#sorry i think calling my followers disciples is funny | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

lanwangjisnow · 3 years ago

Text

Melting Ice

Lan Wangji x reader ( Part 9)

Warnings - slightly spicy ❗️

Since Lan Wangji left you had been worrying about him. In the middle of night you saw Lan Wangji was terribly wounded and struggling to stand up with Bichen. Then you woke up sweating.

Next morning you thought to follow the route of Lan Wangji with a disciple at Cloud Recesses but a young disciple brought you a letter. It said following,

Dear Y/N,

I don’t know if you remember me, Mianmian . That’s what people called me even though courtesy name is Luo Qingyang. I’m from Wen clan and I also know lady Jiang. You came to Cloud Recesses’ lectures later and you used to talk with me.

It’s been many years and I met Hanguang Jun and Wei Wuxian today. Wei Wuxian told me about you and Hanguang Jun. I’m glad to hear about it. After meeting them, now my daughter wanted to visit Gusu. So we travelled and now we are at the Wall of Discipline. I’ll be really grateful if I can meet you, an old friend before we leave.

Mianmian.

You jumped in surprise Mianmian and she has a daughter? This was like a dream that time had passed. You ran to the Wall of Discipline and saw three people. A man in farmer clothes, a woman and a little girl.

“Y/N” the woman hugged you. “You haven’t changed a bit”

“Mianmian” you smiled. Then Mianmian introduced her husband and daughter to you and you talked with them. When Mianmian’s husband was reading 3000 inscribed rules to his daughter, Mianmian and you had a personal conversation.

“Hangaung Jun really confessed to you?” Mianmian asked

“In words? Sometimes” you smiled. “I’m going to go after him. Are you up for adventures?”

Mianmian hestitated “ I gave up. Now I have a family and …”

“oh” you nodded but then Mianmian could not resist her urge.

“ but if my daughter and husband have a safe place to stay, may be it won’t be a big deal to join one last adventure” she smiled.

You could not keep them at Cloud Recesses while Lan Wangji and many other were away but there was the place where you used to stay when Lan Qiren had expelled you. It turned out Mianmain also knew the owner of that house and Mianmain’s husband and daughter were allowed to stay there. Mianmian’s daughter did not like to leave her mother but when Mianmain promised to tell many bedtime stories she agreed.

You determined not to let Mianmian to run to danger and let her daughter to grow up as a motherless child. You and her following tidbits about two strangers’ people saw on the way and in the end it all led to Lotus Pier. Your plan was not to go to Lotus Pier knowing Jiang Cheng would not love to welcome you or to jeopardize the investigation led by two men, but to find Lan Wangji at the exit of Lotus Pier and make sure he was alright. However, the question was which direction that they would take. However, you and Mianmian had thought to spend the night near the other side of Lotus Lake. Suddenly Mianmian showed you a boat.

“ Look ! Look! That’s ghost general. He is paddling a boat” she said but your eyes caught Lan Wangji.

“Lan Zhan” you yelled.

Lan Wangji almost had a heart attack and Wei Wuxian about fell from boat. Wen ning stopped paddling.

“Y/N! Y/N! you are here?” Wei Wuxian frantically pointed you to Lan Wangji. “ Y/N what are you doing here in this night?” he shouted.

“I just followed you with Mianmian. I’m sorry” you yelled back.

Lan Wangji told Wen Ning to paddle the boat to shore.

“Are you going to next city? “ Mianmian shouted.

“Yes” Wei Wuxian replied.

“Then go there straightly. It’s near. We will walk. Meet us at shore there” Mianmian yelled.

Wei Wuxian nodded and asked Wen Ning to keep paddling to Yunping City.

When you reached the shore at Yunping City with Mianmian Lan Wangji, Wei Wuxian and Wen Ning were already got there. Lan Wangji was worried about you and annoyed at the same time that you had carelessly followed him, even though he knew Mianmian was skillful with sword to defend you both.

“Mianmian, I thought you said that you gave up your adventurous life” Wei Wuxian shook his head.

“This my last adventure” she replied.

“Y/N are there any excuses because Lan Zhan, here deserves one” Wei Wuxian said with a fake strict tone.

“I couldn’t help it. I’m sorry Lan Zhan” you muttered. Lan Wangji stood in front you emotionlessly, even though it was heartwarming for him to see you.

“Let’s find a place to stay” Lan Wangji said.

Luckily, without much trouble Wei Wuxain found a cave and everyone went there. It was not either the best or the worst place to spend a night. Mianmian helped Wei Wuxain to light fire.

“ Mianmian” Wei Wuxian whispered. “Once I teased Hanguang Jun by asking about you. His reaction was very funny. Do you want to see it?”

“I don’t think it’s good to make fun of Hanguang Jun” Mianmian whispered back.

“ Ah! But don’t you want to see his reaction? Just wait”

Wei Wuxain sat beside Lan Wangji “ Lan Zhan, do you like Mianmian?”

Lan Wangji glared the same way he did at first time while you felt uncomfortable.

“haha see! still moody” Wei Wuxian rolled back laughing.

“ Lan Zhan, do you like Y/N?” Wei Wuxian asked while giggling.

Lan Wangji gulped and his ears started becoming red. He looked annoyed but he was feeling shy. Then you looked at the ground.

“Mn” you fidgeted your fingers when you heard Lan Wangji saying so.

Wei Wuxian giggled more.

“Hanguang Jun forgive him for this behavior” Mianmian interfered and concluded Wei Wuxian’s teasing session.

For dinner, you passed around buns that you bought on the journey. After dinner Lan Wangji walked out of the cave and since you did not get a chance to talk him in private you followed him. You wanted to know if he was mad with you for not mentioning him that you would follow him before he left.

Lan Wangji walked ahead and entered the wood.

“Lan Zhan” you called him. “Lan Zhan, are you alright? I wanted to know that you were doing alright”

Lan Wangji was stopped moving and stood turning back to you.

“Lan Zhan, I missed you. Didn’t you miss me?” you pouted and sat on the lowest branch of a tree. You saw moon in the sky through the canopy .

“Just proud but perfect as Lan Wangji” you thought. “ La…” but you were just cut off by suddenly Lan Wangji was holding your arms above your head and hovering over you. His lips smashed yours savoring you.

“Y/N, I missed you” Lan Wangji said as you moaned he left a trail of love marks all on your neck and continued making out with you.

Meanwhile in the cave.

“Why are Hanguang Jun and Y/N late?” Wei Wuxian yawned. He was sleepy now.

“May be they have so much to talk “Mianmian said. “ They met after awhile”

“Mianmian’s daughter is Mianmian too. Did Y/N bring little Mianmian instead of Mianmian?” Wei Wuxian smirked before resting his back against the wall of the cave and fell asleep

#mdzs x reader #lan wangji x reader #lan zhan #mdzs #mdzs fanfiction #the untamed #mdzs reader insert #mo dao zu shi #mdzs lwj #lwj #lan wangji

70 notes · View notes

slytherinbarnes · 4 years ago

Text

Sub Rosa [96]

xii. the stranger

Pairing: Bellamy Blake x reader

Word Count: 4.8k

Warnings: angst, fighting, violence, blood, language.

Summary: faced with the aftermath of bellamy’s betrayal, you finally get a chance to talk to him, only to discover that he may be too far gone.

a/n: i do not know what to say in these notes right now bc i just know yall are cussing me out with every update lmao the taglist for this series is open! I hope you enjoy, please let me know what you think!!!

previous chapter // season masterlist // series masterlist

You sit on the flimsy mattress beside your twin, your hand held tight in her own, both of your expressions contemplative as you try to figure out what the hell is going on. Across from you, Octavia sits on her own bed, looking at you both, a soft laugh slipping from her mouth. You and Clarke lift your gazes to her in tandem, and Clarke looks at Octavia with mild annoyance. “Something funny? Because I don't see anything humorous about this.”

“I’m laughing because I’m realizing just how much I missed the Twinadoes. It’s been so long since I’ve seen you both together.”

Clarke’s expression softens, her curiosity causing her to ask, “How long were you on Penance?”

“We call it Skyring. 10 years, good ones.”

You smile, remembering some of your better memories from Skyring. Cooking with Gabriel, chess with Orlando, braiding flowers into Echo and Hope’s hair. You whisper, “They were.”

Clarke turns to look at you in confusion, unaware of how long you’ve been apart. “You were there?”

“Not with Octavia, Diyoza, and Hope. We came later, the four of us: me, Gabriel, Echo, and Hope.”

“How long were you there?”

“Five years.”

Her jaw drops in shock, “It’s been five years for you?”

You nod and you see tears in her eyes. She drops your hand to pull you in a hug, and you're grateful for it, grateful to be back with your twin, even if it is in a jail cell. “Oh my god, la lune. I’m so sorry, we had no idea or we would have come sooner.”

You shake your head, pulling away to smile at her. “It’s not your fault, Clarke. It was only a few days for you, there’s no way you could have known.”

She looks at you, and you can tell she wants to know more, but she hesitates, not wanting to push you. You read her mind and look between her and Octavia. “It was hard at first. Really hard. The first few months...all I could think about was saving Bellamy and Octavia, and getting back to you and Madi. But over time, Gabriel, Echo, Hope, and Orlando wore me down. I started to warm up to them, and then one day I woke up and I realized that I hadn’t worried about the time at all the day before. I felt guilty about that at first, but once I stopped religiously counting down the days, time went faster after that. It wasn’t so bad in the end. We had peace, and we became a family, sharing meals and stories. And even though I missed both of you, and Bellamy, and Madi and the rest of our family, I was happy.”

Octavia and Clarke can sense that you have more to say, and Clarke reaches out to grab your hand again, prepared to console you. “And then we got here, to Bardo, and it was worse than I could have imagined. Because in the five years it took for us to play house on Skyring, Bellamy was killed here. I let myself relax too much, and he ended up dead. All those years of training...for nothing.”

Clarke squeezes your hand, and you glance at her before looking away, tears welling up in your eyes as you remember the loss you felt three months ago. “I lost it when I found out, which is why I can’t blame Echo for nearly crystallizing us all. She knew how hard all of this has been on us, and she tried to do what she thought was best to make things right again. She went about it the wrong way, but her heart was in the right place. Anyways, I do believe there are good people on this planet, but I know that Cadogan is not one of them. I want nothing more than to get the hell off Bardo. Nothing good has happened to me here, besides reuniting with all of you, and I just want to escape.”

“Me too.”

“Too bad my brother betrayed us to a man he just met.” Octavia sighs, turning her gaze to Clarke. “You know, I was just starting to understand you, but I guess it doesn't matter anymore. We’ll probably be dead soon anyways.”

Clarke’s brows pull together as she looks at Octavia, “Really? How so?”

“You have Madi, I have Hope. I'd do anything to keep her safe.” She scoffs a little, tears welling up in her eyes, and you and Clarke both look at her with concern. “What’s wrong?”

“A couple of days ago, she was just our little girl. Now she's messed up like the rest of us.”

You and Clarke both stand from your bed and move over to Octavia’s, splitting apart to sit on either side of her. Octavia takes one of your hands and one of Clarke’s, and the three of you sit together in silence, sorrow hanging over all of you as you think of the tragedies you’ve all experienced. And as the three of you sit together, the door to your cell slides open and Bellamy steps inside, looking different from the last time you saw him. His hair is cut and his beard is gone, his face clean shaven for the first time in a long time. It reminds you of the Bellamy you first met on the Ark, in more ways than one. Because this Bellamy is just as much of a stranger to you as that Bellamy was.

Bellamy walks inside the room, his white robes flowing, flanked by two guards on either side of him. You look at him in shock and cock your head to the side, masking your hurt with your anger. “You need back up to talk to us now?”

He turns to glance at the guards behind him, waving them out of the room. “It’s okay.”

As they step out of the room and the door slides shut behind them, the three most important women in Bellamy Blake’s life stand, a wall of strength and anger as they look at him. You are the first to break the silence, looking at your fiance in disbelief. “It’s about time. Bellamy, what the hell was that?”

Before he can answer, Clarke adds, “I have been racking my brain, trying to figure out how you telling Cadogan the truth about the Flame helps us. You know what I've come up with? It doesn't.”

Bellamy’s voice is soft, sounding conflicted as he shakes his head slightly. “I couldn't lie to him.”

Octavia snaps, “Really? Why not?”

He glances over at her, then Clarke, then you, relaying his reasoning on his change in behavior. “I had an experience, something that changed me to my core, something that explains why we're still here and where we're going. It came to me in a vision. Mom was there.”

Octavia gives him a weird look, unconvinced, and he continues, “The Shepherd led me to her, and there was a light, and it was beautiful and warm and peaceful, and I chose it. And when I opened my eyes, the storm had passed, just like that.”

You, Clarke, and Octavia share a bewildered look, and you look at your fiance, your anger softening a little as you take in his hurt expression. “Bellamy, I love you, you know that, but this sounds...crazy.”

He turns to you, his eyes widening slightly as he takes in your confused expression. “Natshana, I know how this sounds, but it’s real.”

You flinch a little when he uses the nickname, your brain struggling to see the man you love in the disciple in white that stands before you. He sees you flinch, and a look of hurt passes over his face before he turns to look at all of you again. “A war is coming, the Last War we will ever fight. Win it, and we become the light.”

Clarke snaps, “Is that what the cult leader told you?”

She turns and starts to pace, as Octavia steps forwards and adds, “Did he tell you what happens if we lose?”

“We won't.”

Octavia shakes her head, telling him anyways. “We turn into crystal, wiped out like Medusa, turning people into stone. It's the end of everything.”

“Not everything, just us.”

“Just us?” You look at him in confusion. “Bellamy, everything we have done, we have done to survive. To help our people survive. And now you’re willing to risk everything on Cadogan’s insistence that we’ll win the Last War?”

He gives you a conflicted look, giving you a flash of hope that maybe he isn't gone forever. But then he pushes it away and looks over all of you, his voice growing louder and more insistent as he tries to convince all of you that him following Cadogan is not as weird as you think it is. “If I told you the AI that destroyed the Earth was storing our minds in the City of Light, would that be any more believable? What about a group of astronauts turning themselves into gods by transferring their minds into the bodies of their own followers in order to live forever?”

Exasperated, Clarke sighs, stopping her pacing to turn to Bellamy and throw her hands up in frustration. “Okay, yes! We've seen our share of crazy, but that doesn't change the fact that fighting some war to become the light is as ridiculous as the clothes you're wearing.”

He pulls a face, hurt by her comment on his clothes, but he pushes past it. “There's one way to find out: tell me where the Flame is.”

Clarke’s denial is firm and resolute. “No.”

“Clarke, yesterday, you were offering it up in exchange for safe passage.”

“Yesterday, I was bluffing! I made a deal to save my twin and my friends, knowing damn well I had no intention of following through with it. Today, I'm standing in front of my best friend, who I thought was dead, and I don't even recognize him.”

His expression is hurt, tears springing into his eyes as he steps closer to all of you, his gaze locked on Clarke. “I am the same person who helped bring you back from the dead, who refused to give up on you. There is so much more at stake here than you know.”

He turns to you, making his final, teary eyed plea to you. “I know you don't believe in transcendence, but I'm telling you it's real, and I am asking you to believe in me.”

You glance at Clarke and Octavia, their expressions letting you know that believing in Bellamy means believing in Cadogan. Something the three of you are determined not to do. Because even though you love Bellamy with all that you are, and you want to believe him, you know that this isn’t right. He betrayed all of you in the blink of an eye for a man that he thought was crazy back on Earth, and you’re worried just how far his devotion to Cadogan will go. You can tell something happened to Bellamy, something changed him, and you’re willing to listen to him to find out what that is, but you’re not willing to support Cadogan.

Which is why you turn back to Bellamy, trying to ignore the tears in his eyes, your voice sounding soft, but regretful. “Even if you're right, even if everything you're saying is true, we will not help that man start his war.”

He looks from you to Clarke to Octavia, seeing if they agree with you. When they make no move towards him, or say nothing to dispute your claim, he shakes his head and looks down at his feet. You can see him visibly recompose himself before he looks back up at Clarke. “Tell me where the Flame is.”

Octavia locks eyes with her brother, asking, “Or what?”

“I’m trying to save you! All of you, but if you don't tell me where it is, they will execute all of you. Please let me help.”

Your eyes widen at the word execute. It's one thing for the three of you to speculate that you're facing death, it’s another to have Bellamy confirm that they're ready to kill all of you if you won’t give them what they want. And despite the shaky intake of breath that you hear Clarke take, her answer to Bellamy’s request is unwavering. “Go float yourself.”

You turn and step back towards Clarke, the sadness in the room shifting to anger again. Octavia gives Bellamy a disappointed look before she turns towards you and Clarke, all of you turning your backs on Bellamy, standing together and comforting each other, waiting for him to leave. But instead of leaving, he sighs and calls out, “Guards.”

The three of you hesitantly turn towards the door, watching as four guards step into the room. Bellamy looks them all over before motioning towards Clarke. “Take this one to M-Cap.”

Clarke gives him an incredulous look, “What?!”

The guards close in on Clarke, and the two of you exchange a panicked look as they grab her arm and start to pull her towards the door. You jump towards her, trying to grab the hand that is reaching out for you. You’re all too familiar with the pain of M-Cap, and it’s not a pain that you want Clarke to experience. “La lune!”

“Clarke!”

As your hand closes around hers, you are pulled backwards by your other arm, one of the other guards in the room stopping you. You turn and punch him, getting him off of you, trying again to run after Clarke. As she is pulled out of the door, you hear Octavia protesting, but she is stopped in place by her brother. You run after your twin, barely making it past Bellamy before you are grabbed from behind and yanked backwards, onto the ground. One of the guards pins your arms to the floor while the other grabs you by the front of your shirt and punches you, pain exploding behind your left eye and cheekbone. They hit you again, blood blooming across your tongue as you accidentally bite down from the force. A third punch smashes your nose, and you're sure you can feel blood trickling down to your mouth, though it’s hard to think much past the pain.

You can hear Octavia yelling at her brother and Bellamy yelling commands at the guards, but your brain doesn't process them, too focused on the pain in your face. You feel your wrists being released, the weight of someone’s body leaving you, your body now free to roll onto your hands and knees and spit black blood onto the stone floor. You feel a hand on your shoulder and you flinch before Octavia’s soft voice whispers, “La lune, are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” You spit again, pulling yourself to your feet, your anger flaring white hot as you turn towards Bellamy, your earlier sympathy now gone. “What the hell was that?”

He looks over your face, at the blood dripping from your nose, the bruise blooming along your skin, and you can see a flash of worry cross his features as he urges, “You shouldn’t fight them, the Shepherd authorized them to-”

You cut him off, your voice loud, “I don’t care! Bellamy, what are you doing? Letting guards beat me up, sending Clarke to be tortured? This isn’t you!”

He shakes his head, another hurt look on his face. Five minutes ago, you wanted to comfort him through his conflict, hear about what he went through. But right now, your mind thinking of your twin in danger, a danger he sent her to, you want to hit him. You want to punch those puppy dog eyes until they swell shut. But you keep your cool and control your anger as he shakes his head. “It’s not torture.”

You let out a short laugh, pushing your hair out of the way to show him the scar on the right side of your face that runs beneath your level two symbols and into your hairline. “It is if you fight it, and you know damn well she will.”

“All she has to do is tell us where the Flame is, and we’ll let her go. We’ll let you go.”

“No way in hell are we going to give Cadogan what he wants. The Bellamy I love would be right beside me, opposed to doing anything for the crazed cult leader that’s so determined to start a war.”

Bellamy shakes his head, “He’s not a cult leader, and he doesn’t want to start a war. He wants us to transcend, to have real peace.”

“Do you hear yourself? War has never brought us peace, Bellamy. Only death and pain. But let’s say that Cadogan is right, and we do win this war and transcend. Torturing your friends, your family, people you love, watching us be locked up and potentially executed is not the way to do it. Doing the right thing the wrong way isn’t doing the right thing. You know that.”

“I’m trying to save all of you.”

You shake your head at him, in disbelief that the two of you are on opposite sides. After everything with Pike, you were sure that you’d never be on opposite sides again, especially not for something this big, yet here you are. You don't have the energy to argue with him right now, because he clearly believes in Cadogan, or wants to believe in Cadogan, and you’re sure that nothing you say will change his mind. So you turn away from him, shaking your head in disappointment, angrily swiping blood from your nose before muttering, “Get out.”

“La lune, please-”

You spin around and cut him off, your voice loud. “Don’t call me that! My family calls me la lune, and as long as you’re wearing those robes and worshipping the Shepherd, you are not my family, you are my enemy.”

You wait for his face to fall before you snap, “Now get out!”

This time, he obliges, turning away from you quickly, knocking on the door to alert the guards on the other side. As soon as he’s out of your cell and the door is closed, you collapse onto your flimsy mattress, your anger finally giving way to your tears. Octavia crosses the room and sits down beside you, the two of you wrapping your arms around each other and crying as you try to come to terms with who Bellamy is now.

A few hours after Clarke is dragged from the cell, your door opens again. You and Octavia stand, expecting it to be her, but instead it is a group of disciples, all of them pointing weapons at you as they demand, “Back against the wall, hands out in front of you!”

You and Octavia do as they say, stepping backwards and pressing your backs to the wall as you hold out your hands. A guard walks over to you and slips a pair of cuffs onto your wrists, a thick metal bar holding your arms apart, before they grab your arm and drag you to the door. You and Octavia are dragged through the halls of Bardo and led to the Stone Room, much to your surprise. As the doors open, you see that your friends are already here, lined up against the wall. Everyone looks at you in surprise, now more injured than the last time they saw you, but you shake off their worry, letting them know you’re okay.

Octavia is led towards the end of the line, pushed between Hope and Niylah, while you are stopped at the opposite end, pushed between Gabriel and Jordan. Another disciple walks over and places a helmet at your feet before taking one down to Octavia, all of you now standing in a row with disciple helmets nearby, waiting for what’s next. Two disciples stand near the stone, and two more stand near the door, everyone waiting in silence, but Gabriel can't resist the urge to whisper, “Are you okay?”

“Looks worse than it is.” You smirk at him, trying to ease his tension, and he smiles back, right before one of the disciples snaps, “No talking!”

Less than a minute later, the doors to the room slide open. Two disciples stop just outside the door as two more walk inside, taking up their posts. Behind them is Cadogan, followed by Bellamy and the man that is likely replacing Anders, whose name you don't know. Behind them is Clarke, unrestrained, her eyes searching the line of prisoners until her eyes lock with you. Her expression drops at the sight of all of you restrained, but it drops further when she sees the bruise already darkening around your eye. “Why are they still restrained? We had a deal.”

You look at her, your eyes glancing at Cadogan, who has taken up a spot in front of the stone. “Clarke, what is this? What deal?”

“He releases all of us, and I take him to the Flame.”

Bill turns around, his gaze falling to Clarke. “You'll forgive me if I have trust issues where you're concerned.”

He turns to look at the man replacing Anders. “Remove the restraints one at a time. Any violence will be met with lethal force.”

Bellamy looks at you, his expression a warning as he addresses your group. “No one is getting violent. It's a good thing, you're being released.”

The man moves down to Miller first, slipping off his restraints before motioning down to the helmet on the floor. “Helmet on to protect your memory.”

Miller leans down and grabs the helmet, turning to look at Clarke as the Anomaly powers up beside him. “You good with this?”

She nods, and he pulls the helmet on and allows himself to be led into the Anomaly. All down the line the others are unrestrained and led into the green glow behind Miller: Hope, then Octavia, Niylah. The man skips over Raven, who gives him a strange look, and moves on to Echo, freeing the former spy with a guarded look. “Sending the fighters first, is that it?”

He shrugs a little, “Can't be too careful.”

After Echo is Jordan, and you put your hands out after him, waiting your turn, but the man in front of you steps back, leaving you, Gabriel, and Raven behind, still restrained. Cadogan moves over to the stone and types in a code, the Anomaly closing behind Jordan, leaving the rest of you behind. You glance over at Clarke in confusion, wondering if this was part of the plan, and she gives you a look of worry, letting you know that it’s not. She steps towards Cadogan, a glare on her face. “What are you doing?”

“Ensuring you keep your part of the deal.”

Raven shifts closer to you, glaring at Cadogan as she moves, her lip curling into a sneer. “He didn't send them to Sanctum.”

“Correct.” He turns to look at her, smiling at her, and you want nothing more than to launch yourself at him and wipe the smile from his face. “And thank you for demonstrating why I didn't send you with them.”

Gabriel clicks his tongue, his gaze shifting to his feet before moving back up to Cadogan. “We know how the stone works.”

“Also correct.” You shake your head, confused, because you don't have knowledge of the stone in the way that Gabriel and Raven do. If anything, Echo and Hope know more about the stone than you, meaning they should be here too. Clarke seems to think the same thing, because she looks over at you before her eyes lock with Cadogan’s. “My twin doesn't know about the stone, so why is she here?”

The realization hits you as you look at her, the worry on her face to have you still among the dangers of Bardo. You shift your gaze to the cult leader and deadpan, “I’m an insurance policy. If you don't get him the Flame, I'm assuming that I'm the first to go.”

Bill turns his condescending smile to you, confirming your suspicions. “Another correct answer.”

You glare at him, your mind on your friends and not your safety. “Where are they?”

“They're safe, as I promised they would be. I said nothing about releasing them on Sanctum.”

Clarke turns on Bellamy, her anger radiating off of her in waves. “You knew about this?”

Bellamy looks at her, lost, clearly unaware of Bill’s plans, which the Shepherd confirms. “He doesn't know where they are, only I do. I told you, Clarke, I don't trust you. I do, however, trust the love you have for your friends and your twin, and once I have the Key and the Last War begins, they'll all be freed. At which point, each of you will be welcome to fight alongside us, and if you choose not to, well, we'll save you anyway. That is what we mean when we say, ‘for all mankind’.”

He turns, eyes moving over to the new Anders. “Doucette, please release the others, so we can retrieve the Key.”

Doucette walks over to Raven and pulls off her restraints as Cadogan once again opens the Anomaly, this time to Sanctum. Raven leans down to grab her helmet, and Doucette walks over to you next. You stick out your arms, waiting for your freedom, your brain already contemplating all the ways you’re going to get Clarke and the others out of this, when Bill’s voice calls out, “Not her.”

You look around the disciple to stare at the cult leader in shock. “What?”

“Your restraints will remain on, Miss Griffin. You killed 10 disciples in our oxygen farm, attacked First Disciple Anders before his death, and have assaulted countless guards since arriving on Bardo, two of them earlier today. I trust you even less than I trust Clarke, which is why you will remain restrained and at my side.”

From across the room, Bellamy speaks for the first time since your friends were sent away, his expression concerned as he looks at his leader. “Sir, I don't think that’s really necessary.”

“And I think it is. I’m sure you're aware of what she’s capable of more than any of us.” Bellamy’s expression drops a little, his mind clearly playing through an assortment of memories in which you fight or kill anyone that gets in your way. Cadogan notes his expression, stating with a nod, “That is why I’m keeping her restrained.”

You roll your eyes and drop your hands, accepting that, for now, your restraints will stay on. You're hesitant to push Cadogan in this moment, when everything is so tense and you’re surrounded by a room full of guards. You’re less concerned about your own safety and more concerned about the others, not wanting to do anything that’ll put Clarke or your friends in danger. You glance over at your twin, and you can tell that she wants to argue, but you shake your head at her, telling her you’re fine, you’ll be okay, and that none of this is as bad as it seems. You see her sigh a little before accepting the message, leaning down to pick up her own helmet.

You grab your helmet as Gabriel is freed, and Cadogan turns and begins to give orders. “Disciples, I want most of you ahead of us. Weapons hot, remain in ghost mode, and take down anyone that is armed. Bellamy and Doucette will go ahead of me and the troublesome twin, and then Gabriel, Raven, and Clarke will bring up the rear, along with the remaining disciples. Is that clear?”

Everyone mumbles their assent and agreement, and you are pushed across the room, over to Cadogan’s side. You glare as you look at him, Bellamy moving past the two of you to stand in front of you, and you shift your glare to the back of his head. Because he barely fought for you. He seems more than content to leave you chained up like an animal. You hope he can feel your anger as Cadogan directs everyone to pull their helmets on, which you do clumsily, thanks to your restraints, and you hope Bellamy can feel your anger when you all step into the Anomaly and come out the other side on Sanctum.

Except, instead of appearing in Gabriel’s tunnel under his camp, you’re in the palace, surrounded by armed guards. Russell is sitting on a throne made of skulls, wearing Grounder clothes, and you look around in confusion as you reach up to tug your helmet off. Clarke does the same thing, speaking the thought on all of your minds as you look around the room in confusion. “What the hell happened here?”

Murphy, who you didn't notice until this moment, is sitting across from Russell, his hands restrained, a chessboard in front of him. He smiles a little as he takes in the arrival of your group, but it drops at Clarke’s question. He glances briefly at Russell before deadpanning, “Oh, gee. Where to begin.”

You look around the room again, at the chaos that has apparently ensued since your departure, and you glance over at Clarke, wondering if it was like this when she left. But given the expression on her face and the confused look that she turns towards you, it wasn't. Which means your people managed to ruin not just Bardo, but Sanctum too. You can only hope that things here aren't that bad, though as you look towards Russell again, you're not sure that’s the case.

But nothing can be as bad as your time on Bardo, right?

next chapter

#The 100 #the 100 rewrite #bellamy blake #bellamy blake x reader #bellamy blake fanfiction

74 notes · View notes

ibijau · 4 years ago

Text

welp, here’s my part of a winter exchange organised by on the xisang discord! I got to write for @scumvillainrights and it was fun~

It was Nie Huaisang’s fault for arriving a day early. He had just felt too impatient to visit the Cloud Recesses again. That, and it was just so cold at the altitude he flew at, so he had pushed himself hard to reach his destination faster. The downsides to that, he’d found out upon arriving to the gate of the Cloud Recesses, was that nothing was ready to receive him, and that the sect leader was absent dealing with some other business, as were Lan Qiren and Lan Wangji.

Having been given a jade token even before his brother’s death, Nie Huaisang was still allowed inside, but it was clear to him that the Lans just didn’t quite know what to do with him. And while it would have been easy, and perhaps even mildly funny to embarrass those Lan disciples by requesting a room be given to him right away to rest and refresh himself, Nie Huaisang simply did not feel like being cruel. It really was his fault for being early this once, when he was usually more likely to be late. So Nie Huaisang assured the disciples welcoming him that he was in no hurry, and asked to be allowed to enjoy a walk in the Cloud Recesses, since they were so beautiful with the thin layer of snow that winter had brought.

The request, of course, was granted, and Nie Huaisang started wandering. Before long he realised that even the peaceful scenery of the Cloud Recesses couldn't lift his heavy mind, not this time, not anymore. The last few years had taken their toll on him, between the loss of his brother, the weight of responsibility, and the burden of revenge. Something had broken inside, Nie Huaisang thought. Something that not even this place he used to love could soothe, nor the perspective of finally having time with Lan Xichen again.

As he walked, deep in thought, Nie Huaisang’s feet took him to the hall where the Lans conducted punishment for disobedient disciples. This, at least, nearly made him smile. He used to come here often when he was a guest student, and it seemed his legs remembered the path too well. Still, it was no place for him to be. Nie Huaisang was about to turn away when he heard some singing.

Music, of course, was nothing unusual in the Cloud Recesses. Every disciple learned to play an instrument, usually the guqin. But because of Lan rules that favoured the quiet, it was rare to hear any singing. In fact, Nie Huaisang wondered if he'd ever heard such a thing before. It made him curious enough that he followed that voice inside the courtyard of the hall.

There, in the snow, with his back to Nie Huaisang, a kneeling boy was singing to himself. It couldn't have been part of his punishment to sing. In fact, Nie Huaisang was sure the boy would get harshly scolded if he were discovered by other Lan disciples.

A shame. The boy had a good, steady voice, full of energy but pleasant to the ear. It seemed out of place in the Cloud Recesses, the same way Nie Huaisang knew he did in the Unclean Realm.

Perhaps that was the reason why Nie Huaisang clapped when the song ended.

The boy cried out in surprise, again too loud for the Cloud Recesses, and turned to look at Nie Huaisang with big frightened eyes.

"Gongzi!" he exclaimed, quickly looking around in case Nie Huaisang weren't alone. "Are you lost, gongzi? I don't think visitors are allowed here."

Seeing his face, Nie Huaisang guessed the boy to be twelve or thirteen at most. Going by the steadiness of his singing, Nie Huaisang would have thought him to be older.

"Ordinary visitors maybe not," he admitted. "But I'm a friend of Lan zongzhu, and I have certain rights."

"You don't look like someone Lan zongzhu would be friends with," the boy retorted. "Aren't you dressed too fancy for the Cloud Recesses?"

Nie Huaisang smiled in spite of himself, delighted by this odd little Lan he'd stumbled upon. Gusu boys never usually managed that sort of open insolence, it was beaten out of them by the time they were ten.

"I really am Lan zongzhu's friend," he insisted, showing off his jade token to prove it. That particular type was only given to high ranking disciples normally, though Lan Xichen had also given them to his closest, most trusted friends.

"Oh, maybe you really are," the boy conceded. "Who are you? I thought only Jin zongzhu had one like that. Or are you… Ah, what's the other one…"

"I'm Nie Huaisang," came the answer, a little drier than it needed to be. But Nie Huaisang's rare good humour had fallen apart at the reminder that Jin Guangyao existed in the world.

"Nie zongzhu!" the boy gasped, bowing politely to him. "I'm sorry. I should have guessed by your colours."

"It's fine. And you are?"

"I'm Lan Jingyi, Nie zongzhu. I'm actually related to Lan zongzhu. We're cousins. Kind of."

The boy's name was unfamiliar, but that was hardly a surprise. Nie Huaisang has always struggled to remember names, unless the person was of direct interest to him.

"Nie zongzhu, are you going to denounce me for singing?" Lan Jingyi asked, looking up at him with worry. "I know I shouldn't have. If master Lan hears about it, he's going to scold me for making a racket again."

"Are those his words?"

Lan Jingyi shrugged with a carelessness that made Nie Huaisang nearly smile again. Then, remembering that he was talking to a person of some importance, Lan Jingyi quickly nodded and bowed again.

"Master Lan is trying to teach me to stop disrupting the peace," he explained. "I am very grateful for his efforts and I am trying to learn from him."

"If he called your singing a racket he's unfair," Nie Huaisang retorted. "You have a very lovely voice. Where did you learn to sing like that? You must have been trained to be this good?"

The instant he heard the praise, Lan Jingyi's face illuminated, as if he'd never received such a high compliment.

"Nie zongzhu is too kind!" he exclaimed. "I haven't been trained, except if you count singing with my father when I was little. I just enjoy it a lot, even if I know I shouldn't."

"Ah, I know the feeling," Nie Huaisang huffed with a half smile. "I'm glad you persevered. You really are quite good. In fact, I wouldn't mind another song, if that's agreeable to you. I won't tell master Lan and Lan zongzhu, I promise."

"Really?"

"Really."

Lan Jingyi's smile at being encouraged could have outshone the sun. He didn't hesitate and started another song right away.

He really had a good voice, especially if he had never received training for it. So good in fact that Nie Huaisang allowed himself to be carried away by the music without paying attention to the lyrics. They seemed to be mostly nonsense anyway, just random things set to the tune of a Lan melody which Nie Huaisang, belatedly, recognised as Cleansing

At any other time, it would have horrified him to hear again the music used to murder his brother. But set to silly lyrics, in the voice of this enthusiastic child, Nie Huaisang found that he didn't mind. If anything, Lan Jingyi made the melody feel peaceful again.

It had been a long, long while since Nie Huaisang had felt so calm.

That fragile peace was promptly broken by approaching footsteps.

"Lan Jingyi, do you know what rules you have just broken?" a stern voice asked in a tired tone, bringing the song to a sudden end.

Even before turning, Nie Huaisang recognised Lan Qiren and shivered. Even though he was no longer his student, some part of him still feared the strict teacher who used to terrify him. At least, Lan Qiren wasn't alone. When Nie Huaisang turned to bow in respect, he saw Lan Xichen at his uncle's side, which meant he wouldn't have to go through the torture of small talk with Lan Qiren.

"Master Lan, Lan zongzhu, please do not scold that disciple of yours," Nie Huaisang asked. "I am the one who requested to hear him sing, and of course he could hardly have denied me this."

"And how did you know that he sings in the first place?" Lan Qiren retorted, unimpressed.

Unsure how to answer without causing more problems for Lan Jingyi, Nie Huaisang elected to stay silent. He opened his fan to hide and turned his attention to Lan Xichen, as if he hadn't heard the question at all.

"Er-ge, how good to see you, it's been so long. Are you free now? Could we go have tea? I'm just freezing, I can't feel my feet at all and I'm worried about frostbite!"

Lan Xichen smiled indulgently, and glanced at his uncle.

"I'll let you deal with Jingyi, uncle, and entertain Nie zongzhu. Don't let him stay out too long. I fear it'll snow again tonight."

Lan Qiren looked unimpressed by that double plea for leniency, but nodded anyway. Only a little worried for Lan Jingyi, Nie Huaisang lost no time in following Lan Xichen away from that courtyard and toward the Hanshi.

"Will he be punished for this?" Nie Huaisang asked as they walked, a little closer to each other than necessary.

"Who?"

"That boy, Lan Jingyi. I really did ask him, you know, and I promised him he wouldn't get in trouble."

Lan Xichen chuckled softly.

"Lan Jingyi is always in trouble," he said. "We don't really know what to do with him. He has very good cultivation, uncle says he's one of the most skilled swordsmen he's ever seen, but his attitude is… a bit much to handle."

Nie Huaisang grimaced. He had found it endearing that Lan Jingyi had been nearly insolent, that he didn't whisper like most Lan disciples seemed to do, but he could imagine others would be less amused.

"It would be less of a problem if his musical cultivation were better," Lan Xichen sighed. "But he struggles with that as well. It's very odd. He has such a good ear for music, he's always humming something if left alone, but put him before a guqin and he's a disaster. He tries to please us, but it's so obvious he doesn't care for it, and so he makes no progress."

"Sounds familiar," Nie Huaisang grumbled, thinking again how radiant Lan Jingyi had been when praised, even by a complete stranger. He thought, also, of the way he'd found Cleansing soothing again, for the first time in years, and wondered. "Is it possible to cultivate through singing?"

Lan Xichen shot him a surprised look at the question, and did not answer right away. They had reached the Hanshi at last, and Lan Xichen remained silent as he opened the door, letting his guest in.

"I don't think it has ever been done," he finally answered as he closed the door behind them. "It certainly wouldn't be traditional."

"Oh, tradition," Nie Huaisang huffed, bending down to take off his boots as quickly as his cold fingers allowed. "Sometimes tradition isn't so great."

Kneeling next to him, Lan Xichen hummed noncommittally before helping Nie Huaisang remove his shoes, clearly less affected by the biting cold. Nie Huaisang couldn't decide if he was grateful or annoyed that he needed the help. He chose to ignore both feelings and leaned forward, silently begging for a kiss that was easily granted to him.

Before Nie Huaisang could get a second kiss, Lan Xichen rose to his feet and went to boil water for some tea. Nie Huaisang went to sit at the table and watched the other man work, their conversation already half forgotten for his part.

Lan Xichen, however, wasn't quite done yet.

"There might be something to your idea of voice cultivation," he said a few minutes later, while pouring the tea. Nie Huaisang blinked a few times, hurriedly trying to recall what he'd said. He was so often ignored these days, it always startled him how Lan Xichen truly paid attention to his chatter. "It would not be recommended for ordinary people, but Lan Jingyi does have a more powerful voice than most. The main reason uncle has to be so tough on him about being quiet is that Lan Jingyi has provoked headaches in others more than once. But if that could be channelled properly… and singing is music as well, isn't it? The voice is just an instrument of another sort. It could be worth trying. I'll tell uncle about it. He has a soft spot for Jingyi, I'm sure he'd be happy to find a way to help him improve."

Lan Xichen sounded so serious and earnest about it that Nie Huaisang found himself smiling. Because the world was cold and his own mind so dark, Nie Huaisang forgot sometimes how warm and kind Lan Xichen could be. At times he was annoyed by it, jealous that anyone might still carry so much gentleness. But that day, like most times he was reminded of his lover's nature, Nie Huaisang felt relieved that Lan Xichen remained untouched by darkness, and became each time more convinced that he'd been right in his choice to leave Lan Xichen unburdened by the truth.

"I'm sure Lan Jingyi will be very grateful that you are willing to help him find what works for him," Nie Huaisang said, sipping on his tea, shivering pleasantly at the heat of it.

"Not all disciples can follow the main road," Lan Xichen retorted, brushing his fingers against Nie Huaisang's cheek. "Those other paths are worth exploring as well. They can lead to great treasure, I've found."

Nie Huaisang rolled his eyes, his face suddenly very hot.

He blamed the tea for that.

#xisang #nie huaisang #lan jingyi #lan xichen #mo dao zu shi #I hope you'll like it coda!!!#jau writes

59 notes · View notes

trilliastra · 5 years ago

Text

Five times people didn’t know Sizhui is Lan Zhan’s son and one time they did

[POV outsider. Wangxian. Lan Sizhui & Lan Zhan feelings.]

Lan Xichen watched his brother collapse in front of him, unable to do anything but hold onto the feverish boy Wangji placed in his arms.

He doesn't deserve his position as Sect leader, Lan Xichen thinks. He doesn't deserve to be an older brother either.

How couldn't he see what was happening right in front of him? How couldn't he notice Lan Wangji's pain and confusion? His brother used to be so sure of his righteous path, following the rules, helping the weak, protecting the light, but now – Lan Xichen turns to look at the child, restless even in his sleep, so weak the doctors aren't sure he is going to make it through the night.

Who is he? Lan Xichen wants to shake his brother awake, question him, make him promise this isn't going to cause him even more pain. Who is he, Wangji? He wonders, trying not to resent his brother for keeping yet another secret. It is against the rules as a Lan and it is against his own feelings as a brother – but, how can he protect his family like this? How can he help Wangji when he keeps running away from him, hiding, going against everything they've been taught?

“A-Yuan.” Wangji groans and Lan Xichen startles, rushing to his brother's side.

“Wangji –” he tries, but Wangji's eyes are on the boy, concerned even through the pain he's obviously feeling.

“A-Yuan.” He repeats, reaching out for the boy, growing restless when he can't touch him. “A-Yuan.”

Oh. Lan Xichen closes his eyes as the tears start to fall. Oh, Wangji.

Carefully, Lan Xichen takes the boy and lays him next to his brother on the bed, Wangji holds him protectively against his chest and A-Yuan stops his little cries immediately.

“Wangji,” Lan Xichen tries again, running a hand through his brother's hair softly, “who is he?”

“He's my son.” Wangji closes his eyes again, voice small and vulnerable as if he's afraid to face him.

More tears fall as Lan Xichen kneels in front of his brother's bed, reaching out for Wangji's hand. He failed him many times, added to his distrust, his need to act alone that ultimately ended up with him like this, on this bed, looking nothing like the brave, strong man, Lan Xichen knows he is. But he won't, no, he refuses – as a brother and as a Sect Leader – to cause him more pain.

“And so he is.” He says, unsure if Wangji is conscious enough to understand him, but that does not matter now, he will say it again when his brother wakes up, will write it down, carve it in stone if needed. A-Yuan shall be Lan Yuan, Lan Wangji's son, his nephew, and no one will dare say otherwise.

–

Lan Qiren understood the need to protect the boy, no child should suffer for the actions of their parents, Wen or not, the boy is a disciple now. He will eat their food, learn their rules, practice sword fighting and become part of their Clan. No one will question his background or cause him harm, not while Lan Qiren is alive.

But this – this is preposterous. “No.” He does not turn his back to his Sect Leader, but he glares at his nephew for the idea of Lan Wangji – a direct heir – taking care of a child, an outsider, is ridiculous. “He will go into seclusion, meditate on his mistakes and the child will be watched by the maids. It is final!”

Lan Xichen does not move. “Wangji will go into seclusion and A-Yuan will live with him.” He counters and Lan Qiren feels his head throb.

“Xichen,” he takes a deep breath, struggling to keep his voice down. Shouting is against the rules. “this is not a good idea.”

“Wangji will adopt him.” Lan Xichen interrupts. “A-Yuan is his son.”

Lan Qiren feels his eyes widen as Lan Xichen rushes to help him take a seat.

Brother, he thinks, your sons are going to kill me.

–

Lan Qiren only saw the boy once, when he visited Wangji at the infirmary months ago. He looked pale, too small for a child his age, as he tossed and turned on his bed.

He still looks small, but his eyes are shining and his smile is bright. The color is back on his cheeks as he runs after a butterfly. Wangji does not look up when Lan Qiren sits next to him, only keeps watching the boy laugh as his attention turns from the butterfly to a cricket.

His nephew is still in pain, he notices, as Wangji frowns, almost imperceptibly. His back is still healing, his heart and mind too, and this is absolutely, irrevocably, a bad idea.

“Wangji –” Lan Qiren starts, but a childish shriek interrupts him.

“Father!” The boy screams, pointing at something near the lake. “A frog!”

“Leave it be.” Wangji warns, gesturing for the boy to come closer. When the boy is in front of them, he turns to Lan Qiren with curious eyes, and performs an awkward bow. It is a start, he notices. “This is my uncle, Master Lan Qiren.” Wangji says. “You shall call him Master Lan.”

“Hello, Master Lan.” The boy greets, his smile is unsure now and he keeps a safe distance from Lan Qiren.

Lan Qiren inclines his head in acknowledgment and watches, surprised, as Wangji reaches out to run a hand through the boy's hair. “Remember what I told you about keeping your voice down?”

“Yelling might disturb the others.” He recites in answer and Wangji nods. “Sorry, father.”

“Try not to do it again.”

“Mnn!” He says, sitting by Wangji's legs and reaching out for the papers laid out for him. He starts drawing, humming something under his breath, and Lan Qiren notices the pride in Wangji's eyes.

He sighs, this is all he needed to see. “You are still in seclusion.” Lan Qiren says, standing up. Wangji looks at him, but keeps one protective hand on the boy's shoulder. “And your son will start attending classes with the other disciples his age as soon as possible.”

Wangji nods. “Thank you, uncle.”

“Mnn.” Lan Qiren answers, turning around and leaving father and son to enjoy their evening together.

–

“Make sure to give A-Yuan double portions.” Lan Qiren orders the cooks the next week. The boy is still small and will surely get tired once he starts attending classes.

Lan Xichen smiles at him, knowingly. Lan Qiren pretends not to see it.

–

Jingyi is six when he meets Lan Yuan and decides they are going to be best friends. A-Yuan is smart, funny and he helps Jingyi when he can't understand their lessons. Jingyi's mom says she hopes A-Yuan will be a good enough influence on him that he will finally stop questioning everything their teacher says.

When Jingyi tells A-Yuan that, his friend blushes, and confesses he hides all his questions from their teacher to ask his father later. “And your father answers them all?” Jingyi asks, surprised.

“Mnn!” A-Yuan nods, smiling.

“Your father must be really smart!” He says and A-Yuan nods again.

“He's the smartest!”

–

Jingyi knows everything about A-Yuan. He knows his friend is scared of the dark and hates being alone, he likes to read books and he practices his handwriting every night. Jingyi also knows A-Yuan loves butterflies and bunnies, really all kinds of animals, and that sometimes he will just keep eating until someone tells him to stop.

Some nights his friend will have nightmares and when that happens he won't come to classes the next day. Their teacher shakes his head in disappointment when that happens, muttering about excuses and spoiled child but A-Yuan confessed, once, that his father always helps him with the lessons he missed.

What Jingyi does not know, however, is A-Yuan's family. One time he asked about his mother, but when his friend replied, sadly, that she's dead, he stopped talking about it. A-Yuan lives with his father, that much he is sure, but he's not allowed to visit them, so they always say goodbye after class and A-Yuan goes home alone. It is extremely sad, according to Jingyi's mother, but A-Yuan is always smiling, so Jingyi doesn't understand what she means.

–

Jingyi is nine when he sees the man for the first time. He got distracted playing with his little sister and now he's late to class. He walks quickly – but does not run – and stumbles upon a man. For a moment he thinks it's Sect Leader and he is ready to bow and apologize when the man leaves quietly, face serious, and Jingyi takes a deep breath, relieved.

He forgets about the encounter as soon as his teacher orders him to write 'always be on time' five hundred times. A-Yuan shakes his head in disappointment, but his smile is fond when he looks at Jingyi.

Jingyi meets the man again later that same day, after classes are over, and he squeaks, rushing to hide behind A-Yuan. “What?” His friend asks, confused.

“Him.” He gestures towards the man – but does not point as it is forbidden – who's looking at them with the same cold expression. He's probably here to scold Jingyi for running – yes, he admits, he was running – and Jingyi shudders, wondering what horrible punishment awaits him. “He's scary!”

A-Yuan laughs softly. “Not really.” He says, taking Jingyi's hand. “Come.”

“What?” Jingyi cries out. “No, no.”

“Hanguang-jun.” A-Yuan greets. “This is my friend, Lan Jingyi.”

Oh, Jingyi blinks. This is Zewu-jun's brother. His father always talked about him with admiration.

Hanguang-jun nods and Jingyi bows deeply, equal parts confused and in awe.

A-Yuan glances up at Hanguang-jun, then looks around and, lowering his voice, tells Jingyi, “he is my father.”

Jingyi blinks, whisper a low, “woah”, and then bows again. “Nice to meet you!” When he looks up, Hanguang-jun's expression is less intimidating.

Hanguang-jun nods again, touching A-Yuan's shoulder. “We have to go.” He says, raising his hand. Curiously, Jingyi eyes the basket he's holding.

A-Yuan nods, eyes shining. “Can Jingyi come with us someday?”

“Some day.” Hanguang-jun promises and with one last wave A-Yuan takes his father's hand as they leave.

–

They take him to see the rabbits weeks later. While A-Yuan and Jingyi feed them, Hanguang-jun plays his guqin, stopping once in a while to pet a couple of bunnies.

“Your father is soft.” Jingyi says, amazed.

A-Yuan laughs loudly.

–

Oh, he's adorable, Ming Ming smiles at the Lan boy. He's looking at the bread with a serious expression, occasionally he gives her a polite smile, before looking down again.

“Do you need some help?” She asks, eventually, amused.

“Oh,” he says, “I am sorry to bother you, but – how much can I buy with this?” He shows a couple silver pieces and her eyes widen immediately. She knows the Lan Clan do not have to worry about money and this innocent boy probably never had to deal with this kind of business before.

“My dear boy,” she waves her hands, “you could buy all the bread I have for at least half of that!”

“I will take it, then.” He says, offering the money.

Ming Ming startles, shaking her head furiously. “No, no. I can't.” She starts packing the bread for him. “Here, six for a silver piece.” She says, smiling nervously.

“No, no.” The boy insists. “Take it all.” They stay at it for some time, the boy trying to give her all the pieces he has and Ming Ming refusing. Her mother taught her to be honest and just, she could use the money, actually, but she'd rather work for it and not take it from an innocent, good, boy.

“Please,” she lets out, frustrated. A crowd has started to gather around them, watching the discussion curiously. They must make a rather interesting pair, one trying to offer money and the other refusing to take it. Her husband would be laughing, if he was still alive, “I can't.”

“Six breads,” a man says, touching the boy's shoulder. Ming Ming immediately bows, blushing furiously as Hanguang-jun looks at her, “four silver pieces.”

He's trying to negotiate, she realizes, but still – it's too much. “That is four times the price, Hanguang-jun.” She argues.

“I believe it is a fair amount.” He says. “Don't you, Sizhui?”

“Yes, Hanguang-jun!” The boy – Lan Sizhui – nods immediately. He counts four silver pieces and offers them to her, expectantly.

Finally, she sighs, admitting defeat. They could argue all day, Ming Ming is sure she would, but they must go home, and well – so does she. Her mother has agreed to take care of Ming Ming's daughter while she works at the street market, but it's getting late and her mother's health isn't the same as it was years back, she needs to rest and Ming Ming, more than anyone, knows how much trouble her daughter is.

“Thank you, Hanguang-jun,” she says, exchanging the money for the bread, “and Lan Sizhui.” She adds, smiling at the child.

She watches them go, the older man holding most of the bags as Lan Sizhui reaches out for his free hand.

–

Later, as she's walking home, she finds them giving the bread to a small family who's been living in the streets of Gusu for a while now. The mother looks on the verge of tears while the kids start eating immediately.

Ming Ming wipes tears of her own, observing Lan Sizhui smile kindly at them.

“Can we do this again next week, father?” She hears the boy ask as they walk back to the Cloud Recesses. Hanguang-jun nods in response.

Such a sweet child could only have a great father, Ming Ming smiles, noticing how Hanguang-jun looks down at the boy like he's the most important thing in the world.

She looks forward to seeing them again.

–

Ouyang Zhen* isn't worried. His son is of age to join Night Hunts and he's being accompanied by none other than Sect Leader Lan, really there's no one more qualified to take care of his boy.

So he isn't worried. He is just – keeping an eye out for trouble. Yes, just that.

His wife smiles knowingly at him before she retreats to their room with a soft whisper of goodnight. She is expecting their fourth child – he is sure it will be another girl, she thinks it's going to be a boy and Zizhen just wants them to stop giving him siblings – so she should rest, even though he doubts she will be able to fall asleep tonight.

He paces around the garden, ignoring the urge to go looking for his son. Zizhen would never forgive him for showing up unannounced on his first Night Hunt away from his father, and oh, Ouyang Zhen could never stand his son being angry at him.

He's trying to convince himself to at least try to fall asleep when he notices the flare. Alarmed, he takes his sword, hands shaking, and gathers his men, rushing to his son's aid.

–

He's not surprised to find Hanguang-jun already there, Ouyang Zhen is surprised, though, to find him covered in blood, eyes shining with anger. He startles, scared, when the man looks at him, but chooses to ignore it for now in favor of taking his son in his arms.

“What happened?”

Zizhen is shaking, but he's not scared, Ouyang Zhen realizes, he's angry. “Sizhui was trying to help!” He says, glaring at the man whimpering on the ground as Hanguang-jun stands in front of him, sword in hand, like a wolf ready to attack.

Another Lan boy is crying, he notices, kneeling in front of his friend who's being taken care of by Sect Leader Lan. Behind them, a woman is being held by a disciple from the Jin Clan, her clothes' ripped apart and Ouyang Zhen feels sick when he realizes what exactly the men was trying to do with her**.

He's glad Hanguang-jun killed them.

Sect Leader Jiang arrives not long after, stalking towards his nephew and shielding his eyes from the bloodshed. Ouyang Zhen tries to do the same with his own son, but Zizhen pushes him away, running towards the Lan boy who's lying, unconscious, on the ground.

“Please.” That dreadful man whimpers, raising his hands. “I didn't do anything. They did.” He points at the bodies around him.

“Liar!” The crying Lan boy yells.

“You stabbed Sizhui!” Zizhen shouts.

Hanguang-jun raises Bichen, lets the tip of the sword prickle the man's neck. “Wangji!” Sect Leader Lan calls just as the man starts begging for his life. “He's awake, come!”

Ouyang Zhen has seen Hanguang-jun fight, knows what he's capable of, with or without his sword. However, he has never seen him move so fast. “A-Yuan.” He hears the man whisper, one hand on the boy's face.

“Father.” The boy answers weakly. “Is the woman safe?”

“Yes.” Hanguang-jun nods. “Yes, you saved her.”

“Good.” He says, smiling softly as the other Lan boy cries harder.

Ouyang Zhen exchanges a look of understanding with Sect Leader Jiang and then turns to the man still whimpering, surrounded by the dead bodies of his accomplices. They would have done the same, their own boys being hurt or not. Maybe worse.

“I will take him back to Cloud Recesses.” Sect Leader Lan says, looking at the man with contempt. “He will pay for his actions.” Then he adds, “we will care for the woman as well.”

He nods. “Hanguang-jun's son will be fine?” Ouyang Zhen notices Sect Leader Jiang rolls his eyes, but decides to ignore him. He knows the man dislikes Hanguang-jun, fuck, he probably dislikes every Sect Leader, but it is not his problem. They've all learned to ignore his moods at this point.

“Yes, thank you.” Sect Leader Lan answers, with a kind smile, and Ouyang Zhen sighs in relief. He gestures for his son to come closer, throws his arm over his shoulders.

“Let's go home.” He says and with one last look towards his friend, Zizhen nods.

Ouyang Zhen also looks at the Lan boy, leaning against his father's chest. He hopes he will never have to see his own son like that.

–

+1.

Wei Wuxian sees Lan Zhan lead Sizhui outside while the rest of the junior disciples eat their food enthusiastically, Jin Ling and Lan Jingyi bickering over who gets the last chicken wing.

He leans against the door of the tavern, watches as father and son walk together, talking quietly. Sizhui looks at Lan Zhan with admiration and his smile widens when his father touches his hair softly.

Wei Wuxian knows Lan Zhan very well, even after thirteen years. He's an adult now, obviously, with responsibilities, and he carries himself with more certainty, but his heart and mind are the same. He does not hide his thoughts nor does he hide his feelings from the people he loves.

And it's obvious how much he loves Sizhui. From his subtle touches to his lingering glances when they were at Yi City and in danger. Wei Wuxian didn't even need to ask to have his answer, he only had to really look.

He feels sad when he thinks about A-Yuan. The boy would be Sizhui's age now, probably a strong cultivator, smart and gentle. Wei Wuxian would have taught him to fight with his sword, would have given him hugs and kisses every day until he grew old enough to start escaping his hold.

Would A-Yuan come to call him father as well?

“Thank you, father.” He hears Sizhui say, blushing, as Lan Zhan fixes his ribbon.

Wei Wuxian feels himself smiling when Lan Zhan looks at him. He isn't ready to ask about Sizhui's mother or how Lan Zhan became the father of such a special boy, but he knows he will have to face his feelings eventually, he's been in love with his friend for far too long to simply keep ignoring it.

He's got a second chance at life, he will make sure not to waste it.

–

“Lan Sizhui. Lan Yuan. Lan Yuan.” Wei Wuxian keeps repeating until he finally understands what his heart has been trying to tell him all along. “A-Yuan.”

“Senior Wei.” Sizhui says. “I am A-Yuan.”

Wei Wuxian cries.

–

“Lan Zhan.” Wei Wuxian whines as they get ready to bed. Nine is far too early for him, but he's learned to enjoy watching his husband sleep. “Your son wants to go on another Night Hunt tomorrow. He's becoming too much like you.”

“Our son.” Lan Zhan corrects, resting his head on Wei Wuxian's chest and closing his eyes.

“Oh.” Wei Wuxian laughs, happy, so happy, he feels his heart is about to explode. “You're right,” he takes Lan Zhan's hand, kisses his palm, “our son.”

---

Notes:

*I don’t think we were told Ouyang Zizhen’s father’s name so I made one up for this story.

**I tagged the TW as attempted rape, but if you guys think I should tag it with another term, or maybe write it on top of the post, please let me now.

#the untamed #mo dao zu shi #wangxian #wei wuxian x lan wangji #TW: implied/referenced attemped rape #my fic

242 notes · View notes

the-water-nixie · 4 years ago

Text

Fic: Bundle

I somehow managed to finish a (short) fic for the first time in years.

Read on AO3.

Happy Birthday, Lan Xichen!

It is not a grand revelation which brings Lan Xichen out of his self-imposed seclusion. His grief does not dry up overnight, nor does his guilt stop eating at him like flies on too-ripe fruit. All of those things remain, and he still continues to feel lessened and unworthy of his place, of his titles.

As it turns out, what brings Lan Xichen out of seclusion is a child.

It is still early when he hears heavy footfalls outside. He ignores them at first and stares blankly into his tea. He hasn’t been tasting it, not really, everything has been consumed perfunctorily and only because he promised Wangji he would look after himself—it is the very same promise he had procured from Wangji during his own seclusion, when he was being eaten by his own guilt and grief. He cannot ignore, however, the rapid-fire knocks against the door or the call of his own name. He sighs.

“Zewu-jun! I’m sorry, I know I’m not supposed to bother you. Lan Zhan said not to, but it’s an emergency.”

The word emergency sets him on his feet. Images of his own father refusing to leave his seclusion while the Cloud Recesses burned around him flash through Xichen’s mind. He opens the door to find Wei Wuxian about to knock a second time. The sheepish expression that paints his face is relieving; there is obviously no true emergency. As Xichen studies him before permitting his entrance, Wei Wuxian shifts around nervously on the porch and readjusts the bundle of blankets he has nestled in his arms.

Xichen raises an eyebrow in question.

“Lan Zhan is away with the junior disciples and normally I would go with them, but I was away doing a thing with Jin Ling and I got back later than I was expecting and—anyway. I need a second pair of hands, you know? Because, it’s a bit complicated. I mean, more complicated than anything I’ve dealt with before. And with Lan Zhan gone, and the kids… Well, there is no one left here who likes me besides the baby Lan disciples. And I think their hands are probably too small to help.”

Wei Wuxian punctuates his spiel with a self-conscious laugh and rubs a finger over his nose. “Not that you, uh, like me. But I thought you might still help.”

His words break Xichen’s resolve to send him away to find help elsewhere. He wonders how Wangji would feel, knowing his husband considers himself so wholly disliked in the place where they make their home. He knows his brother, and he would likely pack up and leave the Cloud Recesses with his husband in tow. No ones wants that, least of all Xichen.

“I like you just fine, Wei-gongzi,” he says, and he finds nothing but truth in his statement. He steps to the side, allowing his brother-in-law entrance to his home.

Before he can close the door behind them, a golden Jin messenger butterfly flutters inside and up to Wei Wuxian. A lump lodges itself in Xichen’s throat. That is not something he had expected to see in the Cloud Recesses again, nor had he wanted to.

Wei Wuxian smiles and it looks like an apology. “Oh, there’s Jin Ling now,” he says. He struggles with the bundle in his arms, looking from the butterfly to the bundle and back again. The butterfly is getting insistent, fluttering against Wei Wuxian’s face. “These stupid butterflies,” he mutters. “They’ll bash themselves into the side of your head until you acknowledge the damn things.” He looks down at the bundle again and then nods decisively. “Um, here.” And he leans forward and hands off the bundle to Xichen.

Xichen nearly drops it in shock. The blankets part and a tiny face pokes out. It coos up at him and blows a spit bubble. “Wei-gongzi! This is—This is a child.”

Wei Wuxian ignores his panic. “Ah, that Jin Ling. Always pretends to be so tough but he’s already checking on me to see if I got back all right. So much like Jiang Cheng. Is that a case of nature or nurture, do you think? Like say with Sizhui—he’s so polite and kind and thoughtful. Would he have always been that way, or did he turn out so great because he was raised by Lan Zhan? And you as well, Zewu-jun. He told me he spent a lot of time with you as a child.”

Wei Wuxian smiles at him.

“Wei-gongzi!”

“Hmm?”

Xichen lifts the baby minutely and widens his eyes. “This child?”

“Oh, right. She’s mine! I gave birth to her.” He laughs at his own joke but his laughter peters off quickly at Xichen’s narrowed eyes. “Aiya, you didn’t fall for that like Lan Zhan, huh? Fine, fine. Well, I kind of found her? We were interviewing the locals about a nearby haunting and she was living with a midwife there. Poor thing—both parents dead. Her father died before she was born and then her mother giving birth to her. The midwife was struggling, what with her own duties and children. And I thought, Lan Zhan loves babies. He should have as many babies as he wants, you know? So I said I would take her. Once I told the midwife my husband is Hanguang-jun she practically threw the baby at me. If I was even more shameless than I am I would namedrop Hanguang-jun far more often. People give me so much free stuff. Wine and food and little trinkets—”

“And babies?”

Wei Wuxian lets out a breathless laugh like it surprises him. “Ah, Zewu-jun. You and Lan Zhan are both so funny. Who knew Lans could be so funny?”

Xichen ignores him to focus on the problem at hand. In his hands. Currently. He should probably give it back to Wei Wuxian because it’s starting to wriggle and squawk at him. He knows nothing about babies. How is he meant to help? Even the smallest disciples with their tiny hands would be better than him. “What about a wet nurse? You can’t just bring her here without…”

“Oh, she can eat solid food. Also, milk. So, um, we have a goat now.” He looks sheepish again. “Apparently I am determined to populate the Cloud Recesses with all sorts of animals. Haha, but look, she has some itty little teeth.”

He pulls the child from the blanket swaddle and lifts her so she is facing Xichen. She stops her irritated squawks and stares at him, mouth open and big, dark eyes blinking slowly. And then she smiles. She is the most adorable thing Xichen has seen since he was presented with his own tiny brother. “Cute, right?” Wei Wuxian says. “Lan Zhan is going to melt into a sappy puddle of goo.”

Melting into a puddle a goo is exactly what Xichen feels as though he himself is doing. He reaches out to take the child again. Wei Wuxian had said he needed an extra pair of hands after all. “Let me. You must be tired from carrying her all this way.”

The smile Wei Wuxian gives him is pleased. He places the baby in Xichen’s arms and then wipes the drool from her mouth with one of the blankets. Inside her mouth Xichen can see that she does in fact have several tiny teeth. They bite into the fabric of the blanket and she grumbles. It almost sounds like a kitten’s growls. “Be careful with your fingers near her mouth. The midwife said she’s teething. She bites.”

“Oh dear,” Xichen says. Is it normal for babies to bite? Is there something wrong with this one?

“Aiya, it’s fine, it’s fine,” Wei Wuxian says. He waves his hand in the air. “Her little teeth aren’t so sharp.” As if that clears everything up. “And as soon as Lan Zhan gets here, he will make her stop. They all just listen to what he says the first time he tells them.”

Xichen is amused and gratified by Wei Wuxian’s faith in Wangji’s abilities, but even Wangji has never dealt with so small a child. Babies probably don’t follow rules.

The baby grumbles and starts smacking one tiny fist against Xichen’s shoulder.

“Okay, you’re hungry again, I get it,” Wei Wuxian tells her. “No need to clobber your poor bobo. He’s only just met you, give him a better first impression.” Wei Wuxian shakes his head at the baby. He looks up at Xichen and sighs mournfully. “She eats all the time,” he says. “And barely ever sleeps. Barely ever.”

Then he plops himself down at the low table and begins removing a multitude of small dishes from the bag he has slung over his shoulder.

Bobo. Even Lan Sizhui had rarely called him by the name when he was small. But every time he had, Xichen had felt a spark of warmth in his chest. He had always wished Sizhui had been comfortable enough to continue with the title. But alas, once he had started training with the other disciples he had stopped calling Xichen bobo altogether.

This time he will insist on it, he decides, looking down at his new niece as she gags herself on the corner of her blanket. He pulls it from her mouth with a cringe and she squawks at him, her brow furrowed. “Sorry little one,” he says in a quiet voice. “You are going to hurt yourself.” She blows another spit bubble.

“What’s her name?”

Wei Wuxian continues to mix food in the dishes. “She doesn’t have one yet. The midwife gave her a milk name, but she said she didn’t feel right naming her when she knew she couldn’t actually raise her. I’ll let Lan Zhan do it. He’ll pick something good.” He holds up a small bamboo spoon with a smile. “Do you want to feed her? You don’t have to—she gets the whole room messy when she eats, so I can—”

“I will do it.” Xichen sits her up in his lap and reaches for the spoon.

She does in fact get food everywhere. Maybe Xichen should care about the indignity of a sect leader with clumps of congee drying in his hair and spit and milk on his robes, but he can’t seem to stop smiling.

Wei Wuxian laughs as he cleans the food from the downy hair’s of the baby’s eyebrows. “Little one, you are a mess,” he says. Her eyes blink slowly up at them. “Thank the gods, she’s getting sleepy.”

She falls asleep in Xichen’s arms. He rocks her slowly, humming a song his mother used to sing to him when he was a child. He runs a hand over her soft cheeks. He can’t recall when he last felt so content, so at peace. He almost wishes Wei Wuxian would leave her here, but he knows he will soon want to head back to the jingshi and await Wangji’s return. When Xichen looks up from the baby to ask him, he finds Wei Wuxian himself fast asleep, curled up by the table and snoring quietly.

~0~

The next time Xichen sees his niece, she is with Wangji.

“I know you have met her already, and I am sorry for disrupting your seclusion, Xiongzhang. It felt right to introduce you formally, as she is your niece.”

Xichen smiles. “You’ve chosen a name then?”

“Mm.” Wangji runs his fingertips softly over the baby’s dark hair. “Lan Xing.”

“A good name. You must have been surprised to find her with Wei-gongzi when you returned home.”

The corners of Wangji’s mouth turn up; his eyes are soft and happy. It makes Xichen’s heart glad. He must remember to thank Wei Wuxian for this and many other things.

“Wei Ying is very good at surprises,” Wangji says. He leans forward and kisses the baby on the forehead. “Would you like to hold her?”

Xichen does. They sit in the quiet for awhile, watching as she snoozes in his arms.

“Your happiness is a balm to my soul, Wangji,” Xichen says as Wangji readies himself to take his leave. And for the first time in many years, Wangji reaches out and grasps Xichen’s hand.

“You will get there, Xiongzhang. I once thought I would never— It will be better.”

Xichen squeezes his brother’s hand and thinks perhaps.

~0~

A week later Wei Wuxian comes back to see Xichen with little Lan Xing is tow. His entire countenance screams desperation.

“Do you think you could maybe watch her? Just for an hour. Well, let’s say two or three hours. At least.” He holds the baby out towards Xichen. “If I don’t spend some alone time with Lan Zhan I’m going to kill myself.”

Xichen takes the baby. She giggles and immediately starts babbling and gnawing on her fist.

“Don’t tell Lan Zhan I said that. Gods, I should know better than to make that joke. It makes him so upset.” Wei Wuxian scrubs a hand over his face and forces a laugh. “Who knew orgasms were the only thing keeping me sane? Too bad I didn’t figure that out in my last life, right? Hahaha, I can’t believe I just said that out loud.”

Xichen decides he should probably save his poor brother-in-law from himself. “Wei-gongzi, it’s fine. Please go spend some time with Wangji. I will watch A-Xing.”

Wei Wuxian falls all over himself thanking him, then bows deeply and books it out of the door. “No running in Cloud Recesses.” Xichen calls after him in a teasing voice.

He props the baby up on his arm and walks her around the room. “And what should we get up to, little one?” he asks. He receives a gurgle in response.

What Xichen finds is that little A-Xing, more than anything, enjoys simply being spoken to, regardless of the subject matter. He goes through half a volume of poetry and recites hundreds of Lan Clan disciplines (the ones he finds most important, though he would never tell his uncle that he considers some rules more important than others). She is even happy when he threatens to add a new discipline to the wall in her honour (thou shalt not bite bobo).

When she finally falls asleep after a meal of mashed vegetables and rice, Xichen realizes he hasn’t had a single negative thought since Wei Wuxian brought her to him. He rests his eyes, her small, warm body against his chest, the two of them breathing in tandem.

Wangji comes to retrieve his daughter after several hours. The tips of his ears are flushed and there is an angry red mark under his jaw that looks vaguely mouth-shaped.

“Apologies, Xiongzhang,” he says. “Wei Ying should not have disrupted your seclusion. He won’t do it again.”

“Wangji, I—” He looks down at the sleeping baby in his arms. “I really don’t mind. I find it peaceful, having her here.”

Wangji watches him for a moment. “Do you want me to bring her more often?”

Xichen turns the idea over in his head, and finds it pleasing rather than stressful. “If it wouldn’t be any trouble for you. I don’t wish to keep her from you.”

“I have meetings every morning while Wei Ying teaches basic talismans to the novices. Would that be too often?”

Xichen feels a wide smile break across his face at the prospect of a daily visit. For the first time since he returned from Yunping, it doesn’t cause him even the slightest pain.

~0~

Five months go by like this, A-XIng being left by Wangji or Wei Wuxian every morning, a few hours that brighten all of Xichen’s days. She grows in front of his eyes, begins to scoot around the hanshi on her bottom and destroy anything he isn’t quick enough to remove from her ever-widening reach. Xichen holds her hands and helps her practise walking until his back aches from stooping over and he loves every minute of it.

One morning Wei Wuxian says, “She took her first steps without us holding her, right into Lan Zhan’s arms!” And Xichen feels pride, yes, but also disappointment. He wasn’t there to see. He should have been there to cheer her on. “And then,” he continues with a laugh, “she took off running right at Sizhui. We are all in so much trouble now!”

With a wish of good luck, Wei Wuxian leaves A-Xing in Xichen’s care. She is already struggling to get down from his arms.

A-Xing runs the length of the hanshi, back and forth, back and forth. And then she does it all over again. Xichen tires just watching her.

It must be a bit of a bore for her, just Xichen’s rooms instead of the world outside. She would probably much rather run in the forest or pester Wangji’s poor rabbits. Just as Xichen is contemplating taking her to the garden behind the hanshi, A-Xing bumps into the sword rack and falls on her behind.

Her lip pops out and begins to quiver—a sure sign of an impending meltdown. Xichen rushes over. “You’re fine, little one. All fine.”

“Bobo,” she says and then wails, lifting up her chubby little arms towards him.

Xichen scoops her up, staring into her watery eyes. “What did you say, Xingxing?”

A-Xing sniffles at him, her crying stopped, and then shoves her face under his chin to wipe her tears and snot on his neck.

She had said it though, there is no way he misheard. His niece had said his name. And if she had spoken a coherent word before that surely one of her fathers would have told him about it. Xichen turns to tell someone, anyone, that his baby niece just said her first word, but there is no one to tell. He is alone with A-Xing as he has been every day for months, preluded by months of no one but himself. It feels wrong, suddenly. He feels trapped, smothered, impotent. And he wants to bring the news to his brother himself. He wants to tell Wangji and Wei Wuxian. And Sizhui and Shufu and—

He kisses the top of A-Xing’s head and leaves the hanshi for the first time in more than a year.

As he walks through the Cloud Recesses he receives bows and smiles mixed with incredulous looks. He must appear half-crazed, thin and hollow in his plainest robes. He hadn’t even put his hair up properly—it is simply tied half back with a small ribbon, no guan to be seen. He hasn’t worn it out in public in such a way since he was still a child.

No one comments on his hair or his sudden appearance when he bursts into Wangji’s office and hurriedly closes the door on the stares he can feel at his back.

“Xichen?” Wangji stands from behind his desk.

Wei Wuxian is closer. He reaches Xichen first and looks his daughter over as if for an injury.

“She is fine,” Xichen says. “She took a little tumble, but she is unharmed. But she—she spoke.”

Wei Wuxian laughs. “Sometimes her noises sound like words, but nothing real yet.”

“No, she did this time. She said—” Xichen looks down at A-Xing. She has a fist full of his hair and is moments away from shoving it into her mouth. “Who am I, Xingxing?” He points to himself.

She grins and bites on his hair. Xichen tsks at her and pulls the hair from her grasp. Her brow furrows. “Bobo,” she whines, and makes another grab for his hair.

He lets her take it, barely noticing when she tugs too hard. He is too busy watching for Wangji and Wei Wuxian’s reactions.

They do not disappoint.

Wangji rushes over with a delighted smile on his face. Wei Wuxian claps his hands together. “I guess we know who your favourite is, ah, little one?”

Her favourite, Xichen thinks. At the back of his mind a voice that sounds like Shufu says, “do not be prideful.” Today, just today, Xichen decides he is going to ignore that voice. Today, for a moment, he will allow himself. Today as he is surrounded by his family. Today as his little brother smiles at him, full of what looks like relief, and leans a head against his shoulder. Today, as Xichen leans back against him.

“Bobo,” A-Xing says again, and she tries to shove her parents away.

Today he is A-Xing’s favourite.

#waternix fic #untamed fall fest #day 8: lan xichen #the untamed #lan xichen #wei wuxian #lan wangji #accidental baby acquisition #uncle lan xichen

51 notes · View notes

mrallnight57-blog · 3 years ago

Text

The Crystal of Mordokia

Chapter 4

The street was in chaos as several motorcycles zipped through traffic. None of them cared about stop lights or stop signs. All they wanted to do was get to their destination. A old abandoned hotel. Which was now the headquarters of the Gothic Lights, and the location of tonight's big event.

The group pulled up to the old hotel, and there were a couple of bystanders. A man and a woman. The man started laughing hard. "Hey Denise look at these freaks with their biker outfits and Mohawks. Which decade do they think there in? The 80s."

Denise looked over to her boyfriend. "Fred you should probably keep your mouth shut. They look pretty tough."

Fred started laughing, "Oooh, I'm so scared. There probably all gay. The worst their going to do is style my hair."

One of the bikers heard Fred talking. He was the largest of the group, and his mohawk was taller than everyone else's. On his jean jacket was a picture of a sledgehammer. Sledgehammer was also the name on his jacket. A name given to him, because when he punched someone, it felt like he had hit them with a sledgehammer.

Denise noticed the rather large man walking there way, and she began to panic, she started to pull at her boyfriend's arm. "Hey we need to go, one of them is coming this way."

Fred pulled his arm away from Denise and said, "Settle down babe. I got this."

Fred looked over at Sledgehammer who was walking towards him. "Hey man, I was just playing." Then Fred looked at the building and a sign said, "See The Disciples tonight live, for free." Fred turned his attention back to Sledgehammer. "Hey, there's a free concert tonight!"

"Yeah." Sledgehammer punched Fred right in the gut. Then looked down at him and said. "And we are working security."

Fred fell to his knees, holding his gut, and began coughing up blood. Sledgehammer, barely punched Fred, but it was still hard enough to rupture something inside Fred's body.

Denise bent down to check on her boyfriend. Then she looked up at Sledgehammer. "Hey psycho! "What do you think you're doing!?! I should call the cops!"

Sledgehammer lit a cigar. "Well, if you do that, first I'm going to kill every cop that comes after me, and after I kill those cops. I'm going to find out where you live, and I'm going to kill you, and everyone else that lives at your house. Then I'm going to find your friends and your family, and kill them too."

Denise was shaking in fear. She could take one look at Sledgehammer and could tell he wasn't messing around. In fact he had probably done that before, to someone else. Denise began pleading. "Please don't do that." Denise was trembling as she spoke.

Sledgehammer smiled, as smoke left his mouth. "Well if you don't want that to happen, the best thing for you to do is take your little friend there to the hospital, and tell them he fell down some stairs."

Denise was shaking, she did her best to help Fred to his feet. Then the two of them began walking towards the hospital.

The rest of The Punk Rockers had been watching the event unfold. Pounder, a medium sized man stepped over to where Sledgehammer was standing, smoking a cigar. "Hey dude. Why did you let them go? You should have at least made the girl suck your dick, or something."

Sledgehammer turned his attention to Pounder. "Shut the fuck up Pounder! That's your problem. You always think with your dick. We have more important business right now. We got to go in here and talk to Mister dark and spooky." Sledgehammer took another puff of his cigar. "Where the fuck is Rolo!?!"

Pounder turned away to think, then back to Sledgehammer. "I think he went to go see his daughter."

Sledgehammer was starting to get impatient. "Well he needs to hurry the fuck up and get back here!"

Suddenly another motorcycle pulled up. Once Pounder spotted it, he tapped Sledgehammer on the shoulder. "There's the little bitch now!"

Sledgehammer turned to see Rolo walking towards him. "About fucking time! If you would have made us late. I would have had no problem killing you and leaving your body on the side walk."

Rolo gave Sledgehammer a confused look. "I thought we still had ten minutes."

Sledgehammer grabbed Rolo by his jacket and pulled him close. "It's called being professional. I like being early."

A couple of Punk Rockers began laughing. The thought of them being professional just made them laugh. They couldn't imagine themselves in a suit and tie.

Sledgehammer led the group into the hotel. Once inside they noticed how dimly lit everything was. Along the walls was a ton of gothic imagery, and a few Punk Rockers were beginning to feel uncomfortable. One of them even asked, "how long are we going to be here?"

Sledgehammer turned to the grunt who was speaking. "Stop being a pussy, and shut the fuck up!"

The group walked into the conference room of the hotel. Inside their was a stage. There was also a set of stairs that went up to the second floor, and on that floor you could walk around, and look down at the conference room.

Once all the Punk Rockers got into the room. The doors of the room closed on their own. This made a loud noise.

This caused some of the Punk Rockers to get startled. One of them screamed out. "What the fuck!?!"

Sledgehammer turned to the man. "Hey!!! What did I say about being a pussy?"

Sledgehammer looked up and saw the second floor fill up with people in hoods and robes. There had to be at least twenty or thirty of them. The dimly lit room made it impossible for the Punk Rockers to see any of the hooded men's faces. This took Sledgehammer off guard as well. "Okay, now that's creepy."

"Welcome!!!" A loud voice echoed through the conference room. The Punk Rockers' attention went towards the stage. Standing on the stage was another man in a Robe but his head wasn't covered.

Sledgehammer looked at the man on stage. "You must be Gothic Mirror."

"That's correct." Gothic Mirror stepped down off the stage, and started walking towards them. "I'm glad to see you all found the place okay. So I bet you all are chomping at the bit, to know why you are here."

Sledgehammer lit another cigar and took a drag. "Oh we know why we are here. Our leader got into a tussle with some dumb vigilante, and now he is in prison, and it just so happens the one person who can get him out is very interested in your little cult. So he wants us to be your security for tonight's event. We do that, and he will get our boy out of prison."

Gothic Mirror smiled, "I'm happy you understand your situation. Unfortunately there is something else I need you to do."

One of the other Punk Rockers stepped forward. "No. The Unfortunate thing is we have to be here at all, and if you think we are going to take orders from you. You got another thing coming, because we are running the show now."

Gothic Mirror looked at the name on the man's Jacket. "Buzzsaw? Is that what they call you?"

"Yeah. You got a problem with that?"

Gothic Mirror smiled, and looked over at Sledgehammer who threw his hands up. Basically without words, letting Gothic Mirror know Buzzsaw was acting on his own. Sledgehammer had heard rumors about Gothic Mirror's abilities, and the last thing he wanted was to have Gothic Mirror fucking with his head.

Gothic Mirror leaned into Buzzsaw and whispered in his ear. One word. "Fear."

Buzzsaw was about to laugh, but then realized he was no longer in the conference room. In fact he was in a very small room. All the walls were white, and there was no door or way out of the room.

As he looked around the room, he realized he was by himself. "All right guys, this isn't funny. Where the fuck is everyone!?!"

Suddenly the walls began moving. Making the room smaller, the room was closing in on him. This caused Buzzsaw to panic. He started screaming, "Come on guys! Let me out of here!!!" Buzzsaw tried to push against one of the walls, to push it back, but it didn't work. Now the walls were getting closer and moving faster.

Buzzsaw began crying. "Look dude. I'm sorry! Please man!!! Let me go!!!" This outburst only seem to make the walls close in faster. Buzzsaw dropped to his knees, and began crying. "Come on man! I don't want to die!"

Buzzsaw closed his eyes, and waited for the walls to crush him. Tears were rolling down his face. He set there crying, waiting for his impending doom, but it never came.

Moments later he could hear his friends laughing at him, and Sledgehammer's voice. "Dude, you cry like a bitch."

Buzzsaw was still on his knees with tears streaming down his face. Gothic Mirror was standing over him. Gothic Mirror squatted down so the two of them could be eye to eye. "Speak that way to me again, and next time those walls will completely close, and you will die. Do you understand me?"

Buzzsaw nodded, and Gothic Mirror smiled. "Good."

Sledgehammer grabbed the back of Buzzsaw jacket, and pulled him to his feet. "Get your ass over there with everyone else, and don't speak until spoken to! Buzzsaw went where he was told, and Sledgehammer shook his head. "What a fucking idiot." Then Sledgehammer looked over to Gothic Mirror. "So what's this favor you need us to do?

Gothic Mirror got back on the stage. "Earlier this week my informant in the FBI filled me in on the whereabouts of an alien artifact. So this morning, a few of my followers and myself, broke into a government lab, and stole it. I also may have accidentally on purpose killed one of the scientist."

Sledgehammer raised an eyebrow. "Accidentally on purpose huh? Well, where is this alien artifact now?"

Gothic Mirror reached into his robe and pulled out a small led case, and opened it up. Inside was a small crystal that was completely dark.

Sledgehammer and the rest of the Punk Rockers began feeling really uneasy, as if the Grim Reaper himself had just entered the room. Sledgehammer took a step back. "What is that thing!?!"

Gothic Mirror, who seemed not to be bothered by the orra of the crystal, looked at the crystal. "It's called the Crystal of Mordokia, but I have no idea what it does, and until Litias tells me what it does. Litias isn't getting it."

Pounder, who was now standing next to Sledgehammer, began scratching his head. "Who is Litias?"

Gothic Mirror closed the case and put it back in his Robe. "Don't worry yourself about that. What I need you to do is, when the FBI gets here, I need you to take care of them."

Sledgehammer stepped forward, "Take care of them how?"

"Kill them of course. Except for one." Gothic Mirror put his hood over his head. "Her name is Jenny Ramirez."

#supernatural #super hero #horror #my writing

3 notes · View notes

drwcn · 5 years ago

Note

I really do think mianmian and lwj deserve to be like, close friends. from their meeting in the show it doesn’t seem like they ever saw each other after jinlintai and i have no idea when they would’ve gotten the chance, but just afterwards, you know?

yes, I think they definitely deserve to be friends! One of things I always found troubling about these novel based xianxia dramas is the lack of sustainable friendship beyond the main romance line. I guess in order to create angst and emotional investment for the audiences, a lot of times, friendship get sidelined or destroyed when characters die or betray each other. As well, most non-romance relationships that we see lasting to the end of the story are family relations and sometimes servitude (aka a lackey that hangs on until the end). Real friendships where both parties are roughly on equal footing and station rarely last in these epic adventure dramas. You couldn’t even say Wen Ning is Wei Wuxian’s friend of equal station, not when Wen Ning doesn’t call Wei Wuxian by his name, just “young master”. Perhaps this is to isolate the main character, who knows. Even so, friendship between men is portrayed more frequently than friendship between women, or men and women.

So with your prompt, it inspired me to write a little something Luo Qingyang centric, ft our Hanguang-jun and juniors.

~~~

Lanling Jin’s entourage stood by the gates of Cloud Recesses, patiently waiting for their admission. What seemed like a life time ago, Luo Qingyang had been on these same steps with Jin Zixuan. She’d been a girl then, barely bloomed, barely grown. Life had been simple, and she had thought she knew what the future would hold.

So much had come to pass, yet these grand arches, white granite stone pulsing with spiritual aura, never seemed to age.

She glanced down at her Jin Clan robes, the pale yellow and white, embroidered with peonies and a strip of blue accentuating the lapel edge. She never thought she’d wear these colours again. Her mother had been a Jin, first cousin of Jin Guangshan. Once upon time, she’d been proud to be one of them, to be part of a powerful and wealthy clan. Then the war came and went, like the debriding of a wound upon their world that revealed the flesh underneath had caseated to the bone. She’d been so disillusioned, so aggrieved by her elders and disappointed by her peers.

Even Zixuan.

He had been a good man, her cousin. But he wasn’t strong of heart nor clever of mind. She was sorry to know he had died, but she wasn’t surprised. If he could not see the game his father had been playing, then there had never been any hope for him.

Luo Qingyang glanced towards the youth in front of her just slightly to the right. From the view of his back, she could almost picture his father, standing there with Suihua in his clutch, a proud son of the house of Jin. Time seemed to fluctuate, the eighteen years between then and now barely a drop in the ocean. If she breathed deeply enough and closed her eyes, she could almost be Mianmian again, could almost see Zixuan again.

This was the first time Jin Ling had come to Cloud Recesses without his jiujiu. The boy was rightfully nervous, but this push towards independence was necessary. Sooner or later, baby bird had to learn how to fly. Like his father, Jin Rulan had a kind nature, even if he was awful at expressing his feelings. He was young, but the burden on his shoulders were heavy. For the mess that was the Jin Clan post Jin Guangyao's demise to fall into Jin Ling's lap was the best and worst case scenario. If he hadn’t risen to occasion, the subsidiary sects - vultures circling a carcass- would’ve torn Lanling apart.

Perhaps that was why Luo Qingyang had agreed to return to her mother clan.

Wei Wuxian had arrived at her doorsteps one day some months after the incident at Guanyin Temple. Even on the outskirts of Yiling where she had lived, she had received news of what had happened. Wei Wuxian explained he’d been travelling, but between his subtle hints and unsubtle nudges, she had understood his intentions.

Jin Ling had no one to help him man the helm. Jiang Cheng could only do so much without the other sects accusing him of overreaching into businesses beyond Yunmeng’s jurisdiction. Jin Ling was Jinlintai’s heir, not Lotus Pier’s, a fact that most people had slowly forgotten over the last decade. Childless, Jiang Cheng’s seat would one day go to his prime disciple, but not to his nephew.

“Lan Zhan had written a decree for you, in case you encounter trouble going back. It’s a lot to ask for, I know. You’ve got such a lovely home here. But...you are needed, Mianmian, if you could forgive them.”

Forgive them? Luo Qingyang sighed. What’s there to forgive? She had left of her own volition, married well, and had a wonderful family. Her husband grumbled a bit about moving to the big city, but in the end he followed her back to her clan, just like he did to her night hunts. Her husband had been a merchant once, and she had no doubt he would thrive in Lanling. So far, she had not been proven wrong.

“I am Jin Rulan’s biao’gu*. He is as much your nephew as he is mine. Tell His Excellency that I will return to Jinlintai shortly. He can be assured Sect Leader Jin will not be alone.”

Lan Sizhui, Gusu Lan’s Head Disciple greeted them at the gates with a deep bow. Like his de-facto cousin, Sizhui had grown taller and more mature.

“Welcome, Jin-zongzhu, Luo-zhangshi*, and honored guests. Cloud Recesses thank you for your patience. Please, come with me.”

He gave Jin Ling a private smile, and the latter perked up immediately. “Lan-gongzi, you’re too kind. It’s been some time since we last spoke. I trust His Excellency is of good health and spirit?”

“Hanguang-jun is very well, thank you Jin-zongzhu.” In a lower tone, Sizhui commented. “I would’ve visited Lotus Pier with Wei-qianbei last harvest, but I was sent to Qinghe for sect business.”

Boys playing at being men.

Luo Qingyang hid a smile, slowing down her steps to give the youngsters some privacy from the party that followed them.

Such innocence. How lovely it was. The boys she’d known were forced to grow up amidst fire and chaos, and did so in such brutal, unimaginable ways. So many had died, and those who had lived would never get to experience their ‘what-could’ve-been’s.

After, when the official businesses were settled and the disciples were dismissed, Luo Qingyang and Lan Wangji sat together in a quiet pavilion. Sizhui and A-Ling were some distances away down the lang, standing a reasonable distance apart and conversing politely. Though, it was more than obvious that they were itching to shed their gentlemanly exterior and scurry off to whatever shenanigans boys their age got up to when their guardians weren't looking.

Lou Qingyang observed the man sitting across from her and found some irony in the fact that they were strangely similar. Though talented in cultivation, Lan Wangji was not the type she would’ve imagined being Chief Cultivator, and certainly she herself could’ve never imagined that one day she would be chief of staff of Lanling Jin.

Life dealt them both a funny set of cards and all they could do was keep playing.

“I know Wei Ying had delivered my message, but I want to thank you properly in person, Luo-zhangshi, for agreeing to come back. Those early days after Jin Guangyao’s death was...precariously to say the least. The situation at Jinlintai is much better now thanks to your efforts.”

“Hanguang-jun, we’ve known each other for a long time. Your husband has a scar on his chest from saving me from a Wen branding iron, and my daughter has received lucky money from the both of you. I think you can call me Miamian, if you’re comfortable with that.” She smiled, taking a sip of her tea. The scent of jasmine was calming after such a long, arduous morning.

Lan Wangji nodded, turning to his own cup. “We used to be classmates, now we are colleagues. Perhaps you are right. Formality in private is unnecessary.”

“As for coming back, it is my duty. Jin Ling is bright and kind. With the right guidance, Lanling Jin Sect will recover. I knew him, Jin Guangyao. He was... nice to me, most of the time anyways. Whether that niceness had any truth behind it, I don’t know, but even then he’d been so unreadable. I only wish I’d seen through it all sooner. So you see, there is no need for thanks, Wangji-xiong. We Jins have done enough wrong against your family. Pray, how is Zewu-jun?”

“Brother is still in seclusion, but he is no danger to himself. He is better now. Time heals all wounds. Though...”

Though knowing Lan Xichen, knowing what Lans were like when faced with tragic love, Lan Wangji wasn’t sure what his brother’s future would hold.

Luo Qingyang nodded, understanding. Suddenly, their tranquility was interrupted by a disciple rounding the corner, footsteps heavy and voice decidedly too loud.

“Sizhui, did you meet up with Young Mis -”

Lan Jingyi’s holler aborted immediately when he saw who was sitting in the pavilion. “Erm... Hanguang-jun, Luo-zhangshi...” Smiling sheepishly, he bowed.

“Sizhui.” Lan Wangji gave his son a pointed look, which the youth instantly understood.

“Ah, Jin-zongzhu. Perhaps you would like for Jingyi and myself to you show around? Cloud Recesses’ scenery is really one of a kind this time of year.”

“Yes, yes!" Jin Ling leaped to his feet from where he was sitting on the bench. He paused, casting a cautious glance towards his aunt, before clearing his throat and continuing in his most ‘adult’ voice. “Yes, I would like that. Lan-gongzi, Jingyi-xiong, if you wouldn't mind leading the way.”

Luo Qingyang and Lan Wangji focused their attention back to their tea cups, both turning a blind eye to the way Sizhui and Rulan all but ran to join up with Lan Jingyi.

They were out of sight in a heartbeat.

“Do you know who they remind me of?” Luo Qingyang tilted her head as a sense of deja-vu washed over her.

“Mn?”

“Wei-gongzi, Nie-zongzhu, and Jiang-zongzhu, during our guest disciple days.”

Our long summer.

“Mn.”

“Remember when they got drunk on Emperor’s Smile? They really were audacious even then.” Luo Qingyang reminisced with a fond chuckle.

“Yes. Uncle was furious.” The corner of Lan Wangji’s lips tilted upwards.

Was that amusement she detected?!

Mianman blinked, suddenly realizing, “Oh but you were amongst them too, if I recall correctly.” She gave him a sly smile. “The girls said you were discovered in a drunken coma in Wei-gongzi’s room the next morning. Is that true?”

“Yes.”

Oh the scandal! “How did they rope you into it?”

“I was willing,” confessed the venerated Hanguang-jun without so much as a blush. The shameless scoundrel!

Luo Qingyang laughed, the sound ringing like a clear bell that cut through Cloud Recesses’ tranquility.

“I suppose it doesn’t matter anymore; he’s your husband now. For the record, we all saw it coming.”

Lan Wangji raised a quizzical brow. “Oh? I did not think it was obvious.”

“Well, not to the male disciples perhaps, but the female disciples, we all knew.” Luo Qingyang took a deep breath and sighed. “Sometimes I miss those days. Simpler times.”

“Mn.”

“My daughter has started cultivation lessons with the other children at Jinlintai. Someday she may visit here as guest disciple, as I once was. I hope her future will be a better one.”

She met his gaze steadily, and the understanding in between had no need for further words.

Lan Wangji smiled.

“That is my wish as well.”

biao’gu 表姑 = a type of aunt, a distant female cousin of one’s parent that’s in the same generation as them.

zhang’shi 长史= an antiquated government position that’s akin to Secretary General.

#cql #the untamed #luo qingyang #lan wangji #corie replies #i love ouyang zizhen #he's just not in this one #don't worry they're all friends #cql ficlet #corie fics

136 notes · View notes

grumfield · 4 years ago

Note

Sorry ur getting so many asks about ur comic on MDZS/CQL! I hope it cools down for you! (It is very funny though though and I love ur expressions throughout!) But since it seems like you've been reading a lot of novels since then any recommendations for me since I just started? (please note I need an english translation)

Yeah it’s a little bit much haha. But hopefully it’ll cool down. AND I WOULD LOVE TO REC YOU NOVELS I LOVE RECCING NOVELS

My absolute favorite is 2ha / Dumb Husky and His White Cat Shizun

Do not be fooled by the title like I was! This is not a cute fluffy story—this is a 311 chapter long angst-filled redemption novel with a complicated plot and even more complex characters. It’s honestly such a treat and I would give anything to relive reading it again for the first time. Filled with plot twists, dark content, humor, redemption, and a REALLY really good couple.

The novel begins with the main character killing himself. His name? Mo Ran (aka) Taxian-Jun, evil emperor of the cultivation world who basically went insane after the death of his unrequited crush Shi Mei (who is NOT the love interest) and razed sects to the ground, and killed thousands of people. He truly is absolutely horrible and irredeemable. The only one who ever stood up to him was his Shizun Chu Wanning—the man he hated most and blames for his crush’s death—but eventually, after Taxian-Jun imprisoned chu wanning and took out all his hatred out on him (this is where most of the dark material in the book comes from) he died too. And now, all alone and ruling the world, Taxian-Jun gets sick of it all and commits suicide, and then...is reborn into his 15 year old body, before his unrequited love dies. Mo Ran takes this rebirth as an opportunity to prevent the tragedy to come...but of course, not everything goes as planned. First: someone else has been reborn too, and they have their own agenda, and now the original timeline is getting fucked up. Second: Mo Ran comes to realize that everything he thought about Chu Wanning is completely wrong, and he realizes that Chu Wanning, despite his cold exterior, actually would do anything protect him and his other disciples.

REALLY WELL CRAFTED STORY. Favorite couple. Love the themes of redemption, because the main character really is insufferable at the beginning but comes back from that hard and you end up loving him. Nice smexy scenes. Loving couple, really tender. Uses food as a love language. They are very horny.

I cried very, very hard reading it. Like. Harder than I ever have with media. It has a happy ending though!

BE AWARE THAT THERE IS DARK MATERIAL IN THIS THO, AND READ THE WARNINGS.

Some other ones I liked:

Since you’re new, if you haven’t read the novels by the same author as MDZS, I highly recommend them, as you’ll probably enjoy them.

These are Scum Villain’s Self Saving System (mc gets transmigrated into the body of a villain from a trashy harem book and is intent on not dying so he is nice to the novel’s protagonist...which makes the protagonist fall in love with him.)

The second is Heaven Official’s Blessing, the story of Xie Lian, a god who’s ascended and descended out of godhood many times as he solves problems, and his love interest Hua Cheng, a very powerful demon. Nonlinear story with 800 years of pining.

Little Mushroom

It’s like if No.6 and Annihilation had a baby. It’s a post apocalyptic “organic” sci-fi. The main character is a mushroom who infected a human body, which is classified as “heterogenous”. The love interest is a man called the Judge whose job is to kill heterogenous organisms. It follows their relationship development in a world that tearing apart at the seams, as they learn to trust in humanity. Happy ending!

To Rule in a Turbulent World

Historical novel! Spoiled and rich young master saves the life of a Quanrong slave, and the two of them get mixed up in a variety of political schemes, while also doing things like irrigating crops and stuff. There’s a particularly good spicy scene in the 3rd chapter that I quite like. It’s a fun read, with a happy ending!

Golden Stage

Historical novel! Enemies to lovers Arranged marriage! What’s not to like. The main character is a young war hero left crippled by an ambush, and the ML is a guy who’s basically a court lackey for the emperor. They’re constantly at odds after a falling out in their youth, and are seen as enemies. That has to change though, once the main character is sent back home, for a variety of political reasons that actually make sense, the mc is set to be married to the ML. They’re a really cute doting couple, and are also very strong and intelligent.

Qiang Jin Jiu

Historical novel! Heavy on the politics and plot. Shen Zechuan is the son of the leader of an attempted rebellion, and is set to basically be a prisoner for life. The ML, Xiao Chiye, is a military general (I think) who, upon seeing the mc...immediately kicks him in the stomach and renders the Mc an invalid. It’s a very fun political book with an awesome couple who’s always at each other’s throats.

If you want any more recs let me know! I’d be happy to oblige.

#novel recs #danmei recs #recs

35 notes · View notes

patchdotexe · 4 years ago

Text

explorers of arvus: heading back / 3.11.21

zoom and enhonse

LAST TIME ON ARVUS taure passed out and we are now down a healer! also we met a disciple of halvkar, and surprisingly did not murder her. this is fine. we have instantly gotten distracted by our various carts. cats. our various cats

DID ANY OF US CATCH TAURE, SHE FELL OVER sieron tried to catch her and smacked charlie+thorne in the face (he rolled a nat1, f) BUT the catboy is to the rescue bc silje is the designated Not Incompetent of the group today

CONSULT THE CHILD hewwo yrel yrel: her mind is being consumed by the serpent of nightmares. :D charlie: HELLO?????//

so, dendar(?) the night serpent is imprisoned beneath arvus! she was formed from the nightmares of the first sentient being, and sometimes she eats people's nightmares. if she's exceptionally hungry, she'll force nightmares onto people for her to feed off their fear. yrel thinks taure will Probably wake up. there's a thing on arvus mentioned by the locals called a "sleeping sickness" where people will fall asleep for a few days, sometimes longer, but will wake up. its magical in cause, the people afflicted by it have horrific nightmares, and its just kinda. a thing. wowza

(i have gone back to spelling yrel's name as yrel bc i think it looks nice)

OH HEY SOMEONE POSTED A THEORY ON ONE OF MY STICKMOLUS ANIMATIONS man i should get back to stickmolus sometime. once dsmp releases its awful grip on me.

i keep getting distracted by seeing myself in the camera preview. i have a tooth gap! what the fuck its cute?? K I KNOW WE'RE SUPER BLURRY IN FRONT RN BUT PLEASE HELP ME STAY FOCUSED I SWEAR -leo

we're gonna build a sled! to put taure on. thorne: i have a good strength score. ....i say, out loud charlie: i am four feet tall. [cue argument between thorne & sieron about them both being horcs but sieron has a +0 bc strength is his dump stat] OH, OKAY, THORNE ROLLED A NAT20 TO CARRY TAURE. NICE

[discussion about what to tell everyone at camp vengenace] thorne: the last thing we need to do is a witch hunt charlie: --and we already hunted the witch! the witch has been hunted.

time to discuss strategy! we need to figure out how to head back to camp vengeance, eg if we want to follow the path we already took or if we wanna do some trailblazing. looks like we're gonna try and take the most direct path! which means we'll prolly risk tangoing with some undead but im willing to risk it TINY HUT STAIRCASE sorry i just remember it now and then

nyx: [meowing at his cats] thorne: uh... why is silje meowing? jorb: silje's food bowl is empty jorb: you look at silje's food bowl and there's a divot in the middle and the food is all on the sides emotionally, we must bully the catboy silje saw something interesting and started meowing

thorne: ill take first watch silje: ill also take first watch. charlie: [quietly] gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyy (but, like, extended for 15 seconds)

silje: [takes watch] [rolls a nat1 and gets distracted by looking at his crush]

THORNE HAS LOCATED A DOG the dog does not give a shit about the tiny hut. THE DOG HAS PEED ON THE TINY HUT goodbye dog

EVERYONE IS ROLLING AT LEAST 1 NAT1 thorne: wow! that sure is a dog. thorne has drawn the worst possible dog. thorne has erased the worst possible dog. we dont speak of the worst possible dog its the dog version of honse. DONSE

sieron is now on watch! MAN we are havin trouble rolling today. at least kali's here to make sure sieron doesnt stare at a rock for 50000 years sieron sees a mouse! bottom text

charlie is now on watch! kali is havin a big ol thonk. nothing meaningful has come of this

i am perceiving some deer. sieron is not perceiving some deer. silje is perceiving some deer, but better the deer are fucked up and undead! silje has gone from "we should hunt these deer for food" to "we should hunt these deer for sport"

charlie: i do not feel like being jumped by five thousand skeletons

charlie takes first watch with sieron! WHY ARE OUR ROLLS SO TERRIBLE taure is super cursed right now. that's not very pog charlie: this place sucks. thorne: to be fair, we havent-- charlie: YOU'RE ASLEEP, SHUT UP

oh hey coolname galvanic finally partied. nice.

thorne is at watch! solar: hey, is leomund's tiny hut an orb? there's a critter digging around! AH, THE CRITTER IS UNDEAD. this could be a problem

solar: hey michael, how much does the horrific sin against god dog i drew look like this creature michael: [dice roll noises] about 50%.

michael: if anyone likes, they can make a nature check-- solar: ME MEMEMEMEME ME ME ME

its a bulette! aka a land shark. problem: they are not normally undead. this one is undead.

jorb: imagine if you could tame one of those and use it as a mount. leo: IT WOULD JUST DIG UNDERGROUND AND LEAVE YOU THERE

we are just calling it a weird dog

we're going to mail a letter to the heart of arvus. HEY, CHECK OUT THIS WEIRD DOG,

JORB FOUND ART OF A BABY BULETTE. WEIRD PUPPY!

solar: hey guys, check out this sick art of a bulette i found

silje kept a lookout for the weird dog but its just fucked off. goodbye, weird dog give it up for day 3!

man there's been like, three incinerations today in blaseball. what's up with that. I SWEAR IM MOSTLY PAYING ATTENTION its just been an eventful day in blaseball. also im wearing my garages bomber rn. jaylen is home wooOOOO the wind smells stinky. this is fine.

we're actively avoiding whatever combat michael keeps nudging at us bc we're carrying around an unconscious person and i SWEAR hes gonna throw something directly at us once he's done with our shenanigans

UHH MICHAEL ASKING FOR PASSIVE PERCEPTION LOL

huh. this place used to be inhabited? we're in the woods rn but there's some like, stone ruins? like, VERY ruins. like, not really any structures standing, but enough evidence to show there Were things. WE FOUND A STATUE charlie: i want to smash my face against the lore.

used to be a circle of standing stones, but most of em fell over or got overgrown. inside of the circle has been cleared, although v roughly-- ground's torn up statue is of fjolnir! warrior holding up a spear and shield. AH, THERE ARE CORPSES, a human got REAL fucked up here. one of the corpses is straight up impaled on fjolnir's spear. n ... not pog.

i am trying so, so hard to pay attention. but i also kinda wanna take a nap.

charlie: [stares at statue] [rolls a 4] i wonder if he had a dick.

okay so something rolled in, tore up the overgrowth inside the circle, and murdered a couple dudes. and was also super tall and human-adjacent. hrm.

oh my god why are we rolling so shit today. time to stealth away and hope we dont get casually dismembered

k: jorb's hair is so long... leo: K, PLEASE,

time for a break! i am very tired but im gonan see if i can push through a little further. nyx is petting his cat why do orangatangs look like that

first watch is thorne and sieron! have they even, like, talked thorne unhabby ): thorne's worried we were tresspassing when checking out the statue, meanwhile im thinking about that one time when sieron got bit by a groundhog

(oh my god this is from late 2018)

leomund's tiny hut, aka the anti-sea bear circle we are getting SO much mileage out of the tiny hut. SILJE HUMS A SONG WITH KALI cute........... FINALLY I HAVE ROLLED ABOVE A 14 wait no i rolled a 16 twice. anyway we are not dead

nearly at camp vengenace! boy howdy i hope camp vengeance didnt get burned down. AH FUCK TAURE IS UNCONSCIOUS SO WE CANT CAST FOR DETECT POISON kaepora nearly made us all shit ourselves but its okay he just saw some bison and thought it was cool Michael Is Consulting Several Tables

WHY DOES JORB'S CAMERA ZOOM LIKE THAT why am i hungry. i have so many questions

HEY, TALL GUY [smacks sieron]

camp vengeance looks better! like, nobody's Obviously Sick anymore, the medical tents arent overfilled, we did it! we saved the dayyyyyy time to report to ryder! taure's getting dropped off at the medical tent

man remember when charlie didnt wear pants

oh man, with taure unconscious charlie is now taking point with social interaction. wild. jk im making jorb do it bc im tired HAHA NAT 20 PERSUASION BC OF ME HELPIN SIERON man ryder is such a cock. he was totally ready to keep throwing troops at heaven's brazier to die until we managed to persuade him out of it. jorb: did we tell ryder about the vision? michael: you kinda just took a look at him and went STINKY BOY!

okay yeah anything that dies on arvus will just pop back up as undead. man, arvus sucks.

ryder: alright, dismissed. charlie: seeya, soldier boy! :D hahahahaha im gonna eat his knees.

SILJE NEEDS ENRICHMENT IN HIS ENCLOSURE

charlie: ive decided he sucks. silje: we've already arrived to that, you're late!

LMAO WE WALKED IN ON INGRID AND HER CRUSH they fuckin. nice. you go, you funky lesbian

jorb: we've got the tiny hut, we could go anywhere leo: we could go to SPACE! nyx: we could not go to space. leo: WITH A TINY HUT STAIRCASE, WE CAN,

we are 320 miles away from the spaceship that exists on arvus. nice.

michael: justin sees you-- roll a strength saving throw. leo: i cant wait to die! [rolls a 3] I AM CRUSHED BY MY DOG michael: he rolled a nat20.

BOSS ENCOUNTER: CHARLIE'S DOG (the small circle next to him is one of the medical tents.)

THORNE IS PACT OF THE GUN solar: PARRY THIS, YOU FUCKING CASUAL

sieron, to ingrid: seems like youve been doing well charlie: i punch sieron. sieron: sieron: the camp, of course.

man we have no idea if the heart of arvus is actually related to the prophecy or not. theres a Lot of stuff lining up, but not enough, and its hard to say how much of it couldve been literal?

solar & michael: [discussing exposition] me: [cracking up bc penn sent me a funny dsmp joke]

prophecies are weird.

charlie is just s she is just sitting here SILJE PLAYED CARDS REALLY GOOD AT ME nyx rolled a nat20 and took all my money

oh cool we can talk to yrel telepathically! time to hoist yrel. THIS IS SO SCUFFED thorne mentioned yrel and now we're trying to explain to ingrid that we have a magic talking snake charlie: I WANT TO GO HOME. thorne: we cant go, we have a GOD-KING to kill! "i think theyre insane, theyre talking to a snake" "ingrid, druids exist" "oh. im gonna go back to getting railed by my 7 foot tall girlfriend"

#leo chirps #ttrpg #explorers of arvus #OKAY WE'RE CAUGHT UP NOW sorry abt that lmao

5 notes · View notes

kaazzzyy · 5 years ago

Text

Kengan Omega One shot series (1) : Learning to get along

Hi again ! Here’e the 1st one shot ! Don’t forget all one-shots are connected so they are meant to be read in chronological order. If you missed the introduction chapter, you can read it here. Enjoy !

"It's so hot today...", complained Yamashita, as sweaty as ever, his legs shaking from the effort, mentally cursing himself for having the idea to go out during afternoon, right when the sun's at his brightest. - "Yeaahh... so hot... I feel like I'm going to melt...", agreed (Y/n) as she took off her suit's jacket to tie it around her waist.

The duo was on their way to the SJPW training ground. Yamashita absolutely wanted to introduce the girl to the pro westlers. He thought she would feel comfortable easily around them and that was the occasion for her to meet more fighters and see how they live.

"Here we are !", exclaimed Yamashita, relieved to finally be sheltered from the deadly sunlight. "Let's go in !" - "Yeah !", agreed the girl with the same enthousiasm.

A wave of cool air made its way to their skin as soon as they entered the building. They both let a sight of relief, enjoying the fleeting feeling as much as possible. However, their entry was immediatly noticed by a very muscular man with dreads.

'He's huge !', thought (Y/n), both impressed and slighty panicked. She looked up at his toothy smile from her 165 centimeters height. He seemed friendly and intimidating at the same time.

"Mister Yamashita ! What a surprise !", yelled the big guy, which didn't let (Y/n) indifferent. - "Hi Sekibayashi ! Hope you are doing well ! How is Koga doing ?", answered the CEO with a smile.

'Wait, Koga ? The guy from yesterday ?! He is here ?!', screamed (Y/n) internally as she remembered how intimidating he was to her previously.

"See for yourself !", laughed Sekibayashi as he pointed to the crowd of men working out behind him. (Y/n) was looking at them in owe. 'They seem to work so hard... Some of them are even of the verge of fainting ! They are crazy ...!'

She finally spotted Koga. 'He seems to handle it well.', she commented to herself, with a small smile.

"And who is this little girl ?", asked Sekibayashi, intrigued by the new girl's presence. - "She is the new secretary for Yamashita Trading Co., (Y/n) (L/n) !" - "N-Nice to meet you ! You can call me my first name ! I mean... if you want to, of course...", she answered with a nervous voice the westler couldn’t not notice.

He looked a bit surprised first but his signature grin didn't wait to show up once more. "No need to be nervous, (Y/n) ! You are a part of the family now !", he said as he lifted her up in the air like she weighted nothing.

"W-Woah...!"

The sudden action made her let escape a sound of surprise. She could see the whole training ground from a better view now. Every eyes were on her. Her face started to burn just like when she was walking under the sunlight earlier. She just wanted to dig a hole and never come out but she couldn't run away so she decided to act instead.

"H-Hi everyone !", she yelled to the silent crowd with a very nervous smile and a wave of her hand.

A general laugh surrounded all the building. She noticed Koga looking at her, sweatdropping.

'Are they making fun of me... ? Not surprising, I was ridiculous as fuck here...'

Sekibayashi put her down and gently patted her head as he smiled down at her. "Don't worry, they just think you are very funny !" - "I-If you say so...", the girl muttered.

"Okay that's all for now ! Take some rest, you all !"

The sweating crowd dispersed in all the building, making it look way wider and more spacious than it already did. Everyone was taking a little rest.

Everyone but Koga.

"Hey Seki, can I do some shadow boxing while I wait to go up ?", he asked, wiping some sweat from his face. - "Oh ? Sure !", answered the giant wrestler, a bit taken aback, "That's fine by me..."

"He's still going on ?!", thought (Y/n) aloud, not able to contain her surprise. - "He's far more tough than when I was a rookie.", commented a voice from behind her.

(Y/n) turned around, surprised by the sudden voice apparition.

"Hi, I'm Kurachi Karugo. And this weird masked guy is José. Nice to meet you!", he greeted with a smile. The intimited girl bowed after she introduced herself. - "Who are you calling "weird", you viejo ?", started the masked guy, angrily.

"Koga is very strong, isn't he ?", the rookie secretary asked abruptly. She wondered how strong the young man was compared to all those imposant guys around her. - "Well, he just started his training with us, but there is no room for doubt in his talent."

'So he has still a long road to go, huh ? He will certainly make it if they talk about him like that... Don't give up Koga !', she tought with a determined smile on her face.

"What a shame", started a familiar voice, "You are letting it all go to waste."

The sudden intervention interpelled everyone's intention in the building.

'Ryuki ?! I didn't even notice him here !'

"What did you just said ? What am I letting go to waste ?", asked Koga, unfazed by Ryuki's rude comment. - "I'm telling you, this is a waste. You are never going to become a fighter, no matter how long you do this crap."

"Ryuki ?! Where's this coming from ?!", yelled Yamashita, obviously startled by Ryuki's behavior. (Y/n)'s anger was growing more and more.

'How dare he insults him and all the efforts he puts into his training ?!'

"I'm only calling it a waste because it is. What's wrong with that ?", Ryuki asked as he looked at Yamashita, "Would it be better if I didn't say anything at all ? What is Koga doing this for anyway ?"

Koga looked at Ryuki with obvious dismay everyone could notice easily. (Y/n) couldn't shut her mouth anymore.

"What are you talking about ?!", she started angrily, earning everybody’s attention in no time ,"How dare you denigrate all the effort he is putting in to become stronger ? Do you think it's easy ? Don't you have any manners ?"

She looked at Ryuki dead in the eye. He still seemed unfazed like usual, as if he said nothing. Koga, on the contrary was visibly shaken up and touched by her intervention. A very uncomfortable silence followed, as both (Y/n) and Ryuki glared at each other.

José suddenly stepped in. He exchanged a brief glance with the girl as if he thanked her silently before walking to Ryuki.

" 'A waste ?' 'This crap' ?" I'm not gonna let that slide. You're dissing pro wrestling, aren't you ? Get in the ring.", he commanded, dryly.

'A fight ? I don't want them to physically fight over this !', panicked (Y/n), her anger suddenly dropping.

"Mister José !", she tried, "I-" - "Don't waste your time, he is not going to reconsider his decision.", Sekibayashi cut her off, "Damn, José acting all immature..." - "Well, he is a pro wrestling fanatic, after all.", added Kurachi like it was nothing.

'I hope they won't seriously hurt each other...', (Y/n) was angry to Ryuki but she didn't want him to get hurt, though.

The fight went on under everyone's eyes. Ryuki finally aimed a powerful punch into José stomach. But that's wasn't enough to take him down. The masked wrestler took a fighting stance, ready to charge.

"José !", interrumpted Sekibayashi angrily, "You're fighting in the main event tomorrow, remember ?!"

The fight got shortened, thanks to Sekibayashi's help. (Y/n) and Yamashita both sighed in relief.

"You sure got some guts, little girl.", grinned Sekibayashi as he ruffled her black hair gently, "Wasn't expecting that from you." - "When I get angry I just can't control myself, sorry.", she apologized, trying to restyle her hair as much as possible. - "Don't apologize for that !", he laughed, "We love people with guts here !"

(Y/n) could only smile warmly at that. "Thanks, I appreciate the compliment."

"Listen, everyone ! Put all you've got in the sparrings ! You will be recompensed by a very nutritious diner !"

The crowd agreed in unison before taking place to start their sparring exercises.

"Are you going to prepare diner for all of them ?", asked (Y/n), surprised. - "Of course ! The SJPW's curry is legendary ! They have to eat well and a lot to grow strong !" - "Do you mind if I help you out?" - "Not at all ! That would be very much appreciated ! Preparing a dish for that amount of people isn't easy !"

(Y/n) stayed at Sekibayashi's side during the whole curry's preparation. The young secretary asked questions about fighting, wrestling and even nutrition. The wrestler was enjoying her curiosity and her presence a lot, actually. Diner time was about to come. Sekibayashi asked (Y/n) to set the giant tables they had to host all the pupils. She accepted with a smile; it made her feel happy to be useful to people. When she finished her task, she called out to the disciples' attention.

"Diner's ready, guys !"

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

Everyone was now sitting and enjoying the famous SJPW's curry. 'It's so good !!’, thought (Y/n) as she brang another full spoon into her mouth. She didn't even notice José sitting beside her.

"Where's Koga ?", suddenly asked Sekibayashi, worried as he turned his head everywhere in order to find the blonde. - "He is still in the dojo.", calmly answered José, making (Y/n) aware of his presence, "Don't worry, I taught him how to lock up."

'Is he still upset about today...?', wondered Sekibayashi, even more worried.

"I bet he is hungry after all that training !", exclaimed (Y/n) happily, a spoon and an empty plate in her hands. Once the rice and curry was almost spilling out of it, she walked to Sekibayashi.

"Sekibayashi !"

The wrestler looked at the smiling girl, intrigued by her sudden entousiasm. "Do you need something, (Y/n) ?"

"Can you show me where is the dojo Mister José talked about, please ?" - "Yeah, sure ! I was going to see what's Koga doing anyway. Is this plate for him ?", he pointed at the over-fullfilled plate in her hands. - "Yeah ! I thought he must be really hungry so I wanted to give him this." - "Ahahaha ! Young's love !", laughed Sekibayashi as loud as ever, making the young girl's face turning red in an instant. - "C-cut it out ! That's not like this !!" - "I'm joking, (y/n)~", he reassured playfully, patting her head gently.

(Y/n) pouted as she followed Sekibayashi closely.

"Here we are !"

They could see the dojo's light turned on from the high window. The huge wrester could easily look at that window, but the young girl couldn't even reach it with her hands.

"Need some help ?", he asked with a grin. - "Yeah, please...", she muttered, a bit ashamed by her small height. She put the plate aside as she watched through the window. She saw Ryuki drawing some circles on the floor before showing, she assumed, a sort of footwork exercise. 'He's moving so fast but in a very strange way...'.

Koga then reproduced it with a grin on his face. However, his proud state was easily broke by something Ryuki pointed to him as he took a bite of some rice ball he got in his hand.

'Ryuki is training Koga !', conclued (Y/n), her eyes sparking in realisation. "He doesn't seem to be a bad guy finally... He just really lack some tact. And seems very honest also...", she spoked her mind aloud. - "Indeed", nodded Sekibayashi as he put (Y/n) on the ground gently, "Are you not bringing him his plate of food ?". She shaked her head before taking the food back in her hands, "They are busy right now, I'll come again later !" - "I see !", grinned the pro wrestler, "Let's go back to the main building." - "Yeah, let's go !"

(Y/n) waited and waited but still no sign of Koga. She was one of the few people still remaining in the building at the moment. Sekibayashi walked to the table she was sitting at, the plate in front of her.

"It's getting late, you should go home (Y/n)." - "Koga still in the dojo, so I'll wait."

Her answer made him surprised but he didn't show it. "I see... Then, do you mind if I give you one of the building keys ? Just make sure you close it before leaving !" - "W-What ?! Seriously ? Do you trust me that much already ? I mean that's an important task and all-" - "Just take it.", he interrupted, putting the key on the table, just in front of her, "Oh and by the way, there is a microwave here if you want to heat it up." - "Thank you so much ! You're the best !", she thanked warmly with a smile.

Sekibayashi ruffled her hair gently before taking his way out.

"I hope to see you tomorrow, too ! Be careful on your way home !", he waved, his back at her. - "Yeah, don't worry. Good night, Sekibayashi ! And thanks again !"

(Y/n) decided to wait Koga just in front of the dojo to make sure he doesn't directy go home after his work out. The night wind was really pleasant everytime it touched her skin or made it's way through her pitch black hair. Her red elastic danced along with her high ponytail's strands of hair.

She passed around twenty minutes on her phone before the dojo's door opened only to reveal Ryuki's thinking face. Her presence remained unnoticed by him before she spoke up ironically, a bit vexed he didn't notice her.

"Hi there !"

Ryuuki looked up lazily at her sitting form. "Hi. What are you doing here this late ?" - "Waiting for Koga." - "Oh, I see.", he simply answered, now looking up at the night sky, absently.

An uncomfortable silence followed the small interaction, during which she noticed Ryuki's actually shirtless. She already saw him when he was sparring with José but he wasn't that close ! It made her blush in embarassment for thinking about that so seriously. But (Y/n) needed to say something important to her, so she gathered all her courage and went on.

"Hum... I...", she tried, her eyes focused on her nervously playing hands.

Ryuki looked back at her, curious.

"I just wanted to apologize for what I said to you earlier. You actually cared for Koga, I just was too stupid to understand it. I'm sorry..." - "Oh yeah ! I remember now !"

The young woman finally lifted her gaze to him, taken aback. 'H-He forgot ?'

"You didn’t need to apologize for that, but I appreciate you did.", he stated with his usual non-caring tone. - "T-Thanks I guess..."

Ryuki nodded at her before taking his leave, without a word.

'Still as polite as always...', she sighed internally before getting up to the door.

"Koga... ?", she hesitantly asked as she slowly opened the door.

She was welcomed by the young man's sweaty bare back. He was currently sitting on the floor, trying to catch his breath. 'Oh no, he's shirtless too !', she internally screamed as he turned his head to her.

"Are you okay ?", she asked with genuine worry as she approached him slowly. - "Y-Yeah...", he managed to answer between two breaths, "J-Just gimme a sec..." - "Oh, okay."

A brief silence followed before she continued. "I saved you a plate of food if you are hungry. I will be waiting at a table, so you can maybe take a shower and all ?" - "Yeah... thanks..." - "Don't make me wait too much, okay ?", she joked awkwardly before taking her leave, feeling completly ridiculous afterwards. If only she could have seen Koga slightly grinning at her tone.

(Y/n) happily made her way back to the main building. She couldn't wait to see him enjoying his meal. Seeing people happy like that always made her heart warm. She lived for these moments.

She immediatly put the plate of food into the microwave as soon as she entered in. Then picked it from the warming device and put it on the table, across from the spoon she also saved for him, then waited.

Koga came back not long after she left. He was now dressed like he used to the first time she encountered him. She realized she really like his blue baseball jacket.

"Thanks for saving me a plate, I'm so hungry right now.", he started as he took a sit in front of her. 'I-In front of me ?! Way to awkward... !!' - "Y-You're welcome !", she answered, a bit stressed out, "I-I thought you would certainly be hungry after all that training..."

Koga only looked at her suspiciously as he started to eat his meal. 'She is way too kind, that's weird. She must be hiding something.'

'Why is he staring at me like that ? Did I say something weird ?'

His green gaze only hardened at her visibly panicked self.

"Can you stop looking at me like that ? I feel like I did something wrong !", she let out, unable to ignore it anymore. - "I just thought you were way too kind to me for someone I just met.", he admitted, taking another full spoon of curry. - "Heh ?", she continued, startled by his answer, "What's wrong with being kind ?" - "I don't know. It's just that people usually don't act like this without having some shitty idea in mind." - "Indeed, I see what you are talking about. But I'm not thinking about something "shitty" at the moment, no need to worry.", she smiled at him, making him blush slightly. - "If you say so...", he finished, avoiding her gaze by looking at his now half-filled plate.

After this, (Y/n) asked him how his training went and learned it was actually his first day of training with Sekibayashi and co. She immediatly complimented him about how well he did which made him grin proudly. He then told her about his training time with Ryuki. (Y/n) acted like she didn't know Ryuki helped him. Koga thanked again the girl in front of him as he finished his dinner. They decided to go head home right away since it was already late.

"So, where do you live ?", asked Koga, walking across the girl. - "Not so far from the Yamashita Trading Co.'s office. You ?" - "I'm living with Yamashita, his son and Ryuki, actually." - "Really ?!" - "Yeah, he offered me to stay since I had nowhere to go around here. Same for Ryuki. Yamashita is such a nice guy." - "I agree ! And he's so nice to be around !", exclaimed (Y/n) with a smile, "Does he lives far from the office ?" - "Not at all. It's only a 10 minutes walk away from it, I think ?" - "Hum, I see ! Oh, here we are !"

The Yamashita Trading co.'s office was just meters from them now. (Y/n) ran straight to her motorcycle, checking for any scratching. She sighed in relief as she noticed nothing missing or damaged. Koga walked to her, dumbfounded.

"Is it yours ??" - "Yeah, you like it ?" - "I do. It looks cool.", he admitted, looking away from her.

(Y/n) giggled at his behavior. "Do you mind if I ride you home ?", she proposed, "I always have a second helmet in store so don't worry !" - "Really ?!", Koga asked, eyes filled with excitation, "That would be so cool !"

The young woman smiled at his impatience as she took her two helmets from the little trunk under her seat. She handed one to Koga who gladly put it on.

She was now sitting on her motorcycle, waiting for Koga to sit behind her. "Are you coming or what ?" - "Oh yeah, sorry !"

He quickly took his sit as he awkwardly looked at her waist. 'It would make this very awkward, isn't it ?'

(Y/n) looked at him from aside, now understanding why he was taking so long. "There is some kind of metal bar you can hold on just behind you.", she informed, secretly glad he didn't try to hold onto her waist. - "Oh, thanks...", he awkwardly answered, "You can go ahead, I will show you where to turn at when needed." - "Okay ! Let's go !"

The ride only lasted a few minutes but (Y/n) could feel Koga liked it. He suddenly pointed to the house on his right. 'So this is Mister Yamashita's house. Pretty casual for a CEO if you ask me...'

"Thanks a lot, that was a really cool ride.", Koga thanked her as he put off his helmet and stood up from the two wheels engine. - "The pleasure was mine.", smiled (Y/n) as she took the helmet from him, "Sleep well, you need a lot of rest to be able to train well tomorrow."

Her comment made him grin as he gave her a thumbs up, "Don't worry, I got this ! See ya !"

She waved at him silently before taking her leave. She thought about how fast they got along today. She didn't regret waiting for him that night.

Not at all.

#kengan omega #kengan ashura #kengan ashura fanfiction #kengan omega fanfiction #kengan ashura x reader

74 notes · View notes