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goggles-mcgee · 28 days ago

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Ashes of Rage: Act 1 - There's Something So Morbidly Beautiful About A Funeral

Chapter 8 of the story for @miner249er

AO3 Beginning Last Chapter

Summary: Wu Fei knew grief well, she wore it even better, but there was nothing in this world that she wouldn't give to put an end to it. It would be better even if it never happened, but life wasn't fair and that was something else she knew well.

There's Something So Morbidly Beautiful About A Funeral:

Death was inevitable. That was a stone cold, hard truth. One that Wu Fei knew well and had previously despised. Others feared Death, but Fei had hated it with an anger so vicious it scared her. It was like she skipped the first stage of grief altogether and just jumped straight into anger when her adopted father Shifu had passed. It had consumed her until she had met Marinette. That fateful meeting had been the catalyst of change she needed and the domino that started the chain of events that had occurred. At the end of it all, Fei had fully taken the responsibility that had been bestowed upon her and somehow found another family that wanted her. Wang was a wonderful pseudo great-uncle and Marinette had become something like a sister to her despite the distance between them.

Everyday they exchanged messages or funny pictures, sometimes they even had time to video call which was always a treat Fei looked forward to. Sometimes both girls were too busy with their day to day lives that the most they could do was send each other a simple message or picture, but even being busy didn’t stop them from letting each other know they were thinking of each other. The number of care packages they sent each other was a wonderful constant in Fei’s life. Living with Wang brought a new routine to Fei’s life, one she cherished as she knew how chaotic one’s life could be without routine, and she knew she was someone who thrived on a routine.

Therefore, she knew something was wrong when she had woken up and received no message from Marinette, not even a picture or meme. She tried to tell herself it was nothing and that the girl had probably been too busy but she just had this feeling in her gut that something was deeply wrong. Even with the time difference Marinette always messaged as she was as much a creature of habit as Fei was. Fei followed Paris news as well as numerous blogs that tracked Team Miraculous, though it had taken her some time, she had found out that Marinette was Ladybug. At first she had been hurt and confused as to why Marinette had never told her but over time she understood. It wasn’t that Marinette didn’t trust her, it was because her chosen sister loved her and was scared.

That was something that Fei knew all about as she worried about Uncle Wang constantly because of her responsibilities but over time she saw no need to hide it from the man. Also, Mei Shi trusted the man and advised Fei to be open with him which had surprised her greatly considering that the Prodigious had always been something that was heavily guarded. Something about Uncle Wang’s aura made Mei Shi sure about his advice and of course she followed it. Plus, Mei Shi pointed out that she had already transformed in front of who she thought was a civilian without much thought so overall, she thought it was a fair decision. One that had worked out greatly for her, not that she doubted Mei Shi or anything.

For a while, it felt like she was betraying her father whenever she felt happy with Uncle Wang and how he took care of her and it had definitely been a hurdle to overcome. For every smile and laugh her new Uncle brought out of her, it had always quickly been followed by a frown and tears. She was happy one moment and unbearably angry and heartbroken the next. It was like her emotions were on a constantly spinning wheel and her emotions flashed as fast as the wheel spun. It took Uncle Wang making them a picnic and taking her to her father’s gravesite for her to finally confess all her feelings through her sobbing. He helped her set up some flowers, incense, and the picnic.

She cried as Uncle Wang spoke to her father and promised him he would care for and love Fei as she deserved and as her father wished. Then he gave her time to talk to her father as well as she ate her share of the picnic Uncle Wang made for them. . She spoke for what felt like forever, she laughed, she cried, she screamed and when she was finally done Uncle Wang simply helped her pick up the picnic and helped her clean her father’s grave since it was something she hadn’t done before. Then he took her to a crafting store and had her pick out a frame for a photo of her father to go in their home, whether that be her room or the main hall, he told her she could choose. Fei may have cried once more as she picked out a frame and little things she knew her father liked or found funny to decorate it with.

In the end she decided to put her father’s picture in her room since she had a large window that she could see a beautiful sunrise and sunset through it. Her father had always been fond of sunrises and just as fond of sunsets. She even added a little incense dish that she placed in front of the picture. The whole process had brought her such relief and joy that she had given Uncle Wang the biggest hug she could manage and she could still recall his warm chuckles that followed. That moment had brought such warmth into her life and soul and it had continued for a long time until now. Now it felt like all that warmth was stolen from her by some sort of malevolent leech.

Her sister in all but blood was dead. Or that is what they told everyone, and despite the evidence Fei just could not believe it. She didn’t want to believe it. But standing there in the section of the church staring at the many photos and flowers that decorated the space, any hope she felt had shriveled. Auntie Sabine (or Auntie Xiu Mei as she also liked to be called) was weeping heavily not that anyone blamed her but Fei knew her grief was more than her daughter passing. It was also the fact there was no body to wash or dress or display in a coffin, nor was there a body to cremate if that was the chosen desire of the family. Though Fei knew from Uncle Wang that Auntie Sabine and Uncle Tom decided to cremate her signature pink flats that were found at the scene of the crime, some of her childhood toys and clothing and some recent though not many as they couldn’t bear to part with much of their daughter's things.

Instead of a coffin there was a beautifully painted urn with plum blossoms that adorned it placed on a pedestal. No one in France probably knew just how big the Cheng and Lǐ (Auntie Sabine’s mother’s family) families were before but now they did and Fei could practically taste the surprise. The family section of the church was basically a family reunion and it would have been amusing if not for the circumstances. Despite the overwhelming sadness that hung in the air, Fei couldn’t help but appreciate how beautiful the ceremony was overall. Auntie Sabine wore a beautiful but plain white dress while Uncle Tom wore a smart black suit with a white lily pinned to his left breast pocket as well as a white armband placed on his left sleeve. The Cheng and Lǐ side of the family all wore different shades of blue which made the section Fei was in look like waves in a stormy sea. There weren’t many people on the Dupain side, just Gina and Roland if you didn’t count Uncle Tom, and the two of them matched their son with the black clothing. They also copied their son with the white lily decoration.

The way the two stood firm in the sea of blues made Fei think of those immovable rocks that temperamental waters hit and who through it all refused to break. The way Gina still wore a black leather jacket had Fei feel enormous respect for the lady. Despite the solemn time, the woman was still effortlessly herself and the thought made Fei think that it was something that Marinette had also respected and admired. Fei herself had the privilege of wearing white and she was so grateful to Uncle Tom and Auntie Sabine for letting her wear white since both of them knew how the girls saw each other. They had actually requested she wear white before she could even work up the courage to ask the question herself. It had shocked her so much that she had promptly burst into tears while thanking the couple. She cried more when they simply hugged her and told her they knew it was something that Marinette would want.

Memories are what carried her through the ceremony and before she knew it, it was time to move venues to the reception. The reception was happening at Le Grand Paris since the hotel offered to host it in their biggest ballroom even though it was only open to family and friends. It turned out to be a blessing in disguise since no one really knew how big the Cheng and Lǐ families were until the funeral and because no one really knew the extent of Marinette’s friend circles. It was of course a solemn affair, but with the smell of what could only be described as a feast of Chinese and French cuisine and the mild chatter filled with stories of Marinette and the overall feeling of community had Fei think that though a funeral was a cause of grief and sadness, there was something simply beautiful about it all.

Mei Shi provided Fei with a quiet comfort as she could feel his slight weight in her small purse, one given to her by Marinette, as she had gotten ready for the day, the purse had seemed like the right thing to wear. It also aided in keeping her small friend and mentor close, as she felt like a pocket wasn’t enough space for the little guardian. She could also feel the Renlings around her in spirit and that gave her a feeling of strength she hadn’t felt in a long time since the news hit her. It carried her through dreadful small talk, memories shared as freely as tears, and more dreadful; heart-felt talks. She powered through it all even if she didn’t know everyone. Some she knew well as Uncle Wang was very open and proud of his ward/pseudo niece. So she was well acquainted or even friends with some of the Chengs. And others, like the Lǐ family who she knew purely through stories from Uncle Wang, Auntie Sabine and Marinette. Then lastly she had the French side who, well, she only knew Uncle Tom and his parents and then there were Marinette’s friends who she felt like she knew as well as she could if she had lived with Marinette.

It was a weird, new feeling, to know someone without ever actually meeting them. Yet, she could not make herself approach any of those said friends. She didn’t know if she could manage that. It was overwhelming every time she met one of their eyes and it took everything in her not to burst into tears because she knew, she knew, how loved they made Marinette feel and how fiercely she loved them in return. It was a childish fear that made her stay away, she felt like if she got close to them and felt the love they feel for Marinette or if she felt the lingering love Marinette felt for them it would awaken a jealousy in her. She had of course felt jealousy before and in some cases it was intense and it always brought her a feeling of shame. This time, it felt like a dangerous beast awaiting to be let out.

It was out of her love for Marinette she was staying away, or so she was trying to convince herself. She was just so convinced that if she talked to them she would say something so hurtful out of misplaced anger, jealousy and grief that Marinette’s friends would hate her forever. That was something she absolutely did not want. Though she admitted she was jealous of them, at least to herself, though she was sure Mei Shi suspected, that didn’t mean she wanted them to hate her. These people were important to Marinette and she knew that her sister had wanted them all to meet because she was convinced they would all be the best of friends. Fei had agreed at the time to meet them at some point since she and Marinette had been plotting a way to get Fei to visit come summer but now, now it felt…weird to even consider.

Introducing herself to Marinette’s friends and maybe even becoming friends with them felt so wrong on a monumental scale. Nothing about it would ever feel right because it would happen without Marinette. It felt sinful. Just thinking about it made her feel dirty in a way she could never put into words. On the other hand, by holding herself back she knew Marinette would be unhappy, but by following the wishes of ghosts had already misled her once. Fei didn’t want to make the same mistake. The Renlings and Mei Shi had already told her she was being silly as they were very in tune with her emotions and thoughts, the Renlings especially as they were always with her in a sort of spiritual way. No one could see them unless they wanted them too, though Fei could always see them, and apparently other beings like them could always see them and sense them. Apparently some people who were sensitive to their kind of energy could sense them but not see them.

“Fei, sweetheart,” Fei was cut from her thoughts by the soft voice of Auntie Sabine. “How are you doing?”

“I’m fi-”

“Sweetie.” Auntie Sabine gently reprimanded her almost answer and it made Fei wince with a sheepish smile.

“I’m doing better but still…not…not too great.” She answered truthfully.

Her auntie simply gave her a sad smile but took her hand in hers and gave it a soft pat. “I understand. I just wanted to thank you for being here.”

“Auntie…” Fei muttered in awe. She knows today could not be easy on Sabine and yet here the woman stood tall with a smile for Fei. The strength the woman had always left Fei in awe. “Of course I’d be here…I-I couldn’t miss it.”

“You’re a good girl.”

“You’re too kind Auntie.”

“It’s not kindness if it’s true.”

Fei couldn’t help the small chuckle that left her. “Well maybe it can be bot-”

“I WANT HER BACK!” Their conversation was cut short by a very loud and childish voice that seemed to have caught the attention of everyone. It was a little girl who was stomping away from who Fei assumed was her mother. It took only a moment for Fei to recognize them both.

“Manon…please!” The woman, who Fei realized was Nadja Chamack, a local reporter and Auntie Sabine’s good friend, begged the little girl. A little girl who Fei knew to be Manon Chamack. Marinette had shared a lot of photos of the little girl or selfies of them both since Manon seemed to love filters. She was one of the kids that Marinette babysat a lot.

“NO! I DON’T WANT MARIE! OR HUGO! OR JEAN! OR WHOEVER ELSE YOU THINK SHOULD BABYSIT ME!” Manon yelled out, her face turning an impressive shade of red. “I WANT MARINETTE BACK!”

There was a collective gasp and following silence that had Fei feeling like she was at the edge of a cliff.

“I just want Marinette…” Manon’s voice had gotten softer but her sobs had greatly increased in volume and it seemed to have affected everyone. There was not one dry eye at the little girl's confession because everyone felt the same. “I just want her back…”

“Oh baby…” Nadja choked out as she watched her daughter fall to her knees. Fei watched as Nada lowered herself to the ground next to her daughter and hugged her to her. It was at this point that Fei looked away so she could give the mother and daughter some privacy and was happy to see others do the same. Though not all attendants gave the two some privacy and Fei couldn’t help but scoff at the behavior. Pain was not supposed to be a spectacle. Though she knew this particular funeral was a spectacle despite Auntie Sabine and Uncle Tom’s best efforts, therefore everyone’s pain was part of said spectacle.

Being so close to the source of some people’s attention had Fei feeling more than a little uncomfortable so she quietly excused herself from her Aunt so she could go grab something to drink as she found herself suddenly parched. It was as she was on her way towards the dining tables that she felt a pull from Mei Shi and the Renlings. Though Mei Shi’s was more physical whilst the Renlings’ was more spiritual. Fei huffed softly to herself but diligently followed the pull which thankfully was still in the direction of the dining tables. So perhaps she could still get a drink while she investigated whatever Mei Shi and the Renlings were pulling her towards. As she walked she casually looked around her to see if anything was out of the normal but nothing jumped out at her until she actually reached the table full of drinks that had been her original destination.

There were two teens standing next to the water pitchers which had been her goal. She quickly identified the two as Luka Couffaine and Tsuguri Kagami as Marinette had shown her more than enough pictures and videos of her friends and these two featured most often. The two were talking in low voices to one another and Fei was confused as to what she was supposed to be seeing since they definitely were where she was being led to. It was right as she was about to reach them that she saw two small figures and instantly she felt this rush of energy. One was peeking out of the long sleeves of Kagami’s kimono and the other was peeking out of the inside of Luka’s now unbuttoned tux jacket. She didn’t know what they were but they looked and felt similar to Mei Shi and the Renlings. As soon as she made the connection she knew this is where she was being led.

With a deep breath in and a deep breath out, Fei squared her shoulders and approached the two with more confidence than she actually felt. “Hello. My name is Wu Fei. It is nice to officially meet you two.”

Next Chapter

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renzireads · 2 days ago

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One drink and straight to bed, he vowed to himself.

“A water?” The barman scoffed. “The poor man’s choice, I see.”

Wally chuckled. “The choice of a man who just got here from a trip longer than you can imagine. D’ya got any rooms free up in this place or?”

The barman’s face softened, and he laughed as he went to grab a glass of water. Returning, he leaned in as he handed Wally his drinks. “We do, but tell me, have you ever been here before?”

A blush rose up his cheeks as Wally shook his head. “To be perfectly honest, I’m not even sure where ‘here’ is,” he laughed awkwardly. He suddenly felt very looked at.

“Curious.” The man pulled back, then nodded to himself. “Gotham usually doesn’t show herself to people who haven’t been here before, well, unless she has plans for you. Or so they say.”

“Gotham?” Wally blurted out, eyes widened in shock. “I can’t believe I’m actually here.” He laughed, not because he was happy, but he couldn’t help himself from laughing at his own stupidity. Of course, with all the weirdness going on around here, how didn’t he realize this sooner?

He did it. He found the no-man’s-land that was particularly starting to look like an any-man’s-land to him. The place he had been looking for all along.

“You know, there’s some rumors about-” The bartender started, then stopped dead in his sentence and looked up behind Wally. Right then, Wally felt two, strong hands clasp onto his shoulders.

“You’re in my seat.” A deep, bouldering voice said, the two goons behind him snickering loudly.

Wally looked around him and noticed the two chairs besides him had indeed come up empty. Still, he shrugged and tipped his drink back. “And I was having a really good conversation.” He shot back, not getting off the chair. “Please, do continue.”

He heard a couple “Ooh”’s and “Shit”’s and snickers behind him as the saloon fell silent. All eyes fell on him, or well, them, as Wally shrugged the hands off his shoulders and leaned forward.

“Funny, kid.” The man all but growled. The bottle in his hand -some dirt cheap brand of beer, Wally guessed- came into his view as Wally skillfully -although accidentally- dodged the bottle when he turned the bar chair around. The glass made a painful shattering noise as it came into contact with the edge of the bar, sending shards everywhere.

His attacker staggered back, the intoxication visible in how he tripped rather gracefully against one of his back-up buddies. Immediately, everyone at the bar shot up from their seats and started screaming. Some people saw this as the perfect time to throw some punches around, and Wally winced as he heard the rough sound of a cracking bone right next to him.

It all happened in the blink of an eye, the way this bar fight came to be, but now everyone was in on it. Everyone, except for Wally. Shit, had he really just started this? He frantically looked around, hoping to spot a way out of this mess he had so swiftly created. Hells, he hadn’t even been here for over ten minutes and he already-

A hand slipped around his wrist, and the strong grip pulled him out of his thoughts as fast as he was pulled out of the saloon. When the cold night’s air pushed his hair out of his eyes, his mind cleared. Loud screams and thuds against the walls and floors, although a bit more muted now, made him look at one of the windows.

What just happened?

“You’re really quite something, y’know?” An amused, cocky voice startled him fully away from whatever was happening inside the saloon now, and he traced his eyes to the figure in front of him.

#small little snippet of the fic ive been attempting to write for MONTHS now #yes its a cowboy au #yes i have incredible plans #definitely multichaptered AND after this one i have two more planned #but birdflash first i love u birdflash #im thinking superbat for the second?#timkonbern for the third i have shenanigans in mind #i am SO excited however time management. the devil. evil.#its so funny how you can talk to yourself here i really wonder how many people are reading this #like im just screaming into the void #does the void scream back? maybe #who knows #anyway onto the tags #birdflash #nightwing #dick grayson #dick grayson as a cowboy #love that thats a used tag of mine slay #dc #batfamily #dc characters #dick grayson x wally west #dickwally #wally west #wally west as a cowboy #← let's also just make that a tag #western au #fanfiction writing #ao3 #posting this while sleep deprived before i forget and/or lose the nerve lol

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