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redara · 9 months ago

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And Your Voice Was All I Heard

Pairings: Union of Light Bi-Han/Áila Havarôr Ratings: Mature Words: 6.990 TW: depiction and mention of abuse, blood, torture Summary: Post-MK1. Áila realizes the Lin Kuei is steering away from their purpose. She needs to escape the compound and return to Liu Kang in the Wu Shi Academy before the Grandmaster finds out what she's doing, for the price for treachery is death.

A/N: also posted on AO3. Áila is the OC of @tazahan and this fic is based on her work:

The bell rings.

Áila follows her peers – the group of Lin Kuei warriors – rushing to the main hall to attend the call for the urgent meeting. She is dreading the worst; it’s difficult to think of anything positive at this moment, not since the Grandmaster returned, alone and injured, and declared his two brothers as traitors. It’s the hot talk of the barracks; Scorpion and Smoke had defied order; they had attacked Sub-Zero and left him by the outer outpost of the Lin Kuei’s territory. Search parties have been assigned since then, and while it was fruitful, Scorpion and Smoke have fled Arctika.

Then, Sub-Zero suddenly announced that the Lin Kuei will not answer to Fire God Liu Kang or the Wu Shi Academy anymore.

Truth be told, Áila is confused with the whole ordeal. A part of her is telling her to trust the Grandmaster, yet deep inside she knows there is more to the story than what has been told. There must be a greater reason why Scorpion and Smoke forsook their oath and left the clan – either there is one reason, or she is still in denial, like any other Lin Kuei.

The main hall is already full of neatly lined warriors; Áila falls into formation, scanning the room. Tension is high, mixing with a variety of emotion – confusion, anger, anxiety, mixing as one. Hushed chatters being exchanged, questioning the reason for their assembly, questioning if it has something to do with the runaway brothers. Until the grand door opens, and the hall falls silent.

Walking into the room is the Grandmaster himself, dressed in his usual blue uniform. The lack of yellow and gray warriors who’d tail behind him is a new sight, one that makes Áila’s heart clench. Instead, there is a trail of ice following his footsteps, crackling, disappearing after a second. The torches of the hall sways as he comes in proximity. He takes his stand and looks down at his warriors; anger flashes in his usually stern gaze in the form of the warm fiery lights of the hall; the hardened feature of his face lets it be known how serious he is tonight, that whatever he is about to say will be of the utmost importance.

“I shall keep this brief,” he opens, his deep voice cuts the silence with such authority, echoing against the stone walls, “for as I am speaking, the two traitors have settled in Japan and built a clan to fight against ours. Carve this name in your mind: The Shirai Ryu; for mercy shall not be given to them or their allies.”

Sub-Zero paces slowly. “For centuries, the Lin Kuei have stood loyally by Earthrealm; our ancestors have kept the peace and protected the masses without recognition. We have stood, leashed to ridiculous rules set by Liu Kang, for no reason but to hold us back. You,” he waves his hand in a general direction, startling a line of warriors, “have trained and learned all your lives. Yet when the time calls, you have witnessed Liu Kang picking unworthy fighters to be tested against your might – a test of which you must fail. You have witnessed your brethren be sent off to fight by the demand of the Fire God; how little the number of those who returned, and our name remains unseen in the grand history of the world.

“Centuries of hard work, dedication, and loyalty… Would you like to know what the other Realms call us?”

His nose scrunches up in disgust as he continues.

“‘Liu Kang’s lapdogs’.”

The deafening silence is replaced by a cacophony of gasps. The tension breaks into a unified anger and hushed protest. Áila tries to remain composed – no, no, it’s not true… Liu Kang trusts the Lin Kuei, in fact, he talks of them highly. There is no way he would let anyone belittle the Lin Kuei.

But the Grandmaster carries on, collecting the newfound disappointment of his Lin Kuei warriors towards the Fire God, “No more shall our name be wiped from history. I vowed to you that we shall be known throughout the Realms. A clan – a nation – of which others will fear and respect –”

What is happening? No, no, this is not –

“Never again shall we be shackled by Liu Kang and his tyranny. We shall stand on our own, not for Liu Kang, not for Earthrealm –”

Áila internally begs the Grandmaster to stop. This is madness… He is declaring war against Liu Kang and Earthrealm – against his own brothers!

He clenches his fist and raises it high, “For the Lin Kuei!”

Áila watches helplessly as fists are raised in the air – the decision has been made, the future of the Lin Kuei has been set – and her heart begs her to scream, only capable of hearing the warriors all around her chanting out their loyal reply to their Grandmaster.

“For the Lin Kuei!”

***

With each passing day, the Lin Kuei begin to undergo plenty of changes. For one, the Engineering Department is more active than usual; the sound of metals and tools screeches out of their workshop, day and night; tons of materials being sent in, raising curiosity of what they are used for.

Áila grows wary. The lack of information from inside and outside of the compound is making her anxious. She wishes she could contact her father and ask if their clan, the Sól Eldur, is aware of what is happening, but communication with the outside world is very limited. Her guts are telling her to run away, run to the Wu Shi, and join them, but… what if Sub-Zero is right, and Liu Kang has been ruling Earthrealm under his tyranny, and Scorpion and Smoke are truly traitors?

Gods… the need to find the truth on her own is itching her mind. It doesn’t help that this afternoon, a fellow warrior dropped a hint that only makes the itch worse.

“Do not quote me on this, but I think our Grandmaster is building an army,” said the curly warrior to the masked warrior who was sitting across from Áila, “because I saw plenty of body armor in the workshop – not your usual armor, mind you, these are full metal, with cables and tubes, a very complicated design.”

The masked warrior frowned, “You mean he’s building an armored suit for us?”

“No, an army. Mechanized army. Well, granted, I only saw them briefly when I had to deliver some paperworks, but I know what I saw.”

“That is a bit of a stretch. It can be anything –”

“And I might have overheard Sektor talking to Cyrax about needing a new mathematical model for the brain. Come on, why would they need one if they’re making armors?”

So now here Áila is, sneaking into the heavily guarded workshop, internally regretting her decisions by the second. There might not be anything of importance here, and she’s risking her life for nothing, but she knows she has to do at least something; at the very least she should see what Sub-Zero and his engineers are making.

It is eerie. The smell of molten metal lingers in the air, mixing with a hint of rust, of singed materials, and dampness. Áila tiptoes through the hallway, passing a few doors, hiding from security cameras, until she finally reaches the inner workspace, and –

By the Elder Gods….

Tall, skeletal, humanoid creatures made of metal are lining up in the workspace; one is laid on the workbench with an open chest, displaying a mess of cables and tubes and gears. What should be their faces are nothing but a jumble of unfinished circuitry. Approaching warily, Áila can see some sharp blades on another workbench, they are equipped with weapons? But before she can observe them in detail, a voice startles her.

“-- more time, Bi-Han, or would you risk injuries to the Lin Kuei?”

Without missing a beat, Áila slithers towards a stack of crates. She hears footsteps – the unmistakable pace of the Grandmaster, followed by a more hurried one – and soon she can see the owners approaching. Sub-Zero appears first; his maskless face is seemingly stuck in a scowl; Sektor is following behind him as if trying to get him to stop.

“I understand you want the Cybers to be ready soon, but this – all of this – is something beyond our calibers, but, Cyrax’s team is still figuring out the math. It is paramount –”

“-- for everyone’s safety. Have you no other reason to say?” Sub-Zero finally stops, and he looks around the workspace, until he settles on the metallic body on the bench. He heaves a long sigh, tensed shoulders slumping with the motion. “With the days we are losing, we are one step behind the Shirai Ryu, and they are already on our doorstep –”

BANG.

Áila tries not to flinch when Sub-Zero punches the metal workbench with his bare fist, creating a dent and sharp icicles that spread; Sektor takes a step backwards, jaws clenching. Sub-Zero continues, “Kuai Liang keeps sending his dogs to sniff around our borders, and you are giving me nothing but scraps! Are you that incompetent, Sektor, that you cannot make one of these move?!”

Sektor stammers, “I – I – I could, I could, but you have to know –”

“What?! Safety again?!”

“-- they’re deadly. Bi-Han, the Cyber Lin Kuei will be capable of destroying a major city in one night. I need to have the additional math for the safety precaution, it is for your own safety as well –”

Sub-Zero interjects again, but Áila has stopped listening; she uses the opportunity to slip by unannounced, tiptoing deeper into the workshop; the voices of those two men are becoming further. Her mind is racing, still trying to wrap itself around this new revelation. So this is what Sub-Zero wants, freeing the Lin Kuei from ‘tyranny’ to subject others to his tyranny?

Her guts win; she has to leave the Lin Kuei.

She stops in front of a closed door of an office with Cyrax’s name etched on the nameplate. The math, she recalls, I need evidence. Liu Kang should know about this… Cautiously, she opens the door; it swings without a sound; and she is met by the sight of an empty office. Three large monitors are on the wall, displaying numbers and documents with intricate writings.

Áila steps inside and closes the door. Immediately, she rushes for the desk, eyes flicking between monitors. The tech is next level, definitely something custom-made by Cyrax, but the interface shows similarity to what Áila knows – and by the Gods, she intends to make it work.

After so many clicks and navigating the menus, she finally finds the email function. Without bothering to change the account, she types the email address of the only person in Wu Shi Academy who is constantly glued to the phone.

Sender: cy.4d4 To: jcage Subject: SOS Johnny, it’s Áila. I don’t have much time, but if you can read this, please get to Liu Kang ASAP. The Lin Kuei is preparing some kind of a robot army dubbed the Cyber Initiative. It’s not functional yet, and I hope it never will be, but they said it would be able to level a city in a day. Details in attachments. I’m leaving tonight. If I don’t make it to the Wu Shi in a week, you know what happened.

Áila drags a few recent files to the email before sending it. She makes sure to remove it from the ‘Sent’ folder as well to remove the trace.

She should take her leave now, yet she stands still, reading the open documents on the monitor, how most of them can’t be sent through the email due to the size of the files. She tears her eyes from the screen for a moment to scan the desk for some kind of a hard drive or a flash drive, something portable to bring a copy of the documents with her. Just her luck, a red flash drive is sitting by a stack of papers.

Each second that she uses to copy the data into the flash drive raises the level of her anxiety. Only when it is completely full and packed that she pulls it out, and tucks it into her uniform, into her breastband, right under the fold of her ample breasts where she knows it would be safe and hidden. The hard part is done, now it’s time to –

The blaring of alarms sends her jumping in place.

The once quiet hallway is now echoing with the incessant ringing and the footsteps of incoming reinforcements, one of them is the familiar heavy pace of the Grandmaster. Áila bolts for a makeshift exit – a window – where she throws herself against the glass and comes out tumbling onto the snowy ground of the Lin Kuei compound. Without looking back, without acknowledging the ache and the burn from the small scrapes, she takes long strides and runs.

“THERE!”

“GET HER!”

Shoutings of orders. Crunching snow under their soles. The biting wind whistling in Áila’s ears. She manages to cross the courtyard, dodging a handful of guards. The gate is just right ahead, still opened, unguarded –

A net suddenly collides with her side and envelopes her – what is – when it suddenly shocks her is what gets her to fall. Áila can’t react much when her muscles contract and spasm involuntarily, she can only lie on the snowy courtyard, body jerking against her will. The pain begins to form, then the dread takes over when she realizes this is the end; the footsteps are coming closer; the exit is still further away; Sub-Zero’s boots come to her view, colliding with her face – Áila yelps as pain blooms on the bridge of her nose.

“Well done, Cyrax.” His praise comes out under a heavy breath.

“ Hah , I knew that would come in handy.” A tall Lin Kuei appears next to Sub-Zero, wearing a mechanized vambrace. He presses a button, and the shocking stops; Áila pants aloud, feeling light-headed when her muscles are finally relaxing. “Ah? I think I’ve seen her before. The Carrot-Hair woman from the Wu Shi Academy, right?”

Sub-Zero moves the net away – Áila jerks away from his touch – and his icy hand grabs her around the neck, bringing her face closer to him. He rips her mask with another hand, baring her broken and bloody nose to view. “ Tch , Áila Hávarôr. I should have known you’re in league with Liu Kang. Planning a little mutiny on your own, hmm?”

“N-no –” Áila grits her teeth to stop them from chattering.

Cyrax scoffs, “Still has the audacity to lie. I know you sent something from my office, did you think I wouldn’t notice?”

The grip around her neck tightens, “Is that so?”

Áila repeats, “No…”

“Liar.” Sub-Zero lifts her off the ground, rendering her clawing at his vambrace for purchase, as she feels her lungs burning from the lack of air. She tries kicking him, only to be replied by a firmer grip that darkens her vision.

“Aren’t you going to kill her?” She hears the muffled voice of Cyrax.

Sub-Zero chuckles darkly, “A swift death is not what this harlot deserves. But by the time I’m finished with her, she will be begging for it.”

***

Crimson blooms through the tear of Áila’s blue uniform. Clutching her stomach, she hisses, hunching over as she hobbles backwards; her thighs are shaking, trying to stay balanced while standing on the icy floor. Her vision is clouded by the blood that’s streaming down her crown, that no matter how many times she wipes it until her vambrace is drenched, she can’t remove it. The sight of Sub-Zero, blue and red, approaching her again at a rapid speed –

Áila lifts an arm to block whatever attack is coming. Her defense is futile, and her torso is met by the sole of his boot, kicking her backwards until she finally falls again.

Sub-Zero coos in a cynical tone, “Is that all you’re capable of? Pathetic. You dare wearing our uniform and displaying such weakness.”

Áila rolls over, pushing herself off the floor. She can hear him approaching again, and before she knows it, pain shoots up her side from where he suddenly kicks her. He grabs her hair, pulling her off the floor – hurts… she cries out, angry tears blurring out her sight, as he forces her to look at him.

“Not killing Kuai Liang and Tomas when I had the chance was a mistake, one that I don’t intend to repeat. Another traitor shall not be unpunished! Look at me!” He growls, voice ringing aloud in her ears. A snarl replaces his scowl. “A weakling like you is only good for two things: a bed warmer or a training dummy. So tell me, which one is it?”

The coldness in Sub-Zero’s eyes makes Áila wonder if he is truly the man she used to respect. It disgusts her to think she once admired his discipline and leadership. Her stomach turns at the thought that the Lin Kuei see this inhuman cryomancer and still choose to serve him. Is this what Scorpion and Smoke saw? Is this why they left him?

Shaking with rage and fear, Áila chooses not to answer him.

Her silence is taken as disobedience, and though it gives her a sense of victory – seeing his control snaps and he growls in frustration – the moment is short-lived. He lets her go with a hard shove, and in return, he grabs the wrist of her right hand, and twists it to her back.

“AHH!” Áila screams, feeling the stretch of her muscle mixing with the burn of the cuts she earned from his ice dagger. She can feel the tension of her bones warning her of their unnatural position. She tries to move to alleviate the pain, but Sub-Zero keeps her in place.

“Filthy harlot, your Grandmaster asked you a question.” His voice joins her cries, and soon, his ice dagger joins the conversation as well; Áila yawps, hoarse and painfully, as the sharp edge is dragged slowly against her skin, following the length of her arm. Her free hand grips her uniform tightly, trying to channel the pain. Her legs are kicking, thighs spasming.

The blade presses deeper, “No – no, please –”

“Oh? Now you have manners?” Sub-Zero drags the blade higher. The cold burns and numbing, but when it melts, the pain doubles. “Tell me what you want.”

Áila hisses, shaking her head, “S-stop… Sto – Ngh !” Sub-Zero presses his thumb into a fresh cut.

“Mind your place, you lying harlot.”

“Grandmast – Grandmaster, please stop!”

A deep, devilish laugh echoes in the room. “Say you're sorry, and I might consider stopping.”

“I’m sor – I’m sorry!” This time it is not the blade that hurts her the most, it’s the tight grip around her wrist, threatening to twist it. Her whole body shakes with disgust as she cries, “Forgi – forgive me! Please! I won’t – please! AAAH!”

A crack, followed by the numbing pain shooting up her now-broken wrist up to her heavily wounded arm, and Áila knows her fate has been sealed. Sub-Zero finally releases her, and though she can’t see him, she can hear his victorious chortle as he watches her lying on the floor, too scared to move. He turns her around with a kick; now she can see him towering over her, with wisp of cold dancing behind him, freezing the air.

“ That is one. I shall break every single bone in your body, a day at a time, until you can do nothing but wriggle like the worm you are. Only then shall I reunite you with your family,” he crouches down. Áila jolts away when his fingertips meet her neck. He clicks his tongue, “Better fix your expression for the joyous occasion, for your father shall receive your head in a pretty box.”

***

Áila leans against the bar of her prison. Her hoarse breathing is loud in the otherwise empty dungeon. She cradles her hand to her chest, how swollen her broken wrist has become in mere hours. Her strength is dwindling down, and it terrifies her, for she knows when she is awake, she would have to face the same treatment again. There will be no winning against Sub-Zero, especially not in her injured state.

His voice… The threat lingers in her mind that she wants to cry aloud, for she knows he will go through with it. She can’t imagine it, her father opening a box and seeing her severed head. Her heart breaks for the potential future; if the Cyber Initiative has been completed, no one will be safe from the Lin Kuei; she fears even the Earthrealm Champions would have no chance to win against an army of destruction.

Something is poking her chest. At first, she thinks it must be one of her ribs, probably a broken one that she wasn’t aware of. But it’s small, and rectangular – the flash drive.

There is a chance.

Despite feeling ready to keel over, she forces herself to stand up; there is no way she would die in the enemy territory, dressed in the uniform that doesn’t bring her pride; her blood is not Lin Kuei, never has been, never will be. The power of the sun runs in her, the blessings of her ancestors, the Sol Eldur clan; it sings in her heart, guiding her to do what is right. Now, she needs to stay strong a little while longer.

Áila raises her hand over the lock of her cell. The cold metal won’t budge yet . She closes her eyes, and takes a deep breath, so deep that her whole body trembles when her chest expands; the cuts on her torso sting from the action. Her father’s guidance comes to mind.

“Breathe in… And out… Good, do you feel that? There is a heat in your belly, and it expands to your chest. Let it spread, my dear, it’s fine, I promise. The next part is going to be tricky, are you ready? …Very good. Do you remember when we went fishing and you caught your first trophy? Lots of reeling, it was exhausting, right? You wanted to give me the rod because your arms felt like they were about to fall off, but I told you to keep going, because I know you got it. And you did!

Remember how happy you were? Yeah, you do? This is going to be like one of those moments. When you need strength, I want you to remember the good times we had. I want you to remember the things you’ve accomplished by being who you are… That’s it. Oh you feel the energy now? That’s it, my dear, let it take over, it’s going to be alright.”

There is a loud pulse accompanying the beat of her heart. It ebbs and flows like the waves her ancestors used to conquer. It’s warm and light like sitting by a campfire after a long windy day. It overwhelms her senses. At first, she can only see the dark, but it gradually becomes brighter, a glow, like the first ray of sun breaking the night. The more she breathes, the brighter her world has become. The pulse is snapping, ready to burst, ready to lash out like the solar storm against the cold, dark space.

And she lets it.

She cares not what she hears or feels – the cracks of metal, the crumbling of stone, the intense heat against her skin – she feels safe. Her heart tells her to open her eyes, and she does, seeing the bars of her cell bending outwards and the stone floor and walls are partially destroyed, still burning red. Her heart tells her to run, and she bolts, not caring for her injuries or the dungeon she is leaving. Her heart tells her to go one way, and she follows, the cold wind fails to caress her skin.

Her heart tells her not to look back, and she does not, until the ground is replaced by snow, until there is no more light, until the shadows of the trees are merging with the dark night, until it’s only her and moonlight, until the adrenaline has stopped pumping throughout her bloodstream that she begins to feel everything.

Áila inhales the cold air of freedom. The snow reaches up to her knees, seeping into her boots, making her bones ache. She persists, one step at a time, not caring if she is going the wrong way as long as she is going further away from the Lin Kuei compound. If what Sub-Zero said is true, then the Shirai Ryu might still be lingering around the borders of Arctika. She just has to find them.

She doesn’t know if her body is cold because of the snow, or because of the loss of blood and adrenaline; if she is still moving or she is kneeling on the ground; if the darkness is because of the night or because she has closed her eyes. She doesn’t know if she’s hearing the howling of the wind or the wolves or the dogs. She doesn’t know if she is still alive or stuck in a dream; if she opens her eyes, will she still find darkness or the face of Sub-Zero? But she does know the feel of the flash drive pressing against her chest, and it gives her a little bit of hope that whether she is alive or dead by the time the Shirai Ryu find her, the truth will still outlive her.

It’s going to be alright… It’s going to be…

***

The smell of agarwood incense permeating in the air rouses Áila awake. At first, it is faint, and she believes she is dreaming. Then she begins to feel the warmth, how stable it is as if she has been tucked under a blanket and the fireplace is roaring. Her eyelids are fluttering, blurry vision seeing a tall, dark red ceiling, with yellow lanterns hanging. She blinks repeatedly, where am I…?

She hears a movement to her left, and she turns to the source. Someone is moving behind a dark red partition; the sound of mortar and pestle, the clinking of glass, the pour of water, makes her realize that they are brewing something. The smell of a familiar tea assaults her senses, she knows that smell, can already taste it in her mouth – that is Madam Bo’s special brew .

Áila sits up gingerly. There is indeed a blanket covering her body – her bandaged body; someone has taken their time to clean her up and cover each and every cut she has. Her broken wrist is wrapped by a thick bandage and placed in a sling that’s hanging from the ceiling. She looks around the room; there is no mistaking it, this is the Wu Shi Academy. The smell is the same as she remembers. The interiors are what she is familiar with, all of the dark red and gold ornaments, wooden instead of stone. It seems her action had not been in vain; perhaps the Shirai Ryu had found her and taken her here – at least that’s what she hopes had happened, because she can’t feel the flash drive poking her chest anymore, and she hopes it didn’t fall out and be left in Arctika.

The person behind the partition has finished brewing the tea. Áila wants to call for them, wondering if it’s Madam Bo herself, but she chooses to wait. She watches eagerly as the person walks out carrying a tray of teacups and a teapot –

But her eagerness dwindles down upon seeing the light blue uniform. Her heart sinks into the pit of her stomach when she sees his face framed by the same shade of dark brown hair and the loose strands. His eyes meet hers, a genuine surprise, and his mouth moves to speak; the same deep, raspy voice comes out, and all that she can hear is the threat.

“I shall break every single bone in your body, a day at a time, until you can do nothing but wriggle like the worm you are.”

Áila shakes uncontrollably, no, this is not real… This is cruel, a mind game, exposing her to a sense of security only to show how wrong she is. She has to get out – she jumps out of the bed, and her legs immediately give away, causing her to fall right onto the wooden floor. Panic poisons her blood as she hears him making a move, placing the tray on the table, and his heavy footsteps come approaching. She pulls herself to move as well, but his boots are already in her peripheral vision, and she tenses, scrambling, clawing away like a defeated animal. The pain in her wrist jogs her memory, reminding her of the unbearable stretch, and her fear grows tenfold at the possibility of it happening again.

“Please no –” she curls on the floor, head bowing down, forehead kissing the wood, “-- Grandmaster, plea – please – I’m sor – sorry. I’m sorry… I’m –” She hiccups, already feeling too hard to breathe. But she persists, not wanting to take any chances of being seen as disobedient again by Sub-Zero. Her cries come out in desperate huffs of breath. “I beg – I beg of you… Grand – Grandmaster… I’m sorr –” she flinches when he takes a step forward, and already she can tell he is going to grab her by the head again, “ Mercy! Mercy! Please! Mercy!”

The door swings open – he’s bringing the guards – and a large hand makes contact with the back of her head, but the familiar voice is what gets her to look up, “Áila!”

Áila’s eyes are widening upon seeing the face of Liu Kang. This… This can’t – why is he here with Sub-Zero? She suspects foul play, but Liu Kang pulls her up from the floor with such gentleness and warmth, and there is remorse in his eyes, and she knows he is truly the Fire God, and she is safe. She clutches his shirt, her cries come out without restraint; tears can’t stop streaming down her face when he helps her get onto the bed again.

More familiar faces come into the room; Raiden, Johnny, Kung Lao, and Kenshi, the Earthrealm Champions. Following behind them are none other but the yellow and gray-clad warriors. “S-Scorpion? Smoke?” Áila rasps.

“Those are not our titles anymore. You can call us by name.” Kuai Liang scans her from top to toe. His expression hardens, sadness is evident in his eyes. “Did… Did my brother do this to you?”

Áila glances towards the light-blue-clad Sub-Zero in the room; he stands in place as if petrified, as if he is not the Sub-Zero they are talking about right now.

Thankfully, Liu Kang intercepts, “I think it is best for me to explain to you what happened. Everyone, please leave the room for now, give her some space.” One by one, the familiar faces are taking their leave, but not before giving Áila a sympathetic gaze. Sub-Zero, however, remains standing in place, until Liu Kang calls him. “Bi-Han, please, give us a moment.”

“Of course.” Sub-Zero replies without hesitation, even bowing down a bit before he begins to walk away. Áila follows his movement, still wary. He stops at the threshold, and with an expression full of remorse, his eyes meet hers, devoid of cold. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry.”

And he closes the door.

***

“Don’t take it to heart, Bi-Han, it’s not your fault.”

Bi-Han glances at Kuai Liang – not his Kuai Liang, but he shares the same features that remind him of his brother, even the scar. This timeline still gives him whiplash where he is least expecting it. “Generally speaking, it is still my fault.”

“Bi-Han – our Bi-Han – did it, not you. It’s a pity, his obsession has driven him mad; I can’t believe he would stoop this low. Wounding me is one thing, it was a warning, but I should have realized it was only a matter of time before he lashed out on someone else.”

“At least Áila survives.” Tomas tries to sound positive.

“Barely. The scouts found her half-frozen in the tundra. If they were too late, the Sol Eldur would be building her funeral pyre.” Kuai Liang sighs heavily.

Bi-Han frowns, “The Sol Eldur, is that her family?”

“Her clan, yes. The last time I spoke to them, they were fortifying their village in case the Lin Kuei would ambush them first; I’m not sure if her father can come here when his presence is still needed there.” Kuai Liang sighs again. “But thanks to her, we now know what Bi-Han is planning. Forgive us; the Lin Kuei in this timeline must have stained the name of your Lin Kuei.”

They don’t exchange another word, as Kuai Liang walks away followed by Tomas, seemingly to lament their brother privately. Bi-Han remains standing, watching the life of the garden of the Wu Shi Academy, with a thousand conflicting thoughts running in his mind. He knows it was not him who wounded Áila to such an extent that she fears the sight of him, but the shame and the guilt still weigh on his heart; it is his name, his title, his face – it is him, but not truly him .

He recalls the night when Johnny barged into the meeting with phone in hand, “Guys! You’re gonna want to see this!” he had said, and he read the email sent by Áila. Kuai Liang took charge of the Shirai Ryu scouts to scour the tundra and the mountains. Even the blind swordsman, Kenshi, insisted on going, believing his ancestors could help as well.

At that time, Bi-Han thought what a remarkable person Áila must be, to be within the walls of the Lin Kuei, and still tried to reach out. Her action earned his respect, that at the moment, he innerly prayed to the Elder Gods to see her safety so he can meet this warrior for once.

But he was not expecting to see her being brought in on a stretcher.

She was blue and red, frozen and bloodied, that everyone believed she had been dead. The extensive injuries she sustained were a clear tell that she had been tortured, or beaten up within an inch of her life. Liu Kang had used his power to thaw her just enough to get her blood to run again, and then the monks took her to be cleaned up and patched.

And though no one is pointing fingers at him, Bi-Han knows this is his counterpart’s doing.

The door to Áila’s room is opened – Bi-Han turns to it – and Liu Kang walks out alone. He offers a small apologetic smile as he approaches Bi-Han. “Are you alright?”

Bi-Han returns the question, “Is she alright?”

“She will be. I have explained the situation, though she might need time to process everything. Please do not think you are in the wrong here. Neither of us anticipated this behavior from Sub-Zero.”

“I should have.”

“No, you shouldn’t.” Liu Kang hums. “This Sub-Zero is not you, Bi-Han, you can’t expect to understand what he will do next. Our timelines may share similar people with similar lives, but that is where the similarity ends.”

Bi-Han feels his jaws tensing. There is a pull in his heart, tugging at his heartstring, when he remembers Áila’s reaction to seeing him; her expression of pure anguish is still fresh in his mind. “She begged for mercy… Three times, she did, I…” He huffs a cold puff of air, feeling rage forming in his chest at the image of Áila begging Sub-Zero to stop but he carried on nonetheless. What kind of a monster has he become? Bi-Han shakes his head. “Can I… Can I see her?”

Liu Kang shrugs. “Usually I’d tell you to give her time, but this depends on you. Are you strong enough to face her again?” He doesn’t wait for an answer when he adds, “I hope the two of you can find peace in this time of conflict.”

***

The pot of tea on the table is untouched, despite the smell beckoning Áila for a taste. She wants to, she truly does, but the fact remains that the tea was prepared by Sub-Zero – and though Liu Kang has explained extensively of what happened, of how this ‘Bi-Han’ is not the Sub-Zero who nearly maimed her wrist, she is wary nonetheless. She sits still on the bed, trying to quell her thoughts and senses, telling herself that she is safe now, that she is alright, that Sub-Zero will not go through with his threat of sending her head in a box. Her rapid heartbeat is slowing down. Her welling tears have dried.

Then the door slides open, and Áila sees him again.

Their eyes lock at each other for a moment. Her gaze is of fear, but his is of remorse, a palpable guilt. He stands unmoving by the door, which she is thankful for, because her body has begun shaking on its own.

“Bi-Han.” He breaks the silence, voice purposefully made a bit higher than the usual deep raspy tone. “Please call me ‘Bi-Han’. You do not need to call me by any titles. I am neither of those in your timeline.” He pauses, thin lips tensing and relaxing as if he is tasting the words he would utter. “Would you like some tea?”

Áila glances between him and the teapot. The idea of the Grandmaster serving her tea is wild – no, this is not the Grandmaster, this is Bi-Han . She shakes her head, “Are you really not Sub-Zero?”

“I am Sub-Zero, but ,” he hastily adds when she flinches, “I am not of your timeline. In my timeline, I am also Sub-Zero, and the Grandmaster. But I can assure you, I am not like him .”

She can see how genuine he is, how he seems borderline desperate to distance himself from the Sub-Zero she knows. But her body and mind are acting on their own, as tears begin to well up in her eyes again, and they roll down her cheeks when she blinks. “I’m sorry – I know you’re not him , but you look alike, and I – I don’t know…”

“I could change my attire if it makes you more comfortable.”

“No, you’re – you’re already dressed differently.”

“Oh? Is Sub-Zero not wearing blue in your timeline?”

“Not in the same shade as yours.” Áila forces herself to relax. She cradles her wrist tightly, hugging herself to feel more at ease. “Liu Kang said you crossed the timeline to lend him your aid.”

“Liu Kang spoke too highly of me; I’m merely doing my part to help. Sub-Zero needs to be stopped before he destroys Earthrealm – given the information you brought, he is already planning to do it.” Bi-Han takes one step forward, a tentative action, and he looks at Áila as if asking for her permission. She nods, and he approaches quietly; the footsteps are softer, quieter, calculated for her. “I’m here to thank you, Áila. If it’s not for you, we would still be in the dark of what the Lin Kuei are planning. This gives us time to be better prepared.”

“I’m only doing what I’m supposed to do in the first place.” Áila lowers her gaze to the wooden floor – calm down, calm down, calm down. He’s not Sub-Zero. He’s not going to hurt you. It’s going to be alright – “Perhaps I should have done it earlier before they assembled the Cybers, but I –” she closes her eyes when she can see his boots entering her view, “-- I was in denial. I didn’t know which side I should support. Too weak. Too late. I should have known Sub-Zero was wrong when he drove his brothers away. When he –”

The memory flashes behind her eyelids. How Sub-Zero had dragged her to the dungeon by the neck. How he had goaded her to fight him. How, with every cut he made and the punch he landed, Áila slowly lost her hope to survive. At one point, she lost consciousness, and was woken up by the cold tip of the ice blade pressing against her cheek. The flooding memory is too much, breath turning ragged as if she is back in the dungeon trying to breathe the air that Sub-Zero had knocked out of her lungs.

Áila feels a warm hand pressing against her thigh. She opens her eyes, but the tears have blurred her vision. She can see a blurry light blue crouching beside her; she blinks until she sees Bi-Han in close proximity. Yet for once, from this close, she can truly see he is not the Grandmaster. There is grief in his eyes, and pain, as if he shares her burden. There is regret and guilt, and she swears those brown eyes are a bit glossy as well.

“You are not weak.” Bi-Han’s voice comes out as a calming whisper. His fingertips meet her wet cheek, interrupting the stream. “Your bravery will be remembered across all Realms.” Áila sees his lower lips slightly tremble. “There’s no need for you to fear me, I’m not the Sub-Zero you knew. You are safe, and I will try in all my power to keep you that way, and I will never, ever, hurt you.”

“Truly?” Áila rasps, barely audibly.

Bi-Han responds, "I give you my words.”

She doesn’t know who breaks first – is it him who pulls her close or is it her who falls to his lap? – but their bodies collide and he cradles her, surrounds her in his strong arms. She is holding onto his light blue gi, grounding herself to his promise. He is holding the back of her head, and yet for once, she does not tense, does not flinch.

There is no sound in the room but their shared, quiet cries.

#bi han #bi han x oc #bi han imagine #sub zero x oc #sub zero imagine #sub zero #mk1 #mortal kombat 1 #fanfic #redarader

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vera-deville · 2 years ago

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Hi! Could you please write Luka Couffaine x fem. reader who has trouble talking about their feelings? Writes him letters, love poems or plays the drums for him because it's easier for her to show her feelings like that? Sorry for my English it is not my first language.

02/28/2023 - 03/29/2023

Pairing: Luka Couffaine x Reader

Word Count: 867

Warnings: Nothing that I can think of!

Gender: AFAB

In which Luka has a significant other who has a hard time expressing her feelings.

Luka Couffaine absolutely adored Y/N. The girl had captured his heart, mind, and soul, and he had no trouble expressing it. However, the same could not be said the other way around.

Other people labeled Y/N as someone cold and uncaring, but only a select few knew of her true nature - she simply could not express herself in the ways others would. And Luka understood completely.

Y/N had a small group of friends (most of whom had never even met each other, but knew the existence of). She wasn't one to stick to one particular friend group after all. A good friend was a good friend. Nothing more, nothing less.

And two of her very good friends were Juleka and Rose. Originally, Y/N had only Juleka (since she went to the same school as Luka), but quickly became acquainted with Rose as well. And for that, Y/N thanked whatever lucky stars she had.

The whole process of confessing to Luka was already gut-wrenchingly terrifying, seeing as she had no idea how to go about it, whether Luka would return her affections (even though Juleka said he would), and if she was actually dateable material.

But after the confession, a lot of her worries were put to rest. Luka was the sweetest boyfriend she could have asked for, and she was extremely grateful for having met him.

Luka was someone who was fairly affectionate (not like some of the couples she's seen walking in Paris being overly lovey-dovey), but he also never shied away from letting her know what was on his mind.

If there was a particular moment where Y/N was caught up doing something and was quite focused on it (such as homework), Luka would find himself simply staring at the girl, absolutely in awe of the work of art he had the honor of calling his girlfriend. (Yes, he's tried sneaking some photos of her when she wasn't looking).

And when he was caught, Y/N would ask, "what're you staring at?"

Only to be met with, "just caught up in the ethereal masterpiece in front me."

To which Y/N would feel her face heat up and a warm sort of buzz envelope her whole being. She'd become a little flustered and brush off his oh so charming and teasing self, but looking at him once more, she realizes every time that Luka wasn't teasing at that moment. He meant every word.

So when others meet her and find out she's in a relationship with Luka, they wonder how on Earth the relationship works. Luka was pretty well known and well-liked. But Y/N wasn't like that. She stayed to herself for the most part, and she'd never initiate any sort of PDA with her boyfriend.

And some of these people would take to whispering about this behind (or so they thought) Y/N's back.

She'd feel bad about it, but not to the point where she'd find herself spiraling down a rabbit hole of self-hate and whatnot. But that didn't stop her from wanting to improve. And what better way to improve than by asking two of her best friends?

"Aww, it's so cute that you want to be more lovey-dovey with Luka!" Rose gushed. Juleka had a slight smile on her face, finding the situation slightly humorous. The involved parties were her brother and one of her closest friends. How could she not be entertained? Especially when said close friend was going on a tirade vaguely reminiscent of Marinette's tirades about Adrien.

Rose suggested making a perfume for Luka, and Y/N thought that it was such a good idea that she'd probably do that for his birthday. "What if you write him a letter?" Juleka asked. Pondering over the idea, Y/N decided that it indeed was a good idea.

But what to write?

And so some amount of days passed, and Y/N finally ended up finishing her letter to Luka. It wasn't anything elegant or pretty or anything of the sort. It was goofy, filled with her typical sarcasm, and most importantly, it was heartfelt. Now, the only thing left was to actually give the letter to Luka.

Which was still quite hard surprisingly.

Y/N assumed that once the letter was finished, she'd just hand it over to the turquoise-haired boy and bada-bing bada-boom, romance!

Apparently it doesn't work like that.

Apparently you pour your heart out into the letter, but then you feel nervous to actually give the letter to your oh so accepting boyfriend.

But somehow Y/N pushed down her anxiety and gave the letter to Luka when they sat down after getting their ice cream. Opening it, Luka's face gradually morphed into one of extreme joy (and if Y/N didn't know any better, smugness), before he pressed a chaste kiss onto Y/N's cheek.

And from that day onwards, Y/N would (every once in a while) gift Luka letters, love poems, and even play the drums for him as means of physically showing her affection for him. It was their own little dynamic and some may have found it odd, but to them, it was perfect.

Author's Note: Once again, I'm really sorry for taking so long to complete this fic. I hope you enjoy it (if not, feel free to request again, since I honestly don't feel like I did my very best with this one).

I'm still in the middle of trying to find a specific fic format to stick to. I've tried looking at a bunch of other fanfic writers' profiles and the format they use to write their fics, but I'm still not 100% sure if what I'm doing right now is what I want to continue doing.

#miraculous ladybug #mlb #miraculous ladybug oneshots #mlb oneshots #miraculous ladybug fluff #mlb fluff #fluff #romance #cute #love letters #luka couffaine #juleka couffaine #rose lavillant #luka couffaine x reader #luka x reader #reader #y/n #vera deville #the marchioness

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very-grownup · 10 months ago

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So a couple years ago, I fell into watching Chinese dramas and because my posts about the most recent one garnered some curiosity, here are the dramas what I have watched.

Hikaru no Go

DID YOU KNOW. DID YOU KNOW. THAT IN 2020 THERE WAS A CHINESE DRAMA ADAPTATION OF HIKARU NO GO AND IT IS AMAZING AND MADE ME CRY ALL OVER AGAIN? It is faithful in spirit while making understandable alterations both for the setting and to avoid managing child actors for the entirety of the series (there are about six episodes with Hikaru/Shi Guang as an elementary school student before a time jump to high school).

If you are unfamiliar with Hikaru no Go I recommend becoming familiar with Hikaru no Go, my first and still one of the best sports manga. It's what Takeshi Obata was the artist on before Death Note and my hot take is that Obata post-Hikaru no Go is mid at best.

Hikaru no Go is a sports series about the most normal boy finding an antique go board that houses the soul of an ancient go master who died too young and with go regrets, so he bullies/guilts the boy into helping him play go so he can see or play a divine go move. In the process he acquires a rival/stalker in the form of the genius son of a go master. It's amazing and the drama absolutely does it justice.

The heart of the series is the relationship between Hikaru/Shi Huang and Fujiwara no Sai/Chu Ying.

It's just a fucking good series.

The Untamed

According to one description on imdb, this is about two friends solving a series of murders. This is technically true, although it neglects to mention a few details.

Sixteen years after doing a whole lot of demonic blood magic shit and dying because of it, hated by society, Wei Wuxian (Xiao Zhan) is brought back from the dead by more super demonic blood magic and is recognized by his noble and esteemed peer/friend Lan Wangji (Wang Yibo) and trying to deal with why Wei Wuxian has been brought back from the dead leads to their investigating a series of murders that result in their becoming entangled in wider political schemes stretching back twenty years.

It's got weird pacing, prolonged flashbacks to explain a lot of the relationship dynamics, and basically an entirely self-contained sub-story that brings the main plot to a grinding halt. There are creatures and CGI effects of interesting quality. There are amazing wigs. There are piles of corpses. There's physical torture and emotional torture and some doomed love stuff and sword fights and musical instrument fights and a donkey and chicken theft and brotherhood and what you're willing to sacrifice for your goals and what goals you're willing to sacrifice for and it is based on a novel that ends in the protagonists raw dogging on the side of the road.

That part's not in the show.

Douluo Continent

Ignorant country boy Tang San (Xiao Zhan) finds himself involved in the world of martial arts and magic after discovering a hidden talent and ends up in the group of fellow martial artists who are all weird or unorthodox or hiding crucial bits of their backstory like girl who is actually a rabbit and immediately decides Tang San is her best friend/husband (Wu Xianyi), guy who needs to become powerful enough to kill his older brother (Gao Taiyu), girl who rejected an engagement to the would-be brother killer and wants to fight him (Liu Mei Tong), guy who wants to ditch martial arts to become a great actor (Liu Run Nan), and girl who is too rich to be here (Ding Xiaoying). They learn together, they grow together, they fight monsters and embark on a tournament arc, and there's an overarching mystery about Tang San and his weak but simultaneously super powerful spirit summoning.

Even though the best technique is clearly the one where the boy in question can summon a sausage that you eat and heals you.

It's very much of a specific genre that can be pretty samey, but Douluo Continent has a charming cast that makes up for its predictable plot beats.

It does end on a cliffhanger that is possibly resolved in the sequel series where ... all the main characters were recast with, I'm guessing, slightly less pricey actors. Such is the way of things.

Word of Honour

Do you like knowing what's going on? Then get the fuck out of here, Word of Honour is not for you. Real ones want to be immediately submerged into chaos and confusion and secret identities. You want Mr Bones' Wild Ride in plot form. Why has former superassassin Zhou Zishu (Zhang Zhe Han) abandoned the sect of assassins he created to live in wandering drunk anonymity as he slowly dies? Why is Wen Kexing (Gong Jun) stalking him aside from poorly censored horny desires? Is Wen Kexing actually a ghost? Can any of the impressionable youths attaching themselves to Zhou Zishu and Wen Kexing be stopped from their very poor choices in role models? What is up with this legendary hidden armoury and why do Zhou Zishu and Wen Kexing seem unable to escape the conspiracy around it? HOW HARD IS IT TO GET WOLONG'S FAMOUS NUTS?

Not recommended for people who constantly want to know what's happening or why X is doing Y, but great if you want to watch with someone and then after an episode, walk your dogs and try to figure out what's going on and what's going to happen (you will be wrong).

Advance Bravely

What if the most ridiculously unrealistic and unhinged slashfic by a teenage girl who doesn't fully understand anything was adapted into a drama series where censorship means everything must be painted with a special "no homo" brush? You get Advance Bravely which is the most incoherently homoerotic thing I've ever watched. No one thinks you should watch Advance Bravely and you watch Advance Bravely and you agree but sometimes you just have to watch a beautiful trainwreck where the protagonist explains his lack of a girlfriend with erectile dysfunction and the series climax involves his being, essentially, trapped in a well.

Love Between Fairy and Devil

DO YOU WANT TO GO FULL SHOUJO MANGA FANTASY?

Innocent fairy Orchid (Yu Shuxin) just wants to strengthen her immortal spirit and pass the exam that would let her serve in the palace of the fairy capital so she can catch glimpses of the War God Chang Heng (Zhang Ling He) who she is hopelessly in love with. Instead, an attempt to help her crush causes her to bumble her way into the high security spiritual prison that has held Dongfang Qingcang, the Moon Supreme (Dylan Wang), for 30,000 years.

DO YOU LIKE BIG NUMBERS BECAUSE YOU WILL GET TO SEE SOME BIG NUMBERS IN TERMS OF TIME SPAN AND AGES.

Because of some plot magic, Orchid and the Moon Supreme swap bodies and loophole out of prison, much to her distress. Their fates are tied together and Orchid becomes more familiar with the wider world and the politics between the realms and how much the fairy realm's supreme ruler fucking suuuuuuuuuuuucks while Moon Supreme finds himself having feelings again after they were tortured out of him in a mystical coffin prison as a child.

Moon Supreme's closest friend is a dragon. Orchid's closest friend is an opportunistic snakeoil saleswoman. There's a pissy younger brother and a bitchy but honourable love rival. There are secret origins and reincarnation and hidden identities and the way it alternates broad comedy and melodrama and sweet romance may give you whiplash.

I just love a bodyswap, you guys.

Sailor Moon vibes but Mamoru is actually interesting and becomes likeable.

Guardian

Okay so the best thing about Guardian is not only that it's a censored adaptation of a novel with a same-sex romance, but that /the entire premise/ is altered for television purposes.

The novel is steeped in Chinese folk religion and the Underworld is real and mythical creatures secretly walk among us.

In the show?

ALIENS, BABY.

Ghosts? THOSE AREN'T REAL BECAUSE HUMANS DON'T HAVE SOULS, THEY'RE JUST ENERGY BEINGS.

It's so ridiculous it's endearing.

Anyway, it's about bros solving mysteries with a Monster of the Week vibe until it becomes about possibly the end of the world and alien domination and evil twins.

Mysterious Lotus Casebook

IT'S TIME TO SOLVE CRIMES. IN ANCIENT CHINA.

Quack doctor Li Lianhua (Cheng Yi) is just trying to live a quiet life with his dog and his horse-drawn house. Fang Duobing (Joseph Zeng) just wants to gain admittance into the martial art cop organization that's carrying on the legacy of his dead teacher, Li Xiangyi, who was maybe never actually his teacher and also wasn't killed ten years previously by Di Fei Sheng (Xiao Shunyao), the head of an evil martial arts sect who is also not dead. Not nearly as many people as people think are dead! Identities are cleverly hidden behind pseudonyms and various levels of mask!

Crimes are solved and Li Lianhua is very tired about the whole thing. It's an unwilling buddy cop sort of thing until it becomes about youthful hubris and the sins of the past and also one woman's determination to conquer the world and give it to the man she loves, even if he doesn't want the world and also doesn't love her. We love a woman who takes what she wants and if necessary cuts a man's tendons and imprisons him in a torture pool so his blood can't clot until he agrees to be her wife, don't we, folks?

Folks?

Story of Kunning Palace

The scheming empress Jiang Xue Ning (Bai Lu) dies and wakes up, eighteen-years-old, at the point in her life where she's on the verge of making the start of the decisions that lead her to the Very Bad End. She is going to make different decisions this time and prevent the things she regrets and avoid becoming the empress at all costs.

What you need to know about Story of Kunning Palace is that Bai Lu could have chemistry with a rock and she inadvertently collects a bisexual harem. Her end game love interest is Xie Wei (Zhang Ling He), the man who killed her, an advisor to the emperor, music teacher, double or triple agent, and sufferer of vampire snow madness and a fear of cats, whether adorably fluffy or badly CGI'd. But she's in love with noble civil servant Zhang Zhe (Wang Xing Yue), a pure and hardworking man who she seduced into betraying his principles, leading to his imprisonment and probable death. However, her childhood friend Yan Lin (Zhou Jun Wei) is in love with her and previously she rejected him VERY HARSHLY after his family fell into disfavour due to political machinations and Jiang Xue Ning had cemented the likelihood of her marriage to the next emperor. Also there's Princess Le Yang (Liu Xie Ning), who Jiang Xue Ning made an enemy of after the Princess fell in love with her when Jiang Xue Ning was crossdressing and did not take the reveal of her true gender well. Xue Shu (Elisa Ye) is an unfavoured daughter of a scheming lord who was the only truly loyal person Jiang Xue Ning knew as empress. ALL OF THESE PEOPLE FALL IN LOVE WITH JIANG XUE NING and you look at Bai Lu and go 'yes, that makes sense'.

It's mostly about the politics and scheming and Jiang Xue Ning trying to find a way to have a stable, satisfying life without betraying everyone she knows and standing on a pile of corpses, but the love shape Jiang Xue Ning isn't fully aware she's in is comparable in complexity to the plots between ministers and lords and dowager empresses and cousins and rebels.

The choices the characters make are maybe not always the best choices, but DAMN are they a good time.

Story of Kunning Palace is also one of the only times I have begged a character in a show to take a particular action and then she DID IT and fuck it was satisfying.

The Sleuth of the Ming Dynasty

IT'S TIME TO SOLVE CRIMES. IN ANCIENT CHINA. AGAIN. BUT WITHOUT MARTIAL ARTS.

Tang Fan (Darren Chen) is a low-ranking government official and detective genius who loves food and hates routine work, but loves a fucked up crime. Since he spends most of his money on delicious food, he writes trashy porn under a variety of pseudonyms to pay his rent. Sui Zhou (Fu Meng Bo) is an imperial guard and ex-soldier with PTSD who has no time for nonsense but loves the passionate pursuit of justice and food. He's also From Money and has a very empty house that Tang Fan whines his way into after they solve a case together. Everyone is manipulated by dangerously powerful eunuch Wang Zhi (Liu Yao Yuan) who is the enemy of basically everyone, except for Tang Fan, who has the political and social awareness of a rock.

An amiably pathetic man solves a variety of mysteries, from murder to complex imperial assassination plots and also this really complicated one involving diluting the purity of silver currency, and also the executive producer is Jackie Chan.

It's missing the romance subplot that I understand is in the source novel and also apparently there's an overarching plot involving a cult?! which we don't get here, but there's lots of bombs which are almost as good as a cult, maybe? (They're not.)

Divine Destiny

This is the one we're currently watching and the ride that this show is. How many plots can be crammed into one show? How many ridiculous but true things can I say about this show?

Ji Ruochen (Ma Tianyu) is an orphan who dreams of martial arts adventures. Raised by a couple who run a Crime Inn, one day a customer robbery goes very wrong when the customer turns out to be the latest incarnation of Yin Feng, the Banished God (Marius Wang). Ji Ruochen accidentally kills the Banished God and his foster parents promptly take the body into the desert and dump it down a cliff, but not before taking a necklace made from a piece of Gu Qing, the Blue Stone Goddess (Xuan Lu), which is supposed to let her recognize the Banished God in their final incarnation. Accidentally stealing the Banished God's identity, Ji Ruochen finds himself a hotly desired commodity by the cultivation sects who are all eager to have the Banished God as a disciple for prophecy reasons. He goes with Zhang Yinyin (Angelababy), a feisty, argumentative girl who has had to work extra hard because her spirit was contaminated by a demonic root planted by the evil nine-tailed fox who is poorly imprisoned in a cave anyone can access.

MEANWHILE some dudes with amazing moustaches and a penchant for laughing in delight at their own evil have found the body of the Banished God and done some questionable mystical shit to put him in a new body and nurture a grudge against Ji Ruochen for stealing his identity.

THEN Gu Qing meets Ji Ruochen and like everyone else assumes he's the Banished God and she falls in love with him (Gu Qing having been a literal rock spirit who cultivated to immortality under the guidance of the Banished God, who followed her into the mortal realm and a cycle of 100 incarnations after Gu Qing accidentally Did A Crime) but then falls in love with HIM.

ALSO Zhang Yinyin is always at risk of succumbing to the temptation of using the demonic fox power that is within her even though that will literally turn her into a demon but maybe it's worth it if a woman who is actually a goddess who is actually a rock is making eyes at the junior you brought into the sect and are in love with and you want to be more powerful than her?

ALSO what's the mysterious power that let Ji Ruochen kill the Banished God in the first place?

IS the woman seeking revenge for the death of the Banished God's mortal incarnation his sister or his cousin or his "cousin"?

WHY is the only love language of immortals stalking?

There's a homunculus and a baby snake demon who is the most precious angel in the world and so many evil dudes delighted in how evil they are and TWO GOOD AND ALIVE PARENTS and a pair of comical monks who have a special attack with a name they have to shout out every time they use it.

Oh and the imprisoned fox demon may have an ex who just hangs out on a rock in something called the Endless Ocean wearing a mask and playing go against the homunculus he made.

And there's an ancient master who lives in an ice mountain and eats memories of love.

Also some people might be secret demons.

There's some weddings.

There's a tiny woman with an ice sword who brutally murders so many dudes.

Do you like CGI birds?

Do you like giant mechanical CGI birds that are for riding purposes?

There's a desert hermit who has a son who is a giant tortoise.

So many things are going on and terrible decisions are constantly being made and it's over a week before I can watch another episode and it's driving me mad. WHAT WILL BE THE FALLOUT OF THE MOST RECENT BAD DECISIONS?

#cdrama #hikaru no go #the untamed #douluo continent #advance bravely #word of honor #love between fairy and devil #guardian #story of kunning palace #divine destiny #mysterious lotus casebook #the sleuth of the ming dynasty

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ideas-4-stories · 1 year ago

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NOOOOOOOO I LOST THE AU I WROTE FOR YOU 😭😭😭 I LITERALLY SENT IT AND TUMBLR SAID "NETWORK ERROR". L FOR THE WIFI. L. Not cool I'm literally crying I thought that AU was genius. It was a Teacher!Buggy AU with Crocomom and Dadhawk. + Shanks co-parenting Luffy with Crocodile. That note was so long I literally spent like 45 mins writing it here on your ask and it was just. Gone. Or I think it did. Why does life hate me. I'm just gonna be brief with this cuz I still think it's golden lmao. Croco and Mihawk work long hours so their kids (Luffy, Zoro, Perona) have to wait for a few hours until they're picked up by their parents. The school doesn't have school buses bc I said so (no I am not cruel it's just out of my budget /j). So Buggy takes the responsibility to keep them comfortable and entertained while they wait. Croco and Mihawk meeting this charming (and clown looking) blue-haired guy and they start courting him. Shanks gets dragged in on the courting bc of Luffy. Also he was already courting Buggy. I didn't write their process of courting I basically skipped and went,, their wedding will take part in a Goth castle. And the design are all sunshine and rainbows (literally). Sanji, Usopp, Nami, Vivi, Zoro and Luffy being in a class along with other kids. Franky, Robin, Jinbei and Brook are in higher classes. Chopper is atom. Not here in the world yet. Perona is like, 2-3yrs older than her brothers so. Yeah *awkwardly shuffles* (I love perona I swear-). Implied Zosan. Some rando: but you didn't imply shi— Me: Shhh I did. *gaslighting*. Law is also there in the classroom with lower grade strawhats. He's suffering. He only attends 3 days a week tho, he's mostly homeschooled bc of his sickness. He's homeschooled by Cora. (You can pry Law and Cora from my cold dead hands. You can separate them when I dissolve into ashes). Don't worry as he gets older his sickness is cured. Ofc he's cured by Cora. He's saved by Cora in every universe. In every AU. Every Era. Every life they will ever live. I will die on that hill– *applies the nobody dies/everyone lives tag on this AU* let my babies be happy pls. Let my man Cora live and travel the world with this emo boy (Law). Doffy isn't real, he can't hurt anyone. Ace is there. Sabo is there. Every One Piece character is out there somewhere. They're like hidden stones and you have 0.02% of finding them. I thought I was just making a Teacher!Buggy AU but then it turns into a Modern!AU for everyone. Let's gooooo. Sora divorces with Judge and remarry with Zeff so now Sanji lives with all his brothers and his sister. They get separate classrooms tho, and reiju is perona's age so she's besties with her. (I do not play by canon's rules with ages bc i live in my own world) They both tease their brothers (Sanji and Zoro) about their crushes on each other. The heart crew is there. Bepo is a dog, a very fluffy one. Kuina is alive. Kaya is there, same classroom with Usopp. I have no idea how to continue this lmao, but I do hope you find this interesting bc Buggy is 100% great with kids and probably teaches well bc he is a big nerd and makes lessons interesting. (Also, the whole reason why I wrote this instead of letting the idea slip through my mind like the others is bc the image of two goth men courting a clown looking mf was funny to me. So here we are lmao. The way I wrote this makes Shanks look like he's the person they let into their open relationship twice lol I'm so sorry 😭😭)

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

That's really sad, I really like this idea (though I see Shanks and Buggy more as siblings, but I understand the idea of Shuggy) It's fine that this became about so many people, I really like this.

Teacher!Buggy sounds so cool, you know that he's the flashiest and maybe one of the craziness of the things he'll do to get his students good things that will boost their learning. He knows that every kid might not have the same learning paths as others.

How many classes does this man teach? Who knows, too many for how much he gets paid. All teachers needs to get paid more.

I would think Jinbei and Brook being other fun teachers in the school, like Tom could be as well!

I really like this idea, and the imagine of two gothic men trying to court a clown-looking mf is really funny to me as well.

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dangermousie · 9 months ago

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I am nowhere near there (I am 5 eps in) but I rewatched the ending of TKW. Still one of my fave cdrama endings, but you know how much I love logical tragedies.

The way the lovers rush at each other, at a dead run. MMMM.

What I really love is that he sees her flip the dagger so the hilt would hit him, not the blade, but as she intended, sees it too late to stop the momentum of his sword. So he stabs her fully aware she did not intend to kill him and helpless to stop it. AAAA so good! (Side note - and clearly, if she meant to kill him, they'd have killed each other - since her hilt went to his heart.)

The way it flashes back to her doing the same thing playfully during their happy days...

God, so gooooood!

She may say it's so loss would make him a good king but let's face it - it's because she couldn't bear to live with knowing she loved a monster. His confrontation with Jing Ke was the final curtain being ripped from her delusion, wasn't it? He loved her. He was also EVIL. She fell in love with a monster. She thought she reformed him but well - I want to say he softened for her as much as he could for anyone - but he could never be a good person in general - he just hid his teeth and claws for her but they were never gone. And she's not the woman who could close her eyes forever, was she?

I love love love the aftermath, his walking out with the bloodied sword, all those subjects kneeling and he's all powerful and all alone, and all he has is the knowledge that due to his lack of trust, he killed the one person he loved, with his own hands.

The way he drops his sword, collapses on the ground and just starts SCREAMING!!!!!

And all the underlings, unmoving, unquestioning as the supreme ruler of their world has a breakdown - absolute terror and absolute loyalty and absolute obedience on display. And absolute and utter loneliness. Forever.

And the little coda, of them as three little happy children, making wishes. And his wish was to be feared not for power or for kicks but to protect those he loves. And here he is, utterly feared but having driven away, lost or killed everyone he's ever wanted to protect.

The way it transforms at his adult self looking at them...

And then even their shades disappear and he's left all alone, crying. And the drama ends.

God, I love that ending! Just as Goodbye My Princess, it's so utterly logical in its tragic inevitability. The protag is left in hell, hell he made with his own two hands, and it could never end otherwise.

I've seen people complain that (a) they wanted a happy ending (b) they felt betrayed that all the mellowing we saw early was not real but (a) it's freaking Qin Shi Huang, what kind of happy ending romance could you expect and (b) the ending was so logical to me and did not feel a betrayal that a lot of his newly found "kindness" was an act - it's very clear that he loved her but it's also clear that he was also willing to do whatever to keep her - I don't think even he himself knew what in what he portrayed was real and what was acting - he just knew she could never stay with the true him and so presented whatever he could so she'd stay. His feelings were real, his vulnerability was real, his desperation was real. I think even some of his mellowing was real - but so was the darkness and manipulativeness and desire to playact whatever as long as he got what he wanted - his whole character was "ends justify the means," wasn't it? Ultimately, he was a man she loved, but he was never going to be a man she could respect or look up to or relate, and I think he knew it, subconsciously, and put on masks, but they all failed and here we are. (The thing with her child - we saw him murder his own half brothers in ep 5! He would tolerate her child with another man for as long as he had to if it was the price for having her - and that alone shows how much he wanted her - and I think on some level he was even genuinely fond of the kid - but he was never going to let the kid stand in the way of his plans for the world or for anything, really. Hell, he ultimately didn't even let her stand in the way and he adored her and loved her as much as he was capable of loving anyone.) I think some viewers felt betrayed because they were hoping for the good, old-fashioned "good woman reforms bad man through love of her" narrative, but this drama went the realistic way of "bad man loves good woman, remains bad." (And it gave us plenty of warning, but hey, we are all romantics so I can see how you'd hope anyway.)

#cdrama #zhang bin bin #dilraba dilmurat #the king's woman

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lilacliquors · 11 months ago

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pairing: kuai liang x reader

sweet or spicy: sweet

word count: 713

prompt: [ WEDDING ]: as they prepare to exchange wedding vows, sender gazes at the receiver and says “i love you” for the last time as an unmarried couple.

notes: here's day thirteen! it's our last fluffy prompt and let me tell you i was looking so forward to this one bc i love kuai liang so much <3

he truly never thought this day would come. kuai liang had always been so consumed by duty, his desire to work hard to protect earthrealm and represent his clan, that he never even considered that one day he would be married. but there he was, in his golden ma gua adorned with an ornate dragon pattern, standing across from you.

you were breathtaking in your fiery red and gold cheongsam, the golden thread weaving an intricate phoenix pattern along the fabric. there were white flowers in your hair, and everything about you looked soft. kuai liang could hardly believe his eyes as he gazed at you, and he could feel his heart pounding in his chest. as he gazed into your eyes, all of the happy memories he’d made with you came flooding back, nearly overwhelming him.

he thought back to when you first met, how you had him tackled and pinned after he and his brothers ‘attacked’ madam bo’s restaurant. of course, you now knew it was nothing but an act, but in the moment, he was convinced that he was too dazed by your beauty to move a muscle.

his thoughts wandered to your first date, a walk through the wu shi gardens as the new champions trained to try and best the others. you had no interest in the tournament, all you wanted was to get to know this handsome stranger.

he thought back to his proposal, how it came mere hours after the attack on titan shang tsung’s forces. with every step climbed, he thought he might never see you again, and he had vowed to ask for your hand in marriage the moment he returned. he couldn’t bear to imagine a world where he didn’t have you in his arms. the very thought made him feel ill, and he knew what he had to do to change that.

now, there you were, as vibrant as ever, holding his hands as you prepared to exchange vows, and then your rings. the way the sun cast a glow on you was ethereal, and it was like he was gazing at an angel. you were going to be his, for the rest of your lives, and it was exciting. he knew he was the luckiest man alive, and he would shout his love for you from the rooftops if he had to. the whole world, and all of outworld, had to know how much he loved you. how much he cared, how far he was willing to go to keep you safe. that if any harm were to come to you, he would not rest until cities were leveled, and the culprit’s life had been the price paid. and he knew that if he said this out loud, you would laugh and shake your head, telling him he was being far too dramatic, but it was the truth. you were his everything, and you deserved the world. nothing less would be good enough.

he met your gaze again, and he knew that it was almost time. your lives were about to be forever linked together, and he couldn’t help himself.

“i love you,” he whispered. it would be his last time saying it as your fiancé, and while it might not have meant anything to anyone else, it was a big step for him. you were about to become husband and wife, life partners, one in the same. any future ‘i love yous’ would have a much deeper meaning in his eyes, but this … this one was special.

“i love you, too,” you whispered back, and you felt him squeeze your hands. you squeezed back, a mix of emotions coursing through your veins.

“are you ready for this?” he asked.

“as ready as i’ll ever be,” you replied.

“i … i can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you. to create a future worth fighting for, a world of peace that our children will inherit,” he murmured, and you smiled.

“it’s going to be amazing. and there’s no one else i’d rather do it with than you,” you whispered, and again, he squeezed your hands.

it was almost time for your first step into forever, and there was no one else he’d rather take the plunge with.

#kuai liang mk1 #kuai liang x reader #kuai liang fluff #kuai liang scorpion #kuai liang sweet and spicy special #lilacliquors

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landofzero-archive · 1 year ago

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Battle on the Sugoroku Board - The Die Has Been Cast 5

(Location: “Battle on the Sugoroku Board” program set)

(Immediately after the start of “Battle on the Sugoroku Board..” NewDi Team’s starting point)

Tsumugi: Natsume-ku~n, please do your best~♪

Natsume: Yes, yES. Then, you just go wait in the bleachERS.

AH, it seems footage of various teams are being cast to the bleachers, so don’t be so careless with your reactions when you see the NewDi Team.

This game turns into a “dice battle” every time you encounter an opponENT, so I think it’d be better to hide for a whiLE—

Since no one’s familiar with the whole game area, it might be a good idea to look at our surroundings firST.

It’s the golden rule of FPS to find a place to hide without moving too carelessLY.

Madara: FPS……?

Natsume: First person shooter game. A game where you fight enemies with a fireaRM.

A more familiar example might be something like a survival gAME. RegardlESS, there’s risk of harm if you approach the enemy, so it’s best to stay hidden for a whILE—

Of courSE, we’ll be in trouble if we just keep hiding all the tiME, so let’s split up and search for “gold” without taking risKS.

Madara: Gold, huuuh? I’m sure we need it to buy items or help your friends that are in a “State of Surrender”, right?

It’s 100 gold to help once. After that, the price increases with each game— gold is the lifeline of this “Battle on the Sugoroku Board.”

Natsume: YeS. Conversely, since we can revive each other quickly in the beginniNG, everyone should try to act aloNE. Even if someone’s attackED, the app can revive them right awAY.

Arashi: Understood. We’re on a rather tight schedule. I think it’d be good to compete on breaks.

I had just been to Maizuru Manor and was rubbed the wrong way by the children.

Let’s take our time and be careful…… And in the end, our NewDi Team will win♪

(Meanwhile. CosPro Team’s starting point)

Ibara: Gold is the lifeblood of this game, so in the beginning you have to collect gold while hiding—

—This is probably what the NewDi Team is probably thinking. With Natsume-kun as the leader, it seems unlikely that he’ll take any risks in the early stages.

Of course, we ‘re thinking the same thing. Unfortunately, our initial placement is bad.

Looking at the GPS information on the phone app, it seems that our CosPro Team has been placed near the center of the stage.

It seems best to first find a good hiding position and use that as our base.

Yuuta: ………

Ibara: Are you dissatisfied with something?

Yuuta: Uu~umm. I don’t want to be teamed up with Rinne-senpai.

We don’t usually mesh well together. TV-wise it’s better for us to be apart.

Rinne: C’mon don’t say that. I’ll make you realize my charm again through this “Battle on the Sugoroku Board.” Yuta’s eyes are about to turn into hearts☆

Yuuta: You never learn, do you… Why is my brother always like this?

Ibara: Hmm. It was a miscalculation that Yuuta, who’s not compatible with Rinne Amagi-shi, appeared on this show.

However, after witnessing the current back and forth, a different strategy has come to mind.

It’s called “zombie strategy.”

Rinne: “Zombie strategy?” What’s that?

Ibara: In this “Battle on the Sugoroku Board,” you can bring back teammates who are in a “State of Surrender” at any time by paying money through the app.

Teammates who are in a “State of Surrender” will have their gold and items confiscated— but if they have no money to begin with, there’s few disadvantages even if they die.

In other words, by consolidating the team’s gold with one person, you can quickly explore the surrounding area with low risk.

Fortunately, this app has a function to exchange items and gold—

I’ve asked Rinne Amagi-shi and Yuuta-kun, who’ve both left their gold with me and become penniless, to act independently.

I believe it makes sense to explore ahead of the other teams.

Yuuta: I see. Because you have us run errands with the premise of bringing us back to life, is that why it’s called “zombie strategy?”

Ibara: Yes. If you’re in a “State of Surrender,” I will release you at an appropriate time. If you obtain gold or items during the game, please hand them over to me.

Ultimately, it’ll create circumstances in which we gain the most strength— let’s make this the basic strategy of the CosPro Team.

Rinne: Understood. Then, let’s get started right away.

High risk! High risk, high reward is my go-to method☆

Yuuta: Ohh, he moves fast.

Well then, I’ll also start the strategy, vice prez.

Ibara: Heard. I’ll leave it to you, Yuuta-kun.

Ah. And one piece of advice.

Rinne Amagi-shi— that man stands out for better or for worse, so he’ll make for a good bullet shield. I recommend that you trail him from behind.

The weakness of “zombie strategy” is that the two teammates don’t have any weapons. I think it would be wise to temporarily retreat depending on the opponent’s strength.

Yuuta: As expected of a strategist. Does that mean you’re using the animosity between Rinne-senpai and I as part of your strategy?

Seeing Rinne-senpai getting beat up would bring me some relief—it’s not like I hate him that much though.

Well, it’s not bad. Since I went through the trouble to participate, I hope that it’ll help me relieve some stress.

Thank you for your advice. I’ll be heading off too.

Ibara: Alright. Go ahead and go all out.

Even if this is a variety show with lots of fun elements, I’m still a strategist. As a commander, let’s revel in it most of all♪

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#ensemble stars #enstars #enstars translation #ibara saegusa #natsume sakasaki #rinne amagi #madara mikejima #tsumugi aoba #arashi narukami #yuta aoi #era: !!#type: event

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creativestorylove · 6 months ago

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The final plan?

After a while, we heard calling from the hallway. It was Lucilla searching for her son. "Mum, here I am!" Lucius called from the terrace and lifted his head. As soon as she reached us, it was clear that this precious moment before was gone. My smile faded quickly, and I looked down.

"Lucius, come with me. I have to talk to you," demanded his mother strictly and pulled him up. "But you can talk to me right here," the boy protested, but one look of Lucilla led him to give up. I heard the two leaving, their footsteps getting more quiet.

"Serena... are you still scared?" the young emperor asked, gazing at me. I met his eyes and nodded slowly. "Why shouldn't I?" Indignation, resistance, and sympathy were mirrored in his gaze. He stood up and came to me. "Take my hand," the Ceasar demanded shortly and offered his hand to me, still kneeling down and looking up. My heart skipped a beat, I never touched him on purpose before. Hesitantly, I laid my hand in his so he could help me up. "I thought my risky behavior, saving you, was clear enough... Obviously not," he stated, now coldly. His friendly mimic was replaced with his standard cold, inaccessible expression. I didn't know what he was talking about, so I pulled my hand away and shied back bowing to him. I switched to my obedient tone. "Please, forgive me, my Ceasar, for I did not appreciate your actions. I am more than honored to enjoy your great mercy." He sighed annoyedly and lifted my head up with his hand. Surprisingly, he looked at me again with his friendly, familiar expression, coming near to my ear. "You don't have to fear for your life ever again when I'm alive," he whispered, smiling slightly, and then turned to go inside again. I heard him leaving, but I focused on my ear turning cold again because his breath left too quickly.

In the evening, laying on my flatbed, I thought about my next plan to escape. I had no other choice, either I would stay and the young emperor would risk his position and power to protect a random slave, which was a scandal itself, or I'll would escape again, because I couldn't live in fear of Lucilla, knowing that I told her brother who was conspicuous. I didn't want to get Lucius uncle into trouble, for that he was too important to me. I just had to find a way that he wouldn't let his praetorians search for me again. Maybe I should convince him that it would be better if I went away. I could talk to Lucius so his uncle wouldn't want me back for the boy's companion again.

I turned around, thinking the whole night, about what to say to the Ceasar and Lucius. When the first rays of the sun came through the windows, I wiped my tears away and made my way through the palace. Almost nobody was up yet, just a few other slaves getting ready. My destination was the emperor's study. I knocked on the door, but nobody was answering. Quietly I opened the door, just to find an empty room. Then he was really sleeping in his bedroom this time, I assumed. I was a bit proud that he was finally sleeping again, and I went to the bedroom of the young emperor. Before I knocked, I took a deep breath. I didn't want him to wake up. He needed his sleep so much, but I decided to be that selfish, wanting to get things clear. "Come in!" the Ceasar called, and I opened the door cautiously.

The emperor waited on his balcony, enjoying the warmth of the first sun rays and the view upon his city of Rome. As I approached him, I said quietly: "My Highness, I'm truly sorry. I wanted your audience." I bowed as he turned around. His dark circles under his eyes were emphasized through the shadows the morning sun caused in his face. "What do you want, Serena?" he asked, tiredly facing the sun again. "I want you to give me my freedom, my Ceasar," I began while fidgeting with my fingers. Surprised, but still exhausted, he turned towards me again. He lifted an eyebrow, asking with his gaze. "I-I know that this is a huge request... and... I didn't know how to ask for it more politely... but I think it's better for everyone if I leave," I added, stuttering in insecurity. "If that is what you want, then you shall go," the Ceasar answered shortly and rested his hands on the stone railing, facing the orange light from the sun again. Hurt from his cold response, I turned to go.

As I opened the door to leave, I stopped. I had forgotten to thank him again for saving me. I closed the door again and went to him again. This time, I was acting boldly because I went to him and laid my hand on his shoulder. The next thing I felt was my body being pinned to the wall behind me and the blade of a dagger against my throat. I held my breath as I looked into the emperor's green, furious eyes, like he was ready to kill me instantly. After a few seconds that felt like an eternity, staring into my soul, he realized what he was doing and put the dagger down with an annoyed sigh of relief. I catched my breath again and looked at him shocked. "Don't you ever approach me from behind again! I thought you left!" he hissed and put his dagger in his belt. He still stood only inches away from me. Shivers went down my spine as he looked at me again. He looked so tired, stressed, and troubled as if he didn't know what to do. I looked at him with sympathy, but I was not able to say something. The young emperor closed his eyes, frowning, taking a deep inhale. He opened them again, just to cup my cheek, sending all of his thoughts to hell, and kiss me passionately. Shocked again, I closed my eyes but I didn't return the kiss. When his soft lips left mine, I opened my eyes again. "I don't want you to go..." he whispered, leaning his forehead against mine. Suddenly, I felt tingling in my whole body. My hands laid themselves on his chest, and my lips touched his again without me being aware of it. Softly, he leaned against me, returning the kiss. Only when we had to take breathes within kissing I slowly realized what had happened. He kissed me, and I kissed him. The emperor, Ceasar. He took the first step, so it wouldn't be my mistake if he wouldn't like it. One could never know. He was just too unpredictable with his instant mood swings. But one thing I knew for sure: I loved it, I longed for it, and I didn't want it to stop.

@darknessisafriend

@satlun

#joaquin phoenix #commodus #fandom #gladiator #imagine #commodus x f!reader

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bnhaobservation · 1 year ago

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Todoroki Enji's father's death and why he feels he's not a superhuman: observations, ramblings and speculations

So, since recently I've gotten asks about it, I ended up thinking more and more about the whole flashback regarding Enji's father's death and why he connects it to his weakness and to how he feels he'll never be a superhero while Deku or All Might are.

So, as usual what follows is a theory. I don't assume to be Horikoshi and therefore know the truth. I'm just theorizing.

Now, let's start with rewatching the full scene from chap 356 for who doesn't remember it well.

'Sara ni yowaku natta’ 「更に弱くなった」 “You became beyond weak.”

'Tachiba to tsugunai to ayamachi to sekinin ga’ 「立場と償いと過ちと責任が」 “Position, atonement, mistakes and responsibility.”

'Omae no seirai no yowasa wo abaki dashi miru ni taenai guzu e to hikizuri oroshita’ 「おまえの生来の弱さを曝き出し見るに堪えない愚図へと引きずり下ろした」 “Your innate weaknesses was exposed and I can’t bear to see how you were dragged down into an indecisive person.”

'Chōjin ni wa narenainda yo Enji (omae) wa’ 「超人にはなれないんだよ炎司（おまえ）は」 “Enji (read: you) can’t become a superhuman.”

'Genten wo omoi dase’ 「原点を思い出せ」 “Remember your origin.”

'Teki ga nan datta no ka wo’ 「敵が何だったのかを」 “What was the enemy?”

'Akkan kara shoujo wo sukuou to shi kekka shoujo moro tomo nikukai to ka shita chichi wo’ 「悪漢から少女を救おうとし結果少女もろとも肉塊と化した父を」 “Your father tries to save a girl from a scroundel and, as a result, he and the girl were turned into a lump of meat.”

’Shin no choujin he no senbou to higami wo’ 「真の超人への羨望と僻みを」 “Your envy and inferiority complex toward a true superhuman…”

'“Doryoku (‘Endeavor’)” to nanoru hikutsu na shoune wo’ 「“努力” （エンデヴァー）と名乗る卑屈な性根を」 “You called yourself ‘effort’ (read 'Endeavor’) due to your menial nature.”

'Kojishite inakereba tamotenu teido no minikui kokoro wo’ 「誇示していなければ保てぬ程度の醜い心を」 “Unless you’re putting on airs you can’t sustain your ugly heart”

'Sou. Omae wa All Might ni mo Deku ni mo narenai' そうおまえはオールマイトにもデクにもなれない “Yes. You can't become All Might or Deku”

'Enji (read: Ore) wa itsumo jibun no yowasa to shika tatakattenakatta kara' 炎司(おれ)はいつも自分の弱さとしか戦ってなかったから “Because Enji (read: I) was always fighting only against his (my) own weaknesses.”

'Dakara umare kawarou nante kangaeruna' だから生まれ変わろうなんて考えるな “So don’t think about being reborn.”

'“Onore no yowasa (teki)” wo noroi tsudzukero' “己の弱さ (てき)"を呪い続けろ “Keep cursing 'your own weakness (read: the enemy)'.”

'Yuiitsu sore dake ga omae wo ikashite kita dakara' 唯一それだけがおまえを生かしてきただから “That is the only thing that kept you alive.”

As I've said more than once recently, on the surface there seems to be too few info on Enji's father's death to judge things beyond that the visual seems to suggests Enji seems in shock and in pain at witnessing his father's death.

But in hindsight the fact that there's so little might be because Horikoshi actually placed a relevant information through which lenses we should read the scene earlier in the manga and it's a relevant information as it's one of the core themes of the story.

Let's go back to chap 1 and to Midoriya's question.

Which was All Might's first reply?

Without power (力 'Chikara') one can't become a Hero and Enji's life is a quest for power, for strength. He thinks in order to surpass All Might one needs more power, more strength.

However we know how chap 1 actually ends...

Enji's origin (that's how his teenager self called it) isn't one of him acting to save people. It's of him watching the scene.

The narrative implication of depicting him there might be that he was always present and didn't jump to action, he froze, he watched.

His father moved to save people, failed and died.

Enji could have gone to help him and this might have done the difference. He'll never know because he didn't do it.

He froze same as he froze when Natsuo was attacked.

Same as he froze when Touya attacked Shouto and tried to kill himself and his brother...

...and, in a way, same as he failed to save Touya because he didn't go to Sekoto Peak.

The message Horikoshi tried to deliver home with that scene and that speech might be tied to all this.

Enji didn't have that self sacrificing instinct that instead pushed Midoriya to move. For most of his life he tried to protect his own heart by blaming others and dodging responsibilities and pushing on his children the burden of erasing him of the ugliness in his heart.

He fights it to be a Hero, and chases power because that's an 'easy way' to win. If you're stronger you don't have to risk your life, you can easily overcome fear of death by never being in danger either.

Yes, yes, I know Enji risks life in his fight with Shigaraki and with All for One. The point might be though is he's putting his life in danger by fighting himself, his own weakness, by raging against it and finding strength to overcome his own fear through rage.

And that's why his decision to die with Touya might be twice as important for his arc (I've already talked about his arc here and here but just in terms of his atonement... not of him trying to become a Hero to be proud of... or a father). As said in another post Enji never planned for his demise prior to that moment, he assumed he would keep on living watching over Touya.

He's not raging here to overcome his fear of death. He's doing it just because he doesn't want to let his son die alone and because he wants to still protect the people.

He's being a father and a Hero.

But... I can hear you thinking 'he's not saving Touya'.

Yeah, because he's fighting down with an image of a Hero who's self sacrificing... but BNHA subverts the trope of the self sacrificing Hero.

While death might be sometimes inevitable an ultimate Hero in the story is a Hero who save by winning and win by saving.

The story has criticized the idea of self sacrificing more than once from the start, with Aizawa and Recovery Girl telling Midoriya it wasn't okay for him to break his bones to win, that he couldn't become a Hero this way, Recovery Girl also scolding All Might and telling him he shouldn't encourage him to act this way to culminate with the end of the Dark Hero arc in which such mindset is openly criticized.

Enji overcame his belief he couldn't sacrifice his life if he wasn't raging against himself. He was ready to die... but then Shouto stepped him and showed him that an ultimate Hero isn't just one who's willing to die to save people but one that by saving people wins.

Shouto (with the help of his family) freezes Touya, and by saving Touya and stopping him from exploding, he saved all the other people who would be involved in the explosion.

The whole ultimate Hero thing is likely going to reach its apex with Midoriya not only managing to physically save Shigaraki like Shouto did with Touya or emotionally saving him like Uraraka did with Himiko but saving him both physically and emotionally and this leading to the rest of the world to be saved, accomplishing what will be likely the ultimate saving... possibly doing so with the help of others and of society so as to remark that a world based on a single pillar is not really functional, everyone has to contribute to keep peace.

At least, that's what I'm currently speculating. Of course I can be completely off track because I'm not Horikoshi and I don't get to know what he's planning.

#boku no hero academia #bnha spoilers #Todoroki Enji #Todoroki Touya #Todoroki Shouto #Midoriya Izuku #Yagi Toshinori #Uraraka Ochako #Toga Himiko #Bakugou Katsuki #bnha ramblings #bnha meta

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serialadoptersbracket · 10 months ago

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Round 2, Match 9: Gintoki Sakata vs. Eithan Arelius

Submitted kids:

Gintoki Sakata: Kagura and Shinpachi Shimura, his own de aged mentor Shouyou, Hashida Kanshichirou, and Seita

Eithan Arelius: Yerin Arelius, Wei Shi Lindon Arelius. Also maybe Akura Mercy and Ziel of the Wasteland

Propaganda under the cut!

Gintoki Sakata:

“Gintoki is introduced to us as a depressed twenty seven year old dealing with ptsd who first adopts Shinpachi after protecting him from Amanto (aliens, who have somewhat taken over earth) who were harassing him, which led to Shinpachi losing his job, and Gintoki having to help him rescue his sister Otae from the family’s debtors. Shinpachi comes to work for Gintoki as Odd Jobs, soon joined by Kagura (an amanto herself with super strength who was working as part of gang prior to Shinpachi and Gintoki helping her leave) Kagura leaves in his house and later Gintoki allows her to get a pet dog. It’s made clear that these three are a family and more than a few episodes make it clear that Kagura seems Gintoki as her earth father (her bio dad, the strongest man in the universe, goes around the galaxy fighting monsters) and Shinpachi feels a familial connection to him as well. There’s also Hashida, a baby who looks a lot like Gintoki, whom Gintoki takes care of when the custody battle over Hashida becomes an actual battle. This includes drinking together, tying the baby to his back while fighting his way to Hashida’s mom, and Hashida crying when Gintoki leaves, after promising they’ll share a drink when Hashida is older. In a similar vein is Seita, a street kid who tries to pickpocket Gintoki but gets robbed in return and ends up working for Gintoki’s landlady (Gintoki’s own adoptive mother) and being taken care of by her and the odd jobs family as a whole, before Gintoki discovers Seita’s mother is Hinowa, the Sun of Yoshiwara and its highest ranking courtesan, and fights Housen, a crime lord who fought Kagura’s father for three days and nights until they considered it a draw, and kills him, just so Seita and Hinowa can reunite. During the timeskip late in the series, we discover after seemingly defeating the Big Bad Utsuro (an immortal who formerly was Gintoki’s adoptive father and teacher Shouyou) Gintoki spent two years raising the reincarnated Shouyou as a baby, before being given his heart to prevent Utsuro’s followers from taking it. These are just the most notable examples, pretty much any character younger than Gintoki gets taken care of or helped by him in a way, including Kagura’s older brother, temporary member of Odd Jobs Pirako, and even to an extent youngest Shinsengumi member Okita Sougo. Gintoki is positioned as acting as the same adoptive parent role as his own adopters (Shouyou and his landlady Otose) are, taking on similar burdens and making, or trying to make) similar sacrifices as well. He can be really soft with kids at times, and has at least once carried Kagura and Shinpachi away from a fight on his back.”

Eithan Arelius:

"An immortal who is so lonely because he's the only one who can do his job and that job is killing entire worlds. So he hides his identity and goes back to his home, intending to raise up apprentices to join him. And so he runs into weak teen boy (Lindon) who also happens to carry a token from one of his immortal coworkers, travelling with angry girl with a sword (Yerin). After an insane training session that involved locking Lindon in a room full of monsters, dueling Yerin's sword with a pair of scissors and in his narration saying that if Lindon died he wouldn't really care, he decides to adopt them. Less a you're my kids way (for now) and more a you're part of my house and all the shit that entails.

At first he's closed off emotionally (though it's easy to think otherwise with the his level of confidence and the sheer amount of jokes) but as time passes he grows to trust them and really see them as a family. Near the end of the last book this guy was being aggressive towards Yerin and Eithan, full Reaper mode puts a hand on the guy's shoulder and is like ""Are you bothering my adoptive daughter??""

Also note other characters part of this little family but I kinda hesitate to say have a parent-child relationship going on: Akura Mercy, daughter of one of the most powerful women on Cradle who has horrible mommy issues and loves her friends. Ziel, who Eithan dragged into the gang by offering to help cure Ziel's condition (it's a long treatment process so you're going to have to join our adventures in the meantime!). Little Blue, literally a small blue spirit. Orthos, a dragon turtle. Dross, London's spirit AI thing who was one of the few things that has ever surprised Eithan because he should not be able to exist at this level what the fuck."

#gintama #sakata gintoki #gintoki sakata #dadtoki #cradle #cradle series #eithan arelius #serial adopters bracket #round 2 #tumblr tournament #tumblr polls

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littleragondin · 9 months ago

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15 Day BL Challenge

The full challenge can be found here!

☆*:.｡. Day 14: Top 5 most sad boys .｡.:*☆

I love a tragedy, I really do (sometimes you just need to have a good cry) so I was reaaaaally excited about this list.

- Korn from Until We Meet Again. I'll kickstart the list with probably my favorite of all the sad boys BL gave me. It's the tragedy of him knowing it can't end well, the weight he carries all the time, and despite all that, the love he has for his brothers, the love he has for In. I just love him beyond words.

- Mitsuru from Eien no Kinou. Even before everything happens, Mitsuru is sad, and alone. This show is such a beautiful and gentle story about grief and I love both Mitsuru and Koichi so very dearly.

- Nut from The Miracle of Teddy Bear. I guess you could argue he is more angry, but imo he does fall under the Sad Boy umbrella. He is desperately fighting through grieving a father who never loved him and a mother not yet gone but clearly not fully there anymore, through his whole family history and his own heartache. He is carrying such sadness all the time.

- Nekoyashiki from Kabe Koji who qualifies perfectly. He is so entrenched in self doubt, self isolation in a way, he is sad in different ways from the others in this list but still. Still.

- Shi Jaewoo from Once Again (yes Moon Jiyong again don't look at me). He is such a sad, burdened young man stuck in a grey world, and the entire tragedy of his story in this broke my heart ngl. He is so sad, and so good, he deserves his place here.

#BLChallenge2k24 #Until We Meet Again #Eien no kinou #The Miracle of Teddy Bear #kabe koji nekoyashiki kun desires to be recognized #Once Again the series #they're all very sad and i love them all so much

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perseph0ne-13 · 1 year ago

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So, I said this a while ago but now that I finally have finished JWQS, I can properly go into detail.

JWQS is happy ending beefleaf- but specifically, Qi Yan is soooo He Xuan coded.

They both want to enact revenge.

We learn at the end of the Black Water arc that Ming Yi has been He Xuan this entire time- and the whole point of him being Ming Yi was to seek revenge for his family, who died because of Shi Qingxuan's brother- Shi Wudu. Qi Yan is in a similar position- her entire family and tribe were wiped out by Nangong Rang (+ Ding Yi and Lu Quan), so she goes undercover in able to truly enact her revenge plan.

They both fall in love with their enemy

sort of. Most TGCF Fans also ship beefleaf so this isn't a reach to say, I think. He Xuan, as Ming Yi, has an incredibly close relationship with Shi Qingxuan- Shi Wudu's sibling. By He Xuan's logic, technically Shi Qingxuan is his enemy- so, naturally, they must be apart of his revenge plans. Shi Qingxuan is the very reason why their fates were switched, and why He Xuan's family died, so even though SQX didn't necessarily switch their fates... they are still partially the reason as to why HX's family is dead. Yet, HX still obviously has a soft spot for SQX (regardless of if you ship beefleaf or not).

The same could be said for Qijing. Nangong Jingnu's father is the reason why Qi Yan's tribe is, for the most part, gone- and it's very obvious throughout the book that Qi Yan places blame on all of the Nangong Imperial clan. But even still, Qi Yan manages to find a way to open up her heart and fall in love with Nangong Jingnu- the daughter of her enemy.

They constantly push their plans of revenge back to enjoy more time with their beloved

He Xuan had countless times to enact his plan of revenge- there was no reason for him to have to wait as long as he did. Yet, he waited until the very last moment- until Shi Wudu's third heavenly calamity, because he knew that when SWD passed it, he would no longer be able to follow through with his plans. Why did he wait, though? Because of SQX. He wanted extra time with them, he wanted to enjoy the momentary happiness he felt with them while he still could- because after he kills their brother, that's it for them.

Qi Yan acknowledges throughout the book that once she kills Nangong Rang, her relationship with Jingnu will never be the same. So, she continues to push back her plans. She goes for everyone else first- Nangong Ping, Nangong Wang, Nangong Wei and Nangong Zhen (to an extent). She waits until the absolute last minute, she waits till Nangon Rang is already on his death bed, to finally kill him. All because she wants every with Nangong Jingnu to stay exactly as they are- happy, and content.

both are scholars

This one doesn't need that much explaining. Qi Yan's whole plot line in the beginning is becoming a top tier scholars just to infiltrate the court- which, fortunately, is put to a halt immediately once she was arranged to marry Jingnu. He Xuan, in Fu Gu, was known as "Scholar He". His dream was to be a Scholar, but the testers didn't like him and constantly sabotaged him so that he wasn't able to pass the test. They let him pass eventually- but by then, it was already too late.

Both drop hints and allude to their beloved as to who they truly are to see their reactions and justify sparing them in the end

Throughout the entirety of the Black Water arc, Ming Yi is alluding to and hinting at who he truly is. He is the one who creates the array to Fu Gu, where they just "happen" to stumble upon the Bloody Fire Social. He intentionally brought them there, to show SQX- look, this is what happened to me -to try and get them to realize. Even when XL accuses MY of being the Reverend, SQX still doesn't realize it. And then, at the terrace of cascading wine, HX (as the reverend) tells SQX what really happened- how they only ascended because their fate was switched with Scholar He's. And yet SQX still does not realize it- but they condemn their brother. Still, in the end, HX spares them even if he had to watch them still defend their brother.

Something similar happens with Qijing. Though, at first, Qi Yan wasn't intentionally hinting at it- the scene where Jingnu sees the piercing hole in her ear and is confused is proof that this was accidental. But later on, Qi Yan starts to be more obvious about it. She retells stories of the Grass Plains, including the war, to get Jingnu to sympathize- she hints at her being a woman, at her being Qiyan Agula. It's all in an effort to see how Jingnu reacts, to justify her thoughts of sparing her and of falling in love with her.

both disappear once their job is done

He Xuan, presumably, slinks back into either Blsck Water Manor or just the ocean that is his territory and is only seen again towards the final chapters to save the capital city.

Qi Yan disappears to Chiongtai with Ding You and is essentially off-the-grid for 5 years.

Of course, the one major difference between these two is that while beefleaf gets a bad ending, Qijing gets the good one. He Xuan and Shi Qingxuan never (supposedly) see each other again after the Black Water arc, apart from that chapter where He Xuan helps to save the capital, and they never speak. Qijing gets the happy ending- Jingnu finds Qi Yan, and though Qi Yan has lost all of her memories... she manages to remember Jingnu, just a bit. They can live happily together.

All in all, I love these two couples very much snd they both deserve happiness. Justice for beefleaf!!!

#heaven official's blessing #tgcf #beefleaf #tian guan ci fu #jwqs #jing wei qing shang #jwwj #two adamant hearts #he xuan #shi qingxuan #ming yi #qi yan #qiyan agula #nangong jingnu #qijing #these two sre so very similar #how has no one else pointed this out #justice for beefleaf

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maguro13-2 · 1 month ago

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*Aftermath of the Tartaros arc*

Therapist : Okay, you guys. This should refresh your memories I hope you can come back anytime soon.

Natsu : (shakes hands) Thanks doc.

Lucy : Now that we all felt better, what now?

Natsu : Oh yes. I know just a guy who is respo for the Tartaros. And I found out that the leader of the guild isn't a man, but a nobody, nobodies from Kingdom Hearts.

Erza : Wait. They're nobodies? Heaartless Nobodies from Kingdom Hearts? Why didn't anyone tell me that?

Natsu : I found out that they were created by a magic book, book of evil arts full of Dark Magic and--

*POIK*

Natsu : Ow! What's this note?

(Looks at the note)

"DEAR BROTHER, I JUST REALIZED THAT THE TARTAROS THING WAS COMPLETELY A FACADE BY SPRIGGAN 12 AND IT WAS MY FAULT THAT I CREATED THEM AS HEARTLESS DOUCHES."

"SIGNED BY ZEREF DRAGNEEL. P.S I INVENTED PAPER BITCHIN."

Lucy : Hold on, you mean we went all that trouble for a facade? that means...Oh...my...Goodness. (the pupils in her eyes explodes)

Natsu : Zeref...Why that self-centered son of a b*tch.

Gray : What's the problem, Dude? What is it?

Natsu : Guys, I just realized this whole Tartaros thing. My brother set all of us up for this. Being captured by the Tartaros was completely a trap, not just a prank.

Happy : Which means...

Natsu : He played us all like a damn fiddle.

Mard Geer Tartaros : Good thing for all of you, and especially, Dragon Boy. We knew that the guild who tormented you were actually paid by your brother and it was our decision to treat you like garbage.

Natsu : And now I understand why I am forced to take revenge on my brother who manipulated everything... it's all because of that stupid book he has and, I am going to destroy that evil book of his.

Mard Geer Tartaros : Good thing too, demon boy. That's the moral of your advantage.

(Natsu clenches his fist)

Mard Geer Tartaros : Ha! You were so lucky that you were all this close for having us to lose your shi-!?

(Natsu angrily grabs him by neck)

*DBZ SFX : Crash*

Mard Geer Tartaros : (moaning in pain)

*birds chirping*

Mard Geer Tartaros : I'm gonna sue his brother for paying me into this. Ughhh...(converts into a heartless)

Natsu : What the...a heartless? Oh boy.

(later shows the heartless in a straight jacket, being hauled away to the realm of darkness)

Mard Geer Tartaros Heartless : Ohhh...We the Tartaros would've gotten away with everything you loved, if it wasn't for his Meddling brother and the stupid guild we captured for information.

Natsu : Sayonara, tormentor of our guild. Have a wonderful time in the realm of darkness. You'll never finding out of unlocking true potential someday. I will unlock it to my brother's.

Mard Geer Tartaros Heartless : (growls with frustration)

Erza : If we ever show your face again, this is what you get for messing with me and abusing me like garbage.

Jellal : You f**k with her, you f**k with me, b**ch.

Kyoka Heartless : (grunts)

Mirajane : So now that you finally learned your lesson about messing with us, you'll get out to show my true form right?

Seliah : Never the less, a little ruse wouldn't hurt myself If I would hurt your sister's feelings. I promise that I would take you to your date with Laxurus someday. Pinky promise.

Darkside : Get into the realm of Darkness, tormentor.

(pushes Seliah to move along)

Lucy : Aquarius...Can't believe she's gone.

Happy : Cheer up. At least we got Virgo and Leo.

Aquarius : I'm not dead you fools.

(gasps in excitement)

Aquarius : I'm practically fine. That's all!

Lucy : Aquarius! You're alive! But I thought you were dead.

Aquarius : Did you really think that I was gonna die that easily.

Lucy : We thought the Tartaros guild, killed you for life.

Aquarius : Yeah, and I had to fake my own death! It was all part of my plan to come back to life. The Tartaros Guild that we went for all this trouble was set up by Natsu's brother all along.

Lucy : So where were did you go after all this time?

Aquarius : I accidentally transported myself to uhh, you know someting like the Sound. Yep, I accidentally ended up at the sound.

(pans to a flashback of Aquarius floating at Puget Sound)

Aqaurius : Where am I? I have no Idea how did I ended up in the Sound like this? But what kind of place they serve coffee and Jeff Bezos here? What part of the sound is this place?

(It's revealed Aquarius is at the Puget Sound of Washington)

*Washington my Home (Piano Variant) plays in background*

Aquarius : So, uhhh, what are you guys into?

*Seagulls crying*

Aquarius : Why did I even bother ending up here?

Sayaka Miki : Hey, buddy. Might carrying you a lift home to Japan?

Aquarius : Nah, don't tell Lucy that I am alive here.

(camera pans back)

Aquarius : And I have been only gone for a whole year. So anyways, what happened to the guild? Why do you look depressed

Lucy : Oh, that? We got disbanded after the Tartaros arc...

*RECORD SCRATCH*

*Mario Hurry Up Jingle+Flames Roaring in the Background*

Aquarius : (shaking fists in anger) Why that no good brother of Natsu...!

*SA1 : Tire screech*

Aquarius : Deep breaths. Deep Breathes.

(Breathes deepily and then sighs)

Aquarius : (takes a drink of Green Tea) Ahhh, that felt refreshing. Now where was I...? Oh yeah.

(outbursts)

Aquarius : (outbursts) THAT DUMBASS ZEREF! HE IS GOING TO PAY!!! HE IS GOING TO BE THE END OF US FOR THIS CRAP WE PULLED THROUGH!!!

Virgo : Save your anger, don't let any of yourselves fall into despair just because Tartaros was a facade, doesn't mean that you're mad that Zeref's brother was the mastermind all of this. it's that stupid book of his brother that's want to put an end to us.

Aquarius : You're right, Virgo. I should've known that I have anger management, and I discovered that how realized Zeref was trying to put an end to Fairy Tail, that was his own fault.

Lucy : Well of course. Thanks to Megatron's advice, we all know that war against the Dark Guild gave us PTSD. But Damn, girl! They just killed you like that is f***ing a Maximal!

(Aquarius bops Lucy's head)

Aquarious : Speak properly before I have your tongue washed off with your mouth.

Lucy : Ow. Sorry.

Virgo : Listen up, everyone! We are not giving up on Fairy Tail! We have to be strong and that is what Nakamas are! I know, I know. Zeref's relations with the Tartaros was seriously an ultimate downfall for us, but his book was the beginning of everything and the beginning of the end for our guild. So here's what we need to come up with a plan to teach Natsu's brother a lesson, and I know just how to do it.

Lucy : (thinking) Something to bring payback on Natsu's brother...

*DING*

Lucy : (evil laughter)

*later*

(Zeref is reading a newspaper)

*Telephone ringing*

Zeref Dragneel : I'll get it.

(he picks up the phone to answer it)

Zeref Dragneel : Hello, Zeref Dragneel of Spriggan 12, Zeref speaking.

Brandish via Hotline : Hey, Zeref, This Brandish Mu of Spriggan 12, Brandish speaking. I got gunk over my feet and I really need to wash them off since Fairy Tail had lost their sh** after going through all that trouble for dark and brutal guilds which you created and now I understand why your brother thinks that you are being a douche with that book of yours.

Zeref Dragneel : Why didn't you tell me that before? I was the one who paid the Tartaros guild to summon E.N.D which is my plan of unlocking his full potential. What's the big deal with that anyway with my bro being all stingy? All I wanted to was give Igneel a payback for destroying my family and nearly killed my brother! I lost everything to my peeps! And now I understand what to atone for my sins.

Zeref Dragneel : Not just sins, but crimes as well. I am officially atoning my sins for all of this.

Brandish via Hotline : Great, go ahead. Atone for your sins of being the biggest douche who created the dark and brutally Tartaros Guild. That's on you, bro.

Zeref Dragneel : Maybe I am such a lost cause, but I feel bad for them, yeah I am a douche for using that magic book, I used it for the E.N.D project so that no one would notice, not even my brother would seek the truth.

Brandish via Hotline : And that's why it's a pity that it's your own fault for all of this, you ordered those guys to put the end for Fairy Tail. Boo hoo for you.

Zeref Dragneel : I know. I know, I gotta make things right for my brother, he seemes worried about Igneel who literally annhilated my own family for the past years! And I wanted to demand my brother's respect a family member and a villain to him, that's all what I gotta do before I could atone for my crimes against the world. And for the better reason, I think it's best that you--

Brandish via Hotline : I get it, okay?! I get your point! I get that Igneel killed your own family and want payback against him, big whoop! Demons are cruelty for everything and you were the responsible for the Etherious diseases, like a Fags disease!

Zeref Dragneel : That's a no homo. Of course the Etherious diseases was from the book that was the beginning of everything.

Brandish via Hotline : Right. No big deal then. Give me a call back when you needed me the most. But then again, I'm gonna have to ask you a question before I hung up. Did you know that a summoned demon made of Ink that was paid to get revenge on you and the book itself?

Zeref Dragneel : What? A demon made of Ink? I didn't summoned a demon made of Ink, I was set up by--

*DBZ SFX : Crash*

Brandish via Hotline : Yeah, looks like you're in hot water now. Someone's here to see you.

Zeref Dragneel : Yeah, yeah, I know who it is, Brandish. I have to come clean.

Brandish via Hotline : Good luck in yours.

Zeref Dragneel : Good luck in yours. (hangs up phone)

Zeref Dragneel : Alright. So, uhh, Mavis, honey, look I know you're not mad me for paying the Dark Guild treating my brother like a pile of human garbage, but I really need you to make me improve to me , sweetcheeks. You're the only wife that I ever--(turns and sees the Ink Demon)

[Giant Spider by Michiru Yamane plays]

*Inky roars*

Zeref Dragneel : OH GOD! IT'S BENDY THE INK DEMON!

(tries to run away by spinning his legs)

Zeref Dragneel : I GOTTA GET OUT OF HERE!

(the demon grabs Zeref as he trails off his yell)

Zeref Dragneel : (yelps and sobs loudly) NO PLEASE! HELP! SOMEBODY HELP ME!

Brandish : (polishing her nails) Not on your life, homeboy. You're on your own. You're gonna sort your own problems.

Zeref Dragneel : WHO'S IDEA WAS IT TO PAY A DEMON MADE OF INKY DARKNESS! (SOBS) WHO'S IDEA WAS IT!? WHO SENT YOU!?

Natsu : That would be us!

(he sees Team Natsu and the rest of the guild)

Zeref Dragneel : (sobs) Brother! Help me!

Natsu : Of course, we would help you out, but first...You gotta owe me and my guild an apology. This demon was made to surpass other demons to teach villains like you all a lesson.

Gray : And that's right, we magicians knew about the mighty powers of the Ink Demon, who was born from the inky darkness to bring justice on the villains that treated heroes like garbage! Making us suffer with pain in the hearts of all and heroes are served with justice to bring an oath to the mighty Ink Demon!

Erza : I say that this demon pack a quite of punches when devour bad people that bullied us and tormented us.

Wendy : If only you learned your lesson, none of this would ever happen to us.

Zeref Dragneel : Brother please! Help...HELP ME BEFORE THIS DEMON IS GONNA EAT ME!

Lucy : (singsong voice) We're not gonna leave you alone till you learn your lesson.

Zeref Dragneel : ALRIGHT! ALRIGHT! I CONFESS! I MANIPULATED YOU, NATSU ! I USED ALL OF YOU AND THE ENTIRE GUILD! I PUT THE BLAME ON THE TARTAROS GUILD THAT I CREATED TO LED TO THE GUILD'S DEMISE AND DESPAIR WITH PTSD!

Zeref Dragneel : BUT DAMN, GIRL! SHE JUST GOT KILLED LIKE THAT IS A F***ING MAXIMAL!

Natsu : So why did the Tartaros you created had to make us suffer and started a war against them?

Zeref Dragneel :(Softly) Because it's the truth, bro. My poor wife couldn't let me speak up to...

Brandish : Oh for crying out loud, Zeref, speak up and confess your brother the truth.

Zeref Dragneel : I set up the whole Tartaros thing so that I can unlock his true potential, reborn as E.N.D, getting our revenge on Igneel killing our family! Now please, brother! Get this monstrosity away from me!

Natsu : You mean the attack on putting the end of Fairy Tail Guild?

Zeref : I manipulated it.

Happy : Sick burn!

Lucy : The big bad Mard Geer himself?

Zeref : The heartless man I created from my book.

Erza : Sick burn!

Wendy : The whole etherious race?

Zeref : Created the race and also turned Mirajane into a demon.

Gray : That's a sick burn!

Juvia : And the whole Tartaros guild that tormented us to unlock Natsu's true potential?

Zeref : I paid them.

Fairy Tail Guild : WOW! THAT'S A SICK BURN!

Gajeel : And most importantly...BOO ON YOU SIR!

Fairy Tail Guild : YEAH! BOO ON YOU!

Waluigi : Cheater!

Zeref : Please, help me brother! All I just wanted to make you reborn and unlock your potential!

Natsu : So now that we finally knew about the Tartaros thing wrapped up to foil your plans, you promise that you'll never do it again?

Zeref : Yes! Yes! I just want to end it! All of my plans to get my revenge on Igneel has wasted, I atoned my crimes for this and just give up being the bad dude! And now my wife thinks that I made you all becoming the new Smackhead Dave!

Natsu : You mean, Mavis, the original leader of Fairy Tail?

Zeref : Yes, dude. She's my wife, and you're going to become a great uncle. But please, how do you stop the Ink Demon from crushing me!?

Natsu : With pleasure, now then, let's make Fairy Tail get back on their feet again, by the powers of Nakamas!

All : YEAH!!!

(scene flips)

Zeref : Here you are brother, I paid you and your friends back, and now I'm going to retire myself as villain and giving up my title as the Dark Mage.

Natsu : Well, we thought the Tartaros arc would be special for you, brother. But it's just complicated that we went through all of this trouble, just to make me unlocking my true potential.

Zeref : Yeah, see if I care, I'm done with that stupid book that would be the end for you, but in the end, I paid you all back for letting you suffer after I became greedy over dark magic and the Tartaros guild that I paid them had nearly costs all of your lives to unlock your potential.

Erza : What does that mean.

Zeref : So my plans of unlocking my brother's potential as E.N.D would've been their's if it hadn't been for you and your meddling selves!

Gray : Oh, well excuse us for playing Scooby Doo with us!

Zeref : Say that to my face, punk! I dare ya! I triple dog dare ya!

Natsu : Alright, everyone! PIPE DOWN! We're trying to be nice to my villainous brother who hasn't been drinking any of his booze for a long time.

Zeref : I'm not into alcohol, bro. I am some times sober, but I prefer soft drink like root beer.

Natsu : Well, hey. I used to like soft drink too, and don't call it a coke.

Happy : As a token of Natsu's appreciation of saving our selves, we decided to give you something special from Juvia.

Juvia : That's right and I have brought you...

(Juvia hands out the Exploding Pie)

Juvia : A hot steamy baked Pie for Natsu's brother.

Gray : Wait a second, that's the pie filled with explosives yesterday!

Juvia : I just wanted everyone to save their selves from the painful despair in order to cheer up guys by giving this tasty pie for all of us.

Natsu : Put that pie away, blue face! You're realizing that's really the exploding pie thingy from Sponge--

Juvia : Whoops!

(accidentally trips, casuing the pie to fly, Zeref is now screwed)

Zeref : Well, Cra--

*SPLAT+LOUD EXPLOSION*

*sizzling*

Juvia : See? I told you. *coughs out smoke*

Natsu : Note to self : Nitroglycerin is a not a substitute for vanilla extract.

Zeref : Okay, brother. I'm gonna have you and all of your friends some cuts for their allowence, in order to pay anyone who can find my spleen.

Natsu : Welp. We all learned our lesson today, have we kids?

*everyone nods*

Natsu : Good. Hopefully, this will ever make me regret on unlocking my full potential as E.N.D.

Zeref : I'm gonna take my magic book straight into the furnace.

*Whistling+Thud*

Lucy : I think your brother's got the picture, Natsu. Totally gives me a second fiddle to play with.

(Iris shot)

[SMB 3 Jingle Clear plays]

Natsu : Heh! Still got it.

(Iris out)

#fairy tail #fairy tail final season #fairy tail 100 years quest #hiro mashima #comedy #dark comedy #revenge #funny #natsu dragneel #zeref dragneel #payback

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