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sea-and-storm · 2 years

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FFXIV Write 2022 Prompt #15: Row

Cheaters never win, the old adage echoed within Ghoa’s mind.. along with a faint, stinging throb. Too bad the saying hadn’t occurred to her before the unfortunate string of events that had transpired all within the last two or three minutes. Not that she would have listened to it anyway, probably..

A race had been proposed, from the end of the docks at Costa del Sol to a rock upon the nearby sandbar. Of course, the intention of the proposal had been for the racers – Anchor, Shael, Nabi and herself – to take the route across the sand and then swim across in the final leg. But such specifics were never stated and, knowing full well how horrid of a chance she stood in any contest of physical prowess, that clever mind of hers had begun thinking of a way to exploit the loopholes.

Her strategy? As the others raced down the roundabout path across the beach, she would head in the opposite direction back across the dock to the closest jumping point between here and the finish line. It shortened the run and swim both, not that she was overly concerned about the latter. If there was one physical task that Ghoa could claim some skill at, it was swimming.

The run was still plenty long for her.. less than hardy endurance. But so, too, did she have an idea for that.

"You know? I'm feeling so confident that I think I might even give you lot a head start," she hummed as she hung back. "I can start from right here."

"Ya’ up tae somethin,” Shael answered as she fixed her with a rightfully doubtful look. “..but that be yer game."

"I'm just saying," the Mankhad answered innocently as she takes off the sunglasses perched atop her head, stuffing them into the waistband of her swim bottoms for security. "I was raised on the beaches and in the water. It's only fair, you know?"

"Ya sure showed that gurgling salt water that time.” Anchor’s retort saw her gaze narrow as she looked over in his direction.

“That was different,” she huffed defiantly. For one, they weren’t atop a wildly pitching ship tossed to and fro by storm-frenzied waves, but she didn’t press the point. It was doubtful neither he nor Shael would concede that point. Besides, she’d show them just how adept of a swimmer she was when she stood victorious upon that rock, looking down upon them in triumph.

As the others started forward towards the end of the dock where the starting line should have before, Ghoa primed herself to leap into action the moment the moment the word ‘Go!’ left Shael’s lips.

Off she was down the pier like a bolt of lightning, only to hit her first stumbling block early. Her sandal caught on an uneven board of the pier, snapping the thong and sending her pitching forward. Luckily, she was able to catch herself, but the mishap had certainly slowed her. But she would win. She had to win.

Pushing down the frantic burning of her lungs from the effort, Ghoa kept her eyes on the prize. Wait, what even was the prize? Maybe it was that thought that caused her focus to lapse as she reached the pier’s end. Or maybe it was the quick look back that told her she was in the lead as the others just reached wading depth in the shallows, filling her with overconfidence.

Whatever it was, it kept her from committing wholeheartedly to the graceful dive she had planned. Another misstep and the Mankhad found herself suddenly sliding without control across the slippery end of the dock and with a shocked squeal quickly drowned out by a splash, Ghoa bellyflopped into the sea.

Well.. so much for winning.

Choking and sputtering as she surfaced, the bleary-eyed Xaela’s first instinct was to look around to see who had witnessed her embarrassment. Immediately, her eyes found those of a ferryman but a few fulm away, affixing her with a look that was equal parts concern and amusement with a healthy side of confusion atop it.

“You, er.. okay, miss..?” he managed as he leaned over the boat’s edge, offering a hand to pull her into the dinghy. Thank the gods he at least had the tact not to bust out laughing in her face, or else the Mankhad might have just lowered herself to the sea floor then and let the ocean take her right then.

“P-perfectly fine..” Ghoa managed with not a small dose of sarcasm as she paddled over and reached up to take the hand, using it to pull herself into the boat. Sort of. As if to only add further insult to injury, her foot slipped upon the edge and with another splash, back into the briny depths she went for a second helping of humble pie.

Finally, the Mankhad made it into the rowboat on her second attempt. By then, it was obvious that the ferryman was struggling not to laugh at what he had just witnessed, his cheeks as red from the effort as her entire front side was from the sting of meeting the water face-on.

Yet he paddled on in merciful silence and Ghoa pulled her sunglasses from her waistband – half amazed that they hadn’t managed to go by the wayside much as he broken sandal – and slipped them onto her nose. As if that would hide her embarrassment once she disembarked..

“Don’t. Say. Anything,” she huffed as she reached the sandbar, still red-tinted and hair bedraggled.

“The hells happened?” Anchor asked.

At least the others had been so consumed by competition that it would seem none had witnessed it. Only the ferryman and probably half of La Noscea besides once his shift was ended and he was able to recount the unfortunate encounter to much laughter later.

“Oh, um..” Nabi chimed in, tone suspiciously evasive. “Caught a bad wave, yes?”

Well, at least the only one amongst them who had witnessed the spectacular failure was Nabi, too sweet by half to acknowledge it.

Before she could answer, another coughing and sputtering fit overtook her. As she straightened, her tone was sour. “I hate races,” she huffed unhelpfully. “This was a terrible idea.”

Yet for all their amusement at her expense as they crossed the beach in search of what she sorely hoped was a nearby bar, Ghoa had to admit there was a part of her – deep, deep down below the humiliation – that was thankful for a moment of shared levity. It was rare for the lot of them to steal moments like this together in peace rather than having to band together in the face of a common, dire foe.

But next time they had a moment of respite, Ghoa sure hoped that no one proposed anymore stupid races.

#ffxivwrite2022 #c&f #ghoa mankhad #nabi kharlu #anchor saltborn #shael stormchild #this was QUITE LITERALLY the most hilarious series of bad rolls that I have gotten with the C&F crew #and trust me #i've gotten a LOT of terrible rolls #*stares at most recent nat 1 shenanigans*#but this scene will forever be one of my favorites because of it

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crystalelemental · 1 year

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Unit Teambuilding - Lorelei

Being Kantonian is amazing. Rulin’ over this island with great alts, and great grids. We even got this anime kid! The hell if I know where he came from. This really is, the high life.

“Except for Lorelei.”

Oooooh Lorelei! What’s the matter Lorelei? Still mad cuz your sync multiplier sucks and they’re gonna spec your grid to being a sync nuker anyway?

“Bitch ain’t even got DPS.”

Surge even got this EX shit to make his nuke stronger. He don’t even need it!

How’s it feeeeeel, Lorelei? To be a...bitch?

General Overview If anyone picked up on what I was doing there, apologies.

Anyway, Lorelei is such a good Kantonian character. I’m sorry, she’s one of the few I legitimately remember because of stuff from the games. FRLG gave her that whole thing about being obsessed with Pokedolls, and sick as a child, and all this stuff that actually like...fleshed out a personality. And yet she’s still, I feel, less respected than the other Kantonian E4 for some reason. Which is mind-blowing. If the gacha dudebros are to be believed, the only thing that matters for popularity is being a cute girl, and not to be this way, but Lorelei’s a good looking lady.

Yet this is her lot in life. Being kinda ass garbage. Because her tech nuke multiplier...is the foe has to be frozen. The only other time this has ever come up was with Brycen, a man whose existence is entirely around Haze being the best tool against Latias and Cresselia. He had relevant utility. What does Lorelei get? Some defense buffing and Gradual Healing. Oh, but at least she gets natural Hostile Environment 1 for a 20% chance to freeze on Ice Beam! That’ll help!

Oh but she does have Blizzard, that’s not bad. Her special attack is low, but if they can make that accurate and relevant, maybe she’ll be a decent secondary DPS? Just give her some tools to set Hail up or something, and some multipliers through Hail, that’ll solve it. Oh. Oh, we’re not gonna do that? We’re just gonna give her some sync multipliers, a little bit of self-sufficiency with Ramp Up 2 on Trainer Move, and her only move DPS is Freeze Synergy 3 and Invigorating Hail ONE? Can we at least give her useful defensive tools for an off-beat tank? Healing Hail, Endurance, and Natural Remedy? That’s it? Well...can she at least be one of the best freeze bots in the game? Give her Hostile Environment 2 to match Lodge Silver? No? Just HE1? Oh. Okay... Sorry, sir...

Lorelei is bad. She will always be bad now. And it sucks, man. It sucks so bad. Because it doesn’t have to be this way. Lorelei was one of the first units my wife got really invested in because she loved her design, and we’ve been eagerly waiting on this grid. And not only was she one of the last ones to get anything...they didn’t even give her anything particularly good. Sure, 150% sync multiplier is nice, but it means very little if she can’t hit her natural multiplier, which she can’t, because it’s atrocious. You even locked full power behind the need for Hail, which is wildly limiting. Even worse, you need defense. Towering Force is great, but her trainer move only gives relevant defense if you’re injured. Otherwise it’s like +1. So she realistically needs support with crit, special attack, and defense, all at once. Who the hell provides all that, and Hail? No one! There’s no such thing! So her team composition structures are a dumpster fire on top of everything else!

It’s sad. I really like Lorelei, and I wanted the best for her. Now I’m just stuck hoping they give her an alt. Which means open conflict with Leaf, who also feels overdue. Dammit Kanto. The one time you let one of your units be outright bad, and it’s like the saddest outcome.

Team 1: Lorelei, Piers, W!Nessa/Candice This is practically a joke at this point. Let Lorelei self setup, what’s the worst that happens? You waste three turns to not even get the best sync setup because you’re likely missing defense, while Candice would nuke harder? Just play supplemental DPS! I’m sure Blizzard matters somewhat in complement to Candice’s sync nuke. Maybe it’ll even freeze if that 30% works with you!

Team 2: Lorelei, P!Bea, Candice Actually maybe that’s the play. Just go supplemental DPS. Sure she can’t really take her multipliers, but she’ll be able to take-oh my god she can’t even get Sharp Entry, Hostile Environment 1, and both MPR and Ramp Up on the same grid. Okay fine, P!Bea, give a bit of offense so she can drop the MPR. Now she gets Freeze Synergy 3. Maybe, if the moon and stars align, she can do something with that.

Team 3: Lorelei, Candice, Summer Steven Maybe??? Look, she has defensive stats and some traits, maybe it works, I don’t know. Spam Ice Beam as an off tank, Candice supplies Hail so you can actually heal yourself at all, maybe you’ll get lucky in Gauntlet and the freeze will last longer than two actions. Not like Steven’s flinch won’t be doing most of the work anyway.

Team 4: Lorelei, Lodge Elesa/Lodge Cynthia, Ghetsis/W!Leon Okay you know what no. Fuck you. I’m going to legitimately try here, and the attempt is double AoE DPS with freeze. Ghetsis has Cold Snap 2 for a 30% chance at AoE. Lorelei...it gets halved so it’s only 15%. Not ideal. But fuck it, we ball. Lodge Elesa and Lodge Cynthia boost accuracy and crit rate. Lorelei may not be able to buff her defense well, but she can buff special attack with her trainer move now so that will have to do. Between the two, freeze chances may occur, and she may be able to help, even though her DPS is so much lower than his anyway. If you really, truly want? Winter Leon can also participate. He doesn’t need the accuracy buffs, but she sure does, so you’re not even off the hook for needing accuracy as part of this.

Final Thoughts Lorelei is downright bad. It’s staggering to see this. I feel like they vastly overestimate the impact of freeze. Like sure, it can stall a move, but no more than sleep or flinch do in most circumstances. The myth that freeze is somehow less resisted in Gauntlet is just that, a myth. I’ve seen plenty of these stages, including shit like Uxie where you really need it to last, just snap out of it instantly. So her utility of freeze is both not that significant, and worse off than most due to the AoE nature of her skill.

I legitimately struggle to piece together her utility. This is like the Tate situation, where the support she needs doesn’t exist yet, but unlike the Tate situation, she doesn’t have some insane 140% move damage multiplier backing up her weaker more consistent move. Maybe in the future we’ll get something that can salvage her. But right now? It’s bad out here, man. It’s really, really bad.

#unit teambuilding #lorelei

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books-are-my-life-stuff · 2 years

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I...managed to reach 23 wins today, with the last win being a desperate team effort. I don't want to go anywhere further, I'm already satisfied, and tired.

Most of the teams are the same from the previous posts here and here, but there are a few different, and additional teams, which I will put here.

I feel like it's a waste to use SS Morty with Anni N, who can carry the battle by himself because of Piercing Blows. Silver appreciates SS Morty's help more. Pretty smooth, double Ho-Oh team remains as effective as ever.

FINALLY...-6 defense and -6 attack...Fully powered nuke from Halloween Morty!! Except he doesn't have Ghost Wish and his attack stays at +4, but doesn't matter! I made the almost impossible task work! This is how far I'll go to make him work because I love him god damn it.

Remember the redundant SS Kris/May/Rachel team? I tried to make it less redundant with my freshly EX-ed Zinnia and Rayquaza, who could benefit from any weather. I still have Dauntless as her lucky skill so I went for DPS Draco Meteor build....except this team suffer real hard from gauge. Realization hit me that everyone here is so slow. I brought SS Kris so Zinnia didn't have to use her crippling trainer move, but Zinnia still has to use her trainer moves to at least queue ONE action per turn. I'm so sorry that you had to carry this much burden, SS Kris. Someday you'll be 2/5 and the speed+gauge problem will be much less of an issue. Even with that severe gauge issues, this team somehow won, because May's nuke hit really hard, and Muddy Water dealing 13k damage, accompanied by 10k Draco Meteor damage from Zinnia.

Again, I thought it'd be a waste to use SC Lillie to accompany Blue and Pidgeot, especially when he can buff crit by himself. Sycamore fits to this team perfectly, and made gauges no longer an issue. Him healing for 600+ damage per Horn Leech is really scary, but that's just how brutally immortal Sycamore is under Grassy Terrain.

And because I already used SS Morty, Anni N returned to partner up with Halloween Caitlin after a while, for Unova Flag Bearer boost, and how she could help the team survive. Prof. Oak helped to stack Power Play boost, which is appreciated by Anni N.

And so I thought, it'd be a waste not to use SC Lillie, so I used her alongside SS Misty who needed full offensive boosts to nuke. The tricky part is that SS Misty had similar sync requirement like Lear (opponent should not have any buff for maximum nuke), while Entei constantly buffed himself every time he attacks. So, I gridded SC Lillie with boosts and Aggravation, while Grimsley assisted in Snatching the buffs, so SS Misty could focus on her nuke. The strategy worked. Stopping Entei's action means that he wouldn't buff himself, and SS Misty could nuke safely. I honestly still need to train more on how to use sync pairs like SS Misty and Lear.

The last run was Tapu Bulu, and it was a team effort of SS Elesa/Sidney/Cobalion and Piers/OG Morty/Misty & Starmie. The first team managed to reach third bar with 31% health, so instead of resetting I took the loss because I just needed another team to finish off. Piers was great in this occassion because of his Endure tanking capability, making him able to survive +6 Attack, Grassy Terrain boosted Wood Hammer. Misty helped Morty to quickly boost Blind Spot and provided occasional healing to him and herself. It was a team effort.

#personal #pokemon masters #that was wild #i think i'm done with gauntlet #tomorrow i'll start farming if i feel like it

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azikarue · 2 years

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MayBlade 2022 : Day 1 : Sun

Max/Mariam | FFN Rating: K | FFN Link ❖ Max was staring. He knew he was staring, but he couldn’t look away.

“Sharkrash!” Mariam called to her bitbeast, arcing one arm over her head.

Her beyblade moved as directed, effortlessly bobbing and weaving through the course they’d set up. It moved faster than he remembered and with a precision he knew had to come from nonstop practice in the years since he’d seen her last.

The thrum in the air, the invisible connection between her and Sharkrash, that was new too, and equally as impressive.

Unfortunately it was neither of those things that had such a hold on his attention. Instead it was the way the setting sun softened all of Mariam’s edges while simultaneously casting steeper shadows on the rest of the world. It was the way the ocean breeze caught her hair and the way her bracelet glittered when she brushed it out of her face and the way her eyebrows wrinkled in annoyance while her eyes remained laser-focused.

Max gulped. His fingers flexed, adjusting his launcher in his sweaty grasp as he patiently waited his turn to run the drill.

Sharkrash surged up a ramp constructed from discarded pallets, sawdust flying. Instinctively, Max looked to Mariam to catch the way her lips turned up at the corner in a satisfied smirk. He almost missed her beyblade nailing its last slalom run, too preoccupied with her face.

When she caught her beyblade and met his eyes, he hoped it wasn’t obvious that he’d been watching her more than Sharkrash.

“Your turn, Maxie,” she said smugly, tossing her ponytail over her shoulder, “if you think you’re a match for me.”

The way she said that did something weird to his stomach. He took a deep breath, tasting the salt in the air on the back of his tongue, and took his place at the beginning of the course.

Mariam retreated to the top of a stack of shipping crates to observe. She was backlit from where he was standing. Up until today he’d probably have assumed that that would make her less of a distraction, but he stole a look even as he launched Draciel. Crookedly. He frowned and concentrated until it straightened out.

This was how the whole training session had gone. He’d expected her to come out on top for the agility courses, but even the strength and endurance drills he should excel at weren’t won by as substantial of a margin as they should have been.

Even though her presence was apparently stunting his progress, he didn’t regret inviting her to train. She teased him with every slip-up, and after it happened a couple times, he realized that he’d sacrifice a lot of things to earn her undivided attention.

Back in reality, Draciel faltered again. He flicked his eyes to Mariam to see if she noticed. Then back to the course in a panic when he heard his beyblade clip an obstacle.

“Focus,” he muttered to himself, clenching his fists. He barely refrained from looking up at Mariam again. It was becoming a costly habit. “Draciel!” he cried, louder this time, urging his beyblade to get back on track and run the rest of its race.

He finished in half-decent, but far from great, time and recalled his blade. The attack ring stung when it hit his palm. He tried focusing on that sensation instead of the feeling of her gaze on him, giving him goosebumps.

“You’re lucky I’m not on a mission to seal Draciel this time, or you’d be in real trouble.”

Max winced sheepishly and ran one hand through his hair. Turns out it was easy to keep his eyes off Mariam when he didn’t want to see the disappointment lingering in her own. He studied the scars they’d carved into the pavement instead.

“Sorry.”

“Don’t apologize to me,” Mariam scoffed. He didn’t hear her climbing down from her vantage point until her boots hit the cement louder than they should have – she must have jumped part of the way. “You’re only hurting your own chances in the tournament.”

He looked up in a hurry when he heard her walking away. Thankfully she only went as far as the edge of the pier before sitting down and dangling her legs over the edge.

He followed her, because the thought of doing anything else made him panic inside for reasons he couldn’t fully ascertain. He slid down beside her and bit his tongue to keep from asking if she was mad, afraid it would make him sound needy. She’d only barely agreed to meet him in the first place; he didn’t want to scare her away.

Mariam sighed and leaned back on her hands. Her hair was so long that the end of her ponytail brushed the ground. Max tracked her movements, watching intently as she tilted her chin up, drinking in the last rays of evening sunshine.

He drank them in, too. Only difference was he let them reflect off of Mariam’s pale skin first.

Not even a sunset could entrance him like she could. He’d spent every second he could spare since the Saint Shields’ return wondering why that was.

Why was he drawn, without fail, into her orbit? Why did basking in her presence fill him with inexplicable warmth? Why did a single glance from her make a blush bloom over his cheeks like a bad sunburn? And why did the days before she came back seem gloomy and gray in retrospect, just like the thought of days ahead without her?

The questions drove him crazy enough to get as close as he could, not caring if he got burnt in the process.

“If you have time to stare at me like a devoted puppy, that must mean we have time for a battle before your team comes looking for you,” she remarked, emerald eyes shifting to focus squarely on him. She raised an eyebrow at the look on his face.

He blushed and his palms started sweating again. He wiped them on his pants, wondering why she always looked like she could see right through to parts of him that he couldn’t even find himself.

“Max?” She drew out the question in a way that made him tug at his collar.

Brain suddenly on the fritz, he could only parrot her words from earlier back, too fast, too eager, slightly jumbled: “If you think you’re a match for me.”

The battle ended in a draw because, as it turned out, she was.

#mayblade 2022 #I mean of course I had to start with Max and Mariam #beyblade #azrfic #maxmar #azikarue #azikarue394

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kp777 · 10 months

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By David Stanway

Reuters

June 30, 2023

SINGAPORE, June 30 (Reuters) - The target of keeping long-term global warming within 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit) is moving out of reach, climate experts say, with nations failing to set more ambitious goals despite months of record-breaking heat on land and sea.

As envoys gathered in Bonn in early June to prepare for this year's annual climate talks in November, average global surface air temperatures were more than 1.5C above pre-industrial levels for several days, the EU-funded Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) said.

Though mean temperatures had temporarily breached the 1.5C threshold before, this was the first time they had done so in the northern hemisphere summer that starts on June 1. Sea temperatures also broke April and May records.

"We've run out of time because change takes time," said Sarah Perkins-Kirkpatrick, a climatologist at Australia's University of New South Wales.

As climate envoys from the two biggest greenhouse gas emitters prepare to meet next month, temperatures broke June records in the Chinese capital Beijing, and extreme heatwaves have hit the United States.

Parts of North America were some 10C above the seasonal average this month, and smoke from forest fires blanketed Canada and the U.S. East Coast in hazardous haze, with carbon emissions estimated at a record 160 million metric tons.

In India, one of the most climate vulnerable regions, deaths were reported to have spiked as a result of sustained high temperatures, and extreme heat has been recorded in Spain, Iran and Vietnam, raising fears that last year's deadly summer could become routine.

Countries agreed in Paris in 2015 to try to keep long-term average temperature rises within 1.5C, but there is now a 66% likelihood the annual mean will cross the 1.5C threshold for at least one whole year between now and 2027, the World Meteorological Organization predicted in May.

'QUADRUPLE WHAMMY'

High land temperatures have been matched by those on the sea, with warming intensified by an El Nino event and other factors.

Global average sea surface temperatures hit 21C in late March and have remained at record levels for the time of year throughout April and May. Australia's weather agency warned that Pacific and Indian ocean sea temperatures could be 3C warmer than normal by October.

Global warming is the major factor, said Piers Forster, professor of climate physics at the University of Leeds, but El Nino, the decline in Saharan dust blowing over the ocean and the use of low-sulphur shipping fuels were also to blame.

"So in all, oceans are being hit by a quadruple whammy," he said. "It's a sign of things to come."

Thousands of dead fish have been washing up on Texan beaches and heat-induced algal blooms have also been blamed for killing sea lions and dolphins in California.

Warmer seas could also mean less wind and rain, creating a vicious circle that leads to even more heat, said Annalisa Bracco, a climatologist at the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Though this year's high sea temperatures are caused by a "perfect combination" of circumstances, the ecological impact could endure, she said.

"The ocean is going to have a very slow response as it accumulates (heat) slowly but also keeps it for very long."

THE ROAD TO DUBAI

Climate experts say the extent and frequency of extreme weather is increasing, and this year has also seen punishing droughts across the world, as well as a rare and deadly cyclone in Africa.

The Worldwide Fund for Nature, however, warned of a "worrying lack of momentum" during climate talks in Bonn this month, with little progress made on key issues like fossil fuels and finance ahead of November's COP28 climate talks in Dubai.

"It was very detached from what was going on outside of the building in Bonn - I was very disappointed by that," said Li Shuo, Greenpeace's senior climate adviser in Beijing.

"We are really getting to the moment of truth ... I am hoping that the sheer reality will help us change people's moves and change the politics."

Talks between the United States and China could resume next week with U.S. climate envoy John Kerry set to visit Beijing, though few expect it to add momentum to climate negotiations.

"This is more a trust-building exercise," Li said. "I don't think either side will be able to push the other side to say much more than they are willing to do - the politics won't allow that."

Reporting by David Stanway; Additional reporting by Ali Withers in Copenhagen and Gloria Dickie in London; Editing by Jamie Freed

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sexysilverstrider · 3 years

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HOLY SHIT I FINALLY BEAT KAREN THIS WEEK HAHAHAHAHA THANK YOU MOONMUFFINS YOU ARE A BLESSING

#everyone surprisingly held on #piers endured the last hit #while gladions crush claw kept withering the umbreons def #n bugsy draining her sp def tht bugsy just wiped everythng YAY #THANK UUUU HAHAHAH #fafar plays pokemon masters

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thestarfilledsea · 2 years

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OKAY. I maaay have went overboard.

I got the tiniest scrap of praise for my idea of Monkey King not knowing that mortals don’t die when they get sick that I wrote a whole fic.

Also, I’m not 100% sure what I’m doing but eh when has that ever stopped me?

Word count: 4,672

Magic Fruit

Endurance training sucked.

That was the only thought racing through Mk’s mind as he trekked up the side of flower fruit mountain. On the surface, scaling a mountain didn’t seem too horrible, but it was pouring rain and Mk had weights strapped to his arms and legs.

“You’ll be fine bud! A little hike won’t kill you. Plus, I’ll be around just in case something happens.” Monkey king had assured him just mere hours earlier.

At this point Mk wished the hike would just kill him instead of dragging out this new breed of suffering any longer.

It had all been going so well until it started to rain. Rain made things a hell of a lot harder. It was slippery, it was cold, it was wet, and all around not ideal for someone with weights strapped to their limbs.

In the city, rains were scheduled. On flowerfruit mountain however there was no such thing.

Pushing himself up on the top of yet another ledge Mk groaned and rolled over, letting droplets hit his face as he worked up the energy to continue. He could almost taste the finish line.

Ever since the Macaque incident, Monkey King had started upping the training. Whether it be sparring or learning new techniques of how to outclass his enemies, Mk was absorbing this new knowledge like sunlight into a flower.

This lesson had to be Mk’s least favorite however.

Looking to the left, his gaze fell onto a winding tree growing from a crack in the cliff face. It’s branches extend above where he lay, it’s leaves providing the smallest protection from the downpour.

Mk thought back to what Monkey King had told him

“Once you find the only birch tree on the mountain, you’ll be less than ten minutes from the top! So look out for birch trees and you’ll be fine.”

Relief made Mk’s shoulders sag as he let out a shaky laugh.

After a few more moments of blissful respite, Mk hauled himself upwards. Sparing one last glance back at the birch tree before turning towards the way onward. If he rested too long he was just going to fall asleep and that would be a problem.

Jumping up onto a boulder that lay at the base of the path, Mk took a second to map out what the easiest route would be. The rocks were steep and he didn’t have his staff, so he’d have to be careful.

After a bit of quiet musing, Mk jumped from one rock to another giving all of his remaining energy to scaling the steep slope that stood before him. Not noticing the little sparks of yellow magic dancing on his skin as he bounded upwards.

Finally, FINALLY, Mk’s hand slapped down on the highest ledge of flowerfruit mountain. Gasping with relief, Mk pulled himself upwards. He looked up to see a familiar cloud floating just above the ground. What wasn’t familiar though, was Monkey King soaking wet, his fur almost covering his eyes completely.

Oh he HAD to get a picture. Mei would love this.

“Monkey king?”

The great sage looked startled and shook himself vigorously, not unlike a dog that had fallen off a pier.

“Hey bud! You did it.”

“Can I please take these off now?” Mk gestured at the straps on both his arms and legs.

“I don’t know, can you—“

Wukong’s dad joke was cut off by his successor throwing one of the weighted bands at him with surprising strength all things considered.

“HEY! That was rude.”

Mk was too busy undoing the rest of them to even reply but Wukong saw a small smirk spread across the kid’s face. It was nice. It reminded the great sage of a simpler time.

“What’s with the hairdo?” Mk finally asked.

“I’m not made for water”

“I can see that”

“You’re just mad that you don’t have hair as luxurious as mine”

“As if”

Mk tried to get up, but his overworked muscles decided otherwise, so Mk fell backwards, butt first into a puddle. After a moment of silence Monkey king started to laugh and Mk’s expression softened from annoyance to exhaustion.

“You know what? This is fine. I accept my fate.” Mk decided, sprawling out in the puddle.

“Bud. You have to get up. You can’t sleep there.” Monkey King snorted.

“Why?”

“It’s not comfortable. Trust me kid, I’ve slept in the rain before, the next morning you get all soggy”

“Maybe that’s just ‘cause you’re covered in fur like a hamster” Mk teased back, it was a random animal but Mk was in a random mood.

But nonetheless he found himself looking up for the reaction Monkey King was inevitably going to have.

The offended gasp from the monkey was worth whatever punishment would follow. Mk started laughing as he was lifted effortlessly into the air by Monkey King’s tail which was now wrapped around his ankle.

“I’m taking you home.” Monkey King decided, swinging his apprentice under his arm.

“Wait what? Nononono it’s okay I can vault back—“ Mk argued trying to squeeze his way out from his grasp, to no avail.

“Too late already decided!” Monkey King exclaimed. The cloud was already moving and Mk could object no longer.

Flying through the rain was a nice change of pace to climbing in it, but nonetheless he was cold.

“I know you’re probably going to be tired tomorrow, but you can pop by any time for some easier training.” Monkey King said out of the blue.

“Really?”

“Really. Anytime.”

“Alright then, I’ll take you up on that promise!” Mk beamed. Maybe Monkey King would show him some cool magic stuff! Or maybe they would work on shapeshifting? Either way, Mk was excited.

A piercing light filtered through the veil of restless sleep Mk was currently hiding behind. There was a flash of annoyance that was followed by a wave of fever. Pulling the blankets over his head the best he could, Mk curled tighter into himself and tried to go back to sleep.

*beep* *beep* *beep* *beep*

*beep* *bee—

The alarm clock was viscerally destroyed as it was thrown against the wall with enough force to leave an indent. It wasn’t even a clock anymore, it was just broken scraps now sat pathetically on the floor.

Mk grumbled to himself and resettled into his cocoon of blankets. Satisfied that the most aggravating sound in the world was dead by his hand.

Wait. That was his alarm clock.

He only has his alarm clock set if he’s about to sleep through his shift!

HIS SHIFT

Scrambling out of bed, Mk falters and grabs his dresser to steady himself. The world was dipping under his feet and his head was light. Sinking to the floor, Mk hid his head in his knees, taking some deep breaths.

“You’ll be fine. I’m fine! I’ll feel better after some breakfast.” He assured himself

But Mk didn’t want breakfast, his stomach churned just as angrily as the floor underneath him. Nevertheless, Mk hauled himself up to get dressed.

After way too long of a time to take to get clothes on, Mk slinkes downstairs, gripping the handrail like his life depended on it.

He could hear Pigsy humming to himself while he cooked, causing Mk to stop. Maybe he won’t notice? It’s just a cold after all, he can power through a cold.

Pigsy notices on sight.

Mk was never one to sleep in, and the kid practically stumbled downstairs looking spacey and feverish.

“Hey Mk, you doing alright?”

“Yeah I’m fine, sorry I slept in. Training with Monkey king ya know?”

“Mhm.”

“So do you have any deliveries yet or…?” Mk felt Pigsy’s stare go right through him with a silent judgment of ��we both know you're sick’

“Nope. Go back to bed.” Pigsy looked away from him and back to the kitchen.

“But I’m fine! Seriously!” Mk argued leaning over the counter, hopping onto one of the stools.

The bells above the entrance chimed, signaling that a customer had arrived. Mk barely even looked up, there was only one person who could time his morning walk to the exact moment Pigsy’s noodles opened.

“Mk, you look dreadful.” Was the first words out of the scholar's mouth.

“Hello to you too Mr Tang.” Mk grumbled, pushing himself upright.

“Anyways guys, I’m fine! It’s just a cold. I can work through a cold!”

Pigsy and Tang shared a silent look. Pigsy tilted his head towards Mk and gave a subtle nod, to which Tang sighed and rolled up his sleeves.

“Whatever you two just agreed on, don’t do it.” Mk slid himself off of the stool he was sitting on and away from Tang who was being scarily quiet at the moment.

It was a common occurrence for Pigsy and Tang to converse without even opening their mouths, but almost every time that Mk was the subject of said almost telepathic conversation, it ended in him having to take care of himself either by force or the sheer terror of what would happen if he didn’t.

This was one of those times.

Lunging forward with speed Mk didn’t know the scholar could muster, Tang grabbed his arm and started pulling Mk towards the stairs that lead up to his apartment.

“I’ll bring medicine and some easy food after the first rush” Pigsy called after the two.

“THIS IS TREACHERY!” Mk screeched back, still surprised that Mr Tang was successfully dragging him upstairs. Maybe he was sicker than he originally thought, if Tang was overpowering him.

If Mk was going down, he wasn’t going down without a fight.

In one last act of rebellion, Mk let his body go fully limp in Mr Tang’s grasp.

What happened next was a series of thumps, a scream from the scholar and Mk’s cackling as he lay at the bottom step of the stairway.

Mk’s laughter only dimmed when he looked up to see Pigsy looming over him menacingly.

However, the look on Pigsy’s face, the nervous snickering habit he picked up from Monkey King, and the high fever, were all more than enough for Mk to dissolve into uncontrollable giggles.

Pigsy let his expression soften before shaking his head and grabbing Mk by the waist. Carryinging him up the stairs himself. Passing by a mortified Tang who has stayed unmoving since he dropped the kid.

They were over halfway up the stairs when everything went fuzzy and Mk closed his eyes.

Next thing Mk knew, he was waking up in his room. The curtains were drawn and the little sunlight he could see gave away that he had been sleeping for at least a few hours.

Everything felt hazy and his throat was dry. A million things flashed through his mind, each one canceling the others out. He almost felt worse than when he woke up the first time.

The mind fog lifted somewhat when he heard two pairs of footsteps ascending the stairs. One was slow and purposeful while the other pair flat out sprinted towards his room.

“Mk!” A familiar voice called out.

Before he even had time to respond, the door slammed open and there stood a concerned looking Mei.

“Oh my god you look dead”

“Thanks.”

“Hey. What did I tell you about bein’ quiet? He needs his rest.”

“Sorry Pigsy.” Mei whispered, stepping out of the way of the cook entering the room. Balanced in his hands was a tray full of medicine, a bowl of noodles, a thermometer gun, and a can of ginger ale.

“Aww Pigsy you didn’t have to, really. It’s just a cold”

Both Mei and Pigsy deadpanned at him.

“You were deliriously giggling after falling down the stairs, it’s not just a cold anymore.” Pigsy huffed, setting the tray down on the nearby nightstand.

“Tang called me in for reinforcements,” Mei mused, settling herself down on the ground. “The way he described it, he made it sound like you were on death's door. And honestly? It doesn’t look like he was too far off”

“Wow okay. I see how it is—“ Mk cut off his own words with a violent coughing fit. It was as if the universe was proving Mei’s point.

Pigsy shoved the thermometer gun at Mk’s temple whilst he was hacking up his left lung. A quiet beep sounded and the cook grimaced when he read the temperature.

“What is it?” Mei asked, leaning over to better see the result.

“103°”

“…is that bad?”

“Somewhat. He’ll be fine, but we need to bring the fever down. Otherwise—”

“Guys”

A gravelly voice interrupted the train of thought the two were going down.

“I’m fine”

“No you’re not!” Mei argued.

“Yes I am.”

“Not.”

“Yes”

“No”

“Yes I am”

“Mk, you couldn’t get up if you tried.” Mei huffed, crossing her arms before realizing that challenging Mk probably wasn’t a good thing to do right now.

Mk loved proving people wrong with a passion. as soon as the words left her mouth Mk hauled himself out from bed, gripping the side table as he balanced himself.

“See? I’m fine—AGH OKAY” Mk began but never finished his sentence as he crumpled back into his bed, rubbing his temples.

“What’s wrong? Are you okay? What’s happening” Mei asked frantically, shoving her way towards the bed.

“Dizzy” Mk mumbled, squeezing his eyes shut.

“You’re going to be more than dizzy if you try that again.” Pigsy muttered before sighing.

“Tang will be up with some cold water and a washcloth for your head. As long as you take the meds, drink the ginger ale and eat, you’ll be fine in no time.”

“Even the gross syrup?” Mk whined with desperation gleaming in his eyes.

“Even the gross syrup. I’ll be downstairs, and Mei?”

The dragon girl perked up

“Get him to take his medicine by any means necessary.” Pigsy said with a smirk before closing the door behind him.

Mei’s evil smile spread across her face as she turned towards her best friend.

Pigsy just chuckled when he heard sounds of fear and varying amounts of pillow violence from upstairs.

It was a typical morning on Flowerfruit mountain. (Well aside from the fact that it was late afternoon.) and Sun Wukong had woken to a soft breeze brushing past him. That and the fact that his phone was buzzing.

Slamming his hand on the side table, he blindly felt around for his phone. He rarely used the thing but Mk had shown him how to work it, and he can’t say he didn’t like texting his successor or browsing social media.

Finally locating the slim hunk of metal, he pulled it towards him.

Mk’s contact had texted him.

“Hey monkey king! This is Mei. Mk is sick and can’t train today. He’s out of it so I’m texting you for him. He wouldn’t rest unless I told you. Sooo bye! :) ”

“Oh also Mk says hi”

Monkey king read the text a few times over not believing what he was seeing.

Now, Sun Wukong may be powerful and have lived for thousands of years, but he never really got the hang with how humans work. He himself had not been sick since he left his staff for a successor to wield all those years ago. He had almost forgotten what it felt like.

When he had been sick, he swore he felt the icy claws of death piercing his skin, ready to finally drag him to the beyond. Even though a certain grumpy monkey had told him he was being dramatic and that it was the “common cold” or something like that.

But Monkey King knew what he felt. After all, the only human he had ever seen sick, passed away shortly after. He was certain, if he hadn’t been immortal, he would’ve died from the “common cold” or whatever it was called.

So the knowledge that his very much mortal successor was sick did not go over well with the Monkey King.

Immediately he scrambled out of bed and basically flew for drawers where he kept trinkets he found over the years. Where he began frantically combing through the various shiny things he collected.

“Where is it? Where is it? Where is it? Where is it? Where is it?”

Monkey King’s searching became increasingly hectic with every drawer looked through.

Finally a small familiar item caught his attention. In the last drawer he checked in, there sat inconspicuously, a wooden box. beautifully carved with tales of the distant past. Monkey King opened the box and grasped the old key. With a sigh of relief, he chucked the box carelessly over his shoulder.

Not pausing a moment more he whirled around, sprinting towards the living room carpet. Folding it over, Monkey King pulled up the three loose floorboards he had placed years before.

There, in a small hole, lay an even more intricately carved box. Except this time it was a chest with jewels and gold paint detailing all too familiar stories.

Monkey king as gently as he possibly could, picked up the chest as if it was alive.

Pressing it close to him, he summoned his cloud.

Mk was on the verge of sleep.

After trying and failing to pretend he was okay, he finally admitted that he was sick. Especially after Mei had held his stuffed monkey hostage until he had taken his medicine and eaten some noodles.

Mei was watching vine compilations next to him as a distraction. But with the medicine, yesterday’s training, and plain old illness, he was drifting off.

Until of course a familiar bird slammed full speed into Mk’s window with something held tightly in its claws.

“You know what? I’m going to sleep.” Mk declared as his mentor ever so slowly slid off the window.

There was hesitatence in the air.

“Was that…?” Mei started to ask before the same bird from before unceremoniously scrambled it’s way back up the windowsill.

“Yes.” Mk mumbled into his blankets.

Any other questions Mei had were drowned out by the high pitched frantic chirps coming from the other side of the glass.

“You should probably let him in”

“I was thinking the same thing.” Mei supposed, rolling out from where she sat next to Mk, she stepped towards the window. Unlatching the locks, she heaved open the window. Subsequently standing aside.

The now seemingly recovered Monkey King tumbled into his successor's bedroom, shifting into his natural form, still gripping an object that Mk could now see was a box of sorts with a lock on it.

“Monkey King what’s—”

“Nope, shuddap. Here.” Monkey King darted towards him and shoved one peach flavored snack or other into Mk’s mouth. While he fumbled with a key.

“Uhm okay I'm going to get Pigsy…” Mei trailed off, sensing the storm to come, she quietly stepped outside the bedroom door before sprinting down to the floor below.

Monkey King didn’t even look up. He sat at the end of Mk’s bed and placed the box down in between mentor and student.

“What are you doing here? Is it because I couldn’t go to training? ‘Cause if that’s the case I can make it up I swear—” Mk’s hoarse ramblings were cut off by a shake of Monkey King’s head.

Wukong gingerly unlocked the ornate lock on the small chest and opened it carefully, almost like he was afraid just by touching it would turn it to dust.

MK, who wasn’t sick enough to not be curious, peered over from where he lay under two blankets.

And there, atop a beautifully embroidered pillow, sat a peach. It almost seemed to glow with all the colors of the sunset.

“Is that....?” MK wanted to ask more of a coherent question, but it died in his throat.

Monkey King picked up the peach with such gentle movements his successor almost couldn’t believe his mentor was capable of, confirming Mk’s suspicions of what exactly this was.

Monkey King looked up to meet Mk’s gaze for the first time since he entered Mk’s apartment and paused. Then, he started to shove the peach towards his successor's face.

“woahwoahwoahwoAHWOAH HEY LET'S TALK ABOUT THIS”

“No, you’re sick! Eat it!”

“Monkey King, it's just a cold!”

“Mk.”

“Okay! fine. It’s a little worse than a cold. but I’m not deathly—STOP TRYING TO SHOVE IT IN MY MOUTH”

“But if humans get sick they die!” Monkey King blurted out, looking serious for the first time since Mk had met him, his face veiled in worry.

No??” Mk struggled out, his grip on Monkey King’s arm lessening. “Usually it’s nothing and all we need is rest for a few days.”

“What? But I-”

Monkey King was cut off by the door slamming open. In all the commotion neither student or teacher heard the gruff cook storm up the stairs.

“Uh oh”

“Heyy Pigsy!” Monkey King greeted with a familiar smile.

“If you don’t stop trying to feed the kid a magic fruit we’re going to have a problem.”

“Magic fruit? Uh…”

Wukong, realizing he was caught red handed in what he was rapidly putting together was an obvious blunder, did the only thing he could and hid the peach behind his back.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

There was a moment of silence from Pigsy, the only indicator of his inner dialogue was a twitch of an eyebrow.

“…If you’re the bird that flew face first into the door downstairs and cracked the glass just now I swear to the gods, you’re as good as dead.”

Monkey King’s smile widened, accompanied by a nervous twitch of his tail.

“No?” He tried to deny it but faltered when he saw the chef's expression.

“Go. Fix it. NOW.” Pigsy seethed.

“Mhm, yep, on it.” Monkey King agreed.

“Oh! Wait, give me one second..” And In a blink of the eye, the peach was safely locked away in the chest once again.

The chest was now safely in Monkey King’s arms as he guiltily shuffled past the gruff cook and down the stairs.

Pigsy looked on until he no longer could see the Sage’s feet before turning to Mk.

“Old fool doesn’t know anything about mortals—woah, you alright kid? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

Mk was frozen. Sitting dumbfounded on his bed.

“Kid?”

“He thought I was dying.” Mk whispered.

“Uh, yeah but you aren’t.”

“Remember Mr Tang’s stories? Monkey King stole the immortal peaches centuries ago.”

“Yeah?”

“After saving it for centuries, he would’ve given me his last immortal peach if I was dying.”

Mk murmured in disbelief.

Pigsy paused for a moment. “I guess I didn’t think about it that way.”

Mk was processing the weight that came with this new realization. Not saying a word as he stared where his mentor had sat on his bed, unbelieving of what had just occurred.

His existential crisis was put on pause by a sneeze, shortly thereafter followed by a coughing fit to end all coughing fits.

“HeLP mE” Mk wheezed lightheartedly between the coughs, beginning to laugh when he saw Pigsy’s disgusted expression.

“Ya know what? I’ll send Tang up with tea.” Pigsy huffed as he made for the door.

“Will you send Monkey King up too?” Mk asked. “If he’s still here of course.”

Pigsy nodded and softly closed the door behind him.

Tang was up a few minutes later with honeyed tea for Mk’s throat. The window, which had never been closed, was doing wonders for it as well. Something about cold air was so refreshing to breathe.

“Oh and..Monkey King left.” Tang had informed Mk before taking his leave downstairs.

“Aww I wanted to say bye” Mk grumbled

“I wanted to make fun of him.” Mei giggled from the end of his bed.

“Why?”

“How does someone not know that not all sickness kills humans?”

Mk hesitated for a moment.

“Wait a second, how did he not know? He’s been alive for thousands of years!”

“That’s what I was thinking! He must really not get out much.” She mused.

“Okay I resent that.” A familiar voice sounded from the open window. There on the cramped windowsill sat Monkey King.

“Monkey King!”

“You resent it because it’s true.” Mei teased.

“Hey, I get out!” He argued.

“When was the last time you went to the city that wasn’t to fight a demon?” She retorted.

There was a pause and several nervous sweeps of a tail before the monkey king mustered out a “toché” and settled down on the floor.

“What are you doing here?” Mk asked, wincing at how creaky his voice sounded.

“Hanging out.” Monkey King responded, pulling out a seemingly normal peach and a pocket knife.

“I had to pop by the mountain to bring the—how did Pigsy put it?”

“Magic fruit?”

“—Magic fruit back where it belongs.” His grip shifted on the peach as he continued to skillfully slice it.

“That was an awfully sweet thing to do Mr King” Mei taunted, a smug grin spreading across her face.

“CEASE” mentor and student said in sync.

“Alright alright! Sorry for pointing out that you obviously have a father son dyna—HEY OW”

Monkey King smirked at his student’s good aim with a pillow as Mei pouted.

Satisfied with the wedges he cut into the fruit, Wukong grabbed an unused plate from the array of sick offerings on Mk’s nightstand, setting the peach on it and gently handing it to Mk.

“This isn’t a Magic fruit is it?” Mk croaked.

“Nope! I got it from flowerfruit mountain. I swear.”

Mk hummed and tentatively popped a slice into his mouth. Immediately lightening up, he shoved another in as well.

“Is it good, Mk?” Mei teased from the foot of his bed.

Mk nodded before eating another slice. Monkey King once again sat near the window, tossing the remaining peach pit from one hand to the other.

“I have to ask…how did Mk even get this sick?” Mei questioned. Mk made vague gestures with his hands before returning to the call of the fruit.

“Uh well…” Monkey King began awkwardly, tail swishing on the ground.

“Endurance training…?”

Mei raised an eyebrow.

“He told me to climb a mountain with weights on my arms and legs for endurance training and it started to rain halfway through.” Mk explained, his plate now wiped clean.

Mei’s expression morphed into that of judgment.

“That sucks. Maybe don’t do that in the rain.”

Mk tried to muster up an argument but instead decided to let flop deeper into the pillows.

“You should’ve seen him with wet fur.”

“You’ve peaked my interest”

“Hey hey hey there’s no need to talk about me in the rain. Guys?”

But alas, the great sage equal to heaven’s attempt to derail an embarrassing conversation failed.

“Did you get a photo?”

“Who do you think I am? Of course I got a photo.”

Mk didn’t even have to open his eyes to know that Monkey King was already crafting a plan to grab his phone

“—And before you try it Monkey King, I already emailed myself a backup on two accounts”

There was a groan of frustration and two tail thumps on the ground.

Mei grinned, hopping up from where she sat.

“Send it to me when you wake up okay?”

Mk gave a thumbs up.

“Alrighty, I’ll be back tomorrow to check on you.” Mei picked up her bag and strided to the door.

“Goodbye Mei”

“Bye loser! Oh! And it was nice to talk to you, Mr King!”

Mei called from beyond the door. Swinging closed, the door clicked shut, leaving Monkey King and his drowsy successor alone.

Wukong signed

“Get better soon, bud.”

He was halfway out the window preparing to shift when he heard Mk mumble something.

He found himself leaning back in the room in an effort to hear his student better.

“Come again?”

“Thank you…for both peaches.”

Silence reigned for a moment.

“You’re welcome.”

And when Mk opened his eyes a few seconds later, the monkey king was gone.

#lego monkie kid #lmk #monkiekid #my drabbles #monkie kid mk #dad wukong #lmk mei #lmk pigsy #hahaha this took forever #monkey king strikes me as the type that when he’s genuinely hurt he pretends he’s fine #but when it’s something minor like the common cold he’s dramatic as hell #SWK: IM DYING #Mac: you have a cold #I have no idea what I’m doing #this is my first finished creative writing I’ve done in a year and a half #dad wukong ahoy

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plan-d-to-i · 2 years

Note

Hi Plan! About JFM, is there anything in the book that shows that he tries to stop YZY from whipping WWX? Also, if you don't mind, what is your opinion about JFM's part in WWX's abuse, do you think he is complicit?

There's this from when YZY whips him w WLJ:

The most that he’d been through were two or three strikes and being grounded. He’d also be let out by Jiang FengMian sooner or later. This time, however, he endured dozens of heavy strikes. His back burned and his entire body was numb with pain. He couldn’t bear it, but he had to bear it. Today, if the punishment didn’t satisfy Wang LingJiao, the matter at hand would never end!

</3... There's also this from the incense burner extras ...

Even when he was naughty as a child, when Yu-furen whipped him, she would strike his back or the palms of his hands, while Jiang Fengmian and Jiang Yanli couldn’t bear to hit him.

I think people feel this huge sense of frustration and wish that JFM could like divorce or yeet YZY into the lake or something (same)... alas those things are off the table. It's even written in lol 🥲:

Jiang Cheng, “Mom! Mom listen to me! I beg you! Don’t cut off his hand! If Father knew…”

It was all fine until he had mentioned Jiang FengMian. The second he mentioned him, Madam Yu’s expression changed at once, shouting, “Don’t talk to me about your father! What could happen if he knows? Could he kill me?!”

.... Every time JFM puts up resistance YZY doesn't back down and only escalates.

Madam Yu scolded, “Of course you’ll go! Or else would your sister go? Look at her, still happily peeling lotus seeds. A-Li, stop peeling them. Who are you peeling them for? You’re the mistress, not somebody’s servant!”

Hearing the word ‘servant’, Wei WuXian didn’t mind much. He had finished all of the lotus seeds in the dish all at once, chewing as the soft, refreshing sweetness filled his mouth. Jiang FengMian, on the other hand, raised his head slightly, “My lady.”

Madam Yu, “What, something I said? Servant? You don’t want to hear the word? Jiang FengMian, let me ask you—this time, do you intend to let him go?”

Like a purple bolt of lightning, Madam Yu swept inside, bringing in with her a cold breeze. She was standing five steps away from Wei WuXian’s bed, brows raised, “‘To attempt at the impossible’ is exactly how he is, isn’t it? Fooling around even though he knew that it’d bring trouble to his sect?!”

Jiang FengMian, “My lady, what are you doing here?”

Madam Yu, “What am I doing here? What a joke that I am asked of such a thing! Sect Leader Jiang, do you still remember that I’m also the leader of Lotus Pier? Do you still remember that every inch of the earth here is my territory?"

I don’t believe for one second that you haven’t heard of how the outside people gossips, that Sect Leader Jiang has still not moved on from a certain Sanren though so many years have passed, regarding the son of his old friend as a son of his own; they’re speculating if Wei Ying is your…”

Jiang FengMian shouted, “Yu ZiYuan!”

Madam Yu shouted as well, “Jiang FengMian! Do you think that anything will change just because you raised your voice?! Do you think that I don’t know you?!”

The two debated the issue outside. On the way, Madam Yu’s angered voice was louder and louder.

He can't just physically beat her into submission. He can't order her around she'd probs act out even more to spite him. He can't divorce her or ban her from Lotus Pier. What can you do when you're stuck in life with a person like that other than avoid her as much as possible. WWX gets it and does. I definitely wish JFM could have found some attempt the impossible way to make her go away. It's WWX's and JFM's misfortune that she's alive and part of their life and it's definitely not fair to either of them (or yanli & jc frankly). In that last passage JFM does seems to draw away her anger after him from WWX. So no, I don't think he's complicit. I think he's a victim himself of her unreasonable tantrums. I can't frankly deny the schadenfreude her end gives me.

sidenote as I was looking for one of the quotes I found the moment when jc is fantasizing that the attack on Lotus Pier was just a bad dream and I think it's sort of ironic that in his fantasy his mother is scolding WWX. Like :

He couldn’t wait to wake up after some rest and open his eyes to find himself lying inside of his room back in Lotus Pier. His father would be wiping his sword in the main hall. His mother would be angry again and complaining, scolding Wei WuXian who winked in a funny way. His sister would be in the kitchen, thinking as hard as she could about what to make today.

🌝.

#mdzs #jiang fengmian #yu ziyuan #madam yu #Wei Wuxian

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a-billionaire-outfoxed · 3 years

Text

How to Outfox a Billionaire

There was only one thing Henry hated more than early morning meetings – early morning meetings with his father. There wasn’t enough coffee in the world to endure them. Thankfully, though, this would be the very last. After thirty years as the head of The Stirling Group, Colin Cavill was retiring, handing over to one of his five sons. He had called them to the office individually, in order of age. As the second youngest, the expectation that he would be asked to fill his father’s position was low. At least, according to his brothers it was. When he entered the office, he was met with the sight of two cut crystal glasses on the desk, a bottle of Glenmorangie sitting between them.

“Close the door.” Colin directed, picking up the bottle and pouring two generous measures.

Henry slouched in his chair, hands clasped. “Put me out of my misery. Who’s getting it? Piers?”

Colin chuckled. “God no. I wouldn’t trust that boy as far as I could throw him.” He took a swig of his whisky. “I considered dividing the responsibilities between the five of you. But I knew that only one of you would be able to handle things the way they need to be.” The glass thudded against the polished mahogany. “That’s you, Henry.”

Henry sat up then, choking on a sip. “Why me? I haven’t got a fucking clue about any of this.”

“You’ll learn.” Colin smiled. “I see a lot of myself in you. I’m confident this is the right decision. You underestimate yourself. You always have. Throwing you in at the deep end just might be the wake-up call you need.”

“Or a death sentence for the company.”

“I have every faith in you. I think you’ll be surprised at how capable you are.”

“I hope to God you’re right.” He knocked back another large gulp of whiskey, the burn hitting him hard and fast. “Fucking hell, I’m not drunk enough for this.”

“Neither am I.” Colin topped up their glasses, clinked them together and sat back in his chair.

He had spent the morning walking around the building, surveying his empire one last time. Of course, as anyone about to make a life-altering decision does, he had briefly wondered if this was the right thing to do. He wasn’t ill. He certainly wasn’t incapable of running the company anymore. He wasn’t doing this out of necessity. It was the next step in educating the boys he and his wife Marianne had so impeccably raised. Spending their formative years at one of the most prestigious boarding schools in London had made them reasonably self-sufficient, there was no doubt about that. The only worrying thing – at least, to Marianne – was whether it would mean that they lived their lives in a bubble of safety. They would always be provided for if they needed it. There was wealth to fall back on. Status. There was always the danger of complacency. Thrust into a world with limitations, Colin needed to know that they could cope with pressure. So, here he was, entrusting his life’s work to the son who had never had a head for business.

Piers would be fucking livid. The thought amused Henry far more than it should have. It wasn’t that he was entitled, he was just a little too cocky. The curse of being the eldest child, assuming that he would have an input in every decision. Perhaps that was why Colin had chosen Henry – he was young enough to be molded into the man the company needed him to be, and old enough to understand the weight of the responsibilities he would inherit.

It was ironic, really. In spite of the family’s wealth, Henry lived modestly in a cramped mews house in Kensington. He was careful with his money, of course, but he also wasn’t opposed to the occasional lavish gift – a £20,000 Birkin for a now ex-girlfriend had barely left a dent in his account. She, however, had left a considerable one in his heart. But it didn’t take long for him to smooth it out. He was remarkably resilient. He saw pain and adversity as a learning opportunity, a chance for growth. Accepting this position, and his father’s trust, would enable him to push the boundaries he’d long imposed upon himself.

When he arrived home that evening, stretching out on his chunky grey sofa, his head was still in a whirl from the mixture of alcohol and information. It occurred to him then that he wasn’t at all ready. But with unwavering international renown and an entire workforce at his beck and call, he didn’t need to be.

“Good morning, Mr. Cavill.”

At thirty-eight, Henry was older than his father had been when he’d joined The Stirling Group. However, it soon became clear that he wouldn’t need to prove himself. The name alone carried intimidating weight, but Henry’s broad six-foot-one frame gave him an instantly commanding presence. With a subtle flick of his wrist, the sleeve of his black Oxford shirt pulled back beneath his suit jacket as he glanced at his watch. Exactly nine o’clock. Perfectly punctual. The soft hint of a smile slid across his full lips, a single strand of thick dark hair falling into an errant curl against his forehead.

“Good morning, Mel.” He nodded.

Mel had worked for The Stirling group for almost as many years as Colin had. She had watched the boys grow up, the image of them taking turns to spin in their father’s chair and doodle on rolls of fax paper still vivid in her mind. She regarded Henry with maternal fondness. The little boy who had run around the office in his father’s suit jacket, tie loose around his neck giving mock-orders to his father’s colleagues wasn’t playing pretend anymore. The power in his stride increased as he hurried upstairs to what was now his office. He hadn’t been to the gym this morning – he’d have to ask Mel to make an appointment later. Now, he steeled himself as he came face to face with the new plaque on the door.

Henry W.D. Cavill, CEO.

He smirked, a small huff of breath escaping his lips. The room was filled with half-packed cardboard boxes, numerous business awards stuffed awkwardly into thin tissue paper. His grandfather’s cricket ball sat on the desk. He picked it up, tossing it in the air a few times. There were little pieces of the family’s legacy in every corner of the room. He would have to keep something. Just as he was about to toss the ball into a box, he paused, catching sight of a wooden picture frame. Setting the ball back on the desk, he leaned in to take a closer look. A family portrait, taken on the grounds of their expansive home in Jersey – arms around each other, the love between them palpable. This, he would keep. Henry valued family above all else, no matter how much they fought or how the natural progression of adulthood had separated them. The Stirling Group was an extension of his family, and it was this realization that made him a little more comfortable with the prospect of leading the company. He wasn’t filling his father’s shoes, he was just walking a few steps ahead.

Henry rolled his shoulders and leaned against the desk, his long fingers tracing the scratches in the mahogany. He righted himself, raised his chin and adjusted the single button of his suit jacket when a knock sounded at the door. Mel took a step forward, standing at the threshold of the room.

“HR sent me to pick up these boxes.”

Henry could see her better now, in the mid-morning sunlight. The kind wrinkles around her eyes, the lopsided smile. She seemed smaller than he remembered. More gentle, if that was even possible. He gestured around the room before shoving his hands in his pockets and rocking on his heels.

“Not by yourself, I hope. Let me help.”

Mel tutted, swatting a hand at him. “You’ve got enough to do today. I’ll take care of it.”

Henry was already stacking the boxes, hoisting them into his arms. “Absolutely not.” He moved around the desk. “Besides, I missed my fasted cardio this morning. Two birds, one stone.”

“Oh, go on.” Mel rolled her eyes, patting him on the back as he passed her.

Once the office was cleared, he removed his suit jacket and sunk into the brown leather chair, the heat of it seeping through his shirt. He stroked the curve of the arms, swivelling back and forth, taking in the vast emptiness of the space. He found himself planning the ways he could make it his own, and a sense of belonging settled in his chest. He popped a button on his shirt and turned to log into his computer. He was greeted with a barrage of emails, to which he composed thoughtful replies. Then, an email from Charles Stirling interrupted his polite streak.

“Fuck.” He muttered softly before rising from the desk.

The full conference room suggested that this was an important meeting. The fact that co-founders Charles Stirling and Alexander Holt were stood, arms crossed, at the end of the room confirmed it.

Charles barely gave Henry the chance to take a breath before he launched into his opening speech.

“Firstly, to the man who has just joined us, we’d like to welcome you to the company. We’re all looking forward to working with you. New leadership means a new direction for the company. Henry, your arrival has come at just the right time.” He paused, harrumphing. “The annual summer gala will be taking place in just a few weeks’ time. In addition, this morning, I received an invitation to one of the most important events in our calendar – the OneShot Global Leadership conference. This year it will be held in Paris. Henry, Alexander and I will be attending, so I trust you won’t be needing a hand to hold to keep things afloat while we’re away.” An amused murmur spread through the room. “We should be proud of ourselves, gentlemen. This is a very good time for The Stirling Group. A very good time indeed. It’s about time things changed around here –“

“No offense.” Alexander chimed in.

“None taken.” Henry raised a hand and chuckled.

Charles clapped his hands together. “You will all receive an email with the relevant details. Let’s keep these figures high. Meeting adjourned.”

As the other men filed out of the room, Charles approached Henry, slapping him on the shoulder. “Sorry to throw you in at the deep end.”

“That’s okay, I don’t mind a challenge.”

“That’s what I like to hear.” He winked awkwardly, giving his shoulder another pat. “I imagine your French is a little better than your father’s, the poor chap.” There was an amused glint in his eyes, an anecdote hidden inside them.

“I don’t know about that, I’m a little rusty myself.” In truth, he was downplaying his skills – he was fluent in both Italian and French, but repressed his confidence out of habit.

“We’ll see.” Charles opened the door. “I’ll arrange for an interpreter to be brought along regardless.”

“Sounds like a plan. Thank you, Charles.” He stuttered.

Charles straightened the sleeve of his jacket. “Well, back to business. Good luck.”

Feeling the eyes of his colleagues upon him as he made his way back to his office, the same warm wave of belonging hit him again. He didn’t need luck when he was surrounded by people who both feared and respected him instantly.

Perhaps he could get used to this after all.

@littlefreya @harrysthiccthighss @the-soot-sprite @foodieforthoughts @autumnrose-40 @cavillsbestgal @myloveforhenrycavill @cherry-gemz @blowing-mikey @killjoy-assbutt-1112 @pussyverson @sillyrabbit81 @viking-raider @demivampirew @zealoushound @keanureevesisbae @honeyloverogers @littlewrenofrivia @beck07990 @christhickevans @luna-aestas @luclittlepond @kebabgirl67 @angreav @omgkatinka @lharrietg @fallenangelbb @mostly-marvel-musings @cavillsharman @littlebirdofrivia @summersong69 @angelcavill66 @jolly-polly @darklydeliciousdesires @henrys-little-princess @wheretheriversrunintothesea @herefortherealdeal @bluemusickid @cavills-little-princess @mis-lil-red @mansaaay

@charmed-asylum @princesscassashoneypot

@ellemcavill @aletheladyinred @greensleeves888

#How to Outfox a Billionaire #Henry Cavill #Henry Cavill fanfic #Henry Cavill fluff #Henry Cavill smut #Henry Cavill x female reader #ofc #Henry Cavill x reader #Henry Cavill x ofc #Lauren Writes #laurenwritesfics

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shreddedparchment · 4 years

Text

A World of Our Own Pt.10

Epilogue

10/11/2020

Pairing: Bucky x Reader Word Count: 1,615

Warnings: allusions to miscarriage, LOTS of fluff, past death

A/N: I know I haven’t replied to many comments or asks from the previous chapter but I wanted to get this out as quickly as possible so that the story would be truly closed. The ending was incomplete and now it is done and I hope you enjoy this ending as much as I do. It really made me so happy to write and this is the ending these babies deserve after being blown up and deserted on an island. If you happen to reblog, thanks so much for helping me spread my work! xoxo

Life doesn’t happen like we think it will.

We can plan and schedule and arrange as much as you’d like, but things will just not go your way.

As the ship docks, you sigh with frustration, rising to your feet to look through the porthole.

“We’re late.” You grumble, glaring at the darkening sky. “We were supposed to be here by noon. That way we had plenty of time to look around and make sure it’s safe.”

“Kitten, come here.” Bucky holds his arm out towards you without looking up from the small tablet in his hands.

There’s a weather radar on one half of the screen and on the bottom, an email. Probably from Fury.

You make a reluctant beeline for him, sitting on his lap when he urges you to, wrapping his arm around your waist.

With a lick to his lips, he puts the tablet down on the small bedside table—bolted down to keep from moving in rough seas—and brings his other arm around you.

“What did you just tell me last week?”

“I don’t know.” You shrug, pretending you can’t remember.

“Yes, you do, Y/N. What did you so passionately talk my ear off and insist that I remind you, especially on this very trip, if you begin to slide back on your newest and most important—your words by the way—resolution in life? What was it?” Bucky pokes your leg as he speaks, then wraps his arm back around your waist and gives you a squeeze.

“Not to stress about the things in life that I cannot control.” You sigh. “Out of all the damn things I’ve told you, why is this one the one you remember?”

“Because you wouldn’t stop talking about it for an entire day!” Bucky chuckles. “We’re a little late? So what? We have plenty of time. This is supposed to be our honeymoon. Let’s just let go of everything and enjoy our time here.”

“I know, I’m sorry. I just…I wanted everything to be right.” You nod.

“It will be. We bought the island. They’ve been working on it for a year. I’m sure everything will be perfect.” Bucky soothes you, reaching up to rub between your shoulders. “You approved all the changes. They said it was done. What are you worried about? Specifically. Help me to understand this anxiety you’re feeling.”

You grab Bucky’s face and pull his lips to yours roughly. He mumbles against your lips, a small huff of a laugh seeping through.

When you pull away, he laughs. “Ow.”

“I just…we haven’t been back here in years, Bucky. And I want it to be safer than when we left it.”

Bucky’s eyes are full of sudden understanding.

“I see.” He gets to his feet as the large yacht finally stops, helping you stand too before taking your hand in his own. “Come on. Let’s go see it. You kept the hut, right?”

“I kept everything.” You tell him, following him along the narrow white hallway, pristine wooden floors varnished and gleaming. “I just had them upgrade most of it.”

“I like your dress.” Bucky states, giving your outfit a quick once over even though you’d been wearing it for the better part of the day.

You smile bright however, pleased by the compliment before you stop, grab hold of the intentionally designed a-symmetrical dress and swing it back and forth. It’s navy with pink pansy florals and light green leaves, the top more modest than the one you owned before. Capped sleeves and a lovely heart neckline, a very thin strip of pink lace along the hem.

Bucky stops with you, smiling at the shift in your attitude with one simple acknowledgment of your reference to your first time on the island.

“How many times did we end up cutting off pieces of that first dress?” Bucky wonders, letting you think.

“Too many.” You acknowledge. “It was more of a shirt by the time we left.”

Bucky lifts your left hand up to his lips, kissing your simple solitaire engagement ring, your matching wedding band also on your finger.

“Well, we won’t have to cut any of this one off. I promise.” He assures you then pulls you along once again.

Bucky makes you wait. He makes you stay behind as the two of you reach the deck of the yacht—the Paradise Lost as you’d named it—while he steps onto the long and reinforced pier.

It stretches out on the same beach where the cabin of the plane had once stood, now relocated, and honored on another part of the island for the lives that had been lost.

The graves Bucky had dug had been remade, a small graveyard built to give the pilot and stewardess a proper resting place.

You can see it from the deck, a little farther inland where you’d had a cobbled path built to lead to it from the pier.

Making a mental note to tell Bucky you want the Stewardess’s family invited to give them a chance to say goodbye. You’re not sure if you’ll be able to get them here with the secrets surrounding the plane, but you can try.

Bucky comes back fairly quickly and waves you over. Eagerly you make your way to him.

“What happened?” You ask him but he gestures towards an older gentleman on the beach.

“Mr. Lara wants to talk to you about the chef’s supplies. Looks like there was a delay in the shipment.” Bucky tells you, then hurries past you. “Don’t worry, I’ll get our bags.”

“Bucky, we’re paying people to do that!” You call after him, but he waves you off and you turn to meet with Mr. Lara.

The island, while still massively private, has been built up like a small resort. There’s your hut, which the basic structure is the same but to it have been added a full chef’s kitchen. Several bedrooms. A living room. A master bedroom and access to the beach and a private pier.

There’s a beach barbecue patio and lounge chairs. Hidden behind the hut right in the spot Bucky built it, is the bathing pool, now with built in filtration, temperature control and more sustainable materials so that it will endure.

Your little island, the world you and Bucky created was given a full makeover. You’d always known you wanted to come back. You’d hated being stranded but the memories and the connections you’d formed here were special.

After assuring Mr. Lara that you have enough provisions on the yacht to last you until the grocery delivery arrives, you make your way back to see what’s keeping Bucky.

You’re nearly there when Bucky’s sweet chuckle stops you in your tracks. He takes the ramp onto the pier and with his hand still extended towards the yacht, you wait, your heart swelling.

“Careful.” You tell him, but he doesn’t need you to remind him.

Into view toddles a black-haired angel, eyes just as blue as his father’s. Just as you had when you’d thought about the possibility of a child with Bucky how beautiful it would be to see a mini version of him with your temper running around, it’s just so.

You wait with patience, his legs sure though slightly unsteady. His eyes scanning the area with inquisitive gusto.

He’s only just two years old but he’s already smart as a whip and when he spots you, he gasps with excitement and as soon as his little feet hit the pier, he releases Bucky’s hand and races for you.

You stoop down to scoop him and chuckle as he laughs, wrapping his arms around your neck.

“There’s my big boy.” You coo, pressing a kiss to his cheek before he can pull away. “Where are we, Robin? Do you know where this place is?”

As he straightens up, he points towards the shore. “Beesh!”

“That’s right. We’re at a beach. This is an island, Robin.” You explain, moving down the pier with him in your arms.

“I-wan.” He repeats, then giggles before squirming from your grip. “Woah, easy.”

Bucky moves forward and stops the little one before he can run.

“Hey bud, we can run down the pier and play in the sand, but you have to make me a deal, okay?”

Robin lifts his little hand up, bent at the elbow with his palm turned up as he shrugs. “Dew?”

“Yeah. We can run down to the beach if you hold my hand. Okay? The water is very deep, and mommy will cry if you fall in. You don’t want mommy to cry, do you?”

“No!” Robin exclaims, his little face suddenly angry, eyebrows drawn down on the inner corners in an exaggerated expression. “Mommy no cwy!”

“Then you’ll hold my hand?” Bucky asks, holding it out for him.

Without another word Robin takes hold of Bucky’s hand ad doesn’t wait before he’s pulling him along as fast as his little legs can.

“Be careful!” You call after them but they’re not listening anymore.

Life doesn’t function according to your plan.

While you were planning your wedding, Robin came as a sweet surprise. You postponed the wedding and instead celebrated the birth of your rainbow. Much sooner than expected but welcomed all the same.

Then you and Bucky took time to nurture your son and the wedding was finally held only two weeks ago. Honeymoon delayed to make certain the island was safe for you baby.

And although you’re saving the news for the right time, you hope that you can convince Bucky to stay here for a while, at least until your second little one comes. Just another seven months.

#bucky barnes x reader #castaway au #winter soldier x reader #a world of our own #awooo #marvel fanfiction #marvel au #bucky x reader fanfic #bucky x reader fic #bucky x reader fanfiction #bucky barnes x reader fic #bucky barnes x reader fanfiction #bucky barnes x reader fanfic

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irrlicht-writes · 3 years

Text

of Rex Lapis and the water's embrace

The rock persisted for centuries. Unaffected by the wind and the weather, it was to remain forever. And yet, recently, the tide had been rising and the water hit against the stone. Stubbornly, the stone would endure the fluid form and persist still. But in the battle of adaptability and endurance, adaptability would always win; and the water tore the rock down. The stone would crumble; and the pillar would be no more. The rocks fell deep, deeper than they ever had before and the water caught them gently in their embrace. | "Tell me a story."

Ao3

Please read part 1 here

The tea was too hot to drink.

Childe had seemed distressed when they had talked on the pier, and Zhongli was unsure of how he should proceed. He was aware that after he gave away the gnosis to the eighth harbinger, Childe had been upset. He only wasn’t sure why exactly. Zhongli had simply fulfilled his contract. Childe had no reason to be mad.

Regardless, Zhongli had decided to let him calm down a while before he would attempt a conversation again. Childe had a wild temper at the best of times and it was generally unwise to anger him unnecessarily. The boy would go into the wilds of Liyue and kill things to his heart’s content and then they could have a civilised discussion again.

Although, Zhongli had to admit he missed his dates with the harbinger.

It was hard these days to find someone who’d be willing to listen to him ramble in full.

He checked his tea again. It was still too hot.

As he sat waiting, he pulled the Old Stone out again. He missed Azhdaha. Seeing him again had simply reminded him of how much he was missing his old friend – but on the other hand, it had been wonderful to be able to talk to him again, to maybe even ease his pain.

He wondered if Childe would be interested to hear stories about Azhdaha.

They were so alike, in heart. Big and powerful – and yet they possessed a gentle heart inside of them.

Zhongli smiled at his stone.

He hoped that Childe enjoyed his gift. The sword that never made it into the hands it had been destined for – mayhap this had been fate. Maybe Guizhong had never been meant to hold this sword and perhaps Zhongli had been a fool for keeping it all these years. Childe would put it to good use, he was sure of it.

The boy was one of the most formidable warriors he had met in recent years. He hadn’t been what Zhongli had expected in the slightest.

I shall send you my eleventh, my dearest Tartaglia. The vanguard of my forces shall serve your contract well, Rex Lapis.

The vanguard of the Tsaritsa... Zhongli had expected an old man, rich in battles and weary of heart, much like Zhongli himself.

And instead, he had received a bright-eyed, young boy with a blinding smile.

A joke, he had believed.

~*~

“Hi! My name’s Tartaglia, but you can call me Childe! You’re Zhongli, right?”

There was a young boy standing in the Funeral Parlour. His eyes were a dull blue, and his unkempt hair was orange. He grinned brightly and extended his hand in a greeting.

“Her Majesty said I’d find you here. Are you hungry? Let’s go get some food!”

There was no waste in this young boy. He reached forward and grabbed the stunned Zhongli, pulling him outside into the sun.

“Haha, it’s so hot here in Liyue! It’s going to be hard to get used to that... maybe they have thinner uniforms here. Ah, I shall just get used to it, I guess.”

Hold on.

This was Tartaglia? This young boy was supposed to be the vanguard of the Tsaritsa? No. This must be a joke.

Perhaps... perhaps this boy was the assistant of the harbinger, yes? If the real Tartaglia might not wish to deal with the outside world due to weariness or simply because he wished to remain hidden, then Zhongli could understand.

Yes. Yes, this sounded very plausible. He must have hired this boy to be his public face, to allow him to work in the background undeterred.

He did not like being deceived but he would insist on meeting the real harbinger soon. In the meantime, he shall entertain this young boy.

“How can I serve you?”

Zhongli hadn’t even noticed that they sat down at Wanmin Restaurant.

“Hi! I’m fresh off the boat and I would like some nice Liyuean food. I’m not picky; just give me what’s good! What about you, Zhongli? I didn’t stun you into silence, did I?”

Zhongli blinked. “Ah... no, you did not, I apologise for my lack of manners. Miss Xiangling, I would like a bamboo shot soup and my ah, associate would take the Crystal Shrimp.”

The boy grinned at him.

“Well, I’ll trust you, then!”

Xiangling smiled and wandered off. Now, Zhongli wasn’t sure what to say. This boy truly had come in like a hurricane.

“Sorry for dragging you away like that, but I’ve only just arrived and the bank already wants to drown me in paperwork. I know we were supposed to meet tomorrow, but I just had to get away, you know?”

“The bank? You mean the Northland Bank?”

“Yeah! I’m supposed to supervise it a bit while I’m here. Apparently, the debt collectors have gotten a bit too soft around these parts, so I’m meant to rough them up again. I wasn’t told about the paperwork though, so that’s a bummer.”

A harbinger would not talk like this, correct? This boy couldn’t have seen more than twenty summers.

“You have knowledge about collecting debts?”

“Yeah, I guess. Before I became a harbinger, I’ve been a debt collector for a while. Not very long though, because I kept killing the clients. And, y’know, dead guys don’t pay their debts after all. But I’m a harbinger now, so who cares!”

Tartaglia laughed and Zhongli blinked.

This boy could not be the Tsaritsa’s vanguard in a hundred years.

“Wha – what are those?!”

The boy’s hand was cramping around the chopsticks.

“Those are chopsticks. You use them to eat your foot... no, don’t stab the shrimp.”

“Well, then how... how do you use them?! This is impossible!”

Zhongli chuckled. “They are an important part of Liyuean cuisine, Childe. Please learn how to use them.”

“How do you guys not starve to death?! What’s wrong with forks?!”

~*~

“Yaahoo, your tea is cold, old man.”

Hu Tao’s voice tore Zhongli out of his thoughts. He looked at the Funeral Parlour Director for a second before he confirmed her words. Indeed, his tea has gotten cold. He sighed.

“What’s got your panties in a twist to make you sigh like that?”

Zhongli frowned. “I do not –“, but then he decided to just not indulge her.

“Are there any clients?”

Hu Tao pouted.

“No, there are no customers. It’s so boring. Nobody dies anymore these days. Hey, where’s your Fatui boyfriend? He always brought in good business.”

“I have not seen Childe in a few days. Last I saw him he did not seem to be in the mood for providing business, Director.”

In fact, Childe had seemed very depressed, so unlike the boy he had gotten to know.

Hu Tao started to whine. “Boooring. Go to him and make him kill some people, I’m so booreed.”

Zhongli closed his eyes and took a deep breath. In, and out. In, and out. Just this easy. This child was going to drive him insane. Childe was not a dead-body-factory.

Although, admittedly, he had provided a lot of bodies for Hu Tao during his stay here.

The two of them even got along. Hu Tao had convinced Childe to partake in several pranks and in almost all of them, Zhongli had been the butt-end of the joke.

“If there is nothing to do, I shall take a walk.”

“Go drag your boyfriend’s ass back here! And bring some dead people! I need a booming business!”

Zhongli decided to ignore her as he pocketed the Old Stone and left the Parlour.

Maybe he should check on Childe. At least, he could inquire whether or not the boy liked his new weapon.

The guard at the door barely recognised Zhongli, as he was busy writing a letter.

As usual, the bank was relatively quiet. The local manager, Andrei, and Mister Qi were talking to each other, presumably about the latter taking on a loan. They did not interest him however. Zhongli headed straight to the bank’s teller, Ekaterina. She’s always been his go-to whenever he had been looking for Childe.

“Good day, Miss Ekaterina. I was wondering –“

“Master Childe is not with you?”

Zhongli frowned. “I – no, he is not. Is something wrong?”

Despite the mask, Zhongli could tell how worried she was.

“Master Childe has left early the last evening and when he did not return, I thought he might be with you – please tell me I haven’t lost a Harbinger. Oh, I can’t even imagine what they’ll do to me. Tell me he’s fine. I don’t care if it’s a lie, just tell me he’s making a bad joke and is harassing Vlad outside the door.”

Childe was missing?

“Are you sure he is not just out for a few days?”

She shook her head. “No, he always tells me for how long he’ll be gone, and we have a matter for him to attend to tomorrow morning. In fact, I only know he has left is because I saw him leave. I checked his office for any sort of note but there was nothing which leads me to believe he intended to be back by now. Oh Seven, what if something’s happened to him? The Tsaritsa will lynch me.”

Childe was strong. Nothing could’ve happened to him, right?

“I will find him.”

Without waiting for an answer, he left the bank.

~*~

The young fake harbinger was a friendly sort. Despite Zhongli’s irritation of not meeting the real harbinger, he could not complain about the company of the fake Tartaglia.

“Xiansheng, do you really need to buy these rocks...?”

“They are of a quality made, Childe, you shouldn’t let an opportunity like this pass you by.”

The boy behind him groaned but paid the merchant. Zhongli took the pair of Jade and pocketed them. Some would wonder where he’d put all of these wonders, and he would never tell.

“Shall we eat, then?”

The boy looked up and blinked at the sun.

“Yeah but we gotta hurry. I have a training session right after lunch and it’s hard enough to keep these rat-tags together at the best of circumstances.”

The harbinger Tartaglia, the boy meant. Often, Zhongli had been tempted to sneak after the boy, trying to catch a glimpse of his real contact. But he, perhaps most of all, knew how difficult it could be to maintain their secret identity.

“Is it hard to train new recruits?”

Childe shrugged. “No, not really. It’s more about what they expect, you know? I’m not the boot camp. I’m not evaluating them, they’re already in. They just have no idea how to properly hold their weapon the right way around. I swear, I have held so many rifles in my life that you’d think I’d be replacing my bow. And you know the worst? The Hydro Gunners keep coming to me like I know what they’re doing. Just shoot your bubbles, man! I’ve never had a tank like that before.”

“You hold a hydro vision, though.”

“Yeah, but do I look like a healer to you? I heal my enemies from their pain by ending their misery. But somehow they expect me to know how theirstuff works. Just hit stuff until it works, it’s not that difficult.”

They arrived at Wanmin Restaurant and Chef Mao came to their table. Apparently, Xiangling was out today, gathering ingredients.

“We’ll take the Chicken Tofu Pudding and the Cured Pork Dry Hotpot, please.”

Childe smiled at him. “We should take a walk sometime.”

“Childe, we take walks all the time.”

“Yeah, I know, but I meant outside! Outside the Harbour. I haven’t really been, you know? There’s so much for me to do in the city that I haven’t really gotten a chance to see the landscape. And I figured, since you know everything about Liyue, you’d be a perfect tour guide!”

That was true. Childe had been for about two weeks and he had seldom left the Bank without Zhongli’s company. A young boy like Childe would grow restless in a city like this, especially considering how he’d grown up in a small village surrounded by trees. So he nodded.

“If your training session does not take too long, we may take stroll tonight.”

The training session did indeed not take long and Zhongli presumed that Childe had simply left early since the real harbinger was going to lead the training anyway.

Brash as ever, Childe stormed the Parlour and leaned over the counter, staring expectedly at Zhongli. He was not deterred though and kept going through his papers.

“Yaahoo, who are you?!”

Oh no. He forgot about Director Hu. He would –

“Hi, I’m Childe! Are you the leader here?”

“Before you stands mighty Hu Tao, 77th Director of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlour! Are you the guy who keeps stealing my consultant?”

Childe laughed. “Indeed I am! In fact, I’m here to steal him away again.”

“Hmmm, you have the deadest eyes I’ve ever seen. You’ll be a customer soon, yeah? If you sign up now, I can give you a coupon.”

Childe waved his hand. “Thanks, but I’m not going to die here. If I do, it’ll be in the cold embrace of my home. But I’ll take coupons!”

Hu Tao grinned and shoved them into Childe’s hands. “Effective only if used within three weeks!”

“Well, I’ll be sure to drop some bodies, then.”

Zhongli stood up quickly before this could escalate any further.

“Childe, let us leave lest it gets too late.”

“Oh, right! Bye, Hu Tao! It was nice meeting you!”

Zhongli practically dragged him out of the Parlour before Hu Tao could respond.

“I had no idea the Director was that young!”

“She has taken over at a very young age, indeed. At some times, I think she does not respect the dead enough, but she is surprisingly loyal to the traditions.”

As Zhongli was dragging him away, Childe looked over his shoulder, seemingly deep in thoughts.

“Anyway, where are we going?”

“It’s a place called Yaoguang Shoal. You will like it.”

“Looks peaceful,” Childe commented and Zhongli nodded.

“There is little here for the Treasure Hoarders to find here. This place is not known for its hidden treasures.”

Childe crossed his arms and looked over to the shore.

“My siblings would love to run across here, I bet.”

“Oh?”

Childe grinned. “Yeah, it’s kinda hard to do that back home, you know? They could even run bare-foot here. You know what...”

The boy turned over and got rid of his shoes, wiggling his toes into the sand. He grabbed Zhongli’s hand and pulled them both down onto the ground.

“Let’s watch the sunset, yeah?”

Zhongli complied. There was, after all, no reason not to.

“What are these called?”

Childe had picked up a conch and held it up to Zhongli’s face.

“They are called Starconches. They say if you hold it to your hear, you can hear the longing call of the sea.”

The boy held the starconch up into the sky, looking at it. “I’ve never seen a seashell with a star on it.”

He proceeded to hold it next to his ear, looking at his toes that were still buried in the sand. He seemed to be listening intently. Then, he laughed.

“Oh, what a siren call indeed. It’s like a call from the very deepest depth, from within all the endless void and darkness at the bottom of the world. So enticing, but I’m not going to drown.” A moment of pause. Then: “No use in hiding back there!”

In a flash, Childe was standing upright, a spear made out of hydro in his hands. Zhongli had barely enough time to turn around to see the Treasure Hoarders before Childe ran over to them.

With each of his attacks, Childe’s weapon shifted fluidly between the spear and what seemed to be two daggers. The red scarf on his back was glimmering with pure hydro energy as Childe spun around himself to knock the Treasure Hoarders out.

The boy turned around, shouldering his spear and grinning at Zhongli. “Do you think that there are any Ruin Guards about?”

~*~

Childe was not on the Guili Plains. After hearing the harbinger had gone there just days prior, Zhongli believed he might’ve returned but there were no hydro traces of his friend.

Why are there no Glaze Lilies on Guili Plains?

Zhongli looked at the desolate plains. He still remembered a time in which the Lilies would bloom plenty. In his ears, he could still hear Guizhong’s song to them. He has never been able to sing it, no matter how hard he tried. But right now, she didn’t matter.

Zhongli turned around again to head to Yaoguang Shoal, hoping to find Childe there. Alas, he was disappointed.

Where else could the young harbinger be?

Maybe... the sword. He closed his eyes. He might be able to find the sword. He’s carried it for so long, there were still so many traces of himself left behind. But he couldn’t concentrate. There were too many thoughts in his head. What if the harbinger was dead? No. No, he couldn’t think like that. He wouldn’t die this easily.

Zhongli opened his eyes again and looked down. There was a starconch lying in the sand. He bent down to pick it up. A conch, carried up to the shore from the depths... Childe liked them. They were a lot like him, he had said. Zhongli had never been sure he understood. Geographically, Snezhnaya was not lower than Liyue. But there had always been something about Childe, something that hadn’t seemed quite right. His eyes, of course, but there had also been the general feeling of... of something beyond this world. Like the boy had been claimed by something else, but Zhongli had never been able to put his finger on it – not that it had ever mattered this far.

Why couldn’t this shell lead him to Childe?

Not wanting to crush it, he threw it back into the ocean. The water rippled for a moment, then the surface stilled once again.

But in the battle of adaptability and endurance, adaptability would always win; and the water tore the rock down. The stone would crumble; and the pillar would be no more. The rocks fell deep, deeper than they ever had before and the water caught them gently in their embrace.

Embraced by the deepest depths, the stone would remain forever more, gently floating away, having overseen the world for long enough.

And if the rock would ever tire, the tide would gently carry the stone to the shore.

Zhongli turned, and left the shore behind. The water was gently lapping at the sand, washing the starconch back ashore. The star in the middle of it shimmered in a gentle blue.

Everything inside him called him to Nantianmen. He was not sure why, but he was not one to ignore a feeling like that when he had deliberately been looking for it. There were a lot of monsters and Treasure Hoarders in the area, so that might be why Childe had been heading there. It was worth a try.

The Old Stone in his pocket gave a slight hum, but Zhongli did not have the mind to listen to it.

Nantianmen was eerily quiet. Normally, one could hear the Hillichurls running around, but now there was just dead silence. Something had happened here and Zhongli had the uneasy feeling that Childe might be at the middle of it.

Ever the eye of the storm.

“Not a step closer!”

The voice rung out across the field. It was distorted but Zhongli recognised the voice. It was Childe. He started running.

There was a mass of Ruin Guards and Hunters in front of Azhdaha’s tree. And there was something else. Something twice the size of a human floating in the air, with a cape made out of stars. Zhongli did not recognise the body, but it was Childe’s voice. And judging by the pile of destroyed Ruin Guards, he had been here a while. There were still so many...

“Childe”, he shouted as he ran over.

The boy... turned his head.

“Xianshen –“

He didn’t get to finish as a Ruin Hunter had been charging up his drill to promptly launch forward to attack him with it. Due to Zhongli’s interference, Childe was not able to evade the attack and got thrown back at the tree behind him. Zhongli saw the boy glow and shrink in size before he fell down to the ground, not to move again. He barely saw the jade sword fall next to him.

No.

Childe always got up immediately after being struck down.

Zhongli could only stare for four painfully long seconds before he decided to take revenge. He didn’t know what brought the Ruin Guards here or how Childe was able to transform the way he did or why any of this was happening at all – all he knew was that he wouldn’t let a friend die in vain once again.

Morax was far from dead; and these enemies would know.

Gently carried by the waves, the rock saw more of the world than the pillar ever could have. The tide was careful to not jostle it too much and to carry it great distances before slowing down, allowing the stone to rest.

Countless fish and sea-creatures would come up to the rock but the sea gently carried it away. The rock was thankful and it appreciated the small whales coming with them.

“I am tired,” the rock would say to the waves. “I have overseen it all for too long. But how will they fare without my pillar?”

The water did not answer, but it changed course. It carried the rock back to the start, so that the stone could see: nothing had changed. The pillar was forever gone, and in time, it would be forgotten. Rock would forever endure, until it would ebb away with the tide.

“Take me away,” the stone requested, “show me your beginning. And when you end, I shall end with you. Until that day, let your tide carry me until I erode away.”

As the Ruin Hunters lay dead to his feet, Rex Lapis took a heavy breath. Without a second thought, he spun around and ran up to the boy that was still lying on the ground. He was breathing, right? But there was blood.

“Childe,” he whispered as he gathered his friend into his arms and brushed a strand of hair aside. This couldn’t be like Guizhong all over again, he wouldn’t be able to take it. The boy groaned and shifted a bit.

“Xiansheng...?”

“Yes. Yes, I’m here.”

The boy blinked and slowly his eyes focused on Rex Lapis.

“Oh wow... I didn’t know you had horns.”

Morax didn’t understand, but it also didn’t matter. “Please. Are you in pain? What do I do?”

Childe laughed a bit. “It’s... don’t worry, yeah? It’s nothing a little herbs and bandages can’t fix, right? I’m more exhausted than I am hurt.”

“You are bleeding.”

“Oh believe me, I know. It’s okay though. Still, I... I should probably bandage it, right? I don’t wanna pass out.”

Morax sprang into action. “Don’t worry, baobei, I will take care of it.”

Childe blinked at him hazily as he removed his jacket and started wrapping it around the boy’s torso.

“...that looks kinda ineffective.”

“This is all I have. I will take you to the Harbour immediately.”

Gently, Rex Lapis gathered the boy in his arms to begin the trek back to the Harbour. Childe’s grip on the sword handle was steady.

“They were attacking the tree,” he said after a few minutes of walking. Morax could tell he was about to fall asleep.

“You were protecting it?”

“No, I came here because I heard about the Ruin Guards. But then I saw them attacking the tree and I... I didn’t want to, but I had to. It’s where... it’s where you sealed Azhdaha, right?”

Rex Lapis just nodded.

“I thought I could take them all on, but they just kept coming. Your sword did good damage but I needed something bigger.”

“Which is why you... transformed.”

“Yes,” was all Childe replied.

“Does it hurt?”

“Yes.”

Childe pressed his forehead against Morax’ neck.

“I wanna see the shore.”

“Childe, you’re hurt. Baobei, I need to take you to the Pharmacy.”

“Please.”

So Rex Lapis turned and walked to Yaoguang Shoal.

“Tell me a story,” the young boy asked.

“Please, baobei, let me take you to the Harbour,” Rex Lapis pleaded.

“You can. Just one story. Just tell me one story to fall asleep to. I won’t die. The tide’s not gone yet. I won’t go anywhere just yet, alright? Just one story, alright? Please.”

“Once, a long time ago, Rex Lapis encountered a young boy. The boy would never walk beside the god, but the god would always follow. The god was as steady as stone, but the boy was like the tides, ever-changing, ever-evolving and forever coming back.

Rex Lapis would oversee his country for eternity, and always he would watch the waves, wondering just when they would erode him. Perhaps, the god thought, perhaps erosion would not be the worst if it meant flowing like the tides.

After all, the boy would gift him a starconch, telling stories of a far-too-distant shore.”

In his arms, Childe had fallen asleep. The water was gently lapping at their feet and a starconch was washed ashore. Rex Lapis picked it up and put it gently into Childe’s arms. Carefully, he picked the young boy up and made the long walk back to Liyue Harbour.

Behind him, there was a singular rock carried by the waves.

As Zhongli and Childe disappeared from view, so did the rock vanish as if it had never been there.

#genshin impact #zhongchi #genshin childe #genshin zhongli #hurt/comfort #fanfiction #genshin tartagalia #irrlicht writes #tartali

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whatgaviiformes · 3 years

Note

Hey! I wondered if I could be cheeky and ask for a combination of 2 Olympic prompts? I'd really like a combo of victory for one brother (maybe Scott?) and loss for another (maybe Gordon) on the same day (if not in the same event). To be honest, any pair of brothers would be fine. And I know this is kind of detailed and complicated, so I am more than happy for you to refuse, or only take part of this to work with. Thanks!

Only if I can be equally as cheeky and combine events 😊 And it's funny you ask, I had just been talking to @the-original-sineater about a similar concept a few days before this prompt came in, and so I hope you don't mind, but I asked her if she didn't mind joining me as a co-writer on this one. The result has been a true passion project for the two of us - we've had a hell of a lot of fun working together. I sincerely hope it shows, and that you enjoy this story. Thanks to you both for the continued inspiration.

@katblu42 I also know you are having a rough go of things at the moment, so this story comes to you also with sincere Thunderfam hugs and well wishes.

The full story is up on Ao3 here: Faster, Stronger - Together

Or you can continue to part 1 below, and I will link to her post of part 2 at the end.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Faster, Stronger - Together (Part 1)

Scott braced on the edge of the pier. Toes curled around the lip, knees bent. The death throes of the typhoon that had passed through two days earlier made the water grey and choppy. It wasn’t the best conditions to race in, but it was the Olympics. You took what the gods gave you. But that made him want to hit the water even more.

“Hey Scooter! On your left!”

Scott glared to his left. There was only one person in the group of 50 that dared to call him that and with that goad. “Watch it FISH, I know where you sleep.”

His younger brother Gordon just laughed at him.

“Frigging fish.” He turned his gaze back to the water and waited for the starter’s pistol. Olympians tended to run in families. But having two brothers in the same event? In the same games? Uncommon, if not actually rare.

There was a chuckle to his right. “Little brothers are the bane of our existence, yes?” Denis Vallee of France was Scott’s primary competition, after Gordon. They had both had younger brothers in the games, but Denis’s had the good taste to be a fencer.

The pistol sounded before he could answer, and Scott dove into the water. The shock between the warm, nearly chewable air and the cold, storm churned water was enough to make him gasp. He shook it off and swam 1500 meters of the crawl.

Unless you were a little shit named Gordon Tracy. In which case you used the god damn butterfly . Used it, led with it, and was smug as hell about it. Anyone else saying anything like that about Gordon, in Scott’s presence, found out in a big hurry not too. Scott was the only one allowed to badmouth Gordon, his privilege as a big brother.

Still, this water was utter crap. He let a swell throw him forward. You had to pace in the Triathlon. 1500 meters of swimming, 40 clicks of a bike race, and 10 more clicks of running. It was a hard race to begin with. But in these conditions? It was brutal.

The first buoy and boat were in sight, marking the first turn. He kept as tight as he could to it. Anything to shave precious tenths off his time.

He could feel the lactic acid build up in his legs as they made for the second buoy. That was the turn that would take them to the headland and the bikes. God, his arms were burning. The chop made an already hard swim tougher. He had to post a good swim time. It wouldn’t be a great time, but as long as it was good, it would be okay.

The water was changing, calmer, a little warmer. They were in the headland's lee now. He could see the curve of the beach when he turned to breathe. It was only a dozen or so more strokes before his fingers hit sand. He got a leg under him, pushed upright and started to run for his bike.

He could see Gordon ahead of him. Denis was to his right, pushing through the water.

17 :23:41 That was Scott’s time. He could build on that.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Eight laps.

The irony was not lost on him that it was Scott who taught him how to ride a bike in the first place. They’d raced back then too, converting the acres of land on their family’s wheat farm into an obstacle course, even as Gordon found his balance on two wheels and his muscles filled out to challenge the length of Scott’s legs.

Being the eldest, Scott had the advantage then.

He was still a force, and Gordon knew not to underestimate his brother’s stamina at his age, the old man (and only Gordon was allowed to say that; privilege of being a younger brother). Scott may certainly start in the chase group after the swim, but he’d make his way forward into the leaders by the end of the cycling race.

If he had any chance at winning, Gordon had to work smarter.

Triathlon was about endurance across the three events. His disadvantage was that he was strongest in the swim, and the swim being the portion of the event that took place first allowed his competition plenty of opportunity to catch up to his scores.

Gordon knew his best chance to stay in the race was to give himself the head start, and while he could dominate the event with the crawl, every time he pushed his hardest through the swim using the standard stroke, he always burned out in later events.

The butterfly had been his secret weapon.

He’d been perfecting his approach to the triathlon event for months. The butterfly worked almost every muscle group, all pecs, and core, and deltoids, and trapezius, leaving his legs less drained and better reserved for the cycling and the run.

He knew what people would be saying about his change in swim strokes, how arrogant it might make him look. But Gordon knew his body.

And he knew Scott.

He was not going to let Scott beat him; he was going to win the hell out of this race and the butterfly was going to be what helped him do it. He was one of the fastest swimmers in the world, and it still gave him a hell of a solid lead with his time coming in at 16:59:12 for the full 1.5 kilometers.

And then he had no time to think, removing his cap and replacing it with a helmet for the biking portion.

Just practicing cycling alone and on flatland he could complete the 25 miles in 55 minutes on average. The 40 kilometers of the Olympic standard was just shy of that length, and with one lap almost complete, he knew those few uphill slopes could slow him down.

He stood on the pedals and leaned into the last curve of the track.

Seven laps.

As wide a lead as he had, he knew the competition would catch up eventually, but hell if he was going to make it easy on them. His guess was they’d catch up three laps in, and then the goal from there would be to stay in the group of leaders, even if he slid a bit further back. He could regain the ground he needed at the run.

Six laps.

The air was stifling and muggy, and it didn’t help the heat he felt in his lungs as he pressed his feet faster into the circular rhythm.

Gordon felt heavy, but controlled breathing against his neck.

That was the other reason he tried to get ahead. On the swim team he competed with lanes cleanly defined, and victory was about speed and skill alone. In the triathlon, the athletes were basically on top of each other, so close, too close.

Aw shit.

Vallee was on his tail.

Five laps.

The breakaway group was a pack of nine from what Gordon could feel around him. There were two right behind him, and six leading at the front, with Scott and Vallee fighting each other to push into first, other names like Tvedt and Balazs and Ricci weaving in and out behind them.

He was maybe milliseconds behind, but those milliseconds mattered.

Just keep with the group, Gordo.

Four laps.

Around him were chants of “USA!” They weren’t for him; they were chants for Scott, who’d taken a solid lead. It made him proud. From the back of the group, he still felt the thrill of the chase and the support of his countrymen invigorate his tired muscles, as they pushed through the fire and pressed forward.

Three laps.

The two competitors behind him fell back towards the peloton. He didn’t know how far behind they were, but it left him last in the breakaway. It made him feel like he was losing.

But he wasn’t.

He wasn’t losing.

He was okay, this was okay.

Breathe.

Two laps left.

Honestly, he was falling a bit behind too.

The back of Scott’s shoulders were red and flushed. Gordon should definitely have been focusing on himself and his own frantic pedaling, but he wasn’t able to stop thinking that Scott was pushing too hard.

Hell, they all were.

And, shit, everyone was still cheering .

Final Lap.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Virgil moved Kayo’s hand from his hand to his forearm. He didn’t want it broken. Which is what would happen if she kept squeezing.

Alan’s leg was bouncing so hard the chair he was sitting was dancing in place. John only looked calm. He was leaning forward, elbows on thighs, hands locked together. The white of the knuckles betraying his emotions.

Virgil had a stress ball in his other hand. One that might not survive this race if things kept up at this pace.

As much as he appreciated the support of their community in donating the high school’s gymnasium to livestream the event, the cheerful laughter of the townsfolk around them grated against Virgil’s skull. While it was a celebration for their town, it was incredibly nerve-racking for the Tracy family and their closest friends.

Supporting one brother in an event? Easy. Having two competing in the same event? Well, that was the hell of Solomon’s choice, wasn’t it? Scott had always dreamed of winning gold in the Olympics and had dedicated his life to training for the triathlon. But then, even though Gordon had already had his go on the swim team four years prior, he’d put so much of himself into training for the triathlon since - living and breathing cycling, running, and building up his endurance.

And there could only be one gold. No matter how they sliced it, they’d be celebrating with one brother...and mourning with the other.

Gordon’s old high-school swim team had gone wild when the second youngest pulled out the butterfly, darting immediately into the front of the pack, even with the more difficult stroke. Water was his element, and apparently he wanted everyone to know it.

The bike club had started yelling the minute Scott hit his bike. This course was where Scott could shine. Like Kansas, it wasn’t flat either. Scott was the master of the short hill and his friends knew it.

All Virgil could focus on was the flush on both his brothers’ faces. There wasn’t much one could do about a typhoon. Nature set her own schedules, but running a race in the remains of one? With humidity in the 70 percent range and no sun to help dry it out even a little? It worried him. It worried him a lot.

They watched as Scott powered through the last turn, and slammed into the transition area so fast he was running when he left the bike. The racers had a precious two minutes to change and start the running section. The last section.

Scott’s elapsed time was a solid one hour thirteen. Vallee’s was one hour thirteen and fifteen seconds. Gordon was at one hour fourteen and twenty seconds. Striking distance for the top three. Which would be the best outcome possible as far as Virgil was concerned. Each brother getting a medal. It would lead to some trash talk over the family dinner table, but they could live with that. Scott and Vallee burst out of the transition area at the same time. They were running side by side. A shot that the broadcaster seemed to take great delight in showing. They were so well matched they seemed like one runner.

Gordon was a bare heartbeat after his big brother. Ten kilometers, five out, and five back. This just might be the longest forty minutes of Virgil’s life.

He clenched the stress ball tighter in his hand. And watched with bated breath.

END OF PART 1 - Continue on SinEater's blog here.

#Gavii Scribit #collab piece #the-original-sineater #Olympics!Tracys #ask box prompts #Gordon Tracy #Scott Tracy #thunderbirds fanfiction #thunderfam

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franniebanana · 3 years

Text

CQL Rewatch - Ep 19

Wow, Wei Wuxian looks so rough here. He’s spent some time under the knife (with no anesthetic), and then after that, he has just been waiting around for Jiang Cheng. It’s been seven days since Jiang Cheng went up that mountain. And of course Wei Wuxian is worried about him. What if something happened on his way down the mountain? What if he’d been captured or killed by the Wens? All the while, he’s basically defenseless here in Yiling (iirc). He’s sweating profusely, clutching at his middle—it’s possible he’s even suffering from an infection due to the transfer surgery. Seriously, the poor guy!

I love the visuals here: all these cloaked figures just filling this tea house, and not another soul in there other than the waiters. It’s both comical and heartbreaking the way that Wei Wuxian tries to immediately nope out of there, because he knows it’s a trap right away. Even with his Golden Core, I don’t know if he could have escaped them all—there were too many Wens, including the Core-Melting Hand. This part always really gets to me, because it truly is the first death of Wei Wuxian. It’s the death of who he once was: that smart, quirky, rascal of a youth, who made a very honest oath that essentially guided him to this point.

No joke, the first time I watched this, I was like, “Is that Lotus Pier? How tf did he get there?! How much did they change the story?!” And then a few seconds later, I realized this was a super sad dream/vision that Jiang Cheng was having and I channeled all my anger into sadness. This part is also super depressing. He has this vision of this happy family: his mother laughing, his father kissing his hand, just the picture of love. But it’s so far from what he had growing up, and you just realize that his greatest desire was really to have that happy family. But his parents are dead, he’s lost just about everyone at Lotus Pier—it’s so heartbreaking.

God, he just looks so broken! I’m sad now.

So even though I know the cost of Jiang Cheng’s happiness is Wei Wuxian giving up his own Golden Core, I still feel so happy here, seeing Jiang Cheng feeling like himself again. It’s because Wei Wuxian knows Jiang Cheng’s heart truly that he could offer up his own future so that Jiang Cheng could have a better one. I also just love this shot of Jiang Cheng kowtowing to the Immortal One, thanking her for healing him, and the camera pans past him, showcasing the beautiful scenery again. And then he walks down the mountain path with such a spring in his step! I love it!

I love that Wei Wuxian is still able to use his mind and play to their weaknesses. Wang Lingjao is extremely superstitious and fearful of the supernatural, and just the idea that he could haunt them scares the shit out of her. It’s just very cool to me that with all the abuse he endures, he still maintains a clear head and is able to fight back with his wit. This is yet another reason why I get annoyed when I see Wei Wuxian characterized as an idiot or someone who isn’t very smart. He proves his wit in just about every scene, so I don’t know why he gets this reputation in fanon. I feel like it’s derived from some overused yaoi/shojo trope where the “girl” has to be less smart than the “guy.” I don’t know how many things I’ve watched and read with a scatterbrained (but not charming) female lead—it’s overused.

This is so cool, because Wei Wuxian is scared out of his mind—he’s terrified of being left to die in the Burial Mounds. He’s heard all the stories: people don’t return, their souls get torn apart, etc. But what is cool is that he turns everything around and makes this place his source of power. He’s the man who conquered the Burial Mounds. It’s very satisfying to see that. FYI, I’m not going to talk about how he falls for like 20 minutes.

But I do think it’s really cool how the dark spirits catch him (and that’s all I’ll say).

This part still gives me major chills: you hear so many people calling out Wei Wuxian’s name, and then a “Wei Ying” breaks through. My breath always catches in my throat the first time I hear it. And then you hear it again, and the other voices have faded away before you hear it a third time. And that all feels nice until the screaming starts, which is hard to listen to, let alone hard to watch Wei Wuxian go through the mental turmoil.

Lan Wangji is back, bitches! He’s got a new title, a new headdress, and he’s hotter than ever. Jokes aside, though, this entrance is beyond epic. Other than that tiny glimpse of him in the last episode, it’s been ages since we’ve seen him, and it’s so satisfying that we get this great entrance, walking up this enormous staircase. Obviously by this point, I’m ecstatic to see him (it’s been way too long). Everything about this scene is great, from his entrance, to the way he uses his guqin as a spiritual tool, to the way he and Jiang Cheng are now a team. I don’t think there’s an awful lot of comradery there, but they have a common goal: find Wei Wuxian.

So we’re not really used to seeing a ton of emotion from Lan Wangji. Even when he’s annoyed, he doesn’t tend to show it. But, man, he is pissed here. Because of the magic of fiction, he’s probably heard the Wens’ conversation as he was walking up the stairs, so he heard them mocking Wei Wuxian (and the Yunmeng Jiang Sect), and he is not happy about it. He even uses the Chord Assassination Technique right off the bat against at least two of the Wen soldiers. Lan Wangji means business, and he’s not leaving until he gets what he wants.

The other great thing is that he doesn’t even need to come up all the way. He defeats them at a distance, while he’s still on the stairs. And the power and respect he commands is so great that they all know him by his face.

What Wen Chao does here is so relatable. His girlfriend is freaking out, having nightmares, convinced Wei Wuxian is going to turn into a ferocious ghost and haunt them until they lose their minds, and he, of course, rationalizes: they’ve sent so many people to the Burial Mounds and none of them have ever come back. In other words, “You’re being ridiculous.” But when he turns away from her, you can see the fear in his own eyes. When something spooky happens, my first step is always to rationalize—there’s a logical explanation for most things, right? And it always makes you feel better to rationalize it to someone else, but when you’re alone and thinking, your mind starts to wonder, your imagination starts to go wild. It’s easy to psyche yourself up in the dark and quiet of the night.

There’s this really gorgeous cello version of “Wuji” playing during this scene—it’s so beautiful, so moving, hitting me right in the feels. The look on Lan Wangji’s face when Jiang Cheng is telling him about how he and Wei Wuxian were supposed to meet in Yiling, how he thought Wei Wuxian had abandoned him to meet up with Lan Wangji in Lanling—he looks so defeated there. Defeated despite taking down the Qishan Indoctrination Bureau. Defeated because he hasn’t found who he’s been searching for. And then he holds Suibian so tenderly and lovingly—I’m emotional, okay?

It’s really cute and heartwarming to see Jin Zixuan starting to fall for Jiang Yanli. We’ve known for quite some time how Yanli feels for him, so it’s quite satisfying to see his walls come down as he starts to care more and more about her. He becomes protective of her. When she gasps at the hanging head at the gates of Qinghe, his instinct is to hold her—of course, he stops himself, but it’s very obvious that he wants to comfort her physically (and not in a dirty way, get your minds out of the gutter).

I love the dichotomy here: on one end, you have Jin Zixuan asking Lan Wangji where Wei Wuxian is, while you have Jiang Yanli echoing that on the other end with Jiang Cheng. Jiang Cheng can’t answer—he’s crying, trembling, emotionally responding to his sister without speaking. And Lan Wangji can’t speak either. His lips part, but no words come out. Again, you get this great sense of defeat from him—he’s completely at a loss, but he can’t or chooses not to show those emotions.

It’s also interesting how they kind of clipped the reunion between the Yunmeng Jiang siblings in favor of showing the conversation between Jin Zixuan and Lan Wangji. In my opinion, it’s to remind us of the reunion that isn’t happening right now—the one that should have been—the one between Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian. And why isn’t it happening? The conversation reminds us that he’s still missing. I don’t doubt the importance of the Yunmeng Jiang siblings in this story—they are obviously instrumental to the plot and to Wei Wuxian—but it’s choices like this where the writers/scene directors remind us that the relationship to focus on is the one between Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji. Lan Wangji, and not Jiang Cheng, holds onto Suibian, the only remaining item that is most spiritually connected to Wei Wuxian. Isn’t that interesting?

“A-Cheng, you’ve grown up. As your sister, there’s nothing I can do but worry about you.” Such a wise line—such a sad line. This really brings out how powerless she feels in the lives of her brothers. She’s a bystander, she has no influence. All she can do is watch and worry, and nothing either of them says or does will change that. It’s something we as parents and caretakers and guardians at some point have to admit: we can’t control our children’s lives, we can’t control those we take care of. Once they reach a point in their lives, it’s them who has to make their own decisions. They must thrive on their own, they must fail on their own. And all we can do is watch and worry and hope for the best. God, Yanli breaks my heart.

Me in bed when I watch a scary movie any time of the day.

She does crazy so well, though.

Other episodes: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |

#cql #the untamed #wei wuxian #lan wangji #wangxian #jiang cheng #jiang yanli #jin zixuan #wen chao #wang lingjiao #mdzs #mo dao zu shi #cql rewatch #ep19

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aiyexayen · 3 years

Photo

I haven’t known true peace since I realised that Wei Wuxian actually believes this. He’s not just saying dumb shit here, or oversimplifying things to be dramatic--he truly thought of it this way, even back then. Even though nobody else did.

This line has always confused me and maybe I just haven’t given it enough thought. Maybe it’s obvious. But everyone has such a different perspective at that section of the story, including the audience. And that’s part of the tragedy of it all, really, is how much the situation was twisted up--both on purpose, by the Jins, and by simple circumstance--to the point that nobody was on the same page. But the extent of Wei Wuxian’s didn’t really hit me until recently, when puzzling back over this particular scene.

(In my defense, it was easy for me to miss until now, because it’s mixed in with Wei Ying admiring Lan Zhan admiring the moon and followed by Lan Zhan calling Wei Ying out on his “I’m fine” bullshit before carrying him down the stairs.)

At first pass, all I could think was, “Wei Wuxian, are we even watching the same show?” He and Jiang Cheng were rivals as much as they were best friends as much as they were brothers, and frequently at odds.

They never really had a “them two against the world” vibe outside of their Twin Heroes of Yunmeng promise. Wei Wuxian loved the world, and making friends, and did so freely and gladly. He and Jiang Cheng really only ever stood together against really blatant enemies like the Wen before and during the Sunshot campaign, and by the time the Jins and the rest of the prominent sect/clan leaders were at their throats, things were definitely falling apart.

They not only had a fraught childhood together in that household to begin with, but they also haven’t been truly on the same side since the fall of Lotus Pier when it all came to a head; the slow dissolution of their close bond is a huge underlying theme of the story as we suffer through the emotional torture of watching their desperate love create a wider and wider chasm between them, littered with broken promises and unspoken words as they slowly forget how to know each other.

And they really never stood together against Lan Wangji?? Ever?

While Jiang Cheng was regarding him (and every other human being and activity) as a rival for his shige’s attention and proof of his own social ineptitude (a potential cause for worry in his earnest role as sect heir and representative of his clan), Wei Wuxian was utterly enamoured. By the time Wei Wuxian had his rounds of falling-out with Lan Wangji, Jiang Cheng regarded him as an ally who stood by his side for months and kept his hope alive while helping him scour the land for all traces of his missing brother and was really confused why Wei Wuxian was being a jackass.

In-between all this, they travel and fight together--all three of them--on more than one occasion, and even go to war together.

We’re frequently shown glimpses, scenes, framing, setups, that show us Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji standing together without or apart from Jiang Cheng as well. Because reasons.

From Lan Wangji’s point of view, he was never not on Wei Wuxian’s side when it counted. He just had trouble communicating this effectively at times, especially while Wei Wuxian was in a constant push-pull with himself and everyone else about what he should be allowed to want and have.

From Jiang Cheng’s point of view, Wei Wuxian was failing to be on his side again and again, and it was never really about his own loyalty, because he was the only one still keeping their promise.

And certainly by Jin Ling’s one-month celebration, they both seemed to be on the same page that they were coming together as Wei Wuxian’s important people, if not actively friends by then, and that they were of one mind in getting Wei Wuxian back around his family and back into society. One of the most shattering things anyone has ever had the nerve to tell me straight into the void that once was my heart is that they (along with Jiang Yanli and Jin Zixuan) were probably so excited to see Wei Wuxian and proudly show him how well they were all getting along.

So I, humble viewer of episodes, watch all of this happening, and then narrow my eyes at Wei Wuxian in disbelief. Who does he think he is? Jiang Cheng, always at his side? With Lan Wangji, always opposite?

Why does this moment of self-reflection even exist? When he could have taken this opportunity to have some kind of flashback about Lan Wangji and the moon, as the rest of us are? Is it just to torment me, in particular?

But then I thought of three things. One, his point of view at the time. Two, his point of view in this episode. And three, the phrasing of what he’s saying here.

The phrasing feels important. Wei Wuxian simply says he thought Jiang Cheng would be at his side/on his side/by his side, and he thought Lan Wangji would be opposite. Opposite doesn’t necessarily mean a direct rival or enemy. It can mean standing for the opposing viewpoint, or having an opposing position.

Given that he’s directly comparing it to how he feels right now, it makes sense. As of this episode, he’s just had his real first encounter with Jiang Cheng, and it was pretty horrible. He had to deal with Jin Ling and his curse, between now and then, but that isn’t really going to be what’s on his mind.

I might be like, “Ah, yes, running away from Jiang Cheng to go fuck off with Lan Wangji, typical Wei Wuxian scenario, even if I support it especially in this particular instance.” Jiang Cheng might feel that way, too, right down to “Thank fuck he ran away like he always does and didn’t call my bluff about killing him a thousand times over because that would have been embarrassing.”

But to Wei Wuxian, the circumstances are completely different. He’s not running off on an adventure after which he absolutely intends to return home. He’s leaving with what he sees as confirmation (which he was trying to avoid) that Jiang Cheng truly hates him, and the knowledge/reminder that he may never see him again because he will absolutely try his hardest not to. And he’s returning to Lan Wangji, who is his adventure, but also, increasingly, his home.

He can’t really think of it in those terms, yet, though. So he thinks about it as sides.

Even though they and Jiang Cheng are never truly pitted against each other in the present any more than Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian were ever pitted against Lan Wangji in the past (that is to say, one or two tense scenes and mostly a lot of wibbly gray areas indicating that there’s a lot more going on in everyone’s heads), Wei Wuxian sees Lan Wangji on the “Wei Wuxian Should Not Be Dead” team and Jiang Cheng sulking on the opposite shore.

Or, at the very least, the teams are “Leave Wei Wuxian Alone” and “Wei Wuxian Needs To Fucking Stop.”

Which reminds him how different it all used to be.

And even if we’re like, “Was it, though?” that’s not his perspective on it. He didn’t see all the pieces that the rest of us saw. He never knew the lengths Lan Wangji was going to in order to try and help him, the rules he broke. He never saw the punishment Lan Wangji endured for simply visiting him. Even Jiang Cheng saw Lan Wangji stand up for him publicly after the heart-wrenching scene in the rain. Wei Wuxian never did.

He only saw Lan Wangji trying his damnedest to get him to give up demonic cultivation. He only heard Lan Wangji’s attempts to convince him to get better that he never really understood. He only ever perceived resistance and disapproval.

Wei Wuxian was expecting Lan Wangji to come and personally try to stop him at Nightless City. Wei Wuxian woke up alive and took one look at Lan Wangji (and softly gayly smiled and took a second look for good measure) and took off. Wei Wuxian woke up again with all his memories and the knowledge he was loved and missed after sixteen years and asked if Lan Wangji had ever really believed him. Wei Wuxian has been slowly coming to terms with the fact that Lan Wangji wholeheartedly and unreservedly does, now. So, to him, it’s the idea that Lan Wangji has “switched sides” as it were.

And Jiang Cheng?

Wei Wuxian thinks he and Jiang Cheng were unquestionably on the same side right up until Jiang Yanli died.

Jiang Cheng was angry, was upset, was in pain. They fought. Promises were broken. But that didn’t mean they were on opposing sides, not really, surely.

They were on the same side about questionable cultivation methods not being questioned as long as it made Yunmeng Jiang strong where it was currently weak. They were on the same side about it not being anyone else’s business. Their fight was faked, even if the separation had to be real.

Wei Wuxian was still standing by Jiang Cheng’s side in prioritising Yunmeng Jiang’s political standing. Jiang Cheng was still standing by his side in caring about their home and their sister. He brought shijie, who brought soup. And something about their public break and Jiang Cheng’s account kept the other sects from piling on Wei Wuxian right at the start.

At Nightless City, while he expected Lan Wangji to be there countering him, he did not expect any of Yunmeng Jiang to be there to actually fight him. Of course Jiang Cheng was there--how could Jiang Cheng not show up? One of the great clans? And they’re not really supposed to have anything to do with one another anymore, right? Wei Wuxian was a traitor to Yunmeng Jiang, right? Of course Jiang Cheng had to show up.

But as long as Wei Wuxian was in control of the resentful energy and puppets, not a single Yunmeng Jiang disciple, let alone Jiang Cheng himself, was so much as looked at sideways.

Jin Zixuan had been killed. Jiang Yanli would never forgive him. His found family full of innocents had been slaughtered by power-hungry hypocrites. The entire cultivation world was after his soul. He was a dead man walking. He’d been hallucinating for hours. His mind was mostly gone.

And he thought, “Lan Wangji is here to put an end to me at last. It is time to fight.”

And he thought, “Jiang Cheng is not truly part of this. I must not touch Yunmeng Jiang.”

Both of these things wound me deeply. The first, because it’s demonstrably untrue. The second, because it might not have been nearly as true as everyone (including Jiang Cheng) wishes, though at least we’ll never really have to know, will we.

And then Jiang Yanli died.

We can see the story happening in stages, the various breakdowns and buildups and breakdowns again. And we always knew this ending was coming. But to him, that’s the moment everything truly, truly broke.

Though, I feel the need to point out, hysterically, he still wasn’t opposite Jiang Cheng even then. Because Jiang Cheng, he believes, wanted him dead (even if he couldn’t do it by his own hand) just as much as Wei Wuxian wanted himself dead. And Lan Wangji did not want him dead. So he stood in solidarity with Jiang Cheng one last time, did right by Jiang Cheng and Yunmeng Jiang and their family one last time, as he yanked his hand away from Lan Wangji.

Only now, in the present, are Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng truly in opposition. And only now are Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji on the same page. Supposedly.

One of Wei Wuxian’s particular character journeys post-timeskip is finally having the concept of interpersonal nuance smashed into his head in a way that still allows him to be himself and follow his own moral codes and build relationships in his own way. His assorted encounters with Jiang Cheng leading up to their reconciliation (as well as the juniors and the sect leaders and other characters) all demonstrate that nicely.

But in this scene, it really is that straightforward to him. Hell, it’s even presented such to us for a hot minute.

If for no other reason than the direct parallel of Lan Wangji finding out about Wei Wuxian’s fear of dogs and protecting him both physically and emotionally without question, and Jiang Cheng already knowing about it but using Fairy against Wei Wuxian until it triggered him into a panic-induced ptsd flashback seriously what a fucking dick move though.

So, perhaps it’s understandable, between Wei Wuxian’s misconceptions of the past and his current experiences in the present and the fact that these are the only two people left to him in all the world.

He believes the bitter irony of fate has dictated that he can never have them both. He was only ever going to have one of them and he never considered it would truly be this one.

And for just one moment, before he can be glad of his gain, he has to mourn the inevitable loss that comes with it. For that one moment, even seeing Lan Wangji so beautiful in the moonlight, so openly and invitingly waiting for him, that’s all he can think about.

It haunts me.

#wei wuxian always thought he knew better than lan wangji what was good for lan wangji #even when it was wei wuxian's death #his *trust me; you're better off without me* followed him over that cliff #lan wangji has since pieced all this together and come to terms with it #but jiang cheng is going to figure it out someday #and yell for like three solid hours #and then make fifty quarts of soup #as a side note #i love jiang cheng the most but i will never forgive him for that stunt with fairy #and honestly he'll never forgive himself for it either #by the time he works himself up to grovel about it though wei wuxian probably won't even remember #the untamed #the untamed meta #wei wuxian #wei ying #lan wangji #lan zhan #jiang cheng #jiang wanyin #wangxian #chengxian #parallels kind of #what was this post even about #i don't remember now #episode 35

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crystalas · 3 years

Text

Blazing Blue part 3

warning: bit of blood, injuries and broken bones

Chapter 3: Macaque attack!

They approached Sandy’s ship, the big blue fellow greeted them warmly and offered Red Son a cup of tea and a cat to cuddle. Red Son scared of what would happen to him if he said no to a hulking sailor with a mohawk accepted both and had to endure Tang and MK’s giggles as he soon became a literal hot spot for all the cats on the ship.

Sandy came back with a tray of tea to find cats swarming over Red Son who was trying very hard not to lose his temper, Sandy shooed most of them off.

“Sorry about that, cats can’t say no to a warm lap” he smiled.

“Clearly.”

“So, MK says you need a place to stay” Sandy asked as they sipped their tea.

“…did he say why?” he replied looking at MK.

“No, but I’m guessing you wouldn’t be sofa surfing if it wasn’t for a good reason, you’re free to stay here as long as you want!”

“Really? Just like that?” Red Son spluttered.

“Yeah, why not?” Sandy beamed but the conversation was interrupted as a green motor cycle suddenly appeared from the sky landed on the deck and Mai leapt off grinning like a little girl with a puppy.

“RED SON! I KNEW IT!” She cried triumphantly “I knew you couldn’t resist destiny; you’ve joined the side of good and became a hero! Well done you! I knew you had it in you…”

MK rushed over and grabbed the cat as Red Son leapt up screaming flames dancing over him as did. “I HAVE DONE NO SUCH THING!!”

“Then why are you here?”

“Get that hero nonsense notion out of your head right now! I have no intention of becoming a hero I’m just…just…”

“Taking a hiatus from evil?” Tang offered.

“YES! THAT!” Red Son confirmed angrily.

“Really?” another voice called out. “I heard you got disowned!”

Red Son froze, his fire flared up and died out as he spun around to see Macaque standing on the pier. He gave a smirk as he leapt over to the boat and walked over to Red Son. MK grabbed his staff and took a battle stance to the confusion of his friends who had never met this person before.

“W…what are you talking about?” Red Son stuttered.

“Well, what can you expect when your find out your failure of a son not only ran away from home but immediately bunked up with the apprentice of your sworn nemesis? I got to say I would’ve given you a chance to explain yourself but your dad was quick to get the word out that he disowned your pathetic butt.” he explained casually pacing back and forth in front of Red Son who clenched his fists, he glanced back at MK and the others painfully aware that his shameful secret was out. Rage bubbling in him at the fact that this Monkey King look-alike was bragging about it openly in front of him like it was the funniest thing ever.

“Red don’t listen to him…” MK started but was taken aback from the flames that erupted around Red Son as he leapt forward to strike at Macaque. Though Macaque effortlessly dodged all of Red Son’s attacks he always made sure he was in striking distance of the enraged demon, dealing out swift kicks and hits to not so much as hurt Red Son but to anger him further. They quickly made their way to cargo bay on the pier and was bouncing between crates and cranes but Red Son could never seem to get a chance to pin Macaque down.

“You don’t know anything about my father!” Red Son roared angrily between blasts of fire and attempted attacks.

“Maybe but I’m not blinded by delusion like you, wasn’t it you who freed him by bypassing Monkey King’s seal? Made all those cool robots and gadgets? You even made that sweet armour for him? Does he care?” Macaque taunted before vanishing from sight and reappeared behind Red Son and with a quick and powerful swipe from his shadow staff attacked him from behind. Red Son staggered forward to his knees and he heard a small ringing crack that seemed to run through his whole body.

“Nope, cos as far as your folks are concerned, you’re a failure as a demon, a mistake that they have to deal with for the rest of their lives…”

“Shut up. Shut up. SHUT UP!” Red Son screamed, a pillar of flames erupting around him.

Meanwhile MK and his friends had rushed over to try and help.

“Who is this guy? Why does he look like Monkey King? What’s his beef with Red Son?” Mai asked.

“Not to mention why is he so determined to tick him off?” Tang exclaimed. “It’s like he wants him as angry as possible…”

“And also, why is Red Son’s back glowing?” Sandy asked, that got MK attention as his eyes glowed gold and could see the battle clearly. The symbol on Red Son’s back was glowing purple but as if a meter was filling up.

“Oh no…he’s trying to steal Red’s power!” MK cried and leapt into the fray but when he got close enough to attack, he was suddenly grabbed by several shadow monkeys holding him in place with his arms held out, he struggled to get free as a third appeared in front of him.

“Sorry kid, I can’t have you interfering with my plan. Tell you what? I’m just going to put you in a little time out” and before MK could ask what he meant the shadow Macaque swung down with his staff onto MK’s arm. A flash of pain quickly became a surging wave of agony as Macaque broke MK’s arm with ease.

That howl of pain broke Red Son out of his enraged state and he spun around to see MK fall to the floor with shadows swirling around, MK was holding his arm and sobbing in pain, his friends running to help. Macaque sniggered as Red Son looked on in horror.

“Hah hah hah! Really? Are you seriously concerned for Monkey King’s little protégé? That’s hilarious no wonder your family is ashamed of you!” Macaque laughed and twirling his staff as he headed to MK. “But hey if you want, how about I just kill him now? I’ll let you take the scraps back to daddy dearest maybe then he can look at you and not have to fight the urge to throw up!”

The ringing sound seem to get louder as another crack could be heard, Macaque looked back just in time to see an explosion of blue fire engulf the area and take on the form of a giant bull. Macaque beamed happily seeing in the centre of this creation was Red Son, blue fire streaming out of his eyes and mouth.

“I knew those rumours had to be true!” he cackled “I’m going to be taking that power of yours thank you!” and leapt forward only for the fire bull to head butt him with such force he was sent sprawling and he had to roll onto his feet as the infernal heat of two huge hoofs slammed down around him. He leapt up again to swing down his staff but it burned away before it even came close.

“Man, the True Fire of Samadhi is certainly worth the hype” Macaque chuckled, he rushed forward dodging the flames getting ever closer to Red Son to make that final strike and steal the power. Only to blindsided by a staff to the ribs which sent him stumbling off kilter and away from Red Son, he looked back at MK who with one arm hanging limply was gripping the staff with the other. Too late did he realise that he took his attention off Red Son before he was blasted into the sea by the roaring fire beast. It stood there for a second before evaporating into the air and Red Son fell to the floor with a heavy thump, he rubbed his head gingerly as he got up.

“MK are you ok?!” Mai cried out.

“Hold on let me get my med kit!” Sandy stated as he rushed back to his ship.

“Who was that guy?!”

“Bad news…” MK spluttered “Very bad news”

Red Son staggered back to them as Sandy rushed over with a med kit, MK and the others looked up at Red Son as he approached.

“Dude what was that? That looked awesome! How come you’ve never done that before?” Mai asked. “I mean I’m glad you haven’t you would’ve kicked our butts if you could but why not until now?”

“Is MK, okay?” he asked.

“Just a broken bone, I’m out of the fighting scene for a while, but I’ll live!” MK grunted with a pain smile.

“I…I feel hot” Red Son muttered to himself.

“Yeah, you are! You were on fire figuratively and literally! You sent that Monkey King Rip off packing!”

“Red…Red are you ok?” Tang asked as he noticed that Red Son was now struggling to remain standing Tang gasped when he saw his face.

“Red! What’s wrong with you?” he cried, Red Son felt wetness on his face and put his fingers up to it, he pulled it away to see blood. The others froze in disbelief as blood dripped from Red Son’s eyes and mouth, he just looked at his hand blankly.

“I…I…don’t know…why…do I feel…so…hot…” with that the ground rushed up to greet him as he blacked out. The last thing he heard was MK screaming out his name.

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

Monkey King lounged on his cloud enjoying the afternoon sun on his fur, he had to wonder if it was ok to let MK make that agreement with Red Son but if it meant that he didn’t have to deal with Demon Bull King’s half-baked son running around his mountain then he didn’t care. It wasn’t like MK hadn’t beaten him before anyway.

Not to mention it gave him time to cook up more lessons for when he gets back from his Truce Buddy play date, teaching was a lot more complex than he thought.

He opened his eyes when he sensed the presence of others nearby, he leapt down to investigate but relaxed when he realised, they were the familiar auras of MK and his friends. But that feeling quickly died when Mai ran in looking terrified.

“Monkey King we need your help, its urgent!” she cried as she gasped for breath.

“what’s wrong?” he said suddenly concerned, it wasn’t like MK friends to approach him like this.

“This Monkey King look-alike attacked and…” she began.

“Macaque? What happened?” he asked but before Mai could answer he dashed down to find MK, Monkey King gave a small sigh of relief when he saw MK walking through the temple with Sandy and Tang but that was quickly side stepped with a wave of rage as he saw his protégé was nursing a broken arm.

“What. Did. He. Do?” he snarled.

“Don’t worry about me, it’s…” MK began.

“Don’t worry? DON’T WORRY!? HE BROKE YOUR ARM!” He roared “I’m gonna kill him when I find him!” his nimbus flew to his side and he got ready to leap onto it when MK grabbed his cloak.

“Wait please!” MK begged which brought pause to the impulsive immortal, “we need your help with someone else…we didn’t know who else to turn to…” he gestured to Sandy who was walking tenderly with something no, someone in his arms. Monkey King strode over to see Red Son nestled in the giant’s embrace, his skin glisten with sweat, dried blood caked around his eyes and mouth and his breathing sounded painfully ragged and short, Red Son gave a grimace of pain and began to shiver.

“Bring him through and tell me EXACTLY what happened!” Monkey King demanded as he rushed through and began to rummage through his hut.

“Macaque attacked Red Son and I think he was trying to do to him what he did to me. I tried to stop him but Macaque just broke my arm…” MK looked up when he heard the smash of pottery to see Monkey King had accidently broken a jar in his grip. “But then…Red Son defeated him using a giant bull made of blue fire!”

Monkey King spun around to look at him.

“Blue fire? He used blue fire? Oh no this is not good!” he leapt up into the tree and began to grab peaches, jumping back down he began to mush them into a paste rapidly adding other ingredients faster than MK could register what they are.

“Why? What’s wrong with him?” MK glanced back at Red Son who Sandy had laid out on a blanket nearby. Red Son curled up clutching his stomach in pain as sweat poured off him.

“Go get water from the spring nearby, ice if you have it” Monkey King commanded to Sandy Tang and Mai “We need to bring his body temperature down!” they rushed to comply as Monkey King knelt next to Red Son.

“But…but’s he’s Red Son! The guy walks around on fire all the time why is it hurting him now?” MK asked feeling utterly helpless.

“Because he normally uses mortal fire to do it, that blue stuff is dangerous its fire in its purest form.” Monkey King explained sitting Red Son up and holding the bowl up to his lips.

“Drink up buddy this’ll help…”

Red Son groggily opened his eyes to see…a monkey…the monkey that attacked him! He gave a strangled cry and swatted him away, Monkey King darted back and grabbed the bowl before it could spill its contents. Red Son staggered to his feet but fell back on to his knees, blue fire rippling over him in defence.

“Get away from me!” he cried.

“Buddy I’m trying to help, if you don’t drink this, you’re going to roast yourself alive!” Monkey King declared and tried to pin him down but that just made Red panicked even more; weakly struggling to escape the Monkey King’s grip when that didn’t work engulfed himself in blue fire which cause Monkey King to flinch and back off momentarily. MK gave a gasp as he noticed Monkey King’s singed hands, he had seen Monkey King take on worse than a small fire and walk away unscathed, can this blue fire hurt the immortal warrior? This train of thought was broken when MK looked up to see Red Son scrambling away blindly looking for a way out.

“Get away! Don’t come near me!”

“Demon boy calm down!” Monkey King shouted and tried to grab him again but Red Son could see he was trapped and too weak to fight so just clung to the wall.

“I won’t let you!”

“Let me what? Help you?”

“I WON’T LET YOU STEAL THE ONLY PART OF ME WORTH HAVING!” Red Son screamed tearfully; Monkey King just stared at him as Red Son collapsed on the floor again the fire dying back to small embers around him. He coughed and spluttered and MK stared in disgust as blood splattered onto the floor.

“Monkey King…I think you’re scaring him” he said softly.

“I’m trying to help him why can’t he see that?” Monkey King demanded.

“He’s delirious or something, he can’t tell you and Macaque apart; he’s probably terrified because he thinks Macaque’s back to finish the job.”

“Then what are we supposed to do?”

“I’ll give him the medicine”

“Kid you’re not fire proof, if he flares up again broken bones will be the least of your concerns!”

“Let me try” MK said quietly and took the bowl off Monkey King and slowly walked up to Red Son who was trembling.

“Hey Red…it’s me” he said softly. “Remember? Truce Buddies? We were going to just hang out today and relax…” Red Son looked up at MK and he could see how absolutely ragged and worn out he was, he wasn’t sure if Red Son was trembling from the fever or pain or from the sheer terror of being utterly helpless in front of his sworn enemies.

“N…noodle boy? What…what’s going on? Every…everything feels hot and …it…it hurts…” he whimpered as he curled up again, MK knelt down in front of him.

“I have something that will help but you need to drink it ok?” MK explained holding it out, Red Son looked at it and took it, with shaky hands he brought it to his mouth to drink. He gave another wince before finishing the mixture.

“Did it help?” MK asked, Red Son clutched his sides and gave a staggered moan of pain. Monkey King approached quietly and picked him up. MK panicked when he noticed that Red Son had gone limp.

“Is he okay??!” he cried, Monkey King laid him back on the mat as Mai and the others brought two buckets of bagged ice and four of water. As they applied the ice around him, they could hear it sizzle and the ice began to quickly melt.

“The mixture should have numbed his pain and help heal him, hopefully he should be ok but for now all we can do is keep him cool and let him rest.” Monkey King explained as he looked at MK who was staring at Red Son’s body with tears in his eyes.

“Let’s get your arm sorted now, alright kid?”

“He’s going to be okay right?” MK asked in a strained voice.

“Like I said all we can do is wait…”

“Ok…”MK mumbled as the adrenaline finally wore off, he hit the floor as he collapsed from the pain.

#monkie kid red son #monkie kid mk #spicynoodleshipping #if you squint #monkie kid macaque #blueson

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