#heavily based on the demon core stuff

[red-dyed-sarumane]

"its the demon core" TO YOU i get it though

[thydungeongal]

Fantasy Adventure Games part 2

You know what, there's still a lot of trad stuff that I haven't even touched out there, and I would be remiss if I didn't feature some of the other, newer entries into the field. This is a continuation of this post.

So, once again, staying with very trad fantasy games:

Dragonbane by the Free League. An English translation of the latest edition of the classic Swedish fantasy RPG Drakar och Demoner, Dragonbane is a very traditional fantasy roleplaying game whose design is clearly heavily informed by RuneQuest but in its latest incarnation also owes a lot to the game structure popularized by D&D 3e (a game that still informs a lot of game design to this day). Dragonbane is, at its core, a skill-based, no-levels fantasy game, but that still has classes of a sort to grant structure to character creation and advancement. Its playstyle has been dubbed "mirth and mayhem" by its creators, and it emphasizes quick resolution and a sense of randomness. The presentation is also top notch, with art by Swedish fantasy artist Johan Egerkrans.

Forbidden Lands by the Free League. Another game published by the Free League, Forbidden Lands is a classic fantasy RPG with a focus on sandbox play and exploration in a strange, scary world. Forbidden Lands uses a variant of the Year Zero engine from Free League's Mutant: Year Zero games, a type of d6 dice pool system. With out-of-the-box mechanics for exploration, foraging, negotiations, and hunting, as well as running one's own stronghold, the real star of the show is the ready-made sandbox setting that comes with the game, begging to be explored.

Against the Darkmaster by Open Ended Games. The creators of Rolemaster, mentioned in the previous post, for a brief moment held the license to the Middle-earth setting of J.R.R. Tolkien's legendarium and produced a slightly lighter version of Rolemaster to support playing in that setting, titled Middle-earth Roleplaying, or MERP for short. While the game is now long gone, it is still fondly remembered, and in 2019 Against the Darkmaster, a game that is essentially a tribute to MERP made by long-time fans of the game, was Kickstarted. Against the Darkmaster, or VsD for short, is a game in the heritage of Rolemaster, but with inspirations taken from modern RPGs, including the officially licensed modern LotR RPG The One Ring (which is another soft recommend from yours truly). VsD is a gritty and dark traditional RPG that seeks to empower its players to play out stories of a fellowship of heroes struggling against the forces of darkness, very much in the genre of Lord of the Rings, Dragonlance, and the Chronicles of Prydain. If you want crunchy, epic fantasy with a hint of darkness, this one's for you.

Fantasy Hero by Hero Games. A fantasy adaptation of the HERO System, the system that powers the classic superhero RPG Champions, Fantasy Hero is the closest thing I have found to an engine for running a fantasy immersive sim. The core philosophy of the HERO System is that its open-ended power creation system can be used to build anything, and Fantasy Hero directs that energy towards empowering fantasy adventures. The HERO System is very crunchy, almost like a TTRPG physics engine, and it's a dream come true for a certain type of gamer. Heck, I've personally considered using it to run a fantasy sim campaign where spell research is conducted through the power creation system. It's so cool. There is a one-book version of Fantasy Hero out there, called Fantasy Hero Complete, but word on the street is that the better way to run it is using the Hero System 6th Edition rules with the Fantasy Hero 6th Edition genre supplement on top.

Earthdawn by FASA. Once officially tied to the fantasy cyberpunk RPG Shadowrun as its mythic past, due to ownership issues Earthdawn is better understood as its own, standalone game without any ties to Shadowrun these days (and even in the past the actual ties were minimal). Earthdawn casts the player characters as magically empowered individuals who direct their magic into various disciplines, so that a Warrior in Earthdawn isn't simply someone who fights: they are someone who utilizes magic to subtly empower their fighting ability. Earthdawn is very much kin to RuneQuest in how it ties its game system to its world's underlying metaphysics, while being more in line with your traditional dwarves and elves and wizards fantasy. The setting of the game is post-apocalyptic fantasy, with a demonic scourge having recently ravaged the land and people for the first time stepping out of their magically sealed vaults to explore the world. In addition to Earthdawn fourth edition, there is an alternate, simpler version of Earthdawn titled "Age of Legend," which uses an extremely simplified system based on dice results of "Yes, and..." and "No, but..." style prompts. The fourth edition released by FASA is a very traditional, crunchy RPG.

Talislanta by various. Talislanta is a classic fantasy RPG set in an extremely unique fantasy setting that promises ABSOLUTELY NO ELVES. Talislanta is a very unique vision of a fantasy RPG with a very idiosyncratic setting, unique metaphysics, weird sights, and extremely easy to learn yet deep system. The system is very simple, with a basic d20+modifiers resolution mechanic, with varying degrees of success built in, and this system is used for absolutely everything, including combat, skill resolution, and magic. Speaking of magic, Talislanta's magic system is based heavily on keywords and schools, with magic-users being potentially able to produce almost any kind of magical effect the player can imagine under the keyword system, but with certain types of magic simply being more fit to certain purposes and some types of magic not being able to produce certain specific magical effects. What's more, legacy editions of the game are available online for free.

Anyway, that's enough for now.

[scourgefrontiers]

i think a lot about how much ive grown and changed as a person, not the least of which being how i went from a super heavy kinnie to someone who hardly kins at all

my journey with kinning was like...idk. it started with learning about what otherkin was, and i realized that damn i have a super strong connection with demons for some reason, and i genuinely wished i was an actual demon. this was in 2013 ish. that was my first time calling myself a kinnie

then my first experience with fictionkin specifically was with...unfortunately, prussia from hetalia lol. that was my first fictionkin. then shit got out of control from there bc then i proceeded to keep tacking on fictional characters onto my identity until they BECAME my identity.

i became a kinnie at a very interesting and formative part of my life--the mid-teen years. and honestly? i dont think it was the healthiest thing for my growth. b/c my identity sort of became...nonexistent for a while? i based my whole self around fictional characters. i didnt want to be myself because i didnt know who "myself" was. and unfortunately this lasted into my...well, mid-20s. im 26 now and it took me until i was ABOUT 24 to actually find my real core identity outside of fictional characters to the point of where i was proud and happy to know myself and call myself just...dan. thats me! im not dan plus fu, kidou, raditz, etc....im just dan. and thats enough!

so for me, being a kinnie was a result of not knowing who i was and using fictional characters to sort of fill in that hole in my identity. i wanted to be them b/c i didnt know who myself was, or maybe i didnt like who i was either and wanted to replace myself with them. i loved fu and lots of other ppl did, so i wanted to be him so i could be loved like that. i wanted to be funny like him. i wanted to be strong like raditz. i wanted to be smart and athletic like kidou. i wanted to be cool like dan phantom. i wanted to be anything but the real me and that hampered my growth as a person for a very, very long time

it took me a long while to reach the point im at right now--where im confident in my identity and dont need to use fictional characters as a crutch. and im not necessarily saying being fictionkin is inherently bad--it can be fun or even used to cope with situations such as trauma, i understand that--but when it came to me and my own situation, i excused it as being a "spiritual" thing and sort of clung to the idea that i was "soul-connected" to fictional characters who existed in another universe at the same time as me...which in retrospect was kind of a reach lol. but like. idk. it ended up not being spiritual at all even though i convinced myself it was. it was due to identity issues and, to an extent, actual real delusions--i genuinely thought that i HAD to uncover and piece together my "canon" lives to the point of obsession. it was super unhealthy for me and brought me so much unnecessary stress, everyone around me could see it too.

so uh. what am i tryna conclude here. i guess like. be careful? if youre a fictionkinnie, especially a young one, please take the time to do some introspection. is it just for fun? is it a lighthearted thing? or are you so intensely deep into it that its a huge part of your identity to the point of where you lost your actual self? to the point of having breakdowns over doubles? can you function in life without the kin part?

for the record, i still consider myself generally otherkin--i do still heavily identify with demons and have dreams of being a demon and all that good kin stuff. but its not who i am. i have a list of fictional characters i kin still--hidden and not advertised anymore--but its at the back of my mind now and is more of a casual "oh yeah im raditz haha" kind of thing if that makes sense? its not affecting my life as much as it did anymore and im happy about that

i hope nobody takes this personally lol. im just basically airing my thoughts about my own kin journey out and sharing my experience and thoughts abt the thing as a whole. end text post

[imaginarianisms]

alias / name : angel ( singletsona / core / host; only if we're close ) / arcana ( singletsona / core / host ) / ansale'wit ( my name translated into mi'kmawi'simk ) / ᐋᓐᔐᓃ ( my name translated into anishinaabemowin, literally spelled aanzhenii ) ; the imaginarians galaxy ( system name; please refer to us& as this when you're not sure who's fronting & please don't refer to us& as one person, everyone in the system deserves to & should have the equal amount of respect, love, dignity, honor, care & undivided attention & it's disrespectful to only ever refer to me& especially if i've& known you for years at this point; that's my& firm boundary. ). birthday : july 13th. zodiac sign : cancer sun, sagittarius moon, libra rising & leo venus. height : 5'2. hobbies : it depends on who you ask because we're& a system but we& collectively like gaming, writing/rping, worldbuilding, learning our& indigenous languages, true crime, psychology, criminology, sociology, philosophy, intersectionality, history (especially during the medieval period but certainly not exclusive), eastern history/civilization, indigenous history/civilization, ancient history, loveletters, queer shit, fashion, acting, transhumanism, alterhumanity, plurality, the occult & magick & witchcraft, the concept of apotheosis, enlightenment, fate, folklore, godhood, hope, humanity, & monstrosity, virtual reality, traveling, asmr, being a boujee native & being an educated heaux.

favorite book : a song of ice and fire series & gangsta. last song : dust bowl by ethel cain. last film / show : the love witch / gangsta. recent reads : arianne martell & sansa stark / alayne stone; the winds of winter.

inspiration : honestly for the longest time i didn't want to return to the tumblr rpc bc it made me feel bittersweet bc a lot of my old friends were moving elsewhere or inactive & on top of that it reminded me of someone i used to know & i have. a lot of bittersweet feelings around this person so. but some of us& wanted to get back into it again. tthe vast majority of our& interpretations on our& muses are heavily based in both headcanons & our& fictives' ( 4 singlets: a fictional introject ) exomemories which honestly most of the time they tend to overlap, the latter meaning that this actually happened to them & isn't something that just happened in a book or a movie or a tv series or a videogame, they're living, breathing people & for that individual, it all happened & it was all very real !! additionally, a lot of my& own personal life was used as major inspiration. being a survivor of multiple traumas that most people can't even fathom ( to the point where my doctor told me most would've kermited if they'd experienced the things i went through ) & that did unspeakable things to my brain chemistry ig so. i use writing to cope. so. yall have to deal w/ that ig. at least i aint boring. /lh furthermore ethel cain & nicole dollanganger are major inspo. & as much as i& write / rp for fun, i& also write & rp to educate others especially on topics like indigenous peoples, disabilities, neurodivergencies & mental health, especially around stigmatized disorders like did bc honestly i'm so very tired & demoralized bc of the constant stigma around did & other stuff like npd, bpd, etc. & both the media & people treating us like we're some kinda fucking soulless monsters when we're literally people who were hurt & failed in childhood & had traumatic upbringings only to be demonized, trauma & other shit so it's v important to us&. representation matters & so does keeping the light of humanity alive & well. story behind url : our& system name the imaginarians galaxy + isms! fun fact about me : my great aunt & technically a cousin of mine was a witch in the family; she passed her knowledge onto her granddaughter, my cousin, & she passed her knowledge down to me so i'm a hereditary witch. my mom dated a serial killer years ago when she was 19 & she had no idea so that was fucking wild bc i was 8 when she told me about it, thanks mom. lmao. i was also born 24 weeks premature & i quite literally died before the doctors resurrected me. basically i made death my bitch. i'm all the letters in 2lgbtqia+ at once & ppl can die mad about it lmao. i'm clusters a ( schizotypal personality disorder / schizospec / psychotic / stpd ) b ( {mild} antisocial personality disorder / aspd, {mild} narcissistic personality disorder / npd, histrionic personality disorder / hpd,, borderline personality disorder / bpd ) & c ( avoidant personality disorder / avpd ) as well as autism & adhd; i also have cptsd & h.c-did bc yknow. trauma did shit to my brain, this shit fucks with me on such a deep level & uh. the comorbidities have me fucking insane up in the club. on the physical disabilities side of things i have cfs / chronic fatigue & pots (so like. don't take it personally if i dont respond quickly) & am hoh. so i'm hoping to get a multipurpose psychiatric service dog & eventually get a wheelchair as an ambulatory wheelchair user. my paternal grandfather fought in wwii & killed nazis. my& clans are mouse / apukji'j ( mi'kmaq ) & wolf / yanariskwa' ( huron-wendat ), it basically represents a family & it has nothing to do with a spirit animal, & in the huron-wendat's case a clan is like an ancestor, who you're descended from in the huron-wendat creation story & they shared a longhouse & traced their lineage from the female line from a female ancestor bc the wendat were matriarchal so wolves are my ancestors.

tagged by : stole it from @noctuafought ( hi aphy lmaoooo ) ! tagging : @velcryons / @brokcncrowns @loyalpromise @helbroth @gutsing @sevynhells @inmydrcams @dethdvncer & anyone who breathes !!

[boyakishantrinity]

I wrote. Something. Might be shit. Loosely based off Chinese mythology and dramas and stuff.

“... I told you.”

Voice heavy. Back turned to her as he half snarled back. Repeating himself.

“I might be part of your damn history, but I ain't dealing with this.”

Turning. Rolling his eyes as her pleading face. Dressed in modern clothes, face fearce as she glared at him. Hand raising to her chin.

“So kindly. Fuck off.”

Flickering her forehead, the woman letting out a shout. Focusing her core, arms raised. Mana flowing, the flow of the world focusing within her body, practice. Hardened, granting greater control through the use of scholarly training. Course. That's one definition for it.

“... Please. You can't leave them to die!”

Stamping her feet on the floor. Dropped to her knees, tears down her eyes as the man reached for his belt. Fear, she'd lost almost everything, with that damn monkey unmoving on his choice unless something drastic truly happened.

“I know you're not one of us. But please. Just once- They-... He sa-”

“Jesus Christ…”

Grunting. Crossing his arms, scratching the back of his neck as he let out a sigh.

“HAI.”

Barking. An animal snapping as he loudly slapped his chest. She looked up, eyes hopeful, thunder crackling through the room.

“Stupid girl.”

It looked with yellow eyes. Burning, spiritual marks boiling over the room. A human taken devilish power. A feral dog glaring at her squat to the woman. Feet splayed as he glared into her eyes.

“I said…”

Gripping her face. Examining her wounds, letting out a panicked gasp. Confusion spreading as he… did something.

“...I ain't one of yous.”

Jaw tense. Standing up, turning his back, Aura flickering aside. Her wounds healed, energy rejuvenated as… a cultivation space. A small area of peace, built from the darkness with the goal… of using the light.

“Now fuck off.”

Snapping her out of it, tossing a bag onto the table, man snarling, not at her explicitly…

“You old fashioned, cannibalistic, dishonourable, lazy, piece of shit, asshole, off my mother fucking land.”

And then it faded. A tingling, hissing sound. Snarling, shadows fading to less tense, less harsh on the eyes. Knife pulled from the table as she looked around herself.

And then she stood up. A hopeful expression through the shattered mirror shard on the side, rolling my eyes. Tilting on one foot as I summoned It.

“And let me be clear.”

The actions of a dishonourable villain. Sword aimed at her neck, short sword. Custom forged, a mix of styles as he offered his hand in the other.

“...”

And she took it. Fear, apprehension in her actions. He wasn't too much of a danger, but…

“If this Demon Brat ain't as dangerous as you say…”

Squeezing her arm, thoughts fading back. Lighting sparking as images flickers over her mind, his eyes burning into hers. Gripping her closer to him, hissing as she responded in pain.

“I'm going to hunt you. Rip off those clothes, tear you, limb…”

Shuddering. Eyes kept wide, one hand gripping his shoulder as she tried to pull him away. If he felt it, it wasn't obvious.

“By mother fucking limb. And then. Whatever bullshit clans or sects that are in your shitty world?”

And now, her arm, growing numb from the harshness of his grip, sword on one side slowly sliding along her neck. Almost biting her ear from how close he was now, throat heavily controlled as energy flowed through his words.

“I don't give a fuck who's side they're on. I'll burn through each and every one of them for wasting my goddamn time.”

Pushing her off. Girl slamming ass first onto a seat. In a world of chaos or order, this. Was a new one.

“Am I clear?”

Swallowing her fear once more. Calming her breath, face swearing as he glared into her eyes. This was a threat, a serious one at that. But. He was one of the candidates, he was an honourable warrior who fought swathes of dishonourable figures…

“Am-”

And suddenly. Her body is now pressed against the wall. Other arm crushing, squishing. Grabbing the bone. Levering her and his body just short of snapping the calcium. Biting her ear as they hissed into her earlobe through his throat.

“-I clear?”

“... S-... shi-et.”

Dropping the woman. Sheathing the sword, rolling his eyes as he turned. Confusion on his face as he looked at her.

“... Excuse me?”

Grasping my wrist. Bruises forming along my body, injuring my very physical soul. The flow seemed to just. Break at his behest, mindless as he did as he wished. And then she snapped out of it.

“... OI.”

Flustering bandage and cream tossed into her lap. Stumbling over, hands planting on the sides of the chair. Staring into her.

“... Uhh…”

Hesitating. She sat there, hesitating. Unflinchingly fixing her hair, face showing with mild amusement as he expanded.

“... What did you say. I just- I swore I heard… whatever it was.”

Tenderness. Offering an open palm. The two silent as he quietly bandaged her wounds. Harder to heal one, ones that would normally take a specific healer, applying simple healing balm, bandaging the slit section, cutting the flow over the quickly stitched wound.

Binding it.

Swallowing her fear, looking at him. Gripping her fists together she looked into his eyes. Fearless, jumping, prepared to leap forward. Versus something ready to protect their turf. Their shit. A monster, neither black nor white.

“是的”

She replied. Determination. A familiar feeling. Eyes scanning over, whiskers twitching as the massive animal sniffed at her. Silent, eyes hardly bashful as he tilted his head.

“... 非常好的兔子...?”

Unsure. Words coming slower, the man nodding, hiding the necklace as he motioned to the door.

“Let's move.”

[tubbytarchia]

I hope not to sound defensive either and I don't want to get into every nitpick or detail but I fully agree with Martyn. I'm not much good at expressing my thoughts intricately but I really want to say something. Istg I'm not being a suckup to the block youtuber man, but his Vtuber model is VERY recognizable in both silhouette and generally. In fact, the generic pretty anime boy models should learn from that rather than the other way around. I personally don't wholly like Martyn's vtuber model but that's just because of my stylistic preferences and their tech limitations (achieving a 2D look requires a whole lot, and regardless its very respectable!) In fact, it's the anatomical lankiness that's a bit offputting to me but you know what? It's very goddamn memorable!! It's striking and unique. And it's certainly infinitely more interesting to look at still. I will take it over some shoujo anime guy base with some stuff thrown at it any day of the week. I'm sorry but my eyes frankly glaze over whenever I see these vtubers that all look the same if you take away some added apparel etc. I've seen a handsome demon anime guy vtuber with lots of intricate detail and thought put into it 20 times over, and none of them are remarkable compared to one another. The guy with the huge coat is certainly a more unique choice but it's entirely dependant on said coat, it's the same genshin impact dating sim dude I've seen a dozen times over otherwise even if it's a somewhat unusual silhouette. They all look to be made for maximized appeal only to get lost in all these cool details and concepts that they try to apply to this handsome man base, which then add nothing because there has been no thought put into their utilisation (not all "anime boy" designs fall under this, of course not!!! Just... very many that I see people often praise)

Again, Martyn's model is very striking in its core shape, and the added details only accentuate that - the huge poofy hair to one side, the big zipper bit, the large sleeves, whilst being relatively minimalistic and simple - less is more! And this design works perfectly for the solid 2D style Martyn is trying to go for. Giving yourself less to work with to make a good design is often the exact recepy to a good design. Way too much of the time do vtuber models etc get incredibly overdetailed

Color balance is so important and it's crucial to figure out a good palette whilst not overdoing it but also making use of accents etc. And personally I think Martyn's model does it fantastically. The green and white work well together with the added black accents on top, then switching it out for black with green and white accents at the lower half. It keeps things from feeling samey though the same colors are being used, it makes for a really effective use of a concise, focused palette

These anime guys brought up as examples HAVE THEIR PLACE, they have an audience and they work better in some scenarios, there is nothing wrongn with liking them, but please do not compare them to Martyn's vtuber model? Just because they're popular and therefore regarded as peak vtuber design by many? They are seven seas apart in design, maybe use other more cartoonish heavily stylized vtuber models for comparision instead, because there's a lot more to take away from that discussion. I'm frankly a bit flabbergasted but again, I'm passionate about art and design and hope not to come off rude

As someone who desgins vtubers for a living Martyn and Ranboo's models cause me physical pain

‎ ‎

[ghooostbaby]

deeeep dive into why and how wei wuxian and lan wangji love each other, complete each other, are the inverse reflection of each other’s deeply hidden internal selves mirrored through the other’s external self, lan wangji’s inner wildness that he has to conceal and protect recognizing and loving wei wuxian’s outer wildness, wei wuxian’s deep, fuddy-duddy morality and values that he conceals with an elaborate subterfuge of jokes, mischief, and bravado, seeing and loving in lan wangji the ability to say no that it was never safe for him to express directly, “between you and me there is no need for thank you and sorry”

oh and a slight diversion midway through into a manifesto on WEI WUXIAN IS NOT INSECURE the whole story is about a society where being liked is ESSENTIAL for survival and it is actually completely perilous not to be liked, and his “people pleasing” is a skill and tool for his survival especially as an orphan and proven to be a necessary one when he stops doing it and STOPS SURVIVING

after the cut discussing the very interesting dynamics of consent in general in the novel, but not going into the consensual non-consent kink stuff till the last paragraph if you need to avoid for any reason.

I've been thinking about how Lan WangJi sees in Wei WuXian the exterior, unfettered expression of the wildness Lan WangJi holds in him and protects with rigid codes of conduct, propriety and outward dignity.

I have had this sense that these two are mirrors, either one reflecting the hidden, interior (and unallowed) self of the other. but it seemed more clear from Lan WangJi's side, especially knowing about his history with his mother and the spicy side that emerges when he drinks and in the extras.

I also - just... the way this whole story shows how romantic love is truly this longing for your self, to become yourself, to become the thing you're not allowed to be, seeing in that person the expression of whatever it is you can't become and longing for it, protecting it, joining with it as closely as you can without ever being able to let it live inside your own body.

On the surface it seems a lot more difficult for Wei WuXian to find a piece of his soul in Lan Wangji. I think its a bit too simplistic to see whatever draws Wei WuXian to Lan Wangji as a reverse-psychology sort of craving of acceptance from the only one who won't give it, pushing and pushing against this impenetrable boundary that he needs to break to feel assurance that no matter what he can make anyone accept him.

And he is SO drawn - in a mind boggling way, in the teenage flashbacks Lan WangJi rudely and aggressively throws him off over and over and Wei WuXian cannot keep away! Even when he talks about how boring Lan WangJi is, he never stops trying to be around him and talk to him.

I've seen discussions of the way Wei WuXian has always relied on the goodwill of others to survive, and that his placating of others to survive is a character flaw. Although that seems only halfway true. 

As a young child he didn't have anyone's goodwill for a while and he survived, and it seems like he can always find a way to survive from whatever means and sometimes very limited resources he has at his disposal. Doing what he has to do to become powerful enough to survive losing his core and being thrown into the burial mounds slowly costs him the goodwill of everyone around him - and what happens to him as a result shows how much placation was a truly necessary for someone without the protection of biological/hereditary family bonds.

(Don’t get me started on how his loss of his golden core and his development of demonic cultivation to give himself power by ‘unnatural methods’ through the use of a musical instrument is a metaphor for disability and the way ableist society sees the use of accessibility devices and tools. Actually please DO get my started haha.)

Wei WuXian is so charismatic and seems very used to getting what he wants and needs on the strength of that. He pushes a lot of boundaries and seems pretty confident and flexibly prepared to handle the consequences, whether beatings or harsh words. But he does work so hard to make others feel good, good with him, good with themselves.

When he is in the cave with Lan WangJi, Wei WuXian is described as "like one who forgets all past pain as soon as the wound heals". He can't resist coming up beside Lan WangJi and talking to him again and again after every time Lan WangJi pushes him off, only finally staying away when Lan WangJi bites him (and he still keeps trying to talk to him after a little bit!) and then calls him an awful person (!!! Bad Wangji! :(((( ). In the end, when Lan WangJi (very minimally) discloses what happened to his sect and his father, and even cries, because of all the defences/assaults Lan WangJi has put up Wei WuXian can't do anything or say anything to help and feels miserable.

Lan WangJi just absolutely refuses to allow Wei WuXian to take care of him - and I began to wonder maybe that’s what Wei WuXian actually really likes about him? Why he is unable to resist coming up to Lan WangJi again and again? Maybe because Lan WangJi refuses to let Wei WuXian appease him. He’s not trying to crack Lan WangJi to get to this impenetrable place of approval and acceptance. In a way he can’t quite understand, Lan WangJi is a respite for Wei WuXian from the constant work to be the one who pleases.

And  how different this is to how Wei WuXian is (or has to be) with Jiang Cheng when he wakes up in Lotus Pier after the cave. Jiang Cheng gets so down and really really needs Wei WuXian to do what he does so well (and wasn’t allowed to do with Lan WangJi) - chasing Jiang Cheng down while being injured and reassuring him about all his insecurities about his father's acceptance and becoming a sect leader and Wei WuXian's own abilities excelling his - and at first Jiang Cheng is pushing him away, but he really does need Wei WuXian to do all this to feel better.

Wei WuXian is described as not wanting to be lonely, and not wanting to see other people unhappy, and he keeps trying to push and pull with whatever he has to not be lonely and lift the mood for those around him. I don't think it's a kind of codependency or insecurity. It’s not that Wei WuXian is afraid to say no, in fact I would say he doesn't do anything he doesn't want to do, but he must always do it creatively, with humour. Similarly to Nie Huaisang, he uses a persona of foolishness to give himself a covert agency.

I also think I'm writing this because I don't like seeing this discussed as a sad bean character flaw for him to always need to be liked - its a strategy, its a tool, its how he survives and excels. Doesn’t the whole story prove how essential being liked is to a human’s survival? And he is so so good at being liked, in making others happy, even when he is refusing to do what others want from him that he doesn't want to do, he does it in a way that deflects criticism, with a smiling bravado that never says what it truly means and has people writing him off as shameless or foolish or just endearing himself toward them despite themselves.

He is always at work really, with jokes and flattery or mischief and teasing, to get the resources he wants and needs. Case and point, when he makes a big coquettish show for mianmian, definitely not being "people pleasing" for her, but the group of girls around them all find it funny and cute and in the end she gives him a perfume sachet which ends up being a valuable resource for later. Or the time he outright tells Jiang Cheng that if you give the girls some lotus seeds they'll remember you and return the favour in the future. (Also notice how his interactions with girls seen as flirtatious are actually strategic resource-gathering acts.) These are the skills he has developed to meet his own needs. (THIS IS NOT A CHARACTER FLAW. I REPEAT.) He takes what he needs and steals from the Lotus Pier markets knowing it'll be paid for, he lives like he never know when his next windfall will come from so he'll take what he can when he can find it. Like Jiang Fengmian said, if there is no guarantee of a meal in the future then today's meal should still be enjoyed. It’s how Wei WuXian said to Nie Huaisang at Cloud Recesses, you have to find ways to make your own fun out of whatever you have. So he gets kicked out of class, goes fishing, gets alcohol, he pursues his own pleasure. He actually is quite insistent of his own agency and right to choose, he just can never directly say no.

And that little detail that Wei WuXian always tucks coins into his clothes just in case, that makes him able to buy food when he and Jiang Cheng are on the run... breaks my heart and reveals so much about the way Wei WuXian is constantly at work on ensuring his own survival and never takes for granted whether he is safe (he knows he never is). 

I've seen some people talking about Wei WuXian sacrificing so much for his brother and sister out of a need to be accepted out of a chronic sense of insecurity. But isn’t this just true? Doesn't he live in a world where being accepted is absolutely essential for survival? Doesn’t this whole story show the cruelty of a social system based on networks of hereditary/biological family that closes out and scapegoats any outsiders, and that without biological family connections that can enclose around you, you can never truly be safe if not constantly working to earn acceptance? (And then beautifully ends with the way a gay romantic relationship that queers marriage/family/etc disrupts all this and creates safety and inclusion for Wei WuXian without needing a normative family.) (AKA romantic love does not resolve some internal personal problem in Wei WuXian but disrupts and refuses and rebels against the problem of SOCIETY.) (*breathes heavily*)

And that’s why Lan WangJi is magnetizing to Wei WuXian. Lan WangJi is always saying no. Although what Lan WangJi sees in Wei WuXian is an exterior wildness, Wei WuXian is not really out of control so much as he is playing and caring and supplicating and showing off and pleasing people to get the resources and the acceptance he needs to live his life. He has firm values and desires that he can never outwardly state, only creatively spinning plates to distract and deflect while he refuses what goes against his values, protects who he cares for, or takes what he needs to in order to survive/thrive. Lan WangJi embodies an exterior of resoluteness and direct agency that Wei WuXian doesn't have the luxury of. And he's so drawn to him for his ability to repeatedly say no, to refuse to get along, or make others laugh, make other people happy, but just simply follow what he thinks is right.

Wei WuXian’s outward wild movement protects an inward stillness. He is an exterior of people-pleasing around an interior of refusal. He is an exterior of youthful rebellion around an interior of unflinching morality. He sees in Lan WangJi the outward expression of his stillness, his morality, his resistance that he can't express, that he's had to protect.

FYI after the cut gets more into the dynamics of consent in the story, and the last paragraph directly talks about consensual non-consent kink play in wangxian’s relationship.

When Wei WuXian is with Lan WangJi, there is no work to be done. Lan WangJi cannot be swayed by him, and so there's no point vying for resources or favors. Lan WangJi will either give him everything or refuse him everything based on who he is, it does not matter what Wei WuXian does and he can't do anything that will change Lan WangJi’s mind. Someone he literally can't win over. After the resurrection, they are often in an adorable tug of war, where Wei WuXian tries to take care of Lan WangJi, while Lan WangJi won't allow him to but demands to care of Wei WuXian right back. Actually, Lan WangJi insists that Wei WuXian take everything he wants or needs from him and is even angry when he doesn't take or when Wei WuXian tries to offer a gesture in return, even something as simple as a thank you Lan WangJi won't accept. It’s kind of adorable how frustrated Wei WuXian is in doing this thing he's learned that he needs to do, and just... so confused by Lan WangJi, and has to find a way to please this person who aggressively refuses to be pleased and is ONLY pleased by Wei WuXian being pleased.

(Not to mention the way Wei WuXian delights in finding that Lan WangJi can’t say what he wants, and they have sort of these chaotic cohesive both-being-so-pleased-by-working-hard-to-please each-other moments where Wei WuXian is letting Lan WangJi please him by finding out what pleases Lan WangJi and giving it to him.)

The wildness Lan WangJi had always hidden within himself is something he sees as just as dangerous as Wei WuXian thinks of his desire to refuse. He saw his mother be socially alienated, shunned, and eventually die because of her wildness. His ability to survive in the world, aka to be accepted by his family, is contingent on him being able to control this inner wildness. From a young age (re: Phoenix Mountain kiss) he could only understand his sexual desires for Wei WuXian as something repulsive or dangerous that had to be repressed and controlled, and that the only way he could imagine his desires as possible was as non-consensual. His secret gay desires were never available to him as anything but something monstrous.

Importantly, it’s not like everyone else other than Lan WangJi are all vampires cruelly demanding Wei WuXian’s constant sacrifice. Wei WuXian is always vibrantly, charismatically offering so much, before anyone has asked. It’s Wei WuXian who creates this kind of relationship for himself again and again. It’s Lan WangJi who simply refuses - he refuses to charmed, to be cared for. And so in the end Lan WangJi becomes the one person who Wei WuXian feels doesn't need anything from him. When he says he's eating the corpse's fruit to save Lan WangJi money and Lan WangJi says that will never be necessary. Or when Wei WuXian asks what toy he should win for Lan WangJi at the market game, and Lan WangJi says anything Wei WuXian gets will be the one he wants. (XD stahhhhp it’s too sweet !!!) He really just wants Wei WuXian to be, to exist, to spend his life discovering his own desires and allow Lan WangJi to help satisfy them, he doesn't want anything from Wei WuXian other than him living - happy and safe.

It takes someone like Lan WangJi to refuse Wei WuXian’s aggressive generosity, it’s definitely not an easy thing to say no to Wei WuXian, dazzling or annoying people so chaotically before they even realize there’s something to say no to. The sacrifice he gives to Jiang Cheng, he never even offers a choice - and perhaps it would have been too much for Jiang Cheng to accept if he had the chance.

Lan WangJi’s statement "Between us there is no need for thank you and sorry" seems like one of the most important sentences in the novel, and you can’t help but noticed the way “sorry” and “thank you” is littered meaningfully through the book. What is owed, what the characters owe to each other, the give and take, touches every part of the story (down to wangxian's erotic explorations!).

When Jiang Cheng talks to Wei WuXian at the Guanyin temple he makes a lot of contradictory statements about what Wei WuXian owes, what he was given, what he took, what he (Wei WuXian still) is owed in return. Wei WuXian, according to Jiang Cheng, took everything from the Jiang clan, and paid them back with their deaths. The Jiang clan give him his life when they took him in, and he owed Jiang Cheng service for the rest of his life as the right hand to the sect leader, that’s what Wei WuXian had promised anyway. At the same time, Wei WuXian sacrificed everything (his golden core) to Jiang Cheng, by giving everything he was taking one more thing - Jiang Cheng’s right to even be angry at him. Jiang Cheng had taken everything from Wei WuXian. Everything that happened around Wei WuXian after could be said to be because of the loss of his golden core, which Jiang Cheng might be said to be responsible for. But he never asked for it, maybe he never would have wanted it. He wishes Wei WuXian told him, but Jiang Cheng never told Wei WuXian his golden core was melted while he was sacrificing himself to save Wei WuXian. He wants Wei wuxian to say sorry, but that makes him feel pathetic. And Jiang Cheng says sorry too. It’s a mess of paradoxes, and in the end somehow it seems like the scales are balanced in the most hollow, dismal way.

What is owed, what is given, what is taken ... Wei WuXian has never been part of a family. He has always had to say thank you and sorry for everything he's taken. Wei WuXian himself admits that he used "thank you" as a way to enforce distance between himself and Lan WangJi. Lan WangJi's point i think is that they belong to each other, Wei WuXian is his, and he is Wei WuXian's, unconditionally. The way that Jiang Cheng speaks of him in the Guanyin temple (admittedly I read a fan translation and this is very nuanced, related to slight variations of grammar), even when Jiang Cheng clearly is so broken by the loss of Wei WuXian from his life, he talks about Wei WuXian as an outsider. It is what MY family gave to YOU, never what you took from our family. But at one point Wei WuXian was part of their family - but he takes too much, and becomes an ex-disciple, not a brother. Wei WuXian’s inclusion as a Jiang was always conditional. 

Even when Wen Qing and Wen Ning leave him to go take the blame for qiongqing path they tell him "thank you and sorry", drawing a line between them and him, so he doesn’t even belong to these people who he sacrificed everything for. The way Wei WuXian acted when he was younger, he was always keenly aware of this - he always knew that he didn’t belong to anyone, no one is going to protect him unconditionally. And after first escaping the Burial Mounds, he is done pretending. When Lan WangJi warns him about what a demonic cultivation path will do to his heart, Wei WuXian replies: “After all, on the topic of how my heart is, what could other people know about it? Why should other people care about it?” He is done pleasing. Nothing has changed really, he still belongs to no one and is alone, but now he is angry about it, and instead of saying thank you and sorry he is going to become too powerful to be at anyone's mercy. And then we see in the story afterward what happens to people who don't say thank you and sorry.

The whole point I think is the impossibility of choice, the impossibility of consent in this society. If he didn't forgo the behaviour his social acceptance was conditional on, he wouldn't have survived the burial mounds. But once he becomes powerful enough to survive and get revenge on the Wens, he is socially outcast. Except he was already outcast from the beginning.

And so how do Wei WuXian and Lan WangJi find a way through all that to a life together where all their desires are possible, where Wei WuXian can say no while also being pleasing (safe) to others, and Lan WangJi can indulge in his wild desires while still being good? The answer is kinky sex!

It is kind of miraculous and beautiful how Wei WuXian finds a way to say no, while simultaneously pleasing Lan WangJi, giving pleasure, while taking it, saying no, and knowing his refusal is not just tolerated, but gives Lan WangJi pleasure, knowing Lan wangji and knowing the painful belief Lan WangJi holds within that his desires are unacceptable and unspeakable, and that Wei WuXian can take care of Lan Wangji in a secret little way and please him and give everything to him by craving this wildness in Lan WangJi while at the same time he gets to say no again and again , and it won't push Lan WangJi away, he can refuse everything while at the same time be totally pleasing and thus safe, and also for Lan WangJi, Wei WuXian's pleasure at saying "no" while still being held onto, that he genuinely wants to be fucked even while begging Lan WangJi to stop (and the many ways he does give his consent for this throughout, especially their first time), allows Lan WangJi the ecstatic feeling that this idea that his sexual desires are only possible through force are not just something his lover forgives him for but something his lover is SO turned on by, and that he has consent for his fantasies of non-consent, Wei WuXian has the same fantasies from the other side, he is doing what he is supposed to while doing what he shouldn't, and actually these monstrous feelings in him allow him to take care of Wei WuXian in a way that he needs - that they both need - and all these impulses that are so wrong with Wei WuXian become very right and a way to do good. And they are just both so perfect and perfect for each other and I love them and I am so happy for them to have a long kinky life together.

[sullina]

"Demons are... well, we're pack creatures." Meliodas softly whispered, eyes squeezing shut as the memories returned, "We have a heavily community based social structure and our instincts follow that pattern. Like minded demons form up to create packs. A demon's pack is... everything to them. When I left... I sacrificed the core values of demonkind and abandoned that which is most important to me... so no... I'm not welcome among the demons. I'll never be welcome among them again."

Zaratrus frowned, worry beginning to build in his breast. This... sounded very serious.

"Why did you leave, then?"

"It... it was the only way to escape." Meliodas began to tremble, "I... someone important to me gave me an put and I took it... to escape the tyranny of the eon King. He... he... i can't... i just... I can't!"

Everyone felt the small demons inner turmoil as the dark power inside him rapidly rose. His eyes turned black and parts of his skin looked like they were covered in ink.

Zaratras hurried to get close to Meliodas. "Hey, hey, no no no, it's okay", he spoke to him soothingly, taking him into his arms. "We don't have to talk about it. It's okay."

As the Sins in the room joined, surrounding their Captain in a hug (including Diane, who was able to pet Meliodas' head with a finger), Meliodas calmed down considerably. The black stuff disappeared and his eyes returned to their regular emerlad color.

"I... I'm sorry...", Meliodas whispered.

[newwavenosferatu]

Reblogging with some updates/things i forgot

The term Jyhad is not used in my games. It is referred to strictly as the Eternal Struggle or the War of Ages

I love CofD stuff as well, albeit if I'm far less familiar with it than WoD. My favourite element of CofD is the Prometheans, so they have a decent presence in my games. Right now, when I have a run in with a different supernatural but don't know of what nature, I roll on a table of garou, changeling, mage, wraith, promethean and demon, so I have as much of a chance of interacting with them as I do any other. There are at least 2 in the city right now.

Mummies as in "resurrected ancient Egyptian dead" aren't a thing in my world of darkness. The role they play, imo, is better suited for Kindred in torpor waking up after millennia. Same thing at the core, but without the orientalism.

Malkavians are seers, oracles, advisors in the metaphysical , not "worst mental health depiction but Kindred this time". They are not more or less likely to have mental illnesses than anyone else. Dementation is mental in nature, giving targets a slice of the spiritual truth that the Children of Malkav are blessed with.

Second Inquisition is around, and have destroyed many Kindred and destabilized many cities. Hunter groups are funded more heavily by the church and state now, making them far more dangerous than ever. Supernaturals have been working together much more in recent nights, especially where the SI is involved

Sabbat still recognize clans and bloodlines

Nosferatu are still walking Masquerade Breaches and need to be careful

I'm trying to make Brujah more interesting and not just angry Kindred punks. Idk as someone involved the punk subculture you would think I would appreciate them more but I find them very one note,

The Path of the Feral Heart is very important to Clan Gangrel and more follow it (in some form) than don't. Their unique philosophy based on this path, Feralism, teaches that being Kindred is a freedom from the confines of humans and their morals. To a Feralist, to be Kindred is to be an animal, and pretending to be anything else is foolish and dishonest. Feralists reject humanity fully, but also most elements of Kindred society, namely the latter 5 traditions, sects, the War of Ages, etc. They understand the importance of the Masquerade but are far more lenient with their interpretation and punishment for breaches. Many Feralists ally themselves with the Anarchs, although the don't really care for the sects goals or ambitions, but understand strength in numbers and the advantage of a good friend

So here's an OOC post about some of the setting changes I made for my own WoD games, as I combined some 5th edition lore with majority v20 stuff.

- SchreckNet is still around! If you know me you know I love SchreckNet, and it while it getting compromised is a good metaplot development, I want to use SchreckNet in my games. The newest version, SchreckNet 3.0 uses a sort of VPN type deal. It's kinda like a reddit-radio combo where people go to different "tunnels" (channels/subreddits) where they get information uploaded in time sensitive transmissions. Most of these fade after a couple of days, and all tunnels are heavily watched and surveilled. It's a Nossie only deal right now, with some Nossies acting/posting on behalf of other clans.

-Hecata is a mini-sect, not a clan. Many members of the "necromantic" clans and bloodlines have joined together in a very volatile alliance for strength and protection. I know this is pretty much just v5 but I want to get rid of the idea that they are a clan in their own right, as I think them being a sect that some deathly Kindred join, but not all. There's still independent Giovanni for example

-Beckoning and Gehenna War are dialed back a lot. Not nonexistent but there are still plenty of elders and even older generations around. Many used the Beckoning as a clever disguise to advance their schemes, move to new territory, etc. Gehenna War skirmishes are happening around the world, not just in East Asia

-Sabbat is still around in plenty of places, if now being a bit more secretive in their operations.

-Many Anarchs still viewed by Cam as an unruly group population of their population, not their own sect. In many places, Anarchs are more of a problem for the Ivory Tower than Sabbat packs or other outsiders .Many Anarchs have also established their own small, but heavily defended Baronies nearby or even within Cam territories.

-WoD Orientalism and other Problems. Probably gonna be the part some people don't like, but I don't care. I'm not interested in perpetuating harmful, misinformed views of other cultures, in life or in my games.I love WoD and it's games, but it had some horrible ideas that are still haunting the modern iteration of the games. Frankly, The Banu Haqim, Ministry, and Ravnos are just stereotypes-as-clans. They have been partially improved, but it's very hard to distance them from their initial versions. I will eventually be doing a major rewrite for these clans to remove the more unsavory bits . This goes for other WoD games too however. I think the lore changes to W5 were mostly positive. However, the majority of the tribes are based on a weird understanding of culture and ethnicity which in removing that, which is in my opinion is a good step, did kind of leave the clans feeling a little "samey". It's not that there can't or shouldn't be a wide array of cultures that our splats are a part of, the exact opposite is true. But to have so many of these clans/tribes/etc being rooted in only stereotypes just doesn't . For example, only about 30% of Get fell to Hauglosk. The ones that fell were the worst of the tribe, and now the main tribe don't have any fashy undertones, basically just Klingon Garou, which is what I always saw them as. Ministry are probably going to be focused on a fictional vampiric deity rather than a real world one, and not be as connected to ancient Egyptian mythology. It's sometimes a thin line between talking inspiration from other cultures and appropriating them in the most stereotypical ways but that's no excuse for doing some research and treating other cultures with respect . Banu Haqim being focused on justice is an improvement from them being just foreign assassins, but I feel like it still comes from a weird understanding of Islam and its laws and traditions. Ravnos are perhaps the hardest to separate from their cultural "influences" (in quotes because it's one of the worst most basic stereotype of GRT people I've ever seen). Even getting rid of the travelling element that makes the stereotypical association undeniable and keeping them as a sneaky clan ruling from the shadows is just as offensive and backwards.

-

[thewheezingwyvern]

Salt Lines

Demon!Aizawa x Witch!F!Reader x Demon!Shinsou

Summary: You summoned two demons for a favor. Little did you know that they had different ideas on how they wanted you to pay for their services.

Rating: Here be smut!

Word count: 4.3k

Kinks: Blowjob, Threesome, Spit roasting, Double penetration, Dirty talk

Notes: Banner edited by me, base photo can be found here.  Tagging: @secondhand-trash, @animewh0re, @marilla-eldriana, @heyybrittannia, @redbeanteax, @blueflame-dabi, @mari-writes-smut, @league-of-thots, @dee-madwriter , @theravencawsatmidnight, @bratwritings, @knifeewifee, @mirakumiruku, @raekahnsfw​

✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ 

To say that they were gorgeous was a vast understatement. The two demons that you had summoned were in possession of an otherworldly attraction that ensnared your attention. At first glance they looked like exceptionally gorgeous humans, skin bathed in an alluring glow with lean bodies that radiated power. But closer inspection revealed two pairs of eyes that glowed like hellfire and powerful curved horns that betrayed their nature.

"A brave witch," The one on the left observed, a shock of lavender hair floating on an infernal wind from the summoning circle, "to summon not one but two demons to her bidding." 

The one on the right curled a faint smirk, dark hair twisting in a storm around his jaw and neck, "Is the witch ready to pay double for her favor?" 

A raw rush of power roiled against your circle, a loud hum reverberating through your bedroom. 

"Your price?" you asked through gritted teeth. 

The lavender haired demon twisted a grin on his mouth, dark eyes slipping past your form to eye your bed, "Convenient place you've chosen to summon us..."

It did not take you long to connect the dots, “I wasn’t looking for Incubi…”

A deep laugh rumbled in the dark-haired one’s chest, “Incubi aren’t the only ones who can seek pleasure.” he lifted a lazy hand and trailed it along your circle, the barrier crackling violently against his skin, “It’s nearly impossible to resist when an attractive witch like you summons us.”

A shudder rolled down your spine, his voice a pleasing caress to your ears. Purple eyes watched you with a burning intensity, accompanied by a knowing smirk. The raw energy swelling through your bedroom was intense and it sensitized your skin as they eagerly drank in the sight of your figure. You considered the proposition. As far as demon deals went, this seemed to be the lowest risk to you, compared to having to offer up something of great value to you personally or even owe them a favor. But you knew better than to just blindly accept.

“Name your terms specifically.” you replied firmly, fighting back the shudder as they both eyed you from behind the barrier, “Or I banish you.”

“The terms are simple” the black haired one said, “In exchange for whatever favor you ask from us, we get to have our fun with you.”

“Define ‘fun’.” 

A laugh emerged from the one on the left, “It’s really not complicated, witch. We get to fuck you.”

Your mind flooded with thoughts of being pressed between the two of them, hot and eager mouths devouring you while greedy hands reveled in the feel of your skin. Curious, your eyes trailed over their forms once more. Their clothes were modern enough, a trait demons have done for centuries, adapting to suit the times with each summon. But beneath the clothes you could see hard muscle and it made your mouth water at the thought of seeing them both. 

Still wary, you narrowed your eyes, “And if I start to feel uncomfortable with some of your ideas of fun?”

“All you have to do is say so.” Dark eyes hooded sensuously from beneath wild black hair, “After all, we want you writhing in pleasure and we can’t do that if you don’t like it.”

You paused thoughtfully, “You have a deal.”

Throwing all caution to the wind, you dropped the circle. Before you could blink the two descended upon you, the dark haired one pulling you to him, your back pressed against your chest while his hands roamed along the lines of your body. As the other demon pressed against you from the front, hot mouth finding purchase on your neck, your voice rasped out of your open mouth.

“Names. What are your names?”

Your hoarse request sent a shudder through both of them before the one behind you rumbled out an answer, “Shouta.”

“Hitoshi.” murmured the one with lavender hair into your ear, cool teeth nibbling at your earlobe.

Their bodies were blazing hot, a manifestation of hellfire contained within flesh as they crowded against you. Your own temperature increased when Hitoshi claimed your mouth with his own. His kiss was intense and deep, pulling your breath out of you to hold it prisoner behind his teeth. Shouta kissed his way up your neck to nibble on your ear, hot hands gripping your hips. 

Pressed as you were between them, you could feel the firm and rigid lengths of both of them pushed against you. When the length behind you rutted up against your ass, you groaned into Hitoshi’s mouth. Eager for more, you reached your arms behind you to embrace Shouta’s neck, grinding back against him. A pleasured growl filled your ears in response to your movements.

“Nice shirt.”

Deft fingers stole around to the front of your shirt, a button up, and he slowly set to work undoing each one. His progress was slow and tantalizing, taking the opportunity to relish in the feel of your soft skin along the way. Meanwhile, Hitoshi was growing rougher in his kisses, his hands reaching around to squeeze your ass tightly. He kneaded the supple flesh there, savoring the feel and how you groaned against him with the motion. Sinful hands parted your shirt, baring your torso and bra to them. 

Hitoshi pulled back to bore his gaze into you, “Every inch of you is ours tonight. How could we possibly resist such a tempting little Kitten?”

While his mouth returned to your neck, peppering scorching kisses down to your chest, Shouta growled into your ear, “I want to taste you so fucking bad. I bet you’re already wet, aren’t you?”

He didn’t wait for your answer, his hand stealing away past the waistband of your jeans and underwear to dip into your core. You were drenched just like he expected and when Shouta felt your dripping want, he groaned. Slick fingers were held up before your face, evidence of your desire glinting in the soft glow of the candles and string lights of your bedroom.

“Shit. Look at how wet she is, Hitoshi.”

The demon in question pulled back to look at his fingers. Darkened eyes shifted over to look at you, drinking in your pleasured face. A smirk crawled across his face before he reached over to take Shouta’s wrist in his hand before guiding it over to your lips.

“Taste yourself, witch.”

You opened your mouth and took his fingers into your mouth. The musky flavor of your arousal burst across your tongue and you eagerly sucked on Shouta’s fingers. The act had both demons growling and pressing you even tighter between them.

“That’s it.” Shouta rumbled into your ear.

“You want something else to suck, don’t you?”

The sound of Hitoshi’s husky voice had you whining and squirming. Yes. A thousand times yes! Shouta was breathing heavily in your ear, rutting against your ass with his growing hardness. A pair of hands shoved your pants down, leaving you in your underwear and open button down shirt.

Hitoshi was eager to touch, palms gliding over your exposed thighs. The sensation was tantalizing, leaving you squirming in your need. A heated palm cupped your sex, a whine escaping you at the touch. It wasn't enough. You needed more. Shouta pulled his fingers free to reach around and cup your breasts, pushing them together in offering for the demon in front of you.

“You have the most tempting body...”

The rumbling growl of Shouta’s voice against your skin sent a powerful jolt of arousal right to your pussy, clenching in anticipation of being filled. Hitoshi’s indigo eyes blazed with hunger, drinking in your disheveled state before dipping his head down to take a nipple into his mouth. A plaintive whine emerged from you, pleasure singing through your nerves as his clever mouth suckled at your breasts. Hot fingers made their way past your underwear to stroke along your weeping slit, your hips bucking in need.

“We are going to devour you. Would you like that?” Shouta chuckled against your ear, taking great pleasure in your answering whimper, “We’re going to stuff you so full of cock that you won’t know how to think.”

“God yes!” You groaned out, head lolling back to rest on his shoulder.

While your chest was teased and kissed and sucked, another mouth found your neck again, teeth biting down on the tender flesh there. Hard. It was a heated move that made your pussy clench, searching for something to fill it. Demons bite to claim, you realized, a way to ward off others of their infernal brethren from getting ideas. The idea of being claimed by these two, held and guarded jealously was unspeakably arousing and it made you wiggle your hips against the fingers stroking your aching sex.

“So eager.” Indigo eyes swam into your vision as he threaded his fingers into your hair, lifting up your head to stare at your face properly., “Let’s hear it, girl. Do you want us to fuck you? To claim you?”

Fuck. That voice, heavy with a demonic, possessive growl made you tremble in need. Your hips bucked again, seeking more friction, more pleasure, your pussy needing to be filled. The sight of him staring at you, luminous eyes setting your blood on fire, caused your voice to fail. You nodded desperately, panting as Shouta suckled at your skin, greedy hands massaging your breasts.

“Use your words.” Hitoshi instructed.

“Beg for it.” the dark haired demon behind you corrected, “I want to hear you beg. Beg for us pretty little witch.”

A single finger began drawing tight but maddeningly slow circles around your needy clit. Your chest heaved, panting beneath the current of their desire as you spiraled into a mess of trembling limbs. A second hand dipped between your thighs, Shouta’s hand, and gathered up the pooling slick onto his finger tips. A faint squeak of surprise jolted from you when that same hand pressed into your ass, teasing the puckered hole there. You pressed your butt back against him, urging him to push his fingers into you but he drew back.

“Beg for it.” Shouta growled to you, “Tell us what you want.”

Cool teeth nipped at your lower lip, hot breath washing over your face. They were impossibly close and yet not close enough. Under normal circumstances you would give them more resistance and make them earn your begging. But you were so hot, so tightly wound with intense need that you felt certain you were going to burst. You shuddered between them.

“Please! Please I need you both!”

“Please what, Kitten?” rumbled Hitoshi, “You have to tell us what you want.”

You whined, bucking against their hands yet they pointedly did not give you what you wanted.

“Please! Please just fuck me! I need it so bad, please!”

The answering growls you received was enough to make your bones quake, previously luminous eyes glowing like hot coals in a dark night. A hand, impossible for you to tell who it belonged to, abruptly ripped your underwear off of you. The loud sound of fabric tearing cut through the air, making you squawk indignantly.

“Hey! Those were my- Ah-!”

Hitoshi had moved so fast you had never noticed him drop to his knees before you until he latched his mouth to your clit. The sensation was so intense it made your knees buckle, your quaking body only held upright by Shouta’s powerful arm still clamped around your waist. Slippery fingers prodded at your rear, until you felt one slide in, a soft moan tumbling from your lips at the stretch.

You were impossibly wet, your juices leaking at a slow but steady rate as the two demons ravaged you. Hitoshi hefted up your left leg, resting it on his shoulder as he feasted on your dripping sex, drinking in the flavor of your arousal. The sounds he made down there were obscene, vulgar slurping and sucking permeating the air as he growled against your want.

“You like that don’t you?” came Shouta’s voice in your ear, sinking a second finger into your ass, “Him eating out your pussy while I have my fun here with this cute ass of yours?”

You needed to feel their skin on yours. It wasn’t fair that you were the only one completely bare while they had their way with you. Desperate to turn the tables, you reached around and grabbed his cock through his pants. The answering hiss alone was enough to drive your arousal up. But the part that made you lick your lips, the detail that made your mouth water in anticipation was his girth. He was large enough that you couldn’t even get your hand to close all the way around it

You balked at the idea of him being able to fit that in your ass. Could your body even handle a cock that large?

“Careful, girl. Keep grabbing my cock like that and you won’t be able to walk for days.”

Oh fuck. That was too much. Between Shouta’s fingers in your ass, the growls against your skin and Hitoshi’s mouth working at your clit, your hips rutted to seek the pleasure you needed. Eager to see you fall apart, the two demons intensified their attentions, a third finger stretching your asshole while three were added to your aching and empty pussy. When they scissored within you, you howled out your pleasure, trembling against them while you struggled to palm his erection.

“Fuck.” he cursed behind you, “I can’t wait anymore.”

Infernal magic sizzled around him, melting away the modern clothes he was clad in until Shouta was left just as bare as you. As he eased the tip of his throbbing cock into you, you hissed, the stretch already intense to accommodate his girth. He sank in slowly, gradually advancing so you could take in all of him. It stung and you strained to adjust, struggling to keep your hips still against the lips that dined between your legs.

Until you felt Hitoshi’s teeth rake across your clit.

White stars burst before your eyes, your abdomen tightening before your hips rocked wildly, seeking out the start of your orgasm. You were so close, teetering on the edge of a hungry mouth and a rock hard cock sheathing into you, ready to fall over the side at a moment's notice. Hitoshi snapped his eyes up to look at you, illuminated eyes scorching a trail across your skin to bore into your own gaze. It was his eyes that performed the smirk that his mouth was too preoccupied to do, wicked delight glowing like a hot coal in those indigo depths. 

“Fuck! Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!” you cursed, “Please, Hitoshi, I’m so close! Please!”

Shouta snapped his hips forward, your skin slapping against his, “Scream for us, Kitten.”

Hitoshi growled his approval against your pussy, the vibrations shooting right to your clit and across your nerves. That pushed you over the edge with a shout, a delicious fall into wild and frenzied bucking, your desire pouring out of you and into his hot and ready mouth. You panted and whimpered, the sight of him so eager to consume your fluids while Shouta rutted into you from behind was so arousing. 

Lavender head lifting, the light from your bedroom and the candles caught on your slick glistening on his lips and chin. A tongue lashed out to clean up your essence, his body rising to his feet. You were greeted with a smirk as he drank in your blissed expression, mouth hanging open as you panted for air, breasts bouncing with each of Shouta’s thrusts.

“Good girl.” he purred behind you, fingers giving your hips an appreciative squeeze, “Good fucking girl.”

Sensuous lips claimed yours, the musky tang of your own essence flooding your mouth. Growls reverberated in your ears from the two demons boxing you between them, ungodly heat simmering along your skin. Shouta grew rougher, thick cock twitching inside of you with each thrust, nails biting into your skin. A whine of protest escaped you when he pulled out of you, leaving you achingly empty.

“I think it’s only fair that you return the favor. Let’s see you take two demon cocks at once.”

A squeal escaped you as you were abruptly tossed onto the bed, mattress creaking to catch you. Shouta was on you before you could even blink, flipping you onto your hands and knees with your face near the edge of the bed. Roughly he pressed himself back into your ass, stretching and reaching deep inside of you. When Hitoshi came back into your view he was nude, hard lines of his body nearly glowing in the dim haze of your candles and string lights. Your mouth watered at the sight, fingers fisting into the comforter of your bed. He looked so sinful and sexy and you wanted to turn around to get a good look at Shouta in nothing but his skin.

“Think you can handle us both, Kitten?” grunted the demon behind you, snapping his hips to slap against the skin of your ass, “If you’re scared now, we won’t fault you too much.”

Did you think you could handle them both? You weren’t sure. The one dick deep inside of you already stretched you so wide it was at the upper threshold of pleasure. But the part that you found intimidating was before you. Hitoshi was thick. So much so that you felt your jaw ache at the idea of taking him into your mouth. Were you even capable of accommodating something that large?

You had your doubts but the teasing tone from Shouta urged you forward, “Fuck me like you mean it. Unless you’re scared?”

Hips stuttered to a stop, stilling as they both drank in what you just said. What you just challenged. Indigo eyes, still glowing, fluorescent embers were wide for a moment before hooding. A dangerous smirk crossed Hitoshi’s lips, carnal teeth peering out between them. There was a raw infernal energy that rolled off of both of them, powering against you and scintillating across your skin. It abruptly became very clear that they both had been holding back. 

Their energy made you feel nearly drunk, spiking your own desire until you felt you were going to burst out of your own skin. There was a moment where you felt like you would regret your words but that vanished under the idea of being completely ruined by two indescribably sexy demons. Demons that were overcome with desire for you. They may be running the show but the thought of them so enamored with you gave you a power all of your own.

A dark chuckle emerged from Hitoshi, eyes intensely more luminous than before. As he drew closer, sensuous kisses were pressed to your back, following the pillar of your spine. It was almost soft, tender and tempting. But you could sense it was a preclude to the storm they were about to unleash upon you. The lavender haired demon sifted his hand through your hair before dipping to your chin, angling your head up to look at him, cock pulsing in front of your face.

“Remember you asked for it, witch.”

Shouta burst to life behind you with a snarl, powering himself forward into you. It was so abrupt and intense, you cried out, pleasure and pain intertwining in a dance along your nerves. His thrusts were rough, wild and utterly carnal. And your own cries swelled when wicked fingers snaked around to pinch your clit. At the same time, Hitoshi fisted his hand into your hair and yanked it back down to stare at his length.

“Suck it.” growled out Shouta, “A slutty little witch like you knows how, right? Go on. Let me see you suck his cock.”

Eagerly, you parted your lips and took his tip into your mouth, swirling your tongue around the tip. Hitoshi hissed quietly, bucking his hips at the sensation. The action caused you to cough in response, throat spasming at the intrusion. You heard him groan as you tried to sink his length further into your mouth, jaws stretching to accommodate him properly. Before they might have let you take your time, get used to taking on the sheer size of him, but your challenge earlier erased that possibility entirely.

The two of them set a rigorous pace thrusting into you, two demon cocks filling you to capacity. They were rough, man handling your frame until you could feel bruises forming on your hips and your scalp stinging from Hitoshi’s insistent tugging on your hair. You could taste his pre, salty on your tongue as you hollowed out your cheeks.  The growls were incredibly arousing and Shouta’s persistent fingers on your clit only served to work you into a frenzy, driving you to take both of them as much as you could.

“Fuck you look good like that.” came Hitoshi’s voice, hoarse with desire, “Do you want my cum?”

You hummed in the affirmative but suddenly gave a muffled squeal when a hand descended down onto your right ass cheek. The skin stung sharply with the abrupt abuse and you knew it was going to bruise later. When you were spanked again you yelped again, earning a loud moan from Hitoshi.

“Don’t talk with your mouth full.” Shouta told you.

Even though you couldn’t see him, you could hear the smirk in his voice. The tone emboldened you, thrusting your hips back to meet one of his powerful strokes, skin slapping against his. Shouta gave a pleasured growl, cock twitching inside of you. Things were getting heated and messy, lines of drool dripping from your mouth. It was a struggle to keep taking in the massive dick, your throat constantly working around his thrusts. 

“Your mouth feels so good.” Hitoshi told you, abruptly pulling out of your mouth, “But I know somewhere that will feel better.”

“Shit -ah! Please. I need to cum!”

A positively feral snarl ripped from Shouta’s throat, a rough hand gripping you by the neck and hauling you up right. The other demon clamored onto the bed, mattress dipping beneath his weight. Hitoshi’s cock was rock hard, dark red from blood flow and was twitching with need. Lips pressed to your ear as the thrusts behind you grew more fervent and wild.

“You want to cum, pretty witch? Alright we’ll make you cum. We’re going to fill you up.”

“Yes!” 

Shouta pulled you tightly against him, hot skin burning against your back, before falling back so you were laying on top of him. The position change had your aching, empty pussy clenching, leaking out your desire in preparation for the fucking it desperately needed. He fisted a rough hand into your hair, pulling sharply to force you to tip back your head, arching your body above him. 

Hitoshi was on you quickly, sheathing himself fully into your dripping heat, “Fuck..! You feel so-agh! This pussy is mine. Mine.”

You couldn’t see either of their faces from the angle you were forced to hold yourself in but their powerful, wild thrusts was more than enough to send you careening over the edge of your second orgasm. You came with a scream, bucking your way through the wave of pleasure, trembling limbs spasming around you. 

“We’re not done with you yet, Witch.” Shouta whispered into your ear, “We’re going to ruin you. You want that, don’t you? To be a fuck toy for two powerful demons?”

Each movement sent overly sensitized jolts through you, your body stimulated past it’s threshold and they still continued to pound into you. You writhed and whined between them, feeling like you were going to split at the seams beneath their attention. Waves of infernal power roiled over you, sensual and erotic like it’s own full body caress. 

“I-I ah! I can’t! It’s too much! I can’t!”

“Fuck you like we mean it. Isn’t that what you told us?” drawled Shouta from behind you.

“Yes…” you whimpered out.

“Tell us to stop, Kitten.” Hitoshi murmured to you between his wild thrusts, “You know the rules. You have to tell us to stop.”

It was overwhelming, thrumming through your nerves right to your core, so intense it was almost painful. But you didn’t want to stop. You wanted and needed this. Tightly wound already from your desire, it sprung to an even higher level when Shouta pinched your sensitive clit between his clawed fingers. You howled in pleasure, white fuzz swimming into your vision as you endured through their ministrations. Whimpers escaped you when Shouta’s other hand slipped up and cupped your left breast, thumb stroking a nipple.

The sensation made you buck and squirm and writhe between them, heat swallowing you as you tipped over your third orgasm for the night with a scream. The sound of you coming undone was enough to push Shouta over the edge as well, a feral snarl escaping him as he shot ropes of thick cum into you. The sensation was pleasant and you felt yourself fall limp on him. 

“Where do you want it?” Hitoshi asked you, grunting in between his strokes.

You were breathless and panting but you still had enough energy to rasp out, “Inside of me. Cum inside me please!”

“Fuck-!”

Hitoshi unloaded into you, spilling hot, sticky seed into your quivering pussy. His hot body laid on top of yours, head resting on your chest. Both demons peppered your skin with slow kisses, the three of you panting and sweating. Your body felt like it was made of jelly, limp limbs falling to either side of you. 

“That was…” you croaked out, voice dying in your throat.

“That was good. I love this ass of yours.” Shouta cupped your butt, fingers squeezing into your flesh.

“Hmmmm, be sure to summon us again, Kitten. I have other things I want to do to you.”

Other things? Summon them both again? To get fucked within an inch of your life by the both of them?

Hell. Fucking. Yes.

[bbytarantula]

The theory about ‘Sukuna’s going to eat (or try to eat) Megumi’ has a high probability to come true

This theory is cross-posted on posted on reddit. Contains spoilers for non-manga readers.

I know that (some) people are sick of this, but I’d like to point out something I’ve noticed from u/bushwarblerssong's post about the urban legend that inspired Gege to create Sukuna, which I think supports the ‘Sukuna will (try to) eat Megumi’ theory.

Gege said he created Sukuna based on an urban legend thread that was posted on 2chan.

The summary of this urban legend thread;

> A construction worker found a 2 meter wooden box with ‘Ryoman Sukuna ??? is sealed’ written on it at the old temple his company was demolishing. Fyi he was the one who posted the thread, so I’ll refer to him as 2chan guy just like bushwarblerssong did on their post.

> 2chan guy called the former priest of the temple & told him about the box.

> The priest told 2chan guy to not open the box.

> Two of 2chan guy’s coworkers opened the box for fun, then they became sick (mute + dazed) & hospitalized (few days later one of them died due to heart attack while the other became mentally unstable).

> That box contained a mummy of two conjoined twins.

> 2chan guy called the priest again. The priest came with his son and took the box. 2chan guy asked the priest’s son about the mummy.

> Priest’s son confirmed the mummy was indeed a pair of conjoined twins. The twins were purchased by Mononobe who was a leader of a religious sect & then the twins got locked inside a secret chamber with other prisoners who also had deformities. They all cannibalized each other there.

> Mononobe was interested in the twins & wanted the twins to become the sole survivor, so he stabbed other prisoners before he threw the twins there.

> The twins survived & Mononobe turned them into a mummy while they were still alive (by starving them). Then he named them Ryomen (Two Faces) Sukuna.

And here’s the interesting part, quoting bushwarblerssong;

To increase the mummy’s power, Mononobe filled Ryomen Sukuna’s stomach with a fine powder made from the crushed bones of ancient “traitorous clans” (like the Emishi or Tsuchigumo) eradicated by the Imperial Court.

Doesn’t the Zen’in kinda fit this label? Since they are in the process of getting removed from the three great families.

ch 152

Maki and Megumi are also deemed as traitors by the Zen’in clan, and perhaps by the Jujutsu Society/higher ups as well. Because they’re currently trying to free Gojo. Plus Megumi is on Yuji’s side and the higher ups clearly see Yuji as evil/dangerous and they want Yuji (Sukuna) dead.

ch 148

Anyway, Sukuna has a mouth on his stomach so it matches the urban legend. I’m guessing Mononobe cut open the stomach of the Urband Legend Sukuna so he could stuff it with the bone powder, thus creating the second mouth.

cover for ch 117

A huge mouth also exists in Sukuna’s domain expansion.

ch 8

ch 119

His domain expansion is called Fukumamizushi (伏魔御廚子) in Japanese. Fukuma (伏魔) means a place where demons hide while Mizushi (御廚子) means the place inside the palace where the emperor eats or the kitchen.

The name of Sukuna’s DE can be taken as “Sukuna’s kitchen” or “Emperor Sukuna’s dining place.”

“The kitchen of all deaths is here!!”

His innate domain also looks like the inside of a stomach.

So far Sukuna’s innate techniques are all related to cooking (Knives; dismantle and cleaves/filleting*, and Fire; flames |*the kanji hachi 捌 also means filleting fish) and we’ve seen him talking about his enemies in cooking term. He even 'employs' Uraume because of Uraume’s cooking skill.

Q: How long has Uraume known Sukuna?

A: Uraume has known Sukuna for 1000 years. Uraume is a human who’s allowed to stand next to Sukuna because Uraume could make delicious food. Uraume is also a sorcerer.

Q: Is Uraume a chef?

A: Sukuna likes to eat people, but it’s difficult to cook them, or rather only few people have the experience, but Uraume is excellent at this.

This character introduction implies that the reason why Sukuna allows Uraume to become his (only) follower is because of Uraume’s cooking skill. Weren't Uraume a good cook, Sukuna most likely wouldn't keep Uraume around.

Also, let’s not forget that it’s also mentioned in the official fanbook that Sukuna finds the most pleasure in eating.

三枚おろし is a culinary term for filleting a fish (into three slices).

味見 means tasting. The fight is a literal taste test for him.

“A delicious death begins with a careful preparation.”

The motif of eating and cooking is heavily emphasized on Sukuna. Even the way he gains control of Yuji’s body began with eating (Yuji ate Sukuna’s finger). Moreover Yuji is also a good cook, he taught Megumi to make meatballs.

(FYI in Gifu prefecture, there’s a giant dish called "Sukuna nabe" or Sukuna stew. Apparently this dish can serve approximately 2500 people. Gifu prefecture was the Hida province back then. It’s said that people of Hida liked Sukuna & considered him as a hero because he defeated a poisonous dragon and a demon called Shichina)

These are the reasons why I believe Sukuna will eat someone later, or at least try to. I’m willing to bet a huge amount of money on this. That mouth on his stomach isn’t there just for decorating, it’s for eating.

And since his interest is solely on Megumi, it’s logical to assume Megumi will become his prey in the future.

I mean, who else fits this position beside Megumi? The other person Sukuna acknowledges is Gojo (so far only Gojo and Megumi are referred to with their full names by Sukuna) but that acknowledgement doesn’t seem to go beyond killing—revenge against Gojo for humiliating him in ch 2/ep 3.

IMO if Sukuna does end up eating humans again later, the very first person he eats would be someone whom he considers special, like a fine grade-A ingredient. Basically the human version of wagyu beef or bluefin tuna.

He wouldn't eat just anybody, at least not at first, because it's stated in the fanbook that "it's difficult to cook them (humans)." So I don't think he would reserve such meticulous preparation for random nobodies. Besides it'd be his first meal after a thousand years of being sealed, so it's gotta be special.

And for what reason? Why would he want to eat Megumi? And why not now? Why wait?

Like many others I believe he wants to absorb Megumi’s power or ability once Megumi reaches his full potential, similar to what Getwo/Kenjaku did with Mahito to cast Maximum Uzumaki in order to create his ideal world, and also similar to the Urband Legend Sukuna ("to increase power").

u/Astral_M explained this in their post about the body is equal to the soul, thus consuming the body is equal to consuming the soul. Quoting them;

Because Sukuna's fingers (part of his body == soul) were preserved, his core of cursed energy is preserved. And Yuji is evidence of a very important concept: Consuming someone's body counts as consuming their cursed core, inheriting their technique!

source: WAYA - Anime Explanation (min 5:01)

I’ve seen multiple versions of translation/interpretations of this, the most common one is “Sukuna wants to create his ideal world with Megumi” I’m not trying to be nitpicking here but this version contains a different meaning from the one I screenshot, because it implies Sukuna wants Megumi to work together with him...... and I doubt that's exactly what Sukuna has in mind. I'm assuming the one I screenshot is the correct (more accurate) version because WAYA is a native Japanese speaker.

Also I think it's worth to note that it's not Gege who said this, it’s the interviewer. Gege’s answer/respond to it was fully censored, so we don’t know whether he actually agreed with this notion or not.

The interviewer then said this (in response to Gege's bleeped out answer);

Another translation;

source: _zanzou_ 

I don’t think Megumi is going to die (or get eaten) early. It’d happen in or near the final arc.

Megumi either dies in Sukuna/Yuji’s hands (depends if they manage to separate, I'm betting Sukuna's going to merge with Yuji though, because it fits the theme; conjoined twins + two faces), or he lives, because clearly Sukuna wouldn’t allow others to kill him.

Thanks for reading!

TL;DR Sukuna will definitely (try to) eat someone later and that someone is most likely going to be Megumi.

[mikkeneko]

10 favorite female characters from 10 different fandoms

Tagged by @drowningbydegrees  :) Like her, going with "first ten that came to mind" over any other, like, universal all-encompassing criteria.

I could swear I've done a list like this before, but when I checked to make sure I wasn’t repeating characters it looked like I’d done 10 favorite overall characters, not female specifically. Always nice to have a more specific search term!

1. Cordelia Naismith from the Vorkosigan series

Cordelia has been a favorite character from a favorite series for years, but having her return in Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen to show us how she’s grown and changed in the thirty-five years since we last had her as a POV character really deepened my appreciation for her. Cordelia mostly held the role of the Progressive Expat in the feudal, militaristic and overwhelmingly male-dominated society of Barrayar that she married into, and she spend her entire life fighting to bring more egalitarian and humanitarian perspectives to her adopted culture. Gentleman Jole showed us some of the changes Barrayar worked on her in return; she’s a lot harder, a lot more bloodthirsty, and a lot more tired  at the end of her career than the beginning, although she never lost hold of her core principles. Above all I really have to admire Gentleman Jole  for saying “You know what? Fuck it. Cordelia gets everything she wanted. She no longer has to put her dreams and wishes on hold to try to help her husband or son’s career along. She gets to retire to the planet she discovered and she gets six baby girls and a hot younger boyfriend and a seat on a scientific research committee. No more sacrifices. Cordelia gets everything she ever wanted.” and I for one think that’s extremely good.

2. Eowyn from the Lord of the Rings

Was just having the discussion with my fiance yesterday about how despite the fact that Tolkein is on record as saying he doesn’t know how to write female characters, he did a pretty great job with Eowyn, giving her a full multifaceted personhood with a lovely character arc of her own (which is not, despite first appearances, centered on being in love with a man) dealing with themes and issues that are still  relevant, and  doing so in a way that was specific to the female experience of the society she was written in. So either he underestimated his capacity to write female characters or he was smart enough to listen to the input of a female editor, either way, good job. It would be nice to have more  characters like Eowyn in LOTR, but no complaints about this one.

3. Vin from the Mistborn trilogy

Sanderson generally writes pretty good female characters, although they don’t always overshadow the male characters in the same books. Going to pick just one from Sanderson’s stuff it was either going to be Vin or Vivenna, and I came down on the side of Vin because she’s just pretty great. I think my favorite thing about Vin is that she became a legend in the world that came after Mistborn,  and that as much as she is admired for her achievements Marasi still points out, correctly, that not all  women should have  to be the Ascended Warrior, there are other valid ways of being a woman (and a hero.)

4. Gideon Nav from the Locked Tomb trilogy

There’s something extremely, extremely refreshing about how pure of a himbo Gideon Nav manages to be, and I adore her for it. Gideon Nav saw a giant skeleton juggernaut with swords for hands and her immediate reaction was “I want to fight that.” Icon.

5. Sophie Hatter from Howl's Moving Castle

There are a lot of really great female characters in Diana Wynne Jones so it’s hard to pick just one, but Sophie is one very dear to my heart. Suddenly finding oneself to be ninety years old and taking that as an excuse to fling off all the ridiculous social restrictions of your age and gender? Mood. Feeling like a failure despite your repeated and provable talents as an organizer and your newly discovered talents as a witch? Big  mood.

6. Kiri from Madness Season

I am always at a loss about what happened  in C.S. Friedman’s other books because she can  write female characters well! Kiri and Hesseth prove she can! She just... doesn’t. Anyway Kiri was the best part of The Madness Season,  being an unimaginably old alien from a race of energy-based shapeshifters who mostly regard the antics of the ‘embodied’ species with tolerant fondness. Her species and society rely very heavily on having symbiote partners of an embodied species and she spends most of the book slapping the protagonist character upside the head and yelling “You! I choose you! Get your head out of your ass, get your immortal shit together, because you’ve got to be my partner now!” And he does, and in the process saves the galaxy, it’s rad.

7. Agatha Heterodyne from Girl Genius

Agatha Heterodyne is an absolute Mary Sue of a character, a busty blonde knockout who one day discovers herself to be the secret genius heir of a continent-spanning mad science empire, and people come from all over to swear either loyalty or lifelong enmity with her. And you know what? She’s valid.

8. Miriam from Spinning Silver

Spinning Silver contains a very excellent trio of great female leads, but Miriam is IMHO the best for the sheer spite-fueled power of “fuck the world that’s done this to my family, fuck the Winter King who thinks he can ride in here and walk all over me, and especially fuck you demon-infested tsar who is at least partially culpable for BOTH of these things!” 

9. Parker from Leverage

I didn’t want to leave one of my favorite TV shows off here, but mostly I admire Parker for how much she learned and grew; she starts off the series with an extremely specific set of skills and very narrow set of priorities and over the seasons that follow, she grows to encompass more wants and obligations and dreams and she grows so much  in skills that by the end of the series she’s the Mastermind, and she deserves it.

10. Wen Qing from The Untamed

Wen Qing deserved better than she got, she was placed in an impossible situation and she did everything she could to protect her family, both immediate and extended, from callous warmongers who wanted to use her. She never lost her pride or her principles even when the world was busy grinding her into the dust, she tried so hard, she got chewed up and spit out by a cruel society and unlike the main character, she never was given a second chance. I cry for Wen Qing.

Tagging in turn @faux-fires, @ushauz, @fairandfatalasfair, @curiosity-killed, @cersee?

[umbrawyrm]

2. shadow people

hi, i tried to write up a fairly comprehensive beginner post to shadow people since they're one of the main inhabitants of the umbra and probably the one that people are most acquainted with as well as one of the entities that people may want to work with. if anyone wants to know anything more in depth feel free to just ask since i'm an incarnated shadow person and a lot of this info is just coming directly from my own experiences and knowledge, i just didn't want to get too technical or long winded on this post lol. maybe another time

—–

shadow people are one of the primary inhabitants of the umbra. as a whole they're 7-8 feet tall, thin, pitch black humanoids with bright red eyes. a lot of "demons" etc. that people see are actually just shadow people since umbra energy can be very visible even to people who don't generally see energy and also feels very uncomfortable to people who aren't also umbra. likewise, a lot of "shadow people" are just entities that people interpreted as a dark shadowy figure. on top of this the umbra plane intersects and anchors to this plane a lot which causes a lot of shadow people just walking around on their plane to be seen unintentionally. a lot of the time a shadow person walking through your house is just doing their own thing on the umbra and your house is just in the way at the time lol. they’re just as surprised to see you as you are them.

anyway, shadow people are pretty much the energy equivalent of facultative carnivores. this is similar to energy vampirism and i guess would count as some kind of vampirism? but honestly i feel like labeling it as such would be like labeling every animal that eats meat as a vampire so it... ehhh doesn’t really fit. when i say that they’re carnivores i mean that shadow people require specifically the life force energy of an entity, dead or alive, and in the umbra, farming livestock and hunting animals is how everyone is kept fed. they also have sharp carnivore teeth and claws instead of fingernails and although they do still eat plant matter for the taste, it's just not the most nutritionally filling.

related to the “dead or alive” part above, the part i would actually call similar to energy vampirism is the fact that shadow people can also survive by feeding off of the life force energy of animals. this is found most often in emotional energy including “negative energy” (which tastes a little gross but it’s still going to keep a shadow person alive) but pretty much any energy that gets created by a living being is fair game. shadow people living on this plane tend to resort to passively crowd-feeding for energy. attempting to feed off of plant life just doesn’t really do anything for shadow people also despite plants also being alive.

shadow people actually have four eyes (one pair on top of the other) although usually they'll just use one pair in day to day life, the bottom pair. the top pair sees nothing but pure energy and the bottom pair sees everything normally. opening both pairs of eyes allows them to see both the plane they're on and the energy of it at the same time which can be useful but also fairly disorientating. some shadow people use both pairs at once all the time but it’s not very common tbh.

communication-wise shadow people speak mostly in imprints (mental images and emotions etc) and out loud conversations are generally short, very vague, and almost incomprehensible to anyone who can’t read the imprints being used at the same time. they can definitely speak full sentences and do often with other species, they just don’t on the umbra between each other since it saves time. written communication on the umbra is similar, it’s short and heavily imprinted.

internally, shadow people have 5 main energy points: the crown point, the mind point, a point in the mouth, the core in the chest, and the sacral. there's smaller points directly in their palms and something similar to but isn't a throat point, kind of like the partial point attached to the core. a smaller less developed point attached to the bottom of the core exists, most likely it used to be a stomach core, which they lack. there’s technically a functioning root point but it’s not really necessary especially if you live on the umbra since you’re constantly connected and having your umbra recycled through your feet passively. like there’s a tiny partial point there and it’s more fully formed than the throat and stomach points but it’s barely if at all used and usually becomes tiny and completely nonfunctional over time. it’s probably only gonna be used by shadow people who live in planes that are very incompatible with umbra which is a very small minority as most planes have the umbra anchored to them.

their energy body is made up of a mix of primarily base umbra (the stuff you find everywhere in shadows) and red/blood umbra which is basically just their version of blood underneath the surface of their body. usually the energy of the points in their palms is blood umbra. i’ll go more into the different strains of umbra in a different post, this is already getting kinda long.

finally since this seems important to note, some shadow people will have thin, long wings. angels of nyx (one of the larger deities on the umbra), including fallen angels, will have these as an essentially useless status marker as they're too thin to actually allow flight, although in small communities of mostly angels (fallen or not) they’re used pretty extensively with body language and occasionally fighting. some fallen angels will continuously trim their wings off but they grow back with time.

[chibinekochan]

Angel in Hell - Part 5

Obey me! Angel Reader Au.

Gen. reader insert.

Read the other parts first. part 1 | part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 |

~1,5k words

Taglist:

@gothjuulpod  ; @purgatoryhall ; @sibit360  ; @a-personnamed-ace

*message me/send an ask if you want to be on here*

 ____________________________

The next day comes but it's very obvious that Belphie is still avoiding you. 

You can't find him the entire day. It's a mystery to you where he is hiding. 

Even Beel doesn't seem to know. Maybe he just doesn't want to tell you. 

You have no choice but to keep looking for him. Almost aimlessly you wander the hallways. 

You wonder what it will take you to find Belphie.

  Suddenly you find yourself in an area that you haven't seen yet. It seems to be the attic. 

You stand in front of a door. How did you even end up here? 

Somehow you feel a strange urge to open the door.

  You see it's a room that is a bit messy but still comfortable. 

There you see Belphie, lying on a bed in the middle of the room. 

So he was here this whole time? A true miracle that you found him. 

For a moment you hesitate since he does appear to be asleep. It would be rude to wake him up. Then you remember how in the class where he slept basically the whole day.

  Can you really just stand here and wait all day for Belphie to wake up? 

"You really don't know when to give up, do you?" Belphie seems pretty grumpy. 

"I didn't mean to wake you up but I have been looking for you the whole day. I just wanted to talk to you about what happened the other day." You don't want to make him even more upset.

"I forgive you, just leave me alone." Belphie doesn't seem interested. 

"No, I can't accept that. I want to apologize for my hurtful words. Please forgive me." You bow deeply. 

"I honestly have no idea what you even mean but sure whatever you are forgiven." Belphie is disinterested in the conversation. 

"I said something very rude about humans and I didn't know that you lost someone important to you that was human. I honestly never meant to hurt you." You feel very guilty about it. 

"Well, whatever. I'm over it. Just get out and leave me alone." Belphie seems merciless. 

"Alright, I can't force you to forgive me. I still hope that we might be able to get along in the future." You have said what you wanted to say, it's now up to Belphie. 

"You really never give up do you? This part of you was very annoying. Do what you want. Just don't expect me to play along with this charade. I won't be friends with you just because… whatever just leave me alone and we won't have any issues." Belphie seems very frustrated but also very sad. Heartbroken even. 

You know there is nothing else that you can say to him right now. "I will leave Belphie now but don't think that I will give up." You know there might be still a chance for you to get along with him.

"Do what you must, it's not like you will listen to me. You are thick-skulled after all, kinda like a mule." Belphie grumbles. 

You can't deny this statement. 

It's a bit frustrating but overall it's better that you leave the room. At least you said what you wanted to say. Maybe you can somehow move forward and find new common ground with him in the future?

You can only hope so.

  Still lost in thoughts you walk back to your room. 

Outside in the hallway, you find Levi. Who seems to stare at your door. 

"Levi? Were you looking for me?" You are a bit surprised to see him. 

“Waaaah! N-no I wasn't looking for you and then just ended up standing here for about 10minutes unable to knock at all!” Levi starts to stumble over his own words again, and tells you everything you need to know.

“Okay so… You want to come in?” You are sure that Levi wants something or at the very least he wants to spend time with you.

“I don't want to intrude or anything. You were just kinda sad looking earlier so I just wanted to see how you are…” Levi sighs, admitting the truth.

“That is very thoughtful of you. I'm better now, so do you want to come in or not?” You give him a gentle smile.

“If you insist…”Levi seems a bit giddy.

  You open your door and let him in.

Levi gets himself comfortable. “I have actually brought some anime and games to cheer you up, but I guess now that's kinda pointless...I'm a true failure as a friend.” Levi sighs heavily.

“It's very sweet of you to do that. I don't mind watching some of the stuff that you brought along and the games you have. I'm a bit curious about demon games. It's also very nice that you think of me as a friend. I'm really glad about that.” You look curiously at the bag that Levi has now placed on the table.

“You are my friend no matter what, even when...well you don't see me like that now…”Levi sighs again.

“Why would you think that? I mean, we have only just met, but you are a nice demon from my point of view.” You aren't sure why Levi talks like this about himself. 

"You are too nice to me…"Levi looks to the ground. It seems like he feels guilty about something. 

You decide to change the topic and take a look at the collection of anime that Levi has brought. 

'These all look very interesting but I wouldn't even know where to start. I haven't watched much anime in heaven. Most of them were educational. Which of these would you recommend?" You look at the colorful covers and don't even know where to start. 

"So you are basically a noob. Well in this case we start with this one. It's a cute anime about demons, angels, and humans all going to the same school and becoming friends. It's a slice of life anime." Levi shows you the cover and it looks extremely cute. 

"Sounds great, I might be able to learn a thing or two." You agree with the choice. 

"Nice, I know you will love it." Levi takes the movie disk and puts it into your recorder. 

Both of you get comfortable in front of the TV, with a bunch of pillows.

  Levi even brought a few cute looking snacks.

The anime starts to run with its cute theme song and cute characters, you are immediately hooked. It's a very cute show that is mainly focused on the friendship between the different characters and their daily adventures.

  In the end, you cry when they all have to separate. It manages to hit your core. 

"This was truly amazing; it made me cry. I somehow thought that Aki would end up with Aoi but in the end, they had to separate without ever saying it. It's so sad." You still wipe your tears away. 

"So you ship these two as well? That's very cool, same here. You think they at least hold hands but I think it's still very obvious that they care deeply about each other. I mean did you see how they each still have the phone straps with them and then the way they looked at each other and then you know when they were on the roof and Aoi wanted to say something but it was too loud. Then in that one scene, Aki got in between Aoi and Mori, when Mori was just about to tell Aoi the painful news. So heartbreaking." Levi seems to feel the same way you do. 

" I agree, is there anything more from this anime? Was it based on a Manga?" You still want more. 

"It was based on a light novel. I can bring it to you tomorrow but sadly it more or less just covers the anime. Though there are rumors of a sequel. It's very popular, it even got an app. Oh wait, I can show you the game if you want to. We can play it together." Levi seems very excited.

  It's pretty funny to see him talking so normally when it comes to his interests. 

"I can't wait to read it and I will try the game." You'll find Levi's passion rubbing off on you. 

You install the game and Levi shows you all the tricks and you add him to your friend list. 

Then you notice how late it is. "Levi, look at the time. I should get ready for bed." 

"Huh? Oh yeah, I haven't noticed, being with you is so much fun, I lost track of time." Levi seems surprised. 

"I feel the same way. We should do this again." You give him a kind smile. His cheering you up mission was a success for sure. 

"I -of course. Let's d-do this again. I will leave the rest of the stuff I brought here, just give them back when you are done." Levi seems to be suddenly self-aware again.

“Thank you, Levi, I will take good care of your belongings.” You politely smile at Levi.

"I look forward to your reaction." Levi gives you a genuine smile. 

You nod. "Sleep well, Levi." 

"Thank you, sleep well too." He nods back and then leaves you alone.

  You lay on your bed, feeling much more at ease.

  ~ 3 more parts to go.

[ninthfeather]

You have been offered an exorbitant sum of money to (somehow) remake The Untamed as a mecha series. What Do You Do?

So, this is actually a bit trickier than the times you asked me the same about Detective Conan and Fruits Basket. Both of those stories are ones that I’ve interacted with for a long time and they have cores that I feel work with varying amounts of sci-fi and tech involved as long as certain elements stay stable. Meanwhile, the Untamed’s specific version of xianxia cultivation is pretty heavily tied to its plot. But I think it’s still doable.

Ok, so, for The Untamed, the most central plot is ultimately the one about the dangers of rumors and hearsay, with the theme of the complicated nature of real-world morality being almost as central. Other than those, my favorite theme is probably the whole ongoing narrative of each generation’s actions affect the next. None of this stuff would be out of place in a traditional sci-fi style mecha series set in space.

So, my inspirations here are primarily gonna be Magic Knight Rayearth, Sakura Wars, and the bits of various Gundam shows that involve what’s collectively referred to as space magic.

(this got long so have a readmore)

The concept: this is still, to some extent, xianxia. People still cultivate, they just do it on non-Earth planets and moons (note: if this is something that is specifically not allowable in Taoism I would appreciate someone letting me know). Each of the clans has their own planet/moon, corresponding in climate to the locations we see in the show and presumably named after those locations on Earth. The Burial Mounds is probably a subsatellite of the Yiling moon orbiting Yunmeng. The costuming will not change for the most part, though because space travel exists, there will be space suits—just made of materials available in the setting. I’m picturing some real funky ship designs, and also probably some scenes of cultivation-based metalworking to justify the existence of the spaceships in the first place. The sets would probably also look very much the same, but with occasional modern devices made with obviously ancient methods, thrown in just often enough to be subtly jarring. Tech levels would probably vary by clan—the Jins would have the most, the Lan would have the least, the Jiang would have a few weird things that Wei Wuxian came up with but not much else, etc.

As far as the mechs themselves, my solution here would be essentially creating a magitech setup, with mechs more along the lines of the ones from Magic Knight Rayearth or Scrapped Princess in piloting mechanics—i.e., they’d have magic bubble cockpits, transfer damage directly to pilots, and run on the pilot’s energy. I’d probably go ahead and have mechs be essentially summons that are exclusive to cultivators and tied to their swords, which adds even more layers to a number of scenes in the drama (people’s swords being stolen, certain people losing the ability to cultivate, the Nie saber stuff, etc.). Maybe people who have spiritual tools like Zidian can use them to power up their robots? Also obviously Wei Wuxian builds himself a new mech in the Burial Mounds and ties it to Chenqing.

I’m seeing the great clans all having very traditional sort of fantasy robot designs (like, Escaflowne/Rayearth/Dunbine vibes), color-coded by clan, with some design variations to differentiate them--I can see the Lans having the most curves, the Nie units being really blocky, the Jin units having extra ornamentation, the Jiang units being sleekest, and the Wen units being the most pointy. And then, just, the robots made through demonic cultivation? Evangelion-type eldritch horrors that are, given how demonic cultivation works, most likely made of organic material from dead bodies and scavenged bits of metal.

So, ok, it’s the Untamed, but everyone’s got robots. The thing is, they don’t only have robots. The show that results from this would probably end up including a mixture of the original series’ sword & cultivation combat and robot battles. There are some fights, for example, that basically have to take place indoors or right next to buildings, and those would probably end up involving sword combat. On the other hand, some fights would be just as fun if they involved two giant robots zooming around in the sky.

Some specific scenarios: a lot of the Sunshot Campaign involving simultaneous space and ground battles, the First Siege of the Burial Mounds starting with a gigantic robot assault before Wei Wuxian knocks enough of them out of the sky for them to try sending in ground troops, the battle between Lan Zhan and Xue Yang in Yi City happening in mechs while Wen Ning fights [spoiler] on the ground. It could be cool. Also, it would really emphasize the difference between people who can cultivate and people who can’t.

I’m not going to go full spoilers here, but I think you can imagine how the feelings of certain characters who aren’t strong cultivators would be even more intense in this type of setting. And how much easier it would be for them to argue that they felt weak, and vulnerable, and threatened!

I don’t think there’s any reason you’d need to add robots to The Untamed. But I think if you did, you could have a lot of fun using them to reinforce existing themes and make situations that were already gutwrenching even worse.

So, for that unlimited budget? The majority would be spent on getting as much of the original team as would be willing to return to make The Untamed: But Robots This Time, or replacing the cast & crew members who were unwilling to participate in this level of nonsense. The rest would go into hiring a robot-focused effects team with a focus on recruiting people who worked on Pacific Rim or Transformers, and then paying them to do a lot of work.

Once again, disclaimer: if I screwed up anything on a cultural level, feel free to tell me. I genuinely do not mean anyone any harm I just like putting robots in stuff.

[overanalyzingelswordiswhatido]

If Yuno and Mao were playable characters

I love both Yuno and Mao and I was bored so I started thinking it would be interesting if you could play as them. And naturally my brain took that and started developing random details along those lines.

Including job paths...

And that's what this post is about. Though I'm not gonna lie, I haven't fully thought out all the details of the hypothetical situations behind Yuno and Mao becoming playable.

Also, fair warning, this post is a little bit long and I am on mobile so there's not much I can do about it.

-

So for Yuno the main premise for him being playable was basically "What if the damage done to him at the end of Atlas was somehow salvageable?" So the paths I came up with were based around how being found and rebuilt could affect his systems. I decided his base job would be called 'Administrator' and that he would be first job when he actually meets the El Search Party then gets separated from them before presumably??? meeting up with them again later???? Since of course every playable character ends up being a member of the search party eventually.

Station Administrator/System Projector/Cherubim Semblance

His 1st path was inspired heavily by Code: Esencia, not gonna lie. Since he was the architect of Elysion before Herbaon. However, in order to make him unique I started thinking about other abilities I could give him that were similar to Eve without being the same. That's when I came up with the idea of projections. Like, he creates projections of Atlas and Elysion Nasods that vaguely resemble the characters in the hall of El. Or something like Sun's semblance in RWBY. Something like that. I named his third job as such because Cherubim directly attend to God and that is the role he played with Adrian and he likely appears to fill a similar role with Eve but beyond the surface level appearance that actually is not the case. Hence 'semblance' being used as well. If he were to actually be a playable character this would be considered his 'canon' route.

Bright Administrator/Glitched Serator/Fragmented Oracle

The second path I made for Yuno was along the lines of him becoming a battle Nasod in order to not be as defenseless in the future as he was when he tried to help the El Search Party. But the battle codes conflict Yuno's core processes creating various 'glitches' that alter the way Yuno's abilities manifest in different ways. He also uses energy weapons he created for himself that are multipurpose and can change shape however he wants them to. Most of the job names for this path were actually created by my little sister and sounded too cool to not use, so the third job name especially doesn't have any thought out meaning behind it unfortunately.

Lonely Administrator/Patchwork Nasod/Malevolent Corruption

For this job path many of the parts used to rebuild Yuno were salvaged from parts of other Nasods and many of the various purposes those parts were originally created for clashed greatly, causing certain files to become corrupted. In an effort to fix this problem he attempted to seek out parts he could use but more and more files get corrupted as he scrambles to put himself back together until eventually the corruption consumes him and all that remains is his single minded drive to remain functioning no matter what he has to do. This path was the first one I came up with tbh.

-

In order for Mao to be playable I had to some tweaking to her story. I decided that Calonne gave Mao a pair of daggers. They were from the demon realm so they had demonic energy stored in them but not like that much. Then Mao would have to go with Laby when Laby decided to head for Elrianode instead of staying put. I decided her base job would be 'Thief' but I actually don't have as clear premises for her paths as I did for Yuno's. For some reason I have clearer ideas for hypothetical skills + mechanics for Mao.

Cautious Thief/Devious Striker/Silent Hexblade

This path prioritizes Laby and her wellbeing tbh and is determined to help and support Laby in any way she can after Laby helped her in North Fluone. She would probably do hit and run tactics with Laby often acting as a distraction in order to weaken enemies so Laby has an easier time dealing with them. Basically she does a lot of battlefield control/debuffs.

Hopeful Thief/Infiltration Master/Nightblade

This path would probably??? be canon if she were playable since she doesn't only prioritize Laby but is also able to look out for/prioritize herself. She could use smoke screens and flash bombs and stuff to disorient enemies and ambush tactics in order to take them out since she knows she won't do well in an upfront confrontation.

Broken Thief/Hazy Specter/Dream Weaver

This is the only Mao path I created that I have a solid story concept for.... So, I know I said the demon daggers didn't have a lot of demonic energy but having a path that could look into the dreams of others and freely manipulate them to her own will was too good of an idea to pass up. She isn't necessarily corrupted by the demonic energy, but it is what she uses to do her dream manipulation stuff. And this was all kicked off probably because something bad happened to Calonne tbh.