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greyskyflowers · 8 months

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A idea with a darker approach but...

I'd like to see something about Zoro bringing everyone on the crew a head at some point.

Zoro and Robin have no issue killing. I personally like the idea of them actually enjoying it. I personally feel that every ship and every crew needs a few bloodthirsty people.

Sanji and Franky will do so if absolutely necessary. What qualifies as necessary usually depends on the situation.

Luffy doesn't usually see a point in it, more than willing to beat someone down as many times as it takes for the lesson to sink in, but he has his fair share of blood on his hands.

The other crew members aren't supid, they know all this.

By this point they've all killed someone, on purpose or accident, it's more who stays up with nightmares from it.

Luffy makes them ask for things. Zoro is the same. Asking for someone to die is something you need to be able to give voice to, otherwise you don't want it enough.

He won't go on his own, he needs to hear it, but they've all pulled him aside before and asked, "please." In fear. In hatred. In anguish.

And Zoro hums lowly, and disappears in the shadows.

He still carries the title of hunter and there's a good reason for that.

It never takes him long before he's back, a bloody bag in his hand that drips along the deck but no one says anything. Luffy catches his eye and whatever passes between them stays between them.

He drops it at the feet of whoever asked for it, like a cat bringing their human a mouse.

That's it. There's nothing else to say or do. Zoro said he'd handle it, and he did.

Sometimes the only people who even know who's head is in the bag are Zoro and the person who asked. And probably Luffy, because he always seems to know everything Zoro does, and Robin because thinking she doesn't know would be an insult to her.

The bag gets tossed over the side once confirmed by the person who asked for it.

Franky makes a big show of cleaning up the blood with wails about birds shitting on his ship. He drags Usopp into helping and it doesn't usually take much for chaos to break out.

Chopper follows Zoro around until he finally lets the little doctor causally look him over for anything that may need attention.

Robin smiles at him behind a tea cup and Sanji calls him something insulting as he walks by but a bottle of sake and a snack always find their way over.

Luffy clings to him, as long as he's not hurt, and they speak to each other the way only they do, without words.

Nami quietly drops his debt down a little in her head and Brook plays something soothing.

The day will come when Zoro asks them. Not a single one of them will worry about blood on their hands.

Am I in love with the idea of morally grey strawhats? Yes

Do I think everyone is low-key terrified of the strawhats? Yes

Do I think everyone should be high-key terrified of the strawhats? Yes

#the opla scene awakened something within me #bloody protective zoro and a crew that adores him is my favorite thing to muse about #one piece #zoro #mugiwara #straw hat pirates #mugiwara crew #luffy #nami #sanji #tony tony chopper #robin nico #brook one piece #franky one piece #usopp #setting sail with greyskyflowers

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deecotan · 1 year

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rose 🌹 sanji

#one piece #sanji #some coloring style practice #at this point sanji is like my favorite muse and i'm an artist going through her slow descent towards madness #deeco art

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poolboyatthegiovannimansion · 9 months

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#mcr #my chemical romance #mcr bullets #i brought you my bullets you brought me your love #muse band #the resistance #green day #21st century breakdown #gotta be one of my favorite genders #concept album

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pluginluca · 3 months

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Hey guys I finally got around to making plug in baby art after having the idea in my brain for like 4 months.

Close ups + references:

For references. Generally was inspired by the plug in baby spin (i specifically looked at the one from ab brussels in 2003)

And his evil pose from the beginning of the MV

#muse #matt bellamy #muse fanart #plug in baby #muse band #my art #On plug in baby:#I’m extremely upset about the XX anniversary remaster of it #everything about it is GOOD but for some reason they took out his breathing #and my brain just automatically makes the whole song unlistenable #i need to hear the man breathe it’s part of the music #and like they only did that for plug in baby. its insane #On the drawing:#this is the first time a guitar has been the focal point of one of my drawings (especially one as silly as this one)#so ignore anything weird about it (i know the size is a little off.)#otherwise i enjoy how it turned out… plug in baby is (obviously) my favorite song so making this was very fun

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itsthislake · 9 months

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Shen Yuan transmigrated as a Spirit Cat AU (part 2)

First chapter.

---

The rest of the examination, all dutifully narrated by Mu Qingfang, passed in something of a blur comprised mostly of internal screaming and a great deal of cursing, and he only came back to reality when he was picked up by a pair of warm hands.

Shen Yuan flinched and looked up at the man who could only be Liu Qingge, the War God of Bai Zhan and older brother of Best Wife, Liu Mingyan. Living proof that this was a time before the protagonist joined Qing Jing Peak.

Liu Qingge died by Shen Qingqiu’s hand sometime around then, after all.

“Come on,” he said, easily settling Shen Yuan on the crook of his arm and starting to walk like this was an established routine of many years instead of something that had happened twice so far and once under duress.

Distracted as he was, Shen Yuan didn’t bother to question it until they were already flying on— on Cheng Luan again. This sword was as cool as he had imagined, now that he looked at it properly. He smacked Liu Qingge’s arm with his paw until he got his attention, then meowed in question.

Liu Qingge stared for a second before seemingly realizing what he was asking.

“We’re going to see the sect leader, Yue Qingyuan,” he explained. “I need to give him my mission report. And inform him of your presence on the mountain.”

“Meow?”

“Cang Qiong has a rule about bringing in any Spirit Cats that we find. For protection,” Liu Qingge clarified, giving him an unreadable look. “There aren’t many left, so Spirit Cats sell high in many circles. None that our sect supports, of course.”

Huh. Shen Yuan hadn’t known that, even after jogging his memory post realizing which world this is.

He remembered Colored Claw Spirit Cats being mentioned in one of the later chapters of PIDW, something about how they had all gone extinct because of human greed and whatnot. He thinks it might have been wife #629 who complained about how tragic it was to Luo Binghe before the protagonist comforted her with his tried-and-true heavenly pillar. In hindsight, that was probably the last bit of actual worldbuilding Airplane Shooting Towards the Sky had given them before deciding to write terrible papapa and needlessly convoluted harem shenanigans for the next sixty or so chapters before the end of the novel.

What Shen Yuan hadn’t known, however, was that Cang Qiong Mountain Sect actively rescued and protected Spirit Cats. Of course, with the sect long since destroyed and most of the Peak Lords dead or integrated into the harem and promptly abandoned, there was no reason whatsoever for that to come up at that point in the novel.

Regardless, it was an interesting detail of this world, as well as an incredibly convenient fact for him now.

“Liu Qingge,” Liu Qingge said abruptly. Shen Yuan blinked at him, watching the red slowly creep up his ears with slight fascination. Woah. He even blushed prettily, how unfair. “My name. It’s Liu Qingge. I realized I didn’t introduce myself earlier.”

Oh, that was very polite of him. Which was a little strange coming from the guy who chased him through a village for almost four hours earlier that day and who he just saw kick his shidi’s office door in for no real reason. Shen Yuan huffed, then rubbed his face on the man’s arm, purring pleasantly.

“Hmm. Do you have a name?”

“Meow!”

“I see.”

What do you see? Shen Yuan wanted to ask, genuinely confused as to what Liu Qingge thought he understood. Alas, for lack of the vocal cords necessary for human speech, he just settled back down instead and decided to enjoy the ride.

Flying was kind of fun, he was learning.

---

Yue Qingyuan met Shen Yuan’s sudden presence on his mountain with a not inconsiderable amount of polite confusion.

Then, after Liu Qingge explained the situation, including the results of Mu Qingfang’s examination that Shen Yuan had missed almost entirely and was thus glad to hear summarized now, the sect leader just rolled with it with as much grace as his character in the novel took anything unrelated to Shen Qingqiu.

So far, Shen Yuan’s first impression of the sect leader was very much in line with what he already knew from PIDW.

Afterwards, Yue Qingyuan helpfully elaborated on Cang Qiong’s policy on Spirit Cats that Liu Qingge had mentioned earlier. Apparently, the claws of adult Spirit Cats sold very high among a significant number of cultivator circles because of their special properties, and the declawed creatures were usually sold as ‘exotic pets’ to nobles, where they would inevitably die from either improper care or health issues brought on by the loss of their claws. If caught by the wrong people, young Spirit Cats like himself would most likely be caged and tortured to quicken the awakening of their special abilities.

Because of this massive traffic that was both somehow legal and absolutely horrid to think about, the number of Spirit Cats left had been on the decline for many decades now, and none had reached a point in their cultivation where they could take a human form in over three centuries, as far as anyone was aware.

Cang Qiong Mountain Sect, as well as a number of other sects, strictly forbade the abuse of Spirit Cats and the use of their claws to further their cultivation, as well as offered sanctuary for any that they found in the wild or rescued.

“It has been many years since the last time a Spirit Cat resided in Cang Qiong,” Yue Qingyuan said regretfully, tone somber. “When this lord was still head disciple, he had the privilege to meet with one. Master Zhou’s meridians had unfortunately been crippled before he came to our sect, so he never managed to cultivate to a human form despite achieving immortality. This one was told that he was the youngest of a trio of siblings who were rescued together, but that his older sisters had already been declawed and thus did not manage to survive long even in our care. Lan Qingyi, the current Lord of the Shan Shou Peak, was the one who took care of Master Zhou during his final years.”

Listening to Yue Qingyuan’s recounting felt like a bucket of cold water had been dropped on him. All the terrible, horrible things that had made PIDW’s worldbuilding engaging were now real. It was his reality, and that of the people who were here now and had been here before him. The reality of Master Zhou who in the end was unable to reach Ascension, of his sisters who suffered so much and died long before their time. It caused Shen Yuan’s fur to stand on end as he listened to the sect leader speak.

However.

It also felt a little bit like hope. Because, see, for every trafficker out there, for every cruel bastard out to get his kind, there was also a person willing to protect them. Willing to give Spirit Cats a place where they could grow and live peacefully.

And those people were here, in Cang Qiong Mountain Sect, offering him that help now as well.

Huan Hua Palace, on the other hand, was perfectly fine with capturing Spirit Cats and using them as they saw fit. There were even rumors that the Old Palace Master had kept one or two declawed Spirit Cats as pets not so long ago.

Needless to say, Shen Yuan had dodged a massive bullet there. It was nothing short of a miracle that Liu Qingge was the one the villagers asked for help and not a cultivator from Huan Hua Palace, seeing as it was literally their territory.

Shen Yuan had seen Huan Hua Palace disciples flying around, for fuck’s sake.

Liu Qingge’s other hand had come up to rest lightly on top of him at some point during the story and Shen Yuan silently leaned into it, rubbing his cheek against his palm in an instinctual, soothing motion as he tried to burrow his body deeper into the crook of his arm.

“This conversation has taken a dark turn, my apologies,” said Yue Qingyuan softly, when the silent became too heavy. “I’m afraid that this topic is not one that can be avoided for long and it is better to be aware of the dangers sooner rather than later. This master would like to formally extend Cang Qiong Mountain Sect’s protection to the esteemed spirit, as well as an invitation to stay here for however long he wishes.”

Shen Yuan meowed quietly in agreement, and watched as the sect leader smiled gently at him. Then the man nodded, reaching for a brush and some paper.

“We’ll need to record your arrival and arrange everything for your stay,” he informed them. Even if the heavy thoughts lingered in his mind, for now the dark atmosphere seemed to have lifted as they moved onto another topic, for which Shen Yuan was grateful.

Yue Qingyuan paused, as if only now remembering something, and looked up at them curiously.

“Ah. We require a name for the paperwork. Since it was Liu-shidi who found and brought him to the sect, perhaps he could name the esteemed spirit as well?”

Without a moment of hesitation, Liu Qingge shook his head.

“He already has a name,” he informed solemnly.

“Oh?” Yue Qingyuan raised his eyebrows, looking expectantly at him. Shen Yuan also stared, wondering what he would answer. He obviously never told him his name and he was certain that the War God couldn’t read minds.

(Well. Mostly certain, anyway. Great Master Airplane was hardly reliable when it came to developing characters who weren’t wives or Luo Binghe past a certain point in the novel, or any characters at all past another point just slightly ahead in the novel, and Shen Yuan wouldn’t be surprised if he’d somehow forgotten to mention such an important aspect of this awesome character that he’d killed off-screen.

Would he be angry? Of course. Disappointed by the wasted potential? Most definitely. But surprised? After reading that whole godawful story? Ha! As if. Shen Yuan knew exactly what he was in for when he paid for each chapter.)

“He did not tell me what it is,” said the man who, as expected, could not read minds.

Liu Qingge! Shen Yuan cried in his mind, a little exasperated.

“Ah. Of course,” said the sect leader, smiling politely at both of them. He looked like he wanted to sigh but was too polite to do so and had instead defaulted to smiling. “However, I still need a name for the report. Until he can tell us his name, how does the esteemed spirit feel about having a nickname?”

Liu Qingge frowned at the same time that Shen Yuan perked up.

“A nickname?”

“Yes. Something simple and easy to remember that we can use in the meantime.”

Shen Yuan meowed pointedly, tapping Liu Qingge in the arm. The man just stared back silently, clearly deep in thought, before he nodded.

“The children at the village called him Xiao Maomi,” he declared.

“Xiao Maomi?” Yue Qingyuan repeated, looking at Shen Yuan for confirmation.

Shen Yuan considered it. It was very on the nose for a nickname, likely because it was a bunch of little kids who thought of it in the first place, but ‘little kitty’ wasn’t too terrible all things considered. He could have gotten stuck with a name like Doudou or Danhuang. Now that would have been embarrassing.

Therefore, he meowed positively. It was only temporary anyways so he didn’t care much.

Yue Qingyuan smiled politely, reaching for a brush. “Very well. We’ll put ‘Xiao Maomi’ down in the paperwork for now. It can always be changed at a later date.”

While Yue Qingyuan wrote, Shen Yuan looked up at Liu Qingge, considering. Then he wiggled out from under Liu Qingge’s hand, earning himself a curious look that he ignored, and used his claws to quickly climb up his arm and settle on the man’s shoulder, head resting on the collar of his robes.

The reason why the children of the village had taken to calling him ‘little kitty,’ as opposed to only ‘kitty,’ was immediately obvious to anybody with working eyes. This body of his was quite small even for an average cat’s, even a kitten’s, which had worked in his favor while he was sneaking around the village and against him during fights.

Shen Yuan had originally attributed this to a lack of proper nutrition coupled with a young age, but even after months of stealing food he remained around the same size. Now he wondered if maybe it had something to do with him being a Colored Claw Spirit Cat. He made a mental note to find more information on them later.

Right now, however, his small body meant that he was the perfect size to lay down on Liu Qingge’s shoulders and not have to worry about falling, something he intended to take full advantage of.

Liu Qingge huffed quietly, but made no moves to stop Shen Yuan.

Eventually, the sect leader set down his brush and looked back at them with a considering expression.

“In regards to Maomi-xiansheng’s new living arrangements,” he began lightly. “Normally, all Spirit Cats would be sent to the Shan Shou Peak where they’d be able to settle down and live their lives comfortably. However, Peak Lord Lan is currently in seclusion, and this master is uncertain whether any of her disciples are equipped to house and care for Maomi-xiansheng, as they are all quite young and inexperienced still.”

Ah, Shan Shou Peak, the Beast Taming Peak. One of many places that only got one or two lines when Luo Binghe joined and later destroyed Cang Qiong in PIDW. Shen Yuan had always been curious about this particular peak and all the (obviously wasted) potential it held, something he had ranted about on many occasions in the comment section. Infuriatingly, that hack author had once replied to one of his comments with, “okay okay chill dude, I’ll describe more of the sect in the next chapter,” and then spent six whole paragraphs describing Xian Shu Peak’s bathhouse and all the shijies in it.

Shen Yuan had never genuinely considered murder in his past life, but by god did he get close that day. He was sure his comment, written in a fugue state of pure rage, had reflected that.

“Doesn’t Lan Qingyi have Hall Masters on her peak?” Liu Qingge said, and though Shen Yuan couldn’t exactly see his expression from his position, he got the impression that the man was scowling as he said that.

“I believe they are occupied caring for all the creatures already in-house and teaching the disciples during Lan-shimei’s absence,” Yue Qingyuan answered, tone as close to exasperated as possible while still remaining polite. “Lan-shimei’s approach to her duties as Peak Lord is very different to Liu-shidi’s, after all.”

Shen Yuan had no idea what that was about, but he could almost feel the self-restraint it took Liu Qingge not to huff. The sect leader continued before he could question it.

“Nonetheless, with Shan Shou Peak not being an option, Maomi-xiansheng will need another place to stay, at least until Lan-shimei is back. Since it was Liu-shidi who brought him here, perhaps he wouldn’t mind housing Maomi-xiansheng until then?”

“En,” Liu Qingge nodded, after a moment of thought. “I do not mind.”

Yue Qingyuan smiled in response.

“Thanking shidi.”

And thus, Shen Yuan moved in with Liu Qingge.

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riftdancing · 15 days

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WoL Question:

What's your character's theme song and why did you pick it?

#this is one of my FAVORITE things to find out about other people's characters #TELL me about the songs that drive them #that give you MUSE #makes grubby hands at spotify links because I always love listening to new music too!#don't limit yourself to just one if you don't want to #tell me about them allllll

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utilitycaster · 3 months

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As a frequent "ugh, fanon," person it's not that I don't like non-canonical character designs or interpretations as a concept. I love unique and creative ideas about fictional characters that are informed by canon but diverge from it in interesting ways that build upon the original vision! I almost never see this in fanon.

#this is about a bunch of things but rn i'm thinking about halfling tails...uninteresting repetitive pointless and in conflict with canon #more generally i get that fanworks are derivative by nature and that's the point but there's similar and there's The Same.#like. my beef with fanon is not ultimately one of HOW DARE YOU DEVIATE FROM THE HOLY WRIT #it's that it's often dull and poorly executed by people who are gathering around a single kind of stupid headcanon #there are many great individual headcanons out there but they almost never make it to fanon status #bc fanon is not a garden of many new interesting ideas. it's a single dirty pink flamingo haphazardly stabbed into the lawn.#99% of the time canon was better bc it wasn't passed through a committee that stripped it of anything interesting and made it reproducible #anyway follow for more musing on how i believe that while capitalism has DEFINITELY made art worse social media also has #most of my favorite creators end up being the ones who are either very offline or at least have very hard boundaries #and most of my favorite fan creators are involved in fandom but are also fanon (derogatory) people

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learnelle · 2 years

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A Convent Garden by William John Leech

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akitbeast · 11 months

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How many times has Kawi dreamt that his father is still alive. How many times has he dreamt that he can hug him. How many times has he wept in his dreams. His mind might think this is also a dream, but his body probably realizes the opposite; this is tactile, he's actually holding his father, and it feels different. The deluge of emotions he's going to go through when he realizes he's actually travelled in time. It's not a dream, and his father is there and he can hold him again.

#be my favorite #be my favorite the series #kawi #pisaeng #krist perawat #gawin caskey #akitbeast musings #AND IT'S ONLY EPISODE ONE #[weeps]

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1-ufo · 2 months

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Matt (or in reality probably Jar) just posted this on twitter. The Delorean.

#I’m p sure Jar is running both Matt and Muse’s social media now full time #either way #I certainly don’t mind the daily postings #the delorean is admittedly probably my favorite of Matt’s Manson guitars after all this time #it’s a classic #it’s a reference to back to the future #which is such a dear series to me #and was also number one in the box office the day I was born #I love that it’s slightly too big for him compared to the other mansions #I love that it’s the first custom Manson of many to follow #also I have a picture with it #bc #it’s the delorean #also red hair #and the sunglasses on his head

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mochixkisses · 2 months

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i'm sorry, i love you. you're my best friend, and i want you like a lover.

#mochi's musings #yandere #lovesick #soft yandere #yandere community #yanderecore #yancore #yanblr #yandere thoughts #from that one quote that's like #'you're my favorite friend i'm sorry i want you like a lover'

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rosepompadour · 2 months

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THE GIRL IN THE SONG, round one: marianne faithfull (team jagger) vs. hermione farthingale (team bowie)

IN FAVOR OF MARIANNE: - She's Marianne Faithfull! - "Graceless lady, you know who I am / You know I can't let you slide through my hands." IN FAVOR OF HERMIONE: - "They say you sparkle like a different girl / But something tells me that you hide / When all the world is warm and tired / You cry a little in the dark / Well, so do I." - "It was long, long ago, long ago / And I still can't touch your name."

#more than muses #but vote for marianne! her favorite author is nancy mitford!#hermione loses points for being bitchy about life on mars #girl if bowie wrote one of the greatest bangers of all time about me i would run up and shout about it to random people on the street #also i had fun casting this because i know i will be in my GRAVE and still bitter af about the lucy boynton/marianne biopic falling through #marianne faithfull #hermione farthingale #david bowie #the rolling stones #sixties sweethearts #the decade that swung #*

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asha-mage · 8 months

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I think, on reflection, I agree with the choice to split Hurin's role between Errol and Elyas- he's one of my favorite minor characters in the series but I can be objective and admit he's an easy cut. But it dose leave me wondering how their going to be bring in an important element of Rand's character: the noblesse oblige that Hurin instilled in him.

One of the important themes of WoT overall is people's relationship to power and government. Jordan is fascinated with the idea of how dynasty, noble houses, monarchies, etc get started, how they function, and how they fall apart. Jordan spends a lot of time and energy exploring both their virtues and their common failings, and one of the things that makes his writing unique is that he's not trying to sell a certain PoV to the audience: he is neither in the Monarchy Good or Monarchy Bad camp, but instead is interested in showing different sides and elements to these systems through his characters and conflicts.

This relates to Hurin because as much as he gets mocked sometimes for being 'obsessed with following a Lord' what Hurin is actually expressing is 1) the prevalent attitude of common people in his society and 2) a very human impulse on which these sorts of systems are based. Hurin wants to believe their is someone in charge whose sole job it is to take care of everything and make it right- when everything falls out from under him and he finds himself literally in situation completely beyond his depth, he looks to Rand to be that person, and the narrative does not judge him for it. Hurin is used to living in a system where their is a class of people whose whole existence is (supposed to be) dedicated to protecting, leading, and aiding the common folk. This is alien to Rand (who was after all raised by anarchist tax evaders), but he comes to view it as a duty and a responsibility, and one that he can't take lightly. A Whole Person is putting their faith in him, and that is both an honor and a burden, but one that is critical to the noble-commoner relationship.

This sense of Noble Obligation informs sharply Rand's relationship to different aristocrats throughout the rest of the series, especially the justice he dishes out to the High Lords of Tear (who have forsaken that obligation to instead regard their status as a right). It also become a huge part how he handles being The Dragon. After all, what is being the savior of the world, but someone with the ultimate duty, the ultimate obligation to set everything aside, from their heart to their humanity, in order to protect the innocent?

I don't doubt they'll bring this in some other way of course, but I am a touch sad to see Hurin's part in it end up on the cutting room floor.

#WoT #WoT On Prime #Wheel of time #Wheel of Time on Prime #WoT s2 e2 #Hurin #elyas machera #rand al'thor #WoT Book Spoilers #TSR Spoilers #WoT Musing #The nuanced class politics of the series are one of my favorite parts of it #and one of the things I was saddest to see get flattened under sanderson's tenure #Most stuff that engages with this topic feels the need to come down hard on one side or the other #but Jordan's gift as a writer was being able to demonstrate an even hand #Monarchs and nobles are neither all greedy entitled bastards or all virtuous paragons of duty #Commoners are not all of one mind regarding their rulers #as many follow from sincere conviction as do from fear or greed #those opposed to the system but so do those that fight for it #and most people fall in the middle taking each day as it comes #...man no one did it like Jordan

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gentil-minou · 6 months

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hold me close

Sometimes Lan Wangji misses Wei Ying even when he's with him. He forgets he doesn’t need to be afraid. This Wei Ying won’t vanish into the shadows. Sometimes, it feels like Lan Wangji is just waiting to be proven wrong. Lan Wangji has spent his entire life grieving for the ones he's loved and lost. How can he be expected to simply stop?

Wangxian | Oneshot | 13.4K | Rated E

Relevant Tags

Post-Canon, Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Established Relationship, Porn with Feelings, Emotional Sex, Grief, Mental Health Issues, Character Study, Masturbation, Oral Sex, Anal Sex, Top Lán Zhàn | Lán Wàngjī/Bottom Wèi Yīng | Wèi Wúxiàn, Working Through Grief With Sex, Grieving Your Husband While Fucking Him, tender husbands being tender, 13 years of grieving followed by a life time of healing from it

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Preview below the cut

Wei Ying visits Lan Wangji every night for thirteen years.

He arrives cloaked in shadows wrapping around him in a shroud. Long hair fans out behind him buffeted by an unnatural wind, thick at the roots and becoming wisps of smoke at the ends.

And every night, Lan Wangji welcomes this Wei Ying into arms that will never again know his warmth. An embrace that will never be shared with anyone else. A fantasy for a willing hostage, caught in a trap of his own design.

The Wei Ying in his dreams is well-fed and well-loved, skin bronze from endless summers spent lakeside, glowing with a fire stoked from within that both threatens Lan Wangji and calls to him all the same. This Wei Ying is always smiling. Not the one Lan Wangji sees in his nightmares, crazed with resentment consuming his soul. The one from their youth, the one this hostile world stole from him when he was far too young.

The Wei Ying in his dreams is not numb from grief and loss. He is not cruel. He does not shove Lan Wangji away.

He places a hand on Lan Wangji’s flushed, tear-stained cheek. His calloused hand is no longer cold and dying but instead warm and alive. This Wei Ying guides Lan Wangji towards him, a loving gaze fixed on him as a familiar smirk curls into a tease.

His dark eyes are bright and dancing, not glassy and dead. They drag Lan Wangji in, ensnaring him, rooting him in place. Though Lan Wangji has no reason to escape regardless.

Shadows twist up and down his body, leaving mark after mark in a trail claiming him. They convince Lan Wangji that this moment is real and true and won’t vanish like fog once dawn breaks over the mountain, flinging logic and sense far away.

In his dreams, Wei Ying loves him.

In his dreams, Lan Wangji saves him.

In his dreams, he has this. Everything he’s ever wanted.

Lan Wangji becomes quite adept at pretending the dreams are all he needs.

(read more on ao3)

#lol remember when i said idk if this fic will break 10k lolololol #also this fic is the fic that put my ao3 published wordcount at 100k!!!! which is like amazing for me because i genuinely never thought #i'd get there ahhhh...and im glad it was this fic too because it truly is one of my favorite things ive ever written #mdzs #mo dao zu shi #the untamed #cql #lan wangji #wei wuxian #wangxian #mdzs fanfiction #the untamed fanfiction #mdzs musings #bushy writing #mxtxnet #theuntameddaily

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