one day, in a thousand years

Spring hunt.

Sorry but Esen not being there as a ghost is so funny 😭 like Ouyang and Baoxiang have mental breakdown because they thought Esen is haunting them and they struggle all the time, meanwhile Esen has already reached nirvana. Esen "no thoughts head empty" even in death 🤣🤣

(I know there is a profound and symbolic meaning about Esen not being a ghost, and I appreciate it, but I can't help laughing. How did you guys imagine Esen if he was a ghost?)

Ouyang spent his whole life doing awful things to avenge the death of a father who wasn't dead. Baoxiang did awful things to prove something to Esen's ghost, which turned out not to be there at all. Ouyang is devastated by his father's presence, Baoxiang by his brother's absence.

Chapters: 5/5 Fandom: The Radiant Emperor Series - Shelley Parker-Chan Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Ma Xiuying/Zhu Chongba | Zhu Yuanzhang, General Ouyang/Esen-Temur, General Ouyang & Zhu Chongba | Zhu Yuanzhang, Ma Xiuying & Esen-Temur, General Ouyang & Wang Baoxiang, Esen-Temur & Wang Baoxiang, Ayushiridara | Third Prince/Wang Baoxiang (implied), General Ouyang & Esen-Temur, Ma Xiuying & Zhu Chongba | Zhu Yuanzhang Characters: Zhu Chongba | Zhu Yuanzhang, General Ouyang (The Radiant Emperor Series), Ma Xiuying (The Radiant Emperor Series), Esen-Temur, Wang Baoxiang, Madam Zhang (The Radiant Emperor Series), Yue (The Radiant Emperor Series) Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - College/University, and they were roommates (oh my god they were roommates), Genderqueer Character, LGBTQ Themes, basically a 5 + 1 fic except without the + 1, Zhu Chongba | Zhu Yuanzhang Uses She/They Pronouns, General Ouyang Uses He/They Pronouns, (eventually) - Freeform, i KNOW baoxiang is the ultimate accountant but you don’t get it., he’s a scholar in a warrior’s world → he’s a theater nerd in a businessman’s world, Canon Disabled Character, modern au esen was totally the ‘i would kiss you if you were a girl bro’ bro at some point, also ft. esen’s famous foot-in-mouth syndrome, Getting Together, Friends to Lovers, First Kiss, ma and zhu are honestly too smart for this nonsense they should really be established relationship, but they deserve an epic getting together story. as a treat ❤, implied past ouyang/xu da, leaning into the true potential of this series: buddy comedy, i'm crying in the club about esen and baoxiang being BROTHERS

Summary:

five people. five conversations. who will win this episode of the radiant university?

(spoiler: it's wang baoxiang. everyone else is too busy making out.)

dedicated to @ash-and-starlight !

later, ouyang thought esen wouldn't even had noticed: the moment his stillness of anticipation flicked into the stillness of shame, as quickly as capping a candle. his blood ran cold; his body burned. it was the feeling of a blade slid gently into his heart.

Lord Esen in she who became the sun

And General Ouyang in he who drowned the world

nooo dont say it haha

welcome to another installment of 'what if the radiant emperor was a whole nother thing', vol. shounen manga

this was fueled by a completely normal post wondering abt ouyang's blade, and then me trying to figure out a universe where he'd wield the zhanmadao

I am fully convinced that in a modern AU Esen and Ouyang would be absolutely insufferable. Esen refuses to shut up about how his boyfriend is the coolest, most capable, bestest man ever. Ouyang will get constantly distracted looking at Esen's biceps and will ditch on anything to go make out with him. They fuck like rabbits but it's exclusively really shitty 3 minute sex bc neither of them have heard of the concept of foreplay before. Esen thinks he's very good at sex and Ouyang knows he's not, but he's got a massive fetish for Esen's dumb bullshit which apparently also applies to the mediocre intercourse bc he's a freak.

Ma hates having to hear them and is desperately trying to evict them from her gf's apartment bc she never wants to see Ouyang's crappy face again. Baoxiang refuses to hang out with his brother bc he's so tired of every conversation turning into talking about Ouyang. Xu Da is grimacing bc he's pretty sure their whole deal probably isn't healthy, but like, at least they're happy? That's good, right? He's trying very hard to remain optimistic. And Zhu is incredibly disappointed bc THIS is the choice Ouyang makes once he gets past all his repressed bullshit? All that effort, and he decides to shack up with the most mediocre frat boy business major she has ever met? She should have let him remain homophobic. The two of them are known on campus for being that annoying couple that is way too extra and slobers all over each other in public, and everyone just averts their eyes in second-hand embarrassment. Esen doesn't even go here. When they graduate, the whole campus lets out a sigh of relief bc no one wants to deal with them. They're public menaces of the highest degree and no one can stand them and they literally Do Not Care bc they're just basking in the bliss of a relationship that's the queer equivalent of your straight friend and her awful tinder dates she's obsessed with.

esen giggling and twirling his braids while ouyang debriefs him on how many people died today, and other things that make me discreetly cough blood into a hankerchief.

Can't stop to think about my tragic gays but damned it's so tragic that Ouyang and Esen could be intimate only just in death. They desired so much to be closer in life but can't help to resist at that attraction and even sabotage it. Only death could let them to embrace each other finally. First when Esen was dying (and here we also have "stabbing as metaphor for love??" trope) and in the end when Zhu would fulfill her promise and bury Ouyang together with Esen. In death they will finally rest in peace and be together.

It's so poetic and so tragic

Radiant Emperor Characters on the Barbie-Oppenheimer Scale

Zhu: Oppenheimer

Ma: Watched Oppenheimer with Zhu, then went to watch Barbie on her own

Xu Da: Barbie

Yuchun: Barbie

Ouyang: Oppenheimer

Esen: Oppenheimer. Brushed hands with Ouyang by accident in the darkened theatre. Thought nothing of it. Ouyang thought about it for the rest of the movie.

Baoxiang: Gathered his entire household for a public viewing of Barbie, watched Oppenheimer alone in private, then gathered everyone to watch Barbie again just to really drive the point home.

General Zhang: Watched Oppenheimer and then Barbie with Madame Zhang.

Madame Zhang: Watched Oppenheimer and Barbie with General Zhang. Then felt insecure and watched Oppenheimer again, alone.

Rice Bucket Zhang: Oppenheimer

Chen Youliang: Oppenheimer

Lady Ki: Barbie

Third Prince: Wanted to watch Barbie, but watched Oppenheimer with his friends instead.

sharing the rough initial sketches i did for esen and baoxiang because. because.

PROMPTS ARE HERE

8/25, Day 1 - Mirror / Devotion

8/26, Day 2 - Haunted / Clothing

8/27, Day 3 - Reincarnation / Stabbing

8/28, Day 4 - Beach Episode / Brother

8/29, Day 5 - Sun and Moon / Minor Character Appreciation

8/30, Day 6 - Snow / Destiny

8/31, Day 7 - Like Knows Like / Two Unlike Things / Free Space

Happy creating!! Please use these prompts however they inspire you, whether it be literally, figuratively, in combination, etc. Late submissions will also be happily accepted :)

See our FAQ for more details or drop us an ask anytime!

He Who Drowned The World Spoilers

I know I just lost my husband a few chapters ago but this scene is what freaking got me