too.”

How could Medic be suspicious of them when all Leader did was worrying and caring for the team? Shoving the guilt down, they forced a smile and left the office.

-•-

Later that day, Medic was in the break room when the news broke. The television mounted on the wall buzzed with static before the anchor’s voice cut in, somber and urgent.

“We interrupt this program with breaking news. Henchman, a key figure in the recent string of criminal activities linked to the late terrorist Whumper, was found dead earlier this evening. Authorities are investigating, but details remain scarce at this time.”

Medic’s blood ran cold. Henchman—another name on Leader’s list. Dead. Just like the others.

They stood frozen, the room spinning around them. The timeline didn’t add up. Leader couldn’t have done it—they had only left the office for ten minutes, not enough time to cross the city and back. But the coincidences were too many, too pointed.

When Medic next saw Leader, they couldn’t help but study their face, searching for anything. But Leader looked even more drained than the last time, still trying to hold it together desperately. When Medic mentioned the news, Leader’s response was calm, almost indifferent.

“Tragic, but not unexpected,” Leader muttered, shrugging slightly. They weren’t even focused— they looked like they could just collapse and take a twenty four hour nap. “Agency was after them. It was only a matter of time.”

Medic nodded slowly, but the uneasy feeling in their gut only grew. There was something, something that was beyond their understanding. But as Leader walked away, Medic knew one thing for certain— Leader was doing something wrong. It was either their sleeping habits or the team had a huge problem.

-•-

Soo, have another random one. This is standalone, but I wrote this with "A Score to Settle" in my mind. Not quite part two, but I began writing with that intention.

[advluv4life]

I got on here with a purpose and then immediately got sidetracked by The Sunshine Court. Luckily my purpose also has to do with The Sunshine Court.

Jean and Kevin's relationship is obviously complicated, while they care about each other there is obviously pain and a level of betrayal (that was discussed at points in the book) but I don't remember him bringing up in relation to his own feeling how Kevin finding Neil could have in and of itself felt like a betrayal (at least initially).

I just listened to the audiobook for All for the Game like 100 times in the past 4 months but I can't remember clearly the Fall Banquet (I'm pretty sure that was the banquet) when Riko and Jean reveal that Neil is Nathaniel and they ask Kevin why he hasn't tamed him or trained him yet. I wonder how long it took Jean to, assuming that he has, come to terms with Kevin manipulating him to leave, abandoning him to Riko and Tetsuji's wrath, and then also finding his misplaced forever partner... How did he even cope with all that?

I see posts about how Jean talks about Neil and how he gives him a lot of funny nicknames and he doesn't really see him as attractive or anything but how much of that is because of Neil being a kind of enigma to him in the Nest? And I wonder if he was angry and upset with Kevin for finding and also denying him his 'true' partner after leaving him? I also kind of wonder how much Jean actually cares about Neil knowing that he only survived during Christmas break because Jean broke-

' ...what if...'

-you know? Part of me feels like he has him at arm's length because he really can't fathom anything else at this point and I hope their relation/friendship grows throughout the next book.

I've only read The Sunshine Court once, so maybe I missed something but I was driving and I was thinking about this and it hurt so much so...

[moe-broey]

I. Did not achieve a lot today (understandable considering the circumstances), but. You need to See.

The SADDEST. SOGGIEST. Sharena I have EVER drawn.

Also maybe a little snippet as a treat...

You'll have to fight my messy roughs and handwriting for it though 😤😤😤

[aroanthy]

no one thinks about the kiryuus post canon as much as me. like what a horrific situation. nanami remaining in the house with her brother who she believes is no longer her brother, who she cannot trust or feel uncomplicated about anymore. touga, having accepted nanami’s rejection of him (because he doesn’t ever want to be around her— he just would be if it got him what he wanted) and just. having to live with the knowledge of what he’s done to her. and why. like thank god she’ll eventually work up the courage again to leave, and he won’t stop her that time, because Man. some people are like ‘i wish nanami found out the truth about their family’ to varying degrees (‘we are biological siblings!’ or even their parents’ abuse) but….. whilst i think nanami deserves to know the truth and would ultimately benefit from the clarity it would offer her, learning it would probably be more immediately dangerous and unhelpful for her. like, it’d rekindle that sense of obligation to and guilt for touga that she felt before, but with even more information stacking atop it to make it 1000x worse. like let these guys never speak to each other ever again or let them have one conversation about it in 10 years after copious amounts of therapy

[qoldenskies]

FIRST DRAFT DEFEATED!!! its 54k words currently

[oozeandgoo-art]

[rainyarcades]

Hey SB Aftermath readers. Fun fact for everyone who's finished it

After the events of chapter 10, Gregory would be playing that damn recording on loop. He can't stop listening to it. He still can't believe that's his voice, after two whole years, there he is. He's been hidden away for two years, and Gregory's unable to get over the simple fact that Tony Becker is alive.

And the fact they're both alive and free from any control means they could have quite the interesting reunion.

[maskyartist]

For the lil oz doodle prompts. Him being upset and comforted by Qrow, maybe?

[I know, I'm a massively convincing anon...]

you can make it whatever scenario you'd like i just know i wanted more self indulgent beacon days content :)

[thepillowhoarder]

No Reprieve from Cold

Based on my interpretation of Hyi - Mind Breaking the Body

[seithr]

Randomly remembered the half-reason i call my oc-verse by the name it has while laying in bed. One-half of the reason i still knew, but I had forgotten what had truly, really cemented it jointly until now

(it was a song from my favourite band I haven't listened to in a while.)

(the song fit so well at the time, still does, that i needed to hold onto it for the main protagonists forever, by partially naming their story in reference.)

Does this explanation make any sense? Does anyone know why I'm tearing up remembering this. Aahh

[jemmo]

i can’t tell you how much i usually hate these ignoring, distancing plots in shows and how much i absolutely adore everything about these 2 episodes of the eighth sense. like im not having a good time, and it’s fantastic.

bc the thing is, in all of this, i can’t see the right way to go, i can’t find the person to blame, i can’t find the way to make it better. I can’t single out a single moment or a thing someone did and say “this is why everything went wrong”. it’s just this coming together and rise and swell of things happening and people feeling things that has us ending up here and it feels beautifully and horribly organic bc we can’t find that point where it all went wrong. was it on that rooftop? was it at the beach? was it when they first met? was it when his brother died? was it when he was born into this family? there is no single point. it’s all of them and it’s none of them. there is truly nothing and no one to blame. and there are bad characters in the show, people you can hate, eunji and taehyung, but neither of them are to blame for any of the bad stuff that happens in the show. you’re not waiting for them to be taken down bc that doesn’t solve anything. instead, it’s just two people hurting, and not knowing how to make it better.

bc you take jaewon, and after what he says at the end of ep 8, you want to hate him, you want to be so angry at him for what he says, for how he acts, how dismissive and hurtful he is, and yet you’ve been made to understand 100% why, and not just in a “i get it but that wasn’t the right thing to do” way, in a “that was horrible and yet i know he doesn’t see any other way to handle this” way. like you don’t see this as a misstep, or a step to far, bc you know for him, in his state of mind, it is completely justified, it’s necessary. bc it not only punishes the person he blames for all of this, himself, but he sees it as a way to protect jihyun. and not even in a cliche “bad things happen when people around me, the people I love always get hurt” kinda way, but more so in that he sees that he is a scared, messy, struggling person that doesn’t know how to handle himself, and doesn’t want to inflict that on anyone, let alone the person he cares about. so what’s worse, a quick, swift blow that hurts but cuts everything off cleanly, or this prolonged relationship where he inevitably continues to weigh jihyun down with the weight of his trauma, and take it out on him. what’s the point of having a place of refuge when you ruin it more and more every time you depend on it, until it eventually can’t offer you comfort. it’s a lesser of two evils, jaewon’s choice is obvious to him.

but then you take jihyun. and we talk about masks and fronts but we never once question whether jihyun wears a mask bc he appears so sweet and innocent and naive, what can this boy possibly be putting up a front for. but i see it, this almost fake it till you make it confidence front that yes is becoming more natural. but my god just think about what he’s gone through for a second. think about it. left home for the first time in his life, moved to an unfamiliar and intimidating city with only one other person he knows, started a new job, started university, tried to build relationships, met a man that intrigues him, and perused him only to be kissed and then ignored, then maybe establish something tentative, only to then see him spiral, go on a trip where he shared his trauma, you have an intimate night together only to almost die, and then be not only ignored, but plain and simple rejected and pushed away. like… you can say all you want about jihyun growing as a person and having more courage, but no amount of growth for however many months this has been going on for can prepare you for that. for the mixed messages on steroids. for the back and forth, not knowing. to give yourself to someone like that and go through something traumatic and then be abandoned by that person. we get it, bc we see all of jaewon’s story. but apart from what jaewon shared at the beach, jihyun doesn’t know any more than that. he doesn’t know about therapy, about how his father acts towards him, about the extent of his trauma and how it manifests and affects his mental health, and how he is struggling every single day. and you can’t expect him to know the depths of that no matter how empathetic and connected he is, how much he cares about jaewon, he can’t be superhuman. and so you get why he pushes and fights for jaewon. like… he is in love. it’s clear. he’s fallen in love with him. he is this wide-eyed, open kid that fell in love with a senior. and jaewon has just messed with his head, he’s never been clear, and you can’t expect jihyun to just get past that bc he knows something is up with jaewon. he can’t know the full story, but even if he did, that can’t be a reason or a justification to be treated the way jaewon treats him. bc we’re all about jaewon putting himself first and doing what he wants and respecting himself like that, but jihyun deserves that too. and it’s such a fine line to tread when you know someone is going through something, bc again you understand why, but you’re still the one being treated that way. like we talk about jaewon’s trauma, but here jihyun was part of it, he went through that traumatic experience. he’s the one that nearly lost his life. and yes, he appears to handle it well, and no matter to what extent that’s true or not, you can’t not look at jaewon struggling and understand it and then not look at jihyun with that same understanding. it’s not about comparing trauma and pain and deciding who is suffering more, it’s seeing that there are two people in this, and they’ve both been affected, so we should give them the same level of understanding.

and that’s something jaewon has to see. that his self-preservation is selfish. that his destructive behavior doesn’t just affect jihyun, instead it feels pointed and directed, bc every way jaewon hurts himself hurts jihyun. and it comes bc jihyun was so much of what was good about jaewon’s life for a second, so attacking that is his only form of self-sabotage. he can’t mess up his relationship with his friends or parents bc they were broken in the first place, and he can’t sabotage his future bc it’s already been ruined the moment he didn’t pursue his photography major. him nearly getting kicked out of school affected him so little not just bc he wanted that punishment, but bc even that punishment meant so little to him. all these things are established and they already contribute to his suffering. removing jihyun from his life is the only active thing he can do to make himself feel worse, and he can veil it in an act of protection, and even feel like he’s doing the right thing, but that deceives them both into believing this is done from a good place, when no good can actually come of it. in trying to protect jihyun, you hurt him more. in trying to hurt yourself, you hurt him too. and when someone is in a headspace like jaewon is, you look for that thing that’ll break through. bc he is so distant, he’s trying to remove himself from reality, and jihyun needs to act as this person that can anchor him to it. when you’re trying to isolate and separate yourself, sometimes seeing that you still affect things, that there’s a persons that exists that is affected and hurt by your actions, and no matter how you try to cut yourself off, you cannot stop that, separating yourself still hurts them, maybe that’s a thing that can get through. but that’s something that depends on jaewon. ultimately, he’s the only one that can get himself out of this place, and that’s what makes it so hard, that no matter how much jihyun cares and how much he fights for him, nothing can come of that effort is jaewon doesn’t meet him there. and it’d be so easy for jihyun to give in, to take the hurt, but over the course of this show we’ve seen the strength jihyun has developed, which has only seemed to increase more so after the accident, call it a renewed vigor for life or something. he has the strength that jaewon doesn’t, to not let his pain consume him. and in a beautiful full-circle moment, it’s because of jaewon, bc when they first spoke he sparked in jihyun a want to be stronger, to be more than the country mouse, and he’s done it. and it’s that courage that means he can fight for jaewon, even in the face of rejection. he trusts himself and that he knows jaewon, the real jaewon, to see past words that are intended to hurt them both, and go after the person that’s still inside jaewon somewhere. no, he can’t do it for him, and no them being together is not some magical cure for jaewon, but it’s what can put him on a path of caring for himself again, and sometimes that has to start with caring about someone else (and suddenly I’m reminded of my beautiful man 2 and how kiyoi tries to break hira out of his worthless mindset by making him care about him, and how ultimately that can’t be enough, and that hira has to take those first steps of seeing his self worth by himself). what jihyun can do by fighting is again act as that tether to reality and try to be this representation of the good jaewon can be and do. bc look at jihyun, look at how confident and strong he has become, and look at how he got there, bc you saw that country mouse and gave him the time of day and helped him grow and gave him new experiences. you jaewon, you. and that shift in mindset, from jihyun representing hurt and the accident and the trauma of his brother and everything he can’t do, to being that light and refuge and everything he can do is again something that might breaks through. and the fact it has such narrative strength and satisfaction makes me hopeful that that’s what we might actually get.

[wizardnuke]

there's a ffic in my head. oouuuag. its Cookin

[timewontwait]

<- could go off on a long winded tangent about the way my sonic feels about eggman but i'd be typing all night jdksf

[swinging-stars-from-satellites]

I do think it could be potentially telling in more than one way that Holly, who is consistently shown to be the calmest, most centered of the team, is described as frantic when Kipps is stabbed.

[youngpettyqueen]

Hi! "“and one more time”" for the WIP game?

ok im gonna cheat a little here cause "and one more time" is a sequel/part of a duo. hindsight being 20/20 I should've had it + "never again" together but I Did Not Think Of That

"never again" + "and one more time" are both gonna be really short oneshots that deal with the parallel scenes in MASH that make me the most insane- that being Trapper knocking Hawkeye down in Mail Call, and BJ punching Hawkeye in Period of Adjustment

I don't really have much written down for these besides the beginnings, so I'll put those down here...

"never again"

""Did I hit you?" Trapper asks out of nowhere.

Hawkeye looks up from putting his boot on. "Huh?"

Trapper is sitting on the edge of his cot, frowning with a look like he's studying him. "Yesterday, when I was... you know," He gestures vaguely, "Did I hit you?"

Hawkeye considers him for a moment. He was hoping Trapper wouldn't remember that little scene. He thinks about denying it on the off chance he might be able to convince him that it didn't happen, but he knows he waits too long to reply, because Trapper looks about the guiltiest he's ever seen him look.

He looks back to lacing up his boot. "You barely shoved me." He tells him quickly."

"and one more time"

""How's the eye?" BJ asks out of nowhere.

Hawkeye was wondering when that would come up. He's amazed BJ managed to go the entire OR session without mentioning it. He looks up from where he's sitting on the bench, finding BJ hovering close to him as he tosses away his mask.

"It's fine." He replies. It only hurts when he smiles a certain way, but he doesn't tell him that.

Doffing his cap and tossing it aside, BJ hunkers down to be more level with him. "Mind if I take a look?" He asks.

"Go ahead," Hawkeye invites, "It's really not that bad. Charles already looked me over." He reminds him.

BJ's frown tells him he's unconvinced. Hawkeye supposes he'd feel the same were he in his boots."

basically both of these have Hawkeye dealing with the aftermath of his best friends hurting him during drunken bouts of homesickness, because the parallel there is absolutely insane to me. i do wonder how deliberate it was, considering MASH is pretty famous for not really sticking with continuity, but regardless of if it was or not its still very very good

comparing both episodes is interesting to me because with Mail Call, Trapper shoving Hawkeye over and trying to desert is mostly played for laughs and quickly diffused. there's some tension in the scene but its ultimately not taken super seriously, and ends as soon as Frank comes in and gives Trapper something to laugh at. meanwhile in Period of Adjustment that is VERY much not the case, with that episode having very few laughs overall. one of those comparisons that really shows the tonal differences between the first 3 seasons vs season 4 and onward, especially getting into the later seasons of 8 and onward

I had the original inspiration for a bit of a different idea a few months ago when I first started reading fic actually, there was like... one mention in a fic I read of how Hawkeye is perceived as this easy target for everyone's anger. I wish I could remember which fic it was off the top of my head, I dont even remember what the fic itself was about, but I still think about it. cause like... yeah, Hawkeye is often the target of unfair anger, and thats not something that gets explored a whole lot within the show, so here I am 50 years later to write angsty fanfic about it

thanks for the ask!! hope you dont mind me bringing in another WIP haha but I figured it was relevant to digging into my intentions with them

[eleanorfenyxwrites]

WIP Wednesday (this week’s WIP is brought to you by ANGST)

Another project I’m not sure will see the light of day anytime soon — I had this image in my head of what it might look like if Wei Wuxian had died when he was ambushed on his way to Jin Ling’s celebration, so this is that. This scene that I’m posting is pretty much all that was originally in my head for it and there are ways I could expand on it in the future, but for now there are a lot of other fics that are higher on the priority list so 🤷🏻‍♀️ anyway enjoy some angst!

(Warnings for suffocation and major character death - WWX dies from being shot through the throat immediately under the cut)

-/-

I should have brought Wen Ning, Wei Wuxian thinks to himself through the clanging of agony and panic knocking around his skull. He can’t breathe, and his throat hurts, and there are so many people shouting and baying for his blood, for the Seal, for revenge, for his life, for anything and everything he can offer them. He falls to his knees still trying to find a breath and coughing up air he doesn’t have when all he gets is blood in his lungs from the arrow that has pierced straight through his throat. Someone up on the ridge has phenomenal aim; a straight shot through his windpipe and Wei Wuxian can do nothing. He has no air to whistle with, no vocal cords to hum with, no concentration with which to try to summon up resentful energy without a medium.

At least, he supposes, Wen Ning is safe back in Yiling with the amulet. The secret, of course, is that Wei Wuxian is not the only one capable of controlling it. Wen Ning, tied to him on a level even deeper than their spirits by the energies Wei Wuxian had manipulated to restore him to his body, can control it as well — all the more reason, he’d thought, to leave him behind with it to protect the Burial Mounds. He was just going to see his sister, after all, and Lan Zhan had invited him. What harm could possibly befall him?

Wei Wuxian tips down onto his back with a thump and a puff of dust from the road, and catches sight of Lan cultivators up on the ridge as he chokes and gasps on his own blood. His red-slick fingertips can’t find purchase on the wet shaft of the arrow to attempt to pull it free, but he can see white Lan fletching out of the corner of his eye. If Lan Zhan has accompanied his disciples to ensure his revenge (or punishment, or whatever it was he’d thought worth lying for) was fulfilled, Wei Wuxian can’t find him. There’s no one on this ridge he knows. Not even the man shouting at him about cursing him had been memorable enough to know now, since they’ve apparently met before.

Wei Wuxian’s hands grow too weak to continue trying to pull the arrow free, and his vision is beginning to go black around the edges, every aching muscle in his body screaming, pleading desperately for air he can’t provide. Tears leak from the corners of his eyes, unseen and unheeded by the celebrating crowd around him, and when he finally goes limp in death, no harder to kill than an average man after all, their cheers are loud enough to startle nearby crows into rustling, cawing flight.

—:—

“Something’s wrong.”

Lan Wangji can practically feel the electricity trying to spark and spit off the Zidian on Jiang Wanyin’s hand as the man paces anxiously back and forth, stalking around in an angry swirl of purple as Jiang Yanli watches on, helpless to calm her brother as she rocks baby Jin Ling in her arms.

“He’s only a few hours late, didi,” Jiang Yanli murmurs, trying her best to reassure thought they all know it’s useless. Lan Wangji is, in fact, in agreement with Jiang Wanyin though he keeps that thought to himself for now. They don’t need to know that he isn’t feeling as calm as he looks, but Jiang Wanyin makes a good point — Wei Wuxian wouldn’t be late. Not for this.

“Jie-“ Jiang Wanyin starts, but he’s promptly interrupted by a commotion out in the courtyard between the Fragrance Hall and the stairs down the tower. Lan Wangji glances at Jiang Wanyin to find the man already glaring at him, a moment of silent understanding passing between them — whatever’s setting their teeth on edge, this must be it. Jiang Yanli stands and turns to face the door, brows knitted in concern as voices jostle closer, as people begin to shout and clamor over one another. Lan Wangji strides to the door, Jiang Wanyin at his side as he’d been in every battle or almost-battle during those three neverending months they’d been united in their desire to search for Wei Ying. It’s easy to fall into old patterns, brief though their stint working together had ultimately been, and so they reach the doors at the same time to catch sight of the tableau in front of them.

At first, for a pair of blissful moments, Lan Wangji can’t make sense of what he’s seeing. The courtyard is teeming with Jin and Lan cultivators alike — even a handful of Nie, though the Nie delegation have yet to arrive and are meant to do so this evening just in time for the banquet. The shouting seems to be in celebration from what Lan Wangji can tell, though what it is such a mixed group would have to be shouting and cheering about he isn’t sure.

Until their leader — Jin Zixun, the asshole — steps aside with a sneer and shows Jin Zixuan (standing on the steps just ahead of Lan Wangji and Jiang Wanyin) what he’s hiding behind the skirts of his robes.

No.

Not what.

Who.

“Oh.” It’s a small noise, a mere exhale, but it sounds like it was punched out of Jiang Wanyin beside him, a world of pain and uncertainty packed far too tightly into such a small noise. Lan Wangji stares at the crumpled heap of black and red on the white stones of Jinlintai and can’t find the breath to make even that small of a noise.

“What better gift can I give my nephew than a safer world to grow up in?!” Jin Zixun is demanding, sneering and self-righteous with his hands on his hips. “I’ve done everyone a favor! And isn’t this what we all wanted anyway? The Yiling Patriarch is dead!”

“A-Xian?”

Lan Wangji can’t take his eyes off of Wei Ying long enough to stop Jiang Yanli from stepping out to see the spectacle they’re making of her brother’s corpse, but Jiang Wanyin manages to tear his eyes away in time to turn and hold an arm out to stop her.

“A-Xian!!” This cry is much more urgent than the first, and if there were an ounce of life left in Wei Ying’s body Lan Wangji knows he would be doing something to acknowledge his sister, to keep her from worrying.

The corpse slowly staining the stones rusty red-brown doesn’t so much as twitch.

“A-Xian!!!!” Jiang Yanli screams, and Jin Zixuan is barreling past Lan Wangji to hold his wife, and Jiang Wanyin is following them back into the Fragrance Hall to attend to his sister, and Lan Wangji is staring at Wei Ying — his Wei Ying — and waiting for him to stir. To soothe. To comfort, or laugh, or tease, or yell. Anything but lie there, still and cold as a winter’s morning.

‘Great news!’ he hears from somewhere in the press of cultivators exulting in their triumph over one lone, trusting, startlingly defenseless man. ‘Wei Wuxian is dead!’