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maraschinomerry · 1 year

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You and Me

Pairings: George Karim x gn!reader

Summary: five times George didn't know he had a crush on you, and one time he did

Content: fluff, first kiss, canon-typical danger

A/N: I've been working on this for ages and am so relieved it's finally done! A lot less angsty than most of my stuff, just tooth-rottingly sweet for a change 💕

Word count: 3.2k

Taglist: @neewtmas @marinalor @ettadear

George hovered in your doorway. You'd left it ajar, your secret signal to each other that you were up for company, but it was almost 2am and he'd never visited this late.

"Hey Georgie," your voice whispered from the dim lamplight within. "Couldn't sleep?"

He shook his head before realising he couldn't actually see you and there was a chance you couldn't see him either. "No, I, uh… no."

Suddenly your head popped up from behind your bed, blinking groggily, and you waved him over. He pulled the door shut behind him.

"How did you know I was there?"

"Because I know you, silly," you elbowed him playfully as he sank to the ground beside you, your backs resting against the bed. You tried to ignore how scratchy the sheets were against your neck.

You'd both joined Fittes about the same time, and as the two newbies and joint youngest you quickly became inseparable. Everyone else was alright, you were a team after all, but between the elitist mindset and regulation living quarters the place never really felt like home. It had quickly become apparent that 'home' for both of you was each other, and now nearly 6 months in you spent most of your free time in one of your rooms or tucked away in a corner of the British Archives. Much like tonight, shoulder to shoulder in the soft orange glow.

You sat in companionable silence for a while, occasionally being pulled from your thoughts when your fingers would brush his and it felt like a spark ran up the whole length of your arm.

Eventually, George spoke. "Do you ever think about leaving?"

You turned to him with a frown. "Leaving Fittes? Duh."

"Fittes, London, agents' work, all of it!" His voice held a hint of the animation it did when he was telling you about a particularly exciting artifact, but there was something sombre about it tonight too.

"I mean, yeah," you considered, "but it's not that simple. Wherever we go, the Problem will follow. And we had a plan, Georgie."

A month after you'd joined, the first time George had been in your room, the two of you had made a contract. Pass your Grade Four, leave Fittes, establish your own agency, become the best in London (in England, even) and have your weaselly team leader Brookes begging you to come back or better yet hire him. But you wouldn't, because you wouldn't need him. It would be you and your rapier, George and his research, against the world. You and him.

"You and me," George murmured. You smiled warmly at him, draping and arm around his shoulder and pulling him close.

Something shifted deep in his chest.

Oh.

It had been the worst year of your life.

Your best and perhaps only friend in the whole world had been fired, sent packing in the middle of the night with no chance to leave you a contact number or tell you where he was going. When you found out the next morning, Brookes had had to give you the rest of the day off because you couldn't stop crying long enough to achieve anything. How could you focus on training when a piece of your soul had been torn from you?

It only got worse from there. You were sidelined for countless opportunities, used as bait like you were nothing, and to top it all off you were reassigned to the team of one Quill Kipps, who you thought made Brookes look like a saint.

One day, in late summer, you reached your limit.

You quit.

"Where will you go?" Kipps had asked. You wanted to think he was mocking you, telling you that nowhere would accept some Fittes reject, but truth be told he was genuinely concerned.

You didn't know the answer to his question, but you refused to stay for a day longer. Measly bag of belongings and rapier in tow, you made your way round London to every agency you could think of. No luck. This was such a bad idea. George would be horrified by your lack of planning.

Not for the first time, you wondered where your friend had ended up. Maybe he'd gone north. Maybe he'd opened his own agency. Maybe he'd given it all up like he said. Surely he wasn't still in London. He'd have looked for you, right? Right?

You flopped dejectedly onto a bench in Hyde Park. It was close to nightfall, and you'd need to find somewhere to stay. A newspaper lay abandoned beside you, half falling through the gap in the wood. You thumbed through it to the ads section, hoping to find a boarding house or even a late-night pub.

Your eyes lit up.

"A.J. Lockwood & Co. Prestigious agency hiring junior agent. 35 Portland Row."

With trembling hands you tore the advert from the paper and tossed the rest aside, sprinting for the nearest taxi rank.

The door to 35 Portland Row was opened by a tall boy with dark hair and equally dark circles under his eyes.

"Hello, I'm looking for Mr Lockwood."

He offered you a smile. "That would be me. How can I help?"

You hesitated. He barely looked older than you, let alone old enough to be the head of a prestigious agency. Then again, you had no other prospects and nowhere to go. You inhaled, preparing yourself.

"I'm here about the job." You held up the newspaper cutting with a slightly trembling hand.

"Splendid!" His smile widened. With a flourish, he gestured for you to step inside and guided you through the door on the right into an eclectic living room. "Have a seat, my colleague has just gone to brew a fresh pot of tea if you're interested?" You nodded. It had been such a busy day you hadn't even realised you'd skipped lunch and your mouth was dry as a bone.

While you waited, you dug out your hastily constructed CV and handed it to Lockwood, who skimmed over it with interest. As he turned the page, a door behind you creaked open and he lowered the paper as he looked up.

"Ah, perfect timing. Another candidate, thought I'd wait until you got back," Lockwood explained to the mystery figure as they moved around the edge of the sofa, before he turned to you. "Allow me to introduce my colleague-"

You barely registered what he was saying. Your focus was entirely taken up by the curly haired, bespectacled boy holding the tea tray.

"Georgie."

The tray clattered unceremoniously onto the coffee table, and before Lockwood could register what was happening you were on your feet, being tackled into a bear hug that almost knocked George's glasses straight off his nose. Your arms wrapped around his waist as you buried your head into his shoulder, tears already formed and soaking into his orange plaid shirt. Lockwood watched in fascination as his friend, who had well established in his year with the company that he did not enjoy physical contact, scrunched his eyes shut and brought his free hand (the one that wasn't gripping your shoulder like a lifeline) up to tangle in your hair.

"Hey, you," he murmured into the top of your head, blinking back tears of his own.

"You two know each other." It was more of a statement than a question from Lockwood, who you had quite forgotten was still in the room. Blushing, you extricated yourself from George's embrace, and felt your pulse skip when the hand that loosened from your shoulder trailed down to link with yours.

"We were together at Fittes," George stated. He must have told Lockwood about your time together, because the other boy just smirked knowingly.

"Very well then, I suppose we can dispense with the tests, if George will vouch for you?" He looked to George, who nodded so hard he thought his head might fall off. "Welcome to Lockwood and Co. Do please have a biscuit."

"George?! George!" you yelled, voice hoarse with dust and nerves.

You'd been fleeing the basement of a decrepit haunted house when, with a sickening crack, the bottom half of the rickety wooden staircase collapsed right behind you. George had pushed you to leave first. He'd been right behind you. On those steps.

You crouched at the edge of the shaft, terrified of what you were about to see. Your mind filled with visions of your best friend, laying prone or ghost-touched on the cold concrete below. Relief and adrenaline flooded your veins when you saw him, from the chest up, clinging to the remaining steps and legs dangling above the debris. Lockwood and Lucy, the newest member of the agency, were nowhere to be seen, but the ripple of a reforming Type Two behind George was all too noticeable. Bracing yourself as best you could, you reached down and gripped him by the forearms. You weren't sure you could lift him alone, but as soon as his knees cleared the now-bottom step he was able to scrabble his way onto his feet. He scampered up the remaining steps and slammed the hatch closed with an echoing finality.

Your hands were on him immediately - brushing hair from his eyes, turning his head side to side, adjusting his glasses, running down his arms and across his torso, anywhere you could think of to check for injuries.

George was perfectly unharmed, he knew. Nothing more than a couple of splinters embedded in his T-shirt and a slight lack of breath from where his chest had slammed into the step. But he said nothing, more than content to let the accident disguise the real reason for the quickening of his breath as you worked your fingers across almost every inch of him. As they came to rest on his chest, he prayed you would think his racing heartbeat was just from the narrow escape, his flushed face just from exertion. This really wasn't professional, any other agency would have him on a disciplinary, but he was too far gone to care. Still, probably best if Lockwood didn't find out. He wouldn't be mad, of course, but he would be so smug.

You woke up in a cold sweat, barely even aware of where you were. Weeks had passed since the Bone Glass was destroyed, but you were still plagued with nightmares. Sometimes it was Lucy, hanging unconscious from the Skull. Sometimes it was Lockwood, bleeding out on the catafalque. Mostly it was George, in any number of horrifying scenarios. Tonight, you'd watched rigidly, unable to move to help no matter how much you yelled at your dream self to save him, as Joplin pressed her knife closer and closer to his throat. His echoing cry as the blade dug into his skin had flung you awake with a jolt.

A gentle tap at your door pulled you back to reality.

"Yeah?" you called, voice catching.

The sight of a familiar mop of curls, attached to a very much alive George, began to soothe your speeding heartbeat.

"Hey, is everything okay? I thought I heard you scream." Oh my god. How were you supposed to explain that away? Lockwood and Lucy were away on a case, you two were the only ones in the house and it definitely hadn't been him imagining things.

"I'm fine," you said with a smile that didn't reach your eyes.

Falteringly, George stepped further into your room as though there was an invisible barrier he wasn't sure whether to cross. "Are you sure? You don't seem fine. You're shaking." You'd dropped your gaze lest he scrutinise it, so you hadn't seen how close he'd come until he was on his knees in front of you, reaching for your trembling hands. When you didn't pull away, he took them ever so gently, grounding you. You bit back a sob. "Hey, hey," his voice softened further, "I've got you." He moved to sit next to you on the bed, bringing the hand nearest to you up to rub circles into your back.

"I'm sorry," you mumbled between sobs, "I didn't mean to wake you. It was just a stupid nightmare."

The hand left your back, then it was on your cheek, turning you to him. His thumb brushed away your tears.

"Listen to me, (name). You have nothing to be sorry for, you understand? I know what it's like, I get nightmares too sometimes and they feel so real, so don't dismiss it as stupid. And I hate the thought of you suffering in silence. You're the most important person to me, I'd do anything for you, so please let me?" He had no idea where the words came from, but he meant every single one. You nodded, still teary-eyed, and he opened his arm out to allow you to curl into his side.

It was impossible to tell how long you sat like that, but eventually your eyelids began to droop. George noticed and gently manoeuvred you to lie down, drawing the sheets up over you. You gave little protest, too exhausted to mind, until he made to move away, when he felt his hand tugged back.

"Wait." You looked up at him, a blush painting your cheeks. "Will you stay? Please?"

He gave you one of those laughs he only seemed to do around you, more of a sharp exhale through his nose accompanied by fond eyes and a soft smile. "What did I just say? I'd do anything for you." You felt the mattress shift as he settled onto the other side, keeping a respectful distance but making sure you could still feel his presence. At last, you drifted off, knowing he was there.

"You look rough," Lockwood commented when George slouched into the kitchen the next morning. George wanted to bite back that he didn't look much better, hair a mess and eye bags deeper than ever, but he'd only just got back from the case with Lucy so he had a reason to be tired.

"Didn't get much sleep," George muttered, shoving a couple of slices of bread into the toast and clicking the kettle on. Normally he'd start the day with tea or juice, but this time only coffee was going to be strong enough.

Lucy appeared from the basement, looking more dishevelled than Lockwood. A huge smear of dirt coated her cheek and her shirt was torn. She'd heard the conversation. "Are you okay?" She knew George had barely slept for the first few days after the Bone Glass, and his words made her worry he was slipping back into that bad place again.

He realised what she was implying. "Oh, I'm fine. It was (name) who had the nightmare, I just stayed up to make sure they slept okay after it."

Lockwood and Lucy exchanged a glance, fighting to suppress the grins that were beginning to form. George squinted at them.

"That's very chivalrous of you," Lucy said with twitching lips.

"Oh absolutely, you're such a good friend," Lockwood continued. Lucy snorted.

"Well yeah," George frowned, "why are you saying it so weirdly?"

They stared at him like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Because you don't seem to realise how much of a crush you've got on them."

Heat rose in George's cheeks. That was ridiculous; you were his best friend.

"Look," Lucy said gently as she settled at the table, "would you come and check on me if you heard I was having a nightmare?"

"Of course. I've done it for Lockwood before too." He'd visited the other boy's room so many times during his first few months in Portland Row.

"But did you stay up all night with me? And I'm guessing you weren't on their desk chair." Lockwood raised an eyebrow.

George opened his mouth and closed it again. They were mad, they had to be. Sure, he wanted to keep you in his life forever now he'd found you again, but the same could be said of the other members of the agency. As for the need for physical contact, the butterflies it created in his stomach, the way a single smile from you could fix even the worst days, that was just… oh hell.

George felt like he was in shock. All this time, all those funny little feelings he had around you, it was a crush. He could have been with you all this time if only he'd realised. Wait. That was assuming you liked him back, and surely you'd have said something, right? So there was no way you felt the same. But Lockwood and Lucy knew him so well, they would never have brought it up if they didn't think there was more to it. If they didn't know. God, this was complicated.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

Your voice in the doorway made George jump. How long had you been standing there? How long had he been lost in thoughts of you, of finally telling you how he felt now he had the words?

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," you apologised sweetly as you moved to join him on his bed. "It just looked like you were thinking about something very serious, is it anything I can help with?" Yes, it absolutely was. You had no idea how much it was.

"I'm an idiot," he blurted.

You frowned, placing a hand on his knee and unwittingly sending a burst of electricity through his entire body. "You're not an idiot, Georgie. You're the smartest person I know and I love that about you, don't ever downplay it."

"No, (name)," he turned to you, gaze intense and bursting with emotion, "I am. I've been in love with you from the very beginning and it took Lockwood and Lucy intervening for me to realise." He could barely look at you now, terrified of what he might see - confusion, disgust, pity, disappointment. It wasn't how he'd planned on telling you, either. It was supposed to be so much more romantic, but he'd wasted this much time figuring it out that he couldn't bare to waste a second longer waiting for the right moment to come along. "I don't expect you to reciprocate, and it doesn't have to change things, I just wanted you to know."

Whatever reaction he was expecting, a laugh was not it. The sound was light and pure, like wind chimes in a summer breeze. "You are an idiot… for thinking there was any chance I wouldn't feel the same."

The spark from your hand on his knee reached his chest, igniting the fireworks he'd been storing safely in his heart. Colours, beautiful colours, burst before him: the rich centre of your irises, the highlights of the sun on your hair, the flush of your cheeks, the rose of your lips. Your lips.

"Can I kiss you?" he asked quietly.

"I'd be an idiot if I said no," you laughed again as you wound an arm around his waist, pulling him closer and bringing your lips to his. The lingering scent of lavender and old books blended with the taste of tea and biscuits to create a sensation that you knew was completely unique. 'You and me', you'd agreed. And here you were, you and him. You kissed him deeper, relishing in the taste. George tasted just like you'd always imagined he would. Like home.

#lockwood & co x reader #george karim x reader #george karim #gn!reader #lockwood & co fanfic #lockwood and co

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lunafoster · 11 months

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Oh No (part 2)

AN: here’s part twoooo!! Sorry for the long wait, it took me a while to Finnish it because of me being studying most of the time (I’m in the middle of finals, please wish me luck).

Warnings: none I think? Bad English (I’m sorry, I promise I’m trying), A little bit of sexy(?) dancing if you squint really hard; Bojan and his girlfriend being cute; Käärijä being shy and having thoughts about them both (not like that).

Pairings: Bojan Cvjetićanin x fem!actress!reader + a tiny bit of Bojan x Käärijä + a tiny bit of Käärijä x fem!actress!reader

Words: 1500+ (so, funny story, part 1 has 1685 words and this one has 1658 hehe)

Part 1

Anyway, let’s go!

After the… incident with Bojan and meeting his girlfriend, because Jere refused to call it anything else, the Finn had continued to make a fool out of himself that night.

Even though he had been partying with the others, his eyes would always end up wondering back to them dancing together. And, of course, they sometimes caught him staring.

Jere was aware that Bojan was hot; in fact, he had been made aware of that ever since they had met in Madrid. As time went on and they started getting closer, he also found out, to his demise, that he was a great person: funny, caring, kind, charming and talented.

However, what he hadn’t known was that he had a girlfriend, and that she was equally as hot and loveable as him, as he had discovered when he talked to her for a bit. What are the odds, huh.

He gave up trying to party at around 3 am, sitting with Luke in one of the tables and just discreetly watching as the two moved their hips to the beat in their own little world.

The Serbian, who was nursing his fifth drink of the night, watched him carefully and followed his fleeting gaze to Bojan and the girl, slightly smirking when he figured it out.

“Go dance with them,” he told Käärijä with the smuggest look on his face.

“What?” The rapper sputtered, quickly moving his eyes away from the couple, cursing himself when he felt the heat rising towards his cheeks.

“I think they wouldn’t mind, honestly,” Luke pointed to where the two were dancing with his head and took a sip of his drink.

Jere didn’t answer, his gaze shifting to them again and watching as they smiled at each other while dancing. They didn’t look like they wanted company, at all.

He turned back to Luke and awkwardly smiled, trying to get the thoughts of the couple out of his mind. He didn’t want to bother them with his presence in the middle of their- whatever they were doing with the heart eyes.

The Finn was about to tell his companion as much when, out of the corner of his eye, he could make out Alessandra talking to the girl and taking her away from Bojan to dance with her.

Bojan, because of course he would, immediately crossed gazes with him and started walking towards their booth.

“Here comes loverboy!” sung Luke before getting up, mumbling something about another drink.

“Wait-” and he was too far away to hear him, if not for the loud music.

“What’s wrong? Are you not having fun?” was the first thing Bojan asked, getting all close to his ear to be heard over the song that was playing in that moment.

Käärijä felt his warm breath on his face and didn’t know if he could blush any harder. Thank the colourful lights for covering that up for him.

The other man was looking at him waiting for an answer and Jere didn’t know if it was because of the alcohol, but his eyes were glassy. Bojan might be drunk. What do I do? Shit.

“Fun, yes yes,” he replied, breaking off of his stupor and putting on a smile, “and you?”

“Well,” he started, “they stole my girlfriend so I don’t have anyone to dance with now.” He was pouting.

Jere had the sudden urge to bite the other man’s lips, but he sure as hell wasn’t about to go and act on it. What kind of thoughts was he having in the worst moment possible? Stop it!

“I dance with you,” he told him, didn’t know where that idea came from, “if you want?” he added, more as a second thought than anything else.

Bojan smiled and took his hand, dragging him towards where all the dancing bodies were. And they did, dance, drink some more and laugh at each other’s weird moves.

A latin beat came up, Bojan was swaying and he didn’t know if it was from all the drinks he’d had or because of the music, but he was moving towards him and he didn’t know what to do.

“This is sexy song,” he put his hands up, in between himself and Bojan’s chest,” your girlfriend dance with you?”

“She can come dance with us,” he said with a smirk, taking his wrists in both of his hands and slowly lowering them to his sides.

Jere’s breath caught in his throat when he felt the Slovene’s hands on his hips, his eyes widened as he looked up at him, being unable to figure out if it meant anything at all for the other.

Bojan was smiling, drunk enough that he could dance like this with the Finn and not feel shy about it. He looked down and his eyes softened when he saw the slight panic in Jere’s own.

He was about to withdraw from the other and apologise for making him uncomfortable when he felt a pair of familiar hands on his right forearm, slowly removing his hand from the rapper’s hip and letting a body get right in the middle of them, his girlfriend’s back to his chest and her smile directed at Käärijä as she looked up at him.

“Is this okay?” she asked him, looping her arms around the Finn’s neck.

The older male swallowed and gave Bojan a questioning look. Was it really okay? When the other one gave him an encouraging nod, Jere moved his hands to her sides, with his heart beating so loudly he believed everyone else could hear it over the music.

The Finn found himself enjoying the next few songs. Dancing with the other two became fun when all they did was tell weird jokes and laugh at each other’s clumsiness.

It was around 6 am that his eyes started closing and his movements became more lethargic, yawning every now and then due to the tiredness he felt, the events of the day catching up to him.

“Should we get you to your hotel room, Jere?” the girl asked him, a soft smile on her face.

“I go alone,” he answered, not wanting to bother them with having to accompany him, “it’s fine.”

“We were thinking of going to sleep too, so we can totally get you to yours first!” Bojan said, slapping his thighs as he got up.

He couldn’t help but agree. It was true he liked their company, so what if he didn’t refuse? Maybe he wanted to keep talking to them for a little longer while they got to his room.

They said their goodbyes to the people that were still there and headed for the reception of the hotel to get to the lifts, all the while Bojan had an arm around him and the girl had her hand intertwined with his, which he assumed was because they were both a little bit more than tipsy.

When they entered the lift, a silence fell upon them. And Jere started looking anywhere except at them. When he sneaked a glance, Bojan and his girlfriend seemed to be having a conversation with their eyes.

He prided himself for being more sober than them and, in his slightly drunken state, he didn’t mind asking them what was happening. Though, as soon as he opened his mouth, the doors opened to his room’s corridor.

“Did you see Luke asleep on top of Remo?” she said, giggling cutely, or at least it was cute in his ears.

“And Remo’s face was priceless,” Bojan added, “he was like trying to ask for help but with his eyes.”

He couldn’t help but laugh with the other two, and inwardly mourn the loss of their chuckles when he could see the door to his room.

“This my room,” he told them both as he searched for the card in his pockets.

They both nodded and looked at each other before looking back at him.

“We had a great night, Jere!” she stated excitedly, “maybe we could hang out tomorrow?”

“We can go have lunch together or something,” Bojan agreed with her, nodding at him, trying to convince him.

As if he needed convincing.

“Yes yes,” he smiled, opening the door, “we see tomorrow.”

The other two high-fived and whispered little ‘yes’s, then said their goodbyes to Jere.

When he was about to close the door, the girl stopped him and gave him a peck on the cheek and murmured a silent ‘good night’ in Finnish, leaving him flustered with his head outside his room while the two left for their own.

When the couple arrived at their room, they wasted no time in hoping into the shower, both too tired to do anything other than clean each other up and put on their pyjamas.

Bojan sat down on the bed while she removed her make up, looking at her with the most loving eyes she had ever seen.

“What did you think?”

“Of what?” she countered. “The night? Everyone? Or someone in particular?”

“You know what I’m asking,” he sighed, softly laughing to himself. She knew him so well.

“I like him,” she said, then, softly laughing as well, “I see why you told me so much about him.”

She went towards him once she was done with her skincare and straddled him on the bed, pecking his lips once, twice, and smiling with adoration in her eyes.

“Good.” He pushed them both further up the bed and gently settled them down inside the covers, cuddling up to her. “I kinda like him, too.”

They both smiled at each other with their foreheads touching and their legs entwined.

“Good night,” they whispered at the same time, to which they giggled for a while.

“We should really sleep,” she said in between giggles.

“We should,” he agreed, “we’re really drunk.”

“I’m not that drunk,” her eyelids began to fall.

“You are,” he closed his eyes.

Sleep took over them rather quickly that night.

AN2: hope you enjoyed it! If you want any more parts you’ll have to give it some love… this one took more time than I expected it to, but I still liked writing it! Love y’all! <3

#bojan cvjeticanin #kaarija #eurovison 2023 #esc #eurovision #esc 2023 #bojan cvjetićanin x fem!reader #bojan cvjetićanin #bojan cvjetićanin x reader #Käärijä x Bojan #Käärijä x reader

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waltermis · 1 year

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Mistake

MASTERLIST ↠ LAUREL LANCE MASTERLIST

Part 2 : Okay, Well I Guess That’s It Then

Summary: Today becomes the worst day ever when you catch the love of your life in bed with another person.

Warnings: cheating, swearing, angst with no happy ending

Pairings: Laurel Lance x reader, Laurel Lance x Oliver Queen

Prompt: “Tell me how to fix this! Please!” “That’s just it… you can’t.”

↠↠↠

“WHAT THE FUCK?!”

“Shit! Y/N! What’re you doing here?” Laurel’s body shot up, pushing the body that was on top of her off; panic spread across her features.

“I was going to surprise you by making you dinner, seeing as you texted me saying that you were stressed about the Isaac case. But it looks like I was the one who was surprised.” You laughed sarcastically. “I’m leaving…”

“No no! Don’t leave! Tell me how to fix this! Please!” Laurel cried out, trying to scramble off the bed; nearly tripping when the sheets wrapped around her legs. However, she was quick to recover, wrapping the bedsheets around her nude body. Her companion dashed out from beneath the covers, guilt spread across his face.

“That’s just it… you can’t. Because this is unforgivable.” You said calmly, grabbing your purse. “You know…” You turned back, deciding that you had more to say to your cheater of an ex-girlfriend. “I always knew that you still loved him. I just didn’t think that you would do this to me.” Oliver was pulling on his pants, while trying to find his shirt.

“Y/N…” He tried to deescalate the situation.

“You, shut the fuck up!” You screamed at him. “I want you both out of my apartment! I want you out of here. Get out and don’t come back.”

“No! Baby please!” The Lance begged, wrapping her arms around your legs as her own gave up on her. She buried her face in your thighs, causing you to think back on all the times she had done that when you two had a lazy day. “I’m sorry. This was a huge mistake. I didn’t mean for this to happen. I’m so sorry.”

“Get off me, Lance.” You growled out, practically kicking her off of you. You could feel the tears filling your eyes, but you clenched your jaw, refusing to give them the satisfaction of watching you break down. “How long has this been going on?” You demanded.

“Y/N/N, baby please!!!”

“How long?!” You screamed.

“Al-” Laurel stuttered. “Almost a year…” She muttered, looking down at her hands.

“God! I’m an idiot…” You ran a shaky hand through your hair, your vision blurring slightly.

“Sunshine please!” She tried begging again. By now, Oliver had already left, shame enveloping him like a cloud as he closed the front door. “Tell me how I can make this better.”

“What do you want me to say?! That a ‘sorry’ will suffice? ‘Cause it won’t. You betrayed me! Betrayed my trust! You’ve been lying to me for a year now! You were screwing someone behind my back! And during that time, you acted like I was the love of your life! How could you do this to us, Laurel?! To me!?”

“I-I don’t know… God what have I done?!” She began muttering to herself, eyes wide, darting everywhere.

“Why did you do this, Laurel? I thought that we were happy, but I guess not seeing how you threw 3 years of our relationship down the drain. I can’t believe that I thought for one second that you really loved me. Because you don’t! You love Oliver! He is everything I can’t be, right? He’s rich, handsome, social, fit, and outgoing. Everything I’m not and never will be able to be. He’s the love of your life.” Your voice broke during the last bit but you refused to let the tears fall.

Laurel felt her heart breaking, she knew about your insecurities. She knew you felt like you weren’t good enough for her. And here she was, going from being the person that glued your broken heart back together to the person who broke it all over again. “Darling…” She sobbed, holding her hands in front of her, begging you.

“Don’t ‘darling’ me! I’m not your darling anymore. And apparently, I never was if you were so willing to fall into another person’s arms. I can’t believe I fell under your spell… Get out, you can collect your things tomorrow when I’m at work. But for now, I suggest you find a place to stay.” You opened the front door, escorting her out. Not before throwing her a pair of pants and a shirt seeing as she was still wrapped in the bedsheets.

“No, please… baby! I love you so much. Please don’t leave me.” She sobbed.

“You should have thought of the consequences, Laurel. After all, weren’t you the one to tell me that each action has a consequence?” You slam the front door in her face. Her sobs echoing in your mind, as you lean against the door, sliding down. “Fuck,” You whispered, finally letting the tears fall.

↠↠↠

758 words

Part 2 : Okay, Well I Guess That’s It Then

#laurel lance x reader #laurel lance #arrowverse x reader #dinah laurel lance #arrowverse #dc #arrow #black canary x reader #black canary #lauriver #oliver queen x laurel lance #laurel lance x oliver queen #oliver queen

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wincheskka · 1 year

Text

Miss Him

Pairing : Dhawan!Master x Gn!Reader

Summary : At a companion support group meeting, you think of the Master because you miss him. (I'm so bad at this sorry)

Genre/Warning : Romance, angst, death mention, THE POWER OF THE DOCTOR SPOILERS

A/N : I'm still so sad for the end of the Master in The Power of the Doctor, I want him back right now !!!

English is not my native language so I’m really sorry for the spelling mistakes. (tell me if there are any errors)

You're sitting on a chair in the companion support group, it's been 2 months since you joined the group and also since the Doctor left. You don't talk in meetings, you just listen to their story about the Doctor, and that's what you do today too, listening to Tegan tell a story, you listen without really hearing what she's saying, you're especially lost in your thoughts. Since the Doctor left you feel sad but you are mostly sad because of the death of the Master.

When you met O, you liked him instantly, he was so kind to you and he listened to you more than the Doctor or anyone would, you quickly had a little crush on him, it is the first time this has happened to you when you have just met someone. When he revealed himself as the Master, one of the Doctor's worst enemies, you thought your crush on him would go away, but no, that's even reinforced, because you were always thinking about him during the trips with the Doctor, but also with the gentle touches he gave you when you were on Gallifrey.

You hated leaving the Doctor on Gallifrey, you didn't want her to die and you didn't want the Master to die either. When you were back on Earth, you spent 1 month thinking that both were dead and you often mourned the death of the Master. One day you were crying thinking about the Master, but you quickly wiped away your tears when you heard someone knocking on your front door, you didn't want anyone to see you cry. When you opened the door. you were very surprised and happy to see the Master in front of you with a smile on his face looking at you, what surprises you even more is the Master asking you to come with him to travel and you could not refuse this.

So you traveled with him, for a good while, you enjoyed traveling with him so much it was so different than traveling with the Doctor, what you enjoyed the most was the peaceful moments with him in his TARDIS. Every day you got closer and closer until you both became lovers. It was so nice, you wanted it to last forever but good things never last a long time.

The Master was hiding something from you, you knew it. He had his secrets for him and you respected that because you wanted him to take his time to confide in you, but this time this secret affected you both, he was much more distant from you, he slept less than usual, when you entered in the control room he hides some papers so that you couldn't see them.

It hurt you that he was hiding all this from you, that he was getting away from you, so one day you decided to confront him about this and you wish you hadn't because you had an argument and then he takes you home the same day he took you. He left you at home with a broken heart.

You were hoping every day, every week, every month that he would come to apologize and that you could go back to him, you were hoping until the day the Doctor came back. You went back to traveling with her, you missed traveling with the man you love, but you were hoping you could see him again while traveling with the Doctor and of course you did.

You didn't tell to the Doctor or Yaz about him and you because you knew they wouldn't like it and they wouldn't trust you anymore, but the Master didn't care to tell them.

The Master once again takes his head out of the elevator in which he was taken by two UNIT soldiers, you look at him, next to you the Doctor and Yaz do the same :

"Doctor did Y/N tell you that we both traveled together ?" He asks with a smirk.

You feel your blood freeze, your eyes widen. You didn't want to tell the Doctor about it but he had to tell her, you should have known he would. The Master gets pushed into the elevator and then the doors close. You feel all eyes on you, you don't dare look at anyone so you get into the TARDIS.

The Doctor and Yaz enter in the TARDIS and the Doctor's eyes immediately goes to you, she approaches you, you look at her anxiously because you know what she is going to say :

"Y/N is this true ?" She asks with a hope in her eyes that the Master is lying that you couldn't have traveled with him. Yaz approaches the Doctor, she looks at you, like you are the enemy.

"Th-That's in the past now" You just tell her not wanting her to continue with the subject.

You see the hope in the Doctor's eyes disappear at your words, you know she feels betrayed and you didn't want that. Yaz doesn't want to look at you anymore so she turns to the controls of the TARDIS.

"Is this really in the past ?" asks the Doctor with hope still in her eyes.

"Yes, yes it's in the past" You're lying, you are definitely not going to tell her that you love her worst enemy.

The Doctor nods but you knew she didn't really believe you, she turns to the controls and you hear Yaz and her talking but don't listen to what they say, you sigh and close your eyes for a few seconds. Have you lost the trust of your friends ? You think about it, not wanting it to be true.

You are afraid of what the Master is planning, for the Doctor's safety but also for his, you love him and you don't want to lose him.

You won't lose him...Isn't it ?

Yaz runs out of the TARDIS after seeing on the TARDIS screen the Qurunx's energy ray is hit the Doctor causing her to be thrown through the air and fall to the ground unconscious.

You are afraid for the Doctor but when you look at the screen you see the Master outside his TARDIS, also unconscious. your heart squeezes painfully seeing him like this with the planet destroying. You too start to run out of the TARDIS but you feel someone grab your arm and stop you from running, you turn to the person and see Kate holding you tight, you frown not understanding why she's doing this.

You struggle with her grip but you see someone else holding you, Ace. You understand then that they don't let you going to get the Master, at this realization you struggle even more, you can't let him die on this planet, the two women still do not let you go, they do it when Yaz has the Doctor in her arms.

When they let go, you run outside but before you can set foot outside, the TARDIS doors close in front of you, you frown and open the door but it won't open. You start to feel the anxiety rising more and more. You try with all your strength to open it but fail, tears start to form in your eyes.

No, no that can't happen.

You can't lose him.

You can't.

"OPEN THIS DOOR !" You shout while hitting on the door without even paying attention to the others. More you hit the door more the realization comes to you, what you didn't want to happen, happens, you lose the man you love.

You feel your knees give way, you fall to the ground sobbing. You hope it's just a nightmare that you'll wake up next to him, that he'll kiss you so you know he's okay, but no, it's not a dream, it's reality. The Master, the man you love is dead.

"Y/N" You hear a voice calling you, which brings you out of your sad thoughts, you look to the left and see Graham looking at you, you didn't even notice that Tegan was done talking. "Do you want to tell us something about the Doctor ?" Graham asks with a little smile to reassure you.

"N-No sorry" You answer, you don't want to talk, not now. You hear Yaz sigh, you turn your head to look at her, she's sitting in front of you, she looks at you with anger, every time you came to the meeting she looked at you like that, she doesn't trust you anymore now that she knows that you have traveled with the Master.

"She has a lot more to say about the Master than the Doctor" Yaz said with displeasure and glaring at you. You lower your head and look at your hands on your knees, tears forming in your eyes. You feel so alone now, you feel like no one can understand you.

"She can talk about him if she wants" Graham said with kindness in his voice, you look at him surprised but also with sadness.

"Who would want to hear me talk about him when everyone here hates him" You say looking at every person in this room, you know none of them would understand what you could say about him.

"I don't know him, so you can talk about him, it doesn't bother me" Says Dan on your right, you look at him and give him a sad smile

"Thanks Dan but I…" You lower your head to look at your knees, but the tears blur your vision, you bite your lower lip to stop yourself from sobbing in front of them "I miss him so much" You say with pain in your voice, you take a breath "And I won't be able to see him again because of you" You say looking at Kate and Ace to your right with sadness and anger. "You prevented me from going to see him, from being by his side"

"It was to protect you from him Y/N" Ace tells you, her words make you even more angry, how can she say that without knowing what you and him had.

"I didn't need to be protected from him because I love him" You admit, you see Ace freeze at your confession, there is now no more noise in the room, nobody knew you love the Master, even if some suspected it, tears run down your cheeks, you look away from Ace and look at the ground in front of you. “I love him and I could never tell him again because now he's dead”

"Dead ? Who said I was dead ?" Says a voice you recognize immediately, you raise your head towards the entrance and you see the person you never thought you'd see again, the Master, he's leaning on the door frame.

Your eyes widen in shock, tears this time of joy are running down your cheeks, you can't believe he's here. The Master looks at you with a smile, he wears his beautiful purple jacket that you love so much.

Everyone in the room gets up from their chairs and looks at him. Kate pulls out her gun and points it at the Master, you pay no attention to it, you get up from your chair, this time no one can stop you from going to him, you run to him and hug him, he hugs you too and you cry into his shoulder :

"It's alright love, I'm here now" The Master whispers these sweet words in your ear, you raise your head from his shoulder and look into his eyes.

"I missed you so much" You tell him with tears running down, he takes your face in his hands and looks at you with so much love, you really miss him looking at you like that.

"I missed you too love" He says to you wiping your tears with his thumbs, you look at each other for a few more seconds then he removes his hands from your face and turns to look at the Doctor's former companions and gives them a smirk "I'm not going to kill you, even if what you said to Y/N makes me want to do it, I just came here for Y/N"

His words warm your heart, you look at him with so much admiration and love. The Master looks at each of them then his eyes stop on Yaz, his smirk widens, you look at Yaz too, she looks at him with so much hate :

"Yaz by the way, how's the Doctor doing ?" The Master asks sarcastically, Yaz looks at him with even more hate in her eyes.

You look at the Master, take his wrist in your hand and squeeze it a little, he looks at you, you shake your head wanting him to leave her alone, even if Yaz doesn't see you as her friend anymore, she still is for you. The Master sighs in defeat, he only wants your happiness. He takes your hand in his :

“Are you ready to go love ? He asks you with love.

You look at everyone in the room one last time, then look at him and you nod impatiently and then you both run away together.

You can't wait to see where he plans to take you in the next adventures, but for now you especially want to enjoy being with him and tell him how much you love him and only him. It hurt you so much when he wasn't with you but now that he's here with you it doesn't hurt anymore.

#dhawan!master #dhawan!master x reader #dhawan master x reader #dhawan master #doctor who #doctor who master #the master x reader #sacha dhawan #dw #x reader #fanfic #fanfiction #doctor who fanfic #doctor who fanfiction

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luimagines · 9 months

Text

Tug ‘o’ War

Another Commission!

They asked for their OC with Sky..... Let’s be real. At this point you all know who this is XD

Masterlist

Content under the cut!

When Sky first saw them, he knew that he wanted to be their friend.

They weren’t too excited with the idea though. They often avoided him when they could and struggled to meet him in the eye.

Which was fine. At first anyway. Sky was willing to work around whatever they may have been going through. Fledge is similar in that regard, but that didn’t stop Sky from interacting with him and befriending the young man. So Sky refused to let it stop him from interacting with Enno as well.

That was unfortunately easier said than done.

He tried to keep up with them and meet them at their level but they always seemed to find an excuse to get away from him. Was he scary? Did he intimidate them? Was it something he did when they first met that had them hating him? It hurts to imagine.

So Sky had to pause from interacting with them. He watched them interact with the others though. They seem to get along great with Twilight and Wind. They joked and rough housed. Enno seemed to constantly seek out either of their attention but Sky couldn’t figure out what he was doing differently than they were.

Once Sky was paired up with Twilight (seeing as Enno was paired up with Wind), Sky took it upon himself to get to the bottom of it. He had to be missing something.

“Hey… Twilight…” Sky pokes the arm of his companion. “I have a question.”

The other turned around and hiked up his scabbard on his back. “Sure, what’s up?”

Sky rubbed his arms, feeling a strange bout of butterflies in his stomach. “You talk to Enno a lot so you know them better than I do at this point. Would you say that I scare them? Or did I do something to get them to hate me?”

Twilight paused. “...What?”

“Yeah-! Because every time I try to talk to them, they always seem to try to drop out of the conversation. They look at everything but me. But they don’t have a problem with you, or Wind or the Old Man -especially not Warrior. They get along fine with Legend and Wild and they even dote on Hyrule. They even look Four in the eye! Am I doing something wrong?” Sky huffed. He didn’t intend to let those amount of words slip out of his mouth but the more he thought about it, the more he realized that clearly he was singled out. He just couldn’t figure out why.

Twilight continues to stare at Sky, not letting any thought slip onto his face. “And you haven’t thought of any reason why?”

“I wouldn’t be asking you if I would have been able to figure it out on my own.” Sky gripes. “I’ve tried. I’m still lost. Help me.”

Twilight finally begins to show signs of amusement on his face. “I was more or less sworn to secrecy, but I can point you in the right direction.”

“Sworn to secrecy?” Sky echoes under his breath. He gasps. “So you do know!”

“Yes. Most of us do, actually.” Twilight shrugs. “It’s obvious.”

“...Obv-... obvious?”

“Yes.” Twilight isn’t trying to be mean on purpose, but the chosen hero of Hylia can be quite dense. “Look. At best, just flirt with them and watch their reaction.”

“Wouldn’t that be the worst thing I could do?”

“Most of the time.” Twilight wants to shake him. “But in these circumstances, it’ll work like a charge. Just try it.”

Sky did not, in fact, want to try it.

It seemed like the biggest jerk move, to hit on them, when he clearly makes them uncomfortable as it is. Not only does he think that it would make the problem worse but he’s not exactly inclined to come off as Warrior does from time to time.

But as days went by and nothing seemed to get better, Sky found himself getting more and more desperate for answers. He just didn’t know what it was that made them avoid him so much. He was a good guy! Right? Oh god, what if he wasn’t? What if he ruined his chances before he started? What if he makes it worse? What if there’s no way for him to fix this?

He gets paired with Enno for the day as they travel.

The walk is awkward and silent. Sky is used to silence but there’s an underlying hint of dying inside between the two of them. Given by the way they keep their head down the entire time, Sky thinks that he’s not half wrong with his intuition.

Twilight words echo in his head. It’s still a terrible idea. But now that they’re alone… it’s tempting. He can start slow and steady. Soft and sincere. Maybe they just got off on the wrong foot. He should start by saying something nice. Maybe that would loosen them up.

“I like your jacket.” Sky says quietly. “It looks soft.”

Enno freezes. They stop dead in their tracks but keep their head down. Sky can almost hear the gears turning in their head. Clearly, they weren’t expecting it.

They cough and nod. And start walking again, if a little faster than before.

Sky matches their pace easily. He sighs. A failed attempt. Try again?

“I also think your markings are cool.” Sky swallows the bitter pill that his nerves have bundled up together. “Are they tattoos like Twilights… or closer to the markings from the Old Man?”

Is that a personal question? Sky cringes internally. He’s never been this bad at socializing. When did his skills tank?

They actually trip over their own feet for a moment before finding their voice. It’s quiet and a tad forced. “Um… n-no. It’s more like… the marks of my people.”

“Your people?” Well that’s the most he’s ever heard from them. This can go somewhere! “I’ve never seen markings like that on anybody. Where are you from?”

They curl a little into themselves, hiding their nose behind their cloak. “It’s far away. …I doubt you’ve heard of it. Twilight knows though. Even if he goes by the same thing even though it was my name first.”

Wait… what? Sky tilts his head. “Do you know Twilight? Have you met him before this whole journey.”

They seem to freeze again, their eyes widening ever so slightly. “Well… yes and no. He’s… been to my home before and I’ve been to his but we’ve never actually met before this.”

“Interesting.” Sky nods and hooks his thumbs through his belt. Maybe Twilight knew more about them than Sky was willing to bet. Ok then, small flirt to test out his theory. “Do you miss it?”

“Sometimes.” They adjust the cloak over their nose. They’re still trying to hide from him but they’re talking at least so that’s a start.

Sky nods again, trying to appear nonchalant. “Is it pretty?”

“Very.”

“Do all people look like you?” Sky has a line in his head that he wants to say but he needs to build to it or else it might not work.

Enno hums, or whines (?), and shakes their head. “I’m the only one like me.”

“Shame.” Sky says. “But I suppose unique beauty is all the more stunning when it stands out amongst the common design.”

He wants to kick himself. His delivery was horrible.

Sky only manages to stop himself from face palming before Enno makes a high keening sound. It keeps Sky away from his own self judgment as he turns to look at them in concern. “Are you ok?”

“I’m fINe.” They squeak. A light pulsates from their markings, catching Sky’s attention.

He finds himself smiling. “Incredible.”

“What is?” They sound horrified.

Sky doesn’t miss a beat. “You are.”

They put their hand over their mouth, even though their cloak was already doing all of the work. Their markings pulsate once more, brighter and more vibrant than before. Sky grins in response to it. It’s stunning. The way the teal and black mend into the white light. If he was certain they were tattoos before, here is his proof that they’re not.

“It’s beautiful.” He breathes out. Sky can feel himself forgetting where he is and who he’s talking to. But it’s so genuine, he can’t seem to stop the words as they fall out of his mouth. “You’re beautiful. Have you always been able to do this?”

“Stop.” They say.

Sky takes a step back to give them space. He might have overstepped his boundaries.

“I’m sorry.” He says automatically.

“No, that’s not-” They cut themselves off, seemingly growing more frustrated by the second. “Not you. Hold on. I can’t. Wait.”

Sky waits.

“Are you ok?” He wants to take a step closer but he’s afraid that there’s going to be major repercussions if he tries to intervene.

“Not your fault!” They yell, probably louder than they were intending. They wince at their own volume and wrap their arms around themselves. “Just- hold- hold on… I’m trying.”

The light pulsates again. It’s even brighter than the last time and each new wave of light seems to last longer than the first.

Sky can’t even begin to comprehend what’s happening. “Did… did I do something wrong?”

“Nope!” They yell and something strange happens. The light pulsates again but it stays, blinding Sky for one terrifying and confusing second. He reacts in the only way he can. By holding his breath and covering his face as he steps away.

Sky’s breath gets caught in his throat and he lowers his arms from his face once the light has died down completely.

“You!” A new voice screams.

Sky blinks. There’s two people there… where there was once only one. The man gets up faster than the young woman and manages to tackle her down before she can dive towards Sky. Sky steps away, putting his hands up in surrender. There’s no thoughts in his head- only information processing mode.

What just happened? What is happening?

“Twilight!” The young man yells. “There’s no reason to attack him! Leave him be!”

“Do you know how hard it is to hold ourselves together as it is?” ‘Twilight’, who is not his teammate, screams back. “It’s his fault. He’s too cute and pretty and nice!”

Sky points to himself intelligently. “M-me?”

Twilight screams in indignation. The other, which has yet to be named, looks to Sky apologetically. The young man is blushing. “Sorry. We’ll fix it in a moment. Just give us some time to get a grip and we’ll be back to your Enno.”

“...My Enno...” Sky repeats.

“Dusk!” The woman summons a massive battle ax and swings it. She doesn’t get far with it, seeing as ‘Dusk’ is pinning her arms down as he holds her. “So help me! Let! Me! Go!”

“No!” He yells. “I’m not letting you hurt him. Calm down.”

“Never tell a woman to calm down!”

“I’ve never been more lost.” Sky admits, sagging in on himself. “Can we start from the beginning?...Maybe with the whole ‘he’s pretty’ part?”

Twilight screams again.

Dusk only seems to blush deeper. “It’s a long story, even if she’s right.”

Slowly becoming exhausted, Twilight starts to calm down. Dusk continues talking. “We’re both Enno.”

“Both of you?” Sky points. He receives a nod in reply. “Enno is …two people?”

“Enno is one person.” Twilight huffs and crosses her arms, dropping her battle ax. It just misses Dusk’s foot. “But between the two of us we both make up Enno. It’s not like there’s two voices. We meld. We mix. We are Enno.”

Sky takes a long and deep suffering breath. “Can… Can this be fixed?” He asks, if only because he’s afraid that it’s permanent. “Is there a way to do that?”

“Yes.” Dusk replies, mirroring the same long experienced suffering sigh. “We just need to get a grip. Like I said.”

“You’re such a jerk.” Twilight pouts.

Sky nods, keeping his mouth shut. He’s doomed.

#linked universe #linkeduniverse #linked universe x oc #lu sky x oc #lu sky

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triplesilverstar · 2 months

Note

Helloo I love ur trigun fics

I dunno if ur blog is open to this but

The song "Love like You" from the show Steven Universe reminds me a whole lot of Snipes and Vash! <3

Mostly about Snipes singing how someone like Vash continues loving her even after what she's done... And her wanting to become how he sees her so that she feels worthy of his love (if that makes sense lol)

These lines hit had:

"I always thought I might be bad

Now I'm sure that it's true

'Cause I think you're so good

And I'm nothing like you

Look at you go

I just adore you

I wish that I knew

What makes you think I'm so special

If I could begin to do

Something that does right by you

I would do about anything

I would even learn how to love"

That's all. Okie, thank you for letting me in your ask box <33

Aw thank you I'm glad you've enjoyed them. As to the idea I totally loved it. I've never really done a song fic before so here's my best attempt. I decided to work it into one the fics as a chapter just because my list of one shots is getting a little long...

Rating: 18+ Minors DNI

Pairing: Vash X F!Reader

CW: Injuries, blood, pining,

Word count: 2.2K

A/N: I’ve made this Chapter two of Gunless Duet

You should have known that eventually, your good luck had to run out. It always does. And just like always it runs out at the worst possible moments. Sitting at the bar while watching Vash once more being the life of the party, and this time he had tried to bring you into the fun with him.

“Come on Snipes, let loose just this once? You deserve to enjoy yourself too.” A puppy dog for a plead and you shook your head watching him go back to cavorting around. You aren’t like him, yet he refuses to let that stop him from asking you to join him each and every time. If only you were half of the person he thought you were. You’re not. You’re the farthest thing from what he thinks you are.

Hiding how you feel behind an expression of boredom as a pretty brunette takes his hand and gets him to dance with her. A glare sent your way as if she perceives you as some sort of threat for his affection, a shake of your head as you take another sip of your water and listen to the music playing in the background with the sound of laughter.

Sensing a familiar presence slip up beside you it’s hard not to chuckle, he’s like a tomas with a worm. Determined to not stop trying to catch the damn thing. “Could I get what she’s having?” It’s a cute little ploy on his part to make it seem like he’s still drinking when really he’s had enough, your short glass making it seem like you’re drinking something far stronger.

As Vash throws the drink back you do your best to avert your eyes. Lately, all you can think about is the bubbling attraction for the tall sunshine blond. It’s becoming a problem you don’t want to face, because you know he can’t feel the same way. No matter how many times you’ve tried to slip away from him to find him waiting for you with a grin at whatever town's exit. Like he’s waiting for you and it makes your heart beat painfully inside your chest. He’s not. You’re a decent traveling companion and he’s an infamous bounty so traveling with a well know bounty hunter makes sense. No one would believe he’s the humanoid typhoon. Yet it still makes your chest do funny things when you leave him at the hotel, or a restaurant, like he’s worried you might try and slip away from, wondering when you’re coming back.

Your thoughts of reminiscing are out the window in no time when the sound of breaking glass reaches your ears and Vash is pulled against the brunette from earlier. A knife against his throat and there’s a crazed look in her eyes as she glances around the room like a wild animal that’s been caged against its will. “Nobody moves, I’m just gonna take my prize and leave got it!”

Shit. She’s not a woman that was hoping to get into bed with the blond, she’s another bounty hunter and all the glares sent your way make a hell of a lot more sense. She thought you were the competition.

Your body moves as if on autopilot, your rifle unstrapped, the butt pressed into the metal plate of your shoulder as your stare at her above your scope. At this range, you don’t need it. “I think you’re making a mistake. Let him go unless you want another hole in your head, cept this one will have some grey matter pouring out.” You can’t try to talk it out like Vash would, not with the fear clutching your heart. You also thought you were bad, and the more time you spend with the blond you know it’s true because even now he’s trying to diffuse the situation.

“I think there seems to be some kind of misunderstanding here ladies. No reason to pull rifles and knives out right?” He’s willing to always put his life on the line if it means saving someone, he’s too much of a goody-toe shoe, and you’re nothing like him. It’s a good thing because you wish you could see all the good he sees in people.

“No. I know exactly who you are.” It’s hissed from the woman like a curse and you have no doubt she knows she has the real Vash the Stampede.

“Are you sure? I get confused for a lot of people miss, I mean we were just dancing a little while ago.” A flicker across her face as if she does doubt herself now. You might not be willing to admit it, but it is something that charms you whenever you see it in action. Vash’s ability to talk his way out of almost getting dragged off by people he meets, all with soft words that resonate with the people he speaks to.

As Vash speaks his eyes never leave yours though, he maintains that eye contact like it’s his the string that keeps this bundle of chaos from falling apart. Almost like he knows you’re there to help him diffuse the situation instead of making it worse. You don’t understand it and you aren’t sure you ever will when he looks at you like you’re something special and you have no idea how he could have ever come to that realization. You wish you knew when he looked at you like that why he thought you were so much more than you are.

As the other bounty hunter begins to step back you see your opening, the briefest flicker of her eyes as she checks to make sure she’s heading out the door with Vash. You dart forward and in those few partial seconds you have your grip on your rifle reversed. Just in time to slam the butt plate into the side of her temple.

Only for her knife to slide along the side of his neck and you see red gush from his pale neck as both of them drop. It’s like watching the world in slow motion as your heart pounds inside your chest. The slow rise of his hand to place pressure against his neck and the deep slice that spurts in time to the pumping of his blood through his veins.

When your luck runs out. It really does run out at the worst times.

Your rifle is back in your shoulder as your eyes settle on the knocked out woman and you’re ready to pull the trigger.

“Snipes.” A quick utterance with his voice barely audible to your ears but he has your attention. “I know she didn’t mean.” He’s right. All of Vash’s wanted posters make it clear that he’s wanted alive, so slicing his neck adds a layer of risk to her getting the cash for him. No one pays for the dead when the poster clearly states the one option for turning him in. Grinding your teeth together as your rifle remains pointed at the center of her chest and you so desperately want to pull the trigger, that voice inside of you screaming how she deserves it. She could have killed Vash.

“Snipes. You’re better than that.” The rage flooding your system isn’t subsiding and it’s a hard pill to swallow, but the more rational side of you is winning over with the help of his statement. As much as part of you is screaming bloody murder, it isn’t what Vash would want, and in the end that wins. Stepping back before slinging your rifle and checking on the tall blond. He should have been your concern from the start.

“Keep the pressure on your neck.” Gazing around the room at the patrons who seem to be letting out a collective sigh of relief. “Is there a doctor or a nurse nearby? Both of them need to be seen.” You made this situation worse by dragging it out after the threat had been neutralized, so the least you can try to do to make it up to Vash, to make it right, is to make sure both of them are seen by a doctor. It’s a first step in trying to fix the mistakes you made today.

“What did he mean by mistaken identity?”

It’s a voice of reason in the bar and you’re quick on your feet. “A lot of people confuse him for Vash the Stampede because of how much he looks like the wanted poster.”

“Are they dumb? He’s nothing like that maniac.” You don’t miss the flinch behind Vash’s eyes but it’s better this way. He needs medical attention as you help him stand, ensuring he keeps the pressure on his neck and if it’s even possible he looks paler than before. Swallow as you share a bit more back and forth before following an older man out the door towards the clinic, someone else having been sent to fetch the doctor and tell him what had happened.

“I knew you could end that without more violence.” You keep your mouth shut as Vash whispers his version of a thank you. He shouldn’t be thanking you. He should be screaming how you made things so much worse as you trudge along the sandy road towards the clinic. Another reminder of how downright good Vash is, and you’re nothing like him. You never will be.

As you step into the clinic the doctor takes Vash first. “It’s not that bad honest.” Smiling gently at the doctor as Vash tries to get him to see the unconscious woman who’s being hand-cuffed to a chair in the waiting area. “Just wait here and I’ll be back in no time.” Biting your tongue before you can argue, a short nod and you head towards another chair and drop down into it.

A final meeting of your eyes as the door closes and you see how shaken he looks as the wood turns into a barrier between you. It strikes you then why you had been willing to throw your own morals and beliefs out the window the second Vash was injured like that because that could have been life-threatening. Well, you’re still not sure it isn’t life threatening and he’s just putting on a facade for your sake.

You’re hopelessly in love with Vash the Stampede.

The feelings you’ve been ignoring since your tussle in the sand when he found out about your scars, found out about the monster lurking just under your skin. How you’re nothing like him. Not in the slightest. A man-made monster from another world that was willing to let them start the process and was too foolish to see what it all would amount to in the end.

You're lying to yourself again. These feelings of attraction and affection started long before then, hell they might have started when he saved you from turning into hamburger when you were holding onto the edge of the metal floor over the cliff in that dilapidated old building. You’ve been shoving those budding feelings down because you don’t deserve them, and he deserves better than a broken morally grey person like you. Shoving those thoughts down once more as you remind yourself he doesn’t care for you that way. You’re a friend. Just a friend. Vash treats everyone he meets the same way he treats you, the difference is the two of you are still traveling together and the stubborn blond still joins you in the single bed to make sure you don’t run out on him again.

Snapped from your musing when the door opens once more and Vash strides out as if on top of the world. There isn’t even a bandage or anything on his neck from the slice, just a thin red line. “I told you it wasn’t that bad.”

“You were gushing blood.” Firing right back at him only for the doctor to intervene.

“Injuries like the one this young man received can often seem far worse than they are. I can assure you it’s no more than a scratch. There might have been a bit more bleeding than normal because of the alcohol in his system as well.” You don’t want to believe either of them, you know when you see arterial blood spurting.

Clenching your hand into a fist as you think back on how the rest of the night has gone, you do let it go. Maybe in your panic, your mind did play tricks on you, making it seem far worse then it was. “I do think a night of rest would help. Ready to head back to the hotel? I think I’m done partying for the night.”

The soft smile he sends you is dazzling and it’s not one of his masks that he wears to make others feel better. You see if so rarely that every time it makes your brain stutter, no wonder so many people flirt with him. “Yea. Lets head back.” When he looks at you like that, you know you aren’t like him, you’ll never be anything like him.

But.

It does make you think you could do anything, that maybe you could learn to be a little more like Vash and love the world the way he does instead of judging it.

To learn how to love like him.

Back to Masterlist for the series

#vash the stampede x reader #vash the stampede #trigun stampede #trigun #twink writes #Bullets Bandits Ghosts & Typhoons #tristamp #vash x reader #vash x you

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dismalzelenka · 3 months

Text

Febuwhump 2 - Solitary Confinement

Context for this one: Miriam's been subsumed by Hadar as a consequence of betraying her pact and has been brought back by her sister with some questionable divine help.

Her magic is volatile, and there's a lot of holes in her memory, and even though Eleanor checks on her every day, she doesn't remember the visits.

This contains spoilers for one of the available companion endings.

Pairing: Gale/Tav

CW: briefly mentioned failed suicide attempt

Read From Beginning || Previous || Next

"It didn't work." Eleanor stands at the altar, arms crossed as she wills Gale's avatar to come face her. She's found he tends to appear faster if she kneels, but this time, she refuses to offer him that courtesy, not when he owes her a massive explanation.

He answers with a faint whoosh, the charged scent of Karsite magic rippling in the air as he materializes before her. It's an odd space Eleanor occupies these days, because by all conventional definition, this is the god she worships, if it could even be called that. She prefers to consider them allies in pursuit of a common goal, but she supposes the nature of her divinely inherited powers these days doesn't particularly care about that little nuance. Sometimes, she thinks, neither does Gale.

"Explain," he says. "I sense her presence here, so I assume something must have gone according to plan."

"I've reconstructed her body using the theories we've discussed, it's true." She pauses, studies the body language of Gale's avatar in fascination. She wonders idly how many people in this life have had the experience of playing sister-in-law to a god. "Her mind is in tatters. I fear the Far Realms have taken something from her that cannot be recovered."

Gale's avatar ripples, becomes more corporeal, shrinking into something deceptively human. His skin loses its lustrous pallor, his eyes fade into their old soft brown with a tiny smattering of wrinkles at their edges. Grey streaks thread through his hair. In this form, he almost looks kind. "Show me."

---

Miriam doesn't know how long she's been in this room. It's a familiar room, familiar beyond the fact that she's been trapped here so long she can feel her mind unraveling. The clock above the polished mahogany desk circles the same hour every hour, and try as she might, she can't seem to keep track of the minutes that it does measure.

She's tried writing them down, but the parchment always vanishes when she puts it down; and she's tried holding onto it, but her mind wanders so erratically that she forgets what its doing in her hand within seconds of rolling it up. She's tried carving notches in the wall, too. That would have been an effective solution, except at times she finds herself carving them into other shapes, and by the time she comes back to herself, the orderly rows of lines she's been carefully curating has become a jumbled mess.

The worst is the silence. It presses in on her like a vise clamped around her ears. Sometimes she screams to break it -- obscenities, hysterical laughter, poorly recreated songs she only remembers a handful of words at a time -- but inevitably all that does is break her more when she runs out of sounds.

There is a balcony on the far side of the room. Sometimes she steps beyond the doors and finds herself looking across a harbor she doesn't recognize. She'd tried to throw herself over it into the water below, once, but there is an invisible enchantment that ripples with power that locks her in. Sometimes the sunlight is soothing. Mostly, it's another reminder that she's lost something she cannot wrap her mind around.

There is a blank section of the far wall that once housed a bookcase she's long since torn down piece by piece in sporadic fits of rage. Now there is only a messy scrawl of black ink across the stone:

my name is miriam my name is miriam my name is miriam my name is miriam MY NAME IS MIRIAM MY NAME IS MIRIAM

How many times can she repeat a name before it, too, becomes lost in the endless wash of history that refuses to straighten into an order that makes sense?

---

"You've locked her in my old study?" Gale almost sounds amused as Eleanor leads him to the scrying screen she's installed beside the door. "You do know this is where her entire plight began."

Eleanor clamps down on a familiar ripple of annoyance. "If you'd been paying attention, you'd know it's also the only room warded heavily enough to weather her outbursts of magic. I require further testing to be sure, but I suspect the traces of the True Weave in her blood are directly at odds with the magic that brought her back." Your magic, she thinks darkly to herself. "It took me three weeks to restore your old bedroom after she spent one night in there."

"Curious." He runs a hand along the scrying screen, and Eleanor wants to scream at how detached he sounds. She barely stifles a cruel, vindicated laugh when he jumps at the sound of something slamming against the door.

"Let me out!" Miriam screams. "Please! You can't keep me alone in here forever!" Her sobs never get any less heart wrenching. "Is anybody out there??" Then the pounding begins anew, and Eleanor steels her heart against what always comes next.

"When was the last time you saw her in person?" Gale asks, and with each blow that rattles the wood as Miriam throws herself against the door, his porcelain visage finally begins to crumble.

"This morning," Eleanor says. She means to sound as detached as he always does, means to try to hurt him with how little he's made her care, but her words come out as a choked whisper. "She never remembers me."

#bg3 #febuwhump2024 #day 2 #solitary confinement #gale/tav #gale x tav #gale of waterdeep #miriam taveric #eleanor taveric #post canon #possible gale ending spoilers #diz writes

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francesminos-tt · 10 months

Text

Twisted -3-

Daeron retired to his room at precisely 8pm. Miss K was kind enough to offer him some night tea, but Daeron refused politely. Instead, he asked for two bottled water and a copy of today’s local newspaper before entering his room and locking the door.

There were only two rooms in this small tavern, one tucked in the back, spacious with a view of the garden, the other small and facing the streets. Daeron opted for the small one, not because he couldn’t afford the spacious one, but he needed the convenience of observing the streets and the villagers passing by.

Daeron wiped away the thin layer of dust on the desk, carefully took the notebook out of his pocket, put down two water bottles, fished out his pills from the backpack, and sat down. He took some time to align the pill bottle and two water bottles perfectly before opening this notebook and began to write.

Daeron had developed the habit of writing his thoughts down since he was ten. His therapist suggested that he used this as an outlet of his emotions, to let your thoughts out, not keeping them in, sweetie. Daeron couldn’t even remember what the kind therapist looked like, but he took her advice. Over the years, his notebook served more than just a dairy, but an anchor to keep him in the reality.

Daeron flipped through the newspaper, its headline reading Expect a hot summer this year and mind your crops! The local issue contained mostly information of weather, farming, back yard sale, farmer’s market or interesting convention a few towns over, advertisements, and so on. The most dubious thing Daeron found in this newspaper was someone called Y asking for a companion to share his large house and look after his cow. No mention of the three bodies flooded out of the swamp just outside of the village.

Daeron was suspended from duty due to his violent behavior towards a murder suspect, so he had lost his privilege of accessing the police database. Still, he followed crime news as best as he could, especially cases involving pre-teen girls. The three bodies that had been flooded out were all skeletons, their flesh gone, but from the height of the skeletons, it was clear that they were all children. Daeron had a hunch that there was more to this cold case than it appeared. That was why he came to Arcadia.

After reading the newspaper for three times and found nothing useful, Daeron sighed and folded the paper back to its original state. He placed the neatly folded paper on the desk and took two pills with water before lying down on his bed.

He stared at the ceiling; the nicely carved mahogany spoke to the history of this place. Not only this tavern, but the whole village seemed to be frozen in the past, in a time when everyone trusted everyone. This place was an ideal image of country life, quiet and friendly, the beauty of nature bringing out the best of humanity.

Or the worst.

Daeron felt his eyelids grew heavier and heavier. He fell asleep with a white farm house and a pair of flirty dark eyes in mind.

May 29th

The village is quieter than I expected. I haven’t met many people yet, but the tavern owner, Miss K, told me that the town square is the place to go to meet new people. I might test my luck there tomorrow.

There was no news about the burial site before my phone died. I will have to use the classic approach and consult the newspaper for further updates. I still think there are more victims than the three bodies flooded out of the mud. My instinct is rarely wrong.

I met a young man Joffrey is He has dark hair He is chatty flirty beautiful

A young man showed me around the village. He lived in the white farm house on the hill. His name is Joffrey.

================================================

Joffrey took another shower after he finished washing the dishes and feeding the dog at the backyard. He changed into a set of cheeky lingerie paired with a silk robe. He switched off all lights in the house and went to the master bedroom.

Master was already in bed, a book in hand with his reading glasses on. He was relaxed and casual, his neat hair brushed back to reveal his unimpressed face. He wore a simple navy-blue T-shirt, rimmed reading glassed hanging dangerously on his nose as he flipped the pages. He looked ordinary at best. An ordinary farmer who lived in the village all his life.

But to Joffrey, Master was nothing but ordinary. Joffrey learned to admire the neatly combed hair, the small crease between his brows, thin lips, grey blue eyes, the narrow jaw, well defined chest and arms, large calloused hands, the hairs on his navel, strong legs, and warm cock. Joffrey shifted at the door way as his panties grew uncomfortably tight. Just imagining Master naked under the sheets was enough to make him whine for attention.

“Come here, good boy.” Master put down the book and smiled at Joffrey, “Don’t ruin the carpet with your slutty juice.”

Joffrey didn’t need to be told twice. He strode to the bed and threw himself at his Master, nuzzling the man’s chest like a clingy cat.

“Did you feed the dog?” Master asked him, parting Joffrey’s robe and brushing against the boy’s pink nipple under the sheer lingerie.

“Yes, Master.” Joffrey shifted on the sheets to give the man more access, “He liked the leftover chicken.”

“Because it is stained with your blood, dear Joffrey.” Master chuckled, grabbing Joffrey’s leaking cock over his panties, “You know my dog shares my taste. I like your blood too.”

Joffrey had cut his finger while preparing for the herbed chicken, and Master forbid him to wash the blood stain away, so they had chicken seasoned with Joffrey’s blood tonight.

“I am all yours, Master.” Joffrey murmured with all the honesty in the world, “My blood, flesh, bones, and soul. You made me, Master. I am your creation.”

The man’s breath caught in his throat. For a fleeting moment, his mask cracked, all his confidence and grace gone, leaving only his core, raw and vulnerable. He kissed Joffrey’s murmuring lips, their breath tangled together like their limbs.

“Can I have your cock tonight, Master?” Joffrey asked, sneaking his hand down to grab the man’s throbbing length, “Please. I haven’t felt you inside of me for so long.”

“It’s only two days.” Master chuckled.

“It’s an eternity.” Joffrey insisted, fluttering his thick lashes seductively, “Please, I need you, Master.”

The man caved in at last. How could he reject his boy, his most precious treasure, his masterpiece?

They made love well into the night, until both of them were so exhausted that they could no longer lift a finger.

“I met someone today.” Joffrey whispered as he began to doze off, his tone relaxed as if he was talking about a stray animal he found in the streets, “A visitor.”

The man hummed, unimpressed as usual.

Joffrey rolled to his side and clung to his Master’s strong arm. He took a deep inhale, letting the man’s distinctive smell invade his nostrils.

“I wonder how long can he hold on?”

“We will see, Joffrey.” Master kissed Joffrey’s forehead, “We will see.”

#joffron #daeron x joffrey #gwayne x joffrey #crime mystery

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jikookuntold · 1 year

Note

Since it got so long, I had to write the rest in part two.

Taekookers say the company couldn't pair taekook together before because of jikookers?! Are they for real?! Jikook is barely the third most popular ship in bangtan. The vast majority of shippers and nonshippers don't even like jikook, most of them hate seeing jikook together. Just look at the Twitter trends. The only time their trending surpassed 300k tweets, was after the black swan masterpiece. Meanwhile, taekook has reached 1M just for sitting next to each other and making paper carnations. Do we do the math here or just talk nonsense? Girl, Bighit knows it all, and they always wanted to pair taekook together, also jikookers still exist, nothing has changed.

The only reason they couldn't pair taekook together is Jungkook. He was the one refusing it the whole time. There was some insider information back in 2019 and 2020 saying that taekook can't get along and have the worst relationship in the group. Of course, bighit was not supposed to tell you about that. They have made this ot7 bond agenda for years, and they won’t let anyone ruin it. Don't get me wrong, they all have great but different personalities, and some duos get along better than others. So taekook had to pretend they are fine on camera, still, there were so many moments exposing their awkwardness. No, I'm not talking about stupid body language analysis, I'm talking about "you always ignore me so I didn't notice", "I miss the old days", "I think Jungkookie doesn't let Jimin come" and many other examples.

No, empty flirts and stage fanservice are part of their job, and it doesn't prove their closeness. Of course, they weren't like this before. They admitted that they were close in their debut years, but many different things including growing up separately, lead them to the point that they refused to work together as a unit no matter how much bighit insisted. Of course, Bighit didn't come up and say "yeah guys, we tried to pair taekook for this thing, but jk doesn't want it." What did they do instead? They planned that famous ITS moment. I also agree it wasn't 100% improvised, nothing on cam is 100% genuine, there are always scripts, but scripts have a point, and this script was to understand what was the issue between taekook, and with this act, they put jk in a situation where he couldn't say no anymore.

Taekook's mother's day Vlive in 2020 was so awkward that the company decided to take action, and they filmed ITS that month. But the first phase of the plan didn't work well, as jk said himself, there were still things unresolved between them, and jk reflected it in his behavior. The gimbap chefs Vlive with Jikook was only a few weeks after ITS, and jk emphasized how he had a great time doing that vlive, while after TK vlive he came to weverse to say he felt awkward, and no, it was a week BEFORE his Itaewon scandal. He had no reason to feel awkward unless it was his companion. I'm not hating any of them or their friendship, I'm saying this again, people have different personalities, and when two people don't get along it doesn't mean that one of them is a bad person. Their personalities just don't match. I'm sure they want the best for each other, but we need to accept and face the truth.

Wonder why bh was so eager to resolve TK issues and give taekookers what they want. Was it for something other than the money and the constant demand coming from taekookers?

🤷‍♀️

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butchwaifu · 1 year

Text

Hello! Idk if this is gonna tank or not but I wanna give it a try; I made an arknights oc ask game! Feel free to reblog and use!

1) Are they a doctorsona? An operatorsona? Or just a regular oc?

2) What's their code name?

3) Do you have a picture/ref of them?

4) Do they partake in fights? As an observer or someone directly in battle?

5) What do they provide to the base of Rhodes Island?

6) Speaking of Rhodes Island, do they have any history with Reunion?

7) Do they even live on base? Temporarily or have they moved in permanently?

8) Do they have a class? An archetype/subclass?

9) Do they have oripathy? How noticeable is it? Any powers related to it?

10) What's their race?

11) Who's their favorite cook on the base?

12) Anyone they're friendly with? Why?

13) Antagonistic with? Why?

14) Rivals? Why?

15) Anyone you ship them with? Why?

16) Give a summary of their background.

17) Screw summaries; go insane.

18) Post a meme you have on your phone that summarizes them perfectly. No context.

19) Provide context, now.

20) What's their favorite food?

21) What would it take to promote them? A second time? How would they thank you?

22) How many stars are they worth?

23) If they had a skin what would be the theme? What would it look like?

24) What's a quote you'd unlock after gaining 50 trust?

25) 75 trust?

26) 100 trust?

27) 150 trust?

28) 200 trust?

29) What is their token?

30) What piece of furniture would be associated with them?

31) Are they apart of any premade teams? Or, do you have to make one up for them? Do they just work at Rhodes Island point blank?

32) How do they get along with their teammates?

33) What's their villain arc?

34) What's their hero arc?

35) Do they share their room with anyone?

36) Do they have a companion? A little guy? Some abomination? You know, a little pet-?

37) Where do they want to vacation?

38) What culture are they in love with?

39) If they could kill one person without any repercussions, would they?

40) Who would it be?

41) In what part of the story do you think they'd show up?

42) How would they influence the story?

43) Forgetting who they get and don't get along with, who do they kill it on with in missions?

44) Are they better at handling missions solo? In pairs? Groups?

45) What's their favorite kind of mission?

46) What are their strengths?

47) Weaknesses?

48) What are they looking to improve on?

49) Does anyone have a crush on them?

50) How old are they?

51) How do they pass time?

52) What are their hobbies?

53) What will they outright refuse to do to pass time or take up as a hobby? Why?

54) Are they good with kids?

55) Are they good with teens?

56) How are they with adults?

57) How do they treat their elderly?

58) Are they respectful? Disrespectful? Do they mean to come off that way?

59) Are they artistic? What's an artistic outlet of theirs?

60) In fact, what's an outlet of theirs in general?

61) Do they collect anything?

62) Can they cook?

63) Are they tech illiterate? Tech savvy? Got any stories about that?

64) Do they avoid the medbay/clinic?

65) What's the worst injury they've sustained? How has it affected them?

66) What does their initial profile say?

67) Clinical analysis (25 trust)?

68) Archive file 1 (50 trust)?

69) Archive file 2 (100 trust)?

70) Archive file 3 (150 trust)?

71) Archive file 4 (200 trust)?

72) Promotion record?

73) Do they keep a notebook on them? What's in it?

74) Do they have anything sentimental on their person?

75) Would do they admire? On base, off base?

76) Did they ever start off on the wrong foot with someone and are on good terms now? How and why?

77) What skills do they have? What happens when you level them up?

78) What's their favorite drink?

79) Do they frequent the bar? With anyone in particular?

80) If they could change classes or subclasses what would they change? If they had to?

81) What cheers them up?

82) What pisses them off?

83) Do they believe people with oripathy should be treated kindly? If not, why?

84) If they don't have oripathy, how would they react to becoming infected with it?

85) Are they any decent at paperwork? "I'd rather you just stick me with Doberman"?

86) In fact, did Doberman train them in any way?

87) How would they do in a basic training setting?

88) How many years of combat experience do they have? In Rhodes Island and out?

89) What are they striving for?

90) What would their tags be for a recruit?

91) Could you headhunt them?

92) How else could you obtain them?

93) Would you be thrilled to have them on your team lineup? Or would they just be there to rack up trust every mission?

94) What color pen do they use to fill out paperwork?

95) If you unlocked a story after enough trust gained and promotions what would it be about? Who would be in it? Where does it take place? Details, details.

96) Have they seen Noir Corne without his mask?

97) Who would voice them?

98) What is their stats (physical strength, mobility, physiological endurance, etc)?

99) Any noteworthy quotes you don't have to unlock?

100) What's their actual name?

#arknights #doctor #operator #oc #ask game #ask meme

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alynnl · 2 years

Note

For the number'd asks, you also get 14 and 15! 👀 Also if Eisenbright isn't already done for the ship bingo, you know what to do. If it's already taken...Alfyn/Therion.

Wow, you just want little bit of everything!

The first scene that comes to mind where my characters have some levity is from A Reason to Fight. Specifically chapter 7.

“I made Erhardt swear a vow that he would not face us again as an enemy,” said Olberic. “Whether he upholds that, and what he does with his life is up to him now.”

“If he does give us any more trouble, we’ll just knock him into next week!” Alfyn exclaimed. He lifted the hand he had on Olberic’s shoulder and formed it into a fist, flexing his arm in an attempt to lighten the mood. “That oughta teach him a thing or two!”

Cyrus couldn’t help but be amused by Alfyn’s display of bravado, and managed a chuckle.

“I dare say. A quick slap on the wrist with my staff would’ve set him straight a long time ago,” the scholar said, with a mischievous gleam in his eye. “If we ever cross paths again, I have half the mind to give him the lecture of a lifetime to teach him some respect.”

When given the mental image of Cyrus sitting Erhardt down to a verbal lashing, Olberic couldn’t help but laugh at the idea.

“I’d be more than happy to step aside and let you do your worst, Professor,” the warrior said mirthfully. “Yours would be a lesson he wouldn’t soon forget.”

Sorry, Erhardt but you kinda deserve Cyrus's lecture. And if I get to the Wellspring arc it'll happen! Haha

For another fluff moment, let's pull from Your Pain Shall be Eased.

“What makes you hold on to this sense of dread?” Cyrus wondered. “Your fight in Hornburg’s honor is over. Who or what else do you think you have to face?”

“That, I do not know. I only get the sense that I cannot rest on my laurels,” Olberic replied, shaking his head. “It is my duty to remain strong, so I can protect you and the others.”

“Oh, Olberic, that’s just like you, isn’t it?” said Cyrus. He reached up to caress his dear companion’s face, his fingers tracing across one of Olberic’s scars. “You’ve always been the one to safeguard us, but who will watch over you?”

“I never imagined I would need looking after,” Olberic answered him plainly.

“Even the mightiest warriors can’t stand completely on their own,” Cyrus said softly. “Please, let me take care of you.”

“You’ve certainly gone out of your way to check up on me tonight,” Olberic answered him. He enclosed Cyrus’s hand that rested upon his face with his own, and gave him a warm smile. “I could hardly refuse your counsel on this matter, or the kindness you’ve shown me.”

This is angst leading into fluff but. The mutual understanding! Olberic accepting Cyrus's help! My feelings!

Onto Eisenbright for the ship bingo!

OTP, I like it platonically, I'd die for them, relationship goals, aesthetically it's great, I love them! Have written/have read fic about it

Needless to say this ship means a lot to me. These two work in a platonic or romantic context. I just want to see them together! They're both level headed, mature and understanding. They compliment each other's abilities in the battlefield and share a lot in common because of Cyrus's interest in Hornburg and Olberic's lived experience. And did I mention the art for these two is on point? I adore them. Also they're the ship I have created/written for the most because they're just so natural to me.

Finally Alfion for the ship bingo!

I like it platonically, they're okay, I like it in theory, I'm open to it

I still see Alfyn and Therion as bros more than a romantic ship but I'm warming up to the idea of them as a pairing. They still have a nice moon and sun dynamic whether you ship them or not. My main focus isn't really on any other ship outside of Eisenbright but I can at least understand why Alfion is popular. It's alright. And in many contexts either very cute or super angsty so props to the fans for variety.

#ask game #ship bingo #long post #long answer #holy crap this a lot of info #thanks for the questions!

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multistoty · 2 years

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what did you do? ( Abe to Hope, maybe? If you want! // cabbxges-and-kings )

There was romance in the unknown, but once a place had been discovered and cataloged and mapped, it was diminished, just another dusty fact in a book, sapped of mystery. So maybe it was better to leave a few spots on the map blank. To let the world keep a little of its magic, rather than forcing it to divulge every last secret. Maybe it was better, now and then, to wonder. To some it might’ve seemed callous, the way she boxed up her pain and set it aside. Yet, she had a heart the size of France, and the lucky few whom she loved with it were loved with every square inch—but its size made it dangerous, too. If she let it feel everything, she’d be wrecked. So she had to tame it, shush it, shut it up. Float the worst pains off to an island that was quickly filling with them, where she would go to live one day. Every person has the power to change their fate if they are brave enough to fight for what they desire more than anything. Not everyone gets a true ending. There are two types of endings because most people give up at the part of the story where things are the worst, where the situation feels hopeless. But that’s when hope is needed most. only those who persevere can find their true ending.

The moon is a loyal companion. It never leaves. It’s always there, watching, steadfast, knowing us in our light and dark moments, changing forever just as we do. Every day it’s a different version of itself. Sometimes weak and wan, sometimes strong and full of light. The moon understands what it means to be human.Uncertain. Alone. Cratered by imperfectionsBut there's something about the darkness, the stillness of this hour, I think, that creates a language of its own. There's a strange kind of freedom in the dark; a terrifying vulnerability we allow ourselves at exactly the wrong moment, tricked by the darkness into thinking it will keep our secrets. Books are easily destroyed. But words will live as long as people can remember them. Words are such unpredictable creatures.No gun, no sword, no army or king will ever be more powerful than a sentence. Swords may cut and kill, but words will stab and stay, burying themselves in our bones to become corpses we carry into the future, all the time digging and failing to rip their skeletons from our flesh. And the pair of them are quotation marks, inverted and upside down, clinging to one another at the end of this life sentence. Trapped by lives they did not choose. The heiress's thoughts attempting to kill time as her pickpocket blue orbs trampled over his features and minutes.Killing time isn't as difficult as it sounds.You can shoot a hundred numbers through the chest and watch them bleed decimal points in the palm of your hand. You can rip the numbers off a clock and watch the hour hand tick tick tick its final tock just before you fall asleep. You can suffocate seconds just by holding your breath. And the Mikealson girl had been murdering minutes for hours and no one seems to mind.

And she had fallen for him growing up. So hard. She had hit the ground. Gone right through it. Never in her life had she felt this. Nothing like this. the auburn haired girl had felt shame and cowardice, weakness and strength. She'd known terror and indifference, self-hate and general disgust. Seen things that cannot be unseen.And yet she had known nothing like this terrible, horrible, paralyzing feeling. She had felt crippled. Desperate and out of control. Love is a heartless bastard. Arrogant. Overconfident. Vain. Impossible. She hated the way he refused to leave her alone, how he took her insults the same way other boys might take a compliment, and that his interest in her was clearly only part of his role. And yet she could never seem to push him away. This was why love was so dangerous. Love turn the whole world into a garden, so beguiling it was easy to forget that rose petals were as ephemeral as feelings, eventually they would wilt and die, leaving nothing but the thorns. He's never stared at her like this before. Sometimes he gazed at her as if he wanted to be her undoing, but just then it was as if he wanted her to undo him. What he had seen was unknown to her though she found scrunching the weather worn paper meant to be sent to the rebellions courier. Just because her Grandfather ,who was insanely abusive, had been a strong proponent for the British occupation of the colonies, did not make her a torrie. The cabbage farmer would need a decoder to fully understand what was written in the paper though she doubted that two am discussions in firelight while the house was silent could be easily explained away. A manicured eyebrow framed the ocean blue of her eyes as they settled further. Her usual sarcasm making its way across her features and slipping the breakable heart back behind the exoskeleton. The unruly organ beat like an animal against the cage of her chest. Her heart was still a little heavy, but she'd decided carrying it around would only maker her stronger. He smelled of magic and heartbreak, and something about the combination made her think that despite what he claimed, he wanted to be her hero.

"You gave me quite the fright, Abe. You'd think I would be standing over a body by the countenance of that lovely velvety voice of yours. As a dear friend, if you have an accusation, go ahead and make it. This is tough times for all of us. It is the measure of a man by what he does with the knowledge he has factual or not. I think highly enough of you to believe in your ability to see the world and people around you in the brightest of hues. Its already bad enough for you to see a lady in her dressing gown in the middle of the night. Especially when you know how soft their lips are."

@cabbxges-and-kings

#historical au #i don't know if you are wanting the half awake au i sort of gave with that #i have other unlisted muses and turn ones #but i haven't been writing #this isn't always my permeant fandom but recently it has seemed #i have slept three hours in two days #i usually have a better thread idea and not awake straight tell three am lol

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nightcoremoon · 2 years

Text

Cheese Tier List

I am lactose intolerant and american but goddamn do I fuckin love cheese. I haven’t had a lot of different types but I’d like to think I know a fair decent amount of them.

American: F

Fuck American Cheese. You are not worthy of the moniker. You are oil and starch and filler and a splash of milk that only pretends to be cheese. You disgust me.

Asadero: C

It’s pretty good but nothing special to write home about. I do like it in shredded blends and they’re great for more latin inspired dishes… although tbh I can’t parse it alone. This ranking can certainly go up given further research.

Asiago: B

Very good, especially as a companion to parmesan. I’m not the biggest fan of it solo, but I appreciate what it brings to the plate.

Babybel: B

It’s got a very good texture to it that I think beats out the bland mundanity of the taste. The packaging is cute too. And the serving size is great for snacking. I’d rather eat their other varieties, typically white cheddar, but the OG is more than acceptable.

Bellavitano Merlot: S+

This is the most delicious cheese I have ever eaten in my life. It is also the one I can digest the least. I will eat a tiny block of this despite the horrible abdominal cramps that come with it because it is just that worth it. I especially love the way the grape flavor was paired; it’s not too much to overpower or be overpowered by the cheese. I love you Bellavitano. And I hate my local stores for not carrying this specific flavor. I haven’t had the others yet.

Blue: S

BLUE. MY LOVE, I’M SO SORRY I FORGOT ABOUT YOU! you smell like hell but you taste like heaven. you are the best thing to dip chicken wings into. I love you blue.

Brie: B

Very very rich. I’ll have it every once in a while and like it but I won’t eat it very regularly.

Camembert: C

Didn’t really stand out much to me but it wasn’t bad.

Cheddar: S

Probably the ultimate everyman cheese, and the one with the most potential. White, Sharp, Smoked, I love how adaptable it is. I don’t care much for mild but the more intense and flavorful kinds more than make up for it. Sharp cheddar is also very very good on apple pie.

Colby: D

Mediocre at best, boring at worst. It’s about the baseline for edibility for me. It’s ok if I encounter it but I wouldn’t go out of my way for it.

Colby Jack: C

Slightly better than Colby alone but not by that much.

Cottage: X

I am not a fan but it’s just that the texture bothers my palate. I refuse to give it a bad ranking just for that.

Cream: C

I wouldn’t eat it on its own, or as a condiment. But it’s a fantastic ingredient in other things.

Feta: A

Supremely underrated because Americans are always like EW GROSS ITS FROM A GOAT like shut the fuck up Karen goats are way less disgusting than cows, you’re just scared of a little word called FLAVOR. Now I maybe wouldn’t eat a block of it like I would an S rank but there is nothing else that goes as well with beef onion & pita.

Fondue: A

This doesn’t really count because any cheese can be fondue but all of the cheese I’ve encountered that is SPECIFICALLY “fondue cheese” has been great. It’s kind of cheating but melted cheese is a great thing to dip shit into.

Fontina: B

It’s not bad, but it’s not my favorite. Very light.

Gorgonzola: C

Pungent but doesn’t really have that much substance. Maybe I just had bad gorgonzola. That bumps it up from D.

Gouda: A+

I want so badly to give this an S but it’s just too rich to eat like it’s an apple. But it’s great for sandwiches with lighter meat.

Halloumi: A

It was surprisingly way better than I expected it to be. I would definitely get it again, and explore different ways to heat and eat.

Havarti: S

The lightest fluffiest and best pairing for darker meats bar fucking none. I’d absolutely snack on this all day because it’s light enough. I love you havarti. 😘

Mascarpone: A

Real good but better as an ingredient than by itself. And if you pronounce it “mar-ska-pwn” you’re WRONG.

Monterey Jack: C

It’s alright. Boring, but alright. I prefer cojack for the slightly increased flavor palette but I’d pick others first.

Mozzarella: SSS

Come on now. We all know this is the king of cheese. Melted on top of bread, paired with olive oil, garlic, basil, pesto, and anything tomato, HOLY SHIT PLEASE GET IN MY MOUTH. Or chicken, red onion, and barbecue sauce. Or fried potatoes and gravy. Even solo in string form it is just… the best. Perfect texture. Perfect flavor. And the best part is, I’ve only ever had shitty mozzarella. There is nowhere to go but up. I don’t even use cold mozzarella on sandwiches very much, but it has earned this ranking through blood sweat and tears.

Muenster: A+

Chef’s kiss. It’s mozzarella with a little bit of edge to it. I prefer it to mozz on sandwiches but that’s just about it.

Nacho: D

It’s serviceable on certain things in ways that most other cheese can’t but I couldn’t eat it alone. It’s… not good.

Parmesan: A

It’s special. There’s nothing else quite like it. I don’t know how to describe it. It’s just parmesan. I’m not quite ready to put mustard on it just yet, but I’ll definitely put it on all things even remotely Italian.

Pepper Jack: B

It makes jack cheese better but not by a high enough margin to rank it any higher. Also I’m not the biggest fan of pepper. But if I was, it would be incredibly appealing because the flavor profile suits it.

Provolone: D

I fucking hate provolone. It’s just so goddamn boring. I only eat it at Subway where that’s the only goddamn option and I haven’t eaten at Subway in like five years. I haven’t eaten Subway since Jared got arrested. Freak.

Ricotta: B

I don’t like it alone for the flavor, but it is one of the best ways to add volume to something like lasagna.

Swiss: A

I don’t think the flavor is all that good by itself, tbh. But it is a very mellow low-to-the-radar kind of cheese. It’s a good combination with other things. It’s like the mortar to the bricks that are recipes. It’s the best companion to ham bar none. I respect it more than I like it on its own.

Velveeta: F

FUCK YOU VELVEETA IS NOT ACTUALLY CHEESE. it is the vanilla extract of cheese because if you put s little bit of it into the recipe it can be good but if you want to eat it straight you are a freak so DNI.

…

RESULTS:

F (GARBAGE): American, Velveeta [2/29, 5%]

D (bad): Colby, Provolone, Nacho [3/29, 10%]

C (okay): Asadero, Camembert, Cojack, Cream, Gorgonzola, Monterey Jack [6/29, 20%]

B (good): Asiago, Babybel, Brie, Fontina, Pepper Jack, Ricotta [6/29, 20%]

A (amazing): Feta, Gouda, Halloumi, Mascarpone, Muenster, Parmesan, Swiss [7/9, 25%]

S (THE BEST): Bellavitano Merlot, Blue, Cheddar, Havarti, Mozzarella [5/29, 15%]

RANKING: WORST TO BEST

American, Velveeta, Nacho, Provolone, Colby, Cream, Cojack, Camembert, Gorgonzola, Asadero, Monterey Jack, Ricotta, Fontina, Brie, Pepper Jack, Babybel, Asiago, Mascarpone, Halloumi, Swiss, Feta, Parmesan, Gouda, Muenster, Blue Havarti, Cheddar, Bellavitano, Mozzarella

All REAL cheese is good cheese. Fuck Kraft Singles.

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odinspattern · 2 years

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IDK what fandoms you're in so for the shipping bingo I'm just gonna say - dealer's choice? What's your "OTP"?

Oh man, this was so difficult! I’m in multiple fandoms and have so many ships and it took days to narrow down.

Merrill X Hawke

Man, this pair gives me life. I just. Look, Dragon Age II had some killer companions and romances. I do like all of the romances (the friend-romances, the rivalmances are gross as hell.) But like, Merrill was the first I romances properly, because Fenris, Isabela and Anders all have a mini-crisis as soon as you try to get serious with them! And while I respect that all of them are traumatized by their past relationships, as soon as someone says to back off… I do.

But Merrill is all-in from the start. I also think that both of them have interesting paralells, with both how shitty Marethari and Leandra are to them, the constant moving around due to templars, and the feeling of not having a place. Both of them are carving out a life in Kirkwall and they can do it together and urgh, the feels! Also the fandom refuses to see how capable and driven Merrill is, which is such a shame.

Stede Bonnet X Edward Teach (aka Gentlebeard)

Oh man. The calamity of these two. I honestly have never seen two characters like this before. Stede Bonnet especially has a special place in my heart, because when I see him, I see all what I fear are my worst qualities are reflected right back at me. His arc in season one is so satisfying to watch.

And Ed! He is such an interesting character, always seeming so effortless and in control, but also so bored of it all. I love how enamoured they both are, and yet how MUCH they misunderstand each other because of their trauma. It’s just so good, and I am feral about them!

Catra X Adora

Catra and Adora was always going to be endgame and the road to get there… oposite sides of the war, the way their trauma drove them from and back to each other.

One thing I will say, and luckily it is better now, fandom was really annoying. For a show focusing so much time in trauma and abuse and how it shapes you… fandom was really adamant about painting Adora’s trauma as insignificant, or debating if Catra ever deserved to get better.

Kyra X Kassandra

Man, this is a great pairing. Their chemistry is fire and have so much in common, and I love any of it, even if it is just a one time thing.

John the Hunger and Merle Hitower Highchurch

Look, you had non-romantic q-partner, and I will bring them up. Merle and John are something else, huh? It’s not that I haven’t read great fics where they are in an romantic relationship, but honestly, I rarely see anyone taking the time to really examine it properly. I also love how it was between them in canon, even the ending, no matter how bittersweet it was.

#dragon age #our flag means death #she ra and the princesses of power #Assasins Creed #the adventure zone

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fannish-karmiya · 3 years

Text

Wei Wuxian’s Position in the Jiang Household

Fandom tends to mischaracterise Wei Wuxian’s position in the Jiang family greatly. A lot of people project more modern ideas about adoption onto his relationship with the Jiang siblings, and write as if he really is their sibling and only Yu Ziyuan’s abusive nature gets in the way of their bond.

This strikes me as a bit misguided. While adoption was practised in ancient China, it was mainly for the purpose of obtaining a male heir in the absence of one, or obtaining more daughters to marry off for alliances. Jiang Fengmian had no reason to adopt Wei Wuxian into the main family, and he didn’t. Wei Wuxian’s position in the household is far more nebulous than that, and honestly it’s hard to find an exact corollary, in Chinese history or in any culture, precisely because it was so messy and ill-defined.

A Companion to Upper Class Children

Wei Wuxian is the son of a servant of Yunmeng Jiang; it’s notable that Wei Changze is always referred to this way, rather than as a disciple. Wei Changze wound up leaving the sect in order to marry Cangse Sanren, and Jiang Fengmian considered them dear enough friends that when he heard they passed away, he spent years searching for their orphaned son. He wound up finding Wei Wuxian on the streets of Yiling and brought him home as his ward.

Wei WuXian was taken home by Jiang FengMian when he was nine.

Most memories from back then were already blurred. Yet, Jin Ling’s mother, Jiang YanLi, remembered all of them, and even told him quite a few.

She said that, after his father heard of the news that his parents both died in battle, he had always dedicated himself to finding the child that these past friends had left behind. After searching for a while, he finally found the child in Yiling.

(Chapter 24, Exiled Rebels translation)

It’s clear from the start that beyond this sense of obligation to his old friends, Jiang Fengmian also had a role set out for Wei Wuxian: he wanted him to be a companion to his children, and Jiang Cheng in particular.

He encourages a friendship between them, insisting on a sleepover between the two a week into Wei Wuxian’s stay.

On the second day, Jiang Cheng’s puppies were given to someone else.

This angered Jiang Cheng so much that he threw a big tantrum. No matter how much Jiang FengMian comforted him gently, telling him that they should ‘be good friends’, he refused to talk to Wei WuXian. Quite a few days later, Jiang Cheng’s attitude softened. Jiang FengMian wanted to strike while the iron was still hot, so he told Wei WuXian to sleep in the same room as him, hoping that they’d grow fonder of each other.

[...]

That night, Jiang Cheng locked Wei WuXian outside his room, refusing to let him in.

[...]

Wei WuXian waited outside for a long time. When the door opened, before the joy could spread onto his face, he was bombarded with a pile of things being thrown out. The door banged shut again.

Jiang Cheng told him from inside, “Go sleep somewhere else! This is my room! You’re even gonna steal my room?!”

[...]

Standing outside, as Wei WuXian heard that dogs would come bite him, fear immediately bubbled within him. Twisting his fingers, he hurried, “I’ll go, I’ll go. Don’t call the dogs!”

Dragging behind him the sheets and blanket that were thrown outside, he ran out the hall. Having only arrived at Lotus Pier for a short period of time, he didn’t dare jump around yet. Every day, he obediently holed up in the places that Jiang FengMian told him to stay at. He didn’t even know where his room was, much less have the courage to knock on other people’s doors, scared that it’d disturb someone’s dreams.

(Chapter 71, Exiled Rebels translation)

After Jiang Cheng is worried about getting in trouble, he goes to Jiang Yanli for help, and she searches for Wei Wuxian.

But this was the first pair of shoes that Jiang FengMian bought him. Wei WuXian was too embarrassed to make him go out of his way to buy another pair, and so he said that they weren’t too big. Jiang YanLi helped him into his shoe and pressed the hollow tip, “It is a bit big. I’ll fix it for you when we get back.”

Hearing this, Wei WuXian felt somewhat uneasy, as if he did something wrong again.

Living in other people’s homes, the worst that could happen was to make trouble for the hosts.

Jiang YanLi put him onto her back and began to walk back, wobbling in her steps as she spoke, “A-Ying, no matter what A-Cheng said to you, don’t bother about him. He doesn’t have a good temper, so he’s always home playing with himself. Those puppies were his favorites. Dad sent them away, and so he’s feeling upset. He’s actually really happy that somebody’s here to be with him.”

(Chapter 71, Exiled Rebels translation)

Later, Wei Wuxian offers to cover for him, saying simply that he ran outside by himself because he was scared. In this one case it feels like a genuine instance of children showing solidarity and covering for each other’s little misbehaviours. But it also follows a pattern of Wei Wuxian doing this and making excuses, time and time again, for Jiang Cheng. I wonder if on some level, he already knew that his role in the household was in part to be a companion-servant to Jiang Cheng.

Wei Wuxian normally never puts up with people treating him poorly or being arrogant; he constantly bites his tongue when Jiang Cheng does so around him. While they study at Cloud Recesses, Jiang Cheng frequently insults Wei Wuxian, who always just smiles and laughs it off.

Jiang Cheng humphed, “Him? He wakes at nine in the morning and sleeps at one during the night. When he wakes up, he doesn’t practice his sword or meditate; he goes boating, swims around, picks lotus seedpods, and hunts for pheasants.”

Wei WuXian replied, “No matter how much pheasants I hunt, I’m still number one.”

(Chapter 13, Exiled Rebels translation)

Jiang Cheng scolded with a darkened expression, “What are you proud of?! What is there to be proud of with this?! Do you think that it’s a glorious thing to be told by someone to get lost? You bring so much shame upon our sect!”

(Chapter 16, Exiled Rebels translation)

We never see Wei Wuxian excusing this sort of behaviour from any other character; he has no problem scolding Jin Ling for his arrogant attitude and telling him that he shouldn’t be imitating his uncle, after all! It’s only where Jiang Cheng is concerned that he does this, and honestly, even then he seems to be quite aware that Jiang Cheng’s behaviour is wrong; he simply accepts on some level that it’s his role in the household to put up with it.

He actually does, very gently, try to guide Jiang Cheng at times. In Lotus Seed Pods, for example, he tries to give Jiang Cheng advice on how to flirt with some of the maidens in Yunmeng and make friends:

Wei WuXian threw the seed pods toward the shore. It was a far distance, but they landed lightly in the women’s hands. He grabbed a few more and stuffed them into Jiang Cheng’s arms, shoving, “What are you doing, just standing there? Hurry up.”

After a few shoves, Jiang Cheng could only accept them, “Hurry up and do what?”

Wei WuXian, “You ate the watermelon too, so you also have to return the gift, don’t you? Here, here, don’t be embarrassed. Start throwing, start throwing.”

Jiang Cheng snorted again, “You must be joking. What’s there to be embarrassed about?” Whatever he said, however, even after all of the shidi began to throw seed pods, he still didn’t start to move. Wei WuXian urged, “Then throw some! If you throw some this time, next time you can ask them if the seed pods tasted good, and you’ll be able to make conversation again!”

[...]

Jiang Cheng was just about to throw one when he realized how shameless it was the moment he heard it. He peeled a seed pod and ate it by himself.

[...]

After a while of laughter, he turned around and looked at Jiang Cheng, who was sitting at the front of the boat eating seed pods with a long face. His smile gradually disappeared as he sighed, “Well, what an unteachable child.”

Jiang Cheng fumed, “So what if I want to eat alone?”

Wei WuXian, “Look at you, Jiang Cheng. Nevermind. You’re hopeless. Just wait to eat alone your whole life!”

(Chapter 125, Lotus Seed Pod, Exiled Rebels translation)

He even sighs rather disappointedly when Jiang Cheng refuses to take the hint; he knows that Jiang Cheng’s sullen behaviour is going to make him miserable down the line, but all of his gentle efforts to nudge him in a better direction have failed.

He also speaks with great awareness of Jiang Cheng’s flaws after the fight in the ancestral hall:

Wei WuXian reached out with one hand and massaged his chest, as if trying to break up the pent-up feeling inside his heart. A moment later, he blurted, “I knew Jiang Cheng wouldn’t have let us go so easily. That brat… How could this be?!”

[...]

Wei WuXian’s eyelids throbbed, “Every one of them. The brat’s been like this ever since he was young.He’ll say anything when he’s angry, no matter how bad it is. He gives up on all grace and discipline whatsoever. As long as it’d annoy whomever he’s against, he’d say it no matter what terrible insults he uses. After all these years, he hasn’t gotten better at all. Please don’t take it to heart.”

(Chapter 90, Exiled Rebels translation)

This is so interesting to me, because it really makes it clear that Wei Wuxian has always been aware of these flaws of Jiang Cheng’s. He hasn’t been viewing him through rose-coloured lenses or making excuses for him because he’s ‘family’. He puts up with Jiang Cheng’s behaviour because being his companion is one of his duties in the Jiang household. It may never have been directly stated, but there seems to be some unspoken understanding to this effect.

I honestly don’t know if there is any official role in history (in any culture, not just China) which perfectly correlates to this. In China a lady’s maid was expected to also be a close friend and companion to her mistress (in canon, see Bicao to Qin-furen and Yinzhu and Jinzhu to Yu-furen). In Europe an upper class woman would hire a lady’s companion, a woman from the lower fringes of the gentry who would serve as her companion in exchange for financial support.

I don’t know of any version of this role which involves two men. In general, this sort of role existed because upper class women were confined to the household by and large, and had very limited social spheres. Men, meanwhile, had much greater ability to meet with their peers and make friends. I almost feel like Wei Wuxian wound up being shoved into this role simply because even as a child Jiang Cheng was so unsociable that Jiang Fengmian didn’t know what else to do!

Wei Wuxian also at least once steps in and starts a fight in place of Jiang Cheng (essentially taking the fall for him). He does this when Jin Zixuan speaks disparagingly of Jiang Yanli at Cloud Recesses:

Jin ZiXuan asked in reply, “Why don’t you ask me how on Earth can I be satisfied with her?”

Jiang Cheng instantly stood up.

Pushing him to the side, Wei WuXian walked in front of him and sneered, “You sure think that you’re pretty satisfying, don’t you? Where did you get the guts to be all choosy here?”

[...]

Wei WuXian sighed, “… It’d be nice if shijie came. It’s fortunate that you didn’t hit him.”

Jiang Cheng, “I was going to. If you didn’t push me, the other side of Jin ZiXuan’s face would also be ruined.”

(Chapter 18, Exiled Rebels translation)

It’s also very notable that Wei Wuxian is never shown having friends outside of Jiang Cheng’s social circle, despite what an outgoing and friendly person he is. Any time he expresses interest in someone for himself, as with Lan Wangji, Jiang Cheng tries to nip it in the bud. Being unable to deter Wei Wuxian from Lan Wangji directly, Jiang Cheng instead tries to drive a wedge between them, constantly telling Wei Wuxian that Lan Wangji hates him.

“Yeah,” Nie HuaiSang spoke, “It looks like he really hates you, Wei-xiong. Lan WangJi usually… No, he never does something so impolite.”

Wei WuXian, “He hates me already? I wanted to apologize to him.”

Jiang Cheng sneered, “Apologizing now? Too late! Like his uncle, he surely thinks that you are evil and unruly to the core, and didn’t bother to pay you any attention.”

(Chapter 14, Exiled Rebels translation)

Jiang Cheng pulled him even closer, “It’s not as if you’re familiar with him! Don’t you see how much he hates you? You’re going to carry him? He probably doesn’t even want you a step closer to him.”

(Chapter 52, Exiled Rebels translation)

He even directly orders Wei Wuxian not to invite Lan Wangji to come visit him at Lotus Pier during the Lotus Seed Pod extra.

Wei WuXian, “Why are you so upset? My watermelon almost flew away! I was just being polite. Of course he wouldn’t come. Have you ever heard of him go anywhere by himself to have fun?”

Jiang Cheng had on a stern expression, “Let’s make this clear. I don’t want him to come, anyhow. Don’t invite him.”

(Chapter 125, Lotus Seed Pod, Exiled Rebels translation)

It’s not only Lan Wangji he tries to steer Wei Wuxian away from; he also interrupts his conversation with Wen Ning at the archery competition:

Wen QiongLin was probably one of Wen Clan’s disciples furthest in bloodline. His status was neither high nor low, yet his personality was timid. He didn’t dare do anything and even his speech stuttered. Through much practice, he had finally conjured up the courage to enter the competition, but he blew it because he was too nervous. If he didn’t receive the right guidance, perhaps the boy would hide his true self more and more from now on and never dare to perform in front of other people again. Wei WuXian encouraged him a couple of times and touched on a few areas of growth, correcting some miniscule problems that he had when he was shooting in the garden. Wen QiongLin listened so attentively that he didn’t even turn his eyes away, nodding uncontrollably.

Jiang Cheng, “Where did you find so much nonsense? The competition is starting soon. Get into the arena right now!”

Wei WuXian spoke to Wen QiongLin in a serious tone, “I’ll be off to the competition now. Later, you can see how I shoot when I’m in the arena…”

Jiang Cheng dragged him away, short of patience. He spat as he dragged, “See how you shoot? Do you think that you’re a model or something?!”

(Chapter 59, Exiled Rebels translation)

Even when it comes to Wei Wuxian’s friendly flirtation with Mianmian, Jiang Cheng has something to say and tries to deter him from her:

Jiang Cheng, “The one that MianMian gave you? I didn’t.”

Wei WuXian exclaimed his regret, “I’ll find her for another one later.”

Jiang Cheng frowned, “You’re at it again. You don’t really like her, do you? The girl does look fine, but it’s obvious that she doesn’t have much background. Maybe she isn’t even a disciple. She seems like the daughter of a servant.”

Wei WuXian, “What’s wrong with servants? I’m also the son of a servant, aren’t I?”

Jiang Cheng, “How can you compare to her? Whose servant is like you, having your master peel lotus seeds for you and boil you soup. I didn’t even get to have some!”

(Chapter 56, Exiled Rebels translation)

Jiang Cheng really does seem to view Wei Wuxian in a very proprietary light; he’s not allowed to have any friendships which don’t exist under Jiang Cheng’s direct control.

The idea that Wei Wuxian was meant to be Jiang Cheng’s servant-friend is reinforced at its darkest when Lotus Pier falls: both Yu Ziyuan and Jiang Fengmian’s last words to Wei Wuxian are an instruction to protect Jiang Cheng.

One hand holding him, Madam Yu grabbed Wei WuXian’s lapels with her other hand as though to strangle him to death. She spoke through clenched teeth, “… You damn little brat! I hate you! I hate you more than anything else! Look at what our sect has gone through for your sake!”

[...]

Madam Yu, “Don’t make such a fuss. It’ll loosen up when you’re somewhere safe. If anyone attacks you on the journey, it’ll protect you as well. Don’t come back. Go to Meishan straight away and find your sister!”

After she finished, she turned to Wei WuXian and pointed at him, “Wei Ying! Listen to me! Protect Jiang Cheng, protect him even if you die, do you understand?!”

[...]

Jiang FengMian stared into his eyes. Suddenly, he reached out. Only after pausing in the air did he finally touch Jiang Cheng’s head, slowly, “A-Cheng, be well.”

Wei WuXian, “Uncle Jiang, if anything happens to you, he won’t be well.”

Jiang FengMian turned his eyes to him, “A-Ying, A-Cheng… you must look after him.”

(Chapter 58, Exiled Rebels translation)

Even Jiang Fengmian, who supposedly favoured Wei Wuxian, only gives him instructions as pertains to his own son; he doesn’t spare a single last word for Wei Wuxian himself.

A Lower Status Family Member

It wasn’t uncommon throughout human history, across many cultures, for wealthy families to take in relatives who were orphaned or had otherwise fallen on hard times. They tended to have a lower status than the main family; they lived with them and were still a part of their social sphere, but were not quite equal, either. The English term for this is ‘poor relation’.

Obviously, Wei Wuxian isn’t actually a blood relative at all. But his position in the Jiang household definitely has some similarities. He lives in the main house, eats meals with the family, attends school with the son... He is even on some conditional levels accepted into the gentry of cultivation society. But he isn’t a full equal member of the family, either.

The fact that he’s Jiang Fengmian’s ward, not a blood relative or adopted into the main family, puts him at even more of a disadvantage. It seems that Jiang Fengmian paid for all of Wei Wuxian’s expenses:

Wei WuXian took a bite, “Back then, I didn’t even have to pay when I ate at the dock. I grabbed whatever I wanted, ate whatever I wanted; ran after I grabbed, walked as I ate. A month later, the vendor would get the reimbursement from Uncle Jiang.”

(Chapter 86, Exiled Rebels translation)

While this is a bit of conjecture, I gather that he was given access to family money as if he was part of the clan, and could just charge Yunmeng Jiang whenever he shopped in Lotus Pier. Which is great so long as Wei Wuxian is accepted in Yunmeng Jiang...but as we see during the Burial Mounds settlement period, the moment that acceptance fades, Wei Wuxian is left out in the cold without a single coin. And because he isn’t a member of the family, it’s a far easier matter for him to be thrown aside, as he was when Jiang Cheng grew angry with him over his decision to protect the Wens.

Of course, Chinese families traditionally did share their wealth, and still do nowadays. Ideally, in a loving family, this is a positive and means they all support each other; but when that isn’t the case, it leaves the victims of abuse vulnerable.

In Wei Wuxian’s case, he has some of the benefits of being a member of the Jiang clan, without ever actually being a member. He can be cast aside at any time, and he is never afforded the same respect by wider cultivation society which an inner clan member would have.

I don’t believe the novel ever directly addresses Wei Wuxian’s acceptance into the guest lectures at Cloud Recesses in this light, but the donghua actually has a very interesting little exchange about it which takes place between Nie Huaisang and a relative of his:

“Wei-xiong is just a disciple from Yunmeng. Why could he come to Gusu to study?”

“Wei-xiong is the son of Jiang-zongzhu’s old friend. He has been treated as their own son.”

“Oh, I see. That explains why they don’t look like master and servant, they seem like brothers.”

(MDZS Donghua, Episode 3, Guodong Subs)

Wei Wuxian was only allowed to attend these lectures, which seem to mainly be for sect heirs and inner clan members, on the grace of being Jiang Fengmian’s ward (and probably to accompany Jiang Cheng). While this exchange is not from the book, we never do see or hear about any of the other students being outer disciples rather than members of the main clan. Here’s what the novel had to say about it:

In that year, aside from the YunmengJiang Sect, there were also the young masters from other clans, sent to study here from parents who heard of the reputation. The young masters were all around fifteen or sixteen. Because the sects all knew the others, although they weren’t close, they had seen others’ faces before. It was widely known that, although Wei WuXian’s surname was not Jiang, he was the leading disciple of the sect leader of the YunmengJiang Sect—Jiang FengMian, and also the son of his friend who had passed away. In fact, the sect leader regarded him as his own child. This, along with how youths were not as concerned with status and ancestry as elders, they were soon friends. Only a few sentences passed, and everyone started to call others older brothers or younger brothers.

(Chapter 13, Exiled Rebels translation)

And Wei Wuxian isn’t treated as an equal at school, either; when he and his friends get up to mischief, he’s frequently the only one punished. Nie Huaisang even notes that Lan Qiren seems to be far harder on him than the other students:

Nie HuaiSang spoke, “Why does it seem like old man Lan is especially strict towards you? He always directs his scoldings at you.”

(Chapter 14, Exiled Rebels translation)

And we see Wei Wuxian being the sole one punished out of a group taken for granted by his friends multiple times:

As a result of cheating notes flying everywhere in the air, Lan WangJi suddenly attacked during the test, and caught a few initiators of the commotion. Lan QiRen exploded with anger, writing letters to the prominent clans to tell on them. He loathed Wei WuXian—in the beginning, although these disciples could hardly sit still, at least nobody started anything, and their buttocks were able to stick to their legs. However, now that Wei Ying came, the originally spineless brats were influenced by his encouragement, venturing out at night and drinking alcohol however they pleased. The unhealthy practices grew greater and greater. As he had expected, Wei Ying was one of the biggest threats to humanity!

Jiang FengMian replied, “Ying has always been like this. Please take care to discipline him, Mr. Lan.”

And so, Wei WuXian was punished again.

(Chapter 14, Exiled Rebels translation)

The boys were all cheating, but Wei Wuxian is the one punished most severely. This happens when he's caught sneaking alcohol, too (though to be fair to Lan Wangji, he probably was only punishing him, and himself alongside him, for being outside after curfew when he threw them off the wall).

Of course, Jiang Cheng didn’t dare to say that Wei WuXian was at fault. Thinking back, it was them who urged Wei WuXian to buy liquor. Each and every one of them should have been punished. He could only speak in a vague way, “It’s fine, it’s fine; it’s not that serious! He can walk. Wei WuXian, why are you still up there?!”

(Chapter 18, Exiled Rebels translation)

It’s not entirely unreasonable for the one who gets caught to take the punishment (what’s he going to do, rat his friends out?) but their ready acceptance of this does fit into a pattern.

Jiang Cheng’s top was tied at his waist. Hearing his mother’s chastise, he hastily put it over his head. Madam Yu scolded again, “And you boys! Can’t you see that A-Li’s here? Who taught you brats to dress like this in front of a girl!?”

Of course, it was needless to think who led the group. Thus, Madam Yu’s next sentence, as usual, was “Wei Ying! Do you want to die!?”

[...]

He could still feel some pain in his back, so he tossed the paddles to someone else, sat down, and felt the stinging piece of flesh, “How unfair. Nobody else was wearing anything, but why was I the only one who got scolded and beaten up?”

Jiang Cheng, “Because you hurt the eye the most with no clothes on, for sure.”

[...]

Everyone nodded. Wei WuXian, “Thanks for the praise, you guys. I’m even starting to feel some goose bumps.”

The shidi, “You’re welcome, Da-Shixiong. You protect us every single time. You deserve even more!”

(Chapter 125, Lotus Seed Pod, Exiled Rebels translation)

While we know that Yu Ziyuan is an abusive person in general, she abuses Wei Wuxian far more harshly than anyone else, even the outer disciples. It’s made clear to us in Lotus Seed Pods that she whips him regularly over minor infractions:

Madam Yu was even angrier, “How dare you run! Come back right now and kneel!” As she spoke, she let loose her whip with a flip of her wrist. Wei WuXian felt a searing pain slash across his back. He loudly exclaimed, “Ow!” And almost tripped on the ground.

(Chapter 125, Lotus Seed Pod, Exiled Rebels translation)

And that his back is heavily scarred from it:

He felt his back, covered in scars both old and new, and still couldn’t hold back the question he’d be thinking about, “How awfully unfair. Why is it that I’m the only one who gets beaten up, whenever something happens?”

(Chapter 125, Lotus Seed Pod, Exiled Rebels translation)

Rumours about this even made it outside of Lotus Pier; during their visit to the ancestral hall years later, Lan Wangji even states that he heard about some of it:

Lan WangJi had on an expression of understanding, “Kneeling as punishment?”

Wei WuXian mused, “How did you know? That’s right. Madam Yu punished me almost every day.”

Lan WangJi nodded, “I have heard of a few things.”

Wei WuXian, “It’s so famous that even people outside Yunmeng, even you Gusu people know—how could it be ‘a few things’? But, to be honest, in all these years, I’ve never seen a second woman whose temper was as bad as Madam Yu’s. She told me to go to the ancestral hall and kneel no matter how small the matter was. Hahaha…”

(Chapter 87, Exiled Rebels translation)

Wei Wuxian’s lower social standing is definitely a part of why Yu Ziyuan is able to abuse him so terribly and receive little to no censure for it. Everyone at Lotus Pier simply takes it for granted, with the exception of Jiang Yanli who at least does try to deflect her mother when she is angry with Wei Wuxian:

Yet, all of a sudden, someone’s quiet voice drifted by Madam Yu’s ear, “Mom, do you want to eat some watermelon…”

[...]

Jiang YanLi almost cried from her mother’s pinching, mumbling, “Mom, A-Xian and the others were hiding here to relieve the heat and I came here on my own. Don’t blame them… Do… Do you want some watermelon… I don’t know who gave them to us, but it’s really sweet. Eating watermelon in the summer is great for cooling down and quenching thirst. I’ll cut them for you…”

(Chapter 125, Lotus Seed Pod, Exiled Rebels translation)

She both tries to deflect her mother from her anger, and also outright states that Wei Wuxian and the other boys weren’t at fault. Jiang Yanli seems to be the only one at Lotus Pier who ever does this.

After the war, Wei Wuxian attends social events at Jiang Cheng’s side but is never quite treated as an equal, either. See how at the Flower Banquet, Lan Xichen and Nie Mingjue greet Jiang Cheng but not him:

Suddenly, a voice spoke, “Sect Leader Nie, Sect Leader Lan.”

Hearing the familiar voice, Wei WuXian’s heart jumped. Nie MingJue turned around again. Jiang Cheng came over, dressed in purple, hand on his sword.

And the person standing beside Jiang Cheng was none other than Wei WuXian himself.

He saw himself walk with hands behind his back, wearing all black. A flute in the shade of ink stuck to his waist, hanging down with crimson colored tassels. Standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Jiang Cheng, he nodded in this direction to show respect. Attitude slightly arrogant, he took on a profound, disdainful appearance. As Wei WuXian saw the stance of his younger self, the root of his teeth even cringed in soreness. He felt that he really was pretentious, and itched to just beat the hell out of himself.

Lan WangJi also saw Wei WuXian, who stood beside Jiang Cheng. The tip of his brows twitched ever so slightly. Soon afterward, his light-colored eyes returned to where they were, still looking forward in that composed way. Jiang Cheng and Nie MingJue nodded at each other with grave faces. Neither had anything unnecessary to say. After a hasty greeting, the two walked their separate ways. Wei WuXian saw his black-clothed self glance around as he finally saw Lan WangJi. He looked as if he was about to speak before Jiang Cheng came over and stood to his side.

(Chapter 49, Exiled Rebels translation)

They then proceed to talk about him and his lack of a sword behind his back, never having said a word to Wei Wuxian himself:

Nie MingJue’s gaze turned over again, “Why does Wei Ying not carry his sword?”

Carrying one’s sword was like wearing formal attire. In such gatherings, it was a non-negligible indication of etiquette. Those from prominent sects saw it as especially important. Lan WangJi responded in a lukewarm tone, “He had probably forgotten.”

Ning MingJue raised a brow, “He can even forget something like this?”

(Chapter 49, Exiled Rebels translation)

At Phoenix Mountain it also seems that Wei Wuxian is conditionally a member of the gentry, but not treated like an equal. Sometimes there are these more cheerful interactions:

Holding the flower, Lan WangJi seemed to be quite cold. His tone seemed cold as well, “Was it you?”

Wei WuXian immediately denied it, “No, it wasn’t.”

The maidens beside him spoke at once, “Don’t believe him. It was him!”

Wei WuXian, “How could you treat a good person like this? I’m getting angry!”

Giggling, the maidens pulled their reins and went to the formations of their own sects. Lan WangJi lowered the hand that he held the flower with and shook his head. Jiang Cheng spoke, “ZeWu-Jun, HanGuang-Jun, apologies. Don’t pay attention to him.”

Lan XiChen smiled, “That is fine. I will thank Young Master Wei’s kindness behind the flower in place of WangJi.”

(Chapter 69, Exiled Rebels translation)

But then he will be publicly disparaged and it is readily accepted by others. Jin Zixun first starts an argument with him by criticising Wei Wuxian for fighting Jin Zixuan, then turns the topic to Wei Wuxian’s having taken a third of the prey in the hunt.

Jin ZiXun, “Wei, just what what do you mean by going against ZiXuan so many times?”

[...]

Jin ZiXun sneered, “How is it presumptuous? How is any part of you not presumptuous? Today, in such an important hunt involving all of the sects, you really showed off your abilities, didn’t you? One third of the prey have been taken by you. You sure feel pleased, don’t you?”

[...]

He mocked, “But it’s only natural that you don’t think you’re in the wrong. It’s not the first time that Young Master Wei has disregarded the rules. You didn’t wear your sword in both last time’s flower banquet and this time’s hunt. It’s such a grand event, and you care nothing for courtesy. In what regard to you hold us, the people who are present with you?”

[...]

No disciple had ever dared say such lofty words in front of so many people. A moment later, as Jin ZiXun finally regained his composure, he yelled, “Wei WuXian! You’re only the son of a servant—how dare you be so bold!!!”

(Chapters 69-70, Exiled Rebels translation)

Naturally, Jin Zixun is able to weasel out of giving an apology, even though Jiang Yanli demands one. And guess who also takes a third of the prey, but this time without any censure?

Jin GuangYao, “In reality, not only did Young Master Wei keep a third of the prey to himself, our eldest brother has eliminated over half of the fays and the monsters as well.”

Hearing this, Lan XiChen laughed, “That is how Brother is like, after all.”

(Chapter 70, Exiled Rebels translation)

Never a Brother

As I’ve already mentioned, Wei Wuxian was never adopted by Jiang Fengmian, or adopted into the clan in general in even a distant way. And this nebulous ‘we’re letting you live with the main family as a charity, but you aren’t really one of us’ attitude also reflects in his relationship with Jiang Yanli.

I’ve already discussed how Wei Wuxian was more like a companion servant to Jiang Cheng than a brother. It’s also worth noting quickly that neither of them ever refers to the other as a brother. Wei Wuxian refers to Jiang Cheng as his shidi a few times, and Jiang Cheng never even refers to him as his shixiong (because Jiang Cheng views him as his servant, not as even a martial brother, I’d argue).

Only one member of the Jiang family ever does use familial terms to refer to Wei Wuxian: his shijie, Jiang Yanli. At Phoenix Mountain, when Wei Wuxian is being insulted by Jin Zixun, Jiang Yanli stands up and defends him, and states clearly that she considers Wei Wuxian a little brother:

The people who gathered around Jin ZiXun had on the same dark faces as he did. Yet, taking into consideration Jiang YanLi’s background, they didn’t dare talk back to her directly.

Jiang YanLi added, “Besides, hunting is hunting, so why bring the matter of discipline to the table? A-Xian is a disciple of the YunmengJiang Sect. He grew up with my brother and I, and so he’s as close as a brother is to me. Calling him the ‘son of a servant’—I’m sorry, but I won’t accept this. And thus…”

She straightened her back and raised her voice, “I hope that Young Master Jin ZiXun would apologize to Wei WuXian of the YunmengJiang Sect!”

(Chapter 70, Exiled Rebels translation)

It doesn’t come through in the Exiled Rebels translation, but she actually refers to Wei Wuxian as her didi in this scene, not her shidi. She’s trying to draw a line and state that Wei Wuxian is a part of the family. However, no one takes her seriously, and shortly afterwards we see Jin-furen insisting that Jiang Yanli and Wei Wuxian shouldn’t be walking alone together because it would be inappropriate.

Jiang YanLi whispered, “That’s not necessary. I’d like to have a few words with A-Xian. He can walk me back.”

Madam Jin raised her brows, looking Wei WuXian up and down. Her gaze was somewhat cautious, as if she was feeling displeased, “A young man and a young woman—you two can’t stick together all the time if nobody else is present.”

Jiang YanLi, “A-Xian is my younger brother.”

[...]

Wei WuXian lowered his head, “Excuse my absence, Madam Jin.”

He and Jiang YanLi bowed at the same time. As they turned around to leave, Madam Jin grabbed Jiang YanLi’s hand and refused to let her leave.

(Chapter 70, Exiled Rebels translation)

Jin Zixuan also never treats Wei Wuxian the way one might a brother who is still angered with him over his past dismissive treatment of his sister. For example, see their argument at the Flower Banquet:

Before he could see how Lan WangJi reacted, a series of clamor suddenly came from the other end of the base. Wei WuXian heard his own raging shout, “Jin ZiXuan! Don’t you forget about what things you said and what things you did? What do you mean by this, now?!”

Wei WuXian remembered. So it was this time!

On the other side, Jin ZiXuan also fumed, “I was asking Sect Leader Jiang, not you! The one I was asking about was also Maiden Jiang. How is that related to you?!”

[...]

Jin ZiXuan, “Sect Leader Jiang—this is our sect’s flower banquet, and this is your sect’s person! Are you going to look after him or not?!”

[...]

...Jiang Cheng’s voice came, “Wei WuXian, you can just shut your mouth. Young Master Jin, I’m sorry. My sister is doing quite well. Thank you for your concern. We can talk about this next time.”

Wei WuXian laughed coldly, “Next time? There is no next time! Whether or not she’s doing well isn’t any of his business, either! Who does he think he is?”

He turned around and started to leave. Jiang Cheng shouted, “Get back here! Where are you going?”

Wei WuXian waved his hands, “Anywhere is fine! Just don’t let me see that face of his. I never wanted to come, anyway. You can deal with whatever’s here yourself.”

Having been abandoned by Wei WuXian, Jiang Cheng’s face immediately clouded over.

[...]

Jiang Cheng stowed away the clouds on his face, “Don’t mind him. Look at how impolite he is. He’s used to such rude behavior at home.”

He then began to converse with Jin ZiXuan.

(Chapter 49, Exiled Rebels translation)

Jiang Cheng also quietly dismisses the notion of Wei Wuxian as a brother in relation to Jiang Yanli; when they visit to show him her wedding dress and she asks for a courtesy name, Jiang Cheng specifically says:

Jiang Cheng, “The courtesy name of my unborn nephew.”

(Chapter 75, Exiled Rebels translation)

Not our nephew, mine.

Even the disastrous invitation to Jin Ling’s one month celebration is framed as a favour to an old shidi, not a family member:

Jin ZiXun, “Since you’ve heard it from him already, you should know that I can’t wait. Don’t tell me that you’ll disregard your brother’s life for the sake of Sister-in-Law’s shidi?!”

Jin ZiXuan, “You clearly know that I’m not that kind of person! He might not necessarily be the one who cursed you with Hundred Holes either. Why are you so rash? I was the one who invited Wei WuXian to A-Ling’s full-month celebration anyways. If this is the way you do things, where does that leave me? Where does it leave my wife?”

Jin ZiXun raised his voice, “It’s best if he doesn’t attend! What does Wei WuXian think he is—does he deserve to attend our sect’s banquet? Whoever touches him gets nothing but a splash of black! ZiXuan, when you invited him, weren’t you worried that you, Sister-in-Law and A-Ling would receive an irremovable stain for the rest of your lives?!”

(Chapter 76, Exiled Rebels translation)

It’s clear that not only does wider society not consider Wei Wuxian and the Jiangs siblings...they themselves don’t, either. Wei Wuxian, after all, readily accepts that his relationship with them is over after he leaves the sect:

Before they parted, Jiang Cheng spoke, “We won’t see you off. It wouldn’t be good if someone saw us.”

Wei WuXian nodded. He understood that it wasn’t easy for the Jiang siblings to have come out here. If someone else saw them, all those things they did for the public to believe would be wasted. He spoke, “We’ll go first.”

[...]

He turned around, knowing that it’d be a long time before he’d get to see the people he was familiar with again.

But… right now, wasn’t he on his way to seeing people he was familiar with as well?

(Chapter 75, Exiled Rebels translation)

Cast Aside

The way cultivation society treats Wei Wuxian when he is not with the Jiangs is also very revealing. Any level of respect he is given is contingent on his position in the Jiang household, and when they aren’t around that minimal respect fades away. Look at how disrespectfully he is treated when he approaches Jin Zixun to ask for Wen Ning’s location.

Wei WuXian didn’t make small talk either, getting straight to the point, “No thanks. I don’t.” He nodded slightly at Jin ZiXun, “Young Master Jin, could I please have a word with you?”

Jin ZiXun, “If you have anything to say, come after our banquet is over.”

In reality, he didn’t want to talk to Wei WuXian at all. Wei WuXian could see this as well, “How long do I have to wait?”

Jin ZiXun, “Probably around six to eight hours. Or maybe ten to twelve. Or until tomorrow.”

Wei WuXian, “I’m afraid I can’t wait for that long.”

Jin ZiXun’s voice was arrogant, “You’ll have to wait even if you can’t.”

Jin GuangYao, “Young Master Wei, what do you need ZiXun for? Is it a pressing matter?”

Wei WuXian, “Pressing indeed. It allows for no delay.”

[...]

Jin ZiXun, “Wei WuXian, what do you mean? You came for him? You aren’t standing up for a Wen-dog, are you?”

Wei WuXian wore a broad grin, “Since when is it your business whether I’d like to stand up for him or cut his head off? Just give him to me!”

At the last sentence, the grin on his face vanished. His tone turned cold as well. It was clear that he had lost his patience. Many of the people within Glamor Hal shivered in fear. Jin ZiXun felt his scalp tingle as well. Yet, his anger soon soared. He shouted, “Wei WuXian, you are too bold! Did the LanlingJin Sect invite you today? And you dare run wild here. Do you really think that you’re invincible, that nobody has the courage to confront you? Do you want to overturn the Heavens?”

Wei WuXian smiled, “You’re comparing yourself to the Heavens? Excuse my language, but your face is a little too thick, isn’t it?”

[...]

Just as he was about to rebut, sitting on the foremost seat, Jin GuangShan spoke up.

His voice seemed kind, “It’s not anything too important anyways. You youngsters, why lose your tempers over such a thing? However, Young Master Wei, let me be fair here. Barging in when the LanlingJin Sect is holding a private banquet is indeed inappropriate.”

To say that Jin GuangShan didn’t mind what happened at Phoenix Mountain would be impossible. This was also why he only smiled when Jin ZiXun bickered with Wei WuXian but didn’t stop them, and only spoke up when Jin ZiXun was at the disadvantage.

Wei WuXian nodded, “Sect Leader Jin, it was never my intention to disturb your private banquet. My apologies. However, the whereabouts of the people whom Young Master Jin took are still unclear. Just a moment of delay, and it might be too late. One of the group had once saved me before. I will definitely not sit back and watch. Please do not feel pressured. I will make amends for this at a later date.”

[...]

After a few laughs, he continued, “Sect Leader Jin, let me ask you something else. Do you think that, because the QishanWen Sect is gone, the LanlingJin Sect has all right to replace it?”

All was silent within Glamor Hall.

Wei WuXian added, “Everything has to be given to you? Everyone has to listen to you? Looking at how the LanlingJin Sect does things, I almost thought that it was the QishanWen Sect’s empire all over again.”

[...]

A guest cultivator on his right shouted, “Wei WuXian! Watch your words!”

Wei WuXian, “Did I say something wrong? Forcing living people to be bait and beating them up whenever they refused to obey—is this any different from what the QishanWen Sect does?”

Another guest cultivator stood up, “Of course it’s different. The Wen-dogs did all kinds of evil. To arrive at such an end is only karma for them. We only avenged a tooth for a tooth, letting them taste the fruit that they themselves had sown. What’s wrong with this?”

Wei WuXian, “Take revenge on the ones who bite you. Wen Ning’s branch doesn’t have much blood on their hands. Don’t tell me that you find them guilty by association?”

Another person spoke, “Young Master Wei, is it that they don’t have much blood on their hands just because you say so? These are only your one-sided words. Where’s the evidence?”

[...]

Jin GuangShan stood up as well, his face a mixture of shock, anger, fear, and hatred, “Wei WuXian! Just because… Sect Leader Jiang isn’t here doesn’t mean you can be so reckless!”

Wei WuXian’s voice was harsh, “Do you think that I wouldn’t be reckless if he were here? If I wanted to kill someone, who could stop me, and who would dare stop me?!”

[...]

“Young Master Wei really is too impulsive. How could he speak in such a way in front of so many sects?”

Lan WangJi spoke coldly, “Was he wrong?”

Jin GuangYao paused almost unnoticeably. He immediately laughed, “Haha. Yes, he’s right. But it’s because he’s right that he can’t say it in front of them, correct?”

Lan XiChen seemed as if he was deep in thought, “Young Master Wei’s heart really has changed.”

(Chapter 72, Exiled Rebels translation)

The only person at this banquet who speaks to Wei Wuxian respectfully is Jin Guangyao, a consummate manipulator who is also of a lower social status. Everyone else speaks to him dismissively, refusing to respect his request for Wen Ning’s location even though he states that Wen Ning helped him during the war. Wei Wuxian is extremely polite at the beginning of this conversation, and only slowly begins to lose his temper when Jin Zixun speaks rudely and Jin Guangshan decides to bring up the matter of the Yinhufu (Wei Wuxian is right in suspecting him of wanting to replace Qishan Wen, of course, and that it’s very bold of them to think they have the right to a spiritual tool of his just because...they’re rich?).

When the sects meet at Koi Tower to discuss the breakout at Qiongqi Path, no one considers Wei Wuxian as an independent agent who they might actually want to meet and negotiate with themselves. He is a wayward servant of Yunmeng Jiang who the sect leader has failed to keep in hand.

Jiang Cheng only spoke after a few moments, “What he did was indeed a bit too much. Sect Leader Jin, I apologize to you in place of him. If there’s any way at all to help the situation, please let me know. I’ll definitely compensate for things however I can.”

[...]

Jin GuangShan, “Sect Leader Jiang, Wei Ying is your right-hand man. You value him a lot. All of us know this. However, on the other hand, it’s hard to tell whether or not he actually respects you. In any case, I’ve been a sect leader for so many years and I’ve never seen the servant of any sect dare be so arrogant, so proud. Have you heard what they say outside? Things like how during the Sunshot Campaign the victories of the YunmengJiang Sect were all because of Wei WuXian alone—what nonsense!”

[...]

Lan WangJi sat with his back straight, speaking in a tone of absolute tranquility, “I did not hear Wei Ying say this. I did not hear him express the slightest disrespect towards Sect Leader Jiang either.”

[...]

The good thing was that, not long after he felt awkward, Jin GuangYao came to save the day, exclaiming, “Really? That day, Young Master Wei busted into Koi Tower with such force. He said too many things, one more shocking than the next. Perhaps he said a few things that were along those lines. I can’t remember them either.”

[...]

Jin GuangShan followed the transition, “That’s right. Anyhow, his attitude has always been arrogant.”

One of the sect leaders added, “To be honest, I’ve wanted to say this since a long time ago. Although Wei WuXian did a few things during the Sunshot Campaign, there are many guest cultivators who did more than him. I’ve never seen anyone as full of themselves as him. Excuse my bluntness, but he’s the son of a servant. How could the son of a servant be so arrogant?”

[...]

“In the beginning, Sect Leader Jin asked Wei Ying for the Tiger Seal with nothing but good intentions, worried that he wouldn’t be able to control it and lead to a disaster. He, however, used his own yardstick to measure another’s intents. Did he think that everyone is after his treasure? What a joke. In terms of treasures, is there any sect that doesn’t hold a few treasures?”

“I knew that something would eventually happen if he continued on the ghostly path—look! His killing intents are being revealed already. Killing indiscriminately those from our side just because of a few Wen-dogs…”

[...]

Jin GuangShan continued, “Sect Leader Jiang, you’re not like your father. It’s just been a couple of years since the reestablishment of the YunmengJiang Sect, precisely when you should be displaying your power. And he doesn’t even know to avoid suspicions. What would the Jiang Sect’s new disciples think if they saw him? Don’t tell me you’d let them see him as their role model and look down on you?”

He spoke one sentence after another, striking the iron while it was still hot. Jiang Cheng spoke slowly, “Sect Leader Jin, that’s enough. I’ll go to Burial Mound and deal with this.”

Jin GuangShan felt satisfied, speaking in a sincere tone, “That’s the spirit. Sect Leader Jiang, there are some things, some people that you shouldn’t put up with.”

(Chapter 73, Exiled Rebels translation)

This is very reminiscent of the way that Jin Zixuan would often turn around and say, ‘Why aren’t you controlling your servant?’ to Jiang Cheng whenever he had a dispute with Wei Wuxian over his treatment of Jiang Yanli.

When Jiang Cheng goes to the Burial Mounds and Wei Wuxian defects from Yunmeng Jiang in order to help the sect save face, Jiang Cheng treats this as a personal betrayal. He not only challenges Wei Wuxian to a duel but then announces that Wei Wuxian has betrayed Yunmeng Jiang and declared himself the enemy of cultivation society:

After the fight, Jiang Cheng told the outside that Wei WuXian defected from the sect and was an enemy to the entire cultivation world. The YunmengJiang Sect had already cast him out. From then on, no ties remained between them—a clear line was drawn. Henceforth, no matter what he did, they’d have nothing to do with the YunmengJiang Sect!

(Chapter 73, Exiled Rebels translation)

“Wei Wuxian has betrayed the sect, and publicly regards all cultivation sects as enemy! Yunmeng Jiang Sect hereby expels him, breaking all ties with him and drawing a clear line between us. Henceforth, no matter what this person does, it will have nothing to do with Yunmeng Jiang Sect!”

(Modao Zushi Radio Drama, Season 3 Episode 5, Suibian Subs)

Naturally, no one ever questions this or wants to hear Wei Wuxian’s side of the story. Jiang Cheng is a sect leader and Wei Wuxian his servant, and that is all cultivation society needs to know.

In Conclusion

Wei Wuxian was never really part of the Jiang family. The wider social view was that he was a servant who was lucky to be taken in by the family and allowed to live in the main house alongside the sect leader’s children. He’s accepted into cultivation society conditionally, but only as someone who remains a rank below everyone else.

This attitude isn’t just the wider social view which the family themselves disregard; they all play into it. Yu Ziyuan and Jiang Cheng both actively enforce it, Jiang Fengmian passively enforces it, and Jiang Yanli tries but fails to break through the social barriers between them.

#mdzs #mdzs meta #modao zushi

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