#having said that do you think he feels guilty about going home even when yu looked unwell when he went over to visit

[daily-hanamura]

[1-800-kami]

agnes, just stop and think a minute

gojo satoru x reader (1.2k)

" you're gone but you're on my mind, i'm lost but i don't know why. ,,

warnings: CHAPTER 236 SPOILERS, reader and shoko r going THRU it, i wrote this during a mental breakdown, denial, semi-comfort at the end

a/n: when i found out about what happened i just spent 2 hours on social media just. watching everything gojo related and i kind of wanted to reflect my reaction through this word vomit of a drabble. i haven't cried at all but i just feel so devastated and oh my god it's been terrible. rest in peace to my bb </3

based off of one of my favorite glass animals songs (agnes) that i've always associated with gojo.

you like to think that grief in your life always comes and goes.

it’s a part of being a jujutsu sorcerer. each day, new people are trained to become one, and others die the same day. there are new beginnings, and people who meet their ends. you know sorcerers out there who have completely closed themselves off just so they don’t have to experience the soul crushing feeling of grief. 

it’s like a bud, they say. a bud that forcefully plants itself in your heart, and you can do nothing but watch it grow as it takes hold of every part of your being. people describe the feeling in many ways: a weight on top of your chest that won’t cease, or a part of your heart that’s been ripped away, and nothing in your life seems to fill the remnants of it. 

you’ve experienced grief in your life many times. loss is so normalized as a sorcerer that you’ve almost lost count at this point, but the ones that have hit you the hardest are the deaths of your closest friends: kento nanami, yu haibara, and geto suguru. they haunt your thoughts every day, up until the point where everything feels asphyxiating and you sometimes want to join your friends too.

you think that geto’s death hit you the hardest. 

you remember geto’s disappearance and the night parade of a hundred demons like it was yesterday. the hardest pill to swallow about his death was the fact that it could’ve been prevented. geto’s lifeless eyes made you see parallels from the weeks leading up to his disappearance. he just needed a push in the right direction, but then you couldn’t even do that and you didn’t see all the signs of his deteriorating mental health. you just felt so guilty, even though your friends assured you that it wasn’t your fault.

seeing geto’s body for the first time after 10 years made you wail uncontrollably–and you had to be forcefully pried off of him despite your screams of protest. the most prominent thing about his body were his lifeless eyes–and guilt coursed through your veins as you knew that they were probably devoid of life even before his death.

that guilt stuck with you for a long time, and you felt it until you thought that it would consume you whole.

that’s why shoko was hesitant to show you gojo’s body.

she knows that you would have an emotional outburst again, like last time. actually, she knew this one would be worse, because geto was a best friend to you, but satoru was the light of your life. he was your lover. your soulmate, even. the reason why you were excited to come home everyday. he grieved about geto with you, and you held each other when you both cried… usually when december 24th was nearing again. you think that, without satoru, you don’t know what you would do. you kept each other sane and grounded.

so you don’t understand.

why is his body in front of you right now? why are all your students crying around you and mourning gojo’s loss? it’s all the sorcerers are talking about right now, and you just don’t get it.

he’s the strongest, so why did he fucking leave you behind like this? no, no. he wasn’t supposed to lose that fight. he said it himself. he said he’d win, right? he’d win, and he’d come home, albeit injured, but home nonetheless. he’d celebrate his victory with you, and life would go on. so why did he lie?

that’s the only word coursing through your head. why?

you tried not to think about anything right now… like how there was probably so much crimson red on that battlefield. if you saw it, you’d think that the red would leave an everlasting stain in your mind, to the point where you’ll never forget about it. no matter how many times you’d wash your hands, all that red would still be there, and you hate to think about it.

you like to think that grief in your life always comes and goes.

people describe the feeling in many ways, but if you had to describe how you felt right now, the only word you’d use is empty.

you feel so utterly empty and hollow, that you can’t even bring yourself to cry or scream.

shoko’s surprised at your reaction. when she told you what happened, you became eerily silent. your eyes and gojo’s were practically identical. both so devoid of life, that all she can bring herself to say is, “im sorry.”

what do you even say at a time like this? what do you say to someone who’s had their heart ripped apart again and again as they watch each of their friends die? for you and shoko, it’s happened four times now. four is too much. you can’t bring yourself to believe it anymore.

no. this isn’t real.

this isn’t happening right now.

you move for the first time in what seems like ages, and you place your hand in gojo’s open casket, tucking a stray pearl white strand behind his ear. you observe him for a minute. he looks so peaceful, now that he doesn’t have to worry about his infinity or constantly being on his guard anymore.

“shoko, i think he’s hungry.” you say, feeling the ice cold veins in your chest stilling.

your words catch shoko off guard. “huh?”

“he’s hungry,” you repeat simply, like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. you look away from his body and turn to leave. “i’m going to go buy kikufuku for him.” 

you suddenly remember all of the dates you’ve had with satoru, where you buy many sweets like kikufuku, but he always made sure to save you some. he’s known for his notorious sweet tooth—putting one too many sugar cubes in his drinks, but he’ll always share his sweets if it’s with you. even if it was kikufuku.

“it’s his favorite after all.”

you walk out of the funeral, leaving behind the confused and sympathetic looks of everyone there. shoko sighs at your reaction—she’ll let you go for now. everyone’s processing this in different ways, so she can’t blame you for how you’re dealing with satoru’s death. she’ll just hope you’ll learn to accept it soon.

on the way to get kikufuku, you spot a pet shop nearby. there’s a fish tank on display, and you notice that one of the tanks has a white betta fish inside. it’s the same shade as satoru’s hair, and you feel your feet moving on its own as you walk to the glass. you exhale with a shaky sob, placing a hand on it. i love you, satoru. i won’t say goodbye, though, cause i’ll be there eventually.

you make sure not to say “soon” because you knew that if you took your life with your own hands instead of letting fate choose your death, satoru would never let you hear the end of it. so you’ll keep living. you’ll keep living for yourself and satoru, even though you want to join them. every single day hurts and it also hurts to even breathe sometimes. though you know, somewhere out there, satoru and your friends are cheering you on with every step you take.

wait for me… okay?

the betta fish suddenly notices your presence, and swims up against the glass. so close, yet so far. you take that as satoru’s answer. it was like you could hear his voice directly speaking to you.

i’ll always wait for you, no matter how long it takes.

you smile for the first time today, even if it was barely a smile. you felt a familiar presence with you on the other side of that glass, even if it was just for a short moment, and it gave you what strength you had left to keep moving.

[violettelueur]

— FUSHIGURO MEGUMI + GOJO SATORU + NANAMI KENTO || THEIR S/O GETTING INJURED

↳ featuring : fushiguro megumi + gojo satoru + nanami kento from jujutsu kaisen

↳ warnings : grammar issues and a mini manga spoiler 

↳ form : headcanons

↳ published : 12 january

↳ pronouns : non specified in headcanon

↳ request : Hello~~~ First of all, your writing is the best thing ever!!!! Now, can I request some headcanons for Satorou, Nanami and Megumi please? Something like, what if their fem s/o or the girl they love gets injured by a strong curse right in front of them? I'm curious of their reactions! Thank you!!!!

↳ barista’s notes : well well well....the fact that i am posting this at 2:30am meant that i had fell asleep earlier and wrote this to try to get sleepy again ʕ ㅇ ᴥ ㅇʔ and it is working, so i do apologies for the lack of updates recently, i sort of need to organize myself more ʕ´•ᴥ•`ʔ other than that, i hope you enjoy your cup of classic black coffee (jujutsu kaisen request!) and please come back again ʕ•ᴥ•ʔﾉ♡

This little injury of yours probably happened during a mission that your lovely teacher, Gojo Satoru set for you and Fushiguro.

The second Fushiguro sees you getting injured or an injury that you got, he would start to worry slightly about your condition - even though he knows you are capable of protecting yourself.

Fushiguro will be mad at himself that he was ‘useless’ and couldn’t protect you from the curse that you both were fighting against - so please tell him that it isn’t his fault because he will hold it against him for some time.

If you had an injury and he just notices now, he would be angrier that he hadn’t noticed straight from the get-go.

He will somewhat become more violent but can somewhat hide his nervousness about your state during the battle, but once the curse has been exorcised he would immediately pull you to the side and examine your wound before trying to help stop the bleeding - probably rip a part of his uniform but he probably is an organised person, so he would have bandages somewhere.

Fushiguro would apologise to you but, of course, you would be confused and just tell him that it wasn’t his fault that you both were against a really strong curse and it was inevitable that you were going to get injured.

When you get back to Tokyo Jujutsu Tech, he would immediately drag you to Iriei to get you healed up as quickly as possible.

During the healing process, he would either sit beside you or on the bench - where Gojo sat last time - while trying to calm himself down since he still thinks it was his fault even though many times you told him it wasn’t.

Just comfort the boy a lot because he would blame himself even if the wound isn’t even that bad.

This man will get A N G R Y extremely fast.

The split-second Gojo sees your blood being spilt, the curse is already gone within a millisecond - like it’s gone, there is no essence of it.

Once the curse has been dealt with, he would begin to examine your wound and begin to ask you if you are alright.

But he doesn’t listen to your answer and just continues to worry internally but I can see him trying to light up the mood with his playful behaviour with some jokes here and there to hide his worry.

Saying something like “ah~ if the curse injured you more I would have gone in a murderous state and we don’t want that do we honey?” 

But...like….was not that a murderous state earlier?….. I’m confused.

He will continue to joke around when you both are going back to Jujutsu Tech and once you have reached the entrance, he will push you along to go to your old classmate Iriei to get your wound healed - maybe even carry you over his shoulder to exaggerate to Ieiri that you were in danger.

After the whole process has been completed, he would treat you to some sweets since this is his way of apologising to you since he feels somewhat guilty that he didn’t protect you in time.

Remember to light up the tension in the atmosphere with your teasing so he doesn’t feel bad - like “ain’t you, my hero Satoru~” because once you have said that, his ego will lowkey shoot up.

When you get injured, Nanami will be worried but he can keep calm in these situations unlike Fushiguro and Gojo - since though two are just - not bad - but obvious with their feelings.

Once he sees your injury, he would try to quicken the pace of the battle since now he wants to end the mission as quickly as possible so he can check if you were okay.

Once the curses have been exorcised by both you and Nanami will be the one that will closely examine your wound before placing something on it - probably like a handkerchief because I feel like he’s that type that will have one (especially in that suit of his), maybe he will use his tie.

I feel like he is the type that will state that you’ll need to be more careful about your surroundings next time during a mission - since you are a jujutsu sorcerer after all.

But after his little lecture, he would apologise for not protecting you in time before you were hurt to which you would tell him that it wasn’t his fault - because it never was anyone’s, to be honest.

Once you both get back to Jujutsu Tech, he is going to gently take you to Ieiri and wait for you to get fully healed since he is disappointed in himself that he wasn’t able to protect you.

(Manga Spoiler) The reason why he is disappointed is that he doesn’t want you to have the same fate as his old classmate: Haibara Yu had - he was scared of the possibility.

After you have finished with your healing session, Nanami will take you back home and make you rest - even when you are perfectly fine - but it’s just his to show that he cares about you.

Expect him to give you his favourite baguette as an apology and maybe a cup of coffee or tea to help you with a soothing atmosphere as you both try to forget what happened.

Please remember to tell him that you love him and thank him for his caring personality - it gives him a little confidence that you know that he cares even when he does tell you off in the beginning.

© violettelueur 2021 : written and published by violettelueur - do not steal or repost

[robininthelabyrinth]

Sufficiently strong emotionally-charged moments of physical contact can occasionally forge long-term telepathic bonds between cultivators. These bonds are usually based on positive emotions like familial or romantic love, or deep feelings of friendship, but the emotions don’t necessarily have to be positive to forge a bond. Wei Wuxian is very upset to find out that punching Jin Zixuan in the face apparently counts as a sufficiently strong emotionally-charged moment of physical contact.

on ao3

Wei Wuxian had been obsessed with the idea of a resonant bond ever since he first learned about it.

Sure, it was a rarity. It was easier for a cultivator to find a friend, a lover, or even a soulmate than it was for them to create a resonant bond, which required not merely liking or understanding or even love but rather a single moment in time in which two cultivators were on exactly the same wavelength.

Their cultivation strength, their frame of mind, the state of their bodies, the exact way in which they touched – in that one moment, everything would be exactly the same, and the Heavens would forget for that brief moment to see the two as separate, like two separate raindrops merging into one before the moment passed, some difference introduced, and they were broken apart into separate beings again. Yet even after they separated, they would irrevocably retain some aspects of the other, a connection that generally manifested, it was said, as a mental bond that could not be broken, a tie that would keep them bound together no matter the distance.

Such a thing could not be worked towards, only hoped for; it was a matter of luck.

Wei Wuxian had never wanted anything more in his life.

The thought of never being alone again – it enticed him, it excited him. Jiang Cheng could wrinkle his nose in distaste at the idea that he might not be alone in his mind anymore, that someone would see all the stupid or terrible things he sometimes thought, but to Wei Wuxian that was the best part: that someone would see you and know you and you would see and know them, too. To have someone to accompany you through the best and worst moments of your life, always at your side…

To never fear abandonment, to never need to worry about someone going out only for a little and then never coming back.

It would be amazing.

That was what Wei Wuxian thought.

Well, that was what he thought right up until he punched Jin Zixuan in the face for insulting his shijie, his whole heart burning at the unfairness of adults who didn’t understand, at other boys who didn’t appreciate what they had, at everything all around them and at his own weakness in not being able to do more, and something just –

Clicked.

-

“Hey, wake up! Wake up! Are you all right?”

Wei Wuxian opened his eyes, only to be assaulted with what felt like double vision. Above him were Jiang Cheng and Nie Huaisang, hovering and looking anxious, and from the corner of his eye he could see Lan Wangji, who he so enjoyed teasing, was sweeping over to them with a grim expression – and yet at the same time he thought he could perceive different faces above him as well.

Three young men and two women, all looking down at him with smiles like sharks, ready to devour. Each one of them draped in the gold they lusted to take from his hands –

What the fuck? Wei Wuxian thought groggily. How did I end up on the ground?

Good question. I didn’t think I got punched that hard.

Wait, Wei Wuxian thought. Hold up, I got punched? I didn’t even see the peacock lift his fists!

…Wei Wuxian? Is that – you?

Wei Wuxian’s eyes went wide when he realized he hadn’t said any of that out loud, that to judge from Jiang Cheng and Nie Huaisang’s chatter they hadn’t heard either him nor the other voice. Which meant that the voice had to be...in his head. Is this – this is a resonant bond. We formed a resonant bond!

Shit, Jin Zixuan thought, because it was Jin Zixuan, wasn’t it? Shit, shit, shit. Please don’t say anything about this to anyone!

What? Why?

Please!

Wei Wuxian hadn’t even known that the peacock knew that word.

Fine, he said, feeling generous on account of the whole bond business. I won’t tell. For now.

“Wei-xiong?” Nie Huaisang asked, looking worriedly fretful. “Are you all right? You haven’t said anything.”

“I’m fine,” he said, rubbing his head and trying to think of a lie to explain why he fell over like that. “I think the peacock must’ve had a talisman or a defensive weapon or something. Whatever it is, I’m fine now.”

“Good. I’m glad you’re all right,” Jiang Cheng said, looking deeply relieved. And then, a moment later – “Because I’m going to kill you - !”

There wasn’t too much time to talk after that. Wei Wuxian was sentenced to kneeling, and then his Uncle Jiang arrived and Sect Leader Jin arrived – oh no, oh no, oh no, I fucked up, Jin Zixuan thought hopelessly, and Wei Wuxian couldn’t help but feel a bit of the same – and the next thing Wei Wuxian knew, the engagement between Jin Zixuan and Jiang Yanli was broken and he was being sent to pack up his things, to be taken home at once.

Jin Zixuan was swept away by his father, too.

“A pity about the engagement,” Sect Leader Jin remarked idly as they walked together. “Perhaps you shouldn’t have said such a thing. Your mother will be disappointed.”

Wei Wuxian could feel the way that that jabbed at Jin Zixuan’s heart like a stab with a sword.

“Still, it’s no harm,” the man continued, indifferently ignoring the impact his words had had on his son. “One could even call it a gain! You won’t be burdened down with that shrew’s daughter anymore.”

That what?!

Tune out of this conversation, please, Jin Zixuan said, his thoughts dull and sluggish and resigned. It’s going to get worse from here on out.

It did.

Sect Leader Jin commented at some great length about his views on Madame Yu’s many faults – her temper, her strength, her nosiness, her thought that she was worth anything other than a pair of legs and an inheritance – and contrasted it with some salacious comments on her positive traits – mostly the legs, with a few comments on the upper half as well – and then he started speculating about Jiang Yanli, too, in a way that made Wei Wuxian’s blood boil.

It’s not about her, Jin Zixuan told him, his voice a little desperate in a familiar way – he was used to having to defend his father, and just as obviously didn’t want to. He’s building up a defense.

What?

For my mother. She’ll be angry at him for agreeing to break the engagement, so he’ll say that it was my idea, say all this stuff, and then she’ll be angry at me for believing it, instead, even though I don’t. This isn’t what I wanted at all.

Wei Wuxian frowned. You wanted to marry my shijie? You sure didn’t show it!

No, I just didn’t want to marry anybody, Jin Zixuan said, and…okay, fine, that was a pretty respectable position. Wei Wuxian didn’t particularly want to marry anyone yet, either. I just got angry when everyone was talking about how it was a done deal, that’s all. Just one more thing that got picked for me.

Wei Wuxian had heard Jiang Cheng complain about similar enough things – how much of his life was selected in advance, how much was organized for the benefit of his sect rather than his own interests, how little choice he got. How even if he’d been as good as Wei Wuxian, or even better, he still wouldn’t have been able to go out and hunt pheasants all day the way Wei Wuxian did.

He refused to feel sympathy. Well, you shouldn’t have taken it out on my shijie!

Probably not. Jin Zixuan was silent for a moment. It probably doesn’t help, but I’m sorry for my rudeness.

Wei Wuxian hated it when people were reasonable. It made it so much harder to stay angry at them.

Are you going to tell me why I can’t tell people about this bond yet? he asked. You’d better have a good reason, I had to put up with an entire scolding from Jiang Cheng because I didn’t have a good excuse!

Later tonight. I promise.

That night, Wei Wuxian excused himself early and hid himself in his room on the boat. He knew that he was giving both Uncle Jiang and Jiang Cheng the impression that he was feeling deeply guilty about having broken the engagement, thereby making them feel bad about it, which he didn’t intend, but he really wanted to hear the reason. If it wasn’t good enough, he’d really break Jin Zixuan’s nose this time!

It really is a good reason!

Well, then? If it’s so good, don’t keep me in suspense!

Jin Zixuan sighed. Wei Wuxian felt it like an exhalation on his cheek, as if Jin Zixuan were right there beside him. You know how a resonant bond is supposed to be equal?

What do you mean ‘supposed to be’? Wei Wuxian asked, and felt something cold in his belly.

There are forbidden techniques, ancient ones, that are designed to manipulate a resonant bond into an unequal state. To make one side the master and the other the slave.

That’s disgusting!

If we told anyone, my father would find a way to get one, Jin Zixuan said, and he wasn’t guessing. His voice was utterly certain. There’s very little money can’t buy, and he wouldn’t be able to resist the idea of having a spy in the very heart of the Jiang clan.

Well, then just don’t tell him!

Just like I didn’t tell him about what I said about your shijie?

Wei Wuxian got tripped up by that. It was true, Jin Zixuan hadn’t said a word about what had happened, and yet his father had already known every last detail. How..?

One of my ‘friends’ told him, of course. Probably more than one, actually – I wouldn’t be surprised if they all passed it along. It’s what he pays them for.

He pays for your friends to spy on you?!

I already told you that there’s little money can’t buy. Why not friends?

I wouldn’t be friends with people who accepted money to spy on me. Why do you?

If it’s not this set, it’ll be another, and it’s all the same. If they won’t be bought, then I can’t be friends with them…anyway, I’ve gotten used to these ones.

All of them? Wei Wuxian asked. Even Mianmian? She didn’t seem the type…

Her name is Luo Qingyang, and yes. Her parents are sick and my father’s paying for the treatment; if she doesn’t tell him everything, he’ll cut off funds…she told me about it, though. Said that if there was ever a time that I wanted her to ‘forget’ to report something, she could do that. That’s more than most would do, and probably about as much as anyone can expect –

Have you ever had a friend that wasn’t bought? Wei Wuxian asked. I mean…ever?

Jin Zixuan was silent.

Well, that wouldn’t do.

Well, I guess you have me now, Wei Wuxian thought, with only a tiny amount of self-pity for the stupidity of agreeing to be friends with Jin Zixuan. Still, if he’d survived his efforts at being Lan Wangji’s friend, he could survive anything. No one’s going to buy me!

But –

Nope! No take-backs! We have a resonant bond, peacock. You think I’m going to waste a gift from the Heavens like this just because it’s with you? You’ve got another thing coming!

…can you at least stop calling me a peacock?!

-

Madame Yu made her displeasure clear enough when Wei Wuxian returned, ordering him to kneel all night and do every available chore and things like that, but Wei Wuxian didn’t take it to heart – he never did, really.

Like Jiang Cheng, Madame Yu’s bark was worse than her bite: for all that she hissed and spat and punished him with kneeling or holding up weights, she’d never denied him resources, kept him back from training, or even denied him the spot of head disciple to promote another less qualified in his place, which she very well might have if she were a bit pettier.

So he didn’t take it personally, even if Jin Zixuan seemed indignant on his behalf – you were defending her daughter! You’d think she’d give you some leeway for that, at least! – and at any rate it was better than Jin Zixuan’s slow meandering way home, with his father disappearing every night into a brothel or the bedroom of some innkeeper’s daughter or something like that.

It was better than Jin Zixuan’s mother’s reaction, too, which was to scream and shout and say vicious nasty things, to smash plates and vases against the walls right over his head, and then to pull him into her arms and make him promise over and over again that he would never betray her.

I think I suffered more in terms of physical exertion, but you get full points for all the emotional devastation, Wei Wuxian said after Jin Zixuan returned to hide in his bedroom. Does she do that a lot?

All the time, Jin Zixuan said. All the fucking time.

After a moment, he added, guiltily, It’s only that she loves me –

Ugh, don’t even start with that, Wei Wuxian said. Complaining about awful parent-related trauma is boring, I get enough of it from Jiang Cheng. Help me figure out what I should do tomorrow: flying kites, swimming, or hunting pheasants? Oh, or fishing!

…seriously? Do you spend any time cultivating?

Oh, come on. It’s my first day back!

That just means you have more you need to catch up on!

-

Your shijie is really nice.

I told you!

You didn’t! You just hit me!

-

Wei Wuxian loved having a resonant bond.

Sure, it wasn’t with someone useful like Jiang Cheng or even wonderful like Lan Wangji – I can hear you, you know – but it was kind of nice to have someone to complain to when it would be awkward to put it onto Jiang Cheng or Jiang Yanli.

The other half being Jin Zixuan was also not as bad as he had first thought it would be. Sure, he was just as spoiled, arrogant, vain, and deeply cynical about human nature as Wei Wuxian had thought – I can still hear you! – but he was also an awkward introvert with no social skills and an over-active guilt complex – fuck you too, Wei Wuxian – and, in the sum total of things, surprisingly tolerable. Thanks? I think?

It’d certainly made the indoctrination camp more tolerable, even if it did mean having two people talking in his ear about how he needed to think more about the consequences of his actions and how it might reflect on his sect, and certainly having Jin Zixuan confirming that the other disciples had made it out of the cave and were moving at full speed to try to get help made the days he was waiting with Lan Wangji a lot less stressful, and their ensuing rescue a lot easier.

But sometimes –

This is a terrible idea! You can’t do it!

You don’t get a say! Wei Wuxian snarled. This is my decision.

Fuck you, Jin Zixuan said. A moment later, quieter: Is this because I couldn’t make it to you in time to help?

Wei Wuxian swallowed, feeling his eyes burn. The Wen attack was a surprise to everyone, he said. Even if you were able to convince your father to let you go help with everyone you had, it wouldn’t – you wouldn’t have made it in time to do anything.

After his father had refused, Jin Zixuan had snuck out of Jinlin Tower through what he’d thought was a secret passage and tried to go anyway, only to be caught and dragged back. Wei Wuxian appreciated the effort, even if it didn’t make a difference in the end.

When they were on the run from the Wen sect, after, Jin Zixuan had encouraged Wei Wuxian to head to Lanling, swearing that he wouldn’t allow anyone to turn them over to the Wen sect, but they hadn’t gotten that far.

And now…

It’s my choice, Wei Wuxian said. You don’t get a say.

Fuck you, Jin Zixuan said again, but his voice was softer. Fine. But I’m here for you.

Wei Wuxian smiled, just a little bit, and told to Wen Qing to start.

-

I’m going to murder my father, Jin Zixuan said, conversationally. And then go to the hell reserved for patricides and be reborn as a chicken right before slaughter.

For shame, Wei Wuxian said. Not even a lamb or a goat?

No, I want to be able to bite someone and mean it, and chickens are better at that than goats.

Wei Wuxian giggled, a little hysterically. It’s fine, he said, looking around the Burial Mounds. It’s fine that he won’t let you come to my rescue immediately. Not like I’m going anywhere.

He’d thought – they’d both thought – that the resonant bond would break or maybe transfer to Jiang Cheng along with Wei Wuxian’s golden core, but it hadn’t.

Wei Wuxian had been depressingly grateful for it, for the by now familiar Lanling cadence of Jin Zixuan in his head. It made the horrible quiet empty of the Burial Mounds a little more tolerable, a little less awful.

Anyway, he said briskly, shaking off his terror at being here alone but for the voice in his head. I have an idea…

-

I feel like if I knew Chifeng-zun looked like that I would’ve made befriending Nie Huaisang more of a priority when I was younger.

I know, right? Wei Wuxian thought back. Just…wow.

A moment later, he added, a little irritably, I thought you were into my shijie again?

I am! I’m allowed to have eyes, okay?

Not if you’re surnamed Jin you aren’t.

Fuck you.

Nope. And Chifeng-zun isn’t going to, either.

He could feel Jin Zixuan rolling his eyes. I don’t even want him to, I was really just looking. Anyway, how’s Lan Wangji doing?

Lan Zhan? He’s – well, he’s always bothering me about going back to Gusu with him, talking about how my demonic cultivation is dangerous to me, but oh, you should have seen him when he joins us to fight..! You can forgive anything, really, just to watch him move – Wei Wuxian paused. Wait, why are you asking?

No reason.

Jin Zixuan! You tell me this instant -

-

Jin Zixuan was locking Wei Wuxian out of his head again.

It was a technique they’d worked on developing together – with some assistance from Wei Wuxian’s brilliance and Jin Zixuan’s ability to find and purchase extremely rare reference texts, whether on resonant bonds or just more generally, including when Wei Wuxian had needed some help figuring out some things about demonic cultivation while trapped on the Burial Mounds – as it had become moderately urgent following Jin Zixuan’s first spring dream involving Jiang Yanli, and even more so once he’d decided that he really did want to marry her, actually, if she’d be willing to have him.

There were some things Wei Wuxian did not need to know about his shijie.

Still, it was unusual for him to block him during the day. One might even call it suspicious.

I’m sorry, Jin Zixuan said abruptly. It had to be done, and you weren’t going to do it.

Huh? What are you talking about…?

“Wei Wuxian!” Jiang Cheng shouted, and Wei Wuxian turned, surprised. His shidi’s eyes were red as if he’d been crying, and he ran up and pulled him into his arms. “Wei Wuxian…!”

“What?” he asked, puzzled. “What’s this about…?”

“How could you?!” Jiang Cheng demanded, weeping into his neck. “You should have told me – you had no right to – to give me – Wei Wuxian!”

Wei Wuxian’s back went stiff. You didn’t!

It was the truth or you getting kicked out of your sect! He needed to know!

Fuck you! It wasn’t your choice to make!

I’m not going to stand by and let you get schemed against, Jin Zixuan said. Certainly not by my own father. I won’t!

I’m going to make you pay for this, Wei Wuxian said darkly, then looked down at Jiang Cheng in his arms. And possibly thank you for it. But I’m definitely going to make you pay!

-

This may sound weird, Jin Zixuan said. But I think I’m being poisoned.

Based on what I know about Lanling Jin sect and its politics, it’s not weird at all, Wei Wuxian said instinctively, then frowned. Are you serious? It’s not just baby fatigue or something?

That’s what I thought at first, too. But now I’m not so sure. He was silent for a moment. I don’t want to sound like my mother, but…

You think it’s Lianfeng-zun? I’m not saying he doesn’t have the most motive for it, but do you really think..? He seems so nice.

He is, most of the time. Jin Zixuan sighed. Maybe I really am just tired.

Wei Wuxian didn’t think so. He’d had a half-dozen years of listening to the backstabbing, vicious world of Jinlin Tower under his belt by now – had fought bitterly in the war only to fight even more bitterly for something like the right to attend his own shijie’s wedding, something that ought to have been his by right – had nearly suffered an ambush when he tried to attend Jin Ling’s first month party, with Jin Zixun attacking him and Wen Ning going unexpectedly crazy and Jin Zixuan rushing over as fast as he could to make them all stop. If he hadn’t already known about Jin Zixuan not knowing about this, if he hadn’t felt something go wrong and thrown himself in between them without thinking, Jin Zixuan might’ve died there and then on the Qiongqi path.

If Jin Zixuan thought he was being poisoned, he was probably being poisoned.

I’ll come visit you and look into it, Wei Wuxian said. We can pretend that I’m there to visit shijie.

They’d long ago confessed the truth to Jiang Cheng and Jiang Yanli, of course. For some reason, neither had looked all that surprised.

With your reputation, even if you figured something out, who’d believe you? Jin Zixuan asked. Ask Hanguang-jun if he’ll come, his reputation will bear up.

Lan Zhan? Sure! I’m always happy to work with him. But you know, he’s been ignoring me recently…I don’t know why…

Tell him about the resonant bond.

What? I thought we were still keeping it a secret.

Tell him. He doesn’t tell anyone anything.

Good point, I guess. You think that’ll help him stop ignoring me?

Yes.

Wei Wuxian generally trusted Jin Zixuan’s reading of people, now that he was mature enough not to let his personal feelings cloud his judgment. All right, I will. Can you tell me why?

You’ll find out when you tell him.

Unhelpful.

Noted and ignored.

Fuck you.

Yeah, you too. See you soon.

-

Jin Zixuan?

Yeah?

Thank you for my love life, but also, FUCK YOU.

[fandomout]

Jon Kent Imagine/Preference CW Lois and Clark

Comforting Jon when he's upset about Eliza

GIF CREDIT

Sorry about the lack of posts! I really want to branch out. I have some writers block. This has some angst and fluff. Hope you like it. I really feel in love with Jon seeing how he takes care of Jordan and wanted to write something for him.

Warning: Spoiler if you haven't seen the second to last or last episode I think.

You and Jonathan aren't close enough as friends just yet, but it's really natural and nice between you two. These days you could say he was your closest friend and you his. You were looking forward to the talk about the carnival with Jonathan as you knew it was his first. As you saw him at his locker, you basically skipped over to him and spoke in an upbeat tone; however you only got his name in before he slammed his locker shut. He had a clenched jaw and told you, “I can’t talk now, Y/N.” Then, he quickly walked off before you had the chance to say much else. Yu stare off toward him with a frown. You had to wonder what was making him so upset. He’d been so nice and kind. This reaction was new to you. You spent the day thinking about it and keeping your distance after trying one more time to get close, of course; however, he got away once more.

Later that day, you were dropping off some stuff for the Harvest Festival, which led to you seeing Lois and Clark. You walked up to the pair of Kents and greeted them. They replied in kind with a bit more enthusiasm than you. You’d only really had two interactions previously, but they were both enjoyable. You commented on some of the items they brought in interest before finding yourself blurting out and regretting what was really on your mind. Those words were, “I’m sorry to bother you and be so forward...not sure this is my place, but I was wondering if either of you knew how Jonathan was doing? Is-is he okay?” They both meet eyes. Lois walks up a bit and grabs your arm comfortingly and replies, “It’s oh so very sweet of you to ask. Been giving you the cold shoulder?” You nod. “Don’t worry too much about that. He’s dealing as best he can.”

“Oh, okay. Sorry to ask. I was just worried all day about it. I know my feelings aren’t really the thing to think about. He's the one to worry about, but anyway...Yeah...it-” Clark interrupts to say, “We we understand you're just worried. It's completely fine.” and adds an understanding smile.

“Right. Well, Have a nice day.” You start to walk off when Lois yells, “Wait!” You turn toward her and she states, “Are you going by the carnival? What am I saying? Of course you are. If you live in Smallville, it’s a requirement. Anyway, Jonathan might be up to seeing you then.” You nod, and Clark adds, “I wouldn't worry too much about you and Jonathan. You guys seem really close, and we’re glad he has you in his corner.” You smile at the comment, and you reply, “I’m glad to be there too.” You walk away quickly.

You next saw Jonathan on the night of the Festival carnival. You weren’t actively planning on seeing him since you wanted to give him space, but you couldn't help yourself after you noticed his drunk state. You walked up to him and his football buddies, Timmy and Corey.

“Hey Jonathan.” You said simply, and he smiled before screaming out, “Hey!”

“What are you up to?”

“Just some hanging out. Oh!” He smacks his head lightly with the palm of his hand, which makes your eyes go wide. “Where are my manners?” You aren’t sure what he’s referring to until he harshly and quickly pulls out the flask from his pocket and holds it out to you.

“No thank you.” You tell him, and he insists with his hand. “Really. I’d rather not.” You push his hand away with yours. It seems to make him a little upset, so he says, “Well, we’re going to get a better look at the place, see you.” and stumbles a little over what seems to be only a little bit of hay on the ground. You use both hands to grab onto his arm and softly say, “Jonathan…”

“I’m fine.” He smiles and tries to walk off again, but you hold your grip and urge, “I think you should take a seat. I’ll get you some wat-”

“Why don’t you just leave me alone?”

“I don’t want to leave you alone.” He scoffs and laughs in a undermining wat before pulling his arm away from and expresses, “Yeah. I got that. You’re always clinging to me!”

“Clinging?”

“I said it. Always around me.”

“Well, we’re friend so-”

“An annoying one at that.” He laughs.

“Why are you being like this?” He nods to his buddies to walk off and they do; Jonathan goes off and says, “I hate it here. Nothing is going right. I have nothing left for me here. Wish I could just leave!”

“You have nothing here?”

“That’s right!”

“What have I been doing around you for the past couple of weeks then? I thought we were friends...A pretty decent refreshment from everything and everyone around here, but you can’t even stand it here? Wow I’ve never felt so stupid in my life. I mean I misread all of our interactions. Guess we just wasted each other's time then. Don’t worry you don’t need to pretend or whatever it was you were doing with me anymore. I’ll leave y0ou be-”

“Come on, that not what I-”

“I think you did.” Starts walking away. He tries to chase after, but it’s futile in his drunk state as he trips and falls into a stack of hay. You look over wanting to help. After seeing Jordan though, you give yourself the chance to walk away.

“Y/N!” You hear him call, yet you keep walking.

Jordan sits Jonathan down and asks, “I left you alone for 5 seconds to get water for you. What was up with that?”

“I think I just ruined the one relationship I can actually bare in this town…” He looks down defeated.

“Y/n is reasonable, just talk to them tomorrow and apologize.”

“How could I be such an idiot?”

“Heartbreak does crazy things…” Scoffs a bit. “Yeah, like you’d know.”

“Shut up.” Jordan smiled and shoved him lightly, which almost knocked Jonathan over.

“Woah! Really gonna use the strength on me when I’m most vulnerable.”

“Sorry, don’t know my own strength.”

“It’s cool…”

After calling the cab share, they make their way to the entrance of the carnival, and they see you as you wait for someone to pick you up. Jonathan stares at you guilty until you feel someone burning their gaze into you. You turn and meet his eyes, and you snap your head forward again. You just wanted to go home and not think about the cruel and unexpected words. He sighs and walks over to you, which left Jordan far from you two. He sits down next to you and quietly says, “Y/N…”

“Jonathan please…” You crumple your clothes.

“I am really sorry about what I said…”

“If it was true, I’d rather you not apologize. I’d prefer the truth even if you gave it to me, painfully.”

“I didn’t mean i-Well, I meant most of it...I wasn’t thinking. While, yeah, I hate it here, I don’t hate you.” Nudges you with his arm like he’ll hold your hand and says, “You're the only thing I like about this place…”

“As you should, I’ve been an awesome friend.” You both laugh.

“Can’t argue with that. That being said, I haven’t been the best, especially the last day or two-”

“Well, I can get wanting distance for the most sort after whatever happened to you, but-”

“Eliza broke up with me, and it shouldn't be an excuse for what I said to you…”

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

“I know...She just-I don’t get it. I mean I didn’t even see it coming...I can get the distance to be too much, but why now...I just hate it...”

“Things haven’t been easy for you here.”

“Way to state the obvious.”

“Shut up, I mean everything was great where you lived before right?”

“Yeah basically.”

“Eliza was just the last piece of that place. I think that’s what makes this harder for you” eyes go wide. “I-I don’t mean to tell you how you feel! Just-” Puts his hand to your arm.

“I know.” Comforting smile. Small falters and nods. ”What you said makes a lot of sense actually...”

“Sorry.”

“Don’t be.”

“Anyway, I should get home before my parents get more upset at me for tonight.”

“Right. Right.” Both stand. “Good Night.” You wave to him slightly.

“Good Night.” He pulls you into a firm and warm hug and says, “Any thank you.” He let's go and you nod at him a little awkward. He smiles at you and waves before heading into the car.

Hope your day got better!

[stiltonbasket]

Renouncement verse, jc bonds with his niblings. Jc forced on a misadventure with lz and reflects on those 3 months during the war and their changed relationship to each other (reminding him of his other bro in law), possible beginings of friendship? Sect leader yao get reckt? People reminded that wwx is incredibly kind just as he is incredibly badass? Love ur stories! :D

(author’s note: please please reblog if you can, since that’s how we get prompts for future chapters!)

“I want to get out of here,” Lan Wangji growls. “We have been stuck for almost a full shichen.”

“We’re not in any danger,” Jiang Cheng points out, rolling his eyes. The two of them have been stuck in the lair of a spider demon for the last two hours, trapped by its resentful webs even after they gored it through the head and ripped its legs off; but the webs dissipate by themselves about four or five hours after the death of yaoguai that made them, so he and Lan Wangji just have to wait until they can get out. 

Oddly enough, Jiang Cheng had thought that Lan Wangji would be much better at waiting.

“I know we are not in danger,” his brother-in-law hisses—and isn’t that a kicker, knowing that he and Lan Wangji are technically related now. “I have a family to return to. We cannot stay here doing nothing until the webs disappear.”

“If we use our lingli to get ourselves out, we’ll exhaust ourselves, and it’ll take twice as long for you to get back to the Cloud Recesses. Just stay put and stop complaining.”

“If we use our lingli, I will at least be able to get a message to Wei Ying!” Lan Wangji snaps. “The little one may be coming now, for all I know! And Wei Ying will worry, besides!”

“He wasn’t even expecting you back until tomorrow,” Jiang Cheng grumbles, turning his back on him. “It was your idea to come here at night. We were going to speak to the villagers in the afternoon and start work in the morning.”

“That would have kept us away from home for an extra half-day.”

“Believe it or not, the Cloud Recesses can run itself perfectly well without you. Your brother can manage by himself for a night, and so can Wei Wuxian.”

The look Lan Wangji gives him is so poisonous that it would have made the spider yaoguai proud. “What did you say?”

“You heard me,” Jiang Cheng returns, turning back to face Lan Wangji with his arms crossed over his chest. “Stop thinking that something’s going to happen to my brother because you’re not there. He can take care of himself.”

A shadow of mingled grief and anger passes over Lan Wangji’s eyes, and Jiang Cheng tries not to feel guilty at the sight of it. After all, Lan Wangji doesn’t have to say that Wei Ying has been taking care of himself since before the Sunshot Campaign—he was thrown into Luanzung Gang without a golden core to protect him, taught himself resentful cultivation and overthrew Wen Ruohan with it, and then he fled to the Burial Mounds and kept fifty people fed and clothed with his own labor while keeping them safe from the Jins at the same time. 

Wei Wuxian is so used to taking care of himself that he didn’t know how to accept it when his own lawful husband tried to assure him that he no longer had to worry for his future, or the futures of the children they have together. 

“I was already making plans to take myself out of the way after Lan Zhan found someone he really loved,” his brother told him once, after Jiang Cheng received word about the coming baby and flew to the Cloud Recesses to see if it was true. “I was hoping he wouldn’t until Xiao-Yu came of age, but separations do happen in the Cloud Recesses, and you put that divorce clause into our betrothal contract. It’s stupid, but even though I know now that he’s loved me all along, I...I still don’t know how to feel it’s true sometimes.”

“Is he not taking care of you?” Jiang Cheng had demanded, his hackles already rising in fury at the thought of Wei Wuxian’s husband making him feel abandoned. “I’ll have words with him if he is, you—”

“A-Cheng,” Wei Wuxian chided. “It’s not like that.” And then he had gestured around him to the fluffy pillows and blankets layered all over his body and the vials of medicine at the bedside table, before casting a pointed eye at his own reflection in the mirror. “Xichen-ge said that such worries are normal with a child on the way, and I wasn’t so—well, worried—before the autumn. It should pass, and there are healers who train for that sort of thing if it doesn’t.”

That sort of thing might be why Lan Wangji is so desperate to return to Wei Wuxian now, if Jiang Cheng looks a little further than his brother-in-law’s point-blank refusal to let Wei Wuxian out of his sight ever since Mo Xuanyu brought him back to life about a year and a half ago. His brother hasn’t been well lately, what with being kidnapped right before he found out about A-Lan and the stress that the chilly Gusu winter had placed on his coreless body, and he doesn’t exactly have a good track record for keeping out of trouble whenever Lan Wangji is away from him. 

And the last time Lan Wangji was forcibly separated from Wei Wuxian, he and Jiang Cheng spent three months searching for him everywhere from Yunmeng to Qishan, forced into partnership by fear and hope and everything in between, and still half-certain that they would find nothing but a body when their search was over.

“Get Bichen and start chopping,” Jiang Cheng says abruptly, yanking Sandu out of its sheath and wincing as he feels the spiritual drain when it slashes a piece of web in two. “I’ll take the right, you take the front. We should be out in half an hour.”

__

Neither of them have enough lingli to travel back by sword, so they rent a pair of horses from a chain stable-owner and set their course back towards Gusu; the spider yao’s nest was in Moling, and Lan Wangji was obliged to attend to the matter as Excellency, and Jiang Cheng came along because he happened to be visiting the Cloud Recesses. Six hours later, they drop the horses off at the first chain stable they can find, and then they make their way through Caiyi town and up into the mountains. 

“I want to see my brother,” Jiang Cheng grumbles, holding up the package of beef bones he bought on the journey. “You’re taking care of him properly, I know, but—I just want to see him. And my niece.”

Lan Wangji lifts his eyebrow at him, but then his whole face softens as Wei Wuxian comes running down the path with Xiao-Yu in his arms, so delighted to see them both that his face seems to be lit by a tiny sun from within. 

“Lan Zhan!” he calls, leaping into Lan Wangji’s embrace and kissing him until Xiao-Yu starts wriggling in discomfort between them. “How are you, love? You didn’t have any trouble, did you?”

Lan Wangji shakes his head and returns Wei Wuxian’s kisses just as fervently, and then Wei Wuxian turns to Jiang Cheng and beams, hugging him so tightly that the breath flies out of his chest with a gasp.

“Will you stay until tomorrow, Jiang Cheng?” Wei Wuxian asks, taking his hand and wrapping his other arm around Lan Wangji’s waist, while Xiao-Yu scrambles up onto Lan Wangji’s shoulders. “A-Hong just sent word saying that you haven’t had any summons today, so I thought…”

Jiang Cheng nods. He can feel tears pricking at the corners of his eyes at the warmth in his brother’s voice, and the lump in his throat does not leave until much later that evening, when he goes to bed in one of the guest houses and stares up at the ceiling in an effort to fall asleep.

But then Lan Jingyi bursts into his room just before midnight, and drags him out of the guest house and up towards the infirmary. “What’s wrong?” Jiang Cheng demands, the moment he catches his breath. “Wei Wuxian—he’s not—”

“It’s happening!” Jingyi screeches. “Wei-qianbei asked for you, and Zewu-jun’s already started passing him spiritual energy—”

Jiang Cheng nearly faints dead away on the spot when Jingyi finally drags him into the healing ward and shows him to Wei Wuxian’s room. 

He’s about to become a jiujiu again.

[biwenqing]

Tang Yu's musings about her brother's relationship with Wang Zhi. For day five of Spring Sleuthing for the prompt "thaw" which I also took as the title for this little fic.

General | One-shot | wc: 1601 | ao3 link

Tang Yu often brought Cheng’er over to spend time with his uncle. Uncles really, because Tang Yu had the distinct sense that her brother had found a life partner in Sui Zhou. She liked Sui Zhou a lot and knew he treated her brother and Dong’er very well.

She could see it now as she was sitting with Tang Fan and Cheng’er at the table, eating the lunch Sui Zhou had prepared. Sui Zhou and Dong’er were either still in the kitchen, working on some treats for later, or had gone off to practice self-defense. She had heard Dong’er was making great progress in hand-to-hand fighting.

Tang Fan was helping Cheng’er with some of his school work. Her son was doing so much better with the proper attention and care, and Tang Yu found herself feeling lighter and happier. Tang Fan seemed to be able to understand what worked best for his nephew to learn and Cheng’er had taken quite a liking to him.

Cheng’er had just finished copying a line when they were interrupted as Wang Zhi walked into her brother’s home as if he owned the place. He then sat at the table at Tang Fan’s side, the one not currently occupied by Cheng’er, and put some papers on the table.

Tang Fan made a face at the uninvited guest. “Who let you in?”

“Dong’er,” Wang Zhi rolled his eyes, now helping himself to Tang Fan’s plate. “Will you look at this?”

“Do I have a choice?” Tang Fan said, surprising Tang Yu by not snatching his food back. Instead, he was picking up the papers, sorting through them. “Sorry Cheng’er, we can finish later, if that’s okay?”

Cheng’er nodded vigorously, and Tang Yu knew he was just excited to not have to do any more of his lessons. Just because he was getting better at his lessons, didn’t mean he enjoyed them.

“Carefully clean up okay?” Tang Yu instructed, not rolling her eyes at either of their antics. She could tell her brother’s attention had completely drifted and wouldn’t come back anytime soon.

Her good boy nodded, more subdued this time, and began to carefully put the paper and inks away, carrying the brushes off to be washed.

“You think these murders are related to grain taxes?” Tang Fan was asking Wang Zhi.

Tang Yu decided to linger and watch them, using finishing up her lunch as an excuse. Reaching to grab more vegetables, Tang Yu found Wang Zhi’s chopsticks already there. He moved away, leaving her to grab what she wanted, turning his attention back to Tang Fan as if he never reached anything.

Tang Yu didn’t fully understand Wang Zhi. She knew the kind of person he was, in the sense that all people knew of who those inside of the palace became. Yet for some reason Wang Zhi had been pulled into her brother’s orbit. It increasingly seemed... more than that. Here now, they were in each other’s personal space and seemed to share more touches than necessary.

When she had mentioned it to her Huai, he had shaken his head. “You know your brother would never betray his partner like that! Sui Zhou especially.”

Tang Yu did know that. Her brother had a good and fair heart that just wasn’t made to do something so cruel as cheat. But that didn’t mean she was wrong in her observations. Her point was proven to herself now, as Sui Zhou came into the room, drying his hands on his apron.

Tang Fan spotted him and launched into the deductions he and Wang Zhi had so far. Sui Zhou nodded, coming to lean in between Wang Zhi and Tang Fan. The two were already sitting close, so this only reduced any distance further. Most telling were Sui Zhou’s hands, settling between each of their shoulder blades.

Tang Yu felt that by now she had gotten to know Sui Zhou well and knew he was a man who was rather restrained in his affection. There were certainly other meanings to such affection, but this added with her observations of her brother, Tang Yu was pretty certain what was going on here. Or where things were headed.

Which brought up some questions for her, even if it was not her place. The first maybe should have been “Why Wang Zhi?” but Tang Yu was more concerned about the fact that her brother hadn’t told her what was going on. She assumed the “why him?” question would be answered if her brother actually talked to her about whatever this was.

Wang Zhi apparently felt her gaze, because he glanced up. Even if she didn’t know what to think of him, Tang Yu didn’t want to come in the way of whatever happiness her brother tried to find, so she looked away. Finishing her food, she went about clearing the table. Sui Zhou shot her a thankful smile which she returned, slipping out of the room to leave them to their work.

After doing the dishes she went back to call out to Tang Fan. “I need to go help my husband with a procedure, remember? Can you still watch Cheng’er.”

“Of course!” Tang Fan appeared, smiling. “Though... where do you think he went off to?”

“Probably got distracted in your study,” Tang Yu smiled. They both went to find him, examining some art and trying to copy it. She got to say goodbye once she kissed Cheng’er’s forehead.

[...]

When Tang Yu came back that evening, she was tired but pleased by the work she had been able to do helping Pei Huai. She saved the feeling of having a purpose and the support for that purpose outside of the housework she had been expected to do in her past marriage.

She wandered through the house, looking for where Cheng’er had gotten off too, hopefully with Tang Fan nearby. What she came upon was a scene that made her pause. Trying to be quiet and unseen, she watched.

Apparently, Wang Zhi was still there. He was seated at a little table, Dong’er across from him. They seemed to be playing a game of go. Cheng’er was perched on Wang Zhi’s knee, an arm carefully around his waist so he wouldn’t fall. It seemed as if Wang Zhi and Dong’er were explaining the game to him as they played.

The more she watched them, the more she got it; some of her previous questions were answered. Tang Fan had seen through Wang Zhi in a way she had not, in a way most people wouldn’t.

“He’s good with children.” Sui Zhou’s voice was soft so that those playing go would not hear. He caused Tang Yu to jump, and she turned to give him a surprised look.

“So it would seem...” Tang Yu felt a bit guilty for being caught spying. And that she had been judging Wang Zhi without knowing the truth of the matter.

Sui Zhou didn’t call her out, his focus turning to where she had been watching. Cheng’er let out loud laughter and Tang Yu watched as Wang Zhi made sure her son didn’t topple over in his mirth. Tang Yu glanced at Sui Zhou and saw one of his small, but genuine, smiles.

She bit back the questions she wanted to ask. It wasn’t her business and if it was, she should talk to her brother anyway. She had to smile though when she noticed Sui Zhou caught her once more, and seemed to be laughing at her.

Better than being upset.

“Are you going to stay for dinner?” Sui Zhou asked.

“If it’s not too much trouble. Pei Huai will also join.”

“No trouble,” Sui Zhou nodded, turning to probably go prepare.

“Do you need any help?” she asked, reaching out a hand.

“If you want.”

“Let me just check in with Cheng’er,” she said and turned to enter the room she had been spying into.

The three occupants looked up as she entered. Cheng’er excitedly pointed at the board. “I’m playing go!”

“I can see that,” Tang Yu came over and crouched down to have a better look at the game.

“It’s the only way to beat Dong’er,” Wang Zhi said. “I needed another brilliant mind to help me.”

Cheng’er tipped his head back to smile up at Wang Zhi at the praise.

Dong’er laughed at this, but said, “Cheng’er has started to understand a lot of the rules.”

Tang Yu glanced at the board. She had a feeling that Dong’er was throwing the game so that Cheng’er could win. From her own understanding, it looked like a very strategic loss. “Well I don’t want to bother you, I just wanted to say hi before going to help Sui Zhou.” She met Wang Zhi’s eyes and hoped he understood this was also a check-in to make sure he was fine continuing to entertain the kids. “Everyone good?”

“We need snacks!” Dong’er reported.

“You’ll spoil your appetite before dinner,” Wang Zhi admonished, but rather gently. She stuck her tongue out at him. “We’ll be fine.” This he directed back to Tang Yu and even gave her a tentative smile.

Did she intimidate the feared commander of the Western Depot? The thought brought a smile to her own face and she slipped from the room, calling back, “Be good!”

“We will!” Cheng’er yelled after her.

Tang Yu made her way back through the house, she decided she certainly would accept Wang Zhi into the family her brother collected. She could always welcome another little brother.

For two orphans, she and Tang Fan had a lot of family.

[merryfortune]

Blue since the day we parted

Written for 100ships on Dreamwidth

Prompt: #13 Blue

Ship: Ai/Shoichi/Yusaku

Fandom: Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS

Word Count: 1,745

Rating: T

Warnings: Choose Not to Warn

Tags: Canon Compliant, Angst with a Happy Ending, Missing Scene Fic

   A tear glistened in the corner of Playmaker’s eye as he reached out into that cloudy, blue sky and touched Ai, plucking him from the digital space.

   Ai convulsed inside his hand. Just an eyeball. Reconstructed, refigured, recantered and then he remembered. Playmaker’s heart lurched with worry as he cradled Ai, standing into the wind and letting it roll off him as he waited for Ai to say something. To do something. Anything. And then a tear to match the ones dripping slowly down the side of Playmaker’s face welled up on the rubber duct of Ai’s entire eyeball.

   “Yusaku…?” he murmured. “Yusaku! Yusaku! My Yusaku!”

   “Y-Yeah, it's me, Ai.” Playmaker beamed and Ai was happy that such a wide smile would be his first memory in this refreshed, new world.

   “I thought… I thought I was a goner.” Ai mumbled, grateful to be alive but grim in his certainty that he was very much not so supposed to be alive.

   “You know me,” Playmaker shrugged, “once I decide something, it becomes my purpose. Be it for three months or ten years, I just get absorbed in that one singular desire. Looking for you, piecing you back together, that was my one desire this time.”

   “And I bet it was just as destructive for you than if was just plain ol’ revenge.” Ai replied.

   Playmaker didn’t have a verbal response to that but the guilty look on his face spoke volumes. Ai nodded in his hands, moving himself up and down against Playmaker’s palms.

   “I thought as much.” Ai mumbled. “You never really change and yet…?”

   It, too, was written all over Playmaker’s face just as much as the guilt of having pushed aside so many of his connections just so he could reconnect to this one. Playmaker found it worth it though. Unbelievably worth it. He kept smiling, even if his initial grin had shrunken in on itself and steeped with guilt.

   “I can’t help it, your right,” Playmaker replied, murmuring, “Ai means to love people but I feel like I can only do it when I have…”

   “Ai?” Ai piped up hopefully.

   “Yeah, exactly.” Playmaker told him.

   “Oh, you incorrigible…!” Ai complained and he seemed rather cranky in Playmaker’s hands now, frowning and pouting but then he let up on it. “I love you, too. Thank you for bringing me back, for having hope.”

   “My pleasure.” Playmaker replied.

   “So, what now?” asked Ai. “Am I going to be stuck like this forever? My handsome visages? Gone, perished, truly a fate worse than death.”

   “I’ve got that all figured out,” Playmaker assured Ai, “So let’s log-out.” He shifted slightly and an admittance followed, “There’s someone else I really want back now, though, as well. Its kind of co-linked to getting your body back, too.”

   Ai had a sneaking suspicion that he knew what that meant so he perked up immediately, “Let’s get to it then, Playmaker! Seize the wind, already!”

   Playmaker laughed and it was such a lovely sound to Ai. It was unrehearsed and croaky but it was laughter nonetheless. They logged out together shortly afterwards. A cavalcade of pale blue data turning into sparkling shards of data before disappearing entirely.

   When they resurfaced, the location was not where Ai expected. He was still in the palm of Yusaku’s hands as he ventured out of a dark niche where his Link VRAINS rig was set up. It was familiar but it wasn’t home - or at least Yusaku’s apartment, even if it had never really felt like home until the end, when it was more about the emotions imbued in the walls than the walls themselves.

   Looking around, the first thing Ai saw, through the guards of Yusaku’s fingers, was the ocean. It was about midday, early afternoon, and the ocean was sparkling. It was a rich azure through the silver railing and the framing of the huge doorway into this building that Yusaku had made his next hovel. Ai realised where they were; they were at the site of their final showdown, if not a warehouse or two either.

   Ai wriggled in Yusaku’s hands so he could look up to him, “What happened to the apartment?” he asked. “Wh-Where’s Roboppy’s shell?”

   “Somewhere safe, don’t worry,” Yusaku replied and then he shrugged, his gaze grew distant, “I’m not sure what happened to the apartment. Landlord never tried to contact me when I bailed, I left behind whatever I couldn’t bring with me so I could stay here. It was easier than trying to move all your stockpiles there. Mightn’t be the most luxurious of places but its quiet here.”

   “Yeah, nothing more soothing than the sounds of construction.” Ai complained because he knew, for one, that he could hear the sound of jackhammers somewhere along the industrial pier.

   “Okay, serene.” Yusaku corrected himself.

   “But if there’s people around… how are you…?” Ai’s voice trailed off.

   “It’s not easy but I’ve managed alright to hide out undetected. I think the workers enjoy having a ghost around. So long as it doesn’t touch anything important, they don’t care if some electricity is pilfered.” Yusaku said but he brightened up, returned his gaze to Ai. “But now that we’re together again, let’s try and find somewhere really nice to live, yeah?”

   “Yeah.” Ai excitedly replied.

   “So let’s get you into your not-meat suit.” Yusaku said. “I don’t have all the means to give you back your Ignis body but take your pick of SOLtiS bodies.”

   Yusaku drifted through the vast, freezing warehouse like it was his home, showing Ai to one of the many stashes of cold, lifeless bodies that belonged to them. As eerie as it was to have so many empty SOLtiS androids around, Ai jumped into one enthusiastically. He wormed and wriggled his way into their shell and the eyeball became a beating heart. Yusaku watched, breathless, as a dressed and ready Ai appeared before him in the form of his dashing persona as a human.

   Whilst Ai may have been groggy and vague at first upon revival, he was really in the swing of things now as he popped up on his two legs like he was born to walk. Yusaku smiled gently whilst Ai stretched out all his nuts and bolts, making sure his limbs hadn’t rusted and got as close to limber as a robot could be and at the very end, made a very satisfied sigh.

   “Alright, what’s next?” Ai asked.

   “I think you know,” Yusaku said and though his heart thudded in his chest, a beg not to, he reached out to take Ai’s hand, “let’s go.”

   “Of course, partner.” Ai replied affectionately.

   Their fingers intertwined and linked together and then they were off with the wind. Not forever, obviously, Yusaku wanted to circle back later to grab Roboppy and a few other things that would be difficult to replace retroactively but for now, he and Ai were really putting the blues of the warehouse behind them both. And they both knew where they were headed on the interim, following the winding, concrete paths that allied themselves with the ocean so down below at the base of the steep cliffs here.

   When they arrived where they wanted to go, they still arrived looking like they ought to be dead. A corpse and a ghost: neither sure which was which but it was worth it.

   Cafe Nagi’s van was set up to the side of the Stardust Road. The last of the lunch time rush customers were trickling in and out, a waiter with a fluffy ponytail darting around them, fetching them refreshments and the like who paused to stare, puzzled, as his brother abandoned his post behind the grill.

   Yusaku smiled, tears in his eyes again that turned his smile creaky and all the more sincere, “Hey Kusanagi,” he said as Shoichi rushed towards him and Ai with a disbelieving smile, “I-I’ve missed you.”

   Before Yusaku knew it, he was swept up in a big bear hug from Shoichi. His arms surged around Yusaku’s scrawny frame and were so warm, Yusaku couldn’t have been more thankful for it. He buried his wet face into Shoichi’s chest and wrapped his arms around Shoichi’s waist. He felt so cared for as Shoichi’s hand cradled the back of his head, his fingers in his blue hair - and Ai, Ai was involving himself in this hug one way or another, too. Trying to reach both Yusaku and Shoichi but Shoichi was hogging Yusaku but Ai didn’t mind.

   “Never - and I mean never - do that to me again.” Shoichi growled. He was angry and sad and happy and relieved all at once. All that really broke through the barrage of emotions that he felt was love.

   “I promise.” Yusaku replied. He hugged back tighter. “I absolutely promise, I - I don’t want to be separated from you or Ai ever again, both of you are my precious partners.”

   “I believe you, Yusaku.” Shoichi consoled him. His head shifted to the left slightly, “And I mean it, Ai, I’m glad to see your back as well. I don’t want you running off either.”

   “It’s good to see you again, too, hot dog man.” Ai mumbled very fondly and with something of a tint of sadness. “And trust me,” he added, “there’s nowhere I’d rather be right now with you two.”

   “Same.” Yusaku mumbled.

   “I’m glad,” Shoichi replied softly and though he didn’t want to, he loosened his embrace of Yusaku so he could see his face properly, his cheeks were red and he looked dishevelled, there were bags under his eyes, “Yusaku? Ai?” Shoichi murmured.

   “Yeah?” Yusaku mumbled.

   Shoichi tilted his head to the side slightly, “Do you want to come live with me?” he asked. “Me and Jin?”

   “I’d love to.” Yusaku replied.

   “Me too.” Ai added on.

   Yusaku hugged Shoichi again. He couldn’t wait to move in with Shoichi and together they could get Ai his little Ignis body back too. It was all happening and Yusaku couldn’t be happier. He had been so depressed and angry since Ai died. Everything else became a blur to him. Lifeless, miserable. He didn’t want that anymore or ever again. So, he was determined to never let go of either Ai or Shoichi ever again and then, like an armory, the legendary spear and shield to pierce and protect and their tentacle monster too, they could go forward and progress. Reconnect and co-link. That’s all Yusaku wanted.

[fandom-imagination-ss]

Imagine: Being Life long friends with Sam and meeting Bucky unexceptionally when your in the middle of a life crisis

Being Sam Wilson best friend, and his family and your being family friends made your life fun growing up. It was like having a brother- but a brother you could send away too his home when you wanted too be more “girly” and play with his sister Sarah. Growing up with Sam it was a adventure he always got you in trouble. But it made life Fun.

You were one of the billions of people who Blimped. However when you returned. You were stunned too learn your husband Not only remarried but was married too the opposite sex of what you are. And that was a Curve ball you weren’t expecting. You and his new Partner fought for a week over who was the home wrecker. He stated you were since you were whipped from existence, while you said He was. Since you married your dum dum of a husband first. In the end your husband said he wasn’t going back too you.

Honestly you were relieved- you were having issues before you disappeared and you simply said that you wanted your stuff and you would leave... that’s when he informed you that he sold your stuff within a Week of dissapearing and giving your Favorite panda bear teddy bear too the neighbor who had a girl who was now five years old. You were MORE upset about the Teddybear then the marriage, or your stuff being Gone. Mr. P (your trusted companion thru out your life) has been their for you Thur heartbreak, the ups and the down. And you ere heartbroken that he gave up hope so quickly. But Mr. P being gone was the last straw.

luckily the neighbor understood and felt pity that you returned too Nothing and your husband left you for a man. And that you didn’t have a Job anymore. And basically had the cloths on your back and the few pieces of shirts you took from your husband. So they gave you back Mr. P.. who was missing a eye now and smelt of someone else. It didn’t smell like you and it made your return home too your parents depressing.

Sam was gone, he was blimped. Your friend Sarah was left with two little kids as you helped out. But when you got the divorce papers seeing your no good of a husband was claiming abandonment and wanting everything. You snapped. And you went too Europe for the summer.

Traveling, the food, the culture. Yu were Never alone in bed. It was a well needed mental break, No responsibility, No husband, No drama, just a break from reality. Then you returned home too see Sam was back. Captain America was Gone, and your life came crashing back. Fun was over. Time too restart your entire life.. and try too move on with your life.

Sam returned home as you and him had a few beers after work. Talking about life, the Avengers, Europe. (Most stories were glazed over. Mainly because you didn’t want too talk about the string of lovers you left behind in Europe that wasn’t you. You weren’t the sort of person too kiss or tell. Plus Sam was struggling he wasn’t mentioning it out loud but the lost of Tony Stark, and Now Steve he’s close friend in Washington it took a toll on your friend.

you use too ask about the Winter soldier The hot mysteries Killer who just Dissapeared and then was helping the avengers with the battle of basically life. Sam said he was a ass and that he wans’t much. You disagreed saying the mystery man was Hot. Which only made him question your values.

Sneaking over too the Wilson family was a common thing, you always walk right in, and they do vise versa. Today you got in early with a box of donuts from your mom shop you got up at 4 am too bake them as you got inside exhusted from your short shift it was almost eight am. As you got in seeing the boys were playing with a Captain America shield you walked over seeing someone sleeping on the sofa. Stepping over looking at it, ‘Holly crap that looks so real.”

“it is! Uncle Sam brought it over.”

“Shut up!” The youngest handed it too you as you held it. It was lighter then you imagined as you three played with it until you heard a deep voice. “Hey”

The three of you turned seeing the man awake he had a smile on his face as he waved at the three of you as you gasped, “Scatter!” The boys bolted as you put the shield down as you spoke, “Sorry-..” putting the shield down you spoke up, “I’m Y/N... ugh... sorry i walked in on the boys playing with it and- i couldn’t help myself.” He chuckled weakly shifting up as he said No worry as Sam walked into the kitchen.

“Hey Y/N” he reached over kissing your cheek it was a common greeting you both had. Since you were seven. You smield saying hey as he spoke, “what’s going on here? Your face is all red?”

Laughing weakly you shook your head, “Nothing! Nothing hey where is Sarah?”

“Not here- she went too the boat i think.”

You groaned hearing that. You were just at the docks at her boat looking for her- she wasn’t there. “No i was just there-“

“Sorry- oh so you meet?”

Shaking your head, “no- i mean i gave my name. He didn’t give his.”

Sam spoke, “good lets keep it that way.” You rolled your eyes, ‘your a prue gent Sam.” He rolled his eyes as the man chuckled as he spoke ‘I’m Bucky.”

Smiling at him Sam spoke, ‘hey- so.. Don’t mention the shield okay.”

he nudged his head at the shield that was leaning against the wall as you shook your head, “didn’t see a thing.. it’s not the real one is it?”

“yea- long story.”

you gasped gripping his arm, “Will I meet one of the Avengers? If I the Avengers are involved I’m going home too change out of my floured covered shirt.”

“No- No this is just Steve stuff.”

you meet Steve and even commented too Sam (when Steve went home) that if you weren’t married you would drool over Steve But at last.. you were married and couldn’t. But he was Fun too look at.

You nodded your head, “okay. Just- dont break it! With playing with it.”

Bucky grinned hearing that, you soon left as Bucky spoke, “So who’s that?”

“Family friend, she’s the kids godmother. And she’s like a sister so No flirting with her!’

“she’s not your special friend?” Bucky grinned seeing how he kissed her when he arrived as Sam spoke “gross No1 she’s like a sister she’s my best friend growing up she’s sensitive leave her alone.”

Later that day you arrived too Sarah’s Boat seeing Sam and Bucky were fixing it up for Her. As you walked over too the boat staying on the docks. Staring up at the two. they were having a drink as Bucky noticed you instantly wearing a plaid oversized shirt, some jean shorts that were covered in flour a grey -T shirt under the open plaid shirt and a grey hat. You wore sneaks as he smiled brightly, “hey Y/N.”

Smiling up at him saying Hey as Sam turned seeing you, “Yo Y/N what’s up?”

“where is your sister?! I haven’t seen her all day! It’s a small town!”

Sam rolled his eyes, “if you just carried a Phone you could joint the 21st century and Text her.”

Rolling your eyes at that. You stopped carrying your phone once you return from Europe mainly because you were getting Way too many text’s from the one night stands and everyone you wanted too talk too- you saw all day. You knew you should carry it for security and safety reasons. Plus playing music while you are alone in the morning working at the bakery would be nice. But you just keep forgetting. “I shouldn’t have too! She’s always other three places!”

Sam didn’t have the energy too fight but Bucky asked why you needed her so badly. As you spoke, “oh- Me and Sarah had planned something for tonight and I needed help with something nothing major I’ll keep looking for her-“

“Y/N!”

you all turned seeing Strewart dash over too you saying he had the fireworks . Which made you smile brightly, “seriously? “

“why you need fireworks?” Sam called out as you waved him off saying he would see later. You and Strew dashed off. Bucky couldn’t help but grin seeing you so gleeful.

“Hey- Stop looking at her-‘ Sam spat as Bucky chuckled softly saying okay.

It took you all day too find Sarah and too Get the “ritual” all set in motion. The Only thing your no good for husband had was your wedding dress. Mainly keep it because it was so exprience and he let he’s new Love wear it for a drag show. (The top was stained with makeup and it was in desperate need of some TLC ) but you got it.

Sarah suggested you just get ride of it. Which was such a marauded response. Get Ride of it? You couldn’t bar the thought of it being worn by anyone else. And the fact your husbands lover wore it. And ruined it. Made you decided too burn it. Too fully start anew.

your mom wasn’t thrilled with that idea. But Sarah was soon convinced espically seeing that the ball gown dress took majority of your closest.

it was her sons idea too attach it too a firecracker and fling it up into the air. And set it off. Which was a perfect idea.. which wasn’t very realistic So instead you figured. Fireworks by the water, and a huge Fire on the beach burning your dress and burning everything you had left of your former life.

Sam didn’t care one way or another that you did all this. He never personally liked your husband. By the time the fireworks were done, the parents went home and Sara’s kids went home which meant she went home. So Sam, Bucky and yu were sitting around the fire having drinks as you watched your dress burn.

“Y/N?” Bucky asked as you looked up too see him As he’s eyes brow frowned looking a t you, “you alright?”

nodding your head weakly you took a big gulp of beer as Sam spoke, “Hey maybe you should slow down.”

Shaking your head as you spoke, “I’m being reborn. Tonight Sammy.. No more stupid husband. i am officially Miss Y/N Y/M/N Y/L/N again! I dont feel guilty anymore.”

“what you have too feel guilty for?” Sam said as you shook your head, “it wasn’t working before i dissapeared. Honestly we fought all the time. He was so controlling and demanding. LIke remember when i said that Winter soilder dude was incredibly Hot?” Sam chuckled as Bucky was stunned as he spoke “yea i remember you mentioning it.”

“that Jack ass- got so jealous. And of Steve! He kicked me out one night just because I had lunch with him and you.- that guy was a jackass and who gives up on their love after a week?” taking another drink you looke d at Bucky you were Far passed just a little tipsy. You didn’t care how drunk you got. Sam was here. And you were safe. “Would you give up on me. If we were in love? After a week?”

Bucky took a drink of his beer debuting on his answer mainly because he was worried he was overstepping on something between you and Sam. “No” he finally said as he spoke, “No i wouldn’t..” you nodded your head as you reached over patting his shoulder, “that’s because your a true gentleman!” He chuckled as Sam spoke, “okay.. your clearly drunk if your calling him a gentlemen.”

you laughed as you spoke, “i may be drunk Sir! But i can tell a gentlemen when i see one-“ you got up as you stumbled as Bucky swooped up fast catching you as you grabbed his arms. Feeling the hard metal arm as you chuckled weakly. “Hey you got a metal arm like that incredibly hot guy.” He chuckled as he went too talk but you patted his face, “you know- I told Sam the guy probably didn’t have enough hugs growing up.. you know your suppose too get ten hugs a day? Doctors prove it helps-“ you stumbled again as Bucky spoke, ‘I’m sure that’s it.” You chuckled as Sam got up, “Okay Y/N time too go home.”

“okay.... hey your getting blurry-“ and with that you passed out. Bucky grabbed you before you fell down as Sam sighed, “she’s having a hard time adjusting— I’ll carry her-“

“I got her.. lead the way.”

Sam didn’t argue he iddn’t really want too carry you all the way home.he could do it. But Bucky wouldn’t stugggle as much. Plus he was slightly tipsy and wasn’t sure he could carry you- without dropping you.

Sam let you all into your house. As Bucky carried you too your room. As Sam followed seeing how Odd how careful Bucky was with you. When you settled into your bed you mumbled something as Bucky covered you up As he smiled too himself before turning and leaving with Sam.

Sam watched as they left.

“So she doesn’t knwo about me huh?”

“No- thought i can’t wait too tell her tomorrow” Sam stated as Bucky grinned weakly. He couldn’t wait too see you tomorrow

[baoshan-sanren]

Chapter 34

of the wwx emperor au I’m thinking of calling -- you know what? I suck at titles. let’s just accept the fact that I’ll slap something vaguely poetic on this thing when it’s finished, and that it will probably have no relation to the actual fic

Prologue | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 Part 1 | Chapter 8 Part 2 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11 | Chapter 12 | Chapter 13 | Chapter 14 | Chapter 15 Part 1 | Chapter 15 Part 2 | Chapter 16 | Chapter 17 | Chapter 18 | Chapter 19 | Chapter 20 | Chapter 21 | Chapter 22 Part 1 | Chapter 22 Part 2 | Chapter 23 | Chapter 24 | Chapter 25 | Chapter 26 | Chapter 27 | Chapter 28 | Chapter 29 | Chapter 30 | Chapter 31 | Chapter 32 | Chapter 33

About half-way to the Imperial guest chambers, it occurs to Wei Ying that he cannot simply knock on Lan Zhan’s door past midnight. 

Lan Zhan had asked him to use the door, and Wei Ying wants to use the door, but he cannot. It takes a few moments for his pleasantly drunk mind to reconcile itself with the whole not using the door thing. But he still wants to see Lan Zhan. He wants to see Lan Zhan pretty badly. He wants to apologize for being stupid, although, at this very moment, he is not exactly sure what he had been stupid about. Probably a lot of things.

He sighs.

He also needs to apologize for failing to protect Lan QiRen. Lan Zhan had clearly told him that he does not want his brother or his uncle being hurt. Wei Ying had sworn to protect them both to the best of his ability. It does not matter that Nie HuaiSang had made the decision to decrease Lan QiRen’s guard. Wei Ying had promised. Protecting Lan Qiren had been his responsibility.

The horror he had felt, when he saw the Peach Blossom Pavilion on fire, cannot be described. If Lan QiRen had been killed, after Wei Ying had sworn to protect him-- he does not think that Lan Zhan would have ever forgiven him.

Still standing, stupidly, in the middle of the hall leading to the Imperial guest chambers, Wei Ying thinks perhaps his mind is not in the best place at the moment. He should wait and speak to Lan Zhan in the morning. He should not be stumbling drunk around the Iron Palm Palace, as if looking for Madam Yu to corner him.

But he wants to see Lan Zhan.

He remembers the absolute fury with which Lan Zhan had turned on A-Sang, the wild look in his eyes, the white robes flaring in an arc, blade flashing. Against the backdrop of the fire, he had looked coldly savage; an ancient immortal, an avenging deity too terrible to be gazed upon by ordinary humans.  

In that moment, Wei Ying had been certain that Lan Zhan would not hesitate; that he would not let himself be restrained with such a simple gesture as his brother’s hand on his wrist. A-Sang would meet his end in that courtyard, and Lan Zhan would not stop there, but go on to carve a bloody path through every person in his sight, Wei Ying included.

The Peach Blossom Pavilion, its fragile old wood and intricately carved posts, dusty and forgotten, had stood for over a century, the Immortal Mountain City growing and spreading around its delicate shell. A legacy, left behind by the Immortal Empress, an arrogant girl who had thought herself so powerful that she had tried to rule over the cycle of life and death, nearly extinguishing the flame needed to form the Empire.

Her peach trees cannot be moved, altered, or destroyed. They are a lesson Wei Ying had been taught long before he understood what it meant.

But there is a much more subtle lesson in the Pavilion itself, a building even YanLing DaoRen could not bring himself to touch; the brittleness of family, home, comfort. How even the meanest creature will take time to burrow a hole in the dirt, then protect it with its last breath. The Immortal Empress had burrowed a hole next to her peach tree, then nearly given up her life to keep it intact.

Watching the Peach Blossom Pavilion be consumed by flames, used as a death trap for an honorable, righteous man, Wei Ying could not help but think that, if Lan Zhan had truly decided to kill them all, he would have been hard pressed to explain why they did not deserved it.

He leans against the hall arch, the stone cool and soothing against his skin. His mind is definitely not in the best place. But he still wants to see Lan Zhan.

Instead of heading towards the Imperial guest chambers, he turns to the door leading into his public study, a room he actively tries to avoid unless pressing business requires his presence. It is a bleak, cavernous space, where guilty men, often three times his age, would kneel on the marble floors, begging for their lives. He had not executed men often, even when they were indisputably guilty, but the few times he had were enough to make the space unbearable forever after.

There is one aspect of the study that Wei Ying does not hate, however, and it is the window hole leading out to the lower rooftop of the receiving hall. In the daylight, this particular portion of the roof is clearly visible from the entirety of the Iron Palm Palace courtyard. But during the night, it is a perfect starting point, no matter which part of the City he means to access. Some day, someone will realize that Wei Ying uses the tops of the courtyard walls as bridges to all of the surrounding palaces. The wall tops will be deemed a security breach, one that uncle Jiang will remedy without asking for his opinion, or his permission. But that day is not today, and Wei Ying has no intention of using the walls anyway.

The receiving hall roof curves to the east and west, winding around the palace, and Wei Ying counts window holes carefully, never having accessed the Imperial guest chambers in this manner before. It would just be his luck to drop into Lan XiChen’s chambers in error, or even worse, Lan QiRen’s.

He should not have worried. Long before he can be certain that he has counted correctly, he sees the flash of the white robes.

Lan Zhan had crawled out his window as well, and is sitting on the cold rooftop tile, the snow-white sleep robe pooling around him.

His hair is loose, a dark cape laid over the bright robe, and Wei Ying thinks he looks ethereal still, beautiful and aloof, not meant to be observed by lowly human beings.

Preoccupied by Lan Zhan, Wei Ying forgets that he is, in fact, more than a little drunk, and that he had forgotten to take his shoes off. The soles, not meant to grip the slick tiles, slide without a warning. He flails, nearly loosing his footing altogether.

By the time he has regained his balance, an act that was probably ridiculous to watch, Lan Zhan has noticed him and gotten to his feet. Wei Ying feels stupid, however, this has never stopped him before, so he crosses the last stretch of the roof anyway, but carefully now, minding his footing.

“Lan Zhan,” he says softly.

Lan Zhan studies him for a few moments, then lowers himself back down. Wei Ying takes this as a permission, and ungracefully sits next to him.

Something about the coolness of the night seems to magnify the scent of the sandalwood; it wraps around Wei Ying, smooth and warm, cutting through the chill of the north-western winds. He had come to apologize, but the right words seem to have abandoned him for the moment. Lan Zhan is perfectly still, a cold statue glowing brightly in the darkness. Wei Ying’s drunk tongue, unable to to properly ask for forgiveness, has nonetheless found a thousand poems at its disposal, each one attempting to give justice to Lan Zhan’s beauty, and each one falling short of the mark.

He does not regret coming to find Lan Zhan, but he does regret doing so with his mind less than perfectly clear.

Perhaps some other youth on some other rooftop can speak of marriage lightly, carelessly drunk on wine and beauty of the person beside them, knowing that the life they promise to share will be the one of comfort and safety. But the last few hours have made some truths starkly clear; Wei Ying has nothing to offer that does not come with its share of danger and grief. And Lan Zhan is no Nie HuaiSang, to find pleasure in the vicious court games, to smile politely while cutting with his words, to accept gifts with one hand while hiding a knife in the sleeve of the other.  

He remembers Lan QiRen’s admonishment clearly, and wonders, for the first time, if Lan Zhan could ever be happy, married to Wei Ying.

The silence has now stretched so long, that anything said out loud may carry more than one meaning. Lan Zhan does not look as if he intends to speak at all. Coldly beautiful he may be, but at this moment he is also oddly peaceful, his breaths deep and even, his eyes half-lidded, studying some mystical point in the distance that Wei Ying cannot see.

Silence has always been Wei Ying’s enemy.

It is Jiang Cheng’s anger, grown too vast for words. It is Nie HuaiSang’s hurt, caused by his carelessness. It is uncle Jiang’s disappointment, shijie’s grief, Wen Qing’s disapproval. Things unspoken have always wounded Wei Ying in a way that no spoken word ever has.

Because long before he had learned their silences, and all the ways in which they brought him pain, there had been the silence of the Six Fans Pavilion, never again graced with his father’s footsteps. The silence of his mother’s chambers, never again to echo her laughter.

Silence had always meant loss.

But now, sitting next to Lan Zhan, wrapped in hushed tranquility, he wonders if one person can change the nature of silence forever. If one person can have such power, to transform this thing he had always dreaded to something bearable and peaceful, something in which he may find contentment.

As if hearing his thoughts, Lan Zhan shifts, a smooth, soundless movement that brings him ever so slightly closer. In the next moment, Wei Ying feels a brush of cool skin against his hand. A finger hooks around his own, and this time, it does not tremble.

[obeysword]

i’ve been thinking a lot of how yu is with dojima again. i really hope i don’t come off villainizing the guy too. he’s not a bad guy but he’s terribly flawed and the things he’s said and done have had consequences with his relationships. nanako ran away twice, will likely a third time when yu runs away instead of getting on that train back to tokyo.

yu is only 16 when he comes to live with the dojima family. he tries to be understanding about how dojima must feel throughout his link, but he’s met with resistance whenever he pushes him to interact with nanako. dojima also doesn’t like when yu does point out the things he’s doing and reprehends him for it. yu has done nothing to deserve that treatment. dojima has pushed so much on yu in just the first month of him being there. it is nice that despite his own problems he opened his home up to yu. yu never sensed the hesitancy dojima had for it. but yu has to act as nanako’s father, big brother, cousin, and mother figure because her father refuses to. nanako has never asked for anything from dojima other than to spend time with her. it doesn’t matter if you’re qualified or not, she just wanted a bond with her father. she loves him no matter how he is, that’s even said in her dungeon, but dojima is so caught up on his own problems he doesn’t see it.

dojima’s concern for the murder and the way he treats yu for poking his nose in is the wrong way to go about caring for someone. he treats him like he’s a guilty party, shuts yu down on every explanation and doesn’t believe him. yu tells him he went to the textile shop because a friend took him there. dojima is just “oh...” like he flat-out doesn’t believe yu at all, even though yu was honest. yu has the option of telling dojima he wants him to trust him. i never picked this in game because i think yu knows there’s no point in asking. dojima expects yu to trust him and to respect him. trust and respect are earned, especially from someone like yu who has never given that freely. even yosuke and nanako yu took time to warm up to.

yu has really given dojima more chances than he should have. he thinks he’s capable of being a good father but he doesn’t try to be at the same time. he tells yu to go get nanako when they find her the first time, heading home while yu comforts her. nanako asks if her dad cares and then starts to really think he doesn’t love her anymore because he didn’t get her. dojima shows a great amount of love and care for her that comes pouring out with his accident and her death later in the game. i would hope those moments push him to realize he needs to step up and be her father because he does stand the risk of losing her one day.

on christmas, dojima ruins the party when everyone is saying yu should stay, even making jokes he could be held back a year just to. and dojima tells yu that he made a promise to his parents... dojima how many promises have you broken to your actual child at this point? i don’t think yu could take how cold this is. he’s been hovering between moods that evened out into a lull after adachi. this would have pushed him over. i think he would have gotten up and had to leave before having another breakdown.

by march, i feel like yu as at the end of his rope with him. but he’s trying so hard to keep himself together and give him chances at the same time. but dojima asks him one night why adachi won’t see him. he acts so glum about it. this is a guy who killed numerous amounts of people, dojima’s own daughter had to die for his game, dojima has long-term injuries thanks to adachi, yu was beaten half to death by him because of his tremendous amounts of jealousy and ire. yu has broken ribs following that fight. adachi fired his gun at yu and while yu never thought he could actually kill him, it still rattled him in that moment because he thought he actually did after adachi was grounding his gun into his forehead. i can just see yu storming out of the house, forgetting his coat and slamming the door behind him because he’s so fed up. i don’t think he would make it far down the street. he might have gone to junes to find yosuke and not even remember how he got there. but whatever happens, i could see yu saying he doesn’t want to go back. it means a few things, he doesn’t want to go back to dojima and that house and he doesn’t want to go back to his parents. yu would have honestly ran away that night if the idea was out there. i’m sure he thinks of it during all that too.

this is a second crack dojima’s placed through yu’s heart. he’s done it before at the police station when he locked yu in for the night, deliberately hurting him with his final words that after a year yu can’t trust him apparently. yeah, honestly, yu did trust him but if he looks back at that down the line he’ll say dojima was right, yu doesn’t trust him. he’s not there for his own daughter. he can’t be there for yu. he’s constantly proven that yu can’t trust him because dojima doesn’t give him the same kindness and faith in return. the fact adachi, who hates yu, feels bad for him in that moment says a lot and probably a deeper look at adachi’s own problems at the same time.

we’ve never seen a wildcard break another bond with someone. it’s always been the other person breaking that bond. but i think after izanami, yu would have broken his link with dojima. yu staying in inaba comes at the cost of his established bond with him. dojima gives yu no choice in the matter, really. he’s driven the nail so deep. yu really hoped he might change his mind during that last week, maybe the last minute. all dojima says is that yu can come back if his parents say it’s okay... he’s saying yu can visit, not stay permanently. this is not hard to understand layered with everything else stacked against him.

i see dojima coming by the inn and having to talk to yukiko and yukiko not letting him see yu. it’ll just be a massive fight in the lobby, anyway. he’ll say he’s disappointed in yu and not the person he thought he was. i’m not sure what dojima’s image of yu was. but yu was really never good enough in dojima’s eyes to begin with. he never did what dojima wanted of him. another adult who pushed unrealistic expectations on a child and wasn’t happy with the result. dojima’s a better parent than his sister, but still has the same issues in some regards that turn glaringly obvious to yu.

i think dojima would start reaching out to yu around summer. but yu doesn’t want anything to do with him at the same time. he would meet with dojima in fall, probably in a public place so neither of them can lash out at each other. even though that really doesn’t matter to yu how he’s seen by the public as much as he used to be. he doesn’t even try to have respect for dojima anymore either. if you hurt yu, he’ll hurt you a thousand times worse. yu has so much ire toward dojima and overtime he’s processed it and stacked it against him. even if yu and him had a positive relationship by fall, i don’t think yu would ever want to go back to that house. it’s dark, the earthy tones aren’t cheerful. in a lot of ways he’d felt stifled and trapped there. he was depressed for so long in winter and in the end dojima gave him no reason to come back. he didn’t want him then, why does he want him now? dojima is yu’s father figure, much more of one than his actual father was, but he isn’t a good male role model and he’s done probably just as much damage as yu’s father had to him in just that year’s time.

it’s a good thing dojima isn’t a violent person. i have thought about it a few times, but if he ever did lash out at yu, yu would fight back and cause some intense damage toward him. dojima cannot take yu in a fight even before his back injury. yu knows how to fight. even before the tv world he liked to practice different styles of self-defense to pass the time. i don’t think he ever had a trainer, but you can do a lot on your own time and yu’s good at everything. he has a natural talent for fighting too. he likes to fight and he likes violence. giving him the opening to be is a thrill for him and he does seek it with provoking. if dojima ever hurt yosuke, he’s taking a knife at him no questions asked. he probably doesn’t realize what he’s done until it’s happened in either instances. but yu doesn’t have a whole lot of guilt to feel in the first place.

yu’s heart could have held three people in it. dojima could have been part of that collective with yosuke and nanako as the most special people in his life and the only ones he actually cares about. but he wasn’t. he did it to himself. his bond with yu will never mend and yu will remind him of it every day because he’s a spiteful grudge-holding person. it’s a good lesson not to let someone who abuses you back into your life and letting them know what they did has consequences. yu just takes it to a petty degree. 

[robininthelabyrinth]

What do you think the aftermath of the sunshot campaign would have looked like if the Wens had targeted the Jin sect instead of/as well as the Jiang and Lan sects in their attacks. Either as a prompt or just musings on what you think the results would be I'd love to hear what you think would happen you're so good at canon divergence.

“I don’t care what you do,” Madame Yu said to her husband, her voice frosty. “But she is my friend. I will not stand aside as her home is invaded.”

Jin Zixuan wisely did not say anything to interfere with the fight – wisdom currently being enforced by Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng sticking to his sides and pinching him every time he tried to open his mouth. He was still covered in the dirt and dust of his journey to get to the Lotus Pier, a combination of running and hiding on boats; they’d never seen him look so disheveled before, or so lost -

Or so young.

Wei Wuxian might not like the peacock much, but he wasn’t much of a peacock now – more like a bedraggled pigeon, flying desperately through a rainstorm to try to get help for his burning dovecote.

(Besides, he looked so grateful to shijie when she gave him soup – maybe now he’d finally realize what a treasure he’d missed out on, wise up, and finally marry her the way shijie had dreamed of for so long. After all, Wei Wuxian loved his shijie far more than he disliked Jin Zixuan.)

And anyway, he didn’t understand Uncle Jiang’s reluctance. It wasn’t as if staying passive was going to stop the Wen sect – hadn’t the Jin sect been even more than merely passive? Hadn’t they been playing both sides with a smile on their face, thinking only of what approach would profit them the most?

In the end, Madame Yu just lost her temper and announced that she was going, and to hell with Jiang Fengmian’s view on the matter; she was mistress of the Lotus Pier as much as he was, entitled to take a number of Jiang sect cultivators as she wished, and currently, she wished.

Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian looked at each other, a moment of perfect understanding between them.

“I’ll go with you, a-niang,” Jiang Cheng said, standing up. “I’ll see what disciples want to come with us.”

He slipped out before Jiang Fengmian could scold him, while Wei Wuxian tugged Jin Zixuan out the other way.

“Is he going to get into trouble?” Jin Zixuan asked, worry creasing his face, and for the first time Wei Wuxian thought he might not be half bad under all the sparkle and spackle the Jin sect had piled on top of him.

“It’s fine,” Wei Wuxian assured him. “I’ll stay behind here with shijie, and we’ll distract Uncle Jiang; you focus on recovering your strength, since you’ll need to go back with them to Koi Tower.”

“Thank you,” Jin Zixuan said, but his eyes were already moving past Wei Wuxian. “All of you.”

“It’s our duty to help, whatever Father may think,” Jiang Yanli said. “I only hope we can do enough, and in time.”

Wei Wuxian wisely removed himself from the scene, and went to find Jiang Cheng.

“Be careful,” he said, worrying. He was a better fighter than Jiang Cheng, would much rather go himself, but the lines in their family had been drawn long ago, before they’d ever had a chance to decide for themselves: if they split up, Jiang Cheng always went with Madame Yu, and Wei Wuxian with Uncle Jiang. “The Wen sect is dangerous.”

“Be careful yourself,” Jiang Cheng said, glancing back at him with the same anxiety. “If the Wen sect is daring enough to attack Lanling, they might come to Yunmeng next – don’t do anything stupid.”

Much later, Wei Wuxian would reflect to himself that Jiang Cheng had a crow’s mouth, shaking his head because thinking about it was better than thinking about how he was alone and hurt and shivering in the Yiling Burial Mounds, cold because his golden core had been melted away at Wen Zhuliu’s touch – a worthwhile sacrifice, because otherwise that blow would have fallen on Uncle Jiang’s back, and Uncle Jiang was necessary, he needed to get Jiang Yanli away from the Lotus Pier because Wei Wuxian didn’t trust the way Wen Chao looked at her – and wondering how long it would take for his family to come to rescue him.

The answer, it turned out, was about a month – enough time for Wei Wuxian to have figured out the basics of demonic cultivation, and that, in turn, was enough for Madam Yu to spend the first half-shichen of their reunion yelling at him for being stupidly self-sacrificing and reckless enough to try something as outrageous as this.

She offered a bunch of tips to help make it less awkward to use immediately afterwards, though, so he knew she didn’t mean it; she was a bit like Jiang Cheng, angry because she couldn’t process any other feeling, and he knew she felt guilty because she’d thought, as he’d thought, that this meant that at last Uncle Jiang would have no choice but to finally get serious about treating Jiang Cheng as his proper heir.

Wei Wuxian didn’t hold it against her in the slightest.

Besides, like she said, it wasn’t as if the Jiang sect wouldn’t continue to back him, demonic cultivator or not – it’d be the same as it was before, except maybe instead of being their head disciple, he’d have more of a job teaching anyone else with similar deficiencies that needed an alternate path.

Either way, they could figure it out later.

They had a war to win.

[wickedmilo]

SORRY, BAD NIGHT | MILO, BEX & MINA

PLACE: Bex and Mina’s house TIMING: 4:12 AM SUMMARY: After the cemetery with Metzli, Milo turns to Bex for help with his injuries WRITING PARTNER: @inbextween @drowningisinevitable​ CONTENT WARNINGS: Addiction tw, alcohol tw, medical blood tw, needles tw

Milo wasn’t in the greatest of moods, but the alcohol in his system was allowing him to repress the frustration, and pain that would otherwise cause him to spiral. Hiding his injury he had managed to pick up a fresh can of beer, and two cigarettes later he had very nearly reached his destination. With Harsh currently working a night shift, and his parents entirely unaware of his vampirism, he wasn’t sure where else he was supposed to go. It could probably wait until morning, but he wasn’t exactly sober, and sitting alone with his thoughts didn’t sound like his idea of a good time. Besides, he would rather deal with the issue now, while his pain receptors were out of action, and Bex seemed like the perfect person to ask for help. She always understood him, and over the course of the past few weeks they had grown far closer than he ever expected to. He had only ever seen her house from the outside, though he had no problem finding it again. Whether or not she was home, whether or not she would even be willing to invite him in, was another issue. She always assured him he didn’t make her uncomfortable, but part of him worried she was only telling him that so he wouldn’t feel hurt. The way she had first looked at him upon realising he drank human blood was permanently burned into his memory. He never wanted to see her look at him that way again. 

Taking a long drink from his can, he stumbled awkwardly up the path to her front door, silently hoping she was already awake. Appearing outside of her house in need of medical attention was definitely bad enough, waking her up would only make him feel more guilty. Reaching out, he hesitantly pressed the doorbell, hearing it echo on the other side of the door. “Uh, Bex?” He called, his voice only a little slurred. “It’s Milo!” Finishing what was left of his drink, he balanced it near the entryway, just out of sight, forgetting about it almost the moment he set it down. “Bex?” He shouted again, seeing a light flicker on in the window of a house directly opposite. “Shit.” He muttered, knowing better than to say anything more. The last thing he wanted was to draw unwanted attention, and he was certain Bex felt the same way about her place of residence. Slipping his phone from his pocket, he carefully typed out a text, hitting send before taking a step backwards, looking up at the house looming over him.  

Sory, bad night. Are yu awake? 

I mightbe outside

Sleep was still hard to come by. Bex had assured Mina she was working on it, on sleeping more, but really, how was she supposed to when there was so much going on in her head? Dreams of her mother, of memories that weren’t her own, of Roy, of Mina dying. And sometimes, now, the worst dream was when her mother was replaced with Mina, and Bex’s hands were the things killing her. Those were the ones she woke up in a cold sweat from, and instead of checking Mina’s pulse, she’d scoot away and hold her hands close to her chest, afraid they might leak magic and reach out and hurt the girl she loved. That one day, they might be what gets Mina killed. 

Sleep tonight was no different. She had slipped from the bed-- and she knew Mina was awake, and she was sure Mina knew she knew-- and gone downstairs to make herself a cup of tea silently. That’s when the loud knocking and voice sounded from the doorway, causing her to jump a little, nearly dropping the cup as tea sloshed out everywhere. “Fuck…” she muttered, fumbling with the mess, reaching for a paper towel to soak up the liquid before it dumped onto the floor. “Fuck, hold on--” she called, but she didn’t want to be too loud, and alert everyone in the house. She was already heading towards the door when the texts came in, so when she opened it to see Milo, she was only mildly surprised. The blood was concerning. Very concerning. “What happened?” she gawked, reaching for him. “Come on, come inside. Before someone else notices.” She pulled him through the door and shut it as quietly as possible, smelling the alcohol and smoke on his breath, soaked into his clothes. He clearly wasn’t okay, but who was she to judge? Sometimes the bottom of the bottle was her only comfort, too. She’d considered it tonight, instead of tea, but decided against it, if only because her stomach still churned at the thoughts of Mina’s eviscerated body.  

“Sit,” she demanded, pushing him towards the couch before rushing into the kitchen to grab the first aid kit. Did vampires need first aid? Well, she’d find out. “Tell me what happened? Are you in danger right now?” 

Milo felt a wave of relief wash over him when he heard the sound of Bex’s voice. It was soft, almost a stage whisper, but it still managed to reach him and fill him with a familiar sense of comfort. At least he was safe now, with somebody who wouldn’t let anything happen to him. Listening to her footsteps, he offered her a tired smile when she finally opened the door. “Oh-” For a brief moment he had forgotten the reason for his visit, but her question soon brought him back down to Earth. Glancing at his ruined sleeve, he wrinkled his nose as his blood glistened, black, and congealed in the light of the moon. “A hunter, I think… or slayer. I never know what to call them.” Waiting to be invited inside, he hurried to cross the threshold the moment he was able to, leaning heavily against the wall as Bex quietly closed the door behind him. “It’s not bad,” he assured her. “I just- ‘m fine. I’m okay.” Allowing himself to be pulled towards a couch, he had time on the short journey to take in just how big the house was, and wondered how many people currently lived in it. He was only just realising they had never discussed her living situation before.  

“Okay, okay, I’m sitting…” He fell back against the cushions, watching as she disappeared, only to return with a first aid kit. His smile growing at her level of concern, he wanted to tell her how much he appreciated her, but refused to give away just how drunk he was. So he waited for her to settle before answering her questions. “I was with Metzli… some asshole came at us with… jeez, with wooden arrows. I mean what century is this?” Carefully shrugging out of his hoodie, he peeled the sleeve away from his arm, staring at his skin where the blood was beginning to coat it. “I mean, it’s deep, but it’s not bad… y’know?” He wasn’t sure he was making very much sense, but hopefully his confidence would assure Bex he wasn’t about to bleed out. With no heartbeat the blood wasn’t drawn to the site of the wound, and it definitely wasn’t actively trying to escape his body. That didn’t mean he could leave the laceration open, he had a strong suspicion he might need stitches. Or tacking, at the very least. “No danger now, no… Metzli-” He broke off, a frown creasing his brow as he remembered what had happened. He could still see them, still see the way they had kicked the hunter’s head, the way they had been more than willing to abandon the unconscious body. No empathy, no concern. Just a cold, unfeeling self preservation. “No… no danger.” 

Bex sighed. “I think either is correct,” she answered, and she felt herself bristling again. Of course it was a hunter. Of course it was someone who thought they could just go around hurting people who weren’t doing anything to hurt anyone, just because they weren’t human. She felt the anger prickle in her arms, her hands, and she took a moment to collect herself, and push the magic that was trying to come out back inside to a simmer. Like Mina had said, she couldn’t just go after everyone who hurt the people she cared about. But it was so hard to do nothing, not when she could do something. She swallowed the thought. “You were with Metzli?” Bex hadn’t seen them since the kerashag incident, and their last messages had been filled with anger and hurt. She was supposed to go see them the next night, but right now, focusing on Milo was more important. “Did they get hurt? What happened to the slayer?” If Metzli had killed them, she didn’t think she’d mind. And she hated that thought She ducked her head, grabbing a gauze pad from the first aid kit and soaking it in the rubbing alcohol. “This...might hurt? I don’t know your pain tolerance. Zombies don’t feel anything, really, that’s my only scale.”  

She reached out and dabbed the wound, finding the black, congealed blood rather thick and hard to wipe away. She sighed and sat back. She’d need something stronger than a gauze pad to wipe it away, it was just getting caught and sticking to her fingers. “I’m gonna go get a rag, I’ll be right back,” she said, standing back up and glancing over her shoulder to the stairs, before she went back into the kitchen and to the hallway. It didn’t sound like anyone else was up, and she wet the rag before heading back in.  

Milo nodded, still annoyed by the way Metzli had brushed him off. “I was.” He agreed, his expression softening again when Bex asked if they had been hurt. “I guess.” He shifted awkwardly on the couch. He couldn’t help feeling partially responsible. If he hadn’t encouraged them to drink, if he hadn’t laughed at the situation, was it possible Metzli might have taken it more seriously? “A couple of arrows… I tried to help them but they got mad- something about me telling them what they already knew. They stormed off and I just… I let them leave.” Maybe he should have chased after them, there were so many maybes. “The slayer…” He chewed on his bottom lip for a moment before deciding to be honest. Bex had probably heard worse, as much as he hated that thought. “Metzli kicked them in the head, they blacked out… they were okay, they’ll be okay. I checked their vitals but… I don’t know, it didn’t feel good, leaving someone like that.” Even someone who had tried to kill him. Mentally preparing himself for the pain, he was grateful for the warning as Bex held up a bundle of gauze. “They don’t?” He asked, curious to know more about zombies. “I do… It’s just harder to do any damage, the pain is still there.” Wincing the moment the rubbing alcohol made contact with the gash in his arm, it stung but nowhere near as badly as he was expecting it to. He supposed he had his state of intoxication to thank for that.  

Only feeling a vague tugging sensation, along with a few jolts of a dull ache, he realised at the same time as Bex did that the gauze wasn’t going to be strong enough. A breathless laugh escaping him, he hesitantly caught her eye. “I told you it was gross, huh…” He said, calling back to their text messages, the first time he had ever tried to explain his blood to her. “Okay.” He murmured, leaning back further into the couch cushions, attempting to get comfortable as she headed back into the kitchen. He noticed her glancing around as though worried she might wake somebody up, and wondered not for the first time who might be sleeping upstairs. He took a deep, experimental breath, trying to recognise any of the scents lingering on the furniture. He recognised Mina’s almost immediately, but he wasn’t surprised considering she was dating Bex. There were two other scents he recognised. Deirdre, who had an attitude to match his own. And Morgan. Morgan Beck. “Hey, uh… you don’t know Morgan Beck, do you?” He asked, as Bex reappeared in the doorway. “She isn’t like… here, is she?”  

It wasn’t uncommon for Bex to wake Mina up in the middle of the night, or vice versa. Or, more often than not, they were both already awake and just trying to sleep. It was more comfortable for Mina to just stay in bed with Bex, most of the time. She was trying not to go for as many runs in the middle of the night. She was trying to be better, more settled. So she didn’t get up immediately when Bex did, instead waiting a few minutes before she got up and headed to the bathroom, splashing soothing water on her face, her arms. Scales appeared, but she didn’t immediately send them away. She was in the comfort of her own home, surrounded by people that she cared about, and she could show off the scales and wear tanktops and shorts and feel safe. She felt safe. Sometimes, she didn’t quite know what to do with feeling safe. 

Hearing voices from downstairs, Mina wondered if Bex was talking to Morgan or Deirdre and decided to head that way. She headed to the stairs and walked down, rubbing at her eyes, feeling tired even if she was unable to sleep. “Bex?” she asked as she reached the bottom of the steps and looked into the sitting room. “Mor--” But it wasn’t Morgan that was sitting on the sofa, and all Mina could do was blink at Milo from the last step, taking in the dark blood and wounds covering him. Dark blood. Oh. Oh. Well, that made sense, didn’t it? Because he only wanted to meet to play piano at night, and she’d never even thought to see him during the day. And he was friends with Bex. Because of course he was friends with Bex. Somehow, someway, Mina’s girlfriend was a vampire magnet. 

“Sounds like Metzli,” Bex mumbled to herself. But as she reentered the room, everything else she had been planning to say-- like, “No, you did the right thing. If they’re angry, let them go.” or “You were more than kind to check on that slayer. They’ll probably be okay.”-- fell to the wayside, because Mina was standing at the bottom of the stairs, staring at Milo, and Milo’s wounds, and Milo’s black blood. This probably wasn’t at all how Milo had wanted Mina to find out he was a vampire, but Bex’s eyes stuck to the scales on Mina’s arms and wondered if she should say something. This probably wasn’t how Mina would have wanted Milo to find out about her, and now Bex was stuck in the middle, wavering between the injured vampire, and her scaley girlfriend who looked perhaps a bit disgruntled. Probably because there was a vampire in the living room.  

Clearing her throat, Bex continued her way over to Milo, glancing at Mina. “He needed help,” was all she could think to say, “he was attacked by a slayer.” Before she kneeled in front of him and pressed the wet cloth to his wound, wiping away some of the blood. She turned her attention back to Milo. “Uh, yes, I do. This uh--” her glance went back to Mina before it returned to Milo, “this is her house, actually. I live with her and her partner.”  

Milo heard Mina’s footsteps before he heard her voice, but it was only when she spoke that he realised exactly who had made her way downstairs. He wasn’t exactly surprised, but he definitely hadn’t been expecting her to make an appearance. Even drunk, he was able to understand the current state of him would give away what he was. But he didn’t mind. He had been planning to tell her eventually, and Bex had assured him she was familiar with the supernatural. He heard Bex quietly explain the situation, and if there was any doubt in Mina’s mind it would definitely be chased away by the use of the word slayer. Turning in his seat, he offered Mina a smile as he laid eyes on her, quickly noticing the strange scales on her skin. She had always smelled a little different, but he had put it down to perfume, or washing powder, anything that could create a lasting scent. Now, he was wondering whether he had been oblivious to something that really should have been obvious. “Mina?” He asked, watching her carefully. “I… you aren’t human either?” There was something amusing about the idea of two supernatural creatures assuming the other was human. How many hours had they spent together, holed up in the uni’s little piano room. And neither of them had noticed? Neither of them had realised? He could act shocked, or confused, but was there really any point? White Crest was full of people who weren’t human. Even Bex was a spellcaster. So he laughed quietly, moving again as Bex made her way back over to where he was sitting.  

“You don’t need to make it sound like I’m dying.” He murmured good naturedly, holding his arm out so that she could begin brushing at the dried blood with a damp cloth. His smile slipping temporarily as Bex answered his question on Morgan, he could only hope she wasn’t hiding upstairs. Even if the idea of irritating her was enjoyable, he didn’t know if he had the energy to deal with her incessant lectures. “Jeez, you invited me into Morgan Beck’s house?” Another laugh escaped him before he could stop it, but it turned into a quiet hiss as pain shot through his arm. “Ow,” he complained, before moving the subject back to his old professor. “You know she hates me, right?” He asked, certain he wasn’t exaggerating. “And you let me into her house, she’s actually going to murder you.”  

All Mina could do as she looked at Milo was blink, trying to process his words, and Bex’s words, and just what, exactly, was happening. He’d been attacked by a slayer, and, oh, that upset her. And not in the way it used to. It was similar to the way she’d felt when a slayer had attacked Morgan, albeit maybe not as strong. It wasn’t an “I hate that the monster escaped” kind of feeling and more of an “I’m upset that my friend was hurt” kind of feeling. She was friends with a vampire. And a zombie. And other Fae. A werewolf. Sometimes, all of that was hard to wrap her head around. And then she looked at her arms. Right. Scales. She could have made them disappear immediately, could have tried to cover it up and hide, but, really, what was the point? Milo was just an injured vampire bleeding on their sofa. Milo was just a boy that she’d played piano with countless times now, who had kept her company when she couldn’t sleep and when running led her towards music instead of the forest. She shrugged. “I’m not, no.” And that was that. 

She walked further into the living room and moved beside Bex, looking over Milo’s wounds with a practiced eye. She’d never treated undead wounds before; Morgan never needed it, and she’d never been around an injured vampire. The blood was darker and thicker, but she imagined it was treated the same. He likely healed faster than her. It might just be slow going without blood in his system. “Do you need any help?” she asked Bex. As the conversation shifted to Morgan, Mina could only raise an eyebrow. “What could you have possibly done to make Morgan hate you? She doesn’t really hate anyone?”

Bex let the two of the figure out each other in silence, and she couldn’t help but feel a little bit proud when Mina didn’t make her scales disappear. That meant she was getting more comfortable with them, right? Bex hoped so. She loved Mina and she, admittedly, loved her scales. They were such a pretty silvery-blue, and sometimes they would sparkle just right in the sunlight when they were out in the pool together, and Mina would look kind of like an ethereal angel. When Bex realized she was staring and hadn’t moved in a moment, she blinked and turned her head away, focusing back on Milo. “Uh, can you get some supplies out to bandage the wound once I’m done cleaning it? I...don’t know how fast vampires heal, but at least this way it’ll stop bleeding. Or...gushing.”  

She looked up at Milo again, then to Mina, then to the stairs-- down that hallway was Morgan’s bedroom. “She doesn’t hate you. And she won’t be mad. She understands that it’s just me trying to help my friend. And even if she did hate you, I don’t think she’d turn away anyone who was hurt and needed help. That's the kind of person she is. She...saved me. I owe her everything I have right now.” It was a simple sentence to say, but the weight it held was inside of Bex’s heart and it clung to her and reminded her every day that she was loved and she was cared for, and she had someone in her life who would always help her, no matter what. She could have someone who was what a mother was supposed to be. Bex folded the rag over so that the blood was inside and reached up to wipe at his face. “You’re a mess. Clean your face off and I’ll get you some water.” She wondered if maybe Milo needed blood to help him heal, but there was no way Mina would let her offer her own. And she wasn’t sure Morgan kept blood around, only brains. “Do you need anything else?” 

Milo appreciated the simplicity of Mina’s answer, and though he was curious to know more, he held his tongue, accepting the fact that she was willing to admit she wasn’t human. That was enough for now. No doubt the rest would come with time, and trust. He nodded quietly in response, offering her a smile as she moved to stand beside Bex. Resisting the urge to roll his eyes as he remembered his last conversation with Morgan, he exhaled a breath, his shoulders dropping. “It’s a long story.” He admitted, deciding now wasn’t the right time to tell it. For all he knew, he could be halfway through complaining about her attitude only to look up and find her standing in the doorway. Or he could say something to upset Bex, and Mina who were clearly close enough with Morgan to share a house with her. That was the last thing he wanted to do after disturbing them so late at night. Turning his attention back to Bex, he glanced back down at his arm again. “Pretty fast…” He admitted. “It’s like… you have to treat an injury in the same way a human would, but the healing is faster. I think I might need some stitches, but after that… y’know… I’ll be fine.”  

His smile fading as the conversation turned back to Morgan, he wanted to tell Bex that Morgan’s saviour complex was exactly the problem. But even drunk, he knew better. He wasn’t about to hurt her like that after everything she had done for him. Whatever was happening between himself and Morgan could quite easily stay between them. And the way Bex spoke about her, the genuine love, and affection in her voice, almost, almost had him questioning his opinion on the zombie. “Wait- I am?” He asked, surprised by Bex telling him he was a mess. It made sense. After falling from a tombstone, and tackling the hunter he was probably covered in mud, and a few lesser scrapes. But he hadn’t considered that fact until now. Taking the cloth he began to scrub at his face with his good arm, pulling it away to see just how much dirt had stained the material. Taking a moment to contemplate Bex’s following question, he pushed his glasses further up his nose, and ran his fingers through his tousled hair. He knew what she was really asking, but he wasn’t thirsty. They were both aware he had a habit of overindulging, so he very rarely found himself desperate for blood. And there were blood bags waiting for him at home that would help to speed up the healing process. So he grinned instead, doing his best to utilise his charm. “Maybe a beer?” He tried. “If you have one?”  

Mina would have asked about the long story if she was more curious, but this wasn’t the time or place. Milo was intoxicated and injured and likely not in any sort of state to be telling them just why it was that he thought Morgan hated him. Though, there really weren’t that many people out there that Mina was aware of Morgan hating. It didn’t seem likely. She nodded to Bex and gathered up the supplies, pulling everything out that would be needed. “I can do the stitches,” she said, quietly. “I’ve done them plenty of times on people that heal fast.” Both herself and other hunters. She was sure, though, that vampires still healed faster than both of them. But Mina stopped seeing him as a vampire and only allowed herself to see his injuries so that she could focus, taking in the wounds and figuring out how best to treat him. The deepest sections would absolutely need stitches, but the rest of it could probably be simply cleaned and bandaged. No point in stitching something up when they were just going to come out quickly. 

“You’re a little messy, yes,” she added, finally seeing all the mud and blood on him. And how many times had she come home looking like that? Less so, recently, since she’d been trying not to worry people so much, but still. Long ago, something very similar to this would have been routine: walk in, treat injuries, help others, rest. Repeat. And repeat. And repeat. Add in hunting. Substitute hunting with Mina just standing there, turning away. Repeat. Repeat as necessary. She blinked it away, raised an eyebrow at Milo, at that easy grin of his as he asked for a beer. “You smell like a brewery.”

Bex didn’t know what “long story” meant, but she wasn’t about to ask about it, and neither did Mina. Whatever happened between Morgan and Milo to make her supposedly hate them could stay with them until either of them were ready to tell the story. She exhaled slowly, moving away from the worst wound so that Mina could asses it and start the stitches. She picked up some more rubbing alcohol and cotton pads, moving to work at dabbing the smaller cuts on his other arm and face. “You are. You look like you rolled down a hill made of mud.” They were all talking so casually, but the thought of a hunter, a slayer, going after two people Bex cared about made her arms buzz. She itched-- ached-- to do something about them. She could easily do something about them, like she had done so with the first warden that went after Mina, and like she had tried to do with Roy. But her magic still sat sour in her stomach, still recovering from the shock of the destroyed spell.  

Bex furrowed her brow. She remembered what Milo had said when he’d gotten drunk with her in the park, that he didn’t need people judging him, that if he wanted to do it this way, then who was anyone to tell him no? “Sorry, I don’t think we have any. Morgan and Deirdre aren’t big beer drinkers.” It was enough of an excuse, and mostly the truth. They had other alcohol, but she wasn’t going to mention that. She got the glass of water instead and came back to sit next to him on the couch, holding it out. “What were you guys doing in the cemetery, anyway?” 

“I guess I probably don’t want to know why you’re so good with stitches, huh?” Milo asked Mina, smiling sheepishly when she agreed with Bex. He had never been particularly vain, and he couldn’t bring himself to be embarrassed, or offended. Not after everything he had suffered through. His appearance meant very little to him, especially when he was under the influence, so he gave up on the effort to tame his hair, allowing a laugh to escape him at the mention of smelling like a brewery. “Guilty.” He agreed, shrugging off the comment. “But what’s a brewery without beer?” His eyes were shining, despite suspecting Mina might be avoiding his question in a bid to keep him from drinking himself into a stupor. Glancing back at Bex, his smile stayed in place as she commented on his current state. He wondered whether she was exaggerating. The cemetery felt like eons ago. The fear, and the adrenaline had long since faded away. He wasn’t about to pull out his phone’s front camera to check, and he could always shower when he got home. “I mean, I kind of did…” Technically he fell from a tombstone, and tackled a hunter to the ground, but the details felt unimportant in the safety of Morgan’s house.  

Attempting to hide his disappointment when the one person he felt sure wouldn’t have an issue with letting him continue to drink denied him another beer, he tried to work out the probability of there being alcohol of any kind in the house. He didn’t see why it should be kept from him. He was fine. More than fine. There was no harm in having a little fun, especially after such a tiring night. “You don’t have anything else?” He asked, taking the water and staring down at the glass. He left fingerprints against the crystal, only realising as he stared at them that his skin was still marked by dirt, and dried blood. “It’s just- this kind of hurts, it would be nice to have something to… y’know- take the edge off…” The lie fell easily from his lips, he was far too used to finding an angle. Knowing what to say, and how to say it. He faltered, making it seem as though he was embarrassed to admit he was in pain, when in reality, he had faced far worse. “Oh, we thought it would be funny.” His smile only grew, he was still undeniably amused by the irony. “Two vampires in a cemetery… can’t say the ghosts were very glad of the company though…”  

“Probably not,” Mina said quietly as she set to work, her fingers quick and sure as she started the sutures. The black blood still occasionally coming out of Milo’s wounds barely even stung, and she wiped away at it with the tips of her fingers. She was mostly worried about getting this done as fast as possible; without anything to dull the pain, it wouldn’t do to linger and draw it out. “Keep very still, please.” That was important, too. So was distraction from the pain, a trick that was hard to do when working on herself. When she first started tending to her own wounds, Mina would sing to herself. Now, focused on keeping up the conversation that Bex and Milo were having. As long as he remained distracted, it shouldn’t hurt as bad. 

“We really don’t have any beer,” Mina said. “And I can’t lie. I’d have to tell you if we had any.” Not… exactly true, but it was true enough. There was no beer in the house. There was wine and stronger liquors, but no beer. The only beers that Mina had ever kept were the German ones that were still in her fridge at her little house next to the lake. “The pain shouldn’t last.” And, for a moment, she thought about offering Milo her blood. Fae blood was known for being sweet and addictive, and one of the better qualities of it was that it “took the edge off.” She’d been used to lure out vampires with her blood before. What was helping out a friend? But Mina had also been upset with Bex offering up her blood, so that was just an all around bad idea. “How quickly do vampires heal, anyway? I think I heal about twice as fast as a human, under certain conditions.”

Bex sighed. She remembered how much she would’ve liked something to “take the edge off” when she’d been half-dead in that cabin with Mina and the only thing there was an old bottle of what was probably homemade moonshine. And she wasn’t really one to judge Milo, was she? Plus, they were safe in the house. They weren’t away in the cemetery or lost somewhere or in a park. It was safe, right? As Mina started in on the stitches, she stood back up. “I’ll be right back,” she said, standing back up and heading into the other room. All the wine was kept downstairs in the cellar, but she knew where the liquor cabinet was, and she grabbed the cheapest looking bottle of vodka before making her way back. Cracked it open and took a sip before holding it out to Milo. “What do you mean ‘kind of did/? What happened? I thought you were just attacked by a slayer. Did Metzli do something to you?”  

Bex didn’t look at Mina for a moment, watching Milo carefully before sitting back on her hands. Her eyes glanced back towards the stairs-- if Morgan came down, what would she think? Was Bex doing the wrong thing here? She bit her lip, she had to believe otherwise. All she wanted to do was help people, but, lately, it felt as if everything she did was the wrong thing. Her chest even still ached from her spell backfiring the other night. “Maybe you should chill on the hanging out in cemeteries for a bit? Even for the joke. Just, uh-- until you know the situation with that slayer.” And she was worried and she was tired and she wondered if she should offer to go check on him for Milo. “I-- could go see if he’s still there, if you want? Take him somewhere safe, if he is?” 

Biting down on his bottom lip as Mina began to apply his stitches, Milo distracted himself from the discomfort by watching her focus. Now that he knew she wasn’t human it felt so obvious, not just in her scent, but in the way she looked. So ethereal and undeniably beautiful, he could understand why Bex wanted to be with her. Even now, after being woken up in the middle of the night to find out one of her friends not only needed medical attention, but wasn’t human either, she was soft, and gentle. Quietly sincere in her care for him. Forcing himself to stay still, repressing the desire to pull away from the needle, he exhaled a slow breath through his teeth. “Yeah, whatever…” He murmured, a frown creasing his brow. Why couldn’t she lie? He tried to run through the list of supernatural creatures in his head, despite knowing it was severely lacking. Maybe he didn’t know what she was, maybe she was something new. “It won’t…” He admitted, wanting to assure her. Waiting until she was pulling the thread taut, he shifted slightly, offering a one armed shrug. “It depends really… on how much blood I drink, and how bad I hurt myself. If I drink a lot and the injury is minor then it can disappear in, like… fifteen minutes? This one will probably take a couple of days.”  

Glancing up at Bex, watching her as she left the room, he felt a spark of hope, followed by a wave of genuine gratitude. He grinned easily as she reappeared, accepting the bottle of vodka, not missing the way she took a drink herself before handing it over to him. “No, Metzli didn’t do anything to me.” He laughed, unable to help himself. It definitely wasn’t beyond the realms of possibility. “I fell from one of those tombstones, you know the big ones- above ground? And then I had to get the hunter off of Metzli somehow because they insisted on encouraging whoever it was… but they didn’t do anything to me.” Taking a long drink of vodka, he paused to wipe his mouth on the back of his sleeve. “Yeah, no shit.” He answered, smiling to let his friend know he wasn’t upset by her comment. “I stand by it being funny though. You know it is...” His smile fading suddenly as he processed her following words, as he understood what she was offering, the danger she was willing to put herself in, he shook his head, desperate to keep her away from any violence. Bex was working to keep him safe, the least he could do was keep her safe in return. “No, I mean… they’ll be okay, they were stirring as I left. I- you would really do that?”

“Fifteen minutes?” Mina asked, genuinely curious. She cut the string, the worst of the scratches stitched together. Fifteen minutes was close to the almost instantaneous healing that she’d witnessed with zombies. She wondered, briefly, what it was about the undead that allowed them to heal so quickly when they didn’t even have heartbeats to pump blood through their body. It was a kind of curiosity that she never really allowed herself to experience. “A few days isn’t bad, though. Do you-- I mean, you have ways to get blood, right?” She’d never considered the thought that her friend would have to go out and hurt people in order to live. It was hard to imagine, to rectify her image of this gentle boy that liked to play piano and maybe over indulge in things just a little too much with monsters that she’d been taught to kill. Shadows that lurked in alleyways that burst into ash when they were destroyed for the greater good. But that wasn’t Milo. It wasn’t. 

Mina looked at Bex, then at Milo, and she couldn’t help but feel just a little exasperated at the whole situation. Frustrated, really, that other people that she was fond of were getting into situations that could get them hurt, especially so soon after Bex had confronted Roy. Of course Bex would offer to go do something. Mina hoped she knew that, if she tried anything, Mina was going with her. Instead, she told Milo, her voice light, “Hanging out in cemeteries would make you a horrible cliché, you know.” She relaxed as Milo said that there was no need for Bex to go back out there. There was no need. It’d be fine. Though, of the three of them, Bex would be the safest around a slayer. Still. She’d try to use her magic, Mina just knew it, and that wasn’t good so soon after she’d already hurt herself with it.

“Woah, fifteen minutes!?” Bex gasped, exasperated herself. “I don’t think my cuts even stop bleeding that fast. Jesus…” She ran a hand through her hair and shook her head. Life sure would be much easier if she had super healing, or even knew healing magic. But she didn’t and she wasn’t sure Nell could teach her that, so she let out a puff of air, furrowing her brow. “Well, at least there’s that. I would’ve had to kick their ass if they had.” Bex looked over at Mina, then, shrugging-- she knew she probably wasn’t happy with her for offering to go investigate, and would certainly demand to go with her if she did, but Bex didn’t really know what else to do in the situation. How could she not? How could she not want to do everything to make sure her friend was safe from a threat? She’d done the same with Mina, with Morgan, with anyone who threatened the happiness Bex had so painfully fought for. This town wanted to ruin it and she wasn’t going to let it. 

“Of course I would,” she answered simply, then, taking the bottle back and having another sip. Maybe it could make her tired enough to actually sleep, even as visions of blood and carnage still sat at the edges of her vision. Breath still hard to come by when she found herself panicked and woozy. “Besides, I’m just human, so they wouldn’t hurt me. And it’s not like they’d know I was friends with you.” She still hadn’t decided what she’d do if she did go find them. She supposed it depended on what they said. They had gone after not one, but two of Bex’s friends, and she felt her knuckles tightening on the table, looking away to clear her thoughts before she spoke again. “But if you think they’re okay, then, we can just focus on you. Did you want to stay here tonight, then? Or do you need to get home?” And why hadn’t Milo just gone home in the first place? Was his roommate out, or was his home not safe? She glanced between the two, though, wondering if the offer to let him stay here wasn’t the best idea. Still, she wasn’t about to throw him out. She’d deal with Morgan later, if she got upset. 

“Yeah, around fifteen…” Milo agreed, wincing as Mina cut the thread. It didn’t hurt as badly as he assumed it would, so he hesitantly glanced down to review her work. Honestly, his parents would be proud of her if only they could see it. Apparently she had a lot of skill. Catching her eye again, he smiled, needing her to know he was okay both physically, and in the context of sourcing blood. “I do. My roommate works in the hospital… though I should probably stop telling people that before I get him fired for stealing blood bags.” Laughing at himself, he took another drink, the vodka burning his throat in such a comforting way. “Maybe I was trying to be a horrible cliché.” He pointed out, his smile only growing as he remembered how much fun it had been. At least until a slayer had decided to interrupt the party. “But I get it, okay? No more cemeteries.” Nodding in response to Bex’s obvious surprise, he tugged his sleeve back down to hide his injury now that it was no longer an open wound. “Weird, right? I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to it.” Letting his friend take the bottle back, he held her gaze as she insisted she would check on the slayer if he asked her to. It meant more to him than she would know. Reaching out, he wrapped his arms around her, gently pulling her towards him and into a hug. Resting his chin on her shoulder, he murmured his thanks, forcing himself to let her go after a minute or two. If he could, he would stay in her arms for the remainder of the evening. She, and he supposed Mina now too, really did make him feel as though nothing bad could ever happen to him again.  

“You shouldn’t be so quick to rush into shit like this.” He said, knowing he had no right to tell her what to do, but feeling the need to say the words all the same. “What if they do know you’re my friend? It’s a small town? Or what if they think you’re another vampire and shoot at you on sight?” Satisfied he had made a relatively decent case, he decided to drop the subject, turning to look at the nearest window. The drapes were shut, but he could see it was still dark outside. “I… I should probably go. Morgan wouldn’t want me here, and my roommate gets home around dawn.” If there was anything he could do to encourage the healing process then Harsh would be able to advise him. Home was probably the best place for him to be now that the worst was over. “Thank you though… for everything.” His gaze shifting between both of his friends, he let a few beats of silence pass before speaking again, allowing himself to fully process just how lucky he was. Some terrible things had happened to him, in fact they continued to happen to him. But without becoming a vampire, he wouldn’t have Bex and Mina. “I’m not just talking about tonight, although y’know… I guess showing up here was kind of a dick move.” 

“I think it’s better to be stealing blood bags from hospitals as opposed to the alternatives,” Mina said. And maybe she should be more concerned for the humans that needed the blood, but this was better than Milo going out and attacking people, right? This was so much better than that. She’d rather him do that than just about anything else. She rolled her eyes. “If you were trying to be a horrible cliché, then you’d be sleeping in a coffin. Right? That’s what vampires do on tv?” She wasn’t particularly sure, only remembering one scene from Carmilla that included a coffin and a lot of blood. She started packing up the medical supplies now that they were done, adding, “Those are pretty basic, so they won’t come out on their own. If you need them removed, just let me know.” 

Mina shot Bex a look before agreeing with Milo. “I think so, too, personally.” Then, to Bex, joking but serious, “At least put on decent shoes before you decide to pick fights with slayers in cemeteries. And allow me to grab a jacket.” Because if Bex was going to rush into this, then Mina was to, and she’d rather not do it with scaly arms exposed for the world. Not to mention that she’d like to grab a knife, just in case. But she didn’t think that going after slayers was on the agenda for the evening. She added to Milo, “They wouldn’t think that she’s a vampire. Slayers can sense the undead, so they’d be able to tell that she isn’t.” They also wouldn’t be able to tell what Mina was, which would be another reason for her to go. “Do you need someone to walk back with you? You’re still a little tipsy and wobbly. How far of a walk is it?” And she was looking him over for more injuries, just in case, even though she couldn’t see them. And then she was saying, quickly, “Don’t thank me. You don’t have to thank me.” Because it was important that he knew that. “Never thank me. Thank Bex.” She wasn’t unkind, but she wanted him to know. She needed him to know that, at the very least. “I think I’ve mentioned that before, actually.”

Bex thought back, for a moment, about what Metzli had told her about how they had solved their blood problem. Grimacing, she decided to keep that to herself. She was sure Mina would not approve, and Bex didn’t know how to tell her it was better than the alternative right now, too. Instead, she focused back on Milo, grabbing the bottle and taking one last drink before screwing the cap back on. With the injuries all patched up, there shouldn’t be a need to take the edge off anymore. And she didn’t want anyone to notice the missing amount, not that she thought they would, really. Or that anyone would get upset. This wasn’t her parents, after all. She was safe here. She let out a long sigh. “You so don’t wanna be a cliché,” she said, “then you’d have to sparkle and I think that might make you just a little too gay, if that’s possible.” She grinned, pleased with herself.  

She was immediately ruffled, though, by the look Mina gave her and the two of them insisting she was being hasty about this. “I never said I was going to go after him,” she shot back, frowning, “I just said I’d check on him. See if he was still there and okay. Milo said he was worried for him.” Folded her arms over her chest. Mina explained why he would know she wasn’t a vampire and Bex was reminded how easy it was for people to underestimate her. She certainly didn’t look dangerous or act dangerous or feel dangerous. But sometimes, she wondered if the magic inside of her was more dangerous than a hungry vampire. Her eyes met MIlo’s. “It wasn’t a dick move. I’m glad you knew you could come to me. I-- want to be that kind of friend for you.” Words failed her, though, when Milo reached out and hugged her. She stayed frozen, unsure of what to do. She didn’t hug or get hugged often, except by Mina. Really, Mina was the only person she allowed to touch her that much, even Morgan was limited. She cleared her throat when Milo pulled away and just nodded. “We--” her voice faltered, “”we can totally walk back with you.” Because if Mina wasn’t going to let Bex go alone, then she wasn’t going to let Mina go alone, either. Not with a crazed bugbear hunting her. 

“I mean they’re still donating blood, right? And it’s still potentially saving people… I consider it a grey area.” Milo teased, only half serious. If he was being honest he didn’t view his situation as any kind of moral, or ethical dilemma. Nobody was getting hurt, and people were always donating blood. A true victimless crime if there ever was one. Only if he and Harsh decided to deplete the hospital’s entire supply would he be able to see why it was problematic. “I wanted a coffin, my roommate said no.” He grinned, letting his company know he wasn’t being serious. He had joked on more than one occasion, and Harsh had always been quick to shut him down with an offhand comment and a roll of his eyes. But the idea of sleeping in a coffin, as trivial as it may seem in passing, made him uneasy. His memories of his death were hazy, but they were there, a constant reminder of how much he had suffered. A constant, physical reminder of that wouldn’t be healthy. “Jeez, a Twilight reference?” He wrinkled his nose at Bex, distracted from the medical talk. “I’m not drunk enough for Twilight references.” But he laughed regardless of his feigned distaste. Moving his legs so that Mina had better access to the table the medical supplies were laid out on, he hummed softly in response to her instruction. “Mom and Dad are doctors.” He explained. “I was practising stitches on orange peel as soon as I was old enough, I’ve just never actually had to give them to anybody, especially not myself…” He was confident he could remove them well, and if not Harsh would always be there to help him. “I’ll manage…”  

Although he was glad to hear Mina agree with him, he couldn’t say he approved of her keeping Bex company. He would much rather the both of them stay at home, safe, and comfortable, and hidden away, than chase after a hunter who was probably long gone. “I know how it works,” he added, brushing off her explanation of the strange Spidey-Sense slayers apparently had. “I just meant- well, they’re probably on edge, right? If they’re still there. Regardless of whether their vampire senses are tingling they might try and jump you… it wouldn’t be the first time someone acted on impulse.” A laugh escaping him, it took him a few seconds too long to realise Mina was being serious. “Wait- I’m not tipsy.” He insisted. “This is my basically natural state of being.” He had been far worse on many occasions and somehow always managed to arrive home before the sunrise. He was falling into a routine. His smile slipping as Mina’s sudden concern pulled him out of his thoughts. He stared at her, his brain working to process what she was telling him, why her tone had changed so drastically. Almost in slow motion, everything fell into place, leaving him with a strange sense of clarity despite not knowing exactly what she was. Things were starting to make an awful lot of sense. “Shit, you’re the reason Bex keeps telling me not to make promises, aren’t you? And not to say thank you, or like- swear on stuff…”  

Turning his attention back to Bex, feeling the need to make sure she didn’t decide to go and scope out the cemetery, he shook his head. “I know they’ll be okay… I just didn’t like leaving them behind like that, you know? But they weren’t showing any sign of trauma…” A smile tugging at his lips as she assured him appearing on her doorstep wasn’t unfair, he really wanted to believe her. Thinking about what he would do if she showed up on his doorstep made it far easier to accept as the truth. He would help her without question, she was only doing the same for him now. “You are that kind of friend for me… you already are.” Worried he might have crossed a line by hugging her, he gave her some space as she cleared her throat, composing herself after such an unexpected show of affection. “You don’t need to walk with me, it’s late for you guys... this was enough- more than enough.” 

“A lot of things are a grey area,” Mina murmured, and she wasn’t really sure how to deal with that fact, despite being used to it for a while now. Everything was so much more grey that she’d thought it was when she was younger, the world of black/white morality and good vs. evil not really as simple as it should be. She wished it was simple. She just wanted things to be simple, sometimes. She was so, so glad it wasn’t simple. “Your roommate’s pretty smart.” And she tried not to be too disgruntled at the mention of Twilight, playing with the ring on her hand as she remembered the way that the rock trapped inside it had once made her sparkle similarly to Edward Cullen. Mina gave Milo a nod as she finished cleaning up, confident in his ability to tend to himself if he said that he could. Thinking about the slayer, she frowned. “They’re supposed to be trained not to go after humans, no matter what. If they don’t sense undead, they should… not retaliate.” At least, that was how it was supposed to be. She’d been proven wrong plenty of times, though, since she’d come to White Crest. She snorted. “I don’t believe you.” Mina scratched at the back of her neck. “Guilty as charged,” she said, her voice quiet. “You should never thank the Fae.”  

Mina would have rolled her eyes at Bex if she thought she could get away with it. Because she knew how Bex reacted towards people that hurt people that she cared about. She might say she wasn’t going after them, but if she got upset, then Mina didn’t know what she’d do. Probably go after them. She watched the two of them interact, the tenseness in Bex’s shoulders, the way that Milo immediately let go when it seemed he was making her uncomfortable. She gave Bex a small smile, hoping to be comforting, before she looked back at Milo. Dryly, she said, “We don’t sleep much. It’s really no big deal. And we can handle ourselves on the walk back, if that’s what you’re worried about.” She let claws and webbing form on her hands. “Really, we can take you home.”

“Twilight is iconic whether you want to admit it or not,” Bex said with an affirming nod, as if there was no room to argue afterwards. But the subject had moved on quickly, even as she decided to hold her tongue when it came to black and white and grey matters. She had maybe too many opinions about it, but that was the thing-- morality was opinion, when it was all boiled down. She didn’t think either of them would agree with her, though, and Milo was right-- getting blood from the hospital was a much safer option than anything else. Certainly safer than what Metzli had figured out, but Milo had already said he’d asked if they would let him help with the blood source, and they’d refused. So, really, what was there to do. She let out a breath and noted Mina fiddling with her ring, letting her gaze drop to the matching one on her own hand. She suddenly wondered if using a rock that had made Mina so upset for so long had been a good idea, but she couldn’t forget the look on Mina’s face the first time she’d shown her the bit of meteorite she’d gotten for her. At least, before she’d told her how she’d gotten it, and about the redcaps. She frowned, when attention came back towards the hunter. “Yeah, well, seems like more and more lately, we’ve been finding hunters who really don’t care about all that,” she said with a sour tinge, before straightening up and grabbing the bottle of vodka. “But I’ll leave it alone for now, since you insist on them being okay.” Maybe she’d go check tomorrow, anyway.  

Standing, she let out a huff, ready to change the subject again. “I’m gonna go put this back, then we’ll grab our coats and better shoes and walk you home. Or at least to your block. Is it far? Maybe we should drive…” Noting the way her head still felt light and her chest still felt heavy. She rubbed a hand over her sternum a second, as if trying to relieve the pressure, before she turned and went into the kitchen to put the bottle back. Mina was right, though-- neither of them slept much, and maybe Bex’s lack of it was finally starting to get to her. She felt exhausted, but, really, that didn’t matter when she had a friend in need. Brushing it off, she headed back in and put on a smile, wiping away the awkwardness her skin still buzzed with from the sudden contact. “Ready?” 

“Yeah, he is.” Milo agreed, thinking of Harsh and how much help he had given him over the course of his time as a vampire. More than he probably deserved. Humming quietly as the conversation moved back to the hunter from the cemetery, he couldn’t help but doubt Mina’s confidence. Anybody trained in violence was going to make a mistake. Especially when their life quite literally depended on acting quickly, on acting without warning. Regardless of whether Bex looked threatening, the idea of her wandering into that cemetery made him incredibly nervous. He didn’t trust the hunter to have left, and he definitely didn’t trust their judgement. As if to prove him right, Bex decided to elaborate on her girlfriend’s statement, a dark undertone to her voice that made him wonder whether Mina had been hurt too, or attacked by somebody questionable. In spite of the subject, he couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of triumph when she admitted she was indeed the reason Bex insisted promises could be dangerous. And then she mentioned Fae. He didn’t know much about Fae, bar what Rio had told him, and he was infinitely curious. Ignoring the heartache he felt when his thoughts drifted to Orion, he forced himself to stay present. A difficult feat given just how much alcohol was currently in his system. So Mina was Fae, and Bex was a Spellcaster. He really was going to have to start making notes. “I really am fine.” He added, realising she had made it clear she didn’t believe his previous statements. “Besides, if you don’t sleep much that only means you need all of the sleep you can…” He trailed off, staring as Mina’s hand shifted, becoming claws, and webbing as he watched. He wasn’t disgusted, or horrified, only fascinated by what he could only assume was her true form.  

Collecting himself, he pushed on. “I wasn’t saying that because... I mean, I know you guys can take care of yourselves… I just don’t want to be more of an inconvenience, y’know?” He did his best to clarify. He still didn’t know a lot about what Mina could do, but there was no question of just how powerful Bex might be. “Also Twilight is iconic. Rio made me watch it…” He lowered his gaze, a soft sigh escaping him. It had been so long now since he had last seen his friend, and he missed his company, the sound of his voice, how safe he felt in his presence. His expression briefly faltering as he realised the bottle of vodka was being taken away, he begrudgingly pushed himself to his feet. He was tired, and uncomfortable, he longed to crawl into his bed. “It’s not that far, maybe twenty minutes?” He guessed, feeling a spark of guilt as he realised they would have to walk back to their house again. It felt like too much, it felt too unfair, but they weren’t about to let him leave alone. There was absolutely no room for argument, and honestly, he didn’t want to argue with them. It would be nice to have company. It would be nice not to have to look over his shoulder every ten seconds for fear of being followed by some asshole who wanted him dead. “I’m ready,” he said, concern creasing his brow as he noticed Bex rub absentmindedly at her chest. “Hey… are you okay?” He asked, his voice low so that he wouldn’t alert Mina who had started to move towards the entryway. 

“You had to have stitches and are wobbly on your feet,” Mina said to Milo, her voice deadpan. “I don’t think you’re particularly fine.” Especially not when he was a vampire of all creatures, someone that healed significantly faster than a hunter or a werewolf or herself or especially a human. Not to mention how shaken he was. If he was worried about their own well-being, then that meant that he thought this was a serious situation. And maybe it was, but Mina knew hunters. At the very least, she knew trained hunters. She knew that, as long as she didn’t reveal herself as someone supernatural, then she and Bex wouldn’t be at risk if they ran into this slayer. They. Plural. Because Mina wasn’t letting Bex go alone. The way Milo’s voice brought Mina’s attention to the fact that not many people were used to seeing silver scales and webbing and claws on people that were mostly human in appearance. He didn’t seem to be judging her, the look on his face more interested than anything else, but Mina still shied away from the attention, letting the inhumanity fade from her skin slowly. 

“It’s not an inconvenience,” Mina added, giving Milo a small but sincere smile. The mention of Rio piqued her curiosity, remembering the rather thin but brave boy that she’d met who had been with her during the warden attack. The look of fondness and longing on his face was familiar, something that she could recognize. Still, she chose to address his next question. “Twenty minutes isn’t that bad. We should be able to manage.” She ran more than that some nights anyway. It was fine. She allowed the two of them to hang back as she moved towards the door, grabbing her coat off the rack and putting on a pair of boots, lacing them up as she waited. 

“What Mina said,” Bex pointed out, but she did so in a lighter tone, a gentle smile, letting him know that even if he was in this condition, she didn’t mind. It was okay. “Definitely not an inconvenience.” She gave a little nod, glancing over at Mina as she headed towards the door to gather her jacket and shoes, noting as she made her webbing and scales disappear from her skin. She wished she could reach out and give Mina the confidence she needed to not be embarrassed by them, but slowly, and surely, she was getting more comfortable, and all Bex could do right now was support that. Her attention turned back to Milo as he hung back and whispered something to her. She hadn’t even noticed she’d been doing it until he pointed it out, and she dropped her hand, shrugging. “Fine,” she muttered back, not wanting to concern anyone with something so paltry, but wondering if Milo, with his superhearing, could hear her erratic heartbeat the way Mina could with her head on her chest. She’d pointed it out once or twice but Bex had brushed it off. It didn’t mean anything, not really. It wasn’t important, not when there were so many other things to be taken care of. 

She gave Milo an apologetic look, though, and decided he deserved more than just a brush off. “Sorry, I--” she looked at Mina at the door, then back to Milo-- “I’m just having a hard time sleeping lately. It’s nothing, really.” It was just the nightmares and the memories and the headaches. She gave him a reassuring smile and motioned for him to follow her to the door. “C’mon, let’s get you home and worry about everything else in the morning, okay? I don’t know about you, but I could use a nice day to relax.” 

Milo opened his mouth to argue with Mina before deciding he didn’t have the energy. Instead he shot her a look that made it clear he didn’t agree with her observations. Realising she had caught him staring at her hands, his expression shifted, and he offered her a sheepish smile. Any disagreements were quickly forgotten. Regardless of her assurance, it still felt like an inconvenience, but he was being forced to accept the fact that they were walking with him. There was nothing he could do or say to stop them at this point. “No minutes is better than twenty minutes.” He pointed out, but it was clear in his voice that he had resigned himself to their company. His smile growing somewhat as he watched Mina locate her coat in the hall, he turned back to Bex, who was smiling too. Jeez, he really was lucky to be surrounded by so many people willing to help him. Despite what he was, despite who he was. Surely he couldn’t be worth the stress he caused.  

“Fine?” He echoed as her hand dropped back to her side. He had gotten remarkably good at tuning out the constant hum of heartbeats, but now he focused on the sound, listening to how Bex’s heart seemed to jump, wild, and inconsistent in her chest. Her pulse was clear, but it wasn’t steady, and he didn’t need to be the son of two doctors to understand that wasn’t healthy. “Is that normal?” He whispered, wondering whether Mina was aware. “Is that a magic thing?” His smile fading as he was overcome with concern, he longed to help, he just didn’t know how. Technically, he couldn’t even sleep anymore. How was he supposed to aid anybody else in getting rest when he could barely manage it himself? Following her to the door, he knew his words were useless but they fell from his lips before he could stop them. He wanted to say something, even if it wouldn’t make a difference. “Maybe you can get some sleep during the day?” He suggested, as though she hadn’t considered that thought herself. It was never going to be that easy. 

Bex shrugged, as if trying to brush it off. She didn’t really feel like discussing the state of her health with anyone, let alone Milo. She didn’t want to worry him, or anyone, really. It wasn’t that bad, anyway. So her chest hurt a little sometimes, and she’d been having heart palpitations a lot, lately, but it would go away after a bit and then she’d push it out of her mind until the next time it happened. “Yeah, I mean, it might be-- could be,” she said back, nodding. She didn’t think that was really it, but she’d only first noticed it after Frank had electrocuted her and Nell had supposedly restarted her heart with her blood magic. So, maybe it was because of magic. Maybe she should talk to Nisa about it, she was a healer, after all. She turned back to look at Milo, giving as much of a reassuring smile as she could. “It’ll be fine, there’s no need to worry. It’s probably just cause I’m tired and stuff.”  

She made her way over to Mina, then, and slipped her hand into hers gently, glancing back at Milo. “Yeah, maybe,” she shrugged, “you ready?” She held her free hand out to Milo, the hand that had her promise ring on it clutching Mina’s. “Let’s get you home. I’m sure tomorrow will be better for everyone, right?” At least, she could hope. She had to believe that it would be, otherwise, she wasn’t sure she’d get out of bed. 

Milo frowned to himself. He didn’t like how unsure Bex seemed. She shouldn’t be so vague in her answer, not when he was questioning her on the condition of her heart. But he decided to let the subject go. She never queried his decisions, never asked him whether he really should be reaching for the bottle, or brushing off another hunter’s desperate attack. The least he could do was trust her to take care of herself. “Okay,” he said, his voice gentle, and hopefully comforting. He wanted her to know he wasn’t going to push for further elaboration. “I really hope you can sleep today…” He trailed off, holding back from apologising for interrupting her evening. She had already insisted he wasn’t being a bother, what more was there to say? Watching his friend as she made her way over to where Mina was standing, he felt a strange warmth spreading outwards from his chest. Together they were so soft, so aware of each other. And then Bex held her hand out, and he realised he was being invited into their circle. They knew what he was, they didn’t care. They saw every habit, every trait, every mannerism, and yet here they were; helping him heal, encouraging him to move closer.  

Swallowing his emotion, he took a step without thinking, too drunk, and too distracted to watch where he was going. It would be less ridiculous somehow if his foot had caught on an object, or a platform. He had the excuse of being unfamiliar with the layout of the house. But even he knew, as he lost his balance and fell to the floor, hitting it with a resounding thud, that he had undeniably tripped over his own feet. Too clumsy, and sluggish to coordinate his limbs, entirely unaware of his own body, pain radiated outwards from a few points of impact, and he hurried to stand, brushing himself off before anybody could make a comment. Letting out a huff of breath, his annoyance genuine, but also playful, he looked Mina in the eye. “Maybe I’m a little drunk.” He admitted begrudgingly. “But only a little.” A smile tugging at his lips, he finally moved to take Bex’s hand, walking with care, glancing down so that he wouldn’t trip again. Slipping his fingers between her own, feeling the heat of her blood beneath her skin, her scent washed over him and he realised in some way she had become home to him. For the first time since leaving the cemetery, he knew he was safe. “Come on,” he pulled her towards the doorway, a laugh escaping him as he considered the teasing he was undoubtedly about to face. “Let’s get outta here…”  

[translations-by-aiimee]

Dig a Grave to Dig Out a Ghost - Chapter 27

Original Title: 挖坟挖出鬼

Genres: Drama, Horror, Mystery, Supernatural, Yaoi

This translation is based on multiple MTLs and my own limited knowledge of Chinese characters. If I have made any egregious mistakes, please let me know.

Chapter Index

Chapter 27 - Soul-Catcher

Enemies and friends were actually pretty interchangeable. For example, Lin Yan had to be on his guard with this ghost before, but when a new enemy appeared, it was the first time that he truly felt he and Xiao Yu were on the same side. Lin Yan glanced at the dimly lit hut, his head resting on Xiao Yu's chest. His slightly cool body temperature made him think an inexplicable thought; that he actually felt safe because of the presence of this ghost that never left him alone.

"What happened?" Xiao Yu held the back of Lin Yan's head.

"It's. . . it's nothing" Lin Yan blushed. He broke out from Xiao Yu's arms, hiding his head down and looking at the photo that the old man had given him. He had such a dull expression that it looked like the black and white picture had been taken after he had died. As he took a closer look, the place where the girl in the red coat had been standing wasn't completely empty. Lin Yan aggressively wiped the picture. A thin cloud of gray mist hovered around his legs. If he wasn't actively looking for it, he would've chalked it up to the old quality of the picture.

"Pea cakes, hawthorn jelly, fruitcakes, water chestnut cake, rolling donkeys, glutinous rice cakes." The vendor pushing the cart selling treats noticed Lin Yan standing by himself. He picked up a rag and wiped the glass window of the cart, shouting more enthusiastically. "Would you like to try some?"

The dry, dazzling sunlight shone down. The vendor's voice seemed like it was coming from another world, too distant to be clearly distinguished.

Things were moving in an unpredictable direction. Lin Yan shook his head and dragged Xiao Yu forward aimlessly, wracking through his brain. The first time he saw the little girl was in the hallway of his apartment building. There had been a problem with the elevator that day and he climbed the stairs to the twelfth floor. At the corner of the third-floor hallway, he saw the little girl climbing onto the handrail to play. Later, he would meet her downstairs almost every time he went home. Once Lin Yan arrived home just when the kids had just gotten out of school and large groups of students were playing football in the yard. He hadn't paid attention to the little girl sitting on her own. Now that he thought about it, he had never seen her talk to anyone.

It seemed like it had been a while since he last saw the little girl.

When did this start? Lin Yan walked with his head down, kicking a small stone as he walked. The corner of his eyes flicked across Xiao Yu's embellished hem, a bright white fabric decorated with a greenish emerald dragon spread out underneath the moire belt hanging down, swaying as he stepped. Lin Yan hesitantly cast his gaze towards the ghost next to him. The memory of Xiao Yu appearing on that rainy night resurfaced. When Lin Yan rushed out of his apartment in terror, he saw the little girl standing in the rain, sucking on her thumb and looking at him. If he hadn't been threatened by a ghost, he would've asked why she was standing alone outside on a rainy day.

From that day on, Lin Yan's life completely changed. He thought silently, ever since Xiao Yu had started following him, the girl in the red coat hadn't shown up again.

A thought jolted across his mind. Lin Yan almost couldn't stand still. He shook as he took his phone out of his pocket and dialled Yin Zhou's number.

'Beep. . . beep. . .' Pick up the phone, pick up the phone, Lin Yan silently urged.

". . . Lin Yan?" After ringing seven times, Yin Zhou's tired voice came from the phone: ". . . I'm sleeping. I'm hanging up if this isn't important."

Lin Yan breathed a sigh of relief. He clamped the phone between his ear and shoulder while pulling out his car keys and asked; "A-Zhou, do you remember what Second Immortal Gu told us the last time we asked her to drive away a ghost?"

"The old lady was just trying to scam a few bucks off us. . ." Yin Zhou reluctantly grumbled: "I think she said there was a little girl who didn't have any clothes or money to pay to get to the underworld, and then she poured water all over you. Complete bullshit."

Lin Yan's heart dropped: "Then Second Immortal Gu died and her time of death was deliberately changed."

"Yeah." Yin Zhou yawned: "Did you find something?"

Lin Yan dragged Xiao Yu towards the parking lot and harshly slammed the car door: "She wasn't talking bullshit. There really was a little girl in red following me. I took a picture with her but the developed picture didn't have her in it."

"Holy shit!" Yin Zhou was completely awake and bounced off the bed: "Are you kidding me? Another ghost?!"

"I'm not sure yet." Lin Yan turned the key to start the car, staring at the windshield, "That hand, it slapped the windshield when we went to see Second Immortal Gu and we almost got into a car accident. It didn't seem right to me when it happened, but it disappeared so fast, I couldn't see it."

"Now that I think about it, the hand was too small. It's not the ghost that lives in my house at all." Lin Yan glanced at Xiao Yu. "I also saw the little girl the day I went to meet you in the bar. At that time, I thought she was alive. I think she was the reason I was stuck in that loop on the road and she was the one behind Second Immortal Gu's death."

"I'll go ask A-Yan later on. Keep an eye out for anything."

Yin Zhou was silent for a while: ". . . Stay safe."

Lin Yan hung up the phone and carefully backed the car out of the parking space. The market in Shenjiyuan closed early. A group of vendors surged out from the entrance with the earnings from the day like a school of fish swimming by Lin Yan's car window. The jade shop by the side of the road screeched by on its grinding wheels. Lin Yan sighed and clutched the steering wheel, waiting for the crowd in front of them to disperse. When he turned to look at Xiao Yu, he couldn't help but feel a little guilty.

"It's always been you, hasn't it?" Lin Yan whispered.

"The night I first met you, I drove around the overpass for three hours and didn't find the exit until I saw you."

The patter of light rain, the lonely figure standing under the streetlamp like they were waiting for a promise that could never be fulfilled.

"At that time, I thought I was lost because of you. I didn't think that you were the one to help me get out of there." Lin Yan recalled how he had been circling around the overpass like a headless fly. He found it all kind of funny now. The ghost that scared him half to death now shared his house, shared his passenger seat and even shared his occasional uncontrollable sexual desires.

Xiao Yu rubbed his fingers against his temple, trying to remember. A-Yan said that ghosts who had just returned to the human world were in a state of confusion. They would keep searching for the reason why they were stuck in the human world with very few memories of their previous lives. Some of them were able to remember and reincarnate easily while others weren't successful, their resentment growing stronger and stronger. Lin Yan grabbed his hand and held it, feeling a little depressed, and murmured: "Forget it, don't worry about it."

He couldn't help but chuckle bitterly: "You've got your hands full now. Someone's trying to kill me before you get to."

". . . You're mine." Xiao Yu said slowly, pulling his hand back.

"I'm not." Lin Yan said. He didn't know why he was so stubborn every time this topic came up: "Even now, I'm not sure who you are or where you want to take me. A month ago I was a complete atheist, but now I've now more ghosts than people. My life is already a mess and today I ran into a little girl that almost killed me on a highway."

Lin Yan started getting choked up. He sniffed. For some reason, he felt a strong feeling of outrage: "Who did I provoke? Why won't they just let me live my life?"

Xiao Yu held Lin Yan's shoulders and rubbed his chin against his forehead. Lin Yan gritted his teeth and the stinging in his eyes grew more intense.

"I'm going to ask A-Yan about the little girl later. Xiao Yu, don't move. Let me rest for a minute." Lin Yan wrapped his arms around his waist and curled into Xiao Yu's arms. "I'm exhausted. "

Long, slender fingers stroked through his hair. They were cold but the gesture was very gentle: "Don't worry, I'm here."

"I know." Lin Yan played with the crimson silk belt around Xiao Yu's waist and let out a chuckle: "Save me for yourself. Don't let someone else kill me."

Lin Yan buried his face in Xiao Yu's chest. If he had heard that a month ago, he would've thought he was out of his mind, but now he said it sincerely as if he meant it when he tried to reassure him. He instinctively felt that what had happened recently was much more than a simple coincidence. It was as if a well-prepared lasso had been placed on the ground long ago, waiting for him to walk ignorantly into the center of the rope loop only for it to be violently tightened by an invisible giant hand. The staring little girl, the dead old lady, the pre-determined internship and obsessive ghosts. The crowd outside the car window slowly dispersed. Lin Yan held Xiao Yu's waist and couldn't help but think that even if he really fell into some unpredictable conspiracy, there was always something to hold on to.

He knew that there was something between them that couldn't be resolved or reconciled. He cautiously avoided thinking about it. The ghost made the first move. Lin Yan let out a long sigh. He struggled to sit up straight, turning and driving the car out of the parking lot.

There's still time. Think about it later, Lin Yan thought to himself.

The alleyway where A-Yan lived was as dark as the first time. The spider web he saw when he came last time had grown bigger. A round gray spider was hanging underneath and climbing with its eight hairy legs. The broken bicycle beneath the spider web was gone, replaced by a pile of large cardboard boxes covered in advertisements for weight loss tea.

A-Yan didn't have a candle lit like he were a ghost this time. The living room was lit, and after making a cup of kuding tea for Lin Yan, A-Yan looked at the black-and-white photo carefully with the light, his face growing serious.

"I can't sense anything. Even the weakest ghosts have dark energy, but I can't see anything like what you said." A-Yan looked at the air around Lin Yan strangely, and then lowered his head to study the photo.

"I haven't seen her since Xiao Yu showed up. Today was the first time." Lin Yan pointed to the ghost behind him, embarrassed: "His name is Xiao Yu. I don't think I mentioned that."

He didn't know why it made him flustered to mention his name in front of others, so Lin Yan coughed quickly to cover up his embarrassment.

"X-Xiao Yu, I'll remember that." The little Daoist muttered to himself. He opened the cabinet and took out the large red lacquer pen and a glass bottle filled with cinnabar that he used to exorcise ghosts earlier. He unscrewed the bottle and paused: "Was he also there when you met the little girl you mentioned?"

"No." Lin Yan recalled: "There was a talisman hanging on the door to ward off evil spirits and he couldn't get in."

"If there was a talisman to ward off evil spirits, then that means there must have been a ghost. What did the talisman look like?"

Lin Yan drew a crooked pattern on his phone's whiteboard based on what he remembered, like gossip that was fed down the grapevine. Dancing lines of symbols and patterns were encompassed by a large black box. The little Daoist frowned while he studied it and said with certainty: "T-This is made specifically to repel ghosts. Sticking this on a door will prevent even the most powerful ghosts from getting in." A-Yan's slender fingers pointed to the cloud of gray mist near Lin Yan's feet in the photo: "Like I thought. It's not a ghost, it's a curse."

"Curse?" Lin Yan clutched the cup, bewildered: "Like in the movies?"

A-Yan took out the yellow paper from under the table. He dipped the pen in the cinnabar and haphazardly scribbled a Daoist talisman. He lit it with a lighter and moved it across Lin Yan's shoulders and head. He frowned and said: "N-No, this kind of talisman is an evil art used in practices like Nanyang Black Magic and Miaojiang compulsion techniques. They use insects, ants, dolls, and even ghosts to injure and harm people. It's different from Daoism. Daoism only targets ghosts while curses target people."

The flame of the yellow paper increased immensely when it passed over Lin Yan’s shoulders, making a small crackling sound. The little Daoist flicked the yellow paper to put out the flame and wondered: “It's impossible for a gray shadow to appear when trying to take pictures of ghosts that appeared naturally. The little girl had to be imprisoned somehow to make this kind of curse. I'll help you to get rid of it. I-It's such bad luck to run into this kind of thing."

"Lin Yan, who did you offend recently? Why did someone put a curse on you?"

Lin Yan took a sip of tea and sank into the sofa, shaking his head with a bitter smile on his face. Something that Second Immortal Gu said popped into his head. The little girl had been locked up with deep resentment. At that time, he thought she was talking nonsense. It's a pity that this person was already dead and gone.

Gone? Lin Yan looked back at Xiao Yu in surprise. If a person's soul still exists after they die. . .

"A-Yan." Lin Yan grabbed the little Taoist's thin wrist and said in a low voice: "Can people still talk after they die?"

The little Daoist priest was dumbfounded. A smirk danced on his lips. He stared at the ceiling for a minute and whispered: "N-Not necessarily. Some that died recently still can, but not for very long."

"Less than a month." Lin Yan roughly slammed the teacup on the table, water splashing into small round spots on the yellow paper. "I want to attract a person's soul."

The little Daoist thoughtfully stroked the cinnabar-coated pen and hesitated: "I-I'll try. A month might not be enough time."

The lights in the living room were dim and the whole room smelt like traditional medicinal herbs. After staying for a while, it felt like he was drifting farther and farther away from the normal world. Lin Yan took out his phone and stared at the bright screen, trying to bring himself back to reality. He scrolled through the people in his contacts. A text message suddenly popped up.

"I have some news. I'll ask the secretary to double-check and I'll get back to you tomorrow."

The one who sent it was the man who gave the lecture on Monday, Professor File Folder.

[pamgkrthwrites]

Flame of Healing | EraserMic x Reader | Chapter 8 - Different Issues

Masterlist | AO3

Warnings: Mentions of uncomfortable age gaps, discussion of soulmates with large age gap, hints at the thumb rule of dating(x/2+7=y), Ms Joke x Mirko, Midnight x Mt Lady, convocations, mention of grave robbing, Aizawa teasing

Word Count: 2009

Taglist: @stargazingaloneatnight​ @rinzyx05​

AN: This chapter has more convocations that might make people uncomfortable but kinda need to be done. We talk about age gaps regarding soulmates. I want to get these big convocations done with but also to showcase the relations you have and Aizawa and Yamada have with friends regarding soulmates. They both have different things to say but I do want to showcase what sort of convocations you might go through WAY later on.

“OW!” Hizashi whined as Shouta hit him at the back of the head with a roll of papers.

“You’re lucky you came in 3 minutes before your class started, Hizashi.” Shouta said as he pulled away his papers from Hizashi head.

“I’m sorry, Shouta.” Hizashi whined as he rubbed the back of his head. “I just drove Y/N to work and I didn’t think it would take that long to get to the school from here.”

“For someone who doesn’t work here yet, Shouta seems pretty invested.” Nemuri Kayama chuckled from the other side of the room.

Shouta snapped his head around to her. “I’m surprised they let an R rated hero teach here. From what I remember, teachers were upset with you for wanting to be an R rated hero when we went here.”

Midnight was about to respond until Hizashi cut in. “Maybe its because she only recently found out her and her soulmate have an 8 year age difference.”

Nemuri’s face showed the shock on her face.

“Yeah, that is probably it.” Shouta joked. “The only time it would be socially acceptable for her to even date her soulmate would be when she is 30 considering their age gap. However, her soulmate will find out when Kayama is 29.”

“What grade is she in any way?” Hizashi joked. “2nd year of middle school?”

“Imagine your first time meeting your soulmate is at 16 and they are 8.” Shouta smiled as he glared at Kayama.

“Can you two stop!” She whined. “I get it! I have a kinda gross age gap with my soulmate, but once it’s acceptable I’m sure she will love me!”

“That’s one of the issues with that new law that passed,” Shouta said as he leaned back in his chair. “it does not consider those people with an age gap with their soulmate. Imagine, you turn 21 and you find out your soulmate is 38. That would freak out as a new adult. And imagine being 38, finding out your soulmate is 21. You have a set life, maybe a family of your own, and your soulmate is 17 years your junior. The only time it would be socially acceptable for you two to even date is in 10 years. By that point - depending on your gender - you may not be able to even have children with your soulmate by that time. It’s better when soulmates meet naturally.”

Midnight nodded her head and leaned onto a chair. “It may be easier for those who live countries apart to see where their soulmate is, but it doesn’t help with those people with an age gap. I remember even remember when I first got my quirk and not seeing a name, only to then see it when I was 12. The older soulmate at least knows the age difference once they realise what it means, but the younger party is just a normal 4-year-old who got their quirk and soulmate’s name. All they know about their soulmate is their name, not their age.”

Hizashi spun one of his pens on his hand as he leaned back in his teacher’s chair. “All soulmates will have problems, most people know this. It’s just the entertainment industry has romanticised it all. Like sure, it does have romance and sex, but it’s not all that. There is pinning, grief, arguments, disagreements, even rejection.”

All three of them grew silent. They all had an understanding with each other. Maybe it was because during high school they all wanted to love their other half which who they did not find. Sure, Hizashi and Shouta had each other, but it didn’t feel whole without you.

Shouta looked at the watch on the wall, soon turning to Hizashi. “We should head off now.”

“You two still working on that case?” Midnight asked.

“I’m working on it.” Shouta said as he made his way to the door.

“I’m only joining in for the fun!” Hizashi smiled as he followed.

“I don’t understand how you find it fun,” Midnight heard Aizawa say as they walked away from the staff room they were just in. “people’s graves have gone missing. This should be a case for the police, not heroes.”

Midnight heard their voices and footsteps become softer and quieter. She looked down at her dominant writs, reading her soulmate’s name. 

Yu Takeyama.

---

“You weren’t hiding their names today.” Giggled Emi Fukukado. 

You looked over your shoulder, seeing Ms Joke giggle from where she was standing.

You were happy that Ms Joke didn’t go around and tell people about your marks or how you rejected them. You hoped she wouldn’t turn it into a joke like she did with everything else. 

“Yeah.” You blushed as you rubbed Shouta’s name with your thumb.

“And how did it go?” She asked.

“How did what go?”

“Clearly you three talked recently, going by how Yamada dropped you off this morning and how you are not wearing that makeup on your wrists.”

You blinked at her. Did anyone else notice him dropping you off? Was she the only one who noticed you were showing their names? She hadn’t spent that much time with you today compared to how long others did, so clearly, others must’ve seen, right?

“Y-yeah,” you answered her. “We did talk recently. It was kind of awkward, but we are going to make it work.”

“That’s great L/N!” She smiled brightly. “I’m glad you three sorted whatever it was out. I don’t know the problems or issues you three went through, but all soulmates go through issues and its human to do so.”

You stared at Fukukado. A silent understanding as to why she didn’t make a joke about your soulmate issues, you covering it up. She understood when she knew very little.

“Have you met your soulmate, Fukukad?” You asked, your voice soft.

She smiled kindly. “Yeah, I have.” Her voice and eyes had turned soft. “Rumi Usagiyama. We met a couple of years ago, she was in her first year and I was in my last. She wants to become a hero too. She is really strong and brave, and has this beautiful smile. Cocky know it all smile, but it’s her’s.”

You saw and heard the love Fukukad had, with how her eyes grew soft and how her voice was drowned with love. 

But you could also feel the sadness coming from her.

“You two haven’t started your relationship, have you?”

“She was really focused on her up and coming hero career when we met. I respected her choice then and so we just talk and hangout when neither of us are busy. I wanted to start it when we met, but I saw early on she wasn’t ready. You can just tell with some people, that they aren’t ready. She is hard working, and highly motivated. I know one day, we will love each other, we just have to effort need to put effort into ourselves before we can start our relationship.”

You understood her standing on the matter. You can tell just by listening to her that she loved her soulmate, even if it wasn’t returned.

And that made you feel guilty. 

---

On your way home, you began to really think over what Fukukado had told you. Soulmate relationships were meant to have issues, like everything else when it came to being human. However, she really opened your eyes when t came to how soulmates who are rejected feel. 

They still love their soulmate but wait till they are needed, wanted. It was a feeling you knew, because you saw it within Shouta’s and Hizashi’s eyes.

Maybe you needed to put in more effort to prove to them you did care.

Once you got home, you sat yourself down and tried to put yourself in the mind set you were just going to take to a friend.

You breathed out, hoping it did not come off awkward. Your spelling mistake can be over looked this time. You wondered how he would respond.

Apparently you got that answe sooner than you were ready for because your fun started to ring with Shouta’s ID popping up.

“Hello?” You answered, bringing your phone close to your ear.

Anxiety filled you as you were wondering what he would say.

“Hello Y/N,” he greeted in a calm tone of voice. “how was your day today?”

You blinked and smiled.

“Isn’t that what I asked you, Shouta?” You teased.

He paused before responding. “Yes but I want to know how your day was before I answer.”

“So you could change your answer depending on how I’ll answer? Nope!” You giggled, smiling. “How was your day?”

Shouta smiled at your friendliness. You must’ve had a good day to have this sort of respons, unless you were just good at faking emotions.

“I’ve been working on a case and I haven’t gotten any leads.” He sighed as he rubbed the back of his head. “I can’t reveal anything but it seems like it’s been happening for a while and isn’t a recent thing, it’s just only recently discovered.”

“I’m guessing from your tone of voice thats a bad thing?” You asked as you leaned back into the couch.

“Makes it harder.” He answered. “Now, how was your day?” He reasked.

You smiled. His voice may have no given it off, but it seemed he was playing with you.

“It was a monday. Had a insightful conversation with Ms Joke after work.”

You didn’t have to see him to not know he had stiffened at the mention of her name. His breath had hitched and you could feel the tension building up.

“What sort of conversation?” He asked.

You thought over the conversation, not wanting to reveal too much of what she told you, just in case she didn’t want it out.

“Well,” you began, hearing him building up tension again. “we mostly talked about her soulmate and how they treat each other.”

You hoped that was enough to give too much away.

Aizawa was silent for a moment, letting a breath out he was holding in. 

“I see. Is she the reason why you are being open?”

God he saw right through you.

“Kinda. I came up with the idea.” You confessed, blushing from being caught. “Did you call me to take advantage of that?”

You heard a chuckle from him, making you have goose bumps. 

“Maybe.” He teased.

He way his voice went low made your cheeks burn and your inner thighs burn.

“What’s up with you and Ms Joke anyway?” You teased, with a smirk. “When I brought her up you tensed up, and you seemed to cringe a little when I saw you with her last week.”

He stoped for a moment before speaking. “Right, you were there.Emi flirts with me as a joke.”

You laughed a little at that. “What do you mean ‘as a joke’?”

“I mean,” he breathed it, cringing on what he was about to reveal. “when we first met, she knew I was with Hizashi, and she was still pinning for her soulmate, and knowing we would never be together she flirts with me. She makes it a huge joke, and even joke’s how we will get married and have 7 fucking children.”

You couldn’t help laugh at his reaction. You could see how Ms Joke turned it into a joke, his reaction was funny.

You could hear the flames in his breath and stopped your laughter, with a huge smile on your face.

“It’s not funny, Y/N.” He said with authority.

You smiled, rubbing your thighs together.

“But what if I was 7 children?”

He went stone silent. 

“Do you want-”

You cut him off. “Sorry Shouta but I have to go cook dinner now. I’ll talk to you later?” You smirked, teasing him.

“Y/N were you serious-”

You hung up on him. He began to giggle, turning to a pillow to hide them. 

No wonder Joke plays with him, his reactions are very humorous.

[xiaoguiheyu]

128.

Xie qingcheng is still in shock from He Yu's confession and he yu tells him not to feel guilty because it's not xie qingcheng's fault and from now on he'll leave him alone as soon as he yu said that xie qingcheng is like are you crazy no you can't do that. He is absolutely against He yu suppressing his feels because it will make him more sick. Lmao I'm laughing so hard here it literally feels like xie ge actively asking he yu to chase him. 🤣

Xie qingcheng really be taking the shen qingqiu route lmao.

He yu has a sudden realisation that he should just let his feelings be known to xie qingcheng so that events like last night don't happen.

Because right now he didn't want much just xie qingcheng to know about his feelings and let him treat him well and he yu would be a obedient and harmless little puppydragon.

Awww

And that's exactly what he yu thought so he asks xie qingcheng if he can actively chase him. And xie qingcheng is frozen. Oh this is pure entertainment!! Ahahaha

Basically

Xie Qingcheng:....

He yu: I'll take that as a yes

Ahahahah

Yes!! Yes!! Yes!!  He Yu's confession has left a very deep impact and xie qingcheng keeps thinking about it. I can say with confidence that he yu has definitely gotten in xie qingcheng's head.

'ah, a handsome and experienced man' texts xie qingcheng that he wants to have dinner. Awww He yu just asked him out!! This is too precious 🥺

The text was sent 11:00 pm so He Yu is literally wasting no time chasing his sexy uncle! There is another text sent at 2:00 am that says that he also wants to talk about the "case".

After sending him an affirmation the name on the contact starts to bother xie qingcheng and he finally changes it "Little devil"

He yu immediately texts back saying he'll pick him up at 5. Xie Qingcheng is like so early and he yu shamelessly replies I just wanna see you soon.

Xie qingcheng who doesn't want He yu to think that his feelings are a bother to him replies with this 🙂 literally. Lmao

Xie ge has gone to visit xie xue and he's being the best brother on the planet 🥺 they are on the topic that xie xue wants xie qingcheng to make fruit bowls for her until she is 70 and xqc asks her what she'd do for him then so xx's like I'll bring my grandchildren and dance with sister in law however when she says sister in law xie qingcheng's mind supplies he yu. Oh man xie ge you are done for now!! He yu has really gotten in your head. You plan to marry him and even imagined to grow old together.

Xie qingcheng goes home to take shower before their date 😏 when he yu arrives earlier than he said he would. And he is being adorable with xqc as usual. Ahhhhhhhh pls xie ge just go to doctor already 😫

I hope he yu realises how sick he is and ties him up and takes him to a hospital and makes sure that He gets all the treatment he requires (he's dizzy and coughing) someone please him this man!!

Yes he yu take that cigarette and throw it as far as you can. He yu threatens to kiss xie qingcheng if he doesn't stop smoking and then begs xie qingcheng to stop smoking and xie qingcheng finally thinks that he shouldn't smoke in front of a 19 year old so he doesn't smoke anymore. So that's what it took him to stop smoking. I do think that he yu will become the reason xie qingcheng will want to live experience happiness and stop smoking. And I can't wait to see that. these are the character developments that I need from xie ge.

The restaurant he yu brought xie qingcheng to was a restaurant for couples and Xie Qingcheng didn't wanna go there. Hahaha. The way xie qingcheng thought that He yu was a gigolo for doing that 🤣

So xie qingcheng decides to take he yu somewhere else.

And so the wife chasing has finally begun! Wishing He Bao the luck in chasing his ice cube wife, it'll be frustrating but meatbun's promised that he will be happy in the end.

Honestly this chapter was adorable.