#eight guards of the abyss

[yume-tsuki]

Arc3 Cover

the third Cover for my fan-7ds/4kota-next gen au :) it shows Mordred and Arthur

The Arc will be called 'Corrupted Heart' and will start on Friday/Saturday The other 2 covers x)

[kirain]

I want to take a moment to talk about Gale's "obsession" with Mystra, because I've had that thrown at me a lot when discussing his character with players who hate him.

First off, I'd like to emphasize a point that many people already know: Mystra groomed him. Though his exact age when she "slept" with him isn't known, a new document that's been supplied in the epilogue confirms he was merely "eight summers" old when she took him under her wing and sent Elminster to find him. Mystra, in fact, has a vast history of grooming little boys, to the point that many parents hide their sons from her gaze if they show an early aptitude for magic. Though Gale did have other lovers before her, Mystra was really all he knew throughout his childhood, and the power dynamic was not equal. It makes sense that he'd have trouble pulling away from her at first, especially since she convinced him that she/the Weave were his only value in life.

Second, I want to discuss something most players probably aren't aware of. In D&D lore, there's a place called the City of Judgement. This is essentially D&D limbo, where all mortal souls go to be judged after death. Bad news for atheists, if you don't believe in or worship any gods, you're known as a "faithless", and since no gods will grant a faithless entry into their domain, your soul becomes part of the Wall of the Faithless.

In short, a faithless' soul will be sucked into the wall, where it will guard the city and suffer endless torment for all eternity. This fate isn't only reserved for faithless, however; it's also a punishment for fallen Chosen or anyone who's been abandoned by their gods. Like Gale. He's absolutely terrified, and he tells you as much if you romance him. If you keep things platonic, he alludes to it during the "go to hell" scene. This is compounded by the fact that raiding demons sometimes attack the City of Judgement, tear souls from the wall, and drag them to the Abyss, where they're used to spawn new low-level demons or to feed their masters. There's no good ending, whether a soul remains trapped in the wall or not.

Gale doesn't explicitly say it, but he's contemplating his own death here, as he probably did the entire time he was locked away in his tower. This is why he's so quick to agree to kill himself for Mystra's forgiveness. It's not because he's "obsessed" with her or because he wants her back, it's because he'll literally go to hell if he can't convince her he's worthy of her twisted sense of forgiveness. By the time we meet Gale, he's honestly over Mystra in all romantic sense, and even more so by Act 2, whether you romance him or not. He's simply...

[viperrot]

⇁slasher season | leon kennedy | pt. 1

re4 remake ghostface!leon kennedy x fem!reader NSFW 18+

MINORS DNI: BEWARE OF THE CONTENT YOU CONSUME.

a few days have passed since you gave leon permission to be a lil creeper. the stage is set, and you thought you were ready, but you couldn’t have been more wrong.

series content warnings: porn with little plot, cnc/dubcon, depictions of chase, stalking, knifeplay, size difference, and possibly more to be added

content contains: stalking, verbal and physical threats (threatens to unalive you), knifeplay, oral (fem-receiving), p in v, cnc, leon is trying to be mean, size difference, voyeurism, masturabation, degradation (use of “slut” and “bitch”), cervix kissing, unprotected sex, implied aftercare

not proofread i am going beddie bye time

????words

song rec: “voulez-vous” by johnny goth

i’m back from the grave. also 300+ FOLLOWS WHAT WHAT I LOVE YOU BIRDIES SO MUCH!! IM SO SORRY I WAS GONE FOR SO LONG T^T IVE HAD A HORRIBLE SUMMER BREAK.

You always felt a sense of shame when you tell your classmates that you don’t work often. At minimum, you work twelves hours a week, and it isn’t for college but more for yourself. It was hard to admit you hail from a well-off family, your rich aunties and uncles all pitching in for your college funding and your quaint apartment, so you never talked about your riches with your friends no matter how close, not wanting to make them feel less-than in anyway.

Time and time again, you’ve offered Leon help with his tuition and summer-class prices, and he always denied it, saying something gruff and mildly misogynistic like, “I don’t need a lady’s money” with a dumb expression. Instead of arguing, you put your extra coffee-shop money into food, clothes, and other gifts for your dear boyfriend, who works far more than you do.

And work means he’s not always around.

In the summer, he’s kicking around in a pool with a handful of little ones, teaching them how to swim “like a better Michael Phelps” as he’d stay at the pool for nearly twelve hours a day. When pool season is over, he's working at the bakery near downtown part-time or focusing on school. Despite the busy schedule year-round, Leon always found time for you, never passing an opportunity to snuggle in the nearly eight months of you dating.

You lazed away on your bed, the summer heat missing as a result of your precious air-con working its ass off in this weather. The bedroom was lit only by the afternoon sun which sparkled in from your balcony a few feet away from your queen-sized bed. You watched the clothes you hung up to dry sway in the gentle breeze as you laid on your side, hands tucked beneath your head as you dozed off.

Rrrrring! Rrrrring!

The sound of your phone going off catches you off guard, the call practically vibrating your entire bed. You sigh heavily and snatch the device from the cotton abyss of your duvet, the screen's brightness slightly stinging your corneas as you squint at it confused.

"Unknown Caller?" You mumble, trying to think of anyone that could be calling you at this time. "Maybe its something about college..." You swipe the screen to the right with your thumb, sitting up and bringing the phone to your ear.

"Hello?" You greet questioningly, eyebrows furrowing together as your free hand comes down to fiddle with the hem of your oversized jumper.

"Hello?" A man's voice responds, deep with a slight rasp. Your confusion worsens.

"Can I help you...?"

"Who is this?"

"(Y/n) (L/n)," you respond curtly. "What do you need?"

"I don't know," they reply. Your lips tug into a slight frown.

"I think you have the wrong number, then. Have a good day!" With a feigned happiness, you quickly ended the phone call and slumped back down into your bed, the springs creaking as your weight pressed into the plush mattress. Your eyes begin to droop once more, breathing slow as you succumb to sleep.

Until the phone rings again.

You grunt and claw around for your cellular device once more, checking the screen to see it was from the same unknown caller. Your eyebrows knit together. Who is this?

“Hello..?”

“Hang up one more time, and I’ll fuckin’ slit your throat,” the mysterious man threatens, his words voiced through gritted teeth and a clenched throat. At that moment, everything clicks.

It’s Leon, your sweet and harmless boyfriend. Leon Scott Kennedy, a man who’s like a giant puppy, is threatening to kill you.

Your mouth grows dry as you ponder on what to say, eyes wide as your hand grips the phone to your ear tightly.

“I-I’m sorry…” You stammer, somehow terrified despite knowing exactly who was on the other end of the line.

“Aww, it’s okay, sweetheart…” you can hear the slight apologetic tone through Leon’s voice changer, and it makes your heart flutter ever so slightly. Even so, he continues this cruel act of his. “I’ll spare you—for now, at least. How about you tell me a little about yourself, hm?” His honeyed voice made your thighs clench together.

“W-what do you… want to know…?” You swallow dryly, tongue pushing out to lick your chapped lips. You hear Leon hum in thought, and you can’t help but imagine him tapping his index finger against his chin.

“Mmm… you gotta boyfriend?” He coos.

“Y-yeah. He’s uhm… very sweet,” you respond shakily, breath hitching in your throat. “I-I’m waiting for him to come home n-n-now, actually!” you hear Leon chuckle at this.

“Really now? Is he making you wait long?” you notice a bit of background noise come through as he speaks, like foliage rustling in the wind. You make a noise signifying your agreement.

“A little, yeah… he works a lot, but I try not to make a big deal out of it,” you clear your throat.

“He leaves a pretty thing like you alone? How cruel,” the “stranger” notes, a teasing tone dripping from his tongue. “A girl with a body like that, I’d do anything in my power to be with you all the time, sweetheart,” your heart beats against your ribcage as you try to figure out what to say.

“How do you know what I look like?!” you sputter out, hoping he can’t somehow hear your blush through the phone. Leon lets out a soft snicker.

“You tend to leave your curtains drawn, bug,” you nearly laugh at his small slip-up, and you’re sure that he realized it too. Even then, you fake your distress, jumping out of your bed in a flurry to stumble into the living room of your quaint apartment. It was true—your curtains were pulled back to let in the golden light of the setting sun, blinds drawn up completely. You fumble with the strings and fabric, nearly falling as you shoo away the natural light from your home.

“You creep! I’ll call the cops-“

“And what? You think they’ll find me?”

“Th-they’ll keep watch of my neighbourhood, an-and-“

“Well, let’s hope they can keep watch of your actual apartment, cuz I’m already here, sweetheart,” Leon’s smirk is evident in his voice, and before you can say anything in rebuttal, you hear a door slide open with a heavy thud coming from your room. Your heart skips a beat as you stumble backwards slightly, nearly dropping your phone in the process.

“Th-this isn’t fucking funny!” You yelp, oddly afraid.

“‘Not funny’? Baby, I never said this was a comedy show,” he chuckles. “You gunna call the cops now? They won’t get here on time, and you know that,” you supposed he could hear you fumbling with your phone, getting ready to dial the police department. Shakily, you begin to bound towards your bedroom, pushing the door open with your hip seeing as it was slightly open. The door to the balcony was wide open, the breeze that dried your hung clothes blowing in gently and causing your curtains to billow in the wind. Apart from the soft drawl of the summer currents, the room was deathly silently. You stood in front of your bed, legs threatening to give out beneath you as your eyes scanned every corner of your room.

“I-I’m not afraid of you!” you call out, phone about to break under the force of your grip.

“Not afraid, huh? We’ll see about that,” the line cuts, and you realize the call has ended. You feel the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, and yet you’re completely unaware of the presence behind you. Suddenly, a hand presses against your mouth to muffle you as the other wraps under your arm to detain you, a sharp edge pressing into your throat which bobbed in discomfort. Your yelp is bitten back as you teeth at the leather against your lips, trying to bite the hand that kept your pressed against the strangers body. Your eyes as wide as dimes, you decide not to struggle against your attacker, fearing that the blade will slit your throat as he has promised only a few minutes ago.

“You seem pretty scared now, bunny,” he whispers, a shiver running down your spine as a result. His voice is muffled by something, and you realize he’s wearing a flimsy white mask of the iconic Ghostface. “You should be more aware of your surroundings, baby. Otherwise, you’ll find big scary men like me sneakin’ around,” the man digs the blade a little deeper, and you’re thankful that the knife is a bit dull—had it been a sharper blade, you would be bleeding by now.

“You’re shaking, sweetheart… calm down for me. I don’t wanna- ruin this pretty little body of yours,” you can tell he nearly breaks character, his softer side trying to fight for control, but he continues his aggressive front. Your body is practically pudding in his muscular arms, knees nearly giving out beneath you. Your cries are stifled by his gloved fingers as he begins to drag the Buck 120 knife down the length of your neck and against your collarbones. Your attacker pays no mind to the weak punches you throw against his side, barely faltering at the contact and simply holds you tighter against his toned chest.

“So fuckin’ pretty, bunny,” he whispers, admiring the glint of his weapon against your skin. “All for me, too~ You know how crazy it drives me seeing you change in front of that damn balcony door? Sometimes I think you’re begging for me to see this slutty body all the time,” the vulgar languages catches you by surprise, but it quickly leaves when you feel the knife catch between a button of your Leon’s shirt. It tugs upward and snags the thread, popping open the shirt one button at a time, exposing your breasts and baby blue panties to him. He lets out a low laugh, vibrating from his chest.

“My favourite colour, too? Baby, were you expecting me?” His hand drops from your mouth, allowing you to breathe evenly. His free hand immediately finds your breast and gives it a tight squeeze, pinching the perky little bud harshly. “Of course whores like you would welcome a guy like me, hm? You like this, sweetheart?”

“Y-you’re sick…!” you cry, moaning slightly at the pain he inflicted onto your sensitive chest. You feel the blunt end of the knife’s handle push just above your v-line, harsh and brutal as it digs into your body.

“Don’t fuckin’ act innocent with me,” the masked man hisses. “I know exactly what girls like you want—you put up this sweet act around your friends at school so they don’t know you like getting fucked like a toy.”

“Th-that isn’t tru-“ before you finish your sentence, he slams your body into the bed, front pressed into the plush duvet. He leaves his knife laying next to you, taking one hand to keep both of yours behind your back while his other reaches down to paw at the gusset of your underwear.

“‘Not true’? Then explain why it’s practically dripping down here,” the slick gathers on the black leather of his gloves, and you whine as his fingers press against your clothed slit. “Admit it—tell me you love to be used like a little fleshlight,” his voice is rough beneath his mask, and you try to look at him over your shoulder as you struggle against his tight grip. You take note of his outfit consisting of black cargos, an ebony, long-sleeved compression shirt, his leather gloves, and the mask. Its inky black eyes stared back at you as you wiggled beneath him.

“I-I’m not…! I don’t like being-“ you gasp when you feel a sudden intrusion, rendering you speechless. Slick, leathered fingers force their way between your folds and into your hole, scissoring slightly in attempt to stretch you open. He hisses at the feeling of your walls squeezing against his middle and ring finger.

“Christ—Bunny, does your boyfriend not fuck you hard enough? I swear-“ his breathing grows heavy as he thrusts his fingers in and out of your cunt. “You’re tighter than a virgin-“ your thighs clench against his hand as you babble for him to stop.

“P-please… st-stop touching mme,” you hiccup, trying your best to hate the fluttering feeling he was giving you. The man’s fingers curl against your inner walls, pressing deeper and harder into your most pleasurable spots.

“Aww, you want me to stop? But why? You look like you’re having so much fun, baby~” His grip around your wrists grow tighter as he begins to thrust his fingers a little faster. Tears prick at the corner of your eyes as you moan at the pleasure. The knot in your stomach begins to tighten you grow closer to your release, the wet sound of your arousal echoing through your room. Just as you feel as though you’ll explode, the man pulls his fingers out completely, leaving you breathless.

“N-no, please!” you cry, squirming beneath him. He makes no sound, instead releasing your arms and flipping you to lay on your back. You watch him get on his knees before grabbing the discarded blade next to you, making quick work of your delicate pair of lace panties. The fabrics tears as he pulls the knife through it, throwing the bits of it to the floor as well as his blade before pulling up his mask. It drops to the ground, too, laying next to the tattered blue fabric before he looks up at you between your legs. Your boyfriend’s attacker’s hands grip the fat of your thighs tight as he gives you a coy smirk.

“What was that, bunny? ‘Yes, please’? Well, don’t mind if I do,” Leon licks his slightly chapped lips before dipping his head down, blonde hair shielding his eyes as his tongue presses against your sensitive clit. Your fingers tangle into his thin tresses of hair, eyes rolling back as you feel his tongue bully itself into your pussy. Leon grunts when your thighs squeeze his head, only urging him to tongue-fuck you deeper.

“St-stop it-“

“You keep telling me to stop, yet you keep pressing your pussy into my mouth like you’re forcing me to eat it,” he says, mumbling onto your cunt casually. “I should punish you for lying to me, but I’m feeling generous tonight. Just take this like a good little bitch and we won’t have any problems.”

Leon continues his work on you, his skilled tongue having its way inside of your tight little hole as his thumb presses against your clit. You beg for him to stop, trying to push his head out from between your thighs, but he makes no effort of moving, continuing his assault on your poor pussy. He devoured you like it was his first meal in weeks, drinking up every drop of your slick like he wouldn’t eat ever again. You grew embarrassed at the sound of your moans mixing with the wet squelches of your juices. Leon could only laugh as he takes quick peeks at your dazed expression, lapping up at the arousal that practically leaked out of your body. Before you could cum, he pulls back, forcing himself out from between your thighs.

“How ‘bout we get to the good part,” the blonde smirks, picking up his Buck 120 before standing at his full height. You watch him unbuckle his belt, the gentle clanging of metal reaching your ears as he then reaches to unzip his cargo pants. Your body stiffens as you take in the sight of his bulge, threatening to burst from the confines of his black cotton briefs.

“N-no way—you c-cant-!”

“Can’t what? I can’t fuck you?” his brow quirks up.

“M-my boyfriend’ll-“ He rolls his blue eyes, annoyed at the mentioning of himself your partner.

“Fine, we’ll play it your way, bunny,” he shakes his head, picking up one of your legs with his free hand. “Don’t squirm, got it? You may be acting like a bitch right now, but I really don’t wanna nick you, sweetheart,” he grunts, setting your knee over his shoulder. You lay there, wondering what he’s planning, and your eyes widen when you see him hold the knife by its blade, the shiny silver in the palm of his gloved hand as he positions the hilt just before the entrance of your cunt.

“W-wait- don’t-“ Leon pays no mind to your pleas, pressing the blunt handle into your pussy. You clench and cry out, the cold material surprising you as well as the sudden stretch. He clicks his tongue is disproval as you whimper beneath him, thrusting the handle in and out of you.

“You’re so fuckin’ worried about your boyfriend, sweetheart. Why can’t you just admit he can’t fuck you right?” Leon fakes his concern. “You know you love this—You just don’t wanna admit that your stalker’s foreplay is better than your own boyfriend’s dick.”

“S-s’not true! Nngh, it’s nn-not truue~!” you claw at the hand that was squeezing your thigh, silently begging for Leon to stop. Even then, your body betrayed you. Your cunt spasmed around the smooth handle, giving Leon a bit of a struggle as he continued to thrust the weapon in and out of you.

“What a fuckin’ slut…” he smirks. “You keep saying you don’t want this, but your pussy is so goddamn wet,” he pulls the handle out of you, and you cry, babbling for him to put it back in. He only chuckles lowly before taking his cock out of the confines of his underwear. It springs out at a nice six inches, thick and cut with a vein trailing up the side. The Buck 120 is left to be forgotten once more.

“You’re taking this—whether you like it or not,” Leon takes your other leg and throws it over his free shoulder before dragging the head of his cock against your wet slit. Your hands pathetically reach for him.

“P-please…” you hiccup. Leon hums, a teasing expression painting his face.

“What’s that, bunny? Oh, you wanna be fucked like a bitch in heat? Well, if you insist…” with a sudden force, he shoves himself into you with one smooth thrust, splitting you open with ease. You cry out, the back of your head craning into the mattress as you begged for your stalker to pull out.

“O-out~! P-please, nno more~!” you sob, tears flowing from your eyes as he pulls out enough to just leave the tip in. With a grunt, his hips slam back into yours, the full length of him back inside of your tight cunt. Leon lets out a slight moan as he begins to jackhammer himself into you, seemingly not having a care in the world for your comfort as he grips onto your hips and folds you in half onto the bed.

“So tight, baby- fuck! This pussy was made for me,” Leon’s eyes squeeze shut as he fucks into you, relishing in the feeling of your cunt squeezing around his thick cock. “You love this, I fuckin’ know you do. You love being my free-use slut, bunny—tell me you love it when I fuck you like my personal- toy!” he chokes on his words, clearly lost in the pleasure.

“L-love it so much~! M-mmore, more pl-plleaase~” you babble, fingers threading into the man’s hair. Your noses graze each as he bucks up further into you.

“Drives me fuckin’ crazy watching you from your damn balcony, sweetheart,” Leon pants, beginning to break his persona. “Watching you hump your pillows, moaning my name—I couldn’t keep waiting. I was pl-planning- f-fuck, you’re so tight, baby-! Trying to…! To creep on you for a week, b-but you’re just so gorgeous…!” His hands grip harder on your hips, bruising them as he pounds his cock harder and harder into your abused cunt.

“You looked so desperate trying to fuck that stupid pillow of yours—I can’t tell you how much I wanted to just jump into your room and take you then and there, bunny,” his breath tickles against your lips as he speaks, and you can only moan and squirm in response, barely able to form words with how good he made you felt. Your fingers weakly tug at the base of his hair as his hips roll into you, and you swear you can feel the head of his cock trying to push past your poor cervix.

“L-Leon-!” You cry, your legs applying pressure to either side of his head as you feel the knot in the pit of your belly begin to unravel. Leon’s grip on your sides becomes rougher, bruises blossoming in deep purples and reds against your skinz

“Cum for me, bunny—please…!” your lover drops the harsh act, fully embracing his typical nature of sweet boyfriend despite his white-knuckled grip on you. A near-scream erupts from your throat as you finally release, your cunt spasming around Leon’s cock. With gritted teeth, he pulls out and releases onto your stomach, the sticky substance staining the wrinkled white button-up and the soft skin of your belly.

Heavy, hot pants filled the room as you and Leon took a moment to pull yourselves together, his lips pressing soft kisses onto your calves and ankle as he gently leaned back to remove you from your folded state.

“You alright, bug? I-“ he gulps, catching his breath. “I didn’t get too rough, did I?” the worry is apparent in Leon’s voice as his gentle blue orbs gaze into yours. You feel his hands gently caress the bruises he left on your skin.

“M’okay, Lee,” you assure him, chest heaving up and down. You watch his eyes trail down to admire the mess he made on your stomach.

“You look good like this,” the blonde comments, picking up a little glob of his seed between gloved fingers. “We should do this more often, bunny,” he teases, pulling away from you and allowing your legs to fall limp. You were about to protest until Leon moved to pick you up bridal style, carrying you towards the bathroom that was just outside in the hall.

“Let’s get cleaned up, though. I’ve got a feeling you’re ready for a good sleep and some cuddling, yeah?” Leon coos, pressing a gentle kiss to your forehead. You can only hum in agreement, nuzzling your face into his neck as he carries you to the tub.

hi. lol. idk how i’m still alive. i’m being worked to the bone. i hope everyone is well.

[yoyowrites]

Au where shen jiu is an assassin/murderer and binghe grew up in hua hua palace.

After Binghe's adoptive mother died, the old palace master found him and took him in. At first, he's treated very well. Binghe is excited to have family, to be safe, to be free. Then, he notices he's actually very restricted. Everywhere he goes there's someone. When he was younger, he considered it wonderful to have friends and family but he soon found out they weren't friends. They were spies. His every move was being monitored. His real situation really hit him when he tried to leave.

He wasn't trying to leave for ever. It'd been about eight months since he'd been brought to huan hua palace and he's been missing her. He wanted to visit her grave, tell her how he'd been, and see if any of her things were still in tact. Yet, he barely made it pass the gates when other disciples stopped him. They dragged him to his room and he wasn't allowed to leave for days. When the old palace master returned, binghe tried to explain what happened thinking he'd be on Binghe's side. He was met with lies.

The old palace master explained that it was for his own good. How binghe just needed to stay there and listen. How he should never leave.

Binghe had made one 'friend' after that. A slightly older girl who seemed to take him under her wing. He shared his thoughts and worries with her. One day he mentions how he wants to try leaving. he just wants to be outside, how he missed his home.

The next day, he was imprisoned in his room again. There were guards in front of it that refused to speak to him. When the old palace master visited him, binghe knew what happened.

After that, binghe noticed how he was truly alone. No one ever actually talked to him. They didn't share anything about themselves. They were only collecting information on him.

He became closed off. He still played the part of kind, sweet, naive disciple but he never truly opened up again.

Years later, when binghe is a few months shy of fifteen, he hears rumours about this thief and murderer that has been targeting cultivators. Said murderer had been rumoured to be spotted near huan hua palace. Everyone was whispering how he'd attack them next. Then, binghe made a plan. He needed out.

So binghe plans to stage the murder of the old palace master. However, the real thief shows up and sees binghe. While binghe is strong, he's still young. The murdered captures binghe but doesn't kill him. Instead, he lets him escape. Binghe wasn't sure what to do but follow the murderer (who's name he learns is shen jiu).

Shen jiu wasn't killing to kill. He just needed cash and cultivators tended to hoard so he helped himself. Sometimes cultivators were in the way of his treasure and he needed to not leave evidence. He never leaves evidence.

So what was this ... tall child doing. Shen jiu isn't sure why he didn't kill him, much less kept him around but now he's keeping binghe with him. Mostly because he isn't sure what to do with him Or it was like that until they reached the next town over.

Shen jiu starts to notice that binghe is the luckiest unlucky person he knows. The only room available in the in they can stay at is near a forest that is infested with demons but their room is the only one that doesn't get attacked. Shen jiu chucks it up to luck

then, they're forced to travel through that same forest. shen jiu allows lou binghe to cling to him and sees that nothing serious tries to attack them.

shen jiu decides to keep binghe around. they grow pretty close. he even teaches lbh easy pick pocketing and disarming techniques, though he refuses to allow lbh to kill anyone again. if asked, shen jiu would deny it but a soft spot was rapidly growing.

they had been companions for around a year when lbh's demonic heritage was revealed. for one reason or another, shen jiu decides to push him in to the abyss. it hits him harder than he expected but its for the best. lbh is a demon, demons should be with their own kind. the reason lbh is so odd is probably from being around humans his whole life. shen jiu decides he must move on. life doesn't stop.

lou binghe spends his years in the abyss planning how he would confront sj. he would also prove himself to still be useful because that must be why he was abandoned. even if sj doesn't want to, he'd never be rid of lbh again. years later, he emerged and started searching for his dear shen jiu

TLDR:

Binghe murders old palace master and is on the run, sj helps hide him. Sj keeping binghe around like a rabbits foot until he finds out lbh is a demon. He throws binghe into the abyss and binghe returns for him.

[lemonwrap]

Imagine: a Dishonored AU where Ghost is marked and gifted with the Outsider’s powers, and Soap is the royalty he protects.

As a young child, Simon grew up poor—so poor that his father couldn’t repay the debts he racked up. Not when he spent nearly every cent on booze. 

When Simon is eight, the street gang his father had been avoiding for nearly a year finally catches up with him. Although Simon manages to escape, the gang kills his entire family as retribution—his father, mother, and older brother, Tommy. Ghost didn’t care for his father in the least, but it’s still a shock to see a corpse. 

That night, as he sobs on his cracked front doorstep and mourns the loss of his mother and brother, he falls asleep. He awakens in a strange place, where chunks of buildings and land float throughout a vast abyss. 

Simon wanders around for an unknown amount of time investigating—it could’ve been minutes, or it could’ve been years. A flurry of inky black particles form in the air and quickly arrange themselves into a…being.

There’s something distinctly godlike about the being. He isn’t human. His eyes are pitch black, an abyss with no bounds, and his skin is pale as snow. He holds himself with a rigid posture, arms crossed, and chin lifted as he looks down upon the young boy. 

“Hello, Simon,” the being says. 

“Who are you?” Simon whispers. 

“I am the Outsider. Your life has taken a turn, has it not? I have chosen you and drawn you into the Void,” he says. “There are forces in the world and beyond the world, great forces that men call ‘magic’, and now these forces will serve your will.”

Simon doesn’t say anything else, mystified. What is he talking about? There’s always been stories of magic, of the Outsider, but magic doesn’t really exist, does it? But nothing else can explain how real this all feels, from the cold, empty air to the calls of the whales as they float throughout the chasm of this realm, to the Outsider himself. 

“This is my mark,” the Outsider says, and he lifts his hand. Suddenly, Simon’s own left hand is burning, and he jumps at the pain, looking down at it in alarm. There’s an intricate design forming on the back of his hand, and when he tries to wipe it off, it’s smooth and stays firmly in place like a tattoo would.

“Use this newfound power, my gift to you, Simon. How you use what I have given you falls upon you, as it has to the others before you. And now, I return you to your world—but know that I will be watching with great interest.”

In the morning, Simon wakes up on his doorstep again. He immediately checks his hand and is startled to see that it’s still there, and it doesn’t come off. It wasn’t just a dream.

He lives on the streets after that. 

Simon spends years honing his abilities, including his ability to Blink moderate distances, Wind Blast opponents or objects, and his sword fighting skills. He also maintains a strong, agile body ready for just about anything, and even adopts the name Ghost, coming from his ability to Blink and his stealth. 

In his dreams, Ghost sometimes finds himself in the Void, but he never sees the Outsider. His mark is as visible and strong as ever, though, and so he keeps it covered constantly.

At sixteen, Ghost enters the Blade Verbana, an annual sword-fighting competition. The prize is a spot in the Serkonan Guard, something he would have almost zero chance of gaining otherwise.

Ghost wins, of course. Even without his powers, most of his opponents were no match for him. He didn’t use his powers in the competition because using his Wind Blast to throw one of his opponents into a wall or Blinking to dodge would give him away. Black magic is feared and looked down upon, and its discovery would subject him to arrest or death. Ghost knows that is what he possesses, so he keeps it a secret, only using it when alone or in an emergency.

After two years of service, the Duke of Serkonos sends Ghost to Dunwall to serve Empress Anne MacTavish. The Empress assigns him to be the Royal Protector, specifically for her son. 

That’s when he meets John MacTavish.

He’s Ghost’s age, has a stupid haircut in the form of a mohawk, and likes to be called Soap. Ghost thinks he’s insolent and irritating, with the most redeeming thing about him is that he doesn’t talk down on Ghost and doesn’t purposely flaunt his wealth or status. It makes his attitude a little more bearable. However, Soap has a healthy disrespect for authority and, to Ghost’s annoyance, likes to flee the elegant balls his mother hosts and sneak out of his room in the tower at night. It’s Ghost’s job to protect and guard him, and Soap is making it a pain in the ass.

Ghost isn’t particularly attached to his fiery ward until one night, when Soap slips out of his room yet again. Ghost tracks him down and eventually finds Soap in the middle of a brawl with three men in an alleyway, losing badly. Ghost helps him. He and Soap fight side by side, though Soap is clearly lacking in any real technique, and Ghost chases the men away. He could’ve easily Wind Blasted them, but he doesn’t want to try and explain that to Soap. 

He’s about to yell at Soap until he realizes there’s a girl there, too. A teenager, only a few years younger than them. Soap had been defending her. Ghost is still annoyed, but not quite as upset as before as he drags Soap back to the tower. He tends to a pouting Soap’s scrapes and sends him back to his room with a blooming black eye. 

The next day, when Ghost is reprimanded for allowing Soap to leave his room and get hurt, Soap jumps in to defend the Royal Protector. Ghost manages to avoid punishment, although Soap and his black eye make quite the sight as his mother chews him out. 

After that, they get closer. 

As it is his duty to do so, Ghost follows Soap just about everywhere, much to Soap’s annoyance. When Soap isn’t sneaking out, roaming the city streets, or meeting up with his friend Gaz, he likes to find reprieve in the small patch of woods near the tower. Sometimes he takes a dip in the small pond located there. 

“C’mon, Ghost,” Soap urges, waggling his eyebrows as he tosses his shirt to the side. “The water’s fine.” 

“I’m supposed to be guarding you,” Ghost says gruffly as Soap steps in. He tries very hard not to look at Soap’s chest, his strong biceps, or his tanned skin.

“You’re so serious all the time,” Soap huffs, taking his arm and playfully splashing Ghost with water. From the edge, Ghost is torn between wanting to splash him back and wanting to stay on guard. 

“I won’t let you get in trouble,” Soap assures him. “You need to relax a little!” 

Ah, fuck it. What’s a little fun? Ghost has more clothes back at the tower, anyway. He kicks off his boots.

“Alright, but don’t say I didn’t warn you,” Ghost says. 

“Warn me about wh—“

Ghost doesn’t hear the rest of his sentence. Clothes on, he impulsively cannonballs straight into the pond, splashing water all over the place in a huge wave. When he rises to the surface, Soap is sputtering and spitting water out of his mouth. 

“I didn't mean come in like that,” Soap laughs incredulously. Later, when they return to the tower, Ghost dripping all over the floors and boots squelching with every step, Soap tells his mother that he pushed Ghost in just so that Ghost wouldn’t get in trouble. 

Between their banter and jokes, Ghost also teaches Soap more about self defense, and they spar frequently. Soap gets better and better, but against Ghost’s years of experience and unnatural talents, Ghost still wins. Soap gets some good hits in, though, and he can hold his own in a fight. 

Soap quickly becomes likable—and despite his intention to stay distant, Ghost starts crushing on Soap. He’s still professional, of course, but it’s hard for him to not like Soap, especially when they spend so much time together. Soap treats him well, too, and the brazen-faced man often shows him a softer, more kind side of himself. Ghost’s own facade slips more often than he intends it to.

Sometimes, Ghost wishes he could tell Soap about the Outsider’s mark. He doesn’t, and the Outsider never visits him either. Perhaps Ghost is too boring for him now that he isn’t a street rat. 

Less than a year after Ghost is appointed as Soap’s Royal Protector, the Empress falls ill and dies. At only eighteen, Soap becomes the new Emperor of the Empire of the Isles. 

Soap doesn’t get a lot of time to process it all when the council urges him to make a public statement and officially inherit the title. After, Soap stands with Ghost at his side as the aides move Soap’s belongings into his new quarters—his mother’s old room. 

Soap doesn’t say a word and just stands there with watery eyes. Unsure if this was a line he should cross, Ghost attempts to go stand outside Soap’s door, but Soap asks him to stay. The new Emperor cries into Ghost’s shoulder that night. 

Ghost tries his best to help Soap deal with his grief, but even with personal experience, he’s not the greatest at it. Even so, Soap begins to get the hang of being Emperor and proves himself to be a benevolent and competent leader. The people become fond of Soap and respect him greatly.

It isn’t enough to keep him from being targeted, though. 

It’s a quiet night, nearly three years after being appointed Emperor, when a group of assassins makes an attempt on Soap’s life. Soap and Ghost are resting in a gazebo, looking out at the water, and standing much too close for Ghost to even pretend he’s being professional. He can’t stop looking at Soap, from his grown-out mohawk that hasn’t been trimmed in months to his beautiful blue eyes. Ghost wants to kiss Soap so, so badly, but he does no such thing, and resigns himself to observing.

Neither of them are prepared for the attack, but Ghost recovers first. There’s six of them, all covering their faces like Ghost does—perhaps they had heard of Ghost’s fighting prowess and thought that they could overwhelm him with numbers.

He doesn’t let that happen. 

Everything comes in a rush, and he’s using the Outsider’s mark to prevent them from even touching Soap. Soap knocks one of them out in the ensuing struggle and beats the shit out of another, but Ghost is a whirlwind, dodging and Blinking to avoid blows, Wind Blasting his opponents to the ground, and using his sword like it’s an extension of his own body. It’s over quicker than Ghost had expected. 

“Shit,” Soap says breathlessly, visibly shaken when Ghost pulls his sword out of the last assassin’s stomach. 

“You alright, Johnny?” Ghost asks, stumbling forward, and finds that he’s very out of breath. 

“Simon? What’s that on your side?” Soap asks, his brow creasing with worry. “Are you—“

Ghost staggers, and suddenly his side is bursting with pain. He can’t believe he didn’t notice it before. He reaches his hand to where the pain is radiating and can feel the hot blood quickly gushing from the wound. 

“Simon?!” Soap rushes forward, and suddenly, Ghost feels a little too woozy. Shit, they must’ve gotten him bad.

“It’s fine,” Ghost grunts, trying not to worry Soap too much, but it’s starting to get dark and Ghost is dizzy.

The last thing he hears is Soap frantically calling his name.

When Ghost wakes up, he’s in a dim room that he recognizes as Soap’s quarters. There’s a weight on his thigh, and he looks down to see Soap’s head resting on him. Soap’s closed eyes are puffy like he’s been crying, and there’s shadows under them, too. Ghost shifts and lets out a groan as a sharp pain shoots through his side, and Soap immediately notices, his eyes snapping open. 

But then his face switches from relief and crumples into a terrible, terrible guilt. 

Soap sits up and lays his hand on Ghost’s chest, and Ghost realizes that he’s feeling how his chest rises and falls. Ghost doesn’t know what to say, but anything he possibly could fades when Soap lets out a shuddering gasp and begins to cry. It quickly turns into hiccuping sobs, and Ghost worriedly grabs Soap’s hands in his own, trying to soothe him. 

“Ah, shit. Johnny, it’s okay,” Ghost says, wanting to lean forward but wincing. Soap pushes him back against the propped-up pillows, his cheeks wet with tears, lip wobbling, brows upturned in utter sorrow. Ghost feels like an asshole for letting himself get hurt so badly. 

“It’s not. I thought you were going to die,” Soap says, his breathing hitched. 

“I had to protect you,” Ghost says, running his hands up Soap’s arms. 

“But—“

“Johnny, I’d do it a thousand times if it meant you lived.” 

Soap sniffles and lays his head back down on Ghost’s thigh, and Ghost pets his hair. 

Later, they talk about what happened. At Soap’s probing, Ghost cautiously admits that he had been marked by the Outsider as a child. Soap doesn’t seem to find this off-putting, nor does he call for Ghost’s arrest or beheading. He doesn’t seem to think any differently of Ghost, although he does seem incredibly intrigued by the mark on Ghost’s hand that he’d diligently kept hidden until now.

Only a day and a half after being stabbed, Ghost gets out of bed and hobbles around some, much to Soap’s displeasure. 

When he gets tired, he lets Soap lead him back into bed. They’re close, and Ghost just can’t help himself. He strokes his hand through Soap’s hair softly, and Soap allows it—seems to enjoy it, even. 

And then he’s using the hand in Soap’s hair to urge him closer, kissing him before he can stop himself, because he’s wanted to do this for three years at this point. Ghost quickly pulls back, though, stunned at what he’s just done.

Soap looks just as stunned for a moment, but then he grins.

“Is this your way of telling me you’re feeling better?” Soap laughs, following Ghost’s lips and kissing him fiercely. 

“Better because of you,” Ghost manages to say between their desperate kisses. He doesn’t even care that his side still hurts like a bitch and that it’ll likely be weeks before he’s back on his feet.

“You big fuckin’ sap,” Soap says. “I love you.” 

“Yeah?” Ghost breathes. 

“Yeah,” Soap affirms, and that’s that.

[colemorrison]

Falling down a tree, which didn’t seem possible twenty minutes ago but as you stood up and walked through the dark and pumpkin lit town it seemed very possible.

“Who’s this?”

Many voices sung as they peeked out from various places. Some small, some horrifying, some so ugly they were cute.

“Nobody knows! They should meet Jack, Jack will know whom they are, yes!”

A trio of what seemed to be vampires grabbed your arms, hooking their own with yours. So many.. 'Unique faces' you would think but in reality ‘monsters’ were the right word.

The soft clicking of.. Heels? Against wood caught you off guard, your eyes slowly slid up the long legs, they were so skinny, inhumanly so and then it occured to you once you saw his head, so smooth and.. Dead.

"What have we here?"

His height had to have been double however tall you were, he had to have been over eight ft tall.

"You are.."

"Oh look! How cute! They're scared of you jack!"

"You are pretty."

The comment made his eye's soften, the black abyss they were was somehow inviting. You wanted to stare further into them.

"I don't believe I have ever been called such a thing. What about me is... Pretty?"

Your voice betrayed you, small hands sliding over his own, he was practically bent in half just for you to be at nearly face level.

————

Uhh.. So, I used to watch this every Christmas when I was younger and now that I'm watching it... Mmm yummy.

[emanation-aura]

can i ask for your rant on Genshin regional specialities? your meta on the bosses was very entertaining, and i largely agree–although i do have to argue that the ruin serpent is worse than the wenut in the spiral abyss

(Meta on boss drop bloat in Genshin)

Ok, well don't say I didn't warn you, anon.

Regional specialties suffer from the same problem as the boss drops as we always need to have at least one or two per expansion, and that as the expansions have gone on, the drops have become more and more mismatched. I mean, I have problems with some of the Liyue characters' regional specialty assignments too, but I'll deal with them too.

I'm gonna address them region by region.

(Highlights: Chongyun why do you use Cor Lapis, Dendrobium Chiori but she doesn't seem to be killing people?!, Thoma you poor soul on Fluorescent Fungus, Navia using Primordial Water, the thing she nearly died to—)

Liyue

Here is the current canonical list of who ascends with what in Liyue. Besides the obvious paradigm of why Gaming, a Pyro Vision user, is ascending with the Starconch (which has, for literal years, been a Childe and then Childe + Yelan exclusive, making it pretty much "Hydro Liyue ascender" for everyone released after 1.0, plus it's also literally a conch from the ocean, the theming—), I actually have more issues.

Chongyun using Cor Lapis, for instance. Like, let's look at the other two characters that use Cor Lapis: ah right, Zhongli aka Rex Lapis the (former) Geo Archon, whom this ore is named after, and Keqing, relentless driver of an ideal of change for Liyue Harbour, who is so dedicated to the idea of Liyue she is willing to blaspheme its Archon to do so. Both of these people, in very different ways, hold a great love for Liyue and wish to see it prosper.

Chongyun doesn't have this. It's not like he's disloyal or hates Liyue Harbour, but it's not a focal point of his character. He's more along the lines of Xiangling and Xinqiu as passively treating and treasuring Liyue as his home, but he doesn't carry the strong convictions that the Cor Lapis (lit. "Stone Heart") implies, at least not in the direction of Liyue Harbour. His character is all about his yang spirit and exorcism,

Honestly, I know it's not a regional specialty, but Chongyun would theoretically make the most sense ascending on Mist Flowers. Beyond that, my opinion is that he suits Qingxin more— like, come on, Qingxin (清心) means "pure heart" (or "mind cleansing"), and what's Chongyun's most famous motto? That's right, "Heart be pure, evil be erased. Mind be purged..." (and, via Shenhe, "world be saved").

Note: Ok, now the Chinese version of the motto is obviously very different, which might affect my argument. Combining what Shenhe completes for us, the motto is:

驅邪縛魅，內外澄清，回向正道，保身護命。 To expel evil and restrain demons, inside and outside pure and clear, turn back towards the upright Way, protect life-destiny and guard the body.

Translation courtesy of this site, since these mottos are based on the Eight Great Incantations in Daoism, specifically the "purifying the heart incantation" and "pacifying the earth incantation".

But I'd argue this makes the Qingxin argument even stronger. First of all, it straight up uses 澄清 chengqing "pure and clear", the same as the 清 qing in Qingxin. Second of all, the Daoist chant this comes from is the 淨心 jingxin "purifying the heart" mantra, like come on, I don't have the energy to explain even further how this suits him. Plus, the Qingxin description says "It eschews the warmth and moisture of the plains to gaze out afar from the solitary mountaintops." Apart from applying to the three (pseudo-) Adepti very well, doesn't this perfectly describe Chongyun's character struggle? Having to deny the warmth of life and keep himself cold (physically, mostly) and under control so that his yang spirit doesn't lose control??

Like, I know Qingxin is somehow the 'adepti' ascension material (excluding Xianyun and Yanfei, because Qingxin only applies to adepti/adjacent who don't really fit into the mortal world), but Chongyun fits this too well, and he can join his aunt Shenhe in using it too.

Other sins of Liyue ascension materials: ok, this one is less egregious, but I feel like Xinyan deserves Jueyun Chilli and not Violetgrass. Like, I get that the description of Violetgrass says it has a "strong vitality" and that its "downward-blooming flower keeps its fragrance from dissipating", both traits that reflect Xinyan's rock'n'roll persistence and her character, but Violetgrass is also a medicinal herb both factually and given that Baizhu and Qiqi both use it, so it's sending out mixed messages here. If anything, Xinyan suits Jueyun Chilli as well for being the "kick up the ass" for Liyue traditionalists (paraphrased but the sentiment is there). I'm not as sure on this one, since Jueyun Chilli also doubles as "Madam Ping's disciples' ascension material" with Yaoyao and Xiangling, but it doesn't even make sense for Yaoyao, swap her with Xinyan since Yaoyao is a healer and takes care of people and would make more sense ascending on a medicinal herb.

There's also, glaringly, the issue with Clearwater Jade and Xianyun being its only user. This has an easy hotfix: remember my problem with Gaming? Let him use Clearwater Jade instead for Chenyu connections, therefore fixing the 'there's literally only one user of this ascension material' problem. I know it's Clearwater Jade and Gaming is Pyro, but at least he has a lore connection to Chenyu Vale.

Speaking of the 'only one user of this ascension material' problem...

Inazuma

Q: Thoma, why the fuck are you the only one to use Fluorescent Fungus??

A: Because Thoma released in 2.2, just like Tsurumi Island.

There are two ways we can go about hits. First, we scrap the Fluorescent Fungus entirely and move Thoma to a different ascension material. The question is, which one? None of the others really have an MO that fits Thoma...

at least, in Inazuma.

Remember, Thoma is half-Mondstadtian. And if we wanna bend the rules a bit (or, in fact, actually give this half of his heritage some weight rather than just ignore it), why don't we give him a Mondstadt regional specialty?

Let's take Fluorescent Fungus' description. "A mushroom that glows like a night-light... [and] can help to light the way." Great, so we're dealing with only one theme here: bioluminescence and 'lighting the way in the dark'. Thoma has a Pyro Vision and works as a retainer for the Kamisato Clan, this isn't too strange. Hey, wait, isn't there also a bioluminescent plant from Mondstadt?

Small Lamp Grass: "A wild grass that emits light at night. Used in cooking to enhance other flavors. Just as the subtle fragrance of wild flowers will not distract a focused person, Small Lamp Grass' delicate glow will not attract their attention either, even at night."

Thoma could use Small Lamp Grass as a substitute, which three other characters already use, therefore reducing the amount of regional specialty bloat and making farming him not contingent on completing the Tsurumi Island questline, (which can be a good or a bad thing depending on what type of player you are), but as his """intended""" playstyle was a Hu Tao shielder at his release, the Lamp Grass choice also makes strategic sense since a Hu Tao owner will have likely already gotten a lot of Lamp grass by being in Mondstadt already, versus having to explore all of Inazuma. Plus, the Lamp Grass has an even better theming boon: "used in cooking to enhance other flavors" (like as a retainer, Thoma enhances the Kamisato Clan by his dedicated service).

If you wanted to play up Thoma's nostalgia for his homeland, you could make him use Windwheel Asters, which cannot grow in places with no wind or plagued by strong storms, only where the wind is gentle and nourishing. Inazuma, literally surrounded by a strong storm due to the Sakoku Decree and ravaged by the storms of war (metaphorically), would not be able to grow the Windwheel Aster until after the events of the Inazuma AQ and Raiden SQ II (assuming, for the sake of it, that Windwheel Asters can theoretically grow outside Mondstadt), reflecting how Thoma is stuck in a 'windless land' antithetical to his very nature. Big sad. I wish this was touched on more often, but that's an Inazuma critique, not just regional specialty reorganisation. And believe me, if I got into the Inazuma problems (as I have done in the past) we would be here all week.

The other option is not to scrap the Fluorescent Fungus, which in that case, someone else should use it. The only obvious candidate are our two new Inazuma releases: Kirara and Chiori. Out of the two of them, I think Chiori doesn't deserve Dendrobium, because it's such a reference to the red spider lily and death that even Chiori, who has her 'dark side' (being a blunt communicator??) doesn't exactly fit its MO. I mean, Sara is a war general. Of course she gets Dendrobium the flower that grows where blood was spilled. If Kokomi were a more competent character she would get Dendrobium too— *gets shot*

but it's hard to make a case for Chiori using Fluorescent Fungus unless you lean really hard into it being the "Inazuma outcast ascender", i.e. Thoma, a non-(full)-Inazuman living in Inazuma (everyone treats him considers him a 'naturalised' foreigner despite being half-Inazuman because that's the inevitable consequence of not being the picture of conformity in a society like this, trust me, I know the feeling), and Chiori, an Inazuman not living in Inazuma. The bioluminescence angle could also reflect Chiori's aspirations to become a fashion industry leader, like "the light shining in the dark", something like that. Alternatively, Chiori could use Amakumo Fruit, which fits her MO far better: "as if showing its defiance, it will bear fruit while facing the peals of thunder from the sky." Chiori is determined and defiant of the odds to achieve her dream, a "bold spirit" (quote from the desc.) for someone who emigrated and is struggling to make her life out there.

Kirara doesn't suit Amakumo Fruit either, given what I've described of it. She's neither 'defiant' (in the way that the description implies) nor strongly Electro-tied, she's just an international cat courier. That's why Fluorescent Fungus could suit her more— like, the luminescent angle lighting the way (through the fog of Tsurumi Island), just like her traveling self. It's not a deeply strong connection, but it tracks better than Amakumo Fruit does.

(Moving Chiori and Kirara away from Dendrobium and Amakumo Fruit respectively means that we're only moving the 'one character one material' problem, but given how well those two suit Sara and Raiden respectively, I'm loath to move or delete one of them. The ideal balancing factor would be moving Kirara to Fluorescent Fungus and Chiori to Amakumo Fruit, leaving Dendrobium with a single but extremely fitting user, which is more than Thoma + Fungus can be.)

Also, Yae Miko not ascending on Sakura Blooms is a sin. Swap Miko and Ayato (like, Ganoderma lore is literally the souls of dead children, what better way to imply further darkness in Ayato raising child soldiers in the Shuumatsuban especially given this is a criminally overlooked aspect in his character). Hell, if this aspect was further emphasised in Sayu's character, we could move Sayu to Dendrobium too, move Aloy literally anywhere else don't you think the Subdetection Unit, Trishiraite, or any other ore/mechanical thing would suit her more, time of release be damned??, and scrap Crystal Marrow. But that's getting dangerously close to talking about an Inazuma rewrite again, so I'll leave it there.

Hey, wouldn't it be really fucked up if Kokomi used Crystal Marrow to ascend? HYV, you cowards—

Sumeru

(Warning! I am going to be factoring the ascension material of Sethos, who was recently drip-marketed for 4.7 and hails from Sumeru. This is minor leak territory, but if you don't wish to see it, skip the section double-labeled Sethos at start and end.)

Sumeru is an interesting case because a lot of the regional specialties do clearly fit well, but at the same time are organised weirdly. I won't get into Collei and Wanderer using Rukkhashava Mushrooms because those, while weird on the surface, there is an interesting explanation behind it (ft. Ashikai's video on Eucharist lore) that coheres well. Nor will I take issue with Kaveh and Mourning Flower, since it's so clearly themed around the Iranian cultural significance of the Kaiser's Crown and dovetails with Kaveh so well, so we can let his single usage of it slide.

My first issue is with Sand Grease Pupa on Alhaitham and Dehya. Alhaitham does not really fit Sand Grease Pupa. Like, I will hear the argument that the description "the hardened shell is meant to protect the Quicksand Eels' larval bodies until they finally acclimate to the conditions of the dry desert" is a subtle reference to Alhaitham's character and temperament, where his """"callousness""" and blunt personality are a method to enforce boundaries and keep the personal peace he strives for in life amidst the sea of uncertainty. But the thing is that doesn't hold for Dehya, who also uses Sand Grease Pupa and doesn't have this kind of thing unless you count her being a hardened mercenary? Which is incredibly strange.

But things are complicated by the fact that there is no satisfactory place to move Alhaitham, unlike previous occasions where we found better places for Chiori and Kirara, etc. Like, I've tried my best, but against all odds the quote I mentioned from Sand Grease Pupa is the only one that remotely seems to work for him, and that's even if I ignore release order and consider Trishiraite or Mourning Flower.

So I feel compelled to keep Sand Grease Pupa. In that case, let's eject Dehya from using it, because it clearly doesn't fit her apart from the desert origin, which isn't even consistent because of Alhaitham. I'll talk about where Dehya should go in a moment, but now we have the problem that Alhaitham is the only user of the Pupa, which is something we try to avoid unless the theming is strong enough (like Kujou Sara - Dendrobium). So, taking into account "a hardened shell" theming, who else fits this?

"I must make a lot of Mora." "With enough Mora, my family will never have to smile at me while swallowing their pain, and I will never have to lose anything due to lacking Mora..."

Ding ding ding! It's Dori. In fact, I want to make the case that she fits Sand Grease Pupa better than Kalpalata Lotus, which she currently uses. The motif of Kalpalata Lotus is about "it looks like a lotus, but it isn't", which... works with Dori, I suppose, but isn't particularly compelling. Meanwhile, the Pupa is a 'hardened shell'— like Alhaitham's own boundary-setting unique personality, Dori's shell is her love of Mora, something she uses to face the outer world after the pain of losing her sister to a disease that could have been cured had they had enough money to purchase the herbs needed. Dori's obsessive love of Mora is real, of course, but it's the "hardened shell" that protects her from disappointment after the trauma of losing her sister. It's almost too perfect! (And, Alhaitham and Dori are some of the only rainforest-origin characters to have a slightly strong enough connection to the desert to justify this, not that we really need to.)

This, obviously, ignores release order. My previous comments on reordering regional specialties in Liyue and Inazuma just so happened to be compliant with the order in which they released the items. However, from Sumeru onward, I no longer care.

Ok, but that leaves Nahida high and dry on Kalpalata Lotus, another single case user. Again, the theming works for her, but it isn't really perfect— of course Nahida represents the "looks weak, is a lot more" archetype pretty well, but it isn't exactly congruent with "looks like a lotus, but isn't", because that's more of a question of identity than of power. I mean, I guess our meeting her in the AQ is kind of like that, but that's also a weak argument.

I think, therefore, we should move Nahida to use the Padisarah, which has hitherto only been used by Nilou, fixing another one of our single-character-material problems and allowing us to delete Kalpalata Lotus (or make it a quest exclusive item to Caribert, that would be cool). Like, I hope I don't need to elaborate why the Padisarah is suitable for Nahida, being a "holy and noble" plant descended from GoF and the era of the Three God-Kings of Sumeru, plus it being a calque (more explicitly in CN) of Padishah, the sovereign title used in Persia and beyond, which of course suits Nahida as she is, like it or not, sovereign ruler of Sumeru (would be a nice fuck you to the Sages too).

Sethos

At this juncture, we need to talk about the elephant in the room. Before Sethos was drip-marketed for version 4.7, I would've completely discounted Trishiraite as useless and said to dump it. However, I now have to reconsider, since Sethos has been leaked to use Trishiraite (wow, were they setting this up more than 9 patches ago?).

We don't know much about Sethos, admittedly, but we know he's a desert native and seems to be affiliated with the Temple of Silence and has connections to Cyno (I have not fully played through Cyno SQ II at the time of writing. If you have a more compelling case based on its events, please give spoiler warnings). Given this, Trishiraite seems perfectly reasonable for him, although there is the question of if he's a Temple of Silence member (albeit seemingly opposed to Cyno, given implications in the trailer), why he isn't just using the Scarab, because just read the Scarab lore:

Legend has it that when the desert king ruled this land, the souls of those vanquished by him would be sealed within these insects by the magically-skilled priests at great triumphs held in the City of the Pillars. The scarabs would then be charged with defending the sacred temples and palaces for all eternity in the name of Al-Ahmar. In the end, the temples would collapse and the palaces would fall, and only these golden insects would remain, fulfilling their ancient, forgotten oaths.

Like, even if we don't know Sethos' true role, his Temple of Silence affiliations (?) would make this far more fitting.

But, as you may have noticed, I've been delaying assigning Dehya anywhere. That's because I think if Sethos does use Trishiraite, Dehya should too. Read the description:

During the sun-swallowing battles of that bygone age, even the hardest of stones were set aflame. As the flames of war died out, all that remained from the calamity were these deep-red ores.

Trishiraite is ore born (allegedly) from the flames of the Cataclysm setting fire to stone. Like, it's a very warlike thing, and it's something that might be ok with Sethos but definitely suits Dehya more than Sand Grease Pupa. The thing is, nobody wins here because if I think Sethos suits Scarab more, that leaves Dehya alone on Trishiraite; if I don't, then Sethos + Dehya use Trishiraite while Cyno stays alone on Scarab, which is fine but ugh....

...unless, of course, we put Dehya on Henna Berry, which is very definitely the "female desert ascension material" and annoying stereotypical (fits with Dehya's love of makeup, though). Then we could make Sethos use Scarab alongside Cyno and just delete Trishiraite anyway, but this is a problem I don't want to propose a definitive solution for. I just think that Dehya shouldn't use Sand Grease Pupa, and Sethos seems weirdly better with Scarab, at least for now.

Sethos

Fontaine

(Warning! I am going to be factoring the ascension material of Clorinde and Sigewinne, who were recently drip-marketed for Version 4.7. This is minor leak territory, but if you don't wish to see it, skip the sections labeled Clorinde and Sigewinne.)

Fontaine is obviously still a nation-in-progress, so I'll cut it some slack, however:

Why does Navia use Spring of the First Dewdrop. Please. For the love of god.

Spring of the First Dewdrop is heavily implied to be somewhat related to Primordial Water, which is just—? Can I say how cruel this is for being Navia's ascension material? Like? Navia, who almost dissolved in the Primordial Water??

Although, the description calls it Ichor, which according to Wine Goblet of the Pristine Sea is the 'essence' extracted from Primordial Water, but then we have the question of why Dewdrop's description calls it "a final gift from Egeria" even though it was Remus who isolated and created Ichor, like we know Egeria was the substitute Heart of the Primordial Sea created by the Shade of Life to replace the Hydro Dragon, so technically the creation of Primordial Water is her domain, but this shouldn't even be her "final gift" anyway because logically that would've been literally anything else she did, because she abandoned that Heart role when she ascended to become the Hydro Archon and then died in sacrifice at Tunigi Hollow to repel the Cataclysm—

But this isn't a rant about Genshin lore, this is about the regional specialty. So.

Navia should not be using this. So, what should she be using? I'd suggest Lumidouce (French: soft-light) Bell, given the variety of people with whom Navia has parted and wishes to be reunited with ("Lumidouce Bell is said to represent parting and the wish for reunion"), but given that this is already being used by Chevreuse and Lynette and is absolutely slated for Emilie, the perfumer, whenever she releases ("...is often used for making rare perfumes"), that would be a bit of a crowd when Fontaine still doesn't have many characters.

Chevreuse doesn't really seem to fit Lumidouce Bell, though. Like, every attribute and theming doesn't seem to relate to her, unless you count the events of Roses and Muskets, which is about her personal feelings on justice, not the actual events that happened which could, possibly, fit the parting and reunion theme. So maybe we can boot Chevreuse off to Subdetection Unit, which actually suits her better— it's a detection unit, which gathers data, and it being used by Wriothesley seems like a not-so-subtle indicator that it's used to gather intelligence and for lack of a better word, spy. Which is something that Chevreuse's job involves, as once again demonstrated by Roses and Muskets.

So, with the Chevreuse tangent out of the way, Navia and Lynette can use the Lumidouce Bell. But what about Dewdrop? Should anyone use that?

Well, the obvious argument for Dewdrop as a Primordial Water thing is that Neuvillette should use it. Like, he's the reborn Hydro Dragon— thematically it makes more sense than Lumitoile (French: light-star). Let's again set aside the problem of time (Neuvillette released Version 4.1, Dewdrop came with the Tower of Ipsissimus in Version 4.2) because it makes things boring...

that being said, it's not entirely unreasonable to have Neuvillette use the Lumitoile, and simply delete the Dewdrop instead. Let's examine that below.

Clorinde and Sigewinne

So, what should we do about Lumitoile? If we move Neuvillette to the Dewdrop, that leaves Clorinde the sole user of the Lumitoile, and it's pretty justified in her case given the unsubtle implication of the Lumitoile as an environmental cleaner/digester and Clorinde's job as a Champion Duellist but with the Marechaussee Hunt techniques she inherits. After all, remember it's Clorinde who starts the plan to 'hunt' Furina in the AQ, to entrap her. She's good at hunting and cleaning up, so that makes the Lumitoile quite suited for her...

...Although, there is a scheme I'm cooking up. See, Sigewinne uses the Romaritime Flower, which fits fine with the Hydro stuff just fine, but I was reading the description of the Romaritime Flower, and it said: "Romaritime Flower is said to represent loyalty and unswerving oaths." And what, apart from being a strong hunter, is Clorinde known for?

Clorinde: Mr. Callas' last wish was for me to ensure your safety, and I will not betray his trust.  Like the Faint Moonlight of Yesteryear, in As Light Rain Falls Without Reason, after Clorinde saves Navia and Traveler from the Gardemek attack

It highly depends on what you think her character hinges more heavily on: hunting, or her loyalty/oath-swearing.

As for Sigewinne, using the Lumitoile would also work, because apart from the obvious Hydro theming, the Lumitoile is also about 'underestimation'— "though the weak light they give off is often ignored by divers, these small soft-bodied animals have the remarkable ability to consume and degrade industrial waste." Sigewinne's surprise gun attack in the AQ earns her this, in my opinion.

This is quite a complicated web to unravel. If Neuvillette no longer uses Lumitoile, then either both Clorinde and Sigewinne should use Lumitoile, or neither. Therefore, let's examine two cases.

1: Neuvillette uses Dewdrop. Therefore, nobody else uses Lumitoile, ergo, Clorinde should use Romaritime Flower alongside Sigewinne to avoid the 'single-user' issue.

2: Neuvillette does not use Dewdrop, and that material is deleted from existence. Therefore, Clorinde and Sigewinne can stay with their current specialty materials: Lumitoile and Romaritime Flower respectively.

I like case 2, personally.

But maybe I'm getting ahead of myself by analysing the ascension materials of characters that haven't released yet. Let's get back to normal.

Clorinde and Sigewinne

Quick recap: Neuvillette uses Dewdrop instead of Navia, and Navia uses Lumidouce Bell in place of Chevreuse, whom we boot off to use the Subdetection Unit. Therefore, we have solved the problem of Navia and Wriothesley being the only user of one ascension material, and realistically we have to leave Neuvillette alone with the Dewdrop because no one else actually makes sense ascending via Primordial Water, what the fuck.

Ahem.

We also leave Furina alone, being the Lakelight Lily dovetails with Erinnyes and the lore of her weapon, Splendour of Tranquil Waters.

So that leaves Charlotte with the Beryl Conch. Hey, Charlotte, what the fuck? Like, the Beryl Conch doesn't have anything visibly in common with her. It glows, and it's not actually a shell but something condensed from elemental energy. It's theorised to have connections to "ancient civilisations". What else? If you take this from Charlotte's 'investigative journalism' angle, perhaps the Conch can symbolise Charlotte digging for the truth, but the "oh perhaps the Conch has marks left by the Hydro Lord or is related to ancient civilisations" is such a weak connection to that kind of "what is the truth" ethos that Charlotte represents.

So, get rid of the Beryl Conch. Then what should Charlotte use? There's an obvious option here: what ascension material have we just talked about that applies to information-gathering, spying, and mechanical parts? What boss did I assign Charlotte to in this post about boss material bloat that also fits her mechanical companion, Monsieur Verite?

That's right.

The former two, as justified above, also share the Subdetection Unit. So why not Charlotte? It's the 'mechanical' ascension material of Fontaine, just like Prototype Cal. Breguet is the corresponding 'mechanical' boss material. Last time, I justified this with the mechanical focus of the three characters: Wriothesley's gauntlets and his rule of the steampunk-themed Fortress of Meropide, Chevreuse's gun and rifle focus, and Charlotte's entire kit and lore revolving around Monsieur Verite in her pursuit of journalism. This applies here, but it gets better because they also share the theming of the Subdetection Unit's 'spying/detection/information-gathering'.

It's so perfect that it feels a bit too perfect, actually, but who am I to complain? This would cut down on another ill-fitting regional specialty and make farming easier for all of us.

***

Thanks for reading! And letting me rant about this. I have problems with how Genshin treats boss and ascension materials with some degree of lore relevancy, only to also throw some of that relevancy out the window when it suits them. It's inconsistent and bothers me, lol.

[apiswitchcraft]

the norse gods

WYRD: destiny, the past that led up to the present

ORLOG: the relationship between actions and outcomes, the things in the present that affect the future

our primeval chaos this round,

GINNUNGAP: an area of abyss in between Niflheim (ice) and Muspelheim (fire). when these two regions grew in power and clashed, water was created

for once we only have one creation myth,

YMIR/AURGELMIR/BRIMIR/BLAINN: ancestor of the jotnar, he was born from venom that dripped from the rivers in Ginnungagap. fed on the milk of Auðumbla, Ymir bore a male and female out of his armpits and a six-headed being from between his legs. Odin, Vili, and Ve created earth from his flesh, oceans/rivers/lakes from his blood, mountains from his bones and teeth, trees from his hair, clouds from his brain, heavens from his skull, and Midgard from his eyebrow

AUÐUMBLA: primordial cow that was created from the fluid of melting ice in Ginnungap, she fed Ymir and licked the god Buri out of a salt rock over the course of three days

BURI: ancestor of the Aesir gods, fathered Bor

BOR: married the daughter of a frost giant, Bestla, and bore three sons, Odin, Vili, and Ve. these three grew tired with the unruly jotnar and killed Ymir, causing an avalanche of blood that killed all the giants except for Bergelmir and his wife

BERGELMIR: the ancestor of all "new" giants, resettled his race in Jotunheim

clan Aesir

ODIN: god of poetry, wisdom, war, and magic. Odin crowned himself king of the gods as he was the first one to decide to kill Ymir. he allowed himself to be hung from Yggdrasil for nine days and nine nights in order to understand the secrets of the runes and sacrificed one of his eyes in order to see the cosmos more clearly. some stories claim he could shape and understand Wyrd and Orlog. he had wolves named Gerki and Freki, ravens named Huminn and Muninn, and an eight legged horse named Sleipnir

FRIGG: once may have been the same goddess as Freyja, she is queen of the Aesir and goddess of beauty, love, and fertility, she was gifted with the power of foresight

BALDUR: son of Odin and Frigg, he was the pinnacle of beauty and likeability. his only weakness was mistletoe

HODR: son of Odin and Frigg, the blind god, he is tricked by Loki into shooting a mistletoe arrow, which kills Baldur

VALI: in some stories he's the son of Odin and the jotun Rindr, in others he's the son of Loki, but it makes more sense for him to be a son of Loki so let's just go with this. conceived to avenge his brother Baldur, which he did by killing Hodr and binding Loki with the entrails of Narfi

VIDAR: son of Odin and the jotun Gríðr, he is the god of vengeance, and is fortold to avenge his father by killing the wolf Fenrir at Ragnarok

HEIMDALL: son of Odin and "The Nine Mothers" (nine sea giants), god of keen eyesight and hearing, sometimes foresight. guardian of the Bifrost

TYR: son of Odin, god of war, justice, and order, he lost one of his arms to the wolf Fenrir

BRAGI: son of Odin, god of poetry

IDUNN: wife of Bragi, goddess of youth and fertility, her apples rejuvenated the Aesir gods and reversed the effects of aging

JORÐ: personification of the earth, consort of Odin, sometimes considered to be a jotun

THOR: son of Odin and the goddess Jörð, he is the god of lightning, storms, strength, fertility, and the protector of humankind. he wields the hammer Mjolnir

SIF: Thor's wife, goddess of faith, family and fertility

THRUD: daughter of Thor and Sif, goddess of strength

MAGNI: son of Thor and the jotun Járnsaxa, god of wrath

MODI: son of Thor, god of might

MIMIR: god of knowledge and wisdom, in some stories he is the advisor of Odin. he is sent either as a peace maker or hostage to the Vanir, where he is decapitated. Odin preserved his head and keeps it to guard a well on one of the roots of Yggdrasil

LOKI: god of mischief, wealth, and chaos. his children often caused trouble for other gods, Fenrir being the great wolf of Ragnarok, Jormungandr being the arch enemy of Thor, and Hel, who ruled Helheim

HEL: daughter of Loki and the jotun Angrboda, goddess of the underworld, she was tasked with taking care of the souls that ended up in her realm (since some ended up in Odin's Valhalla and some ended up in Freyja's Folkvangr)

NARFI: son of Loki and the goddess Sigyn, killed by Vali

clan Vanir

NJORD: patriarch of clan Vanir, god of wind, water, and fortune, he was the patron of fishermen and sailors

NERTHUS/NJORUN: although possibly just a female aspect of Njord, some theorize this is actually the sister-wife of Njord, mother of Freyja and Freyr. goddess of peace and prosperity

FREYR: son of Njord, god of peace, prosperity, male virility, and fair weather, ruler of Alfheim. after the conclusion of the Aesir-Vanir war, he was brought to Asgard as a hostage where he climbed his way up the ranks with charm and a good personality

FREYJA: daughter of Njord, goddess of love, beauty, fertility, and blessings. she is said to have introduced the gods to a form of magic called seidr, which was a form of seeing or changing the future

ODR: husband of Freyja, god of madness, wit and poetry. could also be an aspect of Odin, as they bear good similarities

HNOSS: daughter of Freyja and her husband Odr, her name means "gem"

GERSEMI: daughter of Freyja and Odr, her name means "treasure"

the goddesses of destiny, the Norns,

URD: "fate"

SKULD: "being"

VERANDI: "necessity"

[rainroses45]

Only for you, my love

(Neteyam x fem. Metkayina Reader)

☾description: Neteyam and you go onto the ship to go save Tuk but things take a twist

☾a/n: this may be a two part story, im not sure yet <3 warning: mentions of blood

☾song inspiration: we know what you whisper

⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆

Bullets flew past you in swarms. The crashing of the waves was shunned out by screams. The blood spatter imprinted the metal walls leaving behind an unusual work of art. Every shake of the ship caused you to believe it would tumble over and eat you alive.

Neteyam ran with you, shielding your body with his as you ran towards the middle of the ship. Your bow carried in your hand seemed heavier than before as you took down some of the sky people. War cries were let out as the pile of dead bodies grew. No mercy was spared in the water, it was either be killed or drowned by the wrath of the mother ocean.

“Y/n you need to head to the back of ship and find Tuk.” Neteyam directed you as he slit a sky person’s throat. His blood oozed out of him like everlasting rivers. The smell of metal burned your nostrils. You looked away from the body, turning back to face Neteyam who was already heading away from you.

“Where are you going?!” You yelled back quickly grabbing an arrow and shooting it at the creature heading towards you. The arrow landed itself on the chest of the victim causing him to spasm in short lived gasps.

“I need to go find Lo’ak and Kiri,” he responded back, stabbing another man in the gut. This time the blood gushed out in a blob of mush. You wanted to puke at the sight. Neteyam pulled out his knife from the man and let the red liquid stain his innocent hands.

“Promise me you will be careful,” you looked at him with worried eyes. If he died you wouldn’t know what you would do. Yes, you both barely met a couple weeks ago, but the feeling of living without him, pained you deeply. To live without his smile, was to mean you would never see the sun again. To live without his laugh, would mean your heart song would cease to exist. To live without his warmth, would mean you would never be balanced again. It was out of the question on whether he lives or not.

“I will my love, as long as you promise the same,” you nodded back at him taking off to the back in a hurry. Some of the ship’s walls curved inwards, falling onto the loose iron beams, leaving you to duck down and crawl carefully through the maze.

It seemed like the sky people were cloning after every death. After defeating two of them, four appear out of the blue, then six, then eight, it was a never ending cycle. You were starting to grow tired and low on arrows. Every punch took every ounce of energy you had left, leaving your lethargic body vulnerable, but you had to continue on.

“Tuk!” You screamed out to the abandoned area. Most of the people here were dead, their oxygen masks laid shattered on the ground next to them. You didn’t feel any remorse for them, it was their fault and only theirs.

“Tuk!” You continued to scream out still staying on guard for any unexpected visitors. Water began to rise and spread across the floor. Its blue trail guided you towards a secluded area where lite sobs were heard.

“Tuk, tuk is that you,” you shouted it out keeping your bow loaded incase it was false. Slowly, stepping closer to the dark abyss you saw the young child chained up to a metal pole.

“Y/n is that you?” She called out, even in the dark her bright yellow eyes glimmered with hope. Quickly, you bent the metal pipes causing the physical boundary between you both to be destroyed. Water rushed in, flooding the small child in its hold.

“I got you sweetheart,” you said to Tuk trying to comfort her as the water began to rise. The orange straps were tied tightly around her wrist, not wanting to hurt her, you grabbed you knife and began to saw away the tough fabric.

“Hurry Y/n the water is rising,” your hands began to shake at the reminder, finally you got the restraints off of her and picked her up into your arms.

“Come on Tuk we have to find your siblings.” You stated hurtling yourself and her through the opposing tide. Tuk gasped as the water hit her face, you swiped your hand softly across her face getting rid of the water.

“Neteyam!” You yelled out, the quietness of it all made you panic. Only the crashing waves could be heard throughout the ship. Tuk’s tight hold on you was strong, her nails dug into your skin drawing blood. You preferred she do that than get drifted away again.

“Neteyam! Lo’ak! Kiri!” You screamed out, grabbing Tuk’s head you told her to count to three. Both of took a deep breath before swimming through the sharp maze. You did most of the swimming since you were the more experienced than Tuk, and you didn’t want her to get lost.

You nodded at Tuk, swimming back up to see the sun has already settled, leaving you behind with the goddess of the night.

The both of you were about to exit the ship and swim to high ground when someone grabbed you from behind. You released Tuk, pushing her away from you quickly. The stench of his caused you to panic. How could you be so careless and forget about your surroundings?

“Run along now little Sully,” he ordered softly smiling at her. Her eyes opened in fear looking back at you. His hands tightly held your neck and hands making you defenseless. You mouthed to Tuk to go and get help, she nodded swimming away in a hurry.

“What do you want?” You groaned as he twisted your hands. He let out laugh throwing your bow to the side while still keeping a hand on your throat.

“It’s nothing personal sweetheart, I just need some leverage here, you understand right?” Quaritch said with smile, he pulled me to the corner of ship hiding me in the shadows as we waited for the Sullys.

⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆

“Mama!” Tuk yelled as she swam towards a near by rock. All her family members huddled together in exhaustion.

Neteyam turned around search for Y/n. He kept looking around hoping she would pop up from the water and greet them with victory, but she never showed up.

“Tuk where is Y/n?” Jake asked as he saw the panic on his son’s face. Everyone began to worry about the missing girl.

“She was kidnapped.” Tuk stated with tears began to fall from her eyes. The child began to blame herself for you getting captured by Quaritch.

“It is not your fault my sweet daughter,” Neytiri tried soothing her child, her anger blossomed at the thought of you being hurt. During their stay at the Metkayina tribes home, you were one of the only people who welcomed them with warm arms. You and Tsireya were there to teach them on how to adapt to their ways and teaching.

“I’m going,” Neteyam told his family as he climbed off the rock and began to swim towards the almost sunken ship.

“Son, we need to form a plan we can’t just charge in there and open fire.” He advised his son who just kept swimming towards the ship ignoring his family’s pleas.

“I guess we are just going open fire.” Lo’ak smiled as swam towards his brother.

Here goes nothing, this was for Y/n.

[bayoubashsims]

The Pantheon of the Nereitria

So I don't know if I'm going through with such a complex Lovecraftian idea for the merfolk of Monkfish Bay, but so far these are the fucked up mermaids I've concocted that live beneath the Besanyonne Sea of Monkfish Bay in a kingdom called Nereitra in the native tongue of the merfolk.

Thoggus, the Dark Emperor of the Seas

A long time ago, Thoggus ruled over the SImlantic Ocean in tyranny and he was dubbed the Dark Emperor of the Seas. He had the body of a merman, the arms and claws of a lobster, and the face of an octopus. A monstrous and power-hungry deity worshipped by many a merfolk, his centuries rule was ended when his own descendants usurped and dethroned him, imprisoning him in the deep with his daughters ruling together.

Mureina, the Queen of the Sea

Mureina, eldest daughter of Thoggus and the Kraken, was the mistress of the tides who ruled over the waves and where the sea met the land. With her father deposed from the rebellion that she led, she relinquished the rest of the seas to govern themselves to convene during important times in the Simlantic Council.

Nycothena, the Queen of the Abyss

The younger daughter of Thoggus and the Kraken, Nycothena is the ruler of the abyss, holding dominion over the strangest of fishpeople. Neither good or evil, this eight-tentacled and squid-beaked cecaelian is a mistress of magic and mystery. She guards the prison that keeps her father Thoggus away from the world, keeping him from taking over the seas once again.

Nen, the Duke of the Waves

Nen was originally a diplomat from the neighboring kingdom of Squaria who had long admired Mureina but truly fell in love with her when she liberated the seas from the tyranny of her father. Now, he stands by her side as she presides over the merfolk of Nereitria as a loyal consort.

Prince Chelan, the Prince of the Tides

Chelan was, like his mother before her rule, tasked with the tides and waves and the responsibility of where the land meets the sea. As the eldest, Chelan is next in line for the throne of Nereitria. But will he stop playing with the dolphins long enough for him to start taking his royal duties more seriously? Or will it take a landlubber to set his heart where it should be?

Princess Asherah, the Princess of the Marsh

The youngest of Mureina's offspring, Asherah is often the odd one out. A romantic at heart, she immediately claimed her territory when the tides receded far enough centuries ago to create a marsh at the inlet of Monkfish Bay. She spends her days pranking the local fisherman, and secretly dreams of marrying one.

[yume-tsuki]

Happy Birthday Gelda 🎊🎁 x333 look at Percy he is the most adorable thing on earth awwww, I can't resist him, he is so cute and love and awwwww baby And I love to draw them all so much (sry Tristan and Isolde picture~ for another day I haven't finished you xD

[dawn-of-worlds]

Transformation

Turn 9: Kirrik has 1 + 3 (non-hoarding) + (2D6 => 5) + (2D6 = 8) = 17 points to spend. She uses three iterations of Create Subrace (12) to produce the Genwe, the Psov and the True Tolinakka, and in her battle with the Curse the Cradle is levelled, becoming a sheltered sea (Shape Land, 5). She has 0 points remaining.

Uggurinni and Dorrihoqqara journey the length and breadth of the Tolinakka world, offering a choice to those who will listen. They can be smaller, more humanlike in shape, better at communication and cooperation; or they can be larger, more insectile, industrious and mystical. Those who choose are not transformed in an instant; instead their left hands are marked with red if they choose the first form, and their right hands with blue if they choose the second.

Many of the Tolinakka are slain by the Curse as it rampages across the planet. Many of those Tolinakka refused the offer of the golems, but some did not. Kirrik weeps for the children who she could not save. But eventually the Curse arrives at the cradle, grown vast by the slaughter of hundreds of thousands. Kirrik raises her limbs and meets it in combat.

Their battle lasts for decades, as they wrestle along the length and breadth of the Cradle. Mountains are crushed beneath their bulk, while their scything limbs carve valleys that drain lakes. The few Tolinakka who remain in the Cradle flee, or die as the upland landscape is slowly ground down into the sea

Yet as they fight, Uggurinni and Dorrihoqqara make their last few journies. The remaining Tolinakka, more desperate and fearful than ever, make their choices. Finally, Uggurinni comes upon a small community of mystics dwelling in Tinhokkilut, the Broken Lands, who called themselves the True. They beg Uggurinni for succor; they are desperate to remain Tolinakka, so the memory of their fair forms does not fade entirely from the world. Moved by their pleas, and knowing that all living Tolinakka have been marked, Uggurinni breaks off chunks of their stony flesh. They hand a small piece to each of the True, to ward them from the sight of the Curse.

Returning to the edge of the cradle, the two golems confer, and seeing that their choices are all offered, they complete the task for which they were made. The light fades from their eyes, and all at once, around the world, light from the markings on their arms overcomes the Tolinakka, who are transformed.

Some shrink and become short, wiry, four-armed humanoids, inclined to communal action by their psychic powers which manifests within their head a “voice” of the community in which they dwell – the Genwe.

Others grow, their limbs splitting in imitation of Kirrik, their thorax’s reforming until they have eight mighty legs guarding a central body, from which emerge two small arms ending in seven-fingered hands. The Psov, as they will later be known, have inclinations to weaving and industry but also to mysticism; to careful recording of extended family lineages but also to hermitage and solitude.

Yet something of the Tolinakka remains in both kindreds – their argumentativeness, their fondness for fruit and honey, their horns and their reverence of Kirrik and Zoreinak.

The Curse casts down Kirrik with a great blow, and raises its ethereal head to seek out new Tolinakka to slay. And yet, across the world, it sees none. There is a moments silence, and then the Curse fades into nothingness.

Kirrik, beaten and bloody, finds herself on a small isle amidst a ravaged sea. She slowly spins a cocoon around herself, preparing to transform as her children have done. The Age of the Tolinakka is over. The Genwe and Psov begin to form new communities in a world shattered by war and genocide; both they and humanity learn to avoid the Cursed Sea that lies where the Cradle once stood, for the shores of its isles and the depths of it's abysses are haunted. As Kirrik’s power retreats from the world the very stone and soil of the planet seem to grow more solid, less pliable by the hands of mortal or god.

Yet a small community of Tolinakka remain. The Pure are hidden and fearful, yet quickly discover that the golem-fragments they hold grant them some measure of power over stone and earth that has faded from the rest of the world. Soon, they begin making plans to seek out the corpses of Uggurinni and Dorrihoqqara, so their small population can expand...

[dumbcoffeebee]

drops hcs and runs

Diluc-

Ice burn scars on chest & forearms from the fight when Kae got his vision

Lots of scars. Lots. Blades, bludgeoning dmg, various elements from the Fatui hunt or otherwise

Slight permanent tinge of blue/purple at fingertips from being unacclimated to the Snezhnayan weather the first few months of the Fatui hunt (no pyro vision during that time)

More red to his hair, bit of an orange tinge to the ends (make it look more like fire, basically)

By extension he gets grey hairs every once in a while and nobody really comments on them bc yk its Diluc mans is stressed all the time but he dyes them out/plucks them every time he notices them bc it reminds him of his dad when he started using his delusion too much & it makes him sad :(

Thick eyelashes— not super long but really thick

Freckles!! Lots of them!! Resident pretty boy fr

Calloused hands from claymore

Fire burn scars from not knowing how to infuse weapon w/ fire at first

Hawk talon scars on forearm

TAN. TAN. GIVE THIS MAN A TAN. I BEG.

Has the second of Kae’s earrings hanging next to his vision on his belt (sobbing)

Bro used to have sharp teeth but he grinds tf outta them so he should wear a grind plate thing but he doesn’t bc he’s stubborn

Every time he goes like a madlad, which is all the time but yk, he just,, forgets to shave & so it’s not uncommon to see him with like a family of six worth’s of luggage under his eyes & red stubble (little bit of grey in there?)

Oh my god this man’s eye bags. It’s so hot but oh my god the dark circles too?? Holy shit

Used to wear black pencil liner on his waterline (jk he still does esp when he’s doin the whole darknight hero thing OH MY GOD HE TAKES THE MASK OFF AND HE.. OH MY GOD DRAW THAT DRAW THAT NOW JESUS SHIT)

As much as he runs himself ragged he actually has really high personal maintenance esp hygiene-wise like bfr he’s the no.1 most sought after bachelor in Mondstadt for a reason (and it’s not just bc of his money) & that’s also just bc he was raised by Crepus who I feel like believed that no matter who you were or where you came from, everyone is deserving of respect regardless of anything & first impressions are highly important for people like them (direct descendants of the Ragnvindr clan)

So then Diluc has like an eight step skincare routine that he speedruns & I feel like he takes care of his nails really well for some reason??

Circular reddish scarring on left hand from repeated delusion use, both in Snezhnaya & out of it— it looks like a matrix-style computer virus but in his veins

Kaeya

Lets start w/ the obvious. He says there's nothing wrong with his right eye but I beg to differ there’s a long vertical scar in the middle of his eyelid from Diluc’s weapon grazing it in their fight.

As a result its not that sensitive since it was years ago, almost a decade from my math

One eye is blue like we see yes but i hc that the other is like yellow with the star pupil bc mm khaenriah

Once again freckles

Long ass fingers

Ice burn scars on chest from receiving vision & the shield it created, blasting Diluc away from being able to go in for the strike to his chest he was planning.

Constantly cold. Not really appearance but just general temp he’s always cold

Blisters/callouses on fingertips- partly from the ice, partly from training so vigorously with Diluc in swordsmanship.

Very small star tattoo from Khaenriah on inner left forearm like- the crook of it

Dark blue hair like it’s sapphire dark Albedo describes it as flowing jewels with a streak of starlight through it (the lighter streak in his bangs)

Much darker complexion than is shown in game like i hc that he’s half Khaenriahn (well, all Khaenriahn but yk) and half Sumerian on his mother’s side

Lots of scars like his brother. Not to Diluc’s magnitude, but still a lot nonetheless.

Lots of little scars from different elements w/ close calls from abyss mages, ruin guards, etc.

Yet another thing he picked up from Diluc as a child, has a really good hair care routine

Consistently dry skin & eyes from the ice n shit

Muscle spasms & slight numbness in hands from the cold

His smile is the same as it was when he was a kid— when it’s real, that is

Little bit of a tooth gap in his front middle teeth

There’s a theory bopping around that the Alberich clan messed with Kae’s eye, being able to see through it & considering the symbolism with Khaenriah and eyes it makes a lot of sense, as well as his turning his back on his clan and nation in favor of Mondstadt would make the eyepatch much more of a useful thing beyond appearances, refusing to let whatever higher Abyssal powers get intel on Mondstadt by his doing.

Traveler Lumine-

Constantly getting new scars & bruises (she has a knack for worrying Paimon)

Lets her hair grow out- it reminds her of Aether. (she ends up cutting it short again save for her bangs in an episode, and she says it’s better for fighting that way anyway.)

Lightning scars from anti-raiden shogun training (she still slightly distrusts Yae Miko for that), as well as getting struck down constantly in Inazuma- they’re all over her spine, shoulder blades, neck, hands, legs, everything. She jumps every time lightning cracks in a storm, whipping around as if to lunge at the next thing that moves

Various elemental-caused scarring from mastering different elements- that’s why she prefers Anemo, it does the least long-term damage to her body and it’s easiest for her to control because she’s had it the longest

Oh my god her hands are filled with callouses, they’re so rough yet her touch is so soft girlie is pretty <33

Her hair is consistently knotty and dirty- what can I say, the girl doesn’t get to thoroughly shower much, especially before getting the teapot

Literally every item of clothing she owns is stained. Noelle is her saviour every time she comes back to Mondstadt for insisting on getting the stains out and patching her clothes up for her/redoing Lumi’s shoddy patch jobs— sewing was always Aether’s thing.

This isn’t new for me but she and Aether have matching earrings— his is still black in the Abyss but he never takes it out, the only time he tried he got a gut punch of regret and feeling like he was viscerally betraying some unspoken binding law, and Lumi has never even tried taking it out, always cherishing how it connects her to her brother no matter where he is, changing colors with each nation closer she gets to finding him and bringing him home to her.

May the Seven help the monster that rips it out as she’s fighting. You think you’ve seen Lumine seething with unbridled rage until you saw what happened to every monster in a 700 m radius of her that night. It makes her grinding teeth and piercing stares that could kill look like child’s play in comparison. Tears rivered down her cheeks and sobs wracked her body as she staggered towards the nearest teleport waypoint, seeking out the one statue she finds the most comfort in. Under the tree of Windrise, she places the earring back into the slit where it once hung as Barbatos’s statue seals her wounds and encloses her earring back into place, housing her safely for the night high in the tree, the wind god watching over his warrior.

She handles her injuries well, both physical and mental. It’s only in the teapot, secluded in her room with Paimon and a German shepard from Mondstadt as her only comfort, that she lets her cries rock her to sleep.

Although a nuisance while swimming, she’s always thankful for the white and grey armor she had gotten custom-made after her initiation as honorary knight at the start of her travels.

Every region she’s traveled through, she’s made sure to acquire a signature accessory, displaying them on her dresser in the teapot and wearing them when she misses those in other nations.

Makes it a habit that every first new flower she picks up gets pressed in her adventure journal. Her favorite has always been the windwheel asters.

Lumine is always the one to protect Paimon, so the first time her floating companion throws herself in between her and the enemy, she makes a vow to herself to never let harm come to the best travel guide in all of Teyvat, even if it costs her everything.

Lumi is often off put by quiet things, preferring to let every noise filter through her. As a result, she ends up seeming very aloof and reserved, but she’s really just studying everything she can get her eyes on. She often forgets to even speak, despite being active in conversations with others mentally, and the link between her and Paimon forged after their many travels has allowed for Paimon to be able to speak up for Lumine in most situations, with well-enough accuracy. Paimon uses this to great degree when she can sense Lumine becoming overwhelmed and nonverbal, subbing in for her, as well as for phrases and words Lumine had not yet learnt in the common language of Teyvat at the start of her adventures. While the language barrier is much less of a problem now, Paimon still often speaks up for Lumine when the ladder starts feeling overwhelmed and anxious, something she greatly appreciates.

When Lumine finds it difficult to sleep, she often ends up taking walks around wherever she’s staying, most often the teapot or whatever hotel she can find. She finds the moon and stars calming, knowing every time she lays eyes on Celestia that she and Aether will one day return to those gates and conquer the one who had separated them 500 years ago. She finds comfort in knowing she and her brother can and will be reunited.

Despite “The Traveler” being a well-known enigma across Teyvat, most end up not being able to recognize her on the streets until she eventually ends up saving their country. She wonders what it would be like to be able to live in anonymity for eternity, not having to put everything on the line in trade for simple recognition?

Despite the familiarity of her armor and dress, she often wonders what the fashion of different nations would be like to wear. That is, until she sees the price tag, resolving to save her Mora for better equipment instead.

God I have so many brain melt heartache traveler ideas

Lumine is always gentle with animals out of compassion, but it never occurs to people why she is so ruthlessly efficient with what she dismantles or kills— ever since the incident with Dain in the Chasm, she has vowed to make whatever suffering of Abyss creatures brief, viewing her extermination of camps as early releases from the curse of the Abyss. She couldn’t handle thinking about it any other way. She couldn’t let herself view them as anything more than things to be put out of their misery after learning the truth of their existence.

[porcucatchaos]

Now here’s becks pet!! (2/???)

-

Mossball

-Scientific name: Ambystoma tenebris

-Dubbed: “Gloomlotl”

-Description:

The “Ambystoma tenebris,” dubbed the "Gloomlotl" by researchers, is a rare species of axolotl discovered in the depths of the Let-Vand zone. This creature is believed to inhabit the abyssal zones of the ocean, where light struggles to pierce the darkness. With adaptations that hint at millions of years of evolution, the Gloomlotl is fascinating both in appearance and behavior.

Measuring approximately one meter in length, the Gloomlotl boasts a strikingly unique morphology. It features three arms on each side, granting it exceptional agility and dexterity in its environment. The Gloomlotl is equipped with eight large, luminescent eyes that enable it to navigate the dark waters with uncanny precision, despite the near-total absence of light. Its presence is further defined by its external gills, which fan out in vibrant frills, serving both respiratory functions and as a display for intimidation. When threatened or agitated, the Gloomlotl will flare its gills dramatically while emitting hissing sounds, creating a display meant to deter potential threats.

Its mouth is filled with sharp teeth, designed for an omnivorous diet that primarily includes small fish, crustaceans, and any intriguing items it stumbles upon during its foraging. Running along its back are rows of formidable spikes, which serve as both a defense mechanism and a visual deterrent against predators. While typically not hostile, the Gloomlotl can and will bite if cornered or provoked, making caution a priority for any unwitting divers who might encounter it in its natural habitat.

Perhaps one of its most curious behaviors is the Gloomlotl's penchant for thievery. This creature has gained a reputation for stealing various items that drift through its territory, and it hoards these treasures in dimly lit crevices among the ocean floor. This behavior hints at a level of intelligence uncommon among deep-sea wildlife and has led researchers to speculate about the implications of such collecting behavior on its ecology and social structure. Notably, if a diver finds themselves distracted or disoriented, the Gloomlotl may seize the opportunity to swipe any nearby items, swiftly scurrying away to its concealed stash.

To date, there are an estimated 150 Gloomlotls residing in the abyssal regions. The Gloomlotl has yet to receive a Z-classification; they are classified simply as wild animals exploring their environment.

Should you find yourself diving in the vicinity of a Gloomlotl, it is advised to maintain a respectful distance. Swimming quietly above or away from the creature is generally sufficient to avoid any interactions. If a Gloomlotl appears curious or begins to approach, seeking refuge within nearby structures or natural formations until it moves on is recommended, as they often engage in investigative behavior when attracted to movement. Be aware: a startled and angry Gloomlotl may resort to intimidation techniques, and if successful, it could steal items from an unsuspecting diver caught off guard.

[awake-my-oceans]

Ok so the thing is, Kaeya’s so young. Assuming he didn’t lie about his age when he was found at the Dawn Winery, Diluc is older than him and they famously had their falling-out on Diluc’s eighteenth birthday. Canon starts four years after that. That means that Kaeya is a maximum of twenty-one years old, and that’s……terrifyingly young for having so much on his shoulders.

Like. Yes. That’s old to teenagers, but it’s not to any adult because at the oldest possibility of age twenty-one, Kaeya’s at or near the top of the command chain for:

Calvary Captain

Guard Captain (according to Diona)

Intelligence (I can’t tell if he’s officially the spymaster or if he’s just decided to do it, but regardless, he’s doing it)

all of Mondstat via being Jean’s right hand

Khaenri’ah (he’s sitting on an invisible throne in his splash art, the “Alberich as regents” threads are absolutely going somewhere)

maybe the Abyss Order??? no idea what’s going on there but his grandfather quite possibly founded the Abyss Order so there’s that

AND PROBABLY OTHER STUFF WE DON’T EVEN KNOW ABOUT YET

Again. Diluc is Kaeya’s older brother, and Diluc is twenty-two. And Kaeya is handling all of this. And someone needs to go make him sleep eight hours before he completely goes to pieces, because Mondstat and Khaenri’ah will probably both go to pieces after him.

[enigmage]

Application

It’s said that most people are too used to their reflection in a mirror to recognize their actual face.

This is true.

It had happened so many times that logic would dictate it would continue to happen, that they could take the shape of a stranger and the stranger had to squint and tilt their head at them, grasping at what was so familiar it became unfamiliar. Voices, too, were heard through flesh and bone rather than air from one’s own throat. People often couldn’t recognize those right away either.

They could not blame people for this. They wouldn’t know their prior face either.

Once, they had seen it on a mosaic, depicting the Eight Heroes. Of all the tiled, glorious, ancient faces, they could not distinguish who they had been. History turned people into figurines, identifiable by their symbols, their relics. No, the answer was no longer in the face of what was once human, only in the tome they still possessed.

Rather, the tome that had possessed them.

What shape did water take when outside of a glass? They were like this until they pulled themselves into something resembling what they saw, holding onto a new heartbeat for just a little longer. They neither liked or disliked the sensation. It simply was.

The world was a series of facts to investigate, themselves only a sense of will. There was little point on self reflection: they quite literally didn’t have a self to reflect.

There was a series of sounds, a name, to go with the tome, a title to the book.

Bramimond.

They had a mission, a way to pass time as they watched the grains of time drift by, touching all but magic itself, their existence. This task of passive guarding had been simple.

But the Shrine of Seals was no longer their charge. No, not even Elibe itself was their binding home.

The danger had moved.

This is what they said when faced with questions, unknown eyes before them trying to get answers, as if their words could give more than questions. The guard to a place they called Abyss held a spear pointed at their- rather, an identical copy of his armored chest, gripping the spear tightly.

“How did you even find this place?” he asked, voice high with apprehension.

Instinct, fate, what did it matter?

Bramimond responded in his voice.

“Woah, calm down! I’m just going where I need to, okay?” they sounded defensive.

Another guard ran up to them, a brunette woman with fancier armor, looking between the two of them, speaking in an authoritative tone. “What’s going on here? Infighting?”

Bramimond looked at her and their features shifted like rippling water, taking on her wavy brown hair and commanding voice. “No. I need to be here, and you will let me pass.”

Both of them stood still, shocked.

Bramimond raised their head higher. “There is danger in these lands. My calling is no longer in my homeland. I am a protector. My will is to ensure that this world shall continue, as was the deal, and here I face the greatest threats this world has. You shall not stand in the way of destiny.”

The female guard captain and the other guard readied their weapons, but Bramimond had dealt with this before. They broke into a run, pushing past them, unwilling to unleash Dark Magic on people who simply didn’t know better.

The underground marketplace was perfect cover.

Taking the form of a cloaked worker, they ducked their head and hurried away, unable to be tracked. They kept walking like that until they meandered into the residential area of Abyss, not making eye contact with anyone, not wanting to change their shape again to complicate matters further.

It took them observing another person to feel their form shift, all trappings of the previous body gone, even the memory of it beyond what they could physically hold onto. The emotions they expressed were not their own, but just a reflection.

They had a task, a purpose, nothing more.

Abyss was home to people who needed somewhere to stay with few questions asked. They found a spare room in a far off, dark corner. Some shelter and a bed was all they needed. 

When they laid down, they were not relieved. They were not homesick, sad, elated, happy, or anything. Their heart was as blank as the darkness above their head.

There was a goal: Get to Fodlan. Keep watch there.

They had succeeded.

That was all.

Humans often found words inadequate to describe how they felt and the world around them. Words existed to bring something more powerful and evocative into existence, to filter being human into something shared.

For them, it was quite the opposite.

Words, logic, a functioning mind that understood reason- this was all they knew. Their reference was only in the book in their hands and the code of their mind. They could remember how humans felt, how the frightened guard’s heart had leapt as their own, how the captain’s businesslike tone had rang out from both of their throats, how events were supposed to dictate one’s mood, but neither stayed, neither could be conjured up by them even if they wanted it, it was merely data, a borrowed moment, a brief log into their blank canvas.

Bramimond closed their eyes, as that was needed for rest.

They played what role was given to them- no, even forced upon them, walking in another’s skin once they perceived them. This was just what they were.

A walking mirror.