#chen is so overpowered

[chiefdirector]

Birthday Wishes | Tim Bradford | The Rookie

"Wishes are crap," Tim grumbled as he looked down onto the candle adorned cupcake (Y/N) had presented him with. The wax had started to drip down the singluar candle with how long ti had been lit. Tim had half the mind to let it extinguish itself, but he couldn't, not with (Y/N) pouting at him the way she was. But not even her best pupp-dog eyes could get him to not whine "Do I have too?"

"Yes!" She said, almost bouncing where she stood. Tim's negativity, whilst it was infamousmous throught the Mid-Whilshire devisiona nd across the LAPD as a whole, never overpowered (Y/N)'s undying positivity, especially when it came to bithdays. "You have too!"

"Right, can I wish for no more birthday wishes?"

"Nope!"

Tim grumbled again, closing his eyes as he tried to think of something - anything to wish for. But only one thing came to him, something he knew that couldn't happen; it would go against so many rules, rules he had sworn not to break, But at least he could wish for it

Quickly, he drew his breath and blew out the candle. His eyes remained shut for a moment before (Y/N)'s cheers caused him to look at her.

"I know I shouldn't ask," she started placing the cake down on a nearby desk, "but what did you wish for?"

"It's stupid," Tim tried to deflect.

"Come on, tell us, Bradford. Unless you're scared too…"

"I'm not scared, it's just…" He trailed off, trying to find the words. Deep down he knew that he could try to make his wwish come true right here and now, but it could all come crumbling down too. He just had to say it out loud.

He could laugh of the iront of it, vocalising wishes ensured they wouldn't ome true, and yet his wish relied on him speaking about it. Looking back at (Y/N)'s eager expression, he knew he had to say it.

"I wished that you would join me for dinner."

"Oh." She said, momentarily looking away from Tim.

The second her eyes left his, Tim almost felt sick. he knew that he shouldnt have ask, he had mess everything up and it would never be the same. He should have kept-

"I'm free Friday."

Tim swallowed air as her words set in. He barley managed to splutter out a reply before (Y/N) placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Is that okay, Tim?"

He smiled as he got his bareings back. "I'll pick you up at eight. But I have to go, Chen and I are on patrol.'

"I'll catch you later," (Y/N) said, looking down at her own watch to check the time. When she looked back up, Tim was already halfway across the bullpen. Quickly, she called him back. "Tim! You forgot your cake!"

Masterlist

@rookietrek @kmc1989 @augustvandyne

(i tagged people i thought may like, let me know if you wasnt to be added and/or removed)

[paintingwhiteceilings]

❃How EXO acts around their crush❃

a/n: This is 10000% just for my own pleasure. I may have had this in my drafts for weeks... I am totally okay with all the Kyungsoo solo content and EXO ladder dropping. Totally. Super functional, delusional who?

ALSO to any EXO-L that are sharing Chen's LEAKED wedding photos. Please be respectful and either delete them or, at the very least, blur out his wife's face. Chen has gone to great lengths to safeguard her privacy, as she is not famous nor wants to be in the spotlight. Not to mention that there could be crazy sasaengs out there with ill intent. Sharing her info is basically doxing, and it is insane to me how many people shared these posts without much thought. Anyway, I needed to share my frustrations.

Xiumin/Minseok:

✾ He is a lot shyer than the other members; where most of EXO probably feels comfortable enough to act on their crushes, he is a bit more reserved. He wants to test the waters first, ascertaining whether the feeling is mutual. Whenever you are around and are talking to other people, he sits back silently, observing your reactions.

✾ Xiumin is smiling so widely around you that the other members worry that his muscles might start cramping up soon. The moment he sees you, his bubbly personality starts to really shine through, and sometimes you can't help but wonder whether this man truly is 33.

✾ That being said, from the moment that anyone offers Xiumin a couple of drinks, his confidence spikes, and he will start flirting with you. His flirting is still extremely sweet and cute; Xiumin can be incredibly charming when he wants to be.

Suho/Junmyeon

✾ He is such a gentleman around you, trying to make you feel at ease with his kind gestures. Whether it is him pulling back a chair or opening a door for you, he will do anything to make you feel like a princess.

✾ Being one of EXO's proud black card owners, he will casually buy you whatever you need. He keeps repeating that he wants to treat his friends when you try to interject. You can't completely refute it; he does spend a lot of money on the members. Yet, you can't help but feel like his gifts are slightly too expensive and excessive for 'just friends'.

✾ So. Many. Soft. Glances. Suho looks at you like you hung the moon and the stars; you catch him staring at you almost every time you look over. Conversations with him can, therefore, be a tad awkward. He doesn't always register what you are saying; he is so absorbed in watching you that he forgets to listen.

✾ The other members relentlessly tease him for it. If you don't catch on based on Suho's actions, you will definitely catch on due to his members' relentless teasing. Whenever he does anything remotely romantic around you, their faces light up like Christmas came early. The members are not subtle about it whatsoever, thoroughly enjoying putting their leader in a slightly uncomfortable position.

Baekhyun:

✾ The members didn't think it was possible, but Baekhyun somehow became louder. It is as if he wants to draw your attention simply by screaming, as he no longer has any volume control when you are around. Everyone can hear your conversation from across the room, and his laughter becomes borderline obnoxious as it overpowers any other sound.

✾ He is such a tease and a suggestive one at that. Considering he has no problem revealing intimate, not suitable to be aired on national TV, details about the members' bodies, he won't have any trouble suggestively flirting with you. Where Xiumin's pick-up lines are cute, Baekhyun's are far from it. Give this man some holy water, Jesus.

✾ He is so intense with his flirting that it sometimes crosses the line of sexy to parody, coming off as a joke. Baekyhyun has a very flirty personality and isn't above flirting with his friends. Even though he isn't subtle about his crush, he can accidentally fall into the "he flirts with everyone" category, making you question whether he genuinely likes you or is just being friendly.

✾ He really enjoys the chase when it comes to relationships. Thus, it will take him quite some time before he asks you out, simply because he likes the push-and-pull game.

Chanyeol

✾ There is nothing subtle about Mr. Park Chanyeol. The moment he sees someone he wants to date, he is going for it full steam ahead. Puppy Chanyeol is momentarily retired as he makes his way over to you; Chanyeol knows that he is handsome and sexy, and he is ready to show it to you. I hope you weren't interested in anyone else because the moment you return any of his interest, he will be flirting with you like there is no tomorrow.

✾ Internally, he is so excited to be talking to you, and sometimes, you will see glimpses of his cute puppy-like persona, especially once he feels like you are just as interested. Still, the words coming out of this man's mouth, Jesus part two. Please go and ask Baekyhun to pass the holy water.

✾ That being said, he will get embarrassed when the other members are around or slightly bashful when you return his flirting at full force. I don't think Chanyeol is used to anyone sharing his level of intensity, so once you do, he gets a bit flustered. He absolutely loves it, though. Your compliments got him grinning from ear to ear.

D.O./Kyungsoo

✾ Don't get me wrong, I adore this man to a delusional extent, but he is absolutely hopeless when it comes to communicating with his crush. He won't go anywhere near you if he can't help it; he prefers looking at you from afar. He is someone who favours being approached first over approaching you himself. It isn't that he doesn't want to talk to you; he simply isn't the type of person to initiate contact with his crush and tends to stay back when he can tell that someone else is interested, too. 

✾ Even if he finds himself near you, don't expect him to have a full-blown conversation with you. He already tends to be a man of little words, but when it comes to you, he is a man of not a single word. Being around you is enough to make him happy; he doesn't really need to have a deep conversation. 

✾ Nevertheless, his actions make more than up for it. He is such a gentleman, being the definition of preferential treatment. You don't have a chair to sit on? He will quietly offer you his. Your sweater got caught on something? He will silently help you get it out. Although he may not say much to you, he communicates his feelings through his actions. 

Kai/Jongin

✾ If you think Xiumin or Kyungsoo are shy, you have not yet met Kai with a crush. He turns into absolute mush the moment he sees you, giggling and blushing whenever you do as much as breathing. You can't even see him because he has resorted to hiding behind the other members, preferably Sehun or Chanyeol, as they are tall enough to obscure him completely.

✾ If he somehow musters up the courage to talk to you, good luck having it go anywhere because he can barely make it through a sentence without giggling. It is obvious to everyone around him that he is smitten with you; his laughs are awkwardly loud, and his eyes are literally shooting hearts.

✾ The moment he manages to ask you to dance, his shy demeanour completely changes. His movement… His expressions… The way he is smirking at you… Maybe you should go and ask Chanyeol whether there is anything left of the holy water he borrowed from Baekyhun.

Sehun

✾ He has one of two ways of acting around his crush: either he acts super bratty or becomes painfully shy. It depends on whether he has met and talked to you before. But, if you are complete strangers, he would be so quiet, hiding in the furthest corner he can find.

✾ He will pester the members to go over and collect as much information as they can about you. They will do it because he will whine the entire night about it if they don't and, repeat with me, what Sehun wants, Sehun gets. The members try to convince Sehun to go talk to you himself, but Sehun stubbornly refuses. Bro will be playing the Maknae card harder than he ever has in his entire life.

✾ In the end, he will drag Suho with him, trying to 'casually' strike up a conversation with you. The small talk is painful, and in all honesty, Suho, with his dad jokes, isn't helping in the slightest. At the very least, it provides the two of you with a new conversational topic: the teasing of Suho.

masterlist

[hyperfixate-on-ninjas]

Ninjago S2 P2 Spoilers

Ngl, Lloyd’s power being Source Power could kinda make sense when you consider that it SOLVES a plothole in Season 3.

So I’ll be talking about it.

Lloyd’s Power is Source Power Theory.

Idk I just wanted to be dramatic.

Basically, I thought of this thought (Creative) when I realized that Lloyd’s power is the only power named after Source Dragons.

His personal name for his power: Energy

And the one Roby called it: Life

Now in canon, no one knows what the hell Lloyd’s power is. Cole explained it so vaguely that even he admitted he doesn’t really know what Lloyd’s powers are and Chen straight up called it ‘Power’

So this sudden Name Change is kinda…understandable.

However if Lloyd is the Master of Life/Energy, then there should be a Master of Motion or Strength. Yet in the Tournament of Sources there is no indication of a ‘Master of Motion’ or ‘Master of Strength’

‘Why would you be saying this?’ You might ask. ‘Tons of EMs didn’t show up at the Tournament of Sources’

Yes, but think about the Elements that were revealed in the Tournament. Or the very few ones that are rather interesting to note.

Reflex,Size and Balance.

These three Elemental Powers are very basic (As basic as possible at least) one might even call them ‘plain’ but what’s interesting to note is that there is no Elemental Master of Strength. And strength is a basic power for anyone to have. Yet we see no indication that someone has superhuman strength as an Element. (Other than Cole but to be honest that’s Cole)

Now you might say ‘Speed’ is missing. But again these are supposed to be introducing NEW Elements into Ninjago Dragons Rising. I’m surprised that it wasn’t even implied at all or at least considered.

Another indication that could solidify this theory is the way Lloyd’s power works, specifically in Season 3 of Ninjago. (You know the season where Zane dies the first time)

[Forgive me for Low Quality photos]

According to Ninjago’s Lore, Elemental Masters are given their power via Generational Line or Destiny. (which I’m assuming is actually the Source Dragons)

Yet Lloyd gifted the Ninjas powers because the original Elements were supposed to be HIS

Hell in Ninjago’s Lore, it’s even CONFIRMED MORE THAN ONE TIME that FSM was the original wielder of ALL FOUR of the original Elements. Not just from twitter but from the SHOW.

It’s recounted by Wu dozens of times, from the whole Creation Retelling of Ninjago to NYAD’S BACKSTORY to the Creation of the Four Golden Weapons.

The Four Elements were FSM’s and in turn, Lloyd’s.

Cause it’s implied that Lloyd has the same powers as the First Spinjitsu Master, considering he wielded all four elements and is destined to defeat the Overlord which neither Garmadon nor Wu could overpower.

The only one who could overpower the Overlord was Lloyd and the FSM considering they had all Four Elements. (Everytime the Overlord is defeated he is defeated by the original Four Elements, Zane absorbed the power of the Golden Armor in Season 3, Lloyd’s Ultimate Spinjitsu Master form etc)

But again- time and time again, it’s also implied that the Ninja got their powers from heritage or being chosen by a previous master. Kai from his father, Cole from his mother, Jay from his mother and Zane from the Previous Master of Ice.

Yet they had to GAIN it back from Lloyd. Why? How come The Four Ninja had to get their Elements from Lloyd and how come Lloyd had the physical power to GIVE them Elements?

Unless that’s because that IS his power. His power is Source Power.

And that’s probably the reason why Lloyd was chosen as the Green Ninja.

I mean, it’s no secret that Lloyd is the grandchild of the First Spinjitsu Master and that’s too much of a coincidence to HAPPEN. How did the prophecy just turn out to choose the guy who happened to descend from the one person who couldn’t defeat the Overlord the first time?

Because Destiny needed someone to INHERIT the Source Power. But none could handle it because FSM wasn’t human. He is literally a balance of two different forces of power. Creation and Destruction combined into one. That’s why the power couldn’t be given to someone who was just powerful, they needed to be able to contain, control, balance and HANDLE the power. It HAD to be a descendant who could handle the power.

And because Lloyd inherited FSM’s power the original Elements RETURNED TO THE SOURCE. That’s why the Ninja didn’t gain their powers normally when their parents or predecessor lost it because Lloyd was born. They needed to get it back from him.

(See why I’m excited? Because this could explain…A LOT)

It also explains how Lloyd or FSM is able to give Elements away to people. Cause if the Source Dragons decide and choose which Elements suit or are given to a person, and they are the Source of all Elements, then Lloyd and FSM’s powers being Source Power makes perfect sense as to how they are able to give it away in the first place.

Like for the longest time we believed that FSM is the one who gave away Elements and then Dragons Rising revealed the Source Dragons so then it was suddenly decided that it was probably a retcon or even a process on which the Source Dragons made FirstBourne and then FirstBourne made FSM and FSM gave away the elements.

But then Season 2 showed up and implied that FSM might have been created by a Source Dragon. Considering the Source Dragon of Life claims Lloyd as hers (or theirs??? Idk their pronouns) and even acknowledges and brings attention that he is descended from FSM.

But then it raises questions as to why Lloyd is the Master of Life/Energy. Why is he this powerful? So powerful to hold the power that LIFE themselves were surprised by that predicament. Unless that’s his power-

I might be overthinking this but if his power is Source Power it could make sense and explain so much.

Btw don’t take it too seriously, as much as I made this stupid little theory of mine, it’s mostly speculation made with a few evidence. Lloyd’s power could be regular old Elemental Power. But he seems too special to be compared to regular Elemental Masters considering his whole thing with Destiny.

[trashcanwithsprinkles]

I can’t wait to see what happens when the group finds out that Zhongli is a dragon. Rather than like- having learned from them. He’s so overpowered because he’s a fucking dragon guys.

different things to discover in no particular order:

zhongli is not chen zhongli

zhongli is from another reality

zhongli is actually op

zhongli isn't even fucking human

zhongli's an actual dragon

[wadjetverse]

2.5

Chapter II: Dawn in the Rainforest Section

V: Compassion for the Little Ones

As the three treated the adult dinosaur’s wounds, they also observed the clutch of baby dinos clustering protectively nearby. Though sluggish in movement, they showed surprising warmth toward one another. One youngster sidled up to Chen Ruolan’s boot, tentatively tapping her pant leg with its tiny horn—perhaps in gratitude, perhaps hoping for reassurance. Its big, round eyes were glossy with innocence so touching it could melt any heart. “They’re more endearing than I expected,” Chen Ruolan murmured, stroking the mottled scales along the baby’s back. The skin had a faint violet sheen; up close, they were at once clumsy, chubby, and strangely majestic in their prehistoric appearance.“Hey, little one, do you have a name?” Valentina teased, though knowing it couldn’t understand. The dino sniffed her outstretched hand and let out a soft coo, as if replying in its own language. Another baby shook like jelly at Watanabe Haruto’s feet, trembling from fear. “Poor thing,” he said, carefully placing a calming hand on its back. “It seems they’re instinctively terrified of these plants.”“To survive in a jungle like this is a miracle in itself,” Chen Ruolan added with a sigh. “They must rely on each other or have some rudimentary escape instincts. But the plants are overpowering.”

[autistic-sidestep]

just some highlights i was reminded of while in voice

You wonder what she will remember once she woke up. What story will she tell him? But that isn't really your concern anymore, is it?

sidestep, being dragged back to rangers hq by ortega to "help" argent: [clown noises]

Marshal Steel speaks the way he stands, as if he was two seconds from punching you in the face.

surprisingly, not a wholly inaccurate assessment when he's pissed???

    When the door closes, he finally lets out the breath he has been holding. That could have gone worse. He did not punch her, though he thought about it.     It would have felt nice.

[also the fuckign. line in the chentega Haircut blog story]

"Mhm," Chen mumbles, still not looking up. "Hip." Property damage. Could they have minimized the damage? Perhaps. But that missile sure felt nice. He needs to come up with a tactical reason for its use.

chen Does think about punching people. he does things impulsively or for kicks. unpopular opinion but i think chen is almost as nuts as ortega. (i mean cmon. if they've been best friends as long as they have, either they're at least a little alike, or ortega's rubbed off on him.). he's just better at hiding it from other people.

"I can't," Steel interrupts, raised voice overpowering yours. "I'm not doing this again. For once in your miserable life, just talk to me. No bullshit. No lies. Just talk."

chen's at the end of his fuckign tether. hes so tired.

[riptidesblog]

I have so many issues with Chen's spell...and no,it isn't about time,wind and water not being there.That can be excused bc those are not FSM's elements nor were they active during ToE for Chen to try to get them.What doesn't make sense is requiring Amber,a man-made element.Okay,maybe it's just Chen's greed for power which could also explain why he took a lot more elements than listed in the page(that list doesn't even have ten elements).What bothers me is the existence of the spell and what it means for the lore:it means someone tried it before and successfully too(also Garmadon recognized it).It means someone managed to get their hands on so many elements...but Life(Lloyd's power) didn't have previous users and I doubt someone could overpower FSM and take his.If we assume that Life is not a necessary element and Chen just went for it because he could, that does make things better.But it still means someone made an element-powered spell(had access to so many elements to successfully craft a working spell which should take time) and any trace of it was not destroyed the moment the caster was presumably defeated(and why would elemental powers be able to transform people into a species of their choice?).ALSO HOW DOES ONE NOT NOTICE THE WRITINGS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE PAGE?Clouse calls himself a master of dark arts and never has read his spellbook past that particular page apparently or ignored it for some reason.A better plot would be if the essence of an Anacondrai they planned to use was the bones and etc they wore only to realize too late that essence from a decades old bones does not work.And if the spell didn't require elements specifically,just a source of power and there was no artifact Chen could get that would be able to power the transformation of the entire cult and with Skylor having Amber and finding the cave with blue crystal on the island,he decided to use the elements as it was the best course of action for him.

[jianghushenanigans]

A sequel to the ‘most annoying guy TM in the Jianghu’ and ‘most annoying guy TM in the cdrama capital’ poll because I was specifically asked to include Ming Tai and honestly he deserves it

Propaganda of a sort under cut - also feel free to provide your own

Ming Tai: as a teenager (early 20s? unclear: Hu Ge is blatantly in his mid 30s but we're ignoring this because he's a good actor) and a baby brother raised by significantly older siblings, Ming Tai is the spoiled brat. He's also very good at being a competent spy when he needs to be, but that doesn't make him less annoying when he wants to be, which is always

Shang Xirui: of all the characters on here he's the only one I actually personally cannot stand, but that's partly because he sings opera and I have discovered through watching Winter Begonia that I do not like opera of any kind. But also he's insufferable and needs to get a grip on reality. Some things are more important than the show! Like FOOD! And the WAR!

Zhao Yunlan: SUCKING TOO HARD ON YOUR LOLLIPOP OH LOVE'S GONNA GET YA DOWN. Guardian was the first CDrama I saw and I actually don't remember what he did but I do remember that he liked to cause problems

Wen Kexing: Winner of the 'most annoying guy in the jianghu' poll, I don't think I really need to write propaganda about him but like. Has he considered a method of flirting that does not consist of stalking a random homeless man?

Wei Wuxian: 2nd in the jianghu poll. Everyone knows why he's annoying, I won't go into this any more than to say in the Cloud Recesses arc he distinctly reminds me of one of the most annoying people I have ever met in real life

Lin Chen: 3rd in the jianghu poll and my personal Favourite Guy. To paraphrase @nemainofthewater: 'if he was in it for any longer I wouldn't be able to stand him, but he's only there for long enough that it's actually charming'. Enjoys the fact that he's smarter than (almost) everyone else and likes to be obnoxious about it

Mei Changsu: came joint 1st in the 'most annoying guy in the cdrama capital' poll. Professional party ruiner, but he does try to only enjoy it when his political enemies are suffering. Gets to tag team with Lin Chen bc I don’t want them to split votes and also because between them they manage to annoy literally every character in the whole show

Fan Xian: joint 1st in the capital poll AND 4th in the jianghu poll because he is annoying all the time and everywhere. As a transmigrator he is (unfortunately) aware that he is the main character, causes problems on purpose

Zhao Yujin: 3rd the capital poll. I won't lie that this surprised me because I have seen one gifset total for this show on tumblr (the one that persuaded us to watch), but I guess for those who have seen it it is a legal requirement to vote for him because of literally everything he does ever. In his defence he fell in a pond as a child and then his overbearing mother babied him. That being said, he is an adult now

Huang Yaoshi: included because of @tavina-writes's extensive propaganda in the jianghu poll: my favourite part of it was "the OG torture flute soloist; his flute solo canonically sounds like sex, x-rated porn sounds"

Wu Xin: I missed him off the original jianghu poll, and also the whole point of the polls is for me to try and get people to watch my shows so there’s more fic and I’m not just here crying on my own. An overpowered gremlin boy. 'Would you like to get kidnapped?' 'no??' 'ok that's cool I'm kidnapping you anyway!'

[dailycharacteroption]

Class Feature Friday: Bounty Hunter Theme (Starfinder Character Theme)

(art by Jeff Chen on Artstation)

 The profession of bounty hunter perhaps one of the most iconic of space opera/western sci-fi, and for good reason. Bounty Hunters as protagonists have the perfect excuse to travel the stars and see new and wondrous things, while as antagonists they make for interesting and varied combatants and antagonists with iconic designs and only tangential, if any, connection to the main baddy and conflict.

Bounty hunters come in all shapes and sizes, and not just because they may be any species or class. Indeed, some bounty hunters may have codes of ethics and morality that essentially make them a supplementary law enforcers. (And sometimes this makes them actually better to deal with, depending on the nature of the local law enforcement).

Others may not have such a code, and take jobs purely based on the potential profit. These characters end up working with crime lords, faceless corporations, and other unscrupulous folk that put out bounties on others for decidedly criminal or amoral reasons. Capturing those who owe debts, or are considered company property, and the like.

Regardless of what jobs they take, the bounty hunter theme needs no special consideration to figure out why they became adventurers. After all, its baked right into the concept. They might still be in that career, or they may have retired or semi-retired to pursue other adventurous work, but the life of an adventurer perfectly suits those that travel far and wide to find those that don’t want to be found.

 Bounty hunting is tough work, and pursuing a mark means many sleepless nights and tireless chases. Thus these figures either have exceptional toughness and endurance, or they develop it early on.

True to their profession, bounty hunters specialize in information about their current mark, studying them meticulously while they track them, learning about them and any known aliases. Once they find their mark, they can take the time to study up on another target, though they can also abandon a mark to pursue another, though the frustration of not seeing a target through does get to them for a while. Additionally, they are quite adept at tracking prey and reading the environment.

The right question in the right place can yield all sorts of good information, and so these hunters can halve the time it takes to gather information by asking around. Additionally they can look for where a physical trail may be laid with ease, letting them move swiftly and still track prey.

Pushing their bodies to the limit, these hunters may seem to their marks to be more akin to relentless ghosts or undead in how tirelessly they pursue them, following for much longer without rest.

The most skilled can renew their resolve simply by reviewing what they know of their mark.

 While biohacker doesn’t immediately lend itself to this lifestyle, the idea of a bounty hunter using injectable toxins to weaken their marks, as well as bolster their own bodies does have merit.

Envoy bounty hunters, on the other hand, can use their social skills to help find targets, and their ability to improvise on the fly to adapt to whatever tricks their target throws their way.

Achieving the perfect self is often expensive, and bounty hunting is a useful way to test one’s changes. As such, evolutionists easily find themselves going down the road of bounty hunter.

Mechanic bounty hunters pack the latest and best gear to overpower and outmatch their marks, and pretty much every specialization works well with it, from the advanced tracking of an exocortex, to the support of the drone, the mobility of a personal pursuit vehicle, advanced weaponry or armor, and so on.

Mystics, Precogs, and Witchwarpers benefit heavily from using their magic to predict the moves of their mark and incapacitate them in various ways.

Nanocytes can appear unarmed while secretly sporting powerful weapons and support, making them surprisingly effective solo hunters.

Stealth and observation are the forte of many an operative, making them a solid career path as well.

Solarians and Soldiers pack muscle, skill, and in the former case supernatural powers to help them overpower and overwhelm foes between them and their mark.

The technomancer class combines the utility of spellcasting with the saavy of the technologically-inclined, making them very hard to run from when they take the role of bounty hunter.

Finally, vanguards are all about endurance and unstoppability, making them, more so than any other, the very essence of an unrelenting bounty hunter.

 Bounty hunters are a ubiquitous part of most any sci-fi setting, so this is likely a very common pick for most games, though of course not every character concept utilizes one. Also remember that not every storyline works well with the concept, as not every party is going to have the time or desire to hunt others for credits. Still, it’s a good excuse for having a character that packs nonlethal attack options.

In any case, that will do for today. Tune in next week for another special, this one in particular diving into an iconic action-RPG from a very old franchise!

[lasenbyphoenix]

Unshakable Faith (2023)

Episode 38 Breakdown

In the cave Ji Danyang pleads with Dr Bai to help convince Nurse Bai to do the right thing but she dismisses both of them and reveals Dr Bai's Ghost Owl codename in retaliation. Dr Bai argues with Nurse Bai about kidnapping Ji Danyang and his fear that he'll die before Nurse Bai decides to change her mind.

Dr Bai convinces Liu Simao that getting the camera is their chance for leverage to survive, so when Liu Simao is told to guard the door Dr Bai steps up as well and they attack Fake Li Qiuchen and his contacts. Nurse Bai intervenes, shooting the man who is attacking her father and Fake Li Qiuchen uses the chance to shoot Liu Simao and stands off with Nurse Bai. Fake Li Qiuchen orders everyone to leave the cave in case the gunfire alerts the police. Officer Hongmei finds the cave shortly after they've gone and the doused fire is still smoking.

As they march through the forest fake Li Qiuchen tells Nurse Bai not to let her father disrupt anymore of their plans, and Dr Bai secretly tells Ji Danyang to be ready as he will create a chance for him to run, but Ji Danyang wont leave without the camera.

When they come to a narrow steep path, Nurse Bai refuses to part with the camera or split up and Mu Sen tells fake Li Qiuchen that Nurse Bai's demands are going to make trouble, so fake Li Qiuchen plans to kill her and Dr Bai when they get to the ferry. The group pauses for a break and Ji Danyang declares it's pointless as he would rather die than give up any data and Dr Bai takes the chance to snatch the camera from Nurse Bai and tries to run for it but is shot in the back by Mu Sen. Dr Bai manages to throw a scalpel at Mu Sen before falling down the steep hillside with the camera. Nurse Bai screams in anguish, turning to shoot the already dead Mu Sen several times until the fake Li Qiuchen holds a gun to Ji Danyang and yells at her to stop. Composing herself she says that she can still complete the mission and he gives her one last chance and continues up the trail.

Officer Hongmei hears the gunshots and they run towards the origin, finding Dr Bai shot but still alive. He gives them the camera, telling Officer Hongmei that her father saved his life and recruited him to the CCP but her father was the only person who could confirm it. He tells them to hurry to the ferry as they still have Ji Danyang before dying in her arms.

She gives the camera to Officer Xu and tells him to take it back to the factory and goes on ahead. He quickly runs into Police Captain Chen and tells them what they've found and he is sent to take the camera back alone while they run to catch up. Alone in the forest, Officer Xu is shot by Nurse Leader Ge who takes the camera from him.

At the riverside, fake Li Qiuchen leaves to find the radio equipment to notify the KMT of their progress, and Ji Danyang challenges Nurse Bai that she took the film out of the camera and still has it, and that she'll have to shoot him because he won't let her leave with the film. Officer Hongmei reaches the riverside and Nurse Bai hold Ji Danyang at gunpoint, refusing to take Officer Hongmei's offer of leniency if she repents. Fake Li Qiuchen returns, shooting at Officer Hongmei but she dodges and fires back from behind a tree. Ji Danyang escapes Nurse Bai's grasp and lunges for fake Li Qiuchen's gun, but is soon overpowered and is held hostage again as both Officer Hongmei and Nurse Bai turn their guns towards fake Li Qiuchen. He demands that Nurse Bai hand over the film and she eventually capitulates, throwing it towards him. Ji Danyang jumps to catch the film instead and both women shoot fake Li Qiuchen dead before standing off against each other. Ji Danyang tells Nurse Bai it's over, pulling open the film roll and ruining the photos. She screams and shoots at them but Officer Hongmei pulls Ji Danyang away, taking bullet to the arm and shooting Nurse Bai, and the police team arrive as Nurse Bai dies.

The police Chief receives the report of the successful rescue, and they find the last information the need to identify the seamstresses former boss, the female doctor. Nurse Leader Ge goes to the expert office but is stopped by Police Captain Chen and the police team. After learning her identity is exposed and her lover fake Li Qiuchen is dead, she reaches for the camera in her bag but they grab it from her and toss it over the balcony where it explodes and they take her away in handcuffs.

The KMT General Kou is forced to report his failure to his superiors and step down from his position.

Officer Hongmei celebrates their success with Ji Danyang and contemplates the future.

.........................................................

AND THAT'S ALL FOLKS.

What do I like about how it ended?

True to form, all of the enemy agents died or were arrested, as were anyone who assisted in treacherous deeds like Secretary Lu and Dr Bai. I would have much preferred to see Secretary Lu and Nurse Bai arrested rather than dead for their characters sake to own their actions, but it doesn't change the story.

What don't I like?

Why the fuck was Officer Xu sent back to the factory alone when he was carrying something as important as the camera?? Come on Captain Chen you had plenty of men to spare!

What do I feel about Nurse Bai's ending?

As Nurse Bai said, she was only concerned about repaying 2 people, General Kou for saving her when she was kidnapped, and Dr Bai for raising her since. So she was serving two masters in a way, but not any political cause. She negotiated for Dr Bai to come with her and having Ji Danyang was a valuable asset, but clearly the KMT guys only planned for a certain number of people to go. Sure, fewer people are easier to hide and transport secretly, but the KMT used a very "scorched earth" approach which has some reason to it, in that if a spy is dead they can't compromise anyone else, but at the same time they also lamented having limited numbers of agents on the mainland. Surely China is big enough that they could give them new identities and place them elsewhere?

It did seem that that was the initial plan but the situation got tighter and Nurse Bai started making demands and not following orders, which turned her into a liability. If she'd followed orders, would she have lived to go to Taiwan? She clearly didn't want to risk being left behind once fake Li got the camera hence her demands.

It got..... messy. Nurse Bai in the end was clearly serving herself and her personal loyalty to Dr Bai and General Kou. But she had no strong conviction for the cause of either side beyond wanting revenge for her parents.

Did she truly believe she could be free from her debt in Taiwan? She told Ji Danyang that her path only led to death and it was the only one she had but she kept talking about living in peace in Taiwan.

Once Dr Bai died she started unraveling, which is to be expected, and she only had one master left so had to see it through for her own sanity.

What do I feel about Dr Bai's ending?

It was interesting to see how his relationship with Hongmei developed into a semi fatherly one, and he was trying to do as much for her as for Nurse Bai. I was going to say that I didn't like that he put so much towards searching for Snow Wolf when it only served Hongmei's father and not Nurse Bai's parents as well but I realised that it actually was a good parallel to Nurse Bai - he also had a split debt of loyalty which took him in two directions.

I don't like that he died because I really liked him, but I'd predicted it and I understand. I don't imagine he would have been ok being free if Nurse Bai died or was imprisoned.

He very much got to the point of realising Nurse Bai was too far gone, and even though he kept trying to convince her to turn around, in the end his dying act was not to protect her physically, as I half-expected,  but to try and do the right thing and reverse some of the damage she'd done by stopping the camera falling into enemy hands. His last act wasn't personal, it was for the cause.

Also - he WAS undercover CCP with Hongmei's dad!

What do I feel about Ji Danyang and Hongmei's ending?

While it is expected that a patriotic show like this would end on a high note focussing on the success of the experts and the police team, I personally would like to have seen some of the aftermath of Nurse Bai and Nurse Leader Ge's betrayal. How does Hongmei feel after killing her sworn sister? How does our math man reconcile his fond memories of Nurse Bai with what he witnessed at the end? If she'd been arrested maybe they could have been able to speak to her and get some closure, but with her dying that will never fully be closed off.

[thechaoticturnip]

Possibly a story prompt...

I've had this idea in my head all day and I needed somewhere to put it, then I remembered that Tumblr exists....

So story is based off of SVSSS and MLC and BOY but lesbian.

also bad at naming especially in Mandarin(I am not a native speaker) but I really like C-dramas and Danmeis and also wuxia/xianxia sort of things.

Title: The Plum Chronicles

Synopsis: Emma Walker, a lively teenager from southeast England, unexpectedly finds herself transported to a xianxia wuxia world. Here, she encounters Chen Wei, a skilled martial artist initially misunderstood as the antagonist of the realm. As they face pursuit, Chen Wei becomes Emma's martial arts master, and a genuine friendship forms.

However, a true villain, Li Kun, emerges, framing Chen Wei and forcing Emma to rid herself of all emotions to confront the threat. Upon returning to her world, she discovers she has been in a coma for years, retaining her fighting skills but losing her powers. Misunderstood by her parents, Emma moves in with a diverse group of roommates – a streamer, an office worker, and a pet store employee.

Working at a nearby cafe, Emma strives to save money to complete her college qualifications. She becomes a translator for wuxia xianxia works online, showcasing her exceptional Mandarin skills. Accidentally sent back to the xianxia world with her roommates, Emma discovers a way to regain her emotions but loses her overpowering abilities in the process.

Now, with extreme emotions and reduced strength, Emma relies on her roommates' protection. Returning to their world, Emma exhibits newfound bravery. With enough money for college, a bus crash thrusts her into a cave, prompting a revelation on how to balance emotions and power.

On her journey, Emma encounters a potential lover, Li Xiu, faces former enemies, and reunites with her master, Chen Xun. A chance encounter at the tea house, where Li Kun is killed by an unknown assailant who seems like Chen Wei, leaves them puzzled. Chen Wei denies involvement, and the mystery deepens.

As they grapple with this enigma, a college friend, revealed as a formidable power-player, emerges as the true orchestrator behind Li Kun's demise. The group must navigate the complexities of this revelation while facing a looming threat that transcends dimensions.

Characters:

Emma Walker:

Energetic, broken-humour enthusiast from southeast England.

Empathetic, dirty-minded, and a fan of K-pop, J-pop, and 80s music.

Sings and dances to modern world songs, a former fanfiction reader.

Chen Wei(actual name is Chen Xun):

Annoyed and tired master with a mysterious past.

Quick-witted, intelligent, and mischievous when comfortable.

Initially misunderstood as the antagonist, becomes Emma's master.

Li Xiu:

Determined martial artist princess with advanced sword skills.

Calm, collected, and exhibits innate leadership.

Develops a romantic relationship with Emma.

Li Xiu's Family:

Emperor Li Chen: Li Xiu's father, ruling with a strong yet conflicted hand.

Li Kun: Li Xiu's uncle, the true villain manipulating events.

Empress (Cuì Fēi): Li Xiu's mother, a strong and elegant figure.

Li Xiu's Siblings: Two older brothers, a younger sister, and a younger brother.

College Friend:

Daniel Wright:

A seemingly ordinary friend from Emma's college days.

Revealed as a power-player in both worlds, harbouring sinister motives.

Other Characters:

Master Bai Hua: Wise martial arts master.

Ling Feng: Mysterious martial artist with ambiguous loyalties.

Zhao Ming: Brash martial artist seeking recognition.

Setting:

Southeast England (pre-isekai)

Xianxia wuxia world

Multiverse with interconnected dimensions

Plot Elements:

Li Xiu, the Emperor's daughter, runs away from the palace to explore the world.

Emma, Chen Wei, and Li Xiu travel together, facing challenges and gaining experience.

Multiverse conspiracy involving inter-dimensional travelers.

Revelation of a college friend's involvement in the overarching conspiracy.

Relationships:

Emma's unique bond with Chen Wei, marked by mentorship and friendship.

Li Xiu's complex relationship with her family and the challenges they face.

(havent done alot about Emma's Roommates)

[yuexuan]

[Review] 万有引力

Title: 万有引力 (Forces of Temptation)

Author: 骑鲸南去

Length: 320 chapters

Tag: infinite flow, supernatural, horror

Summary: [Taken from Novelupdates]

The world’s shared, open interactive communication game ‘Forces of Temptation’ went online and quickly took the world by storm.

There was a perfect ecosystem, a physics engine that was completely close to reality and game instances that opened up dimensions that could be chosen. In particular, the supernatural instances received rave reviews.

Almost everyone thought they were playing a normal game until one day, millions of people saw a dialog box that appeared in the sky.

[Sun.exe isn’t responding. If you continue to wait, the program might respond.] [Do you want to end this process?] [End Process / Cancel]

Novel| Novel[translated]|Audio drama

Comments *contains spoilers**

Per the summary, the game ‘Forces of Temptation’ became a sensation in the online gaming world. Things changed when higher dimension beings intervened and turned the game into reality. All over the world, people began to disappear mysteriously. Turns otu, they were transported into a game where they had to fight for their survival. 

The novel has a rather unique start - focusing on a major side character called Li Yinhang. She was returning from her work when all of a sudden the entire bus she was on was transported into the game world. In the pilot level, she met two strange characters - the naive but physically powerful Nan Zhou (MC) and the handsome, half-Ukrainian Jiang Fang (ML). Together, the three of them formed the ‘Li Fang Zhou’ team and worked together to survive the various challenges that the game threw at them.

Li Yingang is one of the few female characters in danmei whom I thought is well-written: she is a normal office worker, but utilizes her experience from dealing with clients to guide her actions and interactions with the MC and ML. She is well aware of her strengths and limitations, and on many occasions made conscious decisions that maximize her survival and avoids becoming a burden to the team. Consequently, the main pairing also trusts and values her decisions, going above and beyond their characters to protect her. 

Another thing I like is MC’s naivety. Since Nan Zhou is an NPC that escaped the bounds of his game scenario, he is quite clueless - but curious - about the world around him. He is like an overpowered kid who tries to learn how to act like a normal person, but often ends up being confused over human behaviors (e.g. He voices his sexual attraction towards ML as ‘a need to reproduce’, which is something that can be rationalized and controlled). 

As with any infinite flow story, the worldbuilding is extensive. In the novel, the world works similar to an RPG game, with five towns for characters to recuperate and conduct daily activities, and various scenarios or missions that they can go on to earn items and points. I do wish, though, that more emphasis is placed on some of the game mechanics, such as the handicap where characters have to purchase oxygen tanks to ensure that they can breathe. 

The best arc is probably the last arc about the characters’ wishes. It is both entertaining and touching. My poor, poor Chen Shifeng who wishes for his inexistence just so that his older brother and lover could come back to life :’). This is also the first danmei I read where the characters are extremely careful about the wishes they made. Usually, when there is an end reward in the form of a wish fulfillment, most infinite flow stories don’t explore the dangers of making these wishes. In this novel, it is pointed out that the higher dimension beings will do all they can to twist the characters’ wishes by finding loopholes in their logic or wording. Hence all the characters had to preface their wishes with clauses and disclaimers to ensure that there is no ground for misinterpretation. 

Frankly, I like a lot of the side pairings compared with the main pairing…Li Yinhang and Nan Jixing has such a cute relationship (and yes, I know it might constitute partial-bestiality to ship them together); Yi Shuige and Xie Xiangyu has a spicy enemy-and-lover romance; and Chen Shuiye and Yu Tuisi has such a tragic backstory. There are just so many fun side relationships to read about!

Thing I don’t like

If I have one complaint about this story, it is that some of the arcs can drag for too long, without really progressing the story. For example, the arc where they are gambling against the team with higher dimension being is longer than expected. Unless you like card games, this can be quite boring, especially when the main pairing is pretty much OP and there is no chance for their opponents to win from the start. It reduces a lot of the stakes and makes the whole arc feel too one-sided.

[purpleyoonn]

I mean even male idols are lambasted for relationships. I'm a fan of EXO and when they had their latest fan-meeting (first after a while), when Chen and Chanyeol (Chen is married and has one kid, while Chanyeol had a girlfriend and their relationship was frowned upon by the fans and was just a shitshow), showed up, the audience was pretty quiet. However, there was one fan that screamed "We love you Chen" and it made me so sad that just because they were in relationships, fans won't support them. Like I was so happy to see all the members together for the first time in a while! Why can't we just focus on that? - ⛸️

I remember when a bunch of people like camped outside of sm hoping to get Chen kicked out of the group. It was awful and I remember hoping that the live for him and the group would just overpower the hate and keep Chen from like, finding out. I was so happy he felt comfortable enough to let fans know!

I will al sways support my idols when it comes to their personal lives. Like they gave up a lot of their life to be an idol. They deserve all the happiness in the world.

[enkisstories]

Curtis mulls over in his head just how much of his backstory he can safely divulge to the cops. Fortunately he’ll have the whole ride to the DPD to decide. On the downside him shivering in his damp clothes is pretty telling where exactly he has come from: the canal. Although that doesn’t neccessarily lead to Curtis having jumped off one of the freighters moored here? The cops better not think of checking his browser history...

Suddenly an explosion rocks the dock - right in front of the trio’s eyes the Jericho goes up in flames!

Curtis is caught by surprise just as much as Detective Chen and Officer Lewis.

Curtis: “Whoa, what the heck was stored on that freighter to make such an explosion?”

Robert: “Deviants, as far as we know. But as for the explosion, explosives planted to the engine could have caused this.”

Curtis presses his eyes shut. So this is why Markus had wanted everyone to leave as fast as they could - the deviant leader had planned to trap the attackers on the ship all along.

I didn’t know... Had I known, I hadn’t tied the two soldiers we overpowered to a pipe... If they didn’t burn to death, they’re drowning even as we stand here. As of today I am a killer...

I’m rather proud of the effect in the first screenshot - that’s Connor firing a blaster right next to the trio, with the camera zoomed on the shot. They sims are reacting to that shot in the second and third picture.

[jcinterlude]

My fav lone songs as outfits:

Pt 1

Something I’ve been wanting to attempt for a while - styling outfits based on the vibe and feel of some of my favourite lone songs. Hopefully I do them justice…

Dover Street Market

Starting off very strong with Dover Street Market. A song with a melancholic vibe, thanks to the “Night Piano” sample by Yu-Peng Chen (popularized by the well-known Genshin impact video game). The ambiance of this song to me is soft but dark; nostalgic and intentional.

Takahiro Miyashita’s Number (N)ine Archive Black wool jacket. Described as a ‘black historical style jacket ornamented velvet tapes, thread buttons with lingery style ivory colour hoocks.’ This piece is the basis of the whole outfit. To me, it matches the vibe given off during the intro - elegant and proper.

No Faith Studio Flared Demin 001 Black jeans. Personally, I really like the flared silhouette of these jeans and the parts that are distressed fits in with the darker notes of the song. Of course, the colour scheme of the overall outfit is going to be dark, so the dark washed-out grey colour is a nice touch.

Jaded London’s Umbra in Distress shredded top. Because the main centre piece is the Number (N)ine jacket, layering could really elevate the overall outfit. The fit of the jacket allows for the midriff to be exposed, so adding this distressed top underneath creates some depth by maintaining the overall dark vibes, but not overpowering the jacket itself.

Mui Mui leather lace-up ankle boots in Black. Any staple platform, chunky boot would look good with this outfit, but I chose the mui mui's just because I like the separated wedges and the chunky silver - gives the shoes and accent.

As for accessories - Vivienne Westwood's Mayfair Black Crystal Bracelet. Vivienne pieces you just can't go wrong with. To keep things in theme, silver and black jewellery would really bring things together. I like this bracelet because the colour is almost the midway point between black and silver. A simple wrist piece that still maintains the elegance of the jacket.

[shammah8]

"…but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death."

James 1:14-15

COMPROMISED BY DECEIT

One of the touristic highlights of visiting China is to walk on the Great Wall. Six thousand kilometres of wall with ten thousand strategically placed towers stretch across the north of China, reportedly the only man-made object observable from space. Construction of various sections began back in 770 B.C. when rival feudal kingdoms built walls around their territories to keep out invading nomadic tribes from the north. These were eventually joined into one wall. The wall averages eight to ten meters in height and five meters wide.

When you walk on the wall, two history lessons make the visit somewhat sombre. First, the wall was built at great cost. Prisoners of war, convicts, soldiers, civilians and farmers provided the labour. Some estimates say “millions died for this cause”. Their bodies were buried in the very foundations of the wall or used to make up its thickness. You walk on top of a cemetery.

The second lesson is that the wall was reportedly breached by Mongol soldiers disguised as peasants pretending to be gathering firewood and leaving behind pieces of fruit when they left the area. The guards decided to go out and retrieve the tempting fruit. This was repeated over time. Eventually the guards were compromised and overpowered and the Mongol army streamed through that tower thereby breaching the Great Wall. So after all the effort to build such an amazing structure for protection, it was rendered useless through simple deceit.

One of Satan’s favourite tactics against believers is deceit. Here’s an example from China. Brother Chen arrived one spring day in 1996 at a small rural Chinese house church group. Some said he was “sent straight from God.” He said so too. He said he had known Wang Ming Dao and he spoke with a loud booming voice. His large eyes held their attention closely, and his whole body shook with vigour at the points he was making. The believers were just so impressed with the way he talked. He quoted lots of Scripture and wove it into a thrilling story.

After a few months, he began to talk about heaven being a city of gold, and that to enter that city they would have to demonstrate that they had given Jesus their gold in their lifetime. Brother Chen said, “Jesus needs your gold to build your mansion in heaven and the more gold you give him now, the bigger your mansion will be.”

Because they were poor, the idea of having a golden mansion in the afterlife was very tempting. They handed over all they owned: family heirlooms, money, some expensive textiles from a distant ancestor. One in the group even gave his motorcycle.

After all the “gold” had been collected, Brother Chen said he had to go and “open the gate of Heaven for them.” He left, on the donated motorcycle. He took most of their savings and he hasn’t been back.

Response

Be aware today of Satan’s subtle tactics of deceit and intimidation.

Prayer

Pray for new house church believers in China who are easily deceived by false prophets.

© 2013 Open Doors International. Used by permission.