#look it’s the only explanation I can come up with as to why he’s scorpion

[suja-janee]

What if, mk1 kuai liang originally trained with ice- but he had an incident which made him switch to fire?

[summerwritesfics]

🧊An Unexpected Twist

Pairing: None Length: 613 Words Rating: General Warnings: Mortal Kombat 1 timeline, Kuai Liang is Scorpion, Pyromancer!Kuai Liang, Fluff, Power Awakening, Bàba Zero is trying his best

Ice, Ice, Smoke And Fire Masterlist

Notes: Another one I’ve had written up and edited for a while. Ice, Ice, Smoke And Fire is just gonna be a series of silly fluffy oneshots following Bàba Zero (dubbed Sub Zero in this, I’m kinda going with Bi-Han taking the title after Bàba Zero’s death) trying his best… cuz tbh I just want to write the Lin Kuei trio as children getting into trouble and making their dad’s life difficult. I kinda like the idea that Kuai being a pyromancer was a surprise to everyone, hence why he still has an ice related name. I’d also like to say I wrote this before MK1 came out (just after Dominic accidentally dropped that Kuai was Scorpion in that IGN interview), so we didn’t have the intro’s where Bi-Han and Tomas talk about Mama Zero. That said, Kuai never really talks about her, so I’m going with the headcanon that she died when he was still young and he doesn’t have as many memories of her as Bi-Han and Tomas do (I headcanon Tomas is the middle brother). Anyway, enough of me clarifying stuff: enjoy the fluff :)

“Bàba, look what I can do!”

Sub Zero looked up from his paperwork to watch as Kuai Liang ran into the room. He was 6 years old now, around the age where his cryomancy should be starting to come through. He held his breath and smiled, eagerly awaiting to see if indeed Kuai’s cryomancy was finally taking form.

Kuai held his little hands up in the air, his face scrunching up as he did his best to summon his new abilities. Sub Zero didn’t say anything, wanting his son to do this by himself. Finally, there was a small flash, as magic finally erupted from his hands.

Except… that was not ice.

Inside Kuai’s palm was a small flame, flickering away like a lit candle.

“Look! My ice is orange!” Kuai seemed blissfully unaware that what he held in his hand was pretty much the complete opposite of ice.

Sub Zero could only stare in shocked silence, trying to wrack his brain as to some explanation of how this could have happened. His bloodline had been one of cryomancy for generations, and as far as he remembered, his late wife had no inherent magical abilities that could offer an explanation.

“I can also do this,” Kuai announced, quickly turning to his left, and putting the flame directly under the room's curtains.

Unfortunately, Sub Zero had not quite realised what Kuai was about to do until the curtain set ablaze. He scrambled out of the seat, grabbing Kuai around the waist with one arm, while summoning a thick layer of ice to douse the flames. Kuai giggled the entire time, not grasping the danger he’d just posed to them. Despite Sub Zero’s delayed reaction, thankfully the damage was minimal.

Sub Zero let out a relieved breath, before shifting his arms until Kuai was comfortable and in front of him. Kuai clapped his hands in triumph, clearly very proud of himself. Weirdly, Sub Zero was proud of him too, even if he was a menace. Even if this entire debacle raised so many questions.

“Kuai Liang, could you show me again?” He asked gently, wanting to see it one more time, slightly closer up this time. “Cup your hands together, and let the magic flow to them.”

Kuai nodded confidently. He cupped his hands together, that same look of sheer concentration gracing his features. Eventually, the same thing happened again, and there in Kuai’s hands was a flame. Sub Zero smiled, this was in no way something he ever expected, but it was what was happening. He would just have to find a way to help navigate his son through this strange new power.

“Grandmaster!” The door slammed open and Hydro stumbled inside, looking extremely panicked. “We believe we’re under attack, we’ve found fire’s all over the temp-“

He stopped speaking when he noticed the small flame in Kuai Liang’s hands.

“Stand down, Master Hydro,” Sub Zero replied, trying not to laugh. “I suspect the attack came from within and have apprehended the culprit.”

He shot Kuai a glance, and he still looked far too happy with himself.

“I… see…” Hydro sounded as shocked as Sub Zero had been. Still he straightened himself out. “I will… Uh… Go and aid the efforts to fix the damage.”

Hydro bowed to him, before turning to leave. Sub Zero redirected his attention back to Kuai Liang, who had put out the flame and was now looking at his father with bright eyes. The child needed guidance, and even though Sub Zero wasn’t sure he would be enough, he would do everything possible to do so.

No matter what, he would always do his best to support his child.

[laismoura-art]

Question. Why do you use pictures of Hanzo in Mortal Kombat 1 when talking about him being with Kuai and Harumi? He is a child in Mortal Kombat 1. You can use other pictures of him. It is canon he is a boy in Mortal Kombat 1, and you are using pictures of a boy to talk about a relationship with him and Kuai and Harumi. It just confuses me. If you ship a boy with them, admit it. Or maybe use other photo of him. I mean no harm by this, I am just confused.

Hi Anon!

See, the only two things I have to admit are:

That I knew one day this ask would come for me

That I DO NOT ship Kuairumi with a child!

But I totally understand your confusion, Anon.

I'll take that you just bumped into my blog, and most likely through either this post or this post.

I'm guessing it was the first one, cause the second one has these tags:

Which I believe is a dead giveaway on why I ship MK1 Subscorprumi:

I DO NOT see nor portrait MK1 Hanzo as a child

I view him as a short adult. See, these are the tags of my latest post of him:

And on this one, I list all the reasons why I don't see him as a child:

I even go more in-depth in this post (that started it all)

And though I mostly speak through memes (blame my Brazilian genes), I do explain in detail why think he's not as young as the fandom is fearing he is.

He's just younger than the other characters, hence the constant use of the "boy" nickname (which is common for people to do when speaking to someone younger and/or on a lower rank than them. Evidence to that was how Takeda was constantly called "boy" by older characters in the MKX Comics, in which he was canonically 18 years old)

Hanzo even reminds me of Takeda and the other Kombat Kids, who ironically were not kids! They are 18 in the comics and are in their 20s in the actual MKX game.

He was homeless and starving, which would make him look smaller and scrawnier than he would if he was well-fed and health (which could also be misleading to Tomas)

These pictures speak for themselves (look at the size of his arrrrms)

His voice (well, his grunts) was too deep and raspy to belong to a child.

And the most jarring evidence is that he is on the front lines with Kuai & Co.

And given how 18yo Takeda from the comics had training but didn't really engage in combat (till Hanzo died and he went after Havik for revenge) I take that Hanzo was only allowed to fight here because he is a trained adult.

(Also, given how he was their first initiate, it's safe to say he is the most skilled and is in a higher rank than the other initiates behind him!)

--------------------------------------

I understand your fears here, Anon. But I assure you I don't and never will perceive or portrait MK1 Hanzo as a child.

I do not create nor interact with kid Hanzo content, and I do not allow others to associate my content with kid hanzo.

I use MK1 Hanzo because I like his story and see his potential as a character and see the potential in his relationships, whether they are platonic (Tomas, Bi-Han) or romantic (Harumi, Kuai)

And I would much rather see him being shipped around (as an adult, like I portrait him) than our local incel and Kuairumi killer, Zanho Sahashi, the Scorpion from MK Invasions.

Hope that clears that all up! And I hope you find joy in my content!🩷💛💙

Also, thank you so much for being polite in your ask and coming to me for an explanation rather than jumping to conclusions. It was very nice of you. Feel free to send more asks if you have more doubts <3

[mrstsung]

Ok so i heard....subzero was gonna be kuai liang originally for mk12/mk1. But they chose bihan and to nationality swap scorpion and the shirai-ryu? They made scorp for some unholy reason kuai and a fire ninja?

Why?

Nrs you have no good explanation for this.

From what i heard from the mocap and face claim actor for quan chi. Who is i believe middle eastern,I'm not sure tho so forgive me. But he is a moc/poc none the less.

I was told he didn't feel comfortable given nrs permission to use his likeness,and was worried about future endeavors with the company. Aka,he is concerned that they'll just use the face models and not actually hire anyone,and use ai for voice work or majority of the product.

Which is true. Netherealm studios is in for a real world of hurt and backlash by fans even more.

Honestly,the concepts of mk12/mk1 is better than the actual game. Fr fr.

I'm hoping that the VA and face models actually get better treatment tho. Because if consent isn't 100% given when contracting. And they pull sneaky shit. I smell a lawsuit.

Because the quan chi actor,he said he's happy that he gets representation but he hates how it happened. (In my deepest honest opinions tho. If anyone is gonna be middle eastern representation it needs to be jade,tanya,or rain. Because making quan chi a known demon character that is a bit.....questionable to me. Especially now. Even if the character isn't one....he is known always almost as one. So to do that. Is....not good to me. I just feel mk12/mk1 is a tad more on the nose with the racism but only enough to get by the radar to not get sued. But enough they can sneak by. It's always been a problem. Ever notice to there is less n less female characters? And all the ones tend to be conveniently from outworld and "exotic" areas? I find it funny how we never get a woman as a mk champion,how we never really have a female focused mk story. Women warriors exist,some even more brutal than the men. So how come in a setting where women can be savage. The only ones allowed have to be mileena or sindel. Or the quote unquote "monsterous" characters Hmmmmm makes you wonder. Why is the villains suddenly ok but still sidelined but declawed in their villainy? Explain nrs. Do tell me why you continue to make shitty decisions?)

Mk12/mk1 is ok in concept. But outside of it,in actuality it's not that great of an mk game. It has too many flaws,and most of them are questionable at mild. Look im gonna be honest,shang tsung is the only thing they focused on doing decent. And everyone else is an afterthought. And it sucks as a shang tsung fan,to see that. Because as much as i love shang tsung and i will stan him to the day i die. As well as love him for his i guess badboyness. Lol. I still want him to have a good story around him. Ya know?

And it sucks because i love other characters too but all of them in the new game sucks.

*sigh*

Anywho. Enough ranting.

I just hope that if nrs is up to shady shit. They get called fully out,exposed,and employees get compensation.

[fanimesenseiwrites]

For Lucifer and Mammon and Beel how about: 1 moment that they assist MC when it comes to adjusting to Devildom or understanding something about it and 1 moment where MC does the same for them when they are in the human realm

Oh my god, this is such a great ask! Thank you for gracing my inbox with this! Unfortunately I could only think of stuff for in the Devildom so that's what I'm going to post, otherwise this will just sit in my drafts forever lol. If I ever come up with ideas for the human realm I'll write and post those too.

The brothers help MC out in the Devildom:

Lucifer:

"So... Diavolo's the only actual royalty, right?" MC asked, curiously.

"It's Lord Diavolo" Lucifer corrected them. "But yes. He is the only heir to the throne."

"Right, right, my bad. So where's the king?"

"He's asleep."

"Where?"

Lucifer sighed. "Why do you need to know?" He was already tired of all the questions, and he had a sneaking suspicion that MC had plenty more lined up.

"I'm just curious. Everything is new and strange to me."

"Well must you ask me all these questions?"

"I mean, I guess I don't have to ask you... I just thought you were the smartest out of all your brothers."

Lucifer allowed himself a small smirk at that stroke of his ego. "... what else do you want to know?"

MC grinned at him. "So I've heard you and your brothers be referred to as "rulers of hell" and sometimes "princes of hell" but if you aren't royalty...?"

Lucifer hummed as he thought about the best way to explain it. "Think of us as... nobility. Just as the British Monarchy up in the mortal realm gives noble titles to their heirs who would not take the throne, we have been awarded such titles by the king based on our strength."

MC nodded. "I see... I think I get it now. Thanks for answering my questions."

"You're welcome. Just be sure that your curiosity doesn't get you into trouble. You know what they say, "curiosity killed the cat," Lucifer's voice was just a little more threatening than it had previously been.

"But satisfaction brought it back," MC finished the quote, either not hearing the change in his tone or not caring.

Lucifer watched MC as they left his presence, and he just knew they were going to be a thorn in his side for the remainder of their stay.

Mammon:

MC was walking back to the House of Lamentation after extra study hours. They hadn't done so well on their last history test and they really needed to study so they could do better on the next one.

As MC walked home, they noticed a crow watching them and following them, but cautiously keeping their distance too.

MC smiled at the crow, then stopped and rummaged around in their backpack for something.

The crow watched them curiously.

MC pulled out a pack of crackers from their bag and broke a couple of them up and laid them on the ground before looking back at the crow.

"Those are for you."

The crow watched them cautiously as it slowly made its way to the crackers.

MC crouched down and watched the crow with a grin.

The crow ate some of the cracker and chittered happily.

"You're so cute," MC told the crow.

"Look at the loser human talking to a crow!" A passerby demon told his friend.

The crow squawked and flew away when the two new demons appeared.

MC sighed and stood up. "You didn't have to scare it."

"I wasn't trying to scare the crow."

The emphasis the demon put on crow scared MC, but they tried not to show it.

"Right... well, you two have a good night." MC started walking toward the house again.

The two demons jogged to catch up with MC and walked along either side of them.

"So where are you going all by yourself?" The demon who had scared the crow asked.

"I'm going to meet a friend, they're waiting for me a couple blocks up," MC lied, hoping their words would deter the pair of demons from doing anything to them.

The demon clucked their tongue. "You know, demons can tell when you're lying. I just heard your heart rate increase when you lied just now."

"And you absolutely reek of fear," the second demon spoke.

MC glanced between the two demons, now truly afraid for their life.

MC tried to run but the demons were far too quick for them.

They each grabbed one of MC's arms and the first one covered MC's mouth with his hand before they could scream. They dragged MC away from the road and into a secluded alley, before pinning them against a wall.

"Ya know, human flesh is a fun treat but the soul is where its at," the first demon spoke to the second.

"I agree, I guess we'll just have to share it," the second replied while grinning deviously at MC.

MC was so scared that they were shaking and tears were streaming from their eyes.

Suddenly, MC's attackers were pulled away from them and slammed into the wall opposite of them.

MC felt immediate relief at seeing that their rescuer had white hair.

Mammon growled harshly at the two demons, making sure they were well intimidated before asking, "What'dya think you're doing? Did ya really think the human exchange student was just walking around with no protection?"

"W-what are you going to do to us?" One of the demons asked.

Mammon hummed before tossing them to the ground. "Not shit."

"Really?" One of them asked as they got back to their feet.

"Yeah, I'ma just report ya to Lucifer and Lord Diavolo. They'll get more of a kick out of punishing ya than I will," Mammon told them as he rest his hands on his hips.

The pair of demons stared at him in horror.

Mammon fake lunged at them just to scare them. "Get outta here!"

The demons quickly ran away.

Mammon rolled his eyes and looked at MC. "Hey, are ya o-"

MC practically threw themself at Mammon, wrapping their arms around him in the process. "Thank you so much! I was so scared!" They sobbed.

"'Kay..." Mammon rubbed their back. "Calm down, everything's fine."

MC looked up at him. "How did you know I was in trouble?"

Mammon grinned before putting two fingers in his mouth and whistling loudly.

A crow flew down and landed on Mammon's shoulder.

"The crow!" MC cried happily.

Mammon reached up to pet its neck. "Yeah, they're my familiars. So that means I've always got an eye on ya!"

MC chuckled. "Well I guess that's a good thing."

"Yeah, but that don't mean you can be out walkin' around by yourself! Don't ever do that again! You call me to come get you next time, got it?!"

MC nodded.

"Good." Mammon grabbed their bookbag and threw it over his shoulder, the crow flew off when he did that. "C'mon, let's go home."

MC smiled slightly. "Okay."

They headed back to the House of Lamentation together, walking as close together as was comfortable.

Beelzebub:

MC sat in the cafeteria at RAD, and despite feeling hungry, they couldn't find the appetite they needed to eat the food in front of them.

Beel walked over and sat down next to them with his own tray of food.

MC looked up at him. "Hey Beel, do you want my lunch?"

Beel instantly perked up at the prospect of more food but frowned when they looked at MC's tray. "But you didn't even touch your food."

"Yeah, I'm not really hungry."

"... are you sick?" Beel tried to fathom the possibility of not being hungry.

"No... I just... I don't feel like I can eat this food. It's all so weird."

"Is it weird or just different?" Beel challenged.

"No, it's weird," MC told him flatly. "I mean half of the food has poison in the name and cheeses are aged for longer than I'll be alive and the scorpions are as big as lobsters! Also, who would eat a scorpion?!"

Beel frowned and almost pouted.

MC looked at him. "Oh shit, that was rude. I'm sorry..."

"... have you even tried a scorpion yet?" Beel asked tentatively.

"... no," MC admitted sheepishly.

"Well why don't you try it?"

"Can I eat it? Or will it kill me?"

Beel shook his head with a small grin. "Lord Diavolo adjusted the menu so nothing served here will kill humans."

MC nodded. "Well that's one less thing to worry about... but how do you eat the scorpion?"

"Some people like to eat exoskeleton, like me, but for those who don't they eat it like this." He snapped the tail off and sucked the meat out of it.

"Oh... that reminds me of eating a crawfish."

Beel nodded then cracked open the abdomen and pulled out the meat inside using a fork.

"Ya know, that actually makes a lot of sense."

"Now you try," Beel coaxed.

MC nodded and looked down at the scorpion on their plate, still feeling a little intimidated.

"You don't have to like it, just try it," Beel told them.

MC nodded and took a deep breath before snapping the tail off and sucking out the meat. "Hm... this is actually good."

Beel grinned. "I'm glad you think so."

With some encouragement and explanation from Beel, MC finished eating their lunch for the first time since they had arrived in the Devildom.

"Hey Beel?" MC asked as they walked to class after lunch was over.

"Hm?" Beel looked down at them.

"Could we go out after school today? I want to try more Devildom food with you."

Beel smiled at them. "I'd like that."

MC smiled back at him. "It's a date!"

[scorpia-is-babey]

Schrodinger’s Scorpion Kingdom

ALT Title: 

An Essay Detailing Why I Don’t Believe in Either Theory of Hordak Wiping out the Scorpioni, or that the Former Scorpioni Gave Up the Kingdom Willingly 

I often jokingly say that Scorpia’s backstory has to be the most convoluted, jumbled mess of a character I have ever had the misfortune of simping... Uh, I mean, analyzing for. I’m not the type of nerd to get spoon fed information without chewing on it first. Whenever I try to chew on the idea that Hordak miraculously brought the Scorpioni to their knees, or if he was simply given the Runestone and kingdom, I can’t really come to any agreement. Both are equally ridiculous if we sit down and dissect them. 

Firstly, we are shown very clear evidence that the Horde (and by extension Hordak) had overthrown the kingdom (that popular screenshot of a few Scorpioni laying face down on the ground, the Black Garnet looming in the center). But there’s never any further explanation about that. How he might have rallied these brand new troops and given them armor; the early bits of technology he used; how he could have possibly discovered that the Black Garnet was a noteworthy piece of power; what the previous relationship between the Horde and Scorpioni was... 

Scorpia’s takes or explanations on any of this doesn’t and will never count. She is not only a heavily biased party, but she isn’t a primary source of information. Force Captain Orientation, and therefore, Hordak, is the easiest answer to look towards regarding how she knows the things she knows. Scorpia is always a secondary source of information and it is impossible to take her word for whatever happened before she was born. 

The main, primary source we do have is Light Spinner.

Light Spinner was watching the attack in real time and showed young King Micah. Her actions in “Light Spinner” (S2, E6) are desperate and urgent for that reason; there’s no time to be wasted. Through her and the narrative, we have a little bit of information on the Scorpioni, and we can conclude a few things about them: 

1) They were doing well for themselves at some point. The entirety of the Fright Zone belonged to them, and there are even larger areas that the audience only gets to see once (Horror Hall) that would suggest opulence. Runestones are the deciding factor of a Princess of Power as well (these being the Elemental Princesses, the fact that there’s canonically only a handful of them). All of the Princesses of Power have very large kingdoms (i.e. Kingdom of Snows, Salineas, Bright Moon, and Plumeria). 

2) Nobody gave up anything. If the aforementioned screenshot of the Scorpioni people laying face down on the ground and the looming Black Garnet being tied up wasn’t enough incentive to not believe that this was a peaceful treaty, I bring your attention to the fact that Light Spinner was keen on joining the Horde. She was accepted on the basis that she would be able to use the Black Garnet. 

This random Mystacor sorceress, and not, say, the Black Garnet’s actual Princess. 

3) They were not an obscure kingdom. Hordak’s arrival was common knowledge. Narrative wise, we don’t get to know this until Catra knows this. Just because Catra doesn’t know it, doesn’t mean that it isn’t a general fact. If there are only six elemental princesses in their entire known world, it would be jarring if the Black Garnet’s Princess was forgotten only after a few years since Hordak’s arrival. 

We also don’t have extra confirmation from Light Spinner this time, but from the fact that Scorpia gets a Princess Prom invitation in the Fright Zone. They know where to mail it. They know where Princess Scorpia resides. 

Who is “they”?  

Canon doesn’t give us an answer to that. For the sake of continuing this point, we’re going to put a pin in it. Leave it for another day. 

With all of these inferences of the former Scorpioni Kingdom, this leaves us with the idea that Hordak’s rule over them was, unsurprisingly forceful... 

Somehow. 

This character spends the majority of his time pursuing his own personal goals. He wants to rejoin Horde Prime by opening a portal and taking the entire Horde army into Etheria to conquer it. When he does end up doing this, it’s with the help of Catra, Entrapta, and indirectly, Scorpia. 

He needs repairs to his armor eventually, which Entrapta helps him with; he needs Shadow Weaver to keep the soldiers in line as his second in command; he needs Catra after Shadow Weaver to take that second in command position which she absolutely succeeds in more than either of them could ever have... 

How does Hordak overtake the Black Garnet without these characters and resources all of those years ago? Where does he get these soldiers from? Why are these soldiers strong enough to conquer a fully capable, thriving kingdom? 

One idea floating around in the fandom space is that the Scorpioni were as non-confrontational, jovial and charismatic as Scorpia is shown to be, therefore allowing themselves to be conquered. That idea is not only unlikely, but it is admitting that somehow Scorpia would have met her people and known them well enough to pick up those traits. If not anything else, that claim is entirely ridiculous. 

Although we see Scorpia in a picture with her mothers as an infant, it’s unlikely that she got to know them either and pick up on their traits. There is never any mention of them verbally and no confirmation if they are dead or alive. Scorpia’s mothers not making an appearance or even being mentioned implies that they are dead, but, again, that’s never confirmed... Instead we can conclude that the mother with the Black Garnet connection is, at the very least, disconnected from it. When Glimmer is crowned as Queen and she no longer has to share the Moonstone with Angella, she gets all of its power. When Scorpia connects with the Black Garnet, she gets all of its power. She is not sharing any of its power with anyone at that point. 

...

This leaves me, annoyingly, left with more questions than answers. With Scorpia being my favorite character, I am constantly writing, drawing, and discussing her. This makes me acutely aware that she’s got one of the most plot hole-inclined, nonsensical backstories of the entire cast. It spills over into Hordak and the Scorpioni plotline, too. 

Fortunately, since I don’t believe in either “Hordak conquered the Scorpioni”, or “the Scorpioni gave up the Black Garnet willingly”, this does nothing to affect how I perceive canon, Hordak, or the Scorpioni. 

After thinking about and writing it all down, I genuinely do not care about Scorpia’s background anymore. I will make decisions based on her background when the opportunities arise in discussion or fanfiction writing. Both Scorpion Kingdom theories are ridiculous, leaving us with this paradoxical theory: 

“Schrodinger’s Scorpion Kingdom Theory”, is realizing that this plotline doesn’t make sense, and then deciding to fill in your own spaces where it best suits your own understanding of the narrative —because the original explanations are both plausible and implausible, given what we know from the canonical facts. 

[allaboardtheussharringrove]

So @billy-baby mentioned That 70’s Show and Harringrove, and it reminded me of a *whole ass* set of hc’s about a 70’s/Stranger Things AU that has been sitting in my notes for literal years collecting dust, so here it is:

-Billy & Hyde would be besties, probably neighbours in the same shitty neighbourhood

-They headbang to hard rock and metal, jam to 60’s & 70’s rock while drinking TONS of beer and hotboxing the Camaro and El Camino, respectively

-Bands they’d have in common: AC/DC, Black Sabbath & Ozzy Osbourne, Scorpions, KISS, Judas Priest, Van Halen, and Led Zeppelin just to name a couple

-Hyde always gives Billy shit for like, never wearing a shirt, Billy gives Hyde shit for his ever-present sunglasses & sideburns

-They know each other’s parental problems, and take refuge in the Forman’s basement/the empty Harrington house (yes, we’re talkin’ a Hawkins, Indiana/Point Place, Wisconsin mashup here)

-Billy still has a major crush on Steve (Harrington that is, Steven Hyde will only be referred to as Hyde [and that possible name mix-up could cause some hilarity whenever anyone calls out “Steven”, and some embarrassing rumour drama for Billy, Steve, & Hyde (or omg a block party at the Formans where Kitty calls out “William! Steven! Michael!” And she turns around and has Billy, Will, Hyde, Steve, Mike, and Kelso starting at her expectantly)])

-Billy probably also thinks Eric and Kelso are kinda cute, but total dumbasses, they both definitely annoy him

-Fez would have a totally awkward and hilarious crush on Billy, and you just know Billy would flirt with him on purpose just to make him nervous (this might make Steve a lil jealous and annoy him to no end)

-Jackie would have the BIGGEST crush on Steve, after Kelso, and drag him around to go shopping and shit, he would tolerate it but Billy would absolutely hate her as a “bitchy rich entitled snot-nosed brat” cause she would be vocal about him being poor and he’d have to be calmed down by Hyde and Steve all the time

-Billy would give Hyde an unimaginable amount of shit for going out with Jackie, hooo boy!

-Steve would get a kick outta Kelso, but I think he and Eric would be pretty close friends, with Steve always pushing to hang around at the Forman’s cause Eric’s parents are always present, as opposed to his empty house (he adores Kitty Forman for SURE as the mother he never had)

-But the gang would surely hold parties at the Harrington’s....and only sometimes get away with it (both these groups are known for their KEGS! and the 70’s teens would lose their damn minds over Keg Kings Billy & Steve)

-Billy would put the charm on for Kitty sometimes just to see her blush, and Red would get annoyed and just a little threatening saying something like “Like to see how charming you are with my foot up your ass” and Billy being the abused kid that he is automatically takes it a little too seriously- probably flinches, goes a little pale, stutters out a “Yes sir, sorry sir”

-This would make Kitty and Red a bit concerned, pay a visit to the Hargrove household- I wouldn’t be surprised if they experience Neil putting Billy down or catch a glimpse of a smack or something and they would for sure take action with Red intimidating Neil cause you know he could

-Anyway! Girls. Robin and Donna would be THE BEST FRIENDS EVER, cause Donna had no other cool girl friend to hang out with and you just KNOW Robin might have an “itsy bitsy” (huge) crush on Donna, cause she’s Hot Donna, also they’re both super into female empowerment (and honestly, when Donna/Eric break up I could see her maybe falling for Robin too)

-Donna and Billy would be buds, she might like him for a hot minute but be cool with him being gay (Out of everyone in the 70’s gang, I think he’d most likely share this with her - cause she’d probably figure it out - even if it’s just to gush about their dumb, brave, pretty brunette boys to each other)

-Max would LOVE Donna, not just because of the hair (but also redhead solidarity is important), but because they’re both badasses and would totally vibe together- Max, Billy, and Donna would be an unexpectedly fun trio (and Billy would complain about having to drive the “GingeTwins” around all the time or something to that effect)

-And Jackie having to babysit Erica (because Donna does it sometimes, but she’s out for the night) would be the best thing ever good lord, Erica would put Jackie in her place, but they’d probably make up some schemes together too

-Also Erica would be absolutely appalled at having a similar name to Eric, she’d probably call him something along the lines of “Supreme Nerd” or “King of the Nerds” and have an endless supply of unimpressed looks for him during their debates of whose name is better

-Eric would totally join Mike, Will, Lucas & Dustin in their nerd exploits (STAR WARS!) And he and Dustin would get into loooong nerd debates

-I think Kelso would join Dustin & Lucas (and maybe the other boys too) in doing mischievous experiments including but not limited to: pyrotechnics, wrist rockets, radios and electronics... He’d begrudgingly listen to the scientific explanations of the boys (which would all fly right over his head) and they would have a moderate success rate, but also have to run away from the trouble they’d get in

-Lucas and Hyde would always be cool, but after finding out about Hyde’s biological dad they could become closer (Hyde’s dad and Lucas would have the best banter)

-Will and Eric would geek out over comics, and I think Eric would be super nice/supportive about seeing Will’s drawings

-Jonathan would be pretty quiet at first, but might talk to Fez since they’re both kinda the odd man out in each group (and he’d be genuinely NICE to Fez, *side eyes 70’s teens*)- then he’d be roped into doing random/stupid/mildly illegal stuff with the gang

-And despite Billy & Hyde being besties, I think Jonathan would bond with Hyde over shitty dads (plus I think Hyde would love Joyce, and she’d be another offer of refuge for him & Billy) and WEED WEED WEED

-Actually that might definitely be a sub-trio: Jonathan, Billy, & Hyde- they’d all have each other’s backs when it came to family drama (and later on when Hyde gets his record store, he’d offer them both jobs and Jonathan would be over the fuckin’ moon and work there)

-Billy would for sure work for Red in his muffler shop, and Red would take him under his wing, probably unwittingly become the father figure Billy never had.

-Nancy, hmmm, well she’s on the richer side of town so her and Jackie might be friends? but she’d for sure get annoyed with Jackie’s shallow bullshit

-OH and Robin would also hate Jackie I think, ‘cause of her entitlement and relentless obsession with boys (poor Jackie, I’m not setting her up for anything great here huh)

-So that’d be why Steve is friends with her, if only ‘cause he feels bad when she alienates herself from the rest of the teens, they (and I hate to say this) *could possibly* date for like 5 minutes, it’d be a REALLY hard time for Billy...and Kelso. And those two would probably come up with some hairbrained scheme to break them up (and succeed, but each get ripped a new one because of it)

-But at least the group of teen girls would be bigger if Donna, Robin, Jackie, and Nancy all hung out together sometimes (and if they tried to have a sleepover or something there would be toooo many idiot boys trying to creep on them, I think Billy would be the voice of reason and tell them they’re all being dickheads)

-And he’d give Fez a fuck ton of shit for being such a voyeuristic creep, probably make him stop hiding in people closets (wait what? Fez is like constantly coming out of closets in that show?! hello?? is that a thing??? Oh ho-ho they’d have a whole talk about that)

-Steve would get a kick outta Fez, probably think he was the funniest dude on the planet, as I’d say they’re the goofballs of the group (and yes, I am mostly excluding the King Steve narrative from this and using only cool mom Steve, cool? cool.)

-Steve might also have a lil crush on Donna, (‘cause a strong personality and blue eyes is like his kink, we all know this) but Eric would throw a fit about that and then they’d be all buddy-buddy discussing Donna & Billy (I think Eric being kind of a dumbass about his own gay kiss might put Steve off for a bit [and make Billy super hesitant and real pissed], but I also think Eric would be cool with hearing Steve out about his big bisexuality-discovery-adventure)

-Donna and Eric trying set Steve and Billy up by saying they’re all gonna hang out, and then like locking Billy/Steve in a room together or something and leaving😈

-When Billy/Steve’s relationship comes out, Hyde’s reaction is probably “That’s cool, man” Kelso would make some corny statement about how hot *he* is, Fez would probably fangirl over it with big ole heart eyes, Jackie would be like “weird, whatever”, Kitty would get flustered and then overly excited about it after a while, Red would be uncomfortable but okay with it saying something like “I better not catch you two dumbasses doing anything in my house”

-Ohmygod, Red as a father figure to Billy, Kitty as a mother figure to Steve, and they end up being so supportive of the boys ‘cause they have to put up with so much parental shit (say what you want, but the Formans have compassion) and they convert their house/backyard into a little private prom for the whole gang just so Billy/Steve can dance together and be themselves

-Billy, Steve, and Robin would die laughing every time they saw/talked to Leo. And I feel like Robin would talk her way into a job at the Photo Hut and then just end up being the manager and hires Jonathan herself to do the developments

-And you know how Hyde is always punching Kelso in the arm? Well he’d always get one, and Billy would punch the other arm as he’d classify Kelso a special kind of idiot, they’d always be teasing Kelso together, but Billy (and Steve I’m sure) would have some wicked BURNS that Kelso would love

-Steve and Kelso as friends? Sure, pretty boys gotta stick together~ especially when Steve gets called that by Billy, and then Kelso insists he’s a prettier boy, and Billy either rolls his eyes or flirts aggressively cause Kelso doesn’t understand WHY that’s Steve’s nickname, and it’s a whole can of worms you guys

-(And I didn’t forget about El, I’m just not quite sure where she fits in this AU... she probably doesn’t have powers and is the new kid who moves into town cause of a bad home life, she’d befriend Max in school and then I think Donna would take her under wing, then she’d be a hit with the teen gang cause she’d break her quietness with witty comments/one-liners, and since she’s very intuitive still, she gravitates towards Billy & Hyde and there would be some touching heart-to-hearts about shitty parental situations followed immediately after by inappropriate offers of beer to which she responds with a firm “gross”)

-And finally, *the Circle* would be so much bigger and funnier with the Stranger Teens in it

[cakhost]

A list of Animal Crossing New Horizon (ACNH) details that I just want to list:

While the Skeleton item is just your average biology prop; it’s still hilarious/worrying to get one to fall out of a tree.

What’s just concerning is that Timmy and Tommy, two children who run Nook’s Cranny, just happen to put out the Creepy Skeleton. It’s an incomplete remains of a human skeleton that calls to mind that it is a literal corpse. The fact that there is a mossy variant of it doesn’t help. They also were selling the Creepy Skeleton on my birthday and I have concerns. You can also interact with the Creepy Skeleton.

Brewster’s business practice is strange. You go to the café and he offers you a menu item that you just have to accept and pay for. I assume he does this with just everyone, as Daisy Mae is only ever given cookies when she visits. Everyone else (including Timmy/Tommy) gets coffee. His method is mostly strange to me in that I can’t think of a place where you go to a eatery of some sort, the server will select the item for you and you just have to accept and pay. The simplest answer might just because video games. Still is a great place to hang out and I visit often.

Sea bass is as common as most information makes them out to be. The issue I have is that I have difficulty in determining if the fish shadow is a size 5 or 6. That being said, I sometimes just bass myself for amusement.

All fish in ACNH are space-warping wizards. It’s the only explanation I will take as to why a rather large shadow can suddenly become an arapraima, oarfish or a sunfish. Special mention to red snapper and horse mackerel who look a touch bigger than the shadow that spawned them and black bass who somehow seems smaller than its shadow.

Fish shadows behave like fish up until you catch them and suddenly they are a rock, a tire, a can or a boot.

My dislike for mosquitos transcends into the digital and I wish they would just go away. >:[

Why are fireflies only available in June? I know the answer probably has to do with the boat of bugs that show up in July. But I still wish they would stick around longer. :c

I have learned to not run around at night with a net tool out to not upset the local population of tarantulas/scorpions. When you don’t have a net out, they are just little bugs that happen to have many animated legs. Of the 2, scorpions are still the one that startles me the most when I am running around because their tails are always up and to me, that’s scorpion for “me angry, me stab u >:[” and I’m like “I’m chill! Witness how Chill I am at this time. Plz no stab. :c”

Redd is the worst when it comes to art. When he does show up to your island, he comes with only 4 pieces that randomly can have 0-4 real pieces and your changes of each case isn’t split 25% as you might think. Each art piece is worth 4980 bells. This is important for later. But I will also mention that because each art piece is worth 4980, it’s just 20 bells shy of helping you get a Nook Mile+ stamp to spend 5000 bells; it’s like he’s aware of the miles and just wants to be a jerk about it. With the newer update to have Redd always set up at Harv’s Island, you can technically loop him to get possible pieces of art quickly as he restocks the next day when a piece sells. However, the chances are you may just end up with a bunch of fake art that you can’t sell because Timmy and Tommy aren’t in the forgery business so you are now 4980 bells down. You can get 4980 bells back if you sell 4 real pieces of art; but if you were the buyer of said art, that means you are always profiting at a greater loss because you need to spend 19,920 to get those pieces. At the each of each transaction where you buy something from him, he always gives a laugh. He’s always in an area you can’t pull out your net to hit him. The only revenge I can have is to sneeze on him. May sneezes rain down on him.

[dalekofchaos]

Harbinger and The Illusive Man

Something I think would’ve fixed Mass Effect 3 while also keeping the plot and the dynamic of The Reapers and Cerberus as the main threat is making Harbinger the big bad and The Illusive Man as his puppet or as The Illusive Man could’ve put it his “partner”

My other ME3 metas

ME3 mistakes

ME3 ending fix

I cannot state how much I hate that Harbinger is almost nonexistent in this game. 

The thing that annoyed me most about ME3 is the fact that Harbinger is not the main threat. The Illusive Man is. Harbinger has been built up as the big bad since ME2. "YOU HAVE FAILED. WE WILL FIND ANOTHER WAY." He says as he discards the Collectors. Then his speech to Shepard as the base blows up. "Human, you've changed nothing. Your species has the attention of those infinitely your greater. That which you know as Reapers are your salvation through destruction. You will surrender your potential against the growing void. We return, and you will rise. We are the harbinger of your perfection. We will bring your species into harmony with our own. Your species will be raised to a new existence. We are the beginning, you will be the end. Prepare for our domination. Prepare for our coming." Then in Arrival, he came pretty damn close to unleashing quick subjugation and harvest upon an unprepared galaxy. Upon Shepard foiling his plans. "Shepard. You have become an annoyance. You fight against inevitability. Dust struggling against cosmic winds. This seems a victory to you. A star system sacrificed. But even now, your greatest civilizations are doomed to fall. Your leaders will beg to serve us. Know this as you die in vain: Your time will come. Your species will fall. Prepare yourselves for the Arrival." The perfect final villain right? Unfortunately, Cerberus was more focused on than The Reapers. My problem with Cerberus and no Harbinger is Too many Cerberus, too few Reaper forces in plot. We fight Cerberus more often than the reapers. Hardly any boss fight and the one with Reaper Destroyer on Rannoch was more an interactive movie than fight. During the Horizon mission in Mass Effect 2, Harbinger was solidified as the Big Bad. It was menacing and ominous, with just the right amount of annoying. It taunted us throughout the game, telling us how insignificant we were, and how our actions were pointless. It was willing to posses drones through the Collector General to fight us personally, and when we killed the host, it tossed them aside. Harbinger even gave the typical “You haven’t seen the last of me!” villain rant. It made any fire fight frustrating, and that made me want to kill it even more; I hated Harbinger. Many games fail to do that. Harbinger was an enemy which I looked forward to defeating. I had the desire to annihilate. In Mass Effect 3, I got a codex entry and a cameo. Harbinger just swoops in at the last second and blows my friends and I to hell(and lets the Normandy save them), then flies off. Personally, I would have loved to hear Harbinger’s menacing monologue, it drove me on. I would have felt a deeper motivation to take the fight back to Earth if it told me how much destruction the Reapers were causing, how many lives were lost. I felt cheated when I got to the final mission, only to suddenly realize it was largely absent from the game. Harbinger has been replaced. Replaced by the Illusive Man and Kai Leng. The former is an old acquaintance, albeit one now controlled by the Reapers. The latter is a space ninja from a terrible book.

I will admit. The Illusive Man is a worthy foe and someone worthy enough to be Harbinger’s Saren. Kai Leng however is a terrible counterpart for Shepard. 

Kai Leng. Sucks. Period. Here is a long in depth version on why he sucks. Even in the novels Leng is a terrible character. He’s a edgelord racist.  He couldn’t even kill Anderson, he almost got taken out by an aging Drell with stage 7 Drell cancer. Oh but he has snarky one liners and he sent that stupid fucking email after Thesia. KAI LENG SUCKS! He is not even interesting. I genuinely fucking sighed when he was introduced. When he killed Thane, all I could think of was “really?”. When he sent that little email I just rolled my eyes. When I saw him at the temple all I could think of was “not you again”. When he “beat” me on Thessia(I would have unloaded my N7 Typhoon and sent his whiny ass into oblivion, but game mechanics said I couldn’t) I just felt angry that such a stupid character ever made it past the writing board. Oh and BULLSHIT. Thane and Kirrahe would have killed Kai Leng. Even near his death bed, Thane could still kill Kai Leng. Kirrahe is a hardened veteran, he is AN STG MAJOR! Kirrahe would have killed Kai Leng in a blink of a fucking eye.  Here is my take on Kai Leng. He should have been killed on Priority:Citadel. If you do not save Kirrahe or don’t talk to Thane. Shepard should kill Kai Leng. If you saved Kirrahe but don’t talk to Thane. Kirrahe comes out of cloak and bombards Leng with Scorpion rounds and Leng blows up. If you talked to Thane, Thane would blow Kai Leng’s head off. The only reason why Leng is presented as a threat is cutscene logic and bad one liners. 

But back to The Illusive Man and Harbinger

To make Harbinger work as the big bad, we need to have Harbinger constantly “ASSUME DIRECT CONTROL” 

Near the end of the first mission, before Shepard contacts the Normandy, we would see Harbinger’s hologram appear like it did in Arrival. Harbinger taunting Shepard. that the harvest begins. 

Instead of suggesting Control, The Illusive Man is basically saying The Reapers can uplift Humanity and ascend them and dominate the other races. With Harbinger’s help, Humanity will be the ultimate force in the galaxy

Everytime we fight Reaper forces, Harbinger is there to “ASSUME DIRECT CONTROL”

Kai Leng dies on The failed coup on the Citadel. The Illusive Man does not care as he is close to finding The Catalyst 

On Rannoch, instead of a Destroyer Reaper talking to Shepard, Harbinger’s hologram will appear. Harbinger will continue to taunt Shepard, but Shepard shows that everyone is coming together to end the Reapers once and for all. Harbinger would not say that the Reapers are needed to keep synthetics from killing organics. He would say The Reapers are there to ascend and are your salvation through destruction. Harbinger’s end quotes from ME2 is basically the premise of The Reapers end goals. That's all it needed to be.

On Thesia, The Illusive Man will explain to Shepard that Harbinger chose him. After The First Contact War, TIM found a Reaper artifact. In that artifact, he was contacted by Harbinger. He lost his human vision, but awakened to the truth and because of Harbinger’s guidance, he founded Cerberus. Strength for Cerberus is strength for humanity. TIM believes he and Harbinger together they could uplift and empower humanity over the lesser races. The Illusive Man is to Harbinger, as what Saren was for Soverign. He will then tell Shepard, he plans on using the Crucible to finish what the Collectors started. Completing the Human Reaper. Then TIM sends a group of Phantoms, Nemesis and Cerberus Dragons to face Shepard in place of Leng. Thesia falls. 

Sanctuary is used to create Husks and harvest humans to help create the Human Reaper

At Cerberus Headquarters, TIM says Harbinger knew more about the Citadel than Soverign. There is more than one Conduit and he found it. Vendetta will reveal that the Citadel was moved by Harbinger and taken it to Earth to complete the harvest

The confrontation between Shepard, Anderson and TIM happens but we know how TIM is on the Citadel and if you read my ending fix, you will know that Anderson would’ve went to the beam with Shepard and they are transported to the same place

Shepard will ask “Why didn’t Harbinger kill me?” “Because, we need you to understand and we need you to believe”

Same confrontation ends with either Shepard shooting TIM dead or TIM killing himself after Shepard uses paragon or renegade to reveal that Harbinger used him all his life

After Anderson passes. Harbinger “Assumes Control” over TIM’s dead body. Harbinger will explain the purpose of the Harvests. The explanation is the original ending of Dark energy. The Reapers as a whole were ‘nations’ of people who had fused together in the most horrific way possible to help find a way to stop the spread of the Dark Energy. The real reason for the Human Reaper was supposed to be the Reapers saving throw because they had run out of time. Humanity in Mass Effect is supposedly unique because of its genetic diversity and represented the universe’s best chance at stopping Dark Energy’s spread. We have a choice either Sacrifice humanity, allowing them to be horrifically processed in hopes that the end result will justify the means or use The Crucible to destroy The Reapers and find a way to stop the dark energy from spreading and it shows it is hopeful with a united galaxy. However, if we choose destroy, Harbinger will attempt to stop Shepard. A Reaperfied TIM appears and Shepard fights him, while The Normandy fights Harbinger. If we choose sacrifice humanity, Shepard will be the final catalyst to completing the Human Reaper.  But obviously no one will choose that choice as the entire point of the trilogy is to destroy The Reapers. So we get a hopeful ending. The united galaxy will work together to stop the spread of dark energy, as Hackett said “If we can put aside our grievances long enough to stop The Reapers, imagine what we can do together” 

There, I came up with a way to have the best of both worlds. Harbinger and The Illusive Man as the big bads. 

I also made The Reapers motivation to actually work. They are there to control the chaos. The harvests end with a creation of The Reaper and The Reapers are the pinnacle of evolution Harbinger’s speech at the end of ME2 was enough for a motivation. The Reapers are our salvation from the coming void. They want to ascend humanity to perfection. That makes complete sense and makes more sense than destroying everyone to save everyone????? WHo fucking wrote this Starchild garbage???

The point is, The Reapers and The Illusive Man could’ve worked as the big bads collectively together. 

[eijie-cavies]

Wen Kexing, Scorpion King and Gu-Xiang raised together in ghost valley.

This lovely user had produced a VERY interesting Au that I couldn't help myself but make a lil drabble/one shot on it. @naniya27 I hope you like it! I had fun playing around with Xi'er hahahah. (one shot under the cut)

Zhou Zishu didn't know if he should gape in surprise or tilt his head in confusion at the sight of Wen Kexing and a VERY familiar man clad in black conversing by their table. He had only stood up to order himself some more wine and all of the sudden there was an assassin sitting beside Wen Kexing, more so, this assassin wasn't even trying to kill him.

"Where have you been? I've been looking all over for you-" The man whined.

"I told you I will be "around" little brat, didn't A-Xiang inform you of my whereabouts?" Wen Kexing retorted, his carefree smile widened as he tilted his head back to drink his beverage as if this assassin was not in the least bit dangerous.  "Da-ge, you know I would be busy, did you purposely send me away to have your little adventures?" The man pouted, POUTED, as though he was a little brother feigning hurt just to gain favor from his older brother.

'Have I missed something here?' Zhou Zishu internally blanched, approaching their table slowly.

When the man's eyes landed on to him all the traces of playfulness disappeared and a hard mask was set in place. The man straightened in his seat like a proper gentleman with his eyes cold and observant. Zhou Zishu internally shivered, The man looked every bit like he was once did back when he was still serving the prince.

"Ah! A-Xu, come come, you took too long" Wen Kexing whined pettily which gained a slightly shocked but nonetheless passive expression from his companion. "I was gone for 5 minutes Lao Wen-"

"Five minutes too long, a-xu don't deprived me of your beauty" His soulmate winked.

The scandalized look on the scorpion's face ALMOST made Zhou Zishu want to play along with his fan man's antics, but his mind was still too muddled to comprehend just WHY this man was even here.

"Lao Wen, i don't think you need me here if you got a companion?" Zhou Zishu challenged, the man's eyebrows twitched. Either from annoyance or anger he didn't know. "Ah, my bad, A-Xu this is Xie Wang, Xi-er say hello to my beautiful A-Xu" Again, Wen Kexing had that silly sparkling look in his eyes that quiet frankly Zishu decided he would never tire from. "Wen Gongzi, I was not aware you harbored stowaways in your journey" Zishu wanted to snort at that. as if he had not seen the way this "Xi-er" acted while he was not there.

"I know who he is Lao Wen, did not know the Ghost valley is familiar with the Scorpion" Zhou Zishu tilted his head, sitting down across from Wen Kexing. Xi-er looked ready to retort a smartass reply, probably something Wen Kexing had taught himself when the older man beat him to it.

"Ayiah, the ghost valley and Scorpions had always been allies A-Xu, is it not a common knowledge?" he asked.

Zishu only shrugged his shoulder. being an ex-assassin he could always read people based on their body language, and though the man in front of him was of similar occupation, Zishu could not help but chuckle at the way Xi-er's knee slowly moved to touch Wen Kexing's in a protective manner ,or how his jaw flexed slightly indicating that he was grinding his teeth behind his mouth, the piercing eyes never left him for a moment as if anticipating Zishu's attack at anytime. truth be told he looked about ready to drive Zishu away himself.

"Ah that reminds me, I seemed to have forgotten to buy some herbs too take back to the manor, eh A-xu i'll be back in a bit" He smiled warmly before standing up to leave. Zishu knows it's bullshit, Lao Wen would never run off to "buy" something not unless he asked for money first, so Zishu figured that this was his chance to get to know this person, whatever Lao Wen had in mind anyway.

"So...Leader Zhou, we meet again" Xi-'er smiled politely, though the ex assassin knew that that was FAR from a friendly one, more like a challenge. "Yes, after you abducted Chengling" he fired back, smile as taxing. Xie'er ,in a moment of weakness, groaned "Please, don't remind me, i already got an earful from Da'ge about that, I don't want to hear the same from you"

Zishu raised his eyebrow in surprise and confusion, okay so he was not hallucinating then. this scorpion DID call Lao Wen "Da ge"

"Pardon?" said Zishu.

"How was I supposed to know that Zhang boy was your ward and you were with Da ge anyway? he hadn't contacted me ever since he got out of the valley" he pouted...again. "Besides, I already said sorry to him" he reasoned again. Zishu smirked at that "So you said sorry to him and not me or Chengling?"

"Hell no, I don't even know you. and why are you even sticking to Da'ge anyway? this wasn't even in his plan" Xie'er rolled his eyes so far back he was sure it would pop out. The ex- assassin only laughed at that. No, Lao Wen did NOT anticipate their meeting nor did Zishu himself, but he'd be damned if he was the one sticking to Wen Kexing. that fan wielding man was the one who clung to him in the first place.

Just before he could retort Chengling arrived just in time to See Xi-er slightly leaned forward at the table as if he was about to attack Zishu. "Chengling" the swordsman started, but Chengling was fast to run to his side and position himself just behind Zhou Zishu. Xie'er was not pleased. "Little idiot, I thought you went off to buy more supplies for-"

"I was! but Shishu told me to come back here and that he would handle it himself"

'Lao Wen I swear to-'

"Shishu? hah, who are you calling shishu? my Da'ge would never let anyone call him that" Zi'er

"Your Da'ge, definetly did" Zishu almost could not contain his laugh at the scorpion King's scandalized and shocked expression. "This is ridiculous" the scorpion King stood up with al the gracehe could muster in anger "I'm going to find him and set this right" he harrumped, swishing his robes as he disappeared out the tavern.

Chengling, who was still slightly cowering behind him stuttered. "Sh-Shifu, wasn't tha-"

"Yes, don't worry i'll talk to your Shishu about this, come on. Let's go and finish getting those herbs before we go home"

____________________________________________________

"Lao Wen"

"Hmmn?" Wen Kexing hummed, stirring a pot of hot steamed vegetables with chicken soup simmering by the side. "Xie'er was...something" at the mention of his brother Kexing stopped for a second before continuing his minstrations. as if reading Zishu's mind on wanting a clearer explanation, Wen Kexing caved "I found him when I was still in ghost valley. he was one of the children who had been abducted and brought to us" the taller man swallowed hard, clearly struggling, though his face showed little emotion.

"He almost died, luckily I got to him in time and managed to save him, hiding him away was the hardest part. it took a while before he trusted me but once he did I found that I could not turn him away"

Zhou Zishu sighed, with a burst of bravery he walked over to his Zhiji and wrapped his hands around his waist, his head came to rest on Lao Wen's shoulder. "He lived with me for several years,and then Gu-xiang appeared. We barely managed to save her but when Xie'er promised ties with the Scorpion to the former Ghost valley chief he let her go, when I became chief I finally let him go back to his home where he can see his parents again" Wen Kexing stopped, longer this time. His hand shook as he removed the pots from the fire to prevent them from burning, he turned to Zhou Zishu, eyes full of guilt and sorrow.

"But...it was too late, his parents had been killed and with no one to take the title Xi'er had to assume the role and had to band together the scorpions that we know today. He was only 17 that time A-Xu, it took years before he could properly  get a hold of the others and most of the time I wasn't even there to help him. I still had Gu-Xiang to raise and it wasn't time for me to emerge from the valley. He had to come to me multiple times-"

Wen Kexing faltered. Zishu figure that was enough, he didn't think Lao Wen would actually tell him that much. The shorter man steadily turned his soulmate to face him, his eyes soft and understanding as he slowly leaned in, just enough to let Lao Wen back out if he so wanted. but the other man stayed in place. He finally rest his forehead against Lao Wen's. in an instant, his partner loosened up, hand began to encircle around his waist as Zishu moved closer, feeling their noses touch.

"Lao Wen, you did great"

At that high praise and implication, Wen Kexing could not help but to shed tears of relief and gratefulness. Zishu understood, Zishu accepted. and most of all Zhou Zishu stayed.

Bonus: Timeline.

Wen Kexing was around 7 or 8 when he was brought in to Ghost valley. so let's say he was 7.

Xie'er came to ghost valley when he was 8 years old making Wen Kexing 15.

Gu-xiang came to valley when she was 7 making Wen Kexing 18 and Xi'er 11.

Wen Kexing was 20 when he took over, Xie'er now 17 years old and given free reign over the scorpions and Gu xiang 9.

Finally current drama:

Wen Kexing - 28

Xie Wang- 21

Gu-Xiang - 17

(These aren't the real ages btw XD just estmation. i had big brain moment trying to sort out the timeline hahaha)

[avonne-writes]

Scorpion Grass - part 8/8

Pairing: Loki/Mobius

Rating, word count (chapter): M, 3.7k

Chapter summary:  Goodbyes and new beginnings.

Link to the AO3 post

After the day he had, Loki succumbs to a deep and dreamless sleep and doesn't wake up until eleven on Thursday. When he opens his eyes to Thor's sunny living room, he's instantly overcome with sadness. Two more days left. Only two. Although he wants nothing but to spend them in Mobius’ arms, he can’t exactly cling to him while he’s pulling people out of the ocean and popping dislocated shoulders back in place. So, reluctant as he is, he tries not to think about Mobius and spends the day with Thor and their parents.

They're about to depart on a whale watching sunset cruise when he receives a text, asking if he can come to the beach. It's from Mobius - Loki doesn't even know what compels him to stick around long enough to inform his parents he's going. One pleading look and his mom lets him go with a laugh.

Giddy excitement thrums in his blood all the way to Capitola. Are they going out? Or does Mobius have a surprise for him? He can't wait.

He finds Mobius in the shallows, standing next to Steve, who's straddling a jet ski. Steve's in actual shorts this time, but they don't cover much more of his muscular thighs than the speedos. There's little left to the imagination. It takes all of Loki's self-control not to conjure up any uncomfortable images involving his brother. He turns his eyes away to focus on Mobius' smile instead.

"The boss gave us permission to take this beauty for a ride." Mobius gestures at Steve, then pats the jet ski. "Do you want to try it?"

Loki beams. "Yes."

Mobius nods and stirs him towards the closest lifeguard tower. "Let's get you a vest then."

It's not as easy as he thought it would be. Steve tells him that sitting on a jet ski is similar to riding a motorbike, but the only saddle Loki has ever been in was for horseback riding, so Mobius has to teach him to lean into the turns. On the water, everything is slippery and the vehicle shakes. It's a challenge not to fall off. The motion of the ride keeps pushing him into Mobius' back no matter how still he tries to stay - he can only hope it's not annoying.

Once he gets the hang of it though, it's amazingly fun to hold on to Mobius as they leave Capitola behind. The wind whips past them, ruffling their hair, and water splashes on their legs with every bounce over the waves. Loki enjoys the thrill. He tightens his arms around Mobius' torso and watches the shoreline, the way it seems to glow in the sunshine and how it contrasts the glittering water.

When they stop to enjoy the views a little bit, he leans back. "My father told me something interesting today."

Mobius twists around as much as he can to look at him. "Your father?"

Loki raises his eyebrows. "We do talk, you know."

"I was just surprised."

"He said the main purpose of this vacation was to…" He makes a frustrated gesture. "...get me used to the new situation."

"New situation?"

"That my brother's going to live here. Father told me that was one of the reasons why they wanted me to stay with him."

"I see." Mobius says cautiously. "How do you feel about that?"

"It's nonsense. Why would I care?"

"Why wouldn't you?"

It's a question that leaves Loki momentarily speechless. He's so used to brushing off all implications that his brother's life choices may affect him that he hasn't considered that someone would ask for an explanation. What can he say? Mobius takes his silence as a sign that he doesn't want to continue the conversation at all. He reaches back and squeezes Loki's knee.

"Let's go back to the beach, okay?"

Loki purses his lips, then curls his arms around Mobius' middle again. "Okay."

They spend a few more minutes speeding through the beautiful waves until Loki's smiling again. When they finally beach the jet ski and pass it back to Steve, he gives Mobius a smacking kiss, but darts away when Mobius tries to deepen it.

"That was fun." He walks a few steps backwards to shoot Mobius a grin. The sand crunches under his feet. "I understand your obsession with them now."

"It's not an obsession." Mobius denies.

"Keep lying to yourself."

"Like you do?"

Loki stops dead in his tracks, frowning. He narrows his eyes at Mobius when he catches up to him. "I beg your pardon?"

"About your brother." Mobius says, hands on his hips. He doesn't wilt under Loki's glare. "Don't look at me like that, you know what I'm talking about."

They stare at each other, but Loki's mind is blank. All he can think about is that he may be taller but one serious look from Mobius and that height difference feels virtually nonexistent. How does he do it?

"I don't get it." Mobius goes on, unaware of Loki's straying thoughts. "Why do you pretend to hate him?"

"I -" Loki flaps his arms, at a loss. When he's put on the defensive, he tries to bite back. "Do you always have to dig deeper into everything I tell you? Can't you just agree and let us move on?"

Mobius drops his hands, then touches Loki's left elbow. "I don't mean to force you. I just want to know you better."

Loki looks at the sky and the contrail splitting it in half. Trust is exhausting. He crosses his arms and raises his shoulders. "I don't know the answers. I don't know."

"Alright. Are we fighting?"

"No. Of course not." Loki sighs, then moves in for a hug. It's only when he feels the tension evaporate that he realizes he can get something out of this. "If you buy me a sundae, I'll forget it."

Mobius laughs.

   »»————-　　————-««

True to his promise, Mobius takes Loki to Carmel on Friday after work. It's an enchantingly whimsical town of cottages, art galleries and inns built of warm, dark wood that remind Loki of old English architecture. There are bubbling fountains everywhere; alleyways leading to hidden courtyards and walls overgrown with plants. A plethora of secluded nooks to find tranquility in.

They drink fresh pressed lemonade in the afternoon sunshine and flit from one quirky store to the next, marvelling at the embellished storefront signs. Treasures seem to lie behind every corner. From a sweet shop clouded with the smell of chocolate to a boutique selling handmade freaky dolls, it's like a walk through a fairy tale.

They enter a shop that has elegant jewelry and antiques on display. Lost in the shiny beauty of it all like a dragon looking to expand its hoard, Loki wanders away from Mobius. He has no concept of time, but he knows he has spent way too many minutes admiring the items when Mobius comes over to him and presses a hand to the small of Loki's back.

"Did you see anything you like?" He asks, not taking his hand away. In fact, his fingers trail upwards, just the slightest bit, feeling out the edges of Loki's open back shirt.

"Everything." Loki says with a greedy gleam in his gaze. He bends his head close to Mobius and shows him a jeweled wine glass stem. It depicts a serpent slithering through waves, its eyes blue gemstones.

Mobius hums. "A clever design."

"Creative, but sinister." Loki rubs his thumb over the snake's head before placing the stem back on the shelf. "It reminds me of Jormungand, the Midgard serpent. Are you familiar with Norse mythology?"

"Somewhat. I've heard of the serpent."

Loki nods. "Well, it's Thor's arch-enemy in the sagas." And Loki's kid. He doesn't add that tidbit. He figures it's weird enough as it is. "My brother read about it when he was ten or so and became fixated on snakes. Sea snakes, in particular."

"So he always wanted to be a marine biologist?"

"Hell knows." Loki shrugs. "He changed majors. Father blames it on me."

Mobius' thumb presses a little harder against the dip of Loki's spine. "What does that have to do with you?"

Loki clears his throat. "He announced it after my stint in Seattle." He gives Mobius a sidelong glance. "At the time, I thought he just wanted the limelight back. But I suppose I was mistaken."

They stare at the decorative glass stems while Mobius thinks it over. "Perhaps he just didn't want to please your father any longer." He says eventually.

Loki looks down, scuffing his right foot. He mutters under his breath. "Wish I could let it go like that."

"You need more time."

"You sound so sure that I'll get there." When Loki looks up, the hand on his back drops down to tangle their fingers together.

Mobius shrugs. He pulls Loki away from the glasses. "Because I believe in you."

Christ. Loki shakes his head, stunned. "You've just outed yourself as a sap. It's sickening."

"You're practically purring."

"What an exaggeration."

They keep up the banter all the way to the next store, but hidden behind his sardonic tone and unimpressed frown, Loki's heart is singing like the wind chimes in Carmel's secret passageways.

   »»————-　　————-««

The last sunset of his vacation greets him on the white, silky sand of Carmel Beach, where he sits cross-legged and lets the fine grains sift through his fingers. He has a seashell in his right hand. It looks pearlescent in the saturated colours of the sunshine, and he has half a mind to stand up, throw it into the water and let the low tide take it far away. It's too pretty.

His mood plummets further with every inch the shadows of the cypress trees around him grow. The warmth is seeping out of the day as the sun dips under the horizon, and he wishes he brought a jacket now. He doesn't regret the backless shirt though, because Mobius seems entranced by it. He kneels behind Loki and presses his lips to the back of Loki's neck, then adorns the line of his spine with kisses that are almost too intimate for a public beach. He touches Loki's hair, the messy bun that keeps it together.

"Can I undo it?" He asks, and Loki hums yes, still playing with that empty shell.

He feels his dark locks tumble down on his neck, the thin braids he weaved into the bun falling apart under Mobius' fingers. The breeze joins in on the combing and moves the strands over his shoulder, tickling his skin, until Mobius sweeps it all aside. He presses his face to the back of Loki's neck and breathes him in. His exhales are soft caresses chasing shivers on Loki's bare skin. There's a strange, melancholic tension between them. Things needed to be addressed but too difficult to bring up, to draw out to the light where future possibilities become real and immediate. Someone has to call this evening what it is, goodbye.

Mobius kisses the knob of Loki's spine. "I keep wondering if you can feel what I feel."

"What do you feel?" Loki asks quietly. When Mobius' arms wrap around his waist, he puts his hands on Mobius' forearms. The silent anticipation that follows feels momentous.

Mobius sighs. "That if I let you go, you'll be the one that got away."

Something constricts in Loki's chest. He looks at the mirror-smooth blanket of water washing up on the shore and the amber sky reflected in it. "You can't tell that after two weeks."

"It's a gut feeling."

There's a long pause filled with kisses and caresses placed on the strip of skin revealed by Loki's shirt. Loki tries to breathe through it and keep his emotions from crumpling. "I don't want to leave."

Mobius chuckles. "Two weeks ago you hated being here."

"We're going to stay in touch, right?"

"Of course." He rests his chin on Loki's shoulder. "We can try long-distance."

"How long do you think it would last? Two weeks? A month?" Loki asks, even as he tightens his hold on Mobius' arms.

Mobius laughs. "I'm glad you have faith in us."

"Seriously. What are we going to do?"

"Let's try." Comes the quiet answer. "No promises, no expectations. Just to see if my gut feeling is right."

Loki's nervous. He has never had a boyfriend before. He doubts he could make it work long-term even if they were living in the same city, but to bridge seven hundred miles… This is destined to fail like a selkie's doomed relationship with a human would. He slips his fingers into Mobius' hands to grip them tight. "What if it isn't?"

"Then we go our separate ways and only remember the good times."

Loki's smile comes and goes like a flickering light. He's not sure yet, but something bubbly begins to sparkle in his veins. "Are you asking me to be your… boyfriend?"

"My partner." Mobius replies seamlessly. He must have thought about it, Loki realizes, and the surprise of being validated scatters butterflies in his stomach. "My lover."

Loki bites his lip, now smiling beyond his control. "Yours, huh?" He teases.

There are teeth digging into the juncture of his neck for a few seconds. "Mine."

"Yes."

"Yes?"

Loki nods and leans back until the angle allows a kiss. He takes the seashell home as a keepsake.

   »»————-　　————-««

It's rough and desperate that night. Nothing feels close enough. They cling to each other in Mobius' bed as if that could make the sensations outlast the darkness, and the intensity blazes so hot that Loki shivers with it. It feels different. The thought that he can put a name to their relationship now arouses him in a way that no one-night stand could. Every stroke, every thrust, every kiss that adores his sweat-damp skin feels like it belongs there. His lips fall open around the gasps he can’t keep inside, and his fists curl into the sheets.

Mobius cradles his face. “You gorgeous thing.”

They kiss, losing moments to the lewd game of it until Mobius draws his lips away, down to Loki’s ear. His whisper is a warm brush of air. “Do you wanna turn around?”

Loki whimpers, trying to stifle the sound, then nods and goes along with Mobius’ hands when they roll him over. His hips are pulled up by a gentle grip.

"That's it." Mobius steadies him. "Hands and knees."

He doesn’t say it like it’s an order but Loki’s burning to hear it as one, and when Mobius fills him again, he arches into it pliantly, just wanting to be led and not think about tomorrow or the day after, or even the next second beyond pure need. He trembles when Mobius makes him wait.

“Mobius…” He reaches back and finds Mobius’ left hip.

Mobius exhales, composing himself, then gives him what he wants.

It takes several seconds to come down from the high they reach. Loki’s left panting after it has ripped through him and stolen his air, and he stretches out flat on his stomach to recover. A palm runs up and down the plane of his back, smoothing down every muscle like a sculptor perfecting a masterpiece. Over his shoulder blades, in the valley of his spine, on the curve of his ass. It’s embarrassing to be explored like this, without an end goal, but he’s too blissed-out to protest.

"You have such a beautiful back." Mobius says after a while.

The comment makes Loki grin. He turns his head to look at Mobius’ flushed, sweaty face. "I knew you'd like that shirt."

Mobius closes his eyes in realization. “You wore it to tease me, didn't you?"

“You're not the only one who notices things.”

Mobius shifts closer and nudges at Loki until he turns to lie on his side. He props himself up on his elbow then and places little kisses on the stairs of Loki's ribs, stopping at his chest. When Loki raises his arm to curl it around his head, he scoots up to press his lips to the underside of Loki's jaw.

"Loki."

"Hm?"

After a brief pause, Mobius slips away to rummage through the bedside table. When he comes back, he has two rectangular things in his hands, and he pushes one into Loki's palm. Loki frowns at it for one nanosecond before he breaks into an ear-splitting smile.

"Seriously?" He raises his eyebrows. "Is this what I should remember you by?"

"I went back for it on Sunday."

"I can't believe you did." Loki laughs.

It's the Valkyrie CD from that random record shop in San Francisco. Does he even have a device that can play this thing? He's not sure. Nevertheless, a fond feeling blooms in his chest as he puts it on the table on his side of the bed.

When he turns back around, Mobius gives him a box. It's from the jewelry they stopped at in Carmel.

"Oh." Loki makes a small sound as he opens it.

There's a bracelet inside. Thin silver and shiny, blue gemstone flowers of a familiar shape. Loki's smile fades away.

"I know it's not green." Mobius starts. "But -"

"It's perfect." Loki exhales. He looks up at Mobius. "And I get the message."

Mobius hums, as close to bashful as Loki has ever seen him, and he casts his eyes down. He pretends that clasping the bracelet around Loki's wrist requires his full attention. When he's done, he brushes a kiss to it, where the chain lies on the dainty joint.

"I'm pretty sure it will be you who's going to forget me anyway." Loki reacts to the untold sentiment behind all this.

"Impossible." Mobius lays his head on the pillow. Their noses almost touch.

   »»————-　　————-««

Knowing what the morning means, Loki wishes he could hide away from it or concoct an excuse to stay. He burrows into Mobius' embrace as long as he can. But there's no delaying it, he has to open his eyes, however torturous it is, and go back to Thor's place. It's time. He and Mobius share a sad smile, then drag themselves out of bed.

They get dressed in silence, covering up the small bruises and love bites the night left behind. They haven't stopped at one round, and Loki revels in the fact that it left him sore as hell, muscles he never knew he had aching with every movement. At least, for a day or two, he'll still feel Mobius' touch on his body. Something positive he can focus on. He's nauseous but Mobius manages to coax him into eating half of a pastry for breakfast, and that's it, their time is up. They share one more kiss in the hallway, then leave.

Sour, heavy anxiety wells up in Loki's chest on the way to Thor's apartment. He can't say anything that could make things better and Mobius seems just as helpless. They try to breathe through the silence. It's only when the car slows to a stop by the sidewalk that Loki speaks up.

"I'll call you when we get there." He says, watching Mobius' eyes.

"Alright."

They climb out and share a hug behind the car. It goes on for minutes - Loki feels each of them tick by like the last particles draining in an hourglass.

"My parents are already here. I saw their car." He mumbles into Mobius' neck.

Mobius takes a deep breath. "Don't make them wait then."

Loki just holds on tighter. "I don't want to be alone."

"You won't be. You can call me anytime."

"At least we're in the same time zone."

"See? It's not that bad." Mobius chuckles, and when he pulls back, he strokes Loki's cheek with a tenderness that fills Loki's eyes with tears.

   »»————-　　————-««

The mood is somber on the way home. Loki finds himself glancing at the empty side of the back seat every now and then, bothered by the quiet and the fact that he has no one to fight. It surprises him. He thought he wouldn't be able to stop thinking of Mobius, but his thoughts flit back and forth between him and Thor; hate, love and pain melting together in one confusing swirl. He hates that he's attached to his brother in any way, that it causes him even a morsel of pain to be left behind by him, but he blames his feelings on his exhaustion. He leans his forehead against the cool window and watches the countryside fly by until the colours blur together and he falls asleep.

He wakes up just as they pass the annoyingly bland Oregon welcomes you sign. Although the landscape doesn't change just because someone decided to draw the state border there, something in Loki loosens at the thought of being home. He rubs the aching fatigue out of his eyes and gives his mother the faintest of smiles when she turns in her seat to look at him.

They stop at a roadside restaurant to stretch their legs. It's not Loki's kind of place at all, considering that it's a brutish log building where antlers decorate the chandeliers and dumplings are considered high cuisine, but he doesn't complain. The food may be simple but it's tasty, and the air doesn't smell like fish anymore. His mom sits beside him and prompts a conversation about the ambiance that he can't stop himself from participating in, even though he knows full well that it's what she wanted in the first place. One step taken to get used to this new normal.

He feels better after that. Shadow and light dance in the gaps between the trees as they resume their way through the forest again. The car passes a breathtaking overlook with a view of the surrounding hills and the valley between them. On a whim, Loki takes a photo of it - his hand resting on the window, sunshine glittering on his bracelet, and the wilderness behind the glass. He posts it on his social media, hoping that Mobius will see it and think of him.

He gets an almost instant comment from Casey instead.

'nice bracelet! are those lavenders?'

It takes Loki a minute or two to believe his eyes and conclude that Casey is referring to the tiny forget-me-nots on the chain. Something about that cracks him up and draws tears from him at the same time. The fact that someone could get the name so wrong but still appreciate the flowers. I'll have to send a screenshot of this to Mobius, he thinks, and wipes his damp eyes.

'...it's scorpion grass, Casey'

[hp-nextgen-fest]

2020 HP Next Gen Fest Reveals!

The time has finally come for the 2020 @hp-nextgen-fest reveals! Thank you so very much to everyone who has made this fest such an amazing success! We were incredibly impressed with the overwhelming enthusiasm you all have for our favorite Next Gen characters. Everyone who submitted stories and art, and those who read, reviewed and recced: You guys are amazing!! It's been really great seeing everybody's fantastic creations, and we hope you all enjoyed the fest as much as we did! Without further ado, here's a list of all the amazing participants who worked so hard to create fabulous things for this year's fest!

ART

@miakagrewup drew AcciDental Magic [Rose, Hugo, & Grandparents | General] Hermione and Ron are called away for a case and left without their usual child-minder when Molly falls ill. Hermione’s parents step up to keep Hugo and Rose, in spite of Hermione’s warning that the two little ones have some big issues with accidental magic. The story is told comic book style, with illustrations and voice bubbles.

@eleonorapoe drew Woke up married! [James Sirius/Teddy | General] They get well and truly bladdered at Albus's stag do and wake up in bed together with matching wedding bands...

@mad1492 drew Sunday Practice [James Sirius/Teddy | General] Teddy thought that morning practice on Sunday was going to be something he would soon regret, but things may turn more interesting than expected.

@julcheninred drew Introduction [Albus, Severus, & Albus Severus | General] Albus Severus Potter gets to know the men he's named for by asking them about the experiences, memories, and motives that shaped their lives.

@garmrr drew Eyecandy [James Sirius/Teddy | General] After months of extensive Auror training, Teddy comes with the Potters to the beach. James. Cannot. Stop. Staring. At. Teddy. Shirtless.

FIC

@cassiaratheslytherpuff wrote We Keep Loving Anyway [Albus Severus/Scorpius | Explicit | 7.1k] After Albus finds out Scorpius is part vampire he can’t stop thinking about being bitten. He can’t stop thinking about Scorpius in general, but that’s been the case since he was fifteen. At least, when it comes to Scorpius he’s used to not getting what he wants. He’s happy with what he has, or at least, comfortable. That is until he accidentally asks for it, then it all starts to change.

@polly-darton wrote The perks of Veritaserum [James Sirius/Teddy | Explicit | 5.1k] James drank a long-lasting version of Veritaserum and is miserable and Teddy is having the time of his life. That is, until they’re both having the time of their lives.

@gracerene09 wrote Thunderstruck [Charlie/Teddy | Explicit | 2.6k] There’s not a lot for dragon tamers to do when stuck inside during a storm, but looking at this particular new recruit―well, Charlie can’t help but think of a few ways they could pass the time.

Quentin_threepwood wrote Hair Today, Hair Tomorrow [Albus Severus/Scorpius | Mature | 1.7k] Away on a book tour Albus Severus Malfoy grows a very creepy mustache, much to the horror of his still at home husband Scorpius Malfoy.

vitruvian8008 wrote Mission in Nairn [Draco/Lily Luna | Explicit | 7k] Lily Luna Potter is paired with Draco Malfoy for her first Auror Mission. On their last night, she decides to act on the lingering tension that had been building up between them.

@nerdherderette wrote No Other Alpha But You [Albus Severus/James Sirius | Explicit | 7.1k] Scorpius Malfoy has applied to be Albus' heat partner. There's no way James is letting that happen.

@aneiria-writes wrote The Scorpion King [Albus Severus/Scorpius | Explicit | 3.8k] Scorpius Malfoy, AKA the Scorpion King, has ruled Britain ever since his father turned his sights to conquering Europe. With his right-hand man and most trusted advisor, Albus Potter, Scorpius has a life of elegance and power. But he's had enough of the beautiful women that usually grace his bed. Scorpius has decided he wants something else in bed. Something more. Scorpius Malfoy wants Albus Potter.

@motherofmercury wrote Islands of the Upper Air [Lily Luna/Luna | General | 1.5k] Lily Luna has never liked her namesake, or her strange and sometimes absurd way of looking at the world. But a weekend full of ancient rituals and mountain forests is an eye opener, in more ways than one.

@shipperysails-bookofspells wrote Expecto Patronum!! [James Sirius/Teddy | Mature | 45.7k] James Potter had always known exactly what he wanted; to open a pub of his own, maybe travel the world, and live a simple life with the only man he’d ever loved. For years he waited, quietly determined to help Teddy see what could be between them. But just when everything he’d ever dreamed of was finally within his reach, it was ripped away in an instant. With Teddy missing, and presumed dead, James is left to pick up the pieces. John has no idea what he wants. He doesn’t even know who he is. But when he hears a strikingly familiar voice – on an otherwise ordinary day – he sets out to discover everything he can about the man that occupies his dreams. And Harry, well, Harry just wants to put his failures behind him. Until a series of unexpected events forces him to reexamine a case that he’d given up on solving. With the help of an unexpected ally, he just might find the answers he’s been looking for.

@lovealpenglow wrote lily's potter [Lily Luna/Lysander & Lily Luna/Draco | Mature | 8.3k] "But what if I keep it? What’s the contingency plan there?” She took a seat next to Lily. She spoke slowly, as if she was thinking about it for the first time, too. “Well, I mean, you keep your baby. You raise it. You love it. It goes on to do wonderful things because it’s a Potter.” Lily snorted. “It’s a Potter?” “Why not? I mean it’s just as much you as whoever is the father. Why shouldn’t it be a Potter first?”

@micheleblack wrote Snaked a Claim [Albus Severus/Scorpius | Teen | 1.6k] Everyone knew Albus was gay from age five when he would dramatically swoon every time Goncalo Flores the Quidditch player was mentioned. Twenty years later and Harry still tells the tale - much to Al’s embarrassment.

@ladderofyears wrote And I Fell Heavy (Into Your Arms) [James Sirius/Teddy | Explicit | 9.1k] When James Sirius Potter travels to America for three weeks, the turquoise-haired Healer Teddy Lupin misses his boyfriend very much indeed. Luckily, Teddy has (sexy) floo calls, charmed obsidian pendants and hastily made chastity promises to keep him busy. Based on the following prompt: Absence makes the heart grow fonder... Right? Smutty phone!sex? Longing letters? All up to you!

@veelawings wrote Dirty Duelling [Albus Severus/Draco | Explicit | 6.1k] Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want (Or — fucked up Dirty Dancing with wand fights)

@eleonorapoe wrote Albus’ Private Lesson of Sex Education [Albus Severus/James Sirius/Teddy | Explicit | 4.5k] Albus has some doubts about sex. Luckily he has an older brother, who can initiate him. How does this lesson go? James will be the teacher, Albus his good and obedient student and Teddy will be more than happy to serve them as a learning tool. In which a delicious Teddy sandwich is served.

@faeheyjesper wrote Four Reasons [James Sirius/Teddy | General | 8.1k] There were a couple of things James should've considered more seriously before coming back to work at Hogwarts as the new Flying Instructor. His dad being the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor there, for one. The fact that he hadn't really flown since a career-ending injury had put an abrupt end to his Quidditch fame two years ago, for another. His ridiculous, teenage crush on Teddy Lupin, his friend and Hogwarts' newest Charms professor, perhaps most of all.

@26timesbrighter wrote An Interlude [Lavender/Victoire | Explicit | 4.9k] Victoire is supposed to be chasing a serial killer, not shagging her uncle’s dead ex-girlfriend.

@drarryruinedme7 wrote Mint & Apples [Harry/Teddy | Explicit | 4.3k] Teddy Lupin's not-quite-wolf has chosen Harry Potter as his mate, that's all. He hasn't got a crush on his best friend's father, really. He also definitely isn't obsessed with Harry Potter's scent.

crazyparakiss wrote This is Love [Albus Severus/Scorpius | Explicit | 24.8k] Most of Albus’s bad life decisions can be summed up in a word: James. When he got a shitty tattoo in the Fifth Year—done by some bloke in a dirty flat—well, that was James’s idea. When he got picked up by Aurors for doing hallucinogens—James was the one who’d convinced him to do them at a party. That time they stole the flying motorbike Dad gave to Teddy—James was the one who insisted it was a rite of passage to drive it over London at dawn. Neither Dad nor Teddy was impressed with that explanation. Now, here Albus is living another bad choice that was born of James’s influence.

@gaeilgerua wrote The Balance Between Studying and Relaxing [Rose/Teddy | Explicit | 3.7k] Rose has been studying non-stop for her upcoming barrister exam. With Hermione attending Hugo’s Quidditch trials for moral support and Ron away on business, there’s only one person available to keep an eye on her. And Teddy is only too happy to take the role.

@r00wscribbles wrote The last ones to know [Albus Severus/Scorpius | General | 5.2k] Albus and Scorpius have a very close relationship. Everyone can see it. Perhaps they are the last ones to know jus how close they are.

@ohdrarry wrote You've Got A Second Chance (You Could Go Home) [James Sirius/Teddy | Teen | 16k] “What about James?” James, dear Merlin, not James, not again. His boy, his son, the brightest star in the constellation of Harry’s patchwork family, not him. “I think he’s relapsed.” – They tried this when James was nineteen and Teddy was twenty five. It crashed and burned. Teddy ran away to Finland and James... well Teddy's about to find out what happened to James, now that he's back two years later.

@maraudersaffair wrote Falling for You [James Sirius/Scorpius | General | 1.2k] Scorpius didn't care about Quidditch until he saw James Sirius on a broom.

@diligent-thunder wrote Heart-Shaped Ottoman [Draco/Teddy | Explicit | 6.3k] Draco has had interns before, but none so bothersome as Teddy Lupin.

@whenshereads wrote Living With Our Eyes Half Open [James Sirius & Scorpius | Teen | 5.5k] James didn’t mean to get his brother-in-law kidnapped alongside him that morning, but that is definitely what happened.

@shiftylinguini and @gracerene09 wrote Faim [Albus Severus/Scorpius | Explicit | 9.6k]  "So, this is the city of love!" Scorpius declared, adjusting the straps on his backpack. Albus wrinkled his nose. "City of pigeons, more like," he corrected, stepping around another fat, grey bird Or: Scorbus go to France.

@articcat621 wrote Unexpected [Lily Luna/Pansy | Explicit | 1.2k] Draco and Harry's engagement party brings about an unexpected, but not unwelcome, event.

@fidgetyweirdo wrote Remember to Forget [Albus Severus/James Sirius | Mature| 17.5k] The moment they kissed, James and Albus knew that they'd never be able to live without this -- too in love to walk away. Years later, and well into adulthood, the possible repercussions of their relationship feel very real and very scary. Without the strength to break it off, they're left with a single solution: a company that specializes in erasing and altering memories. Now the only thing left to do, is to say goodbye.

[chrisrainicorn]

Fair Game Week Day 4: Birds/Soulmates

A classic tattoo AU. Qrow realizes almost immediately Clover could be his soulmate because it’s obvious af, Clover isn’t sure right away because people named after birds are relatively common in Remnant so he needs more proof than that. 

One day he rescues a bird from the snow thinking the poor thing is probably lost and freezing after flying so high to Atlas and Qrow is freaking out internally after seeing his mark because it’s totally him!

So... my original plan was to try to write a fic for this. Tho I knew I wouldn’t be able to complete it on time, and I would need more time to just stop and figure how the story was going to go exactly cuz I’m the kind of person that likes to plan a lot before putting stuff on paper.

I still have a little prologue tho, but I decided not to go further until I’m more sure about the plot so it doesn’t end up forced. Hopefully, I can one day I can go back to it and complete it!! Still, you can take a peek at what would probs be the first 2k under the cut:

Qrow was born with a bond mark.

He was still a rascal of a kid, who ran barefoot and chewed with his mouth open, tripped on the ropes that held up the tents of their current campsite, and liked to try to peek at the new shiny items the tribe people had stolen from their most recent raid only to be caught at the same second - though he still didn’t know they were stolen, or understand what a raid was - when someone finally explained to him the weirdly shaped spot on his abdomen he kept scratching wasn’t just a normal birthmark.

They explained to his sister too. He actually was intrigued enough by the story to settle down on the tent’s floor to hear about it, though she brushed all of that talk off with a “yeah, whatever”, rolling her eyes at the existence of magic symbols that would appear on your skin, connecting you to a person who, at some point of you life, you would realize they mean a lot to you.

“It’s like a guaranteed best friend!” He had grinned with a mouth that missed a few teeth as the explanation was concluded. 

The explainer only smiled at him, letting out a pensive hum before shrugging and deciding on “Yeah, you could say that kid.”

He didn’t understand why his sister was so grumpy after that. How the premise of a friend didn’t get her excited - they barely had kids their age to hang with on the camp, the younger ones were annoying and the older boring, he could get behind the idea of some company besides his moody twin. And when he had asked, “Hey, what does your bond mark look like anyway?” She flicked at his direction one of the pebbles they had been throwing at the river to see them skip, and stormed off without a word.

He was still a restless kid, yet now one that had learned to avoid the ropes before he could get his foot caught on them, when he found out a bit more about the marks. How they could appear at any time of your life, or not at all, how you could get a new tattoo before actually meeting the person, or after years of knowing them. How his sister didn’t have one yet, how she didn’t like the idea of her lame brother having something she didn’t. 

How some people would consider lucky he was born with one, how many would give everything to have a mark appear that early.

That would be the last time someone thought of him that way - lucky. Because soon he was tripping over the ropes again and taking tents down with him, and that was just one of the minor consequences of what they later would classify as his semblance.

The people of their tribe had thought it had been a funny inside joke naming the kid born with a mark shaped like that after a bird that was popularly known as a bad omen. Now it was just rightfully fitting. And not even the permanent tattoo on his skin of a four-leafed clover could serve as a good luck charm against the misfortune that now followed him wherever he went.

***

As he grew up as an outcast teen, the novelty of the marks went away together with the childhood wonder. Maybe because at his tribe, there weren’t many bonded people - they also weren’t really open about talking about this mushy stuff, so maybe he never knew about them. Or the ones who talked about it, did that because it came together with an almost-always tragic tale about how they were betrayed, backstabbed or straight-up stabbed by their match, or how they perished in some gruesome way, so he didn’t have a lot of positive examples to work with - perks of growing up around bandits. 

Guaranteed best friend was now just some naive though he scoffed at. He was so stupid as a kid, maybe his sister was wise to just go “whatever” since the beginning - he would never admit that to her in his lifetime, of course. (In the future though, there would be a point his sister wouldn't make a face to the mention of bond marks anymore, and then a good while later he would stop to really think about how her semblance worked. And he would connect the two dots - he still never saw the marks, but they had to be there, right?)

Who decided those things were a good idea? They could pop up on you any second, without a warning, with just a random shape to tell you about this random person you were supposed to meet one random day. People would talk about letting fate run its course until you would meet them, and how there would be a moment when you would just know. It sounded so unreliable, and too much for him to bother worrying about when he needed to survive frequenting - or infiltrating as his people would have put - a Huntsman Academy.

Yeah, they would have some impact on your life. But that could mean anything apparently. You could be bonded to your parents, to your siblings, to any relative, you could be bonded to someone you looked up to or who would look up to you, you could be bonded to someone who you would only interact for a few months, days, minutes, or less. Or, the most coveted of all, you could be bonded to someone you would fall in love with. Those cases even had a specific name - soulmates. How special.

You could even have more than one. If you thought having to worry about a single unknown individual could make someone paranoid, just imagine having multiple marks! Thankfully, he just had one.

That was good. Because it would be just one person that would have to put up with him. He wasn't exactly the person someone would dream to meet, much less be bonded with. Who would want a bad luck magnet connected to them anyway? Just unfortunate, how the unsuspected match would have to deal with it. At least it was no one from the tribe, that would only hinder them down - those were the kind of things people talked about him at the camp, on the rare times they dared to make the cursed kid a conversation topic anyway, and he was just unlucky enough to eavesdrop it.

He also didn’t want more because he despised the one he already had - he would say he had never liked it, but it was just his sour mindset clouding the childhood memories about him happily imagining how his friend would be like. It had to be a sick joke. A small symbol that represented everything he couldn’t have. Years and years went by with it just there, mocking him constantly.

He had met many people he would have said they had influenced his life, yet apparently none of them were the one. Unlikely his sister, he wasn't bonded with anyone from his team - he assumed her semblance only worked on him because they were related. He wasn't bonded to the man who mentored him and gave a purpose in life - though after finding out the truth, he supposed that was a good thing. He wasn't bonded to his nieces, who were more family to him than his own blood, girls he had watched grow up from hyperactive, sweet-toothed brats to strong, independent young warriors - they were still a bit of a brat though.

So, at his age, he assumed that his semblance affected him in such a way he would never have the luck of finding the person. Fine by him. He stopped caring about that long ago anyway.

And that meant that, at his age, at this place, in the middle of what he could only call the beginning of a war, he should have not been thinking about any of this.

But here he was. Halfway through undressing to take a much needed shower to relax and warm him up after the mission at the dust mines. Feet planted in front of the bathroom mirror. The mark still just there, right at the end of the scar he got from a scorpion tail as if, by some stroke of luck, it had barely avoided being slashed in half. He instinctively grimaced at the sight.

Even if he strongly didn’t want to think about it, it felt as if there was a force preventing him from shoving the thoughts to the back of his mind, not allowing him to ignore the signs.

He had seen the pin when they were captured on the first day. Heck, he even did a double-take at the shape that was unfortunately too familiar. But there were other more important things on his mind at the moment - like how they were being arrested.

Later he found out that was literally that guy’s name! And he didn't like how the information made a cold settle on the bottom of his stomach.

And then James partnered them up. He didn't like the idea, it had been too long since he had worked with other huntsmen on the field - and that happened for a reason. The company made him feel weirdly numb. Or that was him not being used to the cold of Atlas anymore, being in a mine with ice-covered walls certainly didn't help - how he just strutted along without sleeves?

Yet, he did his best to focus on the mission. Ignoring how Clover made sure to match his pace and walk by his side as they scanned the tunnels for any sign of the Grimm that had been wrecking the place. The silence would only be broken from time to time with inputs coming from his earpiece, and it had been just a step away from being uncomfortable. So he decided to not make this situation more unbearable for himself, taking a breath, he took a risk at the grueling task that was small talk.

“Gotta say, I’m still not really used to working with other huntsmen in the field.” He was surprised with how casual he made himself sound.

“But you were on a team before, weren’t you?” How Clover seamlessly encouraged the conversation with a question also surprised him for some reason.

“Long time ago.” He sighed, gaze dropping to the floor. “I just found working alone tends to be for the best.” Great. With just a second into their talk, he had managed to bring its mood down. Not an unusual occurrence for any kind of interaction he was involved though. So why this time did he feel so… bothered?

It was just this entire situation bothering him - he rationalized with himself.

"Well, I think that’s a shame." Of course you would.

He didn't know how to respond, yet he didn't even have the chance. One misstep, and his foot left the ground with a slip. What prevented him from making more of a fool of himself by crashing his face on the icy floor was a quick strong grip on his arm, catching him mid-fall and pulling him back up without seemingly any effort whatsoever.

Clover patted his shoulder as he regained his balance and he didn't hold back the frown on his face. He just walked forward as he responded to the voice coming from his communicator, and it took him a second to realize he was glaring at his confident walk on the grounds he had just proved to be extremely slippery. 

Who does this guy think he is?

Of course, they found the Grimm first, of course, it made himself stronger right in front of their eyes, of course, it ran away, and of course, there was now a gigantic hole on their path. One his partner there could have been at the bottom of it if he wasn't used to his semblance playing tricks just at the right time. 

And when he dismissed his thanks for the head ups with a brief explanation about his semblance, his reaction was like no other he experienced before. No weird glances, no steps back, no awkward ‘that sucks’, just a nonchalant "that so?" 

"Well, hey, don’t beat yourself up about it." He continued, and with a swing of his weapon, he made a new path for them to continue down the tunnel. "My Semblance is good fortune. Lucky you, huh?"

He punctuated his sentence with a wink before walking forward, completely unaware of how that revelation had shaken him to his core. He was still frozen on his tracks as if the ice from the floor had risen to his shoes and stuck him in place. 

Good fortune. That guy was a walking luck charm! 

Everything he couldn’t have… 

His eyes were downcast, flickering everywhere as his mind processed the events. Yet now he wasn’t staring down at the icy ground, but the smooth tiles of the bathroom of his room provided by the Atlas academy. Though his expression was the same from when the words had just reached his ears hours ago.

Looking up by a fraction, the ink of his mark seemed more lively than ever against his skin. He hadn’t truly looked at it for a good while, avoiding it like he avoided the eyes of strangers, and doing so now, he found out he was unable to divert his gaze off it as quickly as he used to do before.

A pin. A name. My semblance is good fortune. A wink.

You would just know.

He let out a dry chuckle, the sound devoid of any emotion. That couldn’t be right. He barely knew the guy. And he didn’t need any of that cluttering his mind right now.

Lucky you, huh?

[p1harmonyofficial]

[📰] P1Harmony May Be New to K-Pop, But They're Beauty Experts

By Devon Abelman

"Pots-and-pans music" is what Keeho, the leader of P1Harmony, lovingly calls the K-pop group's songs. They're loud, explosive, and essentially caffeine mainlined through your eardrums — all in the best way possible, of course.

"Because our music is so strong, we try to portray that in our hair and makeup as well," Keeho continues. "For me, my hair is all slicked back for our new song, 'Scared,' and our makeup is a lot darker than [for our debut single,] 'Siren.'"

In fact, Jongseob, P1Harmony's youngest member, adds their strikingly different hair colors, like Theo's whimsical light pink, Intak's sleek jet black, and Keeho's enigmatic navy blue, balance each other out and express the range of emotions portrayed in their lyrics and melodies.

But this is just a basic overview of P1Harmony and the intense aesthetic they've been building for the past six months since debuting in October 2020. In advance of the release of their new EP, Disharmony: Break Out, today, April 20, I sat down with the rookie K-pop group via Zoom to get a deeper look at each member, their individual relationships to beauty, and how they are choosing to present themselves now that they are on the world's stage.

Keeho

When I ask Keeho which P1Harmony song fits his personality best, he replies, "You can't really fit me in a box like that. There are various characters I can be." The 19-year-old from Canada even wears many hats throughout our interview. Not only is Keeho the group's official leader, but he's also their unofficial translator, color commentator, and storyteller — he truly has an aside or anecdote to share about everything.

The first tale Keeho tells dates back to second grade, when he begged his mom to let him get blonde streaks in his hair. "I was that kid in class," he remarks.

Then, Keeho delves into how his family introduced him to the wonders of beauty growing up. His mom, in particular, made him "do a five-, six-step skin-care routine," he recalls. Every morning before school, he'd splash his face with warm water ("must be warm water, so you open up the pores") and wash up with cleansing foam. Then, he'd rinse it off with cold water ("so you close them").  Although this isn't scientifically true, I'm glad this worked for him.

When layering on his serums and creams, "the first one you need to do is the most liquidy one and the last one you need to do is the one that is not liquidy at all," Keeho recalls his mom instructing him — a fact I confirm for him. Also, she'd tell him to never rub his skin-care products on, only pat.  

Last but not least, Keeho would (and still does) reach for sunscreen — "always sunscreen," he emphasizes. "My mom said, 'If you don't put it on, you're going to age like a raisin.'"

Keeho's older sister, on the other hand, brought him into the world of makeup by employing him as her guinea pig for testing out new looks. "I would let my sister put makeup on me all the time," Keeho says, mentioning Halloween as a common occasion for her artistry. They even playfully filmed YouTube beauty tutorials and challenges together.

One aspect of beauty Keeho has yet to try is a manicure, but he's ready to dive into that realm. "I think it would be fun," he says. A$AP Rocky's eye nail art that he showed off front row at Prada back in October 2019 is Keeho's major inspiration.

Intak

Another unofficial title Keeho has taken on within P1Harmony is hairstylist. Intak, the group's 17-year-old charismatic rapper and star dancer, credits him for his hair-care routine. "I learned how to use hair serum to volumize my hair when I go out," Intak says. Keeho goes on to explain that they both have incredibly dry hair, so he recommended his favorite moisturizing products to Intak and told him to rake them through his hair while it's still wet and only slightly towel-dried. Intak was so pleased with the result that he went out and bought the same products that day.

Although he has kept his hair black throughout his career so far, Intak is quick to share he's very experimental with beauty. For performances in the past, he's adorned his eyes with bloody scratch-like liner and ultra-sooty smoky eyes. Plus, you're about to see some cheek art on him and dramatically flushed cheeks.

Unlike Keeho, Intak didn't get into skin care until after debuting. "I've started visiting the dermatologist frequently," he says. "They gave me a set [of products] that includes [everything I need]." His favorite is a mask infused with avocado and peppermint, like the Tonymoly I'm Real Avocado Mask Sheet or Skinfood's Pear Mint Food Mask, which quenches his dehydrated skin.

Jiung

Spoken like a true Libra, Jiung is the first to mention he enjoys expressing himself through beauty and fashion. "[They are] really important things," the 19-year-old explains in English. "I always try to learn how to express myself that way. So the more I know, the more I can do."

However, when I ask Jiung what kinds of looks he feels the most confident in, he laughs before taking time to think about it. (In the meantime, Keeho shares he knows what he, personally, is least confident in: T-shirts, due to his long arms.) "This is hard," Jiung groans. I must say his short honey-blonde hair — a look he's always been curious about trying — is definitely bringing out a particularly magnetic side of him, as seen in the P-side track video for "If You Call Me."

When he was younger, Jiung dabbled in all different kinds of haircuts, colors, and perms, he lists off. The latter of which he looks forward to trying out again now as a K-pop star.

When the members were just trainees, Keeho helps Jiung recount a time when he wanted to fill in his eyebrows. "He did not how to do it at all," Keeho says. "He got a Sharpie and started coloring in his eyebrows. It was devastating, to say the least, for the people who had to see it."

"It was art," Jiung interjects. Now, he proudly declares he has a proper brow powder.

Theo

Theo, P1Harmony's straightforward vocalist, is admittedly a sneakerhead. He strictly wears Jordans, according to Keeho's translation. Air Jordan 1s are Theo's favorite style, but he can't pick a color that he's the biggest fan of. He can tell you what he feels least confident in, though: shorts and short-sleeved shirts. So if you barely see Theo in summery clothes, now you know why. (However, he doesn't offer up an exact explanation.)

Since elementary school, the now-19-year-old has permed and colored his hair every shade of ROYGBIV, including red, gray, and even blue for one summer break — all thanks to his mom, who is a hairstylist. This is a revelation even many of the other members weren't privy to, much to the chagrin of Keeho. "It's annoying me right now because his hair is healthy," he remarks. "My hair looks like a broom."

Knowing his hair is healthy comes as a shock to me, though, as Theo has gone from white-blonde to rosy-pink over the past six months. (Let's be real, that's a transformation few people's hair can handle.) He's also been able to grow out hair; it falls past his eyebrows and is starting to graze his shoulders in the back.

Honestly, Theo is ready for it to be short again, he shares. "I like my long hair, but I don't like it being in my face," he asserts. "I can't really maintain it. I bleached it so much that it flips in all different directions."

Soul

Before our interview officially started, the members and I exchanged weird facts about ourselves to get to know each other better beyond our beauty routines. Keeho revealed his left eyebrow has been twitching lately, and he needs to cuddle a body pillow to fall asleep. Intak has a freckle on his finger that his grandma often mistakes for dirt and tries to wipe off. Jiung had pet geckos, scorpions, and tarantulas growing up. Jongseob loves mint chocolate. Theo can't burp, and Soul enjoys petting insects.

But that's not the weirdest thing about him or any of the members. The strangest thing about the boys is that "Soul doesn't do anything at all [for his skin-care routine], and his skin is actually pretty good," Keeho says. (You can scroll through Soul's selfies on P1Harmony's Twitter to confirm this, but spoiler: His complexion is immaculate.)

Soul, 16, goes on to explain that his skin is incredibly dry and sensitive, so much so that even cleansing makes his face turn red and any bit of friction causes bumps to form. Needless to say, he's scared to put anything on his face. "I just do cleansing foam and leave it at that," Soul admits. Makeup isn't off the table, though. Soul is no stranger to subtle washes of pink shadow on his lids and fake eyebrow piercings made out of silver studs.

Although Soul is seemingly one of the shyest members and keeps to himself for most of the interview, he's an intense rockstar at heart. He favors P1Harmony's more aggressive, hard-hitting songs, like their new title song, "Scared."

Raise your hand if you'd like to see Soul with thick, black kohl or graphic blue liner and long, raven hair, perhaps paired with a studded leather jacket over a ripped-up T-shirt. OK, great; I'm not the only one. For now, we'll have to appreciate his bob-length ashy-blonde hair.

Jongseob

Other than his nuggets of knowledge about the way P1Harmony reflects their music in their hair and makeup, Jongseob mostly listens throughout the interview. Luckily, the 15-year-old rapper/songwriter did pipe up to share his skin-care routine.

First, Jongseob double-cleanses to remove his makeup, starting with cleansing oil and following up with a foam cleanser. Serum is slathered on next, then moisturizer. When his skin is feeling especially dry, Jongseob layers a gel cream on top as a sleeping mask — a tactic I'd never considered before. Typically, I reach for them in reverse order.

Jongseob's hair has also been through the wringer since P1Harmony's debut. Last October, he colored his hair lilac and gradually went darker shades of purple until it was an electric violet hue. Most recently, though, his dye job has been a fiery orange. Next, Jongseob says he wants to try gray with an ash tone.

And this is just the beginning of P1Harmony's journey through the mystical world of K-pop beauty. This time next year, they're sure to have experimented with even bolder, brighter, and more eccentric looks. For now, you can check out a teaser for their brand-new music video for "Scared" of their latest EP, Disharmony: Break Out, below.

[andhereisthetea]

Entrapta Headcanons I've starting to think about during lockdown

• Entrapta's parents aren't death, or maybe one of them died but there is one still alive.

• There's absolutely no reason for Entrapta not to have siblings.

• If the above theories aren't true, Is very likely Entrapta's parents might have been older than most royalty and they had Entrapta at 40-50, maybe her mother died in childbirth and her father was the older one. Reason for the robo-parents. Following thus, they knew they weren't going to be around before their daughter reached adulthood.

• Most of their story was lost or was kept secret by the Dryl's kingsdom, the kingdom traded metals and minerals to Bright Moon and other kingdoms, making their relationship mostly diplomatic. Is very likely Dryl stayed neutral that way, but it might be also possible they had connections with the Scorpion Kingdom. I support a lot @cruelfeline headcanon about The Scorpion being evil monarch, something that helped Hordak to create a rebellion against them. But I think Dryl stayed neutral until the end.

• Entrapta's intelligence and even physical resistance (fighting her own war bots, resistance even to be electrocuted, total lack of self-preservation bcause girl knew...) Is actually a genetic inheritance from the vestiges of a lost rune stone.

• But her hair is actually a creation of her own; a cybernetic neural implant.

• The reason behind why Dryl is such a hermit kingdom which seems not to be connected to any element of Etheria is because they don't come from Etheria, but are descendants of the First Ones.

• The Dryl royalty used their rune stone, there are several hints about that, from the first season to the final ones:

> Alternatively they might have created an artificial rune stone with First One's tech.

> Entrapta has a high affinity to humanize robots, but this is not a coincidence when you think that maybe one of her powers is to bring life to inanimated objects, maybe using a hidden ability without understand it quite well, might be because is just something instinctive in her and she has no reason to explain it, she sees is as completely normal and thinks everyone does so, or she doesn't even realize what she is doing. That is one of the reason why her robots, MOST of them in Crypto Castle, have runestone sharps as "hearts" and their light are purple, and also most of them, including Emily, respond to Entrapa's emotions, or even to her friend's emotions as well.

> One of the main reasons behind that theory is supported by the observation of Emily changing her color from Horde-red to Dryl-purple, without any explanation at all, just at the same time the bot started to develop intuition and became sentient.

> Entrapta might have picked her runestone from Dryl's mines without realizing it and because she has been studying first one's tech for quite some time, she didn't even mind to explore a deeper connection with the thing beyond the scientific data, even if there was already a connection going on.

> Absolutely ALL Dryl's lights are purple, and the castle seen to attract electricity.

> Is also a headcanon of mine that Entrapta isn't actually connected to a specific runestone but actually to an electric node which connects all Runestones in Etheria, reason for her to understand them almost instinctively.

> The Dryl's runestone might even been something similar to a nuclear reactor, and when activated looks like Chernobyl.

> The first time we saw the Evil First One's tech she found in Dryl's mines, the things was Galactic Horde's green, but it turned Red and stayed that specific way until it was destroyed by Scorpia in White Out. This might be a hint to her relationship with Hordak, specificlaly his colors; he was a clone from the Galactic Horde who turned from green to red when disconnected from Prime's Hive Mind, creating his own evil army in Etheria.

• The Crypto Castle is bigger than it seen. What is visible is just the front door. The kingdom is inside the mountains, ans is actually very inaccesible to outsiders if they don't know how to enter it. In other words, the Horde conquered shit in season 4.

• Entrapta killed her parents

No really, heard me out

She killed her parents.

> Her control over inanimate objects could have been the reason after the disappearance of her parents and also why she doesn't even seen to even realize something weird is going on and is not normal to have robots as parents, is because her special bond with tech and even first one's technology led to those both robots to take care of her when all things went wrong, be it for a sudden tantrum when she was a girl, or something accidental, which led to the death of both king and queen, and she was left orphaned until her connection to the technology around her led to THAT technology to take care of their creator.

• She says she is the designer of the Crypto Castle's labyrinth, but why a labyrinth with hidden bobby traps??? Which leds me to the theory that Entrapta has unconscious need to follow a plan that has no reason whatsover even when she seen to be the most logical character in the show: basically, Entrapta made a plan to shut herself out from the world, following an order that precedes her own reasoning, and even added traps around in her own castle that are very much designed to kill whoever who gets near her. Was she really the creator of all that? That has no scientific reason, has no purpose to collect data, but its motivation seen to be fear. She even seen not to understand her castle at all, which is very unlikely from someone who lives to remember all kind of data, specially about what she creates.

• Following the headcanon of her family being First Ones, she knew Hordak's portal equations, she was quite familiar with the theory. But who more in all Etheria could have been playing with the idea of portals?? Curious.

• Most of her memories about her parents and first ones are hidden in her unconscious, that explain how she can understand what is going on during the Portal episode, hy she can translate and understandand first one's language so well, even when she has a king of instinct to do so without a translation, just like Adora, who is firt one as well. She just know, and when the mystery is related to herself, she seen to don't even want to explore it futher, which leds me to the question...

Is she hidding something, and she doesn't even know what it is?

• It seems that Entrapta has an almost instinctive need to lock herself in an endless maze, or even someone before her had that need and was handed over to her when she was little, she just went on with the job without questioning the reason, especially when you are a child who grows up in an environment far from normal behaviors, and your parents or guardians tell you that setting traps and creating meaningless mazes is the right thing to do. In the end, it seems that everything, more than being entertaining, is a work led by a feeling of paranoia, not towards an external element, but towards something internal.

• She works via impulsivity, but it seen to be a behaviour more complex than that; she seen not to take into account the consequences because she might have been taught not to ask more questions beyond the data she collects. Think of it as a defense mechanism, the only thing that matters is the results of the experiment, not the past, not the emotions or the intuition that something is wrong. This can lead to ignoring your own emotions because you have been instructed not to listen to them, listening to your instinct would awaken something in you that you do not want, or you were instructed to ignore, something like selective memory. In the Portal episode she just knows what is happening, and works with the equations but never stops to even think why I can sense something is wrong when everyone around me seen to be lost in their own heaven??

• Other reason for this might be in fact she has had brain traumatisms in the past, something addresses by herself in the show (doesn't remember the specific ep), when explaining she uses a recorder around because she has survived explosions of her own experiments, but suffered amnesia afterwards, and this also can be connected to her selective memory and even past traumas.

• Other headcanon favorite of mine is the one by @etherian-affairs about Entrapta having robotic prosthetic limbs, specially on of her arms, due to her lack of self-preservation and several past lab accidents.

• Entrapta's soundtrack very much hinst to the convination of magic (very harry potter-ish) and science, but gets crazy and darker in the end. It doesn't seen to be the same when is mixed with Hordak's music, because the mix hints affinity.

• Entrapta knows how to use magic, but her high skills with science are enough for her.

[crime-bot]

*asks you about subcon desert* :)

I don't know why, but for some reason I'm suddenly, like, super drained in regards of Subcon Desert, but luckily I'll be able to copy and paste my explanation for you! 

(Note: hey I just finished copying and pasting, and I need to let you know that I also added some more info and art, so I guess this is officially updated!)

The summary:

Subcon Desert is basically just Subcon Forest. But it’s a desert now.

From a glance, that’s it. BUT!

There’s lot of chances to the characters, history, and what’s presently happening. I’ll start with the most important characters–

Snatcher is a ghost crocodile called The Hunter now! He's a ghost of The Prince who patrols a river from the sea that runs through the kingdom's remains, looks out for his minions, and also makes intruders/trespassers do tasks for him via contract before he eats them whole. 

Standard stuff. 

... I should also mention that he controls water instead of fire.

Next up is Sunjumper! He,,, just really wants peace. After splitting with The Hunter after The Prince died, he took The Prince's body, grabbed a sword he was ceremonially granted when we was alive, and eventually made a home for himself on the horizon. That's. His home is just so far away from the kingdom that it's literally on the horizon, so everybody calls it that.

That monster at the bottom right corner is Cereus, Subcon Desert's Vanessa, and yup she's still bad. She's able to control sand, and, to an extent, stone, and built an entire labrynth to keep The Prince in. Unfortunately, her intensr greed, among other things, turned her into a monster. She left the ruins and caused the kingdom to fall into destruction, taking almost every life in the process, and the labrynth colapsed with The Prince inside it. Now she stays inside the labrynth ruins, save for nights of the new moon, when she leaves to tries to get Sunjumper to return for eternity. Don't worry Hunter helps him out-

A lot of the minions look like this! Snatcher made the fake mummy bodies himself for their souls to inhabit. They act a lot like the canonical subconites, but they /do/ have some more responsibility with things such as building houses and selling things. Regardless of this, they're still carefree for the most part and always down to clown.

There's also scorpions instead of spiders, and many of the dwellers wear animal skulls and other things in place of masks. I'm not sure sure what to do with the fire spirits :/

iiiiiis what I WOULD say if it wasn't for the help of tumblr user catcrazies-midnight! They proposed the idea of the fire spirits instead being molten glass spirits, and I RAN with it!

These beautiful walking glass puddles are basically a bunch of melted down and stuck together glass, courtesy of a soul/essense that's really, really hot. Their bodies can be made brittle and more easy to shatter if they're exposed to intense cold or submerged into cold water, which is usually what they want to do anyways… buuuuuut, if one wished to continue to collect and melt down sand to become bigger,,, :}

Hat Kid gets sent to deal with them. Oop-

The kingdom is largely ruined, but inside of broken houses and other buildings, there's quite a bit of creative decorations in the form of feathers, cloth, bone, and really anything that catches the minion's eyes. The river from the sea runs through most of it, too.

At the very end of the main branch of the river lies tbe destroyed castle, and there's a part of the river that branches off to a place where the entrance of the labrynth's ruins are.

Oh! And here's what Sunjumper's home and surrounding oasis looks like!

The minions like to call it The Horizon because it's juuuuuust in the horizon from the kingdom, and Sunjumper decided to agree with them because, firstly, that's actually a smart idea, and secondly, he'd /really/ hate to rain on their parade ._.

..

... oh, wait, you're wondering about how Sunjumper looks the way he does, too aren't you--

W E L L,

YYYYYYESSSSS, AN OC >:DDD

Don't worry, they're not all over the place; Æfrelewk's actually pretty contained. They can't leave their "personal fashion space" after the sea in that area dried up a loooooong time ago, so they just stay in the pocket dimension left behind by their meteor that crashed into what was once the sea.

... look I said that they'd be contained, not that they'd not be absolutely bonkers in more ways than one.

Ever since they weren't able to leave their pocket dimension without getting beached, they just stay and wait... trying to lure in anything that breathes to trap forever and transform into shapes that they find more appealing. Too bad their fashion sense is stuck in the eras of dimetrodons and funky shell squid.

After escaping the labrynth and trying to get far, /far/ away from the kingdom, Sunjumper was convinced by Æfrelewk to hop into their pocket dimension and be made into something "MUCH more practical. I mean, come on, LEGS?! Puh-LEASE, only people trying to be trendy think they need THOSE." And badda bing badda boom Sunjunper regretted his decision wholeheartedly.

I'm not sure about the specifics, but I'm pretty sure that /maybe/ The Hunter fished him out. 

And I am /definitely/ certain that Sunjumper tries to make sure nobody else risks going through what he had to by marking the whole impact site with signs and various warnings along the lines of, "do NOT enter or come closer at ANY cost!!! ... please :("