#day 6 and 7 ayy

[thewertsearch]

Let's kick things off with a mega-giga ask compilation!

I've spent the last couple of days working through the backlog, and I've been able to answer some quite old asks that were spoilers at the time they were sent.

@kintatsu asked: So, I was rereading your blog, and got to the post where you determine that John's 13th birthday was a Monday, and complain on his behalf that he couldn't really relax due to having the whole schoolweek ahead of him. Well, I checked, and the previous day was the first Sunday after the first full moon after the equinox, i.e. Easter Sunday. So it might have been a holiday week.

John entered the Medium shortly after Easter Sunday, and he did so by biting into an apple. Forget about the god tiers – his most powerful transformation is clearly Catholic Beast Mode.

Anonymous asked: The thing about knowing your Aspect, I think, is that it's the Aspect you most GET. I GET Space and Light, I understand them completely, they are suffused in my bones and my blood, they are writ large upon my brain and every base in my DNA. What aspect do you just GET?

To be honest, I don’t think I know enough about any Aspect to ‘get’ it.

If I had to choose, then I'd probably feel the most natural affinity for Life and/or Doom – and if was forced to pick one, I’d say I'm very slightly more drawn to Life, just based on vibes.

@mhafanlol2000 asked: I think the horrorterror’s plan (or the closest thing we can comprehend) is CHAOS-by which I mean LIFE. Skaia is order. If it can want, then it wants its players to follow the script it has written-the Alpha. It wants propagation, the snake to eat it’s own tail, blah blah blah. That is order. That is perfect servitude. That is NOT life. The gods, meanwhile, want chaos. It wants its servants to live. It does not tell people to do anything. It simply gives them the facts, and says “here is what you should do. You can not, you can do whatever the hell.” It wants romance, conflict, CHAOS. that is life.

And if this theory is accurate to the canon Life aspect, then I feel justified in my affinity for it. It falls fairly closely in line with my own philosophy.

@necrowyrm asked: When searching your blog I always type "thew" before Tumblr autocompletes your URL. That has become who you are to me.. Thew, Glorious Liveblogger, navigating the treacherous seas of Homestuck

Sally ‘Thew’ Ertsearch, reporting in. 🫡

Anonymous asked: there's actually another arthurian joke to do with dave's land/quest. have another look at the disc platform that bro stabbed. how would you describe the shape of that turntable?

Ayy, Dave's a Knight of the Round Turntable! Honestly, that'd be a pretty great name for his theme song.

@caliquill asked: kanaya vs rose would be absolutely hilarious but. kanaya IS the original "I Can Fix Her" girl for a reason.

Anonymous asked: the only real requirement for a name suggestion to be picked was that the firstname was 4 letters. but by really cool coincidence strider and lalonde are 7 letters, and egbert and harley are 6, and if you add those together its 4/13! similarly, both the trolls names were required to be 6 letters (i think hussie mixed and matched them actually, some of the firstnames were suggested as surnames and vice versa) so theres a similar case to be made for 6/12. but just doubling the same number i think holds less water than adding together two different numbers

Number symbolism is just very flexible in general. All Hussie really had to do was introduce a few 'important' numbers, and the fandom could start finding them everywhere!

Anonymous asked: This may be the wrong place to ask, but have you deleted your post of analyzing the Let the Squiddles Sleep song? I can't seem to find it anywhere.

Here it is. Hopefully you're able to see it now!

Anonymous asked: Will the Mega-Ask-Compilation and Liveblog Recap also happen? ~LOSS (19/2/23)

The former is currently taking place. The latter was planned, but after skimming my blog for a bit, I realized I didn't have as much to say about it as I thought I did. Plus, it's been ages, so I'm really excited to look at some new pages. We can leave the old ones for later - I'll probably do some sort of blog retrospective eventually.

Anonymous asked: i figure the trolls' battlefield went through a full set of dnd dice/platonic solids, plus maybe some other notable johnson solids like a truncated icosahedron (aka a soccer ball or buckminsterfullerene), before becoming a sphere. maybe the outer ring went through stages like simple torus, mobius strip, borromean rings or other fun knots, before becoming a mobius net. (not really sure what a mobius net is, mathematically, but that's apparently what the thing around the final form of the kid's battlefield is called.) or maybe something weird happens with that many prototypings, and the battlefield turns into a tesseract or a klein bottle or a menger sponge or a mandelbulb.

If you so much as look at the Battlefield created by the Gigasession, your brain will leak out of your ears.

@manorinthewoods asked: <3Dave, >3>John, >3oJade, <>Rose (by process of elimination) ~LOSS (5/6/23)

I don’t think either of the girls have worn a playing card symbol. The leaf on Jade’s Wardrobifier does kind of look like a spade, but John’s already got that quadrant on lockdown.

Anonymous asked: Reading stuff about skaia on this blog reminded me of madoka, and made me consider that skaia might be like kyube and the other incubators and sburb is skaias way of keeping the unerverse from decaying

Reading this ask makes me realize that Rose is a near-perfect mark for Kyubey.

There’s only one way to save your session, Seer. Form a contract with me, and become a magical girl.

Anonymous asked: man. i dont know what i expected to happen when you found it. but for The Baby Is You to be liveblogged in less than 20 words during a post was not the way i expected it to go

I know it’s not technically part of Homestuck canon, but it really feels like Homestuck canon to me - at least to the same degree as Sweet Bro and Hella Jeff, and I liveblogged that.

Anonymous asked: begging (lightheartedly) for you to add posts like LOLCAT and "this guy's an orb" to one of the liveblog tags. they're pretty funny, and it's nice to see off-the-cuff reactions like that, haha. imo it'd be a shame for new readers to miss those kind of posts

Done! I sometimes forget to tag posts like that, because I usually just fire them off and forget about ‘em.

@captorations asked: “Give me a set of rules, and I'll analyze the hell out them, every time.” hello fellow doom player. hope you like the color green

Based on ~ATH’s association with curses, as well as Sollux’s programming hobby, I think there’s a decent chance that Doom relates to coding in some way.

Coding is all about rules, so perhaps Doom, is, in fact, the aspect of rules and logic. I'm not sure why such an aspect would be named 'doom', but it's been obvious for a while that these aspect names aren't always literal.

Anonymous asked: I’d just like to clarify some terminology because it seems relevant, but Aradia isn’t a red blood, she’s a rust blood

[The blood colors all have canon names: Aradia = rust blood Tavros = bronze blood Sollux = gold blood Nepeta = olive blood Kanaya = jade blood Terezi = teal blood Vriska = blue blood (I like cerulean better tho) Equius = indigo blood Gamzee = purple blood Eridan = violet blood Feferi = fuchsia blood and Karkat has no official blood name, but people usually call him mutant blood or candy-red blood - C ]

Oh, there are official names for each color? That’s going to be helpful to disambiguate each blood caste, especially when we really start digging into troll culture and biology.

Anonymous asked: I do believe the top-left ship on the wall - no, Karkat doesn't have red eyes. […] It's probably Vrisrezi, yes, but it could also be Vriskat.

Yeah, I’m still not sure who this ship is supposed to represent.

They have Terezi’s eyes, but the hair and symbol look like Karkat’s. Plus, Nepeta hates this ship, which would make sense if it’s between her crush and someone other than her.

Honestly, my best guess is that it was meant to be Karkat, and the red eyes were just a mistake on Hussie’s part.

Anonymous asked: something I never thought about… is the blue blood sourced from equius or did he get a stock.

Aradia has real blue indigo blood in her veins, and it almost certainly belongs to Equius himself. He could have got it from a donor, but I personally doubt there was anyone else he could ask. Equius feels like he'd be an outsider, even to other indigo-bloods.

Anonymous asked: vriska would be a good strider

Vriska Serket raised by Bro Strider would be the most terrifying character imaginable. I don't even want to contemplate what that upbringing would do to her.

Anonymous asked: Any piece of lore hussie writes needs to contend with the fact that hussie is resolutely committed to the bit. Hence all the words on how different trolls are being entirely blasted aside by 'and then they're just grey humans anyway lmao'

That's the price of admission into Homestuck, for better or for worse. Hussie quite clearly enjoys screwing with us, and we have to take everything we see in the comic with a huge pinch of salt.

Anonymous asked: I'll disagree a bit on the phrasing that Eridan forces Feferi to <> him because firstly she doesn't even seem convinced that he would commit genocide and secondly she dropped him super easily once the lusus-feeding is no longer necessary. While understandable, that doesn't suggest to me someone who is obliged by Eridan's aggression to pacify him. I think she has much more agency in this relationship (or lack thereof I suppose) than that.

Feferi definitely had her doubts – but she must have believed that Eridan was dangerous to a certain degree, because that’s the basis of a moirallegiance.

Forced might not be the right word, but she certainly felt some amount of obligation to pacify him. She sure wasn’t in that relationship for the good of her health.

Anonymous asked: So, Vriska has a conversation with Karkat, where he says she seems to have blackrom feelings for Tavros, but that he doesn't think Tavros can even feel blackrom properly. Then she has another conversation with Tavros in which she antagonizes him, and he notices, but just kind of ignores it and doesn't respond emotionally. Then we see her make a huge dramatic redrom gesture and kiss him. She vacillated because he wasn't into her… incel behavior.

Yup. I’ve always held that Tavros never wanted anything to do with Vriska. He doesn't want to love or hate her - what he really wants is to live in a world where she doesn't exist.

Vriska’s refusal to accept this basic fact is one of the main reasons she’s decided to make his life a living hell.

Anonymous asked: I headcanon that troll blood is analog, but the empire culls non-digital colors because they make the troll race seem like a joke or something. Lol

If there were minor variations in blood color, the Empire probably wouldn’t want to acknowledge it, since the stratification of blood classes forms the basis of their society.

We haven’t seen any trolls besides our twelve (apart from Troll Will Smith) so we can’t compare the blood of two members of the same caste - but we can speculate. Human blood color is known to vary depending on its oxygenation level, and I imagine troll blood would reflect its current chemical composition in the same way.

Anonymous asked: Vriska must be seething while Karkat introduces the concept of quadrants to the reader. Imagine this basic and important facet of troll life, and you're just getting schoolfed it. (This message was sent on 20/10/22.)

This was a fun bit of weirdness from early Hivebent, wasn’t it? In retrospect, it's kind of hilarious that Karkat decided to infodump to Vriska about the obscure, niche topic of… dating.

@sanctferum asked: According to his formspring, Hussie's self-insert's classpect is Waste of Space. He also briefly considers Huss of Lips. This is obviously not meant to be taken seriously but. since you asked @absinthe-and-alabaster asked: i believe hussie said somewhere that FedoraFreak's classpect was "Gent of Piss" Anonymous asked: (not sure if this is technically a spoiler but) hussie has jokingly said that fedorafreak's class is a gent.

If Dad Egbert was a Player, then the Gent class would be forced into canonical existence, as the only class that could possibly define him.

Anonymous asked: If Vriska's control does require the victim to on some level want to do the thing, then Sollux's insistence that you do not under any circumstance eat the mind honey could be something he developed in response to that incident. So that if she ever controls him again, she won't be able to make him eat it.

Wow, I never considered that. That’s a very good (and tragic) take, and I think I'm at least locking it in as a headcanon.

Anonymous asked: the official extended zodiac actually has… 288 signs, if im doing my math right? and also probably hadn't yet been conceptualized when that page was posted (the earliest known evidence comes from 2015). i don't know if any thought was put into the number or if it was just pulled from their ass, but there was a running gag in hussie's q&as where he repeatedly threatened us with a 10,000 page intermission focused on 48 squiddles, each representing a sign from the alternian zodiac Anonymous asked: I believe the troll zodiac is one of the few things in HS lore that was truly retconned, there’s actually 288 signs.

Move over, 48 Squiddles. I want to hear about the 288-player clusterfuck that actually gave rise to Alternia!

@manorinthewoods asked: wheee, you got to the first god tiering! this probably opens up a load of new things to say, so, first off: do you think you need to have a full echeladder to god tier? vriska implied so.

She never outright stated that it was required, but I still think it probably is. You generally need to max out your class levels before you can prestige.

@morganwick asked: Believe it or not, you're still in the "Homestuck could have updated RIGHT NOW" phase of the comic's release schedule. The break after the Equius-Aradia kiss aside, the hiati you've heard horror stories about didn't start becoming a thing until the end of Act 5.

[this was around page 3000. still true at this page though - C]

Hussie’s sheer productivity at this stage continues to astound. Could you imagine having that much creative energy?

Maybe Hussie just drinks twenty coffees a day.

Anonymous asked: as someone who is Normal about aradia it's an absolute delight to see someone dig into her character. she's so fascinating to me. (also, fun fact, a while ago tumblr voted her the coolest character in all of homestuck. so there's that)

Aradia’s awesome, and I still don’t think her death is going to stick.

Her ghost was perfectly capable of existing without a body, so there's no reason she can’t survive her new body's destruction.

Anonymous asked: feferi hasn't just woken up, she won't be stuck asleep until 3 hours and 14 minutes into the future! timestamps, yo

Consider this the first mark on my otherwise impeccable record.

Anonymous asked: does cat have a troll/kidsona? itd be interesting to see a full 4 player session in art

[No kidsona, yes trollsona, but even a picture of her would spoil stuff from Act 6 😆 - C]

What she said. It’ll be a while until we can meet KATYAA SCRENR.

@mhafanlol2000 asked: Hey! You can just call me Fan. In all honesty I’m just some guy who likes your liveblog. He/him. I’m gonna list some fan aspects, and I want to see what you think they’d represent, and what abilities they’d give Law Dreams Might Shape Flow

Ooh, more fan aspects! These were a lot of fun to puzzle out the last time.

Law would be the aspect of command, instruction and agreement. An example power would be giving someone a simple rule they're compelled to follow, such as 'don't turn around'.

Dreams would be the aspect of ideas, motivation and symbolism. An example power would be the ability to detect people's idle thoughts - the things they're not even aware they're thinking about.

Might would be the aspect of growth, conflict and evolution. An example power would be the ability to temporarily enhance someone's Aspect abilities, at the cost of making those abilities harder to control.

Shape would be the aspect of form, encapsulation and topology. Shapeshifting is the most obvious application of this aspect, but it's appropriate.

Flow would be the aspect of persistence, momentum and continuity. An example power would be the ability to 'continue' something that has recently stopped. For example, if your PC ran out of power, they'd be able to keep it running for a while. The longer it had been previously running, the longer they could keep it running.

@martinkhall asked: I think Bro might have been raised entirely by shonen anime and My Little Pony Friendship is Magical (the version that existed only in the heads of the worst examples of Bronys). And puppets. Puppets were definitely involved in raising Bro. Anonymous asked: "He has no known relationship with any of the other parents, but was definitely getting foreknowledge of Sburb from somewhere. I’m not even sure I want to know what sort of childhood produces Bro Strider." well. i mean. he grew up with Lil Cal didn't he? the clearly haunted puppet from the sburban dreamscape of derse? it was what he dropped to earth with. i feel like that might explain at least a small part of, like, whatever he had going on.

That’s true. I don’t trust that puppet one bit, and we don’t know what it was up to before the start of the session.

I still suspect that the thing’s still just as alive as it was on Derse, and is just choosing to play dead.

Anonymous asked: I imagine you might've already been told this, but when checking out your FAQ I noticed you described PS/PQ/FS as "not exactly canon" and that you're less interested in liveblogging them because one of your favorite parts is watching all the story come together -- without spoiling anything, I find it pertinent to mention that Pesterquest & Friendsim definitely contribute to the wider "canon" even though dubiously canon themselves. Definitely "part of the story" so to speak.

Yeah, we’ll have to see what comes of this. The problem is that I’m still fuzzy on what ‘dubiously canon’ actually means.

Hopefully that will become more clear as I’m actually liveblogging these tie-in materials – which I am planning on doing. Only time will tell how in-depth the liveblog will actually be, though.

@manorinthewoods asked: In my Sundered opinion, Bec Noir is the best character design in Homestuck. I can't think of any other interesting designs at the moment, other than some which don't beat him and are spoilers anyway (like LE's). Which design do you find most interesting, out of the ones you have? ~LOSS (22/9/23)

I definitely agree that BecJack has one of the best designs in the comic. Plus, Scratch is so weirdly intimidating for a cueball-head.

Anonymous asked: My favorite part of PKWU is just how pointy Gamzee's chin is. It's so… Defined.

iT’s ToO lAtE, ErIdAn! I’vE AlReAdY DePicTeD MySeLf As ThE ChAd, AnD yOu As ThE SoYjAk >:o)

Anonymous asked: i need you to know ag canonically ripped off the sleeves on all of her shirts just to show off the robot arm

I believe it. I don't even need a source; this is just so true to Vriska's character that it's obviously correct.

@bladekindeyewear asked: If you and your ask screener decide that literary/external-media hero title examples without any details or explanation are alright to pass on unless they're too obviously revealing -- and those in and of themselves are usually in heavy dispute by classpect theorists -- I've long been of the opinion that Monkey D. Luffy and Peter Pan are the best possible literary examples of a Page of Breath.

All Pages of Breath must be associated with pirates. No exceptions.

Anonymous asked: unfun fact: the reason rose and jade dont have a lot of pesterlogs with eachother is just because their text colours were kinda eyestrainy together. thats it thats literally the whole reason!! god damn

Hussie: "I don't write Rose/Jade conversations because they’re hard to read."

Also Hussie:

Anonymous asked: you have officially passed my second favourite flash in literally all of homestuck. it's all so well hinted at beforehand but it still comes to punch you in the gut nonetheless Anonymous asked: My favourite thing in this flash is how the name of the flash isn't John: Rise Up, it's JOHN. RISE UP. it's WV sending a plead to John to not die. My second favourite thing is the way the music remixes Doctor (The theme for LoWaS). Anonymous asked: [S] JOHN. RISE UP. is one of my favorite flashes in all of Homestuck. Savior of the Waking World is some of Toby's best work What are your thoughts on our first taste of god tier? @violetsquare111 asked: So glad you liked Savior of the Waking World! One of my favorites in the comic for sure. It takes a lot of ideas from another of Toby's songs, Penumbra Phantasm, a song that… never actually got finished or officially released. There's still various renditions of it though, and the HS collection links a couple of em. (Some people have speculated that Penumbra Phantasm itself was never supposed to be a Homestuck song, and might end up being used in Deltarune, which would be cool as hell) Anonymous asked: It's crazy to think that just about 12 hours ago John was wearing silly disguises to fool his dad and now he's dying to become a god.

God time!

I do think it was the most emotional flash we’ve had, on the strength of the music alone. Savior of the Waking World goes hard as all hell.

Honestly, when WV started calling John a hero, and telling him to rise, it did start to give me some mild chills. Like, yeah – we know John’s a hero, but it feels extra special when it’s coming from someone who’s normally so irreverent.

@elkian asked: Welcome back, hope you're feeling better! I am losing it a bit over you IMMEDIATELY understanding how this coin flip sitch works, something about the narrative and reasoning doesn't match my brain so I've reread it multiple times with total understanding out of grasp and watching you dissect it halfway into the page is truly wild (delighted). Also feel like I understand it a lil better with your analysis.

Thank you! This message was actually sent the last time I returned from a pause, so apologies that I’m one hiatus late in answering it.

@royalvorpal asked: I just reread your entire blog in anticipation. Anonymous asked: This is such a good liveblog, I'm rereading it again and you are really letting me relive the pleasant parts of my middle school years. Reading this blog makes me feel like I'm back on the school bus talking to my friend about the newest update. Thank you for doing this 💛 Anonymous asked: That return page didn't have any sound, so misleading! (I jest, nice to see you're back.) ~DJ @manorinthewoods asked: Hahahah, we are BACK! Lovely, I've missed this liveblog. Most in-depth Homestuck liveblog I'm aware of, looking forward to the restart! ~LOSS (29/3/24) @popcornsalty asked: So excited to see you back!!! :D @chaosorchestrator asked: welcome back! It's good to hear that you're planning on getting back into it! I hope things have been going ok for you in the meantime! @necrowyrm asked: HAPPY 4/13 (OR AS THE ENLIGHTENED KNOW IT: 13/4) AND WELCOME BACK!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you for your votes of confidence, and happy 13/4 to you all!

@rippledphysique asked: Just found this blog and devoured it in a few days. I am selfishly wishing you the best in health and life so that it may return one day… @elkian asked: Hey Sally! Just wanted to wish you well on the recovery, the plague is no joke and I hope you've been able to enjoy some kind improvement. And that 2024 will be kinder, as well. Anonymous asked: wishing you the best in your interim, hopefully you can get a better position where you're not prone to burning out! Anonymous asked: Hope you're doing ok!! I miss seeing your cool liveblog on my dash @kittycatttmattt asked: Poor girl… Got killed by the schedule

Thanks for all the well-wishes, as well. Really, it wasn’t the schedule that was the issue – I just had a lot going on in the background last year. That’s all over now, though!

Anonymous asked: yeah, Homestuck's back babeyyyyy - the site was crashing because of traffic and everything @calamitascalliope asked: You coming back from your break resurrected Homestuck's corpse hggfffdd Anonymous asked: i think this actually is the first time homestuck has updated since you started liveblogging lol - homestuck 2 has been inactive assumed abandoned since december 25th 2020. also happy slightly belated blogiversary btw - you've been delighting us with your journey for two years now! @heliotropopause asked: New Homestuck upd8 just dropped. Apparently. Anonymous asked: what are the odds that you start liveblogging again the same exact day that postcanon comes back from the dead? Anonymous asked: crazy news. so literally just today, october 8th 2023, hussie has officially given complete free license to the newly formed "homestuck independent creative union" (HICU) to create content and monetize it with the homestuck brand however they see fit, with zero creative or financial control from any corporations or even hussie themself, though hussie has said they're available for consultation whenever the HICU wants their input. the HICU seems to be made up of people the community largely has respect for, and the person heading all of this up is James Roach, who is one of the most widely respected individual who has been inolved in homestuck "post canon" (ie. after homestuck itself ended). nobody was expecting any of this, it's completely bonkers. hopes are looking pretty high for homestuck compared to where they were merely a day ago.

Throwback to the day I personally resurrected Homestuck.

Has anything come of this since, actually? I haven’t heard anything about this new comic – although I do scroll in the opposite direction any time I see a reference to Homestuck, so I guess it makes sense that I wouldn’t.

@corporalotherbear asked: What’s your favorite Pokémon?

Contrarian, that I am, I’ll instinctively gravitate to Missingno., if only for the nostalgia factor. Gen 1 glitches were my first real experience with pulling back the curtain of a game’s code, and taking a look at what lies beneath.

My favourite official Pokémon are Porygon-Z, Shedinja, Reuniclus and Metagross!

@heliotropopause asked: Breath/Light is an interesting one, because the ‘Mixolydian’ implies a musical theme, and I thought Time was the musical Aspect. Maybe it’s not that simple. They've all got a musical reference in the name- they are called fraymotifs, after all. Anonymous asked: The Fraymotifs are all musical references actually. E.g. Breath/Time is "Ivories in the Fire", the ivories in question being John's piano keys. A fraymotif is a battle theme. Anonymous asked: ivories in the fire is a musical theme, especifically a Rap term used by Snoop Dogg. So yeah it's connected to Dave Anonymous asked: re: fraymotifs: you pointed out "mixolydian", but that's not the only musical term there. feather "cadence", pneumatic "progression", even fray "motif" itself! hell, the building where you buy these things has an emblem with a crossed sword and music note! so i think this might be less a situation of "need to rethink time aspects association with music" and more "fraymotifs have a musical association also" Anonymous asked: if you look a bit closer at those names, (including the one "fraymotif",) you may realize that "mixolydian" isn't the only musical term referenced…. @galaxa-13 asked: You say the breath/Light Fraymotif implies a musical theme, but they all do! Fraymotif is a portmanteau of "fray" (to fight) and "leitmotif" (repeated musical phrase). Each Fraymotif name implies a musical theme.

Dang it. Yup, they’re all pretty obvious references to music.

I wrote that post the day I was trying to wrangle our family PC into running the Homestuck Collection without lag, so I was a little distracted at the time. Please direct all complaints to Windows XP.

#asks #full liveblog #act 5.2 #this is just the first part of the comp. I have enough asks for another one. maybe another two. we'll see

[delulu-with-wandanat]

Ayy put in ur request mfs😩🫶

(or questions. or thoughts lol)

Request are CLOSE😚

(for now pookiebears, pls do share ur brainrots if u want too!)

Also this shit is 18+

(Out the door if u is underage. Aight now below here is just things me like and don’t like, as well as masterlist)

Here’s thing me like and no like👌

Me likey:

Wandanat (Romantic)

I’m open to NSFW but like not explicit?? (Idk how to explain myself, I’m just not very good at smut😅 But yes you can request that!)

Wanda x Reader (Romantic/Platonic)

Natasha x Reader (Strictly Platonic)

I know there’s not a lot of Masculine!Reader so if you want those just specify it 👍 (Just keep in mind of the previous bullet)

Natasha x Sibling!Reader is my personal fave.

Wandanat x Child!Reader is also 🫶🫶

Me no like:

Wandanat x Reader (Sorry guys, unless it’s platonic yes I can do that)

Natasha x Reader (Again sorry guys, I see her as a mother/sister figure)

(now onto the good stuff)

✨MASTERLIST✨

- Romanoff-Maximoff Family -

Soccer Moms Wandanat

Shopping for School Supplies

Goes on a vacation ('Vacation Dad' Nat x 'Memory of a Dory' Wanda) Part 1 | Part 2

- Wandanat (my beloveds) -

Frog Debacles Wanda and Natasha's child is an animal lover. They have the tendency to bring home whatever stray they find, today was no different. They brought home a damn frog.

Shape of You Wanda's exploring the extent of her powers and can't help but tease Nat with it. And Natasha... well, Natasha discovers something new about herself.

Money must be funny, in a rich girl's world. Natasha works at a beach club, and Wanda is the daughter of the owner. Let's just say, summer wasn't the only thing that's hot that day.

Sweater Weather Wanda and Natasha are friends, maybe even more. People love a classic jock and cheerleader trope. However when Natasha finds out that Wanda's little groupie had been bullying her little sister, it puts a strain on their relationship. Will Wanda be able to redeem herself?

'Chubby MILF' Wanda x 'Beefcake' Romanoff Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 |HC

The Adventure of Wanda's (questionable) Hairdos Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 Wanda has an obsession with her changing hairstyles, and Natasha is a supportive girlfriend.

Queen of Westview High ('Mean Girl' Wanda x 'Nerd' Tasha) Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Last

Stuck in Our Universe (Crackfic that got extended... very much) Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 (Holyshit this was long-)

Two Worlds Apart ('Corrupted' Wanda x 'Earth 77' Natasha) Part 1 | Part 2

Love and Immortality ('Witchy' Wanda x 'Vampire' Natasha) Part 1 | Part 2

- Wanda Maximoff x Reader -

Mockingbird America Chavez gave Wanda what she wanted, Wanda sees the love of her life again from another universe. However, her lover's variant already build a life without her...

International Affair (Wanda Maximoff x InternationalStudent!Reader) Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Last

Hopelessly in Love (HS au) (Wanda Maximoff x Natasha Romanoff, Wanda Maximoff x Reader) Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Last

#guess who's back #back again #wandanat #wanda maximoff #natasha romanoff #wandanat x daughter!reader #wanda x natasha #wanda x reader #scarletwidow #wandanat x child!reader #wandanat x son!reader #wandanat au #scarlet widow #mommy wanda #wanda maximilf #natasha x sibling!reader #natasha x sister!reader #natasha x brother!reader #wandanat x platonic!reader #wandanat comfort #wandanat imagine

[purplefox14]

ayy, it's pizztober baby

i dont really want to do inktober this year, but i saw pizzatober on twitter and i have to join in. here's my 1st week of pizzatober!

individual drawing under the cut

day 1

day 2

day 3

day 4

day 5

day 6

day 7

#pizza tower #pizzatober2023 #pizzatober #pizza tower toppins #peppino spaghetti #pizzablast #pizzasona #pizza tower oc #pepperman

[firepony67]

Ayy part two of my favorite utsukushii kare: eternal moments cause I remembered more!

Again, SPOILERS!!! This movie came out like two days ago and I know most people haven’t seen it so proceed at your own risk!

Tho, as I acknowledged last time, nobody sees my posts anyways, but still 😅.

Okay favorite scenes part 2 let’s go:

5. Kiyoi and Hira scheming with Noguchi to get Anna and her boyfriend back together. What can I say, I had no idea who the guy was, but Anna deserves everything she wants and the reunion was super sweet, so I was happy.

6. Kiyoi giving Hira a back hug as he does the dishes and they chat 😭. Domestic fluff! I wanted more of it! But I’m happy with what we got.

7. The combined present day/past/dream sequence/montage thing of them running through the school and reliving some stuff we saw in the first season while making new memories. This may have been entirely for nostalgia’s sake, but I feel like it was a really beautiful way of ending to remind us of the beginning, and the scene itself was very pretty. Plus it was one of the few scenes with Kiyoi and Hira full on grinning- we got completely genuine smiles of pure happiness from both of them and it brought me so much joy 🥺.

8. Lastly, Hira finally getting to photograph Kiyoi in a professional context! The hesitation from Hira when Noguchi hands him the camera that fades to single minded drive as soon as Kiyoi tells him to take the pictures was so intense. And it was just amazing to see them basically achieve the goal Hira set in the second season. Also! This scene was so well shot, I feel like it perfectly captured their relationship, and the way they interact and convey emotions through Hira’s camera. It honestly felt more intimate than any of the actually steamy scenes, I seriously felt like I was intruding on something private and almost covered my eyes while watching lol.

#utsukushii kare #utsukushii kare eternal #my beautiful man #my beautiful man: eternal

[the-error-if]

Ayy Grem happy new years!

Hope you are doin fine? Wanted to check in again and see if you're okay and all?

Anyways, hope you had some great and hopefully not to exhausting festive days and a good start into 2024 :)

Hi, it’s been a while hasn’t it? Yeah, I’m sorry. Listen I really tried for a while to do this whole interactive story thing, but it’s just not really working. So here’s an explanation on what is going to happen.

1. I’m redoing everything! That’s right. You heard me. Every single thing is going to be redone. Right down to every single character! Well I mean the characters as you know them will theoretically stay the same but I’m recreating them and I’m going to do the character sheet for real this time. No more flying by the seat of my pants!

2. No more schedules! Well, not while I’m a college at least. Being a premed major who struggles with chemistry is a major pain in the ass and I have to give my focus to it.

3. I’m going to actually ask for help and communicating things. No more everything’s going fine while I’m secretly struggling with pressure and mental health.

4. I want you guys to actually be a part of this creation process. If I’m simply at a loss for what I want to do or on how to proceed. I’m gonna ask you all.

5. To anyone who has sent anything in my inbox, I promise I read them every single day. I truly appreciate every single one of them. I really do love you guys.

6. Grem is back to be a fiendish gremlin who will constantly badger you with her thoughts

7. I’m clearing my inbox and all of my posts ever! I said I was redoing everything so that means that no lore is correct and no character is safe from my chopping block.

So thank you all for supporting me! I’m truly grateful and you all know that my inbox is going to be open for any questions💕💕

#the error #the error is getting a redo

[atinyjules]

Monalisa's Sister - Renjun

Hi! I am back with another dad au! This time featuring dad!Renjun and his little munchkin Zhanghao so enjoyy! It came out a lot shorter than expected o(╥﹏╥)o

Genre: Dad au, fluff, established relationship

Pairings: Dad!Renjun x Female oc

Warnings: None

Characters: Renjun, Yuri, Zhanghao (4), Ten, Ellie (7) and Xavier (6).

While the rest of the guys along with their families were busy searching for Halloween costumes the Huang family were busy getting their house ready for the annual Neo Family Halloween Party and it was the Huang's turn to host this year's party so the pressure was on for them.

"I'm tiredd!" Hao hao whined and sat down on the floor while holding the box filled with the fake spiders and cobwebs.

"I know but we need to finish on time." Renjun told his son who whined in protest.

"But its two days away!" he whined and walked to their Art studio where his mother was sat on a tall stool painting a large portrait for the party.

"Momma! Do we have to go all out for this party?!" he exclaimed to which she chuckled.

"Ask your dad~" she said while continuing her painting.

"Of course we have to go all out! Not after Haechan's party last year...his family rented out an amusement park!" Renjun exclaimed as Hao Hao smiled.

"That was fun!" he said earning a scowl from his dad.

"See, this is why we need to do something even better!" he exclaimed as his wife sighed.

"Junnie...we don't have to be better than anyone, we just have to host the party our way not try to defeat anyone who did it better the year before." she said as he sighed.

"You're right Yuri...thanks for the reality check." Renjun said and gave a small peck on the lips to his wife who finally got back down from the stool.

"Your welcome-where's Hao Hao?" Yuri asked and looked around when Hao Hao came in with a picture.

"Momma, is this you and dad?" he gave the picture to his mother who gasped in surprise.

"I haven't seen this picture in forever! Its a picture from when I first met your dad!" she exclaimed and handed the picture to Renjun who chuckled and rubbed the picture with his index picture.

"Brings back memories." Renjun said looking at the picture of him as Peter Pan and Yuri as Tinkerbell.

"Momma, did you meet dad on Halloween?" Hao Hao asked his mother as she nodded with a smile.

"We sure did...that was the first time I came to Seoul and your Uncle Ten took me to Uncle Johnny's Halloween party. That's when I stumbled across a very cute and dashing Peter Pan." Yuri said with a chuckled as Renjun smiled at his wife then Hao Hao.

"This was when I met and fell in love with your momma, that's why Halloween for the Huang family is a really special day Hao Hao. If I had never met your momma then you would have never been born so maybe that's why I tend to exaggerate Halloween a little too much." He said as Hao Hao giggled.

"Everything makes sense now! It makes me love Halloween even moree!" Hao Hao exclaimed earning a kiss on the cheek from his mother and a pat on the from his Father.

It was the day of the party and there was some little time left before the guests would start arriving. The Huang's were quickly setting up the finishing touches when the door bell rang.

"I'll get it!" Hao Hao who was dressed as Moomin went to get the door.

"Wassup Moomin~" Hao Hao immediately gasped and threw himself on the man who was dressed up as Monalisa.

"Uncle Ten!" Hao Hao exclaimed as Ten smiled and picked him up.

"Ayy, nice decor...Ten is impressed." Ten said and went out the door.

"Ellie, Xavier! Come in quickly or else no candies!" Ten called out to his own children who came running at the mention of candies.

"Hey Zhanghao!" Ellie exclaimed and gave her younger cousin a hug.

"Ellie! Xavier!" he exclaimed and hugged his cousins.

"Woah! Cool decor!" they both exclaimed when Renjun and Yuri came out of the living room.

"Ten!" Yuri who was dressed as a fairy exclaimed and hugged her big brother.

"Ayy, good thing I wore my iconic outfit again, your outfits remind me of the first time you two met."

"Yeah, who would've thought I would fall for Monalisa's sister." Renjun said pulling Yuri close to him by her waist. As they chatted, their bodies became a distant blur and focussed on the picture that was framed up in the middle of the living room. A picture of Peter Pan and his Tinkerbell in a dimly lit living room.

#nct dream #nct dad au #nct dream dad au #nct renjun dad au #nct dream bad boy au #nct dream fluff #nct dream imagines #nct dream jisung #nct dream chenle #nct dream jaemin #nct dream haechan #nct dream jeno #nct dream renjun #nct dream mark

[yabitch12406]

I

Goo nfsw alphabet

A-After care - If he really likes you I would say 7/10 he will clean you up maybe cuddle and by you something tomorrow.

B-Body part- He thinks very highly off himself so everything ig

On you I think he is a thigh or ass guy to be honest like he would randomly slap your ass like 5 times a day

C-Cum- he loves bj so in your mouth on your face or chest but when his inside if your on some kind of contraceptive inside.

D-dirty secret- not really a secret but he want a threesome with gun

E-Experience- a lot 8/10 like he have had a couple one night stands

F-Fav postion- probably doggy or missionary cause he like to feel dominant in a way

G-Grooming - he is clean he takes very good care of him self . Its not completely shaved just trimmed.

H-habit- he likes to tease you to the point of tears just to baby you again

I-Intimacy- depend on his mood though we all know goo is playful I feel like there are sometime he might get seriously intimate

J-joking- knowing goo that answers this😏😏😏😏😏😏😏

K-kink - hair pulling and weapons maybe and being called master and toys

L-location- bedrooms or office but he love doing it in places like a car.

M-mastub(you can finish the rest)- not that frequently tbh only if he is really desperate

N-no - I'm not really sure since goo is weird as he'll 😑😑😑

O-oral- giving he okay with it and Receiving he loves it one of his favourite things

P-pace- fast and deep usually but does slow thrusts to tease you

Q-quickies- he loves them mostly because he is usually really busy making money.

R-risk- loves taking risk would literally do it in a room next to gun and not lock the door.

S-stamina - 3-4 rounds he is literally addicted to you so ya.

T-time - 15- 18 minutes per round 5 -7 for head

U-unfair- like I said he takes his teasing to the max to the point of tears

V-volume- 6/10 he is kinda quiet but there are grunts here and there

W-weird fact- finishes faster when making eye contact

X-x-ray- 6 when soft 8 when hard

Y-yearing - almost every day man's horn as hell R.I.P that p ayy

Zzz- cuddles then sleeps if he has something to do tomorrow

#lookism #goo kim #gun lookism #headcanon #tumbrl #smut #minors dni #request #tumblr fyp

[stayxlix]

AYY MOOTERS ON MOOTERS THEY KNOW HOW TO MOOT! TUTTER PULLING TO THE PARTY IN MY CRAZY PINK WIG!!!! BEST WRITER? BEST WRITER? BEEN A FAN SINCE PART ONE!

I was getting beaten to lunacy, depression, delusion, confusion even. I got the 1st grade knowledge beat out of me with this one, i couldnt count for a sec. My vision got all blurry, thought this was chapter 17 for a minute there👹

Bitch, out the gate you be coming in HARD. You know how to set the mood, I get scared for their asses! It feels like being on drugs or something (though i aint never been on drugs, but this is how i imagine it feels like👀) I visualize like I ain't ever visualized before, put on some music reading this at night, DAYUM🛐‼️

I reread this tasty ass story atleast once every week. It's tradition at this point.

1."The physical contact was grounding—you were grounding. A lifeline anchoring Felix to the reality he so desperately needed to return to." This fucked me up😪 So beautifully written!

2. "How he'd transformed from someone potentially willing to end your life, to someone committed to protecting it at all costs." Had to pause, take a breather, and look out my window to reflect on who I am as a person, then keep reading. Absolutely Precious.

3. "Some day," he dropped his voice, "When all of this is over, I'm going to carry you back into that palace." His lips found the curve of your jaw, trailing a heated path down. "I'm going to take my time with you, princess," he nipped at the sensitive skin on your neck, causing your core to flutter with anticipation. "And then," he whispered, "I'm going to lay the world at your feet." I was hyperventilating baby I couldn't breath for shit reading this 👀

4. "Minho sighed in annoyance, as if holding a conversation with you was some sort of burden. “I didn’t want to discuss it with the others,” he snapped." TIRED, TIRED OF THE WAY HE TREATS ME. (Jk lol I get his stress but chill out, damn.)

5. "You were always mine," Felix breathed, "before we met, before all of this, you were never their princess," he leaned in, pressing his lips to your forehead. "You were always mine.” I had to stop reading and get some water, my throat dried out.

6.“You can’t,” Felix emphasized. A distant look clouded his eyes, a flash of whatever it was that had crossed his features after the nightmare seemed to resurface. “You grew up with servants to meet your needs while the rest of us bled for every scrap of food and warmth. You can’t understand, y/n. And even if you could, it won't change who I am or what I've done. The blood on my hands will never wash away.” This is where the problem occurs. Cuz what are you implying? You ate this part so much you gotta be locked away like that one song. 🗣 IM LOCKED UP THEY WONT OUT, THEY WONT LET ME OUT IM LOCKED UP🗣

7. "Go collect your friend," the man waved a hand at the door, "I will shelter you for the night. You're young, exhausted, and it looks like you've been through quite a lot." I LOVE HIM ALREADY DAMMIT

8. You knew this would not last forever with him. Nothing ever does. And you wondered if you will ever be able to accept that, even when you no longer have a choice. But in that moment, Felix was there. You extended a hand, and he was warm. He was real, and he felt more like home than anything ever had. You loved him too, and it was a feeling you did not dare let go." MY HEART! RIPPED OUT MY CHEST! I CANT BREATH! IM SOBBING!IM DEVASTATED.

IM FEELING LIKE IM ON THE LAST BITE OF MAC AND CHEESE ON THANKSGIVING, IM GUTTED, I DONT WANT IT TO BE OVER!!

But as always, let me calm down and get a lil sensitive. I love you my pookie bear❤️✨️

Your adding some good into my world with this story that i really need. Its like the same day everyday for me, then out of the blue, you pop up and you give me something to look forward to.

Like most people, there's lots of things I need to be distracted from, and you do just that for awhile❤️ I appreciate this lil story more then you could know, and I always get SO happy seeing you posted a new chapter. I can tell how much passion and effort you put into this story, and I applaud you for that🫶❤️ Take your time, take care of yourself, and feel no pressure on when you need to put a new chapter out, YOU should always come first❤️ -👹

hihi my spicy little👹💕once again, i truly have no words for how thoughtful and sweet all of this is. im so grateful to have you with me on this journey (since part one, day ONE) and im so glad its been able to keep your interest after all these months.<3

"got the 1st grade knowledge beat out of me" literally had me CACKLING please!!😭✋ your excitement and the photos you send (which are hilarious too btw) always have me grinning from ear to ear. i swear my favorite part of reading feedback from you is that i will NEVER be able to predict whats coming next.😂 seriously though, im so glad youve been able to immerse yourself in the story like this (if we're being honest i definitely lose touch with reality a little bit when i get lost in writing it lol) but im so touched that it could evoke such a response in you too. (ps "i reread this tasty ass story atleast once every week. It's tradition at this point" might just be one of my favorite compliments ive EVER received about my writing. this is literally one of the nicest things you can tell someone who writes imo🥹).

MY HEART! RIPPED OUT MY CHEST! I CANT BREATH! IM SOBBING!IM DEVASTATED

(okay but why is this literally me reading any of your asks) this was also one of the most fun parts of the chapter to write omg. i love writing the end of a chapter so much that sometimes its the first thing i do.🤭

the detailed journey through each little part of the story that you go through in your asks always leaves me on cloud nine.!!! i love this so so much, i swear it does not get any better than when someone quotes the story back to me.<33 so thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking the time to share your thoughts on these specific moments. i loved reading every. single. one.💕

Had to pause, take a breather, and look out my window to reflect on who I am as a person I was hyperventilating baby I couldn't breath for shit reading this 👀 I had to stop reading and get some water, my throat dried out.

(also btw if it makes you feel any better i had a similar reaction to ALL of these after i typed them out. felix really does things to me, i probably need an intervention or some shit but here we are.🥹)

knowing that this story adds a touch of goodness to your world means more to me than i can ever express. :( im sorry to hear that you’ve got some challenges to face, but like you said i know we all do from time to time, so im just forever grateful that my writing can provide a little distraction for you in the midst of the everyday chaos.<3 (ps. if things ever get too rough, you know where to find me!!❤️)

okay okay i’m cutting myself off here, but i really do appreciate the little reminders to take my time and prioritize self-care too.<3 the way you express yourself is so unique, please never change. i love that you’re as insane and unhinged about this story as i am.🥹 as always thank you so much for the continued support, it is more appreciated than you could ever know.🤗💕

#alex answers asks♡ #otde.feedback #👹

[spnshortcake]

Taking Flight

Pairing: Jake “hangman” x Reader

A/N: my asks and inbox are open I would love to hear your requests and write about them! Don’t forget I write about supernatural and top gun characters!!

………………………………………………………………………………….

Your boyfriend of 3 years was a lieutenant in the U.S Navy. Top gun graduate with 2 confirmed air kills. He is a pretty big deal. Today is the day you finally go to the hangar and meet the dagger squad. He talks about them to you all the time so you pretty much know everything. Just got to our faces to the people.

Jake is driving to the base as he is holding your hand over the middle console. He looks nervous but your never talk about it. Maybe he just wants you to like his squad. You pull up to a gate and two men in military uniforms raise a hand up stopping Jake and he rolls the window down.

“Lt. Jake Seresin” jake says in a matter of a fact voice you love hearing me talk so assertively.

“Hi Lt. who’s the pretty lady?” He leans down to look at you.

“My girlfriend she is finally got a day off to come meet the squad and maybe see a fighter jet.” Jake smiles looking at you. He waves as the gate opens and Jake starts into the base.

“I’m so nervous jake” you say as he parks taking his seatbelt off.

“Don’t be they are just a bunch of pilots I’m the best so they won’t mess with you.” He smirks getting a laugh out of you and y’all make y’all’s way inside the hangar and it’s massive as you look around seeing the jets and American flags hanging up on the wall.

“BAGMAN!” A guy says coming out of the room he was in.

“Fanboy what’s up I like for you to meet my girlfriend y/n” he puts a hand on the small of your back and fanboy shakes your hand.

“So nice to finally meet you. AYY GUYS BAGMAN IS HERE WITH HIS GIRLFRIEND!” He yells as all the rest of the team comes out.

“Now this is a surprise she is way more beautiful as you described her to be bagman how in the hell did you get this girl to be your girlfriend” a man with a mustache says to Jake.

“I ask that myself everyday Rooster.”

“Well it’s nice to finally put y’all’s faces to the names Jake always talks about y’all.” I say looking at the rest of the squad. They all seem like they are a big family.

“Where is Maverick I need to ask him a question?” Jake questions as rooster points to the office and he excuses himself as you take a seat and just talk with the squad.

“Baby this right here is my jet it’s bigger than the rest of the squad.” He says as rooster and the rest of the squad rolls there eyes. He puts his hand on the side on his jet and just looks at it like he is in love with it.

He loves being in the navy especially being able to fly.

“Wanna take her for a spin?” Maverick looks at me.

“W-what go in there?? Up in the sky?” I say I didn’t know we was gonna try and go up in the sky. You never even been into a commercial airplane. You was very nervous to say the least.

“Well sweetheart that’s what she is meant for. What you say wanna go with me?” Jake says looking at me.

“I I I don’t know I think I’m okay touching the ground.” You look down

“Well sweetie I’ll be in the pilot and I’ll take care of you.” Jake smirks.

“It’s not that scary just gotta remember to breathe.” Phoenix explained.

Jake helps you into the back of the jet and hands you a helmet. “Now for any reason we need to eject these ropes above your head you pull and then your out.”

“Jake Seresin we better not have to eject mister” you sass back to him as he settles into the front getting a laugh from the squad. He shuts the top of the jet and you hear a beep in the headset you put on.

“All clear for take off in 10…9…8..7..6..5..4..3..2..1”

“Ready baby?” Jake says and you just nod he smiles as he takes off and it’s a real rush you have your eyes closed then you feel balance and you open your eyes and you are stunned. It’s beautiful the blue sky not a cloud in sight only the ones below you.

“Oh my gosh this is beautiful jake” you say into your headset.

“Well not as beautiful as my co pilot” “now baby can you reach in the side panel I need that book you have in there”

You was confused but when you reached in the panel you didn’t find a book but a small black box.

“W-what is this?” You look at him confused. This couldn’t be.

“Go ahead babe open it.” Jake says into the headset and when you open it you couldn’t believe your eyes. The most beautiful ring.

“Jake. What is this?” You ask “well look down sweetie” he says when you look down you see the squad holding up signs.

WILL

YOU

MARRY

ME?

“Y/N M/N L/N , will you make me the happiest pilot ever and marry me sweetie. I love you with my whole heart and I couldn’t imagine anyone else flying beside me for the rest of my life”

“JAKE , yes!! A MILLION time yes!!” You slide the ring on your finger as he lands the plane and y’all get out but before he helps you out he takes your helmet off and kisses you.

“I love you miss soon to be Seresin.” The rest of the squad comes over and congratulates you on y’all’s engagement.

“That was really the sweetest thing I have ever witnessed in the US Navy ever! Congratulations you two. Now let’s go get some drinks at the Hard deck first round on me.” Phoenix brings you in for a hug and pats hangman on the back.

………………………………………………………………………………….

ENGAGEMENT IN THE SKY??? WITH JAKE! This was the cutest one I have wrote I have been thinking of this for about a week now and I just have to write it and share it!! I love you guys! I wished I could find tumblr mutual if you wanna be friends totally comment also if you have a favorite tumble blog that writes about top gun or supernatural please comment their account I would love to find new accounts to read and reblog there work!! Spread happiness! Be the reason someone smiles today!

Love you all. 💛

Love,

Elizabeth



[reynie-muldoons]

"A Gold Bar in Fort Knox" Liveblog!

Good morninggg. It's early here, but not very bright 😂 there's been a lot of fog the past few days.

Today's a fun day because season 4 of The Dragon Prince came out today too!! I can't wait to consume all of it and spam reblog things from the tag LMAO.

Anywaaay, I have some hot tea and brekkie, so it's new episode time. Spoilers under the cut :)

1:08 oh shit here we go, water polo raid

1:20 I bet they're above, like clinging to the wall or something

1:38 LMAO THEYRE DANGLING????

1:40 theme music my beloved

2:37 are they in like the boiler room?? That's kinda sick

2:50 OHHH are they plants?? Did Curtain's goons put them on the boat???

2:56 ayy same brain Reynie

3:12 Constance says "have faith in yourself". You go bbg 😂

3:36 they're just going to stay in the boiler room?? Do they realize how dangerous that could be, or how easy it would be for them to be spotted if a crew member came down for maintenance???

3:47 Constance has seen things

3:54 AYYYY blorbo

4:00 number two baby I love you but why are you going through the trash

4:08 both. both are correct. It's a scientific breakthrough that relies on manipulation

4:26 he's like "why, just why" 😂😂

4:34 LMAO why doesnt he want to tunnel? Do I detect some claustrophobia, hmm? 🧐

4:39 mold? Okay RE Village

4:49 HOW LONG WOULD IT TAKE TO GROW MOLD IN EVERY BUILDING LMFAOOO

4:59 "I didn't sign anything 🤨" LMAO TRUE ENOUGH BABE

5:01 okay but "troubling, but clever" describes SO MUCH of this show hahahaha

5:11 bestie..... I hate to break it to you........ but he is simply not interested in things that arent control

5:35 "to show how much of a genius he was" early signs of narcissism maybe? Cause that's the vibes I'm picking up

5:46 I think I see where this is going. Mr B desperately wants to get through to Curtain, Curtain ends up getting him in a vulnerable place, ends converting him to the fake happiness shtick. Please let me be wrong

5:55 "well that was on his turf." "SO IS THIS." she has a point there dude 😂

6:03 CO👏🏻RRECT👏🏻

6:08 "and I would love to find a phone" number two wants to scroll on that dash 😂

6:10 "Rhonda and Milligan must be sick with worry" I know that's what she meant but it made me laugh all the same

6:21 ohhhh nooooo. NOOOO. "At least Rhonda and Milligan are at home, away from danger." NOOOOOO

6:26 HARD cut to the blimp in a storm 😂

6:39 Milligan my love your original arrival was set to be 25 hours ahead of the kids, I think you'll be okay with a slight delay

6:49 Miss Perumal, as always, you are lovely and composed despite being full of worry

7:03 RHONDA MY BELOVED 😂😂😂 You truly know someone's character from the way they treat service workers!!!

7:08 I love her so much ahshdjjd

7:11 every shot of this ship is just fucking gorgeous

7:17 okay if the sugar was so all-important WHY LEAVE IT OUTSIDE DUDE LMAO

7:43 the speed check comes back to bite them!!

7:49 he looks genuinely scared to deliver this news 😬

8:03 low blood sugar, a faltering marriage, and liens on his big shit. Poor guy. btw I looked up "lien", it's basically legal rights to keep something, like a mortgage

8:17 awwwww. they're adorable. protect them at all costs

8:56 oh dang, they stumbled upon the crew's party space!

9:05 "Constance wants a taste" LMAO KID

9:18 "the inflation rate in Portugal is alarming" lmao kid the inflation rate *here* is alarming too

9:18 what money are they even going to gamble though?? Surely they're starting with pocket change

9:39 oh my gosh the chips 😂

10:23 the crew with those sly looks. These kids are about to wreck house LMAO

10:29 DEATH OR GLORY

11:11 not gonna lie I know almost nothing about gambling so this is a little over my head

11:34 sunglasses? Wow, he saw the cards from the reflection on his eyes, that's impressive

11:57 I had two reactions to reading "Enzo's pies & pastries":

1. Stranger Things date night with Hopper and Joyce 🥺

2. MOOCHO?????

12:09 okay it's kinda sick that number two blends in with the lemons so well

12:20 another interview? And was that SQ on stage???

12:27 it was not SQ 🙃

12:33 "we've been expecting you" well that's concerning

12:47 their wardrobe choices are just. Strange

13:07 I think I just gagged

13:24 two things:

1. Every time we cut to Milligan I think about how good he looks in general. Well kept in that cute suit. He just looks nice.

2. WORRIED DAD IS WORRIED

13:36 awwww Rhondaaaa

13:48 "I am not scared" you fooled me 😂

13:57 "is a gold bar scared in Fort Knox?" ROLL CREDITS! Kind of!

14:09 and the dam breaks 🥺 the pain and mutual understanding from both of them makes this a perfect opportunity to open up

14:20 "but I'm learning that worrying is not a form of preparation" I need that tattooed on the backs of my eyelids, maybe then I wouldnt worry so much

14:31 awwwww 🥺🥺

14:49 damn 😂 the captain is becoming his own character at this rate

15:14 ....are they about to maintenance the ship?

15:27 LMAO STICKY

15:49 Sticky out here playing 5D chess

16:08 he's totally right, keeping track of the cards isnt cheating. It's just smart 😂

16:25 LMAO KATE WTFFF

16:52 you know, as much as they're talking about winning money, all they have is the chips. They need to cash out

17:08 Reynie, my love, I know you're trying to make a moral choice but in the long run that's pretty stupid. Also Sticky didnt cheat lol

17:25 they're innocent victims and so are Mr B and Number Two. The kids dont know this, but so are most of the acolytes

17:43 okay fair

17:56 yeahhhh idk how they thought the crew would take this

18:25 LMAO KATE

18:34 what the fuck was that Reynie 😂😂

18:48 yeaaaaahh that's kinda what I expected

19:15 wooow. Okay, not what I expected

19:29 why do I feel like the other boot is going to drop

19:40 wait huh? Did the guy just give them cash?

19:50 LMAO at least they have actual money instead of just chips

19:57 "you're an insult to real water polo players everywhere" KATE HAHAHA I bet she's been waiting to say that

20:23 "everything has an end, only a sausage has two" is that an actual German saying, can anyone confirm

20:33 ayooo this is the actual perfect time for Cannonball to find them

20:42 poor guy 😂😂

21:02 and there it is

21:27 STOP MR B'S FACE IS SO FUCKING FUNNY

21:52 HIS FACE LMAOOO. Apparently they clap at everything

22:20 "you have no idea who my parents are, do you?" He doesnt and neither does anyone else, so I'm all ears

22:40 I cant tell what's true and what's bullshit with her 😂😂

23:13 "the raw, terrifying beauty of nature's power" NOT HELPFUL CAP

23:19 oh shit. They're not making it to Lisbon, are they?

23:33 whooooa. So not only are they making an emergency landing, they're tossing everyone's stuff. RIP

23:53 the kids have officially met Captain Noland!! I've been waiting for this

23:59 "like rats." I dont like how he said that 😬

24:40 damn, are they about to bargain their maintenance services to dodge maritime court?

25:06 hey, play your cards. Cant hurt to try

25:22 "get us to Lisbon on time, and you go free" daaaaamn. Captain Noland is putting a lot of faith in them, considering this job means so much to him

25:35 the fruit 😂😂

25:50 what happened to "I moved on" hmmm? Hmmmmmm? 🧐 bitch

25:57 whoooa I did NOT like the shifting of his eyes over to Mr B. Super subtle but incredibly effective

26:16 fucking weirdo. Bye

26:36 LMAO IS SHE BUSTING HERSELF OUT IN THE PIE TRUCK

26:52 NICE

26:57 oh good grief they had to do this at night too. Get ready for a jump scare

27:21 daaaamn. Weird, eery.. I guess we'll find out what's going on later?

27:34 eughhh.

27:35 ugh he's doing the thing again with the rods and cones bs

27:47 okay I dont like that mr b is listening like that. Please dont get got

27:49 NO DONT LOOK AT HIM DONT DO IT EUGHGGJ

28:01 NOOO. NOOOOOOOO

28:12 oh shit they got there on time!! Cap looks good in the cap

28:16 OOOH THEY GOT THERE EARLY??? DANG!

28:24 one of those suitcases has the kids in it :) like for sure

28:47 ayyyy, there they are. That was smart!

28:50 awww the hand :) she's not going to accept but the gesture is there

29:00 god that was so sweet

29:04 AWWWW

29:16 AYYYY MARITIME JOB OFFERRRR

29:26 THE SALUTE

29:31 I'm sad to see him go, I want to know more about him!!

29:42 oh THATS why she stole fruit 😂

30:04 them 😂😂😂 give me that sibling dynamic

30:36 fair enough Kate LMAO

30:49 "Mr Benedict is not strong. he's a glass house held together by desperate optimism." Two things:

1. Standing tall and keeping yourself from crumbling when you're constantly in a state of self-sabotage seems like a form of strength to me. It takes so much to keep yourself going when it feels impossible to

2. Damn, she knows him really fucking well 😂

30:55 "that guy? Again?" I mean all of the passengers did have the same docking point, so yeah 😂

30:58 "must be hard to see" she knows he's jealous 🥺

31:08 omg did Sticky talk Reynie up??

31:11 OMG HE DIDDDDD

31:13 HIS BEST FRIEEEEND

31:26 AWWWWWWW

31:28 oh lord here we go again

31:37 this guy again! I dont remember his name

31:44 well yeah, that usually happens when someone's missing

31:48 ohhh I Dont Like that he's using their title, that shows respect for them, which means he's taking their threat seriously. Yikes.

32:04 yep. Yep. It's weird, and he's weird, and unfortunately, he's taking it seriously.

32:12 "I respect them deeply. Deeply enough to... treat them without mercy." BELGUHDOWHDHD EUGHH

32:19 ayyyy this is where the Portuguese on his name card comes into play!

32:21 dang he was really just in plain sight

32:26 I dont like that we cant see the driver

32:44 NO WHY IS HE SMILING DONT PROVE ME RIGHT

32:48 NOOO ITS OVER??? NOOOOOO

Okay I'm fucking shook??? You mean to tell me we have to wait a whole ass WEEK to find out what the hell's happening? Something something the driver works for Curtain, something something Number Two breaks out just to break back in, something something the adults have to improvise

Ahsjdjdjd 🥴 welp, time to scream and theorize. See y'all in discord, love you byeeee

#the mysterious benedict society #mbs disney+ s2 #mbs liveblog #a gold bar in fort knox #charity's talkies

[rosethornewrites]

Fic: the thread may stretch or tangle but it will never break, ch. 21

Relationships: Lán Zhàn | Lán Wàngjī & Wèi Yīng | Wèi Wúxiàn, Lán Zhàn | Lán Wàngjī & Wēn Qíng, Lán Zhàn | Lán Wàngjī/Wèi Yīng | Wèi Wúxiàn, Jiāng Chéng | Jiāng Wǎnyín & Jiāng Yànlí & Wèi Yīng | Wèi Wúxiàn, Lán Huàn | Lán Xīchén & Lán Zhàn | Lán Wàngjī

Characters: Lán Zhàn | Lán Wàngjī, Wèi Yīng | Wèi Wúxiàn, Wēn Qíng, Wēn Níng | Wēn Qiónglín, Granny Wēn, Lán Yuàn | Lán Sīzhuī, Wēn Remnants, , Fourth Uncle, Lán Huàn | Lán Xīchén, Jiang Yanli, Jiang Cheng | Jiang Wanyin, Original Characters, Niè Míngjué, Niè Huáisāng, Niè Zōnghuī

Additional Tags: Pre-Slash, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Secrets, Crying, Masks, Soulmates, Truth, Self-Esteem Issues, Regret, It was supposed to be a one-shot, Fix-It, Eventual Relationships, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, wwx needs a hug, Nightmares, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Filial Piety, Handfasting, Phobias, Sleeping Together, Fear, Panic Attacks, Love Confessions, Getting Together, First Kiss, Kissing, Boys Kissing, Family, and they were married, Bathing/Washing, Hair Braiding, Hair Brushing, Feels, Sex Education, Implied Sexual Content, First Time, Aftercare, Morning After, Afterglow, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Torture, Scars, Eventual Happy Ending, Hand Jobs, Chronic Pain, Biting, Conversations, Self-Sacrifice, POV Third Person, POV Lan WangJi, Bugs & Insects, Adoption, Ancestors, Ancestor Veneration, Golden Core Reveal, Top Lan Wangji | Lan Zhan/Bottom Wei Wuxian | Wei Ying, First Time Blow Jobs, Multiple Orgasms, Switching, sex-related injury, Lán Zhàn | Lán Wàngjī Stays at the Burial Mounds, Lán Yuàn | Lán Sīzhuī is a Wèi, Good Sibling Jiāng Chéng | Jiāng Wǎnyín, Dissociation

Summary: Their expected visitors arrive for discussion, with an unexpected twist from Jiang Wanyin.

Notes: See end.

AO3 link

Chapters:  1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20

————

After the send-off breakfast, Min Cenxi and Meilin-ayi measure both of them “so the wedding robes can be started,” a comment that makes Wei Ying blush and stutter, and the two women tease him sweetly yet mercilessly throughout the process. Lan Wangji can’t help but enjoy Wei Ying’s bashful reaction to the reminder that they will be wedded in red at Lotus Pier at some point in the future. 

Once their guests safely depart, all wearing cloaks over Jiang-purple robes to make Jifu and Meilin less conspicuous, Wei Ying retreats to the cave, working on organizing and copying his notes on the talismans and arrays he insists will be his dowry. Lan Wangji is of the opinion that one is unnecessary on Wei Ying’s part, since he is marrying into Jiang, but instead he helps Wei Ying organize and copy the talismans’ instructions and treatises on their use—requested for his “exquisite handwriting,” a comment that makes his ears go red. 

Once Wei Ying finishes drawing diagrams and charts to illustrate, Lan Wangji uses silk thread made by the aunties from the silkworm cocoons, along with his own years of experience rebinding library books for the Cloud Recesses library. He chooses a side stitch binding that makes the small book look more professional.

Realistically, he knows Wei Ying is throwing himself into work to avoid thinking about the guests who will arrive after the wedding, likely in a matter of days, the need to somehow convince Chifeng-Zun that these former Wen don’t deserve to die. Hopefully one look at A-Yuan and Popo will convince him. 

Lan Wangji also knows he still hasn’t fully processed Jiang Wanyin’s confession about the loss of his core, and that will likely take more time. But the brothers have cleared the air between them, and hopefully will have a healthier relationship moving forward. 

And so he focuses mostly on Wei Ying’s health, making sure he eats, convincing Wei Ning to keep a steady stream of snacks on hand. It’s as simple as putting a piece of fruit in his hand at intervals, which he’ll eat absently as he works. He keeps Wei Ying’s cup filled with fresh lotus tea brought by the Jiangs, hoping the memory of home and the knowledge he’s going back will help as well. 

Ultimately the book contains arrays that can remove resentful energy from land and water (which they use at the Burial Mounds but will help many commoners), defensive talismans for night hunts, and a talisman that can detect resentful energy—a stronger variation on the one he used to help find the cave of the Xuanwu of Slaughter during Indoctrination, Lan Wangji remembers, and which he hopes to continue refining into a physical device like a compass—and keeps Wei Ying distracted for the two days it takes to put together between musical acupuncture treatments and helping care for A-Yuan. 

Along with sex, when Wei Qing finally clears them. 

Lan Wangji is happy to overwhelm Wei Ying with enough pleasure to wash away his ability to think for a time. Holding him, being skin to skin in the aftermath of passion, basking in the radiance of his afterglow, catching their breath together before they bathe and sleep, is his favorite part of the day. 

When they wake the third day, a day closer to the sect leaders (and possibly Shufu) coming to potentially swear brotherhood, it’s clear it’s not a good day for Wei Ying, something Wei Qing tells him just happens sometimes, that Wei Ying tends to spend more energy than he has on projects he fixates on until they’re done, and then must deal with the resulting energy deficiency. 

She also points out that they expend quite a bit of energy at night, as though hinting that they perhaps have sex too often, something Lan Wangji immediately dismisses with a frown. 

“It’s just loud today,” Wei Ying murmurs unexpectedly, startling both of them as he cuts in absently, “the resentment.”

Once they’ve coaxed a more thorough explanation from him, Lan Wangji is horrified to understand that the resentment speaks to Wei Ying, who has no choice but to continually be the unwilling audience to hungry, angry ghosts. He is almost afraid to ask if this is normal, and the flippant “It’s not usually this bad” he gets in response to his concerns does nothing to assuage them. He knows full well that Wei Ying’s idea of “not bad” is merely survivable, which is not an appropriate measure of normal. 

And so a shi after breakfast, which Lan Wangji hand-feeds to Wei Ying, Wei Qing walks in on him playing Inquiry and writing down locations of corpses within Burial Mounds to be buried or their graves marked, joss burned. Some petitioning spirits instead have small regrets that can be eased to ensure the spirit moves on. She watches until he finishes with the current guqin conversation, and then insists it’s time for Wei Ying’s healing session. 

“Give the list to A-Ning,” she says, her expression telling him she appreciates his solution, even if it’s not nearly enough. “He can at least find the corpses that need burying, and mark graves.”

Wei Ning, who he finds brewing medicine for Popo’s pain—and likely Wei Ying’s—is all too happy to receive the list. 

“They—they know we’re leave-leaving,” he tells them. “So they’ll be louder.”

“Maybe you should take time to play daily,” Wei Qing says while she places her needles in Wei Ying’s back. “That might calm them a bit.”

He remembers Wei Ying’s words to Xiongzhang, about how these souls have waited for so long for liberation. Gusu Lan could send cultivators to play Inquiry, along with songs of cleansing to ease the spirits’ passing. 

“Before, none could enter the Burial Mounds,” he says. “Our leaving does not mean we will not continue helping to release them.”

Wei Ying lets out a breath that sounds like relief.

“Oh… they’re quieter now. They heard you. I think they liked that.”

Neither Lan Wangji nor Wei Qing know immediately how to reply to that—the spirits of Burial Mounds are always there, they know, but to consider that they can listen and react to what is said is a little disturbing. Instead, she finishes placing the needles, and he takes up Wangji to start a song of healing. 

Today’s treatment, she explains as Lan Wangji plays, is to see if they can use this new medical-musical cultivation technique on scar tissue; more specifically, to see if the impact of scars can be lessened, whether scar tissue can be shrunk or even replaced completely with healthy tissue. 

Lan Wangji is doubtful as to how much of an impact is possible, even with long-term treatment, but Wei Qing is hopeful that it could at least ease the pain of the scarring on Wei Ying’s back from zidian, and that hope secures his willing participation. 

Still, once the session is over, Wei Qing looks satisfied as she removes her needles. 

“The purple markings seem to have faded a little, and the tissue seems slightly more pliable, though it’s possible those are temporary effects,” she says when he catches her eye. 

Wei Ying is asleep, as he so often is after these sessions, having confessed once to Lan Wangji that the influx of spiritual energy, the way it was directed, felt “like the phantom of a core,” suffusing him with warmth and comfort. That alone is enough for Lan Wangji; that it also has demonstrably healed some of the damage caused by resentful energy is an additional boon. 

A-Yuan toddles in shortly to join Wei Ying on the bed, though he doesn’t sleep, instead playing quietly with his grass butterflies. Lan Wangji spends time making a second copy of the dowry book, leaving room for Wei Ying to add the illustrations and charts later, as he deserves a copy of his own work. 

Wei Qing comes to collect them for lunch, insisting Wei Ying join the others, bullying him dressed with ease. 

“You’ve been in this cave for days,” she says as they head to the main hall. “I want you to at least sit in the sun after lunch. Maybe go for a walk with your husband.”

“May-maybe outside of the Bur-Burial Mounds, where it’s quieter?” Wei Ning adds. 

Lan Wangji immediately thinks of the gentle stream by the copse of bamboo, where Wei Ying caught fish before Xiongzhang’s arrival. He can imagine them spending a pleasant afternoon there. He can catch fish again, if he is interested, though they have plenty of supplies. Perhaps he can bring a small repast for them to enjoy in the late afternoon.

Lunch passes quickly, with Popo monitoring Wei Ying’s eating, adding choice bits to his bowl as he used to with A-Yuan. 

Meanwhile, A-Yuan chatters about Lotus Pier, things the disciples must have told him—lotuses, spicy meat buns, boats, swimming…

“Ah, Sunzi,” Popo murmurs as she puts another bit of meat in Wei Ying’s bowl, “will you teach A-Yuan to swim before he goes to Lotus Pier.”

Wei Ying’s smile seems to brighten the room. 

“Of course, Nainai. I wouldn’t want my little radish in danger.”

“Such a good boy,” Popo says, patting his cheek affectionately. 

It wouldn’t happen today—Wei Ying was still having some difficulty—and they had several jieqi to handle it before everyone would be moved to Lotus Pier. 

As lunch concludes, Wei Ying and Wei Ning stiffen at the same time, and Wei Qing sighs. 

“I thought we would have a few more days,” she says. “But I suppose our expected guests have arrived.”

Lan Wangji watches Wei Ying’s Adam’s apple bob, notices his tension. Around them, the other former Wens mill, waiting for instruction. 

Eventually, Wei Ying provides. 

“I’ll need to let them in the wards, but in better robes. Something Jiang Cheng sent,” he says, picking at his clothes, which are more appropriate for farming. “So A-Ning, if you could let them know I’ll be down shortly—from inside the wards, since I don’t know how Chifeng-Zun will react to you.”

Wei Ning nods and leaves the hall. Wei Ying looks at the faces around him, his own expression weary. 

“Likely everyone should stay in the hall for greeting. Make tea. Maybe change A-Yuan into his Jiang sect uniform while I retrieve our guests?”

Lan Wangji can see the optics Wei Ying is trying to create, using the implied support of the Jiang sect in his greeting, and he hopes it’s effective. 

He helps Wei Ying change, choosing a red underrobe from the qiankun pouch, along with a black robe that had a deep purple trim and a subtle pattern of overlapping lotus blossoms embroidered throughout, then has him sit so Lan Wangji can put his hair in a proper crown, using his leather guan with a silver lotus affixed to the front. He’s momentarily tempted to tie his ribbon in Wei Ying’s hair, but decides against it reluctantly—if Shufu is among their visitors, that would incense him. 

Further, anyway. 

Lan Wangji changes himself into the robe he wore when coming to Yiling, tidies his hair and ribbon, then makes sure their clarity bells are affixed to their belts. 

As they head toward the entrance to the Burial Mounds, Lan Wangji keeps his focus on Wei Ying, though his thoughts stray toward what awaits them—or rather, who—and his own private concern that Shufu could be among them, which would make an already shaky situation worse, running scenarios through his mind and how they might be defused. From the white-knuckle grip Wei Ying has on Chenqing, he’s battling his own nerves and worst case scenarios. 

He is relieved to see the visitors include Nie Mingjue, Nie Huaisang, Xiongzhang, Jiang Wanyin, and a man in Nie robes he recognizes as the Nie head disciple and Chifeng-Zun’s right hand man, Nie Zonghui, whom he recalls as level-headed. No Shufu in sight. 

Wei Ning is standing inside the wards with Jiang Wanyin and Xiongzhang, as the only ones recognized by the wards, and from the expression on Lan Xichen’s face the conversation is amiable. Their relaxed body language makes it clear there is no fear. Outside the barrier, Nie Mingjue and his second are looking on at Wei Ning, who clearly has his spiritual cognition, from outside the wards in shock, while Nie Huaisang’s expression is hidden by the fan he always carries.

Lan Wangji can feel Wei Ying relax slightly beside him upon seeing this. He knows his husband has been anxious about this in particular, that Wei Ning’s existence would be threatened. So many things hinge on this visit going well, particularly with the plan for an Auspicious Eight sworn siblinghood—if Nie Mingjue does not agree that the former Wen were innocents, bars Nie Huaisang from joining… all their hopes could be so much smoke. 

They reach the edge of the ward and Wei Ying seems to take a breath before moving through it, showing trust in Nie Mingjue in doing so, then bows formally to each of the Nie visitors, as well as Jiang Wanyin and Xiongzhang. Lan Wangji follows suit. 

“Chifeng-Zun, thank you for coming,” Wei Ying says deferentially. “I’ll need to set the wards to recognize you, and then we can go to the settlement, but did you have questions for me beforehand?”

Nie Mingjue’s expression reveals nothing of his thoughts as he eyes Wei Ying. Lan Wangji consciously keeps himself from tightening his grip on Bichen.

“These Wen of yours,” Nie Mingjue says. “Xichen says they’re harmless civilians and doctors.”

“They are. They’re no longer Wen, though. They asked to take Wei as their surname.”

That seems to shock Nie Mingjue silent, which isn’t surprising—it’s uncommon, though not unheard of, considered unfilial toward one’s ancestors.

“Wei-xiong, does that mean the Ghost General is your didi?” Nie Huaisang asks. 

“Aiya, that ridiculous title,” Wei Ying says with a sigh. “A-Ning doesn’t have that sort of personality. But yes, he’s my didi.”

He beckons Wei Ning out of the ward, and the fierce corpse greets the visitors with a bow and stuttered greeting. 

“Wei Ning rescued me from Lotus Pier and retrieved my parents’ remains so they could be properly buried,” Jiang Wanyin says. “He and his sister hid us at the Yiling supervisory office.”

“And during Indoctrination, he helped me when I was injured,” Wei Ying adds.

Unexpectedly, Nie Huaisang speaks. 

“Oh, he helped me when I passed out during Indoctrination, Dage! He gave me medicine, and pretended not to see when I snuck away and escaped while Wen Chao was forcing the others to night hunt—that’s when Wei-xiong and Hanguang-Jun killed the Xuanwu.”

Lan Wangji forgot that Nie Huaisang had been absent during the hunt at Muxi Mountain, having passed out while they were reading the Quintessence of Wen in the heat. With everything that had happened in quick succession after he didn’t think to wonder how he escaped to Qinghe. 

“He left a qiankun bag next to me with food and enough supplies before he let me escape, even!” Nie Huaisang adds. “So I knew it wasn’t luck.”

He wonders if Wei Qing sent a message to her brother about the disastrous hunt, or if Wei Ning just saw an opportunity with so many of the guards absent. Regardless, having helped Nie Huaisang has the potential to soften his brother’s feelings on the former Wen.

Nie Mingjue levels a considering stare at Wei Ning, who is visibly flustered as he tries to downplay his role.

“You defied Wen Ruohan?” he finally asks. 

“He—he w-was wrong.”

Jiang Wanyin patted Wei Ning’s shoulder, the move awkward but a show of familiarity. 

“I tried to explain at the Phoenix Mountain hunt, but Jin Guangshan didn’t let me. I would be dead if not for him and his sister.”

“He didn’t, did he?” Nie Mingjue says slowly, clearly contextualizing the new information. “And Wangji spoke up in support of Wei Wuxian, and that girl quit the Jin Sect when they spoke ill of him.”

“Luo Qingyang,” Nie Zonghui provides. 

Wei Ying looks confused, and Nie Huaisang titters behind his fan.

“That’s Mianmian for those of us who aren’t shameless, Wei-xiong.”

“Mianmian left the Jin?” Wei Ying says, sounding shocked. 

Lan Wangji can see the way his mind is working, his doubt that he’s worth such an act, and decides to redirect. 

“We should speak further at the settlement,” he says. 

That jolts Wei Ying into action, and he explains how he’s granting them access by making the wards recognize their individual qi.

Wei Ning excuses himself to precede them to the settlement at a pace that would be startling if none of them had ever seen a fierce corpse move before. Meanwhile Wei Ying discusses the resentful energy in the Burial Mounds, mentioning unsafe areas that he’s warded until he can deal with them. 

“It’d be nice if this place was eventually cleansed of resentment someday,” he says offhandedly. “There are a lot of spirits still trapped here.”

“I would be happy to send disciples to help with the process,” Xiongzhang says. “Your work has made it possible to enter, where before it was a death trap.”

Wei Ying’s steps falter.

“It was, indeed,” he says, his voice distant. “It was very nearly mine.”

Xiongzhang nearly flinches, realizing the impact of his words. Nie Huaisang shoves between him and Nie Mingjue to catch Wei Ying’s sleeve, his expression horrified. 

“Wei-xiong, the rumors were true? Wen Chao really…?”

Wei Ying attempts to force a smile, but Jiang Wanyin speaks before he can.

“Yes, it’s true. But let’s get somewhere there’s wine before we discuss further.”

“Jifu left some of his fruit wine,” Wei Ying says. “And there’s probably still some of the wine you and Shijie brought. Qing-jie hid it from me.”

“Perfect,” Jiang Wanyin almost growls, then moves forward to grasp Wei Ying’s upper arm as though to tow him forward, lowering his voice. “A-Jie will be here tomorrow with her new husband, on their way to Lotus Pier.”

He’s referring to the tradition of visiting the wife’s family on the third day following the wedding, Lan Wangji realizes, an excellent opportunity for the swearing of siblinghood. 

Wei Ying lets himself be towed, but doesn’t speak much the rest of the way to the settlement. 

“A-Die, safe?” A-Yuan calls as soon as their party is in view. 

“It’s safe,” Wei Ying returns. 

The boy immediately runs toward them, looking adorable in his tiny disciple robes, his clarity bell bouncing with each step. 

Lan Wangji steps forward to catch him in case he forgets to be careful around Wei Ying, but Jiang Wanyin steps forward first and swings him into his arms, A-Yuan giggling in delight. 

“Jiang-shushu came back!” A-Yuan shrieks, beaming. 

“I told you I would. You’re my zhizi, so get used to it.”

Jiang Wanyin, he realizes, is making it clear the boy is family, showing the Nies his support for his brother. 

“Who are mustache-gege and fan-gege and green-gege?” A-Yuan asks.

“That’s Chifeng-Zun, and his brother Nie Huaisang, and the Nie first disciple, Nie Zonghui,” Jiang Wanyin says, answering him seriously. 

A-Yuan repeats the names and waves at them from over Jiang Wanyin’s shoulder, then chatters about how much fun he had with “Nangua-shijie.”

“He means Min Cenxi,” Lan Wangji supplies. 

“The planting joke,” Jiang Wanyin groans. “She always did love when Wei Wuxian planted the baby disciples with the lotuses.”

Lan Wangji can hear Nie Mingjue asking about A-Yuan, in terms of a child in the Burial Mounds. Xiongzhang’s reply is inaudible. 

Glancing at the Nies, he can see their confusion at such a domestic scene, particularly as they get closer to the settlement and it becomes obvious the people there are civilians, many of them elderly. 

Nie Mingjue is a very stoic man, but he surveys the refugees, mouth ajar in shock, as they bow to him. 

Nie Huaisang stares at them for a moment, then asks Lan Wangji in a whisper, “Aren’t those the villagers from when the Dire Owl attacked us?”

“Mn,” he whispers back, nodding shortly. “The survivors.”

His former classmate makes a discomfited noise, staring at Popo. 

“Behold, my army of undead or whatever,” Wei Ying intones, with not a little sarcasm. 

Wei Qing steps forward and smacks the back of his head lightly with a soft “behave,” ignoring Wei Ying’s exaggerated pout. She also changed, and is now wearing a pale purple hanfu with lotuses on the hem, something Lan Wangji can only assume Jiang Wanyin sent for her, with the way his gaze is drawn to her. 

It seems he has begun courting her in earnest, and in wearing the hanfu, Wei Qing has accepted the courtship. Lan Wangji wonders if that will come up in the discussion today. 

“Thank you for visiting, Chifeng-Zun, Nie-gongzi, First Disciple Nie, and welcome back, Zewu-Jun, Sandu Shengshou.”

Their visitors all bow back to her, which is already a victory, Nie Mingjue’s bow hopefully a portent. 

“We’ve prepared tea and a small repast in the main hall, if you’ll follow me,” she continues, then turns to lead the way. “The rest of our family will join us later to answer any questions you might have.”

Jiang Wanyin passes A-Yuan to Wei Ning before he follows, sending a silent message to Chifeng-Zun that he trusts the sentient fierce corpse with his nephew. 

Nie Zonghui stops to stand at attention beside the main hall entrance, clearly intending to keep watch while they speak. 

Once they get settled and the tea is poured, bowls of honey millet pudding with mulberries passed around and eaten, Lan Wangji wonders where they will begin, there’s so much. 

Xiongzhang solves that problem immediately. 

“I think the first thing to mention, more for context on why Wangji is here than anything else, is that my brother and Wei Wuxian are wedded, and A-Yuan is their adopted son. I’ll need to let him know he can call me Bobo.”

Nie Mingjue looks absolutely nonplussed, clearly not expecting that news. Jiang Wanyin sips his tea as Nie Huaisang’s fan flutters frantically. 

“Wei-xiong, Lan-xiong, you didn’t invite me? I thought we were friends.”

He sounds disappointed and offended, and while Nie Huaisang often dramatizes his emotions, these are subdued enough to feel genuine. 

“They bowed to Lan Yi in a handfasting before they left to try to prevent Wen Ruohan from gaining more pieces of the yin iron, but told no one until recently,” Xiongzhang clarifies. “The Lan consider this a valid marriage, if technically an elopement.”

Jiang Wanyin snorts, likely thinking about Wei Ying’s complete ignorance of the matter until recently. Lan Wangji can feel his ears heat, but Wei Ying’s hand finds his under the table and he focuses on their interlacing fingers. 

“My brother is getting a real wedding once it’s safe. A-Jie agrees. His wedding robes have been commissioned, and I’m certain Zewu-Jun will commission Lan Wangji’s.”

Lan Xichen nods, and Lan Wangji isn’t sure if that is an acknowledgment of the task or confirmation he’s already commissioned them. Knowing Xiongzhang, they’ve been designed since he came of age, ready to be made at any time. 

“Lans and love,” Nie Mingjue mutters, still staring at them incredulously. “A marriage at fifteen is valid?”

“Ah, technically it was a betrothal,” Xiongzhang says sheepishly. “They completed their bows only recently.”

“Enthusiastically,” Wei Qing mutters, and Wei Ying blushes. 

Nie Huaisang giggles, and everyone else tries to keep a straight face, with varying success. 

“I guess the rumors about your being at odds were just that,” Nie Mingjue says mildly, looking at them both as though expecting a response. 

Lan Wangji tries to gather the words, but Wei Ying speaks before he can. 

“Lan Zhan was worried about my cultivation method,” he says simply. 

“Worried for Wei Ying’s health,” he adds softly, and Wei Ying smiles at him, looking beautiful in the dim light. 

Nie Huaisang giggles again, and a mortified-looking Jiang Wanyin decides this is the time to move the conversation forward. 

“The only reason my brother is cultivating resentful energy is because Wen Chao dropped him in here with no core after Lotus Pier burned. Those three months missing, here until he could escape.”

Wei Ying’s smile bleeds away. He extends his free arm, hand shaking just slightly, offering his wrist for them to confirm, just as he did with Xiongzhang and his own siblings.  

Chifeng-Zun winces when he checks, and Nie Huaisang snatches his wrist to check as well, then lets out a little wail. 

“Wei-xiong, why didn’t you tell anyone? We would have helped you! So many other cultivators had their cores melted.”

“That’s not what happened to his golden core,” Jiang Wanyin says shortly.  

Wei Ying shrinks, tucking his arm against his chest, his grip on Lan Wangji’s hand tightening, glancing at Jiang Wanyin uncertainly. 

“I’m sorry,” he says to Wei Ying. “But they need to know.”

Lan Wangji realizes what he’s apologizing for immediately and he rubs the back of Wei Ying’s hand with his thumb, hoping to comfort him. He knows his husband’s sacrifice will show he is not the man Jin Guangshan is painting him to be, but he hates the vulnerable expression that briefly passes over his face. In mixed company, he cannot hold Wei Ying close to comfort him.

“Wen Chao caught me first, and had Wen Zhuliu melt my core,” Jiang Wanyin starts. 

He has heard this tale before and doesn’t wish to hear it again, so he tunes it out and focuses on his husband instead, letting the sounds go fuzzy and indistinct. Wei Ying has shut down, Lan Wangji realizes, his shoulders slumped, his face blank, his eyes glassy and fixed on the table. 

He doesn’t want this known, but likely feels he has no right to protest. 

He frowns at Jiang Wanyin in disapproval as he outlines Wei Ying’s secret sacrifice on his behalf, but is ignored. Wei Qing offers him a look of sympathy and then winces when she’s mentioned as the doctor who performed the surgery. 

Xiongzhang, he notices, looks aghast, his cup of tea frozen halfway to his mouth as he listens. Lan Wangji will have to apologize for allowing Wei Ying to mislead him before. 

“My brother gave me his core, and Jin Guangshan wants me to believe he disrespects me,” Jiang Wanyin finishes, his tone disgusted, then downs his tea as though it’s wine. 

The disgust is at himself, in part, Lan Wangji knows, for having believed it before knowing of Wei Ying’s selfless act of love. 

Nie Mingjue is studying Wei Ying, who is still slouched, staring through the table, his hand slack in Lan Wangji’s grip. Wei Qing frowns, then comes to check on him, but he jolts when she touches him. 

Wei Ying, aware now, shrinks further under the scrutiny of the Nies and Xichen. Nie Huaisang seems perilously close to dropping his fan. Chifeng-Zun’s gaze seems assessing. Xiongzhang has tears in his eyes.  

“Wuxian,” Xiongzhang says softly. “I thought it was Core-Melting Hand.”

Wei Ying just shakes his head, clearly not trusting his voice. Lan Wangji speaks for him. 

“We apologize for misleading you. Wen Chao found Wei Ying after the surgery. Beat him. Dropped him into the Burial Mounds from their swords.”

“If not for the injuries he suffered in the beating and the fall, and the time trapped here, it was possible he could have cultivated a new golden core,” Wei Qing adds, returning to her seat. 

She doesn’t tell them what she had spoken about with Lan Wangji: if the seal is destroyed and Wei Ying cleansed of resentful energy and given proper care, it’s possible he still could, but for now it’s a future matter to discuss. 

Silence falls for a bit after that, as they all digest what has been revealed. Xiongzhang’s expression is mournful, dipping dangerously close to pity, which Wei Ying doesn’t want or need. Nie Huaisang fidgets, continually glancing at Wei Ying, his expression tightening each time he looks away, as though in anger. Nie Mingjue glances between Wei Ying and Jiang Wanyin, as though studying them for evidence of lying. . 

“You gave your brother your golden core,” Nie Mingjue says finally. “I cannot think of any other cultivator who would do something so noble.”

Wei Ying looks away, clearly discomfited with such praise. 

“I did it to save my brother,” he murmurs. “Not for any reputation.”

“Too fucking bad,” Jiang Wanyin says with a derisive snort. “You’re too damn selfless and your stupid reputation needs all the help it can get. Too many people forget that without your demonic cultivation we’d have lost the war. No one gives you the respect you earned.”

“Aiya, my dear shidi,” Wei Ying says with a false lightness. “I was just a useful weapon, nothing more. Now I’m just the evil on the dark path, the dreadful Yiling Laozu. They say I rob graveyards and eat the bones of the dead.”

Wangji squeezes his hand, remembering the terrible things he heard at the tea house in Yiling before he stayed. 

“And all you’re doing is growing radishes on this mass grave,” Jiang Wanyin mutters. “I bet the Jins started that rumor, too.”

“The Burial Mounds soil isn’t good for much else,” Wei Qing tells him. “He wanted to grow potatoes.”

“Potatoes are better,” Wei Ying protests weakly. “They just won’t grow in this place. Not much edible grew here, before.”

An awkward silence falls at the reminder that Wei Ying was trapped here for so long without a core, unable to practice inedia, and against all odds survived. 

“Did you learn demonic cultivation to escape the Burial Mounds, Wei-xiong?” Nie Huaisang asks. 

Wei Ying sighs at the question, and Lan Wangji squeezes his hand, relieved when he returns the gesture. 

“It’s not really demonic cultivation in the way Wen Ruohan used it, forcing the spirits to do his bidding,” Wei Ying says softly. “I ask. A lot of the ghosts here were people killed by the main Wen family, their bodies dumped here—or, you know, dumped alive to die here. They were happy to serve on the battlefield against their killers.”

This is something Lan Wangji has not heard from Wei Ying, who prefers not to discuss his cultivation—perhaps because of his own criticism of it. But Wei Qing looks surprised as well, so perhaps it isn’t just him. 

Wei Ying is deflecting on the question of escaping the Burial Mounds by focusing on the implications of his cultivation, he realizes. He can barely speak of it with Lan Wangji, and with this audience, the stress of this conversation, he’s protecting himself. 

Lan Wangji knows the answer is that he learned what he did painfully and while fighting to survive, steeped in resentment and terror and rage. It was about survival first, even if it ultimately helped him escape. 

And now he is forced to live in the place of his nightmares. 

“I let them spend their resentment, and then they’re able to move on. Wen Ruohan imprisoned them in their resentment to make more resentment. It’s different.”

The explanation leaves everyone gaping. Chifeng-Zun is the first to regain his composure. 

“So on the battlefield, when our fallen rose to fight…?”

“They were resentful at their killers and those who made war necessary. When I asked, they were glad to aid in battle one last time. Once they spent their resentment, they rested, liberated in a different way. I didn’t disturb the ones already at rest.”

“Wei Wuxian, if you’d explained that, we might not be in this mess,” Jiang Wanyin grates out. 

“I didn’t explain a lot of things,” Wei Ying mutters defensively. “I wouldn’t say I was exactly functional during the war.”

Lan Wangji remembers how taut and fragile Wei Ying seemed then, bloodshot eyes, pale as porcelain, always trailing resentment. He carried the spirits of the Burial Mounds within the seal, he realizes, and they spoke to him through the resentment he cultivated, all the while reminding him of the trauma of the Burial Mounds. 

The others clearly remember the Wei Ying of the Sunshot campaign, too. 

Nie Huaisang uses the pause in the discussion to ask Wei Qing about the surgery, and their guests all gasp in horror to learn it had to be done without anesthesia and took two days and a night, with Wei Ying feeling every moment of his core being cut from his body. 

Wei Ying dissociates during that too, leaning closer to Lan Wangji, who puts his free arm around his waist, trying to toe the line of appropriateness while offering comfort.

“I will never perform that surgery again,�� Wei Qing says softly. “I burned my notes when it was done, just before Wen Chao came and imprisoned us.”

“Why did you agree to it?” Xichen asks, still looking unsettled at what Wei Ying endured. 

“He begged me to save his didi, and as an elder sibling I could understand—if it had been A-Ning, I would have done the same.”

Nie Mingjue glances at Nie Huaisang thoughtfully, and Lan Wangji does his best to ignore Xiongzhang’s eyes on him; he knows they are both considering the choices they would make in such a situation.

“That—that’s how Wen Ruohan kep-kept Jiejie in line,” Wen Ning breaks in, carrying a tray laden with a fresh pot of tea and several small jugs of wine. “When she hesitated, he—he’d threaten to hurt me.”

He places the tray of drinks on the table, and Wei Ying immediately reaches to grab a bottle of fruit wine, snapping to awareness. Lan Wangji squeezes his other hand, hoping to remind him of moderation, and is gratified when Wei Ying smiles at him and just pours a cup of it. 

“Or the rest of our family,” Wei Qing agrees tiredly as Wei Ning pours her a fresh cup of tea. “Not that it mattered much in the end. Most of the Dafan Wen are dead at the Jins’ hands, unless some of the younger women were sold to brothels by that slimeball, Jin Zixun.”

Nie Huaisang’s face darkens at that pronouncement. 

“I can send people to search for them,” he says, not even asking his brother. “My spies could liberate them and bring them to Lotus Pier.”

Nie Mingjue raises a brow and Nie Huaisang flutters his fan and forces a laugh, reaching for the alcohol and pouring his brother a cup as though to bribe him. 

“Our spies, I mean. With Dage’s permission, of course.”

“Granted, obviously, you little brat,” Nie Mingjue says, his tone affectionate. “Non-combatants were to be vetted and allowed to resettle in Qishan, not worked to death or sold into slavery. Jin Guangshan lied.”

“Jin-zongzhu can’t even honor his wife. Why would anyone expect him to honor his word?” Wei Ying comments wryly. “A dog can’t help eating shit.”

Nie Mingjue guffaws at that, and Nie Huaisang hides his laughter behind his shaking fan. 

“Indeed.”

That, surprisingly, comes from Xiongzhang, who looks troubled. 

Wei Qing clears her throat to regain attention, though she seems to be fighting tears at the immediate offer to find and liberate her remaining blood kin and it’s implications about the outcome of this meeting. 

“It has been pointed out that our generation has a cycle of life debts. Between the Jiangs and Wei Wuxian and myself and A-Ning, but Nie-gongzi and Lan-er-gongzi helped when Wen Chao turned my family into living puppets right before the war.”

“And Wen—ah, Wei Ning helped me at Indoctrination, like I told you,” Nie Huaisang added, looking imploringly at his brother. 

“And if Jin Zixuan knows what’s good for him, he owes a life debt to Wei Qing and Wei Ning through A-Jie,” Jiang Wanyin says forcefully. 

“An auspicious eight,” Xichen says with a smile, approvingly as though he hadn’t been the one to suggest it. “All of you contributed to the war effort—Jin-xiao-furen by aiding the injured and cooking, and Huaisang through managing the supply chain to the front lines. War heroes, all.”

The goal is to sell this idea to Nie Mingjue, and Lan Wangji is gratified that he seems to be considering the merits. 

“Jiang Wanyin was excluded from our sworn brotherhood, for reasons I can’t fathom,” Chifeng-Zun finally says. 

“To isolate and put pressure on him and Wei Ying,” Lan Wangji tells him shortly. “To separate them and make Wei Ying vulnerable.”

Nie Mingjue nods.

“This auspicious eight would unite all the main clans,” he says after some thought. “It is a powerful statement.”

Lan Wangji feels a tension he didn’t know he was carrying melt away at the implied agreement. Beside him, he can feel Wei Ying’s tension ease as well. 

“The big thing is announcing it, since it’s not being done in front of an army,” Nie Huaisang says, his fan fluttering again. “It should have an impact on not just the gentry, but the common people as well. A narrative.”

His smile is worrisome. 

“A nar-narrative?” Wei Ning asks, confused. 

“Oh, yes,” Nie Huaisang says excitedly. “Like a poem set to music and sung in wine houses.”

Nie Mingjue groans at that, and Nie Huaisang pouts at him dramatically. 

“It’s a valid tool for propaganda,” he say defensively. “How do you think I could get supplies to the front line so quickly? The songs got the commoners on our side. Getting them on our side here will destroy the rumors’ hold.”

Lan Wangji has to admit the idea is brilliant, with such songs having more staying power than rumors. He hopes they counter the vile slander against Wei Ying. 

“Anyway, since it can’t be done as publicly as your sworn brotherhood, it’s the best way to get the news of the Auspicious Eight out.”

While Nie Mingjue looks unconvinced, Lan Xichen looks intrigued. 

“How long would it take to put together?” he asks. 

Nie Huaisang smiles, and Lan Wangji knows it’s because he’s won. If Xiongzhang is on board, Chifeng-Zun will be as well—maybe a bit grudgingly, but he’ll support it. 

“Hm, if I have paper, ink, and a brush, I can get started pretty quickly. I have a contact who will polish it, and then I’ll send musicians to hit all the major cities. It’ll be about a season, if it’s anything like the songs for the Sunshot campaign.”

“It’ll take about that long to slowly move everyone here to Lotus Pier,” Jiang Wanyin says thoughtfully. 

“Why so long?” Xiongzhang asks, curious in a nonjudgmental way. 

“Most of my relatives are simple farmers and doctors, no one anyone would recognize, aside from myself and A-Ning,” Wei Qing answers. “But slowly incorporating them into Lotus Pier will draw less attention to them, where a large group at once would garner curiosity, at the least.”

“I sent some disciples with supplies during the wedding, and they were supposed to bring back a few people,” Jiang Wanyin says. “So we’ve already started.”

“Jifu and Meilin-ayi,” Wei Ying contributes, pouring a second cup of wine for himself. “I figure Jifu can get involved in Lotus Breeze production. This is his fruit wine.”

“No more wine after that cup, Wei Wuxian,” Wei Qing tells him, ever the doctor. 

Wei Ying pouts in an exaggerated way, which she ignores. 

Jiang Wanyin grabs the jug of wine from Wei Ying and pours himself a cup before offering it to Chifeng-Zun, who hesitates before declining. 

“Both of the people we sent are elders who shouldn’t be exposed to so much resentful energy, and they can help prepare for the others,” Wei Qing finishes. 

“Shouldn’t the child be sent?” Nie Mingjue asks, looking concerned. 

“He wants to stay with his parents,” Wei Qing says. “He was inconsolable when he thought he’d be sent away.”

“He was orphaned, his jiejie killed in the labor camp,” Wei Ying murmurs. “He’s afraid separations are forever.”

As if on cue, the patter of tiny feet interrupts them, A-Yuan running into the hall, likely having escaped Popo. She enters a bit behind him, apologizing for the interruption even as Lan Wangji lifts the boy into his lap, shifting him to be close to Wei Ying. 

Jiang Wanyin is on his feet immediately, leading Popo to a seat, telling her to rest. She looks a bit winded, and Wei Ning serves her some tea.

“Aiya, little radish, you can’t run away from Nainai like that,” Wei Ying scolds, though his words have no heat.

The child pouts, clearly on the verge of a tantrum. 

“Nap with A-Die,” he insists tearfully.

Lan Wangji can guess that Popo tried to put him down for a nap, but their son has grown used to napping with Wei Ying. The light coming in the door tells him it’s around that time, with dinner to follow in a few hours. Wei Ying looks worn out from the discussion, perhaps also reliant on the naps, at least until he’s healthier. 

“I’ll nap with you tomorrow, little radish,” Wei Ying promises.

“No, you’ll nap with him today, too,” Wei Qing tells him. “Further discussion can be handled by Popo and me. Your health is abysmal and has been since the war, and plenty of sleep is a necessity.”

“Wei-xiong is sick?” Nie Huaisang asks, looking at Wei Ying in concern.

Wei Ying shrinks slightly as the others look at him as well, moving as though to hide behind A-Yuan. 

“No core, starvation for three months, followed by fighting in the war with resentful energy that continues to damage his body, and a lack of sleep afterward because of his experiences,” Wei Qing lists, offering no mercy. “He’s recovering, but getting sleep is part of it, and naps are prescribed.”

Nie Huaisang bites his lip, glancing between them all.

“Wouldn’t it be better to take Wei-xiong to Lotus Pier, then?”

“Can’t,” Wei Ying says before anyone else can speak. “The only reason Jin Guangshan hasn’t sent a force to kill the people here is because he’s a coward. I’m the deterrent.”

Just like he was the weapon in war, Lan Wangji thinks bitterly, angry he can’t change how Wei Ying is perceived, the roles he’s forced to play. 

“Then it’s best to follow Wei Qing’s treatment plan,” Xiongzhang says, breaking the silence, his voice gentle, as though he has guessed this conversation has wrung Wei Ying out. “Your health is important.”

Wei Ying relents, which is essentially confirmation.

“Okay, little radish. We’ll go take a nap.”

“Mn. Diedie nap,” A-Yuan says insistently, pulling at his sleeve. “Baba too?”

Wei Qing turns to Lan Wangji. 

“Make sure your husband gets some rest,” she tells him, and he recognizes it as a dismissal. 

It is a relief to be able to bow to their visitors and leave the discussion, to trust Wei Qing, Jiang Wanyin, and Xiongzhang to handle the rest of matters, to take the burden from Wei Ying. 

He is glad they won’t let Wei Ying handle everything on his own as he’s wont to do, leaving nothing for himself, burning out to bring light to others.

Lan Wangji hefts A-Yuan onto his hip, and leads a subdued Wei Ying through to the cave, content that his priority is his husband’s health. His exhaustion is palpable, undoubtedly exacerbated by Jiang Wanyin’s unexpected revelation about his core, the secret he kept so close until Lan Wangji discovered it. 

The murmur of the discussion fades behind them, and he can hear Wei Qing explaining that his duty at the settlement is taking care of his husband. He doesn’t consider it a duty, but she is likely justifying his departure. 

When they reach the alcove, he pulls the curtain shut to block light coming in through the cave entrance. After settling A-Yuan on the bed, Lan Wangji helps Wei Ying remove his outer robe and tucks them both in. Wei Ying is clingy, needing closeness, so he settles on the bed, using the table for his guqin. 

He plays them to sleep with “WuJi.” Wei Ying is asleep before the song finishes, and A-Yuan not much longer after him, pressed against Wei Ying’s chest. 

Lan Wangji settles beside them on the bed, drawing them both close, and lets his world narrow to his little family for a short time. -------

狗改不了吃屎, or “a dog can’t help eating shit” is an idiom similar to a leopard can’t change its spots or bad habits are hard to change, though is also not something gentry would likely say. 

The thing about being in LWJ’s perspective is that the rest of the discussion won’t be here except in whatever is revealed by other characters later. 

They’re doing the same thing they did with Lan Xichen for Nie Mingjue, letting the former Wen tell their stories and in some cases show their scars. They’re also putting together some plans for the siblinghood swearing. Meanwhile, Wei Ning gets Nie Huaisang some writing supplies and they’re coming up with ideas for the poem. Nie Mingjue keeps an eye on them at first but basically accepts Wei Ning. 

Oh, and the story about Wen Ning letting Nie Huaisang escape Indoctrination with supplies? Sure, he gave him medicine—he’s a healer. But Nie Huaisang wants to help Wei Wuxian and is bullshitting the rest to manipulate Nie Mingjue, and Wei Ning is not going to correct him, no sir. Notice Wei Ning doesn’t confirm or deny? Maybe I’ll write that fic someday. 

Someone asked that I translate the Chinese titles/words in my notes, so I’m doing it for this chapter and will slowly incorporate them into prior works. 

ayi = aunt (technically mom’s younger sister) 

a-die, diedie = dad

a-jie, jie, jiejie = elder sister

baba = dad

bobo = father’s older brother

didi = younger brother 

er-gongzi = second young master

gongzi = young master

jieqi = 1/24th of a year, a seasonal marker in the lunisolar calendar 

nainai = father’s mother 

nangua = pumpkin (turns out these wouldn’t be in China at this time, so magic)

popo = husband’s mother (I read can also mean husband’s grandmother, great-grandmother, etc.), but also an honorific for elderly women

shi = a two hour period 

shidi = younger martial brother

shijie = older martial sister

shufu = father’s younger brother

sunzi = grandson

xiao-furen = younger madam 

xiong = brother, close friend

xiongzhang = elder brother (formal)

zhizi = brother’s son

zongzhu = sect leader

This wound up being significantly longer than I expected it to be. As an added note, I realized I should be capitalizing words that are in place of proper names, like Jiejie but not my jiejie. I will be slowly correcting old fics on AO3, and did so on what was still on FFN’s My Documents, but FFN’s system doesn’t make editing fics easy, so it might take longer there.

#the untamed #chen qing ling #mo dao zu shi #lan zhan #wangxian #lan wangji #jiang wanyin #jiang cheng #wei wuxian #wei ying #wen qing #wen ning #wen qionglin #lan xichen #lan huan #nie huaisang #nie mingjue #nie zonghui #granny wen #a yuan #untamed fanfiction #untamed fanfic #untamed fic #mdzs fanfic #mdzs fanfiction #mdzs fic #mdzs #cql #cql fanfic #cql fanfiction

[randompens]

I posted 583 times in 2022

6 posts created (1%)

577 posts reblogged (99%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@beatrice-otter

@agitowarrioroftheforest

@charliespringverse

@firefly42

@sparklingmath

I tagged 247 of my posts in 2022

#lol - 19 posts

#cat - 16 posts

#the sandman - 6 posts

#heartstopper season 1 - 5 posts

#😂😂😂 - 5 posts

#heartstopper - 5 posts

#lolll - 5 posts

#unreality - 5 posts

#wwdits - 5 posts

#haha - 5 posts

Longest Tag: 95 characters

#today i found a long lost fic that i only vagely remembered by filtering by the most inane tags

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

New season of Derry Girls just dropped on netflix! I'm going to be watching that this evening; so excited!

1 note - Posted October 7, 2022

#4

Thank you for tagging me @flystill finally here are my top 4 "on repeat" tracks from spotify. Why does just Halo not have any lyrics available of all these lol, maybe cuz we're supposed to know them already. Anyway, here ya go! Please do this anyone who wants to:)

1 note - Posted March 17, 2022

#3

Ayy

6 notes - Posted February 14, 2022

#2

Was awoken in the middle of the night, thought I may as well make a post to contribute to Heartstopper trending because it is amazing (I'm 2 episodes into a rewatch). Thank you and have a good day.

7 notes - Posted April 23, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Been watching Bad Sisters on Apple TV+ and I love the theme song.

10 notes - Posted August 28, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

#tumblr2022 #year in review #my 2022 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review #this is neat

[avid-idiot]

upset bc i have to go to school tomorrow — my first day :(

AYY YOU BACK ON THAT EDUCATION GRIND (run away to the hills)

It'll be alright. Only 6-7 hrs of the day, then the rest to go and do whatever nonsense u desire <3

#—chats💭 #Jocelyn <3

[zkyfall]

Q/A?

Ayy thanks for the tag @dandymorbs​ ! I haven't done this one before, we have a lot in common 😊

1. Are you named after anyone?

Tangentially! I was named after a place that was named after a person.

2.When was the last time you cried?

Oh man, last weekend? I thought my cat got out -and he did, that asshole- but he just got stuck on the neighbors balcony. That jerk let me walk around the neighborhood looking for him for an hour before he started meowing. 

3. Do you have kids?

Not that I know of! I have 2 kittens though who are a handful enough

4. Do you use sarcasm a lot?

I don’t think so? I do deadpan a lot and sometimes people think I’m being sarcastic but I'm just very certain about odd things. 

5.What's the first thing you notice about people?

What they look like, particularly their posture and how they dress. 

6. What's your eye color?

Black 👁👁

7.Scary movies or happy endings?

Happy Endings  🥰✨though what I consider happy might be considered horror (Stockholm syndrome and whatever the end of Time Trap was)

8. Any special talents?

hmm, special? Nah, I’m pretty good with spreadsheets though

9. Where were you born?

The South, USA 🤠

10. What are your hobbies?

learning to draw, videogames (Zelda nonstop lately), and writing on a bi-annual basis

11. Have you got any pets?

Jack and Mr.Whiskers (they're not conjoined just VERY close)

12. What sports do you play/have played?

Track and Cross-country 🏃‍♂️

13. How tall are you?

5′10″ and I reserve the right to round up or down an inch as needed

14. Favorite subject in school?

Digital Arts and Sciences, cool class back when people were realizing they can ‘gamify’ education 

15. Dream job?

Insert my dream in not to work joke 🤡 -wait also insert trophy spouse joke 

but nah I'd like to be the finance person at the commune by day and write niche romance/horror at night. It’ll happen within the decade, just gotta get some acreage.  

---

as for tagging? I roll a wisdom check to overcome my tag anxiety and...fail 😫😅 oh well! 

#zkyfall #ask box

[ap0calypse-cat]

A little late but thats okay!! Combining two days here so I don’t spam

Day 6: Favorite side character

Im not sure who counts as a side character in Amphibia but mmm.. Ivy? Yunnan? Grime?? Probably those three if it counts lol

Day 7: A character you’d want to be friends with

Marcy duh!! I feel like her and I would talk for hours about games and stuff which would be pretty fun

#2021 #amphibia #katt talks #amphibapocalypse #amphibialove #marcy wu #WE HAVE GOOD NEWS BTW #FOR AMPHIBIA #!!! #day 6 and 7 ayy #general yunnan #ivy sundew #grime amphibia

[deus-ex-mona]

fedoras are a guy’s best friend uwu

#rip aizo actually pulls off the fedora pretty well? #honeyworks #lipxlip #this is my final post before april fools day ends in my country ayy #april fools clown tagging #final 5 clown tags: go!! #clown tag 6: the song that got me into lipxlip was yappa saikyou! it wasn’t yumefan lol #clown tag 7: i thought yumefan was just ‘bros being bros’ until yappa saikyou came out #clown tag 8: i used to think that narumi sena was boring af #clown tag 9: i actually suck at honeypre #clown tag 10: my favourite honeyworks song is hajimari no sayonara