#Transmigrator Pile-Up

[sunderwight]

SV AU where Shen Yuan transmigrates into a dragon.

It's not so bad, at first. He's an extremely magical sort of dragon so he can easily take on a humanoid shape, and he has dominion over an entire mountain, with a magical gate that leads to his palace. Said palace has a fully stocked treasury, a library, garden, etc, with the only real downsides being that the place is kind of huge and very difficult for a neet with limited housekeeping or landscaping skills to keep up with. The original dragon had enslaved a bunch of fairy spirits to do it for him, but since Shen Yuan has moral objections to that, he'd let them all go and they'd run off before he could even think to offer to hire any of them as paid employees instead. Not that he can blame them for being in a hurry to get gone.

He does his best, and generally enjoys being a dragon lazing on his mountain, or wandering the beauty of his palace and investigating the books and scrolls kept there. He doesn't actually seem to need to eat or drink, so that's not really an issue, and nobody looks keen to bother him. But after a few months the dust starts to really pile up, and trying to figure out how to do his own laundry without modern equipment leads to several disasters, and even though he doesn't need to eat he's starting to think it would be quite nice to have a fancy sit-down dinner and enjoy it for its own sake anyway. He has an enchanted larder but his food prep skills aren't up to much.

So, Shen Yuan ventures away from his mountain. He keeps to his human disguise when he's not traveling, and at first tries to hire on some help from a nearby city. But when he explains that he lives on the mountain, he realizes the difficulty, because everyone in the area knows that only the dragon lives there. So they all think he's either a liar or a fraud, or some servant of a nefarious supernatural creature angling to trick and possibly devour them.

Shen Yuan tries approaching another town in his dragon form, to see if anyone will actually deal with him if he's being upfront and honest about the situation, but the townspeople just panic. He returns to his mountain to rethink his strategies, and in the meanwhile the alarmed locals hire a swordsman to go after him. The guy gives him a few very painful cuts before Shen Yuan mostly-accidentally sends him careening into a boulder. One broken arm later the swordsman is gently persuaded that the pay he was offered isn't worth the effort on this job, and leaves.

Discouraged, Shen Yuan decides he's gonna give this one last try. He picks the second closest city, flies up, and is like yes hello, yes I am indeed a dragon, no I'm not trying to burn down your walls, yes it would be excellent if you stopped shooting arrows at me, look they don't even get past the scales? It's kind of silly? Okay, yes, thank you very much. Good. Now, the thing is, I'm looking for some people. I want to take them back to my mountain with me, to my incredibly nice palace, and -- what was that? A princess? No no I don't want a princess, what would I even do with one? If anything I'm looking for the complete opposite of a princess!

Anyway, the locals take this to mean that the dragon is demanding a sacrifice in the form of a pretty boy of no particular pedigree, and Shen Yuan takes this to mean that he's finally made his case clear and they're going to dig up someone who is willing to overlook his being a dragon in exchange for free room and board and fair wages out of his massive treasury.

SY's a bit disheartened when the entire city could only apparently turn up one such person -- an underfed teenage boy who looks at Shen Yuan like, despite the situation, he is still expecting to be eaten at any moment. Poor thing! But at least having one servant means he can potentially get more, especially if it all goes well. The lad can tell others that working for a dragon isn't so bad! Well, provided that he doesn't give up in alarm at the state of the mountain palace.

For his part, Luo Binghe at first thinks he's definitely going to get eaten, and then that this dragon is weirdly nice about planning to eat him, and then that maybe the dragon has other (even less savory!) plans for him, until finally he sees the state of the dragon's laundry and the foot-thick layer of dust in the corners, and gets completely distracted. Mortal terror forgotten, those floors should not be that filthy, Lord Dragon respectfully that isn't how anyone should prepare rice either, but oh Binghe has never seen a kitchen so nice before in his life...!

Anyway, needless to say, it works out just fine.

[allpiesforourown]

Hiiiii for the role reversal au, would Shen Yuan be transmigrated or born into the universe? It tickles me if he’s actively trying to avoid the handsomest man in the universe because of the trouble it brings or if Binghe would genuinely lose to a pile of capybaras because Shen Yuan is just like that

Oh he's definitely transmigrated, which is the cause of 99% of their misunderstandings. For example, whenever Shen Yuan gets hit on by a woman and Binghe stares at the two of them with undisguised fury, he assumes Binghe is mad at him for stealing one of his women and backs off. It's even more infuriating for Binghe because Shen Yuan goes "nooo shizun, she was just talking to me to learn more about you, I'm sure! She would never see me that way!" And it drives binghe insane how oblivious shen yuan is

Also I think one of the charms of shen yuan being a disciple is that the other students would be super friendly with him and invite him out all the time, and he'd be so out of his depth because he has modern man sensibilities and can't handle their xianxia era idea of entertainment

Disciple: let's get laid at a brothel and then go get drunk! Come on, it's fine, shizun does it too

Shen Yuan: um. Well... I mean...

Luo Binghe suddenly appearing behind them with angry bulging veins all over his face: What Are You Trying To Teach A-Yuan.

But also, Shen Yuan being transmigrated also makes Binghe fall more and more in love with him.

Shen Yuan remembers something Binghe always wanted as a child and gets it for his birthday. Binghe wakes up in the morning and sees a beautifully wrapped gift on his desk and opens it up and gets hit by nostalgia. He starts crying before he even realizes how emotional he feels because he's never told anyone his birthday, not even the sect leader. How does Shen Yuan always know these things about him?? How does he always manage to make him feel so much??

Binghe hearing Shen Yuan's door opening and hastily wiping his eyes before his student can see. Bingmeification process HAS BEGUN

[punkpandapatrixk]

Full Moons in Aries & Taurus ♦︎ Moon Magick Pick A Card

Heyaa~ I’m so sorry that I’ve been super tardy about the Moon PAC readings. A lot was going on XD And suddenly, we’ve even gone through the next FM in Taurus, so I decided to cover the aenergies of both FMs into this one reading :D

Full Hunter’s Moon in Aries was on 17 Oct; the theme revolved around taking charge of the trajectory of our future expansions! Whatever you dream of right now, if you’re clear that the desires aren’t coming from your Ego, they’re a vision bigger than the mundane that’s been sent you by the Higher Forces! :D Keep the faith and believe in miracles for the Universe is taking care of its manifestation~\`★_★`/

Full Beaver’s Moon in Taurus was on 15 Nov; the aenergy pushed us further into having full confidence in that trajectory of ours being so fun, abundant, and filled with meaningful events! <3 This FM in particular was conjunct Uranus (sudden revolutionary changes); and having Pluto re-enter Aquarius on the 19th, for Lightworkers and Starseeds, this is literally the time you’re being prepared to welcome your Grand Mission.

This sacred period leading up to 2025 is boiling cooking and baking bold dreams for exciting (possibly shattering) world-changing events what will be rolling out in succession in the next 3 years. If you’re reading this, there’s simply no way your future isn’t exciting—so prepare your heart and mind \^o^/

Know that your persistent visions and interests aren’t random. Mayhap…your ancestors whispered that dream in you precisely because it is your calling~ ;P

gnosis: The Fourth Turning Explained in Under 10 Minutes: Does History Repeat? by No Protocol

deck-bottom: XVII The Star Rx, Red Alchemist (John Dee), Priestess of Opulence

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Pile 1 – Walking A Peaceful Path of Your Magnificent Creation

transmission – 5 of Wands Rx

By nature, you are someone who embodies a supernatural ability to sense negativity. You may identify as an empath; someone may have told you that you’re too sensitive or too negative; it could also be that you tend to find yourself easily dragged into negative thought patterns and chaos, even if they’re created by other people around you—or the news!

Your keen sensitivity essentially isn’t a flaw to begin with; it may pose some challenges, but it is for sure not a weakness. You are by nature sensitive to negativity exactly because you’re a positive and peaceful person, and in that awareness lies your true spiritual power that could change the world. You just ought to learn how to navigate this superpower to outsmart the strange Human societies XD

I’m hearing: Use humour and witty banters to get your point across when dealing with veeeeery negative Human beings. They say there is medicine in comedy, but there is even more potent medicine in irony LMAO

translation – Page of Wands

Entering this Aquarius Pluto era, the awakened ones are truly headed towards an awesome future! After all, haven’t you been so devoted to your own personal transformations? Haven’t you been serious enough in your endeavour to transcend above petty conflicts and toxic nudges? Your Spirit Guides are acknowledging your dedication to becoming a good, peaceful and pleasant human being.

So, whatever you’re hearing on the news, if it’s of a negatively-polarised consciousness, that’s for other people dealing with that particular kind of karma to experience. It is not for you. Every miserable person you hear or watch on the news—even some people from your distant past, possibly—they’re the ones who have chosen to still entertain that particular frequency of malady, to spiritually ascend at their own pace.

You? You don’t need to get enmeshed in this spiral of sorrow still enveloping parts of this world. You’ve survived your fair share.

transmigration – 6 of Wands Rx

You’ve established a solid ground for how you can best interact with this Reality. It is your very own unique way of dealing with the streams of chaos crisscrossing the whole world. Sometimes, people who haven’t done the inner work you’ve done for yourself may not understand why you think or say what you say. They could sometimes think you’re callous or uncaring, and on the surface level, it may seem like that if the person you’re dealing with isn’t insightful or intelligent enough.

You’re giving me Tupac, but also Dave Chapelle & Ricky Gervais aenergy. The last two obviously care about many things that are wrong in the world, but they use humour to convey messages that actually reflect the stupidity of human societies back at them, all for them to… Well, reflect deeply upon their own lack of courage to become better Humans that can be relied upon to create better societies, I guess~

Ultimately, these full moons’ aenergies are supporting your daydreams and visions of a more peaceful, higher-quality Future that you’ve been seeing a lot in your daydreams. This reading feels more like a confirmation of the fact that your Future is aligning with your current Reality pretty fast hahah <3

full moon self-care🔻🌒🌓🌔🌕🌖🌗🌘

Silver Astronomer (Galileo Galilei) & Priestess of Luck

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Pile 2 – Harvest, Sweetness, You’re Going Places

transmission – Page of Swords Rx

You have weathered—and survived—a great many storms. If only people knew how much it cost you just to get where you are now. You’re a strong one; you’ve probably heard this but it’s really true when your Spirit Guides say: Most people would’ve died a long time ago if they had to face the challenges you’ve triumphed over thus far! Your determination to survive will not betray you! So many good things, easy things, are yours already <3

This is the Pile that will live a very delicious Life. You’re probably already seeing the signs but if one way or another you’re still struggling right now, best believe it’s just the last remnants of your old BS—belief system XD The old programming gives out in cycles, babe~ You’re doing perfectly alright! Pluto in Aquarius is ensuring your wish fulfilment, and it will all play out more amazingly than you could’ve ever imagined <3

Strength, persistence, protection, change and transitions, reaping good karma. These are all major keywords for you until at least Spring 2025. Your kindness, sweetness, generosity, all returning 3000-fold for the rest of your LYFE~

translation – 8 of Wands Rx

‘ENJOY~<3’ is the loudest thing your Spirit Guides are saying to you right now. In a strange manner of speaking, they’re also saying you can totally disconnect for a while and not look for their guidance for every single little thing you’re considering doing in this mortal world. I sense they’re saying this because you’ve pretty much been quite reliant on their guidance, probably a little too much? XD Meaning, sometimes you didn’t trust your own gut instinct enough to come to a decision.

Which is understandable given you were surviving and struggling so much with so little guidance from your immediate surrounding! That said, they’re simply saying that you can rest and not think of any ‘guidance’ for now and everything will still turn out perfectly nicely! Bad luck or weird uncalled for unfortunate events will not afflict you no more because you’ve practically jumped timelines <3 Most of us tuning into this reading have, dear~

So, be safe in the knowing that you’re practically living in a delicious paradise of a Reality. Things can only get better from here v^o^v

transmigration – Page of Cups

Ah! You have a true soulmate—a romantic soulmate—waiting for you somewhere in this world! Babe, you’re going places! You’re going to meet your Divine Soul Mate or Twin Flame or anything else of that nature! :D Oh, this is so exciting! I’m getting a strong heart-connection between you and your Destined One, like there’s these staggering electrical charges that are pulling you two ever closer together <3<3<3

After all of the pain you’ve suffered, all the betrayal you’ve survived, you’d be so glad to have met this Destined One who’s literally the sweetest and kindest Soul, who’s even more sweet and kind to YOU~

This person may appear to be ‘different’ from you at first glance, but after getting to know each other, you’ll see that your Souls are quite literally made of the same star materials ^-^ You will be speaking the same soul language whereby communication feels so effortless. Ah, how nice :D

full moon self-care🔻🌒🌓🌔🌕🌖🌗🌘

Red Historian (John Dee) & Priestess of Intuition

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Pile 3 – Simple, Clean, Eternally Abundant

transmission – 7 of Cups Rx

‘Ask and you shall receive.’ To manifest wonderful things in this world, first you gotta WANT them. You see, these new-age spiritual teachings that tell you that ‘wanting is bad’ or ‘being in a state of wanting keeps your desires elusive’… is… at best theoretical. In practice, to manifest anything at all you gotta start by desiring it, right? Otherwise, how the fuck do you even attract it in the first place? smh

Ask, and the Universe delivers the answer, guidance, hint and you will be shown the way to align yourself with your Highest Intended Good! <3 That’s how it generally is! Whatever you deem unideal in the world, you must come to a disagreement with it first before you can manifest a change in your immediate Reality. Once asked, sometimes, people find it difficult to believe that the change they wish for can actually come around…

Well, silence the fearmongering monkey and just WANT it nevertheless. You don’t even need to believe it if you still can’t. You just gotta WANT it delusionally! :D

translation – IV The Emperor

Lookie here! You Emperor of all the elements of manifestation! <3 You’ve got the power in you, OK? If this is your main pile, surely you know by this point that you’re a master manifestor? Maybe you’ve heard other people tell you this as well. And well, if up until recently you’ve been struggling with a sense of lack or restriction, that was all just part of your character development. The Universe wanted you to experience juuust for a while how it felt to not have anything—to struggle with even the most basic of needs.

Without such experiences, who knows—you could’ve grown up tone deaf just like many of UK’s overly privileged politicians! Nobody would like you at all tsk tsk… XXD

So you see, you’re done. Fucking done. Pluto in Aquarius, conjunct Uranus, my god, if this is your main pile, get ready for a world-changing shift in your physical Reality pretty soon. With The Emperor being a Major Arcana, you’re being whirled into your Destination! It’s going to be sooo much more fun in the next arc of your Story! Congrats and well done and for fuck’s saké , ENJOY~!

transmigration – VII The Chariot

Another Major Arcana for you, which is rare on this blog LMAO The Chariot here is giving a strong message of upliftment for your career—or whatever you might consider as ‘career’. It could be your Life’s Mission, but it could also be a stepping stone what will lead you closer to your actual Grand Mission in this lifetime. Some of you reading this, if for some reason you’re still unsure about what your true Life’s Purpose or Mission is all about…

You could try to consult your 4H-10H axis and see what it has to say about your Legacy. Then, combine that info with what your North Node has to say about the range of pursuits attainable for you in this incarnation. But, whatever you do at this point, I think you can’t possibly miss your Destiny XD It’s coming to fish you out of the Reality you’re currently in hahah

All in all, quite everything you’re going to experience from this point onwards is going to be easy, simple, straightforward, and you’re going to be effortlessly abundant until the end of your Life. No more worries, hun~

full moon self-care🔻🌒🌓🌔🌕🌖🌗🌘

Silver Physician (John Dee) & Priestess of Integrity

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☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・. ☆♪°・.

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[nyoomerr]

Demon!SY? It's interesting to think of this ridiculous, doting man finding a persona that lets him exist within that culture

i adore all iterations of demon!sy and honestly would love to make a longer fic of it at some point... every version of it is just so tasty, shout out especially to every single person who's done abyssal monster! sy ....

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When Shen Yuan first realizes the particulars of his transmigration - that is, the fact that he’s a moderately powerful demon in this life - he’s absolutely delighted.

For normal reasons, obviously!! For normal, not-weird reasons!! Like - like the fact that Shen Yuan has the power to help Luo Binghe, as a demon!! Not because of the extra eyes he has, or the too-long limbs, or the scales that glisten in the sun, or three rows of teeth that snap through anything -!

Ahem. Not those things. Just the parts about how Shen Yuan could be useful to Luo Binghe!!

Still, when it comes to actually doing the whole be-useful-to-Binghe thing, it isn’t so simple as waiting around in the demon realm for Luo Binghe to show up before volunteering to be his advisor or whatever. By the time Luo Binghe makes it to the demon realm, he’ll be full steam ahead focusing on conquering and gathering power, and Shen Yuan falling into line wouldn’t really be seen as anything especially useful. 

Shen Yuan wants to help Luo Binghe when it counts, when Luo Binghe will need the help - so naturally, Shen Yuan finds a way into the Endless Abyss.

It’s the perfect plan! Shen Yuan may not know exactly where Luo Binghe gets dropped, but he knows the general topography. On top of that, there are places where the boundary between the Abyss and the human realm is weaker and more prone to tears - if Shen Yuan uses that to map out potential places for the Abyss to open during the Immortal Alliance Conference, and cross references that with what Luo Binghe experienced in the Abyss, then Shen Yuan can certainly find the general area to wait for Luo Binghe in!

And, while he’s waiting, Shen Yuan may as well prepare to be useful! He can make a sturdy little shelter for Luo Binghe to rest and recover in before he has to face the rest of the Abyss - or, wait, should Shen Yuan make more shelters, scattered around the Abyss in the general path from where Luo Binghe will fall all the way to Xin Mo?

Shen Yuan found Xin Mo no problem, after all - of course he wasn’t going to take it, that’s Luo Binghe’s! He just wanted to make sure it was all ready for Luo Binghe when he got there! And really, it isn’t necessary that Luo Binghe fetch the stupid sword from the carcass of a beast, so Shen Yuan can just fetch Xin Mo out of there himself and get it cleaned up, and perhaps put it on a nice little pedestal for Luo Binghe to find later -

Wait, should Shen Yuan just take Xin Mo and have it ready to give to Luo Binghe in the very first little shelter, the one Luo Binghe will stay in after falling into the Abyss? No, of course not, a little bun protagonist like he’ll be when he first falls wouldn’t be ready to wield something as nasty as this toxic sword stinking up Shen Yuan’s yard - the journey through the Abyss is what prepares Luo Binghe for it.

Shen Yuan will just leave Xin Mo where he found it, guarded off from other predators but otherwise cleaned and sharpened and ready for Luo Binghe, and go back to waiting for Luo Binghe in the starting area.

…What if Luo Binghe can’t make it between shelters fast enough, though? What if Shen Yuan had built them too far apart?? 

Ah, he’ll have to wrangle a Snake Headed Horse Monkey for Luo Binghe to ride on! Shen Yuan can train a few of them, even, so Luo Binghe can have his pick, and -

Luo Binghe falls from the sky, landing perfectly safely in the pile of Abyssal Weed Stalks that Shen Yuan keeps to feed his farm animals with.

“Oh!” He cries, brushing dust and grime from his robes, trying to make himself presentable as Luo Binghe scrambles to sit up. “Binghe, you’re here! Ah, but I haven’t finished preparing all the maps you’ll need, and I only have enough food stored for you to last several months, and -”

Luo Binghe blinks at him, looking around with wide eyes at the stable he crashed through on his fall down into the Abyss. His robes are stained with blood - and wow, Heavenly Demon blood really does smell good! Or, haha, Shen Yuan just means that it looks so pretty! Because it came from inside of Luo Binghe! Who is very pretty!! 

….Shen Yuan looks away from the blood stains. He has enough miracle healing plants in his garden for Luo Binghe to have his pick of them later, anyway, it’s fine!!

“...Do you know me?” Luo Binghe asks, wary. 

“Of course!” Shen Yuan says, delighted to be asked about his knowledge of Luo Binghe. “You’re the most incredible person in the world!”

Luo Binghe, somehow, grows more suspicious. 

“Who are you?” He asks, standing and taking on a ready stance despite his missing sword. 

His expression has sharpened into something dark and distrustful, lacking all of the cute confusion he’d worn when first taking in his surroundings, and it makes Shen Yuan want to tut at him. Cute boy, sweet boy, Shen Yuan won’t hurt you!!

Shen Yuan moves closer to Luo Binghe, curling one of his extra arms around him dotingly. 

“Binghe can call me anything he likes,” he says, which is true. Shen Yuan wasn’t given a proper name in this world, after all! “Why don’t you think of something while I get you inside, hm? I have some swords for you to choose from to replace Zheng Yang, and you’ll let me wash your hair for you, and you can get a good night’s rest before you head off to Xin Mo.”

Luo Binghe tries to duck under Shen Yuan’s arm, but Shen Yuan catches him with several of his others. 

“Let go of me -!” Luo Binghe cries, eyes wide and panicked, and Shen Yuan sighs. 

“There’s no need to be afraid,” he says soothingly, his teeth clicking reassuringly at Luo Binghe. “Here, look -”

Shen Yuan pulls Luo Binghe up off the ground, cradling him in his arms and leaning down to press his mouth gently to Luo Binghe’s forehead.

It isn’t a kiss, for the record!! Shen Yuan would never dare to kiss Luo Binghe, or a man in general, or -

Anyway, it’s not a kiss!! Shen Yuan is just showing Luo Binghe that no matter how cool and dangerous his mouth looks, it won’t ever hurt Luo Binghe!!

“See?” Shen Yuan says, straightening but not setting Luo Binghe down. “I won’t hurt you.”

Luo Binghe stares up at Shen Yuan with wide, shocked eyes, his cheeks flushing with color, and stops struggling. Shen Yuan hums, pleased, and uses one of his spare arms to pat indulgently at Luo Binghe’s head.

“Good boy,” Shen Yuan says. “Now, let’s get you taken care of, hm?”

[esamastation]

Gamer girl gets transmigrated into a farm boy Chapter 1 [<<Prologue - Chapter 2>>] Ao3 link

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Katie wakes up with a face full of hay, which is so far from any experience she's ever known that it takes a moment for her to even categorise the sensation as what it is. Prickly pieces of straw stick against her neck and cheeks, and there's something crawling in her hair that makes her sit up with a shriek, flailing frantically to get it off.

It's an ant, she finds out, as it crawls over her fingers and she flings it into the hay with a shudder and a "Eurgh!" that sounds… a bit off.

Everything about this is a bit off.

There's a ceiling of rough wood above her head, with thick wooden beams crossing from left to right. They've got a name, she's pretty sure - crossbeams? Probably not. She's distracted by how rough they look. Like they're handmade. Are those… are those axe marks?

There's stuff hanging from them. Farming tools.

Did… did she get drunk and get out of the city somehow and then… break into someone's barn? Or maybe she'd allowed herself to be picked up by some handsome farmer and they'd ended up fooling around in a barn. She can't quite recall…

Sitting up, Katie does a quick inspection of her surroundings, but there's no one else in the hay with her. It's just her, in her - actually…

What the hell is she wearing?

Also - what the hell has happened to her everything?!

Alarmed, Katie does a quick patdown on herself, her hands moving over the rough shirt. The chest beneath it does not feel like her own. Her breasts have been replaced by a flat expanse of muscle, and that's just the start of the changes. Now that she's looking, her hands are huge, her legs look weird in their rough woollen trousers and her feet are enormous. She's only wearing one shoe, too - well, it's more of a leather slipper, actually. But that's beside the point, because - is that -?

With a quick glance around to make sure no one is watching, Katie sticks a hand between her legs.

Yep. It is.

That's a dick.

"Oh, sweet," Katie says, brightening up. "This is a dream!" Either that or she'd just gotten isekaied into the body of a dude. A huge dude. 

Sadly, a dream is way more likely.

That cleared up, Katie looks around with new interest. She - or rather, he - seems to be in a hayloft. That's what it looks like to her, at least - and there's the piles and bales of hay there to prove it. There's also a wooden ladder not far from him, leading down from the little hay-filled attic.

Carefully Katie scoots over to the edge of the hayloft to look down. There are two carts parked on the ground below the loft - old timey, wooden, probably horse drawn wagons. And it's really the ground down there, rough brown earth, not wood or stone. There's tools on a rack, there's poles sticking out of a wall,, with saddles and girdles and all manner of leather straps hanging on them, there's buckets and barrels and boxes and, and…

Katie's heart begins to beat with excitement. It all looks very medieval. Like something out of a fantasy movie or a show! Sex change and a fantasy dream - that's like getting two for one!

Quickly ruffling his hands through his hair to clear out the hay, Katie glances around for his other slipper and finds it buried in the pile, not too far away. Quickly he pulls it on, making a face at the feel of bare and not exactly clean leather on his bare foot, before standing up.

And promptly almost hits his head on the rough-hewn ceiling beams. The loft, Katie finds, is not terribly high - he has to bow down to keep his head from scraping against the ceiling. 

Well. All the more reason to head down.

As he starts making his way down the surprisingly sturdy wooden ladder, the barn doors clatter and open. Like a deer caught in headlights, Katie freezes mid rung as a young woman steps inside the barn, already calling loudly, "Good morning!"

She's like something out of a videogame cutscene or a renaissance reenactment. She's blond and pretty, with freckles and the permanent blush of someone who doesn't tan but spends a lot of time in the sun. She's wearing a dress made of thick layers of sort of orangey-red wool with white apron, both of which go all the way down to the ground, belted at the waist with thick leather. There's at least two knives hanging off her belt, and three satchels.

She looks amazing. Also, very familiar.

"Oh, you're awake already! Good morning, Van," the woman says as Katie just gapes at her. Throwing her very long braid over her shoulder, the fantasy woman gives him a smile. "I'm working on breakfast, but Daddy wanted me to get you up and ask you to get the cart out - he's going to the town today."

"Ah - right, I'll just - uh -?" Katie manages, before everything tilts slightly sideways. 

Van, did she just call Katie Van?!

Above the woman's head, the air flickers and white text appears like a hologram out of a sci-fi movie.

[Farmer's Daughter] [Janelle Gylcross] [Lvl. 4 Commoner]

Katie gapes at the text and the woman laughs. "What, were you hoping to sneak out?" she asks, amused. "Better luck next time! Get the cart set up, okay? I'll have porridge ready by the time you're done."

"Uh," Katie says, intelligent, but Janelle is already heading out of the barn, humming as she goes, her braid swinging down to her hip. Still hanging on the ladder, Katie is left staring at the open barn doors as they slowly drift shut behind Janelle.

Katie knows that name. Janelle Gylcross. Janelle was a sympathetic NPC killed early in Age of Tales… along with just about everyone else known by the player character. Their death was a trigger for the very first moral choice in the game - the player was questioned about it and could choose to lie or tell the truth.

Well… it's not the first time Katie has dreamed about video games. And it explains the sex change - she'd just finished playing the game, too, so it makes sense it would be Van. It's not even the first time she's dreamed of being Van.

Van is kind of her favourite.

Something about this is off, though. It feels like Katie's forgetting something.

Then another flicker of white text catches Van's eye. Over a pitchfork, it tells him, [Pitchfork, Lvl. 1.]

It's like an oil stain spreading over the water's surface - or like one of those virtual reconstruction scenes from Katie's favourite cyberpunk movie. The whole barn seems to ripple, and suddenly everything is subtly different. Or maybe not different - added on.

Everything Van can see has a tag of white text floating above it. [Hoe, Lvl. 1.], and, [Saddle, Lvl. 1.], and [Wooden Barrel, Lvl. 1.], and [Bucket, Lvl. 1.] Everything is level one, except for the two carts, sitting in the middle of the barn. One of them is a [Cart, Lvl. 4.], and the other is a [Cart, Lvl. 6.]

"This is some prime isekai shit," Van says, grinning.

Testing things, he jumps off from the middle of the ladder. After all, there's no fall damage in dreams, right?

Well, there is in this one. Ow, his foot - he landed on a piece of rock, and the leather slippers aren't exactly thick-soled. Actually, they don't have any soles at all, they're more like socks, which does not seem useful as footwear goes - and that's when he sees a pair of wooden sandals, waiting for him at the bottom of the ladder. [Overshoes, Lvl. 1.] the white text informs him, and inspecting the leather slipper-things, Van finds that, yeah, it looks like they've been worn down in the pattern of the sandal straps. Okay then.

The sandals are surprisingly comfortable, as Van slips his enormous feet into them. They fit like they've been made for his foot. They also make very satisfying clip-clop noises as he walks.

Katie is starting to get the picture here. This is Van just at the start of the game. Van's grey, woollen trousers - Lvl. 1 - and the huge tunic he's wearing - also Lvl. 1 - are exact match to the game's starter gear, as is the belt hanging off the second bottom rung of the ladder. It fits him snugly, the belt loops worn at the exact perfect length to fit around his thickly muscled waist. He's got a couple of satchels and a knife hanging off the belt too, like Janelle did, though there's just the one knife.

And, just like he expected, one of the satchels has nothing but mostly round pebbles in it, the other has a long strap, thin but firmly woven cord with a little leather bit in the middle. Van's starter weapon, a Shepherd's Sling, Lvl. 1.

Exactly like in the game.

"This is so cool. I always wanted to get isekaied," Van muses and then looks around. "Okay, here's hoping I don't wake up anytime soon."

Now. What was Van's first quest…?

Promptly, a white-framed quest window pops up in front of him.

[Market Preparations, Lvl. 1.] [Janelle has asked you to prepare a cart for a trip to the town. Prepare the Reins, the Collar, the Saddlestrap and the Straps.] [Quest reward: 10 exp, 1 Bowl Of Porridge, 1 Apple.] [Accept?] [Yes.] [No.]

Looking around, Van finds the four necessary items easily enough - they're hanging off a pole in the wall near one of the carts. Approaching them eagerly, he finds another window popping up, asking him [Prepare items?]

"Yeah, sure, why not," Van answers with a grin and hits [Yes].

His body takes over for him then, moving with a weird sort of automation. Katie is not exactly out of control - she can feel Van's body moving and taking the straps and untangling their bundled up mess, but it's not Katie making the conscious decisions to move. Van's fingers work expertly, doing work Katie has no idea how to do, and then his body turns and his big feet carry him over to one of the carts, moving to belt the straps into their proper place on the wooden poles sticking out of the cart.

It's beyond trippy.

In a few minutes, the cart is ready for a horse, or an ox, or whatever it is that will pull the thing. It's… cool in a kind of detached creepy way. Van's body can just run on automation.

Boy, would've that come in handy in the warehouse job. Just, hit here to load up the pallet, and off her body went, automatically finding every ordered item. Probably would've wrapped the pallet up and filled the shipping manifest automatically and everything. Now that would've been something.

"Hey Van, Janelle said you were getting the - oh, you're done already?"

It's a guy this time, a big broad-shouldered farmboy type, with brown hair and blue eyes and everything, wearing the undyed peasant garb and wooden sandals similar to Van's. The white text even confirms it.

[Farmboy] [Josel Berndal] [Lvl. 3 Peasant.]

It's kind of funny, seeing Josel from Van's perspective. Josel was designed to be a gentle giant, obviously intended to be big and impressive - and he would've been… if Katie hadn't absolutely maxed out Van's height, making him about head's worth taller than Josel. It's not why Katie made Van so big, but it certainly added to her amusement.

"Morning," Van says, smothering the urge to ruffle Josel's hair fondly.

Josel is leading a horse, holding it by the bridle. It's a huge animal, with massive hooves covered in thick hair - a proper workhorse. "I got Bell ready," he says. "Should we strap her in?"

[Bell] [Lvl 6. Workhorse.]

"Uh -" Van says and another quest window pops up.

[Extra mission! Market Preparations Lvl. 1, Part 2.] [Janelle has asked you to prepare a cart for a trip to the town - meanwhile Josel has been getting Bell ready for the cart. Strap Bell in front of the cart.] [Quest reward: 5 exp, 3 Slingshots.] [Accept?] [Yes.] [No.]

"Sure," Van agrees and hits [Accept] on the quest window and [Yes] for the [Prepare items?] prompt. Again his body begins moving on its own, taking the huge leather collar as Josel brings the massive workhorse in, making her walk in a circle and then leading her back towards the cart. She's docile, for such a massive animal, Van muses, as his body moves to get the thick Collar around her huge neck.

Josel gives him a surprised look, watching him. "You've gotten strong," he comments and then, with a shrug, turns to work on the wide, cushioned Saddlestrap, which should apparently go over the horse's back. "I guess you're getting used to the work."

"Heh, yeah," Van answers, grinning. The height dial wasn't the only one Katie had maxed. Van is, to put it mildly, built.

Guess it translated to reality, so to speak. Dream reality.

Between Van's automatic proficiency and Josel's practised motions, they get Bell the workhorse ready and properly strapped into the cart. Josel rewards the horse with pats and pieces of a carrot he has in one of his satchels, grinning with good-natured farmboy happiness as she nudges at him hard enough to almost knock him over.

"Oh, right, here - picked these up for you yesterday while I was out by the river," Josel then says and from another satchel digs out three almost perfectly round pebbles. "They're good, right?"

[Quest Market Preparations Lvl. 1, Part 2 complete! You gain 5 exp and 3 Slingshots!]

"Yeah, thanks," Van agrees and takes the pebbles. Aside from being very beginner level, this dream is really looking up.

"Van, Josel!" a female voice comes from outside. "Breakfast is ready!"

They head outside, Josel at the casual pace of a young man well used to everything around him and Van trying hard not to stare at everything like a tourist.

It really is the Gylcross farmstead, exactly like it was in the game - which Katie had rather figured it would be. There's four buildings in a ring around a square of dirt, with farm fields peaking just past the buildings. One of them is a pretty impressive two storey farmhouse with shuttered windows and a big old porch. There's a pen full of chickens not far from them, and close to it there's a white goose, running loose and pecking at the ground. Behind the barn, Van thinks, he sees some goats in a pen.

Janelle is waving at them from a table set in front of the farmhouse, with a pot and plates and a pitcher of something. "Come eat while it's hot!"

"Yes, miss," Josel calls, humble, and Van follows him to the table.

"I told you, it's just Janelle," the farmer's daughter says. "Go on, sit."

They sit and she serves them pretty hefty helpings, handing them wooden spoons. The porridge is hot and thick, but a bit bland - like plain rice in milk, or something. Josel eats without saying anything and Van takes his example, wondering if it's always like this if you try to eat in a dream, if everything is tasteless.

Then Janelle pours them both a pint of what has to be beer - or ale? Whatever it is, it smells thick and tastes… kind of weird and not at all like Katie expects beer to taste like. It's not bad, though.

"Daddy is heading to the town to pick up some things," Janelle says as they eat and Van tries to place the taste of the not-beer. "One of you will go with him and do all the heavy lifting - do not let him do it," she says firmly. "His back is acting up again. Now, which one of you will it be?"

"Van can go," Josel says before Katie can even begin to wonder which would be better. "I went last time, it's his turn."

Yeah, and the heart eyes the farm boy is giving the farmer's daughters have absolutely nothing to do with Josel's eagerness to stay, uh-huh, yep.

Van grins and covers it with his pint. It's pretty cute - though the crush Josel had on Janelle made their inevitable deaths even sadder in the game. It was always kind of obvious what would happen to them, but still…

"Great - here," Janelle says, handing Van a perfectly red, plump [Apple]. "A snack for the road."

[Quest Market Preparations Lvl. 1 complete! You gain 10 exp, 1 Bowl Of Porridge, 1 Apple.]

This dream is pretty damn cool, Van decides and accepts the Apple with a nod as thanks.

"Finish your breakfast - Daddy will be here soon," Janelle says and turns to Josel. "Do you mind feeding the goats for me today? The big one almost knocked me over last time. Please?"

"I got it, miss," Josel agrees earnestly. "Don't you worry about it."

"Janelle," she corrects.

Josel nods very seriously. "Miss Janelle."

Janelle stomps her foot and Van chuckles into his not-beer. As he does, the door to the farmhouse opens and man steps out, patting at his chest and checking his clothes. He's dressed much fancier than they are, in a vest and dark brown slacks that look like they've been pressed - and he has actual shoes rather than sandals or leather socks. The shoes even have heels and everything.

He's also got one hell of a moustache.

[Farmer] [Jaques Gylcross] [Lvl. 8 Landowner]

"Morning, boys," the man calls, straightening the lapels of his vest. "How y'all doing this morning?'

"Good morning, Mr. Gylcross!" Josel pipes up. "We're doing just fine, thank you."

"Good, good," Mr. Gylcross nods. "Janelle, sweetheart, make sure the fire doesn't go out in the kitchen - I want the house nice and warm when I get back."

"I will, Daddy," Janelle promises. "When do you think you will be back?"

"Before sundown, with any luck," Mr. Gylcross says, casting a look up at the cloudy sky overhead. "If it starts raining, we might have to stay the night." He looks over their table. "All done with breakfast? Let's get moving then. Drakner is in town, and I want to bring some of the winter grain with us to sell, get us some spending money. There's a lot to do before harvest, a lot to do!"

A quest window pops up immediately after.

[Trip to town, Lvl 2.] [You have been asked to escort Mr. Jacques Gylcross to town for a spot of shopping. Load and drive the cart from the farmhouse.] [Quest rewards: 15 exp, 3 silver pieces.] [Accept?] [Yes.] [No.]

Josel nudges at Van and quickly he sets his pint down. "Right - right away, Mr. Gylcross," he agrees, and accepts the quest. Here's hoping driving a cart worked on automation too, else they'd end up in a ditch real quick.

- [<<Prologue - Chapter 2>>]

-

Proofread by @nimadge, many thanks.

And so it begins.

I would like to post this somewhere other than tumblr, for archival purposes, because tumblr sucks for archival purposes. AO3 is the best for that, but, eh, it still feels weird to me, the idea of posting original fiction on ao3. Even though lot of people do it. Idk.

What do you guys think?

[silvernightabyss]

“Who says the protagonist's life has to be happy?” - Chapter 1

Yandere Hero x gn!Reader

Isekai, who among us hasn't dreamed of it? Well, get it signed. Try not to throw yourself into the arms of the protagonist as soon as you see him. Remember, you may know everything about him, but he's seeing you for the first time. The thoughts of the protagonist come as a gift.

How many references do you want? Yes.

word count: 2.9k Prologue/Chapter 1

It's been two weeks since you've been in the fantasy world of the novel. Adapting has been difficult, even though you've inherited fragmentary memories of the original owner of the body. The unfamiliar people, surroundings, etiquette, and architecture were very disconcerting. To your shame, you spent your first night sobbing quietly in your room in the temple. The only thing you were probably lucky about was that you weren't a member of the church, just a hired sewist. Given the fact that the high priest was the one who raped Evan, you had no desire to see the man, whose name was Donavan. Make sure you memorize that shithead's name and if you ever summon a demon, sell his soul.

In fact, you hadn't seen him or Evan since you'd been in this world. And while the first pleased you, the second disappointed you. As you learned by asking the servants, Evan and his team were on a quest to destroy one of the demon lords living in a poisonous swamp. This happened at the beginning of the first volume, as you may recall. And what the author thought to add the location of the poison swamp, in all games it was always the most annoying part. Probably because the author was an insufferable evil bastard who drew inspiration from the most annoying things created by human hands. A sudden wave of anger almost ripped the thin fabric in your hands in half. Then you stroked it quickly, as if to comfort it, removing the creases that had formed.

Poor Evan was going to get poisoned by some nasty animal and come back to the temple with a fever for a week. Sad, of course, but nothing that with your level of power you could change. The day after the isekai, you tried a little magic. Find some chakra, mana core, nen or something. But no. All you got was to feel like an idiot for half an hour, huffing and puffing like a pissed-off hedgehog. No transmigrator buffs. No annoying system or divine companion. Nothing. That made you completely powerless to help Evan. It was frustrating, angry, and made you want to bang your head against the wall. Your modern upbringing couldn't allow you to ignore someone else's misfortune. If you worked in the kitchen, you would surely spit in the soups and drinks that are made especially for the High Priest. Unfortunately, those are the only petty thoughts of revenge you could afford.

Part of you just wanted to leave, good thing sewing skills were embedded in your subcortex, and you could find work somewhere else, not in a place where you knew one hero suffered every day. You wince. Thinking about it like that made you feel bad about yourself. It was vile to think of leaving. As the only person with knowledge of the situation, you had to stay and try to help in any way you could. Even if your attempts would be fruitless in the end.

You spent the next two hours diligently embroidering new robes and fixing old ones where the fabric was too worn. Unpleasant thoughts of varying degrees of intrusiveness kept popping into your head, but you studiously ignored them. Their content was something like “To be or not to be”, only your option was “To stay or not to stay”.

After you finished your work, you picked up a pile of robes and went to turn them in to the storekeeper. The temple was beautiful, even to your unassuming eye. The entire continent worshiped the Creator who made the world and the gods they created to help look after the people. In fact, you remembered from the book that the mythology of Evan's world was very interesting. Incredibly written and detailed lore describing events from ancient times to the present day. Some of the knowledge you had already forgotten, but for example you remembered that the Irin continent, where the main story took place, was named after the god's favorite angel.

The central temple of the capital was dedicated to the Creator. Numerous frescoes on the ceiling depicted the creation of the world and the races that inhabited it. For the first week, you walked with your head up, and more than once you were on the verge of falling. The tall, graceful steles also drew attention to the care with which the flowers and leaves were molded, as if they were real and the spell had just turned them to stone a moment ago. The garden wasn't to be forgotten, you'd only been there once, but it was already completely engraved in your heart. Score one for staying. Overall to summarize the temple was beautiful, the priests friendly. So why the hell is this place of paradise run by this goddamn pervert! The Creator's eyes are blown out of their heads to let a man like that in charge of their temple? Unbearable.

Your boots thudded loudly and angrily on the marble floor, and you continued on your way. The servants and priests you encountered preferred to avoid you in a wide arc, sensing in their gut the dark and heavy aura you gave off. With the power you put into opening the door, you could shred a mountain to pieces with a single blow. Yeah, like that bald guy, that's how powerful you were at that moment. The storekeeper didn't even lift his head from the paper he was looking at. Inwardly, you marveled a little at his restraint; you yourself would have jumped on the spot if you had been rushed in with such a bang. More calmly you approached the not-young man whose most prominent feature was his giant-hooked nose.

“I brought the robes, where should I put them?” Your voice rumbles through the room.

The man nodded vaguely toward a neighboring room filled with baskets full of robes. The servants had to wash and dry the robes before handing them back to the priests. Why the freshly sewn robes had to be washed was a big question, but not of your mind. You were about to leave when you were stopped by the storekeeper.

“Go to the infirmary and get the medicine for the hero. His chambers are in the east wing of the temple on the third floor.”

During your entire stay in the room, the storekeeper didn't even look at you, and after he gave you the order, he started acting as if you weren't even here. Well, the main thing is that he didn't yell. You shrugged your shoulders and left the room.

The stone-face test was successfully passed, the die rolled on a twenty! In fact, your heart was racing, and your palms were unpleasantly sweaty. Did all this mean you would be able to see Evan? You didn't even know he'd returned. With an effort of will, you suppressed the joyful scream that burst from your mouth. You're going to see the protagonist of this damn novel. Almost dancing, you hurried toward the infirmary.

The nurse, whose name was Ellen, gave you your medication as soon as she heard that you had come from the storekeeper. The girl explained that because of the upcoming festival dedicated to the Creator, all the servants were busy preparing for the sacred rituals. Mentally, you tsked. That no servant could spare time for the precious hero of the Church? Nonsense, of course, but nonsense that plays right into your hands. Having memorized what to give and in what dosage, you headed for the eastern wing.

The corridors became more and more empty with every turn, as if you were entering a forbidden zone. The atmosphere was oppressive and growing colder with each step. A creak sounded very close to you, made you jump on the spot and freeze. It was scary to turn around. You didn't want to see the ghost behind you. On bending legs, you turned around and ….Mmm No, that's just your overactive imagination working for the bread. There was nothing behind you. Nothing in the front, either. Cussing under your breath, you continued walking. Isekai had definitely taken a toll on your nerves. Shame they hadn't invented valerian here yet.

The doors to Evan's chambers were carved, decorated with ornaments of flowers. You knocked hesitantly, and when there was no answer, you knocked again, but louder. Maybe he was asleep? What was to be done? The nurse had said the medication had to be timed to avoid making him feel worse. The doorknob in your hand felt like a ticket to heaven or hell. Praying in your mind to who you didn't know, you pushed it down. With a quiet click, the door opened. Like a mouse about to steal cheese, you quietly slipped through the gap and closed the door behind you. You hoped Evan wasn't a cat that would eat you for entering without permission.

The main hero's chambers were green, very green, not because the walls and furniture were that color, but because of the dozens or even hundreds of pots with various plants. As a half-elf, Evan had the ability to understand and talk to plants. For a long time in the novel, they were his only friends, listening to all his sorrows. Sighing sadly, you headed for the door behind, which was presumably the bedroom.

Evan lay on the bed, resting peacefully, deep in sleep. The blanket lay in a bunched pile at the half elf's feet. His complexion was very pale with blue veins clearly visible, there were deep bruises under his eyes, and his breathing was intermittent and heavy. Despite this, he was still more handsome than the sleeping beauty herself. If you thought the comparison was inappropriate, just never mind. On tiptoe, you moved closer and leaned over the sleeping hero. Handsome. You especially liked the way his leafy green hair curled around his pointy ears. You wanted to catch one strand between your fingers and then watch it curl back. You weren't weird. Not at all.

You put the tray of medicine on the bedside table with a little more clatter than you'd like, but Evan didn't wake up, thankfully. The half elf's forehead was scalding hot, and you jerked your hand away quickly. Looking around, you spotted a basin of water on the other side of the room and quickly soaked the rag you'd grabbed from the tray before placing it on Evan's forehead. That's better. Satisfied, you smiled to yourself.

The question of how to medicate the unconscious hero was still open. You frankly didn't want to wake him up. You remembered from the book that Evan's condition was extremely serious, and he didn't come to his senses at all. Rest is the best medicine. It's better if you quietly do your business and leave, and he won't even know you're in his chambers. Shit, that sounded like some kind of thief.

Pass the cure with a kiss? You shook your head frantically as soon as the thought crossed your mind. God, you'd read too many romance novels. Conscience and morality would never allow you to violate Evan's personal boundaries like that, considering how they'd already been violated by the high priest. Besides, it would be despicable to do that to any person.

But then what were you supposed to do? You'd just have to pour the drugs into Evan's mouth and hope he didn't choke. That's about what you did, luckily without becoming a hero killer. Now comes the most difficult and embarrassing part. Ellen gave you an ointment to rub into the half elf's chest. The medical reasons behind this you almost completely missed, and you only had to take on faith the necessity of this action. Evan wouldn't like it if someone he didn't know undressed him and started performing medical procedures on him. Right? So something had to be done about it.

One of the scraps of fabric Ellen put on the tray caught your eye. It's perfect. You'll pretend to be a butler, covering your eyes with a strip of fabric so as not to embarrass your mistress. Master. You mean Evan. Quickly and tightly tying the band, you found yourself in darkness. With suddenly trembling hands you fumbled for the collar of the half elf's shirt and from it, you easily reached the buttons. Normally you would have easily done it in less than a minute, but now deprived of sight and incredibly embarrassed; each of your actions was stretched to the point of impossibility. After an eternity according to your internal clock, you finally managed this undeniably difficult task.

So it was time for the ointment, which was as green as you remembered and smelled like bumps or something else freshly herbal. Incredibly embarrassed by your own actions, you rubbed the ointment in as fast as you could without lingering on any part of Evan's skin. What's a stupid trail? A relieved exhale escaped you when this torture finally stopped. Ellen had said the ointment should absorb very quickly, literally in less than a minute, and in your head you drummed your fingers on your thigh, ticking off the seconds. When the time was up, you hoped for it towards the end you began to speed up the count, with all care you covered Evan with the blanket. The nurse had said the fever would go down very quickly, which meant the half elf could get cold.

And so it was done! Now you could leave with a clear conscience. You pulled the bandage off your eyes, blinked in the light, and hurriedly picked up the tray, leaving the room. Before you passed through the doorway, you took one last look at Evan, still sleeping peacefully. Handsome even when he's sick. Nodding affirmatively at that thought, you headed back to the infirmary to return the medication to the nurse.

***

Evan woke up when someone started undoing the buttons of his sleeping shirt. His first thought was that it was Donavan, so the only thing he could do was lie there and not fight back. Was he sick of his powerlessness? So sick that he wanted to open his chest with his hands and rip out his damn heart, which sometimes allowed itself to hope for the best. The half elf left his eyes closed, not wanting to look at the high priest's ugly face, twisted with desire. He could still visualize it all too well, anyway. A convulsion shot through his arm and he clawed his fingers into the sheets, his nails almost tearing the fabric.

Halfway through the unbuttoning, Evan suddenly realized that the fingers that sometimes grazed his skin were different from Donovan's skinny, knotted fingers, the pads of which were covered with calluses. In addition, a strange chill spread from his forehead down his body. Was it the damp cloth? It was only because of the two factors above that he actually opened his eyes and saw you. The snort that almost came out of his mouth, he held back with an incredible effort of will. A blindfold? It was ridiculous, even more ridiculous than the mix of slime deer and owl he'd met in the swamp. Ridiculous but oddly cute. The mere thought that he might be uncomfortable being stared at half-naked had never occurred to anyone. With already great interest and friendliness, he began to consider your appearance.

When you reached for the green jar, he recognized it as an antipyretic. A spark of realization lit him up, and Evan bit his lip. He was ready for the feeling of a thousand little insects crawling under his skin, but your touch didn't disgust him. Evan blinked perplexedly when he realized this. Short and medically detached, your touch was devoid of any lust. Noticing your fingers trembling, Evan concluded that at the very least you were awkward. Later his guess was confirmed by your tapping on your thigh, too uneven and often out of rhythm to be a sign of boredom or impatience. The blanket you covered him with forced him to smile slightly. A display of simple human caring that he had always been deprived of. The thought made him feel unpleasantly empty inside.

When your fingers reached for the bandage, Evan closed his eyes as quickly as possible, not even knowing why. He didn't have an answer to that question. Listening to the quiet rustling of the fabric of your clothes and the tinkling of the medicine on the tray made his heart feel lighter for some reason. It was as if you were not a randomly sent servant, but someone close to him who genuinely cared about him.

The creak of the door alerted him to your departure, but with his keen hearing, he could still hear your footsteps outside his chambers. As soon as they were gone, Evan sat up on the bed, causing the cloth on his forehead to fall down. Silently, he twirled it in his hands. His head felt strangely empty. Perhaps the only question that bothered him now was; who are you? Meeting you had irrevocably changed something in him, as if he had been a broken clock just now starting to run.

Evan rolled back over, sinking into the soft mattress, and returned the cloth to his forehead. The next time you two meet, once he's recovered enough to walk, he'll be sure to ask your name. With that thought, his exhausted mind took to its realm of Morpheus.

Reblogs, comments, are always greatly appreciated! ヽ(o^ ^o)ﾉ

[chuuyrrkisser]

A revised narrative.

— summary… It was supposed to be a regular Tuesday morning, you should be in college running to your next class and pray there were no assignments forgotten but here you were, isekaied to the middle of nowhere surrounded by nothing but cold snowed plane unable to move because your limbs are buried in the thick blanket of snow.

But hey, at least you were in your favorite anime– oh never mind, it's bungo stray dogs, you are so dead...

— content… dazai osamu/reader, chuuya nakahara/reader, reader has an ability, Dazai—typical suicide mentions, slow burn, slow updates, angst, angst with happy ending, because I can’t write angst endings, isekai and transmigration…

— chapter 1/?

It was cold…

So cold...

The touch of soft snow falling on your eyelids as you weakly bat them away was all you could make out since your vision was blinded by the snow. You couldn't remember how or why you ended up in the snowed plane, the only fragments you had were opening your eyes to see snow hailing and being unable to move your limbs as they were buried deep in the snow.

The few steps you took were short lived as you fell onto the cold blankets of snow, your body curled desperate to find warmth and you could felt your conscious slowly slip away from your grasp...

  A sharp pain pierced your limbs as you tried to move them.

You tried to open your eyes as painful as it was, you couldn't register your surroundings nor did you try to but you couldn't help but feel a wave of relief brush past you knowing you weren't freezing in the snow.

It took a few moments for you to gain awareness of the situation you were in, you ended up in a snowy place with no previous recollection of how nor why, and now you were in an indoor location laying on the floor with a pillow beneath you and a blanket draped on you– it was still freezing but it was better than being buried in snow, and you definitely didn't move all on your own, that meant–

"Ah, you're finally awake." a voice spoke from behind startling you upright quicker than you should, your hiss in pain earning a chuckle in response.

"Now, now. You were found in a pile of snow frozen over, you might want to be less hasty with your movements."

You could tell the voice was amused by your prediction making you scowl as you carefully turned your head to look over at the owner of the voice to see a lanky tall man with mess dark hair and bandages wrapped around his head covering one eye strangely reminding you of... oh dear...

"How did you end up in a private mafia site? I know many incompetent guards but none enough to miss a high schooler in their summer uniform..." he began walking over to you with a strained smile that sent a shiver down your spine.

Every step Dazai took made your head spin, the fact that you were in a room with a certified sociopath that is known as a devil's prodigy is not exactly appealing and neither was your predicament with ending up in a private mafia sector without a reasonable explanation, and whatever isekai or transmigration nonsense this was is not helping.

You try shuffling back as he came closer before crouching down to your level. His voice held a strong disdain as he spoke with a faux smile, "I can speculate only one way you could have gotten in, but several reasons of why you did, a few I can get by and the rest..." he pauses, "I advise you to keep talking."

The blank could be filled easily without the need for multiple choices, it was a threat. But it stumped you on what you should say, there is no lie to get behind this without having a bullet through your skull.

The only thing you could do was to tell him the truth at least part of it. You look down as you take a deep breath before clasping your hands together before looking up at him with a forced feeble smile.

"Permission to plead insanity?", his eyes widen a second taken back at your request before relaxing and letting out a chuckle, "Permission granted."

"I am... from another world..." there was a brief silence before the brunette snorted a laugh, "If this is what you mean by insanity, then it isn't convincing enough." you turn red at his amusement at your awful explanation– I mean, how were you supposed to explain it? It wasn't like this is a daily event.

"No, don't you dare laugh. I am serious! Just listen to me!", you tried to get him to hear you out yet he couldn't help but laugh at how you kept insisting it was no laughing matter and you were 100% serious.

You tried holding him down when you noticed him trying to turn, "I am from another world! The only reason I am confident about that is because I know you– from a- a- a book! I know about you from a book and you are a fictional character!"

Deciding to lie about him being a fictional character from a book rather than an anime or manga because you really didn't want to get into it. He slowly calmed down looking back at you, "Saying you know me is only making it worse for you, but I will give you the benefit of the doubt... what do you know about me, little lady?"

You take a sharp breath, you could easily tell him everything but you also had to be careful without making it seem like you were some sort of spy, "You are Osamu Dazai... and you... you..."

Dazai's smile remains as he tilts his head as though a curious puppy, "And I? Come on, I expected you to know so much about me. Am I not your favorite character?" he clearly took this as a joke but you stared at him hesitant and scared not knowing what to do.

"You are suicidal but you dislike pain, you also don't like dogs, you–"

"Are you going to keep listing my likes and dislikes?", he cuts you off, "Well, I'd love to say information like you live in a shipping container but you'd just think I'm an undercover agent or something!" you squeal freaking out making him shake his head still amused.

"Listen, I know I sound insane, dumb, and other synonyms but I'm telling the truth... god, when I said I wanted fictional characters to be real, this is not what I meant..." he watched as you gave up hope and stare at your hands as you fiddled with your fingers dejected.

The brunette sighed before rising back up as he peered down at you, "You know, as much as I want to believe you are clinically insane, especially with your claims and nothing back yourself up with. I can't help but believe you..." you blinked at him surprised.

"...really?"

"Hell no, but while you were freaking out I pick-pocketed your school ID and it says 2024 on it plus you look too dumb to lie so I'm obligated to believe that at least some part of your story is real." you gave him a dirty look as he smirked down at you waving the ID.

He snickered before lending you a hand to take, you struggled to rise back on your feet still feeling the after affects of the previous event. Either way, you pulled yourself up and went to reach for your ID only for it to be pulled away by him tsking.

"I have to hand some kind of confirmation to my boss to deal with your situation. Come on, let's get a move on before I change my mind." He turned his heel to walk out the door as you followed along to only stop and look back at you.

"One more thing..." he reaches to remove his black coat and drape it over your shoulder, this scene was familiar to you. The coat felt heavy on you, not because of its weight itself but the reason behind it.

Pulling the coat off, you shoved it to his chest making he look at you dumbfounded at you, it was freezing outside and you were wearing a summertime uniform, you would be stupid to reject any kind of extra layers. And while that was true, you knew taking his coat meant having a relation to Dazai and to owe him, which was the last thing you wanted.

"I rather not..." he looks at you up and down deciding you might actually be clinically insane before turning around to open the door. A blast of cold breeze entered the room making every part of your body receive ptsd... maybe you could temporarily use his coat and forcefully return it later...?

  "You know, on second thoughts..."

— next chapter…

[anachronismstellar]

Fic writer curse got me fam, and the doctor didn't give me a note so I have to go to work. To cheer me up here's more Airplane vs The System because I wanna feel I'm making progress

And it's Cumplane Bros being smart because I love them and yeah

Hope you like it!

---

“There's…” he hesitated, glancing at Shen Yuan nervously before sweeping things around, going through names of missions. “There's stuff missing. And I can see the names, but now it's all gray? I can't select my old logs.”

Shen Yuan opened his own system, checking the same options Airplane had gone through, finding everything normal.

“That's weird, even for the System,” Shen Yuan took a step back, picking up his fan, tapping it against his palm as he walked back and forth. “And you don't remember getting any messages?”

“No, I would have told you if anything had popped up!” Which, yea, Airplane wouldn't be able to hide something like that. And they had been enjoying a nice life for the past couple of years, finally living their happy ending. Yes, some wife plots here and there but…

“I thought it was done with us now that the story was finished.” Airplane's voice cracked at the end, and this time Shen Yuan couldn't help but feel his heart squeeze for his fellow transmigrator, murderously rampant or not.

“Okay, we have to think.” Shen Yuan went back to walking, pressing his fingers against his forehead, his crown starting to feel too tight on his head. “We know Linguang-Jun was working with an Owl demon. Did he say anything else?”

Airplane blanched, trembling hand going over his mouth, rubbing his fingers over closed pressed lips. It took him some moments to compose himself, shrugging as he made the screen vanish.

“He said it wasn't a Demon, but a Heavenly being, which makes no sense, I didn't write the Heavens-”

“Oh so you do remember what you wrote, amazing!”

“-But he also said that they wanted Mobei-Jun alive. He said that they were powerful and they knew all about Linguang-Jun's schemes, down to the people he had bribed, that's why he had to help them.”

“Did he at least describe them? It was an Owl type of creature but what else?” He stopped next to the table, moving papers around with the tip of his fan. He couldn't help but think that something else was going on. “If we have the physical description we can focus on one area of the map.”

Shen Yuan huffed when Airplane ignored his comment completely only with a twitch of an eye. Airplane couldn't physically hurt him, Shen Qingqiu's cultivation skills being better than Shang Qinghua could ever develop, but Airplane looked just enough on the edge that he might try his luck with a punch.

Shen Yuan didn't want to test his limits, so he ignored that he had been ignored, letting it slide.

“He said that they arrived as a white Owl, then they changed to their humanoid form.”

Shen Yuan froze, eyes going wide. The color helped to focus their search on the Northern Desert, but where? The area was huge, most of it completely uninhabitable except-

“The Polar Owl,” he mumbled, not bothering to answer Airplane's “what?”, shoving away the pile of useless notes to grab the huge map of the demon realm hidden under it all. “You only wrote one fucking normal animal in this entire weird ass story, and it was the Polar Owl,” Shen Yuan grabbed a brush to circle the places the Owl hypothetically lived, not cursing out loud Airplane's lack of following through with backgrounds. This time. “They live in the furthest north anyone ever been, no one else can survive the low temperatures except-”

“The Mobei line.” Airplane's whisper wasn't loud enough to interrupt Shen Yuan but the awed expression on Shang Qinghua's face was.

“Exactly.” Shen Yuan snapped his fan open, a smirk tilting his lips up as he straightened up his shoulders, putting on his best peak lord smug face. “And they are considered sacred to the Northern tribes because of their resistance to low temperatures. Thus it is completely possible that Linguang-Jun thought that the person he spoke with had come from the Heavens.”

Ding!

Mission in progress: Author's favorite.

UV002 objective: aid UV001

[COMPLETED]

---

Off to work I go, wish me luck ✌️

[idlebeks]

A few more SVSSS recs for the pile

right from the start, I gave you my heart by nex_et_nox

"Bro, you know how many words I wrote per day, and how many plants I created!” Shang Qinghua whines. "I can't remember them all, it's impossible."

Shen Qingqiu narrows his eyes. "It was used with Wife #418.”

"That doesn't narrow it down any further. I'm not going to be able to guess it, so stop punishing me and just tell me how the flower nerfed you."

Shen Qingqiu grits his teeth. Obviously he wants to draw this out to punish Shang Qinghua, but it kinda looks more like he's punishing himself. There's a muscle flexing in his jaw, and if he puts any more pressure on his fan's guard, it's going to snap. Uh, actually, Shen Qingqiu kind of looks like he's in pain—

“A false dragonhead is also called an obedient plant. It’s in the name—the flower forces you to do whatever you're told," Shen Qingqiu spits out.

or: Shen Qingqiu runs afoul of one of Airplane's stupid wife-plot devices...just before a mission to Jinlan City.

stuffed with fluff (and blood and bones and rage) by nyoomerr

Ever since he was pushed into the Abyss, Luo Binghe has been dreaming of a strange world. In it, Luo Binghe's own face is everywhere, and his story is written out in humiliating detail for some stupid twink to read about. Luo Binghe hates the story, and he hates the dream realm, and he hates the godling within it - Shen Yuan - most of all.

Unfortunately, Luo Binghe can't do anything about it - within these dreams, Luo Binghe is stuck within the body of a doll.

second-hand alibis by nex_et_nox

“All right. I’m in Proud Immortal Demon Way," he says, once he's had a chance to compose himself again. He sits back up, tossing his stupidly long hair back over his shoulders where it belongs; he is totally calm and ready to grill the System for more information.  "Who am I supposed to be?"

Please please please don't let it be someone who Bingge violently murders.

Though given the fact that he's a man in PIDW, his chances are already skewed, and not in his favor. Ugh.

[Bound Role: Shen Yuan, Rogue Cultivator. Weapon: the sword Heng Li. Starting B-points: 100.]

or: Shen Yuan transmigrates as a rogue cultivator, one completely unconnected to any canon characters or events. Right, System? Right?

Type Casting by pallas_rose

Shang Qinghua’s fertilizer has unexpected effects on the mushroom body. In addition to... that, Shen Qingqiu doesn’t remember his death. Or anything at all after planting the Sun Moon Dew Mushroom seed in the dirt.

But he doesn’t need to, right? Shen Qingqiu knows PIDW and Luo Bing-ge like the back of his hand. He’ll be fine. He just has to avoid getting noticed—you know what happens to beautiful women in PIDW!

…though would life in the harem be so bad?

says the shadow by tciddaemina

Luo Binghe wakes up to the heavy, suffocating feeling that something is wrong.

His back aches, sleeping on the floor of the woodshed has left him stiff and sore, and yet all the pain and agony of his latest caning fades into inconsequentiality, washed away in the face of the sheer, suffocating, heavy dread pressing down on his shoulders. It steals the oxygen from the air, swelling to fill every inch of the room, the pressure crushing.

His eyes open too quickly, and he scrambles up, heart pounding in his throat, head snapping towards the door of the shed. There's a knot in his throat, thick, and he struggles to swallow around it, throat suddenly dry.

The woodshed looks as it always has. Nothing has changed.

Everything has changed.

-

Luo Binghe's shizun has a qi deviation and the thing left afterwards isn't Shen Qingqiu.

Shen Yuan's School for Unrepentant Assholes by TGP

Shen Yuan has been dealt a rough hand at the beginning of his life. Then he gets sort of adopted by Shen Qingqiu, who desperately needs someone to help smooth out his interpersonal relationships. Thankfully, Shen Yuan is awesome at understanding people and what they want!

Shen Qingqiu can't decide if he regrets claiming this chaos gremlin as his own or not, but now that Shen Yuan is here, he's never letting him go. He'll have to be pried out of Shen Qingqiu's cold, dead fingers first.

Meanwhile, Luo Binghe is just caught up in the wake of both of them and trying not to be dragged under.

(Or, a drama of errors with comedic moments, exploring the growing relationship between an unforgiving misanthrope with serious issues and a traumatized kid that just wants to teach him what family means (and maybe learn it, himself))

dreaming you the same sun in a different place by JRaylin441

[Activating: Bonus Chapter – In Another Life]

[We notice that you are searching for someone. Would you like to accept the bonus chapter mission In Another Life in order to reunite with User: Shen Yuan, Bound Role: Shen Qingqiu?]

Shen Qingqiu disappears. Luo Binghe isn't going to let that stand.

Written for a Gotcha for Gaza prompt "Luo Binghe sucking Shen Yuan's dick (any dynamic)" from an anonymous prompter

[notsofrozt]

Babe wake up, new fic just dropped-

My first SVSSS (and cumplane) fic :D

For the first time since that time he decided not to crush his King's skull, Airplane Shooting Towards the Sky decided to take a risk. Without taking his eyes off Shen Qingqiu, he slammed the stack of papers on the table two more times, dropping them to complete the beat. Shen Qingqiu's eyes opened a little wider, and the gleam from before returned. Shang Qinghua distinguished it so clearly that he felt like crying. It was recognition. Shen Qingqiu was no more. A new soul now inhabited his body. A transmigrator, just like him.

Or: Thanks to a badly stacked pile of papers and the power of music, the transmigration reveal happens in quite a different way.

Rated: Teen

Ship: Shen Qingqiu / Shang Qinghua (cumplane)

Word count: 2,6k

[wangxianficfinder]

In the mood for...

Apr 29th

~*~

1. Itmf wangxian but A) it's a universe with mechas and wwx may/may not be a mecha genius or mecha master?

B) wx but make it Interstellar univ

C) wwx transmigrating please

1A)

The Weight of the World by KouriArashi (T, 67k, WangXian, XiYao, XuanLi, Pacific Rim Fusion, Robots, Monsters, robots fighting monsters, Family, Romance, Developing Relationship, Angst, (but not about the romances), Hurt/Comfort, Politics, Happy Ending)

Thunder's Coming Over Me by phnelt (E, 38k, WangXian, WIP, Avatar & Benders Setting, Pacific Rim Fusion, temporary character death (wwx's), Angst with a Happy Ending, Action & Romance)

I’ll buy you the moon (I’ll buy you two) by Thesaurus_with_no_words (E, 27k, WangXian, Science Fiction, Space, Rebels, Space Opera, On the Run, Promoted To Parent, Robots, Androids, Mechs, Battle Mechs, Hurt/Comfort, Technopathy, Willful and Deliberate Baby and Wife Acquisition, Porn With Plot, Mpreg) would this count if the mech fighting is only mention and wwx is currently a technopath?

~*~

2. Itmf request! Any fics where LWJ and WWX get together (even if just as friends) before LWJ figures himself out and so he's embarrassed by WWX or otherwise reticent or dismissive about their relationship?

Cleaning & Courtship by Winxhelina (T, 13k, WangXian, Modern Cultivation, Getting Together, First Kiss, Bunnies, Domestic Fluff, Fluff) fits the bill I feel. Lan Wangji definitely isn’t dismissive on purpose but he is awfully embarrassed and flustered in chapter 2. (And in fact In the secret chapter 3 that has been in my drafts for ages, but we don’t talk about her. The story is done. Supposedly.)

~*~

3. heyy there, feeling for some angsty fics of lwj finding out wwx death or just grieving for him over the years. thanksss

to the act of making noise by words-writ-in-starlight (WordsWritInStarlight) (G, 19k, LSZ & LWJ, LSZ & WWX, WangXian, Grief/Mourning, Father-Son Relationship, inquiry, LSZ is the best of boys and I will not hear debate, Music, Angst, Fluff and Angst, Found Family) This is sorta third party POV, with Sizhui being the third party. Angsty yet tender, with Sizhui growing up hearing Inquiry. I swear I went through a pile of tissues the first time I read it, but in the best way! Highly recommend the podfic version for extra feels!

to remember names of plants series by detention_notes (T, 8k, Diary/Journal, Character Study, WWX's canonical humor as deflection, WQ is a lesbian, Friendship, Parenthood, Pining, thinly-veiled anger and fear, small moments of hope, planning for uncertain futures, is this angst?, gentle angst, Reminiscing, Found Family, Parenthood, Reminiscing, Pining, Grief/Mourning, Epistolary, Healing, Childhood, Love, LWJ's single parenthood, how to love a memory, how to raise the next generation, Canonical Character Death, Yearning, LWJ's concentrated stream-of-consciousness emotions, Bittersweet, Hopeful Ending)

New Perspective by mrcformoso (T, 8k, WangXian, LSZ & LWJ, Major Character Death, Angst, Hopeful Ending, Fatherhood, Regrets, Flashbacks, POV LWJ, LWJ-centric, Canonical Character Death - WWX, Pining LWJ, LWJ Has Feelings, LWJ Needs a Hug, Character Development, Dead WWX, LWJ deals with the death of his love, And learns to be a father along the way, Introspection, Feelings, LWJ is Bad at Feelings, Character Study, WWX's death in The Untamed was too raw, Regretful LWJ, Breaking Toxic Cycles, Canon Compliant, LWJ in Seclusion, Post-LWJ in Seclusion, Child LSZ)

~*~

4. hello! thank you for all the lovely work you do mods, this is my favourite account for finding fic recs :)

i wanted to ask for recommendations of fics where lwj is pining for wwx and maybe genuinely emotionally hurt, or some temporarily unrequited love? the angstier the better tbh, i want to see lwj go through it (before wwx makes it better). only happy endings though please :’)

thanks so much!! 💖

Continuation by thefaceofno (T, 14k, WangXian, Canon Continuation, WWX builds a lotus pond in cloud recesses, Hair Brushing, Light Angst with a Happy Ending, Pining, gay disaster LWJ, Post-Canon Fix-It)

When the Words Stop Coming by mrcformoso (T, 7k, WangXian, Canon Compliant, POV WWX, POV LWJ, Cloud Recesses Study Arc, Pre-Sunshot Campaign, Burial Mounds Settlement Days, Canonical Character Death, Love Confessions, Rejection, LWJ is a Panicked Gay, Temporarily Unrequited Love, Trauma, WangXian Get a Happy Ending, Angst with a Happy Ending, Sad with a Happy Ending)

~*~

5. fics of lwj being protective of wwx?? have a good day, thanks. ❤️

Inchoate by Marinelifeclub (T, 20k, WangXian, WIP, Child Abuse, Bad Parent JFM, Bad Parent YZY, Protective LQR, Protective LWJ, Rogue Cultivator WWX, Not YZY Friendly, Not JC Friendly, No Golden Core Transfer, Dark JFM)

🔒 between the shadow and the soul by Reverie (cl410) (M, 22k, WangXian, JYL/WQ, JC/NHS, Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Family, Dark WWX, Feral WWX, Memory Loss, Magic, Magical Realism, Protective LWJ, Protective JC, Protective JYL, Grief, BAMF WWX, POV Alternating)

~*~

6. Hi! For the next itmf, do you have anything with jyl acting as a mother to wwx? Or anything similar

Fatherhood’s Calling by Fortune_Maiden (G, 1k, JYL/JZX, JZX & WWX, post-sunshot, crack, humor)

The Teapot Plot series by ToxicAngel13 (E, 127k, WangXian, LXC/NMJ, Misunderstandings, protective Jiang siblings, Golden Core Reveal, Golden Core Transfer Fix-It, Idiots in Love, Post-Sunshot Campaign, Pre-Burial Mounds, Potential for M-Preg, Fix-It, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Injury Recovery, Gusu Lan Sect Rules, Mpreg)

~*~

7. Hi! Someone suggest coming here to ask for wangxian fic recs so here I am >^<. Anyways, do you know any fics where wangxian got together before wei wuxian's death? As in, wwx still dies and comes back later in mxy's body.

Thanks in advance!

~*~

8. in the mood for a wangxian fic thats shows/movies rewritten to fit wangxian, i recently read this mamma mia and love O2O au and fell in love with wangxian being put in shows/movies @yesibest

all your life you’ll dream of this by Attila (T, 22k, WangXian, Fairy tale, Cinderella Fusion, Pining)

🔒 the stars in the hazy heaven tremble above you by cicer (G, 64k, WangXian, Fantasy, Cinderella Fusion, Mutual Pining)

the rivers start to sing by fruitys (M, 27k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Tangled (2010) Fusion, Fairy Tale Elements, Strangers to Lovers, True Love's Kiss, or something like that, Sharing a Bed, Wound Tending, Hurt/Comfort, Attempt at Humor, Implied/Referenced Torture, Canon-Typical Violence, the inherent intimacy of traveling with a beautiful stranger, and completely depending upon one another for 3 days)

Down comes the night by danegen (E, 67k, wangxian, Alternate Universe, Canon Era, inspired by From, Horror, Sharing a Room, POV LWJ, no jiangs, a whole village of OCs, tiny mention of past wwx/omc, Happy Ending)

The Dragon's Bride by jaws_3 (T, 34k, WangXian, Beauty and the Beast Fusion, Arranged Marriage elements, Slow Burn, sometimes ya get sent off to atone for ur villages misgivings and u just gotta deal, Dragon LWJ, Mutual Pining, Happy Ending, Spanish Translation Available)

Something Good by boxoftheskyking (T, 43k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Teaching, Sound of Music AU)

~*~

9. Can you all recommend me some fanfic (preferably if long and not modern AU) also if it's completed. @lanwuxian0725

💖🔒 love, in fire and blood by cicer (E, 360k, wangxian, Canon Divergence, YLLZ WWX, Arranged Marriage, political scheming, Gratuitous Domesticity, Mutual Pining, EXTREME SLOWBURN, the inherent eroticism of the forehead ribbon, The Mortifying Ordeal of Being Known, neither wwx nor lwj want to be Perceived, but sorry kids! it’s gonna happen!, rated E but the the NSFW stuff doesn’t begin until chapter 19!, bottom LWJ in chapter 20 and 27)

Teen Project to Change the World by animeloverhomura (Not rated, 810k, WangXian, watching the series, BAMF WWX, Fix-It, JGS is his own warning, Attractive WWX, Homophobia, disturbing imagery, WIP)

🧡 Stunted, Starving Juvenility by TomatenMark (E, 786k, WangXian, WIP, Fix-it of sorts, Talisman master WWX, Not JFM Friendly, Study Arc, Getting together, Fluff and Angst, Engagement)

❤️ Tragedy is Not the End by Hobbsy3 (T, 358k, wangxian, Time Travel, Torture, Hurt/Comfort, Golden Core Reveal, Canon Divergence from Qiongqi Pass, Angst with a Happy Ending, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Yunmeng sibling bonding, good dad wwx, good dad lwj, JZX Lives, JYL Lives, Junior Quartet Dynamics)

A Narrow Bridge by FrameofMind, Jo Lasalle (Jo_Lasalle) (E, 700k, wangxian, time travel fix-it, slow burn, getting together, first time, pining, pining while fucking, burial mounds settlement days, angst w happy ending)

Love Song In Reverse by timetoboldlygo (T, 237k, WangXian, Amnesia, Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Non-Sexual Intimacy, Falling In Love, Slow Burn, agressively mixing and matching novel and cql canon, No Homophobia, Mentions of Starvation, Parental WWX)

~*~

10. Itmf: anything with wwx meeting his family on his father’s side? Preferably Pre-canon or a canon divergence

We Meet at the Thousandth Step by Admiranda, Rynne (T, 295k, WangXian, CSSR/WCZ, WIP, Canon Divergence, No Sunshot Campaign, CSSR & WCZ Live, Rogue Cultivator WWX, Different First Meeting, Night Hunts, Genius WWX, Inventor WWX, Plot, Romance, Drama, Fluff, Strangers to married, Unresolved Sexual Tension, Unresolved Romantic Tension, Everyone Lives AU, Developing Relationship, Minor Violence, Case Fic, Mystery, Flirting, WWX’s Canon-Typical Flower Flirting, Arson, There Was Only One Bed, Getting Together, First Kiss, Meeting the Parents, Resolved Sexual Tension, Resolved Romantic Tension, WWX Is a Good Big Brother, New Relationship Bliss, Chinese Mythology & Folklore, Blood and Injury, Yiling siblings, Married WangXian, Honeymoon, Wangxian’s Baby Fever)

~*~

11. Hi! As always thank you for everything!!! Do you have recs where lwj kinda gets hurt and wwx just go ylz crazy?? Thank you!! @gideonmorningstar

the field meets the wood by astronicht (T, 7k, WangXian, BAMF WWX, slight whump, Ritualistic Self Harm, Canon Era, Tang Dynasty style, Blood Loss, Blood and Injury, salt economics, Post-Canon)

cold black light by rynleaf (E, 2k, WangXian, PWP, Major Character Injury, Unorthodox Methods of Healing, Rough Sex(Ish) Anal Fingering, The Yiling Patriarch, Blood, Bottom LWJ, Aftercare, LWJ is in love, Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Podfic Available)

love what’s burning right in front of you by seularen (E, 10k, WangXian, Post-Canon, BAMF!WWX, description of murder, Case Fic, Political Intrigue, YL WWX, Bottom LWJ, Top WWX, but Big Switch Energy)

to be wielded by your hands by Vir_Abelasan (M, 3k, WangXian, Post-Canon, Fluff and Smut, Competence Kink, Knifeplay, Established Relationship, LWJ has a Yiling Patriarch kink, Consensual sealing of meridians, kink negotiated on the fly, Strength Kink, Resentacles)

~*~

12. hiii!! thank you for all the work you do.

i'm itmf some wwx age regression? like he gets cursed somehow and turns into little a-ying and it's just all feels with the juniors and lwj taking care of him :(((

❤️ grow by cafecliche (T, 14k, WangXian, Age Regression/De-Aging, Character Study, Post-Canon)

found your writing on my wall by howodd5ever (T, 25k, WangXian, JC & LWJ, JC & WWX, Accidental Baby Acquisition, De-aged WWX, Post-Canon, Getting Together, Referenced Child Neglect, discussion of parental loss, child food insecurity, Case Fic, kind of, Nightmares)

~*~

13. hello! i was wondering if there are any fics where Jin Zixuan and Wei Wuxian become like besties/sworn brothers or like really close? thanks <3 @nyxiblue

❤️🔒 Candy & Conspiracies by Reverie (cl410) (T, 16k, wangxian, JZX & WWX, jin wwx, fluff & crack, found family, humor, no angst) WX is taken in by the Jin instead of the Jiang, & he, JZX, & MM are besties

🔒 The Second Hand Unwinds by trulywicked (E, 56k, WangXian, JYL/JZX, WIP, Time Travel Fix-It, Not JC Friendly, Not Yunmeng Jiang Sect Friendly, Not Jiāng Family Friendly, Not YZY Friendly, Time Travelling LWJ, Protective LWJ, Fluff, Minor Angst, Minor Character Death, JGS is his own warning, Wooing, LWJ is romantic af, Inventor WWX, Genius WWX, Cloud Recesses Study Arc, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Protective Gusu Lan Sect, Supportive LXC, Good Uncle LQR, WWX Protection Squad) has Wei Wuxian become sworn brothers with Jin Zixuan

Twin Treasures by crossdressingdeath (T, 81k, WIP, JZX & WWX, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Can’t quite tag this as ‘everyone lives’ but I promise everyone who dies will DESERVE IT, mostly novel-verse with a bit of CQL here and there, currently being edited) has Wei Wuxian and Jin Zixuan become actual brothers.

watch what we'll become by glitteringmoonlight (T, 60k, JZX & WWX, WangXian, Background JZX/JYL, WWX & JZX are married but completely platonically, featuring my let WWX and JZX be bros agenda, slow burn? is it even a slow burn if they confess but can't be together for Reasons?, Canon Divergence, Fix-It of Sorts, Angst with a Happy Ending, you've heard of enemies to friends to lovers, now get ready for enemies to reluctant husbands to begrudging best friends)

🔒 Quartet series by WithBroomBefore (T, 69k, Platonic Soulbond, Hurt/comfort, Canon   Divergence, No golden core transfer, JC&JZX stay in Xuanwu cave, Fix-it, Temporary character death)

~*~

14. ITMF ask, I’m looking for any golden core fix it fics. (with minimal to no JC bashing plz) I’ve looked through the comp and it doesn’t clearly separate fix-its, golden-core revels and golden-core fix its. And some authors don’t explicitly tag a golden-core fix-it or wwx getting a new core as explicitly that, sometimes they just leave it tagged as a fix-it and it’s missed. So give me any good ones you’ve got. @omgnectarina

The Fire Lapping Up the Creek by notevenyou (E, 66k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Hurt/Comfort, Canon-Typical Violence, Injury, Injury Recovery, Blood, Respiratory Illness, Major Illness, Fever, Grief/Mourning, Burial Mounds, Angst with a Happy Ending, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Hunger and food scarcity, Surgery, Fix-It of Sorts)

💖 Echo, Murmur, Dream, Here by bluerainmist (M, 51k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Universe Alteration, the yiling patriarch survives, Angst with a Happy Ending, Catharsis, Slow Burn, Drama, Getting Together, Romance, Hurt/Comfort, Melancholy, Love, Mutual Pining, Reunions, Love Confessions, Eventual Smut, Blow Jobs, Anal Sex, Switching, Grief/Mourning, fucking while pining, Implied/Referenced Torture, Self-Harm, golden core transfer, Playing fast and loose with worldbuilding, Plot, Battle Scenes, Canon-Typical Violence, Canonical Character Death, implied / Referenced suicide attempt, Sect Leader WWX, YLLZ WWX, Yílíng Wèi Sect, mind all the tags) might count as a GC Fix-It?

🧡 Weep You No More, Sad Fountains by athena_crikey (T, 48k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Fix-it fic, Whump, Curses, Fever, Delirium, Stabbing, Loneliness, Confessions)

the breaking of your soul (upon my lips) by sunsandships (M, 40k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Fix-It, Mutual Pining, Golden Core Reveal, Happy Ending)

Righteous at a Cost by thunderwear (G, 21k, wangxian, LQR & WWX, Canon Divergence, Fix-It, no one dies, LQR finds out about WWX’s core, WWX and LQR are friends??, In My Fic?, its more likely than you think, LWJ in the bg like whats happening?, Fluff, WWX goes to Gusu, Mutual Pining, Golden Core Reveal)

Ghosts Shouldn’t by ShanaStoryteller (Not Rated, 15k, WangXian, Grief/Mourning, Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending)

Can’t Tell Me Nothin by natacup82 (T, 35k, wangxian, Canon Divergence, Everybody Lives, Family Feels, Communication, BAMF Women)

I’m Sorry & Thank You by Iamnotawriter (T, 12k, WangXian, LQR & WWX, Canon Compliant, Post-Canon, Golden Core, Canon-Typical Violence, lqr’s epipheny, Angst with a Happy Ending)

~*~

15. helloo, itmf wei ying near death experiences, canon or modern is finee. thankss.

🔒 a candle blown out by RoseThorne (T, 1k, LWJ & WWX, JC & WWX & JYL, JFM & WWX, Near Death, Depression, Psychological Trauma, Justice, Fear, Angst, No War AU, Attempted Murder, Bad Parent YZY, POV Third Person, POV LXC, Podfic Available)

🔒 a star called sun by thelastdboy (E, 120k, wangxian, SL/XXC, JC & JYL & WWX, JYL & LWJ, WWX & WN & WQ, JYL/JZX, Canon Divergence after Xuanwu Cave, Fall of Lotus Pier, But worse!, Power Imbalance, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, Not Everyone Dies AU, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Canon-Typical Violence, Sunshot Campaign, Miscommunication, Heavy Angst with a Happy Ending, Slow Burn, Major Character Injury, Loss of Limbs, Chronic Illness, Seizures, WWX’s Three Months in the Burial Mounds, Wēn Remnants Live, Wēn Remnants Deserve Better, WWX Creates a Sect | Yílíng Wèi Sect, Additional Warnings In Author’s Note, Hurt/Comfort, Selectively Mute LWJ, Service Animals, Crows)

🔒 Bright Voice Roughly Rendered Softly Silent by Preludian_Staves (T, 26k, WangXian, Canon-Typical Violence, Canon Divergence, No Golden Core Transfer, Muteness, Hurt/Comfort, Getting Together, Not JC Friendly, Confessions, Angst, Choking, Red String of Fate, Appearances by Paperman!WWX, Inventor WWX, Good Uncle LQR, WWX goes to Cloud Recesses, Feelings Realization, Caretaking, Supportive Lan Family, Genius WWX, Angst with a Happy Ending, WangXian Get a Happy Ending, Protective LWJ, Protective Lan Family, Character Death (not wwx or lwj))

when you’re doing all the leaving (then it’s never your love lost) by tardigradeschool (T, 26k, wangxian, canon divergence, hurt/comfort, canon-typical violence, sharing clothes, sharing a bed, fix-it, golden core transfer)

When You Wake, 怎能当梦一场 by acertainrogue (T, 39k, WangXian, WWX is in a coma, Angst with a Happy Ending, Modern AU, Single Dad LWJ, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Parenthood, YZY’s A+ Parenting, JFM’s A+ parenting, wangxian family)

总有一天; a place to hide (can’t find one near) by yiqie (E, 76k, WangXian, Modern AU, Pianist, Getting Together, Mental Health Issues, Suicide Attempt, Suicidal Thoughts, Depression, Hospitals, Overdosing, Eventual Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Additional Warnings In Author’s Note)

~*~

16. Hi, thank you for all the work you do.

Wondering if there's any fics where Jiang Cheng does manage to capture Wei Wuxian post res and drag him back to Lotus Pier. (Like lwj doesn't get to him in time or jl doesn't get to save him) Preferably JC unfriendly, thanks!

~*~

17. This blog is amazing thank you mods!!!!

A) Do you know of any Jin Zixuan lives and brother in laws Wei wuxian and jiang cheng

Or

B) Sister in law Jiang Yanli with Lan zhan

17A)

Marital Prospects by Vamillepudding (G, 18k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Everybody Lives, Romantic Comedy, Misunderstandings, LWJ Needs a Hug)

17B)

Aftermath by KouriArashi (T, 57k, JYL/JZX, wangxian, LXC/JGY, JZX & JGY, JYL & WXX, Canon Divergence, Fix-It, Everybody Lives, Romance, Developing Relationship, Family, Sibling Bonding, Light Angst, Politics, Attempted Sexual Assault, some murder on occasion, People talking about their feelings, processing their trauma, The good shit) Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji are engaged but not married yet at the end.

~*~

If you didn’t get an answer to your ask here, don’t forget to make use of @mdzs-kinkmeme and MDZS KINK MEME on Dreamwidth. Authors actually do use them for ideas. You may get what you order!***Your prompt doesn’t have to be kink! Fluff, crack, whatever - it’s all good!***

[phoenixtakaramono]

I swear to god you were on demon mode when you wrote the multiverse conclusion. My jaw is literally on the floor. I have to compose myself otherwise I’ll just keyboard smash my phone in hysteria.

The way you write makes it so easy to envision the scene in my head, like word for word you set it up so perfectly that I’m like oh okay so I’m really seeing all these Butchers take on one Homelander. That’s ace, that’s juice, that’s every single compliment I can think of.

I can’t wait for the sequel oh my god oh my GOD. All those HLs with one Butcher? HL on HL? The possibilities are endless. Thank you again for sharing this with us!!

This Ask is regarding this 🔞 butchlander multiverse oneshot threadfic on twitter (tumblr read version: parts 1, 2)

Thank you very much for reading! I had The Name of the Game (AO3) thoughts in my brain that are unrelated to the main story so, whilst that 135ch monstrosity is gonna take its time, I might as well offer some unofficial post-main story or during-main story spin-offs—but as threadfic oneshots so they won’t clutter AO3 and/or taint the reading experience when more chapters are added. The brainworms were strong this time, so I might as well tap into that creative surge of inspiration instead of letting it gather dust and maybe never see the light of day.

Re: the threadfic ending. I’d always planned to have the vice versa switcheroo in this threadfic (where it turns from 7 Butchers + 1 TNotG HL into 7 Homelanders + 1 TNotG Billy 😉) but I had initially been uncertain whether to include it in this threadfic itself or allocate it to a separate sequel threadfic. I saw how long this oneshot threadfic was becoming and, well, after having to essentially retype 60% of what I could recall from memory after the last unsaved 58 tweets were lost to the void, I guess you can say the universe helped make my decision, hahaha.

Fun fact: I’d mentioned this in Part II’s comments, but making it the 5 HLs from 5 of my threadfics + the 1 HL from the Truce universe transmigrated into the TNotG universe is us having mercy on Billy. Because, imagine, you’re the scummy Male Lead who has quick transmigrated (world hopped) into 6 parallel universes, and had a relationship with each parallel dimension’s version of Homelander. And upon returning to your own world, you schemed to to get together with your own world’s destined lover Homelander—and it happened, although probably not how Billy had envisioned it with HL taking initiative into his own hands drugging him and making him participate in a seven-way 0rgy to seduce him. But bam! Murphy’s Law struck, and now Billy has to contend with seven jealous Homelanders. They’re the prideful trophy wives who are reunited with the husband they’d thought they’d lost, but he’s alive, and in their eyes they equate it as him “cheating” on them with a new hot floozy (TNotG’s HL). *laughs*

It’s a lot more dramatic if I made it a reunion, so instead I decided to be merciful on our Male Lead service top and instead make 6 of those Homelanders from my other fics, so the narrative is easier to handle not that TNotG HL wouldn’t also be down for a fun time with TNotG 6 other HLs.

Essentially I am willing to serve y’all the Homelander f*cking doppelgänger Homelander scene that we never got to see, Amazon you cowards. But ramp it up a notch, and toss our somewhat nicer to HL TNotG Billy Prime into the sweaty pile of clingy, needy, h0rny affection-craving Homelanders (but ofc Billy has to pay TNotG Homelander the most loving attention and endearments to smooth his ruffled feathers because hoo boooooy, imagine the cocktail of jealousy, insecurity, entitlement, and competitiveness in that one room alone y’all this is a grownass man who’d canonically gotten jealous and had a one-sided beef with a baby).

Like^^^ tell me this man wouldn’t enjoy a seven-way selfcest g@ngb@ng 0rgy session with himself, and with a very willing diabolically handsome V-ed up British Supe patiently servicing them in that pile. TELL ME IT WOULDN’T BE ONE OF HOMELANDER’S WET DREAMS.

[lexsssu]

Clear (Albedo)

TAGS: Albedo/Dragoness!reader, smut, pregnancy, drabble Ao3 ver. | Ko-fi | Commissions (OPEN)

“Fascinating. You are truly an anomaly that goes against all known laws of this world, but then again...you are not of this world so I suppose that does partially explain how you keep exceeding my expectations.”

You feel like a lab rat beneath the probing gaze of Mondstadt’s Chief Alchemist as he circled you, hands going a mile a minute as he recorded his latest findings about your ‘abnormal’ physiology. 

It was by pure chance that you found yourself at the Dragonspine of all places the moment you woke up in this world that felt the same, but was so different from your own. Though the blistering cold would freeze even the most hardy of adventurers or travelers, your former game avatar and now current body was seemingly immune to it. Like the monsters that called this terrain home, your draconic body warded off the cold as it produced heat that not only spread throughout your physical body but seemed to originate from your very soul. Being the researcher that he was while also being the first to stumble upon your wayward self, Albedo had taken it upon himself to study you.

“...Thank you, I think? ...Was that supposed to be a compliment though?”

“Affirmative. I had intended my previous words to be a compliment. Your body is truly a marvel to behold.”

Had he been any other person you’d have misinterpreted his words, but Albedo’s handsome face never strayed from its cool expression that stayed as pure and untarnished as the snow that piled high atop the peak of the Dragonspine. Still though, you were unused to genuine compliments due to being an ordinary wage slave with average looks before transmigrating to Teyvat so you couldn’t be blamed from feeling a little flustered because of his praise.

The alchemist disregarded the warmth that bloomed in his chest at the sight of the red tinge that splattered across the fullness of your cheeks, attributing the said warmth to your body basically being a furnace that it seeped into your surroundings and reached him because of his close proximity to you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Big sister is the best! She plays with Klee all the time, takes me out flying, and she’s just as patient with me as you are big brother!” Klee gushed excitedly at Albedo, practically vibrating in her spot as she regaled him with tales of their various misadventures. “She’s so pretty too! And, and, and her hair is so long and fluffy that Klee could spend the whole day just petting her hair. Even Razor thinks she’s pretty!...And Kaeya & Diluc too!”

Albedo paused his writing at Klee’s admission, an image of you flashing before his eyes and reminding him of your said snowy strands that felt like the softest silk beneath his fingertips. He recalls how carefree and unrestrained you are towards him, caring not how...different he was compared to most ordinary people. 

So much mystery contained in a single person and yet for all your secrets, he finds that he doesn’t mind unravelling you piece by piece even if it revealed another facet of you that he had yet to explore. It was safe to say that you were not so unlike the Dragonspine, uncharted territory in which no man has yet to fully or even partially unravel its countless secrets.

Was it wishful thinking if he wanted to be the one to discover all your hidden sides?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“To think that such a phenomenon is possible between creatures such as you and I...There are still many mysteries in this world that I have yet to discover the answers to,” a hint of wonder could be felt in his voice as he marveled at you, hands reverently caressing the small yet soft & firm bump on your stomach. “I do wonder if this child will also carry the aura of the stars which you possess…”

Even in the midst of coupling, Albedo’s tenacious mind couldn’t stop itself from functioning like the well-oiled machine that it was. As much as you loved him and all of his quirks however, an obviously pregnant and horny dragoness was not patient enough to allow her lover and the father of her child to simply pet her when he had his cock shoved inside her cunt. 

“Albedo-dear I do so love you, but if you insist on carrying on with your research while we’re IN THE MIDDLE OF FUCKING then I swear to all the archons in Teyvat that I will tie you down and fuck myself on your cock until I am satisfied. IS.THAT.CLEAR?”

“...Crystal”

[heiznx]

BETRAYALS

∗༝*◦✦ meeting him in shakkei pavilion.

BEFORE READING, this includes wanderer’s backstory, added scenes, removed scenes, and the timeline would be confusing.

|| NEXT▶ ||

You were not a god.

You played the game and had your heart flutter, break, and be stolen by many characters; the lack of romantic content would send you to your fantasies filled with what-ifs and imaginations of how characters would act if you do this or do that.

At your first arrival, you were confused about where you were, so what if you played the game? The game was not realistic, it was a 3D game with drawn or modeled items, and when you saw everything, it wasn’t the same as the game.

The difference was huge and so was the troubled feeling in your heart.

Almost everything was handed to you when you started walking around the place; the river was incredibly clean to drink on, the trees always have something to give, and the abandoned places have fabrics to give you.

Still, it’s not that you can actually feel safe in this place, not when everything was not as ‘modern’ as your world was, and you never knew how you had come to transport in this kind of place in the first place.

It was only when you stumbled upon a domain at night, the marbled structure with a symbol of three pointed sides, glowing together with the nearby plants that you don’t recall the name of because it was the least of your worries.

Genshin Impact.

You read works like that fandom, can’t say that you were as dedicated as the rest were, but you knew a few, because you tried to study the characters due to their appearance or their interesting personalities.

Alternative universes, and you were transmigrated like that? Unbelievable. You don’t have the power that those alternative universes have in which you were the god, and you didn’t have anything special; you weren’t aether or lumine, you were just you.

Tired, you sat by the tree and hugged your knees to your chest while using the fabrics you found as a way to keep yourself warm; you didn’t feel hopeful. You had no information about where exactly in Teyvat you were, what year, or who were the trustworthy people currently alive.

Frustrated to be away from the place you were used to and comfortable, tears stung your eyes, prompting you to place your palms over them as if you’re trying to shove the liquid back in your eyes—it worked though.

You shed a few tears, only a few, and the glowing light was a comforting feeling to you; it’s only been a day and you can’t help but wish to see a few people that was known in the game so they could be your source of comfort or the reason for you to know where to start.

How could you rest in an unfamiliar place? You closed your eyes, your tears piling up again even if you thought that your mind no longer had thoughts. You pulled the fabrics closer to your body and you tried to rest.

It’s too cold.

The domain couldn’t be too dangerous, you assumed, because in the game you have to turn on the mechanic to summon the monsters, and you could use the warmth of the place—it was not like you were in Dragonspine after all.

You looked up and held on the domain doors, pushing it open to have yourself be comforted by the light, but dread filled your body when someone was actually in the domain; you never encountered anyone yet in your travels, animals, sure, but not humans or monsters.

The person had a purple cloak, white clothing, purple hair and—you recognize him; this was not a person, but the puppet of the Shogun. The character you cried over was just a few meters away from you.

It was canon that he was pretty, he was described to be.

Your heart clenched as you saw him, laying in the middle of the domain that looked like it was taken from a place in Inazuma and shut locked in the domain, like a garden inside a bottle—as far as you know, he had no idea it was a domain.

Even if the trees were pretty and the view was a sight for sore eyes, you can’t help but tear up again; out of all the people you had to see first, it had to be the character your heart broke for so many times.

You now know the year it took place and where you were, and it did not ease the pain in your heart to know he could’ve been here for who knows how long, but you had to wipe your tears.

You wanted to help him, but what can you do? Not even you were from the world, no one knows you here, and you weren’t any different from him. You also didn’t want to change his future, because what if he doesn’t meet Lessor Lord Kusinali?

“Scara—” you said but your mouth clammed.

He has no name yet.

The puppet, however, turned to you, his face of curiosity and yours teary but you smiled regardless. At least you can take him out of the domain earlier than a certain samurai would, but you never knew the details.

You held the worn out fabric close to yourself, the scenery inside the domain being warmer than outside. You’re not sure what to say as you hesitated to even come near him; you can’t just give him a hug out of nowhere no matter how your heart breaks at his innocent stare.

“I’m sorry…” you whispered. “I did not know you were here and it was just cold outside.”

Your cheeks felt warm, embarrassed, and you’re not even sure if the puppet right now can even talk to you or understand your words because he was someone that wasn’t given a name before he was discarded.

Even your reason felt stupid, you sounded like you were invading someone’s home when it was a domain that anyone can walk in and walk out of—or can they?

You looked back and didn’t see the domain door and your heart dropped. This was the kind of domain without exit until you finish what is at the end of the domain, and you don’t remember what was inside this domain because it has been so long.

“Are you okay?”

Your heart nearly fluttered because this was someone who was now a blunt and not really soft-spoken person in the game, so hearing this tone on the character felt different, uncomfortably different.

“Oh, yes, uhm…” you said, stuttering your words a little before you hesitantly approached. “I… I’m sorry, but do you know what’s inside this place?”

To your observation though, he looked interested and flustered at the same time; you felt bad, because it was most likely because you were the first person he talked to ever since Ei left him there.

You nodded and then he replied, “Nothing…”

“Nothing?” your anxiety paused for a moment because you were bewildered, and he just nodded at you.

If there was nothing inside, then why was he still here? He could’ve gotten out on his own—unless he didn’t know how to get out in the first place or did he not know it was even possible?

“I… I see,” you muttered. “Hey… uhm… I’ll trust you since you said there was nothing…”

What else are you supposed to say? You can’t reveal anything from the game because it could affect the future, you thought of it like that as if you didn’t change the future by being the first person to meet him, and now you were going to attempt exiting the domain.

You felt a little stiff as you smiled at him and waved, the redness of the spot beneath your eyes and nose worrying him for some reason, because he never saw a human before, a human like you, at least.

He followed you, and you didn’t feel uncomfortable with him following you, except for the fact that he was following you—makes sense?

If you did find the exit, he would leave early too and you’ll destroy the timeline hours after you just arrived in Teyvat. You weren’t confident that you could give him a better life than what was ahead of him because you did not pay attention to details.

However, you do know that you can teach him to properly deal with his pain and emotions when the time comes, but you weren’t someone who graduated at psychology or anything that involves mental health; you’re just someone who observes.

“What are you doing?”

You can never get used to his tone, but he watches you slide the doors to the side or push them open in an attempt to find the exit, and he even follows you down the ladders and such.

“Investigating…?” you said but it sounded like a question, even the puppet was confused about your words, and you felt like you were going to flush again. “I’m just looking.”

You didn’t want to say you wanted to leave, because you didn’t want to hurt his feelings, you were probably—are—the first person he had ever met, and if you feel like if you found the exit, you wouldn’t be able to leave him without the shame and guilt building over you.

“I’ll go investigate with you,” he said and you felt something punch you in the gut by how innocent and soft-spoken he was. “I’ll help you.”

You smiled a little and then you turned around to continue walking.

In just a minute, you realized the puppet had no idea what investigating actually was and he was pushing and sliding doors open as you were earlier, in a way, what he was doing was right, but he looked endearing like that.

Endearing—the thought made your heart break again for the nth time. This person near you was someone who made you cry for days because you hoped his life would be better, because you felt like you understood his pain even if you hadn’t experienced it in the way he did.

You helped look around for exits, and you often look at drawers as well. You found a few mora and then when he noticed you were keeping circular gold coins, he started giving you the same looking coins whenever he sees one; it felt like you were robbing the place.

“Thank you, Kabu—” you clammed your mouth again. “Just… thank you.”

Clearly, as someone who never really had a social life, the puppet didn’t know how to respond to you, and your heart softened immensely. You continued, “The response usually is… ‘you are welcome’ or ‘you’re welcome’... It also can be ‘no problem’ if you weren’t burdened by what you were doing or ‘I’m happy to help’.”

“You’re welcome.”

Your heart warmed up, but then you realized that the reason why the puppet responded that way is because he probably can’t distinguish his own feelings right now; he had no lessons about his feelings and most likely didn’t know if he felt burdened by helping you or if he was happy to help.

You felt like going on your knees, crying and groveling in pain, because you messed up with him each time you opened your mouth to say something.

In the end, the last place you two checked just had to be the exit; you never tried to open it but it was the last door there, so it could be it for real, but you can’t find yourself to open it with the puppet in your presence.

“I realized you were looking for doors,” the puppet says. “Are you leaving?”

You don’t understand why he said leaving as if he didn’t plan to leave himself. You looked at him and whispered, “I really liked your company, even if I want you to come with me, I can’t do anything for you out there… I don’t know what will be out there, and I can’t help you…”

It was painful that you had to make the decision for the both of you, because you can’t trust the puppet, who barely had any interactions or say at the start of his life, make a decision; it was like he was a child in your eyes.

“You don’t know what’s out there?” he asked, his head tilting to look at you and your expression; he noticed that the redness of your eyes and nose disappeared. “How did you find me?”

“I wasn’t really looking for you, I was looking for a place to stay because it’s cold outside,” you said before you realized that barely hours had passed so it could still be cold outside. “I… you won't happen to be bothered if I stay, do you?”

“Can I… know more about you?”

He is so cute, once again, you want to grovel and cry about what he was going to go through and the fact you could do something about it but you didn’t want to because you weren’t confident enough to give him a better life.

You nodded before you sat down near the exit, leaning your back on the wall. You smiled at him and then pats the space beside you, at least, you want to try being beside a character you deeply adored.

Perhaps he felt some connection with you.

The puppet asked about your life and the basic information you know about Teyvat; he felt something he couldn’t point out when you told him that you don’t know anyone outside, it’s as if you two are new to the world, but you were human, no?

He doesn’t understand how you don’t know anyone and no one knows you, certainly, you’ve been outside longer than he was.

You had to pretend that you’ve been sheltered and it’s your first time going outside, which was, in a way in your modern life, true; you were quite introverted. He sensed a connection there.

He suddenly claims that he wants to go outside with you; he wants to experience what it is like outside too, with you, who he felt a connection with—someone he could relate to—someone he thinks he can trust, even if he wasn’t familiar with that concept yet.

You tried to explain to him that it won’t be easy, but he still wants to be with you still, you two are exploring the world for the first time, and he likes that thought.

You didn’t try to give him a name, even as he held your hand when you two left the domain after you took a nap to see that the sun was rising.

It wasn’t inevitable, when you entered that domain, you could’ve steeled your heart to go through everything and then leave him, but you couldn’t just ignore him, because for you, he was human.

He wanders around a lot, had you not been holding his hand, you would’ve lost him already, but you did let go of his hand and let him explore, just hoping he would scream if he ever encountered anything—not that you can save him though, but will save him.

You looked at the domain, trying to remember where Tatarasuna was. Maybe, just maybe, if he’s not too attached, you can safely leave him with the first person that ever found him: Kisaragi.

Tatarasuna was near a domain, but this domain, what domain is it? You don’t even remember. If Kisaragi found the puppet, then Tatarasuna must be nearby, no?

You look back to see that if you squint, you can see Seirai Island. You really must be near Tatarasuna, if you keep walking, you’re bound to find it—or if you wait Kisaragi might come by the domain and find you two.

You kneel away from the water and drop all the currency from the pouch; Mora was something you had a lot of in the game before you started leveling up a lot of characters just because you like them.

It can barely be used for food. You barely had 50 Mora with you.

The puppet watches you curiously and he comes back and kneels down beside you, wondering about your expression as your finger circles around the coin, refusing to acknowledge that you barely have money to go on.

You look at the puppet, prompting him to look at you. He’s so pretty and so carefree since he barely knows anything yet, and you didn’t want to teach him about poverty so early.

“Did you finish looking around?” you ask as you gather the coins and put them back in the pouch, and the pouch didn’t have some sort of void so you can feel its weight.

He nodded and you smiled at him; it won’t be easy to decide his future. You didn’t want to change his life in the game you were in, but you also didn’t want him to go down the road he did.

“Come on…” you stood up and offered your hand to him, hopefully, you would spot chests or eggs to cook. “Let’s look for a place to stay, but if we can’t… we might have to go back here and then look around again.”

THIS IS HEIZNX, IF YOU NEED TO BE MEAN BE MEAN TO ME :((( this is spoiler for the future chapters, ngl i want to put them in one but for some reason i limit myself to 2-3k words per post. im so not over his backstory even though i havent played it yet like i dont wanna break my heart

[shunin-gumis]

(Not) Lonely SANTA's Mission - Track 01

Seasonal Event: Christmas 2024

Location: HAMA Downtown

Child who is excited for Christmas: Mama Mama! What do you think Santa is gonna get me this year?

Mother who is looking forward to Christmas: It’d be nice if you got the Chogokin* HAMA Landmark Robo DX you’ve been wanting.

???: …would you��

Salaryman who resents this time of year: So damn cold! To hell with this season! Who made it legal to walk around in this weather!?

Nagi: Would you like some… 

Salaryman who resents this time of year: Huh? Are they working me so hard that I’m hallucinating now…?

Nagi: Would you like some handcrafted wreaths… 

Salaryman who resents this time of year: Waugh—!? W-What do you want!?

Nagi: This handcrafted wreath is the perfect decoration for Christmas. If you hang it up on your door, not only will it lift your mood with the Christmas spirit, it’s also imbued with prayers of prosperity and good harvest for the new year, as well as ward against evil spirits— 

Salaryman who resents this time of year: You’re one of those weirdos who pop up at the end of the year… Go away! I don’t have time to deal with the likes of you!

*walks away*

Nagi: Oh… 

Child who is excited for Christmas: Mama, that person… 

Mother who’s looking forward to Christmas: L-Let’s leave, Takashi-chan. Mama will make sure to report that suspicious person, okay?

*hurries away*

Nagi: …… 

Nagi: (Suspicious… I guess I should just crawl into a corner…)

Restaurant employee who’s prickly after working 15 days in a row: Hey! Don’t peddle your stuff in front of the restaurant! Shoo, shoo!

*Nagi jumps back*

Nagi: S-Sorry.

Nagi: *sigh* I can’t feel my hands anymore… 

Nagi: (Right… The weather forecast did say the temperature would fall below freezing at night…)

Nagi: (Sonia and I worked hard on making these wreaths together, so I’d like to sell as many as I can before it gets too late…)

Nagi: I should cover these with a handkerchief so that the snow doesn’t pile up on them… 

*bell chimes*

Man enjoying Christmas with his girlfriend: This restaurant is great!

Woman enjoying Christmas with her boyfriend: Yeah! Thank you for making the reservation~♪ 

Nagi: …Oh.

Nagi: (I can see two brothers inside the warm restaurant, digging into some turkey as they sit in a circle with their family…)

Nagi: (“Brother, the turkey legs are both mine, okay?”)

Nagi: (“You’re so naive. True connoisseurs know that the turkey oyster* is the best part…!)

Nagi: That’s all for the voiceover.

Nagi: …… 

Nagi: Yeah, I should just go. I need to get Sonia her treats, and a fried chicken sandwich… Ugh—

*Nagi falls*

Nagi: …The snow is so cold… Freezing me with no mercy… 

Nagi: (...I guess eating only tofu with barbeque sauce for three days straight was a bit too much…)

Nagi: (I might freeze to death in the middle of this big city—)

*Nagi blacks out*

??: Oi.

Nagi: (Ah… So they’ve finally come for me.)

???: …of yourself.

Nagi: (Huh… Angels sound a lot more… manlier than I’d thought…)

I love the Christmas movies they play at this time of year.

Family who come back for you when you’d thought they’d left you behind, being saved by an angel when you felt like dying*… I just like how these movies have something miraculous happen at the climax and reach a happy ending. 

It fills you with the kind of hope that says such a warm and welcoming world is right around the corner… 

Location: Lu Family House - Liguang’s Room

Nagi: This is… 

Nagi: (An electric hearth, fancy looking furniture, and silky sheets… It even smells heavenly… Woah, this fluffy bed could fit at least ten of me in it…)

Nagi: (And last but not least.)

Rabbit: Pui.

Nagi: (A bunny to cuddle with…)

Nagi: So this is what they call transmigrating into another world, huh…

Rabbit: Chu.

Nagi: Are you trying to guide me somewhere?

Lively woman’s voice: *sigh* I’m sure you’ll be able to manage it somehow.

Gruff male voice: Even if we prepared the same gifts as last time…

Cheerful girl’s voice: No way~ It’d be way too boring to use the same stuff again.

Lively woman’s voice: Stop grumbling and get to work.

Gruff man’s voice: Every single time, you manage to increase my workload at the end of the year. What a pain… 

Lively Woman’s voice: You wanna say that to my face?

Nagi: …… 

Nagi: Looks like this isn’t another world, but rather—

Nagi: A bunny café…

Sojun: Wrong.

Note:

Chōgōkin (超合金) - Meaning "Super Alloy", the term originated as a fictional material from which the robot Mazinger Z was built.

Oyster here refers to the meat near the spine of a fowl

Nagi's narration is referencing two famous Christmas movies: Home Alone and It's a Wonderful Life.

Event Masterpost

Next Track

[esamastation]

Gamer girl gets transmigrated into a farm boy Chapter 3 [<<Prologue | <Chapter 2 || Chapter 4>>] Ao3 link

-

Katie had spent literal hours just playing Echo in the tutorial of the Age of Tales, grinding gold out of silver. She'd gotten pretty good at Memory because of it, but, because she's a nerd and maximising her grinding profits was the name of the game, she hadn't just left it up to skill and chance or even game mechanics.

She'd actually researched strategies and how to beat memory games. Because, as it turned out, there's a strategy to Memory.

Queen with four swords kills the king with two of them and spills three cups over the king's sword in mockery…

Echo is a different game in real life, though. Instead of the easy and quick operation of Katie clicking cards on a screen, Van has to physically turn the cards over and do it faster than his opponent. Echo doesn't have turns, being a game of speed as much as memory, and the only rule is that you can only turn two cards at a time. And with his big, clumsy hands, it's a bit of trial and error before he gets the hang of it. 

"Sorry," Van grimaces, after almost sending another card flying by accidentally flicking at it.

"It's no issue," Accomo says and smiles. It's not a nice smile. "Just go at your own pace."

Thankfully, it's a beginner game and there's only thirteen pairs in play rather than the full deck, just the cups and swords. Accomo is also playing with beginner settings, it feels like, slowly and methodically turning cards over, seemingly with no care in the world. The first game is pretty much designed to be impossible to lose. It is still the tutorial section, after all.

Which is probably a good thing, because aside from Van being just physically slow, his secret trump card is nowhere to be seen! Speed buff whomst?! The very reason Katie maxed Van's Wisdom in character creation is suddenly inoperable! Time doesn't slow down, doesn't stretch, he doesn't even seem to be thinking any faster than normal. 

Those 10 points of Wisdom just do nothing now, it seems.

Van turns over a queen and quickly pairs it with the first card he touched. Then he flips the two of cups, and pairs that one too. It quickly cascades into him knocking down pair after pair until seven out of the thirteen possible pairs sit in a messy stack before him and Accomo leans back. 

"Good game, good game," Accomo says and conjures two silver coins from somewhere, placing them over Van's two. "Double your bet?" the gambler then offers.

"Yeah, let's go again," Van agrees, frowning at the cards, barely even warmed up yet.

Like this, doubling the bet every time, it takes 14 games in total to get enough money for a gold bullion bar… in theory, anyway. The first five or so games are easy - after that the opponents start getting progressively faster with each game, until around game 12 they get physically impossible to beat without speed buff accessories - or hacks. Or that is how it was in Age of Tales.

Things are a bit different here. 

Accomo speeds up suddenly in game 4, thin-fingered hand snatching cards before Van can, matching pairs at speed. Van is startled, almost enough to falter, but instinct takes over and his moves speed up too, snatching cards and making pairs - and a bigger mess of the game board in general. The game comes to an abrupt finish, with Van holding seven pairs and Accomo six.

The gambler smiles, flashing teeth. "Good game - double your bet?" comes the offer as coin pouch jingles invitingly.

Van narrows his eyes. Not stuck in game settings there, then. Accomo is already going for the win now, and the pile of coins in the table is only sixteen high. Damn. "Yes, please."

The cards are once more shuffled and laid out in rows. They exchange a look, a stiff smile etched on Accomo's thin lips, eyes glinting hard in the shadows of gambler's hood. 

Then, at some unheard signal, they begin turning cards over, each on a different side of the board. 

King drinks eight cups with the double wielding Jack, with three swords hanging over his head, Van thinks, eyes flashing to the cards Accomo is turning, while across the kingdom two cups were drank for the queen with seven swords with the king -

Accomo's hand moves in a flash and pairs up the kings before Van can. 

Van turns over a Jack and matches the pairs.

Accomo gets sevens - Van the twos.

The rest of the game is a scramble to match the last pairs as quickly as possible, hands slapping on cards hard, slamming pairs down forcefully. 

Somewhere to the left of him, some regular inn patron chuckles knowingly, watching them.

The loudness and suddenness of it is on purpose. Somehow Van knows - Accomo is trying to shake and rile him up.

Which apparently works because Van loses the game. On game four.

Accomo smiles, eight pairs on his side to Van's five. "That's a game for me," the gambler says smugly and collects the coins from the table with a satisfied air. "Would you like to play again?"

Van narrows his eyes, leaning his elbows on the table between them. His chair creaks ominously. "Yes," he says and puts a single silver coin on the table, pushing it over. "Let's go again."

Accomo is going for the kill now - but that's not all. The gambler is playing to annoy too, it feels like, snatching up cards before Van can, slapping them down loudly. Accomo is also no longer flipping cards in order, either, instead the gambler is taking cards here and there, messing up Van's system of memorisation. Accomo is fast, too, but…

Not as fast as Katie. Van knows she can do better than this - it's just Van's reaction speed holding him back. He just needs to concentrate and ignore Accomo's bullshit. He can do this, Katie has done this a hundred times. Just concentrate.

Jack and queen spar with four blades while the king drinks seven cups…

Accomo suddenly slaps his hand over the card Van was going for next and makes him jump, nearly breaking his concentration - and suddenly Van knows the game the gambler is playing.

Accomo is trying to annoy him and throw him off. Is the gambler trying to start a fight? No - trying to make Van give up and quit quickly.

Because Van is better at Echo.

"Oh-ho," Van hums and then, smiling, pulls his hand back. Two can play this game too, he decides and readies himself, watching the cards.

Accomo throws him a confused look and then, with eyes narrowed in suspicion, continues to turn cards over. The gambler does it quickly, clearly expecting a trick, but taking the bait anyway.

And so, the moment his opponent hits on a card Van has seen before, four of cups, Van lashes out as fast and nimble as he can, and matches the card with the four of swords. It's probably not as impressive as it feels - but it gets him the pair before Accomo can get it. One point to him, hooray.

And then Van pulls back again, not even bothering to turn any cards over anymore, just watching the cards, waiting for Accomo to do it for him.

"Oh, you son of a bitch," Accomo mutters, hesitating.

"What's the matter? You seemed so eager to be the first to flip a card," Van says, grinning. "Go on, at your own pace."

The gambler's eyes narrow. "And what if I don't flip any cards?"

"I guess we'll just sit here and enjoy each other's company," Van answers and offers his hand over the card game. "Hi, I'm Van."

"... Kerly," the gambler answers and shakes his hand before, with a sigh, pulling the hood down. "I don't suppose you'd like to play some Vist instead?"

"I don't, no," Van smiles, taking his opponent in with interest. 

The gambler is a woman in her early twenties - which Van had rather expected. Most mysterious hooded people in Age of Tales turn out to be women - or elves. Accomo - or rather, Kerly - is fully human, and a rather pretty one at that, of course, as most women tended to be in the game. She has dark hair cut short, square jaw that makes her look rather fierce, and big dark eyes. With heavy gold loops in her ears and scar on the side of her forehead, she looks a bit like a sexy pirate.

What's most interesting about her is the fact that she's definitely the same NPC as the Westbrook inn gambler in the game - only in the game she never revealed her face… or possessed any semblance of character or personality. 

"Are you going to play for real, or are you going to play around some more?" Van asks, curious.

Kerly hesitates and then gives him a calculating look. "Unless you have another game in mind," she says and leans in. "What do you say, big boy, how does a round of Dice sound?"

"Like playing around some more," Van says and leans back, folding his arms - which is an operation and a half because, wow, he can feel his biceps strain his tunic, holy shit. It makes him feel like a badass to give a little smirk as he nods at the table. "How about we finish our game instead?"

"We could play something more interesting, though…" Kerly tries, and Van could swear she actually bats her lashes, maybe even tries to flash a bosom at him. "Maybe in private…?"

Well, she definitely acts like a female character from Age of Tales. If she was a guy, hell, it might've even worked. Alas. "I want to play Echo," Van says and motions to the game sitting unfinished between them. "Or do you only play people you know you're better than? Targeting people you can swindle money from?" He tsks disapprovingly and grins at the reaction it gets.

Kerly leans back with disgust and gives him an annoyed look. "What point is there in playing with someone you know you can't win against?"

"Experience? You could think of it as a learning opportunity," Van offers and arches his brows. "Playing against stronger opponents is how everyone improves, isn't it?"

"Bah," Kerly mutters but looks at the game. She seems to be doing some mental calculations in her head. "Fine, fine - you'll get five games, but no more."

Van clicks his tongue. It's not enough to get him what he wants - with only two coins left to bet, it wouldn't get him even a single gold piece. Van presses his lips together. He wants that gold bar, but failing that he wants as much money as possible, as early as possible. It's kind of doubtful that Kerly even has that much gold on her, but she should have some…

And as a career gambler, she might like the opportunity to get more in the future - and there's clearly a bit of a gap in her education as Lady Luck's Acolyte.

"I have another idea. Say, Kerly," Van says and leans forward. "Would you like to learn the trick of playing Echo?"

"What?" she asks dubiously. "You think you can teach me?"

"I think I can beat you at Echo," Van points out, arching his brows. "There's a trick to it, you know. Wouldn't you like to know what that trick is?"

The gambler thinks about it for a moment. "Your trick might be a fluke," she then says and starts clearing the table, handing him his single silver coin back. "But fine. Let's play a few rounds. I want to see it in action."

"Alright," Van says and places the coin back on the table, with two fellows, betting all he had. Kerly gives him an unimpressed look and Van huffs at her. "I'm not playing for free. Money on the table, sister, or there's no show and tell."

"Show and -? You know that, I don't care," Kerly mutters and matches his bet. "Happy?"

Van smiles and leans forward. "Ecstatic. Now, watch closely."

They begin flipping cards and Van is glad to see that this time Kerly plays normally without any dramatics or sleight of hand, she doesn't even try to outpace him. Van can tell Kerly tries to beat him, but Van still wins that round, and the next one, and the next one, and with an increasing margin as his opponent grows more and more frustrated with her own inability to keep up.

"You play like a damn wizard," Kerly mutters accusingly after another game. "It's a spell - or a memory artefact. Isn't it?"

"Nope, just a memorisation trick. Anyone can learn it." Van promises her and, figuring that demonstration is over, leans back. The backrest of his chair lets out a shrill little creak and Van clears his throat. "So, how about it? How much would that ability be worth to you?"

Kerly considers it, eyeing him suspiciously. "Ten silver," she offers.

"Don't be ridiculous," Van says promptly. "It's worth way more than that."

"Well I'm not paying more than that," the gambler says, folding her arms and leaning back in her chair. "Ten silver, take it or leave it."

Van can just wade through the tutorial side missions and earn that in an afternoon. "Guess I'll leave it, then," he says and begins collecting his winnings. He's turned five silver into only twelve. It's… kind of sad, really. Katie weeps for her sweet sweet exploits. "It was great to meet you, Kerly. Better luck next time, I suppose -"

"Wait, wait -" Kerly sighs before Van can stand up. "Damn it, okay - how much do you want?"

Well. Asking for a gold bar won't get him anywhere and asking for a hundred gold he'll probably just be laughed at. What would be a good price for a money-making lesson? A gambler like Kerly can probably capitalise on it, turning it into hundreds of gold over her career, wherever that would be like…

In hindsight, it's kind of ridiculous that people here bet serious money on what amounts to a children's card game. There's even casinos and game tournaments where Echo is played in this world. Age of Tales is so stupid.

God, Katie loves it.

"Twenty gold pieces," Van decides.

Kerly bursts in derisive laughter. "Now who's being ridiculous?" she asks incredulously. "Twenty gold, in this place? Find me one person in this town with a single gold coin, I dare you."

Van leans in, ready to haggle. "How much do you have, then?"

Going by how long the haggling takes… not much. Kerly refuses to go above fifty silver pieces, only half of a single gold piece, and getting even that much is like pulling teeth. It gets a bit loud and contentious towards the end, and, going by the looks the people in the inn are giving them, like they think Van might be crazy, or just plain dumb…

Yeah, Katie might have a bit of a skewed sense of what money is worth here. Van's final armour cost something like thousand gold bars, which wasn't even a lot of money for endgame Van. That's, what, a couple million times higher than the advance he got for his farm hand salary? That's ah… yeah, a bit of a different scale.

Might be time to readjust his expectations. 

"Alright, alright, fine, there," Kelly says viciously and hands him most of her purse. "Now teach me your damn memory trick before I shove these where the light of Gods don't reach." She almost throws the deck at him.

Van grins, quickly puts the money away, then shuffles the deck. "It's quite simple, actually," he says and quickly deals the cards for a game of Echo. "You make a story out of it. Here," he turns the first two cards over. "Okay, the queen and ten of cups. Clearly the queen got herself ten cups of wine. Sounds like a party. But then," he flips the cards back over and flips the next two. "Three swords fell from the ceiling and spilled two of her cups," flip, flip, "and the King saw and lost his shit and grabbed his sword -"

"What the devil are you talking about, man?" Kerly says incredulously. "Queen, king? The high priestess and the emperor, you mean."

"Doesn't flow as easily off the tongue," Van shrugs and looks at her, brows arched. "What was the first card?"

"... The high priestess," Kerly says, eyeing him suspiciously like she, too, thinks he might be dumb. "But anyone would remember that."

"What about the other cards, do you remember those?" Van asks and continues flipping cards. "Now, on the king's rampage five more cups are spilled all over the floor. Then suddenly, more swords appear! Must be the guards - eight guardsmen coming to defend the queen from the king's rage -"

"I want my money back," Kerly says flatly.

Van grins. "No can do, deal;s a deal," he says and flips a card - three cups. "I think we saw a three of swords here somewhere. Do you remember where?" Oops, that might be a bit of Katie's experience as a kindergarten attendant coming through…

Kerly seems to sense it too and with a look of absolute disgust aimed at him, she points at the right card.

"And there you have it," Van says, just barely keeping himself from clapping in congratulation and matches the swords with the cups. "Easy-peasy."

"That's your secret trick - making up stupid fairy tales in your head?" Kerly asks, eyeballing him dubiously like she doesn't just doubt his intellect, but sanity as well.

"Hey, it works," Van shrugs. "Humans are storytellers - we remember narrative better than we remember abstract numbers and symbols. Tell me you don't remember the story of a queen with ten cups of wine and a king going on a rampage - I bet you do."

Kerly is quiet for a moment, her big, beautiful eyes narrowing. Then she considers the cards. "Huh," he then says, irritated. "I'm not sure if that was worth fifty silver coins…"

"Don't knock it till you try it," Van says and quickly gets up to leave before she decides to do something about her disappointment. There's a dagger at her side, and he's still in peasant gear with just a little whittling knife. He is not going to tempt his luck any further.  "It works on other things too, you know, not just card games. And a good system of memorisation is always useful."

"Hmm," Kerly says and gives him a more thoughtful look. "Van, was it?" she asks and nods to herself. "I'll remember your name."

Well, that's ominous. 

"Right, well. Be seeing you around, Kerly," Van says, sloughing awkwardly to keep hitting the ceiling beams again. "It was nice playing with you."

"Uh-huh. Hey, Van - here," Kerly says and suddenly flicks something at him. "For luck. Thanks for playing. Now, get out of here before I take my money back."

It's a playing card, specifically a joker - which the System helpfully informs him is also an accessory, with a rather useful looking bonus, at that. And, on top of that…

[Quest Game of Wit, Lvl. 1 complete! You gain 20 exp and 1 Lucky Playing Card.]

[Congratulations! You have Levelled up!] Nice. It's not a gold bar… but he'll take it.

-

[<Chapter 2 || Chapter 4>>]

Proofread by @nimadge, many thanks

- Alas, no infinite money making glitch 😔