#mlc?? au

[eclipsethedarklingiscanon]

I'm not obsessed with the mlp idea.... Not at all...

It was just going to be a drawing of eclipse and Shadow...

[la-muerta]

Have you ever wanted to forget anything so badly, you wished you could cut it out of your head? Sometimes I wish it were that easy. Thinking back, I remember the stupidest things; the way the corners of his eyes crinkled when he laughed, the smell of his cigarettes, the tattoo on his shoulder that I had kissed a dozen times, a hundred times. The way he always kept his eyes closed after we kissed, as though if he opened his eyes it would all have been a dream. Maybe I’ll live so long that I’ll actually forget him. Maybe I’ll die trying.

— Li Lianhua, Private Eye

[lianhuajing]

this college au isn't getting out of my head so here y'all go, some headcanons

despite being the first in the world at age 15 LXY still ended up with crippling self-worth issues and imposter syndrome.. makes me think he'd be a burnt out fgli (first-generation low-income) student at a rich school.. university au (this has nothing to do at all with my experiences as a fgli student at an ivy league school lmaoo)

of course FDB is a shoo in legacy student and at first LLH is is incredibly annoyed bc FDB is clearly a rich kid who got in with his parents money

the name i picked for FDB is 择信 ("zéxìn" or "to choose faith"). his dad's name is 则仕 ("zéshì" literally "officer" the author is laugh at us so that zé didn't work, i picked another one to better fit my intention. same sound though.)

he's still called duobing as a nickname bc he was a sickly child, but fang zexin is what appears on official documents and his student id. of course his mom and his aunt still call him "xiaobao" and later on so does LLH

FDB abuses his "xiaohua" priviledges and when he extra wants something he'll pull out "xiaohua'er"

just them warming up to each other to deal with school stress. think of all the shenanigans!! i feel like 3am on a school campus is when you feel like you can do anything super well, even make empanadas when you've never made empanadas before (did i do this freshman year? yes.)

bonus: LXY has a phd in bio-med and is a famous researcher, but he's getting a herbology? nursing? (still deciding tbh) degree as LLH and passing it off as his first undergrad. he made a small fortune from his first go around so he can afford it, but i feel like he donated most of it and/or gave it to QMS + QP + SGD

yes i made LXY a genius progidy med student who got into college at 15 and wrangled a phd + patent at age 18. he's literally every asian parent's golden child wet dream. no wonder he disappeared and changed his name and only resurfaced 10 years later.

FDB is of course an engineering and business student (dual degree, our xiaobao is a champ) and he buys all the school swag cuz he has the spirit

bonus bonus: fdb is a professional college fencer lmaoo. do they have professional college martial arts?

bonus bonus li'er is a part of the family staff but the fang/he family pays handsomely so she's kinda uppity. she doesn't understand why her young master is hanging out with someone 1) obviously older and 2) obviously poorer

FDB of course falls in love at first sight bc LLH happens to be the most drop dead gorgeous person he's ever seen and reminds him vaguely of the researcher that helped with the cure to his childhood illness. surely there's no connection right..

FDB is 20 when he starts college bc he took a two year break to do an internship at his mother's company. it looks great on his resume and conveniently works well so i can line up canon ages

FDB finds out LLH is living in a van and immediately tries to move him into his dorm (freshman year). of course that doesn't work out, but i think around sophmore year, once they've started dating, he would've whittled down LLH enough for him to agree to live together in a house off-campus. LLH tries several times to convince the 20yo that he can do better than some old man who's just starting his undergrad at age 28 (my man breathes lies). FDB is literally signing their lease as he speaks.

bonus bonus bonus (and my fave): LLH makes those terrible tiktok recipes that never work but he keeps trying and the first couple of times FDB actually tries pretending that LLH's cooking is fantastic

bonus x4: DFS went to trade school and owns a handyman service (he makes bank doing it) and the jinyuan alliance is his crew of fixers. FDB is convinced DFS is a mob boss because LLH is always calling him Di 老大 (lǎo dà) when he comes around to fix LLH's rundown van. DFS gives LLH the i'm in love with u family discount but he'll never admit to it. the two of them have known each other since grade school.

bonus x5: DFS and LXY both did the same martial arts extracircular and were known rivals (affectionate) in those circles. they were constantly swapping between placing 1st and 2nd in tournaments.

bonus x5 extra bonus just for me: at one point LXY did call DFS "gege" before he grew out of it / they drifted a part. obvs they reconcillated bc LLH needed a van guy and DFS under all those scowls does care for LXY a lot.

bonus x6: LLH and JLQ absolutely know they are cousins (just bc it's hilarious for me if they do). they don't talk about it but JLQ hates him for "stealing" DFS's attention since their naptime days. he's her cousin timmy. LLH doesn't even know that he's seduced the love of her life, he's just vibing. DFS tries to explain to her that he's gay and has never been interested in women, but she doesn't believe in homosexuals exactly like in canon lmaoo

bonus x7: SGD and LXY were both in an orphanage before they got adopted by qi mushan and qin po. SGD protected LXY like an older brother, but got more bitter and jealous as LXY clearly displayed genius level academic excellence and as a by product got more attention (more care into selecting schools, more time dedicated to LXY's extracirculars, more time spent driving LXY to conferences and stuff as his research gained more traction)

can you imagine the pressure little xiangyi would've been put under to excel, and to excel bc he got this chance when all the other kids at the orphanage didn't? qi mushan and qin po weren't exacty rich, i imagine he must've felt so stressed being bombarded with scholarships and whatnot while his brother steadily closed himself off from xiangyi

nothing just imposter syndrome going off the charts when rumors started going around that a mistake in LXY's research cost someone their life. that no one should've trusted a teenager to be that smart. that some orphan kid just wanted attention and should've never been given a chance. it breaks him.

unintential pressure from qi mushan, qin po and SGD. why was he protected / saved / chosen if not to make their lives easier and to make them proud with his achivements. he's carrying his made-up expectations of their expectations and SGD's expectations

something something my dad was drunk one night and came on campus and told me i was the hope of our entire family bc i was the first to get into a good school and i could make something of myself. i was 18 at the time, same age as when LXY during his famous battle, and i just. feel some type of way. like. the man was carrying the expectations of the entire jianghu on his back. how was he not gonna be overwhelmed and break down?

bc this is a modern au i can make LXY go to therapy :) it takes a few years for him to be convinced to go (he is asian after all LOL), but he does go eventually and it helps him get the will to start again. FDB knows and actively encourages and praises LLH for taking care of himself.

LLH still carries the same self-hatred he has for his younger self bc he thinks his arrogance caused a mistake in his research and ended up causing ppl to die. he's working on it, okay, it's gonna take time

i'll end this with some crack: FDB accidentally hears DFS call LLH "xiangyi" and proceeds to give him an entire speech abt deadnames and such. it's bc he's seen LLH react to being called "xiangyi" before (come on, this guy was a prodigy and he's back at uni, some of the professors are bound to recognize him) and it's never pretty. he ends by saying "it's not like lianhua is running away from the law, he's not doing anything wrong" yes he thinks LLH is trans lmaoo. the entire time, DFS is giving him an incredious look. LXY was in fact running away from the law (or at least the press lmaoo). LLH is just standing there with an amused look on his face like "my xiaobao is a little confused, but he's got the spirit"

[a-memory-a-distant-echo]

so i've been watching/making gifs of the donghai fight for the usual reasons (love to cry and overthink media) and i noticed that li xiangyi has an injury that comes from nothing. close eyes will catch it in the first gif, but let's slow it down.

ok so it opens with li xiangyi turning around, and if you look closely, you can see that he's uninjured, at least on his torso.

he swings at di feisheng, who blocks him with an upwards movement that's well clear of li xiangyi's body, and it's clearly a block—it doesn't connect. we can be sure of that because li xiangyi swings his arm up and out, giving us a very good look at his uninjured chest.

he swings widely at di feisheng and is diverted, and then goes to block di feisheng's blow, and even as he moves in to block, you can see that he's injured, now, that there's a not (yet) terribly bloody slash above his heart.

it is, in fact, the injury that di feisheng gives him a minute later, di feisheng's moment of victory before he realises that li xiangyi means for this to be a duel to the death.

(the range of colours in this means the gif isn't as good as it could be, but you get the point.)

on one hand: continuity errors happen to the best of us

on the other hand: soulmark au in which you're scarbonded, in which some of your soulmate's worst injuries will appear on your body days or moments before they actually receive the injury.

[floatingonyourback]

okay okay au where dfs is a very successful chef/ restaurant owner who has dedicated his life to studying the blade (wok). meanwhile llh has quit his soul-sucking corporate job and in between job hunting has started filming videos of him teaching himself how to cook and he is SO BAD but SO ENDEARING that he amasses an enormous following on weibo. he almost sets his kitchen on fire cooking something from dfs’s (begrudgingly penned) cookbook and dfs comments under the video to tag the local fire department

[mx-myth]

Mlc au where li lianhua just. Doesn't re-enter the jianghu. He has a couple of Big Realisations and disassociates so hard that li xiangyi is permanently dead now and he's not touching that shit with a ten foot pole.

He still meets fang duobing except they meet during on of fdb's probationary cases because he's like, sprained his wrist. He's also bleeding a lil' bit everywhere so when he sits down at the booth where llh has set up shop llh is like who is this yucky boy. Fdb is like daifu I'll pay you x amount of money to heal me. Llh ups his first impression to yucky rich boy.

Anyway it turns about when llh isn't there to guide him fdb is really reckless. But guess what! He always meets li-daifu wherever his case is! Isn't it a miracle? (Llh is long-suffering. Why does this (his, unfortunately) yucky little rich boy keep coming back to him)

Very soon fdb starts giving him gifts instead of money (because he has no money management skills). He starts off small like flowers and little soaps then desserts and then suddenly he's showing up with a set of fancy robes for llh (who had seen fdb looking at him all intently when he was estimating his measurements and thought he was checking him out. It was the start of a minor - soon to be major and ongoing - crisis) (but it turns out he likes the fucking robes).

At some point fdb runs into A Spot during one of his cases and declares, to everyone in the vicinity, that he's li xiangyi's disciple. This is overheard by di feisheng's spymaster (I CANNOT remember what his name is) who reports it back to dfs, who is like hmm, interesting.

And obviously, the most logical response here is to kidnap him and announce that he has li xiangyi's disciple held hostage.

Llh hears of this, scoffs because xiaobao can take care of himself, paces for ten minutes, and then grumbles to himself while grabbing his sword and booking it. He bursts onto the scene and it's all like:

Dfs: ...li xiangyi? You're alive?

Fdb: li lianhua-daifu!!! ...why do you have a sword.

Dfs: oh, i get it, you went into hiding. *shaking fdb* is this your new boytoy

Llh: di feisheng! Unhand him, he's a paying customer!

Dfs, nodding: I see. Boyfriend then. But you haven't had the balls to court him properly, huh

They have an argument that is actually just them exchanging small talk. Fdb is slowly dying because this is dfs, villain of the jianghu, so why is he having a reaction to him scruffing him like a kitten? Also, is li-daifu actually li xiangyi???

Long story short about three weeks later dfs arrives for dinner. And then he just. Keeps showing up. The third time he shows up fdb is there also having dinner with llh. They bristle at each other like street cats but eventually it becomes a Thing That They Do.

(In the background dfs is picking up the fucking slack and destroying the whole nanyin revival plot. Fdb keeps unintentionally and accidentally foiling related plots as he takes cases)

(Fdb: I found this in my latest case and I don't know what it is. *holds up the Rama heavenly ice shard or whatever it is*

Dfs: ...it's a screwdriver.

Fdb, who has never seen a screwdriver in his life*: oh, okay *sticks in a drawer of the lotus tower and immediately forgets about it*)

(Dfs thinks it's amusing bordering on ridiculous because fdb just keeps bringing these artifacts back. But he doesn't know what they are and neither does llh so the lotus tower is turning out to be a really safe place to put them)

Also because this version of llh actually knows from the start that he wants to live. He just never actively looked for a cure because he didn't have much to live for in his little life. But now he does so he accepts the Styx flower or whatever dfs finds for him and they all live happily ever after.

(*Edit: oh I'm an idiot. Of COURSE fdb knows what a screwdriver is. He lives with the Queen of Inventing Clever Things (master he my beloved) for god's sake. I think if he knew dfs was lying to him he wouldn't be able to let it go, since we all know how he is. So I don't know what dfs would actually tell him lmao)

[catiecat1320]

Very proud to announce that I am participating in the Sonic the Hedgehog Big Bang (@sthbigbang)!!

Thank you to my wonderful artists, @lofithetanuki, @therealsinnohdawn, and @sleepingcircus; as well as a thank you to my beta reader @thesummoners!! I <3 you all!!

[MasterPost]

Summary:

Shadow has never been the kind to think of himself as special. Aside from a talent for music, he’s just your typical guy. Nothing more, nothing less.

That is, until he meets Sonic. Until something about the unremarkable him catches the eye of the world famous solo dancer. Until he’s offered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work with a legend. 

There’s so much more to the star than he could have ever imagined. There’s so much more to himself that he never knew. And there’s so much more between them that blooms in the time they spend with each other, beautiful, foreign, and absolutely hectic.

Standing in the face of chaos, the only logical step is to find a rhythm to dance to.

Chapter 1 Below 🔽

“And… I think that’s all I have planned for today,” Shadow announced, idly stretching before gently lowering the piano lid. “10 minutes of an early end. Nice job, Cream, as always.”

His protege beamed, her wide grin proudly displaying the gap of a missing tooth. He chuckled as she tapped out a happy little jingle on the piano in celebration, the sound reverberating throughout the pastel room.

Mere moments later, a soft knock sounded, and Cream hurried to let her mom in. 

“Are you finished your lesson?” Vanilla asked, carefully closing the door behind her.

“Yeah!” The bunny exclaimed, “how’d you know?”

Her mother patted Cream’s head, though her attention seemed to be elsewhere. “Well, sweetheart, you always play that tune when you’re done.” She then turned to Shadow, bowing her head slightly as if she were apologetic. “May I have a word with you?”

He nodded, curiosity perking in his ears as he shifted his shirt collar. “Of course, Mrs. Vanilla.”

“Please, just Vanilla is fine,” she remarked, smiling at his formality. She seemed nervous, he noticed, tense. “I need a favor. I’ve already scheduled Cream’s next lesson, as you know, but yesterday she… Cream, why don’t you share the news? You’re practically bouncing off the walls.”

Her mother’s comment was definitely accurate— if felt as if one little tap would send the bunny zipping around the room. “I won a dance competition! And they gave me tickets to see Mr. Sonic!” Cream piped, vibrating with excitement. Shadow pretended to know who she was talking about as the gears turned in his head.

“That’s… great. I’m so proud of you,” he picked her up in a congratulatory hug before turning his attention back to her mother. “I’m assuming that this event coincides with the lesson? If so, canceling it is no problem.”

“Mr. Shadow, Mother has an appointment when it happens,” Cream interjected, grasping his hand before he could fully let her go, as if by some magical power, her thoughts would translate through the touch. Vanilla only nodded, allowing her daughter to lead.

“Oh, you want me to take you, don’t you,” the hedgehog realized, his response laced with teasing undertones. “And if I don’t?”

“Pretty please?” Cream locked gazes with him, face morphed into a painting innocent and pleading. Caramel eyes grew big and glistening, a deep pool that threatened to drown him should he decline. Shadow twitched involuntarily at the display. 

“Don’t give me that face. I’m just joking— of course I’ll take you,” the tutor breathed, and that seemed to satisfy the bunny enough for her to tuck away the act for another day.

Vanilla breathed a sigh of relief, squeezing her daughter’s shoulder in silent acknowledgement of her effective (although slightly questionable) communication skills. “Thank you so much, Shadow.”

“No problem at all.”

………………………………

Cream’s little hand wrapped around Shadow’s fingers, gloved in protection against the chilly February air. The kid skipped along the line, dragging her chaperone with her, hyperactive from the sugar in the donuts he should not have bought her.

That pleading act was just too convincing…

The auditorium was crowded with fans young and old, most settled down in their places a long time ago. Although it was expected with how late they were in the acceptable entry frame, it posed a problem as the pair awkwardly scooted past the legs of the already seated, many scoffing in annoyance as he waved in apology.

Somehow, they made it to their spot before Cream exploded from anticipation, and soon the overhead lights went dim, shushing the audience. Different lights switched on, one after another, highlighting the stage in all kinds of pretty colors that seemed to captivate everyone but Shadow.

He really should have found out what this show was about beforehand, huh? Sorely regretting putting off the task in favor of an unnecessary house cleaning, he shut his eyes and took a deep breath. That blinding rainbow cascade was going to give him a headache. Glancing at Cream to make sure she hadn’t bounced out of her seat, he reached over to take her already shed jacket before working at his own. The building was heated quite nicely, so he folded them neatly and put them aside for the time being.

By the time he was done, a soft melody had already begun playing— violin, Shadow recognized, partnered with a quiet piano. The song was unfamiliar to him, but having grown up in a world of music, he’d developed a deep understanding of it, and having that knowledge helped him relax. His fingers flitted upon an imaginary instrument, picking apart the tune as the sounds filtered through his mind. 

Beside him, he felt Cream go completely still, a sharp contrast to the excited jumble she had been seconds ago. In fact, it felt like the whole room was holding its breath. A little suffocating, in all honesty, but he followed the general example and looked up.

Just in time. Right then, a lithe figure sprang onto center stage, striking a deeply bowed pose in time with a dramatic thrum. All eyes focused on him at once, everyone shifting forward in unison as if connected by one single mind. Shadow just squinted, unimpressed.

A blue hedgehog, dressed up all prim and pretty in something that seemed like it would be awkward to wear, he assumed that the dancer was the “Mr. Sonic” Cream had been so ecstatic to see. As multicolored lights swirled around them, Shadow couldn’t deny that there was a certain air of elegance to them that almost seemed magical. Yet he could not understand what the big deal was.

That is, until Sonic moved, along with a sharp crescendo in the melody, gracefully gliding across the stage akin to a figure skater— there seemed to be no hindrance, no friction, as if he didn’t touch the ground at all. Their eyes were closed as he twisted and twirled, complete confidence that their steps would land and they would be beautiful. 

For once in his life, Shadow didn’t pay attention to the music.

Suddenly they flipped, once, twice, much to the audience’s delight as everyone surged forward in their seats. And even as the dancer landed at the edge of the stage, they never once looked. Never once feared falling, as they maneuvered the border like a tightrope walker, delicately making their way around.

It wasn’t a specific style of dance they were doing, at least, not to his limited knowledge of the art. They were just moving. Yet there was a story hidden behind it all, one that was told without the use of words, but still communicated so clearly that Shadow could understand everything, could feel everything.

It was like magic.

At last Sonic came to a stop, once again at center stage, and dropped into a bow. A beat of silence resounded before the audience cheered, exploding with thunderous claps and shrill whistles. Beside Shadow, Cream grabbed his hand, exclaiming something he could not hear. He could only nod in response, which only kicked off more of the one-sided conversation that he sorely hoped was not important.

On stage, the blue hedgehog shouted something he barely missed, and Cream excitedly tugged at his sleeve. Sonic flashed a bright smile that gleamed in the stoplights, and Shadow swore several people swooned as sparkling emerald eyes passed over them. 

Someone who had gotten up to leave obstructed his view for only a moment… but when they made their way out of the row, he found himself locking gazes with the dancer.

It felt like someone was staring straight into his soul, yet it wasn’t a cold feeling. More warm, like a fire, swirling in his gut. 

Shadow could not, for the life of him, get his body to move.

Sonic winked at him, saluting to the general crowd before disappearing backstage. As he and Cream were caught in the mass of people moving out, he gripped their things tightly in one hand and held on to the bunny with the other, unable to do anything but wonder, what was that?

………………………………

As he found out much too late, Cream had neglected to tell Shadow that they were invited to the Meet & Greet after the show. He figured that was what’d slipped past him among the chaos. Keeping a vise grip on the bunny’s wrist, he followed the rest of the lucky few to a different room. 

It was quieter here than in the auditorium, and much more well lit. He assumed that this was originally a practice room of sorts, repurposed for this mini event. As they filed in a line to spend a few moments with the dancer, Shadow took the opportunity to text Vanilla about the change of plans. Easier said than done, because Cream had reverted to a bouncing ball of energy, and she took every chance to yank him forward in line, startling him every time.

Somehow, he managed to send a less-than-refined message to Vanilla without dropping his phone. But before he even had the time to look up, Cream tore herself from his grasp with a squeak. “Mr. Sonic!” 

“Heya, kiddo,” her idol replied with a grin, patting her head gently. She beamed, introducing herself excitedly, her pitched voice making it hard to decipher her swift speaking. But Sonic seemed to have no problem, answering all her rapid-fire questions like they planned specifically for this moment. 

Shadow let them have their time, picking up the things that had fallen from his arms when Cream had so abruptly pulled away. It was cute, really, the way the two interacted as if they were old friends. The dancer was making a very exaggerated motion to accompany the story that they— he, as per the pronouns displayed on his poster— was telling, his one person audience very engrossed.

Eventually Cream settled down long enough to take a picture, which was then printed and signed for her with a wink. But before they left and let someone else take their turn, Sonic got to one knee and whispered something to Cream that made her face light up like a firework. She somehow yelled and whispered at the same time. “Really?!”

“Would I lie to you?” The dancer grinned, much to Cream’s elation. Shadow sighed softly— he had no idea that she could get more excited than she already was. If this kept going… well, Vanilla was in for a very long night.

He hadn’t realized he was zoning off again until he felt a tug on his sleeve. Cream stared at him with expectant eyes, then cocked her head in Sonic’s direction. 

Shoot. Shadow looked up to see the dancer wearing a lopsided smile. Once he realized that he had the other’s attention, Sonic clapped his hands together. “So! How’d you enjoy the show…?” 

“Mr. Shadow,” Cream helpfully chimed, to which her idol nodded in thanks.

Said hedgehog rubbed his arm nervously, unsure how to respond. He settled for a shrug. “It was okay.”

Emerald eyes sparkled knowingly, although their owner seemed to have a great poker face. “Well, take care of little Cream here,” he patted her shoulder, to which she perked, again, “she’s got lots of potential.”

“Mhm.” That he knew. Who better than her teacher to assess her skill? Sonic’s brow furrowed ever so slightly, indicating the want for something more. Panic began mottling in Shadow’s stomach. Sue him, it was nerve-racking for a famous person to stare you down when you’re already bad at social interaction. What did he need…?

Both people in the room were staring at him now, the awkward silence doing nothing to help his nerves. On instinct, he shifted all his things to one arm and reached out for a handshake— something he found both polite and a good way to end conversations— with a “It was nice meeting you,” for good measure. However, Sonic took it in an entirely different way than he intended.

Soft lips, rosy from the previous exertion, pressed against the back of Shadow’s hand as emerald eyes stared teasingly into his own. Heat flooded tan cheeks instantly, and he clamped his jaw shut before it could fall open. Dimly registering a giggle from Cream, he was much too caught up in the fact that Sonic was kissing him.

Who the hell did that anymore?

Sonic straightened once more, the moment over as fast as it began. Yet somehow it felt as if hours had passed. The dancer was either oblivious to Shadow’s mental meltdown or he just didn’t care, bouncing on the balls of his feet like there was nothing wrong as he winked, giving a mock salute similar to the one he’d left the audience with. “It was nice to meet you too, Shadow. ‘Til we meet again!”

Shadow made a sound like he was being strangled, only serving to deepen his embarrassment along with the furious bloom of blush on his face. Somehow, he managed to keep a grip on everything tucked under his arm, despite it going slack in shock.

Before he could properly process everything, or even save himself some face, he and Cream were already outside, Shadow fumbling with his keys as he tried to get a hold on the one for his motorcycle.

Sometime in the building, amongst his memory lapse, they’d both put on their coats, leaving the bunny with one arm hooked around her chaperone’s. She was staring, caramel eyes worried. “Are you okay, Mr. Shadow?”

No.

“Yes. Now hop on, your mother’s waiting.”

[lilianhuas]

Cheng Yi as Yun Hongshen in 深潜 Deep Lurk premiered 2024/11/13 on CCTV-8 // IQIYI

[orchisailsa]

My exact words were, "I'd love to contribute art to the fandom but I'm afraid my drawing skills peaked in kindergarten with hand turkeys."

[potahun]

i kept thinking about office!au li lianhua and his digusting brownies can't offer anything polished with my current rl schedule but eh. some more ideas. i like the idea of fang duobing gifting a baby hulijing to li lianhua in this au. and everyone booing him because aaaaaay that's cheating, fang duobing, the secret santa gift's maximum price was 20 bucks and he's like BUT SHE'S A RESCUE SHE TECHNICALLY COST 0 BUCKS but um it's my intention (heart) that counts ... li lianhua verbally complains that fang duobing is adding to li lianhua's living costs and he doesn't have a salary that allows this but he is secretly very touched

[eclipsethedarklingiscanon]

Idea, That moment on prison island from SA2

[omgpurplefattie]

MLC WIP Wednesday

The beginning of the spicy extra I am writing for the current episode. Behind a cut because spicy with a side of alien anatomy. DFS PoV.

-------------------------------------------------

Di Feisheng woke when an icy cold hand slid over his lower belly, coming to rest just over his pubic mound.

"Xia — Lianhua?a" he said, remembering at the last moment that Fang Duobing had also fallen asleep with them, after tea and some Nanyin stories and half an hour of increasingly sleepy kisses.

Yeah, he belonged here, but he didn't need to hear Di Feisheng call Xiangyi that as an endearment.

"So nice and warm," murmured somebody near Di Feisheng's left armpit.

"Is he warming his hands on your cock?" Fang Duobing asked, sounding blurry with sleep as well. "He does that."

"Just my bush," Di Feisheng said. "It's not that bad, considering — EEEP!!"

Something icy had slid in right between his penises, snaking its way around the posterior one.

"Now, obviously," Fang Duobing chuckled. "We are all awake now. Let's warm our HuaHua up properly, then?"

"Yes," Di Feisheng said. "As soon as my private parts become unfrozen."

"Let me try," Xiaobao said, reaching over the cold, sleepy lump that was Li Lianhua. Finally, the icy thing went away as Fang Duobing pulled at Li Lianhua 's wrist and replaced it with his own hand — warm and surprisingly strong as his fingers caressed the length of the anterior penis.

Di Feisheng relaxed. This was so much better.

"You are nice and warm, Xiaobao," Li Lianhua murmured. "A strong little furnace to keep the cold of space at bay."

"How can one singular person," Di Feisheng wondered, "exude that much cold?"

"Singularity," Li Lianhua murmured. "I bumped into one. Remember?"

[la-muerta]

Part Two video edit of Li Lianhua, Private Eye

(part one video here | matching gifset here]

[popotobun]

WIP Wednesday!

Lately I've been working most on my SVSSS fic that's basically a "What if Shen Yuan was a little older and a little more competant". That's it, that's the fic. I have zero idea where it's going to end up, but I've got two chapters worth scribbled down, so that's something! I've also got an outline for a Tangled-inspired Liushen AU that I don't want to start because once I do, I think I'll keep going until it's done and I want to get more done on the longer fic first xD

I've still got plans for the post-MLC fic I'm working on! I really should finish that, since it doesn't have anywhere to go and should just be the one chapter... Who knows. I let words get away from all the time.

I've still got a couple of FF14 WIPs too, though the MSQ follow-along will always be slow going... I do want to finish the Dark Knight fic, but my WoL was in a Not Good headspace when he started that, so it's on a back burner too.

Feel free to Ask me to work on any of these and I'll post a new paragraph~ but either way, enjoy the snippet!

The entire night passed while he read, the morning only making itself known to Shen Yuan when a knock sounded at the entrance to his room and Ming Fan’s voice announced, “Shizun, I left breakfast at the table for you. Please let this disciple know if there is anything further needed.”

“Nothing but privacy, Ming Fan. I am only to be disturbed by meals for the next three days.” While he recovers is not spoken aloud, but carried in the silence that he lets linger a moment longer than it needs to. “Unless another Peak Lord requires my presence.”

Ming Fan bowed and started to leave after confirming the instructions, but was stopped by Shen Qingqiu’s voice adding, “Perhaps I will meditate in the gardens today. If I am not here, let it be known that I am unavailable for company.”

That should cover most possibilities. He was sure Mu Qingfang wouldn’t be back by so soon, but he couldn’t say the same for anyone else. With the worry from Yue Qingyuan that Mu-shidi had mentioned or potential curiosity as to his recent visitors, anyone could come by! And he didn’t want them seeing him practicing basic sword forms like someone who’d never held a sword before.

Since that was exactly what he planned to be doing.

After breakfast of course.

[madamadragon]

My insomnia has struck again, here's what came to mind in the middle of the night. Sorry for the mistakes but it was two in the morning, enjoy my lil fic!

------

Drama in the drama

"I told you not to touch it!"

"I wasn't touching it, I was examining it"

"It's the same thing, you idiot"

As Li Xiangyi regained consciousness he heard voices arguing. He slowly sat up and then shook his head trying to free himself from the numbness. The last thing he remembered was sneaking out of the sect again to meet Di Feisheng. The two were having a pleasant battle with their swords when a strong white light blinded them.

He blinked, focusing on the room around him. It appears to be a huge pavilion with dark walls and chairs positioned in front of a white cloth affixed to wall. Then he noticed the people next to him. A-Mian had just woken up and Yun Biqiu was helping her get back on her feet, not far from them the other members of the Sigu Sect were looking around lost. However, there was no trace of his shixiong.

At the other end of the room was the one he recognized as He Xiaohui, master of Tianji Hall and wife of Finance Minister Fang, together with her son. The child couldn't have been more than eight years old but he didn't seem scared, he stood silently next to his mother holding the hem of her dress tightly in his fist.

As he scanned the small crowd a hand entered his field of vision. He looked up and met the eyes of the boy he had started seeing secretly over the last year. Di Feisheng was leaning over him with his hand stretched to help him. The infamous director of the Jinyuan Alliance who offers help to the Leader of the Sigu Sect, a rather strange vision given that all of Jianghu considered them enemies.However, Li Xiangyi knew who Di Feisheng really was and without thinking twice, placed his hand on his. The Leader of the Jinyuan Alliance effortlessly picked him up, asking with his eyes if he was okay. The young Sigu Sect leader nodded.

"Li Xiangyi!” Qiao Wanmian's graceful voice called him back.

Di Feisheng instantly retreated and hid in a dark corner of the room.

The most beautiful girl in Jianghu, together with the others, joined him.

"Are you all ok?" The young leader asked, looking at those present.

Everyone nodded. Master He then approached them.

"Leader Li, considering the situation, I hope we can stick together to avoid danger," the woman said, putting her hands together and bowing respectfully.

They were in an unknown place and she had her son with her, it was better to join forces. Li Xiangyi understood well what she asked.

"Certainly"

Suddenly a commotion caught their attention. They turned to find themselves face to face with five individuals older than them. Instinctively Li Xiangyi stood in front of the members of the sect ready to defend them in case of danger, his hand stretched out towards the hilt of his sword.

"Gentlemen, it seems we are not alone" noted the only woman in the group. His companions turned and stared.

"Look A-Fei! Xiaobao was so cute!" The man dressed in green with a wooden hairpin shaped like a lotus flower exclaimed fondly. The child caught by surprise hid behind the mother. “I forgot how adorable he was at that age.”

"You've only seen me once" snorted the younger man with blue robes and hair pulled back in a ponytail, crossing his arms over his chest.

The crowd was visibly confused at that statement. Li Xiangyi looked from the boy to the child and noticed a certain resemblance. That he was...But this was impossible!

"He had that stupid face even as a child," the man dressed in red and with broad shoulders sneered.

The boy tried to kick him but was blocked by the man dressed in green who patted his chest to calm him.

"Sect Leader Li, it seems we have confused our guests" declared the last man of the group dressed in black and with a lock of white hair, scanning their reactions.

"You're right, it would be better to introduce us" the woman agreed and then smiled towards A-Mian.

"Okay! I'll start" the boy offered "My name is Fang Duobing, son of He Xiaohui, master of Tianji Hall, and finance minister Fang, Li Xiangyi's only disciple" he said, clasping his hands and bowing.

Master He widened her eyes turning towards her son. He couldn't believe that this young man was her Xiaobao. He was so healthy and strong and apparently Sect Leader Li's disciple but how could this happen? She had done so much to keep him away from Jianghu.

Li Xiangyi, on the other hand, didn't imagine that he would have a disciple one day, after all, he had only founded the sect a year ago. Apparently his fame would grow enough over time to have a disciple but why only one?

"My name is Yun Biqiu, director of the Baichuan Court and member of the Sigu Sect" then introduced himself the charming man with the white locks.

The young Biqiu wasn't that surprised, he knew that he would stay by Li Xiangyi's side but he wondered what the Baichuan Court was.

“Hey, I must say that Yun Biqiu was handsome when he was young,” Fang Duobing said in surprise, looking at him. “Not that you aren't now, Director Yun,” he chuckled.

“Yun Biqiu has always been charming, both in body and spirit” the green-robed man agreed, nodding.

Yun Biqiu blushed at those words.

"I don't think it's appropriate..." He murmured in embarrassment.

"It would be better to continue" the woman interrupted them smiling "I am Qiao Wanmian, Sect Leader of the current Sigu Sect" she announced with a slight bow.

Young A-Mian was stunned, how could she have become the Sect Leader? She slowly turned to look at Li Xiangyi. Had something happened to him? In fact, among his future selves she did not recognize her beloved. Her eyes filled with tears.

“If you are me…” she whispered with a lump in her throat “Then where is Li Xiangyi?” A dead silence fell. "He's..." The girl sobbed, staggering in understanding. Then something had happened.

Li Xiangyi wrapped an arm around her shoulders supporting her. He glared at the group.

"Hey, don't look at them like that, it's not their fault" the man with the lotus hairpin admonished him then took a deep breath "My name is Li Lianhua, miracle doctor who can bring the dead back to life" the broad shouldered man snorted "before my name was Li Xiangyi, former leader of the Sigu Sect"

At that revelation everyone opened their mouths in amazement. There was a long silent pause. How could that man be Li Xiangyi? His facial features were different.

“Hey, Li Lianhua, I think you broke them,” Fang Duobing laughed, “And you still haven't told them that you are Di Feisheng's husband.”

A loud gasp was heard at the side of the room. Li Lianhua looked in that direction and sneered.

"Still in the shadows huh? Hey, little Di Feisheng, why don't you join us?"

The young leader of the Jinyuan Alliance emerged from the shadows with an angry expression on his face.

"What you say are lies" he accused, grabbing his machete.

Li Lianhua shook his head and then patted the red-robed man on the shoulder. The latter rolled his eyes and said:

"I am Di Feisheng, Director and co-founder of the Jinyuan Alliance" the young A-Fei was taken aback by what he had said, the doctor urged the man to continue "Li Xiangyi's husband" A-Fei concluded through gritted teeth .

Li Xiangyi and Di Feisheng exchanged glances. Was theirs more than a friendship? The feeling that had blossomed recently was something unknown to both of them but now they had confirmation that one day they would get married. Strangely enough, Li Xiangyi felt that it was right.

Li Lianhua chuckled.

"It wasn't that hard was it?"

Di Feisheng turned to him, his facial features softening.

"It was classified information"

Fang Duobing snorted in amusement.

"But if all of Jianghu knows about it"

Di Feisheng took a threatening step towards him, making the boy step back in fear.

"Ah! Li Lianhua, A-Fei is mad at me again!"

The doctor sighed in exasperation as he stepped between them.

"Be good, you two"

Those present could not believe their eyes.

"This is ridiculous!" A Sigu Sect member exclaimed indignantly.

"How can we believe you?!" said another.

“That can't be Sect Leader Li, he looks like a crazy doctor,” someone else shouted again.

"We can't trust it! The director of the Jinyuan Alliance is here, they might be accomplices!" The room filled with voices full of doubt. Panic was slowly spreading through the crowd.

“SILENCE,” Li Lianhua thundered. At that moment he seemed like a different person. With his shoulders straight and his voice confident, he exuded a solemnity that only the leader of Jianghu possessed. Then a sly smile appeared on his face. "Well, now that I have your attention, how about we split up and try to figure this out?"

------

After restoring order inside the room and both parties having explained that a talisman had brought them there, one found inside the Lotus Tower and the other in the Sigu Sect, they decided to divide into small groups and search the pavilion. Fang Duobing, accompanied by Xiaobao who was thrilled by his adult and strong version, approached the strange white cloth. It didn't seem to have anything special but underneath it were two buttons, one with a triangle pointing to the right and one with a drawing of a man.

Suddenly the light that had blinded them and brought them there came back.

“Fang Duobing!”

"Fang Xiaobao"

"It was him!" The boy and the child exclaimed in unison, pointing fingers at each other.

"What is going on?" A familiar voice asked, a voice that made the blood boil in Li Lianhua's veins. He slowly turned towards the newcomer while a huge smile spread across Li Xiangyi's face.

“Shixiong!” The young leader rejoiced, running towards him followed by the members of the Sigu Sect.

"Shidi" Shan Gudao called him affectionately, placing his hands on his shoulders but he didn't seem the same Shixiong as when he left that morning before finding himself there.

“Leave the boy immediately,” A-Fei warned threateningly, unsheathing his sword.

"Ah, I see you're all here," Shan Gudao sneered, sinking his fingers into Li Xiangyi's flesh. The young leader of the Sigu Sect could barely suppress a grimace of pain, His shixiong had never been so brutal. Qiao Wanmian hurriedly pulled the others away from that man.

"What are you doing?!" Fang Duobing asked worriedly, he didn't like the way he was holding the smaller, disoriented version of Li Lianhua.

Suddenly Li Xiangyi found himself with a blade at his throat. That was definitely not his shixiong.

“I should have ended your life when you were still a kid,” Shan Gudao growled.

Di Feisheng moved towords them but A-Fei stopped him. The young man looked at him angrily but the other shook his head letting him know to wait and so Di Feisheng withdrew.

"Look at you, so young..." Shan Gudao whispered, grabbing Li Xiangyi's face with one hand "Your skin has always been so soft" he caressed the boy's cheek with his thumb, causing him to shiver with disgust, that man was not the shixiong he knew , he was an empty shell of his former self.

"Don't touch him!" A-Mian shouted disgusted by that gesture. Shan Gudao looked at Li Xiangyi with a mixture of jealousy and lust.

"Your anger led to your death" Li Lianhua began to say as he advanced towards them, Shan Gudao stepped back holding Li Xiangyi tightly "Do you want to repeat the experience?" And in an instant, the young Sigu Sect leader felt himself being pushed forward.

Fang Duobing grabbed Li Xiangyi while Li Lianhua together with A-Fei pinned Shan Gudao to the ground. With quick movements they had managed to free the young leader while landing the shixiong. An extraordinary display of skill from their future selves.

"Are you OK?" Fang Duobing asked examining Li Xiangyi's neck from which a small amount of blood was dripping. The young leader nodded as he watched his older self tie his shixiong to a chair. He didn't know what would happen in the future but it certainly wasn't anything good.

"Let me see,” Di Feisheng's voice woke him from his thoughts.

The young leader of the Jinyuan Alliance had moved Fang Duobing by taking his place and examining the wound on Li Xiangyi's neck. That gesture seemed to confirm that there was something between the two of them.

"You've known each other for a long time, haven't you?" A-Mian asked shyly, handing Di Feisheng a handkerchief to dab the wound with. The young leader of the Jinyuan Alliance took it without glancing at her and remaining silent.

“A-Mian, I…” Li Xiangyi wanted to explain the situation to her but couldn’t find the words to do so.

"Don't worry, I understand everything, he's the young master thet you meet in secret" the girl smiled at him. Of course, she didn't expect Li Xiangyi to like boys but she knew that their relationship wasn't destined to last. He needed someone around who might be able to follow his greatness, she wasn't that person. A-Mian patted his hand in understanding and then left them alone.

"Damn it A-Fei, were you born with those muscles? It hurt when you pushed me away," Fang Duobing muttered as he rubbed the arm that Di Feisheng had hit to move him.

“I train hard unlike someone” A-Fei replied, crossing his arms over his chest.

"You...!"

"Enough now," Li Lianhua admonished him.

They had just finished tying Shan Gudao and he began to feel a pain at the base of his head. They had to find a way to get out of there, one of the buttons Fang Duobing pressed could bring people into the room, the other one they still didn't know what it did. Furthermore, he had the feeling that Shan Gudao's appearance was only the tip of the iceberg and that more dangers would come.

“Fang Xiaobao, I told you not to touch anything!” Master He was heard shouting.

Everyone turned in their direction and saw that little Xiaobao had pressed the other unknown button. Suddenly a writing appeared on the white cloth.

Mysterious Lotus Casebook

[floatingonyourback]

there’s a heist au floating in my brain … feihua as the best team from way back when … after a catastrophe of a job llh disappeared off the face of the earth and resurfaces for a job five years later … where he runs into dfs… only in the last five years both of them have taken a step back …