#...did i accidentally draw gomens pigeons?

[wolffyluna]

Trick or treat! Hualian pigeon au (inspired by your Inktober art 🤣 )

So. This is a week later.

My excuse is, I came up with this idea for a full length fic that I thought would be fun. Sure, it was a pigeon keeping AU, but close enough. And then I started writing it, and realised that it didn't need to be as long as I planned it to be? And that by making it longer, I would have not so much as 'over egged the pudding' as 'made a sweet omellete.'

...except then it wasn't even a pigeon keeping AU?

So, I have a picture of HuaLian as pigeons.

And I have a post-canon pigeon fic.

***

Xie Lian sat on the edge of a fountain, watching as the crowds milled apart the market. The bubbling sound cut half the hubbub, and the scent of clean water cut half the smell of fried food and cooking meat.

Hua Cheng sat next to him, scanning the crowds as well, looking almost as if he was Xie Lian’s guard.

Which was funny, because they were out here in this mortal town on Ghost City business. Xie Lian didn’t have any reason to come, just— Hua Cheng had only just recently returned to him, and he was still greedy for his company. But the business was over, and they both sat around lazily, with nothing better to do.

Xie Lian munched on one of the red bean buns Hua Cheng insisted on buying for him.

A pigeon walked up to them, in that shy back and forth bob as they tried to test how close they dared to get for the reward of crumbs. She held her wings tight, ready to spring into flight at the merest twitch from the scary ‘humans.’

She was smell enough that he guessed she was a hen. Mostly white, with a strip of iridescent gray around her neck like a piece of jewellery. Very pretty, for a feral bird.

The pigeon keepers in Xianle had always favoured that pattern. The dovecotes in the palace were filled with as many pied birds like her as they were with pure white ones.

Maybe she was a distant descendant. That was a nice thought.

He pinched off a bit of bun, and tossed it to her.

She pecked at it, with great gusto and happy coos.

Hua Cheng leaned over to watch, taking the excuse to put his hand on top of Xie Lian’s. “Encouraging the rabble, I see?”

Xie Lian laughed. “Supporting my fellow busker.” He threw her another piece. A few more pigeons crept up cautiously, but she commanded enough presence that they didn’t dare approach yet. “She is a very charming performer.” If she was a long lost descendant of dove royalty, scraping a living out on the streets— well, she was fat and at least happy for now. That was something.

Hua Cheng’s eye crinkled. “I fear this San Lang is a phillistine.”

Xie Lian laughed again, and handed him some crumbs to distribute. “It takes time to properly appreciate the art, but my San Lang is so clever, I’m sure he could pick it up quickly.”

#tgcf #hua cheng #xie lian #my art #wolffy writes fic #asks #unforth #...did i accidentally draw gomens pigeons?