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a-lil-bi-furious · 10 months ago

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Top 10 Ships Involving POC in 10 Different Fandoms (Round 4)

Thanks to the wonderful @welldressedllama for the tag! 🥰 Just for funsies, this time I’m doing enemies-to-lovers/rivals-to-lovers/maybe-not-traditional-enemies-but-way-too-antagonistic-to-not-fit-the-bill-to-lovers edition. In no particular order:

1) Macy Vaughn x Abigael Jameson-Caine (Macigael) - Charmed CW

I ultimately respect the AbiMel plot, but these two were literally Right There. Excellent chemistry from moment one and they perfectly mirrored each other with Macy as a witch with demon blood (struggling with darkness) and Abigael as a demon with witch blood (struggling to accept lightness). To think of what could have been with the two of them and the acceptance of good and bad and the whole complex mess of the self makes me insaneeee

2) Nicky Shen x Zhilan Zhang (Zhicky) - Kung Fu CW

Idek what to say their dynamic was just so fun and watching them begrudgingly grow close was chef's kiss.

3) Eve Polastri x Villanelle (Villaneve) - Killing Eve

Literally THE enemies to lovers imho. What more do I need to say? Eve said seduction into my darkness? Yes please. Villanelle said feel emotions for one (1) woman and obsess over her? Okay. They're enemies AND lovers. They've both tried to kill each other. So? They get each other like no one else. No one's doing it like them

4) Scott McCall x Theo Raeken (Sceo) - Teen Wolf

Sorry but I'm clawing at the walls, gnawing on my hands, howling at the moon over them. Exploring all the tension and the guilt and the fear and the longing is delicious. And the layer of long-lost friends? The subtle seduction into trust and the mutual destruction on Theo's part? Sorry I'm crazy about it sorry.

5) Mona Vanderwaal x Spencer Hastings (Vanderstings/Spemona?) - Pretty Little Liars

Somebody in this fandom needs to tell me right meow why they're not a bigger thing??? Quintessential 'they hate each other's guts but no one matches their freak better'. Throw Hanna in the mix and that's the perfect formulation, but they hold their own on enemies-to-lovers grounds sooooooo well.

6) Raven Reyes x John Murphy (Murven) - The 100

Truth be told they're not my top ship for each other BUT they are the epitome of enemies to friends (to lovers). Some of the best relationship development I can think of.

7) Bonnie Bennett x Nora Hildegard (Bonnora) - The Vampire Diaries

Literally why were they not a thing? Bonenzo ily but look at them! They had such a fun little antagonistic flirty thing and Nora was canonically crushing on Bonnie. All I want is queer Bonnie and I was so close to having it

8) Kitty Covey x Yuri Han (Kitturi) - XO Kitty

Kitty literally took one look at rival Yuri making music and crossed that thin line from hate to love. Girl was like "I will take this Angry tension and transform it into Sexual tension" and I respect that

9) Kathani "Kate" Sharma x Anthony Bridgerton (Kanthony) - Bridgerton

I've only watched one full episode and seen random bits here and there but I'm obsessed with her and I'm obsessed with them. Literally scene one I was all in. They are the bane of my existence and the object of all my desires

10) Luke Alvez x Penelope Garcia (Garvez) - Criminal Minds

I missed Morgan as much as the next guy, but Penelope and Luke's banter and chemistry is unmatched. Shame on the new seasons for lying to me and saying they went on a date but didn't have the same chemistry, that is such Bull

Honorable mention: Zafira x Nasir (Nasira? Nafira?) from the Sands of Arawiya duology, who I feel I cannot officially include because I have only read a small excerpt so far, but I expect to like very much

Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3

As always, no pressure whatsoever, but I’ll tag @freddieslater @aconfusedidentity @userlaylivia @scribeoffate @sees-writes @rhyslahey and anyone else who wants to play! :)

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flamingredskyes · 11 days ago

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Through a Master's Eyes

As the sun rose behind the mountains, Shifu felt the gentle breeze on his fur. He was playing the flute, a seemingly peaceful moment. But not for long, as the moment was interrupted by an ambush. Five kung fu masters pounced on him from their hiding spots. Shifu reacted with lightning quick reflexes. “Well done, students. If you were trying to disappoint me.” Shifu’s criticism was harsh as always when he proceeded to point out his students’ flaws. It was part of his method - pushing his students to their limits so that they could discover their strengths. Once again, the moment was interrupted when Zeng, one of the attendants at the Jade Palace, told Shifu his master wanted to see him.

This was never a good sign. Master Oogway wanting to see him could mean very few things: there was a problem, or he had something to teach Shifu. It was usually the former. Shifu hurried to the Hall of Warriors, where Oogway usually meditated. His anxiety flared up, but he tried to push it away from his mind. And failed. He rushed into the Hall, trying to ignore the pain in his leg, and skidded to a stop in front of the small pool, his breath coming rapidly. Inhale. Exhale. “Master Oogway. You summoned me? Is something wrong?” The elderly tortoise stood upside-down, perched on top of his staff. He slowly, slowly descended and greeted Shifu. “Why must something be wrong for me to want to see my old friend?” he said, calmly. A faint spark of hope ignited inside Shifu. “So… nothing’s wrong?” he asked. “Well, I didn’t say that.” The spark of hope was extinguished, but Shifu managed not to freak out, his master’s calm demeanor somehow putting him in a waiting state. Oogway started blowing out the hundreds of candles that surrounded the pool, one by one, slowly. Excruciatingly slowly. Shifu looked from his master to the candles and back to his master. His eyelid twitched, and he put out all the candles at once with the air current from a well-aimed thrust of his arms. “You were saying?” “I have had a vision. Tai Lung will return.”

Panic. Shifu’s mind flashed back to that day, years ago. A snow leopard’s rampage. Pain. Heartbreak. He pulled himself out of the flashback. “That’s impossible! He is in prison,” he said. “Nothing is impossible,” his master responded. Shifu’s ears flattened in fear. He called for Zeng, and yelled at him to fly to Chor Ghom prison and tell them to double every security measure they had. Zeng flew away, and Shifu turned his attention back to his master, who was saying oftentimes one meets their destiny on the road they take to avoid it. “We have to do something!” Shifu replied. He felt like his thoughts were going too fast and his mouth couldn’t keep up, and he was struggling to breathe, and he was stumbling over his words. Master Oogway remained calm. “Your mind is like this water, my friend. When it is agitated, it becomes difficult to see. But if you allow it to settle, the answer becomes clear.” As he said this, he touched the pool’s water with the tip of his staff, and when the water settled, a reflection appeared. “The Dragon Scroll…” “It is time.”

The preparations started immediately. A grand tournament would be thrown in Oogway’s honor, and during it, the master would choose the Dragon Warrior, the one destined to bring peace to the valley. Shifu was torn between being a proud master and being a nervous wreck. He was running around the palace, shouting orders at whoever heard them. The commotion drew everyone’s attention, including Shifu’s fellow master and wife, Li-Chun.

The two had known each other since they were young adults. Li-Chun, a red panda like Shifu, had been a young worker and thief, struggling to make ends meet, trying to support herself and her disabled father. She had tried to rob Shifu and Oogway one day. The two had made sure that didn’t happen. Master Oogway had been impressed by the young Li-Chun’s agility and quick reflexes, so he had appointed Shifu as her kung fu master. She had been his first charge. They’d spent many years together since that day, and had eventually fallen in love.

“What’s going on, Shifu?” Li-Chun asked, having found her husband in a state of agitation. She half jogged to him, and rested her hand on his arm. “The Dragon Scroll - Master Oogway is picking the Dragon Warrior - Tai Lung is coming back -” “Breathe, my love.” Shifu took a deep breath. Inhale. Exhale. Li always knew how to handle his anxiety. “Master Oogway had a vision of Tai Lung coming back. He is picking the Dragon Warrior today. I’m organizing a tournament.”

Li-Chun needed a few seconds to register that. “Are you alright?” she simply asked. “Am I - it doesn’t matter what I’m feeling!” Shifu’s ear twitched as he spoke. His anxiety was coming back with a vengeance. Like his adopted son. “Shifu.” Li was holding both his hands in hers. The gesture calmed him. This day was giving him emotional whiplash. Luckily Li was used to his bursts of nervous energy. “I’m sorry, dear. I’ll be fine. I just have to focus.” He smiled at her, a little smile, one that he kept for her eyes only. “It is a great day. One of my students is receiving the Dragon Scroll. I am very proud of them.” “Good.” Li-Chun gave Shifu’s hands a squeeze. “I love you.” “I love you too, darling.” Li-Chun pressed a small kiss to Shifu’s cheek. “Now, what can I help you with?”

The preparations were done, the tournament was starting. Shifu’s chest filled with pride as he presented his students. Everything was going well. Crane was the first to fight. Then the others, until only Tigress was left. Just as she was about to begin the fight, master Oogway raised a hand. “I sense the Dragon Warrior is among us.” Everything stopped for a second. Then Shifu nodded, and his students lined up. Oogway slowly went down the stairs, he raised his hand, and then the unthinkable happened. A panda fell from the sky, right in front of Oogway. The elderly master pointed right at the panda. “Master, are you pointing at me?” Tigress, who was the closest, asked. “Him!” Oogway responded, pointing at the panda, who looked at least as confused as Shifu felt. Master Oogway raised the newcomer’s hand with his staff. “The universe has brought us the Dragon Warrior!”

It felt like the whole world came crashing down around Shifu. One of the attendants rang the gong, and Shifu snapped at him. Then other attendants started going down the stairs to greet the “Dragon Warrior” and bring him inside. Shifu tried to stop it, but to no avail, so he rushed down the stairs himself to try and talk some sense into his old master. But Oogway wasn’t having it. He said that there are no accidents, despite this clearly being an example of one. Li-Chun quickly joined her husband, who was proclaiming that if the panda hadn’t quit by the following day, he would have failed his students.

“Hold on, Shifu,” Li-Chun started. “Look, I don’t get it either, honestly. But maybe you ought to give him a chance. He was master Oogway’s choice, after all.” “Clearly, master Oogway isn’t as infallible as I thought,” Shifu responded. And he left to greet his new charge. Li-Chun sighed.

Shifu arrived in the Hall of Warriors while the panda was having a little self-guided tour. Shifu interrupted him, and somehow startled him into breaking the Legendary Urn of Whispering Warriors. Great, so he was clumsy too. And talkative. Shifu quickly grabbed his finger, threatening to perform a Wuxi finger hold on him. Surprisingly, the panda knew what that move was. Shifu was actually kind of impressed. But he would never show it. After intimidating him some more, Shifu took the panda to the training hall, where the panda put on a pathetic performance. He didn’t even know how to throw a punch correctly.

When Shifu retired to his chambers, he found his wife waiting for him. He sighed and sat on their bed. Li-Chun put a comforting arm around his shoulders. “I don’t know what Oogway was thinking,” Shifu started. “Honestly, me neither. But I’m sure it’ll work out somehow,” his wife responded. “How?” Shifu simply asked. “I don’t know,” Li admitted. “Let’s just sleep on it.” Shifu begrudgingly agreed and lay down, breathing a sigh of relief. His foot had been bothering him all day. Maybe it was the stress. Li-Chun lay down next to him, and he wrapped a protective arm around her, pulling her into his embrace.

Shifu fell asleep quickly, as usual, but he was plagued by nightmares all night. He woke up with a start, covered in cold sweat. Li-Chun stirred. “What’s wrong?” she asked. “Nothing, just… bad dreams again.” “Tai Lung?” “Yes.” Li squeezed his hand. The couple never had healed from the trauma of their adopted son having been sent to prison after having tried to take the Dragon Scroll by force. Shifu’s foot pain was a constant reminder of that, and so were his nightmares. Li-Chun had the fortune of not remembering her dreams. Or maybe she just didn’t dream at all. She hadn’t dreamt (or remembered a dream) since Tai Lung had been taken away.

After a quick shower, Shifu headed to the Five’s (and the panda’s) sleeping quarters. The Five greeted him as usual, but the panda didn’t show. Shifu chuckled. He’d quit. Or so it seemed. Turns out he was just training. Trying to, at least. He had gotten stuck trying to perfect his split. Laughable, really. Shifu got Crane to help the panda, then had him fight the Five, again and again. Surely he would quit eventually. He didn’t. So Shifu chose to get his hands dirty. He would fight the panda himself. The fight was over quickly, with the panda flying out of the Jade Palace and down the stairs.

Shifu went on to meditate in the training hall, while Li-Chun decided to pay the panda a visit. He was sitting in his room while Mantis tried to perform acupuncture on him, with mixed results. The discussion naturally went towards the subject of Shifu’s character. Tigress brought up Tai Lung, and Li-Chun listened while she told the familiar story.

Tai Lung had been found by Shifu as an abandoned cub. Shifu and Li-Chun had always wanted a child of their own, but had been unsuccessful in producing one. So they adopted the cub and raised him as their own, trained him in kung fu, and gave him a name. When Oogway denied Tai Lung the Dragon Scroll, Tai Lung went on a rampage. Shifu tried to stop him, but he couldn’t see him as anything other than the cub he had raised. Shifu injured his leg that day. Oogway had to intervene, and Tai Lung was sent to prison.

“Hold on though,” Po said. “How did you and Shifu know you couldn’t have kids?” Li-Chun coughed. “Well,” she started, “we tried.” “And how does one try to have kids?” Po asked. Li-Chun remained speechless. Monkey snickered. “That’s not the point,” Tigress snapped. “The point is, Shifu has a chance to make things right. To train the true Dragon Warrior. And he’s stuck with you. A big fat panda who treats it like a joke.” At that point, Po pulled a face, and Tigress nearly struck him, only to be stopped by Mantis. He had accidentally tweaked his facial nerve.

Meanwhile, Shifu was meditating in the training hall, until he was distracted by Zeng’s arrival. Shifu was expecting good news, but he was instead confronted by the news that Tai Lung had escaped from Chor Ghom prison. He rushed to the Sacred Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom, where Oogway could usually be found, and broke the news to him. Master Oogway told him he should have faith in the Dragon Warrior. “Promise me, Shifu. Promise me you will believe,” he said. “I will… I will try,” Shifu said. “Good. My time has come.” What? “You must continue your journey without me.” What? That was all that Shifu could think as Oogway handed him his staff and stepped away. “Master!” Shifu called out. “You can’t leave me!” “You must believe.” Those were Oogway’s last words. “Master!”

Shifu was left alone. But it wasn’t the time to despair. He had to talk to the panda. When Shifu found him, he was busy imitating him and making the Five and his wife (his wife! Betrayal!) laugh. “You think this is funny? Tai Lung has escaped and you’re acting like children!” Shifu said. Li-Chun sensed he was upset, so she walked to his side. “He is after the Dragon Scroll, and you are the only one who can stop him!” Shifu went on. The panda took it as a joke, and when he realized it wasn’t a joke, he said Oogway would stop Tai Lung. “Oogway cannot. Not anymore,” Shifu responded, looking sullen. A discussion followed. Tigress asked Shifu to let her and the rest of the Five stop Tai Lung, and Shifu refused. The panda ran away, and Shifu confronted him, but had to reveal he had no idea how the panda could stop Tai Lung.

Li-Chun intercepted Shifu as he was heading to the Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom. “Shifu, wait,” she said. Shifu turned around. He had tears in his eyes. Li-Chun wrapped her arms around him. He sniffled, a small sound, but so heartbreaking. “I don’t know what to do,” he said, his voice breaking. “I don’t know either,” Li-Chun responded. “I… I think I need to be alone for a while.” With those words, Shifu left.

Shifu didn’t sleep that night. He felt bad for leaving his wife alone, and he felt abandoned by his master. He spent the night moping (yes, he could admit it, he was moping) on a hill. He would’ve stayed there, had he not heard a commotion coming from somewhere in the palace. After following the sounds, he found the panda raiding the kitchen, and the kitchen a mess. He started feeling a faint glimmer of hope. He told the panda Monkey kept his cookies on the top shelf, pretended to leave, then came back to find the panda had climbed to the top shelf, in a perfect full split. He finally understood. “There are no accidents. Come with me.”

Shifu brought the panda to the Pool of Sacred Tears, the birthplace of kung fu, to train him. He had quickly said goodbye to his wife, and now he was introducing the panda to kung fu. He had realized that he needed to think differently, to train him differently than he would do with anyone else. Food was his motivator. The training was intense, and seemed to never end at times, but eventually, Shifu deemed the panda trained, and the two returned to the Jade Palace. Li-Chun was waiting for them in front of the Hall of Warriors, and they had just come into the yard, when the Furious Five appeared, battered and bloody from a fight with Tai Lung. It was time. Shifu brought Po to the Hall of Warriors and retrieved the Dragon Scroll for him. He never could have predicted what came next. The scroll was blank.

Shifu didn’t understand. Nobody did. But one thing was clear: someone had to stop Tai Lung. “I will fight him,” Shifu proclaimed. “What?” Li-Chun and Po said. “I can hold him off long enough for everyone to escape.” “But Shifu, he’ll kill you.” Po said what everyone was thinking. “Then I will finally have paid for my mistake.” “Shifu, no.” Li-Chun finally spoke. “I can’t let you.” “It is the only way,” her husband replied. “I can’t leave you!” “You must. Please. Obey my dying wish.” That left Li-Chun speechless. In the end, she had to leave. Tigress all but dragged her outside.

Shifu waited for Tai Lung on top of the stairs that led to the Hall of Warriors. When his adopted son showed up, Shifu refused to hand him the scroll, and Tai Lung attacked him. The fight was intense. Tai Lung was furious, and attacked over and over, not leaving Shifu much to do but defend. He couldn’t seem to gain the upper hand. Tai Lung viciously slashed at him with his claws, blood sprayed on the walls and floors, and Shifu couldn’t keep up. He ended up being thrown across the room and landing on the stairs that led to the small pool. He coughed, struggling to push himself off the ground and failing. He apologized to Tai Lung, hoping that would make him change his mind, but it didn’t. Tai Lung slammed his hand on Shifu’s throat and squeezed, hard. “I don’t want your apology, I want my scroll!” he spat out. And he finally noticed the scroll was gone.

Tai Lung slammed Shifu down on the floor so violently the floor cracked. “Where is it?” he shouted. Gasping for air, Shifu attempted to respond. “Dragon Warrior has… taken the scroll halfway across China by now… you’ll never see that scroll, Tai Lung. Never. Never…” He was starting to black out. His vision was blurry and spotted, he couldn’t breathe, and he was starting to feel the blood loss. This was the end. He’d made his peace with it. A small part of him thought about his wife. Had she made her peace with it? Probably not.

Tai Lung unsheathed his claws again, and was about to strike. “Hey!” Someone shouted. Shifu could barely see now. All he saw was shadows. The voices were coming from far away. He felt weightlessness - was he being picked up? Then he was tossed back down. He passed out.

Po had saved him. That was all Li-Chun needed to know. She had run back to the palace not long after Po. The Dragon Warrior and Tai Lung were fighting, but she didn’t care, not when Shifu’s life hung in the balance. She ran inside and screamed at the sight of the Hall, destroyed and with blood splattered all over. Then she saw him. He was unconscious and bleeding profusely. Li-Chun didn’t think twice before rushing to his side. “Shifu!” She looked around. He was going to die if she didn’t stop the bleeding. She tore a piece of her robe and used it to try to stop the blood flow, putting pressure on it the way she had been taught. “Shifu, my love, can you hear me?” No response. The blood stopped pouring out of Shifu’s broken body, but he was still unconscious. Li-Chun chanced taking one hand off his wounds to check for his breathing and pulse. He was still breathing, and his heart was beating faintly. He was alive. Li-Chun tried tapping his cheek very gently. “Shifu, wake up, please, wake up.” No response. Li-Chun sobbed and cursed herself for leaving him. She would never leave him again.

She didn’t know how much time passed. She was holding Shifu’s body close, not caring about the blood that got on her torn robe. His shallow, ragged breathing and her quiet sobs were the only sounds for a long time.

Shifu came to, just in time for Po to come back. He recognized his wife’s touch, and tried to open his eyes. He couldn’t see her very well, his vision was too blurry, but he knew it was her. His Li. He tried to lift his hand to touch her, but he was too weak. “Don’t move, dear, you’ve lost too much blood to even be conscious right now.” Her voice felt like it came from so far away. Then Shifu heard another voice. Po’s voice. “Master Shifu! Are you okay?” Shifu opened his mouth to answer, but nothing came out. Just a weak gasping for air. Po spoke again. “Master, I’ve defeated Tai Lung.” That was the last thing Shifu heard. A feeling of peace washed over him. He passed out again, his body hanging limp from his wife’s arms, while she cried and Po tried to comfort her.

A long time passed. Probably. Shifu didn’t know for sure. He felt like he’d slept for days when one day, sensation came back to him. He felt weak, and his whole body hurt. He felt someone’s hand holding his. His first thought in a long time formed. It was his wife’s hand. He knew her touch. He felt like he was using all of his strength when he squeezed her hand. His own hand barely twitched, but it was enough to alert Li. Her husband was conscious again.

His recovery was slow and unsteady. At first, he could barely speak. Then, little by little, he started being able to hold a conversation, then to move his body, to sit up, and eventually to walk, although with his usual limp. There were good days and bad days. Some days, he could even take a walk around his sleeping quarters, with some help. Some days, he could barely stay conscious for long enough to exchange a few words with his caretakers. But, slowly, he healed. His strength grew everyday, some days more than others, and so did the feeling of peace. Shifu realized he had finally attained inner peace, thanks to Po and Li-Chun, without whom he would be dead. The day he was deemed healthy enough that bed rest was no longer necessary, he gathered the Five, Po and Li-Chun together to thank them. His speech was brief, but effective. “Without you, I would not be here right now. Thank you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you, everyone. Tigress, Monkey, Crane, Viper, Mantis. My lovely wife, Li-Chun. And, of course, Po. You have brought peace to this valley, and to me.”

#kung fu panda #master shifu #master shifu x oc #kung fu panda retelling #cw blood

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