I came out of lurking over on Twitter just long enough to to this year's Steddie Secret Santa <3

This is probably the fluffiest thing I've ever written.

On AO3

Here's the Dishonored AU art I did for this year's @capreversebb! It was such a pleasure getting to collaborate with @marvel-kitten , who wrote Honor Among Thieves to accompany the art piece!

In This Life or Any Other - Chapter 11

FIC RATING: E WORD COUNT: 74,623 (current) RELATIONSHIPS: Lan Wangji/Wei Wuxian WARNINGS: Graphic Depictions of Violence TAGS: Eventual Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Canon-Typical Violence, Slow Burn, Mutual Pining, Trauma, Politics, Intrigue, BAMF Wèi Yīng | Wèi Wúxiàn, Angst and Humor, Additional warnings/tags in chapters as needed

SUMMARY: When his reconnaissance mission makes it clear that the Qishan army is marching on Cloud Recesses, Wei Wuxian knows they don’t stand a chance on their own. He reports in requesting military support, but instead of the backup he hoped for, all Wei Wuxian gets is an order to return home. He doesn’t actually know anyone from Gusu, really, but they’re still people. With destruction inevitable and every kingdom turning a blind eye, Wei Wuxian makes a choice. The only choice, as far as he’s concerned. If no help is coming, Wei Wuxian will just have to save them himself. Fooling Wen Ruohan’s soldiers into arresting him so he can stage a prison break? That’s definitely on purpose. Setting events in motion that could reshape the world as they know it? That… might have been an accident.

Read on AO3

Somehow, peace is the cruelest thing the Burial Mounds can give him. Whatever lurks here waits at the periphery, ready to ambush Wei Wuxian the moment he lets his guard down. They’re toying with him, he suspects - knows really - making the most of what might be the first entertainment they’ve had in years. After all, nothing comes out of the Burial Mounds, but nothing goes in either. Nothing, that is, except that which is unfathomably evil if the stories are to be believed. 

Something cold slithers down Wei Wuxian’s spine like melting snow. He yelps at the sensation, and then at the pain movement causes when he jerks around to look, but there’s nothing there. 

“Ghosts and monsters indeed,” Wei Wuxian mutters, trying, not for the first time, to stand up. Honestly, it’s remarkable that he’s even upright (that he’s alive at all is nothing short of a miracle), but what lurks out there probably won’t let him sit here on the cracked earth and tufts of dead grass indefinitely. 

Chapter 1/? Rating: Explicit Archive Warning: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Fandom: Stranger Things (TV 2016) Relationship: Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson Characters: Eddie Munson, Steve Harrington, Nancy Wheeler, Robin Buckley Additional Tags: Post season 4 (kind of), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, This is sort of both a post-canon and a time travel fix-it, but it is a fix-it all the same, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, Psychological Trauma, Friends to Lovers, More like strangers to friends to lovers speed run but still, Eddie Munson Lives, Eddie Munson Needs a Hug, Like probably a lot of them in fact, Getting Together, Other Additional Tags to Be Added Summary:

“You know, you kind of just got in my car and started talking. What were you planning to do if I didn’t know what you were talking about?”

There hadn’t been a plan, is the thing. It had been blind panic marching Eddie forward. He smiles though, just the tiniest bit. It's more a nervous gesture than a joyful one, but a smile all the same. “Oh, you know. Probably rearrange my schedule to make sure we’d never cross paths again.”

“We… already don’t.” The confused crinkle between Steve’s brows would be terribly endearing if not for the ambient sense of dread taking up most of Eddie’s mental faculties at the moment. It’s honestly kind of cute anyway.

“Yeah. So you can see how big an imposition it would have been.”

Success. The huff of laughter that earns him finally begins to chase off some of the darkness. They’re not friends in this timeline, not yet, but watching the crooked little smile that tugs at the corners of Steve’s mouth, Eddie thinks maybe they could be.

On March 21st, 1986, Eddie wakes up from the worst nightmare of his life only to find himself desperately trying to keep it from becoming reality.

He doesn't know how it happened. Not really. He only knows that one moment he choking on every breath in Dustin's arms and the next he was staring up at the bleak, endless sky of the Upside Down.

Alone.

In This Life or Any Other - Chapter 10

FIC RATING: E WORD COUNT: 68,712 (total) RELATIONSHIPS: Lan Wangji/Wei Wuxian WARNINGS: Graphic Depictions of Violence TAGS: Eventual Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Canon-Typical Violence, Slow Burn, Mutual Pining, Trauma, Politics, Intrigue, BAMF Wèi Yīng | Wèi Wúxiàn, Angst and Humor, Additional warnings/tags in chapters as needed

SUMMARY: When his reconnaissance mission makes it clear that the Qishan army is marching on Cloud Recesses, Wei Wuxian knows they don’t stand a chance on their own. He reports in requesting military support, but instead of the backup he hoped for, all Wei Wuxian gets is an order to return home. He doesn’t actually know anyone from Gusu, really, but they’re still people. With destruction inevitable and every kingdom turning a blind eye, Wei Wuxian makes a choice. The only choice, as far as he’s concerned. If no help is coming, Wei Wuxian will just have to save them himself. Fooling Wen Ruohan’s soldiers into arresting him so he can stage a prison break? That’s definitely on purpose. Setting events in motion that could reshape the world as they know it? That… might have been an accident. Read on AO3

The potential ambush Wei Ying had fretted over doesn’t come. Not when Lan Wangji steps through the portal into a sheltered place at the foot of the mountain with only birdsong to greet him. Not when he ascends the stairs that wind their way through the trees, swept free of debris as if nothing at all has changed.

With each step it feels as if he sheds a little more of the last few weeks, leaving the tumult further and further behind him. It’s a shame there’s no time to enjoy the change in scenery, but the news he’s bearing is too urgent for any delay. Ignoring the urge to linger, Lan Wangji hurries up the steps as briskly as respect for the rules will allow.

Cloud Recesses itself is no less peaceful when he arrives, at first glance. Rain has washed away much of the ash and only the barren places where homes should be give any indication that a nightmare swept through. There are no burned out shells of buildings or dead trees.There are no bloodstains where bodies fell.

And yet, Lan Wangji’s heart aches taking it all in. Every terrible detail is in the absence, in the empty spaces where he has always found some sign of life before. The nightmare he was dragged from so many weeks ago is swept away, but how much of his home went with it?

In This Life or Any Other - Chapter 9

FIC RATING: E WORD COUNT: 63482 (total) RELATIONSHIPS: Lan Wangji/Wei Wuxian WARNINGS: Graphic Depictions of Violence TAGS: Eventual Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Canon-Typical Violence, Slow Burn, Mutual Pining, Trauma, Politics, Intrigue, BAMF Wèi Yīng | Wèi Wúxiàn, Angst and Humor, Additional warnings/tags in chapters as needed

SUMMARY: When his reconnaissance mission makes it clear that the Qishan army is marching on Cloud Recesses, Wei Wuxian knows they don’t stand a chance on their own. He reports in requesting military support, but instead of the backup he hoped for, all Wei Wuxian gets is an order to return home. He doesn’t actually know anyone from Gusu, really, but they’re still people. With destruction inevitable and every kingdom turning a blind eye, Wei Wuxian makes a choice. The only choice, as far as he’s concerned. If no help is coming, Wei Wuxian will just have to save them himself. Fooling Wen Ruohan’s soldiers into arresting him so he can stage a prison break? That’s definitely on purpose. Setting events in motion that could reshape the world as they know it? That… might have been an accident.

Read on AO3 here

(Warning for this chapter for death and graphic description of injury. The version on AO3 has indicators of what parts to skip and a summary of those scenes at the end of that kind of content makes you uncomfortable <3)

At least now he knows, Wei Wuxian guesses, that Wen Chao chose practical instead of petty.

He arms himself with smooth, practiced motions, clinging to what parts of the job he was prepared for that he can accomplish uncontested. He can put on armor with his eyes closed, but battle plans might crumble when faced with a real enemy. An attack is a possibility he’s trained for since he could hold a sword, but no one’s ever truly tried to do it.

In the chaos, Wei Wuxian reluctantly sets aside his previous intention to send Lan Zhan a message. There’s no time now, what with an army bearing down on them. It’s not as if they’d even committed to anything or the sort. Which is… also the reasoning he’s been soothing his concerns over Lan Zhan’s silence with. There’s probably a lot to do returning to a home that was burnt to the ground.

None of that stops the creeping sort of guilt that settles in the pit of his stomach at the idea of leaving Lan Zhan in the dark, but Wei Wuxian pushes it aside for the time being. When it’s over and Lotus Pier is safe, he’ll send a message. If he’s lucky, maybe Jiang Cheng will be too tired to laugh at him about it.

In This Life or Any Other - Chapter 8

FIC RATING: E WORD COUNT: 51,028 (total) RELATIONSHIPS: Lan Wangji/Wei Wuxian WARNINGS: Graphic Depictions of Violence TAGS: Eventual Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Canon-Typical Violence, Slow Burn, Mutual Pining, Trauma, Politics, Intrigue, BAMF Wèi Yīng | Wèi Wúxiàn, Angst and Humor, Additional warnings/tags in chapters as needed

SUMMARY: When his reconnaissance mission makes it clear that the Qishan army is marching on Cloud Recesses, Wei Wuxian knows they don’t stand a chance on their own. He reports in requesting military support, but instead of the backup he hoped for, all Wei Wuxian gets is an order to return home. He doesn’t actually know anyone from Gusu, really, but they’re still people. With destruction inevitable and every kingdom turning a blind eye, Wei Wuxian makes a choice. The only choice, as far as he’s concerned. If no help is coming, Wei Wuxian will just have to save them himself. Fooling Wen Ruohan’s soldiers into arresting him so he can stage a prison break? That’s definitely on purpose. Setting events in motion that could reshape the world as they know it? That… might have been an accident.

Read on AO3 here

“A test.” Wei Ying repeats very softly. Lan Wanji has seen all manner of things on his very expressive face, but never this helpless sort of horror. Not until today. It erases all trace of a smile, grief tugging his mouth downward and his brows up a little. “A test of what?”

It’s a fair question, but Lan Wangji shakes his head. No one seemed to know. Having a culprit to warn people about is only so helpful if they don’t know what they’re warning for.

Except, maybe someone knows afterall. “The villagers we found look very similar to the way you did when they brought you back the last time.”

“I was a lot less dead,” Wei Ying points out, but his frown has turned a little more thoughtful.

“Debatable.” His stomach turns thinking about Wei Ying, sprawled gracelessly on the floor.

In This Life or Any Other - Chapter 7

What a strange turn his life has taken that stretched out beside someone else on a bed in some nondescript inn in some tucked away Qishan village is the most comfortable Lan Wangji has been upon waking in… more days than he can keep track of. They’re not out of the woods yet, but it’s starting to feel more convincing that there may be a version of events where they come out the other side of this in one piece.

At Lan Wangji’s side, a soft huff draws his attention. He doesn’t need to look to know that Wei Ying’s face is squished against his shoulder, a far cry from the rigid way Wei Ying had carried himself in the middle of the night, every muscle tense like a drawn bowstring. Lan Wangji turns his head to look after all, but whatever part of Wei Ying’s face rises above Lan Wangji’s shoulder, it’s currently covered in an unruly mop of hair that does not look to have gotten the memo about politely sharing a bed. Long strands of it have crept across Lan Wangji’s robe, a lock of it curled loosely against the dark blue fabric over his heart. It’s not very dignified, and Lan Wangji can’t imagine Wei Ying is comfortable, but…

Well, there are worse ways to wake up.

In This Life or Any Other - Chapter 6

SUMMARY: When his reconnaissance mission makes it clear that the Qishan army is marching on Cloud Recesses, Wei Wuxian knows they don’t stand a chance on their own. He reports in requesting military support, but instead of the backup he hoped for, all Wei Wuxian gets is an order to return home. He doesn’t actually know anyone from Gusu, really, but they’re still people. With destruction inevitable and every kingdom turning a blind eye, Wei Wuxian makes a choice. The only choice, as far as he’s concerned. If no help is coming, Wei Wuxian will just have to save them himself. Fooling Wen Ruohan’s soldiers into arresting him so he can stage a prison break? That’s definitely on purpose. Setting events in motion that could reshape the world as they know it? That… might have been an accident.

Foolishly, Lan Wangji had allowed himself to believe he’d learned the breadth of Wei Ying’s shamelessness, but it’s beginning to feel like he hasn’t even cracked the surface. Weeks spent confined in a room with him have done nothing to prepare Lan Wangji for Wei Ying’s casual affection. He had braced himself for unearned intimacy, for crass jokes from Wei Ying about the newlyweds they’re meant to be, and it’s not that that isn’t happening. They’re barely in the door, after all, before Wei Ying takes it upon himself to loudly insinuate that they have plans that would make a brothel madam blush. Between that and the pet names and Wei Ying hanging off him like they’re a couple of newlyweds, Lan Wangji thinks he might have been better off just melting through the floor and being done with it already.

The oddest part is that, for all that, Wei Ying’s theatrics aren’t what leaves Lan Wangji feeling so terribly unmoored. It’s just that he’s not at all prepared for the flip side of this subterfuge, for there to even be a flip side to take into consideration. He breathes in sharply through his nose when the solid weight of Wei Ying’s temple comes to rest against his shoulder while they’re speaking with the innkeeper, and finds himself glancing down, bewildered at the lazy drag of Wei Ying’s palm up and down his arm. They are not brash, intrusive gestures conveying desire. They’re quiet little reminders that a person is cared for, loved, even. It’s… a lot, enough that Lan Wangji bites his tongue on the temptation to chastise Wei Ying right there in front of the innkeeper, but somehow they make it to the room without incident. The door closes and Wei Ying slides seamlessly from romantic companion back to traveling companion between one breath and another.

I'm very new to it, but I'm taking an art class and would be remiss if I didn't use it as an opportunity to doodle my favorite gremlin.

In This Life or Any Other - Chapter 5

FIC RATING: E WORD COUNT: 29,876 (total) RELATIONSHIPS: Lan Wangji/Wei Wuxian WARNINGS: Graphic Depictions of Violence TAGS: Eventual Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Canon-Typical Violence, Slow Burn, Mutual Pining, Trauma, Politics, Intrigue, BAMF Wèi Yīng | Wèi Wúxiàn, Angst and Humor, Additional warnings/tags in chapters as needed

READ ON AO3 or on Tumblr below

They escape deep into the woods surrounding the tunnel entrance in relative quiet. Relative because nothing is ever truly soundless. The leaves and twigs littering the forest floor crunch underfoot. There is none of the bustle there might be in the city, but birds chirp somewhere in the distance, and wind rustles the branches overhead.

Relative also because Wei Ying has almost never been silent in the time Lan Wangji has known him and doesn’t appear inclined to start now. He talks about nothing in particular, and he doesn’t press Lan Wangji to offer any kind of contribution, content to fill the empty spaces for them both. That’s… Well, Lan Wangji doesn’t hate it. Overwhelming as Wei Ying’s company can be, it has long since lost its unpleasant edge - if it ever truly had one - and it soothes a nameless sort of ache Lan Wangji wasn’t aware existed.

As they make their way through the trees, Lan Wangji finds his thoughts drifting back to the confrontation at the mouth of the cave, over far more quickly than he might have anticipated. What Wei Ying lacks in power, he makes up for in dexterity, moving as if gravity has no hold on him at all. Without ever casting a spell, he’s as formidable as just about any mage Lan Wangji has ever met. It's not a surprise, not exactly, but it's a pleasant revelation, and Lan Wangji is drawn back to the thought again and again, like a single smudge on a clean sheet of paper.

Whatever Wei Ying is capable of, right here, right now, one wouldn’t know it just by looking. He stops in the midst of whatever he was saying when Lan Wangji’s gaze slides in his direction, the words interrupted by a wide, untroubled smile. Wei Ying very much gives the impression that the speed he’s moving at is more about excitement than urgency, like they’re off on an adventure and not running for their lives.