#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

[written-in-flowers]

Her Soldier: Demon!San x Fem!Reader

Pairing: Incubi!San x Fem!Reader

Genre: Fluff, smut, angst MINOR DNI

Word Count: 14k

Summary: Injured during a mission to protect Lucifer's child, San begins to doubt his dreams of having his own someday. It's only your comfort that convinces him it's not all pointless.

Tags: polyamorous relationship (m/m/m/f) bisexual!demonline, graphic depictions of violence, serious injuries, scenes of child birth/child labor, blood, blood and violence, angels vs demons, religious imagery, underage storylines, mentions/allusions to underage violence, implied child neglect/abuse, crime, mentions of childbirth death and complications, fluffy vanilla sex this time, multiple orgasms, slight overstimulation, breeding kink, breeding.

Pretty Lady Masterlist

Previously on Pretty Lady

Next >>

***

He’d never seen anything like it before. The young woman laid on the stone table in the torch lit room, sweat gleaming on her body and blood oozing from her legs. Dark hairs sticking to her forehead, her face squeezed tight as she made attempts to push the child from her. Women wearing black cloaks stood around her, dabbing cold cloths on her forehead and encouraging her to breathe between pushes. One sat at the edge between her legs, gloves on her knobbly hands as she urged the woman to keep going. Around the room, monks in crimson cloaks held black candles. Her cries drowned out their low chanting, an incantation to welcome the new babe into the world. San couldn’t keep his eyes off the mother. She looked so young. She couldn’t be any older than you, and here she was harboring the greatest responsibility a servant of Lucifer can bear. 

His seed. 

He’d heard people around her say how lucky she is to be pregnant with Lucifer’s child; it is a high honor to carry the King’s child. They tell her that she will be the mother of a powerful lord, who will take over the world and rule as a living god. He heard one midwife talk of Lucifer’s other children, and how successful they’d become. Very few women have had the privilege to carry the new Antichrist. She should be thankful for this child’s birth is a slight upon The Almighty. San knew he’d be more worried about not dying during the birth than the honor of being chosen.

“Your first birthing ceremony, son?”

The soldier beside him leaned over and whispered, not catching anyone’s attention. San almost didn’t hear him. He saw more blood staining the mother’s white dress. San shed more blood than either of his brothers, but this was different. 

“Yes, sir.”

Hector chortled. His former commander stood in bronze armor that popped against his green tinged skin. His horns, white and ribbed, curved from the top of his forehead and his wings remained close to his back. He stood several inches taller than San, and much wider too. 

“Is it always this…bloody?” he asked, watching the midwife reach forward.

“Yes, sometimes bloodier depending on the woman,” he replied. “It is an honor to be here, Choi. Not just anyone is chosen to protect The King’s offspring.”

“I know.”

The messenger came to the Black Keep with a royal summons from His Majesty to San. San thought it might be to perform a demonstration in the frozen palace in the ninth circle, since he’d done it before, but he’d been wrong. Lucifer had impregnated another follower, who was due any day. They’d chosen him and others to protect the mother and child. His brothers begged him not to go.

“You could die, San. You could actually die if an angel gets their sword in you.”

“Please, decline. You can tell him that while you are honored, you cannot accept. San, you’d be going to the living world and you’d be facing holy magic. That can actually kill us. Do you hear me? A holy blade can and will kill you.”

“Sannie, don’t go.”

Your plea had been the softest of them. Even if you didn’t fully understand the gravity of the situation, you didn’t like the sound of it. The look of concern in your eyes haunted him as he stepped through the portal into the living world. He found himself memorizing your kiss when they arrived at the church. Standing in the circular room, watching a young woman give her life for her master, you kept rushing to his mind. It was possible that this birth would be successful and he'd go home to you. But, the likelihood of a fight was also possible. Every soldier faces the risk when they head into battle. San knows once he picks up his sword, he agrees to the fight. There’d been a time in his life where he’d join without hesitation, but that changed when you arrived. 

The image of you sitting across from him, laughing at one of his jokes and engaging in conversation, brought comfort to him. In a world of blood and pain, you’d become a beacon of warmth; the candle in the window or the light in his valley of darkness. When he first looked at you upclose, seeing you in the soft firelight, he felt you slip through the chinks in his armor. He still thinks about the vision of you on the soft sheets, soundlessly sleeping next to him the morning after. He’d wanted to stay holding you a bit longer. San wanted to know the beautiful “human” who’d wandered into his life so unexpectedly. He’s thankful you’d decided to stay so he can keep digging for more. 

“Father,” the midwife turned to the coven leader, “There’s something wrong.”

“What’s wrong?!” the mother panicked hearing this, eyes wide with fear as she looked between them. Neither priest or midwife answered her, but instead quietly spoke to one another. “What is going on?! What’s wrong with my baby?!”

San’s blood ran cold. He watched the pair continue talking before the priest went to retrieve a black bottle from a nearby altar. He bid the mother to drink it, telling her it’ll save her child. San saw him bring the bottle to her lips, and she gulped it greedily. Thin crimson trails leaked from the sides of her mouth, not going to waste as she wiped them. Suddenly, she screamed. A terrible, painful scream ripped through her chest and out into the world. Bony fingers gripped the sheets underneath her, and her toes tightly curled inwards. The midwives encouraged her to keep pushing, even as her screams turned into guttural snarls. San’s eyes widened as that final push ended in high pitched squeals drowning her out. The coven members awed and praised her as the head midwife pulled the squalling babe from her. 

“Isn’t it beautiful?” Hector asked, wiping his eyes. “I always cry at these things.”

“Yes. It’s wonderful,” San said in a monotone voice.

The midwife wiped the blood and matter from the baby, and San finally caught a look at it. Skin the color of snow, he saw small hands and feet kicking around before being swaddled in a blanket. The mother beamed happily, laughing as she held her baby to her naked chest.

“She’s beautiful, Francesca,” smiled the midwife. “You’ve done well, my child.”

“What’s her name, Sister?” asked one of the attendants.

“Gisella,” the mother sniffled, unable to stop her happy tears. “Her name is Gisella.”

Francesca kissed her daughter’s forehead, not bothered by her small claws or dark red eyes. San knew once the child grew, the human features would start appearing. He wondered if any child you two had would be the same. His heart fluttered imagining you in her position, holding his child and crying tears of joy. It was unlikely you’d want children or a family, since you never showed interest in having them, but he knew you at least liked babies. You smiled whenever you saw one in the street, and some friends of yours had them. The dream of you carrying his children, being a mother to them would be a dream.

“Choi,” Hector called to him from the birthing bed, “Come see her.”

In timid steps, San approached them. The stench of blood grew thicker, but the sight of the newest Antichrist took his attention away. The baby had His Majesty’s sharp nose and round eyes, but her mother’s lips and chin.

“Congratulations,” San said kindly.

“Thank you,” she smiled, immediately looking back at her baby.

“His Majesty must be informed at once,” the priest said.

“I’ll have one of my men go inform him…” Hector said, but San tuned him out right away.

An unnatural breeze blew in from the nearby tunnel entrance. His entire body moved into action. In an instant, a figure in bright gold armor appeared from thin air, raising their longsword to slash at San. He blocked it with his own sword, then swiped at them. The angel, with their large feather wings, lifted into the air and more of them appeared. Then, the battle began. San and Hector stood by the table while their fellows fought off those at the entrances. The angel who’d attacked San came at him again, but a swing of his sword to the midriff and then to the back of their wings wounded the celestial being. San then blocked another angel’s sword, kicking them right in the chest and stabbing them in the gut. All the adrenaline he’d held back came at him full force. It fueled his fast, precise movements, causing his heart to pound in his ears and made him hyper aware of his surroundings. 

“Beat them back!” ordered Hector, who blocked an angel’s sword. “Protect the babe!”

He could not fail. If the angels managed to get their hands on the baby, they’d never see her again. One angel flew and landed on top of the table, reaching for Gisella, but a slice at the back of their ankles crippled them. San then stabbed them right in the neck, blood spurting from the wound and the angel clutched their neck as they fell. He had no time to observe.

“Can you stand?” he asked Francesca, who shook her head. 

“Take her,” the young woman cried, handing Gisella to him. “Please, take her.”

“Take the baby and get out, Choi,” Hector ordered.

He gently took the baby from Francesca, and held it close to him. Due to all the noise and commotion stimulating her senses, little Gisella’s shrieks nearly blew out his ears. San, unable to use one arm, swung his sword at any enemy he came across through the tunnels. The portal back home was on the other side of the church, underneath the Vatican streets. Urgency pushed him forward, and panic had him holding the child close to his chest. He moved through the caverns until he reached a large room where seven demonic statues stood facing the center. Yet, right as he reached the very threshold, one of the angels grabbed him by the metal arm guard and spun him away. San lost his grip on Gisella, who floated in the air before being caught by an angel. 

“No!” he screamed, scrambling to stand and rush at the man holding Lucifer’s child, but was then countered by another soldier. 

The burning heat of a holy blade seared his skin, sinking further into his body. All the air in his went out in a single gasp. His muscles constricted, but he maintained his own strength. As the pain took over, San reached for the dagger on his belt. The handle carved with serpents slithering towards the rose pummel, San sunk his blade into the angel’s exposed neck. Blood poured out from the angel’s mouth and artery, while more bled out from San’s side. The angel fell first, laying flat on their wings as they struggled to stay alive. Demon blades held the same power as holy ones. Falling to the ground, San took deep breaths on the stone ground. Each one burned, and he felt them start to choke him. He grabbed at the wound between his ribs. His vision started to blur and blacken, but he blinked it away. Images suddenly flashed before his eyes. 

Hongjoong smirking and winking as he stole a grape from San’s bowl. 

Seonghwa smiling widely, a book in his lap and the sun beaming behind him. 

The three of them sitting in the lounge, chattering and laughing together. 

And you. Wonderful you. Your eyes are bright with happiness as flowers grow all around you. Face down on the floor, the stone scratching his cheeks and arms, he held onto images of the four of you. The sounds of his enemies fleeing with the squealing baby became muddled and inaudible to him. He thought of your laugh, sweet and cheerful. He’d promised to come home. More pain shot through him as the magic took over, sapping more life from him. 

“Choi!” he heard a voice say from nearby. 

Before, he would’ve been glad to be dying for his king. He’d feel honored to die fighting. Not anymore. Now, he wanted to live. San only groaned, rolling onto his back. He struggled for a breath, clutching onto each one as it may be his last. He told Seonghwa he’d be back in no time. It’d been almost a month. Hands grabbed at him, and he left the ground. 

He told Hongjoong not to worry; that he’d been in tons of battles before.

He told you he’d be fine. He said he’d be home before you knew it.

Promises he’s unable to keep. San clung on to every breath, feeling the pain it brought and the hollowness of his chest. The sudden nothingness of the portal sucked more precious life from him. He heard voices all around him. Bright lights burned his eyes. Where were you? He wanted to see you. He wanted to see his brothers. Several hands laid him on a firm surface, and small wheels could be heard underneath him.

“You’re going to be alright, son,” he heard Hector’s voice. “You’re going to be alright.”

His Darling, who brought so much comfort to him. He’d never known real comfort until he ended up in Hell. The couple he’d been given to gave him the bare minimum. The witch, Hyeon, and her servant, Heechul, took him in as a baby and never told him about his true identity. He’d only learned what a family was when his brothers took him into their home.

Darkness came over him the moment the cart stopped. He forced himself to stay awake, despite the blood filling his lungs to choke him. San wanted to see you. He needed to see you one last time. 

“YN…”

****

“Wake up, you stupid boy!”

The world came to him in a blur. He blinked back the rays of sun peeking in between the cracks in the curtains. Outside his doorway, he heard the other tenants starting to rise from their corners of the shared room. The stench of sweat, illness and filth sunk right into his nose at the first breath; he coughed it out as he did every morning.  

“I said ‘get up’!” 

A swift kick to his ribs took the breath from his chest. San curled inwards on the thin mattress, groaning as the pain subsided into a dull ache. Kicks to the stomach hurt more without any fat protecting it. Immediately, the boy stood up from his bed on heavy legs. Ahead of him, a skinny woman with messy black hair in a bun walked away from him to a rickety dresser. He watched her start slipping into a ragged chemise and stockings. In a corner of their small area, a man in rags sat passed out against the wall. The dark bottle beside him told San he'd drunk too much gin again. He recalled Hyeon and Heechul’s argument last night, and the latter likely drowned his sorrows in the drink. The yellowish puddle around him made San’s stomach churn.

“Daniel!” Hyeon screeched from her cot, using his English name.

“I’m up.”

He picked up the gin bottle from Heechul, and finished it off. The pure liquor stung his throat, but relieved his thirst and woke him up right away. All around him, he heard people starting to rise from their beds to begin their day. He saw Mrs. Cimorelli pulling on the top layer of her dress. His eyes scanned over her slim figure, taking in her soft curls and olive skin. A shudder went through him when he recalled a few nights previous, when he’d offered her his last bit of coin for a suck. His age, fifteen, didn’t matter to a whore like her. San snapped back into reality when a sharp hand hit the back of his head. This caused Mrs. Cimorelli to turn her head. It took her a moment, but she smirked when she realized he’d been watching her.

“Filthy lout,” Hyeon scoffed, pulling on her worn out boots. “You’re going to catch a pox one day, boy. You mark my words.”

“Ah, shut up, you ol’ cow,” he snapped back, rubbing where she’d hit him.

“You're lucky I got work, or you'll get more than a clout on the ear. You get yourself right and get going. The overseer will deduct your wages if you’re late.”

San glared at her. He'd grown used to it since arriving in New York. Whenever she started barking about work, he thought of telling Hyeon they’d do better starving back home than starving in a new country. Though, she’d quickly retort with, “There aren’t any jobs at home.” He’d then tell her fortune tellers and mediums did just as well in Korea as they did in New York.

When Hyeon turned her back, San quickly snatched the lump of bread she had hidden under her blanket. Taking a bite of the hard lump, he glanced back at Mrs. Cimorelli as he passed her. Her small wink and smile warmed his blood. If he made enough, he’d give her another go if he caught her on the street that night. San walked past the other tenants in the small apartment space, nodding to those he knew and turning from those he didn’t and walked outside. In the stairwell, he heard the hustle of the morning crowds. He heard and smelled everything around him. He heard babies crying behind closed doors; he caught Mr. And Mrs. Wang arguing about Mr. Wang’s drinking again; he saw Daisy, Irene, and Sarah walking up the stairs from their night on the streets.

“Morning, Handsome,” Daisy, straight black hair in a messy braid and dress slightly askew, smiled at him. “We missed you last night.”

“Sorry ladies, I had places to be,” he said apologetically as he walked down past them.

“Will you be out tonight?” asked Irene, a red blotch starting to bruise on her peachy skin. “You know I always save space for you.”

“If the boss lets me,” he winked, walking down the steps to the next floor.

The best thing about New York? The girls. Back home, girls shared the conservative, modest views of their parents. The women in the brothels looked tempting, but they didn’t service teens. The ladies he’d met in America did him as long as he had enough money.

Coming out into the street, San took in the sights and smells of New York’s Chinatown. It wasn’t strictly speaking only Chinese people. A melting pot of different ethnicities and races lived in the small community, working and surviving off meager wages. Those with a bit more sand did jobs for the gangs around the city. When he first arrived, San got a job at the textile factory working the looms. It was a dangerous job for a skinny boy who barely spoke English, but it was better than the street. Of course, any money he made went directly to Hyeon, who claimed to spend it on ‘keeping them above ground’. Heechul worked in the fish market, coming home stinking of fish guts and stagnant water every day, while Hyeon was a seamstress who told fortunes on the side. It was when he beat down two thugs trying to rob him that he caught the attention of crime boss Lee “Benny” Siwon. Siwon led the gang known as the Black Lotus, a gang known for smuggling, theft, and drugs. He offered San a place in his gang.

San had been working for him ever since.

Making a right turn down an alley, he passed through a market street where vendors peddled their wares. His stomach growled seeing the fruits and vegetables being left out. He bypassed a fruit vendor, and with a deft hand, took up the topmost apple in the pile. The vendor never noticed. Nobody noticed. He waited until he’d gotten a good distance before he sunk his teeth into it. The sweet juice filling his mouth pushed back the constant seed of hunger. San could never take food home, otherwise Hyeon split it and gave him the small pieces. One might think a new country with better opportunities would make the old witch turn over a new leaf. It’d done nothing.

San finally reached a small restaurant nestled between a butcher’s shop and a chemist. The black lotus sign hanging above the door told people who ran these streets. He walked in with a small smile, seeing people already at tables and servers taking orders. The boys sitting at a nearby table took notice of him first, all of them smiling and greeting him. He shook hands, and took the shot of gin that they offered. As the boys went back to talking about their various runs, San lit a cigarette and took his first puff of the day. Any minute now, Siwon will send one of his thugs to give them various jobs for the day. Everything from passing on messages, picking up or dropping off products to theft and beating people up could be assigned to any of them. San hoped he’d be sent on one of the more important jobs for once. Things like stealing from rival gangs, picking up money from extorted business owners, or roughing up people who owed money paid much more. Siwon promised he’d give him a chance one day, but ‘one day’ is too far away.

“Hey boys,” a tall man with square shoulders and an oval face approached them. In his tailored pin-strip suit, he looked like any ordinary gentleman.

“Shoiming!” the boys cheered, clasping hands with the older man.

“I got your jobs right here,” he said, holding up a few papers. "You know your streets. You know your marks,” he began passing items to certain boys, “Get the job done fast, you get paid even faster.”

Shoiming handed everyone a slip, and San looked at his. From the scrawled handwriting, he saw mostly pick ups and drop offs. He sucked his teeth. Pennies again. He supposed low wages were better than none. He stood up from the table, holding his cigarette in the corner of his mouth, as he tucked the paper into his pocket. It was then that Shoiming stopped him by the shoulder. For a split second, San thought he’d get a scolding for his reaction, but the large man didn’t seem angry.

“Do your work quickly,” he said, “Siwon has a big job for you tonight.”

“Really?” San’s eyes lit up. “What is it? Smuggling? Roughing up?”

“Something like that,” he nodded. “Go on, now.”

San walked with a pep in his step the rest of the day. While Hyeon thought he was at the factory, he was really jumping from place to place. He handed off packages and messages that couldn’t be sent through official channels. He bought and sold the items given to him by various vendors. San even took time to go into the fancy part of town where he picked pockets. He’d gotten away with a decent loot: a gold pocket watch, a few coins, three rings he lifted from a shop, and a snuff box he stole from a fancy lady. Siwon will be so impressed, he’ll take him on the big jobs. By nightfall, San felt nervous and excited. He came back to the restaurant with his loot and messages.

“Good haul,” nodded Shioming. He took the pocket watch, two rings and the snuff box. “Siwon’s not here. He told me to tell you to meet him at Flannery’s Hall. It’s on King’s street, not too far from here.”

“What’s that? Some kind of club?”

“Yes, now hit the bricks. Don’t be late.”

He left right away, going down all the alleys and side streets until he reached King’s street. The nightlife started buzzing to life around him. New York never slept, he’d come to learn during his time there. Back home, everything grew quiet once the work day ended. That wasn’t the case in this new country. Life kept going even as the moon reached high into the sky. He liked that. He never grew bored or anxious in the hustle of the city. Walking down a row of clubs and bars, San stopped outside the one with the sign ‘Flannery’s Hall’ written on it. He only stopped because his stomach twisted tightly. A pair of women’s boots hung on the newel post leading down into the building’s basement. San tried not thinking anything of it as he walked through the doors.

Once inside, a new world unfolded in front of him. In the small bar, he saw men sitting and drinking at tables with pretty girls. Except, most of the ‘pretty girls’ weren’t girls at all. They were boys in girls’ clothes and wigs who’d powdered their faces. In various stages of dress, they moved about the room to their marks while one “girl” sang up on a stage in a falsetto voice. San’s insides told him to run, but he knew better. Siwon didn’t like people who didn’t follow orders. He walked up to the bar where a young man stood handing out mugs of beer.

“Excuse me,” he said to the man, “I’m looking for Siwon. My boss said he’d be here.”

“Nah, I ain’t seen him,” the barman replied.

A lie. He likely didn’t trust San. Most white people didn’t. He huffed and turned to the room. San tried not noticing the boys around him. He found them to be beautiful in and out of their dresses. He supposed them dressing as girls made it easier for their customers to stomach their desires. San preferred boys who looked like boys and girls who looked like girls. Of course, he kept that bit to himself. If Hyeon knew, she’d kick him out for sure. She’d rather he be stealing than selling himself to old men.

“I know where Benny is,” someone said to him.

In a very short night dress and stockings, there was nothing hiding the fact that they were a boy. Blond hair cropped short, he wore a thin robe that barely hid the naked flesh exposed underneath. He sat on the bar stool next to San, light blue eyes sultry and flirtatious, and leaned closer.

“I can take you to him.”

“What’s it going to cost me?”

“For you? Not a dime. I’m Lucy,” he said, “Benny and I are pretty close. I can get you in with him.”

“He asked me to come,” San said.

Lucy paused, his seductive stare breaking for a brief moment, “Huh, alright. Come with me, handsome.”

Lucy walked him through the bar’s main floor and up the stairs. He tried ignoring the workers servicing their clients or sitting in their rooms waiting for the next one. San enjoyed a good brothel, but something about Flannery’s Hall disgusted him. Not the boys or the girls, but the clientele. Old, wrinkled men who want things that real girls would not do. He saw one man in just his trousers come out of a room holding his shirt. Even after being with the person inside, he still sized San up with hungry eyes. He nearly vomited before moving onwards. Lucy led him to a series of rooms on the third floor. These rooms weren’t much quieter either. His body grew numb. He regretted coming here.

“Do you know what he wants?” he asked Lucy, keeping the nerves out of his voice.

“What every man that comes here wants.” He brought San to the last room and turned around, “Just relax. It’ll be over a lot quicker than you think.”

He blew San a kiss, and walked away. San could run. He could turn tail back home and pretend he’d gotten lost. He can say he got picked up by cops. But, he knew Siwon. The old man would see right through him. It wouldn’t be his first time with a man, but those had been different. He didn’t do it for money or by force then. San turned the knob, took a deep breath, and went inside.

“-And I told him, ‘Sure you can have it, but let me tell you, this snuff bites back!’”

Siwon sat in a well furnished room with a group of other well-dressed men. He stayed frozen by the door, counting down the seconds before someone saw the young, good-looking boy in the doorway. Siwon lifted his head first, gleeful and sucking on the end of a cigar, and smiled at San.

“San! There you are!” He stood up and walked over to him, patting his shoulder. “I worried you might’ve gotten picked up.”

“I ain’t a whore,” San heard himself say defiantly. “I ain’t sucking anything I don’t want to suck.”

Siwon appeared stunned by his words. “What?” he said in disbelief, but then it came to him and he laughed. “No, no, Sannie. You don’t have to worry about that. That’s not why I called you here.”

“It’s not?”

“Hell no,” he said. “You’re a good looking kid, San, but my girls have to be delicate and pretty. You’re too rough for that kind of work. Nah, I got a better job for you.” He put his arm around his shoulders and brought him closer to the men, “You see these men?”

San nodded, and he immediately noticed their fine suits, pocket watches and shiny shoes.

“They’re some friends of mine from uptown,” Siwon continued. “I told them I’d show them a good time while they’re visiting our little corner of New York. Now, I got the ladies and the booze, but we need the entertainment. That’s where you come in.”

“I ain’t following, Siwon.”

“This,” he gestured to another boy on the other side of the room, “Is Tiny.”

Tiny stood much taller than San, with muscular arms, legs and chest. In nothing but a pair of trousers, he might’ve been mistaken for a grown man if the face didn’t give away his age. San saw the faint scars on Tiny’s bronze skin, and the scab on his lower lip. He gulped down his nerves when the truth came out. 

“And you’re going to fight him.” 

****

“San? San? Can you hear me?” 

The voice came to him through a blurry haze. A gentle hand touched his face, and he instantly swatted it away. He pictured Siwon, the old man who’d caused his death, hanging over him with disappointed eyes. He’d lost the fight. Tiny beat him to a bloody pulp and he landed in the hospital. It explained the pain coursing through his body, starting at his torso and radiating across the rest of him. A low groan escaped him as a rough hand cupped his face. 

“San, wake up,” a familiar high voice said, not in the usual forceful tone but tender and calm. “Wake up, Sannie.”

“I’m sorry,” he coughed, the breath he took hurting his chest. 

“There’s nothing to be sorry for,” they said. “We’re just glad you’re home.”

“San,” a female voice spoke to him. Hyeon? No, not Hyeon. Someone whose voice calmed every nerve in his body. The other person moved away as the woman came closer. “It’s me,” she said, “It’s YN.”

Opening his eyes at last, he saw you next to his hospital bed. Your eyes, puffy and red, stared at him worryingly. The girls in New York looked nothing like you. They had bruises or scratches from rough customers, and they carried that New York bred toughness about them. You had sand, but softness too. If he’d met you then, he would’ve tried keeping it straight and narrow. He’d get an honest job and marry you. That’s what couples did back then; they got married. But then, he wouldn’t know who and what he was. 

“YN…” your name left him in a hoarse croak. 

“Yeah, it’s me,” you sniffed. “We’ve been so worried about you.”

“I’m okay,” he said unconvincingly. 

“You got stabbed in the lung and started choking on your own blood,” said Seonghwa. “You aren’t okay.”

“What?”

Then the truth came to him. The birth. The angels. The baby. “Where’s Gisella?” he asked, panicking. “Did we get her back?”

“Gisella?”

“He means the baby,” Seonghwa told you. “They lost her,” he answered San’s question. “The angels got away before we could get her back.”

He’d failed. Once again, he’d let somebody down. “What happened after?”

“Don’t worry about that right now,” he said. “You stay here and rest.”

“What happened?” he asked more forcefully. 

“They brought you here,” Hongjoong answered. “Hector told Lucifer they’d taken the baby, and, well, losing a kid isn’t great news.”

“You’re lucky he doesn’t blame you,” Seonghwa said. “The guy’s lost so many Antichrists that he isn’t surprised when the angels take them away.” He paused, looking down at his younger brother. “Let’s give San some breathing room. We’ll come back later, Brother.”

A pair of lips touched his forehead, and another hand ruffled his hair. San reached out for you, grabbing your sweater. “Stay,” he said, though felt himself dozing off again, “Don’t go.” 

“I’ll stay here.” 

“Until they kick you out,” noted Hongjoong. 

San heard footsteps cross the linoleum floors and a door softly close. The scent of oranges caught in his nose, and he inhaled it until his lungs hurt. Your fingers pushed hair from his forehead, giving him a way to catch your hand. 

“I thought you’d died,” you said in a whisper, afraid to break the quietness of the room. “When you didn’t come home after a week, I thought something happened to you.” 

“The birth took longer than expected.”

“It made me think of what it’d be like without you,” he heard your tears thicken your voice. “I don’t like it.”

“I wouldn’t prefer it either.”

“Don’t ever do that to me again,” you said, sniffling. “You hear me?”

“I’ll try.” He felt you rest your head on the bed, still staring at him with watery eyes. San hated seeing his Darling cry. “Please don’t,” he said. “I’ll be okay now, Darling.” 

“I can’t help it.”

He cupped your cheek and wiped a stray tear. Whatever painkiller they’d given him slowly took over again. He didn’t let go of you, worried about where he might end up. 

“Just sleep, Sannie,” you said, kissing his inner wrist. “I’ll be here when you wake up.” 

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

****

He should be in pain. The bones Tiny broke with bloody fists should be cracked and poking through his skin. Blood should be dripping from the broken teeth and cut cheeks onto the floor. His jaw, his arms, and shoulders suffered so much pain that they must be in pain. Yet, when he opened his eyes, he felt barely anything. Only a dull stiffness in his muscles remained. A soft groan pulled itself from his chest, which did not feel broken or torn apart. He forced himself to open his eyes, but immediately regretted it. 

“Welcome,” a man’s voice said from nearby. It didn’t sound like anyone he knew. “Name?”

“Huh?”

“Your name, son. What is your name?”

“Daniel,” he answered with his English name. 

“Your true born name, please.”

“San.”

“Surname?”

“Choi.”

He blinked the pain from his eyes, and took in his surroundings. He found himself on a cold, hard floor. Looking around, he saw empty chairs in a carpeted room. When he glanced upward, he saw a man in a purple suit standing behind a window like a bank teller. Except, this wasn’t a bank. 

“Choi San, Choi San, Choi San,” the suited man looked through a thick, leather bound book. “Date of birth?”

“July 10th, 1910.”

He sensed the man’s silence when he finally stood on his stiff legs. The man, dark skinned with tight black curls, looked at him in astonishment. All the breath came out of him at once, and he fixed up his suit jacket. 

“My-My Lord,” he said, “Forgive me. We weren’t expecting you so early. You had four more years until you came of age. This is, I’m sorry to say, quite irregular for us.”

“What’re you talking about?” he asked, confused. He touched his lip where Tiny slammed his fist last, and felt the split skin. “Where am I?”

“You’re home, sir,” he answered. “I am Charon, ferryman of souls.” 

“Okay, and what’s that supposed to mean?”

“That you’re in Hell, my lord.”

San’s eyes widened, and his heart jumped into his throat. “I’m where?”

“In Hell,” he repeated. “Since you are a demon, you came to my station instead of the forest.”

“Look,” he walked up to the window, “I know I wasn’t the best kind of kid, but I couldn’t have been that-” then he stopped. “Wait, what did you say?”

“I said that since you are a demon-”

“-What? I ain’t a demon.”

“Yes, you are. Look for yourself.”

Charon turned the book around to show San a list of names scrawled in black ink. He pointed to San’s name, “Choi San, birth date July 10th, 1910. Mother: Kim Youngmi. Father: Asmodeus, Prince of Lust and Lord of Depravity. You’re a Duke of Lust, my lord.” He paused, “Did you…Did you not know that?”

San stared at the names. That couldn’t be right. Hyeon and Heechul were his parents. As terrible as they were, they’d tolerated him enough to feed and house him. Hyeon always told him she’d given birth to him in their house in Korea. Heechul claimed to have delivered San on his own. No Youngmi or Asmodeus came looking for him. 

“I can’t be. I just can’t.”

“But you are,” he closed the book, “You’re a very important person down here, my lord.”

“I ain’t a ‘lord’.”

“Yes, you are. Come with me. The ferry for Depravity hasn’t left yet.”

Charon walked out from behind the window and walked him to the front door. He led San out into what reminded him of the ferry back in New York. Thousands of people moved in straight lines towards the different colored ferries. A melancholic, dreadful feeling carried through the air. San thought he’d stepped into the most miserable place he’d ever been. He followed Charon down a flight of stairs opposite the one leading down to the crowds. By the ropes separating this line from the others, San guessed he’d gotten special treatment. Charon led him past the flowing black river, the crowds thinning the further they walked from the main ferries. 

“Are all those people demons too?” he asked. 

“No, these are reluctant sinners or those who received no baptism or funeral rites,” he said. “They’re taken across the river to Inferno’s port where they’re shepherded to Limbo. That’s where the sin seers figure out where to put them. Don’t fret, my lord. You’re not going to Limbo.”

“Where am I going?”

“Home.”

“Home?”

“The Lands of Depravity, located several circles above the circle of lust,” he said. “Your older brothers will explain more.”

“Brothers?” San gulped, “I have brothers.”

“You didn’t know that either? Whoof, whoever raised you certainly did you no favors,” he huffed. 

Charon led him to a smaller dark green ferry. At the bottom of the ramp leading onto it stood a soldier in bronze armor. Charon approached with a self-important smugness. 

Charon turned to him. “Here’s your ferry and your ticket,” he handed San a ticket from his inner pocket. “Hand it to the guard, and he’ll let you on board. It’s a short trip, but there’s plenty of food and drink there.”

“Thanks,” San said, reading the white ticket. 

“You’re welcome, and I hope you enjoy your new home.”

San nodded as Charon left his side. Anxiously, he walked up to the guard. 

“Ticket, please,” he said. When San handed it to him, he checked and then stamped an approval. “Welcome to Hell, my lord.”

“Thanks.”

San took careful steps up the ramp. It reminded him of the ferries back in New York, except this one didn’t have any people. An attendant in a purple vest and pencil skirt smiled brightly when he walked into the sitting room. She offered him refreshments, but he declined. He might vomit if he digested anything. Sitting on a chair, he kept an eye on his surroundings. He wanted to think he’d entered a sort of coma-induced dream. Right now, he’s really in a hospital bed. Any second, he’ll wake up and it would’ve been a big dream. 

He figured out he was wrong once the ferry reached port. The attendant led him to the ramp and gave him the typical customer-service farewell. At the bottom, he spotted dozens of people leaving their own boats to come ashore. He might as well be in New York, coming off a ferry from one part of the city to another. San had no clue where to go from here. Charon gave him no directions, and the attendant told him nothing. Staring around, he saw certain people in suits holding up signs. He spotted a tall, broad-shouldered man in a suit holding a card with his name on it. 

“Um, hello?” San approached him slowly. 

“Choi San?” the man asked with bright eyes. 

“That’s me.”

“Oh, wonderful,” he laughed with relief. “I’m Yunho. I work for your brothers. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, sir. We weren’t expecting you for a few more years.”

“Things happen,” he shrugged. 

“As they do,” he agreed. “Come with me. I'm going to take you straight home.” 

“Where is ‘home’?”

“The Lands of-”

“-Depravity, yeah, the Charon guy told me that. What is home? Who is there?”

Yunho guided him towards the turnstiles, “The Black Keep. Well, it isn’t so ‘black’ anymore, but the name’s endured the centuries. Your brothers, Lords Seonghwa and Hongjoong live there. When they received Charon’s message, they were overjoyed.”

“They don’t even know me.” 

“That’s not important. You share a mother and father. Do you understand how rare that is for a demon prince?”

“My dad’s a prince?”

“Yes, Prince Asmodeus. Charon didn’t tell you?”

“He glossed over it.”

“As usual. I suppose it’s excusable since he has a lot on his plate. Things have been heavy for him since Lucifer added more ferry boats…”

He brought San over to a motorcar. Black with white leather seats, San hesitated to get inside. “I ain’t never been in a motorcar before.”

“There’s a first time for everything.”

The car ride distracted San from the city around him. He hardly noticed how much it reminded him of the big cities of the world. He held onto the side of the car as it bumped and rode through the streets. Soon enough, they’d left Inferno and ended up in a vast countryside. It looked nothing like what he expected. Evergreen trees lined the rolling hills and fields of tall grass. The sun shone bright in the clear skies. This was “rich people country”, as Hyeon used to say. Street rats like them didn’t live in big houses with lots of land and fresh air. He knew it must be nice, but not like this. Yunho drove up the country lane to a large gold and white gate. Golden serpents slithered down from the bars that resembled flower vines. They opened on their own, letting them drive onto a circular roundabout surrounding a floral bronze fountain. 

“I ain’t ever seen a place like this…”

More snake motifs molded into the cream colored walls, with a long balcony above the tall doors. San stayed frozen in the car as he continued taking in the grandeur of the mansion. The people who lived here came from old money, like Siwon used to say. Their home didn’t appear brand new by any means, but it was not decrepit or unkempt. It amazed him. Not even Siwon could afford a place like this. His sleazy uptown buddies would never own a home like this. 

“Behold, my lord. The Black Keep.”

“It’s…”

He saw gold roses winding through the rails of the balcony above, and more clinging to the columns holding it up. San felt tears in his eyes. He’d never seen a more beautiful place, and this guy was saying he’d be living here. Impossible. Not even in his wildest dreams could he make up a place like this. 

“My lord?” Yunho opened his door without San realizing it. “We’re here.”

“Nah,” he shook his head, “This can’t be it.”

“You’re right. There’s more inside.”

San couldn’t picture the inside. Slowly, he stepped out and onto the gravel driveway. Yunho led him up stone steps to the front doors. More roses. 

“They must like roses, huh?” he joked, trying to hide his anxiousness. 

“They’re part of the family crest.”

“What’s a crest?”

“Like a little picture representing the family. Seonghwa will explain it should you want to know more.”

Yunho opened the doors and San stepped inside. He’d been right. He could not have dreamed up this place. High ceilings, paneled walls, expensive paintings and drapes with a grand staircase could not be of his own imagination. He gazed up to the ceiling to see a garden mural with a naked woman standing next to a tree holding an apple. He’d never seen a more beautiful painting. 

“You’re here!”

No fantasy of his could create them either. At the top of the steps stood two men: one with thick black curls hanging to his chin, and the other with dark red hair slicked back from his face. They weren’t New York boys. They weren’t human. Their beauty surpassed any boy or girl he’d paid for back home.San saw the golden pins on their chests: a snake coiled around a singular rose. The dark-haired one wore a white shirt underneath an emerald velvet and satin vest with a nice tie. The red-head wore a similar fashion, except dark red rather than green. They were beautiful. 

“You’re more beautiful than I thought you’d be,” the dark-haired brother grinned, eyeing him from top to bottom. “A bit grubby, but with a bath you’ll sparkle.” 

“I don’t mind a bit of grubbiness,” said the redhead, also sizing him up. “I think it adds to his charm.”

The way they undressed him with their eyes didn’t bother him like it might have before. He couldn’t look away from either of them. He’d let them take a piece for free. The dark-haired one snorted with a smirk. 

“Naughty,” he said. “I’m Seonghwa.”

“I’m Hongjoong,” said the other brother, still looking down at San's body. “He’s the oldest. I’m the middle child, and you’re the baby.”

“I ain’t a baby.”

“You mean ‘I’m not a baby’,” Seonghwa corrected him. 

“But, I imagine you’ve done a lot of things kids your age shouldn’t have been doing,” Hongjoong winked, but stopped when Seonghwa backhanded his arm. 

“He’s a child, Hongjoong.”

“You think the people up there care?” he retorted. “They force boys to dress up like girls and fuck them for spare change. They’re a bunch of animals. I bet he walked around with a painted face and gave blowjobs for two dollars-”

“-I ain’t a fucking whore,” San interrupted him harshly. 

“It’s ‘I’m not a fucking’-”

“-Correct me again and I’m putting you on the floor,” San cut him off. 

Seonghwa laughed rather than cower away. Hongjoong beamed, “Finally, somebody with some fire around here. Are you sure he’s our brother, Seonghwa?”

“Yes, I double checked. It seems he inherited Mother’s tough streak,” he said, amused. It was then that Seonghwa addressed the injuries left on San’s body. He walked up to him, and tried touching his chin before San flinched away. “Who did this to you?”

“A kid named Tiny.”

“What was he? Like four-feet but full of fire?”

“Six-feet with muscles that no kid should have. My boss made me fight him.”

San didn’t want to explain it to them. He still tried wrapping his head around the incident. He always believed Siwon cared about the kids who worked for him. Whenever one of them was mugged or picked up by the cops, Siwon sent men to take care of them. As he thought about it, he realized Siwon didn’t protect them. He protected the product the kid held for him. It saddened him. 

“Don’t blame yourself,” Seonghwa said. “Men like him only care about themselves at the end of the day. If he’d treated you like scum, you wouldn’t have worked for him. I’m positive if you’d survived that fight, you’d end up doing it again with someone else.” He brushed his thumb on the split lip, “Nobody is going to hurt you here. Not even if you asked,” he glanced sideways at his brother. “You’re the son of a lord now. Demons around here would be marked for death if they put a finger on you.”

“We’d make sure of it,” reassured Hongjoong. 

Their words should comfort him, but the comfort never came. He’d met plenty of adults who made the same promise. Hyeon was supposed to protect him, but she never did. Heelchul was supposed to protect him, but he never did. Siwon, Shoiming, his friends all meant to protect him and they didn’t. He meant nothing to them. He meant nothing to anyone. 

“Come on,” Hongjoong touched his shoulder, and frowned when San pulled away. “You’re peaky. Cook will make something for you. What do you like?”

Nobody did things for free. “Nah, I’m fine.”

“You’re not. Let’s go.”

Hongjoong and Seonghwa led him into a fancy dining room. On the table, servants put a large spread of food. Meat, cheese, fruits, and small cakes laid about the table. San’s stomach rumbled. The two of them sat on the other sides of the table, watching him closely. A woman in a maid uniform served him pieces of chicken, potatoes and vegetables. San stared at the plate. It beat the bits of bread and cheese he managed to steal off Hyeon. He picked up one drumstick and bit into it. The juicy meat broke on his teeth, tender and steaming hot. The first bite preceded the next greedy bites. It was so good that San thought he might cry again. Nabbing a bread roll, he wiped up gravy to stuff into his mouth. 

“Easy there,” Seonghwa chuckled. “The food isn’t going anywhere.”

“Or are you used to food disappearing before you eat it?” Hongjoong asked with a knowing look. “You aren’t the only person here who’s used to going hungry.”

“How could you get hungry? You live here,” San asked, food in his mouth still. 

“I didn’t always live here. Neither did Seonghwa.”

“Did you know who you were?”

“Yes.”

“Wait,” Seonghwa paused, “Did you not know you were a demon?”

“Not until I got here.”

“You mean to tell me that not only did your caregiver treat you poorly, but they never told you who you are?” 

“Yes.”

Hongjoong laughed gleefully. “They’re going to get torn apart.”

“Rightfully so. You weren’t supposed to be here so early. You’re still a child.”

“I ain’t a kid.”

“Yes, you are,” said Seonghwa firmly. “Just because you’re not twelve doesn’t mean you’re not still a child.”

“Nobody treated me like one.”

“Because they didn’t care. I care. Hongjoong cares.”

He’d believe it when he saw it. 

*****

Nothing beats coming home. Whether from a vacation or a night out, walking through the door into the comfort of familiarity relaxed the mind. San breathed much easier when he finally came home. He smiled seeing his bedroom, neat and tidy as he’d left it, and at the softness of his own bed. Seonghwa told Cook to make his favorite dinner for his homecoming; Hongjoong pulled out the “fancy shit” from their cellar. He appreciated his brothers’ attempts to make the event special, but the person who eclipsed them was you. 

“No fair,” frowned Hongjoong when you walked into the dining room, “Nobody said to look hot. Seonghwa just told me to wear my ‘nice shirt’.” 

San couldn’t take his eyes off you. In a velvet blue dress, he saw the tantalizing off-the-shoulders and the way the dress slimmed down to your shins. You’d put on the diamond necklace and earrings he’d bought you for your four month anniversary. He stared down your body as you walked to him and kissed his cheek. A single whiff of your expensive perfume had him capturing your lips with his. 

“You look divine, Darling,” he grinned, taking in the shade of your lipstick and your upturned lashes. “And all for me?”

“All for you,” you agreed, kissing him once more before taking your seat at the table. “I wanted to look nice for you.” 

“Do we really have to eat?” Hongjoong asked Seonghwa. He looked over to you, “She looks better than anything on this table.” 

“Back off,” San joked, throwing a piece of his roll at him. “You sleep in your own bed tonight.”

“Oh come on,” he whined, “We missed you too Sannie. I think we should all celebrate you coming back home alive together.”

“We can do that another time,” he laughed at the weak attempt. He took your hand, noticing the ring on your finger. “I want my Darling all to myself tonight.”

“I’m not the one complaining,” you replied, smiling coyly at him. 

“First course, please,” Seonghwa told one of the maids, who bowed and went to the kitchen. “This reminds me of his first homecoming.”

“His first homecoming?”

“He’d gone back home for a special assignment,” he said, buttering a bread roll. “On their 18th birthday, a demon is allowed one free kill. They get their choice of prisoner, living or dead, and can torment them however they see fit.” 

“I tormented a guard from my reform school,” Hongjoong smirked over his wine. “I put a box of rats on his stomach and-”

“-San,” Seonghwa continued, “Was offered the pass too.”

“You killed someone?” you asked, surprised by it. “Who?”

“Lee Siwon.”

“Who’s that?”

“He was a gang boss who cheated, lied, stole, gambled, raped, and killed. He sold young boys to seedy old men. He forced kids to fight each other until they knocked out or died. He was your classic asshole criminal,” he picked at the soft inside of his roll, “My dad gave me the torment pass as a gift for my birthday. He said it was a right of passage for demons. You can really exercise your powers and spread sin everywhere at the same time. I could only think of one person when he asked me who I’d pick.” 

“Was he still alive?”

“Surprisingly,” he nodded. “I figured he’d still be in the same city, extorting the same families and fucking the same kids. I got my pass and went home.”

“And he saw you?”

“No,” San grinned, recalling his one year back home, “And it drove him insane.”

“How?”

“General ghost stuff at first,” he shrugged. “I would open drawers and cabinets. I’d move stuff around his house and office. I’d make random noises in quiet rooms, open windows, and make radio static during his favorite songs.” He then laughed softly, “Every night at exactly 3:42am I’d turn on his water faucet. Not a steady stream, but enough that he’d hear it dropping. It drove him crazy. Then,” he ate the soft part of his bread, “I revved it up. I’d make him think people stole from him by taking money and hiding it around his businesses. I’d leave messages to make him think people in his gang were conspiring against him. Whenever he went to a drug deal, I’d either take money or damage the goods.” He laughed softly, “He finally spiraled when the market crashed, and he lost everything. Without me, he might’ve been able to survive with the money he’d kept hidden in one of his warehouses.”

“But you happened?”

“A huge fire started in the warehouse and destroyed property and the goods inside. By the time Siwon put the gun to his head, he’d completely lost his mind.”

San pictured his killer: Siwon, his hair streaked with gray, kneeling in his dusty apartment, sobbing as the agony took over. He remembered the man’s luxurious apartment having been stripped of anything valuable. Without a maid, and his wife having left him, Siwon surrounded himself with filth. Stuck in an apartment of trash, no money to his name with only the clothes on his back, Siwon had fallen. By the time San finished with him, nobody feared or respected Lee Siwon. He only revealed himself in those last few minutes, disguised as his fifteen-year-old self. Believing himself to be in a delusion of despair, Siwon didn’t question it when San made him see more children: the ones he forced into prostitution, the ones he put into fighting rings, and the ones he sacrificed on his path to fortune. The visions surrounded Siwon as he put the shotgun in his mouth. 

“No talking gore at the table,” said Seonghwa as the first course was served. 

“My favorite part was when he came home,” Hongjoong smirked, hardly noticing the soup bowl in front of him. “Seonghwa and I used to peep at him through the holes in his walls. We didn’t want to force him into anything, since we weren’t sure if he liked boys. Imagine our delight when Sannie walked into the lounge and,” he held back a laugh, “And told us if we wanted to see him naked, we could have just asked.” 

“And then you guys fucked?” 

“And then we fucked,” San confirmed, starting to eat the soup. A creamy chicken soup he’d fallen in love with when he first tried it. “What did you do while I was gone?” he then asked, wanting to change the subject. 

“What happened between you and Siwon?”

“Huh?”

“You could have picked anyone, but you picked him.”

San’s eyes met Seonghwa’s from across the table. He preferred not to think about how he ended up in Hell in the first place. 

“He killed me,” he said. “Well, indirectly. He put me to fight this kid that was twice my size and he beat me to death.”

“You've taken out guys bigger than you though. Jongho and Mingi have told me.”

“I was fifteen, skinny as a twig, and tired from running errands for him,” he answered. The image came to him as he spooned more soup. “If he and his friends wanted to watch a fight, they should have chosen grown men, not kids.”

“That's terrible,” you said. Like he knew you would, you picked up on his reluctance to continue. “I didn't do much.”

“Didn't do much?” Seonghwa said, astounded. “You learned how to make armor and weaponry with just your abilities.”

“You did?”

“It's not perfect. The bark is soft in some spots.”

“It can't be hard everywhere,” San said, “Otherwise you'll have trouble moving around when you're fighting. You can try filling up those weak spots with some kind of soft leather or mossy chainmail or whatever your flowery version would be.”

“What do you wear?”

“Breastplate, shoulder arm and shin guards.”

“That’s it?”

“Yeah.”

“It’s meant to be a costume as well as actual armor,” he explained, finishing off the small soup. “It’s in an old coliseum, so it has this Roman era theme to it. The armor protects most of the body, but leaves room for mobility. If every inch of me's covered in steel, I can’t move as quickly. The heavy armor would weigh me down because of my weight and-”

“-She’s been learning how to make living things with her plants too,” Seonghwa told him. “She’s managed to make flowers that sparkle like gems.”

“That’s great,” said San with a grin. “What have you made so far?”

You began telling him about what you called “gem stems': a beautiful range of different flowers that glittered and gleamed like gemstones. You’d managed to produce opal, rose quartz and amethyst flowers. Diamonds, rubies, and sapphires, you said, proved a bit more challenging for you, but you’d get it in the end. San found your creativity your most attractive trait. He saw the ensembles you wore, the way you redecorated your bedroom, and the plants you grew in your greenhouse. Everything you made turned out vibrant and beautiful. Seonghwa’s experiments might have had various shades of purple and red, but yours popped. He thought of the yellow-mouth flowers you’d made variations of in your greenhouse. Instead of only yellow, you had purple, pink, and orange-red ones. Octavius’s offspring came in hybrid forms now. Rather the purple hibiscus shapes, you’d merged them with sunflowers, roses, and tulips. Even the more dangerous flowers, who you called ‘Spike’ and ‘Rex’, bore interesting personalities and colors.

San wondered, as the conversation switched, about Francesca. He hoped Lucifer hadn’t harmed her. She’d already been in so much physical and emotional pain. Not only had she just given birth, but she’d lost her child. He’d thought someone might tell him what happened to her, but nobody breathed a word. The mother of Lucifer’s halfling children never seemed to matter to anyone. She was simply a vessel for the child who’d one day destroy the world. 

He looked over at you, cutting into the steak dinner Cook prepared, and felt grateful. Demons could breed with other demons. Demons could not breed with humans, aside from Lucifer, the King of Demons. Demons and cambions did not typically reproduce because most demons considered cambions closer to humans. When he first entered you, he quickly thought about how you’d never have his children. He’d never met a woman he wanted to “mate” with until you. Knowing you better now, and knowing your status, it was possible. Not certain. It’d be difficult and there’d be many failed attempts, but not impossible. 

But, what kind of father could he be if he’s unable to protect them? He’d been trusted to protect His Majesty’s child, and he could not do that. He’d failed in keeping the child safe. It’d likely been purified and turned into an angel by now. What if the same thing happened to you and he’d failed again? The image of you in Francesca’s place, laying flat on your back with blood pooling around your thighs and legs came to him. Some women died in childbirth. His mother claimed she’d nearly died giving birth to her last child, who’d come out deformed and sickly before passing a week later. He didn’t want that to happen to you. He didn’t know what cambion-demon pregnancies were like, but it could not be that different from normal ones.

“San?” your voice broke through his thoughts, and he saw you looking at him with concern. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, Darling,” he said, pushing pictures of you lifeless and bloody from his mind.

You didn’t believe him. He saw your worry even as you went back to eating. San tried keeping up the charade by eating his own dinner.  The meal ended with a variety of tarts San enjoyed. He devoured the peach tarts, while you’d dove into the strawberry tarts. Your appetite never ceased to amaze him. You told him in your past life, you’d waste time going on fad-diets to keep yourself from gaining more weight. Now, in a world where that doesn’t matter, you indulged more than you used to. Cook’s excellent skills made everything you tasted mouthwatering. San didn’t mind at all. He loved a woman who ate well; particularly the luscious curves that might result from proper appetite.

“I’m heading to bed,” you said once dinner ended, kissing each brother but lingering on his lips the longest. “This dress is nice, but not sleepwear. Right, San?”

“If you give me a few minutes,” he slid his hand down around your thighs to your ass, “I can help you take it off.”

“No, I want to keep it a surprise.”

You kissed him one more time before leaving the dining room. San downed the last of his wine before standing from the table. Seonghwa and Hongjoong instantly gravitated towards each other as they often did when alone. It reminded him of the first time he saw them together, and he shuddered.

“Looks like San is going to get a second dessert tonight,” smirked Hongjoong. Seonghwa cupped his jaw and kissed his cheek, “A nice, thick, yummy creampie.”

“Hush,” San laughed, cheeks turning hot. “I won’t be the only one tonight, it seems,” he said, nodding to Seonghwa. “You two have fun.”

“You too,” Hongjoong said, hazy from his tipsy state and Seonghwa’s full lips on his neck.

He walked out of the dining room to his bedroom. Sadly, he envisioned a child in the hallway. A beautiful girl with your eyes and hair, giggling and skipping joyfully. Perhaps a boy with his nose and jawline, playing with a wooden sword and pretending to cut down imaginary foes. San wanted to say you’d both be good parents, but could you really be? Andromeda was the kindest demon he’d ever met, who’d loved you with all her heart. You had some idea of how to be a loving mother, should you want to be one. But he didn’t grow up with such love and attention. Hyeon and Heechul despised him, and did nothing to hide it. He’d been another burden for them to bear. He never felt a mother’s warm hug and kiss or a father’s arm around his shoulders or patting his back. No fun holidays together. No cozy nights. Nobody comforted him when he cried or had a bad dream.

He didn’t have any of that until Seonghwa. Hongjoong might’ve been more of a sibling figure, but Seonghwa took on the parental role. He made sure San got a good education, that he ate well, bathed and tried making him the gentleman Hongjoong refused to be. He’d hated it at first because he saw it as a force to change. But, he soon learned Seonghwa didn’t want to change him, he wanted to help him. If San should imagine any father figure, it should be his oldest brother.

San walked into his apartment, not bothering to turn on the lights as he headed straight to bed. He pictured you, him and your child having come back from a family night out. You’d be in one of your lovely dresses, and he’d be wearing a suit and tie. Your kid would be put to bed first, wrapped up in soft pajamas and falling asleep as one of you read to him. Then, you’d both be alone. As he removed his jacket and unbuttoned his tie, the idea of domesticity between you both appeared to only sadden him. What if someone tried harming one of you, and he failed to protect you? What if he wasn’t quick enough? Strong enough? Brave enough? If he’d moved faster, he might have saved little Gisella. Lucifer would be delighted for another antichrist; lovely Francesca would be rocking the baby to sleep right now. But because of him and his hesitation, that had been shattered.

“This room hasn’t felt the same without you.”

San, unbuckling his pants, turned to see you leaning against the doorframe. You wore a lace night dress, a slit through the middle to reveal the matching underwear underneath. Your beauty usually distracts him from any thought in his mind, but not tonight. All he saw when he looked at you was Francesca and the baby he didn’t save.

“Has it?” he asked, knowing he had to say something to keep you from suspecting anything other than pure lust.

“It was empty,” you sauntered over to him, running your hands down his back and around his waist when he turned away. “And the bed was always cold.”

He felt your warm lips dot kisses on his shoulders, and your hands replaced his at his front. With deft hands, you undid his belt and fly, then lightly pulled at them until they pooled at his feet. In the mirror, he saw you clinging to him. He touched one of the hands on his chest, feeling the softness of your fingers and palms. Your fingers then intertwined. He couldn’t stand the thought of losing you.

“What’s wrong?” you asked, the temptress dropping in favor of the sweetness.

“Nothing,” he assured you.

“Liar,” you said, lips on his skin. “What happened up there? Who’s Gisella?”

“What?” He never recalled mentioning neither mother nor child to anyone.

“You said her name in your sleep,” you replied. You didn’t sound jealous. You sounded comforting, “Was that the baby’s name?”

“Yes,” he said, preferring not to lie to you.

“What happened to her?”

“She was taken. I…I didn’t get her back in time.”

“What do angels do with demon babies? They don’t…” you hesitated, then said, “They don’t kill them, do they?”

“No, they purify them,” he said. “They use their holy magic to sap out the demonic energy in their blood, and turn them into another angel. To Lucifer, that’s as good as death, but it’s more favorable than true death.” He stared at himself in the mirror. Even with all his muscles, speed and skill, he couldn’t protect the most important being in demonic history. “I’d nearly gotten her out. I was right there, YN. I was right at the exit into Hell, and they caught up to me. I…I tried fighting them off, and I did for a bit but then one of them caught me and she…” his chest tightened remembering the moment she slipped from his arms. “They caught her before I could. One of them stabbed me through my armor. I managed to stab my knife into their neck, but not in time to save her. They’d escaped through their own portal. I failed, YN. I was given one job. I had one job to do and I failed.”

“Just because you failed once doesn’t make you a failure. You did all you could-”

“-I have fought angels twice my size. I have fought against humans, demons, angels, archangels, cambions, and all the rest. I should have succeeded-”

“-You’re not always going to win,” you assured him, putting yourself between him and the mirror. “From what Seonghwa told me, the likelihood you would lose the kid was fifty-fifty. You might get the child away or you might not. It isn’t an indication of your skill or abilities.” You rubbed his arms comfortingly. While you have bite and bark, you also carried a gentleness he rarely experienced.

“I watched the birth happen,” he explained, “And the mother. She was so young, but carrying this big responsibility. I saw the pain in her eyes when she handed her baby over to me. She’d hoped I might be able to take her to safety, and I didn’t do that. The child she bore for weeks was gone, and she’d never see them again and it’s my fault.”

“No, it’s not,” you said bracingly. “She must’ve known what she was getting into when she agreed to get pregnant. Seonghwa told me all about it. He says every few years a woman is chosen to have his kid, and she has to consent before it happens. This woman knew there was a chance she’d lose them one way or another. Now, is it nice that it ended up happening? No. The kid getting taken is not your fault.”

“It is.”

“No, it isn’t.”

“It is.”

“No, it isn’t,” you said more firmly. “You did the best you could.”

“I should’ve done better.”

“Stop that,” you cut him off. “Everyone always says what a great swordsman you are, but you’re not going to win every battle-”

“-What if that happens to you?” he said. He cupped your cheeks and looked into your eyes. Their shape and color had been his last thought before he slipped into unconsciousness. “What if something happens to you and you die because I wasn’t fast enough to act? What if we have a kid and they get hurt or die because I didn’t try hard enough? YN, you are the one person who matters most to me. I don’t want to lose you-”

“-Is there something that makes you think you will?” you said, touching the hand on your cheek. “I do have a shadow demon for a bodyguard, and Jongho and Yeosang aren’t weaklings either. There’s also two other demons who’d protect me just as much as you would. What makes you think something might happen to me?”

“The fear of losing something that makes me happy,” he said. “When I was growing up, nice things always got taken away. When I made some money, the witch took it from me. If I got a bit of food, she’d snatch it and give me the smaller piece. If I showed any sign of happiness, it disappeared somehow. I love you, YN,” he said, “And I don’t want anyone to take you from me.”

“Nobody is going to,” you assured him, kissing him lightly. “I’m not exactly defenseless either, you know,” you gave a small grin.

You extended your hand, and several thin vines extended from your hands and around his wrist. San hissed when the vines tightened around his arm, squeezing him until his arm seized up. As that happened, you flicked your other hand and out shot a spiked, magenta dart that lodged itself to the wall. San watched the barb start spreading a sizzling, black goo that burned a hole right through the stone.

“Where did you learn that?” he asked, impressed by the snake vines slithering back into your palm and the acid dart dropping to the floor.

“My Aunt Rhea,” you shrugged. “She’s been giving me self-defense classes. She says ladies need to know how to protect themselves from man-things. Gaia is the one who teaches me how to create and grow the flowers I work with now.”

“Your mother?”

He noticed your sad expression, “How to live again.” You held the hand you’d cut the circulation from, rubbing it gently, “How to feel whole and happy.”

“Were you not before?”

“Not truly,” you said. “I filled my life with meaningless, temporary happiness. I thought having lots of nice things and sleeping with good looking people made life worth it. But, now I realize how empty I’d always felt then. I never felt complete,” you brushed yourself up against him, “Until I met you and your brothers. I love you more than anything else, and not just because the sex is amazing.” The both of you shared a laugh, “I don’t want to lose any of you. I might have owned nice things, but the people I chose to share myself with didn’t stay long. I don’t want you to get bored of me and throw me out or trade me in for something better-”

“-There is no one better,” he reassured you. “No one.”

He stepped out of his pants, kicking them away as he cupped your bottom. This prompted you to leap into his arms, wrapping yourself around him tightly. He turned to the bed, where he laid you down gently before landing on top of you. Once your bodies met, his lips opened yours in soft caresses. The intoxicating natural drug in your mouth mingled with his own, and that familiar burning desire ignited between you. Usually, this sensation took him down a rabbit hole of overwhelming lust. Tonight, it didn’t seem to do that. This time, he felt nothing but tenderness as he slowly grinded himself into you. He wanted you, but not in the sexual, primal way. San didn’t want to fuck you until the sun came up. He didn’t want to ‘take you’ like an animal in heat. He wished to melt with you. After witnessing so much violence and blood, he wished every vein and muscle in his body sunk inside yours to make you one body.

‘You are the sun and I am the moon. Without your light, I am nothing.” 

A quote Seonghwa read in a poem came to him as his hands slipped off the straps of your dress. Seonghwa was better with words. He grew up with poetry and literature while San could never get a grasp on it. He often forgot names of poets or authors or playwrights, but he understood their words. He felt them. This quote bundled everything he felt for you into two sentences. Now that he had you, he would be nothing if you left him. 

“San,” you breathed his name between kisses, “Don’t be rough tonight.”

“I don’t plan to be,” he replied, pulling down the top half of your dress. He peppered kisses on your chest as your breasts spilled out of the cups. A nipple in his mouth, he sucked and licked softly. “I want to feel every inch of you.”

He exhaled deeply when your hands slid through his short hair and down his neck to his spine. Your hips slowly rocked against him, your thin underwear dampening between you. He wouldn’t use toys this time. He won’t call you dirty names, choke and slap you. San treated you with all the gentleness of a man holding fine china in his hands. He delicately handled your breasts, giving them gentle squeezes and sucking them until you whimpered. He did not bite them like he sometimes did. San teasingly wagged his tongue over each just to hear your soft gasps. He knew how much you loved having your nipples teased. It’s why they paid so much attention to them during those first few moments in bed.

Your excitement grew when he kissed between them and down to your pubic bone. Kissing along your hips, his arms wrung around your thighs so his hands massaged the inner sides. The mere scent and taste of you aroused him. He started at your knees before moving closer to your center, where you hitched a breath when he reached the very innermost corner. He kissed back up to your waist and to your breasts again. On the base of your throat he asked:

“Would you want one?”

You did not answer right away. You paused, staring at the ceiling. Right when he thought he’d ruined everything, you answered him. “Maybe? I never thought about kids before. I like kids, and babies are cute, but I never considered it. I never met anyone I wanted a family with, since most of them already had families.” Hands in his hair, you looked down at him. “But then, I met you.”

This brought you to his lips, where he kissed you as passionately as before. You both broke apart as if you’d just come up from underwater. You wrapped your legs around him as you kissed his neck. “Give me one,” you whined in his ear, rocking against him again, “Fill me up with one. I’d have one with you any time.”

He strengthened his arousal. His cock hardening against your inner thigh, he groaned as he pushed to your hips. His hands on your breasts, San moaned when a hand slid between you to his groin. He didn’t stop you from pulling him from his boxers to lightly stroke it. The pleasure it brought felt like nothing before. It might as well be the first time you two have touched each other. While he suckled your nipples, you took your time fondling his boner. He could feel your fingertips sliding over the most sensitive parts of his cock; he groaned aroundyour hard nipples whenever you gently squeezed the bulbous head. San knew he was larger than either of his brothers. They liked mentioning it whenever they shared a bed. The only thing that mattered to him was how much you liked it. Pushing into your fist, he thought of all the times you reached out and groped him.

‘I don’t know why. I just love having it in me. It hits the spot each time and makes me cum so much.’

San hooked his hand to the side your panties and slipped himself under them. The both of you shared a moan once his thick head touched your soft lips. He didn’t enter right away. San lifted himself up a bit more to see the two of you nestled together inside your wet panties. Your hands gripped his forearms for stability as you slid yourself up and down his tip and shaft. The sweet nub at the very top, hard and uncovered from its hood, dragged across the slit of his head. He took hold of himself just to move side to side over the sweet spot. You pulled your panties aside to give him a better view of your soaked pussy opening up to his throbbing cock. It made for a beautiful sight. He saw the need for him in your eyes, and he’d usually withhold it. San and the others enjoyed teasing you into madness, but not now. He sunk himself inside the tight entrance that clung to him. It brought a twinge of relief before he pulled out to keep rubbing. 

“Don’t stop,” you said, moving your legs further apart to give him more room. “That feels so good,” your eyes fell shut as he sunk back in and pulled out a second time. 

“It’s you that feels so good,” he groaned, sliding in and out a few times before withdrawing. He saw how wet you became each time he did it. “It’s your pussy that drives me absolutely insane,” he huffed a laugh, then groaned when he saw you stretched around his shaft. “It’s so tight every time,” he said when he pushed further inside, rolling his hips to get deeper, “It makes me want to breed you whenever we fuck.”

“Then breed me,” you said, head tilting back into the bed and hands gripping his arms tightly. “Cum deep inside until I’m bursting with it.”

Anything for you. Laying on top of you, arms sliding underneath your shoulders to keep you close, San fully plunged inwards. Even though his body begged him to go faster, he continued gradually. His lips found yours, and you each moaned into each other’s mouths. He never felt so close to one person, not even his brothers. Not a single soul alive made him feel the way you do. It was unlike any romance or feeling he had for anyone before. San needed you the way plants need sunlight; the way fish need water and birds need the sky. After what he’s gone through these past few days, he cannot be without you anymore. 

Even when you managed to roll him over, you remained connected by a few inches. Arms on either side of his head, you kept kissing as you brought your hips up and down on him. The faint smacking of hips on hips joined your moans and groans. He felt down your back to squeeze your supple cheeks. He didn’t let go, but he didn’t spread or spank them either. He simply held you as you went at your own pace. 

“San,” you whispered his name in the midst of your whimpers, “Sannie…”

“YN…” he replied, merely wanting your name to roll off his tongue.

You are the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. Just like when he first laid eyes on the Black Keep, it nearly brought him to tears at times. He pushed his hips to yours, feeling his orgasm slowly climbing to the top. Your taut walls grew tighter as his tip hit that squishy piece inside, driving you to rock back and forth. He put one hand to your chin, thumb resting on your lower lip. The feeling of your tongue and lips around the digit made his jaw drop. You put his other hand between you to your clit, where he slowly rubbed it from top to bottom. He made sure you felt the pad of his thumb moving around over the middle.

He came right when you did. Your body stiffening, mouth hung open with his thumb still inside, you kept him buried deep as you shuddered on top of him. He removed his thumb to hear your moans uninterrupted, causing his own to drive further. He felt the distinct hot sensation of his cum shooting inside while yours covered him entirely. You planted yourself on him as his head stayed firmly on your g-spot, bringing overwhelming pleasure before it turned to sensitivity. 

San didn’t pull out right away. With a bit of maneuvering, the both of you stayed connected against the pillows. You hugged him close as he continued pushing inside you despite his sensitive cock. More deep, passionate kisses resulted in him remaining hard for another orgasm. San lifted your knees up, curling you upwards to shove in at a different angle. When he broke away to look down, he saw thick white fluids mixing each time he slid outwards. This encouraged him to keep his strokes short and deep so nothing spilled too far out. He can’t breed you if he lets it seep onto the bed. That’s awfully wasteful.

“Fill me up with more,” you said, hands tugging at his scalp. “Please, San. Please.”

“As much as I can give you, baby.”

He did. He came inside until he felt empty. You enjoyed this part particularly because his orgasms also brought out yours. By the time he felt spent, he still did not pull out. Holding you to his chest, he brought the covers over the both of you as you kissed wherever your lips could reach.

“I love you,” the words escaped you in a single breath, staying as close as you could under the covers.

“I love you,” he said back, giving light kisses to your chin and lips.

While it was highly unlikely it’d take root inside you, San liked the idea of it happening. He’d do anything for you regardless of whether it happened or not. You meant the world to him. Seeing you fall asleep in his arms, San pictured it and smiled softly before kissing you one more time. 

***

A/N: Such a fluffy good time! I kind of wanted to dial back on the kink for this one, so I hoped you guys still enjoyed it <3 Like and reblog! It keeps posts alive!

[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

[m0chisenpai]

Some ideas I’ve had after seeing way of water (MAJOR SPOILER ALERT AHEAD):

Black!reader whose a scientist that was chosen to stay on pandora after the rest are sent home

The only reason she’s been transferred permanently into her body was from a bad wound to her human body during the first war between the Na’vi and skypeople

Since then she’s had trouble navigating life in her new body but Neytiri is more than welcome to help her learn life among the tribe

I feel like she helps reader with the language, the culture, the traditions but it’s Jake who trains her in the way of the warrior and she completely bombs it but for some reason she excels in the ways of the healer

Now I firmly believe that polyamorous relationships are not uncommon among the Na’vi people, like I could genuinely see such healthy relationships among them; polyamory isn’t a term I feel like they know…I just feel like multiple partners is so normal they don’t need to label anyone who chooses to have have multiple mates

Neytiri taught Jake this during his time where he was learning to be a apart of the people and he saw it among the people and he mentioned how it was something rare on earth but monogamy was more prevalent among humans

I feel like some aha moment would happen between these two some time after the war and that’s when they try and pursue reader, but she’s so oblivious to it and a romantic relationship is the last thing on her mind while trying to navigate an entirely new planet

When they do discuss things reader would prefer to take things slow, but time with them feels so fast in such a short amount of time, they are such gentle lovers in easing her into their relationship, she learns the love language of each one

Neytiri shows her love in spending time with her loved ones while Jake is open with physical touch and flirtatious words

Now fast forward to the way of water I feel like reader would have two kids, two girls, of her own and is pregnant during their time with the reef people and because of what’s going on Jake and Neytiri are on edge at all times because she’s near due and doesn’t need Quartrich finding out but Spider knows and they just pray to the Mother that he doesn’t tell

Reader who is in love with braiding hers and Neytiri’s children’s hair, she loves to do different patterns in their hair and even adds beads thats one thing that makes her feel at home especially when she sets a day aside to do all the kids hair with Neytiri moisturizing their hair so gently and detangling as well

Reader who in the rare moments it does get cooler our in Pandora mixes up some concoction equivalent to shea butter with Pandora’s plants and oils to moisturize the children who groan as she slaters their arms and faces

Using scarves to keep her hair out of her face and tie them up into wraps and different scarf designs

[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

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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

[thevagabondexpress]

a textbook case of not understanding your own characters, or, jordelia won't last under the parameters canon set out for them. some issues a tsc fan sees in tsc, pt. iv

Lemme paraphrase: I love Jordelia. I do. I love James and Cordelia and their crazy, beautiful, broken love story. That being said, James Herondale and the narrative are not nearly as healthy as we think they are and Cordelia's not going to stay in this situation long. Well, not in canon, under the parameters and presumptions the canon has laid out for them. I cannot picture Cordelia Carstairs wanting to be a mother under the circumstances presented in canon and the fact that Cassandra Clare leaves us with the assumption that she will be is deeply disturbing proof that she doesn't have any in-depth understanding of the characters she created. I give you a summary this time because the full analysis deals with issues of consent both dubious and completely nonexistent, and with pregnancy, and I'm sure some of y'all are not going to be comfortable with that.

part one: cordelia couldn't give informed consent in chain of thorns

"Cordelia had heard things whispered among other girls…but she still had little idea what happened in the marriage bed." —Cassandra Clare, Chain of Iron, pg. 110 in my copy.

"I will marry some other man, and he will know I was married to you. He will expect me to know how to kiss, and—do other things." —Cassandra Clare, Chain of Iron, pg. 363 in my copy

At no point after this is Cordelia shown to receive any kind of Talk whatsoever from anyone. The consent she gave in the scene in Chain of Thorns was uninformed. And uninformed consent is, surprise, not actually consent. Also, James knew this. He knew she didn't know anything. And he went ahead with it anyway.

part two: motherhood

Look me in the eyes and tell me that Cordelia Carstairs shows any indications in her canonical personality of being someone who wants to be a mother.

Firstly, she has a very busy, slightly wild, and yet also deeply disciplined lifestyle. Visits to the Hell Ruelle, hours of training, a deep emotional connection to the blade she wields, and a lifelong goal of being a hero. A merciful hero. She also takes two different partners in the course of the series (James and Matthew), suggesting in my eyes from the way in which she goes about this that potentially she might be open to polyamory. None of this is really a lifestyle conducive to babies. They take up too much time, too much money, and too much physical space. They're not conducive to polyamorous relationships where your partners aren't living under the same roof, you can't just leave them at one house to go stay with your other partner neither can you just shuffle them around with you when you move. And unlike Lucie, whose primary lifelong passion, writing, is something that can be done at home in the brief snatches of time when one is free, Cordelia doesn't have any hobbies that she could continue to do despite the sheer time that raising a child takes up. She'd have to give up everything but reading and playing chess and those are not enough.

Secondly, she watched in real time as her mother put aside everything, including her own mental health and wellbeing, to raise two children. She watched Sona give up the things she loved, choose to stay with an abusive husband, stop patrolling and fighting, and eventually waste away into a sickly hollow shell of herself. Her closest, most formative experience of motherhood paints it as a traumatic, exhausting, demoralizing, and restricting condition that forces you to give up your chosen lifestyle, your hobbies, and eventually your sense of identity and pride as an individual for the sake of your children.

I cannot, under these circumstances, imagine that Cordelia would find the idea of putting her own life aside for the sake of babies an appealing one. I imagine if you brought up children with her, the answer would be a resounding no. I can practically see the way she'd wrinkle her nose at the idea.

And yet, I don't see any other male Herondales forthcoming. If Cassandra Clare's canon is to be believed Cordelia must be the mother of at least one child so that the family line can continue.

Third. We know, as explained in part two, that Cordelia never received proper education and can't give informed consent. And James and Cordelia played very fast and loose with the concept of safety in the scenes we got in Chain of Thorns.

Is this what happens? Is this how we get a Herondale family line? Does Cordelia become a mother without consenting to it? I can't imagine she'd want to stay in that situation very long. I certainly cannot see her wanting to raise the child. I don't want this to be the case. I don't want to see her leaving James to raise his son alone while she escapes, hurt, to nurse her wounds and rage at him from somewhere safe. But unless we're given another Herondale like we got Alex for the Lightwoods, I don't see any happier ending for James and Cordelia.

part three: in conclusion All this to say, Cassandra Clare doesn't really understand Cordelia Carstairs. She created a character whose situation suggests she'd have no interest in motherhood, and then forced motherhood upon her. This is not the only time she's misunderstood Cordelia either. In Chain of Gold she's shown to be impulsive, but she's also shown to be a woman of action and anger, not a woman of passivity and tears. If Cordelia remained in character throughout Chain of Thorns, when she saw James and Grace in the foyer at the end of the book she would have come marching downstairs to demand to know Just what the hell is going on here? Instead, Clare chooses to have her…run away. Why? Because it gets her quickly to the next plot point, I guess. Despite the fact that this is decidedly not the Cordelia Carstairs that I know. And this isn't the only character she's lacked understanding of, or forced out of character for the sake of the plot. Cordelia and motherhood is simply the most grievous and, quite frankly, disturbing example.

"some issues a tsc fan sees in tsc" is an attempt to break down the unacknowledged things in tsc that i unearthed reading chain of thorns, rereading the rest of the series in preparation for it, and writing two longform fanfics (one of them a genderbent canon reworking) for the last hours. click on the "some issues..." tag to see more of these.

[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

[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.