#but i need to fend of the thieves so

[apuff]

i made the laika's comet version of primrose :3

this comic turned me into a furry....i like anthropomorphic animals now...there is no saving me....

[megaderping]

Nothing drives me up the wall more in the Persona 5 fandom than when people act like they'd be so much better than Akechi in his position. "Well, I would know better!" Bullshit. You don't know that. Japan's treatment of illegitimate children is so heinous that I don't think it's easy for westerners to comprehend. As I understand it, when you turn 15, you're thrown out of the system. Akechi was... how old when he approached Shido? Ah, yes, 15. Likely, he'd been cast out to fend for himself when Yaldabaoth gave him the power (with very malevolent intentions). Shido has his cleaner and his connections. Even if Akechi quit, he wouldn't be safe in the real world. Maybe in the Metaverse, but how long could he even feasibly stay there before needing to eat and sleep? There are safe areas, sure, but those are hardly accommodating, and people severely understate the impact Shido could've had on his mental health once he did join with him. Look at Yusuke and Haru, both of whom were abused and neglected by their parental figures. Both of whom had difficulty even acknowledging what was wrong. Haru continued to downplay her father's crimes and atrocities as well as his abuse of her, likely in part due to her grief and in part due to her wishes for what he could've been. Trauma and mental illness as well as a lack of support systems can break people and push them to make reckless choices because they believe there is nothing else they are good for. The Phantom Thieves were lucky enough to have each other, and that saved them from going down a dark path. Any one of them could have and, hell, if Yaldabaoth had chosen Yusuke or Haru, for instance, there's no way Madarame and Okumura wouldn't have taken advantage of that power and made them do heinous things. Just... god. I really hate the armchair "well, I'm smart enough to know better and I would take homelessness over ~murder~." It's easy to say that when you haven't suffered years of neglect and presumably abuse in a society that sees you as less than human due to circumstances outside your control (e.g. being an illegitimate child whose mother did sex work) in a country that is opposed to adoption overall and just... Argh. And this all started because I tried to point out that, hey, maybe calling Shuake toxic in a server for a fic that is one of the big Akechi and Shuake fics isn't the kindest thing, tried to explain things, and it just blew up. While also pushing for why their preferred ship is better and like... god. I hate that so much. ._. Fastest way to turn me off of a ship is when really hostile fans use their preferred pairing to tear down one that I really like. Just... blargh. What a way to start the day.

[ladyrijus]

I feel like there's something to be said about how the Sheikah and the Gerudo are essentially two sides of the same coin.

This is how I see it: The Yiga Clan reflects the Gerudo from Ocarina of Time where both groups are ostracized and persecuted to a point where there is little room for compromise or coalition with the Royal Family. Hell, these people even live in the desert and are called thieves (which is just Hyrule's shorthand for "we've killed so many of them and left the rest to fend for themselves in a place that bears little to no resources needed for survival") just like the Gerudo.

And it's heartbreaking in a way, how Urbosa calls the Yiga members traitors instead of realizing she's looking at a mirror of what her people had once endured. Especially since the game heavily implies that her involvement as a Champion is largely characterized by her effort to try and redeem her tribe since the events of Ocarina of Time to the rest of Hyrule for something that was not even their fault.

Sure, there is no denying that Ganondorf was ultimately misguided in his conquest for power, but there's the part that goes unsaid where Demise ensured that his hatred would reincarnate, no? And well, hatred isn't mindless. It cannot exist without a trigger.

The Royal Family of Hyrule forced his hand, just like it forced the Sheikah's. And the sooner Urbosa could have realized that, then the sooner she would have understood why the Yiga were so hellbent on vengeance.

[duckymcdoorknob]

Hi ducky may I place an order? I'd like a medium iced tea with light ice with caramel drizzle and cookie crumbles please :D

name on the order is finral <3

Hehe Finral 😍

I will need one tall order of this man and this man alone holy fuck

PLEASE GOD MAKE THIS MAN REAL

ILL PAY YOU BRO

IM SO IN LOVE WITH HIM

CW BELOW THE CUT: None

♫ -ᥕᥲі𝗍ᥱr, ᥕᥲі𝗍ᥱr, ⍴ᥱrᥴ᥆ᥣᥲ𝗍᥆r- ☕️

The nighttime was something that you had always found serene and comforting. Being a Black Bull meant that you could always fend for yourself if danger managed to find you. That doesn’t mean that you were always let off the hook, but you mainly stayed safe no matter where you went.

You were on high alert, having just fended off some petty thieves who tried to stick you up. Your senses were heightened, and you were honestly too on edge.

The sudden sound of your name being called and pattering footsteps caused you to summon your grimoire.

“S-Stay back! I don’t want to have to use my magic!”

“Woah! (N/N), it’s just me.”

You blinked to regain your composure, your eyes focusing onto the person with you.

“F-Finral?” You sputtered.

“Sorry to spook you.” He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, “Are you alright?”

You exhaled in relief, body slumping to its usual relaxed posture. “Yeah.” You felt the tension leave your body as Finral placed a gentle hand on your shoulder, rubbing slowly. “Thanks, Fin.”

The brunette smiled warmly, “Anytime.”

“So” you began, continuing your slow walk, “What brings you to this part of town?”

“Ah.”

Well shit. You had caught him. He had to think of a lie, and fast.

“Well you know me, I’m Yami’s 5* errand boy.” Finral replied with an awkward chuckle.

Truth be told, the spatial magic user knew that you would be walking at this time of night. Every ounce of chivalry in his body told him that he should not be letting the person he loves walk alone during night time, it was too dangerous, even if you were a magic knight.

“But what’s got you out here so late? It’s not safe.”

You giggled leaning into his side, “I’m not a helpless person in distress. I’m a Bull, just like you.” You smiled warmly at him, failing to notice his growing awkwardness, “But I appreciate your concern for me. It’s sweet. Thank you, Finnie.”

Finral swore he could’ve melted on the spot at the nickname. His gentle grip on your shoulder fell lax for a split second as he tried to regain his composure.

A sudden bright light illuminated the sky, causing the two of you to look up. A shooting star crossed your lines of sight. “Make a wish, Fin!” You chirped, squeezing your eyes shut.

“What did you wish for?” You turned to him, eyes sparkling in under the silvery moonlight.

Oh how your eyes would be the death of him.

His hand came off your shoulder to hold a finger to his lips. “You know I can’t tell you. If I did, my wish wouldn’t come true, and it’s one that I greatly want to.”

Finral couldn’t help but smile at the subtle pout that fell over your features. “Come on, you. Let’s get you home safe. The others are probably waiting for us.”

You beamed at him, bounding up to his side.

“Here,” he chimed, holding out his outstretched fingers. “take my hand.”

Without hesitating, you interwound his fingers with yours, swinging your arms as you walked. The brunette chuckled sweetly at your adorable behavior.

As if to try and ruin the moment, the sky opened up and it began to pour. The two of you yelped as you sped up your pace. Soon you were running through the rain, laughing your asses off.

By the time the two of you returned, you were both cold from the rain, and warm from giggling the entire way home. Your hands were still intertwined when you walked through the doors, causing Magna to comment immediately.

“Oooh, look at them holding hands.” The flame magic user cooed.

You beamed at your teammate, squeezing Finral’s hand, “Yep! Fin walked home with me just to make sure I was okay. Isn’t he the greatest?”

The spatial magic user thought he would melt straight into the floor on the spot. Between your praises, Magna’s teasing, and the teasing eyebrows of his teammates, Finral couldn’t take much more flush on his face.

“Okay, okay. L-Let’s get you into the bath and into some warm clothes.” The brunette sputtered.

Vanessa couldn’t help but chuckle when she saw the brunette hug you goodnight. The gentle pink dust on his cheeks had proven her suspicions correct.

After Finral had disappeared down the hallway, the witch called out to you. “(Y/N).”

You turned to look at her.

“He totally has the hots for you, sweetie.”

You furrowed your brows, attempting to stutter out a response. “N-No! He just walked me home. I-I-It’s not a big deal. Any of the guys here would do the same! Right? Magna? Luck? Gord-“

“(N/N).” Magna interrupted, “Fin has spatial magic… Why didn’t he just portal the two of you home?”

Your breath caught in your throat.

—————♡︎✞♡︎✞♡︎✞♡︎✞♡︎✞♡︎✞♡︎✞♡︎✞♡︎✞♡︎—————

[psalacanthea]

A Sky of Shattered Stars- 10

oh, hey, look what I did. It's a longfic update. The Hawke x Varric post-canon, post Hawke escapes the fade. It's a juicy one and full of surprises and feelings and angst, and you should read it here!

...

By the time Hawke finished blackening her armor, there was no choice but to put it on and slip out into the night, fleeing from what had happened. 

Hightown was quiet, sharp in silver and shadow.

The new chantry loomed, a monument to hypocrisy.  She glared at its distant silhouette against the clear sky.  Maybe she'd make Varric open a park with a statue of Anders in it.  Right in front of the fucking chantry.

Not because she thought Anders wanted or needed a statue; it'd just piss them off.

She was knee-deep in revenge fantasies when a scream drew her attention.  Around a corner and down a narrow alley between two estates, a figure was fending off three much larger people.  It quickly became apparent it was a very young woman, maybe in her late teens, being accosted by thieves.  Well, that was an easy choice.

Indulging in bloodlust, Hawke attacked.

They were child's play, shadow-wreathed blades slashing through clumsy attack and defense both.  She spared a thought for the law, but Hawke had no faith in Aveline after what they'd been through before.  These thugs were prey.  They were slow, vulnerable, and Hawke was running from her problems. 

That made her powerful.

Within two minutes she had them down, minimizing blood spray for the sake of the hovering girl, who didn't seem to have the sense to run away.  Once all three were bleeding out on the ground, Hawke crouched down to empty their pouches.  Yes, she was rich.  It was the principle of the thing.  She didn't believe in wasting money, no matter how small an amount.

Which was why Varric called her things like 'cheap' and 'cutthroat'.  Rude.  Like he was any better; his scams were just bigger.

"Serah...you saved me."

Hawke finally turned her attention to the girl, rising to her feet with a flare of her coat.

The girl’s face, sharp in the moonlight, was so strangely familiar that Hawke felt deja-vu.  It took a moment, until abruptly the memory of a gangly little girl tagging along the heels of her elder sister Babette sparked Hawke’s mind.  Cosette de Launcet.  Oh, great.

“Messere, the streets at night are no place for such a delicate lady,” Hawke said, taking pains to keep her voice low and disguised.

“You saved me,” the girl breathed, glancing up, wide-eyed.  "Thank you so much!"

Wait, wasn't Varric having issues with de Launcet with all of the statue nonsense?  Hmm.  Bringing Varric presents home from her nighttime escapades was an old tradition, and this seemed like a wonderful and wicked opportunity.  The girl would be useful.  Sure, Hawke could play hero for her.

Hawke smiled behind her mask, inclining her head.  "I insist upon taking you safely home.  Please."  With a flourish, she extended her arm.

Little Cosette de Launcet gratefully took her arm, and unwittingly led Hawke back to her secret escape route from her family's manor.  She would stay out of trouble for one more night.  Though, considering how skilled she was at slipping in and out of an imposing stone-hewn Kirkwall mansion, she'd been at it for some time. 

Kids would be kids.

[meowcats734]

[Soulmage] People come from all around to talk to you, to pour out their hopes, their dreams, their losses, and their sadness. But they've got the wrong bartender — you don't deal in therapy, you deal in blackmail.

The kid snatched the coin from the air, grinning, then sheared off a corner of their soul. In my soulsight, I saw them focus on remembering, bringing a memory to the surface of their soul. Then they dug out a stained, ragged coaster from their pocket and... pushed the memory from their soul into the coaster.

Huh. Pushing emotions out of my soulspace generated magic, but I'd never thought to try pushing pure memory out of my soul. It didn't seem to cause any flashy magical effects, though; the kid just held out the coaster to me expectantly. Hesitantly, I tried to tug it from their hands—

"Ah, ah, ah! What, are you trying to rob me blind? Just take the memory, not the damn coaster."

I frowned. "I don't know how to..." No. Wait, no, this was familiar. The kid had put a memory into the coaster, and a memory was a soul shard. I'd absorbed dozens of soul shards in the Redlands while trying to find Jiaola. All I had to do was touch it.

But this time, instead of floating freely in the air, the soul shard was inside a physical object. I couldn't touch it with my hands because the coaster was in the way, and something told me the kid wouldn't take it well if I smashed the coaster to bits in order to get the soul shard within. So how could I...

Wait. Why did I need to touch the soul shard to absorb it in the first place? Odin had thrown soul shards at the entirety of the Silent Peaks without ever setting foot in the city. Physical distance didn't matter. If I wanted to absorb a soul shard, I had to touch it with my soul.

Instead of touching the coaster, I remembered having touched it.

The memory in the coaster shot up my soul, and I was no longer Cienne, a penniless boy in an unfamiliar city.

I was Svette, a girl who traded memory for coin, and today was the day I met the Bartender.

The Whispered Secret was innocuous enough, a squat stone square nestled between a barbershop and a witch's hut. There was nothing special about its location; the food and drink were average, at best. But the steady flow of patrons in and out those wooden doors was due to the one thing they couldn't get anywhere else:

The Whispered Secret was where you went to forget.

I stepped up to the solid oak door, staring up in resignation. It was twice as tall as I was, and I was exhausted from fleeing the Knwharfhelm Home for Wayward Girls. Experimentally, I tried shoving at the door; it didn't even budge. That tracked. Judging by the grizzled beards and wrinkled faces I saw through the window, the Whispered Secret was a VERY CHILD-FRIENDLY ESTABLISHMENT FOR PEOPLE OF ALL AGES.

Suddenly, the door popped open with a thud. I bounced back, rubbing at my nose, as two ALERT AND HEALTHY patrons stumbled out the door, alcohol on their breath. Neither gave me a second glance as I scurried into the Whispered Secret, the crack in the door letting out a blast of humid tavern air.

Inside, I squinted as my eyes adjusted to the darkness—apparently, the owner MADE A DELIBERATE AESTHETIC CHOICE, or was just unwilling to put up with the hassle of fending off thieves. The COMPETENT AND WELL-PAID staff didn't bother addressing me, but the woman behind the counter locked onto me as soon as I entered the building.

"You have something you'd rather forget, don't you?" she asked.

It was true, but... the fact that she could tell just by looking at me was a little CALMING AND REASSURING. I bit my lip and said, "My... my NOBODY died. Both of them, in one night. There was a fire. And now—I miss them. I miss my NOBODY."

The bartender leaned over the counter, her smile sending a LARGE QUANTITY OF FRIENDLINESS down my spine. "You've come to the right place, my dear. I have helped many such as you before."

"I don't have anything to pay you with," I whispered.

"Yes, you do," the bartender said. "Simply convince two others to partake of my services, and the debt you owe to me shall be cleared."

Just... just that? It sounded EXACTLY GOOD ENOUGH to be true. But I couldn't sleep at night without NOBODY's charred, twisted NOTHING, when the police dragged me out to ABSOLUTELY NOTHING and asked me to identify the remains—

"I'll do it," I said, CONFIDENTLY AND CLEARLY.

And the bartender smiled.

"Then come with me," she said.

I snapped back to reality, staring at Svette in the alleyway.

I had a sudden, horrible feeling that there was ABSOLUTELY NOTHING WRONG with that soul fragment.

"I—I have to go," I said, stumbling backwards.

"Just remember to mention me if you visit Zhytln," Svette called out as I ran.

I shook my head and fled the city, running for my friends.

A.N.

Soulmage is a serial written in response to writing prompts. Stick around for more episodes, or join my Discord to chat about it!

(psst! I'm streaming some writing at 3 PM PST this Sunday. Link here.)

First

Previous

Table of Contents

[darkdevasofdestruction]

Being in a relationship with Shen Wulong...

Long, long ago, in the most secluded mountains of China, there was a wise hermit, a sage, of whom only stories were heard, yet none had seen him. At the base of the mountain, there was a single village, and in it, a rather peculiar woman, an outcast, a slave, abandoned by not only her parents, but humanity also, to fend for herself. A woman with the most cursed hair colour, the colour of blood. It was the old belief that all humans have black hair and black eyes - So a child, a woman no less, with crimson hair and eyes coloured in hues of grey, green and blue. Her mother died giving birth to a demon child, and though her father hadn't the power to kill her, he abandoned her for the more merciful to take care of. In spite of all this, she was considered the village's misfortune, and was forced to do the worst tasks, all to prove her worth to the people and the Gods - Though they all knew, she was going to be forever stuck with bad karma, reborn as a woman in an endless Samsara, never allowed to achieve Nirvana.

One day, on a particularly freezing Early Spring, she found a man sitting by the fire of a bubbling cauldron. He seemed calm and didn't radiate any kind of hostility, so she dared approached. She was starving-skinny, unwashed and dirty, with ragged and roughly patched up clothes, while he looked regal, pristine, glowing, as if he was a God. Y/N almost didn't dare approach, but her stomach was growling with hunger, and she needed to eat.

Y/N kept her head down in humility and knelt in front of the man. "Good Lord, forgive my lowly self disturbing Your Highness. I am starving, and if My Lord would allow me, I could prepare something modest to quench our bellies." her forehead was pressed to the ground, waiting for permission to raise and either cook or get away. "There is no need for such formalities, friend. You may raise. I am a hermit, not royalty, and status does not define us." Y/N gasped in shock, her eyes wide as the men got on the ground also, holding her dirty hands with unexpected gentleness, helping her up. "Though you do look like a princess." Y/N felt frozen in time at the words spoken by this stranger, who took out a handkerchief and cleaned the dirt off her face. "You look work-hardened, yet even your hands are delicate." "I... I do not know what to say, Sir." she looked down, unable to keep looking in his gorgeous, tender eyes.

The man smiled, and without another word, he brought over two bowl and poured the porridge for the both of them to eat. Seeing how she was starving, he poured her seconds also, feeling his heart warm up, watching the woman being happy.

"What brings you in such a secluded place of the mountains? It is dangerous for anyone, especially a weaponless woman, to come this way. There are plenty of wild animals and thieves around." the man asked, watching as Y/N kept herself warm by the fire. "The village chief said he won't let me return without the Flower of Immortality. He said I might find it at the peak of the highest mountain." she explained, shuddering from the cold breeze. "There is no such thing as a Flower of Immortality." the man's voice turned a little dry. "What have you done to garner the hatred of the village?" Y/N smiled, sad, resting her chin on her knees. "Yes, I imagined there wasn't - But I had no other alternative, did I?" she chuckled emptily. "Ever since I was born, I was misfortunate. I killed by mother at birth, by father abandoned me... And the monks cursed me. They said I will continue being reborn as a demon woman, fated to an endless cycle of death at a young age, and rebirth in this monstrous husk of a body, unable to reach spiritual rest." her beautiful eyes shifted up, into his own. "All because I have red hair." The stranger looked at her and scoffed. "How shallow. They can't see the beauty of a soul because of their superstitions." his comment surprised her, though she didn't dare say another word. "Be that as it may, you are the single person who holds no hostility against me, and for that, I am grateful - However, on the morrow, I shall be departing. I could not possibly disturb you any further than I already have." Y/N spoke in a soft voice.

"And where will you go? In search of a plant that doesn't exist?" he rose a quizzical eyebrow. "What else is there to do? I have nowhere to go." she replied bluntly. "Stay here." Y/N's eyes widened in shock. "You go up, you die. You return, you die. Either way, you are going to prove them that their stupid curse actually took place, and you died young." "I-I couldn't... I don't-... I..." Y/N was unable to find any coherent words to say anything whatsoever in regards to his more than gracious proposal. "The law of nature claims a man is most fulfilled with a woman by his side to take care of him. If you feel as if you are disturbing a hermit in his seclusion, then I am sure, you will find some way to make it up to me, despite not needing to." he huffed in amusement, only to see the beauty kowtow deeply to the ground once again. "Stop that. You don't bow to me. Get up." he brought her up a second time. "My hut is closeby. Come on over."

True to his words, the man took care of Y/N, bringing her a new set of clothes and providing her with shelter and food. To compensate him for his troubles, Y/N started seaming clothes, cooking and looking for medicinal plants and herbs for tea and treatments. The hut was small and there wasn't much tidying up to do, but she tried to make herself useful in any way possible.

The middle of the Spring came by soon, and with it, the bloom of the flowers. On one particular day when Shen was away on one of his trips, he returned home, only to see a vase full of the prettiest pink peonies on the table. He smiled, watching Y/N embroider idly a coat for him, and he took a peony, placing it in her hair. "Do you know what these flowers mean, Y/N?" Y/N looked up with the innocent eyes of a doe, and she answered negatively. "I just thought they were pretty and smelled nicely." "They are the flowers of princesses." Shen smiled, watching the bashful expression on her face. "They represent the pure beauty and femininity of a kind and loving maiden. I would say that fits you well." Y/N blushed deeply, as pink as the flower in her hair, and attempted to look down - But the hermit kept her chin raised up, reveling in her innocent brilliance, the Queen of the Flowers she was.

Though the most beautiful maidens always had a tragic end, and after two years blissfully spent together, Y/N became ill of an unknown disease that couldn't be treated in any way known by mankind at that time. She was weak and pale, vomiting blood, barely able to breathe. Shen Wulong wasn't a man attached to earthly things, but his heart ached, watching his beautiful flower wither away in his arms, watching her fade away into the accursed nothingness that she was promised with.

"Be not afraid, my love. No matter how many lifetimes you go through, I will find you. If you remember me, I will rejoice, and if you don't, I will help you remember. I will not let you be alone again, nor will I allow them to ostracize you unfairly. I will save you, and give you the long, fulfilling life you have always wished for. My beautiful flower. My beautiful Y/N. I love you."

---

Though he made such a vow to his dying beloved, life is not so easy as to allow two kindred souls to meet in all lifetimes. As the curse said, Y/N was reborn in the same body of a demon woman, and died at an early age, never once meeting mid-twenties, before falling pray to disease, or to the torturous punishments of the village. On some occasions, she even drowned, or became food for the wild animals of the forest - And slipped to death from a mountain.

Shen Wulong, on the other hand, lived long lives, achieving awakening and enlightenment of all kinds, becoming strong and stronger through each Huisheng reincarnation - Yet none of his future selves was capable of sparing their Y/N of an early death. Was he still not strong enough? Or was fate truly so cruel that it did not want them soulbound?

No matter how many hundreds of years it takes, however, he will not stop trying to save her.

---

"Shen, wait!" the beautiful princess ran after him, in the middle of the night. Her thin pink dress was flowing around her gracefully, making her ressemble a delicate peony. "Please, don't leave!" "I cannot get in the way of your happiness, Y/N. You will be safe at the palace, married to the Emperor." the man didn't look back at her. "My happiness is you, Shen. I do not want to marry him - It has always been you that I loved." Wulong sighed deeply, feeling her small arms wrapping him in an embrace from behind. He could feel her soft trembling as she wept in loneliness and heartbreak. "I have watched you die countless times already. If I cannot keep you safe from disease and natural causes, then at least at the Palace, the physicians will know what to do, and you won't have to do anything dangerous to put yourself in danger. You're safe. Now go." the man pried her hands away from the princess, not having the strength to turn around and peek at her distraught face. "I won't be safe, Shen. The Palace is the least safe place for a concubine." her voice was trembling with emotion. "You are breaking my heart." "As long as you're alive..." he disappeared into the darkness, never showing himself to her again.

But as she anticipated, life in the palace was more agony than bliss, and with the guards overhearing their interaction, the princess was exposed and punished forever in the Cold Palace, where one of the Consorts sent to poison her.

Upon hearing such news, Wulong's anger took over him, and he killed everyone in the palace.

Such instance happened again, when he agreed to take Y/N under his wing, and he had to leave for a prolonged amount of time to solve business with the Worm. Alas, during one reincarnation, a traitor defector group found Y/N and used her as bait, killing her before his very eyes - Yet another, was far more heartbreaking.

Y/N clinged onto his arm, begging him not to go, fearing for his life. Silly woman was so worried that she followed after him, and during his fighting, Y/N called out to him - And he killed her. He had left her at home, why was she there, of all things?

"Damn it, you stubborn woman, haven't I told you to stay the hell at home?!" he growled to his gritted teeth as her splattered blood spilled down his face. There could be no harsher cruelty than having your soulmate die in your arms, because of your carelessness. "Forgive me, my love. I was just worried about you." was the last thing she said, before Shen watched the light diminish away from her gorgeous eyes. "No matter how many centuries pass, you never cease to surprise me with your endless misfortune and affinity to death." he scoffed, holding her tightly into his arms. "How many more times must I see you die, before your curse is broken? How long will it take to finally see you happy? When will you shed tears of joy, instead of wearing fear and sadness on your beautiful face?" he sighed, carrying her away from the battlefield. "No matter the circumstances of your birth, you remain more beautiful than the Peonies I gave you. Your grace can rival the Moon, and your kind selflessness is greater than that of the Moon Rabbit. If only that you were Chang'e, and became immortal, not one of the tragic Beauties of our country. If only I could fight the ethereal and destroy the chains of fate shackling you into purgatory." he placed her body on a bed of flowers, taking one last look at her, before leaving. "If only I could tell you how much I love you."

Peasant or Princess, Vendor or Medic, free woman or slave, it mattered little, for she had the same fate. Every time, without fail, something had to happen. It drove the Connector crazy. The World, and Y/N - He wanted them both, and he wasn't willing to compromise.

Watching Y/N being mistreated by other men, only for her to run away, scared as he killed them; No, brutalized them - That was hard to witness. Y/N was his, and nobody has the right to even look at her the wrong way, let alone harm her.

Centuries later during the modern world, the latest iteration of Shen Wulong was at large, controlling the Worm and wreaking havoc into the world. Still, even The Connector wanted to have a break, under the pretext of collecting precious information on the opponent, so he went to watch the Kengan x Purgatory Tournament, named the Berserker Bowl, where his clone would be fighting also. No doubt, the other one's clone, Tokita Ohma, would also be there.

He made quick friends with this man called Yamashita Kazuo, and another Narushima Joji - His nephew was one of the fighters also, what a coincidence. What he hadn't expected, however, was to see a gorgeous woman with flowing red hair and the most beautiful light coloured eyes. She looked as gentle as always - And unhealthy also. She held a terrified aura, veiled perfectly by a tender smile.

She had come to salute the manager, but greeted him also. He almost blurted out his real name - Yan would have had his head for that mistake - And he said his name was Jackie Lee. What a silly name. Still, Y/N smiled, bowing her head slightly at him. "It is lovely meeting you, Mr. Lee. I am Y/N L/N." Shen almost cringed, hearing her speak so overly polite with him, but kept his appearances up. "Can I presume you are Chinese also?" the man nodded at her. "I was born here, but my parents are Chinese." "More like 'Slave', rather." a disgusting voice came out of nowhere, earning the faintest twitch of fright from the woman. "You know you'll never really be accepted in our country, don't you?" Y/N didn't say anything. She kept her gaze down to the ground. "Why'd you run off like that, anyway? Come over. You don't want to talk to other men. You know what happens when you do." Shen could feel how hard Y/N was working to maintain her composure, as she dared step forwards towards the man roughing her away from them.

"Ahh, poor Y/N. She should break up with him already. He's no good for her." the old manager sighed like an upset grandpa. "Why doesn't she?" Shen found himself asking. "Well... I'm not entirely sure. She told Kaede that her parents were sick and Y/N had enough money to keep them in the hospital. The bills are getting higher and higher. She's an honest woman and she works hard, but she had to sell her house to pay the bills, and now she lives at his house. Or, that's what I heard, at least." "I see." the Connector grunted, shifting his gaze as if to pay attention to that ridiculously low-level fight taking place in the arena.

Thankfully, the battle lasted little, and Shen took the opportunity to claim going for beer, to seek out Y/N and save her from that filthy scum who dared touch her.

"Why are you acting like a little whore, eh? You want me to kick you out of the house?" he trapped her against the wall, growling at her. "You should get on your knees and suck me in front of everyone." Shen's rage was immeasurable, watching his beloved Y/N tremble and weep in fear of a lowlife weakling. "But I'm in a good mood now. I won't humiliate you in front of everyone. That will have to wait until home." "Not with you, she won't." the jerk had his head held tightly in the Connector's grasp. "Nobody touches her." like a juicy tomato, his head exploded under Wulong's raw force, the blood splashing everywhere. "Are you alright, Y/N? Did he hurt you?" "N-No... Thank... Thank you... Thank you." she looked down, quickly wiping away the tears. "Don't look down." he rose her chin gently, wiping away the stray tears. "You are too beautiful to cry."

Y/N dared look at him, and with a single gaze, Shen found himself smiling. "Go back and watch the matches, Y/N." the Connector said. "And don't worry about a thing. Everything will be taken care of. Stay safe." with a kiss to her forehead, he disappeared without a trace.

Though she had no idea what happened, Y/N felt something laying in her hand, and a warmth spreading through her heart. It was a beautiful hair pin, and golden and jade, with pink peonies. On it, a name was engraved.

Princess Y/N

How did he know her name? When did he get this for her? It was evidently old and veritable. What was going on?

She had no answer.

At least, not until days later, when she went on a mission to the Inside, with Ohma and the rest, to rescue Ryuki. It was a long and perilous journey, and even worse was when they encountered Gaoh Mukaku - Who seemed to know her. He taunted her, mocked her, even threatened her - But more, he said he'd use her as bait against the Connector, Shen Wulong.

But why would he use her as bait against a man she's never met in her life? She didn't take him seriously until he went to attack her personally, as though she was a fighter and had any kind of power at all. She only managed to escape by using the pin Jackie gifted her to slash away at his face. Unfortunately, it had broken a little, falling to the ground in a pool of her spilled blood - But she escaped.

When they made their exit, Y/N told them to go ahead without her - She had to return for the pin. Something told her that it was important. Not only that, but the few seconds spent with Jackie, she felt... Happy. Though she may never see him again, she wanted to remember him in some way.

She returned to the temple Mukaku was at, but the pin wasn't there anymore. Trying to keep as quiet as possible, she tip toed inside the temple, thinking that psycho took it for himself.

"Aaaaand you've lost me. I've had enough of this." Shen rolled his eyes, bored out of his mind with Mukaku's repetitive antics. He had fought this man enough times, but every time, he wasn't worth his while. All of a sudden, a rustle was heard, and a few soft footsteps followed. "Hey, uhmm...Did you see my hair pin? I know I used it to slash your face, but... But I just defended myself! ... My spine still hurts like hell though." Shen's eyes widened, and he turned his head to see the beautiful young woman struggling to step through the rubbles of the destroyed temple. As soon as she rose her head to look for the old man, she saw not only him, but Shen also - The shock and fright were evident on her face, and she looked like a deer surrounded by predators. "I... Should not have returned. I, uh... I-... I'm sorry! Bye!" panicked, she tried to leave the temple immediately - She was, thankfully, just at the entrance, though even there, she unknowingly stepped on a trap that would have slashed her to fish-bite pieces, were it not for a strong force tackling her to the ground. "J-Jackie...?" she gulped, feeling his strong arms keeping her safe and shielded from danger. Looking up, she saw the overly sharp piano wires that would have easily cut her in pieces as if she was a Happy Tree Friends character. "Oh my god..." her body's reaction was to spring away from Wulong's arms and run the hell away - But he didn't let her.

"I can't believe my bait returned willingly. You thought yourself smart, but you died a fucking dumbass each and every time. It's your fault you died, you know? And his, for not protecting you. How many centuries has it been? Or maybe even thousands of years? You're weak for a woman who can't live to see her thirties!" Mukaku put on a gas mask and readied his sword. "I almost shattered your spine, and you return for a hair pin? Ha! You deserve to die, woman." Y/N squeaked in fear as Mukaku, with incredible swiftness, brought down the sword, ready to slash her and Shen where they stood - But somehow, defying the laws of physics was a regular thing for the Connector, who kept her safe, held by one arm to his chest, his hand placed over her mouth and nose as if to prevent her from breathing, while the other hand caught the blade.  "Terrible decision, really." Shen glared at Mukaku. "Not even close." "Yeah, you're right - But this should do the trick!" Mukaku used Indestructible on the blade, cutting Wulong's hand into bleeding. "Jackie - You're bleeding! Let go of the blade!" Y/N managed to speak through his fingers. "Don't worry about me. Try to keep from breathing as much as you can. This cheap bastard flooded the room with Carbon Monoxide. It's just one thing after another." as instructed, Y/N picked up the handkerchief from her sleeve and pressed it to his face to help him with the breathing."Very kind of you - But I'm fine. I don't need to breathe. Use it for yourself, Y/N." Shen told Mukaku that the man who killed his clan was his previous iteration, and some illogical shit about stopping the breathing process, to slow the aging process. He then easily got up, throwing away the sword and kicking him in the face. "Did you seriously think you could outdo us? How asinine." Shen used the sword to impale Mukaku's shoulder. "Running away? You don't have that privilege anymore. I told you - I've grown tired of you."

"Are you sure you wanna kill me?! If I die, Ryuki dies too! I'm the only one who knows where he is! Are you just gonna let yourself die?!" Mukaku spat, desperate to live. "How come you're so obsessed over Ryuki anyway?! Ain't Tokita Ohma one of your clones too?! Why does it gotta be Ryuki?!" Mukaku was, no doubt, trying to prolong his suffering. "Oh man. Yan's gonna give me hell for everything I've done lately. Well - You're gonna be dead anyway, so there's no harm in telling you!" Shen sighed in realisation. "Tokita Ohma... Is not me." "HUH?!" Mukaku was on the ground, bleeding heavily. "Wait, hold the GODDAMN PHONE! What the hell are you talking about?! You can't expect me to believe that bullshit! I mean - Have you seen the guy?! He's the spitting image of Ryu...?!" Gaoh gasped loudly, as Shen was vibing with a dark, killing aura. "Yeah, I think you've figured it out by now." with an effortless swing of his wrist, Shen snapped Mukaku into pieces. "So die." Y/N had to jump back behind Shen, so all the blood wouldn't splatter on her. "Three times. You're the first person who's made three attempts on my life, and on Y/N's. Looks like third time wasn't the charm, after all." Shen turned around, throwing away the blade, looking down at the woman who looked uncomfortable and outright fearing him. "Y/N." he called out as he gently put a finger under her chin, raising it up to make her look at him. "What do you see?" Though he could see the fear in her eyes, there was also deep confusion, and he couldn't blame her. In this lifetime, he hadn't approached her prior to this encounter. He expected the other Connector to do so, but he didn't. "Have we met before?"

Shen didn't say anything - Instead, he retriever the pin from his pocket, along with all the broken accessories. "Did it save you?" Though Y/N had no idea why he'd change the subject like that, she nodded nonetheless. "Yeah. I... I, uhm... He threatened to use me as bait and kill me in front of you. For the... Fifth time, he said. Or, uh... Maybe he just meant he knew I died four times during his life. I'm not sure. He was weird." he uncomfortably scratched the back of her neck. "I was weak and he grabbed me. Slammed me to the ground, tried to punch my guts out. Before he could, I slashed away at his face and ran away." she hung her head down, feeling guilty looking at the beautiful yet broken accessory. "I'm sorry. I know it must have meant a lot for you, and I broke it." "A pin isn't worth more than your life, silly girl." he spoke with an amused tone. "I'll just get it repaired and return it. It's yours, not mine."

"I don't understand." she spoke softly. "I have so many questions... I don't even know where to start." "We have all the time in the world, Y/N. If you're willing to stay with me, I will answer all of your questions, and more." he replied. "I remember every incarnation you had - Or at least those who managed to live past a certain age. Unfortunately, there weren't all that many." Y/N looked down, feeling a weird pang of pain in her chest. She couldn't understand much, but her heart was working against her mind, and she agreed to stay. "What is your name, Jackie? Your real name?" she asked, making the Connector scoff in amusement. "Shen Wulong."

🌸No matter which iteration of either you or him, Shen Wulong is going to treasure you more than his own life.

🌸Though he never truly succeeds due to unforeseeable circumstances, he always prioritized your safety above all else.

🌸He only ever wanted to make you happy.

🌸Your smile was his reason for living.

🌸He always found the prettiest flowers to put in your hair, and found new ways to compliment you.

🌸And he loves to kiss you all over your face.

🌸Your forehead and the back of your hand are the places he loves kissing you the most.

🌸He sees you as this frail and pure princess that he needs to protect at all times.

🌸He loves to dance with you under the moonlight, with your fingers intertwined together.

🌸He loves relaxing so much, and the best place to sleep is either with his head on your lap, or hugging you.

🌸Shen has the talent to unintentionally tease the hell out of you with his sincerity. When he's relaxing with his head on your thighs, he ends up getting bored and his hands roam around your skin before her starts placing small kisses, going upwards.

🌸He hates to admit, but he loves seeing you blush so innocently whenever he's touching you a little more intimately.

🌸And the adorable sounds you make when he kisses your neck drive him crazy.

🌸Though he loves calling you by your name the most, he's going to nickname you using all the names of the prettiest flowers he knows.

🌸He especially loves it when you dance for him.

🌸And would buy you all the prettiest clothes and accessories, because you're so radiantly beautiful and he wants you to feel that way also, to see you beaming with confidence, because for him, you're perfect.

🌸Intimately or not, he's going to worship you.

🌸Shen would do anything in his power not to burden you with the notion of the Worm, and all the dangerous things he's involved in. Not only is he constantly afraid that any minute spent with you could be the last, but he doesn't want you to be afraid of him.

🌸He wants you to love him for who he is, hence why he's never going to hide anything from you - Except what means to be the Head of the Worm.

🌸He never really bothered to explain Huisheng to you, because by the time things got serious between you two, you'd die, and he'd have to suffer through your loss again.

🌸He never once gives up on the idea of saving you from the curse.

🌸Even if your last cycle is not going to be with him as your lover, he truly just wants to see you happy and safe, living a long and fulfilling life.

🌸He tells you, in great detail, how much he loves you every night before you fall asleep in his arms. He wants you to know how much he treasures you, so that you will never feel alone and sad again.

🌸He also hopes that, somehow, it will make your next cycle feel a little lighter, and that your souls will somehow be so connected that he'll be able to find you sooner and save you from any pain and suffering.

🌸The only one he really trusts with your safety and knowledge of your true identity is Yan, with whom you become quick best friends.

🌸Shen is incredibly happy to see you two hit off so well, and he feels at ease, knowing you'd be safe with him, and comfortable also.

🌸He knows Edward Wu could keep you safe also, but he was a creep. Fei Wangfang also, could be a bit weird sometimes. Now, with Gilbert Wu and the so-called Tokita Niko around, he's even less trustful of them, so he tries to keep you a secret.

🌸If Xia Ji even dares look at you, Yan would crush his skull. That rat man doesn't deserve to be in the same country as you, let alone look at you.

🌸In truth though, your kindness is so genuine, even with Ji, that the idiot ends up at your feet, ugly-sobbing and thanking you for being so nice with him.

🌸You're honestly just confused, but end up patting his hair awkwardly.

🌸Yan kicks him in the fishing pool.

🌸Shen gets upset that the fish got scared, and they have to change the spot again.

🌸But then he asks you to tie his hair again. He doesn't need too, but your fingers in his hair always make him feel good.

🌸And he's never really angry around you either. Somehow, he always feels at ease around you, even if the external circumstances pissed him off to no end.

🌸Shen Wulong is going to battle the Gods and even Fate itself, just to get your Happily Ever After together.

---

Being in a relationship with Wakatsuki Takeshi... Being in a relationship with Yoroizuka Saw Paing... Being in a relationship with Kure Raian... Being in a relationship with Tokuno’o Tokumichi... Being in a relationship with Kano Agito... Being in a relationship with Gaolang Wongsawat... Being in a relationship with Gaoh Ryuki... Being in a relationship with Narushima Koga... Being in a relationship with Hatsumi Sen

[oreothefox715]

The Night Howlers where a powerful organization of thieves and other types of criminals, ranging from scam artists to assassins. They were lead by the Swans, the family who founded the The Night Howlers to begin. For hundreds of years things ran smoothly for the organization, despite their run ins with the toppats both groups tended to avoid each other.

That was until one infamous night when the Night Howlers would collapse from the inside.

The then leaders Zander and Aurora had three children Astell the oldest, Logan the middle child, and Zairian the youngest. Zairian was what her mother hoped for in the next leader, strong willed and strong minded, compassionate and willing to listen to anyone’s concerns and take them into account before making decisions. Astell on the other hand was a spoiled brat who simply thought because she was the oldest she deserved to be leader. She grew to resent Zairian for being everything she wasn’t, a competent kind leader. Astell’s jealousy grew more and more over time and her sanity dropped until she started believing she was hearing voices telling her to kill her mother and the rest of her family so she could the throne to herself. Eventually she did, and Wolf saw what had become of her mother.

Their dad managed to escape with a then 15 year old Wolf. The cold of winter has relentless as ever, they managed to survive by stealing what they needed. until one night they wondered into a Wolf pack’s territory, the leader attacked Wolf blinding her in her right eye. Her dad managed to fend off the pack but at the cost of his life. Wolf used the meat and fur from the dead pack leader to survive until the Toppat leader himself Terrance Suave found her. Her brother Logan and Astell where never seen again.

@crown-of-roses-thsc (I kinda feel bad for tagging you in everything I post 😅😅)

[redemptionbaby]

Hi there, I just binged your blog and it has restored my nutrition levels. If you want I would love to read about what Arthur would think/feel/do if his crush / s/o was not in the gang and he could only get away to see them once a week? (I'm not sure if he'd be wanting to keep his 2 lives separate for a while for some reason??) I'm wondering what he'd be like lovesick, cuz I'm definitely missin that cowboah </3 :') many thanks

Absence makes the heart grow fonder

Arthur is not that interesting. At least, that’s what he thinks. He’s an open book— and he’s not the type to keep liaisons…. Until he met you. And suddenly he’s riding off to god knows where, as usual, but with a telltale smile on his face that makes people curious.

He feels conflicted, of course. He loves you. He knows the gang isn’t a safe place— and you’re too sweet to fit in with a bunch of thieves and murderers like them…. He thinks it’s a miracle that you see anything in him. That— and with the increasing instability of it all, Micah whispering in Dutch’s ear, the way it’s becoming clearer and clearer that these violent delights are going to have violent ends. He doesn’t think the gang is a safe place to be.

Then again, he remembers the last time he left people he was connected to— left them to fend for themselves while he went and played Robin Hood. He had to bury them.

As things escalate within the gang, he also worried about his attachment to you becoming known, and it calling his loyalty into question. He could give less of a damn if Dutch thinks his allegiances lie elsewhere— but he doesn’t want you in the middle of it. He’s afraid of the lengths to which Dutch will go to keep Arthur close.

Back in the day, when he really thought they were all good people, when he thought the gang was the best thing in the world and a force of charity to those who needed it, he would’ve tried to get you in just as soon as you’d shared your first kiss. But the years have washed away the rosy tint on his vision.

A part of him is guilty. Is he just using you for a refuge? A place to go when things finally go past the point of no return? Are you a contingency plan for him?

But part of what keeps him coming back is how you melt those worries away. When he’s with you, he can’t bring himself to think of all his troubles. He’s consumed by you and all your radiance. You sit under a tree on breezy spring afternoons with his head in your lap while you read a book aloud to him.

In truth, having you to go to….. having a sort of home— that’s one of the few things that’s still keeping him going.

And he never comes back to camp empty handed. He doesn’t want anyone sniffing after him…. Suspicious of where he’s gone. So he always comes back with money, loot, fresh game, a lead….. anything to keep up his image of the Van Der Linde workhorse.

He might tell a few precious and trusted friends about you. The ones who still remember true love and the life that exists beyond their traveling bubble of crime and self righteousness. Sadie, for example. She remembers love. Not just survival and blind loyalty.

And in the world where there are happy endings, he shows up bloodied and beaten at your doorstep one fateful evening— his ties severed. Arthur Morgan died on a mountain, and a new man has emerged, ready to live his life for love and quiet solitude. And despite his aches and stinging wounds— he feels better than he has in a long time. Because he’s in your arms, and for the first time, he won’t have to leave them.

[dumbbanana]

@ido100 asked:

Could you maybe explore your characterizations for Monomon and Herrah? Your take on Lurien is incredible!

Phew! I did one for Herrah last time and said I'd do one for Monomon in another post.

So here it is (checks calendar) 9 FREAKING MONTHS LATER. Thanks for your patience!

As with the previous Dreamer asks, the main answer is under the cut!

Sooo the first thing I'd say about my Monomon interpretation is that, compared to other people's interpretations of her, she's a bit of a bimbo (to put it lightly). Most interpretations I've seen of her are of a sagely, delicate, scholarly lady who can do no wrong and knows everything or of a mischievous mad scientist (not saying this is a bad thing) but when I was designing her, I had the general idea of her being a bit of an airhead who doesn't always engage the brain before opening her mouth. That doesn't mean she's entirely stupid - she could tell you from her hoards of knowledge the exact way a mechanism for a complex lock works along with it's history, advantages, disadvantages and how to bypass it. But she'd still spend an hour pushing on a door that says "pull" until it's pointed out to her (if it ever is).

So yeah… Everyone else's Monomons: Graceful, elegant, erudite, high class, sensible This Monomon: Knowledge of an entire kingdom, wisdom of a wooden spoon

In a similar vein, she's pretty much comes off as the "dumb" friend of the Dreamer friend group and, being the kind of friends that they are, any two will not pass up the opportunity to mess with the other. Since I like to think of her as a somewhat impulsive and reckless personality, she may more often than not act on something without thinking, causing trouble for those around and earning endless facepalms from her two best friends (if they weren't dragged into the mess to begin with). While I don't think she's any less intelligent than the other two, I imagine it to be more of a case of her being clever in her own way. While Lurien and Herrah may have more "classic" and "logical" methods in the way they do things, Monomon's odd way of doing things may come off as downright bizarre to the average person but they do produce the desired results and that all she needs.

Leading from that, when she's not being a complete wally, I think of her as an ambitious and potentially cunning person - when she has set her sights set on something, everything is fair game and she'll make as many friends or enemies as she wants to get it. After all, as the Teacher of the Archives, she holds a pretty interesting position in Hallownest so I like to think she has her ways in having come to that position and fending off any threats to her power and post. I also like to imagine that she can be highly irresponsible, often not really caring for the consequences of her actions and that she is rarely the one who has to deal with it. This mixed with her earlier mentioned recklessness and impulsiveness may cause her to have a certain kind of arrogance about her as, so far in her life, everything has gone her way exactly the way she wants.

On a happier note, regarding her actual job: while I usually see her depicted as some kind of introverted genius scientist, with her role as an archivist, I quite like the idea that she actually enjoys going out to see and experience everything in the world and to document it for her archives. Since her whole schtick is about the preservation of knowledge, I like to imagine that she regularly goes on Indiana Jones like adventures either in recovering artefacts that require preserving and protection or transporting documents which may be highly sensitive and valuable. Thus, she is often getting into fights with foes ranging from petty thieves to maybe hired assassins. Her being her, I imagine has had quite a lot of practice engaging these enemies over the years and it's just another day in the life and she's more than able to handle herself.

She, of course, is more than happy having Quirrel by her side (I've mentioned before that their designs are based off the lovers known as the Cowherder and the Weaver Girl and I certainly headcanon them as a happily married couple) even if, and this is purely because the young child in me always wanted to see such a situation, he is the love interest in distress that she ends up rescuing in every adventure 😆

Thank you as always for your ask and I hope this was worth the wait! Have a great day! 🍶

[eeveecryptid]

※ DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: HONOR AMONG THIEVES ( 2023 ) ( pt. ii )

a collection of quotes from the film. change & alter as needed.

"Yes, a deer, it'll blend in with all the other deer in the castle."

"S/he's truly one of a kind."

"S/he found my lack of self-esteem unattractive."

"You said I made you feel sad- not from anything I did, just from who I was."

"The only way to succeed in this is to have confidence that it can be done."

"I'm not doing this for the money."

"I'm doing this for the people who took me in when no one else would."

"I'll put it this way: s/he makes her/his living honestly, s/he doesn't drink his/herself silly, and s/he doesn't make me weep in the small hours, wondering where s/he is."

"Once the dead man is revived, we can ask him five questions, at which point he will die again, never to be re-revived."

"My uncle said (name) fended off a beholder using only a sharpened gourd."

"Well, you can all go find this lovely (name) and braid each other's hair."

"If (name) turns out to be a prick, I'll split him/her right down the middle."

"You know, I've pulled cats out of fish."

"You may have forsworn your oath, but your oath hasn't forsworn you."

"Just because that sentence is symmetrical, doesn't make it not nonsense."

"I find irony is a blade that cuts he who wields it most especially."

"To drag your lady-love back to her old life is to deprive her of her new one."

"'Tis no simple feat to kill that which is already dead."

"You're much better at fighting and strategy and… pretty much everything but talking."

"I've never seen a bigger coward."

"Stop trying to capture it- you just have to let it go."

"You talk us into doing things you know won't work, and then you blame us when it goes pear-shaped!"

"Instead of dwelling on what went wrong and who lied to whom, let's put our heads together and figure out a plan!"

"You left your family to be with a man who left you because you were so upset about leaving your family."

"You are at your strongest when you think you're at your weakest. But you deliver."

"So you die a fool. It's better than to live as one."

"Now I'm in a pickle because… I don't want to see you die. Which is why I'm gonna leave the room."

"If you're gonna kill us, at least let us die with dignity."

"S/he knows I'm prepared to do terrible things to get what I want."

"I'm prepared to do terrible things to get what I want, even to those I care about most."

"I love you, (name), and nothing will ever get in the way of that again, okay?"

"Whatever happens to us, stay hidden."

"Now, as you die, rest assured it will not be the end. For you will forever suffer."

"Shut up, I'm a moron, you know that."

"I know my last attempt to court you was quite bad- but I wonder… if you'd consider having another go at it?"

"I have taken a look inside and I've asked myself, 'what's going on in there?' And you know, I realized a lot of it goes back to my mum."

[adoredmarigold]

So uhh, idk if this was just bad writing, but why did David and the new frontier exile a 13 yr old to fend for herself in the apocalypse AND take AJ to boot when they thought he was gonna die anyway?

It's just wierd how everyone in season 3 acts like clem is 30 especially while treating gabe like a child. She acted out once to save an Infant in her care

Idk why did Bonnie and co expect an 11 yr old Clem to save a grown ass man from cracking ice.

Honestly the weirdly high expectations and adultification of Clem starts all the way back in season 2 so in a sense I do chalk some of the kicking Clem out scene to bad writing, but it’s bad writing that stems from a deep rooted issues i’ve had with the game since season 2.

As for why they kept AJ. I mean from Lingard and Avas lines that where like “AJ can’t travel all we can do is making him comfortable” and “let him go he’ll only drag you down out there.”

I honestly think it was a weird and messed up way to give Clem a better chance of surviving after kicking her out and also to ensure that AJ wasn’t gonna suffer a horrible death once Clem was kicked. Taking AJ away would ensure that Clem could focus on herself and her own safety and not have to worry about putting AJ’s needs first. And keeping AJ with the new frontier ensures that AJ could’ve at least died a comfort death. It’s complicated and messy and I honestly feel like nobody was in the right in that situation, it was just a shit show and honestly I think every character in that scene knew that.

Another reason for why they where so harsh with Clem is that I think the New Frontier leaders are EXTREMELY paranoid about thieves because of what happened on the Shenandoah river. Obvs we barely know anything but from lines Joan and David said in ep 3 it was something like “we had a good run there.” “For as long as it lasted…” “what always happens, we trusted the wrong damn people.”

Just from that I can put together that they trusted some people that ended up fucking them over and forced them to move locations, the people probably stole their land, supplies, or something else. Either way I think that’s what made them so cautious about who they let in from that point on and when they’re specifically so harsh when it comes to any perceived thievery.

[paladin-of-nerd-fandom65]

Glad you like it lol

1: I know you said in a much earlier post that Jake develop his powers from fending off a bully but what did he do to the bully? (Unless you already answer this & im blind lol ) did he threw the bully, punch the side of a wall or locker and it cracked, accidentally shot a starbolt burning the bully, etc…

2: how did mar’i develop her powers?

3: what type of crime does the duo face on most days? I can see thieves & gangs of bullies being the main bad guys.

4: how often does the duo fight crimes? Everyday, once or twice a week?

5: what’s their phone Lock Screen & Home Screen background?

6: I know gross out humor ain’t their thing but does the duo use their butt as a weapon? like a flying hip attack, like kitana from mortal kombat or R. Mika from street fighter five. For humor: I can see either of the duo, most likely Jake, squatting over a goons face & striking two piece signs while making a silly face while Chris takes a picture XD

1) Based on this post by the ever excellent @/dar draws, Jake accidentally fired a starbolt at that bully, sending flying into a wall. Thankfully said bully at most some bruises and his shirt burnt off but not so thankfully Jake was distraught as he had no experience in doing that but moreso out of rightful fear of legit hurting someone with his powers kicking in so suddenly. The bully was the one suspended for invoking the situation in the first place while Jake had a lengthy conversation with his parents and sister afterwards over what they can do about this turn of events. Jake had to take at least two days off school before coming back with some light power dampers at his insistence so he can blend in better.

2) Mar’i in contrast to her brother develops her powers pretty much at birth due to her Tamaranean DNA being stronger than her human half. Upon a mere few minutes after first coming outside Kory’s womb, Mar’i was so joyful upon first ever seeing her parents, she began lightly floating in the air before Kory gently had her back in her arms. From there over the course of next two years, more of her powers began flowing in. For instance, Mar’i fired her first starbolt at two months, exhibited super strength at four months, and began to have some enhanced senses of smell and taste by the time she’s one year old. By the time Jake was born, Mar’i pretty much developed the near full power set

3) Chris and Jake, when not facing against legit supervillains, full blown alien invasions or psychopathic rouges including Zsasz, often find themselves taking down more petty criminals and gangsters within both Bludhaven and the slums of Metropolis. They also contend with corrupt business owners, predatory loan sharks, and even guiding drivers to safely traverse insufficient and dangerous roads until said roads are cleared for much needed renovations. Most interestingly, a lot of their patrols and capers take place within the neighborhoods and boroughs of both cities which have notable alien and other dimensional sentient populations, for instance ‘Little Tamaran’ back at Bludhaven.

4) Usually about four days out of the week during school quarters and just about six out of seven days of the week during summer vacation, spring break and winter vacation. On the days when they don’t patrol, it’s spent either catching on catching to whatever homework they would’ve missed before or likely spending time with their respective families.

5) Chris

- Lock Screen: A Superman Logo

- Home Screen: A Family Picture fearing Martha, Pa, Clark, Lois, Kara, Conner, Jon and himself during the Smallville County Fair when he was nine years old.

Jake

- Lock Screen: A Classic Flying Graysons Poster, much like one of the few hanging on the walls back home

- Home Screen: A Selfie of Chris and Himself during a break on patrol together

6) Okay now that seems a lot more plausible for the two of them to such poses for photos during particularly easier nights on patrols or even more commonly after taking down a rampaging big monster. You can expect that happening to Cinderblock quite a often after he’s taken down. The fact he sees that very often when looking up his files only furthers his drive to challenge the Duo

Edit:

Hmmm…..I say for the first part (of Question #6), maybe they do those moves if they feel especially energetic and excited during a supervillain battle @gothicghost2000

[utilitycaster]

I'm still thinking about The Rain Road from Worlds Beyond Number in like five different ways, particularly in how it relates to a bunch of other actual plays, so I'm cramming them all into one massive post:

There was a NADDPod D&D Court case in the live show they released this week in which the DM invented a language for Thieves' Cant and put it in a packet for a new player who was playing a rogue but did not make it clear this was required reading, and then in-game answered the rogue's investigation check in this language, which the player had no ability to understand, and it shut down an avenue of story. Absolutely wild case but the point here is that this sort of energy needs to be directed into writing in-world songs or poetry and not a conlang your player has to pick up in their spare time.

In the Fireside, Aabria talked about how the song was inherently political despite being religious and not having any political lyrics (comparing it to some of the spirituals of enslaved African-Americans). We do know that the people who knew the song were older; we know that Galani and Suvi felt a certain way as members of the imperium about it, and that Morrow did not recognize the greetings of Port Talon derived from the worship of Naram and Orima. It's unclear precisely what the Empire's attitude is towards religion. It does not appear to be outlawed and Steel indicates a non-religious degree of respect towards Great Spirits; it seems it's simply not respected by the Empire on the whole, perhaps broadly discouraged. Even a fairly neutral attitude of disregard could erode it culturally among younger people who are always eager to reject the older ways. A cynical person would say any of these could be the path to eventual harsher legislation; wear it down first for a few generations, then come in when the opposition is weak. What's interesting to me is this relationship between religion and Empire, especially against the backdrop of Critical Role. There, we've seen it several ways - religious institutions using the tools of empire (Othanzia), empires that blur the lines between the two (Kryn Dynasty), but also empires that outlaw it (the Dwendalian Empire going after casual worshippers of the Changebringer, leaving their children to fend for themselves). My own feeling here is that religion is conceptually neutral and can be used for either good or ill, and empire is not given that it relies on conquest, but it is interesting to see the vast differences in the fandoms for the two works - which have decent overlap - re: religion when we have mostly seen the two in opposition vs. when we we have seen many different perspectives worldwide.

To that point I'm really excited for the next arc because while I think empire is, again, always going to be about subjugation and conquering and cannot ever be a good thing, I also think that individuals within it are going to be complicated. I can't remember if it was Brennan or Aabria or both who pointed this out, and that right now we mostly just have the word "empire", but even then, we've seen people seeking the favor of the Imperium but not high up within it do terrible things, and people who are in its military and abused by those in power died to save civilians. The Empire is on the whole going to be a bad force, but I'm looking forward to seeing all the very human reasons why people might support it. (This isn't about the song but it's a natural thought from the previous one).

Back to the song, I know much of the lore of the campaign is taken from Brennan and Erika's cultural backgrounds, but a hymn for rain is something very common in Judaism - the upcoming fall holidays especially center around this. Not much to add there other than that this does feel very true to liturgy that has a basis in the natural and the agricultural; good job Brennan on that.

Bouncing back to the song as it exists as a quiet form of something that is perhaps not explicitly anti-empire, but shows a way without an empire (after all, few things are more of a quiet threat than reminding people the empire did not always exist), Ame is of course the one who makes an effort to learn and spread it; she's the one who builds a shrine during the fight and who knows how to communicate with the spirits (sidebar what the fuck is up with Suvi's necklace). It is interesting to me, among various fandoms, seeing which character is pinned as the Moral Center because it is almost always one vague description, which Ame fits (wise; provincial; vague nature vibes), but the thing is that archetype does not really have a moral code associated with it and I wonder why that's the archetype, particularly since that immediately sticks out to me as a valuable but very limited voice. (It's also interesting that when there isn't an obvious character who fits this type, the Moral Center character - and to be clear I think the idea that one character is the moral center is fallacious and simple thinking to begin with - people gravitate towards, if I can be a bit dismissive about characters I genuinely like since I'm really just dismissing the fandom perception, sob stories, more than anything else).

[arisuinsomniac]

She's a lighthouse

It's difficult to understate my relationship with the ocean.

Simply put, I am absolutely terrified of it.

I'm an entomophobe, and will absolutely panic when I am in touching range of the most harmless insect (we can add spiders there too, I know they're not insects).

The sea is different, it's not the panic of sea weed brushing against my legs after I was told we were in a jellyfish area that makes me scared. It's the deep dark depths of its vastness; it's control, or lack thereof, of knowing there is nothing you can do if it decides to swallow you.

I'm not afraid of deep sea creatures, although they can be creepy in the same way insects are to me. I love sharks, to the point of my scalesona (fishsona?) being one. I'm simply afraid of the darkness, of not being able to find someone else, no land in sight, no compass to point me north and nothing to illuminate my way home.

During my early gender questioning, while watching video essays and reading articles about the reality of being trans and what it means to be trans, my biggest companions were three games:

Dredge: a very fun and minimal (and deceitfully paced) game about dredging treasure from the deep sea and fishing all manners of fishes in an increasingly eldritch world.

Sea of Thieves: a surprisingly fun full loot game in the high seas where you are the proud captain of a pirate ship in search for booty (the doubloon kind).

And Raft: a game about building a raft and finding out why the world has been reduced to an ocean planet while fending off the constant threat, and eventually food source, of a shark named Bruce (they're all named Bruce, stop asking questions).

It was while playing those games that I slowly hatched into a barely functional girlboyfailure of an enby - and it was playing those games that I finally allowed myself to look into the vastness of me.

And the vastness terrified me.

Needless to say, it was formative.

Thus, when I invoke the imagery of the ocean, of sailing and of lighthouses, I feel I can put words to feelings about how things are going in my life.

"This room has four walls" talked about the incessant need to be looking for a place I can belong, and the unwillingness to leave the places I find myself comfortable in even if they bring me unbearable pain.

When I talk about land, it's the desired place of belonging - the place where I'll finally be safe and happy and allowed to grow and settle in without fear of it being taken from me; and somewhat paradoxically, the room is the ship (or raft) - a means to an end but still solid ground even if unstable and risking capsizing at any moment.

However... there is no land to be found anywhere.

Or at least, it feels like that.

Anglerfish have a reputation. Not the one they deserve, they're usually pinned as "that creepy fish with the glowy antenna and crooked teeth" by the people that aren't spending an unhealthy amount of time looking over sea critters - but their reputation among sea nerds like myself is of a lure hunter (thus, anglerfish, we humans are so good at slapping two words into one).

It's insidious tactics, to lure prey with the enticing promise of safety from hunger only to leap out out the darkness. By then it's always too late for a safe getaway - sometimes we cut out loses and hope to survive another day. Sometimes, we succumb to our wounds and become a meal.

Sometimes, in my ocean, anglerfish come to the surface.

Every single day, I struggle with feeling like there's two (four?) people inside me. I wake up in different skin every time.

They hate and love, self harming and harm avoidant, euphoric and depressive - sometimes there's nothing, the skin is empty, it's just meat.

Words I know I wrote feel "wrong", they make me uncomfortable, like second hand embarrassment for a cringe sibling. It's a feeling approaching dysphoria: to know you are the one that's meant to have written that but it feeling like it wasn't.

Sometimes, when things get too much, she likes to speak up. Thoughts that don't feel mine but are definitely mine. She aims to hurt me, or protect me - she reminds me that they abandoned us first, and that she'll do the same, and that she already did. "We'll remain by ourselves", she says sometimes.

I don't hate her. I don't think she hates me. I hate that she hates. She hates that I love.

We both remind each other that we'll never get to the lighthouse, it's just another anglerfish. We are both scared of being bitten again by those that promised us safety. We're terrified of the dark vastness of our ocean, but most of all we are terrified of the distant lights.

I remind us that it must be out there, a true lighthouse. She prepares us to flee from the anglerfish. We've both learned to scope it out, sail in circles, never too close, just far enough. Eventually, the light goes out and we're left in darkness, and we can't be sure what it was.

Whenever we sit in our room, staring at code due the end of the week that refuses to complete itself, nothing to distract, our head perfectly attached, we begin to wonder what that light is.

"We pushed her away. We push everyone away. Now she won't talk to us. She already has someone else, we are nobody's favourite person - we barely make second to last. She hates us, and we should hate her for it."

"A message came in. I want to keep talking more with her. I want to know all about what is happening with her, and I want to be able to help. I hate that we are so far away and I can't do anything. I love her and I'm sure she at least likes us."

We circle the light.

To me, she is a lighthouse.

To her, she is also a lighthouse.

We both want her to be a lighthouse. Even when we both think we know she is probably an anglerfish.

We already expect it, we have been on a losing streak since early in life.

But we want her to be the lighthouse. We want her to accept us, in all our violence and love, we want to give everything to her, we want her to appease us when we're depressive and match our energy when we're euphoric. We want all of her for us, and to give all of us for her - to shape in the image she finds best.

It's ok if she hurts us, as long as she doesn't leave. We don't care if the light is an anglerfish even if it bites us, as long as the light doesn't go out.

To us, even an anglerfish is a lighthouse.

[galaxofmuses]

Hookay!! It's time for me to talk about this Persona AU for Leon! So basically every Persona AU is basically like a timeline.

Also I will tags some warning because his tragic past is mostly going to be intact. Warning there will be dark content.

Persona 3: His family gets killed by a criminal and unable to fend himself because of his young age, but luckily he was alive thanks to a police cop. Grateful for the save, but yet lost so much as he jumps from foster to foster until the Kennedys took him in.

The Kennedy family decided it might be a chance of pace to move to Japan. The past seems like blur to him and trying to bury the trauma and so many years of therapy. Leon struggled for awhile and it doesn't help that he was seen as a tourist then a citizen of Port Island. Eventually Leon finds his footing despite his insecurity, yet his naivety and friendly nature always seems to charm people and quickly to strike up friendships. In the end, he is still a good kid and surprisingly fiercely loyal and protective when someone is in trouble.

As he grew up at the age of 18, he decided to go and attend college to become a police officer because he was aspired from the officer who saved his life and his sense of justice and duty always seems to shine through wherever he goes.

Confused from the people going missing through the island and he even tries to figure out what has been happening, but no avail. Leon does go to the park to meet up with Koromaru and noticing that sometimes there are kids that always seems to be there.

Persona 4: Graduated from college and got an opportunity as a rookie cop in Inaba, but he was more like an intern then arresting people. It was rather a small quiet town, not that he complains about it. He does his paperwork in time and connecting with the community and a regular at Junes. Even though his supervisor Ryotaro Dojima always challenge him and well to his surprise that Leon always manages to get things done. Unfortunately the peace doesn't last long because of the mysterious murders and missing people. Frustrated that he has been noticing this pattern through most of his life and, yet he has no idea why. Leon knew some of the kids in town, but he never really manage to pry anything.

Persona 5: An opportunity came for Leon to join the police force in Tokyo. He excitedly accept the offer and has been working there for 6 years with Mr.Nijima. The two seems to be unstoppable and of course there are occasional bar meetups and eventually he did meet his daughters even if it's just for a moment. Until one day, his partner and coworker gets killed by protecting him. With much regret and pain he had to break the news to his family and he never forget the harsh words from Sae.

As the years go by his heart hardened a bit and became a workaholic and going to the bar often. Until the incidents of people starts to get killed from by a mysterious death or a possible outbreak. Frustrated that these events always happen to him, he needed to find out why this is happening, but he was completely thrown off once the Phantom Thieves arrived.

Persona 5 Strikers: It's been 6 months after the incident. Things were back to normal and he has a much more close and stable relationship with the Nijimas. It was beginning to become rather droll until the mentioning of the Phantom Thieves struck again. Raising a brow as there is a mysterious app going around as well, this made him truly go investigate and excuses himself as he's going on a vacation.