#I know I have to write about the other characters in my Lotus AU

[carnatus89]

Shen Qingqiu triple trouble!

So, System Possession AU of @artsarasp is going through, stuff let's say. Angsty stuff. So of course my mind was like.

Let's make shen triplets!

The situation is, Shen Jiu has his fatal Qi deviation, Shen Yuan dies by choking on food and all is normal. But, some error occurs, and both Shen Jiu’s and Shen Yuan’s souls are in danger of disintegrating from the Qi deviation. The System notices this and tries to fix it, forcing the soul to generate a body to occupy from basically thin air. But there’s a problem, since there’s two souls that are now generating a body, meanwhile the original body is still functional, though has been metaphorically dragged through the mud. Thus, both Shen Jiu and Shen Yuan materialize with new bodies while the System is absorbed into the spare body.

So now we have three Shen Qingqius. And the System is Not Happy.

Neither is Shen Jiu to be honest.

Shen Yuan somehow convinces both the System and Shen Jiu that they should pretend to just be brothers, make some bullshit about trapped consciousness to fool the peak lords, while he wacks his brain to try to avoid death or punishment from the enraged System. Which can still give both points and punishments. The problem is that since he got the short end of the stick in the body lottery, he has to be very careful of exerting the body’s limits, so he can’t get agitated. And giving punishments is very agitating. Shen Yuan is basically trying to make the System care. If Wall-E can love, so can the System, wouldn’t it be better for the story if he becomes an active member? It would also be better to leave the story to develop itself organically, think about all the character development! So the protagonist can have a more round support cast! If he read something like that, he wouldn’t have criticized so much the papapa scenes since he could just focus on that! What do you think System-bro?

Meanwhile Shen Jiu is very conflicted, since these, what, fakers? Clones? Some type of demons? Are stealing his face and seem to have some ulterior motive, but both seem eager to ‘help him’ somehow. Granted, the blue eyed freak is creepy as fuck, a fake cherfulness that all his instincts scream to get away from, but he’s mostly… nice. The definition of the word, at least. The other fake is snarky, doesn’t really back down from a verbal dispute, and, while infuriating, it’s more real. Safer, in a way, more honest. Besides, the blue eyed one is useful when trying to find synonyms while writing or finding the name of a song he couldn’t remember well. They can stay, for now.

System is actually scared. They saved the scum villain character, but made a bigger problem while also becoming… vulnerable. How could they make sure the story functions if they have a weak and frail body? They are forced to play along, become a more direct support to the characters to make sure they stay in line. But [User02] seems to have other ideas, and while they must punish him, they really can’t without suffering themselfs. The original scum villain for the most part follows the script, but he also seems perturbed by their presence, which is fine. All is fine, they should be able to fix it.

Somehow.

The three of them are mostly the same in appearance. The major difference that the peaklords catch on is the mark on the forehead (I don’t remember what it is called). Shen Jiu has a lotus flower painted, Shen Yuan has a dot while the System has an empty circle, resembling a zero. Both Shen Jiu and the System have their clothes correctly, while Shen Yuan doesn’t really know how any of his layers of clothes work, so he fastened the belt around everyone, even the outer robe. Finally, the System has their hair tight to their head, Shen Jiu has it a little loose to let it flow but staying neat and clean. Shen Yuan just, tries his best. Finally, the System’s face is kinda cartoonish, they make faces that shouldn't be possible, stretching his smile wide and making their eyes a little too big. Both Shens don’t mention it much, they just say they’re special.

I don’t know what came to me to do this shit, but now’s here, deal with it.

Spanish rambling when this idea just came barreling through my brain.

[ryin-silverfish]

Ask/Writing Masterlist (irregularly updating)

Ryin(阿璎), 23. She/They. First Gen Chinese student. Ryin_Silverfish on AO3. Currently hyperfixating on old Chinese novels. casual Zhiguai tales and LMK enjoyer.

Investiture of the Gods/FSYY:

Why are the Daoist immortals fighting?

Did Yuanshi Tianzun manipulate Shen Gongbao?

Chan, Jie, and possible prejudice against yaoguai

Azure Lion and the other Bodhisattvas' steeds in FSYY

Daji's fox form in FSYY Pinghua

The historical Su Daji

Is Shen Gongbao a yaoguai?

Are all yaoguai irredeemable monsters in FSYY?

Ao Bing and the dragons Nezha fought

Does deification wipe your memory and personality?

Bi Gan and the Great Fox Massacre

More discussion about prejudice against yaoguai

How old was Su Daji the human when she died?

Differences between FSYY novel and Pinghua

Musing on FSYY's view of fate and its possible effects on Yang Jian

Master Yuding

The messy marriages of FSYY

Is Daji a goddess in the novel?

Names of immortal masters in FSYY

Just for fun: the FSYY drinking game

Nezha's age in FSYY

Nezha's death and resurrection in FSYY

What happened to the original Daji?

Lady Shiji aka the Rock Demoness

Chinese Fox Spirits:

Auspicious/Demonic Foxes

More on fox spirits

The inner core of foxes

Foxes and their association with Fire

Notable fox spirits

The foxes of 狐狸缘全传

Has Daji ever been worshipped as a goddess?

Fox masks

The foxes of Liaozhai

Weaknesses and abilities of fox spirits

Three resource collections on Chinese fox spirits: 1, 2, 3

Human-fox hybrids

Can foxes and their descendents magically know if someone's telling the truth?

The magical properties of fox saliva

Fox exams and Heavenly Foxes

Are male foxes more malicious?

More on fox exams

Offerings to fox spirits

The "Lady Fox Immortal"

Chinese Mythos in General:

The Precious Scroll of Erlang

Into the Erlang-verse: Li, Zhao, Yang

Can immortal masters romance their students?

Why we don't power-rank characters in God-Demon novels

A brief overview of Chang'e

On Chinese Religion and "Respect"

The 28 Lunar Mansions

Can the Heavenly Emperor be replaced + a primer on dynastic successions

A Guide to the Chinese Underworld (and what it isn't)

Is Nüwa JE's daughter?

Weaver Girl

Can yaoguais a/o their descendents enter the Celestial Bureaucracy?

Queen Mother of the West and her husband(s)

Bixia Yuanjun, Lady of Mt. Tai

Erlang's dad

The story that gives us the name "Yang Jian"

On the transformation of Erlang's image (and his relationship with JE in JTTW)

Erlang's mom, Lotus Lantern, and a neat little discovery

Erlang cameos in other stories and Zajus

Erlang's mom-saving story in Chinese operas

Child Manjushri, or: the absurdity of pinning a definitive age on gods

The strange modern ship of Mengpo/Yuelao, and Mengpo's myths

The half-beast form of QMoW

Does Erlang have a wife/love interest?

Nezha's mom

A overview of Gonggong and his mythos

Some introductory sources on the Chinese Underworld

A side-by-side comparison of Nezha's backstory in JTTW and FSYY

Mythos-inspired Worldbuilding:

Dragons of the Four Seas

LMK S5 and a possible "Celestial Council of Regents" AU

LMK S5 Fix-it: the Four Divine Beasts

Character/Story Analysis (JTTW + LMK)

Heart and Mind: Tripitaka

Local Lion Uncle enjoyer goes on a rant

On SWK and his fear of death

Why the Dead People Supreme Court?

No, seriously, why?

Chinese Underworld =/= Christian Hell

LMK S4, Havoc in Heaven, and revolutions

Why I dislike the "class warfare" reading of Havoc in Heaven

In Defence of Li Jing...ha, as fucking if

On Yin-Yang, Chaos/Order, and the Harbringer

JTTW's view on the Three Religions

Disjointed S5 Reactions

"Chaos doesn't work that way in traditional Chinese Cosmology"

Xiangliu, the Nine-headed Bird, and Jiutou Chong

Lotus Lantern: The Summaries

Part 1: Precious Scroll of Chenxiang

Part 2: The Epic of Prince Chenxiang

Part 3: Lotus Lantern 1.0 + 2.0

Part 4: Chenxiang and the Male-Female Swords

My Fanfics:

Climbing the Sky

The Wild Son

Bodhicitta

The Serpent and the Deluge

South Seas Sojourn

Journey of the Gods AU sideblog

[anonymoususeru]

Beast-Ancient AU Fan Sagas but its all rambles and no Art and just Pas rambling about her OCs

Uhh hi, the AU belongs to @cuppajj and this is just a blurb of thoughts and little writing under the cut. Also contains lore of OCs I haven't revealed yet soooo y e a a h . Keep in mind this isn't super following of CRK Lore but is linked to the AU. Just not super connected.

andapersonalmessagetocuppa,finishyourocanimatictheithacasagaiscomingoutonchristmas- /lhj

IMPORTANT NOTES:

Szechuan Pepper and Rakum Palm holds the full power. Blooming Hortensia, Ripe Pulasan and White Mango holds half of the full power. All five Soul Jams have their Beasts' subconsciousness inside and relied on the magic inside to stay "alive".

My Ancients are older than the Five canon Ancients and around the Beast Cookie's age. It'll explain the comments/thoughts they have of the Neo Beasts lol.

The Wilting Hortensia Saga

The first of the Five Draconic Protectors to fall into Corruption herself. As the Soul Jam of her successor, Flowery Agar, has been destroyed, all Flowery Agar Cookie could do is stick with their successor.

As Flowery Agar Cookie once held the Light of Corruption, they have led their successor down her path. The last thing she expected was for Blooming Hortensia to strike back and return the favour, getting rid of Flowery Agar Cookie's spirit for good.

Blooming Hortensia Cookie, now Wilting Hortensia Cookie, has forcibly taken what was once her home from the Blue Dragon's Rule via violence and force, draining most of the Blue Dragon's power. The Paradise is now wilting, but the cookies there have faith in their leader to bring prosperity like she has done many years ago.

As the Beast of Corruption was the only one who could hold Blooming Hortensia Cookie back, Flowery Agar Cookie being gone means that there is nothing holding Wilting Hortensia Cookie back from dealing with any threats. She has commanded many cookies to rid of any Vanilla Orchids blooming within the paradise, as she does not need a child to play in her domain nor does she appreciate Saint Vanilla Cookie trying to purify her citizens.

The main characters of the Saga are Bellflower, Hydrangea and Ginseng, Lotus Dragon Cookie would come later. If Strawberry Crepe Cookie runs to the paradise, there is no guarantee that Wilting Hortensia Cookie would ever let them leave.

The Szechuan Pepper Saga

The second of the Draconic Protectors to have fallen into Corruption. Szechuan Pepper Cookie refuses to take on a new name, and it was the most surprising outcome, as he was the most stable out of all the Draconic Protectors.

The Light of Ascendancy is not half of the full power. It does not mean that the Beast who held the power did not reside within it. The last thing Commander Fondant Cookie expected was for their forceful successor to use the Light of Ascendancy for its true purpose. Now the forceful leader of the Dragon's Valley, and with Pitaya Dragon Cookie being unavailable, Szechuan Pepper Cookie has united the tribes within the valley.

However, within the eyes of the once follower, Szechuan Pepper Cookie's morals have left him. In private, Szechuan Pepper Cookie is now a paranoid man, afraid of other cookies coming to ruin him. Including the Beast residing in his Soul Jam. Commander Fondant Cookie is likely counting their days down until they meet the same fate as Flowery Agar Cookie.

Should Dragonberry Cookie come to Szechuan Pepper Cookie for answers of how to become a dragon or to take over, it will be a tough battle. No one knows who will come out victorious from it and Szechuan Pepper Cookie does not appreciate a reckless teenager coming into his home and claiming it is hers.

The main characters are tough to tell, but Capsaicin is very much involved in this. It's his favourite professor after all.

The Ripe Pulasan Saga

The third of the Draconic Protectors to fall into Corruption from Paranoia and visions that his Beast has given him, tormenting him for years.

A man who once lived in silence, fearing for the Violet Dragon and the passive threat of Violaceous Icing Cookie, Pulasan Cookie was driven into insanity. Once holding the Light of Tranquility, he is now holding the Light of Division. Ripe Pulasan Cookie realises that how the tribe working together is the reason why the Violet Dragon have tricked him and his friends before.

Violaceous Icing Cookie, while a passive threat, did not hesitate to try to put Ripe Pulasan Cookie back into his place. It is her power that he was using after all. However, it only led to Ripe Pulasan not only destroying Violaceous Icing's Soul Jam for good, but throwing her out of his subconsciousness.

Lychee Dragon Cookie refuses to admit that they see Ripe Pulasan Cookie as a threat and tries to regain their power. Only for Ripe Pulasan Cookie coercing the now separated tribes within the islands to banish the Violet Dragon. As the conflicting ideals within the tribes have led them to focus on themselves, they are more immune to Lychee Dragon Cookie's charms and disguises. That was the end goal of Ripe Pulasan Cookie.

Rambutan Cookie could not accept what has happened, how an old folktale archivist within her tribe made them abandon her, the leader. She is the protagonist of this saga.

The islands are heavily guarded and now have many cookies making sure no outsiders ever enter. They do not appreciate vanilla orchids blooming and tries to rid of them on sight.

Although the division could only work for so long after all.

The Ivory Mango Saga

Fourth of the Draconic Protectors to go corrupt. However the reasons of their corruption seems to be unknown.

White Mango Cookie, once modest and peaceful, have become the very thing to led the Tropical Soda Islands astray. Ananas Dragon Cookie, while they have failed to nip the problem in the bud, have restrained the Beast and getting the cookies, creatures and all on the Pineapple island to evacuate.

But it is only temporary after all, as the place Ivory Mango Cookie have been sealed to was being destroyed slowly. Although there is something peculiar there too. Roux is all around the place, being the liquid to destroy the nature.

One must wonder was this the full corruption of White Mango Cookie or Reticent Roux have gained some control. However, the words Ivory Mango Cookie said seems to lead to the former, just using their Beasts' Power as a scapegoat.

The Snake Sovereign Saga

Rakum Palm Cookie, seeing all their friends becoming corrupt day by day, could not take it anymore. They have lived their life half-alive, half of a soul due to the Ivory Dragon being angered that they were deceived.

Taking their role as the Glaring Snake Sovereign once more, the Evergreen Town has fallen into Peril, as the Sovereign forced all the cookies to get rid of any vanilla orchids on sight, and made sure no cookies would ever come and go. If a cookie manages to get in, interrogate them and made sure they are not a threat. But never let them leave.

As the Evergreen Town is not too far from the Golden City (Near the jelly swamp on the map, which is near the Golden Cheese Kingdom), many cookies from the former Golden Cheese Kingdom would almost consider this a safe haven. It is quite the opposite though.

Tenacious Buttercream have only looked in horror what their successor have become and like their batchmates, tried to put them back into their place. Only for Tenacious Buttercream, the last standing Draconian Confectionery, to have been destroyed by Rakum Palm Cookie.

No one dares to refer to them as their name anymore, addressing them in their title only.

Hope you don't mind the long rambles, I have been thinking of this for a while. A lot of this is a huge subject to change so yeah :D

[demaparbat-hp]

Hello. I wanted to say that I really like your art style, especially how you do Katara's face. That's awesome.

But every time I read the description of your AUs, it gives me the creeps. You once said you try to stay true to Katara's character, but... your AUs are like "what if I take one of her major character traits and throw it in a trash bin?".

Halfblood AU: no connection to her culture that basically defies everything Katara thinks and feels about her waterbending.

Helping the Fire Nation AU: no hope for the avatar that Katara expressed in the intro of every episode of the original show.

And lowkey less kindness. She's cautious and bitter and wants to help only Zuko.

She seems like a completely different character. Not Katara at all.

Zuko too. I doubt he'll be in the White Lotus, it's not in his character at all. He may use the help of the members, but the original ("The Desert") tells us he will not be one of them, it's just not his style.

You make zutara look shallow, like you think that Zuko and Katara as they are in the show would never work together. As a person who sees appeal in this ship I feel very uneasy seeing your interpretations.

And my god, why do you hate Hakoda so much? Every time you add anything to halfbloodAU he looks more and more disgusting. I cannot believe mister "you and your brother are my entire world" would do what you are saying. And a married man with a child cannot be so naive to think that a woman won't become pregnant after having sex with him. Hakoda would've returned and checked and tried to help.

Sorry. I wish I could enjoy your art, but you're making it so hard.

Hello, and thank you for writing. I'm glad that you enjoy my art, at least to some extent, and I'm sorry if I ever made you uncomfortable with my AUs. However, I find myself in the need of defending them.

Creating AUs is something I take seriously, and one of the core traits of an AU is that it's, inherently, a different world. I can change virtually anything, and that's okay. Haven't we all read a fic and thought, this character wouldn't react like this in canon, but went along with it anyway? Because we know this isn't supposed to be canon. These characters are living in a different context, and react to things differently.

Canon exists for a reason. An AU does, too. They're different concepts and must be treated accordingly. It's a matter of context.

But we're talking about characters, aren't we?

You've pointed out that I've changed Zuko and Hakoda, too. And you're right. I've found that people online are more... defensive of Katara when compared to other characters. And while that may not be important to this specific discussion, I do find it rather curious. It's something to think about.

Anyways, I change characters. And I've gotta confess, I'm not ashamed of it.

My Katara is still Katara, and my Zuko is still Zuko. I'm just playing with how I believe they would react in different scenarios, and with different backgrounds (that's important, too).

You mentioned that my AUs are like "what if I take one of [Katara's] major character traits and throw it in a trash bin?". And I'm sorry that they give you the creeps, truly.

But maybe I want to explore how being a product of two different cultures affects not only Katara, but also Zuko as characters. Halfblood gives me the opportunity to address these sociocultural issues through their personal experiences, and I find that kind of narrative awfully compelling.

And maybe I wanted to change one core trait of Katara's personality and see how that affected both her journey and the general plot. Hunters is a writing experiment, and it has taught me a lot about human nature. Thanks to what you so kindly call "throwing a character trait in a trash bin", I've gained a lot more respect for who Katara is in canon. If anything, I consider Hunters!Katara as a foil for Canon!Katara.

And I don't hate Hakoda. I have a lot of respect for him as a leader and a father. I think he's a great character and role model for others within the ATLA universe. Bashing characters for fun isn't really my thing. The choices I made for Hakoda in the HalfBlood AU (and Aang in Hunters) are a matter of narrative and plot building, not my opinion on his character.

Just think about how different that AU would be if Hakoda made better choices, if he didn't have a wife and a son waiting for him at the South, or if Katara's father was a random Earth Kingdom villager. About 60% of the conflict in the story would disappear. And I could build that conflict with other stuff, I admit it. I could use different plot points or make the characters do other things or give Katara One Big Happy Family.

But it would change the core themes of the story I want to tell.

It's important to me that Katara is a product of two different cultures. It's important that she has no father figure in her life. It's important that Hakoda, who is a great leader and a great man and a great husband and a great father for Sokka, made a huge mistake in his youth that has been weighting on him ever since. It's important that Sokka is suddenly faced with the realization that his father, his idolized role model, is human and has also royally fucked up.

I want to talk about these things.

But I'm able to recognize that they're heavy subjects and, really, most of us are just here for the fluff anyway. So I'm sorry if I've made anyone uncomfortable. I won't hold it against you if you don't like what I do or just ignore whatever lore I set up for my AUs.

This is fiction, this is freedom, and this is the way I express myself. We all do it differently, and that's part of the beauty.

[melshome]

Crying blood, bleeding tears

tw mention of su!c!de, angst, no comfort, character death, demon slayer AU character scaramouche/F!reader a/n i really enjoyed writing thiss!! the angst in this- i was surprised when i reread this. "did i write this? holy-" haha

happy reading though! or considering it's angst- probably not happy reading...

this one-shot is a bit long.. 2308 words to be exact.. sorry about that :,3 it's also on my ao3!!

The way you spoke to people, how you use your hands in conversations, how you always care for people even if they have bad intentions for you. The way you look at him, like he's the only person in the world that matters to you. If he was dared to tell the whole world he loves you, he would simply whisper it in your ear.

Out of all the hashira's, you're a rank higher than him, but he is still well respected, even though his personality is shi-ty. Most of the members of the Demon Slayer Corps know him for how strong he is, even though he joined the Corps a year ago. Apparently he was some sort of criminal before he joined. A lot of people question if he should be serving the Corps, but Master let him join. You're still curious as to why the Master let him join, but he has definitely changed since he joined.

"Scaramouchie! We're on another mission together, how great is that?!" You jog up to him. You love to call him Scaramouchie, teasing him of any sort is fun, especially seeing his flustered face. He turns from his conversation with one of the Mizunoe ranked slayers, scowling, but when he sees you, his scowl disappears, and his eyes soften at your smile. But he quickly turns back, mumbling something to himself.

"Yeah yeah, be quiet, will you? We need to focus, apparently it's an Uppermoon, according to this Mizunoe," he gestures at the trembling girl. She bows when you turn to her.

"Are you hurt anywhere? The Kakushi will be here soon, please take the other slayers to safety in the meantime, yes?" You say, not letting her reply. She bows, and rushes off to the other slayers.

Nakurami Forest is known for being dark even when it's bright and sunny. It's something due to the trees according to Master. An Uppermoon? Here in Nakurami Forest..? You question, going back to Scaramouche, who is looking at the forest.

"What are you thinking, Y/N?" He asks, noticing how there's some sort of look on your face, which is unusual for you.

You turn to him, surprised, but you push the thoughts away, trying to focus.

"Nothing," you smile at him.

"Loving thunder breathing, first form, wall of rumbling hearts!"

A wall, with hearts, that is shaking against each other, small bolts of lightning between them, suddenly rises from the ground, going all the way up to the tree tops. You wince at the pain at your stomach, and quickly help the wounded member out of danger, yelling at him to leave the forest.

You cough, and look at the blood splattered at the ground from the cough.

Your wall goes down, and there is Scaramouche fighting the Uppermoon, dashing from spot to spot. You straighten your back, getting into stance. You hear your crow say something about two more hashira's arriving.

"Loving thunder breathing, third form, lightning love!"

A lightning cackle bursts from the sky, stunning the Uppermoon. Scaramouche takes this opportunity and dashes right to the Uppermoon, about to slice his neck, but the Uppermoon disappears, and you're suddenly pulled down to the ground, hitting your head on a rock, half of it in the ground, the other sharp half, on top.

You shrieked, a sudden jolt of pain rushing through your head. You try to keep your eyes open, your vision blurry, and your head is spinning. Your sword drops to the ground right next to you, the handguard of a lotus flower falling off from it. You groan, at the rush of the pain rushing through your head.

You can't focus on anything, and it's confusing you. He sees you fall back, and fear and worry fills his eyes. He gets into his stance.

"Anemo breathing, third form, song of the wind."

All of a sudden, he's right there, right next to the Uppermoon behind you, like a gust of wind had taken him there. He slashes the Uppermoon's head, and it falls to the ground. He drops his sword, panting, and goes right to your side.

"Y/N? Are you alright? Can you hear me? What's your name? What's my name?" He panics, asking all sorts of questions.

You try your best to answer all of them, but you wince in pain. You tied a cloth around your stomach when the Uppermoon sliced a bit too deep, but now the cloth is falling apart.

"Sca…scara.."

He shakes his head, tears streaming down his face. He hiccups, shaking his head.

"Y/N.. No.. Please don't leave me.. You're the only.." He struggles to finish his sentence.

You were the first person who treated him with kindness, even when you didn't know him that well. All the other hashira's treated him differently when he first joined, but you spoke to him, after he defeated a demon, effortlessly. You wanted to learn more about this mysterious hashira. He was a strange one, he was quiet, and kept to himself, but the more you two talked, he cared more about you, and loved you more than himself. He never showed this kindness to you, but you could see it in his eyes. The way they soften when you walk into the room. You could see it in his expressions as he's talking to you.

You groan in pain, gulping down and trying to control your breathing.

"Try to control your breathing. The Kakushi will be here soon, hang in there a little longer, please Y/N?" His voice is breaking apart, and he's trying to stop crying. He's holding your hand, and squeezing it, giving you reassurance that he'll be here with you. For eternity.

"Scara.. You're a really.. Good person, you know? Look at you worrying about me, when you're hurt worse," You manage to get out, but there's so much pain from your stomach.

"Sh-t.." You mumble under your breath, feeling more blood pour out from your stomach as you speak.

Scaramouche notices this, and unbuttons his uniform, ripping it off. He folds it as quickly as he can, and puts pressure with it to your wound.

"It's fine, Scara…" You can taste the blood in your mouth from the punch to the stomach earlier. You've always had a habit of peeling the skin on your lips, secretly loving the metallic taste on your tongue. But you want the taste to go away now. You want all the pain to go away, you just want to see Scaramouche smile once more. When he smiles, you just seem to forget all about your struggles, and worries. All you could see was how beautiful he looked. How happy he looked to just be with you.

"NO!" You're surprised by this outburst.

"BE QUIET Y/N. IT'S NOT FINE, YOU'RE.." He pants, trying to process all this, trying to keep it all together for your sake, but he's a mess. There's tears flooding down his eyes, snot dripping from his nose, and there is blood everywhere.

You give him a smile, your best smile. To show him it's okay. But you know it's not. There's tears rolling down the side of your face now, and you sniff, trying to keep yourself together.

He notices the smile, the tears and his eyes widen.

"STOP! Please.. Y/N.. Stop. Just stop.. Stop smiling like EVERYTHING IS OKAY. YOU'RE NOT OKAY, YOU'RE NOT OKAY."

You lift your hand, and take his hand from the cloth he's still applying pressure to you on. You hold his hand, as tightly as you can.

"Scaramouche.. It's alright." He frowns, his mouth opening to say something, but you continue, stopping him.

"It's alright. Death is something that happens in life. It's natural. It comes to everyone. Everyone has their happy ever after, some of them don't. But having you with me, as.." You can't bring yourself to say the word.

No matter how much you wanted to die in the past, no matter how many times you've cursed at yourself for not being able to die, you can't bring yourself to say the word in front of him, while he's crying. You've never seen him cry, and seeing him cry right now, breaks your heart. You want to hug him, and comfort him. But you can't.

"The Kakushi.." he says, but he shakes his head, hiccupping and wiping his eyes.

"They won't be here in time.. The rock hit my.. Head.. Really.. Badly…" you smile at him, feeling the tears run down your ear.

"STOP BEING SO NEGATIVE. THEY WILL BE HERE.. SOON.." He yells at you, squeezing your hand.

You chuckle, scrunching your face in pain.

His hold on your hand loosens, afraid he's going to cause you even more pain.

"Hey.. Scara.. Mouchie.."

He looks at you, waiting for you to speak. He's always enjoyed talking to you. He's always enjoyed listening to you, ramble on about things that interest you. Scaramouche has always known that you overthink things quite easily, so he tries his best to be clear about things. Your voice, smile, and just you, has always cheered him up. But seeing you die? Right in front of him? When he can't do anything? How can he live? How can he live, with the regret that you died right in front of him, and he just watched you, snot dripping down his face, crying like a little baby?

You slowly lose your vision, and your eyes seem to be closing. You try your best to keep your eyes open, but you can't. Deep down, you just want to close your eyes to make the pain go away. Your eyelids are too heavy for you now.

"NO, NO, NO, NO, NO. DON'T! KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN. DON'T LEAVE ME.. Please... Y/N.." He sobs through his words, wiping his noses, gently shaking you, still holding your hand. Having three people leave and betray him left him alone, but once he met you, he forgot all about them. He forgot all about his suffering. You bloomed a path into his heart, allowing him to express himself more, showing more of his self to people, and especially to you. What did he do to have you enter his life, and be the sunlight, he always looks forward to seeing?

Your hand goes limp, and he continues shaking you, sobbing. He continues to hold your hand, even when there's no warmth on your hand. He continues holding your hand, even when he knows, that you're already gone. 

"Y/N.. Please.. Wake up.. "

Your whole body is cold, and limp. You're not moving at all, not even when he shakes you violently. He stares at your body. In horror, shock, denial. You're not actually dead, are you? You're just teasing him, aren't you?

"I want to hear you.. call me Scaramouchie.. once more.. please.."

A few years later...

"Anemo breathing, third form, Jade-Claimed flower."

A flower, the same design as the top of his hat, rises from beneath the demon, and folds itself in half with the demon in the middle of it, knocking out the demon. He takes a step to the unconscious demon. Rising his sword, he slashes the demons head off, its body crumbling away, as the ashes fly into the air. He slices his sword in the air, something he was always taught to remove the blood after a fight. He slowly puts his sword back into his scabbard, and looks around the scene. More Kakushi scurry onto the scene, helping the wounded and helping clean up the scene.

"Sir Scaramouche?"

He turns around slowly, wondering why someone would talk to him, when there are severely wounded people who need attention.

His eyes widen slightly, and he seems to have been bought back to the first time he met her.

The same worried expression, like he's worrying if Scaramouche will be annoyed. She also used to have that expression whenever she asked for a favour, or for help with something.

"I uh.. I thank you.. Thank you for helping us.. I don't know if we would've been able to see the sun again if you hadn't arrived.." the young slayer bows, lower than a normal bow. Scaramouche looks in surprise, but his gaze softens. She also bowed like that when she apologized and thanked people..

Some of the Kakushi are secretly watching this scene now, as they continue cleaning up and helping the wounded. None of the new slayers ever dare walk up to Scaramouche due to his temper and cold personality. They've heard about him, as he's the most well respected among the Hashira, but the new slayers question that because of the stories they've heard about him, by people who have met him before.

Scaramouche takes a step to the young slayer, and places his hand on his head, and pats it gently. The young man is surprised by this, but he just stands there.

Scaramouche looks at the slayer, and gives a small smile. A genuine smile, but there is a hint of sorrow in his eyes as he smiles.

He takes his hand off the slayer's head, and walks off. All the Kakushi watch him leave, but continue with work, murmuring to each other. The young slayer turns and watches him, staring at him leave, but before he does leave, the young slayer yells something to Scaramouche, he's been wanting to tell him since he first saw him.

"I like your handguard.. A lotus flower.. It's beautiful."

Scaramouche stops for a second when he hears this. He's surprised the slayer noticed, and even commented on this. He smiles, just a bit. Scaramouche waves his hand, as he continues to walk out of the forest.

Once he has left Narukami Forest, he stares at the sun, shining down. He suddenly chuckles to himself, adjusting his hat.

"What an idiot.. Who bows that low?"

[butterflywannabefree]

Moodboards for @lmkobsessedmoth

Bro, where did my motivation go for me to be posting moodboards during the LAST MONTH OF 2024 ?! I don’t know but I am and still am ashamed. But hey, I’m here now. No time to procrastinate again when creativity means doing things for fun. And I admit, this was pretty fun. As the title suggests, these moodboards are dedicated to @lmkobsessedmoth who, I’m going to be honest, is one of the more nuanced artists in the LMK community. And one of the more underrated, I would say. They are the creator of the Death AU, an AU in which MK dies and is helped by their OC Yu Ling…At first. I don’t think it’s called the Death AU anymore and has a whole new plotline that involves spirits and monsters alike.

Which is understandable. Creators are able to change whatever they want about their AU and the characters within it. Lord knows how much I go back and forth on my own creations- Loyd, you’re my kindred spirit in that sense- But enough about that. I wanted to make moodboards, I made moodboard and you will now see the moodboards ! I’m back for now, baby, so let’s get the train moving !

Side note, I only made two moodboards for @lmkobsessedmoth ‘s main OC’s (Yu Ling and Diedie). I might be interested in making some for the others if we receive more about them. But for now, this is what I got.

First up is the main girl herself, Yu Ling. Or the Daughter of Death, as her title says. From what I know, Yu Ling is a being whose fate was reset by the gods, Erland and Guanyin. I believe her powers have something to do with souls and spirits. And in order to get that power, there was a deal made with the ten Yama Kings and she has been their student ever since, gaining many injuries from the accident which didn’t affect her. Though her origins were very different as in the beginning of the Death AU, she was originally meant to be a guide for MK when he died and helped him on his adventures.

Concept wise, that is a strong one. I’ve studied stories and writing before and I’ve always been one to enjoy anything relating to things like spirits and souls. So I really enjoyed learning about the AU. Even though things have changed, seeing Yu Ling change through it was also fun. Her design is both, dare I say, simplistic yet fancy. Loyd has managed the art of being able to replicate the artstyle of LMK almost seamlessly and Yu Ling looks like she could pass to be one of the characters. Simple but with just enough to make her stand out. Not to mention her character is pretty neat. When I was asking permission from her creator to make this, I asked them what represented her and I was answered souls, jade and stars. I think I leaned more into angsty territory by adding those quotes though. I dunno. I felt like they matched well enough. So I’ll give myself a pass. It goes with the picture I chose of Yu Ling well enough, I feel like.

Next is Diedie or Dandelion Child ! I’m gonna be honest and probably get hated for it but I think she’s more of my favorite than Yu Ling. Don’t get me wrong, both are great but I always did have an affinity for child characters. Especially…Ugh, tragic child characters. Loyd, who gave you the right to create one of the cutest little beans and put her through so much ? Is that even legal ? I doubt it. But it is what it is. From my research, Diedie is a child from 1920’s China. She became the guardian of an ancient artifact called the Lotus Reliquary after stopping a demon from destroying it. Diedie is also nonverbal and is seen as, and I quote, an INFECTION, by the villagers because of this and the way she acts.

Which…Bro, that makes me SO mad. If I had a choice, I’d burn that village down myself. But hey, fire is already a thing in Diedie’s story so I can’t do that. That’s all I can put in here. If you want to know more about her, please go check out @lmkobsessedmoth ‘s profile and check out their stuff. Pls, they are underrated and deserve attention. POSITIVE attention. Loyd, I hope I didn’t disappoint (as I usually do haha-) you with these moodboards. They were pretty fun to make and I’d be happy to do the rest of your characters when I have the chance. For now, I’m Vee and I’ll be back whenever with more moodboards if I can.

[tornrose24]

So a fews days ago, @chinirom05 asked me some questions regarding my art and writing, and I told them the question was too good to be just on a DM, because my response might help other creatives/writers.

So to answer the questions...

When it comes to fashion, it really depends on a few factors. Since I’ve mainly done fan art on here, it boils down to ‘What’s the event/time period’ and ‘who is the character I’m dressing up.’ As a bonus, sometimes I try to factor in if I want to pay homage to the character’s ethnicity/heritage (I did this for those TGAMM Aladdin AU drawings for the princess attire).

So I’m going to go WAY back in the past for one example that the CU fandom might recall–remember the CU Tangled AU drawings and fics I collaborated with @princeasimdiya12 ?

While there was inspiration from the movie its based on, I also had to research the time period the movie supposedly takes place in (I think it was around the 1790s if I remember correctly). Edith was the best challenge for this one because there were a lot of dresses to put her in, but I also needed to design them in a way that reflected her character as well as would look good for her body type since she has a plus sized figure. The apron from the first fic was meant to show off her creative side, Her castle dress had polka dots as a nod to her canon outfit, and the ballgown used colors I thought would be good on her–but blue was a necessary element due to her iconic blue eyes. (damn, that was YEARS ago and when I had my old tablet!) Also I loved getting an excuse to research period outfits and creating dresses. George and Harold’s outfits outfits took inspiration from the characters they were based on, but I kept their color schemes and looked up clothes boys might have worn back then.

A more recent example was from the TGAMM fic Her First Forever Friend, and I did do drawings for it, including the example I’m about to talk about. It comes late in the fic (chapter 13, to be specific), but for the moment in question, I wanted to give Molly a new outfit that was meant to be symbolic/reflective of her nature and growth in the story (especially given how limited her wardrobe is in the show). I researched sundresses (or just dresses) for a girl her age, until I found a design I could work with that also looked like something Molly would wear. I also used yellow daisies in her appearance as a theme and for the symbolism behind it (I wanted to use pink lotus flowers at first, but their meaning didn’t exactly fit what I was after). If you’ve read the fic or seen my drawings for the fic (which includes her in that dress), then you’d understand the meaning behind it as well as what the outfit is meant to be parallel to. (Also, if anyone is reading this, do NOT click the link if you haven't seen the series finale of The Ghost and Molly McGee, or read up to ch 13 of my fic.)

If you mean inspiration for fashion… I get it from almost anywhere. For art in general? Well, I started taking inspiration from anime, and then gradually cartoons.

For the writing question… well, it’s not easy. When I have a story, I focus on the ideas and plan things out in my head. However, I might not have the things in between right away, so I might have scenes that take a bit more work to figure out compared to others. There are also some times where I realize an idea might not work so I’ll have to plan it out differently, or I want the story to go in another direction (or I just can’t use an idea).

One good example of this is–again–Her First Forever Friend. I thought I’d be doing a one shot, but it had the potential to be more, so I gave it a go. Here were some challenges:

-Since Molly came to Brighton earlier than usual, how would certain events change as a result? If she’s meant to defeat The Chairman just like in canon, how do I get to that? What’s going to be the big moment where ‘everything changes?’

-Chapter 4. Everyone who read this fic knows this chapter for lots for reasons. As I wrote in my notes, I had a huge decision in ‘who will stay and who will go’ by the end of it. I knew I had a much more interesting story on my hands if I made the choice that I ultimately went with, as well as a really good character arc for someone who needed it… and my readers really enjoyed how that character arc developed. (There’s one line in chapter 6 that best reflects this arc and my readers quoted it in their comments on archive.) In the chapter that came after this, I wanted to put the fortune teller oc in the dream sequence, but I opted not too as it would have made the scene too messy and I needed to keep attention on the three characters already in it.

–When I got to chapter 8, I had an idea of what I wanted to do, but then I realized ‘wait a minute, I’m seeing a problem/plot hole in the future if I just continue forward.’ So I had to give the duo a new problem as well as a way to find the solution–it extended the story to about 2/3 chapters but it was worth it, and I got some good moments to write out.

So yeah, just some examples of my writing process. Sometimes I have things planned, and sometimes I don’t. Especially if I don’t have the entire story arc in my head.

Also, I’ve learned that I need to try to simplify some sentences to make them flow–especially if there’s action in it (a reader commented that my fighting scenes needed shorter sentences to make them easier to read many years back). However, I like going all out on the more emotional moments–if there’s a heartwarming moment in any of my fics, chances are that’s something I loved working on the most and went all out. Also, I’m sorry if you ever need to look up words–I guess that’s the academic side of me wanting to include things that hopefully the readers will look into.

Now if you are collaborating with someone, like I did with princeasimdiya12? There’s a bit of compromise, but I’ve tried to include all of our ideas and put them together. It’s been a long time since I wrote the Tangled CU AU fics and I can’t recall which exact story elements were his at the moment but I made sure to make a note as to which story elements were his. (Also, I’ve seen some collaboration fics where it looks like there’s a scene going on, but everything looks painfully out of order as if the two are writing responses at different or later times, and I can’t handle it.)

Anyway, I hope that advice helps somewhat.

[sapanti]

hey hi I would like to hear more about this 1945 au where Bianca joins Gaea and Kronos to avenge her mother's death (murder)

omg hi.

okay WATCH OUT. because I’ve thought wayyy too much about this au. short version: it combines the major pjo and hoo villains and stars Hazel and Bianca as protagonists. it’s abt grief, sanity, abandonment, and inevitability. all the characters are stuck in a world where they are incredibly powerless and they’re angry because they’re trying desperately to create some kind of agency for themselves.

long version: so basically it was inspired by a reread of son of Neptune, where I realized from Hazel’s memories just how watered down her character was in fanon. Hazel is certainly heroic, she’s brave, and occasionally kind, but she’s not the sweet innocent character a lot of people write her to be. She’s someone who’s deeply angry because of how much she was wronged - someone who was abandoned by essentially both of her parents and of course the justice of the underworld. So I initially thought about it as Hazel joining Gaea in Alaska. And I think it still works, but ultimately I do believe that Hazel would betray Gaea (as I said, she’s got a pretty solid moral compass). And then I realized she had someone that could be a perfect foil for her, and who had reasons to go against the Olympians.

That’s where Bianca comes in. Hazel, at this point allied with Gaea, gets both Bianca and Nico out of the Lotus Casino. The timeline is a little hazy (mainly working off of vibes and singular scenes 😔) but essentially Hazel flees from Gaea with both of her siblings. They try and cross the ocean to get to Europe in hopes of talking to the oracle of Delphi, because as kids from the 1940s they know nothing about the Greek/Roman gods, have no internet, and haven’t been found by CHB/CJ since they are busy with the war.

The trio gets separated with Nico and Hazel still on their way to Europe. In New York, Bianca remembers what happened to her mother. She goes to Kronos and tells him she is willing to help him in exchange for destroying the Olympians.

In Europe, Hazel and Nico essentially find other demigods on their way to Delphi. This team essentially consists of 1945 au’s the seven. There’s a German son of Zeus, Adar Anstand, a French daughter of Poseidon, Morgane Le Gall, an Italian son of Dionysus, Marco Veggere, and then people who I couldn’t find a name for (but I still love my children): a Scandinavian son of Apollo, and an Indian daughter of Demeter. They all have their own thing but I’ll keep it to one fun fact, which is that Marco doesn’t believe in the Greek gods at all. Incredibly, every time something magical happens, Marco isn’t in the picture so the belief gets stronger over time 😭

(more spoilers)

Hazel and Nico go back to New York to try and attempt to unite the Greek and Roman gods, which does work and help the seven minus those two defeat Gaea although they do all die. Sorry. Hazel and Nico also talk to Bianca on Olympus. Bianca ultimately makes the same choice Luke does (it’s very much a family Bianca you promised moment). sad. Sorry Bianca didn’t feature as much because in terms of the general timeline she’s just off w Kronos but she’s very important to the story, she’s the first character whose arc I really defined. You can go check my #1945 au if you’re curious for more of the vibes, bc I’ve tagged a bunch of web weavings that I feel match them. I’ve also got some about Adar and Marco I think?

[randomfoggytiger]

Starting a fic rec chain for my friend that wants to get into writing! What are some quintessential x-files fic that showcase the talent of our massive writing community?

O.O

A loooooooooooot, a lot, a lot.

I know it's a biiiiiiiiiiit of a cop-out, but my fic lists here have a lot of "the bests" under each list category; so, if your friend wants to see the same main idea done in different ways... there's that?

If you want, tell me something your friend is interested in, and I'll make a list packed with fics that fit the bill! :DDDD

Ummmmmmmm how about I stick to the different style and talent of various authors to "show them off" for your friend?

*pulls up sleeves to more successfully wrangle Google Docs*

@baronessblixen, @welsharcher, @o6666666, @ghostbustermelanieking, @lokisgame, @mldrgrl, @tinglingworld, @sigritandtheelves, and @kateyes224 write THE BEST short but complex fluff imaginable. The shorter the better for me, because it leaves a lot of room for me to fill-in with my imagination. (And don't forget yourself~, heheheh.)

Edit: Needed to add @settle-down-frohike and @cyb3rpeach to this list~!

@enigmaticdrblockhead rips my heart out and sews it back in with her gut-wrenching short fics on humanity's cruelties. I always cite her fic Ascension as the one that makes me cry every time.

@suitablyaggrieved does great at short fic, too. Her bent is less about fluff and more about dread and horror~.

In a similar vein is @dreamingofscully, whose works are longer but have that teeter-totter between weighted rumination and blissful happiness; and @wtfmulder, who is one of the best writers for "male voice" (making three differently brooding male character sound distinctly different from one another) and does the best Mulder crack headcanons and memes.

astronaught writes like David Duchovny for me (which is a high compliment)-- ex. "He needed to get out of L.A. He needed to stay in L.A. There was a comforting nausea to the unreality here. Funhouse, Pleasure Island, Lotus-Eater nausea. The subtle horror of a museum of plastic toys. Violently happy faces fading from a material that wasn’t meant to age. //Everything was a bit grotesque in L.A. and so was everything out of L.A. Who said that Hollywood lied?"

Jo_B writes a complicated, heartwarming Mulder who is relieved Scully's effortlessly sees his humanity and good intentions.

defnotmeyo writes both the best crack (heartwarming and fun and realistic) and angst short fic. She's gone from Tumblr; but some of her fics can still be found.

@melforbes is another fic author that made me ALMOST sob (but definitely cry) with her seaglass blue fic (Ao3)-- that and, again, Ascension as mentioned above.

Lapsed_Scholar wrote the best collection of Requiem variations (Mulder doesn't leave due to various snags in his departure, all involving Scully in some way.) But all of her work is FANTASTIC (as are these other authors, too!) I always pair up anything Lapsed wrote with --

Anything Apostrophic (i.e. @mappingthexfiles), @seek-its-opposite, @wtfmulder, @sigritandtheelves, and @onpaperfirst touches is always gold. They write IWTB/S11 so well; and as a "stop after S8 the canonical ending" fan, they make me love anything beyond it-- and those aren't not even including their other fics. I always think of Apostrophic's "miniseries" fics Agua Mala-Arcadia-Alpha... stupendous work.

Can't forget the multi-chapter, shot-in-the-veins of 90s grounded...ness that is @cecilysass, @aloysiavirgata, @amplifyme, and @slippinmickeys (though she also loves to dabble in AUs that are wildly entertaining.) You FEEL like you're in the X-Files era reading their work.

For Torture!Mulder (yep, it's a thing) there's Vickie Moseley (Gossamer, Ao3) and Donna-- I prefer Donna's work, but sometimes Vickie NAILS it.

For Gossamer/older fics I reread obsessively (and they're famfic, ngl):

Suki Tawdry's The Way Things Are (Mulder and Scully have a one-night stand aligning w/ Gillian's pregnancy. I skip Chapter 12-- personal preference-- but the BANTER and sarcasm on Scully is top-tier. And Mulder's journey as a slowly morphing family man is... chef's kiss. Not to mention Skinner, Maggie, Melissa, even a well-intentioned but annoying Bill, etc.) and LuvTheBeez's Snow (S5? Mulder and Scully are married and expecting a giant baby... and become hostages in a stick up. The in-control thought processes, banter, and intelligent planning on both their parts while keeping it completely lighthearted is also the best) AND Jamie Greco's Breathing (on the way to Scully's Lamaze class, dialogue only, AMAZING characterization of Mulder and Scully. All of Jamie Greco's other fics do the same-- Scarlet has Mulder high on a hallucinogen and seeing Scully as an angel.)

I'm plowing through RocketMan's works on Gossamer-- WOW are some amazing. Chef's kiss. Not finished yet (taking my time-- just reached second page), but I'll probably make a separate author shoutout when I'm done~.

I haven't even BEGUN to touch the fill-in or fix-it fics that span the series (or at least one season of it) that are incredibly impressive-- like @darwin-xf, @scenes-in-between, and touchstonea's Odyssean epics-- but I've got to cut this list short because... honestly, my list would be endless; and I have not even BEGUN to list them all. If I haven't listed anyone, it's not for lack of trying or because of any attempt at snubbing. I, a mere mortal, can only do so much. XDDD

Thank you for the ask~! Again, if your friend likes a specific category, let me know and I'll drum up a fic list! :DDDDD

[xthelastknownsurvivorx]

2023 Writing Roundup

Thanks @inexplicablymine for the tag! This was a lot of fun to do

January

Satisfied (Never Have Been, Never Will Be) — RWRB, T, 833

Or, a rewrite of the lyrics of "Satisfied" from Hamilton set at the beginning of Philip and Martha's wedding, except Alex is a little flirtier and a little less repressed, told from Henry's pov.

February

Some Element of Mystery — RWRB, M, 4k

Or, five times that Alex thought Henry was a stripper, plus one time Henry corrected him. Written for the informal stripper!Henry fest.

March

Was working on finishing my master's thesis instead of fic for the most part, though I did write a few drabbles and make progress on my reincarnation au (see November)

April

Burn (They're Watching Us/I Hope That They) — RWRB, T, 295

Or, a rewrite of the lyrics of "Burn" from Hamilton, set immediately after the email leak, told from Alex's pov.

May

Graduated/finished my master's 🎉🎉 while also writing more of my reincarnation au (see November), including some major revisions

June

Got sick for part of the month, then spent the rest of it furiously working on my brownstone anniversary exchange fic (see July) doing tons of (probably unnecessary) research about Saturday Night Live and royal weddings.

July

SNL | Season 45 Episode 2 | HRH Prince Henry & FSOTUS Alex Claremont-Diaz — RWRB, M, 9k

Or, the fic in which I said bet and sent firstprince onto Saturday Night Live instead of having Alex go to London for a weekend. Written for the Brownstone Anniversary Fic Exchange.

August

Spent the month trying to make a lot of progress on reincarnation au (see November) and finally got some betas

September

Had a bad case of writer's block for most of the month, then went insane and wrote something for firstprince week (see October) despite promising myself I wasn't going to participate

October

Not a Day I Don't Miss (Those Rude Interruptions) — RWRB, T, 2k

Or, a Henry character study set during the week following Henry running from the lake house, loosely inspired by Taylor Swift's "Last Kiss". Written for firstprince week.

November

Red, White, and Royal Switcheroo — RWRB, T, 6k

Or, a body swap au set during Alex's "make nice" trip to England in which Alex and Henry have to play at being each other, and Alex discovers Henry's role is, in fact, very much not much easier to play. Written for Halloween, Huh?

Every Time My Heart Swings Back to You — RWRB, M, ~90k (ongoing)

Or, a reincarnation au set mostly in the modern era with college students Alex and Henry trying to piece together the story of their past lives as a knight and a prince through a series of non-linear flashbacks.

December

Trying my best to finish reincarnation au while also plotting out a very ambitious fic for a new fandom (mysterious lotus casebook) that I'll be trying to tackle in 2024. Also the month I got super into cdramas/c-ent.

--

Wow, compiling all this made me realize I wrote a whole lot more than I thought: posting 9 stories and writing around 50k new words! I also participated in a lot more fan events than ever before and finally begin sharing the story that's been living in my brain and docs only for almost three years. All in all, a very satisfying year for me while also looking forward to new projects in 2024~

I'm probably one of the last wants to get to this but tagging a few others who I don't think have done this (let me know though if you have) @14carrotghoul @formorewishes @affectionatelyrs @anincompletelist @celaestis1 @celeritas2997 @cricketnationrise, plus open tag because I'd love to see anyone else's writing year in review~

[stepswowdsen]

【KHR AU】 XanLena and the Varia visit Vietnam ❤️💜🔥🪷

CN Neka by BIKOSI KHR Official art by Akira Amano

Intro

Discussion rambles I had with my friends Cinna and Snow about a KHR AU scenario of mine where XanLena (Xanxus/Selena) and the rest of the Varia visit Vietnam.

For those who don't know, Selena is my Viet NB assassin KHR OC who joins the Varia as one of their members. She has a calm, reserved personality and likes flowers, gardening, and fashion. In my KHR AU, she is Xanxus' S/O. My lotus themed wife... 💜🪷

I wanted to post this for Xanxus' birthday today! Happy birthday Xanxus! Happy birthday to my fave KHR character ❤️🍷🔥

Xanxus is my favourite KHR character, tied with Hibari. You were born on 10/10 to be a 10/10! I wanna draw XanLena when I get the chance…

Varia visits Vietnam

Selena in her main outfit and Xanxus wearing áo dài

Me: I have a lot of KHR related discussions (including about my KHR AU), which is why I need to start posting more of it here. I write a lot about Selena's shenanigans with the other Varia members. The Vongola family's chaotic funky assassin squad. Assassin kindergarten brawl

Omg this generates ideas in my head of the Varia taking a vacation to Vietnam... When Selena asks him about visiting Vietnam, I feel like Xanxus would want to see Selena's home country

C: CUTE. The blorboes exploring your home country is peak comfort actually /lh

S: Y e s

Hạ Long Bay

Me: The idea I had in my head was so funny. Like I imagined the Varia visiting famous Viet tourist attractions like Hạ Long Bay. The Varia members are going sightseeing in boats.

Xanxus and Selena are sitting together in a separate boat, while Xanxus is sitting all cross legged

The other members (Squalo, Bel, Lussuria, Levi, Mammon) are in separate boats. At one point, they start arguing and fighting. And the ensuing chaos causes their boats to tip over, causing them to all fall into the water

Me: And Xanxus continues to sit there with his eyes closed, completely unconcerned/unfazed, and Selena is just like (!?!?!?) when she sees the huge splashes when everyone falls into the water

I imagined him to have these expressions~

(KHR: Vol. 40 - Ch. 391) (KHR: Vol. 25 - Ch. 227) (KHR: Vol. 39 - Ch. 375)

C: ONSNCNZNXNDZ

Average day with the Varia

I swear, Vietnam has one acre less of land once the Varia leaves /jk

S: These pics look so pretty

Me: HDAHSHDSHSH

Omg Varia exploring in Vietnam's caverns via boat would be fun!

Me: For the "The Varia members are at Hạ Long Bay" idea I had

I imagine when the Varia members fight and tip each other's boats over (which causes everyone except XanLena to fall into the water), Xanxus is just sitting like this, completely unfazed while chilling in his boat with Selena

C: Truly an average day

...

I remember coming up with a bunch of KHR AU scenarios where the Varia visit Vietnam. I wanna make more scenarios based on this idea since it's so fun to imagine the Varia's shenanigans while they're on vacation in Vietnam.

Selena would be scolding them to not wreck her home country 💥

I imagine Selena expresses to Xanxus that she feels a little homesick since she's been living with him in Italy but misses going back to see her home country every once in a while, so she wants to take a short trip to Vietnam by herself, if possible, when her work is done.

Xanxus thinks it over in his head and then decides they'll be going on vacation.

Xanxus announces to the Varia and they're going on vacation and says it's for "work" but everyone knows what it's actually for.

Hehehe. Getaway vacation to Vietnam! ✌️

(Read under the cut for more)

Misc Rambles

FGO referenced Hạ Long Bay with the Trưng Sisters! Very cool of them. Here's Hạ Long Bay in the Trưng Sisters' Noble Phantasm (NP) background at the end.

Trưng Sisters (Fate/Grand Order)

IKR AVERAGE DAY WITH THE VARIA

S: WNNISSUVAA

C: Oooh true!!! That's very cool :3 LMFAO

Me: I imagine Selena has a trait where she tips money to children at booths (since kids often help out at their family's stores). Like in general, she gives tips to people who provide good services, but will give larger amounts to kids.

S: Aw

C: Ohhh cuute. She's a good person fr

Me: Still cannot believe that FGO gave me the first major Viet rep in mainstream media like animanga and games. And they were drawn by Takegarou, one of my fave artists. And they have wonderful designs and colours. Massive W

Cuz it's FGO, which has a horrible reputation with rep, I expected to lose on every front tbh, but I won with this (and I never expected to win)

The outfit designs and colours are gorgeous... Take is such a good character designer and has really diverse body and facial types and skintones (unlike F*na LMFAO).

Take has such a strong aesthetic sense. Her colours are so strong. I love that the Trưng Sisters have tanner skin like a SEA person would. I used them as refs for Selena and Xanxus' skintones (I HC Xanxus to be a mixed Italian)

My good friend Feuri told me that Southern Italy and especially Sicily tends to have a higher mixed population and more tan and olive skinned folks compared to North Italy.

So I HC Xanxus has a very mixed ethnicity (^^) And it fits with the KHR ani giving him an olive or warmer skin tone, compared to his OG manga version. Xanxus' design literally looks better with darker skin, because it harmonizes against the black and red colours in his design.

Me: I visited Hạ Long Bay when I was a kid (my family and I went on a huge vacation all over Vietnam when I was 6 ~ 7)

YEA Selena is genuinely a good person. She's a sweetie, but she does have an unhinged side when it comes to her work. Which is a nice contrast to the rest of the Varia

C: Very true. Since outside of her job, Selena is legit nice af lmao

S: Cool :3

Me: Hạ Long Bay caves! I think I did see the caves as a tourist attraction

Oh yeah and the Varia are probably all chilling in Viet clothes while on their vacation

C: Oh those are fucking gorgeous holy shit Awwww

Me:

C: I swear Vietnam has one less acre of land when the Varia leaves

Yeah and I imagine Selena is basically the little sister of the Varia who keeps up a mentally big sister role and tries to keep her chaotic siblings in line

C: POOR SELENA JSJGNDKFKD WORST POSITION EVER HONESTLY

...

Me: Vietnam has elephant riding tourist attractions and the elephants are nice! And there's also ladders that'd lead up to tall wooden houses

C: Cool :3

Misc Rambles

S: I sometimes forget that in the art they’re like teenagers and not mid 20 adults

Me: It depends on the charas! Some are teens, some are mid 20s adults or older

S: Not in a bad way but I just think it’s funny a lot of teenagers in shounen media look like adults cause honestly I have that same problem with my art 🙈

Me: SAME LMAO

Biggest reason why you haven't seen me draw Wadanohara yet or MMBN/EXE charas that much: I can't draw kids good at all /lh

C: SHONEN CHARACTERS ALWAYS LOOK 5 YEARS YOUNGER OR FIVE YEARS OLDER I SWEAR

S: IT'S SO FUCKING FUNNY

Me: And the Xích lô (cyclos) in Vietnam where you pay a very inexpensive amount of money (it's cheap) and then get lead around in like bikes/cycles It's a common tourist attraction.

C: Oh yeah! I think I've heard

...

Me: Ngl a part of me wants to visit Vietnam again someday... I feel a higher cultural connection to VN culture than most of the younger gen in my family does and the tourist attractions are WAY more exciting than here.

There were even elephant riding tourist attractions and the elephants were nice! And ladders that'd lead to wooden houses (tourist attractions). And a bunch of caverns and such

C: Cool :3

S: Oooooo I see

C: And it'd be a great opportunity to reconnect with your culture up close

Me: I am slowly reconnecting with my culture by getting more VN clothes heehee

I want to reconnect with my culture since I'm Việt Kiều (Viet diaspora), so I want to learn more about Viet culture

Previous Posts

[spellcasterlight]

What’s one of your favorite tropes that you haven’t written for (or haven’t written for in a while)? If you want, write a little snippet about how you’d do it now.

Hi @full-frontal-lotus! Hi, friendddddd! 😁

Ooooooh! That's a good one! Not so much a trope but I have been thinking recently about trying to branch out and try a slightly darker-toned series because I've recently been on a Fallout binge.

I mean, I write Naruto stuff. If I got a bit better at writing things like violence (fight scenes specifically) or slow-creeping dread, I could do a lot more mission-type stories, which would be cool to explore!

Once I get through my current story request queue (I'm so close! Kinda🫠), I plan on releasing the next two bingo cards. The segment below will be the prologue to a FalloutAU one.

A not-completed, only-mildly-edited snippet is below!

Thank you for such a cool and sweet ask! 🎆

Ao3 ✨ |Story Request Bingo Cards 📖 | WIP Game Always Open ✒️| Ko-Fi ☕| Reblog Blog 🟢

Fallout AU Series: Chapter 1 - Prologue: War Never Changes

Warnings: Fallout Alternative Universe. Bombs. War. Minor Character Death.

Iruka wrote the number of current dead on the board, far higher than the two others combined. He forced his grip to tighten around the chalk in his hand to finish writing the last of too many digits.

“So,” he forced a pause to collect himself, feeling everyone's gaze in his direction but focused solely on the writing on the board, “the number of years each war is decreasing, but the death count is rising. What does that tell you?”

No one gave him a reply, not that he genuinely expected one. The room is so quiet the slight thud of him replacing his stick of chalk, sounding like one of the bombs they all feared, erupting decimation through their street, had already started to rain down.

Shikaku gave Iruka a subtle nod when he discreetly met the man's eyes. He agreed with how he made his point.

“Iruka Sensei.”

It took him a head shake and a few rapid blinks to realise that Sakura had spoken up. She was such a well-behaved student. Never cursing, handing in her homework on time and constantly raising her hand when she asked a question, but Iruka could see both her hands were occupied, one in both of her fathers and the other being grabbed onto by her mother so tightly all six of their hands looked ghost white. Hanging on to each other like a lifeline

“Yes, Sakura?”

“You never answered Ino before. Do you think the bombs will drop? Do you-do you think the world will-?”

Her sentence abruptly stopped when she what looked like painfully bit into her lip and bowed her head, both her dotting parents wrapping her in a hug; Mrs Haruno’s soft motherly reassurances floated on the otherwise silent air of it being okay, of everything being fine, that there was no need to cry. All lies.

Several of his more skittish and empathetic students looked at him with that same pleading in their eyes that Sakura had in her voice before it shattered.

In his classroom with him at that moment were some of the village's most amazing individuals, as well as some of the most broken children.

Gai Maito adopted two children with whom he had no possible connection and raised them to be healthy and loved when they were both too young to remember their parents, who would never return from the front lines. Tenten and Lee gripped one of his hands.

Shikamaru looked at his army battle hardened father with a wisdom beyond his years. Iruka, knowing that while he didn’t study for his Math or English tests, he skipped class to read thick tombs of battle strategies and inner army working, knowing his lineage was a path laid out for him and an important one he planned on continuing willingly.

All around the room, parents and children shared heartbroken, frightened looks. The three siblings from the Sand exchanged worried looks that the war would never end, that they would never be able to return home.

The prominent shining glaze of Fu’s eyes and shaking of her shoulders as she hugged herself and silence from the three from Kumogakure scared that the new home they had found would follow the ones they had already lost under a wave of never-relenting gunshots and explosions that created mountains of bodies of their former family, friends and fellow.

If the Land of Fire were flattened in bomb fire, there would be nowhere to start home number three and no one to start it with.

Iruka was a humble history teacher. He wasn’t a warrior or a great intellectual, and on some days, he didn’t even have the everlasting optimism that Gai Maito had. At that moment, he only had the ability to be honest with the children, nearly young adults, in front of him.

“I can’t see the future, Sakura,” he admitted, his voice barely holding together, only making the girl's green eyes cloud with more tears, “I can only tell you what history tells me. And it tells me war is violent-”

He turned back to the board, snatched the chalk back up, leaning into the spike of anger the conversation created to push on, and underlined the death toll for the First World War.

“devastating-”

He underlined the death toll for the Second World War.

“And-”

Finally, he underlined the death count for the Sound War before turning around.

“Continuous.”

[duckprintspress]

February 2024 Created Works Round-Up!

Duck Prints Press’s monthly “created works round-ups” are our opportunity to spotlight some of the amazing work that people working with us have done that ISN’T linked to their work with Duck Prints Press. We include fanworks, outside publications, and anything else that creators feel like sharing with y’all. Inclusion is voluntary and includes anything that they decided “hey, I want to put this on the created work’s round-up!”

Check out what they’ve shared with us this month…

-

Eliot Rocks the Memory Palace, Chapter Four: Art by EliotQueliot / @eliotqueliot

art || the magicians (tv) || m/m || quentin coldwater/eliot waugh || teen & up || creator choses not to use warnings || complete

summary: After dinner, Monster!Eliot takes Quentin sightseeing in New York City by moonlight.

There's a lovely view from the 103rd floor of the Empire State Building.

And the Monster set a nice cheery fire blazing in the bay.

Heights are fun.

other tags: falling, heights, possession

TUMBLR - AO3 - INSTAGRAM

​

All We Need Is One Good Day (Any Day That You're Alive), Chapter 1 by EliotQueliot / @eliotqueliot

fiction || the magicians (tv) || m/m || quentin coldwater/eliot waugh || mature || creator choses not to use warnings || 2,097 || work in progress

summary: A fluffy fic mixing the books by Lev Grossman with the show from SyFy, in which Quentin and Eliot do get to spend that summer together, but build on their immediate friendship to get together from day one of Q's classes.

AO3

​

Mosaic Haiku, Chapter 10 by EliotQueliot / @eliotqueliot

fiction || the magicians (tv) || m/m || quentin coldwater/eliot waugh || general audiences || creator choses not to use warnings || 124 || ongoing series

summary: I'm writing a series of haiku about Eliot and Quentin's lives together at the Mosaic (the timeloop lifetime in which they loved each other for 50 years). Just like the patterns they build there, I'll forever be adding new haiku, but yet the story is also always complete. My hope is to reflect the beauty of all life, just like they did.

AO3

​

Sailing to Blackspire, Chapter 5 by EliotQueliot / @eliotqueliot

fiction || the magicians (tv) || m/m || quentin coldwater/eliot waugh || explicit || creator choses not to use warnings || 11,539 || work in progress

summary: Quentin says he's staying with a Monster for all Eternity.

Eliot says, "Hell, no. Not without me."

In which Eliot and Quentin use their time aboard the Muntjac on the way to Castle Blackspire more wisely.

In this chapter, the friends continue to do their best to find alternate ways to turn magic back on, without Quentin and Eliot getting stuck in Castle Blackspire.

other tags: Canon-typical danger. Also, regarding the fic as a whole, please heed the rating. This is AU, but jumps off from canon at a specific point within 3x13. The characters don't know what I'm trying to fix because for them it hasn't happened (and in this fic, it never will). But Eliot (his POV) clearly knows that Quentin's life is ultimately in danger.

AO3

​

never a god by ilgaksu / @ilgaksu

fiction || mysterious lotus casebook || m/m, poly (one gender: male) || li lianhua/fang duobing/di feisheng, di feisheng/fang duobing || teen & up || creator choses not to use warnings || 1,077 || ongoing series

summary: The evening shift at the House of Scarlet Delights starts out just like any other.

other tags: Post Canon, Sex Work, Genderfluid Li Lianhua

AO3

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bringing a gun to chekhov's house by ilgaksu / @ilgaksu

fiction || dune (2021), dune - frank herbert || f/m || paul atreides/chani kynes || explicit || creator choses not to use warnings || 1,895 || work in progress

summary: Chani sees him first in lectures. This is because he can’t stop staring at her. It’s unsubtle. It’s derivative. It’s the start of every novel written by a white man drowning in his own midlife crisis. Chani is wise to it; to him.

After a while, she realises she’s still looking right back.

other tags: Alternate Universe - College/University, Academia, Postcolonialism, Breakup

AO3

​

On Writing Combat and Sex Scenes by Tris Lawrence / @tryslora

writing craft blog post || original work || no ships || teen & up || no major warnings apply || 1,523 || complete

summary: This post talks about writing sex and combat (and no, I do not mean combative sex). It is primarily SFW.

TUMBLR - PILLOWFORT

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[lotusflowersimagines]

Intro Post + Rules/Info

Hello, I'm Lotus! I use He/Him pronouns. I've been kinda obsessed with fanganronpas these past few years, so I decided to finally make a writing blog- thats the long n short of it.

My inbox is always open! So if you have questions, ideas, or maybe you just wanna chat; i'll be here. On that note- I have a very odd tone to speak in, and I do tend to misread tone sometimes. For this reason I will be making use of tone indicators, if you're not familiar with them, you can learn a bit about them here, but you don't need to use them if you don't want to!

Fanganronpa's I write for:

Danganronpa Another Despair Academy Super Danganronpa Another 2 Danganronpa Despair Time Danganronpa Blowback

NOTICE: I write for all characters in the fangames mentioned! Go wild! That being said, only 8 characters per request. Feel free to send the same request with different characters but I can't promise when i'll get to it.

WILL DO:

Headcanons Character X Reader Character X Character Oneshots/Minifics (MAX 4 characters only if x reader, MAX 1 ship per char x char) AU stuff (explain the au, specify what you want with it etc!) Angst, Fluff, Comfort Slightly Suggestive (but NO nsfw or inherently s/xual content.) G/N, Fem, and Male reader Sibling content

WON'T DO:

NSFW Cross-Game ships Inc-stuous ships (disgusting.) P-dophilia (also disgusting.) Yandere content Detailed Gore

NOTICE: I will refuse character x character requests if it's a ship I find uncomfortable to write for, or if I just don't know how to write it, but don't be shy in requesting your rarepairs! No shame here.

Other Notes and info: For SDRA2 characters, I write them all as Class 79-B, Teruya not included. (DRA chars being Class 79-A) DRBB characters are Class 78-B, DRDT is class 77-B

(More will be added in the future, until now I think this is good, I don't expect you to remember all the rules, but I do ask you to follow them as best you can- thank you.)

[demaparbat-hp]

Hiiii!

Can you tell more about the Hunters AU? How diferent are katara relationship with the others, they reaction to katara 'betray'? how they discover the plan and that her don't really is in FN side?

Hi, and thanks for asking!

Hunters is, above all, a writing experiment. The idea is to change a character's chore trait and see how the story develops from there. In this case, Katara's trust and faith in the Avatar showing up and saving the world.

She blames the Avatar's disappearance for the war and her mother's death (much in the same way she placed her anger on Zuko during S3—it's a coping mechanism, and the basis of her character arc is growing out of it). Katara refuses to wait for anyone else to end things when she can do it herself.

And then Zuko arrives, having witnessed his mother's death and wishing to dethrone his father. He has a plan to end the war. A tangible plan that not only gives Katara the chance to learn waterbending and actively shape her own future, but it also places her in the best place to destroy the Fire Nation: the very heart of it.

They're taking things apart from the inside, doing side missions for the White Lotus, and chasing the Avatar because, well, can't have the throne without an unbanished Heir.

Because of all this, the Gaang is quite different! Suki is the first member, given that she leaves Kyoshi Island as the Avatar's bodyguard, protector, and handler. Then they collect Jet, of all people, and Toph once they look for an earthbending master.

Sokka is unavailable until much, much later, given that he left the South Pole with Hakoda a couple of years before the story begins. Both Zuko and Katara will join the Gaang...sometime.

The thing about Zuko's mission is that nobody can know about what he's really doing. He'd rather not bother with the Avatar at all, but that's not an option if he wants his claim to the throne to be legitimate. However...it was never said that he couldn't deliver a fully-realized Avatar to his father.

This I'll-begrudgingly-look-after-you-until-you're-ready-to-defeat-my-father-but-you-can't-know-I'm-a-good-guy mindset means a lot of Blue Spirit and Painted Lady shenanigans.

I think Aang suspects that both Zuko and Katara are actually good guys, and the White Lotus members they meet will probably hint at this once or twice. Jet is skeptical at best and murderous at worst, Suki is ready for the worst and hoping for the best, and Toph, for the best or the worst, doesn't give a damn either way.

The reactions I'd love to see, however, are Hakoda and Sokka's. How do you think that encounter would go?

[guqin-and-flute]

Do you have any tips for writing Jin Ling?

SORRY THAT THIS IS A MILLION YEARS LATE AHH!!

So, it's interesting because, now that I'm thinking about it, I don't think that I actually write canon!Jin Ling very often. Most of the things that I write where Jin Ling shows up, it's an AU where his circumstances have either changed drastically or he just doesn't exist (as in Peony to Lotus). Writing a Jin Ling whose parents lived will be a very different kid to the Jin Ling that we all know and love.

I suppose I would say start by looking at themes that continuously come up for him in canon--his parents and their absence in his life, not wanting to be looked down on, being independent, being seen as competent, argumentative, fearing vulnerability and people who invite him to be vulnerable, Fairy. Can act aggressive when he is caught off guard or embarrassed (WWX saving him from the cursemark) but doesn't actually seem to be too invested in his reputation being hurt (not being shamed when he's asked 'you named your dog FAIRY?' His response was basically 'Yeah, and what of it?') He is brave, even sometimes foolhardy and will often rush into situations, both social and otherwise, without thinking first. His respect is often grudging unless it's for his Uncles and he's not too interested in being polite, though he is not unnecessarily cruel. Also keep in mind that different people will see different things in Jin Ling!

When I'm trying to be consistent in my characterization of people, I often keep a list of traits, quirks, and reminders for myself about them. Usually I derive these from watching their source material again, but also other places--like other media or things I experience in my day to day. For example, if someone has a really different way of looking at something than I do--like a situation or conversation or even just a movie--sometimes I think about what sort of character might have that same outlook (not immediately, generally, I can finish conversations 😂).

Example: this is currently my list about Lan Qiren in the A-Fu Verse:

LQR

Can be physically affectionate when worried

Chills out a little after LWJ was punished in CQL/future

Canonically ‘instructed [twin jades] in an extremely strict way’ and ‘hates people who misbehave’

Shows care by pointing out the thing that can go wrong--caution, pessimism

It's not all encompassing because I'm mostly writing down the things I want to make sure I don't forget about the character.