#polyamorous chosen children

[r0-boat]

Whb rut headcannons

I will definitely make ruts for all the demons but for now since what in hell is bad has weird ass rules and lore I got a beam my thoughts onto paper

Cw: super messy probably not edited,Me being a little scientific and fucking weird...

Demon ruts are actually very tame all they do is just make them feel. More horny and possessive over their chosen mate. All they want to do is have a partner and spoil their partner.

All Angels are unmated, And when they want to mate they have to have a ritual where God is present.

Angels are strictly extreme monogamous. They pick one person and that one person is for eternity. Once an angel is obsessed they are obsessed.

demons are more polyamorous by nature. There are some demons have a favorite and become more possessive. It also depends on demon hirearchy.

Humans can swing whenever they want.

Demons cannot have babies with other demons unless Lilith is involved. So ruts are the desire to claim a mate not breed. Angels cannot have ruts. (There is one exception to this rule)

Humans are a loop hole, They can have children with both demons and angels. But humans cannot have ruts, or they cannot feel it, But angels and Demons, with their acute senses, can still smell a sweet, flowery smell coming from them

I would say it's really irregular and it depends on the person... Especially if that person takes hormones but here is a simplified version.

For Female Sex It's every month

For male sex it's seasonal.

Since humans are added to the equation then oh boy... They are like a sirens call, Even the most prudish angels cannot resist.

Demons That already claimed their mates are resistant to the smell of another. But unclaimed demons salivate at the scent.

Demons will do everything they can to win their favor, probably even more so if they are already trying. And is not uncommon for some demons to do grand gestures to simulate there health and wealth and their ability to provide. Proud demons will show off like peacocks whether it be their strength or their wealth. Some demons will even leave gifts whether it be shiny trinkets or the limbs and heads of their enemies or perhaps even other rivals.

Literally becomes an episode of animal planet

[a-dauntless-daffodil]

I love the implication in this AU of Emily knowing Vaggie from Heaven that what starts as Emily potentially being a petty little shit could lead tp genuine Chaggily poly. It feels very “Task failed successfully” on all ends.

what we learn from this scenario is- there's no situation or choice so bad that you can't potentially get multiple girlfriends out of it.

Emily: "I've decided to seek revenge on my new attractive friends~"

Creation: CHOOSE YOUR FORM OF REVENGE!

Emily: "How about... becoming a permanent part of their lives and co-parent of their future children so I can make pointed remarks at every family meal and convert our kids to my side for bonus snark attacks, while also maybe moving in with them all to make sure no one else EVER hurts them again, which would also obviously include a lot of hugs... realistically also some 'it's okay now please feel better' kisses.... followed by more snark..."

Creation: CONGRATULATIONS! YOU'VE CHOSEN 'Enter Into A Loving Polyamorous Relationship Purely Out of Spite'!

Emily: :O

Emily: >:D

[yinwaryuri]

Just a non-comprehensive list of all the things P'Jojo touched on throughout the entirety of The Warp Effect:

The harm of forcing teens to promise absolute abstinence from sex while not providing space for safe and open discussions about it

Some people have a strong sense of their sexuality/gender identity. Others don't

Even guys who seem like good ones can do horrible things and be unaware. They are not required to be forgiven no matter how guilty they feel

Being single by choice is not shameful

Fwb is not shameful either

No one has any right to expect more out of a relationship when you have communicated what you are up for up front

Female friendship is a beautiful, wonderful thing, why would we pit so many bad bitches against each other when they're cooler as friends?

Nonsexual kinks are valid and with the right person can make for a beautiful relationship

There are several methods for pregnancy and it's important to discuss things with your donor (if you've chosen one personally)

Listen to your partner! It is actually possible to be together for a decade and still be unaware of something they like/dislike!

You can be forgiven for being shitty in high school but that is not up to you, it's only up to the person you have wronged

Always know the age of whoever you're talking to so you don't accidentally sleep with a minor

Fatphobia and transphobia have never been cool

Trauma hurts and the journey to work through it is difficult. It's not wrong to want to reconcile with someone and find that you can't. It's not wrong to try to push past it numerous times. It is not your fault someone ruined what should be a good experience for you

Nonsexual intimacy is valid and the right partner will work with you to understand your needs

The choice to have children is a really big one and no it should not be an excuse to keep the relationship together. The choice not to doesn't always have to break it up either

Abortion is a personal matter and should be done safely and legally

STDs have all sorts of origins and are an important matter to address in terms of being polyamorous or even going from one partner to the next. They are also not a reason to feel shame and are simply a matter of getting proper treatment and abstaining from sex while healing. Straight couples can get them, it isn't just a gay stereotype

Anyone can have a romantic relationship and not have sex

Parenting from afar isn't being responsible, but it is still possible to create a relationship with your estranged child

Dick size is nothing to be concerned about - you can find someone who enjoys a sexual relationship with you no matter what

It is so important to see your doctor. If that doctor makes you uncomfortable, though, you should be fine to leave and go somewhere else

Gay does not mean pedophile and it's important for you and your children to know the difference because there are gay teachers and coaches who have enough on their shoulders

Cheating doesn't have to include anything physical if you're seeking pleasure from someone who is not your partner and have not discussed such things with your partner or the person you cheat with

Sex work should not be criminalized and more of us need to standing up for the rights of sex workers

Masturbation is normal and doesn't have to be treated as sad or pathetic

Cishet people can be amazing allies. You can have your group of gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and trans people with a bunch of them included and it can be a fabulous group

Casting agents that don't allow for body and gender diversity don't deserve their job

The show gave us a whole PSA on pelvic exams????? HELP??????

ALWAYS PRACTICE SAFE SEX NO MATTER WHAT YOUR AGE, ORIENTATION, OR IDENTITY IS - ALWAYS HAVE A PROPER DISCUSSION AND STICK TO WHAT EVERYONE CONSENTS TO. ALWAYS

I swear I'm still missing stuff but everything that The Warp Effect said is so special to me

[theeldritchdarling]

All Tomorrows/Killer Folk AU: Marriage - Politics and Culture

Marriage for Areians is done for status, creating heirs, and assets. Areians are polyamorous; multiple partners is scene as a status symbol and an ability to spread their genetics as much as possible.

While the act of courtship is done by the individuals, for many clans/families, potential mates are chosen by the elders. Elders will meet with elders of other clans/families for gossip and playdates. (Elders are the ones who raise children, not the parents of the pups.) During these meetings, they will decide and debate who will make the best pairings.

Another major factor is the potential sex assignment of the individuals. As most view the goal of marriage and sex as to create heirs and continue the bloodline, marrying one who can create many heirs is desirable. (Sex assignment is determined by reproductive capability not genitalia). If the potential partners are compatible in this way, they will be assigned to court one another. If not, the elders will create new pairings.

The potential mates will meet regularly to build familiarity with one another and possibly affection. Courtship is done often in Areians late 20s to early 30s. (It is expected that an Areian spends their strongest seasons working and aiding their clan/familiy.) For courtship, an Areian must show their best skills and crafts to potential mates. Proving their strength and ability as a potential partner. Crafts are often in the form of wearable goods. Jewelry, scarves, or belts are most common. With jewelry gaining the cultural connotation of being scene as a romantic/intimate gesture. This courtship wear is worn throughout their lives and until their deaths. Where it will be placed on remembrance altars every winter season in celebration of the ancestors. (Think Winter Solstice mixed with Day of the Day.) It is considered taboo and uncouth to pass courtship jewelry down to descendants as it was made specifically for the individual not for their descendants. They must earn their jewelry if they wish to wear any; with an added stigma of it being considered incestuous and necrophilic to attempt it.

Marriage helps bolster clan/family status by growing numbers or to send a political message. Marriages help lesser clans build power and prominence, while higher clans do it to maintain power and influence.

[fl3shm4id3n]

𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕬𝖞'𝕬𝖒𝖍𝖚𝖑 𝕮𝖑𝖆𝖓 𝖍𝖊𝖆𝖉𝖈𝖆𝖓𝖔𝖓

Tw: mentions of na’vi sacrifices, mentions of death, polyamory, some things may be repeated. 

Author’s note: I wanted to do a little headcanon about the Ay’amhul clan, since I feel that you guys should know a bit more about them outside the Fire and Ash series. A translator is used, I’m not sure if its accurate. Hopefully this makes sense. (I can’t sleep so, I just wrote this)

P.s. I read a comment from my post from earlier seeing that they had an idea for the courting ritual, I liked it so I decided to add it. Thank you @/kuro-nokeiyakusha :3

Masterlist

It is known that it is a Female dominated clan, they’re males but not as many as females. The birth rates for males is very low. When it comes to wanting children, one must give a life in order to have a life of their own.

The reason why they don't have a Olo'eyktan, it is more of a masculine role. So they prefer to just go by as Tsahik, or  Na' le kaajo' (Mother of the people), since the Mother is considered to be the protecter.

They have pale white skin, which resembles the color of ashes. Their patterns are dotted instead of strapped, which are a light pale colored. They either have red or amber eyes, their freckles are yellow and they also glow yellow.

The females average height is 9'7, but can be taller. Males average height is 8′7.

They speak Na’vi but they also have their own language known as Yucatec.

Besides female and Males, they also have a third gender which is called/referred to as a  Ma' binario (Non-binary) it isn’t very common but they have been some people who had identified as a  Ma' binario.

They do practice polyamory, mostly high ranking na’vi, it is very rare for a Tsahik to have a Polyamorous relationship since they lean more towards Monogamy.

Their riding animal is that fire snake and a creature known as a Ahuizotl. 

Their weapons they'll have spears, darts, shields and Macuahuitl. When it comes to a Macuahuitl, they’re made by the na’vi who are doing their Iknimaya. 

Their for of Iknimaya, they must tame a  Ahuizotl, walk a mile on hot rocks and lastly a the ceremony in whish the Tsahik will give them three beads to add to their songcords. Some beads may involve, bravery, loyalty, adulthood and another of any other something they had done or learn. They also receive a name which the people would call them by (For ex. y/n The White Death)

When it comes to death, they have been taught from a young age that death is just a part of life, without death there wouldn’t be life. When death comes to them, they believe that it is an honor and that Eywa has chosen them to join her. Whether is of natural cause or done by sacrifice.

Their courting rituals involve wrestling the female they want to court. She must be brought down during this so called ‘dance’ (that’s how they refer it) if they manage to bring her down, then she’ll accept their advances.

The other form is to show their hunting, this is to show that they’re are a good provider along with their chosen female (both people must provide to each other), if they’re able to hunt like or better than the potential mate then they’ll be close on being the other’s mate. 

The next step is that they have to go for a hunt and bring back the heart of an animal to bring back to the woman that they want, this proves that they do wish to be with the female they desire.

The last step, to show the parents of the female they want, they also must fight their siblings if they have any or parents, this is to show that they’re able to protect their mate as well as be able to fight along side them.

[wizardships]

POST ABOUT MY OC SELFSHIPS

All of my OC selfships are with my partner @ask-the-vargonians' OCs! Vargon is a planet they made, inhabited by vampiric aliens called vargonians. To read more on Vargon, check this link for its history and this one for species info, or just ask me! I'll tell you what I know gladly. This post will go over a few of my OC selfships and they're mainly with vargonians, which is why I link that (also just because I think it's fun).

Several characters on this list are related to each other. Please assume that for any related characters, I ship with them separately. In particular, several are part of the ruling family of Vargon - The Voodry'ant/Woods family. Also the F/Os are all organized alphabetically because I don't want to rank them by favorites it makes me sad

-

THE INSERT: FIONN, a changeling from another planet. They get to Vargon by different means depending on the AU. I'll make another post about them in more detail.

-

ADRIK WOODS: The main character of his story, literally. He's his father's chosen successor, he's a pawn of the gods that he will one day join, he's trying to heal from insane trauma, he's a linguistics nerd, he's an addict, he's beautiful, he's silly, he's just a little kitty. Well, not really that last one, but he's about as close as you get without actually being it. Adrik doesn't know this, but he was created by the gods to eventually replace them when they die. His life until now has been trial after trial after trial, in order to prepare his soul for that transition. Technically he has a twin sibling, but they were separated when they were young and are now estranged. As you can imagine, Adrik is a huge celebrity on Vargon, not only because of his political power but also because of his incredible skill at appealing to the public. He's a social chameleon and he's suffering. One of Vargon's biggest "It" Girls <3 He is soulmates with and eventually married to my OC Delilah, but they're polyam so it's cool. In fact, most Vargonians are polyamorous. SHIP TAG: .bite marks

FITZ MY'TYALA: Ex military pilot forced to retire due to an incredibly tragic accident that left him physically disabled and severely traumatized. He became friends with Adrik and was eventually hired as an employee of the brothel Adrik owns called The Velvet Fang. (Sex is viewed very differently on Vargon, and brothels are common. The VF in particular welcomes a lot of non-vargonian tourists that may not be able to handle the harshness of the rest of the planet. The brothel is ethically run, and everyone working there are incredibly close knit as a "pack," essentially a vargonian chosen family.) Fitz is snarky and laid back, but also incredibly polite and modest by vargonian standards. To a human, though, that still comes off as pretty raunchy. Compared to some other members of the VF, he may seem very normal, but don't let that fool you; he has chosen them to hang out with, after all. SHIP TAG: .mousetrap

JOY WOODS: One of the eldest Woods siblings. Princess of the planet, political powerhouse, faithless head of church secretly leading a revolution against the Shadow Council that has tortured her family and people since she was young. She's a severe workaholic and alcoholic, who dreams of someday living a domestic life with loving partners and many children of her own. In the meantime, though, she's emotionally distant and represses everything. You can't blame her, though - She's raised most of her seventy-something siblings and watched far too many of them meet gruesome ends anyway. Secretly a huge party girl raver, but she never gets the time these days. Lily Woods' twin sister. The two had a bad falling out years ago and have a strained but unbreakable relationship which is mostly antagonistic on the surface, but they couldn't survive without each other. SHIP TAG: .business casual

LILY WOODS: Another of the eldest Woods siblings. While she also handles a lot of political and familial labor, most people know her as a pro skateboarder. She's like if Tony Hawk was an eight-foot-tall, blood-drinking, ripped, stoner bisexual. Lily may present herself as "the irresponsible twin," but she's actually the more emotionally mature one. That doesn't mean she isn't hiding her own traumas behind a mask of humor, of course - Just that she's the one more likely to eventually have a serious conversation about it. She comes off as cool and confident, but actually has terrible self esteem due to always comparing herself to Joy. On Vargon, twins are actually the same soul split in half and put in two bodies by the gods, and Lily feels as though she's the worse half. Obviously, I disagree. SHIP TAG: .the bit

[magic-is-something-we-create]

ETERNAL RILLMOTHER VERATRUM - The Millennium Saga [Firebreathers ; Echoseers ; Goddess-Touched]

They tell me he is the Savior. The one who will fight off the Great Decay prophesied to rid Ehl of magic for good. All of their stories are of a grand, well-spoken man, one who can turn even the most unwilling of people to his cause. The Chosen, the prize of Nimia, the Holy. Before me stands a child.

Basics:

She/her - Cis Woman Bisexual, Polyamorous - 1042 [~1146 on Earth; appears mid-40s to mid-50s] Rill Ehlf - Allmage; Plant Mage origins

Where she begins:

The first we see of the Rillmother is a statue that does not do her justice; if the art installations of Unity Park in Aree were all anyone ever knew of her, they'd expect her to be of a comparable size and grace to Tieling of Nimia.

When Ember first meets her outside of the fortress of Tal'Ren, the top of their head barely reaches her midriff.

Veratrum is gentle with her grandchildren, though, even if she has a habit of intimidating their companions. And she is more than willing to provide safe shelter from those pursuing them, along with free access to the Archives - the largest collection of historical and fictional record in the world, her pride and joy.

But first, she wants to know how her grandchildren met their friends. And Ember has to come clean about stealing from her grandson.

What she finds herself confronting:

Veratrum is one of the Eternal Three; she became immortal alongside Tieling of Nimia and Arthur Shieldstone nearly one thousand years ago. All she ever wanted was to live to see her grandchildren, and now, she gets to love every generation of them for the rest of time.

Now, she must grieve every single one.

And now, she must confront the fact that something has broken, and she didn't see it. She must confront the fact that her children are being hurt by their own, and that something must be done.

But she cannot bring herself to raise a hand against her kin.

Not after losing so many already.

Important connections:

Family: K'Ron Actaea, Elar, Isa, and Lakia.

Friends: Arthur Shieldstone, Lu'Syr Typha, Tieling of Nimia

Enemies: K'Ron Actaea (after learning what she has done), Tieling of Nimia (they do not see eye-to-eye, but they will never be rid of each other's presence)

MUSIC

Themes: Secret by Florian Bur, Deryn Cullen, and Tina Meier, Against the Sun by Rush Garcia, Leap of Faith by Rush Garcia

Vibes: Throne by Saint Mesa, Pride & Fear by TheFatRat and RIELL, All Things Devour by aeseaes

[mudaship39]

Zhou Zhen/Zhou Chen Bio

Dossier, Profile, Record, & Archive: Zhou Zhen/Zhou Chen:

Name: Zhou Zhen (the National S Rank Hero and Adventurer of China)/Zhou Chen (the Half Human Half Phoenix Firebird Lightning Bird Monk S Rank Adventurer and Guild Member)

Species: 

Human

Metahuman with pyrokinetic fire powers and electrokinetic lightning powers

Celestial/Stellar bipedal humanoid Phoenix Firebird Fenghuang and Lightning Bird 

Racial Identity: East Asian Chinese, East Asian Korean, & East Asian Japanese 

Height: 5’8”

Weight: 130

Body Type: Lean and athletic 

Appearance:

B,H,W: 32 B

Hairstyle: 

Pre-colonial East Asian hairstyles. 

Short hair 

Long hair tied in a medium or long ponytail

Hair color: black

Eye Color: light brown

Skin color: terra cotta brown

Extra: Red, orange, and yellow phoenix feathers grow on her chest, back, arms, & legs. In her full phoenix fire bird form she has wings, a beak, a tail, feathers on her entire body, & she has talons on her hand and feet. She has golden raptor-like eyes.

Age: 27 

Birthday: Taurus Horse

Tattoos: Celestial and stellar colored and black and white East Asian tattoos of tigers, phoenixes, dragons, fish, buddha, qilin, etc that glow when she uses her firebird and lightning bird powers especially electrical fire fusion elemental powers 

Piercings: Piercings with gemstones on her ears, eyebrows, nose, tongue, & face

Markings:

Jewelry: East Asian buddhist bracelets, jade gemstones rings, Buddhist necklaces.

Features: 

Sex: Female

Gender: Cis 

Sexual Orientation: Lesbian

Pronouns: He him, she her 

Religion: Shinto Buddhist

Languages: 

Common, Undercommon, Goblinoid, Giantkin, Gnomish, Halfling, Dwarvish, Fey, Elvish, Sylvan, Underdark, Draenei, Draconic, Aarakocra, Auran, Celestial, Fiendish, Deep Speech, Serpent Tongue, & Primordial

Disabilities: Autistic. 

Nuerodivergent: ADD, ADHD, OCD, 

Mental Illnesses: depression, anxiety, panic attacks, & PTSD

Relatives: 

Father: Lei Chen 

Mother: Eun-a Choi

Aunts and Uncles: Miyoko Kobayashi, Ha-min Choi, Liya Chen 

Siblings:

Brothers:

Sisters:

Cousins:

Nephews and Nieces:

Children: 

Marital Status: Married

Relationship model: Polyamorous

Love Interests: 

Elsa Johansson, Afro Asian half dragon Chun Hei Kim, Afro South Asian Desi Afro European Amelia Himmat Mishra, Afro West Asian Maysa Uzun, Latine Native Valerie Nadia Torres Garcia. Artist Dancer Yuli Li, Madam Brothel Manager Sunrita Maheshwari, Swordswoman Xiuli Chang, Grandmaster Weili Yang, Military Captain Soldier Chunyu Liu, Government Official Kanako Takahashi, Scholar Miyoko Kobayashi, Police captain Saruta Chaiyasan, Noble Lady Hyo-jin Jung, Warlord General Sae-hyun Park, Jonin kunoichi assassin Nanako Yamada, Samurai Lady Kiyoko Nakamura, Merchant Myeon-ji Kim, Shogun Tomiko Satou, Princess Lady Minh Nguyen

Rank: 

S rank

S rank Adventurer:

S Rank Hunter

S Rank Hero

Level: 300

Stat Points:

Skills:

Traits:

Alignment: Neutral Good 

Class: Monk (Magical melee and unarmed martial arts) 

Subclass:

Background: 

Disgraced Noble. Fallen Noble. Arranged Marriage. Exile. Academy Dropout. Unseen Academy Reject. Acolyte. Apothecary. Artisan. Attention Addict. Chef. Chosen One. Craftsman. Dauntless. Destined to be a Hero. Doctor. Duelist. Farmer. Fortune Teller. Government Official (Imperial Civil Servant). Hermit. Isekai. Lesser Scion. Librarian. Matchmaker. Merchant. Mercenary. Monk. Monotheistic. Monotheistic Traveller. Nurse. One Soul Two Bodies. Otherworlder. Poet. Primogenitor. Prodigy. Retired Hero. Roamer. Sage. Shaolin Monk. Scholar. Sealed One. Second Soul. Smith (Metal, Gemstone, Blacksmith). Soldier. Tourist. Town Apothecary. The Chosen One. Time Frozen. Time Traveller. Trader. Vendor. Wanderer. Warlord. Warrior. Weaver (Fabric). Wise One. 

Cultivation: 

Martial Arts: 

Magical martial arts (imagine bak mei, wushu, changquan, hung gar, xingyiquan, shuai jiao, wing chun, san da, choy li fut, shaolin kung fu, & wuzuquan)

magical mixed martial arts (imagine karate, capoeira, krav maga, savate, muay thai, jiu jitsu, kickboxing, hapkido, judo, aikido, taekwondo  

magical kendo, sai, kobudo, spear, kalaripayattu, escrima stick fighting, bo staff, silat, tonfa, & nunchucks 

Patron: Sun Wukong

Titles: 

Sage of the Stars. Young Master of the Chen Family. Grandmaster of the Way of the Fire Fist Lightning Fist Martial Arts School. Sword Empress. Sword Saint. Owner of the Auctionhouse. Owner of the Lotus Medicinal Pills Apothecary. Marquis of the Imperial Military.

Homebase:  

Shanghai, China. Kyoto, Japan. Seoul, Korea. Human Federation of Magical Human Kingdoms and Indigenous Magical Human Confederacy of Nations 

Affiliation: 

Murim Alliance. Xiao Lei: Poison Master (Master in poison arts). Jonin (assassination, ninjutsu, & shadow arts). Yuan Jian: Swordmaster (Melee Martial Arts Mentor). Himi Satomi: Array Master. Shimada Tokuma: Pills Sage (Medicinal Pills mentor). Grandmaster Ch’u Min-Hee (Martial Arts mentor).

Education: 

High School Graduate

High School Diploma

Associates Degree in Biology

Bachelor's Degree in Medicine

Masters Degree in Anatomy and Physiology

Certificate in Calligraphy 

Certificate in Arrays

Certificate in Pill Making 

Seoul National University. The University of Tokyo. Peking University

Korea Military Academy

U 13 or Under 13 for full contact Magical mixed martial arts

U 15 or Under 15 for magical melee combat with tonfa, escrima sticks, sai, nunchucks, & bo staff

Under 18 or U 18 for magical melee combat with magical swords, spears, clubs, axes, and sledgehammers

Occupation: 

Earth: 

Military. Conscript. Drafted. Grunt. Soldier. Officer. Gym trainer. Olympic Level Athlete. Martial Arts World Champion. Stunt person. Producer. Stunt double. Director. Stunt coordinator. Martial arts actress. Fighting game voice actress. Celebrity. 

Isekai: 

Beggar. Bandit. Farmer. Fisherman. Gardener. Courtesan. Matchmaker. Fortune Teller. Chef. Painter. Dancer. Artist. Actor. Musician. Flute, Piano, Violin. Chinese Stringed Instruments. Craftsman. Artisan. Poet. Smith. Shaolin Monk. Monotheistic. Monotheistic Traveller. Martial Arts Grandmaster. Doctor. Nurse. Scientist. Cartographer. Astronomer. Librarian. Apothecary. Conscript. Drafted. Grunt. Soldier. Swordsman. Archer. Calvary. Officer. Warlord. Merchant. City Guard. City Watch. Trader. Vendor. Business person. Mercenary. Armed Escort. Shinobi/Kunoichi assassin. Genin. Chunin. Jonin. Samurai. Ronin. Shogun. Professor. Scholar. Sage. Philosopher. Government Official. Aristocrat. Noble. Lady. Hired Guard. Bodyguard. Royal Guard (Human Empress) Lady in Waiting. Judge. Royal Advisor. 

Economic Class: Aristocratic 

Base of Operations: Firebird Fire Fist and Lightning Bird Lightning Fist Style Martial Arts School and Shaolin Monastery

Place of Residence: Manor of her Noble Chen Family 

Transportation: Horse drawn carriage. Car. Plane.

Mounts: Qinlin, Dragon, Griffin

Familiars: 

Firebird 

Lightning bird 

Pets: Hellhound, shadow cat, phoenix, kitsune nine tailed fox demon

Companions:

Apparel:

Facemask and bandana, spiked arm gauntlets, t-shirt, martial arts gi uniform, vest, obi belt, fingerless gloves, kung fu pants, spiked knee gauntlets, & combat boots

Red blue Silk uniform and Qingdai guanmao or mandarin hat with phoenix feathers as an imperial officer. Accessories to denote rank such as a phoenix and qilin.

Close fitting top with elbow length sleeves that is fairly tight fitting but allow room for movement. It is a kind-of-faded saffron color similar to the breast color of the Fenghuang. Over which she wears her leather and metal armor. Then over that, layers of very thin (almost diaphanous cloth) that are very loose fitting so it is easy to slip out of or just shuck off when needed. That builds up in colors until the outer layer where the skirt section splits off into separated 'tails' of colors. That way, in terms of movement and flow, the clothing picks up the slightest breeze and floats. Creating the illusion of effortless gliding and flight while allowing the character's movement with her clothes to punctuate her body language as she herself moves. The idea being that just the act of movement portrays elegance and effortless poise. When Zhou Chen moves with purpose all the outer layers will immediately flows behind her. Also heightening the impression of a hunting bird striking at its target. The robes are made of two layers of thicker material that doesn’t have the same flow to it. The upper layer would be smaller than the lower layer to create a two-tone color effect. The robe could be belted at the waist. It is form-fitting so that it contours to the body down to the waist. The upper section would be held in place by the armor over the top. As opposed to Zhou Zhen who would have the armor underneath the robe and the skirt of the robes flared somewhat so that when Zhou Chen moves it forms something of a sem-circle around his/her calves. In terms of color maybe the robes for Zhou Chen could have the lower layer the same blue as the second and fourth tail plumage on a Fenghuang with the upper layer the blue/gray/green of the outer feathers in the wings.

Hoodie, t-shirt, jeans, high top sneakers

Equipment: 

Items:

Weapons: Great Sword, bojutsu bo staff, nunchucks, long swords, daggers, short sword, sai, escrima sticks, broadsword, tonfa, magical composite bow, & spear

Armor: 

Leather and metal medium class armor 

Plated chainmail military armor with helmet with Phoenix firebird and lightning bird feathers (based on the helmet of her patron Sun Wukong the Monkey King)

Power origin: 

Earth:  

Fire accident as a superhero.  When saving civilians from a house fire caused by fire magic. 

Lightning accident as a superhero.  When being attacked by a supervillain with electrical lightning powers. 

Isekai: 

Firebird 

Lightning bird 

Abilities: 

Electrical Fire Fusion 

Fire manipulation

Lightning manipulation

[leam1983]

Long Hauls

Sarah pings a video my way.

Oh, look - it's some bald idiot screaming his over-inflated rage at Bethesda Game Studios for having the gall to allow gamers to choose their pronouns independently of their chosen body type.

She notices I practically fall apart in the couch. "Isn't that funny?" she asks.

I groan. "This isn't funny, Sar - it's the zeitgeist. It's a bald, overweight, White man in a white athletic shirt screaming at a camera in front of a beige wall, not realizing that he's essentially throwing a fucking tantrum in his mid-forties. Adulthood is dead, nothing is real and we're all clowns and man-children."

Walt smirks. "I don't count?"

I roll my eyes. "You're not a gamer, hon. You have enough composure to never throw a tantrum over anything so trivial. Plus, you're gay. You're a gay man in a polyamorous relationship. Defacto, there's a non-zero chance that we eventually befriend someone who goes by HIR or ZIR or XIR or They or Them or whatever. All of us are cis, but we're members of an alternative sexuality. We're part of what the CHUDs are so deathly afraid of."

He then remembers my playthrough. "Aren't you playing as myself, in Starfield?"

That gets a laugh out of me. "Come on - you'd be a good fit! Walter C. George, the down-on-his-luck spokesperson for Deimos Staryards, who had to reorient his career into the mining industry to survive in Mars' flagging postwar economy and who decides to buy and flip the first of many spaceships in New Atlantis? Years later, you've schmoozed your way past the military requirements in the United Colonies' citizenship program after finding a loophole that lets you creatively purloin Crimson Fleet ships to sell them back to the good guys - with a full trading license - and you've got the biggest fucking house in the Residential district on Jemison!"

Something in his eyes tells me Walt is trying to unpack all this, even if he's lacking most of the setting's lore. That turns into a sideways glance.

"Got any cute guys in that distant space-future of yours?"

Sarah can't quite repress a chuckle. "Aplenty. One of them's a They/Them, even. Super Progressive stuff."

He gives our PS5's controllers a glance and slaps on his best Southern-Fried Space Trucker accent.

"Welp, I always did fancy m'self as a frustrated long-hauler..."

"Do you, now? Because this is a Bethesda RPG and, well, space or no space, Bethesda RPGs are a long haul in and of themselves..."

[a-quiet-borderline-diary]

I haven't made an entry in a while. I have a second partner now, and we are in love. We started dating about 4 months ago but it feels like we have been together for a long time.

He is so affectionate and helpful. He gets along well with my husband (primary/nesting partner) quite well. We even play dnd in a group together and that is more fun than I thought it would be! It is my first campaign ever.

My bf is in college still, but he is set to graduate within a year or so. My husband and I are staying in this area for about 2 more years. I already have hopes and dreams about moving somewhere (possibly new), and bringing my partner with us. I wish my husband found another partner like that as well. He does have a current partner, but he told me that when he talked to her about the future it didn't sound like she wanted the same things as we do. They are still together and enjoying their time for now, but I wish she was on board with planning to live together someday.

I know for most couples 4 months or so isn't long enough to decide if you want to move to another state with someone though so maybe in time she will change her mind. If not, I'm sure there are plenty more fish in the sea (especially moving to a more urban area, we are currently in a rural area with few polyamorous or queer folks).

My husband and I have a dream that one day we will own a decent sized house that can accommodate 2 additional partners. We will live life all 4 of us together, helping eachother.

My husband and I already decided that only he and I will have shared bank accounts (we have always chosen to share finances completely since marriage), but it would be a more comfortable life with 2 more household incomes with no kids. (sorry to say, but he and I refuse to date anyone who has children).

I think we both just really yearn for a communal life, even if we wouldn't want to do anything like go off grid. We really like the idea of having our own chosen family.

As a bisexual, it isn't what I had in mind to end up with another male presenting partner, but I simply fell in love with him. I think a lot of what attracts me to my other partner is that even though he identifies as male, he is very feminine. He is smaller than me, and when I hold him it feels similar to holding a woman. I really like that tbh, he has a very androgynous appearance and way of carrying himself.

My husband identifies as nonbinary, more so than I do (although I consider myself probably gender fluid if I had to describe it.) He presents pretty masculinely, but he has feminine qualities in his personality and takes on some more "feminine" gender roles in the house (like cooking, which I do not do.)

My husband's current partner is really cool, I like her a lot. In my opinion, they have more space between them than I do with my bf but it doesn't seem to bother either of them. Maybe this is because they know it may not last beyond the 2 years we are living in this area. It would be so nice if she grew to consider moving with us when we leave, but even if she decides not to stay with my husband it is nice to spend time with her as a "polycule" now.

Since my husband's partner does not seem to cling to him as much as my bf does to me, it feels like I need to work on spending more time with him. Over the next couple of years I definitely need to work on my dynamics juggling my time with both of my partners. Sometimes I still think it would be nice to have a gf as well, but I honestly don't think I could easily juggle my time for a true relationship with another added person. Maybe when I feel I have the dynamics of the 2 I have now down pat, it would be possible... But I would be satisfied to just have a platonic relationship with my husband's partner. I just feel overall I'm lacking in close relationships with women and I would at least like a close female friend again.

I am friends with my husband's current gf, and I enjoy spending time with her but she has always operated as sort of a lone wolf even in her romantic relationship with him. That makes it hard to get close to her tbh, but I know she has reasons why she is the way she is. It's not anything personal.

All in all, I have just found myself daydreaming about the future a lot. I really have faith that my partner is serious about joining our life in a couple of years and it feels nice, but still we have quite a bit of waiting and time here before we enter the next step of our lives.

I have a positive outlook and I'm really happy to have 2 wonderful and loving partners. I can't wait to see what our futures have in store

[banashee]

Banashee Fanfic Masterpost - Marvel

List of all of my Marvel fanfics, up to date as of february 2023

Please mind all individual tags and warnings, things will get heavy!

Series by ship (aka my favourite ships that turned into A Lot of Fics TM)

WinterHawk - various unrelated stories - Clint and Bucky being both sweet and angsty together

Phlint - various unrelated stories - Shield Husbands being wonderful in every aspect

IronHawk - various unrelated stories - Tony and Clint being human disasters and deeply in love

Prompt collections:

Keep Going December 2019 - various ships

Bad Things Happen Bingo Round 1 - various ships, Reminder to please check the tags and warnings! The themes get heavy and at times graphic

XMAS Writing Week 2020 - Winter Fluff of various ships

65 Random Prompts - various ships, everything from fluff to humor to angst and HC

Bad Things Happen Bingo Round 2 - More Angsty prompts with various characters and ships. Again, please mind the tags and warnings for this series especially!

Series of Oneshots in the same universe/story

The Morning After - IronHawk. Tony and Clint go from friendship plus to mutual pining to falling in love.A classic

Nerves of Steel (OMG shut up!) - Stony - Steve and Tony are stuck in a safehouse together, getting on each other’s neves. Only 1 part online so far

Honey, it’s still fucking frozen! - IronHawk. - Tony isn’t great at cooking, albeit enthousiatic. Clint... Loves Tony and puts up with a lot of bad cooking.

Of chosen families and utter chaos - Most of the Avengers have been turned into children. Phil and Thor do their best to keep them alive, as they learn a lot about their friends. (ships amongst the adults are: Phil/Clint, Thor/Bruce and Steve/Tony )

Like a Ghost in the back of my mind - Clint has some unhealthy coping mechanisms ans trauma to work through. Only one part online so far.

Polyamorous - Clint/Phil/Tony Polycule, Hurt/Comfort and lots of fluff

Sticking Together - platonic Tony, Bruce and Clint. - Our boys are in a sticky kidnapping situation

Blindsided - Clint is getting fucked over by a handler he can’t trust and ends up in an awful situation. Please check the warnings! This is a heavy one

Tear Down The Walls - IronHawk - Tony and Clint, friends to lovers, HC and fluff, found family 

Somebody to love - Phlint - Clint and Phil throughout the years as they first meet, fall in love, lose each other and find one another again, as well as the team as found family

[jp-noir]

Writing about polyamory in the context of raising children involves a thoughtful exploration of the dynamics, challenges, and benefits that come with being part of a polyamorous family. The key is to address the multiple relationships involved, the children's well-being, and how the family structure can provide a loving, supportive environment for everyone. Here’s how you can approach writing about polyamory and child-rearing:

1. Define the Family Structure

Begin by clarifying the family setup. This can vary widely depending on the individuals involved, so describe the relationships:

Who are the parents? Are there multiple primary partners (e.g., two or more people who share the parenting responsibilities), or do different partners play different roles (e.g., biological parents, chosen parents, co-parents)?

How do they relate to each other? Are the partners romantically or emotionally connected to one another, or are they more focused on co-parenting and supporting each other’s needs as friends and caregivers?

2. Acknowledge the Role of Communication

Polyamory requires clear and ongoing communication, which is especially important when children are involved. In your writing, emphasize how communication helps:

Co-parenting agreements: Detail how the adults coordinate on parenting decisions, share responsibilities, and ensure they’re on the same page.

Managing emotions and boundaries: Discuss how adults navigate their own emotional needs, respect each other’s boundaries, and address challenges like jealousy or miscommunication in a way that models healthy relationship skills for the children.

3. Address the Children’s Needs

Focus on the children’s well-being, showing how they are supported emotionally, psychologically, and practically within the polyamorous family. Points to explore:

Emotional security: How are the children’s emotional needs met? Are there multiple caregivers who provide love and support in different ways?

Consistency and structure: Describe how the family ensures a stable environment for the children, even when there are multiple adults involved.

Role of non-biological parents: If some adults aren’t biological parents but still have a parental role, clarify how the kids relate to them (e.g., as a second mother, father, or non-binary parental figure).

4. Create a Positive Environment

Discuss how polyamorous families can offer a strong support network, with a variety of adult figures who contribute to the children's growth:

Role models: Show how children benefit from having multiple adults in their lives who model diverse relationship dynamics, mutual respect, and open communication.

Extended family network: Sometimes, polyamorous families have a wide circle of chosen family or extended partners, which can provide a broader sense of community and support.

5. Explain Social Dynamics

Handling external perceptions: Address how the family deals with societal judgments or misunderstandings about polyamory, especially when it comes to raising children. Are there challenges, such as discrimination or societal stigma? How do the parents work together to protect the children from negative perceptions?

Discussing polyamory with children: At what age do the children understand polyamory? How do the adults navigate explaining their family structure in an age-appropriate way?

6. Showcase the Advantages of a Polyamorous Family

You can highlight how the polyamorous setup benefits both the adults and the children:

More resources and support: Polyamorous families may have more emotional and financial resources, as multiple adults contribute to the caregiving and wellbeing of the children.

Variety of perspectives and experiences: Children grow up with multiple role models who may have different perspectives, experiences, and skills, which enriches the children's lives.

Flexibility and resilience: With multiple adults, there's often more flexibility in dealing with challenges, whether they're logistical (e.g., childcare, financial support) or emotional (e.g., stress, burnout).

7. Realistic Challenges

While polyamory can work well for some families, it’s important to acknowledge that there are challenges:

Complex dynamics: More people means more potential for conflicts, and it's important to show how the family navigates these challenges, particularly in terms of making sure the children don’t bear the burden of adult relationship difficulties.

Jealousy or boundaries: Explore how adults work through issues like jealousy or disagreements, ensuring that the emotional needs of all partners are respected while still keeping the children’s needs a priority.

Time management: With multiple adults involved, the family needs to balance time and energy between the children, personal relationships, and other commitments.

8. End on a Positive Note

Conclude with a message that reinforces the idea that love, care, and attention are the key components of a successful family structure, no matter the specific relationship arrangements. Emphasize that polyamorous families, just like monogamous ones, can provide a safe, loving, and supportive environment for children to grow and thrive.

Example Scenario

Here's a brief example of how you might frame a polyamorous family raising children:

In Sarah, Alex, and Jamie's polyamorous family, the children are surrounded by love from multiple caring adults. Sarah and Alex are the biological parents of Emma and Noah, but Jamie, who is Alex’s romantic partner, has been a key part of the children’s lives since they were toddlers. Together, the adults maintain a transparent communication system to ensure they meet the children's needs, from making family decisions to managing schedules. Although the family structure might seem unconventional, the kids enjoy the support of three adults who prioritize their well-being, with Jamie often helping with homework and Sarah attending all the parent-teacher meetings. The family also ensures their children understand the concept of polyamory, explaining that love doesn’t have to be limited to just one person. The result is a household full of love, respect, and stability, where the kids have multiple role models to look up to.

By addressing both the practical and emotional aspects of raising children in a polyamorous family, you can paint a well-rounded, realistic picture of how this dynamic can work successfully.

[moscarific]

Yuletide Letter 2024!

Dear Exceptional Human,

I am beyond delighted that you’re writing for me! I’m a gold star Yuletide participant: I’ve signed up every year, and written at least one story every year, since the challenge began. That’s great news for you, because over the years, I’ve learned that the best Yuletide gifts are the ones that weren’t quite what I had expected, and also that gifts are satisfying and joyful for me as long as it’s clear that the author put effort and care into them. Basically, as long as you avoid my Do Not Wants and run spell check, I’m going to be over the moon with excitement at whatever you write for me.

If you weren't assigned to me and want to write me a treat, you are a fucking hero. I love you and your bonus story already.

My biggest non-obvious DNW is babyfic. No pregnancy, no babies, no little kids. I’m also a grumpy Jew, so I’d prefer not to receive stories with strong Christmas or winter holiday themes. The “five things” format is not my favorite. Please don’t center your story around ships that I did not ask for. All of these global DNWs are also in my sign-up.

But I like a lot more things than I dislike! I usually read my Yuletide gift(s) while riding the L down to Chinatown for my family’s annual dim sum feast, so please give me something to make me smile, laugh out loud at, or feel uncomfortably aroused by on public transportation. Porn is optional, obviously, but: oral sex, eroticized hands, exhibitionism, shower sex, gender play. I like experimental structures and styles, as well as more standard ones, and I am fine with whatever POV and tense you choose. If you are the kind of person who does multimedia or interactive fiction, or just clever footnotes, I am all for that. I love worldbuilding, whether it’s adding detail to a sprawling superhero universe or fleshing out the local color of a small American town. I like stories that stick close to canon or present interesting “what if” canon divergences, and I also like superhero and In Space AUs.

I tend to write the fic I want to see in the world, and you’ll get a good sense of me by browsing my AO3 account. My AO3 bookmarks are way out of date, but they still work as a recs list, and therefore a great way to see what kinds of fic appeal to me and make me happy.

Here are the individual requests from my sign-up, with a little more detail added here and there.

Poor Things (2023): Bella Baxter, Max McCandles, Harry Astley, Toinette

This movie hints at so many stories that aren't told, and I love its whimsical worldbuilding. Its found-family ending is delightful and pushes all of my buttons, and I would love a story in which any or all of the requested characters explore what it means to create a family on their own terms. I've set this one to "gift must feature one or more of my chosen character tags," so feel free to focus on whomever you'd like, or to incorporate all four requested characters. Since Harry disappears from the narrative after the cruise ship sequence, how does he reunite with Bella and join her family? How do Max and Toinette build a relationship of their own, sexual/romantic or otherwise? How does Bella continue to develop now that her mental maturity matches her body's? I love how sex-crazed the film is, and I'm good with canon-consistent gore and body horror, with some boundaries noted in my DNW list. The world of the movie runs on its own logic, and science works differently there - a worldbuilding element that explores this would interest me, too.

DNW: Stories centered around pregnancy, babies, or raising children. Strong Christmas/winter holiday themes. Phonetic representations of accents or “broken English” used for comedy. Extensive, graphic descriptions of homophobic, transphobic, racist, or sexual violence. Focusing only on opposite-sex romantic or sexual relationships in a way that undermines the queer and polyamorous canon ending of the film. Sex involving wound penetration or stump fucking. Sex involving non-sentient animals or characters who cannot consent because of medical alteration.

Inside Out (Pixar Movies): Riley Andersen, Val Ortiz

Guess who watched Inside Out 2 and came away shipping it? If that's also you, then give me the sweet, age-appropriate hockey girl romance that the movie definitely suggests. How do Riley's emotions handle her first romance? Or depict it from inside Val's head, and show us what her emotional dashboard looks like. A story centered around Val doesn't have to be romantic - provide her backstory, give her a challenge as hockey team captain, or find another creative way to explore her emotions and mindscape. Or write a romance where the two characters are older, meeting in adulthood, and show how their minds have gained complexity as they've matured. The conceit of little emotion creatures inside people's heads is a big part of the appeal for me, so please find some way to incorporate them, even if the focus of the story is on the outside world.

DNW: Stories centered around pregnancy, babies, or raising children. Strong Christmas/winter holiday themes. Phonetic representations of accents or “broken English” used for comedy (I’m especially sensitive to this when it comes to native Spanish speakers). Explicit sex between young teenagers. While a transgender awakening, an exploration of mental health difficulties, or a story about neurodivergent mindscapes would all be interesting in this fandom, they're not what I want for my gift.

Mammoth Club RPF: Max LaDue, Molly McCormack, Alan McCormack

I love this married team of theme park YouTubers and their cohost/best friend Max. I'm listing my shippy/romantic option first because something has to go first, but I'm equally excited about my gen prompt. The only thing that would make Mammoth Club better is if the OT3 were real, so make my Yuletide bi and write me that ship. When and how did they become a polycule? How do they balance the dynamic with their working relationship, and is it the same in their private lives as on YouTube and Twitch? How many dirty Disney puns can you get into one work of fan fiction? Their work takes them into a lot of situations that could create relationship tension as well as escalate romance, so use those travel settings: cramped cruise ship rooms, secret fireworks viewing points, long international flights, soggy rainstorm days in the Magic Kingdom. Alternatively, send the Mammoth Club team to visit and review a place outside of their usual roster of theme parks and branded tourist attractions. Take them to your hometown and have them try every restaurant. Or imagine them traveling to a fictional tourist destination: what do they think of Star Trek's Risa, Naboo's Lake Country, or The Good Place? Molly and Max are the big personalities, but Alan's low-key enthusiasm and excellent shirt collection are my favorite - and he's the emotional linchpin of the trio.

DNW: Stories centered around pregnancy, babies, or raising children. Strong Christmas/winter holiday themes, including stories set during theme park holiday events - although other theme park holidays, such as Halloween, are fine. Phonetic representations of accents or “broken English” used for comedy. Using your fic as a soapbox about the awfulness of Disney as a corporation or the real-life horrors of traveling to Florida these days, although passing mentions are fine. Sex involving character costumes, or sexualization of character costumes (basically, no hardcore furry business - non-costume merch is fine).

Poker Face (TV 2023): Charlie Cale

Charlie Cale immediately became one of my favorite TV detectives ever, and what I want from fic is simply more of her, solving mysteries in her quirky way. Basically, I want casefic, however you want to define that. Set the story in your hometown and bring it to life for me, or highlight a subculture you know a lot about. Or give me drag queens, figure skaters, or Disney theme parks, the weird cultures that are close to my heart. Crossovers with other fandoms are welcome, especially if they feature Charlie inserted into other media, solving a murder in that universe. (Poker Face in Discworld? Poker face on Deep Space Nine?) Keep the show’s dry wit and down-to-earth tone as much as you can, and feel free to play with time and tell the story out of order, as the show often does. Explore how Charlie’s lie detector powers and her talent for crime-solving have affected her, and how these abilities work in her head. What I’m looking for is a lost episode of Poker Face - either one that could be an actual episode of the show, or something improbable but fun.

This is a repeat request from last year, because I still want it.

DNW: Stories centered around pregnancy, babies, or raising children. Strong Christmas/winter holiday themes. Extensive, graphic descriptions of homophobic, transphobic, racist, or sexual violence. Phonetic representations of accents or “broken English” used for comedy (I’m especially sensitive to this when it comes to native Spanish speakers). Copaganda - depictions of the police as exceptionally noble or heroic, above the law, or justified in violence or manipulation. I’m not interested in more than passing references to romantic relationships for Charlie.

[ladyimaginarium]

13. Are there relationships within your system? This can be siblings, parents, or romantic partners.

Yep !! We& have like. Pretty much every dynamic or relationship type you can think of !! Romantic partners both monoamorous & polyamorous, spouses, queerplatonic partners, intimaships, friends, acquaintances, families, parents & their children whether biological or adopted or chosen, rivals, enemies, some don't even know each other !! & as complicated as it can be sometimes, I& find it's really beautiful that like we& have this deep bond even if we don't all necessarily get along or agree on everything that there's an intimacy there that literally no one else outside of ourselves& can know us& like ourselves& bc we& inherently share a brain, a body & a life & ik that even if g-d forbid everyone else we& love just. abandons us& or w/e, i& have my& system. they'd never abandon me& &. honestly that's all i& ever wanted.

[betterbooksandthings]

Fall of Ruin and Wrath by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Fall of Ruin and Wrath by Jennifer L. Armentrout is a fated mates fantasy romance book full of half-seen political, magical, and militaristic complications. The orphan seer Calistia has used her supernatural intuition and ability to read other’s thoughts through touch to keep her and her best friend Grady safe ever since they were children. For the last six years, her abilities have granted them a position in Claude’s home. She acts as the Baron of Archwood sometimes paramour to give him access to the true thoughts of the people in his meetings. It is a safe enough life until she overhears that an inhumanly powerful Hyhborn is being tortured and she is the only one who can help him. Now Calistia is left longing for someone she shouldn’t and, even though it will make her life far more complicated, she can’t quite say no to Prince Thorne, the new Hyhborn in her life who will do anything to keep her safe and at his side.

In this world, Hyhborn lords or Deminyen just come into existence as full-formed adults with the ability to use a wide range of supernatural powers including enhanced strength, nearly impenetrable skin, some telekinetic abilities, and the ability to heal or even regrow lost limbs. Deminyen also feed off pleasure. They can have children but only on purpose and those children are Caelestias with slightly longer lifespans and varying levels of supernatural ability. Deminyen govern everyone and Caelestias are underneath them, serving as lords in some places. Everyone else is lowborn or mortal low-level workers. The larger political and social upheaval going on due to these strict biological socio-economic classes serves as the background setting for the romance at the center of the book.

If you are an Armentrout girlie you know where this book is going from the first chapter, but boy is it a fun ride. The minute Calistia refers to her Hyhbron lord you will know there is something greater at work that will result in them ending up together. Calistia has a classic character arc growing from a brave girl who will do anything to survive into a woman who runs into danger even with the knowledge that she might die if her intuition says she should. Her supernatural abilities remain underutilized throughout the first book as she begins to discover the extent of her powers and their larger implications, however, I imagine this is a setup for future character growth. Thorne is a powerful seemingly ageless supernatural prince who doesn’t care about anyone who isn’t Calistia. Being drawn to her is one of his main personality traits and sometimes that’s just what you want from the first book in a fantasy romance series. As a single POV book, we are given more of Calistia’s relatively small world than anyone else.

This is a fantasy romance book full of some major tropes from the genre including: Touch them and die, fated mates, the Katee Robert “if you sexy run I will sexy chase you,” orphan chosen one, supernatural age gap, living aphrodisiac, and really royalty. I also think it’s important to point out everyone living in Claude’s home who is given a detailed background is some combination of non-monogamous, polyamorous, and/or bisexual.

Thank you, Tor Publishing Group, for providing me with an arc for an honest review. I am interested to see where the rest of the series will take us because, like any good Armentrout book, this does end on a cliffhanger. So, to feel the fullest extent of the pain of waiting for the next book along with me get ready to read Fall of Ruin and Wrath by Jennifer L. Armentrout set to release September 12, 2023.

[navigatorsghost]

@ladytyburn reblogged your post “[Source: this post.] OMG sorry @ladytyburn XDDD…” this is so thought out wow #please please please tag me for the narugaa chapter?? pretty please??? #i will 1000% forget if i just save it to Ao3 #also I have a narugaa sideblog with a grand total of two awesome followers so you know. they would like to know. im sure. #source trust me bro #thank you for taking the time to explain it #im usually indifferent towards soulmate AUs because I like relationships to be chosen and full of dedication but this concept sounds nice

Aaaaa thank you! <3 And yes of course I will tag you, also please could you link me to your NaruGaa sideblog? I'd love to see what you've got on there!

BTW, one thing I immediately realised I should have added to my original post, looking at your tags: just wanted to say that this is officially an AU where having a soulmate relationship does not automatically preclude dating, loving, found-familying, even marrying someone else! Though of course, the characters within the universe hold a wide range of beliefs about whether or not this is a good idea or something that can end well - but in principle, you can totally have flings, one night stands, short term affairs, or indeed long stable relationships of many kinds, with people who are Not Your Soulmate.

Like, some people are naturally polyamorous and make it work just fine. Someone who wants or is socially obliged to have biological children for bloodline reasons - preserving a kekkei genkai, protecting clan succession, stuff like that - will often marry someone who can help with that if their soulmate physically can't, or they just don't have that kind of soulmate dynamic. (This is relatively common in powerful clans, of course.) People who have lost their soulmates often get into survivor-relationships with one another, as they can understand the depth of each other's grief and be gentle with it. Sibling soulmates may both get married and end up sharing a four-person household and helping raise each other's kids. Etc.

Honestly I deliberately wanted to avoid the "only your Destined Mate can make you happy in any way at all ever" trap in this setting and pay some respect to chosen relationships too. I do love the soulmate trope but I feel it's made more interesting, not less, if you add it on top of the rich range of dynamics people can already have, rather than sweeping all that aside and saying This One Thing replaces everything…

…oops, rambling again XD Thank you again for your interest!

[Source: this post.]

OMG sorry @ladytyburn XDDD but okay, thank you so much for asking about my AU! <3 I decided to make this a separate post rather than drop lore in your notes because apparently I had a lot to say once I got started?

(Soulmark AU infodump below the cut!)

Okay, so, Soulmark AU starts from the basic premise that for chakra users specifically (and only chakra users), fate matches you with a soulmate. Every shinobi, samurai, etc is either born with a soulmark or expects to develop one as they grow up, depending on whether they or their soulmate happen to be born first. The mark consists of one or more black kanji, like a tattoo, on the inside of the wrist of the dominant hand; the specific kanji you have will relate to some fundamental quality or trait of your soulmate, but their symbolism is often super cryptic and obscure until you actually meet the other person and go "oh, I get it!"

Speaking of which, when you meet each other, you'll know, and the thing you're meant to do at that point is to grip each other's forearms so your wrist marks touch. On doing this, you will both experience a neurochemical response that biologically calibrates you to your soulmate and dumps a ton of bonding hormones and so on into your bloodstream. Newly bonded soulmates will, if left to their own devices, collapse into a heap of fluff for several days and then emerge shiny-eyed and ready to take on the world together. Culturally, soulmates are recognised as Very Meaningful and bonds are generally respected, but there can definitely be cases where an awkward or inappropriate bond causes drama, outrage, or political disasters (which is where the fun starts, of course).

Random facts of possible interest:

Soulmate bonds often develop into sexual connections just because of the sheer biochemical intensity involved, but it's completely possible to be celibate or platonic soulmates (because of the whole "fated compatible match" thing, if one partner isn't interested in sex for some reason, the other generally won't be either.) Sometimes siblings can even be soulmates, which due to them being raised together tends to naturally create a very different dynamic to the one you get between soulmates who meet as adults. As a rule, the younger you are when you meet your soulmate, the more smoothly the bonding process will go (especially if you haven't gone through puberty yet) and the less emotional upheaval will accompany it.

Soulmarks are connected to some unique anatomical features: there's a small gland in the wrist directly under the mark, which secretes bonding hormones, plus a few other associated glands and things and the bit of the brain that controls them. This means that while soulmate bonds are both spiritual and physical, it's possible to destroy the physical side of a bond by surgically removing someone's mark and glands. This is severely culturally frowned upon, but is practised by some black-ops type organisations, including Root. If it's done before you meet your soulmate you will never be able to bond with them normally in this lifetime even if you still recognise each other, making this genuinely one of the worst things you can possibly do to someone. Losing your mark to accident or injury will, of course, also impact your ability to bond with your soulmate...

The soulmark appears on the dominant hand, so in order for the matching wrist grip thing to work, it is Just How Things Are that your soulmate will always have the same dominant hand as you. This has the side effect that if you're naturally true fifty-fifty ambidextrous, you may have two soulmates, which is very rare but not unheard of. Some people in that situation just get another ambidextrous person as their soulmate though.

If your soulmate dies, your soulmark will fade to a dull red. If you were already bonded to them you will suffer extreme grief and physical withdrawal symptoms; these are survivable, but not everyone chooses to live on without their soulmate. If you hadn't met them yet you will experience only an echo of the physical loss, but intense grief is nonetheless a normal and accepted reaction.

It's pretty universally believed that soulmates are a For All Time thing, so following a soulmate bereavement, finding each other again in your next lives is commonly hoped for and expected. However, sometimes, a red soulmark may return to black, meaning your soulmate has either been reincarnated early, or physically returned from death in some fashion. This is mostly just a popular romantic fiction trope, but does sometimes happen in real life too, especially if you lost your soulmate very young (or live an unusually long life).

As for what all this has to do with Naruto and Gaara, to come back to the original point; I don't want to spoiler too much because they're meant to be the next chapter in my ficlet collection, but yes, they are soulmates, mostly because I love how loyal they are to each other in canon and how much they understand each other in ways nobody else does or really even can.

Random fact: Gaara's forehead kanji is actually a copy of his soulmark in this AU! He and Naruto meet at the start of the Chūnin Exams as per canon but things go, uh, very differently, which is obviously going to have a knock-on effect across the plot of the series in general though I haven't worked all that out yet. Because they're both jinchūriki, their bond is going to get complicated for sure (please picture Gaara and Naruto hugging each other ferociously while Shukaku and Kurama glare at each other and facepaw in the bijū-dimension) but I fully intend for them to get a lifelong happy ending, and your comic just made me think of how they'd be with each other in that AU so I tagged it for personal inspiration. Thank you for the lovely art and indeed thank you also for chasing me about this!

BTW if you want to read what I've actually written for this AU, the ficlet collection is here. Pairs I've written so far are Hidan/Jashin and Hidan/Deidara (the ambidexterity rule applies for Hidan!), Sasori/Third Kazekage (my favourite tragic OTP for Narutoverse) and Kakuzu/Shikamaru, which is my best friend's fault and the direct result of a fic they haven't posted yet because I'm still betaing it >_>. I'm still working out what a lot of the soulmate pairings in this universe ought to be though, so this fic will update very irregularly.

Thank you again for taking an interest and if you want to ask me more about any of this, please do, I love to ramble about my AUs!