#gege did not take them all away from me right

[bedriddenandcrying]

JJK CHAPT 237 SPOILER WARNING

when yr own hands were used to kill the 2 ppl who helped u growing up lolll

#jjk spoilers #(im)patiently waiting for the next chapt leaks #my art #jjk #jujutsu kaisen #gojo satoru #fushiguro tsumiki #fushiguro megumi #megumi fushiguro #satoru gojo #tsumiki fushiguro #gege did not take them all away from me right #RIGHT

[driaswrld]

cash in, cash out — gojo satoru and geto suguru.

wc : 1.7k

summary : the one where the boys pick the kids up, satoru loses his wallet, megumi almost throws up, the twins argue color theory, tsumiki gets the aux and suguru has a coupon.

part of : the star paradox collection.

notes : this had me cackling a bit as i wrote it i love the family dynamics esp since this is when the trio is new to the kid thing (around 2009) ALSO yes, suguru has a love for y2k girl groups : pussycat dolls being one of em don't @ me gege told me it's canon.

other : fem!reader, rs label undefined so can be read as platonic or poly (they're lowk dating w/o knowing) mentions of unsafe (?) driving?? mentions of bribery and also tomfoolery and shenanigans

current casette : father stretch my hands pt.1 - kanye west

“—now we do headcount.” Suguru turns in his seat as Satoru slows the car and shifts the gear stick to neutral. “If you’re hungry, say I!” Satoru raises a hand up, his knuckles smacking against the roof of the interior, and Suguru internally dies.

“You’re hopeless.” Tsumiki laughs to herself, rolling the window beside her down, leaning against the frame, spring breeze warming her cheeks.

“I…” Mimiko raises her tiny fist upwards, mimicking Satoru, all while Nanako unclicks their joint seatbelt and breathes a puff of air, exasperated and hair a mess.

Megumi grunts, giving a weak thumbs up. He almost looks like he’s about to throw up.

The car ride was… something to say the least—

“—buckle the seatbelt already, brat!”

“—swallow your spit before you talk, you pig.”

“Steer the car for me, Suguru.”

A click reverberates through the car as Satoru unclicks his seatbelt and turns, ready to dive out of the driver's seat and into the backseat of the car, with arms outstretched to grab ahold of six year old Megumi’s neck.

Suguru’s arm flails to the side as he steadies the abandoned steering wheel from the passenger seat.

“Why didn’t name pick us up?” Mimiko mumbles, clutching onto her strawberry colored doll to her chest.

Ignoring the repeated smacks of Megumi’s foot to the side of Satoru’s cheek, Tsumiki shrugs, gaze fixed outside the window at other cars passing by. “She had work, I think—”

“So we’re stuck with the idiots.” Megumi grunts, and Suguru’s head whips around, lips morphed into a thin line.

Pride, oh sweet pride. Nanako, busy typing away at some cute game on her tablet, looks up for a second and locks eyes with Suguru, who withers a little under her gaze.

“He called you an idiot, Geto-san.” She says, ever the little instigator.

“Take the wheel, Satoru.”

But anyways.

Satoru huffs, almost pouting as the car in front of them stalks forward into the KFC drive thru. “It wasn’t even that bad,” he murmurs as he shifts the gear stick once more, moving the car forward.

Suguru can only chuckle nervously. “Yeah, not too bad…”

Behind Satoru’s back, he gives the kids a funny look, and they all snicker quietly. Well, save for Megumi who’s bordering on car sickness from that messy car ride.

“Alright,” Satoru mumbles to himself before he pushes his sunglasses up to rest in his hair, one arm hanging out the window, looking over his shoulder for a brief moment to check everyone over. “What does everyone want off the menu?”

Honestly, he’s a little proud of himself and Suguru.

Usually, you’re the one who handles picking all the brats up after school, but somehow, the boys managed to do it.

Although, it did take a bit of crisscrossing with seatbelts shared in pairs of two— hey, at least they’re all in one piece, right!

“Twister!” Nanako exclaims with a grin and Mimiko nods along with her twin sister, setting her doll down in her lap with a smile that Suguru mirrors, something so small making him feel so… soft inside. “I want the one with the sweet flavored chicken inside—”

“I want the spicy one.” Nanako nods along, turning her attention back to her tablet, clicking away.

Satoru hums, turning his head a little to the side, and Tsumiki mumbles, “Maybe just a chicken sandwich… with some coleslaw too.” He looks to Megumi, who still has his mouth twisted into something between a frown and a pout, so cute—

“And what do you want, Megs?” Suguru asks before Satoru can, as the car treks forward in the drive thru line, drawing closer to the order speaker.

“Whatever Tsumiki gets, I’ll get that too.” Megumi shrugs a little and a smile stretches on Satoru’s face — though he hides it well, straining his head forward.

(Mimiko can see him through the side mirror but he doesn’t even remember that.)

After ordering and making it halfway down the length of the drive thru, there’s only two cars ahead until the pay window.

Suguru is helping Tsumiki plug the aux cord into her ipod touch — a birthday gift from Satoru.

“I don’t think the cord’ll fit,” Tsumiki mumbles, peering over his shoulder, head leaning against the headrest. “It’s probably too big or something.”

All while Mimiko and Nanako are arguing over a dress up game on their tablet.

“She looks better in purple—”

“But I like the yellow better—”

Megumi narrowly dodges Satoru’s elbow as he bends his arm to rummage through the storage compartment of the armrest.

“Don’t worry too much, Tsumiki—” He mumbles, haphazardly searching for another aux cable, and his wallet, because for some reason he didn’t feel it in his pocket just now. “Suguru’s good at making all kinds of things fit—”

A smack to the side of his head sends his sunglasses flying off his head into Nanako’s lap, and the twins share a look with each other. “We should try sunglasses on her—”

“I don’t want her to look like Gojo-san—”

Megumi snickers just as Suguru snatches the shorter aux cable from Satoru’s hand.

Tsumiki tilts her head to the side, a grin reaching her lips once Suguru finally gets the aux connected. “Hold on,” Satoru whispers to himself, shifting back in the driver’s seat and moving forward to take the place of the car that was just in front. “Suguru, I can’t find—”

“Check under your seat or something.” Suguru cuts him off, scrolling through the sheer ridiculous list of songs on Tsumiki’s ipod touch — most of which are Taylor Swift and a few J-Pop groups. “It’s not there.” Satoru huffs in defiance.

From where Megumi’s sitting slumped in the backseat, he can see the shadow of Satoru’s billfold laying under his seat.

Naturally, Megumi wants to watch him squirm a little. Afterall, Suguru told him to look there and he was too proud to, so…

Satoru’s phone vibrates from inside the open glove compartment where it’s charging.

“I’m sure I had it in my side pocket…” He mumbles to himself, and Suguru gives him a look of absolute defeat with a hint of nonchalance.

“Well I don’t have any money on me—” The timing couldn’t be worse really. “Of course you don’t. Because all of you freeload off me—”

Megumi rolls his eyes, “As if you don’t make six figures.”

The phone vibrates again, and it’s the least of Satoru’s problems, really.

“Is that all I am to you? Some bank?”

Because here he is, next in line to pay and he doesn’t have his card in his hand, Suguru is still flat broke as always, you aren’t here and it’s not like the brats in the back have a steady flow of income coming in.

Why didn’t he just set up his damn online accounts when you told him to?

“Maybe you should answer that,” Suguru shrugs, damn near unable to hide his little smile when he comes across a song by the Pussycat Dolls. He has half a mind to say out loud that he’s raising Tsumiki right.

The phone vibrates again.

“Satoru—”

“Jeez, fine, damn.” Satoru is shifting around in his seat like he’s possessed, patting down his pockets, all while the phone keeps vibrating.

He reaches over with a frown, yanking the charger out and answering the phone with a single tap and a curt, “I’m busy right now, what is it?" Putting it on speaker as he leans over in his seat again to search his pants.

“Hello to you too, sunshine.” Your voice echoes through the phone and Satoru winces, pink tinging the tip of his ears. “Sorry name, I just—”

“He lost his wallet and we’re going to starve.”

Megumi leans forward, sticking his head out and leaning against the passenger seat.

Tsumiki and Suguru stifle a laugh, and Mimiko lifts her head with a pout. “But— I don’t wanna starve!”

“Oh, Mimi…” You sigh, damn near ready to punt Satoru into the sun. “That’s not going to happen, Megs is just making fun—”

“I have a coupon for a biscuit from that magazine yesterday,” Suguru says and he locks eyes with Satoru who glares straight at him. “Hey, I’m just suggesting solutions!”

Shoko, who’s sitting beside you in the vacant classroom looks up from the mission report she’s signing up for the both of you and bellows a huge laugh. It really doesn’t help Satoru’s pride at all, and he grabs the phone, clicking it off speaker and hugging it against his ear.

Suguru watches as Satoru slumps in his seat, one arm hanging over the steering wheel and another out the window. A grown man, twirling the side of his hair and pouting.

He doesn’t even think twice before snapping the photo — he ends it off to the twins’ tablet, and they exit their game to open it, giggling into their tiny fists.

“name…”

“I’m not sending you money, Satoru—”

“Please! I promise I just misplaced my wallet,”

The twins pass the tablet over to Megumi who folds his lips to hide his laugh, nudging Tsumiki who leans over to giggle at the picture too.

“Pleaaasee! C’mon, I promise I’ll even set up my account like you told me to—”

Suguru sends a sneaky wink to the kids and they all burst out laughing, to which Satoru whips his head around, only to find everyone ducked down in their seats, suspiciously minding their own business.

Suguru’s even gazing out the car window, a guilty whistle leaving his lips.

“I let you two pick them up one time and—”

Satoru cranes his head out the window, his voice lowering to a whisper. “name, I’m begging you. This is a man’s pride we’re talking about here—”

“You can always use Suguru’s coupon—” You murmur.

“I’ll get a chocopie with your order.”

"I'm literally paying— hey, what do you take me for? I have some semblance of self respect—”

“Two chocopies and a twister.” He looks around before ducking his head again in a whisper, “I’ll even pay for all your meals this month— matter of fact, you can just take my card—”

“Two months, including takeout.” You grumble. “And add an egg tart, I’m sending the money to Suguru right now.”

#★ DRIASWRLD #tsr ⭐️ #jujutsu kaisen #satosugu x reader #gojo satoru x reader #geto suguru x reader #gojo satoru #geto suguru #jjk fluff #jujutsu kaisen fluff #jujutsu kaisen x reader #suguru geto #satoru gojo #gojo x geto x reader #gojo x reader #geto x reader

[estrella-etoile]

HuaLian Are So Bad at Flirting They're Good

Oh my god. How can we not fall completely and entirely in love with Season 2 of the donghua?

Why do I say I adore it so much? Because of just how cringe HuaLian are with one another. It's so embarrassingly endearing seeing these two complete love failures try to figure out how to flirt (and do it terribly for anyone not named the other).

Let us start with our sweet lonely old man Xie Lian. He feels his loneliness so hard at Pu Qi shrine it hurts. He clutches a ring and the second Ling Wen reaches out he hides that ring under his robes, guarding it like a precious secret. And yet... does he think "hmm, I had a wonderful time with San Lang! I hope he had a wonderful time with me, maybe I should try to figure out how to get in touch to "try" to return this ring (but really to see him.)

Good thing Jun Wu tried to drive a wedge between them by sending XL to Ghost City to find out (for the first time in his life) that it was Hua Cheng's territory.

Then XL is in Ghost City. And he's trying not to swoon when he sees that his handsome San Lang maxed out peak hotness and is letting him win and touching him. "He's teasing me." (He let you bet a god for a half-eaten mantou and played fake rounds until he'd rubbed enough of his luck onto you to lose gracefully. SIGH) Yet instead of going "wow I wonder if San Lang likes me?" he watches an indirect kiss and a smirk and runs away.

You would think that this would make XL the biggest dork? And at episode 2, you would be right.

But my dear San Lang. My lovely precious ghost king BB goes so far into the cringe the next episode that he grabs the prize from XL.

We start with the try to be cool "gege pretended not to know me and then did not come find me!" while accidentally leaving the impression he was headed to a brothel (which... given XL's first three minutes in Ghost City... not entirely impossible). So yeah. Off to a great start ghost king.

He did at least look okay with the discussion of a home versus a residence (and scored himself a perma-invite to Pu Qi... because XL was looking for any possible opening to make that clear too.) And a pretty good explanation of why he's in charge of the city of sin. Then the trying to take care of gege during a PTSD flashback, yes! Go San Lang Go!

And then... the armory. It was adorable watching XL fangirl over the weapons. And seeing him smile and talk about how great they all were.

But babygirl HC... don't just smile smoothly and say "I will give you the whole armory." Yes yes, we all know you feel this way, but... not on the first date. When XL also politely refused (because that's kind of a HUGE offer to him), don't double down with "then you can have this room and visit any time you want! OH! I can help you with upkeep!"

XL has not really even come to terms with the fact that there is this person who enjoys his company yet. He's really really confused about the whole why the world's most handsome ghost king wants to be around him. You're just going to confuse him way way too much by trying to give him an arsenal of spiritual weapons.

But here's the thing. It worked. Sort of. Not because XL accepted the swords, but because he accepted the affection and the friendship. He doesn't want HC's status or his wealth. He wants to pet HC's uber-weapon and talk about sacred swords with someone. He wants HC's company. And maybe because HC's existence has pointed out that most relationships are transactions, he starts his approach using that mentality, even though his love and affection for XL is the opposite of transactional.

HC doesn't need to wine and dine XL. He needs to visit Pu Qi shrine as much as he wants.

Neither of these precious beans understand what a normal relationship looks like. So it's not a surprise that what they both want is the same: a genuine and unconditional connection. They have it already, so even when they both attempt to flirt with each other in ways that would make Pei Ming have an aneurysm, they still eventually triumph.

Because below the surface attempts is something so sincere and deep that they'll get there, and even find those silly cringe surface things hilarious when they sort it all out together.

#hualian #heaven official's blessing #season 2 episode 3 spoilers #tgcf meta #hua cheng and xie lian are adorable cringe with each other #and i love that for them

[dellalyra]

I'd love to read more about Tsumiki and Megumi (cause yk Gege ain't doing stuff with her, smh) and their sibling bond. We did see Megumi being mean to her in the manga/anime, but I'd love to see your take on their relationship?

A/N: loved writing this sm, I’ve a baby brother so i related to it. this kinda turned into more of a character study nearly so I hope it’s okay!!! I love our siblings.

listen to: i love you so - the walters

moon river - audrey hepburn

𓇬 Safety, in human form. 𓇬

One day Tsumiki was taking care of her babydoll, the next an entire 6 year old and herself.

Her mom had never been great, never really wanted to be there - she did the bare minimum to keep her alive and that was that. Then Toji came into the picture, along with his little boy. She didn’t mind Toji really, he was the one who got her the babydoll the first Christmas he lived with them. She liked megumi too, he was a year younger than her but she could play animals with him sometimes and that was fun. Toji loves Megumi, even if he didn’t act like other daddies at school she saw, in the way he made sure he was okay and helped him not be afraid of the dark by making little shadow puppets. Her mom didn’t really do stuff like that - she didn’t know if she had a dad. Toji would go away a lot, but he’d usually bring her and Megumi a happy meal each when he got back.

Then he left.

And didn’t come back.

Then her mom left.

And didn’t come back.

So - it was just her and her brother.

She was scared, but she was going to be brave. Like Merida, or Mulan. She was going to be brave and take care of her brother. She already knew how to cook easy things, how to tell the man in the bank she’s paying a bill, how to help someone who was vomiting from drinking too much, how to do laundry. She learned from watching TV. She was never scared either, Megumi was the scary one. One day when a man started to follow them on their way home from school, Megumi kicked him where Toji said to Tsumiki you kick a man if he’s being a ‘fuckin’ creep’.

He was angry. She was too. She couldn’t go play with her friends because she couldn’t wear out her shoes too much, and she had to get Megumi home so he wouldn’t start another fight. Megumi helped her with the laundry. She taught him how to cook. She was better at math then him, so she took care of the big envelope of money that Toji had stashed away under a floorboard. Megumi was good with writing, so he signed all their homework and parental slips.

They were brother and sister. They had each others backs. Like Edward and Alphonse.

Tsumiki was going to the store today. Straight after school. So she sent Megumi home with the key and told him to go straight home and lock the door until she got back.

When she did get home - school backpack filled with rice and veggies she could afford - he wasn’t alone. Her heart clenched in her chest.

There was an adult in their apartment. He didn’t look like too much of an adult. Loads younger than her mom or Toji. His white hair was kinda crazy, like Megumi’s and he was wearing sunglasses inside. But for some reason, she wasn’t scared. Megumi was so unsure of strangers, if he was okay with him being here he can’t be a bad guy, right?

“Hello?” She called into the room.

“Hi! You’re Tsumiki, yeah?!” The strange man smiled at her.

“I am. Who are you?” She asked, in as polite a voice as she could.

“A weirdo.” Megumi answers.

“And you let him into the house?!” She responded, pushing her brother behind her.

The adult/not adult just laughs.

“Not that kinda weirdo. He’s just weird. He knows magic like me. We’re gonna go with him.” Megumi shrugs, and she noticed his backpack and a shopping back are half packed on the sofa.

“What? Megumi we can’t just go with strangers, even if they are magic.” She hisses.

“Since Megumi’s just making things worse, how about I try explain?” The man asks.

She eyes him, then nods.

“My names Gojo Satoru. I’m a Jujutsu Sorcerer, like Megumi. I - ehm - knew Megumi’s dad. The thing is, Toji got some money if he gave Megumi to his family - who are not the best people. They would wanna separate you guys. So, I asked Megumi, but I’ll ask you too, Tsumiki, would you guys like to come stay with me instead?” He asks, smile softening. He was pretty, like a prince. He kinda looks like Jack Frost. She thought.

The money was dwindling. There was barely any left. It had been 2 months since her mom left, and she knew she wasn’t coming back. Something told her Toji wasn’t either. She didn’t want to leave Megumi, but they’d starve if they stayed here.

She didn’t really have a choice.

“My girlfriend will be there too, she’s got a brother about your age Tsumiki. We have a cat too.” The man smiles, taking a candy from his pocket and plopping it in his mouth.

“Why do you want to help us?” She says.

“So the magic that Megumi can do? All the monsters he sees? The kinda thing he can do is super rare, and I want him to come with me because what I can do is really cool too, so I could have him learn with me. Then he can learn, you two can stay together, and you never gotta worry about money again. The only thing you gotta do is work hard, Megumi.” He says, and that makes sense to her. Toji used to say Megumi was a special kid.

She thinks for a second.

“Megumi, what do you wanna do?” She turns to her brother.

He shrugs.

“I think we should go with him.” He nods, still frowning.

She turns to the man, Gojo.

“Give us a minute to pack, please, Gojo-san.” She bows, retreating to the place she kept what little items and belongings they owned.

“Call me Satoru kid, I’m only 12 years older than you!” He laughs, she likes that sound.

She smiles shyly.

She packs, ensures Megumi has everything and then steps outside to find a really fancy car. It’s black and shiny, nothings broken and inside has computers and pale blue leather seats. She stretches out in the back seat, admiring everything.

Satoru asks them about school, what grade their in, what do they like to learn, who their friends are. He’s smiley, and cheerful and kinda funny. Megumi is still very guarded, he’s tense beside her. Hands in fists. She doesn’t want Satoru to think they’re rude or bad kids so she does all the talking and all the smiling.

They pull up to what looks to be a school. It’s quite pretty, there’s ponds and plants and lots of buildings. Satoru parks the car and opens the door for the kids, leading them to a building that looks like maybe a small apartment building. He opens the door and they take 2 flights of stairs up and arrive at a door, she notices there’s only 6 apartments in the building from the postboxes downstairs, with a sign that says ‘students prohibited - staff living quarters.’

Satoru knocks on the door, mumbling about a forgotten key and ‘oopsie daisy’.

The door swings open and inside is the prettiest girl Tsumiki’s sure she’s ever seen. The girl is a kinda grown up, like Satoru. H/C hair flowing around you and a pink sweater and loose jeans settling on your body. You were kinda short, standing beside Satoru made that obvious.

She sees your eyes widen and you glance at the man beside her then smile and welcome them in. You offer them snacks, and you hand them each cookies and some apple juice and they both devour them.

That evening, you, Satoru and the two kids go shopping. You let them each pick out some new bedsheets, Megumi picks ones with dinosaurs on them, Tsumiki picks ones with waves on it. She’s always wanted to go to the beach. They each are told to pick out any new clothes and pyjamas they like, but by now Tsumiki is worried about money. You seem to notice this, and you pull her aside saying you need her help picking out a new lipstick, and ask the boys to go grab you all some coffee, plonking a kiss on Satoru’s lips.

“Tsumiki, you seem a little worried - is everything okay, honey?” You say, kneeling down to her height.

“Um, I just need to keep an eye on how much money we’re spending. I have to make sure that we have enough for the rest of the month.” She says, with all the sincerity of anxiety a child shouldn’t have.

Your heart cracks.

“Tsumiki, you’re not going to pay for any of this. Satoru and I are. You don’t have to worry about money anymore, okay? C’mere, I’ll show you something. You know how bank cards work, yeah?” You ask and she nods.

“K, so - this here is Satoru’s card, my names on it too. It’s a black card, which means there is no limit to how much you can spend with it. This, is how much you have to have to be able to get a black card, okay?” You show her the page you’ve opened in Google on your phone. Your family wasn’t wealthy, but the Gojo clan heir lacked nothing. What you’d spend today wouldn’t even be a noticeable change in the figures on the card.

The girls eyes widen.

“You mean it? Because I don’t think we could pay you back.” She shuffles her feet.

“We mean it. If you guys are staying with us, if you still want to, we want you both to be comfy and happy okay?” You say and the girls eyes suddenly fill with tears and in an action so unexpected she flings her arms around your neck and hugs, sniffing her tears in.

After all the basics and essentials are bought, and some new shoes for them both - Nike Air Force like yours for Megumi and lilac converse chuck taylors for Tsumiki, like Satoru’s blue ones, you tell them each to buy a plushy each. You had one as a kid, and any time you were sad or stressed it was your lifeline. Megumi picks a frog, and Tsumiki picks a tiger.

That night, Megumi and Tsumiki are getting ready for bed. Megumi seems to notice that Tsumiki seems on edge, and shuffles into her bed beside her. You had set them up in your spare room, a single bed each, but wordlessly, Megumi climbs under the blanket with his sister, and clutches her hand in his.

“I think we’re safe here, ‘Miki. It’s okay. I can protect us.” He says, before they both drift off to sleep.

6 months came and went, and she fell hopelessly in love with her new guardians. You guys were silly, funny, kinda crazy (very crazy) and so much fun. More than that, you guys cared so much and kept them safe. She heard Satoru laughing one night as you told him how you’d shouted at some old people who said that they couldn’t care for Megumi and her because you two were far too young. You had said they’d been so terrified that they immediately apologised. She quickly realised you guys were strong, and bad people seemed to stay away from you two - like superhero’s. She’d heard people (Satoru included) call Satoru ‘The strongest’ and you ‘The Dryad’, so having superhero names meant you actually were. She decided she wanted to call you mom and dad. Sure you guys might only be 12 years older than her, only recently turned 20 but she felt safe with you two. Satoru made her laugh and rescued them from the Zen’in family, and brought them cool places and kept them safe, and started training with Megumi which he seemed to really like doing, even if he was always grumpy she could tell her was happy. You brushed her hair every night and tucked them both in, you painted her nails and gave Megumi black and green ones when he said he liked Satoru’s (‘don’t tell him I like them though’), you read them bedtime stories sitting in Satoru’s lap and made fun lunchboxes for school and fought to keep them safe everyday. She liked not worrying about stuff, she liked seeing Megumi relaxed. That’s what a mom and dad did, right? She waited until Megumi was playing with Lego in their room one day when she very seriously sat you and Satoru down.

“Y/N, Satoru. Thank you for sitting with me. I don’t want to make Megumi uncomfortable but I was wondering, maybe, if when he’s ready, would it be okay if him and me started to call you guys mom and dad?” She said, hands clasped on her lap, looking like a little lawyer.

You and Satoru immediately burst into tears and said you’d both love it, whenever they’re both ready.

A few weeks later, when Megumi was falling asleep, he accidentally called Satoru ‘papa’ when he was telling Tsumiki about his new frog shadow he had. She didn’t mention it, but she was so happy to hear it. She caught how you looked at Satoru a few weeks later, when after your fight with their school headmaster Megumi called you guys Mama and Papa for the first time.

Megumi couldn’t remember smiling as much as when he woke up one Saturday and saw you and Tsumiki both sitting with your legs curled under you on the living room floor, with Satoru behind you both. You both had towels on your shoulders and Satoru was doing a funny accent with a bowl of pink liquid in his hands. He was applying some of the pink to your hair, and you put a tiny bit in the ends of Tsumiki’s long hair.

“Morning ‘oniisan’! Look, I’m getting pink in my hair to match mama!” She smiled at her brother, and a rare return smile overtook his face. He liked seeing her this happy, and he liked how happy he felt too.

The older they got, the more they forgot how scared they used to be. It wasn’t just them against the world now. They had parents, parents who really loved them. They might not share your DNA, or Satoru’s - but you guys were there for every birthday, every baseball game, every track meet. They had Aunty Koko, and Uncle Nanamin now too. Yaga, and his son Panda came over sometimes too, now that you had moved out of your teacher’s accommodation and bought a cottage with a pretty garden. He and Tsumiki each had a bedroom now, decorated how they want.

Tsumiki scolded him after every fight, the only one to really scold him. Satoru congratulated him when he won, you tutted but then cleaned his wounds and told him you were proud of him for sticking up for other people and he wasn’t in trouble. Even Uncle Nanamin had helped him fix his punch for more effective power.

They both hoped they’d find love like you two had. Tsumiki wanted a boy to look at her the way her dad looks at her mama, like she painted the night sky itself. Megumi wanted someone who supported him and made him laugh like you do for his dad.

On your wedding day, Tsumiki wore a baby blue dress that she had gushed over for weeks, she was a bridesmaid and took her role very seriously. Megumi wore a black on black suit, looking very dashing and surprisingly enjoying being a groomsman with Uncle Nanamin. He grumbled, but truth was he loved his dad and he loved spending time with him.

He sat glaring out the window when they boy taking his sister on her first date arrived, and answered the door when he knocked. He liked that even though he was a year younger, he was taller than the date. He glared at him, but let him in. (His mama taught him manners, Satoru would’ve been happy to let this boy sit on the doorstep). Megumi stood and stared at the boy until Tsumiki came downstairs and skipped out the door with him. He smirked, seeing the boy almost run back outside. Guess all those years of being a middle school delinquent was paying off.

They were 15 and 16 when you two told them they were gonna have another sibling. You told Megumi one morning over breakfast and came to sit with Tsumiki in the hospital that afternoon, and placed a framed ultrasound photo on her bedside table with a card announcing ‘since you’re already the best big sister, how about doing it again?’

#jjk #jjk x reader #gojo satoru #recommended #gojo satoru x reader #gojo x reader #gojo fluff #anime #family formations extras #dad!gojo #family formations au #fushiguro tsumiki #jjk megumi

[stiltonbasket]

Hi, I love all your fics and adored the one with fem!Wei Wuxian who seems even more of a chaos goblin than her canon counterpart and tries to break apart her engagement to LWJ. Could we see some more of what of what happens after LWJ moves into the Burial Mounds, perhaps how Wen Qing realizes that this man is hopelessly in love with his oblivious fiancee and maybe tries to prod them together (bonus points for LWJ being so obvious Wen Ning, Granny and the rest of the Wens notice XD).

"They need a chaperone."

"They don't need a chaperone."

"They do," Popo insists, watching with enormous eyes as Lan Wangji glides up to Wei Wuxian and offers—for what must be the eleventh time that week—to take over her chores in the vegetable field, presumably so that Wei Wuxian can spend her time improving the wards around the Burial Mounds instead. "Oh, good heavens. I'm nearly eighty years old, and I've never seen a man looking at a maiden like that."

"Be that as it may," Wen Qing says doggedly, "they have no need of a chaperone. Wei Wuxian ended their engagement before she seceded from the Jiang clan, and neither she nor Hanguang-jun chose the betrothal to begin with."

"They don't need a chaperone because Wei-guniang doesn't know that Hanguang-jun is in love with her," Wen Ning mutters, from the grimy depths of the lotus pond at Wen Qing's right. "When Lan-zongzhu visited last week, he told me that Hanguang-jun cried like a baby after Wei-guniang refused to marry him. I think she likes him, too, but she doesn't seem affected at all."

Two tiny fingers pluck at Wen Qing's skirt, and she glances down to find Wen Yuan trying to stand on her shoes, grasping a fold of her gown in one hand and a grubby stuffed tiger in the other.

"What is it, A-Yuan?" she asks. "Are you hungry? Xian-jiejie will feed you in just a little while, so be patient until the congee finishes boiling."

"A-Yuan's not hungry," the little boy says, before putting Hu-shixiong's tail in his mouth. "But, jiejie—Lan-gege loves Xian-jie very much! Gege told A-Yuan!"

At this juncture, Wen Binbin materializes at Wen Qing's right with Uncles Three through Six trailing behind her.

"How long were they engaged, Qingqing?" she asks, in a conspiratorial whisper. "We never heard much news from the other sects in Dafan—but you and A-Ning went to school with them, so you must know something."

Wen Qing sighs.

"A-Xian's parents contracted the betrothal before they passed away," she replies, "but they didn't meet until the year Lan Wangji turned eleven."

Popo clasps her hands in delight. "Were they childhood friends, then?"

"Of a sort," Wen Qing acknowledges, frowning. "I once heard someone say that Hanguang-jun started sewing toy frogs for their future children when he was only a boy, but that can't possibly be true."

She feels another soft tug at her skirt. "Qing-jiejie, A-Yuan wants a frog."

"Hanguang-jun can make you one, Yuan'er. And the part about the frogs is true," A-Ning pipes up, tossing a seed-filled lotus pod to Wen Binbin. "She had one of them with her in the dungeon at Bu Ye Tian when I went to bring medicine to the prisoners during the indoctrination camp."

"Really?" Fourth Uncle gasps. "She carried Hanguang-jun's gifts all the way to Qishan, so that they could comfort her in her time of need?"

"Zewu-jun had better be thinking of a way to have the betrothal reinstated," Wen Qing says, crossing her arms in frustration. "Why did Wei Wuxian break it in the first place? Hanguang-jun would have honored the engagement no matter how the jianghu dared to slander her."

"I suppose that's why," Wen Ning says morosely. "She's afraid that Hanguang-jun will stand by her, no matter what she does—"

"A foolish thing to be frightened of, if you ask me," Wen Binbin mutters. "There are worse things in the world than a devoted husband."

"—and that he might suffer for it. It's difficult to tell, but she loves him just as much as he loves her."

At this, A-Yuan beams like a miniature sun and toddles over to the edge of the pond.

"Really, Ning-shushu?" he asks, enchanted. "Can Jiejie have a wedding?"

"I suppose she can, if Hanguang-jun asks for her hand in marriage again."

Fifth Uncle nods and strokes his chin. "But how can he muster up the courage to ask if Wei-guniang treats him so coldly?"

"I saw her sneaking a second helping of chicken into his porridge the other day," Liu-shu mutters. "If that is a cold woman, Langdan, then I've never met a tender-hearted one."

At this juncture, Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji bow to one another and go their separate ways, having reached some kind of agreement about the wards and Wei Wuxian's daily chores. Wei Wuxian gathers up the powdered cinnabar she was sunning and retreats into the cave that serves as her workshop and bedchamber; and Lan Wangji goes off to fetch the laundry from the patch of grass by the potato field, where it had been hung up to dry early that morning.

The Wens disperse as well, not wishing to be caught gossiping in broad daylight by the very subject of their discussion. Popo takes Wen Yuan back to her little house for a bath, dragging A-Ning along with her; and Wen Qing dives into her little infirmary, leaving the door open a crack so that she can eavesdrop on the would-be couple if Lan Wangji seeks A-Xian out again.

And since Wei Wuxian and Hanguang-jun could not avoid one another if their lives depended on it, Wen Qing overhears them discussing the subject of A-Yuan's education less than a quarter-shichen later.

"After all of this is over, I suspect the Wens will be sent to the Cloud Recesses," Lan Wangji says quietly. "I do not think they would be at ease living in close proximity to Jiang-zongzhu, and Xiongzhang has set aside three living compounds for them close to his Hanshi. What is more, A-Yuan would be allowed all the privileges of an inner disciple if he were educated there—and he would not have to surrender his family name, either."

"You'd take him in as an inner disciple?" Wei Wuxian's voice is both louder and more indistinct than Hanguang-jun's, somehow, floating back to Wen Qing in bits and pieces as if it had passed through a veil of thick fog on the way. "I suppose that's for Popo and the others to decide if Zewu-jun has already made the offer, but what if the other disciples mistreat him? I won't stand for it, Lan Zhan."

"He will be my ward, since his parents have passed on: so that should be sufficient to keep him safe. And if you join the Wens in Gusu, Yuan'er will have your protection as well."

A moment's silence, and then:

"Do you mean to return to Lotus Pier when the Dafan clan is granted amnesty?" Hanguang-jun inquires, sounding positively heartbroken. "I—how will they go on without you, Wei Ying? A-Yuan scarcely leaves your side now that he is beginning to forget the horror of the camps, and Wen Ning—"

"I don't intend to go back to Yunmeng," Wei Wuxian says at length, after a pause that lasted the span of about seven perilously sluggish heartbeats. "My place is with the Wens now, I think. There should be someone at the Cloud Recesses who can guard them night and day, out of love for them and not under orders from you or Lan-zongzhu; so wherever they go, I will follow."

Though Wen Qing cannot see him, the soft, stricken pitch of Hanguang-jun's voice is proof that his heart had come very near to melting.

"En, that is good," he murmurs. "It is settled, then."

And with that, the two of them depart together, their footsteps fading away down the old dirt track that leads to Sishu's favorite apple grove.

They belong together, Wen Qing thinks fondly, before turning towards the heap of dried herbs awaiting her attention on her desk. And I pray that some day soon—Heaven willing—A-Xian will realize it, as well.

#wangxian #mo dao zu shi #mdzs #the untamed #fem!wwx au #my fic #@wangxian fandom here's a little something to tide you over until ao3 comes back online #also it's been almost a year since I last wrote for fem wwx au #pls reblog if you liked this hehe

[twenty-orange-balloons]

Inspired by this post

----

Lan Wangji didn't know where the rumor came from or how A-Yuan had heard about it but he supposed it wouldn't harm anything to give in (It had nothing to do with his son's pleading gaze, honestly it didn't it did).

The house from the rumor, if Lan Wangji is thinking of the right one, was just a few blocks away from the usual path they took home after trick or treating. It wouldn't be that out of the way.

"Alright. We can stop by that house on the way back."

A-Yuan screeched in excitement, "Yay! Jingyi is gonna be so jealous!" He hopped up and down, the bunny ears on his head flapping.

Lan Wangji really hoped this guy was as nice as the rumors made him seem. He'd hate to see his son disappointed.

---

The man was definitely as nice as the rumors said, he was also absolutely stunning.

Lan Wangji didn't speak much on a normal day but as soon as the man, Wei Ying, he'd introduced himself as, opened the door, all words fled Lan Wangji's brain except four–

'Oh no, he's hot.'

It got even worse (better) when A-Yuan eagerly wished the man a happy birthday and gave him a bunny drawing he made, gaining a bright, beautiful smile.

(A-Yuan informed him it would be rude to wish the man a happy birthday yet not get him anything. Lan Wangji wasn't gonna spend money on a stranger. They compromised on a drawing.)

"Aw, thank you! I will put this on my fridge! Front and center!" Wei Ying beamed, gently setting the drawing down on a small table by the door, "As a thank you, why don't you take a toy as well as some candy? If your dad doesn't mind, that is." Wei Ying glanced at him with a questioning look.

A-Yuan turned wide eyes up at him, expression pleading, "Please, please, please?"

How could he possibly say no when both A-Yuan and Wei Ying were looking at him like that?

"Mn."

A-Yuan jumped up and down with excitement, turning to Wei Ying with a happy grin.

"Okay, little bunny! Pick whichever you like." Wei Ying said as he grabbed a small bucket hiding by the door, it had a bunch of colorful little toys in it. Varying from, what Lan Wangji can identify, bubble blowers, tiny skateboards, small stuffed animals, bouncy balls, and a lot more. It definitely wasn't a small amount. He wondered how much Wei Ying spends on Halloween every year, considering he also had a big variety of candy on offer as well.

A-Yuan took a long moment, seriously debating which toy he wanted, eyes flickering back and forth between items before they apparently landed on the one he wanted.

A small stuffed butterfly.

"A great choice!" Wei Ying praised, his beautiful smile once more appearing. Lan Wangji would be lucky to leave this house with his heart intact. He wasn't sure if he even wanted to.

A-Yuan grinned right back, face flushed with happiness.

Wei Ying noticed his continued staring and looked at him with a, was that flirty?, wink.

"Now, Lan-gege was it? Thank you for bringing this cute little rabbit to my door. It was a wonderful birthday present!" Wei Ying ruffled A-Yuan's hair, right in front of the hood with bunny ears he wore, "Don't tell the others kids but—" he leaned down to stage whisper, "You're costume is my favorite of the night."

A-Yuan lights up like a lightbulb, clutching onto his new butterfly shyly. Lan Wangji felt a spark of pride at the words, they spent a long time debating which costume to get. The adorable bunny costume won by a wide margin.

"Really?"

"Definitely! It reminds me of my own little bunnies." He admits brightly.

"You have bunnies!?" A-Yuan all but screeched, immediately shooting his father a sheepishly look of apology afterwards.

"I do." Wei Ying shifted the bowl in his hands, letting it rest against one hip, "Two of them. They came as a pair, I couldn't separate them even if I wanted to." He laughed, a tingle of something Lan Wangji would rather not identify, but it felt warm and sharp, shot through him at the sound.

"Woah. Can I see them?"

Wei Ying glanced at Lan Wangji, then behind him, Lan Wangji didn't have to look to know there were more kids coming up the drive. He could hear their shouting and laughter getting closer, parents calling after them to be careful, they unfortunately needed to get going.

"Maybe another time, if Wei Ying is okay with that." Lan Wangji offered before he knew it.

Wei Ying was more than okay with that. As soon as the words left Lan Wangji's mouth, Wei Ying was already nodding, "Yes! I would love that! Uhm–" he looked once more at the approaching children, "Why don't you come over tomorrow afternoon? I work from home, so it won't be a problem." He said with a soft laugh, "And you already know where I live!"

Lan Wangji was supposed to have a meeting in the afternoon. He barely had to think before he replied.

"Of course. We will be here around 12."

A-Yuan nodded as well, happily taking his dad's hand as he made way for the other kids.

"And Wei Ying?" Lan Wangji said as Wei Ying started to turn towards the children crowding his doorway, "Happy birthday." he added, earning himself a truly breathtaking smile before gently tugging A-Yuan back down the driveway.

Maybe some rumors are worth listening to after all, he thought as he made a mental note to reschedule his meeting tomorrow, this one definitely was.

#cell rambles #mdzs #cql #wangxian #cell writes #based off a post

[epickiya722]

So I just read a meta about how Yuji is not at all parallel with Getou. "Because Yuji is really kind from his heart unlike Getou...." Can I ask, is there really an interview where Gege said that Getou is too kind in the cruel JJK universe? Do you agree with the parallel between Yuji and Getou?

[I apologize beforehand, this kinda got long because I got into the topic and I'm running on low HP. So this may be a little all over the place. 😅]

Okay, so I don't know if there is an interview of such a topic (I'm still "new" to JJK, like I'm just being more active again enough though I had been into the since it premiered and picked up the manga, not important right now though) but I can answer that second question!

I disagree with the fact that Yuji and Suguru can't be compared because Yuji is "too kind". Don't get me wrong, my boy is so kind. And the same be said for Suguru once upon a time.

So I do agree with the parallels.

The thing is, Suguru didn't start off as some evil guy. And even if he did, that doesn't mean him and Yuji can't be parallels to each other, let alone be compared.

Sometimes, it seems forgotten that Suguru was just a child, too, when his life took a whole different course. He was just a year older than what Yuji is when he witnessed the death of Riko. At 17-18 years old, he finally snapped.

Sure, they're totally different characters on the surface. When you see Suguru, you wouldn't think Yuuji and vice versa. It takes sitting down and letting your mind wander and seeing those similarities.

If there are hero characters that serve as parallels to their villains, I don't see why Yuji being "too kind" would be an issue to why he can't serve as a parallel to Suguru.

Now, I don't know if Gege wants us to see them as parallels, but I do see that the characters share some similarities. Wrote a post of said similarities way back when, but I'll do a recap here!

Small details are that they're both are/have been in a trio that consists of them (Suguru and Yuji), a girl with a bob (Shoko and Nobara) and another guy who comes from a high-status clan with a string technique born in December (Satoru and Megumi). They both lost a limb (Yuji lost a hand and Suguru lost a whole arm), fought some old guy, has fought Yuta, and has a thing for loose clothing.

Now, I see those more as coincidences. But there are bigger details that more-so dwell into and shape into their characters.

They have witnessed someone die in front of them and someone's death had set them off somehow to the point of Suguru and Yuji being enraged and questioning how things work.

Suguru was less than a yard away when Riko was killed in front of him and moments later, Toji tells him about Satoru. Suguru was already still in shock with Riko's death since it just happened and then Toji pushed him further with Satoru's "death" (yes, Suguru didn't see Satoru die, but his "death" was a trigger for him, like that's his other half right there). There's also Haibara's death. Haibara's death was definitely another tragedy for Suguru given that Haibara was kinda the hope spot for their group. He was literally the sunshine and then that dreadful mission happened.

Yuji witnessed both deaths of Junpei and Nanami at the hands of Mahito. And as had death had been for Suguru, their deaths affected him greatly. Junpei's demise kicks off Yuji's hatred for Mahito and it's just the beginning of how his character begins to change. Yuji starts off more optimistic in the story, by the time the Shibuya Incident Arc ends, he has pretty much dulled. He already accepts his death in the beginning, doing what he can to save people. But then, he lost his fight against Choso, Sukuna did what he did and then Mahito came and killed Nanami and (seemingly) Nobara.

Both characters came to the realization that the jujutsu world sucks. They're just tools ordered by others (the Higher Ups 🙄) who don't do a damn thing really, to kill curses that will just keep coming. They accept that, but in different ways. For Suguru, he deflects and decides to "fix the problem" by killing the cause of Curses. Which is humans, or to be specific: non-shamans. For Yuuji, when he accepts it, it's when he has his final battle with Mahito. He doesn't decide to kill humans. He just accepts that "Well, Mahito, you're right, I am you. I am a killer."

Crazy thing is, when both Suguru and Yuuji hit their breaking points and kill/attempt to kill someone (Suguru with the village and Yuji with Mahito), it wasn't like they're enjoying it for revenge purposes or anything. They're both emotionally drained and just act on the simple nature of being a jujutsu sorcerer/curse user. They have those dead looks in their eyes.

Another trait they share is swallowing cursed things, which, again, plays into shaping their characters.

Suguru swallows curses and does not enjoy the taste at all. And it's something he has to do over and over and over. Curses are nothing but trouble for him. In his past, he uses his technique for saving, to do good as he believed he should do. When he chooses to be a curse user, he uses his technique in exchange for money. As a teenager, he pretty much was using a technique that slowly was mentally destroying him for people who wouldn't even know he was saving them and for people who wouldn't care less about him. If he's going to swallow the thing that he hates most just as much as he does for non-shamans, he might as well do it benefit himself.

His technique, piled on with the deaths he witnessed as well as the ugliness of people changed Suguru for the worse.

Same could be said for Yuuji. While he doesn't have to do it as often Suguru does, he still gets just as much mental damage as Suguru. At first, he handles it a little better, it's even played for laughs a little. When he first swallows one of Sukuna's fingers, it's to save his friends and Megumi. He doesn't think about it, he acts on it. When he swallows the second finger, it kicks in how gross it is, but he brushes off the taste. The third finger, he wasn't even conscious for. Sukuna swallowed that one. Four finger, again, Sukuna did that. However, even though Yuuji is aware that the more fingers he swallows, the closer his execution date is, and isn't sure how many fingers it would take for him to lose control of Sukuna, he just asks "should I eat it"?

It's when fingers 5-15 are consumed when things really hit Yuuji hard. He loses his fight against Choso, and is unconscious and close to death, which allows the Hasaba Twins to feed him finger #5. Jogo comes along and feeds him the next 10 fingers.

Sukuna takes over and we know what happens after that.

After Sukuna destroys Shibuya, he dumps that trauma on Yuuji who blames himself for the destruction. It goes down even further down hill for him.

Speaking of Sukuna, that's another thing they share. Not Sukuna, but body possession.

Both Suguru and Yuuji's bodies become vessels for 1000+ year old beings that cause nothing but problems for everyone else all while they're being used for other's advantages.

Kenjaku possesses Suguru's body to use his technique. Sukuna possess Yuuji's body as a way to be brought up into the world. Although he doesn't have control of Yuuji's body all the time, whenever he does, he makes sure to make the most of it.

(And if you're a manga reader, you know he definitely have done that.)

It also strikes me as interesting that both characters have a connection to Kenjaku in some way. As mentioned, Suguru's body is possessed by Kenjaku and Kenjaku is responsible for Yuuji existing. And I just know that had to be foreshadowed, too.

That part when that the Worm Curse Toji had comes in contact with Suguru can calls him "mommy"? Yeah... Suguru becomes a mom, alright. Adopts twins a year later, dies years later after that, body gets possessed. And what do you know! Suguru's body gets possessed by Kenjaku... who just before taking Suguru's body had been parading around as Kaori Itadori... Yuuji's mother!

Really, what sets Suguru and Yuuji apart is that Suguru ended up from being a hero character to a villain.

For two characters to never had interacted, they do have similar stories.

#kiya answers #kiya answers questions #jjk #jujutsu kaisen #itadori yuuji #itadori yuji #yuji itadori #yuuji itadori #geto suguru #getou suguru #suguru getou #suguru geto #jjk spoilers #jjk manga spoilers

[impatiencegyu]

Note: Feng Xin is older than Xie Lian here (15 and 9 years old respectively).

"Mama, where are you taking us?" Xie Lian wrapped his arms around his mother's waist, looking up at her with a big smile. "Did you bring me a new gift? Or is it for Xin-gege?"

"Patience, A-Lian," The Queen laughed, ruffling his hair as she turned to look at Feng Xin. "You're quiet today. Is there something wrong?"

"N-no, your highness," Feng Xin stuttered. There really wasn't anything wrong, but for some reason, he had been feeling weird since morning. And he couldn't tell if it was good or bad.

"Where are we going, your highness?" He asked. They were entering a part of the palace he and Xie Lian had been forbidden from entering before, and he was a bit nervous. What did she even do in here?

"I have a surprise for the both of you," She smiled, opening a door and standing to the side. "Go on in, children."

Xie Lian jumped inside, and Feng Xin followed, looking around. The room was...nothing special. Most of the walls were bare, and there was a small table a few feet from the door with stuff that artists use? Paints, brushes, knives, and all that. And in the very centre stood what looked like a statue, veiled in a rich red fabric.

"Mama!" Xie Lian exclaimed, "Did you make this?"

"Yes, A-Lian," The Queen walked towards the statue with an amused laugh, and waved them over. "Come on, don't you want to see it?"

The weird feeling built inside Feng Xin. He felt like he couldn't breathe. It was as if the fabric concealed something that could influence him for the rest of his life.

What is wrong with me?

The statue was almost the same size as him, and as he watched the Queen of Xianle lean down to reveal the veil, his heart started beating really fast. Involuntarily, his hand went to his chest, and he took a deep breath just as the statue was revealed.

What. The. Hell.

Feng Xin's breath stuttered, and he had to double over, coughing. Not because it was ugly, or disgusting. No, no, never.

The statue was of a boy of his age, all long hair and sharp eyes, with a beautiful smile as he held his saber out in a graceful position, as if it was challenging him to come fight. It was unlike anything Feng Xin had ever seen — no wonder the Queen looked so proud of her work.

It was the most beautiful thing Feng Xin had ever seen in his entire life.

"It's so pretty, Mama! Who is he?" Xie Lian asked, eyes wide.

"We don't have a name yet, dear," The Queen responded, smiling softly. "Do you have anything in mind?"

"I'll think, Mama," Xie Lian put his hand to chin, clearly brainstorming names.

Suddenly, a name rose up out of nowhere in Feng Xin's mind. Nothing else had place there except for that name, and he was so surprised at this realization (that was now flowing through his entire being like pure, fluid gold), that he accidentally said it out loud.

"Mu Qing."

The Queen and Xie Lian turned to look at him, surprised, before the former asked, "What did you say, A-Xin?"

"Mu Qing," He repeated, not taking his eyes off the statue even for a moment. "Mu Qing."

"That's a beautiful name!" The Queen clasped her hands together, and turned to Xie Lian, "What do you say, darling?"

"Yes, yes, it's pretty!" Xie Lian giggled, "Mama, Mama, A-Lian wants to draw Mu Qing!"

"You do? Ah, there's no paper left here. Come on, let's go get some?"

"Yes, Mama!" Xie Lian laughed as his mother ushered him out of the room. Just as they reached the door, she turned.

Feng Xin was still standing there.

"We'll be right back, alright A-Xin?"

He nodded, and they left to the Queen's room to get paper.

The weird feeling was dissipating now. All he felt was a powerful awe, a magnetic pull towards the statue. Towards Mu Qing. He reached out a hand to touch, then snapped it away.

What's wrong with me? It's just a statue! He thought, an irrational frustration building up in him.

Then why hesitate, something in his heart murmured. It's just a statue.

Feng Xin reached out, and pressed his palm to the statue's cheek. Mu Qing's smile was in his palm now, his sharp eyes looking into his, and it felt so real. It was almost as if he were a real person.

Feng Xin took a deep breath, and whispered, "If only you were real." He pulled his hand away, and turned around to leave.

Then, he froze.

A warm hand had wrapped around his wrist.

#tgcf #fengqing #feng xin #mu qing #xie lian #statue #tgcf fanfic #fengqing fic #fengqing fic rec #xie lian is a baby #mxtx tgcf

[hanniejji]

mono

[ xiao x little adepti!reader ]

summary: xiao realizes that he wasn't really alone.

note: i miss little devil and xiao :'> | m.list

words: 1622 | warnings: mentions of perilous trails and kinda shitty narrative because it's 4 am and im sleepy | REPOST

"they've been staying at that exact spot for three days, mister zhongli," verr turns to the child sitting on a blanket at the balcony of the inn with a worried look on her face. in her hands is a tray with a plate of almond tofu and a glass of water. she was just about to deliver it herself, when she came upon zhongli, who was also making his way to the balcony.

"i think they're waiting for xiao to come home," the gentleman can only sigh in response, for he had already expected this before he made his way to dihua marsh.

"i see. thank you for letting me know. may i?" he gestured to the plate and cup, "i came to check upon them, so if you don't mind?"

"of course," she carefully hands him the tray, "thank you. now, if you'd excuse me," she gives him one last smile—albeit a little sad—before turning to walk back to the front desk.

zhongli nods at her, before continuing his ascent to the balcony with the tray in his hand. the sound of his footsteps on the wooden platform alarms the figure on the floor, little shoulders perking up and turning around to face him.

your eyes are not as bright as they were a few weeks ago, zhongli noted.

"baba," you smile at him—too timid and doesn't reach their ears, he thought— "is that almond tofu?"

"indeed," he placed the tray on a nearby table, taking the plate and the fork and kneeling beside you on the blanket, "would you like to eat it now while it's still freshly made?"

"yes please."

handing you the plate and fork, you start to feed yourself little by little.

zhongli watches you do so from the corner of his eyes, lips tugging downwards from how you seem so… in your own world. silence was not an unusual thing with you, but this kind of eerie silence is slowly eating him. you've always been a child full of wonder and curiosity. if he's not retelling thousands of his stories, then it's you theorizing about everything and anything.

"baba," zhongli snapped out from his thoughts, gold eyes meeting your somber ones, "were do you think gege xiao is?"

oh.

so this is what this is about, zhongli turned his head towards the direction of the harbor, as if searching for an answer. in some ways, he is. he didn't want to speak about the chasm or xiao's impending doom to you.

"xiao is… facing a big obstacle right now."

"will he be alright?"

in all honesty, even zhongli doesn't have a definite answer. he knows xiao, alatus, is strong and more than capable of protecting himself and others. if he wasn't, he would have been swallowed by his karmic debt long ago. he is most resilient and devoted to his cause. but he is also too destructive for the sake of others—self sacrifice and unshakeable from his own principles. too much that he disregards his own safety.

"his safety is not guaranteed—" zhongli grimaced at the way your lips wobbled, "—but i can guarantee that the strength he had when he first decided to face his predicament, will be with him throughout and will remain within him right to the end."

zhongli pats the top of your head, letting your body lean on his side with a relieved smile at the somewhat at peace expression on your face.

he may not have quelled the storm within you, but he hopes that his words had at least given you more hope and confidence in your brother.

"i miss gege," you whimpered.

"worry not, little one. he'll return to us soon."

he says this to you and to himself.

xiao can feel exhaustion eating away inside him.

when he said that escaping will take everything he has, he really did mean that in all ways. the method used in the end wasn't the same as he had first planned, but either way, both still required all of his power.

the only difference was that there's a chance of survival with the second option.

well, he wouldn't have survived without rex lapis' help, but he at least came very close to that chance.

"heroes, huh," he says to himself, looking down at the shrine below him. the words that the traveler and the cow—ushi, was it?—had told him just a few minutes ago echoed in his mind.

a lot had transpired in just a few days—days for him but it might have taken them more or less than a week though, he's not too sure about that—and even after the vigilant yaksha said that he'd take their advice, there's still a lot to mentally go through with the whole experience.

maybe it was because seeing bosacius—for the last time—brought a lot of ache in his heart or the fact that he had almost met his end in the deep and dark underground space. perhaps it's a combination of both. for the few seconds that was spent falling into the depths of the chasm, he had felt the loneliest that he has ever been.

it somewhat scared him. the crippling fear when you know that it's the end and no one is there to witness you do so—it seems that yakshas do have fears of their own. his just happens to be the fear of dying without ever leaving a dent in someone's mind.

maybe this fear manifested because he was never really alone at all.

"gege!"

that's right. i was never truly alone. i just didn't really acknowledge that someone was there for me.

"gege!"

in fact, someone was always there for me, holding onto me.

xiao ignores the cries of rest from his muscles, limbs trembling at the ache that seems to dig itself into his bones. but he persevered, like he always does, pushing himself to stand.

"gege xiao."

the call for his name was clear as the sky—back at the chasm, he realized that the muffled noise he kept hearing at the back of his head was his name being called numerous times, the sound being blocked by whatever lives in that underground space. this time, finally, he can hear it as if the voice was right next to his ear. it sounded weak, a plea for him to appear.

it sounded like they've been calling him for so long only to be in vain.

with one last surge of his power, he enveloped himself with a green mist, disappearing and reappearing as fast as the wind could take him. only this time, his feet meet the wooden platform of his home.

ah, home. this is the first time i ever called someplace home.

"gege?..."

his head lifts up to where the sound came from, amber eyes meeting puffy ones—evidence of the time you've spent crying.

he says nothing, nor can he really think of something to say in this kind of situation. instead, he drags his heavy feet to your flabbergasted form on the floor.

once close enough, his knees fell to the ground with a loud thud, arms immediately sweeping you close with a relieved sigh.

"it's me," he whispers, "i'm here. i came back—and i'm never leaving you again."

after a moment of silence—you were still processing his sudden appearance—he hears the start of your cries, soft whimpers and sniffles right next to his ear and your small arms barely wrapping around his neck, fisting the cloth on his shoulder.

xiao does not initiate any kind of affection. yet here he is, striding towards you across the floor of the balcony with an urgency that you've never seen him have before, embracing you himself in a tight hug. it spurred more tears from your already weary eyes, the familiar warmth of your dear brother and his reassuring voice giving you a sense of peace—the ugly voices in your head are no more.

"w-where have you been?" you sobbed against his shoulder, trying your hardest to sound a little mad to scold him.

he only scoffs with mirth, finding your attempt endearing.

"i… met with my older brother."

"you left without telling me!" your fist thumps on his shoulders.

"forgive me, baobei—" he pulls away from the hug, calloused hands wiping the tears away from your puffy cheeks, "—i did not expect the trip to last weeks."

nor did i really think i'd ever come out alive.

"but i am here now," a rare smile appears on his face, immediately stopping you from your feigned tantrums to stare at him.

gege never smiles.

you sniffled, pouting at how he seemed unaffected. it must be an adult thing, you concur. still, this doesn't stop you from shooting him questions later.

"how was," you hiccuped, "how was your brother?"

a hum was his only response. he smooths down the disheveled mop of hair on your head, looking anywhere but your eyes.

"he's somewhere far from here."

"far from home?"

“mhm, very far. but where he is doesn't matter now," xiao shakes his head of any negative thoughts, "he may be far from us, but his memory will be preserved within our minds."

"can you tell me a story about him?"

"if you wish to hear it."

"mhm!" your eyes sparkled from excitement. it was xiao's first time to tell you a story from the past and you are more than ready to listen to his voice, his voice that you haven't heard in weeks.

"what was his name?"

"his name is bosacius. hundreds of years ago, i was not alone in protecting the land of liyue."

i was never alone before, nor am i alone now.

"there were four others—"

and now i have you.

#xiao #xiao x reader #genshin impact #genshin impact x reader #genshin #genshin impact scenarios #genshin impact headcanons #genshin impact fanfics #genshin impact imagines #genshin impact xiao #genshin imagines #genshin scenarios #genshin hcs #genshin headcanons #genshin fanfic #genshin x reader #genshin xiao #xiao imagines #xiao scenarios #xiao fanfic #xiao headcanons #xiao genshin x reader #xiao genshin impact #xiao genshin

[robiny]

I need to vent about this - is there such thing as media literacy in lobotomy kaisen ? I see nuclear takes every day and I don’t engage with them because I know these people have their mind’s set and can’t believe anything else or their fragile view point will shatter. But how can you even argue satosugu were just friends 😭😭😭 like do you even have friends? shoko and gojo are friends, megumi and nobara were friends, geto and gojo? Im sorry but how much subtext can you overlook and how much subtext can there be for it to matter. OF COURSE gege is not going to STRAIGHT UP say they are gay lovers this is shonen and you are proving him right by arguing against it. AND ABOVE ALL ELSE the thing that truly pisses me of tremendously makes me genuinely hysteric, is people misinterpreting gojo’s last words to geto. HOW CAN YOU ARGUE WITH A STRAIGHT FACE THAT HE SAID ANYTHING BUT “I love you” HOWEEEWMEMDMSMSDN HOW, WHY WOULD THAT CONFESSION BE MUTED IF HE SAID SOME BULLSHIT LIKE UR MY BESTIE WHY like genuinely, these words weren’t hid from the audience just because, ITS A CONFESSION OF FEELINGS SO DEEP SO PROFOUND BUT SHAMEFUL AND SECRETIVE AND THEIRS FOR ONLY GETOS EARS TO HEAR AND GETOS HEART TO FEEL. WHY “LOVE IS THE MOST TWISTED CURSE” I WONDER WHAT MADE HIM THINK OF LOVE THIS WAY PROBABLY FUCKING UTAHIME NOT THE GUY WHO HIS SOUL KNOWS BETTER THAN HIS ALL FUCKING KNOWING EYES. WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR LOVE FOR A BEST FRIEND WHO HAS HURT YOU TWISTED ??? NO TF YOU WIULDNT YOU DONT PONDER ABOUT YOUR LOVE YOU DONT HIDE IT FOR 10 YEARS YOU DONT WANT IT BACK EVEN IF ITS THE THING THAT RUINS YOU. no but genuinely any other interpretation of the words is stupid, im sorry, it’s not just their relationship but also the scene itself. getos reaction… he was shocked, then happy, blushing because it made him ashamed but at the same time smiling because it made him so happy, wishing after pushing away gojo for years that at the very end gojo would stop loving him but he never did. literally at the brink of death, finding peace in the chaos, but facing this unconditional love, geto wished only for gojo to curse him a little so he wouldn’t suffer losing him…. best of friends everybody

#anyways 😒 #stsg #I’m sorry but this makes me so sick #Can gay people have anything #why are satosugu denied their love why is their love questioned #it’s literally a core part of gojos and getos characters and people want to overlook it so bad #whateva #satosugus know what’s up so it’s doesn’t matter #but it does piss me off so much lol #it’s homophobia there I said it #just shut the fuck up if you have nothing of value to say #words that were never spoken in their youths ah yes gojo never said getos his best friend makes so much sense narratively speaking #be fucking fr #satosugu #my angels darlings I will protect you #I’m a little ashamed to be so angry but I’m doing my part #someone has to fight for the gays #gay rights

[lunaekalenda]

warning: gojo and reader were dating before he lost us, we're at the limb between life and death (were gojo sees all his loved ones okie i'm sad), spoilers of jjk236 but i just went full delulu (read under your own risk!!!!), death of characters (spoilers of the manga. death mentions, intentional lowercase, no proofread, this is selfish to cope with what gege did hmph..

"i'm tired." he whispers. your hand caress his white locks softly, your fingertips smoothly dancing on his head, his breath on your shoulder when he sighs.

"i know" you whisper back. you know the heavy burden satoru gojo has on his back - staying strong no matter how many of his friends die during the battle, keep going for them, for you. pushing his own limits to exhaustion just to make sure no other one he loves gets hurt.

standing in the middle of your bedroom, satoru's tall body seems smaller curved against yours. his hands are gripped on your waist, and you leave a kiss on his neck while your hands keep playing with his hair. "i'm so tired, love." his words break your heart. his black t-shirt is soft under your chin, as he takes air again. "what if i just give up?"

the words are said in low voice, but you catch them. taking his face away from your shoulder, you look in his teary eyes. they shine more than ever, reminding you to the sky, to the sea and the clouds. you can't stand seeing him suffer. you hold him close again, letting him bury his face on the crook of your neck again. satoru gojo has been told he's the strongest all his life. when he was nothing more than a kid with big curious eyes, and when he learnt how to use his powerful technique. what if he wasn't the strongest? he lost so many people. he lost nanami, he lost geto, he lost you.

he doesn't want to be the strongest if he can't have you by his side. what does it even mean to be invincible if he can't share his life with you? he's not sure, but he's tired of being always the one that sees how all his loved ones suffer.

your fingers trace the irregular cut on his waist as you find the right words for him. "i know you've suffered, 'toru." of course you do. so many sleepless nights by his side, holding him between your arms, reassuring him with soft words and slow kisses. "and i know you're tired." you feel his shaky breath on the way his back moves, erratic. "but you can't give up now, satoru."

your brain doesn't want to pronounce those words. you want him to stay there, with you, to hold you again and to kiss you again, to wake up in his arms and to hear his laugh every time your fingers tickle his sides. you want him to stay so bad, but you know that's not how it should be. you know he's more than capable to finish this, you know he still has people to look after. you can't mourn that he's not by your side when he has still so many life inside. "you have to live. for you, for your students, for megumi." the mention of the kid makes your lover sigh, trembling. "you have to live for me."

you had so many plans with him. from buying a house to adopting a dog, from visiting other countries to spend your holidays in family. you had so many plans, and they all are truncated now. you feel tears against your skin as your arms tighten around satoru. "they need you up there more than i do." you whisper. "save them, 'toru." he parts from your neck, looking at you in the eyes. you smile softly when he caresses your cheek, studying you. he smiles, broken.

"you're so pretty, my love." he whispers. and even though he didn't say it with words, you can feel the goodbye on his words, the bitter meaning behind his caress. he gets close to kiss your forehead. "i'll see you later, then."

you smile widely, feeling the salty taste of a tear on your lips.

"i hope it's not anytime soon, 'toru."

#staying delulu is the solulu #jjk spoilers #jjk x reader #jjk x you #satoru gojo #gojo x reader #gojo x you #gojo x y/n #suffering #pain #jujutsu kaisen spoilers #satoru gojo x reader #satoru gojo x you

[citronverveine]

“When you sleep, you snore.”

— #9 from this prompt list

“S’Lang.”

“What is it?”

“I have… a secret. To tell you.”

Hua Cheng chuckled, tucking back some strands of hair behind his boyfriend's ear. “Are you sure it’s a secret you want to tell me while you’re drunk?”

This seemed to make Xie Lian reconsider, at least for a second, before he nodded vigorously. “Yes.”

“Alright then, I’m listening,” Hua Cheng said, shuffling his chair closer to add to the air of mystery around them.

Most of the people at the party ignored them — or rather, they knew they themselves would be ignored if they attempted to join or interrupt them — so they were sitting together on the side, waiting for the excess of alcohol Xie Lian had ingested to wear off.

“It’s not really important,” Xie Lian continued, “But I never told you. Because, it’s not really important.”

“Mhm,” Hua Cheng replied, genuinely curious to know what Xie Lian was talking about at this point.

“Sometimes it happens out of nowhere. But it doesn’t bother me.” Xie Lian leaned forward and covered Hua Cheng’s hand tightly with his, looking into his eyes. “It really doesn’t bother me.”

Hua Cheng grinned, amused. “What doesn’t bother you, gege?”

“When you sleep—”

Just as Hua Cheng blinked, several things happened in the following order:

Something broke somewhere at the other end of the room, the sound resonating crispily even above the music, a shrill scream followed, coming from who he guessed was Shi Qingxuan, the music stopped abruptly, and everyone including Xie Lian looked toward the source of the commotion.

His own gaze remained peacefully on Xie Lian, but the latter seemed to have completely forgotten their previous conversation.

“What happened?” he asked sluggishly.

Only then did Hua Cheng turn around to check what had actually happened, but he didn’t need to look for long to find out, as Shi Qingxuan screamed a second time.

“My brother is going to KILL ME!”

The party was hosted by Shi Qingxuan in one of their family’s properties, big and secluded enough to invite a ton of people and party all night.

However, it turned out that something very important or expensive — Hua Cheng hadn’t cared enough to ask what exactly — had been broke and the party was cut short when Shi Qingxuan panicked and tried to find ways to fix it before their brother found out and forbade them from hosting another party ever again, which, to them, would probably be a fate worse than death.

While Xie Lian had seemed concerned and willing to help, he was in no state to actually be able to help and Hua Cheng had brought him back home to rest.

“Here,” Hua Cheng said as he put a fresh glass of water in Xie Lian’s hands. “Drink this.”

Xie Lian did so obediently, already sitting in bed. “Thank you,” he said quietly when he was finished. He rubbed his face. “I shouldn’t have drunk so much.”

Hua Cheng smiled. “It’s alright, you can let loose from time to time. It’s not like it’s a habit.”

Humming pensively, Xie Lian laid back against the pillows and watched Hua Cheng get ready for bed too.

“But there’s one thing I have to ask,” Hua Cheng resumed as he slipped into bed.

Xie Lian turned his head to look at him. “What is it?”

“You were about to tell me a secret earlier, right before Shi Qingxuan screamed. Can I still know what it was?”

Xie Lian looked confused for a moment before he seemed to remember and facepalmed with a groan. “That… was…” He sighed, taking away his hand from his face. “I don’t know why I wanted to tell you at that moment. It really isn’t a big deal, and it’s not really a secret. I just haven’t told you.”

Hua Cheng tilted his head. “Then tell me?”

Xie Lian looked like he wanted to laugh. “When you sleep… you snore.” A pause. “That’s it, that’s what I wanted to say earlier.”

Hua Cheng stared at him in disbelief before laughing heartily and Xie Lian did the same, before their laughter both died down.

“Is that true?” Hua Cheng asked. “I snore? My bad, sorry for disturbing you, your Highness.”

“Pfft. I really don’t mind. I really don’t know why I said it like it was a big deal. Actually…” he bit his lips. “It’s kind of cute.”

“… Cute?”

“Yes, you’re kind of cute when you snore.”

“How so?” Hua Cheng grinned, shuffling closer to Xie Lian.

“I don’t know… It’s like… Seeing you relaxed, I guess.” They gazed at each other. “I like when you’re asleep.”

Hua Cheng raised his eyebrows.

“I mean! No, I like it more when you’re awake!” He relaxed when Hua Cheng laughed. “It’s just that you’re always so… in control, it’s nice when you’re asleep and I can see your soft side a bit more.”

Hua Cheng hummed and hugged him close. They stayed quiet for a moment before Hua Cheng spoke up again. “Actually, I have a secret to tell you too.” Xie Lian shifted to look at him. “Ah?… What is it?”

Hua Cheng smiled. “You snore when you sleep too.”

— end

crossposted on twitter

archived and edited on ao3

#my writing #tgcf #hualian #mxtx #mxtx tgcf #heaven official's blessing #heaven officials blessing #xie lian #hua cheng #tgcf xie lian #tgcf hua cheng #tgcf hualian #hualian fic #hualian fanfic #tgcf fic #tgcf fanfic #tian guan ci fu

[runabout-river]

Thoughts on JJK chapter 252 (spoilers)

Overall this chapter was calmer than the last one and explained to us some things while also setting up future developments. As is Gege's trademark, we got one emotional scene of Megumi before the current plot moves away from him again.

Kusakabe sarcastically says that they can't "prance" around with special grade sorcerers. Ino thinks that Kusakabe, a grade 1 sorcerer, actually can do exactly that. Let's not forget, Kusakabe saved Miwa's life by deflecting Kenjaku's uzumaki with the use Simple Domain. Kusakabe himself doesn't have a CT.

Some early parts of this chapter looked a little rough. I'm sure that Gege will correct that when the volume comes out but he can also take one or two more breaks every few weeks

We also get an explanation on how soul damage works. Maki can inflict soul damage with Split Soul Katana because she can see souls. Normally you can't heal damage like that with RCT except you can also see souls.

Sukuna, like with nearly everything else in Jujutsu, can do just that but he's not able to right now because he still has to deal with his fight against Gojo

So his heart is toast but like in the detention center, he can still fight on because he forces his heart to beat while also healing himself at the same time.

I wonder if Mai will make an appearance again.

Yuji is not discouraged from saving Megumi even when Megumi himself doesn't want to be saved. But all the damage he took while fighting Sukuna did take its toll on him. Choso helps him with healing and we get another confirmation that Yuji has a blood CT

At that point Yuji gets kicked out of the chapter and we focus Maki the most. This tells me that Yuji will be a little bit more absent before throwing himself back into the fight

Maki was just all pose and beatdowns this chapter. Can't wait for the cleaned up panels of her.

At one point when Sukuna grabbed the SSK, Maki showed him who had the better strength between them: her

We get back to the other fight that plays at the same time. Both Hakari and Uraume look a little banged up and I'm sure that we'll cut back more often to them from now on.

Uraume meanwhile makes the ominous statement that Sukuna still hasn't gotten all out.

Next chapter is special because of the 6 year anniversary of the manga. In-universe only 6 months passed though.

So how will Sukuna still improve himself? He hasn't pulled out his "fuga" fire arrow until now so that will be devastating especially when he other tricks up his sleeve and he also hasn't used Cursed Technique Reversal either, which I'm sure he also can do.

#jujutsu kaisen #jjk #sukuna #fushiguro megumi #yuji itadori #meta #ueaume

[gojosbf]

If you don't mind me asking, can I ask your top 5 (or top 3) favorite characters from Jujutsu Kaisen? And why you loved them? And your top 5 favorite moments from the series? Sorry if you've answered this question before....Thanks....

with pleasure!! but i will try to avoid talking about geto and gojo because it's very clear they're high in favourite characters and their moments, i want to dwell in other characters more this time. Heads up though most of my other fav characters are fav because of their certain moments, so the top 5 moment in series and character might go hand in hand for some. Now

1. Yuuji

This is such an easy and obvious choice, not because he is the mc but because of how admirable and lovable his character is. He is righteous to fault. Everything that he has done from the moment of his introduction in manga is for the good of others. The amount of empathy he carries even for the cursed spirits and his resilience and determination to protect his friends (he has failed yes i will admit that but poor boy was giving everything he could, every second fight was so close, he did not hesitate once while confronting sukuna to save megumi). He has had the front seat to most of the deaths (I've mentioned this before), the guilt he's carries is so heavy and people overlook his capabilities and trauma so much, it isn't fair. My favourite moments from him were

This whole interaction of him and higuruma hurt to read. He is innocent. He is. But he doesn't believe that. Because he thinks he's too weak and this is his fault when people die. Sick. Twisted. That panel of him approaching sukuna even with all those cuts. Chills.

2. Maki

Let me begin by saying i will never forgive gege for wasting such a fleshed out character after he's the milked the whole hype out of her story. She paid a huge price for that superhuman strength and yet after that we barely see anything of her. She started from the bottom and never gave in to her weakness. I love her sassy tone, I love how she is ready to get her hands dirty if that is what it takes to set things right. This moment that i am about to talk about was one those that made me put down the phone

i was reading the translation of "she took it with her" and that hit me like a truck. I am not exaggerating when I say it went NUMB and BLANK.

3. Nanami

This man, the embodiment of calm, perfection and responsible. I have many drafts saved for when his death comes up in shibuya arc BUT the fact that he left jujutsu world because he couldn't handle what happened to haibara and drowned himself in work so he could get away from everything and yet whenever gojo called upon him for help he helped them. He did what no adults have done for them, he did his best to protect yuuji, he did not care whether yuuji was powerful or not, his only rule was a child should not be handling this. A kid should never be put through what haibara went through. He died with a smile so he couldn't be a burden to yuuji, he was so caring and protective even till his last breath it hurts my brain to think about it and yes that exactly is another one of my top moments:

There are too many this hurt in such a painful way that I sobbed from this manga and this indeed is one of them.

4. Megumi

Where do I even begin with for him. He grew up too fast, he never knew that his father actually even for a minute did care about him, he was so busy trying to save everyone tsumiki, yuuji, being a comfort for maki. All he wanted to ever do was live. To be with his family and friends, he knew he wasn't perfect (I would like to disagree with him on that) but he kept trying his best, he was the one to assure yuuji that he deserves to live, that even if anything happened to him or others it was not yuuji's fault, he was there as emotional support for all of them and then oh well then rest is history (I don't believe anyone. He is alive to me. he is alive and he will come back.) The amount of damage his soul took it makes me sick he doesn't deserve it good god none of them do. My two favourite moments are his interaction with toji

and this

this truly tells you everything you have to know about his character. He is not trying to be a messiah, he wasnt. He just wanted to save as many people he can and live peacefully.

5. Riko

Now this might come as a shocker but I really loved her. She knew her fate was doomed and she accepted it, she was ready to die if it was for humanity. But that wasn't the reason she made to the list but because when given the choice she chose to live, to be a little for selfish, her monologue when she was making that decision was another one of the moments which got me sobbing because all throughout the hidden inventory arc she acted like she was okay and this is what she wanted but she didn't. She was human. She wanted to live. Even if she was unhappy she wished she could live more and that's what made her special to me, she finally chose to be selfish, for herself, for her happiness and nothing in this world would've fucking prepared me for this panel after all this

you think geto's reaction was bad? you should've seen me go from crying to a hand on my mouth zero movement. I was stunned. So yes this makes it to the top 5 moments.

Now i would really like to make honourary mentions of other moments too.

• Nobara's death ("tell them it wasn't so bad" and what if i threw up and cried)

• Yuuta (just him in general and everything he does, someday i will do a deep dive into his character but everything he does leaves so much impact idk how else to put it simply) top ones being

and to lighten up all of that mood one of the most iconic panels ever!!!!

#jujutsu kaisen #jjk #ask #jjk spoilers

[dellalyra]

Pixie’s JJK Theories

!! SPOILERS !! (225 included) if u don’t wanna know anything then don’t read <3

Okay so, I’ll try to make these make sense and put them in some sort of order bc I have so many ideas and thoughts they r swimming in my head :):)

Gna preface the whole thing by saying I don’t think Gojo is dead/will die, just from an editing/business perspective (I did 2 years study of being an editor and 5 years of creative writing studies, not an expert or anything so just MY OPINION)

So first theory set:

Who’s gonna kill Sukuna and Kenjaku?

Maki Kills Sukuna

I think that 225 has been a signal that Sukuna CANNOT be defeated/killed by cursed energy or techniques. I don’t know how to describe it best but think of Achilles, an unbeatable hero but he had that one weakness. Now Sukuna’s whole CT/DE is based around weaponry right? There’s literally nobody more talented with weaponry than Maki - it’s been hinted that she’s even surpassed Toji in terms of physical prowess since Mai’s death and the whole heavenly restriction thing. What if, he basically can only be beaten by someone playing his game: a proper fight? Think of it, maki has no CE, no CT, no DE. But she is completely unparalleled with weapons and cursed tools. What if - she’s the antithesis and also the mirror image of him and that’s what could take him down? Also: it would be a mirror of Toji V Gojo.

Gojo & Sukuna = Gods amongst Mortals

Maki & Toji = The Mortals

Toji’s lack of cursed energy and physical abilities also with the inverted spear allowed him to kill Satoru.

What if this will be repeated history with Maki - with something from the Zen’in vault?

If Maki could then save Megumi, then they could work to rebuild the Zen’in clan in their image: modern, fair and open.

That’s one theory anyway since we’ve seen that Sukuna cherishes and admires strength and power.

Theory Two

Choso Kills Kenjaku

OKAY SO Choso’s whole character is family. His whole aim since day one has been his brothers. What if choso kills kenjaku, as his revenge? Noritoshi Kamo is the one who both created AND destroyed Choso’s family - it would be poetic justice for Choso to be the one to kill him, since he has known nothing but manipulation and violence since his ‘birth’.

Theory Three

Yuuji kills Sukuna

Sukuna took so much from yuuji it would just be JUSTICE but also remember during the exchange event arc megumi really emphasised how even without cursed energy yuuji would still destroy them all in hand to hand combat? I think that’s rly important here. This kinda follows the same logic as my maki theory but I just have this feeling that Sukuna can’t be taken down with cursed techniques or DE, it has to be raw unbridled power. Like I said Sukuna respects and covets power and maybe it’s because he knows that’s the one thing that could kill a god like him.

Plus - this ties in with ‘start by saving me, Itadori’ and megumi and Yuuji’s promises and threats to not die. Regardless of whether or not u ship them romantically, their relationship (platonic or not) has been at the forefront of the entire series - it would make sense for Itadori starting his full Sukuna free life by the first person he really saves being Megumi.

Also I like this because remember the ‘Nah, I’d win’ conversion with Gojo? Wouldn’t it be cool if it was actually Yuuji who won - saving Gojo, Megumi and everyone else?

Theory Four

Inumaki is gonna have a big part to play. Idk what, but the timing of his return lends itself to this.

Also, Nobara isn’t dead. The other person that gojo Shoko and Ijichi were talking about was Nobara and she ain’t dead but severely injured and I think she’s gonna come in with a dramatic ‘here to save ur sorry asses’ moment bc it just is very on brand for her.

Theory Five

Why Gojover isn’t happening now/ever.

But especially now.

OKAY business perspective ik it takes away from the ‘story’ part but don’t forget that Gege has editors and he needs to sell more copies of future editions and chapters so a certain amount of fan service is required, Gojo stole the show literally - they know that killing him off is a bad business choice at any point, but especially in such an anti-climactic way.

Another rly important point is every character who’s had a huge impact on the story and then subsequently fuckin died, think Geto, Nanami, Toji - they’ve all had a poignant death and Gojo has had even more of an impact on the story.

Geto: you could at least curse me a little in the end and his moment w gojo in the alley

Nanami: you’ve got it from here looking at yuuji his protege who he was so tough on and then telling him essentially he trusted and believed in him

Toji: my kid will be sold to the Zen’in’s, do what you will after pushing gojo to unlock his full potential thru fuckin stabbing him and then gojo stopping the sale of megumi

After all of these deaths they’re not gonna do:

Gojo: 3 chapters, gets slashed in the neck and fucking croaks.

That’s just bad storytelling and no matter how cruel he is Gege is a phenomenal storyteller

NEXT point is I think this is where we’re finally gonna see some real RCT. It’s interesting how Gojo said he doesn’t mind going HAM on Megumi’s body bc he looks like his dad - I don’t think that’s a coincidence that he’s fighting someone who looks so like Toji and then gets slashed in his neck? Seems a bit like repeating history, but I think even Gojo’s RCT won’t cut it - I think it’ll be Shoko who saves him.

The giveaway for this for me was ‘You were never alone’ and her reminiscing. She’s always been there for the two boys and she always will be - she’s the most powerful RCT user and she’s never left Gojo’s side, and she won’t fail him now. She will heal his neck, because he’s not alone at the top of the food chain. Pair with this if Utahime is still using her amplification technique, Shoko is almost unstoppable in terms of RCT.

We’ve seen this situation with Yuuta and Yuuji too, so there’s canon evidence of its existence and potential.

Also - I don’t think the Tojification of Gojo is accidental or just gege having a hard on for Toji. This is again a Man Vs God situation, take this and use it on Toji (man) v Gojo (god), but now it’s Gojo (man) vs Sukuna (god). Ultimately, Toji killed Gojo. He killed a God by force. Maybe that’s some foreshadowing idk idk.

Theory six

Yuuta kills Kenjaku.

Don’t fight me on this one. It’s feminine intuition. Idk why or how or where but it’s gna happen.

Theory seven

Noritoshi Kamo kills Noritoshi Kamo.

The battle of the Noritoshi’s.

Won’t happen but would be funny and I would enjoy the confusion at the both screaming each others names and it being their own names like the confusion from Shibuya.

Theory Eight

I kill Sukuna and Kenjaku.

They’re testing my patience rn, and they’re hurting my babies. Mama Pixie is unhappy. I’ll chase after them both and beat them with a frying pan until they both apologise and get me a bouquet each for being such unruly boys and then they will make ‘I’m sorry for killing your brother/I’m sorry for taking your eye out/sorry for living in ur body and taking ur heart out/sorry for killing ur sister and then taking ur body/sorry for using ur ex-bfs body as a marionette’ cards for everyone and I put them in time out (hell).

#jjk spoilers #jujutsu kaisen spoilers #jjk manga spoilers #jjk #gojo satoru #maki zenin #jujutsu kaisen yuuji

[tmariea]

Wash Away the Weariness

Fandom: TGCF/Heaven Official's Blessing

Pairing: Hua Cheng/Xie Lian

Rating: G

Summary:

“San Lang is so kind for letting me borrow his bath.” “Actually gege, I was hoping you might let me help you wash.” ----- Or, Xie Lian comes home dirty and tired after a day planting in Puqi Village, and Hua Cheng takes this as the opportunity to spoil him that it is.

Written for day 12 of MXTX-tober: Hair

Read on AO3, or below the cut!

By the time Xie Lian made it back to the Shrine, the sun was well below the horizon.  It had been a planting day in Puqi Village, an activity that most Heavenly Officials would have deemed beneath his dignity.  Even if not Xie Lian’s particular dignity, then at least the dignity of his station.  The locals at least were always grateful for extra hands, and he was grateful for a way to give his thanks; everyone here had allowed him to make a home for himself, the first real home he’d had in a while.  He needed to at least repay the favor.  He had spent several awkward conversations deflecting requests to bless the fields with good fortune in the coming season though, for fear of causing drought or blight instead.After all that work since sunup, he was entirely ready to collapse on his mat and sleep until noon - except, there was more planting to be done at dawn anyway.

What Xie Lian hadn’t been expecting was there to be light from the Shrine windows, but he wasn’t surprised.  He hadn’t told Hua Cheng about the planting days on purpose.  He would have wanted to drop all of his other obligations to help Xie Lian out, regardless of any indifference towards the village.  But, he seemed to have a preternatural sense for when Xie Lian had a hard or tiring day.

The ghost king in question was sitting by the altar when Xie Lian opened the door, watching smoke from the incense he had no doubt lit drift into the air.  “Good evening, San Lang,” Xie Lian said, and leaned down to steal a quick kiss.  He wanted nothing more than to drop into Hua Cheng’s lap and melt into his hold in the way only an exhausted body could, but he had to admit he was completely bedraggled.  He’d tied his hair up into a very messy bun, his robes were still tucked up into his belt and pant legs rolled to expose the mud smeared all the way from his knees to his toes, and he wondered if the dirt embedded in the whorls of his fingerprints would come out even if he scrubbed them with a brush.  He knew Hua Cheng had personal experience stumbling back in such a state from planting days where he’d helped, but Xie Lian hesitated still.  “Let me clean up a bit first.”

“Welcome home, gege.  What have you been up to all day?”  Hua Cheng asked, letting his gaze drift across Xie Lian’s body.  There was a spark in his eye that made Xie Lian have to fight back a blush; he shouldn’t be appealing when this much of a mess, right?

“Planting water chestnuts.  There’s more to be done tomorrow too.  San Lang is always welcome to stay the night, but I’ll need to sleep before long.”

Hua Cheng only hummed, the light in his eye changing to the one from when he got an idea instead.  “This one might have something for that then, if you would permit me to take you back to Paradise Manor for the evening instead.”

Xie Lian turned to hang his straw hat on it’s peg while he pretended to consider.  He had a feeling he knew at least part of where Hua Cheng was going with this.  Truly the draw of Paradise Manor’s real bath, in comparison to the basin of cold water he would have washed up in here just so he wouldn’t have to make a fire and heat it, was just too great.  “Alright, so long as San Lang can have me back here by dawn tomorrow.”

“Anything for you Dianxia,” Hua Cheng intoned, and Xie Lian did a bad job of concealing his snicker at the muscle that twitched in his cheek.  He knew Hua Cheng would be loath to give him back so soon.

Xie Lian kissed that cheek in silent apology, and took Hua Cheng’s hand, letting himself be whisked back to the Manor.  As soon as they stepped into in the main hall, he felt some of the tension he hadn’t even noticed relax out of his shoulders.  It was still early spring, and the Shrine had been colder than he had realized.  “San Lang is so kind for letting me borrow his bath.”

“Actually gege, I was hoping you might let me help you wash,” Hua Cheng said has he began leading them in the direction of the master suite.

Xie Lian felt his cheeks start to heat, and raised his free hand to press it against the side of his face.  Being comfortable even just changing or otherwise being nude in front of Hua Cheng as something he was still very much getting used to, much less any kind of touch in that state.

Hua Cheng gave his hand a comforting squeeze, no doubt picking up on his hesitancy.  “Only if gege wishes.  I can wait for you to come to bed if you would prefer to bathe alone.”

“I think I would wish,” Xie Lian replied, taking a steadying breath and squeezing the hand back.  Hua Cheng was never anything but respectful of him and how far he was comfortable progressing their relationship.  He doubted this would be any different.  He looked back up at Hua Cheng with a smile, just in time to catch a pleased look on the ghost king’s face.

“After you then.”  Hua Cheng opened the door to his suites and gestured forward.

Ghost City had many bathhouses, beautiful and well-appointed with amenities.  However, Hua Cheng’s station and wealth afforded him his own private bath, a fact that Xie Lian was grateful for.  It wasn’t even just a bronze tub, which would have been luxury enough, but instead a small pool sunk into the floor and lined with stone tiles.  It was also already full of steaming water; Hua Cheng must have called ahead on a private array to have it filled before they’d even arrived.  Xie Lian thought he could just about melt at the sight.

He stepped over to a bench near the wall to begin undoing his robes, only to be stopped as Hua Cheng said, “Allow me.”

All Xie Lian could muster was an, “Ah, okay,” and then let his hands fall to his sides.    He hardly knew what to do with them while Hua Cheng stepped up so they were only standing with inches between them. Xie Lian had been dressed and undressed constantly in his life as a prince, but that was so long ago it almost felt as if it had happened to someone else, or something he’d read in a book once and only imagined.  He’d fallen completely out of the habit.  

Hua Cheng reached for the edges of Xie Lian’s robes, which made the god’s heart rate pick up with momentary nervousness (ridiculous, you take off your outer robe every night to go to sleep with him), only to settle back down as those hands lingered, caressing his shoulders in a calming way.  Each piece of clothing was the same, gentle hands brushing up and down at his waist, his hips, until he was bare before Hua Cheng.

“Is this alright, gege?”

“Yes, this is fine.”  And actually, it was.  Hua Cheng’s touch had spoken of slowness and care, in a way that had assuaged much of his self-consciousness.  It still burbled along under the surface, but at a level that he could set to the side.  Xie Lian gave him a warm smile, and stepped up to the edge of the pool.

The water was so hot when he first stepped in, that he had to pause for a moment standing on the bench halfway into the pool, before easing the rest of the way in with a groan.  He could hear Hua Cheng’s delighted laughter from behind him.  “San Laaang,” Xie Lian said with only a touch of a whine in his voice.  He turned around so he could drape his arms lazily along the edge of the bath, and rest his cheek on them, while he watched Hua Cheng finish folding his white robes neatly onto the bench.

“Yes, gege?  Is the water nice?” he asked, while removing his rings and bracers to place on the bench too.

“Very nice, thank you.  But you, you are enjoying this too much.”

Hua Cheng only made a humming noise in his throat, one which sounded suspiciously like a self-satisfied agreement, and moved next to collect a towel and rummage about on a set of shelves.  He pulled down bottles and brushes and soap beans, before coming to kneel on the towel next to the bath and lay out his finds.  “Of course I am enjoying a chance to spoil my Dianxia.  It’s my favorite activity.  Aside from holding my Dianxia, or kissing my Dianxia, or—”

Xie Lian cut him off by sitting up and pressing both of his hands to Hua Cheng’s face.  “You are too much!  And all of that is too much too.” He took away just one hand to gesture to the row of tools and products.  Hua Cheng just kissed the palm still over his lips, causing Xie Lian to squeak in surprise at the same time as he felt like sparks were shooting up his fingers and down his wrist.  His reflex was to pull the hand away, but Hua Cheng gently caught his wrist and lowered it to his lap to begin cleaning under the nails with a pick.

Xie Lian felt he could hardly protest a second time; he had agreed to let Hua Cheng help him bathe after all.  What had he expected that to consist of, a quick wash of his body and hair with rice water?  There was no way it was going to be that simplistic.  So he sighed and relaxed back against the edge of the pool, letting all of his muscles slacken against the tiles - slightly warm from the proximity to the water - and his hand lay still in Hua Cheng’s lap.

Once the nails on his first hand were cleaned and an attempt had been made on the dirt in his fingerprints - as expected, there was still a little bit between the creases but also Hua Cheng had been gentler with his scrubbing than was truly necessary - Xie Lian passed over his other hand willingly.  “What is San Lang thinking about?” he asked.

“I was wondering if gege would let me paint his nails.  I expect gege wouldn’t want black, but I could get pale peach, or gold, or,” and Xie Lian couldn’t help but notice the faint flush nearly hidden by the bowed angle of Hua Cheng’s head, “would you wear red?”

“Ah, I don’t know, it seems so impractical for me!  You know I work with my hands all the time,” Xie Lian replied with the first thoughts that came to his mind.  It had always been the same when he was Crowned Prince; even though painted nails were fashionable with the nobility his cultivation training had made it impractical.  But then he paused to considered it further.  There was something really beautiful about Hua Cheng’s black nails against his pale hands.  What might it look like against his own?  What would it look like to so boldly wear Hua Cheng’s color?  “… maybe someday.”

“I’ll have to find a few colors gege might like then, for someday.”  Hua Cheng did a bad job of disguising the excited light in his eye behind a self satisfied grin.  

Xie Lian couldn’t help but smile back as his heart did funny things in his chest at the sight of Hua Cheng so happy.  But then remembering the ghost king’s particular penchant for going over the top, added, “Just a few.  A pale peach sounds nice.  And San Lang can pick out his favorite red, too.”

It was Xie Lian’s turn to be satisfied with himself as Hua Cheng let out a breathy, “Gege,” with a gob-smacked expression on his face.  He recovered quickly enough though, giving Xie Lian possession of his hand back and asking for a leg next.

The position that required made Xie Lian laugh at first, with his hands braced on the seat so he could rest a foot on the side of the pool.  It remained funny, and a little ticklish, while Hua Cheng scrubbed at the dirt on his foot and up his shins from ankle to knee.  It became less so, the anxiety he’d kept at a buzz so low he had nearly forgotten it bubbling up again, as the hands attending to him moved up to his thigh.  Xie Lian’s hands clenched almost without his notice around the edge of the bench, and he bit the inside of his lip.  How had, through all of this so far, he failed to notice the distinct presence of each of Hua Cheng’s fingertips?

The anxiety spawned frustration, his mind pulling in two different directions by the emotions.  This was Hua Cheng, he would never touch him in a way Xie Lian didn’t want.  And he did want that kind of touch to mean something more someday, to be comfortable with that, but not now, not now.  And it wasn’t that now, the hands gentle but not insistent so why couldn’t the rest of him believe—

“Would gege tell me how to plant water chestnuts?  I’ve only ever helped with the rice.”

Xie Lian snapped out of his spiral with an inelegant, “Huh?”  When he looked back up into Hua Cheng’s eye, that gaze was locked onto his face and held a different question, ‘are you still alright?’  Xie Lian took a calming breath and shook the competing thoughts out of his head.  “Oh, ah, yes of course.”  He launched into a description of water chestnut bulbs and how to bury them in the flooded fields, while Hua Cheng’s hands resumed their task.  It was easy enough to throw himself into the distraction; Hua Cheng’s hunger for knowledge was vast, and wonderful for knowing his full attention was fixed on Xie Lian’s words and only his words.

By the time he was done with the miniature lesson, both of his legs were clean, and Hua Cheng instructed, “Gege, turn around so I can wash your back.”  That he could do with a contented sigh.  Even if the hands against his bare skin was new, there was an easy familiarity from Hua Cheng running his hands up and down Xie Lian’s back as he fell asleep, any time they spent the night together.  This time it was accompanied by a harder press of fingers, thumbs tracing with intention in an arc from the top to bottom of his shoulder blades, then down the middle of his back on either side of his spine.  When Xie Lian made an inquiring noise, Hua Cheng answered, “Gege did such hard work bent over all day; this lowly one couldn’t possibly let him go back out sore tomorrow.”  And then he really set to work on his back, section by section, devoting knuckles and the heel of his palm to the task in addition to his thumbs.

“San Lang,” Xie Lian groaned as Hua Cheng dug into a particularly difficult knot.  He felt like he was only being held up by the shape of the bathing pool and those hands.

“Yes?  Is there something you wanted to tell me?” asked his mischievous ghost, as if he was completely unaware of the absolute puddle of god that was about melt all over his bathroom floor if he kept that up.

“Feels good.  That one had been bothering me actually.”  Xie Lian momentarily dislodged the hands as he rotated his shoulder a bit to test the improved mobility, and then leaned back again.

“I couldn’t let gege hurt,” Hua Cheng said, voice softer than before and touch fleeting.  It took Xie Lian a moment to recognize that it had been the gentlest kiss to the spot.  But then the insincere tone was back.  “Should I give gege more massages then?  Maybe next time on the bed so I can give better pressure?”

“Heavens yes,” Xie Lian said with another moan.  He recognized the irony of getting so worked up about his legs and then egging Hua Cheng on in this.  But his beloved teased him so much that it was always a great pleasure to fluster him in return.  This time apparent in the way his hands stuttered where they had continued with the massage.  He grinned thinking of the faint cracks he knew would be on Hua Cheng’s face - the almost imperceptible widening of his eye, the slight slackening of his jaw.  Xie Lian would would let himself be teased forever if only he could see that expression too.

It seemed the massage didn’t just stop with his back, because as soon as Hua Cheng got his hands into Xie Lian’s hair, he started rubbing circles into his scalp.  If Xie Lian had thought he couldn’t get any more boneless, this just about proved him wrong.  Hua Cheng laughed at him as he obviously fought to keep his head from lolling.  “Come, lay your head on my lap,” he instructed.

“Ah, I’d just get San Lang wet,” Xie Lian protested, not even mentioning the obvious impracticality.

“We’re about to get into sleep clothes anyway.  Please, gege?”

Xie Lian gave in, because that really did sound nice.  To still give access to most of his head, he turned a little to rest the side of his face on Hua Cheng’s knees.  He did have to turn his head back just a bit to try to see Hua Cheng’s expression, such a soft smile.  Xie Lian loved knowing that he was the only one who got to see Hua Cheng like this, something special just for the two of them.  

He stopped considering such things pretty quickly though, as the hands returned to his hair.  This time Hua Cheng’s fingers seemed to just be absently rubbing, without any particular goal.  It still felt good, and Xie Lian found himself drifting with his eyes half-shut for a little while, until the dig of the tile into his shoulder reminded him where he was.  “Alright, enough of that,” he said, far too sleepily for the admonishment to mean anything, “I’m about to end up spending the whole night in your tub, and then I really will be sore in the morning.”

“Apologies gege.  I guess I will have to find a better place next time, so you can fall asleep in my lap comfortably.”

Xie Lian’s cheeks felt warm at the thought, and perhaps if he was lucky Hua Cheng would assume that was just from the heat.  He was only ever lucky when it came to Hua Cheng, so maybe he could convince himself it was working.  He did want to do this again though, so he gave an affirmative, “Mn,” in reply.

He had to lift his head back up then, so Hua Cheng could actually get to the task of washing his hair.  After that, he stepped out of the bath to let Hua Cheng bundle him up into the biggest, warmest towel he’d ever felt, pinning his arms to his sides and all.  Xie Lian laughed.  “San Lang, I look like one of your butterfly cocoons.”

“Sure,” Hua Cheng replied with a grin, “but usually it’s the pretty thing that comes out of the cocoon, not what goes into it.”

Xie Lian snorted dramatically, to prevent himself from dissolving into giggles at his ghost’s shameless flirting.  He wiggled a hand out from the towel and pushed against Hua Cheng’s chest.  “You said you were about to get into sleep robes too.  Go on, while I dry off.”

“But I was supposed to get to help gege with his whole bath.”

“I think I can do just this one thing, so you’re not still wet too.  Go on, and then I’ll let you comb my hair.”  Xie Lian had a feeling that would be a good enough exchange, and it was at least one that Hua Cheng accepted.  He turned back to the bench and handed over a set of white sleep robes, before starting to strip off his own outer robes.  Xie Lian set to his own task, cheeks heating.  ‘Ridiculous, he’s been seeing you naked all night,’ he tried to tell himself, promptly realized that that was just making matters worse, and decided it was best if he just stopped thinking.

Dressed and dried, Xie Lian sat down on the stool set out before a bronze mirror.  Examining his own reflection, especially in a stable surface rather than in a stream or a basin of water, was also an activity he’d fallen out of practice with.  Time was, the figure in the mirror was always proud and tall, impeccably dressed and convinced of his own invincibility.  The Xie Lian who looked back at him now still had an upright posture, but a little tired, a little worn around the edges.  But then he watched the reflection of Hua Cheng step up behind him, saw the way his own face changed.  Hua Cheng had always been the one to remind him what it meant to be happy, and what did a little wear compare to a gift like that?

“Would Dianxia let his San Lang braid his hair?” Hua Cheng asked, shaking the god from his minor ruminations.

Thinking of a day in his little shrine, when their positions were reversed, Xie Lian said, “What, you don’t want to give me a crooked ponytail?”

“No, I think that one is better suited for me, don’t you think.”  Hua Cheng’s eye was sparkling as reached around to the small table and picked up a vial of hair oil.

  They were surrounded by the scent of honeysuckle as he began to work it through Xie Lian’s hair.  It was a different scent than Hua Cheng usually wore - a little musky, a little like roses - so he must have bought this oil with Xie Lian in mind.  As much as Hua Cheng liked to insist that everything he had was Xie Lian’s, this kind of little thing was what made him feel most like he belonged in Hua Cheng’s home.  Not everything handed over to him, but the thought of his hair oil on the shelf next to Hua Cheng’s.  Something for each of them, next to, not subsumed by.

He felt like those thoughts, all of his thoughts since he sat down before the mirror really, were too weighty, too complicated, to voice in the state of sleepy relaxation that was taking him over again courtesy of the hands in his hair.  So instead he said, “This scent is nice.  Thank you for picking it for me, San Lang.”

Hua Cheng was good at understanding him without words anyway.  “Of course, gege,” he said out loud, but the slower stroke of his hands against Xie Lian’s scalp before he separated the hair out for braiding said that he knew.

Xie Lian stood once the braid was tied off, and Hua Cheng took his arm again, as if leading him to a grand procession, not just through the door to the bedroom.  He even held open the door, and pulled back the sheets.  Xie Lian could protest, but at this point he felt like there may not be any purpose left to that.

“You know, maybe I should come out to help with the planting tomorrow, now that gege has so kindly taught me how to plant water chestnuts,” Hua Cheng suggested as he rounded the bed and slid beneath the blankets on the other side.

“Hmm, but I thought San Lang said he had important ghost city business to attend to.  I thought he said it might take all week.  Have you finished already?”  It was the reason Xie Lian had made a point of not mentioning the planting days in the first place.

Hua Cheng groaned and turned his face into the pillow.  “It’s so boring dealing with that trash.  Almost as bad as calligraphy practice.  Almost worse.”

“If it’s anything like calligraphy practice, then it’s good for you.”

“Gege is so cruel to his San Lang.”

Xie Lian could only laugh at the dramatics that he was well accustomed to by now.  “I suppose I will just have to make it up.”  He pulled on Hua Cheng’s shoulder a bit, to get him to turn his face out of the pillow, and leaned in for the kiss that he’d been wanting since he first found Hua Cheng waiting in Puqi Shrine.

The humming sound Hua Cheng made against his lips said that this was a perfectly acceptable apology.  As did the fingers that cupped the back of his neck and worked their way into the hair at the base of his braid, and the hand that stroked up and down his back, a mirror from in the bath.  Xie Lian hooked a knee over Hua Cheng’s legs, and shifted closer, but he really didn’t have the energy left for much more than that.  He let himself drift on the feeling of the lazy, languid kisses, until eventually he let his head droop into the crook of Hua Cheng’s neck.

“Next time, San Lang will have to let me help him bathe,” he said, mostly muffled into the red silk sleep robe.

It seemed Hua Cheng understood anyway, because he replied, “This lowly one couldn’t possibly let—”

“Shhh,” Xie Lian cut him off, and then leaned up to kiss the protest away.  “You took such good care of me.  I want to take care of San Lang too.”

“If gege would let me come out planting with him tomorrow, you’d have an excuse for that sooner.”

“San Lang!”  Xie Lian laughed and gave a halfhearted swat against Hua Cheng’s chest.  “I know I can’t really stop you.”  One look at the smug grin forming on his ghost king’s face, and Xie Lian turned over in his hold so he was facing away.  “Goodnight!”

“Good idea, we both have to be up early then.”

“I’m already asleep, I love you, goodnight!”  Xie Lian wiggled back until his back rested against Hua Cheng’s chest.  A pair of cool arms wrapped around him and pulled him back just a little bit further. Xie Lian was really almost asleep as it was.  But awake for just long enough to hear, “Goodnight, beloved,” before he drifted off.

#tgcf #hualian #mxtxtober23 #mxtxtober2023 #hua cheng #xie lian #heaven official’s blessing #tian guan ci fu #this is just fluff truly