#lian: relationships

[batfamhastwitter]

Part 14! Oof, two birthday posts in a row! Promise it'll be something different next time (unless there's another birthday I'm forgetting...)

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[muzsmocsing]

Reading svsss really puts into perspective just how MIRACULOUSLY normal Hua Cheng turned out despite his arguably worse circumstances.

[duckysprouts]

hey very important to me and me alone, is roy doing ok in your big brother au? if not ok tell me that he’s alive at least because I love him and hope he’s just chilling at home with baby lian waiting for dick to get his shit together

this is the only universe i’ll ever make where roy harper is the last person to worry about

my man found his calling as a stay at home suburban dad

not everything is great of course, there is some lore regarding that ring, but roy harper is a determined masochist if nothing else and jade has a thing for pathetic men

[hualianschild]

the jade of lan clan and white lotus of xianle seems to have a type

I've been waiting to see how long it takes for others to talk abt the sqq erasure 💀

[quetzalpapalotl]

One of those Hua Cheng reverts to Wuming scenarios where Wuming comes to understand the that 1) He and Xie Lian are sexually and romantically entangled 2) Xie Lian is married to a ghost king named Hua Cheng. The conclusion he derives from this is that he is Xie Lian's lover?? servant he fucks sometimes?? some sort of concubine??? He is trying to figure out how legitimate their affair is.

[the-witchhunter]

DP x DC: Ghost x Family

So, back on my cute romcom BS

So the premise. Dani, as Danny's speed grown clone, wasn't the most physically stable. Turns out, it's really hard to speed grow a clone, and even harder when ectoplasm is involved. There's not enough time for the structures to properly stabilize and that leaves the cellular structure pretty weak and prone to breaking down into goo. The ecto dejecto was just a temporary solution and other measures were needed

aka Dani had to essentially grow a body from scratch the old fashion way, so she's now physically her actual age minus a couple months

So Danny, at the age of 20, is the father of a 4 year old Dani and is trying to keep a low profile in Gotham. His and his daughter's existence is still illegal, and being the single father of a 4 year old ghost girl isn't exactly easy. Now Danny has to deal with the very real threat of CPS being called on him by a neighbor, and trying to get Dani into school without either of them having papers for their assumed identity of Danny and Dani Nightingale and money to by fake documents. He'd ask Tucker, but that requires braking radio silence and potentially putting a target on all three of their backs.

Danny, desperate, asks his neighbor Jason to pose as his significant other for a meeting. Jason agrees, but things escalated and frankly he's now emotionally invested and committing to the bit

So now he and Danny have legally been married for about 4 months according to the papers Babs made them. The fake ID, birth certificates, SSNs, and high school diploma for the Nightingales were simple enough for her to do, but man Jason is going to owe her a BIG favor for this.

They move in together, Dani goes to a good private school, Jason is effectively Danny's sugar daddy paying for a sizable chunk of all this, and they are committing to the loving married couple bit, which is hard to do when the new in-laws are detectives

The best part?

Danny has not figured out Jason is the Red Hood, and Jason doesn't know about the ghost stuff. The only one that does? Dani, and she is physically and mentally 4 and watching Jason and Danny fall in love

oh the shenanigans

OR

I've been watching SPY x FAMILY and just need the fake relationship/family turns into a real relationship/found family dynamic. Jason is basically Loid, Danny is pretty much Yor, Dani fills the role of Anya, and uncle Dick is Yuri, except he's doting on Dani.

Dick is a smart man, but I love the headcanon that Jason is his emotional blindspot. Jason? MY Littlewing? He couldn't possibly.

[xy-is-i]

Just thinking about Dick freaking out over losing his title of best uncle to Jason.

Dick showing up to take Lian out and give Roy a break only to hear she's having a fun day with Jason

Dick walking into the room with the toy he knows Lian really wanted, only to find out Jason got it for her first.

Dick showing up to game night at Roy's only to find Jason already there.

Just Dick getting increasingly frustrated and his rival Jason having no clue well the the rest watch on in humor and exasperation. Roy finds the who thing hilarious.

Picturing it all coming to a head when Dick is babysitting Lian and she shows him a new photo they put up. Dick all dejectivly being like, "look, it's you and your favorite uncle."

The pure shock and joy he feels when Lian tells him he wrong and her favorite uncle is "you uncle Dickie, duh!"

The door opening and Lian shouting "Papa!" As dick turns to excitedly tell Roy what Lian said only to see it's Jason who's holding Lian.

Dick just bluescreening.

[sisislair]

Man I love Shi Qingxuan's friendship with Xie Lian. It doesn't come quite as naturally as his connection with Hua Cheng, but I honestly like that! They start off with decently favorable impressions of each other's moral standing, but they both have to work at really understanding the other person.

The shenanigans these two get into when investigating together are also fucking hilarious. Shi Qingxuan providing some much needed levity and his resources, while Xie Lian is usually able to remain fairly collected in stressful situations. Granted that's because of, you know, horrendous amounts of trauma, but it does make for a good team up!

He's one of the few heavenly officials who can call Xie Lian out for things and not sound like a dick. I've mentioned previously that I love him telling Xie Lian that he should never have taken this mission, and he was right! Ghost king or not that's his friend, and it's shitty that Xie Lian would accept this mission. And more importantly, he says that it's even shittier that Jun Wu would ask that of him! So this is the first criticism of Jun Wu that we ever get from someone in the heavens.

He truly gets that Hua Cheng is Xie Lian's friend, and that Xie Lian is in a terribly awkward position right now. He expresses guilty for starting the fight and fanning the flames! Because even if the mission ended up being rescuing his friend, he's also capable of recognizing that the heavens are in the wrong here. Hua Cheng has every right to deal with a spy as he sees fit! And he sees Xie Lian as a friend, and knows that Xie Lian's deeply hurt by having to stand in between his friends like this.

And the way he defends Xie Lian from Lang Qianqiu's accusations! That's his friend, how dare you accuse him of a massacre?! And you can tell Xie Lian appreciates the sentiment, even if he doesn't want the defense.

Xie Lian asking Shi Qingxuan to watch over Lan Ying and Banyue while he's under house arrest is such a big show of trust! But even though he does think Shi Qingxuan is a bit ridiculous at times, he's always trusted him to try and do right by other people.

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

It's the 2 month anniversary of this blog! Here's all the main MTXT couples to celebrate.

[average-hua-cheng-fan]

another reason i think that xie lian felt an instant connection on the ox cart is because he and hua cheng both grew up in xianle.

there are maybe 4 people still alive that grew up in that culture. based on my own experience, you can pick up on things like accent, cadence, references, and humor that suggest a person is from the same place as you without consciously noticing it. that sense of comfort and similarity probably played into their instant chemistry.

[mysterycitrus]

gosh writing this fic makes me love dick grayson and roy harpers relationship sm!! ach mon

[miniminijiminni]

one of the things that gets lost in a lot of the discussions around tgcf is that hua cheng knows xie lian can take care of himself. xie lian knows he can take care of himself. although he's had 800 years of bad luck, that's different than not knowing how to take care of yourself. not just that, throughout the whole book, especially the flashbacks, shows how xie lian tries to shoulder all the weight of the world by himself. hua cheng just shows him that he doesn't have to do go through it alone

[alliumms]

What HuaLian mean to each other...

A handwritten note from TGCF AD's production

Currently TL-ing the BTS of the AD production, and I came across this tidbit that I want to share. I'm pretty sure Zhang Kai (张凯) wrote this; she is also the voice-acting director for the production. And the other crew members mention this in the video, but Zhang Kai has a penchant for using vocabulary that just strikes a chord. I think here she was writing a note for the production team, and it just beautifully dives into how Xie Lian acts around others VS how he acts around Hua Cheng.

I'll include the original CN that she wrote and the image I pulled it from below as well :)

谢怜在对花城和对别人对话时，需要有明显的氛围差异。 谢怜虽然温柔善良，但人被伤害就会痛苦，这种痛苦不会因为他的温柔善良而減少，反而有可能因此而呈现更大的伤害。 为了抑制这种伤害对自己的心性造成的影响，类似脱敏疗法，他提高了自已承受伤害能力的阈值，使自己对各种形式的伤害，包括对自己本身的侮辱失去敏感度。所以我们现在能看到的是一个不太在乎旁人议论言语和身体疼病的谢怜，这其实是他的自我保护机制。 但在花城面前，这个自我保护机制自己失灵了。谢怜重新变回了一个敏感度非常高的“人”。原文说“不知道为什么，他在花城面前好像藏不住痛”。如果面前的人换一个，相信他还是能以一种近于麻木的态度处理生理上的疼病，但因为面前的人是花城，他被打回了原形。 花城面前的谢怜，是一个更加鲜活的谢怜，会窘迫脸红，会语无伦次，感觉自己修练800年的脸皮也不够用，需要有一点微妙的“破防”感。但对风信慕情就很游刃有余，甚至对南风扶摇，多少有点暗暗逗弄的意思。 总之，花怜对彼此都是最特别的存在！

Translation:

There needs to be an obvious atmospheric difference when Xie Lian talks to Hua Cheng versus with other people.

Xie Lian may be gentle and kind, but anyone would feel pain when one is hurt, and this kind of pain wouldn't just lessen because of his natural gentleness and kindness. In fact, it might, in turn, create an even bigger wound.

To control the effect that this hurt has on his own psyche, like a sort of desensitising treatment, he raises his threshold on his ability to withstand pain. He causes all kinds of damage to himself, including forgoing the sensitivity to his own humiliation. Thus, the Xie Lian we can see now is someone who does not care much for others' opinions or his own bodily harm. This is actually his self-made defence mechanism.

However, in front of Hua Cheng, this defence mechanism becomes defective. Xie Lian reverts back into a very sensitive "human being." The original texts said, "For some reason, he's unable to hide his pain in front of Hua Cheng." If the person before him was switched, you can trust that he could still adopt a sort of near-numb attitude to deal with physical pain. But because the person before him is Hua Cheng, he has returned to his original self.

The Xie Lian in front of Hua Cheng is a more vivid Xie Lian. He will flush with embarrassment, speak incoherently, and feel that even after 800 years of cultivation, his skin is still not thick enough to be useful. There needs to be a subtle feeling of "breaking down his defences."

Yet, he handles everything with skill and ease when it comes to Feng Xin and Mu Qing. Even with Nan Feng and Fu Yao, there's an element of underlying teasing.

In conclusion, HuaLian are each other's most precious existence!

[red-pearl-white-flower]

E. E. Cummings

[cloud-hymn]

I think the thing I find most frustrating about swd and the fandom’s perception of the fate switching is he is such a victim or narrative circumstance. Because if hx wasn’t as loved as he is, if swd and sqx were lovers instead of brothers, if swd had a more likable personality, etc etc etc no one would say that his actions weren’t justified. Like there is nothing anyone could say to convince me that if Hua Cheng did for Xie Lian what swd did for sqx the entire fanbase wouldn’t call it tragically romantic instead of monstrous.

[muqingfx]

can you write mu qing being nursed back to health against his wishes please. he would never admit it even if it meant dying (cough.. mt tonglu lava scene.. cough) so it's what he deserves

anon didnt specify for ships, so i did what any normal person would do. four of them. whether its platonic or romantic is totally up to you!

"Let. Me," Mu Qing struggles against Xie Lian's vice-like grip with gritted teeth "go." He swings his fist to land a blow on his friend's jaw in an attempt to break free, but his punch is deterred by yet another nuisance.

“Feng Xin,” Mu Qing hisses, vision still blurry. If it weren't for Xie Lian’s hold on him, Mu Qing would have shamefully collapsed head-first into the dirt.

“Mu Qing,” he hears Xie Lian say softly, “you just need some rest.”

“You don't get to strangle me!” Mu Qing retaliates, kicking and screaming like a child.

From beside him, he hears Feng Xin click his tongue. “We’re not fucking strangling you. And if you weren't so fucking difficult–”

“Just leave me alone!” Mu Qing finally manages to shove them both away. Are his eyes playing tricks on him again or is he swaying on his feet? “Why can't you just… let me be?” he catches himself asking before tumbling to the ground.

“Bloody rascal, how on earth did this happen?”

“I think they used a spell to weaken his body. His spiritual powers are still depleted–if might take a while for it to rise up again on it’s own, San Lang.”

“Then, what does gege suggest we do?”

Mu Qing winces when something wet presses against his abdomen. His eyes flutter open, yet all he sees is solid darkness.

“He’s waking up!” he hears Feng Xin say. “Mu Qing, can you hear me.”

Of course I can hear your, oaf, is what Mu Qing tries to say, but his voice catches at his throat.

A cold palm presses against his forehead and Mu Qing wants nothing more than to slap it off.

“He’s burning up.” Hua Cheng. The hand moves further down his face, fingertips brushing against his eyelids. There’s a brief moment of utter vulnerability, as if Mu Qing is giving up his soul for another. But then his vision clears, and he sees three very different expressions on familiar faces.

Xie Lian’s temple is creased, his mouth downturned as he stares at Mu Qing’s face. And upon glancing down, he sees Xie Lian’s hand squeezing his own. A face of unhidden concern; pity. Something dark brews inside him as he processes that–being a damsel in distress, the General of the Southwest. Ridiculous.

Feng Xin is kneeling on the mat beside him, a damp cloth in his hand. His thick brows are furrowed as he scowls at Mu Qing. Strands of brunette hair fall over his face, his usually somewhat-neat bun now undone. He looks tired, annoyed. At Mu Qing. For what, wasting his time? For being so infirm and demanding attention? Nobody asked him to take care of Mu Qing, that imbecile.

And then there's the beast of a man, Hua Cheng. Hands folded across his chest, he looks as nonchalant as ever. His eyes sear into Mu Qing, bored and degrading.

Mu Qing feels the headache he had woken up with aggravate.

“Why am I being gawked at like some pathetic critter?” It comes out coarse and rough, his throat still aching and sore.

“Pathetic, indeed,” Hua Cheng sneers.

A knot tightens in his gut, the humiliation finally settling in. Gathering the strength to do so, Mu Qing lifts himself so his elbows support his weight. A sharp pain surges through him and both Xie Lian and Feng Xin scramble to grasp his arms, preventing the demeaning fall.

“Careful, Mu Qing,” Xie Lian chides. His fingers dig into Mu Qing’s skin–wait, where are his clothes?!

As if reading his mind, Feng Xin says, “Your clothes are ruined. Covered in fucking blood. We took it off so we could dress your wounds. Which are fucking bad, by the way.”

“Fuck you guys, that doesn't mean you can strip me of my robes. I’m not a doll.”

He feels Xie Lian’s hold on him weaken, a flicker of hurt passing through his eyes–did Mu Qing go too far?

“I don't mean–I… that's not. What I. You know. I’m–”

The bed dips on his right, and Mu Qing trails off. From his peripheral vision, he sees Hua Cheng taking off his own upper robe.

“If you're so uncomfortable,” he says casually, “you can put this on, general.” The ghost king drapes his red upper robe over Mu Qing’s shoulder, and his touch is so gentle, so tender, Mu Qing actually trembles.

“Cold?” he asks, right into Mu Qing’s ear. Mu Qing’s head tips forward to bypass Hua Cheng’s warm–how is it warm when he’s dead–breath. When he glances up, he locks eyes with Xie Lian, who pouts with his eyes wide like a deer’s.

“We’re not strangers.” his palms cup Mu Qing’s cheeks, and he finds himself leaning towards the touch. “We’re your friends.”

“Yeah, jackass. Stop pushing us away with every inch of your fucking life. It’s fucking annoying,” Feng Xin just has to add.

Mu Qing turns his head to glare, but Feng Xin smiles like a maniac instead of glaring right back. It’s fond and adoring and completely unlike him.

Hua Cheng scoffs from beside him. “It’s really not that hard to let yourself be spoiled, just for a little bit. You're too hard on yourself, Xuan Zhen.”

“Fucking hate to agree with Hua Cheng,” he hears Feng Xin mutter.

“Ugh…” Mu Qing hides his face with his hands, embarrassed. He’s sure he looks nothing less than a tomato.

Xie Lian’s chuckle fills the air and Mu Qing thinks that maybe this isn't so bad.

This is nice.

He might not want this again, or he definitely will want this again.