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afsosville · 7 months ago

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You know what would've been nice? Shen Jiu ending up on a different peak that's actually good for him. Maybe Qian Cao, or the beast taming peak could've been hella therapeutic. Or the alcohol/brewery peak to drown away all his sorrows. But what if he stayed fucked up, in a way that's actually good and productive for society? Yeah, I wanna toss him over to Yin Hui and let him run wild! I've seen many iterations of Yin Hui, the fanon peak for espionage and poisons in fanfics. By extension, Yin Hui is also covertly the assassination peak, and I wish this peak got more attention around here tbh. Why do I think this peak is the most well suited for Shen Jiu? BECAUSE ASSASSINS. Duh.

So here comes a baby demonic cultivator Shen Jiu and the Yin Hui peak lord immediately wants him. Shen Jiu would be more readily accepted by his peak martial siblings, and no one would bat an eye at Shen Jiu, his standoffish personality or shady past. A lot of Yin Hui disciples are from questionable backgrounds since the Yin Hui peak lord naturally has to be very particular about selecting their disciples. Yin Hui was established to protect the sect and its people by any means necessary. Sure, the rest of the sect may fight against the supernatural, demons, and the undead, but Yin Hui fights an even greater monster: people.

The Yin Hui peak lord manipulated things so that the first impression the rest of the sect has about Shen Jiu is 'that new badass Yin Hui disciple that killed the criminal Wu Yanzi and saved the future sect leader!' (Seeing as Wu Yanzi would be the very sort of ppl they assassinate, he's already getting goated on Yin Hui too.) So Shen Jiu is known as that new prodigious disciple from Yin Hui and is getting some goddamn respect! And just because of his association with his peak, fewer people are inclined to question his background and whatnot since there's an understanding that the identity of the YH disciples needs to be heavily guarded. The Yin Hui peak lord finds out about the Qiu's soon enough, and they erase any and all traces leading back to Shen Jiu. Even framing it in a way that makes it look like WY did the massacre. Any credibility Qiu Haitang could've had for Shen Jiu's murder accusations is thrown out the window. (Ain’t no way in hell the Yin Hui peak lord is going to name SJ that stupid trauma inducing name like a certain Qing Jing peak lord, that's for sure.)

I'm pulling in elements from MDZS over here. In my version of Yin Hui, they have disciples who practice demonic cultivation, but they make sure it's in a safer way that won't hurt them. There's a surprising number of disciples who have damaged cultivation and chose to cultivate the ghost path. The previous generations of Yin Hui peak lords have created Wei Wuxian's inventions in this AU, and is used by the rest of the peak, like the compass of ill winds, paper metamorphosis, the spirit attraction flag, and empathy. I lowkey want a Wei Wuxian that's native to SV to be the Yin Hui peak lord, now that I think about it. He's good with his kiddos and would be an awesome shizun. And ofc, Shen Jiu is a reflection of his environment, so he's certainly making an example out of Wei Wuxian, one of the only positive influences in his life.

Shen Jiu still has his violent tendencies, so nothing has changed about that, but he learns to take that pent-up energy out on missions instead. And he does them well. It even gives him an edge. Everyone else thinks he's just reallyyy good at his job, as expected of the talented head disciple of Yin Hui!!

He really does try his best to not be an ass (bc he gets the love he deserves on Yin Hui) and ends up venting in a different way (coz he knows better than to take it out on people who don’t deserve it.) His shizun really gave him the free reign to kill sl@ve trad3rs, human tr@ffick3rs, r-ists, and other scum whenever he wanted, in the name of stress relief lol. If killing a particular person becomes politically complicated, like the Old Palace Bastard, then you best believe he's going to scheme like the little schemer he is. He's going to Nie Huaisang the OPM.

Since Shen Jiu is not salty about his fucked up cultivation, and his martial siblings respect him, they get along just fine. His cultivation is some parts similar to Wei Wuxian's: Shen Jiu is a ghost cultivator influenced by music. Sure, he may not be that great of a spiritual cultivator, so what? He's pulling up like the Yiling Patriarch with his demonic cultivation and a haunted guqin of his own.

And guess what? Shen Jiu enjoys teaching. He's training miniature assassins, spies, and the art of demonic cultivation, so forgive him if he's more than a little enthusiastic about it. I imagine that he's exactly like Shifu from kung fu panda when it comes to teaching. Still extremely harsh and strict when training, but outside of actually teaching, he's an attentive and caring shizun. And yes, he completely does act like a father figure who is proud of his murder babies, and ends up being called A-Ba so much that all of Cang Qiong thinks he's officially adopted every single one of his disciples. (After being saved by SJ on a mission, NYY persistently begs SJ to take her in even though he desperately thinks Yin Hui isn't a good fit for her. And then, after being under him for a while, she's completed her first mission successfully, has smn else's blood on her face, and is smiling brightly.

Ning Yingying: "I completed my mission shizun! Are you proud of me?"

Shen Jiu: "..."

Some other peaklord: "Haha like father like daughter! She's definitely your girl alright!"

Shen Jiu: "...!?!" )

Yue Qingyuan is conerneth about his Xiao Jiu, but as long as he's happy, who cares. Shen Jiu has a better relationship with the other peak lords, so when asked about why he visits brothels, he straight up tells them that it's the best place to gather information in the dark. He doesn't have that mentality of "why explain myself when no ones finna believe me anyway" He actually trusts them and is more honest with time. Shen Jiu does come clean about killing the Qiu's at some point, and the peak lords are all like-

"I didn't hear shit"

"See, I'm blind in my left eye, and 75% blind in my right-"

"Completely understandable, Shen shidi!"

They don't even ask why he did it and just assume he had a valid reason, and he absolutely fucking did.

Oh, Shen Jiu gets accused of playing dirty? Liu Qingge, he literally kills ppl and makes poison as a daytime fucking job ofc he's gonna play dirty! Shen Jiu tried killing you that one time on the well mission? Bro you good? The fact that you think he tried to kill you and failed?? You just insulted an entire peak of disciples and their ancestors. You would've been dead before you could even think of sensing their killing intent if it were true. And there was a witness too, doofus. Be fucking for real. Nahh coz there definitely would be more people who are taking Shen Jiu's side whenever the two of them fight.

Shen Jiu uses a shit ton of versatile weapons because most of his fighting and cultivation prowess comes from his wits and adapting to fighting with different styles/methods. He is kinda similar to Xie Lian bc both of them lack spiritual energy/qi (damaged spirit roots in Shen Jiu's case), but that does not mean they are weaker. It just means they learned to train their body and minds instead of relying on cultivation/qi. He has a massive arsenal of weapons along with the demonic cultivation. (Airport security would hate him)

Yin Hui has got to be my favorite fanon peak, and Yin Hui! Shen Jiu plauges so many of my waking thoughts, I can't stop-

I can add elements from my other hyperfixation into this AU, the Avatar Chronicles. Which are the written books from ATLA. The criminal organization Kyoshi joined, the Daofei, for example, could be a good plot point. Or the Platinum Affair from the Yangchen books. If you don’t know what the Avatar Chronicles are, just ignore this last part lol.

#shen jiu #original shen qingqiu #og shen qingqiu #svsss #mxtx svsss #scumbag self saving system #the scum villain's self saving system #scum villain #scum villian self saving system #this fic idea was birthed bc of this thought:#sj saying yor's line from spy x family #terribly sorry for the interruption. but tell me #may i have the honour of taking ur life this evening?#and that was that #svsss au #yin hui #svsss crossover #why is this so long #afsosville text

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thesilliestrovingalive · 1 month ago

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Mikuláš, Gyeong-Hui, Thandolwethu, and Harvie

POTENTIAL TRIGGER WARNING: Viewer discretion is advised due to references to death, abandonment, physical beatings, child abuse, religious zealotry, an arranged marriage, domestic violence, infertility, human experimentation, SA, and sexual harassment.

Mikuláš

Real name: Mikuláš Vyskočil

Nickname: Mikla

Occupation: Peacekeeping troop for the Regular Army and D-001 Tanbal pilot and guerrilla for the Ptolemaic Army (formerly)

Retirement plans: To become an independent winemaker and craft an artistic magnum opus from stained glass and metal scraps

Hobbies: Visiting old chapels rich in art, collecting scrapped metal on the battlefield, and engaging in drinking contests with his comrades

Likes: Fresh wine, appropriately exercising his authority to order attacks, and his two younger brothers and half-uncle as they're the only sane members of his family

Dislikes: Euphoria-inducing substances that remind him of his neglectful father, unhealthy and toxic relationships, and slothful people

Favourite food: Dried apple chips, spicy pickles, and svíčková

Favourite drink: Tuzemák

Sexuality: Homoflexible asexual

Gender: Male

Age: 24 (in 2022), 30 (in 2028), 32 (in 2030), 34 (in 2032), 36 (in 2034), 43 (in 2041), 45 (in 2043), 46 (in 2044), and 49 (in 2047)

Design: He’s a burly 6’ 2” (187.96 cm) Czech mesomorph of Polish and Cuban descent who wears the Ptolemaic Army guerrilla uniform, but with a distinctive left-side Mexican pink armband featuring the Regular Army insignia. He wears a zomp T-shirt with ripped sleeves, a verdigris bandana mask, and a gold-buckled raspberry rose belt. He carries an FMK-3, slung over his right shoulder with a custom fuchsia strap, and wears a black bandolier over his left shoulder, stocked with 9×19mm Parabellum ammunition for his submachine gun.

He has caramel skin, piercing blue-green eyes, high cheekbones, a brutally scarred face, and a brownish mole on the right side of his Adam’s apple. He has glossy jet black hair styled as a quiff with subtle waves, scruffy sideburns, and a five o’ clock shadow.

He’s in possession of a D-001 Tanbal pilot, and carries portable winemaking equipment, along with three grape bags for red, white, and rosé wine production, in his load-bearing backpack.

Character summary: He often appears perpetually mean, bitter, and exhausted, but surprisingly, he’s a kind and gentle person. He possesses great emotional intelligence and feels compelled to help others. He's a cautious leader who can come across as overly self-righteous at times and has an occasional impulsive streak, particularly when his curiosity is piqued or he’s genuinely enraged. He's generally aloof and sometimes struggles to express his true feelings, fearing vulnerability, potential abandonment, and a loss of self-sufficiency. He takes his duties very seriously and never questions orders from his superiors unless he senses something might go terribly wrong.

He has no tolerance for laziness, cowardice, ignorance, and selfishness, viewing them as excuses for not contributing to society or pursuing meaningful lives. While he’s harsh and stern towards slackers, he encourages them to be diligent. In contrast, he’s downright sadistic and merciless when dealing with enemies. When scared, he typically turns to individuals he personally trusts or believes to be trustworthy for comfort. Since leaving the Ptolemaic Army, he has converted to Orthodox Christianity, finding it gives him a sense of purpose and freedom from the corrupting beliefs of Ptolemaios' cult. He’s good friends with Thandolwethu, Amilcare, and Yohanes, and is in a romantic relationship with Zdravko.

Backstory: Mikuláš Vyskočil was born on January 2, 1998 in Znojmo, South Moravia, Czech Republic. He hails from a long line of medieval-age Hussites, expert winemakers, and soldiers who fought for the Austro-Hungarian Empire during WWI. His ancestry also includes Polish and Cuban immigrants who settled in the Czech Republic after WWII, contributing to the nation's labor market in industries such as food processing and glassware manufacturing. His father was a retired Polish-Czech naval soldier who later became a mechanical engineer, and his mother owned a famous Czech winemaking company. He has an adopted Austrian sister, Friederike, who is six years older than him and inherited his mother's company after she passed away due to health complications from hepatitis B. He also has two brothers, Petřík and Jáchym, who are three years younger than him and went on to pursue distinct careers: Petřík became a world religions teacher, while Jáchym worked as a contracted weaponsmith for the Armed Forces of the Czech Republic.

His family was very loving and supportive, but that changed after his mother's death when he was 16. His father became melancholic and distant, turning to the consumption of euphoria-causing drugs after being laid off unfairly. Friederike took control of his mother's winemaking company through questionable legal means and abandoned the Vyskočil family. She didn't provide financial support to her father and three brothers, keeping the assets for herself and the company. With their father unable to provide, Mikuláš, Petřík, and Jáchym went to live with his half-brother, who struggled with fertility issues and had recently divorced his abusive wife.

While Petřík and Jáchym welcomed their new home, valuing the opportunities for growth and the affection they received from their half-uncle, Mikuláš felt differently. He harboured resentment towards Friederike's abandonment and his father's selfish surrender to his parental responsibilities. At 17, Mikuláš ran away from home with a backpack containing leftover food, a kitchen knife, bottles of water, juice boxes, a fuzzy blanket, and little else. With no clear destination, he was driven by a singular desire: to escape Znojmo.

After what felt like hours, he stumbled upon a small, abandoned encampment. Despite initial hesitation, he cautiously investigated, but his exploration was cut short when he triggered a bear trap, screaming in agony. The noise alerted two nearby guerrillas, who were relieving themselves. They brutally beat him, tied him to a tree, and interrogated him, fueled by paranoia that he might be a spy from an enemy force. After he explained his situation and one of the guerrillas searched his backpack, they concluded he posed no threat. However, during the interrogation, one of the guerrillas inadvertently shared valuable information about the Ptolemaic Army's activities, making his release a liability. The guerrillas employed psychological manipulation, making him feel valued and fostering a sense of belonging, and "invited" him to join their cause. With no other options, Mikuláš reluctantly accepted.

Following his recruitment, he underwent training as a guerrilla fighter, rapidly ascending the ranks and proving himself a loyal and capable leader. He became a skilled pilot of the recently acquired D-001 Tanbal and demonstrated exceptional proficiency with submachine guns. However, it took time for him to come to terms with the atrocities committed by the Ptolemaic Army. Mikuláš chose to ignore these transgressions, a decision that would later become his greatest regret.

Utilising his knowledge of winemaking, he often crafted wine for his comrades and the deputies who oversaw the paramilitary forces. His wine earned widespread acclaim for its freshness and flavour with many considering it the best. After meeting Zdravko and experimenting with various art forms on their first date, he discovered a talent for painting on glass and metal, which would help him cope with the traumas of war. Learning about Zdravko’s struggles with alcoholism and bullying, Mikuláš offered steadfast support, reassuring him that he was loved, cherished, and safe by his side. From then on, he became fiercely protective of his boyfriend, unwilling to lose someone he deeply loved and cared for.

After being pressured to commit numerous inhumane acts against innocent people, he discovered the Ptolemaic Army's involvement in a global human and weapons trafficking ring. He also learned that the cult ruthlessly eliminates its own paramilitary operatives, even for minor infractions. Horrified and utterly disgusted, he joined Eri's short-lived revolt. Later, when he joined the Regular Army, Mikuláš sought redemption by converting to Orthodox Christianity and performing selfless acts of kindness, aided by his lover, Zdravko. Through training with great dedication and effort, he transformed into a model soldier. He also mustered the courage to reunite with his half-uncle and two younger brothers, gradually rebuilding their strained relationships. On missions against hostile forces, he takes satisfaction in holding them accountable for their actions.

Gyeong-Hui

Real name: Gyeong-Hui Paek

Nickname: Gyeo

Occupation: MG Unit pilot and guerrilla for the Ptolemaic Army (formerly) and peacekeeping troop, tactical strategist, and landmine technician for the Regular Army

Retirement plans: To make fabric puppets and create films with them

Abilities: Due to the iron-ravenous parasite living inside her, she can manipulate the flesh and skin of her arms, transforming them into 10 to 20 hyperflexible tendrils of varying sizes. When using this ability, the bones of her arms become visible, covered in a thin layer of translucent copper orange mucus and a network of black blood vessels that extend to the tips of her fingers. It also features a semi-thick coating of harmless iron and lamprey-like eyes in the centre of her palms. These eyes feature black veins connecting to the blood vessel network, yellowish sclera, and pupilless red-orange irises. Notably, the irises can move independently, utilising neurons from her brain to change their position.

These tendrils instantly grasp nearby metal objects, such as metallic debris, spent bullet casings, and knives. They can extend up to 15' 7" (474.98 cm), and are highly resistant to extreme temperatures from scorching lava heat to the freezing mountain cold. Once the tendrils have grasped a metal object, they consume it, rendering the metal malleable and capable of being transformed into any weapon the parasite deems necessary for her current situation. However, this ability requires a substantial consumption of iron to function properly, and prolonged use can lead to iron deficiency. To compensate, she must replenish her iron levels by consuming high-iron foods. Furthermore, the ability causes physical fatigue due to increased strain on her body as the metal painfully fuses into the flesh and skin of her arms.

The weapons this parasite can create using flesh and metal are a speargun, a rocket launcher, and a flamethrower. When her arm transforms into a speargun, it appears as a pneumatic, extendable slim cannon made of bumpy, rusty steel that reaches down to her mid-calf. Her flesh extends up to the midpoint of the cannon, preventing obstruction of its extension joint's mechanism. Twenty black veins protrude from the barrel, encircling the rim and extending into the joint, acting as pneumatic tubes that utilise increased blood pressure to extend the cannon. The speargun features a grappling hook equipped with an alloy steel chain covered in numerous small spikes and tipped with an elongated spear blade. This versatile tool enables access to hard-to-reach areas and allows for piercing enemies.

When her arm transforms into a rocket launcher, it resembles a M72 LAW tightly grasped by a slender hand with seven pointed fingers. The wrist appears skeletal, resembling the central part of a skull's lower jaw, complete with carnivorous teeth. The rocket launcher utilises a self-replenishing ammunition of rockets composed of iron-hard bone encased in soft muscle. These rockets bear a resemblance to those from the Big Rocket Launcher in Metal Slug. They are relatively slow-moving with a slight homing capability that guides them towards their target. These rockets detonate on the parasite's psychokinetic command, causing bodily explosions that release a corrosive, acidic gas, inflicting severe lung burns.

When her arm transforms into a flamethrower, it resembles a Regular Army-standard FS-03, but with an elongated design that extends to her knees. Her flesh appears twisted and seems to merge with the centre of the weapon before connecting to the top of the canister via ten tendrils. The oval-shaped, forwards-facing canister is composed of blubber-coated bone, containing enzymes that produce heat and flames when exposed to oxygen. Similar to the fire gun, this flamethrower emits a continuous, adjustable stream of enzyme-produced flames, which can be directed and arced by adjusting the weapon's orientation.

She can telepathically connect with the parasite living inside her brain and arms, but only if the parasite grants her access. The parasite may deny access if it's hungry (it mainly eats metal scraps and high-iron foods like spinach and liver via organic absorption), in defence mode during combat or senses that she feels threatened as it prioritises its own safety by protecting its host. She has observed that the parasite appears to be fascinated by her artistic passion for puppetry and complex psychology. Moreover, it's excessively protective of her, ensuring her physical and mental well-being and safety. To achieve this, the parasite activates her ability whenever necessary, rapidly regenerates her wounds through cellular regeneration or hums soothing tunes to calm her down.

Hobbies: Making animalistic sock puppets, waxing philosophical to the parasite inside of her, and extensively studying the history and ethics of medicine after a long day at work

Likes: Puppetry, the good times she spent with her mother, and how Dezső's awkwardness and gentleness are irresistibly charming to her

Dislikes: People touching her private parts without consent, the torment she suffered at the hands of her former unit, and unhelpful doctors

Favourite food: Japchae

Favourite drink: Hyeonmi-cha

Sexuality: Sex-repulsed, heteroromantic demisexual

Gender: Female

Age: 10 (in 2022), 16 (in 2028), 18 (in 2030), 20 (in 2032), 22 (in 2034), 29 (in 2041), 31 (in 2043), 32 (in 2044), and 35 (in 2047)

Design: She’s a lean yet well-toned 5’ 5” (165.1 cm) Korean ectomorph who wears the Ptolemaic Army guerrilla uniform, but with a distinctive left-side tangelo armband featuring the Regular Army insignia. She wears a xanthous T-shirt, a rose red bandana mask, and tactical goggles with yellow-tinted lenses, but she doesn't don a pair of gloves. She has a leather sheath for her machete attached to the right side of her belt, and often carries a battered riot shield adorned with three crudely painted metallic red scratch marks at its centre.

She has warm ivory skin, small breasts, sunburst green-hazel eyes, and black freckles on her face. She has straight mahogany brown hair that falls to her shoulders, typically styled as a shaggy wolf cut.

She’s in possession of an MG Unit, and carries maps for tactical planning, anti-personnel blast mines, and tools for landmine repair in her load-bearing backpack.

Character summary: Despite her youth, she’s incredibly intelligent and calculating, defying the impulsive and naive stereotypes often associated with her age. When around unfamiliar people, she becomes nervous, hesitant to open up due to a deep-seated fear of wrongful rejection or betrayal. As a result, she’s hesitant to speak to new people, but she quickly warms up to those who show genuine kindness and respect towards her. She has a habit of holding Eri's hand because her warmth reminds her of her mother, whom she lost and still deeply grieves for. She displays a facade of obedience, driven primarily by a deep-seated fear of punishment for defying orders, regardless of how just her actions may be.

Although she's a ruthless and taciturn individual struggling with feelings of worthlessness and uncertainty regarding physical intimacy, she often shows a gentle-hearted, trustworthy, and friendly side, primarily as a means of presenting herself as decent. When her social battery is drained or she feels intensely agitated, she tends to socially withdraw from others, fearing that if left unchecked, her agitation might escalate into violence. She finds the antics of Harvie, Souma, Juozapas, and Priyanka amusing, but when their jokes lead to serious trouble, she isn't hesitant to kindly remind them of their duties. She harbours some romantic feelings for Dezső, but she's unsure how to express them without coming across as forceful and awkward. She has built cordial relationships with Ekaterini and Juozapas, and is particularly close to Dezső.

Backstory: Gyeong-Hui Paek was born on October 9, 2012 in Mokpo, South Korea. She was raised by her mother, Myeong-Suk, who often struggled to make ends meet, but never gave up as she deeply cared about her daughter's welfare. She doesn't know who her father is, but her mother once told her that he was a generous and optimistic man prepared for almost everything thrown his way. He reportedly died with dignity, maintaining it until the very end. After completing her university education in TV Broadcasting and Entertainment, which depleted most of her savings, Myeong-Suk took on a minimum-wage job to make ends meet and fund treatment for her daughter's Rett syndrome. Although Gyeong-Hui couldn't provide significant financial support, she helped with daily chores and cooked meals. She profoundly loved her mother and delighted in listening to her read Korean fairy tales and recount major historical events. She also cherished the little puppet shows of wacky and mythical adventures her mother would create and perform for her whenever she had the time, sparking her interest in puppetry and storytelling.

A year after the Arms Deal Barrage, the Ptolemaic Army launched a brutal raid on Mokpo. They were desperate to recruit people to put on the battlefield and face the Regular Army and other potential enemy forces. They also needed help building up their arsenal and acquiring useful and loyal engineers, tacticians, and fighters. According to her, once she joined the Ptolemaic Army, her superiors informed her that Ptolemaios had predicted another confrontation with the Regular Army, and it would be a gruesome and difficult fight. In their desperation, the Ptolemaic Army targeted the most vulnerable members of the population: children.

During the raid, her mother attempted to protect her from the special forces operatives who stormed into their home during a peaceful dinner. The operatives took both of them captive, and one of them demanded that the mother hand over Gyeong-Hui, threatening a gruesome fate if she refused. When she resisted, declaring that she would never send her daughter to war or make her work with terrorists, they brutally shot her point-blank in the head. Gyeong-Hui was forced to witness her mother's brutal murder, an act intended to demonstrate the consequences of treachery and disobedience. This traumatic event left her with deep emotional scars, a painful memory she longs to forget but knows will forever be etched in her mind.

After being indoctrinated into the Ptolemaic Army's beliefs, she was swiftly enrolled in the paramilitary forces training program. There, she would be trained as a guerrilla, capable of serving both as a combatant and a guardian for infantry troops and supplies. She quickly became familiar with MG Unit operations as well as planning strategic ambushes on enemy bases and repairing landmines. Although she initially disliked working with landmines due to their finicky nature, she gradually warmed up to it.

Despite proving herself as a reliable guerrilla, she was subjected to sexual exploitation, particularly by her own unit, who frequently used her to satisfy their desires. Unbeknownst to her, it was planned from the start that she would also be used for reproductive purposes, forced to breed loyal cultists and soldiers. This realisation made her feel like nothing more than a filthy slab of meat. However, after the guerrillas discovered she wasn’t pregnant, they took her to see a medical officer, who informed her that she was infertile due to a hormonal imbalance preventing her from producing healthy eggs. While this brought her some relief, as she was spared the trauma of bearing her abusers' children, it also led to further abuse. Her unit’s response was either disdainful indifference, deeming her "useless" or escalated sexual violence.

As her untreated Rett syndrome progressively worsened, impairing her ability to fight and stay focused, she became the subject of an experiment by the medical officer who had discovered her infertility. With the cult's permission, the medical officer decided to use the parasite, Ferumox β, which the Ptolemaic Army had secretly stolen from the Amadeus Syndicate during the Great Morden War. The Amadeus Syndicate had initially created Ferumox β as an experimental curiosity with no intention of using it to further their ambitions for global dominance. Once injected via a needle containing a translucent copper orange substance, the parasite established itself within her neural system and the confines of her arms, miraculously curing her disease in the process.

However, integrating the parasite's power into her body was a painful and chaotic process. Her body struggled to accept the invasive parasite, and she faced difficulties controlling her newfound biomechanical abilities. Accidental outbursts of power sparked severe punishment, including physical and sexual abuse, from her comrades and assigned commander. Initially primal, Ferumox β gradually evolved into a more civilized entity through repeated use and telepathic communication with Gyeong-Hui, yet it still retained a strong animalistic side. It became fiercely protective of her once it fully grasped the scale and severity of her abuse, scaring her tormentors away. Strongly displeased by how they troubled and hurt its host, it would stay awake at night to ensure her safety. At the slightest provocation, it would immediately attack, using either psychosomatic affliction or turning their own weapons against them.

Upon hearing rumours of a rebellion brewing within the Ptolemaic Army, she saw an opportunity to exact revenge on her tormentors. With swift precision, she eliminated a few of her abusers before fleeing to join forces with the revolt's leader, Eri Kasamoto. To her surprise, Eri welcomed her with open arms, and she found solace among the people that had gathered. After the revolt ended and she narrowly escaped the Phantom Strike's deadly clutches, she began to form meaningful connections with her comrades. She formed a deeply personal connection with Dezső, empathising with his traumatic experiences of losing his mother and suffering abuse at the hands of the Ptolemaic Army.

Thandolwethu

Real name: Thandolwethu Dalindyebo

Nickname: Thando

Occupation: Peacekeeping troop for the Regular Army and guerrilla for the Ptolemaic Army (formerly)

Retirement plans: To live as a cattle herder in the countryside

Hobbies: Doing Xhosa pottery and basket weaving with the youngest members of the Regular Army, solitary hikes through South African landscapes, and meditative rock balancing

Likes: The peace she feels when reflecting on her faith and her beloved son, when her hard work pays off beautifully, and healthy cattle

Dislikes: People who abuse and exploit children and women, not being able to control manageable situations, and the misuse of dark magic

Favourite food: Mieliepap and ox meat

Favourite drink: Sorghum beer

Sexuality: Heterosexual

Gender: Female

Age: 28 (in 2022), 32 (in 2028), 34 (in 2030), 36 (in 2032), 38 (in 2034), 45 (in 2041), 47 (in 2043), 48 (in 2044), and 51 (in 2047)

Design: She’s a 6 ft (182.88 cm) Xhosa mesomorph with a slender yet well-toned physique and a fuller bust. She wears the Ptolemaic Army guerrilla uniform, but with a distinctive left-side African violet armband featuring the Regular Army insignia. She wears a medium-sleeved old rose shirt, an orange ochre bandana, and spike-soled cordovan paratrooper boots with burgundy laces. She carries a Panzerfaust 3, which fires high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) warheads, and it features a custom thistle strap, allowing her to sling it over her left shoulder.

She has chestnut skin, dull dark grey eyes, full lips painted with black lip gloss, and white clay curved triangular markings under her eyes. Her chocolate brown hair features frizzy curls, plaited and reaching the middle of her back, secured with a red ochre hairband in a low ponytail.

Character summary: She’s particularly exasperated by the antics of Harvie, Souma, Juozapas, and Priyanka, and doesn't hesitate to scold them fiercely and threaten to report them to Eri. Despite having left the Xhosa roots to start a new life, one filled with excitement and renewed purpose, she deeply respects her heritage and won't tolerate others using racist insults to describe her people. She's a fearless yet cautious individual who prioritises the safety of her comrades above all else, while not hesitating to kill people when she views it as necessary. She's always willing to lend a hand and make everyone feel safe and accepted because she views community as essential to human survival.

She's a modest, hard-working, and conscientious Pentacostal Christian who also practices ancestor worship, believing that God oversees the significant aspects of everyone's lives and protects them in times of extreme danger. She feels profound sympathy for Gyeong-Hui and Dezső, who were exploited by the Ptolemaic Army at a young age, manipulating their grief to brainwash them into loyal followers. Although she's not fond of Harvie's tendency to slack off, she finds him to be incredibly respectful and physically attractive. She can't help but be charmed by his flirtations and his fun-loving, adventurous, and childish personality, finding it endearing. She’s good friends with Mikuláš, Ekaterini, Amilcare, Yohanes, and Dezső, and is particularly close to Zdravko.

Backstory: Thandolwethu Dalindyebo was born on May 13, 1996 in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. She lived in a peaceful Xhosa village, just a few miles away from the Mtamvuna River, residing in close proximity to friends and extended family members. Her large, wealthy family consisted of her father, mother, two stepmothers, four uncles, two aunts, one half-uncle, two brothers, sister, and eight cousins. As she grew old enough to contribute, her family taught her essential life skills, including self-care and caregiving for others. Her mothers and aunts instructed her in traditional crafts like beadwork and baking maize bread. They also taught her how to store maize in bottle-shaped pits beneath the floor of the cattle enclosure. In contrast, her father and uncles taught her practical skills like tending to cattle and harvesting corn from their fields. Through her upbringing, her family fostered a strong sense of community and emphasised the value of generosity, gently scolding her whenever she refused to share.

After receiving her first menstruation a month away of her 11th birthday, she underwent intonjane, a rite of passage into womanhood practiced by the Xhosa people of the Eastern Cape. During the intonjane ritual, she was secluded from the community and instructed by her aunts and older assistants on the socially accepted behaviors of Xhosa women. Thandolwethu describes the whole ritual as surreal, yet strangely exciting as she was supported by her family and the entire village in her transition to adulthood. According to her, it felt amazing to be recognized as a full-fledged adult by everyone around her.

By the time she turned 16, she would be married to Lethokuhle of the Gqunkhwebe clan, a man from outside her own Gcaleka clan. Although she didn't know him well due to limited contact, she had heard several girls in her village describe him as gentle-hearted and respectful of privacy. Once the marriage negotiations were finalised—which involved her bridegroom paying cash equivalent to the market value of twenty cattle that were transferred to her group—a new alliance was officially established between the Gcaleka and Gqunkhwebe clans.

Like all Xhosa brides, she showed deference and respect to her parents-in-law and the senior members of the homestead. However, she found it challenging to adjust to certain customs, such as approaching houses from behind and being prohibited from entering the cattle byre, particularly during her menstrual cycle. Having grown accustomed to tending cattle and being close to them, these restrictions made her feel somewhat isolated. To make things worse, Lethokuhle subjected her to abuse behind closed doors, particularly when she stood up for herself, refused intimate advances or accidentally burned food while cooking. He also sexually assaulted her during the quiet of night and threatened to harm her if she spoke out about his actions.

She would soon become disillusioned with her marriage and the societal expectations that confined her to traditional feminine roles. She also grew increasingly terrified of her husband. Given that divorce was rarely accepted among her people and the uncertainty of being able to dissolve her marriage, she decided to leave in secret. Seizing the opportunity when her husband was out running errands and most of his family were preoccupied with their duties, she escaped from the Gqunkhwebe village. Her decision to flee was motivated not only by a desire for safety and a need to escape her difficult circumstances but also by a deep-seated fear of becoming a burden to both her own family and her in-laws.

Some time after her escape, she ended up coming into contact with the Ptolemaic Army after being abducted by a group of guerrillas riding a Landseek. She was then indoctrinated into the cruel ideologies of the Ptolemaic Army through various psychological manipulation tactics, primarily love bombing and false promises of safety and acceptance. As a result of her imposing stature, she was trained as a guerrilla fighter and became proficient in wielding bazookas and rocket launchers. Using these weapons, she would snipe at people from a safe distance or create distractions for incoming enemies. Initially, she believed the dark magic utilised by the cult was the witchcraft her people had warned her about, but she slowly grew accustomed to it.

A couple of months after her 17th birthday, she gave birth to a healthy baby boy named Khuselwa. She took a year off to raise him, but once he turned one, she was forced back into her guerrilla duties. The cult then took her son away, and she never saw him again. This separation led to further trauma, as many men in the cult sexually harassed her or attempted to assault her. She stood up against them, even killing some in self-defence, earning a mix of fear and respect within the paramilitary forces. The pain of losing Khuselwa drove her to seek solace in alcohol, particularly sorghum beer, which reminded her of home.

She joined Er's rebellion after learning about the brewing revolt against the Ptolemaic Army and being persuaded by Zdravko to join. She found it unbearable to continue working for the people responsible for taking her son away and the numerous men who mistreated her, objectifying her. Following the short-lived revolt, she converted to Pentecostalism to redeem herself and attended rehab alongside Zdravko to address her alcoholism. The treatment was largely successful, but she still struggles with occasional secret binge drinking episodes.

Harvie

Real name: Harvie Witherspong

Occupation: Peacekeeping troop for the Regular Army and Hover Unit pilot and guerrilla for the Ptolemaic Army (formerly)

Retirement plans: Launching a reading program for children with language and speech disabilities

Abilities: He possesses the ability to manipulate wind motion and intensity, creating windstorms, tornadoes, and powerful gusts. Additionally, he can imbue tornadoes with either a fiery quality to incinerate enemies or a freezing quality to encase them in ice. He's able to perceive current events by intently focusing on a wall or a thicket of bushes. Through concentration, he receives clear and vivid mental images of the events he wishes to perceive. He can terminate these visions by breaking his concentration. However, whenever he utilises this ability, he experiences an unsettling feeling of being intently watched, accompanied by a profound sense of comfort.

Hobbies: Reading classic pieces of literature that have been deemed controversial, riding his bicycle through the European countryside, and playing boules with his friends

Likes: Consuming children's media as a way to recapture his lost childhood, how beautiful and courageous Thandolwethu is, and admiring pond wildlife

Dislikes: Getting stuck in tricky dilemmas, how embarrassing it feels to mispronounce words, and being called a man-child

Favourite food: Cotton Candy grapes

Favourite drink: Whiskey ginger

Sexuality: Heterosexual

Gender: Male

Age: 27 (in 2022), 31 (in 2028), 33 (in 2030), 35 (in 2032), 37 (in 2034), 44 (in 2041), 46 (in 2043), 47 (in 2044), and 50 (in 2047)

Design: He’s an averagely built, broad-shouldered 5’ 7” (170.18 cm) British mesomorph who wears the Ptolemaic Army guerrilla uniform, but with a distinctive left-side Columbia blue armband featuring the Regular Army insignia. He wears a fulvous T-shirt, a steel blue bandana mask, an earth yellow belt with a silver snap-on buckle, and space cadet combat boots.

He has rose beige skin, a missing upper left canine, sparkling moss green eyes, reddish freckles on his face and neck, and light auburn hair styled in a spiky crew cut.

He’s in possession of a Hover Unit, and carries a dictionary to assist with his language delay and speech impediment, along with a children's book or classic literature of his choice and a plastic full of marijuana joints, in his load-bearing backpack.

Character summary: He's the biggest slacker on the entire team, preferring to have fun and explore the world around him rather than being confined to paperwork and military duties like fighting and gathering intelligence. To cope with the stresses of warfare, he often playfully teases his comrades and messes around with friends. He puts on a childishly curious, naive, and optimistic facade to make himself feel more alive and joyful in life. However, he secretly struggles with misery and fear of imperfection, anxious about making mistakes, yet unsure how to express these feelings without succumbing to tears or paralysis.

Despite his unsophisticated, carefree, and strong-willed nature, he's incredibly respectful of other people's boundaries and is quick to apologise when he realises he's done something wrong. He's a self-indulgent lover of food and media, using these passions as a window into the world around him, exploring cultures and ideas through the lens of popular culture and cuisine. His habit of telling bad jokes and dad puns often annoys those around him, but he becomes deadly serious and unnervingly quiet in intense situations. He harbours strong romantic feelings for Thandolwethu, admiring her bravery, generosity, independence, and beauty—everything he wants in a partner. He’s good friends with Souma, Juozapas, and Priyanka, and is particularly close with Yohanes.

Backstory: Harvie Witherspong was born on August 27, 1997 in Middlesbrough, England. He was raised in a very strict household where he was shown very little love from his parents, who were religious zealots. His father, a functioning alcoholic, worked in customer service, while his mother, a heavy smoker, taught economics and physical education. He was denied toys, children's books, and TV shows, instead being forced to spend his time outdoors, drawing or watching Christian media. Meanwhile, his parents were often preoccupied with work, drinking or other unknown activities. His childhood was marked by rejection, neglect, physical abuse, gaslighting, and emotional exploitation. His parents often told him that he was undeserving because, in their view, God disapproved of mistakes. This toxic environment bred a deep-seated mistrust of individuals who misused Christianity and distorted its teachings.

He was rarely allowed to attend school as his parents feared exposure to "sinners" and their "false beliefs". Instead, he would secretly visit the local library, reading books that sparked his curiosity and were within his reading ability. Harvie also attempted to befriend children at the nearby park, but many found him unusual due to his unconventional religious beliefs, language delay, and speech impediment. At the age of 9, he secretly brought home a library book, The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales. However, his mother soon discovered it under his bed while ensuring he cleaned his room properly. As a result, she physically punished him, causing significant stress and pressure to be perfect. This incident had a lasting impact, making him forget the joys of simply being a child for a very long time.

At the age of 12, he would sneak a handful of Jelly Babies from the tray of candy his father left out on the dining room table. His parents didn't allow him to have candy, believing it would poison his young mind, and they kept sweets for themselves. One time, his father caught him taking candy and became furious, pulling out his belt to punish him. Frightened, Harvie quickly dodged him and ran out of the house to avoid being punished. He accidentally bumped into a green-eyed brunette woman who sensed his paranoia and fear. She decided to order him salted caramel ice cream with chocolate flakes, and then invited him back to her place to provide some much-needed shelter. He was taken aback by her kindness and willingness to help a stranger, but he felt an instant sense of safety around her and was grateful to be anywhere but his own home.

She introduced herself as Mavis and listened intently and patiently to what he had endured at home, giving him time to explain everything. Unbeknownst to him, she was a masked soldier sent to recruit children from abusive homes for the paramilitary forces of the Ptolemaic Army. She showered him with maternal affection, reading entertaining and educational children's books, letting him enjoy sweets, and watching age-appropriate shows. He began to see Mavis as a true mother figure, rather than his biological one, making it easier for her to psychologically manipulate him. After two weeks of parenting Harvie, she contacted fellow cult members to eliminate his parents through "talking".

She slowly indoctrinated him into the Ptolemaic Army's depraved ideologies and helped him overcome most of the challenges caused by his language delay and speech impediment. By age 14, she believed he was ready to serve Ptolemaios' goals and coerced him into joining the rigorous paramilitary training courses offered by the Ptolemaic Army, which he readily accepted. He was trained as a guerrilla and quickly became skilled in piloting the Hover Unit, finding it exhilarating to operate.

It was challenging for him to earn respect from his team, comprised mostly of older members, as many deemed him "too impaired and inexperienced" to contribute meaningfully. Some subjected him to aggressive verbal abuse when he made mistakes, fueling his desire for perfection. His persistent speech and language processing difficulties made him a target for bullying, but the harassment ceased when Mavis intervened, threatening to kill the perpetrators and use their corpses as sacrifices. Following this, Mavis adopted a somewhat overprotective stance, encouraging him to be himself, disregard others' negative opinions, and find enjoyment in his duties—all the while maintaining her maternal facade. However, this inadvertently fostered a tendency to slack off. By age 18, he began secretly smoking marijuana, stolen from his commander, as a means to calm his nerves and alleviate stress.

As Mavis greatly favoured Harvie, she decided to repay his loyalty and affection with a powerful gift. Following a patrol duty in the Soursop Jungle, she lured him to a secluded spot near a crystal-clear stream, away from his comrades. There, she performed a mysterious ritual that left him both unsettled and curious. The ritual involved arranging river pebbles in a circle, sacrificing a hunted king vulture, and positioning Harvie at the centre. After completing her angelic chanting, the Avatar of Evil bestowed upon Harvie his unique abilities.

After some persuasion from Thandolwethu and Yohanes, he became one of the last remaining members of the Ptolemaic Army to join Eri's uprising. His decision was delayed by conflicting emotions: he cared for Mavis, yet struggled to accept that he had been exploited as a pawn to bolster the army's forces from the start. During the revolt, he confronted Mavis, who, upon disowning him for his betrayal, was killed by him, leaving his hands stained with her blood and his conscience consumed by guilt. As he witnessed Thandolwethu's bravery, independence, and generosity on the battlefield, he developed a profound crush on her. In the revolt's aftermath, he masked his trauma with increased marijuana use and a jovial facade. He also formed a strong bond with Yohanes, united by their shared traumatic experiences and mutual understanding.

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