Glorious Garbage

Ace of Hearts. Fandoms: Magnus Archives, Critical Role, Malevolent Podcast, random shit. (If you are still around after all this 1) why? 2) I love you.) (Not a spoiler free blog, feel free to ask if you need anything tagged)

[this-is-such-a-bad-decision]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

"John is a god of dreams, Faroe is a human sacrifice, Kayne has a hilarious idea, and Arthur is understandably upset."

Written for @malevolentfantasyweek , please proceed if you enjoy Good Dad!Arthur content and John unwillingly developing feelings.

[clovercowgirl]

if we are all smoking project hail mary crossovers i have been thinking about a world where 6 months after the launch of the hail mary, the borant corp. takes earth and begins the crawl. and grace just narrowly misses all of that shit happening

[clovercowgirl]

grace: wow it really was fucked up that they made me go on a suicide mission against my will

rocky: #true

[MEANWHILE]

eva stratt back on earth currently 9 floors deep into the world dungeon: if we time the airstrike right we can knock out a third of the dream's army in a single blow

rosetta thagra, who she's having lesbian sex with right now: thats true but we'll need to pull our troops from that quadrant without drawing attention and tipping them off that something is wrong. would it be a worthwhile use of one of our mass-paralysis traps?

[this-is-such-a-bad-decision]

HELLO OP, I HAVE BEEN THINKING OF THIS POST FOR 2 DAYS AND I AM IN LOVE WITH CRAWLER EVA STRATT

Eva Stratt gave everything she had to Project Hail Mary, sent her closest friend kicking and screaming to his death, and tore the planet apart to try and buy them more time. And it was all for nothing, because intergalactic corporate fish fixed the astrophage problem with a wave of their fins at the same time that they killed the majority of the population, and now the world she tried so hard to save is being used to make bad reality television. 

The AI is going to have a *Field Day* rubbing that in her face.

My first instinct is to say Eva would be a support class that focuses on getting what her allies need to win, playing off her ample experience of finding the right people for the job and bullying them into doing what needs to be done. But I could also see her picking up an impressive spell or weapon early on and deciding that it’s time for her to take a more hands-on approach to saving the world. Either way, she still knows the importance of surrounding herself with competent people and makes that a priority. (Maybe she gets some unique class options for actually being a former world leader now competing for regency of the planet.)

I am leaning towards human or primal for her race selection. Not because she is unwilling to change herself for a better chance at winning, but because she probably relies a lot on other crawlers recognizing her as someone competent who should be listened to. On the other hand, she did nuke the antarctic and pave the Sahara, so it might be better if she’s not immediately recognizable to people who could be upset about that, or even just by people who would love the opportunity to finally kill a “politician” with impunity. Whatever option gives her the best chance of winning back her world is what she’s going with; heck, I could see her picking the brain slug if she knew she could find a good body right away.

I have so many more thoughts (particularly on her interactions with Carl and some of the other named crawlers), but I gotta go to bed, we’ll see if I can shape them into something coherent by the weekend.

[calebwittebane]

are we serious

[kuttithevangu]

How I feel about this varietal of cat

[elliebartlets]

i don’t know what’s better scully’s facial expressions or mulder walking out the door

[dreamofless]

this is so silly.

[spaceshipsandpurpledrank]

[astruma2]

[crackshipsandregret]

Curious pebble (2/?)

Part 1 // Part 3

[dailynarnia]

is jake gyllenhaal gay??

why would you ask us, a narnia blog, this

[helloitsbees]

happy pride month to this post specifically

[viralfrog]

[dragongirlbunny]

[catasters]

[warl0ck-arts]

Perfection.

[audhdspacewizard]

"I wish I had something that could store energy and also absorb vibrations."

The faithful and compressable spring:

[voidsetup1]

and out of the darkness - you you you you you

[theladysunami]

Many other people have already posted their thoughts on the various peaks of Cang Qiong Mountain sect, so I figure I might as well throw my own thoughts and preferred headcanons out there.

First, my thoughts on the peaks we know exist but don't know much about in terms of their specialties:

Xian Shu Peak: Textiles Peak

This is my favorite headcanon for the all women's peak! The textiles industry is a big part of Chinese history, and was traditionally considered to be women's work, so it would only make sense for it to be Xian Shu Peak's peak specialty. It's not just one specific skill either, as spinning, weaving, dying, garment making, embroidery, rope/cord-making, etc. are all a part of the industry.

As they are a cultivation peak, I expect some of the products of their work to be defensive robes with talismans or incantations stitched into the fabric, Qiankun bags or sleeves, spirit trapping pouches, etc. If rope making is included in their preview, they could also be involved in making immortal binding cables, nets, and so forth.

Edit: There is actually a handy little quote regarding Xian Shu Peak that could be used for evidence of this:

Okay, in fact, what he really wanted to say was: Qing Jing Peak really fucking knows how to use people for all they’re worth! They were the ones who made all the trouble! If you were helping Xian Shu Peak’s female immortals and fairy maidens transport cosmetics, hair pins, new clothes, and whatnot, even if it was tiring, at least you felt light in your heart. Though it was hard for the body, it was sweet to the soul.

Volume 4, Chapter 26

Now you could interpret this to mean the Xian Shu Peak is buying all these things for it's disciples, but I think it's more fun to interpret these as things the peak actually produces!

As such, I'm adding cosmetics and jewelry making to the list of Xian Shu Peak specialties, alongside textiles.

Ku Xing Peak: Rites, Rituals and Purification Peak

We don't know much about Ku Xing Peak except that they live an aesthetic lifestyle. As it's common for individuals to take on certain aspects of aestheticism (simple clothes, restricted diets, abstinence, etc.) before engaging in many types of rituals, I'm inclined to believe a peak that practices aestheticism at all times would be particularly well suited for such tasks.

I tend to imagine their peak being similar to the Gusu Lan Clan, minus the music aspect (music being Qing Jing's purview). They could specialize in things like summoning spirits, communing with the dead, dispelling resentment, exorcisms, purifying objects or locations, properly laying the dead to rest, etc.

Since SVSSS predominantly focuses on demons, not ghosts, it's only natural a peak that deals more in spiritual cleansing and laying the dead to rest wouldn't be involved in the plot much.

Zui Xian Peak: Potions and Elixers Peak

While lots of fanfics make jokes about Zui Xian being a peak for alcoholics (which is completely fair, as this is the dick joke filled world of SVSSS we're talking about), my first thought upon learning of Zui Xian Peak's specialty was the immorality granting heavenly wine in the Journey to the West. Looking into the matter more, I've since learned that wine has actually been a huge part of Chinese medicine since the Han Dynasty. The traditional character for medicine even includes the radical for wine!

With this kind of precedent, it seems only logical that Zui Xian Peak doesn't merely make alcohol for social and/or enjoyment purposes, it's quite likely to be the ‘external alchemy’ peak of Cang Qiong Mountain. I expect they grow and process at least some of their own grains, herbs and other ingredients, along with performing other alcohol and potion making tasks like brewing, distilling, extracting, fermenting, filtering, infusing, and so on.

Next, my thoughts on what the three mystery peaks might be:

I am not going to try and name these peaks, as I struggle with naming things even in my own native tongue.

Hunting, Trapping and Scouting Peak

Having read MDZS before SVSSS, I found the distinct lack of archery in SVSSS to be quite peculiar. As the peak of scholars and strategists, I suppose it's only logical Qing Jing Peak focuses on the four scholarly arts (the guqin, strategy games, calligraphy, and painting), rather then the six arts of Confucian gentlemen (rites, music, archery, equestrianism, calligraphy, and mathematics), but that does leave several ‘arts’ free to be claimed by other peaks! This inspired me to think up a hunting and scouting peak, where disciples excel at archery and equestrianism.

Since mounted archers became a significant aspect of Chinese warfare in the 4th century BC, thanks to King Wuling of Zhao, I'd say having cultivators of this sort in a Xianxia setting is perfectly reasonable. Giving Cang Qiong Mountain sect scouts also nicely fills the gap in their martial capabilities. Without this peak they have strategists, weapon craftsman, ground troops, and suppliers, but no reconnaissance forces!

I also consider this peak to be the rough equivalent of the ‘Beast Taming Peak’ so many works are fond of. Who else could breed and control hundreds of spirit eagles for the Immortal Alliance Conference but a group of cultivators focused on scouting missions? As supernaturally superior mounts and spirit (hunting) dogs would be incredibly helpful to them, they'd likely engage in horse and dog breeding programs as well! Their skill as hunters and trappers would also permit them both to provide game for Cang Qiong Mountain sect, and to aid in the rounding up of various living monsters for both alchemical ingredient harvesting and for releasing at events like the Immortal Alliance Conference.

In summary, this peak would produce disciples skilled at equestrianism, archery, falconry, animal husbandry, scouting, herb gathering, hunting, trapping, etc. For anyone familiar with D&D, I did basically make a Ranger peak here, but I stand by that decision!

Edit: I've since read a couple of xianxia works in which certain cultivation techniques are said to be more likely to trigger latent bloodline abilities gained from spirit beast or yao ancestry. In many novels, spirit beasts are also able to disguise their qi signatures much more easily then human cultivators, either by suppressing them or blending them in with their environment – incredibly useful talents for members of a hunting and scouting peak!

With these two things in mind, it would be perfect if this peak also produced far more disciples who successfully unlock latent bloodline abilities than any other peak in the sect.

Artifacts, Arrays and Invention Peak

Every time I read a work with some variation on the "Mad Scientist Peak" I adore it, so naturally I have to include this type of peak as well. This peak would be for the Wei Wuxians of the cultivation world, hoping to revolutionize cultivation society!

Their focus would be mathematics, spell geometry, arrays, talismans, non-medicinal alchemy (aka ancient materials science), engineering, glassforming, and of course artifact recovery, study and creation. The crystal mirror ‘surveillance equipment’ from the Immortal Alliance Conference? These guys would be the ones that developed it!

Agriculture, Earthworks and Architecture Peak

While I admittedly don't know the nuances of feng shui, I am at least aware there is far more to it then what you usually see in western depictions. In MDZS, it's noted that an area having bad feng shui (like Yi City) can cause premature death, disaster, and an increase in all sorts of nasty supernatural phenomena! With this in mind, a peak that focuses on connecting to and harmonizing with one's environment seems perfect for the final Cang Qiong Mountain peak.

I don't imagine this peak doing much of the actual building in the sect (that's An Ding's job) but when it comes to designing the sect's buildings, or altering its geography through earthworks, they're the ones to talk to. They probably would study weather patterns, rivers, and other aspects of nature and energy flow as well. I also see them as producing at least some of the sect’s food supply, and most of their spirit herbs, using their skills to encourage a positively supernatural abundance of plants.

In short, disciples of this peak would be skilled with things like architectural design, earthworks, geography, topography, hydrology, irrigation, agriculture, meteorology, element manipulation, etc.

Edit: If SVSSS’s heavenly realms have anything akin to TGCF’s elemental masters, there is probably an unusually high chance they come from this peak.

Edit 2: I've since decided that this peak probably focuses more on rare flowers, spirit herbs and magical fruits (or vegetables), while Zui Xian Peak is the main producer of rice and other grains. Having a group of disciples focused on tending to (or figuring out how to grow) rare spiritual and mystical plant species is actually pretty common. Spiritual herbs can be quite fussy about their environments, so this peak's expertise would be ideal for figuring out how to grow them in a controlled setting.

[high-pot-in-noose]

Terms You Might Want To Know For Your Wuxia/Xianxia Fic

MXTX's danmei are getting increasingly popular, and the fandoms are getting more fic-happy. I've noticed that some writers seem interested in writing their own fics but are concerned of making mistakes with niche honorifics and titles. I've noticed some that have jumped right in, but have made innocent errors that I'd like to correct but fear coming off as rude or presumptuous. And so I've made this list of terms that covers the basics and also some that are a little more niche since they're usually directly translated in cnovels.

DISCLAIMER: This is by no means a comprehensive list of everything one needs to know or would want to know concerning ancient Chinese honorifics and titles, merely what I myself consider useful to keep in mind.

Titles

Shifu: 'Martial father'; gender-neutral

Shizun: 'Martial father'; more formal than 'shifu'; gender-neutral

Shimu: ‘Martial mother’; wife of your martial teacher

Shiniang: ‘Martial mother’; wife of your martial teacher who is also a martial teacher

Shibo: elder apprentice-brother of your shifu; gender-neutral

Shishu: younger apprentice-brother of your shifu; gender-neutral

Shigu: apprentice-sister of your shifu

Shizhi: your martial nephew/niece

Shimei: younger female apprentice of the same generation as you

Shijie: elder female apprentice of the same generation as you

Shidi: younger male apprentice of the same generation as you

Shixiong: elder male apprentice of the same generation as you

Shige: elder male apprentice of the same generation as you, specifically one who has the same shifu as you or is the son of your shifu

Zhanglao: an elder of your sect

Zhangbei: a senior of your sect

Qianbei: a senior not of your sect

Wanbei: a junior not of your sect

Zongzhu: Address for a clan leader

Zhangmen: address for a sect leader

Daozhang: Daoist priests or simply a cultivator in general; gender-neutral

Daogu: Daoist priestess or a female cultivator; not as commonly used as 'daozhang'

Xiangu: Daoist priestess or a female cultivator; not as commonly used as 'daogu'

Sanren: a wandering cultivator

Xianren: 'Immortal Official'; a title of respect and power like 'General'

Xiuzhe: 'Cultivator', can be shortened to 'Xiu'

Xianjun: 'Immortal Master/Lord'

Xianshi: 'Immortal Master/Teacher'

Dashi: 'Great Teacher', address for monks

Xiansheng: Teacher/Sir; in ancient China, the connotation is very scholastic

Houye: address for a duke

Jueye: address for a noble lord, ei. a duke, marquess, earl, etc.

Wangye: address for king/imperial prince

Daren: address for imperial officials

Furen: Madam; the wife of an imperial official/nobleman OR a married woman granted a rank by the royal family

Nushi: Madam; the counterpart of 'xiansheng', connotation is scholastic

Taitai: Madam; address for an old married woman of the gentry, either wife or mother to head of household

Laoye: Old Lord; Address for an adult man with adult children of the gentry; possibly head of household

Nainai: Madam; Address for a married woman of the gentry, possibly wife of head of household

Ye: Lord; address for an adult man of the gentry, possibly head of household

Shaonainai: Young Madam; address for a woman married to a young man of the gentry

Shaoye: Young Lord; address for a young man or boy of the gentry, generation lower than head of household

Xiaoye: Little Lord; can be a synonym for ‘shaoye’ OR the son of a shaoye if ‘shaoye’ is already being used within the family

Xiaojie: Young Mistress; address for an unmarried woman or young girl of . . . the gentry and only the gentry, I believe. Correct me if you know for certain this is incorrect. (WARNING - It's an archaic term that should really only be used in an archaic setting if being used as a title instead of a suffix, because the modern vernacular has it as a term for a prostitute in mainland China. [Surname]-xiaojie is fine; Xiaojie by itself should be avoided.)

Gongzi: ‘Young Master/Lord/Sir'; ‘Childe’; young man from a household of the noble or gentry class

Guniang: 'Young Master/Lady/Miss'; ‘Maiden’; an unmarried woman or young girl from a household of the noble or gentry class

Laozhang: 'Old battle'; polite address for an unrelated old man of lower status than you

Laobo: polite address for an unrelated old man of a higher status that you

Laotou: 'Old man'; informal but not derogatory, implies fondness/closeness

Laopopo: 'Old woman'; informal but not derogatory, implies fondness/closeness

Please note that all of these listed above can be used as stand-alone titles or as suffixed honorifics.

Strictly Prefix/Suffix

-shi: 'Clan'; the suffix for a married woman, essentially means 'née'. (ex. Say Wei Wuxian was a woman and married into the Lan clan through a standard marriage. She would be called 'Wei-shi' by her husband's contemporaries and elders when not in a formal setting. It implies lack of closeness; used by acquaintances.)

a-: A prefix that shows affection or intimacy.

-er: A suffix that shows affection or intimacy; typically for children or those younger than you

-jun: 'Nobleman'; a suffix for a greatly respected man

-zun: 'Revered One'; a suffix for a greatly respected man

-ji: A suffix for a female friend

-bo: A suffix for an older man of your grandparents' generation

-po: A suffix for an older woman of your grandparents' generation

[ratmail]

is he baby girl enough

the still if anyone else wants him as a desktop wallpaper

[sortumavaara]

Got inspired by @red-garden 's wise words about shrinking Shen Qingqiu (Jiu) and having him smushed between Yue Qingyuan's pecs.

What I imagined: 1. He gets shrunk, doesn't matter how, ask airplane. The important bit is that YQY finds him, tiny and pathetic, thinks foul play has happened and just grabs SQQ, stuffing him under every layer he has, right by his heart (tits). ( It's the safest spot - he can't put Xiao Jiu in a pocket or sleeve, what if he falls out or gets crushed, can't use a pouch, that hasn't been tested on living humans, can't have him visible, what if someone sees him and attacks and he can't protect him. This way, the only way Xiao Jiu can get hurt is if YQY takes a mortal blow. He's catastrophising like he's seen the human stick ending. )

2. Initially mad as hell about getting manhandled and shoved under the several layers the sect leader wears, SQQ probably bites him if he can get the chance. He'll settle down soon enough though: world hard & cold; titty warm and soft as they say.

3. Meanwhile YQY has been moving at mach 3 towards the meeting hall (or whatever that place is called) where everyone else important is, waiting on them. He's hyperventilating and sweating, maybe almost crying. He doesn't know how to fix this. Immeadiately starts stripping his upper body when the doors close behind him - this earns several appropriate reactions from his fellow kids peak lords, who probably think he's been hit by a papapa plant or possessed. That is until SQQ pops out, on the verge of overheating and kinda damp (some more appropriate mayhem ensues).

4. I can't decide if SQQ's clothes got shrunk with him or not. I did the illustrations with them (I am too lazy to fight the flag bots today), but on the other hand I want to draw him trying to cover himself with the only piece of fabric that is even remotely a managable size: a ribbon. I did give him a piece of string to tie up his hair in the arts, because the fancy jewelry sure didn't get shrunk.

4.5 Also I really want YQY to have to go around doll makers with the most luxurious and light fabric (so expensive) trying to get them make the now tiny SQQ clothes (he's wearing a napkin probably).

[red-garden]

I MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOGHHYH *throws up from excitement*

[buff-shizun]

Secret Wife AU:

Taking Her Home.

"Your name is Lirong?”

“Shen Lirong now, Husband.”

Shizun- Shen Qingqiu- frowns. He turns to her, their arms still linked together, and lays a hand upon her own. Then he, hesitates.

“...Miss Lirong-”

“Wife,” She corrects. She is gentle, but firm. They are married now; She won't hear her husband call her so distantly or allow him to leave their new bond unacknowledged.

Her insistence came so swiftly, however. It throws off whatever winds were gathering in Shen Qingqiu's sails, and takes him a moment to find his words once more.

“...Wife.” He tries. Lirong smiles and rewards him with a soft hand upon his own, returning his call with a sweet: “Yes, husband?”

Phoenix eyes fall to her touch sharply, growing wide before flying back to her face.

She thinks- expects, for just for a moment- of seeing those eyes begin to fill with want. To see heat curl inside them like incense smoke as her husband’s pupils grow large and dark upon her shapely frame. His reputation preceded him after all, and while she knew him to be long past such vices as visiting brothels, she was also now his legally wedded wife with a body carefully shaped specifically to please his eyes. What hot-blooded man would be able to resist? What husband wouldn't take their new wife to bed? Certainly not her if their roles were switched.

Alas, instead of want and desire, Lirong is met with- something else. Something alarmed and lost, and perhaps a bit afraid. Her hand, her touch, designed slender and soft but calloused like that of a woman who might have wandered as a simple cultivator…well, it might as well be the light wrap of an untightened snare with the way Shen Qingqiu tenses underneath it.

“Husband?” Lirong gives his hand a squeeze. “Is all well?”

“Y-Yes. This master- husband? He is only...”

His mouth opens, shuts, then opens once more, and yet no words come. Something about her seems to have plucked that ability right out of him, but not in a way she currently likes. Worse, the longer she waits for him to gather himself, the more lost and helpless his eyes become; and while she has many grievances in her heart for the master who pushed her away, there was little enjoyment for seeing her new husband so withdrawn and unsure.

Lirong detangles their arms carefully and grasps his hands between her own, doing her best to appear earnest as she looks up at him. “If husband has worries, he need only say them. This wife will do her best to ease them all from now on.”

“That is, well…That's very kind of you,” Shi- Shen Qingqiu carefully pulls his hands away- and Lirong suddenly has to resist the urge to snatch them back. “But we need not pretend this marriage is more than it is.”

“‘More than it is’?” She asks a bit blankly.

“This h-husband does not pretend to know under what circumstances pushed Miss Lirong-” She gives him a stern stare. He frowns, brows drawing in tight, but then sighs with his whole body. “-pushed his wife to come here, but he is sure affection was not one of them-”

“And why not?”

“-so there is no need-” He blinks, “...pardon?”

“Why couldn't it be affection?” She asks. She takes a step into the little space between them, and while Shen Qingqiu does not move away, he does lean a bit back, watching her as if she'd become a predator rather than a wife.

“Well, that is- that is to say, this one is sure he would remember such things if such was the case, however since we only met today-”

“But what if I had seen you from afar? What if I had admired you for some time and finally found my chance in this arrangement?” It wasn't very womanly of her, making the first move, but Lirong was impatient and their wedding bed was so close. Besides, wrapping her arms around her husband’s waist…it almost felt like she belonged there.

Shen Qingqiu sputtered, cheeks faintly reddening. He did not seem to know what to do with his arms, and so did nothing with them besides hold them away from her. “W-W-Well, I- T-This one-”

She pulls herself tighter against him, drawing herself close enough to lay her chin on his chest and gaze up at him with clear, bright eyes. “I have wanted you for some time, and now I finally have you. There is no pretending here. Husband might not feel the same now, but this wife will do her utmost to change his mind.” Lirong gives him a beaming smile, one that she knew he loved from her time as his disciple. “Besides, the fortune teller the Sect Leader hired promised a blessed union between us. ‘There is no better match.’”

“Fortune tellers can be wrong.”

“Not this one.”

It was amazing, watching her husband's keen mind whirl and spin. Such a bright man, it took little time at all for him to come to a conclusion, and when he spoke it sent thrills up her spine.

“Madam Meiyin?”

“Husband is so smart,” She couldn't help but gush. “This wife gives him so little, and yet he understood so quickly.”

“The Sect would never enlist the services of a demon.” He protests, not responding to her statement at all. There is something in his eyes there, something that cuts off her pout before she even starts, but it passes by too quickly for her to pin down.

“Well, they did.” she replies a bit helplessly. “Your Mu-Shidi insisted it was important.”

“Important how?”

“To…’avoid shixiong losing his soul again’?”

Shen Qingqiu looked confused for a moment, but then began to pale rapidly, all expression draining from his face. “...Ah.”

“...Husband?”

He did not reply.

He did not look capable of replying. It was as if he was no longer in her arms at all.

Lirong did not know what was happening, what she had said to cause this, so she held on a bit tighter, watching all tension drain from his body in ways that felt-

-Like he had lost his soul.

[buff-shizun]

Taking Her Home

(Part 2)

In the moments leading up to Lirong's creation, he'd had many thoughts in his head for who she'd wanted to be. Beautiful, tempting, voluptuous, perhaps even graceful, with a face no one could deny as anything short of stunning. He’d wanted to be someone who could stand at Shizun’s side without shame, but also someone who could not eclipse his beloved's own natural beauty.

With cold, methodical calculation, she’d made herself into just that, snipping and shaping until the body in the mirror was nigh recognizable; and when it was done, she'd stared into the mirror for a long time, judging every feature, every flaw-

-And found it wanting.

To anyone else, it would have been a flawless disguise. A beautiful, wonderful body to use for their own. To Binghe, it was lacking…something. So she shaped and snipped and shaped again, and the next result was both better and worse. She was still everything she'd wanted to be, and yet it…felt wrong. Offputting.

It had taken Meng Mo’s interference to understand. Quite simply, there wasn't enough of him left. It was as if his body had become a total stranger and so her mind rejected it. Meng Mo's follow up advice had been simple: add more of himself.

There was relief in that. Luo Binghe had wanted to make himself the perfect woman in Shizun’s eyes. Someone who would invoke passion and recklessness, who could cause others to act a fool for just a glimpse and inspire jealousy in his beloved's heart. However, while he wasn't vain, Luo Binghe could admit that the idea of Shizun falling for a face that wasn't quite his sat a bit wrong in his chest.

Now, with an excuse she could accept, she thought of the parts of himself her dear Shizun had loved and the face he'd always greeted with a smile, and shifted.

The results were…oh, they were much better. It was still his face, but rounded with feminine softness. Still his body, but curved in gentle rolls. She'd made herself shorter, about the height she remembered being about level with Shizun's chest- for no particular reason whatsoever.

Sadly, she'd had to give up her curls, it was too much of a defining feature; but surely wavy hair would attract a certain touch just as well? She'd made sure the thickness and texture had remained much the same, so surely…

Just in case, she'd added a couple of small beauty marks to her face. One below her eye, and one to the side of her mouth. She hadn't been sure about that edition, thinking it might be too much, but then her mind had bombarded her with vivid images of Shizun leaning in to kiss those places, and, well…she might have added one or two to her neck and shoulders too. Just in case. And maybe a few in other places too…

All this to say, when Lirong had come into creation, she'd put little thought into things such as muscle tone, physical fitness, or even calluses beyond what would be reasonable and attractive on a woman who may or may not have a background as a wandering Cultivator. Even her scars had been scrutinized heavily, thinking only about what story she could tell if asked so that she'd get away with keeping them. (A cultivator with a decent foundation didn't usually gain scars, after all.)

The result was a body that appeared sleek as a cat, but perhaps was more bear in practice. When she'd discovered this, Lirong had luckily been far away from human eyes. Unluckily, however, it was far too late to do anything about it. She just had to be careful from that point on.

That went out the window the moment her husband became a doll in her arms. And perhaps, so did a few other things.

“Husband?” Lirong called softly. She brushed a strand of hair behind his ear and took his hand into both of her own. “Q-Qingqiu? Can you hear me?”

She’d never said his name before. It felt odd on her tongue. Forbidden, almost. But as his wife, did she not have the right to call him so familiarly?

“The Madam need not worry,” Mu-shishu said some distance back. “Shixiong's episode will pass soon enough. These things never leave lasting damage either, so the Madam need not fear for Shixiong’s mind.”

Lirong did not look at him. She did not even glance his way. Somewhere behind her was the clinking of glasses and the soft slide of silks, and every reminder of her shishu’s lingering presence only served to irk her more.

“...This master feels he must apologize.”

She gritted her teeth and tried not to hiss. “Indeed?”

“It was unfair to leave Madam Shen in the dark. This master foolishly believed Shixiong would not suffer such on this day, and so made no contingencies nor plans. Because of this, Madam Shen suffered a great fright that could have been avoided. Please forgive this foolish healer.”

She wouldn't. She refused. Not because of any failure involving her, but for Mu-shishu's- and indeed the rest of her husband's martial siblings!- failure to adequately care for and treat her husband; because surely there was a treatment for this? Surely there was something more than ‘sit and wait’!

Whatever Mu Qingfang took from her silence, it certainly wasn't dismissal. Instead he crossed the distance between them and laid a small booklet on Qingqiu's night stand.

“This one had made plans to give this to Madam Shen discretely in a few days.” He murmurs, as if afraid Qingqiu would hear. “They are methods of easing Shen-shixiong through these moments or detecting them before they start.”

Lirong watches Qingqiu gaze blankly through her, hoping maybe he would hear. That maybe he'd twitch, or sigh. When he doesn't, she tries to hide her disappointment, turning instead to glare at the little booklet thoughtfully, before finally staring at Mu Qingfang's offending presence.

“If they truly help, why did husband not already have this information on hand? Would it not be good for him to carry this on his person in case of moments like these?”

“Madam Shen will find that treating her husband is not so easy.” He taps the cover, “This is the fifth time this shidi has left such a thing here, and yet without fail it always becomes ‘lost.’”

Lirong purses her lips. ‘Lost’, ah?

“In the past, this Shidi has also personally offered options to ease Shixiong's heart demons; and indeed he has also offered counsel. Shixiong avoids it all without fail.”

Oh, Qingqiu. Why?

Mu Qingfang observes her expression for a moment. She does not know what she looks like, but it seems to convince the man of something, as his next words are odd.

“Madam Shen is new to the Sect. She will find that her place here will be undisputed.”

“Ah…yes? This wife indeed hopes so.” She replies, a bit thrown.

“However, she may find her place in Shixiong’s heart is not so easily claimed.”

…what?

Lirong's heart begins to gallop in her chest. “What does Healer Mu mean by that?”

He shakes his head. “Grief is a hard thing to overcome. Shixiong has not let go, but perhaps with Madam Shen at his side, he will learn how to. Indeed, that is all we of Cang Qiong hope for, for Shixiong.”

And with that he just. Leaves.

Just like that.