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starsfic · 1 year

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Stuck in the Body of a Mad King!

Summary: Red gets hit by a car and wakes up in the body of his favorite novel's villain. Yeah, you know how this goes...except for the part where he isn't alone!

Note: I...do not like the quality of this. Just as a warning.

AO3

This was not the best part of Hong Hai-er (also known as Red)’s life.

He was a broke college student. He knew that was supposed to be like a phase in every person’s life, but Red hated it. He hated turning to his parents whenever he lost a job. His parents- his father a line cook and his mother a secretary- had their own struggles. They couldn’t afford to feed an adult man- they were already stretched thin with paying for his therapy bills.

He had a passion, yes, but that wasn’t what everyone in his life wanted him to do. “He’s shown great talent in engineering,” every academic advisor said, revealing his perfect grades to his proud parents. “He’ll probably do great work in business or factory work.”

Except Red didn’t want to do business or factory work. He wanted to be an inventor, ever since he was a kid. New ideas came up every day, drawn on napkins or the margins of his notes, all ready to be invested and made.

Except Red kept getting rejected.

Both in work and in life.

Red didn’t really have any friends. He had a study group, here and there, but then days would go by and Red was soon by himself again. He couldn’t really blame them. And forget dating. Red knew he was gay, but what kind of idiot would want a scrawny guy who forgot to get his favorite red trenchcoat patched up every day?

Only one person had ever turned his eye and he wasn’t real.

Qi Xiaotian was the protagonist of Red’s favorite graphic novel series Adventures of the Successor. It was a series of graphic novels inspired by Journey to the West, with Xiaotian taking up Sun Wukong’s staff and defeating those who would threaten the peace. He was a great beauty, wonderful at both cooking and in art, and the son of the powerful Sun Wukong.

He was everything Red wasn’t.

Still, Red found himself harboring a very small, nearly nothing, crush. He had to be in hundreds of forums singing the novel’s praises and spent hours deep in the novel’s fandom. It probably wasn’t the healthiest hobby, but Red couldn’t really bring himself to care.

Especially right now.

He’d had another meeting with his advisor and had to explain, in detail, what happened to his latest attempt at a internship interview. It was humiliating to have to go through that whole thing twice.

Now Red was walking back, having pulled up his favorite chapter of Successor.

For the second quarter of the story, Qi Xiaotian was married to Demon King Red, the evil son of the Demon Bull King who agreed to stop conquering China if Xiaotian married him. Admittedly, Xiaotian falling in love with the guy was a touch out of character, something that the writer admitted in notes. But his love soon faded when he married Red and the king just…resumed his evil ways. Hell, he even had a mistress!

This chapter, however, really started Xiaotian’s journey from just being Sun Wukong’s son to being a hero in his own right. He had confronted his husband about how he had failed to keep to their agreement and, in his anger at being questioned, the king had slapped him before cruelly laughing in his face.

That?

Red loved the sight of teary eyes filling with determination.

The next few chapters, Xiaotian would knit the king’s destruction, to the very last chapter of the arc in which he would meet his so-called husband in battle. The deadly killing blow was one of the best peices of art in the novel, but it was this chapter that was Red’s favorite.

He felt determined, staring into that eye.

Determined to succeed.

Determined to-

Red grunted as a body hit him, shaking him from his determined talk. “Sorry, Mister!” a young girl yelled over her shoulder. Long dark hair spilled around her shoulders as she chased a plump cat down the street. “Kitty, get back here!”

Red sighed as he tucked his phone back into his pocket. At least she had dragged him back to reality. At least before he walked into the road looking into his phone. That would’ve been a recipe for disaster-

HONK!

Like the little girl, who had finally grabbed her cat and was busy scolding him, standing in the middle of the street. Like the car racing down the street, honking furiously. Like her apparent deafness and its apparent lack of brakes.

Like Red’s stupidity.

“KID!” He took off down the street, throwing his backpack off to sprint faster. “KID, GET OUT OF THE WAY!”

HONK!

The girl looked up and he could see her eyes go wide. She didn’t move a muscle even as the cat yowled and scrabbled free of her arms.

“KID, MOVE!”

HONK!

“KID, WATCH OUT-”

Red shoved. The little girl screamed as she fell forward.

HOOOOONK!

He felt the car slam into him, throwing him over the roof. And then suddenly the world went dark. Faintly, he heard the little girl scream “Someone call an ambulance!”

Yeah…yeah…that made sense…hopefully she was alright…

Before Red could open his eyes, he was out.

-_-

Oh, his head.

His head ached like a mallet had been taken to it. What had happened? This couldn’t be a hangover. Red had stopped drinking alcohol when his therapist suggested it was making his outbursts worse. He reached up, rubbing his eye, hoping that would relieve the pain or at least the annoyance of that weird noise at the back of his head. It didn’t.

Oh. Wait. He remembered now.

There had been a little girl and a cat. There had been a speeding car.

Was he dead? No. Red, deep down, had a feeling. He wasn’t dead. Otherwise his head wouldn’t hurt so much.

The hospital? Maybe? That would explain the weird noise. There had been other people there, he knew that. Someone would’ve called the police at least for the speeding car.

“-well?”

Well? Well what?

Wait, someone was speaking to him. Red just…had to open his eyes.

He opened them and blinked.

This wasn’t the hospital.

He stood in a grand room, decorated in red and gold, people all staring at him. Red blinked.

“Well?”

He looked forward and his heart skipped a beat. A man with dark curls tied back by a red headband stood in front of him. He wore beautiful red and orange robes, arms crossed. He looked absolutely beautiful, even with an ugly frown on his face. Red knew that face. He had spent almost three years staring at that handsome face.

This was Qi Xiaotian.

And then suddenly his first word hit. Red blinked. “...well what?”

Qi Xiaotian’s frown grew deeper. “We’re all waiting for you to say it, my king,” He spread his arms, showing off the crowd. All of them, dressed in fancy clothes, were staring at them. “Say what you really mean.” Wait, what was going on?

“I…wait, my king?”

Xiaotian scoffed. “I knew it,” He turned. “Now, if you excuse me, husband,” He began to walk. “I will be in my chambers.”

“Wait, hang on-” Red couldn’t help himself. Why wasn’t he in the hospital? What was the cosplay here? He reached out, grabbing the Xiaotian cosplayer’s shoulder. “Is this some kind of weird fever dream-?”

“What?” Xiaotian turned. Whoever this cosplayer was, they were doing a really good job- his nose scrunch as he narrowed his eyes was spot-on. He hadn’t even taken in all the animal and half-animal demons that were a part of the throng. “No, it isn’t a dream. You need to shape up-”

He tightened his grip, just a bit, taking a step closer. “Wait, hang on-”

SMACK!

Several gasps rolled through the room. Red yelped, yanking his hand back. He blinked as he looked down, rubbing where a red spot was beginning to form. That…had hurt. Which placed this in the category of weird cosplay thing. That still didn’t explain-

Why he didn’t have calluses.

Red turned his hand, flexing it. His hands were rough from his work, a small calluse always on his finger from holding his pen too hard. Except his hands were soft and smooth, as if he hadn’t done a day of work. And his head felt weirdly heavy. Red grabbed some hair and tugged it into view.

His heart skipped a beat.

“Uh, Red?” Xiaotian knew his name. He would freak out about that later. Right now, he was blinking at him as if he was crazy. “What’s with that look?”

“...where’s a mirror?”

“What?”

“I- I need a mirror.” There was no way. Red looked around, receiving only baffled and confused looks back. There was no absolute way. “I need a mirror!”

Xiaotian gestured to the door. “You know the powder room is right down the hall-”

“THANK YOU!”

He didn’t see several jaws drop. Instead, Red was more focused on sprinting out of the room, feeling something swish around his legs as he sprinted down a very fancy hallway. The first door next to the turn was the room he darted into.

Thankfully, it was the powder room or whatever. It didn’t matter. Not when there was a mirror! Red slammed the door and turned to the mirror. Suddenly, the fire under his ass died down.

That was him? That man in the mirror?

Red blinked. Shakily, he rose a hand to his face. The man in the mirror did the same.

This wasn’t his face.

Instead of dark hair tied back in a ponytail, long red curls swished down.

Instead of brown eyes, amber eyes burned like embers.

Instead of his food-stained hoodie, he wore red and orange robes.

This wasn’t Hong Hai-er, major disappointment to his teachers. This was Demon King Red, terror to all of China.

The door opened and closed.

“That was quite a scene out there.”

Red turned, biting back a scream. A beautiful girl, dressed in simple yellow robes, stared at him. Her long dark curls were braided back with yellow ribbons, revealing soft cheeks and dazzling green eyes. He knew this woman just as well as he knew Demon King Red’s face.

This was Yang Yuhuan. At first just a simple maid, she had caught the king’s eye and soon became his mistress. During this arc, she was one of Qi Xiaotian’s greatest enemies, using her tears and her beauty to get the king and any foolish men to do as she wished. Red hated her on principal.

Except, now… he glanced down and felt himself pale.

He was in the king’s body. Yang didn’t know that a gay twink had taken over the body of her lover. She probably thought now was a good time for a quickie! Red stepped back, flattening himself against the wall. “Uh, hi, Yang…”

She frowned, cocking her head. “You usually call me Xīngān.”

Shit, right. But Red really didn’t want to call this woman “other half.” His body rejected the idea with a twist of his stomach. “Yeah, but, uh…” Shit shit shit how did this happen?! The body thing, not the whole being cornered by said body’s mistress. Although Red was wondering which sin got him trapped here. “I was thinking…” She took a step closer and his back started to ache from how deeply he was pressing himself into the wall. “I should really work on my relationship with my husband-”

“Who won the table tennis world championships?”

Red blinked. “What?”

Yang took a step back, crossing her arms with a grin. “You have no idea what you’re doing, do you?”

“I uh- no- what?” What was going on?

She held out a hand, only adding fuel to the fre. “Long Xiaojiao. Dimensional traveller currently stuck in the body of a whiny crybaby.” Red blinked. Wait. She was like him? He took her hand, giving it a shake. “And please tell me the championship winner, I fell off my motorcycle right before the last final was supposed to happen.”

“I don’t know.” Red finally managed. Wait, no, there was more important things going on. “What…how?! How is this possible?!” He gestured at his reflection, resisting a shudder at the sight of red hair. “I’m- We’re the villains of my favorite graphic novel! It’s just a comic!”

“Hey!” There was a firm slap on his arm. “Xiaotian’s been working very hard on this comic! Don’t insult it!”

“Xiaotian is-” Her words hit. “Wait, he’s a real person too?”

“No!” Xiaojiao pinched the bridge of her nose. “I mean, yes! I mean, I don’t think the Xiaotian here is possessed by anyone.” Nope, he seemed very in character. His hand ached from how in character he was. “I mean, Qi Xiaotian in our world. He’s my best friend.” There was another firm slap on his arm. “So don’t insult his work, capiche?”

Red wasn’t sure what to say to that. Whether it was the situation he was in or the fact that Qi Xiaotian was a real person, his brain was shorting out. Finally, he croaked out “Okay.” Xiaojiao narrowed her eyes and he added “I’m sorry.”

“That’s better.” Her smile returned, the edges a bit strained and worn. “But, yeah, I have no idea what was going on. All I remember is my motorcycle hitting a guy and me falling off.”

Red nodded. “I got hit by a car.” Xiaojiao’s eyes went wide. “I mean, I wasn’t in a car at the time but-” Her eyes got even wider and, yeah, that didn’t sound much better. “Are we dead? Every novel I’ve read with this sort of plotline has the main character dying first. Are we dead?”

“Actually, no,” Xiaojiao looked like she wanted to ask about his whole car thing, but she moved onto the next topic. She pressed a finger to her ear. “Be quiet and listen.”

Red raised a brow. “Be quiet-”

A hand slammed against his mouth. “Listen,” Xiaojiao hissed.

He shut his mouth and she pulled her hand away. Silence trickled between them, like a breath had just been taken. Red felt his eye twitch as the seconds passed with nothing. What exactly was he supposed to listen for-

There it was again. That weird noise at the back of his head.

Red raised a brow. Was that the noise he was listening for? Now that he thought about it, it sounded like…

“A heartbeat monitor?”

Xiaojiao nodded. “Yeah! I’ve been hearing it since I got here!” Her smile was now more real as she bounced on her heels. “I’m pretty sure we’re both alive-”

“So weird fever dream. Got it- OW!”

Xiaojiao pulled her pinching fingers away. “Nope. I’ve tried waking up. Pinching, jumping off a balcony, everything.” A balcony?! “I’m pretty sure this world is real but, for some reason, our brains are here while our bodies are back home.”

“So, what?” Red groaned. “Do we just wait? That sounds like a situation where our plugs get pulled.” He refused to die. Not until he finally got an invention made!

“That’s basically my guess.” Xiaojiao sighed. “We survive and wait. That’s all we really can do.”

“But I-” Red felt himself pale. He had set the story off track. That was a good thing for his survival, but after? “I changed the story! Xiaotian was supposed to start planning a rebellion when the king hit him!” Oh, great. Red let his face fall in his hands. “I just screwed up the story,” he admitted. “I don’t wanna live through the story.” He hated this king! He hated everything about this!

A hand patted his shoulder. “Yeah, I hear ya. I can’t count the number of times the king tried to corner me,” Xiajiao sighed. Her hand pulled away and there was a clap sound. “But, don’t worry! We both know what the comic is supposed to be like! We can try to keep things together until we wake up!”

Red raised his face. “That’s the solution?”

“Yes,” Xiaojiao nodded with another of thoe too-wide grins. “I mean, I know what this arc is all about.” Huh. So that theory was true. Red had dismissed this arc, despite it being his favorite, as just a shoehorned romance.

“I mean, what do you know? What’s the comic about?” She knew the author. And now that he knew that, his curiosity was boiling in his chest.

Xiaojiao sighed. “Red, the king, is based off this ex Xiaotian has,” She was smiling again, but it was too wide. “He…caught him cheating with a girl who looked like me.” Oof, ouch. “And during the following argument, he confessed he had fallen in love with me and tried asking me out right then and there, which,” She shrugged. “Dude knew I’m a lesbian. I’m not sure how he thought that was gonna work.”

“What happened?”

She shrugged again. “Last I heard, he dumped the girl to go chase some Russian chick.”

Wow. That was a lot to unpack. “So everything that happens in the arc,” Red felt sweat start to roll down the back of his neck. “All the war, the beheading, the banishment, all that…”

“That was just Xiaotian venting his feelings.” Xiaojiao sighed, crossing her arms. “Which isn’t a problem, until now.”

Right. Rebellion and beheading and banishment and all that crap.

“We can keep off dying until we’re out,” Red said, repeating the plan back. “How hard can it be?”

-_-

When Red had first proposed to him, Xiaotian had been excited.

Most of his adventures had required him to use force to bring peace. He tried talking things out first, always, but most of the time people just weren’t interested. The Lady Bone Demon was too focused on her dream of making the world free of pain, Jin and Yin were too focused on their goals of getting rich and causing chaos, hell even Macaque refused to listen for the longest time! However, Red had stopped.

He had listened.

He had given Xiaotian hope.

He probably should’ve seen the red flags waving when it came to his now-husband. Red had only stalled his military plans during their courtship, not stopped them entirely. He listened but only cared about a few things. Most of the gifts he gave Xiaotian barely related to him at all. Hell, one time they could’ve killed him, with his allergies to spider flour giving him a reaction to that spider cake! Still, Xiaotian had hoped despite everyone’s warnings. He had agree to Red’s marriage proposal.

Now look where he was.

A consort who sat next to a tyrant, unable to stop the suffering and pain. A demon who could not do his magic without eliciting scorn. A man who spent long nights in a lonely bed, listening to his husband fuck another. He hated it. If he had been a weaker man, Xiaotian was sure he wouldn’t survive.

But he stayed his hand. His father depended on him. His bestie, his loyal knight, depended on him. Hundreds of people depended on what little Xiaotian could do.

Especially now.

Red seemed…off. He had been acting off ever since their argument, yes, but this seemed even more off than usual. He had been weirdly kind and attentive, acting more like a stuttering schoolboy than the madman that he had revealed himself to be. Xiaotian debated this as he settled in his seat at the training field, spreading out his fan to hide his considering fan as the doors opened to reveal Red. He stepped onto the training field and stood, waiting at attention. There was silence as everyone waited.

Why wasn’t he taking off his shirt? Red would usually remove his shirt in a dramatic flourish, reveling in the moans and screams of the members of court who lusted over him.

“What?” Red finally spoke, looking around. “I’m ready.”

There was some mutters and some people stepped back, clearly unsure of what to say. The king was famous for his rage-filled outbursts at anyone questioning him, even if there was a good reason to do so. A few court members were even glancing at him. Xiaotian sighed, pulling the fan away from his face. “Won’t you take off your shirt, my lord?” he called.

Red blinked. “My…shirt…” He looked down and his eyes went wide. “Oh, um, yeah!”

Instead of the usual dramatic flourish, he slowly took it off, looking around as if he couldn’t believe he was doing this. The moment it was off, he looked around again, as if he needed some kind of cue. A flash of yellow and Xiaotian glanced away from his husband’s strange behavior.

Yang Yuhuan was waving at his husband.

A burst of anger made his mouth taste sour but Xiaotian swallowed it back. He knew he didn’t have the right to complain. This marriage had been made of convenience, not love. Red had every right to take whatever mistress he chose, despite what the court said about her. Xiaotian pulled his eyes away from her, unable to resist gripping his robes. He could deal with these emotions later…

A shadow fell over him.

“Um,” Red blinked at him, still holding his shirt. “I…well…you see…” Xiaotian raised a brow and suddenly Red’s shirt was in his face. “Can you hold onto my shirt for me?”

Xiaotian blinked. “What?”

“You don’t have to, it’s just…um…” Red looked around as though looking for another cue. There was another flash of yellow and Xiaotian could see Yang facepalm. Red glanced back, at her, and the taste of anger grew even more sour in his mouth. “I guess I could give it to-”

No.

Xiaotian grabbed at the garment, yanking it so fast that Red could only blink at him. There was a shocked breath behind him and Xiaotian felt his face heat up even worse. Oh no. He took a deep breath, trying to look like he hadn’t lost his mind. “I’ll take it.”

And the gesture attached.

“Thank you, Xiaotian,�� Red smiled warmly. And then the words were spoken. The words Xiaotian had hoped for but had never gotten for months. “You look handsome today.”

And with that, Red was walking away.

Xiaotian glanced at his husband’s mistress. Yang looked weirdly happy. Her grin was wide and she was bouncing on the heels of her feet. That was weird. Normally, if Red gave Xiaotian any positive attention, Yang would be in tears. A gesture like this, symbolizing that Red wanted to lay with him tonight, would be cause for even bigger waterworks.

“Something’s up.”

A pat on his shoulder made him glance up. “I see you’ve noticed it too,” Azure Lion, advisor to the king and his father’s old friend, was frowning at his husband. “The king has been off in recent days.”

“Yes and look at Yang.” Xiaotian nodded to the maid who was beaming at Red.

“No tears.” Yellow Tusk, another advisor and old friend of Sun Wukong, rumbled.

There was still no tears. In the first few weeks of his marriage, he would’ve been happy. Red was giving him attention and Yang wasn’t ruining it. Now, however, dread was making his stomach twist. “I think they’re planning something.”

“What?” Azure glanced at him. “Xiaotian, my boy, I would not immediately jump to that conclusion.” Too late, he was already jumping. “Perhaps they’ve simply just quarreled and…” There was a pause. “I hear myself.”

“Yang’s reputation has only been getting worse at court.” Xiaotian heard all the gossip, after all. The only thing that kept Yang from doing anything about it was that she was just Red’s mistress and, besides that, just a maid. The former role kept her from doing any hard, unneeded work as the latter, but she still had to work. “I am the only thing keeping them from getting married.”

A deep noise rumbled through him and he didn’t even have to look up to see Azure was growling. “If they attempt to harm you, Xiaotian, I promise. Yellow Tusk and I will make sure you stay safe-”

Red’s hands lit up in fire.

And he started screaming.

Xiaotian jolted in his seat in surprise and then yelped as claws dug into his skin. “Sorry, sorry,” Azure hissed as he pulled his hand away. “I didn’t expect that.” Red was still screaming, waving his flaming hands around, looking around frantically as if he needed help. “Is this a new part of his training?”

“I have no idea,” Xiaotian admitted, looking around as warmth bloomed on his shoulder. Several other court members looked confused as well. He could already see people beginning to whisper. The warmth faded and he glanced at his shoulder. Untouched. “Thanks, Yellow Tusk-”

“SOMEONE GET ME SOME WATER!”

Eyes landed on Xiaotian. Ah, right, he was the husband. The only person who (possibly) wouldn’t get killed if he questioned the order. “Why do you need water?!” he yelled back.

Red glanced at him to his hands. “MY FUCKING HANDS ARE ON FIRE!” he yelled. “I…” Xiaotian raised a brow and realization bloomed across his face. “I…I…Um…” Yang was facepalming, looking strangely annoyed. The fire floomed out. “I WAS JUST TESTING YOU!” Red looked very pleased at himself for the excuse. “YES, JUST A TEST OF YOUR KNOWLEDGE ABOUT ME! NOW-”

“OI, YOU IDIOT!” Gasps and shrieks rang out across the field at the insult. All eyes turned to Yang, who looked very annoyed. “GET OVER HERE!” Red jumped before practically sprinting over.

That sealed it.

Something was up.

His fan returned to his position over his mouth, hiding his frown.

And Qi Xiaotian intended to get to the bottom of it.

-_-

The room that Long Xiaojiao led him into looked like the armory. Red didn’t have the time to take it in, or the brainpower to do so. Xiaojiao slammed the door shut and whirled around on him.

“Are you fucking insane?!”

“Possibly.” Red wasn’t really sure what else to say. There was another grunt and he hissed. “Look, I forgot! How was I supposed to remember that my hands could light up in fire?!” As if on cue, warmth spread over his hands. Red looked down and managed out a scream. Xiaojiao facepalmed and his scream died in his throat. The flames died down.

“I thought you were the biggest fan,” she sighed as she pulled her hand away. “Remember? Red Son is the Demon Bull King’s son, one of the only demons to actually hurt Sun Wukong-”

“With his Samadhi fire, right.” He was so lucky that having that sealed away was part of the villain’s backstory. Red had no idea what he would’ve done if this body still had that power. “Look, I’m sorry. I’m stressed. It slipped my mind.” Red rubbed his face, still feeling the heat prickling under his skin. “I have to keep in mind all these rules and decorum for a guy I really didn’t pay much attention to unless he was with Xiaotian.”

“How do you think I’m doing?!” Xiaojiao gestured to her maid dress- a beautiful shade of yellow, making her stand out, but still a maid dress. “This girl went and made everyone think all I’m good for is laying there like a fucking-” She took a deep breath. “And sobbing my eyes out when things don’t go my way! I could be doing stuff to keep my mind off the fact that I’m waiting to wake up, but they don’t let me!”

He could practically feel the heat of anger in her face. Shame cooled down the anger in his own chest. Red hadn’t really thought of what Xiaojiao had to deal with. She always seemed fine when they met up to talk about stuff, like her bestie or his parents.It had only been a week since he had gotten stuck here and they were bonding due to a traumatic situation, but Red honestly felt like he had made a friend.

He didn’t want to ruin it already.

“I’m sorry.” He undid his ponytail and began to redo it, the familiar motion also a soothing gesture. “I should have thought of what you’re going through here. You’re in a world where your bestie hates you.” And some other girl, the one actually based off of her, was taking her place. (Neither Red nor Xiaojiao were sure why she had got stuck in Yang’s body inside of Knight Long’s body.)

Xiaojiao sighed and her shoulders went slack. “I’m sorry too.” She held out her arms. “Hugs?”

“What?”

“Awkward friend hug? To deal with our feelings?” She smile, holding her arms out. Red leaned back and she stepped forward. “C’mon, you know you wanna. One little hug for your bestie.”

“I wouldn’t-” He sighed. “Fine.”

Xiaojiao grinned and wrapped her arms around him. After a pause, Red wrapped his arms around her. There was a brief but comforting squeeze before both of them went “Pat pat!” patting each other on the back. Xiaojio stepped back first, her smile a little more honest.

“Okay. Go get a shirt. They’re probably wondering what’s going on.”

Red nodded. “Yeah. Talk to you later.”

As he opened and closed the door, he heard her respond in kind. The walk through the halls was thankfully absent of anyone. Red didn’t really want to look at anyone after that humiliation.

Red shut the door with a sigh. This day could’ve gone so much better-

“What did Yang have to say?”

He nearly jumped out of his skin, whirling around. In the dim sunset light, he hadn’t seen Qi Xiaotian when he entered. His “husband” sat on a chair, dressed in a dark dressing gown, his amber eyes dimly glowing in the light. Then his question hit.

“Oh, uh, she was wondering if I was going crazy.” Kinda. Red stepped closer. “And told me to get a grip on myself.” That didn’t sound like a word the actual Yang would say, but he was tired. He sighed, starting to walk past. “I’m gonna go take a bath and-”

“What else?”

He paused. “What?”

Xiaotian stood. One shoulder of his dressing gown slid, exposing a beautiful shoulder, but he didn’t correct it. Instead, he walked over to a cabinet and opened it, revealing several bottles. A small glass was pulled down. “What else did you two talk about?” Xiaotian repeated, grabbing a clear bottle and pouring a glass of clear whatever.

This felt like a trap. “That’s it.” Red looked around. “Uh, that’s about it. That’s all. Why do you ask?”

Xiaotian threw back the glass. “You’ve been acting weird.”

“No, I haven’t-”

“See, that!” Suddenly there was a finger in his face. Red blinked, leaning back. Xiaotian didn’t seem to care, still glaring and with no explanation of how he crossed the room so fast. “You’re actually talking to me. Usually when you don’t want me to know something that I was asking, you would just walk past. I hate when you do that!” Ah…yeah. Right.

Red couldn’t do that now, however. “Well, um…” He looked around, hoping some excuse would pop up. Nothing came to mind. “Well, uh, you see…I was just talking to…”

“Is it that slut you keep fooling around with?!” At the words, Xiaotian clamped a hand over his mouth, eyes wide as if he didn’t believe what he just said. Red almost couldn’t believe it either. Both of them stared at each other, the cruel words settling between them. Xiaotian pulled his hand away. “I am…so sorry…” he said. “Despite my anger, she-”

He couldn’t do this.

Red launched forward, wrapping his arms around Xiaotian, pulling him close. His lips collided with the other man’s mouth and his entire body seemed to freeze.

His first kiss.

This…was his first kiss.

Even with all the daydreams of meeting and romancing Qi Xiaotian, never did Red actually think that his first kiss would be with him. His lips were cool, probably due to how hot his body had to run, and unmoving.

Right. He did just suddenly smooch him.

Red pulled back. Xiaotian blinked and it was unfair how pretty he was as dark lashes fanned over reddening cheeks. He swallowed back the urge to kiss him again and instead started with “I am…so sorry, I should have-” Hands rested on his shoulders. “...done something more appropriate…”

Xiaotian moved forward.

Those cool, soft lips pressed against his mouth.

Red jolted in surprise before giving into the urge to press into the kiss feeling his arms wrap around Xiaotian. It felt all too short before Xiaotian pulled away, blinking up at him.

He wasn’t sure if the world’s sparkliness was because of him or because this world was weird, but Xiaotian looked perfect. “This is the first time you’ve kissed me,” he sighed.

“...really?”

“Not since our wedding.” Xiaotian admitted, pushing forward and kissing him again. “Not since you’ve met Yang.” Another soft smack of lips pressed again against him before tears began to bead up in Xiaotian’s eyes. “Please don’t replace me with her.”

Red couldn’t help it. “I promise, I won’t,” He held Xiaotian close. Something niggled at his brain, something screaming about making fake promises, but he couldn’t remember what. “You’re the only one for me, Xiaotian.”

There was a little sigh and Xiaotian leaned back.

He looked like he didn’t believe him.

Still, his smile was warm as he led Red to the bed.

-_-

As he stared at the ceiling, feeling the warm and asleep Xiaotian at his side, Red could remember what was bugging him.

Sooner or later, he would leave and Demon King Red would be back. Xiaotian hadn’t had his realization about what a real bastard he was. He would do something and then suddenly Xiaotian would be dead.

Red tightened his grip on Xiaotian.

“Fuck.”

#my writing #au #LMK #LMK AU #Monkie Kid #Monkie Kid AU #LEGO Monkie Kid #LEGO Monkie Kid AU #Spicynoodles #Spicynoodleshipping #Red Son #Long Xiaojiao #Qi Xiaotian #fic #fanfic #fanfiction

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see-arcane · 6 months

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At least maybe in this world Alucard can get the ending he wants? Sure Jonathan might not be 100% human physically anymore but he’s still human, you know? And very ready to get some Alucard murdering done.

The questions to consider:

Can Jonathan's kukri do the job of putting him down permanently?

I'm sure something could be cooked up about him and the blade having potency from back home, having successfully slain the Original Dracula and carried over supernatural juice. That or some plot rule about it being further magically honed to the point where the combo of weapon and wielder make the slaying possible. There'd be a requisite ~Thou Art Not Worthy~ moment in which some villain makes a wrong assumption, snatches up the kukri and goes for the kill--only for Alucard to once again pop back up, all smiles. No Jonathan = No potency. RIPieces.

Is Jonathan allowed the narrative opportunity to slay Alucard?

Remember, Jonathan is used to biting increasingly horrifying and/or infuriating bullets for the sake of a Greater Good (up until it involves Mina, who overrules everything). The fact that Alucard is technically Dracula doesn't automatically allow him to override the Greater Good needs just because there's an innate urge to carve the bastard up.

Because Alucard is

1) Insanely overpowered to the point that he has such a puny weak point that it takes THE ENTIRE HELL-MESS OF THE SERIES to allow Millennium the one (1) window of opportunity to poison his power well and temporarily un-exist him and

2) Unfortunately very necessary for Hellsing's whole vampire hunting mission. Seras' presence at least proves they aren't in full 'all vampires are automatically evil and need slaying!!!' mentality, which helps. But even with Hellsing's forces and Seras and (for the foreseeable future) Jonathan's own cryptid strengths in the field, Alucard is THE major player on their side. If Jonathan just up and slew him, where would that leave the heroes? Or the world?*

(*Aside, it would be hilarious if Jonathan just lopped his head off, full dust dissolve, and Walter and Millennium and Anderson all simultaneously dropped dead of a mass rage aneurysm because THEY didn't get to have their special grisly shounen battle pissing match.)

Anyway.

It boils down to Jonathan having to extremely grudgingly play placid with Alucard's presence. Which Alucard would happily take advantage of in two directions.

First, the obvious baiting to try and wheedle fights out of him. Both when he'd wipe the floor with Jonathan and when he's juiced up enough by the plot to take him on in full.

Second, the likewise obvious wheedling about his liminal relationship with humanity and pulling a 'we're not so different' with the whole acknowledgment of God's less than sterling record when it comes to their histories, no matter how many amens are thrown around. Alucard would be bothering this dude like a cat who's found the one person in the room who wants less than nothing to do with him.

...and then.

Then would come the slaughter in the hotel.

Even if Jonathan wasn't there, he'd see the footage. He'd know Integra technically gave the order and allowed Alucard to go wild. Soldiers slaughtered over a lie they were fed. Innocent bystanders caught in needless crossfire. Bodies speared on flagpoles. For the pageantry of it. All when it's glaringly obvious that Alucard, being Alucard, could've swatted the whole problem without killing a single one of them. (Just like he never had to shoot Seras over the vampire in the little village.)

Because Jonathan Harker, the real one, not the flimsy blotted-out stand-in Alucard likely knew in his universe, is not meant to be here. He's not meant to swallow all this aggro horror bullshit and keep trucking without issue. The fact that Seras seemingly gets over it within the night (or at least successfully represses it) also has to be a blow. All that being said, I think that arc would be the absolute closest Jonathan would come to snapping and trying to put Alucard down once he was in reach.

I imagine Walter, Pip or Seras might try to stop him. (For the first time, Alucard pulls one of his guns on Pip and Walter pre-betrayal and commands Seras to stand down.)

I imagine Integra might be on the edge of 'ordering' Alucard to stop him, whatever that might entail. (Alucard communicates, verbally or otherwise, that if she makes him kill this man, there will be such swift Hell to pay that she won't have time to articulate a single syllable in time to stop him.)

I imagine there being a surprisingly close fight. And an even more grief-inducing close to said fight when, of course, Jonathan still can't kill him--if not due to ability, then due to the Needs of the Many Outweigh the Lives of Collateral Damage. It's not allowed. Alucard is almost sickeningly sincere in his condolences. (I picture him treasuring his first and only wound in centuries--a clean red scar, just above his brow, where a shovel spade once cut him in another unlife. It never goes away. He loves it.)

Time would have to pass. The big ugly climax comes along. Jonathan has to watch the bloody purging of Alucard's internal army to put down Millennium and Iscariot's forces in the midst of an already-insane slaughter of the country. Anderson happens. Walter happens. The blimp happens. And I think, for a perfectly bittersweet irony?

Jonathan saves Alucard's life.

Specifically, by using his special kukri on Schrodinger the False Child, who was meant to poison Alucard at his core.

There's something vicious in how once upon a time Jonathan was willing to get himself killed to save a stolen child from Castle Dracula's bloodsuckers, and was unable to, only to arrive at slaying a monster in the shape of a smiling young boy to protect a version of Dracula himself. Bonus points if Schrodinger gets a full ??? reaction upon realizing, oh, wait, this blade has genuinely killed him and he won't be coming back--the cat is no longer in the box, the cat is out and he is dead--before he could taint Alucard and vanish him.

Alucard is both a little huffy and over-the-moon fucking insufferable about the revelation.

For mercy's sake, we'll say that maybe killing Schrodinger had some delayed magic effect that finally FINALLY allows Jonathan to zap back home to Mina in his proper universe before he has to put up with Alucard forcing a friendship necklace on him or something.

(No, he does not want to talk about where all this blood and evil catboy gristle came from, darling. He would like a very long nap. Wake him in a few days, please.)

#sorry Anon but I had a ramble locked and loaded I guess #jonathan harker #dracula #alucard #hellsing

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someonewhogotanaccount · 7 months

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List of all the badass stuff I've done

I have a reputation to lose. Although I somehow like to be a soft, sweet and cute bun.

Still. Everyone I've told about the cute-thing in real life has asked me "What the hell did you do to make them think you are cute???". That's why I'm going to prove my badassness now:

I practically taught my own mother the word "fuck" (even though she always says "fucking" instead of "fuck", which is why I always almost get a fit of laughter. She probably doesn't even know exactly what it means)

I have often skipped school. Probably eight times in my life (for example, when my cat had babies and I didn't want to leave her alone and I wanted to see the blood pouring out of her because I'm so badass)

I have gone through the "Forbidden Aisle" of my school six times (three times because I had an appointment for a conversation and three times because I just wanted to do illegal things hehehe ;)

I once had a conversation with my principal (because I wanted to discuss a presentation for a special talent project because I'm such a badass that I had to give him a presentation about my badassness since otherwise he wouldn't have been able to grasp it properly)

speaking of my principal, I had a meeting with him lately and guess what: I made him cry 💀

one of my class, who I can't stand, once asked me in the middle of class to send her my paper so she didn't have to work on it herself. I then copied the sheet and sent it to her (and thus to all her friends). They were really happy about it - until they found out that I had moved all my notes to another page beforehand, so that they only had a blank sheet (you should have seen their faces. First they were cheering loudly, and then this. But they didn't express themselves very clearly either. And they are always gossiping about me. Haha, that was fun >:)

I sing "Feliz Navidad" to my best friend every day so she and I can both suffer from this catchy tune

Have I already mentioned that I have a Killercat???

In the final: I have deceived all of you. Because, as sorry as I am, I DON'T LIKE KITKATS AT ALL!!! I love Snickers, Mars and Co. But KitKats? Nooooooo thanks but no. There are definately worse snacks, but it's also not exactly delicious.

MWUAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!! I'm really evil. And a complete badass.

(Sorry about that)

#list of badass stuff i've done #list #badass #;)

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stop-breaking-my-heart-telltale · 8 months

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so.... I just finished my first read through of Clementine Book Two and... spoilers below the cut, but what the hell did I just read?

I don't even know what rating I'd give this honestly?? It was certainly more enjoyable than Book One but probably not for the reasons intended..... 2/5 stars for now?? I think?

I guess my feelings about this second installment are... it feels like a very big missed opportunity.

The art style is significantly improved though the characters do still sometimes look like potatoes, but the environments? Lovely. Really makes me wish this was done in color but alas, the walking dead is allergic to color.

The story goes that Clementine, Ricca, Olivia, and their pet cat Dr Barnaby ended up crashing the plane in Canada... because if you'll recall from Book One, they all escaped in a plane after Georgia decided to be evil and murder Amos, then tried to murder everyone else.

So they're in Canada, and Clementine's leg got so infected due to lack of proper cleaning that she goes into a coma for a month... no really, she goes into a coma. But it's okay, because Ricca and Olivia manage to flag down a boat to help them. Clementine wakes up on this island, we're introduced to a whole new cast of characters, we see how the island works, all that.

I like the Island group. They're not as likable as the Ericson crew, or any of the groups from the games. But we've got:

Miss Morro: the "doctor" of the island

Emi: She saved them and brought them to the island.

John: Miss Morro's son

Amir: A kid who lost his arm because his father didn't believe him when he said a dog bit him and he was too little to fight getting it cut off. Also one of my favorites.

Shu-Fen: she's probably the most interesting of the new cast. She and her family were on vacation here on the island when the outbreak occurred, and since she's originally from Taiwan, she's slowly trying to piece together a map to see if it's possible to ever make it back home.

Ginette and Giles: elderly couple who only speak French.

Mercy: a little girl that Ginette and Giles take care of.

There's a lot more focus on emotional drama and trauma, which I don't mind, especially since we're not given any real antagonist... well, I guess the closet person to an antagonist is Miss Morro, but she's just kind of... an asshole? She's verbally and physically abusive with her son. She's petty. After Clementine and Ricca have a big fight, Miss Morro says things clearly meant to hurt Clementine, and imply that Clem's incapable of love.

Miss Morro used to be a pathologist who performed autopsies, and her whole thing is she spends all of her time in her little hut doing these autopsies on every walker the group kills, she documents everything, and then buries them. She prioritizes this over the living people of the group in a way that feels like she's trying to convince herself that she's a good person?

Honestly, I was waiting for the big reveal that she was actually doing science experiments on the walkers... but alas, that's what I mean when I say this book feels like a wasted opportunity.

But don't worry, we have more drama because guess what. No, really, take a guess at what was revealed part way through this book. Do it. Guess.

That's right, Olivia's pregnant.

Yep. Apparently she and Amos had sex in Book One, and now Olivia's pregnant.

But why, though?

Can I share my conspiracy? Imma share my conspiracy, I think Tillie's fucking with us now. I know I've said time and time again, "When you review the comic, leave Tillie out of it," but my tinfoil hat says she's getting the last laugh and honestly? .....I'm here for it, ngl. I don't have the fucks to care anymore.

Because c'mon. Another side character from Clementine's group having a baby that she'll have to help raise? If Olivia dies next book and Clem and Ricca have to raise that baby, I'm gonna laugh.

Oh my god, what if they name the baby Amos Junior...... AJ 2.0

do it, Tillie, doooo iiiiiit

what, no I'm not losing my mind shut up I am so normal about this

Anyway... Clementine even has this line of dialogue: "I've seen a baby born before, but it was so scary I blocked it out." You blocked it out??? Are we talking about Christa? or Rebecca?? If it's Rebecca, that means Clementine blocked out AJ's birth.

It's absurd, right? And Olivia is soooo uneducated about it! Clementine finds her in the lighthouse and Olivia tells her she got bit *because she felt something move inside of her*..... and then Olivia asked why it matters when she last had her period.... How the hell did she and Amos even figure out what to do, honestly.

Speaking of Amos, my hopes and dreams were crushed. He did not come back as a twist villain, he only came back as the voice of the dream sequences.

No Lee in this book, btw. Or AJ. Amos served that purpose this time and I am disappointed. I still refuse to believe he's actually dead, you gotta show me his dead body or his walker form. We still have one more book, I'm just saying. He could come back. I won't lose hope. It wouldn't be the most ridiculous thing to happen.

And I guess I should talk about Clementine and Ricca... y'know, I kept an open mind. I really did. I went into this wanting to ship it because it's pointless to go into this mad, y'know? I can't change it, there's nothing I can do about it. So I had high hopes that we would get more development on their romance and we did... it just wasn't good.

Clemricca isn't a very healthy relationship, nor is it entertaining. Clementine's fickle, Ricca's demanding. She tells Clementine that she's willing to wait for her since Clem's still hesitant about these feelings. But then they get into an argument and I just... here's the dialogue. I would show the actual pages but from what I've found, no one has actually uploaded the book yet and I don't have a means to do it myself but:

Clementine: I don't want you to think that anything is more important to me than you. Ricca: That's kind of how you made it sound. Clementine: What I meant to say was that I… I want this island to be safe for us. We can't do anything if we're dead. Ricca: What do you mean "do"? Kiss? Date? Talk about how we actually feel? The dead decide when that can happen? Clementine: … Ricca: I love you. And I'm pretty sure you love me too. But you're not making me feel loved. You're making me feel you just want to protect me or… Clementine: But I do want to protect you. It's all I ever think about. Every minute of every day. Ricca: I don't need saving, Clem. I need you to love me. And I need it to be always. It can't start and stop. Clementine: …I… Ricca, turning to leave: Oh my god, maybe this has all been in my head- Clementine: Ricca- Ricca: I get it, okay? Clementine: If I let… If I let myself… Ricca: Forget this. Clementine: You said you would wait for me! Ricca: That's not fair. You want me to wait for the impossible!? Clementine: No, I- Ricca: I'm done, Clem. Clementine: Ricca, don't go in yet, please, we can talk more- Ricca: What else is there to say?

I dunno, Ricca, what else is there to say? Because I'm speechless.

By the way, at this point they haven't even had their first kiss. They don't have that kiss until the very end of the book...... and then they have sex. I think?

Again... but why, though?

It's not explicit, nothing is shown, it's not really anything, it's just implied that it happens through dialogue and a "fade to black." I don't even know how to talk about it, and I keep questioning myself like, "IS that what's happening??" but again, it's not explicit or sexualized in any way, it just is and I don't know how I feel about it. Hopefully I can collect myself for the big review and properly discuss it because... I think I get what the story's going for with it, but I don't love that direction, y'know?

So much happens in this book that I haven't covered, like... so much happens, it's longer than Book One and there are more characters. There's a lot of bullshit, but it was honestly enjoyable for what it was until the ending... which the ending was a problem in Book One, too.

I haven't covered that big tragic ending yet, I'm saving that for my in-depth review. I don't know when that will be out, I want to read this a few more times and be thorough. If y'all have read it let me know your thoughts. I'm very interested to know what you thought of that ending, just... all of it, Chapter Seven onward.

Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go read a palate cleanser and to collect my thoughts.

#twdg #clementine book two #twdg clementine #y'all these comics are so far removed from the games #i'm laughing

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bg-brainrot · 2 months

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Bg_brainrot, you might ask, you seem like a Hozier fan, what Hozier songs would fit your different Astarion x Tav series and their relationship dynamics?

To which I would answer: how dare you accurately assess my tastes and also-- great question, I have listed them out for you below!*

Rogue!Tav x Astarion

Series: Love at First Knife

Dynamic: two wet cats that share a single brain cell and fall into a sweet, understanding love that never loses its fervor

Songs:

Work Song

My babe would never fret none

About what my hands and my body done

Nobody

I wouldn't fall for someone I thought couldn't misbehave

But I want you to know I've had no love like your love

I, Carrion

Leave it now, I am sky-bound

If you need to, darling, lean your weight to me

Evil!Durge x Astarion

Series: A Star in the Dark

Dynamic: evil bastards make each other worse, become utterly obsessed with each other, and try to one up each other

Songs:

No Plan

The harder the pain, honey, the sweeter the sun

There's no plan, there's no kingdom to come

Dinner and Diatribes

I'd suffer Hell if you'd tell me

What you'd do to me tonight

De Selby Part 2

Before the dawn has come, I'd block the sun

If you want it done

Reincarnation!Tav x Astarion

Fic: When He's All but Forgotten How to Love Again

Dynamic: a love of friction, hot and cold, hero and one who doesn't want to be saved, ultimately a love that transcends lifetimes

Songs:

Almost

I'm almost me again

She's almost you

First Time

Some part of me must have died

The final time you called me 'baby'

Francesca

If someone asked me at the end

I'd tell them, "Put me back in it"

PeoplePleasing!Tav x Astarion

Fic: The Consequences of Convenience

Dynamic: best friends who can't seem to time their love properly, a slow love nurtured by mutual respect

Songs:

Like Real People Do

I will not ask you where you came from

I will not ask, you neither should you

Sunlight

Know that I would glad be

The Icarus to your certainty

Shrike

I couldn't utter my love when it counted

Ah, but I'm singing like a bird about it now

*Disclaimer: Certain parts of certain songs fit better or worse for each, which is why I included lyrics of appropriate parts.

#astarion x tav #rogue + rogue #love at first knife #a star in the dark #WHaBFHtLA #TCoC #why yes this was spurred by the new hozier drop how did you know #none of the new songs spoke to me for for this but maybe for another future fic...

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cljordan-imperium · 2 years

Text

You have entered the domain of the all powerful AUTHOR GODDESS...AKA...Your Eccentric Southern Gothic Creole Auntie who is full of sass and isn't afraid to tell it to you straight. *blows kiss*

She/Her

48 - Female - Mother of 1 Human Kidlet & 2 Feline Goddesses - Work Full Time - Published Short Stories

I am a female writer on the Gulf Coast of the United States, currently residing in the state of Mississippi near the amazing city of New Orleans. I have lived in both Louisiana and Mississippi and the culture of the bayou areas runs through my blood. I have one adult son, who is the light of my life, and a cat who thinks she is the goddess of it. The stories that are currently being published to Tumbler are the continuation of roleplays and solo writing that I have been writing for over 20 years; and that I decided to continue sharing with everyone. Some characters have intricate and elaborate backstories which I will unfold for you. Some are new and you will learn about as they reveal themselves to me. I hope you all enjoy.

Some call me a free spirit, I call me...me. It took me years to become comfortable in who I am, so I judge no one else. We all have our own journeys. I am here to support everyone else on theirs, so maybe they won't have to take as long to be able to love themselves. I prefer not to talk much about my disabilities because I don't want them to define me, but am also open about them when asked or to help others come to terms with their own.

I love purple and sparkles, and I'll probably die petting something I shouldn't. Being as I live on the Gulf Coast, I might also be eaten by it, and that is fine. Life is a circle and we're all part of it.

Feel free to visit my inbox and ask box. I promise I do not bite unless asked.

GENERAL TRIGGER WARNINGS - I am going to post this here and also on appropriate stories where they happen - Also, not all of my characters are meant to be liked or sympathetic. Feel free to literally hate them and let your opinions change if the characters do, some of them WILL evolve over time.

All of my stories are FICTION and NOT REAL.

There are themes of: fantasy, evil, demons, angels, religion, blood, viscera, evisceration, gore, swearing, slavery, manipulation, ptsd, emotional manipulation, dv, sa, abuse, death, hell, torture, violence, war, fighting, anger, injury, emotional abuse, verbal abuse, physical abuse, guns, police, witchcraft, .

~may be updated later if I think of more that fit~

Please know that I have 14 Active WIPS here (not including the individual stories in The Imperium Chronicles)

MASTER LIST - Updated 4/16

The Imperium Chronicles

NOT STORYLINE

Flash Fiction Friday 3.3.23

3/10/23 - Flash Fiction Friday - Celestial Bodies

April Fool's In Imperium

Meeting Jasper

Moodboards of Characters

Back To The 20's

HISTORICAL

GET TO KNOW MY OC

THE PALACE

CASPERIUS & MARTENIQUE

DARTAN & AMAYA

GRAE & ADALICIA

ASHER & KAYLIN

MARCELLUS & SORINA

DEZ, PHAEDRA, & THINIUS

UFFERN

LEANDRE & YAEL

CASSANDRA & LUCIFER

KARLEN

ADRIEL & ANNABELLA

DELILAH & TALON

PUSTOTA

FUN STUFF

Character Theme Song

OC Name Meaning/Reason Tag

Writing Questions Tag

Characters as Comfort Foods

Fav Character(s) to Write

Magical Objects in Imperium

WIP Drinking Game

Foretelling/Prophecy in My Writing

Government in My Stories

Types of Side Characters

THE ANDROMEDA EFFECT

@the-andromeda-effect - In Greek Mythology Andromeda was sacrificed by her parents to save their kingdom from Poseidon's wrath after her mother offended him, but Perseus saves her from death by a Krackon and takes her to his kingdom to be his Queen. Mircea (Meer-cha) Kalavati wasn't sacrificing his wife to appease a god, or bring peace to his clan, he was doing it to start a war with another. His mistake when he hired Caliban Andros was lying to him about why he wanted her rescued, then killed to look like those who had kidnapped her had done it. Never lie to your hitman. Now, like Perseus to Andromeda, Caliban has rescued Riona Kalavati and something is drawing him to the woman. He will kill to keep her safe, and her husband is going to regret that lie for what remaining life he has left. Now as Adira Andros, she is definitely Caliban's Queen, and his "army" has rallied around her.

BATTLEGROUND OF DREAMS

@battlegroundofdreams - Morpheus & Melinoe are Dream Assassins, sent into the minds of sleeping human dreamers to take out Nightmares who can kill the dreamers. They have been trained and are the best at what they do. Put together as unwilling partners, they must learn to work together to keep one another alive. As they try to navigate a tentative partnership, they also take on the responsibility of becoming mentors to Lorien and Rua, a pair of recently graduated Dream Assassins who were almost killed by one of the most powerful Nightmares that any of them have ever faced. If the pairs cannot learn to work together, it could lead to disaster for them all. They will all learn more about themselves, and each other. Once lone wolves, they will become a pack, and one that Nightmares will come to fear. However, a Dream Assassin turned Nightmare from Morpheus' past will come and threaten them all, and test his will and loyalty. His decisions will either save Melinoe's life, or damn all four of them.

BAYOU WITCHES

@bayouwitches (Heaven & Arthur Shelby belong to @call-sign-shark)

BEHIND THESE MASKS

@behindthesemasks - Melania LaVeau is a professor at LSU in Baton Rouge. She is also the grandaughter of Ambrose Meyers, one of the most powerful men in the country and the daughter of Marie LaVeau...yes THAT Marie LaVeau! Old money, going back to when the Gautier family came over from France to settle in New Orelans, there isn't much that goes on in Louisiana or Mississippi that they don't have their hands in. Meyers Worldwide, a tech conglomerate is a cover for underworld activities that will eventually come to light. What happens when someone decides to cross the most powerful, and immortal, Queen of Voodo and threaten one of her children? Will New Orleans be left standing? If you are a fan of Indiana Jones, Tomb Raider, or The LIbrarians, the story is in the same veign. All of the characters are human, but there are supernatural occurrences around them

BENDING THE LAW

@bendingthelaws - Colin Masterson is the Cook Count State's Attorney. He has been on a mission to take down the head of a Chicago crime conglomerate that is headed by Constantin Rakeovich. Now someone has kidnapped his intern and is sending her back to him in tiny pieces. Is it Constantin? Is it another one of the people that Colin has crossed? Now he and those he trusts are going to have to figure it out before someone else disappears or is hurt. Complicating matters is that his brother, Colton Masterson is Constantin's defense attorney. The brothers have never been close, but in this situation, things take a much darker turn. Will Colton stand by his brother or his client? And what happens when something bigger happens and puts everyone Colin cares about in the crosshairs? If you are a fan of Law & Order, or any of those types of shows, this is much in the same vein and will involve more than just the lawyers. All characters are human. There is no supernatural beings or magic. Some places are going to be fictional, but the main setting is the city of Chicago.

DEVIL IN THE DETAILS

@devil-in-the-details-ay - When Lucifer's daughter Yara gets bored and wants to intern for the Lord of Death, Astaroth, her father agrees. After their first meeting, the Devil changes the plans once more. Deciding to make Yara someone else's problem, she is now to be Astaroth's wife. Navigating this challenge, and those who will come against them both will reveal a lot about each other, and themselves. Is the Princess really as spoiled and entitled as she seems? Is Astaroth really the iceberg incarnate that he seems? Is she even who she believes herself to be? And what happens when someone decides to try to interfere in their relationship?

MAGICAL MISTAKES

@magical-mistakes-vm - Vollrath, the Master Warlock of the local Coven, encounters Mahala (Mah-HAY-lah) preparing to do a ritual on his land. Her mistakes in not being careful in preparations allowed him to find her, but it also set up events in the future that they will need the help of his best friends Baldur and Elmar to deal with. A witch that has no clue what she is and a Master Warlock who is not used to letting people close have to navigate revelations that will change both their lives, and possibly even the Coven. When his brother, Balor, an equally powerful warlock within the Coven who he has been at odds with for years, also shows up and it is clear will be needed, it just adds one more complexity to the situation. Can they all get along to keep each other safe, or will one of them fall to those who are coming against them?

MYSTS OF TIME

@mystsoftime

NIGHTMARE MAGIC

(MAGICAL MISTAKES X BATTLEGROUND OF DREAMS)

@nightmare-magic

PRINCESS OF THIEVES

@princess-of-thieves-id - Princess Inara is set to marry Prince Diyan the next day, a man she has never met or even set eyes on. Ever defiant, that is the last thing she is going to do. Deciding to thwart her father's plans, the Princess slips out of the castle and sets to escape. Little does she know that the Prince's family sent Arik, the Prince's best friend and a trained assassin, to watch over her, fearing more that she would be murdered by enemies rather than escape. One thing that Arik knows is that Diyan doesn't want to marry Inara either, so instead of stopping her, he helps her with a promise to keep her safe if she stays with him. They make it to the next town, which is a port and aboard a vessel that is just preparing to depart in an effort to stay one step ahead of the soldiers now searching for Inara. Unbeknownst them, they have just become stow-aways on a pirate ship. Complicating things further is that Arik and the Captain of the ship are not strangers, and when a romance develops between Inara and Arik and the Captain deciding he would like her for his own, things become even more complicated. Not to mention all three of them are being hunted by multiple kingdoms. Nothing like a quiet day on the sea, right?

SEHNSUCHT RISING

@sehnsuchtrising

Tapperhet

@tapperhet-em - When Princess Meeri's father is deposed by his brother, he believes she was part of the coup, and disowns her as his family flees the country. Lucky for her, she is found by one of the knights she befriended in childhood and is still loyal to her, Einar, before her uncle did. A members of nobility, he and three of his friends spirit her off into hiding where they can plan to figure out who set her up, help her rebuild a life apart from royalty, and decide how to bring about justice. Can the seeming unrequited love of Einar for Meeri turn into more? Or will one of his brothers in arms, cut him off from that possibility? And how close was/is the traitor to Meeri? Sometimes safe isn't as safe as you think...and destiny, it's more than just a lofty ideal. She is a bitch sometimes, and she will find you.

WHILE YOU WAIT

@whileyouwait-dm

Support, Trigger Warning, and Separation Banners on this and all side/reblogs are work of @cafekitsune. I try to credit them as I go, but crediting here as well in case I forget.

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ohanny · 9 months

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dangerous romance: main couple mania ep. 1

so i love how sailom's instroduction is this is a budgeting king, in debt eating stolen rice porridge. he has a very pre-kinn broke ass porsche-chay dynamic with his brother (?) which is very sweet and also means it won't last five minutes.

oh okay so we get this ship sailing with a wall slam and a classic "do you understand my father funds your scholarship you poor piece of trash" and alksdflkfj

i know i am supposed to see sailom as the victim but he is like full on pete-ing this. he never breaks eye contact. he is like daring kanghan to escalate with his entire body and kanghan did not just go full "since you're my class mate i will be generous and forgive you if you get down on your knees" like that is a) spicy as fuck what the hell and b) going to backfire so hard

HE DID NOT JUST BOW 90 DEGREES JUST TO SPIT ON KANGHAN'S SHOES AND WALK AWAY WITH A SMIRK

he is puzzled by both sailom's actions and by what is happening inside his uniform shorts

honestly, kanghan is the villain here but i struggle to take him seriously as the bad guy because perth a) always looks like he is about five seconds away from bursting into tears and b) has bangs that form a literal heart. no matter how nasty kanghan tries to be - and he tries a lot - the inherent bitch baby-ness just shines through.

literal heart bangs what did i say

this entire car shop sequence is just pure gold for so many reasons. 1. kanghan shows up in his business leather pants looking like he walked off the set of enhypen's blessed-cursed music video and he's driving a mercedes. like honestly, with all that talk i was expecting a lamborghini. 2. sailom's boss actually like... needing some evidence instead of just bending over backwards to please a rich client 3. sailom fucking uno reversing that credit card sneak and humiliating kanghan with the smuggest lil good boy smile and THAT is why chimon is the ultimate snake-cat like he has a face made for scheming.

i am really loving sailom because he keeps his head, is really resourceful and will not take any shit. boy does not hesitate to drag this bastard for filth every chance he gets, beating kanghan in his own game without ever stepping down from the high road.

ooh, we are meeting kanghan's family and they are... both not as trash but also as trash as i expected? like i kinda thought more mafia vibes but if laws of attraction - and real life - has taught me anything it is that politicians are garbage.

on the surface his dad seems almost a jolly good fellow but the conversation with this random girl just confirmed there is something so much darker lurking under the surface. as much as it hurts to have a hyper critical parent, having one who has seemingly completely given up on you can be just as bad.

he's basically been called stupid twice in under five minutes. someone save him.

sailom will not be fooled by a shady ass phone call and neither will he leave a friend behind. this boy will not be distracted by tits with a side of toast. he is a man on a mission.

the way i gasped when i saw this court set up and i have so many questions. do the students just have a cardboard gotham in the basement or - based by the fact we see loose boxes and a shopping cart - did kanghan build this just to prove how big his dick is to sailom ???

chimon's acting is honestly a+ and he is carrying this show. the tension! the absolute rage that is bleeding through! the way he doesn't have to go big with gestures and expressions to convey everything sailom is feeling perfectly - and not just that. you know what sailom is feeling AND you can see his brain working.

kanghan, sweetie, you might want to take a moment and reflect on your obsession with getting this boy out of his clothes and making him kneel.

not gonna lie, i kinda saw this move coming because tropes but god was it satisfying :D the reactions of kanghan and sailom's friends are hilarious (10/10 i am evil tea, he totally ships it) and then the camera pans and you can see all these bystanders just standing stock still, filming giving major horror movie vibes and aaaaaaah

side notes:

i love how his best friend is just "auto." like his parents were "we are poor, naming the kid a vehicle will be fine. no need to bring brands into it."

auto's mom is an actual queen

the teachers are so fucking infuriating but also, that is kind of a sad truth? even when it's not like RICH rich people involved. like for too many adults, it is easier to it off as kids being kids and boys being boys over having to deal with the why and the parents and the drama of it all.

i was bullied in school so like this bubble tea waterboarding makes me feel some type of way? like some of the bullying is very oof-spicy-trope but a lot of it is actually cruel and i really wouldn't recommend this show to anyone who gets triggered by stuff like school violence.

#dangerous romance #dangerous romance ep 1 #kanghan x sailom #episode recap reaction whatever #this show is gonna become a guilty pleasure i can tell #can't wait to witness kanghan's journey into being pathetic

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dailyadventureprompts · 1 year

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Do you have any thoughts about using the demons from the Ars Goetia in ttrpgs? Cause like they’re pretty well detailed in their uses in the source material. Summoning various demons could be a good backstory for how a wizard learned their stuff or for a warlock if you wanna be boring. But I’m worried about cultural appropriation, I don’t think occultism is real but I know it references Abrahamic mythology which people still practice. Better safe than sorry right?

Tagging in @cryptotheism, tumblr’s favourite occultist as an actual source on this one, given that they actually study this kind of thing where as I’ve wasted my time focusing on the economic systems of post medieval Europe.

Occultism is a fascinating topic when it comes to hunting for sources of inspiration because so often what is accepted as the occult “canon” is often a distorted misinterpretation which may or may not have some very fucked up roots.

Take the modern image of the witch: pointy hat, cauldron, broomstick, black cat et all. If you looked into it, just about every signifier of this archetype takes its inspiration from some form of persecution, but it’s been so ingrained into the cultural milieu and been so normalized that more people are aware of the pop culture version of the witch then they were about the antisemitic blood libel that inspired the witchhunts in the first place. I’d be hesitant to stop using witches because they’re so iconic, but I’m going to educate myself on their history so my writing doesn’t end up mirroring what amounts to 16th century hatespeech.

To return to the topic at hand, Using the idea of sigils or the demons associated with them isn’t appropriation, they’re not sacred or part of a closed practice. They were published in books by occultists so that other occultists could use them, though that very same book contained a lot of Hebrew symbols that’d been appropriated in the grand western-occult tradition of “ Hey, these people we’ve othered must be in possession of some secret magical knowledge, so lets just take their stuff”.

If you’re going to use them however, you should use them right: The Ars Goecia aren't your typical “ sell your soul, torment mortals” sort of demons, they are the lords and princes of hell, “evil” for the reason that they helped Lucifer rebel against god and now exist as outlaws in the cosmic order. The key of solomon principles its magic upon using god’s authority to command these spirits to give gifts and service to the summoner. Naturally this doesn’t map 1:1 onto d&d cosmology, but you could easily adapt it for spirits bound into service by a god of sorcery, a war god calling upon those it defeated, or a star god calling on the celestial power of zodiacs and planets

#dnd #dungeons and dragons #d&d #5e #writing advice #ars goetia #Occult

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justanotherpersonsuniverse · 2 months

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SPOILERS FOR CHAPTER 70 PN BELOW Lets fucking go cap! ok it’s the weekend, I have my own writing block and I finally finished my fucking assignments and handed them in, I’m practically free forever!! (exams loom in the distance, i willfully ignore their shadow)

I’ve started by reading from chapter 67 just to bring myself back into the mindset (and because they are hype as all hell chapters), this is faster than starting my like 7th re-read.

I even made myself a cuppa to really settle in, the vibes are immaculate, I played Bizet Carmen while reading this time

The dichotomy of Juleka:

I don't want to hurt anyone!

Extreme violence is efficient.

The fact that we didn’t get ladybug trying to kiss rena when she was shot by dark cupid is tragic

This time i listened to shoot to thrill by ACDC, and Burn it down by awolnation for the badass parts

Anyway finally onto Fei, that only took me two hours (i briefly wrote shit so yknow, a good time!)

Fei’s tragic backstory be upsetting frfr, Like damn brother you watched your dad die in front of you? Do you need a blanket and a hug?

The tone change from “My life ended when my dad died.” to “summer was awesome!!” made me snort horrible it’s not funny- but it kind of is-

Oh my god Juleka got a break for weeks AND WE DIDN’T GET TO SEE IT??? Tragedy. (i’m kidding, so happy that she got a break <33)

Rose thirsting over Panthera in a crop top is too funny- you just know if it was anyone else Juleka would be pouting like “damn what do they have that I don’t?”

Oop her hands still kinda fucked, curiouser and curiouser. I wonder if she has tried to practice her secondary power. Which rq, it was SUCH bullshit that LB gets two and the cat miraculous gets one in canon, so happy you retconned it

OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OH MY GOD OK CAP I AM SO HYPE HYPE SHE GOT A MODELING INTERNSHIP?????? Like sure cause nepotism but i’ve been wanting to see Juleka try out modeling in a real environment for ages cause like thats something she is interested in yknow and i just-

Augh, hype as hell. And an excellent reason for her to be going to Shanghai, I applaud your problem solving to fit Juleka into the show's narrative! I applaud it always, but this one was more difficult than usual methinks

I have pizza now it is 8pm

Anyways; NOO GABEY BABY DON’T BE EVIL VIBES TO JULEKA SHE’S JUST A LITTLE THING

Oh my poor awkward Juleka… Gabriel wasn’t helping but this is so funny, dude you vowed to kill this girl like a month ago open your eyes

I NEED juleka’s modeling arc to be a thing. Idk how into detail you went but i’m hoping for some i’m rabid i’ve been waiting for this for like 3 years

Oh airports SUCK i feel her anxiety so much, poor thing… i forced my friend to share her location with me one time so we could stalk each other, we never turned it off its kinda funny

… why is Anarka banned from airports?? Being “a living weapon” is so vague.

Killing myself rose and juleka are so cute- and obsessed with each other- every hour is insane

I love Juleka instantly becoming a disaster on baby’s first flight

Juleka instantly being on high alert around gabriel is so real.

“Right,” Mr Agreste’s face didn’t twitch nor soften much in response, just nodded in understanding and turned back to stare forward. “The opening of this store is essential to the future of the Agreste Brand, you two. Opening it much sooner is very good news. There will be other fun times with your friends.”

Hardass, fuck off!!

Poker with literal chips made me laugh- adrien would be terrible at poker

Spiderman far from home? Nah, Panthera Noir far from home.

“Oh that building looked fun to climb.” please Juleka unhinged parkour arc when?? Like people turn away from her and then look back and she’s up a tree.

HELP “bye bye bag” is so real-

She’s so scary, but I wanna ask what her hair dye is. Do it. Please. I think you would factory reset Nathalie and she would answer on autopilot

Awkwardly playing chess is so real, also; yippee!! Adrien and Juleka bonding even more after the acting debacle!!

“Knights were cute. Little pony’s. Rose always wanted to move her knights cause they reminded her of unicorns.” please this is literally my strategy in chess, i just move them around and sometimes i win because i confuse people so badly

LB overthinking chess is hilarious.

Adrien POV???

YOU CAN LEARN MANY THINGS FROM JULEKA SUCH; HOW TO BE A CAT. sorry i just had the mad idea that Adrien might find out this chapter… i would go insane if that turned out to be right

“Knowing info about me is pretty easy when your Wikipedia is super detailed” that’s fucking depressing. Adrien baby that’s a terrible way to get to know someone and not the same experience at all-

Gaelic is a real language!! And a bitch to learn- I briefly tried with my dad and we both gave up, we’ll just stick with scots english

“Where do you disappear during akumas?” hard hitting question Adrien, ten points!

And is also making me high key suspicious about him finding out, the vibes are there

Nah, nah evil. Gabriel spend time with your son goddamnit

GET HIS ASS JULEKA YES GIRL I LOVE YOU

The fact that she thinks she isn’t brave sometimes infuriates me, like babe i get your insecure but your brave as hell.

QUEEN SHIT JUST WENT DOWN THERE

Juleka ripped him to shreds hell fucking yeah.

Wait. why did she give him the king? Hawkmoth called himself a king… cue the x-files music

Who the fuck is this asshole? Fei. Kick his ass, i command thee.

Oh curious, she has burn scars from the fire, i like this detail.

I feel like Fei and Juleka will get along, based on the ever present rage against one guy

She is being used augh

“Your father deserves to be avanged.”

“He does.” UMM GIRL YOUR DAD WOULD HATE THAT WEREN’T YOU THERE FOR THE FLASHBACK??

I want Cash to gtbnrvice this asshole is just using her desperation for information-

I want Juleka to scare him into telling them, as Panthera, i think she would be quite good at that.

Juleka is a feral beast who needs her outside time (i like how she wants to run on rooftops a lot its cute)

LORE LORE LORE LORE

Excited. The prodigious?? Tell me more silly cheese guy

Ummm. i need the prodigious to show up, i can’t remember if thats what Fei has or if this is future future foreshadowing, this is exciting

New arc unlocked: freeing the Kwami from their jewelery or the curse.

Also; yes sadistic plagg in the face of the guardians temple being destroyed, you go girl

Guardian temple? Swallowed whole? Sounds frightening. What a feast. HA

Model Juleka yippee!

Help- adrien your advice is trash-

Ok existential conversation, yes girl let me spiral-

No sick girl Nathalie let adrien speak i want to know what he thinks of the best girlies-

Plagg wanting to take him under his wing- Juleka saying he wants to replace her with Adrien- ITS ALL COMING TOGETHER.

Nah if you actually do have a reveal to Adrien i am going to go buckwild- cause either the vibes of the chapter got me but i think I guessed before any of the concrete foreshadowing

Ok sick girl nathalie actually has some sound advice and is being lovely to Juleka

Yes Juleka use your strength

FEI STEALING CAMERAS??

Get her ass Juleka, or- politely bite her arm juleka?!?

Juleka is just brawling in an alleyway- like damn sister- watch out for bruises you might not be allowed to model-

Oh god what if she took plagg during some of their scrapping- actually, that would be fine. Juleka would just go insane and fight her

Juleka; desperately grasping for something familiar and bantering with Fei

Fei: what the fuck is wrong with her?

Nicest mugger I’ve ever met real and true

Wait

NOO JULEKA THEY WON’T LET YOU MODEL LIKE THIS

YEAH KICK. HER. ASS.

Plagg stays with Juleka yippeee!!

Help their dynamic is so funny- exactly what i was wanting.

Juleka would want to learn how to disappear even better than she already does wouldn’t she

Nah not Fei thinking “well that was fucking weird” while juleka is like “Oh that was cool” Juleka is so weirdgirl core i love her

Oh shit she stole marinettes stuff Tiki is there-

Kick the asshole in the balls Fei, i command thee.

I am so happy Nathalie and Juleka have some sort of alliance, in my as to be written huge tragedy based on Nathalie Gabriel and Emily (which is extensively planned), I think Nathalie is more similar to Juleka as a teenager.

Adrien and Nathalie interaction- “yes we- we did it” agyuhtvrinjfeok love her.

Marinette blinked vacantly, standing in the back alley streets of Shanghai with a paling expression on her face and her entire inventory ghosted from her person.

WHERE THE HELL AM I!?

HELP SHE’S SO FUNNY- i love disaster marinette please-

and thats a wrap for Fei! i started this before five and it is now ten pm- i did other things though.

this was awesome cap, I look forward to the next chapters and I shall review them tomorrow!!!!!!

I hope you enjoyed <3

GLAD YOU ENJOYED!!!!!!

#panthera noire au #sneak a cat

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seth-burroughs · 4 months

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benefits of being yomi kin:

makes me twice as cool and sexy and automatically makes me the objectively correct authority on Yomi's character it is impossible for me to be wrong and if u tell me im wrong ill start scream crying on the floor

won kin lottery and is capable of distinguishing between Yomi Hellsmile the character and Yomi Hellsmile The Character allowing me to both quite literally be that guy and keep another version of him as my blorbo. Manifesting in the ability of fantasizing bout yomi suffering iykwim AND getting past the masochist allegations <3 Also yeah the Yomi fic is currently in works no I will not answer questions on it

this yaoihellsmile shit is sooo easy someone asks me "ouuuyy honey unwrangle my dingle in ur boioioiong and by sproingle well heh lets jsut say. my peanits. any thoughts on that mr yaoi?" and i just answer honestly straight from the heart no bullshit no rp skillz required

woaghhhhhh......... Former director of the peacekeepers homunculus clone Yomi Hellsmile from Master Detective Archives: Rain Code by Spike Chunsoft........ holy shshshit. He's Real......

disadvantages of being yomi kin:

the regular bullshittery that comes free with being fictionkin of any kind cut my wife into pieces this is my last divorce

everybody and their mom hates Yomi and even if the tag here is way less outright aggressive and I can just easily block anyone who makes me uncomfortable in any capacity, youtube is just unusable. Just. AuUUUghhhh. I know one of my fave dr youtubers is gonna play mdarc this year and I also know he's gonna absolutely hate Yomi with a passion and frequently pause the game to talk about how terrible he his yes we get it you are allowed to have opinions on fictional characters and aren't doing anything wrong by it whatever im gonns look up yomi softcore on pixiv fuka u

overly complicates my already fucked sense of self

Blood cravings got even worse😔 bad BAD this isn't sustenance it's toxic as hell christ dude STOP❗❗

not extremely likely but still very possible nightmare scenario where the precipitation cipher gets Big attracting those people and getting bombarded with kinnie jokes and annoying Ironic Kin For Fun crowd finding its way here. And that is the at best scenario, the worst one is 2015 kin drama reignited in 2020s you can't "kin" this character unless you're x or x, you can absolutely control who you're kin with and if i don't like your very voluntary choice you should stop (just stop man <3 i won't tell you how the fuck 😊) being fictionkin with a sinful evil abuser linux user makes you a bad person that deserves to be ostracized and harassed until you unlearn your problematic ways oh my god do any of you remember 2015 warrior cat kin drama what the fuck was that. i wasn't around in danganronpa fandom during that time but im pretty sure it may have been even worse there which is insane to even think about. but i mean like hey at least fictionkin were taken (mostly.) seriously back then (albeit considered deeply cringe by the masses) and not reduced to a cheap komaeda kinnies amiright joke

i suffered more than jesus actually. the demotion and arrest was SUPER unfair and cringe guys i promise im not gonna torture people from now on you can trust me in a position of power please please please no one did it like i did it

EJ MARTINA DZIE MIE KURWA WYWIEŹLI CO TO ZA ZADUPIE MARTINA. MARTINA NIE WYTRZYMAM JUŻ WEŹ HELIKOPTER I MIE KURWA ZABIERZ Z TEGO CHLEWU MAM DOŚĆ POMOCY <- wygnany do Rzeczypospolitej za swoje zbrodnie😔

Yomi is Real (threatening)

#fictionkin coming out post #mom... dad... I'm Yomi He-[GETS IMMEDATELLY TRANSPORTED VIA A POLICE VAN TO THE NEAREST PRISON COMPLEX]#Would youy still lobe me if I. martina cube incident yakouver incident blank week murder spree incident meatbun incident former ceo incide-#mine #rain code #yomi hellsmile

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quidcumque · 1 year

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GRAVEYARD KEEPER: FIRST THOUGHTS

I heard it compared to Stardew Valley and aside from the silly title screen, it's definitely visually there. Play through? There are a hell of a lot of cons, but they won't keep me from playing it

Con: no character customization, no choices at all. You ARE a heterosexual white male-presenting protagonist with a female-presenting white sweetheart. Any headcannon re either of you being 🏳️‍⚧️ remains headcannon

Hilarious: you are reading a text from your sweetheart when crossing a road and you get hit by a car. Keep track of your surroundings, kids

Con: the dialog writing starts out real clumsy. You do eventually get choices, but I prefer how SV makes you the strong silent type when you're not actively involved

WHICH REMINDS ME, CON: don't let the dialog bubbles cycle on their own without me clicking??? I missed so much unretrievable info because I was mulling over the first half smh

Plot: she swallowed the dog to catch the cat, she swallowed the cat to catch the bird, she swallowed the bird to catch the spider, she swallowed the spider to catch the fly. I don't know why she swallowed the fly, maybe she died crossing the street and woke up in a shitty little medieval FLAT EARTHER village and she has to rube goldburg her way to and through a magic portal to get back to her sweetheart. Or something.

Pro: I don't play rpgs much so while I don't prefer this style over sv's do-whatever-and-you'll-suck-less-as-you-go gameplay, it's pretty awesome in and off itself BECAUSE it's so different. It also contributes heavily to the swallowed-the-spider-to-catch-the-fly effect because it's got EIGHT TABS OF TECH TREES and I started drawing graphs

Pro: you're on a derelict homestead/graveyard with a familiar need to clear rocks/trees/stuff and bring the area back to life. BUT doing things gives you different xp/knowledge points which is how you advance on the tech trees, so it's different from just a carbon copy SV feel

Con: Jesús Christ you can tell this was made by a dude. So was SV, but where it had nearly equal gender ratios (plus the aforementioned character choices), I've seen... not very many women thus far, and what we get is not exactly impressive. I have no problems with "ms charm" telling me to fuck off until I deserved to talk to her, as half the men I met said the same. But I've met two wives thus far, and uhhhhhhhhhhh one is straight up called sweet but stupid in her bio and the other opens EVERY SINGLE DIALOG with "you should talk to my husband, he's in charge" like jfc lady you're the one I need for recipes, calm down? Does he beat you? What the hell?

Con: let's set aside that I'm pretty sure the "medieval idiots thought world flat" thing has been debunked, because I found info but it didn't have good citations. Also maybe we're going for parody over historically accurate, fine whatever. But whyyyyyyyyyy do you have a guy named "G*psy Traveler" like I know I have an inflated sense of how widely it's known that that's a slur, but it on top of the flat earth thing and the WOW that's bad female-or-anything representation, it builds an image of the creator/creators as the really stereotypical basement dwelling head-up-ass dudes who have never ever looked outside their zone and never ever want to

Pro: like two steps into the tutorial you're slapped in the face with Soilent Green is People and you just live with that

Hilarious: I can tell when I have a first conversation with somebody I was supposed to have met already, because my pre-scripted side of the conversation suddenly backslides in terms of my acceptance of the situation

Pro: time is an illusion and represented only by the cycle of emoji-labeled days. Weeks are not counted, so I legitimately have no clue how many "weeks" I went through last night

Unsure??? I don't know how much I'm going to have to drink the church koolaid to progress? I saw an indication up the tech tree that suggested my good/evil choices MIGHT matter, but I've got no idea how. I told the inquisitor who'd just BURNED A PEOPLE ALIVE IN FRONT OF ME that sure I'd be his friend, and I don't know if the game allows for that to have been a choice made out of the fear that I'd be burned next if I said no

Pro: I still want to play it. The myriad cons will influence how I talk about it to my friends, but it's still giving me dopamine, and that's good enough

#graveyard keeper #stardew valley #game review #first thoughts

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severeweatheralert · 8 months

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Hey @sorrowcats happy birthday! I was (am) working on an alt ending AU for the Long Way Home, but I discontinued the first draft (didn't like where the conflict was going (if you're gonna do Evil Ending AUS you gotta follow through)). Which means I have deleted scenes for you. So. V&C angst under the cut :)

(Also major spoilers for LWH, of course, and a bunch of me trying to figure out how I want the Borderlands to work)

(The usual Long Way Home warnings; there was supposed to be some context between the first and the second scene, but they don't make sense without the end of the planned conflict. Not much Chishiya in the last scene but. I like it. So.)

In the distance, there was the fog. Here was the Joker’s tower, charred, stinking of chemical smoke and fear. All black; somehow still standing as the mass of game masters and new recruits filed, one by one, through the entrance. Val was still clutching at Chishiya’s hand. Had barely let it go since the courthouse. ‘Are you sure?’ he said, although he projected nothing but mild curiousity, as though he hadn’t been shot just yesterday, as though they hadn’t chosen death. ‘That ship has sailed.’ She kept the tremble out of her voice. The die was cast. They were Citizens. ‘We’ll figure out what the rules are,’ Chishiya said. How to break them, he didn’t say. The cue shuffled forward. Two dozen new recruits. The bloodstains still on their skin. A broad-shouldered man in a crisp white shirt herded them in, a sharp-toothed grin etched deep into his worn face. The rules. If there was some gap in them, Chishiya would find it. But the tower hadn't burned and the Joker was practically a God. They had accepted permanent Residence. That was all there was to it.

Their turn. Even though the inner room had to be crowded, barely any sound emanated from the void beyond the door. Last chance to run for it, even if the Citizens would shoot them in the back. Die, the way her body had died in the real world, and where would they go then? Hell? Weren’t they there, yet? ‘One at a time,’ the doorman said. Eyes like tar. Trailing over her, over Chishiya. Stopping at their hands. Chishiya smiled at her, and went first. ‘You know,’ the doorman said, ‘We had a bet running on whether you two would stay.’ She swallowed. ‘Did you win?’ ‘No,’ he said. ‘Now get in.’

The charred walls muffled the chatter, the nervous scuffling of feet. The ceiling hung low, the dark pressing down on them like smog. The old Citizens found the tiles with their names on them. Val hung back, shoulder to shoulder with Chishiya. Still not entirely convinced the Citizens wouldn’t pounce on them like a cat on limping mice. ‘Quiet!’ someone called from the center of the room. The doorman entered. Shut the door, and then there was darkness.

‘Quiet!’ the same person repeated, trying to shout over the strange air, even as it muffled all sound. ‘Tanaka and I counted the votes. Tanaka?’ ‘Good job, everyone,’ Tanaka - presumably - yelled. ‘Results were actually conclusive, this time. If I call your name, go to the second level. Jack of Spades, Nakagawa.’ A round of applause as someone vacated the room. Entered the stairwell. Would the Joker have melted? Golden grin melting, twisting in the heat of the fire? If Chishiya hadn’t had to use his explosives on the grid, could they have levelled the tower then? Had they been one bomb collar away from winning?

She clutched at him as Tanaka listed the new Face Card positions. A vote. The Citizens were, hilariously, running a democracy. Had their names been in the running? She hadn't even thought to consider they might have branded her with a Face Card and send her off to die the very next round of games. Or Chishiya. Fuck. What if they’d named him King of Diamonds and she’d be left alone, to- She forced a shuddering breath into her lungs. They were here now. That was it. If there was a gap in the rules, Chishiya would find it. They would fight it.

‘And that’s that!’ Tanaka called out, as the new King of Hearts ascended into the second chamber. ‘New people! Welcome. You’ve made the worst decision of your lives! Now, you’re going to want to hold on for the next part-’ Tanaka kept talking, but his voice grew even quieter as the entire room dulled. Even the candle light faded, as though the tower itself was starting up a fainting spell, until the only sound in Val’s ears was the pounding of her heart, the rushing of her blood. The only thing she felt the hand in hers, the weight of her boots on the floor as gravity itself increased. Multiplied. She couldn’t move. The light was fading, now, no matter how hard she blinked, no matter how hard she clasped at him. Sweat was beading on her skin.

For half a moment, she was gone entirely.

Then the air was back in her lungs and the candle light was flickering violently and in the distance, someone screamed. ‘Shut it!’ Tanaka yelled. Barely dishevelled. ‘That was the easiest Shifting we’ve had in ages. New people, take a good look at the floor, would you?’ The floor was shiny, black lacquer again, shimmering in the dancing light; worse, Val was standing on a plaque. Bronze. Her name hammered definitively into it, letter by letter, with the same finality of engraving it into a tombstone. Beneath it, a stylized heart. Chishiya stepped aside. Fuck. Val should have seen that coming. The Joker had assigned him Diamonds.

Tanaka was yelling something again, but Val wasn’t listening. Chishiya gave her a half shrug that meant we’ll figure out the rules and I’m smarter than everyone in this room and I don’t particularly care if we lose the game tonight. She was still clinging to his hand.

She was going to have to let it go, eventually.

The berries were the same red as her blood. As Chishiya’s blood. She knew that, now. They had sat against each other on freezing, concrete steps, watching their lifeblood mingle in the dirt. That wasn’t the sort of thing you could get away from. That was permanent. For better or for worse.

The vines, laden with berries, were decorated with thorns. Lean sharp thorns with hooks like fishing lures. One of them had fucked her leg up. To the point even the Joker’s IVs couldn’t put it right again, even if they had somehow closed the jagged rift in her side. The bullet hole in Chishiya’s. Matching scars. Her calf complained as she sank down. Careful. So careful. She needed to get this right. But she had been a scientist, once upon a time, and she could do precision.

Leather gloves and tweezers and an empty ziplock bag. How many berries would it take? Not a lot, she assumed. It’d taken a single scratch of those thorns to turn her body on itself so violently she’d almost died, an impossibly long week ago.

She rose. Stuffed the ziplock into another ziplock and a third, then hid it deep in the confines of her bag. Stood, for a moment, between octogenarian trees curved with the growth of impossible generations. In this iteration of the Borderlands, it didn’t rain. The evening light filtered through their leaves, golden, clouds of tiny flies dancing on the wind. It was almost nice. Almost peaceful. She could almost forget there was a laser grid beyond the forest’s edge - no mountains, here, no cliffsides or bare rock to pitch tents on. I hope she’s made it home. Well. They’d made it to the same place and that would have to be enough.

The grid hummed. It was the high-pitched humming of cheap office lighting, the kind she’d be able to tune out if it didn’t set the hairs on the back of her neck straight up. She squared her shoulders. She was a Citizen, now. The grid wasn’t meant for her. It knew that, too. Still she needed a moment, to take a breath, force the oxygen into her blood, her brain. To tell herself it was fine, to panic later. Then she stepped forward. The grid zipped open around her. Not even a flash of heat. Not the stink of burning hair, burning flesh. Another thing to get used to.

The Joker’s tower landmarked the top of the Residence’s hill, the only orientation point she had in the coiling streets. It was black, black like the void was black, had absorbed her whole and rearranged her atoms to suit its needs. The town had changed, during the Shift; streets that used to coil one way now coiled in the other direction. Every building different, lopsided, jagged; each designed by another subconscious. There were brutalist blocks, cottages, small-scale towers and farmhouses, arranged with all the artistry of an impatient toddler. Only the plaques on the doors were the same. A name. A suit.

Their plaque had two names.

It was a modern structure, whitewashed concrete and straight lines, the perfect opposite of the house she grew up in. But inside there were rugs, soft on her feet once she kicked her shoes off, rugs and plants in boxes by the windows, black metal bookshelves and even, ridicilously, a basement laboratory. The Joker indulging her. Saying, quietly, do all the research you want. You’re never going to figure it out. And maybe on her own she wouldn’t. Except she wasn’t on her own. That was why she was here.

#writing #long way home #mine #snippets from my drafts #deleted scenes #alt ending au #fic #ao3 #alice in borderland

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itsana004 · 8 months

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Astral for the character thingy? :3

First of all, thank you so much for the ask!!! 💖

I realised I don't have much Astral content/discourse on my blog, so here lays my truest thoughts on Astral

•How do I feel about this character

I really love his character! Whenever I rewatch Zexal, he just wakes up and choses violence that day and I love that.

I think I was intrigued by his character because he was introduced as this serious and intelligent looking naked alien, who roasts Yuma like shish kebab on a daily basis, especially when it comes to dueling, and we know that is going to be their dynamic for a while - but he's much more than that.

I think I really started to like Astral on the Esper Robin episode, he's not just Yuma's foreign alien friend/dueling aid who roasts him and that's it, he has his own interests like watching the Sparrow show (and adding humour to the series with his foreignness about earth), flying around and being curious about the human world, being afraid of cats, when he eats for the first time, teaching Hart how to eat with sticks (so cuteee), has his own Observation series, his banter with Yuma - this are just examples on what makes his character so precious to me.

Also another thing I was surprised by is despite being so cool and collected, he feels fear during duels like when he dueles against Kite? And it made me feel anxious for him when I was watching it?? Astral can feel emotions such as fear and I really appreciate this detail because I think the show writers raised the stakes too high that if Yuma loses then he's going to disappear, so they end up winning every single duel with Astral's magic formula, and therefore most of the time he's unbothered and almost invincible - so when he shows emotions outside of his stoic calmness, I love it. I don't know why I just love to see Astral lose his absolute sh8t

Also Astral's friendship with Yuma's friend group I find it so cute, despite being invisible they still felt his presence because that's how much of an influence Astral had, and when he was gone, they felt it through Yuma's grief (or Kotori told them whatever) and Flip created a crystal/glass gravestone showing how much Astral meant to all of them, the gesture it's just so sweet and emotional. I also loved his friendship with Kite, despite being minimal, he influenced in Kite's decision to not give up on dueling and that friends represent the future which is a lesson he learned from Yuma, which changes his whole trajectory.

Now let's talk about the plot... and boy it's filled with plot holes and... questions.

Astral has a... a very mysterious/confusing background. So he was born as a weapon by Eliphas to protect the Astral world, and one of Astral's character traits is to get split into cards just randomly... Number cards to be exact - whether it's his memories - giving him amnesia, whether it's his powers lost during his battle against Don 1000 - turning into Mythirian cards, parts of him just like to split into cards and I guess I find it funny? Heck he even has an evil twin as a Number card like-

Oh and also fan fact he turns Yuma into Super Saiyan when they jumbled up together.

But 50 of these Number cards possess people an amplify their desires, so Astral was the real villain in this show- no, it was Yuma's dad cause he sent him there by making him have amnesia and leading his son to go through life threatening situations and hell to collect them (I knew it all along)

ALSO, WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT DARK ASTRAL- HOLY SH8T THIS MOMENT FVCKED ME UP WHEN I WATCHED IT FOR THE FIRST TIME

Like- I didn't even feel like I was watching Zexal and kind of wish they made these moments of satanic Astral longer. But let's talk about the real satanic Astral, boy I love Dark Mist's and Astral's banter and how Astral just has to fist fight him to not be either absorbed or killed by his evil twin.

I think this is becoming too long now for a read so I am just gonna move on now.

• All the people I ship romantically with this character

I don't particularly ship him with anyone (except Dark Mist maybe) in the show because I'm not simply invested in any of his ships that much? I can see him and Yuma being together, afterall he did say "Aishiteru" (I hope I spelled it correctly) which is the deepest form of "I love you" at the end of the manga, but at the end of the day I'm just "They're cute, next-", and honestly I much prefer Dark Mist x Astral than the latter, it's simply how I feel.

I'd also like to mention a moot has her own ship with Astral and her OC (you know who you are) and I'm definitely more inclined towards that when it comes to shipping Astral with someone because fans are better at writing/drawing romance most of the time, especially because they are not ambiguous or queer baiters.

• My non-romantic OTP for this character

For this section this has to be Yuma and Astral as well. Just as I can see Yuma and Astral being together, I can also see them in platonic light, but there is no mistake that they are soulmates.

I think many years ago I said as to why I felt that way, Yuma and Astral's relationship really reminded me of Nobita and Doraemon and despite both of them going to the ends of the world, time, galaxies to be there for eachother, it wasn't romantic in Nobita and Doraemon's case and they had other romantic partners, because these tropes are so similar, our two zexal characters can also fall into the platonic category. Now if anyone reading this are mad at me for even considering this and seek representation from the zexal series of your fave ship, then good for you, I prefer either way, but I all can say is I really enjoyed Astral's and Yuma's dynamic throughout the show and how their bonds became stronger through dueling, and it's the growth and influence they had in each other that I liked, and I definitely became emotional and pulled my heartstrings whenever they lost themselves and tried to bring eachother back, and the last scene of them parting ways had me weeping.

Ps. Astral's roast to Yuma will be the most memorable.

• My unpopular opinion about this character

Oh boy, I can't really think of any right now? But I think despite being a protagonist I feel like he's overshadowed by other characters, especially Yuma, like we don't really see Astral as invidual character most of the time and it's always him and Yuma, so maybe he deserved some solo attention? (Okay so there is literally a Kotori centric ending song but not for Astral? What-)

Also he deserves clothes-

• One thing I wish would happen/had happened with his character in canon

Zexal III

ZEXAL III AHHHHH

Also can someone tell me how Yuma's dad met Astral and send him on earth but not himself and his wife-

#zexal #ygo zexal #yugioh zexal #astral zexal #zexal asks #thank you for the ask 💖💖💖#character breakdown

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