#no lans or nies or jins in sight

[thebiscuiteternal]

On the larger-age-gap Nies, does essentially becoming a father at fifteen-or-so change Mingjue’s personality at all? Give him special skills? I would imagine he gets slightly judgmental when he has to show Huaisang off to, say, Sect Leader Jin Who Can’t Even Hold A Baby Properly.

He develops his famous death glares a lot sooner so he can direct them at anyone who snickers at the sight of Sangsang in his little sling.

(I'm only partially kidding about that one.)

He legitimately does become a lot less forgiving of the parenting issues of some of the other sects, because he can't imagine treating his adorable darling baby brother with the same level of neglect and disdain that he sees while visiting other places on sect business.

He'll end up attracting a gaggle of didis and meimeis among the younger masters and mistresses (especially the Jin and Jiang sects) just because they see how good he is with Huaisang and they want someone to pat them on the head and listen to them too. Which he does! He's used to deciphering baby babble, so paying attention to a 9-13yo is a breeze since they can actually explain (sort of) what they want. He makes a point of praising their efforts too, again because he's used to encouraging his brother to pull through every time he gets sick.

(Jiang Yanli and Lan Xichen will be his best friends because they're the only ones among the younger set who are grown enough to be able to hold Sangsang without jiggling him so much he ends up baby barfing.)

[museywrites]

Xiantober 2023 - Day 13: Inventor!Xian

Word Count: 925 Pairing: Wangxian Tags: Inventor Wei Ying, re-living memories

Wei Ying grunted softly as he moved, careful and deliberate. He couldn’t deny the joy he felt, the closer he got to completion. Nothing would ever compare to this. No words could describe how he truly felt. His body trembled lightly at the thought, close, so close! 

“Yes!” He shouted, throwing his hands into the air as he stepped back, looking at his handiwork. “Oh my god, oh my god.” He bounced around excitedly, pumping his fist a few times in joy. “Whooo! Okay, okay, reel it in, Wei Ying.” He smacked his hands to his cheeks. “Don’t get too excited, not yet. I gotta run the final tests!” 

“Wei Ying?” Lan Zhan’s voice broke through his excitement as he entered the lab, gently shutting the door behind him and setting the tea and coffee down on the desk. “By the sounds of it, you’ve figured out the hardwiring issue?” 

“Lan Zhan! Yes! You’re just in time for the final test–” He groaned happily as the smell of coffee hit him. “Oh my god you’re my favorite~” 

The other chuckled softly and picked the coffee back up before approaching the other, handing it over and accepting a sweet kiss as payment. “I would hope so. Do you think it’s going to work this time?” 

“I do!” He took a sip of the coffee and groaned happily before he looked at the machine in front of him. “I’ve been working on this for three years, and I know that’s nothing compared to what it takes some people to invent things, but this…” 

“It has given you problem after problem, I know.” Lan Zhan nodded, kissing Wei Ying on the forehead before he pulled back and gestured. “Why not run the test now, I am eager to see.” 

Wei Ying nodded a little and hurried to the machine and grabbed the attachments. A few sticky pads were placed very carefully before he attached the needed wires and sat down. It only took a few moments for him to get the machine running and putting in the exact coordinates before his invention whirred to life, a soft thrum that drowned into the background as the screen in front of them flickered to life. 

As the image began to clear, Wei Ying quickly pressed the record button on his machine and both men turned their attention to the now fully visible image, an image from Wei Ying’s point of view.. 

”Ah, this is so nerve wracking.” The plum trees around them were in full bloom as he carefully looked around, though the sun was setting and it was getting harder to see. “It’s so pretty…” He mumbled, “Aiya, Lan Zhan, you can’t just leave me such a cryptic note and * not * tell me exactly where you are.” He huffed, though his voice held nothing but excitement.

Wei Ying moved through the trees, taking in the beautiful sights around him until the trees finally began to separate, giving way to a pretty field that was decorated with hundreds of fairy lights. All around the field were Wei Ying’s closest friends and family. His parents, the Jiangs, the Nies, the Lans, and even the Jins. All of them were holding floating lanterns that they let go of as Wei Ying entered the field.

Dead center in front of Wei Ying, was Lan Zhan, down on one knee with a beautiful ring in hand. Wei Ying’s breath hitched and his hand flew to his mouth. “Lan Zhan…?”

”Wei Ying, we’ve known each other since we were young. We’ve been close for as long as I can remember, and I have been in love with you since day one. You are my special someone, my other half, the reason I exist. I don’t want to go another day without you. Will you marry me?”

Instantly, Wei Ying threw himself into Lan Zhan’s arms, kissing him deeply as tears began to fall. “Yes! Yes!”

The image played as Wei Ying watched Lan Zhan slip the ring on his finger and then he turned off the machine, his cheeks flushed and his eyes misted with unshed tears, but he was smiling. He was so excited. It worked. It finally worked! 

Now it was possible to replay someone’s memories and record them for future watching. But to see that special memory over again, to feel like he was reliving it, he wanted to cry and say yes all over again! 

“It worked…” 

Lan Zhan smiled, a soft, warm smile that was saved for rare occasions. He was so  proud of his husband. “It did.” Seeing the engagement through Wei Ying’s eyes was certainly a magical experience. 

“Lan Zhan… Lan Zhan, it worked! I did it!” He pulled the wire off and threw his arms around him, burying his face in his chest. “This is going to change the world… I never could have done this without you… “ 

A soft huff came from Lan Zhan as he wrapped his arms around him. “You could have, but I am happy to have been able to support Wei Ying.” 

“You fuddy-duddy. You do more than just support me.” He pulled back, giving Lan Zhan a soft kiss. “Let's get married again~” 

Lan Zhan hummed, his hands dropping to Wei Ying’s ass. “Mn.” 

Wei Ying threw his head back and laughed before he jumped, wrapping his legs and arms around his husband who was already prepared to catch him. 

They could patent and advertise this magnificent machine later, right now, he had a husband to spoil for his hard work. 

[uzukage-naruto]

I have another one for y’all. Jiang Cheng out stubborns the God of death and gets both of his siblings back to the land of living. 

Impossible Be Strange Attempts by Comfect

[bloody-bee-tea]

Sweat

Jiang Cheng knows that it’s a risky move to show up to this office party with Nie Mingjue in tow, but then again it’s not like he cares. Much.

He had tried to introduce Nie Mingjue to his parents countless times, but they always shot him down, citing that they don’t have time for things like this. So Jiang Cheng never got to introduce them.

But the invitation to the party had said he could bring a plus one. It didn’t specify any further than this and Jiang Cheng had waved the invitation at Nie Mingjue, who of course hadn’t gotten one of his own.

Jiang Fengmian wanted to cut a deal with Jin Corp. and everyone knew that Jin Guangshan didn’t make deals when the Nies were involved. So Nie Security hadn’t gotten an invitation at all.

Jiang Cheng is aware that his father will be furious with him for bringing Nie Mingjue but he will be going in his capacity as Jiang Cheng’s boyfriend. It won’t be work related. And it isn’t either of their fault if Jiang Fengmian wants to make a deal with the slimiest bastard in their business.

Jiang Cheng is going to give his dad a metaphorical fuck you by bringing Nie Mingjue.

At least that had been the theory. Now that they are actually at the party, Jiang Cheng is getting pretty damn nervous again, sweat clinging to his temples and back.

“It’ll be alright,” Nie Mingjue whispers and pulls him close with a hand on his hip. “I’m right here.”

Jiang Cheng doesn’t say that that is part of the problem and instead leans into the contact. He has to admit that it does feel pretty nice to not be alone for once.

“Until someone steals you away and then where will I be?” Jiang Cheng grumbles, mostly just to be contrary, because he does feel better this close to Nie Mingjue.

“I hope you’ll be on your way to save me,” Nie Mingjue gives back and brushes a kiss over Jiang Cheng’s temple. “Since work is not what I’m here for. Look, there’s Wei Wuxian,” he then tries to distract Jiang Cheng and he has to admit that it works reasonably well.

Wei Wuxian drags Lan Wangji over to them as well and Jiang Cheng is sure that Lan Xichen is mingling somewhere, too, so there are at least four friendly faces around. Five, if you count Jin Zixuan and with how hard he’s trying lately with Jiang Yanli, Jiang Cheng is inclined to count him.

Jiang Cheng tries to follow along with Wei Wuxian’s excited chatter about his newest project, but his nerves are getting the better of him once he catches sight of Jiang Fengmian and so most what Wei Wuxian says flies right over Jiang Cheng’s head.

“Uh-oh, here he comes,” Nie Mingjue mutters and steps that little bit closer to Jiang Cheng, making sure that he knows he’s there and he’s supporting him.

Wei Wuxian throws a wide-eyed look over his shoulder before he turns the same wide eyes on Jiang Cheng and Jiang Cheng sighs.

“Go,” he tells him, secretly a little bit relieved that Wei Wuxian wants to remove himself from this situation and Wei Wuxian is gone faster than Jiang Cheng can blink.

Speaking to Jiang Fengmian is never pleasant, but it’s always worse when Wei Wuxian is present. It seem like the sheer existence of Wei Wuxian makes Jiang Fengmian forget that Jiang Cheng even exists and no matter how much time passes or how many therapy sessions Jiang Cheng goes to, it never stops hurting.

Nie Mingjue puts a steadying hand to the small of Jiang Cheng’s back and presses another kiss to his temple where anyone can see and Jiang Cheng loves him for how little Nie Mingjue minds all that family drama that comes with dating him.

It had been one of his big worries when they started dating, but Nie Mingjue seemingly never cared beyond hating how it always hurt Jiang Cheng and that more than anything helped Jiang Cheng to seek out help and to realize that this isn’t normal.

It isn’t normal how he tenses more and more the closer his father gets. It isn’t normal how his heart starts to beat faster when Jiang Fengmian’s eyes fall on him. And it’s certainly not normal how Jiang Cheng starts to shake when clear displeasure clouds over Jiang Fengmian’s face.

“What is the meaning of this?” he asks once he reached them and he’s not even looking at Jiang Cheng anymore.

All of Jiang Fengmian’s attention is on Nie Mingjue.

“What a surprise to see here, Mingjue,” he says and Nie Mingjue tenses with the address.

Jiang Cheng knows that Nie Mingjue hates how overly familiar Jiang Fengmian and Jin Guangshan get whenever they talk to him and so he leans just a little bit more back into Nie Mingjue’s hand.

“Fengmian,” Nie Mingjue gives back, his voice pleasant, though his jaw is clenched. “I’m here with Wanyin.”

“Wanyin,” Jiang Fengmian repeats and turns to look at Jiang Cheng as if this was the first time he noticed him next to Nie Mingjue. “You should be mingling with the Jins.”

“I should be showing my boyfriend around,” Jiang Cheng gives back, hating how there’s the tiniest shake to his voice.

“Your boyfriend,” Jiang Fengmian repeats and looks back at Nie Mingjue. “You’re colluding with the Nies?”

“I am dating a Nie,” Jiang Cheng says, forcing himself to remain calm and collected. “Which you would know if you had ever taken the time to meet my boyfriend.”

“Ah, you know how it is,” Jiang Fengmian says and Jiang Cheng hates that tone of voice, especially when it’s aimed at him. “I am a busy man and who knows how long this fling of yours will last. There’s no need to introduce us when this is bound to end sooner rather than later. I mean, Mingjue is a busy man himself. You shouldn’t hog his attention.”

It’s a reprimand that Jiang Cheng has heard several times before, in different contexts, but it still cuts him deeply. Deeply enough that he can’t even find his voice and it only worsens his mood, because he should be able to defend his boyfriend and their relationship from his own father.

“Enough about this now,” Jiang Fengmian decides as if Jiang Cheng had actually managed to say anything. “Mingjue, about that contract—” Jiang Fengmian says, his attention completely on Nie Mingjue already, and Jiang Cheng has to bite back some tears.

“I am not here for work,” Nie Mingjue bites out and takes Jiang Cheng’s hand in his. “I am here as a plus one to my boyfriend. If you really do want to talk about the contract, you should make an appointment with my secretary.”

Jiang Fengmian blinks, clearly surprised by Nie Mingjue’s firm rebuke and Nie Mingjue takes that opportunity to drag Jiang Cheng away from him.

“I know he’s your dad, but I seriously hate him,” Nie Mingjue mutters once they are out of earshot and Jiang Cheng laughs wetly.

He hates his dad sometimes, too, but he can’t bring himself to say that.

“I’m glad you’re here with me,” Jiang Cheng says, slinging his arms around Nie Mingjue’s middle and just breathing for a few moments.

“Even though I just made it more difficult for you?” Nie Mingjue wants to know, but he squeezes Jiang Cheng back.

“He would have found something to criticise me over anyway,” Jiang Cheng mutters. “It’s easier to endure when you’re there.”

“I’m not leaving you out of my sight tonight,” Nie Mingjue promises him and Jiang Cheng is just about to breathe in relief when the severe clicking of heels announces the arrival of Yu Ziyuan.

“Oh, fuck,” Jiang Cheng whispers and moves away from Nie Mingjue only to come face to face with his clearly disapproving mother.

“Is this how we make business deals now? Whoring yourself out?” she asks, clearly not caring at all who hears her and Jiang Cheng is quick to shake his head.

“Mother, this is my boyfriend, Nie Mingjue. We’ve been dating for a while,” he rushes out, hopes to salvage this situation somehow and he has to admit that he wasn’t prepared for the surprised look on her face.

“Boyfriend,” she repeats. “The boyfriend you have been trying to introduce to us several times?”

Ah, so at least she noticed his attempts.

“Yes,” Jiang Cheng meekly gives back and Nie Mingjue holds his hand out.

“Nie Mingjue, a pleasure to make your acquaintance, finally,” he says with a small smile and Yu Ziyuan only hesitates a second before she takes his hand.

“I wasn’t aware my son was dating you,” she says and Jiang Cheng flinches.

He had told her, several times actually, but of course she didn’t listen to him. She listens more to him than Jiang Fengmian, but it is still not a lot.

“I am,” Jiang Cheng says, trying to sound surer than he feels, and he can’t read the glint in his mother’s eyes at all.

There is a very long silence before Yu Ziyuan speaks again.

“If you hurt him, I will ruin you,” she says and then turns around to leave in the same manner in which she arrived.

“Was she talking to me or to you?” Jiang Cheng asks, once his mother vanishes from his sight and Nie Mingjue sighs.

“I think she actually meant me,” he gives back and then pulls Jiang Cheng into a kiss. “That actually went better than expected,” he mumbles against Jiang Cheng’s lips and Jiang Cheng has to agree.

He has anticipated his father’s disinterest in his boyfriend, so even while that had still hurt, it wasn’t unexpected. But his mother is always a little bit of a wild card and Jiang Cheng never knows what to expect with her.

“Come on, after this I need something to drink,” Nie Mingjue says once they part and Jiang Cheng couldn’t agree more.

They mingle for a bit afterwards, speaking to Lan Qiren and Lan Xichen, and even Jin Zixuan for a while before they retreat back into a relatively quiet corner.

“This wasn’t so bad so far,” Nie Mingjue says with a sigh and leans against the wall. “Being your arm candy certainly has its perks.”

“Like what?” Jiang Cheng snorts but he has to admit that having Nie Mingjue here did wonders to relax him.

“Like being able to simply walk away if someone starts to talk business to me,” Nie Mingjue gives back and threads their fingers together. “And I get to admire you all evening, so that’s a definite plus.”

“Shut up,” Jiang Cheng hisses, but he can already feel how he turns red.

“Never,” Nie Mingjue whispers and kisses Jiang Cheng’s burning cheek.

“You’re an idiot,” Jiang Cheng tells him, aiming for stern but of course he softens immediately when Nie Mingjue looks expectantly at him. “And I love you.”

“I love you, too,” is the immediate response he gets and Jiang Cheng didn’t know how nice it was to never having to wonder or wait for those words.

Nie Mingjue always makes very sure that Jiang Cheng knows just how much he’s loved.

“What the fuck is your father’s problem?” Nie Mingjue mutters suddenly, breaking Jiang Cheng out of his pleasant thoughts and he leans around Nie Mingjue to see better.

“Fuck, he had something to drink,” Jiang Cheng whispers under his breath, because Jiang Fengmian is never a pleasant person to be around—at least not if you are name Jiang Cheng—but it only ever gets worse when he had something to drink.

“I’ve got this,” Nie Mingjue decides and hands Jiang Cheng his empty glass. “Get me some more, would you?”

Jiang Cheng works his jaw a few times, but when Nie Mingjue nudges him into the opposite direction of his father he sighs. “Fine.”

Nie Mingjue gives him a winning smile before he turns around to meet Jiang Fengmian halfway and Jiang Cheng can’t help it. He knows that no matter what’s going to happen it will hurt him, but he simply has to know.

He doesn’t leave to get them new drinks.

“Mingjue, what a nice surprise,” Jiang Fengmian says, just a tad too loudly and Jiang Cheng winces. “What brings you here?”

“We already talked today,” Nie Mingjue reminds him, his hands clenching at his side.

“Oh, did we? Remind me again, then,” Jiang Fengmian says, his voice now a little bit more appropriate and he leans into Nie Mingjue’s space. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m here with your son. You know, because we’re dating?” Nie Mingjue tells him and Jiang Cheng knows what’s going to happen a split second before his father opens his mouth.

It feels like someone reached inside his chest and tore his heart out.

“Wei Wuxian? I thought he is with that Lan boy?” Jiang Fengmian says and Jiang Cheng sees how Nie Mingjue freezes.

Jiang Cheng has trouble breathing himself, but he keeps his eyes fixed on Nie Mingjue, because it’s the only safe place to look at right now.

“You piece of shit,” Nie Mingjue mutters, and before Jiang Cheng or anyone else can react, he moves.

Between one blink an the next Jiang Fengmian is on the ground, clearly knocked out cold, and Nie Mingjue is shaking out his hand as he turns around and looks for Jiang Cheng.

“Fuck, you heard,” are the first words out of Nie Mingjue’s mouth, before he rushes up to Jiang Cheng to crush him to his chest.

“You punched him,” Jiang Cheng mutters, blinking several times, because it doesn’t make sense.

His father is in on the ground and people are staring at them, but it doesn’t make sense.

“Of course I did!”

“You just punched him,” Jiang Cheng repeats and it’s only the arrival of his mother that prevents him from breaking down into hysterical laughter.

“What is going on here? Wanyin, an explanation!”

“Your husband forgot who his actual son is,” Nie Mingjue hisses at her, not letting go of Jiang Cheng and clearly not going to apologize for his actions.

“Ma’am, do you want us to call the police?” a security guard suddenly asks and Jiang Cheng tenses in Nie Mingjue’s arms.

He will not allow Nie Mingjue to get punished for this.

Jiang Cheng is about to tell his mother that when she waves them away.

“That won’t be necessary,” she says. “I think it was deserved,” she then adds, much more quietly, before she turns to the room at large. “It seems like my dear husband had a little bit too much to drink and he slipped in a rather unfortunate way,” she calls out. “Please don’t be worried and continue to enjoy the party.”

Jiang Cheng stares at her, his mouth open and it’s only when she turns back around to him and Nie Mingjue that he gets a little bit of control back.

“I think you should leave now,” she says, and Jiang Cheng isn’t sure she ever heard her sound so soft. “Well done,” she adds and pats Nie Mingjue’s arm before she goes to deal with the situation at large.

“What the hell just happened,” Jiang Cheng mutters, but he allows Nie Mingjue to pull him away from his father and from this party.

It’s only when the cold night air hits him that he starts to realize what just happened.

“You punched my father because he was an asshole to me,” Jiang Cheng whispers and Nie Mingjue grimaces.

“Well. I would do it again,” he declares as if Jiang Cheng was about to tell him to not do that again. “He deserved it.”

“He did,” Jiang Cheng agrees and then steps close to Nie Mingjue. “You punched my father for me,” he repeats and Nie Mingjue frowns.

“I can’t tell if you’re angry right now,” Nie Mingjue admits, but he puts his hands on Jiang Cheng’s hips.

“I am in absolute awe of you and I love you so much,” Jiang Cheng tells him and leans in for a biting kiss. “And I think you should take me home now.”

“Oh, so that’s how it is? Me punching your father is doing it for you?” Nie Mingjue teases him, but he starts dragging him towards their car.

“Hell, yes,” Jiang Cheng breathes out, because no one has taken such a stance for him.

“Good to know,” Nie Mingjue says. “But I’d still rather not make it a habit.”

“I think the memory will serve me well, too,” Jiang Cheng says and before Nie Mingjue can get into the car, Jiang Cheng crowds him against the side of it, tucking his face into his neck. “Seriously, thank you.”

“My heart, I love you and no one gets to behave like that when it comes to you,” Nie Mingjue says and puts his arms around Jiang Cheng. “No thanks needed.”

“Oh, I’m gonna thank you,” Jiang Cheng says with a suggestive waggle of his eyebrow and Nie Mingjue barks out a laugh.

“Alright,” he says and then they scramble into the car.

It’s a quiet ride home, despite everything, but Jiang Cheng keeps a hold of Nie Mingjue’s hand and he has to admit that he has never felt so loved before.

And he will make sure Nie Mingjue knows how much he appreciates his actions.

Link to my ko-fi on the sidebar!

[angstymdzsthoughts]

Sizhui courting Jin Ling AU - After Sizhui was turned down, Wei Wuxian returned and Guanyin temple with all its revelations happened. Sizhui took time to travel with his Ning-Shushu to properly commemorate their slaughtered family and build a cenotaph for them. And with every name, with every bit of familiar scenery and stories from Wen Ning, Sizhui remembered. Sizhui remembered how the last time he saw Sect Leader Jiang before his memory blurred together was the sight of the man storming his humble home, lightning on his hand and his sword skewering through his elderly relatives. He understood now why Hanguang-Jun had always shielded him from Jiang Zongzhu.

Sizhui went back to the Cloud Recesses and resumed his duties, the perfect Lan Head Disciple. But inside, he quietly plans. A few talks with the Headshaker, a deal struck to help the Nies with their Qi deviation problems using inherited Dafan Wen healing, a scattering of rumors here and there, a slow gathering of all the rogue cultivators Jiang Zongzhu had persecuted through the years in the name of hunting demonic cultivators. The next Discussion Conference was remembered as the one where Jiang Wanyin’s crimes to innocent civilians were revealed after weeks of unsavory rumors swirling around Yunmeng. Jin Ling tried to help his jiujiu, but with every transgression heaped up atop the Jiang sect leader, his advisors vetoed for Lanling Jin to distance themselves from Yunmeng Jiang, especially when Jiang Zongzhu lost his temper and tried to attack the witnesses brought forward by Nie Zongzhu.

Jin Ling is left to grapple with the fact that the jiujiu who raised him and loved him for so long was also someone who had actively destroyed many lives even as he held him and soothed his own nightmares. And having pushed Sizhui and Jingyi, who were essentially his only friends, away, he was alone in his struggle, sat amidst the golden columns and grand halls of his home.

.

[crossdressingdeath]

I thought of something wich I think is pretty obvious, but maybe for someone out there it isn't (like me 10 minutes ago).

Wei Wuxian can't just call every corpse to dance thriller with him. He's only able to call the resentful ones.

What I mean is that all that corpses he controls weren't buried properly (like soul calming ritual or whatever, can't remember how it's called)/had unfinished business, wich made them resentful.

Now for the other issue, cultivators literally fight these yao and resentful spirits, but they could avoid the fierce corpses entirely (or almost entirely) if they advertised proper burial and these other stuff, you know what I mean?

I know that respecting the dead and it's body is a big thing in chinese culture bc of all the ghost stories. (Madam Ew throwing insult after insult to Cangse Sanren is a huge disrespect and shows how bad her manners are)

You have the Jins being stupid too. Saying whatever and disposing the bodies of people who WILL resent them. And as cultivators they should know best. They are begging to be killed imo (and I would love to see it happen).

Anyway, just my thoughts. 💙🐇❤

...The sects do advocate for proper burial and such. Hell, they probably don't even need to; "if you don't dispose of bodies properly they'll rise from the grave and kill you" is common knowledge in this setting. Proper disposal of corpses is even more vital here than it is in the real world. But it's not always possible. The soul calming rituals don't seem to be particularly accessible (it's specifically mentioned that WWX didn't go through them despite being the closest playmate of a sect heir and head disciple of a great sect, which to me suggests either they have to be done very young or they're hard to do, and either way they're probably not something your average non-cultivator peasant has access to), and people don't always die in times or places that allow for proper burials. There's no time for funeral rites during war when you have to flee the area with whatever you can carry, for example. Water ghouls come from people who've drowned and everyone who enters the Burial Mounds (before WWX) dies; in some cases retrieving the body for proper burial would be more dangerous than taking the risk of the person coming back as a fierce corpse. And as for unfinished business, the example we get in the Gusu lectures is someone whose unfinished business involves murdering a bunch of people. Sometimes it just can't be helped! The sects can't be everywhere at once calming people's resentment before they can come back or whatever, and sometimes situations don't allow for a person to be properly laid to rest!

And yes, the Jins should and would have known better than to just dump the Wen remnants and leave. That's how we know the Lans and Nies wouldn't have been down for killing them if they'd known the truth. The Jins and Jiangs didn't have time to properly dispose of the corpses, because they had to get them out of sight before the Lans and Nies could see them and realize what they'd been part of! And honestly even aside from that, the risk of the Wens actually doing anything to the Jins or Jiangs is... pretty small. Even assuming they could get out of the Burial Mounds, they are still just fierce corpses; particularly powerful fierce corpses maybe, but still just fierce corpses and so likely could be brought down by a great sect's forces without too much trouble. So really, "begging to be killed" is overstating it a bit.

[tanoraqui]

What Does Kill You Can Make You Stronger, Too

Chapter 28: A Night at Lotus Pier

*John Mulaney voice* - accosted! - Sang Wuxiao's sacrifice - confrontation at the dock! - Lan diplomacy and the real treasure all along

Jin Ling had spent too much time in Carp Tower not to know how fast gossip could turn barbed and cruel. But this was– this was—

It just couldn’t all be true, not like everyone was saying. Not that these women were lying, Jiang Cheng surely would’ve caught them if they were lying, but they had to be mistaken somehow—Sisi had never even seen Jin Guangyao’s face! And Bicao…and most of the things they were talking about had happened ages ago, when Jin Ling was so young he could barely remember anything, so who even knew?

It was infinitely easier to think that Wei Wuxian was secretly good than that Jin Guangyao was secretly evil. Wei Wuxian had saved Jin Ling’s mother, after all, even if he’d also...done everything else. But Jin Guangyao was Jin Ling’s shushu. He’d been there all Jin Ling’s life, smiling gently, straightening Jin Ling’s robes before banquets and gifting him his first bow and letting Jin Ling sit in his office while he did important sect paperwork, so long as Jin Ling stayed quiet— He’d given Jin Ling Fairy, for goodness’ sake, who was his best friend in the world!

Though Wei Wuxian had also said that it was Jin Guangyao who—

Jiang Yanli was missing, and that was the real problem. Everyone was just talking, even Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian, while Jin Ling’s mother was missing, was kidnapped and imprisoned. Jin Ling was still tired from the battles at the Burial Mounds, but if he just found his mother again, the guilt and anxiety clawing their way up his throat would fade back into nonexistence, and she’d have an explanation for everything else.

“What are they saying?” Lan Jingyi whispered loudly.

Jin Ling jerked his ear away from the door to glare at him, and at the small crowd of junior disciples tucked into the hallway behind him. Mostly from Jiang Sect, but they’d also picked up a couple Nies and Yus, plus Wu Ji, Sang Wuxiao, and that Jiao boy whose name it was probably too late to ask at this point. Awkward. Weirdly, even though Lan Jingyi was here, Lan Sizhui was nowhere in sight.

[keep reading on AO3]

[satan-chillin]

Preface

Wei Wuxian puffed up his cheeks, waving his words dismissively. “Still not fair.” He poked the stick on the same spot he burrowed. “If I’m to build a school, I won’t bother with a thousand rules, or even a hundred.” He sent Nie Mingjue a glance before his eyes darted back to the dirt. “For one thing, I won’t punish anyone who simply defended my family’s honor.”

Nie Mingjue was quiet for a while. “You heard.”

In retrospect, it's a bit of an odd start of a friendship.

(Or: in which Nie Minjue is the Second Young Master Nie)

Also available in Ao3

When Nie Mingjue marched straight to Lan Qiren to meet his punishment for his committed infraction, he did so with upright posture and squared shoulders. 

  The disciples who had witnessed the incident quickly avoided his path. The expression on his face that, frankly, Nie Mingjue had no idea what looked like either, was enough for them to turn away their shocked gazes to gape instead at the spot he just left. 

  Nie Mingjue had felt a peculiar sense of calm that he usually couldn’t achieve with hours of meditation. Baxia, who had been previously irritated to be left alone in his quarters, purred her satisfaction and glee through their shared connection like a faint thrum of strings at the back of his head. 

  He announced his presence to Lan Qiren and did not waste time to explain what happened once granted entry. Respectfully, Nie Mingjue ignored the bafflement from his usually stern instructor. Lan Qiren cleared his throat, recovering the next moment as he gestured for him to stand up from his bow and ordering him to spend the whole evening kneeling to mull over the Gusu Lan rule he had broken.

  Nie Mingjue was prepared to copy the rules by hand, with a handstand or otherwise; it was as if he was being let off easily. Lan Qiren must have sensed his doubt, adding that it was simply a reflection for the both of them. He admitted that even he wasn’t certain what was the appropriate punishment to inflict, and if he understood that Nie Mingjue acted in righteous defense, he didn’t voice it. Nie Mingjue would know the following morning what was to be done with him. 

  He came across Lan Xichen on his way, bowed his greeting, and promptly excused himself to begin his reflection, tightlipped despite the warm and open, if a bit concerned, expression by Zewu-jun that was seemingly imploring him to talk to him. Nie Mingjue had no relationship with the older man to speak of, unlike his older brother who he might have been close friends with at some point, but he knew enough of Zewu-jun's character to believe that he would listen. 

  He was still in hearing distance to catch Lan Xichen and Lan Qiren discussing his visit when he went on his way. 

  Nie Mingjue hit the gravel resolutely, unminding as the points dug against his pristine disciple robes and the skin of his knees and legs. He folded his hands on his lap and began to meditate, mind carefully easing into a state of tranquility where he drifted back to the smell of pines, of ink, and of lemons and chai. 

  He thought of the few hours on a pleasant day spent on a low table across from his older brother, with a particularly aromatic tea between them, or, if Nie Mingjue was given the chance, his latest shabby attempt on the spicy braised pork. The latter was usually accompanied by his sullen recollection of the cook's fussy distress at his presence in the kitchen, much to his older brother's amusement time and time again. 

  Nie Mingjue tried not to think of the latest letter from home. A night hunt was all his brother said in his missive written in the special ink reserved for subjects only he was privy of. Although Nie Minjue took pride that he held his brother's confidence and was not being left in the dark with the pretense of protecting him from the truth, he couldn't help the same measure of apprehension for the message and the underlying meaning of it. 

  He knew what night hunt his brother spoke of. 

  It was a considerable number of hours later, with the dawn already at his back, when Nie Mingjue paused, looking past his shoulder at the slight noise. He heard someone sighing in disappointment at being discovered. 

  "Do you have eyes at the back of your head or something?" Wei Wuxian muttered as he went beside him to imitate his pose. At the noncommittal grunt he received in return, he pouted. 

  Nie Minjue was tempted to say that Wei Wuxian wasn't exactly the subtlest of people, but that could be taken as an invitation for mischief. Then again, if Lang Wangji's silence wasn't enough to deter Wei Wuxian, Nie Mingjue's wouldn't be an exception. The fact that Wei Wuxian was being punished, again, was already an omen. 

  He watched as Wei Wuxian's attention was immediately on the lying twig which he poked the gravel with, burrowing a hole on the ground. 

  “What is it this time?” Nie Mingjue asked; Wei Wuxian’s presence wasn’t a prelude to a quiet evening, after all. Certainly not when he would eventually lament missing dinner. 

  “Broke the barrier past curfew,” Wei Wuxian chirped. At Nie Mingjue’s scoff, he defensively added, “Hey, I’m only a minute late.”

  “You don’t see the rule allowing a minute of grace period either.”

  “Yeah, well, that’s inconsiderate.” Wei Wuxain crossed his arms defiantly. “What if you were supposed to get back right on time but got caught up with something important?”

  “Like what exactly?” 

  “Oh, I don’t know, like when you lost your pass and you have to retrace your steps where you might have lost it.” 

  “That’s negligence,” Nie Mingjue said. “Hardly anyone’s fault but yours.”

  Wei Wuxian puffed up his cheeks, waving his words dismissively. “Still not fair.” He poked the stick on the same spot he burrowed. “If I’m to build a school, I won’t bother with a thousand rules, or even a hundred.” He sent Nie Mingjue a glance before his eyes darted back to the dirt. “For one thing, I won’t punish anyone who simply defended my family’s honor.” 

  Nie Mingjue was quiet for a while. “You heard.”

  “It’s what everyone’s talking about when I came in,” Wei Wuxian said simply. “Ah, I didn’t believe it at first until I heard it from a Lan disciple. Be proud that you made someone break the no gossiping rule there. And good job decking that prat by the way. Just when I think pompousness is the only quality the Jins share.” He pointed the stick at him and grinned. “And just when I thought all you Nies are aggressive and hotheaded.”

  There was no stopping Nie Mingjue’s snort at that. “I proved your point then.”

  Wei Wuxian made a noncommittal noise. “I’m not sure you can call that fighting in the first place. He insulted your brother, a sect leader, and you knocked him out for it. It’s a clear-cut situation. If anything, I think he got off easy. If you are what the rumors said then he’d be crawling back to Jinlintai with broken legs.”  

  Well, that was new. Nie Mingjue was used to people believing he was a kettle nearing a boiling point, someone who was prone to lashing out and was slow to forgive. Their impression got better as he grew older, broader, and bigger. He was never out of place among cousins and distant kins. Nie Mingjue belonged with the men that served the Nie Sect. Instead, they called him proud—and he was—and someone quick to anger but fair; a young man who had the qualities that made a perfect Nie. 

  Just like his father before him and so unlike his older brother, they would say. Why wasn’t the second son born first? 

  Stifling down his ire at hearing those common words led to him developing longer patience and fewer thoughts on wanting to smack those who thought his older brother was any less of a man for being sickly and of a delicate constitution as they were led to believe. Because his older brother never made an appearance in public since his supposed qi deviation subsequent to the death of their father and his ascension as the sect leader behind closed doors, it was equated as having a weak leader. 

  A pushover, Nie Mingjue had called him when he hadn’t known any better, young and impatient as he had been. A boy grieving for his dead father and an older brother who no longer had the time to spare for him. He had had the mind to repeat the insulting names that he had heard in passing, words that he hadn’t initially believed until Wen Ruohan dared to establish a supervisory office in their border unhindered. Nie Mingjue remembered the fury at the slight, but what he remembered being furious for was Nie Huaisang letting the insult be. 

  It wasn’t until he stormed his older brother’s private chamber to personally bring his and the restless people’s grievance that he stopped and considered what he truly knew of the matter. 

  Nie Mingjue recalled that day with vivid clarity: his older brother sitting behind a low table with strewn papers and documents surrounding him. He looked older, his face sharper and withdrawn with dark circles underneath his eyes, eyes that were familiar to smiles and held gentleness for small animals and a younger brother who was rather tall for his age but who he called precious nonetheless. 

  There was a storm of anger for the brief moment that Nie Mingjue stood there to take the sight of Nie Huaisang, who, contrary to popular belief, was not bedridden and was moving about. Easily, his older brother smiled at Nie Mingjue brightly and melted whatever hurt and rage he might have in his chest. Nie Mingjue should have been mad, should have felt betrayed that his brother was hiding from him, but his brother was alright all along and wasn’t in imminent danger of leaving him alone and that was all that mattered to the lonely boy that was Nie Mingjue. 

  He had not understood then why he was asked for his secrecy of his brother’s true state, but he agreed. Pleased, Nie Huaisang embraced him tightly. “You’re the only one I can trust, A-Jue,” was whispered to him. 

  Then, on the third evening that followed, Nie Mingjue, in what he had thought was a lucid dream, was led by the hand by his older brother. They walked sedately, unminding of anyone who might recognize them in the middle of the night a good distance from the Qishan Wen border. When asked about their destination, Nie Huaisang smiled serenely at him and squeezed his hand. 

  Within the hour, the mountainside blazed in a fiery light that burned on Nie Mingjue’s sight and mind, as if a Fire God had come down to rain down its wrath that swallowed that damned supervisory office whole. Nie Mingjue returned to sleep dreaming of the fire and his older brother apologizing softly for missing out on his eleventh birthday. 

  No one knew. No one knew what Nie Huaisang truly was capable of. Oh, they were right that they were not alike despite their shared blood. Where Nie Mingjue would rather be direct and face an enemy head-on, his brother worked in the shadows to take revenge bit by bit at their father’s murderer and who never received credit for the victories he perpetrated as stepping stones to his ultimate goal. 

  “It’s enough for me that you know,” Nie Huaisang would say, and all the more Nie Mingjue loved and admired him for it. 

  Where Nie Mingjue began to make a name for himself in leading successful night hunts in haunted forests and abandoned villages, Nie Huaisang’s hunting ground was in Wen outposts and prison encampments. Where Nie Mingjue was famed for his skill with the saber at a young age, Nie Huaisang was capable of tricks and deception through his creativity with paints and expertise in subtle performance. He could appear either as a noble or a commoner, a local or a foreigner, or as an older man or a young woman. The latter which Nie Mingjue had admittedly taken the time to get used to.   

  Nie Mingjue could only wish he was half the man his older brother was, therefore striving to be the heir that Sect Leader Nie could be proud of. His older brother sent him to the Cloud Recesses to study with the very intention of letting Nie Mingjue have the experience of attending lectures with his peers ( you’re young, A-Jue, make friends and enjoy your youth while you still can ), and while he understood making connections who he could form alliances with later, now that war was seemingly inevitable in the near future, it didn’t mean that Nie Mingjue wouldn’t try to be the best of his generation. He was looking forward to sending a letter of his full marks to his brother soon—if a letter about what had transpired earlier wouldn’t reach him first. 

  At his periphery, he caught Wei Wuxian observing him, uncharacteristically silent. When Nie Mingjue raised an eyebrow, he sighed. “Shame I wasn’t there. I would have cheered for you.”

  “Not worth the trouble,” Nie Mingjue muttered with a twitch of a smile. It was hard not to around Yungmeng Jiang’s head disciple, he found during his minimal interactions with him. The most notable perhaps was when he had invited him, drunk, for a ‘communal reading experience’ that Nie Mingjue had not bothered to find the meaning of before dumping him back to his shared quarters with Jiang Wanyin who had been utterly mortified that evening and had been relieved that it hadn’t been Lan Wangji who had found his foster brother. 

  “If it was me, they’d have to pry me from that bastard who badmouthed anyone from my family,” Wei Wuxian declared, hitting his fist with an open palm. “I don’t blame you. Lan Qiren shouldn’t either. And if Sect Leader Jin has sense, he won’t make much of a fuss about it. It wasn’t his peacock of a son at least, so there’s that.” 

  Peacock of a son… “Jin Zixuan?” 

  “Mmh. That one doesn’t know shijie’s worth. If he’s also the one who insulted your brother, all the more reason to kick his ass.” 

  Nie Mingjue doubted that Jin Guangshan’s son would lack propriety, but he was familiar with protectiveness over siblings, something he could empathize with Wei Wuxian. 

  "Of course," he humored. 

  Wei Wuxian proved to be a distraction from what started as an onerous mood with his jovial personality and penchant for mischief that he was determined to involve Nie Mingjue in. While Nie Mingjue would gladly take his punishment, he didn't have to particularly look forward to it. Perhaps, though, tomorrow wouldn't be so bad with Wei Wuxian who liked to run a commentary on almost everything about the Cloud Recesses, why Yunmeng was infinitely better, and why the Second Jade of Lan would benefit with smiling more. The last one was a peculiar subject that made way to Wei Wuxian's recollection of his antics so far in Gusu, which were a lot, as it turned out. Nie Mingjue barely knew and heard half of it. 

  His older brother might have meant to say that he was to get acquainted with responsible young masters and disciples and not troublemakers, but if this was a start of a friendship… then Nie Mingjue wasn't about to complain.  

[drwcn]

I can’t wait for more of your discordance au, I’m a sucker for angsty wangxian! I’m actually really curious about what’s going on with Lan Xichen the whole time he’s gone. Is he recovering for all that time or is there some political plot he needs to take care of? I saw that courtesan Meng Yao tag too which makes me even more intrigued 👀👀👀

Awww you guys >:) Thank you so much for the encouragement. 

Unfortunately, Xichen and Huaisang are not a pair. The hidden agenda of this fic is xiyao (lol sorrah), and I know people tend to feel either YAY or NAY about xiyao so I’ve totally separated the wangixan and xiyao part. You can read one without the other and it wouldn’t make much of a difference at all. At best Meng Yao is mentioned in end of the later wangxian parts once or twice. 

I love Xiyao because I think it’s full of possibilities. Obviously canon!xiyao is tragic and problematic af, but this is an au, so... I do ...what I...want? Meng Yao in this au is his own worst nightmare - a courtesan, and Zewu-jun is the handsome polite gentlemanly amnesiac he saves. 

Below cut are more reasons why Lan Qiren longs for the sweet release of an early qi deviation (arc synopsis of lan xichen & meng yao’s half of the story). 

Lan Xichen’s Arc: where politics turned deadly.

Well, just because Wen Ruohan isn’t a thing doesn’t meant the Yin Irons aren’t a thing. Is there political bullshit waiting to happen? Absolutely. Except our protagonists are proactive this time. 

For months, both Qinghe and Gusu have been getting reports of strange sightings along their Lanling borders. NMJ and LXC have been investigating, and they suspect that JGS may have had something to do with it. Prior to Lan Xichen’s disappearance, he was getting close to finding out the truth. 

What happened was this: 

Xue Yang (who will exist solely in other people’s narration) had killed the Changs and taken a piece of the Yin Iron. Upon capture, XXC and SL (both alive and well and doing their own thing) delivered him to the Chief Cultivator, thinking justice has been served. (Lol. no.). Once JGS got his hands on one of those, he began to plan world domination bad things with it and shit started acting fucky right away, eliciting the suspicion and subsequent investigations of the Lans and Nies. 

Jin Guangshan does wonder how his secrets are being leaked, but he doesn’t get to find out until the end. 

Lan Xichen, on his part, is fairly sure of what’s been causing the appearances of these so called “fierce corpses”. He knows about Lan Yi’s barrier in the Cold Cave, and suspects someone has gotten their hands on a piece of the Yin Iron. Both he and Nie Mingjue suspect Jin Guangshan, and have been quietly collecting proof. 

Jin Guangshan, not about to be defeated so easily, sets up a trap and ambushes Lan Xichen during one of his investigations. LXC was in “plain clothes” as part of the investigation, because it’s dumb to go around investigating dressed as the Sect Leader of Gusu Lan, but during the ambush, Lan Xichen loses Liebing and Shuoyue in the process.  The only thing he has on him is Shuoyue’s sheath when he is found by Meng Yao. 

When Lan Xichen wakes up, he doesn’t remember anything or who he is. He sees a pretty young man who introduces himself as Lianfang. Lan Xichen was wearing blue when he was found, so “Liangfang” calls hims A-Lan. 

Meng Yao’s tragic back story that’s actually tragic:

The bullshit - er, the story - as always, starts with Meng Yao getting kicked down the steps at Jinlintai by his Ho™ of a dad Jin Guangshan. In this universe, Jin Guangshan isn’t just a rich powerful Sect Leader, but also the Chief Cultivator. If anything, he has more reason than ever to make sure Meng Yao isn’t around to besmirch his good name (not that he has any good name to bismirch).

Claiming Meng Yao to be a liar, Jin Guangshan ordered his goons to have Meng Yao “taken care of”, but before that could happen, Madam Jin had come out to see what was the commotion. This was Zixuan’s birthday celebration after all, everything had to be perfect. 

What she saw certainly enraged her, but her husband was about to kill a boy, possibly his own son, spill blood on their son’s day of birth celebration. Such cosmic bad karma she couldn’t possibly accept. “You don’t have to kill him, you absolute buffoon, just make sure he never comes back here!” 

She meant buy his silence with money but Jin Guangshan had a more permanent solution.

Before the day’s out, Meng Yao was sold to a brothel, and was told “that’s where you belong”.  Once, perhaps, he had dreamed about gaining the love of his father, but no longer. Now he simply wants his father ruined and dismembered. 

But first he has to live. 

The madam of the brothel had a keen eye for “good merchandise”, and one good look at young Meng Yao with those big eyes, delicate frame and dimples and she knew she could make big bucks off of him. 

(And before anyone asks how old MY is here, the answer is: young. One of the many reasons why I would personally like to volunteer to stab JGS until it looks like he’s been cursed with the Thousand Holes Curse.) 

The first couple of years were decidedly grim for MY. He was kept away from customers (mercifully), but he was a brutally trained in the art of dance and music. They kept him fed enough to dance but not too much to “ruin his figure”. His instructors quickly found that the youth was a quick study and got up no matter how many times he was trampled on (literally and metaphorically). It was no secret that life was gruesome, but Meng Yao survived. Meng Yao made his debut. Meng Yao became famous.

The establishment where he made his debut renamed him Lianfang - to collect/gather fragrance - and so from then on, he became Lianfang-gongzi. Soon, his art (and other stuff) caught the eye of an obliging patron who purchased him from the madam. 

The patron, by all accounts, was a brute of man who had more appreciation for the liquor in his cup than the arts, but he was a cultivator, wealthy enough, connected to many other cultivator gentry familiues, and most importantly, led a subsidiary clan of the Chief Cultivator. As his prized courtesan and dancer, Meng Yao served at his whim, entertained at his parties and made happy his friends, all of whom were practicing cultivators or at the very least connected to the cultivation realm. 

Our evil gremlin would not be our evil gremlin if he didn’t make the best of every situation. Meng Yao quickly discovered that not only was he particularly talented at getting people to divulge information to him, but that men were significantly uninhibited after sex and alcohol. Armed with a sweet face, an eidetic memory, and a hate inside him that longed to see Jin Guangshan severed limp by limp, he began his revenge plot. 

(Here, I took inspiration from Nirvana in Fire’s character Princess Xuanji of the fallen Hua kingdom who was sold into servitude but established Hong’xiu’zhao, a spy network of girls/women who either worked as courtesans or secondary spouses of noblemen. Her goal was to create chaos and dissension within the royal court and government, like mites eating away at a large tree from within.) 

Meng Yao amassed an enormous amount of intels on gentry families and evidences of the many underhanded conducts of the Chief Cultivator himself. He did this through his own work and through the other women working in his network, all of whom have been wrongfully aggrieved in some way. He promised them that one day he would help them to freedom. 

For five years he’s been collecting secrets of gentry families, and had been stirring discord for three, weakening their cohesiveness, and using their growing animosity to weaken Jin Guangshan’s control on his subordinates. Naturally, Meng Yao heard about Xue Yang and the Yin Iron. It was also him who had been drawing attention to it for the other major sects. 

Meng Yao doesn’t know Lan Xichen is the Sect Master of Gusu Lan, but he has no interest in hurting a man from nowhere. “You can stay here with me until you are better. After that, I’m afraid I’ll have to ask you to be on your way.”

Physically Lan Xichen recovered quickly, but when it was clear his memories wouldn’t be coming back, Meng Yao allowed him to stay. 

The rest, as they say, is history. 

~

Meng Yao has been Lianfang, been the famed courtesan, for longer than he cares to remember. He’s been had, used, and passed around by so many men that their faces are just blurried sillouettes in his memory. And yet, he’s never felt for a moment that he belonged to any of them, not even his patron, who possessed his contract and could resell him back to a lesser establishment and ruin him in a heartbeat. 

But when A-Lan held him in his eyes, warm and dark like a summer’s night, without judgement or expectations, only gentle sweetness and a fond regard, Meng Yao could almost pretend he was just A-Yao, the name whispered reverently by those soft lips. The hand that held his moved to stroke his cheek, almost shy, and Meng Yao realized with a fearful pang that if this man from nowhere with nothing were to ask, Meng Yao could most definitely become his. 

The thought scared him more than he was willing to admit. 

~

The message delivered by the pigeon was clear. Meng Yao crumbled the slip of paper in his hand, then set it aflame in the candlelight. 

The man who’s been living with him for the past four months, who he knew as A-Lan, who he trusted enough to take to bed, was the Sect Master of Gusu Lan: Lan Huan, Lan Xichen.

Zewu-jun.  

Everyone, even a non-cultivator such as himself, has heard of Gusu’s Wei Wuxian, Lan Xichen’s young widower, left alone after not even six months of marriage. 

But if even he wasn’t married, Lan Xichen could never accept him as he was, no matter now much his personal desire wanted him. 

His hands shook. He balled them into fists. 

Meng Yao should’ve known... he should’ve known it was too good to be true. 

No matter, he told himself. This too, is an opportunity, perhaps the only one I will ever have. I will use it to destroy Jin Guangshan once and for all. 

~

Lan Xichen made his way to the window, and gazed out into the courtyard where A-Yao was reading under the willow tree. 

You should go home, a voice inside him said. Go home to relief Wangji of his burden, to release Wuxian from his mourning. Go back to the seat of Sect Master and the responsibilities waiting for you. 

One more day, another voice fought back. Just one more day. 

He doesn’t leave for another month. 

[aki-draws-things]

NaNoWriMo 2020 #09

That fic should have some warning tags for implied rape and abuse, (and i’ve tagged it.) but rest assured i didn’t described a single thing. I don’t write smut so I’ll just limit myself to let it be implied it happened.

As the other chapters too, characters are most definitely OOC. I won’t use the Nano challenge to make a study on them and figure out their voices, I just let the stories come out, I still wish to apologize for that. I’m still trying my best to make those fics nice and entraining enough.

(Next three days will be connected and finally angst will punch us straight in the face! :D Is someone ready as I am?)

Day: 09/11/2020

Prompt: dirty secret

Ship: None official

Word Count: 2192

"Shi-ge!" if anyone would connect the excited voice to the one and only uptight Jin ZiXuan, that wouldn't be the Jiang siblings. None of them, even though Jiang YanLi always said that there was more than a stern look underneath, but it was her heart speaking, her brothers were sure of that. They turned in time to see Nie HuaiSang and Jin ZiXuan colliding against a taller man who easily grabbed them before they could risk tumbling over. That was a weird sight, mad weirder by the knowledge that nothing strange went around cloud recesses to make them act like that. Well, perhaps nie HuaiSang had a valid reason to behave like that, they found out a little later, the man was, in fact, his older brother, leader of the Nie sect. Yes, huaisang could act like that and throw himself at him. But the Jin peacock? 

When he was little, Jin ZiXuan, knew nothing about hate. Many people seemed to despise and hate his father and he couldn't figure out the reason not even . if he tried. Maybe he wasn't the most open and affectionate man, maybe he didn't spend much time with his family as other fathers did, but that wasn't enough to hate him. 

Then one day two boys were taken in Jinlintai, dressed in a dusty dark gray robe the older and a cream one the younger who looked roughly his age, his father said they would now live there and Zixuan nodded eagerly. He would finally have someone to play with that wasn't his annoying cousin. But why did  the two boys look so sad? Didn't they like the palace? Or their rooms? Or the new, better clothes? Jin zixuan was confused. 

The older one locked in his room for hours, studying dutifully. Or he went to the training ground among the older Jin disciples, with a sword much bigger than theirs, and trained until the sun set and the younger one left their plays to run fetch him and drag him back to his room. Back and forth. Every day. 

He scowled and snarled angrily at his father for reasons Jin zixuan didn't understand. Maybe their parents never taught them to be polite? But he was so kind and caring with his little brother. 

"A-die and A-niang are gone." the younger, Huaisang, explained to him once. 

"gone? Gone where? Are they coming back?" 

Huaisang scrolled his shoulders. 

"I don't know. Da-ge always says gone." 

It would take a couple more years for him to understand what gone meant. His lips trembled as he tried not to cry. 

"why are you crying?" the older, mingjue, asked. "it's not your family to be dead." 

"but it's sad, shi-ge…" he bawled softly against his chest. Huaisang crawled on him and hid his face against the neck over the golden robes. "I don't like shi-ge and shidi sad." Huaisang started crying too and soon enough nie mingjue found himself having to pick both of them in his arms and go back to the palace.

"then stop crying, silly boy." 

One thing Jin guangshan didn't know the day he gladly took the two nie boys in his sect was the truth about the older one. He didn't complain when the Nie sect elders came to him and asked for his protection after their master died too early, on the contrary. Having some sort of power over Qinghe would make him greater, even  almost compared to the wen sect now. He was surprised the older son of the Nie leader didn't take over his sect. He was Sixteen, old enough to lead them. Or so the world thought. The elders gave him vague answers, how nie mingjue while having a high cultivation was unfit to lead them, really, Jin guangshan never complained. He couldn't see the unfitting things they supposedly talked about but it was fine for him. He had power, he was in control of one of the main sects and he only had to thank wen ruohan for that. In the public eyes he was going to teach nie mingjue and raise him to become one day the great leader he was. In truth he meant to keep his grasp on Qinghe for as long as possible and there was an easy way to ensure that.

A child. 

It had been two years since the Nie brothers came to Lanling and jin guangshan secretly took great pride and pleasure in having unfold one of the greatest secrets the Nies were keeping. The younger one, with his poor cultivation and his innocent mind, with his liking for pretty songbirds and for arts was in fact, a young girl. 

Still too young, he reminded himself, but in a couple of years she would be old enough to bear his children and at that point her brother could do nothing but leave the power to him if he didn't want all the affair to be exposed. 

Yes, Jin guangshan prided himself in his knowledge. 

But when he went to inform nie mingjue of said knowledge and his plans he almost didn't believe his eyes. 

He almost lost his eyes to a double hairpin. 

It took him a couple of minutes to realize he had been wrong, that explained even better the reasons nie mingjue didn't take his clan in hand. He couldn't. The Nie sect, just as most of the main sects, had always been led by men. Lan Yi tried once, but never succeeded. Leading wasn't a woman's duty after all. They were weak. Unfit. 

"get out before I carve your eyes out." he, she, threatened him, chest now covered with a loose robe and fresh clean bandages scattered over the bed. Jin guangshan should have been afraid, he knew the strength nie mingjue had all too well, he saw him her defeat his best disciples in training, even the older ones. And look at that. She was a girl. 

Jin guangshan barely remembered nie MingJue's mother, she was undoubtedly strong, and her eyes had a gold hue when she was angry. Mingjue probably took her high cultivation from her. Still, unfit to leadership. 

"You won't." he simply said. Closed the door behind himself and took a step closer looking closer at the body before him. She was pretty, after all. Perhaps with the right kind of clothing it would be easy to hide the larger shoulders, a different hairstyle would make her look more feminine, even eligible for marriage. 

His plansw changed. 

"I was wrong." he admitted, a hand reaching to take a strand of hair. Nie mingjue stepped back. "you know, I thought little huaisang was the girl, I would have never imagined. But now that I know I notice all the little things. It's quite obvious." 

"no it's not." nie mingjue growled. “There’s nothing obvious because you don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Defensive, Jin GuangShan thought. Desperate to keep herself safe. She wouldn’t be easy to tame, too wild, just as most Nies, but the reward would be even greater if, when, he would succeed.

“Oh, but I’m not here to judge you, Miss Nie. - Nie MingJue sprinted forward, he pushed Jun GuangShan against the wall hand held a hairpin between his eyes, definitely not afraid to use it. He remained calm. - I can understand why you never mentioned it. You, a woman, unable to lead your clan at your father’s too early death. Your brother, still too little, his cultivation too poor. The Nie Sect is destined to fall.”

Nie MingJue wasn't to speak back, to say once more he was a man, no matter what his body would say, he had always been a man ever since he had memory, and as such both his parents and HuaiSang's mother raised him. As the one he truly was.

“Sometimes the reincarnation cycle get messed up a little. Sometimes the heavens like to test our strength in order to make us stronger.”

“Why do they like it? It’s not fun! It’s painful.” Nie MingJue complained.

“Because they have yet to learn, - His father said fastening a braid on his head. - That us humans will find a way to defy them. There’s nothing wrong in the way you are or you feel.”

“It’s unbalanced.”

“And then you find your own way to balance it. Show them not to mess up with us Nies.” Yue HuangShui laughed and Nie MingJue followed their worlds ever since.

“But I have a way to prevent it.” Jin GuangShan’s voice brought him back to reality. There was something in his look that MingJue didn’t like, something that screamed at him bot to trust him.

“What?” His voice came out strangled and almost shy, he shuddered as the Jin Leader moved closer, his hand opening the robe just enough to expose his skin.

“A rightful heir.”

Nie MingJue always cried more than his little brother Huaisang, that was common knowledge for most people who knew them. He did his best to look stern when outside in public, he took every hit and every hint and let them build up inside of him only to explode when he was finally alone.

“Rightful my ass.” He muttered in anger and frustration some months later when he found his usual robe was too tight and uncomfortable and he settled for something loose.

“If he dares to set foot in the Unclean Realms I’m going to throw him down the walls.” He threw a warmer robe over his shaking shoulders, as he emptied a bowl outside. His qi rattled along with his anger and he ended up feeling sick once more.

Maybe in that way he would get rid of — No.

He fell on his knees, hands pressed over his mouth in shock. How could he even think that? What kind of monster would ever think that.tears fell and he curled up on himself.

“Shi-ge, do you still feel sick? Do I have to call a healer?” He yelled at Jin ZiXuan too Levi him alone.

“Da-ge you need to eat something.” Nie Huaisang put his head inside the room and looked at where his brother was curled on the floor. “I have soup.”

“And fruit.” ZiXuan chimed in, a plate held carefully on a tray next to a steaming bowl. “I’ve asked A-Fu to cut some bunnies in the apples!”

“I’m not hungry.” They left the tray inside the room and with a look at each other they left.

“Shi-ge…” Jin ZiXuan called sleepily. “Jue-gege…” He poked at his cheek until he finally woke up to find the young Jin heir with a consumed candle and a blanket standing next to his bed, Huaisang sleeping soundly on his own bed against the wall.

“What A-Xuan?” He yawned and the boy climbed on the bed next to him holding the blanket at his chest.

“Do you like A-Xuan?” Nie MingJue nodded, not in the right mood for that kind of conversation, and neither was ZiXuan, both too sleepy for that.

“Will you like Meimei too?”

“How can you say it will be a little girl?” He asked, voice softening as ZiXuan bended over and curled over his chest and stomach.

“No stealing Da-ge…” Huaisang slurred climbing on the now crowded bed and fast falling back asleep.

“I’d like a little sister. - He revealed closing his eyes. - but a little brother would be nice too. A-Xuan will like him anyway. A lot lot.”

When the time came Nie MingJue almost refused to look at the little things crying at the top of her lungs. He managed to ignore her for three whole minutes before feeling his chest tight at her cries and gathering her in his arms where she settled comfortably.

“She’s so pretty.” Jin ZiXuan nodded in agreement with huaisang, his finger held in her tiny hand without the intention of letting go. She was going to be a Nie, MingJue said. She would never be a Jin, she wouldn’t grow up in Lanling but in Qinghe, she would never be one of the many bastards and, even more importantly, she would never be recognized as Jin GuangShan’s daughter.

“But she’s still your Meimei.” He assured to a mildly worried ZiXuan who, in answer, hugged her little arm and brushed his cheek against her head like HuaiSang always used to do in affection.

A young girl in dark gray robes ran from behind Nie MingJue and threw herself at Jin ZiXuan who promptly caught her.

“Da-ge! I want to show you something when you come to Qinghe!” She exclaimed excitedly before throwing herself in the same fashion at Nie huaisang who, while trying to catch her, tumbled on the grass with her arms secured around his neck.

“I’ve heard some things from Huaisang during this past months.” Jin ZiXuan said, his voice vague. “About a proper Master Nie who tamed the great beast of the mountains.” Nie MingJue barely hid a smile gathering the little girl on his arm and dragging HuaiSang back on his feet.

“Can we expect a new little brother?”

[thebiscuiteternal]

So because I can never leave well enough alone, the Reverse Nies timeline I used as the basis for Sacrificial may end up getting more stories. So I’m collecting some of my notes here.

To begin with the most basic element, the five-sixish year age gap remains the same. Huaisang had just turned fifteen and Mingjue was nine when Huaisang was forced to kill their dad in his sleep after he had attacked Mingjue in a qi deviation-induced rage and Huaisang realized there was no coming back from that.

Mingjue at nine hasn’t yet his his major growth spurt and is six months away from acquiring Baxia, but he’s still almost Huaisang’s height and he will bite. He hasn’t missed the looks Sect Leaders Wen and Jin have been giving his absolutely-did-not-ask-for-any-of-this Sang-ge, and if they don’t back the fuck off, he’s gonna start war early by castrating them both.

Huaisang is... aware of the unwanted attention, but he downplays it. Sect Leader Jin is... well, Sect Leader Jin, and he assumes that Sect Leader Wen is just trying to provoke them into reacting and losing face by making accusations they can’t prove. In the latter case, he’s only partially right.

Mingjue might still start war early because even though Huaisang tried to protect him from the grisly details, he still knows that Dad’s Saber Shattered On A Night Hunt + Wen Ruohan Was On That Night Hunt And Hates Dad = I’m Gonna Murder That Bastard.

Because of being forced into sect leader duties, Huaisang never goes to the lessons taught at Gusu Lan. He would kill to have some time to himself, but as it is, he barely gets the chance to eat, sleep, and make sure his birds don’t die. Mingjue has thankfully decided that the training fields are his domain (and the disciples are charmed enough to allow it) or he’d be even busier.

When war does break out, they make a pretty effective team. Despite being only seventeen, Mingjue is a beast on the battlefield and an excellent commander, while Huaisang handles all the logistics of supplies, security, and refugees with efficiency that surprises anyone not in the sect.

Mingjue is still the one who meets Meng Yao first, and he basically goes “Oh, you’re smart and good with numbers, my brother will probably cry and hug you if you’ll take some of the load off him.” And Meng Yao is like “O...kay?” because naturally he sees all these jock-ass Nies and is trying to imagine one of them brought to tears by paperwork. And then he actually meets Huaisang and is like “O-kay. I want to completely wreck you.” at first sight.

And that’s all I’ve got so far!

[hyperfixatedonmdzs]

Even when the fangs come out (I’m only human)

Ao3 | Chapter One | Chapter Two

Chapter Three: Revelation (aka the exposition chapter)

Lan Wangji woke slowly, on a sagging mattress. It took several tries to open his eyes, but there was little point in the darkness. His limbs were heavy as he tried to sit up, his arms barely supporting his weight. His head spun as movement in the darkness caught his eye.

“Lan Zhan?” Wei Wuxian’s voice was gentle. Hesitant. It made Lan Wangji’s heart skip a beat.

“Wei Ying?” He tried to rise more but dropped back, sitting against the wall.

“Are you… How do you feel?” Lan Wangji paused. How did he feel? Heavy, and tired, like he could sleep for a week. Like the world is shifting under him but he can’t see how. Is neck twinged, for some reason.

“Fine.” He feels Wei Wuxian crouch in front of him, reaching out but not quite making it all the way.

“What do you remember?” He frowns lightly, thinking. What had happened? He was on his near-nightly search for Wei Ying. He’d visited an area he hadn’t tried yet, one of the few, and… And he’d found him! In some kind of drug house? But he’d found Wei Ying! And then… He searched his memory, head full of cotton.

“I found you,” he answered. Wei Wuxian takes a breath, then freezes. “Wei Ying, what happened? Everyone thinks you’re…”

“Dead?” He snorted. “Well, they’re not wrong.”

“What do you mean?” Lan Wangji stared into the space he thought Wei Wuxian crouched.

“There’s… a lot that was kept from you and your brother.”

“Wei Ying what does that mean?”

“Well… Let’s start with the simpler things,” he started. “Firstly, vampires and other supernaturals, things that you’d see in horror movies? They exist. They’re real.” Lan Wangji frowns.

“If this is some prank to get me to leave, it won’t work,” he said, steadier than he felt. Wei Wuxian choked out a laugh.

“It’s not. Secondly, our families, the Jiangs, Lans, Jins, Nies? We hunt those things.”

“Ridiculous.”

“Isn’t it just?” He laughed again. “But someone has to keep the rest of the population alive.”

“Wei Ying—”

“And three weeks ago,” he said over Lan Wangji’s objections, “I was out on a night off. But there’s really no such thing for us.”

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

“I know vampires are supposed to be more of a Lan thing,” Wei Wuxian whispered into his phone, peering around the door to the bathroom of the club he had gone to, “but they can barely keep their own territory clean, let alone help out others.”

“Just wait for me, I’m almost there.” Jiang Cheng growled. Wei Wuxian tried to keep a woman on the dance floor within his field of vision.

“How close is almost?” He asked, “because I don’t think she’s going to stay here much longer.”

“Shit,” he heard. “At least put your gps on.”

“Bold of you to assume I ever turn it off,” he joked. He could almost hear his brother rolling his eyes as he ended the call. He headed towards the dance floor, prey in sight. She was small, with long platinum locks tumbling past her shoulders, her short, dark red dress leaving little to the imagination. Wei Wuxian blended with the crowd. He danced with enough people that none thought to follow him when he left the area, eyes on the woman who exited with a man who looked at her like she had hung the moon.

Leaving the club, he followed the pair from a distance. It wasn’t long before they turned down an alley, and Wei Wuxian sped up, loosening a silver knife from it’s sheathe at his back. He paused at the entrance, listening. There were no noises coming from the alley. He peeked around the corner and, seeing nothing unusual, started forward. Moonlight barely reached the insides here. Wei Wuxian rubbed his nose, trying to get rid of the smell of dumpster, and finally caught a sound. In an alcove that once held a door, there was an obscene moan. He pulled the knife out fully, but felt someone move behind him. He spun, but too late as the knife was knocked from his hand. The attacker grabbed his wrist in a powerful grip and slammed him face-first against the wall. A silvery laugh came from the alcove.

“Well now, a classic case of the hunter becoming the hunted!” The woman said as she left her prey slumped against the wall. She licked her lips as she adjusted the dress. “And so young too… What are you doing out here all alone little hunter?” She smirked as he tried to struggle against the vampire holding him, while she patted him down, carefully removing the knives from his wrists and boots, throwing his cellphone to the side. She grabbed his chin, turning him to face her. Squeezing his face she pressed her lips to his, forcing her tongue into his mouth. He struggled, tried to bite, to scream, but she held him fast. His mouth started to numb as she pulled away and fog clouded his mind. He couldn’t find it in him to be afraid, not past the euphoria that began to slowly set in. The vampire stepped back, grinning. “Won’t it be tragic when you’re little partner comes for you, and all he can find is your cellphone, and a bleeding drunk?” She laughed as the other vampire picked up his limp body and followed her further into what seemed to be a warren of alleyways.

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

“I managed to get away eventually, but not without…” He paused, clearly wondering how to say something. “Not without a price.”

“That makes no sense, Wei Ying.” Lan Wangji stared at him steadily, brows furrowed with more confusion than he knew had ever been seen on him. “Even if this were all true, why did you not come home? What drugs are they selling here that—”

“I told you, it’s not drugs!” Red flared briefly, though he could not understand it. “I can’t… I can’t go home because I’ve become a monster, okay? Turned into something that our families hunt!” There was more movement, more brief red.

“Our families?”

“They’d kill me as soon as they figured it out.” He chuckled darkly. “Especially yours.”

“I think I would know if my family would want to kill anyone,” he said firmly. There was silence for a long moment.

“We were told that you and your brother were to be avoided. That your uncle didn’t want you involved.” Wei Wuxian was eerily quiet. “No one really knows why, other than it has something to do with how your parents…” He trailed off.

“What,” Lan Wangji said flatly, “are you talking about now?”

“Look, look,” he said frantically, “I can prove this is real. I can show you.”

“How?”

“Well…” Wei Wuxian hesitates. “That price I paid to escape?” The red glow returns and this time Lan Wangji can make out where exactly it’s coming from. “Meant that I didn’t actually make it out alive.”

“Wei Ying… You’re eyes?”

“Yeah, they do that now, usually when I’m. When I’m hungry. Do you have your phone?”

“When you’re hungry.” Lan Wangji pulls out his cellphone, holding it out to Wei Wuxian, who sighs, rather than take it.

“Yes, when I’m hungry. Use the light function. It’s too dark in here for you to see me properly.” Lan Wangji is frowning lightly again. He turns on the flashlight function, noting that it was already the next morning before directing it at Wei Wuxian. He’s kneeling on the concrete in front of the mattress that he woke up on. The blue light of the phone makes the red of his eyes glimmer strangely as Wei Wuxian slowly opens his mouth. Lan Wangji is transfixed by the movement. At first, nothing but the eyes seem different, but as he watches there’s movement in his mouth. Wei Wuxian’s canine teeth turn sharp and start… lengthening. When it looks like he would barely be able to close his mouth around them, they stop. Lan Wangji stares. Only when Wei Wuxian flinches back does he realise that he’s reached out as if to touch them.

“Wei Ying?”

“Ah… just. Be careful okay?” He gave a twisted smile around his fangs. “I don’t want to hurt you.” Lan Wangji reached out again as Wei Wuxian moved forward to give him easier access. He ran a finger down one of them, marvelling at the touch. They were real. Strangely, his finger started to tingle numbly. He tapped on the tip of the fang and barely felt the prick that drew a drop of blood. Suddenly, Wei Wuxian was across the room from him. His eyes blazed, staring at the finger Lan Wangji still held out. The tingling in it turned into a buzzing in his finger and he brought it to his mouth, trying to stop the blood. Wei Wuxian made as if to cry out, say something to stop him, but was too late. The buzz spread to his tongue and he felt his heart beat faster. The strange numbness made him feel… light.

“—n Zhan!” He looked up to see Wei Wuxian hovering over him, frowning. “Lan Zhan, are you okay? You were a bit lost there…” He laughed nervously.

“I’m fine.” Despite his elevated heart rate, he felt fine. Great, even. He took his finger out of his mouth. Wei Wuxian came closer, gazing into his eyes.

“Your pupils are dilated.” He sighed. “I shouldn’t have let you…” Lan Wangji blinked.

“What’s wrong?”

“Remember how the vamp that took me drugged me?” It took a long moment, but eventually Lan Wangji responded.

“She… kissed you?” He looked at his finger. “Oh.”

“Are you sure you feel okay?”

“Mn.” Lan Wangji watched him carefully, the light of his phone blurring in the edges of his vision.

“You have to be more careful!” Wei Wuxian’s eyes flashed red again. “If I hadn’t…” In his pause he sat against the wall opposite the mattress. “When you found me… You don’t remember anything after?” Lan Wangji shook his head, his world slowly spinning in the bluish light of his phone. “I… We came down here. You wanted me to come home. You wouldn’t leave.” He ran a hand through his hair. It was mesmerising. “You wouldn’t leave and I… I lost control.” Lan Wangji blinked slowly, then brought his hand up to his neck. There were no wounds, but it ached as if bruised. “I, ah… I dabbed a bit of my own. My own blood on it. To heal it,” he continued.

“Why don’t I remember?”

“It’s an aftereffect of the… whatever’s in vampire saliva,” he explained. “It’s some kind of narcotic that acts as a local anaesthetic and induces euphoria. It also fogs the mind so that… survivors… can’t remember the attack. So that they can’t be used to hunt them. Us.” He shook his head. “It was a tiny amount this time, so the effects should wear off quickly.”

“So. Vampires.” Lan Wangji said. Wei Wuxian nodded. “And you’re also a vampire now.” Another nod. “And your family… hunts vampires.”

“Your family too,” he countered. “And more than just vampires.”

“I still don’t—” A mellow ringing came from the phone in Lan Wangji’s hands. He looked at it, before answering. “Brother?”

Wei Wuxian grabbed Lan Wangji’s wrist and froze as he answered the call. His other hand made frantic gestures until the man before him nodded. He could hear Lan Xichen questioning his brother.

“Wangji, where have you been? I was worried!”

“I’m fine,” Lan Wangji said into the phone. “I was out late. I stayed in a motel.” They heard a sigh.

“Were you out looking for him again?” Lan Xichen asked softly. “You know when someone’s been missing for this long… The Jiangs are certain—”

“I know what they said,” Lan Wangji’s voice wavered and he looked up at Wei Wuxian, who shook his head firmly. “I won’t stop looking.” Lan Xichen sighed again.

“Okay,” he said. “But make sure to come home today. Uncle is looking… Frayed.”

“Of course. I will be home for lunch.” Lan Wangji ended the call, eyes still on Wei Wuxian. “I have questions.” The vampire chuckled.

“Of course you do.” He flapped a hand. “Go on then. Ask.” Lan Wangji stared at him.

“You could hear Xichen?” Wei Wuxian smirked.

“Yeah I can hear a lot now. I can also see in the dark, smell the grossest things,” he shuddered.

“Why did you lose control last night? You seem fine now.”

“Always with the complicated questions.” Wei Wuxian leaned back. “I’ve been having some trouble… adjusting,” he admitted, frowning. His fingers twisted around each other. “If I go too long without. Without feeding. I start getting impulsive. It gets hard to control myself. Harder to stop, once I’ve started.” By the time he’s finished he’s whispering, curled in on himself. It feels more real, more permanent, when he says it out loud. He looks up at Lan Wangji to find him as blank as usual. But he isn’t running.

“How long is too long?” Lan Wangji’s voice gives away as little as his expression.

“Well, I’ve only had a bit over a week to figure this out—”

“Is this not information you would have already?” Lan Wangji interrupted. Wei Wuxian gave him a wry smile.

“The information my family has on vampires is somewhat basic- how to kill them and how to avoid turning into one. We’re more specialised in hunting demons, actually.” Lan Wangji’s stare widened. “Yes, those exist too, though probably not how you expect.” Lan Wangji seemed pensive, thoughtful.

“I take it one bite isn’t enough to… turn someone?”

“No! Thankfully, or we’d be overrun. It takes a blood exchange and…” Wei Wuxian trailed off, looking down and away.

“And what?”

“And dying.”

Lan Wangji closed his eyes, lips turned down ever so slightly.

“So you really…” Wei Wuxian nodded, still curled into himself. Lan Wangji gripped his thighs. He wanted to reach out, to hold him, but was unsure if it would make things better or worse. He spent a long moment thinking of how he could help.

“So which family specialises in vampires?”

[bloody-bee-tea]

Hey, Just wanted to tell you that I absolutely love your writings ❤ I spent days reading all your cql fics, and I couldn't mention 1 that i did not adore ❤ I was wondering, since I just watched Fatal Journey and have some serious Mingjue feels, if we could get some more Nielan these days? (Or maybe Mingxicheng, 'cause I'm weak for poly, there aren't enough fics about them and yours are wonderful^^) Anyways.... Thank you for writing such amazing fics, can't wait to read your upcoming stories ❤

Way ahead of you but thank you so much for all your love❤❤❤  Fatal Journey hurt so much, that I started plotting a fix-it like an hour later, so have some soft Nielan and the hope Nie Mingjue deserves!!!

Nie Mingjue is sitting in his room, staring at Baxia.

It has been quiet for the last few days since the--the incident, but Nie Mingjue knows it won’t stay that way.

Knows it will overpower him again, sooner or later, and he will wake up to a floor littered with bodies. Again.

Nie Mingjue clenches his jaw at that thought, but he can’t tear his eyes away from Baxia.

He hoped to get it under control, to do better than his ancestors, but he’s just as weak and prone to failure as they were. 

Nie Mingjue misses Nie Zonghui. He would have long dragged him out of his room by now, too familiar with his brooding already to let it go on for longer than a few hours. It’s been days already.

But Nie Zonghui is dead and he’s dead because of Nie Mingjue.

The thought of that threatens to overwhelm him, again, and Baxia quivers in its stand.

Nie Mingjue almost dares it to fly out and attack him. That, at least, would be a quick death unlike the qi deviation that’s waiting for him in the not so far future.

A knock at the door startles him, but before Nie Mingjue can decide if he wants to see anyone right now, the door is already pushed open and Lan Xichen steps in.

Nie Mingjue takes in a shuddering breath at his sight and Lan Xichen is at his side a moment later, simply hugging Nie Mingjue close until he feels at least a little bit more composed.

“What are you doing here?” Nie Mingjue asks, face still more pressed into Lan Xichen’s stomach and Lan Xichen leans down to press a kiss to his head.

Nie Mingjue couldn’t even bring himself to put his hair up this morning.

“Nie Huaisang wrote me shortly after you came back,” Lan Xichen says. “I came as quickly as I could.”

“I wish you didn’t,” Nie Mingjue mutters, and pulls away to warily eye Baxia. 

But for now, the sword is still in its stand.

“I don’t want you close when I finally lose to it,” Nie Mingjue goes on and he deliberately doesn’t look at Lan Xichen as he says it, can’t stand the pained look on his face.

“You’re not going to lose to it,” Lan Xichen says, and he sounds so sure. Nie Mingjue wants to believe him, but he knows he can’t.

“It’s getting stronger. Even Clarity did nothing,” Nie Mingjue admits and Lan Xichen frowns at him.

“Nie Huaisang didn’t mention that.”

“I bet he also didn’t mention that I killed most of the disciples that came with us,” Nie Mingjue bitterly says.

“He did not,” Lan Xichen admits and Nie Mingjue huffs out a bitter laugh.

“He said the other sword spirit did it. He wanted to spare me from that. But it’s all coming back,” Nie Mingjue admits and puts a hand to his forehead.

His head has been throbbing ever since he remembered how he cut Nie Zonghui down. Nie Mingjue closes his eyes but that only makes the memory more vivid. 

It’s what he deserves, he supposes.

“Mingjue,” Lan Xichen softly says and Nie Mingjue shakes his head.

“I’m not strong enough, Xichen. I tried to subdue it, to find a solution, but I’m not strong enough. It’s going to take me, too.”

“Not if you let go of it,” Lan Xichen carefully says and Nie Mingjue sharply looks at him.

“Xichen,” he warningly says, because they had this conversation, multiple times already, and it’s not an option.

Lan Xichen knows that.

“Mingjue,” Lan Xichen gives back but he doesn’t seem all that apologetic over what he said. “I mean it. If you let go of it, it can’t take you.”

“I am a Nie,” Nie Mingjue presses out. “We wield sabres.”

“You are the Sect Leader. You could change the ways,” Lan Xichen argues and Nie Mingjue stands up, to pace the length of his room.

“And appear weak in front of the ancestors?” he demands to know and he can tell that Lan Xichen wants to raise his hands in frustration, but of course he doesn’t. 

He is too in control to ever do something as undignified as that.

“How is finding a way to survive weak?” Lan Xichen wants to know. “Mingjue, you’re not the first Nie Leader who tried to find a way around the sabre spirit. Everyone else died. Why do you think it would make you weak if you survived?”

“The sabre is our way!” Nie Mingjue yells out at that, because it’s what his Sect is build upon.

“Then find a new way!” Lan Xichen yells right back and it surprises Nie Mingjue so much that he stops dead in his tracks.

“Find a new way, Mingjue,” Lan Xichen says again, much quieter this time, and Nie Mingjue can hear the pleading note in his voice.

“It’s not that easy,” Nie Mingjue bites out, but Lan Xichen shakes his head.

“Yes. Yes, it is literally that easy. Let go of Baxia. I will take it back to the Cloud Recesses and seal it. And you’ll be free of its influence.”

“Baxia is my sword,” Nie Mingjue tries to argue. 

“And it is killing you.”

“Could you do it?” Nie Mingjue wants to know. “If it was Shuoyue, could you do it?”

“If it was threatening my Sect and my family, my brother? Yes,” Lan Xichen says without hesitation. “I would give up the sword to protect them.”

“Huaisang told you?” Nie Mingjue wants to know, and he feels shame curl low in his gut.

He has attacked Nie Huaisang twice in the same amount of days, and he’s not sure if he can ever face him again.

“Yes, he did,” Lan Xichen says. “He’s scared, Mingjue.”

“Of course he is,” Nie Mingjue gets out, because he didn’t expect anything else.

Who wouldn’t be scared of him.

“Not like that,” Lan Xichen immediately says and puts a reassuring hand on Nie Mingjue’s arm. “He’s scared for you. He says the first time Jin Guangyao barely managed to play Clarity in time, and the second time it was only your stubborn will that stopped you. What if that fails you one of these days?”

“It already did,” Nie Mingjue whispers and turns away from Lan Xichen. 

It failed him when he killed Nie Zonghui without hesitating.

“Mingjue, I’m so sorry. I know he was like a brother to you,” Lan Xichen lowly says and Nie Mingjue closes his eyes against the threatening tears.

He will never forgive himself for killing him. For killing all of them, really.

“You should go,” he tells Lan Xichen. “You shouldn’t be here. I’m dangerous,” Nie Mingjue says and pushes Lan Xichen away.

He doesn’t want to be responsible for his death as well.

“It’s not you that’s dangerous,” Lan Xichen argues and stubbornly stays where he is. “It’s Baxia. It’s the spirit.”

“And I can’t let go of it,” Nie Mingjue mutters..

“Why not?” Lan Xichen wants to know and he grabs for Nie Mingjue’s arm again, but this time his grip is strong enough to hurt. “I can’t lose you, Mingjue, and neither can Huaisang. Please don’t make us.”

Nie Mingjue can hear the tears in his voice even though there is no sign of them on Lan Xichen’s face.

“A-Huan,” he whispers and pulls Lan Xichen close. “I’m here,” he reassures him, but Lan Xichen shakes his head.

“But you won’t be for much longer, if you don’t change your way,” he protests and Nie Mingjue sighs.

“It’s the way of the Nies.”

“And it can be,” Lan Xichen says. “It can be the way of your disciples. They are not going to die from it. But you, you have to change it. Please, A-Jue.”

“So you suggest I put my sabre down, but expect everyone else to still practice that technique?” Nie Mingjue asks him and Lan Xichen nods.

“Yes.”

“I would lose their respect.”

“They love you,” Lan Xichen tells him and rests their foreheads together. “We all love you, and we’d rather have you around, alive and well, than to cling to something stupid, something that by now is nothing more than a tradition born out of unwillingness to change.”

“Says the guy with three thousand rules and so much tradition I can’t even wrap my head around,” Nie Mingjue says and sighs when Lan Xichen stares pleadingly at him.

“Do you really want to come out of a deviation one day to find that you killed Huaisang?” Lan Xichen asks him suddenly and Nie Mingjue sucks in a pained breath.

Lan Xichen certainly hits where it hurts.

“Wasn’t it already enough that you killed Zonghui? Does it have to be your brother, too?”

“I didn’t mean to hurt him,” Nie Mingjue chokes out, and his eyes burn. “I didn’t mean to do that,” Nie Mingjue says, focuses on this, because despite how much it hurts that he killed his brother in all but blood, it’s better than to imagine Nie Huaisang, broken on the floor, his blood on Baxia.

“And he won’t blame you for it, I’m sure of that,” Lan Xichen says but Nie Mingjue can’t believe him.

Of course Nie Zonghui would blame him. Should blame him, even.

Nie Mingjue tries not to think about how Nie Zonghui would have reacted to all of this, but in truth, he knows his stance.

Nie Zonghui had always pleaded for Nie Mingjue to see reason and to put the sabre down and let the disciples uphold the tradition, so Nie Mingjue could be spared this pain.

Nie Mingjue never listened.

“I doubt he would look with anything but hate at me,” Nie Mingjue mutters.

“That’s not true,” Nie Huaisang suddenly says from the door and Nie Mingjue and Lan Xichen reluctantly step away from another. “That’s not true,” Nie Huaisang repeats, “and Xichen-ge can prove it.”

“What?” Nie Mingjue mumbles but Lan Xichen is already nodding.

“I mean, I can try. Not all spirits stick around. Especially not when they don’t have unfinished business.”

“He should want revenge,” Nie Mingjue lowly says. “He will be around.”

Nie Mingjue knows Nie Zonghui’s temperament very well and he always hated injustice. And his death was the most unjust.

“If he is around, then it’s for different reasons,” Lan Xichen says, his voice allowing no argument, and he gets out his guqin, settles down behind it and starts Inquiry without hesitation.

“I called for him specifically,” Lan Xichen explains when he sits behind the guqin, waiting. “But if his ghost is still at the tomb, it can take a while.”

And it does take a while. Long enough for Nie Mingjue to hope that Nie Zonghui passed on without having to linger.

But then a single note is plucked and Lan Xichen looks up at him.

“He’s here.”

“Tell him I’m sorry,” Nie Mingjue immediately rushes out and he falls to his knees in front of the guqin. “Tell him I never meant to hurt him.”

Lan Xichen obediently plucks the notes and he frowns when he gets the answer.

“He says he’s sorry,” Lan Xichen translates for Nie Mingjue and Nie Huaisang and Nie Mingjue is not too proud to admit that he leans into Nie Huaisang when he sits down next to him.

“What?” Nie Mingjue breathes out.

“Ask him why,” Nie Huaisang suggests and Lan Xichen does.

“For failing you,” he translates the answer again and now Nie Mingjue can’t keep the tears at bay.

Nie Zonghui has never failed Nie Mingjue a day in his life. 

“I should be the one who apologizes,” Nie Mingjue mumbles, his tears dripping hot onto his hands.

“He says there is no need to apologize,” Lan Xichen says after a few notes have been plucked by invisible fingers. “To neither of them.”

“Are the others--?” Nie Huaisang asks when Nie Mingjue’s voice fails him and Lan Xichen nods.

“I do believe they are all here. And they are all apologising to you.”

Nie Mingjue bows low at hearing that. He doesn’t deserve it, and he needs to make sure he properly apologizes to them, gives them the respect he failed to give them in their life.

“Mingjue, they say they love you,” Lan Xichen translates the furious mess of notes that follows. “They stayed around to tell you that you are not at fault. To apologize for not being better and stronger.”

Nie Mingjue is openly sobbing now, because his disciples all deserved a better Leader than him.

“Would they be disappointed if Da-ge put the sabre down?” Nie Huaisang asks and Nie Mingjue turns to look at him from his position low on the ground.

He’s afraid of the answer, and would never have asked the question himself. But Nie Huaisang has always been stronger than he is.

“They encourage you to put it down,” Lan Xichen lowly says and then splays his hands over the guqin. “They want you to live a long life,” he says, and Nie Mingjue knows it’s their final message.

It just makes him cry even harder.

“Da-ge, please,” Nie Huaisang also tries and Nie Mingjue finally comes out of his bow.

“The ancestors--,” he starts but Nie Huaisang doesn’t let him speak.

“They all died,” he bites out. “They all died bloody and horrible deaths and they were weak for not changing their ways. Don’t be like them. Don’t make me lose you like I lost father,” Nie Huaisang mutters.

“Let me take Baxia with me,” Lan Xichen chimes in, and comes around the table to sit on Nie Mingjue’s other side. “Let go of it.”

Nie Mingjue has never seen a future for himself; always knowing that Baxia would one day overpower him and claim his life, like every other sabre of their family had claimed their wielders’ life before.

Nie Mingjue doesn’t know what he’s supposed to do with the future his brother and his love are proposing now.

But he knows he can’t disrespect his people’s last wish.

“Okay,” he finally agrees, and despite the many fights he participated in--with enemy soldiers and Baxia--this feels like the hardest thing he ever did.

“Thank you,” Lan Xichen mutters and leans in for a soft kiss, while Nie Huaisang clings to Nie Mingjue’s arm, shaking with his sobs.

“Okay,” Nie Mingjue says again, as he slings his arms around the two people that mean the most to him, and he hopes that his people will forgive him for the change he’s about to bring on them.

[antiquecompass]

Untamed Fest Day Three: Clan

Wherein Sizhui attends a Wen family reunion.

Lan Sizhui liked to think himself brave, at the very least determined, but even he paled and stopped in his steps as he looked out at the large park full of people. He stumbled back into his boyfriend’s supportive arms and tried not to gape. Or turn around and run away.

Wens. Wens everywhere. Wens as far as the eye could see.

Wen Ning, their archery coach and horticulture teacher, also Sizhui’s cousin of a sort, had excitedly invited Sizhui and Jingyi to the Wen Family Reunion. It was just Wen Ning and Wen Qing’s branch of the family--not the more infamous Wens--and the Wen line that Sizhui’s birth father came from. After surviving the scandals and the legal problems the infamous main Wen line had left on most of the Northeast, these Wens, the artists and doctors and landscapers who never came near the mob-like mentality of their more famous cousins, were finally able to gather again, in safety, with heads held high. They’d weathered the storm, the trials, the rumors, the threats, and come out the other side with their honor still intact. 

Over the years, Sizhui had grown closer to Wen Ning and Wen Qing and their great-grandmother, but he never asked too much about the father who disappeared on his mother, or the greater Wen family. For years he’d been content with the massive amount of family members he already had, but as he got older, he did wonder about his birth father’s family, and the Wens beyond the few he knew. He’d started attending more and more of the Wen family events, but he’d never seen so many of them gathered in one place at one time.

“Turn around?” Jingyi asked, pressing a kiss to the top of Sizhui’s ear.

“Go forward,” Sizhui said. He stumbled back as Jingyi tugged on his hand. 

“Kiss first,” Jingyi said. “For courage.”

Sizhui laughed as he tilted his face up. “For courage,” he said into the familiar comfort of Jingyi’s lips. 

Small children ran around them, blowing bubbles and waving ribbons on sticks as Sizhui and Jingyi tried to make their way over to Wen Ning. They nodded greetings to some familiar family members and took the curious stares of strangers. They were pulled into congratulatory hugs by one of the older uncles, happy that both the teens were a month away from graduation and proud that they’d be starting at Harvard in September. 

They both stopped to give Great-Grandma Wen hugs. Her hands shook with arthritis as she cupped both their cheeks. Outside of Madame Yu and Madame Jin, she was the only grandmother-type figure Sizhui had ever known, and she always had some sort of candy or sweet treat for them. Today it was two bags of white rabbits. 

As they made their way further into the gathering, an entire table toasted them, briefly pausing from their card game, and another table fawned over them for being too adorable and asking when they planned to marry.

Sizhui almost lost Jingyi to the tempting sight and smell of fried chicken, but a hard tug on their clasped hands got him falling back in line.

“I can’t help it,” Jingyi said. “It’s the other great love of my life.”

“Marry the man, marry his chicken obsession,” Sizhui teased. 

“We’ll definitely have chicken at our wedding,” Jingyi agreed.

Those little joking comments had started to take on a more serious air as they got older, but both had promised each other that they wouldn’t rush into anything. The coming years with college and careers could change the course of their lives and their relationship. Sizhui couldn’t imagine ever loving someone as he did Jingyi, but he also knew that life wasn’t predictable. 

Just look at his own path.

Born in a factory town in Northwestern China to a mother who loved him but couldn’t take care of him, he’d been entrusted to a second cousin who brought him back to Boston and raised him as his own. He’d been adopted by both his fathers, changed his name to reflect his new life and family, and now stood, eighteen years after his birth, in a park in Rhode Island surrounded by family members of a birth father he’d never met, but an entire family who gladly claimed him as their own.

He was a Wen. He was a Wei. He was a Jiang. He was a Lan.

He might be a Lan twice over if fate granted his most dearest wishes. 

All of them where his family. 

His family also had Jins and Nies and Ouyangs. 

Not too bad for an adopted kid born half a world away.

“Did I lose you?” Jingyi asked.

Sizhui smiled. “Just thinking about how lucky I am to have such a family.”

Jingyi looked at the gathered crowd of Wens and his shoulders dropped. “We’re going to have to rent out a stadium for our wedding reception.”

“Maybe Great Uncle Lan will let us use the Cloud Recesses.”

Jingyi frowned, the face he got when he was doing math in his head. “No, I still don’t think that’ll be enough space. We can’t forget that the Songs will come too with their entire troop of kids. And you just know some lesser Lans are going to come out of the woodwork just to say they were there for such a momentous occasion.”

“You seem awfully sure of us,” Sizhui said as they finally rounded the last set of tables to get to Wen Ning.

“Duh,” Jingyi said. “I have an entire ten-year-plan. Though I’m willing to fudge the timeline as needed; it can easily go down to five-years.”

“You came!” Wen Ning greeted, carefully shifting the young girl on his hip to give Sizhui a hug. “I see you managed to run the gauntlet.”

“I almost lost Jingyi to the chicken,” Sizhui said as he set down their bags of candy and a jar of homemade liquor for his dad. 

“Hey,” Jingyi protested, even though he was already eyeing the platters of food Wen Ning had set out before them.

“Eat,” Wen Ning said as he pushed out the chairs. “Sister should be here soon. She’s missed you.”

“I can’t wait to see her,” Sizhui said. Ever since Wen Qing had started med school, it was hard to see here for more than a meal. “I’m glad she’s finally able to pursue her dream career, but I do miss her hounding Dad to get his drafts done.”

“I think she misses it too, at least after a 24-hour rotation,” Wen Ning said. He smiled at both of them, the open smile of their mentor rather than the colder mask he sometimes had to adopt as their teacher. “I also want to talk about your thoughts for next year’s archery team captain, what with three of my best leaving me.”

“Jin Ling,” both Sizhui and Jingyi said.

“He’s your best archer, by far,” Sizhui said.

“And if any of the Seniors get pissed that a Junior is their captain, well, fuck ‘em. Jin Ling’s got national and international medals. In five years we’ll probably be cheering him on at the Olympic Trials. He can honestly kick all of their asses. He’s your captain,” Jingyi declared.

Wen Ning nodded, long hair falling in his face. “We’ll talk more.” He hefted the little girl up. “Say goodbye to your cousins!”

“Bye bye!” she yelled and then laughed as Wen Ning held her high above his head and flew her around while making airplane noises. 

Jingyi laughed into his food. “This is the most relaxed family reunion I’ve ever been to,” he said. “And the tastiest. When’s the next one? I can’t wait.”

“I’ll be sure we’re signed up for the newsletter,” Sizhui said. He raised a hand to wipe some sauce off Jingyi’s face. “Thanks.”

“For what?”

“For everything. For coming with me. For being here.”

Jingyi shrugged. “I’ll go anywhere with you.”

Sizhui’s breath caught at that. Jingyi couldn’t have known what those words meant in the Lan-Wei household. The vow. The promise. The phrase etched in his fathers’ wedding bands and tattooed around his Dad’s wrist. 

Maybe one day Sizhui would tell him, but for now he just smiled, took in all the faces of his extended family, and the man he loved at his side, and enjoyed a perfect moment in time. 

[thejsubexperiment]

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Episode 21 Runthrough (Part 33)

This is it for this weekend. Please check out Parts 31 and 32 first if you haven’t already so you can read all the explanations.

Scene 23 — Central Alleyway — (voices) Various Officers, Bradley, Gluttony

軍人２：誤報が飛び交っている。

軍人３：なんだ？

軍人４：４人目のスカーって。

軍人５：こちら第３区 、通りに異常なし。

軍人６：こちら第８区 、スカーを発見。

軍人６：大至急応援求む。

ブラッドレイ：グラトニー。

グラトニー：におう、におうよ。

グラトニー：あのイシュヴァール人のにおい。  

Scene 24 — Rooftop — Ling, Lan Fan

リン：なんだこの気配は感じたか、ランファン？

ランファン：はい。

リン：よし行くぞ。

_______________________________________________________________________

軍人２：誤報が飛び交っている。 (Gunjin 2: Gohou ga tobikatte iru.)

誤報 (gohou): is a noun meaning “misinformation.”

が (ga): is the nominative particle.

飛び交っている (tobikatte iru): is the periphrastic progressive indicative, imperfective, affirmative conjugation of “tobikau,” meaning “to be flying around.”

Translation: “Soldier 2: Misinformation is flying around.”

___________________________________

軍人３：なんだ？ (Gunjin 3 : Nan da?)

なんだ (nan da): is the pronoun with the copula. It is used as an interjection, though, just to express confusion. Sometimes one has to translate it as “What?” instead of “What is [it]?” because that phrase in English has other connotations, like there being someone complaining.

Translation: “Soldier 3: What is [it]?”

___________________________________

軍人４：四人目のスカーって。 (Gunjin 4: Yon hitome no Sukaa tte.)

四人目 (yon hitome): Is the number “four” with the noun “hitome,” meaning “public sighting.” In this case, it seems like it’s indicates a “fourth sighting” or something like that.

の (no): is the genitive particle. Every now and again the genitive will mark the subject in a subordinate clause, as is a quotation. That is what is doing here.

スカー (Sukaa): is “Scar.”

って (tte): is the casual quotative particle. It is marking a quote. The rest of the quote was omitted. What it seems to be implying is that the fourth sighting (or the people) say that Scar is there, too.

Translation: “Soldier 4: [It is reported] that public sighting four [witnesses] [saw] Scar [there too.].”

That is a lot of filling in on our behalf, but we don’t believe you can get much closer without changing what we have of this sentence fundamentally.

___________________________________

軍人５：こちら第三区 、通りに異常なし。 (Gunjin 5: Kochira dai san-ku, toori ni ijou nashi.)

こちら (kochira): is the same as before.

第三区  (dai san-ku): is the same as before.

通り (toori): is a noun meaning “street” or “avenue” or any real path like that.

に (ni): is the dative particle.

異常 (ijou): is a noun meaning “abnormality.”

なし (nashi): is a suffix meaning “without.”

Translation: “This is the third ward, [we] [are] without abnormalities on the streets.”

___________________________________

軍人６：こちら第八区 、スカーを発見。

こちら (kochira): is the same as before.

第八区  (dai hachi-ku): is the same as before.

スカー (Sukaa): is “Scar.”

を (wo): is the accusative particle.

発見 (hakken): is the noun meaning “discovery.” This noun, like many others, takes “suru” to become a verb, in this case “to discover.” That “suru” should be here, but it has been dropped.

Translation: “Soldier 6: This is the eighth district, [we] [have] discover[ed] Scar.”

___________________________________

軍人６：大至急応援求む。 (Gunjin 6: Daishikyuu ouen motomu.)

大至急 (daishikyuu): is an adverb meaning “as soon as possible.”

応援 (ouen): is the same as before.

求む (motomu): is the same as before.

Translation: “Soldier 6: [We] request assistance as soon as possible.”

___________________________________

ブラッドレイ：グラトニー。 (Buraddorei: Guratonii.)

グラトニー (Guratonii): is the name of a character, “Gluttony.”

Translation: “Bradley: Gluttony.”

___________________________________

グラトニー：におう、におうよ。 (Guratonii: Niou, niou yo.)

におう (niou): is the indicative, imperfective, affirmative conjugation of the verb meaning “to smell.”

よ (yo): is the emphatic ending suffix.

Translation: “Gluttony: [He] smells, [he] smells.”

___________________________________

グラトニー：あのイシュヴァール人のにおい。 (Guratonii: Ano Ishubaaru-jin no nioi.)

あの (ano): is an adjective meaning “that.” This is the /a/ in the k-s-a-d set.

イシュヴァール人 (Ishubaaru-jin): is the place name “Ishval” (a fictional place in the show) and the demonym suffix “-jin.” This is officially translated as “Ishvalan.”

の (no): is the genitive particle.

におい (nioi): is a noun meaning “scent.” This comes from the verb of the last sentence, of course.

Translation: “Gluttony: [It] [is] the scent of that Ishvalan.”

___________________________________  

リン：なんだこの気配は感じたか、ランファン？ Rin: Nan da kono kehai wa kanji da ka, Ranfan?

なんだ (nan da): is the same expression as before.

この (kono): is an adjective meaning “this.” This is the /k/ counterpart to “ano.”

気配 (kehai): is a noun meaning “presence” or “indication” or “sign.”

は (wa): is the topical particle.

感じた (kanjita): is the indicative, past, affirmative conjugation of “kanjiru” meaning “to feel.”

か (ka): is the interrogative ending particle, marking the sentence as a question.

ランファン (Ranfan): is the name “Lan-Fan”

Translation: “What? Did you feel this presence, Lan-Fan?”

___________________________________

ランファン：はい。 (Ranfan: Hai.)

はい (hai): is an interjection indicating confirmation or agreement, often translating to “yes.”

Translation: “Lan Fan: Yes.”

___________________________________

リン：よし行くぞ。 (Rin : Yoshi iku zo.)

よし (yoshi): is the same as before.

行く (iku): is the indicative, imperfective, affirmative conjugation of the verb meaning “to go.”

ぞ (zo): is the same suffix as before, now revealing an cohortative/imperative implication, meaning that is it saying “Let’s X.” This is similar to when someone says “We’re leaving” to tell someone to come along.

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[thebiscuiteternal]

“Competition”

Reverse Age Nies, One-Sided Attraction, Sexual Harassment, Ancient Chinese Roofies (but nothing happens), Nie Mingjue is this close to committing murder. And his friends might help.

__________

"What has you so troubled?" 

 Nie Mingjue blinked and looked up from adjusting the fletching on his arrows to find Lan Xichen watching him with concern. A short distance away, his friends from the Jiang sect were also studying him with expressions a bit more tense than usual. 

"Nothing. I'm fine." 

Wei Wuxian openly snorted. "You usually kick our asses way easier than this. Something’s got you off your game." 

He rolled his eyes, then scratched the back of his neck with an annoyed growl. "He's doing it again." 

Lan Xichen’s eyes went wide. “Oh, no. I thought that would have stopped by now.”

"Wait," Jiang Cheng cut in. "Who's doing what again?" 

"Every time they're in the vicinity of each other, Wen-zongzhu starts eyeing my brother like a particularly nice dish at a banquet." 

Wei Wuxian's nose wrinkled. "Seriously?"   

"Watch this." 

Turning, Nie Mingjue waved to his brother up in the stands. Nie Huaisang beamed and enthusiastically waved back, and, just a couple seats away, Wen Ruohan turned his head slightly in the middle of a conversation with one of the minor sect leaders. 

There was no missing the way his gaze tracked from Nie Huaisang's raised hand down his back and then back up before he resumed whatever he and the other sect leader were discussing. 

"Oh, that's fucking creepy," Jiang Cheng muttered in disgust.

"How long has this been happening?" 

"Seven fucking years. Ever since their first meeting as fellow sect leaders. Sang-ge insists he's only doing it to provoke us into embarrassing ourselves by making accusations we can't prove." 

"Yeah, no. If that were the case, he wouldn't be doing it where other people can see it."

"Unfortunately, no one seems willing to actually call him on it," Lan Xichen pointed out, disappointment written on his face. "Even shufu only reminds him of propriety every so often." 

"Which is why I told the disciples that Sang-ge has to have at least one guard at all times until we get the hell out of here. I trust that bastard as far as sect Leader Jin could throw him."

“A fair assessment.”

---

It was well after dark when a pounding on the door startled Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng out of bed. 

"Wen Ning? What are you doing here so late?" Wei Wuxian asked, ignoring his shidi's hissed question as to how the hell he knew a Wen. 

 "I am so, so very sorry!" Wen Ning stumbled over the words and nearly his own feet as he bowed low. "But there is a problem and your room was the closest!" 

 "What kind of problem?" Jiang Cheng asked, immediately suspicious. 

 "This way." 

 The two of them glanced at each other, then followed. 

Whatever possibilities they had been considering, finding Nie-zongzhu slumped against a pillar in a daze, barely able to stay standing, wasn't it. 

"Drunk?" Wei Wuxian asked. 

Wen Ning shook his head. "I checked his eyes. This is something much worse. He needs to see a-jie, but-" 

"We'll help," Jiang Cheng said roughly. "Wei Wuxian and I can get him to his room, then one of us can keep watch while the others get Mingjue and your sister."

They took up positions on both sides, slung the barely-conscious sect leader's arms over their shoulders, and put their own around his waist. Even with the sluggishness of the drugs, one of them probably could have carried him easily, and he made only the smallest incoherent mumble of protest as they started down the hall. 

"Wasn't he supposed to have a guard already? Why the hell is he out here alone?" 

"I have a feeling that no matter what answer to that question is, we're not gonna like it, and Mingjue's gonna like it even less." 

Nie Huaisang's room was empty of anyone when they arrived. At the sight of the overturned table near the door, Wei Wuxian cursed softly. 

"What?" 

"And was already addled enough to get lost. Damn. Lucky he came our way, instead of running into a Wen guard." 

"He must have tripped over it trying to get out of the room." Which would have meant he was aware of the drugs starting to take effect. "He wasn't just wandering around, he was trying to get help." 

Actually getting their burden onto the bed proved more difficult than getting him down the hall. Whatever it was he'd been given had progressed enough that it was more like moving an oversized noodle than a person. 

But they managed, and when Wei Wuxian turned, Wen Ning had already vanished. "Okay, so who has to break this to Mingjue?" 

Jiang Cheng winced, then sighed. "I'll do it. If someone shows up to make trouble, you have a better chance of defending Nie-zongzhu." 

Wei Wuxian clapped his shidi on the shoulder with a grin. "You're a brave and noble man." 

"Shut it."

---

Nie Mingjue stood beside the bed, a positively murderous scowl on his face as he watched Wen Qing work. "Well?" 

He didn't bother fighting the urge to growl. He had absolutely no illusions as to what this was about. There was only one reason that someone here would so obviously want his brother alone and entirely unable to defend himself. "Can you purge it?"

"Frankly it's a miracle he was still on his feet at all," she said as she finished running her tests. "The combination of sedatives and muscle relaxants should have put down a horse." 

"Qi circulation would help, but with that dosage, it'll still take hours. Since there's no danger to his breathing or his heart, it would probably be better to just let him sleep it off." 

"Why not?" Nie Mingjue asked bitterly. "He has been for almost a decade." That earned a round of flinches from the rest of the room's occupants. "But I know what Sang-ge will say," he continued. "And as much as it pisses me off, he's right. We have no way of proving that it was actually Wen Ruohan or someone on his orders. It could have been Jin-zongzhu or one of the vassal sects looking to settle a score." 

"What do we do in the morning?" Jiang Cheng asked. "Sect Leader Wen can't just... get away with an attack on another sect leader." 

"If that were the case, it says nothing good about the security here," Wen Qing pointed out archly. "Wen-zongzhu would still take offense." 

Wei Wuxian looked absolutely galled. "So we have to keep quiet about this? That's horseshit!" he protested. 

 "It is horseshit," Nie Mingjue agreed. 

Wen Qing sighed. "You're... not wrong. But you're also in the middle of a stronghold not your own, with only a few disciples to back you up. Can you actually afford to piss him off?" 

Nie Mingjue gritted his teeth, and for a moment, he was damn well willing to try. But... if he lost, that would leave Huaisang alone to face someone who'd already shown he'd use the worst of underhanded tactics to get him into bed. 

He forced his jaw to unclench and his hands to relax. "No. We can't. Not yet." 

Wei Wuxian looked like he had something to say about that, but Jiang Cheng elbowed him sharply before he could run his mouth. "So what do we do?"

"I'll tell Sang-ge what happened in the morning and see if I can find out what happened to the guard. And then I'm taking over guarding him myself. There's still another day and night to go before we can leave, and if that bastard had the stones to try once, he'll probably try again." 

 "If you don't mind other sects assisting, we could take a couple of shifts," Wei Wuxian suggested. "I bet Lan Xichen would, too." 

"I'll consider it. For now, the rest of you should get back to your rooms." He hesitated for the briefest moment, then saluted sharply. "Thank you all for your assistance and good night."

---

His brother was still sleeping when the door cracked open and Jiang Cheng poked his head in. "The first event for today's at si shi, do you need one of us to take over so you can get a bath and some sleep?" 

"I bathed before bed last night," Nie Mingjue replied. "But I suppose I could use an hour nap or so." 

The other boy nodded, then vanished. Roughly a fen later, the door opened again and Lan Xichen entered with a breakfast tray. "The others explained what happened," he said as he set it down on the bedside table. "Is he alright?"

"Hasn't so much as twitched, but his breathing evened out a few hours ago. It's just a waiting game, now." 

Lan Xichen shook his head a little. "Horrible. I knew Sect Leader Wen was brazen, but this-" 

A tiny, confused noise from the bed caught their attention, and when he turned his head, Huaisang's eyes were slitted open. They still looked cloudy, though, and when Huaisang tilted his head to look at him in turn, his brother blinked several times before registering his presence. "Jue-er? What time is it?" 

"Still early," Nie Mingjue murmured, gently sweeping mussed bangs out of his brother's eyes. "Do you remember anything from last night?" 

"Anything after the banquet?" Lan Xichen clarified. 

"N... no." Huaisang put an unsteady hand to his forehead, then rubbed his eyes. "I don't. Gods, did I seriously drink that much?" 

"No!" Nie Mingjue snapped vehemently, then at the startled looks from the other two, he took a deep breath to get his anger reined in. "You didn't. Someone gave you drugged wine." 

Huaisang stared at him, the color slowly draining from his face. "What?"

"Nothing happened!" he quickly elaborated. "Some of my friends found you and got me and a physician." 

"Still... Wait, what happened to Zhang Fai?" 

"I'd like to know that myself." 

"I overheard Liu Hei telling your deputy that he didn't report in this morning." 

Huaisang groaned softly. "Fantastic. So he's either in a dungeon or a ditch somewhere, or he left on purpose." 

"He better be in a dungeon or a ditch," Nie Mingjue muttered. "And I'm taking over guarding you." 

"No. We're not arguing about it. My friends-" he nodded to Lan Xichen, "-have offered to help when I absolutely have to take a break, but I'm not letting that asshole get near you again." 

"Jue-er-" 

Huaisang sighed and reached up to swat lightly at his cheek. "Stubborn brat," he chided fondly. "Fine, then. I'm in the capable hands of you lot until we leave for home." 

"Good. And on that note," Nie Mingjue said as he rounded the bed to flop on the other side, "You're up, Xichen. Don't disappoint." 

Lan Xichen smothered a laugh with his sleeve. "I'll do my best," he said with a teasing salute as Huaisang rolled his eyes.

Satisfied, Nie Mingjue settled in, and sleep claimed him surprisingly quickly.