Before you follow...

mun Mars ( he / him , 30+ )
plotting open
discord available to mutuals upon request
anon off indefinitely
timezone PST / PDT
affiliates @feilien / @alreadybrcken
other blog(s) @thiefofcrows

Minors and non-roleplay blogs, dni. Please read the rules before interacting.

  001.   GENERAL :  This is a single muse roleplay blog for my own original character, Zane. He is canonically entwined with feilien's story, which is fandomless, modern and crime-based. Nonetheless, he has plenty of other verses ( historical, fantasy / mythology, other fandoms, ect. ) and I'm always happy to create new ones!!
I am private and highly selective, which just means I'm very picky and I only write with those who are in a mutual follow with me. I only allow mutuals to send me messages and reply to my posts as well. This is for my own comfort and peace of mind.
He's low activity rn, but I also write Kaz Brekker from the Grishaverse over @theifofcrows. I'm unhinged about Grishaverse and Leigh Bardugo In General eternally tho, TRUST.  002.   AGE RESTRICTION :   I will not write with anyone under the age of 21. I'm 30+ and that age gap is uncomfortable tbh. Minors will be soft blocked. If you keep trying to follow / interact after that, you're getting hard blocked. If I find out you lied about your age, instant hard block. There will be no exceptions.  003.   TRIGGERS :  This blog contains potential triggering and mature content so interact at your own risk — gang violence,  torture,  cult-like brainwashing / manipulation,  &  mentions of human trafficking. In the PB verse, there's heavy implications of past forced underage sex work, rape / sexual assault and dubious consent. None of this is roleplayed, but it is trauma Zane has to work through. If you need me to tag anything for you, please don't hesitate to ask !!   If you have something mentioned in your rules in that regard, I will do my best to remember it.  004.   WRITING : I do not do one liners, short-para or text message threads. If you can't handle at least 3-4 paragraphs, this likely isn't the blog for you.
I'm a multi-para / novella focused writer, so depth is what I'm interested in. I am here for complex, nuanced stories and dynamics. I can get easily overwhelmed tho, so I'm trying to work on not putting myself in that position. Thus, I'm unlikely to start another thread with you until we finish the one we're working on tbh.
I only write in 3rd person past tense. Lastly, English is my native language and I only write in English as well.
I only write on discord with those I deeply trust and feel comfortable with.  NOTE:   ABOUT DIALOGUE; I strive to write it to emulate real life conversations, which means my muse very well may not respond to everything yours says. I usually shoot for having my character answer the last chunk of dialogue first.
Then, depending on the character and the conversation, I'll have them work their way back to any previous things they feel the need to acknowledge. Sometimes my muse won't directly respond to pieces of dialogue, but we can always come back to it and shoehorn him into responding if we want or need to.  005.   ZERO-TOLERANCE :  I will not put up with TERFS/RADFEMS/TRANSMEDS, transphobia, homophobia, racism, passive aggressive behavior, gaslighting, vague blogging, callout / purity culture, mob mentality, harassment / suicide baiting, fetishizing, whitewashing, stereotyping, and / or infatizing Asian people, ect.
I also have absolutely zero tolerance for Trump supporters, no exceptions. I will not engage with callouts, period. I don't reblog political posts here either and I actively filter out related tags. This is an escape from The Horrors of real life in order to maintain my sanity.
Lastly, if you're using AI to write your replies, obviously you are beyond not welcome here. If I find out that's what you're doing, instant hard block, no fucking exceptions.

  006.   ETIQUETTE :   Standard RP etiquette applies. Do not God mod or metagame, I control my character, you control yours. The only exception is ofc if we've discussed something where one of us has to move things along for the plot.
Zane is not an open book, regardless of how warm and charming he may appear. He is intentionally secretive and elusive about himself.
Your muse will not know things about him unless it's been plotted and/or he reveals them himself eventually.

  007.   GRAPHICS / FORMATTING / CREDITS :   I use 540x100 icons ( 100x100 icon with a fancy border ), banners, separators, small text, that’s pretty much it, aside from some bold and italics for flare.
Also testing out colored dialogue, but ultimately trying to keep things relatively simple otherwise. It doesn't bother me at all if you don't use icons, if you prefer I follow suit in our threads, just let me know. I just ask that you please not use large gifs in replies with me tho.
My icons and graphics are all made by me, although the coloring PSD I use comes from @poohsources. I just make some slight adjustments here and there. I designed the borders myself from scratch, so those belong to me. I've made matching icons / banners / theme graphics ect. for my partner ( @feilien / @alreadybrcken ) but otherwise, my graphics are for MY USE ONLY. There's a 100% free and super easy to install version of 2025 photoshop here, which is what I use now. I also have icon templates and various PSDs saved that I'm more than happy to share, just ask!!
As stated, Zane is an original character that I created, so he belongs to me. He was first loosely conceived in February 2024. The NPCs in the bonds section are also completely original and created by me. Matt / Long Zhi and The Black Dragon Clan were created by feilien, both of which belong to them. Please don't take anything that doesn't belong to you.  008.   FOLLOWING / UNFOLLOWING :  If I follow you / follow you back, it's because I think you / your blog / your muses, ect. seem cool and our muses could have fun / interesting dynamics. I want to attempt to cultivate a no-pressure, easy-going environment for myself and others, so there's no pressure to reach out to me super fast, there's no time limit for it really either and I expect the same courtesy in return. I'm not at all shy about it these days so it's likely I'll reach out quick. I just don't think there should be high pressure for a rp hobby.
Biggest things I may not follow or unfollow someone for: excessive blog hopping / inconsistency, way more ooc and / or aesthetic posting than writing, excessive negativity, seeing solely single para / one-liners, no rules or muse info, heavy involvement in callout / purity culture, excessive political posting, ect.
Anon is off and will stay off. Sorry for any shy beans, but my trust and good will has been broken in that regard.  009.   MAINS / AFFILIATES :   Any and all mains are listed here. EXCLUSIVES aren't all that common for me, but sometimes it happens, usually in verses and aus. This character is partnered with J / JY ( @feilien ) and I'm generally heavily affiliated / exclusive with their other blog, @alreadybrcken, as well.
Mains and/or affiliates get prioritized. That's because of a few reasons — in the case of J, they're my partner irl and our chemistry is Off The Charts™, they are and always will be first and foremost. Anyone else I consider a main, we're very good friends and we / our muses have really good chemistry as well. My prioritizing them has nothing to do with how I feel about other folks I'm writing / roleplaying with.  010.   SHIPPING :   First and foremost, I want to preface this with saying that Zane has a canon love interest ( @feilien ). If I have a ship with you in any verse, the remnants of that past relationship / trauma will have a lingering presence. Even if they're not endgame in a romantic sense, they're important to one another in some shape or form.
If your muse is prone to any serious jealousy, that is definitely a conflict we can play with, if you're so inclined, but it definitely has to be discussed so that we're on the same page.Poly ships are not my cup of tea though   ( and honestly it isn't Zane's either )   so, that's not a route I'm interested in, personally.I ship chemistry and I love shipping tbh — although I write Zane as Demisexual. This means he doesn't really experience sexual attraction unless he's formed a bond with someone ( but a bond doesn't guarantee those feelings either ) so, heavy plotting is required. Zane is also biromantic, so muses of all genders are welcome, as long as there is chemistry.

  011.   SOCIAL :   I love making friends with my writing partners, so that's the angle I'm coming from. I tend to be a warm, easygoing person, but I understand that some folks have different boundaries.
If you have any issues you feel you need to touch on, please don't hesitate to come talk to me about it !!
I do my best to be an honest and open person about things. Honesty, open communication and compassion is what I strive for and I expect the same courtesy in return.  012.   SPELLING / GRAMMAR :   We all have our spelling and/or grammar mistakes every now and then, but if this happens frequently in your writing, that's something I can't deal with. If your flow, grammar and sentence structure is wonky to me, I very likely will not follow you. This happens sometimes with people who write English as their second language and, if this is the case, I am genuinely sorry — but I'm here to have fun and Working With That is not at all fun for me. I wish you the best nonetheless  013.   DISCLAIMERS :   Zane is Chinese, but I am very much not. I've done, and continue to do, extensive research on Chinese culture and history, including the history of Chinese immigration to Chinatown in San Francisco. I have been there several times with my partner and we're always seeking history and information to further contextualize our story.
I've also been doing research on the history, structure and traditions of Triads, as well as Traditonal Chinese Medicine. I'm doing my best to represent those things respectfully while maintaining my own style and creativity.
It's very important to me to be culturally accurate / sensitive and I strive to do the best I can, as I have a deep love and respect for the Chinese culture and history I have learned.
But ultimately, I lack the nuance of lived experience. So, if I make any mistakes, I'm always open to criticism. All I ask for is patience and kindness.I'm also not in any way affiliated with Song Weilong, of course ( even tho that'd be cool af lmao ). He is simply a faceclaim I believe best represents my OC.014. THE MUN :   If you've made it this far — Hi, my name is Mars!!  My pronouns are he / him, I'm very queer and I'm in my early 30s. My timezone is PST / PDT and I do work 40 hours a week, but I tend to travel a lot with my partner, too. I've also got bad chronic allergy issues so, all of that along with being neurodivergent means that my activity and my ability to be social may be sporadic sometimes.I’ve been roleplaying online In General since 2006, and on tumblr since 2011, so these rules have accumulated from all that time and experience. They may seem a bit strict, but I'm very chill and easy-going usually, I promise !!  

Thanks for reading! :)

 
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION / FIRST IMPRESSION
Standing at an even six feet tall, Zane has a lean, but subtly muscular build. His stride conveys an air of confidence and ease, but it's clear that he still carries some kind of weight on his shoulders, even if he seems to carry it well.The intensity of his dark eyes and sharp features, accompanied with the scars that adorn his face and neck, can be very intimidating.He is known as 狐妖 Huyao and / or 狐妖 小子 Huyao Xiaozi for his ruthlessness, cunning, young age and charm. However, that charm can lead him to seem like a warm, safe and easygoing guy — this, along with his quiet mystery, tends to be very magnetic.Ultimately, it can change between the two, depending on how he wants someone to perceive him.DISTINGUISHING FEATURES
One facial scar that cuts through the left side of his upper lip and along his cheekbone, a vicious-looking strangulation scar around his neck, thick, dark angular brows, intense dark eyes, and facial hair on his upper lip and chin.SCENT A rich wood / earthy base with undercurrents of musk. High notes are a warm, resinous sweetness ( oakmoss and amber ). Sometimes he has more of an underlying medicinal herb scent mixed in there as well.PHYSICAL BUILD
Lean muscled.DOMINANT HAND
Left, but with weapons, ambidextrous.

  LEGAL NAME   
敏姿心 Man Zi Sam  NICKNAME/ALIAS   
Zane, Z, Zi Xin.  TITLES   
狐妖 Huyao / 狐妖 小子 Huyao Xiaozi.  AGE   
16-30, timeline dependent. Default tends to be around 25.  DATE OF BIRTH   
October 25th.  GENDER & PRONOUNS   
Cis male, he / him / his.  ORIENTATION   
Demisexual / biromantic.  RACE / ETHNICITY   
Chinese / Cantonese.

  PARENTS   

  SIBLINGS   

  OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS   

  SIGNIFICANT OTHER   

  PET   

  NATIONALITY   
Chinese American.  PHILOSOPHY / SPIRITUALITY   
Taoism / Daoism.  CURRENT RESIDENCE   
Chinatown in Los Angeles, California.  OCCUPATION   
Triad member, unlicensed TCM practitioner.
_{( Zane's rank and responsibilities in the Triad are explained here )}  LANGUAGES   
Cantonese ( native ), Mandarin, and English.

PHYSICAL DISABILITIES & MENTAL / CHRONIC ILLNESS(ES)
Damaged throat and vocal cords, causes rough voice, chronic pain and sometimes tension that can obstruct airflow due to high stress. Zane also suffers from post traumatic stress disorder from his ordeal with the Black Dragons and the time he spent running / being homeless. The violence he endures every day by being in a gang only adds to it.

  FACE CLAIM   
宋威龙 Song Weilong.  HEIGHT   
6'0".  HAIR   
Nearly black, cropped short at the back and sides, longer on the top with front parted bangs.  EYES   
Dark brown / dark rusty gold in Grishaverse AU.

  ASTROLOGY   
Scorpio sun, Libra rising, Sagittarius moon.  MBTI   
INFJ-A – Advocate.THEME SONG
Even In Arcadia – Sleep Tolken
There's Fear In Letting Go – I Prevail  SCARS / TATTOOS / MARKINGS    one scar that curls around his throat, one that cuts through his left upper eyelid, another at the right edge of his upper lip, one scar that cuts across his left cheek. Lastly, he has jagged, one-lined scars across both palms. He also has about five small beauty marks scattered across his face as well, the most prominent bellow his left eye.
Once Zane becomes a full member of the Red Fox Clan, he gains their tattoo on his forearm; a snarling fox adorned with a half broken Chinese fox mask. On that same arm, he has a bird skull surrounded by mushrooms and foliage on his bicep and shoulder.
At some point later, Zane gets a neck tattoo consisting of plum blossoms, mushrooms, a lunar moth and foliage. The plants are designed to look as though they're growing out of the scar across his throat. On his left arm, it's covered in watercolor-esque plum blossom branches.

introverted

cold

selfish

skeptical

serious

logical

disciplined

suspicious

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extroverted

warm

generous

openminded

playful

emotional

hedonistic

trusting

  SKILLS & ABILITIES  

  IMPORTANT PORTRAYAL NOTES  

  IMPORTANT HEADCANONS  

Nestled within the city of San Francisco, California, resides the oldest Chinatown in the United States.

        A bustling maze of streets and alleyways, those who live there come from many generations of immigrants. They have always made their living via various traditional eateries, souvenir shops, bakeries and medicinal herbal shops.       The last of which was how Zi Sam's family made their own way. They lived in a two story building, their home tucked away up on the second floor. Meanwhile, the shop, called 生機源 Sang Gei Jyn, was on the bottom, where it was easy for passersby to catch an enticing glimpse — or be drawn in by wafts of the complex mix of earthy and medicinal scents that Zi Sam had grown used to early on.        It had been in the family for generations, traditionally passed down to the eldest child. And, given that Zi Sam had no other siblings and he was older than his two cousins, that responsibility was expected to fall to him. He'd begun helping in the shop around the age of ten and, the more he learned, the more he believed in taking up that mantle.        He quickly grew enchanted by the idea that every piece of nature had its secrets hidden within. Secrets that could heal, restore balance, maintain one's well-being. Of course, everything had its darker sides, and plants and herbs were no different; this nuance only added to his fascination and curiosity.

        He thrived at school, quickly picking up the nickname Zane among his peers. He seemed to have a warm, easy charm about him and he was smart, a fast learner.        Zane spoke three languages — his native Cantonese, Mandarin and English. Science and biology of the environment enthralled him, providing him with an introduction to the things he'd wanted to learn about anyway; the plants and herbs bought and sold in his family's shop.       He devoured any and all details he could get his hands on and, soon enough, his knowledge began to resemble that of his parents — save for the things he could only learn with the proper schooling when he was older, of course.       Nonetheless, they were delighted by his enthusiasm.

        Aside from Zane's parents, his aunt, uncle and two cousins lived with them as well — and the occasional arguments with his uncle, Sing Chi, regarding letting The Clan sell drugs through the shop gradually became more common. His parents refused, his mother most of all, and it ultimately led nowhere.       It became common background noise that Zane believed he could ignore with a roll of his eyes. He didn't understand why his uncle insisted on bringing it up when he'd already been given his answer. What made this clan so important, anyway?  He persisted, but to no avail.Then, everything changed when his mother was diagnosed with cancer sometime after Zane turned thirteen.

        By the time it was diagnosed, there was no hope of a cure and it wasn't an easy way to learn that the work they did wasn't always enough. The only treatment option would hopefully prolong her life, which was better than nothing at all.        So, she underwent chemotherapy and it helped her live for another two years. The symptoms were brutal, but at the very least, their tea and tonics could help ease her suffering, if only for brief periods. It was a band-aid, but it was the best they could do.        But by the time Zane reached fifteen, his mother descended into a coma, from which she never woke. They'd all been preparing for it, but the loss was no less unbearable. For a long while, running the shop felt listless and empty, and Zane's father, Siu Fan, especially struggled ;   but Zane and the others stepped up to help as much as they could.        They leaned on one another, Zane and his youngest cousin, Zing Ji, growing a bit closer as they enjoyed teasing each other back and forth. Her brother, however, mostly maintained his distance, seemingly stoic and irritated. Whenever he was too hard on his sister, Zane would always step in.        Meanwhile, Sing Chi took advantage of such a sensitive time to convince Siu Fan to let the Clan use the shop, now that his wife was no longer there to put up a fight. He resisted for a few months and, whenever Zane was within earshot, he sought to take his mother's place as the voice of reason.        In the end, it hadn't mattered. With an unexpected stressor of financial strain, punctuated by his uncle's persistence, Siu Fan finally agreed.

        Zane resented them all for it, his father especially.

        Siu Fan approached it like he seemed to do with everything else — with diligence. He instilled two distinct rules for Zane to follow ;  first and foremost, he was forbidden from involving himself in any clan business.        The only exception was if someone came to collect and neither his father, nor his aunt or uncle were there to hand over the agreed upon amount. They had a hidden, designated spot for the envelope of cash and it was imperative that it always be given on time.        Second, when Clan members were within earshot, Mandarin was to be spoken exclusively.        Zane noticed the undercurrents of fear and unease beneath his father's stern demeanor and it only sparked his anger. You wouldn't have to be afraid if you hadn't given in. He never said the words aloud, as his father was the only parent Zane had left. Despite his anger, he loved him — but those thoughts and feelings took up permanent residence regardless.        Zane couldn't help but worry about him.        After weeks of Siu Fan’s strange hours and late nights, Zane took up far more responsibility with household chores without needing to be asked. It was the only way Zane knew how to help him — because, no matter how much his son attempted to reach him, Siu Fan refused to let him see the raw truth of how heavy the toll of working with the Clan really was.        When Long Zhi, the clan's heir, first approached Zane at school during lunch one day, he initially had mixed feelings. On one hand, school was one of the few places Zane could forget about the clan, the fear, the anger it inspired in him. On the other hand ... all Long Zhi seemed to want was pleasant company to sit with, someone who he could speak to fluently.

At first, Long Zhi struck Zane as a quiet, reserved person, someone who followed rules rigidly.

        There was an edge to him as well, but something about it seemed off in a way that Zane couldn’t quite put into words. His deadly reputation preceded him, so the edge did make sense. Perhaps it was his eyes, a deep dark brown that easily lured Zane in and contrasted that edge with something softer. While it was surprising, he thought that hint of softness suited him.        Despite the fact that they’d never spoken before, Long Zhi knew his name — or, the Mandarin equivalent of it, anyway. From the underlying fear that resided in his home and his family’s business, from the way his father seemed constantly on edge, Zane knew better than to try to correct him. He wasn’t even entirely sure why the Clan insisted on solely speaking Mandarin.        Nonetheless, the message was loud and clear and the knowledge of his father’s fear, along with his own, spiked an odd mix of anxiety, dread and anger.        Zane had no other choice but to swallow it down.        Tentatively, he offered the English nickname he’d chosen as well and, while Long Zhi’s reaction seemed to come from a place of curiosity, he still insisted on Zi Xin. Zane was too afraid to say no, which only ignited more anger he had to shove down. However, as Long Zhi went on to admit his struggle with English, Zane glimpsed an opportunity.        They struck a deal that same day — Zane would help him improve his English and, in exchange, Long Zhi agreed to teach Zane how to fight. Perhaps then he wouldn’t have to feel such terrible helpless fear and dread on a daily basis anymore.        Despite Zane’s first impression of Long Zhi’s rigidity, he realized it was a misjudgment. The more he got to know him, the more he began to understand what he mistook as rigidity was actually a strong sense of tenacity ... and obligation, given that he was expected to lead the Clan himself someday.

        While Zane understood the feeling of living up to expectations, something about the way Long Zhi shouldered it seemed ... off. Just like the edge he seemed to wear like an oversized jacket. Ill fitting.       When it came to English lessons, Long Zhi seemed to flourish beneath Zane’s patient instruction and praise.       His diligence and determination paid off as he grew to speak and understand English just as well as any native, even with the heaviness of his accent. Whenever he spoke to their peers and teachers, it was smooth and easy, all  traces of his previous struggle gone.        As a teacher, Long Zhi had high expectations, but he was never unkind. Learning to fight was one of the most challenging things Zane had ever done in his life, which was a welcome breath of fresh air.        He was still a fast learner and he reveled in Long Zhi’s positive reactions, even if they seemed somewhat muted at first.

       The first time Zane inspired a real, involuntary smile from Long Zhi, he felt as though the breath had been swiped from his lungs.       Accompanied with the sound of his high, joyous laugh, the feeling only intensified, as Long Zhi slowly began to unravel from the protective shell he’d been hiding behind.       When he felt comfortable enough to truly be himself, his demeanor could only be described as the embodiment of afternoon sunlight.

       He had an easy, fun brightness to him and soon enough, Zane began to crave Long Zhi’s presence more and more with each passing moment. He couldn’t place exactly when the change had occurred, but Long Zhi had even begun calling him Zane more often and Zi Xin less.       Then, Long Zhi confided in him about a nickname he was thinking of going by. Matt. The name suited him — and perhaps Zane caught himself loving the way their names sounded together. Zane and Matt, Matt and Zane. The nearly inseparable pair they had now become.       Zane too began to unravel in ways he never knew he could — which Matt responded to with a warm eagerness that was more magnetic than anything he'd ever known.        At some point, as his heart regularly began to race whenever he caught a mere glimpse of Matt, Zane realized with a twinge of terror that this ... this was love. And even if his feelings were requited, something told him that it was dangerous.       But no matter how hard he tried, Zane couldn’t help the way his feelings managed to bleed out of him when they were alone. Even around others, the affection and warmth in his gaze was difficult to hide.       The first time he’d kissed Matt, it felt like being struck by fucking lightening. Matt responded as if he’d been starving for this, aching for it deep in his very bones and, in a way, Zane had too.       Matt’s kisses, the way he pulled Zane in as if they could never be close enough, his fingers in Zane’s hair — it was maddeningly addicting, he felt as though he could vibrate out of his own skin.       Zane couldn’t get enough.       After that, it became glaringly obvious how limited their time together truly was. Zane offered kisses, affectionate touches, anything, as often as he reasonably could ... which would only lead to more heated make-out sessions in hidden places than either of them could coherently count.

Somewhere deep within the recesses of Zane’s soul, he knew this wouldn’t be sustainable.

        He knew that eventually, someone would find out. Perhaps it was a testament of his seventeen year-old mind that all he thought would happen was the loss of their alone time together. At the time, the idea of it was unbearable for them both, but looking back … he wished the consequences had been as simple and easy as that.        Being in love with someone like Matt made it easy to forget his fear, his survival instincts — and forgetting was a mistake Zane would vow to never make again.

        It began with Zane getting stopped at the stairs before he could head up to his room. His father’s expression instantly sent alarm bells ringing in his head and a sharp bolt of terror ripped through him.        Swallowing it down, wearing the mask of ease he slipped into as easily as he breathed, Zane agreed with a curious note in his tone when his father asked to speak with him alone.       It was only after he moved to follow him into the back office that Zane let out a slow, quiet breath, attempting to expel the fear.        It wasn’t what he’d been expecting by a long shot, and that alone felt wrong somehow, but … he couldn’t quite pinpoint the why of it.Xiao Dan, Matt’s grandfather and the head of the Black Dragon Clan, had given his father a temporary, but no less important job in Shanghai, China. It was urgent, but needed to remain discreet — which of course meant that Zane couldn't be told any details.       He’d never even been to China before, let alone traveled out of the country, but … every concern that came to mind, it had already been thought of and resolved.        Zane knew something was wrong, he could feel it innately, but the idea of explaining why was insurmountable.

        Maybe if he had, his father would still be alive.        Saying goodbye to Matt was utterly out of the question. Both because Zane was instructed not to tell anyone, and because he only had the rest of the afternoon and evening to pack up the essentials of his entire life.        Had it only been the former, Zane would have snuck out to find him anyway, and fuck did he want to — after all, he’d never been much of a rule follower. Instead, he did as he was told. He did it for his father, for his family, the shop … and the fear that thrummed beneath his skin made him believe he was doing it for himself, too.        When Zane woke the next morning, the sun hadn’t even come up yet. The world was dim and dreary to his half asleep mind and, briefly, he felt a deep seeded aching anxiety. He desperately wanted to pull the covers over his head, to pretend that the last twenty-four hours had been nothing but a bad dream.        But Zane knew better. He reassured himself that this was only temporary, that he could certainly sleep on the nearly fourteen hour flight. He took things one step at a time — because thinking any further than that would send him into an all-consuming panic.        While his father did his best to hide how much he struggled with his own fear, Zane was all too aware of it. At this point, he’d practically trained himself to seek out the subtle nuances of people’s moods, his father’s especially. He’d learned to look deeper, seek meaning in the tiny details, to sense subtleties that most didn’t.        Zane had already lost one parent — his father shutting him out, refusing to confide in him when they were supposed to be leaning on one another, supporting each other …. It was painful. He hadn't known what else to do.        A wave of irrational anger gripped him then — he was angry because his father was afraid, because he hadn’t realized how attuned Zane had become to his moods, so his attempts to hide it were useless.        Zane was angry because he was afraid, too.        They approached as the taxi arrived, his father briefly speaking to the driver, then taking their things to stash them in the trunk. Zane cast a longing glance back towards his childhood home, towards his family's shop that he loved, before sliding into the backseat.

       His gaze still lingered from the window as he waited for his father to get in on the other side. Zane couldn’t seem to shake the eerie sense that this was the last time he would ever see it.       The drive was mostly silent, save for his father’s attempts to offer empty reassurances. Zane was far too tired, too focused on fighting the fear that gnawed at him endlessly, so he had nothing to say. Instead, he stared out at the rare sight of San Francisco streets, dark and devoid of any life.       He tried not to think of Matt, who would notice Zane's absence without any warning or explanation. He tried to ignore how much that thought left him itching to escape the confines of the taxi.       Given that they were meant to be dropped off, when Zane caught a glimpse of the loading zone, he'd been prepared to unfasten his seat belt.       However, as the driver headed for the domestic garage instead, his father’s voice broke the silence — and of course, he spoke to the man in wavering Mandarin. The uncertainty and confusion in his voice instantly inspired a stab of fear.       But the fact that he was deliberately ignored was what set the alarm bells blaring.       The driver pulled into a parking spot, turned off the engine and got out of the car — then, with a start, Zane heard the doors all simultaneously lock.       His father was speaking again, but he could barely understand the words underneath the sound of his own blood roaring in his ears, the panic he'd been suppressing since he'd woken beginning to bubble over.       The tone of his father’s voice was the only indication he'd needed to know it was more attempts at reassurance, as if he had the fucking means to offer it. Zane's response was filled to the brim with panic and frustration. He didn't mean it.       Two men approached his side of the taxi and pulled the door open — and, from an identical sound from Zane's right, he knew they were surrounded.       As they were dragged out of the backseat, he fought, he thrashed, he tried to utilize the skills he'd worked so hard to learn—       But pain exploded against the back of Zane’s head and the world went black.

When he came to, he felt the scrape of thick rope against his wrists, breathed in the smell of rusted iron and wet concrete.

       The sound of his father’s voice was bleary, difficult to make out, but Zane knew he was speaking Mandarin in this moment, still trying to appease the clan even now.       Rage, adrenaline, panic. As soon as he could coherently force his hands to move, Zane tried to make sense of the knot in a jumbled panic. Once his vision cleared, he saw that his father sat directly across from him, bloodied, with his hands and legs secured to a steel fold up chair.       The moment their eyes met, his father switched to Cantonese to address him, as if the clan wouldn't understand. Zane knew for a fact that they spoke the language as fluently as Mandarin, their rules be damned.       Nonetheless, he couldn't concentrate on his father's words, as his head was throbbing, pain pulsing from the back where they'd hit him.       Zane noticed three things in quick succession ;  once their captives noticed he'd come to, their body language visibly shifted, as if to say finally. The man standing to his father’s right cast a pointed glance to the one who stood behind him, his hands resting on his father's shoulders.       Then he saw the glint of a knife.       Understanding came in a terrible flash and a visceral terror and rage sliced through him. They're going to kill him, Zane realized, and for a few precious seconds, he thought he could tear through the rope with his bare hands.       His voice broke the silence, but it sounded strange, almost far away in his ears. The only thing he managed to get out was the word ❝No❞, over and over in a jumbled heap. He willed his hands to move faster and finally, the knot loosened and the rope hit the floor.

       But it was already too late.       The wet sound of the blade sinking into flesh, his father’s grunt of pain, the sound of him choking on his own blood. An intense, incomprehensible feeling shot through Zane — then he felt something cold and thin wrap around his throat from behind and tighten.       It easily cut through tender flesh and for a moment, he could feel nothing else but that point of pain, and the sudden burning in his lungs. I can't breathe, I can't breathe, I can't—       Somehow, Zane managed to find his bearings ( with the help of adrenaline and panic, no doubt ) and he wrenched his head and body back with as much force as he could.       The cord loosened, the man stumbled backward in surprise and, as gravity pulled Zane down, he used the momentum to swing his legs over his head to land a hard kick to his captive's chest.       Later, the rest would come back to Zane in fragments. Once he'd gotten to his feet, he ran, scanning his surroundings for anything he could use as a weapon — and he spotted thick shards of broken glass, their edges razor sharp. That edge sliced into the meat of his palms, but Zane didn't seem to feel it.       Instead, he turned his attention to the man who had tried to strangle him and, in one vicious, fluid movement, sliced his fucking throat.       The other two followed suit, but all he could register was the drop of their lifeless bodies. Zane saved the man who had driven a knife into his father’s stomach for last.       He came at him, blade drawn, but Zane was faster. His bloodied hand grasped at the man's wrist and he twisted hard until the knife clattered to the concrete floor.       Zane grabbed for it while his other hand clamped around the man's throat, squeezing until he began to choke and wheeze. Then he drove the knife into the last of his captives and, once the blade was fully lodged in the man's stomach, Zane twisted it, intending to inflict as much pain as possible.

       The other man let out several grunts of pain and, soon enough, he choked to death on his own fucking blood. Zane held steady until the man went limp.       Silence fell and he unceremoniously shoved the man’s lifeless body to the floor. His breath came out in wheezing gasps, but the pain was a far away thing for the time being. His body felt numb and the rage, the panic, the grief … It felt like his head was wrapped in cotton.       The dull thud, thud, thud of his heart was loud in his ears and it may have been the only thing tethering him to his own body.

       He found himself leaning against one of the concrete pillars ( he only now made the connection that they’d been taken to a warehouse far outside of the city ) and gradually, he slid his way down to the floor.       He stared blankly ahead, listening to his ragged breathing until it began to slow … and eventually, the pain seeped into his body like blood into fabric.       However, even as his throat, hands and head throbbed, all Zane could think about was what all of this meant. Had this been the result of his relationship with Matt, or had this all been some kind of elaborate trap all along?        He couldn’t fathom how he or his family would be important enough to trap in the first place, but … thinking about it for too long was unbearably painful.       Instead, he focused on the hope that Matt was okay and, while a part of Zane wished he could reach him …       With a stab of shame, he realized a simple truth. He was too afraid to try.

He couldn’t remember how he got the bodies into the trunk of the car,

       nor did he remember which one he’d snatched car keys from. Zane did remember burying his father with careful attention, taking the time to speak to him.       Man Siu Fan’s body was left to decay and coalesce with the Earth and Zane did his best to make peace with it. His emotions were still disjointed, far away, but he knew they would entrap him eventually.At some point, he'd evidently wrapped and cleaned his wounds as best he could, although he scarcely remembered it. His home, the city he'd once loved, was now too dangerous to tread ;  he feared the moment he set foot inside the city limits, it would only be a matter of time until they found him.       So, Zane decided to set his sights on the city of Los Angeles instead. Not only much larger, easy to hide, but it allowed him to put significant distance between himself and the clan.       Unfortunately, the car his captives had used to bring them here only had half a tank of gas, which was not enough to take him over three hundred miles. Zane drove until the gas ran out … and from there, he decided train hopping was likely his next best choice.       He crossed paths with various kinds of people, all of which had their own stories of pain, trauma and heartache … but none quite like his.       Zane was too afraid to tell anyone anything — but even if he wasn't, every time he attempted to use his voice, a visceral pain would pierce his throat. The first time, panic shot through him ;  will I ever be able to speak again, he wondered?       And that too was how he discovered that, under certain stressors, the muscles in his throat would constrict painfully and it felt as though he were being strangled all over again. Nightmares plagued him when he tried to sleep and he'd wake gasping for breath, his throat throbbing to the panicked beat of his heart.       He was half asleep the first time someone attempted to assault him. It was also the first time Zane was forced to fight the vice-like tension in his throat, as he had no other choice if he wanted to survive the night. He struggled, ending up with more injuries than he'd started with, but he managed to fend them off before they could land a killing blow.       The place he found to hide once he escaped was dark and isolated — and once there, all of the emotion he'd kept unconsciously locked away suddenly overflowed.

       The rage, the grief, the terror, all of it came rushing out as if the pressure had collapsed the dam keeping it all in check. It took hours for Zane to reign it all in, for him to catch his breath.He was so fucking tired.From then on, Zane learned to sleep lightly. He learned that he had to be as vicious and ruthless as he'd been in the warehouse and, it should have scared him, knowing exactly what he was capable of, the lengths at which he would go to survive, but … strangely, it didn't.

       Instead, Zane felt a sense of power and control, as if he were gripping the autonomy that had been ripped from him with both hands. Those who had taken everything from him were dangerous — but so was he and some learned that the hard way.       Soon enough, people learned to keep their fucking hands off of him ;  and those who struggled to protect themselves gravitated his way as he learned to morph that vicious, dangerous thing into something warm, inviting, and most of all, protective, whenever needed.       While there would always be those who meant to do harm, there were also always those who needed protecting.       Talking was still painful, but gradually and with practice, it became more manageable. His voice was irreparably damaged, the sound of it now rough and ragged and he was forced to re-learn how to use it.       Once Zane finally reached Los Angeles, he knew there was no hope of truly escaping the violence he'd outrun. A normal job was no longer a viable option for someone like him — not when most of them required his legal identity and thorough background checks. He was a killer, after all.       Instead, he picked up various odd jobs with the gangs who didn't ask questions, nor did they care about the answers. No one knew where he'd come from, what his real name was, nor of the horrors he'd endured. Zane intended to keep it that way.       The more he learned about the Red Fox Clan, the more he could see a place for himself there, with them.

       It was a beacon of hope, a stepping stone to something stable, perhaps even a place to build a life and reputation — so, he sought out their leader, Li Ming, and Zane was granted the chance to prove himself.       He worked hard to do just that. He became known as someone ruthless and cunning whenever necessary. What he'd been through had permanently changed him, and it took some time and acclimation — but soon enough, he fell back into the natural, confident charisma that had once come to him as easily as he breathed.       The duality of it earned him the name 狐妖 Huyao, fox demon in Mandarin. Later on, because of his young age, it was occasionally paired with the casual sounding 小子 Xiaozi, which accurately described the delinquent he'd grown to be in various ways.       Zane didn't mind ;  people were much less likely to fuck with him now and that alone was a victory.       Once he had a stable roof over his head, clean clothes, food and some semblance of safety … he had the means to finally process what had happened to him. He let himself grieve, at least he thought so?       And after everything, all that was left to feel was rage.       While sure, his father would certainly still be alive if Zane hadn’t gotten tangled up with the Black Dragon Clan's heir, it had been Xiao Dan who had made the decision to permanently get rid of them. His only crime had been loving someone he wasn't supposed to.       The decision to make sure Xiao Dan paid for what he’d done to him, for the loss of his father, was an easy one to make.        Zane would destroy him — but there was little he could do without power and influence all his own.       He decided the slow, methodical take over of the Red Fox Clan is what would grant him the power and influence he needed. What he will do with it once it's within his grasp is uncertain, but one thing remains a constant — he will take back his family shop that was stolen from him, one way or another.       Against all odds, a part of him hopes to cross paths with Matt again, despite the fact that it would no doubt complicate things. He hopes that maybe he can help Matt finally see the cruel truth of the clan he's devoted his life to, and Zane suspected he hadn't had any other choice.       Zane hopes to help him find a way out. Although, he can't help but wonder if he'll ever see Matt again — or worse, if he'll be forced into the role of his enemy. Whatever the outcome, he knows he must make peace with it.

( CANON. )
all the world will be your enemy. be cunning and full of tricks‚ and you will never be destroyed.

status canon
fandom fandomless
availability open
affiliated with @feilien
time period modern

       Zane is a notorious criminal belonging to the Red Fox Clan in Los Angeles' Chinatown. Wholly depending on what a situation requires, he can either be warm, magnetic and charming ... or ruthlessly terrifying, which is how he earned the name 狐妖 Huyao, or fox demon, in Mandarin. No one knows where he came from, what his real name is, nor do they know of the horrors he's endured. Zane fully intends to keep things that way — while he does an incredibly good job of shrouding it, he is always evasive about himself.       Despite this, something about him tends to lure people into telling him about themselves, to share their secrets, their hopes and their fears. He is respected by his fellow clan members and his ambitions regarding taking over the clan once their current head, Li Ming is no longer fit to lead makes perfect sense without anyone needing to say the words out loud. Zane is a natural leader and he has noticeably earned Li Ming's trust.       He seeks revenge against The Black Dragon Clan, who are based in San Francisco's Chinatown. For now, he subtly undermines any business of theirs in Los Angeles at every possible turn, oftentimes with the help of his spy within the Black Dragons, Ying Jiao. In exchange for Zane looking out for her younger brother when he left the clan, she passes him information on the clan's business. And maybe there's a part of him seeking the attention of their heir, Long Zhi, enough to leave him the tiniest breadcrumbs to follow.       Outside of his life of crime, Zane spends his evenings taking night classes. He seeks to earn a degree in business and Traditional Chinese Medicine, in preparation for when he regains control of his family's herbal shop that the Black Dragons stole from him.

• TAG

( GRISHAVERSE, SOC DUOLOGY VERSION. )
twisted and deranged‚ the ones you fear in the dark.

status alternate universe
fandom grishaverse / six of crows duology
availability open
affiliated with @feilien & my other muse, @thiefofcrows
time period industrial

        _{NOTE: writing with others in this verse, I will likely make it before Zane gets wind of Matt by default. And of course, I am more than happy to incorporate my own portrayal of Kaz if needed or desired.}        Born and raised in Shu Han, Zane's life was mostly ordinary, at least at the start. He'd discovered early on that he was a Grisha Fabrikator, able to manipulate textiles, metals and glass — which also meant he learned to hide them, as it has never been safe for Grisha in Shu Han. Their fascination ran deep and their only interest was to experiment on Grisha, to use them for their own political gain.        Nonetheless, Zane had no choice but to use them when Xiao Dan, the leader of the Black Dragon Clan, wanted him dead for the apparent crime of falling in love with his grandson and heir. He managed to make it out alive, but much to his distress, his father wasn't so lucky. It was Zane's fault, wasn't it?  No, he told himself. It was Xiao Dan's fault.        There was no time to dwell on the events that uprooted his entire life if he wanted to survive. So, Zane stowed away on a cargo ship heading to Ketterdam, a part of him secretly relieved to leave the constant fear of Shu Han discovering he was Grisha behind ... but, in reality, it simply made room for it in another flavor.        Slavers and Grisha hunters were relatively common place in Ketterdam, which required him to be on high alert at all times. However, having nowhere else to go but the Barrel, that was just what living on the streets was like regardless. He took on various odd jobs for the gangs until he found one he could see himself properly joining. From then on, Zane made a name for himself as the Fox Demon; cunning and ruthless, but incredibly charming, too.       Eventually, Zane hears rumors about The Reaper, Kaz's new spider. He too is from Shu Han — but Zane doesn't investigate, doesn't let himself hope, until he catches wind of the Black Dragons going after The Reaper ... and the fact that he and Kaz had decimated them together. Seeking out The Reaper, Zane discovers that Matt has allegedly left the Black Dragon Clan for good ... but he can't help but fear that Matt's intentions are to lure Zane into a trap set by Xiao Dan himself.       Nonetheless, Zane offers to ally with The Dregs against the Black Dragons ... and now, both uncertain and wary of each other's true motives, they must find a way to work together ... and perhaps with time, rekindle the love that was taken from them both.

• TAG

( GRISHAVERSE, S&B TRILOGY VERSION. )
His darkness would consume the world‚ and he would never waver.

status alternate universe
fandom grishaverse / shadow and bone trilogy
availability open
affiliated with @feilien
time period industrial

       In the end, Zane didn't know how the Shu government had discovered their secret. He and his family had run a medicinal herbal shop for generations in Shu Han. Zane's father was a Durast and so was he — but Shu Han's government was always seeking Grisha and, of course, everyone heard the rumors. The Shu experimented on Grisha, tortured them, sought to discover what exactly it was that granted them such power ... as they desired to find out how to harness it as a weapon that could be bestowed upon anyone. Grisha who were taken were never seen again.       So, they kept a low profile, only using their abilities on the herbs and plants in small ways, hidden within the alleged safety of their shop or their home. Perhaps someone had caught a glimpse of something they weren't meant to see. Perhaps they'd been reckless with how they tended to their herb garden, encouraging the plants to grow too fast. However it happened didn't matter, in the end — what did matter was that they were taken when Zane was seventeen.       He fought with everything he had in him, relying solely on survival instinct — he was just a humble shop keepers son, after all. He'd never had a reason to fight, but something took hold of him then. They'd tried to subdue him, strangle him just enough to force him into unconsciousness, but Zane was relentless. Unfortunately, while he'd managed to escape their grasp, his father wasn't so lucky. He insisted they take him, leave his son be and he encouraged Zane to run. It wasn't until the third insistence, his father's voice ragged and desperate, begging ... that he finally ran.       Once he reached the True Sea, Zane stowed away on a schooner ... and it just so happened to be under the command of a man named Sturmond. He was discovered a couple months after they'd left port and, instead of receiving punishment, Sturmond allowed him to stay only if he were willing to work. Of course, he was more than happy to learn ... and he learned quickly.       Now, at the age of twenty-five, Zane is a full-fledged privateer sailor, working as one of Sturmond's many crew members.

• TAG

( PEAKY BLINDERS. )
we’re beaten and weathered and broken‚ scarred. we’re pieced together with broken parts.

status alternate universe
fandom BBC's peaky blinders
availability closed
exclusive with @alreadybrcken
time period 1919-1929.
content warnings implications of forced underage sex work, rape, human trafficking and general sexual violence. This is a much darker verse that suits the source material.

        _{NOTE: Zane's accent is heavier and his relationship with his culture and ethnicity has more nuance, since he immigrated with his family ( parents, aunt and uncle and cousins ) to the United States from Southern China around the 1850's, rather than having been born in the U.S. from third generation parents. In this verse, he also has only been forced to speak Mandarin in one place and mostly with one specific person, so he isn't exactly fluent. This means he primarily speaks Cantonese and English. He does not go by the name Zane until after he has involvement with Tommy Shelby, so. Before meeting Long Zhi, he goes by his given name, Zi Sam and then only Long Zhi calls him Zi Xin. During his time in the brothel, he's forced to he goes by Zi Xin.}        Zi Sam spends a couple years on the streets after escaping the attempt on his life. However, after getting deeply spooked by the Black Dragon Clan ( likely done solely to push him in this direction, he'd only realized with foresight ), Zi Sam seeks passage to an entirely different continent in order to escape ... and he indentures himself to do so, having believed it simply meant he would have to do some kind of work to pay off whatever he owed.        Unfortunately, it was all orchestrated by Xiao Dan in order to trap Zi Sam in a brothel where he is forced to work as an "escort". His contract is intentionally hiked far too high for him to ever manage to make enough to pay it off. He is also forced to go by his name in Mandarin, Zi Xin, rather than his given Cantonese name. Xiao Dan made this arrangement to not only torture Zi Xin for the relationship he had with his grandson Long Zhi, but he was certain it would lead to his eventual brutalization and death.        However, once Tommy Shelby finally gives in to his desire for men, he connects and develops feelings for Zi Xin, which, over time, are indeed reciprocated. Unfortunately for Tommy, Zi Xin is desperate to escape his situation, not yet knowing about Xiao Dan's involvement and, after finding out about the details of Tommy's life, he reluctantly uses his secret desire to blackmail him into not only getting him out of the brothel, but providing him protection as well. Tommy harbors a resentful feeling of betrayal for this, but he pays off Zi Xin's indenture in full and integrates him into the staff that takes care of his home. He chooses the name ZANE in order to keep a low profile.        After the clan who owns the brothel attacks them both, Zane is forced to tell Tommy the secrets of his past. Together, they must fight back against those trying so desperately to drag Zane back into the brothel he came from ... and that means taking on The Black Dragon Clan as well. Their feelings for one another persists, despite the circumstances and much to Tommy's frustration, and it's only a matter of time before they give in ... consequences be damned.

• TAG

( MYTH & FOLKLORE. )
you’re not dead but not alive either. you’re just a ghost with a beating heart.

status alternate universe
fandom fandomless
availability open
affiliated with @alreadybrcken
time period modern by default, but this verse can be adapted to any timeline.

       Zane does his best to fight off the men who'd taken them, to survive. He nearly does — but, as Zane subjects the man he'd saved for last to the same, slow death given to his father, a sharp, visceral pain pierces him before the light leaves the man's eyes.       Severely wounded with a knife wedged beneath his ribcage, Zane staggers to one of the concrete pillars in the room, leaning against it before painfully sliding down to the floor. He is only seventeen, he doesn't want to die ... but, given he's been taken out into the middle of nowhere with no signal, getting any help isn't a feasible option.       Trembling with terror and insurmountable pain, Zane waits to die.       Death grips him tight no matter how much he fights it, dragging him down into a dark, numb abyss — but, whether it's mere moments or hours later, Zane is dragged back into his body somehow and he wakes, gasping for breath. Energy pulses through him, revitalizing his lost strength, reducing the pain considerably.       Inside of him resides an ancient, foreign instinct that Zane doesn't have the language to describe or name. Perhaps it's a result of trauma, but it almost feels like a consciousness all its own. It guides him through what he needs to do to survive; pulling the knife out so the wound can heal, burying the bodies, finding the keys to the car, driving. When the car runs out of gas, Zane is lead to realize that he can take up the shape and instinct of a fox at will.       It eases his paranoia to be unrecognizable, so that is how he travels the rest of the way. Zane lets the instinct guide him only once to hunt as a fox would — but the human part, so young and newly traumatized, can't stomach it. Instead, he steals as his human part would and somehow, he manages to make it.       Zane is shaken when he finds the Red Fox Clan, but it's impossible not to attribute the coincidence as fate. He joins them and strives to prove himself, learning how to be fully human again despite the months living as an animal — but eventually, it feels as though his body begins to deteriorate. Aches and pains, brain fog, chronic fatigue, worse anxiety, his nightmares more frequent.        The instinct ( or, as he calls it now, the fox ) again leads the way and Zane discovers with horror that in order to keep himself alive, he must devour the Qi, the life force, of human beings. He discovers too that every time he does, he gets vivid glimpses into their lives, their souls ... and to say it takes a heavy emotional toll on him would be an understatement.       Through trial and error, he finds a way to make this work — living a life of crime makes finding horrible people easier ... but Zane too learns the true complexity of human beings. Thus, he must learn to harden himself to the suffering and emotions of others during the hunt, for his own sanity.       Eventually, he finds a balance ... and with it comes the room to turn his sights to new ambitions: slowly and methotically seeking to take over the Red Fox Clan and taking revenge against Xiao Dan and the Black Dragons.

• TAG
• MORE INFO

( broken matt au )
tear apart my ribs to shed the dark and let the sun inside.

status alternate universe
fandom fandomless
availability open
affiliated with @feilien

        Of all the things Zane could have anticipated, Long Zhi seeming to have zero reluctance or hesitation in wanting to kill him hadn't been one of them. Their first time crossing paths was nothing but a ruthless fight and neither of them had gotten away unscathed.        The second time, however, Zane was prepared to set up a trap. He lured Long Zhi out into the open and, after another fight ensued, Zane used the injury he'd inflicted from their last one to get an advantage over him .... then, he wrestled Long Zhi to the ground and secured his arms and legs with thick zip ties, determined to try to get the chance to just talk to him.        His efforts lead them to a dead end, unfortunately, as Zane's frustration, his broken heart lead him to harsh words, to which Long Zhi isn't the slightest bit phased. He'd lost his mother, the only other person who cared about him without ruthless expectations ... and something within him had broken in response. What does have an effect on Long Zhi, however, are the softer things. Zane offered a gentle touch to Long Zhi's injured shoulder, indicated that he still cared about him ... even with his attempts to kill.        Zane vows that he will not kill Long Zhi and he has no plans to let Long Zhi kill him, so ... Zane leaves Matt's knives somewhat within reach so he can set himself free. By the time the zip ties were cut, Zane was nowhere to be found.        From then on, they continue to repeat the cycle, but Zane adopts a new strategy — teasing, flirting, and of course clear demonstrations that he still cares, when he has the means. During one of their fights, however, they were ambushed by a rival clan, taken out to the middle of nowhere and tied up, no doubt for torture and questioning.        They agree on a truce, as they need to work together to survive and find their way back to civilization. It takes them days ... and something between them begins to rekindle, much to Long Zhi's fury.

• TAG

( college au )
from my rotting body flowers shall grow. i am in them and that is eternity.

status alternate universe
fandom fandomless
availability open
affiliated with @alreadybrcken

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( alice in borderland au)
the abject terror and murderous desperation of an animal that knows it’s destined to be eaten.

status alternate universe
fandom netflix's alice in borderland
availability open
affiliated with @feilien & @sharpsuite

Cat ipsum dolor sit amet, dolore laudantium. Nequeporro inventore so consectetur doloremque commodo. Eius quam. Odit molestiae or cupidatat. Ullam commodo adipisicing autem sit. Vitae eos laboriosam. Culpa. Minim aliquam voluptas or occaecat so consequatur for ab. Labore quia, architecto, amet. Nequeporro inventore so consectetur doloremque commodo. Eius quam. Odit molestiae or cupidatat. Ullam commodo adipisicing autem sit. Vitae eos laboriosam.

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( medieval au )
tbd.

status alternate universe
fandom fandomless, can be mixed with myth & folklore verse to add a some Fantasy Elements.
availability open
time period ~500-1500s.
affiliated with @partnerurl

Cat ipsum dolor sit amet, dolore laudantium. Nequeporro inventore so consectetur doloremque commodo. Eius quam. Odit molestiae or cupidatat. Ullam commodo adipisicing autem sit. Vitae eos laboriosam. Culpa. Minim aliquam voluptas or occaecat so consequatur for ab. Labore quia, architecto, amet. Nequeporro inventore so consectetur doloremque commodo. Eius quam. Odit molestiae or cupidatat. Ullam commodo adipisicing autem sit. Vitae eos laboriosam.

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劉龙之
LIU LONG ZHI; "MATT"

@feilien ── partnered

verse dependent.
best friend, canon love interest,
arch nemesis.
 

interactions. | canon ship tag. | AU ship tag.

Thomas "Tommy" Shelby

@alreadybrcken ── exclusive

Peaky Blinders AU.
Employer, love interest.
 

interactions. | ship tag. | AU ship tag.

嬴暴雨
YING BAO YU

@dragonspearl ── main

friend, love interest.
 

interactions. | dynamic tag.

Ada Wong

@redemptioninterlude ── main

co-workers, something like friends.
 

interactions. | dynamic tag.

Firstname Lastname

@partnerurl ── main

Short description of relationship.
 

interactions. | tag. | tag.

Firstname Lastname

@partnerurl ── main

Short description of relationship.
 

interactions. | tag. | tag.

Firstname Lastname

@partnerurl ── main

Short description of relationship.
 

interactions. | tag. | tag.

Firstname Lastname

@partnerurl ── main

Short description of relationship.
 

interactions. | tag. | tag.

恒力明
BAI LI MING
^{_{( alive )}}

        The Dragon Head of the Red Fox Clan, Li Ming inherited the clan from his family. Unfortunately, his own father hadn't keen on leading a criminal triad. It had been traditionally passed down for generations, pressure and expectation coerced him into taking up the mantle regardless.        In the beginning, he was somewhat reserved, with a bit of a temper, especially when he'd had one too many drinks. However, as time went on, it became abundantly clear that not only was he unhappy with the route his life had taken, he was filled with anger and resentment. Li Ming and his mother were the easiest targets he'd decided to use as an outlet and, gradually, the anger and violence worsened. Once Li Ming had reached the age of twenty, he'd had enough.        A fight ensued and, while Li Ming sustained an injury that left his right eye blind and that side of his face scarred, it had devolved into a kill or be killed situation. After that, the duty of leading the Red Fox Clan fell to him, nefarious reasons for the loss of his father or no. In contrast to his father, Li Ming was strategic, quietly charismatic and he ensured the Clan never fell into certain corners of the criminal underground. They involved themselves, and still do, in plenty of illegal activity, but there are some lines he refuses to cross. Li Ming takes great pride in that fact.        He has an air of controlled reserve, but will not back down from brutality and ruthlessness if necessary. He values hard work without complaint as well as loyalty. As long as they are proven trustworthy and reliable, his people will have a roof over their heads and a way to make a living.        While he has no interest in having children of his own to pass the clan to, he takes an interest in Zane as he quickly proves himself a strong, principled leader. Li Ming decides to take him under his wing for this exact purpose, which works just fine for Zane. Proving himself and gaining Li Ming's trust to eventually gain power and control over the clan is what he wants. While this agreement hasn't yet been spoken aloud, they seem to be working together to achieve the same goal nonetheless.Otherwise, Li Ming does rely on the closest he's had to a second in command, Sheng Lan, The Incense Master.

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荫圣岚
Yin Sheng Lan
^{_{( alive )}}

       Sheng Lan is The Incense Master for the Red Fox Clan and the only person who really knows anything about his past or personal life is Li Ming, as Sheng Lan is the closest thing he has to a second in command.       However, given that he has no desire to rise above his current rank, let alone lead the Clan in Li Ming's stead, he isn't a solution to the question of an heir. Nonetheless, he is incredibly loyal and he aids Li Ming to the best of his ability.       When Huyao becomes a potential candidate for the Deputy Mountain Lord, Sheng Lan is more than happy to gradually relinquish some of the responsibility. Of course, he offers " training and testing " at Li Ming's behest. He grows very fond of Huyao over time and Sheng Lan is the one who affectionately adds Xiaozi to his nickname.       While they seem to have a silent agreement not to share very many personal details about themselves, they ofren talk philosophy ... and Huyao seeks the Incense Master's advice sometimes, albeit vaguely.       The most Zane has ever shared is his interest in herbal medicine and his family’s shop .... as, if he's honest with himself, there's just something about Sheng Lan that reminds Zane of his father. Aside from his closeness to Li Ming, Zane is the only other person who has earned any closeness and trust.       ❝If you were not so ambitious, you would make an excellent Incense Master,❞ Sheng Lan had told Zane once, his tone calm and smooth as ever — and then a faint hint of a smile had curled at his lips. ❝But I suppose that serves me well, doesn't it ? ❞

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黎兴涛
LI XING TAO
^{_{( alive )}}

       Xing Tao is the younger brother of Ying Jiao, Zane's contact in the Black Dragons. Xing Tao left the clan and his family behind at the age of sixteen, largely because of the extreme control and expectations of the Black Dragons. He was smart and scrappy ... and known to have a particularly intimidating inclination towards righteous anger.       He knew very well that leaving would put a target on his back ... but so did every other thing he could potentially do wrong. At the very least, leaving could afford him the chance to carve out some kind of life for himself that wouldn't have a metaphorical axe above his head.       Eventually, Xing Tao was intercepted by another Chinese man with scars and tattoos ... but who had a magnetic warmth to him all the same that was difficult to resist in his circumstances. He held authority in another clan, one that was allegedly much more forgiving than the Black Dragons had been.       The man was known as Huyao ( later, he discovered the man's actual name was Zane )  He had connections to his sister, who still resided in the Black Dragons ... and she had evidently agreed to feed Zane information about them in exchange for giving Xing Tao a roof over his head and, of course, opportunity to make something of himself in the Red Foxes.       With very little other options ( and being more than happy to inflict suffering on the Black Dragons of course ), Xing Tao agreed and Huyao gladly took him under his wing. Starting as a foot soldier, he proved himself and eventually, he was promoted to the rank of the Straw Sandal, one recently vacated by Huyao himself.       Under Zane's watchful eye, Xing Tao handles communication and negotiations, recruits new members and maintains relationships with the politicians, doctors and other authority figures on their payroll.

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黎英交
LI YING JIAO
^{_{( alive )}}

        Ying Jiao is Zane's contact / spy within the Black Dragon clan. Her younger brother Xing Tao escaped left the clan and, as soon as Zane caught wind of it, he'd swooped in and ensured he joined the Red Fox clan instead. In exchange for looking out for her brother / keeping him safe, Ying Jiao agreed to report back to Zane about the Black Dragons' business ... and, later on, about the clan's heir, Long Zhi.       She knows Zane by the name and myth he's created around himself, Huyao or Huyao Xiaozi and his reputation precedes him. He gains her trust and loyalty despite the fact that she knows very little about his history with the Black Dragon Clan and his reasons for wanting to take them down. It's only when he allegedly crosses paths with Long Zhi that she begins to put some of the pieces together and actually ask him outright.       While he insists on being elusive ... at the very least, he's told her that he and Long Zhi have history and he cares about him. Ying Jao believes she understands what he means, given the way he seems to soften when speaking of him.        She is strong willed and carries herself with dispassionate confidence. Ever since her brother left, she has been questioning the clan's motives. By the time she's reporting the Black Dragons' shady dealings to Zane, she has fully disengaged with her emotional connection to the clan. Not to mention, she proves herself to be an excellent thief of secrets, silent and deadly.       Initially, Ying Jiao stays only because it ensures her younger brother's safety and security ... and over time, as she learns their dirty secrets and dealings, she finds herself wanting to bring the Black Dragon clan down as well. Gathering the information Zane needs is how they will accomplish that feat.       Afterwards, she intends to join her brother on the outside — and Zane assures her that he could still certainly use someone to gather information for him on the outside too ... once they destroy the Black Dragons from the inside out, of course.        In the meantime, Zane helps her maintain some contact with Xing Tao via messages and letters. Those letters, along with Zane's companionship, are the things that keep Ying Jiao going strong.

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敏少芬
MAN SIU FAN
^{_{( deceased )}}

        Siu Fan was the first son of second generation immigrants, born and raised in San Francisco's Chinatown alongside his younger brother, Sing Chi. His grandparents were the original founders of Sang Gei Jyn ( 生機源 ) and fortunately, he too had a natural gift and interest in Traditional Chinese Medicine. He went to school to earn his degree to practice ( and, of course, a business degree ) to prepare for taking over the family business.        His future wife, Haau Sin, was a client by then, but partially she later admitted that she came to the shop more frequently than necessary purely for the sake of connecting with Siu Fan. Romance easily bloomed and his parents were thrilled. They married and happily ran the shop together once it was fully passed into Siu Fan's capable hands. He fathered a son, Zi Sam, and was merely delighted to have someone to pass the family business to someday.       Sing Chi, on the other hand, fell to the wayside, getting tangled up in triad business, soon exclusively with the Black Dragon Clan. He met his own wife through the clan and they had children of their own, a son and daughter. Sing Chi had realized the tremendous value in their family shop if used to traffic the drugs regularly handled by the clan.       Siu Fan and his wife Haau Sin, however, refused to turn their beloved business into a front for drug trafficking. It became a frequent argument between them all, but it was only after Haau Sin passed away from cancer that he was finally able to wear Siu Fan down enough to agree.       Months and months later, Xiao Dan, the leader of the Black Dragon Clan, approached Sing Chi, inquiring after his desire to run the shop himself. They struck a deal — Xiao Dan would send both Siu Fan and his son to a long-term job that needed to be done in Shanghai, China Beforehand, they would secretly put the business in Sing Chi's name. Believing that no harm would befall his family, he agreed.       Now, he indeed owns the shop and plans to pass it down to his own son, but ... Sing Chi believes something terrible has befallen his brother and nephew. He too knows if so, it is his fault. He lives in a constant state of uncertainty and guilt, shrouded by arrogance. Unbeknownst to him, Siu Fan was killed by the Black Dragon Clan and his son, Zane, has fled to Los Angeles.

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敏星馳
MAN SING CHI
^{_{( alive )}}

        Sing Chi is Sui Fan's younger brother, Zane's uncle. He was born and raised in San Fransisco's Chinatown along with Sui Fan and their family. Unlike his older brother, Sing Chi never had the same knack for medicinal pants and herbs, nor did he have the fascination, either. But even so, he had the drive for seeking some kind of success ... thus, despite his lack of interest and talent in their family business, Sing Chi had long-since decided to compete with Sui Fan.        However, his competitiveness lead him nowhere and in fact only served to drive a wedge between the two brothers. While Sui Fan had no interest in competing, he loved the shop and wanted to ensure it fell into his own capable hands, as it was meant to. No matter how many arguments and conversations they had, they could never see eye-to-eye. Sing Chi wanted success ... while Sui Fan simply wanted the brother he'd once known when they were children.        After Sui Fan did indeed inherent the shop, Sing Chi got entangled in triad business, joining the Black Dragon Clan. Thus, the events of wanting to use the family shop as a front for drug trafficking ensued, giving the brothers ( and now, his brothers' wife ) something new to argue about. After Sui Fan's wife passed, he utilized his brother's grief to wear him down until he finally agreed ... although, his brother's only son Zi Sam proved to be feisty and determined, his love for the family shop mirroring Sui Fan's own.        Sing Chi eventually made a deal with the Black Dragon Clan's Dragon Head — he would send Sui Fan and his son overseas to China for a job and, in their absence, they would illegally forge documents to ensure the shop was seemingly signed into Sing Chi's name.       While the plan did ultimately work and Sing Chi got what he'd wanted ... something about it felt off. It was as if his brother and nephew had simply disappeared. There was no need to maintain any facade as he'd anticipated, as there was no longer any sort of contact.       While Sing Chi now pushes his thoughts and concerns to the wayside nowadays for the sake of his sanity ( aided by frequent consumption of alcohol ), there is a part of him that worries he'd unintentionally sentenced his family members to an early grave. Nonetheless, Sing Chi oversees the operations himself and entrusts a lot of the everyday work to his wife and children.        Meanwhile, he's afraid of what will happen if his missing family members return ... or worse, what it will make him if they never do.

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敏静怡
MAN ZING JI
^{_{( alive )}}

        Zane's youngest cousin, she was about 12 / 13 when their family got fully entangled with the Black Dragon Clan. She too has been helping with the herbal shop since she was ten years old — her herbal / medicinal knowledge was minimal then, but it has grown since the alleged loss of Zane and her uncle.       All she knows is that Zane and her uncle left and there's no telling when they're coming back ... or if. Their family quickly acts as though they never existed, as if they were long dead and never coming back. This is deeply distressing for her, but no matter what she tries, no one will talk about it. Her brother tells her off plenty for insisting, for asking, for causing trouble.        She doesn't stop asking because she's scared, she stops because she knows there's no use.        Her older brother has always had very little patience with Zing Ji and part of that is because of the pressure and expectations their father, Zane's uncle, puts on him. They clash when it comes to obedience, morals — and he sees the situation as inescapable and has accepted his fate while she refuses.        Zing Ji has always longed be close to Zane — he was moreso what she'd always wanted in an older brother; funny, protective, empathetic … and just seemingly so cool, collected and knowledgeable. His teasing was always well meaning and he was the only one who told her brother off when he was being too harsh with her.        Thus, Zane's potential loss hit her hard. She doesn't know what really happened, nor if he's even still alive, but she intends to find out ... even at the risk of her own life.

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敏伊健
MAN YEE KIN
^{_{( alive )}}

        Yee Kin is Sing Chi's oldest child and only son — and, ever since he was deemed old enough to help out in the family shop, his father placed intense expectations on him. Early on, Yee Kin has harbored a constant sense of resentment and frustration that even now, he struggles to understand. Instead, he has since thrown himself into doing as he's told and meeting those expectations to the best of his ability.        The pressure and resentment bleeds into everything Yee Kin does, however — including his interactions with his younger sister, who seems to not have to worry about such things. He has very little patience for her and, as their family members seem to vanish, Zing Ji begins to ask questions, rebel in small ways. Their father doesn't outwardly ask Kee Yin to set her straight, but he sees to the task anyway. Despite the times she's clearly stated she wished he wasn't her brother ... it doesn't change the fact that he is, does it?       Besides, there's a part of him that's almost relieved that Zi Sam is gone ... Yee Kin certainly didn't need his older cousins scolding when they were kids, and he didn't need it now, either. He and his sister argue often for the first year after their uncle and cousin seemingly disappear ... but eventually, Zing Ji simply stops speaking to him unless she has to.        It allows Yee Kin to focus on his responsibilities, so he doesn't exactly mind, at first — but soon enough, he occasionally instigates fights for no other reason than to interact with his sister and ... he isn't sure why. Yee Kin keeps a close eye on her, knowing that she still harbors concerns for their family ... he anticipates her doing something stupid eventually and, while he certainly hasn't been that great of an older brother to begin with ... he will be there when he has to get her out of trouble all the same.

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金煌
JIN HUANG
^{_{( alive )}}

        Huang is a Blacksmith and weapons specialist with a shop in Los Angeles' Chinatown. He makes and designs his own weapons to sell, takes commissions and does weapon repair. He's the Red Fox Clan's main weapons supplier and the person they go to for repairs, if necessary. And, of course, he pays the clan a fee once a month. In exchange, his shop and business is protected from the likes of other gangs in the area.        When Zane was a foot soldier, he actively protected and saved Huang's shop from attempted vandals in a rival clan. From then on, he was the one primarily keeping an eye on the shop and collecting Huang's monthly payment — and, after showing a particular interest in blacksmithing, Zane became an apprentice.        Huang only ever knew Zane as Huyao, what he was often referred to as in the clan. He was smart, attentive and enthusiastic as a student and the two became good friends as well. Zane became an incredibly competent blacksmith with unique design ideas. He has the freedom to use Huang's workshop and they often compare notes.        Aside from their personal friendship, even now as a Red Pole, Zane maintains the clan's relationship and communication with Huang and he still collects the monthly payments himself. Huang's skill and design is highly sought after by many, but ... others know better than to attempt to threaten him or steal his business away from the Red Fox Clan.

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GENERAL

• BLOG
• INBOX
• PROMO(S)
• MEMES / PROMPTS
• PINNED POST

TAGS

• IN CHARACTER
• CANON STORY THREADS
• CHARACTER STUDY
• MUSINGS
• VISAGE
• DRABBLES
• EDITS
• DRAWINGS / ART
• WORLD BUILDING.

VERSE TAGS

• MAIN CANON VERSE
• GRISHAVERSE
• PEAKY BLINDERS VERSE
• MYTH / FOLKLORE VERSE
• BROKEN MATT VERSE
• COLEGE AU

TIMELINE TAGS

• TEENAGE YEARS
• ESCAPING SAN FRAN
• SURVIVING THE STREETS
• TRIAD MEMBER
• RISING THROUGH RANKS
• FINDING MATT
• FIGHTING TOGETHER
• POST BD DEFEAT

PB VERSE TIMELINE TAGS

• INDENTURED
• POST BLACKMAIL
• HEALING THE WOUND
• ZANE & TOMMY TOGETHER

EXTERNAL LINKS

• PINTEREST BOARD
• YTMUSIC PLAYLIST
• MATT
• KAZ'S BLOG

SERVICES 

 36 Oaths.

       _{Traditionally all of the 36 oaths are supposed to be adhered to under penalty of death. While the traditions listed bellow have often corroded away over time in favor of more ruthless profit-focused thinking, we're rolling with it still having important meaning to some.}BRIEF SUMMARY 
       Essentially, joining the clan means you must be loyal and faithful to the clan and its sworn members, must not share secrets, symbols or information with outsiders. All members must consider each other and their relatives their own kin. Do not cause harm, steal from, insult, cheat, or otherwise cause discord for other members or their families. If something happens to a clan member, whether or not they're entrusted to someone specifically, their family members must be cared for and supported financially by members of the clan in some way. Members must help and support each other when in need of it. Do not use the clan to oppress or take violent / unreasonable advantage of others. Do not provide false information about yourself in order to join the clan. No unauthorized promotions.       Changing one's mind and withdrawing from the clan requires a public ritual burning of the tattoo from one's skin, performed and overseen by The Incense Master. Even when one has withdrawn from the clan, they must never speak of the clan's secrets, activities and way of life to outsiders. To do so is most certainly a death sentence.TRADITIONAL IDEALS 

 Initiation.

       In order to earn the invitation to join the clan, one must first endure various tests of loyalty and affiliation. This alone can take weeks, but once someone is deemed worthy, they will receive an invitation to the initiation ritual on bamboo. In the meantime, they're brought in to the tattoo artist on the clan's payroll to get the design etched into their right forearm.       The ritual itself has traditional garb initiates are expected to wear. Billows of incense smoke fills the room and, as one enters, the sound of gongs follow. The initiate passes through the three Hong Gates and the Heaven and Earth Circle Bamboo Hoop. Once that's finished, the senior officials read the traditional poems alluding to the Triad Origin myth. The initiate then swears thirty-six oaths and, after pricking their thumb to draw blood, they press a bloodied fingerprint next to their name, which is now written in the membership books, representing the metaphorical shared blood of the Triad.

 Notable members & their ranks.

_{( This was Zane's previous position after getting promoted from a foot soldier, so he is essentially Xing Tao's mentor. )}

劉龙之
LIU LONG ZHI; "MATT"

@feilien ── partnered

heir to the Black Dragon Clan. best friend, canon love interest ... and, as he and Zane meet again, potentially and reluctantly, on Zane's part enemies.
 

interactions. | canon ship tag. | AU ship tag.

敏少芬
Man Siu Fan

npc created by @huyaoxiaozi

zane's father, original owner of their family shop. killed in front of his son by the black dragon clan.
 

劉小丹
LIU XIAO DAN

npc created by @feilien

dragon head to the black dragon clan, matt's grandfather. the one who allegedly orchestrated the ambush on Siu Fan and Zane.
 

敏星馳
MAN SING CHI

npc created by @huyaoxiaozi

zane's uncle, a member of the black dragon clan, convinces siu fan to let the clan use the shop as a front for drug trafficking.
 

恒力明
BAI LI MING

npc created by @huyaoxiaozi

dragon head to the red fox clan, zane's mentor.
 

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