Hii Do You Still Have Httyd Homecoming?? Is There A Way You Can Send Me A Link???

AU where chess is a common strategy game in PIDW and SY is a chess master before he gets transmigrated. Like undefeated and well known in the community. He's probably popular even in mainstream social media because he's a pretty boy with a soft demeanor.

Of course he still reads PIDW and is a massive hater, but he now hides it because he sees it as shameful especially with his reputation of being a kind-hearted person.

Anyway he dies and gets thrown into the novel a bit after the Qing generation ascends. He's just a rogue cultivator or maybe even a demon, not really important. What's important is that he gets bored and misses his old hobby.

He finds out chess is a thing in this world and immediately hops into it again. Sadly, he keeps beating people and no one is a real challenge. So to give himself a puzzle, he picks up other strategy games and gets really good at them too. And after a few years, he is well known in PIWD with his skills in a variety of games.

Enter SJ. Fresh off getting LBH into his peak and STRESSED about how much he sees himself in this child and about how much he hates that fact.

He enters the Warm Red Pavilion and finds some guy playing a game with one of the jiejies. One of those little mind games to entertain the guests, and he's playing against the best one.

SJ watches while he waits for his room and to his surprise the man wins. He immediately gets ready to step in-between because whenever guests win against one of the prostitutes they always get handsy and he knows that particular one doesn't like to do sex work (like maybe she specializes in poetry and dancing instead yk).

Instead of the man getting handsy, he asks for another game, which she accepts with a smile. And now SJ is watching them play with much more interest. After a while the madam comes over and asks if he's interested in their regular.

SJ asks about the man and gets his name and finds out that apparently SY comes to the brothel to play against the ladies and listen to music at times.

SJ keeps it in mind and then leaves for his room. The next time he sees SY is during another trip down the mountain (probably dressed down to not draw attention to himself). This time he was in a tea shop playing go against an elderly man. SY wins again and patiently explains what mistakes the old man made.

The old man accepts defeat and asks him for a rematch. SY agrees, and SJ finally approaches out of curiosity. SJ asks if he can play SY after they're done. The old man says something about how he's probably going to lose anyway and says SJ just takes his turn.

SJ accepts it and sits in front of SY. He thinks it's going to be an easy win, something to stroke his bruised ego. Only for him to get completely annihilated like it was an embarrassing lost for him. (It wasn't embarrassing, he almost won, but he didn't win so obviously it was embarrassing)

SJ expects gloating and nearly crushes his fan in his hand. SY tells him that he was a tough opponent and he asks for another rematch. SJ is confused about the sincerity and hesitantly agrees even though his ego tells him to cut his losses now.

They continue to play multiple games in a row, each one getting longer and longer with each mistake SY explains and helps SJ fix (he doesn't even notice he's taking advice from a man). They continue playing and drinking tea until they're kicked out because the shop is closing.

SY laughs sheepishly and says he didn't even notice the time pass. He asks if SJ is free to play again because it's been the first time in years he's had that much fun against someone else. SJ agrees because he refuses to have a losing streak (and he found it a little fun too).

Eventually it becomes a routine, SJ comes down the mountain every week and plays SY in go until the establishment they're in kicks them out. And because his brain is constantly on how to beat SY, he starts neglecting other things (like abusive LBH and other duties).

And because he's neglecting duties, eventually he has to do a information collecting mission with Shang Qinghua. They arrive at the town and they're tasked with collecting information on a lead of a demon hiding within a festival.

Somehow this leads to SY joining their little info gathering group and finding out SQH is Airplane (he's still somehow unaware of SJ being SQQ because of course he is).

Shenanigans ensue and somehow a sting operation is set up with SY being used as bait. He manages to coerce the demon into a game of chess while he waits for SJ and SQH to arrive.

They play chess. He thinks he'll just stall until the two get there, but halfway through he moves his knight and it ends up near the demon's knight. And with a straight face, the demon takes both knights off the board while claiming "And they're both out for horsie marriage."

Right then SJ and SQH arrive to slay the demon, only to bare witness to SY doing the Xianxia equivalent of shooting the demon point blank with a Glock 19 because surprise surprise that bullshit move pissed off the chess master.

SJ says something sarcastic about not needing to save the damsel (they put) in distress. And then SY asks to speak to SQH privately while dragging him out by the ear.

He continues to interrogate the author because what the ACTUAL FUCK was that bullshit move?! And SQH defends himself by saying he never thought a professional chess player would ever read his stuff, much less play the game in-verse. He tells SY he thought it would be funny if that could happen.

Anyway.

SJ has to pry SY off SQH because he almost legitimately strangles him to death. SY is dragged away, screaming things that'd make even a demon blush, and admittedly, SJ is amused.

They end up in some tea shop, SY muttering about the idiocy of it all in English, and SJ ordering for both of them. He asks what got SY so mad since like this guy has had an unshakable pleasant demeanor until now.

SY makes up some story about how his hometown played chess differently and that he's realizing he doesn't know how chess is played anywhere else. He asks SJ for a guide for playing chess because he doesn't want to overreact like he did before.

SJ agrees in exchange for a guide of how his hometown played chess. The deal was made and after they came back to town they both write their manuals. They exchange them in their next meetup, and SY is muttering about how stupid some of the rules are. SJ finds it very funny as he reads the manual SY gave him, finding that he prefers his version since there was less unnecessary traps.

SJ eventually asks to play SY in a chess game once he understands his version. SY happily agrees and they play over and over again until SJ beat him. SY is over the moon and asks for another rematch, which he gets beaten again. They play a few more times wins alternating until SY grabs SJ's hands and tells him he's in love with him and his massive brain.

SJ is caught off guard and flustered, so he hits SY with his fan and calls him shameless as he leaves to preserve as much face as possible. SY whines about him being unfair and follows SJ while apologizing about the comment.

SJ ignores him and leaves SY alone. He thinks he fucked up until the next time they meet, and SJ brings him a book he been meaning to buy but just couldn't find. SY is about to comment on the gift but SJ shuts him up and hides his face behind his fan. He manages to see the smallest hint of a blush and (shockingly) understands.

They both start exchanging gifts each meetup in silent courting. And surprisingly he hasn't abused LBH since he got there (because he forgets to. he has a boyfriend to worry about thank you very much 🤨), so when the Conference comes, SJ doesn't throw LBH into the abyss.

He still ends up in the abyss but only because MF got thrown in when they encountered MBJ, and he jumped after his shixiong. SY is there because of course he wants to stop the evil scum villain from hurting his little lamb, but he's just standing there like

Because how else is he supposed to react to LBH throwing himself into the abyss to go after MF who was thrown in when they encountered MBJ. Was Ming Fan even supposed to be there????

Also why is SJ in such ornate robes. Why is he mourning? Why are they going back to Qing Jing? WHY IS NING YINGYING CALLING SHEN JIU BABA?! WHY IS EVERYONE CALLING HIM SHIZUN?!!!?!???

SVSSS AU where Shen Yuan is not able to harden his heart and push his white lotus Binghe in the abyss resulting in his death.

Devastated by the loss of his beloved Shizun, Binghe takes off with his body and is constantly on the run. He is young and he is not that strong spiritually but he is trying his best to keep Shizun’s body intact and get his soul back into the body.

He stumbles into the demon realm and essentially, his entire character training arc takes place but this time with SQQ by his side (even if it’s just his body) this happens all the while he is fending off Liu Qingge and other masters from his (former) Sect who want to take away Qingqiu’s body from him.

And then Binghe does succeed! He does get Shizun’s body back to life!!

But the soul is not Shen Yuan’s but Shen Jiu’s.

Shen Jiu’s soul had been dormant this whole time but he had been passively watching the actions Shen Yuan had done using his body and he is simultaneously pissed at him but grateful too (for mending his relationships with other leaders)

He also somewhat feels grateful to Luo Binghe for giving him back his body so he tells Binghe the whole truth: that he is NOT the Shizun Binghe had learnt to love and the man he wanted back is truly gone but fear not! He will help Binghe to bring him back because he does not want to stay indebted to him or Shen Yuan. (He still hates Binghe. He’d rather die than stay in his debt)

So!!! Shen Jiu and Binghe set off in search for the Sun Moon Dew Mushroom. They end up successfully bringing back Shen Yuan in this new mushroom body

And now for some reason, Shen Jiu is fiercely protective about Shen Yuan but that’s a story for another day :)

Can I have a hug pls 🥺

One day a strange rumor had spread among the peak lords about a mysterious herbalist who lived in the mountains.

No one knew anything specifically about him, except that he seemed to possess boundless knowledge about plants and monsters of the places. For every answer, he had it. Every ingredient, he knew where to get it.

No one had ever seen him and no one had been able to get an audience with him. He was an extremely reserved person who did not dare to come down from the mountains where he lived for any reason in the world. Needless to say, everyone was very curious about such a peculiar personality who had left not a single clue about himself. No one knew whether he was an enemy or a friend, whether he was dangerous, or completely harmless. They only knew that he had never bothered anyone and had never wanted to get in the way of any of the affairs of the martial arts schools in the area. He had merely lived in seclusion in a cave that no cultivator had yet discovered where exactly it was. There were rumors circulating among the disciples that the mysterious herbalist was constantly moving around and that was why no one had ever found out where his home actually was.

What was most strange to the peak lords about this mysterious personality, however, was the name.

Everyone called him Shen Yuan, and the lords had assumed that he had some kind of relationship with the peak master Shen Qingqiu who, however, assured that he did not know anyone named Shen Yuan and that he had no mysterious relative of whom he had never spoken.

The peak lords had thought it might be a distant relative that Shen Qingqiu perhaps did not know, but the shizun of peak Qing Jing had assured them repeatedly and confidently that he had no idea who this person was.

It was just a weird coincidence.

However, it could not be said that they were not all curious to find out who the herbalist who sent letters to all of them from time to time answering questions they could not find answers to was.

How did that weirdo know what they needed? Why didn't he show his face around? What was he afraid of? Was it really necessary to hide in the mountains when no one had ever shown hostility toward him? For what reason was he hiding like that?

These were all reasonable questions to which there were no answers, though. Shen Yuan had sent several letters over time to the peak lords, but he had never once shown himself and had not left the slightest clue as to how to find him or how to reach him. Every time they thought they had an answer on their hands, they faced a dead end and had to start their assumptions all over again. How was it possible that a rookie who appeared from who knows where could fool them like that?

One day, Shen Qingqiu determined to discover the identity of this mysterious “surname thief” had sent Binghe to do some research on his own in the mountains. His task was to find the herbalist and bring him to him alive so that he could ask him some questions and figure out where he had come from and what he wanted.

At the end of the day, no matter how confident he was that there were no family members unknown to him, one could never know the truth and he wanted to see for himself the mysterious prodigy who had more than once volunteered to lend a helping hand to those in need of answers, always only through mysterious letters that the peak lords had kept as possible clues that might lead them to him.

Binghe, who was still a careful and obedient disciple in those days, had searched far and wide all over the mountain, yet finding no clue to this mysterious Shen Yuan. He must have been a really very reserved and careful person for his own safety, because no matter how persistent the boy was, he could find nothing but animal footprints, bunnies running away from him as soon as he tried to get close or traps of all kinds, which certainly served to ward off the curious. Binghe was certain he was on the right path, but he could not understand why every time he felt he was close, he eventually found himself in a dead end that forced him to turn back.

He certainly could not let the matter drop, because if he did, his shizun certainly would not have forgiven him and would have sent him back without food or water to find the herbalist whom he so desperately wanted to question in order to understand who he was and what he was trying to accomplish by sending his help to the lords who had never even asked for it. Could it have been just kindness? Or did he want something from them? And if so, what was that something? Binghe had to be able to find out, or he should not waste his time coming back.

But the boy was tired. He had traveled far and wide for a whole day, falling into all sorts of traps. To look at him, he looked like he had been in a fight with a bear, and the bear had won, the state he was in. He had really done wrong not to take more supplies with him, but he had really underestimated how ingenious those traps could be. He had gotten caught in the sack more than once, and the shame that had seized him was such that he longed to get his hands on that mysterious Shen Yuan just to make him pay for everything he had put him through in that time. And yes, he would have done it, had it been the last thing he would have done that day. He was not going to let him get away! Besides, he too was very curious to see what kind of a mastermind he was to protect his home like that and be able to keep everyone away from his abode.

Binghe was about to decide to give up for a moment and sit down to rest, when he suddenly placed his foot on yet another trap of the day, ending up right in a net, hanging from a very tall tree. The net was strong, and he had lost his sword, which had slipped off and fallen to the ground the moment he was trapped. He was doomed to stay there until someone came to pull him down. Unless he could free himself with his bare hands, it was going to be hard to escape from there. Damn Shen Yuan, he had tricked him again this time!

He was about to curse, when finally, he seemed to hear what he had been searching for so fervently all day.

“So you're the one who ruined all my traps, I finally caught you little thug!!”

Finally Binghe had a chance to see it.

The boy was between fifteen and twenty years old, looked very frail, and seemed as if a gust of wind could take him away at any moment. But he could not help noticing, how handsome that face was, with his eyebrows furrowed and his lips twisted into a kind of pout. He was probably insulting young Binghe in every language, but the disciple was nevertheless thunderstruck.

He had nothing in common with his shizun except his surname. Maybe he wasn't even as elegant and perfect as he was, but for Binghe he was fine even if he kept yelling at him for ruining his precious traps. Perhaps he didn't even care that he was scolding him, for Binghe the important thing was that the boy spoke to him. Shen Yuan, muttering and cursing half-heartedly, climbed the tree with surprising ease for someone who didn't seem to have the physical abilities to do so. With a particularly sharp knife, he took care to cut the knot that tightened the net, not bothering about the fact that once Binghe was freed, he would fall to the ground. Which in any case did not happen, because Binghe leapt to the ground with ease. Shen Yuan did not seem at all surprised by this and merely checked the damage to his precious net.

He sighed, realising he could not fix it, but simply shrugged. He would build another one and move on again; he could not allow the peak lords to find him.

Binghe had many questions for this mysterious man. But suddenly the words had died in his mouth and he didn't quite know how to start the conversation. How could he tell him that his shizun wanted to question him without alerting him and making him run away? He was curious but had a feeling that Shen Yuan would not answer any of his questions. To do that, he would have to trick him somehow. But he seemed too smart to fool him as an ordinary person. Binghe decided he would opt for the truth.

"Are you Shen Yuan?"

Binghe then asked, as if he wasn't already sure of the answer. After all, he had admitted it himself that he was the creator of those traps, and who could it be if not the mysterious herbalist who had kept all the lords away until then? If Shen Yuan was smart, Binghe certainly didn't think he was any less so.

"What if I am?"

Asked the boy, giving him a hostile look. He did not seem to be intent on attacking him, but Binghe certainly had no intention of letting down his guard. He didn't want to hurt him, but he understood why the boy was so suspicious of him.

"My shizun wants to talk to you."

He only reported, watching the other boy laugh. It was obvious that he didn't intend to see anyone, he had been kind enough to show himself to him.

"What if I say no?"

Binghe had a feeling he would answer something like this. But surrendering was out of the question. At least he had achieved one thing. He knew for a fact that that young man was Shen Yuan and had found out where he lived. Something the Peak Lords hadn't been able to find out! He had also discovered that he did not appear to be a bad person. After all, he had saved him from the traps and had certainly not hurt him!

"Well that would be a problem because I would have to take you with the force."

Shen Yuan swallowed hard. He seemed to know that the boy was perfectly capable of doing what he had said. But he was trying to show composure and not let on that he somehow felt threatened by that realisation. Coughing a couple of times, he put on the best facade he was capable of and squinted his eyes.

"You should be able to catch me first."

And having said that... before Binghe could even respond, Shen Yuan fled with surprising speed. Binghe would never have predicted that move of his, he had been too quick.

Binghe could not help but mentally curse himself, because he had been stupid and allowed him to escape. He could not hold back his amused laughter when he realised the way that boy had fooled him.

He would come back.

He would come back and show him that he could bring him down the mountain.

Maddie and Caitlyn and Piltover

Probably the most jarring twist of the Act was Maddie and Caitlyn's relationship. It seemed very sudden, until you take a look into the few lines from her in Act 1 and realize they all centered around Caitlyn. That Maddie was the first Piltie to 'dedicate her heart' to Caitlyn with Noxus. Maddie likes Vi because Caitlyn vouched for her and deems her 'one of the good ones' because of Caitlyn.

Let's talk about Maddie: she's an average young Piltie. She's Cait's age, give or take, and feels hurt both by the recent Zaun attacks and Marcus' betrayl. Caitlyn is the first person after all this that is trying to do something to fix the mess. Cait's a Kiramman, an inspiration, a fighter, and kinda sorta pretty. Maddie was starry eyed by Cait and couldn't see any problems with her actions or flaws because of this. When given the option to have Cait lead, she jumps at the chance.

Maddie is something of a trick with her introduction. She doesn't have a personal stake like Vi or Cait, isn't there to look after her new buddy like Loris (until told otherwise he is there just cause he is Vi's old man friend); she believes in combating Jinx. Peacekeeping in Zaun with gas and hextech weapons to go after one person, but oh isn't she so cute? Introduced in a halo of sunlight and being so sweet to Vi?

Maddie is a proud Piltie, who feels betrayed by Marcus and the Undercity, who wants to punish them and rebuild her home in topside. And yes, she feels betrayed by the Undercity, she consider's it a part of Piltover one way or another, and most topsider's are ignorant of why Zaunites are so upset with them. To Maddie, these attacks came out of left field.

What's interesting is that Maddie is anti-Ambessa, or at least pro-Caitlyn. You could see this as her being a moderate. She tells Cait that she can withdraw from Zaun and reestablish the council, but ends that statement by reaffirming Caitlyn as their leader, "The Enforcers, Piltover... I follow you". Cait and her military rule makes Maddie feel safe and proud in her city.

Onto Cait. Yeah, Cait's not necessarily using Maddie, but she is utilizing her. She's learned from her percieved mistakes/weaknesses and is keeping her work and personal life seperate. They have sex and talk about the state of the city, but Cait never talks about her feelings with Maddie as she did with Vi. Cait's an emotional person too. She was always quick to express herself to Vi, to Ekko, to her mother and father, to Jayce; but she is hurt and alone and can contribute both of those facts to her emotions (sans Jayce).

Begs the question of why Cait is sleeping with Maddie? But even that is simply her coping. It's her version of Vi drinking and fighting. It's stress relief and a quick way to at least make someone else happy. Cait also likes touch, so it stands to reason she'd find someone in her isolated state (Vi pushed away, father a living ghost, Jayce and Mel magiced away). Also, if Word of God is anything to go by, it's not out of character for Cait to find a pretty girl to fool around with.

Cait's main focus is still Jinx. Her mind is literally shown overlapping with her's. Maddie a tryst for the off hours, and even that's kept to the minimum as Cait would rather work than get any rest.

I do wish we could've gotten a scene of Cait replaying her interactions with Vi (think season 1 shower scene), but instead we have Maddie to contrast their relationship. Maddie is kind of the 'Piltover Approved' Vi; she's a red headed enforcer who loves her city, her council, the noble houses, and Caitlyn. She's safe and she's someone that Caitlyn doesn't have to put any excess energy into. Which must be gratifying for the surface levels of Cait's issues. Vi forces Cait to act better, to look inward and reflect, to consider other people and not just her own hurt (something season one Cait wouldn't have even needed another's help with).

The little detail of Vi not calling Cait a cupcake until episode 6 is also telling. At first it's likely Vi realizing the seriousness of everything, but it could also be that she disapproves of Cait's actions. Cait doesn't have that sweetness in her, or at least isn't allowing herself to act on it. When Vi does call her cupcake again it's not an endearment as it was by the end of season one, but a call out to what Cait has become.

Going forward, what's next? Vi and Cait aren't back together, but are together. They have to fight the Noxians (which was hinted at by Maddie herself) and help with the Arcane.

I kinda want Jinx to be the one to spell everything out to Cait; to tear her a new one. Jinx kept an eye on Vi during her pit fighter era, saw the drunk, broken mess that her sister became; a sister she is now on tentatively good terms with and will likely be a bit protective of after Isha. Something like, "I saw what happened to Vi after you guys split, she destroyed herself like you destroyed the city. I always thought I would be the one to break her, but you did a bang up job! Two of us have that in common, hurting Vi, but I'm trying now. So what does that say about you? None of this was Vi's fault, all she was trying to do was keep you from acting like me, ya know, deranged and violent? Huh, Vi-olent."

So in Act 3, Cait needs to be the one to get a kick in the ass and have that conversation with Vi. She needs to own up to her mistakes. How she was guilting Vi into the enforcers, how Vi was right about her loosing control and almost shooting a kid, maybe even for using Vi's affection for her against her. Vi will forgive her, she's Vi and has the self worth of a pebble, so long as Cait takes accountability and starts acting on any promises to change-again, why a shovel talk from Jinx could help set their relationship in the right direction.

Callum Oh my, this lake is very deep, i thonk we sh-

Rayla:*jumps into the lake

Callum:AM I A JOKE TO YOU?

Callum: dark magic is evil and I’ll never use it Rayla: *goes on a suicide mission* Callum: WELP

Callum: this wing spell is harder than i first thought. Maybe with more practice Ill- Rayla: *jumps off the spire in a suicide mission* Callum: YEET

Adora:HM? You left?..... Why?

adora wants her lap cat back

Im ALIIIIIVE

CONNVERSE SQUAD! WHERE YOU ATTT?!?

Reblog if you’re a true Connverse shipper

Yan Wushi and Shen Qiao! 🥰

I love this scene so much in the book and it's an amazing and very accurate art! 🥰❤🥰

Posted with permission, art by @_Konia_ on Twitter.

HOLDS OF SKYRIM [3/9] Falkreath Hold