#sumi drying his hair……. what did my boy do

[ashipiko]

so how’s that new misumi card a3! nation

[kuroosweakness]

more single dad!kuroo | sumi and her stuffed animals + special bath + talks about her lost tooth + school troubles + dinner 

“what’s tim doing here?” 

the green sea turtle plush lays on his back, having stared at the ceiling for the past hour. 5-year-old sumi comes running through her dad’s room’s door with her hair flopping against her back with every step. 

“tim’s gonna stay with you today,” she informs kuroo and makes grabby hands at the turtle. naturally, kuroo plucks the plush off the mattress and places him in her hands. 

“oh? why with me?” an amused smile creeps onto his face. it’s always her and her stuffed animals. but oh, he can’t deny he doesn’t hearing all of the drama between her stuffed animals. apparently, the imagination of a 5-year-old is endless. 

sumi takes a good long look at tim and his green flippers. she scrunched up her face and makes a pouty face. “tim’s tired of the other mean animals and wants to gonna stay with you today,” she tells him, as if it’s the most obvious thing ever. “you’re not gonna be mean to him?” 

“course not,” kuroo huffs. he sits down on the carpet floor and sumi follows. “tim and i are great friends, right tim?” 

not to his surprise, tim doesn’t reply. sumi nods and places the turtle on her dad’s lap. “okay. tim’s staying with you today.” 

“mmm...” kuroo arches an eyebrow at her as she suddenly pulls out her dolphin plushie ...from under the bed? “daphne’s gonna stay with me too? wow, am i popular,” he teases. 

daphne, the blue dolphin, joins tim on kuroo’s lap. “she’s gonna stay with you too because the other animals are being mean.” 

“i see,” kuroo slowly nods and rests his chin on the palm of his hand. “who’s being mean to them? and why?” 

“the dinos! because they’re-” she points at the plushie on her dad’s lap. “-ocean animals so the others don’t like them.” 

“c’mere,” kuroo waves at her to come closer and she does. she plops herself right on her dad’s lap. her mischievous smile proves that she’s aware of squishing tim and daphne. “we’re gonna haveta wash your hair today,” he tells her while combing her hair with his fingers. 

“ooh, special bubbles?” 

he laughs. “no, not with special bubbles. gotta save water, baby....for sea turtles and dolphins like tim and daphne.” 

after bunching her hair into a small ponytail, kuroo sits back and lets her do a 360. “all done~” 

before she bounces out of his room, he calls out, “sumi, wait-” 

sumi turns around and looks at her dad questioningly. 

“you can’t-” kuroo gets up and brushes his pants, picking up tim and daphne from the floor right after. “-just let the dinos be mean to tim and daphne.” 

“i’m not,” she says. “i’m gonna teach them a good lesson right now.” 

before kuroo can say something, her eyes darken like the way they always do when she’s about to tell her dad something interesting. 

“do you know what they said to daphne once?” 

kuroo places the plushies on his bed and walks over to her. “what did they say?” 

sumi looks down at the floor and follows her dad out the door and to the kitchen. “they made fun of her because her smile” 

kuroo nods along, opens the top fridge door, and bends down to ruffle his daughter’s hair. “what happened afterwards?” 

sumi’s shoulders slump and her chest grows heavy. “she cried and they laughed. it-” she picks at her lips. “ because she lost her tooth and now her smile look funny” 

a small thud distracts her from her train of thought. kuroo says a small “oops” and picks up the jar lid that fell on the floor. he places the lid back on the counter and croutches down at sumi’s eye level. 

his eyebrows draw together; his eyes scans over her face for any signs he may recognize. “now, now” he rubs his palms against her shoulders soothingly. “they have no business making fun of daphne for something as natural as losing a tooth.” 

he knows his words aren’t much help, but he truly doesn’t know what else can make her feel better. kuroo’s glad she can’t tell how much her crying hurts him too. 

“besides, her smile does not look funny. i think she looks beautiful, and my opinion matters, doesn’t it? since has daddy been wrong?” he gives her a small smile in hopes that it’s a contagious one. 

she stifles a laugh and roughly wipes her eyes on her sleeve. “you got milk chocolate and dark chocolate mixed up!” 

he smiles and rolls his eyes. “well excuse me. they look like the same-” 

“nuh uh!...” she giggles. “at least you didn’t get white chocolate mixed up!” 

“it’ll be troubling if i did,” he laughs. his face softens at her. after a few more shoulders rubs, he asks, “is daphne feeling better about her smile now...?” 

she sniffles, inhales, and breaks into a sob. kuroo’s eyes widen as she presses her head against his chest. and suddenly, his grey shirt is her next tissue. 

“but no one else lost tooth” she chokes. it doesn’t take long for her teary eyes to release teardrop after teardrop. she hates this, hates being weak, hates how she looks with big, red, and puffy eyes. but at least she’s crying in front of her dad and not those boys at school...daddy wouldn’t laugh at her, ever. “it’s only me with big hole in smile” 

she pulls back and shows him the gap between her front tooth as if her dad doesn’t already know. “sumi-” 

“it looks dumb.” she frowns and tightens her hug around kuroo’s neck. “so so so dumb” 

kuroo continues rubbing and patting her back like the way he used to when she was younger, and couldn’t sleep at set times. “you know,” kuroo gently begins. “those mean people will lose their teeth later and they’ll have gaps in between their teeth too. plus, the tooth fairy wouldn’t give them money because she never awards mean people.” 

sumi sniffles and presses her eyes against her dad’s shirt to soak up leftover tears. 

“so not only did they lose a tooth, but they also don’t get money and have no right to be making fun of you.” kuroo slowly pulls back and examines his daughter’s tear-stained, red, scrunched up face. “after a quick face wash, you’ll be as good as new” 

sumi doesn’t reply and climbs on her dad’s back for a piggy back ride to the bathroom. 

he lifts her up and tightens his hold on her small thighs. as he starts walking, he sees her feet dangling by his side and wonders, where did her other sock go? he sighs and shakes his head with a tired smile, not another missing sock...

“sumi, i’m sure i’ve already told you this, but another tooth will grow back. an even stronger, better tooth!” 

the bathroom lights flick open and kuroo steps onto the tiled floors, setting his daughter on the counter and holding onto her thighs to prevent her falling off. 

he catches his reflection in the mirror and stifles a laugh. the neck area of his shirt is soaked with tears and snot. 

“daddy?” 

he looks up at her and her bunched up fists. “hm?” 

“can i take a special bubbles bath?” she points at the bathtub and puts on her best set of puppy eyes. naturally, kuroo’s weak heart makes him nod ‘yes’ before he can process what she asked. 

“really? yay~” she inches closer to the edge of the counter and- 

“woah woah woah,” he sets her down and lets her climb into the tub. sumi sets her clothes aside and sits patiently in the tub, waiting for her dad to turn the water on. 

“the water’s cold at first, remember?” he teasingly pinches her cheek, thankful that she mind is no longer on her fallen tooth. maybe he should have a talk with her kindergarten teacher-

“dad?” 

he looks up and wonders where the -dy went. 

“the water’s warm enough now!” she gives the water a few kicks and cups and handful before throwing it up and laughing. sumi treads across the water and grabs the colorful bath bomb she picked out at the store a while ago. 

kuroo turns the water off and she eagerly throws the bath bomb in. “...why’s it not melting? :((” 

with a quick look at the floating ball, kuroo chuckles and picks it right out the water. “there’s plastic wrapping around it, baby.” 

sumi’s mouth forms a small ‘o’ and watches her dad peal the wrapping away. “throw it in!” she tells him. 

he does just as she says and the two watches small bubbles form around the blue-turning water. 

“it’s blue...it’s red...it’s purple!” she cheers and throws her arms above her head. kuroo smiles in acknowledgment at the fact that she knows her colors well. 

~~~

“daddy?” 

there goes the -dy. thank goodness it’s back. “yes, baby?” 

she pokes at his arm that’s drying her off with a towel. “can i get more plushie?” 

“no more dinos though...” 

“course not! i want-” she taps her lips in thought and squeals when her dad’s cold hands comes in contact with her warm skin. “-i want more sea plushie” 

“how about a shark? sharks constantly lose and grow more teeth” 

“but sharks are mean” 

kuroo slips her shirt over her head. “not all of them,” he says. “a lot of sharks can be nice and we could name him or her-”

“what about ‘smark’?” sumi suggests. 

kuroo snorts. “’smark’? not sure if that’s a name or even a word, sumi...but if you’d like, then sure.” 

“daddy?” 

“yes?” he gives her hair some final ruffles and grabs a nearby comb. 

“you used to call me punkin” 

“...mm, and what about it, punkin?” 

“the kids look at me funny and laughed when you called me punkin” 

“did they?” kuroo sighs. “god, why are the kids in your kindergarten class so mean” 

“i don’t know,” she quietly replies. “they’re just like the dinos!” 

he frowns. “screw the dinos” 

sumi holds her belly as she laughs. “screw the mean boys and girls too” 

after a few final hair brushes, kuroo pats her head and grins. “my beautiful girl~” 

“pumpkin,” she corrects him.  

kuroo pulls back in surprise and slowly sets her back on the floor. “’my beautiful pumpkin’ sounds like i’m talking to the orange vegetable,” he chuckles. “i thought you didn’t like it when i-” 

“i do like it. and pumpkins.” she bounces out of the bathroom and jumps onto couch, like the way she always does after baths. “daddy would you be sad if tim and daphne not sleep with you today?” 

“i would be more than heartbroken,” kuroo jokes from the bathroom. he flicks the light switch off and pads over to the couch she’s sitting on. her mischievous smile grows with every step closer. 

“then i guess you have to be heartbrochon” 

kuroo dramatically gasps as he sits down next to her. “and you’re completely fine with me being heartbroken? just when i thought you loved me-” 

“i do! but i love tim and daphne more so they need to sleep with me today.” 

kuroo tries to hide his face of betrayal at the fact that he’s not first place in her heart, not second, but third–after two stuffed animals. 

“so....” she crawls closer to him to display her irresistible puppy eyes again. “can i have a shark plushie?” 

“just so your shark plushie can take my place in your heart?” kuroo teases and leans forward to grab the tv remote. “i’d be fourth place-” 

“no you won’t! my list goes-” she looks deep in thought as she counts her fingers. “teddy, daphne, buddy, tim, fried rice, you”

kuroo’s mouth gapes open as he slumps against the couch. “i come after fried rice?” he laughs. “even though i’m the one who makes it for you?”

she laughs with him. her laugh matches his well–both loud, genuine, and more like a cackle. “fine, you come before fried rice.” 

but not before your four other stuffed animals? he shakes his head in amusement. “i guess you’ll have to go to teddy, buddy, tim, and daphne to cook you dinner and tuck you in bed today~” 

he shrugs his shoulders in defeat and walks over to the kitchen. “it’s all too bad that i’ll have to enjoy my grilled mackerel all alone~” 

“daddy! you know how much buddy likes fish!” she grabs her polar bear off of the couch and marches after her dad. 

“he has great taste,” kuroo replies back. sumi glares at her dad and clings onto his leg as he washes the rice. 

“i’ll put you in first place if you buy me ‘smark’“ she playfully says. 

“ah...bribing won’t work on me, baby”

sumi huffs, releases her hold, clasps his sweatpants instead. “but you already number one on my list” 

“mm,” he hums back, unconvinced. conversations like these and teasing her are his favorite. he finds great joy in getting her riled up in little topics that might not matter to others, but means the world to him. 

“uh huh! you are!” she follows him to the fridge and widens her eyes at the sight of a popsicle. “can i have that?” 

“save it for dessert,” he replies back. 

“mm” she groans and walks over to pick up her polar bear that she accidentally dropped on the carpet. clink and clanks of pots and pans ring through the air as kuroo searches for the right pan.

“daddy? can i bring smark to school?”

“as long as if you don’t lose him,” he replies.

sumi’s face stretches into a wide grin. “does that mean you’ll get him for me? :)” 

kuroo lets out a long sigh. “yea, i probably will”

sumi bounces over to her dad again and beams. “you’re the best”

“yeah yeah” he laughs. “i was in like sixth place a few minutes ago”

“you always at number one,” she tells him as she goes on her tip toes to try to place her polar bear on the kitchen counter. she fails and buddy falls on her head.

“have i?”

sumi picks buddy up again and runs to her room. kuroo turns around at the lack of her voice and she suddenly runs back with her dinos.

“trash!”

kuroo’s eyes widen. “oh no no no, don’t throw your toys away”

“but they’re bad toys :(“

kuroo thinks about this for a second. “you gotta teach them to not be mean, give them a second chance, maybe they’ll become nice dinos”

sizzling sounds come from the pan and sumi smiles at the smell of fish. but quickly frowns again at her dinos.

“i guess,” she mumbles and runs back to her room. it doesn’t take long for her to run back out with teddy and buddy in her arms, her teddy bear and loose bear.

“i said you always been number one,” she tells her dad while scratching the side of her hair. “ask why”

“so you put me after fried rice to make fun of me?” kuroo teases.

“no? that was my list of ‘stuff i love’ not ‘people i love’ “

kuroo ponders this for a moment and reaches up for the little bottles of spice.

“so i’m on your ‘stuff i love’ and ‘people i love’ list? i’m a stuff and a person?” he chuckles.

“you’re number one on my ‘people i love’ list,” she says. sumi crinkles her nose at the smell of string spices. “and the only one”

“... i’m the only one? what about your friends? teacher? tim? buddy?”

“buddy’s a bear!” she exclaims like it’s the most obvious thing ever. “not person. and teddy’s my best friend, but he’s a bear too”

“mm... so no human friends?”

“nope, maybe you”

“maybe?” he laughs. “are we not friends?”

“you’re daddy! not friend”

“i can be friend and daddy at the same time!”

“but you can’t be daddy and fried rice at the same time”

kuroo stifles a laugh at her unexpected response. “that’s correct. do you ... does no one ....” kuroo bites his lip. how should he approach this topic?

“who do you sit next to during school?”

“amara and thomas” 

her response is quick, so she must know them well, right? sumi picks at the fluff of her polar bear and goes to sit on the carpet right outside the kitchen tiles.

“do they not talk to you?”

“sometimes,” she replies. she’s much more interested in why she suddenly sees a blue mark on her polar bear then the discussion with her dad right now. “buddy’s turning blue :(“

“...?”

“look!”

but kuroo doesn’t have the time to look away from the pan so he nods. “mm, we’ll give him a wash”

“okay”

“who else do you talk to during school?”

“mrs. chen” she frowns at the blue spot on her polar bear and checks to see if teddy has one too.

“anyone else?”

whew, teddy doesn’t have one. “sometimes amara”

with a click, kuroo turns the stove off and slides the mackerel on a white dish. “anyone else...?”

“no”

“ah... do you wish you have more people to talk to?”

“no, i talk to you all the time!”

“right, you tell me everything,” he beams. he brings a spoon to his mouth to taste the sauce.

“daddy why can’t guys make babies”

kuroo’s eyes widen as he splutters out the sauce. “...well, it’s just the way mother nature works”

“so you didn’t make me?”

kuroo avoids eye contact and rubs his neck sheepishly. “well..... it’s complicated and not something you should worry about”

“mrs. chen said i look like you, and she called me pretty. does that make you pretty?”

“...” conversations with a five year old can be quite amusing ... “it’s up to you,” he laughs. “do you think i’m pretty?” 

“i guess”

he laughs even harder at her dry response and quickly turns the conversation topic back around. “is school fun for you?”

“i guess”

“...” ah, there goes the painful short responses. “what do you guys do everyday-“

“daddy why do guys have to stand up when they use the bathroom-“

“remember buddy’s blue spot?” kuroo quickly butts in.

sumi’s eyes diverts back to her polar bear. “:(( buddy’s turning colors!”

kuroo lets out a long, heavy, and tired sigh. it’s been a long day for him as a parent and now he learns that his daughter doesn’t have any friends her age?

“buddy will be fine,” he reassures her and carries white dishes to the small dining table. sumi places a long kiss on buddy’s nose.

“daddy if you weren’t so tall i’d kiss you on the nose too”

before kuroo can say something, sumi changes the topic once again. “smark will be friends with tim and daphne.”

“mm”

“mrs. chen said that you’re really tall”

“...”

“she told ms. loren that you’re the most handsome dad”

“......”

“ms. loren whispered something about being my future mommy and it was really weird”

kuroo chokes on his spit and walks back into the kitchen quietly. “i-“

“i don’t want ms. loren to be my mommy” 

“oh you won’t have to worry about that,” he nervously chuckles. his daughter sure has a lot to say...he makes a mental note to avoid eye contact with ms. loren the next time he drops her off. 

“daddy do you like tim and daphne or do you pretend to?”

kuroo frowns as he cuts up some cucumbers. “why wouldn’t i like them? i like the way they make you happy”

“i think amara only pretend to like me” 

kuroo makes another mental note to consider transferring her to a new school. after a final slice, he puts the diced up cucumbers onto a small plate and grabs nearby spices. 

“maybe amara isn’t meant to be friends with you. sometimes, peoples’ personalities just don’t match up.” 

sumi sighs and slumps her shoulders. “i wish you can go to school with me instead of work” 

“i wish i can too” he laughs. “punkin, dinner’s ready. wash up” 

“ooh” sumi quickly sits up and dashes over to the kitchen sink step stool. “but you said you wouldn’t cook for me...?” 

“i can’t leave ya hungry,” he tells her. “besides, i’m your friend” 

“and my daddy,” she quips back. she turns on the sink and scrubs her hands with soap. “but not fried rice.” 

“mm, i’m not fried rice,” kuroo restates with a smile. “...do you like going to school?” 

“it’s fun sometimes, so. i guess.” sumi steps off of her step stool and happily bounces over to the dinner table. 

~~~

the night concludes with them eating dinner, kuroo asking more questions about school and buddy’s blue spot, sumi happily eating popsicle for dessert

[tsuzuruchipalace]

rating mankai company based on character design

Note: I will take into account hair, color scheme, sprite poses, mostly outfits that are not from plays or scouts, and memorability. This is half an objective view and half my personal opinion.

Disclaimer: I curse a lot for comedic effort. I am mean because I am funny. No, you cannot disagree.

Spring 🌸

sakuya: you get what you see. a literal spring babey. his hair and color scheme’s a little generic, but he’s mankai’s poster boy, so that’s understandable. speaking of generic, his main pose is just this emoji 🧍‍♂️ his outfits tend to be kinda basic, but any outfit with a mostly pink top gets him bonus points. 6/10

masumi: okay his hair is elite. probably one of the most memorable character design aspects among the cast. his mole and eyes also make him very pretty. love my boy’s dark color scheme. unfortunately, points must be docked for baiting us with the emo fit, then as the story progresses, he starts dressing like the trust fund kid he is smh. 9/10

tsuzuru: i love you tsuzu but. my mans is so basic. if he didn’t have such a great personality, he’d be as bland as untoasted white bread. the saya of a3. his best design aspect is the fact that he doesn’t dye his roots. his outfits look comfy, but not necessarily eye-catching. 4/10

itaru: everyone who starts a3! with no knowledge of these characters has one (1) thought about itaru. sec sea man. so obviously there’s something appealing/good about his character design. i think part of the appeal is his fuck-all demeanor. obviously, his eyes and hairstyle are attractive, but the way the artists draw him gives him an air of not caring, which is also attractive in a way. his dyed tips are also nice. he looks kinda lame when he dresses professionally, but his casual outfits hit. especially the ones with light pink. 8/10

citron: although i’m not a big fan of the “character is foreign and therefore must talk and dress different and be funny” trope in these types of media, his fashion does make him stand out from the other characters who tend to have more basic clothes. citron’s summer, travel, and autumn outfits SLAP and anyone who says otherwise has bad taste. his hair and eyes are interesting, but his overall color scheme can be a bit repetitive. 7/10

chikage: i hate this guy’s fucking bowlcut. fucking salad bowl lookin ass. every outfit is the same turtleneck and sneakers in two alternate colors. his outfits are so plain. only thing i like is his casual outfit glasses. HOWEVER. that’s the point. he’s supposed to look boring and blend in because he’s a spy. it’s a smart design, i just don’t like it so im docking points. stay mad about it. 5/10

Summer ☀️

tenma: im yawning. you think tsuzu was boring? this guy has orange hair and i still find his design boring. that’s how you know he’s basic. he’s got generic messy shounen protag hair. he could be from any property. if i drew fanart of him, people would ask where he’s from. he either dresses like your slightly homophobic frat boy classmate or a grandfather who gets his shit stolen by the asshole kids next door. 2/10

yuki: he has the r a n g e. all of yuki’s casual outfits hit. they’re all different, but cute in their own way. to no one’s surprise, one of the best styled characters. though i like his general color scheme, i’m personally not the biggest fan of his hairstyle. it’s okay, but a little plain at times. but i think it suits him well. 7/10

muku: i love him. muku’s design is what i love about this game. you see him, and you immediately know what his character archtype is supposed to be. he’s the soft, cute boy. and if this was a mediocre series, that’d be all muku is. but since this is a3, he’s so much more than that. he’s smart, passionate, sensitive to others’ feelings, and protective. a3 does a great job designing characters that look exactly like their archtype, but having a much more developed personality than that. getting back to the actual subject at hand, i love his hairstyle and color, as well as his outfits. you can never go wrong with light pink hair. i may be biased but fuck you. 10/10

misumi: another great memorable design. his eye shape and hair style are really unique. his outfits also elevate his design. street fashion is always a plus for me. though sumi’s design is special in the world of a3! where most of the characters are just. guys. regular lookin dudes. i think that outside of the game, his design would not be as unique. 8/10

kazunari: personally, im a fan. maybe it’s cause i have an affinity for blonde anime boys. but his hairstyle is pretty unique and his trendy looks set him apart from most characters, even outside this game. and he has a pretty lovable expression in his sprites. his fatal flaw is that his fits are either a hit or miss. they’re either really cute or wtf. at least he’s memorable. 8/10

kumon: i love that he reminds me of an owl. his hair and eyes are very cute and his color scheme is great. and i think they did a great job making him look related to juza, but still very much his own character. but he dresses like your classmate from middle school that looks like a nike-sponsored highlighter. yeah, he’s the sporty one, and i like the windbreakers but... i cannot excuse his summer fit. also, i find his design a little tame compared to some of the other characters in the game. 6/10

Autumn 🍂

banri: i hate his hair. i hate it so much. i know in canon it’s nice and he takes good care of it, but it looks so fucking greasy. the style makes him look so greasy and it makes me mad. he looks like an asshole. i mean, he is, so it fits. if this dumb bitch changed his hair more often, i’d like his design so much more. you saw this coming; his love for cheetah print is fucking repulsive. BUT, maybe unpopular opinion, minus the animal print, his sense of fashion is not bad. why do yall clown on it. if the fit is fresh, the fit is fresh. anyway, he looks like an ass, but objectively his design is kinda eh. 5/10

juza: im sorry im DEADLY fucking biased when it comes to juza, but he’s so handsome. his hair is a such a rich, pretty shade of purple and his eyes are so mesmerizing. his hairstyle is so attractive. his face is so pretty. yeah his design isn’t crazy unique, but the simplicity just works. im so sorry im this man’s whore i didn’t choose this life... but i can stop being a simp for one second to say that he has a boring fashion sense. i mean it’s kinda hot how simple his outfits are but his travel fit is good-- wait a minute i just remembered the fucking sandals. docking one point. 9/10

taichi: okay shut the fuck up i LOVE taichi’s design. so eye-catching and fun. as i’ve said i love street fashion, and taichi’s lil e-boy fits are right up my alley. that shade of bright red goes so well with his fashion sense, making a really cohesive design. with his main outfit, you can tell he purposely dresses like that to be trendy and it’s so smart. 10/10

omi: im sorry omi stans but his design is kinda,, boring. i legit had such a hard time identifying him when i first got into this game. the scar saves it a bit. but... only a bit. he’s just got. hair. and a dad outfit. i mean his tits are huge, but i don’t think i can call that a character design aspect. kinda forgettable design. i don’t dislike it though, so he ranks higher than tenma did. 3/10

sakyo: im not sure why but i really like sakyo’s design?? the contrast of his light hair and his dark clothes is nice. also, megane rights. even when i thought he was an npc during my first playthrough, i really dug his design and thought he was memorable. i actually cannot pinpoint a reason why. i wish i had more constructive things to say... but upon thinking about it, he has a karen haircut, which kinda dampers my thoughts on his design. i like his moles, but i honestly did not notice them until the game pointed them out. 7/10

azami: azami has a damn good design. i don’t think anyone can deny that. the long hair, the contrast of black hair and bright blue eyes, his eye shape. all very eye-catching design aspects. and the street fashion style strikes again. the color scheme matches well with everything. this review is lame, but there’s really only good things i can say about his design so. 10/10

Winter ❄️

tsumugi: it’s so late and im so tired of looking at these sprites. anyway, tsumugi’s design is okay. i think his color scheme’s a bit limited and his outfits are a bit meh. he has a more respectable bowlcut than chikage, but it’s still a bowlcut and it’s still boring. i think the best part of his design is his eyes, they’re very soft and kind. but other than that, tsumugi looks pretty basic. 5/10

tasuku: tbh, i didn’t even realize that the godza member tasuku was the same character as the winter troupe guy in the game’s opening until the middle of episode 3... yeah. im slow. ooooooor... tasuku has the worst fucking design in the game. yeah i said it. come at me, but tasuku’s design fucking sucks. i literally thought he was a minor character until they forced me to realize he wasn’t. his fashion sense is... questionable at best. i look at that man’s hair and think he doesn’t shampoo. he looks so bland i could dry up from looking at him. im sorry but his tits do not make up for the sheer fucking snorefest of his character design. he’s so boring i won’t elaborate anymore. 1/10

hisoka: ya get what ya see part 2. i like that i can tell he’s the sleepy and mysterious character just by his design, but honestly, that’s a character trope im generally not a big fan of. so i wasn’t thrilled by hisoka’s design at first. but it’s effective. i like the hairstyle with the white hair, but i’m not too fond of his color scheme. his outfits look comfy and soft though. it makes sense, but it’s nothing too memorable if you compare him to characters outside the game. 5/10.

homare: ah, now this is a memorable character design. his hairstyle annoyed me in the beginning, but now i love it. it’s so unique and fun. and i like the purple. i also like his outfits. very classy. but honestly, most of his charisma lies in his face. i think that the pure eccentricity of the hairstyle is enough to put him in the top tier without considering any other element. you really could not find this design in any other media. fuck it. i don’t need to consider anything else. 9/10

azuma: i’ll be honest. im not a fan of long-haired anime men. especially the pretty, flirty types. i don’t know, i just don’t vibe with them. originally, i didn’t like azuma’s design, but now i do. i don’t know how, but i think it’s because azuma is just that powerful. his ponytail makes it more bearable for me and i like the way his bangs frame his face. he just has pretty eyes and face. unfortunately his color scheme is a little too repetitive for me and his casual outfits are a little boring. 6/10

guy: maybe it’s because he looks dead inside, but i love him. i don’t even know this character that well yet, but i think his deadass expression is great. the darker under-eyeline sets him apart from the other characters and i love how he dresses. i think his hair is kinda eh. i personally like it, but objectively, it’s meh. it’s a solid design, but ngl it’s nothing special when i really think about it. 6/10

[kumeko]

A/N: For the Butterfly Estate Zine! Spoilers for later events in the manga, for anime-onlys.

…

…

…

…

Shinobu pressed her fingers against the coin, feeling the imprint of the hard edges on her skin. Even in the warm, spring sunlight, the metal felt cold. “Kanae gave this to you, right?” she asked, idly turning it over on her palm.

 Standing next to her, Kanao nodded her head slowly. “To help me decide,” she explained, a fond smile on her face. There was a hint of sorrow in her expression, something Shinobu saw in the mirror whenever she thought of her sister. It was less than it was yesterday, less than it was a year ago, and while it would be ever present, the pain had eased.

 Shinobu glanced at her younger sister. A chill breeze blew through, ruffling her hair and the butterfly clasp keeping her locks together. Would she wear a second one, when Shinobu died? A memento from both sisters? Swallowing down the lump in her throat, Shinobu closed her hand around the coin. “Despite how she acted, she always knew what to do.”

 Kanao clasped her hands in front of her, nodding. “She did.” Peeking up, she added shyly, “And so do you.”

“Do I?” Shinobu questioned, looking up at the Wisteria trees that bordered her estate. Their sickly-sweet scent lingered in the air, the purple blooms fluttering in the wind, and even after all this time, Shinobu couldn’t get used to their scent. She felt small and impermanent in comparison to the eternally blooming giants. The problem she faced was bigger than her, almost as old as the trees themselves.

 A part of her feared it would continue long after she was gone.

 A soft touch brought her out of her thoughts and she looked down to find Kanao’s hand wrapped around hers. In front of her, her sister uttered simply, “Yes.”

 For once, Kanao looked self-assured, no doubt colouring her voice. Shinobu swallowed. It was wrong of her to lean on Kanao so much, to need this confidence. Despite herself, she raised her other hand, sandwiching Kanao’s between hers. “I guess you’re right,” she finally said, keeping her voice from cracking.

 This settled it. Any reservations she had about her idea, Shinobu let go. Her time was limited. It had always been the case, ever since she’d picked up her sister’s sword. No, even before that, when her parents had died, when she’d taken the Master’s hand, her body trembling from fear. It was just more so now; she knew her expiration date better than most.

 Only, this wasn’t just revenge. It couldn’t be. Not when Kanao was standing in front of her, love and belief shining through her eyes.

 No, this was about protecting. About keeping her family, however small it was now, safe.

 “Thanks.” Shinobu pulled her hand free. The coin was still on her hand, heavy as ever.

 “Do you need to make a decision?” Kanao asked, her eyes flickering from the coin to Shinobu.

 “I guess. Heads, I’ll do it.” Shinobu flipped the coin, watching the bronze gleam in the sunlight. She already knew what side it’d land.

 Tomorrow, she’d talk to the Master about the Wisteria poison.

 -x-

 “AHHHH!” Tanjirou roared, his sword high in the air as he charged forward. Shinobu could almost see the rush of an incoming wave, the clash against the rocks when he struck. If Giyuu’s technique had the tranquility of a pond, Tanjirou’s was the aggressive stream coursing ever forward.

 And she was the water spider, gliding above it all. She jumped, flipping through the air and landing behind him. Unable to change his course or stop his momentum, Tanjirou crashed into one of the trees surrounding the training grounds. He rolled backwards, falling flat on his back.

 “Good effort,” she praised, tucking a lock behind her ear as she bent over him.

 “T-thanks,” he wheezed. He lay there and tried to catch his breath.

 “You’re getting better.” Shinobu lifted her right arm and inspected her uniform. Poking her finger through the hole he made, she chuckled. All this from a boy who just learned to keep his breathing constant. “You’re a quick learner.”

 Tanjirou’s eyes lit up and he sat up quickly. “Really?”

 “Really,” she nodded, humming her agreement.

 “G-great.” He’d moved too quickly, and his body struggled to keep him upright before giving up entirely. Falling flat on his back, he closed his eyes and sighed happily. “I can try again in a minute.”

 There was something utterly refreshing about his earnestness and honesty. It reminded her a little of Rengoku. Maybe she should have them meet properly after this. Sitting next to him on the cool, wet grass, she leaned back and enjoyed the cool breeze. “It’s fine, take your time.”

 “Thanks.” His breathing had yet to even out.

 Glancing over to her right, she observed their audience on the veranda. Hidden in the shade, Nezuko was watching them curiously, her pink eyes bright despite the gloom. Kiyo was sitting behind her, braiding her hair, while Sumi and Naho neatly folded their laundry. At first, they’d run away at the sight of her, but now, they looked almost too relaxed next to her.

 Nezuko. A demon that didn’t hunger. Shinobu’s eyes flicked back to the panting Tanjirou. “You’re going to kill Muzan for her,” she asked without thinking.

 Tanjirou’s eyes flew open and he stared at her in surprise.  “How…”

 She chuckled. “It’s not like you hide it.” Or, even if he tried, could hide it well. Tanjirou was far too frank for deception.

 “R-right.” Tanjirou gave a sheepish smile, his cheeks colouring a light red. No doubt he was remembering past declarations of Muzan’s death. He sat up slowly and waved to Nezuko. “It’s the only way to save her.”

 Shinobu imagined her expression was the same whenever she looked at Kanae—tender, soft, a little sad. Picking a strand of grass, she methodically tore it to pieces. “You could die.”

 “I won’t,” he replied immediately, filled with the confidence of youth. For a moment, she believed him. There was something in Tanjirou that she hadn’t seen in ages, a hopeful belief in the future mixed with a tragic understanding of the present.

 Perhaps Muzan could be defeated in her lifetime.

 Still, wishes didn’t make things so, and Shinobu tossed the grass pieces at him. “You could die,” she repeated firmly.

 Tanjirou looked at her now. Recognizing the seriousness of the question, he frowned, crossing his arms as he considered it. “I…” He lowered his eyes, taking a deep breath before offering a sad smile. “That doesn’t matter. Nezuko’s family; I have to try, no matter what.” Once more, he looked at his sister. “She’d do the same for me.”

 “That, I can understand.” Even now, she could smell the Wisteria, hear the click of her nail flipping the coin. Kanae’s blood had been so warm, her body so cold. There were things you did for family, no matter the cost, and she found herself looking for Kanao even though she wouldn’t be here. “There are some things more important than your life.”

 “Yeah.” Tanjirou nodded.

 Shinobu turned to him, sizing him up. He’d survived grief, managed to stand even when sorrow threatened to swallow him whole. Kanao would need someone like that when she died. Selfishly, she asked, “Would you be friends with Kanao?”

 His eager nod eased the load on her shoulders ever so slightly.

 -x-

 Sitting on the porch, Shinobu gently swirled the sake in her cup. It was a rare night she got to relax, to just sit here and admire the night sky. The moon hung low in the heavens, full and heavy, and the gentlest of breezes rustled through the grass.

 Behind her, quiet footsteps approached her and she smiled. “I thought you didn’t like drinking,” she teased, glancing over her shoulder as Giyuu stepped out into the moonlight.

 “I don’t,” he stated, slowly sitting down next to her. As usual, his blank expression and dry tone gave away nothing.

 “Could have fooled me,” she muttered, taking a sip. She wasn’t quite sure when this had started, this almost-habit of late-night drinking. At some point, he’d started joining her when she relaxed and watched the moon. At some point, she’d stopped minding it.

 “I don’t think anyone could fool you,” he answered bluntly, his eyes on the moon.

 She chuckled. For a man who didn’t know how to joke, he was constantly unintentionally funny. “No, I suppose not.” Her wits were the only thing that made up for her stature. Leaning forward, she smiled teasingly. “So did you miss my company or the view while you were away?”

 Giyuu’s brow furrowed, the only indication that he was frowning. He fell silent, more so than usual, and she hadn’t expected him to consider her question so seriously.

 Perhaps she should let him off easy this time. It had been a while since they’d last sat together like this and despite her attitude, she did enjoy his company. Somehow. It wouldn’t do to scare him away. “You don’t—”

 “Both,” Giyuu finally admitted.

 “—have to…” Shinobu trailed off, blinking as she processed his answer. Staring at him, she tried not to gape. “Both?”

 He merely nodded. Nothing about his straight back, the profile of his blank face, or even his hands, neatly tucked into the opposite arm’s sleeves, gave away his emotions.

 Both. Shinobu bit her lip, stopping herself from asking what exactly he meant by that. Did he like this quiet hour together too? Did he just miss the calm of it all? And would it be worth the frustrating hours of trying to pull the words from his lips?

 No, definitely not. Still, in a rare moment of honesty, she smiled into her cup. “Me too.”

 He glanced at her when she said that but still said nothing.

 She swirled her sake once more. The moon’s reflection rippled in the clear liquid. Butterflies danced in the nearby wisteria trees and even when she died, that scent would follow her to her grave. Taking advantage of the atmosphere, she asked, “Why did you spare Tanjirou and Nezuko?”

 From the corner of her eyes, she watched as he bit his lip, his frown growing deeper as he grappled with an answer. After a long silence punctuated only by the soft chirp of the cicadas, he finally answered, “She protected him.”

 “That was unusual for a demon,” she agreed. His expression was dark and she wondered if that reminded him of some incident in his past, some haunting memory he hadn’t finished wrestling with. For all her talk about becoming friends with demons, she would have killed Nezuko on the spot. Almost had, in fact, if not for the Master’s intervention.

 And now this unusual demon and her brother could be the very key to ending centuries worth of conflict. She set down her sake, no longer thirsty. “They’re going to come for her soon.” Shinobu could almost feel it. The new training, the Master’s changed tactics, everything was coming to a head.

 Her days were numbered. A year’s worth of poison had to be enough to bring the demon down. Tomorrow, or maybe the day after, she’d have to tell Kanao. She wasn’t looking forward to that conversation.

 “Yeah.” Giyuu nodded, finally looking at her. “We’ll be ready.”

 Shinobu raised a brow. “That’s surprisingly hopeful of you.” He didn’t say anything but she had a feeling it was Tanjirou’s influence.

 Something started changing after Tanjirou had arrived, and it wasn’t just the demons who’d transformed. She heard the quiet clink of a coin, saw gold flipping against the bright blue sky. The coin would land, the die set, and there was no time to say it but now. Fiddling with her sleeves, Shinobu asked quietly, “Could you take care of Kanao?” Impassive eyes stared at her and she smiled, giving nothing away. “If something happens,” she clarified.

 “No,” he answered just as bluntly as he normally did.

 “How cruel.” Shinobu sighed.

 “She has you,” Giyuu continued, as steady as a river, and for all the deaths they’d experienced, it seemed hers had never crossed his mind.

 Shinobu took pride in the compliment. She hoped it wouldn’t hurt him too much when he found out he was wrong. “She does.”

 There was a small gap between them, a space that had shrunk in the past years. She wondered if it would have disappeared in the coming months, if their fingers would have overlapped and thighs brushed one another.

 A question she’d never know the answer to. She felt sadder at that than she’d thought.

 -x-

 The demon’s strikes were harder than she’d expected. Shinobu lay on the wooden platform, gasping as she tried to breathe. Her ribs were cracked, a trickle of blood escaping her lips, and she barely had the energy to open her eyes, let alone grab her sword.

 No wonder he was an upper moon. He was far too strong, and she couldn’t kill him with her weapon.

 She’d hoped and hoped, but it seemed there was no wiggling out of her fate.

 Shinobu, Kanae stood by her head, her expression sad. You know what to do.

 Shinobu closed her eyes. Somewhere, a coin glinted in the sun, flipping through the air. Somewhere, the wisteria trees perfumed the air with their sticky, sweet scent. If she were honest, she’d made her decision long before that. The second she’d picked up her sister’s abandoned sword, rage swirling in her petite body, she’d known one way or another this was her destiny.

 Grabbing her sword, Shinobu took a deep breath. Maybe she should have closed that gap, reached over and grabbed Giyuu’s hand. Or prepared Kanao better, there were so many things she’d wanted to teach her.

 Damn it all, she thought she’d prepared herself for this, but there were so many things she wanted to do, to say. Her sister stared down at her and Shinobu hoped she wasn’t disappointed that she was going to die the same way she had.

 “Is that all?” Doma sighed, his voice grating her ears.

 “No,” she gritted out, forcing herself to stand.

 It was too late for regrets.

 The coin had landed heavily, the symbol digging into her skin. Heads, she had declared, her heart heavy with resignation. I guess I’ll do it.

 Shinobu raised her sword and charged.

[windywooshes]

Zenitsu Agatsuma x (GN)Reader

~*:beloved short cut guide:*~

(Y/N): Name (E/C): Eye color (H/C):Hair color [ i.e. brunette, blonde,...]

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It was harsh and loud when they fell in love with it.

Very loud.

It was crying in pain.

For a moment their throat felt dry and hoarse as if feeling the impact of the high screeching octaves in their own body. It was ear piercing. Never before durring their stay in the Butterfly Estate they have caught that much of a loud voice. It sounded more like a dying animal, if we are honest here...

It took them a lot of courage to inch closer to the pushed open door to the infirmary beds. They couldn't really stand the sight of blood and mutilations of the injured demon slayers. (Y/N) has never really worked with patients before as they were one themself but sometimes, things were critical and there weren't enough Kakushi to lend a hand for Shinobu and the others, so they had to go under the dogs and patch up some of the swordsmen and women. Sometimes, it wouldn't be so bad. Just a broken limb, some cuts. Nothing, what a first–aid kit can't handle. Other times it would look more grotesque and crimson. In those times the view haunted (Y/N) till the late hours, bringing nightmares with them. This time though...it wasn't even half as bad. The (H/C) never saw someone pulling so much drama over a cup of bitter medicine. Was he that sensitive in terms of taste ? They carefully stepped into the room, deciding to aid Aoi with the difficult patient.

„TANJIROOOOooooOooOOOuuu, pLEaSE hElP mE !!! I doN'T WAnT tO dRInK tHIs bITtER medICINe !!!“

“But Zenitsu...you need to get better–„

“I DOn'T cARe !!!“

“Would you stop making so much drama over a darn cup of herb juice ?!“ Oh shoot...never has (Y/N) seen Aoi pulling that kind of furious grimace before. And they'd rather not want to see it again, it was horrifying.

„H–how about I bring you some mochi to eat after you drink the tea? S–so it can wash away the bitter taste...“ the (H/C) voice drifted off and became a bit too silent and soft to hear but the male seemed to have caught every bit of it and shined up in joy and happiness. „Really ? You'd do that ? Waaaaaaah, my herooooOOOoooooo !!!!“ Oh sh*t this is a million yen smile- too precious- needs protection at all costs.

The blonde was about to jump out of the bed like a salmon and tackle them to the floor with a hug, but was held back by the twin tailed girl who just huffed and looked the volunteered nurse dead in the eye. „Then you shall take care of him and keep an eye on his medicine cup. Every day. 3x times !“

They saluted and rushed off to get the treats as quickly as possible. They were freshly made by the three little power girls Sumi, Kiyo, Naho and (Y/N). They got to have a small bite from them before and they tasted amazing ! It made (Y/N) very proud actually ! So just as prideful as they were, they served them to the blond haired boy and his friends. And as planned, the medicine was gobbled down like a shot of alcohol and the red bean balls chomped down to get the lingering bitterness out of the mouth. The group was having a small conversation to get to know each other. Or more like (Y/N) was having a small chat with Tanjirou since he was the only one of the group who you could talk normally to as Inosuke was in his sad phase, while Zenitsu just kept on clinging to their waist and sobbing about his pain and the danger he went through and how much he still is going through because of the aftereffects of the poison. They felt a bit flustered, honestly, not being used to such PDA sessions with strangers but burshed it off quickly. It felt pretty cozy to sit there and chat, patting the soft locks of the boy. As if hearing their inner voice, Zenitsu calmed down a bit and just kept on holding onto their form, more loose now. After some more chit chatting and story telling, they felt warm breath tickling against their sides. Both, Inosuke and Zenitsu seemed to be sleeping soundly. (Y/N) took a small glance at the boy. His sleeping face looked so adorable! Him being so calm in general was a sight they were surprised to see. He alsways looked like a goldfish which was just about to burst with those buldging eyes and wide open mouth.

Seeing him so peaceful made the (H/C) feel so...relaxed. The other pair of eyes looked curiously at them as they were gently unwrapping his friend's arms from their waist. The air smelled sweeter than before all of a sudden.

After they managed to stand up and pick up the dishes without making too much sound, they gave the only awake member of the group one last wave, before rushing into the kitchen to power scrub any type of dirty silverware they could find to calm themself and the blood which was running through their veins. Secretly hoping that no one did notice their now more reddening face.

Through the recovery of the quartet, (Y/N) managed to get closer to the chaotic squad. Even though she was asleep most of the time, (Y/N) got to spend some quality time with Nezuko as well. From hair braiding to sleepovers, no one was save from both of them. At one point (Y/N) was (t)asked to help with the daily stretching and stamina training as well as officially becoming Zenitsu's personal nurse since they seemed to be the only one who was not affected by his exhausting persona. And they gladly accepted. More quality time with Mr Fry ? Heck yeah, thank you Aoi-chan !

Though (Y/N) couldn't help but scowl once they heard that he won't come to training anymore. About to bring another tray of (extra) bitter medicine to hopefully kick some motivation back up the arse, they heard the infamous sobs of the breath of thunder user. „NezuUkoO-cHaaAAAAAaaaannnN...I miss heeeeeeeeer...Inosuke, don't they think that it'd be so wonderful to be taken care of by her ? Aaah~ I bet even her medicine wouldn't taste that bitter~“

“Hm...“

“I wonder if she is doing well? Do they think she is dreaming of me ? Oh, I should find some flowers for her later~“

“Hng...“

It kind of stung, hearing the blonde fawning over the girl. No hard feelings. Nezuko WAS a beauty after all. She was also very kind and soft...and apparently strong too- quality aspects, they couldn't help but feel slightly jealous even though they were a good catch themself in any aspect. But it never seemed to catch the attention of the blonde. It made the mood drop a bit sometimes even though they tried to tell themself that it was stupid to get their feelings stand infront of their friendship. But seeing how different he was acting around the demon girl, heck, even around the other girls of the estate, made their heart feel a bit heavy. It's not like they weren't grateful for getting any type of love and attention from him but it held a lingering aftertaste of friendzone. They wanted to be presented flowers too. They wanted to hear his voice softly coe their name as well...feel the affection he was emitting and have it for themselves as selfish as it sounds.

This topic was chewed over and over with Shinobu-san as well as the other 4 residents in the estate and all of them got their back. Keep throwing in encouragements and plans as to how get the both of them closer. Everything seemed like a dead end as none of the plans have ever worked out.

The (H/C) sighed and rounded the corner, walking into the room with a pout plastered on their face. Setting the tray down with the medicine and two freshly made sweet treats. They crossed their arms, looking stern at Captain Obvious.

“Shouldn't you be training ? Why did you abandon Tanjirou like this ?“

“A-ah, (Y/N)-san...you see...it's no use. The training is just too hard..and I always feel so demotivated whenever I lose to Kanao-chan...“ Zenitsu stuttered out while looking off into the opposite direction, clearly feeling a bit guilty when hearing the water wielder's name.

Inosuke just grunted, his back facing the part-time nurse's, still sulking. (Y/N) shook their head and sighed.

„Well, he at least manages to get stronger than they guys.. He'll probably overrun they both in some days...“

The boar's head moved a little. It even looked like the ears of the mask perked up. Got one hooked. (Y/N) could start cursing themselves out for the next words as they were making them feel slightly bitter,

„Bet Nezuko-chan will be really impressed to see his improvements too~“

Thunderkid's head seemed to make a full 180 flip to Inosuke, screaming that they should quickly set off to training again. And before the (H/C) could react the, now empty, cup was placed into their hands with a thank you. With the boar under his arm, Zenitsu dashed off for training once again. It seemed to be just in time as the mere glimpse of Tanjirou's swift improvements seemed to kick in some additional adrenaline.  (Y/N) started to make the bed with a mix of satisfaction and sadness.

Days passed and the demon slayers seemed to get fitter and stronger. It made the (H/C) smile to see the three in full spirits again. Even our beloved little demon girl seemed to have gotten some of that spark as she was now more frequently joining the late night hang outs with everyone in the household. It was a wonderful time. The house felt even livelier than it used to be before, so it made parting even harder.

When the group set off for their next mission (Y/N) couldn't help but get all gloomy. They understood that they have a job to do, that they do it to protect the villagers and that they have their very own personal reason. But it didn't help the worries from rising up and drowning the mind in sadness. Especially to see someone beloved go into the danger zone. And they can't imagine the big fat blobs of salty water which the (E/C) orbs cried when the group was brought back to the mansion, all beaten up and one with a deep wound up his stomach. No one ever saw (Y/N) in such a devasteted mood. Whenever they were tending to Zenitsu's wounds, they had tears rising up in their eyes, their lip was constantly quivering and their heart gave out one heavy depressing sound. It made the blond worry horribly. He was happy to have someone that concerned about him but he couldn't stop himself feeling guilty to see that sad stadium for a whole week. It became better though once he returned to his training, all fit and refreshed.

The peace didn't last for too long though. (Y/N) was out to fetch some groceries when Uzui barged into the estate and was about to kidnap the poor girls for his mission. No one could imagine the anger rising up inside of the (H/C) once they heard that the trio decided to take on the job with the breath of sound wielder. After the squad returned from that nightmare of a mission, (Y/N) made sure to write an anger stuffed letter to the former pillar. It was so effective that they got an apology letter back from the man. Most of it was braging about his own flamboyant form while the other 1/6th was about the strenght of the boys and how well they managed the situation. Fighting alongside until the end.

It might have been to calm their worries down a bit but (Y/N) couldn't help but curl up in their room and stay awake. Overthinking.

So as (Y/N) was doing some health checks and bandage swaps they decided to talk to Zenitsu. Or more like...confess. They didn't know why it could help but...it felt like it should be now or never. The last chance to be talking in peace. Without any additional worry building up. Their mind has been fuming for nights as to how or when to do it. With the other two knocked out cold and the demon playing with the girls, the (H/C) decided this was the right time. It was perfect. No interruptions. No chaos. No...Nezuko...

Zenitsu was feeling uneasy when he heard his nurse come in. He immediately heard that something was off. The shaky hands which were fumbling with the fabric of the bandage. The furrowed eyebrows which should aid as a help to calm one down. The sound of the rapid heart beating and the unsteady breath. He noticed it clearly. He heard it clearly. And it made his tummy churn because he understood those painful and nervous wave lenghts. He knew those sounds too well. It was not just any type of worry. Not any type of sobbing.

The (H/C) finished up the bandage change quickly and rushed off to bring their patient his warm meal. (Y/N) could course themself for being so shaky right now. There was no doubt they were a nervous wreck. How do people confess ? What words do they use for that ? How do they like...not die on the spot ???

Okay, deep breaths. Get a hold on yourself. You. Are. One hardcore b*tch. You got this.

Even the imaginary cheerleader crowd inside their head didn't really help. With shaky hands, (Y/N) shuffled their way back into the room. What a nervous wreck, even Zenitsu looked so concerned.

One thing came over the other and the soup went on full force sailing through the air, right into sir fryhair. Splashing all over this poor boy's body, burning and staining the whole bed. There it was. Magnificent scream of terror and pain. Zenitsu yeeted out of the bed and squirmed around the room, probably waking up the whole neighbourood right now. Reflexes fast but mind still behind, (Y/N) picked him up and rushed out to the garden, throwing the gold fish back into it's natural habitat. The cold pond water. The koi weren't quiet happy but the burning stopped and the spots hopefully won't end up becoming fat wounds.

Kanao took a quick glance through an open shoji door aaaaand quickly closed it again. Probably alarming the others to prepare new med and bedsheets.

Long story forward, the both of them ended up back in the room of crime. Shinobu talked to them before, asking about what stunt exactly they were trying to pull off. After listening to the sobs and stutters, she nodded her head, making sure the others won't disturb both of them after clean up. And there you were. Everything sparkly now and Zenitsu full of weird smelling cream all over the red spots. Both just awkwardly looked on the floor, not saying a word. The air felt thick and heavy. The other inhabitants leaning their ears sneakily against the door or the room. Hoping to get any snippets of the conversation.

"I like you."

Hoo ! There it was ! Everyone helds in their breath in. It felt as if hours have passed after it became deadly quiet in the room again.

The blonde was quiet. Looking out of the window. Evening was slowly approaching. The sun kissing the sky goodnight, lighting up the room into a soft warm yellow tone.

His breath became uneasy. Not being able to look them in the eye, he stared off into a corner of the room before looking down on his bandaged palms which he placed on his lap. A sorrowful smile forming on his lips. He looked up and looked them into the tear glistered (E/C) marbles.

„...Thank you so much, (Y/N)-chan...

.

.

.

.

.

.

...but I'm truthly sorry...“

It was soft and hushed when it broke their heart.

So soft..

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

I apologize if this isn’t one of the sparkliest or most well written pieces out there ! I’m still a bloody hobbyist when it comes to writing ^^”

Could have worked on this for ages because of the inner perfectionist but I think it's better like this, haha.

I'm about to start daily routine again but feel free to send in requests if you have them ! I could try making some of them into stories or headcanons, just mention what you’d like to have. No NSFW though, sorry hh

[godrics]

i’m thankful for …

pairing jeon jungkook/reader

synopsis “our mutual friend invites us for thanksgiving with their other friends and now there’s a full-fledged food fight going on with potatoes, cranberry and turkey flying everywhere and we’re both seeking refuge under the table while sharing a bag of chips that you brought (just in case)”

warnings umm nah

notes what am I supposed to be doing? those requests. what am I not doing? those requests. what am I doing? writing bts fics.

You’re not sure who started the food fight, or how long you’ve been underneath the large table as screams are let out from Seohyun’s friends’ mouths above. You shuffle backwards a bit as mashed potatoes drop right next to the chair leg you’re next to, making a disgusted face.

You don’t understand how people are not joining you underneath the table, the feeling of holding sticky food in your hands and having it all over your body and hair-- you shiver at the thought.

Your thoughts are interrupted by a large ‘rip!’ and turn your head to your left to see a boy Seohyun had introduced you to earlier, Jungkook, opening a large bag of hot Cheetos. He smiled sheepishly at you before crossing his legs, head bowing as he was too tall and the table was too low for his liking and stuffed a Cheeto into his mouth.

“Want some?” Jungkook asked. You stare at him and then the bag, eyes switching multiple times before you hear another scream and grimace, opening your hand. He dumped some in your hand quietly and the two of you go back to listening to the screams and laughter.

You hear silence for a moment and hope they’ve stopped until there’s a loud gasp and, “Oops,” Seohyun’s voice could be heard and giggles fill the room. “Seokjin, I didn’t mean to-- You got it in my hair!”

“Oops,” Seokjin mocked her and you can tell the fight is back on as footsteps run past the table.

Sighing, you look back at Jungkook to see him quietly munching on his share before noticing your stare and offering more, you shake your head before noticing the size of the bag.

“How did you even bring that without anyone seeing it?” You looked at him incredulously, glancing down at it.

“I have my secrets,” Jungkook smirked and you shook your head again, opening your hand as you finish off your last Cheeto.

It’s another five minutes and the fight is still going on so you huff, “How much longer are they going to keep on throwing food? I know there’s not that much!”

“I dunno,” Jungkook shrugged. “When I started it, I didn’t think it’d go on for this long. But maybe it’ll stop soon.”

It takes a few moments for you to register what he just said before your neck almost snapped to look at him in bewilderment. “You’re the one who started all of this?”

“Chaos is what I make,” Jungkook grinned. “And I relish in it.”

You stare at him in silence as the fight calmed down from above and shake your head, turning to look to your right. “I’m going to see if it’s done.”

“I wouldn’t--”

As soon as your head popped up from underneath the table, you’re hit in the face with cranberry and you gasp, feeling the stickiness of it slowly fall down your face.

“Um--” A girl you vaguely recall being introduced as Jiae grinned sheepishly. “Oops, sorry.”

You feel the cranberry sauce drip down your neck as Jungkook’s head slowly popped up next to you. His head quickly turned to hide his grin from you at the sight of the cranberry sauce all over your face.

You blink slowly before turning and grab some stuffing and hear Jiae’s “Wait-- wait!” But you don’t listen, aiming it at her own head, but higher so it hits her hair. 

“Oops,” you stick your tongue out at her and Jungkook laughed, making you glance at him, narrowing your eyes. “What are you laughing at, coconut?” You don’t even look behind you as you grab whatever it is and throw it at his face, too. “Ha, ha. Funny, right?”

“Oh, it is so on!” Jungkook threw turkey at you and the fight is back on again, and you don’t even have any clue whatsoever how Seohyun’s going to explain the mess in her dining room to her parents. But you can’t find yourself to care as you want to wipe the expression on Jungkook’s face off, so you keep throwing food and ducking as much as you could.

The food fight doesn’t stop until you hear a loud, unmistakable gasp and you all freeze, slowly turning to find Seohyun’s parents at the dining room doorway. The mashed potatoes slowly drop from your hand as Seohyun quickly put on an innocent expression.

“Hi mommy, hi daddy,” She grinned sheepishly, glancing around at the room and her grin dropped, putting on a face of horror. “Oh, my God! What have you guys done?!”

“Seohyun, you have turkey in your hand and you’re covered in all sorts of food,” Seohyun’s father said and she sucked in a breath, slowly nodding.

“Yeah . . .”

“I’m going to leave before I start yelling,” Seohyun’s mother quickly turned and left the room.

“Sorry, daddy,” Seohyun looked apologetic. “We’ll clean it up, we promise.” Her father’s gaze turned to all of you and you all quickly nod.

“Spotless,” he reminded before leaving the room as well. It’s silent for a moment before your eyes connect with Jungkook’s and can’t help the relentless giggles that escape you, triggering his laughter which triggered the others’ as well.

“Okay, okay,” Seohyun laughed one last time, wiping at her eyes with a somehow clean spot on her arm. “I think … Well, we have it all over ourselves so some of us clean and the others shower before switching, good?”

You all nod in agreement as a few of you that are more cleaner than others, including you and Jungkook, volunteer to clean first and let the others wash up.  Seohyun handed you mops and trash bags and other cleaning supplies before leaving to wash up herself.

The few of you work quietly before you turn to Jungkook, “This is your fault, y’know.” Jungkook looked up from scraping the food off the floor into a trash bag, and grinned innocently at you.

“No clue what you’re talking about,” he shrugged and you rolled your eyes, turning back to your cleaning area.

It took almost three hours to clean up the dining room and wash yourselves, Seohyun lent you and the other girls clothes and for some reason had clothes for the guys(you didn’t want to ask whose they were, because as far as you knew, she didn’t have a brother).

The people who had showered first left before the rest of you, their food covered clothes in the washer and dryer as soon as they jumped into the showers. You were still waiting on your own clothes to get done drying so you sat on one of the couches in Seohyun’s living room as she went to tell her parents you all were done cleaning. Two other girls were left with you, Miyoung and Sumi, watching Descendants of the Sun on Netflix.

You glanced away from the TV when Jungkook walked in, hair still wet, clad in black sweatpants and a loose white t-shirt. You made room for him, shuffling closer to the end of the couch as he sat on your right.

“Enjoy the chaos?” You ask blankly, but there’s amusement in your eyes so he’s not worried.

“Yeah,” he nodded, showing his teeth as he smiled. “Very fun, it’ll be a story to tell my parents and brother once I get back.”

“It was fun in the moment,” you admitted, nodding slowly. “But then once I realized we had to clean the mess and ourselves up, yeah, not so fun.”

Jungkook only smiled in response, looking down at his lap before asking, “So, do you know any of the others?” He glanced at the other two girls before looking back at you. “Or just Seohyun?”

“Just Seohyun,” you shrugged. “I’m actually kind of surprised she invited me here, honestly, we just became friends.”

“Do you even have any other friends, Y/N?” Jungkook teased and you scoffed, hitting his arm.

“Yes, I do,” you said, nodding once. “Three of them.”

Jungkook laughed but when you didn’t smile, keeping your blank face he stopped, “Oh, wait-- you’re serious?”

Your lips tilted up into a smirk, “I’m not that much of a loser, I have more .. Like two or one more, I’m not really sure about Yoongi, if he considers us friends or not--”

Jungkook snickered, “Okay, well, if it makes you feel any better, I have like two, that I actually, honestly, consider my friends so.”

“There’s a difference between acquaintances and friends,” you noted, slowly nodding. “I talk to them a lot, so I consider us friends or maybe I’m just desperate.”  You shrug.

Jungkook laughed and opened his mouth to say something but Seohyun knocks on the wall near the doorway, “Clothes are dried! Now get out of my house.” Seohyun then laughed, waving you all to follow her.

You linger behind the other girls, turning to face him and raise your eyebrows, “What were you going to say?”

“What? Oh, oh …” He looked over your shoulder and bit down on his lip, “I’ll tell you once we’re outside and dressed in our own clothes.”

“Um, okay,” your eyes narrow at him before you follow behind the others. After you get dressed in the bathroom, handing Seohyun her clothes back and thanking her for some of the food you had earlier.

Seohyun grinned, “Yeah … Sorry ‘bout that.”

You smiled, shaking your head and waving her off as Jungkook stepped out of the bathroom, back in his clothes from earlier, “It’s fine, I’ll talk to you later, Seohyun.”

“I don’t even want to know whose clothes those are, Seohyun, but thanks,” Jungkook said to her, shaking his head as he handed her the sweatpants and shirt.

Seohyun huffed, “They’re my dad’s, I promise!”

“I don’t believe you,” Jungkook said loudly over his shoulder as the two of you walk to the front door.

“Whatever! Bye you two!” Seohyun waved. “Don’t be a stranger, Y/N! Jungkook, stop talking shit about me to your two friends!”

Jungkook shut the door, rolling his eyes in amusement before he turned to look at you. “So.”

“So,” you mocked, smiling slightly. “What were you going to tell me earlier?”

“Right,” Jungkook rubbed the back of his neck. “You said you consider your friends your friends because you talk a lot to them, and well, maybe we could become friends.”

“Okay,” you blinked, refraining from smiling. “But in order for us to talk a lot, I’m going to need your number.”

“Wow, aren’t you a little too eager?” Jungkook smirked, cheeks pink. You rolled your eyes and handed him your phone and watched him put in the numbers.

“Oh, wait,” you stopped him from continuing, “I meant credit card number, not your phone number.”

“Ha, ha,” he made a face at you. “Very funny.”

“Thank you,” you smiled as he saved his contact in your phone, grabbing it from him. “I’ll text you later.”

“Not if I text you first,” Jungkook smiled, waving as he jogged away from you to what you assumed to be his car.

“Do you have to make everything into a competition?” You yell slightly at him, narrowing your eyes.

“Yes!”

You rolled your eyes, turning to walk to your own car and unlocked it, getting in. You paused in putting your seatbelt on when there was a knock on the window and you looked up to see Jungkook. Raising your eyebrows, you rolled the window down and looked at him expectantly, “I already gave you the last word, what do you want?”

Jungkook laughed awkwardly, rubbing his neck again. “Um, your number.”

You laughed breathily before holding out your hand for his phone and put in your number as a contact when he did. “There you go,” you looked at him in amusement as he ruffled his hair, taking his phone back.

“Great, good,” he nodded slowly, walking backwards. “I’ll text you later.”

“Mm, I thought I was gonna text first?”

“Not if I can help it,” he looked down at his phone, quickly typing something before you heard your phone ding and you rolled your eyes, looking over at it as the screen turned on.

Jungkook ❤️🧡💛💙💜💚💝♥️💗💓💕💖💞💘❣💝

hey 😉

You rolled your eyes at his contact name and looked up to see him grinning at your from in his car. You made a face before rolling the window back up, deciding to respond back later once you got back to your dorm room.

You made a new friend, and to think it all started with a food fight on Thanksgiving. That’d be a story to tell.

[chisie12]

I got to work with the talented @princessu-sumi / @SumiMaoam (Twitter) for the @mxtxbigbang​! The result? An exceptionally cute art and a 16k fic full of fluff and cuteness!  Her art is also embedded in the fic!! 

Fandom: 魔道祖师 - 墨香铜臭 | Módào Zǔshī - Mòxiāng Tóngxiù Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Xuanli, Yunmeng Bros and Their Sis, Jin Ling and Lan Sizhui | Lan Yuan, and Lan Sizhui with his aunt and uncle!  Additional Tags: Domestic Fluff, Family Fluff, Family Feels, Family Drama, Unresolved Emotional Tension, Mild JC Angst, Post-Sunshot Campaign But Everything Is Okay, Father Figures, Jin Zixuan Feels Like A Family Man, Finger Painting, 'Dogs', Family Bonding, Jin Ling says his first words as a baby!

Summary:

Wei Wuxian hears a rumour about a certain Jin heir not being around and decides to visit Lotus Pier with little Wen Yuan, so the child can finally (possibly) make a new friend that was his age.

.❀。• *₊°。 ❀°。

“Did you hear?” 

“Hear what?” 

“The young master of the Lanling Jin Sect is going to be away.” 

“Do you know why?” 

“I don’t know...”  

The Sunshot Campaign had ended for two years. Qishan Wen sect had been eradicated in the aftermath, but things... weren’t as bad as it should be.  

“Ah! Where’s the usual auntie?” A tall, handsome man held up a potato as he asked the stall owner, the rumours whispering around him. His raven hair waved in the breeze; the red ribbon holding it up in a high ponytail a beautiful contrast in the pool of darkness.  

“Are you here to buy or not?” The middle-aged woman ignored his question as she regarded him disinterestedly. 

“I'm buying, I'm buying!” the young man exclaimed with a wry smile. He picked some potatoes. “How much?” 

“Three taels of silver.” 

“Can you give it to me cheaper ah, auntie?” 

“No can do. It’s three taels of silver for the number of potatoes there,” the middle-aged woman said resolutely as she gestured towards his basket with her chin.  

The frown on his face deepened. The sorrowful expression startled the woman; her eyes going wide as her mouth hung open. Her heart drummed in her chest, a slight heat brushing across her cheeks, and she couldn’t help thinking: ‘Heavens, if only I was a couple of decades younger!’ 

“Alright...” The word slipped out between his lips. With a dejected sigh, he dipped his head as he opened his money pouch. “I’ll only agree because auntie is so pretty!”  

“Aiyo! You think so too? Come, come. Auntie will give you a few more potatoes. I got a lot anyway,” the woman beamed at the compliment, her attitude flipping over a hundred and eighty degrees. She leaned over and dropped some potatoes into the handsome man’s basket. “That old man I married ah; all he does is call me old!” 

“You are old, my dear!” An old raspy voice called out from within the house behind the pop-up store, followed by the rustling of newspaper pages being flipped.  

The woman rolled her eyes and ignored him, dropping another potato into the basket. 

“Eh, auntie! I don’t have enough to pay for this.” Flustered, the young man hurriedly tried to reject the potatoes but the woman stopped his hand.  

“Yi?” The woman looked down at his hand, feeling the rough callouses against her fingertips. “You’re a cultivator?” At his reluctant nod, her smile grew wider. “Like that ah, my son used to be a cultivator too. So, it’s okay. Consider the potatoes a gift from auntie.” 

“But, but...” the young man looked sadly at her before dropping his gaze onto his money pouch. 

“It’s alright. Times are tough now ever since the Sunshot campaign ended. I lost my son because of it too. I know you cultivators are trying to maintain the peace. Please, just take it.” 

The words that the young man had wanted to utter died in his throat as he saw the gentle smile on her wrinkled face. A heavy pressure wrapped around his heart; the guilt for bargaining suffocating. Sure, the Four Great Clans fought hard in the battle against the Wen sect, many killed and many died, but what of the commoners—whose children made up of the outer sect disciples? They were dead. They who were young and valiant, destined to do great things, leaving the world before their parents; what about them?  

Yet, the same was held for the reverse. What if the dead cultivators had children they left behind?  

Because what if— what if, his fairy-like sister had died in the war they had fought?  

A shudder ran up his spine, the tingles cold and unwelcoming. 

It was a horror Wei Wuxian couldn’t hope to imagine.   

With a small shake of his head, he still returned the potatoes and held her hand in his. “Thank you, auntie. I will remember your kindness.” 

The woman was stunned at the flash of his lopsided grin, bright and blooming like a purple lotus, and he took this chance to quickly leave; his absence leaving no more room for arguments. Feeling a weight in her palm, she opened her hand and she couldn’t help shaking her head, a smile curled on her lips; four silver taels sat in her palm—the accurate value of the potatoes he had taken.  

“Aiya, that boy...” 

“What are you complaining about now?” The old raspy voice called out from behind her. 

The woman rolled her eyes and started rearranging the goods on her stall. “Sect Master Jiang should be proud of having a brother like him...” 

  .❀。• *₊°。 ❀°。 

 The handsome young man slowly hiked up the mountain. The scenery was bleary and dark, signs of death permeating through the trees and shrubs. Yet, there were soon the sounds of earth being tilled, with heavy grunts and cheerful chatter floating in the air. The young man’s face lit up and he quickened his pace up the temporary stairs, careful of the potatoes bouncing around in his basket.  

“Xian-ge!” A childish voice squealed when the young man finally emerged in the makeshift village. 

Wei Wuxian’s eyes sparkled in delight at the young child of four years old dashing towards him through the tilled soil. “A-Yuan!” 

Happiness bubbled up in Wen Yuan’s chest, surging up his throat and escaping in sweet peals of laughter as he dove for Wei Wuxian’s legs. Wei Wuxian was about to set the basket on the ground when he exclaimed in surprise at the little boy suddenly clutching at his thigh.  

“A-Yuaaaan,” Wei Wuxian cried out dramatically while looking down at the child, the basket of potatoes held high up, “Why are you hugging my thigh?” 

Wen Yuan giggled and rubbed his face onto the cotton robes before looking up with a beaming grin. “Does Xian-ge have anything for me?”  

Wei Wuxian tried to step forward, but the extra weight happily holding onto him only made him stumble an inch forward. He looked perplexed at the giggling boy. “I have potatoes if you want?”  

Wen Yuan pouted and clutched tighter. “I want radishes. Why didn't Xian-ge buy radishes?” 

Wei Wuxian deadpanned and thought to himself, ‘ Should I not have planted him in the soil with the radishes?’   

“A-Yuan!” a chiding voice called. 

Rather than releasing his hold on the thigh, Wen Yuan rested a cheek on the leg and pouted at his aunt. “Qing-jiejie, Xian-ge didn’t buy A-Yuan radishes!” 

Wen Qing sighed and tried to pluck her nephew off the ground, tugging as the child refused to yield. “We already have so many radishes. The crops are growing well.” 

“What if we run out!” 

Wen Qing grumbled under her breath and tugged harder at the child. He was never this disobedient! What happened to her sweet, obedient A-Yuan? 

“A-Yuan wants radishes!” 

“A-Yuan!” Another voice called; it was gentler, softer like the spring breeze. A tall muscular man dressed in black, whose face was a pallid colour and had deep black marks crawling up his neck, walked towards them with a small smile. “A-Yuan,” he bent down and looked at his nephew, “Are you upset cause Wei-gongzi used up all the radishes last time?” 

Wei Wuxian scoffed indignantly and turned his gaze sideways. ‘ It surely wasn’t—’  

Contrary to his thoughts, Wen Yuan pursed his lips and nodded fervently. Wei Wuxian and the Wen siblings stared at the righteous, serious air Wen Yuan was putting. They were slightly baffled at the turn of events, yet the other Wens around the makeshift village laughed at the sight.  

“A-Yuan.”  

Wen Yuan tilted his head back to look up at a straight-faced Wei Wuxian.  

“Let go of my leg—” 

Wen Yuan repeatedly shook his head. 

“—or I won’t bring you to see a new friend.” 

Wen Yuan’s head immediately shifted to a nod as he scrambled off the limb. “When do we go?” 

Wei Wuxian’s eyes trailed over the robes that Wen Yuan wore; soiled with dirt and dust, colourful with patches of rough stitches. It was furthermore torn at the hems and caked with mud from the child’s curious inspection of the earth. A lump slowly built in his throat when he properly saw just how dirty the child was—unruly hair greasy from the lack of proper baths, mud on his little fingers and chubby cheeks. An indescribable feeling caused him to choke when he saw Wen Yuan’s face split into a toothy smile; an expression of pure innocence and sparkling starlight. 

‘ Even when living like this, he can still smile like that. ’  

At least Wei Wuxian had lived better when he was younger despite being orphaned. The alleys would be warm in winter, safe from the biting winds and there’d only been dust on his person in the city, and the food would be edible— clean— when he begged. Bending down, Wei Wuxian set the basket on his hip and wiped away at the muddy smudge on Wen Yuan’s cheek, causing it to simply streak across the skin. He forced the pity down, the helplessness and regret at not being able to do more, and smiled.  

“We can leave once you take a bath. Sounds good?” 

Wen Yuan’s eyes twinkled, the sight bringing on a larger wave of pain to wash over Wei Wuxian’s senses. “Yes!” 

 .❀。• *₊°。 ❀°。 

 A small hand nervously tugged at the robes slightly larger than him, the cotton thoroughly scrubbed and warm from drying in the sun. Wen Yuan craned his head back to look at this robe void of the usual patches, curiosity dancing in his gaze. It felt softer than the other clothes he normally wore. It felt newer and he also felt… happy. It felt nice and he enjoyed the feeling.  

He couldn’t help but giggle in delight as he continuously patted the robes he wore. “Can A-Yuan wear this again after bathing?” 

Wen Qing’s heart ached at his question, the innocence awfully suffocating. Yes, yes—was what she wanted to say, but they couldn’t afford new clothes and the robes he wore now were actually her own old robes that she rarely wore altered to fit him for when he grew up. She kept it for him, so that he may have clothes to wear. That’s why it was larger, that’s why it felt newer.  

‘Why can’t I provide more for A-Yuan?’  

She gently brought a wooden comb through his inky black hair, repeating the motions as she worked out the tangles. She lifted the hair still slightly curled after being washed and dried, and a small, bitter smile subconsciously lifted the edges of her lips. ‘It looks so much like my sister's… Are you still doing well?’  

“Remember, A-Yuan. You must behave yourself when you meet Sect Leader Jiang, his sister Lady Jiang and her son. Do not run around, do not talk too loudly. Always wait for them to take the food first before you eat.” 

“Why are there so many rules?” Wen Yuan whined softly. 

“Are you not going to listen to me?” Wen Qing argued in a flat, strict tone. She stopped combing and simply held onto his hair. 

“A-Yuan will listen, A-Yuan will listen,” Wen Yuan relented with a dissatisfied pout. 

“You're hanging out with Wei Wuxian too much,” Wen Qing pursed her lips as her fingers weaved and neatly tied a half updo on her nephew’s hair. “Remember to behave yourself. Be a good boy and listen to Wei Wuxian.” 

Wen Yuan let out a quiet, confused exclamation and turned to stare at his aunt. Realising what she said after a moment of staring, Wen Qing immediately shook her head and corrected, “Remember what I told you and don’t cause trouble for Sect Leader Jiang. And be polite!” 

“Aiya, A-Yuan is always a polite boy! You don't have to worry,” came Wei Wuxian’s cheery voice. “You look so handsome,” he teased as he squeezed Wen Yuan’s cheeks. “Ready to go?” 

“Ye—mmpfh,” Wen Yuan muttered barely audible through squeezed cheeks, his face looking very much like a goldfish bubbling in the water. 

With a chuckle, Wei Wuxian released his hold on the cheeks and held out a hand. “Let’s go!”  

Wen Yuan’s face had scrunched in displeasure after his cheeks regained their freedom when his eyes blinked at the outstretched hand. Slowly, a smile curved and a small hand was raised. Warmth seeped into his palm when the young man gently held his hand, excitement coursing through his nerves.  

A friend. A new friend! 

‘I hope this new friend is nice !’  

  .❀。• *₊°。 ❀°。 

 “Wah…” 

Large eyes, bright and clear, sparkled like the diamonds on the water surface as the boat slowly rowed forward. The sun was shining in all its glory with not a cloud in sight, and the sea of lotus flowers blooming inches above the water was absolutely breath-taking. He had been confused and scared, afraid that this wooden banana-like thing would drop into the ocean once they got on, and he clung and clung so tightly onto Wei Wuxian in fear. The young man simply laughed unhelpfully while the kind, old boatman grinned and coaxed him to try. 

Wen Yuan had shaken his head resolutely, up until Wei Wuxian plucked the wooden butterfly on a stick from his tiny, protesting hands.  

“If Little Butterfly is safe on the boat, will you go?” Wei Wuxian had asked while twirling the stick. 

Warily eyeing the young man, Wen Yuan slowly, and very slightly, nodded his head. His fingers kept their iron-grip on his collar. 

Wei Wuxian grinned and handed the wooden butterfly to the boatman, who had carefully placed it on the seat. Seeing the ‘wooden banana’ thing they called a boat still floating, Wen Yuan had clambered to get down from Wei Wuxian’s embrace and carefully stood by the edge. He stared at his wooden butterfly, watching it for a few more seconds before his head turned back to look at the patient Wei Wuxian. A small hand tugged at his robes, the other pointing at the boat.  

“Xian-ge,” he had called; his silvery voice tinged with curiosity and permission. 

Wei Wuxian had held one of his hands while the boatman carefully helped Wen Yuan board. He had yelped and cried out in fear at the boat teetering, crying to himself: ‘ This didn’t happen when Little Butterfly got on!’  

When Wei Wuxian got on, Wen Yuan had immediately released the chuckling boatman and latched onto him. The warmth was his relaxant, the man his protector. 

And now, they were nearing Lotus Pier, the bustling crowds entering their sights. 

“Wei-gongzi!” 

“Welcome back!” 

“We haven’t seen you in so long!”  

Wen Yuan ooh-ed and ah-ed at everything his eyes could devour—from the stalls lining up at the side of the pier, to the many faces moving up and about. Some waved at them, some continued on their business. The marketplace was chaotic, with farmers and sellers trying to sell their goods. There were so many things Wen Yuan never saw before!  

“Thank you, uncle.” Wei Wuxian gave the boatman some silver and deftly disembarked the boat. Grinning down at excited Wen Yuan, he pulled the child up and set him on his hip. Stretching a hand out to gesture grandly at the busy pier, he said, “Welcome to Lotus Pier.” 

On one corner of the pier stood one lone willow tree, tall and strong; its curtain of leaves billowing in the wind. Behind it was the tall walls leading to the residence of the Yunmeng Jiang Sect, the lotus symbol bright in the centre. 

When they reached the main gates, a pair of disciples stood guard.  

“Wei Wuxian and A-Yuan,” Wei Wuxian first introduced with his head held up high, a dignified expression on his usually cheeky face, “We’re here to visit Lady Jiang.” 

Wen Yuan tilted his head at the introduction. Shouldn’t he introduce his full name? 

One of the disciples cladded in purple folded their hands and bowed slightly. “I'll trouble you to please wait. I'll inform her Lady.” 

When he turned around, a gentle voice like the kiss of a butterfly spoke up. “There’s no need. I'm here.” 

“Lady Jiang!” The pair of disciples respectfully called and bowed.  

Jiang Yanli smiled at them and shifted her attention towards her brother-in-all-but-blood. “Good morning, A-Xian.” 

“Shijie! Morning!” Wei Wuxian lightly tugged the young child hiding behind him forward with a smile. “A-Yuan, this is my Shijie, Jiang Yanli.” 

“Yanli-jiejie, good morning,” Wen Yuan politely greeted with a bow of his head. “My name is Wen Yuan.” 

First came the silence as Jiang Yanli continued to smile at him, but the moment her body stiffened didn’t escape either Wei Wuxian or Wen Yuan’s eyes. Nodding at the child, she said, “Welcome to Lotus Pier, A-Yuan.” She then dropped her gaze onto the small baby in her arms. “Jin Rulan, say hi. It's your Dajiu and a new friend.” 

Jin Rulan was a handsome baby at two years old. His facial structure was similar to his mother’s, with fair cheeks rosy like blushing petals, but his pouty lips and sharp eyes were an exact mirror to his father’s. He stared down at Wen Yuan from his vantage point in his mother’s arms. 

Wen Yuan stared back. Unlike the ragged clothes he was wearing, Jin Rulan’s clothes were clearly of the finest silk, the yellow and gold shimmering bright in the sunlight, and silky black hair nicely combed and tied. The clothes looked exceptionally soft and were really fitting as well. Wen Yuan smiled. ‘He’s wearing new clothes too! It must be comfortable!’  

Jin Rulan then blinked at the sweet smile of Wen Yuan. 

“A-Lan, say hi to your Dajiu and your new friend,” Jiang Yanli repeated. 

If possible, Jin Rulan’s pout deepened. His mouth opened, short and brief ‘da-da’ syllables rolling off his tongue, but no full words could properly form. Instead, he settled with an awkward wave of his chubby hand before burying his head in his mother’s neck. Jiang Yanli helplessly smiled and slightly shook her head.  

“Come in. A-Cheng is also busy inside.” 

They entered deeper into Lotus Pier, emerald coloured grass softly swaying in the breeze and fresh blooms of more lotuses proud amongst the still budding ones. They entered the drawing room and sat by the table.  

Wen Yuan curiosity patted the pillow he sat on. ‘Even the pillows are so soft! ’ 

On the wall beside him was a large Chinese-style wooden window that beautifully displayed the lotus lake outside. Black tea was quickly served, the steam an indication of warmth drifting up brought into the air a sweet, floral scent. Wen Yuan idly played with his fingers, the wooden butterfly twirling in his hold beneath the table. He bowed his head, choosing to keep silent as Wei Wuxian caught up with Jiang Yanli. He didn’t dare speak, didn’t dare move about; he remember his aunt’s warnings. 

Seated opposite him, Jin Rulan’s eyes stared curiously at this ‘big brother’ before him. Unlike all the other people his age, trying to play with him or talk to him, Wen Yuan was different—quiet, reserved. Even after a few moments of staring, Wen Yuan paid him no heed. With a furrow in between his eyebrows, Jin Rulan slowly got to his feet, small limbs wobbly and unstable. He took a step forward, the thick cotton pillow cushioning his foot, and the strength suddenly disappeared. Wind blew in his ears, his mouth parting with an ‘ah’, and he unceremoniously dropped back onto the pillow with a soft thump. A grumble rumbled in his chest, incoherent sounds escaping his lips, and his body bent forward.  

He’ll just crawl his way there. Who had time to try to walk? 

Wei Wuxian and Jiang Yanli paused in their conversation, watching the young Jin heir carefully crawl around the table. His palms slapped the floor, a stubborn look on his childish face. A gleeful glint shone in Wei Wuxian’s eyes when Jin Rulan crawled over towards Wen Yuan and him. Unable to help himself, he leaned forward and lifted Jin Rulan—who had Wen Yuan within an arm’s reach—up into his arms.  

Jin Rulan cried out in displeasure, squirming violently in Wei Wuxian’s embrace, but the man’s grip was like an octopus’s two arms; swiftly and skilfully weaving around the baby’s flailing limbs to hold him in place.  

“Aiya, A-Lan, do you not like your Dajiu?” Wei Wuxian attempted to coax the baby while bouncing him on his lap. At this point, Jin Rulan cried harder, to the point big fat tears began to cascade down his cheeks. “Don’t cry, don’t cry! Why are you crying? I didn’t do anything!” In a fluster, Wei Wuxian was about to return the baby to his mother when Wen Yuan raised his head and scooted closer.  

“Don’t cry,” Wen Yuan murmured as he gently rubbed Jin Rulan’s cheeks with his palm. “Xian-ge can be scary, A-Yuan knows.” 

“Hey!” 

At the unfamiliar touch on his cheek, Jin Rulan peeked his glistening eyes open to stare into Wen Yuan’s own bright, clear gaze. He blinked. Wen Yuan blinked back. He sniffled. 

Then, an idea came to Wen Yuan.  He turned around to look for it and turned back to raise his wooden butterfly and made it flutter before the baby. “Look! Little Butterfly came to say hi!” 

Baby gurgles escaped Jin Rulan as he reached out a hand towards the butterfly with eyes full of wonder. ‘Different!’ The wooden butterfly flying on the stick was different from all the other toys he’s received and played with. It wasn’t glittering ornately or made with colourful cotton fabric, it was merely a simple insect carved from wood. Jin Rulan retracted his arm swiftly, shocked at how thin, how flimsy, the wings were.  

Seeing the myriad of changes on Jin Rulan’s face, Wen Yuan giggled and grinned at the blissful innocence, dipping and raising the butterfly in imitation of its flight again to further attract Jin Rulan’s attention. A large warm hand rested itself on the crown of his head, and he was met with Wei Wuxian’s proud and gentle gaze.  

Seeing his nephew fully engrossed with the butterfly, Wei Wuxian slowly and gingerly wiped at those tear-stained cheeks with the hem of his robes. Was he relieved? That Wen Yuan and Jin Rulan could get along? They were both of entirely different social standings; a refugee and a sect heir even, and yet, here they sat with a butterfly fluttering between them.  

 Jiang Yanli chuckled at her son’s giggles, the suppressed wariness easing up at how Wen Yuan was being with her son. ‘ The family’s crimes are not an innocent child’s burden to bear...’  

“Bu—!” Jin Rulan tried calling out the butterfly’s name when Wen Yuan playfully put the wooden butterfly out of his reach. 

“Little Butterfly, mm!” Wen Yuan repeated, patiently teaching the baby a new word. 

Wei Wuxian chuckled and absentmindedly patted his nephew’s hair. “Do you want to give A-Lan to try to hold Little Butterfly?” 

Wen Yuan gasped and nodded his head a few times. “Here.” He carefully placed the wooden stick into Jin Rulan’s grabby hand. “Be careful…” He hurriedly warned, placing his hand between Jin Rulan’s eyes and the wooden butterfly when the wooden butterfly was held too near his eyes, the wings close to poking them. 

“Ohh…” Jin Rulan nodded his head earnestly and raised the wooden butterfly to fly high up in the air. 

Seeing them enjoying themselves, Jiang Yanli excused herself for a moment. Yet, the warm bubble surrounding them was suddenly popped not long after her absence when a harsh voice spoke.  

“Finally want to crawl back here, don’t you?” 

Wei Wuxian laughed nervously at the tall man in regale purple stepping into the drawing room. “Good morning, Jiang Cheng.” He looked at Wen Yuan who was regarding the newcomer curiously. “A-Yuan, this is Sect Leader Jiang.” 

Hearing those words, Wen Yuan scrambled to his feet and stood with his back straight while facing the sect leader. With a strong voice, he bowed and greeted, “Good morning, Sect Leader Jiang.” 

Jiang Cheng softened his scowl slightly at the child showing his respect. “And you are?” 

Wen Yuan steeled himself, gulped the lump in his throat and said, “I am A-Yuan.” 

“A…Yuan? Which family are you from?” 

Wen Yuan flinched and shrunk back. It was a simple questioning tone, one full of curiousity, yet he could only imagine the anger, the hate , that the sect leader would bestow upon him at just knowing— 

“I asked you a question.” A flat, solemn tone. A demand. 

Wen Yuan tightened his fists and gritted his teeth. The fear rose and bundled in his throat, his voice trying to escape, but he couldn’t disrespect the sect leader, he couldn’t not answer .  

‘Behave yourself when you meet Sect Leader Jiang ,’ came Wen Qing’s reminder.  

The reminder caused the fear to spike, but it also commanded his mind differently. Balling his hands into little fists, he dropped his focus onto the wooden floorboards and parted his lips. 

“My family name is… Wen.” 

“...A WEN!?”   

Wen Yuan squeezed his eyes and flinched back, pulling his head back to brace himself at the furious outburst. He thought right. He had noticed it before: the displeasure on Lady Jiang’s expression when they first met and he wasn’t sure why. And he was worried that Sect Leader Jiang would have reacted similarly—or worse—, so he chose to leave his family name out this time. But was something wrong with his family name? ‘No wonder Xian-ge always introduced me as A-Yuan...’  

…Just what did his family do? 

“Who allowed you in here!” Jiang Cheng roared, his voice heavy and laced with all the unbridled fury suppressed in him. Even if it’s been years, even if they won the Sunshot campaign; the Wens were his parents’ murderers!   

“Out!! Get out!” 

Jiang Cheng clenched his fist, Zidian sparkling dangerously on his finger. The purple spiritual energy violently thrashing upon his skin was a painful reminder that his mother was dead, dead from protecting their home, dead from protecting him!  

He suppressed his emotions, his chest heaving in angry breaths, yet Zidian’s energy gradually grew. Lightning began to cackle, whipping in the air strongly. He couldn’t hit a child, couldn’t bear do it, but he could always take his anger out on the disciple that allowed a Wen in! 

“Get the person that allowed them in here now!” he yelled at the curious disciples gathering outside the drawing room, frightening them to scatter away. 

A warm hand urgently pulled Wen Yuan back into a strong chest, an arm snaking around to hold his shoulders; a familiar embrace. Wen Yuan fearfully gripped onto the hems as he buried his head into Wei Wuxian’s embrace. Jin Rulan who was holding the wooden butterfly looked around confusedly before settling his gaze on the kind brother shaking in fear. 

“Jiang Cheng!” Wei Wuxian called in a chiding tone while protectively holding Wen Yuan. 

“Wei! Wu! Xian!” Jiang Cheng snarled. His knuckles cracked under the pressure of his clenching fist, Zidian dangerously close to being unleashed. “You knew! And you still brought him here!” 

“Jiang Cheng! He’s only a child! He didn’t do anything wrong!” 

“His one crime is being born into the Wen sect!” Jiang Cheng roared. He swooped down to pull Jin Rulan away, his protective instincts going on overdrive. “Jin Rulan! Let go!” 

“No!” Jin Rulan cried. He gripped tightly onto the other side of Wei Wuxian’s robes, tears already gathering in his reddened eyes.  

“Jin Rulan! Behave!” 

“No!” 

“Jin—” 

“A-Cheng!” Jiang Yanli cried out upon returning in a rush with the Yunmeng disciples behind her. Her fairy-like mien was painted with a frown and in her hand was a tray filled with snacks in disarray. 

“A-Jie!” Jiang Cheng called out. “H-He!” 

“I know.” Jiang Yanli pursed her lips and set the tray down. Her expression darkened at the sight of the pair of frightened children in Wei Wuxian’s arms; her heart trembled. 

“A-Cheng,” she slowly started, waving a hand to dismiss the disciples. “I allowed them to enter. A-Yuan is only a child. You've already eradicated the Wens in the Sunshot campaign.” 

Jiang Cheng tried to protest but his older sister turned a serious expression towards him.  

“Are you not going to spare a child?” 

Jiang Yanli was usually gentle, commonly known for her soft and friendly demeanour, but she was also the daughter of Yu Ziyuan, the fierce Violet Spider—a fact always forgotten. After the brief moment she spent with the young Wen, she found him to be rather likable; he was kind and gentle, and he sincerely wanted a friend, unlike the other children her son has mingled with whose parents wanted to hug his parents’ thighs. And seeing her son actually accepting of Wen Yuan, that in itself was something she wished to keep.  

Jiang Cheng slightly winced and took a step back at the hidden ferocity in her gaze. Zidian’s prominence slowly dimmed, his fingers uncurling as the muscles reluctantly relaxed. Her steps softy padded towards her unreconciled brother. 

“A-Yuan had nothing to do with it. He didn’t even know of the campaign. Aren’t we his family’s murderers then?” Jiang Yanli continued in a voice only audible between Jiang Cheng and her. “You’ve already killed the ones that did. You've already given them justice. A-Cheng…” 

Jiang Yanli brought Jiang Cheng’s hands together and held them gently. He lifted his head; a gaze swimming with hurt and unshed tears of a wound being reopened. He called out to her softly, his voice full of emotion; a silent plea. “A-Jie...” 

“You're a great sect leader. A-Die and A-Niang would be proud of you.” She stood on her toes and kissed him on his forehead. “ I'm proud of you. You’re doing well.” 

“B-But—!” 

“Uuuu…” A soft cry sounded at Jiang Cheng’s rising protest. 

Jiang Cheng’s words got stuck in his throat at the sight of his previously calm nephew tearing up, the fat tears already glistening on the edges. “No, no! Don’t cry!” 

Him and his sister had already kneeled down before Wei Wuxian who was holding both trembling and crying children in his arms, but nothing they said could placate the baby. Hearing Jin Rulan’s cries, Wen Yuan hesitantly lifted his head, flinching when he noticed the close proximity of Sect Leader Jiang, but his heart was bleeding, aching, for this new friend, this little brother. 

“Rulan-didi…”  

The term fell from his lips before he even registered the act. This intimacy, this closeness — this protective desire. 

“Don’t cry… Rulan-didi, it’s okay. Don’t cry…” 

Wen Yuan had instinctively raised his hand to wipe Jin Rulan’s tears away when a sharp force slapped his hand away. He cried out in pain, his own tears escaping his eyes as he cradled the smarting, reddening hand. The shock had jolted his nerves, and he stared wide-eyed at the furious sect leader. He felt suffocated in his chest; he felt pained. It hurt, it really hurt.  

‘Qing- jiejie …’  

“Jiang Cheng!” Wei Wuxian scolded. He held Wen Yuan closer to his chest and pulled away, bringing his knees up to cocoon them like the wings of a protective bird. “How can you hit him!” 

Yet as his words echoed in the drawing room, the only woman—the only mother —had exploded simultaneously. “A-Cheng! You shouldn’t have hit him! He’s only a child! What did he do wrong!” Jiang Yanli was enraged. Her gentle expression was twisted into one of anger, of the injustice done onto a child! There was no excuse for hitting a child in that situation, regardless if it was a light slap or not, to a Wen or not! Giving her frozen brother another glare, she reached out to check on Wen Yuan’s arm but the child was already too shaken up. Seeing her near him, he had flinched again and buried himself deeper into Wei Wuxian’s embrace; farther away from both Jiangs with repeated shakings of his head. It was as if that would chase them away, to let him be and leave him alone to his tears. 

‘ They’re scary. They’re scary. A-Yuan doesn’t want to be here. A-Yuan wants to go home.’  

Jiang Cheng paled at the glares he was receiving, the cries he was causing. “He was going to—!” 

“Comfort A-Lan!” Wei Wuxian growled. He protectively held both boys closer, feeling his robes getting soaked to his skin at the both of them crying. “Didn’t you think that you’re the one making them cry!” 

“Wei Wuxian, you! He’s a Wen!! How can you let him near A-Lan!” Jiang Cheng roared indignantly. 

“Because he’s a good child! He’s never had a friend before!” Wei Wuxian roared back. “A-Lan is his first friend!” 

Those words struck Jiang Cheng like thunder in his ears. Shame and anger rose up his throat; guilt and regret stewing in the pits of his stomach. Jiang Yanli frowned; all the words she said seemed to fall on deaf ears. She was angry at the Wens for destroying her family and her home, but… 

The cries never stopped; the sounds growing heavier and pressuring upon them all. 

“I think we should leave,” Wei Wuxian said monotonously after a while of tense silence filled with sobs. “Clearly, we aren’t welcomed here.” He moved to give Jiang Yanli back her son when Jin Rulan dove for Wen Yuan. 

“No! No!” Jin Rulan hugged Wen Yuan by the neck as their tears mixed together. Jiang Yanli felt a pang in her heart at this, her arms still awkwardly raised.  

Jiang Cheng was instantly angered, moving to pull them apart when Jin Rulan turned his tear-stained cheeks towards him. He stiffened. “A-Lan—” 

Jin Rulan jutted his lips out. The bottom lip trembled and he sniffled. He hugged Wen Yuan closer. “Friend! Stay!” 

“No. It’s too dangerous. Please let go.” Jiang Cheng felt his resolution cracking. The flames of his anger, hurt and worry dying into cinders the longer he held Jin Rulan’s puppy pout.  

But the baby only shook his head and stubbornly held on. Perhaps, as if Jin Rulan had given him strength, Wen Yuan peeked at Jiang Cheng; his eyes were equally glistening.  

Jiang Cheng flinched at the double puppy eyes targeting him.  

“A-Cheng,” Jiang Yanli finally turned her attention towards him when her son had quietened down, even if by a little. She may still be angered at her brother’s action but... “It’ll be fine. Everything will be okay.” 

“A-Jie…” 

“A-Cheng loves A-Lan just as much as you. A-Lan will be safe,” Jiang Yanli offered him a small smile, but her words felt like they were trying to convince herself more than him. “Do you think he would let A-Yuan near if the boy would hurt A-Lan?” Anything was better than calling Wen Yuan by his full name; as long as she never has to utter his family name.  

Their voices were dim in Wei Wuxian’s ears as he turned his gaze onto Wen Yuan. The child’s hands were trembling, the tremors running through the gradually dampening cotton and to his skin. His own anger died as a gentleness took over. “I won’t let him hurt you… you're safe. It’ll be okay. He only looks scary but Jiang Cheng’s actually soft on the inside.” 

“Who are you calling soft!” 

Wei Wuxian turned his head to look at Jiang Cheng, to snap and snarl, when he shockingly come to the sight of wet eyes. Jiang Yanli softly shook her head, a white porcelain hand affectionately rubbing her younger brother’s cheek.  

“Aiya, you two might as well start fighting on the spot,” she softly chided, trying to alleviate the situation. “We’ll go make lunch.” 

“Hmph. If A-Jie is making Lotus Pork Ribs Soup, you’re only allowed one bowl!” Jiang Cheng scowled in revenge, turning his gaze to the side unhappily. 

“Who put you in charge of that!” Wei Wuxian argued. 

“Since you left me and I became sect leader!” Jiang Cheng left these biting words before stomping away, his robes billowing with his motions. 

“Sect Leader Jiang… he’s so scary…” The pressure lifted off Wen Yuan’s shoulders and he slumped forward when he couldn't see Jiang Cheng anymore. 

“No… cry.” 

Wen Yuan peeked an eye open to look at the tear-stained Jin Rulan rubbing his cheek the same way he did to him before, and a warmth spread out to all his limbs. Jin Rulan searched for the fallen wooden butterfly, lifted it towards him and mimicked his earlier actions. “But…Butterfly!” 

Wen Yuan hummed and tried to smile. “Yes, butterfly. Thank you, Rulan-didi.” 

“Don’t mind A-Cheng, A-Yuan.” Jiang Yanli crouched down and gave him a soothing smile, equally proud that her son learned a new word whilst ignoring the pang in her heart. “Are you hungry? I'll have lunch ready soon.” 

Wen Yuan had flinched and shrank at the close proximity between them. Jiang Yanli’s smile faltered but she remained patient, merely waiting for the child to hesitantly peek at her. He glanced at Wei Wuxian who nodded reassuringly and he looked back at her before dropping his gaze. “...Lunch sounds good.” 

 .❀。• *₊°。 ❀°。 

 “Shijie! Your soup is always the best!” 

“Xian-ge… Sect Leader Jiang said you can only take one bowl. Don’t take.” Wen Yuan had remembered his aunt’s teachings, to only reach for food when Sect Leader Jiang and his sister had already taken it, but seeing as that had been after Jin Rulan and Wei Wuxian got their helpings from the siblings, he was the last to receive his.  

At the barely audible whisper, Wei Wuxian looked at Wen Yuan’s worried face, his hand pausing at scooping a second helping for himself. “It’s okay! Jiang Cheng was only joking!” 

“Who said I was?” Jiang Cheng retorted and sharply slapped Wei Wuxian’s hand holding the ladle’s handle with his fingers.  

“A-Cheng, I made enough for everyone. Let A-Xian have some more,” Jiang Yanli said while Wei Wuxian cried out in pain. 

“But A-Jie! He never comes home! We should teach him a lesson!”  

“It’s precisely because he’s never home that’s why we must let him have more. I can always make it for you but not A-Xian.” Jiang Yanli daintily sipped her soup from her spoon.  

“Whose fault is that! He should come home more. I don’t know what’s so good about always staying outside!” 

Wen Yuan kept his head lowered while he quietly ate his food when he heard Jin Rulan struggling next to him. He saw the baby reaching his hands out towards the purple lotuses on the table. They were sweet potatoes shaped and carved out like the lotus shaped mooncakes. Using the chopsticks set aside to pick the food, he took one and placed it in Jin Rulan’s purple porcelain bowl that was painted with peony motifs. 

“Thank you!” Jin Rulan said in his childish voice and grinned. 

Wen Yuan felt his lips curving into a smile and he blurted out, “Yuan-ge. Call Yuan-ge.” 

Jin Rulan tilted his head. “Ge?” 

Wen Yuan nodded his head and encouraged him. “Yes! Ge. Yuan-ge!” 

“Gege!” Jin Rulan squealed, his giggles ringing like silver bells. 

“Yuan-gege?” Wen Yuan tried testing the water. 

“Yuan-gege!” Jin Rulan exclaimed happily with bits of purple sweet potato sticking to the corners of his lips. The name slipped out of his mouth so naturally. It was seemingly so easy to say, to call out for this older brother wearing the plainest clothes he saw. 

Immediately, three heads turned towards the baby. Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng stared incredulously at their nephew, mouths gaping open at what their ears just heard while Jiang Yanli gasped in surprised pride. 

“Hehe, yes! Yuan-gege!” Wen Yuan praised the baby boy and Jin Rulan lifted the purple sweet potato like a trophy.  

“Ehh! A-Lan! Call me too! Dajiu!” 

Jin Rulan tilted his head at Wei Wuxian whose eyes were twinkling in anticipation. He stretched his hand out. “Da!” 

“Yes, yes! Dajiu. Call me Dajiu!” 

“Da!”  

“Yes, yes! Dajiu!” 

“Po!” 

“No, no. ‘Da—jiu’!” 

“Try calling Erjiu, A-Lan.” 

“Po!” 

“Ugh...”  

Wen Yuan silently looked between the exchange, from Jin Rulan to Wei Wuxian to Jiang Cheng, and back to Jin Rulan, before leaning forward to pick up another purple lotus shaped sweet potato. He quietly set it in the purple porcelain bowl next to him and quietly continued eating his rice. He had a feeling that Jin Rulan had wanted the sweet potatoes he was gesturing towards.  

Jin Rulan cheered. “Po! Thank you, Yuan-gege!” 

Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng both stared at the scene laid out them before shifting their gazes onto each other. Their pursed lips parted to release a defeated sigh. 

“Well,” Jiang Cheng started while picking up his chopsticks. “When are you coming back?” 

Wei Wuxian mirrored him and teased, “Miss me that much?” 

Jiang Cheng scoffed and rolled his eyes, leaning over to pick some vegetables to place into his sister’s bowl. Bickering with Wei Wuxian easily brought his mind off the topic of Wen Yuan’s family. That and Jiang Yanli had already lectured him. “And who was it that promised we would be the twin prides of Yunmeng…” 

The chopsticks holding up some rice paused before Wei Wuxian’s lips when he heard those words. A bitter smile slowly formed. Could he really return to Yunmeng— As a demonic cultivator? He minutely shook his head: No. He couldn’t.  

‘I c an't tarnish Yunmeng Jiang’s reputation, their prestige. ’  

The lunch continued in awkward silence. 

 .❀。• *₊°。 ❀°。 

 When lunch was finished, Jiang Cheng had excused himself to finish some sect affairs and Jiang Yanli left to handle her own matters as well, leaving Wei Wuxian in charge of the two children. 

“Don’t destroy anything!” were the words Jiang Cheng left them with in his usual scowl. And Wen Yuan was terribly certain that the sect leader refused to look at him. With a heavy heart, the child pushed the thought away and looked at Wei Wuxian. 

‘I'm sorry I got Sect Leader Jiang angry, Qing- jiejie …’  

Waving his martial brother and sister off, Wei Wuxian stood by the pathway with Jin Rulan in his arms and Wen Yuan gripping onto his black robes. Wei Wuxian’s hand dropped back to his side and he was content. His eyes trailed over the familiar eaves and awnings, the beautiful lotuses surrounding them, the floorboards and the sky; they were all a view so familiar… yet not.  

Staring at the clear blue sky, he was hit with a sudden wave of nostalgia. ‘We used to shoot down kites in such a weather.’ 

A tug on his robe. “Xian-ge, what do we do now?” 

“Do you want to see where I used to stay?” Wei Wuxian suggested. ‘It’s been awhile . Do I… even still have a place here? ’ 

Wen Yuan’s expression brightened. He nodded his head. 

Very soon, they arrived at a decently large room. Wei Wuxian pushed aside the bamboo door, the sunlight behind him casting long shadows on the floorboards. The first thing that registered was how fresh the room smelled. There was not an ounce of dust or stale air. Wei Wuxian slowly raised his head, a reluctance in his gaze. Was it cleaned? Would it still be the same? Did they remove his things?  

‘ Shijie wouldn’t have agreed but Jiang Cheng… ’  

Bit by bit, his gaze took in more of the floorboards, noticing from the corner of his eyes the golden sunlight streaming in from the open windows. A slight breeze was wafting in. It hurt to think that they’ve been taking care of the room so well for someone else . He could tell the room was regularly aired and cleaned, well taken care of for its occupant. And of course, Jiang Cheng wouldn’t stay here anymore. He’s the sect leader now. 

Then he saw the small rosewood table, its surface wiped down and gleaming. A few stools stood around the table; left just the way he remembered.  

  ‘A-Xian, A-Cheng, have some soup.’  

 Faint memories of Jiang Yanli settling the tray of his favourite soup on that table resurfaced. How long ago had that been? 

The scrolls of painting on the wall, the calligraphy brushes and rice paper on the writing table... and then he swung his gaze to the left and right, seeing a bed on either end.  

  “No! Go away! This is my room!”  

“But Uncle Jiang said I'll be sleeping in the same room as you…”  

“No! Give Princess, Jasmine and Little Love back to me! Because of you, I don’t have them anymore!” 

 A scene of old; A cold night. 

  “ I'm sorry…”  

“It’s okay! If Uncle Jiang asks, I won’t tell him what happened! I just fell down a tree!”  

“And I'll help chase the dogs away for you!”  

 A promise between brothers. 

With Jin Rulan still in his arms, he quickly made his way to the also rosewood wardrobe. He swung its door open, seeing the sight of robes of purple and black hanging inside. He easily recognised the robes of Yunmeng. He curiously pulled a black robe out, and froze.  

‘They… they…’  

“Xian-ge?” 

Wei Wuxian jolted out of his thoughts, his gaze shifting onto Wen Yuan. “I'm alright, A-Yuan.” He turned back to the robe and released his fingers to let it fall back in. “Do you want to paint? I saw my old calligraphy brushes.” 

“I want!” 

“Come, come.” Wei Wuxian ushered him to the writing table and set Jin Rulan down next to him. He flatted out a rice paper and grinded some ink. His muscles moved from memory, the rhythmic sounds falling deaf on his ears as his mind wandered off. 

‘They kept my things .’  

 .❀。• *₊°。 ❀°。 

 “A-Lan! No!” 

Gleeful baby laughter echoed in the four walls, squealing in absolute delight at Wei Wuxian’s horrified expression. Jin Rulan locked gazes with his uncle, his hands still held up high in the air.  

Wei Wuxian narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “Don’t you dare.” 

Jin Rulan giggled in response and lightly waved his hands. Deep black ink marred his fair fingers, the diluted liquid trickling down his digits and onto his fine clothes, like black roses in a field of golden peonies. 

‘That’s not going to wash off easily…’ Wei Wuxian cringed. 

Then he caught the first sign, the undefined muscles tensing and the lift of chubby fingers. 

“A-Lan! No—!”  

With an excited squeal, Jin Rulan flung his fingers forward. Wei Wuxian watched the ink fly in slow motion, finally splattering across the rice paper and onto the floorboards. 

‘That’s not going to wash off easily too. ’ 

Wei Wuxian flinched when drops of ink hit his cheeks, the cold liquid slowly cascading down like a bloody scar on his handsome mien. Jin Rulan giggled at his masterpiece.  

A head peeked out from behind the second sheet of rice paper held up high, his large, clear eyes blinking at the mess before him. Calligraphy ink was spilled over the table, splattering across the floor and Wei Wuxian’s lightly scowling face. Wen Yuan’s mouth fell open. 

“Are you okay?” 

“Do I look okay?” Wei Wuxian wrinkled his nose in displeasure.  

Wen Yuan immediately nodded while still holding up his shield of ink-splattered paper. “Yes! Xian-ge always look good!” 

Wei Wuxian rolled his eyes. “That’s not what I meant.” He reached forward to try clean Jin Rulan’s face. Wen Yuan, who was safe from the flying dangers quietly rearranged the brushes, rice paper and ink slab to avoid a bigger mess being created. 

“Huh?” He gingerly spread out a rice paper that Jin Rulan had been using and examined the black blobs. They seemed organised, as though they were meant to be something. 

“What’s wrong, A-Yuan?” Wei Wuxian inquired while scrubbing his nephew’s face of the ink, only to have more smear over the squishy cheeks. 

“Rulan-didi drew something?” Wen Yuan replied questioningly. He peered closer, counting the blobs. There were eight large blobs in total, standing in a line, and they were made up of smaller blobs. Two pairs of blobs—each one a small blob on top of a big one—had two lines connecting them, as if… “They’re holding hands?” 

Curiosity peaking, Wei Wuxian looked over as well. There was one particular blob that caught his attention; it was a big blob with a smaller one on top, and a long curvy line was stretched out from atop; like a head on a body with hair, maybe? Seeing Wei Wuxian’s finger pointed towards it, Jin Rulan giggled and patted his uncle's cheek with his hands. 

“Da!” 

Wei Wuxian quirked a brow. “Me?” 

“Da!” Jin Rulan slapped his cheek harder with a pout.  

“Oww— Oh , me!” 

Wei Wuxian’s pained expression softened. Warmth tickled his heart like Jiang Yanli’s soup warming him insides. “Then who’s this?” He pointed at one of the pairs with the two lines; they were slimmer and shorter than the other pair. 

“Mama! Papa!” 

Jiang Yanli and the Peacock. 

“Them?” Wei Wuxian pointed at the other pair. 

“Yeye! Nainai!” 

Jin Guangshan and Madam Jin. 

Wei Wuxian had his suspicions but… Was this a family portrait? He continued pointing at the different blobs, somehow being able to distinguish the different figures as Jin Rulan listed them one by one. He bitterly smiled when he realised Uncle Jiang and Madam Yu weren’t painted, but then again, they hadn’t the chance to meet their grandson. 

“Xianzi!” 

Ah, Fairy the Dog. 

“Shushu!” 

Jin Guangyao? Understandable since he did give Fairy. 

“Jiu!” 

Jiu?  

“What the—What happened here!?”  

“Oh, Jiang Cheng! Finished with work?” 

“Wei Wuxian! What did you do!” 

“What do you mean me! It was all A-Lan!” 

Jiang Cheng rushed into his old bedroom and picked up his nephew. Before he could say anything, Jin Rulan already patted his cheek, slapping on a black blotch of ink, and said, “Jiu!” 

Both Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng immediately looked at him.  

“Jiu?” Jiang Cheng repeated in confusion. 

“Jiu? Jiujiu? Erjiu?” Wei Wuxian listed off and realisation dawned. 

The last blob was Jiang Cheng! 

“What are you so shocked for? Unhappy that he called me first?” The sect leader eventually realised the situation as well, turning his nose up into the air in absolute pride.  

“Why are you so proud? He called me too!” Wei Wuxian harrumphed. “Right, A-Lan? Call ‘Dajiu’!” 

Jin Rulan, “Hehe. Da!” 

“See?” Wei Wuxian puffed his chest out proudly. 

Jiang Cheng scoffed and rolled his eyes. “He didn’t even call you ‘Dajiu’. Just ‘Da’. He called me ‘Jiu’ and that’s better! At least we know it’s ‘uncle’!” 

Wen Yuan watched them bicker endlessly and wordlessly looked down at his own painting. His fingers tensed, the muscles straining under his wavering emotions, but he couldn’t bear ruin the rice paper, couldn’t bear ruin their moment . Wouldn’t someone— anyone —look at his too?  

“Are the two of you arguing again?” 

“Shijie/A-Jie!”  

Wen Yuan turned his attention towards the door where Jiang Yanli was entering. When she caught his gaze, he saw her give him a smile—tender and sweet—with the earlier situation seemingly forgotten, and he quickly dropped his gaze. ‘Would my mummy look at me like that too?’  

“Why is A-Lan so dirty?” 

The same question. Wen Yuan inwardly sighed and simply stared at his painting. Everyone was simply just too busy paying attention to the baby. He looked over every part of his art, feeling a small smile lifting the edges of his lips. Soon, he felt a presence looming over him.  

“You painted these pretty well,” Wei Wuxian complimented; his face was still covered in ink.  

Wen Yuan looked back at his finger painting, at the figures depicted as his family. He did think that it was good, and that he did well for his first try. 

“I see Wen Qing and Wen Ning… Grandma and Uncle Four. But who’s this?” Wei Wuxian pointed at the high ponytailed figure next to who he could guess as Wen Yuan himself.  

“That’s…” Wen Yuan averted Wei Wuxian’s gaze and murmured under his breath, “…Xian-ge.” 

Wei Wuxian was taken aback. Him? He’s part of... “Oh, A-Yuan…” He pulled the boy into his arms and cuddled him tight. “You’re the sweetest!” 

Wen Yuan gripped onto the ink-stained robes, hid his face into the chest and smiled. “Mm.” Wei Wuxian wasn’t related to him by blood, but he was every bit of a brother to him; sometimes, even as a father.  

“I'm going to give A-Lan a bath,” Jiang Yanli informed while she stood up with her son in her arms. “I'll ask someone to clean up the floorboards now as well.” 

Wei Wuxian hummed in agreement. “Wait, Shijie! Do… you think it’s okay to allow A-Yuan to bathe together too?” 

If only just to let the child experience living life properly. He was safe from the flying ink after all. 

Jiang Yanli smiled. “Of course, A-Xian.” 

 .❀。• *₊°。 ❀°。 

 “Xianzi!” Jin Rulan cried. He clutched at the bathtub’s edge as his cries echoed in the steamy room. Fat teardrops rolled down his flushed cheeks. “Xianzi!!” 

“W-Why is he crying!” Wei Wuxian panicked. “Is the dog here!?” 

Jiang Cheng lightly slapped his martial brother on the back of his head. “Stop panicking. Xianzi is not here. A-Lan just misses it because the puppy usually accompanies him while he bathes.” 

“A-Accompany him b-bath?” Wei Wuxian paled. His hands froze in the midst of soaping Wen Yuan’s hair, the child’s eyes shut tight as he patiently waited.   

Tacitly understanding the panic-stricken man, Jiang Cheng rolled his eyes while his hands worked to soothe his dog-loving nephew. He stressed the words again. “ S he’s not here .” 

“Here, here? ” Wei Wuxian gulped, forgetting the bubbles rolling down Wen Yuan’s forehead and onto his closed eyes. 

Jiang Cheng rolled his eyes again. “Not here, here. Not in Lotus Pier at all.” 

He turned his gaze away. ‘Because you might not come if you knew she was here.’  

Jin Rulan continued to cry. Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng had volunteered to help bathe the boys, seeing as it was a rare opportunity to do so...  

‘Together.’ They had thought simultaneously. 

“A-Lan, you're going to become a dried peach if you keep crying,” Wei Wuxian groaned, unable to wipe the tears away with the bubbles covering his hands before crying out in apology at finally realising the patient child’s head covered in soap. 

Jin Rulan merely paused and stared at his oldest maternal uncle before bawling his eyes out once more, causing Wei Wuxian to cringe and shy away. 

“Stop crying,” Jiang Cheng grumbled as he continuously wipes the tears away with the pads of his un-soapy thumbs. 

“Xianzi…!” 

“Will be home when you go back,” Jiang Cheng continued, but the sole heir refused to accept it. 

A smaller figure, whose hair was washed twice today, the second time with soap, scooted closer and raised a hand. Warm water dripped from his fingers, his pats sounding wet on Jin Rulan’s head. As though finding solace, Jin Rulan immediately latched onto Wen Yuan’s free arm. When Wen Yuan stopped patting his head, he’d pout, glare and retrieve the hand to pat his head again while sniffling. 

Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian: ‘ ...is Xianzi the dog or is A- Lan the dog?’  

They quickly cleaned the boys up and towel-dried them properly while Jin Rulan wasn’t crying. Jiang Cheng’s gaze had been constantly shifting onto Wen Yuan, but not once did he say a word, nor stop him from nearing his nephew. 

“Jiang Cheng,” Wei Wuxian called as he gently squeezed and patted Wen Yuan’s hair dry with the towel. 

“What?” Jiang Cheng didn’t bother turning his head, his attention now solely on fluffing Jin Rulan’s hair with the towel.  

“I got an idea.” 

“No.” 

“You didn’t even hear it.” 

“No.” 

“But—” 

“When did you have any good ideas? Saving Mianmian? Getting thrown into Burial Mounds? Choosing to stay in Burial Mounds? Telling—” Then, no more words came. Jiang Cheng closed his mouth and carefully pulled the yellow garment down and over Jin Rulan’s head.  

‘ Telling me we’ll be twin prides but breaking that promise. Leaving Yunmeng Sect when you had a home here, ’ was what he couldn’t say. Because he knew, he knew . The public and the other sects would never accept Yunmeng Sect if Wei Wuxian were to stay, for demonic cultivation was exactly that—demonic. It was something righteous, heavenly cultivators do not dabble in, and this was the only way to protect them, to protect Yunmeng. 

Wei Wuxian glanced at the now silent Jiang Cheng and dropped it back to the string of Wen Yuan’s white inner robe he was tying. With a small knowing smile, he too stayed silent. There were shuffling sounds beside him but Wei Wuxian wholeheartedly focused on Wen Yuan and the warmth in his heart. All those things Jiang Cheng listed? All he heard was worry and care in that biting tone.  

Wen Yuan looked up at Wei Wuxian with a questioning gaze. He was unaware of a cold glare watching him from the side, of the hundreds of thoughts running through the young man’s mind. He only wondered of the reason why Wei Wuxian had kept silent and not retort like he normally would; of why there was a despairing glaze in his usually bright eyes. 

Wei Wuxian sighed and picked up Wen Yuan’s robe hanging on the rack— 

—when, a calloused hand, hardened from the many hours of sword training and bearing a ring he knew all too well, stopped Wei Wuxian from putting the oversized robe on Wen Yuan. The other hand came into view. Wei Wuxian stared at the child-sized purple robe that was a distinctive characteristic of the Yunmeng Jiang Sect. Shaky fingers caressed the robe, the material warm and soft under the fingertips and pride swelled up within Wei Wuxian. Yes, this was Yunmeng Jiang’s colour, its symbol; this was his pride, his home . He instinctively blinked his eyes repeatedly, the long lashes fluttering in the steam. He quietly released the robe and tilted his head back, feeling the pooling tears seep back into his eyes, the emotions drowning in his gaze. There had been a time he donned this proudly too. 

“What? Don’t want to let him wear it? The Wens are already gone,” Jiang Cheng reminded coldly when he saw Wei Wuxian not moving. Was he reminding Wei Wuxian or himself? 

With a bitter smile, Wei Wuxian cocked his face to the side to face the scowling young man. “Would it kill you to have more patience?” 

“Just say it if you don’t want it!” Jiang Cheng seethed. 

But before he could pull his hand back, Wei Wuxian had already swiftly removed the garment from his grasp and grinned cheekily at him. “You can’t take back what you give. Just don’t come crying cause a Wen is wearing the Jiang’s robe.” 

Jiang Cheng simply tutted and combed the-suddenly-obedient Jin Rulan’s hair. “The Wens are gone.” 

“Well? Do you want to hear the idea or not?” Wei Wuxian deflected the statement as his hands skilfully tied Wen Yuan’s hair into a half-updo after pulling Yunmeng’s robe around him.  

Jiang Cheng flicked his gaze sideways in a bored manner, his fingers threading through Jin Rulan’s hair to tie it up as well. “What is it?” 

Wei Wuxian’s grin widened and a giggled escaped his lips. He may not stand the real thing, but this… this he could do. “Hehe. I'll show you.” 

 .❀。• *₊°。 ❀°。 

 “Aren’t I pretty good?” 

“Yeah—” Wei Wuxian started to beam at Jiang Cheng’s compliment of his intelligence. “—pretty good at disgusting me.” 

Wei Wuxian’s face fell into a pout. He stood up from his prior posture of crouching on the floor with his arms in front and between his legs; exactly like a dog ordered to sit. With a harrumph, he ignored Jiang Cheng’s judgmental scowl and bent down to come face to face with Jin Rulan on eye level. A pair of snow-white dog ears sat atop his head, the pointy ears held together with a needle and thread, and a thin, white string tied up and over Wei Wuxian’s chin kept it on. Scraps of cloth and cotton laid by his side, a pair of scissors and string on the pile. 

When Wei Wuxian turned around, Jiang Cheng’s scowl faltered. ‘Dog ears… I want them too. Really, really want them too,’ he mentally sobbed but he had to maintain his image and pride as a sect leader for he was no longer a child.  

“A-Lan, A-Lan,” Wei Wuxian continued sitting like a dog before his nephew. His eyes were bright with the sense of playfulness, dog-like whines sounding from the back of his throat, and he leaned forward, rubbing the tip of his nose with Jin Rulan’s. 

“Doggy!” Jin Rulan happily cheered. Excited fingers patted Wei Wuxian’s head, his desire for his puppy Xianzi already pushed to the back of his mind. Wen Yuan, cladded in the purple robe of Yunmeng, sat to his side with eyes full of fascination. With a straight back and bright eyes, the child released an intelligent, noble and kind aura so unlike the ‘commoners’ feeling from before. 

“Arf! Arf!” Wei Wuxian mimicked. Jin Rulan squealed and hugged Wei Wuxian by the neck, rubbing his face in the crook of his shoulder. With a victorious grin and an eye roll at his brother, he asked proudly, “Is this a good idea or not?” 

“All I see is that you have too much time on your hands,” Jiang Cheng scoffed while folding his arms over his chest.  

“Up to you then,” Wei Wuxian shrugged and grabbed another old pillow, his fingers deftly making another pair of snow-white dog ears connected by the same white string. “Here.” 

“What’s it for?” Jiang Cheng stared at the second pair of dog ears.  

“Yours! I'm giving it to you, of course!” Wei Wuxian impatiently waved his hand, causing the white string to sway. 

But it looked like the alluring beckoning of a siren’s temptation to the sect leader instead. 

“You keep standing there and staring. All I see is that you have too much time on your hands,” Wei Wuxian repeated Jiang Cheng’s words from before with a roll of his eyes. 

“You!” Said sect leader was immediately incensed.  

Wei Wuxian closed an eye and dully regarded his brother, lazily waving the dog ears in his hand again. “Do you want it or not? I'm not going to ask—”  

Jiang Cheng swiped the dog ears away.  

“—again.” 

Wei Wuxian nonchalantly shrugged. “If you wanted it, just take it next time.” 

Jiang Cheng merely responded with a scoff as he tied the dog ears tight on his head. Soft cotton teased his calloused fingertips, the pleasurable sensation tickling his senses. ‘ Oh my god. They’re so soft!’  

A tug on Wei Wuxian’s sleeve. “Yes, A-Yuan?” 

“Can Rulan-didi and A-Yuan get one too?” Wen Yuan politely asked.  

“Of course! I was already going to make them for you.” 

Very soon, the four of them had a pair of white dog ears atop their heads, with both Wen Yuan and Jin Rulan sporting also an equally coloured dog tail hanging off their tailbones with the same whits thread. Behind the closed doors and away from prying eyes, the disciples of Yunmeng would have never imagined their grouchy, stern and temperamental sect leader would be rolling on the floor with his brother, wrestling with him like a pair of playful dogs trying to assert their dominance. To the side, the baby and child pair were happily barking and circling each other like newly acquainted puppies meeting in a park.  

 .❀。• *₊°。 ❀°。 

 “Hahaha! I can’t believe you agreed!” 

“Shut up! It’s all because of you!” 

“Hahahaha! And you fell for it!” 

A muscled hand adorned with only a single purple ring shot forward, the five fingers curled menacingly into a claw. Its target easily spun on his heel and avoided the grab, the accompanying laughter annoying to Jiang Cheng’s ears. Jiang Cheng heavily planted a foot onto the wooden flooring of the pier, his calves bursting with strength as he abruptly changed directions and lunged for the grinning young man.  

“Aiya, why are you so angry. Jiang Cheng?” 

The sect leader couldn’t find the words to properly unleash his fury, only managing to roar out Wei Wuxian’s name when his lunge failed to connect to the nimble young man. “Stop running!” 

“And let you hit me? No way!” Wei Wuxian laughed while he leapt forward, causing a confused Jiang Cheng to step back reflexively. With the same shit-eating grin, Wei Wuxian slapped Jiang Cheng on the shoulder in the blink of an eye, and immediately broke into a run. 

“Wei Wuxian!!” 

Further behind…  

Wen Yuan held tighter onto the small hand in his. The baby’s steps were unsteady, occasionally wobbly but Jin Rulan stubbornly continued on. He shook his head, the pair of cotton dog ears shifting slightly with his actions. 

“Slowly,” Wen Yuan reminded as he readjusted the dog ears on Jin Rulan’s head and tightened the white string. 

“Mm!” Jin Rulan nodded earnestly, but the dog ears slid again. 

Wen Yuan sighed and lamented on how soft and smooth the baby’s hair was before untying the string and carefully, tightly tying it into a perfect little bow. “Not too tight? Not painful?” 

Jin Rulan moved to shake his head when he paused. Instead, he simply said, “No pain.” 

“That’s good,” Wen Yuan smiled.  

Jin Rulan stretched his arms out. “Yuan-gege.” 

Wen Yuan hummed in confusion and crouched down. Did the baby want a piggyback? 

Jin Rulan shook his head, stumbling around the older child and planted his chubby hands on Wen Yuan’s head. 

“What’s wrong?” 

“Ears not straight,” Jin Rulan whined, his voice high and childish. He very carefully, very seriously, straightened out the ears.  

Wen Yuan stayed still, observing the wood grains of the pier by his feet as he focused on Jin Rulan’s unhappy huffs and thoughtful hums while he tried to straighten the dog ears. Then slowly, his smile was beginning to twitch, faltering at how long it was actually taking the baby to finish. His legs were aching, his muscles were trembling, and his blood was starting to not flow between his limbs. Yet, he held on, smiling despite the pain when he heard—felt—Jin Rulan’s earnest efforts. 

The humid breeze blew, a chill on their bodies. 

“Are you cold?” Wen Yuan asked when the shudders ran on his skin. He tilted his head back when Jin Rulan stepped back, his clumsy fingers now running across the white string below his chin.  

“Not cold.” Jin Rulan giggled when Wen Yuan brought his hands up and placed it over the younger boy’s because he couldn’t figure out how to tie it. Gentle fingers carefully held each end of the white bow, and he felt the small hands perfectly covered in his palms also reach out to mimic his actions. 

Wen Yuan’s lips curled into an amused smile. With a slight strength, he tugged at both ends of the bow and Jin Rulan promptly followed; together, they tightened it.  

“Mm! Yuan-gege, done!” 

“Yeah!” Wen Yuan laughed when Jin Rulan flushed with pride. “Thank you, Rulan-didi.” 

Jin Rulan stood straighter at the praise. 

They then continued bumbling towards the still bickering and fighting duo at the end of the empty pier.  

“Jiang Cheng, Jiang Cheng. Look.” 

Jiang Cheng’s arm was wrapped around Wei Wuxian’s neck, locking the young man in a chokehold. Automatically at Wei Wuxian’s prompting, Jiang Cheng turned to glance at the direction he was pointing at; a temporary pause in their fight. His scowl dropped at the sight of the children supporting each other while they made their way over.  

“Finally,” he scoffed, though a smile played off his lips. 

“Yeah,” Wei Wuxian echoed. 

They had already noticed when the children fell back at the first instance, but instead of walking over, they chose to watch and covertly stay alert—and of course, to determine the winner between each other. Wei Wuxian ducked and slipped out of Jiang Cheng’s loosening chokehold when the boys were within arm’s reach and the sect leader let his arms drop.  

Wei Wuxian dropped onto all fours, shook his butt so that the tail swayed side to side, and playfully rubbed his nose against Jin Rulan’s pink nose. “Arf!” 

With a giggle, Jin Rulan released his hold on Wen Yuan’s arm and mimicked his oldest uncle. “Arf!” It was higher pitched, sounding more like a yip than a bark. 

Jiang Cheng groaned and covered his eyes with a palm. Hearing that, Wei Wuxian grinned and asked, “Get on your hands and knees, Jiang Cheng.” 

“No.” 

“It was a deal.” 

“It was a trick!”  

“That you still lost.” 

“But —!” 

Jiang Cheng pursed his lips and stared hard at his baby nephew crouching before him with Wen Yuan by his side, his eye twitching at the glistening sheen in Jin Rulan’s doe-like eyes. Jin Rulan tugged at Wen Yuan’s sleeve, making the older boy sit like a puppy waiting for food, and they simultaneously turned towards Jiang Cheng with similar expressions.  

“Not the puppy pout.” 

“Please,” Jin Rulan whined, leaning forward to pitifully tugging at the hem of the purple robes. Wen Yuan chose to stay in his position with his large, clear eyes blinking woefully at the sect leader.  

The uncle-nephew pair had a long stare-down. The breeze blew in anticipation. Jiang Cheng glanced at Wen Yuan, twitched and turned back to Jin Rulan. 

Jin Rulan’s eyes, so soft and gentle, blinked once very slowly. His pink lips were jutted out in high hopes, before they slowly curved downwards and the very pair of eyes widened bit by bit, filling up with waves of unshed tears. 

Thump. 

“...Arf.” 

Jin Rulan wiped the pearls of tears hanging at the corner of his eyes, staring at the sight before him in amazement. “Wah,” he lightly gasped in awe and immediately dropped to all fours. With a giggle, he raised his head, rubbing his cheek against his uncle’s shoulder—who was crouched down like a dog as well. 

Blushing roses painted the proud man’s face. He dropped his head to return his nephew’s ministration and softly bumped their noses together. He prayed, prayed and prayed and prayed so hard that there would be no one around to view Yunmeng’s sect leader like this (and never ever find out his weaknesses). The pier was already empty but it might not stay that way! 

Why would he ever say no to his baby nephew? Or dogs for that matter—even if it wasn't real! 

Wei Wuxian laughed in utter glee at the sight. He crouched down, an arm resting on his knee, and then tapped Wen Yuan’s nose with a finger. “How do you feel?” 

“Happy,” Wen Yuan smiled, his lips curving wider when Wei Wuxian patted his head, careful to not mess up the dog ears. Happy to have a friend the same age as him. Happy to spend time together laughing like this.  

‘Happy to see Xian- ge this happy too,’ Wen Yuan added.  

“I'm glad to hear that.” Wei Wuxian turned to sit by the edge of the pier and called out to Jiang Cheng and Jin Rulan softly cuddling each other. “Come. The wind’s nice,” he patted the space next to him. 

Jin Rulan’s face lit up and had rushed over. A stumble near the edge. A fall in extreme slow motion. Jiang Cheng’s, Wei Wuxian’s and Wen Yuan’s eyes widened. Their faces paled.  

“A-Lan/Rulan-didi!” 

Screams pierced the sky, scaring a few sparrows that had been perched in the willow leaves nearby. A long arm in a purple sleeve stretched out, his fingers catching onto one of Jin Rulan’s arm while a smaller hand caught onto the flowing hems. Jin Rulan blinked and “ah”-ed, feeling that the large hand on his back was steady and strong, supporting him from actually falling over the pier. 

“Don’t run like that. You'll hurt yourself,” Wei Wuxian chided as he carefully shifted his hand that was supporting his nephew on his back to bring him onto his lap once Jiang Cheng and Wen Yuan released their holds. 

“Sit! Da!” Jin Rulan happily bounced on Wei Wuxian’s lap with his arms spread wide open towards the lotus-filled sight. 

“You want to sit with your Dajiu?” Wei Wuxian deduced, holding his nephew’s two hands with his own and waved them in the air. “You love Dajiu that much? Hehe, Dajiu is the best, right?” 

“As if!” Jiang Cheng scoffed, taking the space next to Wei Wuxian. He glanced back and cocked a brow at the lonely boy clutching at his robes. “Come.” 

Wen Yuan hesitated. 

“Are you afraid of me?” 

“No, sect leader—” 

“Sect leader really makes me sound so old. I'm not even 30 yet!” 

“But A-Yuan cannot disrespect the sect leader, so—” 

“Sounds too old.” 

“Jiang Cheng, you’re being too harsh on him.” Wei Wuxian interjected. “If calling you a ‘sect leader’ is old, why not ‘uncle’ then?” 

Wen Yuan pursed his lips and lowered his head until his chin pressed against his chest. ‘Please don’t be angry, please don’t be angry… Qing-jiejie will be disappointed in A-Yuan.’ 

“Uncle!? Doesn’t he call you ‘Xian-ge’!” Jiang Cheng protested and then snarled, “Why call you an ‘older brother’ but me an ‘uncle’!” He turned a fierce look onto Wen Yuan. “Call me Cheng-ge!” 

“That is not a title befitting a—” 

“—sect leader, yes. But this sect leader is ordering now to not call me a sect leader! I'm not even older than you! I'm younger!” Jiang Cheng cut Wei Wuxian off with an unhappy scowl. 

“Yeah, like six days.” 

“Still younger,” Jiang Cheng crossed his arms and turned his attention back onto the silent Wen child. Releasing the frustration with a long exhale, he tried to gently call out: “… A-Yuan.” 

Hearing the young sect leader calling him like that startled the young boy. He quickly looked up. “A-Yuan is listening.” 

“And? Call me Cheng-ge.” 

Wen Yuan ducked his head again. “Sect leader, A-Yuan doesn't think…” Catching the merciless glare, he quickly assented. “C-Cheng-ge.” 

“Now, come here.” 

Wen Yuan stepped into his arm’s reach. Not once did he lift his head again. 

“Am I really that scary?” 

At Jiang Cheng’s sigh, Wen Yuan instantly looked up and tried to explain. “No, no. Cheng-ge isn’t scary! Not anymore!” Jiang Cheng’s expression darkened and Wen Yuan hurriedly backpedalled. “A-Yuan, A-Yuan just didn’t want to make C-Cheng-ge angry again! …A-Yuan knows he is not welcomed.”  

A hand was stretched out towards him, the silver ring shining under the sunlight. Wen Yuan blinked and caught Jiang Cheng’s noncommittal gaze. Wei Wuxian and Jin Rulan watched expectantly. 

Jiang Cheng’s fingers curled and uncurled at the tips a couple of times; a motion for Wen Yuan to come. The child was wary of the palm, his gaze instinctively shifting towards Wei Wuxian as if to ask if it was a good idea, if it was safe, if he should . 

“Why’re you looking at him for?” Jiang Cheng couldn’t help but snarl, feeling the shame and embarrassment colour his cheeks. “I'm not going to bite! Don’t tell me you’re just going to stand there and not sit with us? Or did you want to sit by yourself?” 

“But…” 

‘ Didn’t you hate me? ’ Wen Yuan flinched at the biting tone of the older man. 

“Jiang Cheng—” Wei Wuxian began, feeling uneasy at how harsh Jiang Cheng still was while talking to Wen Yuan. 

“I’m too harsh, yeah, yeah.” Jiang Cheng scoffed and rolled his eyes, but his hand remained afloat in mid-air. “I'm not letting a child sit at the edge of the pier by himself,” he then snapped. 

‘It’s dangerous,’ he thought with a piercing glare. He wasn’t sure if Wen Yuan could swim if he did accidentally fall, and even if he could —that still shouldn’t be happening on his watch! 

“I-If…” 

Jiang Cheng’s head turned back towards the stammering Wen Yuan who spoke up. 

“If… Cheng-ge doesn’t mind? A-Yuan will be happy.” 

The snipe of his words was stuck at the tip of his tongue when he took notice of the hopeful flick of Wen Yuan’s gaze, that his perception of the child was inherently important to him. In the end, he swallowed the words he had wanted to say and settled with: “Tch. Just come here.” 

Beamingly, Wen Yuan walked over to Jiang Cheng who spread his thighs open wider and carefully sat the child in between, moving so that the cotton tail was nicely positioned to the side. He wound an arm around Wen Yuan’s middle, holding him secure in his embrace as their legs dangled off the edge. A calm breeze blew.  

Jiang Cheng glanced down at the child in his arms, an odd feeling arising. He could see the carefree smile curved upon his face, the warmth of someone so small— so innocent —was somehow calming on his nerves. That thought struck him odd... because he only ever felt like this with... 

Jiang Cheng shifted his gaze towards Jin Rulan, coincidentally catching the baby’s own questioning gaze. It felt... It felt exactly like when he was holding his nephew. But this was a son from the family of murderers. 

‘ They... they...’  

“C-Cheng-ge?” 

Jiang Cheng startled at Wen Yuan’s soft voice, who had looked up when he felt the man’s arms tightened. He blinked at the clear eyes staring up at him, the sun’s rays reflecting off them and he relaxed his muscles. Harmless; Wen Yuan was harmless.  

“Eh...” Wen Yuan softly exclaimed when he saw the sudden lift of the sect leader’s lips, the smile a sight he never saw before. 

Jiang Cheng patted his head and then hugged Wen Yuan tighter, motioning with his chin to look to the front when a stronger breeze blew. It felt like he was holding onto a small sun, warm and soothing, and just at this moment, he couldn’t help but think to himself: ‘ I’m sorry, A-Yuan. You are a good boy. I... just was not strong enough like you.’  

Fully grown lotus flowers swayed. Petals were dancing in the air following the wind’s masterful orchestration, dotting the blue sky and murky waters with pastel star-like colours of white, pink and yellow.  

“Jiujiu!” Jin Rulan suddenly exclaimed as he leaned over to Jiang Cheng. In his hand was a purple lotus petal slightly brown at the tip, having gotten plucked from its bloom by the wind and blown over. 

Jiang Cheng’s eyes that were half-lidded in regret widened in surprise. He gently took the lotus petal with a small sound of thanks. He lightly rubbed the petal between his thumb and forefinger; it was extremely soft. “Call ‘Jiujiu’ again! Or Erjiu!” 

“Erjiu!” Jin Rulan giggled and patted heavily on Jiang Cheng’s arm. He suddenly reached out to Wen Yuan. “Yuan-gege~” 

“It’s dangerous, Rulan-didi.” Wen Yuan gently set Jin Rulan’s hands back on his lap while Wei Wuxian shifted to sit comfortably after his nephew moved, but there was a smile on the child’s face. 

“A-Lan, call ‘Dajiu’ too!” 

Jin Rulan craned his head up, stretching his small chubby hands to touch Wei Wuxian’s face. “Da!” 

“Yes, yes! Dajiu!” 

“Da!” 

“It’s ‘Da—jiu’,” Wei Wuxian pronounced each syllable slowly and carefully. 

“Da! Hehe.” 

“A-Lan,” Wei Wuxian whined. “How can you call Jiang Cheng and A-Yuan properly but not me?” 

“Da!” Jin Rulan suddenly kissed his palm and slapped it on Wei Wuxian’s cheek. 

The sulking Wei Wuxian immediately brightened. He gave his nephew a loud, wet kiss on the head. “I knew that A-Lan loved me more!” 

“Tch. He can’t even call you properly,” Jiang Cheng scoffed. 

“Erjiu!” Jin Rulan called out and slapped a kissed palm onto Jiang Cheng sleeve too. 

Pride coloured the young sect leader’s face as he smirked at the gloomy Wei Wuxian. It didn’t end there. 

Wen Yuan received a palm kiss on his cheek too, who with a giggle, Wen Yuan similarly returned the gesture. Wei Wuxian pouted and left it be. He believed Jin Rulan can properly call him next time! 

“Family!” Jin Rulan exclaimed, throwing his hands up into the air and one accidentally smacked Wei Wuxian square in the face. With a helpless laugh, Wei Wuxian rubbed his cheek and said nothing. 

Two adults, two children, all with snow-white dog ears and tails, then watched the lotus flowers softly danced amidst the elegant crystal sparkles glittering of the water. 

“Is… this your first time in Yunmeng, A-Yuan?” Jiang Cheng asked under his breath after a moment of silence.  

“Hmm?” Wen Yuan strained his head back to look at the sect leader. “It is, Cheng-ge.” 

The term easily rolled off his lips now, invoking a sense of joy in him. He never thought he’d be able to call a sect leader an older brother. He could understand calling Jiang Yanli an older sister, but a sect leader was different after all. And a sect leader that once hated him? Was he finally accepted? 

“A-Yuan really likes Yunmeng. There’s a lot of flowers.” Wen Yuan continued as he grinned at Jiang Cheng. “We don’t have a lot of flowers at where A-Yuan stays with Xian-ge. Xian-ge tried to plant lotus flowers but A-Yuan isn’t sure if they’re alive.” 

“I'm sure they are, okay? They’ll definitely grow!” Wei Wuxian protested weakly while Jin Rulan giggled. 

“You… tried planting them?” Jiang Cheng asked in a disbelieving murmur. 

Wei Wuxian pursed his lips and refocused his attention on his nephew. “Yeah, I did. It… just feels like Yunmeng you know. If I did.” 

‘ Closer to home, ’ he finished with a thought. 

The silence again fell over them. The warmth was comforting to the pair or children, lulling them into a slumbering state as their eyes began to droop. 

“Will you ever return?” Jiang Cheng suddenly asked softly. 

“… I don’t know,” Wei Wuxian replied in an equally quiet voice. 

“…” 

“I'm sorry.” 

The silence came again, this time heavier. Wen Yuan opened his eyes when he felt a tickle in his nose. His nose twitched a couple of times, feeling uneasy at losing the sensation to sneeze. He glanced at Wei Wuxian and blinked the sleep away.  

“Xian-ge, why are you sad?” Wen Yuan softly asked as he rubbed his eyes with the heels of his palms. 

“Huh?” Wei Wuxian broke out of his reverie. He had been certain that the sadness was properly concealed, the pained thumps of his heart ignored. A smile was immediately plastered upon his face. “I'm not sad.” 

“Xian-ge…” Wen Yuan frowned, feeling that something wasn’t right. He glanced up at the young man holding him, noticing the incorporeal pressure turning heavy before looking back at Wei Wuxian. 

Seeing Wen Yuan’s questioning and confused gaze, Wei Wuxian swore in his heart. Was it good or bad that Wen Yuan somehow had the ability to discern the smallest things? He squeezed his interlaced fingers that were wrapped around a napping Jin Rulan and locked his gaze with Jiang Cheng’s. It was questioning, hoping, expecting—Wei Wuxian bit his bottom lip.  

The pressure tightened around Wei Wuxian, almost to the point of suffocation and his nerves slowly tangled up in the pit of his stomach. He took a deep breath in, the tense atmosphere harsh and unforgiving in his heart, and then the words tumbled out of his mouth like a desperate clutch at forgiveness. “I broke a promise to Jiang Cheng.”  

“It’s not good to break promises,” Wen Yuan’s frown deepened. 

Wei Wuxian’s smile turned bitter. “You sound exactly like a Lan disciple…” He sighed and shook his head. “I couldn’t keep the promise. I'm no longer part of the Yunmeng Jiang Sect.” 

“What promise was that? Must you be in the sect only it can be fulfilled?” Wen Yuan asked and then looked up at the sect leader of said sect. “Why isn’t Xian-ge part of the Yunmeng Jiang Sect anymore, Cheng-ge?” 

Jiang Cheng gritted his teeth and dropped his gaze, casting shadows over his eyes. Instead, Wei Wuxian lied without batting an eye, the black flute on his waist somehow feeling exceptionally heavy. “I quit the sect.” 

The real reason was something only Jiang Cheng and he would know, and he’d rather take on the hate than shoulder it with his brother-in-all-but-blood. Let this be his silent contribution to the sect.  

“I promised Jiang Cheng we will be the twin prides of Yunmeng. I cannot do that if I'm no longer part of the sect,” Wei Wuxian continued. 

“Rulan-didi and A-Yuan can keep that promise for you!” Wen Yuan suddenly exclaimed. “Oh, is Rulan-didi part of the sect? Can A-Yuan join? Then we can help keep the promise!” 

Jin Rulan’s mother and uncle were from the Yunmeng Jiang sect. Maybe he was a member too? Then Wen Yuan could join and always play with Jin Rulan, and keep the promise! 

Wei Wuxian stared. His mind processed the words before he burst out into laughter, the bumpy movements arousing Jin Rulan awake. Wen Yuan was already wearing the Yunmeng Jiang robe and personally, he did find it endearing to have his nephew wear the same. Who would know? They could be the twin prides of Yunmeng! 

Jiang Cheng scowled when he noticed Jin Rulan waking up, hiding the fact that despite having given the robe to Wen Yuan, it didn’t change the fact that he was— 

“He’s a Wen,” Jiang Cheng seethed through gritted teeth.  

“He’s a child ,” Wei Wuxian easily countered. 

Jiang Cheng held back from squeezing Wen Yuan, his muscles tense and straining against his will. “His family is—” 

“—gone,” Wei Wuxian interrupted with a tone of finality. 

They stared at each other.  

‘ He is from a family of murderers. ’  

‘ He is only a child. Their sins are not for him to bear.’  

“Who are your parents, A-Yuan?” Wei Wuxian asked after raising a hand to lightly pinch a sleepy and confused Jin Rulan’s cheeks. 

Wen Yuan shook his head, painfully aware of the suddenly heavy atmosphere. He felt as though anything he said would simply make it worse. “A-Yuan doesn’t know. Qing-jiejie said that they… died when I was born. If... it isn’t good for A-Yuan to join, then I won’t join.” 

Wei Wuxian glanced at Jiang Cheng once he said those words. Being dead when the child was born meant four years ago, and the death of the Yunmeng Patriarch and his Lady happened after that. A parent’s sin could—should—be taken by their child, but not an entire sect.  

Jiang Cheng remained quiet. 

Wen Yuan carefully and slowly lowered his body back to lie in Jiang Cheng’s embrace. ‘A-Yuan said something wrong again… ’ He mentally sighed.  

It fell silent once more. 

… 

“That's always a thought.” 

“You’d actually allow it?” 

“It's only a thought .” 

 .❀。• *₊°。 ❀°。 

 Light footsteps tapped against the wood. The humid breeze picked up the locks of her silky hair not tied into the braided buns and the hems of the thin coat wrapped around her slender shoulders. A graceful smile adorned her pink lips. 

Jiang Yanli stopped by the edge of the pier, feeling her heart grow tender soft and warm at the sight. In the setting sun painting the waters and white lotuses red and orange, two young men sat shoulder to shoulder. Jiang Cheng’s head comfortably rested against Wei Wuxian’s shoulder, who had his own head resting atop Wei Wuxian’s. Hours had passed since they left for the pier and they hadn’t return, so she thought to come and check. 

She giggled at the white dog ears peeking from under Wei Wuxian’s thick hair that was slipping out of the ponytail, and the pair of matching dog tails curled on the pier. Her slender fingers gripped at the shoulder of her coat and noiselessly slipped it off. With quiet steps, she stepped forward and draped the coat across Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng’s shoulders. It wrapped around them just right with no signs of falling.  

She suddenly paused mid-way in straightening her back. Her breath hitched in her throat and her heart was filled with a mix of emotions: despair, relief… warmth. Biting her bottom lip, she slowly retreated and blinked the pooling tears away after seeing the child in purple. Yes! The Qishan Wen Sect massacred her parents and burnt down Lotus Pier, but the past was the past, and Wen Yuan… really was innocent. Hatred would lead her and Jiang Cheng nowhere; anger just a catalyst for more destruction. 

A shadow loomed over her and a thin cotton coat suddenly draped over her head and shoulders. A familiar scent; a familiar presence. Strong, calloused hands turned her around and planted themselves upon her pink cheeks. The thumbs tenderly wiped the tears away as warm lips met with her forehead. She giggled under her breath, the beads of tears sparkling on her eyelashes. Jiang Yanli held onto the coat covering her with a thumb when her head tilted up, gladly meeting the inviting lips with hers. Warmth travelled from the tall man’s shy kiss and the love suddenly burst in her heart. Stepping closer, Jiang Yanli held the coat higher with a hand, allowing it to dance with the breeze as her free one snaked around her husband’s neck, pulling the stiffening man deeper into the kiss. With a gentle nibble on his bottom lip, she lightly sucked on his tongue, massaged it with hers one last time before cheekily pulling back. 

She came face-to-face with an entirely red-faced Jin Zixuan. From the skin peeking out from his collar and to his ears and forehead, his blood boiled from shyness and embarrassment, but his gaze was adoringly tender and gentle while he stared into his wife’s eyes. 

“How was today?” Jin Zixuan asked softly while adjusting the coat to properly cover her shoulders before making their way back home. 

Jiang Yanli held his hand and smiled. “It went really well.” She hummed in surprise when the hand she held slipped out of her grasp, only to giggle when her husband’s blush deepened from snaking the arm around her waist. She stepped closer and teased. “How was staying cooped up in my room?” 

 Contrary to her expectations, Jin Zixuan smirked and leaned down to whisper in her ear. The warmth of his skin and his breath caused her cheeks to blush like red roses in full bloom, and he couldn’t help but plant a wet kiss at seeing her adorable expression. She playfully slapped his shoulder and huffed. 

Jin Zixuan laughed heartily, pulling his wife flush against his side. “I wasn’t wrong, was I?” 

Jiang Yanli chuckled and rested her cheek on his shoulder. “We should get A-Cheng to babysit A-Lan more often.” 

“Of course, he should. I want more alone time with my beautiful wife,” Jin Zixuan said proudly as they crossed the threshold into the home. 

“What happened to my shy, blushing husband? Your compliments are flowing today,” Jiang Yanli glanced at him from under her lashes.  

At hearing her calling him ‘husband’, love and warmth would always permeate through his entire being and soul, and this moment was no exception. His confidence cracked as the red blush reappeared upon his skin. “What? I can’t compliment my wife?” he snapped unhappily and averted his gaze, though he was giddy inside. 

Being married for two years really did wonders on him. He wouldn’t exchange it for anything; these years were the best years of his life. And he was still learning; learning how to love, learning how to express himself, and learning to treat her right. 

Jiang Yanli simply giggled and tugged at his collar. Jin Zixuan turned back, complying with her actions when his eyes shot open. His blush could only deepen again when Jiang Yanli kissed him—in front of all the Yunmeng disciples. Though it was brief, he swore his soul ascended to heaven. 

“W-W-What’d you do that for!” 

“Hehe. Come on, there’s still dinner.” 

With a grumble, Jin Zixuan replied while lowering his head when he noticed all the pretending-to-be-blind disciples, “I'll help you.” 

 .❀。• *₊°。 ❀°。 

 “What do you mean I'll never find a wife?” 

“Tch. Of course, you won’t.” 

“Hmph. I think you're talking about yourself. How can we even find a lady that’s—” 

“Sh-shut it!” 

“Tall, soft-spoken—” 

“Shut up, Wei Wuxian!” 

Wen Yuan easily ignored the bickering around him and picked some scrambled eggs for Jin Rulan to eat. Jiang Yanli smiled and watched her son eat independently, unperturbed by the porridge smudged all over his mouth; she could always clean after. 

“You’re the Yiling Patriarch. What girl would marry you?” Jiang Cheng shot but his chopsticks picked up the braised pork ribs near to him and placed it in Wei Wuxian’s rice bowl. 

“Maybe I won’t marry a girl then!” Wei Wuxian righteously said while picking the boiled vegetables and putting it in Jiang Cheng’s own rice bowl.  

Their bickering lasted a long time. As usual.  

Meanwhile, in Jiang Yanli’s room… 

Jin Zixuan sulkily stabbed at his rice with his chopsticks and chomped down on it. Smaller dishes of what was being served his wife and company was on the tray before him.  

He was eating alone. But he wanted to eat his wife’s cooking with his wife, damn it! 

 .❀。• *₊°。 ❀°。 

 When dinner was finished, Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng offered to look after the boys when Jiang Yanli excused herself. The four of them were now in Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng’s old bedroom, and the boys were already dozing off as they laid on the floor. Pillows, not the ones sacrificed for their dog ears and tails, were placed on the ground to support Wen Yuan and Jin Rulan’s heads. Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng watched over them in silence, but even they started feeling drowsy in the comfortable atmosphere and full stomachs.  

Darkness consumed them. The moon hung high in the sky. 

A shadow appeared in the dark and it drew closer and closer. Its silhouette was blurry in the haze but there was a smile on the angular jaw. He was tall, the black robes blending with the darkness. The silhouette stepped closer; inky black hair and a handsome face. A hand reached out and Wei Wuxian mirrored his action. 

“Dad—” 

His arms encircled the figure, feeling a toughness under his touch. There were warmth and a familiar scent—a scent not his father’s!  

Wei Wuxian’s eyes snapped open and he stared wide-eyed at an awkward Jin Zixuan. They were the closest they’ve ever been in their life, so close that Wei Wuxian could see the thick eyelashes of his brother-in-law trembling from his darting gaze. Jin Zixuan had one hand patting Wei Wuxian’s head, as a father would comfortingly to his son. Feeling his arms wrapped around something, Wei Wuxian looked down and scrambled away in panic. His face paled and his mind went blank.  

“W-Why!” Wei Wuxian hissed in a whisper as he heavily breathed against the wall, afraid of waking up his nephew. 

“How would I know?” Jin Zixuan snapped back equally soft and willed the blush to go away. If he knew his brother-in-law hugged in his sleep, he wouldn’t have gone to pick his son up!  

‘Jin Rulan just had to sleep next to Wei Wuxian,’ he lamented. 

He had seen Wei Wuxian’s pained expression while asleep when he bent down to pick up Jin Rulan. He blamed it on the newly acquired fatherly instincts, but he had lifted a hand and softly patted Wei Wuxian’s head. Who knew the young man would cry out “Dad” and hug him!? 

 Hearing Jin Zixuan’s explanation, Wei Wuxian grimaced and apologised. He continued to stay far away from the other man, memories of nearly killing him when he lost control of Wen Ning resurfacing in his mind. He had no face and no confidence to look at Jin Zixuan, otherwise, why would he visit once he heard he was away? 

Seeing the downcast expression, Jin Zixuan glanced at the still sleeping Jiang Cheng and Jin Rulan, and whispered to Wei Wuxian, “I don’t hate you; you know?” 

“Huh?” Wei Wuxian glanced up. 

But Jin Zixuan was focused on his son’s adorable sleeping face. Rather than repeating himself or explaining himself, he said, “You can visit.” 

Wei Wuxian’s confused gaze bore into Jin Zixuan’s resolute ones. “What?” 

“You can visit.” 

“Where?” 

“…A-Lan. At home.” Jin Zixuan wondered if this young man before him was really as smart as he ought to be. 

“But I…” Wei Wuxian’s words died in his throat. “You hate me.” 

“I don’t.” 

“The sect does.” 

“Are you pretending to be an idiot? You can easily get in and out of Carp tower anyway! So, you can visit A-Lan whenever you want without the sect knowing! Hmph!” Jin Zixuan harrumphed and stood up. He left the bedroom without even a glance back.  

Wei Wuxian sighed and glanced at the fully awake Jiang Cheng, who was staring at him with a flat look with his head propped up on an elbow; Wen Yuan was happily asleep before him, a blanket was drawn up to his chin. Seeing the smile slowly curve on Wei Wuxian’s face, Jiang Cheng flatly said, “No chance.” 

“Why not?” 

“I'm not going to invite you to come home,” Jiang Cheng snarled before dropping his head back onto the pillow and closed his eyes. “But when you come, make sure to bring A-Yuan with you too.” He kept his eyes closed as if he hadn’t uttered a word; as if he hadn’t just invited them back.  

With a chuckle, Wei Wuxian crawled back to his pillow and laid down. His gaze would flicker from the door to Jiang Cheng and Wen Yuan. 

‘Yeah, I'm home. ’ 

 .❀。• *₊°。 ❀°。 

 “Hopefully we wouldn’t have to resort to rumours again to get him to visit,” Jin Zixuan scoffed, grumbling under his breath, as he removed his outer robes while in Jiang Yanli’s private room. 

“A-Xian wouldn’t visit if he knew you were here.” 

“…Yeah.” 

But it had managed to work out in the end, and Jin Zixuan could (hopefully) settle things between Wei Wuxian and him. He wanted to see the young man sneak into Carp Tower and surprise his son one day—or not. Jin Rulan might learn some bad habits. 

Shrugging his shoulders, he pulled Jiang Yanli who was properly putting his robe away close to him. This time, it was she that flushed in the endearing, delicious red. She could feel his hard muscles under the thin inner layer brimming with strength. Every bumps and dips under her fingertips, she could see them in her mind. 

“Should we give A-Lan a younger sibling?” He kissed her neck at the spot slightly lower than the back of her ear, grinning at the pleasurable shudders racking her body like he knew it would. 

Without first replying to his question, she smiled and pulled her man down for a kiss. “Sure.” 

 .❀。• *₊°。 ❀°。 

[angst-king]

Fireman flu

(These characters are mine. This is an BNHA gen 2 AU where they kids are going to a career school and not a hero or regular school. This story contains Jasori..Jasuma x Azori)

Jasuma was walking down the hallway with his boyfriend, Azori always walked Jasuma to his class since their class rooms were close. "Alright babe see you after class" Azori bends down a little to kiss his boyfriend sweetly. "See ya~" Jasuma then walked into his class, going into his back he grabbed his apron and tied it on. His classmates smiled at him as he came over to his table group. "Hey 'Suma' how ya doing?" Asked Atsumi, Jasuma sat down and grinned "I'm good how about you Sumi-senpai" "I'm great" Another girl came over getting off of her phone. "Hey Sumi how ba do you think this year's FF gonna be?" "huh oh yeah I hope the FF this year wont be too bad..it shouldn't be but...that might not be the case." Jasuma stared confusedly at his upper classmen. "hey Sumi-Senpai what is FF and what's so bad about it?"  the girls looked at each other. "they haven't told you yet? Huh I guess we should tell him he is a first year." The girls nod Atsumi began to explain. "FF means Fireman Flu, its like when you hear the fresher's flu...You know firemen can be very destructive, loud, a little reckless, stubborn, and prideful." Jasuma gave a little giggle "that sounds like my boyfriend...what about it?" "well some how every year the fireman end up coming down with a bad cold and it spreads through their class like wild fire. Reason being is, they refuse to stay in their dorm unless they are unable to move from their bed. You can tell them until you're blue in the face that they should stay home when they're sick but nope. They come to class like its normal and end up getting everyone sick...Its pretty contagious." Jasuma nods in understanding then asking. "Why don't they stay home?" Atsumi's friend  Yui sighed "for some reason they act like they're the only fire department in the area. They also make up some excuse of 'if we all called out sick then who's gonna put out the fires'  or 'Can't let a little cold stop you from doing your job or training' They wouldn't all get sick like they do if at least one of them stayed in their dorm!" "oh jeez wow so does it spread through the school?" "oh yeah believe me its all fun and giggles watching the fire fighters try and run drills while sneezing but then once it makes its rounds to the other classes...its terrible." "Oh jeez that does sound bad...do they know you guys call it that or like?" "No we don't tell them anything it also is a bad idea to avoid them because. They may look scary and intimidating but they are just big sweethearts and its a little too tempting to help them or something. Avoiding them or telling them just makes them upset." Yui states with a bit of an eye roll. Atsumi then asked "Jasuma isn't Azori in Firefighting and EMS?" "yeah, and I'm pretty sure he's gonna be like how he always is, stubborn. He refuses to give in to being sick or well at least in front of people. Once I can get him to lay down and rest he a sweetheart." "Well good luck with him" Atsumi huffed "Oh yeah, I basically do small things for him until he finally crashes." "Just don't tell him about the 'FF', okay." Jasuma nods to Atsumi's agreement. It had been a week in the start to the FF has started, you could walk by the fire fighter class and hear sniffles, coughs, and sneezes. Some of the students couldn't help look in disgust at the sickly class's door. Today Azori was one of the latest victims of the FF, waking up to his alarm he groaned. Sitting up to a dull ache in his head, rubbing his temples. He coughed into his elbow feeling the gross sludge trickling down his throat. Sniffling softly he get up and he can already feel how heavy and achy his body is. Jeez who turned on the AC?! Azori didn't feel like making his bed so he just got himself physically ready, brushing his teeth and all but. He didn't really brush his hair, just put some of it in a messy pony tail because he was lazy. He continued his morning routine sluggishly, pulling on his clothes which didn't keep him any warmer. A black short sleeve dry-fit t-shirt with their fire station on the front and their names on the back. He pulled on his big fireman pants, his jacket was in the locker room along with his other gear. He dragged himself down to the common room to get something to eat. Getting down stairs he sees his boyfriend and friends eating their breakfast. Sniffling and rubbing at his runny nose calls out. "Hey guys" His voice was a tad deeper and had a croaky sound to it. "You okay dude you look like crap?" Questioned Makuyama who sat on the counter while eating. Sniffling his nose twitched before Azori let out a soft "Asshiiew! Aasshiew!" into his elbow. "Bless you babe you okay? Are you sick?" Asked Jasuma sweetly, Azori shook his head clearing his throat before talking. "I'm fine just have the fucking sniffles" Jasuma rolled his eyes at his stubborn boyfriend to just went and got himself a protein shake. Azori chugged down his shake, it was cold but he knew he needed it since he didn't feel like eating or cooking. Jasuma knew his boyfriend was sick and was pretty prepared for this outcome. He went through his boyfriend's book bag and put in a small box of supplies that he knew Azori would appreciate. Closing the book bag before Azori noticed as he was talking to his friends and trying to act fine. When it was time to leave the dorms for class, Azori grabbed his bag and got ready to walk with Jasuma to class. "you ready baby?" He asked, Jasuma nods and comes to join him. Walking out to the school building, while holding hands Jasuma could feel his lover shivering and would hear him sneeze every so often. Strolling through the hall Jasuma chatted with Azori about things he'd saw on social media. Azori would nod or 'mhm' or 'ah', his head was hurting and was feeling foggy from the congestion and drowsiness. 'Naaw poor babe, I wish he'd stay in bed' Jasuma thought to himself, when they were about to part ways, Jasuma pulls Azori down to his height. "I packed you somethings to help you get through the day..I love you~" He says softly giving Azori's nose a kiss, Azori was a little slow but just nods. "I love you too" Jasuma then left his love to get to his class. So that he did, trudging to class, he opens the large doors and walks in. "Oi, Azori's alive~" Sarcastically cheered one his teammates, they could all tell he didn't look too hot. Sitting his sore body down felt nice. Looking curiously he thought about what his boyfriend may have packed him. So he reached into it, when some more of his team came over; seemingly to have the same set of sniffles and sneezes as the crimson eyed boy. Unzipping his book back he pulls out the small box when some the others peered over. "yo Zor what cha go in there?"  Azori shrugged "my boyfriend put it in here." He then opens the box and smiles a little, teammates over his shoulder seem quizzical. "Ooh what's in there?" Azori pulls out what was inside. Two small boxes of tissues, cough drops, vitamin c powder packets, a small water bottle. Hand warmers, hand sanitizer, and a menthol stick. "Wow your boyfriend sure is sweet, my girlfriend just said 'stay away until Spring'.." Pouted one of the guys "same well my girl just hit me with a box of tissues, literally." Azori chuckles and then notices a note inside of the box. He pulls it out "read it dude, I dare ya" Challenged another so that's what Azori did. "Alright Alright.,.'dear Azori, beause you're a stubborn bull I made you this package; try not to get anyone sick. Hope you like this, since I know you don't exactly like it when I dote on you publicly. Yes yes i know I'm a dork but, this should help you get through the day...I love you~'" By the end Azori was blushing while the junior firefighters all teased, cooed, or some form of silly teammate behavior. "Naw dude your boyfriend is the best" "Zor I swear, if you ever hurt him you deserve what he gives you. He's fucking cute!" Azori drowned them out by snatching up a few tissues to cover up his sneezes. "Ashiiew! Asshiiew!..Ah Assshiiew!" Then blowing his reddening nose into the bouquet of tissues. In Jasuma's class, Jasuma sat down with Yui and Atsumi. "so Jasuma how's Azori?" "he's sick" He simply Yui who frowned "jeez that sucks, you might be next" "so did you tell him to stay back until he's better or what Suma?" Jasuma chuckles thinking about the package he left Azori. "Oh I just gave him a little package with some things to help him get through the day." "Aaw Suma, you're better than me, I would've just left him to deal with it if he was gonna be stubborn." Atsumi giggles at Yui's opinion "reasons why Yui doesn't date fire fighters." Yui sticks her tongue out at the joking girl who continues. "Any way that's very sweet of you, why'd you think of doing that?" Jasuma thought about it and shrugged. "Honestly I thought about it from their side. i mean they're train to run into burning buildings and save people, they are trained to be tough, so to them. Getting a cold may not be a good thing but someone's gotta save people. We are still pretty young and they probably have a savior complex and would feel bad if they couldn't help. Basically to them its 'if i can still get out of bed, i'm not vomiting or feeling faint, then I can work.' They are stubborn by nature..so if you can't force them to stay in bed, might as well try and help them instead of abandoning them." Jasuma did give a pretty compelling argument, Atsumi and Yui seemed to understand it better. "That makes sense, they're doing a job that can involve risking their lives, so a measly cold shouldn't set them back when they're needed." Atsumi concluded "yeah, okay, they're dedicated, strong, and sweet I'll give'em that. They also give nice hugs." "yeah, they may not seem like it but they're pretty good listeners as long as they its not a long lecture." the three giggle at Yui's last statement "Look at you talking nice about the firefighters" "yeah yeah, just don't get me sick and we'll be fine" It was the end of school for them, Jasuma was headed to Azori's class to meet up and walk back to the dorms. 'I wonder how he's doing?' He thought to himself as he approaches the door seeing the firefighting emblem. Opening the door Jasuma walks in to see the team putting things away, some laying their heads down on the table, others talked. Looking around for Azori, Jasuma was noticed by the taller boys. "Oh hey Jasuma, you looking for Azori?" "yeah where is he?" Jasuma was a little worried, the boys beckoned him over to the ambulance they had next to their third fire truck. Coming over, one of the boys opened the back doors shushing loud laughter. when the doors were completely open Jasuma couldn't help but find it cute. There he was, Azori was laying in the ambulance bed asleep. His nose a little drippy and an angry red, tissues littering his pockets, his helmet still on his head while he was curled up snoring. "We were doing check ups and stuff with each other ad he fell asleep, we tried to wake him up but all he did was go back to sleep. Sensei  just said to let him sleep." Explained one of the boys, they helped Jasuma into the ambulance allowing him to get to Azori. Jasuma really didn't want to wake him up but, they had to leave and he can't just sleep in the ambulance. So he gently shook him awake. "wakey wakey baby~" His gentle voice called out, a few seconds and Azori began to stir. He whined in his sleepy sick voice with a snort "no" Jasuma coaxed his boyfriend to wake up, finally with his groggy eyes open, Azori sits up like a child rubbing his eyes and humming in response. "hmm?' "Hey Azori, its me Jasuma." "Hm? Dork what are you doing here during class?" Jasuma chuckles "baby class is over, you fell asleep." Sleepy lids reveal tired red eyes that stare into shining blue ones. "Come on babe, lets go to the dorms so you can go back to sleep." Jasuma helps him, but Azori being much taller hits his head on the ceiling of the ambulance making him wince. "sorry babe, you okay?" "yeah" Once out of the vehicle the boys smile "Oi Jasuma thanks for sending Azori that package. We may have drank that flavoring stuff and used the tissues." Bowed the group, Jasuma blushes but looks up at Azori "well at least I know it was used" Azori was too exhausted to make a comment, he just went and got his book bag and what ever he could take back to the dorm. Before leaving Jasuma waves to the large group of semi sickly teens who give their well wishes to their teammate. "Take good care of him" "feel better Zor" "don't die on us please!" Finally back at the dorms from what felt like a terribly long day. Jasuma leads Azori up to the bedrooms and goes to Azori's room. He got the other to change and take a shower, while he did that Jasuma went and made Azori some chicken noodle soup. He made it knowing that Azori liked it spicy, he also read how spices can help with congestion. With the way Azori had been snoring, he was definitely congested. By the time Jasuma came back up with the warm bowl soup, Azori was laying in bed in some warm comfy pajamas. Snuffling and sneezing into a wad of tissues, Jasuma puts on a fond smile and sits on the bed facing the ill love of his life. "Hey babe, I made you some soup, here hope ya like it." Azori gratefully takes the bowl and tastes it, he seems to like it which makes the brunet happy. when he finished most of it, Azori lays back down in bed. Thinking about it Jasuma knew he was bound to get sick, whether it was from Azori or not so he took his chances and got into bed. Holding Azori to they were cuddling, Jasuma plays gently with the messy locks or red and black. "Thanks for taking care of me dork, sorry if I get you sick though." "Any time big guy, I just want my big strong fire fighter to get over his terrible cold." Azori crackled a smile "I love you 'Suma' "I love you too Zori" When Azori had fallen asleep in Jasuma's arms, the smaller boy reached for his phone and took a picture of them both and posted on his social media. "poor baby has the fireman flu. Aka a stupid cold. Finally got him to rest."