#he's not feeling as friendly as our last campaign

[thealchemist-as]

Shout out to all my dnd lovers

[captainsophiestark]

History

Jack Thompson x Reader

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Written for my personal fic writing challenge for 2024, Sophie's Year of Fic! Featuring a new fic being posted every Friday, all year long :)

Fandom: Marvel

Summary: Jack's ex-fiance left New York and moved to LA to start fresh after she realized he would never see her as an equal. Now, however, their paths might be crossing again, and Jack Thompson's managed to have a lot of growth since the last time they saw each other.

Word Count: 5,152

Category: Angst, Fluff

Putting work into an AI program without permission is illegal. You do not have my permission. Do not do it.

I hummed to myself as I steeped my tea, soft music floating through the kitchen. I'd finished eating my favorite dinner before now preparing to settle in for my favorite radio program. A calm, perfect evening after a long day. All torn to shreds by the ringing of a phone in my living room.

I closed my eyes and sighed, but left my tea on its own and moved to answer the phone. Hopefully, whatever this was could be dealt with quickly, and I wouldn't miss any of my radio program.

"Hello?" I asked, resting the phone in the crook between my shoulder and neck and reaching for a pad and pencil, just in case. I froze mid-reach when I heard the voice on the other end of the line.

"Hey, uh, this is Agent Daniel Sousa. With the SSR. I don't know if you remember me-"

"Of course I remember you, Daniel," I broke in. "What do you want?"

He hesitated, and I couldn't help feeling just a little bad. My tone had turned from friendly to harsh in a split second, and Daniel and I had always been friendly. But if he was calling, it must've had something to do with my ex, and I certainly didn't want anything to do with that.

I'd met Daniel through the course of dating Jack Thomspon, who I later learned was actually Agent Jack Thompson. I'd met him when I was young and in love with the idea of being swept off my feet by a tall, handsome man, and Jack had more than fit the bill. It wasn't until much later, after he'd proposed and come home from the war, that I'd realized I wanted so much more.

I wanted a partner. Someone to have my back and build me up, to support me through life the same way I supported them. Jack wanted a maid that he could also sleep with, a picture perfect housewife with no external life or ambitions of her own. So I'd left him.

Before that, though, we'd gotten far enough that I'd found out about the SSR, and met Daniel in the process. We were friendly, and had even been on our way to being friends before everything between Jack and I had fallen apart. Since then, however, we hadn't spoken.

"...I'm sorry to do this to you, but I need your help."

Daniel's voice brought me back to the present. I sighed, sparing a longing glance for the tea in my kitchen before plopping down in the seat next to the phone.

"I assume this is about Jack? Is he... alright?" I almost choked on the word, surprised to find I actually still cared about the answer. I gripped the phone a little tighter as Daniel responded.

"Yeah, he's fine. Look, it's a long story, but we don't have a lot of time. There are some very bad people putting the fate of the world at risk, and I'm working with another agent to try to stop them. We have a plan we're in the process of enacting, but... we need your help to make sure it goes off without a hitch."

"Who's the other agent, Daniel?"

"Agent Peggy Carter. She's one of the best we have."

I paused. I'd been fairly confident he was about to say Jack, and to have him say a female agent's name instead was a nice surprise.

"Okay... but aren't you in New York? I don't know if you remember, but I moved pretty far away after things ended between Jack and I."

"And landed in LA, right?"

"...Yes... How did you-?"

"It's not important right now, just... how quickly can you get downtown? To the parking lot behind the hotel hosting Calvin Chadwick's campaign event?"

"Daniel, I haven't even said yes yet! I haven't talked to you in years, and I honestly don't think I want to get involved in this."

"I wouldn't be calling you if it weren't important. Meaning end of the world important. Please."

I paused, letting out a long, heavy sigh. I could practically hear Daniel waiting impatiently on the other end of the line, but I ignored the pressure. Unfortunatley for me, I believed that he really wouldn't be calling me if it weren't an emergency. And I didn't want to leave the world out to dry just because I didn't want to see Jack.

Which, also unfortunately for me, I knew this would involve. Daniel had very carefully danced around the subject of my ex-fiance, and I knew that dodginess was intentional. One way or another, Jack would be involved. But damn it all, I wasn't willing to blow off Daniel's cry for help on behalf of the world just to avoid Jack.

"...Fine. Dammit, fine. I can be there in fifteen minutes. I'm on my way."

"Thank you, serio-"

I hung up on him, giving myself one moment to relax back in the chair with a heavy sigh before launching into motion. I'd just have to make myself a new cup of tea when I got home, and ask someone at work tomorrow what I missed on my radio program.

Just under fifteen minutes later, I pulled into the back parking lot of the hotel hosting the campaign event. Carefully, I stepped out of my car, on high alert for a certain blond SSR agent. I whirled around at the sound of a door flying open only to find Daniel Sousa climbing out of an undercover van. He looked basically the same as the last time I'd seen him, although he'd apparently traded in his sweater vests for a Hawaiian shirt and a blazer.

"Thanks for coming," he said, crossing the parking lot to meet me. I nodded, my gaze going to the woman behind him. Daniel noticed my attention shift, and nodded to her. "This is Agent Peggy Carter."

"Pleasure, I'm sure."

I nodded and took Peggy's offered hand for a shake, but didn't say anything else as I quickly brought my attention back to Daniel.

"Alright, Daniel, why am I here? Specifically, not just 'to help'. And where's Jack? Don't try to tell me he's not here, you wouldn't have been so dodgy and nervous on the phone if he weren't."

"Dodgy and nervous?" Daniel asked, sounding more than a little offended. I just raised an eyebrow at him, so he sighed. "Fine. Here's the thing... we actually need you to go in there and distract Jack."

I didn't respond right away. I just stared at Daniel, waiting for him to say 'suprise' or 'gotchya' or some variation of the same thing. He just stared back, grimacing slightly. I finally came to the conclusion that he was being serious.

"I'll... pop back into the van and make sure Dottie and Mr. Jarvis are alright," Peggy said much too casually as she backed away from us. I never took my eyes off Daniel, my stare cooling considerably from when I'd first arrived.

"Daniel. Do you want to explain to me what's happening here, please? And why you need to distract a fellow agent, and especially why you think this is something you ought to be involving me in?"

Daniel sighed and ran a hand through his hair, then shifted slightly closer to me. He lowered his voice, then spoke again.

"Look, here's the thing. You should know Jack's had some growth since you left. He's changed enough that I can actually stand to work with him, and I might still say I want to kill him, but I probably wouldn't follow through if I got the chance anymore. But recently, he's got his head up his ass again."

I snorted. "I really hope this is not going to involve you asking me to talk to him or get him to come around or whatever."

"Not quite. Recently, he's decided to take the side of some pretty bad people, although I don't think he realizes just how bad. A few of those people are in that event tonight, and we have operatives inside who need to get something from one of them. But Jack's in there, too. And he'll recognize our operatives if he's aware enough to see them, and since he doesn't seem to know better, he'll stop them. We can't let that happen. Which is where you come in."

I stared at Daniel again, then after a moment, started shaking my head. I was frankly a little speechless, which gave Daniel an opportunity to keep talking before I could get a cohearant thought together.

"Look, I know this won't be easy for you. I know it's unfair of me to ask, to call you out of nowhere. And I know the only reason you showed up at all is because we used to be friends. But please, please do this. I promise it's important, and if it weren't this important, I never would've asked. I... I've been out in LA for a while now, and I thought about touching base, but I figured you'd want your space, since I'm probably tied up with Jack in memories for you. But we need your help with this one."

I shook my head, holding up a hand to stop Daniel's pitch.

"Alright. I came all the way down here, and because it's you asking and I know that means this thing you're involved in is actually, seriously important... I'll still help. But then you are not going to speak to me for at least a month, after dragging me into this mess to manipulate my ex-fiance, and then we're going to go to lunch. And you're paying, because it's ridiculous that you've been out here this long and haven't talked to me, noble intentions or not."

Daniel huffed a laugh, the corner of his mouth quirking up in a smile. "It's a deal. Promise."

"Great. So... where exactly am I going to do your dirty work?"

"Just in there," said Daniel, gesturing for a set of doors at the back of the hotel. I nodded and turned to face the doors in question, intending to head in. But for some reason, I couldn't make myself start moving. "Uh... you alright?"

I cleared my throat and nodded, although I knew I wasn't convincing either of us.

"Yes, yeah, I'm... I'm fine. Just gonna... go in there. And see Jack. For the first time in a few years."

"Hey." Daniel shifted closer to me, resting one hand on my shoulder and lowering his voice. I huffed and closed my eyes, but didn't pull away. "Look, I'm sorry to put you in this position... if you really don't think you can do it-"

"No. We're not going down that path. I know you wouldn't have asked me if it weren't a legitimate emergency, so I can't afford to think about an out. Just... maybe you could give me a push?"

I didn't turn to face Daniel, but even out of the corner of my eye I perfectly caught the judgey, raised-eyebrow look he gave me.

"Are you serious?"

"Daniel, I am about to go in there and distract my ex-fiance. I am dead serious."

"...Alright. You ready then?"

"No, I'm not! That's the whole point of requiring a push!"

"Okay, okay! Geeze."

A moment later, I felt Daniel's hand on my shoulder, gently moving me in the direction of the ballroom. It had nowhere near the amount of force I'd been hoping for, but the thought at least was enough to get me moving.

I crossed the parking lot at a steady pace, focusing on putting one foot in front of the other. I pushed open the door to the ballroom without letting myself hesitate, striding through without looking back. I tried to ignore the sound of it slamming shut behind me as I strode confidently into the room, head held high despite the warring storm of emotions swirling in my gut. It took every ounce of strength I had to walk into that ballroom, but somehow I managed it.

And then I saw him.

I wasn't sure what I'd been expecting, but the moment I saw Jack, my heart stopped in my chest and my knees threatened to give out. So much history stood between us, and even though we'd ended on fairly bad terms and I knew I'd made the right decision, my heart still couldn't completely ignore everything we'd been through. Everything he'd meant to me.

I took a deep, shaky breath. Apparently, a lot of the world was counting on me keeping Jack from interfering in whatever Daniel had going on tonight. I'd agreed to come in here, and now I couldn't afford to fall apart.

I squared my shoulders, then strode across the ballroom, past dancing couples and schmoozing politicians. Everything faded away the closer I got to Jack, until I was standing next to him, just out of his peripheral vision, and we were the only two people in the world.

I reached out a hand to tap Jack on the shoulder, and time nearly stood still. He turned towards me in slow motion, and I watched his face go from one slightly raised eyebrow to wide-eyed, gut-punched shock. The moment our eyes met seemed to stretch for years, until Jack finally broke it, saying my name in a breathy voice that shouldn't have been audible over the sounds in the rest of the ballroom. Surprisingly, I didn't have to fake the slight smile pulling at the corner of my mouth.

"Hey, Jack," I breathed. He blinked at me a few times, maybe expecting me to disappear like some hallucination. When I didn't, he managed to find his voice again.

"Wh... what are you doing here?"

"I feel like I could ask you the same question," I said, voice soft. Speaking anywhere near normal force or volume felt like it would shatter something about the peace of the moment, or bring our problems back to the forefront of our minds. "I thought you were still in New York."

"I was. Am. Still in New York, that is. I, uh... they made me Chief."

My eyebrows shot up. Daniel hadn't bothered to mention that.

"Wow. Well... congratulations. When did that happen?"

"A little over a year ago," he said, shrugging his shoulders and glancing away like it was nothing. I knew him much too well for it to fool, me, though. He was beyond proud, and he wanted me to be impressed.

"That's great, Jack," I said, not entirely sure whether I meant it. "So is that what brings you out here?"

"Something like that," he huffed. He shook his head, staring off at the wall of the bar, apparently snapping out of the moment we'd found ourselves in with something else hovering over his head. It didn't bother me to be a part of that something, although maybe it should have.

"I take it this is more of that highly-classified, highly 'over my head' stuff you always refused to talk to me about?"

Jack's eyes slid back to mine, looking genuinely sad in a way I hadn't expected. Honestly, I'd been expecting to spark some anger. Instead, he looked like I'd just punched him in the stomach.

"I... wasn't great at communicating with you back then, was I?"

I snorted. "That's an understatement."

Jack sighed and took a sip of his drink, nodding slowly.

"Yeah. Yeah, it probably is. Look, I don't know why you're here right now, but..." He cut himself off abruptly, glancing away from me again with a shake of his head. I raised an eyebrow, just waiting for him to work up the courage to say what he wanted to say. The longer he took, the easier it was for me to help Daniel with whatever this was, anyway. Jack took a deep breath, shot the rest of his drink, and set the glass down on the bar before looking at me again. "I was gonna look you up, while I was out here. I've been putting it off, because, well, I wasn't sure you'd want to see me. But... since you're here now...?"

I started shaking my head. I couldn't help it. Jack, apparently undeterred, stepped forward and took my hands in his. I wished I could say helping Daniel was the only reason I let him.

"You hate me. I get it, alright? But I'm not the same man I was the last time I saw you."

"Oh really, Jack? Then what kind of man are you now?" I asked, unable to stop myself. "What are you doing here, schmoozing at some party with a bunch of shady guys in suits? How different is that to the last time I saw you?"

"Very different! Listen, I get it now. I understand what you wanted from me, and I understand why you left. You wanted respect, and I... I wasn't willing to give that to you."

I frowned, scanning Jack's face for any hint of inscenserity or rehearsed speech. All I found was an honest, open expression staring back at me, my ex-fiance looking more open and interested in talking about the hard stuff than he'd been once in the time we were together.

"But sweetheart," he continued, after a brief pause to let his words sink in. I met his gorgeous blue eyes that I'd fallen in love with so long ago, and a hand clenched around my heart. "I get it now. And... I want a shot at giving you that respect, knowing what I know now. Being who I am now."

I huffed a disbelieving laugh, shaking my head as I broke Jack's intense stare.

"Jack... are you kidding me right now?"

"Not even a little bit." He squeezed my hands lightly, stepping even closer to me. The hand around my heart dug its claws in. "I... I love you. I never stopped loving you. If you give me a second chance... I promise, I won't screw this one up."

A choked sob forced its way out of my mouth as the room started spinning under me. I pulled my hands away from Jack, shaking my head fervently as I did.

"I... You can't... I can't think about this right now. After everything you can't just..." I huffed, shaking my head again and moving out of the way as Jack reached for my hands again.

"Baby-"

I turned on my heel and ran before he got another word out. Hopefully, that was good enough for Daniel and his friends. One way or another it would have to be. I couldn't stay there for another second, and it was starting to feel like it'd been a mistake to come in the first place.

I'd been expecting some slightly charged conversation, maybe even some arguing. Breaking off an engagement wasn't usually amiable, and our situation had been no exception. I hadn't been expecting to see real pain on his face, or real regret, or real love still lingering there. And I definitely hadn't expected to feel the faintest hint of the same emotions in my own chest.

Whatever the hell that meant, I couldn't face it right now. Not when I was standing in that ballroom in the first place to trick and lie to the man giving me the apology I'd wanted for years before finally excepting I'd never get it. The guilt started creeping in like a knife to the heart, another thing I hadn't been expecting.

I didn't check to see if Jack was following me as I headed straight for the parking lot, back out the door I'd come in. A thousand different emotions and thoughts screamed through my head, and the only thing that seemed clear was that I needed to get as far away as possible from here, now.

"Hey!"

I don't know why I hadn't been expecting to run into Daniel, but I'd barely gotten a breath of the cool night air in before he called out to me, moving quickly from the back of their undercover van to where I'd parked my car.

"Hey! Are you okay? We didn't mic you up, but one of our agents inside said they saw you running out-"

"This was a bad idea, Daniel," I said, shaking my head and pausing to talk only because Daniel was in the way of the driver's door of my car. "I shouldn't have agreed to this. I didn't... I don't know what I expected. The same asshole I broke up with, I guess. An argument. Not... not what I got."

I moved to push past him, but he put a hand on my shoulder to stop me in my tracks. His eyebrows knit together as he scanned me up and down, concern radiating from him in waves.

"What happened in there? Are you okay?"

I shook my head. "It was a mistake to get in the middle of this, with you and him. He said some stuff... I don't know. I don't know, okay? This was stupid, I should've just stayed home. I need to go home, Daniel. So please, get out of my way."

Daniel hesitated again, looking me over, this time with a more critical eye. I huffed.

"I promise I'm not hurt, and that I'm fine to drive, alright? I just... I need to get out of here."

After another second, Daniel finally nodded and stepped out of my way. I didn't bother sparing him another glance as I got into my car and pulled away, putting as much distance as possible between me and Jack and everything to do with that ballroom.

When I got home, I replayed the conversation I'd had with Jack over and over again in my head, on an endless loop. I didn't hear another word from Daniel, or from Jack, which I tried to convince myself was for the best. When the radio silence stretched on for days, however, my arguments to myself became less and less convincing, and every additional day of silence was another day to overthink myself into a frenzy. Had something gone wrong with whatever world-ending threat they were dealing with? Did something bad happen to one or both of the SSR boys? Or was there some other reason the SSR agents continued to give me space?

By the end of the week, I'd just about decided to go track down Jack or Daniel or maybe Peggy, although I'd only met her in passing, myself. Finding a secret agency probably wouldn't be easy, but I'd been reeling and replaying everything in my mind for days, and I couldn't go back to pretending none of them had ever been part of my life again. I'd just started flipping through a phone book over my morning coffee, looking for any businesses that looked like feasible fronts for the SSR, when someone rang my doorbell.

I sighed, marking my spot in the phone book before standing and moving to the door, my cup of coffee in-hand. I almost dropped my favorite mug when I opened the door to find Jack standing on my doorstep in a nice suit, holding a bouquet of roses.

"Before you say anything, Sousa's the one who gave me your address. So if you didn't want to see me... blame him."

I couldn't hold back a laugh, at least half the weight on my chest lifting off with the knowledge that Jack and Daniel were both okay. I bit my lip, trying to keep control of myself, as I looked Jack over.

"I... I'm really glad you're okay," I finally sighed. "When I didn't hear from you for a while, I got a little worried..."

"We had... some stuff to deal with. But it's dealt with now. I'd love to come in and tell you about it... if you'd be willing to have some company for breakfast."

My eyes shot up to Jack's. He tried to look calm and collected, but I could see the way his hands fidgeted around the stems of the flowers, and the way his eyes searched my face for any sign of an answer in either direction. I sighed.

"Listen, Jack... I don't know..."

"Alright, look. I'm technically supposed to be leaving for the airport to catch a plane back to New York in about half an hour. But I also got Sousa to agree to let me stay with him for a while, if... if I need to stay in LA for a bit longer, for whatever reason. But if you don't want me here, if it's too little too late for you..." He clenched his jaw, swallowing hard and steeling himself before continuing. "Then I'll head to the airport and get out of your hair. And I won't bother you again."

I pinched the bridge of my nose, looking down and shaking my head to try to clear it. I'd sworn to myself when I moved out here that I wouldn't let Jack Thompson back into my life. I'd been confident it was for the best. But he really did seem different than he had the last time I'd seen him. And I couldn't ignore the way my heart still skipped a beat when I looked at him, or how badly I wanted to believe what he'd told me in the ballroom.

Finally, I looked back up at Jack. I met his ice blue eyes, the same ones I'd been staring into since we were basically kids, before he'd served in Japan and a thousand other things in our lives had changed. And I knew I couldn't send him away without at least hearing him out. I knew it might mean I got hurt again, badly, but I also knew the regret of never knowing for sure would eat me alive for the rest of my life.

"Jack... there's something you should know first."

"And that is?"

"It wasn't fate that brought me to the ballroom, or whatever else you thought it was. I... was actually there because Daniel called me to ask for my help."

Jack sighed. "I know. He and Carter told me. They seemed to have a guilty conscience about it. But I'll tell you what I told them: I don't care. It brought you back into my life, so... I'll take it."

The corner of my mouth tugged up again, and I tried not to let the excitement take over too much as Jack leaned a little forward.

"So... does that mean I can come in?"

I bit my lip again in a failed half-attempt to stop the smile rapidly spreading across my face. Finally, I let it win, and gave Jack a nod.

"Oh, thank god," he sighed, sagging and flopping over the doorframe, the flowers falling to his side for a moment until he looked back up at me. "You really had me thinking I was gonna have to race to make my plane for a minute there, sweetheart."

I laughed and shook my head, taking the flowers from Jack as I motioned for him to come inside. I shut the door behind him, then turned to lead him from the entryway into the kitchen.

"So... do you want some coffee?" I asked, moving to the pot before Jack answered. I knew he did.

"That'd be great." He paused, and I heard him sit at the table himself me as I added sugar and milk the way I knew he liked (although he'd never ask anybody else to add it in). "This place looks great."

"Thanks. It's been a labor of love, for sure. I learned how to fix just about everything in here that could break, since it started out that way."

I shot Jack a little smile as I sat down at the table across from him, sliding his coffee over. The statement was a test, and whether or not he knew it, he smiled back.

"If only you'd known all that stuff when we were in our old place. Maybe you could've saved me from breaking the sink beyond repair."

"If I remember right, I did try to help with that. And you told me to let you handle it while I made something nice for dinner."

Jack grimaced, taking a sip of his coffee. "Yeah. I do remember that. And... I'm sorry. I was an idiot back then. I wish I'd known then what I do now."

I nodded thoughtfully. He seemed sincere, which truly might've been a miracle-level personal shift. I still tried to keep my hopes from running wild, but it was getting harder by the minute.

"Thanks for the coffee, by the way," he continued. "I haven't had anything this good since... well, in a long time."

I gave him a rueful smile as he bailed out of "since you left". I sighed, taking a sip of my own coffee before looking at Jack again.

"So... why don't you tell me about all this stuff that kept you from visiting earlier? When I talked to Daniel, he said it was end of the world-level."

Jack nodded, running his hand through his hair. "I mean, it sure wasn't good. Might've been one of the worse things we've had to deal with. You're gonna like this though, since we saved the day. One of my best agents who helped solve all this stuff is a woman. Peggy Carter, she said she met you?"

"Only briefly," I said, smiling into my coffee. "She seemed pretty cool."

"She's damn good at her job. And so were you, by the way. You covered for her and Sousa perfectly when you showed up at that fundraiser. It took one of the people you were covering for walking straight into my path for me to realize something was up, and even then I didn't suspect you. Masterclass."

I huffed a laugh, but my smile grew so big I couldn't hide it behind my coffee mug anymore. Jack smiled back.

"Alright, so, this is kind of a long story. Especially if I start from the beginning."

"I want to hear all of it," I decided. "If you're up for it... including the stuff that came before this mission. I want to know about what you've been up to since... since I left."

Jack nodded, a hopeful smile pulling its way onto his own face. I could see him wrestling with himself to keep his cool, and I was happy to see him losing.

"Deal. As long as you promise to tell me everything you've been up to once I'm done."

"Sounds like we have a wonderful plan for the morning," I replied. Jack absolutely beamed back at me.

"I've never been happier to miss a flight in my life."

I laughed, and for a moment, I got a glimmer of the parts of my life with Jack that had made me stay for so long. His humor, and all the good in him that he worked to hide, but now, without the layer of separation that came from him not seeing me as an equal.

It had barely been ten minutes total of time spent with this slightly older, slightly different Jack Thompson. By far too early to say anything difinitively. But that little seed of hope in my chest had bloomed into a full bouquet since I'd opened my door this morning, and I couldn't help feeling that this time, things actually were different. Jack was different. And this time, maybe things would work.

****************

Everything Taglist: @rosecentury @kmc1989 @space-helen

Marvel Taglist: @valkyriepirate @infinetlyforgotten @sagesmells @gaychaosgremlin

[shikai-the-storyteller]

Who is Luzu?

Luzu was just announced as a QSMP member, and since he's a very important character in Karmaland and a VERY important person to Quackity's character, here's a quick rundown of Luzu and his lore for folks who aren't familiar with him:

Luzu is played by LuzuVlogs, a Spanish Twitch streamer who's good friends with Quackity!

IRL, they're such good friends that Luzu once accidentally called his real life son "Quackity"

Luzu is bilingual and can speak English and Spanish.

Luzu's character used to be a very kind, friendly, and loving man who helped everyone

HOWEVER, during Karmaland 4 (the season before Quackity joined) when he campaigned to be mayor of Karmaland, he was betrayed and mocked by his friends and the person he loved (who then ran off with someone else)

Luzu before the elections vs. after the elections

These two animatics sum up his K4 lore pretty well if you want an even shorter TLDR: Lemon Boy, Karma (an animatic approved by Luzu himself)

As a result, Luzu is a very vengeful, distrustful, and all around tragic character

Luzu canonically has an evil side, and he made a deal with "dark gods" in the past to take revenge on the people who've wronged him.

Despite all his past heartbreak and lingering anger, he immediately took a liking to Quackity when they first met.

Luzu and Quackity's Karmaland characters are parallels to each other

Luzu and Quackity were canonically in love with each other, but they were too emotionally constipated to confess their feelings despite their many, many, many romantic and borderline sexual shenanigans.

Luzu warned Quackity not to trust anyone in Karmaland except for him. But despite Luzu's deep mistrust of other people, he trusted Quackity immediately.

Luzu is a very possessive man, and very protective of Quackity.

He calls Quackity "Quacks" (both in and out of character)

He and Rubius have a long-standing rivalry, and they normally don't get along very well.

Luzu and Quackity had 4 (adopted) kids together.

When campaigning for mayor of Karmaland, Quackity asked everyone what they wanted most, and Luzu's response was, "I want you to be happy, Quackity."

HOWEVER, the day of the election, Luzu joined as an opposing candidate at the last second and stole the election from Quackity, fearing that the position in office might leave Quackity with the same trauma he had in a previous life (a life which he can only half-remember).

Luzu says everything he did, he did to protect Quackity.

TLDR: Luzu trauma-projected onto Quackity, who then started a revolution that nearly destroyed Karmaland in retaliation.

For a good TLDR of the revolution arc, “I Can’t Decide” is a good one to watch.

Even though he was furious with Luzu, Quackity told Rubius not to kill him. He’s referred to Luzu as “My 100%”, and “the best person I knew in Karmaland”, and even expressed his gratitude that Luzu was always so kind to him to Luzu himself, despite the war and despite knowing one of them would probably have to kill the other to end it.

Luzu said the song that best fits his character during the revolution arc is Bloody Mary by Lady Gaga.

Edit: This isn’t about the character, but I just saw what Luzu said in response to people asking him if he knew about the invitation:

Luzu: A mi Quackity me invitó desde hace bastante, me dijo si quería participar, así que llevo tiempo calladito, calladito, para no spoilear nada, aunque yo soy invitado no sé nada jaja, lo lleva todo Quackity, así que veremos con qué nos sorprende nuestro querido Quacks.

Translation: My Quackity invited me a long time ago, he asked me if I wanted to participate, so I've been quiet for a while, so as not to spoil anything, although I'm invited I don't know anything haha, Quackity takes everything, so we'll see what our beloved Quacks surprises us with.

Other info posts:

Who is Spreen? | Who is Sapo Peta? | Who is Vegetta?

[beardedmrbean]

During the summer of 2020, I worked as a consultant for multiple progressive DA candidates backed by George Soros and his foundation. In the places where they won, these DAs have since done immeasurable damage to the local communities. They failed to prosecute offenders, especially surrounding drug use and distribution, and allowed crime to run rampant, hurting communities of color the most—the very people they were supposedly trying to help.

Far from progressive, these Soros-backed DAs did more to hurt progressives than anything the Right has managed; to everyday Americans, the term "progressive" now conjures up images of fentanyl overdoses, crime, defecation in the streets, and riots.

I feel remorse for the work I did on these campaigns. The Soros money that was contributed to progressive DA races would have been better spent on supportive housing, mental health services, and recovery programs. Police need resources to arrest and imprison drug dealers and end open-air drug use. This is just common sense.

Unfortunately, the Soroses are just the tip of the iceberg.

I spent years fundraising for Democrats. I raised millions of dollars. And in the process, I routinely saw and heard about inappropriate relationships between donors and candidates that would bust anyone's bubble about the independence of our leaders. There is an entire donor ecosystem working against the interests of regular Americans—and it's the one top Democrats are swimming in.

Consider the long-time friendship between Kamala Harris and billionaire donor Laurene Powell Jobs, the widow of Steve Jobs. The New York Times described the women as being so close that they've gone on vacation together and consider each other family. Powell Jobs sat in Harris' exclusive friends and family suite at the DNC last month. She was also instrumental in getting Biden to step down to clear the way for Harris; one of her top aides circulated a polling memo to other key influential donors that allegedly showed Biden's inability to win.

It was another example of a megadonor overcoming the will of the people—and making things worse for voters. Now that the Kool-Aid from the DNC is wearing off, people are waking up to the realities of an untested candidate. Harris is barely beating Biden in key swing state polls, dodges questions from the press, and continually gaffes answers on significant policy issues. She can barely answer basic questions about her plans for regular people in friendly encounters with people like Oprah.

This is what happens when a candidate is anointed by donors and not selected by voters.

Or take Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn. He is a megadonor—a "big fish" as we would call him behind the scenes—and is expected to spend up to $100 million to ensure that Vice President Kamala Harris beats former President Donald Trump in the presidential election. But Hoffman has an agenda: He has publicly called for the resignation of FTC Chairwoman Lina Khan, who Hoffman said is "at war with American business."

The reality is somewhat different: Khan has been one of the only lifelines for working people in the modern Democratic machine. She stood up for workers' rights by banning non-compete agreements and led efforts to block major mergers of grocery stores like the Kroger-Albertsons, which would have resulted in higher food prices and hurt union workers.

If Hoffman is successful in his public campaign to replace Khan, he will further cement the Democrats as the party of the wealthy, the powerful, and corporate elite. I won't be surprised when he gets the job done.

Another name I've seen pop up many times in my years fundraising for progressive candidates is the San Francisco based Democratic donor and influencer Steve Phillips. Phillips has written books that focus heavily on the importance of race in politics, with titles like Brown Is the New White: How the Demographic Revolution Has Created a New American Majority and How We Win the Civil War: Securing a Multiracial Democracy and Ending White Supremacy for Good.

Yet, Donald Trump is on track to secure more support from minority voters, especially Black men, than any other Republican in generations. It's becoming increasingly clear that the real divide is the one separating the college educated from the working class of all races. But Phillips and others like him continue to focus exclusively on race—and you can see the direct impact this has on Democratic politicians, who talk much more about things like "equity" than they do about the class divide.

It's out of touch with the pulse of the country and deeply alienating to working-class voters who were once stalwart Democrats.

Unfortunately, the Democrats aren't getting the message. Last week, Alexander Soros posted images at his opulent New York mansion on X with Harris' VP pick, Tim Walz.

Is this how you convince people you're the party of the people? By posing with a billionaire nepo baby while Americans struggle to pay for groceries?

Some Democrats surely know how damaging such a photo is to their flailing brand. But Soros has so much power and influence that no one would dare tell him to take the photo down.

Internally, the Democrats know that like the photo of Walz with Alex Sorors, the Soros-funded criminal justice policies have been an embarrassing failure from an outcome, messaging, and public perception standpoint. They also know that Reid Hoffman and Laurene Powell Jobs do not have the best interests of regular Americans at heart—but they will continue to cower to them anyway.

Forget "Kamala is Brat" or the "Joy!" campaign. The image of Soros with Walz perfectly encapsulates the Democrats' real vibe these days—the unfettered influence the donors have over this party and the lives they've destroyed in the process.

[wangxianficrecs]

Rewind 2023 - Part IV

WangxianFicRecs - Rewind 2023

It's time for the last post of our Rewind 2023. There are still a few stories left that were published this year that deserve a shout-out and I hope you will shower them with love as well. I'll also make sure to make a Masterpost for all Rewind 2023 posts, so that it's more convenient to find them.

Part I

Part II

Part III

~*~

watch your anger

by loosingletters (@loosingmoreletters)

T, 1k, Cangse Sanren | Kay's Rec

Summary: Watch your anger, her master used to say, never reprimanding Cangse Sanren for her temper tantrums, mainly reminding her of what she stood to lose if she gave in. Cangse Sanren survives. Wei Changze does not.

~*~

Day 1: Dad!Xian

by UseMyMuse (@museywrites)

G, 1k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Part of Xiantober 2023

Summary: Wei Ying is a tired single parent, but a good cup of coffee and a handsome, flirty stranger leads to a happy future

~*~

Day 4: Ghost!Xian

by UseMyMuse (@museywrites)

T, 5k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Part of Xiantober 2023

Summary: Wei Ying died at the age of 10, but miraculously the little boy Lan Wangji from down the street was able to see him. They become an unlikely pair and form an unbreakable friendship. Things seem fine until a hostile presence shakes Wei Ying to his ghostly core.

~*~

waiting for us

by sunflowersfield

T, 3k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Summary: Wei Ying is in the middle of cooking dinner when Lan Zhan walks into the apartment on Friday night. As soon as the door opens, Wei Ying drops his knife onto the counter with a clatter, abandoning his recipe so that he can throw his arms around Lan Zhan and pull him close. “You’re here!” he exclaims, grinning when he feels Lan Zhan’s arms curl around his waist. “I am here,” Lan Zhan replies in his steady, calming voice, and Wei Ying’s smile grows wider. Or: Wei Ying and Lan Zhan attend different colleges, but they spend every weekend together.

~*~

Snapping The Banjo

by Anonymous

M, 8k, Wangxian & Xuanli | Kay's Rec

Summary: “A-Jie…” Jiang Cheng pushes. “I broke my husband’s penis during sex.” One quick in-out breath as Yanli raises her chin high, pivots sharply on her heel and marches back off towards the building. Wei Ying opens his mouth. Jiang Cheng slowly raises a hand to silence him, expression on his face as if he had been slapped with a wet fish. Wei Ying and Lan Zhan's date night has gone wrong. Then, Jiang Yanli calls to ask her brothers for a ride to the hospital. Jiang Yanli's date night has gone very wrong.

~*~

Just a Little Wound

by meyari

T, 4k, Wangxian | Mojo's Rec

Summary: Raising a child is sometimes a challenge, especially when you’re confronted with a little boy who has no idea whatsoever why it’s not appropriate to stab people who are rude.

~*~

a better world

by ilip13 (@ilip13)

G, 1k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Summary: It’s been a year, today. A year of wearing a borrowed body, and all of a sudden, Wei Wuxian doesn’t feel like getting up and getting on with his day. * Some days are not great and that's okay.

~*~

At the end of all things

by Entityx

M, 6k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Part of the MDZS Mini Remix for Tired Adults™

Summary: Lan Wangji is aware that he is not the only one who is left haunted by constant bloodshed. Everyone has changed over the course of the Sunshot Campaign. However the one who underwent the most drastic change was undeniable. It's subtle- he's still friendly and boisterous with members of his sect. But he is not truly open anymore. Gone is the optimistic boy who radiated sincerity with every word. Instead he is replaced with a hollow imitation, with a smile cracked at the edges, and a laugh that is too hollow to fool anyone.

~*~

What Lies Beneath These Hallowed Woods

by meekome (@meekkome)

M, WIP, 19k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Summary: The shadows are alive. Writhing and twisting around him, creeping over him, between his fingers, around his throat, curious and hungry. The dirt beneath is black like dried blood, which makes the shards and fragments of bones half-buried around him easy to see, white and glimmering unnaturally bright in the gloom. Then something looks at him, from behind the shadows, and Wei Wuxian flinches at the weight of its attention. “Who are you?” Wei Wuxian says, voice echoing strangely as the silence stretches and the resentment nips at his skin, held back by this thing he cannot see. You do not have a name for what I am, it finally says. Wei Wuxian sucks in a slow breath. “What are you, then?” The trees bend and snap in a sudden breeze and the ghosts around him spin and whine, and Wei Wuxian is horrified to realize it is laughing. Shall I let you see, little cultivator? Doing so has driven more humans mad than the number of bones that sleep beneath your feet. But Wei Wuxian has never been good at ignoring knowledge, no matter the consequences, and he does not look away.

~*~

an inch away from more (than just friends)

by occultings (microcomets) (@microcomets)

E, 15k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Part of WLW Wangxian Week 2023

Summary: “What do you think about,” Wei Ying said aloud, before she could stop herself, before she could even think twice about the repercussions. “When you.” She finally found Lan Zhan’s eyes, molten in the low light, and swallowed in a tiny, audible gulp. “You know.” On Wei Ying, Lan Zhan’s gaze didn’t waver even a fraction. “Giving head,” she said. Wei Ying was certain she’d misheard. “Getting head?” “No,” said Lan Zhan. — After a surprise party gone awry, Wei Ying surprises herself.

~*~

💙 The loudest silence

by barisan (@barisan-no)

T, 15k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Part of the MDZS Mini Remix for Tired Adults™

Summary: In almost two decades of peace and with a whole generation who has not known differently, it is hard for those who sit above such dangers to fear a banal death. In a lifetime of not knowing what it means to be truly and utterly alone in such a world, it is hard to understand it is often a sentence. Or, a remix of our beloved post-cql WWX whump

~*~

The lavender handkerchief

by barisan (@barisan-no)

Not rated, 1k, Lan Qiren & Wei Wuxian | Kay's Rec

Summary: Wei Wuxian’s time on the streets left a deeper wound on his mind. Lan Qiren finds him having a panic attack after being triggered during his punishment.

~*~

Song of the River Rain

by MajiLovePrincess

E, 9k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Part of the MDZS Reverse Big Bang: 2023

Summary: “Jiaoren,” the man breathes, his voice soft and his golden eyes wide. Those strange eyes dart over Wei Wuxian’s sharp ears and nails before lingering on the bloody red of his tail. “Human,” Wei Wuxian sneers. “You should have fled when you had the chance.” ... When he wakes from his winter sleep, Wei Wuxian attempts to drive a farmer from his territory. He falls in love, instead. Lan Zhan's mysterious past does not do them the courtesy of staying buried.

~*~

Fit for Purpose

by Deastar (@youhideastar)

E, 18k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Summary: Wei Wuxian is given clean clothes, and as much food as he wants, and a blanket. He still doesn’t know what a beta is. But he knows he is one, now. And he knows that that’s the reason he has these wonderful things. When Wei Wuxian was a little boy, Jiang Fengmian brought him home to Lotus Pier; when Yu Ziyuan learned the boy was a beta, she allowed him to stay. 30 years later, a resurrected Wei Wuxian hangs around Cloud Recesses and waits to wear out his welcome.

~*~

💙 all is bright

by sunflowersfield

T, 4k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Summary: Wei Ying has slept in many different places. He has curled up on a park bench or a tiny cot in a room full of strangers. But somehow, he has never shared a bed with someone he cares about. He is realizing, now, as the sound machine fills his room with the pitter-patter of gentle rain, that he cares about Lan Zhan. Or: Wei Ying moves into his first apartment. His new neighbor helps him turn it into a home.

~*~

Your Shelter

by cosmicmilktea

T, WIP, 2k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Part of the MDZS Mini Remix for Tired Adults™

Summary: “There is no need for sorry,” Lan-gege had told him, what seemed like such a long time ago, “Robes can be cleaned.” But a soiled robe in Lotus Pier means lashes on his back and a night of kneeling in the ancestral hall, even if Jiang Cheng and all the other disciples also came back with mud and reeds painting their robes. A soiled robe means hearing baba and mama's names spoken in malice and ridicule. It means a gentle chiding from shijie as she pats his head and offers him a bowl of warm soup, which only made him miss the warmth of Xian-gege's safe embrace. His back hurts, and his knees ache from kneeling so long. Beneath his robes, Lan-gege's ribbon presses close to his heart, and it reminds him how he had felt so safe with the two men. How baba and mama had also made him feel safe even without the shelter of gilded walls and roofs. He longs to be that safe again, the longing building and building in the too-small confines of his chest until Wei Ying can not hold it in any longer. He runs.

~*~

We Meet at the Thousandth Step

by Admiranda (@ladypfenix), Rynne (@rynne)

T, WIP, 142k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Summary: As they both go wherever the chaos might be, Lan Wangji and rogue cultivator Wei Wuxian, eldest child of the famous Cangse-sanren, find their paths converging. Soon they'll discover in each other the perfect partner for night hunting...and beyond.

~*~

12 Hours In Hell and Paradise (Or: Lan Zhan’s Distinguished Guide to Seasonal Depression)

by demonicsalad (@santonali)

T, 4k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Summary: Wei Ying (1:01PM): brb putting lobotomy on my 2024 goals list Lan Zhan (1:02PM): Wei Ying. Wei Ying (1:02PM): [screenshot attached] Wei Ying (1:03PM): did i fucking stutter Or: of tears, tea, rotting, and long-overdue realizations

~*~

pale shadows of forgotten names

by Chrononautical (@chrononautintraining)

T, 56k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Summary: To protect the Wen, Wei Wuxian throws himself on the mercy of the Lan Sect. To protect Wei Wuxian, Lan Wangji marries him. To protect them all, Lan Xichen orders the Yiling Laozu's seclusion in the Jingshi. But the Jingshi had another occupant in the past. One who lingers on, furious to think that history might repeat.

~*~

Cuties and Questions

by WiseDawn13 (@wisedawn13)

T, 6k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Summary: “Suibian?” a deep voice says suddenly, catching his attention. Wei Ying opens his eyes to look at who approached and promptly finds himself without breath at the sight of the man in front of him. After all these years he shouldn’t recognize him so easily, but Wei Ying would never be able to forget those eyes. “Oh!” Wen Ning squeaks. “You are familiar with Suibian?” Wei Ying watches as Lan Zhan nods to Wen Ning. “I am. Are you the creator of Yiling Cuties?” “Ah? Oh, no. No, that would be him,” Wen Ning replies, somewhat flustered. It takes far too long for Wei Ying to realize that Wen Ning just diverted Lan Zhan’s attention to him because suddenly those golden brown eyes are staring directly into his soul and it hurts more than he would have expected. OR Wei Ying and Lan Zhan lost touch when Wei Ying's family moved away when they were kids. Wei Ying moves back to his hometown years later, meeting the man he once knew as his best friend.

~*~

💙 A New Dynasty

by One_eyed_God (@oneeyedoctogod)

T, Series, WIP, 76k, Background Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Summary: Wei Wuxian is well-known as a trouble-maker, someone who likes jokes and chaos. He promptly proves this by disappearing without a trace from the Cloud Recesses, in the middle of the Lectures. But when war is on the horizon and tensions boil over, can his actions really be summarized as a simple prank? Or, the unbelievable story of Wei Wuxian, time traveller, told from everyone's point of view but his.

~*~

Christmas Eve at Number 16

by liulans (@liulans)

T, 9k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Summary: Lan Wangji considers that for a moment, squaring Wei Wuxian up. And then he says, “You are asking– if I would like to spend Christmas with you?” “It doesn't have to be, like, Christmassy,” he reminds him. “We can just hang out. Maybe you can come over tomorrow evening, and I'll have you back in your apartment before midnight. And then on Christmas day, I'll bring you an apple for luck, and that can be that.” “Okay.” Lan Wangji says, after a moment of brow-furrowing contemplation. “...Okay?” “I will see you tomorrow. I will– spend Christmas with you.” --- [Prompt: Character A can’t travel to see their family on Christmas, so they invite their grumpy loner neighbour Character B.]

~*~

Cleaning & Courtship

by Winxhelina (@winxhelina)

T, 13k, Wangxian | Kay's Rec

Summary: It all started with some offhand comment Jin Zixun had made about Wei Wuxian's father having been a servant. About how he should stick to that and not aim for places not meant for him. Wei Wuxian had been at a party at the time with Nie Huaisang and unlikely as it had been, Lan Wangji had been there too. Wei Wuxian had complained about money and that had seemingly inspired the comment from a man, who, Wei Wuxian was sure, had never worked a day in his life. Lan Wangji had stared at Jin Zixun so hard Wei Wuxian thought he might actually drop dead. Somehow, two months later, Wei Wuxian actually finds himself cleaning rich people’s houses. There are very few cultivators wiling to clean houses for other cultivators, but there is demand for it. You can't hire a regular maid to dust and clean your ancient artefacts, even just sword maintenance is a whole area of expertise that civilians aren't qualified to do. In which Wei Wuxian accidentally ends up cleaning his long-time friend's house and Lan Zhan's room harbours a secret.

~*~

(Please REBLOG as a signal boost for these hard-working authors if you like – or think others might like – these stories.)

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Hemant Mehta at Friendly Atheist:

Last night was sickening. A replay of 2016. It’s hardly ancient history. We stepped on a rake years ago and we decided to do it again. This was a reminder that 2020, not 2016, was the year where the presidential election went sideways. The year of the pandemic was also the high watermark for the decade. The results are bad for church/state separation. Bad for civil rights. Bad for bodily autonomy. Bad for Ukraine and our foreign allies. Bad for Palestinians. Bad for science and the climate and common sense. Bad for just about every issue that matters to the type of people who read this newsletter. The worst people you know got pretty much everything they wanted. The people who have empathy and expertise—the people who care too much and want the best for others—lost again. A Trump without guardrails is a Trump who’s even worse than he was years ago, and he was really fucking awful years ago.

If the famous saying is “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it,” we’re about to be ruled by people who’ll do everything in their power to make sure we never learn about the past. The people who ban books, whitewash American history, and reject science have been given another chance to turn their ignorance into policy. We’re screwed in the event of another pandemic. Blue states will not be able to rely on federal funding in the event of a natural disaster because that will require Trump’s signature. When the economy collapses, Republicans will blame everyone but themselves and most people won’t know they’re being lied to. (The mainstream media can’t be expected to push back. They failed to meet the moment this time around, and they’re bound to get worse.) With the Senate now in Republican control and the presidency within Donald Trump’s grasp (the blue wall of Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania have not yet been called), we’re on the verge of seeing at least two years of utter chaos with ramifications that will last even longer. At best, if Democrats manage to flip the House, they will still control a mere 1/6 of the federal government.

[...]

I don’t know how to beat back the firehose of misinformation that contributed to the rightward shift of the country. I don’t know what could have changed the minds of the half of the country that seems immune to reality. I don’t know what else the Harris campaign could have done to change the outcome. (There’s an argument to be made that she should have pushed back against Joe Biden’s policies, especially regarding Israel, but given the results, even if that helped her with Muslims in Michigan, it arguably wouldn’t have moved the needle everywhere else as much as she needed.) I also don’t believe Biden or a different candidate would have fared any better. It’s easy to feel like the past few months were just pointless. The debate that Harris won didn’t matter. The half-filled Trump rallies didn’t indicate a loss of support. The meandering ramblings of a man whose brain is clearly broken didn’t turn off enough people. The major endorsements for Harris—and the lack of big ones for Trump— didn’t change much. The overwhelming financial support for Harris didn’t overcome the billionaires backing Trump. The “vibes” didn’t match the other side’s arrogance. The Democratic National Convention, so full of joy, now feels like a last gasp rather than a new beginning. The Democrats’ superb ground game and the utter lack of one for Republicans still didn’t meet the “margin of effort.” Trump’s criminal indictments and impeachments and legal battles and mugshot and looming potential jail sentence (!) weren’t dealbreakers.

January 6 eventually led Trump to another term in office when it should have blackballed him from public life. Too many Americans are nostalgic for a utopia that never existed, and when they realized they’ve been conned, there are going to be a hell of a lot of conservatives eager to blame minorities of all stripes for all the problems they made worse. At the same time, as older generations of Americans understand all too well, the path to progress is never smooth and it requires constant vigilance. We knew that in 2016 and there were reverberations—in 2018 and 2020. We’ll now walk down that path again. It will likely be even more fierce this time around.

Last night’s election results were a gut punch for Americans opposed to the Orange Felon.

For the next four years, there will be horror show after horror show.

[horizonfallrp]

🌄 HORIZONFALL 🌠

War cries have echoed in the forest for as long as anyone can remember, outlasting current Leaders and those before. They pierce the skull and make your fur stand on end, breath held in anticipation and uncertainty. Were they from your borders or another's? Would you be required to back them up, or wait in bated, agonizing silence until Clanmates and loved ones dragged themselves back, bruised and bleeding or even dead?

…

The cruelties have grown worse lately.

Stealing food, abandoning elders, stealing kits and forcing them to fight and die before their time… The forest weeps blood and murder. Even the Gatherings are just another excuse for a fight. The only difference is who starts it and how long it lasts. We're tired, you know? Of it all.

But we're not the only ones.

"The forest is lost. Seek the horizon before you are lost with it."

A prophecy is proclaimed upon the Tall Stone one Gathering. It comes not from a Leader, or even a Deputy or Healer, but a young ShadowClan Warrior with a pelt of gold. The Warrior warns of StarClan's wrath, of how their only choice now is to leave this forest or die with it. It's not a prophecy well-received, with the Warrior being dragged from Tall Stone, beaten and then exiled, but it leaves many cats wondering all the same. And it's not the last you see of this Warrior either.

Dodging patrols of hostile Clan cats, this ShadowClanner-turned-outsider delivers his news only to those he feels he can trust. "There's a lean copse of trees between the Small Thunderpath and Highstones, just north of the area directly across from Carrionplace. Meet there on the night of the New Moon. We leave at daybreak."

Something about it sounds like hope. And danger.

But you don't have a choice, do you? The thought of living in these woods marred with rot and pride for another moon makes your stomach turn. A premature death is nearly guaranteed here, but out there you have a chance. A real chance of living out your days in peace and warmth, just as StarClan wanted for you.

So when the moon forsakes the forest, you're there at that copse of trees to greet him and all the others just like you.

Ready to take the journey.

———————————

Horizonfall is a Discord-based Warrior Cats roleplay (run by Nocturnarl and Foxichor) that combines an initial D&D style campaign journey with the end goal of a day to day Warriors group. It will start off small, with no more than 10 members for the duration of the journey itself, and be open to more once the journey concludes. The journey's challenges will be uniquely tailored to its players' characters and their histories, and most important decision-making will be an in-character affair.

There are no formal activity requirements, but we do have failsafes in place for inactive players to ensure we have a relatively active member base. Overall, we aim for a casual, longterm roleplay experience, with all literacy levels welcome and a hope for a cohesive and friendly, no pressure environment.

Please fill out our joining form if you're interested. You do not need to have a character in mind yet!

The form closes on SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12TH, 2024!

[heliads]

inej ghafa x fem!reader?? I feel like things like this are missing on tumblr. kaz and reader are a duo and many consider them a couple but r likes inej and inej likes r. just something where kaz is tired of hearing his best friend talking about his other best friend and decides, in his own way, to play "cupid" so they can finally leave him alone. i really need to see kaz being "cupid's best friend" to both of them and being secretly happy for them (male-female friends exist, nobody remembers??)

male-female friends DO exist, speak on that anon

masterlist

“I think Kaz Brekker is going to kill me.”

This is not an unusual announcement to make in the Barrel. The fact that you’re saying this aloud to an empty room, although odd, is again not something that happens infrequently. Dirtyhands has a reputation for going after anyone who slights him, and he doesn’t accept apologies when he can take something a little more permanent, like a life. Many of his victims are prone to complaining via soliloquy.

The only difference between you and the dozens of Ketterdam residents currently pacing restlessly in fear of Kaz’s wrath is the response such a statement receives. When you make your pronouncement, instead of being greeted by the rustle of wind against the eaves or an ominous feeling in the pit of your stomach, you’re answered by the Wraith herself.

Inej chooses to respond to you instead of retreating back to the Slat to tell Kaz his latest fear campaign has worked, unlike how she’d treat anyone else. Although she wasn’t visible in the room, the second you speak aloud to the seeming emptiness, Inej appears in a flash of dark fabric, crouched on your window ledge, and says, “Don’t be ridiculous.”

You frown at her. “I am not being ridiculous. I think he actually means it this time.”

Inej rolls her eyes, slipping into your room through the window you’re pretty sure was locked from the inside when you were last here. “That’s just his usual friendly demeanor. You’ve known him even longer than I have, Y/N, you can’t possibly think that he means you any harm.” 

You grimace. “See, that’s what I thought too. I mean, I met Kaz when we were both kids, I’ve kind of taken our friendship for granted. He’s never so much as stubbed my toe with his cane.”

Inej frowns. “So what changed?”

“It’s happened a few times now,” you admit. “He keeps saying stuff about how something with me has got to change, and if I don’t get around to it, he’ll fix the problem I’ve created. He wasn’t joking, Inej. Whatever I’ve done, he’s not inclined to back down until he gets it sorted out, and you know how Kaz likes to solve his problems.”

Inej winces. “Kaz threatens a lot of people. You can’t take it too much to heart.”

“If you were there, you would know,” you grumble. “He seemed, like, genuinely unhappy. He said that my problem was starting to cast a pall on his reputation. He said I was making it his concern. Usually, he trusts me to sort out my issues, but this– this was different.”

Inej must be able to sense your genuine concern, because her expression softens and she walks forward, placing a soft hand on your shoulder. “I’m sure he doesn’t mean it. Kaz has a lot on his plate. You’re his best friend, Y/N, or so Kaz would say if he would let himself rely on anyone. He doesn’t want you dead.”

You lean into her palm. Just like always, it brings comfort like nothing else. Just like always, you can’t help but chase the warmth of her touch, wishing for more that you may never receive. Not as a friend. Not just this. “You’re his best friend, too. Have you heard anything?”

Inej shakes her head. “Not a word. I can ask, though. Discreetly, of course.”

You smile. “Of course. I trust your secret ways, you know that.”

Inej laughs, and pulls away after a heartbeat, although her eyes follow the place her hand had been for a while longer. “I think I’ll talk to him now. I don’t want you worrying for no reason.”

You let out a grateful sigh. “Thank you, Inej. I mean it.”

She flashes you a grin as she heads back towards the window. “Anytime, Y/N. One more question, though,” she adds, perched halfway in your room and halfway in the open air of the Kerch streets, “How did you know I was here? When you first said you thought Kaz was going to kill you, I mean, how’d you know I would hear it? I didn’t make a sound.”

You lift a shoulder. “I just did.”

Inej frowns crossly. “I need to know so I can improve my skills. What gave it away?”

You grin. “Maybe I didn’t know. Maybe I was just talking to myself.”

Inej scoffs. “You don’t do that.”

She says it with absolute certainty, the product of enough time spent watching from the shadows. “What if I knew when you were watching so I only talked to empty rooms when I knew you weren’t around?” You ask, laughing.

“That still brings us back to the subject of how you always know when I’m there,” Inej points out.

You wave a hand vaguely around. “I don’t know. Honestly. I just feel it, I guess.”

Inej considers this, still crouched on the window ledge, her heels over empty air, her knuckles brushing the cracking paint. You walk closer so you can get a better look at her. The midnight moonlight clings to her hair, her skin; it’s not just you who doesn’t want to let her go, or so it seems. Inej smiles at you, fond, and then she’s gone, disappearing into the empty night air. You surge to the window, but even after sticking your head out and looking around, you can’t spot one flicker of movement. She has simply vanished, as if from the very country itself.

You don’t know that you could respond any better to Inej’s question even if you were ready for it. You never have been able to put a proper name to the sensation you get whenever Inej is nearby. Some could call it infatuation, others could refer to it as a good friendship, but it’s more than that. Inej is the person you look to first in a firefight. Inej is the one you want to see when you have the day off, when you’re finally safe from a dangerous job. It’s her. Always has been.

You started looking for her in earnest the day you realized that the feelings you had for her were more than just platonic. After that, it was easy. Inej is not so pedestrian as to reveal herself in a shower of loose roof tiles, nor a kicked pebble on the street, but she is still human. If you really try, you can hear her in the quiet of perfect stillness. The brush of cloth against cloth. One held breath. Even secrecy makes noise, and you’ve memorized every way to tell it’s her when a shadow lingers nearby.

You don’t get a response until the next morning. You’re idling on the cobblestoned streets, pretending to wait for a friend but really watching the flow of pigeons from the Dime Lions’ club to the Dregs’. You tuck your face into your hand to hide a yawn, and when you look back up, blinking against the crisp wind, Inej is by your side, leaning against the railing of a bridge just a step or two away. 

“‘Morning, Inej,” you greet her. “Sleep well?”

She smiles, closing her eyes so she can tilt her head back and bask in the meager few rays of morning sun that have managed to break through the dense clouds that usually block out Ketterdam sunrises. “You know,” she says absentmindedly, “I really do like that about you. Everyone else just demands information whenever I show up. You say hello.”

You feel the corners of your lips flicker up in a traitorous smile despite your best attempts not to respond to the compliment. “Is it terrible if I ask for information on your conversation with Kaz now, then?”

Inej laughs, shaking her head. “No, that's why I’m here. I think you’re right to be scared, by the way.”

You freeze slightly. “You actually think he’s going to kill me? Inej, I thought you were here to reassure me that everything was fine, not confirm my fears.”

Inej ponders this. “I don’t think he’s actually going to kill you. Just shake you up a little, maybe. I think he was more mischievous than genuinely threatening.”

This doesn’t make you feel any better. “Kaz’s idea of a fun parlor joke is stabbing someone through the hand. I’m going to need a little more evidence of his support of me before I sleep well at night again, thank you very much.”

Inej shrugs. “I think it’s very unreasonable for you to want to feel safe around Kaz Brekker, but everyone has to have their dreams, I suppose. If you want an indication of his favor, though, he’s assigned both of us to a job.”

This does grab your attention. Kaz would only trust you with Inej on a job if he really believed in you. Of course, he could be sending Inej to kill you, but you don’t think she’d do that. Inej would never hurt you. She’s pledged that before, and you made the same promise to her. 

We all come to the Barrel for terrible, terrible reasons, and sometimes those reasons make themselves known in long and awful nightmares. Sometimes, when you wake up screaming, you need a friend who will never hurt you. Someone you can trust unconditionally. Sometimes, when one girl wakes up in a haze of bad memories, tears hot on her face, she needs another girl to hold her until the shaking stops. A girl to promise that there will be someone else in the world who will watch after her, who will keep the endless fears at bay. It was you for Inej, and it was Inej for you.

So no, then– if Inej was asked to hurt a hair on your head, she would not only refuse but protect you from other would-be assassins. The only answer is to then trust that this mission of Kaz’s is not designed to hurt either of you.

“Alright,” you say, shrugging your shoulders, “What does he want from us?”

He doesn’t provide you with an awful lot of information, that Dirtyhands. Inej tells you an address, a room, an object, and a time. You both head to your destination. There isn’t much security at all, hardly any passersby, so you’re able to slip in without difficulty. Once inside the designated room, you notice that there’s not much inside, just some simple furniture and a note on the desk.

The note you read with increasing indignance. Inej, who has been scouting out the room’s perimeter, glances over at you with concern when you fling the paper back against the desk. “What is it?”

“This is a trap,” you tell her, furious, “And it’s all Kaz’s doing.”

Inej furrows her brow, then softly pads across the room to pick up the note and read it herself. You can tell from the swiftly changing expression on her face alone what she’s discovering, having practically committed the note to memory yourself.

Dear Y/N and Inej,

I have had enough. Both of you have something that you need to tell each other. I have grown tired of both of you tiptoeing around it, so you won’t be leaving until I hear you say it.

K.B.

Both you and Inej turn in unison to stare at the door, but before either of you can start towards it, you hear the door lock with an audible click. You glance towards the window, but Inej shakes her head. “Locked from the outside. He must have specifically chosen this room and secured it beforehand so none of us can get out. It’s basically a holding cell.”

You yell some choice insults at Dirtyhands in general, but you only hear a soft, low laugh from behind the door, which is incredibly frustrating. You pivot slowly back to Inej, who is swaying slightly back and forth on the balls of her feet.

“Well,” you say as casually as you can, “I guess we have to say something to each other, then. That’s it, though, and then we can leave.”

“Yes,” Inej says evenly. “But what to say?”

You have a terrible feeling building in the pit of your stomach, something telling you that you know exactly what Kaz wants you to say to Inej. It might have something to do with the feelings you keep burying whenever she’s around, but the note said that both of you had to say this thing, and there’s no way that Inej could ever– she wouldn’t feel the same way, no. It must be something else, then.

“Any idea what Kaz would want from us? You’re pretty up to date on his motives,” you mention cautiously.

Inej looks studiously at the ground. “You’ve known him for longer. Maybe you would have a better guess than me.”

The floor receives your stare as well. It’s easier than looking her in the eyes. Easier than trying to make a guess as to whether or not she could possibly love you. Inej takes to prodding the door and window for possible gives, even attempting to see if the ceiling could be pushed aside to make room for escape, but no luck.

You plead weakly with her as she attempts to unscrew the hinges of the door with one of her knives. “Is whatever he wants you to say to me really that bad that you would go to all this trouble to avoid it?”

Inej stills, her hand still on the frame of the door. “You have no idea what he wants me to say.”

“But you do,” you counter, “Don’t you?”

“It’s about you,” she whispers. “It could be terrible.”

“If it’s you,” you tell her, “It could never be terrible.”

Slowly, carefully, Inej turns to look at you. Her eyes are wide and haunted. It occurs to you that maybe you were wrong, maybe she is here to kill you in some sort of way. She could hurt you without ever drawing blood. It would be easy at a time like this, with your entire body thrumming in the wild, desperate hope that the secret Inej must share is something that you have to tell her as well.

Her voice is quiet, barely even a sigh, when she speaks at last. “He knew that I love you.”

It is strange, how even with your mad hopes and prayers, you’re still absolutely consumed by the knowledge that Inej Ghafa loves you when it is finally confirmed aloud. You go completely quiet, mind racing with this incredible knowledge. Inej owes nothing to the world. She defies gravity, she defies nations. She gives nothing if she can take it, but Inej– Inej has given you her heart, free of charge, and it is the most lavish and lovely gift you could ever hope to own.

Whatever reaction Inej was hoping for, she must not find it in your awestruck face, because she abruptly turns to the door and knocks on it loudly. “I told her,” she says crossly, although you swear you detect a little bit of fear undercutting her words, “Now let me out.”

“Not yet,” you plead with her. “He can’t let you go yet. Not until I tell you that I love you, too.”

This time, Inej doesn’t turn slowly. Instead, it’s as if she’s crossed from the door to you in half a second. “Really?”

Inej never doubts herself, nor the information she gathers. Still, the look of pure joy on her face when you repeat your feelings makes her ask again, and again. You have no problem answering her. For once, you are not afraid.

The door clicks open. You glance towards it. “Footsteps on the landing.”

Inej lets out a quiet half-laugh. “Let him go. It would be sporting to give him a head start before we chase him down for pulling a stunt like this.”

You grin in response. “Still, I suppose we shouldn’t be too devastating in our wrath. Who knows how long we would have kept this a secret.”

Inej tilts her head to the side, considering this. “I don’t know. I’m rather good at finding out secrets.”

You arch a brow. “Is that so? How long do you think I’ve loved you, then?”

Inej beams. “Tell me.”

You impulsively reach out a hand, smoothing back a dark lock of hair from her face. “Since the very start.”

This is only the first of many such secrets. Inej has yet to learn just what made you love her, or where you were when you figured it out, or even perhaps how you learned to tell when she’s trying to sneak up on you. Until then, however, you have no doubt that she’ll commit herself to figuring out every intricacy that makes up the girl she loves. You. Until then, you welcome the challenge.

grishaverse tag list: @rogueanschel, @deadreaderssociety, @cameronsails, @mxltifxnd0m, @story-scribbler, @retvenkos, @mayfieldss, @eclliipsed, @gods-fools-heroes, @bl606dy, @auggie2000, @baju69, @crazyhearttragedy, @budugu, @aoi-targaryen

all tags list: @wordsarelife

[wangxianficfinder]

In the mood for...

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1. Hi, I wanted to see if anybody knew any fics where the only person who knows Wei Wuxian is back is Lan Wanji. Like nobody else knows MXY brought him back, people just think MXY attached himself to LWJ.

Please and thank you 😊 @myblurryreality

Love Song In Reverse by timetoboldlygo (T, 237k, WangXian, Amnesia, Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Non-Sexual Intimacy, Falling In Love, Slow Burn, agressively mixing and matching novel and cql canon, No Homophobia, Mentions of Starvation, Parental WWX) In this fic no one is aware that WWX is back, not even WWX himself, as he's lost his memories.

maybe someone has the link bc i couldn't find this fic. the premise is that immortal chief cultivator is gifted "mo xuanyu" by the emperor of the civilian people. its a bit removed from the canon timeline, but toward the end there's emphasis on wwx asking lwj to be loved in the shadows.

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2. For the next ITMF, are there any canon divergent fics where wangxian get together in the cloud recesses arc? Not just, like, fuckin', but an actual relationship? @zenodotus-xxiv

solstice: 那夏天的我们 by auberjing (E, 24k, wangxian, canon divergence, no sunshot campaign, cloud recesses study arc, masturbation, sex education, pining, smut, angst w happy ending, getting together) The recs for 2 all involve a looot of fucking, but they also include genuine feelings and a relationship/beginning of a relationship.

teeth on my waist (i come undone) by martyrsdaughter (E, 20k, wangxian, ABO, alpha LWJ, omega WWX, public claiming, sexual tension, obliviousness, cloud recesses study arc, exhibitionism, public humiliation, dub con, bondage, forced presentation, dom/sub, non-con spanking, subspace, feminized language)

To be caught by Foregone_Shadow (E, 13k, wangxian, LXC/LWJ, LXC/LWJ/WWX, rape/non-con, underage, consensual underage, switch LWJ, top LXC, bottom WWX, incest, voyeurism, smut, unhealthy relationships, dead dove, disturbing content)

🧡 Stunted, Starving Juvenility by TomatenMark (E, 548k, WangXian, WIP, Fix-it of sorts, Talisman master WWX, Not JFM Friendly, Study Arc, Getting together, Fluff and Angst, Engagement) I love being able to rec this fic, it's one of my favorites!

Being Known Series by dragongirlG (M/T, 42k, WangXian, Drunken Confessions, Love Confessions, More Like Lust Confessions, Drunk LWJ, Wingman LXC, Oblivious WWX, Cloud Recesses Study Arc, Canon Divergence, Attempt at Humor, Fluff and Crack, Hopeful Ending, Accidental Betrothal, Cloud Recesses Shenanigans, Family Dynamics, Family Drama, Letters, Light Angst, Supportive Sibling LXC, Good Sibling JYL, POV Multiple, Sex Education, Jealous LWJ, Sexual Tension, 5+1 Things, Character Study, First Kiss)

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3. Hi! I was wondering if there was any fics where they make a TikTok/video and say "to the person who I slept with last year" or something and then show a baby or a pregnant belly? I know there's a yizhan one but I want to know if there's a wangxian one? I think that would be a funny fic ☺️ (NO BOTTOM LWJ PLS)

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4. jiang cheng based time travel fix it fics with xicheng or mingcheng… i’ve read some but i cant find em anymore����🥲 @crimsonrainsimpflower

Viper in the Grass by elegantflipflop2 (T, 130k, JC/LXC, JC & WWX, time travel fix-it, gender changes, JC centric, oblivious LXC, protective WWX, revenge)

All of Our Memories Gather by geethr75 (T, 72k, JC/LXC, wangxian, JYL/JZX, time travel fix-it, canon divergence, heavy angst, major character death, not everyone dies au, golden core reveal, golden core transfer, JC centric, LXC centric, depression, panic attacks, PTSD)

four out of five by castieldeansangel (T, 21k, JC/LXC, wangxian, LXC/JGY, JC/WQ one-sided, major character death, time travel fix-it, 5 things, angst w happy ending, butterfly effect, JC centric, dubious morality, LXC pov)

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5. There have been several itmf's lately asking for long fics, but what about short fics? Drabbles? Or under 5,000's? ITMF favorite / most interesting / most impactful short fics. Can be about anything: favorite short pwps, fave short angst or horror, fave short epistolary, fave short meetcutes, etc. Which fics do you think use their short length in an impactful manner?

travellers' rest by lazulisong (G, <1k, wangxian, ABO, fluff, cuddling, scent marking)

A-Zhan is Three by westiec (T, 1k, LXC & LWJ, wangxian, post-canon, twin jades of lan dynamics, LXC in seclusion, hair braiding, sleepy cuddles)

The Nie Sect Discussion Conference That No One, Ever, Will Discuss Again. by mondengel (Not Rated, 1k, WangXian, Humor)

Online Classes by abbymyg (G, <1k, wangxian, modern, family fluff, teacher LWJ, mentioned COVID)

Next Door Neighbor by Rainewritesfanfics (G, 1k, wangxian, modern, neighbors, single parent WWX, pre-relationship, meet-cute)

The colour of my sky by mellowflicker (G, <1k, wangxian, modern, domestic fluff)

Drabbles full of kisses Series by Marudny_Robot (T, 200, WangXian, Kisses, Drabble, Fluff, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Post-Canon, Married WangXian) idk about impactful, but I have two drabbles for mdzs in this series :>

Child Surprise by Ariaste (T, 4k, WangXian, The Law of Surprise (The Witcher), Canon Temporary Character Death, Fluff and Angst, but only a teeny bit of angst, they're married, they have a son)

the river and the sea by sasamelons (T, 7k, WangXian, Soulmates, Arranged Marriage, Misunderstandings, Angst with a Happy Ending, Idiots in Love, Falling In Love, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Mutual Pining)

Three Months, but One Day Shy by mondengel (M, 1k, Angst, Gore, Cannibalism, Horror)

you can't ever tell me (I will burn this whole world down) by ThirtySixSaveFiles (T, 1k, WangXian, Post-Canon, Scars)

A Mate-Mark Would Be Redundant, Actually. by Full_Metal_Ox (G, 100, WangXian, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Understated Angst, Slice of Life, implied/referenced corporal punishment, Drabble)

inhale by lao_you_tiao (G, 1k, WangXian, Introspection, Character Study, Heavy Angst, Canon Compliant, Pining)

Jin Ling vs. The 8 Uncles of Sex Education by Wildcard (M, 4k, Comedy, JL Has a Lot of Uncles, background mention of wangxian, Tiny bit of Angst, happy ending!)

well-met by warlight by wukuiyuxin (Not rated, 2k, wangxian, WIP, Old English Style Poetry, Epic Poetry) Lan Wangji’s account of meeting, loving, losing, and mourning Wei Ying and raising A-Yuan—in mock-Norse epic verse

wangxian poetry by clippymagnet (LilDoodleCat) (M, <1k, wangxian, poetry, post-canon, fluff, Married wangxian)

authors with an established record of effective shortfics include aninfiniteweirdo, chomrafy, dragonofeternal, EHyde, lao_you_tiao, mondengel, loosingletters and Quiet_crash.

Five of Cups by mondengel (Not rated, 1k, gen, angst, horror, Wen Ning-centric) link in #8

his father's son by loosingletters (G, <1k, CSSR/WCZ, humor, gender roles, misunderstandings, rumors, cloud recesses study arc)

The Hiring Process by loosingletters (T, 2k, wangxian, modern w magic, humor, YLLZ WWX, protective yunmeng Jiang sect)

this body is a gift for you by loosingletters (T, 1k, MXY & WWX, WWX & OCs, trans female WWX, trans MXY, canon divergence, gender identity, gender roles, self discovery)

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6. For the next iitmf, do yall have any post canon recs where wwx gets cursed or badly hurt and then lwj fears losing him again? just lots pain and reminiscing. wanting something similar to: let the yoke fall from our shoulders by occultings (microcomets)

appreciate the blog, ty!

the absence of hunger by parsnipit (M, 27k, WangXian, Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified, Starvation, Food as a Metaphor for Love, Body Worship, Praise Kink, PTSD, Flashbacks, Blood and Injury, Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Cannibalism)

cherry lingers on the stone by ThreePlums (M, 26k, wangxian, post-canon, graphic depictions of violence, Angst, hurt/Comfort, curses, case fic, established relationship, starvation, animal death, cannibalism, dom/sub undertones, PTSD, mild för)

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7. Hello! Thanks for all your work! Maybe a long shot but do you know any bilingual Mandarin/English podfics? @driadorim

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8. thank you mods and everyone for the recs! i have a bit of an odd itmf... may i ask for fics that are... twilight-zone-ish? i remember that when i read cultivons notre jardin it gave me that vibe <3

Lost and Found by diamondbruise (E, 52k, WangXian, Modern AU, Aliens, Slow Burn, Alien LWJ, Crack Treated Seriously, Soulmates, Kid Fic.....kind of, i use that tag very loosely, Masturbation, Rough Sex, canon typical cnc elements, Happy Ending) for something with aliens

Clouded by diamondbruise (M, 15k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Getting Together, Case Ficish, Curses, Dark LWJ, It's a curse, Dubcon Kissing, Jealousy, Sharing a Bed, Angst with a Happy Ending, Dubious Consent, no sex in this fic just in general) for something with building paranoia

Five of Cups by mondengel (Not rated, 1k, gen, angst, horror, Wen Ning-centric) if Troubling Existential Horror is a flavor of Twilight Zone you enjoy.

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9. hi! i recently read One Can Keep A Secret (If He Does Not Know It's There) by H_Belle based on recs here (thank you!) and it hilariously great :D so i thought to ask for itmf, are there more fics where wwx sees with his own two eyes how much people appreciate his genius? like he's deprecating his talismans/abilities/art/etc, and ppl around him courting him as a scholar/inventor/teacher or they want to throw money at him? much appreciated!!!!!!!!!

To Respect a Scholar by FlautistsandPeonies (G, 5k, wangxian, WWX & LQR, genius WWX, not JC friendly, author WWX)

Nice work if you can get it by deliciousblizzardshark (M, 11k, wangxian, post-canon, protective LWJ, genius WWX, fluff & humor, getting together)

❤️ Gentians in bloom by teawater (M, 251k, wangxian, Canon Divergence, AU after cold spring, Political Marriage, Dysfunctional Family, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Fix-It, Hurt/Comfort, LQR bashing (not really), POV Multiple, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Eventual Happy Ending, BAMF WWX, JC is actually a lot better than canon, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, YZY bashing (again not completely) )

Time Charm by Jenrose (E, 141k, wangxian, later queerplatonic LWJ/WWX/WQ, LXC/JGY/2nd Madam Mo, time travel fix-it, post-canon, everyone lives au, genius inventor WWX, BAMF wangxian, first time, pregnancy, childbirth, asexual character, aftermath of time travel, telepathic bond, slice of life)

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10. Hello, i quite liked reading while you were sleeping and still left with the river . So, for the next iitmf i’d like to request a love triangle fic of sorts.. maybe wwx is married or betrothed to someone else like jzx, wq or lxc 🤷🏼‍♀️ and lwj pines from far but eventually they do get together. Thankyou for all u guys do!!😤😽

Marital Prospects by Vamillepudding (G, 18k, WangXian, LWJ & NMJ, Canon Divergence, Everybody Lives, Romantic Comedy, Misunderstandings, LWJ Needs a Hug)

he gets under your skin by Skadiseven (M, 87k, WangXian, Inspired By While You Were Sleeping (1995), Modern AU, Accidental Engagement, Chicago (City), wangxian's tendency to self-sacrifice, Christmas, Mutual Pining, There's A LOT of Musical References, Slow Burn, Angst with a Happy Ending) - another While you were sleeping AU

i don't love you (but i always will) by sixstepsaway (E, 71k, WangXian, XianQing, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmate AU, wangxian endgame!!, handjobs, this ends wangxian and happy i promise, Angst with a Happy Ending, i had to give lwj an oc soulmate, Blanket Permission, Infidelity, Emotional Infidelity, Cheating, Pegging, Bottom!LWJ, top!WWX, Bottom!WWX, slight femdom!wq, Implied Consensual Somnophilia, Cockwarming, implications of consensual polyamory, undernegotiated polyamory, internalized ableism, Grief, Pining while fucking)

The Season of Fire by Magnolia822 (E, 31k, WangXian, Modern AU, Age Difference, Mutual Pining, Forbidden Love, Coming Out, Brief WWX/other, Homophobia, Unsafe Sex, Slow Burn, Lovers to Friends to Lovers) - there's a part where lwj pines in the middle.

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11. hello!! for the next itmf, do you have any recs for fics where wwx's lack of golden core is mentioned or addressed, but it doesn't turn into a huge deal in the plot or with character relationships? it would be nice if it's something wwx or other characters work around, like finding cultivation aids he can use without a golden core or ways to hide that he doesn't have one, but there's no angsting about it.

❤️ kick at the darkness ‘til it bleeds daylight by AlfAlfAlfAlfAlf, tardigradeschool (T, 75k, WangXian, Hurt/Comfort, Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Eventual Happy Ending, Getting Together, Burial Mounds Settlement Days, Inspired by The Parent Trap (1998), Kid Fic, teen shenanigans, two a-yuans, Fluff and Angst) This mentions WWX building himself an artificial core, but it's not the focus of the fic.

could you find a way to let me down slowly, if you're leaving baby let me down slowly by ravenditefairylights (M, 36k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Golden Core Reveal, Implied/Referenced Sex, Miscommunication, Somebody Lives/Not Everyone Dies, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Twin Prides of Yúnmèng Dynamics, Hurt WWX, Mutual Pining, Unreliable Narrator, Self-Esteem Issues, Twin Prides of Yúnmèng Feels, Protective Siblings, Trauma, Slightly dubious consent, courtesy of drunk sex, Inventor WWX, Genius WWX, Phoenix Mountain, Chronic Pain, Getting Together, Fix-It of Sorts, One Braincell Trio, PTSD)

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12. Are there any fics where Wei Wuxian is a Jin?Thank y'all in advance.

Rotten Work by ShanaStoryteller (Not Rated, 63k, WangXian, WWX & JL, Post-Canon, Protective WWX, Protective JL, Yunmeng Bros Reconciliation, Reluctant Matchmaker JL) wwx eventually becomes a Jin

❤️ Candy & Conspiracies by Reverie (cl410) (T, 16k, wangxian, JZX & WWX, jin wwx, fluff & crack, found family, humor, no angst)

Silver eyes meet gold by EuphoricSuds (Not Rated, 3k, WangXian, JZX & WWX, XuanLi, Minor Character Death, Canonical Character Death, Implied/Referenced Character Death, BAMF WWX, Hurt WWX, Genius WWX, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Domestic Fluff, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Family Fluff, WWX Gets a Hug, WWX is Loved, WWX is LSZ's Parent, WWX is a Jīn, WWX Isn't Adopted by the Jiāngs, Canon Rewrite, Out of Character WWX, Out of Character, Comfort No Hurt, Cute WWX)

Twin Treasures by crossdressingdeath (T, 81k, WIP, JZX & WWX, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Can't quite tag this as 'everyone lives' but I promise everyone who dies will DESERVE IT, mostly novel-verse with a bit of CQL here and there, currently being edited)

A Jin Disciple's Guide on How to Survive in the Cloud Recesses by holy_milk (T, 3k, gen, canon divergence, Jin WWX, JC pov, cloud recesses study arc, JZX pov, JZX has friends, WIP)

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13. hello!!!! I am here to request fics with demons/fallen angels/angels. any and all of the above, with wangxian being the focus. something kind of like "Macabre Soiree" on ao3? i'd prefer them not to be succubus/incubus demons but i'm not too picky. thank you!!!

The Shape of Your Love (is Horny) by Vamillepudding (T, 25k, WangXian, XiYao, Urban Fantasy, Getting Together, Romantic Comedy, WWX is Bad at Being a Demon, LWJ is definitely a Monsterfucker)

and i sell my soul for the high by martyrsdaughter (E, 3k, WangXian, Angels & Demons, succubus wwx, Angel LWJ, PWP, Extremely Dubious Consent, Aphrodisiacs, References to Addiction, Manipulation, Self-Lubrication, Loss of Virginity, Bondage, Threats of Violence, Sexual Coercion, Spanking, Comeplay, Come Eating, Creampie, Multiple Orgasms, Mild Painplay, Overstimulation)

a series of fortunate events by defractum (nyargles) (G, 12k, WangXian, Modern AU, modern cultivation au, Immortality, Angels & Demons, Chinese Mythology & Folklore, (very loosely), Pre-Relationship, Humor, Sharing a Bed, but neither of them need to sleep, Case Fic)

It’s a Demon Thing by silverclaw (T, 1k, WangXian, Demons, wwx is a demon king which is very hot of him, lwj owns a food cart (a baby), wwx has a very loose understanding of the human world and its customs, Humor)

~*~

14. Hello! I am in the mood for fics where Wei Ying is an artist (of any medium) and he showcases Lan Zhan in his work or Lan zhan is his muse/subject. I really enjoy seeing Lan zhan be impressed by Wei Yings art! I know I can go through the artist!wei ying tag but I'd like to see what are ppls faves!💚 @the-marathon-continues-nip

paired wings soaring by typefortydeductions (E, 33k, WangXian, Modern, slice of life, domestic bliss, angst, fluff, smut, hurt/Comfort, kissing, bdsm, artist WWX, poetry translator LWJ, slight somnophilia)

💖 Pentimento. by orange_crushed (E, 73k, wangxian, modern, college/university au, art conservation, museums, pining, not actually unrequited love, angst w/ happy ending, misunderstandings, smut, major character injury, hospitalization, hurt/comfort, past incarceration, forgery)

The Sculptor by Eleanor_Fenyx (M, 27k, wangxian, LQY/WQ, LWJ & WQ, SL/XXC, modern, lavender marriage, period typical attituted and terminology, mute SL, queer themes, queer families, slow burn, getting together, intimacy, artist WWX, professor LWJ) Can't believe I forgot this one where lwj is literally his model and muse (also wonderful queer history)

🧡 paint smears on sunny days by SnowshadowAO3 (E, 53k, WangXian, Comfort, Fluff and Smut, Everyone Is Alive, Modern AU, Dadji, Mutual Pining, Happy Ending, Brief Alcohol Mention, Masturbation, Blow Jobs, Hand Jobs, Accidentally co-parenting with your son's art teacher, Fatherhood)

The Emperor's Portrait by catbrainedschemes (E, 32k, WangXian, Historical, Ancient China, Kinda, Historically Inaccurate, Meet-Cute, Mistaken Identity, Age Difference, Sexual Tension, Happy Ending, Fluff, Emperor!LWJ, artist!wwx, Misunderstandings, Hand Kink, Strength Kink, Smut, gege kink, lots of staring, Dirty Talk, Canon-Typical Bondage)

Inkstone by PorcelainBlue (T, 7k, WangXian)

The Tale of Hanguang-Jun's One Hundred Ghosts by enea (T, 17k, wangxian, post-canon, chinese shadow puppetry, tales, established relationship, outsider pov, art by @/6uooU) WWX, disguised as a storyteller/puppeteer, regales the children of Caiyi Town with Hanguang-Jun’s adventures; this cries out to be animated 

wangxian poetry by clippymagnet (LilDoodleCat) (M, <1k, wangxian, poetry, post-canon, fluff, Married wangxian) love poetry from WWX to LWJ

~*~

15. This is a very weird request, but... you know how there are lots of fics where a lot of characters redeem themselves? LQR, YZY, JGY, even WRH. Do you know fics like that where SS, JZX and/or XY are good guys? Maybe not the main characters, but at least relevant to the story? Please and thank you! ^^

Xianyao AU by placeformysins (T, 161k, WWX/JGY, major character death, rape/non-con, WIP) link in #16

Take Some Advice Paesano by FeelsForBreakfast (M, 8k, WangXian, Mob, Mafia AU - Clown Version, Humor, Mistaken Identity, Modern AU, Getting Together)

Sail Away Sweet Sister by sami (M, 72k, wangxian, YZY/CSSR/Madam Lan, JYL/NMJ, time travel, family, not everyone dies au, childhood friends to lovers, families of choice, parenthood, fluff, angst, underage sex, PTSD) this has a villain character redeeming himself, and another one whose circumstances change early enough that he’s never a villain

The Untamed: A Dinner to Remember by YenGirl (Not Rated, 33k, WangXian, XuanLi, post sunshot, Indulgent Fic, Feed WY & the Wen survivors, Some angst, Some humour, Dinner is about family and love, Some Fluff, Soft Boys, Manly Tears, JGS is still greedy, Possible OOC-ness, No hundred holes curse, Unreliable Narrator, accidental heroes, Some violence and gore in Chap 9, Redeemed JGY, Redeemed SS) this one has a really nice Su She redemption! The only time I ever cheered the guy on and felt sorry for him was in this fic

❤️ Restoration by ritualist (M, 84k, WangXian, Fairy Tale Elements, Non-Linear Narrative, Time Skips, Time Shenanigans, YL WWX, Sentient Burial Mounds, Sunshot Campaign, Politics, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, JGS Is His Own Content Warning, Necromancy, Surgery, Identity Issues, Yílíng Wèi Sect, Love at First Sight, Mutual Pining, Angst with a Happy Ending) 

Yiling Wei Sect AUs are a good place to look for a sympathetic, or at least less-than-murderous, Xue Yang.

~*~

16. I am curious what other stories and relationships the fandom has to offer. So ITMF your favorite rarepair fics?

We Were In Screaming Color by qirongsmom (E, 12k, LXC/LWJ, modern, incest, bad parents LQR, massage, angst w happy ending, pining, porn w feelings, bottom LWJ)

💖 Love made visible by Moominmammashandbag (M, JYL/ZZL, wangxian, hurt/Comfort, amputation, major character injury, sibling love, angst w happy ending, cooking as cultivation, attempted rape/non-con, sexual assault, minor character death, family angst, dysfunctional family, protective siblings, near drowning, amnesia)

💖 hear my voice and it's been here by Sour_Idealist (E, 56k, JYL/NHS, wangxian, 5th in series, canon divergence, sect leader JYL, sect leader WQ, sunshot campaign, JYL pov, politics)

The Monster they Created series by noppoh (E, 47k, WWX/XY, dub con, under-negotiated kink, demonic cultivation, dark, revenge, bottom XY, mass murder, animal abuse, animal death, war, torture, suicide, dead dove do not eat)

Grumpy Sugar and Shameless Spice by BlueSapphire718 (T, 2k, LQR/WWX, JC/LWJ, canon divergence, slow romance, humor, light angst, pining, developing relationship, fluff, crack treated seriously, sugar daddy LQR, sugar baby WWX, WIP)

Xianyao AU by placeformysins (T, 161k, WWX/JGY, major character death, rape/non-con, WIP)

not too strong by fluffysocks (E, 89k, LQR/JC, WangXian, graphic depictions of violence, rape/non-con, marriage of convenience, slow burn, canon divergence, married couple, cohabitation, explicit consent)

you gave a kick, I gave a slap by sysrae (M, 2k, XuanCheng, Modern AU, PWP)

I would let you hold my heart in your hands by unnecessary (E, 21k, WIP, XuanCheng, Modern AU, Getting Together,BDSM, Impact Play, Under-negotiated Kink, Kink Negotiation, JZX and JC are both disaster bisexuals, and gym bros, and switches, and vers, Pining, but when you don’t know it’s pining, Past JZX/JYL where it ended on good terms, Miscommunication, food as a love language, Aftercare, Platonic BDSM, Decidedly non-platonic BDSM, Subdrop, Topdrop)

Gentle Exile by rynleaf (E, 9k, LXC/SL, Post-Canon, Canonical Character Death, Grief/Mourning, References to Depression, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Character Study, Epistolary, Post-Canon Exploration, [PODFIC] Gentle Exile by flamingwell, semperfiona_podfic (semperfiona))

To Love What Is Mortal by treemaidengeek (T, 22k, LXC/SL, Post-Canon, Grief/Mourning, Fluff and Angst, Healing, Hurt/Comfort, [Podfic] To Love What Is Mortal by flamingwell)

i told you when i came i was a stranger by Caramelized (M, 70k, LXC / OFC, minor wangxian, canon divergence, Isekai, transmigration, fix-it, Butterfly effect, sunshot campaign, not everyone dies au, no golden core transfer, dimension travel, self-insert, angst w happy ending)

~*~

17. For the next itmf, I’m looking for really soft wangxian fics, preferably sfw, just something that’ll melt my heart, thank you in advance, y’all are great

Yiling Patriarch Gone Missing, or: a series of missing person cases by oyan (T, 16k, wangxian, post-canon, case fics, fluff, humor, hurt/comfort, body dysphoria, mystery, slow burn, petty LWJ, protective LWJ, JC & WWX reconciliation, protective JC, rabbit & paperman shenanigans, eventual relationship, protective JL, WIP) this is a wip, but chapter 1 definitely fulfills the sfw heart-melting requirement

box your errors by mellowflicker (T, 42k, WangXian, Modern AU, single dad lwj, Domestic Fluff, Family Issues, Slow Burn, Kid Fic, let lwj have friends agenda, Hurt/Comfort, Pining)

some things go forward by everythingispoetry (T, 73k, WangXian, Modern AU, Hospitals, Teenage Drama, Slow Burn, Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Happy Ending)

my little love by mellowflicker (T, 54k, WangXian, Modern AU, Single Parent WWX, kindergarten teacher!lwj, Kid Fic, Hurt/Comfort, Domestic Fluff, Pining)

Year Of Night Call by ailuridae (abigailnicole) (T, 22k, WangXian, XuanLi, Modern AU, What If Cultivators Were All Surgeons AU, surgery AU, Our Boys Are Trauma Fellows Now, The Lan Babies Are Surgery Interns, trauma fellows share a call room, and there was only one bed, hospital au, Medicine AU)

❤️ kick at the darkness ‘til it bleeds daylight by AlfAlfAlfAlfAlf, tardigradeschool (T, 75k, WangXian, Hurt/Comfort, Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Eventual Happy Ending, Getting Together, Burial Mounds Settlement Days, Inspired by The Parent Trap (1998), Kid Fic, teen shenanigans, two a-yuans, Fluff and Angst) link in #11

💖 hello my old heart, how have you been? by ravenditefairylights (M, 10k, wangxian, post-canon, temporary amnesia, hurt/comfort, fluff, trauma, pining, hair washing & brushing) It has a healthy dose of angst, but is basically 100% LWJ being cared for by WWX.

Step right up! By failedcharismacheck (T, 7k, wangxian, modern, highschool au, teenage romance, fluff, first kiss, getting together, awkward flirting)

They are Practically Married Your Honour by Asmayi (G, 1k, wangxian, modern, 5+1, oblivious wangxian, pining, fluff, best friends to lovers, getting together, public displays of affection)

Lan Zhan doesn't want a kitten...so they compromised and got a kitten by Liebing (M, 8k, wangxian, modern, roommates au, fluff, getting together, lawyer LWJ, pining, happy ending, sleeping together, family feels)

Words from the heart by MusicMe_tc (G, 6k, wangxian, modern, college/university au, secret identity, love letters, fluff, first love, first kiss, asexual WWX, demisexual LWJ, Love confessions, getting together, happy ending)

Tell Sincerely, Half So Clearly by Sweet_William (T, 3k, wangxian, modern, roommates au, light angst, pining, getting together)

how, or when, or from where by sarahyyy (G, 10k, wangxian, modern, amnesia, friends to lovers, getting together)

Love Cats Series by so_shhy (T/G, 14k, WangXian, Modern AU, Meet-Cute, Fluff, First Dates, Falling In Love, Office Party, POV Outsider) soft wangxian

rain. you are here. by thelastdboy (G, <1k, wangxian, WWX pov, fluff, rain, insomnia, post-canon) WWX devotes a stormy and sleepless night in the Jingshi to rejoicing in the presence of his husband.

First Errand by Zacksy (G, 7k, wangxian, modern, accidental baby acquisition, volitional husband acquisition)

~*~

If you didn’t get an answer to your ask here, don’t forget to make use of @mdzs-kinkmeme and MDZS KINK MEME on Dreamwidth. Authors actually do use them for ideas. You may get what you order!***Your prompt doesn’t have to be kink! Fluff, crack, whatever - it’s all good!***

[accio-victuuri]

my boys are so beautiful. look at their expressions! such big eyes lol 🫶🏼

I feel like my weekend will not be complete without clowning ….. so allow me to ramble….

let’s start small with this magazine spread featuring our boys. to be fair, i think when it comes to c-ent being popular overseas, these two have a solid ( and sadly, toxic ) following so it makes sense that they will be featured. if there will be anyone who will make c-ent and everything about it interesting to an international fan, it will be these two. it’s why they are such a good pairing/team! power couple!

I am still hoping for them to be at the Hangzhou Asian Games events at some point. These two. XZ is the ambassador. Bobo did promotional stuff for it too so yeah. let’s wait & see.

Next is what was being talked about last night during the One & Only cast performance. Where WYB did not hold the girl’s hand ( they did tho at some point, when they raised their hand but i get what people mean ).

this is actually usual for wyb. he doesn’t hold a girl’s hand casually, he tries to not touch more than necessary. out of respect. and of course, of who he is as wyb, he doesn’t want to be misunderstood if people say something about his closeness to a woman. but i also understand why turtles noticed this. thinking about all the unconscious hand holding he and xz do. that level of comfort around each other that’s not only the friendly type but something more intimate. and how at times, they also try to control their proximity and what they show the public.

also wyb’s sweet smile and how people put it side by side this lwj. imma cry. he is so precious! 🥹🥹🥹

xz and wyb are killing us lately. with wyb being extra cute and sweet. making us proud with all his accomplishments. plus the whole evisu racing campaign. and then ZZ, who thankfully did some promo for WDB and his long luscious hair. we are the luckiest fans 💟

THE SHUKE X BEITA CP parallel with them is also so strong. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I hope they see this and find it funny 😂😂😂😂 Shuke is Lei Yu’s call sign in BTF and people noticed that Chunsheng’s “look” when he drives his “motorcyle” is like beita’s. and the way he chose to post a live photo of himself looking like that for his finale post makes us suspicious. I’m sure he has lots to choose from but he used this. Does he know? 🤔

and allegedly taken 5/5/2022 @ 18:13. the numbers!

THIS SCENE IN THE DRAMA. Looks familiar huh.

there are so many other little things going around but it all points to the fact that our DNA moves ( lol i love this term and expression ) with certain things. from ZZ’s tongue twister exercise that in LRLG was shown that they both do it as a game. to zz’s “sleeping” posture shown in the drama that looks like would make sense with how wyb describes how he sleeps ( basically gg is the little spoon ). plus the way chunsheng in WDB adjusts his ring, like ZZ is used to doing it so it sorta proves our theory that he has one ( allegedly from wyb ofc ).

it never ends. all signs point to szd 😂😂😂😅😅

-END.

[bengiyo]

Tokyo in April is... Ep 4 Stray Thoughts

Last week, Kazuma and Ren began their FWB relationship. It has strict rules about how they interact. Ren doesn't face him during sex, the lights stay off, and Kazuma leaves after. They stay friendly at work with no mention of it. They also hook up every day. Kazuma seems to recognize that there's something huge holding Ren back, and decides to be patient and present for now. Meanwhile, Ren put the whole company on his back to save an ad campaign after their actor was caught up in a scandal.

Trigger Warnings for this episode: Striking a minor, discussion of sexual assault, implied harm and suicide attempt, aftermath of implied sexual assault.

One of the fun things about a show where the characters are in an active sexual relationship, is any time you're present for the sex you immediately know that there are emotional stakes in play.

I love Kazuma. I like that he can feel that Ren was tired and needed closeness. I love that he turns that into an opportunity for Ren to do something for him instead.

I'm expecting the color gays to say something about this orange shirt matching the shelves later.

I'd be overwhelmed if I was Ren, too. He has fairly-valid reasons to believe that his feelings were one-sided. He's been protecting his heart in this arrangement, but now he's forced to see how real Kazuma's feelings (which have been expressed clearly since they met again) are.

See, and I totally get Ren misunderstanding Kazuma as teens. This feels a little like Lee Wan and Shin Ki Tae in Our Dating Sim, where Wan just could not comprehend that Ki Tae could also like him.

I don't have the words to convey how sad I am that Ren believed he coerced Kazuma into sex, and felt he needed to say that to their parents because he needed to be honest about all of the events that transpired to ensure that Kazuma received effective care for his condition.

It's awful to watch, but I appreciate a mom striking the self-proclaimed assailant of her son.

An exacto knife? Fuck me.

That was intense. I like delivering the history Ren has kept to himself as he breaks over the answer he's always wanted. That Ryunosuke guy had clearly heard of Kazuma before.

Kazuma is such a boy. They got the jock-turned-diligent-office-worker energy correct.

A home cooked meal shot from the side with the kitchen available in the back. I know that this is probably a fairly standard Japanese apartment layout in Tokyo, but this is sending me all the way to What Did You Eat Yesterday? I like this shift after such a heavy sequence.

Finally, a show for the quiet gays like me. I'm not surprised the same director as Our Dining Table is involved. Those boys were also Quiet Gays (Yes, I know Minoru is bi. Let me have fun). After a rough week or two at work, just taking a day to lazily enjoy each other's company is so nice compared to some date at a sponsored location.

Ren is staying over and we're getting a domestic gay montage. I am living!!

It's hard not to notice that Ren never removes that wristband now.

Oh, timing Kazuma saying that the only thing that matters to him is Ren as Ren strokes Kazuma's sleeping face is the most touching "it's mutual" thing I've seen in a while that also reflects the characters. Kazuma will say it. Ren will show it.

The framing around a coworker leaving, ominous energy about Sanada, warnings from the pissed former employee, the info in the past, and now the actor facing over 1300 sexual harassment charges.... Implications unpleasant about Sanada and that management may already know.

Yes, please dry his hair. You are a BL boy who almost died from being soaked in the rain ten years ago. We cannot repeat our mistakes.

This conversation about just taking a bath was refreshingly gay for me. I like the tacit acknowledgement about mess.

Ah, and there's the overt confirmation about Sanada. That women looked out of it.

DRAMA NEXT WEEK WITH WORK.

This was simultaneously an incredibly sad and heavy episode, but also one of the softest and most domestic things we've had in a while. The Japanese teams are really good at that balance. You can feel Ren finally softening and letting Kazuma in. The rapport between them is solid. They feel older than a lot of the pairings we've had in Japan despite just being in their mid-20s. This is really such a fantastic show.

[phoenix-flamed]

Prefacing this post with, as always, it's completely okay if you don't agree or like this headcanon! It's something I've been wanting to elaborate more on, but have been hesitant to, because I know Jill's situation of being taken to Rosaria as a child is a bit of a touchy topic. It's never my intention to step on anyone's toes! So if any Jill RPers have their own headcanons they want to incorporate into our interactions regarding how negotiations with her father went, please feel free to let me know, and we can work with those!

But the subject is an important one to my muse, and I don't want to brush it aside, both good or bad aspects. Plus sharing it is meant to shed some light on how my muse thinks, and how his decisions are made -- which plays into how he is as a ruler.

The conflicts between Rosaria and the Northern Territories weren't a recently-developed thing at the point in time when Elwin led his campaign into the North. They had been going on for decades at the absolute least -- so when Elwin took the throne, he was essentially inheriting a nation that could be dragged back into war at the drop of a pin, with a long-standing history of blood and fighting against their neighbors to the north. In fact, when Elwin led that campaign, it was because the north was invading Rosarian territory.

An important fact about my Elwin is that he is, most of the time, very future-driven. All of his decisions and actions are carefully planned out with the future in mind, rather than the present; he believes very passionately that building a better Rosaria -- and world as a whole -- isn't meant to benefit him or his generation. It's for the generations after, for the youths who would otherwise carry the weight of war left by their forefathers, and for the generations yet to come.

In short, he's all about setting the brickwork for foundations of change. Or a better comparison is, planting seeds! He's planting seeds that, over time and with cultivation, will grow and blossom.

Taking Jill to Rosaria wasn't just about keeping the Northern Territories from attacking the duchy. It was, perhaps more importantly, about fostering good, friendly relations between the two territories. My Elwin's hope was that the personal friendship between Jill and Joshua + Clive would carry on well after Joshua had taken the throne, and would inspire their peoples to come together as well. Jill is, after all, a princess, and by all rights should have at least some influence in political matters in her homeland.

It was never his intention to keep her from seeing her family again, nor to keep her from returning home. It was never his intention to strip her of her heritage, culture, traditions, everything from her home in favor of Rosarian ones; she wasn't intended to convert her entire way of life to that of Rosaria's. She was a ward of House Rosfield, yes, but not a political prisoner(as was my thought back when I first made this blog). She was meant to be more of a foreign exchange student, you could say. She would learn about the duchy and its people, and in turn, the boys would learn about the Northern Territories and their people.

My muse is very respectful when it comes to other nations, within reason. He does not, and never has, believed in conquest and subjugation. Even when it comes to war and fighting in general, he chooses it only as a last resort, or when defending his homeland. When it came to the fighting with the north, his final campaign was not necessarily about strong-arming King Warrick into withdrawing his men from Rosarian soil and laying down their arms against the duchy. It was about treating for peace. It was about negotiating terms that benefited both nations, ensuring that both would be left in a better position and that they could reach understanding to the point of working together.

Perhaps, one day, they could forge an outright alliance.

Taking Jill to Rosaria, in my headcanons, was not a forced, one-sided matter, although it was, yes in my opinion, unfair to Jill regardless. Not to mention that, just like with Clive and Joshua, it forced her to carry the weight of her homeland's future on her shoulders. But this decision was something that both Elwin and her father had agreed upon, after King Warrick listened to Elwin's plans for the future, rather than Elwin forcing him to submit and accept the terms. After all, the lore tidbit about Elwin's campaign into the north uses terms like "pacifying" the Northern Territories, and "uniting" them. It was about ending the fighting, both with Rosaria and among the Northern Territories' various groups as well.

I understand if individual Jill RPers don't agree with this, and have their own headcanons on the subject of what happened; I'm willing to compromise for interactions with your muse regarding the negotiations with Silvermane and my muse, just let me know it's something you'd like altered! My muse's motives, however, will always remain the same, no matter what -- they're a core part of who he is and how he operates.

Tl;dr, there's a reason for everything he does!

[astraldrake]

tfs thoughts beneath the readmore note: contains spoilers for the entire campaign

the opening vision we get when we enter the traveler... i ended up watching it multiple times (computer issues ;-;) but MAN was it cool the inside of the traveler in general looks super funky, im going to have to do a no hud run at some point just for screenshots. shoutout to bungie for giving us a sparkly pink rainbow subclass, just in time for pride month lol weapon unsunsetting means i get to pull all sorts of old friends out of the vault. (python, the vow, steelfeather repeater, perfect paradox, etc...) i'm pretty ambivalent abt cayde generally but they did a good job w/ his characterization. i was worried he'd end up being kind of grating but so far he's been okay i was (initially) delighted to see targe. i was not anticipating that they were introducing him just so they could kill him off 5 minutes later. i have mixed feelings on zavala's characterization but it's been a minute since i buried my face into the ishtar collective lore vault so maybe it's just my memory being unreliable. for him to just lose it and start acting irrationally like that felt odd. maybe it's bcs we havent seen him in a while? idk it just felt off. (tbf you could point out that it's probably a byproduct of being forced to relive one of the most unpleasant moments of his entire life so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ fear and desperation can make people do strange things) ikora was cool, idk she didn't read as ooc or anything to me, her reunion with cayde was very sweet, though in hindsight i wish they'd given her a little more to do. seasonal stuff has struggled to give consistency to crow but i appreciate this expansion's efforts to tie up some of those threads more neatly. (i lost it when he pulled out an iron battleaxe, i did not expect that plot point to get touched on!! also it was cool!) i am still irritated that they fridged amanda ( i ignored that part of canon so hard it kinda smacked me in the face when they mentioned her.) i love luzaku, and i would kill for luzaku. ( finally! friendly hive!) i did like the emphasis on ghost and guardian relationships throughout the expansion's story. (also ghost as the location vendor!!!! having regular chats with him while we go through the story!!! the fact he becomes increasingly damaged and wounded throughout the campaign giving me the distinct dread that he might die!!!)

the fact the traveler is letting out intermittent shrieks of pain... MAN... the return of the glowing bird as our guide! (also the fact that the grenade projectile for song of flame looks like a bird... i dont think they're actually connected but it is giving me Ideas.) speaking of song of flame, i kind of expected it to be more underwhelming than it is?? it's actually pretty fun! prismatic is a lot of fun to mess around with! nothing like throwing a storm grenade at an enemy to simultaneously proc devour and amplify. the speaker mask exotic is also giving me Ideas >:) i lost my shit when they mentioned Micah-10. she's one of the last lore characters i expected them to pull out of the hat but i am delighted to see her in game, and seemingly as more than just a cameo too, as far as i can tell. pretty ambivalent abt the whole "player character is the most powertful being in the universe and the chosen one" thing. it's kinda where i figured they'd take it and i dont hate the trope so eh whatever. im glad they actually gave me cover for some of these story missions. i did not super enjoy lightfall's strategy of throwing me in a room with one million guys and a few tiny scraps of cover. ( the radial mast double tank fight... *shudders* ) difficulty wise legendary wasn't all that painful, there were a few fights i struggled with, but a change of loadout, or a little trial and error was pretty much all i needed. i def understand why they've saved the witness fight for the raid, but if my raiding history is anything to got by im certainly not doing day one, but that doesn't mean ill never touch it. (ive missed most of the newer raids, im just not that much of a people person.) ill try and take some day 1 screenshots of the opening area at least. also wrt post campaign!! i loved playing projectile tennis with savathun. all the two queens stuff was great tbh sav is such a fun villian. like yes!! you do owe us nothing and are only going to swoop in to help us bcs we have a bigger threat to deal with!! we can go back to trying to outscheme eachother once this is over!! ( also hey, they brought back adventures! i thought they'd never do that!) also what ive played of the crode camping trip (i forgot the mission name) has been fun. just me and the bois, out exploding screebs. ( then the game crashed so i guess i gotta go play that again lmao) overall i think this expansion is pretty good! i havent even gotten to the seasonal stuff yet, much less some of the regular patrol stuff for the pale heart.

[twoidiotwriters1]

Almighty (Leo Valdez xFem!Oc)

A/N: Ara having a villian origin story every so often is very funny to me -Danny Words: 3,068 Series' Masterlist Previous Chapter // Next Chapter Listen to: 'Nobody's Soldier' -by Hozier

XIV: To Whoever's Controlling Me Like a Sims Character, It's Not Funny Anymore

It gets dark awfully quickly after an hour of walking, Ara is lighting their path with Almighty, keeping her eyes ahead trying to look out for monsters, when Meg squeaks suddenly and yanks her back.

"What?" Ara looks down in alarm.

"You almost stepped on that!" Meg points with disgust. 

Ara has been too busy looking ahead to spot it but feels a shiver run down her spine when she recognizes what Meg's looking at. "Myrmeke. Thank gods it's dead!"

"A murr-murr-key?"

"A giant ant," Apollo clarifies. "There must be a colony somewhere in the woods."

Meg squirms. "I hate bugs."

"I'm partial to them—but yeah, these in particular are not friendly," Ara examines the corpse with curiosity. "It's really hard to kill one with brute force, this looks like something took a bite. Maybe Pollo did it while playing in the forest..." Her lion growls and shakes its mane, he knows better than to get near acidic stuff since he came back to life.

Apollo gulps. "Well, the rain should keep the myrmekes in their tunnels. Just don't make yourself an attractive target. They like bright, shiny things."

Ara glances at Almighty, remembering how they took Festus into their layer the last time she encountered them. She turns it into a compass and puts it away. "Alright, so we depend on Pollo's eyesight now. Everyone hold onto the lion."

The deeper they go, the weather changes, becoming hotter without losing its humidity. "What's going on?" Meg huffs. "Feels like a tropical rain forest now."

"A geyser," Apollo says sounding weirdly excited.

"A geyser," Meg frowns. "Like Old Faithful?"

"This is excellent news. Perhaps we can get directions. Our lost demigods might have even found sanctuary there!"

"With the geysers," Meg tilts her head.

"No, my ridiculous girl," Apollo brushes it off. "With the geyser gods. Assuming they're in a good mood, this could be great."

"And if they're in a bad mood?"

"Then we'll cheer them up before they can boil us. Follow me!" 

The geyser wants them to take a survey. He keeps ignoring their questions and Meg is even more impatient than Ara, so the girl pushes her inquiries in a sharper voice. "Can you tell us anything about a secret grove with whispering trees?"

"Oh." Pete the geyser blushes. "I'm not supposed to talk about the grove."

"Why can't you talk about the grove, Pete?" Apollo raises a brow.

"Paulie said it would scare away tourists.'Talk about the dragons,' he told me. 'Talk about the wolves and serpents and ancient killing machines. But don't mention the grove.'"

"Ancient killing machines?" Meg asks in alarm.

"Yeah. We're marketing them as fun family entertainment. But the grove... Paulie said that was our worst problem. The neighborhood isn't even zoned for an Oracle. Paulie went there to see if maybe we could relocate it, but—"

"He didn't come back," Apollo guesses.

Pete pouts miserably. "How am I supposed to run the marketing campaign all by myself? Sure, I can use robo-calls for the phone surveys, but a lot of networking has to be done face-to-face, and Paulie was always better with that stuff. I miss him."

"I know how it feels to lose your better half," Ara tries patiently, slipping charmspeak into it. "So help us out, buddy."

"Maybe we could find him," Meg nods, "and bring him back."

"Paulie made me promise not to follow him and not to tell anybody else where the grove is," Pete hesitates. "He's pretty good at resisting those weird voices, but you guys wouldn't stand a chance."

"Sorry, Pete." Apollo pipes in. "I'm just not buying it."

"Wh-what do you mean?"

"I don't think this grove exists. And if it does, I don't think you know its location."

"I—I do know! Of course it exists!" 

"Oh, really? Then why aren't there billboards about it all over the place? And a dedicated Web site? Why haven't I seen a groveofdodona hashtag on social media?"

"I suggested all that! Paulie shot me down!" Pete hisses.

"So do some outreach! Sell us on your product! Show us where this grove is!"

"I can't. The only entrance... Ah, spew." 

The lights go off but Ara hears the noises and recognizes them without even needing to look back. "Ah, crap. I'm reliving every single one of my childhood traumas..."

"Pete," Apollo says shakily, "when you said your spotlights attracted the wrong kind of attention—"

"I meant the myrmekes," he says quietly. "I hope this won't affect your online review of the Woods at Camp Half-Blood." 

"Apollo, stay back," Ara orders firmly.

"Thank you!" Apollo retorts. 

"I'm not talking to you, I'm talking to my lion!" She huffs. 

"His name is Apollo?" He asks in a heavily flattered tone that Ara hates.

"Only when I'm stressed out by his presence, now shut up," she grumbles. Meg presses closer to her, and Ara does her best to shield the girl. Pollo remains alert although he steps back, hesitant to attack the acid-spitting creatures.

"Oh, Pete?" Apollo whispers. "How do you deal with myrmekes invading your territory?" 

"By hiding," he vanishes instantly.

"Never trust gods," Ara mutters.

"I heard that!" He whispers angrily.

"That was on purpose!"

"Can we dive in?" Meg asks glancing at the geyser.

"Only if you fancy boiling to death in a pit of scalding water." Apollo grabs his ukulele very slowly. "I have an idea..."

"I thought you swore not to play," Meg says quietly.

"I did. But if I throw this shiny object to one side, the ants might—"

The myrmekes jump into action, snapping their massive fangs. Apollo falls on his butt and Ara turns Almighty into a shotgun, firing at their faces but having a hard time aiming in the dark.

"Hey, bugs!" Meg's weapons materialized in her hands, Ara didn't know she had any.

"Aim low!" The girl shouts out as they charge together. "They've got big heads and tiny eyes, so that's a lot of blind spots! Their bodies are tough to get through—hurt their legs!"

Meg does what she's told and Ara feels a wave of pride cursing through her. She turns Almighty into a spear, the distance giving her safety but also easier access to spots such as the mouths and antennae.

"Strategus!" Apollo shrieks when the third ant goes for him. 

Ara rushes to his aid and jumps onto the myrmeke's back using her spear for impulse, then wraps her legs around the thin neck and stabs its eyes ferociously. "Go help Meg!" Ara commands him.

The ant tries to shrug her off violently swaying side to side and slamming its body against the trees, Pollo jumps into action and topples the ant, but traps Ara beneath it in the process. "Back off!" Ara hisses at the lion.

Apollo shows up again and pulls her out from under the bug while Pollo bites and claws at its carcass ferally. "Peaches," the boy huffs out as they both fall back. "Where is that stupid diaper demon when we need him?"

"Where's Meg?" Ara sits up and then stands on shaky legs, looking around anxiously. "I told you to help her!"

A second myrmeke comes at them, they roll to different sides, and out of nowhere, Ara catches a snippet of  'Sweet Caroline'. With horror, she spots Apollo playing his ukulele, actively breaking his vow. "No!" She picks up her spear.

Apollo keeps singing, looking at her urgently trying to convey a message. Be ready. He's guiding the ant toward the geyser. The ant shrieks and pounces, the boy jumps out of the way and causes the ant's gigantic head to sink down the geyser's hole.

Ara drives Almighty right below the ant's jaw. Meg's screams cut through the air and Ara pulls her sword out, Apollo and her lion following closely as she runs to the noise. They reach her just in time to see the last myrmeke grab her and scurry into the trees. "NO!" Ara and Apollo cry out. 

Apollo seizes his ukulele again, but the second his fingers run over the strings, he collapses. She's seen this many times, demigods faint after using large amounts of their powers. It used to happen to her.

Ara decides he'll be okay, but when she turns to save Meg, she freezes. It's too dark and she can't hear the creature, they've always been quieter than most. "Pollo..." she turns and gasps, noticing the state of her lion. "Oh, gods, my baby..." She approaches and hugs the creature, gently examining his burnt paws. 

By the time Apollo wakes up, Ara has healed Pollo and the boy's superficial wounds. "You broke your oath," it's the first thing she tells him, staring at him like he's gum in her shoe.

Apollo sits up groaning. "Meg..."

"Gone," Ara frowns. "She has a day at most before they eat her."

"I know how myrmekes work, thank you," he scowls, rubbing the back of his head.

"You need to get that geyser talking," Ara continues. "So pull out the myrmeke's corpse out of his hole, and try again."

"Okay, so I've had enough of you," Apollo replies impatiently. "I only take orders from Meg because I have no choice, but you—"

"I'm your general," Ara stares at him defiantly. "I'm in charge of every mortal that's attached to the gods and—oh? Oh, what's that? You're Zeus's son!" She says sarcastically. "So you take orders from me! And since the gods abandoned us, you have no choice but to listen to me."

Apollo throws a tantrum, stomping and clenching his fists like a real teenager, so the transformation must be complete. "You're insufferable!"

"Meg is in trouble because you didn't listen!"

"I was trying to save you!"

"So I could save Meg for you!" Ara yanks him up to his feet by the bandana around his neck. "Do what I tell you next time, or I'll kill you myself!"

All she sees when she looks at Apollo is Olympus, and right now, she's got no sympathy for them. Percy was right, they mistreat her, and if Zeus is handing her a former god on a silver platter ready to be manhandled and yelled at, she won't waste the opportunity to do it. To Hades with helping the gods, Apollo serves her now.

Lester has a head injury Ara missed, so he's too dizzy and weak to walk, and to top it all, he's made a new vow to save Meg at the risk of dying instantly if he doesn't. Ara isn't speaking to him as they go back to camp, but she's forced to do so when he starts to hallucinate. 

"I loved you..." he whispers.

Ara looks down at him. "What?"

He sits up abruptly on Pollo's back and holds onto her shoulders tightly. "You were my first true love. Oh, Daphne!"

"Dude, back off!" His face is much too close to hers. She pushes him away and he falls face first on the mud. The girl turns to Pollo. "Can you..." Her question is left unfinished as she spots a second lion in front of her, smaller than hers, approaching from the trees. Her eyes keep moving, and they spot none other than Rhea, with a second lion walking lazily by her side. 

"My lady," Ara hops off and bows. Pollo sits reverently as well.

"Get up, princess," the woman walks past her and pats her head, when she does that, little flowers sprout in between Ara's brown locks like a flower crown directly from her scalp. The woman reaches Apollo. "Wake up."

The boy sits up and speaks hoarsely. "Rhea..."

"Peace, Apollo. I don't want to bum you out, but we need to talk." 

"Why are you... Where have you been all these centuries?"

"Upstate." Pollo skips over and rolls on his belly, the woman pets him gently. "After Woodstock, I stuck around, started a pottery studio."

"You... what?"

"Was that last week or last millennium? I've lost track."

"I—I believe you're describing the 1960s. That was last century."

"Oh, bummer. I get mixed up after so many years."

"I sympathize."

Ara can't say she's starstruck, but she'd never thought this was going to be her life at fifteen years old, that she would hang out in the forest with Apollo and Rhea while her Nemean lion demands to be petted. It's... pretty cool.

"After I left Kronos... well, that man was so square, you could cut yourself on his corners, you know what I mean? He was the ultimate 1950s dad—wanted us to be Ozzie and Harriet or Lucy and Ricky or something."

"He—he swallowed his children alive," Apollo frowns.

"Yeah. That was some bad karma. Anyway, I left him. Back then divorce wasn't cool. You just didn't do it. But me, I burned my apodesmos and got liberated. I raised Zeus in a commune with a bunch of naiads and kouretes. Lots of wheat germ and nectar. The kid grew up with a strong Aquarian vibe."

"And he came out just perfect," Ara says, unable to hold back the sarcasm.

The goddess is on some kind of trip and Ara wonders if gods can get high, or if they simply think I'll get high, and then forget to call it off because they're tripping so bad they can't snap out of it.

"Well, anyway, the communication lines are down, man. Nothing works. Rainbow messages, flying scrolls, Hermes Express... it's all going haywire." 

"We know this. But we don't know why." Apollo replies.

"It's them. They're doing it."

"Who?"

"The Man, man. Big Brother. The suits. The imperators."

"Triumvirate Holdings." 

"Yea. That's their new military-industrial complex. It's bumming me out in a big way."

"How is this possible? How have they come back?"

"They never went away," Rhea shrugs. "They did it to themselves, you know. Wanted to make themselves gods. That never works out well. Ever since the old days they've been hiding out, influencing history from behind the curtains. They're stuck in a kind of twilight life. They can't die; they can't really live."

"Wait, what?" Ara frowns. "What do you mean they did this? Like, simply willed themselves not to die?"

"But how could we not know about this?" Apollo frowns. "We are gods!"

"Apollo, Grandson, beautiful child... Has being a god ever stopped someone from being stupid?"

"I'd say it makes them even more stupid," Ara nods. "Present company excluded, mother Rhea."

"Your shoulders are so rigid," Rhea touches her and the muscles in her body stop responding. "Chill out."

Ara falls back, eyes wide but unable to stop it. "Can't move."

"That's great. Now, the emperors of Rome... They can't all be immortal," Apollo continues, getting used to ignoring her.

"No," Rhea agrees. "Just the worst of them, the most notorious. They live in human memory, man. That's what keeps them alive. Same as us, really. They're tied to the course of Western civilization, even though that whole concept is imperialist Eurocentric propaganda, man. Like my guru would tell you—"

"Rhea, can we stick to one problem at a time?" 

"Yeah, okay. I didn't mean to blow your mind."

"But how can they affect our lines of communication? How can they be so powerful?"

"They've had centuries, Apollo. Centuries. All that time, plotting and making war, building up their capitalist empire, waiting for this moment when you are mortal, when the Oracles are vulnerable for a hostile takeover. It's just evil. They have no chill whatsoever."

"I thought that was a more modern term."

"Evil?"

"No. Chill. Never mind. The Beast... he is the leader?"

"Afraid so. He's as twisted as the others, but he's the smartest and the most stable—in a sociopathic homicidal way. You know who he is—who he was, right?"

Apollo shakes his head in defeat. "It's true, then... The other Oracles still exist. The emperors hold them all?"

"They're working on it. Python has Delphi—that's the biggest problem. But you won't have the strength to take him head-on. You've got to pry their fingers off the minor Oracles first, loosen their power. To do that, you need a new source of prophecy for this camp—an Oracle that is older and independent."

"Dodona. Your whispering grove."

"Right on. I thought the grove was gone forever. But then—I don't know how—the oak trees regrew themselves in the heart of these woods. You have to find the grove and protect it."

"I'm working on that. But my friend Meg—"

"Yeah. You had some setbacks. But there are always setbacks, Apollo. When Lizzy Stanton and I hosted the first women's rights convention in Woodstock—"

"I think you mean Seneca Falls?"

"Wasn't that in the '60s?"

"The '40s. The 1840s, if memory serves."

"I'm having so much fun," Ara speaks from her patch of grass. "Can you please make my nervous system go back to normal?"

Rhea touches her again without paying much attention. "So... Jimi Hendrix wasn't there?"

"Doubtful."

"Then who set that guitar on fire? Ah, never mind. The point is, you have to persevere. Sometimes change takes centuries."

"Except that I'm mortal now. I don't have centuries."

"But you have willpower. You have mortal drive and urgency, just like our daughter of Olympus here present. Those are things the gods often lack." Her lions sit up and pace around anxiously. "I've gotta split. If the imperators track me down—bad scene, man. I've been off the grid too long. I'm not going to get sucked into that patriarchal institutional oppression again. Just find Dodona. That's your first trial."

"And if the Beast finds the grove first?"

"Oh, he's already found the gates, but he'll never get through them without you and the girl." 

"I—I don't understand."

"That's cool. Just breathe. Find your center. Enlightenment has to come from within."

"But what do I do? How do I save Meg?"

"First, get healed. Rest up. Then... well, how you save Meg is up to you. The journey is greater than the destination, you know?" She hands him a set of wind chimes. "Hang these in the largest ancient oak. That will help you focus the voices of the Oracle. If you get a prophecy, groovy. It'll only be the beginning, but without Dodona, nothing else will be possible. 

The emperors will suffocate our future and divide up the world. Only when you have defeated Python can you reclaim your rightful place on Olympus. My kid, Zeus... he's got this whole 'tough love' disciplinarian hang-up, you dig? Taking back Delphi is the only way you're going to get on his good side."

"I—I was afraid you would say that."

"There's one other thing. The Beast is planning some kind of attack on your camp," she looks at Ara when she says that. "I don't know what it is, but it's going to be big. Like, even worse than napalm. You have to warn your friends."

Ara stands and pulls Apollo to his feet, nodding dutifully. "You got it."

"Good luck. I've got to check my kiln before my pots crack. Keep on trucking, and save those trees!"

Next Chapter –>

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[umlewis]

Lewis Hamilton: Sebastian Vettel Battle Will Be Career High

Lewis Hamilton says he and 2017 Formula 1 title opponent Sebastian Vettel have greater mutual respect than he has experienced in any other rivalry.

UPDATED 10/04/2017 AT 07:39 EDT

The pair are now tied atop the F1 drivers' championship having had a win and a second place apiece in 2017's opening races. Although they have won seven of the last nine titles between them, Hamilton and Vettel have not previously had a one-on-one championship battle and currently enjoy a friendly relationship, and Hamilton is hopeful that that won't change.

"I honestly think it will stay the way it is. Who knows, maybe we'll have times where we're racing hard together, and of course there could be that scenario where one of us thinks something is unfair, or has been too aggressive, whatever it may be. But we're grown men, we've come a long way, and we've experienced a lot. The respect for one another is the highest that I have felt from another driver, especially of his calibre," Hamilton continued. "It's amazing sportsmanship. When you win you enjoy it, and you also acknowledge the person next door, and even when you lose it's the same thing. We're both doing that, and that's a great place to be. Naturally he wants to kill me out there and beat me, and vice versa, but then outside the car the admiration for the other's achievements and the way that they drive [is there too]. He's performing at his best, he is rapid out there, so when I'm able to get ahead it only compliments you, and vice versa." After three years of an exclusive title fight with now-former Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg, Hamilton said taking on an external rival in a Ferrari made wins more satisfying. "I'm fighting against a four-time world champion. He's at his best and he's phenomenally quick, and Ferrari are at their best in years, in a decade, pretty much, I think. We're at our best as a team, and I feel like I'm at my best," he added, before reiterating his own form: "The ultimate fighter always wants to go up against the best battle that he can have, because then when you come out on top it's just so much more satisfying. So yeah, I love this fight that we're having." Hamilton hopes the title battle can be a straight head-to-head without disruption from outside influences such as accidents or the mechanical failures that marred his 2016 campaign. "Sitting there with Sebastian, we were like, 'This is going to go right down to the end of the season,'" said Hamilton, "and I just hope that, for both of us, there's nothing mechanical comes in between our sheer battle through ability. I really, really hope it's just an out and out fight through stubbornness, through mental stability, through fitness, through composure and all those things, and, at times, through just outdriving the person on track. When other things start playing bigger roles, whether it's safety cars or whether it's mechanical things, that takes away that excitement of what racing's about."

[ct-7045]

Hello, holonet! It's certainly been a while. Our last campaign didn't leave me with much time to come on here, but the 501st is on leave now!

Taking off my armor felt like taking off my skin. I still feel vulnerable and unprotected, but Captain Rex told us to get out of our armor (and blacks). Most of us put on our old uniforms from Kamino. They're not the softest things, but they are comfortable and familiar.

I don't think Dogma and Tup and I have been not in the same room since we got back to the Venator. Dogma's repainting his armor right now since he fell into a ditch a couple weeks ago and scratched it up real badly.

We're en route to Coruscant right now. Jesse said he's going to drag me and Tup and especially Dogma to Dex's Diner for some "real good food" and I don't think I've ever been more excited for food in my life! Fives told me to ask if anyone knows of other clone-friendly places to eat on Coruscant, but I don't know if anyone with information like that will even see this post.

I think I might go paint something on Enrad. Just to let people know that they shouldn't throw this mop into the garbage. On the way to our barracks we passed Slayer scooting around. (He's a mouse droid.) I think I'll add some more paint to him too. And if I remember I'll add a profile picture to my blog.

See you on Coruscant!