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randomprose · 9 months

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now posted on AO3!

Mo Guan Shan is sitting on the kitchen island eating a sandwich when He Cheng walks in.

He looks up from scrolling through his phone, looking a little startled.

“Mo Guan Shan,” He Cheng acknowledges with a nod before heading to the fridge.

“Uh. Hey, boss."

“Where’s He Tian?"

“Still sleepin’,” he shrugs. “Got bored an’ hungry waitin’ for him to wake up.”

He Cheng just hums. His brother has always been one to sleep in late even as a child.

“Have you eaten?” Mo Guan Shan asks, a hand scratching the back of his neck. He looks awkward standing in He Cheng’s kitchen — rarely used, all stainless steel, and state of the art — yet strangely comfortable behind the counter near the stoves. At least before He Cheng came in. This is the most relaxed He Cheng has ever seen him in his house over the years.

He mulls the question over, probably blurted out on impulse. He’s really only here to get a bottle of water.

“I've had coffee”, was what he said after awhile. He can’t quite remember what time that was. Some time between the early hours of a new day and before the crack of dawn.

Mo Guan Shan frowns, brows knitted together. The kid is very expressive, He Cheng observes. Easy to draw reaction from. He can see why He Tian loses his shit pushing this kid’s buttons.

“That’s not exactly food.”

“I don’t eat breakfast.” Never had the stomach for it. Just never made sense for him to eat so early in the morning.

“Er. It’s past noon, boss,” Mo Guan Shan somehow feels the need to remind him. He Cheng just stares at him. “Technically it’s lunchtime bordering on…mid-afternoon snack?”

It dawns on He Cheng that, given his answer, this kid wants him to eat something. Mo Guan Shan either has certain manners drilled into him — He Cheng caught him eating when he entered the kitchen so he felt the need to offer him something as well — or he has an inane need to take care of people. Just like He Tian.

He Cheng supposes that’s a good thing, if a bit of a soft touch — something that has no room in the world he and He Tian live in but is nonetheless welcomed and desired by He Cheng for his brother. He Tian could’ve done so much worse. At least He Cheng knows his brother is eating and taken care of. He swears that kid never knows how to look after himself.

“If you insist,” He Cheng allows and sits on a stool at the kitchen counter.

Mo Guan Shan visibly relaxes. Like he’s relieved He Cheng agreed he could cook for him. If he hadn’t ran a thorough background on him he’d think he’s going to try and poison him. Except the kid is terrible at hiding his expressions and controlling his body language and He Cheng has known him since he was in middle school.

“Alright. So, uh, what are you hungry for?”

He Cheng isn’t really hungry for anything, but he does acknowledge that he hasn’t eaten since yesterday and this will only be his first meal of the day. Still, he doesn’t think he can stomach a full meal right now.

“Just eggs will do.”

“Okay,” Mo Guan Shan nods. “How do you like your eggs?”

“Scrambled,” is all he says. No mention of how he likes it cooked, no preference for seasoning, no specifications of any kind. He Cheng doesn’t really care as long as it's edible and won’t upset his stomach.

Mo Guan Shan gets to work in silence. He Cheng watches him move and is not at all surprised that he knows his way around, knows where everything is. Qiu mentioned the kid is good in the kitchen, more than a decent cook, and is not above admitting that he enjoys his food despite the disaster that occured the one and only time the kids came over his place and had Mo Guan Shan made them dinner. He Cheng knows this, too. He knows that the kid is apprenticing in a family restaurant and is saving up to go to culinary school. He’s had to drop by He Tian’s place occasionally and was pleasantly surprised that his brother isn’t just subsisting on take-outs if at all.

But it’s just eggs and He Cheng isn’t really expecting anything. Eggs are just eggs after all.

After just about twenty minutes, Mo Guan Shan puts down a plate of the fluffiest looking scrambled eggs He Cheng has ever been served garnished with spring onions and what seem to be crushed potato chips. He serves it with a glass of orange juice on the side and the whole ensemble looks like it’s been lifted out of a lifestyle cooking magazine.

He Cheng takes a forkful and lets out a low pleased sound at the back of his throat.

"Good?" Mo Guan Shan asks, a corner of his lips quirked up in quiet satisfaction the way a cook is when they know someone enjoys their food.

"It is." He Cheng maintains that eggs are still just eggs but this really is good. Qiu’s not exaggerating then.

The eggs are light and cooked just right, lightly seasoned with the melted cheese adding another layer of flavor, and the potato chips give it a good crunch. He’s never even thought of potato chips as anything other than junk food.

"Yeah. Figured you and Tian like your scrambled eggs the same." Mo Guan Shan comments as he sits back down to finish his sandwich. "First time I made it he looked so pissed even though he couldn't stop shovelling eggs in his mouth. Thought he might've hated it and was just eating it to, I don’t know, not hurt my feelings or some shit, but then I heard him curse you under his breath and ask for seconds."

A thought that comes to He Cheng: He Tian eats breakfast and likes his eggs scrambled just like him.

“He hates it, but he's really alike you in a lot of ways, you know.”

Well, of course he is, He Cheng agrees. He practically raised that kid. He Tian’s bound to pick up some of He Cheng’s mannerisms and preferences for certain things whether he likes it or not.

“Coffee? Brewed a new batch.”

“Please.”

“Cream and sugar?”

“Just black, thanks.”

“You sure?" Mo Guan Shan asks like he doesn't believe him.

“I like it as it is.”

“Huh,” Mo Guan Shan sounds out before shrugging and pouring out two mugs.

This prompts He Cheng to ask, "Does Tian-di not take his coffee black then?"

It occurs to him that he doesn’t know his brother at all. Maybe there was a time that he did, when He Tian was small and only had him, but He Cheng doesn’t claim that he knows his brother beyond his childhood days. While He Tian seems to come to him more and more these days, their relationship is still rather estranged and not at all conventional, however that may be.

All He Cheng knows of He Tian is that his brother is of the good sort and that’s enough for him.

He Tian cares for his friends and cares for Mo Guan Shan in ways He Cheng will probably never understand. He’s better than He Cheng in a lot of ways that matter, more human perhaps, which suits him just fine. He never wanted He Tian to be someone their family has morphed and twisted to suit their needs and use as see fit. He never wanted He Tian to be like him.

And so He Cheng finds himself indulging in wanting to know the little things that make up his brother. Like how he likes his eggs and how he drinks his coffee.

“He does but I know he hates it. Everytime he drinks it he makes a face like it's poison.” Mo Guan Shan shrugs as he sits down across from him. He hands He Cheng one of the mugs and nurses one himself. “I don't know why he insists on drinking it this way.”

He Cheng just hums, breathing in the aroma of the coffee, not unaware of the way Mo Guan Shan is pointedly looking at him.

“Tian-di probably just can’t be bothered to have it otherwise.”

“Nah. He probably just thinks it makes him all mature and tough. As if cream and sugar makes you weak or some shit.”

Just before they both move to take a sip from their mugs, He Cheng mutters “Idiot” under his breath at the same time Mo Guan Shan scoffs it. They stop and couldn’t help to smirk at their consensus.

It’s good to know someone else can see through his brother’s bullshit.

He Cheng notes that Mo Guan Shan takes his coffee black. Mo Guan Shan just shrugs when he points this out.

“I like the bitter taste. It’s what keeps you awake,” he says before taking another sip. “And you taste the flavor of the beans better without the cover up of milk or sweetener.”

A fair assessment. He Cheng will drink to that.

For a while, they sat in silence as they finish their meals. Then Mo Guan Shan’s phone lights up. He drains the last of his coffee as he swipes at the screen. It seems a message has popped up because he picks it up and types something back. He Cheng surmises it’s probably He Tian, just woken up, asking where Mo Guan Shan is.

"Refill?" Mo Guan Shan offers, walking back to where the coffee pot is.

"No, thank you.”

Mo Guan Shan refills his cup and adds three spoons of cream and two sugar cubes. He Tian enters the kitchen with a jaw cracking yawn just as Mo Guan Shan is back on his seat and finished stirring. His brother takes the seat beside the redhead across from him and He Cheing watches the latter push the mug at He Tian’s direction. The cup is only three-quarts full.

“I’m done. Finish this.”

“You always do this. Why bother pouring a full cup if you’re not gonna drink even half of it?” He Tian quips but takes the mug anyway.

He Cheng notes his brother doesn’t make a face after the first sip. He Tian even licks at his upper lip and a corner of his mouth is quirked up.

“What’s for breakfast?”

“It’s way past noon.”

“It’s my first meal of the day. What’s for breakfast?”

“Scrambled eggs,” He Cheng answers before Mo Guan Shan could and delights at the face his brother makes when he sees what’s on his plate and realizes who made it.

‘What the…’ He Tian mouths as he narrows his eyes at what remains of He Cheng’s meal.

“You know what, I actually don’t want scrambled eggs. I want—”

“Tough shit. I’m already making them and you’re gonna eat it when it’s done.”

He Tian makes a low whining displeased sound but nonetheless doesn’t protest. “Throw in some bacon.”

“Alright.”

He Tian doesn’t offer to help beyond getting the pack of bacon from the fridge, handing it to Mo Guan Shan before returning to his seat. Like it’s routine. Like there’s an unspoken agreement that Mo Guan Shan cooks and He Tian stays out of his way. And He Cheng gathers he’s probably been shooed away and out of the kitchen when the other is at work. He Cheng can’t imagine his brother even knows how to operate a stove — just another thing they have in common by virtue of being born to money.

He Tian's attention is solely on Mo Guan Shan. His back is to He Cheng, leaning against the counter as he talks to the redhead. He asks if he slept well, what he wants to do today, if there’s somewhere he wants to go to, if he wants anything particular for dinner later. Mo Guan Shan makes a comment that makes He Tian laugh but goes over He Cheng's head and he figures it must be an inside joke between them.

There’s a kind of ease to it, the flow of their banter, the way they move around each other. He Tian certainly seems comfortable and at ease, the line of his back relaxed and lacking the usual tenseness of someone always ready to go on either the offense or defense.

Mo Guan Shan mirrors the same ease as he puts down a plate of eggs, bacon, and toast for He Tian, who turns his head to plant a kiss on his cheek in thanks.

The whole thing makes He Cheng feel like a fucking interloper in his own goddamn kitchen.

He Cheng looks at his brother with his own plate of scrambled eggs and Mo Guan Shan's mug of coffee, the one with cream and sugar he said he couldn't finish so He Tian would take it, and thinks it's the best life he could have ever hoped for him.

“Wash the dishes when you're done,” Mo Guan Shan says as he scrolls through his phone.

He Tian looks at the sink and makes a face at the pan and other things Mo Guan Shan used to cook.

“Man, do I have to? This isn’t even my house. And there are maids for a reason.”

“Tch. Spoiled brat.” Mo Guan Shan lightly pinches a chewing He Tian’s cheek, bulging with food. “Exactly. This isn’t your house. You use them, you clean them.”

“Cheng ate, too,” he nods to where He Cheng is finishing up the last of his meal. “Why don’t you make him do his dishes?” he says with a smirk, thinking he’s on to something.

“He’s letting the four of us stay for the summer.” Mo Guan Shan takes He Cheng’s plate and the empty glass of juice when he sees he’s done and soaks them in the sink. “Here. In this house that he owns. In an island that is his. For free.” He sends He Tian a look that says, ‘need I say more?’.

“What are you talking about? I’m paying for our stay here you know.”

“Oh, really? With what? Sure as hell haven’t seen you so much as touch your wallet since we got on the boat.”

“My sanity.”

Mo Guan Shan’s hand flexes and for a moment, He Cheng thinks his brother is gonna be hit over the head with the frying pan.

“Just,” the word is sighed through gritted teeth, “do the damn dishes. It’s not that hard.”

“Why don’t you do them then?”

“I already cooked, asshole. I ain't washin’ the dishes. 'sides, you're the last to finish eatin’ so you get to clean up. Them’s the rules.”

“Fine, but I'm only gonna wash mine,” He Tian declares, viciously biting on a chunk of toast.

“It's one plate and a mug, Tian,” Mo Guan Shan sighs sounding like he’s had this exact conversation a thousand times. “Don't be a little bitch and wash them all. Don't waste soap.”

“Baby, look around. We can afford the waste.”

Mo Guan Shan levels him a look which He Tian stares right back as he continues to chew. It goes on for maybe a minute or two. A standoff with just their eyes, willing the other to back down first.

He Cheng doesn’t quite know what’s going on between the stare down and the silence, but He Tian is the first to look away with a groan. The one to concede first, apparently.

“Uuughhh! Fine! Fuck it! Fine! I'll do the damn dishes.”

“Yeah, as you should,” Mo Guan Shan quips looking satisfied with his victory. He Cheng marvels at how easy it is for him when getting He Tian to do anything, even if it's for his own good, has always been like pulling teeth. “I’m gonna go call my mom. There's more coffee in the pot. Creamer ran out, but there's milk in the fridge.”

“You know I only take my coffee black.”

Mo Guan Shan watches with a flat expression as He Tian sips ‘his’ coffee with cream and sugar. He catches He Cheng's eyes and shoots him a look that says, ‘are you seeing this shit?’ which He Tian doesn’t catch.

“Uh-huh, sure.” He doesn’t bother contesting. “There’s more toast in the bread box.”

“Buttered?”

“Butter it yourself, idiot,” Mo Guan Shan shoots back making a face at him.

“Can’t even do that simple thing for me, babe? Really starting to doubt this relationship right now.”

“Good. You shouldn’t get too complacent anyway, dick head.” He hops out of his seat and swats at He Tian’s grabby hands. “Do the damn dishes or I swear to god you won’t have anything to doubt anymore.”

He Cheng watches the exchange and feels like he’s in a sitcom. He thinks about how his initial plan to get a bottle of water has led to him being caught between his brother and his boyfriend play fighting, flirting, and the domesticity of it all. He thinks about asking Mo Guan Shan how he does that whole thing where he just stares at He Tian and makes him yield but figures it would only work if you're Mo Guan Shan.

He remembers a time when He Tian lowered his pride. Impulsive, insolent, and desperate, he came crawling back to He Cheng and was even willing to go as far as becoming something he hates. All for the sake of some boy, some school friend, some little pet project that he picked up because he was bored that morphed into something else, something more.

Mo Guan Shan made He Tian care for another. He made He Tian care so much he was willing to make himself into a monster for Mo Guan Shan, but stopped him just in time from going the deep end and even made him more human. Hell, Mo Guan Shan made He Tian care about himself. And for all that, He Cheng is grateful.

"Thanks," he says as much and means more than just the best scrambled eggs he's had in a while, but Mo Guan Shan would never know it. "You really didn't have to."

"Huh. Oh, uh, sure.” It catches Mo Guan Shan off-guard, halting him from leaving the kitchen. He looks a little sheepish as he says, “It's nothing, really. It's just…it’s just eggs."

He Cheng just hums and nods at him once in dismissal.

“Why are you so mean to me?” He Tian shouts after Mo Guan Shan, who’s already rounded the corner and only shouts back, “Dishes!”

He Tian scowls but there’s no real heat in it. He even asks He Cheng if he wants the rest of the coffee, which he declines, when he stood up to get more toast before tucking back into his eggs.

He Cheng sees that He Tian is happy, thinks Mo Guan Shan brings out all the best in him, and hopes to all the gods he doesn't believe in that his brother don't ever fuck this one up.

He doesn’t realize he’s staring until He Tian asks, “What?” around a mouthful of toast.

“Nothing,” He Cheng says as he finishes his coffee, and as he stands up he says, “Make sure you bring him along everytime you plan to come over. Otherwise, don’t come at all.” And just to spite him, he slides his empty mug closer to He Tian. “And make sure you do the damn dishes.”

He gets the desired effect. The glare his brother sent him is acrid and his next words make He Cheng want to laugh.

“Don’t fucking tell me what to do.”

“I didn’t. Mo Guan Shan did.”

“Whatever. Shut the fuck up.”

He Cheng just smirks and doesn’t hit him for his impertinence if only because He Tian grumbling, “I was gonna do them anyway” has already made his day.

Later, as He Cheng sits on his desk looking over his schedule, he sees that he has an appointment with their legal team. A thought strikes him and he scribbles a curt note at the margins and tells his secretary to summon the family lawyers too.

He might as well update the family registry.

edit: now posted on AO3! glad you guys like this piece. please leave kudos and comments there as well. thank you! :)

#19 days #tianshan #he tian #mo guan shan #he cheng #he cheng and mo guan shan have a moment #in which mgs asks hc how he likes his eggs #hc thinks ht really lucked out on mgs #hc thanks mgs for making ht happy #not out loud tho lol #writing

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vxiphoid · 10 months

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PIXELATED ZEN

❨ summary ❩ genshin › genshin men playing minecraft with you ((ft. alhaitham, itto, cyno, diluc, kazuha, kaeya, heizou, & xiao))

tags ✧ modern au, drabble, fluff, chaotic energy, not proofread, cursing, ooc(?), established relationship, gn!reader, kaeya sets a forest on fire, alhaitham does not appreciate bees, mentions of pixelated deaths

amanuensis’ message ⊹ IM NOT TRYING TO KILL MY OTHER FANDOMS I SWEAR… im gonna back up from twst for a bit (im literally posting scarabia soon.) you can clearly tell who my favorites are… this unlocked a whole different part of my brain holy shit im deceased

⌜200+ e/chara ⌟

♫ blossom - t. shan

genshin masterlist

ALHAITHAM

╰┈➤ tbh he thinks minecraft is stupid, i mean, why not read a book instead of burning the images of pixels into your eye sockets😒 yeah, he’d just rather books. its a game about blocks, what could possibly be so interesting? he will admit the music is… nice. its nostalgic even though he’s never heard the track before. his favorite animals are the axolotl idk they’re his little pookies. its their little stick arms, they look so silly… as soon as haitham found out that you could color things its over, he make some sweet things like putting a sign on top of your shared house with both initials with colored dye. he’s so happy, just not very vocal about it, but he has the smallest of smiles. he definitely has headphones with the crochet sprout on it omg😭 alhaitham does not like bees whatsoever, they stung him for trying to get food. he just wanted honey :[

“look, the dog’s collar is blue. and the sign’s letters are green and then if you add a glow squid’s ink, it lights up.”

┏━━━━━━ ━ ─ ╴⋯ ⟢

ARATAKI ITTO

╰┈➤ he has waited YEARS for someone to play minecraft with him omfg. certified snack hoarder for times like these. you both literally hit each other to show love, you’ve accidentally killed him once bc he didn’t tell you that he had like half a heart… itto likes the water, hates the guardians because who do you think you are attacking him out of nowhere??? gets one shotted by the elder guardian while trying to fight it with a stick and then blames it on magma blocks pulling him down. GAMING WITH HIM IS NEVER CALM GODS💀 you cannot lay on him or anything bc as soon as those cave sounds or disc 13 start playing, he’s already done sprung out of his seat. his screams are actually really funny though, you got him a cat from how much he’s been assaulted by creepers. when you introduced him to shaders, he was so in awe. “babe i have a shadow!” type of excitement JAKEJEJDMnda.

“the cat’s name is sir arataki the third, you are now my loyal guard cat. who’s an adorable little guy?”

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CYNO

╰┈➤ look at this nerd (affectionate), ofc he plays cubecraft. loved it so much that when he didn’t have the actual game, he would play the really bad knockoffs💀 plays on console so you can sit between his legs, lean back, and game with him. cyno hate the split screen because he always gets confused on what side he’s on so he lets you use his switch, that way you’re both still comfortable. he’s more of an explorer if you do get mod packs for him, likes the horror ones the most. there’s nothing like hitting the enemy or shit talking the thing that could potentially one shot you with your s/o‼️ yall crouch a lot, its like a little dance. he really likes the disc “far” it itches his brain in the right way. definitely downloads the little raccoon mobs but then regrets it because he gives up all his berries to them, look at their little begging arms, literally how can you say no to that?? AND THEY WASH THE BERRIES. you both fall asleep to the ambience and to each others breathing all cuddled up ‘n warm. cyno absentmindedly sings the music while chopping wood or mining that shit has you SLUMPED. he kisses your head when you fall asleep, smiling like a silly goober.

“do-do-do-do do-do-do-do do, neow neow neow nneow neeeowwww… huh? oh, i’m almost done then we can go to bed, yeah? i’ll charge the switch too, don’t worry. just rest.”

(he’s singing that one part in danny lmfao)

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DILUC

╰┈➤ diluc does not understand the concept of minecraft but its okay, he’s just happy to be here. he also doesn’t call it minecraft but “cave game”, the original name, he did his research though it is rare that he actually calls it minecraft. found out that you could breed animals and accidentally made a pack of wolves. diluc is really good with redstone its actually insane😭 he’s the type to protect you the whole time while you’re getting flowers for the house, boyfriend bodyguard. diluc doesn’t play much because of his job but when he does, he’s prepared to sit for hours and spend time with you :(. these are the times where he’s most affectionate, randomly kissing your cheek, getting water for the both of you before you play, etc. luc loves the mod pack “industrial”, he can build machines, how neat is that??? also it has way more OMFP with the added features it has yk? he likes the trains :D

“is the water running…? the water’s running, they have moving windmills!”

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KAEDEHARA KAZUHA

╰┈➤ kazuha has the most expensive equipment yet doesn’t use this shit half of the time unless he’s streaming with heizou??? like im talking msi infinite rs pc, multiple monitors, a graphic drawing tablet, headphones with immaculate sound quality AND!!! the ear cups have fucking cyberpunk 3d wing guards on them. but anyways, minecraft, yes, he plays. in fact, kaedehara has about 10 beaten hardcore worlds every time a new update comes out, he must beat the game again. he rarely plays minecraft without his shaders so when you want to play the original og minecraft, he doesn’t mind, he actually enjoys the nostalgia. so much so the music is actually his background music when he’s just lazing around. words cannot express how much he dislikes (hates) wardens omg. he’ll protect you from them but if there were diamonds behind a warden, ig he’s going somewhere else😭 kazuha gives you random shit, weather that be something really sweet or questionable…

“love, do you want my rotten flesh? here<3 oh! and, i also got you some steak, you’re low on hearts…”

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KAEYA

╰┈➤ he’s heard of it, watched people play, just never played it. but when he does… he’s a menace. kaeya got his hands on flint and steel and set an entire jungle on fire… but he can be sweet sometimes! you’re the one protecting his ass while he walks around at night UNARMED to gather blue flowers for you. like you’re cute, but take a shield or something😭 he’s jumped off of a tall building before and landed on half a heart for a stack of bread you didn’t want. he’s rather oblivious to the mobs around him, he once thought shulkers were friends because they were just “silly little guys in little boxes” yk until they almost killed him. you bought him his own skin and introduced him to parrots and now its his favorite animal, he looks like a pirate!!! kaeya is chaotically sweet.

“yes, you almost died protecting me but how could you resist my everlasting love plus pixelated blue flowers?”

(has a cat unironically named ice spice LMFAO)

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SHIKANOIN HEIZOU

╰┈➤ your boyfriend is good at literally anything else BUT minecraft. its the way this game constantly has it out for him too like what did bro do??🙁 heizou stream’s with kazuha every now and again and on those, he still doesn’t know what to do… he’d rather play on the servers, bedwars in particular. extremely good at bw, you’d rather NOT be his enemy😭😭 wins almost every single game even when he carries, rank 98 in the server. yet when it comes to a casual server between you and him, the chats are filled with his deaths and his hashtagged rages💀 heizou despises silverfish which is also why he hates going into strongholds, they could get stomped on for all he cares! >:( he has texture packs with really beautiful skies and then a picnic mod so he can stargaze with you and eats minecraft cake :(<3

“oh. babe, green is heading for our bed, no pressure or anything. i loovveee youuu😚”

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XIAO

╰┈➤ xiao has the MOST downloaded mod packs, shaders, and worlds. not very expensive mod packs most of the time but when they are, they’re always good. spends his time fighting off mobs at night, #1 totem holder. he even has his own custom skin!!! he’s kinda been waiting for you to ask so when you do play mc together, you already have your own room, but when you voluntarily move your bed into his room to sleep… he melts. xiao loves cuddling while the two of you play, he’d rather your arms around him than the other way around, feels more intimate. you have matching hoodies for occasions like this. he has the dragon mod pack and has his own golden and orange dragon named ‘li’. he doesn’t talk while gaming, curses silently when he gets hit, but other than that doesn’t talk. if you want to talk, he’ll listen, he likes hearing about your day :].

“no, keep talking. i’m listening. see, li’s listening too.”

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nyangibun · 12 days

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I don't know if it's because we don't get an explicit kiss scene that the relationship between He Tien and Mo Guan Shan feels so extra special to me. Like the feeling of always being on the brink of falling over the edge on a rollercoaster. The tension and excitement and joy of them. But I also think because it's a slice of life manhua, the way their relationship developed is also so incredibly special. It's one of the most well done "enemies to lovers" trope I've ever seen. You have Mo who is sooooo deeply distrusting of other people and so insecure and lonely that he covers that up with anger and violence. Then there's He Tian who is outwardly the most self confident and charismatic guy around but who is also deeply lonely and desperate for love. Like I think to put it simply, He Tian wants to love. He wants to take care of something or someone. You see that with the dog. Like his innate personality and love language is to provide and protect. But he's never had the chance. He's the cool guy he's aloof he doesn't let himself get close enough to give that part of himself to them, though you do see glimpses of it with his friendships with Jian Yi and Zheng Xi. Then comes along Mo, his little Mo, this absolute trainwreck of a person (and I say that with so much love). At first, he keeps Mo around for the amusement. Making this seemingly angry lone wolf do his bidding. But just like He Tian, Mo is so desperate to be loved and in this case, whether he wants to admit it or not, all Mo wants is to be taken care of, to have someone help carry the many burdens on his shoulder, to know that there's someone he can always turn to. Because as much as Mama Mo is a sweet loving woman, the last thing Mo wants to do is burden her. But he's so tired and so angry. That's why these two work because they're exactly what the other needs. He Tian wants to take care of someone and have someone who won't leave him, and Mo wants someone to be in his corner and take care of him. It's perfect. They're perfect.

Thank you, Old Xian. I love them so much!

#he tian x mo guan shan #tianshan #he tian #mo guan shan #19 days

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miicycle · 4 months

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The Kung Fu Panda Movies have always had Mr. Ping give the moral of the story, and I think about that a lot. Yes, Po is usually out fighting bad guys when realizing where he should be mentally and skillfully, on his own when he gets the point of teachings. Ping is such an important person in Po's life, just as much as Shifu is needed to help Po learn Kung Fu.

Way more under the cut!!!

Kung Fu Panda 1: "You are almost ready to be entrusted with the secret ingredient of my secret ingredient soup. And then you will fulfill your destiny and take over the restaurant [...]" - Ping

"Secret Ingredient of my secret ingredient soup" being an allegory for Dragon scroll and "destiny" being Po becoming the Dragon warrior and "take over the restaurant" as being Oogway's successor.

Then it turns out the scroll is blank. And Ping feels its a good place to tell Po about the secret ingredient. NOTHING. For something to be special, you just have to BELIEVE it's special.

So Po, not needing any secret scroll or any cool powerup, wins against Tai Lung by believeing in himself.

Ping made him believe in himself. And when Po fulfills his destiny of defeating Tai Lung, he's PROUD!

Kung Fu Panda 2: "Po, your life may not have such a happy beginning, but look at how it turned out! You got me, you got kung fu! And you got noodles!" - Ping (and almsot identical quote said by Soothsayer)

And

Po: "I gotta go. I'm the Dragon Warrior, it's kinda my job to save Kung Fu. And if I don't, what am I?"

Ping: "You're my son! ... Right?"

The message is pretty clearcut, but it's repeated very heavily in the movie. Mr Ping may not be his father, but he is his dad. No matter where he came from, Po is Mr Pings son through and through and he very much loves him.

The scene where Po has been knocked into a river and saved by the Soothsayer, she says the same thing that Ping does. He didn't have a happy beginning, but what matters is who he is, and what he chooses to do now.

And the montage plays everything hes done up until now, but also empathizes the moments between Ping and Po. The last thing he sees in his mind is Ping being a dad, because he is Po's dad! Whatever happened before doesn't have bearing for who Po chooses to be. So when he chooses to be the son of a goose and the Dragon Warrior, nothing he finds out can change that.

Because Dragon Warrior or not, Po is Ping's son! Right?

Kung Fu Panda 3: "He's hurt. He's confused. And he still has to save the World! He needs both his dads." - Ping

"I realized that having you in his life doesn't mean less for me. It means more for Po." - Ping

And

"I'm not trying to turn you into me. I'm trying to turn you into you!" - Shifu

(Love how often Shifu and Ping mirror each other's roles btw they're both so important)

So these are a little less on the nose, but again super important. No matter what Po is going through, he still has to fulfill his destiny, and giving him support while he does so is the best they can do. Ping was initially worried of Li Shan stealing Po away, but realizes that bonding with his biological father doesn't take him away from Ping, just more love and support for Po.

But also, Po learning that he doesn't have to change drastically to reach his true potential. When Ping and Li Shan stand on the small platform and tell Po that they can help, along with all other pandas, Po has the realization that he can't turn them into him, just as Shifu can't turn him into Shifu, or Li Shan can't turn him into a typical panda.

Ping doesn't say a direct quote to mirror Shifu's, but he did initiate talking to Li Shan after Po and Li Shan had the liar reveal. Li never had the experience of having an arguement with his child, but Ping obviously does. So he takes it upon himself to keep being the rock that Po can lean on by talking to Li Shan and helping him realize that they have to be there for Po, no matter what happens.

Because again. Po is hurt. Po is confused. But he still has to save the world. He needs both his dads.

I love Ping so much for being a good dad in this way. He really plays well as a support character and is such a good parent. Yeah, Po may not fit the mold the way Ping expected (taking over the noodle shop etc) but hes still so proud!!!

#kung fu panda #kung fu panda 2 #kung fu panda 3 #kung fu panda trilogy #kfp #kfp2 #kfp3 #kfp po #kfp ping #kfp li shan #Long post #text post #mii talks #kfp character study i guess #kung fu panda character talk #mr ping

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m1ckeyb3rry · 1 month

Text

── THE GLASS PRINCESS // THIRTEEN

Series Synopsis: You wake up in a strange room with no memories, broken glass at your bedside, and a prince named Zuko as your only chance at figuring out who you really are.

Chapter Synopsis: Things in Ba Sing Se come to a head, taking a violent turn you are unprepared for.

Series Masterlist

Pairing: Zuko x Reader

Chapter Word Count: 5.4k

Content Warnings: complicated relationships (strangers to friends to lovers to enemies to strangers to lovers to enemies to lovers), amnesia, alternate universe, lots of secrets and lying and mystery

A/N: as seen in the chapter summary this is chapter leans on the more violent side #sorry BUT just wanted to say i love you all thanks for reading and sorry i’m so mean to your character

“Quynh,” you sniffed, holding onto one of her claws. “Quynh, they want to kill Kuei.”

She growled, low and deep, which only made you cry harder. Only when she noticed that did she stop, though her breaths still came quick and short as she rubbed her cheek against your body in a vain attempt to comfort you.

“Who?” she said.

“I don’t know,” you said. “They haven’t done anything yet, but I heard them. I heard them!”

“Tell me what they said, my dear,” she said. “As best as you can, so that there is no chance of misunderstanding.”

“They said that if I turn out to be an Earthbender, they will get rid of Kuei so that I can take the throne,” you said. “They want a powerful ruler, and they don’t — they don’t think that he can be that. But I don’t want to be queen! I just want to play with Kuei!”

“That’s contingent on you being an Earthbender, though,” she said. “You haven’t shown any signs of bending yet, have you?”

You hiccuped. “Yes. Today. I was on my way to show Kuei when I overheard the conversation. But no one can know. Pinky promise not to tell anyone, Quynh! I don’t want Kuei to be in danger.”

“I won’t tell anyone,” she soothed you. “But you are a bender of Shan’s line. If you do not learn to control your power, you will destroy this palace.”

“Huh?” you said.

“Bending without control is based solely on a wild instinct. If you do not train in some way, shape, or form, then your every emotion will be like a stone on the surface of a pond. For the everyday individual, this isn’t anything devastating, but you are the princess of the Earth Kingdom. Your bloodline begets only the strongest of Earthbenders, and so the consequences of your bending running amok are that much greater,” she said.

“But if anyone catches me, then Kuei — Kuei — I don’t want Kuei to die!” you said, bursting into tears again.

“He won’t,” Quynh said. “Listen to me, Y/N. If you cannot train properly, if you cannot learn the Earthbending forms and movements that are specifically designed to calm the mind and focus the art, then we must come up with a suitable replacement.”

“What can replace a teacher?” you said.

“I will be your teacher,” Quynh said. “And the crystals around us will be your element. Crystals are a step removed from stones, and so they are difficult for the more traditional benders to master, but you are skipping over to them entirely by virtue of your situation.”

“Will that be enough to ensure that I am not caught?” you said.

“I think so,” Quynh said. “Once you are bored of crystals, we will move on to glass. You see, dear girl, there is a truth that is oft-ignored in this new era of bending: it is no harder to move a mountain than it is to emboss a window. Perhaps one is more ostentatious — who ever takes the time to be impressed by the minute details of a piece? — but both are of the same difficulty. The explosion and the implosion are equally as destructive, are they not? If you cannot practice with the mountains that are your birthright, then you must turn to the other extreme. You must endeavor to bend with an exact perfection; allow no blemishes, so that your mind does not turn on itself in its solitude.”

“Princess Y/N,” a slippery, cool voice said as you rounded the corner towards where the tea shop was located. “It was surprising enough to see you hanging around the Avatar and his friends, but to find a girl of your birth and stature in the Lower Ring instead of in the palace is definitely unexpected.”

You froze. It was a voice you did not recognize, but if they knew you had been with the Avatar, then there was only one group they could have been from. Your swore as stone gloves warped into cuffs around your wrists, binding them behind your back and dragging you into the custody of a man wearing a familiar uniform.

“Dai Li,” you hissed. “What are you doing here?”

“Between the two of us, I do not think that you are the one who has the right to be asking me that,” the agent said. You ground your teeth as another agent dropped down beside you, grabbing your shoulder roughly.

“Long Feng will be furious,” this new agent said. “You’ve disobeyed his singular order. What an ungrateful girl you are! A princess who was given everything she ever asked for and was only asked to stay in her rooms in return. Yet you could not even do that much.”

The people on the streets were beginning to stop and stare, whispering to one another at your state. It wasn’t every day that Dai Li agents made their presences obvious — there was an unspoken awareness that they were always there, creeping about in the corners of the collective consciousness, but it was rare for them to become forefront. Even in the crime-riddled Lower Ring, it was the militia-men who enforced the common laws. The Dai Li only appeared for the gravest infractions, and for you to be led away in stone cuffs like this was a scandal of unprecedented magnitude.

“There are more important things for Long Feng to be furious about,” you said as you were pulled through the streets by the Dai Li agents.

“Nothing is more important than you, your royal highness,” the first agent said sweetly, mockingly. “The safety of the Earth King’s heir is paramount to the kingdom’s security.”

As you passed the tea shop, the door slammed open, and the Dai Li agents paused as Lee sprinted out, his face like a thundercloud, his shoulders tense and expression in a scowl darker than any you had ever seen him wear.

“What’s going on here?” he said, crossing his arms and staring down the Dai Li with none of the fear and respect that they rightfully commanded. The way he stood was if he were the one that they should be afraid of, though it was a ridiculous notion — what could a simple tea shop worker do to the famed members of Ba Sing Se’s secret police?

“Out of the way, boy,” the second agent said.

“Where are you taking Y/N?” Lee insisted. “I won’t move until you tell me.”

“Y/N? You’re on a first-name basis with her royal highness?” the first agent said. “How impetuous! It’s laughable, really, for you to think that this girl cares about you.”

It was meant to be nothing more than humiliation. By exposing your identity, the Dai Li were ensuring that you could never again return to the Lower Ring, not if you valued your life or at least your dignity. The people who lived here hated you, after all, hated everything you stood for. The spoiled princess who cared little for their suffering…now that they knew the truth, they would never accept you again.

The whispers grew louder. Her royal highness? Y/N, as in Princess Y/N? The Earth King’s sister? What is she doing here? How dare she show her face after everything? How dare she pretend to be one of us?

“Get out of here!” a man shouted. The declaration was like the breaking of a dam, as the people’s voices rose higher and higher. The Dai Li stood beside you grimly, doing nothing to shield you from the insults thrown your way.

“Is this how you royals entertain yourselves?” a woman said. “Is this what we are paying our taxes for? So that you can live our lives for fun and then go back to the luxury of your palace?”

“Give us our money back, thief!”

“Do we look like tourists, huh? Why’d we have to pay to enter the city?”

“Why are we second to a bear? Why does the Earth King care more about his pet than his people?”

“Selfish witch! You’re no princess. You’d abandon the kingdom if it meant you could live a life of luxury! You ought to be sent to the front lines, let’s see how you like it there!”

“Down with the tyrant! Down with the traitor!”

It was exactly the kind of uprising that the Dai Li had been employed to quell, but they stood there and watched, faces impassive as people came closer and closer, pressing in on you, screaming things that you could not cover your ears from, not when you were still restrained.

“Ain’t she the princess they said was made of glass? I wonder if she’ll break like it, too!”

You weren’t sure who hurled the first brick, but it was only thanks to Lee’s quick reaction that it did not hit you in the head. He yanked you out of the way, but the missed opportunity only incensed the people further.

“You have to get out of here,” you said to Lee. “This is the culmination of years’ worth of anger. I am the target for their rage, but if you’re near me, then you will be caught in the crossfire. Take Mushi and go somewhere far away until this has blown over!”

“Will I see you again?” he said. A window shattered, glass raining down around you as people began to fight one another, too. They were just furious now. They just wanted someone to hate, and whether it was their neighbor or their princess mattered little to them. As long as they could inflict the hurt they felt onto another person.

“I don’t know,” you confessed. “I don’t know anything anymore, if ever I did. But I want to, Lee. I want to see you again, and so I believe that I will.”

“Death to the Glass Princess! Death to the Glass Princess! Death to the Glass Princess!”

“You have to go now!” you said. A nearby produce stand was turned on its side, tomatoes rolling out and bursting as people stomped on them in their haste to destroy something, anything, everything.

Out of nowhere, Dai Li agents manifested, using their Earthbending to trap the citizens in constructs of stone, the riot stopping as abruptly as it had started. You used your shoulder to shove Lee away from you, shaking your head at him when he tried to protest before turning away, knowing that he would not leave unless you dismissed him in a way so inarguable that it left him with no choice.

In such a short time, the road had been utterly destroyed. The storefronts had been torn apart, glass and stray stones and smashed goods everywhere. The street itself ran red with tomato juice and pulp and blood, and the people who were encased in rock by the Dai Li were bruised and worn from the effort of the riot.

“Where are you taking them?” you said as the Dai Li moved with brutal efficiency, restraining everyone in the crowd before releasing them from their temporary prisons.”

“They’re all due for a visit to Lake Laogai,” the Dai Li agent standing at your left shoulder said.

“This is why you were forbidden from leaving the palace,” the other Dai Li agent said.. “Do you understand now?”

“I understand,” you said, though what you understood and what he was saying were at odds with one another. It was the kind of conclusion you were only equipped to draw now that you had left the palace and seen the reality of Ba Sing Se, of the impenetrable city whose walls contained any explosions and turned them inward.

As you were marched down the street towards the palace, you could not help yourself from craning your neck for one final glimpse of the ruined street where you had spent so much of your time. Your happiest days had been on these very cobblestones, in and out of these very shops.

Those days would never come back. They were gone now, destroyed as surely as the setting in which they had taken place.

You caught the eye of the man who had started it all, who had shouted at you to leave the Lower Ring. He had been forced to his knees and held there by stone restraints, and a Dai Li agent stood above him with a severe expression on his face.

When the man noticed you looking at him, his eyebrows drew together, his irises shining with fear and desperation. He mouthed something at you, or perhaps he said it aloud and you were too far to hear it, but either way you comprehended the message.

Please.

Your eyes widened, but you were shoved around a corner before you could react. And then there was a scream, followed by a horrible cracking sound, followed by an eerie, disconcerting silence.

Upon arriving in the palace, you were brought to the throne room. The throne itself was noticeably empty, but Long Feng was standing in front of it on its dais, his sly face adorned with a mournful frown. It only deepened when he saw you, and he sighed as the Dai Li agents paused before him, bowed, and then left, leaving the two of you alone.

“Princess Y/N,” Long Feng said, trying to adopt the same fatherly tone he always took on around you. “I cannot begin to describe how disappointed in you I am.”

“Then don’t,” you said. “And tell the Dai Li to free me of these restraints. What would my brother say if he saw me like this?”

“Why, certainly, he’d agree with me, if not my methods,” Long Feng said. “You’ve nearly died so many times in the city that it’s clear I was right. You never should’ve left.”

He might as well have dumped a bucket of ice over your head. So many times. How had he known about any other instance? How had he known that assassins had come for you, and more than once?

“What will happen to the people of the Lower Ring?” you said. “What will you do to them?”

“Do not fret,” he said. “The instigators were publicly executed, as a reminder to the others of the power of the Dai Li. As for the rest, well, the only ones hurt by their little demonstration were themselves. That’s an even better punishment than anything I could come up with.”

“Executed?” you said.

“As long as you stay out of it, Ba Sing Se will remain safe,” Long Feng said. “Now that the dissenters are gone, the public sentiment will return to its usual.”

“But I don’t want it to return to its usual! The people of Ba Sing Se hate Kuei and I, and for good reason,” you said. “They are struggling, and instead of helping them, we are making things worse. Surely you know this, so why have you not yet advised my brother to stop what he is doing and enact policies that will benefit our kingdom?”

Long Feng scoffed. “You know nothing of ruling a kingdom; in fact, you know even less than your brother. If you and he would leave the running of Ba Sing Se to the more qualified, then things would not be so dire.”

“There’s a war,” you said. Long Feng paled, and for a moment, his well-schooled expression dropped into a sneer. It was brief, but you were quicker than he. You saw it, and the beginnings of a theory formed in the back of your mind.

“Who has fed you such vicious lies?” he said. “There is no war.”

“The Avatar,” you said. “I’m sure your men told you that I was with him. If I am lying, then he must be, as well. Do you still deny it?”

“The Avatar is a young boy,” Long Feng said. “Young boys are prone to exaggeration and boasting. In a world that has survived for so long without him, don’t you think he would do anything to gain some legitimacy? Fabricating a conflict isn’t beyond that scope. Of course, occasional skirmishes are a natural consequence of the size of the kingdom, but an actual war is unthinkable. The world is at peace.”

“And the refugees are tourists,” you noted. “Isn’t that right?”

“You’re confused,” he said. “The overload of information that you were faced with in Ba Sing Se has muddled your poor mind, so that you are susceptible to the mind tricks of outside actors like the Avatar.”

“That’s not true!” you said. “I know what I saw. Why are you denying it so vehemently?”

Speaking to Long Feng always reduced you to childhood. With him, you were once again nothing but a little girl throwing a tantrum. It did not help that he was perpetually looking down his nose at you, like you were lucky to have gained his attention at all, like he was doing you a favor by acknowledging you in the first place. You despised it, despised how small he made you feel, despised how powerless you became whenever he rebuked you.

“I’m afraid I must ban you from your brother’s chambers for the time being,” Long Feng said. “I cannot have you contaminating his clear-headed judgment with your hysterics.”

“You’re confining me to just my room?” you said. If that was the only punishment you received, then it’d be a blessing, but of course you could not reveal that to Long Feng, who would then come up with something even worse to thoroughly chastise you.

“Maybe,” he said. “Or maybe not. How did you escape?”

“Why would I tell you that?” you said.

“If you ever want to see Kuei again, you will,” he said, his smirk growing cruel as you gasped despite yourself. “You two are all-too-similar. Perhaps you think that because you have found a way out of the palace, you are invulnerable, but I can promise you one thing, your highness: if you do not cooperate, I will forbid you from your brother for good.”

You clenched your fists by your sides. “The window.”

“The window!” Long Feng said incredulously. “Do you expect me to believe that? You live on one of the highest floors of the palace. Even for an Earthbender, that route would be suicide, but you are not so much as that. You are worsening your own case by lying.”

Closing your eyes, you bowed at Long Feng, though as a princess you were required to bow to no one but your brother. He did not stop you, though. He never stopped you.

“You’re right,” you said. “I was lying. I apologize. The truth — the truth is a little more incredible, and I had doubted you’d be convinced by it, but that is out of my control. The only thing I can do is speak it and hope you have faith in me as your princess to stand as a bastion of integrity and truth, even when I tell tales that are all but outlandish in nature.”

“Get on with it,” he said. You took a deep breath to calm your racing heart, whose pulse beat like a drum in your chest, behind your eyebrows, around your ears.

“I disguised myself as a servant,” you said. “Once I was dressed like that, no one paid any attention to me. Making my way to the kitchens, I snuck out of their door, and from there, I ran into the city.”

“No one noticed the truth of your identity?” Long Feng said.

“It’s amazing,” you said. “The kind of things that you pay no attention to when you think of someone as lesser. When I looked like a servant, I was treated as one. For better and for worse.”

You waited with bated breath, hoping beyond hope, praying to Quynh, to Agni, to Tui and La and every other spirit that he would believe you.

“It seems I underestimated you, your royal highness,” Long Feng said. “Chhay!”

From behind the dais, a man appeared. He wore the same uniform as the rest of the Dai Li, though the collar of his undershirt was gold instead of green, a signifier of his elevated status. You knew without being told who he was: Captain Chhay, the legendary captain of the Dai Li and Long Feng’s second in command. The stories told about him were numerous; he was the closest to a national hero that the Earth Kingdom had, as well as the main reason that the Dai Li were so loyal to Long Feng.

“To ensure that you never have the cause to don a servant’s garb again, I will assign Chhay to be your guard,” Long Feng said. “He will stay with you at all times and watch over your every move. In that way, we can be certain that you are where you are supposed to be at any given moment.”

“Don’t worry, your royal highness,” Captain Chhay said. Fear spiked in you, because the voice was not unfamiliar to you, and you suppressed a shudder, doing your best to remain neutral. “I’m sure we will get along.”

“Yes,” you said, fighting to keep your own voice steady. “I’m sure we will.”

Captain Chhay emanated an aura of cocky, self-assured smugness. He knew that he was powerful; maybe he even knew you feared him. Either way, he had to understand that between the two of you, he was the stronger, and so he walked with a swagger to his step as he escorted you to your room.

“Captain Chhay,” you said, holding onto your skirts, wishing you had someone there to protect you. The Blue Spirit…Lee…you would’ve even taken Sokka, at this point, though you doubted he would’ve done very much besides maybe demand the captain do a cartwheel. But you were alone, without even the Water Tribe cartwheel-fanatic as an ally, and so you had to figure out how to do this on your own. “How long have you been in the Dai Li?”

“I didn’t take you as a student of history,” he said.

“It’s one of my hobbies,” you said, wiping your palms against your bodice. “I’m sorry. I’m really nervous.”

“Nervous? Why?” he said, though a smile tugged at the corner of his lips. “Not because of me, I should hope.”

“It’s — it’s just that you are so famous,” you said.

“And you are a princess,” he said. “I am but your humble servant. As for your question, I joined the Dai Li shortly before your brother’s coronation.”

The next question was the most delicate, and you could almost persuade yourself to not ask it at all. After all, did you really want to confirm this? Was it worth it, or did you ought to leave well enough alone?

No. If you were right, then you were the only hope left for Ba Sing Se. For your subjects, who were crumbling under the oppressive injustice they faced daily to the point that they had almost killed you in an attempt to restore some semblance of order. If not you, then who would defend them? Who cared for them nearly as much? Who knew them in the way you did?

“When were you promoted to the rank of captain?” you said.

“When Long Feng was appointed your brother’s regent,” he said. “The information is public, so why are you asking me?”

“There’s no better source than the one which lived through the event,” you said. “I am going to take a bath. I trust that you do not need to be at my side for that?”

“I will remain just in front of the door,” Captain Chhay said. “Don’t even think of doing anything funny. I’ll detect it immediately, so it’d just be a waste of time for the both of us.”

Your bathtub was more like a small pool, constructed at Kuei’s behest when you had told him you longed to learn to swim. It was filled with warm water at all times by servants who never introduced themselves to you, and it was deep enough that you could float in it and not touch the bottom if you so desired.

It was only once you had submerged yourself that you let your mind wander. What did you do now? You were just the weak little princess, the girl who could do nothing for anyone, including herself. You could not even go to Quynh for advice, not with Captain Chhay all but atop you constantly. If you exposed that secret, then there was no telling what might happen, to both you and her alike.

You were trapped in a vipers’ enclosure, and the vipers were of such deadly stock that you really had no hope of survival at all. You could only submit to Long Feng’s demands, could only beg Captain Chhay for mercy, so that he was not overly harsh when the time came.

The pool had begun to cool off by the time that you ascended the stairs to leave it, wrapping a towel around you to ward away the chill you had been feeling ever since Long Feng had unknowingly revealed his hand. But that chill was internal, and the towel could do nothing to protect you from it, so after a moment, you set it aside and put on your nightclothes, exiting the bathroom with trepidation.

Captain Chhay was leaning against the wall, his hair let out of its braid and loose around his shoulders, his helm low over his brow, though he was by no means asleep, tilting towards you as you scurried towards your bed like a mouse.

“I will rest now,” you declared, pulling the blankets up around your shoulders and staring at your desk, which was at the other end of the room. It was covered with your glass sculptures, the ones Quynh had been so proud of you for making. A dragon. Twin fish. A badgermole. A flying bison. A bear, constructed so carefully that the fine points of glass covering its surface appeared to be fur, appeared to be genuinely soft to the touch. And uncountable others, each different from the rest, united only by the perfection that you had attempted to attain with every attempt.

Sleep evaded you, though you were not actively trying to seek it out, either, not when Captain Chhay still stood in your doorway, his half-lidded eyes trained on your motionless form.

If you fell asleep, there was no guarantee you’d ever wake up again. You mulled over the events of the day as you tossed and turned, hating how things had changed in such a short span of time but realizing it was necessary. It was in the end not a change that had occurred but a shift in your awareness. These things had been happening for quite some time already.

More than yourself, you worried for your brother. Maybe you could escape, could open the door and run into it and demand Quynh close it before you were pursued, but what would become of Kuei? As long as Captain Chhay was around, it was not safe for him. It was not safe for either of you.

With that in mind, it was obvious what you had to do, but were you capable? Well. You supposed you had to try. For Kuei. For your kingdom. You had to try, or else your people would continue to die, would continue to endure agony and blame your family for it, though you and your brother had never done anything but try to love them.

So you threw the blankets aside and slid off the bed, shoving your feet into a pair of slippers, and you did not pray to the spirits for help. It was your father you called upon — not the 51st Earth King, but your father, the man who in a sense constituted half of your being. It was him you asked for guidance, even though he could never give it to you, even though he had never known you enough to care.

“What are you doing?” Captain Chhay said.

“I had a nightmare,” you said. “Can I talk to you about it? I am still so — so shaken up.”

“I’m not your babysitter,” he said. “Talk to someone else.”

“Aren’t you?” you said. “I have no one else. Please, captain…I am all alone in the palace. In the world, in fact. Won’t you at least listen to me? If it were your own daughter asking, wouldn’t you want for someone to show her that consideration?”

“I don’t have a daughter,” he said gruffly. “My wife died before she could give birth.”

Still, he softened imperceptibly, making his way towards you. You backed up towards your desk, his every step matching your own as you grew closer and closer to where you wanted to be.

Please, Father.

“It was such an awful dream,” you said.

“What was it about?” he said, finally giving in, taking off his helmet so that you could see his shrewd eyes, which were as gentle as he could make them. It was almost as if he felt sorry for you, as if he were seeing his never-born daughter in your place.

“The day my father died. I saw it in such vivid detail,” you said. Your back hit the desk, and your hands trembled as you reached for one of the statues, slick fingers glossing over their surfaces before finally finding enough purchase to grab onto one of them.

“You weren’t even alive when that happened,” Captain Chhay said. “How can you dream about it?”

“I’ve been told the story so many times that it can sometimes feel as if I were there myself,” you said. “Besides, it was a dream. All sorts of impossible things happen in those.”

“That is true,” he said. “Was that all? It happened many years ago. I’m sure it was frightening, but there’s nothing to be done about it now.”

Please, Father. You disguised the twisting, undulating motions of your hands by pretending to wring them behind your back out of distress.

“Something different happened,” you said. “Something new. You see, this time, I heard the assassin’s voice as he killed my father, and to my surprise, it was one I recognized.”

“Your mind cannot conjure up new sounds, so of course you recognized it,” Captain Chhay said, though the softness was rapidly fading from his eyes, replaced with wariness.

“No,” you said. “That’s not why. I recognized it for a more meaningful reason, I know I did.”

“Whose was it, then? Are we to place a man on trial just because, what, you had a nightmare?” he said.

Please, Father.

“Actually, the trial has already begun,” you said. “And the verdict has already been decided. The voice really does belong to the man who murdered my father all of those years ago, and I know that because it was the same voice which belonged to the man who tried to kill me so many times. Because it was your voice, Captain Chhay!”

I’m sorry, Father. Please, Father. Father.

Before Captain Chhay could react to the accusation, you used your bending to impale his heart with the spike of glass that had once been the bear statue. He collapsed immediately, blood bursting from the site like a fountain, the glittering tip of the makeshift weapon poking out of his back.

“How — did — you — bend?” he choked out, voice gurgling as even more blood welled up in his mouth and spilled past his lips, forming a puddle by his cheek.

“Long Feng isn’t the only one who’s been keeping secrets,” you said, bending the glass out of his body so that there was no evidence of what you had done. Smashing it against the ground to further the deniability, you bit your tongue to push back the bile rising in your throat. “You were assigned to kill me, weren’t you? Weren’t you? Answer me!”

Captain Chhay’s body convulsed once, and then he was completely still, his eyes glazed over, frozen while looking somewhere distant, forever stuck searching for something he could not find.

You had done that. A choked sob escaped you, your horror at the deed mixing with the relief you felt that he could never hurt you again. He could never take Kuei from you like he had taken your father.

Patting your palms, now stained with crimson, against your white nightgown, you turned towards your dressing room, where the door to Quynh’s Den had just appeared. Walking towards it, you pulled it open and gave the room one final look, taking in the violent scene created by your own hands.

Then you stepped into the passageway and closed the doorway behind you for good.

taglist (comment/send an ask/dm to be added): @rinisfruity14 @c4ttheart @blacky-rose @shizko @marsbars09 @happyplaidpersonfestival @catborglar @camilleverreault @nerdybouquetofkittens-blog @lovialy @heart4hees @stefnarda @ioonatv @vvicaddiction

#zuko x reader #zuko x y/n #zuko x you #zuko #avatar the last airbender #atla #reader insert #canon au #the glass princess #m1ckeyb3rry writes

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jellyclogs · 8 months

Text

Shanks x reader: Laundry

Trigger warnings: I can't really think of any

Word count: 3k

Fluff, shanks and y/n are cute

Shanks could not take his eyes off of (y/n). It wasn't like she had done anything special today. She was just being her normal self, wearing her normal clothes. Still, he couldn't keep his eyes off of her. Even though her top wasn't tighter than normal he could swear her chest looked bigger, and did those shorts make her ass look better? (Y/n) was always beautiful to him. She wasn't the kind of beautiful that would make her a supermodel but she was beautiful. Shanks found her beauty was even more striking because it was real. Most days he could just pretend not to notice. But on days like today, Shanks just couldn't make his mind ignore it.

(Y/n) was doing the crew's laundry, this week was her turn. She had already washed it and now was hanging it to dry. She hummed along to a sound dial playing some Soul King, her hips swaying along. Shanks always loved a chance to see her sweet domestic side. Not that he minded seeing her be ruff and rowdy but seeing her like this scratched an itch in his brain like nothing else could.

(Y/n) was the crew's animal expert. Shanks had not understood when he first recruited her what that really meant. What it meant was she was an animal whisper. She could understand animals like no one else he'd ever met. It was unreal to watch her work. She could silently communicate with them. You leave her in a room with a wild animal and within two hours it's in her lap wanting to be pet.

"You know I can feel you staring?" (Y/n) turned to Shanks one of his shirts in her hands. She reached over and grabbed some clothespins out of a tiny little basket. She pined the shirt up, with a smile on her lips.

"It's not my fault you look so nice," Shanks smirked at her. He had been wondering how long shed let him get away with his staring.

"Is there something I can do for you, Captain?" Her voice had a hint of amusement to it and Shanks could see a smile on her pretty lips.

"No, just enjoying the view." Shanks gave her a devilish grin," I've got to say it is quite the view." His eyes did not leave her. In moments like this, it was easy to forget how adept she was with a set of daggers. It was easy to imagine her as a girl from a small island, that he was slowly but surely convincing her to be his.

(Y/n) rolled her eyes turning her back to him "So are you going to just stand there and watch me?" She grabbed the next piece of laundry and began to hang it up. Her hips still swaying to the music.

"Have something else for me to do?" Shanks quirked his brow, still smiling.

"You could always help me," (y/n) offered.

"Are you trying to push your work off on your captain?" Shanks gasped in mock offense. His hand came to rest on his chest over his heart, “Your captain does not appreciate it.”

"So you talk about yourself in the third person now?" (Y/n) gave Shanks a funny look over her shoulder. “Captin it's not even noon lay off the saki.”

Shanks bit his lip and then laughed. Their gose (y/n)'s silver tongue. He's always loved how quick-witted she was. Then there was the look she gave him. That was damned adorable. He could feel the smile growing on his lips, "I'll take that as a, 'yes I'm trying to make you do my work for me captain', that's not very nice (y/n)." Shanks shook his head teasingly.

"Oh feel free to just sit and watch me, but if you happen to get bored I wouldn't mind the hand." (Y/n) huffed, Finishing pinning up a sheet. Her back was still to shanks, but he could feel that she rolled her eyes at him.

Shanks thought about it for a long moment before standing up and walking over to help her, “Well I guess since there is nothing else for me to do I might as well help you.” Shanks looked at the basket of laundry she was pulling from and saw it was mostly empty.

“Only if you really feel like it captain.” (y/n) shot him a sweet little smile, “I was mostly teasing you anyways,” she said carelessly.

Shanks wrapped his arm around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder, “You're so mean to your captain (y/n).” Shanks tsked, “What on earth am I going to do with you?”

Mel rolled her eyes. She was used to shanks being cuddly. She had hated it when she first joined the crew but now she didn't mind. Not that she would tell her captain but there were few places she felt safer than in his arm(s), “We both know you’re being over dramatic.” (y/n) patted Shanks’ cheek.

Shanks took a deep breath and soaked in the feeling of just holding the beautiful woman. Holding her like this was almost torturous. He would never push his luck but dam it he wanted to feel more of her, “I am allowed to be overdramatic.” his voice had dropped an octave, “And we both know that you like it when I am.”

(y/n) felt a chill run down her spine. There were many things about Shanks that drove her crazy but his voice was at the top of that list. She had a feeling, Shanks knew just what he did to her. She was never sure if he liked her or just enjoyed seeing her squirm. “How is this helping me?” her voice was a little higher than normal.

Shanks smirked, “Oh I changed my mind,” he could feel her heart racing under his touch, “I'm gonna be a hindrance to you instead.”

(y/n) let out a soft laugh, “Now you're being the mean one.” She wriggled out of his grasp and grabbed the next sheet from the basket.

Shanks laughed himself grabbing the second to last sheet from the basket, “Ok fine ill help.”

“Well thank you, captain,” (y/n) handed him two clothespins before grabbing two for herself.

“So is this the last load?” Shanks asked before holding the clothespin between his lips and tossing the sheet over the line. He quickly pined the sheet in place.

“Yep, it's the last load.” (y/n) responded finishing hanging up the sheet in her hands and then grabbing the last one out of the basket.

“For someone begging for help, you didn't need it much.” Shanks cooed with a teasing smile.

“Maby it was just bugging me that you were silently sitting there and staring at me.” (y/n) scratched the back of her head.

“And like I told you it isn't my fault you’re so nice to look at.” shanks shot her a cocky smirk.

(y/n) thought about her next words for a bit longer than their playful conversion called for. She sighed and then asked, “Do you flirt with me because you like me or just because it's something to do?” She had wanted to ask him the question for a while now.

Shanks froze, he hadn’t expected to hear her ask a question like this. He stared into her (e/c) eyes for a moment, “I flirt with you because you are a strong, quick-witted, and beautiful woman.” he reached out and grabbed her hand, “It does help pass the time but I do it because I like you.” his thumb brushed along the back of her hand. “Do you flirt back because you like me?” he asked in a teasing but sweet voice.

(y/n) looked into Shanks’s worm-brown eyes before smiling, “Oh I like you, captain,” she purred suddenly confident. She thought about it for a moment before grabbing his collar and pulling him in for a kiss.

Shanks did not hesitate to kiss her back. He leaned down to meet her lips his hand letting go of hers as his arm snaked around her waist again. This was definitely a good outcome for him. He was smiling into the kiss. It was a soft and sweet kiss.

The two of them had been playfully flirting for months. Shanks hadn't pushed it passed flirting because it would have felt wrong. He hadn't wanted to force her into a relationship if she didn't want to. He didn't want her to feel like just because he was the captain she had to be with him.

After a long moment (y/n) pulled away. She leaned her head against Shanks’s chest. All her confidence was gone. She could feel herself blushing. The animal whisperer had very little experience with men. She was a blushing virgin and was suddenly insecure about it. She knew Shanks was a bit of a ladies' man. She knew he was experienced. Her mind began to spiral, wondering if he'd still like her knowing how inexperienced she was “Sorry if that was too forward.” (y/n) mumbled.

Shanks couldn't stop smiling, “To forward?” he hummed. He picked her up cradling her in the crook of his elbow, “You really do act like a proper damsel sometimes.” he laughed resting his forehead against hers, “But no you weren't too forward.” he was enjoying the adorable flushed look she had on her face. She was a truly beautiful woman.

“Hay (y/n) you hungry?” Lucky Roux called into the mess of clotheslines and clean clothes.

(y/n) quickly slipped out of Shanks’s grasp before calling back, “That depends, what's for lunch?” She was a little glad to have an excuse to run and hide from Shanks. She needed a moment to regain her composure before she interacted with Shanks again. She flipped the sound dial off before she quickly headed towards Lucky Roux trying hard to calm the blush on her face.

Lucky Roux rolled his eyes, “You are such a picky eater.” he laughed a smile spreading on his face.

“Yeah, I am,” (y/n) emerged from the maze of hanging clothes. “So what's for lunch?”

“Well, I kept it simple, just some sandwiches,” Lucky Roux could see the flush of the girl's cheeks and smiled harder. He wasn't going to ask why she was blushing because he had a feeling why. He could spot the top of Shanks’s head from the same direction the (h/c) haired girl had come from.

######

(y/n) spent the rest of the day avoiding Shanks. She felt like a flustered preteen girl every time she thought of him. She knew the rest of the crew could tell she was avoiding him. She figured she would explain it later. If it bugged anyone they hadn't said anything.

She had eaten lunch with Lucky Roux. The man had been giving her a knowing smile the whole time. Clearly, he understood what had happened. She was glad he hadn't pressed for details.

It had been a couple of hours since lunch. (y/n) had been hiding in her room trying to get a grip on her feelings. She decided she should go see if the laundry was dry. She was an adult woman and had responsibilities she needed to attend to. She couldn't spend all day being a flustered little girl.

(y/n) slipped out of her room. Her bare feet made almost no noise on the wooden floorboards of the ship. The sun was setting as she got to the deck. She could tell the clothes were dry just by looking at them.

She began to pull the laundry down and sort it. Each crew member labeled their clothes by writing their names on the tags just to make it easier to sort. She checked the tags of each piece of clothing before tossing it into each respective crew member's basket. She didn't bother to fold the clothes, however, she did fold the sheets and bedding.

“So you finally came out of your room?” a slightly gruff voice teased as the smell of cigarette smoke came to invade (y/n)’s nose

“Beckmen put that out,” Mel spun to glare at Shanks’s right-hand man, Benn Beckmen, “Do not make all of the clean laundry smell like cigarettes… again”

Beckmen laughed, “Ok jeez (y/n) I'll put it out.” he dropped his cigarette and squished it under his foot, “So what did Shanks do?”

“He didn't do anything wrong I promise.” (y/n) handed Beckmen his basket full of clean clothes. Beckmen was Shanks's leash. He made it his role to keep Shanks from doing things the crew would regret.

“So then, why were you being a shut-in?” Beckman pressed. He knew both Shanks and (y/n) well enough that he could tell that something had happened between them. (y/n) wasn't the only one acting weird, Shanks had been mopey since lunch.

“Well Mom if you have to know,” (y/n) threw her hands up in surrender. She hoped the nickname would get under his skin. “We kissed.”

Beckmen shook his head and rolled his eyes, “Why did that make you hide in your room.” he didn't mind the nickname, especially since it was (y/n) calling him it. What big strong man didn't like to be called a demeaning nickname by a pretty girl?

(y/n)’s face flushed, “Because I'm a dumb girl who doesn't know what to do now.” She paused before adding, “That's not me asking you for advice it's me answering your question.”

Beckmen wasn't dumb he had seen the way the (h/c) haired girl acted around Shanks. The girl liked the redhead. “Did the kiss not go well?” Beckmen asked her softly.

“I think it went good, It’s just,” (y/n) wasn't sure how to explain her concerns, “I have absolutely no experience. I don't want Shanks to be disappointed.” She winced at her own words hoping she didn't sound too pathetic.

“You have no clue how men think sweetheart.” Beckman chuckled. “Shanks doesn't care what experience you have.” he decided not to tell her that Shanks would probably be thrilled to be her first.

“So I'm just overthinking things?” (y/n) asked.

“Yes, you are,” Beckmen rustled her hair. The whole crew knew (y/n) was a bit on the innocent side. They didn't know much about her past however they had the idea she had been fairly sheltered from people. She had little cues that let them know she hadn't socialized much as a kid.

“Thank you Beckmen,” (y/n) gave the crew mom a hug.

“No problem,” Beckmen hugged her back before letting her go and picking up his laundry basket. “Go talk to Shanks when you get a chance,” he said as he walked away. His job was done, the issue could work itself out now.

######

(y/n) had dropped everyone else's laundry off to them, and now she was just standing in front of Shanks’s door holding his laundry basket. She had realized how her reaction must have seemed to him. She felt bad and wanted to apologize to him but was having a hard time working up the courage to knock on his door.

She knew she couldn't spend the whole night awkwardly standing in front of the captain's door. She closed her eyes and counted to three before knocking on the door. She had to do this.

“Come on in,” Shanks called through the door.

(y/n) balanced the laundry basket against her hip and opened the door before stepping in, “I'm sorry for avoiding you.” she said softly. It would be best to just rip the bandaid off.

Shanks looked up at her, he was sitting at his desk, “Don't be,” he gave the girl a reassuring smile, “So was it just too much for you? Did you relize you didn't actually like me like you thought? And if that's it that's fine don't sweat it. It's perfectly fine if you don’t like me” shanks did like the woman but at the end of the day he’d rather be friends than nothing at all.

“Oh no it's not like that.” (y/n) set the basket down, “I was just,” she sighed, “please don't laugh but I have absolutely no experience with relationships and I didn't know what to do. I know you are someone” (y/n) thought for a moment on how to say it, “with a lot of experience and not usually interested in a monogamous relationship and I wasn't ready to have the conversation of what we are now or if our relationship had changed.”

Shanks silently stared at (y/n) for a long moment, “That has to be the nicest way I have ever been called a man whore.” shanks grinned at (y/n) hoping that cracking a joke would help ease the tension.

(y/n)’s blush grew, “I didn't mean it like that.” She frantically tried to correct herself.

“You’re not wrong, I usually don't go for monogamy but most of the people I'm getting with arnt on my ship. There is usually a mutual understanding that it's just a one-night stand when I'm hooking up with someone. But that's not what I want with you.” He stood up and walked over to (y/n).

(y/n) fidgeted with the hem of her shirt, “What do you want with me?” she asked her heart racing again.

“I want you to be my girlfriend,” Shanks reached out and set his hand on her cheek. He really did mean it. (y/n) was a beautiful, intelligent, sweet, and capable woman. If he would settle down for anyone it was her.

“I want to be your girlfriend,” (y/n) leaned into Shanks’s touch. She liked the feeling of him touching her. She wanted to no longer hide from that.

Shanks stepped in close to her, wrapping his arm around her waist, “Well then you’re my girlfriend.” his voice was inching closer to the deep husky tone that drove (y/n) crazy.

(y/n) smiled wrapping her arms around his neck, “I'm your girlfriend,” she purred smiling ear to ear.

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twig-tea · 4 months

Note

Top 5 Couple Fights

Oooooooh this is fun! Thank you for a relatively easy category because so often the fights in these shows are unearned and it is very frustrating. I'm still limiting myself to 2023!

Wen and Alan, Moonlight Chicken

This fight felt real, it felt lived in, and it felt heartbreaking even though we only saw some of it. These two men love each other, but love isn't enough to keep them together, and that realization is as heartbreaking as the fight itself.

My Personal Weatherman

I am obsessed with the fights in My Personal Weatherman because the characters often don't know they're in one, or are in two different fights at the same time. This is all tied to how much I love how well the miscommunication is done in this show. These fights are legible based on what we know about these characters and what they've seen, even when they're completely unnecessary, and I adore that. Of course the best one is the ending fight and not just because Segasaki ties up Yo's wrists in his shirt.

Jack O'Frost

[Not enough gifs of this actual fight and I need to finish this list so this is what you get]. The fight at the very start of this show escalated so quickly, at first I wasn't sure about it even while I appreciated the performances and the intimate way it was shot. But when we get the backstory and we finally understand how much has been withheld and said vs. not said between them, and where their anxieties were rooted and the source of these big feelings, this fight makes so much more sense. This is a show that really benefits from being watched more than once.

La Pluie

[for some reason tumblr is giving me this link to Shan's blog rather than @liyazaki so tagging you, friend!]

Patts was pushed and pushed and pushed, and he lashed out in his insecurity, and when he asked for reassurance (this lineeee) Saengtai refused to give it to him and instead lashed out out of his own insecurity. This was a painful fight that was fully earned; all of the characters and their choices were legible even as they were infuriating. And it led to a critical awakening of Saengtai who was so caught up in his own sad boy narrative he hadn't realized how much he was hurting everyone around him.

My Beautiful Man S2

Kiyoi and Hira's communication issues continuing past S1 is very believable. I said elsewhere that Hira's work on his self-worth is more like a spiral than a straight line and that's very relatable and realistic. Kiyoi being hurt by Hira not valuing Kiyoi's feelings was such an important lesson for Hira to get more than once. Again, so earned, and resulted in the characters self-reflecting and moving a little closer to whatever a healthy relationship means for these two lol

Laws of Attraction

How much do I Love Tinn seeing right through Charn and Charn being big mad at him for Perceiving him so well? All of their fights are so good because they're about boundaries and mutual respect at their core, and they actually listen to one another and are based on how well they know one another (rather than what so often happens, when the characters seem to forget who the person they're in love with actually is). This barely counts as fight but I love it and it's my list so it stays.

Bonus entry that's only for me (shh stop counting the above):

Mr. Cinderella S2

Nobody but me and like 2 other people watched this show, but I'm actually obsessed with the couple fight in Mr. Cinderella s2 so thank you for the chance to rant about it on main some more. I need to start by saying: this plot is ridiculous and the ending sucks. But within this show, Dung and Khoa have an established relationship that has been tested in S1 and is being tested harder in S2, and to a point, they actually stand together and weather the storm, and it was rewarding to watch. And then slowly everything happening ("everything" here being an ABSURD amount of melodrama) starts to wear on Khoa, who sees himself as the one solely responsible for everything, and he unlearns some of what he learned in s1, he stops relying on Dung as his support, stops telling Dung what's going on because he doesn't want to burden him, and stops trusting Dung's word about what is happening. And so, when the jealousy plot hits, it's actually believable that Dung would be mad at Khoa, not for cheating, but for not respecting Dung as a partner in their relationship. It's well done, I wish so much that it were in a better show so that I could actually recommend anyone watching (I don't). I've seen this trope (assumed cheating) done so badly and so unearned in so many shows, this was so refreshing.

Extra bonus: Best couple fight scene of all time?

Gameboys S2

[I give up on gifs of this scene; have them upset for other reasons instead!]

What I love about the way they fight in this show is that, beyond it being earned etc. etc., the dialogue is so raw. They repeat themselves, they just yell over one another, they get rude, they try saying something to de-escalate and it gets worse instead. This is not a carefully crafted speech, or a single perfectly delivered devastating line; this is raw emotion. I recognize this fight, I've been in this fight, this is what I sound like when I fight lol And we see them really fight at least twice, and the way they fight in ep8 has changed as a result of the earlier fight is also SO good.

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rainbowsky · 9 months

Note

Hello Rainbowsky,

Is it true that someone really booked 26 screenings of One and Only. Or is it a rumour?

And if it’s true, 26 screenings mean it is dedicated to WYB’s 26th birthday.

So, WYB, Chongqing, very rich and anonymous identity does not it points to one person? => XZ

What do you think?

Hi Anon! 😊

Fake, fan fiction, CPN.

It's true that there were such bookings made in Chongqing (GG's hometown, and where his family lives).

It's not proved who is behind the bookings, but the number is an interesting coincidence given that DD is turning 26 soon. We know that GG and DD often signal their birthdays this way.

And whoever it was bought all the expensive high end theaters where tickets are difficult to sell, and left the affordable ones for passersby, which was thoughtful - like a rabbit we all know.

(source)

The same thing was done for Born to Fly. 30 screenings were bought out. A friend told me that a box office analyst even took note of it, saying that the film was doing better in Chongqing than anywhere else in the country. 😅

Other celebrities have been buying screenings - a long list of them, some of them including (source):

Kara Wai - Hu Jun - Wang Chuanjun - Victoria Song Qian - Yin Zheng - Wu Lei - Yu Shi - Ni Hongjie - Qiao Shan - Wang Shengnan - Meng Hetang - director Su Liang - Wang Yitai - Dong Sicheng - Jia Ling - Jia Bing - Liu Xiaoshi - Huang Yi

And there are likely more who've booked screenings, but they're all open about it, and post openly about their support for DD and their best wishes for the success of the film. And no one is booking a large number of screenings like this.

30 screenings, 26 screenings - this is an extravagant expense, and done anonymously. That points to GG AFAIAC. He doesn't do half measures. He drops bombs, as we all know. He's not subtle.

Yes, it's a gift but I think it's also a flex. He's showing that he supports DD in a big way, and will spare no expense.

Those who know, know.

DD said Leos love to be praised. This is definite praise. It's sweet to picture DD's smug spoiled smile when he finds out about things like this. He knows he's loved, and he knows that others know it too. That's something that would definitely please him.

Of course, this is total CPN. We have no way of verifying.

#bjyx #yizhan #the mysteries of yizhan #dd drops candies gg drops bombs #one and only #ask

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timetravellingkitty · 3 months

Text

Mulan 2020 sucks lol

Written and edited by yours truly

So, Mulan 2020 happened. And I am disappointed. Seriously disappointed. It is utter garbage. I would genuinely prefer it if I watched Mulan II 5 times in a row, and that's saying something.

There is so much to talk about because this has so many issues. I don't think my brain can handle a movie as bad as this for some time. It is a disgrace to the original animated movie.

(Who cares about spoilers?)

And yes, I can and I will compare it to the original movie because it is a remake. It is totally valid to see where this fell flat and where the original succeeded. I'm not saying it has to be like the original cartoon, that is stupid. As I mentioned, it's to highlight the failures of this movie.

Besides, even if we forget the fact that it is a remake, this movie is still horrible.

INTRODUCTION

Mulan 1998 is a classic. It has great visuals, an awesome soundtrack, wonderful and compelling characters, a great message and a cool plot. It's just a great movie in general. It is an adaptation of The Ballad of Mulan, a Chinese legend. Both the legend and the animated movie are about a young girl named Mulan who disguises herself as a man to take her father's place in the army to fight back against an invasion.

As big of a success Mulan was, Chinese audiences thought some things were weird. For instance, having a dragon be a comic relief character, given that dragons are highly respected in Chinese culture. So of course, Disney decided to try another shot, claiming that they wanted to be more culturally sensitive, accurate and closer to the original ballad.

Mulan 2020 is a remake of the original animated movie, and was marketed to be more "accurate to Chinese culture and the Ballad". This claim is, of course, false, because they failed in that aspect. Say what you will about the cultural inaccuracies in Mulan 1998, but at least it was a great movie. Besides, Mulan 1998 didn't pride or market itself on being culturally accurate, the way Mulan 2020 did, so there's that.

CHANGES

I don't mind some changes. And honestly, if there's one thing I appreciate, it's that it isn't a carbon copy of the original (looking at you The Lion King 2019).

Li Shang's character is divided into two characters: Commander Tung and Mulan's love interest Honghui, apparently in light of the Me-Too movement. This is a dumb reason. Disney wasn't comfortable with a superior having a relationship with a subordinate? The hell? The romance between Shang and Mulan was only insinuated at the end, when Mulan wasn't even a part of the army anymore, so there's that. Also, Mulan gave her consent, so I don't know what they’re talking about.

Mushu isn't present in the movie. I can see why though. He contributed quite a bit to the soul of the animated version but a CGI dragon would be very distracting. Also, the director said that removed him to achieve a more realistic tone.

Grandma? No grandma. Mulan has a sister though, who only exists to mess stuff up.

The Huns are replaced with the Rourans and Shan Yu is replaced with Bori Khan.

Mushu is replaced with a phoenix, who acts as an emissary for the ancestors

There are no songs, except in the end credits, which isn't a bad thing. The instrumentals of the songs in the animated one play during some scenes (I'll talk about the music, don’t worry)

CHARACTERS

The characters in this movie are so boring. Our lead character Mulan lacks the charisma her animated counterpart had. She's utterly bland, uninteresting and poorly written. In the original, she knew she wasn't physically strong and that she couldn't solve her problems with her strength, so she used her intelligence and wit. She excelled by working hard and being strong willed and determined. This Mulan is a well rounded character.

Mulan in the live action is given Chi powers (Chi is a big part of Chinese medicine, in case you didn't know). Honestly, I wouldn't be as mad at Mulan being given superpowers, had they actually done this properly! Chi isn't like midichlorians, it's something that flows through everyone. Mulan is naturally born with dumb superpowers and has to hide them because as her dad says, " Chi is for warriors, not for daughters”. There is a problem:

It has been mentioned many times that Mulan needs to hide her superpowers otherwise she will be shunned and ostracised. Then why doesn't she get more repercussions everytime she uses her powers? The worst thing that happens is little Mulan getting looks of disgust when she uses them. On other occasions, when she is now a part of the army, she uses her powers in training and she doesn't get any backlash? What the hell?? Then why even bother in the first place?

The only way for this narrative to work is if Mulan got more repercussions for using her powers.

If I were to make the line "Chi is for warriors, not daughters," work, I would make it go something like this:

*At the end of the movie when Mulan comes home*

Dad: Didn't I tell you that Chi is for warriors, not daughters?

Mulan: "I am a daughter, but I'm a warrior too."

(Yes, I know this is similar to a scene in Avatar: The Last Airbender, but this would be better, tbh. Also, watch Avatar: The Last Airbender)

Let me compare the training montages from both movies.

In the animated one, there is an absolutely AWESOME montage of Mulan training side by side with her companions, slowly gaining their trust. She climbs the pillar with both medallions by using her wit, not by brute force. This Mulan worked hard. Besides, the fact that "I'll Make A Man Out Of You" plays over this is the only thing that makes it better (banger song, thank you Donny Osmond)

In the live-action, Mulan is supposed to lift up buckets and climb on top of a mountain. There are also other training scenes, but those aren't very important. In these scenes, she succeeds with the power of CHI. WHY? Mulan here just achieves her goal because she is oh so special. She didn't work to achieve her goal at all, because she is perfect. No struggling or development here at all.

Mulan in the animated version was more concerned about saving her father. Mulan in the 2020 version is a dumb patriot who can't even do patriotism right ("I know my place. It is my duty to fight for the kingdom and protect the Emperor") How very empowering.

In short, live-action Mulan can do no wrong. She has no flaws, no personality and no charm. Everything comes to her pretty easily, because MAGIC.

Li Shang's role in the live-action is divided between Commander Tung and Mulan's love interest Honghui, as mentioned before. Both of these characters are flat, dumb and boring. Tung exists to tell Mulan to cultivate her Chi and to train these idiots (and to offer his daughter’s hand in marriage to her, unaware that Mulan isn’t actually a guy, but eh). Honghui is there to be a stupid love interest, who gives us an “I am Spartacus” moment.

The witch is by far the most interesting character. She actually has more than one side to her, has SOME kind of depth and you can even feel sorry for her. She is supposed to serve as a foil to Mulan, given that both have similar powers. In case you've forgotten (which is something I wouldn't blame you for), she's an outcast who's now working with Bori Khan. Why is she an outcast? Because of her Chi. The witch has said many times that she could kill Bori Khan in a snap, then why doesn't she kill him? Because she needs acceptance? What the hell? She decides to pull out the whole "We're the same, you and I," stupidity to Mulan, and I can see that. It's just that the writers just didn't put much thought into it. “It’s too late for me” because you saw a woman leading an army of men? Also, why does she warn Mulan that Bori Khan is coming? Unless she's playing both sides, except her motivations aren't made clear enough for this to make sense. Finally, she dies for the dumbest reason. God, it just makes me so mad. She had so much potential, but no. They just had to mess her up.

Bori Khan? MORE LIKE BORING KHAN. Not much is there. His animated counterpart Shan Yu was scary and contributed to some of the darkest moments in the movie. This guy over here is just...nothing. That's all I have to say.

Mulan's sister is only there to mess up the meeting with the Matchmaker. What a stupid change. First off in the animated version, it's Mulan who messed up, because she isn't perfect. She fails at being stereotypically feminine AND masculine, but in the live-action, she literally pulls off a Spiderman cafeteria scene, and the blame is put on the sister. In the animated movie, this scene is groundwork for Mulan wanting to prove herself and going on a hero's journey, providing depth to her character, but in the live-action, she's perfect. What is the point? (I know this section was supposed to be about the sister, but eh). The sister doesn't provide anything else to the movie, so thanks! I hate it. Moral of the story: Girls can do anything boys can, as long as they have superpowers. If you are born special like Mulan, you can be respected, whereas if you are like the sister, you have no significance and in the end, you can just fit in and be irrelevant. Congratulations!

The live action group of guys Mulan met and befriended in the army lack the charm and comedic timing of their animated counterparts. That’s it. Seriously. I have nothing more to say about them, because they don't really have anything going on. I don't even know why they are included, because their contribution is nil, save for them blandly speaking lines from the animated version’s songs ("I don't care what she looks like, I care what she cooks like"), which is seriously cringe.

The dad is there to tell Mulan that Chi is for warriors. A shame, because I really liked the dad in the movie. He was a source of wisdom for Mulan, whose greatest honour was having her for a daughter. In the live-action, he just takes the sword that Mulan is given at the end of the movie. The mom is meh.

The emperor is also meh. At least he was wise and cool in the animated version, but here he just does bed sheet kung-fu.

Did I mention that the dynamics between the characters are unnatural, forced, awkward in a bad way and in no way indicates any chemistry between them? Oh yeah, I didn’t, until now. They don’t establish much when it comes to emotion.

Simply put, Khan (Mulan’s horse in the animated version) had more personality than all of these characters combined

PERFORMANCES

Liu Yifei as Mulan was a pretty terrible choice. She is just a block of wood, who has absolutely no range, and this isn't because of the writing. She is genuinely bad, and is regarded as one of China’s worst actors (I kid you not). She just can’t emote.

Jet Li as the emperor is meh. But hey, he doesn’t have much to do, so eh.

Jason Scott Lee as Bori Khan is fine. He doesn’t suck, but he lacks the command and authority of a character who is supposed to be intimidating, but I guess it has something to do with the writing of his character.

Donnie Yen is a martial art legend, but unfortunately, he doesn't have much range as an actor.

The best performance of this movie is that of Gong Li, who played the witch. Honestly, she is charismatic, charming and has an idea of what she is doing.

To save everyone’s time, simply put: most of the performances are bland and mediocre. Partly due to bad writing and partly due to most of the actors not being, well, good at acting.

CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL ACCURACY

So Disney went all “we like cultural and historical accuracy”, which is nice. For example, the Huns are replaced by the Rourans, a real tribe in China around the time Mulan was supposed to be alive. They also removed the hair cutting scene, because as iconic and awesome as it is, it doesn’t make sense. Chinese men wore their hair long too. You know what? I like these kinds of changes. I appreciate accuracy. If only Disney didn’t pride themselves on their accuracy when they got almost everything else wrong (They somehow got Mulan's house wrong lol). I don't know jackshit about Chinese culture so just go watch that Xiran Jay Zhao video it's very swag

THE BALLAD OF MULAN

In a surprising turn of events, this isn't accurate to the Ballad, like they had marketed it to be (I know, I’m shocked too). In a reference to the Ballad, Mulan is riding a horse and she sees two rabbits running side by side. She goes home and tells her family that she saw 2 rabbits, and she thinks that one was male and the other female, but she wasn't sure. This just misses the entire point of the Ballad.

Long story short, Mulan in the Ballad is actually a seamstress. She joined the army in her father's place. She defeats the barbarians and goes on a ten year long campaign with her friends, after which they meet the Son of Heaven (a sacred imperial title of a Chinese emperor). He offers her a high ranking position, which she refuses, because she just wants to go home. She returns home and her family welcomes her. Sometime later, her friends come to visit her, and they find out that she is actually a woman. The friends are shocked because she has been in the army for 12 years and in those 12 years, they didn't even realise that she was a woman.

Mulan then replies:

The male hare's feet hop and skip

The female hare's are muddled and fuddled

But when two hares are running side by side

How can you tell the male from the female?

Which is where the poem ends.

So, Mulan just going on, judging those rabbits like that makes absolutely no sense. The Ballad is about how no matter how different men and women look, when they live and fight amongst each other, who gives a damn about the differences? You know what would have made sense though? If Mulan got off her horse, went close to the rabbits, examined them, and then made the conclusion that one is male and the other is female. This would actually be sticking to the message of the Ballad. Also, why do they make it ambiguous as to whether she accepts the high ranking position? I assume for a sequel (yes, God save my soul). Here we can see another example of its impeccable accuracy to the Ballad.

THIS ISN'T EMOTIONAL AT ALL

Everything that made the original film good has been stripped away. Every moment that is meant to be emotional is very dull. For example, the scene where Mulan makes the decision to take her father's place in the army is supposed to be a very powerful scene. Mulan is risking it all just so her dad can be safe. She might be killed if discovered, and her family would be dishonoured.

When Mulan comes back from the Matchmaker, she has a moment of reflection while singing "Reflection". This is the beginning of her personal journey, discovering who she is. In this, after Mulan comes back from the Matchmaker, she doesn't have a moment of reflection. The army immediately shows up. Am I really supposed to believe that Mulan feels bad about this? That Mulan is really struggling?

When Mulan’s friends are singing, it suddenly shifts to the striking scene of the burnt village. This, in my opinion, is the best use of tonal whiplash. From this point on, things are getting serious, and the emotional weight of this tragedy is felt. In this, they just randomly show up at the village. There is no seriousness (stop trying to tell me this movie is adult, mature and serious, it just looks like that on the surface).

Their attempts at being emotional are poor and unconvincing, and ultimately, the end product is an emotionless, soulless, depthless entity.

THE MUSIC

The director mentioned in an interview that she didn’t add songs into the movie because it is “unrealistic to break into song when you're in war”, and I don't think I’ve heard anything more false (apart from the concept of a flat Earth). Even I, who isn't going into war anytime soon, know this is false. They instead inserted instrumentals from the original film. Except, it's very weirdly placed. The instrumental for Reflection is placed when Mulan is fighting the Rourans after she reveals herself to be a woman. Like, there isn't any context. In the end credits, they had the original song "Loyal, Brave and True" sung by Christina Aguilera, which was nice. I don't really have much to say in regards to the music. The music is overall forgettable.

THE ACTION

The action may seem weird, but this kind of martial arts is a part of the Wuxia genre, which is what they were going for. Well, they failed. The choreography is bad, the CGI is bad, EVERYTHING is bad. Honestly, if you want a good Wuxia movie, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon exists. The action is here stupid and stiff.

OTHER DUMB STUFF

Why does Mulan take her armour off before going into battle? That is just stupid. Can't you just take the bindings off? Also, WHY OPEN YOUR HAIR-

Mulan really likes kicking spears (and pointy stuff in general). Seriously. It’s weird.

The CGI is okay I guess, I don't know. The phoenix in some scenes looks pink to me. There are some pretty visuals though.

It is very obvious that there is a green screen used in the scene where Mulan and her friends find the burnt village. And it looks bad. Pretty ugly. It looks bad. The green screen looks bad.

The war strategy is just weird. I can't really say anything about it in text form because how am i supposed to describe it, help- (she literally teleported behind the bad guys in the avalanche scene-).

I like how the animated film, which had a dragon as a comic relief and other silly stuff, is more mature than this.

For what joy does Mulan get another sword from the army? Also, shame the dad is all “oh look at the values written on the sword, they are honourable” even though in the original the greatest honour was having her for a daughter.

How was Mulan even able to tell the gender of the rabbits?

Why not just try to send a warning to the Emperor that the Rourans are coming to get him?

Why does Commander Tung let Mulan lead them-

I AM SO DONE

Well, I think I have said everything I wanted to about this movie. I know I havent talked about its controversies but honestly, I am done. I am so done with this. This document took 5-6 months of my life. I am kind of proud of this, and there isn't much I have done to be proud of. I did procrastinate on this a bit, and I had stuff going on, but finally, I am done. In the future, if I remember something, I'll add it here, but I think that is unlikely. I never want to watch or even go near Mulan 2020 again. It's horrible, and there is barely anything redeemable. I hate it here. It’s been reported that a sequel is in development. If it’s true, of course I’ll watch it, how else am I supposed to validate my self hate? I am also, of course, the resident “friend who suffers for everyone else’s entertainment”. If you want a live action remake of Mulan, Mulan: Rise of a Warrior exists. Go watch it, it’s free on YouTube with subtitles. I really liked it.

If you’ve somehow made it this far, thanks for reading. I congratulate you for putting up with whatever this is. I would also like to take a moment to congratulate myself for actually committing to this. It was painful yet fun to complain about this to the best of my ability. If anyone wants to add anything to this, feel free to do so. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m out. I have lost my faith in humanity, and I have other things to complain about.

#this was written 3 years ago. are you proud of me yet #i should mention. the animated mulan is one of my favourite movies ever so 😙#rava is an artist

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raya-hunter01 · 10 months

Text

Lights, Camera, Action! Pt.1

Lights, Camera, Action!

Jey Uso x Black Female OC! (Shantell)

Roman x Black Female OC! (Tangela)

Solo x Black Female OC! (Sofia)

Jimmy x Trin

Rating: 18+

Warning: Smut; oral, sex, spankings,fluff, handjobs, masturbation

Words: 11,212

It’s the night before the MITB PPV and the bloodline Civil War match is vastly approaching. How do you keep it together as Smackdown’s production director and navigate your life as the girlfriend of Mr. Main Event Jey Uso? Follow Shantell as she navigates her life as a girlfriend, sister, and confidant to the bloodline. Follow her on her journey to self-discovery of love and happiness.

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Camera ten pan over, Camera eight get ready! I want that final shot of Jey and Joe before the brawl! Then we are going to pace it going back and forth between camera five and eleven. Stu it’s about to get wild stay safe, and rock it like the rent is due! “I said into my headset.

“I got you Shan, let’s go to work.” Stu responded.

“Let’s make it count guys in 5,4,3,2,1.” I say looking at the monitor feeling antsy not wanting to miss a moment.

We’re all on pins and needles as Roman walks up to Jey. “You gon step up now, you a big tough guy now, huh. “What you gon do?” he shouts as Jey begins looking down and around with an expression of apprehension.

“You ain’t never done nothin, you understand me? “You are nothing without me!” Roman continuously yells at his cousin who he has spent the last three years being abused by the Tribal Chief.

“Alright camera five we are coming your way.” I say as the action seems about to pop off.

“I got you Shan let’s do this.” Scott said as a familiar voice rang out in our ears through our headsets “The civil war has begun!” stated Michael Cole as the brawl breaks down between the bloodline as Jey pie-faced roman right into a superkick from Jimmy.

“Cameras eleven and five let’s take it home guys. Hard cameras keep your eye on the ring, you got five seconds before it goes to you, then back to camera five. Camera eleven I need my shot!” I shout into my headset feeling myself in the zone.

“Jey Uso! Takes out the bloodline, the civil war continues tomorrow at “Money In the Bank! “Michael Cole screams as camera five take us home with a final shot on Roman writhing on the floor.

The show was done, and we made it through, the atmosphere in London is so magical and overwhelming at times but we had a great time directing the show. My name is Shantell, but everyone calls me Shan for short. I’m not one to toot my own horn but I’m the first woman to run WWE Smackdown production ever and a black woman at that. I take pride in my job being that I’ve been a fan of wrestling all my life.

I have been employed by World Wrestling Entertainment for almost three years now. “Jesus!” I scream as I feel someone grab me around my waist from behind and kiss my neck. “Hey baby” the sweaty figure whispers into my neck before dropping a kiss on the sensitive area. A chill ran down my spine because I know that deep sexy drawl anywhere.

“Jey, you scared the shit outta me!” I exclaimed as he let out a little laugh and turned me around in his arms to face him as I wrap my arms around his neck.

“Well, you know it had to be me, who else would steal a kiss?” he questions with a sly smirk.

“It could have been anybody, you know how some of these men been trying to get at me all of a sudden since we been dating.” I smirk watching his facial expression turn territorial, almost challenging.

“Ma, ain’t nobody crazy enough to try to take what’s mine.” He says scrunching up his face a little bit before stealing a quick kiss.

“Well, that would be hot if it didn’t sound so ……You Tarzan me jane- ish.” I whispered against his lips before stealing a kiss myself. We both held it together for a few seconds before we fell out laughing.

Yep, as you can guess Joshua Fatu is my boyfriend he is best known to the world as Jey Uso. We’ve been together almost four months even though we’ve known each other for five years. Everything is still fairly new to us, and we are navigating the waters from being friends to being in a relationship.

“Hey Uce.” said Jon aka Jimmy Uso walking up to us and giving me a hug and a kiss on the cheek. “Hey big guy! Great job out there.” I said as Joe and Solo came up and I hugged them as well. “How did we do baby girl?” Joe asks as I embrace him. “You all were awesome I had fun directing you guys tonight. “I said excitedly.

“Fun my ass! It was a blast; we might need to do a behind the scenes video of you guys directing a segment. Pure passion and at times comedy gold,” said the COO of the company Paul Levesque said as a few of us from production began laughing.

I wrapped up my final work of the night and met the guys at the bus. I saw Jimmy off to the side, ending his phone call looking very upset. “Hey everything ok?” I asked as I saw the longing in his face.

“Yea just missing Trin, it’s a big day tomorrow and I’m so use to having her here.” He says rubbing his hand across his tired face.

“Hey, it will be ok, I know it is hard but if anyone can do this it’s you and Trin.” I say as he nods his head in hopefulness.

“Guys let’s roll!” shouts Joe from the bus. I give him a hug before we got on the bus to go to our next location in England for a last-minute appearance at a house show not very far from the 02 arena for those that couldn’t get smackdown tickets.

The show was still going on and the bloodline was double booked for both shows with smackdown being filmed earlier in the afternoon.

“Baby, I’m going to call my mom right quick then I will be in” I say as I see them getting ready to get off the bus for the house show main event.

“Ok baby, see you in there,” Jey says as he’s the last one off the bus.

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Tampa, Fl

Trin POV

Ring…Ring.Ring…

“Hey Shan, how are you?” Trinity asks with a smile. It was great to hear from my friend, she hated not being on the road with them but in the end, she made her choice. She couldn’t be happier with the new opportunities she was receiving, but she was missing her husband and her friends.

“I’m good I just wanted to run an idea by you. When do you have to go back to work?” Shan asks.

“Well Tommy thought I was going to England with Jimmy, so he gave me off until next Thursday. I wish he had told me before I reported to work because I could have gone with you guys. Then a fan tweeted me a video from an interview the guys did yesterday, and I just felt so bad. I miss him so much, and I miss being there, but I had to take a stand on what’s right.” I say brokenly as all I wanted to do at this moment was hold my husband and take is pain away.

“That’s why I’m calling Trin, the company Jet is in route back to the states to pick up a few more talent that is going to do house shows this upcoming Monday and I asked Paul if you could come, and he said yes!” Shan says excitedly.

My tears began to fall I had to take a moment to comprehend what my friend was saying. “Are you serious?” “Yes, I’m serious Paul understands what went down, why do you think he had no problem with you being at Wrestlemania to support Jon, he adores you. The Plane will land in about three hours at the airport also, Tangela and Sofia are coming,” she adds.

Tangela and Sofia are also my girls and Roman and Solo’s wives respectively. It’s hard in this business being married but we all find a way to make it work.

“Shan, I can’t thank you enough,” I say trying to stop my tears from flowing.

“Girl, stop crying, tomorrow is going to be special for them, and it wouldn’t be complete if the most important women in their lives weren’t here to share in that. Now get packed and come see your hubby.” she says confidently.

“See that’s why you my sister, you keep me grounded,” I whisper in gratitude.

“See you tomorrow sis, call me when y’all land,” she says as we finish our goodbyes.

Shantell’s POV

“I was getting worried bae,” Jey said as I came and sat on his lap.

“I’m ok baby.” I said giving him a chaste kiss on the lips.

“Get a room ya’ll! I’m already missing my wife, “Solo says with a laugh as I got up and pretended to square up against him.

“Now sis, you know damn well, “he starts with a belly laugh as I cut him off.

"Hey! Don’t sleep on us quiet ones, we’ll put them paws on dat ass!” I exclaim, smiling and swinging my fists in a windmill motion as the guys start laughing.

“I’ll remember that.” he says rubbing the top of my head with a smile as I stick out my tongue at him.

“Bro, leave my girl alone,” Jey says grabbing me by the waist pulling me into his lap laughing at the antics of his brother and I.

We all continued to joke around with each other before Paul Heyman made his presence felt, “Gentleman this angle has been amazing, all the hard work you have put in is paying off. I couldn’t be prouder; you deserve this, and so much more so enjoy this moment.” he said with tears in his eyes.

The moment of clarity for the four men was resounding as they seemed to be in trance still trying to comprehend all that is happening to them and just taking the moment in. Tomorrow they would make history with each other.

“I’ll be back guys,” Jimmy says as he stands and proceeds to go deep into the arena.

“He misses Trin.” Jey says as he looks at his brother retreating form.

I look at Jey and then turned to Joe as I heard him speaking. “That is a major part of it, but he also thinks with everything that has happened in the past he’s not deserving of this moment. That interview really threw him for a loop yesterday,” he says taking a deep breathe looking in the direction his cousin went.

“I’m going to talk to him,” I said practically running to find Jimmy before Jey could stop me.

I found him in a deserted part of the arena with his head between his hands. I sat down beside him. “Wanna talk?” I ask. “I’m gonna fuck this up,” he says in a whisper. Unbeknownst to them someone is listening in the shadows.

“What do you mean you’re gonna fuck it up?” I ask.

“I don’t belong here Uce,” he says as I look at him with sympathetic eyes.

“I don’t know who you’ve been listening to, but I am telling you that you belong here. You belong here with your brothers, and your family. You all play a part in this, not just one person. I’m sorry but the guy l directed a couple weeks ago that cut that badass promo with his brothers and cousin was ready,” I say as he hangs his head taking a deep breath.

“Jonathon!” I yell as he turns to look at me in disbelief.

“My government name…. Really sis?" he whines as I shake my head yes at him.

“Yes, government name because I’m talking to Jonathon Fatu now not Jimmy Uso. Look we all make mistakes. Do you know what matters?” I ask as he stares at me intently and shakes his head no.

“It’s how you handle your mistakes that makes you the person you are. You messed up big deal, you owned it, and you worked your way back. You brothers loves you, so does Trinity, Joe, we all do, and you know mama and daddy Kishi don’t play bout they babies,” I say finally getting a smile out of him as I nudge his shoulder.

“We are all with you every step of the way because that what family do,” I say reassuring him. He sadly smiles at me as a few silent tears slips from his eyes.

“I’m glad my brother has someone like you in his life Shan,” he says as we embrace.

“I know right!” I say smartly as we both laugh. “But seriously I’m blessed to have your brother in my life, he treats me like a queen. And I’m glad Joshua is blessed to have brothers like you and Solo,” I say as we sit in silence for a minute.

‘Now can we go back and enjoy the moment with your family,” I ask as he nods, helps me up, and we walk back towards the group.

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Jey’s POV

Jey wipes the tears he didn’t even know had fallen from his eyes as he watched his girlfriend walk off with his brother to rejoin the group. He felt his brother’s pain as he himself had made a few bad choices, but the media always focused on my brothers’ problems. I didn’t know he felt this way and that bothers me. We both deserve to be here.

We gon have a talk when we get home away from the prying eyes of work. Behind every corner someone sees something. Case in point my ass hiding in the shadows listening on a conversation not meant for me, but I’m glad I did.

“There you are baby,” Shan says as I walk up trying to mask all the emotions inside of me from the conversation I overheard.

“I was going to find you guys, but I had to go to the bathroom” I said sitting beside her.

She looks at me and nods in understanding. “We’re on soon guys, then we can go on to the hotel to get some rest.” Joe states taking a seat beside Solo and Jimmy.

“Good because I need to call Sofia, “Solo says looking at a picture of his wife and son on his phone.

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Shantell’s POV

“Night guys,” I say as Jey, and I step off the elevator for him to walk me to my room.

“Night Uce,” Jimmy says with a smile and a side nod trying to push his bro to shoot his shot. Jey shook his head no while signaling to his twin brother to shut up.

“No fooling around guys, you know what Mickey said in Rocky. Women weaken them legs,” Solo says as Joe hits him on the back of his head as we all laughed.

“We all know Shantell is a good girl, she going to make Uce earn it, they may cuddle at best, so he won’t have weak legs tomorrow Solo, I assure you, “Joe snickers.

I blush and put my head down as Jey laughs, “Aye, aye, get outta me and my lady business,” he says as the elevator door closes. We began the walk to my room finally reaching our destination, I turn to say goodnight and I’m met with an earth-shattering kiss from Jey, it was slow, deliberate, and powerful.

Getting lost in the moment my arms automatically go to around his neck as he pulls me in close. I feel his tongue begging to be inside my mouth as he pulls me even closer to him.

I gasp at the sensations he is causing me to have all at once as our tongues finally meet in a sensual dance as his hands begin to roam all over my body.

“Ahem!” A familiar voice says as we turn to see Paul Heyman with smile on his face.

“Maybe you two would like to take that inside one of your rooms maybe?” He says as I blush and put my head on Jey’s shoulder as he snickers rubbing his hands up and down my arms.

“Sorry OG, I lost myself for a second.” Jey says trying to not laugh.

“No problem, I know what it was like to be young and in love” he says smiling walking into his room beside mine.

“So are you coming in mister right hand man?” I ask as his gaze intensifies as he invades my space once again. “I wanna do some thangs to you with this right hand, he says touching my breasts through my shirt as I moan. “I don’t wanna rush you, I’m trying to be a good dude here,” he whispers before taking me again in a gentle kiss as we both moan from pleasure. I can feel his chest muscles tighten as I rake my nails up and down his back trying to feel him anyway I could.

Breaking away from the intense kiss to catch my breath, I finds my voice, “I’m not ready to say goodnight yet, I whisper still holding on to him as he smiles. I was content in his arms yet struggling to find the courage to say what I know we both wanted.

“Shit you look so fuckin sexy right now, you makin it hard for me to go to my room Shan,” he groans as I gaze up at him with bashful, lust filled eyes. “Can I stay wit ya baby. I just wanna hold you.” Jey whispers to me as he sensually attacks my neck with kisses as I nod and let out a small moan as he finds my sensitive spot behind my ear.

“Mmhmm, I found a spot didn’t I baby,” he moans near my ear as I groan, and nod appreciatively barely holding it together. “Can I stay baby?” he moans kissing and sucking on my neck as if he’s trying to drain my dry of my senses. I nod again unable to speak as he’s enjoying feasting on my neck.

“Nah, let me hear you say I can baby”, he demands as he pulls back to look into my eyes. “Do you want me to stay beautiful?” he asks again more clearly as he gently caresses my face looking at me with so much love and admiration. I pray this feeling never ends; I’m so gone over this man if he wanted to take me right now in this hall up against the wall, I would let him.

“Yes,” I moan breathlessly without hesitation as he gently kisses me. “I promise I’ll be good,” he whispers against my lips in between kisses “I trust you baby,” I say gazing into his eyes before turning away to open the door. He wraps his arms around my waist slowly pulling me to him gingerly brushing my hair to one side while sensually attacking the other side of my neck with butterfly kisses as we go inside.

“Bout time Uce!” Paul says to himself smiling happy that the relationship between the two was flourishing. He didn’t mean to listen to their intimate conversation, but they weren’t exactly being quite either. Paul shook his head went to call his own wife before he took a shower to settle down for the night.

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Sofia’s POV

“Baby… I miss you so much,” Sofia says as she talks to her husband Solo on the phone.

“I miss you more babe, tomorrow is on my mind, and you calm me down when I’m overthinking,” he says glancing around is lonely hotel room.

“Baby, I want you to breathe, I hate the connection was so bad that our facetime call dropped earlier,” Sofia mumbles as Trinity and Tangela shoot her a look from the other side of the plane. She holds up a finger at them.

“Baby, can I call you back? I’m going to check on the Cameron,” she says as Solo voice perks up at the mention of his son. He knows how hard it is for a newborn sometimes to sleep and their son was no different. He knows I’ve been struggling to adjust to Cameron’s sleep patterns.

“Sure baby, give Cameron my love. I love you Sofie,” he says as I smiles “I love you too big guy.”

“What was that about?” Tangela says as I disconnect the call shaking my head.

“Oh, he’s nervous about tomorrow and wishes I was there,” I say with a look of longing, this was harder than I thought it would be.

“Aww, he is going to be so surprised tomorrow,” Trinity says as Tangela smiles.

“Joe text me talking about keep the home fires burning, we are going on a trip when he gets done with smackdown next week. I hate I could never get into wrestling like you guys, sometimes I feel outta place” Tangela says with a small frown on her face.

“Girl, even if you don’t like it, I bet when you feel the atmosphere tomorrow you will enjoy the show and will be cheering him on. You support and love him, so he doesn’t mind if you don’t come to shows but I know it’s important to him and his face is going to tell the story when he sees you tomorrow.” Sofia reassures her.

---------

Jimmy’s Hotel Room

“Damn,” Jimmy mutters as he tries to reach his wife but gets her voicemail.

“Good night beautiful…. I had you on my mind, and Josh is probably staying the night with Shan, so I was hoping for a little facetime fun. I can’t wait to get home to see you. I Love you.” He ended the call and went about his nightly routine to get ready for bed.

Shantell's Hotel room

Jey’s POV

“I’m going to grab a shower baby, “Shan says heading into the bathroom. As Jey makes himself comfortable on the bed. “Need any help baby?” I ask with a smirk. “You are so silly,” she says shutting the bathroom door.

“She gon to be the death of me,” I whisper to myself as I hear the shower in the next room. I pulled my clothes off and strip down to my underwear, having showered at the building paid off because I probably would have taken my clothes off and joined her in the shower and took her right then and there with how hot she got me from our makeout session outside of her hotel room.

“Jey, hold it together ….Damn,” I say to myself while channel surfing. Next thing you know the thought of the water cascading down Shan’s body is too much and I’m sliding my underwear down a little to release my throbbing dick.

“Shit! That feels better,” I mutter as I glance back at the door then back down at my throbbing dick, I needed to take care of it before Shan gets out of the shower. I slowly grabbed my dick and began to stroke it to further erection. I needed to get relief quick and fast.

My breath hitches as I pictured Shan in the shower as I began to stroke faster, my gasps faintly heard throughout the room as I struggle to be quiet to not alert her as to what I was doing. I begin to stroke even faster, as the thought of her going down on her knees looking up at me with those beautiful bedroom eyes as she takes me in her mouth.

“Fuck!” I mutter as my eyes closes, it feels so fucking good. I stroke myself harder as I feel my thighs start to tighten, it’s almost like I could feel Shan’s mouth on my dick sucking me hard and fast. My body begins to shiver as I cum hard shaking and cursing below my breath gasping Shantell’s name.

“Damn, I’m whipped,” I say to myself as I clean myself up quickly and climbed back into bed feeling more relaxed and ready for bed.

Shantell’s POV

As I was finishing up my shower my thoughts began to wander to Jey. We have been dating for a few months, few kisses here, and caresses there. I want so much more; I’m ready to give Jey every inch of me. I never really dated as I was always concerned with school and sports so it left little time for dating.

After high school, I started college but two years in I left due to my grandmother being diagnosed with cancer. I put school on the back burner until she went into remission. Then when I returned, I did my internship with WWE and finished my last two years of college.

Sadly after my one-year anniversary with the WWE my grandmother's cancer returned and after a long-fought battle, she passed away last year.

Now I stand here as a thirty-two-year-old virgin. I remember the battle we had about our ages since he’s almost thirty-eight and I thought people would talk about our six-year age difference.

I’ll never forget him storming into gorilla while I was working, telling me how we both grown ass folk, and it was nobody’s business but ours what we do. He also decided to yell about how over half of the people that work in the WWE are married and cheating on their spouses. Not how I wanted it to be known we were together, but hey he was passionate about it.

Laughing and shaking my head at the memory, I steps out the shower, I could hear his light snores. I dried off and changed into my right-hand man t shirt that he gave me on one of our many late-night movie marathons in his room. As I open the door, I see my he is out like a light. I climb in bed beside him.

Jey’s POV I moan as I feel Shan next to me and as I roll over to scoop her up in my arms. I can get use to this. Man, she making an Uce feel a certain type of way, real talk.

“Night baby,” I whisper her against her ear kissing her neck, wrapping my arms around her pulling her closer to me. “Goodnight my right-hand man, “I hear her faintly whisper as we drift off to sleep.

London Airport

“Trinity…. Tangela, hurry up!” Sofia says as they are rushing to get off the plane. The show has already started, and she wanted to see Solo before his match.

“I’m coming!” Trinity yells having changed into her new Day One-ish shirt. Following close behind her was Tangela in her husband’s shirt.

The women hopped in the limo waiting for them excitement taking over as they were on the way to their husbands finally.

O2 Arena MITB PPV

Shantell’s POV

You could cut the excitement with a knife as the guys were off talking about last minute plans for their match.

“Where are they?” Shan mutters as she looks at her watch. The women’s MIB match was going on. She was hoping the girls got there in time to share a few minutes with their husbands before the match.

Lost in her thoughts her phone beeped to alert her of an incoming message.

“Outside by the bus, is the coast clear to come in?” Trin’s text read.

“Girl, yes get in here quick, they’ve gone down to the spare ring in the building to run over some stuff, they don’t want me to know the outcome.” I text back.

Shan took off towards the bloodline dressing room thanking her lucky stars that the guys still shared a dressing room together.

Ok roses, fruit, champagne for after the match I say to myself scanning the room making sure everything was right.

Knock, knock

“Thank god,” I whisper as I open the door and let the ladies in as we share a quick hug.

“Thank you so much Shan, even though y’all know I’m so confused by this whole wrestling thing, “Tangela says honestly.

You’re welcome, Tangela. The night wouldn’t be complete without you all here,” I told her.

“I owe you,” Trinity says tearing up.

“No ma’am, no tears go freshen up,” Tangela says as Sofia nods in agreement.

“I’m going to go find them and be right back.” I say leaving out of the dressing room.

Paul knew I would want to be at ring side tonight to Support Jey, so I have the night off. Thankfully I won’t be out there alone because Trin is going to sit with me.

Tangela and Sofia weren’t comfortable being out in front of the crowds, so they were going to watch the match from the dressing room.

I changed into my new Day-One-ish shirt as I fumbled around the arena to find the guys.

45 minutes before the Main Event.

Solo’s POV

“The crowd is gon lose they shit Uce!” Jimmy says excitedly as we all hug and go silent as we see Shan approaching us.

“Does she know Uce?” Joe whispers to Jey as he shakes his head.

“No, I want her to be surprised with the ending,” Jey says as he smiles at his girlfriend coming closer to them in the spare ring.

“You know that can go one of two ways, she kisses you, or cuss yo ass out.” I laugh as Jey rolls his eyes at me.

“Ok boys you got about forty-five minutes before showtime,” she says smiling as she can see how excited and nervous, we are. “How about we go back to the dressing room for a second, I think you guys need a moment to soak in the moment from prying eyes.” She offers as we all agree with the suggestion.

Tonight, was big, I’m competing in the main event as a competitor going against my brothers. Holy Shit. Yea, I need to call Sofia to get my damn nerves together I think to myself as we walk back to our dressing room.

Shantell's POV

I texted Trin that we were headed their way as Jimmy led the way.

“Ma, you just cheesing,” Jey says taking my hand in his smiling himself.

“Hey, I got the night off so I can watch my man compete in peace, I ain’t gotta be shouting orders about camera shots or nothing just let me enjoy this moment mister main event,” I say excitedly as he shakes his head.

Jimmy’s excited voice could be heard from the dressing room, and it made Joe and Solo pick-up pace to get there to see what the commotion was. I smiled and looked at my boyfriend.

“What did you do?” he asks.

“Nothing… I swear baby,” I say as he rolls his eyes at me.

“Yessss Sir!!!!” Roman yells as I smile wider as Jey looks at me shaking his head.

“You did something, come on here sneaky,” he said leading the way as we walked in the dressing room to see what was going on. I feel Jey’s eyes staring intently at me.

“What?” I ask as he pulls me closer and kisses me long and deep.

“Thank you, baby,” he whispers as I shake my head.

“Don’t thank me baby, it’s no need.” I say as I kiss him this time.

“Baby you had me fooled,” solo says as he kisses his wife.

“I was so scared you would pick up on my facetime lie about the bad signal,” Sofia says rubbing her hands through his short mohawk.

“Babygirl you at an event I’m shocked but so damn happy,” Joe says picking his wife up and spinning her around.

“I’m glad baby, I missed you.” Tangela says kissing her husband.

Jey’s POV

A few sniffles could be heard from across the room as I saw Trin and Jon locked in an embrace as if they let go one of them would disappear.

“You did this Uce?” Jimmy says finally looking up at Shan when they finally pulled away from each other. Shan smiled.

“Hell, yea she did,” Trin interjects with a smile.

“Thank you,” Jimmy says as she gives him a nod.

“Tonight, is such a big night for you all and I knew who you would love to share it with, so I asked Paul, he agreed, and he helped me make it happen no need to thank me ya’ll.” she says shrugging her shoulders. Man, I love this woman so damn much it ain’t funny. She is always giving to others, showing love.

“This means so much Shan…. Thank you, sis. “Solo says going over to hug her.

“Hell, everybody group hug!” Jimmy yells as we all smush together for a group hug.

Shan’s POV

As we all chatted for a bit a knock came at the door, "Guys your needed at gorilla," a stage hand said poking his head in the door.

I looked up and my eyes met Jimmy’s, I gave him a small wink, he nodded his head in understanding as a bright smile appear upon his face.

“Go kill it ya’ll,” Trin says as they began to gather their things.

“We got you sis,” Solo says with a smile.

“I’m going to watch from Gorilla along with Trin while Tangela and Sofia are going to watch from the dressing room,” Shan says as the guys nod in agreement.

“Walk us to Gorilla.” Jey says looking intently at me.

“Nah, you need to get in the zone I don’t want to mess you up. I’ll head to Gorilla before Roman and Solo go out. Good luck, and be safe baby,” I say kissing him before they left. It felt like an eternity before they finally did leave, I think it was the excitement in me.

“Trin you ready?” I say smiling, putting on my Usos hat. Got to be a little incognito out there.

“Hell, yea girl let me put my hat on too.” She says heading to her bag.

“Have fun!” Tangela says as Sofia nods her head in agreement.

“I think you guys will get use to this and before you know it will be cheering your heads off in the crowds with us, “I declare as Trin and I leave to head to our seats for the main event.

Gorilla Area

“Guys I got a second hard camera on the side of the ring by Barrett and Cole. Go there and do your pose during your entrance since Joe and Solo are going to pose in the middle during their entrance,” Paul says as the Jimmy and Jey nodded in understanding.

“Have fun, live in the moment and I’m proud of you guys.” COO Paul Levesque says as he slaps them on the back and walks back to his headset.

“Thanks boss,” they say and began jumping around in place getting amped up.

“Let’s bring the house down boys!” Joe encourages as Solo starts to get a little nervous.

“Aye, lil bro, we got you,” Jimmy says looking at his brother with a warm smile. All four men hugged each other. WWE’s photographers along with a camera man were taking pictures and documenting this amazing moment that was about to take place.

Ringside

“Girl, I’m out of shape,” Shan says as they finally make it to their seat during the ending of the Seth Rollins vs. Finn Balor match. Finally getting a chance to sit down and catch her breath.

“Girl, please I’m tired, and I know I’m in shape. This running for the birds almost made me break a sweat.” Trin said as we both laughed and settled in for the main event.

UUUUUSSSSOOOOO!!!!

Trinity and I both jumped to our feet and began screaming as the beat dropped and our men began their walk to the ring.

Down since

Day one ish

Down since

Day one ish

Line 'em all up

Knock 'em down like this!

Jey’s POV

Whoo! This crowd is live Jey thinks to himself as he hits the steps with his hand and steps up on the apron bouncing around heading to the corner for the hard camera shot.

Wait is that Shan Jey says to himself with a smile as he sees his girlfriend on her feet with his sister-in law jamming out screaming their theme music with the fans dressed in their merchandise.

Jimmy was pointing walking towards the ropes smiling having just spotted his wife. I climbed the turnbuckle, as we take in the atmosphere of the crowd as we bounce to the music. Looking down at the women in our lives who smiles were so bright it could outshine the sun as they sing our theme song.

Down since

Day one ish

Down since

Day one ish

We been down since

“I’m gonna marry that woman,” I whisper to my brother as he looks down at Shantell who is so carefree singing her heart out dancing. Jimmy nodding his head as he can’t take his eyes off his wife himself as the girls are dancing and singing with the crowd.

Day one ish

Line 'em all up

Knock 'em down like this

“Let’s go Uce,“I say to my brother, tapping his shoulder as we head to the center of the ring to amp the crowd up even more than what they were.

“We got’em!” Trin yelled as we high five each other, sat down and got ready for the main event.

Backstage

Bullshit! Bullshit! The hostile crowd chants as Roman is laying over both Usos going for the pin to end the match.

“Come on Joe!” Tangela screams as Sofia looks over at her with a smile.” Yep, she’s hooked,” Sofia says to herself as she turns back to the monitor.

“Accept they didn’t win, the Usos kicked out!” Michael Cole screams as both women clap their hands at the awesome match that was happening.

“Get’em baby!” Sofia yells as Solo snaps Roman out of his daze and begins pounding on Jey.

Ringside

“My fucking nerves are shot!” Shan exclaims as Solo is currently perched on the barrier in front of them. He looks back at the women for a second, winks at them, turns back around pose for a second and misses the table dive on Jimmy.

“Fuck Solo,” Trin whispers with wide eyes as her brother-in law is laying in the midst of the table carnage.

“Get up Jey! “I yell as Roman covers him.

"Jey kicks out!" I could hear Cole screaming as the crown is going insane

“I know that hurt!” Trin says as Jey low blowed Joe while kicking out of the pin.

Backstage

“What the hell Josh!” Tangela screams, as Sofia is worried as the camera hasn’t gone back to her husband to see how he is doing after the table spot just replays. Out of the corner of her eye finally she sees him climbing on the apron being met with double superkicks from Jimmy and Jey as he falls back down to the floor.

“Fuck, that looked brutal,” Sofia says shaking her head.

Ringside

“Tag! Go baby!!” Shantell shouts as Jey goes to the top rope and hits the splash from the top rope onto Roman.

“Pin him!” Trin yells as Jey covers Roman.

The crowd explodes as Trin and I jump practically almost over the barricade cheering for all of them. Jey had just pinned Roman it was the first time in 3 ½ years since he had been pinned and they gave Josh the honor of doing it.

Jimmy is overwhelmed in the corner as Trin wipes away her tears. We hugged each other as we were so happy in this moment for all of them.

Backstage

“That was amazing!” Tangela says watching the replay of the pin and catches her husband whispering “I love you” to his cousin as he pins him. “Aww Joe,” She whispers to herself.

“Great match!” Sofia stands up clapping.

“Ok y’all got me hooked,” says Tangela as she heads to the door with Sofia to meet their husbands at the curtain.

Ringside Celebration

Watching these two brothers have their moment in the ring brings tears to our eyes as they join hands and hold up the ones. Jey and Jimmy came back to our corner and celebrated.

“Jimmy points at Trinity and she yells” I love you Jurdy!” He smiles at her as Jey winks at me as I blow him a kiss.

We quickly grabbed our stuff and started to head towards the back as we didn’t want to bring attention to ourselves with Trin being under contract to TNA and WWE didn’t need a lawsuit about having TNA talent on WWE television.

The crowd continues to sing and dance as Jey and Jimmy celebrate.

Shantell's POV

“Gril that was crazy!” Sofia exclaims as Trin and I come through the side curtain.

“It was amazing,” I say feeling a little emotional as we all hugged waiting for the guys to come through the curtain.

Joe and Solo slowly make their way through the curtain as a round of applause breaks out as Sofia and Tangela stand off to the side as their coworkers are giving them pats on the back and praise.

Joe and Solo tell them thank you as Jey and Jimmy come through the curtain and the applause starts up again. Fellow wrestlers move over to the Usos as Joe and Solo come further down the gorilla area as Sofia and Tangela run to their husbands.

“That was the craziest thing I ever seen,” Tangela says kissing her husband gingerly on the lips.

“Thanks, babygirl so does this mean I can get you to come to more shows now,” Joe laughs hopefully.

“Hell yea, I had fun. Are you ok?” She asks as they stare into each other’s eyes.

“Never been better baby,” he assures her as he kisses her again.

“You scared me!” Sofia exclaims as she is holding on to solo extra tight. “Woman all this cushion I was ok,” he laughs as he rubs his wife’s back.

“Jurdy!!!” Trin screams as she jumps in Jimmy’s arms and as Jey walks past them smiling down at me out of breath, body glistening and engulfs me in a tight hug.

“I’m so proud of you Josh.” I whisper in his neck as we embrace.

“Thank you for everything baby,” he says pulling back taking me by surprise with a tender kiss caressing my face. I can’t hide my smile, I’m so proud of him.

“Yo!! We did that shit!!” Jimmy shouts as we laugh but agree.

“Thanks for tonight, Paul.” I say going over to give him a hug.” No problem munchkin, I can say it made for a great tv moment of their natural reaction seeing you guys at ringside,” he laughs. “I bet you got footage of us acting a damn fool don’t you,” I say as he nods.

“You bet kiddo, you two had a whole damn concert going on down there with the crowd, ya’ll totally belonged out there,” he laughs.

“Oh no!” I laugh as I give him another hug and go back over to Jey who was looking at me with a longing and fire. Yea, this man can get it…. Virtue is all out the damn door if this man keeps them looks up, I think to myself.

Shantell’s Hotel

So, I finally get the man alone that pinned the Tribal Chief Roman Reigns tonight, a man who hadn’t been pinned in almost four years. How does this man want to celebrate, he wants to eat pizza, wings, candy, and drink Ginger ale out of his red solo cup pretending he’s drinking alcohol. I will say this though, Canada Dry will drain your soul it’s so strong.” I say laughing as we bump our cups together in a toast.

“Hey, it’s a vibe ma, and plus the candy is for my breath because I’m planning on stealing some kisses tonight and I don’t want Stank breath.” we both laugh as he grabs another slice of pizza.

I really enjoy moments like this with him where we shut out the world and we can just be us no matter how goofy we get. His deep voice penetrated my ears.

“You know I heard you yesterday with my brother,” he says snapping me out of taking a bite of my pizza.

“Oh that,” I say putting my slice down giving him my full attention.

“Yea that. I know you don’t like to hear people make a big deal out of stuff that you do but that interview we did Thursday really hit him hard with them asking about Trin and his DUI’s. It had him overthinking and doubting himself,” he says putting his food down.

“I thought as much but I saw him on the phone after smackdown, how sad he was, and how he missed Trin.” I said as he moved the pizza off the couch and put it on the table. I grabbed some gummies off the table and put a few in my mouth as he held his hand out for some.

“So, I asked Paul for a favor since he was sending the jet back to get talent. So, I asked if the girls could come along for the show and the rest is history, “I say as he nods his head in understanding.

“Well thank you for helping with one of the biggest moments in my career and for being there supporting me baby,” he says leaning over to kiss me. “Always baby,” I moan against his lips, as the kiss became intense, I pulled away.

“What’s wrong baby,” he asks as he rubs my legs looking apprehensive.

“I need to tell you something,” I say as I take a deep breath staring at him with a small smile.

“What. I know you ain’t married,” he says looking at me with wide eyes…. “Is you,” he asked nervously as I shook my head no fast as lightning.

“Now you know damn well!” I said raising my voice before he cut me off holding his hands up in the air laughing.

“Easy tiger… I was kidding baby, you know you can tell ya man anything,” he says smiling at me.

“I just feel bad that I never told you why I wanted to take things slow, and I know this is probably hard for you,” I say rabbling as he cuts me off.

“I respect it baby, I thought maybe somebody hurt you so you’re taking your time before giving your heart and body again to someone. I enjoy being with you and I’m willing to wait until you’re ready.” He states with a charming smile that could light up any room.

“Jey, nobody hurt me, I just” … I hesitate and take a deep breath as he grabs my hands and I look into his eyes and see nothing but love.

Chile, stop being dramatic and tell the man so, we can move on my mind screams at me.

“Nobody hurt me Jey, I’ve just never given my heart or my body to anyone…. Ever.” As the words “ever” left my mouth in a whisper his eyes got almost wide as saucers.

"Wh..what," He stutters as I nod my head.

"I’m a virgin," I say a little stronger feeling good to have finally told him. I look at him and he is still stoic and just staring at me.

“Say something Jey,” I say as tears start to build in my eyes. That seemed to bring him out of the daze he was in.

“Nah, don’t cry baby…. You just caught me off guard,” he says wiping my tears.

“This is so fucking embarrassing,” I say looking away from him as he turns my head back towards him and urgently kisses me.

“No, it ain’t woman, I’m so fucking turned on right now you have no idea,” he moans as he pulls away and his intense eyes feel like they are piercing my soul.

“Huh,” I stutter unsure of what he’s trying to say.

“I have wanted you so badly from the first day I met you five years ago, but I was going through a divorce and a lot of other shit, so I let you be. I just settled for us being friends, my Uce,” he said smirking as I looked at him dumbfounded.

“You made me want to be better, always encouraging me and my brother. Then you and Trin got closer, so we got to hang out more and I fell even harder for you. It’s not about sex Shantell what we have is real. You had me five years ago baby and you didn’t even know it.” He says intently as his eyes never leave mine.

Taking a deep breath, I can see he is struggling with something himself and I feel a weight come off him as I hear the words, “I have a secret too,” he whispers as I listen closely.

“I love you Shantell,” he says looking at me with much love and admiration I could melt to the floor right here and combust.

I feel the tears building up in my eyes again. He loves me, tell him you love him too idiot my mind screams as I see him drop his head.

I leaned over and caressed his face as he has done to me many times. He lifts his head and sees fresh tears threatening to fall.

“Baby,” …he starts as I cut him off placing my hand on his lips.

“I love you, Joshua Fatu. “I confess as I feel him exhale a deep breath, I didn’t even know he was holding. I lean forward and kiss him with all my might.

“Shan,” Jey gasps out as I climb on his lap with my legs on either side of him never breaking our kiss which was growing hungrier by the second as I began grinding on his lap. I gasp against his lips as I feel his hardness pressing against me.

You've got me (You've got me)

You've got me speechless

My mind was in a whirl, and I couldn’t think, he never missed a beat scooting us to the end of the couch, as he lifted me up with ease, my legs still wrapped around his waist never once breaking our kiss, he balances one hand on the bed sliding us to the headboard.

I gasp as I feel him rocking against my wet covered center. His hands gripping and rubbing my thighs as our tongues battle for control as he caresses my face. We both stop for a second to catch our breath.

Finally finding his voice “I’m not going to take you tonight, Shan,” he states breathlessly as I whine before being cut off by a powerful kiss.

“I want it to be special, tonight, just let me take care of you baby” he whispers.

Laying so closely

I feel your skin rubbing and touching me

Only sweat between us

Nuzzling my neck, he slowly undresses me “God you are so beautiful,” he says making me blush. Jey caressing and kissing my body has my mind is in a whirl as he moves from my neck down to my breasts. “Josh!” I exclaimed as he took one of my nipples into his mouth swirling his tongue around it as I gasped arching my body closer to him.

God, my body was on fire and only Jey could put out the flames.

“Baby…. Please,” I moaned as he continued his torture on my breasts.

“I need to feel you baby please,” I beg as I help him take off his shirt. I touch his chest running my fingers around to his back lightly scratching him as I kiss his neck. His moans cheering me on to be bolder.

Feeling you kissing and pleasing me

I rub your back

I kiss your neck

I know that you love when we touch like that

As he rains down kisses across my body, my hand automatically go to his hair as he kisses my navel, my breath hitches as he goes lower licking and kissing my skin while never looking away from me. His gaze is so intense, and his mouth feels so good on my body. I lay back as he parts my legs and kisses my inner thigh.

I try to close my legs, but he stops me, pushing them further apart as I brace myself on my elbows trying to see what he’s about to do to me. “Don’t hide from me Shan, I’m gonna make you feel good baby,” he says boldly as he begins licking my pussy sending an electric jolt through my whole body.

“Oh my god” I gasp as I began writhing on the bed as his tongue licks my clit. Before I knew it, his whole mouth starts to devour my pussy like it was dessert, sucking, licking, nibbling, and pushing his tongue inside my pussy in perfect sync driving me into a frenzy.

I can feel you need me

Feels so good to me

Going outta my head, I think I'm losing all my mind

Jey’s POV

“Mmm… Look at me baby,” I moan never breaking eye contact with her as I needed to see how beautiful she is as she comes undone. I insert a finger inside of her and she rewards me with a throaty moan, then two as I began moving and attacking her clit with my tongue at the same time. Taking her to new heights it seems as each second passes. “Are you gonna give it to daddy baby?” I ask groaning at how good she tastes, and how breathtakingly beautiful she looks as I’m take her to ecstasy.

“Yes, daddy I am,” she moans as her hands go to the sides of my face holding on for dear life as I’m pushing my tongue deeper and deeper inside her.

“Oh! Jey…Baby I can’t take it!” She gasps as her eyes close, head and back perfectly arched writhing on the bed. I may have to keep her this way.

“Yes, you can and you will,” I growls as I pick up pace with my tongue as she tried to scoot back, I snatched her possessively back on my mouth.

“Don’t run from daddy baby,” I whispers as I attack her pussy even deeper with my tongue. Her resolve is crumbling as she’s moaning and at times her words are incoherent. She’s telling me how she feels differently, and I can tell she’s afraid of what’s happening to her body.

“What’s happening,” she moans out as her grip tightens on the sides of my face gripping my hair in the process moving her hip vigorously fucking my face. I moan briefly finally closing my eyes savoring the taste of her.

“Mmhumm,” I moan into her pussy making it vibrate as it is quivering in my mouth sending a new sensation through her already sensitive body as she is now griding even harder on my face searching for her nut. Her mouth open as her back arched in ecstasy. Fuck yes, that’s what I wanted to see, she’s close as fuck. I softly grab her hips and start to pull her back slightly and began thrusting her pussy back on my mouth as I push my tongue as far as I could inside her pussy.

“Jey!” She screams as I smirk admiring my work thus far. After a few minutes, I’m back to my slow methodical pace holding her thighs in my hands as I go back to devouring her pussy not allowing her to move. She was gon learn tonight, this my pussy.

Drive me crazy, burning candles, making love all night

Feels so strange, it feels so crazy to be in your world

In your arms lost for words

You've got me (You've got me)

You got me speechless

Shantell’s POV

“Look at me Shantell, “Jey demands almost with a primal growl as his eyes never leave mine, as he takes my hands from the sides of his head, lacing our hands together. Gasping I look down at him with heavy lids as the man I love was giving his complete self to please me. I felt a new and startling spark start as he continued to devour my pussy with his mouth. Our gazes getting more intense as each second passes as I’m losing control fast.

“Oh! God!” I pant as I feel like I’m on fire and about to explode.

“Mmmmhmm. That’s it, give it to me beautiful,” he moans as his eyes turn even darker, he’s on a mission. “Josh,” I moan staring at him as I feel my eyes start to roll back into my head. He has stirred up so many things within me I can’t hold it any longer.

Yes, yes, yes

Speechless, all I can say

Yes, yes, yes

All I can say is

Yes, yes, yes, yes

“Just let it come.” he mutters as almost he’s reading my mind never missing a beat in that sexy drawl.

“Joshua!” I exclaimed as I came with a harsh cry as he welcomed my juices into his mouth. His moans of gratitude as he’s swirling his tongue around sucking, slurping, and tasting my essence made my legs shake. He continued until his thirst was quenched.

“Mmmm, you taste better than I ever imagined baby,” he says continuing to suck on my clit as I’m coming down from my high. Through heavy lids I see him kissing his way up my body slowly as almost as if he was making mental note for himself. As he finally reaches my lips, we share sensual kiss as our tongues caress each other. I could taste my essence on his tongue and see ruminates of it glistening on his beard as he looked down at me.

“Fuck! My dessert was so good baby,” he says in his distinct drawl with a sexy smirk as he leans down moving his kisses to my neck as he’s grinding against my naked sensitive center caressing my legs gently as I tighten them around him. Our moans of pleasure filled the room. My hands began to travel between us to the top of his sweatpants his pants, but he gently grabbed my hands kissing each one and put them on his chest before kissing me again.

“What about you,” I ask against his lips trying to catch my breath. “Tonight, was about you baby I’m good,” he says as I look down at his throbbing dick with wide innocent eyes as it has grown in size laying to the side of his sweatpants making the perfect outline print.

“Give him a couple minutes and it will go down,” he says reading my expression with a smile as he kisses me again before pulling me close, as I gingerly rub circles all over his chest.

“I love you Shantell,” he says trying to catch his breath as he looks down at me with love and admiration.

“I love you too Joshua,” I says as I try to steady my own heartbeat as we share a chaste kiss and settle off to sleep.

Kiss me

Hold me

You've got me

Speechless

Tangela POV

“Fuck!” I scream at my current situation as I’m here naked in the shower with my legs and arms wrapped around my husband hanging on for dear life as Joe’s primal growls almost overtake the sounds of the waster cascading down on us both drowning out my cries of pleasure.

“Shit! Baby I missed being inside you,” he moans as he attacked my mouth with desperate kisses as he continues to thrust hard and fast.

“Fuck me baby!” I moan as his pace begins to quicken even more as I begin meeting his thrusts, tightening my muscles around him. The sensation is causing my vision to go blurry.

“Yea, baby girl you about to cum. I feel it, cum on your dick baby so daddy can cum in his pussy, “he groans in my ear as I fall apart at the sound of his deep voice and start meeting his thrusts even harder trying to take control, a hard smack on my ass brings me back to reality as he kisses me nibbling hard on my bottom lip. He begins to shiver against me with his thrusts becoming more frantic and wilder.

Looking into my eyes he knows I’m so close and so is he as we hold each other’s gaze. I gasp the three words I know will be his undoing. “My Tribal Chief! I moan as his eyes take on a wild dark primal appearance as he growls pushing me up against the shower thrusting me up and down on his thick long dick.

“Say it again,” he growls looking at me as I’m falling apart in his arms as I toss my head back, he grabs my neck in gentle, sensual squeeze pushing my head back up to meet his gaze. “Who am I” he growls before taking me into an aggressive kiss never breaking his thrusts.

“My Tribal Chief!” I scream as I began squirting on his dick.

“Oh fuck yea, give it to your Tribal Chief Tang,” he moans out as he cums as I’m continuing to ride out my orgasm.

“That was insane,” I say embracing him as the water cascades on us as he sets me down to actually shower this time. “You’re telling me,” he smiles stealing a quick kiss as he helps me shower.

Solo & Sofia Hotel Room

Solo’s POV

“Baby I know we can’t have sex Cameron isn’t even 5 weeks old. I’m not that impatient. I can wait eight weeks like the doctor said,” I says as Sofia kisses my neck.

“It’s other things we can do,” she whispers as she licks and sucks on my neck.

“Baby you had a C-Section and still feeling pain.” I groan as she looks at me smiling as she chose to ignore my words and continued to nip at my neck.

I moan as she grabbed my throbbing dick and began to stroke me.

I know we can’t do what we want, but I want you to get some release baby, “I won’t hurt myself I promise baby,” she says shyly.

Laying back on the bed I felt her tiny hands continue to stroke me. She knows I’m trying to keep my composure.

“I want you to let go baby. Do you get yourself off thinking about me at night when we’re apart?” she whispers in my ear as she nips at it before sucking on my ear lobe.

“Y..you know I do baby… fuck!” I exclaim bringing her to closer to me for a scorching kiss.

“Can you imagine me on my knees, looking up at you as you fuck my mouth baby,” she purred as she continues to attack all my senses driving me wild.

“Fuck yes!” I mutter as the sweat is starting to run down my face, my wife was on it tonight, and the image she was painting was driving me insane. I needed release.

“Mmmm.. I’m gaggin real good on that dick now .. you like me gagging on that dick baby,” she moans against my lips. I’m so close all I can do nod my head not trusting my words. The images are so vivid in mind I can’t think straight.

“Shit it feels so good Sof,” I whisper as her hand movements pick up as she sucks and licks on my neck, my breathing starts to pick up as I know I’m close and Sofia knows it too.

“Mmmmm, “she moans closing her hand a little tighter and began stroking faster. “Now I’m on top riding my dick baby, it feels so fucking good. Can you feel it? Can you feel my pussy dripping and gripping your dick?” she shivers against me letting out a moan letting me know she’s turned on as hell herself.

I nod my head as she kisses me. “Can you feel how tight your pussy is baby,” She purrs as she strokes me harder and faster.

“Sofia, I’m close baby,” I say as I looks at her tiny hand swallowing my dick.

“Cum inside your pussy then baby,” she whimpers as I grabs her face our lips meet in a demanding kiss as I thrusts myself upward into her hand as she milks my dick as I cum all over her hand and my stomach.

“Fuck baby! I shout as I collapsed back on my pillow. She smirks as she looks shly at me as I’m desperately trying to catch my breath.

“That was so fucking hot” I confess as she puts her head on my shoulder settling further into bed. “Mmm.. Yes, it was baby “she smiled catching her own breath.

“Four more weeks to go baby” she says as I nod in agreement.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jon & Trin’s Hotel Room

Trin’s POV

“Jurdy!!!” I scream as my husband is fucking me with long, hard and deep thrusts as I’m on all fours trying not to rip these folks sheets as he is thrusting and talking shit with every lethal deep thrust.

“Yea…uhhhuh.. Yea what was all that shit you was talking the other night,” he groans out. “Sayin you was gon squirt on your dick. Well, I’m waiting ma,” he taunts grunting as he’s trusting away inside me.

“Jurdy! I don’t wanna cum yet” I whine as I try to crawl up the bed, but I feel his hands grip my hips pushing me back harder on his dick making it throb deeper inside me.

“Nah, take this dick baby, you know we missed you,” he pants as I look back at him as he wipes the sweat from his brow. I began to throw it back on his ass as he grabs my hair continuously pounding away as I meet his trusts bouncing my ass hard on his dick.

“Yea………. Throw that shit…… All the way back,” he grunts as he smacks my ass.

“Uh huh give it to me, I feel it coming,” he moans as he slaps my ass again never slowing down his movements.

“Jon!” I shouts as my hands grip the sheets even tighter as I feels him getting even harder as I explode all over his dick.

“Yesssss! Fuuuuuckkk! Squirt on this dick baby… Ah..Fuck yea that pussy so fucking tight, ”he praises me as he continues to pound into my pussy hard.

“I’m bout to cum baby,” he says as his knees almost buckle at the new sensation of my pussy clinching him light a tight vice as he finally let’s go.

“Here it come Trin, “he moans as he pulls out quickly and cums on my ass. We collapsed on the bed totally spent.

“Damn, did you miss me Jurdy? My ears are ringing,” I laugh breathlessly as we collapse on the bed side by side as he pulls one of my legs across his waist as he’s trying to regain his composure.

“Girl, hell yea I missed you, you’re my life,” he says kissing her.

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