#au: big lives

[ae-azile]

A Familiar Road to the Unknown: Chapter 4 Preview

“Thank you.”

If that's all Kinn needs to say, Chan could have stayed here. With Big. That's all Big wants right now. But just as Big is about to tell Kinn to go get Chan and bring him back, Kinn speaks again.

“You uh…” Kinn starts, then lets out a sigh, “You saved Porsche and…and you probably realize by now how important he is to me-”

“That's why I did what I did,” Big says quickly, “He's important to you and I didn’t want you to lose anyone after everything that happened with Tawan. It’s fine.”

Kinn studies him for a moment, “...It’s not fine. None of that was fine. I should have…If I had handled things better and communicated a more thorough plan based on my suspicions, you and Porsche wouldn't have found yourselves in the positions you were in. You…Losing you isn't something I could have accepted either. We almost did lose you, and…fuck, Big. That's not fine.”

Big isn't sure what to say when Kinn puts his head in his hands. He could do something like rub his back. It wouldn't be the first time. Kinn has never been heartless, and there have been rare occasions where offering comfort has been necessary. But that should be Porsche’s job. It isn't Big’s, not when Porsche is more than just a guard to Kinn, if he is even a guard at all anymore.

“Kinn,” Big starts, wringing his hands together, “I'm a guard. It wouldn't have mattered if I died-”

“What the fuck?!” Kinn snaps, picking his head up, “It would have mattered! What are you TALKING about?”

“That's literally part of the training your pa came up with. Every guard knows they don't matter in the scheme of things. Even Chan. And Chan has been here for a long time. He even has a space reserved in your family’s cemetery. He told me. While that honor is probably a kind gesture, none of you actually care about when that hole gets filled. Chan still knows that his death wouldn't matter despite dedicating his life to serving your family. I'm not as important as Chan. So why would I think I matter enough to not take a bullet for Porsche?”

The uncontrolled words spill from his mouth before he can stop them. It is the boldest thing he has ever said to Kinn, and he isn't even sure why he is acting this way when Kinn came down to thank him and let him know that he does matter. Maybe it’s more about Chan. Maybe if he says Chan’s name enough, he will come back. Or maybe Kinn will take a hint and go get him.

Neither happens.

“That…” Kinn says hoarsely, and Big could swear that his eyes are wet, “That isn't how I feel or view you. Any of you, but especially you. I have literally pulled you out of the way during shootouts.”

…That's true.

“I don't want…” Kinn says before sniffling, “Please don't think that I think like that.”

Like your father? That's what Big wants to ask. But Big would need to have absolutely no filter to ask such a question.

So when Big says nothing at all, Kinn runs hand down his face and continues.

“It's obviously too early to know the amount of time you will need to fully heal,” Kinn says, “But I don't want you focusing on trying to rush things in order to get off bed rest. Take all the time you need or even want to feel better. You are always welcome to work here. You will be provided full benefits and you will be given a raise, regardless of where your skills are utilized. But…I would understand if you took a more active role in a position with lower stakes. Other than Arm, you are the most certified in the trainings we cover here. I was thinking you could manage the training department-”

“Chan manages the trainings.”

“Chan manages the guards,” Kinn corrects, “He is managing their paperwork and vacation time, conducting trainings, scheduling their mental and physical health checkups, processing their background checks with Arm, scouting for new guards, allotting funds to pay off debts, facilitating joint meetings between the families’ security teams…not uh…not that joint meetings will likely be a thing for much longer.”

Kinn clears his throat and continues, “My point is that he does a LOT, and you’ve done your time. He needs the help, and-”

“You think I am no longer capable of being your guard,” Big finishes sullenly.

“No,” Kinn says, shaking his head, “That isn't it. I…Big, I am suggesting it in hopes that it will keep you safe. You think you aren't important to me, but you are. I consider you a friend, and you have been a loyal one. I can't lose more people I care about. I can't. And I really do think Chan needs the help. Maybe not immediately, but when you are better and are able to be trained enough to work alongside him.”

Big shakes his head, “He doesn't need help. Chan knows how to do everything.”

Kinn has the audacity to chuckle at that, only to straighten his face when Big looks at him sharply.

“Sorry,” Kinn says quickly, “You're right. He does. He's probably the most competent guard we have ever had, and we still moved him to mostly his current day to day tasks. He's a valuable employee and very important to us. He's like family. And I feel the same way about you, which is why - after you are completely better - we can transition you to work more directly beneath him-”

“And be your pa’s guard?” Big asks. He doesn't mean to wrinkle his nose at the idea, but he does. Kinn raises his eyebrows at the expression, but doesn't say anything.

“No. You can still be my guard while we are in the compound, and you can oversee and train whatever team is built for me, if that's what you want. But you can mainly work on revamping the training department with Chan. He seems pretty stressed. He's even being short with Pa. Not rude, but short. Like I said, he works too hard and I think he needs the help, and you two seem to really get along. You aren't intimidated by him like the rest of the guards seem to be. I am even sometimes intimidated by him.”

Kinn’s tone is only half joking.

“Uh…” Kinn starts, then puts his hands together, “I didn't mean to get you stressed out. I just kept getting reports that you were stressed over work duties and your employment. You don't need to stress over that. Your treatment is paid for, your checks are still being deposited into your account, and you have a job waiting for you whenever you are medically and psychologically cleared to start again, even if that takes several months. I care about you a lot. You may not believe that right now, but I do. Like I said, you have been loyal. You have been a friend. And…”

Kinn trails off before letting out a breath.

“And you saved the man I love.”

There it is.

For some reason, Big had felt like it would hurt more, hearing or seeing an undeniable confirmation of Kinn’s feelings for Porsche. It's not like Big didn't figure it out. It hadn't been hard. If he hadn’t and assumed Porsche was just another guard to Kinn, he wouldn't have taken the bullets in the first place. He would have still tried to save Porsche. He isn't cruel, nor has he ever disliked Porsche enough to want him dead.

It doesn't feel great though. It's just a reminder that Big’s life is meaningless, despite everything Kinn has said.

He should have died. And he doesn't know why that is such a persistent thought, nor does he know why Kinn’s announcement is making it re-enter his head. Kinn not loving him is not a surprise. It wouldn't have been even without Porsche in the picture. Maybe he is feeling that way for another reason than surprise. Maybe it's because despite being cared for, he will never be loved. He wasn't loved prior to being shot twice and being left mostly bed ridden. Why would he be loved by anyone now? It doesn't have to be Kinn. He still cares about Kinn, but the love he felt prior feels like it is dissolving rapidly. He almost wishes it would have happened sooner. Maybe he would have avoided getting shot, or maybe he would at least not feel like this after getting shot in such an alternate universe anyway.

“Big? You feel okay?”

No. He doesn't. He doesn't feel okay because it is clear that he will never be loved by anyone. Ever.

He wants Chan back.

But before he can order Kinn to go get him - because it is an order that is about to come out of his mouth - Tankhun walks in and puts a plate of food in front of him.

“Leave,” he tells Kinn.

Kinn looks up at his brother, “I was planning on staying for dinner-”

“I didn't get enough for you,” Tankhun tells him bluntly, “The third plate is for Chan. He will be down soon. You're getting Big worked up by talking about work and assignment changes and finding meaning in his existence-”

“Because you said he was stressed about it!” Kinn says, “I wanted to reassure him that he will never be let go just because of his injuries and that he should focus on getting better!”

“Fine, and you did that. Go,” Tankhun says, pointing at the door, “I'm serious. I am possessive over my guards, and right now? Big is MINE. We have a show to watch. Out.”

Kinn rolls his eyes at his older brother, but looks at Big again.

“I will come back tomorrow,” Kinn says quietly, “I didn't mean to make you feel more stressed out. I'm sorry. You don't need that right now. Is there anything you do need?”

Big shakes his head silently and doesn't make eye contact at all. All he needs is for Kinn to leave, just for a little while, and for Chan to come back.

“Okay,” Kinn says, then pulls Big’s personal phone out of his pocket and puts it on the nightstand, “Let me know if that changes. You can call or text me. It doesn't matter what time-”

“Chan spends his nights here,” Tankhun cuts in, “Big can ask him if there is anything he needs.”

“If it is something Chan can't get,” Kinn says, “If you need something Chan can't get or doesn't have time to get, just let me know.”

Big nods, “Okay.”

He doubts he will ever ask, but he supposes it's nice to know Kinn is willing to go out of his way despite loving Porsche. But the thought doesn't fill him with never ending sadness. He feels sad that no one will ever love him, but it's on him to come to terms with that. Dying isn't on the table to rectify the emptiness he feels from the knowledge - at least for now. He survived the gunshot wounds and is out of the woods. As for suicide, he isn't morose and depressed enough to actually consider it.

Although, Tankhun may be thinking he is.

“Relax,” Tankhun says quietly as he comes over and sits next to him on the bed, “He's gone. My younger brother is so tone deaf sometimes! He isn't worth getting this upset over-”

“I'm not upset over him,” Big cuts in. It may not be fully true, but he believes it might be partially true. Because honestly? Now that Kinn is out of the room, there is only one thing on his mind.

“Chan said that he would be back by dinner,” Big says, his voice starting to sound strangled, “He lied to me. Dinner is here and he is not. He lied!”

As helpless tears spill from Big’s eyes and Tankhun stares at him in disbelief, Big finds himself needing Chan more and more by the second.

But Tankhun doesn't care. He clearly doesn't. All he does is let out a scoff and flick Big's forehead.

"You are SO dramatic and theatrical! I can't stand it!"

As Big rubs the mark Tankhun undoubtedly left from the assaulting flick, Tankhun stands up to walk away, only to turn back around and give him a once over.

"I also can't see why we didn't become friends sooner. The entertainment you provide is simply unparalleled."

[canisalbus]

✦ Trick or treat ✦

[dyinggirldied]

You know, imagine Danny decides to take on millions of jobs (that never last long) just so he can have something to put on his resume and to also experience life in a weird way after he makes peace with his half-death.

One of the jobs being the background actor. Usually no one bothers him much until this one crazy man, the director who insists on him doing the main role of his upcoming movie.

And what's that movie you may ask? The movie about the life and death of the tragic Jason Todd-Wayne.

Meanwhile, the one doing the role of Bruce Wayne is none other than Jason Todd, or whatever fake name he is using. He was caught by the unconventional director whilst on his merry way.

[isatartdump]

Fanart for @livesworthlivingau.....

Vale did you know I love you still?

please get therapy

[lornaka]

He's a Disney prince ♕

[sunderwight]

Thinking about a bingqiu Dreamling AU where Shen Yuan and Shang Qinghua are both bored deities, just sort of taking a brief sojourn through the mortal world to shoot the shit and see some interesting monster or other that Shen Yuan has heard about, when they come across a tea house and decide to take a break and do some people-watching instead.

Shen Yuan is well into something of a shut-in phase, which Shang Qinghua doesn't like, mostly because when Shen Yuan is in those phases he doesn't do particularly well either. Shen Yuan's a social butterfly, for however little he cares to actually acknowledge it about himself, and his critique of Shang Qinghua's literary masterpieces gets so much harsher when he's not getting enough enrichment.

So when they overhear one of the kitchen boys solemnly insisting that he is going to do everything in his power to never die, and Shen Yuan laments that the boy would probably regret such a wish if it came true, Shang Qinghua decides to bestow a rare bit of godly power onto this mortal and grant his wish.

He doesn't make him a god, of course, that wouldn't even be in his ability. At least, not without using up more time and effort than he's prepared to expend on this one random kid. But immortality on its own is not that difficult. The boy will still finish growing up, and will still be able to be harmed, to know hunger and pain and illness. It just won't ever kill him.

Shen Yuan sighs that it's a cruel thing to do to a mortal, especially one with such low odds of ever cultivating other skills to mitigate the potential torment of it all. But Shang Qinghua just shrugs and they place bets, that this boy will ask for the immortality to be revoked in a hundred years, or two hundred, or so on, or else he won't. Shen Qingqiu approaches the kitchen boy and flusters and bewilders him by telling him to meet him back here again in a hundred years time.

A hundred years later, the tea house is larger. The boy has grown to be a striking young man, who looks at Shen Yuan with wariness and something else, something almost like awe, as he asks what manner of creature he's made this bargain with. Shen Yuan assures him that he has no nefarious intentions, and instead asks Luo Binghe how the past century of his life has gone.

Horribly, at least at first. Binghe's mother had already died by the time they met, but afterwards he managed to earn enough money to travel to a nearby sect. Working in the tea house's kitchen was just a minor stopover along the way. Shen Yuan was wrong, it seems, about his odds of becoming a cultivator -- Luo Binghe earned entry as a disciple.

Yet, he had no success. The master who took him on was unaccountably cruel and mercurial, and Luo Binghe's attempts to cultivate failed. Looking back he sees now that there were many times when he should have died but didn't, but when it was all happening he just thought himself lucky. At least until an enemy sect attacked a cultivation conference, and he suffered mortal wounds that absolutely should have killed him (or anyone) but still didn't die. (No demon race or abyss in this AU, but there are still demonic and fantastical creatures.)

His cruel master, upon witnessing this, accused him of heretical practices and tried to kill him as well by flinging him off the edge of a gorge. The fall was terrible. Binghe lay at the bottom in a horrifying state, injured beyond reason and yet, still, he didn't die. Eventually his body recovered enough for him to drag himself out, and once he did the only thing on his mind was getting revenge. For the next several decades he managed to ingratiate himself to all manner of potential allies, forging alliances, accumulating blackmail, and convincing people that he had to be some powerful cultivator through his supernatural resilience, lack of visible aging, and a lot of bluffing. He got revenge on his old teacher, drove his first sect into ruin, and rose to prominence as a feared and respected leader of the cultivation world.

Shen Yuan listens with clear interest, asking plenty of questions and seemingly quite taken up with the story. At the conclusion, Luo Binghe admits that his actual cultivation is still mostly a matter of smoke and mirrors, and wonders if -- now that the hundred years have passed -- Shen Yuan means to strip his immortality from him.

Shen Yuan asks if Luo Binghe wants that. When Luo Binghe says no, he accepts the answer, and tells him to meet him back here again in another hundred years. Luo Binghe calls after him, but before he can ask anything more, Shen Yuan has disappeared again.

A hundred years later, Binghe arrives back at the tea house with an entourage befitting of an emperor. The tea house has also expanded. Luo Binghe orders a lavish feast from them, which everyone hastens to provide. He's spent the past several decades consolidating his power, forging alliances with key political players via several marriages, producing heirs, and crushing his enemies. As he brags about the state of his massive harem to Shen Yuan, the deity's eyes begin to glaze over. He doesn't seem impressed. He also doesn't seem to care much for the food, and eventually his attention is stolen away by a conversation at another table. The diners are discussing the exploits of a promising new poet and novelist. Try as he might, Luo Binghe fails to regain Shen Yuan's attention before the evening is done. Shen Yuan doesn't think it's a big deal -- after all, if Binghe is still riding on top of the world, he's probably not going to want his immortality gift revoked just yet!

Another hundred years go by. The tea house has returned to a more modest situation, the next time Shen Yuan sets foot in it. He waits an unusually long while for his guest to arrive, and when he does, he's almost stopped at the door by the tea house's servers. It's only when Shen Yuan bids them let him through that Luo Binghe is able to come to the table, almost collapsing against it and desperately falling onto the arrangement of snacks with obvious hunger.

Shen Yuan wonders if this, now, will be when the boy (no longer a boy) asks for the immortality to be revoked. Surprisingly, he finds himself resistant to the idea, even though it's also clear that the game has run too long. Maybe hundred year check-ins were too short? He doesn't like the implications of what's gone on, even if he's not really surprised about it either.

Between desperate mouthfuls of food, Luo Binghe explains that without mastering inedia, going hungry but never dying is a deeply unpleasant experience. Shen Yuan orders more food. Once Binghe has finally eaten his fill, he begins, haltingly, to explain his situation. His clothes are ragged, he is painfully thin, and his gaze is haunted.

Apparently, several of his wives conspired to assassinate him, despite his reputation as unkillable. Realizing that most poisons and such didn't kill him, but that he could still be incapacitated, they hatched a scheme to dose his food with a powerful sleeping agent, and then walled him up in a famous ancestral tomb. They went to great length to ensure that it was impossible to escape from. It took Binghe decades to do it anyway, digging away at the floors, and when he got out he found that his power base had collapsed. In-fighting and the incursion of his enemies had led to the deaths of all of his children, and what wives had survived had either fled or remarried. Not that he particularly wanted them back at that point, since the ones actually most loyal to him had also been killed early on after his own "death". His face marked him, to the eyes of his enemy, as a surviving descendant of himself. He was hunted down, chased across the continent and back again, until he managed to fall into enough obscurity that his pursuers abandoned the chase. Except that he has nothing, and any time he tries to regain something, he runs the risk of being hounded again. Those who might see some potential in him still remember the collapse of his recent "dynasty" and slam doors in his face, or else try and turn him over to those now in power in pursuit of a reward. Those who don't know that much see only a dirty beggar, and usually run him off on that basis instead.

Shen Yuan, almost hesitant, asks if Luo Binghe would like to have his immortality revoked.

Luo Binghe declines. How will he be able to take revenge on those who wronged him if he is dead? He has a hit list a mile long by now.

Which is definitely not the most noble of reasons to persist, but Shen Yuan finds himself reluctant to ask twice. Instead he orders more food, and then even reserves one of the traveler's rooms above the tea house for several days. By then the sky is turning grey, and Luo Binghe is losing his apparent battle with exhaustion. Shen Yuan presses the key into his hand, thinking it's probably not enough, but there are limits to how much gods are supposed to interfere and Shang Qinghua already stretched them to the breaking point with this entire scenario.

He leaves, not seeing the hand that reaches after him just before he is out of the door and gone.

Another hundred years pass. This time, Shen Yuan arrives to find Luo Binghe already waiting for him. He isn't surprised to see that Binghe's situation has visibly improved -- maybe he was keeping closer tabs on him, just a little bit, for this past while. If only to be sure he wouldn't have to warn the tea house workers to expect an unorthodox visitor again! But no, Binghe has been doing well enough for himself. No more harems or thrones, though. He dresses more like a well-off merchant now, deliberately posing as his own mortal descendant rather than as a great immortal cultivator. The food at the table looks far more delicious than usual too (Binghe commandeered the tea house's kitchen himself this time). As they chat, Shen Yuan is regaled with the exploits of Luo Binghe's travels and adventures, how even though he initially set out to claim revenge on those who overthrew him, by the time he was in a position to actually do so they had already died of the usual causes (time, illness, their own schemes backfiring, etc). Subsequently, only their children and grandchildren were left with the scraps of power they had obtained, and when one of those children employed Luo Binghe as a bodyguard, his initial plan to assassinate them eventually fell by the wayside. After all, the wrongdoings weren't actually theirs. From that point, Binghe was able to restore himself to a more comfortable life, joining his new employer on their travels until he had set aside enough earnings to take his leave before his youthful good-looks earned him suspicion. He then began investing in travel and trade, specifically cargo ships, because never spending too long in the same place or around the same people helped disguise his immortality. He had found that, at least for now, this served him better than playing the part of a cultivator. It also gave him time to try and actually repair his ruined cultivation base somewhat, and fighting pirates proved very diverting.

Binghe is midway through recounting his adventures with a gigantic sea monster, while Shen Yuan hangs on every word, when they're interrupted by the arrival of a brash young mistress, clearly wealthy and trained in cultivation. The young lady declares that there is a rumor that a fallen god and a demon meet in this tea house once a century, that they wield strange powers, etc etc, and she intends to interrogate them both with the assistance of her hired muscle and her own spiritual weapon, and discover the truth of the matter. Then she whips out, well, a whip!

Before Shen Yuan can deal with the matter, Luo Binghe is already on his feet, disarming the goons and breaking a few arms in the process. Shen Yuan is so distracted that he almost misses the whip aimed right for him, but before Binghe can catch the barbed weapon with his bare hand (wtf, Binghe, no) Shen Yuan deflects it with a wave of his fan, and then efficiently knocks the troublesome young lady unconscious. The hired muscle flees, Shen Yuan arranges for their assailant to be placed in a room upstairs until she regains consciousness, and he and Binghe resume their meal and conversation in relative peace.

Even though it's clear that Luo Binghe has not yet reached the end of his tolerance for life, Shen Yuan nevertheless finds himself strangely reluctant to part ways at the end of the night. Still, he does, because that's what is expected of him, gently denying Luo Binghe's suggestions that they find some other establishment to continue their conversation at. He also has to investigate these "rumors" that the young lady mentioned. It's probably nothing (Shang Qinghua has a loose tongue when he's drunk, and a lot of imaginative storytellers have frequented this tea house over the years) but he doesn't like being caught unawares like that. Heavenly politics are... complicated, it's best not to court unwanted attention in any capacity.

Another hundred years go by. This time, when they meet at the tea house, Luo Binghe asks Shen Yuan why he keeps it up. Why did he pick Binghe? What is he really after? When Shen Yuan fails to give any kind of clear answer, Luo Binghe shoots his shot and makes a (very obvious) move on him.

Shen Yuan, flustered, gets up and flees. Ignoring Luo Binghe's calls after him. It just doesn't make any sense! Why would Binghe do that?! He's a man who once had a harem of wives in the triple digits! Clearly he's not gay, so what was that all about? Was he just messing with him?! How dare he! Etc, etc.

Another century passes. Luo Binghe waits at the tea house, which has fallen onto hard times again. With the construction of some new roadways, travelers no longer pass through as often. Binghe listens, worried, to the proprietor's laments that this old place will probably not be around in another hundred years. He listens because he has no one else to speak to, because Shen Yuan has not shown up. Not that morning, not during the day, not come evening, and not now that it is closing time. Binghe nevertheless charms and bribes the proprietor to let him stay even after the place has shuttered.

It seems damning, of course. He pressed too hard and now his mysterious benefactor wants nothing more to do with him. Except, no, he refuses to accept that. He's still immortal. And he has gleaned enough of Shen Yuan's character by now that he thinks that even if he was rejected, he would be let down more clearly and gently than this. The more he thinks about it, the less willing Luo Binghe is to believe that he has been deliberately stood up (also, since the tenor of his confession was different from Hob Gadling's, he never delivered an ultimatum about what it might imply when they met up again).

Over the centuries, Luo Binghe has built up a few contacts with similarly strange and supernatural stories. Cultivators, sure, but also others, fortune tellers and people of strange ancestry, questionable abilities, those who have interacted with powerful beings of mysterious provenance. He makes his way to a certain gambling den, frequented often by such people, and while he flashes around enough money to draw curiosity, he collects information. Shen Yuan wasn't the only person who started paying more attention to the kinds of rumors surrounding the two of them after their confrontation with the young cultivator a couple centuries ago. And in fact, Luo Binghe has been spending many, many years trying to find out more about his mystery man. Though, too many potential deities and immortals fit his description for him to have ever conclusively figured much out.

This is how Binghe gets wind of a rumor that an eccentric occultist has somehow captured a god in his basement...

[nekrosmos]

Seduce the handsome hitman hired to kill you and put him on his knees, that will teach him a lesson or two

Aka Hitman Price and Mob Boss AU Nikolai inspired by @panchulien 's lovely AU

[starry-bi-sky]

mmmmmm read a disciple shen yuan/shizun luo binghe fanfic about two days ago where the first chapter was the Immortal Conference arc, and SQQ was the one who had to be pushed into the abyss (he was still the villain) except Luo Binghe was refusing and was like, lowkey losing his mind about SQQ being so close to the edge. SQQ ended up having to be the one to fall in himself because of the system's punishment system. The rest of the fic is leading up to that moment. But like, MMM i've been obsessively thinking about that first chapter for DAYS ever since.

now i've been in svsss for a grand total of *checks watch* a week. but god obsessed with that. I want to write/read a fic where disciple SQQ goes a little nuts down there. Like keep all of the things that make SQQ, SQQ, but just. Throw in a little bit more trauma in there. A little bit of a mental break. Let him go a little nuts as a treat. Just a tad unhinged. I wanna see him go, just a little, "god fuck it, i've tried so hard to change this shitty story's outcome and it feels like everything i've done has been for nothing. I'm going to die in this world no matter what I do, I've been doomed from the start, so might as well die the way I want to." and he just, breaks a little! Under all the stress.

He still retains the traits that makes shen yuan, shen yuan, like his overwhelming kindness. But he's just! yk. A little less patient. Paranoid. Jumpy. Colder. A little more aloof and closed off. A little more Shen Jiu. He's no asshole child abuser, but he was a Number One Hater in his past life and he's leaning into that old habit a little more now.

(On a totally coincidental not-at-all related note, there's not enough SJ-and-SY-are-the-same-people fics out there that i've found. This is totally unrelated...)

The Endless Abyss turns the mind into an over-sharpened blade, and SQQ is both fascinated and perhaps a little excited to explore a place that doesn't have a lot of info on it in the mortal realm, but still terrified out of his mind. And he's no Luo Binghe, he doesn't have the sheer brute strength and power to just bulldoze his way through, so he has to be a lot more sneaky and cunning if he wants to survive.

The fic itself role-swapped LBH and SQQ so that SQQ was the half-demon (which lowkey fucks) and LBH the human, but I'm equally-if-not-more obsessed with the idea that LBH remains the half-heavenly demon and SQQ the human. If only because I keep thinking about SQQ befriending some demons (particularly and specifically a group of succubi) and they grow very attached to this Human Cultivator so through magic plot stuff they create some kind of seal/illusion/talisman that makes SQQ appear as a demon because a human cultivator in the endless abyss may as well be the equivalent of putting a giant neon target on your back.

And iirc Shen Jiu was taught demonic cultivation by that one guy(?? i've only been here a week so im not caught up in ALL of the lore yet) so that could totally happen here.

(On the other end of the realms, poor Shizun Luo Binghe is just. losing his fucking mind over losing his most precious and beloved disciple. About .5 seconds from burning down the peaks himself. somebody sedate him.)

The Endless Abyss sucks and SQQ is having a really terrible time and can feel himself going lowkey mad, but also holy shit look at all this WORLD-BUILDING. look at all this flora and fauna, and oh if he had the equipment for it he'd be writing all of this down. ALL OF IT. He was kinda-sorta-already planning on never leaving the Abyss as some sort of fucked up self-exile and self-preservation thing, but now he might? actually just?? never leave if he can help it, like he lowkey likes it down here.

anyways the next time anyone ever sees SQQ again he's got hair so long its almost touching the ground and he's either in rags and half-feral or he's been completely dolled up by his adoptive succubi sisters and still about three seconds from biting anyone who tries to touch him. (he's also lowkey trying to book it back down to the abyss even if he has desperately missed all of his friends and shizun)

[isjasz]

[Day 281]

No way what's dis ⭐⌛

(me when I cave and start playing a game and my friend (again this mf @kunehokki) immediately suggests actually making an au THE DAY AFTER.) (the game is in stars and time btw it's so good pspspspsppspss it's just 20 bucks ppspspsppspspsps)

(please do NOT tag or reply any spoilers tho!! I haven't gotten far yet and you don't want to accidentally spoil others either 🫡)

[asocial-skye]

man, all you zutara guys are way better at this shipping thing than me. i read through like ninety different metas about the symbolism of the colors associated between the two, the fact that the two of them are the emotional story arc of ATLA, and how their romance falls more into the canon themes of the franchise.....

and then i'm here like, he took lightning for her and she was aang's mom in an episode. i'm sold.

[muffinlance]

Do you get the impression the live action is treating us like utter morons?? Like I thought that making it aimed at an older audience would open the doors for more subtle story telling, but no, they're just using monologues to tell us eveything! Like in the second episode Katara's like 'oh his power isn't that he's the avatar, it's that he ~connects~ to people'. Girl we're not idiots we can see that!! And the first episode with Aang's goddawful 'I don't want this responsibility' monologue

THIS, YES. The word that keeps coming to mind is definitely "subtlety". The show for literal children? Had it. The remake for adults? Not so much.

[what-am-i-doing-in-this-fandom]

I was wondering, does Fiddleford still have a wife in your Halloween au? And if yes, does she know about him being a vampire?

I've been sitting on this ask for a bit, but I think I should finally answer.

In my AU, Fidds is actually pretty old-- not like ancient or anything, but surely a few centuries?

Anyway, so way back, when he was human, he did have a wife and a kid!! But when he got bit and became a vampire, he actually outlived them :(

He tries to think about them often, but it's definitely one of the things he chooses to erase when he creates the memory gun

[canisalbus]

Oh my gosh, I can totally see Machete with a small cactus. I feel like if he had one it would be very dear to him and probably the most colorful thing he owns.

[triona-tribblescore]

AHSHAHAHDHD I ALREADY LOVE THIS NEW AU

but my one question is: what exactly are each of the brothers? mikey is clearly some kind of wanderer and raph a stone giant, donnie some kind of scholar/inventor, but leo is the one im most confused about. is he a nymph? a witch?

ty also @cococakeyum for the ask :D <3

(AND SPECIAL MENTION TO @scatterbrainedbot BECAUSE ILY YOUR TAGS ARE KILLING ME, GETTING ME SO HYPED FR :'D <3333)

[ew-selfish-art]

DP x DC AU: Danny desperately wants to find the explosion guy. Tim is really good at covering his tracks... he didn't account for ghosts.

The explosions make it onto TV as purported terror activity and most people haven't heard of that part of the world much less ever given a second thought to care about it. The only real reason it gets reported on has something to do with the Justice League and... Danny knows too much.

He's been in training for Clockwork's court (which he's suspicious of- feels like kingly duty bullshit- but Danny is playing along out of curiosity for now) and he's learned a lot about how the living and non-living worlds collide. That means learning about CW's usual suspects- one of which just happened to have a ton of bases around the area Danny was seeing on the news.

It didn't take long for Danny to try to piece together that whoever blew up Nanda Parbat was trying to fuck with the League of Shadows, and was doing it successfully. Less green portals in the world the better, same goes for assassins. But it gets Danny thinking... Maybe he can employ similar tactics on the GIW Bases that keep spawning on the edges of Amity Park. It would at least set them back while he and his friends navigated the help line desk to request Justice League intervention. None of them can leave Amity Park, so outreach is going to have to be creative.

So Danny figures he'll just find the guy. Call up some ghosts who were there, or er, came from there and get a profile and track him down. But the ghosts keep saying it was The Detective. Annoying!

Danny goes full conspiracy theory, gets Tucker and Sam involved, and begrudgingly asks Wes Weston his thoughts.

He hadn't expected Wes to garble out a thirty minute presentation (that had 100 more slides left to go before he cut it off) about how Batman totally trained with a cult and so did his kids. Danny kind of rolled his eyes but... hey, new avenue of searching in the Infinite Realms at least.

The ghosts confirm that Bombs is for sure not Batman's MO- But maybe his second kid would know? The second kid was already brought back to life though, so no way to easily reach him... Danny starts to realize that this might be the work of a Robin now. Wasn't the red one known for solving cold cases? (Sam provides this information- its a social faux pas to not know hero gossip at Gotham Galas- everything she's learned is against her will).

It all comes to a head when Danny goes about the hard task of opening a portal for the guy to come through at just the right time, explain the infinite realms so he doesn't panic and then describe what the fuck was going on with the GIW. It takes months, just over a full year, of random (educated guesses) portal generating- Finally, Red Robin drops into the land of the dead.

"So, you're the guy I've got to talk to about explosions right?" Danny enthusiastically asks.

Tim thinks he's died and landed in the after life following 56 hours of being awake and plummeting off the side of a building into a Lazarus pool. Nothing makes sense about the kid in front of him.

"Yeah, I got a guy for munitions." Tim answers cooly.

"How do you feel about secretly sanctioned government operations that violate protected rights?"

"Gotta get rid of 'em some how. Need me to point you in the right direction?" This might as well be happening.

[alaskan-wallflower]

i swear ponyboy growing to be taller than darry is my favorite hc like i need your guys inputs, it’s literally my fav thing to hear about