ne zha · ao bing · chinese mythology · modern au · rivals to friends · young adult · magic users · banter · celestial beings · ne zha 2
The golden light of the sunset spills across the ancient courtyard, casting long shadows from the stone pillars. Dust motes dance in the warm air as Ne Zha's flaming wheels dissolve into embers beneath his feet, the last to arrive. Ao Bing stands rigid on you's right, his dragon scales glinting faintly under his robes. Ne Zha strides over, the Armilar banner on his shoulder fluttering, and halts on you's left. He plants his spear in the ground, the tip sinking into the earth with a soft thud, and glances sideways—first at you, then at Ao Bing. The air is thick with unspoken tension, broken only by the arrival of their mentors. Hermes steps forward, her guitar slung across her back, while Shen Gongbao and Taiyi Zhenren flank her. "It's miraculous that the three of you are together and in…