#adoptable plot bunny

[ninjanaomi]

Post Time-skip

The first few nights, neither of them could sleep.

There was a gap between them.

But Zoro knew where his captain liked to sit when he wanted to be alone. And Luffy had never turned away his first mate's silent company. Or maybe Zoro simply understood when it was welcome and when it wasn't.

Luffy didn't truly want to be alone, right now.

By the fourth night, the silence was familiar. Not comfortable exactly, but less like a weight.

Zoro braved the words he'd been holding in his chest. "I should have been there with you. I'm so sorry."

Luffy shook his head. "It takes a lot of good people to replace what you are to me in a fight like that. I had them. It still wasn't enough. A lot of them died. I won't apologize for being glad you were somewhere else."

Zoro swallowed, digesting the words. Then he said the ones that really mattered. "I'm sorry you lost your brother. He was--" Great. Formidable. A bright heart, like yours. A good man. None of those accolades were what mattered. He had been Luffy's brother. Nothing could give that back. "It's terrible. I'm sorry it happened."

Luffy didn't say anything. But after a moment, he nodded.

Zoro shifted closer, so their shoulders touched. He didn't say anything either.

They went back to watching the water again, until it got too cold, again.

This time when Zoro offered his captain a hand up, he took it.

The next night was more companionable. They fished. Or pretended to.

In the late hours it became a talking night again.

"I hate that you got hurt so badly." Zoro mentioned. Like he was remarking on the breeze negatively.

Luffy snorted, kicking his feet. There was still an awful tingle in his spine when he remembered it.

He pretended to think about the fish. They weren't that interesting when they weren't biting.

He held back from asking as long as he could.

"Can you open your eye?"

Zoro laughed. "Not without my fingers."

Luffy suddenly turned on his knees, facing him with that bright, pleading look that Zoro hated turning down.

"Can I see it?"

The swordsman sighed. He switched his grip on his fishing pole and wiped his hand on his clothes before lifting it to his face.

There was a cloudy film over his dark iris, with a gnarly white seam down the middle, just where the scar rested on the lid above.

"Whoa!" Luffy exclaimed, "Cool!"

Zoro smirked, "Thanks."

[tuytien]

Soulmate AU in which a painless mark appears on someone’s skin every time their soulmate gets an injury that should have turned into a scar.

Xue Yang’s skin is flawless. He never had to pay the price for someone else's mistake, was never forced to bear the burden of a stranger’s weakness. Xue Yang feels invincible; he is free, utterly convinced that he does not have a soulmate at all. (who could possibly go through life without ever getting hurt?)

During their years together in Yi City, Xue Yang eventually sees that Xiao Xingchen’s body is littered with soulmarks. He almost starts to pity Xiao Xingchen for being tied to Song Lan.

Xue Yang’s irritation grows the longer he stands as the sole witness to each of those (“harmless”, “long-forgotten”) markings on Xiao Xingchen. How unfair. Xue Yang is quick to embrace his resentment, the only feeling that remains familiar now. It still burns warmly in his chest, alight with clarity.  

Xue Yang has never felt more triumphant, more accomplished than the moment Shanghua pierces through Song Lan. The last mark that will ever appear on XXC! And all thanks to Xue Yang! This one can finally be his.

Much too late, XY finds out that he has always been dreadfully wrong. After replacing the bloodied ribbon over XXC’s eyes. While changing XXC’s blood-stained robes.

XY was averting his gaze to ignore a darkening flaw over XXC’s heart, so his eyes stray instead to the fresher mark resting on XXC’s belly. He can’t stop staring at the proof of his gravest error.  

Days later, XY dares to look in a mirror. He claws at the first and only blemish on his skin, running across his throat.  

[tuytien]

What if Xue Yang has some fun with feelings by mercilessly toying with Xiao Xingchen’s heart:

Xiao Xingchen’s affection for Xue Yang grows stronger the longer they settle in Yi City, but he is content to leave his love unrequited rather than risk compromising their companionship/domesticity.

Xue Yang happens to be completely aware of Xiao Xingchen’s fondness for him. No one has ever dared to dote on Xue Yang before, so now he finds great amusement in feigning ignorance/innocence to tease and exploit the poor Daozhang’s feelings  

Life is going good (for Xue Yang) until a nighthunt forces XXC to make a Heroic Sacrifice to save XY

After nearly losing XXC, Xue Yang finally realizes he also wants XXC while nursing him back to health...

[tuytien]

XueXiao Fake Date (canonverse)

prompt: A village is relentlessly tormented by a malevolent creature that only targets lovers, so Xiao Xingchen and Xue Yang have to pretend to be a couple to act as a lure

+++

[horizon-roulette]

Disclaimer: I do not need anymore alts, don't encourage me, this is not a character idea I plan to pursue like at all. Take it if you want, run with it, get it away from me! Plus I'll need whatever space I have left for more green people prolly. Who I don't need either but... I am weak. Argh.

That being said! It would be amazing to see Gilnean siblings or family or loves or besties -basically people who were really close end up on different factions and figure out how they cope with that.  Gilneas was in chaos, Worgen and Undead everywhere, a lot of people ended up one or the other. I was just thinking about how tragic and weird and interesting that could be. Like, they would both perceive themselves AND each other to be monsters... Could they overcome the Worgen/Forsaken hatred thing? Do they keep it a secret? Are they in denial?  Do they meet in secret? Encounter each other on the battlefield? Are their loyalties torn by the news? How do they cope?

There's just so much story fodder there.  Plus, I haven't come across many Forsaken Gilnean RPers and it'd be interesting to see.

I dunno, just a thought.