CatJiu AU
It seems I can't let go of it @red-garden so I made some stuff.
AU: The Sect Leader never chooses his disciples himself (he leaves that to the hallmasters, so no first peak disciple feels above the other peaks' disciples it is justified). YQY is also very busy. This means the younger disciples see him very rarely: it is a great treat. He was practically unreacheable since SQQ had The Deviation (SY took his body). This only changes after SQQ(SY) gets married - this is also around the time KittyJiu appeared. The young ones don't know that YQY has a cat (yet).
KittyJiu (who YQY knows is his Xiao Jiu) is a menace.
I really need someone to write me 50k+ about how KittyJiu got here etc, but here's some spark notes: YQY got turbo depressed after SQQ(SY) married and he could no longer pretend that he was SQQ(SJ). He gets his traditional self neglect arc and the big sad and loneliness. Then one day he chooses to walk in slush/snow/rain back to his peak (he doesn't deserve to get there any faster) from some other peak. In the evening's darkness there is the most pitiful tiny "mi" sound. Just one. YQY nearly ignores it, but something stops him. Soon he hears some low voices and decides to investigate.
He finds some outer disciples poking at a gray lump in the snow. The disciples disperse and he's left alone with the lump. It's the tiniest, skinniest cat YQY remembers seeing. Dirty and wet and practically frozen to the ground. It won't survive the night. It probably won't, even if someone picks it up. It doesn't call out anymore. It barely even glances at YQY with its beady little eyes. But YQY knows, he knows that is his Xiao Jiu. He picks the thing up (he has to thaw the ground to even get it off the ground) and flies home. Against all odds, KittyJiu makes it.
Some things that happen as KittyJiu gets better: he becomes the most pampered animal ever. The whitest and shinest cat anyone has ever seen. In red-garden's words "His paws never touch the ground" (and even the floor only sometimes). This leads to all of YQY's shoes having cat prints on them (how does KittyJiu get his feet wet, we'll never know).
Some other things: YQY's guan pins are his favourite chew toys:
This is great until he chips a tooth. (He does manage to ruin almost all the pins before this.) The visit to Qian Cao is terrible for everyone involved. YQY takes emotional damage (like he's getting hit by a minecraft wither skeleton) from having to force KittyJiu into something he does not want - KittyJiu is Not having it (YQY had to trap him into a basket he tied with immortal binding cable) - MQF has to expedite a way to 1. make cats regrow teeth (before YQY snaps in the head) and 2. administer the cure to KittyJiu. No one is spared.
And YQY will only own wooden pins from then on. He just bins priceless guan gifts/historical pieces etc.
White cat hair also stands out against the dark sect leader robes very well. YQY brings KittyJiu to ALL the meetings no matter where (he also gives up riding horses completely: "Xiao Jiu needs the carriage. He gets sick on a horse. :( Sword flight is irresponsible, his ears will feel bad from the draft."). KittyJiu in turn gets very jealous during the meetings (YQY's clothes and make up pay the price, though KittyJiu can't smack him hard enough to bruise. And he does love YQY, he uses a soft paw only*). YQY basks in the attention.
*terms and conditions apply (the basket is not forgiven)
YQY gets better at taking care of himself as KittyJiu gets better/grows. He's still not perfect (and will never be):
He starts eating, but the meat always ends up going to the cat (the kitchen staff will never know). KittyJiu rejects the raw fish, so YQY eats that instead. <3 He gets 1 raw fish & vegetables. And tea KittyJiu has showed his face in first. The new protein goes to his tits. They are kept perfect for his Xiao Jiu to sleep on. He also stops sleeping on the floor and gets a proper bed.
KittyJiu does eventually get a humanoid form (because I need Qijiu to happen), but that may or may not end up in my ao3 arts.
