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#music clan au
fullscoreshenanigans · 10 months
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Norman ratri fuckery or maybe Norman in lambda scenario if im understanding this right!
For an AU with greater canon divergence, I like tinkering with the idea of Peter being more hands on in interacting with Norman to better contrast with Emma and Ray getting Lucas and Yuugo for father figures.
22194 has been a child of interest since he scored a perfect 300 on his first test at age four. Potentially even earlier than that, if, like Ray, the demons kept track of his pedigree and his mother was also a full scorer. Regardless of exactly when it started, he continues to capture the attention of researchers and the demon nobility alike, so by the time Legravalima gives approval for him to be sent to Lambda so she can avoid handing him over to the demon god, Peter was already aware of his general existence.
He's thrown for a loop when he meets him in person though. The only potential photographs he would have of Norman would be from when he was an infant at headquarters. His incredibly light/white hair on its own wouldn't have been enough to give him much pause, but now that his features have had more time to develop, Peter's a bit startled at the Ratri ones he can pick out.
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(@bon-nii's comparison of James and Norman from chapters 173, 152, 126, and 154)
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(Chapter 74)
There's a bit of vanity in him saying he's too young to be Norman's father (never mind he was eighteen when Norman was born), but combined with the boy's looks, the phrase sits at the back of his mind, nudging him until he can't ignore his curiosity any longer. He looks into the genealogy records at Grace Field headquarters until he can't find any recording of a sperm donor, which isn't more than a few generations back. Odd, given that Grace Field is the top premium farm, but sometimes such documentation snuck through the cracks, and it wasn't unheard of for the occasional scientist to consort with the Sister candidates prior to the refinement of artificial insemination.
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It's one of Norman's blood samples that confirms someone from the family—either from the main one or the branch Andrew's from—fathered a daughter with a Sister, and that daughter went on to have a daughter who then bore a son.
Pulling this bit from an earlier post:
…I still have trouble wrapping my head around the idea of Peter knowingly and willingly [putting a Ratri child in the farm system] on the basis of viewing them as an extension of the clan rather than as individuals, so it’s almost like it’s a worse reflection on him not being able to restore the honor of this wayward branch of it by “salvaging” the traitor’s children and raising them “correctly.” He places such great value in being a Ratri and displays such disdain when speaking of the cattle children as food, it’s hard to see him sullying the line in any way by condemning a member to the fate of the latter as opposed to just outright killing them, even if said member was an infant. That’s still Ratri blood—his blood—that would be going into the farm system, and he would never let anyone as lowly as food have any sort of claim to such a noble and prestigious status. […] However, I’m more inclined to entertain the idea of another family member taking advantage of their position as a Ratri to have a dalliance with a Sister candidate, as @officersnickers brings up in this post. It’s not something Peter would ever approve of, but what’s done is done, and importantly there was no explicit denouncement of the clan in this act, which I feel he would take personal offense to. There’s nothing he can do to save these children—the one-drop rule thoroughly entrenched in his mind, and their blood is thoroughly tainted—but maybe their Ratri lineage will win out and they’ll be able to rise above their pitiful status, so he does keep tabs on both as he approves of them being sent on their separate ways in the system.
This is where one has to make the concession that Peter cares more about having an heir and/or believing a child's Ratri heritage trumps their fate of being born into the farm system. Shirai never confirms if he has a partner, but regardless, no mention is made of biological children of his own or if he knows of any potential ones on the way.
And maybe that's getting to him as the thirty-sixth head of the Ratri clan who's going to turn thirty next year, along with this boy looking so much like James. He knew his brother had no children, and despite his traitorous ways knew he'd never father one with a Sister for a variety of reasons. Yet here is this distant relative whose genes were still so prominent even after being diluted with multiple generations of cattle blood (him being vain enough to include Norman's intelligence as being another gift of Ratri inheritance). He decides to take it as a sign and as a duty to reclaim and "salvage" this wayward line of the clan.
Norman knows something's off when he doesn't receive all of the drugs he normally does for the day. Everything else proceeds as routine until dinner, when he's escorted not by scientists or demons, but men dressed in suits to an area of Lambda he's never been to before. They arrive in a lavishly decorated room with Peter seated at a relatively small but well-furnished dinner table. Norman's never seen so much food meant for one person, but as Peter invites him to have a seat, he realizes it's meant for two people.
There's some small talk regarding the spread, Peter's recommendations and whether Norman's favorite dish is there. By sheer coincidence there is some chickpeas and meat stew present, and while Norman is still wary of the entire situation, he doesn't refuse the bowl placed in front of him by the butler. It's the most delicious thing he's ever tasted. Peter makes sure to clarify one of his personal chefs made it.
This segues into a brief discussion about the daily tests Norman's been taking at Lambda. He confirms they're harder than the tests at Grace Field, but he enjoys the challenge, the tiniest bit of smug pride seeping in in the event Peter had any ego tied up in his being bested by one of these tests. The proud tone in the response throws him off before his brain registers the words "as to be expected of a Ratri." Peter then apologizes at the small but still noticeable change in his expression, lamenting how he probably should have started out with that to ease any of Norman's worries.
He goes on to explain how he discovered this, interpreting Norman's silence as positive before moving on to provide a brief overview of how the Ratri clan came to be the mediators between two worlds and then explaining how his life will change now that he'll be staying in the Ratri visitors' quarters for the remainder of his time at Lambda. The process to remove his tattoo and brand will begin the following day, and he'll be weened off the remaining drugs he's been given.
Norman knows it's beyond his consideration, but he still can't believe the gall of this man.
As for what [being a Ratri] would mean to Norman, he’s never indicated any sense of loss related to not knowing members of his immediate birth family or fretting over his origins, but for him to be related to the clan that’s perpetuated this system of abuse over a millennia and with how his rigid sense of morality lent itself to the idea of exterminating every single demon, if he was in a particularly negative thought spiral, it might eat at him on some bad days.
Where Peter expected rapturous or reverential awe at being a long-lost member of the clan, he felt sick. He never knew his birth mother or other forebearers, but imagining everything those women had to endure after seeing what it turned Isabella into, all being said so casually without a hint of guilt over the horrors his clan perpetuated like he's discussing the pedigree of a thoroughbred animal instead of a human being, it's nauseating.
And his neck tattoo…the Lambda brand he wouldn't give a second thought to losing, but the tattoo has this paradoxical sense of kinship attached to it that I briefly go over in this post regarding the children still keeping their tattoos years after being in the human world. Even with it being a horrible symbol of their dehumanization under this system, it's been a familiar sight to him since his earliest memories. It's one of the physical markers of his connection with Emma, Ray, and the rest of his family, and this man will be flippantly erasing that. How easy it is for him having never bore the grief that comes with it.
This is already long but a tangentially related conversation to this eventually comes up with Peter asking about Emma and Ray. On the surface it's to connect with Norman and learn more about his life at Grace Field, but the ulterior motive is to see if there's any information he can glean about these kids to find and capture them quicker. Norman will give it to him for having the tact not to slip and refer to them by their numbers like he's sure he wants to do, but he's still incensed at their names in his mouth. There's also the chance that Peter might reveal a crumb of information himself about their status (because Norman can't see why he would be asking unless he had something to gain from it, so that has to mean their escape was a success and they were all alive. The alternative would kill him), so he entertains the conversation. He tries not to give any tells, but when he talks about them his thumb might have grazed the spot where his number used to be before covering it up with a cough.
Norman's never taken in by Peter's seemingly genial demeanor, but it's odd how personal and almost…amiable the man can be with him. Still, the love he's offering is contingent on Norman's continued assistance at Lambda (Peter sees it as their shared duty to solve the conundrum of faster high quality meat production) and at least the appearance of respect toward the clan. It's not unconditional like Lucas' and Yuugo's.
The clearest hint of this might be Peter mentioning how much Norman resembles James one night at dinner, building his brother up with the same admiration he displays in chapter 173 before lamenting his fall from grace, stressing the sacrifice he had to make by murdering him but still ultimately going through with it because the clan and balance between two worlds takes precedence above all else.
Alternatively, another scenario that's easier to work into canon is the Ratri clan realizing Norman's lineage when the cattle children arrive in the human world, also prompted by the databases at Grace Field sparking further investigation with a DNA test. Once it's confirmed, they keep pestering Norman about leaning into this kinship and actively working for them, along with having his family and friends seemingly on good terms with the clan for some PR optics. Norman finds the idea insulting and revolting, but he can't ignore the benefits that would come with it.
Like some other fans, I greatly dislike Norman becoming a CEO during the final major timeskip, as well as Lambda sickness being conveniently treated with no chronic aftereffects and absolutely no issues with them integrating into human world and being welcomed with open arms by everyone. I understand Shirai wanted to wrap up the series on his own terms after years of dealing with the strain that is weekly manga publishing, and he needed an explanation for how the kids could easily fund their expeditions to search for Emma, but oof, do I hate it lol. All of these remain a concern for the cattle children here, and while the Ratri clan wouldn't outright abandon them if he refused, Norman wouldn't put it past them to drag their feet on certain matters. Their finances and prestige shield them from any misguided resentment some people may hold for them. Their connections are a boon for securing future educations and careers. And god would it expedite the search for Emma.
I like to imagine a late night benefit-cost analysis between Norman, Ray, Don, and Gilda taking place at some point after they've settled in enough. The other three reaffirm that if Norman felt it was going to kill his soul to work for the Ratris, his friends and family would stand by his refusal, but they would be remiss not to acknowledge the pragmatism in further solidifying the relationship (particularly poignant coming from Ray, though not completely analogous situations). The conversation drifts off for a bit before Norman, looking exhaustedly across the table they're seated at with his hands on his knees, states, "I want her back with us."
Working with the clan would be odd in so many ways with how they would laud his status as a cattle child and how he was taking the lead on amending relations between the Ratri and the cattle children while never wanting to fully interrogate what that meant. There's a hierarchy with Norman at the top and the mass production farm children at the bottom in many of their minds. At one point in private after a publicity event someone says offhand, "you can cover that up now, you know," referring to his ID. Even in the winter he tries to make a point not to wear scarves or turtlenecks when he knows he's going to be around them.
I hate the idea of there being one good and upstanding Ratri member that befriends him just because it's too convenient, and if we're being real Norman would never let down his walls enough and let them into his personal world after everything he's been through, but I do like the thought of him maybe getting along with a few scattered members, probably younger, who recognize the terrible fate that befell the children from another world and are genuinely amiable with him without beholding him to form a meaningful friendship with them. A small attempt at a personal level of atonement that he can recognize and appreciate while still maintaining that mental distance. I also think he'd appreciate the very youngest children of the family who could give him insight into what the adults might really think of him and his friends with their uncensored commentary lol.
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swanconcerto · 11 months
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part 1 of my redacted classical music au- damn crew
as per @super-trouper-lights 's encouragement, here is an attempt at organising this classical music au that takes up 90% of my brain space at all times.
i've (hopefully) including links to a few pieces that i think suit each character as well :)
psa! i am a pianist, not an orchestral musician, so most of this is coming from anecdotal evidence that i've seen and heard as a serial concertgoer and music student. and my bonus powers of special interest and being right about everything ever.
freelancer: i usually alternate between clarinet and oboe, but i've settled between clarinet being their principal. i also think they've considered trying their hand at conducting! excels at an eclectic mix of classical/modern/jazz pieces- enjoys at the camaraderie of playing symphonic works with the rest of the orchestral, but prefers the freedom and craziness of 20th century music when playing solo. favourite composers are like bartok, prokofiev, shostakovich, stravinsky etc. turns on rite of spring at a house party like "this is my jam!!!" gavin is their go-to accompanist and together they are an absolute dream team because they work together so perfectly, even if they make eyes at each other the whole performance. really good composer too but they're too shy to show their work to anyone outside of the friend group at the minute.
pieces: bernstein sonata for clarinet and piano, templeton pocket sized sonata no.1 III : in rhythm
gavin: pianist, with a heavy focus on ensemble playing. gavin thrives when he can work off the other person(s) energy, and accompaniment really lets him have a lot of fun! really good at keeping up with the soloist even if they switch it up DURING the performance (i can see freelancer doing this...). annoyingly and effortlessly excellent at sightreading and transposing. he can play solo too but i think having all eyes on him alone on the stage makes him uneasy. if he is playing a solo work i can see him being really into all the basic romantic pieces he's definitely best at chopin and liszt. i can also see him being a fan of brahms! he's really not a fan of the earlier baroque stuff. BIG hand span so he's good at playing rachmaninoff as well. basically, he's a romantic and it shows.
pieces: liszt liebesträume no.3 (this piece is about a love that transcends death. thinking about gav's immortality vs fl's mortality...), chopin nocturne in g minor op. 37 no. 1, brahms intermezzo op. 117 no.2
damien: cellist. second chair (you'll see who is first chair later!) and slightly bitter about it, but he prefers playing solo anyways. very prone to injuries as he tenses up when he loses himself in the music, but he's working on it. REALLY scary to be in a chamber ensemble with. scarily good sense of time and will call you out if you are out by even a millisecond. thought about conducting but decided against it after he nearly made lasko cry for rushing a phrase. serial string breaker. gets a little starstruck around musicians he really respects. a real asset to the orchestra because his passion and drive is infectious. actually counts his rests LOL. has a beautiful tenor voice but rarely shows it off. has a notebook dedicated to cello and takes detailed notes after every lesson, rehearsal, and performance. loves having an art form to just throw himself into.
pieces: brahms cello sonata, elgar cello concerto
huxley: PERCUSSIONIST! him and xavier man the percussion section at the back of the orchestra- huxley has definitely gotten too into the music and accidentally launched a mallet into the orchestra before; apologised profusely afterwards. likes to play tuned and untuned percussion equally. goes ham on the timpani! amazing sense of rhythm. often taps out little bits of what he's playing whilst he's going about his day. often has a little dance when he's playing! is also super good at little jazz or bossa nova improvisations on the piano. huxley really doesn't play anything pre-19th century, but sometimes if he'll listen to some early baroque pieces whilst he's walking home or lying in bed, and hum along. really likes bach's cello suites to calm down. gets damien to play them for him while he lounges on the floor like a very happy cat. the most interested in music outside of the western canon- he thinks it's all super fascinating.
pieces: márquez danzón no. 2, reich mallet quartet iii: fast (this one sounds really earthy to me? for some reason.)
lasko: did you really think he would be anything but a flautist?! flute posterboy. amazing breath control, but often rushes phrases (he plays like he rambles!) likes being in the same section as freelancer as they always give him a little thumbs up before he has any solo parts. gavin usually accompanies him for solo work but sometimes lasko gets so flustered he breathes funny into his flute and all that comes out is this strange honking sound- gavin isnt sure whether it came from the flute or lasko himself. his favourite composers are ravel and debussy as he just loves the impressionist sound- always listens to debussy's preludes when he's winding down before bed. recently has been obsessed with debussy's la mer- perhaps it reminds him of a certain someone...? also quite the mozart fan! lasko gets really lost in the music when he plays and tends to lose all of his inhibitions- it's lovely for his friends to see him relaxed and happy like that, and it's also very therapeutic for him.
pieces: glick flute sonata i: fast, mozart concerto for flute and harp 2nd mov (with a certain water elemental playing the harp part...) , ravel valses nobles et sentimentales ii: assez lent (okay i know the flute isnt that prominent in this but it just reminds me of him)
bonus: caelum is a very enthusiastic piano student, hoping to take after his big brother gavin :D
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lens-guy-art · 7 months
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Lmao if I switch the characters from their universes
Alliance members: *vibing being silly smol robot guys at a Mall*
Meanwhile..
Technotic Sonic, Loudsy, Telly, Tv Cop, Blindspot, Yule B. Bored, and Critically Complained aka GADGET GUILD: *getting the soul-crushing trauma from war*
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cupidtxt · 2 years
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sorry for being a theater kid
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honeybubblebeeeeee · 3 months
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Arranged marriage AU!Toji x Reader
Summary: Your son with toji, Megumi, said his first words today
CW: toji is cold and distant mostly hurt and no comfort mild fluff i guess??
Idk this was a random thought and now its here
REQUESTS OPEN!
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Marriages were not always done out of love. Some were done out of necessity or desperation. Much like the one you were currently in. It was necessity of clans and land squabbles and power hungry old men that didn't care for the feelings of those around them - only getting what they want.
And in your case they got what they wanted. Did you get anything you wanted? Well kinda.
Being in an arranged marriage to Toji wasn't the worst thing to happen to you. It could be worse but it could also be much, much better.
You had known each other since you were children as it was planned from a young age that you two were to be married. You hadn't minded. Toji was attractive and you had a mini crush on him for the longest time but he always detested you. You knew of the numerous women he had slept with before your marriage, having run into them multiple times. It felt like he was trying to push you away, to force you to beg for an out but you both knew that wasn't happening.
You had only been married for a short time now almost two years. It had been mostly uneventful in the name of new marriages aside from - ya know - the whole baby you had. Toji and you were told to waste no time in trying to produce an heir and really that was the only Toji showed you any affection. Outside of those moments he was cold and inattentive. Those moments were only out of the necessity to reproduce anyway. He didn't interact with your son Megumi very much either.
You cleaned up the kitchen after dinner in your large but yet lonely house. Toji was still out. Work or something else you weren't sure. Megumi babbled and bounced as he watched you move around the kitchen from his highchair, music played in the background. You smiled at him as he babbled. "Hi 'Gumi." You waved at him smiling wide. He laughed giddly at your voice, his mop of black hair bouncing with his movements.
He was the happiest and the cutest baby you had ever seen. You were more than proud of yourself. It was only mildly hurtful that Megumi was identical to Toji. His dark hair, his facial structure screamed Toji. The only thing he had gotten from you was your eyes. They reflected back at you as you approached the bouncing baby putting him on your hip.
You danced along to he music, bouncing him around as he laughed and babbled.
You put him down on the floor as you turned off the music. He continued babbling to himself as he crawled around. "Dadadadadada"
You turned almost comically slow to look down at your son. "What?!" Your smile was wide and your face was full of surprise.
Megumi babbled on again almost coherently. "dadadadadada"
You were so in shock you could barely move. Picking him up and swiftly sitting him on the counter. "Gumi did you say dada?! Say it again! Say dada."
Megumi laughed and babbled at you. You repeated the word multiple times, he watched intently his mouth moving as if trying to copy you. More coherent this time. "Dada"
You smiled wide and clapped at him. "Good job Megumi!! Oh my we have to tell Dada don't we? Such a smart boy."
Within the same moment Toji burst through the front door. You looked up at him as he passed by the kitchen, not even taking off his shoes before going to stomp up the stairs. "Toji! Oh my gosh come here Megumi just-"
"Leave me alone." He marched up the stairs. You heard his footsteps through the house and his bedroom door slammed. You looked down at Megumi as his small hands held onto your shirt and he looked up at you with big eyes. "Dada." You smiled softly at him. "Yeah baby... dada." Looking towards the stairs as if seeing him stomp up to them all over again.
Hours went by and he never came back down. You texted him that his dinner was in the fridge, that you wanted to show him something, that you were here for him if he needed anything, that you were sorry he had a bad day and he never answered or even read a single message.
Since figuring out he could say 'dada' Megumi had not stopped repeating it. You knew it wasn't to annoy you but you couldn't help feel a pang of hurt every time he said it. Toji was rarely around. Why couldn't his first word be mama, the one who is always around?
It was Megumi's bed time but you really thought Toji hearing Megumi would lighten up his day a little. You sighed to yourself as you built lego towers with Megumi upstairs in his playroom. Here you were, still trying to be the wife but he really was making you into a stranger.
You bathed and dressed Megumi in his pjs and held him close as he looked up at you. "Should we go see if dada is busy Megumi?" His eyes widened at the word and continued his babbling mantra of it. You walked through the east half of the house where your room and Megumi's plus your own office, some extra rooms and Megumi's playroom were. Toji's side was the west wing. If you were actually husband and wife you would share the north wing, where the extravagant bedroom - apartment practically - sat bare and collected dust. You looked to the double doors at the end of the north hall with disappointment before making you way to the west end and stepping up to Toji's door.
You hesitated before knocking softly. Waiting a moment before looking down at Megumi and shrugging. "I don't know if he's awake bud." You thought for a moment before slowly pushing the door open and peering inside. The light were on so you entered even though you knew you shouldn't. Toji never let you in his room. You'd only be in here a handful of times and all those times were unpleasant.
You walked through the sitting area into the bedroom until you noticed the bathroom door shut. You shook your head, looking to Megumi, pushing his hair out of his eyes. "I think we will show dada tomorrow okay?" Megumi was unusually quiet, maybe being able to feel the tension that grew in your body. Turning swiftly you made for the door you came through but before you made it out of the bedroom the bathroom door opened.
"What are you doing in here?" Toji's voice was loud and cold. You turned to look at him. Water dripped from his wet hair, his body damp with steam. A towel hung loosely around his waist. "Did I say you could come in my room?" His eyes bore holes into you. The heat that rushed into your face gave away your fear.
You looked down to the son you both created, trying to look anywhere but at the way his muscled form rippled infront of you. It was easier to pretend you didn't find him attractive or care about him or have feelings for him when he wasn't right infront of you.
"Oh... sorry... I just..."
He eyed you, how you stayed focus on Megumi. The small boy holding onto your free hand. "What happened? Is Megumi ok?" His expression changed as he approached the two of you. His voice still cold and annoyed but a hint of concern hid underneath it all.
Your head snapped to him. Eyeing him closely for a reaction. "Nothing I just... he said his first word today. I thought it might cheer you up to hear it if I can get him to say it again."
His features softened ever so slightly. "His first word?" Toji tilted his head in thought. "What was it?" You couldn't help but notice the small amount of excitement in his voice.
Megumi bounced in your arms at Toji's voice, babbling along as if trying to figure out how to say it all over again. I smiled at Toji and then back down at Megumi. I pointed at Toji. "Who's that Gumi? Hmm? Say dada! Say it again baby show dada."
Megumi babbled and pointed towards Toji for a few moments before sounding out dada once again.
Toji's face immediately brightened. "What?! Dada??" He chuckled deeply, one that sounded genuine and it shook something in you. "He actually said it. Good boy Megumi." Toji stepped up to you and the baby as he spoke. Brushing Megumi's heap of hair back.
You kissed to side of Megumi's head as he bounced on your hip. "He hasn't even said mama yet." You chuckled softly but the tinge of hurt was in your voice. "Anyway that was all I wanted to tell you. Sorry for coming in your room, I know I'm not supposed to."
He shook his head. "it's okay." He assured as he watched Megumi babble and squirm in your grip. He was overtired for sure. Toji seemed to be a different person than the one you had come accustomed. His permanent scowl was gone and he looked almost happy. "Can I hold him?"
His question shocked you. Eyes widening but you handed him over.
Toji softly cradled him, rocking him back and forth as he whispered to him. Megumi didn't cry or fuss, even his overtired babbling stopped. Slowly his eyes got heavy and closed. You watched intently as Toji interacted with your son. If it could be like this all the time.
"He really does have my hair. He's got your eyes too." Toji commented quietly while admiring his son. His eyes flicked up to yours for a moment.
I smiled at him. "Yeah... he does..."
Toji chuckled softly. "He really does look like me. It's kinda scary."
You laughed a little more sincerely than you intended. "He does, has your personality too."
Toji chuckled low. "Yeah, he's cold and distant just like me?"
Your smile dropped, panic set in at his words. "Oh n-no I didn't mean it like that..."
Toji shook his head and looked up at you, a soft chuckle leaving his lips at your panicked expression. "I was joking, I know what you meant." He assured as he watched the sleeping Megumi in his arms.
You let go of a breath you didn't even realize you were holding. "oh right."
Toji whole aura seemed to relax when he held Megumi. You wished he could be around all the time. That he could be the father figure Megumi needed. That he could be the husband you wanted. To come home after a long day, and sit together. To be able to go to him when you needed a hug or reassurance or just wanted to feel loved. Your eyes focused as you realized that Toji was watching you deep in thought. Shaking your head you held out your arms. "I can take him now if you want. I don't want to bother you."
He held onto Megumi for a moment, seeming almost reluctant before handing him over to you. You smiled and nodded at him, turning to leave. He called out to you as you reached the door. "Wait, Y/N-"
You turned to look at him. "What's up?"
He opened his mouth to say something but closed it slowly. "Never mind sorry. Goodnight."
You eyed him for a moment before reluctantly turning away. "Alright... goodnight."
He couldn't bring himself to tell you the things he wanted to say. He couldn't find the words. How does he make up for the suffering you already endured? You had always so easily melted his cold dead heart, so he kept you at a distance but you had been so close. He already felt it melting.
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brighteuphony · 2 months
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On the way back from Tea Country with Chakra-poisoned Kakashi tryna "casually" fish for some info before Sakura comes in with the one-hit KO on accident.
So she's got some complicated feelings for Kakashi as well, though they're a lot milder than what she feels about Sasuke.
There's a moment in my AU where Sakura goes through a deep reflection ritual, in which she has to face Inner Sakura -who is representative of all the ugly truths her day-to-day self hasn't been able to face- and come to terms with who she is.
During that time, she's got to face the music.
The music:
Sasuke is the last prodigal son of a clan that was brutally butchered. He's a genius with one of the most powerful dojutsu out there (that he has no idea how to use) and is coming in hot with more baggage than an airport terminal.
Naruto is not normal. She doesn't know what he is (as in-canon, she finds out after the time-skip and the Sakura from above is right on the cusp of Shippuden), but there's nothing normal about a kid who can pull wild orange chakra and who can fight Gaara's tailed beast and come out on top. He's got the personal attention of the Hokage, but the entire village has banded against him for some reason. He's special.
Kakashi is a war veteran turned Jounin and an infamous ANBU captain (I headcanon that some ANBU names are leaked specifically to generate a healthy level of fear/caution among other villages- which is why we know of Itachi/Kakashi/Shisui very publically) and is ALSO the last prodigal son of an old noble clan.
(No way a bookworm like Sakura didn't consume every publically available scroll on Konoha clans).
It doesn't take the big brains to figure out that he got team 7 specifically to help deal with Sasuke's trauma/teach him about the Sharingan, and put a leash on Naruto (and in the future, when she finds out that Madara was able to control the Kyuubi with the Sharingan as well as the knowledge that Kakashi was Minato's student it becomes even clearer why he got the Sasuke/Naruto combo.)
And Sakura? Sakura is a civilian. No clan, no dojutsu, nothing to her name except great chakra control. She's the literal meat in the meat-grinder of the military machine of Konoha, the acceptable sacrifice in a group of otherwise invaluable shinobi. She's just a...girl. (And it doesn't help that she was obsessed with Sasuke instead of training, furthering the gulf between her and Kakashi.)
Kakashi was absolutely not built to handle her- in fact, Kakashi has NO idea how to relate who hasn't gone through a mountain's worth of trauma or someone who hasn't been ingrained in the shinobi-as-a-tool lifestyle, and even then, he's not fully equipped to handle people who have (lmao Sasuke). Not to mention the man is a prodigy- he has no idea how to teach people who have to work hard to get somewhere in life. How do you teach someone if you've never had to 'work hard' to get there yourself?
So, Sakura understands that Kakashi was put in one of the most ridiculous situations of his career- a situation he had NO idea how to handle. She can forgive him for that. BUT, she can't forgive him for not trying his best.
Sakura spent a lot of time coming to terms with the fact that she rushed into the Chidori/Rasengan combo without a single idea of what she would do, but...Kakashi was a big reason for that.
She was HIS responsibility, and he fumbled that bag. Whatever his reasoning, whether it was to 'protect' her, or whether he thought she was worthless, whatever: he should have TRIED.
Kakashi was an adult with resources aplenty. He recognized that she had stellar chakra control but never bothered to teach her genjutsu or direct her to teachers who could pick up the slack.
And after the accident, he abandoned her again. Being forgotten in lieu of Sasuke and Naruto hurt...but she could heal. Being abandoned as some kind of martyr to Kakashi's failures as a teacher? It's gonna take a while for Kakashi to make that up to her...if he can muster the courage to face her.
Sakura finally understands why he preferred the memorial stone to the living. He already failed the dead, and it's easier to wallow in self-flagellation than it is to try and step up for the living.
Sakura stopped being a coward some time ago, and when Kakashi finally does the same, she'll forgive him.
Thank you so much for sticking with this wall of text! And thank you so much anon for the question! Once again, I really appreciate all the kind words people have been throwing my way. <3 <3 <3
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keqism · 1 year
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⎯⎯ 𝐒𝐎 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐒 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 ⊰
.࿔ feat. childe, xiao, scaramouche, diluc, heizou, tighnari
.࿔ premise. L-O-V-E doesn't always have to be vocalized
.࿔ cw. fluff, gn!reader, modern au, mentions of alcohol, two swear words, pet names, use of childe's real name
.࿔ notes. reposting because this app hates me and i accidentally deleted the original post.
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𝐀 𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐄𝐒 𝐀𝐖𝐀𝐘 (𝐁𝐔𝐓 𝐘𝐎𝐔'𝐑𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐋𝐋 𝐈𝐍 𝐌𝐘 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓) ≀ feat. childe
childe always makes time to call you when he’s away on his business trips. regardless of the time difference, he'll facetime you from his hotel room. some days he's rowdy, loudly chattering about his shady fatui dealings; other times, he's quieter, a little sadder. he'll softly ask you about your day, perfectly content with listening to your sweet voice while tracing the pixels of your face on his phone. he'll never admit it but he can't sleep well without you, sometimes tucking a pillow into his side and pretending that it's your body.
"ajax you should go to sleep." your frowning face peers at him through the screen, examining his droopy eyes.
"but i wanna hear your voice," he slurs, his words muffled by the blankets drawn up to his chin. "i miss you so much."
"you're such a baby," you tease, although your bittersweet smile tells him that you miss him as well. "alright, i'll stay on call until you fall asleep." 
childe offers you a drowsy grin in response, nestling deeper into his blankets. the hotel bed is a little too cold for his liking, but your voice fills the room, warming his body and lulling him further into his dreams. 
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𝐒𝐋𝐎𝐖 𝐃𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐀𝐑𝐊 ≀ feat. xiao
it's a running joke among your friends that xiao is like a cat: aloof and stubborn with a hidden curious side. you would have to disagree though because xiao protects you like a vigilant guard dog. he'll switch places with you so that he's walking on the outside of the sidewalk, an arm timidly wrapped around your waist. at parties, he'll clutch your drink to his chest like it's a newborn baby, one hand firmly planted over the top. you can always feel his gaze from across the room, warding off any bold individuals who have the nerve to approach you. 
"xiao, dance with me!" you're a little tipsy, wobbling as you turn to face your boyfriend.
xiao's breath catches in his throat. you're beautiful, hair messy and lips curving up into a shy grin. it drives him crazy, the way you cling to his arm for balance and gaze at him with those mesmerizing eyes. 
i'm whipped, he sighs as you tug him through the crowd of people, wrapping your hands around his neck as a slower song plays through the speakers. he pulls you into him protectively, swaying to the beat of the music. for a moment, the sweaty bodies around you disappear; it's just you and him, slow dancing in the dark.
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𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐂𝐄𝐋𝐀𝐈𝐍 ≀ feat. scaramouche
scaramouche—unwillingly—lets you include him in your self-care days. every friday night, you'll sit him down on your living room floor and lay out ten different face masks for him to choose. he'll begrudgingly rest his head in your lap while you apply the face mask (play with his hair and he'll fall asleep). if you're lucky, he might let you tweeze his eyebrows, although he'll complain loudly about the pain and grumble about how you tweezed one brow higher than the other. 
you plop down onto the couch with a groan, feeling the ache in your muscles. absentmindedly scrolling through your phone, you feel a pair of eyes burn into the side of your head.
"yes, scara?" you hum, intrigued by a video of the latest celebrity scandal.
suddenly, your phone is snatched from your hand and you find yourself pinned under a body. scaramouche hovers over you, glowering at your figure underneath him.
"scara, what the fuck?"
his scowl deepens. "it's friday, idiot, you're forgetting something."
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𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐀𝐓™ ≀ feat. diluc
some say you're in it for the money, that you're only dating diluc for the ragnvindr clan's wealth. others claim that it's a fake relationship. diluc must have hired you to date him to maintain his status as mondstadt's number one bachelor. but what they don't know, is that you're in it for the coat. diluc ragnvindr's coat is what you would describe as heaven on earth: warm with a comforting weight and a lingering scent of your favorite pyro vision holder. you love wearing it and he loves to see you wearing it. the weather outside is slightly chilly? coat. you accidentally forgot an umbrella during a date? coat. fuck the rumors; you're not a gold digger, you're just very much in love with diluc—and his coat.
the loud thud of the dawn winery doors announces diluc's entrance. it's evening by the time he returns from his duties; he's exhausted and would rather be in bed with you tucked into his side. 
quietly, diluc enters your shared bedroom, only to find an empty, cold bed waiting for him. he frowns. you should have been in bed by now. his footsteps echo as he hastily makes his way down the hallway, panic rising in his throat. flinging the doors to his study open, diluc's eyes land on your sleeping figure, curled up in the armchair by his desk.
diluc slowly approaches you, brushing a hand against your cheek. you must have tried to stay up, he muses. he sheds his coat, carefully wrapping the thick fabric around your shoulders. despite his efforts to stay quiet, you startle awake.
"diluc?" you blink the sleep from your eyes, leaning into his warmth. 
"shh, i'm here now, love," he reassures you, gathering you in his arms.
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𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐕𝐀𝐋𝐑𝐘 𝐈𝐒𝐍'𝐓 𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐃! ≀ feat. heizou
heizou holds your bag for you. yes, because he's a gentleman but also because he likes to store his things in there too. it started off with his jitte and spare headband laid neatly next to your belongings. gradually, a green pebble was added and then a law book (courtesy of yanfei) was shoved in. you're slowly running out of room for your items, but heizou flaunts your bag with such pride that you don't have the heart to tell him off.
you lean against the brick wall of the library, scanning your surroundings for a familiar auburn-haired individual. the autumn breeze stirs your hair, sending a chill through your bones as you burrowed into your scarf.
a distant shout of your name brings your attention to the library's entrance. heizou runs towards you, sporting a tawny cardigan and a matching scarf. 
"sorry i'm a little late!" he beams, hands automatically reaching for your backpack. you allow him to slip the straps off of your shoulders and onto his, leaning in to peck his icy cheek.
"let's head home," you smile, slinging an arm around his hip and sliding a hand into his pocket. "it's cold today, do you want to stop by the café for a drink?"
his laugh rings through the chilly air. "you read my mind!" 
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𝐈 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐒𝐎 𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐇 ≀ feat. tighnari
as a forest watcher, tighnari spends most of his time out patrolling sumeru's rainforest and examining the surrounding fauna. he does get a little distracted, though. it's hard to stay focused when everything reminds him of you. zaytun peach, your favorite fruit; the purple sumeru rose that would look so lovely tucked behind your ear. tighnari pockets each of these trinkets to take back to you, carefully tucking them into his duffle bag.
"welcome home, nari," you greet him with a brief kiss as he enters your shared home.
"it's good to be back," he replies, cupping your face in his hands. "i brought you some things—they reminded me of you."
you eagerly watch as he digs through his bag, gloved hands pulling out different flowers and pebbles. his previous gifts already litter your house, but you still appreciate them nonetheless. 
you pluck a misshapen mushroom up, raising an eyebrow at him. "a mushroom, tighnari? do explain how this reminds you of me."
a sly smirk makes its way onto his face. "well, it's cute like you," he teases, pinching the skin of your cheek. "and it's a fun-gi. get it?"
you slap his hands away, pointing an accusing finger at him. "you met up with cyno today, didn't you?"
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pennyellee · 8 months
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CHAPTER IV - ustulation
LACRIMOSA | MYG MAFIA YANDERE AU
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pairings: mafia leader!yoongi x f!reader genre: mafia!au, yandere au, historical au
summary: Their interlocking gaze served as a butterfly effect on his heart, stirring it to the core. She, in turn, only dreams to find a way to escape. But perchance, over time she might forcefully learn to love the man who has taken so much from her.
Thus unfolds a twisted tale of love and loss, of hope and despair, of life and death. The music reverberated through the dimly-lit streets. Tears of sorrow, weeping symphony - reflects the hurt, the scars that linger deep within and the wounds that never healed. Lacrimosa.
chapter warnings: minors dni 18+ | mafia au, dark!yoongi, mafia!yoongi, yandere, kidnapping, mentions of God, blood, incision wound, fictive mafia clan traditions, manipulation, possessive/obsessive behaviour, angst, mentions of death, overwhelming, violence, threats, intimate encounter, kissing
beta read by @chaoticpuff17
word count: 5,6K
disclaimer: this story is purely fictional, it does not depict real-life events or involve any actual members of BTS. This story will contain depictions of violence, blood shed, death, mentions of abuse, smoking, alcohol drinking, illegal activities, old social norms and traditions, which we do not condone.
m.list CHAPTER I CHAPTER II CHAPTER III GAME OF GO CHAPTER V
ustulation (n.) a burning lust
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In the hidden embrace of a secluded mountain valley, a village of hanoks stirred to life on a tranquil winter's morning. The air was crisp, a symphony of silence. The Song of the Dead toned down for some time.
The dawn’s gentle light bathed the valley, wisps of mist from the frost-kissed earth, adding an ethereal veil to the scenery she watched carefully from the closed window.
The majestic mountains, ancient pines and stoic rocks stood as sentinels of the valley's serenity. She could see them from this side of the house. Y/N sighed, holding a cup of tea in her two small hands, warming herself up on this chilly morning.
“Is something bothering you, my love?”
Yoongi had tried his hardest the past month to get under her skin. There were times when he thought perhaps, she would welcome him into her heart one day. However, her repeated escape attempts made him think otherwise. He was giving her the space she needed with carefulness in every action he took. The young leader knew well that she wouldn't be able to escape while they resided here, in the core of the village. That did not stop her though.
As if nature herself wished to bestow a gift upon him, the first snowflakes began to descend from the heavens just as they were returning from that unfortunate, eventful day in Seoul. The snowflakes floated gently, even now, like fragile dreams.
“Are you feeling well? You spent a lot of time in the snow yesterday.” He murmured after she didn’t grant him an answer to his previous question. They had to postpone the wedding as the snow and frost reigned, making it unsafe to pass through the tunnels. The passage was being cleared by workers for more than a week now. Time seemed to stand still as they absorbed the grace that enveloped their world.
“I feel fine,” she muttered back, not even looking his way at the table.
“I’ve been good to you, haven’t I?” He asked, demanding to speak to her.
“After all the stunts you pulled, you’re still free to roam around without anyone guarding you. Not speaking of the fact that I’m letting you sleep alone���” he was going on rumble.
The young leader is patient, but he longed for her more than ever. The fact that they’re still not newlyweds, and he cannot show love to every inch of her body, make her swell with his child, was frustrating him beyond repair. She had let her guard down once and allowed him to take the chance and kiss her on the cheek, startling her yet again.
“—you’re so blinded,” she said suddenly, turning back to face him.
“Excuse me?” said he, very surprised.
“You go on about how you’re good to me, how this is God’s doing, and that I should be grateful—” she threw her hands in the air, frustrated by his demanding nature.
While the leader thought he was granting her the time she needed, Y/N felt more and more anxious every day. Her heart is still itching to be free, yet she cannot stop thinking about what her selfishness would cause if she indeed managed to escape.
“Well maybe if you didn’t run every time, I tried to show you affection, I wouldn't have to remind you of all this.” He spat angrily, smashing the chopsticks on the table, standing up.
“I’m patient—” said he, getting closer to her standing form by the large windows. “—but I swear to God, you’ll disobey me again, and that’s where my hospitality ends, Y/N.”
“I just—” she stammered, making him stop in his attempt to close the distance between them. “I’m scared,” she whimpered. Y/N didn’t know why these words came out of her, nor why there were tears. All she felt was exhaustion.
The scarred leader’s expression softened. Is she finally confiding herself to him, opening up?
“My love…” He approached her, taking the cup from her shaking hands, putting it aside and lastly taking her face into his hands, his thumbs wiping her tears away.
“I can make you happy. You just have to let me in.” He whispered, moving his face closer to hers. Y/N knows they will cross the boundary sooner or later. The winter is making it impossible for her to both run away and survive. Should Y/N listen to her mother’s words and let him make her his queen? The older female’s proclamation circled her mind at night while listening to the cracking of wood in the fireplace.
“Please let me in, dove.” He pleaded again, his eyes filled with sincerity and longing.
And once she nodded her head in approval, he didn’t hesitate to press his lips softly against hers. Time stood still, and the world around them faded into a blur of insignificance. Their hearts pounded in sync for a brief moment. She felt a warmth she couldn't admit, even to herself. Y/N wanted to hate him so much. Despite her inner conflict, she could sense the unspoken longings from his side, his desire to deepen the kiss carefully without overwhelming her. He wished to never let her go and feared that she would vanish in his hold. His lips were tender and tentative, like the brush of a butterfly's wings upon a fragile petal. Y/N knows he is holding himself back. The kiss was addictive, momentarily lifting the burden from her chest.
As he went to slide his hands on the swell of her heart-shaped bottom, a sudden cough interrupted the intimate moment. Y/N quickly pulled away, feeling shame and embarrassment wash over her caused by the sudden intrusion. She stole a single glance at the man standing by the door, grinning mischievously. Her cheeks turned crimson as she felt shy and exposed, but the young leader kept holding her in his embrace, not letting her go so soon after their first shared kiss.
Smiling like a teenager, he said: “What’s going on Hoseok-shi.” Y/N could imagine he is smiling widely as she had observed when she apologised to him for hitting his head with the stone. He waved it off quickly stating ‘I would be a fool to not forgive my new sister.’ She pretended not to be affected by his words, but it made the man she was to marry smile even more mischievously.
“I need to speak to you, and Y/N should get ready for Hyung’s wedding,” Hoseok said, his eyes gleaming with some secret knowledge.
Y/N exchanged a puzzled glance with Hoseok before nodding and extracting herself from the young leader's embrace, her cheeks still flushed from the kiss. Uncertainty hung in the air as Yoongi let Y/N go and walk away, admiring her graceful figure.
“What?” Yoongi asked, turning his attention to his trusted friend, who wore a smirk that hinted at hidden amusement.
“Nothing,” Hoseok replied, still smiling under his nose.
“Shall we?” Yoongi said, collecting himself and walking towards his brother.
“You won’t fancy what news I bring, brother.”
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Silk banners fluttered in the breeze, announcing the joyous union to all who ventured near. The bride, a vision of grace and elegance, is adorned in a hanbok of flowing silk and intricate embroidery.
The groom, dressed in the timeless attire of a traditional hanbok, stood tall and resolute. His eyes fixed unwaveringly upon his beloved, as though she embodied the very essence of his being — a force that fuelled his heart.
Amidst the enchanting spectacle of celebration, the weight of tradition resonated with each uttered word.
The outside picture portrayed the unbreakable bonds of family and the beauty of two souls finding solace in one another. Y/N, however, couldn’t help but have a feeling that the poor girl the doctor was marrying did not find herself at the altar because of true love but fearful coercion. It reminded her of her circumstances — a pawn in a larger scheme.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a warm golden glow upon the snow-covered land, Y/N sat beside her to-be husband, observing his unusual joy. Accordingly. Today, one of his brothers was finally taking a wife and his bride in a momentary vulnerability that had allowed him to share a tender kiss with her, amplifying his joy to an even greater extent.
Her ears perked up once she heard the celebration of the union before her. She couldn't resist side-eyeing the other brothers she had encountered over the past month, and her gaze locked with Kim Namjoon, Kkangpae’s right-hand man.
Y/N remembers Kim Namjoon. His piercing, cold gaze bore into her soul, especially so during one of her escape attempts, when he forcefully brought her back to the main house, reprimanding her for disobedience.
‘I can either give up my life to save you or I can be your enemy Y/N.’ Namjoon had warned her on a night when she sought solace near the fireplace in Yoongi's office, wrapped in blankets to warm herself even more. She was rarely allowed in this sacred room unless her actions demanded attention.
That night, Yoongi was dealing with business matters. He came back to the main house to her shivering and crying form. It is breaking his heart every time he sees her in such a state but simultaneously, he wishes she would cross the border of submissiveness and obey him.
Y/N ignored his warning just yesterday when she attempted to run away again. Hence, the gaze. If she was afraid of his next steps, she wouldn’t let him decipher that.
She snapped out of her mind as Yoongi rose from his seat, taking her hand to help her up. Y/N looked at him with a mixture of confusion and concern. He gently nudged her behind him, positioning himself as a protective shield. She looked around her, seeing that everyone else was still seated. Their looks show emotions —excitement, joy, and pride.
Her confusion heightened when Yoongi began unbuttoning her fur coat that was hiding her long red qipao, and panic swelled within her.
"What are you doing?!” She whispered in distress.
“Behave.” He whispered back to her, leaving the coat open revealing her breasts and tummy.
Leaving her standing close to him, he held her hand tightly, as if afraid she might flee at any moment. Y/N noticed that Namjoon's attention had shifted to Seokjin's new bride. The bride's trembling form approached them, and Y/N observed the gleaming knife in Seokjin's hand, quickly realizing what was about to happen.
It whispered promises of power, of secrets that could be revealed with a single stroke, but it also carried the weight of consequences and a toll on the bearer's conscience. As the girl's hand was carefully sliced with the knife, Y/N couldn't help but empathize with her pain. Her father had a similar tradition; however, women weren’t involved; she was still left in the dark about her role in all this.
The girl then knelt, extending her bloodied hand toward the leader, reciting her pledge of loyalty to Kkangpae Min. Yoongi covered her hand with his other one, acknowledging her devotion and signaling for her to continue with the moving tradition.
The leader then used his left hand to guide Y/N forward, leaving her yet again puzzled and bewildered. A moment later, she gasped with shock as she felt the girl's bloodied hand touch her lower belly. Yoongi held her firmly in place, preventing any instinctual step back.
"I, with my blood, pledge my loyalty to you, Min Buin. Blessed be the fruit of your future legacy, Kkangpae Min," the girl recited, her words carrying both reverence and a touch of melancholy. The significance of the moment and the responsibility it bestowed upon Y/N left her grappling with a maelstrom of emotions.
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“Well you handled that well,” a voice came from behind her, and Y/N turned to find Namjoon standing there, watching her by the fireplace in Yoongi's office. She had been curious when he would approach her, knowing that Yoongi had gone to check if the tunnels were passable.
Y/N couldn't quite discern the tone of Namjoon's remark—whether it held irony or genuine praise. Such was the enigmatic nature of this man.
“I suppose,” she muttered, hugging herself for comfort.
“I personally thought you’d slap her hand off. Such an act would undoubtedly stir up trouble,” said he as he settled down in one of the armchairs.
Her mind replayed the events of the pledge, and she confessed truthfully, “I was too shocked to do so.” The new bride's pledge of loyalty to her and her empty womb had caught her off guard, leaving her uneasy.
“Your father is not demanding newcomers to pledge loyalty?” He asked, curious about their inner circle practices. She smirked, sensing his attempt to pry.
“Yes, but not to my mother,” she revealed.
“You hold an important position within our ranks,” the right-hand man noted. “And that, my dear, is why we are having this little conversation.” Y/N looked up, finding him extending a glass filled with what she presumed to be rice wine or soju.
“I genuinely want to be your friend Y/N—” he said while passing the glass to her. “But you’re very hard to please, princess,” he exclaimed.
“By ‘wanting to be my friend’, you mean the part when you threaten me again,” she retorted with a scoff, alluding to his past warnings.
“That is a necessary evil,” he conceded. “But on a serious note, Y/N,” he drew closer, taking a seat slightly further away to grant her personal space, “Why?”
“What do you mean, why?” she asked, feeling dumbfounded by his question.
"Is life here truly so terrible that all you can think of is escape?" he sighed, genuinely curious about her state of mind.
“Not all I can think of—” she began, trying to defend herself.
"Oh, so you did not attempt to escape just a day ago, and two days before that, and so on," he interjected, pointing out her recent attempts.
“What do you want to hear from me Namjoon?” she countered, feeling the pressure of his questioning.
“Hoseok hyung overheard your conversation,” he finally gave away the one piece of information he sought to address “What are you afraid of?”
Y/N gazed into the dancing flames, his words echoing in her mind. Memories of the recent kiss with Yoongi and the ensuing events flooded her thoughts. She felt her spirit on the brink of collapse, her attempts to escape repeatedly thwarted, causing harm to others in the process. Y/N was exhausted.
“I suppose I expected my life to take a different trajectory than this,” she admitted, reflecting on her circumstances.
“I can assure you that this will be the best that ever happened to you—” Namjoon insisted, trying to be reassuring.
“And that, Namjoon, is where my disbelief lies,” she interrupted him, peering straight into his eyes. He sighed, running a hand across his face, expressing a sense of frustration mixed with genuine concern.
“You didn’t give it a chance!” He raised his voice, unable to hide his emotions. He wanted this clan to function as it did for countless years and what’s more, he wanted his hyung to be happy.
“I’m going to ask you once again, and I want the truth,” he implored, trying to get to the heart of the matter. “What are you so scared of?”
Y/N decided to remain silent, knowing that her response would likely incite further frustration from him. "Is it sex?" he suddenly asked, shocking her with his explicitness. "Are you scared to be punished for your sins?”
“Don’t be ridiculous!” she returned his rage, denying his accusation.
“Am I?” he continued probing.
“Yes, Namjoon! You are! You think I’m this shallow?!” she lashed out.
“No, but all you let us see is the shallow version of you. Apart from this morning,” he declared, referring to a rare moment of vulnerability she had shown.
“And it wasn’t meant for anybody to hear nor see that,” she snapped back at him.
“I understand your reasoning, Y/N. But we’re your family now, you don’t have to shield yourself against us,” he pleaded, hoping to break down her walls.
“He loves you, Y/N,” Namjoon continued, trying to make her see the sincerity in Yoongi's feelings.
“That’s very hard to believe too.” She remarked, still sceptical, looking right through his eyes. He took a deep breath, lifting his hand to touch his face.
“Alright, let’s make a deal,” he proposed, catching her by surprise and piquing her interest.
“About?” She asked, curiously.
“Give it a year,” said the right-hand man. By making a deal with her, he is going behind the back of his leader and, even more importantly — his dearest friend. Nevertheless, he felt obligated to do this for him.
"If you're still 'scared' of whatever you say you are, and this is not the life you'll be comfortable living, I'll personally see to it that you'll be transported to America," he promised, leaving her momentarily speechless.
“What is the catch?” Y/N wasn't naive. She knew there must be some ulterior motive.
"You'll stop being a flight risk. If you attempt to run again, the deal is off, and I will personally eliminate each person foolish enough to aid you since your arrival—one by one, ending with your cousin," he stated, laying out the condition.
Her heart pounded in her chest as she absorbed his chilling words. Her mind raced as she contemplated her choices. "That's the only condition?" she asked, ensuring she understood the terms before giving her answer.
"Well, naturally, I expect you to genuinely give it a chance, meaning that you will accept Hyung as your husband, leader, and lover," he emphasized the last noun, urging her to take his words seriously. Y/N stopped for a moment to collect her thoughts together.
“This is a one time offer Y/N. I won’t be this generous again,” he added. She struggled to read him, but she couldn’t. Namjoon was well known for being unpredictable — a quality that made him a perfect fit as the right-hand man. No one could ever say with certainty what his next move would be.
“Fine,” she finally relented, her voice barely a whisper. Namjoon extended his hand, sealing the deal with a firm shake. He leaned in closer to Y/N.
“I trust that you’ll be on your best behaviour from now on.” He whispered to her. There were so many emotions in her eyes right now that she was working hard to process. She barely nodded and averted her gaze down. Y/N couldn’t bear to look into his intimidating eyes no more.
“Very well,” he murmured, his gaze still fixed on her. “The tunnels have been cleared, and the wedding will take place this week." He told her.
Y/N's heart skipped a beat at the mention of the impending wedding. She was praying that perhaps she has more time to think of what to do with her situation. According to Seokjin, who came to visit and spent some time on occasion with her when his leader could not, the tunnels wouldn’t be cleared out until the end of December, giving her another month in total.
“Brother!” exclaimed Namjoon suddenly, breaking her train of thought. Y/N followed his gaze to the sliding door, where Yoongi stood, undoing the cufflinks of his shirt, the suit jacket already gone. "I was just telling Y/N the good news," Namjoon smiled at him.
Throughout this month, Y/N observed the strong brotherhood among Yoongi's most trusted and closest men. The deepest connection Yoongi shared was undoubtedly with Namjoon, which explained why he was the right-hand man.
Yoongi displayed a particularly protective nature towards his younger brothers. She had yet to meet Jungkook, the youngest, who had been recently assigned as captain of the front unit, as she overheard. On the other hand, Jimin was more involved in the open, managing the front business and whatever lay beneath it. The Chosen Hotel was highly popular among Koreans but was eagerly open to international guests too. Y/N suspected that the true core of the business was settled elsewhere, and she was eager to uncover it.
Seokjin, recently married, primarily served as the inner family's doctor. However, the Min clan also faced a shortage of actual medical staff like, so he had to run between the sanctuary, as she had learnt this place was called, and a front hospital.
Taehyung remained a mystery to her, despite seeing him in family pictures and hearing Yoongi mention him occasionally. He was supposed to represent the law in Yoongi's business dealings, ensuring the safety and legitimacy of their operations, including the handling of illegal earnings. Therefore, Taehyung is the safety pin of this organization. Whomever fucks up, he is there to defend them.
And lastly, Hoseok, a surprising contrast of joy and darkness. Y/N was taken aback that such a buoyant personality could be involved in such sinister activities. He was the arsonist who also took care of assassinations. Additionally, the clan engaged in money laundering, and Hoseok was responsible for collecting debts, often involuntarily.
Her eyes swelled with tears she was refusing to let out. Yoongi’s eyes met Y/N's, and she could see a mixture of concern and worry flicker across his face. A silent understanding passed between them, and they knew that they would need to have a private conversation later.
“Well, it seems you two need more privacy,” said Namjoon while he was collecting himself from the cushion he was sitting on.
“Did Tae call?” Yoongi asked before Namjoon could leave. “He did before Hyung’s wedding, to send his good wishes and—” he gazed over to Y/N who was carefully listening to their conversation, hanging on every word.
“—and?” Yoongi asked as he unbuttoned his shirt, a sight she had seen far too often for her liking. He was not shy with her; he could easily undress before her without a second thought. His attempts to walk in on her while she was changing didn't go unnoticed either, though she made sure to show her displeasure by throwing vases at him to keep him out.
Only now did Y/N remember the glass of alcoholic beverage that Namjoon had offered her, remaining untouched in her hands. She decided to take a sip, trying to ease her nerves before the conversation she was dreading.
“—and everything went well, as expected,” said Namjoon observing her as she downed the burning soju.
“Send telegraph to Wang and other families. We’re leaving for Chosen in two hours.” Y/N straightened herself, eyes wide open in disbelief.
“W-what do you mean in two hours?” She stammered. It was just past eight when she gazed at the clock on the wall. That would mean they'd depart at ten and arrive in Seoul around midnight.
"—I thought they just cleared the way. Why are we—" Yoongi cut her off abruptly. "I am waiting no more," he said firmly, locking his gaze with hers, leaving her in shock once again.
"On your way, please inform the maids to pack, and I want the cabin ready," Yoongi instructed Namjoon, who memorised every task with a sense of responsibility, seemingly disregarding Y/N's shattered spirit in the wake of this sudden rush.
“Can we at least talk about it?!” she raised her voice, causing the two men to stop in their tracks. They exchanged knowing looks, making it clear that this was non-negotiable. Yoongi clicked his tongue, biting his cheeks from inside, then turned to face his fiancée with a deceptive sweetness in his tone.
"Of course, my love," he said.
He nodded to Namjoon, who immediately took off, glancing at Y/N with a silent reminder to behave.
“What’s wrong?” Yoongi asked nonchalantly as if this were a perfectly normal scenario.
“I don’t know, do you think this is right?” Y/N kept her tone tense, signalling her discontent.
“Nothing is more right than this,” he answered, pouring himself a drink while taking her empty glass and refilling it with soju.
"Yoongi—" she began to protest, but he didn't let her speak further, having heard her excuses countless times.
“No Y/N. I’m not negotiating this time. We’re getting married tomorrow afternoon and that’s final,” he stated sternly.
"You could at least wait a day! Do you think everyone will just jump because you said it's happening right now? And more importantly, let me mentally prepare for it?!” Her frustration grew, and she gestured wildly, almost knocking over the refilled glass that Yoongi handed her.
“They are already in town. The telegraph is just a confirmation that it will happen tomorrow.” Her distress and panic were understandable; she had believed she had more time than a few hours.
“And you didn’t think of telling me first?!” she raised her voice even higher. That she was in distress and panic was very understandable. Y/N thought she had more time than a few hours.
“No, because you were finally letting me in—” said he, downing the contents of his glass in one go.
“You knew this would happen for a month, and you would have had more time to prepare yourself if running away fifteen hundred times a day wouldn’t be on your mind,” he fired back, raising his voice at her, and immediately asserting dominance.
"I'm getting very tired of this. One step forward and ten million miles back, damn it!" he cursed, slamming the glass down on his desk in frustration. The tension in the room was palpable, and Y/N felt her heart sinking as she realized that her hopes of a slower pace for their relationship had been shattered.
“I have a very easy solution to that—” she said, raising herself to stand up to him.
“—Let me go,” she emphasized every single word, her frustration boiling over, and momentarily forgetting about her deal with Namjoon.
Her emotions were running high, and she went to pull the ring off to prove her point, but he forcefully grabbed her right hand, stopping her in her tracks. Anger filled his eyes as he crossed his other hand, grabbed her by the back of her neck, and crashed his lips onto hers, pressing their bodies against the nearest wall. He didn't give her a chance to catch her breath as he passionately bruised her lips.
He let go of her hand once he was sure she wouldn't resist. With his now free hand, he lifted her leg, wrapping it around his waist, squeezing her ass cheek, making her yelp and by that creating an opening to slip his tongue into her mouth. Y/N had no idea how long their intimate encounter lasted, but she could feel her head spinning from the lack of oxygen. Just as she managed to stop his other hand from slipping under her dress, aiming for her pulsing heat, he parted from her, both of them breathing heavily.
“I’m sorry. I got carried away,” he apologised, his eyes fixed on her now swollen lips. Y/N was taken aback, her head still spinning, and she couldn't think straight. He had such a powerful effect on her, and this aspect of life was entirely new to her, having been kept away from such experiences.
"I wish, —" he started, nibbling at her lower lip while he continued to speak, "—you would acknowledge my love for you." Yoongi kissed her again, not giving her a chance to recover or speak up, moaning softly into her lips.
"We are too close. I will never give you up.” he declared, wiping her tears away gently.
“I can’t have you running though—” he leaned into lavish attention on her neck, placing butterfly kisses up to her jaw and stopping at her lips again—
"I'll overlook this lapse of senses if you keep up this good behaviour, my love, but the next time you disobey me, I won't only discipline you; someone will lose their head.”
She trembled against him, feeling lost, scared, and vulnerable. Her breath hitched as she tried to speak up. Yoongi was beyond himself for getting her into this state where she didn’t dare to oppose his words and stopped fighting him. If she won’t let him in willingly, he will force her to open up to him.
“I told you to not take that ring off your finger ever again.” She remembers the words he uttered to her in the garden where he proposed to her. That she agreed still feels surreal to her. Running got her nowhere, but she still had a selfish feeling inside her that he was bluffing and wouldn’t dare to seriously hurt anybody.
“Now be a good girl and apologise for disobeying me.” He tightened his grip at her waist, finally staring right into her teary eyes. Y/N felt lost, scared and vulnerable. Her lips were trembling, and her breath hitched again once she opened her mouth to speak.
“Shhh, it’s okay baby, just say it.” He cooed, lifting his hand to caress her cheek gently.
“I-I am sorry,” she finally sobbed. If there was one thing the scarred boy excelled at, it was getting his way. He smiled at her, pleased with her response.
He smiled at her. “That’s more like it, baby.”
Y/N longed to curl up in her small apartment, where she resided while studying at college. She desperately wished she could turn back time.
“I have something for you,” he said suddenly, looking for any sign of curiosity from her. Yoongi stepped away to his desk, leaving her pressed against the wall, hesitant to move an inch. He opened one of his drawers and pulled out an envelope. Y/N couldn't make out the handwriting, but her eyes widened as she recognised it.
“Your aunt entrusted me with this letter when we came to the conclusion that you should be mine one day,” he said, holding the envelope in his hands. Y/N desperately wished that the answer and a solution to her fears would be contained in that envelope. She was mulling over the platform of this match-making her aunt orchestrated.
Wang Xiaoqing very much upheld the meaning of her name in the time she lived. Blessed with intelligence. And she was a fearless mafia wife who brought pride to her late husband. There are other intriguing things about Y/N’s beloved auntie. Xiaoqing is by far the only member in her large family tree that married for love. Y/N admired her aunt and, perhaps, seeing that it was possible to marry for love, made her blindly believe she could also have the freedom to choose her partner.
She dreamt of a little house in the woods, not far from a lake or a small town. Growing some goods in the garden, by night sitting near the fireplace, the love of her life holding her. She would work in a nearby hospital, or study overseas to become a doctor were all part of her fever dream. She knew it was unlikely to come true, given her family's ties to the syndicate.
But she could least dream about it. For a moment, when she was on the ferry to Jeju Island, she thought she would make it. Y/N knew the risk she was taking once she entrusted her well-being to Chan-yeol. She knew his role was insignificant and not a threat to any syndicate and it wouldn’t certainly attract Yakuza, but she was also aware that he could have been the only one to send her to the far land. She believed that God chose this path for her instead of being an arm jewel to some Yakuza brute.
Reality snapped her back from her swirling thoughts as he put the envelope back in the drawer.
“W-what are you doing?” she asked, taking a step forward.
“I will give it to you—” he promised “and tell you everything you want to know—” locking the drawer with a key.
“—After you’ll walk the aisle to me, without any of your misfits,” he finished his sentence.
"To strengthen your cooperation for tomorrow, I'm having your cousin and her husband at gunpoint during the ceremony," he added, making her scream in protest.
"I won't do anything stupid," she pleaded, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Just let them be, please. They have little son, Yoongi.”
“I know, that’s why they are the perfect bargain to make you obedient. If this doesn't work, you still have other family members—," Y/N couldn't bear it any longer; she closed the distance between them, standing just inches away from him.
“If you would love me—” she started but before she could finish, he grabbed her waist and pulled her even closer, pressing his body against hers. She could feel his torso and lower body. He bowed down next to her ear.
“I’ll stop this necessary coercion when you’ll learn your place, my love.”
Yoongi loved making her squirm and overwhelm her. He was basking in the effect he had on her. The fact that she will be his wife in less than twelve hours was a source of satisfaction for him.
“You were my woman for a long time now, and you will be my woman till death do us apart.”
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I N T E R L O G U E
“—And you’re certain that the man is on his way to Seoul.” The leader inquired of his trusted friend and partner, seated in the quiet confines of his home office.
“Yes,” Hoseok affirmed with a nod.
"Is there any additional information that I need to be aware of?” Yoongi's voice carried a hint of tension, his teeth gritted in anger.
"As of now, there's nothing more to report," the younger male replied, keeping the conversation concise.
“Do you want me to eliminate him?” Hoseok offered, waiting for his leader's command.
“Not just yet, I was hoping to have the pleasure myself.”
to be continued
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author’s note: so here we are at chapter IV!! ♥ Thank you all so much for for sticking around chummers ♥ They kissed and much moreee!!! We'll see what we'll happen next. I hereby promise to post the chapter sooner than the end of Semptember, or I hope so xD Tho I have some wips to write and if I'll finish some then I'll post something new too ♥
Massive shout-out to Bex, the queen @chaoticpuff17, for beta another chapter!
Love you!!!!
Don't be a silent reader, comment, re-blog, heart, asks are more than welcome ♥
keep in mind - I'm not an expert on chinese, korean and japanese culture, but I tried to research everything realistic I wanted to add to the story. Nonetheless, take it as a fiction.
let's be friends chummers ♥
lots of love,
𝖕𝖊𝖓𝖓𝖞𝖊𝖑𝖑𝖊
taglist: @beautifulcloudfestival - @chaoticpuff17 - @honsoolgloss - @jingerbreadoutofstock - @moscow778 - @januara26 - @dinosolecito - @yoongislatinagff - @xyahrinx - @hi12345567 - @nochuel - @deltamoon666 - @bbkissme99 - @darkuni63 - @nansasa - @sazsazsaz - @missmin - @strxwbloody - @royallyjjk - @jaiuneamesolitaiire - @shadowyjellyfishfest - @bbgniecyy - @elayne321 - @seojunandsoju - @bun-27 - @whipwhoops - @wobblewobble822 - @whofan88 - @haneyyy - @lostgirlinthewoodss @secfir @btspurplesky @elleflying07 - @pamzn - @megseungmin
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s0fti3w1tch · 1 year
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Tentative Devotee AU (TBC Soon)
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Leonardo is a Foot trainee, raised and trained by Lieutenant and Brute since he was 9. Life before then is fuzzy at best. — In the past several months, he's been going on his first proper missions, quickly aware of a persistent threat against the Foot Clan: 3 mutant turtles and a human who've foiled them time and time again.
What he wasn't aware of was that they were 4 siblings who never gave up on finding their missing brother.
CONTENT WARNING! This AU will explore: Mourning of family / Mourning of a child (who isn't actually dead, but believed to be). Violence is canon-typical up to the standards of the movie— That is also a reference point for the tone of this AU. There will be cult themes and dips into the topic of cult trauma, alongside family issues.
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Main Comic:
Enemies || [ 1 ] [ 2 ] [ tbc... ]
Baby Blue || [coming soon]
[TBA]
Minisodes/Mini-Comic:
Donnie's Apology Gift
First Mission Mishaps!
PSAs: Triggering Content, Why Leo will not have a "Dark Side," Cult Parents
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More content below the cut! ♥︎
Scrapped/Changed Ideas or Scenes:
"Maybe this is the lowest point of my life" / Severing Ties
Usagi's first design + role
Mona Lisa first design
Reference Sheets:
Leonardo's Room
UPDATED LEO FULL REF
Leo's Outfit Change + Sorta-Timeline
Hand Marking
Scarf
Leo's Guitar
Eyes (outdated)
Nail Polish
Butterfly Charm
Future!TD!Leo
Usagi WIP
Doodles:
More Lore/Story Heavy = ♥︎ / Just More Fun = ☀︎ / 💬 = answer to an ask
Leo Solo!
"Keep it together, Leo"
"What I know about family?"
He/They/Xe of the day! / Speed-Color ☀︎
Scooter Boy! ☀︎
He's Writing Fanfic ☀︎
Guac Baby ☀︎
"Yeah, of course! But also..." ☀︎
Animation Test
No Sleep
[ i was listening to sonic music while drawing this ] ☀︎
disillusionment
Cook :P ☀︎
3 Swords?! ☀︎ 💬
Peepaw'd :) 💬
Head Empty + Leo kinda mad ♥︎ 💬
Blep! 💬
Feelings Down ♥︎💬
Multi POV
TD Spoilers Over Memes [1]
Trust in the Foot ♥︎ 💬
"Keep your brother safe" ♥︎ 💬
Big Sisters ♥︎
Turtle Sister to Turtle Sister 💬
Foot Clan Family
Motorcycle Theft! 💬
Shell Cracks + A Small Moment ♥︎ 💬
Trans Sibs!!! ☀︎ 💬
Hamato Clan
Not Growing With Us ♥︎💬
Recognition? 💬 ♥︎
"Donnie, stay out of this"
Unknown Tension
Protective Older Twin 💬
"Can we be brothers?" 💬
Donnie's hope (colored ver: here)
"Donnie, whatcha got there?" ☀︎
Drawing for Donnie 1
Yōkai Connections
Hueso's First Encounter With Leo 💬
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+ All my AU Crossover Content linked here~!
Separated Leo Crossover : Bathtub Arc ☀︎
Preview Comic (Test)
TMNT AU Competition Basketball Saga ☀︎
DOUBLE-HANDED BACKHAND SWING
Nail Bat Recieved
Leo Hype Squad!
No PomPoms
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I didn't intend for this AU to be that big, but I realized I did want to give this a go and make at least something. It's my goal to finish this project eventually.
The AU will be told in segments, comics of various points of the story.
Bonus! Miscellaneous info that doesn't play big into this AU but matters enough to me:
Leonardo is transmasculine, uses he/they/xe pronouns and is referred to with primarily masculine terms.
A version of Stan Sakai's Usagi Yojimbo comics exists and it's Leo's second favorite comic series in this AU.
'Tentative Devotee' is the name of the fanfic I was originally going to write. It was just gonna be a 2-shot fic and a way to navigate some feelings as someone who was born and raised in, and eventually left, a cult.
The initial tone/direction of this AU was much different, Leo ending up in the Foot Clan under different circumstance (i.e. direct kidnapping from Lieutenant and Brute). I found this didn't quite work for me.
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pennyadodumuss · 10 months
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It is one of my AU headcanons that only Sonic Characters could activate the music when on the verge of drowning. Fortunately members of the NakaShima clan are able to hear it, as well as see the countdown.
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wangxianficfinder · 7 days
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In the mood for...
Apr 24th
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1. Hellooo! For the next itmf I was wondering If you had any fanfics that a) explored other adults finding Madame Yu's abuse and them trying to help him (especially if the adults are LQR or NMJ), If they are modern AUs better but if not that's okay ofc or b) a fanfic with focus on wwx's fear of dogs in a not so comedic way (preferably set during the CRA)
I'm okay with both os and multichapter ffs! Thank you ♡!!! @menimimimeni
1A)
Come Around and Stay by trippednfell (M, 160k, wangxian, modern, slow burn, kid fic, found family, it gets worse before it gets better, PTSD, blood and injury,   dissociation, trauma, angst w happy ending, musicals, alternating pov, JC & WWX reconciliation, hurt/comfort, panic attacks)
Where is home? by SpicyRamen_10969 (M, 80k, WIP, WangXian, Modern AU, High School, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Coming Out, Not Jiang Family Friendly, Supportive LQR, Good Sibling LXC, Fluff, Angst with a Happy Ending, JC Being an Asshole, Possible Smut?)
🔒 To Speak Up by Vrishchika (M, 7k, WangXian, Modern, Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Child Neglect, Not Jiang Clan Friendly, Not YZY Friendly, Not JC Friendly)
🔒 The Second Hand Unwinds by trulywicked (E, 56k, WangXian, JYL/JZX, WIP, Time Travel Fix-It, Not JC Friendly, Not Yunmeng Jiang Sect Friendly, Not Jiāng Family Friendly, Not YZY Friendly, Time Travelling LWJ, Protective LWJ, Fluff, Minor Angst, Minor Character Death, JGS is his own warning, Wooing, LWJ is romantic af, Inventor WWX, Genius WWX, Cloud Recesses Study Arc, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Protective Gusu Lan Sect, Supportive LXC, Good Uncle LQR, WWX Protection Squad)
🔒 Warming up (to him) by barisan (T, 9k, LQR & WWX, WangXian, Hypothermia, Cloud Recesses Study Arc, Temporary Character Death, Medical Inaccuracies, YZY Abuses WWX, JFM Bashing, pre-wangxian, Good Uncle LQR, Angst with a Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort)
🧡 To have and to hold by Moominmammashandbag (M, 78k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Major character injury, CQL verse, Happy Ending)
💙 Holding shreds by barisan (T, 5k, WangXian, Cloud Recesses Study Arc, No Sunshot Campaign, Body Swap, Not for sexy shenanigans, Chronic Pain, Hurt WWX, Hurt LWJ, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Abusive YZY, Bad Parent YZY, Bad Parent JFM, Good Uncle LQR, Hurt/Comfort, Medical Inaccuracies, POV WWX, Angst with a Happy Ending, Not Jiāng Family Friendly, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Getting Together, Smart WWX)
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2. Hi, I'm ITMF juniors fics, I'm looking for mainly lsz x ljy fics that also contain jrl and ozz as characters. Most fics I don't include ozz so please help. Also I don't mind any relationship btw the juniors except lsz x jrl cos they're kinda cousins. I'd just prefer lsz x ljy. I've read all the junior fics by emmagrant01 already. Thanks! @purplefuzzypickle
Chosen Not Fated by useless_slytherclaw (E, 131k, LSZ/LJY, JL/OYZZ, WIP, Heavy Angst, Soulmates, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Canon Universe, Minor canon divergence, Friends to Lovers, Mutual Pining, Angst with a Happy Ending, Trope Subversion/Inversion, Defied Trope, Grief/Mourning, Hurt/Comfort, Slow Burn, First Time, Making Love, Canon-Typical Violence, Politics, Night Hunts) this author is lsz/ljy focused in general if you want other works but this one definitely has the four playing major roles
Between the Candle and the Sun by Legume_Shadow (T, 304k, LSZ/LJY, WangXian, JL/OYZZ, JC/LXC, JYL/JZX, LJY & JL & OYZZ & LSZ, Angst, Friendship, Slow Burn, Falling In Love, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Only Endgame Pairings Tagged, Mian-Mian is a Badass, WN is a Badass, Protective WQ, Most people live, Ensemble Cast, Gūsū Lán Forehead Ribbon, Demonic Cultivation, Action/Adventure, Juniors on an Adventure, Alternate Universe, Inspired by “The Long Ballad | 长歌行”) is more plot-centric than shippy but the romances are there
anyway, here’s wuji by kakikaeru (T, 18k, ZhuiYi, WangXian, Post-Canon, Canon-Typical Violence)
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3. For the next itmf: Do you have any ff with wwx mourning his parents? Or talking about how he only knows the bad things and no one tells him the good things?
🧡 Stunted, Starving Juvenility by TomatenMark (E, 786k, WangXian, WIP, Fix-it of sorts, Talisman master WWX, Not JFM Friendly, Study Arc, Getting together, Fluff and Angst, Engagement) (link in #10) Has a bit early on where WWX comments to LQR how little he knows about his parents & LQR tells him stories about them
Melancholy by MissCellophane (G, 2k, WangXian, LWJ & WWX, Grief/Mourning, Melancholy, i guess this could be considered, Cloud Recesses Study Arc, Pre-Relationship, Canon Compliant, In a way, Based on a Tumblr Post)
🔒 places under the sky by narie (T, 17k, WangXian, Background Relationships, Canonical Character Death, let WWX have some closure!, ,Family, Found Family, literally but also metaphorically, Funerary Rites, WWX has a family even if he doesn't like thinking about it, Post-Canon, Family Dynamics, Grief/Mourning)
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4. Hii!! for the next itmf can i please request fics with wwx/wq mad scientist duo besties vibes?? i just love them so much!! also, an additional request of yunmeng pride dynamics, and brotherly feels <33 thank u so muchhh!!! @flexibleracoon
💖 do not envy the roots that hold you down by eccentrick for rianitida (T, 12k, WangXian, Reincarnation, WQ is a Lan, Canon Divergence, Emotional Hurt/Comfort) Wei Wuxian doesn't show up until 2/3 of the way through but it has best friend vibes.
With Absolute Splendor by Lise (T, 43k, WangXian, JC & WWX, Post-Canon, Wedding planning, Yunmeng Bros Reconciliation, Complicated Relationships, Angst with a happy ending)
The Twin Blades of Yunmeng by GhostySword & ofmindelans (T, 89k, JC & WWX, wangxian, JC/NHS, canon divergence, JC & WWX, reconciliation, BAMF JC, protective LWJ, golden core reveal, angst w/ happy ending, slow burn, sect leader QS)
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5. not sure if you already answered this but is there a lwj yiling laozu au?
Until The World Embraces Me Home by azri (T, 5k, WIP, WangXian, Canon Divergence, YLLZ LWJ, LWJ Has No Golden Core, Role Reversal, Not LXC Friendly, Not JC Friendly, Not cultivation world friendly overall tbh, Sunshot Campaign, Friends to Lovers, Temporary Character Death, WangXian Get a Happy Ending)
stay, fury, your wrist wrapped in silk by spookykingdomstarlight (E, 228k, WangXian, Graphic Depictions of Violence, Canon Divergence, YLLZ LWJ, LWJ loses his golden core, yiling wei sect, Hurt/Comfort, Heavy Angst, Major Character Injury, Injury Recovery, Temporary Character Death, War Crimes, Wen Remnant, WangXian Get a Happy Ending, Revenge, LWJ goes dark for a while, WWX has a hard time with the bad shit going on around him, JGS is a bastard, Protracted Sunshot Campaign, War is war and hell is hell and of the two war is a lot worse, temporary impotence, growing intimacy, LWJ & WWX and the Wen Remnant live in the Burial Mounds together, WWX travels with LWJ and stays at his side post-Sunshot, Spanish Translation)
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6. this is for itmf ^^ do u have any favorite long fics where cssr and wcz is alive? thank you!
We Meet at the Thousandth Step by Admiranda, Rynne (T, 288k, WangXian, CSSR/WCZ, WIP, Canon Divergence, No Sunshot Campaign, CSSR & WCZ Live, Rogue Cultivator WWX, Different First Meeting, Night Hunts, Genius WWX, Inventor WWX, Plot, Romance, Drama, Fluff, Strangers to married, Unresolved Sexual Tension, Unresolved Romantic Tension, Everyone Lives AU, Developing Relationship, Minor Violence, Case Fic, Mystery, Flirting, WWX's Canon-Typical Flower Flirting, Arson, There Was Only One Bed, Getting Together, First Kiss, Meeting the Parents, Resolved Sexual Tension, Resolved Romantic Tension, WWX Is a Good Big Brother, New Relationship Bliss, Chinese Mythology & Folklore, Blood and Injury, Yiling siblings, Married WangXian, Honeymoon, Wangxian's Baby Fever)
Cartwheels In Cloud Recesses Series by ShanaStoryteller (Not Rated, 23k, WangXian, CSSR/WCZ, CSSR and WCZ Live, Cloud Recesses Study Arc, Cloud Recesses Shenanigans)
Wújī by FairyTaleDreams (M, 43k, WIP, WangXian, Canon Divergence, WCZ & CSSR Lives, Rouge cultivator WWX)
Building a home by R95irth (T, 586k, WCZ/CS, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Time Travel Fix-it, Angst with a happy ending, Family fluff) Focuses on the "adults" of mdzs and has so much wcz and cssr! Explores their backstory and family history as well!!
🔒 the world wags on by justdoityoufucker (orphan_account) (T, 5k, WCZ & WWX, WCZ & LQR, LQR/WCZ, Canon Divergence, Pre-Canon, Not Everyone Dies AU, Not Jiang Clan Friendly, Past Child Abuse, Canon Jiang Family Relationships, Parent-Child Relationship, Pre-Relationship, Not for Madam Yu fans) wcz only
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7. any jealous lan wangji fics? thanks for ur work!
Snow Burns and Fire Falls by Liebing (T, 12k, wangxian, Fluff, Fox WWX, fox LWJ, snow fox LWJ, red fox WWX, Childhood Friends, Orphans, LXC is 8 years older than LWJ, LWJ and WWX are besties, LXC is the best big brother, WWX is adopted by the Lan clan, Happy Ending, Sweet, soft, Cute, Fluffy, Jealous LWJ, WWX has the whole of cloud recesses in love with him… baby LWJ is pouty, LQR loves WWX, Literally everyone loves WWX, The entire Lan clan: we would die for little WWX, Thwarted dog attack, LQR trying to arrange marriages, Time jump forward, No one is harmed in the dog attack not even the dog, Clan leader LXC, Jealous WWX, Oblivious WWX, love at first kiss, Wangxian fox babies) link in #11
Unavoidable by diamondbruise (T, 18k, WangXian, Post-Canon, Amnesia, Jealousy, lwj just is like that idk what to tell you, Misunderstandings, Falling In Love, Again, Happy Ending, it’s that thing where they’re married but lwj can’t remember wwx and they meet again)
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8. in the mood for any funny or crack fics of wangxian or even the juniors? thank you!
Losing My Mind by pupeez4eva (T, 6k, wangxian, JC & WWX, Humor, Protective JC, JC drinks a potion that lets him hear people’s lustful thoughts, Teenage LWJ has a lot of feelings, Canon Divergence, Cloud Recesses study arc) JC drinks a potion that allows him to hear people's horny thoughts & has to deal with Wangxian's whole deal
❤️ The One-Body Problem by metisket (T, 29k, LJY & WWX, LJY & LSZ, wangxian, possession, cohabitation, Mojo’s bookmark)
Jiang Cheng the Virgin by x_los (T, 2k, WangXian, JC & WWX, JC & WWX Reconciliation, Mpreg, Accidental Baby Acquisition, Crack, Galaxy Brain Shit)
Transcend by covalentbonds (Not Rated, 7k, WIP, WangXian, Post-Canon, Fluff and Humor, Smut)
Help, My Dad Is Fucking Someone My Age!! by sweetlolixo (T, 3k, WangXian, LSZ & LWJ, Canon Divergence, Humor, Crack, Fluff, Romance)
The Chase by JiangChengLotus (T, 2k, JC & LWJ, WangXian, LXC/JC, Humor, Chaos, Light-Hearted, Crack, Family Dynamics, LJY is JC & LXC's Child, LWJ and JC sharing one braincell, Bickering, LWJ is lazy)
只羡鸳鸯不羡仙 by RoseThorne (T, 1k, wangxian, animal transformation, ducks, crack)
ridiculous future bullshit Series by sami (T, 61k, WangXian, XiChengQing, Future Fic, in theory it follows on from an au, specifically The Same Moon Shines Series, in actuality I'm not committing to this that hard, Humour, immortals through history, Modern AU, Sort Of, University, outsider pov, Pride, Chaos Gremlin WWX)
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9. ITMF - Do you have any fics where a modern AU Wangxian meets canon Wangxian? Or any AU meets canon, really.
Key Differences by pupeez4eva (T, 5k, WangXian, Humor, Dimension Travel, Crossover, Drama!WWX meets Novel!WWX, Public Confessions, Post-Canon) not modern AUs but some dimensional time travel ones
River Stones by littlesystems (M, 18k, WangXian, Time Travel, Post-Canon, Cloud Recesses Study arc, Junior Quartet, Oblivious WWX, Suffering LWJ, Voyeurism)
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10. Hello, can you all recommend me some fanfic, long as possible (100k+) no modern pls I'm desperate 😭 @lanwuxian0725
🧡 Stunted, Starving Juvenility by TomatenMark (E, 786k, WangXian, WIP, Fix-it of sorts, Talisman master WWX, Not JFM Friendly, Study Arc, Getting together, Fluff and Angst, Engagement)
💖🔒 love, in fire and blood by cicer (E, 360k, wangxian, Canon Divergence, YLLZ WWX, Arranged Marriage, political scheming, Gratuitous Domesticity, Mutual Pining, EXTREME SLOWBURN, the inherent eroticism of the forehead ribbon, The Mortifying Ordeal of Being Known, neither wwx nor lwj want to be Perceived, but sorry kids! it’s gonna happen!, rated E but the the NSFW stuff doesn’t begin until chapter 19!, bottom LWJ in chapter 20 and 27)
💖 Magical Marriage Ribbons Series by starandrea (Varies, 1m, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Accidental Marriage, Fluff, Happy Ending, Telepathic bond, Kink Negotiation, Family Drama, Magical Pregnancy, Dual Cultivation, Shapeshifters, Modern with Magic, Immortality, Yilling Wei Sect) there's a modern part in part 20 and part 35 onwards according the tags but otherwise should be in the canon times, I think. It's been a while since I read this
The Scarlet Lotus by rainbowninja167 (M, 137k, WangXian, Marriage of Convenience, Secret Identity, Fix-It, Angst with a Happy Ending, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, Canon-Typical Violence, canon-typical war crimes, Yunmeng Bros, the mortifying ordeal of getting seduced by your own husband, nonlinear chronology we die like cql, just kidding nobody dies in this fic, Slow Burn, Mutual Pining, Miscommunication)
Teen Project to Change the World by animeloverhomura (Not rated, 810k, WangXian, watching the series, BAMF WWX, Fix-It, JGS is his own warning, Attractive WWX, Homophobia, disturbing imagery, WIP)
🔒 Share Your Silence by Terri Botta (Isilwath) (E, 138k, WangXian, Romance, Everybody Lives AU, Canon Divergence, LWJ Has Feelings, Protective LWJ, Burial Mounds Settlement Days, LWJ Stays at the Burial Mounds, Burial Mounds Ensemble as Family, WangXian in Love, YLLZ WWX, Lan Clan Elders are Assholes, Minor Transgender Character, Qiongqi Path Divergence, LWJ loves his bunnies, Explicit Sexual Content, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Burial Mounds, Original Character(s), Drama, NMJ Qi Deviation, Awesome WQ, The Wen Twins, Wen JunZhu | MinYue (OMC), Wen YanJeng | MinYi (OMC), Fluff and Humor, Fluff, WWX Has Feelings, Original Female Character(s), Lotus Pier, mention of non-con roleplay, Sexual Roleplay, NMJ Needs a Hug, Nie clan sabers, Unclean Realm, Protective NHS)
❤️ Tragedy is Not the End by Hobbsy3 (T, 358k, wangxian, Time Travel, Torture, Hurt/Comfort, Golden Core Reveal, Canon Divergence from Qiongqi Pass, Angst with a Happy Ending, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Yunmeng sibling bonding, good dad wwx, good dad lwj, JZX Lives, JYL Lives, Junior Quartet Dynamics)
the same moon shines series by sami (M, 799k, wangxian, time travel) check individual tags from the works
The most dangerous thing is to love by KatAnni (E, 113k, wangxian, JYL & WWX & JC, WWX & WQ, JYL/JZX, JC/WQ, golden core reveal, fix it, everyone lives au, angst w/ happy ending, hurt WWX, found family, implied/referenced torture, implied/referenced cannibalism, PTSD, golden core transfer Fix-It, major character injury, WWX has a new golden core, asexual JC, whump, marriage proposal, wedding night)
Cultivating immortality by KizuKatana (E, 231k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Rogue Cultivator WWX, Mutual Pining, BAMF WWX, BAMF LWJ, Angst with a Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, unreliable narrator, Found Family, First Time, novel canon relationship dynamics)
❤️ Gentians in bloom by teawater (M, 251k, wangxian, Canon Divergence, AU after cold spring, Political Marriage, Dysfunctional Family, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Fix-It, Hurt/Comfort, LQR bashing (not really), POV Multiple, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Eventual Happy Ending, BAMF WWX, JC is actually a lot better than canon, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, YZY bashing (again not completely))
A Narrow Bridge by FrameofMind, Jo Lasalle (Jo_Lasalle) (E, 700k, wangxian, time travel fix-it, slow burn, getting together, first time, pining, pining while fucking, burial mounds settlement days, angst w happy ending)
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11. Y'all give me LIFE! Thank you for all your hard work! I saw a fanart on tumblr of bb!LWJ and it put me in the mood for any stories featuring the baby!Jades which are NOT de-aged stories. Just wee lil' boys being cute? Bite-y A'Zhan? 🙏 @kimboo-york
💖 An Unexpected Visitor by Hauntcats (G, 8k, QHJ/Madam Lan, wangxian, fix-it of sorts, not Jiang friendly, not jin friendly, happy ending)
When we were small by deliciousblizzardshark (T, 7k, LXC & LQR & LWJ, LQR & WWX, LQR & JFM, implied WangXian, Modern, Kid Fic, Good Uncle LQR, Neurodivergent LWJ, Baby LWJ, Baby WWX, Parenthood, Homophobia, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, POV LQR, Implied/Referenced Underage Sex, Grief/Mourning, Emotional Hurt/Comfort)
🔒 Life is Like a Stranger by through_shadows_falling (T, 69k, wangxian, Kid Fic, Child LWJ, Child WWX, First Meetings, Canon Divergence, Cute Kids, Orphan WWX, Autism Spectrum, Fix-It, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Alternate Canon, POV LWJ, Growing Up Together, WWX raised at Cloud Recesses, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Puberty, Growing Up, Coming Out, teenage angst, Wet Dream, Pining, This fic gets a little raunchier as the kids become teens, But it won't get too explicit, Slow Burn, Friends to Lovers, Spanish Translation, Brief mentions/moments of WWX kissing others in chapter 22 but only on the cheek, also characters kiss WWX on the cheek in chapter 23, but his real first kiss is with LWJ, Перевод на русский | Translation in Russian)
Tiny Little Boy by Dyapaya (G, 2k, Age Regression/De-Aging, Kid Fic, Cute, Fluff, No Plot/Plotless, just cute, LWJ bites people, Nobody is Dead, Everyone Lives AU)
🔒 Natural Communication by salakavala (G, 2k, LXC & WWX, Modern, LXC's pov, Kid LWJ and kid WWX, Fluff, Biting, LWJ bites)
藍色的花,紅色的蘭 {Lan se de hua, hongse de lan} by Admiranda, AshayaTReldai (M, 45k, WIP, WangXian, Orphan WWX, Friends to Lovers, Childhood Friends, wwx raised in the lan clan, softer lqr, Good Uncle LQR, Good lan clan, Good Older Sibling LXC)
A Baby Dragon’s Guide To Seducing Your Huli Jing by sweetlolixo (M, 102k, wangxian, Fantasy, But still in the Cultivation World, Dragon LWJ, Fox WWX, Younger LWJ, Older WWX, Fluff, Humor, Eventual mpreg, Angst with a Happy Ending, Best Boy A-Yuan)
🔒 Hope series by RoseThorne (M, 61k, wangxian, WIP, Transmigration, Time Travel Fix-It, Illnesses, Family, Scars, Memory Loss, Angst, Crying, Music, Nosebleed, Fear, Recovery, Nightmares, Sharing a Bed, Flirting, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Good Parent YZY, Referenced Sexual Slavery, Blood and Gore, Monsters, Sexual Tension, betrothal, Arranged Marriage, Adoption, POV Third Person, POV Alternating, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Good Parent LQR, Clairvoyance, Butterfly Effect, Kid Fic, Epistolary, Food, Secrets, Resentful Energy, Cultivation Sect Politics, Character Death, Resentment, Anger, Explosions, Yīn Iron, Grief/Mourning, POV WWX)
Snow Burns and Fire Falls by Liebing (T, 12k, wangxian, Fluff, Fox WWX, fox LWJ, snow fox LWJ, red fox WWX, Childhood Friends, Orphans, LXC is 8 years older than LWJ, LWJ and WWX are besties, LXC is the best big brother, WWX is adopted by the Lan clan, Happy Ending, Sweet, soft, Cute, Fluffy, Jealous LWJ, WWX has the whole of cloud recesses in love with him… baby LWJ is pouty, LQR loves WWX, Literally everyone loves WWX, The entire Lan clan: we would die for little WWX, Thwarted dog attack, LQR trying to arrange marriages, Time jump forward, No one is harmed in the dog attack not even the dog, Clan leader LXC, Jealous WWX, Oblivious WWX, love at first kiss, Wangxian fox babies)
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12. Do you guys know of any fics where Wei Wuxian gets to act a little insane, you know as a treat? (Like when he's pretending to be Mo Xuanyu) (Also thank you for all these posts, y'all are amazing!)
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13. ITMF! I was wondering if anyone has something focused on how most adults in wwx's life have failed him? Like, it could be post canon or during cr study arc, I just want it to hurt but to have a good ending (the larger the word count the better!)
Thanks!
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14. Hello! ITMF wangxian harry potter au fics please? 🥹 Thank you so much for your hard work!
Unheard Voices, Open Ears by vamprav (M, 50k, wangxian, HP Fusion, YLLZ WWX, Ghost Cedric Diggory, HP Gets Therapy, Trauma, Healing, Rituals, Horcrux Destruction, HP is a Horcrux, HP Has Nightmares, HP Has a Crush, Immortal LWJ, Immortal WWX, WWX Has No Golden Core, Sentient Burial Mounds, Nonbinary MXY, MXY Lives)
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15. itmf for fics like the stone-filled sea? thanks <3
Not quite sure what #15* is specifically looking for, but if it’s juniors having feelings about wwx being demonized, I recommend:
Proximity To Knowledge by ChilianXianzi (T, 7k, wangxian, Post-Canon, Married Wangxian, Chief Cultivator LWJ, Teacher WWX, Inventor WWX, And his research assistant Lan ducklings, LQR is not a good educator, the kids are alright, WWX did online learning before it was cool)
Rotten Work by ShanaStoryteller (Not rated, 63k, wangxian, JL & WWX, post-canon, Protective WWX, Protective JL, POV JL, JC & WWX Reconciliation, eventually, Reluctant Matchmaker JL, this kid is doing his best, Pre-JL/LJY if you squint)
❤️ The One-Body Problem by metisket (T, 29k, LJY & WWX, LJY & LSZ, wangxian, possession, cohabitation, Mojo’s bookmark) link in #8
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16. Do you know if there are any fics where JC and LWJ bond over looking for WWX while he is missing/dead. Then they break-up when WWX returns and hide their past relationship from WWX (end pairing LWJ/WWX) @bunnyanon
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17. Hi wonderful people here! You are doing a stellar job with this blog so thank you very much! I'm in the mood for fluffy modern WangXian, just happy stuff. Especially if either WY or LZ are nannies, that would be great! Thanks so much in advance! @nebuluscharlie
spoke like we meant it by BlackWiresOnHerHead (T, 10k, WangXian, Modern, 5+1, Fluff, oh my god they were roommates, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, Pining, Cuddling, Accidental Confession, Humor, Abandonment Issues, Light Angst) I don't have any nanny fics, but some great, fluffy modern fics
whiskey neat (you're too sweet) by mercurygirlwt (M, 1k, WangXian, Husbands, Established Relationship, Implied Sexual Content, Body Worship, Sort Of, No actual sex, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, WWX's general battle with insomnia, Teasing, date night :))
Contingency Plan by krispy_kream (M, 8k, WangXian, Fluff, Getting Together, Friends to Lovers, Friends to Husbands to Lovers, Hand Jobs, Mutual Pining, Marriage of Convenience, (the convenience is that they're in love), Podfic, Podfic Length: 1-1.5 Hours, Podfic Available)
Covered in Bees by ScarlettStorm (T, 8k, WangXian, Modern, Beekeeping AU, Meet-Cute, Comedy, Fluff, Bees, come for the flirting, stay for the bee facts, and the bee puns, kinkmeme fill, no actual kink)
without your new eyes by anaphoricae (E, 66k, WangXian, Modern, Didn't Know They Were Dating, Sexuality Discovery, Self-Discovery, Literal Sleeping Together, (there is so much sleeping in this fic), mentions of WWX/others and LWJ/others, Drunk LWJ, Teacher LWJ, WWX is a… throws dart… computer scientist, No Angst, Jealous WWX, Flirty WWX, Eventual Smut, Bottom LWJ, Fluff, Non-Sexual Intimacy, WXW's Love Language is Physical Touch, Guess what: even more non-sexual sleeping together, the plot of the fic is just… co-sleeping, call it the Nap Fic ™, Podfic Available, WWX isn't so much 'oblivious' as he is wilfully blocking some feelings subconsciously, WWX 'idk how I feel' to 'I'm gonna marry him' pipeline) no nannies but it so so warm and fluffy and well written !!!!
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If you didn’t get an answer to your ask here, don’t forget to make use of @mdzs-kinkmeme and MDZS KINK MEME on Dreamwidth. Authors actually do use them for ideas. You may get what you order!***Your prompt doesn’t have to be kink! Fluff, crack, whatever - it’s all good!***
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stargirlmaki · 2 months
Text
Persona (PROLOGUE: OPERA GHOST)
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Phantom!Nanami Kento x fem!Reader (x Gojo Satoru)
masterlist, next chapter: PART ONE- ANGEL OF MUSIC
synopsis: in 1880s Japan, there lived a ghost underneath the Japan opera house who brings terror to the opera company for the benefit of an opera signer who he trains and loves.
cw: Phantom Of The Opera AU (but Phantom gets Christine), minors do not interact, reader is afab and will use she/her pronouns, yandere, ooc nanami, every character is ooc, age gap, eventual smut, gore and violence, use of “YN LN”.
an: this prologue is dedicated for world building purposes, but I do hope that you will still enjoy reading it. If you have read the book by Gaston Leroux, there will certainly be familiarity in this prologue. No posting schedule, I will write at my own pace.
wc: 2.7k
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The legend of the opera ghost has long lived within the walls of the Japan opera house; some say since the moment it was built. If you happen to ask any member of the company, the opera ghost’s real identity will certainly distort your imagination, and you might even begin to wonder if there is any truth to its existence at all. The ballet girls whisper that he is able to move through walls, that the naked eye is unable to see him, and that he could change his voice to mimic your loved one’s. The frequent guests of the opera house state that the opera ghost has the face of death himself, the most hideous and frightening, but dresses and moves exactly like any other person, making him able to freely live among us.
But the only time that a person has ever had a close encounter with the ghost, one where there is a close chance of verification of his existence, was through a man named Kiyotaka Ijichi. For twenty years, he worked as the opera house’s chief stagehand, and on one of the rehearsal nights, he claimed that he had seen the opera ghost and, most especially, his face! “As clear as I see you now! ”, quoting the words that came out of his mouth during his conversation with the past manager, Geto Suguru.
“His eyes are so hollow that they appear as just two black holes, like a skull’s. I could see the bones of his face peeking out of his skin; the skin around it had turned a nasty yellow. The black dress coat he wore hangs off him like he is nothing but the skeleton of a dead man. He is extremely skinny but taller than most men. His hair is the color of yellow, as yellow as the sun. And I assume his skin is cold to the touch from the color of it! ”
On the night of the departure gala for managers Shoko Ieiri and Geto Suguru, the body of Kiyotaka Ijichi was found hanging at the fly system of the main stage, a rope around his neck, eyes rolled towards the back of his head, and his skin had turned completely deathly pale.
Geto Suguru has earned the reputation of being an excellent practical joker, starting from his school days, and it has (unfortunate for others) increased the moment he became one of the managers at the renowned opera house. Shoko Ieiri has known this fact regarding her co-manager through years of maddening experience and observations. That is why, when Geto Suguru uttered the words, “We will be retiring as the managers of this opera house," Shoko Ieiri was confident that it belonged to one of Geto Suguru’s little jokes that he is extremely fond of doing every single day. Except this time, Geto Suguru clarified that it was indeed not.
Immediately, the woman asked her partner with a hint of disbelief and shock in her voice, “And who will be replacing us?” It was known throughout the opera that manager Shoko Ieiri was not capable of being in a state of anger for too long; she was described as the most gentle on and off stage, but that is currently hanging on by a thread.
Geto Suguru sighed deeply upon hearing his co-manager’s query; the expression on his face contorted like he had just been reminded of something he had been dreading to even think about it at all. “The Zen’in clan had recently purchased the entirety of the house.”
“The Zen’in clan! What do those selfish, money-hungry high-borns even know about opera? Do they even share an ounce of passion for the art that is made here? ”The sudden interruption of Shoko Ieiri’s deafening voice startled Geto Suguru. This wasn’t his first time seeing his partner this way, but this was certainly different from any other time.
“They only care about one thing, the one thing that would help make sense of why they even thought of the opera—and you, I’m sure of it, already know what I am talking about.” Geto Suguru’s voice has increased in volume as well; he hopes that the almost century-old walls are thick enough to make their conversation inaudible to outsiders.
Shoko Ieiri rubs her temple, calming the possible consequences of the overwhelm that threatens to come out of her. The Zen’in clan is well known in Japan to possess the most wealth, and nobody is able to acquire that much wealth with clean, spotless hands. One thing about the clan is that they will never stop until every dime and power is within their ownership, no matter which way they’re going to get it and how many get affected by it. The motivation behind the Zen’in clan’s sudden ownership of the opera house was apparent, maybe not to a regular civilian, but definitely to the managers of the opera, who fear that the essence of the Japanese opera house will be soiled in the hands of the wrong people.
Geto Suguru stands from his chair and adjusts his coat, reaching towards its inner pockets and pulling out an opened letter from one of them. He approaches his co-manager and hands it to her. “That’s the letter sent in this morning; it’s best if you read it yourself.” Shoko Ieiri straightens up and receives the letter in between Geto Suguru’s gloved fingers. She takes note of the residue of the Zen’in clan wax stamp found at the edge of the letter.
Before Shoko Ieiri begins to read the content of the Zen’in letter, Geto Suguru says: “And what will we do about Him?” There is caution laced in his voice, he said in such a low volume that if Shoko Ieiri was even a bit farther away, she wouldn’t have heard him. Geto Suguru knew that Shoko Ieiri understood perfectly what he meant and who he was referring to, and he could tell that his co-manager had been wondering the same thing as well.
The gala, celebrated in honor of managers Geto Suguru and Shoko Ieiri as they retire, commenced at six in the evening and was entirely prepared by the Zen’in clan themselves. Each single person who is part of the company was invited and is currently present: the ballet girls occupying the center floor with their dancing, the musicians showing off their talent with the various instruments on stage, and the actors mingling in their own conversations.
Towards the end of the room, there’s a round table fairly decorated in the colors white and gold. A number of people have huddled around it, surrounding and entertaining those that sat in the chairs. Towards the right side of the table, there sat the old managers, Shoko Ieiri and Geto Suguru, each dressed in their best clothing, their hair neatly combed and styled. On the other side sat the new manager, who introduced himself earlier to the entire house as Naoya Zen’in, son of Naobito Zen’in, the current clan head of the Zen’in clan.
Naoya Zen’in is 27 years old and looks like it as well. His complexion embodied the perfect adonis that the people of the opera had fallen for fleetly the minute he waltzed in the opera house. Though his arrogance made an unpleasant first impression on previous manager Geto Suguru, the Zen’in had reportedly refused to shake his hand during their first meeting. Shoko Ieiri took note of Naoya Zen’in’s condescending behavior as she managed to overhear one of his conversations with the woman he had brought with him; they had been shaming everything their eyes landed on. All of this drew the conclusion for the old managers that Naoya Zen’in would change the Japan opera house—in the most horrific way.
“He won’t take it seriously.”
It is eight in the evening. For two hours, the two had contemplated whether to spew the information they had been keeping or continue to hold their tongue about it. Geto Suguru urges Shoko Ieiri that they relay this message to the new beloved manager of the opera; Shoko Ieiri thinks otherwise; she says Naoya Zen’in will treat it as a joke.
“Well, that’s better than not telling him at all! ”Geto Suguru expressed himself, keeping his voice at a minimal volume, though it seems that the people around them are too focused on the new manager to take note of their conversation. Despite Geto Suguru’s apparent desperation, Shoko Ieiri does not succumb to it.
So, Geto Suguru continues: “Listen, we already know that the opera will decline with him as the manager, but if we fail to let him know of the real danger below there, the opera house will suffer even greater consequences! ”While he speaks, his head turns to look around him, fearing that someone may be eavesdropping on their conversation.
Geto Suguru suddenly remembered that he had something incredibly important to divulge to Shoko Ieiri. He remembers that he had placed the folded letter in his pocket before heading to the gala. He reached for it and handed it to the woman sitting beside him. “I have forgotten to give this to you. That may be his final letter to us. It arrived an hour after we'd gotten the Zen’in news.”
“You went to him? ”Shoko Ieiri asked. Raising her eyebrows in curiosity.
Geto Suguru shrugged. “It would be rude not to offer my farewells to the reason why the opera house is still standing.”. Shoko Ieiri breathes in and opens the folded letter. She is greeted by the familiarity of his handwriting. She reads:
My dearest managers:
Your departure upsets me. I will be expecting that the new manager is well informed of my conditions and will be equally acquiescent as you both have been for twenty years—if you wish for peace to continue, that is. I wish you good luck in your future endeavors.
Farewell,
O.G.
Shoko Ieiri huffs and falls into silence, perhaps entering once more in a state of contemplation, and then, after a moment, she finally speaks, “And if we do tell Zen’in, but he refuses to believe us? There is a high possibility of that, judging on how despicable he is.”
“He will know that he has made a mistake.”
Many of those who attended the gala that night recalled how there was a period of the night where the two previous managers requested to speak with Naoya Zen’in alone. The three entered one of the dance rooms outside of the event hall and had a discussion that lasted about ten minutes. Many have said that when Naoya Zen’in returned to his seat, he was laughing like he had been told a joke so hilarious. The two other managers, however, had an expression on their faces that looked like they pitied or were scared for the man that they had spoken to.
“A… ghost?” A grin began to show on Zen’in’s face like he had just been told of a good joke; the two other people in the room could tell from his expression that he was about to burst into laughter.
Candidly, if you were told that a dangerous ghost resides in the opera house that you recently purchased, it is normal to let out a laugh. Particularly if you were someone like Naoya Zen'in, who had been drowning himself in every alcoholic drink at the gala since the start of the night. His flushed cheeks and tipsy movements showed Geto Suguru and Shoko Ieiri that the new manager is nowhere near sober.
Naoya Zen’in’s laughter dies down, but his grin remains on his grotesque (according to Shoko Ieiri) face. “Are you both so enraged about the sudden replacement that you result in this pitiful act?”He ridicules the two predecessor managers in front of him.
“Oh, Jesus...” Shoko Ieiri rolls her eyes immediately upon hearing the man. Geto Suguru stiffens and says, ”This is not about that! This is real, Mr. Zen’in! You have to believe us.”
Shoko Ieiri instantly adds, ”This is for your own good.” said in such a stern manner, she didn’t mean to glare at the high-born in front of her, but she couldn’t help it at all.
Naoya Zen’in scoffs, “A ghost who demands a monthly salary and the box five reserved for him only? This is insanity! If you wanted me gone, you should’ve come up with a better act or whatever you actor freaks get on... Not this, made up—” he giggles in the middle of his sentence, “—ghost in the opera house.”
“He is not made up, sir. He is real, and denying his existence will have dire consequences for you and the Japan opera house.” Shoko Ieiri emphasized each word to him, trying to maintain her composure as she knows her anger won’t result in anything good.
“Oh! Now, the ghost is a man? ”There is a fake intriguement in Naoya Zen’in’s tone, his smile growing larger.
As Geto Suguru walks towards him, a sense of great urgency is evidently evident in his voice when he says, “We speak nothing but the truth; you can ask the rest of the opera, Mr. Zen’in, and they will tell you all about the opera ghost.”
”That is enough!” Naoya Zen’in shouts, filling Geto Suguru and Shoko Ieiri with despair.
Shoko Ieiri leans against the wall, near the wooden double doors, and Geto Suguru stands beside her as the both of them observe Naoya Zen’in, who had now sat at his table—still laughing at the conversation that had occurred just minutes before. They had not successfully convinced the new manager. At this point, Shoko Ieiri refuses to waste any more energy on being frustrated over the Zen’in. She looks over to Geto Suguru, and she can tell that he shares the same sentiments.
A month had passed since the gala; Geto Suguru and Shoko Ieiri’s offices are now empty, and Naoya Zen’in had taken over Geto Suguru’s old space. New manager: Naoya Zen’in still refuses the existence of the opera ghost despite numerous warnings that have already been sent his way, and on the night of his seventh day as manager, a letter is seen placed on top of his desk with a symbol on the wax seal that he has never seen before.
Naoya Zen’in slices the envelope open with a knife and pulls out the letter inside of it. Even with the handwriting, no familiarity reaches him; who is this from? He thought. Upon finishing the contents of the letter, he bursts into laughter, harder than he ever did today. Those two just never stop with this joke, do they? Do they really think I will succumb to this? So, I will be so frightened that I’ll hand back the opera to them? Naoya Zen’in chuckled as he downed his whiskey.
The letter reads:
Dear Mr. Manager
I apologize for bothering you at a time when you must be very busy with your tasks. I am very fond of the house’s annual production of ‘Faust’. It delights me that you have chosen it as your first opera during your first month as the new manager—a bold move. I know what you have done for Mei Mei, Ui Ui, and many others, whose talents and genius you have most definitely observed.
When I say “talents and genius,” I do not mean to apply them to Ms. Mei Mei, who has proven in every rehearsal that a dying cow ought to sound better than her. Nor to her brother, Ui Ui, who dances like a flopping fish fished out of water. If it is your dream to turn ‘Faust’ into a clangorous farm house production, this would make more sense.
Your jealousy has prevented the ballet girl, YN LN, from creating any impact on the production. She has proven her genius; you heard of it during the auditions, and I know that you and every person in this opera house were enthralled by her completely. Ever since her triumph in the auditions, all the main roles have been restricted for her.
Mr. Manager, I detest scandals, so I expect that this will be the last time you will treat me with such outrageous disdain.
Your most obedient servant,
O.G.
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swanconcerto · 10 months
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Hi~ I’m back with more brass band stuff <3
Ash would thrive in a brass band. He would definitely play the cornet. The cornet is kinda the face of a brass band, they’re flashy and play the melody most of the time and I can’t see any alternatives for him. Honestly he deserves his own post with how much I have to say about him. Out of everyone in the redactedverse, I think him playing in a brass band is the most believable.
Christian would play flugelhorn. He’d get some cornet parts which would take him on such an ego-trip, but also who has even heard of flugelhorn?? His instrument would probably get confused with a bunch of others and he would get in fights over it. Also, I think he would be really good at sight reading. Or generally that he plays really well. 
And, in case you don’t know, flugelhorns sit next to cornets :)
Christian could also play solo cornet. 
I don’t think Darlin’ would play in the band at all. I do think they’d have a drum set at home and play, just not classical or any other kind of music a brass band plays. They just wouldn’t be interested. At least my interpretation of them wouldn’t. It’s sometimes hard to remember that what I see as obvious is likely just a headcanon for most of the listeners since they’re supposed to be self-inserts. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this.
I have an idea of what David would play, but I’m not so sure about it. Again, I’d like to hear what you think first. The same with Milo. 
this is so interesting because i’ve honestly never encountered much brass band culture at all my eyes are really opening!!
- YES asher is so brass coded i don’t know how one could put him in any other section
- flugelhorn 😭 i’ve only ever heard of it in passing i could not even tell you what one looks like or sounds like. aka PERFECT for christian. and yes he’s definitely infuriatingly good at sightreading but i think asher could outdo him in improv based stuff and it really gets to him
- i actually do have darlin down as both a brass player and a string player! i’ll go into the “lore” of it more when i publish the shaw pack hcs but for brass i have them down in trombone with milo…in more of a jazz sense certainly but i can see them there for some reason. drums i can also so see outside of a classical sense
- my david hc is so silly i’ll go into detail more but OUTSIDE OF THAT i actually have him down as the conductor!! in my mind the au is sort of a student-run orchestra thing and who better fits the role than him 🤷‍♀️
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lar-mx · 4 months
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Writing prompt #8
This time we have Danny as a woman. We also have Siren AU where Danny is a singer with an incredible voice. so enter the scene: one of Bruce's most honored business partners, organized a New Year's Eve party, the whole family was invited, along with many other partners and businessmen. The party starts without problems, the background music is perfect, neither too loud nor too low, and can be heard throughout the room. All of the Batkids manage to not fall into their chaotic tendencies and mostly stick together, until the main "act" arrives. A beautiful woman in a one-piece black dress walks onto the main stage, the musicians prepare for the performance. without introduction, the woman begins to sing:
youtube
While the melody invaded the party, the gaze of (insert member of the bat clan here) could not depart from the beautiful blue eyes of the song, everything would be perfect if it were not because suddenly a group of criminals burst into the party, destroying the magnificent atmosphere created by the melody. Although as strange as it may seem, the bad guys on duty were not here for the rich and very rich businessmen and their families (jewelry, money) but for the group of musicians and their lead singer. Everyone from the public, the musicians, the waiters and the singer seemed not to understand the criminals' demands at first, but when they saw that there was no turning back, the group decided to go with them to prevent the guests from being hurt. As the singer passed by (insert bat here) she pretended to trip and hand him a small device while I thanked him for catching it, winking discreetly, the message is clear.
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noisycroissant · 6 months
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I Will Find You
Astarion x Reader (Soulmate AU)
Based on that aquarium scene from Romeo + Juliet (1996)
*******
She hated the costume. It was a sick twisted joke on her Mistress' part to make her wear this to the damned ball at the Szarr Palace.
A vampire ball on Hallow's Eve. How tasteless.
An ankle length white gown, plain and unadorned except for trimmings of lace at the hem and scooped out neckline. Of course her mistress would never let any of the spawn wear high-necked outfits or wear necklaces when they were taken out to mingle in high vampire society. The bite marks must be visible to everyone. The ownership must be acknowledged.
It was the wings that sealed the pantomime of it all. Stiff lacquered wings, covered in soft goose feathers, tied on to her shoulders with string. With the pale skin, she could pass easily for an angel should anyone see her flitting about in the darkness.
But one flash of her smile or a second look at her eyes and they would know that she was just another monster in sheep's clothing.
*******
Over the decades, Cazador had done several tasteless things to seal his status as the patriarch of the Szarr clan. From using his spawn as "entertainment" to holding lavish balls were his spawn waited hand and foot on drunken patriars of Baldur's Gate, there was no level Cazador would not stoop to to ascertain power.
But this? This took the cake.
A high vampire society ball on Hallow's Eve. Complete with costumes and candles and music.
Pathetic.
The armour and chainmail looked heavy but was actually just made of paste and cleverly dyed. As one of the prized spawn in the palace, it was imperative that he "mingled with anyone who looks important, if he knew what was good for him".
The threats didn't register anymore. After all, how different could this night's ending be from all the other times there was a ball in this wretched place? Some drunk and out-of-it duke or duchess would fancy him, he'd have to sweet talk and charm them into a chamber, do what was expected, make the necessary sounds and words, and it would be over.
And another piece would be added to the mosaic of power Cazador was building.
The hatred made bile rise in Astarion's throat and he retched into a nearby vase. It was better his stomach remain empty for what was inevitably to come.
******
It was not as bad as she'd imagined. There was a certain flair and theatre to seeing vampires of all classes costumed and swanning about.
Like they were normal people at a Hallow's Eve party.
Her mistress had let her "loose" for the night. Which meant she could walk around with the rare gift of turning down propositions. A small mercy, but after a century of servitude, she would take what she could get.
She walked along the edges of the great hall, trying to stay out of sight and in the shadows, trying to avoid anyone's eye. Just one night to herself. That's all she wanted after a century of turning.
******
Astarion saw the person with wings in a plain white gown seeking the edges of the room from the moment the Eastern Vampire Court's Mistress and her brood had arrived.
He'd been following her, unnoticed, since. He didn't know why but he had to see her face. It wasn't mere curiosity. It was an unexplainable pull he couldn't fight.
He followed and followed and finally had her alone in his sight. She was watching the ornamental fish in the aquarium near the archway to the garden. Her pale fingers following the path of a bejeweled looking fish. He moved to the other side of the glass and slowly walked into the faint light emitting from the aquarium.
Her smile was the first thing he saw on her face. The warmth, the soft creases at the ends of a generous mouth. The way her cheeks rose to her eyes.
His eyes were what she saw first. A warm burgundy, like aged wine, surrounded by soft lashes and sharp cheekbones. The curiosity pooling in those eyes as they took her in.
Astarion didn't believe in gods anymore. He didn't believe in love anymore. He didn't believe in fate anymore either.
But for one moment, he believed the goddess Sune had touched his heart.
The angel smiled at him and he knew. He'd heard of fated mates but he'd never dreamed he'd find his while living a life shackled to Cazador. But now he knew.
That fate spins along as it should. No point in fighting or denying it.
******
The spell was broken as another spawn of her brood appeared seemingly out of nowhere. "You must come immediately. The mistress requires you," says the spawn as he grabs her elbow and pulls her towards the dance floor.
Astarion did not think twice before dashing after her. He deftly moved between people, watching as she was pulled away further and further into the crowd.
Their eyes never left each other.
The curiosity and subtle longing in her eyes was enough for Astarion to know that she had felt what he'd felt too.
That damned, inescapable pull.
He'd found the one thing that was going to be his, and come hell or rapture, he was going to claim it.
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tbgkaru-woh · 1 year
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Currently playing with an AU where all of the specific clans are elementally alligned -nmj frustrated cause huaisang should be able to move mountains and open the ground his enemies walk on and instead he's growing little plants and makes swings out of vines -jiangs being water based (duh, lotus pier) but wwx was always fascinated with a different liquid (blood) so he plays around with that (later once he loses those powers he focuses on trinkets. jc gains limited electricity powers from zidian which comes from yu ziyuan's family branch -jins being energy, this pure, light, healing one, but we know how the jins are, so where jzx wants to use it to help people, his dad and others mostly hog it for themselves and decide who gets to live and who don't OvO (also wwx mockingly saying the jins have "bad energy") -wens are just fire, they thing its the baptizing kind, but it's the wrathful uncontrolled kind -lans, twin jades, one as a fresh breeze in summer, one as a cold wind on a cold night. also it could be combined with music instruments, the wind powers creating this sort of echo to make it more powerful
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