#otp: fight your fate

[leadingrebel]

“Where I go you go, remember?”

Finally getting around to sending this prompt: I'd love to see a mash-up / fusion of Fate and The Shadowhunter Chronicles. Particularly in the context of Sky and Riven being parabatai and how that works in the Fate universe. 👀 (or any of the characters as parabatai would be v cool too- like, Bloom and Aisha maybe?)

There is nothing I love more than the complexities of a parabatai bond — and I could never pass up on a sky/riven moment, especially when I found these as inspiration..

It’s been three years since Sky laid eyes on an Elapid demon. Not since the portal to the dark realm had been closed for good.

Or so they thought.

For a few seconds, it’s the only thing that takes up his vision — a swarm of scaled creatures crawling around Alfea, neither serpent nor insect, their jagged claws buried into the spines of his fellow specialists and tearing them to pieces — before the rune on his neck tingles and the image fades.

Just in time for Sky to duck and roll away from the snap of its teeth.

Amber-colored venom drips to the ground, sizzling into the cobblestone where Sky had been frozen in place just seconds ago.

The demon’s cobra-shaped head turns in his direction, red eyes bleeding violence and hunger, only to stumble back with a piercing shriek when an arrow gets embedded into its neck.

“That sword in your hand? It’s to defend yourself from things like that,” a low voice taunts from behind him. Sky turns in time to see Riven aim another marked arrow, sending a shockwave of an angry yowl through the village when the sharp tip grazes the top of the demon’s head. “Would be bloody helpful if you used it right about now.”

The sardonic words make him smile despite himself, sending the unsettling flashback to the back of his mind. Shaking his head in amusement, he pulls the seraph blade from its scabbard, letting it illuminate his hand with a soft, divine glow.

Running toward the demonic creature, he arcs through the air, dodging a taloned arm, and slices through one of the demon’s legs — just in time to sidestep another one. Taking advantage of his crouched position, Sky pierces his blade through the underside of its belly. It explodes in a shower of burning ichor.

He turns to face his partner. “Two!” he calls out, breathless from the headiness of adrenaline.

“One and a half,” Riven shoots back with a smirk. He plants an arrow into the head of the third and final Elapid and doesn’t even stop to make sure it’s fully banished to the demon realm when he stows his bow away, strutting in Sky’s direction. Cocky bastard. “I helped you with the first one.”

The lightness in Riven’s voice, however, doesn’t match the intensity of his eyes as they absorb every detail about Sky. Gaze determined and evergreen. So intense it never fails to feel like Riven’s hands are slowly checking over every inch of him.

Like it always does, Sky’s heart pounds against the prison of his rib cage at the sight, sending a pulse of warmth down his spine.

It took years for Sky to understand that look. That unwavering stare. Intended to painstakingly ensure the soul bound to Riven’s was uninjured, unharmed. But once he did, once Sky allowed himself to feel the full weight of Riven’s attention, well, it’s been a steady descent since.

Sky does his best to shrug it away as they head back to the institute, tucked away behind a First World trinket shop in the middle of Blackbridge. “But I was the one to kill it.”

“I knew your hero complex would go to your head one day, I just didn’t expect it to be so soon,” Riven teases, bumping his bicep — inked with the rune identical to the one on his neck — into Sky.

“Weren’t you the one who told Silva we didn’t need a team for this patrol?”

Riven scoffs. “Like I could’ve predicted an Elapid nest? I know a higher level of demon activity has been reported, but where the fuck did those even come from?”

It’s a good question, actually. They weren’t even supposed to be on a mission today, just an ordinary patrol. One they’ve done countless times without encountering Elapid-level demons. It’s relatively uneventful most of the time, but today they stumbled upon a swarm of them for the first time in years and Sky—

He thinks of lifeless eyes, of blood-soaked grass squelching beneath his boots as he surveys the loss of his fellow warriors. Of the cries of pain and sorrow pervading through Alfea.

“Sky!” Riven warns urgently, pulling him out of his daze.

His body responds before his mind can even process the words, flattening to the ground as a demon flies through the air just a few feet above him. Sky’s palms sting from the cut of the cobblestones when he clambers to his feet, scanning the area around them for the nearest source of danger.

An Elapid demon comes at him seconds later, swooping with a visceral screech. Sky grunts as he blocks its leg with his seraph blade and pushes it back, his teeth gritting together with effort. From his periphery, he sees another leg loom over him, ready to spear through his body, only for it to get pierced with a marked arrow, exploding in a splash of ichor.

The demon howls and Sky strikes, swinging his sword through its neck. Black-green blood splatters onto him, biting at his exposed skin, but the thrill of killing the demon, of sending it back to the hell it came from, is much more powerful.

He turns to face Riven with a grimace. “Thanks for having my back.”

“Always,” Riven replies easily, and the smile he sends Sky is devastating, entirely out of place on a battlefield. “Except for when it’s Silva. Demons I can handle. Silva’s lectures? You’re on your own, mate.”

Sky’s about to tell him that Silva’s lectures are pretty much exclusively reserved for Riven when he hears an all-too-familiar scuttling sound. He barely has time to lift his sword when there’s a blur of movement, a sickening squelch, and—

Riven screams.

Sky’s body is hollow as he stares at the claw that’s run straight through Riven’s thigh, blood glistening on its black shell. It starts to shudder as though it’s about to jerk upwards – three, two, one, – and tear Riven in half.

Sky moves without thinking, spinning past his parabatai to sever the leg off at the back, thrusting his sword through the demon’s belly with an anguished, vengeful roar. He doesn’t even care to watch it be banished to the demon realm, and just turns to catch Riven as he collapses backwards, sinking to his knees. Two bound souls on the ground.

“Always the bloody white knight…” he gasps, sounding half out of it already. Sky fumbles for Riven’s hand, his fingers sliding in between his. “A lot of blood, Sky. It’s- my thigh. There’s too much blood.”

“I know,” he says, catching his voice before it cracks. “It’s okay, just- just let me get my stele, okay? We need a healing rune and-“

“N-no. Won’t work. Too much blood.” Riven exhales a short, mirthless laugh. “I don’t- it’s not going to work.”

“It will, okay? You’re going to be fine. Where I go you go, remember?”

“Sky don’t... I’m fine.”

But it’s not. It’s not fucking fine because Sky can feel their parabatai bond weakening by the second. Can feel the life-force that constantly exists within him, the axis of his whole world, fading away.

Riven just rests there on his chest. His breaths shallow, his fingers trembling against Sky’s neck, and his eyes trained on Sky’s face. He flinches when something wet drips onto his cheek, but he still doesn’t look away.

And Sky knows, he knows that a healing rune on Riven’s body isn’t going to be enough to fix him.

He knows that there are some wounds that are fatal wounds — heads crushed by stone, stomachs pierced by swords, hearts stopped with lightning — that are just too big, too permanent to heal. A femoral artery ripped apart by a demon is one of them.

But there’s nothing in this realm, nothing in this world or any world, that can stop him from reaching out with a bloodstained hand to draw one on anyway.

It’s not his best. He’s too shaky, too frenzied to make it his best. The lines aren’t sharp or precise and he can’t even breathe much magic into it like he usually would—

But then the rune glows. Steadily brighter and stronger than he’s ever seen. An iridescent blaze of light that beams through the village and nearly blinds everyone in it.

When it fades, any remaining demons are gone — expelled in a series of cataclysms that reverberate through Sky’s knees — and Riven has stopped bleeding. There’s a spiked claw on the ground next to his thigh and the skin where his wound should be is whole, unmarred. As if he wasn’t just on the brink of death. His puddle of blood is nothing more than a rusted stain that’s faded into his black gear.

Sky feels their parabatai bond flare against Riven’s palm on his neck, red-hot and electric. The rune on his bicep grows as hot on Sky’s chest as the liquid fire in his gaze. He breathes Sky’s name, hushed and reverent.

They haven’t looked away from each other.

Sky doesn’t say anything in reply. He just stares back at Riven, droplets of sweat and pain still caught in his lashes. His chest feels warm, his body heavy. Like he could stay here forever. Riven held close to chest, their feelings burning like heavenly fire through their bond, the rest of the world a universe away.

Sky and Riven. Just Sky and Riven.

There’s a sharp crunch of boots and Silva falls to a crouch beside Sky, startling them both out of their reverie.

“What,” he says in complete bewilderment, “the fuck was that?”

[cry-ptidd]

I think everyone knows, in general, your attitude towards Alucard/Anderson. But I still want to ask. Very much.

- personal rating: 1000/10

- HCs: TOO many to count. But I think Alucard would really like to cook or guest Anderson. Dracula was big on hospitality and Alucard probably has "acts of service" as his main love language. Also, if Anderson found out about Alucard's true identity, he'd give an arm and a leg to be able to pester him for information.

- OTP level: 1000/10, my absolute favorite ship

- Would I have liked to see it canon: It is canon. I don't care what you say no one talks to each other like that unless they are sloppily making out after fighting like rabid dogs in some alleyway

- General opinion: Absolute PEAK doomed yaoi. Never seen better. Grandiose. It's mostly the idea that Anderson was specifically crafted for Alucard (ironically, he was by Hirano which could be a metaphor) and the core of their relationship is the fact they're narrative foils, perfect rivals, opposite sides of the same coin. They have the red string of fate tied around their throats but it's red with blood. The parallels of ex-man of God and man of God with the same conviction but he's devoured by it in a different way than Vlad was. It's so good it's giving modern Gilgamesh and Enkidu. They're divorced but they never even married. There is no way for them to be normal ever

[leynaeithnea]

I didnt get an ask for this BUT WE'RE BACK

my Wisdom saga reaction/analysis!!!!!

26. Legendary

TELEMACHUS MY BOYYYY

THE MELODY AT THE BEGINNING OF LEGENDARY IS SO COOL

the instruments aaah, lowkey obssessed

"its jus tme myself and i" perimedes would like u

"living in this world you left behind".........this song makes oyu think so much about what life has been in Ithica in those years since Odysseus had to leave, he was loved, he is *King*, AH

"dreaming of all these monster, that ill never to get to fight" better this way, u dont wanna end up like your daddy

"but boy i wish i could so i could bring the world some light" BABY BOY

"Cause I'm stuck with your stories, but no clue who you are And no idea if you're dead or just too far" his mother wouldve told him so many stories :aniTears:

"Somebody tell me, come and give me a sign if I fight those monsters, is it you I'll find?" PLS HE jusT WANTS TO FIND HIS DAD GIVE THIS MAN HIS FATHER

"If so, then give me sirens and a cyclops Give me giants and a hydra" hes just naming every monster he can think of of the myths he grew up with

"I know life and fate are scary but I wanna be legendary" U GO BOY; I LOVE YOU, also such a mood

"I'll fight the harpies and chimeras, the Minotaur, even Cerberus I know life and fate are scary but I wanna be l-l-l-l-legendary"....yea same like the two parts before, any monster he can think of, he gotta be one of us kids who read a lot

THEN The droppp in his voice, HE SOUNDS SO SCARED

"There are strangers in our halls" That must be TERRIFYING, just imagine that, dozens of men in your home just prying on your mother and youre too young to do anything rly

"Trying to win the heart of my mom, but she is standing tall" THAT VOCAL PERFORMANCE, W FOR PENELOPE; GIRLBOSS

"108 old faces of men who call me small" EW; 108 IS SO MANY BRO; SO MANY????? Also "old faces" ISJGSEIGJ "who call me small" boy, i feel so bad for you

"They keep taking space and it's not much longer we can stall" !!!! HES WORKING WITH HIS MOTHER TRYING TO HOLD THEM OFF; AH AAAAH, also fuck them, leave their home alone, god he must feel so unsafe in his own home :screams:

"'Cause they're getting impatient, dangerous too" oh no :( so scared lil boy

"And I would fight them if I was half as strong as you" HE LOOKS UP TO HIM SO MUCH AH

"Somebody help me, come and give me the strength Can I do whatever it takes to keep my mom safe?" HES ALSO A MOMMY BOY; AND HONESTLY GOOD FOR HIM; STAND BY HER SIDE; U GO BOY, 🥹

Chrous SLAPs

"Where is he? Where is the man who'll have you to wife? " bitch stay away (also cut song reference!)

"Where is he? Where is the man with whom you'll spend your life?" HE IS ON His WAY HOme SO STAY THE FUCK AWAYYYYYYYY ARGG ILL FIGHT U

"Cause it's been 20 years, 20 years" 20 FUCKING YEARS??? THATS AS OLD AS I AM (and telemachus for that measure, same age, yay!) BUT BRO IMAGINE WAITING FOR YOUR HUSBAND TO COME HOME FOR 20 YEARS; PENELOPE X ODY OTP; PENELOPE FIGHTING OFF 108 SUITORS FOR 20 YEARS AND ODY FIGHTING OF *GODS* Trying TO TRAP AND USE AND KEEP HIM, THEY DESERVE EACH OTHER

"And we still have no king" >:) >:) imagine an island without leader for 20 years oh boy h boy, the power vacuum, 108 people who want to take his place

"Give me a chance, a single opportunity and I'll overcome these obstacles and scrutiny and-" HE WANTS TO SO BADLY he juST DOESNT KNOW HOW AND WHEre TO START BC AH, also the music sounds like he just tries to sneak around his palace, to not get caught by the suitors, dodging and on guard, i can just imagine him ducking his head and looking at every corner for smth danger-

"Boy".......that slapped hard, FUCK YOU ANTINOUS (hi perimedes :) )

"When's your tramp of a mother gonna choose a new husband?" FUCK YOU STAY AWAY (the dELIVERY)

"OoooOOoh" we have a new choir! the crew is ded but we have the suitors now hah, ill take it, love me some choir responses

"Why don't you open her room so we can have fun with her?" THE AUDACITY? WHORE FUCKING BASTARD STAY THE FUCK AWAY

"Dont you dare, call my mother a tramp" U GO BOY; TELL HIM (be careful, dont get hurt) THE VOCAL DELIVERY OF THAT LINE IS SO gOOD

"OoooOOoh" chiorr

" I just did, Whatchu gonna do about it, champ?" FUCK OFF ANTINOUS, DONT BE SO SMUG FUCK U

"Somebody tell me, Come and give me a sign, If I fight this monster, Is it you I'll find?" u desrve your dad so much, he'll come home, promise...promise....hold on, be stronk, u got this boy, also "this monster" its none from your stories, no this is real, its worse its right infront of you AH

Sorry for the swearing :") AH I LOVE THIS SONG SO MUCH, ONE OF MY FAVS FOR SURE (...we'll come back after recency bias but i dont think itll change)

EDIT: DANGER MOTIF WHEN ANTINOUNS JOINS IN!!!!! (are there more? im new to this PLS TELL ME)

@lorethebookworm

[yugioh-kitty123]

don’t mind me I’m going to rant about Prideshipping cause ahh this ships makes me sad and happy at the same time

When I watched dark side of dimension the very first time I didn’t ship Kaiba and yami at all but I loved their rivalry but the movie took it to a whole different level it made realize me Kaiba was in love with atem the he talks about him and everything he did for him it just so ahh 🥲 and the ending the way atem stood up and smiled at him

what makes the ship more canon it’s the director who was making the movie confirmed it’s Kaiba love story of atem and one of the producers said no man would ever go that far for one person.

it’s the realization Kaiba and atem are in the afterlife together and Kaiba willing to sacrifice everything to see him again if that ain’t true love I don’t know what is

Enough about Kaiba let’s talk about atem / yami

What I love about Prideshipping it isn’t one sided relationship , atem does feel something towards Kaiba , the whole scene when he mind crush the “ ghost of Kaiba “ and sending a threat to Pegasus and the manga as well to the puppet master or whatever and scolding at Noah for Turing Kaiba into stone and cheating. their whole tag duel with the rare hunters and yami encouraging Kaiba during the duel against Isuzu

the whole season of 4 and Their tag duel against darts and season 5 kc arc

Atem and Kaiba sharing that smile 😏 and atem memory world when he saw Kaiba in danger fighting zorc atem jumps off the barcoly

let’s forget when atem said “ kaiba i felt the pulse of your soul , “ Kaiba our souls crossed it was passed onto me. Atem have said he could feel the beating of Kaiba heart and anyone who crossed Kaiba such as Pegasus and Noah, atem tells them he’ll never forgive them and he’s ready to take down anyone for him even noah have told yami that Kaiba hates him but yami said we may be enemies forever but he still fights for him . Even some characters in the show have ship them together for example pegasus said things that sound like the red string of fate towards Yami and Kaiba are relationship and ishizu telling Kaiba about the writing of the stone and Mokuba ships them :3

overall their relationship does feel very ambiguous to the point where one wonders if this was intentional but anyways Prideshipping is my otp and that Kaiba and yami are eternal rivals / lovers that not even death can part 🥹

[honeycreammilkshake]

Hi.... If you don't mind me asking, can I ask, what are your top 7 favorite media (can be books/ manga/ anime/movies/tv series) and your top 7 favorite ships (can be canon or non canon) from any media ? Why do you love them? Sorry if you've answered this questions before......

omg i've been wanting to answer a question like this for such a long time, thank you so much for asking! (you can always ask me about anything <3)

it's hard to talk about why i love these without giving a few spoilers, so i hope you don't mind that.

1. Jujutsu Kaisen & Sukuita

I first got into JJK because of Sukuna edits, but I started reading it more seriously when I fell in love with Yuuji (one of the best protagonists ever!) and got really invested in more of the other characters (Nobara, Mai and Maki, Nanami, Shoko, Yuki, Hiromi, and Uraume being my favorites <3) as the story went on.

Although I'm generally not interested in a lot of action manga, I fell hard for JJK because there were just so many good things about it. An anime protagonist that actually cares about saving other people but is still kind of unhinged and comparatively weaker than a lot of his peers? Bodily possession and an ancient god of chaos obsessed with the unworthy brat he's trapped inside of?? Scary monsters and scarier humans who fight them off???

But if I'm being really honest, my main reason for loving JJK is almost completely Sukuita.

These two are my #1 otp and I'm rabidly obsessed with them (almost as much as they're obsessed with each other). I could go on forever about why I adore this ship, but to keep it simple, it's really because they're one of the most dynamic and overlooked protagonist/antagonist relationships I've ever seen.

As a ship, they really have it all: enemies to lovers, hero x villain, bound by fate, bodily possession, virtually soulmates, matching each other's freak, yin and yang, toxic divorced couple/possessive exes energy, incest (if you're into that), and even opposites attract.

I see them as an inseparable matched set that share basically the same soul and see through each other but they'll never fully understand or accept each other, and it's beautifully heartbreaking in every way.

I first started shipping them when I read a lot of different ship fics with Sukuna, but the only one I ever really got invested in was Sukuita. My favorite ship trope of all is enemies to lovers, so I couldn't really resist them, and overtime I just fell deeper and deeper. Now I personally can't ship them with anyone but each other, but there are still so many more amazing ships to be found in this fandom, though a lot of my JJK otps (Nobamai, Makimai, Nanahito, and Gojoken) aren't very popular.

2. BNHA & Togachako

I'm not going to lie... I'm really not very invested in BNHA as a series, but I'm totally devoted to some of the characters, mainly Himiko Toga. I love kawaii yandere villains so much, and Toga is my favorite autistic bi disaster girl. I also love Dabi (one of my very first anime crushes), Ochaco, Bakugo, Deku, Shoto, Mirko, Eri, Overhaul, Mina Ashido, Kuin Hachisuka, Beros, and Twice.

Some of the quirks are really cool so I always love when they explore the different kinds both heroes and villains can have, and I love all the amazing fight scenes where heroes and villains get to go all out using their quirks, but my #1 reason for watching BNHA is for these two.

My top otp in BNHA is Togachako, of course, because I adore doomed yuri, especially the hero x villain kind, and I will never stop crying over how these two deserved so much better.

I shipped them almost as soon as they first interacted. The chemistry between them was beautiful and I love how Toga went all out with her yandere-style flirting with Ochaco, saying she had the same scent as her, that she wanted to be like her, from the very start understanding so much of Ochaco's character, her need to be heroic and save as many lives as she could, like Deku wanted to. Toga sees a lot of similarities between Ochaco and herself, and I love a villain that obsessively connects to the hero they're always at odds with.

I especially went crazy during that scene from season 6 where Toga had Ochaco pinned down and started crying out "What are you going to do to me? Are you going to kill me, too?" There was so much feeling and pain inside of that scene, Toga coming to terms with how heroes kill villains (like they did to Twice) even though they're human too, and knowing she could be next.

Yet later on we see how Ochaco accepted Toga despite all the things Toga had done. Because she understands that Toga is more than just another monster. All her childhood, Toga had been forced to suppress her own nature, but there Ochaco is... loving her not even despite it, but because she finds Toga herself, as the person she is, the cutest girl in the world. Just what Toga always wanted to be to someone, loved for her real self.

That just... really got to me.

My second main BNHA ship is Toyasho, or Dabisho.

They hit all the good tropes: hero x villain, twisted family, reconnecting, and lots and lots of angst. It fascinated me how they went on two different paths after experiencing abuse from their father: Dabi craving vengeance and resenting the world around him while Shoto largely isolated himself from others and tried to be indifferent about things. Dabi indulged in being ruthless, depraved, and even sadistic while Shoto tried to be "frozen" both inside and outside, yet he was learning to slowly open up to others and have hope for forgiveness.

They share a lot in common - being arrogant, getting overly emotional, wanting to do things alone, their way. But overall they have two different perspectives and Shoto considers Dabi to be his "cross to bear" since Dabi is his brother.

They still try to reconnect with each other in their own ways, especially at the end, where Dabi does regret a lot of what he did to Shoto and Shoto forgives him by asking what his favorite food is.

Togachako and Dabisho are my main otps for this fandom, but I also really like Shigadeku, Bakudeku, Meilissa, Saimomo, Togatsuyu, Momokendo, and Miruhawks because they have amazing chemistry as well!

3. The Locked Tomb & Griddlehark + Harryanthe

I first read Gideon the Ninth about a year ago and fell in love with it. The series reminds me of those weird sci-fi fantasy paperbacks that I would find packing the shelves of thrift stores and old book stores, but even better because of all the toxic lesbian angst and unhinged necromantic freaks who are the most unreliable narrators.

I like the writing style, the worldbuilding, the scientific feel to all the different necromantic theorems, the House politics, the beautifully complex characters, and the strange humor.

I love Griddlehark for all the angst, the enemies to lovers, the sad "you're the only friend I ever had so don't forget me, I'll even sacrifice my own life for you" from Gideon's side and the desperate "don't leave me, I'll erase all my memories of you because I can't bear to let you die" from Harrow's side. When we're first introduced to Harrow, from Gideon's POV, we think she's a heartless monster only concerned with herself. But soon we learn Harrow is weighed down heavily by her burden to handle all Ninth House affairs largely on her own and also by the nature of her very birth. Harrow has a deeply romantic and tragic side that Gideon is the first to discover, proving all her previous assumptions about Harrow wrong, and Gideon also proves herself to be more loyal, dedicated, and caring than Harrow thought she was. And even though they started out hating each other, they become each other's first true friends and can never let go of each other.

I also adore Ianthe's (mostly) one-sided obsession with Harrow, the way she acts like she just wants to manipulate Harrow and break her heart but unintentionally caught feelings for her along the way. They can't stand each other but they're forced to rely on one another and it's perfect, especially when Harrow (reluctantly) starts to feel somewhat close to Ianthe overtime. They're opposites in many ways, but they are both driven by their overwhelming sense of ambition and by their deep love/obsession for the people closest to their hearts (Harrow for Gideon and Ianthe for Coronabeth).

Harrow is my favorite, and I love her dynamic with both Gideon and Ianthe, so I can't choose between either ship. They're my ot3 really, since I also enjoy Gideon/Kiriona's interactions with Ianthe and how they sort of warm up to each other because of how they first "connect" over Harrow.

I have a lot more ships in this series too, namely Alectostasia, Pyrrha x Wake, Jarpedon, Augustine/Mercymorn/God, John x Alecto, Halecto, Corona x Judith, and Corona x Ianthe.

4 . The Summer Hikaru Died & Yoshikaru

I am a BIG fan of eldritch monsters developing codependent and destructive relationships with the mortals they become fascinated by, and this manga delivered that amazingly.

I've been following this story obsessively for about a few months but it's quickly becoming one of my most favorite manga ever. The dynamic between "Hikaru" and Yoshiki is perfect — the way Yoshiki can't really reject "Hikaru" because he craves the closeness he used to have with his friend but overtime he starts caring deeply for whatever "Hikaru" actually is.... Everything about them is so beautiful and tragic, it hurts physically but I love it.

The art is gorgeous and fits wonderfully with the summery horror atmosphere, and I like that's it set in the rural country, since I don't see as much of that in manga or anime as I would like to.

It has some elements of mystery, some of horror, lots of the paranormal, and plenty of chemistry between the mcs, all of which makes it so interesting and unique.

Yoshikaru is my main otp but I also love Asako/Yuuki, because they're so cute together.

5. Alien Stage & Mizisua

This series ruins me. The music, the story, the emotion. All of it makes me feel way too much.

The character designs for the humans are so good but I particularly like the aliens because I want to know more about their cultures and how they ended up imprisoning humanity.

One of the most central themes of this story is longing: the longing for freedom, the longing for love and friendship, the longing for something to put all your faith in even during the darkest times. And for Mizi and Sua, they put all that longing, that faith and hope, into each other.

Despite the fact that they know only one of them can survive that first round, they still sing almost every verse together because they refuse to give the other one the edge. They want each other to survive, even if it comes at the loss of their own life, but they were also hopeful that both of them could have tied. But Sua understood that this was unlikely and she chose to sacrifice herself to keep Mizi alive.

During the song Mizi narrates how humanity has forgotten gods and religion, but Mizi still believes in something that transcends all her suffering and longing, and that is Sua — her god, her universe. Even in the final moments of their round, as their fates are being sealed, Mizi looks over to Sua and smiles at her, because despite everything she's still happy to be with Sua, to sing with her and not against her, to find comfort even at the end. But she's still shocked and horrified when Sua dies, especially because of the fact Sua died to protect her.

And Mizi was never able to get over Sua's death. It's why she lost composure during her round with Luka, who relentlessly used her undying feelings for Sua against her by singing far too romantically.

Mizisua is my main otp in this fandom but I also love Ivantill, Hyuluka, and Hyunamizi.

6. Kakegurui & Yumedari

Even though it's arguably not as intelligent or coherent in its matches as I first thought it would be, I love pretty much everything else about this series, both the live action and the anime. The craziness, the color schemes, the focus on exaggerated body movements, even how thrilling the gambling scenes can be. Not to mention so many amazing characters and shipping possibilities, and my personal favorite ship of this series is Yumeko and Midari.

They get a lot of hate for being a toxic ship, which they are, but what exactly in Kakegurui is safe or sane in any way?? These two have such an interesting and compelling dynamic and from the start Midari is impressed and obsessed with Yumeko. And despite Yumeko's intolerance for Midari, they have a lot in common.

They're both compulsive gamblers who don't care about winning money or social status when they play. They're both addicted to the thrill, really skilled, impulsive, and quite smart too.

What made me start shipping them was, of course, their match during episode 7. The way Yumeko so expertly predicts Midari's moves to prevent an outcome where either of them are actually shot, how Midari comes to understand more of who Yumeko is through their game, the fact that Yumeko knew that Midari wanted her to win and was angry enough about it to deny the other girl that outcome. Yumeko despises cheating to "win" instead of fully indulging in the thrill of the uncertainty, which is what she lives for, and if Midari had maybe not resorted to cheating, I think Yumeko would have more respect and even enjoyment for playing with Midari.

What also really interests me is how polar Yumeko's actions are with Midari. She screams that she hates Midari, she finds her pathetic, she can't stand to be around her. Yet she has this almost soft moment with Midari before they begin playing, if only to keep the other girl from harming Ryota.

Yumeko also grows more tolerant of Midari as the show goes on, but it's by no means warm or loving in any way. And I think that's what I like about them. They're so alike but will never fully "fit together" because of it. It will always end up with either Midari wanting Yumeko to be the one to cause her pain or death, while Yumeko hates any kind of predictable outcome or rigging of the game.

I also have a lot of other ships in this fandom, mainly Yumary, Kirisaya, Meariri, Ayadari, Riridari, Naodari, Ririsaya, and Yumemika.

7. Monster & Tenjoh

I don't even know where to start on this one, really.

I've known about the existence of this series for a while and even tried to start it, but all I could could get into initially was edits of Johan Liebert. I kept meaning to pick it up eventually, since I'd heard that it was one of the most popular seinen manga and that Johan was also one of the best manga/anime villains.

But only recently I have I started watching this series, and I don't know why I didn't sooner.

I cannot describe everything I love about this series without writing a whole other post, but to put it simply - it's extremely well-done and very thought-provoking. And as someone deeply interested in psychology and criminology, I found this to be a brilliant exploration of both. The characters are so well-developed, especially the twins and Tenma (who is honestly one of the most underrated protagonists I have seen) and though I was first off-put by the older animation style, I have actually come to like it a lot since it's very unique and suits the setting and atmosphere perfectly.

There are so many different layers and themes that I will never tire of trying to analyze them all, and there's especially a certain thrill to watching how all the pieces of the puzzle connect together, especially when we get an understanding of how Johan perfectly manipulates others so that they essentially follow the designs of their own downfall.

But one of the very few people to resist Johan's plots and to even come close to destroying him is Tenma.

Tenjoh is so fascinating, both as a ship and only as their canon interaction, because of how deeply personal and complex their relationship is.

Tenma saved Johan's life years ago, a choice that essentially ended his career for him and led to his life being significantly altered. When Johan returns, revealing himself to be the person responsible for so many deaths, Tenma feels guilty for "creating" the monster that Johan became. However, even though Johan kills everyone who knows about him, he spares Tenma as both a sign of respect for the doctor saving his life and because he wants to drive Tenma to kill him, therefore proving Tenma's ideals that every life has value wrong.

Not only is there something darkly poetic in Johan wanting the doctor who brought him back from the brink of death to be the one to kill him, it's also just as suiting that Tenma at first wants to be the one to kill Johan, feeling it was his burden to end the monster he'd "revived." But despite many opportunities given to him, even by Johan himself, to kill the evil mastermind, Tenma still couldn't do it.

I have so many thoughts on them and would love to write a meta about it someday, but all I can really say for now is they're quickly becoming one of my top ships ever.

[setrija-nibelungenfangirl]

Day 7

Fanon OTP(s)

My favourite fanon ships are Hagen x Volker and Hagen x Gunther – which I prefer changes every now and then.

Hagen x Volker:

These two share such an intimate bond as brothers in arms: they always support each other and their declarations of friendship and love are some of the sweetest moments in the Nibelungenlied. Hagen getting mad with rage after Volker is killed by Hildebrand is the tragic cherry on top.

Another main reason why I like them lies in a major theme of the second Nibelungenlied part: the portrayal of heroic exorbitance. There is a value shift in the text after the Burgundians cross the Danube: Starting from Hagen the Burgundians increasingly orientate their behaviour towards a warrior ethos, according to which the one way to increase one’s honor is to not shy away from a fight – to rush towards the opponent instead – and to inflict as much damage as possible to the opposing side (= kill as many enemies as possible). To accept their doom, to provoke fate, becomes the new agenda of the Burgundians. This is a really toxic mindset from a modern perspective (probably already from a medieval one), but it’s really fascinating to me and a very big and dark appeal of the Nibelungenlied, I haven’t mentioned yet.

And the pair of Hagen and Volker exemplifies this aspect of the Nibelungenlied in a big way in my eyes. They encourage traits of exorbitant heroism within the other by supporting each other in their aggressive behavior: Hagen rushing to Volker’s aid after the latter murdered one of the huns during the tournament, Volker aiding Hagen when he makes a widow cry by presenting her the sword of her death husband. Also, Volker is just like Hagen a master in the art of provocation, which makes him further the perfect match for mister ‘Yeah, I killed your husband, watcha gonna do about it, hm?’.

I also like the fanon interpretation of Volker being a more free-spirited person, who likes to enjoy life (and maybe to also flirt xD) due to him being a musician – maybe even with a somewhat sensitive, artistic side? Which is a great contrast to Hagen, who I like to imagine to be more occupied with his duties and therefore more stuck up and less likely to just relax once and a while.

Hagen x Gunther:

Their power dynamic is just so interesting to me. Normally, it is assumed that the king is the one with the clearly greater power and decision-making authority. But this dynamic often seems to be turned on its head with the two of them. Hagen is often the one who makes decisions independently and convinces Gunther of them or simply enforces them over Gunther's head (in the second part of the Nibelungenlied). However, Hagen does not seem to do this to disempower Gunther, but on the contrary to promote his interests and strengthen his position as king. Nor does Gunther seem to be bothered by the fact that Hagen has this great decision-making power as a vassal. On the contrary, he seems to be used to it and even consciously wants it – at least that is one possible conclusion that can be drawn from the stanza 119 of the Nibelungenlied:

Hagen actually acts appropriately when, as a vassal, he does not interfere in the dialogue between two king’s sons (Gunther and Siegfried) – but this is exactly the kind of interference Gunther wants and expects from him here. Which, I think, says a lot about their everyday dynamics.

There are also tensions and differences of opinion between the two in the Nibelungenlied (there are one or two scenes, where they do seem to get a bit rude towards each other), but despite these differences they stick together. I kinda really like the scene of Gunther defending Hagen at the Cruentation – despite it being only one line (probably because of the mental image I have of that scene). And of course, further moments demonstrating their bond are the scenes of Gunther and his brothers not handing over Hagen to Kriemhild and Hagen not revealing the hiding place of the hoard to Kriemhild.

Hagen's backstory, that he spent his childhood and youth as a hostage at Etzel’s court in Gunther’s place, also adds an interesting aspect to their dynamic. And the Waltharius can provide further material for additional angst between the two.

Hagen x Walther:

I also like Hagen x Walther for being childhood friends and comrades in arms, who share a deep and intimate bond: Hagen almost not being able to leave Walther’s embrace, before fleeing to Worms. Walther lamenting, where their famous harmony went. The sight of Hagen letting Walther forget about his father and not caring much about his home.

Them spending their childhood and youth as hostages in a faraway land as well as the events of the Waltharius itself leave plenty of room for angst and complicated feelings between these two. Their friendship surviving and these two laughing together, despite mutilating each other mere moments ago, is a bitter sweet ending in the Waltharius.

[rocketboots564]

Here is part one of my thoughts, notes, and reactions to Red Versus Blue Season 9 as a first time watcher!

Yes, I have heard the news about Rooster Teeth. No I will not let that stop me from binging this series one way or another!

The rest of each individual season will be posted separately instead of being a reblog of the first post… mainly because I saw how egregiously long my post on season 8 was.

Season 9 Part 1:

Epsilon… what do you mean nobody’s called you “Director” in a really long time? Sir, season 8 was probably just a couple months ago… I think…

I don’t know how much time has passed from S8 to S9

FIRST OF ALL TUCKER, CHURCH IS CABOOSE’S BEST FRIEND

Wait… how can you get winded if you’re an AI. I mean I know Epsilon is in a memory unit, but does that mean he relives everything in a human body too?

It does make sense that Epsilon doesn’t really know how to use a Rifle. Sure, Church (or Alpha? Imma stick with church) didn’t know how to properly use it either, but he did know how to adjust the scope.

“Torqued in my pants” pffft…

WOAH TUCKER?! You did WHAT IN ALONE TIME? WHAT THE HELL’S “ALONE TIME”? 😦

Erm… what the Metal Gear? I unironically love this stealth mission thing. And knowing South Dakota… I wonder how long it’ll take for this to go tits up…

I’m betting five to ten minutes

also, YESS THE BIG BUCKS BUDGET OF ANIMATED CG SCENES RETURNS.

South MY GOD LISTEN UP?! HAVE YOU NEVER PLAYED ANY STEALTH GAME?! Set up the MOTION DECTETORS!!!

As someone who’s had years of experience sneaking past light sleepers in the dead of night for snacks and video games… I could do this better than you South Dakota.

SOUTH THIS IS WHY WE SET OUR SOLITON RADAR!!! I mean motion detectors… sorry I got Metal Gear Solid on the brain

MY GOD THE ANIMATION?! THE TAG TEAMING?! What happened that got South Dakota to eventually abandon North Dakota?

I too could take 50 of them South… in a fight… definitely a fight

Oop I saw that in the background! Who’s that?!

OOH THEY BAITED ME WITH THE BLACK ARMOR! They almost made me think it Tex… it’s actually well… whoever this cyan lady is

Supportive Sarge? He WANTS to hear the blue perspective? He DOESN’T want to command and yell at his subordinates?

GRIF? CLEANING? Actually I could get behind Maid Grif.

“I actually like being talked down to” woah WOAH SIMMONS?! 🤨 real, me too…

I mean… at least Donut’s still kept his accidental yet somewhat intentional innuendos. And, also his diary apparently…

Damn SHUT UP SOUTH DAKOTA! SHUT UP!! NOBODY HEAR WANTS TO HEAR YOUR SHIT!

North? WHOAH ANIMATED FACES?! NORTH DAKOTA WITH THE CLUTCH!!

Medics = bad luck. Honestly… yeah for you guys they are.

THE PHOTOSHOPPED WET FLOOR SIGN AND MOP IS KILLING ME

The ultimate OTP battle: Caboose x Sheila versus Caboose x Email

Listen… Tucker… never in a million years will I ever call you Professor Fuck

Damn the Freelancer Program only has ranked mode? No wonder they’re all assholes

CONNECTICUT? SHE’S CT? Yeah I can see why you’re so mad about your low rank… you’ll get your shit rocked by Professor Fuck of all people. Fuck it… it’s a funny name

So like… you know you’ve got absolutely dogshit rizz when Caboose has a better shot at dating someone than you.

Speaking of which… Caboose is now in my top 5 of the most dateable guys in this show. Like take this quote from him:

“I just really want to meet someone nice. Someone who appreciates me for who I am not so much because I’m pretty but because they really want to get to know me…”

HOW HAS THIS MAN NOT WOOED THE HEARTS OF THOUSANDS?

Tucker has NO rizz…

Oh wow Epsilon, just drop the existential dread on your teammates like that with no warning. It is a damn good thing your teammates either don’t understand it or don’t care.

Huh… seems even in a memory unit in which everyone is different fate still finds a way to make Grif lazy and sarcastic again.

Then again, that’s kinda happening with the rest of Red Team as well, minus Simmons and Lopez

Also, LOPEZ IS BACK! And this time is immediately beefing with Simmons… or rather the other way around.

“I’ll show you who’s likable and funny, and who people like” SIMMONS BABY ITS YOU! YOUR THE ONE I LOVE! YOUR THE ONE I NEED!

I just like Simmons… a perfectly normal amount…

Conclusion: this season already fucking ROCKS I LOVE IT! HOLY SHIT THIS IS AWESOME!

[magpie-come-east]

If you're still doing the ask meme, talk about your own OCs! Cyrielle for the ask meme?

favorite thing about them

I've been planning a reread of Gilded Apotheosis to recalibrate my characterization of Cyrielle. But I remember her being very caring and humorous. She was never particularly clever, but her blunt humor and attitude were endearing. She sassed Margit [affectionately] and sassed Morgott [derogatorily] and I think her characterization made her an OC shipping fodder protagonist people actually connected with!

I also like the design element of her golden scar. Its a physical feature that makes her stand out amongst the dozens of women Tarnished with braided hair (we all have great taste).

least favorite thing about them

I wish I had fleshed out her backstory more. For some reason I believed it was canon that Tarnished are revived with little to no memory of their past lives. I think I was just led astray by popular fanon haha. But regardless, I think Cyrielle is flatter than most other Tarnished OCs because of her lack of compelling backstory.

favorite line

"I suspect there are a lot of things I am supposed to feel about you. First among them being disgust. I am meant to be mortified by you, by your presence and your touch. But I don’t. I don’t feel that way. In my short life I’ve seen one hundred horrors. If you are fated to be counted among them, then you are the least of them all. By far."

"Would it be so horrible if my King was also my friend?"

'If Aster chooses to fight, you’ll be sent to answer his challenge, won’t you? [...] Tell Morgott to send me in your stead. However the two of you communicate."

This one's difficult! To me Cyrielle has plenty of memorable scenes but very few striking lines. Morgott wins out in that regard. But these three jumped to the front of my mind. They are just really tender and loving. The first and third quotes are her addressing Margit before she learns of his double identity. It just. Auughhhh!!! And the second is her confronting Morgott with that truth.

brOTP

Mohg and Cyrielle! 

I enjoyed the shift in HSPS when Mohg went from barely acknowledging her to being her confidant and friend. She’s one of the few people that doesn’t know a lot about his baggage and just treats him like her brother in law. Thus he was there for her at her lowest moment.

Cyrielle and Aster

Yeah, they're mortal enemies now but thinking back on their relationship makes me almost nostalgic in a bittersweet way. They fought their way through Gelmir together! And Liurnia! They were besties! And now Aster can only regret the relationship he destroyed (and the memory of it too). And Cyrielle wants him to die. Tragic!

OTP

Cyrielle x Morgott of course. After four kids and a century of marriage they'd better be!

nOTP

Aster x Cyrielle and Shanehaight x Cyrielle 

I remember a couple of people suggesting to me that those two men had crushes on Cyrielle while I was writing GA. On the one hand, I’m flattered that their rapport and interactions were compelling enough for people to come to those conclusions! But it’s very much not the case. Aster is gay. And Shanehaight sucks! Haha

random headcanon

Before meeting Aster and beginning her earnest bid for Lordship, Cyrielle was recruited by D to collect Deathroot for Gurranq. This deepened her faith in the Golden Order- which eventually drew her to want to side with Morgott. It also makes her eventual fatal Deathblight wound all the more ironic.

Since Tarnished were largely persecuted and spurned in the Lands Between by the time of her arrival, she spent most of her Tarnished life living nomadically. Finally having a permanent residence allowed her to discover a love of cooking and gardening. But her standards of home cleanliness are really low.

She has 9 INT

unpopular opinion

I’m don’t think I can have an unpopular opinion about my OC!

song i associate with them

Arms Unfolding by Dodie for sure. (Cyrielle shares a lot of Morgott's songs because they are ship songs haha)

Dream State by Son Lux

Broken Open by Adam Lambert

favorite picture of them

Refer to that picture from my Morgott answer. It's the only one of her I've got! Or this

[olderthannetfic]

Nothing is more disappointing than clicking on a fic for your OTP and it turns out to have what I call OC Stand-In Syndrome, wherein Character A and Character B have had their backgrounds, personalities and motivations changed alongside plopping them in an AU setting to the point where their names are just about the only thing tying them to who they were originally.

To use an example from a fandom I am not in now but saw a lot of this in when I was, take literally any MCU ship. Stony, but Tony and Steve are in the 1950s and Tony is a shy emotionally damaged Omega uwu and Steve is just a nice guy but not the badass who canonically would fight you for more or less any injustice you committed in front of him. Were their names changed to Antonio and Stefan, you would not recognize that they were supposed to be Tony Stark and Steve Rogers at all. Or it's Stucky, but it's a modern day AU and Bucky is a banker who falls for barista Steve and neither have any personality traits in common with their original namesakes outside of being I guess nice and arguably friendly with each other, though of course in addition to their childhood friendship being erased, so has their poverty, plopping them both into comfortable middle class backgrounds often with supportive living families, making them unrecognizable as far as origins go. Clintasha but Clint is a CEO of a company and Nat is a secretary with no dark backstory and they've never met until one day their soul marks activate and they go on a series of dates where they reveal personalities, backstories, interests and desires that do not match canon Clint and Nat to the point where you don't know why these two were chosen as the named characters.

If you want to write original fiction, by all means, go for it. Write your 1950's A/B/O M/M romance with an emotionally broken, shy uwu boy and his skinny sexy chivalrous Alpha. Write that coffee shop M/M middle-class-without-the-uncertainty thing. Write your busy workaholic cutesy secretary who fate has wed to a CEO and aaaah she's so nervous aaah why is this so awkward. Those are things with audiences who will love them and were they not presented to me with the names of other characters on them, I might like them, too.

But when I go looking for A/B fic and I just find a fic with a character borrowing Character A's name and they're into a character borrowing Character B's name, my thought isn't, "Wow, what a great A/B fic!" it's "you must've accidentally used find-and-replace to put in the wrong names on your OCs".

I got out of Reylo for exactly this reason. I like Reylo. I don't like the latest Sad Girl OC with a different backstory and either much more wallflower or viciously snide personality (depending on what the author thinks is cute/cool) and Sad Boy OC who lacks the rage issues, familial issues and ongoing flaws that make Kylo interesting.

And now it's creeping into my latest fandom and I'm just so tired. Please, I just want to read fic of two characters, not two of your OCs who you haven't named yet.

--

They probably find their portrayal IC, but yes, this often irritates me too.

[s0upjuice]

5, 6, and 9 for the ask game?

thank you for the ask!!

5. whats a pokemon you would like to play as or with?

I think an obvious pick for me would be zorua (have a lil eevee/zorua team going on) but on the offchance we actually get a new pmd game with the dex up to gen 9 (pls) i think some good hero/partner nonstarter picks would be mudbray, rockruff, wooloo, yamper, pawmi and fidough.

6. how do you interpret gengar and gardevoir's relationship post game?

as depressing as it is, I always thought that after saving gardevoir from the curse, gengar truly just lets her go and probably disbands team meanies to move away from pokemon square. Its the last time we see him, but I think he'd consider it giving gardevoir the gift of freedom of having fun as a rescue team without feeling indebted to gengar. After spending all that time under a curse bc of him, I think he'd want her new life to be something completely different, even if that means a life without him. Gengar finally understood the value of Gardevoir's devotion to him, and how much that meant, so I think the most selfless and devoted thing he could do in turn is just swallowing his pride and desires to start again and just let her live as an independent explorer. He'd turn over a new leaf too, and live as an honest explorer somewhere else, or maybe just travel around to find a new purpose.

I do like the idea of gengar and gardevoir starting completely fresh tho. He'd never tell her about her past life but they'd have a far more respectful and equal-sided friendship.

9. what do you ship in the games? just like. in general

HERO X PARTNER FO LIFERSSSS! Across all games, their relationships are just so wholesome and meaningful. I'm not a huge fan of predestination and 'soulmates' but i think the hero/partner connection is so beautiful, and how many times, they have to fight the universe into being together. I like to see them as rewriting fate itself in order to reunite post game, like in GTI and PSMD, where you or your partner has to actively go on a quest to bring the other back. I think its even sweeter if you choose to imagine its always the two same souls being reincarnated over and over again whenever the world is in peril, always great partners and friends who will get the job done bc they just work perfectly together. Platonic or romantic, its just quite lovely. Throughout all of the teams ive made while replaying the games, whether i imagine them as friends or something more, its also just great fun to picture their little conversations, how their personalities mix, and side adventures they go on.

ahem. besides hero x partner, i quite like wigglytuff x chatot for being annoying gay dads, as well as power couple umbreon x espeon. but of course the real otp is team tasty!!

[thegreymoon]

The Story of Minglan

I've been fighting off a monster of a headache all day with copious amounts of coffee but that could only go so far and I had to take painkillers in the end, so I am now in a drug-induced happy haze, very ready to bask in happy feels and root for the OTP 🖤

***

I love how he sees the real her.

Qi Heng only ever saw her public face, Liang Han also never realised her true character and thought she was obedient and boring. I think He Hongwen came the closest to understanding her, but he is nowhere close to being her intellectual equal. She would have run circles around him and though her life might have been peaceful at his side (though with that family of his, even this is doubtful), it would never have been as fulfilling as it will be with a man who can match her.

***

LMAO 🤣🤣

***

LMAO, if he keeps this up, she really will smack him 🤣🤣

He's just lucky he's so cute.

***

LOL, deserved 💪💪

I still maintain he should have approached her directly.

***

LMFAO

WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU EXPECT??

YOU GOT MARRIED, YOU LOSER. WHAT WAS SHE SUPPOSED TO DO, PINE FOR YOU FOR THE REST OF HER LIFE?

(With that said, as much as I despise Qi Heng, this actor is crazy beautiful and he is really tempting me to watch Guardian at long last 😭😭)

***

LOL, it is not fate.

It is your shitty classism, ego and garbage behaviour.

***

My guy, YOU MARRIED ANOTHER WOMAN.

***

Oh, shut up.

I am still mad about him suggesting that brain-dead plan to kidnap the princess and get all their families executed for it.

Also, he is a liar.

He revealed just now that he had decided to marry Minglan after she gave him advice on Rongjie. That was after he saved her from the pirates. It was before the whole Prince Yan disaster. This either means that this storyline is inconsistent or that he never actually intended to follow through with what he was offering. He expected Qi Heng to turn him down just so that he could go, "BuT i tRiEd tO HeLp yOu!" and absolve himself of guilt for backstabbing a peer because even then he knew that he would be going after Minglan himself. Honestly, I actually like this interpretation better than him being genuine in his offer, but it is still unnecessary. Qi Heng renounced all claim to Minglan when he married another woman. Gu Tingye owed and still owes him nothing.

Minglan is a whole-ass human person with her own agency, thoughts and feelings. She is not a leftover piece of pizza you can call dibs on. Qi Heng had his chance, the best chance of all her suitors because she actually liked him, and he blew it. Minglan wouldn't take him now if he was the last man on Earth.

***

LMAO, yes, tear him a new one, Tingye!

Yes, Qi Heng, either shit or get off the pot.

The nerve of him.

The self-serving selfishness.

Both he and his evil mother need to be taken down several pegs.

***

It is called having 🌟self-respect🌟

I love Minglan, she has a spine of steel and a very long memory. She neither forgets nor forgives her grudges.

***

LMAO, end him, queen 😂😂

I love Xiaotao 💙

***

Perfect 🤗

[i-did-not-mean-to]

YOTP - February

For V-day, I'll give you the YOTP fic for February.

A reluctant OTP, but an OTP nevertheless...Please, have some Merestor x Glorfindel (with art from @sauroff)

Lots and lots, heaps and heaps, of love for y'all!

Pairing: Glorfindel x Erestor

Prompt: Valentine's Day, Pollen/Fear Gas/Truth Serum, Established Relationship/Long Distance, different, mermaid, "If I kiss you, will you shut up?"

Words: 2 500

Warning: Sacrifice, implied monsterfucking, Merestor is a savage, nudity

(very sexy art and not very sexy fic under the cut!)

“We are sorry,” the councilman whispered as he stood, outlined by ominous darkness on Glorfindel’s threshold. “You have been chosen. We are hoping—”

“I understand,” Glorfindel replied before the old man could rattle off the perfidious reasons for their cruel decision to send one of their most valued warriors to his death. It made sense, he thought, the threat with which the town had been dealing for quite some time now was not one he or anyone else could fight with swords and arrows.

Thus, he had become superfluous—dead weight, really, and he recognised that much without fail.

“Today is a good day to die,” he added, deep sadness making his voice sound as hollow as if it was already coming from the grave. “I cannot bear the festivities anyway.”

“You must find it heartless—”

“Not at all,” Glorfindel interrupted again. “It’s strangely poetic, don’t you think? Give me an hour to put everything in order, tell the neighbours, and distribute what few riches are left to me, and then I shall be all yours.”

“Very well. I am sorry, please believe me,” the man who had known the condemned for many long years breathed softly.

“I know,” Glorfindel said soothingly. “I appreciate the sentiment, but I am not loath to die. Especially not today!”

As he went through his meagre possessions, the golden-haired hero of another time smiled wistfully to himself.

Outside, maidens and young men were giggling breathlessly as they sang songs of love and hope and waved their elaborate bouquets through the fragrant night air—this was their day, the day of lovers, and Glorfindel felt ashamed of his visceral, asphyxiating resentment of their happiness.

Once upon a time, he had been much like them. Returning from a faraway war covered in glory and illustrious distinctions, he had managed to capture the heart and hand of a beautiful, smart, enchanting young man.

For a few blessed years, he and Erestor—for that had been his beloved’s name—had lived in peace and plenty. Every year, they’d light candles on this hallowed night and sit on the porch of their little dwelling to watch the procession of giddy youths, dancing through the street with elation.

Then, one day, Erestor had disappeared. Glorfindel had waited, searched, and despaired, but no trace of his darling had been found.

Looking back now, he realised that the “deep”—an ominous threat that had transformed the previously merry village into a ghost town of whispered conversations and furtive steps—had first made itself known around the same time.

Nobody knew exactly what it was and what it wanted, but it was generally understood that Erestor—Glorfindel’s very own husband—had been its first victim.

From that fateful spring on, cattle, people, and treasures vanished from the riverbanks and the edges of the underground lake that had always been a highly favoured bathing spot for the villagers. Fear fell like a shadow over the hamlet, stifling all life and laughter.

Soon, people avoided all running water, coming up with complex rituals of superstition and idiocy, but Glorfindel was too heartbroken still to even fear for his life; he wanted to know what had happened to his sweetheart.

At first, the elders had refused that he or anyone else should leave the safety of the village to seek out the mysterious creature that had been glimpsed by a few but never fully seen, and Glorfindel had reluctantly bowed to the pressure of public outrage.

Then, the sacrifices had started. Miscreants and rebels, bound and gagged, were left in the cave to feed and soothe the “deep”—and, to everybody’s horror and delight—they were gone by the time the guards came back in to check on them. As the mouth of the cavern was under perpetual surveillance, it was undeniable that it had to be the sea monster that had taken them.

A part of Glorfindel had always known that, sooner or later, he would be picked to be delivered to the pernicious pestilence haunting their home. His adamant refusal to wear the protective amulets or steer clear of the river had branded him an insurgent and a sceptic, and a community ruled by fear could and would not abide such disruptive, potentially dangerous faithlessness.

Thus, on the night of lovers, he was called upon to do what was necessary to keep a society from which he had almost entirely withdrawn safe. This would be his last act of heroism.

Glorfindel felt relieved and almost happy as he walked, flanked by the mayor and the councilman, down to the cave. Maybe, he thought, he’d be able to find out something about his lost lover; either way, he’d be freed of the torturous half-life he had been leading.

As he entered the cave, he was surprised and more than just a little touched to find countless candles burning in every nook and cranny.

The villagers had carved well-wishes into the melting wax or written down their prayers on little scraps of paper that were now buried under the slow-moving tide of pristine white, dripping off every wall.

“We have to…” the mayor looked up at Glorfindel with undisguised misery as he lifted the length of rope he had been kneading in his sweaty hands. “You can keep the clothes to prevent chafing.”

Chuckling wryly, Glorfindel shook his head slowly. He had promised his last possessions—the garments on his back and the bells in his hair—to the two brave men who stood by him as he set out for his last expedition.

“I hope that you’ll at least get a tankard of ale each for these,” he said as he laid the adornments he had cherished through many a hard year into their unworthy palms. “Now tie me up and leave. For all I’ve done for this village and for you, I think that I deserve the dignity of meeting my fate without having to worry about an audience.”

They complied readily, desperate to get away from the dark water lapping rhythmically against the sloping ground of the cave.

In their furious haste, they were less gentle with this season’s sacrifice than he’d have deserved, but Glorfindel was unfazed by the nails scraping heedlessly across his bare skin and the sharp bite of the rope into his tense flesh.

“Where…”

The councilman pointed at a few worn, discoloured pillows at the far end of the cavern, just a stone’s throw away from the frightening, liquid threat of the purling underground lake.

“Tasteful,” Glorfindel commented as he was heaved, pushed, and dragged to the designated spot. In his mind, images of his first successful attempts at seduction danced as if to taunt him.

He was no stranger to promiscuous poses and elaborate bondage, and—on this lonely night of lost love—he could truly appreciate the irony.

“I am ready,” he declared. “Withdraw and save your lives. Think of me fondly, and don’t let this ruin your evening. Go light a candle in my honour. Maybe, look the other way if you come across a particularly adventurous couple, I don’t know…”

He huffed—it annoyed him that he was still the one trying to comfort and calm the men who had condemned him to an undoubtedly horrid demise, but he couldn’t bear their sad, mournful gazes.

“I am not dead yet,” Glorfindel grunted when nobody moved. “Remember me like this—beautiful, alluring, and very much alive!”

Tensing and squirming against the irregular, badly tied knots, he averted his face which finally convinced his two hangmen to scamper away like the vermin they were.

“Let’s hope this monstrosity makes haste at the very least,” Glorfindel mumbled and leaned back against the smelly cushions as much as he could without cutting off his circulation.

Thankfully for the integrity and safety of his limbs, Glorfindel did not have to wait long until minute ripples on the hitherto perfectly placid surface of the lake heralded the imminent arrival of whatever lethal foe was lurking in the murky depths.

“Ah, a new one,” a voice resounded. To the intended victim’s utter astonishment, it sounded tired and impatient rather than gleefully wicked. “Why do they keep pawning their unwanted villagers off on me?”

Spellbound, Glorfindel twisted as much as his bonds allowed to see a shimmering, mesmerising creature cleave through the water.

“Eh, same as ever,” the aquatic being muttered and launched itself out of its watery habitat, twirling like a falling star and filling the stale, damp air with a fine powder that tasted sweet and cloying on Glorfindel’s tongue as he drew a deep breath. “What is it that you truly desire? Do not even try to lie to me—the spores you’ve just inhaled force you to tell the truth.”

“I want to know what happened to my love,” Glorfindel replied immediately, not even trying to struggle against the sudden heaviness pervading his limbs and befuddling his racing mind. “All I want is to find out where Erestor went.”

With a muted splash, the creature fell back into the arms of the inky lake until only a pair of brightly flashing eyes—as eerily familiar and yet entirely foreign as the accents of that enchanting voice—were visible.

Taking the monster’s silence as an invitation and unable to stem the tide of words that had been unleashed by the potent dust he had ingested, Glorfindel kept babbling about the one he had loved and lost, detailing Erestor’s indescribable beauty and admirable wit and sighing longingly.

“I know that you’ve taken him, and I’d beg you to reunite us!” he finally pleaded.

“You think that I have killed your lover,” the creature mused, its words setting off a flurry of bubbles, dancing over the glassy surface of the water. “And you’d be willing to meet that same fate?”

“Yes. Life itself is worth nothing if it’s to be devoid of all joy and love!”

“You have ever been such a soppy fool! I should have known that my sacrifice would come to nought due to your reckless stubbornness!”

Heaving itself from its fluid realm once more, the creature drew inexorably closer.

“Who made those knots? What a mess! Just look at your beautiful skin!” Razor-sharp claws sliced through the rope without hesitation, and Glorfindel sat up, rubbing the sore spots his writhing had left behind.

“Erestor?” he cried as he now fully faced the well-known and desperately missed frame of the one he had sought for endless months.

There was no doubt about it, that visage—gleaming like mother of pearl and gold in the flickering light of the white candles—was the very one he saw in those terrible nightmares that haunted his every moment of respite.

“How? Why? What has happened? How have you come hither? Have you been enslaved against your will? What can I do? I have missed you so much, you can’t imagine! Oh Erestor, my love! Or…did you leave me of your own accord? Was I not a good husband to you? You should have told me that you were unhappy—I would have done anything to alleviate your dissatisfaction—”

“If I kiss you, will you shut up?” Erestor interrupted, and—not waiting for an answer—pressed his cool, wet lips against Glorfindel’s burning mouth in a gentle caress that grew frantic and heated almost instantly.

“Why?” Glorfindel whispered against the fragrant skin for which he had yearned with every fibre of his being.

“Old enemies came for you—you were out, at the market if I recall correctly—and they spoke terrible threats…” Erestor explained sheepishly. “You were always too rash to heed the warning signs of the deeper, darker secrets of the world.”

“But—”

“I’ve offered myself. What else could I do? The town needed you more than they did me!”

“I needed you! To hell with the accursed village—they’ve left me here, bound and naked, to be eaten by some fearsome monstrosity!” Glorfindel cried passionately.

“So they did,” Erestor agreed, anger and regret turning his eyes into splintered onyx. “It seems that I’ve been mistaken in my assessment, a rarity as you well know. I did not expect you to waste your time bemoaning my loss.”

“How dare you?” Glorfindel roared. Not minding the sharp protrusions on Erestor’s fingers or the dangerously pointy teeth flashing in the semi-darkness, he grabbed his lost husband by the shoulders and shook him vehemently. “I have never stopped looking and waiting for you—loving you—and if that ass of a mayor had not been so laughably terrified, I would have found out the truth much sooner!”

“Do they really think I’ve killed all these people?” Erestor inquired, leaning against the comforting, dry warmth of Glorfindel’s chest.

When the golden-haired sacrificial offering of beauty and valour nodded, he tossed back his head and laughed heartily.

“Believe you me, I did no such thing. It is in my power to grant one wish to those who seek me out in exchange for something they treasure—and what idiotic things they were—and so, I’ve helped every single person you’ve thrown down here escape the prison of paranoia and worry into which you’ve seemingly turned our once peaceful village.”

Glorfindel stared until his eyes overflowed with hot tears, leaving warm streaks of salt and salvation on his sculptural, freckled cheeks.

“I am so happy to see you—have you been well?” he asked breathlessly. “You should not have offered yourself that without consulting me! Of all the things to lose, I’d rather lose a limb than you!”

“I can see that now,” Erestor admitted. “I am sorry for doubting your love and your strength—they were very persuasive, and they tapped into my secret insecurity that someone like me—cerebral, somewhat scrawny, and undeniably mean—could never keep the love of one so glorious, handsome, and popular as you. It was all so new, and they made me believe that you’d soon grow tired of me anyway…This sacrifice was meant to be my parting gift.”

“And you dare call me a fool?” Glorfindel rasped as he bundled his merman husband—long, iridescent tail and webbed hands—onto his bare lap fitfully. As soon as that smooth, cool skin collided with his own heated flesh, he felt his body and all its dormant desires and impulses flare back to life.

“My love,” Erestor said warningly as he felt the testament of Glorfindel’s enduring, evidently unconditional ardour press against his scaly rear, “this is hardly the moment. I still have one wish to grant you—choose wisely!”

“Do you enjoy this life?” Glorfindel asked seriously, cupping Erestor’s soft cheek and searching his petulant gaze for any signs of dishonesty.

“Yes,” Erestor admitted after a moment’s reflexion. “It is strange, certainly, but I like it well! You’d…you couldn’t understand…”

“Then my wish is to join you!” Glorfindel exclaimed. “It is my turn to offer my life for your happiness. Make me what you are!”

So, that was my contribution to the YOTP for February!

I hope you've enjoyed this! Lots of love!

-> Masterlist

[hello-there]

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[kyouka-supremacy]

Ryu for the ask game?

Omg thank you all for asking this character I totally didn't specifically ask to be asked about and who I love a perfectly normal amount giggles and twirls hair

Favorite thing about them: He really strives to be good. Good at something, anything, but just good. He constantly fights against his own narrative and I find it very admirable. He was doomed from the start to fail and I feel like he knows that, and I don't know how he finds the strength to keep trying anyway but he does and it's really neat. Maybe his skull really is too thick to listen to the words of a predetermined fate. Just the whole thing about being the tragic character of all time is very compelling to me. Also, his inherently meaningless seeking a validation to live he shares with Atsushi makes me like him for reasons similar to Atsushi.

Least favorite thing about them: MMMHHHH,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Like I really like his flaws, I'm happy he has them, I wouldn't like him the same if he didn't? But at least I can safely say it's someone I wouldn't like to deal with irl lol.

Favorite line:

<3

brOTP: GIN AND RYUUNOSUKE!!!!! They make me go insane. Holding hands while working in the darkness fr. Being lonely together. Someone who's seen you at your worst FOR REAL but still hasn't abandoned you for some unfathomable reason. I don't know what goes through your mind but I see your eyes and they're the same as mine. Also mmmmhhhh sskk. Chuuaku. Kyouka and Akutagawa though I'm not sure that can count as brotp. Lucy and Akutagawa.

OTP: Sskk is like, pretty cool if you ask me <3 Imagine a fully rotten individual who was never meant for anything but killing and making people suffer since they were born, loving someone. Imagine the “I will kill you” being replaced by “I will love you”. But also imagine being so deeply interlaced with another person, your existence just can't escape the other. Destined to be together and destined to fall apart at the same time. I'll never be able to move forward until I've denied your very being but if you die my existence will stop having a meaning. Don't tell me what to do. I will follow you to the end of the world. I will kill you. I will die for you. I just think them <333 Chuuaku too, have already spent countless words on them but. Finally a ship that's real and relatable. Finally something that doesn't feel ethereal and idealized and distant and untouchable, but real and stained and messy and human. What if I didn't understand you but I wanted to. What if we walked together home. They're neat <333 Other Akutagawa ships I vibe with would be Akutagawa × Beast Atsushi, Akutagawa × Tachihara, Akutagawa × Kajii, akuatsulucy...

nOTP: 🤨🤔🧐

Random headcanon: I think he's numb to pain. And I don't mean it in the “oh no he suffered so much he's used to it at this point :((( ” pitying way, I mean it in the “he's felt such very strong spikes of pain in multiple occasions, his pain detectors just gave out” way. The “he won't notice a wound because he just can't feel it” way.

Unpopular opinion: In the last period, it's been bugging me a little how Akutagawa and Dazai's relationship is portrayed in fancontent. It's just always so black and white, while actually I feel like there's so much nuisance to it that just gets lost in fandom. Yes, the way Dazai treated Akutagawa was horrible and inhuman. Yes, to an extent Dazai thought highly of Akutagawa's abilities and cared for him. Yes, Akutagawa was victim of Dazai's heavy abuse. No, Akutagawa isn't entirely subject to Dazai, he explicitly gave his consent to an hard training (which, I reiterate, doesn't justify it at all; but does give more nuisance to the whole situation) and did oppose him in multiple occasions. I just think sometimes Akutagawa is framed as this helpless damsel in distress and Dazai as this inhuman monster whereas their relationship is indeed unhealthy, but still so much more complex than that. And just, really, I feel like portraying Akutagawa so helpless in Dazai's hands makes him a disservice? Even though in canon he said to be willing to kill Dazai on multiple occasions, has punched him more than once, has told straight “no”s to his face. I just think... People tend to make Akutagawa a lot less aware than he actually is. Here, there it is, that's what really troubles me. Akutagawa does know Dazai hurt him. He does know Dazai's treatment of him was cruel, and unfair. He is aware of what Dazai did to him. That just can't stop him from seeking his approval, even against his will. But to think that Akutagawa is blind to everything Dazai did to him does him a disservice, because he really is not that stupid or with completely null self-awareness. The fact that he tends to run after Dazai despite knowing how much he's hurt him is just further proof of how complex and human-like Akutagawa's psyche is. Also, he does NOT like reading. All my homies hate booknerd Akutagawa.

Song i associate with them: Well, I associate with him songs I definitely shouldn't associate with him alcfjyalfiygaslfiya. One song I always listen to that infallibly makes me think of Akutagawa although it really DOES NOT fit Akutagawa is Patchwork Staccato by toa, with its delicious sewing symbolism and words of toxic codependent relationships and the line you, I'd really rather you just stop existing I just can't help but link to him. Or Vampire by DECO*27, which. self-explanatory. but really shouldn't be associated with Akutagawa. On the side of songs that do fit Akutagawa, Tokyo Teddy Bear (AKUTAGAWA SEWING SYMBOLISM MY ULTIMATE BELOVED) and Lost One's Weeping (“Who stained that heart black? Who was it? Who was it!?” “Can you untie the rope around his neck? Can we keep going like this? What're you gonna do? I don't care anymore!” “But why does this lump in our hearts // Say we want to disappear? Say we want to die?” “Can you remember the dreams of your childhood? Who threw those dreams in a ditch? Who was it!? You know who it was! When are you going to grow up!? What is a grown-up anyway? Who has the answers? What're you gonna do? I don't care anymore!”) and basically everything from Neru. And Rolling Girl by wowaka, obviously.

Favorite picture of them:

Favourite panel from the manga: The one above LMAO. I. Really like that scene and think it's the most beautiful climax Akutagawa's character arc could have ever had. Here's my second favourite though:

Favourite illustration: There's a lot of beautiful ones...

Favourite illustration in the anime art style:

BUT ALSO this please don't make me choose. And various anime screencaps. I feel like I'm cheating but maybe it's unethical to ask from me to pick a favourite Akutagawa picture in the first place.

Favourite Mayoi card:

Send me a character?

[swallowtail-ageha]

Sulyvahn for character ask meme? 🤔

Favorite thing about them the buildup to him, absolutely. The way you meet slowly many outrider knights and then you read the squire doll and the pontiff eye ring, item description, then you reach irithyll and see what a sulyvahn beast is really like, and then you stroll through the city seeing the decomposed pontiff knights and the slaves that are being worked to death and the horror of irithyll dungeons and then you reach the cathedral and he immediately proceeds to beat your ass. Iconic.

(Side note but i also like that we know nothing of his personality outside of being cruel bcs from a watsonian prospective its like "oh he was such a cunt that literally no one cared to speak of him as a person and he is fated to die as a cruel tyrant who was just a footnote in the story of a more important person)

Least favorite thing about them i dont think i have one? I like his presentation i like his lore descriptions i adore his fight ig what i dont like is that the localization made it look like he and aldrich were in cahoots all along which became the most prominent fandom headcanon while in the og text it was more like him conquering irithyll on his own and then getting his ass handed to him by an awakened aldrich and throwing gwyndolin at him as a last resort to save himself

Favorite line its his only line but what he says in the small doll item description. So chilling knowing the context around it

brOTP the man doesnt have friends only people who genuinely hate his ass 😔😔😔

OTP heheheheh i really like dancer/sulyvahn, gwyndolyn/sulyvahn, and aldrivahn. They have three different vibes that make me go insane in an equal way. For dancer/sulyvahn its very "i hate you so much i am willing to destroy you in every way possible" lots of angst and horror potential. I really like to put the dancer through the wringer its enrichment for me. For gwyndolin/sulyvahn its all of the mental manipulation/abuse going on which all terminates in gwyndolin being overthrown without being able to do anything. For aldrivahn its hatefuck with sulyvahn having to realize that no. He isnt the strongest guy in the room. Oh and also there's gwyndolin in the corpse cuck chair adding a layer of grossness to it that i like. TLDR i just like ships where he's a massive creep

nOTP don't have one! Again he's such a versatile character that every ship can work with him. Ig a big no in shipfics is where its wholesome/he's kind because come on. The guy kept a sex slave he is a huge manipulative creep do not tone him down (altho thats a pretty rare interpretation)

Unpopular opinion he doesnt need a cutscene. Again his insane buildup and the slow way he goes at you wheb you reach his arena while lighting his swords up is *delicious*

Random headcanon laddersmith gilligan is his father. I shall die on that hill its too funny of a theory to me to Ignore It

Song i associate with them Girl with one eye by The Ludes (not the florence cover because those are two entirely different vibes) iykyk

Favorite picture of them the pontiff sulyvahn pussy pic <333

[bigmammallama5]

your xwp reblogs has me feeling feels - what was your favorite arcs/episodes?

Oh man... it's been probably a decade since I rewatched the entire show but I do remember my all time favorite episode is One Against an Army from season 3. Mainly because that is one of the very first episodes I remember seeing on TV growing up, and later as one of the best (to me) OTP episodes following the "partner is injured/dying and other partner fights desperately to save them" theme. I love season 3 overall the most? I think? The Ides of March, though sad and traumatizing, is a great episode. Okay but also When Fates Collide in season 6. Uh. A Tale of Two Muses tho. Also The Bitter Suite. Girls Just Wanna Have Fun for Ancient Greek Vampires! The Quest, also because it (or maybe the following episode??) has one of the funniest bloopers of Lucy Lawless hucking the ambrosia prop and hitting the camera. And while I love the general over-all vibes of season one I really liked the finale episode Is There a Doctor in the House?. I need to rewatch now dangit.

It's actually really hard for me to choose a favorite arc over all but for characters: for Gabrielle I really enjoyed her character arc struggling though living by the Way of Love in season 3, as well as her later struggle becoming more of a warrior and learning that her gift as a bard was just as important-if not more so. I also enjoyed Xena's arc around her son Solan. Though sad, it was a great window into who she is as a character. I'm still somewhat frustrated with the conclusion of her character and the slow sad resolve of the last season BUT. I understand why they brought her back to the beginning of her story and it really was a well thought out and reasonable arc to her character. It showed the completion of her growth and self-actualization that I miss seeing in other media. That might be my favorite arc for Xena.

In conclusion: i love my campy dramatic moms.

[blue-pastel-cat]

Cybernetics Assassins AU

This is like a very weird brainrot of mine. So this AU was born from putting 2 of my OTPs into very stylish clothing and thus a dystopian cyberpunk-ish AU was born. Also, no I did not play Cyberpunk 2077 lmao.

In the modern era where mortals and immortal races live together, the mortal races found a way to lessen their longevity and strength disparity via Cybernetic implants and cybernetic organs. At first, it was for the livelihood of mortal races. They can now spend longer time with their loved ones. They can compete on equal terms with the immortal races. For the longest time, humanity has known peace.

However, some mortals wanted more than just long lives and super strength. They sought to become gods themselves. Thus, unethical experiments and crimes with cybernetics implants as the cause became more and more frequent, and later, the resource for creating cybernetics became scarce and tightly restricted behind paywalls and prestige.

In the great mega-city of Teyvat, there is a secret war underneath the peaceful city as each secret organisation of 8 districts works in the shadows to either end the foolish attempt to reach the heavens, or drive deeper into the madness to become gods.

More character info under read more

Cyno

Codename: ANUBIS District Jurisdiction: Sumeru Organisation: Akademiya Position: General of Tactical Assult and Infiltration team Race: Human (?) Cybernetic implant percentage: More than 75% Cyno was once a sickly boy who lived in poverty. No one would notice a child went missing in the slums, especially when there was no one to file a missing report. Cyno was found three years later by the MATRA forces, with Taj Radkani leading the team to bust an illegal experimental lab on cybernetic implants. The experiments leave Cyno with over 75% of his body replaced by cybernetics. The Akademaiya left Cyno to Cyrus, the lead researcher in the Cybernetic fields. The man later adopts Cyno as his son and teaches him how to control the body that he didn't ask for. He would later came to admire Cyrus' sense of justice and became the General Mahamatra to make sure that no child would suffer as he did.

With almost his whole body replaced with Cybernetics, Cyno's strength is unparalleled. Yet, it does not come with a cost. Legally, you can only change 50% of your body with cybernetics. This isn't just to limit the human's power but is concerned with the side effect on physical and mental health.

Despite that drawback, everyone in the Akadeamiya knew that no one was suited to be the General than Cyno. The ANUBIS would only be sent to the most dangerous missions because they knew no one else could return. Cyno specialised in infiltration and assault missions where he could fight from close combat to mid-range with his guns. While he does lead the assault team, he prefers to work alone though not because he hates people (ok he hates SOME of the people in the Akadeamiya) but because he didn't want them to risk getting hurt with the nature of his mission. That's why there's only ONE quartermaster that the Akadeamiya trust to help Cyno because of their compatibility.

Tighnari

Codename: WATCHER District Jurisdiction: Sumeru Organisation: Akademiya Position: Chief of Medical team Race: Valuka Shuna Cybernetic implant percentage: Less than 10%

Cyno's lover and his Quartermaster on infiltration missions. Tighnari was lucky, born in a well doing family and received the best education for medical degree. Yet, instead of joining the researcher on medical field or spent his later days in the hospital, Tighnari became Field Medic for the Akadeamiya.

His fateful meeting with Cyno started when he was caught as a suspect for smuggling cybernetics components which he wasn't guilty of. Tighnari's fearless stance as he was interrogated by the mantra caught Cyno's attention. They would later became friends and later, Tighnari would join Cyno's cause in defending the future of people from cybernetic experiments after he knew how Cyno got his implants. Other than their shared goal, he wants to be close to Cyno in order to take care of his body from the side effect of cybernetics implants.

Tighnari wasn't only an exceptional field medic but also the best marksman that Akademiya had to offer. With a more than 80% accuracy score for long-distance combat shooting and the highest headshot kill in Sumeru's history, one couldn't ask for a better Quartermaster to lead the mission. When the quartermaster told you to duck as he readied his sniper, you listen.

Xiao

Codename: Alatus District Jurisdiction: Liyue Organisation: ADEPTI Position: Assassin Race: Yaksha Cybernetic implant percentage: None

Xiao has lived for a long time. He has seen the feeble humans growing stronger with the wonders of technology. He had also seen how humans fell with their hunger for power. He also saw how the immortals had a hand in all of this game.

Once a slave to another immortal who also used him as a test subject to create cybernetics, Xiao hated anything to do with the cybernetic technology. He knew a secret of cybernetics, how the technology came to be, and how they used lesser immortal beings as the 'ingredient' for the first prototype of cybernetics. Xiao almost lost his life to the said procedure of extracting their immortal essence to make cybernetics. Yet, fate had another plan for Xiao as he was rescued by the lord of the Adepti, Rex Lapis.

When the news first came out, all the cybernetics production stopped once they knew what they had been using to make cybernetics this whole time. That was until a pharmaceutical company 'Celestia' has found a way to implement other ingredients to create cybernetics. Yet, Xiao's disdain for the product remained.

Growing distrust of both humans and other immortals alike, Xiao only listens to one person as he guards Liyue's ground, his saviour. He works alone...or at least until he met Albedo, the Quartermaster from Mondstad.

Xiao and Albedo met by chance as Albedo came to demonstrate medicine that relieved the side effect of cybernetic's surgery. Something unnecessary, Xiao thought. Liyue has the lowest rate of Cybernetic implantation of all the districts of Teyvat, after all. Yet, an attack from the people who tried to steal the cargo forced them to work together. That was when he took an interest in the man as he saw what a calculating fighter he was. The curiosity would later develop into something more as Albedo and Xiao worked to uncover the secret of 'Celestia' and how they could produce the Cybernetics on their own without immortal essence.

Albedo

Codename: ALCHEMIST District Jurisdiction: Mondstad Organisation: Favonius Position: Captain of Investigation Team Race: Andriod Cybernetic implant percentage: Whole body

Albedo wasn't a human but rather an Andriod created by an ex-scientist from Celestia, Rhinedottir. She left him with one command, "Uncover the secret of Celestia". Upon that order, Albedo journeyed to Mondstand and blended himself with the humans to learn more about what his master told him to do.

There, Albedo has found a family and his place within Favonius Knights. He sometimes forgot his command, even if he thought he couldn't. When Albedo started to develop this sense of self, he couldn't know. All he knew was that he didn't want to let go of this individuality as people saw him as a human, not an android. That was when Albedo knew he couldn't tell this secret to anyone.

Albedo's investigation of Celestia led him to one conclusion: they are still using immortal essence as the ingredient for the cybernetics, but the means they have received it was still unknown. At first, Albedo didn't know what to do with this information. He couldn't contact his master anymore after her disappearance. With no one to report his findings to, Albedo became lost.

However, after meeting Xiao and learning of his past, how he was treated for the other people to harvest the immortal essences. Albedo finally knew what to do. He added one more command to himself, "Stop Celestia".

Albedo would work with Xiao as his quartermaster to track down people working for Celestia and find where they got their ingredients from. Besides his exceptional Alchemy skill, Albedo was also Mondstad's best Quartermaster. With the highest success rate of the successful mission up to 95%, even the most mundane team would make it out alive with Albedo as the quartermaster to lead the mission.

Model: HoYoverse, 观海, Bluepastelcat, 神帝宇, 深空之眼, 战双帕弥什, 怪味的馒头, 神帝宇 Stage:つねかわうそこ Effect: Rui, Ikeno, Azolt, 変更履歴, 三金络合物, Beamman, HariganeP, mmdeola, そぼろ