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lostxndbroken · 2 years ago

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FULL NAME: Oliver Jonas Queen NICKNAME/ALIASES: Ollie, The Arrow, The Hood, The Green Arrow, Heir of Ra’s A Ghul, Al Sah-him FACE-CLAIM: Stephen Amell GENDER: Male AGE: In his 30’s (depends on the storyline as well) BIRTHDATE: 16th of May ZODIAC: Taurus RACE: Human ALIGNMENT: Good SPOKEN LANGUAGES: English, Russian, Mandarin, Japanese, Spanish and Cantonese

HEIGHT: 6 feet 1 WEIGHT: 185 lbs BODY TYPE: Fit SKIN TONE: Light tan POSTURE: Confident and depending on the situation closed/defensive EYE COLOR: Aquamarine HAIR COLOR: Dark blonde BIRTHMARKS: Unknown TATTOOS: A dragon’s head on left shoulder (which he got removed later), Bratva tattoo (which later was burned away by Adrian Chase) on his chest and a Kanji tattoo on his side given by John Constantine. PIERCINGS: None SCARS:

Front right pec: scar from Yao Fei’s arrow front left stomach: TV guide says these scars from Billy Wintergreen, but Wintergreen stabbed him, and this scar matches up with the shark bite he received in “Dark Waters”

Front left pec: wound from Moira Queen’s gun

Front left pec: unknown scar

Front left shoulder: scar from Yao Fei’s arrow

Back upper left: unknown scar (IIRC, I believe these are from torture aboard Ivo/Slade’s ship during S2’s flashbacks)

Back upper right: whip scars inflicted by Conklin

Back left-middle: knife slice scars from Bratva initiation trust trial.

Lower back: burn scars

LIKES: Archery, though not a like that his shows. Physical fitness and martial arts is a coping mechanism to keep his mind straight. Reading various of things such as books, articles anything to expand his knowledge. Meditation. Woodworking like designing his own arrows and bows, which also expands to metalworking. Spending time with family and friends even if he doesn’t get to do it as often. He likes to cook healthy and balanced meals, sometimes something less healthy. His motorbike. Charity work. Playing guitar and sometimes the piano. DISLIKES: Corruption. Injustice. Lies and deception, he has a complicated relationship with dishonesty, considering his own history of keeping secrets and leading a double life as the Green Arrow. But he values honesty and transparency in his relationships and his reasons aren't based on selfishness. Violence, despite his role as the vigilante, Oliver doesn't relish in violence for his own sake. Sometimes he has to, but he'd rather resolve conflicts peacefully. Betrayal. He finds it extremely hurtful, no matter if it comes from a friend or a trusted ally. Loss of innocence. He'd feel a sense of despair if someone's innocence is tarnished by crime and violence. Arrogance, ignorance, exploitation of power, selfishness, dishonor. HOBBIES: Archery, physical fitness, martial arts, reading, meditation, woodwork, metalwork, cooking, playing guitar and piano, his motorbike HABITS: Daily training, meditation and mindfulness, healthy eating, strategic planning, maintaining his gear and equipment, keeping his vigilante activities a secret. MORAL: Between Chaotic Good / Neutral / and a bit Evil MOTIVATION: To atone for his own mistakes, protecting Starling City, keeping his family and friends safe, for justice and redemption of other, to the be a symbol of hope for others DISCOURAGEMENT: Personal loss and tragedy, betrayal, struggling with morality and identity, constant threats from enemies, emotional turmoil and trauma, strained relationships and isolation CONFIDENT LEVEL: His level of confidence is complex. Overall he exhibits a high level of confidence in his abilities as the Green Arrow, coming from years of training and his success of fighting crime. But it doesn't come without moments of doubt and insecurities. He grapples with his inner demons, including guilt over his past mistakes and uncertaintly about his moral compas. His confidence is also tested by the betrayal of allies, personal losses and formidable adversaries who push him to his limits GREATEST FEAR/PHOBIA: His greatest fear is failure. Oliver has a great sense of responsibility towards the people of Starling City and those he cares about. Afraid he can't live up to the expectations that is placed upon him.

PARENTS: Robert Queen / Moira Queen SIBLINGS: Thea Queen (maternal half-sister), Emiko Adachi (paternal half-sister) OTHER RELATIVES: Unknown PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT: Though both his parents were loving, they weren’t really involved in his life, they were very secretive, both did things that their children weren’t aware of and caused trouble for them in the future. His father protected Oliver by killing himself and his mother sacrificed herself to save her daughter and sparing Oliver to make the choice.

OCCUPATION: Vigilante, Verdant owner, CEO of Queen Consolidated, Leader of the League of Assassins, Leader of Team Arrow, Mayor of Star City, member of Bratva, A.R.G.U.S. Operative, Shadowspire Operative, Inmate of Slabside Maximum Security, Member of Trigger Twins CLOSE FRIENDS: Tommy Merlyn, Quintin, Sara and Laurel Lance, Felicity Smoak, John Diggle RELATIONSHIP STATUS: Single SEXUAL ORIENTATION: Hetero-Sexual before Lian Yu - Demi-Sexual after ROMANTIC ORIENTATION: Didn’t care before Lian Yu - Demi-Romantic after PREFERRED EMOTIONAL/SEXUAL ROLE: It really depends on his partner and the gender of his partner. Behind doors he might very well be more of a submissive type - just like he can be a top (sometimes dominant), but again - depends on the partner and the trust he has. TURN ON’S: Kisses (with and without tongue) or soft traces with the fingers between his shoulder blades and over his spine, teasing his earlobe with gentle brushes biting and sucking, biting/nibbling his neck and between his neck and shoulders, his lower stomach, scratching during sex - no matter how hard, it turns him on, someone who’s into exploration (for those he trusts completely) gentle touches and strokes over his scars - kissing them, loving his scars TURN OFF’S: Overly dirty talking (but if you start slow while their bond is growing - he can be turned on by it, just not the first couple of times), (serious) conversations during foreplay and sex LOVE LANGUAGE: Silent gestures such as making him coffee, gentle touches and affection RELATIONSHIP TENDENCIES: Running from serious relationships before Lian Yu he did that by cheating - after Lian Yu is pushes people away. There are moments where he is more accepting about relationships but still has moments of running from it.

STRENGTHS: Exceptional combat skills, physical fitness and agility, tactical intelligence, resourcefulness and adaptability, emotional resilience, leadership skills, sense of justice and morality, ability to learn and grow WEAKNESSES: Emotional turmoil, trust issues, self-blame and guilt, strained relationships, impulsiveness and recklessness, inability to let go of the past, vulnerability to manipulation (his loved ones being used against him, secret identity struggles PHYSICAL HEALTH: Exemplary MENTAL HEALTH: Poor. (PTSS, guilt and self-blame, identity crisis, trust issues, anger and impulsivity, emotional detachment)

Oliver was once a flamboyant young man that lived his life the way he wanted. Though when he returned from Lian Yu, Hong Kong and Russia, he was never the same. He’s stubborn, closed off, distant and can be very controlling of himself and others. Over the years, his personality developed into that of a more loving man, though he remained stubborn. The loving side would shift back and forth as he doesn’t want his loved ones to get hurt and it can result in him pushing everyone away.

Maintaining his Arrow identity involves telling many lies, which don’t always go unnoticed. It ends with Oliver hurting people, but sometimes that is better than them knowing the truth and putting them in harms way.

Oliver Queen, a bold and adventurous young man, living life on his own terms. During that period, he had a girlfriend named Laurel Lance, but he betrayed her by having an affair with her sister, Sara Lance. Oliver and Sara enjoyed a boat trip with his father, all the while hiding Oliver’s affair from Laurel.

In the depths of the sea, Sara vanished when the Gambit sank on a stormy night. Oliver, his father, and one more crew member boarded the life-raft. Running out of supplies and drifting for days, Robert took a drastic measure to ensure his son’s safety. Robert handed him a notebook filled with names and instructed him to fix his mistakes. His father said his last goodbyes to his son, who desperately tried to convince him that there was another way, but he adamantly stated that there was not, and ultimately took his own life in front of his son.

Oliver discovered that the island he ended up on, Lian Yu, was far from being a friendly place. It was here that he came across Yao Fei, who took him in to some extent, although not in the typical hospitable way. He learned the techniques of hunting, fighting, and surviving on the island from Yao Fei. Later on, he crossed paths with Slade Wilson and Shado Fei, both of whom played a crucial role in honing his survival skills.

His time on that island was filled with a multitude of painful experiences, both mentally and physically. In his quest to return home, Oliver faced being used, blackmailed, and all sorts of unimaginable things. He was prepared to alter his demeanor and go incognito in order to achieve his goals. This is how he encountered John Constantine, the man who also marked him with a protective tattoo on his side, though the meaning of this tattoo remained unclear then.

On Lian Yu, Oliver learned Sara didn’t die in the boat accident, but she too was under someone’s power and being used for the things she could do (which she had learned from Ivo and his crew). She had hardened and, just like Oliver, she was not the same girl as before she entered the Queen’s Gambit.

But as Oliver and his friends fought their way for freedom, someone had been watching Oliver from afar (keyhole hexagon satellite) and decided to rescue Oliver, seeing him as a potential asset to A.R.G.U.S. Once he was secure, Amanda Waller moved Oliver to Hong Kong.

Oliver made a couple of attempts to escape Amanda Waller (Director of A.R.G.U.S.) but failed. In Hong Kong, a lot happened. Just like on Lian Yu, he got hurt, used and blackmailed to do someone else’s bidding.

Same goes for when he ended up in Russia, only they were crueler than most things he had experienced. Oliver had a mission to seek revenge for a woman he had met on Lian Yu (Taiana Venediktov). Killing Konstantin Kovar was an impossible mission on his own, so Anatoly offered him to be initiated into the Bratva (Russian Mafia).

The plan was to kill Kovar at his casino, and with help, he believed he had killed him. During these events, Oliver saved Anatoly and because of that, Oliver was granted a captain’s position.

When Oliver finally returned to Starling City, his family had to accept that the Oliver they once knew was gone. He had to find out that his mother had moved on and married another man named Walter Steele, a man who used to work for Robert Queen at Queen Consolidated.

Oliver kept his promise to his father and his nightly activities were shielded by a hood he was given by Yao Fei. With a bow and arrows, he would hunt the people down and cross off the names on his father’s list by killing them.

Though he changed his ways after the incident in the Glades. Malcolm Merlyn had plans to level the Glades by using a machine that caused earthquakes. Though the primary plan failed, many people died, and so did Oliver’s best friend, Tommy. Oliver made a promise to him that killing would not be the path he would continue to follow.

Along the road of being the Hood/The Arrow/Green Arrow, Oliver gained a couple of allies. John Diggle and Felicity Smoak. Later also, Roy Harper joined him and even his sister. Even further throughout his adventures, he recruited Curtis, Rene, and Dinah to his team.

Oliver’s island experience wasn’t the only time he had vanished from the radar. He was trained by the League of Assassins, becoming the heir of Ra’s al Ghul and was betrothed to his daughter. The reason that he became the heir was because he had survived a fatal strike in a one-on-one fight with Ra’s and the reason he stayed was because he wanted to save his sister’s life, as she was comatose. During his captivity by the League, Oliver trusted the man his team despised and left his friends out of the plan, which was Malcolm Merlyn, Thea’s real father.

When Oliver was visiting Central City, he saw the woman who he once had an affair with too, Samantha Clayton, and with her was a boy around the age of ten. Later, he learned William was his son.

When Oliver became mayor of Star City, he had to face a lot of different complications, one that the Green Arrow couldn’t solve. The reason he became the mayor was because he wanted to help the people of the city during the day and not just during the night. Adrian Chase, a man who had won Oliver’s trust by being the DA and solving a lot of lawful issues. Prometheus was the focus at the time, a villain who went after Oliver for revenge. Later, Oliver learned Adrian was Prometheus and told him that everything and everyone he touches get hurt one way or the other, or end up dead. Adrian did a big number on Oliver and was always ten steps ahead of him.

Oliver ended up in a down spiral, believing everything Adrian said. He played the cards so well that Oliver was rarely the one who got affected by the events, but his friends sure did. Curtis ended up being divorced, Felicity losing her boyfriend by Oliver’s arrow (Adrian disguising him as Prometheus and Oliver thought it was best to kill him at that time) and so many more loved ones got hurt in Adrian’s plan.

Adrian had kidnapped a lot of Oliver’s loved ones and had taken them to Lian Yu, including Samantha and their son. When Oliver exposed the one thing that Adrian didn’t see coming was that Adrian’s father was about to disown him because he was crazy, this became the reason that Adrian shot himself in the head and since the bombs all spread out on the island were linked to his life… The island exploded. A lot of Oliver’s loved ones survived, though Samantha did not and since Oliver was William’s father, he moved in with him.

Being a father, mayor and the Green Arrow wasn’t easy, with one role he let down the others, especially his son most of the time. Eventually, Oliver was exposed as the Green Arrow, and though he claimed not to be, his title as mayor was removed. In order to capture another criminal, called Diaz, Oliver was forced to reveal his secret to the FBI as he asked them for help to capture him. He ended up in a Super-Max while Diaz escaped (though not unharmed). While Oliver spend his time in jail, he had to play parts that were against his moral, but he needed to find out more about Diaz in order to bring him down. His friends and family were in danger as long as Diaz remained free.

But in order to gain more info, he had to work himself into level 2 of Slabside and quickly learned that how things went down there weren’t quite by the book. He was mentally tortured. They used drugs on him and electric therapy. Once he was ready, they allowed him to go to the next phase. At level 2, they break prisoners down and are not meant to be released, ever, not alive anyway.

There he found the Demon (AKA Talia al Ghul) who has been his trainer and friend, his enemy and now decided together to put their past aside for the time being to get out of the second level. The pair got the information about level 2 and Talia escapes the prison with the details and delivered them to Laurel. Level 2 gets dismantled and Oliver is returned to his previous cell.

Eventually, Diaz makes the move to kill Oliver Queen, hiring a couple of men inside the prison to accomplish, but Oliver isn’t quick to kill.

Laurel Lance (from Earth-2) made a deal for Oliver. If Diaz is captured, Oliver will be set free. Sadly, Diaz escapes and goes after Oliver Queen himself. With a lot of bruises and wounds, Oliver defeats Diaz and locks him up in Slabside. He was then allowed to go home.

Everyone knows now that Oliver is the Green Arrow and, since there is an anti-vigilante law, he can no longer be the hero he once was. So Dinah Drake deputizes him and makes him part of SCPD. Shortly after, his entire team becomes deputized, and all of them work with the police for a while. But they don’t play well with their rules, and Dinah makes Team Arrow a special team that operates through their own bunker.

Be aware that in this case ‘enhanced’ means that he trained a lot in order to achieve this – he is not a superhuman.

Enhanced Reflexes - Green Arrow prefers to use bow and arrows in combat, despite using a ranged weapon Green Arrow is able to easily combat enemies at close range. He is able to evade and manoeuvre quickly in order to get a point blank shot with his pin point accuracy.

Enhanced Speed - Green Arrow has a large build, but is very quick on his feet. In order to gain a perfect shot, he is used to quickly moving around viewpoints with his speed.

Enhanced Strength - He also possesses enough strength to knock out most of his enemies at close range using either his bow or his fists alone.

Enhanced Stamina - As the eternal robin hood of Star City, Green Arrow has a finely tuned fatigue and damage resistance. He is able to patrol for hours even at his age and effectively utilize whatever energy he has.

Master Combatant - While highly preferring to use his ranged weaponry, Green Arrow is well versed in the arts of hand to hand combat. He is able to subdue a number of enemies without any arrows while either aided the blunt force of his bow, or simply is fists.

Master Marksman - He has incredible dexterity and accuracy with his bow and arrows and rarely ever misses his targets. He is effective at utilizing his range and knowledge of several different kinds of trick arrows in his arsenal, having skilfully memorized each and every one.

Master of Stealth - He is well versed in the arts of sneaking around, he is effectively able to use the silent effect of his archery while never being spotted by a target.

#〘 oliver queen 〙#〘 head canon: oliver queen 〙#〘 head canon 〙

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antebunny · 4 years ago

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family dinner

Modern AU Jin siblings vs. Jin Guangshan (crossposted on Ao3):

Jin Zixuan leans against the side of his yellow Audi and checks his Rolex Daytona watch. Behind his car are the massive white gates of the Jin mansion, a massive complex with no less than four houses, two gardens, one lotus pond, a garage for the rest of his car collection, and a private movie theater in the basement. Normally, he would open the gates and let himself through, but tonight, Jin Zixuan has no intention of going down the lonely, two-lane road to the main house alone.

The time is 7:18. He has only twelve minutes left, and no one is here. Jin Zixuan shifts nervously in his Stuart Hughes suit (Diamond Edition) and represses the urge to check his watch again. Instead of checking it, he worries until his heart is thump-thumping in his chest and all he can feel is the bitter cold air on his bare fingers.

He’s twenty-seven years old, with a two year old son, and he’s still nervous about the coming dinner. He would be less nervous if his mother was coming, but she hasn’t been back to the Jin family home since she divorced his father almost a decade ago–long enough to see Jin Zixuan through high school–and he was not about to ask. Instead, he’d asked the rest of his family.

He’s musing on the meaning of family and obligation when the first car pulls up. It’s a white Rolls-Royce, and it carries a single passenger: Jin Zixuan’s younger brother, Jin Guangyao. His half-brother wears a crisp dark cream-colored Brioni suit, and he adjusts the small osmanthus flower tucked into the pocket when he straightens.

“No one else is here yet?” Jin Guangyao questions, like he can’t see it with his own eyes.

“Not yet,” Jin Zixuan says shortly.

His brother continues smiling despite his terse tone. Jin Guangyao has never been anything but friendly to Jin Zixuan since he came into his life several years ago, which is why Jin Zixuan is half-terrified of him. The other half of him wants to intervene everytime his father so much as looks in Jin Guangyao’s direction, and half of the time he does, so needless to say, they have a rather complicated relationship.

“I’m sure they’ll be here,” Jin Guangyao offers, still smiling sweetly.

Jin Zixuan isn’t so sure. Realistically, there’s no reason for all of them to come just to support him. The only reason Jin Zixuan is going, beyond the convention of his father’s annual dinners, is because Jin Zixuan is in fact aware of his skills in life. As of the moment, Jin Zixuan is the sole inheritor of his father’s fortune. Despite the number of half-siblings that Jin Zixuan apparently has, or perhaps because of it, he is confident that he will always be the sole inheritor. That is, unless Jin Guangshan decides to withhold the inheritance to remind Jin Zixuan that he is the only way Jin Zixuan can provide for his family. So Jin Zixuan needs the inheritance, no matter what A-Li says.

Which is why he’s standing here, on his twenty-seventh birthday, trying not to look too nervous as his brother calmly locks his car door.

“Thank you for coming, A-Yao,” Jin Zixuan finally says, forced but sincere.

Realistically Jin Guangyao knows that he can expect better treatment from his half-brother than he can with Jin Guangshan as the CEO of Jin Industries, but naively Jin Zixuan still hopes that Jin Guangyao has some room for frivolous things like brotherly affection and genuine kindness.

Jin Guangyao puts his keys in his pocket and walks around his car to the gate. He’s not a moment too soon: a silver car rolls in after Jin Guangyao’s Rolls-Royce, and parks just a little too close for comfort.

The first out of the silver car is Qin Su, from the driver’s seat. The gold trim and white hem of her floor-length evening gown trails over the edge of the car as she exits, and as she stands up Jin Zixuan realizes that she really went all-out. She’s dressed in white and gold, complete with a pink peony flower, and her hair and face indicates that she spent at least two hours getting ready. From the way she walks up to him in her white high-heels, Jin Zixuan knows that she knows that she’s stunning. If she wasn’t his daughter, Jin Guangshan would probably make a comment about it. He might anyway.

“The new style suits you, A-Su,” Jin Guangyao says politely.

“Thank you,” Qin Su says, her pretty eyes flashing. “It’s what my mother wore.”

She doesn’t specify when, but Jin Zixuan winces anyway. “I didn’t think you would come,” he says helplessly.

“And miss a chance to ruin your father’s evening?” Qin Su retorts, and smiles beatifically. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

The last sibling emerges from the copilot seat. “It’s your birthday celebration, isn’t it?” Mo Xuanyu points out.

He’s wearing ripped jeans, a tank top, and heavy black eyeliner and eyeshadow. Jin Zixuan wisely does not comment. Mo Xuanyu pulls on a black puffer jacket as he speaks, which makes him the only one with adequate protection from the chilly February temperature. He’s also the youngest here; Qin Su picked him up from his university on the way here.

“Technically,” Jin Zixuan says instead.

Mo Xuanyu shrugs and jams his hands into his pockets. “Then what are we waiting for?”

Jin Zixuan checks his Rolex again, and the golden watch hands proclaim the time to be 7:24. “We’re still waiting on a few more people who said they’d show up.”

“Who?” Mo Xuanyu asks curiously, and it’s at that moment that a flaming red and black sports car comes roaring down the road, and Mo Xuanyu’s face lights up.

The door is kicked open, and Jin Zixuan’s brother-in-law flings himself out. Wei Wuxian emerges in a black Armani suit, now the tallest person in their smallest gathering, and grins.

“I didn’t know you were coming,” Mo Xuanyu squeaks, and Jin Zixuan holds back a wince. His youngest brother has the most embarrassing idol crush on Wei Wuxian, which is only embarrassing because–

“Mn.” Out of nowhere, Jin Zixuan’s brother-in-law (-in-law?) places himself in front of Wei Wuxian, straightening his white suit coat like it’s even a millimeter out of place. He glares Mo Xuanyu down, and Jin Zixuan goes from feeling embarrassed for his brother to feeling sorry for him.

“You brought him?” Jin Zixuan complains to Wei Wuxian before he can stop himself.

“Where I go, Lan Zhan goes,” Wei Wuxian retorts. They’re already holding hands. Jin Zixuan hates this.

Wei Wuxian’s husband levels his icy glare on Jin Zixuan, and suddenly Jin Zixuan is imagining that glare leveled at his father when Jin Guangshan inevitably tries to get world-renown bioengineer Wei Wuxian to work for Jin Industries again. Perhaps bringing him along isn’t such a bad idea after all.

“It’s lovely to see you,” Qin Su offers, and the glare is gone, just like that.

“But not as lovely as you are tonight,” Wei Wuxian says smoothly, and the glare is back.

Jin Zixuan pinches the bridge of his nose with two fingers and sighs. He’s so busy sighing that he almost misses the arrival of the last car, a violently purple Jaguar that for once is not racing around at nearly illegal speeds.

“You’re late,” Jin Zixuan snaps, when the driver’s door opens.

“I was helping my sister get ready, asshole,” Jiang Cheng snaps right back, slamming his door closed. He straightens the cuffs of his dark purple suit before opening the copilot door for said sister.

Jiang Yanli ducks gracefully out of the car, and Jin Zixuan’s heart immediately goes gooey in his chest. He’s afraid that his face does, as well, because Wei Wuxian makes a disgusted face at him.

She wears a layered dress of lavender and rose pink, and the skirts skim over the ground as she steps out of the car. In her arms, she carries a precious little bundle that Jin Zixuan loves with all his heart, and now he knows that his face has gone all gooey with emotions because his wife smiles at him, which really doesn’t help with the emotions.

Jin Zixuan holds out his arms, and Jiang Yanli places their tiny baby bun in his arms.

“I’ve finally got him sleeping,” Jiang Yanli says in a hushed voice, and for a moment there’s silence as everyone welcomes the newest, sleepiest, cutest little dumpling to their growing party.

Jin Ling’s little face is puckered up even in his sleep like he’s thinking hard. Jin Zixuan’s small, sweet bao of a son is dressed in a matching pair of a white jacket and snowpants, complete with a white yarn hat that’s the size of his entire head.

“It’s good to see you, A-Li,” Qin Su says finally, once the moment of silence has passed.

Jiang Yanli smiles. “You too, A-Su,” she says. “We should get the group back together one of these days.”

Jin Zixuan isn’t sure whether he’s terrified or pleased. Jiang Yanli’s friends from college are a force of nature, and given that they’ve gone on to become a rising neurosurgeon, an environmental scientist, an urban planner, and in Jiang Yanli’s case, a child psychiatrist, they’d be even more a force of nature now.

“I wanna hold him,” Wei Wuxian says in a stage whisper.

Jin Zixuan directs his best glare at him, holds his sweet little dumpling closer, and prays that his wife won’t cave to Wei Wuxian’s puppy dog eyes.

“I believe it’s time,” Jin Guangyao intervenes smoothly, swooping in before a fight can break out.

Jin Zixuan shoots him a grateful look, even though he’s mostly sure that Jin Guangyao didn’t intervene just so that he wouldn’t have to turn his darling baby son over to his brother-in-law.

“It is 7:30,” Qin Su agrees.

Mo Xuanyu cracks his fingers, grins wickedly, and then puts on a pair of black shades, just to match his black puffer jacket. “Let’s go ruin Dad’s night.”

“Can we not get him to call the cops on us?” Jin Zixuan asks, one step short of begging.

“My dad is on speed dial in case anyone needs a ride,” Qin Su says, tucking her phone into her purse.

Of course. The CEO of Qin Industries on speed dial. Though Jin Zixuan supposes that that move is fair, considering that Qin Cangye knows his daughter is going to Jin Guangshan’s house.

“I think we have enough cars,” Jin Guangyao says.

“But let’s not burn the house down?” Jin Zixuan pleads. It’s true that he asked all of them to come, but please come, I don’t want to be alone with A-Li is not the same as please, I want to pay for damages.

“No promises.” Wei Wuxian smirks.

“Nothing that can be proven,” Jiang Cheng adds. Jin Zixuan belatedly remembers that he’d invited them because he knew they would defend A-Li if his father even looked at her funny. Which he might. God, Jin Zixuan hated his family.

“What else is family for?” Wei Wuxian retorts.

Oh no. Jin Zixuan’s heart is going all gooey again, and this time it isn’t from the adorable sleepy bun in his arms. He furiously tries to force down a blush that heats his cheeks in the cold winter air.

Jiang Yanli notices, because of course she does, and she steps closer to pat his arm. “He won’t burn the house down,” she says reassuringly.

Jin Zixuan is privately still dubious, but he doesn’t argue. He turns to the grand white gates. Jin Guangyao stands on his left and half a head shorter, and Jiang Yanli stands to his right. His two other siblings and three in-laws gather behind him.

Then, with his family dressed to the nines and ready for war, Jin Zixuan unlocks the white gates and sets forth to ruin his dad’s night.

#mdzs #the untamed #mo dao zu shi #happy birthday #jin zixuan #jin guangyao #qin su #mo xuanyu #wei wuxian #jiang cheng #my writing #writeblr #greetings tumblr void #jiang yanli #jin siblings #antebunny's ficlets

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ibijau · 4 years ago

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chap 3 of the modern xisangyao, also on AO3

Lan Xichen deals with emotions and regrets that aren't quite his own while trying to make sense of what's happening around him

Something about the young man in that chair strikes Lan Xichen, making his heart race in his chest the instant he sees him. He can’t explain it, that man is hardly older than Lan Xichen’s little brother, and looks like the sort of people said brother usually hangs out with, but there’s something about the stranger that speaks to Lan Xichen’s soul, making him ache with a sorrow that he isn’t sure is his own.

Puzzled by this alien pain, Lan Xichen is startled when his own shock becomes mirrored on the face of that young man.

"You!" the stranger gasps. "What are you doing here?"

Fear is not an emotion Lan Xichen usually evokes. Even his students aren't afraid of him, unless they have anxieties of their own, and his insolent brother has never been so much as impressed by him a day in his life. And yet, there’s no mistake possible.

That young man is terrified to see him.

Meng Yao isn’t doing great either. He’s been nervous for a while, since they got into the car actually, but only now is Lan Xichen realising that perhaps Meng Yao lied and took him to that house without the permission of mister Shanzi, never expecting to be discovered. But if this intern denounces him…

He has to be an intern of some sort, or an assistant, or…

Meng Yao is shaking like a leave, he’s so pale, but that doesn’t mean this young man is… he can’t be, everyone knows mister Shanzi has been in the art business for decades, he can’t, not unless…

Not unless he, of all people, manages to reach immortality.

The thought, already odd on its own, feels like it doesn’t come from Lan Xichen’s own mind, and more from the memory of a mind that used to be his. It is a disconcerting feeling and Lan Xichen finds himself fighting against the intrusion until his vision sways. He takes a step forward, more to support himself against the wall than to enter the room, but the young man inside misreads his intentions and cries out. He motions toward the door which closes on its own, as if pushed by a gust of wind.

There has to be a hidden mechanism, Lan Xichen tells himself, his disoriented mind clinging to this odd detail. Doors don’t move without being touched. He cannot question it or investigate it though, because Meng Yao grabs him by the elbow with unexpected strength. Lan Xichen is dragged away from the basement, back toward the kitchen. He stumbles onto a chair and falls onto it while Meng Yao, still trembling, starts pacing in front of him.

“I can’t believe I fell for your act!” Meng Yao hisses. “Oh, you’re good, you’re really good!” He spits, pointing an accusatory finger at Lan Xichen. “With your airs of innocence, your clumsy flirting… and how did you manage to insert yourself into so many publications? Or is that part real? Are you really a researcher?”

“Of course I am,” Lan Xichen says. He closes his eyes, overcome by an outrage that isn’t his, no more than the other emotions he seems to be feeling since entering this house. Last time, it was him making accusations, he thinks, and A-Yao wasn’t innocent in the least so what right does he have to treat Lan Xichen this way?

A wave of nausea hits Lan Xichen.

He’s never called Meng Yao A-Yao before. Never even thought of calling him that way. So why does this nickname come to him so easily now?

“What do you want from him?” Meng Yao insists, his earlier pallor disappearing as anger turns his face red. “Where did you meet mister Shanzi before?”

“I’ve never met mister Shanzi in my life,” Lan Xichen says.

“Well he’s met you!” Meng Yao retorts.

Lan Xichen feels another wave of nausea hit him. That man, that boy in the basement, that can’t have been mister Shanzi. Not only is the age wrong, his name isn’t… that’s not his name.

His name is…

His name…

But that can’t be his name.

“I’ve never met him,” Lan Xichen repeats. Not in this life, he’s certain of that. In another though…

A picture flickers through his mind. A young man in green and grey, crying and throwing himself at someone Lan Xichen held dear. He remembers affection for both people. Pity as well, and perhaps longing. Regret too, so much regret, though the regret, he thinks, isn’t something he felt when that scene happened, it is only something that came later to taint that memory, long after both these people had left.

He only caught a brief glimpse of mister Shanzi, and the memory of the man in green is fleeting at best, but there might be a family resemblance between them.

“You have to leave,” Meng Yao orders. “I’m taking you back to your place, and then I swear if you ever try to come in contact with me, I’ll…”

“I’m not leaving,” Lan Xichen snaps.

Meng Yao stops pacing to instead look at him as if he’s lost his mind. Perhaps he has.

“I don’t know what you want with mister Shanzi, but I’m not letting you hurt him,” Meng Yao threatens, darting toward the kitchen counter and opening a drawer in search of a weapon. All he finds is a silver knife, but he still waves it toward Lan Xichen. “I’m not betraying him?”

“Why not? You have already,” Lan Xichen hears himself say, which makes Meng Yao flinch.

He means that taking Lan Xichen here was a betrayal.

He means also something else, something older, so old neither of them can remember it.

This is when it hits Lan Xichen. Mister Shanzi isn’t the only one he’s met before. It’s harder to be sure because Meng Yao looks too different, because Lan Xichen’s mind is a mess right now and he probably wouldn’t recognise his own brother for sure, but he can feel something familiar about the soul waving that knife at him and…

And a part of him, ancient and broken, wants to laugh at the idea of Meng Yao so protective toward mister Shanzi. If he knew…

If he knew…

It ended in blood last time.

It might end in blood again, if they’re not careful.

“What’s so funny?” Meng Yao snaps, gripping his pathetic knife tighter.

Lan Xichen realises he’s laughing. Or something that is part of him does, anyway. A hysterical laugh that turns into heavy sobs he can’t control either.

“What’s wrong with you?” Meng Yao asks, just a hint of worry to his voice.

He always used to be so worried, something tells Lan Xichen.

Smiling but worried.

He doesn’t smile as much as he used to, does he? But neither does Lan Xichen.

“You can’t stay here,” Meng Yao repeats.

“I’m not leaving,” Lan Xichen retorts. “This is my home.”

It is, or it was. Past and present feel like odd concepts right now. But Lan Xichen knows he spent too long inside these walls. The place has been changed and redecorated, but it’s still the same, still his Hanshi, his home, the place he lived, the place he died, when old age crept on him in spite of his efforts.

Not that he really was trying anymore toward the end, was he?

Eternal life would only have brought eternal guilt. He remembered being relieved, every time he died, because his choices never seemed to be the right ones.

“I’m calling you a taxi,” Meng Yao insists, dashing out of the kitchen, knife still in hand. “Don’t try anything funny or you’ll regret it!”

Lan Xichen doesn’t try anything funny. He doesn’t try anything at all. Without Meng Yao’s presence, away from mister Shanzi, Lan Xichen’s agitated mind starts calming down somewhat. The ghostly feelings harassing him mellow out, enough for him to wonder what might have caused them. Unlike his uncle and some of his older relatives, he’s never had any strong religious feelings, and the idea of reincarnation isn’t one he’s ever been convinced by. It apparently doesn’t matter what he believes though, because aside from having met mister Shanzi and Meng Yao in another life, he can’t explain what just happened to him.

It should bother him more than it does. A day ago, he would have laughed at this sort of thing. Having lived through it, he just accepts it. His soul has lived other lives before, it is just a fact he cannot deny.

After a long while, Meng Yao returns. He still holds that knife in his hand, still looks agitated. Less than he did in that other life they shared, Lan Xichen distantly thinks. But then again, at that time, Meng Yao knew he had lost everything he had to lose, everything except his life… and even that he hadn’t kept for very long, had he?

“I’ve managed to find a taxi company that will come here,” Meng Yao announces, pointing his knife again at Lan Xichen. “I swear if you try anything…”

“I just want to speak with him,” Lan Xichen says. Or at least, some part of him says. He has nothing to say to mister Shanzi, but the man he once was, the one who died old and alone in this house, has plenty to talk about.

“About Nie Huaisang?” Meng Yao asks with a mocking grimace.

Lan Xichen startles, then nods. This will, indeed, concern Nie Huaisang. It cannot be a coincidence that mister Shanzi has such an interest in that obscure painter, much like Lan Xichen himself does.

“I just want to speak with him,” Lan Xichen repeats, more firmly. “I think I’m here for a reason.”

“You’re here because I’m an idiot,” Meng Yao snaps. “If I’d been thinking with my brain instead of my…” He sighs. “Nevermind. It’s a lesson I won’t forget. I’ll be more careful on my next job… Fuck, but I’m so fired. Do you have any idea how good this job was? Why did you have to ruin this? You’re just…”

Meng Yao stops speaking and turns to look out the window, as does Lan Xichen. There is a noise coming from outside, like the rumbling of an engine going at great speed.

It’s too early to be the taxi, since the house is so isolated. A taxi wouldn’t be going at that sort of speed anyway. Pushed by curiosity, Lan Xichen rises from his chair and walks to the window. Meng Yao glares at him and points the knife at him, but for him too curiosity is too strong and he joins Lan Xichen at the window.

A sleek white car speeds toward the house. For a moment it looks as though it will crash into the Hanshi, but the driver slows down abruptly at the last possible moment in what Lan Xichen finds to be both a demonstration of great skill and complete recklessness. From where they are, Lan Xichen cannot see the driver, but he hears two car doors open and close.

“Did you call someone?” Meng Yao hisses, pointing the knife at Lan Xichen's throat.

“No. Do you think mister Shanzi was expecting someone?”

“He would have been dressed better than that,” Meng Yao says, lowering the knife already, which Lan Xichen finds oddly comforting. Their past life was a mess, he thinks, but he really does like Meng Yao as he is now. “Do you think we were followed?”

Lan Xichen considers the idea, but before he can answer, there’s a knock on the door, startling both of them. The knock is only for show though, because immediately the front door opens. The two of them exchange a look. Lan Xichen quickly grabs a knife of his own which he hides behind his arm as well as he can. Meng Yao and him nod at each other before exiting the kitchen for the main room where they find two men.

Lan Xichen drops his knife.

Although both men are familiar, although the man in red and black is probably the most striking of the two with his bold makeup and elaborate outfit, it is the other one who catches Lan Xichen’s attention. That tall man with cold eyes and long dark hair has, for some reason, a ribbon tied around his forehead. On anyone else, it would look somewhat ridiculous, Lan Xichen thinks, but on this man it looks elegant, dignified even.

“Well, that’s a surprise!” The man in red and black exclaims. “Hey Lan Zhan, look who it is!”

The man wearing a ribbon sports a shocked expression which mirrors Lan Xichen’s, and cannot seem to take his eyes away from him.

“Xiongzhang,” he says with emotion, stepping closer.

Lan Xichen, breathless, falls to his knees.

His brother.

Not the one he knows, not the one he grew up with, but his brother still, one he has missed more dearly than he could ever say. And now, after several lifetimes apart, his brother is returned to him.

Lan Xichen breaks into tears for the second time today, while next to him Meng Yao screams in terror and points his knife at the newcomers.

#xisangyao #xisang #xiyao #sangyao #mo dao zu shi #mdzs #jau writes #counterfeit au #I didn't do any beta-ing on this #I mean even less than usual #just needed to fucking write something already

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i-like-plan-m · 4 years ago

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About your LWJ can hear lies AU- I can’t help but wonder how he would react to Nie Huaisang and Jin Guangyao since they are both known for being expert manipulators, especially since it’s hinted at that Nie Huaisang had a lot to do with the WW and MX thing. So I wondered if Huaisang would find a way around LWJ’s lie detecting or if he even knows about it? Also, I can just imagine the PAIN LWJ would be in if he had to talk to Jin Guangyao

Oops, I forgot to link this on tumblr! My bad! This is chapter 3 of the lies au

The trip to Qinghe was familiar by now.

Years of flight between the sects meant Lan Zhan could make the trip with his eyes closed. He kept them open, because the sight of the Qinghe mountain range always brought a sense of relief that was as sharp as the cold air.

The sight at the gates was becoming a familiar one, too. Nie Huiyin waited for him with all the patience she was capable of, her constant restless energy directed into a small but impeccably crafted blade that she was sharpening like it had done something to offend her.

It was just her way, Lan Zhan had learned. Nie Mingjue’s cousin was as brusque as he was, infinitely more cheerful and possibly the loudest person Lan Zhan had ever met in his life. She was also, however, the most refreshingly honest person in all five of the great sects, save for perhaps Nie Mingjue himself.

“Ah!” She said brightly as he landed before her, stepping gracefully from his sword and sweeping it back into the sheath on his back. “It’s our little Lan Zhan, back again!”

He refused to acknowledge the blush heating his ears and instead nodded in greeting. His composed response did not deter her from tossing a friendly arm around his shoulders and hauling him through the open gates, past the grinning guards and into the towering grasp of the Unclean Realm walls.

“How have you been, shidi?” She asked. The Nie Sect, Lan Zhan had quickly discovered, lived up to their imposing reputation of strength and honor. They were also the friendliest people in the world, once they’d decided you were theirs.

Once Lan Zhan's was unofficially acknowledged as a member of the sect leader’s family-- or at least someone held in high regard by Nie-zongzhu himself, the floodgates had opened. He couldn’t decide whether their open affection was embarrassing or not, but it did fill him with a warmth he was unfamiliar with, one that felt like unconditional acceptance. As though they wanted him here. As though they liked him.

He had never had friends before.

Well. He wasn’t entirely positive that he had any now. But regardless, the Nie Sect disciples treated him with regard. They smiled when they saw him. They welcomed him in their training exercise despite the differences in their sects’ fighting styles.

Some, like Nie Huiyin, treated him as though he was a part of their sect. Another of Nie Mingjue’s little brothers to look out for, to keep tabs on like he was incapable of taking care of himself.

It would be insulting if it hadn’t felt so much like acceptance.

“I have been progressing,” Lan Zhan reported dutifully. “My control has improved further since my last visit.” He didn’t react to lies like someone had stabbed him in the ear the way he once had. With age came control, and a higher pain tolerance, apparently.

Nie Huiyin made a sound of exasperation. “You Lans, I swear. I meant how have you been? Done anything fun lately?” She jostled him to punctuate her questions. He was slightly cheered by the fact that she had to reach higher than usual to rest an arm over his shoulders; he’d finally hit his growth spurt this summer and was nearing his brother’s height.

“I mastered Inquiry,” he offered.

She squinted at him suspiciously. “Is that what you do for fun?”

“I enjoy it, yes.”

“Hm. Acceptable. Though my rock climbing offer still stands if you want real fun. There’s nothing more exhilarating than free-falling from a thousand feet, shidi!” Lan Zhan gave a doubtful noise in response that made her laugh. “We catch ourselves before the bottom and take the rest of the fall on our sabers. And then!”

And then they raced through the most dangerous mountain pass in Qinghe on their sabers, chasing adrenaline with as many death-defying stunts they could manage until the pass ended in a dead-drop of a hundred feet. Most of them followed the waterfall straight into the large lake at the bottom. Most of the Nie disciples were reckless enough to try it at least once.

“Scorpion Alley,” he said, familiar with the sect’s unofficial rite of passage.

“You got it,” she agreed cheerfully. “We still haven’t gotten you out there, have we?”

“You will not,” he assured her, and bit back a smile when her laugh echoed across the training grounds. It was so different here than in his sect. There was little composure in Qinghe, no reason to stifle laughter or keep words hushed.

Composure, he’d learned, was another word for concealment. Disguising one’s truthful feelings to reflect serenity instead. A mask that hid the turmoil beneath for the sake of propriety.

It was a lie all the same.

“I hear your sect is hosting guest disciples next year,” Nie Huiyin said, steering him towards the main hall.

“Yes.” He made a halfhearted attempt to sound neutral. He must have failed, because she snorted a laugh as she shoved open the doors of the main hall where Nie Mingjue sat, sorting through a stack of reports with a cranky expression. A slender, unfamiliar man with a dimpled smile stood beside the desk, holding a massive accounting book and waiting patiently for Nie Mingjue to stop muttering under his breath.

Nie Mingjue looked up as the doors swung open. He brightened almost immediately, standing to welcome Lan Zhan with such genuine delight that Lan Zhan ducked his head, pleased.

“Welcome back,” he said, clapping a hand on his shoulder and leading him to one of the nearby tables, gesturing for a servant to bring tea. He sat across from Lan Zhan while Nie Huiyin leaned against a column behind him. “How was the trip?”

“Fine,” Lan Zhan said, and tried not to sound petulant. He was almost sixteen, perfectly capable of making the trip from Gusu to Qinghe without trouble.

“It’s the da-ge instinct, little Lan,” Nie Huiyin said with a laugh, nudging Nie Mingjue with her knee when he scowled up at her. “He can’t help himself.”

The unfamiliar man hovered in the background as though unsure what to do without Nie MIngjue’s attention. Lan Zhan blinked at him, still unclear on who this newcomer was or how he’d climbed to Nie Mingjue’s side so quickly. Lan Zhan visited often enough that he would have noticed a new person in Nie Mingjue’s inner circle before today, surely.

Nie Mingjue noticed his distraction and turned to wave the man over. “Ah. Apologies, you two have not met.” The stranger obediently crossed the room and bowed low to Lan Zhan. “This is Lan Wangji, the Second Jade of Lan. And this is Meng Yao, my new deputy.”

“It is an honor to finally meet you, Lan-er-gongzi.”

Lan Zhan nodded politely in response and wondered at the faint whisper of a slipped note that accompanied his words. Not quite a lie, but there was something underlying that sounded… off.

“Da-ge,” Nie Huisang complained, sweeping into the room with a sulking expression. “I already did my saber training today as promised, and Nie Zonghui is trying to make me do more. This is cruel and unjust and-- oh, hi Lan Wangji.”

“Nie Huaisang,” Lan Zhan murmured.

“Lan Wangji,” Nie Huiasang said brightly, throwing himself down beside them. “Tell me, doesn’t your clan have a rule or twelve about keeping promises?”

“A-Sang,” Nie Mingjue said tiredly, pinching the bridge of his nose. Behind him, Meng Yao hid a smile like he’d witnessed many similar discussions like this one.

Then again, so had Lan Zhan. The Nie’s bickering was as constant as stars in the sky. It had taken some getting used to, but now Lan Zhan let it pass over him as background noise. It was all born from a place of love, and even the small lies (like Nie Huaisang’s mistruth about the duration of his promised saber practice) were easily ignored.

Meng Yao, though. He was odd.

Lan Zhan kept his face carefully neutral whenever Meng Yao’s smiles rang false, which was… often. He smiled like he knew it was expected of him, not because he wanted to. Like he was playing a role, either for the sect leader’s benefit or his own.

It had been a few years since his lessons with Lan Xichen on the reasons why people lie, but most of it was… still hard to understand. So when Meng Yao responded to direction throughout the rest of Lan Zhan’s visit with a demure, “I would be honored, Sect Leader” and it rang discordant every time, Lan Zhan thought it was perhaps time to ask for help.

Only a few years ago, Lan Zhan had accidentally exposed an advisor in Qinghe who had been bought off by merchants in the city. Every bit of his advice and own influence had been manipulated to support the merchants.

Of course, when Lan Zhan was in the room and realized the advisor’s input sounded like a drunkard playing a dizi, he’d signaled to Nie Mingjue, who then rooted out the reason for his lies. Lan Zhan was not capable of doing so himself-- he only knew when people lied, never their reason for it.

Shortly after Nie Mingjue had personally tossed the advisor out of the Unclean Realm’s gates, Lan Zhan had discovered a shadow wandering around on his heels.

“How’d you know he was lying?” Nie Huaisang asked curiously. He continued when Lan Zhan stood frozen in place, unsure how to respond. “I saw your cue to da-ge. The hand signal?”

“I…” He had no idea what to do. Brush him off? Explain his mother’s gift? Deny it entirely?

No. That was dishonest.

He swallowed hard and admitted, “I can hear lies.”

“Really?” Nie Huaisang’s eyes brightened. “So you knew the advisor was corrupt?”

“No. Just that he lied.”

“Hm. Interesting. So just the lie, not the intention?” The ever-present fan fluttered as Nie Huaisang stared thoughtfully at him. He nodded once in agreement. “You hear it?”

Lan Zhan realized he’d been absently following Nie Huaisang’s meandering pace along one of the walls. They were alone, so he reluctantly shared, “It was a gift from my mother, before she died. I hear conversations like music, and lies are…”

“Horrible, mangled sounds?” Nie Huaisang asked dryly. “My music tutors tell me that’s what I sound like when I play, anyway.”

His face did not show the flicker of humor he felt. “Yes.”

“Is there anything other than the curse that tells you when they lie? Like, if their voice sounds nervous or their breathing is too fast?”

Lan Zhan paused. He’d never thought of that, of looking past the sound of the curse to identify the physiological aspects of the liars. Why would he? There was irrefutable proof from the curse.

But not looking further felt… lazy. Like willful ignorance. That he could not abide.

“I will observe from now on,” he decided.

“Me too!” Nie Huaisang caught his skeptical side-eye, because he sighed like he alone bore the weight of the universe and said, “I’m just saying, it seems like a useful skill. That advisor got past me, too, you know, and I spend a lot of time listening to their incredibly boring conversations.”

“Boring conversations about running the sect.” If the disapproval wasn’t clear on his face, it was evident in his tone.

“Exactly,” Nie Huaisang agreed. “But I learned my lesson, Lan-er-gongzi, all thanks to you! We should practice together, don’t you think? How about just before lunch every day?”

“That is the time of your saber training,” Lan Zhan, who was not an idiot, said.

“Is it?” Nie Huaisang asked, blinking innocently at him. “Ah, well, da-ge can’t complain if I’m busy making our favorite guest feel welcome!”

“We will spar together before lunch,” Lan Zhan decided, ignoring Nie Huaisang’s horrified expression. “And then study during lunch.”

“No,” Nie Huaisang wailed. “How can I learn to read people if I’ve been pummeled into the dirt by the Second Jade of Lan?”

“I would not,” Lan Zhan said, offended. “You are not capable of a legitimate spar--”

“No shit!”

“--so instead I will help with your training.”

“Somehow this turned out very badly for me,” Nie Huaisang muttered, but he was at the training grounds mostly on time later that day all the same.

That was two years ago.

After two years of shared study, they had something that was not quite a friendship. Lan Zhan had never lost the sense of awkwardness around Nie Huaisang-- he was never quite sure how to interact, wasn’t sure what his role was in this relationship.

Nie Huaisang mostly just complained to him about everything under the sun. But every time Lan Zhan visited, he showed up to the training grounds with an expression of utmost suffering. He only remembered his saber half the time, and he tripped over his own feet often enough Lan Zhan feared for his life, but he showed up.

So Lan Zhan knew his concerns would be heard if he took them to Nie Huaisang. Maybe he would have more insight into Meng Yao’s oddities-- Nie Huaisang understood people the way Lan Zhan didn’t. He couldn’t hear lies, but he could see them.

Most of the time, anyway. He’d learned to read faces where Lan Zhan heard the mistruths. It was a training method with guaranteed reliability, and Nie Huaisang’s success had surprised him. Apparently he was highly capable when he actually applied himself. Too bad he didn’t want to.

Still. He would listen to Lan Zhan, and he would help. That much was certain.

#this is late #sorry i forgot to answer the actual prompt lol #featuring my chaotic lesbian oc #nie huiyin #because i wanted more women in it #in the shadow of moonlit flowers #my fics #my writing #the untamed #mdzs #asks #anon #nie huaisang #nie mingjue #lan wangji #lan zhan #meng yao #prompts

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prompt-practices · 6 years ago

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Both Close Life kiddies Li Yao and Chun Xiao Lei.

Li Yao would collect anything with the word "yao" (妖 , which is her name; it means 'enchanting') or "yaojing" (妖精 , means 'fairy'; it's her namesake) on it. Mostly fairytale books because there are stories about fairies, but sometimes miniature gardens—also known as fairy gardens—due to her gardening hobby.

Xiao Lei collects clothing items and handkerchiefs with embroideries of her name (春朝蕾), or sometimes just the word "chun" (春 , her surname; means 'spring') on them. She embroiders the words herself. Narcissist much? *cue Hei Lian and An Huang facepalming*

Which OC collects things that have their name on it?

#write #character development #original series #closed life race • li yao #closed life race • chun xiao lei

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shijiujun · 5 years ago

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be your light (and that’s all i want)

Chusheng’s first instinct always is to make sure Lu Yao is safe, even if it means putting himself between danger and his San Tu.

Lu Yao is not happy about having to face the possibility of Chusheng dying so often.

For @untamedweiying who asked: Remember when Chusheng and Lu Yao were being chased by a car through the whole city, and then Chusheng was like "let's greet this motherfuckers" and stepped out, and Lu Yao went like "NO" and wouldn't let him go and legit pictured the scene of Chusheng getting shot by a Gatling gun and being unable to do anything about it . Like the honest concern and the "if you die I have no idea what I would do" in that moment, and then it was ???? Never addressed again?

Lu Yao is glad that real life doesn’t imitate movies, because for a moment, he was so sure that men in black with guns would come falling out of the car and shoot at Chusheng and then him. The fear that sank into his bones as the images, ridiculous as they were, played on the insides of his eyeballs, crippled him, and all Lu Yao could do is put his hand over his mouth and gasp as the doors to the other car opened.

Of course, in the end, it turned out to be just Tong Li, Youning’s arch nemesis.

As Chusheng dallies with Tong Li, a stupid, dumb smile on his face, Lu Yao tries to calm his racing heart.

The first thing he thought earlier as the car sped down the streets and then got stuck in this alley, was simply-

What is he going to do if Qiao Chusheng dies?

Lu Yao shudders, then shakes his head and slaps the both of his hands over each side of his cheeks, trying to wake himself up. Maybe he’s just hungry and his brain is malfunctioning. Did he get enough sleep last night? Probably not.

What the hell is wrong with you, a voice in the back of his head chides.

The thought is put out of his head for the rest of the day, especially after the snack he has with Chusheng where they plot to keep their cooperation with Tong Li from Youning.

Hours later in bed, Lu Yao’s mind inevitably returns to the thought of Chusheng dying before him. His hand clench around his pillow tighter, the scene replaying in his head on loop.

If Qiao Chusheng really, if he really left, how would he feel?

Chusheng and Youning are his only friends in Shanghai, and well, of course he doesn’t dislike Youning, even if they banter and fight all the time. Chusheng, however, Lao Qiao?

Lu Yao can’t quite put into words what he feels for the man. Friendship seem like an understatement. Describing them as brothers doesn’t feel right either, because Lu Yao has seen some of the brothers that the man talks about, and Chusheng sure doesn’t treat him the way he treats them.

He only has to ask for Chusheng to give him what he wants. Lu Yao only has to frown, pout or sulk once, and Chusheng will be turning around to ask him what’s wrong. He only has to look at a food stall and Chusheng is there, amused and expectant, knowing exactly what Lu Yao wants to do. The only person who would tell him to go and hide while he deals with danger and threat head on, then coming back to find Lu Yao when it’s safe.

Chusheng is the only person who cares about Lu Yao above himself, in a way that no one has since his mother passed away. The only person who would believe him unconditionally, the thought of Lu Yao betraying him never once coming to mind.

Whatever it is, the last thing Lu Yao wants to ever think about is Chusheng possibly leaving him.

That night, sleep eludes him, the room suddenly too quiet and his body too cold under the covers.

===

And Chusheng keeps doing it.

Before, Lu Yao wouldn’t have given it a second thought, but after that afternoon with the car chase and his overreactive imagination, it’s as if Lu Yao can’t switch his brain off. The moment the situation turns the slightest bit dangerous, that deep-seated fear he usually tries to lock away rears its ugly head, leaving him shaky and paralysed.

It happens every time Chusheng covers him with his body when they’re dealing with a shootout, even though Lu Yao is way taller than him.

The time another gang stupidly ambushed the police station with guns and small bombs, and Chusheng quickly stuffed Lu Yao under his table, the safest location for now, as he ran off with only a gun in his hand. Lu Yao remembers grabbing at Chusheng’s hand as he stood to go.

“Don’t go,” he swallowed with wide eyes, his grip on Chusheng’s wrist unnaturally strong.

Chusheng looked up, no doubt seeing the gunfight and what not outside, and there was no way he wasn’t going to go.

“Be good,” he ended up saying to Lu Yao, patting his hand twice and then shook his grip off easily, running off.

Or that time when they ended up in an abandoned, burning hospital in the hills, and Chusheng pushed Lu Yao and Youning out of the way of a dropping, burning log from the ceiling. That one came really close, and Lu Yao was quiet for a few days after that, even though Chusheng ended up only with a broken collarbone and some mild burns across his chest from where he was pinned under the log.

Every time it happens, the whisper in his head gets louder and louder.

What will you do if he’s gone?

The last straw, Lu Yao thinks, is this.

Chusheng taking the lashes from the whip meant for him, all because Lu Yao cracked a case and they ended up arresting one of the nephews of Du He, a gang leader that has ties to Boss Bai. It doesn’t make sense to Lu Yao at all — his nephew killed eleven women and Lu Yao, together with Chusheng, were just doing their damn job.

“Hand him over to me and you can go, Qiao Si,” the man said earlier.

Lu Yao only hears the ringing in his ears, and someone is shouting — it takes a hand and a cloth smothering his nose and mouth to realize that the person making so much noise was him.

“It doesn’t have anything to do with him,” Chusheng replied with a small little smirk, taking off his jacket, and then his shirt. “He’s working for me. If you’ve got any issues with that, you come for me, not him.”

He knows what Chusheng is going to do, but Chusheng can’t take any more damage. When Du He captured the both of them earlier, Chusheng already took a knife to the abdomen while fighting off the twenty men who came for them.

Panic grips him and Lu Yao lunges forward, but hands grab him and drag him off to the side.

Thirty lashes, all because they were doing their jobs.

“San Tu, it’s alright,” Chusheng reassured him before the first crack of the whip sounded.

It has nothing to do with him, Lu Yao wants to yell, struggling against the arms restraining him, hit me, not him!

By the fifteenth lash, Chusheng keels over from where he’s kneeling, his face pale and blood trickling down from the corner of his mouth.

Lu Yao doesn’t remember feeling this helpless, not since he met Chusheng. Not since his mother passed away, and Lu Yao wept over her grave for days straight.

He shouts again and with the last of his strength, tries to dash ahead, but he doesn’t get far.

He hates Du He, hates the monster of a nephew he has, hates the triads and the underworld and their fucking shite rules, hates that he’s so weak like this, unable to do anything as Chusheng once again protects him, unable to keep Chusheng with him, the man dying because of him-

Before the last crack of the whip, the doors to the manor slam open, and in steps Bai Qili, and Youning. At the sight of Chusheng, Youning’s eyes widen.

It takes only one glance at a bloodied, unconscious Chusheng on the ground for Boss Bai’s eyes to darken.

“You’ve got some balls, touching my son,” the man says evenly, stepping in, his every step measured. “Taking him without my permission and punishing him? What gave you the right?!”

At the anger in the man’s voice, everyone steps back, including the men holding Lu Yao. Their grips loosen just enough for Lu Yao to dart forward, and then he’s free, running towards Chusheng.

“Lao Qiao,” Lu Yao calls, his voice hoarse and trembling as he pulls Chusheng to him. “Lao Qiao, Lao Qiao-“

Youning joins him the next second, tears in her eyes, “Ge, Chusheng-ge-“

She looks up, and her father glances at the three of them for a second, before nodding.

“San Tu, we have to get him to the hospital,” she springs into action quickly. “We have to hurry.”

Everything is a blur next. In fact, Lu Yao isn’t so sure if it’s him that is moving, or if Youning is taking over, because Lu Yao simply cannot- he cannot think. Chusheng’s blood is all over Lu Yao’s sleeves, his shirt, and there’s so much blood. He’s pretty sure some skin has come off. Youning is the one who wraps Chusheng in his shirt and jacket, and then she’s snapping at Lu Yao.

“San Tu! Get it together, I can’t pick him up, you have to carry him for me!”

Lu Yao does as he’s told. He ends up carrying Chusheng in a fireman’s lift, putting him over his shoulder so as not to touch his ruined back, and they pile into one of the cars lined up outside. He barely registers the fact that the Bais have brought at least fifty men with them, including Liu Zi and two older men that Lu Yao vaguely remember Youning and Chusheng calling Lao Er and San shu.

Xiao Qi, the brother next in line after Chusheng, is driving the car.

Lu Yao is so cold, hugging Chusheng to him.

What will you do if he’s gone?

“… why’re you crying,” comes a rasp, cold fingers touching his cheeks, wiping at his tears.

Lu Yao didn’t even realize he was crying. Staring at Chusheng, who’s barely awake and his eyes glassy as they try to focus on him, Lu Yao finds all the words stuck in his throat.

“Ge!” Youning calls in relief, just as Xiao Qi says, “Si-ge!”

“This is nothing,” Chusheng continues. “San Tu ah, don’t worry-“

“Shut up,” Lu Yao says through gritted teeth, his knuckles going white from how hard he’s holding onto Chusheng. “Just shut up.”

It’s just as well that Chusheng slips back into unconsciousness next, because Lu Yao doesn’t know what to say to him. He doesn’t know what he can say without just breaking down in tears.

He can’t take any of this anymore.

===

The second the doctor says that Chusheng is going to live and will be bedridden for at least three weeks, Lu Yao turns on his heels and leaves the hospital.

===

“You’re ridiculous, you know that? What did I do in my previous life to have known you?”

Lu Yao doesn’t respond, huddled on the couch with a blanket wrapped around him, covering his head. A bag of what smells like dumplings is set on the coffee table in front of him, but he doesn’t move.

“Lu Yao! I swear, if you’re not going to eat or talk or move and if you just want to die, then don’t do it in my house and on my couch! I might deal with bodies everyday at the institute, but the last thing I want to do is deal with you!”

He hasn’t moved a lot in the last week.

“Just starve to death, see if I care! When you faint, I’ll just throw you out.”

Lu Yao’s not sure what he wants to do, but staying right here on this couch forever sounds like a good idea.

A loud, aggravated sigh sounds, and then Liu Mo comes into his line of vision. The shorter man drags a chair over and sits opposite Lu Yao on the other side of the table. Despite what he said, Liu Mo unpacks the dumpling soup and noodles, even shifting Lu Yao’s portion closer to him.

After a long moment, bony hands emerge from the abyss that is the thick duvet, and grabs for the soup.

“Lu Yao, what are you thinking?” Liu Mo shakes his head, frowning at him, but the relief at seeing Lu Yao eat is clear in his voice.

“You just turn up at my house with blood all over your shirt and insist you want to stay. And to keep it a secret that you’re here. What the hell happened? I haven’t asked, but this is getting ridiculous. You just hang out on my couch staring into space!”

Now that he thinks about it, it’s a miracle that Liu Mo took him in on such short notice. Lu Yao didn’t really think much when he fled from the hospital — all he knew was that he needed to get out, get away and hide, and he couldn’t do that at home. For a moment he panicked, standing out on the empty streets, wondering where he could go because Chusheng and Youning are his only friends here.

It only occured to him later that he could call either Qian Rui, or Liu Mo. He went with the least likely choice in the end, and when he’s feeling a little better, Lu Yao will remember to thank Liu Mo for letting him stay despite hating him.

Besides, Qian Rui might have called his older sister or father if Lu Yao turned up like this. Lu Yao hasn’t figured out what he wants to do yet, but he’s not about to let Lu Miao or any of his brothers, or even Zhiqing-ge kidnap him home.

Liu Mo’s clothes are terribly tight and short on him, but if it means he’s clean and doesn’t have to move an inch away from the couch, Lu Yao is willing to take it.

No one will find him here. No one will get hurt because of him again.

Chusheng won’t be hurt because of him, not if Lu Yao never turns up in front of him again. This way, Lu Yao doesn’t have to worry about Chusheng dying or leaving him. It’ll hurt like a bitch, but at least Chusheng will be alive, and that’s better than him being dead.

Lu Yao still has no idea what he would ever do without Chusheng. For now, spending his days in one spot, on the couch, seems to be the only option.

“These dumplings are good,” he says, completely ignoring Liu Mo’s question.

“I swear to god, Lu Yao, you little shit-“

===

The next day, Liu Mo turns up with a baguette for brunch. Then for dinner, fish soup that tastes just like the one from the stall opposite the police station.

“This is good,” Lu Yao comments, looking up from his bowl to stare at Liu Mo, “Where did you get this?”

“… some, some lady at the canteen cooked extra and I took some home,” Liu Mo answers, resolutely looking at the shelf behind Lu Yao.

It takes him another three days — another six meals, all his favourites — to realize what’s happening.

Almost finishing the fragrant crispy roasted duck, Lu Yao looks up and stares at Liu Mo for a long, long time. The man fidgets in his chair and Lu Yao almost slaps himself, because how could he have just believed Liu Mo? The man is a terrible liar, he knows this. And yet, Lu Yao easily took his word for it in the past few days.

“You told him?!”

“I didn’t!” Liu Mo rushes to explain, flustered, “I mean, you’re talking about the Bai family and the police, Lu Yao, are you kidding me? He found me a few days ago and said he’d take me to the station for kidnapping if I didn’t tell the truth and- think about it, you came to me and I kindly let you stay and he was going to arrest me! And… and, he just drops off food for you, and gets me to bring it up.”

He.

There’s only one man who knows exactly what he likes to eat. Lu Yao remembers clearly the doctor saying, “Three weeks of bedrest, no moving.”

It’s impossible for Chusheng to still be here considering it’s been an hour since Liu Mo came back with the duck, but Lu Yao wipes his hands on his shirt and leaps to his feet anyway, heading for the door. Nearly falling because his legs haven’t seen much exercise in the past ten days, Lu Yao stumbles all the way until he’s pulling the door open, ready to just run out without his shoes on.

He barely takes one step out before freezing in his footsteps, his breath catching in his throat.

Sitting on the porch, back facing him, is one Qiao Chusheng.

At the sight of him, Lu Yao warms — relief, wonder and affection just surging for the man, but as quickly as the emotions come, anger floods through him even faster. Before he knows what he’s doing, Lu Yao is stomping his way angrily to Chusheng as the man turns around at the noise, a look of surprise on his face.

“Are you dumb?!” Lu Yao seethes, seeing red, “Are you- The doctor said three weeks! Three fucking weeks, and I- I can’t believe you’re out here. Are you kidding me?! Qiao Chusheng, do you think this is a joke? You should be in the hospital-“

“But you’re here,” comes the voice Lu Yao has been dreaming about the past few nights, interrupting him, and he stops. “You’re here, San Tu. Where else would I be?”

A lump forms in his throat.

“You shouldn’t,” Lu Yao shakes his head, all his earlier fury gone, leaving a defeated man in its wake. “You shouldn’t be here. Qiao Chusheng, you should be anywhere but here.”

===

Chusheng gets to his feet gingerly, and it takes him only two steps to reach Lu Yao. His eyes rove over Lu Yao, noting the too-small clothes on him. Irritation gnaws at him, seeing Lu Yao in another man’s clothes, but he pushes that away to note the unkempt hair, the oil stains on Lu Yao’s shirt, the eyebags, and it’s only been a little over a week, but the man looks even skinnier than before.

“I woke up the next day,” he says. “I woke up and you weren’t there. Youning was biting at her nails in worry, because she didn’t know where you went. We didn’t know if you were kidnapped again, or worse. You didn’t take anything with you. It took us a few days to realize that you weren’t kidnapped but left willingly.”

He smiles a little, “I thought you would be at Qian Rui’s. Imagine my surprise when I found you at Liu Mo’s.”

“… if you knew where I was, why didn’t you just come in and see me?” asks Lu Yao, his voice low.

“I figured you left for a reason and I was just waiting for you,” Chusheng exhales hard, nodding. Then he huffs once, chuckling, “Well, I was going to wait only for another day, to be honest. If you weren’t going to do anything by tomorrow dinner I told Youning to get Liu Zi and Ah Dou and drag you home at night.”

When Lu Yao doesn’t respond to that and still refuses to look at him, Chusheng sighs.

“San Tu, you must’ve been scared. I’m sorry, but you’ll always be safe with me. You know that, right? As long as I’m breathing, you will never have to worry. Even if I have to protect you with my own life-“

“I don’t want you to do that!” Lu Yao breathes, incredulous.

“Qiao Chusheng, I don’t want you do that, don’t you get it? Did you hit your head somehow too? I don’t want it! I don’t want you to protect me with your life. I want you to be alive and well, and if that means I have to go, then so be it. You don’t understand, you’re a fucking idiot! What am I supposed to do- what the hell am I supposed to do if you’re gone, do you understand?! Qiao Chusheng, do you understand?”

When he’s done yelling, Chusheng can only stare at Lu Yao, his mouth parted a little, as if saying ‘oh’. Lu Yao rubs at his face with a hand, pressing fingers at his temples.

It dawns on him then, what Lu Yao is doing.

He’s not happy one bit that Lu Yao is obviously so distressed, but Chusheng would be lying if he said he wasn’t the least bit moved and relieved that Lu Yao is doing this, disappearing on him, yelling at him-

-because he loves him.

Chusheng hears it loud and clear.

“You don’t ever have to think about that,” he says, drawing Lu Yao into his arms, pressing the man’s head into his own shoulder and hugging him tight. “San Tu, it’s impossible for that to happen.”

Hands come up to clutch at the front of his jacket, before a small voice replies, “You don’t know that. So many times. So many times, Lao Qiao. I keep thinking, I can’t sleep, when I think about it, every single time you jump in front of me.”

“I’m going to be wherever you are,” Chusheng swears. “I’m not leaving you behind, no matter where I go. So if this is where you are, it’s where I’ll be.”

They’re just words, and he knows he can’t guarantee it for sure, but Chusheng doesn’t plan on going back on his promise.

“… really?”

“I promise. Now�� can we go home? The shirt is a little too short on you, and I think you’ve imposed on Liu Mo enough,” Chusheng sighs, raising an eyebrow at the professor standing at the door to their house, obviously eavesdropping.

At the sound of that, Liu Mo nods fervently, putting his hands together and shaking them at Chusheng, as if begging him to take Lu Yao away.

Chusheng does just that.

===

“You should have told me what you were worrying about.”

The weight of the covers over them a comfort, Lu Yao looks up, peering at Chusheng. They’re sleeping in the same bed for the very first time, but it’s so soft and warm that Lu Yao thinks he is finally, finally able to sleep. Chusheng looks more relaxed too, especially after a home-cooked supper and taking all his pain medication for his still-healing back.

Youning will probably turn up early tomorrow to yell at them both, and unfortunately, this time the both of them deserve it.

“Hmm?”

It’s entirely dark, but Lu Yao can still see Chusheng’s eyes like this, the both of them lying on the same pillow, their noses almost touching.

A hand slips into his between them, and then Lu Yao feels it.

Chusheng’s strong, steady heartbeat through their intertwined hands.

“You can check the next time,” Chusheng smiles. “Whenever you can’t sleep and are worrying about me, all you have to do is reach out for my hand. Just like this.”

“You’re embarrassing,” Lu Yao rolls his eyes, but even in the dark, Chusheng can probably still see the pink on his cheeks.

Chusheng is right, though. The steady beat is just like a lullaby, lulling him to sleep. Lu Yao squeezes Chusheng’s hand tighter and sighs.

Right before he falls asleep, Lu Yao makes the same promise.

I’ll be wherever you are too, no matter where that is.

Notes:

*Chusheng is referred to as Qiao Si (乔四) or Qiao Si-ye (乔四爷) or Si-ge (四哥) or Lao Qiao (老乔)

*Qian Rui is Lu Yao's friend, who turns up at the couple's restaurant where Chusheng gifts Lu Yao the watch

*Liu Mo is Lu Yao's arch nemesis that kind of hates him but they used to be friends so you know, it's a love-hate relationship

*Liu Zi is number 6 in the family, Xiao Qi is number 7, and Lao Er is number 2, with San Shu being number 3 in the Bai hierarchy

*I just kind of made up a character for the other gang's leader XD

#my roommate is a detective #mriad #mriad prompt #民国奇探 #chuyao #qiao chusheng #lu yao #hahahaha my god #this prompt ran away from me #again #oops #i'm returning to pure fluff after this #i'm a fluff person #i really am #fluff and a lot of literal sleeping together in bed - kind of person

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lady-of-the-lotus · 4 years ago

Text

Fractured Ice - Ch. 6/7

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? AU where Wei Wuxian never came to Yi City and Xue Yang is still running around post-canon disguised as Xiao Xingchen.

Chang Ping ducks his head slightly. “Of course, my good daozhang. Anything for you.”

“Anything other than putting that crazed monster in the ground, you mean.” Chang Ping blinks, his watery pink-rimmed eyes bulging even farther out of his head.

“I beg your pardon, daozhang?”

“Xue Yang. You let him go.”

XueXiao & XiYao - Rated M - Read on AO3! Tumblr: Ch. 1 Ch. 2 Ch. 3 Ch. 4 Ch. 5 Ch. 7

A bit of blood in this chapter - brief violence onscreen and a brief graphic aftermath

Ch. 6: meaner than my demons

“I need to make sure it’s truly him,” says Lan Xichen. He stares at the spirit-trapping pouch clutched in his hand. Everything is blurred but the small brown pouch, which stands out starkly in the flickering orange torchlight. “I need to—to—”

“If he’s not in there, he’ll never be, and we have to get out of here.” Xue Yang shoves the heavy stone lid back onto the sarcophagus and steers Lan Xichen out of the tomb. The rain has stopped, and the morning star twinkles brightly through a gap in the clouds. “Fun as this is, we can’t hang around here. Those guards—”

Lan Xichen doesn’t spare a glance at the Nie guards, still lying strewn around the tomb. He’s too absorbed by the spirit-trapping pouch in his hand.

The pouch is warm. Almost pulsing. The throbbing warmth seeps into his cold hands, into his veins, flooding his numbed body with pleasant heat—

“Stop here.” Xue Yang lays a hand on Lan Xichen’s arm when he doesn’t look up. “We’ll change into dry clothes, and then you can try playing Inquiry. I’ll hold him while you change.”

Lan Xichen reluctantly surrenders the spirit-trapping pouch to Xue Yang, who sits on a boulder with the pouch set carefully on his lap, both hands cupped around it to make sure it doesn’t fall. Lan Xichen transforms back into Lan Huan in record time, throwing his hair up in a sloppy knot. Then, upon reflection, he takes the time to do it up properly out of respect for the little brown pouch on Xue Yang’s lap.

He sits cross-legged on the rocky ground as Xue Yang changes. Takes out his guqin, gently plucks a few strings.

The answer is clear, a thousand times stronger than Xiao Xingchen’s agonized murmur:

Meng Yao.

A glowing warmth suffuses Lan Xichen. Meng Yao. He’s always thought of A-Yao by that name, even after he’d received his courtesy name and title. Simple Meng Yao, the man who had risked everything to shelter him when he had nothing. Not Jin Guangyao, not Lianfang-zun, but his Meng Yao, his A-Yao, soft and welcoming and warm and bashful and giving.

And then, I didn’t think you would come for me.

Of course I came for you , he responds, then puts away his guqin out of fear of what A-Yao would respond to that.

He doesn’t realize how long he’s been sitting like that, eyes closed, one hand on the guqin, the other on the pouch, until Xue Yang touches his shoulder.

“Sun’s up, Zewu-jun,” he says. “We need to put distance between us and Qinghe. Can’t bring your friend back if we’re getting dragged back to Gusu by a dozen Nie meatheads.”

Lan Xichen doesn’t bother asking where they’re going. Xue Yang’s plan has worked so far. He just follows the delinquent cultivator through the mountains. Practically floats. It’s a different kind of drifting than before, though.

He examines the sensation. It takes a while before he finally realizes that it’s happiness, of a sort.

Rule 70: Do not be overly happy.

He laughs to himself. Xue Yang shoots him a curious look but doesn’t say anything. Uncharacteristically quiet, his friend seems to be lost in his own thoughts.

They meet several Lan cultivators on the road, obviously searching for someone, but they don’t recognize Lan Xichen and Xue Yang in their peasant getups.

“They’d never imagine the great Zewu-jun, fashion icon to thousands, would stoop to this ,” says Xue Yang, flicking a finger at Lan Xichen’s ragged tunic and trousers. They’re sitting in a roadside inn, not as much as a hellhole as they would have preferred, but so far no cultivators have entered. “I do wish you were a bit shorter, though, and still had your beard. Do you think the Lans roped the Nie beefeaters in on their hunt, after all?”

“For you, perhaps, but my uncle would never allow a whisper of my defection to leave the Cloud Recesses. They're probably simply affronted by our attack on the tomb's guards, with you getting the brunt of the blame.”

Xue Yang jerks a thumb in the direction of the qiankun pouch inside Lan Xichen’s tunic. By Xue Yang’s suggestion, he’s stashed the spirit-trapping pouch safely away in the qiankun bag. “Just remember, if I go down, so does he.”

Lan Xichen frowns. “I wouldn’t abandon you.”

“Good. Remember that I have the knowledge you need.”

Lan Xichen puts down his cup of what might be actual tea this time. “I wouldn’t abandon you, whether or not that were the case.”

Xue Yang sneers. “Is that a Lan Clan rule?”

Various elements of loyalty, fidelity, and gratitude are encompassed by a good five dozen rules, but Lan Xichen chooses to ignore that. “It’s my rule. Have I ever given you reason to doubt me?”

Xue Yang shrugs, idly picks up a piece of chicken with his chopsticks, examines it as if looking for bugs. “At least not until my usefulness runs out.”

“Xue Yang—”

Xue Yang shrugs again. “Don’t worry, my friend: I will make myself indispensable for as long as possible.”

Lan Xichen wonders just how strong the wine was. Xue Yang doesn’t speak for the rest of the meal.

Despite getting no sleep the night before, Lan Xichen lies awake a long time that night. He can stay awake for days by drawing on his golden core, but he doesn’t need to tonight. His heart is beating too fast for idle slumber , mind racing.

He takes A-Yao’s spirit-trapping out of his qiankun pouch and sets it on the bed beside him at eye-level. Traces the bloody symbols with his finger. Strokes the soft black tassels.

“I’m sorry,” he whispers. His voice catches in his throat. “I never should have doubted you. I’ll bring you back. I swear I’ll bring you back…”

* * *

“Where are we going, exactly?” he finally asks Xue Yang on the fourth day. They’re walking through the trees near the main road, keeping out of sight.

“Yueyang. We’ll arrive tomorrow.”

“Yueyang?” Something faint stirs in his memory. “Isn’t that where the Chang Clan lives?”

Xue Yang bows with exaggerated deference. “Zewu-jun is wise indeed.”

Lan Xichen smiles. “Why are we going there?”

“I’ve been waiting for you to ask.”

“…and?” Dealing with Xue Yang can be maddening sometimes. His flair for the dramatic and love of bantering is at complete odds with how Lan Xichen was taught to hold a conversation.

“You’ll find out once we’re there…” He makes a face when Lan Xichen raises his eyebrows. “All right, we’re going to pay Chang Ping a visit. He has something we want.”

“Something to bring Jin Guangyao back?”

“Wise. Most wise.”

“What about your…friend?”

Xue Yang unconsciously touches his qiankun sleeve. “We’ll get there, in time. But Jin Guangyao is the key.”

“You wouldn’t do anything that might harm Jin Guangyao—”

Xue Yang’s—Xiao Xingchen’s—fine black eyes are large and deer-like. “Zewu-jun—” He stops, as if too taken aback to respond. Instead he shakes his head. “Jin Guangyao’s spirit is whole,” he explains. “Xiao Xingchen’s spirit was shattered. Different methods are needed. Your friend was immersed in demonic cultivation towards the end of this life, and had access to books he didn’t let me near.”

“You think he hid those books?”

“No, but he remembered everything he saw, and I’m certain he knows something that can help Xiao Xingchen.”

Lan Xichen wants to tell him that this is a fragile hook to be hanging his hopes on, but doesn’t dare point that out to him and let it snap. The important thing is that Xue Yang is helping him get A-Yao back. And, he tells himself, he’s not taking advantage of the delinquent cultivator. Once he has A-Yao back, he, Lan Xichen, will do everything in his power to help return Xiao Xingchen to Xue Yang. From everything he’s ever heard about the rogue cultivator, Xiao Xingchen deserves a second chance at life.

“How exactly did it happen, anyway?” Xue Yang asks.

“Did what happen?” Lan Xichen is itching to get to an inn, take out the spirit-trapping pouch, tell A-Yao that they were close, so close to bringing him back—

“Jin Guangyao’s death, of course.”

It's like Xue Yang dumped a bucket of ice water over his head. Lan Xichen doesn’t realize he’s stopped walking until Xue Yang doubles back for him.

“His death?” Lan Xichen repeats.

“I need to know these things if we’re going to bring him back. The kind of death might affect the kind of spell we use, and besides, you don’t want me saying the wrong thing once he’s back, do you? I casually mention honey and find out he died after being stung to death by a horde of angry hornets—”

“You must already know what happened.” Lan Xichen finds that his feet are moving, but it’s as if someone outside him is making him walk, talk, breathe. He’s doubly desperate to sit down and take out A-Yao, but he and Xue Yang agreed not to handle the pouches unless within the safety of a locked room.

Xue Yang trots along beside him, voice low and sympathetic. “I know this is a painful subject, Zewu-jun, and believe me when I say I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t have to, but there are too many things that can go wrong.”

“He moved.” Lan Xichen’s voice is flat and toneless. “He moved.”

“Moved to…Koi Tower?”

“Moved. I told him not to move. I warned him. I told him not to move. I warned him. I warned him. Then—then that—that bastard —”

“Nie Huaisang?”

“—he told me A-Yao had moved. Made me think A-Yao was going to hurt me, and I—I believed him. Believed A-Yao would do me harm.” Lan Xichen’s voice is so thick he can barely push the words past his lips. “I stabbed him through the heart. Straight through the heart.”

“We ought to stop back in at Qinghe when we’re done,” says Xue Yang, “and take care of that fan-waving little plum blossom.”

“I told you, we’re not killing Nie Huaisang. Or anyone.”

Xue Yang tilts his head. “You mean anyone else .”

Lan Xichen has stopped walking again. “What do you mean?”

There’s something catlike about Xue Yang that he’s never noticed before, but his companion’s voice couldn’t be softer, couldn’t be gentler, almost as if he’s impersonating Xiao Xingchen again. “Nothing, Zewu-jun,” he says, bowing. “I was just thinking of Jin Guangyao. My apologies. It was uncalled for. ”

Lan Xichen doesn’t remember much after that, too focused on the thought of what is to come. They must have had a conversation about stopping, but he can’t recall it as he later lies on his cot, stroking A-Yao’s soft warm spirit-trapping pouch. Can’t recall eating the evening meal, or coming up the stairs, or taking off his tunic or shoes or letting his hair down, but he must have at some point.

He presses his forehead to the spirit-trapping pouch on the pillow beside him. Inside is A-Yao—Meng Yao. Not Jin Guangyao. Not Lianfang-zun.

Meng Yao.

Not the man he had stabbed through the heart with twelve inches of ice-cold steel, but Meng Yao.

It takes all of his strength to turn away from the pouch and roll over onto his back, limbs filled with mortar. Who is he fooling? No matter what name A-Yao went by, all four of them were the same person.

He had killed Meng Yao. Not Jin Guangyao, not Lianfang-zun. Meng Yao.

His Meng Yao.

He’d believed everyone’s slander, he’d believed A-Yao’s own words of self-reprobation, he’d believed that A-Yao—A-Yao!—could have ever meant him harm.

“But never have I ever thought about doing you harm!”

He dreams that night of floating, not quite flying. Floating over a river of blood streaming from his sword, with A-Yao’s hat bobbing in the current.

He wakes up numb. Dresses, fixes his hair with nerveless fingers. Gets a shave. Is too nervous to eat. Doesn’t hear a word Xue Yang says as they leave the inn and head down the road towards the Chang Manor.

“I’ve been thinking,” says Xue Yang. “—Zewu-jun? Are you listening?”

With a tremendous effort, Lan Xichen turns his attention towards Xue Yang.

“I’ve been wondering if you should dress in your Zewu-jun getup, or not. I figure that—”

“Yes.”

“Yes—?”

Lan Xichen doesn’t know how to explain that he wants to look presentable for A-Yao. He remembers how Xue Yang had put on his best clothes for Inquiry at the Cloud Recesses and hopes he’ll figure it out on his own.

Xue Yang smiles. “I understand. But on the off-chance something goes wrong, we don’t want it known that Zewu-jun was there.”

A surge of desperation. “I won’t wear my ribbon or give my real name. Although—you’re only getting in on the strength of Xiao Xingchen’s name, and the people after us know we’re traveling together.”

Xue Yang sighs. “I suppose they would have figured we came this way sooner or later, after tonight.”

“Is whatever you're planning absolutely necessary? If it will give us away…”

An odd look creeps over Xue Yang’s face. “It’s Chang Ping or nobody.” He turns away slightly. “Do what you want about your clothes.”

In the end, Lan Xichen puts on the best robes he brought, dressing while hidden in a copse of cypress trees up the road from the Chang Manor while Xue Yang puts on the green-and-white robes he arrived at the Cloud Recesses in.

They’re let into the manor soon after Xue Yang sends in Xiao Xingchen’s name. The grounds are dark and empty, very quiet and very still.

“Where is everyone?” Xue Yang asks the servant as they’re led through the courtyard into the discussion hall.

“The great Phoenix Mountain hunt, daozhang.”

The servant’s words pierce Lan Xichen’s numb shell. If Chang Ping isn’t here, their entire trip was for nothing—

“And, of course, Clan Leader Chang avoids Koi Tower as much as possible since that sickening miscarriage of justice,” says Xue Yang.

The servant ducks her head. Xue Yang winks at Lan Xichen.

He must have known Chang Ping would be mostly alone, thinks Lan Xichen, and he knows this should alarm him but he can’t bring himself to care.

“Please don’t tell anyone else about our visit,” Xue Yang tells the servant. “It is of a highly sensitive nature.”

“It’s just my husband and I right now, daozhang,” bows the servant. “Clan Leader Chang is not a fussy man.”

“Or a rich man,” says Xue Yang, glancing around the room after the servant hustles out. “This place was a lot nicer sixteen years ago.”

“What are you going to do to him, exactly?”

Xue Yang’s face is serene, but there’s something decidedly unquiet flickering in his eyes. “Nothing he doesn’t deserve.”

Lan Xichen winces. “Yes, but—”

Xue Yang unwinds the bandages covering his hand and rips off his glove with his teeth.

His left hand is a mass of scars, as if the original wounds that had once covered it had been badly infected at some point. The delicate bones along the back had healed all wrong, crooked and painful-looking. Worst of all is his little finger. It’s missing from the first joint, a ragged stump, looking as if—as if it had been bitten off with small weak teeth.

“He did this to you?”

Xue Yang is staring straight ahead. “I was seven.”

“Xue Yang, I’m—”

“Don’t.” He tugs his glove back on. “I don’t care about my hand anymore. But he’s the one responsible for Xiao Xingchen’s death—”

Chang Ping bustles in before Lan Xichen can ask questions. “Xiao Xingchen! I did not expect to see the daozhang again.” He makes ridiculously large gestures as he bows, sleeves flapping. He’s small and fat and, despite what the servant had said, quite fussy-looking. He has a rather unfortunate beard and mustache combination and reminds Lan Xichen of Wangji’s pet rabbits. “And—ah—Zewu-jun! What an unexpected honor!”

That’s right. Chang Ping tends to avoid Cultivation Conferences, but they’d met once before at Lotus Pier.

Chang Ping seats himself on his seat of office. His eyes dart to Lan Xichen’s face, observing the lack of forehead ribbon, but he’s too polite to ask about it. “What can your humble servant do for Zewu-jun and the esteemed daozhang?”

“Funny Clan Leader Chang should ask,” says Xue Yang, calm again. He bows low. His glove is still exposed, but he’s in full Xiao Xingchen mode, down to his posture and the way he holds his head. “There is something I need.”

Chang Ping ducks his head slightly. “Of course, my good daozhang. Anything for you.”

“Anything other than putting that crazed monster in the ground, you mean.”

Chang Ping blinks, his watery pink-rimmed eyes bulging even farther out of his head. “I beg your pardon, daozhang?”

“Xue Yang. You let him go.”

Chang Ping’s obsequious smile freezes on his face. “I beg your pardon?”

Lan Xichen senses something different in Xue Yang’s voice. It’s Xiao Xingchen’s voice—there’s not a trace of Xue Yang’s teasing, overly casual tones—but there’s a harshness to it belonging to neither Xue Yang or his usual Xiao Xingchen impression. A metallic tang, a brittle bitterness.

“You let Xue Yang go,” Xue Yang repeats. He’s slowly walking— gliding —back and forth in front of Chang Ping, a leopard stalking its prey. There’s a certain poise, a slight arch to his back, a grace to his step that Xue Yang perhaps intentionally lacks when he’s not Xiao Xingchen. “And do you know what that lowlife bastard did?”

Chang Ping licks his lips nervously. “Daozhang, you know I had no choice! My clan was in ruins; I needed the Jin Clan’s support—”

Shuanghua flies through the air, plunging deep into the chair cushion beside Chang Ping’s head. “ ‘No choice’?”

Chang Ping shrinks away from the blade. “I—I had a duty to my clan!”

“What clan? They were all dead! Wiped out by that maniac!”

“Not—not all—”

Xue Yang is up on the dais, retrieving Xiao Xingchen’s sword. At Chang Ping’s words, he grabs the clan leader by the collar and throws him down the dais’ steps, floating gracefully down after him like a flower petal on the breeze.

“Do you know what that monster did?” he repeats. His foot is on Chang Ping’s bulbous Adam’s apple. “Slaughtered my partner’s entire temple, blinded him for no reason other than his own petty revenge and amusement—”

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I had a duty to my clan—”

Xue Yang stabs down with Shuanghua, skewering Chang Ping’s hand. “You wanted to be a clan leader—” He twists the blade, tearing the wound open, separating the bones in the back of the clan leader's hand.

Tears of pain stream down Chang Ping’s face. “I had to honor my father—”

“By setting free the man who exterminated his family?” Xue Yang walks around the quivering man, trailing the bloody sword tip over the stone floor with a scraping sound that sets Lan Xichen’s teeth on edge. “Not that he deserved your honor. Your father was as much a monster as Xue Yang. Chang Cian’s entire bloodline deserves to be wiped out!”

“Please! Please don’t! I did what I thought best—”

“You did what you thought best for you.” Xue Yang crouches before Chang Ping, grabs him by the throat and jerks the cowering clan leader’s head up so he’s forced to meet his eye. “You blinded my partner,” he says in a flat, toneless voice. “I gave him my own eyes, and then I met him , and because I couldn’t see I let him stay, and it’s all your fault— everything that happened; all your fault —”

Chang Ping’s face is a mask of fear and confusion. “I—I think you might have the wrong—”

“It’s all your fault, you and your whole tainted bloodline—”

Lan Xichen slips out of the room. He knows Chang Ping must be screaming, but Xue Yang obviously learned a silencing spell while at the Cloud Recesses, because Lan Xichen feels an energy barrier springing up around the room as soon as he exits and hears nothing.

The servant from earlier is waiting nearby.

“I need writing materials,” he tells her.

Bowing, she leads him to what appears to be Chang Ping’s study.

Lan Xichen settles down before the table. “Please go tell your husband to pack your bags. Return in ten minutes for the letter. Thank you.”

“Zewu-jun?”

“I discussed it with your master. Hurry!”

She hustles out.

Lan Xichen picks up the brush and removes a folded section of paper from the carved wooden stationary box on the desk.

The letter is ready when the servant returns with her husband and a little girl, traveling packs slung over their shoulders.

“Go straight to the Cloud Recesses in Gusu. Deliver this letter to the Chief Cultivator, and the Chief Cultivator only. This letter is for Lan Qiren, and Lan Qiren only. Take this as well.” He passes them a purse full of silver pieces. “Speak to nobody along the way. Now go!”

“With all due respect, Zewu-jun, we ought to see our master first—”

“If you do not go now,” Lan Xichen says, “you will never leave this place at all.”

He doesn’t think they quite pick up on what he means, but they hurry out. He follows them, making sure they leave, waiting outside the manor as they disappear up the road leading to Yueyang.

He remains on the side of the road for a bit, breathing in the crisp night air. The stars are particularly bright tonight, the moon full. He has a sudden urge to strip off his robes, stretch out middle of the road and bathe in the starlight. Be fresh and clean and glowing when A-Yao sees him again.

His heart beats faster at the thought.

A-Yao.

For reasons he can’t explain he feels suddenly like walking down the road, walking until his legs give out, walking off the edge of the world, leaving everything in this one behind, dissipating into a cloud of starlight.

Ridiculous. Just because he let Xue Yang execute a man who thoroughly deserved it is no reason to feel—feel unworthy of A-Yao’s return.

He turns quickly and heads back into the manor.

“A-Yao. A-Yao.” He repeats the name to himself, focusing on the word’s warmth on his lips. “A-Yao. A-Yao…”

“Not if you don’t get back in here.” Xue Yang is leaning against the door to the ancestral hall, himself again. “Where did you run off to?” He’s grinning broadly, eyes bright. Too bright. Shuanghua gleams in his hand, wet with blood. “The main event is about to begin.”

* * *

Chang Ping deserved it, Lan Xichen reminds himself. Over and over. Chang Ping deserved it. Chang Ping deserved it…

The clan leader’s naked body is hanging from ropes attached to a ceiling beam, a bucket set directly beneath his feet. The body is swaying slightly, as if Xue Yang gave it a playful push before going to wait for Lan Xichen. The corpse is a mass of pulpy red and oozing pink, exposed bone and ruptured fat and flayed muscle, an inhuman horror glistening wetly in the lamplight.

Chang Ping’s eyes are missing.

“Not bad, if I do say so myself.” Xue Yang is cleaning his blade with Chang Ping’s robes. “Considering how out of practice I am.”

“Did you have to—have to—”

“Give him the full experience?” Xue Yang laughs. His laugh is a bit too high and a bit too long. “I needed that resentful energy, my friend. Do you think I enjoyed torturing the good Chang Ping?”

Lan Xichen looks at Xue Yang’s left hand.

Xue Yang wags a finger at him. “What his father did to me had nothing to do with any of this. But believe me when I say he was just as guilty.”

“His father? I thought it was Chang Ping who…” Lan Xichen remembers what Xue Yang said about Chang Ping’s involvement in Xiao Xingchen’s death. “Never mind. What do you need the resentful energy for?”

Xue Yang points to the floor beneath the swinging corpse. Drawn in blood on the floor is a large, complicated array, with a new-looking spirit-trapping pouch near the bucket. “Three guesses. Now, I’ll be back in just a minute...Have you seen that servant woman?”

“I sent the servants away.”

The grin slips from Xue Yang’s face. “You what?”

“I sent them away.”

Xue Yang is staring fixedly at a spot just behind Lan Xichen. “And why did you do that? Pang of conscience?”

“I needed someone to deliver a letter to my brother. That’s all.”

“Suicide note?”

“Suicide is forbidden—”

Xue Yang jerks a thumb at the corpse. “So is murder.”

Lan Xichen swallows hard. “I could never do that to my family, or demean the gift of life given to me.”

Xue Yang keeps staring at that invisible spot, then bursts out laughing again. “We’ll get there eventually,” he says, shaking his head.

“What do you mean?”

Xue Yang pats his arm. “Not the suicide, my friend. Don’t worry. I want you whole and healthy. I’m talking about your sticking your nose in with the servants. It was my own fault. I thought you…ah, never mind. We have time. We have time.”

Lan Xichen moves out of arm-patting range. “Time for what?”

“Time to bring back your friend, of course .” Xue Yang sheaths Xiao Xingchen’s sword in the scabbard strapped to his back. “The pouch, please.”

“You mean—”

Xue Yang is grinning again. “I told you this would be worth it.”

Lan Xichen doesn’t remember him having said that, or given him any forewarning about what he’d done to Chang Ping, but he’s too nervous to think about it.

Xue Yang takes A-Yao’s spirit-trapping pouch from him delicately, holding it with as much care as if Xiao Xingchen himself had been inside the pouch. “Your hand.”

Lan Xichen extends his hand. Xue Yang uses his needlessly large knife to prick open the now-healed little wound he’d made back at the tomb, using his blood to create a number of talismans, which he hangs on Chang Ping’s body.

Then he picks up the new spirit-trapping pouch from the floor and takes a curved, palm-sized chunk of black-and-gray metal out of his sleeve. He grips it in the same hand as the new spirit-trapping pouch and A-Yao’s pouch, black smoke pouring off the metal piece and curling around the pouches.

Lan Xichen’s eyes widen. “That’s—”

Xue Yang puts a playful finger to his lips. “We know what it is.”

“But—”

“Don’t worry. I don’t use it often enough to go the way of Wen Ruohan or Wei Wuxian. I don’t want to lose my mind any more than the next person wants me to.”

“But—”

“Do you want me to continue or not?”

Lan Xichen ducks his head and steps back.

The black smoke twines around Xue Yang’s fingers. He sends the chunk of metal at the body, drawing a rapid-fire sequence of glowing red symbols in the air, then opens the new spirit-trapping pouch.

A blast of resentful energy escapes the bag, so potent that Lan Xichen is sent flying across the room. So Xue Yang had trapped Chang Ping’s resentful energy in the new pouch—

Xue Yang reaches for the metal, releasing a second burst of dark energy so powerful that Lan Xichen loses consciousness.

He awakens almost immediately. Sits up and looks around, heart beating wildly.

Xue Yang is kneeling before Chang Ping’s body, not in an act of contrition but as if using the…the chunk of metal had taken more out of him than expected.

But Lan Xichen barely notices him. His eyes are riveted on the naked, shivering figure lying curled up inside the array.

Lan Xichen rises, trembling, and takes a few shaky steps towards the small white figure.

“…A-Yao?”

Up Next: The final chapter! Things come to a head.

Or: The night sky sure is pretty and stars are cool.

Chapter 7

#Xue Yang and Lan Xichen pay Chang Ping a friendly visit in a desperate bid to bring A-Yao back.#Or: Don’t try this at home kids #Fractured Ice #Lan Xichen #mdzsnet #xue yang #xiyao #xuexiao #the untamed #cql #mdzs

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bowsie22 · 5 years ago

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Chuyao Collection 12

Summary: There’s a misunderstanding between Chusheng and his officers.

Gossip was common in the police station, not that any of the officers called it that. Information gathering and sharing. It sounded slightly less seedy that way. Most of it was boring. This gangster is an informant, this brothel has a lady who can do something amazing with her tongue. But this morning, the gossip was slightly different. One of the newer officers had raced into the kitchen, practically vibrating. The entire team was there, bar Qiao Chusheng, so there was a large audience.

“The Inspector is seeing someone!”

Salim and Ah-Dou broke down, nearly dropping their coffee cups. The insulted look on the officer’s face as his friends laughed at him was truly the icing on the cake.

“I’m serious. I saw him last night at one of the fanciest restaurants in the city with some woman!”

That stopped the laughter. Salim pulled the officer further into the kitchen, tossing him onto the chair and kneeling in front of him. He saw the young man gulp as all eyes turned to him.

“Tell us everything.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The police were being weird. Every time Lu Yao walked into the station, he was handed a cup of his favourite tea and a cake and sent to Chusheng. Chusheng had no idea what was going on, answering Lu Yao’s questioning look with a shrug.

After a month of this, Lu Yao threw himself onto Chusheng’s couch, pouting.

“They’re still being weird Chu-ge! They keep looking at me. And I’m pretty sure they’re talking about me behind my back.”

“At least they’re being nice to you! I keep being glared at and they just fall silent whenever I walk into a room.”

Lu Yao dragged himself off the couch, moving to flop onto the older man’s lap. Grumbling, Chusheng adjusted the other’s long limbs until they were comfortable.

“Maybe they know we’re together?”

“If they knew that, why are they angry at me and sorry for you?”

“Maybe they’re sorry because I have to put up with your growly face?”

Lu Yao laughed as Chusheng pinched his thigh, pressing a kiss to the other’s cheek.

“We’re both intelligent men darling. I’m sure we’ll figure it out.”

Chusheng’s grumbling was cut off by Lu Yao’s mouth. A normal, if not enjoyable occurrence for the two.

Salim peeked the door, Ah-Dou huddled behind him.

“They’re kissing. So, they are still together!”

“But then who did Lin Zhan see Chusheng with?”

“I don’t know. We need to talk to them. Tonight. We go to their house and talk to them. Woah!”

“What? What is it?”

“A lot of skin and hands going where I don’t want to see.”

Salim stood up, trying to shake the images from his head.

“So, meet at their place, 8pm?”

Ah-Dou nodded, determined to find out what was happening. No matter what, they would protect Lu Yao.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It had been an odd day. Lu Yao left the station to the pitying looks and whispers of the officers. In order to distract himself, he cooked a four-course meal for himself and Chusheng, all the other man’s favourites dishes and his own favourite desert. Chusheng got back late, which meant they weren’t sitting down to eat until after eight pm. And then, of course, there was a knock on the door. Growling, Chusheng strode to the door, throwing it open.

“Salim? Ah-Dou? Is everything ok?”

“Yes, we just need to speak to you. Both of you. Please?”

Visibly confused, Chusheng stood aside, letting the men in. Lu Yao welcomed them, setting two extra places at the table, glad that he always cooked too much food. The four sat around the table, Salim and Ah-Dou praising Lu Yao and his skills. After that they sat in silence, Chusheng and Lu Yao confused, Salim and Ah-Dou concerned. Finally, the young officer couldn’t hold it back anymore.

“Chusheng is cheating on you!”

The man in question choked on his wine, the glass dropping to the floor. Salim glared at Ah-Dou, while Lu Yao buried his face in his hands, shoulders shaking.

“Ah-Dou, not what we agreed! Lu Yao, we’re sorry. But he’s been seen around the city with a woman on his arm. By a few different officers. Please don’t cry Lu Yao, please.”

Lu Yao raised his head, the two men realised that he was laughing. Ah-Dou frowned, very confused.

“Lu Yao?”

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. You two are so sweet, honestly, probably the sweetest men I’ve ever met.”

“San Tu.”

“Chusheng, they think you’re cheating on me. With Tong Li.”

He burst into peals of laughter, fist banging the table. Salim and Ah-Dou were very confused. Finishing his wine, Chusheng sighed, deciding to put them out of their misery.

“Tong Li is an informant. Her family is involved in the string of murders that have been happening around the city. She offered to help us out in order to get a lesser sentence.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

The silence was broken by Lu Yao’s laughter. Chusheng stood, gesturing to the front door. He led his friends out, stopping them as they left.

“Thank you. Even though I’m not cheating on San Tu, and I never would, it’s good to know that he’ll have you two there to help him if anything happens. So, thank you.”

He closed the door, leaving the two men standing outside, still shocked. Salim started to walk away.

“Let’s go Ah-Dou. We need to let the others know that Chusheng isn’t cheating on the love of his life. Which, in hindsight, we really should have known better.”

He meant it. Salim couldn’t remember the last time he had seen two people who loved each other as much as Chusheng and Lu Yao. To think that either one would hurt the other like that. They really needed to brush up their detective skills.

#chuyao #my roommate is a detective #qiao chusheng #lu yao

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marley-yao · 4 years ago

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Marli | The Beginning of Ever After

Pairing - Marley Yao & Li Shang Jr. ( @lishangjr )

Time - Beginning of winter break.

Setting - Horse riding trail/River

Summary - Marley and Li go horseback riding to spend time alone together, finally finding their way into each other’s hearts.

Marley:

Marley was excited for many things this coming break, to see Li again with nothing like school or work keeping them busy and to see her family and horses again. It always pained Marley to leave them alone when she went away for school but they were almost always the first ones she tended to whenever she came home. Eager to get some time with Li and the horses she invited him to the ranch they lived in. A brush was sitting on a stool nearby, she grabbed it and looked over at Li before she took a few steps towards him.

"I feel like I should know this, but how often have you ridden one before?" she asked as she held a hand out for him to take the brush from her.

Li:

Hanging out with Marley was always a good time, and they'd made a good effort to keep in touch even though they weren't technically in school together anymore; phone calls and Facetime and random dinners were great, but it wasn't a substitute for real one on one time. Northern Wei was his favorite place to be, and being here with his favorite person was the best bonus in the world.

He took the brush from her with a gentle smile. "Often enough. I rode more when I was younger, and you know I got busy with other things when we went to Auradon City so it's been a bit. Hopefully I'm not out of practice. Where are we taking them today?"

Marley:

Marley had been thinking about the holiday break for a long time. Especially with the talk she'd been getting from her closest friends. The advice she'd received to bring IT up. But she couldn't bring herself to do it. For a lot of reasons, one being that she didn't want to ruin any of the time they get to spend together unencumbered by daily life schedules.

"I'm sure you'll pick it back up immediately." she stood next to the horse and stroked it lightly as she gazed at the girl. "There's this trail out back behind the ranch. it leads to this beautiful river. you'll love it!"

Li:

"I sure hope so. If I don't, I'm counting on you not to leave me behind," Li teased. "That really does sound perfect. Lead the way." With that, he pulled himself onto his horse with -- thankfully -- minimal effort; he was very athletic but he hadn't done this in a while, so if he embarrassed himself in front of Marley, it would've been mortifying.

Marley:

"Oh, if you fall behind it's on you to catch up." Marley jokes as she walked over to the next stall to her horse. she pulled herself on top of it, slinging her leg to other side and holding onto the reigns and signaled to the horse to start walking out the barn, walking slowly to make sure Li was behind her. "got it?" she called behind to him.

Li:

Li started at the reigns for a moment, taking a moment to remember how to get the horse to move the way he wanted. Once he told hold of it, it was almost like second nature and he got the horse out of the stall a moment after Marley's had. "I think I'm remembering," he called to her before getting the horse to hurry up so that he could be as close to Marley's side as possible. He didn't just mean the horse stuff; being back in Northern Wei, doing fun things with Marley, the rest of the world feelings miles away... it was one of his favorite feelings in the world. "I was going to say we should race to the river but I kind of want to take my time. Is it bad to say it's times like these that I don't miss Auradon City at all?"

Marley:

"Heyyy, you got it!" She cheered on once Li was able to catch up, Marley gripped the reigns to make the horse start trotting in the direction they were headed. She chuckled a little. These little moments were always the ones she loved the most. When nothing else mattered but the two of them. "Oh my god, same!" She exclaimed as she rode steadily towards the river. "It's probably not great that I wish we could just run away together somewhere like this but then I remember that isn't really possible." her hand reached up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. "i mean, we're making do with what we can but it's just like not enough. I knew I'd miss you but this is like insane not getting to see you almost everyday." her feelings always poured out easily when talking to him. but at times the gate was so widely opened that she would almost slip up and add in the parts about how she not only wished they were just physically together but really together.

Li:

Li felt a warmth spread across his face when Marley cheered him on; any little thing he did was always, without fail, made more special when he had Marley's support. It was one of those things he'd always known but that he'd only realized was a sign that he was in love with her until recently. Now, when she spoke about running away together hypothetically and it made his heart pound harder than any workout could, Li wondered how he'd ever not known. It was nice to know that she missed him too, even if it probably wasn't in the same way. After all, nothing had happened after their Moment and he didn't want to remind her of it, in case she ended up feeling guilty about his and Summer's ending. He didn't want any bad feelings for Marley, ever. "I knew I'd miss you too but it's kind of crazy how much I do. Maybe we should run away together," Li joked, before thinking for a second and adding, "but no, too many people would miss us. It'd be easier if we just lived together." The words came out of him before he could help it and he hastened to add, "Or we could just have weekly in-person dinners and fall asleep talking on the phone more often."

Marley:

His smile. Honestly, Marley could watch him smile for ages. It sent butterflies to her stomach everytime they would have moments like these. Then she realized she probably shouldn't have been staring so long and turned her gaze ahead of her to continue down their path. "I didn't expect it to be this much either. It's not like we haven't been apart before." A light chuckle left her lips as she glanced at him, her heart skipping a beat with his string of words. running away together, moving in together. before she could dwell on it and what it means, he'd already moved on. or took it back. she couldn't really figure out which one it was, she assumed the latter. "Yeah, or that. We could totally do that and just hang out more often. It'll be nice to see you around whenever possible. So long as you you don't mind watching me looking a bit of a mess... and watching your sister dancing in the background." Marley laughed petting the horse stuff. As much as she'd hoped that their one almost kiss wouldn't be it, she was getting the impression it was. She'd tried going on a date with Anthony to move on, especially with the whole movie moment meeting, but all she could think about was Li the whole time. Still Marley didn't know if she wanted to tell him about that or not. "We're almost there!" She gleamed hearing the soft running water from a distance.

Li:

"I guess it's kind of different now," Li mused almost to himself; Marley was right, after all, they hadn't been joined at the hip their whole lives, but every time they were apart now just felt longer and sadder and worse. He was surprised Marley was feeling it too, since he knew that it had gotten worse for him upon realizing how much she meant to him, but Marley was probably just being empathetic and mind like always. "I've never seen you look a mess," Li laughed, "but I always want to see you, no matter what you look like, so that's fine by me. I just feel like I must be missing out on your life and I hate that feeling. I want to know it all." He was getting too mushy, he could feel it, but oh well. He could blame it on the gorgeous view coming up ahead of them instead of the gorgeous view riding the horse alongside him. "Wow, is that where we're going?" Li asked, amazed.

Marley:

"It is..." Marley nodded to herself, she knew why it was different to her. Because she loves him, and not in the way that all best friends love each other. She didn't know what made it feel different for him, maybe because after college and there's no guarantee of seeing each other after it. Nope, she doesn't like the idea of that at all. "You definitely have." she laughed off the compliment, shaking her head. "Well maybe, you're just immune to post work Marley." She chewed on her bottom lip, feeling a little guilty. There were things that she'd kept from him that she wouldn't usually keep from him before. She thought about saying something then before they arrived. The thought being pushed into the back of her mind. "Yeah! We're here!" She smiled widely, as she slowed the horse down to a stop by the trees. "Isn't it beautiful?" She loved it here, it was like her own private getaway.

Li:

"Or maybe any Marley is always a welcome sight," Li quipped back, willing to let it drop if she didn't want to take the compliment, though; maybe it was too intimate even, telling her how amazing she looked all the time, and he needed to chill and just be her best friend the way he used to be. But that was a hard line to walk when he'd always complimented her and always thought the world of her, even before what had happened. At least they were finally there at the bank of a gorgeous river. Li's horse slowed down too and he got off of it, eyes wide at the scenery. "I love it," he breathed, going over to Marley's horse to offer her a hand to help her down. They both knew Marley didn't need any help getting off a horse, but still, he wanted to offer just in case. Besides, finding excuses to hold her hand lately had been thrilling.

Marley:

"Thank you, Li." She could go back and forth but it was no use, he'd always win this game. Marley could feel the warmth growing in her face. She wondered if Li would be able to tell. That wouldn't be good at all. He always compliments her, it doesn't mean what she wishes it to mean. Her head turned as if to get a view of the land around them, really just giving her time to erase the growing blush on her face. "I knew you would. This place almost just... feels magical." She was relieved her blush faded away by the time he walked over to her and offered his hand. There he was again, being the prince in her life again. Her hand reached to his, grasping it firmly as she climbed off the horse. Once she hit the ground she kept her hand in his without a second thought, walking towards the stream. I'm the back of her mind she kept thinking about how to talk to him about her failed attempt at dating. But unsure of how the conversation would steer, Marley decided to wait until they'd at least gotten settled or comfortable before she brought it up. Soon, she kept telling herself. Just at the right time. "I really wish it were spring or summer right now so we could go swimming."

Li:

Magical was an appropriate word. It almost felt like Li and Marley were the only two people in the world, which was a feeling he liked more than he'd ever want to admit. He let out a small sigh of relief when she didn't let go of his hand and they could walk, hand in hand, closer to the water. They'd had some moments like this over Thanksgiving, but this was as romantic as all of their small moments combined. If there was ever a time to get over his anxieties surrounding admitting his feelings to her, it was now, wasn't it? He'd spent so long being mad at himself for almost starting his and Marley's story with a completely unromantic kiss born of cheating that it made him worry if he could ever be the guy she really wanted. But now they were here, alone; could his and Marley's potential life story have a more perfect spot than right here and right now? Soon, he told himself, holding tight onto her hand as they got to the edge of the water. "We should come back in the spring," Li suggested, taking in the stream before turning his head to look at Marley. "If you're coming back for spring break, that is. We could ride horses, go swimming. I could even make us a picnic."

Marley:

It felt perfect, to be able to hold his hand so naturally. To be out here with him, in this beautiful terrain as winter was steadfastly approaching. The perfect weather to huddle together for warmth. To gaze at your best friend and wonder how you could possibly begin to find anyone else like him. Or even think for a second she could feel anything even remotely like this with anyone else. I guess that wasn't the entire point of that date, coffee stop or whatever the proper name for it could be. It was a distraction, something to finally take her mind off the fact that the one true love she'd always dreamed of and always hoped for wasn't turning out how she thought it would. "Yeah, I'd love that. I'm not sure where else I'd be or if I'd even want to be anywhere else for that matter." She reached with her free have to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. Hopefully she didn't spend too long staring at him for him to notice. "I just can't wait for some of your mom's cookies! Hot and fresh out the oven, sipping hot chocolate while we all huddle by the fire." What she really meant was her and Li baking his special recipe for cookies, cuddling with him under a blanket, the both of them under the glow of the fireplace. "I love Valentine's day of course the most but I think Christmas is a very close second."

Li:

"You could always decide to stay in Auradon City for work," Li suggested, although he suspected they both knew that the odds of that were low. "Or sometimes people spend spring break with their friends, that's always an option. I do hope we both come home, though. You're the only friend I want to spend my breaks with. All my breaks, really," he laughed lightly. Yes, this would be a great time to say something about how he felt about her; they were in a great place, sitting by a river and talking about all the things they'd done together and all the things they wanted to do. And then she brought up Valentine's Day and he knew he had to say something. "That sounds like the perfect Christmas. Now to make sure you have the perfect Valentine's Day, too. Do you have any plans for that already?" He asked nervously, looking out onto the river instead of at Marley.

Marley:

Marley gave some thought to his suggestions. She did spend literally every break at home and Lonnie had just didn't Thanksgiving somewhere else for the first time too. She wondered if maybe there was something else that she could do with her friends. "Spring break would be fun with friends, actually. But you'd definitely have to be there too. Just like you said," she paused as she squeezed their hands together, holding it up to gesture to them. "i want to spend all my breaks with you." She let their hands fall gently back to their previous state. Her eyebrow raised when he'd brought up Valentine's day. The last one was pretty disastrous and even though she'd had a separate date earlier it's pretty hard for that to override the later events. "Plans already? Definitely not." This, this is time she can bring it up and get everything out in the open. "All I had was coffee with Anthony Tremaine before break and even though it was nice, my heart just wasn't in it..." Her eyes stayed locked on a single point in the river as she quickly said everything, only glancing back at him to try and guage his reaction.

Li:

Li felt a small lump in his throat form at the sight of Marley holding up their joined hands. He thought maybe he'd always remember the way this felt, sitting by the water and loudly declaring each other as part of their teams, forever. Even if he said something and it was too late, at least he knew for sure their friendship couldn't be ruined. It was as solid as the earth beneath them, and as longstanding as the river in front of them. "You know I come home for every break but if you want to go somewhere else, I will. If you're there, it's home," Li decided outloud, looking over at her to flash her a smile. Of course she reacted to his Valentine's Day question strangely; it was strange to ask about that already, but he knew in his heart already that he wanted their next Valentine's Day to be different than their last. Better. And even when she mentioned going on a date with Anthony Tremaine, it just gave him more hope. After all, she'd said she wasn't invested, and he hoped it was for a reason. "That's how I felt at the end of my relationship with Summer," Li admitted softly. "And um, an incident with a friend before winter break where they told me they want me." He hadn't told Marley about the fact that one of his friends had confessed feelings to him recently, so he said it quickly, his face warming. "That feeling that my heart wasn't in it. I knew it couldn't be, because it was already somewhere else." He bit his lip and looked back out onto the water, not sure how to say the next part.

Marley:

Her heart warmed whenever she had these moments with Li. A little part of her dreamed that these would be the memories they would share together in the future after they'd gotten married. It wasn't anything she's ever shared with him of course. Or any of her friends on the off chance that she would sound slightly delusional. The blush came creeping back in. "You're my home too." Simple words, but she meant every bit of it. She felt nothing but safe and happy whenever she was with him, no matter where they were. "Oh-" Marley was surprised to hear that. I mean she really shouldn't be. She knows that Li is a fantastic and amazing person and so many people have already noticed. The idea that she could've lost him to whoever the friend was just that quickly as she possibly could've had him was somewhat of a wake-up call. And now it seems that she actually might... Her hand subconsciously formed a tighter grip on his hand, prepared for the other shoe to drop. "Oh, well, whoever they are, they're the luckiest person alive." She swallowed as she fought hard to look at him. Her heart had begun pounding so hard she thought he would be able to hear it.

Li:

Li felt her hand hold his tighter, and he squeezed back. Maybe they were both bracing themselves for whatever was coming next, diving headfirst into a change, a new chapter in their lives together. "No, I'm the luckiest person alive," Li corrected, licking his suddenly dry lips as he looked at Marley for what was probably the millionth time in his life. She'd always been beautiful, had always been kind. She'd always been hopeful and patient for her love story and she deserved it, and he had to deliver. "Because I've fallen in love with my best friend. I don't think it can get much luckier than that." He held her gaze as well as he could but his gaze lowered to her lips after a second before flickering back to those eyes he knew so well to see what she could possibly be thinking right now.

Marley:

He'd fully grabbed her attention now. Although he'd always had it, she was just preparing herself for what he'd say next. The squeeze he returned to her was comforting when everything would change with what he said next. Then suddenly, it was almost like time was moving in slow motion. Somewhere inside her she could feel what was coming next and she allowed herself to feel hope. Maybe it was the way he was looking at her, like she was his everything. With the way he'd always looked at her, she always felt like they were the only two people in the world. And then all her hopes had come true. She thought her heart would explode with how fast it was beating right now. A smile forming on her lips as she shook her head in disbelief. "I'm in love with you too, Li. I-" A small nervous chuckle as she was still trying to wrap her mind around the fact that this was actually happening. "I love you." Marley repeated with her eyes trailing over his face, pausing at his lips before they stopped when they met with his eyes.

Li:

Li watched and waited, every millisecond longer than any millisecond before it had ever been, and then there it was, a smile. His favorite smile in the world. She said it back and he felt as if he could stand up, do a backflip, and fight off an entire army with only his heart powering him, but instead of doing any of that, he stayed seated in the moment with the girl he loved. "I love you too," he almost whispered. "I think maybe I always have. I'm sorry it took this long but do you think, maybe, we could finish that kiss?" His free hand had already raised to the side of her face, tracing her cheekbone lightly as he tucked her hair behind her ear again. He felt like he'd been waiting a lifetime to get to kiss Marley for real and it was almost surreal that it could happen right now, but she loved him. She loved him. That was all that mattered.

Marley:

If Marley could describe the feelings she was having, it'd be hard. A lifetime of loving her best friend although she hadn't known until recently, it didn't feel as if it'd come full circle but more like it's turning and creating a new circle. A new start for them, together. Marley felt herself slowly gravitating closer towards him before she had even realized. "I thought you'd never ask." It might've been cheesy, but it was exactly perfect for them. The hand she held in his only leaving so it could find its way to the back of his neck, her fingers lightly brushing his hair as she'd leaned into him, fully pressing her lips against his. And I'm that moment, Marley could swear fireworks had just burst and sprinkled their light across a night sky. Her best friend loved her and she felt like the luckiest girl alive.

Li:

Li felt shivers going down the back of his neck, but it didn't make him feel cold. It made him feel refreshed, with new energy that flowed through him, out of his hand, onto Marley, making them one as he leaned in for the kiss and pressed his lips against hers, finally able to savor every moment. She felt so soft in his hands and against his mouth, and she smelled so familiar; it was amazing how much this felt like coming home, like they'd done it before and like they'd do it again, maybe every day for the rest of their lives. When he pulled back, he looked dazed, as if he'd just seen his entire future. "I don't even know what to say now. I kind of just want to do that forever," he laughed.

Marley:

Marley had been lifted off her feet, floating as if she were on a cloud. That's what it felt like to finally feel this, this connection like she were in another world or universe. Not because it felt unfamiliar but because it felt just so exactly right. Like a combination of why hadn't they been doing this before and they'd been doing this together forever. Her forehead rested against his head when he pulled away, the fluttering in her chest not going away. She giggled softly at his comment. "That is definitely something that we will have to do again. And hopefully not take so long getting around to again."

Li:

"You can kiss me whenever you want," Li promised, relaxing against her head as they both rested in the aftermath of their feelings rising to the surface and meeting in the middle. "Wherever we are. You're the only one I want to do that with anyway." He thought for a moment and started laughing lightly. "How many 'I told you so's do you think we'll face when we get back?"

Marley:

"Oh, trust me, I absolutely will be." Marley couldn't help the huge smile that had glued itself to her face. she had laughed and shook her head slightly. "oh my god, so many." her hand went to search for his, lifting his hand to the middle of the both of them. "They're going to be torn between gawking over the fact we are finally together and telling us that they knew it all along."

Li:

Their hands found each other easily, speaking volumes without needing words. Li had always been the guy to say what he meant with his actions or his body instead so the fact that he and Marley felt like they were on the same vibe right now was more romantic than anything he could've imagined. "I can't blame them," he admitted with a calm smile. "I can't believe we're finally together either. So maybe let's not go back quite yet? Just be together, alone, here, for a while."

Marley:

It was like fitting the last puzzle piece in and seeing the whole beautiful picture that remains. How perfect was it with them like this together? Her heart was beating so rapidly in her chest, he always gave her butterflies like this. Almost like he was reading her mind when he'd suggested they stay here for a while more. Her head nodded, "I was hoping you'd say that. I'm not ready for us to go back yet." her hand lightly squeezed his in a loving manner.

Li:

He squeezed her hand right back, softly, to say that he heard and understood her. "Then let's take our time. After all, we're good at that," Li laughed, his heart feeling light as a feather as they sat by what felt like the edge of the earth, completely alone but also more together than they'd ever been, and this was only the beginning.

#{ para }#li

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sleepymarmot · 5 years ago

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The Untamed liveblog, eps. 22-32.5

God, that’s so many!

The opening scene is Healing

Poor Yanli D: This is hard to watch

Ooh, Meng Yao as a spy makes more sense. I was thinking about Qing or Ning and wondering since when either of them counted as Xichen's "old friend".

"Yin Iron" "Stygian Tiger Amulet" THESE ARE LITERALLY THE SAME WORD "YIN" WHY DO YOU TRANSLATE IT IN ONE CASE AND NOT THE OTHER

It's painful to watch the fear and reverence Meng Yao still holds for his father figure. The flinching, the hiding, the immediate supplication -- when was the last time he felt safe and respected, before the bullying with the Nie and having to watch and even partake in atrocities with the Wen? I hope he can finally have some good things in his life now.

"These past few days when you were in a coma, Second Young Master Lan came here every morning and evening and played his guqin for you to relax your mind and spirit. If he hadn't done that, I'm afraid you wouldn't have woken up so soon." Awwwww!!!

Ohh so now that your illegitimate son is a hero you want to acknowledge him huh!!! Motherfucker

LOVE how Xichen immediately calls him "A-Yao" while standing right between his shitty fathers

This is not the context I expected for their first duet

LWJ just took his sword in a dignified and showy gesture and left the banquet, and now I can't stop thinking of an urban fantasy where people use magic with their phones and grab them from the table in the same dramatic manner when they need to leave

MOTHERFUCKER not only uses Yao to make himself look better but does this shit to the Jiangs too. Is he that malicious, or that stupid?

Wei Wuxian to the rescue!

Love how WWX enters dramatically, helps his siblings, and leaves

"...and he has an intimate relationship with Second Young Master Lan..." excuse me?

I gotta say, as someone living in a country of ill reputation which official symbol is a two-headed eagle, every close-up on the Wen two-headed eagle as a symbol of malice has me in stitches

wait, the old Lan master is still alive? where has he been all this time?

Cheng, if you can't control your anger, maybe you shouldn't be a teacher

When will it finally occur to WWX to consult with Wen Qing, the only person in the world who knows his secret

Wow, Cheng really disappointed me. I did not expect him to be this prejudiced. Does he secretly think the same way of WWX too? If you're of even slightly lower birth, you're forever a nobody? His mother indoctrinated him well... When WWX turned to him with a surprised expression, I really thought it was to call him out on this... Btw I'm really nervous of where Yao's storyline is going -- if it'll end in "he's scheming and ignoble, what else could be expected from a bastard" I'm going to flip a table

One of advantages of a flute over a sword is that you can twirl it in your hand in casual conversation

So they're really making Guangyao evil huh :/

Unbelievable that nobody had enough decency to free the prisoners

YANLI WENT OFF

This is outrageous! Yanli should have escalated in response. You're accusing me of incest? Well I have another brother, would you accuse him too? Should I go and officially inform my brother, the leader of the clan, that clan Jin has delivered a terrible insult to the entire clan Jiang? Etc. How can one just stand quietly and take that?!

God it sucks to be Yanli and have the most dramatic and scandalous moments of your romantic life happen in front of literally everyone

Hell yeah WWX and Qing can finally talk!

Uh, have we met Su She before? And what is Guangyao's mistake? That he invited a disobedient vassal of clan Lan as if he's a representative of an independent clan?

Wise things to do when you discover your "ally" is committing war crimes: explain in detail to people in power you trust, like your relatives or friends, and form a united front with them Less wise things: run away with little explanation, leaving a whole village of corpses behind

Why can't JC just say Qing and Ning saved his life?! Surely that would hold more weight than the vague "they helped us"

I just realized who immoral advisor!Guangyao reminds me of: Weyoun. Exactly the same facial expression!

omg WWX is so good with kids

current cause of heartache: Jiang Cheng suppressing his smile when WWX is parenting a little child

really gonna kill your brother or die trying because he wants to live independently in a wasteland with a handful of refugees, huh

I truly don't understand why JC is being so stupid and selfish about this. I thought his hatred would be the result of misunderstanding or lies, but he's just being like "oh woe is me, my brother is doing the right thing and that's improper"

GIRL DO YOU WANT TO MARRY THIS NERD OR NOT MAKE UP YOUR FUCKING MIND this storyline is becoming really unbearable

"I have a child", "You're pretty but always grumpy", and other heartfelt greetings for your crush whom you accidentally met on the street while being considered a war criminal

"IF THE ZOO BANS ME FOR HOLLERING AT THE ANIMALS I WILL FACE GOD AND WALK BACKWARDS INTO HELL" is pretty much the summary of WWX's actions in the last two episodes

tbh a bit disappointed that Wei Wuxian Literally Did Nothing Wrong and his reputation was just misunderstanding or propaganda. Well, the flashback isn't over yet, he has time to do something worth throwind himself off a cliff over!

It's episode 28 and I just noticed the ending titles have inbuilt Chinese subtitles for the song. No such courtesy from the translation!

had the perfect moment to kiss when they were alone in the cave but alas, censorship

wow he really replaced Cheng with Qing as the Sibling To Bicker With

not very nice of him to use Wen Ning as a personal zombie servant!

Hilarious how Yanli "generously" brought a bowl to Ning but he has to eat while still awkwardly standing outside. this is a show about the Highest Echelons of Nobility and nobody else is invited

it's very bittersweet how they pretend nothing happened and act like a normal family again

wait, so that fight was just pretend? what? for whose benefit??

Why is Qing so upset that WWX was visited by his siblings?

god, that decoration is ENTIRELY lotus-themed

so he's going to crash his sister's wedding, make a scene, and everything goes straight to hell and leads into the endgame. correct?

there's highkey Murder in Guangyao's eyes for all that LWJ wears his face like a mask, that's even more noticeable with JGY. You can really hear the kill bill sirens going off behind his eyes in pretty much any given scene he's been running on pure self-preservation as long as he can remember himself. he doesn't know any lasting way of interacting with the world other than kissing the ass of his current boss because he has never had the chance to learn one. I don't know if he even comprehends how the others despise him for it.

oh, Guangyao is making preparations for taking over everything huh? so he's gonna use the celebration to murder someone and frame WWX? very ironic that only yesterday I wrote that Yao "has done nothing wrong ever in his life". welp. he's done SOME things wrong since then!

oh alright so the murder and framing have already been happening. when JGY looked like he poisoned that dude it was because he did

torn between "wtf happened" and "that's what happens when you're a pet class but your pet attacks the wrong target". at least now I understand why everyone hated him! oh boy, I really don't want to watch what is about to happen

poor Yanli just can't have nice things

I was afraid Qing would confess love... That would have been very unnecessary, so thank god!

this is very much not the context I expected for the "Wen siblings in the Jin residence" image in the opening sequence

Why didn't WWX turn himself in? I thought that was what he came for?

Is "cremains" a real word in the English language?!

IT'S NOT EVEN A BIG WOUND JUST CALL HER A HEALER! WANGJI CAN HEAL AND HE'S RIGHT THERE!!! alright, THAT was a big wound. just seconds after I typed the sentence above...

"Well, maybe this time it will go differently" thought I, laughing at my futile hope, as the opening scene of the show was replaying. And then, to my surprise, it WAS slightly different!

Now it's time to rewatch some moments from the first two episodes with new understanding. And then call it a day, because finally the race to find out what happened is over, and there's a perfect spot to take a break at the end of the big arc.

#the untamed #blah blah blah #whew! glad i could deal with the bulk of the show during the national holidays #starting tomorrow i'll have to Do Things

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mystres-on-air · 6 years ago

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Chinese OC clans recap

Having remembered something important, Mystrei rushes to the office to ask.

"By the way, Kurami. How many characters in Resverse who share the same surnames as the OCs in Dynasty Warriors?"

Kurami drops her paperwork and walks to the archives.

"Now that you remind me, I think it's time to make a list of the clans."

Kurami ransacks the document sanctuary and returns to her desk with several papers in hand. Mystrei, on the other hand, just watches and munches a large-size meatbun.

"Don't forget to add descriptions on the original series characters!"

"I know. Okay, now let's begin sorting!"

•

1. Li clan (莉)

Mainly known for their expertise in botany; some of them even regularly deals with toxic plants. Most of them have flora-related business. They like afternoon tea breaks and experimental concoctions.

DWOC :

Li Bao (莉宝)

Li Yin (莉隱)

Li Zhen (莉真)

Li Kui (莉煃)

Li Ren (莉仁)

Original series :

Lillian/Li Liya (莉理亞)/Li Yao (莉妖) - originally an orphan living in Italy (thus, she knows Jazrica) before being adopted by into Li clan. She later changes her name to make it simpler and more fitting to her personality. She is now a high school student and joins the Five Developers as stage designer. In the warped world created by the hijacked Closed Life Race, her weapon is a spiked chain—or as she calls it, the "Steel Braid".

Li Jian (莉薦) - Li Yao's adoptive father. He runs a flower shop in the town where they live and often gives life advices that he knows will lead Yao to a peaceful life she always wants.

2. Yi clan (憶)

Perfectionist jerks, sometimes bordering TV drama villain stereotype. They bring pressure to be the best, and more often than not have driven their mentally-weaker members (or other people) to untimely death. A few members, however, are more kind-hearted and willing to use their talents in danger zones.

DWOC :

Yi Can (憶燦)

Yi Bao (憶抱)

Yi Luo (憶落)

Original series :

Yi Jing (憶晶) - Yi Huo's older sister. An ace student throughout her life, she only follows the principles of her clan out of fear that they will hate her if she fails. When she failed herself for the first time, she branded herself a "traitor" and later was found dead from mysterious circumstances. Her parents simply threw her corpse somewhere, not wanting to bother with her as a “failure”.

Yi Huo (憶火) - Yi Jing’s younger brother who is somewhat of a manchild. He knows full well about his sister’s insecurities and, after discovering the truth that led to Jing’s death, snuck out of the household to retrieve her body and give her a proper burial. Afterwards, he fled and ended up aiding a pair of sisters in their odd jobs.

Yi Chuju (憶雏菊) - the current heiress of the clan. She is sent by her parents to help the Five Developers by becoming their experimental racer/stage tester. In the warped world, she wields a pair of crescent-shaped blades that look like chakrams or deer horn knives.

3. Mai clan (霾)

A clan full of empaths with high excitability. They are loyal and helpful, and well-trained in sports and martial arts. Nostalgia talk is always their trending topic. In the original series, most of them perished after an apocalyptic incident, leaving so far only two survivors.

DWOC :

Mai Xi (霾熙)

Original series (though they have their DW story too, albeit with similarities to their own series) :

Mai Yong (霾勇) - one of the Hostility Outbreak survivors with a mind reading/mind control ability. She wields a shield on each hand and is currently looking for her cousin, whose whereabouts is unknown. In her DW story, she is a neighbour of Sun clan and childhood friends with Ling Tong. She has the same objective after Xiahou Dun's berserker alliance attack the household : to find her cousin.

Mai Xun (霾熏) - Mai Yong's closest cousin. She also survives the Hostility Outbreak and is currently honing her martial art skill so that she can protect Yong if they are to meet again (especially because Yong's mind control ability renders her vulnerable). She wields a bladed flute and a crowbar. In her DW story, she has been missing for years and currently tags along with Xiahou Dun's alliance, knowing full well that they are victims of Hostility Outbreak and may kill her off should she be found out. Luckily, some of them (such as Xun You) possess weaker berserk level, thus enabling her to approach them.

4. Na clan (娜)

Most famous for their long-standing feud against Japan's Uzushi clan, in which they lost most of their members. But some remnants of this family have started rebuilding their lost glory. They are harsh, though not as much as Yi clan, and determined to do what they think is right, even if they have to resort to threats and underhanded tactics.

Original series :

Na Jun (娜君) - a Chinese girl who lost her family during a civil war caused by the cannibalistic Uzushi clan in an isolated island. She befriends the Bloody Nights, aspiring to become one herself. She later dons the Bloody Empress mantle and swears to kill every last one of Uzushi clan’s members in order to return home.

Na Fumai (娜福霾) - Na Jun's descendant, a young hairdresser who desperately tries to escape marriage. She fills her face with scars so that no man would want her.

5. Liu clan (流)

Closely related to Na clan and famed for their power to manipulate flowers. Its members often end up marrying people of Li clan to strengthen their own power and widen their floral control. They are also fans of fairytales.

DWOC :

Liu Lianyang (流蓮洋)

Original series :

Liu Xin (流信) - Na Jun's cousin, a rather rotund princess who never leaves her mansion. She is noted to have romanced two Bloody Nights members.

Liu Tai (流态) - Liu Xin's descendant and a minion of the Game Master. His only proof of lineage to Liu Xin is his flower-controlling technique and exquisite taste for drinks. Even so, his flower power is significantly weaker and he resorts into using another weapon. In the warped world, he wields a detachable gauntlet shield.

6. Qiang clan (蔷)

At first known only as “the fairytale clan” due to the legend of Qiangji and her Peace-Calling Sword. As her descendants from various countries start to reveal themselves, this clan is slowly rising to its former glory.

Original series :

Qiangji (蔷姬)/Qiang Xuan (蔷炫) - the aformentioned legendary princess. She sacrificed herself through a ritual performed for her goddess of peace to stop the infighting in her clan.

Qiang Ping/Pink Lonerose (蔷平) - reincarnation of Qiangji, who happens to also be her descendant. She is a member of Unwanted Life Squad with her brother, and her Crystal Accessories are green.

Qiang Zhi/Will Lonerose (蔷志) - Pink's mentally unstable elder brother. He is shown to be perturbed and jumpy, and only opens up to Pink. As a member of Unwanted Life Squad, his Crystal Accessories are white.

Qiang Meilin (蔷梅林) - one of Qiangji's descendants. She attends Serenicium Academy as the representative from Taiwan. She is nicknamed "Xiao Zhu Hua" (小朱花 / "Little Crimson Flower") due to the flower-shaped almandine garnet decorating her ring, and uses this nickname as her alias when in the Realm of Moonpowder. As Xiao Zhu Hua, her class is Mage, with her ring manifesting as her companion and weapon.

•

"I guess that's all..."

"How about some other clans like Wu (雾), Zhen (珍), Zhu (朱), or Qiu (秋)?"

"Eh, they don't have DW-based characters..."

"Yet you added Na and Qiang."

"Maybe I could consider adding those less-important clans later. Now back to work, back to work~"

With that, Kurami goes back to focus on her current work, whatever it is.

#personality drama #mystrei #kurami #oc recap #i want to write about mai yong's dw story but it's sorta mary sue so...

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jigensass · 6 years ago

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Dr Strange Punk Rave Supreme Chapters 4 & 5 - The Vishanti (Chapter 4) The Truth (Chapter 5)

Chapter 4

Applause echoed through the entire floor as eyes peeked around to get a look at Stephen. The attention brought some anxiety over him as peering eyes and looks of anticipation were glued to every movement he made.

He was not even ready for the ceremony because he either didn't practice it or it was to come naturally to him. To him, it was not an honour and something he shouldn't have been flaunting around like a peacock. His outfit was the most casual one at the ball compared to the elaborate tailoring some sorcerers arrived in.

Clea was about to come to his side but was pulled back with the crowd as a mantra grew on the floor around him and then three beings, each around seven feet tall or higher entered the room and sat on cushions that were placed in the balcony.

He had never seen those beings face to face, merely in visions that whispered about his future accomplishments. They were the gods known as the Vishanti. Ethereal, ever-present, all-knowing, the usual traits of someone so mighty. Each one had an affinity that they held dear to their morals.

To the left was a woman with long black hair that was sprinkled with feathers. A circlet made of silver and an aquamarine stone rest upon her head. Her wardrobe was a kimono that personified the look of a swan. It draped below her shoulders to expose her collarbone. The blue and white colors of the air glittered on her for it was her element that she controlled with ease. Her beauty was just an illusion, for she was the creator of worlds and held more power than anyone could imagine for being an Elder Goddess. For it was the omnipotent Oshtur, creator of the Tome of Oshtur and possibly the Book of Vishanti.

To the right, a man sat appeared as if he could lift the entire universe on his shoulders with ease. He appeared to be of an Islander race, but this was a simple fallacy to tease the eye so he could easily be identified. A cold stare on his face peered in judgement at Stephen. His outfit was that of a fighter but was orange with black stripes complimenting on his belt, weight bracelets, and edges of his uniform. Orange stripes were painted on his biceps to contrast his darkened skin. A tiger that was larger than average slept at his side, uninterested in the festivities and probably just wanting its next meal. Hoggoth the Hoary was not a force to be trifled with easily. The banes he casted were the strongest ones in the books and only skilled magicians could be able to cast them.

And in between the two of them sat one of the most elegant beings Stephen had ever laid eyes on. His long, brown hair and facial hair were just as exquisite as his silk robes that were sprinkled with butterflies. He had a shit-eating grin while he smoked a hookah. The man had an eyepatch over his right eye, giving his identity away to Stephen. It was none other than the one he focused on the most, Agamatto. The man was created from a tear of Oshtur and the very first Sorcerer Supreme, even before Yao. He smirked at Stephen knowing what trials awaited him. Whether he passed or not was up to them.

The sorcerer gulped as all eyes in the room preened at hat he would do next. Never before had he felt so naked and afraid in his life. But he held onto the moment as he was taught and walked just under the balcony, his heels echoing throughout the marble floor. Whispers and gasps were heard through the ballroom as Stephen bowed, took a deep breath, and rose with a clear mind.

"Vishanti, I, Doctor Stephen Vincent Strange have been summoned to your call to take upon the mantle of Sorcerer Supreme. My teacher, the Ancient One, has decided on his terms that I am the one who is fit to protect the Earthen realm of all mystical threats. He is but a human, but you know my outcome for the near future. If I please your ends, I will greatly provide myself for the means that you wish for me to follow." There was not a choke in his voice as he brought forth his declaration. A sense of pride rushed through him that his speech was well done. Yao taught him well to never falter and to be able to face your fears. Though he did not arrive with his pupil, he hid amongst the watchers and attended the gathering to see how far his student had come from afar as to not pressure him into perfection. It was one of Stephen's weaknesses that he had to impress everyone with a flawless performance or the execution was considered a failure. He would have to learn to understand that you cannot always shoot for one hundred percent. Because it will end up costing you greatly in the long run. Yao knew that Stephen was going to learn the hard way soon enough.

Agamatto inhaled into his hookah, smiled, and let out a small chuckle. Hoggoth scoffed as Oshtur made a fan appear that complimented her kimono, closing her eyes as if to acknowledge his presence.

"Dr Strange.....?" Agamatto chuckled again and exhaled to make smoke rings come out of his mouth. "Why do you think you are fit to fill the role of Sorcerer Supreme?"

"And not anyone else's reasons," Oshtur's voice chimed like a bell, already knowing Stephen was first going to fumble past reasons that were explained to him.

It was always a trick question. A normal human would give a 50 slide presentation on their reasoning but answers were simpler as they appeared to be. Once again, Stephen closed his eyes and appeared as if he was meditating to think of what he would say a silent minute passed (to him it felt much longer), until he firmly let out,

"I gazed into Eternity and it gazed back at me, giving me the answers I needed."

"And what answers were those?" Hoggoth scoffed and smirked. He was not as omnipotent as the other two, so he had doubts if Stephen's words were lies.

"That there are no answers except for one: I, am the answer, you are the answer, everyone in the universe is the answer."

Yao grinned from ear to ear, proud of his pupil's accomplishments to come to terms with his suffering and welcome in enlightenment. Most magic users in the room could not comprehend the meaning since the mystic arts was not their method of practice, but the monks in the room chuckled and clapped.

The Vishanti were pleased as well and unanimously nodded their heads.

"Please move back! The Vishanti will now give their blessing!" The crowd shook with anticipation. Once Stephen took the Oath of the Vishanti, he would be blessed to be granted the powers of the three as needed for as long as he remained dedicated to his practice.

The ritual began as all three members extended their hands to Stephen which began to glow as he recited the Oath that was prompted to him. The sorcerer's body surged with energy, screaming in pain of the magic fusing with his own that caused him to float off the floor, his eyes glowing neon blue. He did read it was possible that he could die, but if Oshtur knew the outcome, why would they choose him unless they had a grudge? Or if his path was supposed to end here...

Over time, the magic did settle down and Stephen returned to equilibrium as the crowd applauded and cheered for his good ending. Wong and Yao approached him, shocking Stephen of his presence.

"Miss this? No, I came separately as to not bias your views so as you felt the urge that you had to impress me,” the sage smiled wide and gave his student a hug. “your journey truly begins Stephen, for try as I might, my journey ends here. It is your turn...”

“Master, what do you mean? I may have been blessed, but you still are the Sorcerer Supreme. You are an immortal, are you hiding away in Tibet?”

Yao pulled back from their embrace and gave a look of bliss at Oshtur who simply nodded. Others in the room began to shout in fright as visions of the incoming future that was doomed to be unravelled.

“The first lesson you learned was that you cannot control the actions of others, my student. In the end, some things are meant to occur to move the flow of time. May the Vishanti watch over you.”

Walking away for the last time, the mage was in pure shock of what that meant.

It couldn’t be...

There was no way...

Stephen gulped, realizing amongst the frantic running to push Yao out of the way, he summoned the Winds of Watoomb to blow them away. The crowd was angry and tried to fight back, but the Vishanti simply watched on the spectacle. Oshtur was pleased with this outcome of how the new sage was handling the situation. The other sages began to scream at the sorcerer began to scream at the Vishanti for not intervening in Stephen’s ‘reckless behaviour’ and he was ‘unfit’ to serve as the next Sorcerer Supreme.

It was quite the opposite. As omnipotent as she was, the goddess knew she was making the right decision.

“Mother? Should we really do something? Someone else will get hurt for sure. The others are not as wise as he is and the Dark Lord’s wrath will be brutal once he finds out his niece is here as well.” Agamatto blew on his pipe while turning to her.

“No, let our disciple do his work.”

He felt time slow around Yao and himself. The clacks of his geta on the marble chimed with the seconds.

clack A cloud of smoke surrounds Yao and he smiles at Stephen

clack the flames began to surround Yao, not burning him. Stephen smiled with tears in his eyes.

clack a dark figure about seven feet tall appears behind the Ancient One and stabbed a dagger in his back, casting Shield of the Seraphim to prevent intervention.

As it was done, members of the party whispered, ‘Dormammu’ as the new Sorcerer Supreme caught his master’s body and smiled, now seeing with his third eye that this was one of many ways that he could have died tonight. It was the cleanest and least gruesome way, but for now, he had a riot to deal with.

Wong was already by his side, furious at his actions, “Why did you let him come through?! How did he know we were here?!”

Tears still stained his eyes as he looked at Wong. “He traced the party back to a specific energy pattern. One of his own. And two, it’s better than being decapitated. I had no choice, Wong. Yao was leaving this world tonight and he couldn’t get around that. That’s why the Vishanti didn’t get involved. They knew it was going to happen. As for everyone else...that’s a different story. Take Yao’s body back to Kamar-taj, meet me upstairs. Other pressing matters are at hand...”

Chapter 5

Clea stared in shock at the ordeal. How calm Stephen was and how quick her uncle did his work. How could he?! She left no traces of evidence of where she was headed! The Faltinian even had a pixie shroud her in fae dust to hide her essence even more from her family to get away!

She rubbed her neck and up behind her ear, grazing her earring. The earring her mother gave- Umar! Of course! Clea removed the trinket and upon further inspection, saw her mother gazing back at her with a smirk. She gasped, dropping it to the floor and smashing it with her heel. She had to get out off here. But where would she go? Be part of the fairy court? It seemed like her only option. But where was Marie?

Clea huffed, frustrated that she escaped out of fear and left her behind or got pulled away with the other sorcerers. So much for being almighty, if they unanimously feared one thing it was Dormammu.

Now with Yao’s body in a safe space, Stephen asked person after person about a white-haired woman with a pixie went. No one could answer, they were too frightened that they were also on the Dark Lord’s hit list.

Failure after failure, he began to lose focus until something small slammed into his stomach.

“Excuse you! I-” The being groaned while rubbing her head. “Marie! Where’s Clea!?”

“You tell me, I was going to go after her, but that hellish general snatched me, sent me through a portal, and we ended upstairs to escape, but instead we found a couple of Mindless Ones. They’re dead now.”

“That’s not the point! Can you find her?”

“I can try...I’m not the best at divination...” As she held up her hands to perform the spell, a piece of paper appeared in flames with the following message:

3rd floor, 2nd room. Look for the broken earring. You’re welcome. 735-555-4355

“Either this is a trap or someone wants to take me out by helping me.” The mage frowned at the number but regardless, followed the instructions. Lo and behold, the broken purple earring was on the floor.

“That’s Clea’s!” Marie’s eyes were wide at these findings. Stephen, on the other hand, was worried. He touched the door in confusion as to why someone would be helping them so conveniently with all the answers?

“Definitely a trap. Could you go in and scot the place or are you too big?” The door did have an old-fashioned knob where the keyhole was big enough for an insect to crawl through.

“The smallest I’ve been is two inches. Right now I’m six.” The two tilted to guesstimate the height.

“Alright, to be safe.” He nodded at the handle for her to grab it as his left hand glowed with a missile that was ready to fire. “Alright 1, 2...”

The pixie shouted the shrillest battle cry he had ever heard as she yanked the door open and Stephen charged his hand yelling, “Dormammu I’ve come to-” but their spirits were calmed when Clea was on the bed, staring at the two in confusion with the Hellish general in a nearby chair, now having wings on his back while licking his fingers, sword in hand, and two dead bodies of what looked liked to be party guests, were on the floor, covered in blood.

The dynamic duo bent down cautiously to inspect them. Both of the corpses were wearing a mask and just as he bent down to remove one, the demon stopped him by responding,

“Ah, I wouldn’t do that. Mindless Ones are so hard to kill, it was lucky you know. I ran into her just as they were dragging her into a portal. I could have been terrible and wasted her life,” Stephen scolded him for his arrogant attitude, “but since she meant something to you, I made an exception. My new adversary needs a love interest.” He smirked at Stephen as he rose, his blade now clean of the taint.

“So you want nothing in return?” He rose to face the back of the winged one, glaring at this back.

“Oh! I will get my bill paid at a later, you simply won’t expect it.” Seeing up close and sober, the man was silver-tongued as they come but just as attractive. The shit eating grin symbolizing that he had won something out of this encounter worried he had his own plans at this party.

“One more thing, that number I gave you, I change it monthly so take my opportunity soon. And ring for Mysterio Amortensis. Sometimes it goes to my king and he definitely wouldn’t like you and me to get involved.” A slight chuckle left Mysterio as he sheathed his sword and portalled away to the Hell Dimension, just as Wong was returning from Kamar-taj

“So...you gonna call him?” Marie stared at Stephen with child-like wonder. He returned the stare, raised an eyebrow, and threw the thought away. More important matters were at hand.

“First things first, we have to get Clea and everyone else out of here if they haven’t left already and if there are more Mindless Ones, we need to get rid of them.” He looked towards Wong and sighed, “Really hate to do this, but, please Wong.”

“I’m not your Uber Driver.”

“Please?! I’ll give you my Netflix password anything! Just get her back to the Sanctum!”

“She could be a spy!”

“I am not a spy!” Clea explained her escape plans from the Dark Dimension and how he was being tracked.

Wong and Stephen thought for a moment and without explaining, stripped Clea of all her jewellery and trinkets.

“HEY! THAT’S NOT! PERVERTS!”

“Even her garter?” Wong questioned.

“Anything that could be enchanted. At least scan her dress and put a ward on it.”

“I-I’ll take care of that!” Marie interjected and pull Clea to a separate room to insist her to change. The Faltianian and pixie came back out in different clothes. Clea was in a purple unitard with black stockings that had white circles on them and Marie was wearing a Tinker Bellesque dress.

“No more trinkets, enchantments, or wards?” Stephen crossed his arms and shared a concerning glance.

“None.” Marie and Clea unanimously stated.

“Alright, you two, back to the Sanctum Sanctorum,” A portal opened beside Stephen and the two girls walked in.

“Is this the right choice?” Clea wondered with sad eyes.

“For now, my home has wards that can protect you two.” Stephen returned the same sad eyes.

“Thank you, Stephen, for everything.” The portal closed and his attention turned back to Wong. “I know the Vishanti can handle their own but, we have to check... Dormammu didn’t want to just kill Yao, there’s something else going on here.”

“For once Stephen, I actually agree with you.”

A proud smile lit up the sorcerer’s face as the two of them headed back down to the ballroom to see what remained of the massacre at hand.

OH BOI PHEW DID NOT EXPECT TWO CHAPTERS BUT I DID IT!

Thanks again to @doobler for providing the idea of punk rave supreme. I just write it!

Also thanks to:

@your-dark-magic-man-mysterio

@askmarietheapprentice for letting me borrow their muses!

We’re gonna end this arc soon but where do we go from there? WHO KNOWS!?

#punk rave supreme

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theochelpsquad · 8 years ago

Text

Indigo Terzi (Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood OC)

#OhGodIReallyHopeI'mNotAnnoyingAnyone

H: You’re not, don’t worry!

Hi, I’m Fable (pseudonym, obviously). Before I get into this, I want to apologize if you’re flooded with stuff and I’m annoying you, but if you could read Indie’s profile and offer criticism, it’d be really appreciated. (Art Credit to Rinmaru Games). Firstly, yes, this is a world cross OC. I’m sorry if you don’t like those. Also, Indie is paired with Ed. I’m also sorry if you don’t like that.

H: Hi! We didn’t get your art, for some reason. In my opinion, world-cross OCs and OC/Canon pairings aren’t an automatic fail, if they’re done in a way that makes sense. For example, add some backstory to how the world cross happened, or show your OC and the canon character eventually falling in love.

E: Ok, let me tell you, it’s always okay to pair your characters with actual characters in the show, for the most part! But that depends on how close you want to stick to canon (considering the character may already have a love interest in canon). So it’s your decision.

H: Alright, under the cut, because this is a little long!

Name: Indigo Arianna Terzi

Meaning: Blue purple, prophet

Nickname(s): Indie, IAT

Alias: N/A

Age: 14/15 (changes through story)

Race: Greek

E: You might want to change Race to Nationality, and considering the fact that her name is Terzi, you should add that she’s (possibly) Italian.

Gender: Female

Date of Birth:

Birthstone:

H: I’m not sure if this was accidentally not included for some reason, but if you’re looking for a birthday that has some sort of meaning, I’d recommend a date in January (which represents doorways in change, referencing her world cross).

Birth Place: Chicago, IL, USA

Current Location: Somewhere in Amestris probably

H: If you want to add a more specific location, I added a map of Amestris below.

Goal(s): Live…? Master her alchemy

H: What type of alchemy does she have? Does she need gloves like Roy or a transmutation circle to do it? Maybe try to link her form of alchemy to her life back at home or her childhood if you can.

Like(s): Musical theatre/acting/singing/dancing, books, learning new things, comfy chair, hot chocolate, puns, playing with people’s hair, being alone with her thoughts, listening to other people talk/sing, bay windows, patterns and symmetry, logic, romance, history, studying how things work, pretty colors, pasta, dogs, children, hugs and human warmth, going shopping

Dislike(s): Being bored, people mocking people for things they like, homophobes, unprovoked violence, needles/doctors, unfamiliar people, being without her phone and bag, conflicting patterns/colors, asymmetry, complicated math, silence, loneliness

Hobbies/Habits: Hobbies: Writing, reading, singing, dancing, playing with hair, taking pictures, keeping a journal/Habits: Biting nails, twirling hair, licks lips

Flaws: Sarcastic, comes off as cold/indifferent/annoying, has little self confidence, over thinks

E: I think that you might want to add a couple more flaws, some that will make her a bit more realistic. Maybe she’s a compulsive liar, maybe she often has tunnel vision with regards to others’ feelings and emotions, maybe she has a really short temper.

H: I really like how complicated and realistic these traits make her together!

Fears: Needles/doctors, being abandoned

Personality: Comes off as very cold and emotionless, guarded until she knows someone, awkward when flustered, passionate, can act childish, self depreciating, stressed, sarcastic, tries to be humorous and relate to people, intelligent, confused (not about anything in particular, just confused), aware of the world and it’s dangers, over thinks things, often daydreaming/lost in thought, true to herself

H: To me, she sounds like a character who prefers to be self-reliant. If you want to humanize her and her relationship with other characters, you can add some problems she faces trying to express her feelings to them freely.

Status: Alive

Appearance

Skin Color: Olive

Body Build: Slight, petite

Eye Color: Indigo (hence name)

H: How does she have indigo eyes? Did she live in an AU where purple, red, and other unusual eye colors were considered normal? Did she live in regular Chicago, but her eyes looked indigo in a certain light?

E: Indigo eyes are very rare. In fact, I think it may be one of the rarest eye colors in humans. But I’m sure she could have dark blue eyes!

H: Dark blue eyes could definitely work, and they do look indigo sometimes.

EDIT-

H: Then again, some characters from FMA have unrealistic hair and eye colors, like Rose Thomas, so it’s not a big deal.

Hair Color: Dark brown

Hair Style: Down to ribs when down, but usually looks shorter because it’s in a high ponytail atop her head

Height: 5’

Weight: 88 lbs

H: Considering her age, she would normally be around 5′4″ and 105 pounds. If you want to keep your current measurements, you should consider adding a reason for them. Maybe Indigo has a sort of nutritional deficiency that stunts her growth? I know somebody who struggles with that, and they have to eat sugary things constantly to keep themselves healthy. That deficiency could make her story more interesting, as she now needs to concentrate on what she needs to eat, too, while also surviving in a different world.

Automail: None

Other: Scar under right eye from falling down stairs as a kid

E: To be honest, I think that any falling injuries that would give her a cut under her eyes would also (in most cases) damage the bone in her face around her eyes.

H: If you want to keep the scar, burns, car crashes, and bike accidents are all common childhood injuries and could all cause a scar. However, falling down the stairs could also cut her without damaging her bone structure if she landed on something sharp, like a vase.

Clothing of Choice: Black leggings, black combat boots, gray undershirt, dark green hooded jacket, brown messenger bag

Abilities

Occupation: None at the moment

Alchemic Element or Transmutation Specialty: All

State Alchemist? No

State Alchemist Name: N/A

Weapon of Choice: Preferably no weapon, but fists if needed

Fighting Style: Aikido

[Scale 1-10, 1 = lowest, 10 = highest]

Alchemy Usage: 8/10 (eventually)

Swordsman and/or Gunmanship: 2/10

Martial Arts Skill: 9/10

Defense: 8/10

Offense: 4/10

Teamwork: 6/10

H: These statistics seem to really fit her character, down to her guarded nature being translated to high defense stats! I’d try not to change these if possible.

Relationships

Parents: Helena Pallas-Terzi, Dion Terzi

Sibling(s): N/A

Other Relative(s): Petros Pallas (maternal grandfather), Elaine Galanis-Pallas (maternal grandmother), Markos Terzi (paternal grandfather), Tessa Elias-Terzi (paternal grandmother)

Love Interest(s): Edward Elric

Best Friends: Li Shan/Sean Lee, Edward Elric, Alphonse Elric

Friends: Winry Rockbell, Ling Yao/Greed, Lan Fan, May Chang/Xiao May, chimeras, Paninya

Enemy(ies): Father Cornello, Father, Pride, Lust, Envy, Wrath

Hero(es): Helena Passas-Terzi, Riza Hawkeye, Izumi Curtis

Rival(s): (Jokingly) Edward Elric, Roy Mustang

H: Though you didn’t have much room to do so here, I’d expand on her relationships and how they formed. Maybe Ed took her in when she appeared in Amestris? That would explain most of these relationships, seeing as Ed knows all of these people, but how would she know Cornello and the homunculi? Does she appear in the show’s timeline? Alternatively, does this happen after the show, but do these enemies come back? This could be a great opportunity for some incredible word building.

Quote(s): “This-this automail, this body, doesn’t define who you are.” “I don’t really do ‘healthy’ amounts of sleep when there’s work to be done.”

History/Backstory:

Indie was born in Chicago, Illinois. She is the only child of Helena and Dion Terzi, and was named after her dark blue eyes. She grew up in a cozy apartment in the city, always healthy and happy. Both of her parents were artists (Helena was a painter while Dion was a composer), and they heavily encouraged creativity in their daughter.

Indie was always drawn to creative outlets, and was frequently doodling, writing, and humming. However, she also knew that her parents wouldn’t tolerate failure (or perhaps, she realized later in life, it was her who wouldn’t accept it), and therefore did very well in school. Though she wasn’t disliked, per se, her classmates found her a bit strange, given her unusual intellect and shy tendencies.

Helena, a long time Chicago resident, knew how dangerous the city could be. She signed Indie up for aikido so that she could learn self defense. Indie was decent. She wasn’t a top-notch, best in the country student, but she knew enough to the point that she could defend herself without harming her attacker.

While in elementary school, Indie’s nose was always buried in a book or notebook. She was fascinated by higher level education and entertained herself by doing things like memorizing the periodic table. It wasn’t because she wanted to show off. She simply enjoyed memorizing and trying out new things. She didn’t know that it would annoy her classmates to the point where they would tease her viciously, picking away at her insecurities. The teasing eventually got so bad that Indie would claim to be sick to get out of school. This happened so often that Dion took Indie to the doctor, who said nothing was wrong.

E: Does she have another mental illness? Some illnesses can give people a wider memory and an aptitude with higher level thinking. (What was described seems a bit unnatural for a neurotypical person of that age.)

As a result, Helena and Dion became worried and took Indie to a psychologist, who diagnosed her with social anxiety and depression. Indie was put on medication and moved schools to a private school for her middle school and high school years.

It was here that Indie flourished. She was still quiet, but, with encouragement from Dion, tried out for the musical in sixth grade, and, to her surprise, was cast. It was a small chorus role, but a role nonetheless. And thus Indie’s passion was discovered. Musical theatre became a second home for Indie, and she came out of her shell when she went onstage. She gained self-confidence as she moved up the ranks of the cast. She became very close to a stage manager named Sean Lee (birth name Li Shan), but no, they do not date, they’re just close friends.

Overall, Indie’s life was looking up. And then she saw that damn red stone.

Trivia/Fun Facts:

Indie’s blue eyes were inherited from her maternal grandfather, Petros

Indie’s father, Dion, came from Greece to Chicago to study, where he met Helena. His parents still remain in Greece and visit every few years

Her first leading role was Elphaba in Wicked

Lola played Glinda

Indie’s favorite color is actually purple

The reason Indie was able to pass through the Gate and not give up any limbs or her voice is that she had a necklace containing a Philosopher’s Stone that her grandmother had sent from Greece for her 14th birthday

H: I think this is a really important fact that should be expanded upon. Did her grandmother know about the stone or did she not know about its power? How did she come across it?

Indie is allergic to bee stings

Helena and Dion actually were going to have a child before Indie, but Helena suffered a miscarriage, meaning that Indie was a miracle and a blessing to both of them

Indie practically generates warmth, and is often hugged by Sean, who is perpetually cold

Indie’s favorite book (besides Fullmetal Alchemist) is Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

H: Unless I’m reading into this wrong, Indigo comes from a world that knows about FMA into the actual FMA universe. Does this mean that FMA was based off of a real story/universe? Or did someone create an alternate universe based on the FMA story? To keep your story from getting too complicated, I wouldn’t make FMA exist as a story in her universe, but Indigo isn’t my OC, after all!

E: (THE GOBLET OF FIRE WAS BETTER INDIE CAN MEET ME IN THE PIT!!!!)

Indie’s fear of needles came from when she was about 6 and was given an antibiotic for an infection. The antibiotic had a side effect of delirium, and, when the doctors came to draw blood, Indie saw nothing but the needles and though she was going to be stabbed

The total number of notebooks that Indie has filled with stories, notes, personal poems and songs, or choreography throughout her life is around 25-30

Indie loves games involving memorization, like Memory and recreating sequences

Indie’s brown messenger bag is like a safety blanket, and she never leaves anywhere without it

It was a gift from her parents for Christmas when she was 11

H: I really like these small tidbits, even if they don’t contribute to her story! They make Indigo seem very real and imperfect.

Template by germanshepardluv426 on Deviantart

E: You write really well! Keep up the good work! I love your character. She’s very fleshed-out and realistic (to the point where I think she’s based off of someone real!) and with any free time you have, I think it’d be ideal that you pursue her story!

Also, on an ending note, you can also have fun bending canon if you want! Sure, Winry might end up with Edward at the end, but if you want her to fall in love with Paninya (for whatever reason,,, ;O ) you can!

But with OCs, usually the problem lies in the power that you give them. Remember, even though the content is free for examination and recreation, if you want a realistic (ha ha, realistic, it’s anime, but you get what I mean) character, you need to make sure you don’t give them a god-like ability and a perfect life. Mistakes happen. One day, in a tragic accident, a character might lose a leg halfway through the story.

(That’s confusingly worded, but to put it in simpler terms, every character messes up. Also, to keep the story realistic, not every character has to emerge in one piece.)

H: Overall, I also really liked Indigo. I feel that she’s very realistic, and I don’t see many things you could change with her character that would improve her. The worldbuilding can be explored a little, but I think you’ve already created an interesting beginning that could make an awesome story. There’s a lot of great potential in this, and I encourage you to keep working on it!

#oc #ochelp #submission #ocreview #block text tw #long post tw #oc review #oc help

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trendingnewsb · 8 years ago

Text

Ipoh: A cultural and culinary guide to Malaysia’s rising tourism star

(CNN)Sometime after the tin slump of the 1980s, Ipoh earned a reputation for being a retirement destination, or just a pit stop on the way to Penang.

“Before, there wasn’t one place where people gathered,” says Julie Song of Burps & Giggles, a cafe that’s contributed to the city’s new face.

“Now, everyone who comes makes Old Town their first stop.”

But the capital of Malaysia’s Perak state has always possessed the qualities that make places like Penang so compelling to travelers: a rich architectural, cultural and culinary heritage — but without the crowds. (Though weekends are a different story.)

And that’s not all. Surrounded by Paleozoic limestone hulks, Ipoh is also a gateway to the area’s beautiful caves and hot springs.

Here are some suggestions on things to do in Ipoh, as well as some dining and hotel recommendations.

TO SEE

Kong Heng Square

A few years ago, landscape architect Ng Seksan and his friends took over this block, breathing new life into Old Town.

“We wanted to keep the old tenants, such as the Kong Heng kopitiam and the Indian barber,” Ng says.

Today, these establishments exist alongside chic cafes, boutique hotels and fashion and craft stalls.

“It’s the greenest urban block in Ipoh,” says Law Siak Hong of the Perak Heritage Society.

Trees are left to grow over and inside buildings, creepers tumble over rooftops and flaking walls.

Yasmin at Kong Heng Museum (open weekends only) showcases the films of the late Malaysian director Yasmin Ahmad, known for her moving explorations of race.

Flanked by a colorful crew of restaurants and shops, “Concubine Lane” is so nicknamed because the late tin tycoon Yau Tet Shin reportedly kept his second wife here.

A living architectural museum

Many buildings from the colonial era, spanning a range of styles from the Gothic to the Modern, still stand.

Among the most visible are the century-old Railway Station, designed in the British Raj style, and the stately old Town Hall across the road.

For quaint shophouses, just walk around Old Town.

Highlights include the Sinhalese Bar, founded in 1931, with its cowboy-style swing doors. It’s a great place to enjoy a beer before carrying on.

There are murals by Ernest Zacharevic — the Lithuanian artist often credited with making street art trendy in Malaysian cities — and local artists like Eric Lai.

Trail maps are available at the local Ipoh tourism office.

“The Vale of Tin and Sin”

Ipoh lies at the heart of Kinta Valley, once the world’s richest tin-producing field.

It attracted a vibrant mix of Malay, Chinese, Indian and European fortune seekers, growing from a river village into one of British Malaya’s richest towns.

To learn about the history of tin and how miners lived when they weren’t working, visitors can book themselves in to visit Han Chin Pet Soo.

The museum was previously home to the Hakka Tin Miners’ Club, founded in 1893, which in its early days was open only to men — a place to socialize, smoke opium and gamble — though exceptions were made for “dancing girls.”

Out around Kinta Valley are former tin-mining towns and other historical attractions to explore.

A guided tour may include Papan, Batu Gajah, Gopeng, the Tanjung Tualang tin dredge and Kellie’s Castle.

K. Rajasegaran (+60 12 524 2357) and V. Kuppusamy (+60 12 508 6429) offer custom tours around Ipoh and Perak.

Law Siak Hong (+60 17 506 1875) of the Perak Heritage Society occasionally leads tours.

Masters of tradition

Tan Khar Mee (Kin Teck, 4 Tingkat Pasar; +60 12 455 3242), 73, has been making lion dance heads for more than four decades.

He also worked on the set of the 1999 film “Anna and the King,” and is open to teaching visitors the craft.

Teh Wing Liang (Zhong Shen Trading, 59 Jalan Bunga Saroja, Pasir Pinji; +60 12 452 3287), 42, has been making lion heads since he was 15 and says his style is more modern.

“I paint each one differently from the next. I make it up as I go along,” he says.

To see how Ipoh’s famous heong peng biscuits are baked — in concrete well-shaped ovens, fueled by coconut husks — it’s best to visit the house at 362 Jalan Gunung Rapat in the morning.

Yao Cai Yu at the Central Market (Jalan Dato’ Onn Jaafar) makes wooden clogs, and Lau Chee Wah (Lau Hooi Kee, 15 Lorong Bijih Timah) makes traditional bamboo blinds.

John Lee of Ipoh Secrets offers custom tours that help break through the language barrier

Up close with limestone hulks

When the Chinese came to Kinta Valley, they built temples in limestone caves.

Perak Tong, dating from the 1920s, has one of the most beautiful interiors, filled with colorful murals of deities. There’s also a hilltop pavilion with city views, though visitors will need to climb more than 400 steps to reach it.

Sam Poh Tong, apparently discovered by a monk in the 1890s, is a little dilapidated, but its gardens have an enchanting, wild quality. It’s got faded terraces, a tortoise pond and a striking red temple out back.

Tambun Cave has prehistoric paintings of men and animals, plus abstract shapes found on its cliff face.

The Gua Tambun Heritage Awareness Project runs tours on the first Saturday of each month.

TO EAT

This list focuses on Ipoh’s specialties rather than the usual Malaysian staples.

For Western food, there’s Kong Heng Square or the string of bars and pubs on Jalan Lau Ek Ching.

Most hawkers open in the early mornings and shut after lunch, or as long as stocks last.

Malaysians tend to have heavy breakfasts, so go early. Some hawkers also take irregular days off.

White coffee and toast

First, a quick run-down of the white coffee varieties.

“Pak kopi” comes with condensed milk and evaporated milk. “Pak kopi C” with evaporated milk and sugar.

“C kosong” with evaporated milk and no sugar. “O” with sugar and no milk. And add “peng” to the end if you want it iced.

The coffee beans are roasted with margarine, without sugar, giving the coffee a lighter color.

For a light breakfast, it’s paired with margarine toast topped with half-boiled eggs.

Sin Yoong Loong (15A Jalan Bandar Timah/Leech St), founded in the 1930s, is among the most popular places to find this local treat.

Chang Jiang (7 Jalan Windsor), a modern cafe that traces its origins to a 1970s kopitiam, serves equally good white coffee.

Nga choy kay

Reputed to be Ipoh’s quintessential dish, nga choy kay means “beansprout chicken”, but usually refers to three dishes — kway teow (flat rice noodles) soup, poached chicken and peppery beansprouts.

You can order for one, but they’ll still be served separately.

Ipoh’s bean sprouts are said to be crunchier and juicier because, it’s believed, the surrounding limestone hills give the water a special quality.

Lou Wong (Jalan Bandar Timah/Leech Street) is most popular with tourists, but the local favorite is arguably Cowan Street Ayam Tauge & Koitiau (44 Jalan Raja Ekram; +60 12 520 3322), which also does delicious braised chicken feet.

It’s reputed to have irregular opening hours, but Thursday to Sunday evenings seem a safe bet.

Kai see hor fun

Kai see hor fun is also a kway teow soup, but the difference is in the prawns. The broth has an orange sheen made by boiling chicken bones with prawn shells.

And everything comes in one bowl — topped with poached chicken slices, prawns, beansprouts and spring onions.

Thean Chun’s version (73 Jalan Bandar Timah/Leech Street) is one of the best.

Restoran Moon De Moon (148 Hala Wah Keong, Simee) — closed on Mondays and Tuesdays — is also touted for its kai see hor fun, as well as curry mee, a spicy noodle dish.

Curry mee

People flock to Xin Quan Fang (174 Jalan Sultan Iskandar) for Ipoh curry mee, which tends to have less milk in it. There’s also a dry curry version.

“My grandfather’s recipe includes Indian spices, like star anise,” says owner Kok Wai Bing.

We recommend ordering the curry mee soup with your noodle of choice, and a mixed bowl of roast and barbecue pork, prawns, chicken and beansprouts.

Don’t forget their special gravy, reportedly a mixture of curry oil, garlic, pork lard and lime.

Hakka mee

Paris Restaurant (164 Jalan Sultan Iskandar/Hugh Low Street) has moved into its third generation of cooks.

It specializes in perfectly springy, flat egg noodles, topped with bean sprouts and minced meat caramelized with soy sauce and fish sauce, with an accompaniment of chilli and garlic-ginger sauce.

It’s also possible to order it with a bowl of soup with meatballs and fishballs.

On weekends, it’s best to arrive well before 11 a.m. They sell out fast.

“Nasi Ganja”

Contrary to the name, there are no suspicious substances in this rice dish. It’s just really good.

The nickname has become inextricably linked to the Nasi Kandar Ayam Merah stall at the Yong Suan kopitiam (2 Jalan Yang Kalsom), founded in the 1950s.

Ask for the usual — biasa — and you’ll get a plate of fluffy steamed rice served with their specialty ayam merah (a red-hued fried chicken), okra, salted egg, cucumber and a generous dollop of chilli and curry sauce.

Sar kok liew

This is a patty of yam bean and fish paste, rolled up in a bean curd sheet, and deep fried.

It’s Ipoh’s signature variation of yong liew — vegetables stuffed with fish or pork paste, which also come boiled.

If you like yours crispy, go to Dai Shu Geok (“Big Tree Foot”, Jalan King, Pasir Pinji) and have it with a bowl of assam laksa.

Otherwise, Ipoh Echo food columnist SeeFoon Chan-Koppen recommends Kwong Hong (684 Jalan Besar Gunung Rapat): “It has many varieties of green vegetables, and the dipping sauce is yummy.”

Yu kong hor with boiled octopus

Tuck Kee (61 Jalan Yau Tet Shin) only opens in the evenings.

Recommended is the wat tan hor — kway teow immersed in a creamy egg gravy, peppered with pork slices, prawns, vegetables and lard fritters — or yu kong hor, the dry version topped with a raw egg and then stirred in.

Either way, it isn’t complete without the boiled octopus doused in garlic oil and soy sauce.

Kaya puff

Sin Eng Heong (4 Jalan Mustapha Al-Bakry) is synonymous with Ipoh’s famous kaya puff — filled with a jam made with coconut milk and egg — and on weekends you’ll see a long line outside the bakery all day.

However, the founder’s son has opened his own shop, Sin Eng Hoe (50 Jalan Yau Tet Shin), nearby and assures that he uses the same recipe.

Tau fu fa

This is a dessert made of soybean curd, usually slurped hot and traditionally sweetened with ginger sugar syrup.

Funny Mountain (49 Jalan Theatre) is the name on everyone’s lips, but Woong Kee (32-38A Jalan Ali Pitchay) is also a firm favorite.

WHERE TO STAY

Banjaran Hotsprings Retreat

This is the place to come for a luxurious communion with nature amid limestone hills — yet it’s just a 15-minute drive from the city.

Each villa has its own plunge pool with water piped in from the hot springs, and there are four communal garden pods.

Non-guests can pay to use the facilities.

They include a pool, a steam and sauna cave, and an air-conditioned cave to relax in. It’s also possible to dine in the cave cellar, which has an extensive wine collection.

A short walking trail leads directly to the Lost World of Tambun theme park.

Banjaran Hotsprings Retreat, 1 Persiaran Lagun Sunway 3, Tambun; +60 5 210 7777

Bedrock Hotel

This new boutique hotel is styled with a mix of contemporary Chinese and Western details.

“We have the best beds and the best rocks,” Debbie Ng says.

The beds are imported, and her family members are ardent rock collectors. Their finds are displayed around the hotel, and even in the rooms.

Each room has a Nespresso coffee machine, with complimentary pods.

Bedrock Hotel, 13 Jalan Che Tak, New Town; +60 5 241 3031

Sekeping Kong Heng

One of Ng Seksan’s Sekeping collection of properties dotted around Malaysia, this hotel creates the illusion of a “retreat” in the middle of all the action.

The main quarter is located above the Kong Heng kopitiam in what was once a hostel patronized by Chinese opera troupes.

Much of the original building remains, mixed with open brick and reclaimed wood, wire fencing for bed bases and concrete sheets for walls — melding the industrial and natural without compromising on style.

There are more rooms in an annexe next door and above the Container Hotel, as well as a pool and a rooftop hangout.

Sekeping Kong Heng, 75 Jalan Bandar Timah (Leech Street), Old Town; +60 12 227 2745

Sarang Paloh

This boutique guesthouse resides within a former Art Deco-style bank building that dates back to the 1930s.

Sarang means nest, and each room is named after a different bird found in Malaysia.

The interiors are mostly furnished in wood and accented with antiques, mixed with modern details and amenities.

All 11 rooms are air-conditioned with en-suite bathrooms.

There’s a common dining area cast in natural light and shadow, and a serene courtyard on the second floor.

Sarang Paloh, 16 Jalan Sultan Iskandar (Hugh Low Street), Old Town; +60 5 241 3926

27 Concubine Lane

This homestay in a restored 1908 shophouse is owned by a Malaysian-British couple.

It retains many original features, with other parts — windows, floorboards, latticework — sourced from a salvage yard.

“It’s not the Hilton. People come here for the heritage,” says John Lomax.

There are three private doubles with air conditioning, and an open loft with six beds. Bathrooms are shared.

Amid the bustle Concubine Lane, it still manages to feel like a little hideaway.

27 Concubine Lane, Old Town; +60 12 221 3202