Pre-canon Little Mushroom (Xiao Mogu) fanfic about Dr. Ji and Seraing meeting for the first time.
Lu Feng and An Zhe in the background if you squint really hard (it's before they met in canon so...)
(also on Tumblr and Ao3)
(Content warning: guns, blood, violence, state sanctioned murder)
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The first time they met was when Seraing had just joined the ranks of the Tribunal Court. He was assigned to be the second-in-command after Colonel Lu Feng. He quickly came to learn that Lu Feng's coldness was just a protective cover: a barrier set up to keep his demons from hurting the people around him. Seraing saw through him almost immediately. He felt sadness for him, sadness for the fact that Lu Feng felt that he couldn't be close to others. Lu Feng was clearly very alone. The civilians of the Northern Base hated him, the soldiers and the other Judges feared him, and even his own mother despised him. Seraing's sympathy for him was confusing for others, but Seraing himself knew deep down that Lu Feng needed someone by his side, someone who understood him, someone who could save him. He couldn't be the someone who could save Lu Feng, neither could he understand him fully, but a friendly face in a sea full of hatred was not a challenge for someone as kindhearted as Seraing.
Gradually, Lu Feng seemed to warm up to Seraing. He kept him by his side, and showed a more approachable facade when talking to him. His guards were lowered a bit, and Seraing could see that Lu Feng subconsciously leaned in for his warmth and gentleness. Seraing knew then that what Lu Feng needed the most was someone gentle and caring, someone who could offer the purest form of humanity in a world who had lost almost all.
One day, Lu Feng finally let go of the wall between them, and took Seraing with him to the Lighthouse. Seraing was truly happy when he found out that Lu Feng had one close friend other than himself. Doctor Ji was one of those more eccentric ones, but he was a scientist, after all. Lu Feng didn't introduce them to each other, he didn't need to. Doctor Ji took one look at Seraing following closely behind Lu Feng and jumped up to greet him enthusiastically. Seraing had heard of this man before, he was one of the best researchers the Lighthouse had. He worked closely with the Tribunal Court. There was a rumour going around that he was at a very critical point in his research. If he were to succeed, a new way of testing could be used to detect infections.
Seraing politely shook his hand.
"Doctor Ji, I've heard much about you."
"Darling, Jibran is the name, and yes, I'm sure you've heard lots of shit about me from the colonel," the doctor said nonchalantly. He languidly spun on his heels to face Lu Feng. "Who is this little cutie?"
Seraing felt his face heat up. He smiled awkwardly. Lu Feng didn't answer; he just went straight into the doctor's office and took a seat. Jibran tsked and shook his head in disapproval.
"Is that the way to treat your best friend? Wow, such manners!" he muttered under his breath. Casually putting both his hands down the pockets of his white lab coat, he turned back towards Seraing, who was still standing there stiff as a board.
Jibran's blue gaze seemed to pierce through him like lasers as he scanned him from top to bottom and then up again. It was as if he was some kind of special biological matter being dissected on the cold examination table. Seraing cleared his throat and folded his arms behind his back, standing somewhat at attention.
