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rhysiana · 3 years ago

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Here we go: NiF Jingsu dreamsharing AU, because it's been haunting me for months. (Gifset that sparked my initial thoughts for reference/visuals, if you want them: https://rhysiana.tumblr.com/post/655545822279352320/hardwareabstractionlayer-jingsu-wuxia-au)

~~~

When Jingyan returns from Donghai, he learns many things, not all of them as fast as he should have. Eventually, the thing he learns most is to keep his thoughts to himself and not appear to care about anyone too much. (He’s not particularly good at either.)

It’s lonely and isolating and he barely ever gets to see his mother after he’s essentially banished from the capital. Others find him icy and rigid, difficult to like, a stark contrast to his sunshine youth by Lin Shu’s side. (He isn’t allowed to mourn Lin Shu.)

He is fairly certain these things could break him—that they are in fact intended to—if he didn’t also have the dreams.

In his dreams, Lin Shu is not dead. He is hale and healthy and as teasing as ever, and they have leisurely adventures through the jianghu like they always said they would, whispering to each other late at night.

The first dream was not happy. The first dream happened when he was still on a ship, and was full of fire and blood and endless falling, until he woke up clutching Lin Shu’s pearl like a lifeline.

The other dreams didn’t start until weeks later, just before he got back to the capital. He would have thought the first one just an unconnected nightmare if not for the troubled way his mother ran a finger over the line of cliffs at the northern border on her map.

She didn’t tell him they were just dreams. She didn’t prescribe him tea or incense. She asked him for every detail he could remember, and then sat patting his hand absently for a while.

“You must tell no one else about these dreams,” she advised, and the frightened hush of her small, ill-favored palace only served to drive the point home. “What do you think they mean?” he pressed, quietly desperate. “His spirit is with you… wherever he is.”

In the months and years that followed, he takes a great deal of comfort from the ambiguity of that answer.

He is sent to the border, young and inexperienced, with men who were never part of Prince Qi’s household, who never trained with General Lin.

In his dreams, he and Lin Shu ride on dusty tracks along the plains. Lin Shu complains of the heat, and teases Jingyan for his thirst.

He studies maps and strategies seriously, terrified he will make a mistake, terrified the men in his charge will suffer if he attracts the emperor’s notice again.

Lin Shu laughs at him from across a small table at an inn, leans in to refill his wine cup. Their fingers brush.

He trains with his men assiduously, rising early but sleeping well. (He has never been so eager to sleep.)

They are at a beautiful brothel. Lin Shu is winning a poetry competition against a man all in white. He looks annoyed but eventually concedes, toasting them.

Days spent on campaign are long and slow, unless they become fraught and dangerous. There is more paperwork than Jingyan expected.

“Look!” Lin Shu points to the sky. “A messenger pigeon. I wonder what Lin Chen wants now?” They head out on another adventure.

His father calls him back to the capital. He has done too well to be ignored; he is awarded a concubine. Her ill health is likely an insult; he is privately relieved.

It is raining; they are stuck at an inn. Lin Shu catches his hand, brings it to his lips. They pass the time.

As quietly as he can, he asks questions of anyone who had a friend or relative in the Chiyan Army, trying to piece together a picture of the truth.

Lin Shu studies his face in the mirror.

“Why the sudden interest in disguise?” Jingyan asks.

“Because I can’t exist anymore.”

A rare holiday visit with his mother. Furtively, he asks about memorial tablets. She shakes her head sharply.

“But surely you don’t have to be dead here!” he argues.

“Especially here.” Lin Shu’s new face flickers in and out. “You must believe it in your heart.”

A new year, a new campaign to serve the emperor as far from the capital as he can be sent.

He sits with Mei Changsu in a teahouse.

“Rumors,” Mei Changsu murmurs. “Gossip. We need to get better at listening.”

“Isn’t it dishonorable?”

“Knowledge is power. We must learn to anticipate.”

He is sent to mediate a border dispute. He knows he is only sent because the court believes he will need to suppress a rebellion.

Lin Chen sends a pigeon with coded information about both leaders. Mei Changsu advises him on how to use it.

The dispute ends peacefully.

His reputation for being firm but fair grows. He harbors his words and people call him forthright. His men tell everyone he suffers no fools.

Mei Changsu never lies, but he is becoming a master of implication. Jingyan would disapprove if he weren’t so busy admiring his skill.

Jingyan’s men are incredibly loyal to him now. It’s probably good they are kept so far from the capital (and the emperor).

Mei Changsu is forming a jianghu alliance. He learns what is most important to each of his people and finds a way to get it. A flying boy attends him.

Rumors say the battle between the princes is heating up. They seek a strategist. Jingyan makes note of the rumors and does not give an opinion.

“Mei Changsu is invited to the capital. When you see me there, you must not know me.”

“Wait, what?”

Jingyan wakes up.

Frustratingly, he barely dreams on the way back to the capital. He barely sleeps. The summons to report to the emperor on the changing of the guard he was overseeing commands his presence in three days, so he will only be timely if all goes smoothly.

He’s never been able to decide if these commands are due to advisors in the court having no real idea of distances, or if one of his brothers is specifically trying to make him look bad for their own gain. They needn’t have bothered.

He wonders if it’s an omen that the first person he meets outside the gates is Mu Nihuang. “Are you off somewhere?” he asks, surprised—even he has heard of the tournament for her hand. (He imagines her feelings on that are as conflicted as his own.)

“No, I’m just here to see Dong-jie off. She’s been assigned a case.”

“Another conspiracy?” It slips out more caustically than he intended. He must be more tired than he thought.

Xia Dong frowns at him, sour, before appearing to pretend he’s not there.

The Mei Changsu that lives in the back of his head sighs and Jingyan grimaces back internally. Men who only live in dreams have more room to be forgiving, he thinks. In any case, there’s nothing to be done about it now. At least she’s on her way out of town.

He squares his shoulders and continues toward the gate. He has a report to make. On time.

They’re left standing outside for two hours, of course. Posture resolutely straight under the weight of his armor, his mind wanders, turning over Mei Changsu’s last dream statement obsessively.

Even an imaginary, disguised version of Lin Shu would know better than to come back to the capital, surely? What does it mean? It’s almost a relief when the emperor finally calls him in, despite having to deal with his brothers’ petty sniping over his appearance.

He delivers his report, remains calm, and doesn’t roll his eyes, so all in all he considers it a successful interaction. He wonders how soon he can get his men settled so he can seek his own bed.

Perplexingly, Mei Changsu appears that night not in one of their familiar jianghu settings, but in a house with walls that sparkle like snow and ominous shadows pulsing in from the corners. Mei Changsu ignores these things, simply inviting Jingyan into the courtyard to spar in the moonlight.

Jingyan is entirely unprepared when he runs into them in one of the palace walkways. He’d just finished delivering some reports and intended to check on Tingsheng quickly when he hears the yelling and the crack of Nihuang’s whip.

There is a man in scholar’s robes kneeling with Tingsheng when Jingyan arrives. It feels strangely disorienting to look at him; then he looks up and it’s all Jingyan can do not to stagger.

“Who is this?” he asks, knowing he must sound unnaturally stiff, especially to Nihuang, but she also seems distracted and off-kilter as she introduces “Su Zhe.”

The man bows politely, face giving nothing away as he promises to find a way to bring Tingsheng out of the palace.

Jingyan both does and doesn’t remember the rest of the conversation, small details shining with vivid clarity while the words swirl away from him. The slight quirk of his lips, the clench of his fingers in his sleeves, the line of his nose.

He both is the Mei Changsu of Jingyan’s dreams and isn’t. The scholar’s robes have appeared in the dreams, in teahouses and inns, but the frailness of the body they cover is shocking. His face is dearly familiar, but this is not a man with whom he could spar under the moon.

His thoughts circle unproductively for days, and his dreams remain mundane, forgettable, dissipating like smoke as soon as he wakes each morning. Gossip confirms he is Mei Changsu of the Jiangzuo Alliance, but also that he famously knows no martial arts. What is the truth?

When Nihuang and Mei Changsu conspire to get Tingsheng out of the palace for the fight with Baili Qi, he can stand it no longer and goes to… confront him? Demand the truth? Learn whether he is losing his mind? He’s not really sure, but he has to do something.

His breath catches when Xie Bi leads him to Snow Cottage, the glittering walls of the dream suddenly given context. The boys are practicing in the courtyard, and he tries to concentrate on their technique. He is genuinely concerned about both Nihuang and Tingsheng, after all.

Still, he is glad when Mei Changsu tells Fei Liu to take them off to play. (The flying boy is apparently also real.) Mei Changsu gestures him inside gracefully. Jingyan watches him with concern; Lin Shu was never so measured in his movements.

He forces himself not to take Mei Changsu’s hand or offer his arm in concern. They are strangers. Nothing about Mei Changsu’s carriage invites familiarity: he is controlled, self-contained, aloof. (Words Jingyan has heard applied to himself in the past decade.)

They settle at a table next to an unnecessary brazier. Mei Changsu pours tea and presents the cup to him; he reaches for it out of politeness and their fingers brush. He gasps and looks up before he can help it. Mei Changsu is staring back at him, frozen with the cup held between them.

“Are you…” Jingyan has to clear his throat to continue. “Are you real?”

“Yes,” Mei Changsu answers gravely.

Jingyan sets the cup aside and grips Mei Changsu’s hand as firmly as he dares. The fingers are longer, thinner, less callused than he expects, but he doesn’t want to let go.

“Do you also dream of the jianghu?” he ventures.

“I am from the jianghu,” Mei Changsu temporizes, agonizingly.

Jingyan throws caution to the wind and lets his desperation show. “Do you dream of me?”

Mei Changsu’s hand tightens on his. “It is all that has kept me sane.”

“Xiao-Shu,” Jingyan breathes, and is around the table in an instant, gathering Mei Changsu to him in a firm embrace. For a moment, he worries he is mistaken after all, but then Mei Changsu’s arms come up around him too and he feels a shuddering exhale against the side of his neck.

Eventually, they separate to sit properly at the table again, though Jingyan does not let go of Mei Changsu’s hand, still needing that grounding reality. “What happened to you?” Jingyan asks, and then flinches away from the memory of fire and falling. “I think I may know a little…”

Mei Changsu’s fingers tighten in his again, this time more purposefully. “There is much I need to tell you, but not enough time today.”

Jingyan draws a breath, steadies himself at the implication they will have time later. “Why did you come back here? You were safe.”

At this, Mei Changsu’s eyes flare, and Jingyan suddenly sees Lin Shu in a face that is otherwise completely changed. “For the future of Da Liang.”

Jingyan frowns. That can’t be right. “You’re going to advise one of the princes?”

Mei Changsu’s gaze pins him. “I’m going to advise you.”

Jingyan wants to laugh, but he’s sure it would come out hysterical. “Xiao—” He cuts himself off and starts over. “Sir Su, I’m not sure you understand how out of favor I am.”

Mei Changsu quirks half a smile at him. “I understand.” But then, more seriously, “Prince Jing, do you trust me?”

“With my life.”

“Then please believe me when I tell you I have a plan.”

This too is like the Lin Shu of old. “Tell me what I must do,” Jingyan says, and it almost feels like resting.

~~~

(This line is where this naturally wanted to end, but please know I have a lot of thoughts about how MCS is still able to fight in dreams, a how much Jingyan conspires to care for him in the waking world once they have the tunnel established.

I just really wanted to think about what would happen if MCS started dreamsharing to cope with pain, and that accidentally eliminated his ability to hide his identity from Jingyan.)

Now also on AO3: Fragments of a Life Lived in Dreams

#please clap - I originally wrote that back and forth dream section within the space allowed by tweets #~*stunt writing*~#dreamsharing AU #jingsu #nirvana in fire #rhys's stuff

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cosmoglaut · 3 years ago

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Since I’m watching a lot of ZZH dramas, I thought I would put up links in one place for myself, and for others in case they want to get obsessed with (or, y’know, just normally like to check) this fucking gorgeous man.

WARNING: LONG POST. I don’t want to use Read More cut.

0. Nirvana in Fire (2015) (54 episodes)

This is an obsession that gripped me so badly that I didn’t even liveblog and inflict it upon others. I have already finished this once and am on my rewatch. I was going to put it last because I thought I would list them in the order I have watched, but this deserves to be on top.

I DO NOT GET INTO FICS THAT EASILY and yet, I have already consumed a few!

To be fair, ZZH has a very minor role in this. He plays the younger version of main character Lin Shu. And if you watch it on youtube, his scenes are edited out now 🖕 so I won’t link youtube here.

Main actors in this series are:

Hu Ge (who I didn’t expect to be get swept by and honestly this much handsomeness in a single person should not be allowed), who plays main character Lin Shu/Mei Chgansu/Su Zhe. Intrigued? GOOD!

Liu Tao who plays Princess Mu Nihuang who is a badass, smart princess.

Wang Kai (just hearteyes all over ok?) who plays Prince Jing, Xiao Jingyan, and has just the kind of chemistry with Lin Shu that my id craves for. (Let me just say, loyalty kink in the series is just off the charts.)

The story is that of revenge, political machinations, love, friendship (or in my case, just ship), with liberal amount of humor sprinkled. If main cast is brilliant, the supporting cast is just as phenomenal. It’s 6 years since the series, and people are still discovering it, getting crayzy over it. So much so that Hu Ge posted a happy 6th anniversary msg on weibo! It already has a sequel NiF 2 (haven’t watched yet), and its triquel was announced recently (I read about that on 15th Oct 2021) slated for 2024.

Even though I wanted to watch it to get my ZZH fills, it didn’t matter that he was in it for a small bit. I have already drowned in it. I have cried, sobbed, laughed, had my heart racing, felt such a dejection on Lin Shu’s behalf, felt utter vindication of him, and finally had my heart ripped out. I know an obsession as they have been long time friends. And this is An Obsession™.

SO WATCH IT RIGHT NOW IF YOU HAVEN’T WATCHED ALREADY and come cry with me 😭😭

Available with original scenes on viki Downloads: working torrent 1, working torrent 2, viki subs

For viki subs download, you will be required to join the NiF community. But it’s absolutely worth because the subs that came with the torrent were butchered version of viki subs. I was EDITING AS I WAS REWATCHING, no thanks. Also, viki episodes are a bit low rez, but still good to watch.

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1. Legend of Yunxi (2018) (48 episodes)

Han Yunxi (Ju Jingyi), a daughter of an Imperial doctor is married off to oh-so-stoic-but-oh-so-gorgeous Prince Qin, Long Feiye (ZZH). It’s a marriage both don’t want but are saddled with now. Yunxi, who’s a potions genius, gets embroiled in all kinds of political intrigue due to her association with Prince Qin. Both start respecting each other and fall in love. Although path of love isn’t easy as there’s another suitor who’s trying to win over Yunxi. In terms of tags:

#love triangle #historical drama #superb female characters #gorgeous ZZH #excellent political machinations #BAD ENDING #Alternate ending available

Highly recced 😍 in spite of the fact that I thought the romance angle of the series was bleh (cause I don’t care about love triangle). But the last vertex is Mi Re (Merxat) who’s just too good looking. And uh... gives off vibes of both WWX and WKX in the beginning episodes?

Available on youtube and viki. If you want to download, do that here (hardcoded eng subs)

As a rule of thumb, viki has better subtitles, but youtube has better resolution. YT also has alternate endings. I d/l-ed and watched. Those episodes have viki subs so that’s actually a good thing.

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2. Blooms at Ruyi Pavilion (2020) (40 episodes + 3 spin-off episodes)

Unofficial sequel of LoYX due to its BE. It ACTUALLY mentions the story of Yunxi in this series, like, Yunxi is canon in this verse 😂 People couldn’t get enough of ZZH+Ju Jingyi, so have another cake!

Fu Rong (again Ju Jingyi) accidentally crosses paths with Prince Su, Xu Jin (ZZH), and keeps crossing them again and again. Well, there’s love and then marriage and simultaneously a whole lot of other things happen. Yet again, there’s a love triangle 🙄 which is fairly stupid. In fact, the entire plotline felt all over the place. Also, the cast from LoYX is recycled, so you see same actors (which ok since they’re good.) Some got better deal in this. Absolute must mention are Wang Youshuo who plays the character of Wu Baiqi, an eventual lieutenant under Prince Su. He is the love interest of Fu Rong’s older sister Fu Xuan played by frankly unbelievably beautiful Xu Jiaqi (who also has a vital role in LoYX). More than the primary romance of Fu Rong and Prince Su, I loved this secondary one! Wang Youshuo was fantastic! Also, Rong household gave me a strong vibe of Bennet household.

Tbh, if you watch LoYX twice instead of this one, no big loss, but consider this: ZZH smiles and laughs a lot more in this 🥺🥺 And well, his acting is amazing as usual. Isn’t that enough 🥺🥺 Although, given how popular it got, you may like it more than I did. And it actually is very likeable if you don’t expect the plot to hold too tightly! I never felt like I should give up on it.

40 main episodes available on youtube and viki

Spin-offs (or special episodes)

I kid you not, this is a modern reincarnation AU that they ACTUALLY FILMED. Because people STILL couldn’t get enough of ZZH+Ju Jingyi. I am completely onboard with that kind of sentiment. Links:

Special episode 1

Special episode 2

Special episode 3

And because IT’S STILL NOT ENOUGH, HAVE A LAST BITE OF THEIR ROMANCE (what you thought just because I put 3 sp ep in the title, there’ll be only 3? *hmphs at your innocence*)

Special episode 4

#overload of ZZH 💗💗🥴

#zhang zhehan #nirvana in fire #legend of yunxi #the blooms at ruyi pavilion #word of honor #hu ge #wang kai #👈🏾 i need them tags like a breath #watch online

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lowkeydrabbles · 2 years ago

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Jingyan falls to his knees beside the man on the ground.

He tries to reconcile the frail, weak figure before him with the vibrant youth of their past. What must he have suffered to become this. How did he bear it?

It’s in his eyes and the draw of his mouth. He was Lin Shu, but not the same Lin Shu Jingyan remembered.

“Jingyan.”

Lin Shu’s voice came weak and soft. Jingyan leaned forward, straining to hear.

“Don’t be afraid.”

Before Jingyan could say anything, Lin Shu closed his eyes and his head turned away. He’d drifted into unconsciousness.

Jingyan grabbed his hand. It was so cold. He needed to be moved somewhere warmer. He looked toward the bed at the other end of the room.

Lin Shu’s body was frightfully light, as if his bones were hollow. From Jingyan’s vantage point, Lin Shu’s cheekbones stood out. His neck, bared, was too thin. His throat bobbed as he swallowed in his sleep.

Jingyan examined his face. It was the first time he could see the man’s expression unguarded. He looked even more fragile. The exhaustion around the other man’s eyes was clearer than ever.

How much of that had been of Jingyan’s own making? He thought of that day when Mei Changsu stood outside the entrance and refused to leave, the snow falling ceaselessly around him. Lin Shu had been willing to sacrifice everything for him. His health, his happiness, his life.

#nif #nif fic #lyb #琅琊榜

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canary3d-obsessed · 3 years ago

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Restless Rewatch: Nirvana in Fire, Episode 04

(Masterpost) (Pinboard)

Warning! Spoilers for all 54 episodes!

Schemes in Progress:

Mu Nihuang’s Marriage//Martial Arts Competition: Mei Changsu has a foolproof plan for defeating the lead contender, Baili Qi, who is the only contender who can actually beat Nihuang to win her hand. His plan appears to involve having small children beat the mighty warrior. In fact his plan is way simpler and more delightful than that, but I’ll discuss the specifics in a later post. It’s politically important to defeat Baili Qi, not just personally, because he represents a potential enemy state.

Mu Nihuang’s Marriage//Sima Lei: The Crown Prince and his mom, Consort Yue, want to force Nihuang to marry their dude Sima Lei. The plan is to use Roofie Wine on her. Consort Jing gets wind of this plan and gets a counter-plan rolling.

Getting Tingsheng Out Of The Palace: Mei Changsu uses the anxiety caused by Baili Qi’s badassery to get the Emperor to agree to his ridiculous kid-training plan, and then makes sure Tingsheng, the secret son of the late Prince Qi, is one of the kids he gets to train.

Put Jingyan on the Throne: This scheme gets rolling, with a general pattern of Mei Changsu & team doing whatever they can to sink the leading contenders for the throne, which gives Jingyan an opportunity to rise up. The leading contenders tend to cooperate in their own sinking because they are ruthlessly ambitious, and Mei Changsu designs his plans to take advantage of that.

Banquet Battle

After thoroughly disarming and whomping Jingrui, Baili Qi finishes by flinging Jingrui’s sword into the floor right in front of him.

Jingrui, who hoped to literally cripple Baili Qi in this fight, has the nerve to be affronted by this.

(More behind the cut!)

Baili Qi shows his impeccable barbarian manners, giving the Emperor a nice gesture of respect that is presumably local to Northern Yan. Meanwhile, Mei Changsu and Nihuang are snarking quietly at their table like a couple of high schoolers.

Mei Changsu pretends to be embarrassed when the Emperor tells them to share their joke with the whole class, but of course it’s always a scheme, with him.

He and Nihuang explain to everyone that they were just chatting about how Baili Qi is great and all, but that Mei Changsu could train some small amateur children to beat his bitch ass, given a couple of days to teach them to run in a circle.

The emperor thinks this is a good plan, and gets right on board with it.

This is not actually because the emperor is an idiot, however, although Prince Yu clearly thinks so.

The emperor IS an idiot, but on this occasion I think he has correctly deduced that Mei Changsu has some kind of shady plan in mind, and he is 100% in favor of shady plans, if they work to his benefit.

Consort Bestie

Jingyan’s mom Consort Jing is hanging out in the palace, and meets up with her girlfriend bestie, Imperial Concubine Hui. Historically, the Emperor’s collection of women was divided into ranks; how many ranks was different for different periods. In NIF, Consort Jing and I.C. Hua belong to the “outer palace” and the Empress and Consort Yue belong to the “inner palace” because they rank higher. The Empress likes to pick on IC Hua, and has sent her to light a bunch of candles in a haunted palace.

Consort Jing goes with her because they are girlfriends besties, and because she is a consistently nice person who deserves all the good things in the world. Spoiler: Both of these women survive, they stay friends, things work out well for both of them and for their sons. Go ahead and root for them!

Because the haunted palace belongs to the late Empress, mother of the Emperor and of Grand Princess Liyang, these BFFs are ideally placed to overhear some important scheming, involving some drugged wine that’s been sitting around in this part of the compound for like 30 years.

They realize that someone is planning to sexually assault a woman by using this drugged wine, and Nihuang is the obvious candidate, since her marriage plans are all anyone’s talking about now. Consort Jing tells Concubine Hua to forget all about this and not get involved in palace drama, but she immediately gets to work intervening in the situation herself.

Training

Over at the Xie guesthouse, Mei Changsu is training the kiddies in a special sword formation designed to beat Baili Qi. They sure do have pretty sword forms for a bunch of kids who have never held a sword. Also, someone’s chalk skills are off the chain.

Mei Changsu tells Fe Liu that they have to be faster, so Fe Liu tells them “go faster” and they do, which is apparently the essence of learning martial arts.

Mu Nihuang shows up and sees right through all of this, making it clear she needs a miracle to get her out of this unwanted marriage. Mei Changsu tells her that he’s got it covered. She says that she believes him, although she’s not sure why.

Then they stand there gazing heatedly at each other, like you do when you are two random people who have never met until recently, and definitely have never gotten each other off even a little bit.

Embroidery Flexing

Meanwhile, Consort Jing sets out to save Nihuang from the wine/marriage plot, through the power of embroidery.

In order to do this she has to make embroidered scent sachets for the Dowager Empress, the Empress, the Grand Princess, and Consort Yue, which she does before going to bed for the night, apparently. Consort Jing kicks ass.

She makes sure that the Dowager Empress, who is a sweetheart, will be pleased enough with her sachet that she will invite Consort Jing into the room, which will give her an opportunity to present the actually important sachet to Grand Princess Liyang.

Communication was complicated, before cell phones.

Once they’re alone, Consort Jing tells Grand Princess Liyang about the plot to force Nihuang to marry Sima Lei. She tells her in the most round-about, triggery way possible, because she needs Liyang to have a flashback, I guess? Otherwise we wouldn’t get to watch her own Mom drugging her to force her to marry Xie Yu.

Thanks, Mom, I’d be happy to drink this cup of obvious poison. Mom is terrible but her crown is awesome.

Anyway, once Liyang knows what’s up, she’s on board with team Save Nihuang From Having To Marry A Creep Like My Own Husband.

Clean-shaven Xie Yu: even creepier than regular Xie Yu and also very shiny. Beautiful costume, though. Why are they dressing the flashback villains so nicely?

Side note: presumably Liyang and her mom didn’t know she was already pregnant when they brought Xie Yu into the mix? Because if they had known, she would probably have been fine with just, like, consenting to marry someone or other, to keep her reputation intact. Anyway it’s worth noting that this whole situation is about appearances, not about whether anyone is actually a literal virgin.

The Laughing Prince

Jingyan comes for a visit to see how the training is going, and he and Mei Changsu have a sitdown. Mei Changsu tells him that he’s come to town to make sure that the two main contenders for the throne don’t get it, and that he’s going to work to make Jingyan the next emperor.

Then they stand there gazing at each other, like strangers who definitely have never gotten each other off even a little bit.

Then Jingyan laughs at him

Jingyan thinks it’s impossible that he would ever be emperor, but he’s happy to go along with Mei Changsu’s plans if it will keep his jerk brothers from winning.

Building Team Jingyan

Late at night, Meng Zhi drops by to look at Tingsheng and say that he resembles Prince Qi, which he totally doesn’t, but Chinese dramas really don’t worry about casting people who resemble each other to play twins or whatever, so we can take Meng Zhi’s word for it.

They talk about the Make-Prince-Jing-The-Emperor plan, with Meng Zhi wanting to help out, and Mei Changsu wanting to make sure that only his own hands get dirty with all the schemey stuff he’s planning.

Hu Ge is really good at talking directly to the camera without looking into the lens. It’s a good technique for intense moments and because he doesn’t look straight into the lens, it doesn’t break the fourth wall.

Building Team Nihuang

Liyang has spent the day trying to warn Nihuang about the roofie wine situation, but can’t reach her due to a lack of cell phones and/or embroidery skills.

So she takes the daring step of going to Mei Changsu’s guest house--on her own dang property--which is such a high risk endeavor she has to wear a fancy cloak and cary a super obvious fancy lantern. God forbid a woman walk around her own house at night. Anyway, she’s able to pass the warning to Mei Changsu, and asks him to pass it to Nihuang.

Of course that’s when her husband comes knocking, presumably looking for some affection--he actually is a nice husband who genuinely loves his wife, within the context of a society in which rape is perfectly fine, anyway.

Her junior servants are freaked out, because visiting a man, even your own houseguest, alone at night is not perfectly fine, so if he catches her, they’re all dead, basically. But the elder servant tells them to chill and just watch how she handles it.

She politely tells Xie Yu that his wife was reminded of their first date, and so maybe he should leave her and her feelings and her sharp hairpins and whatnot alone for a while. (I’m inferring the hairpins.) He looks slightly terrified and immediately withdraws.

#nirvana in fire #langya bang #restless rewatch nirvana in fire #langya bang spoilers #nirvana in fire spoilers #canary3d-original #my gifs #mei changsu

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jill-question-mark · 2 years ago

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<P>Pigeon Wrangling is a hard task (and I want words with whoever decided that white was a good robe colour) but at least I'm not the disciple in charge of the Pigeons' Union...</p> <P>I’m glad that you enjoyed the series! Did you read any NiF fanfic afterward? If so, what types do you enjoy? Is there a particular trope or character that you enjoy reading about?</p>

Maybe Pigeon Wrangler robes are white so that you match the birds? If modern urban pigeons were used, you could have an awesome grey robe with iridescent accents. Hmm! Anyway!

I have read some fic, but not enough yet! So far it looks like I prefer either:

1) everything is great, the ending never happened, MCS is magically cured and preferably living in a happy polycule with at least Jingyan and Nihuang (there was one which also threw in Meng Zhi, so why not?) and maybe it's a fun casefic

2) full angst, most likely a painful exploration of Jingyan's feelings about MCS's identity reveal, floods of tears, and then maybe at the very end MCS is magically cured

3) or not, and we just wallow in knives and cry (this is probably a shorter story; long stories with sad endings are really devastating (coughs at NiF: The Series)

Most fic seems to be MCS/Jingyan, which is cool, but I like some Nihuang focus and I also read one excellent fic centred on Consort Jing aka best human.

#fallinlangya #nif #nirvana in fire #langya bang #asks

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i-am-just-a-kiddo · 3 years ago

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final line meme

Rules: List the LAST lines of the last ten (10) stories you published. Look to see any patterns you notice yourself, and see if anyone else notices any. Then tag some friends.

Thank you @rose-nebulijia 💜 It’s been a while since I’ve done a writer tag game! This was nice.

tagging my usual writer friends: @the-cloud-whisperer, @not-saying-revolution-but, @cortue, @intyalote ❣ Have fun!

1. we cradle the sun (Nirvana in Fire, Fei Liu centric)

And Fei Liu dreamt of a bright new morning, where he adorned Su-gege’s head with sun yellow flowers.

2. your eyes held a splinter of the moon (The Untamed, Post-Canon, Wei Wuxian & Nie Huaisang)

Every morning felt colder than the one before, and he hoped Wei Wuxian found more warmth in the south where the air was heavy with sweet scent and life.

3. i cut my beak against the stone (The Sleuth of Ming Dynasty, Wang Zhi, Character Study)

Maybe for now, it was reason enough. Maybe for now, it would hold him together so he wouldn’t tear his feathers off, ripping from his skin. Just a visitor, more than just resting from a busy errand, but resting because he liked the view, liked the noise, liked the unknown warmth that filled his chest.

Maybe it wouldn’t immediately break him.

4. walk the horizon, leave the world behind (The Untamed, Post-Canon, Nie Huaisang & Song Lan)

They wandered the same night, and maybe, they could gather the stars together. Pick them from the indigo canvas and plant them in each other’s chest for something more.

5. flight of the birds (The Untamed, Nie Huaisang/ Mo Xuanyu)

The grey morning light would steal the purple from his shoulders, waiting to be locked away.

6. this was your place (BTS, AU, Kim Namjoon/Min Yoongi)

Yoongi was leaving and he was kissing him.

7. Wounded Wolf (The Chronicles of Narnia, Canon-Compliant, Edmund Pevensie/Prince Caspian, Chapter 2)

Dawn was crawling closer and the ember had gone out, all that remained was a pile of ash. Edmund shivered in the cold wind, skin burning.

8. cassia in the clouds (Nirvana In Fire, Mu Nihuang & Xiao Jingyan, Canon-Compliant)

Maybe there was more for her after all, not just lonely ash and blood.

9. illusions seeking illusions (Winter Begonia, Shang Xirui, Character Study)

A silent smile stole its way on his lips while his eyes still burned.

10. remedy, surging sea (Hwarang, Post-Canon, Kim Ahro/Princess Sook Myung)

Suddenly, the fear of being betrayed by her own heart overshadowed all nervosity the Princess summoned with her presence.

Patterns: There’s a lot of mornings here? I never realised it but apparently I love ending a story as if the night was ending. Apparently I also like to put a sense of hope in the last line? Which is fitting since most of my stories are quite heavy and it often ends with the realisation that maybe, not all is lost. In a few of these I apparently like to leave the ending open because the end so abruptly (eg No. 6 and No. 10)

Favourite: I quite like No. 3? Wang Zhi was wonderful to write and I’m quite happy with how it turned out.

#the fact that there's so many mornings blew my mind #it's interesting #this was nice to do because usually these games focus on the first lines?#thanks for tagging me again!#tag game #writing #personal

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ptit-chou · 3 years ago

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Every time I see Xiao Jingrui in this scene I go :(((((( BABY. He's so young!!! Like it's necessary, and there's no way around it, but god he does not deserve what's coming. He's such a good kid.

That said—fucking god. Mei Changsu. I can't even imagine what it just be like for him to have to see this—the Emperor (who is also his uncle!)'s handwriting—an absurd honour—for something the Chiyan army fought and fucking died for and won, only for Xie Yu to frame them for treasonous rebellion and slaughter them mercilessly and steal their victory!!! God!!!!!

I know it's not exactly news that Mei Changsu is really impressive, but honestly, he really really is. It must cost a great deal to act as though everything is fine, to put on this pleasant act for Xiao Jingrui! His control is amazing, and deserves to be admired.

(And Xiao Jingrui looks so proud, looking at the writing. :(((((()

One thing that strikes me in this scene is how clearly Xiao Jingrui and Xie Bi care about each other, and more than that, how casual they are in their affection. It's clearly sincere, and it's also clearly something they're used to; whatever the oddness of Xiao Jingrui's family circumstances, they have a quite happy family life.

You could do an interesting contrast with some of the older members of the court. The Xie kids' happiness is built on a lie—several lies—but they don't know it, and seem to trust in its continuing, and are thus way way happier than, say, the Emperor. The problem of course is that the ground beneath them isn't stable at all. They're like Lin Shu and Jingyan and such would have been before the rebellion that wasn't. Even if MCS had never showed up! Especially if MCS had never showed up! Probably not all of the circumstances of Jingrui's birth would have been revealed, but—the Emperor is getting old. There's a clear power struggle in the offing. They're not safe. And We focus more on Xiao Jingrui, for understandable reasons, but what the Marquis does with allowing Xie Bi to support Prince Yu is honestly quite shitty! And then there's Yujin and Jingrui's friendship—Yujin's father is the Empress' brother; if the faction that the Marquis supports wins he might well be in trouble.

Still, though: the affection is real. I suppose if you wanted to draw a moral you could say that this is real, and important, and worth protecting; and it isn't something that can last, when the foundations are as unsteady as they really are, all in the ignorance of the happy Xie children. Now that I'm thinking about it, I might also point out that the lack of power struggles within the family contributes to this, and that's partially just due to the people involved but also, I think, in some part due to the portrait of himself the marquis paints for their understanding, and their belief in his justice and impartiality. None of the Emperor's children could look up to him in the way that the Xie kids initially do to their own father.

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audriel · 10 months ago

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let's start thinkin' bout it

Qiao Yifan suddenly finds himself several years in the past. And somehow, so does Fang Rui.

Inspired by just stop thinkin' bout it by Syncogon

Special thanks to Syncogon who gives me permission to write a continuation for their wonderfully intriguing time-travel story with my favorite characters: Fang Rui and Qiao Yifan. Special mention to everyone in TKA Discord who gives me encouragement to write and publish more, and who also looks forward for more in this universe. I hope I do not disappoint. Happy Chinese New Year!

After parting ways with Qiao Yifan, Fang Rui rushes back to where Wind Howl is seated in the stadium, barely restraining himself from running straight to Lin Jingyan and drawing everyone’s attention. He can barely think of the further implications of them both back in the past, or whether they are really in their past. All he can think of is his old captain, his teacher, his friend, and the turning point with this Rookie Challenge.

Fang Rui is never one to hold a grudge. However, Tang Hao comes close. He acknowledges his strength, and has noticed him early on. How he cannot, when the younger man is also Brawler like the captain and core player of his team. He also knows better than anyone else of Lin Jingyan’s declining performance. However, he cannot really forgive Tang Hao for bringing attention to it in the Rookie Challenge and all the while dismissing Lin Jingyan’s achievements. In the case of the latter, even old Sun Xiang is better, though probably Su Mucheng will disagree. His only female captain is never one to be trifled with, she definitely can hold a grudge or two.

Fang Rui arrives right when Lin Jingyan’s name comes out from Tang Hao on the stage, and he feels the vice grip around his heart tightens.

He’s too late.

“...the junior will succeed the senior.”

The stadium is in uproar. Wind Howl is in uproar, but Fang Rui has only eyes for Lin Jingyan.

“Well, how about that? You, and now, me. It seems we’re pretty popular with the rookies.” Lin Jingyan chuckles lightly, remaining calm in front of the disrespect shown by Tang Hao. He stands up, prepared to go down, only for his wrist to be caught firmly by his vice captain.

“Fang Rui?”

Fang Rui draws a blank. Now it has come to this, and he still cannot find the words. What to say? This time, he really, really looks at his captain. This Lin Jingyan’s face is open, unguarded, without the glasses worn with his red and black Tyranny uniform. He still has hope, fleeting as it is, of the future. Fang Rui has failed as his partner to keep it alive in his last year in Wind Howl. He only regained them in Tyranny.

“...a Brawler is not a Striker,” is the first sentence that first comes to mind. Lin Jingyan blinks in surprise at the serious tone. “There’s more to Glory than speed and mechanics. Glory is not that simple.”

“Gotta play dirty huh?” Somehow his partner manages to recall the supposed reminder to himself.

“Last time I checked we’re Wind Howl, not Tyranny.” In a complete change of attitude, Fang Rui shows his disdain as he releases Lin Jingyan’s wrist.

That actually gets a laugh out of Lin Jingyan. He waves his hand, there’s lightness in his gesture, “I’ll keep it in mind.”

Fang Rui watches him leave before returning to his seat. Only Ruan Yongbin dares to lean into him.

“What do you think? Can Tang Hao win?”

“Anything can happen.” Fang Rui can sense Ruan Yongbin’s surprise. He’s surprised with his own calmness. He already does what he can. It’s all up to Lin Jingyan now.

There’s still half a season left. Even if Lin Jingyan loses again, it’s not the end. Fang Rui can still make the best of it. With his skill and experience, he can and will do better, if only to give his old captain a better ending in Wind Howl.

Fang Rui has faced off against worse odds and come up victorious. This won’t be any different.

When he turns his attention to the game, Fang Rui is greeted with a pleasant surprise: Lin Jingyan doesn’t rush forward. The older man takes his time to explore the map. Tang Hao doesn’t choose an arena, so the environment is not completely bare, which is actually advantageous to Lin Jingyan, but one he didn’t previously make full use of, thinking that he had to meet the other head-on.

This alone already sets things apart from the past he remembers. He finds himself leaning forward in interest. It might not be much, but if Tang Hao expects a quick, easy match, he’s going to be proven wrong. After all, Lin Jingyan is the half of the Criminal Partners, and dirty playing requires cunning.

Tang Hao’s Delilo fights like a Striker, reminiscent of the King of Fighters, easily making the crowd pumped up and cheering for him. However, ultimately a Brawler is not a Striker. Its strength lies in its ability to control its opponent. No one utilizes it better than the Number 1 Brawler. Lin Jingyan masterfully keeps his distance and maintains the rhythm. When he takes hits, he makes sure to leave himself a way out. When he lands his skills, he makes sure to achieve the maximum effect. His retreats are as timely as his attacks.

Lin Jingyan is not losing to Tang Hao.

For the ordinary players, it seems that Tang Hao has the upper hand, but for professional players, bold, fierce Tang Hao is struggling against calm, patient Lin Jingyan. However, in the end all it takes is for one mistake, a slight opening from Lin Jingyan, for Tang Hao to rush in and overwhelm the older Brawler player with his superior speed and mechanics.

Demon Subduer falls. Delilo is left with 9% health remaining.

Fang Rui leans back on his seat with a smile on his face, in contrast to the dismayed faces of the other Wind Howl members. Lin Jingyan loses, but this time around, with a close match instead of the overwhelming loss. It might not mean much, but it does show that Lin Jingyan fought the match with a different mindset this time around.

Lin Jingyan is the first to come down from the platform. He doesn’t lose his gentle and pleasant demeanor. Meanwhile, Tang Hao takes his time, even when finally does, he hasn’t quite managed to hide his emotions. He’s not satisfied. It’s definitely not the kind of match or victory he expected. They meet in the middle and shake hands.

“You played well…” Lin Jingyan smiles, hiding his true emotions, but surprisingly he continues, “But it’s not easy, isn’t it?”

“The junior will succeed the senior.” The change of wording reflects the change in Tang Hao’s confidence without losing the belief and persistence that is inherent in top professional players that Lin Jingyan cannot help but admire. Before the master of ceremonies could say anything, the two finish shaking hands, wave towards the audience and leave the stage. Fang Rui’s eyes never leave the figure of the Wind Howl captain, so does the smile on his face until the man returns to Wind Howl area. Fang Rui likes what he sees.

“How is it?” Fang Rui asks, not paying attention to the silent teammates around him.

“Like seeing my past self.” There’s a hint of nostalgia under the observation, but the statement is matter of fact. Lin Jingyan used to fight like Tang Hao, but he didn’t regret changing his playstyle. He believes that dirty playstyle is the reason why he can stand on the professional stage as long as he is when many of his peers didn’t, even when he’s nothing special.

“I’m pretty sure you’re much more polite and better behaved,” Fang Rui disagrees, drawing choked off sounds of surprise and amusement from their team. “And more handsome too.”

Lin Jingyan laughs. “You only said that because you’re my vice captain and partner.”

“And that he had a crush on you.” Ruan Yongbin adds, that traitor. “Oooh, Captain Lin is so handsome. He’s so close to me today. Did I impress him with the move?”

“Oh, shut up.” Fang Rui brings his yearmate and former roommate into a chokehold. He doesn’t hide the grin when he hears the snickering from the teammates. This is much better than the previous awkward silence. It’ll take more to regain their confidence in their captain. Action is louder than words after all. But it’s a challenge he’s ready to tackle.

Before that, he’ll need to sit down and talk with his little captain.

***

Qiao Yifan walks down the familiar dark passageways in a daze. He has immediately excused himself after his Rookie Challenge, not quite ready for the questioning from the former-now-current Tiny Herb captain and team members. He isn’t quite sure where he’s going, all he knows that he needs a quiet space to gather his thoughts. He has pinched himself numerous times, but he’s still not convinced everything is real. He has really returned to his younger self. He tries to recall what he did before he was back in the past, but nothing really stands out except…

Qiao Yifan finally managed to extricate himself from the teary-eyed and snot-nosed bunch with the help of Luo Ji, who was restraining his laughter. His own calm and rational vice captain and recently appointed Happy’s new captain was surprisingly not helpful, his glassy, watery eyes actually made it harder. Boss Chen was worse. If it wasn’t for Senior Wei, and Sister Mu, he was certain she would have bawled her eyes out as the last remaining members of the original Team Happy finally retired.

He remembered reminiscing with Luo Ji as they walked towards their rooms and parting with smiles when they entered their respective places. Many voices from the outside and even inside of the team said that his retirement was regrettable, especially considering what Happy has achieved under his leadership. They thought being a support, not unlike Yu Wenzhou, he could have stayed longer on the professional stage, and had his career with a more satisfying ending.

He disagreed wholeheartedly. He couldn’t ask for a better ending for himself, and… his gaze fell upon the picture of Happy in the early years. He was already 28 years old, the same age when Senior Ye retired for the second and final time… and older than the age when Sister Mu and Brother Rui retired.

He has learned from his seniors not to regret anything and to keep moving forward, to learn from the past but never let it shape the future, that the future is theirs to create. He really had no regrets, really.

But in the dark and silent room, with only himself as company, the retired Captain Qiao Yifan of Team Happy, allowed himself a rare moment of weakness… and wished.

Could it be…?

Qiao Yifan’s steps stumble into a halt, his breath catches in his throat.

However, before the thought can form, a familiar voice rings out.

“Interesting choice of challenging the master of playing dirty.”

Qiao Yifan is blinking back tears when he recognizes the figure slowly stepping out from the darkness. After his final retirement, Ye Xiu didn’t completely disappear from their lives, he always made sure to be there when they needed him the most, but he purposefully maintained his distance. He knew how much he meant for Happy. While he had made the preparations, including letting them play without him in the team competitions in the tenth season, Ye Xiu had always been a steady, reassuring presence for Happy. He was there leading them in strategy meetings, he was guiding them in their practice matches, he was there on the sidelines during games. All they needed was to turn their heads, and there he was.

All the Chinese Glory team members have gained invaluable experience from the World Invitationals. Against the strongest players around the world, they kept challenging their limits, improving themselves, until they won the ultimate Glory for the country. Their fans hoped that their favorite players would bring their team into greater heights once they returned to the domestic league. However, it was easier said than done.

The reason why they could perform their absolute best on the world stage was because they had the best teammates, tacticians and leaders to bring out their potential. It was not always the case with their original teams. In the new season, Happy was becoming not the only team that was going through a running-in period, even though they were still the worst off since they lost their core and ace player. With one exception:

Tyranny.

Tyranny became a terrifying, indomitable presence in the new season. Han Wenqing, who chose to focus on the team, has laid the groundwork and strengthened the foundation for when Zhang Xinjie and Zhang Jiale returned abroad, the adjustment was relatively smooth and seamless, all the while the veterans were still doing rotation.

And Qiao Yifan was entrusted as the commander in the team competition in their first match in the regular season against Tyranny.

It wasn’t his first time commanding in a team competition. However, in the new team arrangement, the commander was still most often either Su Mucheng or Fang Rui. The latter was actually a surprise to many. He protested vehemently, but neither the captain nor vice captain budged with their decision. Qiao Yifan felt the pressure keenly.

To no one’s surprise, Happy suffered a crushing defeat at the team competition. It could even barely be called a fight. Their only saving grace was they got points off from individual competition and group arena. It didn’t stop the reporters from descending upon them like vultures. Qiao Yifan insisted on coming to the post-match press conference, and if it hadn’t been for Fang Rui and Su Mucheng, he would’ve caved under the pressure.

They were hit hard with the loss. It has been a while since they felt so powerless. Qiao Yifan found himself looking at the places where Ye Xiu used to be, and he realized that he was not the only one. He had even been staring at Ye Xiu’s number on his phone, opening and closing the chat box. He couldn’t help thinking and wishing badly for his senior’s reassuring presence and words.

Only for the wishful thinking to be crushed immediately by their new captain and vice captain in the strategic meeting. From the beginning, it was intended as a harsh wake up call from Su Mucheng and Fang Rui, to lose their dependence on Ye Xiu.

Before, Ye Xiu has taken care of everything for them, so they didn’t need to worry about anything and only focused on themselves. It was time for them to return the favor, for them to take care of everything so he could focus on himself.

Qiao Yifan felt so ashamed and embarrassed of himself at the reminder that he really wished he could dig a deep hole and hide inside it forever, his body hunching over as if he could do so. A warm, affectionate hand messed up his hair before settling on his shoulder.

“Bad news, we’re hitting rock bottom. Good news, the only way to go is up.” Cheerful, lively voice broke through the gloom. This voice and the owner of the voice later became among the reliable constants in Happy.

He’s very clever and very adaptable. And he’s a very strong team player. There’s a lot that I would like to learn from him.

There is no single untruth in his words. Fang Rui was and is all of that and more for Qiao Yifan and for Happy.

Su Mucheng is really the captain, the leader they need after Ye Xiu, it was only a matter of time until Happy saw her no differently than Ye Xiu and proudly claimed her as their captain.

But Fang Rui… Fang Rui has been everything that they asked of him. His adaptability is not limited onstage, but also offstage. For Qiao Yifan, he is his senior, his vice captain, his teacher, his friend… and his brother.

And so, even in front of his most admired, respected and beloved captain, to whom he owed his life twice over, and the least likely to think badly of Fang Rui, Qiao Yifan will readily and staunchly defend his brother.

“Senior Fang is more than just the master of dirty playing.” The words slip out easily from his lips. Qiao Yifan cannot recall how many times he has defended Happy’s best vice captain and he will not stop doing so. “He’s the master at understanding people’s psychology and utilizing them to make opportunities. And as a Ghostblade, especially a Phantom Demon whose skills need casting, he’s the best I can learn from.”

Ye Xiu shows a surprised, but pleased smile. Dirty playing is looked down on by most, particularly by the younger generation. And yet one of them actually sees the value in the playstyle and is willing to learn and use them for themselves. It makes him look forward to the future of this young man. He already had a good impression of Qiao Yifan with his courage to switch classes and his willingness to learn, and now he also displays wisdom and maturity rarely seen in younger players.

Most of them are unable to understand the reason why such a disdainful playstyle can be so difficult, so oppressive. It’s only possible due to Fang Rui’s masterful grasp of his opponent’s psychology. Simple, straightforward rookies are the easiest for him. For Qiao Yifan to be able to see the value of Fang Rui’s dirty playing and go toe-to-toe with him in the Rookie Challenge sets him apart from other rookies.

“Indeed. Excellent choice.” Qiao Yifan couldn’t help the pleased flush at the acknowledgement for himself and Fang Rui. Ye Xiu continues, “It’s impressive how you’re able to deal with Fang Rui’s dirty playing tactics. Rookies tend to have difficulty going against him.”

Except Happy rookies, that is. Qiao Yifan silently adds. They are fortunate not to have experienced Fang Rui as an opponent onstage. By the time they got to know Fang Rui, it was as the senior pro player in the middle of the pains of changing classes. They even had their turn in beating up his Qi Master. Then once after he reclaimed his title as god, he was their vice captain and teammate first. He will not treat them as an opponent and neither will they, not like Zhao Yuzhe.

“Ah, I suppose I’ve been watching his videos as much as Senior Li.” That’s not exactly a lie, at least not in his previous life.

“Too bad Fang Rui never faced Li Xuan. It’ll be an interesting study for me and you both.”

“I’ve thought so too.” Qiao Yifan agrees wholeheartedly. Wu Yuce is the Ghostblade that most often ends up as Fang Rui’s opponent, especially as a Thief. Though after transforming into Qi Master and becoming Happy’s defending general, Fang Rui has encountered all the core players at least once, including Li Xuan. It has been such an eye-opening match for Qiao Yifan in particular, who looks up to them both. It inspired his breakthrough.

Then Qiao Yifan realizes he shouldn’t have recognized the reclusive god and chatted so casually like this. “Um, Senior… Do I know you? Your voice sounds familiar…”

“What do you think, Little Qiao?”

“God Ye Qiu!” Qiao Yifan nearly bites his tongue, barely avoiding the mistake of calling the Glory legend by his real name. “Why is Senior here?”

“Sightseeing. Getting a feel of being an audience.” Ye Xiu shrugs nonchalantly. Qiao Yifan has to push down the amusement at such Ye Xiu-like answer, but at the same time is at loss what else he can say to his senior. While the rest of his memories around this time are hazy, the memory of his first face-to-face meeting with Ye Xiu is one of the most clear and vivid, and he’s not sure how to bring it up when they barely know each other. Qiao Yifan’s grown a lot since he met Ye Xiu and he has become a captain and a god-level player in his own right, but in front of his most respected and admired seniors, he always feels like he was back as the young, inexperienced junior.

“What is it, Little Qiao?” Ye Xiu breaks his conundrum with ease, noticing the little Phantom Demon player struggling with something.

“...Is it really okay?” Qiao Yifan blurts out what first comes to mind. He clarifies at the confused blink from Ye Xiu, “Being an audience.”

Nothing changes in his expression, but somehow Qiao Yifan feels like Ye Xiu is truly, truly looking at him, like an all-seeing god looking from above. Instinctively he draws himself up, not wanting to be found lacking. When Ye Xiu smiles, Qiao Yifan finds himself released from the pressure.

“Of course not. Even though I’m a bit old, I’m not done yet!”

“You’re going to come back?” Qiao Yifan barely keeps his excitement in check.

“All I need is an opportunity. Just like you’re looking for yours. Keep up the good work, Little Qiao.” Ye Xiu says as he turns around. He waves his hands at Qiao Yifan and slips away into the darkness.

“...Yes, Senior!”

Once Ye Xiu leaves, Qiao Yifan unconsciously stands tall, his eyes bright and determined in the darkness. It is no longer young, inexperienced Qiao Yifan standing there, instead it is Captain Qiao Yifan of Team Happy.

“I’ll create that opportunity for you, Captain.”

It’s a promise.

Fang Rui walks out from the hotel room he’s staying in with Lin Jingyan with an easy heart. In the previous life, in the future-past, in the past-future, or whatever, the silence was oppressive, the conversation was awkward and stilted between them. For once, words eluded Fang Rui. He could never hate himself as much as he did back then.

***

This time around Fang Rui doesn’t really need to say anything, Lin Jingyan takes all the words that can be said from his own mouth. He has been the one to bring up his own declining condition and his determination to bring Wind Howl to the playoffs. All Fang Rui needs to do is give his whole support and help in whatever way he can. He might need to brush up his skills again and get used to high-intensity matches after such a peaceful retirement life, but he’s confident with his much younger body it’s only a matter of time. Unconsciously he raises and flexes his left hand.

However, what he can offer now is the invaluable experience from high-level matches, both domestic and abroad. He’s no master tactician, but spending much of his time around the master tacticians of old and new, two of whom are his captains, Fang Rui learns more than a thing or two. Though it’ll be harder to explain, especially to Lin Jingyan who knows him so well. Well, that’s a worry for another day. Let’s just take one step at a time.

Fang Rui puts on a beanie over his short hair and non-prescription glasses as he goes to the milk tea shop that Happy often frequents during their visits to Shanghai as their meeting place. It doesn’t take him long to find Qiao Yifan in the relatively deserted shop. Being the transparent Tiny Herb player, he doesn’t really need any disguises. Though honestly, Fang Rui would recognize him anywhere, disguise or no disguise.

Seeing his serious expression, Fang Rui silences his steps as he approaches the younger man who is busy writing on the table. Sneakily, not unlike Doubtful Demon and Boundless Sea in his hands, he stands behind the oblivious Qiao Yifan.

“Boo!” Fang Rui whispers close to his ear.

“Ah!” Qiao Yifan jumps in surprise, the pen slips from his fingers. Fang Rui, expecting the reaction, quickly catches it from the air. “Brother Rui!” His little captain scolds him, but Fang Rui cannot maintain a straight face, he bursts into laughter instead.

It’s been a while he’s seen his little captain so young and chubby-cheeked. He cannot resist pinching those cheeks. Being too preoccupied with his time travel or whatever this is, only now he notices how adorable young Qiao Yifan is.

“Can you stop pinching my cheeks?” It might be because he returns into his younger body, Qiao Yifan’s protests are more like a petulant teenager’s, and thanks to professional hand speed, this time it is the hair that’s gotten ruffled.

“Your fault for being so cute and adorable.” Fang Rui being Fang Rui, he’s not apologetic. If anything, he’s very satisfied having pinched those soft cheeks and ruffled the still-relatively-long and boyish haircut. Fang Rui plops down on the empty seat across Qiao Yifan, picking up the drink placed on the table, unsurprised that it is exactly as he likes it.

“So, what you’ve got so far in that notebook of yours, Little Captain?” Fang Rui asks as he chews the boba with a sense of nostalgia. Chinese milk tea is sure different, he mulls absently as he glances at the notebook, a habit Qiao Yifan picks up from Yu Wenzhou.

“I think… It’s my fault?”

“How do you come to that conclusion?” Fang Rui gives him an incredulous look, “Last time I checked you didn’t have supernatural power to send us back to the past.”

“Um.” Qiao Yifan rubs his nose, an all too familiar gesture of discomfort and vulnerability. He’s grown out of that habit slowly as he took over captaincy, but it has the tendency to show up under tremendous stress or complete unpreparedness, which this time travel situation certainly counts as both.

“Start from the beginning.” Those familiar words ground Qiao Yifan, he finds himself calming down easily when he has actually been stressing himself out while waiting for Fang Rui. Those words and the person have helped him many times when he overthinks things, getting him out of the spiral he’s fallen into and finding the right words and action. He breathes in, and starts with a question.

“What did you remember last?” Before jumping to conclusion, Qiao Yifan needs to make sure of a few things first. Fang Rui tries to recall what he was doing. He really hasn’t thought about it.

“Hmm… I was at the airport, texting Old Ye on the phone.” Qiao Yifan blinks in surprise at the unexpected answer. “Our Yifan is retiring. Of course we’ll be coming to celebrate in person.”

Qiao Yifan gets choked up. Several times he tries to speak only to stop.

“We’ve been so busy that we barely visited or kept in touch. Old Ye is even worse, considering he’s based on China. So I just decided to hell with it when I saw your press conference to go back and force that irresponsible guy to pick me up and visit the team together. You know how bad he is at taking initiative. I also managed to get Little Tang on it.”

“Sister Rou too?” Qiao Yifan laughs in disbelief.

“She’s not as bad as us, but it’s been a while for her too. And she’s in Beijing, so she’s the best person in case Old Ye needs to be strong armed.”

“Oh.” Qiao Yifan’s heart feels so full that he’s at a loss of words.

Fang Rui can only feel sad and regretful to see how happy and bright the younger man’s expression is. Qiao Yifan has always been a kind and considerate child. He might have wanted to see them more, but he wouldn’t say anything and be understanding when the older members of Team Happy cannot keep in touch regularly. He might have thought that his retirement is not important enough for him to ask for them to come and visit. Somehow, Fang Rui has a feeling that their current situation is not unrelated.

“We had a small party after the press conference back in Forest Park. It was late after I returned to the room. I…” Qiao Yifan pauses, glancing at Fang Rui. Encouraged by the quiet and patient understanding, he continues.

“Everyone keeps asking why I am retiring when I could have played longer, that I’d come to regret it… I don’t, I’m really sure I won’t.” Qiao Yifan speaks animatedly, as if he’s trying to convince Fang Rui, when the older man is the last person he needs to convince. “I just think it’s time, the team can and will do well without me.”

“...but?” Fang Rui gently nudges Qiao Yifan.

“I do have one regret, one wish,” Qiao Yifan finally speaks out. His voice trembled, betraying his nervousness.

“I wish I had more time.” As if losing his courage, Qiao Yifan ducks his head down.

Fang Rui looks at the bowed head, his eyes soften in understanding. Qiao Yifan doesn’t need to say more, he understands very well. Quite possibly what he feels is the shared feelings among the early members of Team Happy, many of them either started late or only had a few years left in the professional stage.

Being the youngest, Qiao Yifan is among the last of the original members of Happy to remain in the team. Having been there himself, he remembers how it felt like being left behind, abandoned even when it was simply a natural course of life. That feeling was gone as soon as it appeared, reason quickly kicking in. Although the feeling would come at his weakest moments, he’s learned to deal with it.

However, it must be harder for Qiao Yifan, knowing his circumstances. For him, Happy is the only home he has. Having them leave one by one must not be easy. That was why he chose to stay for another year when Qiao Yifan made the plea before he was about to announce his retirement after the finals in the Golden Season, or what Season 13 was known as with many of the Golden Generation giving their best, most dazzling performance, like a burning star at the end of its life.

Fang Rui was no different, having changed classes and reclaimed his old class alongside his new one, led Happy through the most difficult time in the wake of Ye Xiu’s retirement and competed in domestic and international league year after year, he was burned out, like Su Mucheng and Ye Xiu before him.

By then, Happy’s rookies were no longer rookies, they were gods in the making, if not already, he would be only a hindrance for them. He didn’t need another championship. He wanted more, of course he did, he would never lose his desire and pursuit of victory, but his definition of victory is and has never been limited to all the trophies and awards. What he also considers as a victory is when the team he has come to love and cherish, to grow and flourish, to surpass their predecessors and stand in their own glory.

Team Happy lost in the finals, but Fang Rui had seen a glimpse of the future, a shining, glorious future… and he didn’t see himself in that future. He was actually happy at the realization, barely suppressing his smile when he saw the frustrated faces on his team. He already made up his mind back then, only for one sentence from one person to change it.

“Can you not go?”

The words didn’t come from the youngest member of the team. They didn’t come from the successor he intended to take over Boundless Sea. They didn’t come from their soft-hearted boss. Instead it came from the strong, reliable captain of Happy.

Fang Rui’s heart broke for this young man. At that moment, he looked like a lost child.

“Okay.” He made the concession. He had only eyes for his little captain, but he didn’t fail to notice how everyone in the room perked up, including their lady boss. “However, I will mainly stay on the bench. You’re going to carry me to the finals. I’m expecting another Championship for my retirement.”

And he did.

Happy did it.

Happy matched the old Excellent Era’s record. Fang Rui and the remaining members of the original team are the first to have three championship rings in the domestic league, second only to Ye Xiu who have four of them, beating Zhou Zekai of his generation and the Golden Generation. Happy also made their own record being the only team that have won both domestic and international league.

Team Happy had converged around him when they won the finals of Season 14. His bold, daring little Captain dared to put their oldest senior who didn’t play as frequently as before in the all important match of the finals and of course, Fang Rui didn’t fail to live up to his captain’s expectation. He had made sure to do so since Ye Xiu picked him of all people to be Happy’s Qi Master. It was a beautiful sendoff, a perfect ending that he could ask for. He wasn’t oblivious to realize that Happy had managed to send away every single of their senior members of the original team with a championship. He was, is and always will be proud of them, the team that they are, and the captain that Qiao Yifan is.

Fang Rui places his hand on Qiao Yifan’s head gently.

“Then we will have more time.”

“That’s it?” So surprised with his response, Qiao Yifan dislodges Fang Rui’s hand at the speed he cranes his neck.

“Eh. We can try to sleep tonight and if we go back to our timeline, then have a good laugh and celebrate your retirement with all Team Happy members. Or…

“We don’t, and make sure we’ll have more time this time around.” Fang Rui states simply.

“It can’t be that simple.” Qiao Yifan frowns.

“It can.”

“It can’t.”

“Why not?”

“W-Well, there might be conditions?” Qiao Yifan offers. “Of going back, I mean.”

“So? How will we discover that unless we keep going? Or changing things up?”

“Should we even change things?” Qiao Yifan asks. He isn’t sure what he’s feeling, one side he’s afraid, terrified even. But on the other side, he’s excited, eager to change the future.

“Eh,” Fang Rui merely shrugs. Qiao Yifan can only laugh at the nonchalance. It’s so Fang Rui. It’s so like his senior to make light of the absurd situation, which to be fair, Happy is a team that often encounters absurd situations, their own existence is one. The reminder actually brings a smile to Qiao Yifan’s face. His cautious nature can be detrimental at times if it goes unchecked. He’s learned to let go and take risks in the years in Happy, but in this current situation, when his actions could have changed things, could have made him lose everything precious to him, he was unwilling to do so.

“We’ll just keep things simple. We set a goal for ourselves, and deal with others as they come.”

“Happy.” They say it at the same time, which brings a huge relief to Qiao Yifan. He knows how important Lin Jingyan and Wind Howl are for Fang Rui, and considering what happened to them, he has wondered if Fang Rui wishes to do more for them and stay until his contract expires instead of transferring. Reading his mind, Fang Rui chuckles.

“Happy is home.” And Fang Rui meant it.

He’s met many people, have been in different teams and workplaces, but Happy is the only place that feels like home besides his own. It doesn’t occur to him not to join Happy. If anything, he’d love to join earlier, and take part in the creation of the team.

“Wait… has Team Happy been created?” The thought only occurs to him.

“Oh. Not yet. It should be tomorrow.” Qiao Yifan looks at the rough timeline he has written in the notebook. Fang Rui leans forward to take a peek.

“...the Dragon Raises its Head?” Fang Rui can only recall that incident from this year’s All Stars.

“Because of that, Boss Chen figured out Senior’s true identity and decided to create the team to support him.” Qiao Yifan himself only knows their beloved boss’ retelling.

“That really sounds like Boss Chen, alright.” Fang Rui smiles fondly at their lady boss and big sister. “So the team only had Old Ye and Little Tang?”

“Senior didn’t ask me to join until I told him my contract with Tiny Herb expired.”

“Hmm, by then Steamed Bun and Old Wei have already joined.”

“Brother An, Luo Ji and Mo Fan joined around the registration period.”

“Old Ye really worked hard…” Fang Rui has heard the stories. Something else nags on him, though. “...Yifan, you wished for more time right?”

“Yes?”

“Did you think of anything specific when you wished for that? Because, usually in typical time-travel/regressor/reincarnation/isekai stories, it’s usually only the protagonist who comes back in time. Why am I too? Am I even the only one?”

“No, Senior Ye didn’t come back.” Recalling their earlier exchange, Qiao Yifan is sure of it. “I did think of you first when I suddenly found myself back in All Stars Season 8 Rookie Challenge, in the middle of the stadium floor, microphone in hand.”

“That must be nerve wracking.” Fang Rui raises his eyebrows in surprise. “But really? Of all people, me? Not Mucheng? Or Wenzhou?” He merely teases Qiao Yifan. He isn’t really surprised that in Qiao Yifan’s panic and confusion, he picked the one he’s spent the most time with, his old vice captain. He doesn’t really expect a response. However, looking at his expression, there might be another reason. It is brief, but Fang Rui has always been good at catching the slightest change and he thinks he can make a guess.

Fang Rui lays down his left arm on the table, turning his hand palm up.

“I’ve suspected that you knew.” Fang Rui smiles kindly, but it only makes Qiao Yifan upset. Knowing it is one thing, acknowledging it is another. Right now there’s only smooth skin, but in their past-future, there was a faint scar, a thin line across Fang Rui’s wrist, which was often covered with bracelets and wristbands.

Qiao Yifan was only aware of it when Mo Fan came to him. He has noticed and wondered about the change of Fang Rui’s playstyle. It was not really obvious, even for those who were familiar with him. Only when Qiao Yifan paid attention to his hand speed and rhythm, he realized that Fang Rui had slowed down. Everyone hardly noticed because of the nature of the dirty playstyle, and later on, because of the rising skill level of Happy individual members.

Regardless, Fang Rui remained an indispensable member of Happy and the national team. His flexible playstyle and high adaptability, not to mention his casual and playful nature, made him compatible with many players and strategies that he was more often than not master tacticians’ first choice. Qiao Yifan was not so naive to think that it wouldn’t impact Fang Rui’s condition, so he didn’t think much in the beginning. He was actually relieved that his vice captain took the steps to prolong his career lifespan. While his speed might decline, his performance did not. It didn’t cross his mind that Fang Rui’s condition had reached the point that he needed surgery.

Qiao Yifan was hit hard with the discovery. He had been angry at Fang Rui, at Mo Fan, but most of all, at himself for failing to notice that his vice captain had been injured so badly. He understood very well why Fang Rui did it, so he swallowed all the hurt and anger and channeled them into winning the championship, fearing the season would be his senior’s last. He wanted to prove that Happy was worth all the painstaking effort Fang Rui put in. Only to have his hopes shattered when Happy lost to Blue Rain in the finals, and Fang Rui announced his retirement to the team before the press conference.

He hadn’t wanted to be selfish. He really couldn’t ask Fang Rui to stay when he has given everything and more to Happy. He shouldn’t have asked him to stay.

But he asked anyway.

He was prepared for the refusal, he could even imagine the gentle and kind words. He didn’t expect the concession. Fang Rui only agreed for another year, but it meant the world for Qiao Yifan.

Looking at the person in front of him, Qiao Yifan knows very well why it was Fang Rui of all people who was brought back to the past with him. But he cannot find the words.

“Well, I’m definitely not turning down the chance to do everything again. Even though it’s going to be a hassle to adapt to what… Level 70 skills?” The stinky face Fang Rui made elicits laughter from Qiao Yifan.

Fang Rui never fails to find a way to lighten up the atmosphere. It’s also his subtle reminder that he has their back, that he understands even when there are no words between them.

“Damn. It looks like I’ve got a lot of work to do. It’s no different than having a new team, a new account, and a new class.” Fang Rui is already having a headache at the mere thought. He does miss the Glory competitive days, but he can do without the daily training.

“...I’m sorry.” Qiao Yifan winces, he hasn’t thought that far. He might be just a “water dispenser” in Tiny Herb but Fang Rui definitely isn’t. He has tried to take account of everything but the memories are hazy the further to the past they are, and he was limited to his own knowledge of the events. Qiao Yifan was only recently retired so he would have less difficulty in getting back into the competition mindset. Fang Rui waves his hand, knowing it cannot be helped.

“I’ve got a week until the next match. I’m going to need help to get into shape and find a somewhat believable explanation for the sudden changes in playstyle. Old Lin is sure to notice. You also need to be careful. Wang Jiexi might not realize any changes in you, but Old Ye certainly will.”

“Um… I think it’s a bit too late.” Qiao Yifan speaks out, showing the message Gao Yingjie sent to him earlier, telling him that the captain wanted to see him when he returned to the hotel.

“Well, shit.” That pretty much summed up their current situation.

“Okay, change of plans. Let’s start with how you’re going to deal with good ol’ Wang, then we do the rest.”

“I should not call him Captain Wang then.” Qiao Yifan mulls over.

“Definitely not.” Why would a member of their own team call their own captain by their last name? “Don’t let slip and start calling him Big-Eyed Wang, either.”

“I’ve never-” Qiao Yifan coughs and splutters.

“Really?” Fang Rui raises an eyebrow.

Cunning and resourceful.

Those two words describe Happy best. They can be said to be the words Happy team members live by. They lay down the foundation of Happy’s individual and team playstyle.

While Qiao Yifan remains polite and respectful as he comes to be Happy’s captain, which makes him a favorite among Happy team members of old and new, particularly for the reporters, he is still Happy’s captain who has received guidance and learned from Ye Xiu, Wei Chen and Fang Rui. He doesn’t often resort to dirty play enough to be considered a dirty player and doesn't often engage in trash talk to provoke others that people often forget. So at the most unexpected times, Qiao Yifan will pull an incredibly dirty play or a provocative sentence that is so unlike the calm and stable captain that opponents never fail to fall for it.

Qiao Yifan definitely has called Wang Jiexi “Big-Eyed Wang” at least once. It doesn’t even matter if he never did it to his face.

“Careful. Don’t show your black heart yet, Little Captain.” Fang Rui teases Qiao Yifan, his eyes twinkling with mirth. This time Qiao Yifan genuinely and freely laughs.

“Says the person who taught us how to pull unexpected plays.” Being the longest-serving senior in the team, Fang Rui left his mark the most on Happy team members. His dirty playstyle shows up even in the aggressive Tang Rou, upright An Wenyi, and even textbook Luo Ji.

“That means I’m a good teacher, no?” Fang Rui considers that as his greatest achievement. Qiao Yifan doesn’t disagree, giggling at his senior’s proud face.

There’s so much work to do. There are so many familiar people, accounts, teams that they need to get to know again. There are their own younger bodies with their older selves; faster speed and reflexes but in discordance with their experienced minds. There are so many things to unlearn and relearn. There are events that cannot, should not be changed, and they do not know which events they are and which actions they are allowed to take.

When he was standing on the stage, as his mind kept thinking of all the ripple effects he might be causing, Qiao Yifan was absolutely frightened, and felt very lonely. However, right here right now, with his most reliable vice captain and senior…

Qiao Yifan no longer feels afraid.

Aaand.... That's a wrap! Well, not quite so. This can be taken as a one-shot, but is also open for more time-travel shenanigans. I have some ideas of the changes in the new timeline. Some ideas are easier to flesh out, while others require some research. If you have any comments or suggestions, please do so! It might help with the writing of future chapters. Thank you for reading!

#fanfiction #fanfic #quan zhi gao shou #the king's avatar #qzgs #tka #fang rui #ao3 #qiao yifan #time travel au #let's start thinkin' bout it

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touchmycoat · 3 years ago

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cnovel!anon: oh no, tumblr must've eaten my ask >_<. So if you've watched the 1st ep of Disguiser you'll have seen that Wang Kai plays Ming Cheng, the younger adopted brother/servant of Ming Lou, played by Lin Chen's actor. Here's a cut of them: youtube /watch?v=FjEjRQ0HRrM . They really do just spend the series looking at each other like that. Ming Cheng exudes devoted service sub energy and is intensely loyal to Ming Lou. (cont'd)

(cont'd) So it inspired a strong Lin Chen/ Jingyan ship in LYB (as well as another ship of two of their characters from two completely different dramas!), even though they never meet in the show. At most LC is the doctor that lies to Jingyan about MCS's health before he goes off to war. But there's some great fic in Chinese. Here's one of my faves: shubaow net /122_122149/ It's post-canon, intricately plotted and just amazing. Did you also get the google docs rec list?

RIP thanks tumblr...and okay okay i just watched the first ep of the Disguiser and you're TELLING. ME. We got slutty man as slutty(?) professor, Hu Ge as kidnapped petulant young master, motherfucking Marquis Xie as 霸道總裁 with all these vibes, AND MY MAN, PRINCE XIAO JINGYAN HIMSELF, AS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL HAMSUMEST SMILING MURDERY MOTHERFUCKING BUTLER???????? help i'm losing my mind what is this AU...it's so big brain i'm collapsed and spasming on the floor

and thank you for the fic rec!!!!!!!! all of them!!!!!!! i shall eagerly peruse. ngl before this convo i was already in the Lin Chen/Jingyan tag for no reason other than Hot so I'm really really happy it's a thing.

@mayorofnowhere thank you for labeling my two genders my two sexualities so succinctly TTTTTT is this not what i crave always. is this not the bog water i constantly quench my thirst in.

#thank you the disguiser for feeding me the somewhat more hardcore mcs whump i was craving all show #like ofc i love a good coughing blood moment #the face squeezing was good too but ayoooo #takes a spy drama to give me the man handling and the slapping and punching nice #i should've known #also literally why is wang kai so fucking gorgeous i'm losing my mind #that face #that loyalty #i dig a man who carries service well y'know?#like yes #get on your knees baby #serve #anon #lyb #the disguiser

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egelantier · 4 years ago

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Yuletide Recs

Having had two days of more or less nothing but reading fics, I come bearing recs!

First of all, my amazing gifts:

The Goblin Emperor

For Thy Principles

The nohecharei of Edrehasivar VII were unparalleled in their defense of his person, but there were limits to even their prowess. When Maia first developed the fever, Cala quickly determined that it was not the end result of a magically-based assassination attempt – and from there it had to be left to the court physicians.

Maia falls ill, and Csethiro protects him as best she can.

Beautifully gentle Maia sickfic, with Csethiro holding him together. For me all for meeee.

Benjamin January Mysteries

Dry as a Bone

“Oh. Well, I’ve been better, maestro, been a hell of a lot better to tell truth.” Shaw stared at him for a long moment, and he was stunned to see honest to God grief in his eyes. Even when Shaw had just lost his brother he had been so much more himself than this lost man currently standing before him. “Not that I mean to put anything extra on your shoulders, I’m sure you’ve got enough of your own shit going on at present moment, but it seems like I’ve just lost my job.”

Shaw loses his job, and finally confronts Ben about trust (and lack thereof) between them. It’s GREAT.

The Tarot Sequence - K.D. Edwards

A Distraction Worth Losing

They may never be together, but the gods would have to move heaven and earth to split Rune and Brand apart.

Brand, Rune and The Kiss incident. (Poor messed up babies, somebody save them.)

And fics of the collection:

17776, Astreiant, Raksura, Frederica, The Gentlemen, The Goblin Emperor, Hades, Innkeeper Chronicles, Jeeves, Kate Daniels, King Arthur the movie, My Next Life as a Villainess, Nirvana in Fire, No. 6, Psmith, The Secret Garden, The Sleuth of Ming Dynasty, Swordspoint, The Tarot Sequence, Teixcalaan Series, The Temple of the White Rat verse

17776: What Football Will Look Like in the Future

so far, so fast

When Manny gets a craving for some fancy meal he had once, over ten thousand years ago, Nick decides he’s gonna fulfill that craving, no matter how hard it is. Because real romance is about making the impossible happen for his husband.

Goddamn transcendental.

Go Get It

Sometimes you start out just planning to get some groceries with your husband, and next thing you know, you’re committing to join the most hopeless team in college football.

Nick and Manny decide to play. It’s perfect.

Afterlife

A young man dies six months before the end of human death; his loss saves five lives, which end up much longer than anyone expects. (A series of worldbuilding vignettes about original characters in the 17776 setting.)

Made me cry, in a very cathartic way.

Astreiant Series - Melissa Scott & Lisa A. Barnett

April dressed in all his trim

A quiet evening in spring.

Sweet little slice-of-life with lovely sensory details.

Books of the Raksura

The Second Consort

“When Glow arrives, be friendly and welcoming,” Ember said. “Not scary.”

“Why does everyone think I’m going to scare him?”

Chime said, “They can see your face when you look at him.” He paused, glancing over at Moon. “That face, that’s the one.”

Ember sighed. “I remember being in his position. It’s pretty nerve-wracking coming to a new court and not knowing what’s going to happen to you there - whether they’re going to welcome you or shun you, whether you’ll make new friends, whether a queen is going to claim you…” He came and put a sympathetic hand on Moon’s shoulder. “Glow is probably worried about all of those things, and missing his home and clutchmates, and it’s our job to try and help him relax.” For a moment Moon thought he was just being soft-hearted, until Ember added, “He won’t open up and tell us what’s really going on unless he’s relaxed.”

Jade takes in a new consort, on Moon’s permission, and everybody is delightfully adult about it.

Frederica

Lady Alverstoke

Frederica commences her first Season as a married woman by planning a ball, promising most straitly that her husband will have nothing whatsoever to do …

Sweet and funny slice-of-life post-happy-ending for canon.

**The Gentlemen (2019) **

Even

The week after he intercepts Fletcher, that squirrelly little cunt, outside the London Miramax office, Raymond reluctantly ventures down to Brixton.

Under normal circumstances, Raymond tends to give this part of Brixton a wide berth, but he has unfinished business that needs attending to. Of course, that doesn’t mean he has to like being accosted by the overwhelming smell of greasy fish and chips when he pushes the car door open, doesn’t mean he has to be pleased about stepping into a piece of chewed-up gum the moment he sets a foot on the kerb.

But then, he can always take a shower after an errand in Brixton. The deep-seated discomfort of unfinished business doesn’t wash off that easily.

Raymond tries to pay Coach back for saving his life, and it doesn’t quite go as planned :D

The Goblin Emperor

The Archduke’s Discovery

Prince Nemolis goes on a journey, and learns a bit more than he wanted to know.

Really great point of canon divergence, and true and precise character voices.

Hades

all the spaces between us

For a place full of the dead, crammed with ghostly shades and nothing but the endless lull of eternity unchanging, gossip sure travelled fast in the Underworld.

Or, Zagreus mulls over his relationship with Thanatos while the rest of the Underworld get overly invested.

Slow, slow, slowest of burns.

Innkeeper Chronicles - Ilona Andrews

A Quick Trip

“It’ll be a quick trip,” Maud said, more to herself than to Arland. “No one will even notice we’re gone.”

Pirates are plaguing an ally, just outside of vampire space. Maud and Arland don some aesthetically beat-up armor and try to get more information from the pirates themselves. Of course, plans only last until you meet your enemy. Or your enemy’s giant alien attack boar.

Excellent canon voice, action/adventure sprinkled with badassery and hilarity.

Jeeves & Wooster

August Thirteenth

Discovering that this is not the first August thirteenth that he’s lived through, that certainly was a head scratcher. Luckily Bertie has the stalwart presence of his man’s man, Jeeves.

Very, very great and satisfying use of the time loop.

Kate Daniels - Ilona Andrews

lookin’ like a snack (cake)

It took Barabas a while to figure it out, because he wasn’t used to not being taken seriously.

Barabas considered several ways to phrase it, and finally settled upon, “Do you have a thing for twinks?” Christopher knocked his head back against the headrest: once, then again. “Is that a yes?”

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017)

When Goosefat Bill finds himself in a difficult situation, the last thing he wants is the King to show up and “help”, in his own unique and unexpected way.

Goosefat Bill does not need to be rescued by his King. But he might just enjoy it a little.

My Next Life as a Villainess (Anime)

All I Have To Bring Today

Catarina and Sophia had been discussing the latest in the Devilish Count series, and Sophia had mentioned how romantic the surprise picnic the count had planned for his lover was and how she wished for someone to surprise her like that.

“What about you, Catarina? Have you ever wished for someone to sweep you off your feet?” Sophia had asked.

Catarina makes a choice! As sweet and as hilarious as the canon.

Nirvana in Fire

Adverse Event

What a pitiful man must he have become, if the only thing he could provoke in bed was a monologue on his character flaws.

: or, the famous strategist mei changsu plays xanatos speed chess against truth serum: the fic.

Mei Changsu gets hit with an accidental truth serum; it doesn’t stop him from lying to himself, but it does buy Jingyan a clue.

Records of the Land of Xiang

There was something of Xiao Jingyan there, in the firmness of his jaw, the unforgiving slash of his brows, and most clearly in the eyes that neither saw nor conveyed deception. But Long Zhan was not Jingyan, could never be, no matter how much Changsu might wish otherwise, because Jingyan was dead.

In service to a very-much-alive Prince Qi, Jingyan dons a Jianghu-typical disguise and infiltrates the Jiangzuo Alliance to suss out this Mei Changsu fellow and see if he might be useful in helping them re-open the Chiyan conspiracy case. Basically, a slightly ridiculous premise where everyone is running around the Jianghu with masks, multiple identities, and secret agendas.

Fascinating and fun AU scenario that delves, among other things, into Mei Changsu the jianghu chef, not Sir Su the court schemer.

suffering as I suffer you

The first time Jingyan stays the night at Su Manor, he discovers an uncomfortable truth about Mei Changsu.

Excellent extrapolation of Mei Changsu’s illness into his nightly routine - with Jingyan watching…

Here, In Our Arms

With the world put to rights, however briefly, Xiao Jingyan and Mu Nihuang take the opportunity to make a fuss over their beloved Lin Shu, and will not take no for an answer.

Sweet moment of comfort.

Find the Coals Amid the Ashes

Despite Changsu’s assertions, Lin Chen is a well brought up person. He would never violate his host’s privacy during a social call. It would be inexcusable, for example, to break into a marquis’s private alchemy lab in the middle of said marquis’s birthday party, in order to search said alchemy lab for certain hard to find medicinal herbs, which one has reason to believe can be found therein. These would be the actions of a man without honour, of a man who has only desperation to his name.

Lin Chen crashes a party and makes a new friend.

The best team up ever :D

Dead Letters

Mei Changsu isn’t the only schemer in Da Liang.

Fei Liu fixes things, in the most Fei Liu way imaginable, and it’s great.

No. 6

All Good Things

In the midst of a crisis for No. 6, Nezumi returns to Shion’s side.

A reunion! And cuddling.

Psmith

The Psky Is The Limit

“As this ship’s Orator, my mission is still as it was in the beginning and shall ever be, world without end. It is to hail any message sent by comrades from outer space and pass it on to you verbatim. Well! The hour, I say, has come. The Word has come into being. Here comes Psmith, bearing news of great mirth: the intercom has spoken.”

(A Mike and Psmith Space AU)

Psmith in space! Hysterically funny Psmith in Pspace, at that.

Psmith Pops In

Psmith reached over and solicitously loosened Mike’s scarf, his fingers brushing the skin of Mike’s neck, and that young man, to his horror, felt heat creeping up from where gloved fingers brushed his bare skin. Really, this blushing nonsense was getting out of hand. Ever since Psmith had tried to take the blame in the case of the painted dog, Mike had developed an inexplicable habit of turning hot and cold around him, and these odd responses had become more and more frequent.

Very funny! And then very tragique! And then jussssst right.

The Secret Garden

The Space Garden

When Meri La Nix was sent from the Mars colony to live with her aunt at Missiles Wait Manor, nobody said she was the most disagreeable-looking child ever seen. But some of them thought it.

Beautifully inventive space retelling - with gardens, still.

The Sleuth of Ming Dynasty

The sky spinning above him

In which there’s a jewellery thief on the loose, Tang Fan plays dress up, gets a mild concussion and also a boyfriend.

Frothy, sweet, well-grounded and hot. Also hilarious (check the end note!)

truth in fiction

Three days after Wang Zhi leaves the capital, bits and pieces of his extensive library begin arriving at Sui Zhou’s house.

Sui Zhou is really committed to research and accuracy in Tang Fan’s porn. It’s delightful.

Time don’t fool me no more

“The electrician is a Tang dynasty spy,” he says, dumping some of his eggs in Tang Fan’s bowl.

Tang Fan nods, shovels more food in his mouth, and starts talking again.

Past or future, Tang Fan has Priorities. And Sui Zhou is weak.

Meeting at the End

Sui Zhou knew he never should have let Tang Fan go alone. He knew he should have gone with him.

Really, really great and desperate whump. Super satisfying.

clever boy

Tang Fan never spares a smile for any of the girls at Wang Zhi’s establishment, he’s noticed. That’s alright, though. It means Wang Zhi gets his attention for himself.

Wang Zhi falling, falling hard; it’s delightful.

a bold and brilliant sun

“You’re sure you didn’t do something to it? They don’t usually stall out,” Sui Zhou says. He looks away from Tang Fan, out the windshield at the endless rust-red of the planet.

Tang Fan pouts at this, and slumps down on the edge of the console, feet propped up at an absurd angle against the pilot’s seat. “You think I’d fake a mechanical issue just so that they’d send a sexy Fleet crewman out here to rescue me?” As soon as the words are out of his mouth, he giggles. “Okay, I would do that, but I promise that this time the problem is real.”

Space AU! Most excellent space AU condensing all there is to love about the canon in one perfect package.

Blind Taste Test

Wang Zhi invites Tang Fan to evaluate Joyous Brothel’s chefs — but it’s Tang Fan and Sui Zhou who are really being tested.

Wang Zhi, ever helpful :)

Authorial Intent

Sui Zhou and Tang Fan end up in hot water yet again. Kinky sex ensues.

Hilarious, kinky, heartfelt, and in character.

Swordspoint Series - Ellen Kushner

Chrysopoeia

It struck Alec that this would have been much easier if their positions were reversed. Richard would have known what to do if he’d been dragged back here with a hole in his gut. He was quite simply not supposed to be the one on this end of the equation. In fact, it was possible he had done something very bad to deserve this.

Richard is wounded, and Alex is coping. Excellent h/c and excellent bloodplay and sharp, painful slice of Alex’ POV, excellently rendered.

At first — this was just like him — he thought he was hearing god. But it was only the man in the bed, whose face had turned toward him on the ragged pillow.

The Tarot Sequence - K.D. Edwards

Third’s a Charm

Addam asks a favor of Brand.

Addam asks Brand for help, which ends up being exactly what Brand and Rune need.

Pretty good

Five times Brand crawls into Rune’s bed and one time Rune crawls into Brand’s.

Brand and Rune, through the years.

Teixcalaan Series - Arkady Martine

Also in the Act of Reaching

When Three Seagrass arrived at Lsel Station, she was, officially at least, traveling as a private personage. She had missed Mahit and the possibilities they’d both chosen to turn away from. She also had– would always have– a gaping hole in her life where Petal had once stood.

It was simply that, left on her own, Three Seagrass wouldn’t have let either absence drag her to the ass-end of beyond.

Reunion, metaphors and realigment. Subtle and clever and just right.

The (concept of the) World Was Wide Enough

Yskandr Aghavn comes to the world like a drowning man comes to shore, but he is living on borrowed time. Teixcalaan has so many wonderful things to choke on.

Teixcalaan has had his heart for all of his life, has elevated him, corrupted him, and discarded him.

It is Lsel that he thinks of as he dies.

Temple of the White Rat Universe - T. Kingfisher

If Grace Is Too Much

Zale is given a case by Bishop Beartongue which turns out to be more complicated and personal than a holy advocate-priest would prefer.

Clever and sweet and carefully shocking, but in a very right way.

Outreach

“We don’t generally assess the… cursédness… of objects, trees or otherwise,” Beartongue said.

Utterly delightful.

#17776 #astreiant #books of the raksura #sleuth of the ming dynasty #nirvana in fire #white rat universe #telxcalaan series #the tarot sequence #swordspoint #the goblin emperor #psmith #the secret garden #benjamin january mysteries #yuletide recs

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