#Either earth or fire nation Ash

[shiny-jr]

outlander

Warning: Yandere. Gender-neutral reader.

Characters: Riddle Rosehearts, Leona Kingscholar, Azul Ashengrotto, Kalim Al-Asim, Vil Schoenheit, Idia Shroud, Malleus Draconia. 

Summary: In every land you travel to, there's a god with elemental powers. But why is it that in every nation you arrive to, the gods attempt to make you stay?

Note: Why has no one done a genshin x twst thing? This is more of a concept idea than anything else. I might do a series with it, or not, or just random posts. Feel free to ask about it or request stuff for it.

This must be a dream, either that or a never-ending nightmare.

Waking up alone on a sandy beach, as if washed ashore, was disorientating. There was nothing else on the shore save for shells and the occasional crab, no debris indicating a wreck and no scattered belongings. All you had on you were the clothes on your back, which were a pair of shorts and an oversized t-shirt, your pajamas.

In the center of your palms, was a marking you had never seen before, like a freshly painted tattoo in the shape of a tiny key. As curious as the strange new markings were and you wondered how they even got there, there was a larger question looming:

How did you get here?

GRIM

There was a cat on the beach. At least, it looked like a cat. A talking feline, with gray fur and the most impossible feature of blue fire lightly simmering in his ears.

It spoke, just like a human, with a grating high-pitched voice. It was a devilish little beast, with little fangs sharper than his comebacks that he supposed were funny.

The feline pridefully announced his name: Grim.

And when you told Grim your story of how you woke up by the water's edge with no recollection of how you got here and little to your name, the creature didn't appear to care. However, when he spoke of elements being used by people and names of nations and cruel living gods you never once heard of, only then was he very vaguely intrigued. Perhaps it was amusement, as he laughed and called you stupid for not even knowing of The Seven.

That's when you heard a growl, not from behind his fangs but from his stomach. If you looked at him from the right angle, he looked quite scrawny. The poor thing was hungry, you realized.

All it took was an offering of cans of tuna found in an empty cabin nearby, and you had him in your grasp. Following you around was only temporary, he insisted, he'd go along so long as there was food. While a talking cat was not the most conventional of guides, it was better than nothing, especially since he knew basic knowledge of each nation and where the nearest sign of civilization was located.

HEARTSLABYUL

Through the winding dark woods where mysterious creatures lurked in hollow trees and dead end paths, were meadows of flowers and peaceful grooves. However, don't let the tranquillity of nature fool you. In the distance were mountains– not actually mountains, but volcanoes and hot sprints along this land's border.

It's been said that the very millions of roses and other greenery in this land, was formed when ash rained down on dry barren earth for nearly a month. Ash from those very dormant volcanoes that were the backdrop to this perfect scenery, which came in huge black clouds thousands of years ago and blanketed the earth.

A god, an archon, the deity of law that rained hell on earth over thousands of years ago.

Long ago this land was a country of criminals ruled by a god of chaos that reveled in havoc and disorder. Among the mayhem, was a small deity of fire with mighty powers and a vision for a future he was determined to see. Riddle, is what the deity was called.

Riddle gained a number of followers to listen to his words, and he created order. A small feat compared to the many wicked still running about in a lawless land ruled by a god that valued anarchy. So, using newfound strength, the deity of fire drew forth molten lava from the mouths of the northern volcanos, burning all those in its path while the deadly plumes of smoke and ash suffocated those that remained. Atop the remains of the destroyed towns and cities, he built a new nation of order for his loyal followers.

Today, it is a thriving nation filled with flowers and greenery. However, there is one issue. The god of pyro, Riddle, is a tyrant. Every law is expected to be followed without question and without fail, beheadings have become nearly a daily occurrence with the criminals often being charged with mistakingly picking flowers on Wednesdays, drinking the wrong sort of tea post-meals, or playing croquet after five pm.

You were fortunate to be spared after your audience with the god of law, for breaking the rule: one must never bring a cat to a formal affair. Before he could burn you were you stood, you interjected, answering that your companion was no cat, so you had broken no rule.

Well, he promptly apologized for the misunderstanding and in turn, offered to make up for it by inviting you to a tea party. It would be best to except his invitation, afterall, he was the same deity that buried nearly an entire country in lava and ash, then built his kingdom atop their remains. He was a tyrant that beheaded and burned people on the daily. It was wise not to get on his bad side. Besides, he appears to have taken a fancy for you. Riddle implores that you tell him more of your world while you ignore the whispers of rebellion.

There is no leaving Heartslabyul, not without the explicit permission from the god of law. The borders with their volcanoes burn any would-be invaders, allowing passage only to merchants and travelers who have received the pyro deity's blessing. Why would Riddle ever give you his blessing to see you go?

SAVANACLAW

Across the volcanoes and hot springs of the borders, the mountains turn green with dense jungles. Across the river lies the savanna where the world's most wondrous creatures run free. Times have been turbulent, the shaking ground was evidence of troubles with this nation's divine beings, or rather, now single divine being.

Earthquakes have always been a sign of something occurring either for a purpose or unintentionally by someone else. The harsher the quake, the greater the importance of the event. And not too long ago, a ginormous tremor shook the entire globe. Something of major importance had happened.

A god, an archon, the deity of intellect was the new sovereign after tragedy befell his elder brother.

In the past the land was under the protection of the god of strength, a mighty god worshipped by his people. This god had a young heir who was also beloved by the people. However, most forgot or completely disliked the younger brother of the god of strength, a deity of ground, Leona, who had a burning hated for his brother.

Leona amassed followers of his own in secret. It came as no surprise that the common and the wealthy adored the exalted god of strength. However, the poor detested him, because he offered no help to them, no matter how much they prayed and offered what little they had to his alter. Instead, their prayers for mercy and for a change in luck, were answered by the deity of ground. The change of luck came from the death of the former god and his son, paving the way for a new sovereign.

Today, there is uncertainty in the street. Many of the former worshippers of the god of strength believe in one thing. The god of geo, Leona, is unfit to rule. The poor and mistreated have emerged from hiding places in the shadows, filled with newfound confidence for their was finally a god that answered their prayers. However, there remains a growing tension between both factions. Followers of the new god sing his praises, while followers who mourn for his brother believe that everything is falling into disarray.

You were promptly introduced to the god of intellect by his followers that wished to spread the good word. There was something wrong, you and your companion both agreed. How could a powerful god of strength and his young heir just perish without warning? Something was amiss.

This was just a new follower, at least in his eyes. So he brushed you off, allowing you to partake in the best food and drink only his followers had the privilege of receiving. Testing your luck, you decided you would ask him if he knew of a way home. For now you filled him in, explaining your origins and recent adventures. For such a conniving and arrogant leader, he was surprisingly lax. It even appeared as if he wasn't even listening to your words, just dozing off on some pillows. Your words were at least more interesting to him than the rumors of possible unrest.

Perhaps he does know a way for you to return home, but he doesn't want to tell you. It's as simple as that. He likes the new follower, you. Besides, you're not going. There is always the option of traveling further, but why do so when the geo deity has what you need? Leona greatly loathes betrayal from his own worshippers, so you wouldn't leave Savanaclaw to see another god, would you?

OCTAVINELLE

In the seas dwell creatures of unimaginable horrors living deep within the watery depths, across the ocean over turbulent waves there are islands of paradise. The chain of islands composed warm southern beaches and cold northern snowlands. This may be paradise, but a toll must be paid to even get near the islands.

A tax is applied to all arriving merchants wishing to trade and tourists wishing to step foot on the island. It doesn't make much sense, until you see their towns and cities bursting with trade. Business was booming, apparently. The water is clear and pristine, you could see the vibrant coral reefs and schools of fish swimming below.

A god, an archon, the deity of contracts once came from these very waters when there was no land.

Thousands of years ago there was nothing but ocean out this far away from the mainland. That is, until a deity of water appeared from the depths. He promised a new nation to traveling merchants, so long as they worshipped him. The deity introduced himself as Azul.

Azul had grown bored of the dull happenings under the sea, for he had achieved most things beneath the waves. The ocean could not satisfy his endless greed. He had his sights set on higher elevation, with the lofty goal of being just as powerful on land as he was in the ocean. He moved waves, creating tsunamis outward but revealing islands once hidden by water. The merchants took to land and fulfilled their end of the deal, worshipping him while creating a prosperous nation of deals.

In present day, hardly anyplace can compare to the thriving hub the nation has become. However, loyal followers have begun to see his greed. The god of hydro, Azul, is a charlatan. The ocean in all its vastness was not enough to satisfy his desires, it was why he took to land. For the promise of fulfilling prayers, something always must be given in turn or the worshippers must risk going on a quest. But, it is not always as it seems. One way or another, a prayer asking for something will end in the worshipper becoming in debt to him.

In exchange for an answer to the continued question of how to return home, you have nothing to offer for payment except for ideas. Home was modern, this world was not yet on par with the technology you knew. So you offer ideas of inventions, a device to capture an image in time, a mechanism like a box with wheels, a tool to contact someone miles away.

He believes you're quite bright, you think it false flattery to deceive you but you would be wrong. Your ideas are truly brilliant, and will no doubt earn him more millions and influence in other nations on the mainland! Best to take the compliment with a smile, or else this swindler may find a way to trap you in debt. Azul insists you tell him more of your home and your lucrative ideas. Here, a contract, where he shall sell your ideas as goods and you shall reap the rewards! Whatever hearsay you've heard painting him in a bad light, is defamation! Don't fall for it so easily.

Sailing away from Octavinelle would just be a fool's quest. Unless you can escape on a boat that can weather the harshest of sea storms, there is no stepping foot off the island without the risk of drowning. Don't you have more profitable ideas to share with the hydro deity? If not, just listening to your voice would make Azul content than all the gold in the world could.

SCARABIA

Rolling sand dunes stretch as far as the eye could see, and rocky canyons border a savanna. Sandstorms fill the skies like a dark cloud, covering the dry hot land in a new layer of sand once again. Struggle through the scorching days and blistering cold nights, and there will be an oasis in the center between large flowing rivers.

Life follows the flowing waters, and an enormous oasis is planted in the center of the desert. For miles and miles along the banks, are blooming cities and towns. A great contrast to the desert outside, these settlements are overflowing with water, with the greenest gardens and greatest crops.

A god, an archon, the deity of commerce that gave life to a once barren land.

Thousands of years ago, a terrible famine struck the land. All remaining oasis had shriveled up, leading to starvation. A kind-hearted deity of earth took pity on the people. So he decided to extend a helping hand. People would call the deity Kalim.

Kalim used his abilities to create a lush environment, a vast and incredibly rich oasis out of sand in the middle of the desert. When he walked, grass and flowers sprouted from the sand. In days, he managed to create a garden of tremendous size and design, where his new followers could live in peace and luxury by the rivers. Towns and cities were developed, giving way to a grand nation where he resided in comfort and extravagance, surrounded by people that adored him.

Now there is a grand metropolis where there is just as much gold in the markets as there are flowers. The god of dendro, Kalim, is naive. For thousands of years he has been sheltered and treasured by his people. He is oblivious and clumsy, but at the same time he is not foolish. He knows of the people that have attempted to use his abilities for sinister purposes. Although, no one could guess a conniving being plotting against him, resides in his very own palace.

Exciting adventures and thrilling tales, the god of commerce loves to hear your stories of the outside world! First time foreigners are welcomed with open arms, but you are treated as a rare guest with your unique origin. This might just be the most peaceful land you had ever traveled to.

Come, partake in the celebrations! It's easy to forget that such a laidback and cheerful personality belongs to that of a deity that gave life to this region of the desert. Dance, chat, he wishes to do it all with you! The brightness of the fireworks and lively atmosphere is nearly enough to drown out the presence in the shadows you see from the corner of your eyes. A figure with a piercing gaze, watching the jolly divine being with envy in their eyes. With a power as tempting as his, there would be those wishing to snatch it. Kalim distracts you, offering more food and drink with a smile sweeter than any flower.

Why would anyone ever wish to leave this garden that was Scarabia? The outside, the desert and canyons, were harsh and unforgiving. The god of commerce did not wish to see you risk traveling and getting hurt. The dendro deity invites you to stay in the city! Surely you could be happy here with Kalim, right?

POMEFIORE

On elevated lands, between mountains and hills, were endless forests in which travelers often vanished in or were discovered frozen. A winter wonderland, although this wasn't so delightful. It was beautiful, but a deadly kind of beautiful, where you risked being chased by mysterious beasts or becoming lost in blizzards.

The snow may be pure, it may look picturesque upon frozen lakes and lines of white trees, but looks are deceiving. This was once a serene land with a temperate climate, but it has only gotten colder and colder in more recent months until there was not a single spot of green to be seen.

A god, an archon, the deity of curses who was so bitter like the cold that he caused snow to fall all year round.

Stories have told that the land was once warm in springs and summers, only growing cold whenever the divine being was cross. They were frighteningly beautiful and terrifyingly powerful, regal as royalty but at times wrathful. Vil, is what the deity was referred to.

Vil became envious of an emerging figure, so he invoked powerful blizzards and storms. In recent generations, there have been a growing number of his people breaking off into a separate faction that worshipped a younger compassionate god of healing. Enraged by the betrayal of some followers and resentful with biting jealously, many knew that it was only a matter of time before he would snap. This frightening divine being would not accept being dethroned, he would not allow himself to be demoted in the people's hearts.

Civilization continued to thrive, even despite the never-ending snow. And yet, people cannot help but worry what may happen if the cold doesn't let up by spring. The god of cryo, Vil, was pretentious. Anyone who openly voices their distaste for him or a preference for the god of healing, can expect to be encased in ice and used as a display. No one dares to even utter the name of his rival, for fear of incurring his wrath.

Misfortune brought you before the god of curses' throne. Mistakingly his followers had believed you to be worshippers of the god of healing, which you insisted not to know of. You had simply been lost. Maybe it was your gawking at his ethereal appearance, or the compliment you murmured under your breath, but you were not frozen a punishment.

He decided to interrogate you himself, and through his stern questioning you found yourself a nervous mess as you answered honestly but blabbered far too much. Maybe this deity was amused, much like a king would find humor in a pathetic little jester. The divinity that froze nonbelievers into statues for his palace, found you quite endearing. Vil even once smiled at you when you spoke of inconsequential things, warming his heart to which the clouds carrying snow broke apart if for a moment, causing his followers to go into a frenzy fueled by hope.

When leaving Pomefiore is so much as even mentioned, all exits will be frozen shut by the god of curses. Why even venture outside the palace, when you have earned the favor of the cryo deity? Perhaps the land is warmer, but the neighboring nation is dangerous and he forbids the journey. Why would anyone leave after finally melting Vil's icy cold heart?

IGNIHYDE

A forest of dead trees serves as an ominous welcome, or perhaps it was an omen warning incoming travelers. Slopes gave way to valleys, and along the coasts was a heavy mist that painted the vision gray. Homes and buildings, magnificent temples and crumbling feats of architecture, appeared to be floating in white clouds, but in reality they were situated on cliffsides thick with fog.

In the center of the dying forest, there are ruins of a grand temple once belonging to a god that met a tragic end. However, its remnants are closely guarded by mysterious creatures of air that cannot be touched. Legends say the temple was once a place of worship for a fledgling god related to the main god the nation worships today.

A god, an archon, the deity of innovation that has never once shown his face to the public.

Thousands of years ago, a pair of divine beings appeared. They went largely unnoticed for many years, until their brilliant inventions brought awe to those around them, attracting worshippers and diminishing the power of other local gods. The one remaining brother from this pair, is a deity known as Idia.

Idia created wondrous inventions, unintentionally forming a nation of inventors in the process. Withdrawn, dark, and silent, he is quite the unconventional god and yet he begrudgingly rules nonetheless. As reserved as he may be, he is feared among divinity. All lesser gods aiming for his spot are quickly wiped out by his inventions, without him so much as lifting a finger and using his own abilities. They're reduced to mere memories, as nothing is left of them. In times of old, it was once believed that he was a harbinger of death.

On decent days, the sun may shine on the coast, but most days there are heavy clouds and fog. The god of anemo, Idia, is an enigma. Most think him a ghost, for never appearing and for his abilities. The highest families, the most brilliant inventors, even other divine beings may request an audience, but he will never show. No one has ever seen him, all that's known is he is a figure shrouded in black robes like a grim reaper. There are others who believe there are double, because two figures have been spotted once.

You become the first to see his face purely by accident. It seemed he was just as startled of you, as you were of him. Thankfully, you were not going to be blown off the face of the planet by hurricane-level winds. No other god would help, in fact, they wished to keep you here. So you had to turn to him for assistance in finding a way home.

It was only by promising that he could pet Grim, a deal to which the feline disagreed to, did the god reluctantly hear you out. After your explanation, he scoffed as if looking at a simple equation like 2 + 2. Of course he knew the answer, but he wouldn't give out the assistance you needed. The deal was to hear you out, not help you out. He'd become quite bold in the private conversation, a sharp contrast to his previous anxious demeanor. There was no arguing against he who could slaughter gods with a snap of his fingers. Although you aren't as intolerable as other mortals, this he admits.

Departing from Ignihyde is highly unlikely, given how dense the fog is. You cannot even see the ground you're walking on. While, yes, the anemo deity hasn't assisted you, he will, eventually, probably, maybe... You're the first mortal Idia has ever asked to stay, so why would you turn your back to him?

DIASOMNIA

A wall of impenetrable thorns stands in the way, magically opening and creating a clear-cut path through dense forbidding forests lively with critters. The thorn walls close, effectively trapping you. There was something different. It was unlike all the previous nations, the very air itself felt off. With every step deeper into these whimsical woods, it felt as if you were not alone.

Once upon a time, there was a dragon. No one knows how long the dragon has been alive, only that even the oldest tales say he was already ancient way back when. Valleys were shaped by his claws, the rivers from his tail, rare ore came from his fallen scales buried in the earth, the tallest mountains were but small hills to him.

A god, an archon, the deity of dreams is by far the most powerful and most ancient of all divinity in the world.

Peace was his personal preference, as he enjoyed new company which he never truly received due to his fearsome reputation. However, when other divinity sought out his destruction and his home, the deity of electricity raged. Destruction was left in his wake across the entire globe, and everyone came to know the name Malleus.

Malleus commanded thorns to be raised like walls protecting his home, and constant violent storms to ward off anyone threatening to cause trouble. For hundreds of years, no foreigner was allowed to step foot within the nation's boundaries. Anyone that tried would quickly be reduced to ash, and just a number added to the untold amount he's slayed in order to protect himself and his territory. Kind he may be to his own, but to foes he is merciless. With his black horns and piercing eyes, some refer to him as a devil incarnate.

A land unseen by outlanders, it's peaceful and magical in it's beauty. However, it seems that while your presence may be surprising, it is not a shock. You're taken by knights in gray and black, escorted away. The god of electro, Malleus, has invited you to his castle. There is astonishment and disbelief in people's eyes, a foreigner alive and well. Most like you would have been reduced to particles before they could even step foot past the thorns.

Much to your horror, or relief, once you're brought to the god of dreams, he seems delighted to have you here. It seems your presence was expected, as all he said was, "So you've finally come to see me, hm? I was beginning to grow concerned that perhaps I would have been left out of your list of destinations."

This was the last option, the only one you could turn to in finding a way home. Surely, the most ancient and powerful deity would hold the answer and assist you, since he had been so kind as to allow you inside his nation. Although as welcoming as he may be, you must remember that despite his fang-toothed smile and the twinkle in his eyes, this man– no, god, was archaic and all-powerful. He must have killed more people than you will ever know, wiped out whole armies and flattened entire nations. Malleus tilts his head at you, requesting that you recount your tale, with every minute detail.

This will be the end, there will be no escaping Diasomnia. Of course, you shall not know until later. For now, the god of dreams delights in your stories. You were the first guest he's had in thousands of years, and one of the few who did not wish to slay the legendary dragon that was the electro deity. Malleus knows what you desire, he has seen it in your dreams. However, he will not be kind and grant you what you sought. If he did, then what he desired would then vanish: you.

[zukosdualdao]

ashes of yesterday / rise of tomorrow

zutara month, day four: ashes, @zutaramonth

summary: the night aang blows up at them, before they’re set to leave, katara finds zuko sitting alone on the pier. he is burning a leaf, and he wants to be alone. one of these things is true.

warnings: implied/referenced abuse and many implied complicated feelings. not terribly explicit, but there is a reference to ozai trying to kill zuko in the day of black sun.

Zuko is the shadow of a lonely figure set against the growing night, his back turned as Katara walks the length of the boardwalk. She’s discovered a love of watching summer sunsets in the Fire Nation, the way the glowy orange morphs into a dark umber just before fading into a color like that of charcoal and then finally into deep black. 

She’s been coming out here sometimes, later in the night, just to get a moment to breathe, to watch the sunset. Faintly, she wonders if she’s been stealing Zuko’s spot.

“What are you doing?” Katara asks as she approaches, standing as he sits with his legs hanging off the pier's edge. She squints to see what he’s holding—and finds that it's a leaf that he’s burning slowly from the inside out, that singes as he twists the stem in his hands. Glowing red and deepening black overtake it, the hole that results growing steadily wider.

He shrugs his shoulders. “I don't know. Thinking, I guess."

Katara tilts her head and watches. His control is impressive.

With Aang blowing up and storming off, things have been tense all day. Tomorrow, they begin their journey to the Fire Nation Royal Palace. They will either win, or else the world may burn.

She finds she's not so surprised that maybe Zuko needed a little space to breathe, too.

Ozai has to die for them to win. Zuko knows this. Zuko has said this. She tries to think what that might be like for him. Even as he advocates for it, even as he insists upon it, Ozai is his father.

The Firelord is not a good man. Katara knows this. She doesn't think he can be much of a father either—she still remembers the unpleasant roll of her stomach as he told them about redirecting Ozai's lightning—but he is still Zuko's father. That will never not be true.

Sitting down beside him, she swings her left leg over the edge of the pier, and then pulls the other under her, her body angled so that she can take in his face.

“What’s wrong?” she asks softly.

A lot is wrong, of course. It could be any number of things.

“I want to be alone,” Zuko says stiffly, instead of answering with one of them. Katara tilts her head, watching as he looks straight ahead, his eyes on the line of the horizon. Though he’s not yelling and his eyes are mostly blank, numb, the look of him, his forlorn posture, reminds her of the boy that batted fire to scare them away in that abandoned Earth Kingdom village, the boy that seemed so lost and alone in the catacombs of Ba Sing Se.

Katara couldn’t recognize it then, but she can now. Now, she knows him. It was like he was once holding the world and all the people in at a distance so that he would not be hurt. It's like that again now.

Katara does not want to hurt him.

“I don’t think that’s true,” she counters softly, with a slight shake of her head, catching the way he pinches both eyes closed, his lips pursing. “But if it is, tell me again, and I’ll go.”

Zuko says nothing. Katara inches ever-slightly closer to where he sits, erasing the gap between them, and turning forward to watch the sky with him.

After a long pause, Zuko takes a shaky inhale and leans over to rest his head on Katara’s shoulder. Her heart skips a beat. She leans into it, too.

They watch together as the final remnants of the leaf fade, dark ashes falling away from Zuko’s tight fist and into the still, dark, shimmering sea beneath them.

[ggebba]

In Russia, Halloween is new and is more like a theme party than the original meaning of that day. This is due to the fact that in Russia there are still many traditions left from the times of paganism. Ghosts and similar evil things are not new to Russia, but Slavic mythology is more widespread here. People from Slavic nations believe more in spirits than in ghosts.

Today's post will be dedicated to the creatures and spirits of Slavic mythology.

Viy kills people and turns towns and villages to ashes with a single glance. Fortunately, his murderous gaze is covered by bushy eyebrows and eyelids close to the eyes, and only when it is necessary to destroy enemy troops or set fire to an enemy city, his eyelids are raised with pitchforks. He was believed to be a judge over the dead. Slavs could never reconcile with the fact that those who lived lawlessly, not according to conscience - not punished. The Slavs believed that the place of execution of the lawless was inside the earth. Viy is also associated with the seasonal death of nature during winter. He was revered as an enforcer of nightmares, visions and ghosts, especially for those who did not have a clear conscience.

Babai is a mysterious Slavic creature in the form of an old man who scares children. In the beliefs of the northern regions of Russia, Babai is a scary, crooked old man. He wanders the streets with a stick. Meeting him is dangerous, especially for children.

Zhikhar is a house evil spirit. It is not known exactly where he lives in the house, but he is a dangerous settler: in the absence of mothers he steals children from the cradle, but in the presence of mothers he does not dare to do it. If the mother has to leave the house, in order to protect the child from the Zikhar, they put a pair of scissors and a spindle.

Domovoi is in Slavic peoples home spirit, mythological master and patron of the house, ensuring the normal life of the family, fertility, health of people and animals.

If Domovoi loves the household, he warns of misfortune, guards the house and yard; otherwise he beats and bangs dishes, shouts, stomps and so on. If he loves someone, he curls his hair and beard into braids, and if he does not love someone, he pinches him to the point of bruising at night.

Domovoi is a clot of invisible energy. Depending on the contamination of the apartment, he is either a positive creature that brings benefit, or a negative subject, from which the harm is solid. He monitors the cleanliness of housing. Unlike a person, he sees all the energy garbage scattered throughout the apartment, and he is very upset by it.

In the same way, Domovoi are friends with cats. Cats see and feel intangible and elementary things that are beyond the human eye. Domovoi loves animals and is often friends with them. Moreover, if the owners offend and torture animals, Domovoi can curse them for 7 years of misfortunes and troubles. It is better to be friends with the Domovoi 😌

Kikimora is an evil spirit . A small woman. Kikimora called unbaptized or cursed in infancy by their mothers' daughters, who are carried away by devils, and sorcerers put to someone in the house. Kikimora confuses yarn and steals small children. The kikimora likes to make mischief in the house, rattles dishes, spoils bread, burns pies.

Ovinnik is in Slavic mythology, a spirit dwelling in the ovine (threshing floor). He does not go into the house, because there lives the Domovoi, who is stronger than Ovinnik. In general, Ovinnik has a very complex character, it is not easy to placate him, and in general he is quite hostile to man.

Chyort is a terrifying spirit of the forest. Black, with horns, tail and hooves. He lives in forests, swamps and abandoned houses. The main purpose of Chyort is to tempt a man, to push him to bad deeds, to incline him to laziness, greed and other vices and sins.

Shish is an unclean force that usually lives on the roadsides and has weddings there (dusty pools). Its head is like a fist, its nose is long and fidgety - in short, it looks like a dummy. They are torments drunks who are drunk to the point of white fever.

Vodyanoy in Slavic mythology has always been considered as the Master of the Sea. He dwells at the bottom, commands the aquatic inhabitants, including mermaids, and herds schools of fish. Vodyanoy can be found in the pools or under the watermill.

Vodyanoy in its essence is not an aggressive spirit, but drag to his kingdom in the realm of a hesitant person can. He does this solely for the purpose of amusement. Most often Vodyanoy appears in the form of an old man with bulging eyes and a fish tail. Beard and mustache entangled with tina and cast a green color. In some cases, he can turn into anyone - either a fish of incredible size or a human. When Vodyanoy is angry, he can destroy dams, and in such cases an animal is sacrificed to assuage his anger.

Shishiga is a small, hunchbacked creature, gutless, cold, with knotted hands. It pounces on stray passers-by and drags them into the water. Unlike the well-known Vodyanoy, Shishiga lives in reeds and prefers small rivers and water bodies. It sleeps during the day and appears only at dusk.

Beregini Slavs called air maidens, who protected people from evil spirits and other evil.

Slavs believed that the beregins were attached to the human dwelling and that they protected the inhabitants of the house. They were also credited with the ability to predict the future. In addition, beregini often saved small children left unattended near a body of water.

Leshiy is a forest spirit. He is the master of the forest, and everything obeys his rules. Leshiy prefers to live in spruce forests, loves to sing loudly and walks through the forests at a very high speed.

Leshiy do not have the purpose to do a person any harm, they rather joke, just jokes they get evil and rude. Like, they will lead a person into a swamp, then the fog in the eyes to put on. However, it is easy to get rid of the fog, it is enough to change the places of shoes on the right and left feet, or to wear clothes turned inside out.

Polevik. In Russian mythology, a kind of Undead, one of the few subspecies of unclean force that does its evil deeds not at night, but in broad daylight. If he's angry, a worker can get sunstroke during haymaking season.

Polevik in a good mood helps to save people’s house or the field from fire.

Upir is a Slavic werewolf, the spirit of a deceased witch, wandering at night as a wolf or flying scarecrow and sucking blood from people and livestock. To appease them, they tear up the grave and pierce the corpse with an aspen stake.

And a constant character of all Russian folk tales and stories, personally my favorite, Baba Yaga.

In almost all magical Slavic fairy tales there is an image of Baba Yaga. This old woman lives in the forest, in a hut on chicken legs, surrounded by a fence of human bones. Yaga moves with the help of a stupa and a broomstick and often goes out "to the people", steals cattle from peasants, and even babies, and generally harms in every possible way.

Despite the badness of her character, Baba Yaga is shrewd and wise. It is useful to be friends with her, but dangerous to be enemies with her.

In Slavic mythology, Baba-Yaga was the deity of death.

Death can be treated differently. But one thing is clear - it is inevitable. As inevitable is the meeting of a traveler wandering through the forest with Baba Yaga, waiting for him in a hut on chicken legs, surrounded by a palisade of human bones.

And that's the end of the story 😊

“Вот и сказки конец. А кто слушал - молодец!”

[waterfire1848]

How’s it going @waterfire1848 !

I wanted to ask what are your opinions on poly fidelity in fanfiction. Specifically, on the AzuKatAang (Azula/Katara/Aang) pairing?

Do you like it, dislike it, or are indifferent to it?

Also, when reading over one of your stories “Fire and water don’t touch” I came up with an idea, that you may or may not (it’s a okay either way) like from it.

The idea is that when Azula struck down Aang with Lightning during the Crossroads of Destiny, and Katara subsequently, brought Aang back to life with Waterbending and magic water. This use of Azula’s lightning bending, Aangs soul, Katara’s water bending, and the NWT Spirit water all regarding the same area (the lightning wound) , perhaps by Spirit meddling? Or fate? managed to forge a link between Azula, Katara, and Aang’s psyches. A link between their souls of you will.

This linking has two main consequences on Azula, Katara, and Aang. The first is similar to your “Fire and Water don’t touch” one shot, none of the three are able to physically harm each other with bending. The second is that when the Azula, Katara, and Aang are asleep at the same time, the minds of the three travel to a “dream state” or a independent domain in the spirit world. A (voluntarily or not) communion of the psyches. The three would continue to interact until waking the next morning. And the process would repeat the next time, the three are asleep.

I imagine, that the communes of the psyche would begin when Aang wakes up from his coma. And incidentally, after Azula and Zuko had reported Aangs “death” to Ozai. The link between all three of them

Azula to Aang and to Katara

Katara to Azula and to Aang

Aang to Katara and to Azula officially begins, and their dreams start to become more…interesting with company.

Azula, Katara, and Aang would thus be forced to interact with one another. This includes conversation, sparing, hurt/comfort and any # of things. This would eventually lead to Azula repudiating Ozai and joining the Gaang, Azula teaching Aang Fire bending (perhaps alongside Zuko?), and an eventual Azula/Katara/Aang polyafidelious romance.

An example of (one) of the very first interactions between them:

Katara: “You killed Aang, The worlds last hope against your father tyranny!

Azula: I failed to kill him unfortunately, your precious avatar is right there!

Aang: You didn’t, I… I did die. Katara was able to bring me back with spirit water.

Katara: You see!! You murdered him!

Azula: He clearly got better!

Katara: You. killed. The worlds last hope”!

Azula: That “worlds last hope” planned with the Earth king and his generals to invade my home with the Earth kingdom army. My home! Of course I tried to kill him to stop it.

Katara: A Fire National complaining about homes being invaded? Now I’ve heard everything! Are invasions wrong now ash maker?

Azula: They are when it’s one’s own lands being invaded ice brains. Prerogative dictates that I can defend my people as I see fit. You being too weak to do so yourself is irrelevant to this discussion.

Katara: I’ll show you weak! The Water Tribes haven’t yielded yet.

Aang: Girls. Let’s all calm down a little. Monk Gyatso taught me many meditative techniques, here first you need to-

Katara: Shut up Aang!

Azula: Hold you’re tongue Avatar!

Aang: I can see that this is going well…

Let me know if this is an idea you may be interest in? Either as a long fic, or a brief synopsis. And if not? That’s okay too! This idea is more of a thought experiment than anything else.

Thanks for reading my rambling

-745 voice of the people

Ps: Thank you again for indulging my ramblings before about the Blood bender Katara and escaped Azula in the expansion of incorrect quotes. It was a fun discussion!

Thanks for the ask!!

I'm all for poly stuff in fics. My personal favorite is Suki/Sokka/Zuko. For Azula/Katara/Aang I'd say I'm indifferent to it. I've just never really thought about it as a concept too much because I'm not really a Kataang shipper but I can see how it could work.

Linking the three up so that they can dream together is a really interesting idea. I think it would work a lot better if it isn't voluntary. To steal from another AU of mine, maybe it only becomes voluntary after they admit their feelings. If it's voluntary from the get go them Azula and Katara would never want to meet up. I also think it'd be interesting that, when they do arrive in this "dream state", they can see each other's injuries. Cause I think you could do something cool with Azula seeing Aang's burn and feeling some guilt or Katara and Aang seeing new burns on Azula and realizing Ozai's hurting her.

There's probably a good chance for hurt/comfort with what I said before but also if you add in that one of them one night can't fall asleep and that person realizes that they're actually upset they can't talk to the other two. The conversations would be bound to happen cause people sleep for like 7-8 hours so there's no way they could do all that in silence. Azula ends up joining Aang and Katara during the DOBS then Zuko arrives and finds out about the whole "being tied together" thing.

I love Aang's response in the dialogue. He's not looking die again in the dream world.

I love reading your ramblings!

I also love talking about bloodbender Katara and making it Azutara cause I think it's a concept a lot of people sleep on. Azula would see one second of evil(?) bloodbending Katara and get down on one knee.

[hatredcurse]

유 || @hana-akari

A bitterly cold Winter was coming to a close. The warm winds of the East blanketed over the snow ridden land, opening the atmosphere for a tranquil Spring, or so the forecast seem to promise.

The last year of war was a relentless pursuit between several allied boundaries. Ties were severed, minor clans fell under the oppressive force of the Senju shogunate and equally so from the Uchiha side. Whatever scraps of clans that survived between the warring nations either surrendered to their captors, assembled into their previous allegiance, or disbanded up North away from conflict.

The Uchiha didn't gain much out of the fallen countries. Their fire affinity laid waste and scorched the Earth to blacken ashes, leaving nothing in their wake to salvage. They had previously made the mistake Senju affiliates. In their terror, they infiltrated Uchiha safehouses for secrets or gain and eventually sectioning back to Senju strongholds with their advantage. Madara saw that this mistake must never be repeated and took to absolute destruction to any land with previous alignment with either the Daimyo or the Senju, torching everything to the ground to save him the headache.

The harsh Winter put an abrupt halt to all operations on either side. Allowing a breather on the Uchiha end to gather supplies and seek footing politically both within the Daimyo and with minor clans in the Southern region.

Early morning, marking the 16th day of March on the calendar, Madara received a letter from one of his falcons. In their talons, a smaller dove ( which remained unharmed ) which transformed into a scroll whenever it dropped onto his low table.

Addressed to Clan Lord Madara, It comes with great honor that we offer our first, and only, born daughter in pledge to the Uchiha clan and its prosperity. In return, we ask for protection of the Uchiha forces and the guardianship within its realm. Please consider our offer. —Lord Haruno

Short, succinct, with no nonsense behind itself. He was impressed by how forward the leader seemed to be in address, but he knows such short form usually hinted at desperation. He folded this scroll back and sat it to the corner, contemplating its contents.

Little was known about the Haruno clan at time of offering. It wouldn't necessarily be difficult to procure more knowledge, but it was a question if he wanted to dawdle this opportunity. Without any immediate ties to the family, it is very possible that the lord could have sent multiples of this to other clans with different acknowledgements.

To save himself the time for what could be a potential hidden gem, Madara replied, with hesitation to accept such offer, but will entertain seeing the bride first before his final decision. He will open their gates to her, her retainers, and only necessary personnel. Naturally, additional promises to ensure her safety and comfort, as to not concern her guardian with her wellbeing.

Though, as easy as he was to offer her, the more the Uchiha lord doubted he cared all too much about her, rather cared more about her value as an asset.

Returning his message with a falcon of his own, Madara named a date and a time at which the gates will be open to meet her ( and an unmentioned army laying in wait should this family decide to be 'heroes' ).

[peony-pearl]

“There now,” Yagoda murmured. “I think I’ve been able to heal the worst of it.”

It had been a long few weeks. The Order of the White Lotus had been making their way through the Earth Kingdom after coming together by the command of Iroh.

Pakku had initially told Yagoda to stay in the North Pole, but she outright refused. They could need her there to heal them as they prepared for the war’s end. Katara had proven to her she could do anything, and at her age, there was still much to do.

Jeong Jeong looked at his arm, which had been broken during a jailbreak. The Order had dismantled a Fire Nation prison, and Jeong Jeong was on the receiving end of a rough physical encounter with a burly guard. The capable Firebending master was tough enough, but one lucky move, and the guard struck Jeong Jeong’s arm with an iron club.

Jeong Jeong, despite the injury, was still able to repel the guard, and after herding the prisoners free, the Order made camp not too far away so the injured could be taken care of.

And now, as the last to be healed (at his insistence), Yagoda smiled at him. “How does that feel?”

Jeong Jeong twisted his arm, noting how normal it felt. “You are quite talented,” he said. Yagoda smiled.

“Thank you; I take great pride in my craft,” she said with a gentle smile. She looked upon his expression and noted his morose nature; she was already used to it, and yet she was still unsure about the man. “You are quite talented with your bending as w-”

“There is nothing talented about what I can do,” Jeong Jeong bit back. Yagoda sat, perplexed. She’d seen the man use his firebending multiple times; but the way he spoke surprised her. “There is nothing talented about spreading fire.”

Yagoda blinked. “Fire is essential to-”

“Fire is death,” Jeong Jeong insisted. “It spreads and turns everything to ashes.”

Yagoda put her hands on her hips. “In essence, that’s one way to put it.”

“That is the only way to put it.”

“I don’t believe that.” Yagoda said. Jeong Jeong shook his head, sighing as he began to stand up.

But Yagoda wasn’t finished. She reached back out to take the older man’s hand again, pulling him back down to keep sitting next to her.

“Have you ever been to either of the Water Tribes?” She asked. Jeong Jeong’s eyes peered away quickly.

“I...”

“Have you ever experienced frostbite?”

“... Not personally.”

“It’s terrible. It’s slow and painful; burning at your skin until it turns black and dies. Ice can cause a miserable death; so to not freeze, we rely on fire. Fire not only keeps us warm, but it cooks our food, and gives us a place of communion. A crackling fire means safety, security. Yes, it can be dangerous, but so can the water that extinguishes it. Water can suffocate, water can freeze and burn; it can thrash you around; but it can also nourish. All the same as fire.”

Jeong Jeong listened as Yagoda ran her smooth, delicate hands over his rough, scarred palms.

“Do you wish to nourish?”

“Of course I do,” Jeong Jeong murmured. “I... do not wish to be a death sentence with this curse.”

“You are not a death sentence. Nor a curse. No more than I with my water that I could very easily, if I were taught, use in my own violent ways. You as well as any other bender have fire inside of you, because it is a very building block of our world. You who are so talented are so hard on yourself because of what you were forced to do; and you have put that burden on you,” Yagoda said, reaching out to touch Jeong Jeong’s chest. “You, Jeong Jeong, are not a curse.”

Tears bit at Jeong Jeong’s eyes as the gentle healer smiled at him.

“Thank you,” he whispered. Yagoda nodded to him, standing and pulling him up with her. “You are quite talented in a various array of healing.”

Yagoda laughed in a way she hadn’t since she was young. “Thank you. Now, go catch up with the others; and get some rest.”

Jeong Jeong nodded, making his way towards Iroh’s tent. He glanced back as Yagoda was approached by one of the rescued prisoners about an old cut, to which she immediately ushered them into her tent to mend.

[miss-multifandom-mess]

With there being people who dislike the plans for ‘Avatar 3’, I can understand why. With ‘Avatar: The Last Air bender’ featuring the Fire Nation, people can think that James Cameron may be copying in some way. However, I can also disagree with the dislike.

The thing with James Cameron’s ‘Avatar’, is that one of their main focus is the world-building of the planet Pandora. They are exploring the different biomes of the planet, so of course, either way, they would eventually come across exploring a new tribe, in which they lead different lifestyles than the rest of the clans—the Ash People. I don’t think it was intentional of “copying” The Last Airbender; but more with the intention of exploring a world that is completely different from Earth. With people who have different customs, cultures, and living environments.

No hate to ATLA, because I love that show—it’s one of my favorites to watch with my family. I just wanted to give my take on the whole argument people seem to be having.

[orangepanic]

@ljf613 thanks for the tag!

Rules: share the first lines of ten of your most recent fanfics and tag ten people. If you have written fewer than ten, don’t be shy and share anyway.

Strange Constellations - Ursa/The Boulder

The constellations were different here. Kyoye, the fortune teller, had explained them to her one night after they’d all had too much blackberry wine out behind the caravans. The Earth Kingdom had no Golden Monkey, no Chariot, no Dragon On His Throne. Instead there was the Goat Dog and the Archer, the Six Wives, the Mountain. Yet as Ursa sat on the soft grass and mapped out the stars she knew that they were the same ones that her children would look on.

2. Girls' Night - Toph Beifong & Asami Sato

“Who’s 5’9” over there?” Toph asked. “The skinny one in the boots. I don’t know her.”

“Mom,” said Suyin, “this is Asami Sato. She’s one of Avatar Korra’s friends. Like Bolin.” 

“Spirits help her, then.”

3. Hard Bargain - Iroh II, Eska, Asami Sato, Prince Wu and others

Prince Iroh II of the Fire Nation looked out the window and swore at the flat white clouds. The sailor in him knew a snow sky when he saw one. Just what he needed. Iroh had spent the ten days he’d been in Agna Qel’a wrapped in the heaviest furs money could buy and had more or less survived, but he had no such protection today. Now, he must look his best; not like a polar bear dog, but a prince.

4. Little Fish - Iroh II/Asami Sato

Asami was still getting used to the southern Fire Nation, but not in a bad way. More than anything it was interesting. These remote volcanic islands had been too treacherous for her to explore much during her days as pirate captain of the Current. The few inhabitants seemed very happy to be left alone. Now, she understood why. 

5. Hotman - Iroh II/Asami Sato

“No,” Iroh said firmly. “Absolutely not.” 

There were six of them together in the outer chamber where his mother typically received visitors: Varrick, Asami Sato, Bolin, Tenzin, Tai, and of course his mother herself. Iroh tried to remember how many conspirators there had been in the 465 BG attempt to overthrow Firelord Bunzo and recalled it was about the same. Conspiracies seemed to work like that. You had the idea person, the financier, the enthusiast, the diplomat, the idealist, and the insider. Treachery on repeat. Just swap out the victim.

6. Whiskey Tango Foxcat - Iroh II/Asami Sato

General Iroh crushed the letter and pushed fire into his hand as hard as he could. The fragile paper didn’t so much burn as disintegrate. For a split second his closed fist glowed white-hot—well past the temperature needed to melt most metals. He wasn’t pulling any punches tonight. Iroh watched it with a satisfied grimace, then extinguished his fire and opened his hand. Fine flakes of ash fluttered down into the bin next to his desk like so many blackened dreams.

7. Six Days in Ba Sing Se - Iroh II/Asami Sato

“Come on!” Asami hissed, leaning on the stubborn room key now as hard as she could. She didn’t really think it would work, not anymore, but the last thing she wanted was to drag her heavy suitcases all the way back down to the hotel lobby for help, either. The bed was so close. If she could just…

Suddenly the key turned in the lock with a thunk. Asami nearly toppled over as the heavy door abruptly swung inward. Then a man’s voice spoke from inside her room.

���May I help you?” 

8. Goodbye - Hiroshi Sato & Asami Sato

Asami didn’t know yet that they were going to die. How could she? Even though she tried her best to hide it she was still so impossibly young. No one her age really thought death would come for them, or for those they loved. The end was something abstract, something that happened to other people, other families. But Hiroshi knew better. He’d been young once, too.

9. How I Always Loved You - Hiroshi Sato/Yasuko Sato (Lei)

Lei stood in the middle of Central Square and pinched herself hard through the hole inside her coat pocket. Think of something sad, think of something sad. An image swam into focus of the little black and white bunny spaniel she’d found huddled in a doorway a few days ago. She’d had brief visions of adopting it, as if she could; taking care of it the way Kitsai did those skink finches of his, feeding it scraps until it was fat and sleek. Only then had she seen the blood.

You Say You'd Like to See Me Closer - Iroh II/Asami Sato/Noatak (Amon)

Fire. His body was on fire.

“It’s not much, but it’s more than he deserves,” said a man. Noatak had a vague sense of a shadow shifting to allow in more light. The burning in his skin faded slightly to a sickening throb.

A woman’s voice followed. “And you’re sure about the bending?”

“As sure as I can be,” the man said. “Waterbenders self-heal if they’re able. His condition is a good indicator that he can’t. I've had basic triage, but no one wants me for a fire healer if they have some other choice. My guess is it’s a response to the shock. I’ve seen it before in field hospitals.”

A pause. “Is he going to live?”

“Do you care?”

Open tag! Post your first lines.

[phoenixknight777]

Pyromancers never live long. Then again, no elementals do. It has to do with the Spirit’s Gift, though just as many call it a curse. The more power you draw, the more you and the vast elemental energies you command intertwine, slowly merging until the two become one and you lose yourself. Terramancers’ skin slowly hardens to stone or bark. Aquamancers become fluid, forced to constantly draw on their power to hold themselves together. And pyromancers? We burn.

The oldest recorded pyromancer was 26, compared to average of 40 to 50 for other elementals. I guess that’s why we’re seen as disposable. Don’t get me wrong, ALL elementals are expected to use our abilities “for the betterment of the nation”. But pyromancers are the most exploited and exploitable.

There’s laws to allow pyromancers to be hired young. Start at 12, retire at 21, die before 25. Most of us are pulled from school the moment we show any powers. Then it’s off to work. The military, heating industrial appliances, or boiling water in a power plant. Those are the only jobs that will take us. Everywhere else fears our destructive powers. There, we’re doing something useful, separated from those who are scared of us until our spark inevitably consumes us. That’s how it’s been since anyone can remember and that’s how they want to keep it.

Until I came along. I’m 30 now. I’ve been working at this power plant for 18 years. I manage it now, but until I was 21 I was in the floor, heating the boilers day in and day out. But unlike the others, I wasn’t on my last leg on the day I was supposed to retire. Sure my skin was ash and my hair crackled with sparks, but that’s normal for someone my age. Legally I could no longer work the boilers anymore, but I refused to stop working, so I was eventually offered a management job.

Nobody outside this factory is sure why I’ve lasted so long. But every one of my employees, my siblings, they know. Elementals become like their gift more than physically. Aeromancers become severely physically and mentally impaired when incapable of movement. Terramancers are the opposite, sudden movement causing them agony. But fire is more fickle. Air doesn’t die from stillness. The earth doesn’t die from movement. But us pyromancers? We burn. We burn brightly, pushing all out power out and into our work. We’re encouraged to, reminded every time they think we are that we’re all dead men walking, so why hold back at all?

But the hotter the fire, the faster it burns its fuel.

I fought the system. I was always a stubborn bitch like that. I chose to be a campfire where everyone else was an inferno. After all, the water boils either way. I did the minimum out of spite and I burn longer for it. And now, with every new employee that walks through my door, there’s another pyromancer who won’t be dead on their feet when they turn 21.

For now, simply starting to break the cycle is enough. After all, fire spreads quickly. But maybe, with time, they’ll see it’s not our fire that’s killing us.

Pyromancy is ridiculously dangerous. Most pyromancers die before they turn 20 and 25 is considered ancient by their standards. You have reached 30 and show no signs of slowing down.

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

First Stop: Tofua  

Compared to the low-lying islands of sand and coral that make up most of Tonga’s Ha‘apai island group, Tofua stands out. The tall, cone-shaped volcanic island is difficult to access and comparatively inhospitable.

With few protective fringing reefs around the island, sandy beaches are scarce, and landings by boat require careful navigation to avoid cliffs and craggy volcanic formations along the coasts. Once on land, traveling anywhere is grueling due to dense semi-tropical forests that blanket much of the island’s steep terrain. There is little permanent freshwater, aside from the difficult-to-reach caldera lake at the island’s center. And there’s the looming threat that Lofia—an often steaming volcanic cone to the north of Tofua’s lake—could erupt explosively, much like Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha‘apai, its volcanic neighbor to the south, did in 2022.

The OLI-2 (Operational Land Imager-2) on Landsat 9 captured this image of the island on April 23, 2022. A plume of water vapor and other volcanic gases drifted above the crater over young lava flows and ash deposits north of the lake. Geologic evidence suggests that Tofua has erupted at least 12 times since 1774, with the most recent eruption starting in 2015 and continuing to the present.

Volcanologists monitor Tofua for new activity by using thermal sensors on a variety of NASA, NOAA, and European Space Agency satellites. For instance, the Global Volcanism Program at the National Museum of Natural History reported that the VIIRS (Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite) on the NOAA-NASA Suomi NPP satellite detected thermal anomalies on 29 days between February and July 2023. In May 2024, Tonga Geological Services reported that elevated thermal activity had returned to normal levels.

One of Tofua’s most famous visitors—British Royal Navy officer William Bligh—arrived in April 1789 on a 7-meter (23-foot) utility boat with 18 crew members of the HMS Bounty. Half of Bligh’s crew famously mutinied during an expedition to Tahiti to collect breadfruit plants. The bloodless rebellion occurred about 50 kilometers (30 miles) south of Tofua, with Bligh and the other loyalists left adrift on the open seas with just four cutlasses, a handful of tools, and a few days’ worth of food.Bligh ultimately planned to head for the nearby island of Tongatapu, but his first stop was Tofua. The hope was to gather food and water, but aside from some coconuts, the men found little of either. One of Bligh’s men was stoned to death by a hostile group of people from Nomuka, another Ha’apai island some 80 kilometers to the south. After that attack, Bligh and his men fled to Kupang, a Dutch settlement some 6,500 kilometers to the west.

More than two centuries later, Tofua is mostly undeveloped and stands as an oasis of biodiversity. Hundreds of plant species thrive on the island, and a variety of small mammals, reptiles, and birds live there, including swifts, starlings, honeyeaters, rails, ducks, and pigeons.

Still, the human fingerprint on the island is widespread. Human-ignited fires have altered forests across much of the island and left secondary forests and brushlands in their place in some areas, according to a report from the South Pacific Biodiversity Conservation Program. The authors also note that the introduction of feral dogs, cats, pigs, rats—and more than 200 non-native plants—has significantly altered the island’s ecosystems.

People have also cleared patches of forest (visible on the left side of the image) to raise kava (Piper methysticum) on the island’s fertile volcanic soil. The plant’s roots are processed into a powder that is used to make a tea said to have calming, anesthetic, and euphoriant effects similar to those caused by alcohol.

NASA Earth Observatory image by Lauren Dauphin, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey. Story by Adam Voiland.

[mistypurplespark]

Chapter 27: Returning North

Chapter 27.1: Returning North

Translator(s): Zryuu

Editor(s): juurensha

At night, at a barren area outside Tongguan County, 6,000 people were gathered on an endless loess plain to spend the night out in the open.

A gust of wind blew by; in early summer, it still felt chilly in the middle of the night. Those from the 16 Hu tribes were already falling asleep one after another. Wolves could be heard howling in the distant mountains, and the shadows of the mountains and rivers were like a gigantic curtain.

The Big Dipper hung high up in the night sky. The starry river on a summer night appeared as if light particles had spilled across the sky, and they were all shimmering brilliantly.

On the ground, Chen Xing was wrapped in a blanket as he stared at the campfire in a daze.

Ever since leaving Ahfang Palace, Xiang Shu has been silent. None of his subordinates would come to disturb the three of them either and just started a bonfire under the lone tree in the wilderness. It was even less likely for anyone to try and cotton up to Xiang Shu. Only Chen Xing, Xiang Shu, and Feng Qianjun sat by themselves quietly.

Feng Qianjun lifted the cloth covering the corpse, revealing the sagging body of his elder brother, Feng Qianyi. He piled up a stack of firewood beside the Tong river and set fire to his elder brother’s corpse.

The fire blazed brightly as it swallowed Feng Qianyi’s body. His legs were amputated below his knees. His long-term use of a wheelchair resulted in the atrophy of his limbs, and now they looked just like that of a child’s. A gust of wind blew, and the ashes scattered into the sky. Chen Xing could vaguely see a dim trace of light that kept rising, and it rose into the sky that

was as brilliant as a starry river.

Xiang Shu looked up; he saw expansive, dazzling light bands overlapping in the galaxy, like a massive river that was streaming through the night sky.

“Do you see it?” Chen Xing asked. Xiang Shu’s brows slightly furrowed.

“Divine Vein,” Chen Xing said, “The final destination of all ‘Dao’s in the world. Laozi once said, what is supersensible is termed ‘Dao’, while what is sensible is called qi. All things that live in the human world would leave the form of qi one day and return to the Great Dao.”

Xiang Shu said, “That’s the spiritual Qi of heaven and earth?”

“No,” Chen Xing said, “Divine and Earth Veins are rivers of a higher level than that of spiritual Qi.”

After his elder brother’s corpse turned into ashes, Feng Qianjun stored them in a box and went back to the other two. He wiped a small jade plaque and turned it over to study it under the light of the campfire. A few words were written on it: Great Han Exorcist Feng.

“The largest stronghold of Xifeng Bank was in Luoyang.” Feng Qianjun said, “When my Dage took over the family business with my father, I was learning how to audit. From the time when I was seven until sixteen, I would only see my Dage once every two to three years.”

Chen Xing was wrapped in a blanket and kept silent. He knew that at this time, Feng Qianjun needed to talk to relieve the distress he felt.

Feng Qianjun continued, “Luoyang was still under the ‘Yan State’ established by the Murong clan back then.”

Xifeng Bank had established an industry in Luoyang -- a renowned capital in the world -- with a wealth equivalent to that of an entire nation, and they were also waiting for the opportunity to welcome the Jin army back and recover the country they lost.

Later on, Fu Jian had sent people to take down Great Yan, and the city fell within a night. The imperial Murong clan members were all taken prisoner,

and they surrendered to Fu Jian. In addition, it was precisely because of this war that Feng Qianyi had fled with his family in a hurry. However, the situation then was in great turmoil; his family’s soldiers died in battle, his wife was killed by soldiers, and both his children died in the war. His legs were also crushed by a war chariot.

When Feng Qianjun heard of the grievous news, he immediately headed north to search for his older brother’s whereabouts, and he finally found him several years later in Chang’an.

Feng Qianyi didn’t mention much about the past and had just told him simply that this was something they had to face on their path to greatness. Since Great Yan had fallen, their next target was Fu Jian. And since the Murong clan were also ministers of their fallen nation, they could instead try cozying up to them and use them as necessary.

“I still remember the day I first met Qinghe,” Feng Qianjun said in a daze, “She and her younger brother, Murong Chong, were confined deep in the palace. Gege dispatched me to deliver some jewelry we had bought to her. Murong Chong didn’t like to talk, but she was elated and asked me what my name was……asked me if Luoyang’s peonies had bloomed and a lot about the things in the north……”

“……after the demise of the Great Yan State, I hadn’t return to Luoyang for three years, so I could only fabricate some lies to deceive her.” Feng Qianjun snapped out of his daze and forced himself to smile at Chen Xing, then continued, “When I went home and told my Dage, he just said, “No matter if it’s Luoyang, Guanzhong, Youzhou, or Yongzhou, they are all places that belong to us Hans. What face do the Xianbei people have to regard Luoyang as their hometown?”

Listening up to this point, Xiang Shu got up and left, leaving the two Hans some space for their conversation.

Feng Qianjun smiled helplessly, “But the Great Yan’s Murong clan was destroyed by a Han. Wang Meng took orders from Fu Jian; that war was won, which plunged the people of the four passes into misery. They despise Wang Meng because he became Fu Jian’s official. Tianchi, do you hate them?”

Chen Xing recalled his father’s death, then looked into the distance at Xiang Shu, who was lying on the ground and leaning on a piece of rock.

“Before he died, my father said that no matter if you’re a Hu or a Han,” Chen Xing slowly said, “We’re all dwellers of this grand Divine Land. When the Five Barbarians moved south, many ended up dead or wounded, and innocent people died in the war. However, when was it not the same during the War of the Eight Princes in the Jin Dynasty? Gentry Han who fled south still had the idea of taking revenge, but for the soldiers and people who died during the chaos of the Eight Princes, where would they go to find someone to reason with?”

“Ultimately, it boils down to two words -- ‘stop war’. Chen Xing sighed, “Moreover, if the root of this drought fiend chaos isn’t eradicated, by the time there’s a massive outbreak, neither the Hus nor Hans would have to continue fighting anymore. The outcome will all be the same: death.”

Feng Qianjun remained silent. He looked down at the Senluo sabre in hand, hefting it like he was weighing it.

“Do you plan to head north with the Great Chanyu?” Feng Qianjun asked.

“I don’t know.” Chen Xing appeared anxious, “Time’s running out. I still don’t have a clue as to why silence fell on all magic. At the very least, in the next three years, I have to reclaim the lost mana for everyone. After that, even if I were to be unconcerned or pay no heed, there would at least be some people then who can fight the Lord who Feng Qianyi was talking about. We definitely aren’t the only two exorcists in this world, there must be others who have obtained this inheritance……”

Chen Xing had gotten the first clue, which was related to the Dinghai Pearl. Although he wasn’t clear of the inside story yet, but according to the records, in the year after silence fell on all magic, the Dinghai Pearl had still contained powerful magic powers, so it must all be related somehow.

It’s just that, the world is so vast, so where should he go to look for it?

Feng Qianjun said, “Leave investigating the drought fiends to me ba. Tomorrow morning, Yuxiong will set out.”

Chen Xing, “Where are you going?”

Feng Qianjun said, “Perhaps I’ll sneak back to Chang’an, or make a trip to Luoyang, or search for the tombs of the Eight Princes. I’ll investigate the people my Dage came into contact with before he died, and how he obtained the knack to controlling resentment. You just need to focus on searching for your Dinghai Pearl.”

Chen Xing immediately said, “Feng Dage, this matter can’t be rushed……”

Feng Qianjun pondered, “I can sort of control the Senluo sabre, albeit in another manner.”

Chen Xing also hadn’t expected that a magic weapon that was once driven by the spiritual Qi of heaven and earth would now absorb resentment and be used like that. It was as if fate dictated for darkness to counter darkness. The thorns everywhere, black vines and withered tree yaos now played a powerful role instead. Also, because of activating the historical Senluo Wanxiang arts, awakening the mountains, seas, tree men, and leading all those flourishing life forms, Feng Qianjun’s identity had undergone a thorough change.

He had turned into a dark Exorcist.

However, it would surely deal great harm to one’s body to recklessly draw on resentment and forcibly activate the Senluo sabre through this method repeatedly. Chen Xing reminded Feng Qianjun of this over and over again, and Feng Qianjun explained, “Don’t worry. It’s impossible to use magic in a place without resentment.”

That’s true. The prerequisite for Feng Qianjun to wield the Senluo sabre and summon the withered tree yaos and bloodthirsty vines was to be in a place where resentment was aplenty. As long as there weren’t a lot of people who died in the surroundings, the sabre would lack the power of resentment, and there would be no way of activating it.

“Give me a bit more time,” Chen Xing answered, “Let me think through it properly.”

Feng Qianjun saw that he couldn’t convince Chen Xing, so he nodded and gestured for him to rest first. Chen Xing wanted to sleep under the tree just like that, but Feng Qianjun nudged him and asked him to go to Xiang Shu.

So Chen Xing crossed through the open space and went to where Xiang Shu was. Xiang Shu didn’t say a word. Both his eyes were shut. Coarse crowing could be heard in the distance, and Xiang Shu woke up at once. A little fear and panic could be seen in his gaze as he looked at the place where a group of crows flew by.

Chen Xing observed Xiang Shu curiously, but he saw that Xiang Shu had resumed his calm very quickly, so he whispered, “I have to go find the Dinghai Pearl, but the terrible thing is that all the records taken out of the Yin Yang Mirror recording where it is are all gone.”

“I know that place,” Xiang Shu said, “Follow me.” Chen Xing, “!!!”

The map drawn on the last page was called “Daze”. Chen Xing had come up with many conjectures -- maybe it was Yunmeng Daze, but that place only existed in legends, and no one knew where its exact location was now.

“Is it in the south?” Chen Xing asked.

Xiang Shu didn’t answer. He moved aside a little to make some space for Chen Xing.

So Chen Xing leaned over, and Xiang Shu continued, “Let’s go back to Chi Le Chuan first. There are a lot of things that require the support of the tribe.”

Chen Xing calculated the time; when he left Mt. Hua, he still had four years. Now that the Divine Land was ushering in summer, he only had three years left, so time was rather tight. But he didn’t rush Xiang Shu and just nodded.

Late at night, it was incredibly quiet on the plains. Xiang Shu suddenly opened his eyes and looked out into the distance.

Feng Qianjun had already gotten up from where he was under the tree. With the ashes of his older brother, he flipped onto a horse, and when he wound around the periphery of their temporary campsite, he raised his hand and waved at Xiang Shu.

Xiang Shu closed his eyes again, and Feng Qianjun slipped into the twilight.

At the zi period, blood red light could be seen everywhere in Huanmo Palace.

A massive heart as large as a house was suspended in mid air, and it was bobbing up and down slowly. Tons of blood vessels wound around that strange, giant heart, and it spread to all corners of this fantastical demonic palace.

Thousands of blood vessels penetrated the walls; they drew resentment from the earth to nourish themselves. The radiance of the Earth Vein was being refined into an endless purplish black air that was injected into the heart through the blood vessels.

A scholar who wore a mask and was dressed in a black robe held Princess Qinghe’s corpse bridal style and slowly walked into the palace.

“This mortal,” a hoarse voice emitted from the heart, “Was actually this immune to control.”

The scholar said, “Feng Qianyi was too eager for revenge, and his array was broken by the one who holds the Heart Lamp, so our plans got disrupted.”

The voice in the heart burst into fury, “Foolish to the extreme! Burying in vain the demonic troops we gave you that took a lot of effort to train!”

The scholar answered, “Feng Qianyi was already been burned to ashes, so that can be considered his punishment. My Lord, please calm down. There will always be humans to use. In the Ancient Chi Le Covenant, there are

still 100,000 herdsmen, so there will always be enough to fill this gap. But that Shulü Kong……”

After a brief moment of silence, the scholar said leisurely, “The number one warrior beyond the Great Wall……even if he was chosen as the exorcist’s Protector, he shouldn’t be so outrageously strong. It really is strange, why did the Heart Lamp choose him?”

“He’s but a mortal,” the heart slowly said, “He’ll still be limited no matter how strong he is, why would you need to fear him?”

The scholar answered respectfully, “My Lord may not know this, but although there is a limit to the number of people in the Chi Le Chuan that’s part of the Covenant outside the Great Wall, they are still a force that can not be underestimated. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have needed to go to so much trouble in the past years. If we can snare Shulü Kong and use him for our endeavours, it would surely save us a lot of unnecessary trouble.”

“That is not something you should worry about right now; how should the Ten Thousand Spirits Array be dealt with?” the hoarse voice of the heart rang out, “After lying dormant for so many years, Zhen would definitely not let all our efforts go to waste just because of this one accident. If we were to consider Zhou Yi as well, the exorcists have already killed two of your subordinates!”

The scholar said, “Now that Fu Jian has ruined the Great Wall by himself and banished Shulü Kong, Chang’an will not be a threat in the short term. We are still in the dark. Chen Xing has already followed Shulü Kong to flee beyond the Great Wall, so presumably, he will not return to the Central Plains for the time being. I’ll send Zhou Zhen over now and get rid of them both, then they would no longer be able to affect the resurrection of our Lord. Of course, now that silence has fallen on all magic, only the Heart Lamp is still of some use. Even if we were to just leave them be, it wouldn’t stir up much waves……my Lord.”

The scholar placed Princess Qinghe on the altar right below the massive heart and pleaded, “Please bestow a new life upon this girl. After this, the Ten Thousand Spirits Array in Chang’an must rely on her.”

The heart sneered. It clotted a bit of blood that slowly trickled down the walls of its membrane, and with a soft plop, it dropped onto Princess Qinghe’s corpse. The corpse shone with a reddish glow and resentment curled around her.

Chapter 27.2: Returning North

Translator(s): Zryuu

Editor(s): juurensha

At the end of summer, when autumn was about to start, the 16 Hu tribes led by Xiang Shu left the Great Wall and entered Caohai, a place that stretched for thousands of miles. It was Chen Xing’s first time seeing such an extensive and majestic grassland. It stretched far and wide, and flocks of birds flew overhead. In comparison to the prosperous city in the pass, this imposing northern side of the Divine Land was a different sight to behold.

On their way to the north, more and more people joined them with their families. The Qiang and Di tribes had lived in Guanlong for a long time, yet they weren’t given any preferential treatment. All the tribes were sent out on punitive expeditions, the fighting was drawn out for a long time, and they would be taxed heavily once they used soldiers. After years of severe droughts, the people had no way of making a living and could only give up on the lands they had farmed on. Instead, they decided to follow the Great Chanyu all the way to the North to seek a new means of supporting themselves.

As people joined one after another, this migration team had already grown to encompass more than ten thousand people, and the assembly was quite a magnificent sight. When they passed through the Great Wall, the Qin generals dared not block them and could only open up the pass to let them through. When they arrived at Caohai, Xiang Shu and his troops found carriages from somewhere and purchased all necessities before leaving the Great Wall. They eventually gathered into a convoy that galloped towards the end of the world -- Chi Le Chuan.

What kind of place is that? Chen Xing had asked Xiang Shu’s entourage before, and their answer was that it was the northern side of the Divine Land, the last area in which people would live in.

If one continued heading north, they would find themselves in a vast tundra and snowfields where snow would swirl everywhere buffeted by the cold winds. It was a barren wasteland. Few people have returned after heading north.

The major branches of the Five Barbarians in the pass originated from Mt. Baitou, Xing’an Mountains, Xiliang, and other such places. In the end, they formed the Ancient Chi Le Covenant under Chi Le Chuan. That was where the Xiongnu and Tiele people came from, and it was also the shared homeland of all the tribes of the people that the Hans called “Hu”s.

Just like the lyrics in the song, Chi Le Chuan, under the Yin mountains; the sky resembled an arched hut that covered the whole plain.

“The ones living there are mainly nomads, there are very few doctors,” Xiang Shu said, “Purchase some medication of the Central Plains along the way to take back to Chi Le Chuan.”

Chen Xing wrote out a list of medicine and got Xiang Shu’s subordinates to buy them. In his spare time, he would sit on the carriage and look at the writings and drawings Xiang Shu penned down on a piece of paper.

Feng Qianjun’s sudden departure made him very worried, but a more urgent task was at hand, which was to find the whereabouts of the Dinghai Pearl as soon as possible. As long as mana returned to the Divine Land, half of Chen Xing’s heavy burden would be relieved. He believed that in times to come, the ancient Exorcist profession would eventually recover, then gather a tremendous force to fight the Lord behind Feng Qianyi, as well as the “drought fiends” they had created.

For now, he just hoped that Fu Jian would no longer engage in large-scale massacres and control his resentment a little.

Chen Xing said, “I really have no clue as to what the ‘Daze’ mentioned in the books is.”

Xiang Shu’s fore and middle fingers slightly hooked onto a charcoal brush. His way of holding a brush was different from that of a Han’s, yet his slender fingers made his posture look very beautiful. On a piece of

parchment paper, he sketched the outline of meandering mountains, rivers, and a land’s terrain.

Chen Xing, “Ya!”

Xiang Shu had only glanced at it once, yet he managed to remember the map on the last page of the ancient book in the Exorcism Department. He showed it to Chen Xing, “Here?”

On the map was a lake, while there were three disconnected peaks behind it that rose into the clouds. A lot of forests were studded at its side. Its terrain was extremely strange; there were lakes on the plain, and there were mountains in the lake, beside which were annotations in the Tiele language.

“Yes, yes, yes!” Chen Xing felt like he had just obtained a treasure. He took it and said, “You actually remembered it all!”

“It’s not Yunmeng Lake, and it’s not in the south either.” Xiang Shu casually said, “Legend has it that it’s on the northern side of Chi Le Chuan, in a far away place. Its Tiele name is Erchilun, while it’s called Carosha in the Xiongnu language. The name refers to a place where the dragon fell to its death.”

Chen Xing asked in surprise, “You’ve been there?”

Xiang Shu, “When I was a kid, I saw it in a book given to me by an old man.”

Chen Xing looked down, then looked at Xiang Shu again, while Xiang Shu had switched over to another piece of parchment and began recalling the scene on the second last page of the book.

“You guys have books too,” Chen Xing uttered in surprise, “Where are your ancient records stored?”

“Why?” Xiang Shu said coldly, “Only you Hans are worthy of reading and writing?”

Chen Xing quickly explained that that wasn’t what he meant, and that he just wanted to take a look. He might be able to find some clues in the place

where the Chi Le Covenant stored their ancient texts.

The carriage forged ahead on the grassland. In the distance, mountain ranges enshrouded in mist were vaguely distinguishable, and at that moment, everyone in the procession cheered. Chen Xing abruptly looked up. They turned round the hillside, and across the vast lands, tents stood in large numbers with mountains and rivers as the backdrop. It was nearing the end of summer, a gust of wind blew, and it was as if a striking picture scroll was slowly unfurling before his eyes.

They had arrived at Chi Le Chuan.

Chen Xing was stunned by the scene in front of him. Under the Yin mountains, amidst the gentle embrace of the Kundulun River and Dahei River, the grasslands that stretched for thousands of miles was just like a blanket that supported nearly 200,000 herdsmen. An endless number of tents were all that could be seen, dotting the land from the hillside all the way to the foot of the mountain!

At the start of autumn, almost all of the nomads beyond the Great Wall migrated towards the Yin mountains, worshipping this sacred mountain of the 16 Hu tribes as they joined the Ancient Chi Le Covenant.

“The Great Chanyu is back!” A kid saw the convoy from the Kudulun River bank and shouted loudly.

A beautiful woman who was washing clothes by the river stood up and started singing with a resounding voice, while the warriors in the convoy responded unbridled with a song of their own. Xiang Shu still sat in the open-air carriage. He kept the parchment paper. His long legs hung off the edge of the carriage as he adjusted his posture, then lay halfway down comfortably.

Thousands of galloping horses rushed out of the Ancient Chi Le Covenant towards them, and the ones in the lead were several youngsters. Both the Xiongnu and Tiele people shouted loudly in succession, but Xiang Shu ignored them. Within an instant, that group of youngsters had gathered on both sides of the convoy. All of them started talking at once and smiled as they inquired about Xiang Shu’s affairs. Chen Xing didn’t understand any

of the languages they used, so he could only listen blankly. But from the looks on their faces, he could guess that they were asking Xiang Shu nonstop where exactly he had gone during this period.

The corners of Xiang Shu’s mouth were slightly lifted, which was a rare sight as he seemed to be smiling a little. Afterwards, the troops following behind started clamouring, so the group of youngsters turned back and went to help out in unloading and moving things to settle the people.

A youngster spoke in the Xiongnu language, extended a wooden rod, and wanted to enter the open-air carriage to strike Chen Xing. Chen Xing quickly dodged and appeared to be quite angry. He thought that the other guy must be saying, “Why did you even snatch a Han back”.

“Get lost!” Xiang Shu finally said in the Tiele language.

That youngster burst out laughing, then galloped away on his horse.

People kept trying to draw close, as if they wanted to ask Xiang Shu for instructions. Xiang Shu either didn’t answer them, or he would just lazily utter an “un”, so the ones who came took away the Hu people from within the pass in the convoy to resettle them. The people who moved to the North with Xiang Shu all seemed to be very excited, as if they had found their long-lost relatives here.

Chen Xing said, “Looks like they haven’t been living very comfortably after entering the pass.”

It was the kind of comfort and freedom one feels after returning home. Compared to when they were in Chang’an City where they had to follow the rules set by Fu Jian, study to become an official, and achieve an official rank, these barbarians obviously preferred to return to their carefree lives on the grassland. It was truly carved into their bones.

Xiang Shu didn’t answer. There were fewer and fewer people in the convoy now, and in the end, only the two of them were left. Two carriages were pulled to the foot of the mountains east of the Ancient Covenant, where there was a valley.

There were very few people living here. When they saw Xiang Shu return, all of them cheered.

The carriage stopped right in front of the biggest tent. Xiang Shu jumped off the carriage, and Chen Xing suddenly thought -- since Xiang Shu was the Great Chanyu and had long passed a marriageable age, would he have a wife and children at home?

But there were few people in this valley, and the place that Xiang Shu lived in was very quiet. The royal tent was built at the foot of a mountain; it occupied the source of a stream, so it was obvious as to how venerated the location was.

A lot of people came over to greet Xiang Shu. Xiang Shu replied them in the Tiele language, and everyone dispersed. Chen Xing looked around curiously and asked, “Is this your home?”

Xiang Shu said, “I’ll gather the elders for a meeting first, just do whatever you want ba.”

Then Xiang Shu said something to the rest, presumably asking them to help Chen Xing settle down.

At that moment, someone led a horse over, then Xiang Shu flipped onto the horse and galloped out of the valley after uttering a “jia”.

Chen Xing, “Ai wait! I don’t understand your language!!”

After Xiang Shu left, quite a few young Tiele men came over and studied Chen Xing curiously, then began discussing amongst themselves.

The corners of Chen Xing’s mouth twitched, and he could only nod politely in return.

Someone threw a wet cloth at him. Chen Xing quickly said, “Thank you.” Then used it to wipe his face and thought, so beyond the Great Wall, they receive guests by getting them to wash their faces first.

The crowd muttered a bit more then burst out laughing. Someone pointed Chen Xing to the tent, and Chen Xing said, “Okay, I’ll go rest now.

Everyone need not trouble yourselves.”

Chen Xing lifted the tent and entered Xiang Shu’s home. He saw a huge blue embroidered rug spread out on the floor, and there were a lot of other furnishings in the room as well -- bedding, tableware, short tables, everything  was  available.  There  were  even  screens  that  had  been transported over from the south. The lighting in the room was really good; snow-proof windows could be seen at the top of the tent, and the light that streamed through illuminated the inside such that it seemed very bright.

There was even a bookshelf in the corner, which was filled with pictorial books and ancient texts of the various tribes.

But because its master has been away from home for such a long time, everything was covered in dust.

The young Tiele man outside fetched a bucket of water inside. He pointed at the table, then patted Chen Xing’s shoulder and said in the Xianbei language, “Start now, wipe everything well. Finish cleaning up the royal tent before the Great Chanyu returns.”

Chen Xing looked at the cloth in his hand, then looked at the rest. He smiled and answered politely in the Han language,

“Screw you.”

Translator's Comment:

Zryuu:DINGHAI’S PHYSICAL COPY IS GOING ON SALE TODAY (18/11) at 7:30PM GMT +8!!!!!!

I’m mega excited bc there’s a few limited edition packages, and the 78 yuan package contains:

A MAP!!!!!!!!!

CHARACTER BADGES THAT ARE HELLA CUTE

Night lamps!!

“The Golden Conferment of the Purple Scroll that even Fu Jian couldn’t obtain!” ROFL

A VERY BEAUTIFUL POSTER omCZwO

But it’s fcfs so I’m camping at the Taobao site

[nacricissa]

I want a post-apocalyptic superman

The spaceship landed not long after the second war. The Kents raised their strange son the best they could, through a total refusal of all formula, several ruined cupboard doors as the toddler broke in for the maple syrup, their child screaming because he could hear too much, Jonathan getting drafted to Vietnam, Martha forced to do her best for Clark alone.

And then the missiles launched.

The warhawks were tired of getting outmaneuvered in the jungle, and the cry for "tactical nuclear strikes" won out. Swaths of Vietnam, Cambodia, even the South of China when a fighter went off course were destroyed and irradiated. Martha Kent was unsure how to tell her son that his father had died of radiation sickness, but from the way he screamed in his sleep she wasn't sure if he already knew. He would flinch and shake every few days, every time a fission bomb went off, not that either of them knew that was the cause.

The bombing of China lost what ground had been gained diplomatically with the rising power, and despite their differences it cemented an alliance between the two great communist nations of Asia, and then the bombs really began to fall. Clark figured out immediately what it was he had been feeling when the warning shot aimed vaguely at Mount Rushmore was detonated by NORAD somewhere over northern Manitoba. It was the same shuddering tingle, the same booming loudness a while later. The same tearing of the air resonating through the atmosphere. He swore he could almost feel the heat, even though heat and cold had never been overly perceptible to him before.

The strikes grew more and more frequent as Martha baked a cake to celebrate 12 years since she and her late husband had found their darling son. Some were even sneaking through the air defenses, though no strikes on urban centers had yet been fired.

Clark ran home from school one day to grip his mother bruisingly tight. He told her, tears in his eyes, that the crying had stopped. When questioned, he said that there had been another bomb from around the world, he could tell it was far away because of the time lag between the radiation and the noise, the same way you could count after lightning to gauge the distance of the storm. It had been more intense than previous, and this time, there were no screams afterwards. The news that night grimly stated that North Vietnam had been entirely defeated. The leak from the Pentagon the next week said it was more like it had been annihilated, and that much of the surrounding area would be uninhabitable for years.

Efforts to resume communication between the nuclear powers continued to fail, and by the time Clark Kent turned fifteen, everyone he knew was dead. Missiles had flown, and he had tried to run with his mother, at least, but he was slower than he had been before the atmosphere was so suffused with ash and radiation, and really, where could he go, he could feel the concussive wind of detonations in every direction. When the heat passed, his smaller body had been able to shelter most of his mother's vital organs, so she lived longer than most in the continental US, but the radiation that made Clark woozy and unable to properly move for help swiftly killed most anyone who survived the initial blast, and starvation killed the rest.

Clark knew he didn't really need food. He liked syrup, soft drinks, anything with readily accessible dissolved sugar, really, but he hadn't needed it before. Only now, with the sun blocked out and everyone else buried by his hand, did he know what hunger felt like. He knew he wasn't the only one left, though. He had trudged his way south, searching for survivors, and then surviving soda pop, and then for the few remaining buildings tall and structurally sound enough to het him above some of the detritus. When he lay far enough up, he could feel the sun seeping into his bones, and his enhanced senses returned. There were humans left on Earth, if he could only get to them.

If some of the ash cleared, or he could find a high enough place, or just somewhere the sun was strong enough to fight through the smog, maybe he would be enough of what he had been as a boy to help.

[demimonde-semigoddess]

Alright, I said strongly worded reblog to follow and I meant it.

Since this is now The Playoffs (and I actually know it), I'm gonna give some respect to the competitor here. The Cabbage Merchant, within one calendar year, traveled from the city of Omashu (off the top of my head, southwestern Earth Kingdom; cabbage cart destroyed 3 times) to the capital (Central/Slightly Northwestern; cabbage cart destroyed once), so a good couple hundred miles. At some point, he also acted as a source for the Ember Island Players on the travels of the Avatar and his group, which means he presumably either was directly interviewed by or exchanged correspondence with a bunch of fire nation propagandists.

PM has him beat on (a bunch of metrics I'm pulling out of my ass, here):

Ratio of listed job requirements to job demands: The Cabbage Merchant's employment hinged around his cart. As such, he should have expected he'd have to maintain it. Replacing/repairing it isn't that far beyond his wheelhouse. PM was a mailwoman. She had to fight an immortal god of space and help raise civilization from the ashes of the post-apocalypse.

Risk to personal life and limb: The Cabbage Merchant was occasionally near a chase/fight/misused mail trolley. He also had to handle the depredations of anyone who felt like accosting him on the road to Ba Sing Se. PM was locked in deadly combat for 3 years, crossed a planet-sized war-zone into enemy territory, and survived in a post-apocalyptic wasteland.

Distance traveled: See the above two points. PM walked/flew hundreds or thousands of miles under her own power and significant duress. Cabbage Merchant crossed a few hundred at most. Possibly not by foot.

Period of plot relevance/hardship: Cabbage Merchant had a bad year. PM had a bad day that put her in the fucking trenches for a MINIMUM OF FIVE (low-balling the "years in the future but not many" to two).

Acquisition of Revenge: The Cabbage Merchant failed to convince King Bumi to behead the avatar and his friends. PM successfully carried out all of her duties, dismembered the man who (nearly) killed her best friend, pummeled his ass into the dirt so hard he SKIDDED, and then destroyed the magical symbols of monarchy he'd used to attain near-godhood.

The only point of contention that comes to mind in which PM may not have Cabbage Merchant beat is what I'm going to call "Self Determination". One could argue that the Cabbage Merchant had more or less no control over his own fate and repeated cart demolition. Thus, the cleanup (and the denial of vengeance) were all the more bitter for him.

By contrast, PM's listed job was only to deliver parcels, and it was only at the request of a teenage girl (with an attached parcel) that she set off on a planet-spanning (and eventually multiverse-spanning) quest to retrieve said parcel and deliver it to its listed recipient. She could have simply chosen not to do any of this, but it would've been impolite. And she is too good-hearted for that. Still, one could argue that being good-hearted is a choice.

In conclusion: PM worked harder, for longer, and did more with, I would argue, less, than Cabbage Merchant did. She's also a postal worker, and you gotta support the motherfucking

Previous PM rants: Vs Link | Vs Reagan Ridley

Overworked Blorbo Battle Round 4 Poll: 8

[bills-bible-basics]

FALSE WORSHIP OF THE HEAVENS -- KJV (King James Version) Bible Verse List Visit https://www.billkochman.com/VerseLists/ to see more. "Take ye therefore good heed unto yourselves; for ye saw no manner of similitude on the day that the LORD spake unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire . . . And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to worship them, and serve them, which the LORD thy God hath divided unto all nations under the whole heaven" Deuteronomy 4:19, KJV "If there be found among you, within any of thy gates which the LORD thy God giveth thee, man or woman, that hath wrought wickedness in the sight of the LORD thy God, in transgressing his covenant, And hath gone and served other gods, and worshipped them, either the sun, or moon, or any of the host of heaven, which I have not commanded; And it be told thee, and thou hast heard of it, and enquired diligently, and, behold, it be true, and the thing certain, that such abomination is wrought in Israel: Then shalt thou bring forth that man or that woman, which have committed that wicked thing, unto thy gates, even that man or that woman, and shalt stone them with stones, till they die." Deuteronomy 17:2-5, KJV "And they left all the commandments of the LORD their God, and made them molten images, even two calves, and made a grove, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Baal." 2 Kings 17:16, KJV "And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, after the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out before the children of Israel. For he built up again the high places which Hezekiah his father had destroyed; and he reared up altars for Baal, and made a grove, as did Ahab king of Israel; and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served them. And he built altars in the house of the LORD, of which the LORD said, In Jerusalem will I put my name. And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD." 2 Kings 21:2-5, KJV "And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, and the priests of the second order, and the keepers of the door, to bring forth out of the temple of the LORD all the vessels that were made for Baal, and for the grove, and for all the host of heaven: and he burned them without Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron, and carried the ashes of them unto Bethel. And he put down the idolatrous priests, whom the kings of Judah had ordained to burn incense in the high places in the cities of Judah, and in the places round about Jerusalem; them also that burned incense unto Baal, to the sun, and to the moon, and to the planets, and to all the host of heaven." 2 Kings 23:4-5, KJV "At that time, saith the LORD, they shall bring out the bones of the kings of Judah, and the bones of his princes, and the bones of the priests, and the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, out of their graves: And they shall spread them before the sun, and the moon, and all the host of heaven, whom they have loved, and whom they have served, and after whom they have walked, and whom they have sought, and whom they have worshipped: they shall not be gathered, nor be buried; they shall be for dung upon the face of the earth." Jeremiah 8:1-2, KJV "And the houses of Jerusalem, and the houses of the kings of Judah, shall be defiled as the place of Tophet, because of all the houses upon whose roofs they have burned incense unto all the host of heaven, and have poured out drink offerings unto other gods." Jeremiah 19:13, KJV "I will also stretch out mine hand upon Judah, and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place, and the name of the Chemarims with the priests; And them that worship the host of heaven upon the housetops; and them that worship and that swear by the LORD, and that swear by Malcham;" Zephaniah 1:4-5, KJV "Then God turned, and

gave them up to worship the host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, O ye house of Israel, have ye offered to me slain beasts and sacrifices by the space of forty years in the wilderness? Yea, ye took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Remphan, figures which ye made to worship them: and I will carry you away beyond Babylon." Acts 7:42-43, KJV If you would like more info regarding the origin of these KJV Bible verse lists, go to https://www.billkochman.com/VerseLists/. Thank-you! https://www.billkochman.com/Blog/index.php/false-worship-of-the-heavens-kjv-king-james-version-bible-verse-list/?feed_id=110328&_unique_id=6575c649b4244&FALSE%20WORSHIP%20OF%20THE%20HEAVENS%20--%20KJV%20%28King%20James%20Version%29%20Bible%20Verse%20List

[mythologeekwriter]

Why must trying to work out characters’ nation assignments in the kitc atla au be so hard?

[azulasnailtech]

@zukkaweek​ Day Two: Arranged Marriage

AU: After the near-death of his beloved son, Lu Ten, Prince Iroh makes quick work of finishing the Siege of Ba Sing Se with a decisive, blazing victory. The Fire Nation, though stretched thin across the Earth Kingdom quashing rebellions and trying to stop the remaining government and military from regrouping, now sets its sights on conquering the Water Tribes, to achieve Sozin’s vision of complete world domination. Prince Iroh—entrusted by his father, Fire Lord Azulon, with more power and responsibility than ever in the wake of his triumph over Ba Sing Se—decides to try a softer approach.

((If you consider strong-arming a man into marrying his kid off to a (royal, colonizing, ash making, probably murderous, definitely evil) stranger by threatening to melt his whole village a softer approach. And don’t think Sokka missed the threat against his little sister either. He knows it’s still years off, but he’s going to accept his fate, bide his time, wear red silks, play the part of a doting consort... and when opportunity strikes, he’s going to kill the Fire Lord, kill the crown prince, and hey, hopefully he’ll get a chance to kill this future husband of his he hasn’t yet met too.))

[image id: six gifs of Iroh, younger and with dark hair, sitting at an elegantly decorated desk, writing on a scroll. He is flanked by two Fire Nation soldiers standing at attention in full armour, including masked helmets. The first five gifs are captioned: To Chief Hakoda of the Southern Water Tribe, from the desk of Crown Prince Iroh, Dragon of the West. I trust that word has by this time reached you of the Fire Nation’s most glorious conquest of Ba Sing Se. We now seek to share our prosperity with the Water Tribes, by any means necessary. But where earth is stubborn in its very nature, water is adaptable. We need not bring a burning war to your shores if you do not wish it. I instead invite you to join my family in welcoming a new era of cooperation and enlightenment by arranging a marriage between my nephew, Prince Zuko, and your firstborn child, as soon as both reach the age of majority. If you refuse this offer, I wish only the best of luck to you—and the waterbender we know your village harbours—when it comes time to rebuild Wolf’s Cove. In the sixth gif, Iroh begins to laugh. It is captioned: It will take all the luck you can get to be left with even a puddle after the Fire Nation is through with you.]