#the tiger and the dragon chapter 9 | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

rosethornewrites · 2 years

Text

Fic: this body yet survives, ch. 14

Relationship: Lán Zhàn | Lán Wàngjī/Wèi Yīng | Wèi Wúxiàn

Tags: No War AU, Recovery, Trauma, Dissociation, Courtship, Courting Rituals, Near Death Experiences, Attempted Murder, Eventual Happy Ending, Panic Attacks, Vomiting, Siblings, Protective Siblings, Soup, Triggers, Protective Lan WangJi, Protective Lán Qǐrén, Yúnmèng Siblings Dynamics, Bad Parent Yú Zǐyuān, POV Third Person, POV Lan WangJi, reference to poisoning, reference to assassination, Reference to chronic illness, reference to infanticide, Depression, Minor Injuries, Painting, Gift Giving, Wèi Yīng | Wèi Wúxiàn Has a Fear of Dogs, Good Sibling Jiāng Chéng | Jiāng Wǎnyín, Good Sibling Jiāng Yànlí

Summary: A confrontation.

Notes: See end.

Parts 1 & 2

Chapter 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13

AO3 link

——————

After dinner, Jiang Yanli dressed Wei Ying like he was going to war, which Wangji had to admit, he was in a way—even identifying the culprit who applied the locking talisman, Jiang Wanyin had pointed out, didn’t mean there was only one. Hers, however, was a war of symbols.

The robe she chose for him to wear was one he hadn’t seen before, and from Wei Ying’s reaction, he hadn’t either. It was clearly made for a special occasion, not to be worn daily.

The embroidery was intricate and reversible, the look as delicate as a painting while using the five-color system. The fabric was a deeper blue, with a prominent motif of plum trees and blossoms across the bottom, most of the way to the simple light blue belt, done in delicate predominately white embroidery to enhance the symbolism of courage and moral purity. A pair of magpies graced the branches of the trees, a reminder of their impending marriage. Stalking the trunks, a beautifully-rendered tiger, representing Wei Ying’s courage and strength, but also a symbol of protection. Blue dragons stretched up the sleeves, their heads resting on the chest, symbols of healing and harmony. Across the back was a nature scene filled with animals and foliage that kept to a similar motif, from bamboo along a river to soaring cranes.

Included was a modest detachable collar, a four-panel yunjian that had ornate embroidery of mountains and clouds, the first to indicate steadfastness, the latter to remind that Wei Ying was now of GusuLan. Each shoulder was graced with a blue and silver butterfly among the clouds, a symbol of happy marriage.

Wangji wondered if this had been meant to be a wedding gift, and Jiang Yanli was now using it to send a message. It had clearly been made with Wei Ying in mind, the sleeves narrower at the wrists as he preferred. Something so ornate showed his worth and status to any who looked, a statement piece to be treasured.

She offered no explanation for the robe, simply choosing comfortable blue under-robes for it and ordering Jiang Wanyin to help him change. Wei Ying made no effort to protest, clearly overcome by the gift.

When Wei Ying emerged, he was resplendent, the belt resting at the narrowest part of his waist and accentuating his slim (still too-slim) figure. Wangji was stunned silent and Wei Ying blushed under his gaze.

Jiang Yanli then tackled his hair, taming it carefully with comb and oil, then using one of the more intricate Lan hairstyles she had learned to weave the forehead ribbon into the crown. She presented a new ribbon to him, made of mulberry silk, a brilliant crimson embroidered with delicate silver clouds. She used the gentian guan and the plum blossom hair stick, more clear messages about his status.

When she was finished, she draped the cloak from Wangji over his shoulders, fussing so it was open enough to show his clothing and thus make her intended statement—which seemed to be in part that Wei Ying was worthy of such finery.

It was nearing the end of the dinner hour when Jiang Yanli finished by straightening his headband and tweaking his nose, smiling.

Jiang Wanyin stood and handed Wei Ying his sword, and he slid it carefully into his belt as they left the guest house. They applied the locking talisman, which Wangji knew would continue to be used even after the attackers were rooted out, the incident having shattered the sense of security in the Cloud Recesses.

They made their way to the mingshi, in the chill of the late evening, the scent of impending snow on the air. From a distance, they could see the crowd, hundreds of people, all disciples and servants, even elders.

Wei Ying reached out subtly, grasping blindly, and Wangji took his hand immediately, squeezing gently to reassure him.

Such an act would send its own message, would show their relationship clearly and make Wei Ying’s connection to the Cloud Recesses inviolable. The Jiangs flanking them, they skirted the crowd and joined Shufu and Xiongzhang on the porch of the mingshi. A few murmurs broke out, the crowd having otherwise been Lan-silent, as they did. Their appearance made it clear the investigation into the acts against Wei Ying was complete, and would be dealt with tonight.

Wangji was struck suddenly by the symbolism of choosing the mingshi, the implication that a malevolent spirit would be summoned and dealt with. No doubt some of the clan recognized the message, at least those who had some proficiency in the gentlemanly arts. He was certain the more advanced also were reading the meaning of Wei Ying’s robe. He wondered how much of this had been coordinated with Jiang Yanli, or if the marriage of symbolism was a happy accident.

Glancing at Wei Ying, he could see that he had made the same realization and was worrying at the inside of his lip with his teeth. Wangji squeezed his hand again, hoping to remind him he wasn’t alone, and was rewarded with a soft smile.

Shufu cleared his throat and the murmurs died into silence, not even the sound of shifting bodies, as the crowd waited for what would come, a sort of breathlessness.

“I have gathered you here to root out the evil in our midst,” Lan Qiren announced, “so that they may be exorcized from our clan.”

Wangji was pleased Shufu made the implicit, explicit, leaving no room for ignorance on the symbolism that had been carefully brought together for this moment.

The silence in the wake of his announcement was so complete it was almost unnerving, and Wangji made himself survey the gathered mass of people for expressions that might betray the culprit even before their unmasking, but too many people looked upset and unnerved for him to tell.

The safety and serenity of the sect had been shattered by these events, and Wangji knew from having overheard disciples’ conversations that this unease and sense of mistrust had not been limited to Wei Ying and himself. What had been done was an evil againt the Cloud Recesses, and even exorcising it would still leave the unease and mistrust behind, wounds the sect would need to heal from.

Lan Qiren held up the talisman Wei Ying and Lan Tayi had produced, and Wangji realized he hadn’t seen the talisman master in the crowd, but remembered his comments about experimental talismans—he was likely toward the back, perhaps with other trusted clan members who had been ruled out, ready to stop anyone who might consider escape.

“The last craven attack on Disciple Wei involved a talisman charged with the attacker’s qi, which we managed to preserve, and we have discovered a method to track that qi to the jindan from which it originated.”

Xiongzhang presented the intact locking talisman, displaying it for the clan, and without any further pageantry Shufu affixed the tracking talisman to it and activated it.

As designed, the newly-connected talismans sent a wave of qi through the crowd, causing an odd sort of collective flinch. The effects of the talisman weren’t painful, but an unexpected wave of qi rushing through one could be very startling.

“Check the hands of the cultivators to your left and right,” Shufu ordered, and immediate rustling broke out as the crowd did just that.

In barely a moment, someone cried out in surprise.

“Report.”

Lan Qiren’s tone brooked no argument.

“Disciple Su’s hands, Lan-xiansheng! They’ve turned black!” a voice rose, edged with confusion.

Almost immediately, the area around the voice cleared to create space around him, revealing the speaker and a disciple trying to hide his hands in his sleeves.

Wangji took a moment to place him as the mediocre guqin player who had accompanied him and Xiongzhang to deliver the betrothal gifts. Who had therefore heard Jiang Wanyin tell him of Wei Ying’s fear of dogs, his reaction to lotuses, and had attacked Wei Ying with the very things Wangji was supposed to protect him from.

A rage unlike any he had ever felt before consumed him, only tempered and controlled when Wei Ying squeezed his hand. He took several deep breaths, focusing on his beloved, and only when he could resist the urge to unsheath Bichen did he dare turn his attention away.

There was no killing in the Cloud Recesses.

“Disciple Su, explain yourself.”

Xiongzhang’s voice was absolutely frosty, his words clipped in his anger, and Wangji realized that if he had recognized Disciple Su he could be blaming himself.

Disciple Su—soon to be former, at least—gave up trying to hide his hands and sneered.

“Why should I be ashamed of protecting the sect? That arrogant nobody, marrying into the main family? It’s disgraceful that the Second Jade has lowered himself to this trash, and he should be the one censured for sullying his robes in the gutter.”

Wei Ying’s grip on his hand became momentarily painful, and Wangji wondered briefly if he thought he would lose control, until he spoke.

“Judge me all you want, but you are not qualified to judge Lan Zhan.”

The grip had been unconscious, Wei Ying’s own rage and protectiveness of him, and Wangji was torn between wanting to insist that he also defend himself and wanting to do inappropriate things to him in public; he loved him so much.

“You were expelled from your sect for your overreach. A servant’s son should respect his betters,” Disciple Su spat. “Dogs—”

Abruptly his mouth shut and instead of finishing the crass chengyu, he made protesting noises—Shufu had Silenced him, blessedly cutting off the abuse.

Wangji was also disgusted at the poor use of the proverb; even if he was trying to disparage Wei Ying’s parentage, the phrase was about bad habits, not social status or caste. He was clearly a poor student.

“Some judgment, coming from a sneak-thief who would seek to harm our brother,” Jiang Wanyin hissed, his words audible to all gathered.

“Enough. Gossip is forbidden,” Shufu reminded the crowd. “You committed crimes against an inner disciple, the future husband of the sect heir. You have damaged the security of the entire sect. Punishment has been decided. Exile, recompense for damages, and kun xing.”

A shocked murmur ran through the crowd, though many faces showed approval. Disciple Su might have allies, but the vast majority of GusuLan clearly disapproved of his actions and saw the punishment as just.

Wangji was more focused on the emphasis on Wei Ying’s status as his betrothed, but it seemed Shufu was making clear that the attempt to prevent their marriage was unsuccessful.

Su Minshan drew his sword and spit blood on the ground as he forcibly broke Silence, and those around him backed off further.

“Wei Wuxian, I challenge you.”

A duel would change nothing, but Wangji’s best guess was that he was trying to save face or go out with a fight. Or perhaps he did not know of Wei Ying’s prowess and actually thought he could harm him, further solidifying Wangji’s poor opinion of his worth as a disciple.

He wasn’t prepared for Wei Ying to let go of his hand, turn to Shufu and Xiongzhang, and bow.

“This disciple requests authorization to answer Disciple Su’s challenge, Lan-zongzhu.”

There was no sign of his prior reluctance toward this course of action, and the change was stunning to Wangji, the serious set of his brow as he stood resplendent in robes that displayed his status beautifully. This was not Wei Ying putting on an appearance of being okay to reassure. This was a Wei Ying he had seen infrequently, usually during night hunts or at competitions—his true strength, not a show. This had been absent the last several years, and Wangji took in the sight with joy and relief.

Further, Wei Ying’s act of following the rule against fighting without authorization, in front of the entire sect, made it clear he was of GusuLan, the image clearly already placing Su Minshan as the one breaking clan orthodoxy so publicly.

Xiongzhang glanced to one side and Wangji followed his gaze to the head healer, who nodded. The healers would monitor Wei Ying, but he was medically cleared to fight.

“Permission granted, Wei-gongzi.”

Wangji could see the reluctance in Xiongzhang, his fear that perhaps Wei Ying, while able physically and in cultivation, could falter under the stress of the situation, could be injured. But Wei Ying’s demeanor was promising, though Wangji couldn’t help but be concerned anyway. He knew his skills, but could not help fearing for his safety.

Wei Ying turned to him and offered a gentle, reassuring smile, then asked him sweetly if he would hold his cloak for him so it wouldn’t be damaged, calling him A-Zhan in front of the entire clan when he did and setting his ears aflame at the intimacy of his tone.

“Of course, A-Ying,” he returned.

He kept his voice just as conversational as Wei Ying’s, ensuring his words would also be heard, pleased when his cheeks reddened and he ducked his head. It was delightfully shameless in front of an audience, but he didn’t care.

Wei Ying hopped off the porch of the mingshi to approach Su Minshan, who was scowling deeply. He stopped about ten feet away, and bowed, as was polite.

Su Minshan did not return the gesture, instead adopting an aggressive stance.

Wei Ying unsheathed Suibian and dropped into an advanced GusuLan style stance, rather than a stance from the Jiang style that he had grown up with, one that was visibly better than his opponent’s.

“You should rotate your left foot a little more,” Wei Ying said mildly.

Su Minshan reddened and glared, scoffing

“How arrogant—you barely know the Lan style!” he spat. “You and Lan Wangji, looking down on everyone like you’re better than them, it makes me sick.”

Wangji could see Wei Ying’s jaw clench, his anger never on his own behalf.

“Lan Zhan doesn’t look down on people; if anything, you’ve done nothing to merit his notice.”

The comment was not well-received, not that Wei Ying had intended it to be, and Su Minshan charged with a sloppy swing that Wei Ying easily avoided with a nimble flip over him, then lashed out with his sheath to smack his opponent’s sword arm, nearly disarming him. It was the sort of thing a training instructor would do to scold a junior.

“Your grip is faulty, and you broadcast your thrusts, making them predictable.”

“You—!” Su Minshan hissed before whirling and slicing at him, but Wei Ying was already moving smoothly back, the blade cutting nothing but air.

The move also pulled him off-balance, and Wei Ying told him he needed to plant his feet better to avoid losing his footing, which only served to enrage him further.

Wangji realized abruptly that Wei Ying had turned this into a teaching match, as though a duel with Su Minshan was beneath him. He was handily demonstrating the man’s mediocrity as a Lan disciple to those gathered, an extra sort of humiliation. He knew well enough that Wei Ying wasn’t doing so in anger over what had been done to him—instead it was likely a reaction to Su Minshan’s insults toward Wangji. He hoped someday Wei Ying would value himself as he did others.

The match also served to show exactly why Wei Ying had been so high ranked among their generation, the skills and talent he had with the sword. He had taught at Lotus Pier, Wangji remembered, before everything, and he wondered if Wei Ying would enjoy such a role at the Cloud Recesses at some point. This displayed his knowledge of the fundamentals, the need to control one’s body precisely in the art of the sword.

Altogether, it was riling Su Minshan’s temper, making him sloppier.

This continued for some minutes until a leg thrust out from the crowd in an attempt to trip Wei Ying. Wangji’s heart clenched, but he avoided it with a short hop that didn’t interfere with his retreat from Su Minshan’s blade in the least. He could hear Jiang Yanli’s gasp behind him.

In another moment, the perpetrator was on the ground, wrapped in a green rope of energy that writhed around him, and the crowd parted around him as he struggled. One of Lan Tayi’s talismans, he guessed, and a co-conspirator outed.

The bout continued, Wei Ying continuing to defend, never going on the offensive. Wangji’s unease was growing, but he wasn’t certain why until, as Wei Ying was parrying a blow, he broke from his stance to pivot suddenly, narrowly avoiding a blade stabbing at him from behind. Jiang Yanli yelled his name in alarm, but he quickly handled this situation, lashing out with his sheath, cracking the offending disciple across the face. The young man dropped like a stone, his nose clearly broken, dyeing his robes with his own blood.

“No killing in the Cloud Recesses!” Su She hissed, as though he was affronted by rule-breaking after all he’d done.

“I pulled the blow,” he answered, swiftly wiping blood from his sheath onto the downed man’s robes. “He’ll live, but he won’t be happy about it for a while once he wakes up.”

Wei Ying was purposefully luring out the co-conspirators with this battle, Wangji realized hollowly, leading them to feel Su She was being disrespected through his treatment of the duel so they would seek to help, putting his life at risk to root them out in this manner.

He didn’t dare turn from the fight to look to Xiongzhang or Shufu, to see if they had realized and would put a stop to it, nor the Jiang siblings. Wei Ying was dodging an attack, Su She vocally angry about his dismissal of the well-being of his unconscious co-conspirator, who was already being attended to by a healer.

Wangji tensed as Wei Ying cracked a reaching hand behind him with his sheath, ready to put a stop to it, but Jiang Wanyin grabbed his arm before he could.

“He has to do this. You know that. He’ll be fine.”

The next time someone tried to come from the crowd, bystanders restrained him and he never had the opportunity to attack, disarmed and thrown to the ground. A talisman was applied, and the young man was immediately restrained by thorny vines that shot from the earth around him to hold him fast. It restored some of his faith in his sect.

Wei Ying was being supported and defended by his fellow GusuLan disciples, perhaps the impact of his respect for the rules, perhaps based on his prowess with the sect fighting technique after only about a year of training, or perhaps because they knew his circumstances, how badly he’d already been abused, and this allowed them to help him find some justice. But also because these attacks had violated their home, destroying their sense of security.

He forced himself to relax his muscles, though his grip on Bichen was still tight.

If he intervened in this fight, he would also be undermining Wei Ying’s decision and his newfound confidence, which could have disastrous effects on his mental state in implying he needed Lan Wangji’s assistance.

Wangji wanted so badly to jump in, but he had to trust Wei Ying, could only support him from the sidelines, could only hope that this would help his zhiji instead of setting his recovery back.

The fight, if it could be called that, continued, Wei Ying’s swordsmanship clearly li above Su Minshan’s, with Wei Ying commenting on his sloppy footwork and occasionally hitting him across the fingers with his sheath when he was particularly sloppy with a swing, and offering advice on correcting his form. The comments and advice were delivered mildly, in sharp contrast with the blows—Wangji was fairly certain he’d broken at least one of his opponent’s fingers—the sound of which reverberated in the hush.

Another co-conspirator wound up with his own clothing going rigid and rendering him immobile, and another sunk abruptly into the ground like it was quicksand, and then it solidified around him, trapping him up to the shoulders with his head and forearms above the surface.

Six co-conspirators so far, each of them outer disciples, their ribbons plain.

After that one, Su Minshan paled and began making more unsavory comments, impugning the honor of Wei Ying, but also Wangji. This blurred the lines on which of them he truly took issue with—and Wangji hated the idea that Wei Ying could have been targeted to hurt him.

A period passed without any outside attempts to sabotage the duel. Su Minshan’s moves became more desperate, and finally he reached into his sleeve and threw a talisman at Wei Ying, a dirty move that made Wangji himself shout in wordless outrage, but Wei Ying simply bisected the talisman neatly with a slash of qi that sent Su Minshan tumbling.

Su Minshan lost hold of his sword and crawled toward it as though to continue the battle, but Wei Ying advanced and simply poked a spot on the back of his neck with his sheath, and his opponent’s body went limp, though he yelled accusations of cheating, slanderous lies, and obscenities until Shufu again Silenced him.

“Wen Qing taught the Lan healers how to immobilize me, since movement could worsen my wounds,” Wei Ying said to address the accusation, his voice hollow in the way it got when he was remembering unpleasant things. “I remembered.”

He shoved his sheath into his belt and picked up the pieces of the talisman, holding them up for all to see that it was meant to immobilize him, the sort of thing used to immobilize yao on night hunts.

“I only succeeded where you failed,” he said.

Wei Ying grabbed Su Minshan by the hair, carefully avoiding touching his ribbon, and placed the flat of of Suibian against the nape of his neck, ignoring his muffled protests and looking to Lan Xichen.

“Zongzhu, permission to begin kun xing?”

Xiongzhang looked frozen for a moment, clearly startled by how the match ended, but then he nodded minutely.

Wangji wanted to stop him, wanted to disabuse Wei Ying of his misplaced notion that this punishment had to be started by his hand, knowing it could haunt him, but he could only stand in silent support.

In one clean slice, Wei Ying’s blade sheared Su Minshan’s hair, some of it nearly shaved to his scalp, while wisps of longer strands fell around his ears. The rest would need to be shaved, but it was a start.

Shocked murmurs ran through the crowd as Wei Ying let him drop to the grass like a rag doll. He let the thick locks of hair and guan fall from his hand to land next to his tormentor, where he could see the remains of his honor.

Then Wei Ying traversed the field, stopping at each co-conspirator and applying Wen Qing’s immobilizing spell to each. He asked Xiongzhang for permission each time, and each time left the former disciple with the shorn hair. Then he sheathed Suibian and returned to the porch of the mingshi.

He was shaking minutely, so subtly no one would notice if they weren’t close to him, and Jiang Yanli drew him close and fussed over him, clearly making sure he was truly uninjured. Jiang Wanyin went to his other side and subtly let him lean on him.

“I don’t think you got any blood on your new robes,” she finally said, tweaking his nose. “My Xianxian is so talented!”

“Thanks, Jiejie,” he murmured, letting her dote on him, letting his brother support him.

Wangji wrapped him in his cloak, then gently took his sword hand and massaged the pads of his fingers and palm, feeling the taut, almost frozen muscles, and trying to help relax them. He longed to hold him, but had to refrain, the courtship too new to permit such an intimate act in public.

Xiongzhang stepped forward, and the crowd fell silent again.

“Bear witness to this punishment,” he told the crowd. “Any who dares attack a fellow disciple as Wei Wuxian has been attacked will face similar punishment.”

A team of disciples and servants finished the job of shaving the conspirators in front of all of GusuLan and, once Lan Tayi released them from the various talisman effects, carried them into the mingshi. When they were hauled out, all of them were wearing the unadorned green linen robes of criminals, and all of their swords and entry tokens had been confiscated. Even their boots were dyed green, something Wangji suspected had been done with a talisman. None of them wore their ribbons any longer.

Some of them looked stunned, as though they somehow had thought they would get away with their attacks on Wei Ying or perhaps hadn’t expected the severity of the punishment. Others looked angry, Su Minshan among them, glaring at Wei Ying from where he was held up between two disciples; Wei Ying didn’t spare him a glance. One disciple looked resigned, which meant perhaps there was hope he’d reform, not that Wangji cared. The one with the broken nose had been treated by a healer and had regained consciousness.

All had clearly been Silenced, some making muffled sounds of protest.

“We are not heartless,” Shufu announced. “Each of you will be given pouches with enough food to last through the borders of Gusu territory, nothing more. Beyond that, you are on your own. You are permanently cast out, never to return. If you violate your banishment, you will be further punished.”

A disciple placed a cloth with the seven culprits’ ribbons on the ground before the mingshi. Others stepped forward with the hair Wei Ying had cut, and piled it atop, handing Shufu the seven guan that had once crowned the culprits. They would be part of the recompense for Wei Ying, Wangji knew, though he hoped they would be melted down into something new.

Lan Xichen used a talisman to set the ribbons and shorn hair alight, sending the crowd reeling. One of the stunned-looking culprits burst into tears.

It was a shocking thing, to see the sacred ribbons burn, almost a sort of purification, an implication that the ribbons had been tainted by the ill intent and actions of those who had worn them. The symbolism piled up, the implication that this was an exorcism of an evil that had threatened the clan. In many ways, it was.

Wangji understood the need for these implications, but the layers of meaning exhausted him; he just wanted the culprits gone so that Wei Ying could have some peace.

Xiongzhang gestured, and a group of older inner disciples stepped forward, some from the group that had finished administering kun xing, likely chosen because they’d been ruled out as suspects. They joined those disciples flanking and carrying the immobilized criminals until there were enough for two to three per criminal. They attached small pouches to the belts of the seven criminals.

“You will be escorted to ensure you leave Gusu,” Xiongzhang says, his voice cold. “They are authorized to use force if attacked. I suggest you proceed peacefully. The immobilization spells will be lifted when you have exited the Cloud Recesses.”

Lan Xichen did not specify ‘non-lethal,’ Wangji noticed.

With another gesture, the disciples carried their burdens toward the gates of the Cloud Recesses, carrying their burdens with them.

Once they were gone, Xiongzhang dismissed the assembly, bidding them to adhere to curfew, and the field quickly emptied, those gathered clearly eager to process what had just occurred. Lan Tayi bowed to them and left as well.

When only they and the healers remained, Wei Ying swayed, and Wangji and Jiang Wanyin caught him together, easing him down until he was seated on the wooden planks of the porch, in no danger of falling. Jiang Yanli made a distressed noise and dabbed at his nose, which was bleeding sluggishly. His eyes were unfocused, and he clutched at Wangji’s hand.

The head healer rushed over and checked him, examining his qi in case it had been disrupted.

“He simply needs rest,” she said after she let go of his wrist. “He would be most comfortable doing that with you, rather than the infirmary.”

Wei Ying took a deep breath, clearly making an effort to focus.

“Jingshi?” he asked, his voice small.

His voice was shaky, and Wangji wondered if he had expended all the strength he had and was seeking strength in numbers, maybe even a sense of security in the home they will share once wed.

Wangji looked to Xiongzhang, who nodded.

“I’ll have the servants bring bedding and join you shortly.”

“I can do that and handle any remaining issues tonight, Xichen,” Shufu said, stroking his beard. “See to Wei Wuxian’s comfort.”

Xiongzhang bowed to him, looking relieved and wrung out himself. It had been difficult for him to order this punishment, Wangji knew, his heart wishing to believe the best of all people. These events had likely challenged his faith in people a bit, and being around good people tonight would help.

“Wei Wuxian, you did not need to push yourself,” Shufu said gently. “Take more care, and trust us to shoulder the burden.”

Wei Ying nodded, but seemed distantly confused, whether because of his exhausted disorientation or something more troubling, Wangji didn’t know. He could feel as though he couldn’t trust others to do so, and given how his former sect had failed him, that sentiment would be understandable, if heartbreaking.

Jiang Wanyin pulled Suibian from Wei Ying’s belt and handed it to Jiang Yanli. With the help of a healing apprentice, he maneuvered Wei Ying to the edge of the porch.

Wei Ying cooperated, though he refused to let go of Wangji’s hand. When Jiang Wanyin hoisted him on his back, he simply hooked his free arm around his brother’s shoulder without protest, letting his younger brother carry him, a clear indication of how exhausted he was.

“I will play for you,” Wangji told Wei Ying, squeezing his hand. “To help you rest.”

Wei Ying’s answering smile filled him with relief.

The full impact of tonight wouldn’t be clear until morning at the earliest, but at least it hadn’t taken his smile.

—————

There are multiple styles of Chinese embroidery. It’s interesting reading.

Yunjian are ornamental embroidered collars, also known as cloud collars because they generally had cloid embroidery. Depending on the dynasty, they were worn by both men and women.

The chengyu Su She is prevented from finishing is one I used in “the thread may stretch or tangle but it will never break,” ‘dogs can’t help eating shit.’ In this context he’s trying to say Wei Wuxian is low-born and no matter what he does his origins define him, but it’s poorly chosen. Basically Su She is trying to seem smarter than he is and it instead outs him as the opposite. He might also have chosen it to prey on Wei Wuxian’s fear of dogs.

Wei Wuxian keeps getting bloody noses in my fics. They can be an indication of qi disruptions, which can become deviations and cause damage, as I’m exploring in another fic. High emotion can disrupt qi (ex: wwx after the confrontation with jc at Lotus Pier).

Glossary:

Jiejie = older sister

kun xing = punishment of head shaving

li = a unit of measurement; 3.2 li is about a mile

mingshi = underworld room for summoning spirits

shufu = uncle

xiansheng = teacher

xiongzhang = elder brother (formal)

zongzhu = sect leader

In other news, I move tomorrow. I have no internet so I am posting this chapter using my phone. It’ll go up on FFN later, once I’ve moved.

18 notes · View notes

thehyperrequiem · 2 years

Text

Bww Costume Form Prompts

So anyways, I am bored and I decided to do my first prompt thingy, and it involves not just any characters as Balan Wonderworld Costumes, but the names of their costume forms, so send me a character/your muse and I shall give them an name to the costume form depending on the emoji you sent. (Multiple if you want the names of each form, but not all of the emojis) You can do more than characters from Balan Wonderworld, you can do characters from different fandoms, just pick an following emoji to get a costume form name and insert it to either here or in my inbox.

Chapter 1 Costumes 🌽

🐺 Tornado Wolf

🦘 Jumping Jack

🌻 Elastiplant

🐉 Dainty Dragon

🐖 Pounding Pig

🎸 Metal Bad Boy

🛼 Super Skater

Chapter 2 🌊

🐬 Dynamic Dolphin

⚡️ Jellyjolt

🧞‍♂️ Telepotter

😈 Double Jumper

🫧 Bubble Blower

🐸 Leap Frog

Chapter 3 🐛

🦋 Dusk Butterfly

🗡 Sickle Slinger

🕷 Web Wrangler

🏮 Lovely Lantern

🐹 Itsy-Bitsy Elf

🤠 Bullet the Kid

Chapter Four 🏙

🦇 Aero Acrobat

🐑 Soaring Sheep

🔫 Laser Launcher

🦊 Box Fox

🎺 Happy Horn

👑 Gear King

Chapter 5 🌳

🦜 Guardian Bird

👅 Lickshot Lizard

🥚 Lucky Egg

⚔️ Sickle Slayer

🔥 Hothead

🐓 Lucky Bird

Chapter Six ⏱

🐈 Air Cat

⚙️ Gear Prince

🎃 Pumpkin Puncher

🦆 Pounding Duck

🐰 Chronobunny

🦖 Lethal Vacuum Blaster

Chapter 7 🏰

♟ Quad Cannon

🌷 Floaty Flower

🐆 Speedy Cheetah

🐂 Tackling Bull

🤺 Paladin Puncher

👹 Triple Jumper

Chapter 8 ☃️

🦌 Frost Fairy

🧌 Frost Giant

🦭 Seal Skater

🎹 Amadeus

🧊 Hardy Hammer

💙 Lethal Laser Launcher

Chapter 9 🎡

🤡 Happy Blaster

🚂 Rail Runner

🐢 Slow Tortoise

🐼 Iron Panda

🤖 Pounding Robot

👻 Merry Ghost

🌛 Moonwalker

Chapter 10 🖼

🐙 Inky Blaster

🐒 X-Ray Ape

🦎 Sneaky Lizard

🦄 Air Unicorn

👾 Double Trouble

🌅 Dawn Butterfly

Chapter 11 🌉

🧯 Water Blaster

🚧 Bulldozer

🐁 Key Mouse

🪜 Ladderman

🦁 Flame Blaster

🚀 Iron Apollo

🛸 Airy Apollo

Chapter 12 🧊

🫥 Invisible Man

🐊 Vacuum Blaster

🐅 Jolt Tiger

🪬 Fixer-upper

🌞 Sunwalker

👽 Air Double Trouble

#Balan Wonderworld #bww #balanposting #bww costumes #emoji prompts #Balan Wonderworld Chapter 1 #Balan Wonderworld chapter 2 #Balan Wonderworld Chapter 3 #Balan Wonderworld Chapter 4 #Balan Wonderworld chapter 5 #Balan Wonderworld Chapter 6 #Balan Wonderworld chapter 7 #Balan Wonderworld Chapter 8 #Balan Wonderworld chapter 9 #Balan Wonderworld Chapter 10 #Balan Wonderworld chapter 11 #Balan Wonderworld Chapter 12

14 notes · View notes

ziskandra · 2 years

Text

Fic Round Up 2021

Better late than never! Featuring 55 fics over 8 fandoms — no wonder I was so tired by the end of the year! 😅

(Fandoms are: Ace Attorney, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Dragon Age, Harry Potter, Mass Effect, My Fair Lady, The Outer Worlds, and Tiger & Bunny.)

Fun stats: I wrote 88k in 2021, compared to 120k(!!) in 2020.

This year I'm sitting at about 43k posted, so maybe I'll end up with a nice round 60k.

Listed by fandom, in order of being written (oldest to newest).

Under the cut for length!

Ace Attorney

in memoriam; Franziska & Miles; Franziska and Miles attend Manfred von Karma's funeral. (100 words, rated G.) the resilience of fools; Miles/Phoenix; This could not be allowed to persist. It could not. (200 words, rated G.) Backstage; Franziska/Klavier; Franziska spends some time with her favourite Gavinner. (100 words, rated E.) Perception; Apollo/Trucy; Apollo and Trucy navigate an uncomfortable truth. (1.3k words, rated E.) Scars; Franziska/Miles; Miles Edgeworth belongs to her. (100 words, rated T.) That Man; Kristoph/Miles; Miles Edgeworth has always been drawn to those who seem so utterly in control. (200 words, rated T.) poor, pathetic, pitiable; Dahlia/Phoenix; Dahlia always gets what she wants in the end. (1.3k words, rated E.) Walls; Miles/Phoenix; There's something about how Miles keeps trying to push him away that keeps Phoenix coming back for more, more, more. (300 words, rated E.) Chasing Demons; (chapters 9-11); Franziska & Manfred & Mia & Ensemble; Franziska von Karma is haunted by ghosts. Who are they? What do they want with her? And what do they have to do with the identity of her mother, a family secret her father has always kept close to his chest? (15k/35k written in '22, still a WIP...) Contradiction; Franziska/Miles; Franziska has doubts about attraction to men and decides to put it to a test. (700 words, rated T.) Exposure; Manfred/Miles; After Miles is injured in a car accident, his mentor helps him shower. (1.5k words, rated E.) A Mirror or a Ghost; Dahlia/Iris; Things would be easier if the dead would stay dead. (Iris isn't so lucky.) (1k words, rated T.) Danger; Kristoph/Phoenix; Phoenix loves the thrill of danger. (100 words, rated T.) The Last Laugh; Athena & Shih-na; Eight years after the crimes for which she was incarcerated, the spy formerly known as Shih-na reaches out to Athena to request help negotiating a parole deal. (2k words, rated T.) Best Served Hot; Franziska/Miles; Franziska finally discovers a way in which she can triumph over Miles Edgeworth. (2k words, rated E.)

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

In It To Win It; Audra/Rebecca; Stranded in New York City, Rebecca is left to rely on her old frenemy. (1.7k words, rated T.) Crossroads; Audra/Rebecca; Audra's soulmate can't be Rebecca Bunch. (2.6k words, rated T.)

Crossover Fandom

Ace Attorney/Tiger & Bunny; Parallels in Pink; Miles/Phoenix & Barnaby/Kotetsu; Miles never thought he'd meet someone who could understand what he'd been through. (800 words, rated G.) | Ace Attorney/Tiger & Bunny; Powers; Kaede & Trucy; Upon meeting, Kaede and Trucy test the limits of their powers. (100 words, rated G.)

Dragon Age

Comparatively Speaking; Celia/Loghain; It might be unkind to compare his wife to his former love, but it makes Loghain appreciate Celia all the more. (100 words, rated G.) Slow Dance; Loghain/Rowan; Loghain has mixed feelings at Rowan and Maric's wedding. (100 words, rated G.) woof, HONK, woof woof woof, HONK HONK!!; Mabari & Geese; It is a horrible day in Skyhold, but you are a beautiful (and courageous!) mabari. (29 words (+ bad art!), rated G.) Wrestle; Cassandra/Female Trevelyan; Cassandra had never thought something so simple as an arm wrestle would force her to finally confront her feelings for the Inquisitor. (1.3k words, rated T.) a celebration of being alive; Female Cousland/Loghain; Loghain thought Cousland deserved better than the attentions of a lecherous old man but she was the one who kept entering his tent. (2.7k words, rated E.) Fortune Favours the Bold; Carver/Merrill; Surely if wyvern guts were known to have aphrodisiac qualities, they would've received some prior warning. (4k words, rated E.) Fall Into Place; Rowan/Loghain/Maric; After a series of revelations, Loghain makes peace with Rowan, and comes to terms with his feelings for his best friend. (2.6k words, rated E.) All That Glitters; Loghain/Morrigan; they find a moment of comfort together in each other's arms when reunited at Skyhold. (600 words, rated T.) Strange Bedfellows; Loghain/Morrigan; Early into her pregnancy, Loghain follows Morrigan into the world beyond the eluvian instead. (600 words, rated T.) Calculated Risk; Female Hawke/Varric; Hawke and Varric's routine shaving centre becomes unexpectedly erotic. (800 words, rated M.) Common Ground; Alistair/Anora; Four months into their marriage, Anora opens up to Alistair about her mother. (1.6k words, rated T.) Sealing the Deal; Loghain/Morrigan; Morrigan isn't accustomed to men caring about her needs, but Loghain proves to be an anomaly. (1.9k words, rated E.) In Judgment; Anders/Nonbinary Cadash; When Anders is brought to Cadash in chains, Cadash realises they have more in common with one another than is apparent at first glance. (1.5k words, rated T.) A Whole Brand New Feline; Josephine; Josephine is initially unimpressed by the cat causing issues in her office, but she comes to appreciate its charms in time. (1.4k words, rated G.) Stay; Loghain/Maric; Against all odds, Loghain saves him. (1.5k words, rated T.) Champion; Female Hawke/Meredith; They'd had an agreement. (300 words, rated M.)

Harry Potter

Sink or Swim; Oliver/Percy; Percy has always struggled to keep his head above water. (12k words, rated T.) Under Pressure; Oliver/Percy; Percy has a routine that lets him unwind after work, and his flatmate is never, ever supposed to find out. (3k words, rated E.) where the heart is; Ginny/Luna; Luna’s never been much of a morning person unless she’s working on a project. (400 words, rated G.) together, they continue; Oliver/Percy; Percy takes Oliver home to meet his family. (100 words, rated G.) The Arrangement; Dumbledore & Percy; After Mr Crouch’s death, Percy’s fledgling career is in tatters. Professor Dumbledore has a solution. (2.6k words, rated T.) to hide the brittle; Hermione/Pansy ; Pansy stumbles into Hermione’s flat after snogging her in a cupboard at the Ministry’s end-of-year do, but it doesn't mean she's growing soft. (1.1k, rated E.) Brilliant; Hermione/Percy; After a long day of being on top, there's comfort in being told what to do. (1.1k words, rated E.) On Family; Hermione/Percy; Now coworkers together in the Ministry of Magic, Percy and Hermione try to finalise their holiday plans. (100 words, rated G.)

Mass Effect Trilogy

the heat of the sun; Female Shepard/Garrus/Kaidan; While keeping vigil at the bedside of the woman they both love, Kaidan and Garrus come to an understanding. (1.8k words, rated T.) rebirth; Female Shepard/Miranda; Miranda could bring Shepard back to life again, and again, and again. Shepard isn't sure if that's a promise or a threat. (500 words, rated T.) Kiss and Get It Over With; Jack/Miranda; Faced with the end of the universe, old differences are set aside. (1.5k words, rated M.) Shore Leave; Ashley/Kaidan; Two years after the destruction of the Normandy, Kaidan and Ashley's paths cross once more. As it turns out, there's a lot that's been left unsaid between them. (1.5k words, rated T.)

Mass Effect: Andromeda

Fiercely Bearded; Female Ryder/Liam; After several months apart, Sara can't help but be fascinated by Liam's new beard. (1.5k words, rated E.)

My Fair Lady

Cat and Mouse; Eliza/Henry; She might be a common housecat, but in this moment, he is the mouse. (1.1k words, rated G.)

The Outer Worlds

Trace the Stars; Ellie/Female Captain; While helping rebuild Halcyon, the Captain and Ellie take a moment to relax together. (500 words, rated E.) Owe You One; Ellie/Female Captain; Ellie could do anything she wanted, go anywhere in the whole damn colony. But what if what she wanted was right in front of her? (2.3k words, rated T.)

Tiger & Bunny

In Triplicate; Barnaby/Kotetsu; When Karina and Barnaby start dating for a new Hero TV promotion, Kotetsu can't help but feel like he's lost his chance. (900 words, rated T.)

#asha fic #was someone gonna tell me i've written almost 300k in the last two years or was i gonna have to add the figures on my stats page myself??#god i'm so glad i've gotten back into writing

2 notes · View notes

sacred-stanning · 6 months

Text

Interlude between chapters 8 and 9

After finishing chapter 8 and reuniting together, the twins reminisce about times before the war.

Specifically, Eirika remembers their good friend, Lyon, who is the son of the emperor of Grado.

The sepia tones begin, and we see Eirika, Ephraim, and Lyon spending time together.

From what I remember, this scene is in the town on the border of Renais and Grado where we met Joshua and Natasha. In that chapter, Eirika mentioned something about meeting Lyon there since it was a border town.

The conversation touches on what they are doing at the time, including a Father McGregor who is teaching them.

...Or rather, Father McGregor is teaching Eirika and Lyon, and is trying to teach Ephraim. We find out here that Ephraim is not much of a student.

But Lyon mentions that Dussel, a general in Grado, gives Ephraim high praise for his fighting/military ability. Ephraim is kind of a jock.

Ephraim suggests that Eirika should take over Renais after their father instead of him. Ephraim would rather continue improving at using a lance and would be happy just being a mercenary or something.

He jokingly(?) suggests that Eirika should dress up as a boy and become the heir, and then teases her that her body is so lacking in sexiness / lacking in womanliness that no one would even notice that she wasn't a boy.

I remember that the English translation here phrased it more like "You're so skinny that no one would notice you're not a boy!" It's kind of the same idea, though the word used in Japanese, "iroke", is more explicitly about sex appeal / womanliness.

Since the scene only shows the characters from the shoulders up, I can't confirm this, but I assume that Eirika is violently kicking Ephraim's shins and/or punching his side in these scenes.

Returning to the present, Eirika wonders out loud how Lyon must have felt when Grado invaded Renais, given his long friendship with the twins.

Ephraim responds something along the lines of how Lyon was always so kind/gentle, that he can't imagine Lyon would have even spoken up against it to his father, even if he didn't like what was happening.

I love the whole backstory and dynamic between Eirika, Ephraim, and Lyon. And this personal history is very central to the story, and the differences in the story depending on which route you pick. (More on that later!)

In the meantime, Eirika and Ephraim have returned to Frelia, the allied country that Eirika originally fled to, and where she met Vanessa, Moulder, etc.

Tana greets them. Tana is the princess of Frelia, and is also friends with Eirika and Ephraim. She's the one Eirika saved in chapter 1.

They meet with the king of Frelia to report what they've learned about how Grado is trying to get all of the sacred stones. Frelia has a sacred stone too.

Ephraim finally introduces the girl with him to everyone. She has wings!

Myrrh, it turns out, is a dragon-person, a "mah-moo-koot", or Manakete in English.

It's interesting that the English version of the word has a pretty drastic different pronunciation from the original Japanese. To my knowledge, it's not a real word (in English or Japanese) that exists outside of the context of Fire Emblem. Why didn't it get translated as something more like "Mamukute"?

Myrrh explains how she was traveling with someone named "Sarefu" (Saleh) but she got separated, and her dragonstone got taken, but then Ephraim ran across her and saved her from danger, so she's been traveling with him ever since.

So on top of fighting off an entire army in their own territory, Ephraim has also been hustling a side-gig as a babysitter?

At that time, a soldier comes in and reports that the tower where Frelia's stone is stored has been attacked by Caellach and Selena, the "tiger-eye stone" and the "firefly stone" of Grado.

We get a quick cutscene of Grado destroying the Felian guards and then taking and destroying the sacred stone.

There is also a little bit of the characters' personalities shown here when Caellach needlessly kills an already weakened guard who is no threat, and Selena calls him out on it and says they shouldn't be taking lives unnecessarily.

If you remember, Caellach is one of the three, new generals brought in recently, and Selena is one of the original three generals. Selena is a true believer in chivalry and is dedicated to her emperor. Caellach seems a bit more wild, and he even makes fun of Selena's dedication to the emperor.

The contrast between the new generals and the old ones is used to show the drastic, and very recent, change in Grado.

On hearing that the stone has been destroyed, the king of Frelia decides that they need to warn the other countries with stones, "Jahana" (Jehanna) and "Roston" (Rausten).

Innes (Tana's brother) volunteers to go to Jehanna, and Eirika volunteers to go to Rausten.

Ephraim, meanwhile, is like, "Yo, I'm gonna head back to Grado and just fuck them up before they even invade any of the other countries. We don't need to warn anyone if we just beat up Grado first, right?"

And here we make a big choice!

I put a poll up here, and it was overwhelmingly in favor of Eirika route, but I also asked around to other internet people in internet places, and I got a lot of votes for Ephraim too.

The count was pretty close, so I'm making a call here. I haven't done Ephraim's route in a while, so I'm going with Ephraim's route.

To Grado!

Since Eirika is expecting to just get on a boat and easily make it to Rausten, and since Ephraim clearly has the most dangerous task, Seth and the other soldiers volunteer to come with Ephraim.

Of course, if I had chosen Eirika route, the reasoning would have worked out such that everyone went with Eirika!

And we return to the map and we have a lance-wielding Ephraim sprite in place of the sword-wielding Eirika one we've grown used to!

The game also lets us know that we can go to the tower of "Verny" to fight monsters, and that we can fight monsters who appear on the map (like the skeleton in the right picture below).

Basically, Sacred Stones has level grinding, if you want it.

I personally hate grinding because I think it's boring, so I will not be using either of these features. Fortunately, Sacred Stones makes it really easy to NOT grind if you don't want to. You can just play it like a traditional Fire Emblem game where you go from story map to story map.

Next time: Ephraim's story begins!

#fire emblem #sacred stones #fire emblem the sacred stones #fe8 #ファイアエンブレム #聖魔の光石

0 notes

the-observant-frisbeetarian · 5 years

Text

Chapter 9

The Tiger and the Dragon by George deValier

Chapter saved by fluffchemy ♥

Yao arrived home late in the afternoon, already in possession of a replacement phone for the one he had dropped over the edge of the hot-air balloon. Brand new, complete with the same phone number and contacts information, Eduard had it waiting for him when the balloon finally set down a few hours after take off. Yao had no idea how Eduard had managed it, but he knew better than to ask. These things always seemed to work out all right around Ivan.

Yao bounced into his apartment, feeling like his feet hadn't quite hit the ground yet. The afternoon had made up his mind. He was letting all his concerns go. You can't choose who you fall in love with, he'd decided. He certainly didn't choose Ivan... but he was helpless to stop it. When they were together, Yao felt like he'd known Ivan forever, like he wanted to be with him forever. No matter what anyone else said or how they acted, one thing Yao knew… when he was with Ivan, everything was all right. It was perfect.

Yao threw his jacket and keys onto the kitchen table and headed to his bedroom to change, humming tunelessly as he went. His new phone rang in his pocket and he didn't bother to check the caller before he answered.

"Hello?"

"Hi, yeah, I'd like an order of beef and black bean, a couple of spring rolls, and the cream of sum yung gi…"

Yao paused in his stride and clenched his hand around the phone. Gilbert. His face burned as he yelled, "That was NOT funny the first time and it CERTAINLY ISN'T FUCKING FUNNY NOW ARU!"

"Oh, man, Yao! I'm so sorry! Your number is on my phone as 'Chinese guy' right next to 'Chinese restaurant'…"

Yao hung up. The phone rung again. He ignored it. It rung again.

"WHAT?"

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry, don't hang up."

"Why not?"

"What the hell did you do to Feliciano?"

Yao furrowed his brows in confusion. "What? Nothing!"

"Well he's over here freaking out and all we can get out of him is your name and something about some dude called Braginski."

Yao nearly dropped the phone. "What? Huh?"

"Look, we think we may have this figured out. As one who has connections to the dark underworld of organized crime myself…"

"Organi… What on earth are you on about?"

"Look, my brother's dating a Mafioso, as is my best friend."

Yao thought for a minute. "Feliciano and Lovino are not 'Mafioso's'."

"Alright maybe not. However, their grandfather definitely is."

"And just what has this got to do with…"

Gilbert sighed and his voice changed. "Look, I think maybe you should come over, Yao."

The phone went dead in his ear and Yao looked down at it, part angry, part upset, part completely and utterly confused. He resisted the urge to throw the phone at the wall and settled for yelling at it loudly. "SHIT DAMN SCREW IT ALL WHY DOES THIS KEEP…" He was interrupted as it rang again. This time it was Kiku. Yao didn't speak as he held the phone to his ear.

"Brother," began Kiku. "Not only do you decide not to inform me that you have a boyfriend, but you also keep quiet the fact that said boyfriend is in fact one of the most dangerous men in this city."

"I…" Now this was too much. "WHAT?

"I am currently trying, unsuccessfully I might add, to help calm down Feliciano as he is apparently terrified that you have been drawn into the criminal underground. And he keeps saying something about someone's spleen." Yao heard a high pitched shriek of "Braginski!" in the background.

"Look, I think Feliciano must be a little confused," said Yao desperately.

"Do you realize how hard it is to deal with him when he is like this? Get over here and sort it out." The phone went dead.

Yao immediately turned back around, picked up his jacket and keys, and raced out the door.

The walk to Ludwig's place normally took ten minutes. Yao got there in five. Ludwig answered the front door and immediately blocked it, staring down at Yao with his hands on his hips. "What the hell did you do to Feliciano?"

"Will everyone please stop asking me that?" asked Yao, trying to catch his breath. "I didn't do anything. Now either let me in or tell everyone to stop calling me and I'll go home."

Ludwig stepped aside. "You'd better come in then."

Yao walked into the living room to find Gilbert, Feliciano, Kiku, Antonio, and Feliciano's brother Lovino spread across the couches and the floor. "What is this, an intervention?"

Gilbert waved at him and grinned widely. "Hey Chinese kid!"

Yao didn't even have time to feel annoyed before Feliciano stood and threw himself at Yao, throwing his arms around him and sobbing uncontrollably. "Oh Yao, why didn't you tell me?"

"Tell you what?"

"That you're seeing… that… that you're seeing Ivan Braginski!"

"I didn't think it mattered that much." Yao patted Feliciano awkwardly on the back and looked around for help. Gilbert seemed to find it amusing, Kiku was absorbed in a Nintendo DS, and Ludwig and Lovino just looked like they were used to it. Only Antonio looked slightly sympathetic.

"Hey, Yao, do you want a drink or something…" Antonio was interrupted as Feliciano shrieked again.

"Braginski, Yao… Braginski!"

"I can get you a coke or a…" Antonio continued.

"I, um, I…" Yao felt his head swimming.

"BRAGINSKI?"

Yao winced. "Okay, you need to stop screaming that."

"… beer or something…"

"Get him a tequila, he's gonna need it," said Gilbert cheerfully.

Feliciano leaned forward and hissed in Yao's ear. "Grandpa Rome says he once saw Ivan Braginski pull out someone's spleen." He pulled back and just looked at Yao. Yao stared back, unsure whether to be amused or terrified.

"Someone's…"

"Spleen!" cried Feliciano. "I don't even know what that is but it doesn't sound like something you should be able to just pull out!"

"Um…" Terrified seemed to be the winning emotion. "Must be a different Ivan Braginski I think."

"Big Russian guy? Scarf? Smiles a lot?" said Lovino, speaking for the first time. He spoke in a monotone.

Yao felt his stomach sink. "Yeah."

"If I were you I'd be changing my number, address, name, the lot. Won't help though. You're screwed."

"How do you pull out someone's spleen?" asked Ludwig.

"Well," said Kiku, not looking up from his DS, "You have to start with a really strong blow, and it helps if your nails are slightly sharp…"

"STOP, ARU!" cried Yao. A long silence followed.

Ludwig leaned over and poked Kiku on the shoulder. "You really need to stop watching those gore movies," he whispered.

Yao barely noticed Antonio press a glass into his hand. He tried to keep his thoughts in order but they were flying all over the place.

"Grandpa Rome says there's only one person scarier than Ivan Braginski," continued Feliciano.

"I… I think I might have met him," said Yao, his mind in a whirl of confusion.

"You've met General Winter?" asked Lovino, leaning forward in his chair.

"Yeah," said Yao in a small voice.

"Wow. You really are involved, aren't you."

"Involved? Involved with what? I don't… I don't have any idea what you're all on about!"

The room fell silent again. Feliciano shook his head, wide eyed, staring at Yao. "You really don't know, do you?"

"Know what?"

"Oh Yao, you are not that stupid," said Kiku, still not looking up from his DS.

Yao didn't know how to respond. He didn't even know what he was thinking.

"For God's sake, Yao," said Gilbert loudly. "It's the Russian mafia, isn't it?"

Somehow it was not as big a shock as it should have been. But Yao still stood stock still, his eyes fixed on the back wall, feeling like he couldn't move. After what felt an hour, a hand touched his and pushed the glass he had forgotten about insistently to his lips. Antonio's voice spoke beside him.

"Maybe you should drink that." Yao did so, took a deep breath, and came to a decision. "Can someone give me a lift?"

Yao wasn't sure they were going the right way. He'd only been to Ivan's once, and that was being driven in a limousine with darkened windows. He was sure it would take all night to find the place but he didn't care. Yao was going to Ivan's, and he was sorting this out.

"Yao. Are you sure this is a good idea?" asked Kiku as he drove at what Yao felt was a far too slow speed.

"Yes. Keep driving."

"You're positive."

"Yes."

"Yao. He's part of the Russian…"

"We don't know that yet," interrupted Yao before he could get any further. "This is all hearsay. I am going to ask him myself."

"Yao."

"What?"

"Do you realize you are still wearing your dirty work clothes? You have sauce all down your shirt."

Damn it all he was right. Yao had been so caught up in everything he hadn't even noticed. He spent the rest of the drive trying unsuccessfully to wipe the stain from his shirt and hoping Ivan hadn't noticed it that afternoon.

After many wrong turns and much bickering, they finally made it to the elaborate front gate that Yao remembered. Kiku rolled down his window and the intercom crackled as they stopped beside it. "Yes?"

Yao leaned over Kiku. "Hi. Um. It's Yao."

There was a pause. "Did Ivan send for you?" Yao recognized the voice as Toris'.

"Send for me? No. I came myself."

Another pause. "Ivan is very busy right now."

"I'll wait."

"You'll be waiting a while."

"Well then I'll wait a while."

Another pause in which Yao could hear voices talking softly but urgently over the line. Finally Toris spoke again. "Very well. Come through. Just you though… your car stays at the gate." A small door sized gate beside the main gates swung open. Yao turned and looked at Kiku.

"I'll be fine."

Kiku nodded. "All right. Call me if you need to."

Yao nodded back, stepped out of the car, and began the long walk up the driveway. He wondered what he was doing. As he passed the long flower beds full of sunflowers he thought how ridiculous the whole thing was. Organized crime? Mafia? Ivan? It couldn't be true. And yet at the same time it made perfect sense. Yet Yao was still here, still approaching Ivan's front door. Nervous, a little scared, but determined to find out the truth. He walked past two shiny black cars with drivers waiting inside and walked straight up to the door.

The door was unlocked and Yao had only taken a few steps into the entrance before a tall, terrifying presence loomed into the room. Yao froze and tried to back up but found he couldn't move. General Winter stared down at him with those cold, empty eyes. Yao shivered.

"Are you lost?" His voice was like ice.

"Uh… no… I was coming to see Ivan."

"Oh yes, the boy from the other night." Winter smiled but it just made him appear more terrifying. "Tell me. Just what business do you have with Ivan?"

"Um… no business… I just…" Yao had no idea what to say. "I'm a… friend."

"A friend?" That cold voice, those dead eyes. Yao's spine ran cold.

"Yes." Yao's voice came out as a whisper.

"What is your name?"

Yao tried to swallow. "Yao."

Winter just raised an eyebrow.

"Yao Wang." Yao could have kicked himself. Why am I answering him?

"Any friend of Ivan's…" Winter held out a hand and Yao paused before taking it reluctantly. It was freezing cold. Thankfully Winter only pressed it briefly and let go. "I am afraid I must be leaving. I am sure we will speak again."

Winter didn't wait for a response before breezing past Yao and out the front door. Yao breathed a sigh of relief, pulled himself together, and continued through the entrance into the enormous living room. Toris looked up from behind the bar that ran the length of the back wall and nodded at him. Yao began to greet him but was interrupted by an enormous crash from the next room followed by what sounded like Ivan and a woman yelling loudly. Yao's eyes widened and he immediately regretted his decision to come here.

"I'll… just come back, shall I?"

"No, no. Sit. Here." Toris reached behind the bar and pulled out a bottle of wine, pouring the yellow liquid into a glass. "The Russian wine you like so much." Toris pushed the glass over the counter to Yao and gave him a small smile. "Drink it slowly."

"Good idea," said Yao, taking a seat on a stool at the bar, which was cluttered with empty glasses and bottles.

"I apologize for the mess," said Toris, clearing the bar. "Ivan just had a quick meeting… he has nearly finished, however."

Yao started to respond but was interrupted by another large bang from next door. He froze, nerves attacking his stomach. Every word he had heard that afternoon was repeating itself in his brain. "Is everything all right?"

Toris nodded as he tidied up behind the bar. "Oh, yes. Ivan always gets upset when speaking business with his sister."

"Oh… the one who stabbed him?"

"The very one."

"A little… violent, is she?

"She once broke four of my fingers."

"Oh." Yao did not quite know what to say. He just looked around the room politely as Toris continued cleaning behind the bar. Yao found himself confused around Toris. He had no idea what the man thought of him, and it was rather unsettling. He wished it was Raivis here instead. After a few minutes that seemed like hours, Yao finally asked, "Does Ivan know that I'm here?"

"I informed him that you would be arriving shortly."

"Oh good, good." Yao kept looking around the stunning room. He had not really had time to take it all in the last time he was here. The room reeked of understated wealth. Now that he was here, it was becoming far easier to believe what he had been told of Ivan. Feeling uncomfortable, Yao took a long sip of the wine. Waiting like this was doing nothing for his nerves. Toris smirked at him.

"Careful there… you don't want to pass out again."

Yao hastily put down the glass and decided to see what he could find out from Toris. "You said Ivan was speaking business with his sister… what is this business that Ivan is involved with?"

The smile fell from Toris' face. "It is a good idea to never ask this question."

"Oh." Yao took a deep breath. "It's just that I've spoken with people who seem… familiar... with Ivan, and they mentioned the word maf…"

"This is nonsense," Toris interrupted quickly. He turned away to put away a glass. "I advise you to stop watching so many movies, Mr Wang."

Yao was not sure whether to feel relieved. "Oh."

"And I will offer you some more advice." Toris turned back, leaned on the bar, and fixed Yao with a piercing gaze. Yao unconsciously leaned back. "Leave. Get out now while you still can."

Yao's nerve riddled stomach turned cold. "What? But…" Yao waited, but Toris didn't elaborate further. "I don't understand."

"And it would be best for all concerned if you never do."

Yao sat silent, stunned, as the argument from next door filtered into the room. Toris continued to stare at him but he didn't seem angry, or cruel. Just sad… and even slightly concerned. "I… I like Ivan," said Yao finally. "Very much."

"You don't know Ivan."

"I'd like to," he said softly.

"No," said Toris, shaking his head. "I really don't think that you would, Mr Wang."

Yao didn't know how to respond. The tension in the room suddenly broke as the side door came flying open and a beautiful woman stormed out into the room. She was followed by Ivan, who sent Yao's pulse racing as usual. The woman shouted in Russian, which gradually turned into English. "… through talking about this brother, do you hear me, I am THROUGH! You never listen, do you, even after everything! If you don't consider joining us soon I'll…" she trailed into silence when she spotted Yao at the bar. Her look of fury twisted into a bitter smile. "Oh, Vanya. He is a pretty little thing, isn't he."

Yao narrowed his eyes. Ivan's sister was stunningly attractive, with long straight platinum hair and piercing blue eyes that reminded Yao of Ivan's. Her voice was only slightly accented and she seemed of an equally indeterminate age as her brother.

"Yao," said Ivan, smiling as always even though he looked slightly uneasy, "this is my sister, Natalia."

"Yao, is it?" asked Natalia, walking slowly over to Yao and offering her hand. It was surprisingly cold and gripped Yao's painfully. "How charming to meet you."

"Um, hello," said Yao, trying not to wince as she maintained the iron hold on his hand.

Natalia looked at Toris and asked something unintelligible in Russian. Toris shook his head and replied, "Nyet." Natalia smiled at Yao and released the handshake. Yao tried not to sigh in relief. "What is it you do, Yao?"

"I'm a chef," said Yao.

"A chef." Natalia's ruby red lips twisted into a smirk. She looked sideways at Ivan and raised one perfect eyebrow. "A chef?"

"I thought you were leaving," said Ivan. Yao hadn't noticed him walking up beside him.

"I am. We will speak again soon, brother." Natalia smiled again at Yao. With her teeth bared she reminded him of a leopard. "I expect I shall speak with you too, Yao." She turned to walk out, waving lightly at Toris, whose eyes followed her all the way to the door. She paused and turned back around to face Ivan. "Oh, and Ivan… Yekaterina sends her love." Natalia smiled cruelly, waved again and walked out.

Ivan's face contorted in a painful expression which he quickly blinked away. He looked down at Yao and was smiling once again. "What unexpected pleasure, Yao. What reason brings you to my house tonight?"

"I just, uh…" Oh god he shouldn't be here, why was he here, what the hell was he doing turning up uninvited. "I just had a few questions."

"Very good. Perhaps you can ask them in my parlour room? This way." Ivan gestured and Yao stood to follow him.

"Yao." Yao turned back to Toris. His eyes were wide and he shook his head. "Don't."

"Something is wrong, Toris?" asked Ivan pleasantly. Toris just shook his head and looked at the floor.

"No sir, nothing."

"Oh good. Are you coming, Yao?"

Yao looked from Toris to Ivan, his heart starting to beat faster. What if everything they said was true. He knew Ivan was dangerous, he'd known it all along. He'd been worried, known he had to get out, but it was too late for that now. So Ivan was dangerous. But he was also sweet and fun and hot and Yao just wanted to be around him and with him… was it wrong to just try and forget all the bad things? Surely it couldn't be that bad. And in the end, who cares anyway… Yao allowed himself to be convinced and nodded up at Ivan. "Yeah, I'm coming." It seemed everyone warned him against Ivan... but Yao wasn't going to listen to any of them. He was going to listen to his heart... and it was screaming at him that he was desperately in love with Ivan.

Yao followed Ivan through a long hallway into a large beautiful parlour room. This room also had a bar that ran along the back wall, plus leather couches that sat upon plush scarlet rugs, and a large pool table that took up the center of the room. The walls were decorated with stunning artworks and orchestral music swelled into the room from invisible speakers. Ivan turned and smiled down at Yao, who was already forgetting the reason he was there in the first place. He tried to focus.

"There is… I mean, there are a few things I want to ask you about…"

"Da?"

Yao leaned against the pool table and watched Ivan walk behind the bar. He realized Ivan was dressed in a perfect suit, immaculate, while Yao was dressed in the same dirty work clothes he'd worn all day, his hair still messy and slightly tangled from the balloon. He looked down at himself, embarrassed. "I'm sorry, I'm a mess."

"No." Ivan smiled over at him as he poured two glasses of vodka. "You look lovely."

"My shirt is stained."

"Take it off then."

Focus! Yao took a deep breath and walked over to the bar. "How do you know… Feliciano's grandfather?" asked Yao, getting straight to the point, trying not to be thrown off the subject.

Ivan pressed a glass of vodka into Yao's hand. "Forget this. It is nothing."

Yao looked at the glass. Everyone seemed to want to give him alcohol today. "I mean, I was just wondering... you say you are business acquaintances, and I know that his business is…"

"Do you play snooker?" Ivan drained his glass of vodka.

So Ivan was not going to make it easy. "No. I play pool… well, only at pubs sometimes. I don't go often." Arthur was always trying to drag Yao to the local pub to play pool or darts or something.

"Hmm. This is a snooker table…" Ivan took two pool cues from behind the bar and handed one to Yao. "But we could play pool on this also."

"I haven't played for a while," said Yao, taking the cue hesitantly.

"Once you play pool, you never forget how. Is like the bicycle, yes?"

Yao laughed and tried to take a sip of the vodka as Ivan set the pool balls up on the table. When he finished he looked up at Yao and smiled. "You wish to break?"

Yao shook his head. "You break." Ivan leaned over the table, took a shot, and sunk three balls off the break. Yao raised his eyebrows. "Impressive."

Ivan laughed, took another shot, then gestured to Yao. "Your turn."

Yao nodded, tried to remember what he could of playing pool in smoky pubs, and took aim. He was rather surprised when he sunk one off his first shot, but he just grinned at Ivan as he brushed past him to get into position for his next shot. "You're right, it really does come back to you." Ivan smirked.

Yao leaned over the table, aimed, and sunk the next ball easily. Ivan whistled. Yao suddenly realized he was bent over the table only inches from Ivan and wondered whether it was the shot Ivan was whistling at. Yao immediately shot upright and spun around. Ivan raised his eyes to meet Yao's.

Ivan raised his glass. "I like playing this game with you, Yao."

Yao narrowed his eyes. Just what game was that? "I know what Feliciano's grandfather does. I know what he is." Yao paused, surprised he had come out with that so suddenly. He took a very deep breath. "Are you… is that…. is that your business, Ivan? Is that what you do? And don't you think you should tell me if it is?"

Ivan paused, sighed and took a step towards Yao. "And if it is? Would you run away, Yao?"

Yao stood fast and stared straight into Ivan's piercing violet eyes. "No. No I wouldn't." And Yao realized he was telling the truth.

Ivan closed his eyes briefly. When he opened them they seemed brighter. "I think we should make this game more interesting. A little wager. You win… and I tell you everything you wish to know."

"And…" Yao swallowed, his heart in his throat. "And if you win?"

Ivan took another step closer. He was now as close to Yao as possible without touching him. "This I offer, it is very high price. So I must demand high price also. I win, Yao…. and tonight I make love to you." Ivan stared intently down into Yao's eyes. He was not smiling.

Yao's heart stopped, then started hammering. He felt his palm sweaty around the pool cue as he gripped it tighter. He breathed out shakily and managed, eventually, to whisper a response. "… okay."

It started out well enough. Yao sank two in a row, and was just starting to think that Arthur's drunken pub tuition had paid off.

"You are good at this, Yao!" Ivan raised an eyebrow at Yao admiringly.

Yao walked back to the bar and picked up his drink. He smiled slyly as Ivan surveyed the table. "You sound surprised."

"Not at all!" Ivan lined up the shot, focused on the ball, and hit it. It missed the pocket by inches and Yao grinned, starting to feel slightly relieved. He shook his head.

"You'll have to do better than that, Ivan."

Ivan just straightened up and leaned on his cue, smiling serenely across the table at Yao. Yao bit his lip, looked back at the table, and watched as the ball ricocheted off the side of the table and slammed into the opposite pocket. His eyebrows shot up and his stomach twisted nervously. He quickly looked away and took a burning sip of vodka as Ivan laughed softly. Yao slammed down the glass and narrowed his eyes. "All right, it's on now."

Yao managed to gain a slight lead and was slowly growing confident that he might be able to pull off a victory. Ivan seemed more intent on watching Yao than the table, and Yao found that he didn't mind at all. He was just starting to enjoy himself, brushing past Ivan as he edged around the table, trading small touches and tiny smiles, gentle sneaked caresses that were gone almost before Yao noticed. His spine tingled and he had never felt more conspicuous in his life. But damn, the way Ivan was looking at him, Yao was almost at the point of wanting to lose. Yao missed a ball and went to lean back against the bar, taking another sip of vodka. He was surprised at how the taste was growing on him.

"Watching you drink vodka… this is the sexiest thing I have ever seen." Ivan actually winked at him and Yao nearly dropped the glass. He managed to steady it at the last second but not before he spilled quite a bit of the vodka over his hands. Yao closed his eyes briefly. He had been doing so well up until then. But it never took much for him to lose his composure, and this was fast becoming too much. Yao had quickly forgotten the very reason he was there in the first place, entirely caught up in this game he was playing with Ivan, whatever it had turned into.

Thankfully Ivan missed his next shot. He joined Yao at the bar and, before Yao could move to take his shot, Ivan grasped him by the wrist. A hot flush ran through him and his breath caught. Ivan smiled at him and shook his head.

"Ah Yao, you always manage to spill my drinks, don't you?"

Yao opened his mouth to answer but couldn't quite think of what to say. And then he couldn't think of anything when Ivan lifted his hand to his lips and gently sucked his index finger into his mouth, lathering the tip with his tongue. Yao heart suddenly beat so fast he felt he would pass out and he was hit by a strong memory of the first night he had met Ivan. Yao took a deep breath, determined to stay conscious this time. Ivan gave Yao's finger a playful bite, smirked at him, and quickly drew back. "Your turn, Yao."

Yao nodded, dazed, and tried to focus on his next shot. It was hopeless. He barely managed to hit the ball. Yao dived for his glass again, concentrated on his breathing and was just trying to determine where he let it all go wrong when Ivan sunk four in a row, slam dunked the black, and immediately turned on Yao. Yao's eyes went wide and he gripped tightly onto the glass. He couldn't breathe.

Ivan gave a little shrug. "I win."

Yao swallowed past the burning sensation in his throat. He suddenly realized that there had been no chance he was going to win that game. "Um. Yes. I suppose you do."

Ivan rested the cue against the table and approached Yao slowly. "I assume you are intend to honor our deal, yes?"

"I… aru…" Yao's stomach turned itself into nervous knots as he looked up into Ivan's smiling face. He barely noticed he was pressing himself back into the snooker table. "Well, I…" Ivan finally reached him and took the pool cue from his hand, dropping it to the floor. He then took the glass of vodka from Yao's hand, drank the lot, then grasped Yao's waist and pulled him into a fierce kiss. Yao closed his eyes, gave up, and melted into it. He allowed Ivan to lift him onto the pool table and he grasped onto Ivan's shoulders as he kissed him deeply.

The kiss tasted of fire and vodka. Their tongues sparred desperately and every touch sent fiery shocks through Yao's spine and radiating through his skin. Ivan pressed down onto Yao, their hips melding perfectly together. Yao gripped onto Ivan with shaking hands and gasped as he realized he was thrusting against him, but he couldn't bring himself to stop. He was lost in the feeling of Ivan, that strong, overwhelming, intoxicating sensation that he always invoked. Ivan ran his hands down Yao's sides and Yao shuddered at the feeling, Ivan's hands pressing so tightly into his skin, their clothed bodies grinding desperately into each other, grasping and pulling to be as close as possible.

Yao broke the kiss and threw back his head, gasping loudly, as Ivan thrust his hands under Yao's shirt and pulled it off. Ivan immediately grasped his neck and pulled him back into the kiss, and Yao could feel his hair falling sweaty and wild around him, but he couldn't care less. All he cared about was feeling this, feeling more of this, feeling everything that he possibly could from Ivan. Yao's breath came erratically as he felt Ivan's warm lips leave his and trail firmly down his jaw and suck on his throat, Ivan's strong hands grasping his neck and his hip, Ivan's large body still pressing him down into the table with that irresistible force.

Yao was already so hard it was painful. Unable to stop himself, he thrust his hips strongly up into Ivan's and Ivan responded by standing and fiercely pulling Yao with him. Yao barely managed to wrap his legs around Ivan's waist before he was lifted from the table, carried to the nearby leather couch, and laid down as Ivan lay down above him. This is really happening… Ivan leaned down and kissed Yao softly before whispering, "This is all right, yes?" Oh yes, this is all right…

"Yes, yes," said Yao, only able to respond in a whisper. "Please don't stop." Ivan ran his hand over Yao's thigh, squeezing almost roughly, as Yao pulled off Ivan's scarf. Yao tugged insistently on Ivan's shirt and tried to unbutton it with shaking hands. Ivan reached up and impatiently ripped it off. Yao froze, his breath caught in his throat. Oh God, now that was an incredible chest. Yao hesitantly reached up and ran his hand through Ivan's chest and over his perfect muscles. Again he thrust his hips and Ivan slipped his arm around Yao's back and pulled him up off the couch until their chests were touching, skin against skin. Yao's brain was only just catching up that this was really happening, this was real right now. Ivan turned them on their side and, feeling Ivan's arm still around his back, Yao felt Ivan's other hand pressing against the front of his jeans and he gasped at the sudden almost overwhelming wave of pleasure.

"May I?" asked Ivan, his eyes twinkling. Yao just nodded breathlessly and Ivan's fingers skillfully unbuttoned and unzipped his jeans in one swift movement. Yao quickly slipped his hand inside the pocket and squeezed his Buddha statue one last time for luck before he lifted his hips and Ivan pulled the jeans swiftly down, along with his underwear. Yao's eyes widened and he gasped, surprised, and buried his head in Ivan's chest. He closed his eyes tightly and clutched onto Ivan's arm, feeling it flex as Ivan reached between his legs, took his cock, and started to stroke it slowly. Yao's hammering heart seemed to double in speed and he felt dizzy. Oh god Ivan was touching him… kissing him… how did it feel so good… how could anything feel this good. Yao was suddenly overwhelmed by the realization that this was the first time someone else had touched him there… and then it was too much. Yao gently, reluctantly, pushed Ivan's hand away. Ivan immediately pulled back.

"I am sorry, I did not…"

"No, no!" Yao reached up, grasped Ivan's neck and desperately pulled him back down. "No, I just…," he panted, "I'm too close…" Ivan captured Yao's lips again, thrusting forcefully with his tongue. Yao wanted to get closer. Barely thinking, he reached between them and fumbled with the zip of Ivan's pants. Ivan lifted his hips and helped Yao push them down. Yao parted his legs to let Ivan lie between them and shuddered, almost stunned, as their bare hips suddenly melded together. Then he looked down and froze. Everything stopped as his mind went blank. Oh. Holy. Shit. Well what do you know. Francis was right. Yao just stared and didn't know what to say."You… my… you're gonna fu… I mean… " you're gonna put that thing in me? Before he could stop himself he blurted out, "It's not gonna fit!" and immediately burned red. "I mean… aru… oh god…" Yao covered his face with his hands. Damn it. He knew it wouldn't be long before he ruined everything. "Oh my God I'm… I'm sorry, I…"

Ivan chuckled lowly. "Ssh. Why not we just do… this…" Ivan took Yao's shaking hand from his face, kissed it, then brought it down and placed it on his cock. Ivan moaned softly against Yao's ear, sending tight hot shocks through his spine. Yao's breath came erratic against Ivan's chest as Ivan slowly moved his hand up and down, then let go and grasped Yao's cock, stroking them both together in an infuriatingly slow and irregular rhythm. Yao's stomach tightened and he felt his mind would explode.

"I… okay… I…" Yao gasped, almost unable to feel embarrassed through the waves of pleasure. He certainly couldn't finish the sentence.

"Ssh…" Ivan kissed Yao strongly, rubbing his back with his free hand. "We don't do anything you don't want to. Trust me?" Ivan whispered against Yao's lips.

Yao looked up into Ivan's smiling violet eyes. He wondered how he had ever thought of them as cold. "I trust you," he whispered. Yao once again thought he would come at once, but Ivan's uneven stroking kept him just hovering before the brink.

Ivan smiled as Yao arched into his touch. Just to lie there in Ivan's arms, that body against his, touching each other so intimately like this, all sweat and gasping breath and this wonderful feeling of being beyond control. It was not enough. It was too much. It was everything. "Is this all right?" asked Ivan softly.

Yao fought to answer. "…yes…"

"And this?" Ivan stroked faster.

Yao could only whisper a response. The smell of Ivan's sweat was intoxicating. "Yes… yes…"

"And…." Ivan stroked faster, evenly, clutching Yao so tight against him it was almost painful. "This…"

"Y… ye… ahhh…" Yao rocked his hips helplessly against Ivan, trying to keep up with his strokes. Yao was vaguely aware he was panting but was unable to stop it. He was too far gone now. The incredible pleasure between his legs was mounting to a level he couldn't take. "Oh God…. I can't…"

"Let me see you come, Yao," said Ivan, his voice rough and low

And that was it. Everything narrowed to a point and Yao gasped, his breath and sweat mingling with Ivan's. "Ivan… I… I…" I love you. Yao came harder than he ever had in his life, clutching onto Ivan's shoulders, his head pressed against Ivan's neck. Ivan whispered unintelligible words into Yao's ear and only seconds later he gasped, clutched Yao's hair and Yao felt his hot release run across his thighs.

Yao tried to bring his breathing and his heartbeat under control, and tried to grasp what had just happened. After weeks of dreaming about it, it suddenly seemed so surreal. He was overcome by a wave of tiredness and he lay his head against Ivan's chest, feeling Ivan's arm still holding Yao tight against him.

"You are all right, Yao?" asked Ivan, his voice low and breathless and his chest rising and falling rapidly.

"Oh yes. I'm all right." Yao had never felt so comfortable, so safe, so happy. So content. He yawned loudly, unable to stop it, and heard Ivan laughing softly. He felt Ivan kiss the top of his head and he smiled. He could feel the beginnings of sleep pulling him under. "Ivan," he said sleepily, his eyes heavy as he rested his head against Ivan's chest and breathed his scent, "What did you say before?"

"I asked if you were all right," said Ivan slowly.

"No, before that, I didn't understand… it was in Russian, I think?"

"Ah," breathed Ivan, kissing Yao again and holding him tighter. "It means, My Soul."

"My Soul," sighed Yao. "That's pretty."

"Yes. Very pretty," said Ivan, slowly stroking Yao's back.

My Soul. Yao thought he had heard that somewhere before. But he could no longer keep his eyes open. He fell asleep, the sound of Ivan's heart beating steadily against his ear, and with the vaguest feeling that he had forgotten to ask something very important.

Next Chapter

Disclaimer: This story belongs to George deValier. Hetalia belongs to Hidekaz Himaruya. I own nothing.

THANK YOU FLUFFCHEMY FOR SAVING THIS CHAPTER!

#the tiger and the dragon chapter 9

6 notes · View notes

ggukkiereads · 3 years

Note

Hello!! Just a few days ago I stumble upon your blog and I'm wondering if you have some recommendations for Hybrid AUs, much appreciated if it is an OT7 and completed, but if so I will still be so thankful. (I just need some cure from the stress that modules brings) Thank You in Advance (◍•ᴗ•◍)❤

🌷 Hello! welcome to my mini fic-reading land. I’ve actually received asks for Hybrid AUs (I pinned the requests in the navi) but I just have a very messy draft.

But to help you with your stress, I think I can share a few of my ongoing reads (sorry they won’t be complete but they’re OT7). But, I added completed ones I could remember too (●'◡'●)

*note: will edit this later and organize this per member - maybe add other fics I’ll remember*

Fic Recs | BTS Hybrid AUs

→ A Place Called Home @agustdakasuga - OT7 x Reader

series [27/27] | 88k | Hybrid AU, Poly AU, Soulmate AU, Romance Humor | Fluff

Having saved your own injured hybrid, you were determined to try and help any other hybrid that crossed your path who needed saving. But being a vet in a small hospital wasn’t enough for you. You wanted to do more, you wanted to make a difference. You wanted to give them a home.

→ If I Can Never Give You Peace @candlewaxandp0lar0ids - Jungkook x Reader

series [3/?] | 17.6k+ | Mafia AU, Enemies to Lovers | A (so far)

It starts like quite a few stories do, in your world. Girl meets boy, who happens to be a hybrid, girl buys him at an auction where hybrids are sold, boy falls in love with her, girl gets bored of him. Then it’s not so typical anymore, when the boy ends up forced into illegal fighting rings, until he makes a wrong move and her father decides he needs to be killed.

Where does that leave you? Well, you’re the one who handled Jungkook’s fight and generally organized his life, and, when the girl’s father, your boss and mafia leader, tells you he wants him ‘put down’, you’re the one who has to get it done. Except, instead, you let him escape, and everything turns out fine.

🌷ggukkienote: I am so hooked on this (because I am a sucker for Mafia AUs too). This is such a great story and the OC is really different from the usual OCs. Very interesting.

→ Eunoia @wishesunderthestars - OT7 x Reader

series [15/?] | 100k+ (I just assumed this, masterpost doesn’t have wc but it’s 6k per chapter or more?) | Director!Reader, hurt/comfort | fluff, eventual smut

You are a world famous director and you have dedicated your life to your job. You have everything you could ever dream of; wealth, recognision, talent, your friends and family. But loneliness ins’t cured by success. So what happens when you somehow rescue seven hybrids? Can they fill the void?

→ Restitution @cloudteawrites - OT7 x Reader

series [7/?] | 48k+ | slow burn, poly, mystery, romance

when an estranged uncle leaves you his massive fortune you wonder if the universe is playing a joke on you. when that fortune comes with seven hybrids, you know for sure that it is.

→ Lacuna @barbika1508 - Jungkook x Reader

series [42/42] | 324.3k | Hybrid AU, check for TW | Fluff, Angst, Smut

Lacuna - (n.) a blank space, a missing part

Y/N just wanted to go back home, to enjoy her peace and quiet away from problems and people. But typically, her luck strikes as she stumbles upon a horrific scene of two guys mistreating an already beaten down hybrid. Will she take matters into her own hands and help him? Or let someone else help along the way???

🌷 This is on AO3 and I got a recent ask about author’s tumblr. So if you prefer AO3 you can check their profile

→ A Hundred Percent Human by wrienne- OT7 x Reader

series [12/?] | 88k+ | Hybrid AU, fluff, angst, smut |

In which you (reader) are forced to take care of seven hybrids in a twist of fate. Drunk and down on life, you finally decide to deal with the house and the unsavory business your mother left behind. However, to your shock, you find that seven very different hybrids are included with both the house - and the business. Seven hybrids you never even met before - even less agreed to take care of.

🌷 This is on AO3. I don’t normally reco AO3 since my blog is focused on tumblr fics but someone sent an ask about this so I’m including it

→ Inferiority Complex @starlightauroras-writes - Jimin x Reader

series [10/?] | 88k+ | political themes, themes of abuse (hybrids) | A, S

You had never liked hybrids. You disagreed with their very existence, and you never wanted to have anything to do with them. And then one day, you discovered a hybrid who was more scared of you than you were of him, and everything changed as you realised you were the only hope he had…

→ Sanctuary @chimchimsauce - Jimin x Reader

series [16/16] | 20k | Wolf Hybrid!Jimin, Barista!OC, feat sanctuary staff Taehyung, hurt/comfort | F, A

YN is a young girl, bright and ambitious, but due to her busy schedule, she's been unable to make any real friends. When an ad for Saint Mary's Sanctuary catches her attention, she never expected her life to be changed by a certain hybrid named Jimin.

→ Summer Nights @marginalmadness - Jungkook x Reader

series [4/4] | 23k | Hybrid!Fantasy, Romance | F, S

A freak weather anomaly leads to a chance encounter with a rabbit-hybrid, and your kind nature results in you gaining a small, fluffy lodger, who questions your taste in television shows. It’s won’t be for long...will it?

→ Risk it All @/httpjeon - Jungkook x Reader

series [5/5] | 8.3k | hybrid au, alpha wolf!jungkook | A, F, S

ripped from your family, you find yourself in a warehouse filled with predators. just your luck, you’re right across from a caged alpha wolf.

🌷 (I linked Chapter 5 because for some reason others couldn’t find this chapter so they thought it’s still incomplete)

→ Outro Love is Not Over @kiirokero - Hoseok x Reader

series [12/?] | Daycare Teacher!Hoseok x Single Mom!Reader

You are the single mother of a beautiful 6-year-old golden retriever hybrid who you named Yunho. But you’re a human. You can’t show him the ropes of being a hybrid, and you can’t teach him things the other moms can. So, when a handsome German Shepard hybrid comes into your life, helping you and guiding Yunho in a way you can’t, you can’t help the cozy home he sets up in your heart.

→ It Takes Two To Make A Thing Go Right @imaginethisbts - TaeKook x Reader

two shot [2/2] | 11k | dom/sub themes, heat cycles | S

What’s better than one dogboy lover? Two dogboy lovers. But when Tae and Jungkook seem unusually clingy, it can only mean one thing. That time of the month has snuck up on you and your dogboy lovers do not want to share.

🌷 Also try their other Jungkook hybrid series Out of the Blue

→ Peculiar Park @daydreamindollie - OT7 x Reader

series [9/?] | 38k+ | imagines, slice of life | Writer!Reader, Psychologist!Reader, imagines | fluff

you’re a successful hybrid writer and psychologist who takes in seven hybrids on one stormy night after finding one of their pack stealing from your garden

→ Yeouiju @nomseok - Namjoon x Reader

one shot | 33.7k | Mythical AU, Hybrid AU (if you squint), suspense | A, F, S

you find an ancient stone in the middle of the mountains and bring it home with you, oblivious to the consequences of taking a dragon’s yeouiju.

→ Beautiful Stranger @/nomseok - Taehyung x Reader

one shot | 19k | circus AU | A, S, F

your dream is to take care of animals for the rest of your life in the big city, making sure that they’re cared for. but you stumble upon a malnourished, rare tiger in your local circus, and you can’t help but want to take care of him.

→ Evolution of You and I @readyplayerhobi - Jimin x Reader

one shot | 10.2k | kind of epistolary (letters), chat, childhood friends | F

For 15 years, Park Jimin has been in your life in some form. From childhood penpal’s to the closest of friends now, you can’t imagine your life without him even if you’ve never actually met him in person. It doesn’t help that you’ve fallen for him, even across the distance that separates you. But what happens when you finally meet up and you discover he’s been keeping something secret?

→ Fish are Friends @httpjeon - Taehyung x Reader

one shot | 10.2k | seahorse hybrid!taehyung | A, S, F

after moving to the seaside, there is a dreadful storm. when all is clear, a man washes up on shore…only he isn’t quite human.

🌷 you know seahorses mate for life and it’s the male that gets pregnant? Interesting huh

→ Pink Panther @gimmesumsuga - Seokjin x Reader

one shot | 13k | boss-employee | F, S

The one where your boss, Kim Seokjin, tries to show you how beautiful you are.

→ Ragdoll @ausblack - Jimin x Reader

series [17/17] | Hybrid AU, College AU | F, A

As you were studying to obtain your medical & veterinary degree, your professor came up with the idea of organizing an internship - where you found yourself side by side with a sick hybrid that needed nothing other that complete care.

→ Jagged + Catnap @opaljm - Jimin x Reader

one shot + sequel | 18k | jaguar/black panther!jimin, sand dune cat!reader, mutual pining, friends to lovers, established relationship (sequel)| S, F, slight A

The pretty little sand cat hybrid Jimin has been in love with for the past year experiences her first heat and Jimin would love nothing more than to be the one to guide her through it and breed her with his kittens.

🌷 there’s also a possible spin-off for Taehyung (Eye of the Tiger)

→ Owner @jessikahathaway - Jungkook x Reader

series [6/?] | 17.4k | Fake Dating AU, Hybrid AU, based on Kimi Wa Petto (Japanese anime) | F, S, A

With your mother hounding on you (no pun intended), you decided to get a little help from a hybrid, who was also in need of assistance.

→ Loving Him Was Red + Somewhere Only We Know @userseok - Jungkook x Reader

series [3/?] | 12.8k+ | enemies to lovers, childhood friends (sorta), college au, jock!jungkook, unrequited love (for OC) | S, F, A

you’ve been chasing after jungkook for years. after a harsh verbal altercation between both of you, you decide to leave him alone and pursue a relationship with someone who seems genuinely interested in you, thinking he would never return your feelings.

I would like to recommend the catalog of these writers:

@ditttiii - so I realize I’m following them on AO3 when I realized the fics looked familiar 🤭. They have an ongoing series called Enchanted to Meet You which you might want to check out if you like Soulmate AUs too! I recently reblogged a Jungkook two-shot comfort fic (hybrid au too) so I recommend going through their masterlist!

@aroseforyoongi - who I discovered because of Gossamer (KTH). It was completed but I think it’s up for re-write/re-post? You can try the others:

Navy Blue - Jungkook [completed]

Forever Yours - Yoongi [one shot, prequel to Navy Blue]

Let Me Love You- Jungkook [one shot]

@magicalsalamander - another favorite author of mine I just feel like I’m reading a great tale every time I start on a series or one shot. They have great fics with supernatural themes too

Rabbit on the Moon - Jungkook | if you’re in the mood for police officer Jungkook [6/6]

The Act of Persuasion - Seokjin | if you are in the mood for Single Dad AU x Arranged Marriage too [one shot]

Firefly that Guards the Fox - Taehyung | if you are in the mood for mystery [11/12 - just epilogue left]

Kitten’s Little Flame - Yoongi | if you like BF to Lovers between dragon and a cat [6/6]

There’s more so please check their Masterlist

@hollyhomburg - I just love Of Fire and Love (hello dragon!yoongi and baby!jungkook? 🥺) But you can check:

their masterlist of all their hybrid fics

Dance to This series which I’ve added to fic recs based on an ask about stories that include members/readers with disability.

Don’t care if it Hurts - Jimin | this is probably my favorite (again I’m a sucker for Mafia AUs) , guard dog hybrid!jimin [12/13, just epilogue]

@angelicyoongie - I got hooked after reading their stories on AO3 but they have tumblr too! Check their masterlist for ongoing hybrid fic (Abundance - OT7) but these are completed ones:

Desolate - Yoongi, grumypy cat hybrid [14/14]

Out of the Woods - Namjoon, wolf hybrid, strangers to lovers [3/3]

@worldwidebt7 - if you like webtoons! I read parts of Jungkook’s webtoon and I think currently we’re on Yoongi’s story. Access it here

@jincherie - One of the first hybrid fics I remember encountering is Inheritance (MYG). Other fics:

Perihelion - Hoseok, college, roommate, enemies [2/?]

Butterfingers - Namjoon, teacher au, this is cuuuute READ IT if you’re looking for something fluffy [one shot]

4 o’ clock - Taehyung, single dad au (I included this in the singel dad fic recs too) [3/?]

Under the Bridge - Jungkook, found jungkook under the bridge [one shot]

@whitesparrows97 - a writer I discovered because of a Yoongi soulmate fic but I found that they also have other hybrid fics:

Cat’s Cradle - Yoongi, bestfriend [5/5]

Underdog - Taehyung, shifter, brought home what she thought a stray dog [5/5]

@foxymoxynoona - and what would my reco be without foxymoxy? So they have tumblr but their works are on AO3. I’ve listed their current works here but I didn’t include their completed works which are must-reads:

Sugar Fairy - Jungkook, mating, adopted hybrids [48/48]

A Sea of Indigo - Jungkook, ex-fighter [48/48] ⭐⭐⭐

@therealmintedmango - They have a whole masterlist of their hybrid!au fics. I recently finished Kingdom Come and I always remember Jimin from King (for some reason)

@joonbird - check their Zodiac Hybrid Masterlist of one shot per member

There are more (usually one shot per member) but I’ll probably put them in another Fic Rec List for Hybrid AUs. Sorry this list is kind of all over the place (not even organized per member 🤭). But good luck with your modules and I hope these help!

(❁´◡`❁)

3K notes · View notes