#cultivators can heal from whatever anyway

[llycaons]

Steadying him with one hand on his arm, Lan Wangji swiftly removed the arrow with the other.

JUST RIPPED IT OUT???

[afsosville]

I don’t know what it is about the whole ‘an older version of Shen Jiu takes care of his younger self’ idea, but I’m hooked. I have only seen it in one fic so far, but still! (A competent villain by IrisEverGreen) What happens in it is, SV! Shen Jiu, after being subjected to seeing Shen Yuan’s life and the original PIDW timeline (because, System), gets transmigrated into the PIDW timeline as himself during his peak lord days. Smt smt, Xin Mo turns back time bc Luo fucking Bingge was abt to destroy the world and everyone in it, and Xin Mo wanted to save itself so here we are. PIDW! Shen Jiu gets reverted back into the form of an infant because Shen Jiu took over his body. So cue SV! Shen Jiu getting revenge on everyone who wronged PIDW! Shen Jiu while raising him bc fuck tryna forgive and forget, or ‘starting over’ or whatever bullshit the System was trying to get him to do, he still has bones to pick. Baby Shen doesn’t have any recollection of his past life coz thank the gods. He doesn’t need to remember shit.

Anyway! What if, after Shen Jiu dies in PIDW, he is unable to reincarnate because of all the resentment he has accumulated in his lifetime. So, as a wondering ghost, he tries whatever demonic spells/rituals he knows to try and extricate the resentment from his soul so he can be reborn again. And it works! Kind of. Shen Jiu is reborn, and without any memories whatsoever, but that resentment has to go somewhere. And so it manifests itself into a physical form completely independent from Little Shen. And if that manifestation just so happens to be a ghost king, no one has to know but him. So now you have Calamity! Shen Jiu who doesn’t know what to do with himself except follow Little Shen around and to make sure he gets the life he deserves. Little Shen doesn’t know why this ghost gege, who looks like he could be his older brother, is so attached to him. But at least he can fight bad guys, and he always brings him food! Little Shen will keep him around for now!

Calamity! Shen Jiu, however, does remember everything. He kind of acts like a split soul shard because he is still a part of Little Shen, although he has cultivated his own form. He is an entirely separate being at this point. The only reason Calamity! Shen Jiu hasn’t destroyed the world right after it reset to pre-merging-of-the-realms, is because of Little Shen’s existence. Even though he’s an extremely dangerous ghost king that far surpasses Luo Bingge in strength, this kid is the only thing stopping him from going off the rails. Calamity! Shen Jiu just wanted a life where he was safe and happy. So if Little Shen gets that life, then Calamity! Shen Jiu also heals in turn.

The other PIDW characters also get reborn. The peak lords and Luo Bingge still have a grudge against Shen Jiu and try to take it out on Little Shen. You can guess the turnout of that whole scene. If there’s anything you’ve learned from TGCF, it’s that you do not want to be the target of one enraged ghost king and one that hates you down to the marrow at that.

Just imagine Wen Ning playing around with A-Yuan and A-Yuan just laughing and being absolute sunshine while Wen Ning is also smiling oh so subtly. That’s the kind of wholesome shit I'm going for with this.

[astro-royale]

How to “make it” when you live in a toxic environment

‼️Disclaimer: This is my personal opinion based on what has helped me and is by no means professional advice. Please take what resonates according to your situation.

1. Drop your expectations. People who have shown you consistently that they don’t care will not change.You need to preserve as much energy as you can for yourself and your goals. Stop setting yourself up for disappointment. Yes, it’s sad. Do the shadow work and don’t tell people things YOU KNOW they will react negatively to.

2. Don’t expect people to be happy for you or support you. Move in silence. People’s subconscious fears will be projected onto you and your goals, why do you need those curses placed upon you when you have so much to deal with anyway.

3. Take what you can get. Accept whatever help you can receive that you know will have no repercussions. Sometimes people can help you with some things and not others.

4. Shift all your efforts towards being able to leave that environment. Do research on how you can expand your finances, and that may mean doing something out of your comfort zone such as creating a social media platform etc. Never compromise on your well being however.

5. You need to believe in yourself as much as you can, even if people won’t.

6. Take advantage of the free help and advice on the internet. Can’t afford something? Well you have time more than money at the moment so use it to research. That research can be used as an asset to help you now and maybe later it can be the reason you start a particular business or are inspired to help people.

7. BE SOLUTION ORIENTED. focusing on problems only creates more problems. You’re going to have to try over and over again in life. Focusing on what’s wrong all the time will not allow you to step outside of the box and see things from a detached point of view where you can actually see a solution.

8. Prayer. I cannot stress this enough. Prayer has caused miracles in my life. Rely on God/Universe whatever you resonate with as much as you can. Your connection to yourself and your higher power is something you always have access to and if you believe and have faith even in times of darkness your high vibration will cause the ripple effect you’re looking for and problems will be solved. I recommend praying and setting up an intention every morning and night.

9. Even if you’re in survival mode 90% of the time. That 10% you spend meditating and praying. Even a little 10 minute meditation, if you can do it and have that time to be in complete surrender and serenity it will still make a difference. It’s not about how much time is spent on something but rather the quality of that. Allow that 10 minutes to be sacred, profound.

10. Ask for all the help you can get from where you know you can. you may get turned down, life is about risks. But always keep going.

11. Create time if you don’t have it. Give something up in order to gain something else. You may need to compromise on something for the time being to be able to create a prominent change/shift in your life. But make sure it is something that won’t affect your health and well being. Example; less time watching tv, more time spent on cultivating faith

12. Be very consistent in your efforts. Consistency towards something is what creates that energetic momentum which will eventually lead to a manifestation.

13. Daily affirmations and listening to affirmations when you sleep is also a great method to reprogram your subconscious and set you up for success. Again, so many free resources out there you can use, you just have to consciously use your will power and pray to receive the strength you need so you can push through.

I’ve linked my energy healing playlist as well as another energy clearing I listen to. I will also be posting more energy healings , always listen with the intention to receive. You don’t even need to pay attention when listening to those.

The meditation I linked says “love meditation” but I’ve used it to manifest other things and I’ve received answer to my prayers immediately.

I hope this helps and I’m sending much love to everyone needing this.

[cozzzynook]

During the war both Soundwave and Rodimus are sent to negotiate with another planet for supplies. While there they get to spend time together.

When Rodimus comes back. He has trouble sleeping because he got so used to sleeping with Soundwave.

His spark also feels weird. He's been throwing up in the morning and craving different fuel.

- Soundwave is the first to break actually. He sees Rodimus dancing with the natives of the planet and gets full view of his smile and the sway of his hips and the sound of his laughter and he can’t help but crave him.

- for Rodimus it was Soundwaves presence that made him feel safe and at home. Rodimus didn’t give a second thought to letting Soundwave curl an arm around his waist or pull him in to hold him from behind to dance or simply stand together.

- for the both of them something had clicked a long time ago but now on another planet they can act upon it.

- for Soundwave it was seeing Rodimus dance and smile

- for Rodimus its feeling Soundwave touch along his frame and feeling his em field

- they both have a long series of interfacing that makes them stay much longer than necessary

- the two accidentally spark bond but can’t find it in them to regret it

- they stay an extra few days and plan how they can meet and use their positions to see each other often

- it wouldn’t be as hard as one thinks since they both know cross faction conjunx and relationships are a dime a dozen

- they leave the planet with heavy sparks and Rodimus feeling worse for wear because he just really can’t stand the thought of not being by Soundwave.

- he hides it as much as he can and once back on the planet he’s gifted a scented blanket from soundwave with a note he manages to decipher.

- they meet a few weeks later and Soundwave notes Rodimus turning down engenx to which Rodimus tells him his tanks have been sensitive but not to worry

- soundwave worries anyway

Which ends up justified because a month later Rodimus rejects meeting up with him

Soundwave does not take that well and goes to Rodimus himself sneaking into his hab and scanning the mech who was curled up asleep with a trash bucket next to his helm on the floor and an odd mix of energon that looks like a nightmare.

- soundwave stays beside Rodimus until morning where said mech tries to ask what he’s doing here but purges instead.

- soundwave scans him finding nothing and he knows thats wrong so he has Rodimus lay on his back to check his spark when he’s stopped.

“Don’t,” Rodimus sounds weak and it worries Soundwave but right now he needs to find out whats wrong with his conjunx who won’t let him.

“Help: refused. Why.”

“I know whats wrong…”

Rodimus won’t look him in the optic and Soundwave doesn’t like this.

If Rodimus is dying he will find a way to stop it.

He won’t lose his conjunx.

He refuses.

“Secrets: none.”

And he’s happy Rodimus feels guilt over it, if it’ll allow him to help heal his spark so be it.

He thinks he’s ready to handle whatever it is Rodimus throws his way but he is not.

“I’m sparked,” and to add salt to the sudden gaping wound, he opens his chamber to show the tiny wisp within it. The energy line thats connected to his tanks for their sparkling to travel into and develop.

Rodimus’s frame is currently worked and tired because its using energy to cultivate and secure their sparkling.

…a sparkling.

Rodimus is growing and housing a sparkling…

His sparkling…

Rodimus was not prepared for Soundwave to sit there and short circuit but he was glad the mech was on the berth where he could lay him down instead of standing up where he could fall.

Rodimus figures he took the news well since he didn’t…oh no.. nevermind.

“At least you didn’t hit your helm hard on the pillow,” Rodimus soothes as Soundwaves clings a servo to his tanks that haven’t grown yet, “you did pretty good. I just cried a lot.”

“Cease: patronizing.”

Soundwave was not expecting Rodimus to get an attitude and walk away and he was definitely not expecting the mech to get emotional.

‘…years: will be long for this carrying,’ he vented.

[achillesuwu]

Bringing back that thing I wrote like, 2 years ago in a forgotten small thread "fic" because I want to :

What if

What if

Instead of the "one person transmigrate in an AU" /every/ cultivators of the main sects (post sun-shot they think wwx is dead) get transmigrated in a world were YLLZ is very much alive and a powerful sect leader that's ~400 years old or something.

Like at first most don't see anything wrong, I mean, why would they?

Except that there is some weird thing. Some reports that don't make any sens. Some people that aren't simply there. Some scars that suddenly totally healed.

But above all, some people that shouldn't be alive are very much alive and confuse

However, none of them could be as confuse as the servants that work in those sect.

What do you mean you don't remember me? I work here since I'm 6 and I have been your personal servant for forty years !?????

What do you mean you never heard of that sect!? They are your allies!🙄

But most of all : how the heck did you forget about the YLLZ!?!? THE YLLZ? It doesn't matter. HE GOING TO COME AT THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE MASTER YOU BETTER GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER, BE CAREFUL AND /NOT/ CALL HIM WEN DOG!

Every servants at the moment : Those rich cultivators 🙄🙄 They are down right suicidale on a regular basis and now they are amnesiac! Great!! Fuck my life!!!!!

Anyway, cut scene to this annual conference where everyone is very awkward.

Everyone thinks that they are the only one that transmigrated or that only their clan did

The Jin are very much angry because all their job to kick yllz out of the living had gone to waste AND they aren't the biggest sect anymore.

Meanwhile, the Jiang are really awkward because JFM and YZY don't really understand why their kid are so weird??? (they didn't transmigrated but JYL did because I say so and same for her not-yet-husband (which weirded out even more the servant when the sect heir ran crying towards the ex he hates)

The lan are... Weirder than usual.... it's well know that the sect leader is very gloomy since his ex-wife left him for a YillingWei female disciple (not even a high ranked one but she is still under the YLLZ protection so...) & that he doesn't have a good relationship with his sons but still. It wasn't like... that.

LQR is looking like he is 10 years older and ready to kill anyone that talk about demonic cultivation. (don't ask why to any servant there, they don't know! He literally taught about it last months without any issue!!). He doesn't even look at the sect leader in the eyes either!

The first jade isn't looking at the second jade and they seems distant (!?) and he is completely ignoring the sect leader. Meanwhile the second jade doesn't seem to be able to sit still (!?!?). The more their second young master looks at the door the angrier the second master and his eldest nephew seem to be.

Truly, truly from every corner it's just awkward from everywhere. The servant truly don't understand 😩 that conference is THE event of the year!!!

The event that everyone expect, that everyone prepared carefully from the clothing of the lowest servant to the rings on the finger of the leader everything is carefully chosen to impress the Yilling loazu!! Nothing should be awkward like that, everyone should be thrilled!

They should be ready to make new alliance and secure their trade! Not doing... Whatever they are doing!!!

The servants can only wait and hope that YLLZ will not mind it 😩 it's already so difficult to make him come to this conference once every 5 years!!!! Some of us are aiming to get a demonic scholarship, venerable (dumbass) cultivators !!!!

[digitaldoeslmk]

By The Book AU Timeline

[this will be edited as things progress and the au gets more fleshed out]

less of a timeline and more the a brainstorm chart for the plotbeats i have so far

Prince > Little Sage > Pilgrim > Immortal

ACT 1, PRINCE: 2 years, S1 plus some of S2

ep0 special, MK becomes Monkie Kid

Fated Feast (tm) and dealing with it

MK learning how to use his powers

pretty much all the episodes of S1

Beijing Opera sideplot

first New Years is a Lion Dancing competition special

Macaque introduces himself

Spider Queens get exorcised, LBD reveal

Nezha and Muzha introduction

some more filler episodes of Monkie gang dealing with small easy stuff

MK gets invited to meet Guanyin

MK learning the Dao and Dharma, starts cultivation

Macaque causes trouble (basically Shadow Play ep but not), Wukong finds out

spicynoodles start becoming a thing late in the arc

S1 finale special, except it's LBD and some henchmen

Celestial Realm sightseeing moment, introduction to several immortals and gods

ACT 2, LITTLE SAGE: about half a year, part of S2 and a lot of changes

Red Son's investigation gets serious, Nezha is helping

Wukong gets more present to teach MK

most of what's left of S2, with some changes

Yingge and Longnü intro

Tang starts helping MK and Mei with magic

Mei starts training her dragon powers in FFM

Guanyin meets the Monkien gang, reveal of Tang's past reincarnations

MK gets deeper on training with his monkey form and powers

"recollections of red and blue" is set in this arc

DBK and PIF start making amends with Red Son

qpr chimera fully established, Red Son and MK get serious enough to tell their parents about it

more LBD shenanigans

S2 season finale, except not

LBD tries to trap him in a pagoda, everyone joins the fray, MK escapes because Macaque underestimates him, Wukong gets kebabed, Megapolis is lost and the gang flees for their lives

ACT 3, PILGRIM: about half a year, S3 in spirit but almost every plot gets scrapped cus its just filler anyway

they aren't on a ""journey to the west"", they are gathering allies and tools to use against LBD and Macaque

plan is, burn the motherfuckers with the Samadhi fire with the help of the four dragon king's armies to spread the fire with rain, and use some artifacts to then control the fire and put it out

drastic measure but it do be drastic times

LBD used the skeleton key to open the gates of the Diyu, so the world is slowly getting overrun by runaway spirits, as well as channeling the waters from it to freeze the land

apparently Macaque wants to consume every living thing he's trapped to fuel something, and nobody is sure what

anyway it's crisis politics time, nobody is having fun, everything sucks

time to check in with the past pilgrims for advice and some tricks they know, Monkie gang power up time

the dragon king of the north and his family are missing, time to find them

Shen Gongbao intro, he's involved but they figure it out

it's also time to draft some immortals, we love owing favors to people in this house amiright??

Mayor starts to think the henchman career isn't for him, time to dip

he fucks a plan cus he uses a pill of immortality to heal himself but oops the gang needed that

Mayor spills the beans on Macaque's plan, MK gets impulsive and runs off to face LBD

S3 special time except not

MK exchanges himself for the girl LBD got possessed, which builds the group time to wrap up lose ends

final battle time, hoards of the underworld versus whatever immortals got convinced to help despite going against the Jade Emperor's decree

MK sends a clone with his staff before he loses control back to the gang

Mei in dragon form fighting possessed MK, so that Red Son and Nezha can take a shot at MK to exorcise LBD out of him, Erlang and Muzha helping to hold Macaque back

MK gets shot with the Samadhi Fire, to explosive results

MK vs Macaque kaiju monkey battle time

Macaque gets nuked, LBD gets carbonized, Mayor dies saving people from the city before the fires get to them

everything is put back where it belongs, but there's a lot of loose ends to wrap up, ends in a bittersweet note

ACT 4, IMMORTAL: two years, S4 solely in name, basically a full overhaul lmao

oh man oh man shits gonna hit the fan lmao

the city is saved and the bad guys are gone; time for Consequences

Jade Emperor isnt very happy with the amount of unauthorized actions taken just now

MK goes to fucking trial for the crime of saving the world, it goes as well as one would think

luckily Guanyin comes in clutch and gets his sentence lightened to "community service"

there is an absurd amount of undead still walking around, which means MK has to get on that

also yknow. the devastating amount of damage in the mortal AND celestial realm

MK is given an assignment in the heavenly bureocracy, to help keep him in check and accountable to stuff. is great innit.

another part of his job is, dealing with Wukong's past sworn brotherhood cus they've been uppity since Macaque's attack and threatening to break the human-demon truce

Qi "two dads nuclear family" Xiaotian learns to deal with distant extended family relations with very specific social cues. again, goes as well as expected

under all that, Red Son still hasn't been able to get the missing memories situation fixed

also turns out even Wukong doesn't remember who MK was but he used to know. he doesn't anymore. and he doesn't know what happened. Red Son did not like learning that.

the celebration of Ulhambana in the Celestial Realm is approaching, and Red Son thinks he can get himself and MK invited to it so they can yknow, ask Buddha wtf is going on

so yknow, time to earn the trust of the Celestial Realm again, in a year. that's doable right? ahahah

and because he doesn't have enough on his plate, MK traded off a lot of his merits in exchange for LBD and Mayor speedrunning their time in hell so they can be reborn under his care

MK becomes An Uncle, what could possibly go wrong!

oh, jumpscare, Macaque is still around but Different

[saiaisaiko]

So, I had this idea and obsession about ghost brides and marrying ghosts to let them rest in peace and I had to write something on it. It spiraled out of control, but here is the prolog.

Merrying a memory

It had taken three years. Three years of sorrow, yearning and grief. Three years of healing and pouring his pain and longing into his instrument. But he was now allowed to leave seclusion. Lan Wangji tilted his head softly in the direction of his son, who was greeting him with a bow.

„Hanguang-Jun“, Lan Yuan said awkwardly. „Laoshi and Zewu-jun requested your presence in the Orchid Hall.“

„Mn“, the young adult acknowledged dismissing his son with a soft nod. He was a little weary to be up since sunrise after half a night spent playing Inquiry. It did not matter, his elder and his sect leader had requested his presence and it was his duty to follow their orders, as soft and polite as they may have been.

He had changed clothes again. He still felt uncomfortable in the light blue shades his sect usually wore aside from a mourning period. But he still was mourning. He probably would never stop mourning his beloved. Not even his body had been found and no burial had been held. The soul never reacted to the summonings of the different sects and it also never reacted to Lan Wangji playing Inquiry with all his heart and love.

„You have sent for me“, he greeted with a bow, ignoring the displeased set of his uncle's mouth and the worried once over from his brother.

„Wangji“, his brother started, indicating a place to sit down and the cup of tea, already filled with a mild brew. He followed the direction and settled down, waiting for the reason he had been summoned. „An emergency conference will be held shortly. I would like your counsel and your insight into the matter at hand. Do you feel able to accompany me to the conference?“

„Mn“, he agreed. Waiting for more information, he was disappointed in the lack thereof. Instead, he listened to his uncle and brother making arrangements for the departure of the three most prominent members of their sect. Whatever the emergency, it must be a threat as great or even greater than Wen Ruohan was, if even his uncle, happily retired from the responsibility of a sect leader, was willing to go to one of his strongly disliked conferences.

„Alright, that should be all. I will see you tomorrow at the gate Xichen. Wangji, please stay a while longer“, their uncle declared. He gave his brother a minimal nod, indicating that he was going to be alright before he was left alone with their uncle.

„What can this one do for you, Shufu?“ Lan Wangji felt his throat close and burn, unused to speaking at all after years of silence. He never was good at it anyway.

„I am worried about you, Wangji. You are still mourning after all this time“, his uncle answered. Lan Wangji kept his silence, he had nothing to say to this. His uncle sighed after a short while of silence. „The conference is because Wei Wuxians ghost attacked a couple of cultivators. No cultivation method to drag him out and bind him has succeeded as of now and it is all over the place.“

„His soul is still there?“, Lan Wangji asked, feeling feint. If the soul was still there, why could he not summon it?

„We are not sure what it is, but the usual way to deal with such restless and violent spirits did not work“, Lan Qiren rebuffed the hope of his nephew slightly. He was visibly displeased with the whole situation. „We were hoping that taking all accounts of sightings of it in one place, we could find a common factor. Maybe that could lead us to what and where exactly that ghost is.“

„I am unsure about my ability to help in this situation“, the younger confessed, letting his head fall forward, his hair following and gathering in his lap, draped in white.

„He never answered even slightly?“, the teacher asked, huffing his breath through his nose when the mourning man blinked in surprise, looking up. „I could hear you playing through the nights whenever I came to check on you. In this, you are even worse than your father ever was.“

Lan Wangji lowered his eyes again, hiding the sudden narrowing of them. He hated to be compared to his father. It was bad enough that he reminded himself of his father, cold and distant as he had been all the time. He desperately wished for the easy smile and warmth his brother had gotten from their mother, but instead, he had the same way to hold himself as their father had. Now he even wore the same mourning colors and probably would for the rest of his life. A Lan only ever loved once after all.

„Wangji.“ His uncle's voice was soft, reminding him of scoldings while being held after he fell because he ran. It reminded him of the way he had spoken to him when he had been eight and the door to the Jingshi didn’t open, even after days of kneeling in the cold white snow, softly explaining to him that she, his mother, was gone and would not be able to open the door. It closed his throat even more, but it also was comforting. „I understand. If you changed your mind… It would be alright and Xichen and I would accept it.“

„I will come with you. Maybe we are able to help him“

„I am sure he is beyond help at this point“, his uncle groused. „If you need anything, I will be there.“

„This one is grateful, Shufu. This one has an unusual request“, he said, bowing and taking the chance he had been offered. He needed to take this chance. For his son, if not for his own peace of mind. His uncle nodded, listening. „This one would like to adopt the orphan Lan Jingyi to be the brother of A-Yuan.“

„It is unusual“, his uncle conceded. „I will think about it during the conference. After that, I will decide. Do you feel ready to be a father to two growing minds?“

„I do not think anyone is ever ready to care for children in such a way“, Lan Wangji offered carefully. „I still think I could learn from both of them and they could learn from me. More than if I would become their teacher. It could be good for them and for me.“

„You are ready to become a parent“, his uncle replied, a warmth filling Lan Wangji. He recognized the tone of voice. His uncle always had it when he was proud of him or Xichen. Humbled to still be able to make his uncle proud, he lowered his head.

„Thank you, Shufu“, he said, breathing deeply to calm his welling emotions. „I will take my leave to prepare for the conference.“

The journey to the Koi Tower, where Jin Guashan has invited the sects for the Emergency Conference, has been uneventful. at least if you ignored the series of unfortunate experiences Clan Leader Su had to endure after his delegation joined the Lan’s on the journey. Lan Wangji was not sure, but he did notice a pattern of the unfortunate moments. Not harmful, more of an inconvenience and humiliating nature, but it would sting a brittle pride-filled man with the consistency of the incidents.

„I hope we can get a whisp of him. This vermin needs to get snuffed out. No one should suffer the humiliation he puts his victims through. Don’t you think so?“, Su Minshan asked Lan Wangji after the third time he stumbled over his own robes.

„I do not see anything amiss. Clan Leader Su should consider shorter robes, if he constantly trips over his own hems“, the Lan answered monotone. He caught the shocked gazes of his brother and uncle, saw the suppressed laughter shaking his brother's shoulders faintly and even his uncle had to suppress a smile. He was sure he would be scolded for his words once they were alone, but the traitor to their sect was aggravating his nerves and overstaying his welcome.

The Lan had to take a few steps sideways, again. The Su Clan Leader had breached his preferred distance again. Contemplating the gains and repercussions of a Qi outburst and then claiming he felt still a little unstable after his long seclusion and his Qi was a little volatile, he blinked. He did not have to use such an excuse and lie. Su Minshan had tripped over his robes again, the material ripping and tangling around his leg enough to bring him down fully, a sickening crunching sound echoing through the silent forest-surrounded path. The leg was broken from the fall.

„Lan Wangji! You can’t claim this to be the result of mere clumsiness and unfortunate chosen clothes!“, another disciple, who had left the Lan Sect and went with Su Minshan to found the Moling Su Clan, exclaimed.

„It may be unusual“, he conceded. „Clan Leader Su should not overwork the leg, it could impede the healing.“

„The nerve of this arrogant…“, the disciple hissed under his breath, cut off by his own yelping as a raven flying overhead left his droppings on his head. Lan Wangji had to bite the inside of his lip to rein in any reaction, amused by the antics of this ghost. He had found a pattern and he was sure it would be the same with the other incidences. This ghost was not malicious, it was protective. It should be liberated if possible, not destroyed. When were the foundations for dealing with ghosts been lost?

He contemplated this for the rest of the journey, blessedly without any more unfortunate incidences and with peace. It lasted until they came to the Koy Tower, where a great number of the cultivators were bedraggled and weary, jumping with the clumsy noises their comrades made in their exhaustion.

„If you would follow me“, the wife of the sect leader, remarkably unfaced with the chaos and well-rested, asked them, tutting at the five-year-old at her side. Lan Wangji recognized the pudgy face of the young kid. it had been a long time since he saw it last time, but the eyes, staring at him with such curiosity, had an uncanny resemblance to Wei Ying, despite there being no blood relations. Wei Ying would be happy to see his nephew well and cared for.

He settled down in his room, taking a deep breath. The journey had been a lot to handle, especially with the constant breach of his comfort zone. And the tumult around him as soon as he entered Koi Tower had been even more of a challange. He never liked the attention and the crowded places, preferring the serene solitude of the Library or his Jingshi, but three years with almost no human contact had made it more challenging to go through with it now.

He was interrupted by a soft knock and opened the door with a soundless sigh. He was surprised by the shy servant bowing with a tablet in her hands, silently offering it to him. Furrowing his brows slightly he accepted, thanking her. She nodded and scurried away, leaving him alone in his confusion. It only cleared after seeing a note in baldy and rushed calligraphy.

The ghost haunting this place demanded a mild offering of dishes be brought to you, Hanguan-Jun. We hope to not overstep our boundaries, but we can’t have it throw the spices uncontrolled into the food. Not after last time.

A soft warmth spread through Lan Wangji, pulling his lips into the faintest smile. it felt new and awkward, but he did not fight it. It was not smiling foolishly as the elders would say, at least he hoped he did not look foolish. And even if he would, he had learned to accept his emotions and work with them during his seclusion. Doing anything else would have caused more disruption in his cultivation than his punishment with the discipline whip already caused. And he could have qi-deviated as a result. Chances of surviving that in addition to his whipping were practically non-existent. He could not risk it with A-Yuan so young and already having lost his family two times.

The meal was perfect and it prevented him from having to go into the dining hall, giving him the time he needed to fully calm down and prepare for the coming day and the discussion of what to do with the ghost causing problems. Thankful for the meal and care given to him, he returned the dishes to the servants and complimented the lightness of the meals on his stomach. They promised to let the cook know and vanished, leaving him to his nightly routines. He itched to play his guqin, but he was not home and it would be rude to keep everyone awake with his playing.

„We need to trap the pest and eliminate it!“, Clan Leader Yao exclaimed heatedly. His hair was in disarray as every ornament for it had been lost during the night. And no one had a spare one to give.

„I agree, he has done enough damage to all of us!“, an elder of the Jin Sect voiced.

„First liberate; second, suppress; third eliminate“ Lan Wangji started to recite. „The initial approach is to utilize the gratitude of relatives and grant the dying wish, set free what he could not let go of. If it fails, suppress it. If the crimes were extremely wrongful, and its energy of resentment does not dissipate, exterminate it completely. The cultivation world should precisely keep to this order of measures. No errors should be allowed.“

„His crimes were extremely wrongful!“, Su Minshan hissed, his eyes narrowing.

„Wei Wuxian's crimes as a ghost“, Jiang Wanyin, silently scowling, his mood ever worsening until now, spoke up. „Wei Wuxian’s crimes as a ghost are to make the lives, of those he did not like, inconvenient at worst. The most he had done was causing Clan Leader Su to fall down hard enough to break his leg. An inconvenience for a cultivator of his claimed caliber.“

„He has no family left to give him gratitude“, Nie Mingjue pointed out. His brother beside him furrowed his brows waving his fans in thought.

„Lan Laoshi may correct me, but I gathered during my time studying under him that granting the dying wish and utilizing the gratitude of the relatives were usually done together to exhilarate the success of liberation. Liberation should therefore also work with granting the dying wish“, the heir of the Nie Sect spoke. „I could be wrong though, I don’t know. Really, why are you looking at me like that? I jut had silly thoughts, you should ignore me.“

„Huaisang!“, Lan Qiren interrupted the quiet and nervous babbling. „You are right. Granting the dying wish alone could work. Or we could give him family. It is unusual and normally not done, but marrying his soul after death to someone else to give him a family again can work and has worked in the past.“

„Good Luck!“, Jiang Wanyin barked, a smile, not unlike fletched teath, stretched over his face.

„Sect Leader Jiang“, Jin Guanshan asked mildly, having wached the discussion thoughtfully from his seat. „What do you mean?“

„With all due respect, his dying wish probably was for the safety of his loved ones and buried under that to find the kind of love his parents had. He wouldn’t have married for political reasons or property. He would only marry for love“, the Jiang Sect Leader replied, snorting when somebody pointed out the ghost maidens Wei Wuxian had and that they could marry him to them.

„That won’t work. For all the grand tales he spun, I know he never did any of the things and even less what rumor tells“, the brother of their current ghost problem declared. „He was a romantic fool and as far as I know, he never kissed anyone. You can’t just marry him off to somebody. It needs love at least from one side to have a modicum of success.“

„I will do it!“, Lan Wangji exclaimed, sure of himself. His voice carried, silencing the whispers.

„Lan Wangji, with respect, but I don’t think that would work. It’s not a secret that you loathed Wei Wuxian.“

„I never loathed him“, the Lan replied to the Jiang, meeting his eyes unwavering. „I love him. I would have asked for his hand eventually, if he would have been alright with it.“

„We can’t let a respected cultivator like the Second Jade of Lan throw his life and future prospects away to marry him off to a man. I’m sure there are other viable options“, a clan leader Lan Wangji did not recognize chimed up.

„This matter has now become a personal matter between the Jiang Sect and the Lan Sect“, Jiang Wanyin hissed, his spiritual weapon zizzling with agitated charges. „I would like to speak to the Lan sect about this matter alone, if possible.“

„Of course“, Jin Guanshan said minable, giving his heir Jin Guangyao a look. The younger Jin nodded, smiling pleasantly at them and motioned to them to follow.

„If you would follow me“, he requested, reassuring them they would be able to use the smaller room, an unused study, to their heart's content. „I will call for tea to be brought to you.“

„Lianfang-zun, this servant already prepared refreshments for the Lan and Jiang delegation“, a servant chimed in, holding a tablet with steaming fragrant tea.

„I will leave you to it. Please don’t hesitate to call for anything“, Jin Guangyao said, bowing a last time and leaving with the servant.

„Peculiar. I do not remember having this calming tea here before “, Lan Qiren observed. „It’s medicine.“

„There’s a lot more teapots and a jug of wine“, Jiang Wanyin pointed out, sorting out that they all had their favorite teas and the wine was for him. „This is overkill, even for the Jin’s.“

„Wei Ying“, Lan Wangji said, making everyone look at them. The Jiang nodded in understanding, sighing at the realization.

„Right“, he said, pulling them all on track of the reason they were now negotiating together, „Lan Wangji, you love my brother?“

„I do.“

„Right, this is news to me, but it explains some things“, the sect leader mumbled, carding his hand over his face. „Alright. Sect Leader Lan, are you agreeing to the marriage negotiations between Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian?“

„I am“, Lan Xichen replied, giving his brother a love-filled and supporting smile. Their Shufu also didn’t protest, sighing in resignment. Then the negotiations started in earnest, a rush of words with little context to it for Lan Wangji. He was overwhelmed by the prospect to actually marry Wei Ying, though it would only be in name.

„We need something to bind his soul to. Something of importance to him“, his uncle said, shooting Lan Wangji an unimpressed look when he looked up with narrowed eyes.

„Why bind his soul to an object?“, Jiang Wanyin asked carefully.

„So it is protected and can’t be messed with anymore. It would also prevent it from traversing too far from the object used“, Lan Xichen explained with an apologetic smile.

„Wei Wuxian is as free as the wind, something every Jiang carves to be. You can’t lock his soul away and hope it will endure until it vanishes. That would drive him insane and make him vicious!“, the Jiang hissed, Zidian sparking violently.

„It is also to protect his soul. Lan Wangji would be in possession of the chosen object at all times“, Lan Qiren intercepted, calming Jiang Wanyin and his nephew down at once.

„His red hairband. He loved it, as it was a heirloom and the last piece of his mother. It apparently was the only wedding red his mother ever possessed and given to him for safekeeping. It should be the object with the strongest connection to Wei Wuxian existing. If we can find it.“

„My son currently has it“, Lan Wangji replied. He met the sharp eyes of the Jinag Sect Leader, interrupting his agitation upon this revelation. „I adopted A-Yuan, the child Wei Ying was caring for as a mother would.“

„Alright. That settles it then. The contract is made, arrangements with the matchmaker for an auspicious date are made too, now the only thing necessary is for Lan Wangji to visit Lotus Pier and learn our culture to better understand his soon-to-be spouse.“

„Thank you“, Lan Wangji breathed, overwhelmed with the knowledge that he would marry his Wei Ying. It was only a matter of finding the right date to do that.

[livwritesstuff]

plant dad steve my beloved

“Alright, Steve-o, I gotta head out,” Robin says, sticking a wrapped granola bar between her teeth so she has a free hand to grab Steve’s car keys off the kitchen counter, “I have something for you, though.”

She shoves the plain brown paper bag she’d been holding into Steve’s arms with an expectant look on her face.

Steve raises an eyebrow.

“Now?”

“Yes, now. I didn’t want to wait until later because — well, just look and you’ll get it.”

Steve opens the bag and knows instantly it’s a plant. He reaches inside and pulls it out by the plastic pot.

“Oh shit, an alocasia! Thanks, Rob, this is a good fuckin’ find.”

Robin doesn’t respond immediately, her eyes on the big, green leaves of the alocasia plant.

Steve glances up at her.

“You good?”

“Yeah, it’s just…you think those leaves kinda look like the Mind Flayer?”

“What the fu—” he stops, glancing at the alocasia again, “Shit, man, it kinda does.”

Robin starts to snicker, because it’s been seven years since the gates to the Upside Down were closed for good, seven years of growth and healing, so she can laugh about some of those things now and Steve can’t help a laugh either.

“Stop ruining shit for me, Rob.”

“I’m sorry. Pretend I didn’t say anything. Look — when I bought it the guy said it hasn’t been watered in a while and needs a new pot and all that kinda crap you get excited about so now you have a project for today to take your mind off of how you’re spending your birthday all alone.”

Steve smacks her arm.

“Don’t be a dick, you’re the reason we’re in Tacoma, anyways.”

“No,” Robin argued, moving towards the door, “I’m the reason we came to Tacoma. You’re the reason we’re still here and will be for another two goddamn years. I’ll be back at, like, four, and there better not be potting soil all over the place.”

“Whatever. That’s still better than your fuckin’ paint,” he fires back as she’s walking out the door, “Drive safe. Don’t crash my car.”

“Uh-huh,” she calls, already halfway down the hall, “Love ya!”

And then she’s gone.

Steve looks back to his new plant. It really does look like the Mind Flayer — something about the shape of the leaves, he thinks — but a plant, in his eyes, is still a plant no matter how many traumatic memories it may trigger, so it doesn’t take long for him to put on a mixtape Eddie had made for him a few weeks back that he’s been listening to pretty much nonstop and busy himself with the alocasia.

Steve had started caring for houseplants nearly five years ago now, when his advisor had given out small ferns at a course registration event during his sophomore year of college. He had expected the plant to wither away and die after only a few weeks but, to his own astonishment, it actually thrived under his care. Not long later, the nearby grocery store put out a little display of houseplants in colorful plastic pots so, with all the confidence of someone who'd successfully kept one plant alive for a month, Steve bought two.

Honestly, Steve hadn’t expected to have a green thumb in the way he apparently does. After all, each one of his plants has different needs from the next, different light or water or soil or some unique combination of the three. He hadn’t expected that he’d be able to keep it all straight in his (somewhat mangled) brain — the same brain that still hasn’t memorized his course schedule for this semester yet — but pursuing a doctorate in psychology has taught him that he’s actually good at learning when it's something he cares about, something he can find a passion in.

And he really does like the plants, too. They look nice in the apartment — they bring the cramped little space to life, he thinks, and it’s nice to be surrounded by life, to be cultivating life after everything he’s been through and everything he’s done. It’s nice to know he can keep things alive, that he can take care of something so it can grow and bloom, so he leans into it. 

After those two grocery store plants (a pothos and a dracaena that are both still alive and kicking), his collection started to increase exponentially, hitting its peak about a year later when the apartment looked more like a forest than an actual living space. Eventually, it reached a point where even Robin had needed to put her foot down, and Steve had half-heartedly admitted she was correct. After a while of giving plants away (and the odd one dying every so often), it returned to a much more reasonable state.

Steve is halfway through moving the new alocasia plant that definitely doesn’t look like the Mind Flayer at all into a larger pot, his hands filthy with potting soil he’s valiantly trying to keep out of his hair, when the phone rings.

“Shit,” he mutters, dusting off his hands as best as he can before grabbing the phone, “Hello?”

“Do my ears deceive me or is that the birthday boy?”

Steve feels himself starting to smile at the sound of Eddie’s voice, his lips twisting up before he can even think about it.

“Hey,” he says.

“Hey yourself,” Eddie replies, “Happy birthday.”

“Thanks. Woulda been better if you were here.”

“Yeah, baby, I know. I wish I was there, too.”

“How’s Montana?” Steve asks, “Worth not being here?”

Eddie makes a noncommittal noise, “Not sure if traveling’s my thing. Nice to get outta Indiana, though.”

Steve hums his agreement.

CONTINUE ON AO3

[staunchen]

so i was thinking about lan wangji and how he has this reputation of being righteous while also in my opinion acting like an asshole? like he acts very petty and is ready to pull his sword on people a lot and isn't really involved in politics even in a way that makes sense as a high ranking member of a sect? like the silencing spell on jin ling is uh. bad.

it's like lan wangji has scary dog privilege by virtue of his reputation and his brother and uncle who will wreck you if you do or say anything to/about him. except thats not right because theyre not scary dogs at all, they just protect him. it's like lan wangji is a scary dog and lan xichen and lan qiren smooth things over and stop him from doing something too awful and calm others down after lan wangji does something not too great. and i guess with the reputation for being righteous (second jade of lan) is enough to deter people from saying/doing things like "hey he's a dick" because dude that's hanguang-jun, what are you talking about???".

and the people he saves on night hunts or whatever are random civilians who don't interact with him enough to see him behave badly, and a cool and aloof powerful cultivator saving them gets a lot of leeway on account of being a famous powerful cultivator and also being someone who saved them from fierce corpses or spirits or healed their kid or grandparent or whatever. who cares if theyre quiet and kinda rude they saved their sister!!!!!

so when lan wangji is a dick to jin ling or fucks off from political stuff or is ready to pull his sword on jiang cheng in the jiang ancestral hall or whatever he's doing so with the reputation of hanguang-jun who saves people and also is supported by lan xichen (lan sect leader and brother) and lan qiren (former acting sect leader, uncle, teacher) and they are protective and dare i say overindulgent of lan wangji???? like bro you are a political figure whether you like it or not, your actions have effects on things besides your own direct personal circle. like the heir of gusu lan pulling a sword on sect leader jiang is fucking political incident whether or not theyre both being assholes or not. the adult heir of gusu lan using the lan silencing spell on the teenage heir of lanling jin is a political incident. not engaging with other sects politically, ever, says important things about your priorities and your influence both within the sect and without.

also like. what if something happened to gusu lan? like say lan xichen is injured, and lan qiren is also out of commission for some reason? that means lan wangji is acting sect leader. can you IMAGINE lan wangji as sect leader. imagine it. really visualize it. there's a lot of jokes about lan wangji being a petty bitch and people love it but imagine a petty bitch as a sect leader. the situation would blow up faster than lans get drunk on a glass of wine. like dude. so much stuff would be totally fucked.

anyway lan wangji as he is in mdzs would be a shit sect leader/chief cultivator/etc. he doesn't behave like he's intimately involved in the politics of his world (which he is) and may or may not have training in doing so - maybe he has training and just doesn't do it? which is also really bad, then he would know better and still not do it or help in any way.

[skyloftian-nutcase]

Actually, actually, actually! Idea! (But only if you like it.)

In HoS, it has literally been 10,000 years since all 3 died.

What if Shadow wasn't supposed to be all-the-way back? And the only reason he is is due to being the Hero?

What about Hemisi & Nabooru?

Who's to say Gdorf's magic would've even worked on them? What if they were already reincarnated by that point?

What if, even reviving their bodies would've resulted in little more than mindless puppets? (Honestly, I kinda wanna read about the shear horror on both their faces. Like, horror & panic on Gdorf's end & horror, but slight relief on Shadow's. Because he can only hope that whatever's keeping Nabooru from suffering the same fate as himself means that she's free.)

What if the only way to get them back fully was to do some pretty dark, nasty stuff? Like, legit bad, horrible stuff? What if Gdorf has to sacrifice their new incarnations to do so?

What if, in order to even bring Shadow back, he'd already done something bad? Though, due to the Hero's Spirit, he was able to get away with just the sacrifice of someone who'd been related to Shadow? Like a great x1000 times grandnephew or something?

What if Shadow learned of this? The betrayal.

Like, massive dark spell stuff. Which, I've always found it weird that he & the Twinrova were the legit only Gerudo with that shading, yet each of them used black magic.

So, that's what I think causes it. Black magic. Like, legit evil deeds.

Who knows, maybe that stuff actually corrupts the mind the more you use it? What if you have to stop cold turkey to stop the process?

What if Gdorf had stopped doing that stuff, but the Secret Stone tapped into that source & now it's sort of rotting his brain away?

Also, what's the deal with the Twinrova here? They evil witches? No?

Sorry, when I get started, my braims refuse to shut up. 😓

Don't be sorry, you're fine! ;D It's fun to talk theories and ideas!

Ganondorf would be so devastated if Nabooru and Hemisi were just mindless puppets, I think. But I also think he wouldn't give up. He'd just be like "Well, this is a setback, but at least they'll listen to me until I can figure this out better." I don't know if Link would feel much relief from it or just be plain horrified, it would feel like such a desecration to him.

If they'd actually reincarnated, though, and if Ganondorf needed to sacrifice them to revive them, I wonder whose Nabooru would be? The best person I can think of is Urbosa, which, uh, makes things difficult. Should've thought that one through, Gan, before your stupid Calamity wrecked teh place! >:|

But anyway, Ganondorf isn't using black magic - Urbosa and Riju have lightning magic, which Gdorf also has in OoT, so honestly it seems very much like the Hyurle Royal Family - they just have a high affinity for it. (also, not gonna lie, Twinrova plays absolutely no part in this storyline because I don't know what to do with those two, honestly)

What Ganondorf does have, though, which is unusual for his people, is healing magic. I thought it would be interesting to give him this gift, it would add another layer to him as a character, especially since he actually cultivated it a little. Here's a snippet from a draft I have tucked away (I have been writing entirely too much for this AU LOL I am gonna have to make a word document to organize it, honestly):

“Here, let me see your hands,” Ganondorf said, pushing Link away enough to gently grab at his wrists. He flipped the teenager’s palms up, thumbs brushing against them as Link hissed in pain. His skin was blistered angry red from burns, standing out easily against his all-too-pale, practically grayish complexion, and he knew his face probably was too. Ganondorf swiped at his hands again with his thumbs, and Link felt a tingling, warm sensation on them. The pain numbed into nothingness, and he glanced down, confused. The burns were gone. “How—you know healing magic?” He whispered, looking up at the man. “Is it the stone?” Ganondorf smiled a little, brushing hair out of his face to examine a burn on his nose. “Secret stones only amplify one’s power, Link. Of course I know healing magic. You thought I didn’t?” Link hesitated a moment before just saying what was on his mind, looking down and muttering, “I thought all you knew how to do was destroy.” “One has to burn the forest to make way for new growth,” Ganondorf replied simply, easily, as if it were just like gardening, as if people’s lives weren’t at stake. “A good king must know how to rebuild as well as how to destroy.” “You’re just full of idioms, aren’t you?” Link sighed. It was almost funny, having this conversation. Almost. “Because I’m right,” Ganondorf said firmly. “Nabooru and Hemisi didn’t seem to think so.”

[thedragonagelesbian]

13, 24, & 30 for rook? 👀🥺 (for rook!cyrus or one of your other rooks...or all of them 🫶)

Rook Questions! yay ily these are such good ones tyty <33

13. Did Rook bring any trinkets/sentimental items to The Lighthouse?

Cyrus: Cyrus still has the sword and shield he had with him when he was left in the Fade-- Glandivalis, Shartan's sword (mentioned in Veilguard as one of the Dock Town neighborhoods!!! I gasped when I saw it & the codex entry explaining it), and Dirthamen's Wisdom, which Yiseeril gifted to him during Inquisition. They're too precious to him now to use in every day combat.

Theneneria: Theneneria has an ironbark amulet in the shape of a halla that her mother, Dahlian Lavellan, crafted for her. The last time they saw each other was after Theneneria had joined the Wardens and Dahlian visited her to give her the amulet as a parting gift. The reunion itself was very stiff and labored. What had once been a very close mother-daughter relationship had vanished as they now treated each other much as they treated the rest of the world: with coldness. But Theneneria carries the amulet with her constantly anyway, and being apart from it causes her a lot of distress. She knows she still loves her mother. She knows that her mother probably still loves her too. It just feels too big and too late to try to fix that relationship now (or, it did, until they were both suddenly saddled with saving the world...)

Raas: Sentimental stuff gets stolen; whether as an initiate or a full-fledged Crow, everyone is looking for that weakness that they might need to use to get ahead of you, so Raas is very, very sparse in their trinkets: a frayed piece of rope from their tamassran, an Orlesian mask from one of their first contracted jobs, and a worn gold coin, the last from a sizable coin purse given to them by a certain vengeful elven crow who killed their original abusive magic instructor in House Arainai.

24. Does Rook have any nightly rituals before bed?

(Theneneria & Raas aren't fleshed out enough yet to this one is just Cyrus...)

Cyrus: He unwinds with a nightcap of fortified Dalish wine which he drinks while listening to whoever he can find talk about whatever they want. That used to be Varric, but now he needs to find someone else to fill the Big Yapper void in his life to help him relax. Then it's bath + application of a topical pain reliever for his joints, shoulders, and back + finally his evening prayers to the Creators.

I think for Cyrus the question of whether the Evanuris reveal & their immense, literal, painful impact on the world, both present and past, has any bearing on his faith is... irrelevant? His faith is for him, cultivated in order to survive everything that this world has thrown at him and grounding him in his heritage and his people such that he simply won't entertain giving it up. He prays to Sylaise & Mythal most, for healing & peace & protection, but even Elgar'nan and Ghilan'nain still make it into his prayers, in a very 'Ember praying for Nocticula' way. He has no reason to hope that they might be anything other than the tyrants they've proven themselves to be time and time again, so it's as much a threat as it is a supplication: humble yourselves, or I will smite you down.

30. What is Rook’s class? Did they choose it?

Cyrus: Still warrior-ing! In another system, he might've switched classes over the course of the games, like how [a version of] bg3!Cyrus went from paladin to ranger, but for Dragon Age, he's sword & board til the day he dies (and, given his track record, potentially several days after that). So far (~level 40) he has heavy investments in Survival, Grey Warden, and Mourn Watch, and his specialization is Reaper! It feels like a very appropriate evolution from his Reaver specc in DA2, no longer quite as agonizingly self-sacrificial and drawing more on the play of the Veil and the boundary between life and death, which he got plenty of experience with in his years in the Fade.

Theneneria: Two-handed warrior. Women should get to smash things with hammers, and I've been wanting to do a kind of Loony Toons spinning top with a massive weapon kind of fighting vibe for soooo long.

In Clan Lavellan, Theneneria was being trained as protector moreso than a hunter, but that was as a sword-and-shield warrior. It wasn't until she came to Skyhold and saw Iron Bull training with Krem that she decided no, she needs to be wielding the biggest thing possible on the battlefield.

Her spec is gonna be Slayer, pure DPS baby we're here to Fuck Shit Up

Raas: Dagger-and-orb mage. Idk why I'm so deadset on playing melee in Veilguard but here we are. I don't know if it's something they so much chose for themself as much as it was expected of them, since the Spellblade tradition originates with the Antivan Crows. Which kind of sums up their character lmao they have no idea what their life could look like or what they might want for themself, let alone what their magic could look like if they were able to use it for something other than lying and hurting.

(Which is why I'm soooooooooooooooooooooo looking forward to them & Emmrich... in my heart I think with enough time & recovery & growth [and lots of tutoring sessions with Emmrich] their spell blading ends up closer to southern knight enchanting, complete with a relationship to a spirit & healing abilities)

[llycaons]

Steadying him with one hand on his arm, Lan Wangji swiftly removed the arrow with the other.

JUST RIPPED IT OUT???

[afsosville]

Shen Jiu, if he was actually a competent shizun

My HC for how Shen Jiu is like with kids without trauma/healed trauma and shit: Honestly with a person like Shen Jiu, I can only see his interactions with kids going one of two ways, him being so very fond of them, and ofc, how he's like in canon. Ok look, in the third book under Shen Jiu's character description, it said that Shen Jiu definitely had more reasons to relate to Luo Binghe than to hate him yet he still chose violence for some fucked up reason. So yes, I for one headcanon that when he's in a better place mentally, he would choose to be doting and fiercely protective. We've seen that he's capable of being like that with Ning Yingying (and Qiu Haitang), and it's not outwardly obvious, but we can see it with the way she behaves around Shen Yuan when she thinks that's still Shen Jiu. She definitely acts like a spoiled younger sister/daughter who looks up to her guardian and shows a great amount of trust in him. So just imagine if that was extended to all of his disciples.

No coz if he was spared enough kindness for him to actually want to do better, he would choose the first option and emphasize with LBH instead BECAUSE smn gave HIM a chance and emphasized with HIM. LBH and SJ are parallels, and so whatever happens to SJ, it would be reflected onto LBH.

I am dead. I am so dead. I'm bleeding out so fast and goddammit it HURTS- SJ and LBH's whole story hurts sm.

Anyways-

I kinda like to imagine that when Shen Jiu's heart settles on the fact that maybe, just maybe, bleeding on ppl who didn't cut him and taking his hurt out on LBH is a no good very bad idea, he's going to end up over compensating for his whole fucking childhood and the way he projects on him is completely flipped.

"I'm going to treat you the way I wanted to be treated and ur going to feel loved and safe do you hear me?!?"

"Yes shizun (*＾v＾*)"

Here's the thing, he may be fond of his disciples, but he is still shit at taking care of them. He was robbed of his own childhood, so he doesn't know what normal kids act like in the first place. And he has no idea what the typical stages of development are and he would totally underestimate how dumb kids who didn't grow up like him would be. So yeah, shit at babysitting but loves them anyhow, for the same reason he would hate them in canon. (They remind him too much of himself). Idk, him being bad with kids regardless of trauma is so funny to me.

That moment when it clicks for him that he may not hate them after all: "oh gods these brats actually like…me? Me? Fuck what the hell do I do?! This is why no one should trust me with kids Aghhhhh!! Still think they're brats tho :( but they're my brats >:) "

He'd be like Shifu from Kung Fu Panda as a shizun. He's strict, harsh as hell and shows no mercy when training, coz becoming a cultivator/martial artist is fucking hard and requires alot of discipline anyway. So he really is doing his best to make sure his disciples come out on top. Shen Jiu is a prideful person by nature, it's just that his disciples are his pride. He's always there for them when they need him, and he will make sure that none of his disciples will ever have to go through anything he has. He wants to be the reliable adult that his disciples seek out. (He will never let it be known that he seeks his disciples' approval and validation as much as they seek his.)

Really fucking specific but idgaf. My social teacher brought chocolate bars to class and gave them out one time. After a few moments she asked if everyone was enjoying themselves. After she heard us agree she went on a lesson about slave labour and the production of goods in underdeveloped countries. Shen Jiu. Would do this. Because he’s a madman.

And Binghe. He would still end up a little unhinged. Like sure being under a master that abuses you will fuck you up one way but if you had a guardian who will start genocides and watch cities burn for you… It does things.

Shen Jiu is morally ambiguous as fuck and that rubs off onto his disciples. He is still a terrible role model, but his kids wouldn't trade him for the world:)

Would be the type that gives 5 yr olds knives for birthdays, bc he had a shit ton of them hidden away on his person when he was that age and knew how to use them when he was on the streets.

“What? It's an appropriate gift! The kid needs to have smt to protect herself! Yeah I know she didn’t grow up on the streets so what? No need to rub it in. Ok fine! I’ll teach her then just shut up. Let’s go Yan-er, some people just don’t appreciate the value of giving practical gifts WAIT PUT THAT DOWN-”

Is this lowkey self indulgent? Yes. Do I particularly care? No. I just want my favourite blorbos to be happy, is that too much to ask for? My Roman Empire is that SJ probably could've been a crazy good shizun if he had a chance to heal. If you've read The Hidden Flower, then you know exactly what I mean.

I already made a post with all of the soft BingJiu fics ik. I could literally make another one rn where they're just chilling platonically, or even as an adoptive family bc I have no chill like that and read all the SJ fics there is to read.

It's already summer and all I have going for me is my job rn and I am sooooo close to going through all nearly 400 pages under the SJ tag coz I simply can.

[truly-morgan]

[Hanahaki disease AU]

SongXueXiao | Mo Dao Zu Shi Hanahaki AU 17-04-2021

[#songxuexiao hanahaki disease] 

Where xy noticed he was coughing up petals only a couple of months after starting to really live in yi city with aq and xxc. He hates the purity of the white petals, because he knows to who they seem to connect and /no way/ he's in love, he hates him, he hates everyone. 

He figures hiding it from two blind people would be easy and he could pretend he just has a condition which makes him cough heavily sometimes (little does he know that aq did notice it and wonder who it could be at first). It takes months before he accepts that “ok, /maybe/ I fell in love". But he won't change his way just for that, he will still be xy (which anyone but him would notice how he did change, much gentler with both xxc and aq). 

He keeps hiding it and never tells xxc because he knows that whatever he does, the man would never see him that way anyway. Maybe dying by flower isn't so bad, he could die in the worst way than that. 

Then came sl. He isn't sure exactly how he actually managed to convince (or rather blackmail) sl to just not say anything and just live with them. It makes everything harder since sl does see, so he has to hide to cough out all the petals and flowers he manages to repress around him. And the growing is just overall worst now that sl is here because he can /see/ how the two men act around each other despite clearly not being sure what to do. 

He hates sl. Hence why he feels even worst when black petals join the mix, utterly confused as to why there was such a change (he also hates how easily he seems to fall in love with anyone slightly being good and affectionate to him). 

But he knows he cannot tell them, because there is no way either of them would accept him (especially sl). He knows he’s not enough for either of them and it would only make it worst to say it. 

So he hides it even more than before, always able to have his worst coughing moment away from them, since he can feel them coming. 

One day, as he’s supposed to stay down and heal from a rather bad injury, he feels it coming. And it feels like a bad one too. So he gets up to leave, only to have aq stop him, saying he needs to stay down to heal or else it could turn bad. 

He tries to shrug her off, but she keeps on gripping his robe tightly. He finally opens his mouth to argue back, to tell her to piss off. But it doesn’t happen. 

Instead, this is when flowers decide they can escape, sending him into a violent coughing fit, feeling himself choking on all the flowers and petals, his body shaking and hurting from all the coughing. It’s so bad that it attracts both cultivator attention, running out from the room where they were meditating. He can hear xxc asking worriedly what is happening, but all he focuses on is how his gripping at sl sleeve, making his fits worst. 

His lungs are burning and he’s honestly starting to believe he will die like this. 

He can feel sl eyes on him, seeing him kneeling in the mess of black and white flowers on the ground. He barely hears sl murmur what it is, describing the flowers for xxc by habit of describing anything to him (they truly got used to describing everything for xxc). He’s a bit too panicked to really register anything of that. He jumped when he felt hand grabbing his face, a voice trying to gently soothe him. It took a while before the coughing stopped and only then did sl ask what (or rather who) this was all about. The man probably already knew, seriously who did xy know other than them? Or at least, knew /and/ didn’t want to just kill on the spot? 

But xy was stubborn and he didn’t want to tell, because the pain of growing flowers was better than one of rejection, he didn’t want that. 

He only stopped arguing when he felt something hit his forehead, looking up at sl confused, only to look down at what had fallen into the mess of black and white petals and flowers. 

A dark red flower lay on his knee. 

He looked back up confused, sl saying nothing as he simply looked back down at xxc instead, who had reached into his sleeve to take out a flower similar to the one sl had just thrown at him. Xxc gently took his hand, placing the flower securely into it “Had we known about it we would have told you earlier”. 

Xy wanted to cry (and he did, but he would deny it if anyone were to try and remind him of it). He had never believed something like this would happen. He had imagined many outcomes, but never one where xxc (and sl!) would confess to him about also loving him. Only then did he allow himself to confess, still looking like a scared animal ready to flee at any sign of it being a bad joke. 

But this was not the kind of thing xxc would do. So he believed it. 

Of course, it was hard for something to settle down correctly between the three (especially since xxc and sl had already something going on from back in the days), coupled with xy insecurities about it (but again he would deny having any, abandonment and self-worth issue? Who's that). 

But they were getting somewhere and this is all that xy need to know, not coughing up flowers anymore.

(note: This hanahaki AU is more of a “you’ll cough them up until you finally confess or die” than a “the flower stops when the other person starts loving you too”. XY never had that before and he’s stubborn so it got bad, where sl and xxc already knew what it was like and could deal with it better).

Original

[ms-m-astrologer]

Transiting Chiron stations direct

Wednesday, December 27, 03:10 UT, 15°27’ Aries

Caveat: this probably won’t have very much of an impact on you unless Chiron is prominent in your birth chart - closely in aspect to the Sun, the Moon, &/or an angle (Ascendant, IC, Descendant, MC).

I’m a good example: there’s a close trine between my natal Sun and natal Chiron; a sextile between my natal Moon and natal Chiron; a close oppositon between my natal Chiron and natal MC, and the subsequent close conjunction of natal Chiron and natal IC. Should also add that transiting Chiron has been conjunct my natal Moon - within orb since April - which situation continues through April 2025 - and which includes a sextile to my natal Sun and natal IC, and a trine to natal MC.

I’m also old enough that this is actually my second time with a transiting Aries Chiron messing with me. The first time was back in 1973-4, approximately my sophomore and junior years of high school. Ugh.

Anyway, I am a little too close to this one, so I am copying/pasting what Martin Bulgerin had to say about a Chiron retrograde zone, on his biopscinst website:

This is a time to discover previously unrecognized abilities within ourselves. Often, the most beaten down parts of ourselves are actually our greatest strengths. However, they've never been developed or cultivated and remain in that wounded, beaten down state. This lack of growth somewhere in our lives is now holding us back, preventing us from breaking through to the next level of our evolution. It's time to let these wounds heal, to let go of old grudges, to wake up to how powerful we can be if we cease being a "victim". Chiron is an initiator, helping us break through to possibilities undreamed of. However, you must be willing to take the initiative, consciously stepping out of life-as-usual.

Chiron’s retrograde zones overlap, so there’s neither a pre- nor a post-retrograde shadow to have to deal with. Whatever healing work you’re doing has more of an effect on your soul’s progress, rather than this particular lifetime.

[bittertomato]

Your Throne headcanons

Main Cast:

In the beginning without Psyche’s healing, Medea (in Psyche’s body) had to put up with muscle aches in places she forgot she could feel fatigue. She ignores the aches through sheer power of will (as she does) but resolves to do a few light exercises every day to build up her stamina and strength—even before asking Eros for swordfighting lessons—in case she had to live as Psyche forever.

Psyche comments about this after switching back to her body, thanking Medea now that it feels like “her lungs can actually expand and breathe more easily.”

Horseback riding was one of the other skills that Psyche requested to learn after switching back to her own body. It’s how she knew how to ride a horse after stealing Helio's when the wall collapsed.

Psyche is so “short and demure” because her growth was stunted from being locked in a box as a child whenever she was punished for misbehaving. Otherwise, her actual height might have been closer to 165 cm (5’5).

Does the Your Throne world have coffee? Anyway Medea is a (black) coffee addict and Psyche is a tea bitch.

Psyche thinks black coffee tastes like Eros—bitter. Medea demands Psyche to never compare her lifeblood to trash ever again.

Eros has a natural “masculine” scent that most girls would swoon for but Medea finds revolting. Since learning about his true colors, being too close to him actually gives Psyche minor headaches because of how pungent his body odor is.

Helio smells like depression.

Pain tolerance from greatest to least: Medea -> Helio -> Eros -> Perion -> Psyche. This is mostly because Psyche’s body is the least resilient to stress, since she’s the least physically fit. And also because the first two are too used to killing their feelings.

However, all of these idiots are highly likely to cut off their own limb if the situation calls for it. Medea and Helio if their cold logic deems it necessary (Helio especially for Medea). Eros has the same cold logic. You can’t tell me Psyche “I’ll stop Helio from stabbing himself with my own hand” and “Dying is scary but I’ll stop my own heart to prevent Eros from killing Medea” Callista wouldn’t treat her own body with little regard. And Perion canonically stabbed his own eye.

Average hours of sleep per night: Medea = 4 (she takes short naps during the day), Helio = 6, Eros = 7, Perion = 7, Psyche = 10 pre-body switch, 8 after returning to her own body.

Medea doesn’t get sick often, and when she does it’s usually something mild that goes away within a few days. But one time when she’s finally allowed to relax and breathe for a minute without Eros, her family, or even the public breathing down her neck, her immune system completely tanks and she gets the worst cold of her life. It’s so bad that she has a fever dream where she wakes up as a reincarnated villainess betrothed to Eros, is being courted by Helio, Perion, and Psyche, and even has relatively loving parents, but all she wants to do is cultivate her farming skills in the inevitable outcome that Eros dumps her for Psyche and banishes her from the kingdom.

No, Medea has never heard of My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! or whatever a Bakarina is that’s why it’s a fever dream.

Psyche (in Medea’s body) kissed Helio on the balcony in the only way she knew how: based on how Eros used to make out with her. It was not a pleasant realization for either Psyche or Helio.

Even with her lack of diverse experience, Psyche is a better kisser than Eros. She learns fast.

When Psyche reveals what happened on the balcony to Medea, Medea just scoffs and offhandedly comments that Helio likes it rough. Psyche chooses not to ruminate about that for too long.

On a similar note, whether or not Medea has actually explicitly mentioned the ch. 122 discourse yes I’m bringing that up, Psyche had a hunch that that would’ve happened while Medea was in her body; considering Psyche and Eros probably did it together after they became engaged. It’s part of the reason why she was so devastated during the body switch, before the women reconciled. But after learning how Eros never loved her, Psyche just feels awful that Medea had to act through such a vulnerable situation.

Supporting Cast:

Dekis, like Nana (bless her soul), is happy that Medea at least has a friend who isn’t trapped in a sense of tragic worship like Helio is. He hopes his sister can continue to build healthier relationships, with new and existing acquaintances.

Thanks to living on his own and developing some life skills, one of them being cooking, Dekis will help out in the kitchen sometimes. The servants were initially against their master doing menial labor, but their worries quickly dissolved. They even share some secrets about Medea’s preferences, to Medea’s amusement.

Along with the books gifted to him, Lira took the rabbit Psyche saved back to his family. They now take care of it as their own pet.

Lynn still reports back to Medea even after Psyche and Medea reconcile. Except instead of plotting to ruin Psyche’s life, now Medea is content with mundane updates like whether Psyche is feeling well or what food she ate or—cringe—how Psyche handled another one of Eros’ visits. Lynn is 100% ??? about the sudden change of heart but doesn’t have the guts to ask her very-scary original employer.