#just because Mo Ran calls himself dumb and it's in the title

[friedwizardwhispers]

Me, everytime a fandom calls a character dumb or even oblivious:

Please please can we all collectively stop calling characters dumb or oblivious when those characters are not readers and do not have a objective view of the situation they are in.

I get it. it's frustrating sometimes. But come on.

[ehnrat]

ALRIT CAMPER IT'S UR TURN. TELL ME WHY U NAMED UR CHARACTERS THE WAY U DID U STUPUD BITCH.

NOT MY OWN HUBRIS COMING BACK AGAINST ME YOU DUMB BITCH, BRO I DON'T EVEN HAVE OCS😦

[kills u] so— some of them did not have much thought behind them other than being regular names or they just sounded like it would fit, but I will include the ones that do

Raine/Bunie/Beau: Bunie came first and he was a dream oc who was a slasher that wore a rabbit mascot head and I'm so creative so instead of Bunny, it's Bunie and I ran with it. I feel like my process for Raine was that I liked that name and thought it was androgynous/fluid for a neutral name. Beau came last because I wanted another 'B' name for Bunie when they name themselves and I always thought the name Beau was cool and my fav animal crossing character is named Beau. Later I realized how Raine and Beau connected and I lost my mind even more. Fun Fact, Bunie was almost gonna be named Wolper

Adori Phoebus: No thought behind this besides "hrm this rolls off the tongue nice". Phoebus was because I wanted a Greek surname.

Mika Enzoi: I thought that name Mika was cute and chipper sounding and Mika is a cute and chipper guy !! It made me happy to call him that.

Loki (Locurious): A mischievous catboy need I say more >:3c Locurious is his old name that he ditched when he left the circus and I think it was a play on "curious" (his overall nature on 'teehee what if i did this') and "mercurius" (the god Mercury and being quick, nimble, and a bit of a trickster which Loki tends to be with his cat reflexes, abilities to float a lil, and his self given title of "Trickster Villain for Fun")

Julian Malachi-Florence Nightingale the Third: Would you believe me if I said this was impromptu when I was thinking of making a fancy-like long ass name for a fancy mage idea ? Julian was created to be Omir’s bane and I’m like “what’s an obnoxiously long name I can give to this person…?”

Omir Lyrria: I already had a fondness of the name Omir and Lyrria is a play on the word “lyric” since Omir was musically characterized when I created his design

Dolión: So he was created as the mortal husk of my oc Dendé for this Kingdom Au me and my friend were indulging in, and after a lot of rotting, the husk seemed like his own person far removed from Dendé and so I was like “he would definitely call himself a different name to further removing himself from Dendé that he hates so much.” At first I was playing around with like reversing the name Dendé but I felt like the husk also fitted a D name, so I went searching and came across Dolión and it looked really nice. THEN I looked into the name some more and found out it was GREEK and meant something along the lines of being deceitful and I’m looking at my friend like “DENDÉ IS LITERALLY GREEK AND THE MEANING FITS THEM BOTH PERFECTLY.”

Clam Mari: He is a merperson and this though the name is similar to the play on words ‘calamari’, the initial thought process was like “Imma name them Clam. Oh, I should give them a last name too. Clams are like marine creatures, let’s go with Mari.” (I felt like Marine would be too on the nose so I shortened it). I didn’t notice until after someone pointed it out when I showed it to them that it was like calamari.

YoYo / Nayu: They, like a lot of characters I have around, are actually a play on words of my own name. My name is not common and never see it, and there was a point in time I had to play a game as a child where we had to say something positive about ourselves or something using the first letter or our names and my tiny ass could NOT think of anything other than nice or something negative. I also then realized I didn’t hear many names like mine with the letter N so I always tried to create names with the letter N or similarly like with the letter O too, or whatever sounded nice and uncommon. Some others with the similar naming convention include Nikk, Remi, Mo, Kinn, Naiya, Nalia, and Necea (maybe more but these are what I can think of atm)

Zavannah “Zavi” Ohm: It started out with Zavi because I like how the ‘Z’ felt to say. Zavannah came after because I thought Zavi could be like a nickname she goes by, it’s also a play on the name ‘Savannah’ which I took a liking to bc of a Hamtaro amv I saw on a hamtaro fansite. Originally, she never had electric powers, she was just a kickboxer/Sikaran fighter, but then I gave her electric abilities and gave her the last name Ohm.

Lambertghini “Lambert”: He’s a goat….. Lamb…… Lambert….. “hey I’m here in my garaaaaaaage just bought this uh new Lamborghini here.mwv”…….. Lambertghini..

BONUS

Toddmaus “Todd”: Todd sounds like a cute name for a lil mouse ! Todd was already taken in the game so I’ll add ‘maus’ at the end (I was studying German at the time) ! Toddmaus ! Your best friend, Todd !!!!!!!! 🫵

[yuyuntianyu]

[2HA analysis blog] To love you is torment but leave you I cannot

I wanted to write this (hopefully not-too-long) blog to give 2HA fandom a different perspective of the events in the past timeline. I noticed that there are many little things that could not be carried over to the English language. These little things can give more explanations to our characters’ actions so I hope sharing this would help the novel make more sense. This blog focuses on Taxian-jun and Chu Fei.

Warning: Spoilers ! ! ! Taxian-jun and Chu Fei are their own trigger warnings ! ! !

Despite the novel having 350 chapters, we really know little about what happened between Taxian-jun and Chu Fei besides the abuse and mistreatment and that little is relayed to us by the Most Unreliable Narrator of the Cultivation World - Mo Ran Mo Weiyu. If we only take Mo Ran for his words then a lot of his and Chu Wanning’s decisions told later on would seem irrational and almost silly. So let’s dive deep in the past so we can understand how the great cultivator Beidou Xian-zun could raise such a dumb husky since the events in the past would explain the more irrational decisions made by both main characters.

Given Mo Ran’s narrator is about as reliable as his character in the first 120 chapters, we have to look at other more subtle clues and some of them are due to cultural and linguistic differences.

1. I used to like you a lot

At his coronation day, Taxian-jun stated that he once greatly looked up to Chu Wanning and that he used to love and respect him dearly. Maybe I am reading into this too much but this is my theory: The flower could erase the memory itself but cannot erase the feelings associated with the memory. He had his memories of the good deeds Chu Wanning did for him erased but still remembered that he used to love and respect him. It doesn’t make sense unless it is indeed that the flower could not erase its host’s feelings. So throughout the novel, Mo Ran’s complicated emotions are complicated possibly because he could not remember how he came to have these feelings. Similarly, Hua Binan could mess with the undead Taxian-jun’s memory to a great extent but could not erase his obsession with Chu Wanning.

2. I gave you a new title

Chu Fei. 楚妃. In the Imperial Chinese harem hierarchy, “Fei” means consort and not concubine (嬪 “Pín"). Consorts were highly respected positions in the palace weidling much political power and were only seconds to the Empress Consort. Another major difference is a consort would be married to the emperor while a concubine would not. So if Taxian-jun had truly wanted to only humiliate Chu Wanning and keep him for the carnal pleasures (I am intentionally ignoring his breeding kink completely), he would keep him as a concubine but he gave Chu Wanning the Consort title and hid him from the world. At this point, Taxian-jun had almost lost Chu Wanning once and had spent a lot of effort to bring him back from the verge of death after hearing Chu Wanning’s apology so his anger might have softened a bit. Also, given that Chu Wanning is a man, having a legitimate offspring ( (I am still intentionally ignoring Mo Ran's breeding kink completely) is not an issue so although this is not clearly stated, I believe Taxian-jun wanted to force a relationship and somewhat proper marriage on Chu Wanning. Another hint of this is in an Extra chapter where Taxian-jun tried to get Chu Wanning a birthday gift. He recalled that in his past timeline, he had wanted Chu Wanning to give him something on his birthday as well and that he had wanted Chu Wanning’s heart.

3. Shizun likes to write letters and poems

On Book 3 Chapter 247, Chu Wanning sat down and wrote a few unsent letters to the people he used to know. He also wrote a few lines of poetry. In the first few lines taken from different literature works, he expressed his sense of helplessness and his wish to remain untainted despite the circumstances. The more important two lines are from a poem written by a real poet named Fàn Chéngdà ( 范成大) who lived in the 12th century Southern-Song dynasty. The two lines read:

“May I be like the stars, may you* be as the moon. Night after night, may we shine together side by side.” **

*In the original work, the character used instead of you is “jun” 君 (as in 踏仙君 Taxian-jun). 君 could mean king, emperor, lord, or gentleman ** This is my rough translation - I haven’t found an English version of this poem

These two lines are commonly used in romantic novels as a way to express one’s unchanging love and loyalty to another person despite the circumstances. He compared himself as the stars and wanted to remain by Taxian-jun whom he viewed as the moon. Chu Wanning wrote this to express his willingness to stay but he would never voice this out loud. In the next timeline, he did the same thing by quietly loving and caring for Mo Ran 1.0 despite the mistreatment and was content with never expressing his feelings vocally. Mo Ran was rather uneducated and thus could not fully comprehend these two lines and misunderstood that Chu Wanning was missing Xue Meng.

4. You are all I have left

In chapter 252, after Chu Wanning returned to The Red Lotus Pavilion, he found Taxian-jun already waiting for him. Taxian-jun told Chu Wanning about a dream he had and said:

“I am afraid I don’t resent you… I want to resent you… Otherwise, I…” “In the end, it’s just you and I”.

This is not the first time he expressed that Chu Wanning was all he had left or they only had each other. I believe that at this point, Taxian-jun might have somewhat believed Chu Wanning and recognized that his memories were missing. His words and behaviors seemed a lot more gentle and he mentioned they did have periods of time where their marriage was easier. I believe it was after this point. He told us about the numerous times he attempted to spoil his consort or expressed his affection through gifts, a trip outside the palace, goods, jewels, and even teaching Chu Wanning how to cook or personally taking care of Chu Wanning when he was sick. At one point, Taxian-jun expressed his wish for a more peaceful marriage with Chu Wanning through his breeding kink by saying that if they had children, perhaps they would be more civil towards each other.

Edit: I really wanted to go about this blog without having to refer to their particular taste in bed

5. Are you still mad?

This is a smaller detail but in the original text and the Vietnamese official translation, the way they talked to each other had a bit more of the “husband-wife” dynamic. Especially Chu Wanning ( l┐(︶▽︶)┌ ), the comment section said he sounded like when your wife is mad that you didn’t take out the trash but still says: “I’m not mad” and Taxian-jun, the husband, would come around and ask “Are you still mad at me?” after every fight.

6. I did not think you would really leave me.

On Chapter 99, Mo Ran recalled the fight between him and Chu Wanning after an assassination attempt. In order to convince Mo Ran to not go to Taxue Palace, Chu Wanning said:

“If you destroy Taxue palace, if you kill Xue Meng, I will die before you”.

Now the line “I will die before you” in my language is less of a suicidal ideation but more of a threat. It's used when a person already knows that they are important to the other person and is using their own death as a threat to make the other person do something. This line is thrown around a lot during heated arguments between people close to each other but they almost never mean it. (Even my mom said it numerous times before T_T . I personally think it’s manipulative). Therefore, it is understandable Taxian-jun did not take this line seriously and replied almost mockingly. After all, they had been married for almost a decade at that point, Taxian-jun probably felt somewhat comfortable that Chu Wanning would not do anything reckless. He could not foresee that Chu Wanning meant what he said and actually followed through with his words. I believe that if Taxian-jun had known that Chu Wanning was serious, Taxian-jun would not have gone to Taxue Palace. 7. Don't leave me, ok?

Then Chu Wanning died and Mo Ran spent two years alone. In those two years, we know he basically went insane because of grief, talked to a corpse everyday, and deep fried his Empress Consort. But strangely enough, Mo Ran 1.0 did not immediately mention this after being reborn although it was the main reason he committed suicide. And at that point, it had been well over a decade since Shi Mei faked his death in the past timeline, yet Mo Ran 1.0 seemed to still hold a lot of resentment towards Chu Wanning. Also, he said he could accept Shi Mei’s death but would never accept Chu Wanning’s. So honestly, it did not make sense to me the first time I read the novel and I believed Mo Ran resented Chu Wanning for a different reason.

The answer was first hinted at in chapter 9 when Mo Ran scolded the sleeping Chu Wanning. He called Chu Wanning a donkey hoof (lol) and this is actually an idiom to scold someone who is disloyal and unfaithful in love. The puzzles came together when the undead Taxian-jun showed up and immediately went after Chu Wanning (and not Shi Mei). He believed Chu Wanning used his death to hurt him and was angry at Chu Wanning for leaving him. This is the resentment Mo Ran 1.0 carried over to the next timeline. He hated Chu Wanning for abandoning him. This is solidified in chapter 262 by the undead Taxian-jun pleading to Chu Wanning:

“Don’t betray me” “Don’t leave me the second time. The first time you left, I could choose death as a relief. This time, even death is not an option any more… I won’t be able to bear it…”

So there it is! I hope this blog brings some new information and feel free to discuss! Let me know if you have any questions for me ＼(￣▽￣)／

Disclaimer: Plenty of this is my conclusion drawn from the already ambiguous original text and various translations. Unless Meatbun says it, it’s not canon. I am looking at the novel in three different languages so I might have made some mistakes. Pls forgive. Also, I am not making excuses for Mo Ran 0.5’s actions nor am I justifying the abuse in any way. Chu Wanning never said Mo Ran 0.5 was innocent of these crimes nor will I.

[debbiechanclub]

“The Ghost Of Christmas Present”

Title: "The Ghost of Christmas Present”  Theme: Day 8 - Wrapping/Paper/Presents Fandom/Character(s): AEW - Best Friends Warnings: Mild language Word Count: 665

Find more of my fics here.

Tag Squad: @galacticstat​ @hotyeehawman​ @hdbngsprnva​ @kingswitchblade​ @bec0m​ @betsy-bradock​ @linziland13​ @champhangman​ @librathepheonix13​ @gabbynorth98​ @exe-babymox-exe​ @irish-newzealand-idian-dutch​ @brokenglassslippers​ @rocca09​ @meteora-fc​ @kawaiikels​ @adriii-omega​ @thatgirlforever5​ @sugar-melts-mo-fo​

Maybe Wheeler was just being paranoid. But he didn’t have a good feeling about it when Chuck found him in catering and beckoned, “Hey, come with me for a minute.” It was probably because Brandon was with him—and he had a camera.

Nevertheless, he went.

“What’s up?” he asked.

Chuck put his arm around his shoulders as they walked. “Well, it’s Christmas,” he cut himself off to glance at him in question. “You celebrate Christmas, right?”

He nodded. “Yeah.”

“Okay, good,” he breathed. “Jim thought you might’ve been Jewish.”

 “What?” Wheeler returned, completely baffled; but Chuck ignored him.

“Anyway, it’s Christmas, and I feel kinda bad that we’ve been giving you such a hard time, what with the constant ridicule and Kris always choking you out and making you look like a little bitch on the Internet.”

Wheeler rolled his eyes.

“So, we all got together and got you a little something. You know, just to show that we really do consider you to be a valued member of Best Friends and not just a second-rate replacement for Greg.”

Wheeler’s face went flat. “Gee, thanks,” he deadpanned. “I can really feel your sincerity.”

Chuck patted his shoulder. “I’m a sincere guy, Wheeler.”

He led him into a room backstage, Brandon still following with the camera. It was completely empty except for a few chairs and the biggest Christmas present Wheeler had ever seen, wrapped up in bright red paper with a shiny gold bow—and Wheeler immediately knew what was up.

“Alright, come on,” he said as he pulled away from Chuck.

“What?” Chuck asked. He was clearly playing dumb.

“I’m not stupid man. This is obviously a bit for BTE,” he motioned at Brandon, “and Kris is obviously gonna jump out of that present and choke me out again.”

“What?” Chuck looked absolutely aghast at the suggestion. “Why would you think that?”

“Why wouldn’t I?!”

Chuck ran a hand over his jaw. “I can’t believe this,” he said with a shake of his head. “You try to do something nice for a friend—a son, even—and you get accused of– I said we got you something nice. Are you calling me a liar?”

“No, I’m not calling you a liar,” Wheeler breathed. “It’s just obvious that this is a set-up.”

“A set-up? You think I would set you up to get choked out?”

“Not under normal circumstances, but in this case ye-ahh!”

He jumped back in surprise as the lid to the present box suddenly burst open. Wheeler braced himself—but it wasn’t Kris. It was Orange.

“Merry Christmas,” he monotonously said. “Or happy Hanukkah.”

Chuck shook his head as he made a cutting motion with his hand across his throat. “Not Jewish.”

“Whatever,” Orange muttered. He held out a small paper plate with a piece of cake on it, sans fork. Wheeler arched a brow as he took it from him.

“Did you get this from catering?”

It was a few seconds before he answered. “…No.”

Wheeler looked at it again. “Yeah, you did. This is the carrot cake from catering.”

“Are you calling him a liar?” Chuck shot.

“Yes!” Wheeler proclaimed. “This time I am! Because he just, in fact, lied—”

“AHHH!”

The next thing Wheeler knew, someone suddenly grabbed him and started choking him from behind. Kris. She had burst out of a closet behind him at exactly the right moment. But he just let it happen. At this point, he’d learned it was best not to struggle.

Brandon zoomed in on him as he slowly faded to the floor. “Ha! We got you good, Yuta!” Chuck triumphantly proclaimed. 

“Merry Christmas ya filthy animal,” Orange followed up. 

They both left the room; but as Wheeler laid gasping for breath, Kris squatted down next to him.

“I’m the ghost of Christmas present,” she menacingly whispered. “And I will always be there… lurking.” And with that, she stood up and left him alone and choked out on the floor, looking like a little bitch yet again.

[dangermousie]

Chapters 21-22 of Case File Compendium

Thanks to @vierran45​ for showing me how to automatically pre-purchase all the upcoming chapters on jjwxc. You are a life-saving genius!

Also, these chapters definitely confirmed that XQC chain-smokes as a way to de-stress because no matter how he tries to convince himself he has no emotions, he has plenty and the stress is eating him alive. No surprise he chooses such an awful coping method - ch 22 showed he’s terrible at taking care of himself!

Not as terrible as He Yu is at it though - every chapter shows what a pressure cooker HY is under - XQC asks him how can he consider dating when his condition is not under control and you KNOW that is in the back of HY’s mind as well, even though he’s defiant with XQC - it’s as if he’s trapped behind glass watching others live normal lives. Even XQC both says he needs to make connections and then says it’s dangerous, at the same time.

Btw:

If you only knew, boys!

But honestly, I cannot wait to see how unbreakable fortress of self-protective ice that is XQC will melt enough not just to date HY (younger, “wrong” gender etc) but to date him despite that it’s reckless dangerous madness to date someone with that condition.

I think this exchange is the crux of so many things so far - HY may be smart but his EQ (like that of all Meatbun protags) is not the highest to put it mildly. He should be able to tell but his emotions and issues are so tangled in everything that he cannot. And also yeah - he’s a teenager, a group of people not usually known for maturity, by very definition.

What is it with Meatbun and dogs? There was Gu Mang who thought he was a wolf and had a BFF dog and Mo Ran who’s literally the “dumb husky” of the title (I will never be over how in the extras it mentions Taxian Jun and Goutou the dog can completely understand each other as if they can converse!)

Also, the BDSM innuendo continues. That log book was full of people thinking that XQC would make a perfect gong and HY the perfect shou and Meatbun is writing the opposite but...I am not saying that log book is 100% wrong either.

If Hell exists, He Yu’s parents should burn in it. They clearly give NO fucks about their kid at all. HY is a well-controlled mess but considering his upbringing and situation, it’s a miracle how well-behaved he is. I wonder if it’s not just his temperament or desire to control his condition but because he knows if he acted out he’d be locked up or worse so quick your head will spin.

Also, that convo between XQC and HY’s pos Dad does seem to indicate that it wasn’t the dad who wanted XQC gone back then (so what really happened?) and confirms that XQC def feels he owes the dad so WHY.

Also, most important - the reason the Dad calls is to find out about what happened in the Psychiatric Hospital. He couches it as being concerned for He Yu but we all can tell he wouldn’t notice if He Yu got set on fire as long as it didn’t interfere with Dad’s business so I am buying that 0%. My feeling that HY’s fam is involved in whatever horrible stuff is going on has now reached near-certainty and HY will be lucky if his own family doesn’t stick him in a cage once they find out about his powers.

In other news, it turns out XX likes someone else entirely (the usual good girl likes the bad boy thing) and poor HY finds out and yeah. Ouch.

Great, he’s started self-harming again, to keep himself in check. That’s a Meatbun novel, all right.

But the thing(s) that strike me about He Yu - to control and cope he turns the damage inward - harming himself so as not to lose control at others. But also, even in the middle of all of this, when XX asks him to go take care of XQC who’s gotten sick with an allergy attack aftermath, he still goes and does a good job.

And that is why he’s a Meatbun protag, all right.

Anyway, this novel is 100% awesome!

[captainkappa]

Fanfic:: Hunter and Prey

To be a Mandalorian pirate is to be both hunter and prey. This, Din understood after being taken into their care as a child.

Now he is hunting a Mandalorian artifact to deliver his charge to the aquatic sorcerers in order to teach him how to handle his magic. His quest brings him to a sandy stretch of shore, Mos Pelgo.

Link to AO3

For Day 4 of @dincobbweek aka AU day!

The prophecy as foretold; I have a hyperfixation, therefore I must write a pirate AU. And oh my god, I loved writing this fic so so much.

Huge shout out to @staranon95 for betaing and @ayantiel for providing the needed inspiration to get this thing going!

-=-=-=-

Mayfeld took in a deep breath, letting the salty air fill his lungs. There was a lot riding on today, his reputation, Ran’s reputation, but with the Empire’s finest knelt at his feet, all of their note-worthy possessions, he thought he was doing pretty well.

“No one makes any dumb decisions and you all will get to live,” he called out, voice carrying over the wind so even the poor bastards at the end would be able to hear. “We’re just here for what’s ours and then we’ll leave you be. You’ll never have seen us.”

Xi’an was getting her brother from the prisoners down below and Burg was raiding the captain’s office. Sure, the objective was to get Xi’an’s brother before he made it to the Empire’s colonies, but this was an Imperial vessel. The three of them would have to be stupid not to rob the Imps blind when they had the opportunity.  Plus, their informant assured them that not only was this a prisoner’s vessel, it was a transport vessel, moving a map that led to a whole lot of Mandalorian gold.

It was the perfect plan; do a job for Ran, undermine Ran, get filthy rich, and live the rest of their days on an island in the Outer Isles.

And everything was going great, when Burg burst through the captain’s doors, startling everyone on board. Everyone jumped, bar Mayfeld. Burg cut an intimidating figure, a mountain of a man, horns poking through holes he made in his hat so he had to crouch to get into most places. His sudden presence didn’t startle Migs. What was a surprise was the concern on his face.

“Migs! The captain is dead!”

He rolled his eyes. “And? Do you want me to pay you back for the ammo it took to do that?”

“No, he was already dead! And the map’s gone too!”

His blood ran cold. He gave up the act and ran into the room, grabbing onto his hat so it wouldn’t fly away. His eyes adjusted to the darkness of the room. He couldn’t tell if there had been a scuffle or it had been Burg who had torn up the room. Drawers were half open, hanging out, papers scattered, a blood-spatter, maybe, but there was so little Migs couldn’t tell if it was recent.

And in the center of it all, the captain, dead in his chair. His body was cool, so Burg wasn’t bluffing in saying someone had shot him before. There had been a lot of commotion when they had first boarded the ship, could the thief have entered then?

“You swear he was like this when you got in?”

Burg nodded.

“And he wasn’t holding a pistol?”

Burg nodded again and the evidence confirmed it. There was only one pistol in the room, halfway across the floor. That didn’t happen when someone tried to off themself for fear of the pirates coming on board.

Migs pushed the body to the floor, getting on his knees to root through the drawers, hoping to find the map, to be able to smack Burg upside the head, but there was nothing. He ripped them out of the desk, holding them upside down and shaking them, but still nothing. Just useless documentation with Imperial seals splayed everywhere.

He slammed the top of the desk as he stood up.

“Did you check everywhere?! Every possible drawer, false drawer, any of that bullshit?”

“Yeah! But it ain’t here!”

Migs pulled off his hat, balling up the rim in fist before throwing it back on.

Ran would tell him not to get greedy. There was an unknown element at play now, so focus on getting Qin out and run. With the group back to what it was before Mando sold them out, they could rob big ships again, but who the fuck cared about that. If Ran knew about the map, he would’ve said to hell with Qin, focus on the pay-out.

Migs stormed out of the quarters and back onto the deck. It was too sunny to see, but that didn’t stop his furious walk back to the line of Imperials on the ship. He grabbed the one in the fanciest looking clothing, who he could only assume was the quartermaster or second mate, and hauled him to his feet by his collar.

The man made a choking sound and face-to-face, looked at Migs with terror.

“Where the fuck is it?”

“Wh-Wh-Wh-?”

“The fucking map! Lost Mandalorian treasure? I need it, and if you don’t, Burg here will make sure you meet those fucking dead ass Mandalorians that hid it in the first place.”

Something must’ve gotten the man brave, because he said, “I thought Mandalorians were extinct, like you pirates are going to be.”

And as if signing his death wish, he spat on the floorboards near his feet.

Well, Migs wanted a nice clean run, but he had a reputation to uphold.

He threw the man back down to the floor and before he could get his arms out from under him, Migs pulled out his flintlock pistol and aimed it at him.

He was a second away from painting the floor with this asshole, when Xi’an ran out from under the deck, her brother trailing behind.

“Captain! It’s Mando!”

That made Migs whip his head up. “Mando? Here?”

She nodded. “We saw him climbing down. Port side, now!”

The four of them raced to the railing, watching as the small craft sped away, faster than any ship could hope to move. She flew familiar colors, the flag of someone who had sold Qin out in the first place.

Migs thought today couldn’t get any worse.

Then the flare went out, bright and brilliant even in the daytime sky. An Imperial flare, that would’ve had to have come from the captain’s quarters, that they wouldn’t have been able to spot in the chaos of the room, that was absolutely going to call every Imperial ship in a hundred miles radius.

Fuck.

Fucker didn’t even have the decency to flip them off as he sailed away.

-=-

Din keeps his eyes low to the ground, brim of his hat pulled low over his head, scarf pulled round his face as he weaves in the crowd. It’s Nevarro, so he knows he blends in with the rest of the criminals that inhabit the port town, but he finds himself more cautious these days.

Especially with the small cargo at his side.

It’s only when he takes a corner into a dark alley, down a set of stairs just off the tavern, into the gloom, does he look at the bag at his side.

As they passed a torch on the wall, the Child looked up at him and beamed, his pointy teeth just coming in, ears unfurling as he lifted the flap.

“You doing ok?”

The child babbled in reply.

“Good, we’ll be there soon.”

For what was basically an underground network for a bunch of criminals, it was surprisingly clean. There were puddles of brackish water that Din stepped around to avoid, along with passing others, but it wasn’t as piss-soaked as Nevarro was up top.

Hiding a whole community under a criminal network didn’t seem like the smartest idea at first, but the thing about criminals is they can either be paid off or disappeared with little problem. As he stepped around a pair of running children, he hoped there would be one day Mandalorians wouldn’t have to hide. He had no idea how that would happen, but no one had ever died on hope.

They finally arrived at their destination, a door on the far side of the hallway. He knocked on the door and opened it when he heard the familiar voice say, “Enter.”

She was already sitting at a table, a bottle of rum in front of her, a candle burning, doing its best to light up the space. Her hat was beside her, feathers drooping so they touched the brim. He made a mental note to pick up more on his next supply run.

He took off his hat as he shut the door behind him, keeping his bandana firmly in place.

“How was your trip?” the Quartermaster asked coolly, picking up the bottle to pour him a drink. It had been years since she had manned a ship, but the title still carries in their community.

He pulled out both the kid and treasure from the bag, setting the kid down on the ground to run around the space before sitting across from her.

“Successful.”

He spread out the map in front of the Quartermaster. He heard those fools talking about Mandalorian gold, and it wasn’t entirely true. It was a map to a compass that would reveal what the holder most desired, which for some might be Mandalorian pirate gold or power or love.

Or the location of the aquatic sorcerers the child needed.

The child wasn’t fully human. He needed to spend a lot of time in water in order to spend time on land, which meant a lot of time spent swimming alongside the Razor Crest. He could also shoot water up out of the ocean, a gift Din was well acquainted with, it being one of the child’s favorite games to play.

Since he had failed to fully deliver the child to the Empire, he had had privateers and other pirates on their tail for months. This map was their last hope to make sure the child got back with his people and then…

And then Din would go back to what he did best; providing for a people now scattered by his actions.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of the Quartermaster’s chair scraping back. She stood up, only to bow over again, her back parallel to the table. She moved her scarf to the side so her lips could ghost over the map as she spoke words of power into the paper.

She stood back up fully as the ink on the map shifted and moved. Waves rolled in place, sea serpents dipped in and out of the surface, all the while the path moved like an eel, slippery and changing, until everything at last was at rest and the ink seeped back into the page.

All three bowed their heads over the map. The starting point of the path was now the tiny cluster of islands of Nevarro and the end point was…

“Tatooine?” he asked out loud. “They’re basically land locked. What would a Mandalorian be doing there?”

Tatooine was a coastal stretch of land, surrounded by jagged rocks and ship-wrecks on one side and impassable mountains on the other, with desert in the valley.

She raised her head, scarf now back in place. “I suspect you’ll find out when you go there.”

He nodded and the child cooed. Din looked over at the child grabbing at the map, hands scratching at the lines like he could pick them back up.

“Come on, little one. We have a long journey ahead of us.”

-=-

Din sailed into Mos Pelgo, following the instructions Peli had given him.

“You have to arrive at low tide, that’s the only way you’ll see all the shit you have to get through. If you haven’t decided to turn tail and leave, you have to keep to the south. If you go north, you’re dead. Last I heard, there’s a pile of sticks they call a dock if you keep going south.”

The dock was a simple thing, as she’d said. Rotten wood, with just one post tall enough to hold the rope to the ship. Din was half tempted to jump straight into the water and swim to shore rather than test the strength of the wood, but resisted the urge with the Child in his bag.

He could see the town in the distance and set off on the beach, letting the Child out to stomp around on the beach.

The town was small, a couple of shacks on stilts for the stormy season. Few people were out, and those that were openly stared at the two of them. Din paid them no mind, one goal in his head.

He walked into the cantina, knowing if there ever was a way to learn about a town, it was going to their cantina first.

And not half a minute of talking with the Weequay bartender, the “Captain” walked in. The man wasn’t a Mandalorian, his face was bare, showing off white hair, sun-freckled pale skin, and a well-trimmed beard. His coat was sturdy, but patched to high heaven, with a bright red scarf around his neck. He wore the compass on his belt like he was flaunting it. It made Din’s blood boil. If Din were a younger man, he would’ve shot him right there for it.

But he tried talking. The compass should be in the hands of a Mandalorian. The Captain swore up and down he had gotten it fairly and therefore it should be his.

“I’ve given you an easy out already. Take it off,” Din said, “Or I will.”

“We gonna do this in front of the kid?”

“He’s seen worse.”

The Captain stood, fingers already itching for the flintlock on his hip, no doubt preloaded like Din’s were. They were interrupted by cries from outside. The Captain holds up a hand before smoothly exiting the cantina. Din follows, but stops in the doorframe to take it all in.

There were several broken fishing boats being led through the rocky shores, dragged onto the sands, people shouting, people carrying others. The Captain was in the middle of it all, shouting orders, trying to bring organization to the chaos.

In the distance, was the unmistakable view of a large tentacle slipping beneath the waves.

Din didn’t want to get in the way of this organized chaos, but then a twi’lek with scarred lekku was shoving bandages into his arms and gesturing over to a house across the way. Din wasn’t going to say no to that.

The house was quieter than outside, only pained whimpers and soft, hushed voices. A collection of wooden splinters already piled beside the bed as the doctor continued to take tweezers to one of the people who came in. Din placed the bandages by their side before stepping back, nearly colliding with the Captain.

He looked at the scene with a pensive expression. Immediately, Din could see that his care for his people went further than words. There was corded energy in those shoulders, anger that wanted to be released at the creature that did this to his people.

The Captain ushered him out of the room.

As they walked back to the cantina, the Captain said, “How about this; you help me with the kraken, I give you back your compass.”

“Deal.”                                                                                                          

-=-

The Captain led him past the edge of town to the cliff’s edge. On the journey he told his name was Cobb Vanth; Din held off on his own introduction.

“None of us are much for traveling,” Cobb said, “but the kraken planted itself right where we normally fish. Even when I send people to fish in a different spot, the damn thing follows after. We’ll be starved out sooner rather than later.”

They crested over the hill and the expanse of ocean fell before them. The kraken was visible from the cliffs, a dark mark under the waters, swimming languidly around the coast.

Din did a mental inventory of what he had on the Razor Crest; a handful of spears, a harpoon, some rope. Cobb had shown him the town’s stores before they left. It wasn’t going to be enough.

He stepped back from the ledge, back where Cobb is. “Is there a Tusken encampment nearby?”

Cobb raised an eyebrow. “The Tuskens? But they’re-”

“They know the coast and water better than anyone. We can’t kill it with just the two of us.”

“If they know the area then won’t they want to… I don’t know, not kill it?”

“Then, we’ll just have to ask.”

“Ask? You don’t ask a Tusken anything.”

He could, in fact, ask a Tusken for things. Din was thankful for the cloth in front of his face, masking most of his pride as he watched Cobb’s jaw drop as he asked the Tuskens for their help. It turned out, they did want help in defeating the kraken. Its sudden appearance had also affected their fishing.

They had to travel further to where the kraken had made his home. Din stayed in the back with Cobb, where he seemed more comfortable.

Cobb also apparently liked to talk when he’s nervous.

“So, you spend your days on the ocean? All the time?”

“Mhm. Do you spend all your days on land?”

“Mostly. I used to be on a ship, but not like you. I was a galley slave on an Imperial ship, but before then I had dreams of being as free as you, traveling the waters on a boat with a crew of my own.” His face fell. “Haven’t thought about that dream… for a while.”

To have something that should have meant freedom be taken away from you, Din couldn’t imagine.

“But you escaped?”

“Kriff, yes. Raised a mutiny, sunk those fuckers to the bottom of the sea. I found the compass in the captain’s drawers and it pointed us here. Few more people joined, some left, but it’s as home as we can get.”

Din could only nod. He found himself surprised with the thought that he was glad that Cobb got the compass. He had no idea what the Empire was doing with a Mandalorian artifact, but it was definitely put to better use finding people a home.

They made camp up in the dunes. Din had to waste a bullet, firing into the air to disrupt the startings of a fight between Cobb and the Tuskens. Planning was slightly easier after that.

He took off his coat, bundling it up into a nest for the child to sit in. He rolled up his sleeves to free up his arms as he continued translating. He noticed Cobb looking at the tattoos that traveled up his arms. He doesn’t comment on it.

-=-

Small boats littered the coastline the next day. The plan was for people from both the Tusken band and Mos Pelgo would distract the kraken long enough for a boat of explosives to be set up and ignited close enough to kill it but not the people.

It doesn’t go great.

There were enough boats in the water to pick up people who capsized in the wake of the monster’s waves, the thing lashing out as folks took pot shots with pistols and arrows. They managed to set the boat laden with explosives off in its direction, but when the time came to ignite, the explosion happened, but it just managed to scratch the beast.

Din reached for the harpoons he brought as backup. He and Cobb try firing at the kraken, but they skim off its skin.

The Tuskens were still firing their weapons at the creature. Mos Pelgans took turns firing guns and reloading in turn. All it did was keep the creature at bay, which wouldn’t last long at all. He needed to think of something to kill the creature or everyone here would die.

He furtively scanned around the deck for something, anything. His gaze landed on the extra explosives they had kept on hand. The monster’s skin was too thick for the explosions to take but elsewhere…

Din doesn’t think, he just moves. He grabbed as many sticks of dynamite as he could, stuffing them in the pockets of his coat. There was a coil of rope tied off to the railing, which he took and wrapped around his waist. Even after years of living on ships, his hands shook as he tried to tie it. Suddenly, Cobb was in front of him, taking the rope from his hands and tying it tight around his midsection.

He pulled it hard, once, twice, and it wasn’t going anywhere.

“What are you gonna do?” Cobb asked.

“I’m not sure,” Din said, pulling the rope tighter around his waist.

“Then what should I do?”

Din looked at him, really looked at this man who was willing to do so much for his community in light of so much hardship in his own life. He looked back at the dark shape in the water racing for their boats

He took off his hat and tossed it at Cobb. “Take care of the Child.”

And before Cobb could do anything beyond catch the hat, Din leaped off the side of the ship. He couldn’t tell if Cobb shouted anything after him as the kraken burst from the water. He forced himself to keep his eyes open as he fell straight into the kraken’s maw.

-=-

It was nothing but darkness inside the beast. Even with the scarf over his nose, the scent of salt water and death was everywhere. He dug himself in the mouth of the beast, boots scraping against bony protuberances in the things throat. He emptied his pockets as fast as he could while holding on for dear life as the monster bucked and screamed.

He hoped the kraken was out of range of the boat.

When he was left with one explosive left, he fished around in his pockets for his matchbook. He struck the match and lit the explosive before chucking it down with all the others like it.

He turned and clawed at the kraken’s beak, heart pounding in his chest. If he doesn’t get out of here before the explosion goes off-

Suddenly, a roaring filled his ears and a mass of hot air flung him out of the monster. His scarf twists around his head and he can’t see anything as he flails. He landed hard in the water and then it was silent as the dark water pulled him down.

He wasn’t sure how long he drifted. The shock of cold water and the heaviness of his coat made movement impossible.

He didn’t regret asking Cobb to take care of the child, he’d be in good hands.

Something wrapped around his waist and pulled. Din tried to resist, not sure if he was being dragged toward air or to his death, but his arms were useless, heavy and leaden. He had no strength and so he let it happen.

And then they broke through the surface of the water, a cool wind icing his skin instantly. He took a shuddering breath and nearly choked on water and his sopping wet scarf. Hands came up and pulled the scarf off his face. He coughed, chest shuddering with each intake of breath. He realized he’s being held, arms around his waist, and it isn’t until he can take a full breath did he finally bother to wipe salt water from his eyes and look at who was holding him.

It was Cobb. His hat and coat were off, red shirt darkened to maroon with all the water. He was searching his face for… something.

Din took a breath, resisting the urge to cough again. “I thought I said- you need to take care of the kid!”

“I am!” Cobb said, holding his head up to avoid a passing wave. “By making sure his daddy lives!”

Cobb maneuvers his arms so he’s gripping a floating piece of rowboat. It’s thankfully big enough that when Din leans his whole weight on it, he doesn’t sink back into the ocean.

“Everyone okay?”

Cobb gave him a look that Din thinks means he’s stupid. “Yes, thanks to you, partner.”

They only have to tread water for a couple of minutes before a rowboat headed by the twi’lek Issa-Or arrives. Cobb makes sure Din is pulled aboard before climbing in himself.

-=-

They stayed the night. Din isn’t in any position to argue with Cobb’s hospitality. He didn’t think he’d be able to turn the wheel on the Razor Crest let alone sail it out of harbor.

Cobb opened his house to them. It was a small abode, raised off the ground like the others. Its small size made it even more obvious the telescope and sextant were on display on the only table in the main room.

Din wanted to pass out then and there, but Cobb firmly set him in one of the wooden chairs before disappearing behind the one door in the house. He returned with a roll of bandages and water. He thought it was to drink, until Cobb started peeling back the wet layers of Din’s clothes to reveal burns and scratches he hadn’t even felt. Cobb dips a rag into the freshwater, rinsing out the salt and detritus from the wounds.

He worked in silence, both too exhausted from the day to say much. They could hear the sounds of the party outside, Tusken and Mos Pelgan alike celebrating the death of the beast.

A drunken group walked past and the two of them can hear the butchered shanty they sing. They glanced to the window then to each other, sharing hidden smiles.

All patched up, Cobb gave him the bed and set something up for the child. Din knew he should be aware of his host, should know where his host himself is sleeping the night, but he couldn’t bring himself to care with exhaustion tugging him into the bed.

Voices from the other room kept him up,  cracking one eye open to focus on the now familiar drawl.

“You know, in the past few days, whenever I looked at the compass for a sign of how to kill the kraken, it always pointed out to sea. I didn’t know what that meant, if I had to go sailing for a kraken expert or find a sunken treasure that would kill the kraken. I don’t know, I was getting desperate. But now… I’m thinking it might’ve been pointing to your dad.”

He heard the child’s burbles of delight and finally, finally, he slid into unconsciousness.

-=-

Din woke up to the sun shining in his eyes, light reflecting off the compass placed on the pillow that wasn’t there last night. Any lingering drowsiness left him when he realized what it is.

The Mandalorian compass.

He grabbed it and opened it up, thinking about Grogu and the teacher he needed. The arrow spun around, until stopping, hovering at a point out back toward the ocean.

A heading. He had a heading.

He fell back into the bed, just staring at the compass. It was embedded in a box made of dark wood, carvings all around the edges, Mando’a script, if he had to guess. It’s incomprehensible, chipped to the point of  being illegible.  

Something in the bed crinkled as he shifted. He turned and searched for the source and founda scrap of paper. It took a moment for him to parse, but it was just Cobb letting him know he had business to attend to and he would be back when Din left.

Right... they had to leave this town to continue their quest.

He reminded himself of that as he went out to find the child. The house sounded suspiciously quiet for all the mischief the child got into.

-=-

They got their affairs in order quicker than expected. Some people had spent the night alongside the Tuskens preparing the kraken meat to distribute to the rest of the town – and Din, apparently.

It seemed like the whole town had come out to see them off. They apparently had held off giving their thanks until they knew he was conscious. Din looked over the grateful townspeople’s heads to see Issa talking intently with Cobb. When Cobb glanced over his way, he ducked his head back down.

Normally he would sneak out of this kind of attention, but the kid was eating it up, beaming like he was the one who took down the beast, so Din went down the line, nodding respectfully at every given comment.

By the time he got to the end of the line, he was already ready to take a nap, but he raised a hand to bid them all good-bye and turned to walk out of town.

“Mando!”

Din turned around to see Cobb running after him, heel kicking up sand.

He stops in front of him. “Do you- do you need help on your quest?”

“Are you offering? Thought you had a town to look after.”

He scratched the back of his neck. “Well, the kraken was our biggest threat, and with the peace brokered with the Tuskens, there’s not much for me here.”

Din tried to tamp down his excitement, not believing what he was hearing. “You still have your sea legs?”

“Long as you don’t lock me up below deck, I should get them just fine.”

“I’d never,” he said quickly. 

Cobb smiled. “Well then, permission to come aboard?”

Din hoped Cobb could tell he was smiling behind the bandana. “Granted.”

-=-

As they sailed out of port, Din kept glancing at Cobb, who was fidgeting up a storm. He kept tapping his fingers against the railing, glancing out at the disappearing coastline.

Finally, after even the Child was tapping on his pant leg to point out Cobb’s unease for him, he hatched a plan. He affixed the wheel so it wouldn’t turn on its own. Then he went about setting the sails and ropes for the same task, keeping them on course while Din took care of Cobb.

“We can still head back if you want to,” he said as he approached the other man.

Cobb turned over his shoulder. “No, I’m not having second thoughts. I’ve… My friends know I’m not exactly made for land.”

“Oh?”

Cobb flipped his scarf up to wipe at his head. “Before we made landfall at Mos Pelgo, we took out a few Imperial ports. Small things that we only noticed because of the ships with galley slaves, but… I ain’t felt that alive in a while.”

Din fished the compass out from his pocket, flicking it open. The arrow spun lazily, pointing back to Cobb for a second before spinning around in the direction they were sailing, the same direction it had pointed when he thought about what Grogu needed.

He snapped it shut, coming up to stand beside Cobb.

“I’m sure we’ll run into something along the way. Here, I’ve got something to show you.”

Cobb raised an eyebrow. “Alright, I’ll bite. What is it?”

Din bit his lip, glad for the bandana. “Do you trust me?”

Cobb chuckled. “I would have to be an idiot to sail out to who knows where with a man I didn’t trust.”

Din nodded. “Then let it be a surprise.”

Cobb acquiesced, letting himself be led to the middle of the deck. When they were under the main mast, Din grabbed the main line in one hand, pulling Cobb close with the other. He ignored how his cheeks flushed with the sudden closeness.

“Hold on tight,” he said.

“Wha-?” That’s all Cobb got out before Din flicked the switch with his foot and the two of them went rocketing up toward the crow’s nest. Cobb’s arms circled around him like a vice, his shouts lost in the wind.

Din made sure Cobb got in the basket before he did, especially when he realized his eyes were shut.

“Cobb, open your eyes.”

Cobb cracked one eye open and then both flew open as he realized what he was seeing. Glittering blue ocean, as far as the eye could see. There were two dots in the far distance, ships of some sort.

There was no better way to experience the vastness of it all, than looking at it from above.

He glanced at Cobb and saw his eyes tearing up a bit.

He doesn’t say anything for a long moment, letting Cobb take it all in. This was what being on the ocean was supposed to mean, freedom and possibility, beauty and wonder. Din didn’t expect to do much in laying a balm over Cobb’s past, but he hoped he could communicate with this view that he wanted to help when he could.

Cobb turned to face him and Din knew he understood.

“Thank you, Mando.”

“Din, my name is Din Djarin.”

“Then thank you, Din.” And to his surprise, he leaned over and kissed him just above where the scarf covered his face.

Neither of them acknowledged it, except for an exchange of eye contact. Neither could contain the mirth in the crinkles of their eyes.

“We should start plotting a course, shouldn’t we, Captain?” Cobb asked.

“Yes, Captain.”

[aquadrazi]

Find Someone to Carry You

Chapter 16

………Qinghe………

Wei Ying couldn’t remember the last time he had been outside.  He had finally convinced A-Sang and Lan Zhan to let him out of the room because, as he had put it, if they didn’t he would find a creative way to burn it down out of pure boredom.

The small courtyard he had been led to was empty of people other than him and Lan Zhan, which Wei Ying didn’t mind.  He was currently laying on his back, in the grass, staring up at the clouds in the sky and listening to the sounds of the birds sing and the breeze rustling the leaves of the trees.

“This is nice.”  Wei Ying sighed contently.

“Mn” Lan Zhan was meditating next to him.

Wei Ying still was having trouble with the idea that THIS was reality.  However he found himself here more often than not these days, so even if it wasn’t, he might just start pretending it was.

Who cares if I’m crazy?

It’s not like it matters if I’ve completely lost my grip on reality.

This place is nice.

Wei Ying was about ready to doze off when he heard the rustling sound of someone approaching.

“Senior Lan, Uncle has sent me with the texts you requested”  A young Lan Junior was bowed respectfully in front of Lan Zhan.

I thought Lan Xichen was the Lan Sect Leader.

Why would someone else give a disciple permission to remove texts from the library?

“Sizhui, what have I told you about calling me that when we are alone?”

“Apologies, but we appear not to be alone Baba.”

Baba?!

He called Lan Zhan Baba.

Lan Zhan has a KID.

“We can speak freely in front of Senior Wei.”

Wei Ying sat up on his elbows at the sound of such a formal title for himself.

“We-Wei?”  The boy wore a look of utter shock on his face.

“Yes, THAT Wei.” Wei Ying rolled his eyes.  “The Grand Master of Demonic Cultivation himself.  The Yiling Patriarch back from the dead to steal your cattle and eat your children.”  Wei Ying fell back into the grass in a pout.  Maybe he DIDN’T prefer this fantasy place he’d dreamed up.

“Wei Ying.”  Lan Zhan scolded.  “What did I say about you saying bad things about yourself?”

“I apologize Senior Wei.  I didn’t mean to offend you.  I was just, shocked.  I thought you were dead.”  The boy practically fell over himself to bow deeply towards Wei Ying.

Wei Ying laughed.  “Oh Lan Zhan, you’re son even knows I’m dead.”

“Wei Ying is not dead.”

“Nah ah, it’s two against one now.”

“If Wei Ying were dead, and this was your fantasy, why would Sizhui, see you and say that he THOUGHT you were dead, as if you are not, in fact dead?”

Wei Ying sat up and scowled at Lan Zhan.  “Don’t confuse me with your reasonableness Lan Zhan.”

“Just to be clear, I no longer think you are dead, Senior Wei.”  Lan Sizhui said earnestly.

“Okay, okay, okay, don’t hurt yourself.  Stand up before you’re back freezes like that.”  Wei Ying waived dismissively in Lan Sizhui’s direction.

“Sizhui, will you stay here with Wei Ying while I take these to Wen Qing?”  Lan Zhan stood up and took the texts from his son.

“I don’t need a babysitter Lan Zhaaan.”

“Tell that to the privacy screen.”

“HEY!  If that was, in fact, an undead corpse, that talisman would have done EXCACTLY what it was supposed to do.”

“Mn”

Wei Ying watch Lan Zhan walk away, a little in awe.  This Lan Zhan was so much different than the one he remembered.

Maybe I can get the dirt from Lan Sizhui.

Wei Ying turned his attention to the young Lan standing at a respectful distance away from him, looking nervous.

“It’s okay kid, I probably don’t actually live up to my reputation these days.”

“Oh, I…ah, it’s not that.  It’s just…”

“Oh wow, you ARE Lan Zhan’s kid aren’t you?”  Wei Ying laughed.  “Take a breath.  No pressure.  It’s not like I’m one to judge anyone, for anything.”

Wei Ying patted the grass next to him.  “Come sit.  Tell me about the last 13 years.  Lan Zhan and A-Sang tell me NOTHING.  I’m so BORED.”

Lan Sizhui contemplated for a few seconds, then went to sit down next to Wei Ying. “What…what would you like to know?”

“Let’s start with, oh I don’t know…You’re Lan Zhan’s KID?!  Who’s your mom?  Don’t tell me…some upstanding Lan Cultivator that they never let me near”

Lan Sizhui looked down at his hands.  “I don’t, I don’t remember my mom.  I had a fever when I was little.  I don’t remember anything before that.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.  I didn’t mean-“

“It’s okay!  It isn’t a sore subject.  Sometimes I think I remember my mother.  At least the person Baba described as my mother.”

“Oh.” Wei Ying got quiet.  “So Lan Zhan found, and lost his cultivation partner.”

Lan Sizhui nodded.  “Uncle Xichen says that Baba lost the love of his life 13 years ago.   That’s why I was raised by Uncle for those years Baba was in isolation.”

Wei Ying’s head shot up and he stared, wide-eyed at Lan Sizhui.

13 years ago.

The Bloodbath of the Nightless City

Oh

Oh no

I killed the person Lan Zhan loved

I really am terrible

“He’s gotten better, but he still doesn’t talk to people.  I think he’s still sad.” Lan Sizhui said quietly.

After a few minutes of silence Lan Sizhui seemed to gain some courage.  “How does my Baba know you? He doesn’t talk to anyone except us Juniors, Sect Leader Nie, and Uncle, but he seems comfortable around you.”

Wei Ying laughed again.  “Wow, times sure have changed if Lan Zhan is COMFORTABLE around me.  You see, we knew each other long ago.  I went to Cloud Recesses with my brother and sister for lectures, and I annoyed Lan Zhan every chance I could get.  We sort of joined forces during the Wen Indoctrination period and I thought that maybe we were becoming sort of friends but…well, I started practicing demonic cultivation.”

Wei Ying laid back down in the grass and gazed up at the clouds.  “I pretty much became everyone’s enemy at that point.  After we defeated the Wens, well, the cultivation world was less charitable about my use of demonic cultivation.  Lan Zhan kept wanting me to go back to Gusu with him so I could be put on trial and punished.  It all came to a head at the Battle of the Nightless City, where I killed hundreds of cultivators, maybe thousands, I don’t know.  But apparently along with my Shijie I also killed the person Lan Zhan loved.”

“I guess this really is all, real.  Lan Zhan is here to finally get his wish and see me punished for my use of demonic cultivation.”  Wei Ying sighed and closed his eyes.

I knew it was too good to be true.

“But, Baba didn’t punish Mo Xuanyu.”  Lan Sizhui insisted.

“What?”

“We found Mo Xuanyu laying in an array surrounded by resentful energy, after a failed summoning spell, YOUR summoning spell actually.  We were going to kill him because Master Lan said that demonic cultivators were evil, but Baba stopped us.  We took him back to Cloud Recesses, and now that he’s healed he trains with us.  His talismans are REALLY good.”

Wei Ying couldn’t process what Lan Sizhui had said.  It didn’t make sense.

Gusu Lan had taken in a demonic cultivator?

They were TRAINING with a demonic cultivator?

None of this makes any sense.

Wait, MY summoning spell…

“The Sacrifice Summon?!”

“Yes.”

“Where did he get his hands on that?!”  Wei Ying shot up with a look of panic on his face.  “That is too dangerous.  It wasn’t ready.  So many things could go wrong.  Did he realize that his soul would be DESTROYED?!  Who would be so important to bring back that it would be worth never reincarnating?”

“He was trying to summon… you Senior Wei”

Wei Ying jumped up and started pacing back and forth.  “Nobody was suppose to see those notes.  It was a dumb idea.  I should have just burned it.  WHY?  Someone is trying to replicate my work?  I don’t understand.  Where did he get it?  He couldn’t have just WALKED into the Burial Mounds.  Unless my talismans are still holding-“

“They are.”  Lan Zhan cut off Wei Ying’s rant as he entered the courtyard.

“Lan Zhan, what the HELL is going on?!”

“Language, Wei Ying.”

“Don’t you-  ugh!!!”  Wei Ying threw his hands in the air and huffed.  “Someone has my notes and is playing around with demonic cultivation and all you have to say is ‘language’?!”

“They no longer have Wei Ying’s notes.”

“This fantasy is awful.  I want a new one.”  Wei Ying sank to the ground, tired.

Lan Zhan saw Lan Sizhui’s questioning look.  “Wei Ying doesn’t believe that this is reality.  He believes that this is a fantasy that his brain has created to escape from the horrors he suffered for the past 13 years.”

Wei Ying started making a mocking face and mouthed what Lan Zhan was saying, in a very childish manner, and when Lan Zhan ended his explanation, he let out a petulant huff.

Lan Sizhui giggled.

Wei Ying looked up at Lan Sizhui and a grin started to form on his face.  “Did you hear that Lan Zhan?  That was what we call, an EMOTION.  Can’t be your kid.”

“He takes after his mother.”  Lan Zhan said matter-of-factly.

Wei Ying’s face fell.

Oh

And I killed his mother.

Wei Ying instantly regretted opening his stupid mouth.  “I’m going back to my room.”  He mumbled and practically ran out of the courtyard.  Thankfully, neither of the Lans followed him.

[beigejournals]

Season 5 Lucifer

welcome to my unsolicited thoughts about Season 5 of Lucifer.  

as an avid and veteran series binger AND a talker-while-watching-a-movie-or-series-but-does-not-want-to-spoil-anything-for-my-friends type of person, i have finally dedicated a space and found a good way to let all my thoughts out as i watch a movie or series when i am alone when i can’t bother a lot of people because (1) they don’t want to be bothered and (2) i don’t want to spoil things for them.

so here are my thoughts, and of course, SPOILERS AHEAD.

BTW, i LOVED all of Lucifer! but this season was a slow burn for me. 

ep1

drug scene at Lux; is Amenadiel mean now?

so is Lucifer himself in his own hell loop when he became the ruler of hell? his own guilt towards his father? idk (to be frank, i don’t remember the past episodes except for the fact that he is now back in hell)

the premise of the first episode is cute!

side note after the title card: i remember how much i loved the soundtrack for Lucifer!

Maze is still hot.

I love how Maze and Chloe’s relationship developed and how they don’t have to use words to communicate.

Amenadiel’s and the Psychologist’s house HAHAHAHA i love it.

is Charlie Jesus? His mom’s faith in front of Ella is like every mom plus every religious person ever haha

YES. ELLA. YOU. DESERVE. A. GOOD. GUY.

self-improvement is now a meme, huh?

Dan is me.

comment on drug scene: Amenadiel is still the same, haha!

Maze and the card, haha!

how was the guy in the mask face (did i just say mask face?) blurred but in the party, Los Angeles was in perfect accuracy. excuse me.

coming out of the dead: “oh sorry, that’s so gross!” LORDT HAHA

love you, Charlie! hope you don’t feel like you have to perform because your mom expects a lot from you and that’s so ironic because she’s a psychologist!

Dan’s speeches about parenting: i get it tho, parents try to love their child, sometimes, they just don’t know how

also, i think it’s the sister but Chloe’s just a softie

lol Maze is jealous that Chloe got to talk to Lucifer and trying to say that they don’t need Lucifer.

OOF MAZE.

i forgot about what happened with Eve.

GUYS THE MURDERER IS LITERALLY GOING TO ESCAPE.

the amount of projection as defense mechanism in this episode is too much it feels like it’s too on the nose.

but i do love the parallel between what’s happening on Earth and in hell.

the amount of layers in this question either it’s Lucifer’s or his or his sister’s (assuming it is his sister who was behind his murder)

ok apparently it’s not his sister.

me in law school:

sana all kaya kang mahalin na babalik from hell. kilig aq.

also, after all these years, Lucifer’s house has been so clean!!! wala man lang alikabok

if she’ll be fine without him then who tf is that?

ok i read the synopsis for the next couple of episodes. i don’t like spoilers. don’t make the same mistake.

ep2

i’m Ella when it comes to my friends’ special people HAHA

also, i love the slight lean to one side to show us that this is not the real Lucifer.

why does he have to be naked???

it’s so funny for me how they have to reestablish him. LUCIFER NEVER LIES HAHAHAHAHA yes we can remember now after you repeated it 3x.

ALSO WHY IS EVERYTHING TO ON THE NOSE. EVERY SECOND IS A METAPHOR FOR SOMETHING. was it always like this?

Oh Michael. Nice. Was he an archer? We love the American accent.

how can Amenadiel not know that was Michael? GANON KA IDENTICAL SIZ?

we love the unnecessary car chase just to  reinstate the fact that this is a crime show

that slomo with the wings!!!

also everything is so slow with this show!!! idk why but everything feels just a little bit slower (or maybe i just want lucifer and chloe to be together? idk)

gwapo ni lucifer nung nagmomol sila ni Maze pls

cringe ng elevator scene

ykw. i think it’s because i like the lucifer character that’s why i’m impatient. he hasn’t been appearing the way i want him to.

see. you don’t have to remind me so much about the show because i know he was supposed to say “what is it that you truly desire” not fear. I FEEL LIKE THIS SEASON IS DUMBING THE PEOPLE WHO LOVED THE SHOW FOR SO LONG. okay sige.

either she knows it’s not him or SHE’S REALLY THAT NICE AND POWERFUL OF A HUMAN BEING.

oh i’ve been questioning whether they had sex already and this episode answered my question

CRINGE coffee scene: the spoon???

random question: are angels virgins? so is Michael a virgin?

what kind of a person would just go deep on someone else’s pocket just because they ran out of money?

knew it Maze won’t do Chloe dirty like that!

thanks Chloe. u know better than that. (full disclosure: I THOUGHT SHE WAS ACTING BADLY APPARENTLY A GOOD ACTOR CAN ACT BADLY TO PROVE A POINT?)

literally just liked it and now there’s a new secret that was said too soon.

God baka naman pwede mo ko gawing Chloe Decker char.

AH so interesting. Lucifer = Desire. Michael = Fear. Too on the nose again but that time, i needed the guidance because i am a dumbass.

God ain’t raising his children right!

ep3

yes explain everything to me it’s literally not like we have been binging this show for 2 hours straight

see, the Lucifer character is really endearing. i’m enjoying myself again hahaha. (well, i guess Lucifer when he’s with Chloe?)

can i just say that Tom Ellis was born for that role. he fits is so well that him acting as his own twin doesn’t sit well with me.

i just feel like this show was written by a psychologist who liked watching murder shows.

it’s Lucifer, Chloe!!! siya yon.

ep4

love Lucifer-Chloe tandem!

we love how the actors can sing and the show gives them a chance...

one thought: is everyone going to play a double of who they are?

also is Maze the daughter of Lucifer?

i love how they’re transcending mediums, reminds me of Community with their random episodes.

there you go, Chloe’s doing the double acting too.

Now it’s Linda. (so maybe this is the episode i was asking about earlier).

Now it’s Ella.

omg is this why i loved fleabag, it took forever for the Priest and Fleabag to finally do it? no. i just love the Priest.

Charlotte’s back! and the distance from the table shows how not okay they are. okay.

green screen while driving i love it.

now, Daniel!

we love gender fluidity? i guess. i’m not sure how you call it but i appreciate.

Lilith’s dress for the second song. OMG.

there again to make us dumb. after we just watched the whole thing happen, they retell the whole story again. damn. they think we dumb.

literally this season is making every girl kiss Chloe.

why did she blow the ring? was that her life?

what’s that song in the end?

OH that was the reason why she was retelling everything.

damn celestial beings are the worst parents.

ep5

i wanna be Dr. Linda Martin please.

i appreciate Lucifer wearing the bracelet until now. (but i expected nothing less)

i’ve always loved how people reacted to Amenadiel. he always seemed nerdy but these are times where he truly shine and im so happy.

i forgot.  i think i was showering that time that Michael and Lucifer fought and theyre hella dumb. ok lets go toxic masculinity mixed with daddy issues.

i know they’re too on the nose ABOUT EVERYTHING but i do like the debate about free will and predestination

honestly i don’t know what’s Chloe’s issue is with being made by God probably just because i’m lazy and i just want to lay everything in His hands but coming from a very atheistic perspective where she comes from i kinda get it. i guess my only reasoning why i’m okay with God’s reason is with her is because of my fear of the unknown; my current fear with not knowing my true purpose. at least she got hers! what is she complaining about?

oh i get it now, but that’s why there’s free will Chloe (or idk, idk how God works; there’s currently no electricity in my house rn. i don’t get how that works even if we pay for our electricity all the time, how am I suppose to know God’s plans?)

but aren’t well created for something else? looking at a selfish perspective, maybe He created all of us just because He wanted to.

wow. literally when the nun kissed Amenadiel, the lights in our house opened up. if that ain’t God. idk who that is.

wow that’s so interesting.

“There are no shortcuts.” 🥺

he exposed himself i’m interested. what if i were the one to whom that was exposed to... how would i react?

another sample of them explaining to us WHAT WE ALREADY CAN INFER FROM THE SHOW (the conversation actually continues to dumb it down for the audience) but i get it. it’s religion and fiction built together.

oh i just cringed i almost vomited with this 

also can i just share these. these are the funniest thing Chloe said on the show.

ep6

OOF what a horrifying way to start the episode (after the beach fiasco)

they’re holding us. that’s so adorable!!!

ugh. im still cringing.

yes jowa for ella yes pls. ELLA YOU SAID YOU WANT A NICE GUY!!! HE’S THERE!!! i’ll take him if you won’t!

Chloe if you don’t want Lucifer, i’ll take him too!

can i say how proud i am of Chloe and Dan’s relationship. it’s very healthy for what they are. add Lucifer and Dan to that too! we love men.

also the women in this show have bad taste in men. (except for who Linda married, i guess)

we love the seasonal girl’s night!

that whole charlie thing being amused by lucifer’s devil face is the best bit

was it Michael calling? and oh noooo ;(

FUCKEN MICHAEL

ngl i could have waited for another season for them to have sex on season 6 episode 6 but sure have it at season 5.

ep7

we love a person who wakes up and is not pretty. princess anna who? (i mean she is wearing full on make up, but we’re okay with that snore)

Deckerstar!! they made a word for it

our mojo??? does it only work on lucifer or does it work when she does it to others as well, we shall find out.

oh no! Lucifer’s isn’t working at all HAHAHAHA

it’s currently 2:19 AM. i am tired and sleepy.

Dan talking to Charlotte 🥺🥺🥺🥺

Fucking Michael

oh he emphasized archangel Michael. with my limited knowledge being raised Catholic, i was going to ask earlier if he was an archer because he had crooked shoulders. AND I JUST CHECKED. ARCHANGEL MEANS HIGH RANKING ANGEL NOT AN ANGEL WHO’S A FUCKING ARCHER. me being raised Cathlolic means nothing. HAHAHH

now i’m realizing if i see an angel, maybe i won’t be in the situation where i’ll see Amenadiel but Michael

NO NO NO AMENADIEL

i love this HAHAHAHAHA

knew it. called it! worked on lucifer ONLY. HOW CAN TWO PEOPLE BE THAT MADE FOR EACH OTHER. LORD BAKA NAMAN.

i’m ella shipping them.

THEYRE SPEAKING TAGALOG HHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH and HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH

what song was that? “When it hurts, just to breathe” same

The Shining reference no thank you pls

NAAAH i really can’t do horror things especially not with things i truly fear and when i don’t have a curtain on. No thanks.

14:54 and i’m watching again open the lights bro, it’s easier to find clues that way   also i do get that they’re closing it to ensure that the killer is not there but theyre also moving like the killer is not there anyway so better open up the lights! tho i really know nothing about crime solving (i just typed crime solving instead of solving crimes didn’t i)

we stan ella’s healthy relationship!!!

can i just say there was a time where i can’t even say serial killer out loud so this is really hard for me to watch alone

i know that he’s vulnerable around the detective. BUT SHE SAID HE CHOSE TO BE SO BY NOW HE SHOULDN’T BE AFFECTED BY WHAT HE DID.

Fucken Michael.

ep8

how attractive can you be that even in slow motion, you look great.

oh apparently he did not die.

ALSO OO NGA CHLOE. US2 MO SIYA MAMATAY TEH.

CHLOE THE OVERTHINKER but i get it. BUT STILL.

you know that montage of people just studying and it’s now happening to chloe trying to solve a crime. that’s my cinematography goal HAHAHA. it’s been awhile since i’ve been invested in studying like that.

Lucifer can be just so immature some times

is KillShare based off of SkillShare?

also i’m thinking that Chloe was either taken by Michael or Dan or the SK.

that ring of Lucifer on Maze is probably the longest ring someone has waited for.

i love Maze’s eye make up! ALL THE TIME!

if the lady here is not detective and they’re relieved. that’s just fucked up, man. they were slightly relieved. that’s good acting HAHAHAHAHA.

I’M JUST PRAYING TO GOD THAT PETE REALLY IS A GOOD GUY AND NOT THE SERIAL KILLER COZ I CAN’T HATE THAT GUY PLEASE. the key and the research!!! WTF. stop trying to be smart, show!!!

his mojo is back, does that mean Chloe is gone? 😢

OH AFTER THE TAPES, I THINK IT IS THE BOYFRIEND. DAMN SHE’S REALLY INTO BAD MEN, ISN’T SHE?

I’M SO SCARED. THE SUSPENSE IS KILLING ME.

THE FLOWERS ARE FRIGGIN KILLING ME.

kamukha niya pa si Penn Badgley, nice.

DOES HE GENUINELY LIKE HER OR IS THE KISS TO THROW HER OFF GUARD.

AH NO. i think he genuinely likes her. except that she... you know found that he’s a fucking murderer

HAHAHA PETE

right??? why does this show have to say everything out loud like don’t already know.

oh he just used her but then he liked her. idk. the way he speaks too, so nonchalant.

preach, ELLA!!!! shout out to those who had crappy childhoods and are not serial killers! that’s the bare minimum i guess.

go, Ella!!! know your worth!

lol made me love Pete, he’s funny.

ok my assumptions were right-ish.

HAHAHA, his american accent.

his choosing to be bot vulnerable around her anymore, Michael, i think is a way of him staying alive for Chloe but ofc Chloe will think that Lucifer would rather have his vulnerability than to be with her.

baka di lang love language ni Lucifer words of affirmation, okay! HE SAVED HER LIFE SO MANY TIMES AND NOW SHE’S DOUBTING BECAUSE HE HASN’T SAID I LOVE YOU YET??? SIZ. HE LITERALLY LEFT HELL FOR YOU.

MICHAEL STOP. Michael the shit stirrer. we all have that one friend.

awa me kay Maze. she’s like a lost dog throughout the show.

does Michael want to be God?

skipped thru the speech. cringe.

what’s Amenadiel’s problem with his child having a normal cold? what’s wrong if he’s a mere mortal?

WHY IS EVERYONE IN THIS SHO’W SO INSECURE. i get so annoyed every time Chloe’s mad that Lucifer doesn’t get what he wants

it’s just that i resonate with Lucifer. it’s hard for me to say i love you and now i think Amenadiel stopped time.

oh. i thought Amenadiel’s fears about Charlie being mortal was superficial, i just realized that he was afraid that his child was going to die. but, he can take him to heaven like what he did with Charlotte, right?

oh Michael.

MAZE! MICHAEL IS A PATHOLOGICAL LIAR!!!! you’re fine! i don’t have a soul either.

celestial beings and their daddy issues and inability to communicate with one another and the desire to fight it out as if that’s the solution

HOTTEST BROTHERS EVER DAMN.

itong si God ngayon lang magpapakita anuna siz.

WHY ISN’T HE PLAYED BY MORGAN FREEMAN BUT OK.

CLIFFHANGER!!! IM MAD.

ep 8 should have been called blueballz tbh

[rhysand-vs-fenrys]

breeding kink, you say??? might you share for..... research purposes?

Sure! The book is

"Dumb Husky and his White Cat Shizun" (Commonly just called 2ha) by Meatbun Doesn't Eat Meat

***** The title is just alliterative of their personalities, it isn't about animals, and the author name is her online pen-name

Once upon a time, the Evil Emperor Mo Weiyu covered the world in darkness.

His power was unparalleled, his cunning and with unmatched, and his ruthlessness allowed him to use magics so depraved that all record of them was supposed to have been erased from the world.

At the root of Mo Weiyu's cruelty was a heartbreaking loss- the death of a man he loved, Shi Mei, at the hands of their teacher. The venerable, cold, imperious, and hateful Chu Wanning. A man seen as the paragon of virtue, dignity, and power, once upon a time.

Until Mo Weiyu, mourning the loss of Shi Mei, turned himself into a monster, destroyed the world, slaughtered thousands, and finally took his frigid teacher captive and made him an unwilling consort. For years Mo Weiyu delighted in torturing his teacher's body, breaking his mind and shattering his soul.

But then Chu Wanning finally died, and with his dying breath begged Mo Weiyu to forgive himself. Mo Weiyu went mad, refused to admit his "Consort Chu" was dead, and locked himself away in his palace.

Alone, lost, and joyless, Mo Weiyu dug himself a grave beside his teacher, drank a vial of poison, and laid down to die.

... and promptly woke up in the body of 16 year old Mo Ran- Mo Weiyu himself before he became a dark emperor. His beloved Shi Mei is still alive, Chu Wanning is still alive, and the darkness that will take Shi Mei's life is years away- plenty of time for Mo Ran to save him!

But as Mo Ran tries to take advantage of his knowledge of his past life, things begin to change. Small joys he'd always believed were the result of Shi Mei's flirtations turn out to be the actions of Chu Wanning, quietly taking care of his students.

Mo Ran's entire life from beginning to end was a mess. Son of a prostitute, raised in a brothel, kicked around unwanted and unloved by any after his mother's death- the only sure thing was that Chu Wanning was evil. Cold. Hateful.

Not that he was warm but unsure. Kind but afraid of attention. Good- only because he knew the tragic weight of warfare and death.

As Mo Ran lives his life again and grows into an adult, he will learn to see the world through different eyes, and come to realize that at the root of his hatred in Chu Wanning is a poisoned love he twisted into cruelty.

But the past changes too rapidly, events that should be set in stone are changing, and Mo Ran quickly comes to a horrible realization:: Someone else has come back in time with memories of the other life. Someone else has mastered the forbidden Zhulong Chess Formation- the dark arts only Mo Ran is supposed to know.

And they mean to destroy everything Mo Ran holds dear.

While he fights to protect Chu Wanning, Shi Mei, and his cousin Xue Meng from the gathering evil, Mo Ran will have to acknowledge his own soul-shattering love for Chu Wanning... and find a way to atone for the horrific sins of his past life.

Sins that did not stay buried in the past.

Mo Ran is not the only person who remembers the past. He is, in fact, one of three.

The dark emperor.

The enemy in the shadows.

And Chu Wanning himself, who sees flashes of the degradation and sexual humiliation Mo Weiyu put him through in that past life... and is very much interested.

Chu Wanning and Mo Ran have been given a chance to find love in one another. If they can hold on to that love, they might just manage to survive the years to come and find their happily ever after.

Mo Ran is the one with the breeding kink... and the Domination kink... and the sadism kink... and in this life the CNC kink.

Chu Wanning is masochism, CNC, humiliation, edging, and submission.

And if you'd like to read it and want a hook up for the English version, just send me a DM and I will point you to the epub!