#ashborn helping but he’s conflicted

[hanakihan]

I had a dream where shadow monarch jinwoo is having a final battle against absolute being jinchul and it’s literally not only about humanity’s fate (ab taking control completely (just like what could’ve been if jinwoo failed his talk with ashborn) and deciding that to fix everything it shall be erased and started anew)

and it’s also extremely personal jinwoo’s like ‘no no erasing no dying on my watch give me back jinchul goddamnit’

AB’s personal ‘dungeon’ is a big ass light lit cathedral that has strong graveyard to it (and maybe original body still pinned to throne)

/it’s all because I played BRS vs WRS fight again before sleeping gdi/

[shadow-sovereign]

Shadow Consort au

This will have spoilers for who the previous Shadow Monarch is. I prefer the name translation of Ashborn, rather than Osborne. It seems more fitting. Osborne seems more of a human name. While Ashborn is like, born from the ashes of his former self. Very fitting.

I was quite sad that Ashborn didn’t stick around longer. It would have been cool to see him go on adventures with Jin-Woo and to teach him about magic. In that novel scene, I got the vibe that he was quite fond of Jin-Woo.

I mean, obviously he was fond, since he made Jin-Woo his successor. He chose him, based on what he had seen of Jin-Woo’s struggles in life. I really liked that it wasn’t some chosen by fate, born special, kind of thing. Ashborn watched Jin-Woo and decided this was the human he wanted as a successor.

My fic idea is, what if he wasn’t just fond, but fell in love? There’s a special place in my heart for ‘ancient being falls in love with human’. Just someone who’s been around for at least thousands of years, has a different perception of the world, but is still so charmed by a human’s personality and actions than they fall in love.

When Jin-Woo does his job change arc, instead of the title ‘Shadow Monarch’, it would show ‘Shadow Prince’. (Ashborn would want it to be ‘Shadow Consort’, but he figured it would be too soon for that. And he doesn’t want Jin-Woo to think he’s demanding that kind of relationship. Ultimately, it’ll be Jin-Woo’s choice whether they’re just good friends or something more.)

I imagine the explanation under Shadow Prince to be something like this:

[Second only to the Shadow Sovereign. Soldiers made by the Prince will be exclusively loyal to him, while soldiers revived by the Sovereign will only follow the Prince’s orders if they don’t conflict with the Sovereign’s.]

Since the shadow soldiers would likely feel a pull towards both of them, it would help them to know who they’re supposed to follow. Plus, it would reassure Jin-Woo that his soldiers aren’t going to be turned against him.

Jin-Woo would wonder, who is this Shadow Monarch? Why has he been made the Prince of his...Kingdom? Is there a Kingdom??

Was it the Shadow Monarch himself who chose him? Could a shadow Prince even be chosen by someone else? And most importantly, what would the Shadow Monarch want from him, to give him these powers?

Nothing much would change from canon until their meeting, except I imagine Ashborn giving Jin-Woo gifts through the system. Attempting to gain Jin-Woo’s favor before they meet.

I���m not sure what he’d give him. Healing and mana potions to start, maybe? Ashborn would want to send him things that are useful or personal, but not too romantic. Daggers are the obvious answer, but I think it’s more meaningful that Jin-Woo gets better daggers as he gets stronger. He works hard for them and earns them with his achievements.

Perhaps Ashborn would go looting in other worlds/dimensions, looking for interesting items to give Jin-Woo. Things are that are useful, perhaps even decorative. I like the idea of Jin-Woo wearing earrings, so perhaps an item like that. Maybe things that are useful in the home, too.

Jin-Woo is more than just a fighter, and I think it might be good for Ashborn to show that he knows that. And that he values that part of Jin-Woo, too.

Imagine Jin-Woo’s reaction if Ashborn gifts him something like a vase or a painting, clearly alien in origin, his mind going ‘???’ at what he’s supposed to do with it.

And Jin-Woo would probably be hesitant to throw the gifts away, wary of offending the Shadow Monarch. He’d rather receive odd gifts than anger someone who’s clearly stronger than him. (Ashborn would try to take note of which gifts he actually likes, though, and maybe even send a note telling him which items he doesn’t mind Jin-Woo selling off.)

Their meeting would happen similar to canon, except that Ashborn wouldn’t be planning to go to sleep forever. He’d have a different face, too. A handsome one.

He’d help Jin-Woo defeat the Monarchs and tell the Rulers to shoo. Then he’d show Jin-Woo where all the interesting worlds are, going on adventures, showing him beautiful and exotic sights.

They’d bring back stuff for Jin-Woo’s family. (And maybe Ashborn would have been able to save Jin-Woo’s dad, which would have certainly earned him Jin-Woo’s favor.)

Eventually, Jin-Woo realizes that Ashborn doesn’t just see him as an heir, but is interested in him. That leaves him reeling, but he decides to give Ashborn a chance and starts falling in love as well.

And I don’t really have any other ideas for this. I just like the idea of Ashborn falling in love after watching Jin-Woo and then trying to court him.

[labyrinthinemachinations]

hey everyone, i’m asher! my friend @feathered-inkling convinced me to join writeblr so. here i am. i’m a student, trans and go by he/him pronouns primarily, i’ve been writing since i was a wee lad (but that doesn’t mean i’m any good.) 

i am primarily interested in fantasy (or things involving magic set in the normal world), scifi and horror/crime/mystery(?), but i try to experiment with different genres and styles. 

if you would like me to hang w me, interact with this post or hmu

i have over 20 projects, but some of my (simplified) main ones/ones i’m comfortable sharing are: 

ASHBORNE, IOWA - Set in the fictional town of Ashborne, Iowa, once tiny but heavily innovated by a BioTech corp. Magic exists but is sparse, many people have it but it needs trauma to *unlock.* Four magic-using scientists band together after being experimented on as children to create a facility to help struggling magic users. They receive 4 test subjects, and bonds quickly form. Conflict with the very organization that (imperialistically) fucked with them and tons of others ensues, but that’s the least of their problems as the world takes notice of magic users, extinctionism spreads beyond South Africa, and a certain founder is somehow alive and still manipulating. Features a complicated classification system, nine founders with abilities assigned to each, and an entire storyline of their own. 

Obviously chock full of social and political commentary. My nearest, dearest, and oldest story. 

F.O.C.S- A spinoff of Ashborne, featuring the little brother of Ty, the investor, and his gang, all very traumatized, gay, and magic. More crime-type stuff in the beginning, but features plenty of teenage drama, romantic conflict, and eventual plot collision with Ashborne.

ERROR 404 - Set in the fictional country of Trea, a plutocracy rich with technological advancements. Codi, a disabled girl, and computer scientist, hacks into her subsidized helper bot(TM) and finds out that they are, in fact, sentient beyond what’s coded into them. Robot creation and corporate bullshit ensues. 

i am tired. i will finish this later or make a masterpost.