#ryu plays dragon age

[ryuichifoxe]

That first trip to Tevinter together had to be wild.

[lowpolysonic]

the streets of kamurocho are ready to explode...

[dekaja]

FAVORITE GAMES OF 2024

[the-ryuchan]

Beat Dragon Age The Veilguard last night. Cried a lot. Overall the game was good in a lot of ways but also lacking in a lot of ways.

I did have fun and many of my theories were close about the gods and all.

Romanced Lucanis. I adore him and while the romance was a bit one sided at the start, the actual romance scenes were so so good. I love my Antivan crows.

The inquisitor presets really didnt do crap on my game and I feel very let down by that. The inquisitor doesnt say shit about any of her companions and there should be a better way to explain your relationship with Solas. Like if you were at odds OR friends.

Regardless Im doing another run. Got a little elf rogue grey warden who is going for Davrin. He charmed me so hard and my romances for first run was always between him and Lucanis so definitely going for him this time.

[tiredfox64]

Can I ask request a Kuai Liang x reader on the reader also being a pyromancer but always kept it a secret and Kaui Liang finds out about the reader's ability and tries to help teach only for the reader to avoid him out of fear of either being made fun of or accidentally hurting him until Kuai Liang shows his ability to prove the reader otherwise?

A Lighter to a Bonfire

Yip notes: Goodness, I need to show him more love. I was out here working to get dragon crystals to buy him more clothes and I barely make fics for him.

Pairing: Kuai Liang (MK1) x Gn reader

Warnings‼️: FUEGO FUEGO FIRE FIRE

At the young age of five, you discovered something that you thought was a curse. It all started from an incident where your emotions were out of control, resulting in you bursting into a ball of flames. Your parents were horrified. They didn’t know what happened and neither did you. They thought this was an instance of human combustion but you were fine. No burn or scar left behind. That’s not right.

Through research, you found out that there was a long history of pyromancers in your family. It looks like it went on for years before diminishing by the 1900s. Fewer children were being taught how to control their abilities until the practice died out. That was until you had your incident. Looks like it jumped some generations.

Unfortunately, nobody in your family knew how to help. They tried their best to get rid of it but it was no use. Blessings, cleansings, healing, and even chicken blood could not rid you of your destiny. All you could do was adapt. For you, adapting meant staying away from people.

You rarely had friends out of fear of hurting them. You distanced yourself from your family which saddened them. You had to focus on keeping yourself calm to prevent any incidents. You would hate to burn anything, especially if it was something of yours. Some days you would wonder why it had to be you. You cried from the despair of being alone. It was a sacrifice you had to make to keep everyone safe. No one could have helped you.

Or so you thought.

On a random day, you were visited by a man with glowing eyes who said he was the protector of Earthrealm and the god of fire. His name was Liu Kang and for once you felt hope. You thought that god himself would help get rid of this stupid curse. That wasn’t what he came for. Instead, he said he wanted to train you and help you control your pyromancy abilities, just like he helped your ancestors. He informed you that he would bring you to someone who could be of great assistance.  

Though you couldn’t get rid of this ability at least you could learn to control it. You could live a better life now. You can have friends and your family near you without worrying about them getting hurt. You were on board with this. Liu Kang was pleased to see your enthusiasm and said he would bring you to the Shirai Ryu to gain assistance.

This was truly a new beginning for you.

══💤══╡°˖✧🦊✧˖°╞══💤══

There was a spark the moment you met Kuai Liang. Liu Kang never mentioned that he was so handsome. And he was the grandmaster? You’re gonna be assisted by the grandmaster? This was exciting.

Kuai Liang was intrigued by you. All Liu Kang told him was that you were in need of assistance. You needed training and guidance on how to keep your emotions steady. It was important that you didn’t condense your emotions but instead balance them. Kuai Liang initially thought you were some rogue person who had no other purpose in life because Liu Kang didn’t say anything. He didn’t tell him that you were a pyromancer and you were never told that Kuai Liang was one as well. A pretty good one actually.

Maybe it was god playing a practical joke on you. Maybe it was god wanting to let time tell what would happen between you and Kuai Liang. There is really no real reason why Liu Kang didn’t tell you two that you’re both pyromancers. He just wants to play matchmaker.

Kuai Liang found it best to meditate as it’s a great way to stabilize yourself. It quiets the mind and calms your breathing. Plus, it’s an excuse for Kuai Liang to step away from the stress of building a new clan. If he has to deal with another incompetent initiate or losing track of Bi-Han he’s gonna combust and never extinguish.

Your time with Kuai Liang was peaceful. It wasn’t easy in the beginning. You were afraid of being too hopeful and wasting your breath on something that was doomed to fail. You feared that the moment you thought you had control over yourself you would accidentally burn everything around you. Your mind ran wild with these negative thoughts. They’d make your skin all clammy and your chest would burn with the flames that flowed through your veins. Then Kuai Liang would tell you to breathe. Hold it for five seconds then let it out just as slowly. There, don’t you feel better?

Kuai Liang had a lot of patience when it came to you which was almost shocking. He always seemed to be in a rush when it came to everything else. He needed the initiates to better themselves fast. He was in a rush to catch Bi-Han and prevent him from causing any harm to the realms. With you, he acted like he had all the time in the world. You weren’t sure if it was because Liu Kang told him he had to be cautious or if Kuai Liang was doing it out of kindness.

The real answer is that Kuai Liang feels like there is something special about you. He didn’t know what it was but he had a gut feeling you and him weren’t all that different.

You had a feeling too but not the same one he did. He was suspicious, you were straight-up feeling. Who could blame you? You spent most of your life cooped up in an effort to prevent yourself from hurting others. You meet a handsome man who shows you respect and doesn’t fear you in the slightest. Even some of your family feared you for your explosive tendencies. But him, oh no, he looked at you like you were a person and not a ticking bomb. It’s reasonable that you would find comfort in him. Maybe a little bit of affection too.

That’s what makes you scared. You assumed that Kuai Liang doesn’t know you’re a pyromancer since he never brought it up or taught you how to control it. You were afraid to burn the bond you were starting to create with him.

At this point, you two weren’t just meditating together. You would take walks together which were soothing. You two would have conversations while having tea, sometimes inviting Tomas to join. You’d laugh, smile, sulk, and cry, all in front of Kuai Liang. He made you feel wonderful and to hurt him by accident would kill you. You wouldn’t hurt him on purpose of course but the flames that run through you wouldn’t hesitate to burn his skin.

So you try to keep yourself composed, even fearing good emotions would make you flare up. Good or bad it doesn’t matter; any strong emotions could set you ablaze. You know that because you accidentally used your powers while you two meditated.

You just wanted to take a quick peek at Kuai Liang, one wouldn’t hurt. You opened one eye and looked over at Kuai Liang who was kneeling next to you. His face looked peaceful with the way his eyes were closed. You looked down at his chest and saw how it slightly moved with each breath he took in and let out. Don’t forget to take a look at those muscles. You couldn’t help but smile softly at the gorgeous man beside you and feel grateful for what he’s done. Then you felt it. You felt that burning, tingly feeling that spreads across your skin when your powers start acting up. You looked down to see the palms of your hands were on fire like two little bonfires. You gasped without thinking and closed your hands tightly. The flame extinguished for now. It would come back if that feeling in your chest kept swirled. You closed your eyes, not noticing Kuai Liang looking at you, and went back to meditating. You focused on getting rid of that warm feeling in your chest.

He noticed, of course. He saw the black smoke that arose from your hands. The dark color of that smoke could only come from fire. It clicked in his head and that gut feeling made sense. You were a pyromancer, just like him. He didn’t know what to feel. He felt kind of hurt that you hid this from him. It would be unfair to hold this fact against you since Liu Kang didn’t disclose it to him. Then he started to wonder if that was the true reason you needed assistance. It would explain why Liu Kang brought you here instead of the Wu Shi to help with your emotions.

He gets it now but he won’t say anything yet. If it is true, he doesn’t want to disturb your peace. It’s best to finish the meditation session and then confront you.

After you both were done, Kuai Liang was about to ask you something you got up and walked swiftly out of the room. You didn’t give him time to get back on his feet. You held your head low as you slipped into your temporary room. Just like that, it was like how you used to live. Cooped up and too afraid to be near people.

Kuai Liang got up and started walking down the halls. He guessed you would run back into your room. He was there in under a minute and was knocking at your door.

“…yes?” You called back.

“You ran out of the room pretty quickly. Is something wrong?” He asked.

You could tell he knew something was wrong by the tone of his voice. You debated with yourself if telling him the truth would do any good. It’s not that easy to explain you can produce fire.

“I’m just tired. I’ll be fine in a few hours. Don’t worry about me.” You were trying your best to get him to leave you be.

He sighed at your dismissive attitude but what could he expect? You were hiding this for a long time, you clearly don’t want anyone to know. It would be unwise to leave this issue untouched that’s why he needs to discuss this with you. From the looks of it, he could easily mistake you for someone who just discovered their abilities. He has no clue that you have been dealing with this all your life.

“Okay. Be sure to come out for dinner. I want to talk to you once dinner is finished.” And with that, he finally left.

You were left a nervous wreck in your room. You thought all your progress was reversed and you were back to square one. You knew it, you knew this would happen. The moment you got close to someone you started burning up. You flopped face-first onto your bed and groaned out loud. Things are just never easy for you.

══💤══╡°˖✧🦊✧˖°╞══💤══

Great, now Kuai Liang was struggling to catch you.

After he said he wanted to speak with you his mind immediately started working on a plan for you. He wanted you to figure out how to be a pyromancer and he would train you like he was trained. After that, you definitely won’t feel the need to hide your powers.

But you never came. After dinner, you went right back into your room. He came knocking at your door and you ignored him by pretending to be asleep. No matter, he’ll just catch you tomorrow.

…yeah no.

Kuai Liang wasn’t going to force you out of the room. He wants to keep you calm since you were unable to control your abilities. It was frustrating to him that he had no other way to get you out. He tried talking to you through the door but you would either stay quiet or give him short answers.

“I only want to help you.” He yelled through the door.

“I’m fine.”

“I know you need help with your pyroman-“

“I have no idea what you are talking about!”

You’d deny having any pyromancy abilities. You didn’t want him to help you out of fear that he would get hurt. He’d sigh before leaving you alone.

He hates to do this to you but he might have to catch you off guard. You can’t stay cooped up in your room all day. You eventually have to eat. He knows you’ve been sneaking out just to nibble on some snack when you think no one is looking. He knows you’re stuffing your cheeks with tangerines, don’t lie. Nobody eats ten tangerines in one sitting except you.

All he can do is wait for now.

The sun had set and the moon began to rise. All was quiet with the occasional cricket chirping. Right on schedule you were creeping out of your room quietly. You did manage to control your fire a little. You were using your finger as a candle to guide your way around. You were in the kitchen area in under a minute. You grabbed those tangerines like you’ve been starving for days. The lights suddenly flicked on. In your most vulnerable state, you were caught with a bunch of tangerines in your arms and your finger lit. Who was the person who caught you in the act? Why it was the Shirai Ryu’s grandmaster, Kuai Liang.

You curled your finger up and extinguished it by closing your hands. You slowly put the tangerines back like that was the problem here.

“I knew you had pyromancy abilities. Why did you hide it?” He asked.

“I don’t know. I don’t know what you are talking about.”

“Your finger was on fire.” He replied bluntly.

“Just leave this alone please.” You begged.

“I will not. You have to let me help you. I can teach you to control it. Controlling it involves your emotions being stable, yes, but it also involves physical control. You have to control where it goes.”

“No!” You blurted out.

You surprised Kuai Liang. This was the first time you ever raised your voice. It was also nighttime and the deafening silence was interrupted by your plead. You immediately felt bad and decided to tell him the truth. It’s the least you could do.

“I don’t want you to help me because…I don’t want to hurt you. I’m scared of hurting others. That’s why I’ve hidden it all my life. I really like you and I don’t want to end up hurting you because I struggle to keep emotions under control.”

At that moment the skin on your arms began to tingle and your hands started to produce embers. You looked at Kuai Liang who was calm. Even as your hands started to catch fire he didn’t bat an eye. Instead, he walked closer even though you pleaded with him to stay away from you. You backed away from him until your back hit the kitchen counter. You thought you would cry because you were so frustrated with yourself. You were upset with how your life had turned out and now the one good thing you had was about to be ruined. That’s what you thought before Kuai Liang took hold of your wrist and placed his other hand next to yours. You watched as his hand caught fire. It was hotter and brighter than the fire you produced. Little embers from both your hands danced in the air before dying out. You stared in awe at the sight before you.

Kuai Liang was a pyromancer, duh.

“Oh…” The realization was setting in.

“As I said before, I can help you.”

He folded his hand over yours, extinguishing both your flames. He held your hand in his, squeezing it to make sure you got the point that this was real.

“I had absolutely no idea.”

“Now you know. I hope this will help prevent you from running away from me next time.”

Your eyes shifted down in shame. This could have been figured out sooner if you weren’t so afraid. Kuai Liang doesn’t blame you luckily. You thought you were alone in this world. You clearly aren’t.

“I’m sorry.” You apologized.

“I accept your apology. Now that you know I can properly teach you how to control yourself. Soon, you will be a greater pyromancer than me.”

“I don’t think so. I think I’m pretty late with this.” You joked.

“It is never too late. Get some rest. In the morning I will start training you.” Kuai Liang slowly let go of your hand, also hesitant to do so.

It felt like a weight was lifted from your shoulders. You had nothing to fear in the end. You were just being silly at this point. But things will be different now. You have a real chance to get a hold of your life and be better than ever. Maybe you will be just as great as Kuai Liang.

Oh all of this is so exciting you just might—

Fwoosh

Oops, you caught fire again.

Kuai Liang ran back to you and took hold of your hand. You calmed down and the fire that surrounded your body died down. You actually startled Kuai Liang with that.

“Perhaps you should stay in my room for tonight. I need to keep an eye on you.”

Yap notes: Kuai Liang and Guatemala have failed me on the same day. What kind of cruel joke is this. I promise I'm not mad what are you talking about? Also sorry if the first part seems to be different than the second. I started it, wasn’t feeling, and came back to it way later. Yes I did started craving tangerines hella bad how could I not—🍊🦊HEY! HEY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING BACK IN MY DEN?! PAY YOUR RENT! Adiós!

[cantsomeoneelsedoit]

Ch 61: Interest

Shen's desperate to bring down Feng even if he has to sacrifice himself to do it. Since Feng only responds to strength (and certainly not logic!) there's only one way to keep him in check!

And what's up with that bag at Shen's feet? Are those senzu beans? Shen is going to need a powerup if he's gonna defeat Feng!

Feng doesn't have a scratch on him after Andy's attack! He's gonna be trouble for our team of fighters. They'll either have to collaborate to chip away at him and wear him down or take him out in one catastrophic attack, because fighting him in a traditional sense is going to be a mistake.

Before I get too far into the chapter, I want to look at what I *believe* are *some* of the influences for the character of Feng. I certainly don't know Tozuka's mind, and I'm not trying to say that these are 100% intentional, but these are some other characters who remind me of Feng in interesting ways.

1. Tao Pai Pai

Tao Pai Pai (Mercenary Tao) debuted in Dragon Ball chapter 85 as a notorious assassin hired by the Red Ribbon Army to take out Goku. He's ruthless, greedy, arrogant, selfish, uses his braid as a weapon, and even kills someone with his tongue. He's also 291 years old, despite his middle-aged appearance. I don't think there's ever an explanation for how he lived so long. He's just a sage that way, I guess.

There's an anime filler scene where Tao Pai Pai even gets a black cloud like Feng's, though it doesn't last very long.

Tao Pai Pai was visually based on the villain from the Jackie Chan kung-fu movie Snake in the Eagle's Shadow. Take off the mustache, and you'd have someone who looks a bit like Feng (though Feng smiles a lot more than this guy).

But in the end, Tao Pai Pai proves to be a coward and doesn't have anywhere close to the grit, determination, and near-invincibility of Feng. He fights dirty, pretends to surrender, and generally acts like an arrogant dingus. Our Feng would run circles around this scrub. Still, there are parallels between them that I'll point out during his scenes.

2. Feng from The Iceman Cometh

The Iceman Cometh is a 1989 Hong Kong film that's kind of an isekai of its day. It has a villain named Feng who uses a time-travel device. The hero and the villain travel through time to 1989 Kowloon, where the bulk of the film takes place. Spoiler: Kowloon is Feng's last name in UU.

Though both the Feng in the movie and our Feng are excellent fighters, hate-sink villains and snarkers, the "Iceman" Feng is a much, MUCH, more evil character than the UU Feng, and that's saying a lot. You can see how bad he is because of his evil mustache.

3. Feng Wei from Tekken

I haven't played a fighting game in...decades, but I hear that Feng Wei is a hot-tempered Blood Knight who's obsessed with becoming the greatest fighter in the world. He fights in a different style than Feng's Bajiquan, though. As much as Tozuka loves referencing fighting games, I wouldn't be surprised if Feng Wei was an influence.

Honorable mentions:

Akuma/Gouki from Street Fighter, who's obsessed with fighting Ryu at his peak

Younger Toguro from YYH, who would go to great lengths to preserve his strength and youth

Anyway, the character of Feng is heavily based in the Arrogant Kung-Fu Guy who's always looking for a Worthy Opponent, and if he can't find one, he'll create one. He's neglected almost every other aspect of life in pursuit of power and satisfaction, and it seems he'll never be satisfied until he's killed by someone he deems worthy.

Shen and Feng are two different sides to the same coin-- a life dedicated to martial arts can take a dark or light path depending on the motivations of the user, which is a common theme in works about martial arts.

OK, with all that out of the way, let's continue the chapter!

Yeah, you can't just introduce a character like Feng and then not have Andy fight him! Slow down, Fuuko! We've gotta see Feng slug it out with Andy!

Well, that's certainly a strategy!

Feng's staff can transform into nunchucks to adapt to different kinds of fighting situations, just like a good martial artist. It's a versatile weapon that's well-suited to a quick-thinking fighter like Feng.

Being adaptable and able to shift styles and weapons is a major theme in a lot of Bruce Lee flicks, so it's no surprise to see Feng strike Lee's famous taunting pose on the next page.

Andy accepts the invitation so quickly that he steps out of his panel! He attacks with supercharged punches while Fuuko holds on for dear life! But Feng is still just standing there barely moving...

Despite the frenzy of his attack, Andy's thinking strategically about how to bring Feng down. He's not interested in prolonging the battle the way Feng is.

Feng fights with his hands behind his back the way Tao Pai Pai does.

His foot stomp is so powerful that it cracks the UMA's body, like the Earthquake Foot in Kengan Ashura or this scene from Kung Fu Hustle:

Andy is incapacitated by it, too! Shen is way too powerful!

Pretty rich for Feng to be calling someone else arrogant!

Ouch! Poor Andy! Using his wrist and elbow, Feng dislocates both of Andy's shoulders at once.

Feng's figured out Andy's rules before Andy had a chance to test Feng. Andy's strategy was to "keep dying" until he discovered the rules, but if Feng is only going to incapacitate him, then Andy won't be fighting at his full strength.

But but but it could cause osteoarthritis? Or ligament damage? And that could be deadly because... bone spurs? IDK, I'm grasping at straws here. I don't WANT Andy's power to have a loophole! But I suppose if someone has to discover a loophole, it should be Feng. I wonder if Juiz knows about this detail...

Andy attacks again, but Feng blocks with his forearm. Why can't Andy damage him???

Feng attacks with a double-palm strike:

Oh damn, Feng isn't depending on an ability! Everything we've seen has just been his natural fighting power! He looks genuinely surprised that Andy's still standing. Perhaps Andy is a worthy opponent?

Finally, we learn the name of Feng's style! By the way, if you're wondering about the Japanese names of Feng's moves, the UU English translator David Evelyn explained them here!

I would also like to mention Andy's sad shoulders. Utterly heartbreaking. I don't think we've ever seen him slouch like that before! He really looks incapacitated that way, and from Fuuko's expression, it's concerning her, too!

This page, though! I love this simple layout and how much it shows about the battle. Feng's lost his smile, but Andy's grinning now!

Andy's disinterest in being the strongest is curious. If he DID have that ambition, I'd imagine we'd see a lot more conflict between him and Victor. To Feng though, anyone who lacks that ambition is a coward.

Feng punches clean through Andy, likely attempting to take out Fuuko since he knows Andy can heal from something that catastrophic.

Feng taunts Andy for caring about something more than just his own strength and threatens to kill Fuuko in order to make Andy power up. Jeeze, this guy really has only one strategy to motivate people...

WHAT IF I KILL YOUR LOVED ONES?!? THEN WILL YOU BE STRONG?! THEN WILL I BE STRONGER THAN STRONG YOU?!

Best zombie.

"While I've got you here, let me tell you something..."

Feng, of course, has ignored the advantages of working in a team and fighting altruistically.

Shen's been missing for a minute! He comes back in style to stab Feng through Andy, much to Andy's surprise. Feng is delighted to see that Shen's emotion-powered attack was so strong! He's willing to do anything to fuel their rage. Can the Union work together to beat him without losing their cool?

Masterpost

[shinigami-mafia-imagines]

     “Had I known this mission would be so taxing, I would have brought more jerky.” A rattle of a pill bottle echoed through the spacious gallery. “And more iron supplements.” The redhead sighed as he placed the bottle back into his coat pocket. This trip to Fortuna had put quite the strain on him and his supplies, but he wouldn't say he regretted coming along. Not entirely. Being a defender of the public, specifically of children, as well as a victim of a cult, Ryu found himself compelled to help rid the city of whatever was plaguing it. This could have been one and done, Dante had been close to finishing their target off, but that kid just had to come along and play hero. He couldn't entirely blame him for attacking him on sight...Dante did 'assassinate' him during a sermon of all things. He was always one for theatrics, it wasn't out of character at all, but he wished he at least thought this through before committing. Now they were split up and this citadel was nothing short of a giant maze.      At least he found himself in a somewhat familiar setting of an art gallery. No doubts it was an accumulation of the city's history and culture through the ages, something any church would want to keep on display. There were both massive and normal sized paintings, mostly of Sparda(or, rather their interpretation of Sparda) while some drew emphasis to a goat with pure white fur. Sometimes, the goat would be replaced with a winged man, while other paintings seemed to try to mix the two together. It was clear that this character was important in their pantheon, but who it was, he couldn't entirely tell. Regardless, the paintings were wonderful quality and very well taken care of. There was nary a crack or any signs of warping on any of them, which was an amazing feat in and of itself. “It is a shame that we can't take any of these with us. That one there is a particularly fine looking goat man, if I do say so myself. What do you think, Azazel?” He hummed, stopping to admire one of the portraits of this strange character, only to frown as he felt what he could only describe as a distaste for everything in this room. Azazel often couldn't use words, so He just let Ryu feel what He thought instead. “You hate it...Do you know this character?” The demon residing within him was centuries, if not millennia old, so surely He knew who this was especially if He held such a large amount of disgust towards these paintings.      He remained silent, however, and urged the man to keep moving. The redhead tilted his head in wonder before shrugging it off and continued on walking down the grey hall. If He wanted to tell him, He would tell him. There was no need to pry when he shouldn't.      As he walked down the hall, a large pair of doors came into view. There was no placard to tell visitors or observers what was in this room, so it was a complete memory what lay beyond here. “Curious...” He looked to the side and saw a Lion Headed Goddess statue. “Curiouser.” He decided to entertain the statue and presented a hefty amount of red orbs to Her. “You have anything good for me? Jerky or Iron pills perhaps?” He joked, of course he wasn't expecting a response at all from the lovely Goddess, however, the orbs disappeared from his hand and in their place appeared three green stars. Not exactly what he was looking for, but they were helpful nonetheless. “Loaʻa iā ʻoe kaʻu Mahalo.” He bowed his head to Her before placing the stars in his pocket, then placed his hands on the large double doors.      With a heave, the doors creaked open and the sounds of flames could be heard almost immediately. Looking up, Ryu saw a large room with pillars standing symmetrically on each side. And at the far end stood a stone tablet as well as an incredibly large statue of what looked like a dragon with a goat's face and large angelic wings. The anger and disgust Azazel fed him grew more intense, causing the man to nearly wretch at the feeling. He didn't understand, but he soon would as he walked closer to the tablet.                                            'Azazel, Sparda's first Apostle      Thrown from the Heavens above for daring to aid us meager Humans in our time of need, Azazel swore himself to Our Heavenly Father, Sparda. He adored us Humans as if we were His own and died to liberate us from our enslavement. A mighty Wyrm in battle, yet gentle as a Lamb to His flock. May He ever watch over us as Our Heavenly Father does and protect us in our time of need.'      “They...think you're an apostle of Sparda? Did you ever meet Sparda?”      'Viscous Mockery...Sparda...was a comrade...I...Never fought alongside him, but...I did help humans. Before I was trapped...Taught humans...as a way to help his efforts.' Ryu had to admit, he never thought he'd see the day that Azazel was so talkative. Usually He gave him one worded responses or just gave him His emotions. This must have really riled Him up and he could understand why now. Having your memory disgraced and the truth stretched so thin was insulting at best.      “So you were a teacher of sorts. And being thrown out of heaven?”      'Sin...Fell...in love.'      “I don't think it's a sin to fall in love. Sounds to me you were more human than your superiors would have liked.” There was a faint chuckle echoing in his head, another first for his demon companion. Then a resounding 'Dimwits' entered his mind and it was Ryu's turn to chuckle. Little did the two notice that the statues bright red eyes had begun to move, watching the redhead as he talked. It could sense the blood within him, something it wanted so desperately in order to be whole.      There was a faint rumbling by the massive statue, cracks appearing in the wall as it began it's full awakening. It's tail whipped free first, leaving behind the imprint in the wall in order to slam down onto the platform before it. Ryu jumped out of the way of the hulking stone, dusting off his suit as he landed on his feet again. “I was wondering when you would wake up. My blood was boiling the moment I stepped foot in here. What is with churches and statues, anyway? It's like they're trying to impress an ex or something.” He joked as a stream of blood pooled into his hand and turned into a rapier. With a loud growl, the statue broke completely free of it's confines against the wall, leaving a perfect indent behind.      “You...will be what completes me. I...will reign with Our Savior.” It's two front claws dug deep into the marble platform, it's six eyes staring intently at the meager human before it. “And none...will stop me!!” It reeled it's head back as a bright white orb charged up in it's mouth. The redhead dodged out of the way as a beam of pure light hit the ground. He hid behind one of the many pillars as the statue craned it's neck upward to try and catch him.      “So what's the weakness? I assume it has something to do with all those spears sticking out of it. Or how about that big blue crack on it's chest?” Peaking from behind the pillar, Ryu tried to give Azazel the best look at the creature before either made any attack plans. It would just lead to an early death if they dashed into battle all willy-nilly, after all.      'Crack...source of power...sense...concentrated energy...from there. Weapons...should help...'      “Attack it with it's own design...how poetic.”      “You cannot hide from me!!” Swiping it's massive claw across the arena, Ryu again dashed out of his hiding spot to get somewhere safer, though at the rate this thing was raging, he wouldn't have much place else to go soon. He ran towards it, keeping an eye on it's other claw and head as he did, and lifted his sword into a stabbing position.      “Let's see what this does for you, hm?” Before he could reach the crack, however, the other claw came down on him. Thinking quickly, Ryu jabbed his blood sword into one of the seams on the statue's hand, causing something to drip out of it and trickle onto his face. “Blood?”      'Not...demon...' It was such a sickly orange and black color, like it was an amalgamation of man made and something rotted. Azazel couldn't feed from this and if He tried, who knew what it would do to Him and His host. With the decision made to not experiment with this fluid, the redhead sliced through the seam with ease, severing whatever connective tissue lay beneath the stone facade. The creature screamed as it's claw fell limp and lost strength, causing it to tumble as it tried to catch itself with it's other hand.      “It even smells rotten.” He coughed out as he tried to clean his face of the fluid to no avail. The creature's wings stretched open and with a powerful flap it was able to keep itself steady in the air while a gust kicked up around the room. The man kept himself steady on his feet as he tried to keep an eye on it's movements, but there was a lot more dust in this arena than he expected there to be.      “How...dare you harm me!!” The creature roared once more before rearing it's tail up and spun, causing it to sweep across the room with breakneck speed. Azazel tried to warn His companion, but even He was too late on the draw. The stone slammed into Ryu's body, knocking him into the nearby wall. He coughed violently as he landed, blood sputtering from his lips as he did. His own blood. He cursed his body, but thanked his companion for at least cushioning the blow with His own blood just above all the sensitive bits and bobs. The attack could have easily shattered his ribcage and even broke his spine without His aid. It still hurt, though.      Pulling out one of the green stars, Ryu crushed it in his hand and immediately he could feel himself able to breathe easily again. “Alright...okay...New strategy.” He coughed again and stumbled slightly as he stood back up, only to glare confidently back at the dragon-goat creature. “It's not so fair that you're able to fly, now is it? What say we level the playing field?” There was a low growl rumbling in his throat as blood seeped across his body, only to suddenly harden into crystalline plate armor. On his back, two large demonic wings stretched out, while large horns appeared at his hairline and smaller horns dotted beneath his eyes. With a powerful pump of his blood wings, he was airborne and flew to the statue with ease. “You aren't allowed to use this anymore.” Making a sharp turn, he dug his sword into a seam on the creature's one good arm and sliced through with ease. It screamed once more and tried to follow him upward only to wince and roar as it felt the spears and swords embedded into it's stony flesh be ripped out.      Another scream echoed into the arena as Ryu plunged the plundered weapons into the large blue crack in it's chest and with a spin and a pump of his wings, he moved out of the way before it could bring it's maw down upon him. “Get it out! Get it out!!” The creature was panicking as it tried to clear the stuck weapons away from it's weak spot with it's useless hands, only for it to scream again as it felt more of the weapons being torn from it's back and neck. It flailed it's head around, charging another beam of light and just letting the stream go wherever it desired in it's panic. “I will not be undone! I cannot be undone! I am Azazel, the first Apostle! You will bow to me!” It's voice stopped short as another sword was plunged into the large blue crystal, it's body hovering for but a moment in the silence of the air. “You are not Azazel. The Azazel I know was wronged in more ways than I can count. His love of humans far outmatches your own. So be quiet and die peacefully.”      Ryu kicked back away from the statue, letting it fall unceremoniously to the ground. It's wings fell limp and it's mouth hung open as if it were truly alive once. Landing back on the ground, the redhead couldn't contain another round of coughing. His lungs hurt and he felt even more tired than he had before. But the fight was over and another demon was kept from wreaking havoc upon Fortuna. He was at least grateful for that. The armor that adorned him shattered and turned to dust in the wind. The fight was done, it was no longer needed. He pulled out his bottle of iron supplements and quickly downed a pill or two the best he could without a drink. The recoil from this fight wasn't going to be pretty and he knew he needed to try and ease it as much as he could.      “I...will not be...undone...” A woman's feeble voice echoed in the now deathly silent room, a squelching noise following after. The redhead froze up as did his blood. The voice was all too familiar. “I will rise...I will reign with Our Savior...” Walking quickly, Ryu leapt over the large stone arm and beheld what was coming out of the blue crystal. “We will be all powerful...we will rule this feeble world...lead it...to salvation...” The figure was near unrecognizable, her skin was so slimy, so unnaturally colored, and her body was so thin. How long had she been in this statue? Since he was a child? Since his escape?      “Himari!” The woman stopped trying to crawl and looked towards the boy that she once ruled over. Her eyes, in all their unnatural appearance, still caused his blood to boil and his arms to ache. All the agony, all the screaming, all the pain...Even after 27 years, it was still so fresh in his mind. He didn't know how she escaped his rampage, perhaps she had hid like she normally would if anything dangerous seemed to be happening, perhaps she ran before the final experiment, he didn't know. But it was clear now what had become of her, this sorry excuse for a human turned horrifying experiment herself. All for what? Power? Fame? Glory? He didn't know. He didn't want to know. He stepped closer to her, her eyes following him with something akin to fear...or possible hatred.      “You...have all this...you...should thank--” She was unable to finish her sentence as he plunged his rapier straight into her forehead.      “Rest. Heal. E ʻae i ka honua e hoʻihoʻi iā ʻoe.” He could only offer a short prayer to the woman before ripping his blade from her.      There was a long silence as he made his exit of the gallery and found his way back towards the city. Azazel could feel all the conflicting feelings within His host, and while He could say for certain He was glad the final string to his past was cut, He did not know if He could say the same for him. 'Heal...Happy...'      “It's so weird...isn't it? That I pity that woman instead of feel immense satisfaction of her fate?” The demon hummed in thought before the feeling of His blood squeezing in certain places came over the man. Ryu smiled if only slightly. It was His form of a hug, the best He could give to him. He patted his own shoulder and nodded.      'Normal...Normal...'      “Thank you, my friend.”      Stumbling again, Ryu could feel the affects of the battle starting to take it's toll on his body. The Vitality Stars could only do so much, they were more like a cup of coffee than anything. What he needed was actual meat or even blood to replenish him. Something he had neither of. Before he felt himself hit the ground, a hand grabbed his arm to keep him upright and steady. “Whoa there, what happened to you? You're paler than a sheet.” Looking back, the redhead smiled at the familiar presence of his business partner.      “What of you? You look like you went a few rounds with a rose bush.”      “Long story. Here.”      “Hey...there's no need.” Dante lifted Ryu up into his arms with ease. He always seemed to handle him like he was lighter than a feather. And he supposed he was to him, he did have inhuman strength, after all. But still, this was on the more embarrassing side, being carried around like a fragile flower, which he insisted he wasn't. “How's the kid doing?” He conceded at least, and instead put the focus on Nero, the one anomaly in this city.      “Oh you know, bein' cocky, got himself trapped in a statue, gettin' cozy with that demon hand of his. But he made it farther than I expected him to. Might just even let him keep the Yamato.” He raised a brow when he heard Ryu chuckling.      “You must have a lot of confidence in him to let him keep it. Didn't think you had a soft spot for kids.”      “Ehh just this one. If you could see him fight, you'd understand. This looks like a good spot.”      Walking over to an alley, nicely tucked away from the hubbub going on around them, the man set Ryu down to rest and regain his strength. “You stay here, got that? Don't even think about following after me until you're done being exhausted.” He dug into his pocket and pulled out a bag of jerky which immediately made the redhead perk up. “Just have the whole bag. Don't fall too far behind, Ryu.” He ran his thumb over his cheek before standing straight up again and walking off.      Ryu wasted no time getting to his jerky, chewing and gulping like an animal the entire time. 'Sin...Do you...love him...?' Ryu stopped chewing for a moment to process what Azazel had asked him before a gentle smile adorned his face.      “I probably have since the first time we met. Why do you ask?”      'You are...Happy...Warm...With him.'      “Does it feel familiar? Like with the one you loved?”      'Yes...Very...'

[therealmofamorus]

My Mood

General AU(S): Fusion AU, Crossover AU

Original Male Stud AU: Prehistoric Age AU, Domestic AU, Childhood Friend AU, Fantasy World: Isekai AU + Overlord AU, Farmer AU, Cyberpunk AU, Mercenary AU, Bimbo Maker AU, Free Use AU, Magical Girl AU

Alpha Male Stud AU: Prehistoric Age AU, Domestic AU, Childhood Friend AU, Fantasy World: Isekai AU + Overlord AU, Farmer AU, Cyberpunk AU, Mercenary AU, Bimbo Maker AU, Free Use AU, Magical Girl AU

General Moods: Breeding, Pet Play, Semi-Dark Ask/Prompt, Erotic Fun

Muses:

Male: Makoto Naegi, Ryu, Terry Bogard, David Martinez, Tryndamere the Barbarian King, Robb Stark, M!Commander Shepard, Tony Stark/Iron Man, Bruce Wayne/Batman, Shaggy Roger

Female: Fate Grand Order, RWBY, Dragon Ball Franchise, Youkoso! Sukebe Elf no Mori e?, DC Comic, Marvel Comic, Camp Half-Blood Series, Danganronpa, Kim Possible, Cyberpunk 2077

Meme: NTR Letter, Age of the Barbarian AU Prompt, Smash or Pass Meme, Wet Dream Meme, Willing Pet Meme, Pornhub Meme, SMB Meme, The Need to Breed Meme, Hentai Porn Logic Meme, Nude Pic Meme, Burst Energy Drink Meme

[lightdancer1]

A snippet from my upcoming Ryu-verse AU:

"You know the funny thing, Princess?"

Jiren gritted her teeth and merely focused on her device, one of her newer weapons, one of the things that drew the gaze of the Major. It was one of the things that really ground her gears, here. In pursuit of an errant being even worse off than she was, to put her out of her misery. Artificial firebending in the palm of her hands. Things to topple cities and level thrones.....and she was in the hands, Gods rot her soul, of the kind of child she should be yelling at to get back to school when she was skipping class.

"It's a right silly old world isn't it?" Her grin had a roguish quality.

"Here you are, a monster condemned because you did the right thing. Here I am a hero for doing so much worse, for knowing all too well what it is for human flesh to burn, and to enjoy the burning. I do it in uniform and I'm a hero. You do it as a kid my age, and you're a monster."

Jiren's eyes flashed with malice and then the smile became much nastier and the soldier took a step to her.

"Go ahead, Princess. Try it."

Jiren scowled and then finished her artificial firebending device, the fiftieth of its kind. These were weapons to lay low armies. With that done they turned their eyes to the east, to the colossal walls. Major Hoelun's smile became much nastier and for just a moment there was a more than faint hint of a chill crawling along her spine.

"You and I have never really had the chance to play this game."

The soldier jerked her thumb and then Jiren stared dumbfounded at the clothes in front of her.

"I hate dresses, and robes. I really, really do. Too girly." The major had a truly aristocratic sneer on her face at that.

"But what great ordus cannot take from the start by force can be taken by finesse. It's a wonder so august a figure as the General-Prince never sought to try it, but then he made his reputation by being a bull-dog that grabbed and choked and chewed. No consideration for finer points."

She turned her gaze to the Princess.

"And somewhere in there, there's that weapon, or so they called her. The little girl honed into something that was never going to work. Stupidest idea possible, really."

In the wake of saying that Major Hoelun drew a blade, finely honed, and moved it in a few quick motions and then pointed it toward Jiren.

"This is a weapon. A thing made by human hands for the sake of stabbing and thrusting, hewing flesh and shattering bones. A girl, like your dear cousin?"

The Major's laugh was a cold, more than a little sinister one.

"Or like that damned Kyoshi Warrior troop I ambushed...."

She shook her head.

"One of them got away, you know. Shot her in the back with a lightning bolt because she pissed me off by doing that. Well, tried to. I think I missed just enough she could walk off. They're all there. In the dragon's lair, the city of Thirty Sieges, thanks to illustrious General-Prince Iroh."

Their eyes turned to the city.

"Into the dragon's lair, where the monster dark and cold waits, in waters deep."

The major sheathed the sword.

And then her gaze turned with an equally harsh look to two bedraggled girls whose groans as they held their feet showed that they were anything but used to this kind of life, something Jiren registered with contempt. The major saw this and then her smile became something truly morbid, something that made Jiren freeze.

"Want to know why those two are here?"

She went over to Princess Jiren, sitting beside her, and told Jiren the full contours of the most horrifying story that hadn't happened to her that she'd heard to that point, and as she spoke more details Jiren's gaze flickered in growing comprehension and with that hate deepening.

"Of course, you see, they did get a little too used to making dolls out of actual humans. Tried that with me."

A nasty belly laugh followed.

"And their punishment has been to be stuck with us. They go in with us and bring the weapon back, this flawed idiotic dream of a dead Fire Lord, make up for the failure. Or they don't come back at all."

Jiren did a double-take for a moment, and the Major saw that.

"You tea-drinkers have such a soft life and such pampered ideals. The light we've brought to the world is their villages burned, their lives laid waste. Civilization has suffered unimaginable horrors because of Sozin's great vision. We dress it up pretty and turn massacres into sterling victories against impossible odds, our heroes tearing down vile terrorists."

She shook her head.

"Welcome to the war, Princess."

And then the Major's gaze was one more calculating as her fingers tapped against her cheek.

"I wonder, if I were to do what the General-Prince could not and capture the very citadel of the Earth Kingdom, perhaps the Fire Nation's youngest major would be its youngest general."

Jiren did one more double-take.

"You-you want to-"

Hoelun grinned at her.

"General Ishii is dead, and General Dirlwa's given his approval. We will be the keys to turn the lock, and as we are here the Marauder Army will follow. The keys to turn the lock, the doors open....."

And then she looked to the city and Jiren could imagine the faint smell of smoke and scorched human flesh "and Sozin's light reaches here to cast out the shadows."

[the-unending-journey]

WoL Profile - Kiyo

Name: Kiyo Himemitsu de Haillenarte

Age: Mid/late 20's

Nameday: 15th Sun of the Second Astral Moon

Race: Au Ra (Raen)

Height: 4'9"

Gender: Cis Female

Sexuality: Disaster Bisexual

Patron Deity: Halone (with a little of the kami on the side)

Alignment: Neutral Good

Birthplace: Some island out on the Ruby Sea, Othard

Current Residence: Ishgard

Family: Mother (adoptive), older brother, two older sisters (adoptive) and all of the Haillenartes (adoptive)

Occupation: Traveling healer, warrior of light (reluctant)

Voice Claim - Eden Riegel (mainly as her roles of Sumia from FE: Awakening/Heroes and Popola from the Nier series)

Basic Personality

Positive: kind, supportive, affectionate, protective, curious

Negative: self-destructive, evasive, anxious, insecure, withdrawn

With a love for adventure and always willing to extend a gentle hand to those in need, Kiyo is certainly a great friend to have. Though, if one were able to manage to pull back the walls around her, they'd find she's a rather lonely soul with a heart that bleeds entirely too much for her own good

Likes: romantic stories, sweets, listening to other adventurers' tales, dancing, listening to bards play, swimming, weaving, exploring, helping people in the Brume

Dislikes: the Garlean Empire, her various family members' recklessness, liars, innocents being hurt, insects, her tail or horns being grabbed

Basic History

Kiyo was born in a little island town tucked away out on the Ruby Sea, and she would have been born into a peaceful life, but fate had other plans. Since the town's leader refused to have dealings with the Confederacy (not wanting to be beholden to anyone), it caused the place to be a prime target for a contingent of Garleans that came across it on fateful day

The few townsfolk that were actually able to fight, including Kiyo's father, sadly lost against the much more prepared soldiers and the town was crushed under their rule for a time. The people of the town could do little but comply with their captors as their home was used as a means to supply more soldiers and resources to the enemy. After Kiyo's brother was taken and forcibly added into their ranks like many other young men in the town, the siblings' mother set an incredibly risky plan in motion

Unfortunately, the plan didn't go as it was supposed to, and it resulted in the religious sect that Kiyo's mother still ran in secret to be weeded out and slaughtered by the soldiers that found them. The sheer trauma from witnessing this event as she hid is what caused her to develop mutism for the majority of her life

Kiyo thought her life was over after losing what she thought was the last of her family and support, but thankfully her brother had returned after escaping the confines of his forced conscription. Secreting himself and his baby sister away one night on one of the few merchant vessels allowed to pass through freely, the siblings sought their freedom far from the Ruby Sea and Othard itself.

After a lot of traveling by various means, the pair unfortunately had to stop their journey in the Dravanian Forelands; more specifically, Tailfeather. Thankfully the hunters there were kind enough to help the pair of them survive the wilds there and didn't ask any questions about why these strangers had draconic features. That was mostly due in part to a kindly old merchant that actually met a few Au Ra in his travels. Said merchant felt for these lost souls, especially for little Kiyo, and got in touch with his wife about taking them in.

Kiyo and Ryu's lives took a turn for the better, as the man's wife ended up being part of one of Ishgard's High Houses, and she adopted the pair in a heartbeat. While she did have to secret them into the city and keep them hidden for a time due to closely resembling the dragons the city was at war with, Lucinne gave the siblings a second chance at life

Growing up in Ishgard was tough, even despite being part of the nobility, but Kiyo powered through and eventually began her journey as a holy woman under Halone's will and a healer. Then one day she discovered she was one of Hydaelyn's chosen and her simple life was forever changed since then

Random facts

Kiyo is selectively mute and really only speaks to those she's closest to

She has entirely too much aether for one person to have and it's aspected to water. Because of the nature of it, she can easily get sick if she has to travel a considerable distance with aetherytes. City traveling is fine though

Has a pet Gaelicat that she found injured as a kitten, which she nursed back to health and the little guy has been with her since

Also took in a stray cat she found wandering about Kugane one day

Loves cataloguing the various medicinal plants she comes across in her herb gathering ventures. She has a well-worn book that she's handwritten and drawn herself with the recordings

[ryuichifoxe]

Had to sketch the official Lucanis because I fell for this man back in 2020

[goyountokki]

Go Younjung, "My growth standard is myself in previous works! I felt the 'fun of acting' through <Moving>"

Interview by reporter Moon Ji-Yeon from Sports Chosun | 2024.09.10

Actress Go Younjung (28) has a pretty face, a cheerful charm, and a refreshing look that makes you feel like you are watching an elementary school student.

Go Younjung won the Best New Actress Award at the 3rd Blue Dragon Series Awards (BSA) for her role as Jang Huisoo in the Disney+ original series <Moving> (written by Kang Full and directed by Park Inje). Jang Huisoo is a superhuman with regenerative powers and a college entrance exam taker. Go Younjung received praise for perfectly portraying the character as a 19-year-old high school student at the age of 25. In particular, the 17-on-1 fight in the mud and the scene where she runs in the rain received rave reviews from critics.

At the BSA, the meeting between mother Hwang Jihee (played by actress Kwak Sunyoung), father Jang Joowon (played by actor Ryu Seungryong), and daughter Jang Huisoo was deeply moving. The hug scene between the three when Go Younjung was called as the Best New Actress winner also touched the hearts of <Moving> fans. Go Younjung also recalled the warm hug as the highlight of that day.

Go Younjung, whom we met a month after receiving the award, said, "I met senior Kwak Sunyoung during the script reading and met (again) her for the first time at the awards ceremony. When I was filming, I only thought about my mother as the person, but I acted as if I was taking her place in the role. And when the drama came out, I was even more touched when I actually saw the story of Huisoo's mother and father that I had only seen in texts. I realized that Huisoo really resembled her mother a lot and grew up protecting and relying on her father as her mother did. I also got emotional because her father kept his promise to Huisoo's mother that, "I'll raise Huisoo well. Don't worry." Even on the day of the awards ceremony, (when they hug) it felt like my real mother was hugging me. My favorite picture of my father, mother, and I hugging that day was how I felt about the bond between family."

Go Younjung said that the happiest moment on the day of the awards ceremony was "Actually, going to the awards ceremony at that time was amazing? The most memorable moment was, of course, when my name was called. I was so shocked. I was also dumbfounded. Since Lee Jungha had previously won the Best New Actor Award, I thought another actress would receive it (for the best new actress category) and I was thinking, 'Congratulations,' but when I was called, I suddenly thought, 'What do I do?' When I received the award and received hugs of support, I was so touched when I saw a picture of me hugging my mom, dad, Jungha, and senior Han Hyojoo."

As it was a project with many warm hugs, <Moving> also had a special meaning for Go Younjung. She said, "There was something different after filming <Moving>. Since I filmed comfortably with comfortable staff in school uniforms, gym uniforms, and comfortable clothes without hair or makeup, I felt that the set was fun and acting was fun. We filmed for a whole year, starting in the summer and ending in the summer, and I felt camaraderie while sweating. That's why after filming <Moving>, I thought that I wanted to do a project where the process was fun regardless of the outcome. Before, I had some thoughts like 'I hope the drama does well' and 'I want to be in a good drama', but I think the importance of the set being fun and the process being fun has grown. The process has become as important as the outcome, and I think that if the process is enjoyable, I can accept the outcome regardless and not regret it. That's what changed after <Moving>."

Go Younjung's growth has been on a rapid upward curve since <Moving>. Following <Moving>, she will meet global viewers again as the main character of the Netflix original series 'Can This Love Be Tranlated?' written by the Hong sisters. Go Younjung said, "The filming is continuing with fun. Senior Kim Seonho has a similar sense of humor and he tends to put me in praise. He says, 'Your acting was so good. I guess you have a natural talent' and gives me ridiculous compliments. I get trapped there and feel embarrassed, but I also like it. Like the picture of a puppy dancing to praise, when he says, 'Well done, well done', I dance to techno. That's why I act with more confidence, and while fighting over ideas due to my greed for ad-lib, I feel like 'acting is really fun' while filming."

Go Younjung is moving further on stage with the 'Blue Dragon' trophy in her hand. Starting with <He is Psychometric>, she has been active to the point where she has never rested, from <Sweet Home>, <Law School>, and <Alchemy of Souls: Light and Shadow>. Go Younjung said, "I have never rested from a project, so I didn't suddenly get busy. However, as the weight of the role I am given in the project increases, naturally, time is physically limited. However, as the amount increases, there are many things I can do. It's completely 'Lucky Vicky*'," and then smiled, saying, "My standard is always my previous work. I want to improve from my previous work, and it's good because I have a goal of how much more I need to do and what I need to fix. When I get off work at the filming site, I always look at the monitor and try to improve from the previous day. I learn a lot from the monitor. I think the 'Blue Dragon' trophy will remain in my filmography. I can't express how thankful and fortunate I am to receive this rookie award that I can receive once in my life and to continue my acting career.

note : Lucky Vicky is a term used to describe a positive mindset or the habit of assessing all situations from a positive perspective. Lucky Vicky was named after a Korean idol, Jang Wonyoung's english name, Vicky, because this term was originated from her positive way of thinking in every situations.

Read the article here

[jcmarchi]

Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth Is An RPG For Adults Who Don’t Need Everything Taken So Seriously

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/like-a-dragon-infinite-wealth-is-an-rpg-for-adults-who-dont-need-everything-taken-so-seriously/

Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth Is An RPG For Adults Who Don’t Need Everything Taken So Seriously

Blake Hester is hard at work on Game Informer’s full review of the exceptionally long Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, but while he is gathering his final thoughts, I wanted to share my impressions so far.

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth can be deathly serious when it wants to be. A character with a negative first encounter with the game’s protagonist, Ichiban, soon reveals he is in over his head with the local Yakuza and spends time in jail, leading to heartbreaking difficulties with his significant other. Ichiban is sympathetic and builds him up with his unique and often excessive brand of optimism. The moment is well-written and genuinely moving. Those moments (at least in the first 11 hours) are rare and hit hard.

The majority of the game is an absurdist fantasy in a believable (and this time, surprisingly American) setting, and I am learning from my early hours that maybe this is precisely what I want from video games as my real-life age nears Ichiban’s. Riding around the city on a Segway with new friends as we beat up locals who pick fights for nearly no reason is a bizarre joy. After approximately 10 Like a Dragon games (a few of which I have played), the team at Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio has basically perfected the bizarre tone of its series to create an experience that manages to feel grounded when it needs to but silly at every single moment it doesn’t. And it’s exactly the kind of story I want now – a tale of adults in a city just trying unsuccessfully to stay out of trouble.

 Perhaps it’s a product of finally rushing to the end credits of Final Fantasy XVI so that I could dive into Infinite Wealth guilt-free, but I have grown weary of the high-fantasy (and science-fiction) melodrama of the typical RPG. Where Final Fantasy XVI felt like an impression of a video game for adults with its liberal use of profanity, violence, and brooding protagonist, Infinite Wealth feels strangely relatable despite being a game where you have a pet crawfish named Nancy that can help you in battle. Ichiban has to find his lost passport, make friends as an adult, deposit money in a bank, and learn how to establish boundaries and not take on too many benign requests from strangers (a seemingly impossible lesson for him to learn). I aspire to be him not because he’s a badass but because he’s nice and makes everyone feel good about themselves. And all that is happening alongside a turn-based combat system that is fun to watch play out.

These are all lessons we learned about the new face of the Like a Dragon series from Yakuza 7 in 2020, but with Ichiban’s rolled-up pants, sandals, and Hawaiian shirt, he’s more casual and inviting than ever. Infinite Wealth is a game for players with fond memories of the RPG genre who have grown up and are ready for the stakes to be lowered from world-ending calamities to grown-up relationships. The one thing I do wish the game took from Final Fantasy XVI, however, is its Active Time Lore system because I don’t know who all these people are.

[sellbuymusic]

[🎼Playlist] I feel like I'm a Son Goku 🙊 | Martial Arts Fantasy BGM

What comes to your mind when you hear 'Goku'? For me, it's 'Fly, Superboard'! Besides that, there are Dragon Ball, LoL Goku character, God of High School, SEVENTEEN, etc.! It's fun to think differently depending on your age 😄 Let me introduce some Gokus in the order they appeared.

Fly, Superboard Broadcast period - 1990 ~ 2002

‘Fly, Superboard’ is a Korean animation that reinterprets ‘Journey to the West’, with all characters like Jeopalgye(Zhu Bajie) and Sa-oh-jeong(Sha Wujing) being famous! It is said to have dominated the national animation scene by recording the highest audience rating of 42.8% in 1992.

Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z Broadcast period - 1991 ~

Dragon Ball is a Japanese animation that is famous worldwide. It is an animation depicting the adventures of Son Goku with Bulma, Yamcha, Oolong, Puar, and Muten Roshi, in search of the Dragon Balls that grant wishes. Like Fly, Superboard, Dragon Ball also has various famous characters!

League of Legends (LOL) 2011 ~

There's Goku in the game League of Legends (LOL). The 80th character, Goku is an AD warrior champion who mainly plays in the top and jungle lines, also called the monkey champion spinning whirlwind. It's a character that appeared recently in the league!

SEVENTEEN - Son Goku (Super) Released on 2023.04.

Finally, the latest Son Goku is here! SEVENTEEN is a famous male idol group in Korea that debuted in 2015 and has been active since then. Their new song, Son Goku, is inspired by the character 'Son Goku,' who upgrades himself through trials and frustrations! That's why the song feels really powerful.

So today's weekly playlist theme prepared by SellBuyMusic is "Just like it's done, Son Goku 🙊 ㅣ Martial Arts Fantasy BGM"! We've prepared oriental-style martial arts BGM inspired by Son Goku that make your chest swell just by listening. Highly recommended for use in movies, games, battle scenes, or while reading martial arts novels!

https://en.sellbuymusic.com/albumDetail/238

1 The Great Wall (Korean traditional music, Chinese, Oriental style, grand BGM) by 1Tak 2 Past Times of Korea by Silver Line 3 Pyramid by Kim Ki-Rat 4 Autumn Night, and the Wind...(String Ver.) by Matilda Rose 5 Pathos by Oujo 6 King Lear by Myzik 7 Land by WorldMusician 8 Falling Flowers by ddaysound 9 흥 (Rise) by EUNTAEK JUNG 10 Challenger (Bold Determination) by EUNTAEK JUNG 11 Ryu by KUN. 12 Asia Powwow by Kingle 13 Furious Chase (Pursuit) by EUNTAEK JUNG 14 Moonlight by Kingle 15 My Sister and Me by Kingle

Copyright free music library SELLBUYMUSIC allows you to use these songs without worrying about copyright. Subscribe to SELLBUYMUSIC if you want to get a weekly curated weekly playlist.

All of the above songs can be downloaded from SELLBUYMUSIC. Downloaded songs can be used without worrying about copyright, and they can be used to produce videos for YouTube to generate advertising revenue from those videos.

Royalty free background music library SELLBUYMUSIC https://en.sellbuymusic.com/

[trixibebe]

I didn’t know the move could go wrong like this. I was happy about that perfect guard and then this happens. Zhao cannot catch a break.

[reivelation]

literary references in evangelion

toji suzuhara, kensuke aida, and the last name horaki are lifted from characters within ryu murakami's novel ai to gensou no fascism / fascism of love and illusion.

nerv's motto is a quote from pippa passes, a 1841 verse drama.

"God's in his heaven— All's right with the world!

this line is also quoted in anne of the green grables.

"'God's in his heaven, all's right with the world,'" whispered Anne softly.

isao takahata's anime adaptation anne of the green gables also includes a scene similar to the ending scene of the anime series.

the name of episode 26 (the beast that shouted i at the heart of the world) is a reference to the book by harlan ellison, the beast that shouted love at the heart of the world, a collection of short stories. "i" sounds very similar to "ai", meaning love in japanese.

the greek tragedies, oedipus rex and electra which is fairly self-explanatory... i hope... with the show's use of freudian concepts (shinji's oedipus complex and misato's electra complex respectively.)

the human instrumentality project is a reference to the book series by cordwainer smith, instrumentality of mankind.

despite that, the human instrumentality bears a striking resemblance to the plot of Arthur C. Clarke's 1953 novel, childhood's end.

plot synopsis on goodreads:

The Overlords appeared suddenly over every city--intellectually, technologically, and militarily superior to humankind. Benevolent, they made few demands: unify earth, eliminate poverty, and end war. With little rebellion, humankind agreed, and a golden age began.

But at what cost? With the advent of peace, man ceases to strive for creative greatness, and a malaise settles over the human race. To those who resist, it becomes evident that the Overlords have an agenda of their own. As civilization approaches the crossroads, will the Overlords spell the end for humankind . . . or the beginning?

in asuka and kaji's introductory episode asuka strikes, there are four battleships in the UN convoy named after the shakespeare plays titus andronicus, cymbeline, othello and tempest.

in 2.22, kaji says he feels like urashima taro, referencing the japanese legend named after it's titular character, a fisherman named urashima taro. the legend goes that the fisherman rescues a turtle and is rewarded by a visit to the dragon palace where he is entertained for several days but when he returns to the human world, he finds that he had been gone for at least a century and everything around him has now changed. this is a metaphor for how kaji left tokyo-03 for only two years yet feels as though everything around him has now changed.

episode sixteen being titled (there are alternate titles to several evangelion episodes) sickness unto death after the philosopher soren kierkegaard's book of the same name exploring christian existentialism.

speaking of episodes being titled after philosophical works from the victorian era, is the hedgehog's dilemma. originally described in arthur schopenhauer's collection of philosophical reflections, parerga und paralipomena. the hedgehogs dilemma is a theme seen over and over again in evangelion with episode 4 being titled after it.

the title of evangelion 3.0 + 1.0: thrice upon a time references the book with the same title, thrice upon a time by james p. hogan.

It's amazing enough when Murdoch Ross's brilliant grandfather invents a machine that can send messages to itself in the past or the future. But when signals begin to arrive without being sent, Murdoch realizes that every action he takes changes the future that would have been...and that the world he lives in has already been altered!

Then a new message arrives from the future: The world is doomed!

as qmisato pointed out, anno has referenced james p. hogan's works previously as well (nadia: secret of the waters' final episode being titled inheritor of stars referencing hogan's novel inherit the stars)