Archive of Our Own ^beta

“I can’t believe I thought you were the normal one,” Jingyi says. “That’s like, my biggest flaw as a person.”

“It’s definitely not,” Jin Ling tells him.

“When did you think he was normal?” Zizhen wants to know. “He’s from Earth. He has nine tails, two dads, and an innocent expression second to none. He could sell you your own hands and make you think you got a deal.”

“I’m sure your hands are very valuable,” Sizhui says earnestly. “But if I’m not the normal one, who is?”

“You are the normal one,” Jin Ling says. “They don’t know what they’re talking about.”

Sizhui smiles at him. “Thank you, Jin Ling.”

“Pretty sure that wasn’t a compliment,” Zizhen says.

“Well, not to us,” Jingyi agrees. “This is mythical mammal exceptionalism, and I won’t stand for it. I demand recognition!”

“Oh please,” Jin Ling says, “like you can go anywhere without people fawning over you. Dragons are the worst: ‘oh, someone talked about something other than how great I am for one second! Disrespect! Dishonor! Your planet will have bad luck for a century!’”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Jingyi scoffs. “It would be four centuries at least; that’s much more dramatic.”

“I would never curse someone with bad luck,” Zizhen says.

“Obviously,” Jingyi agrees. “You’re not a dragon.”

“Oh, here we go,” Zizhen says. “I notice I’m supposed to side with you when it comes to mammal exceptionalism, but if I disagree that everything dragons do is perfect then I’m suddenly not a dragon.”

“We’re not perfect,” Jingyi says. “Just better than everyone else. Also, for the record, wyverns aren’t dragons.”

“Dragons aren’t wyverns,” Zizhen counters. “Wyverns are absolutely dragons.”

“Wyverns are dragons,” Sizhui agrees.

“No one cares,” Jin Ling adds.

“I care that Sizhui is wrong,” Jingyi says. “Is that not the most momentous thing that’s happened today? Sizhui doesn’t make mistakes! And yet here we are, witnessing history in the making.”

“What, Jingyi being loud and obnoxious?” Jin Ling says. “That’s not history, that’s just you talking.”

“You’re loud and obnoxious!” Jingyi exclaims.

“So?” Jin Ling says. “There’s a planet named for me. I’m entitled.”

“Aren’t you named for the planet?” Sizhui asks, somehow managing to look curious and supportive at the same time. “Jin Xing, home of Koi Tower.”

“Gold star,” Zizhen tells him, and Sizhui just smiles.

“More like golden unicorn planet,” Jingyi mutters. “Not all of us have to remind everyone how great we are all the time.”

“Did you really just say that?” Zizhen demands.

“Shui Xing!” Jingyi protests. “Lan Jingyi! It’s very subtle!”

“It is,” Sizhui says kindly.

Jin Ling adds, “You’re not,” and that’s probably fair.

“Yes, I’ve been told,” Jingyi allows. “Once or twice. Lack of subtlety is an undervalued trait.”

Sizhui smiles again and Jin Ling rolls his eyes. “Please,” he says. “I have to hear people quoting my uncle all over this ridiculous space school; I don’t need to hear it from you too.”

“I do,” Zizhen says cheerfully, because he’s a chaos agent. “Go on!”

Because Jingyi considers himself a very magnanimous person who cares about his friends and also likes to hassle them as much as possible, he does.