#ppau showmaker

[spiritblossoming]

alt ruination poster sketch that beat me up in a dark alleyway and stole my lunch money

heres a behind the scenes look for the tumblr gang

ok lemme... explain things (for the tumblr gang)

top row: sm faker bengi canyon

bottom: rookie viper guma deft jkl meiko zeus oner keria chovy

t1's designs have me fucking rolling u have faker in his sickass armor and then theres. guma who has a jacket. zeus who has a lightning bolt. oner. keria who has armor.

I FORGOT ROOKIES CAPE AJKBHKJWEBJKFSDBKJABHWEJKBSFNDJKHAJKEWSDJKFNJKAEWBDJSKHJKFHSDK anyway

oh ig you cant fucking see it but bengi's wearing faker's armor too because... yknow. hes copying duh

canyon has a braid bc..... sm would... braid his mane before battles... so its like a tribute haha kill me

i sketched each of these morons individually so i could theoretically paint them and then move them around for duo versions or wtv. insert shrek "like thats ever gonna happen" here.

its so funny the sentinels have their whole goon squad and then ruination gang is 5 mfs

im never finishing this on god

[aryasage]

set me on fire (so i can rise)

so fpx has been doing ridiculously well and deokdam beat ruler for the first time in his career and i sat down and vomited thirteen hundred words of brainrot onto the page. i had originally intended it for tumblr so i'm posting it here but it's theoretically long enough for me to post it as an actual fic so like. if anyone wants that let me know. no previous knowledge really needed and i'm too lazy to link stuff so just. here you go have fun

title is from fpx's phoenix because come on it was too perfect of a situation

(deokdam and viper are both aphelios, ruler is xayah, life is tahm kench, missing is thresh, flandre is graves, milkyway is kindred, none of the others really matter)

canon-typical violence under the cut but nothing graphic!

also don't yell at me about the moon formatting i already know i can't fix it ok

Deokdam has never beaten Ruler. He’s faced him more times than plenty of other AD carries, but each of their twelve matches has stayed in his head for longer than he’d like to admit. Maybe it’s that he’s the first world champion Deokdam ever faced. It’s hard to forget the feeling of barely even being able to stand in his presence, let alone put up a proper fight. But as the years went on, Deokdam’s losses to the other AD carry only got more and more depressing, and…well. He guesses it’s sort of a Thing by now. 

And so, even though he and his team have been doing far better than anyone expected, even beating TES and JackeyLove, Deokdam can’t help but feel apprehensive about their upcoming match. But…they’ve come this far by trusting each other. And so, as they start their warmups before the match, Deokdam taps Life on the shoulder. “You were his support for years,” he says quietly. “What’s his weakness?”

A sly smirk spreads across Life’s face, and he responds just as quietly. “He has a habit of overstepping. He’s overconfident. And it happens more often than you might think, especially now that he doesn’t have me anymore…”

Deokdam hesitantly returns his smile. “Thanks. I think I have an idea.”

☾

As Deokdam exchanges bows with Ruler, he keeps his eyes trained on the other AD carry, watching his every move. He steps forward first, just as Life predicted, and Deokdam can’t help but smile. Something feels different this time as he takes a step back, dodging Ruler’s first attack and beginning the dance back-and-forth, and Deokdam thinks he knows why. 

☾

“I think I’ve figured it out,” Viper says, his voice of moonlight so similar to Deokdam’s and yet nothing alike as he offers his hand to Deokdam, who takes it gratefully, allowing Viper to pull Deokdam to his feet.

“What, how to beat me? Because I’m pretty sure you figured that out a while ago,” Deokdam says, trying to pass it off as a joke, but his magical voice betrays his frustration. He’d accepted Viper’s request to spar over the offseason without a second thought, eager to practise both with his friend and someone with far more skill than him, but after the third day, Deokdam is just exhausted, and Viper absolutely destroying him every round isn’t exactly making him feel much better. 

“No, not that,” Viper says, sighing. “Let’s sit down. We should get water anyway.” Well, he’s right about one thing, at least. Even though it doesn’t do anything to put out the fire in his throat, Deokdam’s definitely dehydrated by now, and just the act of drinking it is refreshing. It also means he can avoid asking what Viper did mean for a bit, but eventually, his curiosity gets the better of him, and he asks Viper just that.

“Oh, right. Well, I think I figured out your problem. Fighting,” he quickly adds, evidently seeing Deokdam’s face and how he was about to say he has far more than one problem to worry about. “You think too much about yourself.”

The words hit him harder than any dose of noctum. Great. He already feels awful for drowning himself in self-pity practically all of last spring and half of summer, but it hurts even more coming from his friend. 

Viper frowns. “Wait, no, not—” He sighs. “I don’t mean that you’re selfish, Deokdam. Just that you get too much in your own head. You’re so focused on what you should do that you’re not paying enough attention to your opponent, so when I do something unexpected, you get caught completely off-guard.”

Oh. The tension eases from Deokdam’s shoulders somewhat. That…makes a lot more sense. 

“I used to have the opposite problem, actually,” Viper continues. “I was always so focused on what the enemy was doing that I forgot my teammates were there too. I didn’t trust them, and our coordination would always be slightly…off. I never really fixed it until…well. You’re a lot better at it than I am. You’ve always had much better synergy with your teams. So you don’t need to worry about that. What I do want you to worry about is your opponent.” He stands up with a smile. “One last round?”

Deokdam can’t help but return it, standing up and following him back to the sparring ring. “Sure.”

“Okay. I want you to keep your focus on me. Your instincts are good enough by now, but you trip yourself up. Don’t think about what you’re doing at all. Just trust yourself, and try to defeat me.”

☾

Just trust yourself. Your instincts are good enough. It’s not that Deokdam would ever say Viper was wrong in saying that, per se, but for the first time, Deokdam thinks he might have been right as he fires a shot at Ruler, clipping him in the shoulder and dodging away from the chains that Missing sends flying at him. 

Smoke begins to swirl around the battlefield, meaning Flandre must have taken out Xiaolaohu in his pocket realm, and if Showmaker hadn’t complained about it being completely unfair every other week in 2022, Deokdam would be realising just how annoying it is right about now. Thanks to Kellin, though, Deokdam has plenty of practice of fighting with irritating gases everywhere, and he can just barely make out the silhouette of Missing’s body right before he throws his hook at Deokdam, and he sidesteps it on instinct. Something grazes his side—one of Ruler’s razor-sharp feathers—but Deokdam hardly feels it thanks to the fire already burning in his veins. All it does is reveal Ruler’s position, and Deokdam fires another shot in his direction.

Ruler lets out a grunt of pain, but he must still think he has the advantage, what with the smoke everywhere, because he takes another step forward, obviously confident. Too confident, because now he’s close enough that Deokdam can see his figure through the smoke. He fires a shot at Ruler’s leg, trying to knock him off balance, and Ruler predictably launches himself into the air, flinging an array of feathers at Deokdam. But with his wings flapping to keep himself in the air, he’s blowing the smoke away, and Deokdam switches weapons, launching a gravity orb at Ruler and clenching his fist, pulling him down to earth. He thinks his legs are bleeding, but it doesn’t matter, not when he switches back to his first weapon, shooting Ruler right in the chest and eliminating him, a faint red mark glowing where his Guild’s magic protected him. 

With their AD carry gone, Deokdam and his teammates are able to make quick work of what remains of JD Guild, especially thanks to Milkyway’s arrows that Deokdam swears have homing magic on them. The rest of the match is a bit of a blur, but the ceremony afterwards stays clear in his mind. Flandre is just as good-natured as Deokdam remembers, and Yagao has a quiet smile even in defeat, but when Deokdam shakes Ruler’s hand, the other AD carry murmurs in Korean, “Well fought.” 

As he walks away, Deokdam catches a glimpse of himself, and if his heart weren’t already pounding out of his chest from the adrenaline rush, it would be now from the shock. Ruler’s glow given by the Rift might be powerful, but right now, Deokdam shines with a light far more important, moonlight gleaming brightly in an aura all around him. It doesn’t go away, even as Milkyway heals his wounds, and when they leave, Deokdam chances a look up at the sky. There, peeking through the stormy clouds, Deokdam can see Her light shining down from above for the first time since he came to China, and he can’t help but smile. 

Thank you, he thinks. I’ll use your gift even better than before.

[spiritblossoming]

daily fun but useless ppau fact #20

every time faker's third wish is hinted at (spoilers under cut for chapter 3 of "legendary (the stars will remember you)") (and for lots of other stuff)

someday both of us are leaving here

Gods above, Gumayusi thinks distantly as his support helps him to his feet. He’s so cute. I would literally kill for him.

“I think you just tried,” Faker says with that characteristic hint of amusement in his voice. Gumayusi blinks once. Twice.

“...Did I say that out loud?”

he did not, in fact, say that out loud.

look the fall in the eyes

Spirits. That was far too close for comfort. Keria manages to make eye contact with Faker as he begins to turn away. Please, he mentally pleads, unable to use his magical voice to convey the message. Protect them.

He has no way to hear Keria, but Faker seems to understand anyway, looking back at Keria with a whole storm of emotions in his eyes—determination, sorrow, regret, fear, and a thousand other things that Keria can’t decipher. I will, his eyes seem to say. Believe me, I will.

faker does hear him during this scene!

now you're coming at the king

Oner throws his hands in the air, causing some of the bandages around his wounds to slip. As Bengi hurriedly fixes them, Oner demands, “Why not? Don’t tell me you’re scared of him.” Faker gives him a look. “Then why are you so calm? Keria is—he’s gone!”

“He’s not,” Faker says, and the confidence in his tone has even Deft looking at him in surprise. 

and that's why faker's so confident. because he could literally hear keria plotting the entire last fic.

(don't) fear what you don't know

“You recognize them,” Faker says, his gaze piercing as he studies Showmaker’s reaction. Showmaker stifles a curse. Damn Faker for being so perceptive. 

“I never said that,” Showmaker scoffs, keenly aware of everyone’s eyes on him. He doesn’t even fool himself with the lie, and keeping his brave face on is nearly impossible under the weight of that stare. 

Faker could be Chovy with the way he’s practically reading his soul right now, Showmaker decides. “No, you didn’t,” Faker says easily, “but I’m right anyway.”

he's not even being perceptive he's just reading showmaker's mind (look one of his sons was stabbed he's past worrying about boundaries)

If what Showmaker gives Canyon is a Look, then what Faker’s giving him now is a LOOK. What is he trying to do, read his thoughts like some sort of demon? It would technically be on-brand. Listen, Demon King. It’s not nice to spy on other people without their permission, Showmaker thinks as aggressively as possible.

Faker doesn’t react. Showmaker isn’t sure if he’s disappointed or relieved.

i originally had faker turning away after showmaker... thinks at him, but i was worried it might be too obvious. i was going for a long con. but yeah showmaker does guess faker's wish here (but has no idea he's right)

in the end notes, i mention that i forgot to add a small moment to the chapter. said small moment was supposed to be faker asking showmaker "how did you know?" and showmaker thinking he was referring to something else. once again i thought it was too obvious so i cut it.

the sinful and the saviors

“I mean it, S—Faker.” There it is again, that uncharacteristic slip-up. Faker doesn’t need to read Bengi’s mind to know he’s telling the truth. He can see that much in his eyes.

haha get it? i literally said faker didn't need to read his mind haha

Just to be safe, Faker reaches out to touch a hand to Rookie’s shoulder. If he makes contact, he should be able to figure out what’s up with him. To his surprise, Rookie moves faster than the eye can see, batting his hand aside. He gives Faker a look, one that very clearly means don’t try that again.

Fine. Faker doesn’t need physical contact. He furrows his brow slightly as he channels his magic, determined to get to the bottom of this—

he's trying to read "rookie"'s mind here to make sure he's normal rookie. however keria lowkey knows that faker can do this by now, so he doesn't let him get that close.

change the game

"Gumayusi!" someone shouts, and the door is yanked open abruptly to reveal Faker, his eyes wide and one of the blades on his arm fully extended. "Are you oka— Keria?"

"How did you know?" Keria asks, wincing immediately as the words come out of his mouth in Gumayusi's voice. Some small part of him that still retains its common sense can think of a few different reasons Faker might be able to tell, but seeing as Keria is in a state of sheer what the fuck at the moment, that part of him goes unnoticed.

Faker shrugs, blade retracting until it’s hidden in his sleeve again. “It felt like you.”

(he literally read his brainwaves that's how he knew)

(and keria knows his wish he totally knows it so that's why he goes wait there are def reasons faker knew)

what are you willing to lose

Faker just stares him down, half to be intimidating and half because he has nothing to say. He reaches out with his magic again, this time to Deadeye, but he can’t get a good read on him. That alone has him tensing up, ready to unsheathe his blades at a moment’s notice.

he's just trying to read his mind here

Faker digs his blade into Deadeye’s neck just enough to draw blood. “What are you talking about?” he demands. Finally close enough for his magic to do its work, Faker starts to try to get a good read on Deadeye’s magic.

same thing

As he says it, Faker’s heart drops. His magic retreats, coming back to him with one clear conclusion. This isn’t Deadeye.

faker then realizes this fake deadeye has no thoughts. like me fr.

He’s not one to pray, but Zeus turns his eyes up to the sky anyway. Faker, if you can hear me, we need you. Help us, please.

once again faker hears this! he's 2 for 2 on this typa thing

He doesn’t have to read Showmaker’s mind to know his answer. One look at the strange emotion in the other mid laner’s eyes, something between shame and pity, tells Faker enough. Showmaker looks away. “I’m not sure.”

DO YOU GET IT?????? HE DOESN'T HAVE TO READ HIS MIND HAHA I SAID IT (im losing my mind)

ok that's all... for now. i swear ill post soon. jk i wont swear. but i have some things that should be ready.

[spiritblossoming]

daily fun but useless ppau fact #18

today i will be counting which fics mention showmaker and which do not. because well. hes my favorite. and it shows.

think you're dreaming of greatness: showmaker

it's time for a new empire: no showmaker

one day you'll wish you hadn't: showmaker

counting failures (you can't let them go): no showmaker

let the shadows take hold: no showmaker

the light we share: no showmaker

gone in a flash before our time: no showmaker

someday both of us are leaving here: showmaker

there's no crown for losing: showmaker

every time I close my eyes (a little less of you remains): no showmaker

brute force and style combine: showmaker

run away from the faith: no showmaker

those you left behind: showmaker

now I'll never be the same: showmaker

let us savor the pain: no showmaker

look the fall in the eyes: no showmaker

where the hunters get hunted: no showmaker

now you're coming at the king: showmaker

fire in our blood (but we're still cold-hearted): showmaker

the ones that are voiceless: showmaker

(don't) fear what you don't know: showmaker

we'll take up arms, we'll make amends here: showmaker

take to the skies: showmaker

the sinful and the saviors: showmaker

change the game: showmaker

a heart full of fire: showmaker

what are you willing to lose: showmaker

pray for glory: showmaker

rise up and sing: no showmaker

legendary (the stars will remember you): no showmaker

that is 11 no showmaker fics and 19 showmaker fics. in case you were wondering, showmaker is mentioned roughly 900 times. i need you to know that in the fic i'm working on rn i have had to keep myself from mentioning showmaker 3 times already. we are so cooked

[spiritblossoming]

my teacher: ok for this assignment you can paint whatever you want

me: ok liv. don't do ppau. don't do ppau. don't do— *does ppau*

i guess it hardly comes as a surprise that i drew showmaker... i've had the sketch for a WHILE so i figured i might as well see it through to the end. shoutout to me from 5 months ago for the sketch.

funny story, this damn file was 200 mb. my ipad would actually stutter loading it. i've never had that happen since i got this ipad so that was WILD.

and yes the cards did make me regret my life choices thanks for asking

maybe i color sometime

[spiritblossoming]

also here are the quiz descriptions for the OTHER uquiz except some of them are written from the perspective of some random reporter with access to google

Showmaker

Showmaker is simultaneously one of the biggest threats to international security and the most carefree, fun-loving person you will ever meet. Being both a skilled Summoner and an artificer, Showmaker crafts each of his cards by hand. When asked what his championship wish was, he simply replies, "I wished for more wishes!" The truthfulness of this statement is unknown.

Canyon

Widely renowned as one of the best Summoners in the world, Canyon is a force to be reckoned with as he shifts between beast and human as fluidly as water—water he now controls after conquering the Rift. His enchanted spear is the result of his and Showmaker's combined efforts after their embarrassing loss to G2 in 2019.

Scout

After living in the shadow of superstar Summoner Faker as his substitute, Scout managed to conquer the Rift in 2022 with EDG. He fights by draining energy from his enemies and converting it into magical bolts that do massive damage. Rumor has it that he never sleeps.

Meiko

Loyal and determined, Meiko serves as the support for EDG. He possesses the ability to heal people through physical contact with them, and can also induce happiness, energy and good dreams. Meiko is often referred to as the perfect support by his teammates, both in and out of battle.

Jiejie

At only twenty years old, Jiejie did what was thought to be near impossible: he defeated Canyon at the peak of Summoner's Rift using nothing but his blade and black mist. Sarcastic to the very end, he takes very few things seriously, except for his role as EDG's jungler. He is often referred to as the Third Prince of EDG.

Viper

Calm and collected, Viper serves as the marksman, or ADC, for EDG. He is often thought to be the strongest ADC in the world. Wielding five guns of moonlight as well as an inexplicable darkness, Viper strikes fast and hard, leaving his opponents no time to recover.

Teddy

Don't let his name fool you—Teddy is far from a pushover. A master of acrobatics and stealth magic, Teddy uses his crossbow to dispatch enemies with ease. He acts playfully for the most part, but never fails to be serious when the situation demands it.

Bjergsen

Bjergsen's years-long career came to a sudden halt in 2020, when a tragic accident resulted in the disappearance and presumed death of him and two of his teammates. However, it didn't take long for the star mid laner to literally turn back time, bringing himself back to life with the help of his enchanted pocket watch. Bjergsen: 1, Death: 0.

Spica

One of the only two surviving members of TSM 2020, Spica was the only one to remain with the team for next year. His control over shadows and mastery of the scythe help him to be one of the best junglers in all of North America, all without winning a single battle internationally.

Doublelift

The veteran Summoner known as Doublelift is the only member of TSM 2020 still missing as of 2022. His gun, which he designed and built himself, serves as an inspiration to a new generation of Summoners and rests at the foot of his monument in Los Angeles. At the feet of his statue lies an engraving of his most famous quote: "Everyone else is trash."

Keria

Although he's rather short and clumsy outside of battle, Keria is a force to be reckoned with. He is one of the few people in the world capable of adapting mostly defensive water magic to be able to heal. Many people consider him to be the best support in the world.

Gumayusi

With his support Keria at his side, there's (almost) nothing that Gumayusi can't do. His confidence is legendary in every region along with his sheer skill. Wielding a gun similar to Doublelift's, Gumayusi uses nets, traps and his near-perfect aim to secure a victory for his team.

Jojopyun

Jojopyun is the youngest Summoner to ever be crowned as a champion of North America at only 17 years old. He discovered his powers while streaming Fortnite on Twitch, accidentally cloning himself. Within 24 hours, he became an internet celebrity and was picked up by Evil Geniuses not long after that.

Danny

Danny is often regarded as one of the most promising talents North America has to offer. He carries a powerful secret: he is one of the first Summoners with his special brand of lightning magic, which he hopes to conceal from the world in order to have an advantage when he's ready to conquer it.

Ghost

It took him years of hard work and countless failures before he reached the top of the Summoner's Rift and achieved his dream. Ghost hides his face behind a mask and rarely speaks out loud, preferring to use his magic when possible. Although he seems incredibly cold, his teammates insist that he's a very different person when the mask is off.

Razork

With the power to summon both ice and lightning, Razork balances both to create a unique fighting style. He's full of energy and always has a joke or two at the ready no matter the situation. Although he's one of the best Summoners in Europe, he has yet to make a name for himself internationally.

Vulcan

Veteran Summoner and highly skilled support, Vulcan helps to lead the way for his young teammates in EG. He fights by controlling water, and, on very rare occasions, using his unnaturally long tongue. (Demonic deals have their side effects.)

Jankos

Although he's a world-class jungler, Jankos is best known for his tendencies to scream, make jokes, miss spears and flirt with his teammates. Famously lost to Canyon despite sharing the same powers and having beaten him last year. He works hard to lead his team to victory, one "zoning" spear at a time.

Rekkles

Handsome and outgoing, Rekkles is the golden boy of the European league—which makes it a surprise that he was rejected from all ten major guilds in 2022. He fought for Fnatic for nearly seven years before joining G2. Despite the high hopes for the new G2, he and his team ended up at the rank corresponding to his favorite number: fourth.

Biofrost

After TSM 2020's run on the Summoner's Rift ended in tragedy, Biofrost was thought to be dead. Although Bjergsen soon returned from death, it would take much longer for Biofrost to reappear in the land of the living. No one knows where he was, exactly, but there's new shadows to weigh him down no matter how bright his light shines.

Faker

Known as the Unkillable Demon King, Faker's very presence is enough to shake the heavens. There are very few people, living or dead, that are capable of matching Faker. He wields shadows like an extension of himself, bringing a swift defeat to his enemies with his razor-sharp blades. Faker is no normal Summoner—with the power accumulated from his three championship wishes, he is the closest thing to a god.

[aryasage]

straining to reach the light

in which i finally got around to finishing that deokdam angst

gooooo read it here (or yk click the big words with the title that works too)

this one's been sitting around for uh. well actually i don't wanna talk about it. life happened. i'm back now. for how long? no idea. we'll see. comments feed my ego and motivation though so if you want me to write more feel free to leave me one (or don't. you can make me cry too that's fine)

ruination might be over but the pain sure isn't :)

[aryasage]

what's that? a finished fic? in ppau? MORE LIKELY THAN YOU THINK

@livikattt and aryasage are proud to present we’ll take up arms, we’ll make amends here, a fic detailing just how much of an idiot scout is (you know, in case you didn't know that already), and how he makes up for it, featuring showmaker and meiko, crack, and fluff! (in more ways than one)

thank you as always to liv for writing with me <3

[spiritblossoming]

correct quote found in dms with arya

deft: g2 lost their jungler

canyon: im ngl that might be a good thing for them

sm: no no they dropped jankos already he means the new guy

canyon:

canyon: oh damn that sucks

[spiritblossoming]

those you left behind

greetings fools. i have emerged from my prison of negative motivation thanks to the help of a certain someone. anyway

@aryasage and livikattt are proud to present those you left behind, a fic about keria and meiko (and deft) that came from arya's incredible ideas as always. this time we have zero pov switching. incredible!

thanks arya for doing this with me! or. well. you were the one who got me to do this. and continued to get me to do this. because i am a slug and cannot write consistently without help. so thank u :)

[aryasage]

hi yes hello i am in fact alive

and have things for you to read!

nothing really breaks if i got you is the aftermath of worlds 2021, but from the losers' perspective. specifically, showmaker's. mainly an excuse to make liv suffer. i mean, really…what's a better gift than Pain? ;)

there's a part of myself i'm missing is set during the ruination. specifically, right after ninbts, where viper is still chilling at dk base and an old friend shows up. mostly angst but also some substantial crack as this was a product of liv and my brainrot coming together to create angsty crack as it so often does.

if you're just here for the fics, go read them! that's all you have to know. if you'd like an update on other stuff, you can keep reading.

i have…many wips, in various stages of completion. they're all coming at some point! i can promise that. what i can't promise you is…any sort of schedule. writing has been harder for me recently, but i've been doing my best to find my motivation again. you can look forward to a few more ruination-adjacent fics now that that saga is over, featuring a few characters that haven't gotten much attention. plus jisheng! everyone loves jisheng

there will also be some unrelated fics that have just been sitting around for a while that i'd like to finish, so those are coming at some point too

anyway, if you're still here, thanks for sticking around. i really do appreciate all of you and all the support that you give <3

see you soon™

[aryasage]

can i get a uhhhhhh "façades are beautiful–but what happens when they crack?" my god i am so curious

and maybe a "how to intimidate a showmaker 101" if it isn't too bothersome, i would like to know how to intimidate a showmaker too

those titles are certified bangers

btw, big fan of your (and livikattt's, but apparently you're the same entity™) works!!!

façades are beautiful–but what happens when they crack?

heh. for this one, we're going to have to go a while back—to before the first ppau fic was even published. i'm honestly curious how many ppau readers even saw ssash—and looking back on it now, it's certainly not my best work (and wow past tense looks weird) but i do still like some of the lines i got in there. anyway, at the end of ssash, i promised that some mikyx angst would be coming soon. then, by hcihelyd, it had been indefinitely shelved. what happened to it?

well, the most obvious answer is loss of motivation. that's the reason for almost all of my wips staying wips, after all. and it's certainly applicable here, but the more important thing that happened is, well…ppau happened.

i've mentioned before how "pure canon" in rpf can get messy very quickly if you're not careful, and this definitely got messy. i'm not going to go into the specifics of why, but let's just say there was a lot of projection going on, whether intentional or not. it wasn't an au, not really, and i'm not really comfortable writing that, especially not with where it was heading. i didn't really have a plot, either. the only thing resembling a plot was just…well. watching xl get reverse swept to get knocked from worlds contention was incredibly depressing, not to mention the loser's interview miky gave after. but eventually i found a different team to write angst about after their loss, and i'm much more proud of that fic :)

so this is never going to get finished, let alone published, but you can have a bit that didn't age too poorly~

“Hey, at least we’re not Vitality,”  he joked halfheartedly, resulting in a small and hollow laugh from his teammates. The tension was palpable, the heat of the summer air only a small factor of the thickness that permeated the room. No one wanted to be the first to speak up about their complete and utter failure.

how to intimidate a showmaker 101

in a complete tone shift, this one is complete crack. that is, until it switches povs, but i was too lazy to write more than a few paragraphs of that part seeing as i knew i was never going to be able to publish the full thing (thank you for that, lolrpf! i love having to censor everything i write just so it won't be interpreted as shipping), and i also didn't really have a set ending. i had written pretty much everything i planned out~

i do still love it, though. maybe i could change the sensitive part at some point so i can post it here or something. who knows. we'll see.

anyway, as for the actual plot…well. if you read wtua (and if you didn't what are you doing, it's right here), then you might have noticed showmaker mentioning viper putting a knife to his throat the last time scout made him ask viper for help. it's also brought up in dfwydk how showmaker teleported straight to his location and, again, got a blade to his throat. there are also a couple more references in unpublished (for now) things. these are all referring to this…incident.

before showmaker drags scout to jiejie in order to save his life, scout mentions the person who is still talking to him. viper. unfortunately, before he can contact viper himself, he has a sliiight sleep paralysis episode. enter showmaker, who is Definitely Not Concerned At All For Scout's Wellbeing, and who is also being ghosted by scout. as we see in wtua, showmaker's teleportation is…very handy.

here's the most important bit. or, well, the part that i had the most fun writing~

“I asked you a question,” Viper says, stalking towards Showmaker, and gods, speaking of that poison, Showmaker can’t help but recoil at the pain that blossoms in his mind with every word that Viper speaks. He’s all too aware of the gun still trained on his head, but his words are stuck in his throat as he tries to answer Viper.

Viper suddenly moves too quickly for Showmaker to react, and now, as well as a gun digging into his back, there’s a blade at his throat. “I won’t ask it again, Heosu.” The shadows all around the room press in, and though Showmaker knows they’re intangible, he can’t help but feel horribly claustrophobic.

Finally, Showmaker manages to conjure up his magic, frantically throwing out an explanation as quickly as he can. “It’s about Scout!”

Viper’s blade only digs deeper, and Showmaker can feel blood welling up. “What did you do to him?” Viper snarls. It takes all of Showmaker’s willpower not to thrash against the pain from the poison of Viper’s voice and slice his own throat open in the process.

“Nothing, I swear! He needs your help! He said you’d understand,” Showmaker pleads.

“Since when do you care about helping Scout?” Viper spits out. “Last I heard you two weren’t the best of friends.”

it's incredibly self-indulgent, as you can tell, but protective viper is just too much fun. i regret nothing.

we are not the same! but we are two halves of a whole :)

twin shadows, if you will~

but thank you! glad you enjoy them as much as we do, and hope you enjoyed this little sneak peek~

[aryasage]

im screaming why are all your wip titles bangers

ok u asked me for 3 so i see this as justified. gimme "jiejie's fine! for sure!" (u had to know i would ask about that) and "there's a part of myself i'm missing" pls >:D

i will not ask u about cat angst bc i remember it clearly from the time u killed my grandpa

jiejie's fine! for sure!

the title does not quite fit the tone because, well, there are multiple fic ideas on that doc…the first of which corresponds to the title. (and you've seen quite literally all that was written for that first fic before i realised i had no actual Plot and gave up)

so the real fic on this doc is still jiejie getting hurt. bc ofc. but maybe not quite in that…denial vibe. it's the story of how when jiejie says he killed a wyrm solo at seventeen, he's not lying. but he's maybe not telling the full story. and yes, this is why meiko and viper snicker when spica brings it up in raftf. there's not much written seeing as i am far better at thinking of stories than actually writing them down, but here you go :)

Has Jiejie mentioned how much he hates Devourers yet?

The spikes they constantly make the ground erupt with are annoying enough, but the shrieks that they make—the petrifying screams that make him freeze, even for a split second—Jiejie would do anything to not have to endure those ever again. 

(Well, not anything; if he's going to be a Summoner, he's going to have to be able to fight any kind of Void creature, but still. They're annoying. More than just annoying, really, but he's not going to admit that to himself, let alone to anyone else.)

there's a part of myself i'm missing

in which viper realises he's been inadvertently handing over a massive advantage to the ruined summoners thanks to a gift from meiko that he's gotten so used to he forgot he always has it with him. and since it's me, hurt/comfort ensues

(ft scout and showmaker and some more damwon summoners because self-restraint is a long-forgotten myth)

“Scout,” Viper says in a low voice, trying and failing to keep it steady. “Scout, this is a tracker. That—that Meiko has access to.”

Scout pales. “You couldn’t have thought of that before?”

“I’m sorry. I…I didn’t think of it. Not until you brought it up,” Viper says quietly. 

“Besides, you’re one to talk about not thinking of things, Scout,” Showmaker interjects.

Scout shoots a withering glare at Showmaker that is only met with a satisfied smirk. “I swear to the gods, Showmaker…”

Showmaker’s grin only widens, and with a huff, Scout turns back to Viper. “Viper, you need to take it off. If he can track our every move—” Scout shudders. “You know what he can do with even the slightest bit of information. We might as well be handing over all our plans,” Scout says.

i'm glad you like the titles i have a lot of fun naming them hehe

and i would HOPE you would remember but i did NO SUCH THING this is SLANDER. LIBEL, IF YOU WILL. LIES. DECEIT.

[spiritblossoming]

snippet from absolute brainrot hell

users aryasage and space-axolotl may have their fancy dark modes but I sure as hell don't. anyway here's something I'm writing for SOME REASON because my brain refuses to focus on writing things I tell it to. welcome to McDonald's fic... part 2. [electric boogaloo] [McDonald's sold separately]

Showmaker is going to lose his mind.  “One day,” he mutters into his hands, rubbing his eyes as if it’ll make the person in front of him go away, “I’m going to kill you.” Like the absolute pain in the ass he is, Scout just shrugs. “If you wanted to kill me, you would have done it already. You’ve had plenty of chances.” He’s not wrong, but Showmaker pulls his head out of his hands to glare at him anyway. “Don’t push your luck,” he says, forcing himself to sit up in his chair. He gives Scout his most unimpressed stare. One hand slips into his pocket to pull out his cards, more out of habit than anything. He’s not actually going to use his Destiny/Gate card to drop Scout in the middle of nowhere (probably), but the idea at least calms him down a little.  “Me? Never,” Scout says with that stupid grin still on his face. As if he isn’t constantly living by the motto fuck around and find out. As if he’s not on the brink of dying from sleep deprivation again. Seriously, how does this guy never learn his lesson?

here's my summary of the fic premise:

[spiritblossoming]

wip coping HARD bruh (how could i not, with a name like that?)

HAHA that was written shortly after worlds finals, which I think is a pretty good indication of what it's about before I even say. This is the sequel to mcdonalds fic, except by now, it would be the fourth mcdonalds fic if I were to publish it. which I won't.

“But still,” Scout says, a little more forcefully this time. Hell, there’s so much authority in his tone that even Faker straightens a bit. “You have to be careful what you wish for. Believe me, I would know.”

Showmaker’s jaw drops open. Scout’s bluntness is enough to have Chovy at least somewhat surprised, even if he has zero context. From his spot in the corner, Faker wheezes, throwing his head back to laugh so hard that he hits it on the wall.

Scout watches all of this happen with a familiar kind of growing concern, and for a moment, Showmaker half expects Flandre to appear out of nowhere and kidnap him just like last time. “Okay, why do I get the feeling that my wish is a secret to absolutely nobody?” He glares at Showmaker accusingly.

“I told you, I’m not a snitch,” Showmaker says quickly. “I wouldn’t tell anyone. Except for Canyon, but he doesn’t count.”

“Uh-huh. That totally explains why the greatest Summoner in the world is sitting in the corner laughing his ass off about it.”

basically: zeka hate club (none of them hate zeka but boy are they salty)

(except showmaker who is salty about chovy)

this fic concept is long dead, but fear not! the mcdonalds mid laners may still make an appearance together yet! just not... during ruination station. for obvious reasons.

thanks for the ask!

[spiritblossoming]

I hate it. anyway here's chovy stealth outfit

oh also go read what are you willing to lose for some stupid crack involving 5 korean mid laners... and some angst in later chapters because TONAL DISSONANCE BABYYY

-> delay finishing up a fic chapter because i want to do a little silly fun doodle for it! and maybe i will do the main characters or something for each chapter!

-> make the most god awful terrible atrocious drawing known to man after like 4 hours of grinding til my hand hurts

-> remember at 1am that oh yeah the fic

-> open the drawing file because i forgot what it looked like

-> instant regret