#since he's getting the immortality thing because he got turned into a ghost in canon maybe I should take inspiration from it?

[sky-of-ideas]

Oh man the demon's wish au is barely going to follow the plot of witch's heart isn't it lmao

[maxwell-grant]

I’m curious, what are your thoughts on Seth from street fighter?

Even post-revamp, still fairly awkward and out of place as a Street Fighter character (even if that is very much the point and always has been), but as a villain, they really won me over, there's a lot of great stuff here. Seth is a self-hating robot in a CEO outfit who poisons the world around them and whose grand plans involve imitating the actual main villain while insisting they are a different unique being (unlike their 26 exact clones), and stealing the creations of everyone else around them, who then dies and gets a sexy cool makeover to become a gruesome aimless murderous ghost, who chases traces of it's creator around to kill him unaware that it's dying with every step it takes and that it's chasing something that isn't there. They went from Frankenstein's Monster play-acting as a cold calculating unfeeling chessmaster who everyone could tell was full of shit, to the Bride of Frankenstein as a barely-held-together dangerous yet tragic monstrosity that everyone reacts to with disgust and pity. They went from what we used to think AI would be, to what AI actually is, and I'd say they were pretty ahead of their time for that alone.

(art by z3dd)

Now, IV Seth was pretty uncontestedly the least popular of the Street Fighter Final Bosses, for fairly similar reasons to Gill: they were seen as too much of a fantasy supervillain, they didn't "fit" the series, they were too weird and awkward and out-there, and where as Gill at least got a pass because of his presentation and style and sheer contrast with Bison (although that "pass" only happened because people turned around on 3rd Strike), Dollar Store Dr.Manhattan was just lesser than Gill and Bison in every way and thus was a dissappointing final boss, an out-of-place comic book supervillain who didn't justify their existence.

Granted, the series actually had way more of a precedent for Seth than it ever did for Gill, given the presence of prior cyborgs and shapeshifters (the Shadaloo cyborgs from the animated movie that Seth was directly based from, Twelve and Necro) plus Gill, and the door for comic book supervillains was blasted open in the first place with Bison (and all the fighting game bosses that descended from him). But still, Bison's thing was that he was one-in-a-million, that he broke the rules as an dishonorable intrusion, that if you reached high enough to topple the greatest fighter (Sagat) you could fight the greatest fighter's boss, a man so powerful rules and structures could not apply to him and only your fists stood between him and global domination. Since obviously you can't take a step back and you can't do the same trick twice, that formula had to be tweaked for Gill and Seth: Gill was presented as someone above even Bison on the food chain and scope, a distant immortal bearing divine judgementt on trespassers, where as Seth was defined by their role irrevocably beneath Bison, and the walking inferiority complex that ensues.

They are a Bison project, one of 26 exactly like them (which means canonically most of the fighters got to defeat "a" Seth, which really does not make them very impressive), growing from Bison's leftovers to lead a subsidiary of Bison's organization, continuing Bison's plans, with their grand plot being just an imitation of Bison's plan to control Ryu's power, and generally acting and speaking and doing things exactly like Bison while uselessly whining that they are NOT Bison and that they will succeed where Bison failed, while the narrative makes no secret of the fact that Bison is still alive, still pulling the strings, and that he was perfectly fine until Seth started getting a little too big boy pants for his liking, and now Bison's gonna put his homegrown Pinocchio in the shredder with little to no difficulty and take the reigns as Final Boss again. Which, granted, did do it's job in building Bison back-up again, but didn't do a thing to negate the idea that Seth was a superfluous, inferior rip-off, given that textually, this is how they were presented as.

Even the characters didn't seem to take them very seriously, certainly not as seriously as Bison, and that was BEFORE the breakout rock star of the IV series, Juri, debuted to ensure that Seth wouldn't even be the most popular new villain. It is the least surprising thing in the world that Seth would achieve much greater popularity, in part, by being redesigned to be more like Juri. And part of what made Juri appealing was the fact that she was a conniving, cool, unique loose cannon villain ready to make Seth eat shit over thinking that they could control her, they became the big-headed authority figure for our punk bad girl to kick like a pinata. Unlike Vega and Balrog, who only talked a big game, Juri actually got to kick her dipshit supervillain boss to the curb, and we all loved her for it.

Seth's major saving graces were their gameplay, which made them very popular competitively, plenty of aspects of their design, and the fact that all of the above worked to make Seth a character who, while not terribly compelling in their own right, did a lot to make other characters more interesting, like Abel, who was designed to be a good counterpart to Seth and not remotely interesting besides (although his stint as Guile's manchild partner in SFvsT has it's moments), or like Juri and Bison, giving them an enemy they could actually defeat to gain street cred. Frequently you need villains that only exist to let other villains be cooler by comparison or retain their dignity or put one over. Sometimes you need a Cluemaster in place of your Riddler, a Mac Gargan to make all the other Sinister Six guys omlook better by comparison, a Zant to fill in screentime for Ganondorf or a Hobgoblin instead of a Green Goblin. You need your in-betweeners even if, and sometimes especially if, they will never be anyone's favorite character. Which is a harsh thing to say about Seth, but for a while they definitely didn't seem like anyone's favorite baddie, but instead someone who made their favorite baddies look way better by comparison.

And Seth worked in this regard especially because their design was built on the idea of them being unnatural, contemptible and out-of-place. I actually think Seth's original design does work, and has been vindicated over time. Seth is a cybernetic intelligence made by scientists to consume and imitate all the brilliant techniques that the World Warriors spent years/decades perfecting, a twisted mockery of their beliefs and achievements. They look like a living yin-yang and conducts themselves posing like a Shinto god, but there is no spirituality or soul to anything they do. They are a grotesque, soulless husk that can only imitate, can only cruelly replicate the evil of their creator and not even do a terribly impressive job at it, and all of their attempts to convince others they are in any way different or unique ring hollow. They are one in many many Bison back-up bodies even among the playable cast, and all of their achievements are meaningless, either already belonging to Bison or stolen and repurposed by Bison and others.

There was plenty about Seth that already worked and was just held back by a not-particularly impressive design or presentation. The grand trick that SFV pulled was basically giving them a new one, and taking everything about Seth that used to be implied and subtextual, and basically making it textual, making it a scream they can only repeat ad nauseum, and in the process making one of the most tragic SF characters as well as one of the coolest.

Now, yes, you could argue that SFV Seth kinda missed the point in a big way by actually giving Seth a distinct and interesting design best described with the "not to be a lesbian but oh god oh fuck jesus christ" meme, when the character being soulless and unoriginal was important to their make-up. But it was never a terribly interesting idea (already done by the likes of Twelve or the Cycloids), certainly not for a fighting game character let alone a Final Boss with such massive standards to live up to, and shades of it still impart in the new design in a far more delightfully twisted way. It's Seth, except they are Juri now. They've been remade in the image of their true enemy, their hateful minion that ruined their plans, led Bison to them, killed and broke and stole them to be remade using a discarded Doll body from Bison's scrap pile, and the process has revived Seth into a pitiable broken record of itself.

The new design greatly emphasizes the corrupted Shinto / yin-yang elements of before, adding splashes of color and powerful glowing lines to the design that make it so that, while they looks less cadaverous, they look much more the part of a corrupted imitation of a deity, so that despite being downgraded from boss status they actually look much more like something you'd face as a Final Boss, something that could stand next to the other Final Bosses. And that glow-up extends to their moveset: Instead of pasting together improvised and half-hearted recreations of iconic special moves, Seth now directly steals and perfectly replicates the skills from whoever they're fighting. Seth conducts themselves with greater power and swagger this time around, with tons of new animations lifted from powerful past Capcom villains like Demitri or the Heritage to the Future take on DIO, and it works. Because even now, Seth can only imitate greatness from others. Seth has perfectly captured advancements in A.I tech because they can learn, grow, and even imitate to near-perfection, but they cannot meaningfully improve, and they are dragged down by incohence, chaos, errors and glitches in programming. In short, the fact that they are an artificial intelligence to begin with.

That's a thing about A.I and robots in general: Sci-fi has spent over a century anthropomorphizing robots and artificial intelligence characters to empathize with and make stories out of, create lovable stock fantasy characters that our culture comes back to again and again, but now that they are a real thing, and they are horrible godless abominations often used to actively make the world worse (even if it's hard to ascribe fault to something that isn't sentient enough to be malicious), we can't really deal with that. It's a cognitive dissonance that sci-fi doesn't look like it's going to catch up for a while now, if it ever will. We still like robots and robot stories and characters too dang much to know how to live with them. We still cry over Pluto, it's unavoidable.

And crying may be a strong term, but SFV actually seriously invites us to feel sorry for the dang thing, and the great final trick SFV pulled was breaking Seth under the weight of being Seth. Under the weight of being lesser, of not being real, of being an artificial creation made in an assembly line and not even the best of it's kind, of being not a terribly popular creation, of being a victim of characters that will get away with what they've done to them because nobody's gonna stand up for Seth, of being a Bison imitation made to house Bison and do Bison's bidding in the meanwhile, and thrown in the trash despite performing exactly as it was supposed to. Seth has faults of personality that make them more than a machine, and less than a person, and if the cast before generally despised them but not to the extent they despised Bison, now most characters outright pity them, as a thing living past expiration date that shouldn't be alive at all.

And because of all of this, in a way, Seth has attained a form of uniqueness. Even among the other villains and tragic characters of Street Fighter, Seth stands unique as a truly tragic, doomed villain, not even really a villain anymore so much as an obtuse, sad disaster. They are maybe Bison's greatest victim now, because even the Dolls (sans Marz) are all getting moderately happy endings, even Cammy and Abel and the Neo Shadaloo goobers got to make new lives for themselves, even Nash got to die by their terms and make his sacrifice count. Seth had nothing besides this. Seth was created for, born into, lived by, and died as an extension of Bison's evil, a tiny little bump in Shadaloo history, a piece of junk that Juri used and broke and tossed aside to resume her miserable life afterwards, and all their revival did was prolong the horror. Just one among endless horrors JP leaves behind when he's through with them.

We have yet to know what became of them after SFV, because many stories from SFV have been dropped or left incomplete in 6 (and many probably for the better), but even though Seth really was a villain and a horrible enemy to all of humanity, you kinda wind up feeling sorry enough for them to almost wish that their SFV ending happened, where they destroy Bison and ascend over their other selves, and still the question of whether they could ever be at peace lingers. This ending just fascinates me to no end, and it makes me think of the quotes that Gouken had to say to them that alone stood as an indication that Seth could be more than they appeared and insisted on being:

"Until you acknowledge the soul within, you cannot use your power for good."

"You seek individuality and identity, but you will not find it this way."

(JP win quote) "Look, you don't have to use your powers to express who you are."

Until they appear again, that this is the note that Seth as a character goes out on might even imply that this was either their true goal all along, or that Seth has genuinely progressed as a person enough to want something new. That they are now able to seek or at least aspire for peace of mind, where as before there was only a desire for conquest and power, to show the world that Bison was a ghost and that they were the king, the ruler, the greatest fighter of all. Seth constantly expressed disgust and hatred at their other variants, killing them and flying into a murderous rage at being referred to by their number, even expressing in IV a desire to "be the sole survivor of this world" presumably with everything else as data within themselves. Here, they appear before the other Seths in a pose of ascended godhood, even seemingly benevolent, like they're ready to bring their siblings along.

The spiritual elements of their design no longer appear as a corrupt imitation, but an indicator of genuine spirituality. That Gouken was right, that there really was a soul in Seth waiting to be acknowledged, that the exorcism of the great evil that once defined them has allowed at last a pursuit of individuality and identity and self-expression, to reconcile their hatred of themselves (which manifested as a hatred of the other numbered Seths). It's such a fascinating development that it almost, almost makes me wish Street Fighter would dip it's toes a little into multiverse territory, much as I hate the superhero-ification of the series in V. I have thoughts on how MK1 handled this and very mixed ones at that, but the canonization of "every character ending from past arcade modes can have happened in separate universes and we can have it cross over whenever we feel like it" is an idea I do like, if nothing else this ascended development for Seth just seems like too potent an idea to never touch on again.

I used to not like Seth, really. They used to be one of my less favorite characters. Now I'd call them one of my favorites, and I'm just feeling horribly sorry for them. I need to know what became of them. Whether they'll still come back for one last torturous round of existence, whether they are heading for some other exciting new development, or whether the very next second after the end of their V story, they simply ended with one of their victory quotes:

"A SERIOUS ERROR HAS OCCURRED."

"A SERIOUS ERROR HAS OCCURRED."

"A SERIOUS ERROR HAS OCCURRED."

"A SERIOUS ERROR HAS OCCURRED."

[cure-typhoon]

Actually can you share more about your Karkat story? Is it a whole timeline or a fic or..? For me I don't really have any concrete ideas of what happens post-canon, it's mostly just random thoughts that may or may not apply to my sims game haha

Ofc! I have a whole au (earth c au tag) about it but at the moment is random ideas thrown in the wild. I am doing a timeline but because its going to include a summary of the lives of all the kids since they arrived on Earth C (16), to when they jumped in time (17) to their current ages (40 smt) + their kids its going to be long and its going to take me like a month before i complete it lol

Anyway long rant:

But basically if we focus on Karkat, he arrived on the future of Earth C at 17 but quickly found out that not a lot of people speak English/Alternian anymore, so they were in a whole new world without being to communicate to a lot of people. Because they decided to not reveal themselfs as the Creators of Earth C, things are complicated to say the least.

He ends up getting a job on some random kitchen as a dishwasher and over time gets promoted to a chef. He is dating Dave and helping Jade with the money, as she is trying to get her studies done and she is their bestie.

But because of unresolved trauma, things start to nose-dive over the years with his friends and his partner until finally Dave breaks up with him and basically leaves the country while ghosting everyone (Not really Karkat's fault, as Dave is not coping with basically being immortal but his attitude didnt help) at his 25-26

Anyway, he didn't take the breakup well at all, as it had become very codependant and toxic over the years and had a rough year before Jade basically gave him an ultimatum to put himself together and try to better himself or she was done with him as a frined, because his anger issues and general attitude had become really toxic to deal with and she basically couldn´t try to help him anymore without basically exhausting herself, this + almost loosing Kanaya as a friend for the same reasons (because she is a new mom now and she is not dealing with his toxic shit anymore) he starts a self improvement journey that is hit or miss over the years but is helping him a lot

Because he got fired a year before Dave broke up with him, he gets a job in the caverns as a janitor for the mean time and life is going relately well all things considered.

That is until when he is in his 30s (32-35?), a child appears outside his house eating some of his vegetables/fruit, and whille he is not happy about some stranger kid in his backyard, he doesnt give it much though and the kid leaves after some time

Well, this repeat a lot for a couple of weeks and he starts to have conversation with this kid (Luis 7-8 years old) and gives him other food, and because he doesnt really understand that its not normal for a kid this young to just hang out on his own without supervision, he doesnt give it much though (Also Luis lied and told him he has permission from his parents)

Turns out he doesnt have permission to just be running around on his own, as he had escaped from the orphanage he lives in, and was basically being followed because he escaped AGAIN and they were trying to catch him. He runs to Karkat home and tries to hide there but it doesnt work. Karkat catchs to the situation from the workers of the orphanage who explains things to him, and while he understands, he is not exactly happy as Luis doesnt want to go with them and is very unhappy with the situation

One of the workers gives him some info about becoming a foster parent, as she see's he actually was able to form a connection with him and could give a stable home to Luis (a ''problem child'' who is very angry that he has been separated of his two youngest sisters and has been causing problems since he arrived to the system)

He gives it a thought and he actually considers it giving a shot, he also doesnt fucking tell any of his friends and now Karkat is a foster dad after going through the whole process, to everyone's surprise.

Things dont go well the first year, as Luis things this is another temporary situation so he tries to screw with Karkat all he can to speed things up but Karkat had the fucking Beta Trolls as his friend group, his normal thermometer is basically screwed so while he gets mad at some stuff, he is not ''I'm kicking you out'' mad ever

Thanks to some stuff that happened, and him being able to get Luis on contact with his youngest siblings (Marymr-4 and Aurora-An egg/wriggler) things become better between the two of them and Marymr becomes part of the home after some time. Aurora is another can of worms as she is still a grub and needs to live on a cavern in the meantime

Times goes on, Karkat gets a job in the caverns (nepotism/half joking), Aurora starts living with them after pupating, lifes goes on and then Daves come back to the country after almost 6-7 years of ghosting him and being on low contact with everyone else. He accidently becomes their babysitter when he went to try to salvage the friendship between him and Karkat and Karkat's babysitter cancelled last minute.

And thats about the most important stuff? More stuff happen, he starts dating Jade, his friendship with Dave has recovered as well as it could and things are going well for him and his family in his 40's

Until he disappeared and got teleported to the pesterquest timeline and is stuck there in the meantime but thats another can of worms lol

[i-spilled-my-soup]

could you explain your asklepios au ? genuinely curious and invested in the solangelo -> asklepios pipeline

alright this will be long. tl;dr it's a greek mythology au about mortality and righteousness and hubris and has like. no romance at all. if this is written i plan for no making out; hugs and kisses probably but romance lies only in interpretation. tw/cw for death, corpses

will centered and will pov where he takes the place of asklepios/asclepius/ophiucus(constellation was asklepios to the romans) in a sort of greek myth universe, like a camp half blood in 300 bce ish? in the relative time of the popular tales like homer's iliad and odyssey, virgil's aeneid. setting where songs and hymns are well known (let me imagine a place where everyone gets the obscure balls jokes i so adore). and important detail about worldbuilding, there are no powers. only gods can control the elements, and its only in threats/blessings that in modern times could be written off as delusions but in characters' minds is concrete evidence. nico is just some guy.

will keeps his canon mom and siblings and medical prowess, his frustration with death is amplified to an unhealthy amount. nico is still just some guy at this point

assuming this is a finite to be written work, the story starts after will and nico have gotten acquainted. nico does his thing, begins as a weird unfriendly guy but after being acquainted becomes a good friend. they bond over losing their siblings and feeling responsible for their deaths, less of a "you did nothing wrong" and more of a "yeah that sucks balls" kind of empathy. then will learns that nico is a child of hades(the guy) and (after an orphic hymn infertility joke) has to fight the urge to use nico to bring people from hades(the place)/keep them from ever going there

in typical nico fashion he disappears like fully. will is reasonably concerned and tries to look for him whenever he isn't practicing and teaching medicine in case of impending war with a neighboring state? this part is funny and i want to say war is the conflict because battle is the usual conflict in the myth and history i've read and also in riordan's series itself. turns out the guy is dead. yippee! (probably some scene where will sees nico but its actually just the ghost or nico visits in a dream or will actually just finds the body preserved in snow. the last one's a little too intense)

so will takes it upon himself to help give nico proper burial rites as a last favor. he gives nico a drug/ritual to aid in the burial process and accidentally brings him back to life. they both recognize that they have, unintentionally or otherwise, defied the will of the gods reigning and primordial. will is reluctant to let nico just straight up die again (for selfish reasons) and argues that nico could regain the favor of the gods if he did good stuff in his new life (supposedly selfless reasons). nico is skeptical but dude's love language is acts of service at the cost of his own health and comfort so he agrees

no one else had known he was actually dead and they pretend that he was always alive. nico gets himself mentally ready to die at any moment (cause psychopomp hermes could pull up at any moment) but will can't let go of how he actually resurrected someone. and the power before him is tempting him to fall into hubris

augh something something something. probably a battle and will saves more people and he is slowly going mad with power against his own conscience, defying the gods for his own goals of helping people

uh. eventually nico dies again. the feds(god) got him. will goes out into a storm to look for him, and to forage more of the drug that brought him back to life, and gets killed in the storm, supposedly by zeus(asklepios moment)

since will succumbed to hubris and consciously defied the gods he gets a punishment, and that's immortality. with his mortal person taken away he can no longer practice medicine. he cannot save anyone anymore, he has become the lost sibling and friend he had sought to rescue. he loses the solace(haha) of joining his family and friends in the underworld, instead he is separated from them for eternity. he will outlive everyone he knows, and will not be able to see them after they die

so here i imagine a dual bad ending. nico gets a bad lot cause he will lose his life at the peak of potential, at the exact point where he could find peace and help so many more people than before. will gets the same, where he can no longer achieve his aspirations in life, discontent with a self-serving existence, but now separated from everyone he holds dear, trapped in the realm of those he defied

potential happy closure ending? will escapes to the underworld and works under hades and sees nico once and even though he's torn away from the shades as per his punishment he is happy that in the forever he exists there he could see his friends again, that they could both be assured of another's existence and history and regain the selves they became in each other's company

fear of death prevails. but they won over it because so long as they could know each others' names it proves they had once lived? mutual immortality sculpted in the eternity of death?

[jonahfagnus]

i dont think you ever posted about your "jon sees elias as jonah when he takes the archivist job" au but please start with that immediately 👀👀👀👀👀👀

so i dont think theres very much that i didnt say in the tags of the post i made about it (unless tumblr ate those for some reason)

but basically. yeah after jon takes the archivist position he starts seeing elias as jonah (at elias' age, not as like. a corpse in the panopticon). obviously he immediately realises that its jonah bcs, yknow, the guys paintings are everywhere.

i imagine jon's train of thought is something like this:

did my boss get possessed by jonah magnus -> no thats dumb ghosts arent real -> im having a psychotic episode -> surely id be seeing other symptoms -> what the FUCK is happening

so a huge amount of jon's desire to find the truth about the supernatural ends up focused on jonah. initially he's just doing research into the actual guy jonah magnus himself but that doesnt really get him anywhere because its not like jonah was like "dear diary im an eye avatar and im going to start putting my eyes into other people so i can be immortal" so he starts doing research into elias instead. which also turns out to be quite difficult just doing normal research.

luckily, jon and elias are decently friendly with each other (at least in early s1, which this would still be). so surely its not weird to try and make sure your relationship with your boss is positive. thats just common sense thats just cultivating a welcoming workplace environment or whatever. and ofc elias is like

bcs this is objectively great! jons leaning into the eye hes considering breaching elias' privacy to learn more about him and ofc hes flattered that jon is so focused on him in particular. so he allows jon to break into his office and look through his things and he pretends he isnt watching the entire time, and he casually mentions some flaws in his home security to try and spur jon into breaking into his house (which he doesnt. yet.)

they're sort of not-quite-dating - tim might joke about jon going on dates with elias and jon gets very flustered and denies it and elias is a little over affectionate in public just to see how jon reacts, but neither of them have any idea that jon's doing all of this just so he can figure out why his boss is (apparently) the founder of the institute.

then prentiss happens. then they find gertrude's body.

i dont think jon gets as paranoid as he does in canon - hes been less of an asshole since all of his focus has gone into researching elias and trying to figure out what the fuck happened. so while i think he does do some research into the archival crew, its mainly research into gertrude herself, and continuing his research into elias. now with added stalking!

and of course elias still doesnt care about the stalking because hes still 1. very happy jon is taking to the eye so well and 2. flattered that jon is so focused on him to the point of stalking him. in my heart i know elias considers stalking to be a form of flirting

s2 goes generally the same but i want jon to find out about the not-them just a little sooner so i can make him go "holy shit! elias got not-them'd! what the fuck!" of course this is completely incorrect if you know anything about how the not-them works but jon. doesnt.

jon, of course, breaks the table. then he finds out that sasha got not-them'd. then he finds out leitner is alive. then he finds out leitner is dead.

who else does he have to go to? he shows up at elias' home, maybe just minutes after elias finishes cleaning up, because a man has been killed in his office and he didnt do it.

because i am a soft elias truther s3 isnt just manipulation and horrible things happening for jon. horrible things still do happen (elias very much doesnt discourage him from talking to jude perry, or mike crew, for example) and elias is still a bastard but its probably not any significant amount more horrible than canon s3 was.

jon probably spends amounts of time talking to elias about what leitner told him (which is hilarious to elias) and elias (against his better judgement) doesnt tell jon that leitner was lying, but instead asks him questions that may or may not lead him to figuring out the entities. he's curious as to what's going to happen, and he's sure jon likes him enough that showing just a little of what he knows wont tarnish their relationship

i dont have many thoughts beyond that - the confrontation probably goes differently, for example, and maybe jon permanently moves in with elias. i cant decide how much of a corruption arc i should give jon (obviously he ends up much more content with the eye than in canon bcs the eye is sexy but i cant decide if hes pro apocalypse or not) but when jon finds out that elias is jonah hes like "oh i know" and jonah is like what the fuck do you mean

[blacksurvivalnostalgichanges]

Black Survival characters as mythological/supernatural creatures

Adela:vampire adela is convincing but you know she could be fae with that sort of “you have already lost” thing she has

Adriana:i want to say fire elemental, but that’s too obvious. it’d be poetic if she were instead something that’s constantly cold like an ice elemental or something

Aiden:he is canonically pretty much a supernatural creature. all i can do is nudge towards son of zeus or suggest he’s that one thing i saw somewhere of a being that turns into electricity and travels in power cords (this parenthesis is of me sending this out. what the fuck is this last bit. i have zero clue)

Alex:i think all secret agents would be shapeshifters or changelings. he does have a lot of This Man Is Unfindable vibes, so he’d probably be a shapeshifter

Arda:so tempted to say he’s the human in the story. but ok i’ll name something. i think he has elf-y vibes. at least immortal. like, he’s the type to have lived through a lot of things to me

Aya:maybe it’s because i think she’s kinda similar to kujou sara genshin impact, but i’m thinking tengu

Barbara:human with tons of metal prosthesis (this is me from the future/present. boy that’s a cyborg. pretty sure i described a cyborg)

Bernice:werewolf. hunter of the night, sad about hurting people, that’s werewolf baby

Camilo:either a siren or a sexy vampire

Cathy:necromancer. god i picture someone being like “h... he’s dead.....” and she cracks her knucles like “i didn’t get my medical license revoked for nothing”

Celine:mage or witch vibes to me. all her spells are fireball

Chiara:the nun enemy in horror games. whether she’d be a ghost, or a demon, or a whatever-the-hell is ambiguous, but that’s what i’m seeing. maybe a fallen angel too. good omens au with emma, see my vision

Chloe:witch. like, wears-a-hat, potion-making, cat-having witch is what i’m picturing except instead of a cat she has a small child

Daniel:i’ve compared him to alucard and dracula and vampires too many times for me to say anything but vampire

Echion:hes kind of a cyborg right. i don’t need to try

Eleven:whatever flutterina from she-ra had going on (me from the present/future again. that’s a forest elf. she-ra has a wiki page)

Eva:yeah this one’s obvious. just. magical girl. there ain’t much to work with

Emma:magical girl skin is compelling but. again. good omens au

Fiora:so much medieval knight slayer of dragon vibes coming out of her

Hart:i got nothing. muse? elf? she’s too Normal Person to read

Hyejin:if she were chinese she’d slay in a danmei so hard. she’d cultivate so hard. so when it comes to korea it’s something akin, i guess. don’t know if i want to deep-dive into korean culture for this

Hyunwoo:i never watched teen wolf but he’d be a werewolf in there. source:dude trust me. but with all his stuff going on i wouldn’t be surprised if he was cursed

Isol:ehehe werewolf isol

Jackie:there’s this one episode of grimm where they reveal jack the ripper is a ghost/demon that just comes back every 100 years and possesses someone to go to murders. i think that’s what she’d be

Jan:too much of a normal human being for me to read as well. he’s maybe the character with the least skins too so no clue. not even a halloween costume, i feel like he’d just wear one of those skeleton full-body costumes and call it a day

Jenny:i think it’d be neat if she were a ghost possessing a theater, or something akin to walpurgisnacht from puella magi madoka magica. but she also has elf vibes since she’s full of herself and pretty and stuff

Johann:cleric. what do you want from me

JP: he’s got to be some sort of trickster spirit. if he’s chinese then there’s definitely a few to pick from there

Laura: her whole character is a sort of fetish so if you append “sexy” to it she could be anything

Lenox:dryad. why? she’s afraid of fire. checkmate

Leon:merman

Li Dailin:she’s so regretful and bitter and self destructive. that’s a wraith baby

Luke:he seems like the sort of shapeshifter to turn into a horse to be inconspicuous

Magnus:dude in greek stories who learns not to dare the gods

Mai:that one pokemon that makes fabric. but well. elf. sure. all skinny vaguely pretty people could be elves

Nadine:werwolf is too obvious. but it’s obvious because it fits too perfectly

Nathapon:my guy is beatrice portinari from ordem paranormal, he can’t remember the rituals they did on him

Nicky:is it cruel of me to name dwarf because she’s short. do i get a short joke pass. if i can laugh at my friend when he says the wind

Rio:elf, i think. archery, general appearance. i think it’d be cute if she wore the Elf Outfit Thing but it included a hood with cat ears. something to consider

Rosalio:soul eater weapon thing but he’s a baseball bat with nails that nobody wants to meister

Rozzi:brazilian legend of the iara is what i’m going with, because honestly there’s enough aspects that work well imo. the summary is that it’s a siren but with ~lore~

Shoichi:man i got nothin. his vampire skin is cool and there’s some symbolism there that works since vampires are either rich aristocrats, gay, or both (me from the future again. he’s also ashamed of himself and wouldn’t want to show his body to his child. that is so vampiristic!!!)

Silvia:whatever quicksilver from the avengers had going on for sure

Sissela:Ghost. It makes too much sense, but I briefly considered jiangshi ig

Sua:i think it’d be cool if she was a library ghost. maybe a dryad that lives on as a book idk, but i think it’d be cool if people entered a library and tried to find a book and this sweet disembodied voice goes “it’s on the top shelf”

Tia:she’s already fuckin marina from monica’s gang, what can i say on this one

William:soul eater weapon thing but he’s a boomerang that also no one wants to meister because william is a strange oddly bitter man

Xiukai:ok i need you guys to stay with me through this one, i’m going somewhere. there’s this one urban legend show that ran years and years ago in brazil, and this one episode is about this big boy house that these girls are staying in for a vacay that one of their boyfriends let them stay in. they dirty the floor and stuff because people be like that, and then they start disappearing. that aforementioned boyfriend explains he lived in this house as a kid, and he was a shitheel as a kid who deliberately made a mess for his maid to clean up, but one day she tripped and died. now her ghost (who isn’t sure she’s dead and just cleans up the house as usual) turns people into framed photos. WHATEVER THE FUCK THAT STORY IS, is what i think xiukai would be

Yuki:that one ghost hunter skin is too good for me to be able to imagine him as anything else. i am sorry. i’d love to be like “ah he’d do a good kitsune” or whatever but my mind drifts instantly to him cutting a ghost with a katana

Zahir:i’m like 60% sure he’s already based on a hindu legend so can’t talk too much on that tbh. can’t say for sure since i know very little on that subject but i’m pretty sure they’re basing his backstory off of something

[subwaybrothers]

ok. ok ok ok ok.

So the list of characters that could be The Ghost from ghosts of memory au:

Melli

Irida

Adaman

lian

Volo

-

Melli:

He was at LEAST close acquaintances w Ingo. He knows this guy. He was also the most physically close to Ingo which means out of all of the Hisui ghost options, they were probably the most familiar with each other

A lot of his interactions with Ingo were probably full of misunderstandings on his side [ingo uses a lot of modern language, plus he just. doesn’t communicate in a way that Melli recognizes] so theres a wonderful whole thing when Melli with the twins and he just. recognizes that way of being friendly, and when he puts it all together hes like hit with just this feeling of absolute fondness. because he GETS it now. all his interactions w adult ingo have been shed with new light and he GETS it now.

He may think of it as a reward for learning. A test even, maybe? He’s grown as a person since he was last able to interact with others, and now he can share his wisdom, share what he’s learned with children. This time he’s not watching from behind a wall anymore. This time he’s in the picture.

Irida:

This isnt an Ingo centric fic. as it happens. so Melli getting the focus just because of his connection with Ingo simply Is Not Fair. And so, I introduce Clan Leader Irida.

She meets Elesa first, and sees a weird little girl in a forest, with only her pokemon by her side. She has burns on her fingers, and Irida has seen a lot of things. She refuses to assume, but there are many reasons that she could be alone, why she has no shoes on her feet, why she could be hurt. Irida has been a weird little girl. She won’t let this one be harmed [To be clear. lol. Elesa is not being abused, she simply plays with wires when she’s bored and keeps getting sparks on her fingers.]

She knows Ingo. She knows him. The name is such a shock she cannot help her curiosity when they ask to meet her in the forest behind the town again. [He looks nothing like how he once would. He wears not his hat nor his coat, and his small face lacks the wrinkles she had gotten used to by the time he disappeared. At this time, she wouldn’t recognize him, but one day, she would, and she would weep for the knowledge that she would lose him again.]

Emmet is someone she feels no kinship towards. She knows Ingo [or at the very least, feels distinctly as though she does], and Elesa reminds her of herself. Emmet’s complete uniqueness to her is refreshing. She enjoys his company, and the way he has really no relation to others she knew.

Adaman:

He already has a weird little sister, let him have another & two weird little brothers

He does know ingo! he knows what he looks like, he knows all the stories but he doesn’t know HIM. it’s so easy for adaman specifically to write off all of it as a coincidence because he doesnt know ingo. but he does. slowly, slowly he DOES. he will learn

I just like him. so he deserves a spot

Lian:

He got voted onto the list by @dittolicous so!!

He was a child when Ingo was there so ummmm how the turns have tabled lol

He would have had a reason to be in Unova under the impression that the cowboy gym leader is his decendant

Volo:

History guy watches himself & his time become history

could totally meet cynthia

would be funny under a certain hc [that is sort of implied in canon?]

would allow me to have him meet our immortal bestie cogita again

cogita is part of this. shes here. she makes it so the kids can see ghosts

it would be really funny

he gets absolutely no wisdom from his dead years he is exactly the same as before

it would get rid of all the sad fun things thag make this story good but it would be so funny

[whatsupzombie]

what if! i post art to tumblr again? :o this is Hazard-13, my guardian from destiny 2, so i guess this is technically fanart? pff. anyway, @artnyarn​ asked me to tell her about them, so i guess i’m doing that hereeee.

there’s. a lot to talk about with destiny. but to start, Hazard-13 is an exo, which is the robot race in destiny. they were all once people who had a snapshot of their brains taken (a fatal process for the body) and uploaded into a metal chassis. the process was created by, tbh kind of a mad scientist some 600 years before game canon time, and afaik, the only exos left in the world are either those still functional since then (the process was meant to make people immortal, after all) or those raised as guardians. 

guardians are the pcs of destiny. they are people (human, exo, or awoken, which is sometimes described as “neo-human”) who were raised by ghosts, the lil flying robot talking to Hazard. they’re generally shaped like this:

Hazard’s ghost is called Crowley and he’s got a little paper bat hat. the ghosts are lil machines created by the Traveler, which is a giant orb and may or may not be a god. it terraformed nearly every planet and moon in the solar system, allowing humanity to spread out and technology to advance wildly quickly.

the Traveler is currently hovering over the Last City, named so because it’s essentially where most of civilization on earth has gathered, under the Traveler’s protection. now. the Traveler uses/has/is made of (???) Light, which the ghosts use to find and raise their guardians. guardians weaponize Light to fight enemies with, basically, magic abilities (and also guns pff). the story is also moving less toward light is good and dark is bad, so guardians are now also making use of Darkness, which is neat. 

anyhow, when a ghost raises a guardian to fight for the Traveler, that guardian is from then on effectively immortal, able to be revived by their ghost whenever they die. guardians end up forming very close bonds with their ghosts, and it goes both ways.

oh also! when guardians are raised, they don’t have any memories. the idea is kind of that being raised is a fresh start. tho, there are both ghosts and guardians that go rogue, so it does mean that anyone is incorruptible. 

without getting too deep into that point, exos have numbers after their names to show how many times they’ve been reset. literally. there’s various reasons for resets, the main reason being that existing in a metal body is hard on the mind and exo would sometimes start to lose their minds. there are a multitude of reasons, but the first iteration of an exo is always Name-1. so Hazard has been reset 12 times before they were raised.

no one in current game canon has full access to the workings of exos (that mad scientist guy definitely died 600 years ago and took most of his work with him), so they’re pretty mysterious. 

guardians are also forbidden from looking into who they used to be, based on the premise that they were raised to be given a second chance, so it no longer matters who they used to be. this is obvs frustrating, and hazard occasionally gets annoyed with how many mysteries plague their existence. 

onto the magic part! Hazard is a warlock class guardian, so that means they’re abilities look more like what you would expect magic attacks to look like (mystical floating, summoning fire, that kind of thing). Hazard uses a lot of solar abilities, so that’s a lot of fire damage. those glowing gauntlets they have are called sunbracers, and they amplify their solar power. 

there’s. a lot. that goes on in destiny, but Hazard themself is kind of aloof and annoyed most of the time. they like hanging out alone with Crowley, or with a few close friends. they don’t mind the chaos of the world so much, but the repeated deaths and mysteries do wear on them from time to time. and, there’s rarely a time they’ll turn down a request for help, even if they sound annoyed they whole time. 

this is very long!!! tbh, it’s interesting to have a character with no actual backstory, so most of their story is the plot of the game or what they’re reactions would be. 

[merlin-reboot-when]

You know what, no. No modern day Merlin reboot. I don't even wanna see that (unless it's a sitcom). But hell yes to a "Merlin - the coming of Emrys" limited series spin off. It's basically the story of Merlin between Arthur's death and his rebirth. The first episode shows how Merlin develops away from his Merlin persona and shifts more and more into Emrys mode over the course of like 2 or 3 centuries. He becomes a nameless nomad, wandering the earth restlessly. No friends, no home, no purpose. That is until someday (I'm thinking end of the first episode) an old friend shows up at his door.

Leon, also immortal by accident, is kinda pissed because Merlin just left. Arthur, Elyan, Gwaine - all dead and Merlin just left the few remaining members of the roundtable, meanwhile Leon still has no idea about everything Merlin went through back in Camelot. So they have more than a few things to talk about (there's angsty flashbacks to Leon finding out he's immortal and Gaius', Gwen's and Percival's deaths). Ultimately they work through their issues and decide to track down the prophecies about the once and future king, hoping to find some sort of clue about the future.

Episode 3 is them travelling around, there are a couple of timeskips (they keep getting side tracked), but ends with them finding some ancient druid ruin which they explore in episode 4. Turns out the place is magically booby-trapped and they have to master a set of tasks to get through (featuring ghosts, hallucinations and more angst). They find a collection of books and scrolls left there specifically for Emrys to find.

The writings give them a location and time where the great and powerful leader, slain by someone they once called friend will rise once more. So Merlin and Leon spend the 5th episode racing back to Lake Avalon and preparing everything for Arthur's return - except it isn't Arthur walking out of the lake, it's Morgana. She's changed (it's a wonder what 400 years of peaceful rest will do for your psyche), more like the Morgana they used to know in season 2, but she remembers everything that happened. The episode ends with a shouting match between Merlin and Morgana who are not yet ready to forgive each other and Morgana dramatically as ever disappears in a cloud of black smoke.

Episode 6 features Merlin and Leon trying to come up with a plan about what to do next, every now and then cutting to Morgana trying to catch up with the new times. She explores the country, goes back to what used to be Camelot and decides to stay there. Merlin and Leon fight, the latter wanting to guard the lake in case anybody else comes back, the former wanting to find help to increase his skills as a sorcerer so he'll be ready for the threat the prophecies speak of. They decide to split up, Merlin agrees to come and check in at least once a year.

There's another timeskip of a couple dozen years between episodes 6 and 7 which shows the progress everyone has made. Leon has build a house near the lake and keeps making improvements around the house. Morgana has learned to live with her past and also got a better grip on her temper, but ultimately also picked up travelling again (at some point people do start to wonder how you're not dead yet) also in an attempt to learn more about magic. Merlin has vastly expanded his knowledge on magical theory, picked up some new skills and also let go of his bitterness a little. He and Morgana run into each other and come to a truce. They're done being driven by anger and go back to the lake house together. The episode ends with Leon, Merlin and Morgana sitting together laughing and being truly happy for the first time in a long while.

Episode 8 would take place another few decades later with the first signs of the ominous, oncoming threat showing up, but also more people coming back. Theory is that the (strong) magic users come back first. That's why Morgana - who was Merlin's equal on some levels - came back so early, followed by Mordred and eventually Gaius. They form a nice life together, but reports of magical creatures wreaking havoc and seers foretelling dark times pile up more and more. Nobody knows why and there's still no sign of Arthur and the other knights. Then magic users all around the world start to go missing, among them Mordred. Merlin and Morgana decide to go looking for him while Leon and Gaius stay behind. Several weeks later and miles away Morgana and Merlin get attacked by somebody or something and have to fight for their lives. The outcome of the fight is unclear, cut to black. The last scene of the season shows the lake house again, Gaius and Leon are doing the dishes. Looking through the window towards the lake they see a group of 6 people emerging from the water.

The story would continue either in a movie or another mini series, featuring (among other things) Leon and Gaius explaining a bunch of stuff, Arwen and Lancelot having a very awkward conversation, one of the knights (I think I'd pick Elyan) learning he also has a little magic, canon bisexual Gwaine, Arthur having a reality check since he's not king of anything anymore, Leon being the leader now, a world ending threat to humanity and some more romance maybe.

[gusu-emilu]

miscellaneous MDZS/CQL fic recs (AO3)

broken into sections: Character Study (-esque), Wangxian, Jiang Cheng ships, Yi City (or Yi City-adjacent), Humor/Crack, and Other

Character Study (-esque)

Wei Wuxian

my eyes got used to the darkness by @curiosity-killed (M, Sunshot Campaign era, 4.4k): The funny thing, the thing that makes his lips curl in a grin and his hands shake with laughter, is that all these cultivators with their lofty principles and noble ambitions can’t even notice the ghost among them. Sure, they shiver at his presence and flinch from his cold hands, but not one of them puts it together. Lan Wangji chases him with healing music and Nie Mingjue frowns solemnly at his dancing corpses—and he laughs and laughs and laughs because they just don’t get it. Emilu's commentary: CW for mild body horror.

Jiang Cheng

in our respective ways by @veliseraptor (T, Sunshot Campaign era, 5.7k): Jiang Cheng has his golden core back. But he seems to have lost Wei Wuxian.

You Know I've Fallen, but I Know How High by villainais (M, Post-WWX's death, 2.7k): Jiang Cheng loses both of his siblings in Nightless City. Minutes apart. He trudges home to Yunmeng with one body, holds a private funeral with a single coffin, and allows himself to wear his mourning robes for ten days—permits himself not a single day more. He is still too young and inexperienced, an unfledged boy to the cultivation world, and he is rebuilding Lotus Pier on his own. He will not gift the other sect leaders the satisfaction of seeing him vulnerable. Propriety be damned. Hanguang-jun emerges from his seclusion wearing white. He does not stop.

Nie Huaisang

it deepens like a coastal shelf by @wolffyluna (M, Post-WWX's death, 21.6k): When Nie Huaisang meets Mo Xuanyu, he realises two things quickly. One, this kid is so doomed. Two, this kid would be a great unwitting spy in his plans to bring down Jin Guangyao. It would be so easy to get into Mo Xuanyu's confidences, and so easy to get him to tell him anything he needs. ...only thing is, that wouldn't be very good for Mo Xuanyu's life expectancy. But he'll do it anyway, if it helps him avenge his brother. A fic about man handing on misery to man, the parallels and cycles in the relationships between Jin Guangyao and Nie Huaisang and Mo Xuanyu, and the lengths these characters will go to meet their goals and if there are lines they won't cross.

Lan Xichen

an old man in dried mouths by @tenacious-minds (T, Post-Canon, 3.3k): Xichen thinks. The tea had always stained the crockery red. Emilu's commentary: Lan Xichen and Jin Ling talk about Jin Guangyao.

can you be a quiet man? by @basket-of-loquats (Unrated, Post-Canon, 70.7k+) But something inside him snapped at Guanyin Temple-- and Lan Wangji watched it happen, saw the exact moment that Lan Xichen went from broken to shattered, when he buried his sword into Jin Guangyao’s chest, when his sworn brother stared up at him with wide eyes, blood dripping from his mouth, when he pulled himself closer and closer and closer-- When he whispered "Why don’t you die with me?", and Lan Xichen hadn’t argued. Emilu's commentary: Lan Xichen / therapy with a side of Wangxian.

Wen Ning

breathless (but i'll pretend to breathe for you) by swordsainted (T, Burial Mounds Settlement era, 4.1k): Wei Wuxian is silent for a long minute, and then he looks at Wen Ning, something raw and open and hurting behind his eyes. “I’m sorry,” he says again, softer this time, and Wen Ning shakes his head, still smiling. “You’ve protected everyone. How could I hate you for that?”

Mo Xuanyu

stand at the pit's mouth by @eldritch-elrics (M, MXY's death, 9.3k): The dreams and regrets of a man on the edge of oblivion. Emilu's commentary: Surrealist/absurdist screenplay.

Wangxian

I would wait for a thousand years by bleuett (T, Immortality Post-Canon, 10.4k): During the worst of winter, a traveler comes to stay at Lan Wangji's inn. He wears a red ribbon in his hair. “Do you see the rabbit?” Wei Ying asks and points at the moon. “That’s the moon rabbit, he helps make Chang’e more immortality elixir. He keeps Chang’e company.” “I do not wish the rabbit for company,” Lan Wangji says tightly. “You are the one I want by my side.” “And I’m here, Lan Zhan. If you go to the moon, I’ll follow you, I’ll always be here now.” Emilu's commentary: Lan Wangji meets Wei Wuxian centuries later and does not remember the past. There is also an excellent podfic by @forgotten-envies

Look Not With The Eyes by Spodumene (G, Post-Canon, 28.1k): Wei Wuxian returns from his travels to join Lan Wangji on a routine night hunt, but when things take an unexpected turn, Wei Wuxian will have to fight for what he's really looking for. Emilu's commentary: Case fic.

All In A Good Time by bigboobedcanuck (E, Post-Canon, 8k): Lan Zhan is struck by a curse that brings him intense physical pain unless he's being touched. He is stoic and tries to hide his suffering. Wei Wuxian is worried and protective. Perhaps they will finally admit their feelings?

Across a Lake of Glass by Zizzani (E, Figure Skating AU, 92.2k+): Each year, Gusu Skating Club runs a camp for only the most elite athletes of each region. This year brings a new skater from the Yunmeng Club who wears skates lined with red and a smile made for war. He skates like a demon. Figure skating au featuring lots of healthy rivalry, pre and post-competition bonding, and an inexplicable fall from grace through the eyes of the media.

Jiang Cheng Ships

Chengqing

display my heart for you to see by @souridealist (M, Post-Canon Wen Qing Lives AU, 5.5k): Jiang Cheng has his own secrets. Some of them are part of the unburied past; some of them are about how long it's been since anyone has touched him.

while I'm in this body by @souridealist (E, Post-Lotus Pier Massacre, 3.9k): For just a few minutes, alone in her office, Wen Qing allows her self-control to slip enough to cry. It's just her luck that that's when Jiang Cheng comes looking for her. Emilu's commentary: Femdom.

Chengning

it may be that it doesn't matter by @wildehacked (T, Post-Canon, 6.6k) “Are you crying?” Jiang Wanyin asks him, and Wen Ning frowns. Pats his cheek with one hand. “No.” Emilu's commentary: Holy Grail of Chengning.

Whatever It Is by morau (E, Post-Canon, 20.5k): It starts, as with a lot of things, with a very poorly thought out prank, courtesy of Wei Wuxian. Emilu's commentary: A LOT of sex and even more emotions lol

won't run away (we're here to stay) by @qi-ling (T, Post-Canon, 3.5k): "Please don't feel any pressure to accept this, and you can take as much time as you need to think about it." It's a set of robes, in shades of deep purple, complete with leather bracers. Cut in a different style than that of the disciples or household staff, closer to the understated robes Wen Ning typically wears. He reaches out to feel the fabric. His deadened nerves can't sense delicate textures well, but even he can tell it's of a quality on par to Wanyin's own wardrobe. This is startling enough coming from Jiang Wanyin, but then Wen Ning notices the belt. In particular, the silver bell in the shape of a lotus affixed to it. Only recognized members of the Jiang sect may wear the clarity bell. Or, Jiang Cheng has an invitation for Wen Ning.

Zhancheng

By Proxy by @veliseraptor (E, Post-WWX's death, 12k): Jiang Cheng and Lan Wangji, looking for comfort in all the wrong places. Emilu's commentary: Hate sex that made me cry

Yi City (or Yi City-adjacent)

Songxuexiao

Heaven Has A Road But No One Walks It by @silvysartfulness (M, Post-Yi City arc Canon Divergence, 123k+): One of the most complex spells of demonic cultivation the world has seen is brought to fruition, and Xiao Xingchen draws his first shaking breaths in over seven years. This, it turns out, is only the start of his problems. Emilu's commentary: Pretty sure everyone already knows about Silvy's happy songxuexiao road trip fic but it has to be here.

Xue Yang & Lan Xichen

Hours On Empty series by @lady-of-the-lotus (M to E, Post-Canon, 57.8k+): AU where Wei Wuxian never came to Yi City and Xue Yang is still running around post-canon disguised as Xiao Xingchen. "Fractured Ice" - Xue Yang whisks a nihilistic Lan Xichen off on a murder roadtrip to raise Xiao Xingchen and Meng Yao from the grave. Because that will solve all of their problems, right? "Control" - "Fractured Ice" retold from Xue Yang's pov. "A Thousand Miles In Its Light" - Alternate ending to "Fractured Ice" and "Control"

Songxiao with Xuexiao Flashbacks

Nothing Beside Remains by @eldritch-elrics (T, Post-Yi City arc Canon Divergence, 21.9k): And Xiao Xingchen is dressed in dark clothing that is not his, and his sight is all of a sudden sharp in a way that it has never been before, and Xue Yang is not here. “He wouldn’t,” he breathes. “No, he wouldn’t do that. He’s too—” “He’s too what?” Wei Wuxian steps a foot closer, face hard-set. “Too cruel? Or too kind?” Or: Xue Yang uses the Sacrifice Summon on Xiao Xingchen. Xiao Xingchen lives with the consequences.

Humor/Crack

The Hangover: A pre-wedding Dramedy series by natcat5 (M, Modern AU, 51.6k): It is not a bachelor party. That was made clear on all the invitations. It is a congratulatory get together for Jin Zixuan, attended by his family, the family of the bride, and the young masters of the other two families in their circle. The gathering is not to go later than midnight, everyone must drink in moderation, and no one is allowed to be hungover tomorrow. Wei Wuxian had promised Yanli, three fingers in the air. Jiang Cheng had rolled his eyes, but promised as well. Saturday morning, Nie Huaisang and Jiang Cheng wake up alone in a hotel room, missing shoes, phones, and almost all their memories of what in the world happened last night. Also missing: Wei Wuxian, brother of the bride, Lan Wangji, esteemed guest, Lan Xichen, esteemed guest, Jin Zixun, cousin of the groom, Jin Guangyao, brother and best-man, Jin Zixuan, THE GROOM, who is due at his bride-to-be's house in six hours. That's plenty of time to find everyone...right?

Jiang Cheng Loves Jar Jar Bombad Mui by @lady-of-the-lotus (G, Post-Canon, 1.7k) Jar Jar Binks washes up on the shores of Lotus Pier. Can he win the lonely Jiang Cheng's proud heart? Neb neb answer is yesa. Emilu's commentary: There's also a podfic by @aowyn. Yes, with a Jar Jar voice.

Other

Nie Huaisang & Wen Ning

By Name by nirejseki (G, Post-Canon, 1.3k): After the traumatic events in the now-collapsed temple, Wen Ning lingered behind and unexpectedly saw Nie Huaisang, the undisputed victor of an all-around terrible evening, sitting on the steps of the temple, looking exhausted and miserable, as if he’d won nothing at all. Wen Ning found himself drifting over to him.

Jiang Yanli & Nie Mingjue

utility by magicites (G, Arranged Marriage AU, 2.3k): Jiang Yanli and Nie Mingjue's wedding is a political one — a gesture of unity between their Sects. A way for her parents to finally get some use out of the plain-faced sham of a cultivator they call a daughter. “Jiang-guniang,” Nie Mingjue says, and the formality in such a setting as intimate as their wedding chambers startles her, “I don’t wish to bed you. Or any other woman, for that matter. It isn’t fair for you to live alone because of my own preferences.” She rests her hand on his arm, cool relief flooding her body like water on a summer afternoon. “If it helps, I don’t feel desire for men,” she whispers.

Jin Guangyao / Nie Huaisang

Pulling Strings by @eldritch-elrics (E, Post-WWX's death, 5k): Nie Huaisang, quite drunk, turns up at Jin Guangyao’s door one night with an unexpected request. Emilu's commentary: Nie Huaisang knows Jin Guangyao killed Nie Mingjue. This interaction is more symbolic than anything else...

[kaissauce]

okay, phucker, do it

ok let's do this @rolli-zolli @ninikins

Horrortale: technically an alternate timeline instead of au. after a neutral run where undyne's queen the core malfunctions and food becomes scarce and people resort to eating humans because sans suggested it. Aliza is the protag. latest thing that happened in the ongoing comic was Aliza agreeing to go with Papyrus to solve his last puzzle. as for the appearance of sans he has a HUGE hole on his head and a red eye. he got the hole from undyne when she got his magic eye which was going to be used to power the core. sans didnt die tho and killed the guards holding him down and just took whatever eye was on the ground and used it as a replacement for his magic eye that's powering the core. i quote first words he said after putting the eye in his socket "who the fuck took my phone?". then the magic eye went apeshit and broke the core again. oh and also he made alphys braindead by quite literally scrambling her brain. yeah this au is rough sans hasn't really eaten anything since the core was destroyed since he decided not to eat any humans.

Dusttale: i think this was originally a korean au? basic rundown: too many genocide runs sans goes apeshit and tries to get his Lv up by killing monsters himself man went fuckin insane kills his brother blah blah blah edgy angsty au the ghost of papyrus haunts him n stuff. sans literally just looks the same except he has his hood on and sometimes artists draw him with papyrus's scarf. the cool artists draw him with his hood on and has the hood completely cover his face so u can only see his glowing pupils. although people call him dust sans he's actually named murder sans

Killer: so frickin similar to dusttale except sans goes apeshit because of the human being like "join me lmao". three different outcomes come from this. i think it was 1 sans joins human 2 sans joins human kills human later on 3 kills human or something. friends with color sans who is basically his impulse control. pretty sure his soul's fucked up and Color sans tries to make his soul un-fucked but Nightmare comes in and fucks up the progress. he has white shorts, his eye sockets are constantly pitch black and leaking tar or something also has a weird target thingy on his chest. OH YEAH ALSO HE HAS BEEF WITH UNDERSWAP SANS ALMOST FORGOT. basically swap sans tried to make killer good and then they had a fight, swap sans lost and was on the verge of dying thankfully swap papyrus was able to save him in time i think

Dreamtale: Dream isn't in the drawing but his brother, Nightmare is. Sooo he used to not look all goooy and have tentacles n stuff but then he ate a couple hundred apples and yeah. he's six years old apparently. Nightmare and Dream are supposed to be guardians of a tree that has 500 golden apples and 500 black n goopy apples. the golden aples are positive and the goop ones are negative. you're not supposed to eat either of them cus bad shit happens. Dream and Nightmare live in a village and for whatever reason they're all dicks to Nightmare because ooughh he's the guardian of negativity that's not baller. he also goes apeshit (do u see a pattern here) and eats a goopy apple n then becomes the goop man he is today. he fuckin eats 999 apples jesus christ. and the last one is eaten by Dream because if u eat all 1000 apples u become unstoppable and immortal. so that would be a bad thing if nightmare got the last one. wop wop wop these dude aren't sanses they only have the body of one if that makes sanse.

Error: manlet. he's literally an error and that's why he's like that. also he's technically not a sans now, the redesign for him was so that he could be in the creator's webcomic named Lucidia. Error sans, aka the destroyer of aus, finds aus to be mistakes so he tries to get rid of them. his process of doing this is simple: get the human soul to the void so that they can't reset, destroy the au. he primarily attacks using his strings which can wrap around one's soul and control them. he like some aus like outertale because of how open and empty it is. he likes to be alone and has haphephobia. if u touch him he'll glitch out and possibly crash. he crashes whenever gets overwhelmed. said crashing causes him to shut down and reboot and he's powerless while doing so. he's actually pretty easy to beat if you know how to push his buttons the right way. in the og ask error blog made by his creator Loverofpiggies he kidnaps Swap sans who tries to help Error become a better person. this ends horribly as error leaves Swap sans in the void who then becomes an error aswell due to being alone in the void too long. Error actually regrets doing that to swap sans

Aftertale: OK FUN FACT THE SANS OF THIS AU, WHO'S NICKNAMED "Geno" IS ERROR. aftertale is a comic made by LoverofPiggies it's been SOOOO long since i last read it so i cant really give a good summary. but anyways Geno is trapped in the loading screen with the human and will die if he leaves the loading screen. eventually from being in the loading screen for too long after the events of aftertale he becomes Error.

OOF WOWIE THERE'S SO MUCH TO GO

Underfresh: he's not even a sans either. "Fresh" is a parasite inhabiting a skeleton. his birthday is on 4/20 which is ironic cus he doesn't like drugs. he censors swears. he speaks 90's lingo and dresses like a neon sign. for some reason he has eyebrows and a gold tooth. the glasses he has can change text but normally defaults to "YOLO". he can't feel anything since he has no soul of his own and just latches onto the host's. instead he learns how to act from the people around him. not being able to feel actually bothers him a LOT

Echotale: Aka Gaster sans. uhhh this one was also a comic if i remember correctly. basically Frisk and G!Sans are the only ones in the au and they're trying to find the core to fix the fucked up timeline that they're in but the core keeps changing positions so that sucks.

Swapfell: originally made by Khhoppang who left social media. Started out as an Alphys x Undyne au so only those two were designed but Kh was planning to design more of the characters. before they could people had a field day with the idea of mashing two aus together and SO many people came up with their own designs for sans and papyrus. Khhoppang left social media because they got overwhelmed with all the art reposters and stuff, pretty sad. the appearance of the sans in that au is the purple one with a scythe (i dont think he has a scythe in the og design).

Swapfell Red: so basically this is the swapfell made by people that isn't Khhoppang. community made per se. Sans's appearance changes constantly because as said before many people made many different designs. typically he just looks like Swap sans but with red high heel boots and his color scheme fits underfell

Fellswap (gold): Au made by blackggggum. so swapfell is underswap turned fell, fell swap is underfell swapped it takes a bit to understand that. his appearance is somewhat similar to Swapfell red. He's kind to his friends but if ur his enemy he'll fucking deck you. he's blind in his left eye, the leader of the royal guard, and secretly into dressmaking. fun fact in this au Papyrus has autism

Xtale: uuuuhhhh so Cross is a complicated one. he's part of the royal guard along with papyrus. has beef with xgaster. responsible for the downfall of his au and then Underverse happens and Ink is all "oh cool someone to mess with" and they became friends for a bit then shit hit the fan

Underfell: OOOOO YES UNIRONICALLY ONE OF MY FAVORITES. So Underfell sans is actually a very powerful mf and constantly has his magic eye activated because he has so much magic. This au is also technically an alternate timeline where monsters "lost their humanity" as the creator put it. so basically trust in the underground is scarce. Sans and papyrus, contrary to many interpretations i fucking hate, are actually on good terms (and no sans doesn't call papyrus "boss" the creator said if he does he'd do it ironically and papyrus would hate it). Fun facts he pays Grillby in socks (grillby accepts the socks as payment and wears them), if u make grillby laugh he gives u a jacket that looks like his and it's heavily implied that sans made him laugh because their jackets are similar

Underswap: ah yes another classic that i love as well. originally made by PopcornPr1nce who fled social media because they hated how the majority fandom treated Underswap (Blueberry and Carrot were popular names for the fanon swap papyrus and sans). Swap sans is constantly infantilized by the community which sucks and i hate it so i draw my own very super cool version of him whom i kin because i am also very super cool.

Outertale: mainly an aesthetic au pretty sure there's no comic of it. basically, instead of underground they in space. outer sans dies in underverse after like minutes of screentime lmao

Epictale: a comic made by Yugogeer. the og comic was retconned and the creator loathes the original version and made a reboot that's much better. Sans actually dies very early in it because Yugo hates how Sans is almost always focused on in aus. also the creator hates how meme-y their sans has become (like him saying bruh every single sentence, using a rubber chicken as a weapon, cookies, etc.) he's friends with Cross but not in canon. He has a purple magic eye that makes him immortal and i think only epic gaster could remove it which is how sans was able to be killed when he fought gaster.

Temmietale: it's undertale but everyone is temmie, don't question it

Trainertale: it's undertale but it's Pokemon, don't question it

Dancetale: it's undertale but you dance instead of fight, don't

Mobtale/Mafiatale: im unsure if mobtale and mafiatale are separate or not but they are very similar. basically undertale but mafia it's self explanatory

Undertale: no clue which au is this one, nope not at all/j

Bittytale or whatever idk: so take sans, make him small. boom. never understood this au

THAT BASTARD INK: HOOO BOY SAVED THE WORST FOR LAST. FUCK THIS GUY/j. THIS DUDE. IS THE REASON IM STILL INTO UNDERTALE AUS. I LOVE EM SO MUCH. also technically not a sans. He comes from an unfinished au and ripped his own soul to escape said au and became an outcode. for so long he was just a soulless husk until someone drew him and he got splashed with paint which let him feel. soon he learned to keep the paint in vials so that he can be able to feel 24/7. And then he learned how to create things with a paintbrush and the paint and spent time alone drawing up his own world until a portal appeared and took him to the multiverse. now he encourages artists to keep creating aus. he's the protector of aus in the sense that he keeps other outcodes from disrupting the script of the au, so if it's pacifist and an outcode tries to kill people he'd stop them, if it's genocide and an outcode tried to help them he'd stop them. no matter what he wants the au to stay on script. fun fact the creator of ink and the creator of error never had them interact with each other in canon, that was all the fandom's doing. Contrary to popular belief he's not really considered "good" his alignment is officially "Chaotic neutral". I personally interpret him a lot more chaotic than in canon because it's fun but he's a pretty chill guy actually. he can just be a bit of an ass sometimes. According to the creator of Ink (who is Comyet) his interpretation in Underverse is not canon compliant. one of the biggest canon things that underverse contradicts is Ink deliberately not taking his vials. if he were to do that in canon he'd become a husk again which is the equivalent of him "dying". he was described as a walking corpse by Comyet, without the vials he can't function anymore. Like Error he's pretty easy to beat if you know his weaknesses. also he has fears of empty spaces and being alone

off topic kinda but i very much love how Error and Ink are opposites yet parallel even though they were completely written without the other in mind. Error believes getting rid of aus is getting rid of anomalies. Ink believes people interfering with aus are anomalies. Error loves emptiness, Ink hates emptiness. list goes on it's funky fresh.

also uhhh sanses missing from that drawing that i can name from the top of my head

Seraphim sans, Insans, Dusttrust, He who shall not be named because he's from an 18+ au, Swapswap (yes. that exists), Storyshift, Inverted Fate (very good au i suggest checking it out), Negatale, Oceantale, Template, Pale, Mafiafell, Farmtale

my phone is at 9% y'all are spared from me going on

[igotathingforvampires]

Marcus x F!Human Reader | A Tug of Fate | Wildest Dreams Taylor Swift Inspo Babble

TRIGGER WARNING: CANONICAL TALK OF WANTING TO UNALIVE DUE TO LOSS

CANON DIVERGENT: DIDYME IS NOT MURDERED BY ARO BUT KILLED IN RAID

It was a rather bleak day, granted every day was bleak if it was Marcus' opinion. He didn't need sleep, hadn't for the last six thousand years, though the last thousand had made him want to close his eyes and not wake up.

If he had his way-- which he wouldn't thank to his blasted-- loving-- albeit pushy brothers and sisters.

Marcus was of the mind that after living as long as he did, once you lost your anchor there was no point in one even being here. And ever since she was gone. Lost to him and the world in an array of violence and diamond dust ash. He hadn't had the ability to even fathom a world without her.

And so, he had trudged, along and quiet, alone and miserable, weighted by the thousands of years of killing, betrayal, ruling, and chaos. But the one thing that had been a constant was the sweetest voice in the world calling his name.

As he stared out at Volterra from his rooms, he exhaled an unneeded breath, it was utterly bleak-- truly so. How was he supposed to keep going, for what another thousand, maybe more if humans didn't obliterate them all with their nuclear nonsense.

Marcus leaned over and placed his head in his hands staring at his feet. There it was again that incessant tug that had been happening for the last three days, pulling out his window into the city.

A chain had formed and he had no concept as to where it would lead, this phantom taunting from his own gift. Ghosts of the past, perhaps he was finally losing it.

But then as he turned his head, a flash of a sound.

A bell like laugh followed by words of humor. "Come on, you can't even look in there? Awe! It's so beautiful! Hm...seems kinda familiar..."

The voice trails off-- and the jerk of the chain is painful.

The voice had sounded so disappointed.

Marcus glared at the silence outside his windows past the gardens he and his love had built to the wall where the voice taunted him. Beckoned him, called him like a sailor to the sea to drown his misery in waters of oblivion.

With more determination than he had in a millennia he strode into his closet and got ready in a flash.

---

---

Your hand traces the walls of the gigantic palace like structure, the stone feels-- hm, it's hard to place, in fact this entire place feels just-- familiar.

You had booked a trip out of sheer randomness, flinging a dart at the board and it had landed in Italy, bringing a bigger map you had flung another dart and here you were-- Volterra.

What were the odds that this place had been in your dreams?

No one knew, none of your tour group, none of the people who jostled you along because it was time to check out the plaza and shops.

"I wonder what was in there..." you mutter softly unaware of the eyes watching you carefully till you turn and see a shadow partially covered by a walkway, sunlight carefully filtering through the greenery and terracotta roofing. "Hello?" You call smiling at the tall figure. "Hi! uh sorry I don't speak Italian but are you needing anything?"

The shadow moves back a few steps. You frown, and shrug, "well okay! Bye-bye!" you wave and prance back to your group.

---

---

Marcus had paused, you were not what he was expecting. Watching you in a sun dress with the setting twilight of Volterra glittering off your bangles and sun kissed skin.

He knew you.

But did you know him?

He followed carefully, watching as your group circled the plaza and fountain. Your head turned and caught sight of him, and you froze. Blinking quickly as if to clear your head. "Hi there!" A beaming smile crossed your face, honey eyes gleaming. Oh he knew those eyes. It was impossible to miss the specks of brown and tawny spindles of circles that would glitter with happiness.

Not your red eyes...oh no...not yet...

But did you remember.... you were not who you were...you were a new person... not weighted down by the sorrows of the past, a second chance to a clean slate of happiness....was that the Gods designs?

Had you come back?

Marcus sees you step forward, "excuse me. Do you live here?"

I thought heaven can't help me now Nothing lasts forever....

But this is gonna take me down

----

----

Your stunned. He's utterly beautiful. A tragic beauty you think, Romanesque features, tall build and so utterly still like a Sentinal posted at the gates of eternity waiting-- what was he waiting for...

The man nods, "yes, I am." His voice is pitched deep enough to rattle in your ear drums, and strike something deep in your soul. You're confused for a moment.

"Oh! how lovely, it's a beautiful city! I was about to go to a tour of the--" you pointed at a lovely lady gathering people but he is suddenly right in front of you.

"That is not a good idea, I hear the tour is quite dull."

"Awe...but it's for the Palazzo..." you pout a bit, "is it really that dull?"

He's watching you, as if trying to figure something out, "that is actually where I work, would you like a private tour?"

You smirk, "You're not a serial killer are you?"

He bows, half at the waist, a elegant-- out of time-- movement as he offers you a hand, one that engulfs your hand entirely as it closes on your fingers. "You shall be in the best care cara mia."

You realize he's freezing, and something clicks, another thought that this feels all too familiar. Those onyx eyes, the soft smile on his lips, the light lingering in his gaze as he looks straight into your soul.

----

----

I can see the end as it begins My one condition is...

Marcus has given you a tour of the entire Palazzo, hanging to keep the guard and you separated, and you away from the throne room away from the screams.

But as he comes to the garden he pauses. You're chattering away asking so many questions and tugging on his sleeve. He smiles at the happiness you have-- the bond is there, the same....the bond he had missed, but it's stronger, it's pure and it isn't weighted by the tainting of sorrow or the ever present torture of wanting to leave immortality.

He couldn't make you happy....you had been so bereft with immortality.

How were any of them to know?

But now? Marcus watched as you perused the gardens smiling at all the flowers. The setting sun sparking off auburn and black in your hair.

You glanced over your shoulder at him and smiled.

Say you'll remember me standing in a nice dress Staring at the sunset, babe Red lips and rosy cheeks Say you'll see me again Even if it's just in your wildest dreams

----

---

"Can I ask you something?" you pause and glance at him.

"As I've said you may ask me anything and I shall answer it for you."

"You're going to think I'm crazy." You watch him pause, this mysterious guardian you've acquired. "D-do...do I know you?"

He raises a brow, but you can see it, the twitch of an emotion that is barely held in check.

"I... I feel like I do...and it's odd. I've never been here, I've never met you before but I--" you swallow feeling a deep welling of pain in your heart. "I missed you...." you don't understand and you feel tears clog your throat as you instinctively reach for him.

But he's caught your hand, a desperate, ecstatic look on his face. "I don't even know your name this time...." He whispers as he presses a cold kiss to your palm.

And his voice is a familiar sound Nothing lasts forever....

but this is getting good now

"it's y/n..." you whisper.

A wide smile. "....little one....Do you remember my name?"

You pause, and the answer floats up to your lips like bubbling champagne from a uncorked bottle.

Sweet, drunken, loving, everything, nothing, the world, and the universe wrapped up in heart strings of red.

"Marcus...."

Suddenly you're embraced, a cold kiss to your lips and the empty ache that had presided your whole life in your heart--

Was suddenly gone.

[nileqt87]

Ramblings about Lucifer referencing Bones, “Close your eyes.” and shows influencing each other

That was never just a Bones reference being made and the season finale admitted it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jv_1dJk5yEM

David Boreanaz played the ironically-named Angel on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel: the Series. His character has *so many* parallels with Lucifer (far more than Booth outside of the law enforcement/crime procedural connection).

Angel's spinoff also has noir crime drama aspects mixed with the supernatural starring an immortal protagonist with a dark past and infamously villainous reputation fighting evil as a supernatural private detective in the City of Angels (a city known for its dark underbelly juxtaposed with fame and glamor, broken dreams and chasing eternal youth) and navigating human law (including the LAPD and evil lawyers) while not legally existing.

Angel also fell in love with a blonde human heroine (Buffy Summers) after lifetimes of self-destructive, not-so-heroic behaviors (getting his soul back did *not* make Angel a hero and human Liam was a lecherous drunk with unfulfilled ambitions and father issues) who inspired him to become a better man and make human connections.

AtS made heavy use of sprawling nighttime Downtown L.A. cityscape shots, which Lucifer also shared an abundance of.

During both of their first cases, they failed to save the troubled blonde girl they were trying to help (Tina and Delilah, respectively). They also have a connection inside the LAPD through a blonde cop who also takes their identity secrets pretty badly (Kate Lockley in Angel's case).

Note that Buffy not only screamed (twice, given it repeated during her memory loss in Halloween), but also came after Angel with a crossbow when she thought he'd attacked her mother (it was Darla), so Chloe taking the Devil face reveal (Monster Reveals are iconic old horror imagery) poorly to the point of considering poisoning is par for the course. However, it only took Buffy seven episodes instead of three seasons to get the identity reveal via seeing the horrific second face (arguably also an accident on Angel's part).

They are metaphorically or literally Hell's angels. They also had long stays in Hell or a hell dimension.

Lucifer and Angel are also both Prodigal Sons with long-held grudges against their long-absent fathers (patricide in Liam/Angel(us)'s case) and they're later faced with a situation where they have unexpected, thought-impossible offspring who show up as adults (neither got to raise their miracle child) wanting revenge. Yup, major Connor/Rory parallel there.

Angel is also in a constant struggle with the Powers that Be manipulating his fate and free will (like Lucifer, he's a champion of free will no matter the cost) and making him prophecy's bitch.

Bones famously got jokes about how Booth is Angel getting his Shanshu (made human), since the character is given constant Angel-isms like references to a dark past having killed people (Booth is also named after a historical murderer, in addition to having been a sniper), both being Catholics full of Catholic guilt (note that the Buffyverse is most accurately polytheistic, though Angel does face off against a take on the antichrist--Angel has constant biblical imagery/themes and not just because of vampire iconography), kicking down doors (just not off their entire frames--LOL), turning on a dime and threatening people up against walls, constant wink-wink references to the Buffyverse (familiar casting, references to the Hyperion Hotel, etc...), etc...

The Lucifer finale used the words "Close your eyes." right before Lucifer is sent to Hell. This is literally the BtVS season 2 finale where Buffy kisses Angel and sends him to hell for a century with a stab to the gut (see the season 5 finale, not to mention Lucifer giving up his life for Chloe's à la I Will Remember You).

Note that D.B. Woodside was on BtVS (playing Robin Wood, whose Slayer mother Nikki Wood was killed by Spike). Aimee Garcia was in both episodes of AtS (Birthday--she's older than she looks!) and Bones. See her also playing a cross-wearing religious girl on Supernatural who was slaughtered in a police precinct by Lilith. Kevin Alejandro was also in an episode of Bones.

Tricia Helfer was in an episode of Supernatural playing a ghost who reenacts the night of her death every year. BtVS also had an episode along those lines, but with Buffy and Angelus possessed (not to mention Phantom Dennis!). Lucifer having Dan as a ghost is yet another thing they all have in common (ditto referencing Ghost, Patrick Swayze and/or Unchained Melody--Vincent Schiavelli a.k.a. Ghost's subway ghost was Jenny's uncle Enyos, whom Angelus killed).

Lucifer name-checked Castiel and Supernatural referenced Lucifer using their Lucifer (crime-fighting angel in L.A. made it a double-reference whammy). Supernatural returned the favor again by having Castiel forced to sing in Enochian. Lucifer's reference to his singing voice was already a zing about Misha Collins having to put on that monotone gravel voice and Enochian being far from melodious.

Russell T Davies was quite heavily inspired by the Buffyverse when he revived Doctor Who and spun off Torchwood, so there are absolute tons of Buffy, Angel and Spike respectively in Rose Tyler, the 9th/10th Doctors, Captain Jack Harkness and Captain John Hart (right down to the actor). School Reunion is the episode where the Buffyverse inspiration is most on the nose, complete with Anthony Stewart Head saying "shooty dog thing" in a school setting and a Mayor/Angel-esque speech about the curse of immortality. The Time War gave the Doctor a huge genocide-level guilt complex. Note that the creator of DC comics' version of Lucifer, Neil Gaiman, has also written for Doctor Who and is also the co-creator of Good Omens (the show is brimming with Doctor Who Easter eggs thanks to David Tennant). A barely-recognizable Tom Ellis played Martha Jones' ex-fiancé Tom Milligan during the Year that Never Was, as well.

A lot of shows take inspiration from the Buffyverse and you've probably seen some of them. It isn't just the copycat vampire romance stories either.

Angel's forerunners in turn were a mix of guilt-stricken, rat-eating Louis de Pointe du Lac (his Jekyll/Hyde-esque alter-ego Angelus is closer to the pre-retcon, fully-evil Lestat de Lioncourt, who got woobified into an antihero rocker not unlike Spike--the entire Fanged Four mirror Anne Rice's character lineup), sword-wielding, immortality trope-influencers Connor/Duncan MacLeod of Highlander fighting for the Prize of humanity (akin to Pinocchio becoming a "real boy"--see also Barnabas Collins of Dark Shadows, though he was before vampires became antihero superheroes, not just sympathetic antivillains) and Nick Knight of Forever Knight (vampire detective).

Additionally, Tom Welling was famously the longest-serving Clark Kent of them all (Smallville) on the old WB (there's that DC comics connection, too), so it's not just a Fox shows thing (though Fox, not just Warner Brothers, did indeed own the Buffyverse). One of the least-known things about Clark is that he also has an immortality problem where he wouldn't age parallel to Lois (they wouldn't be able to have kids either) without a workaround. The Kryptonite line directed at Cain/Pierce by Lucifer was quite on the nose! Lucifer and Smallville sort of crossed over even further in Crisis on Infinite Earths, so Tom is canonically the face of both Clark and Cain in parallel universes of the DC multiverse.

Supernatural had quite recently had their own takes on Cain (played by Timothy Omundson, who also played God Johnson) and the Mark of Cain when Lucifer did it. Dan's killer Le Mec was, of course, Rob Benedict, who was God a.k.a. Chuck Shurley, the ultimate villain of Supernatural. Richard Speight, Jr., who was archangel Gabriel/Loki the Trickster, directed a lot of Lucifer's later episodes in addition to being a prolific Supernatural director.

Supernatural and Lucifer use the exact same font for their titles (Supernatural Knight).

The X-Files (which Supernatural referenced constantly) and Supernatural also had stories about nephilim (see the apocryphal Book of Enoch). Lucifer ultimately had two nephilim (forbidden interspecies offspring of angels and humans), even if not saying so as a known concept. Connor can also be compared to the vampire equivalent of being something like a dhampir, though he's not quite that (mostly-but-not-quite-human offspring of two vampires instead of a human/vampire hybrid--see Blade for an actual dhampir). Supernatural has also covered the even rarer cambion species (human/demon hybrid).

[maxwell-grant]

since youre a Jojo fan, Dio Brando for the listing meme

favorite thing about them

God, fucking DIO. Back in the days when JoJo was THE big obsession of mine, DIO, being my favorite character, was pretty much my favorite character in general, and while obviously my tastes changed a bit since then, he's still around the top for sure. I could talk your ears off about him and I genuinely can't just pick one, so for now I'm gonna just say three.

I love how big he is. Not just physically, but in that he's this villain who just never stops growing in scope and strength and reach over the course of the saga. Every Jojo part from 1-6, Dio is there. We grow up with him and, for all intents and purposes, he's practically the protagonist of Phantom Blood, as outlined by Araki even. Part 2, he's a ghost from the past who's been both surpassed as well as immortalized as a curse on the Joestars. Part 3, he's this huge, unsurmountable threat both to the world as well as the family personally, king of legions of monsters and a almost literal ticking time bomb that must be eradicated. Part 4, he's indirectly responsible for both the protagonist as well as the antagonists' ascension to power, a cancer on bloodlines other than the Joestars. Part 5 is about his son rising out of his evil legacy to guide others out of their dark pasts, and Part 6 he's become this god-like fragmented myth of memories and body parts, guiding the main villain in a final war of legacies, as it takes the literal destruction of the universe to rid the Joestars of DIO for good.

And though he grows and changes, he never stops being the same Dio. He never stops being the egomaniac hellbent on wiping out every weakness that gets in the way of his ambition, he never stops being the manipulative monster lying and scheming and fighting his way to the top, he never stops being the restless and intellectual pursuer of a way to overcome his bad circumstances, he never stops being the raging bully with a temper problem, he never stops being a pest. We just get to see more and more of his facets from more and more perspectives that enrich him more and more as a character, and it's such a fascinating way to develop a character.

On a more personal anectode, I also really, really like DIO's confidence. He's got a lot of shonen hero virtues that make for great protagonist material, he just happens to be 100% awful with them. I think getting into JoJo in general, taking the time to study it and it's influences, definitely helped boost my own self-esteem and sense of style, as weird as it sounds. It got me to think about my own fashion and how I wanted to present myself to the world and, things I had never really thought of or was taught to think about, but absolutely make all the difference in someone's self-esteem, and I think getting into JoJo kinda led to that. It was like getting hit in the face by a world of colors and styles I didn't know existed.

DIO is dressed in just, the most completely ridiculous outfits, outfits that look so stupid whenever you dress up other characters in them, but he makes them work because he's DIO, and he can rock any outfit. I cosplayed DIO once and it felt really good getting to just, strut like that, in such a ridiculous get-up, with the genie shoes and pants, with such confidence, not worrying about how I looked, and having all these people approach me and asking me to do cool poses and, god I miss cosplaying. Yeah, Jojo is real special to me for this and other reasons, and DIO's my favorite JoJo character so obviously I got too many feelings on him.

least favorite thing about them

Not at all a fan of Over Heaven, or Jorge Joestar's take on DIO, or how his story turns out in Eyes of Heaven (I do think Heaven DIO's design is great though). I'm really adverse to takes on DIO that try to soften him or explain him more than what canon already does, and to be honest, I'm not the biggest fan of Diego either, partially because he's just kinda perpetually stuck on Dio's pre-vampire Phantom Blood character but he gets treated everywhere like he's a dramatic improvement because he's more overtly sympathetic and tragic and people find that easier to compartmentalize and understand nuance in than a character who is just 100% evil incarnate. I really, really don't care at all for the mindset that sympathetic villains are inherently better and more complex.

Also he's killed at least a couple of cats on and off screen, and also everything he did to Danny, and animal abuse is a really sore spot for me, but that happens in Jojo to the point of running gag so it's not like Dio in particular is to blame for it, even if he was the first.

favorite line

I deeply love how the Phantom Blood dub made all of his dialogue twice as pretentious and more appropriately supervillain-y, even with some Shakespeare references, and one in particular that stuck out to me is this

From the earth I called them to wreak their vengeance, all these centuries later!. Such is the power at my command!

In life, they were fearsome. In death, they are invincible!

Which really gives the Tarkus and Bruford resurrection the proper build-up the concept deserves.

I also deeply love this scene with him and Pucci, partially for the dialogue but because of how significant it is.

brOTP

Besides Pucci, who is my other favorite Jojo villain, I really liked the few snippets we got of DIO's interactions with his followers in Part 3 like Hol Horse and N'Doul, and I would have liked to see more of them. Also, she's a wretched character, but I have a really soft spot for Enya and I really like seeing her and DIO together. It's a very fun dynamic and I was genuinely pissed at DIO when he killed her. Not because she didn't deserve it, but it's kinda like that moment in Batman 89 when Joker kills Bob, who had been nothing but loyal to him up to that point and they had a fun thing together.

OTP

None.

nOTP

Any Joestars, Jonathan included.

Now, to be clear, the Jonathan x Dio relationship is pretty much THE big reason why Phantom Blood is my favorite part (and why Jonathan’s my favorite Jojo) and the one I've rewatched the most time and time again, I adore their dynamic and find it incredibly compelling and fascinating. But they're adopted brothers and unless we're shipping Dio's face with Jonathan's fist anything else is gonna be a hard nope.

random headcanon

DIO has extremely unpredictable and dorky tastes in pop culture because he frankly just wants to try out whatever the world's got to offer him. He absolutely played videogames with Terence D'Arby and I imagine him liking cartoons that are absolutely not at all in line with his image. And he's not embarassed about it because, he's DIO, he's not embarassed about anything. Nobody says a word when he strolls down the manor singing the Spongebob theme song.

unpopular opinion

I guess my unpopular opinion towards Dio is that I do think he's a layered and multi-faceted villain and character when the universal opinion towards the character seems to be that he's fun but basic and fairly stupid compared to the other Jojo villains. I used to be pretty bitter about this, but I reckon it's a lost cause and, frankly it doesn't affect my enjoyment of the character at all. It's not like DIO is "underrated" as is, I just kinda wish he was appreciated more as something other than a giant meme or cartoon maniac (which I guess is kinda how I feel about JoJo in general, where I'm really not a fan of how the overwhelming Western thought towards it is that it's all just a giant dumb meme, but, whatever).

Also, not sure how unpopular this is, but I truly detest how the anime handled DIO's World visually. I really love the anime in general but we got cheated hard on that one.

song i associate with them

Any of his themes across JoJo media, but other than those, I don't actually associate Ronnie James Dio's songs with him that much, because I got into him first and so his songs have a different meaning to me. The Dio songs I associate with him are Evil Eyes and Egypt (The Chains Are On). I also really like DASJO's theme for DIO, especially for the Rainbow In The Dark riff.

favorite picture of them

I thought I was gonna have a harder time answering this one but, nope, it really is the Orange Dio cover. This right here is peak DIO.

[coffintownkids]

Ch. 26 is done!

And it is a treasure trove for anyone looking for details on novel!NHS and his characterizations, as well as info on the Niè Sect’s cultivation in general. Here’s some choice bits for you. Long post ahead!

“When these Sect Leaders were alive, they would still be able to suppress the restlessness of the sabers they carried. But after the Sect Leaders died and there was no one to control them, they become weapons bent on murder.”

Wèi Wúxiàn raised his eyebrows, “That sounds close to Corrupt Cultivation.”

Niè Huáisāng rushed to say, “It’s not the same! Corrupt Cultivation is corrupt because it demands human lives. But our House’s sabers don’t require human lives. Instead they need resentful ghosts, spirits, or any of the evil creatures. They spend a lifetime beheading those things and if they’re not given those things to eliminate, they seek out trouble themselves and disturb our House’s peace. A Saber Spirit will only recognize one master and cannot serve anyone else. Us descendants are also unable to melt the sabers down. First, it would be disrespectful to our ancestors. Second, we’re not sure that melting them would even solve the problem.”

Wèi Wúxiàn’s evaluation was, “How arrogant.”

Niè Huáisāng said, “Absolutely. We followed the path trailblazed by our ancestors and sought to obtain immortality through the saber. Of course it’s arrogant.”

What I’ve translated as Corrupt Cultivation is written as 邪魔歪道. So let’s break this down a bit. We have 邪 (evil) 魔 (demon) 歪 (something twisted or that deviates) 道 (path/way). So basically something that goes against what’s considered the conventional or “healthy” way of doing things. Cultivation is supposed to improve the mind/body/spirit on the quest to immortality. So WWX is (understandably!) a bit taken aback, given his own history. This phrase is similar to the more common phrase 邪门歪道 that is used to convey dishonest practices/crooked tactics/etc. But, as NHS clarifies, this method isn’t meant to harm humans the way, say, WWX’s own demonic cultivation uses human spirits to resurrect human corpses.

Of course, NHS goes on to say his Sect’s solution was to bury the sabers with dead human bodies...

“Hánguāng-Jūn, let me explain! These corpses weren’t killed by our House! It took a great deal of effort to scrounge them up from all over the place and bring them there! It cost quite a bit of money to buy them. The sixth-generation Sect Leader said the Saber Spirits wanted to battle against evil beings, so they should be given an endless supply of evil beings to fight against. Corpses on the verge of turning got buried together in coffins with the sabers just as if they were the Saber Spirits’ funerary objects. The Saber Spirits would keep the corpses from transforming. Meanwhile, the corpses would help alleviate the violent impulses of the Saber Spirits. It maintained the status quo and they kept each other in check. Relying on this method brought peace to the generations that followed up until now.”

The interesting take away for me is we’re repeatedly told the Niè are in decline. Yet they’re apparently still pretty wealthy if they’re still using the corpse-buying scheme. Would love to know where the money comes from!

Otherwise, the Niè Sect of Qīnghé of today was basically on its last legs. If any more of their affairs got out, Niè Huáisāng would be condemned for all of history and would be unable to face his ancestors in the afterlife. It wasn’t surprising that he would rather be the personal laughing stock of the other Houses. He was also unwilling to work hard at cultivating and, moreover, it was too late for him to dare start on his journey of carrying the saber. If he had any success at cultivating, his temperament would become increasingly volatile and he would ultimately go mad and die violently like his brother and all his previous ancestors. After he died, his saber would still be haunting the world and leaving his entire House without a moment’s peace. Instead, it was better for him to just be a complete failure.

And so there was no solution. Since the first ancestor founded the House of Niè, this is how it has been until now. Should the descendants deny the path that their ancestors laid the foundation for? Each of the cultivation Houses had its own strengths. Just as the Lán Sect of Gūsū was skilled with music, the Niè Sect of Qīnghé had the ferocious and lethal strength of their Saber Spirits and that was the exact reason they were so remarkable. If they abandoned the teachings of their ancestors and started over from scratch by seeking a new way, they couldn’t know how many years that could take or if they would even succeed. So Niè Huáisāng didn’t dare go against the House of Niè by changing their way of cultivation. Therefore, the only thing he could do was be a good-for-nothing waste of a person.

If he wasn’t the Head of his House, he would spend his entire life just as he had when he had been in Cloud Recesses. All day long he would go swim in lakes and paint fans. He would catch fish with his hands and play with birds. It had certainly been more comfortable than what he was doing now. But since has old brother had already passed away, and despite not being as strong as he would like, all he could do was shoulder his clan’s burdens and limp his way forward.

Yikes. So yeah. Unlike The Untamed/CQL where NHS is nominally seen carrying a weapon around (despite never really using it), it seems like he actually never really learned to use the saber at all in the book. I know Fatal Journey hinted at that with the 刀 vs 心 choice, but it’s a neat distinction. And of course we’re all like “NHS always be knowing!” but it really hit me like a ton of bricks for some reason to read this. He knew the entire world was going to think poorly of him. His choices were “be a failure�� or “go crazy and kill everyone and yourself” which still wouldn’t solve any of his family’s problems. And he’s really not mincing words when saying “good-for-nothing waste of a person.” It’s written as 脓包废物. 脓包 literally means a pustule or pus bag (*pukes*) and is used to describe someone that’s just totally worthless. 废物 means someone/something that a waste/complete rubbish.

I think, in the end, this may be part of why even getting rid of JGY ends up ringing hollow. (Though I’ll have to double-check when I get to that part of the novel to be sure.) At the end of the day, his family’s legacy still remains and isn’t actually solved at all. Funnily enough, I’m personally trying to work on a quasi post-canon fic and one of the storylines will be about NHS trying to find a workaround (but in true NHS fashion, no one actually knows this.) Said fic is over 70k in notes/outlines/half-written scenes but zero coherence so who knows if it will ever see the light of day!

[biteghost]

How do you come up with so many cool characters?? All of your OCs seem so vibrant and fleshed out. Do you have a specific process for developing them, or do they just kinda come to you mostly formed? I find I struggle with building a compelling OCs for D&D games & would love to hear your thoughts on character development.

(This answer got long, sorry.) This is a super nice sentiment, I’m happy you think my characters are all cool and unique!!

As far as process goes, uh, it depends on the character? I’ve spent a long time (years) rewiring my brain when it comes to what I think about when creating OCs. They don’t usually come to me fully formed - I get an idea in my head about a concept, and then over like a week or even months of fiddling I end up with a character for that concept.

A lot of the time my characters are simply people I wanted to see more of in media as a kid! Mostly, female characters I actually relate to or are as nuanced and messy as their male cast members, haha... (It was a trip when I realized in high school that I didn’t hate female characters - it was actually that none of them were written as well as the cool boys in the anime series I liked, haha! Be the change you want to see in the world, basically.)

Inspiration for characters (and stories for them to be part of) come from a lot of places. An easy piece of advice is to make an effort to intake media you like! Read new comics, watch new movies and television shows, read books, play video games, listen to music and obsessively memorize the lyrics - hell, obsessively learn everything there is to know about black holes or public domain characters (that’s what I did, lol...)!

(Note: ’New’ meaning new to YOU - you don’t need to only be partaking of media that’s created in 2021 - you can find a lot to love in media that was created before your time, or for generations before you!)

I must reiterate: intake new media that you ENJOY! You don’t have to like all the same things as everyone else, you don’t have to be invested in the same shows and podcasts as your friends. Varied interests and taste is part of what makes us all unique! Increasing your pool of inspiration will help you come up with interesting ideas, and help you find YOUR voice. Your particular interests and the niche things that speak to you will help you figure out what kind of characters and what kind of stories you like to create! But the process doesn’t end at just intaking media... When you find the stuff that brings you joy, analyze what exactly it is about that thing that speaks to you... Put it into words. Explain it to a friend. Make it tangible, analyze the feelings and why the series made you feel that way... and then take it and shove it into your own stories, lol!

Engage critically and thoughtfully with work you like, with characters you like, and it will help you have the language and thought process to recreate it in your own work!

My creative process is like an exquisite corpse of all the characters and series I’ve liked over my lifetime. I mesh them all together in a grim blender and what comes out is a shake in the vague shape as an OC, lol

BUT... it seems like you’re asking more specifically about making characters for tabletop roleplaying games like D&D? And THAT is a different process for me than making OCs for my comics or original story ideas!

I don’t usually join a tabletop game with a fully fleshed out character, actually?? I don’t spend a long time on their backstory, and I usually figure it out like halfway through the story, or through collaboration with my game master!

My TTRPG characters are usually whatever I think would be most interesting in the given game setting or set-up and... usually they exist in opposition to whatever the core concept of the game is. So, the examples I have from games I’ve played are:

In Cardians: West (World of Darkness: Hunter the Vigil): we played in a modern-day urban fantasy setting, where players were recruited into a supernatural Hunter group that was also a criminal organization that Did Crimes and Broke The Law in the name of keeping peace and protecting humanity from the supernatural creatures that go bump in the night. I played Andrew, a Lawful Good Police Detective, because I thought playing a character who would need to grow past his original ideals of ‘Right and Wrong’ in the name of the greater good would be interesting! (And it was!)

In SINNING ADVENTURE (WoD: Geist: The Sin-Eaters) we payed in a modern-day urban fantasy setting with the premise that the players all Died and were brought back to life by forming a pact with a powerful spirit (and getting cool ghost powers in the process!) I played Cassius, a character who could not cope with his death, and thus refused to use his new powers because they were evidence that he was no longer strictly human. It caused conflict in the group and world, but I thought it would be interesting! (And it was! Cassius was a Bitch.)

In Rex Machina (Dungeons and Dragons 5E), I wanted to play an Aarakocra, but was having a hard time deciding on a class or backstory... until I found out that in the ‘canon’ of D&D Aarakocra only live to be like, mid 20s???? Their lifespans are insanely short compared to other playable races!! And I thought that was stupid, so I decided to make MY Aarakocra, Izzy, a warlock that’s looking for ways to extend his own stupidly short life. His pact essentially granted that to him, giving him extra time to find a way to achieve True Immortality. His conflict challenges what’s ‘true’ living in this world, and his extended life is in direct conflict with a lot of forces in the world we play in, and while it is very stressful I think it’s really interesting to play!

In Lamplighting (Monster of the Week), my character Aicen is an assassin who made a deal with a demon and gained supernatural perks out of it... except I decided that she doesn’t WANT to be in this deal. She is actively trying to undo it because it wasn’t her deal - she inherited it from a CEO that she killed during an unrelated job. (Aicen is probably my character I’ve put the most backstory into, and that’s just because at character creation in MOTW you are given a lot of questions about who your character is and why they’re where they are!)

In Hand of Adam (WoD: HtV), the concept was that all players were going to join a post-apocalyptic supernatural-hating cult. I played Shouter, who was a self-preserving pacifist coward who also turned out to be a fae (which the cult would have killed him over). It was stressful but very fun. I love Shouter. He ran away from fights and didn’t actually kill anyone until the last episode where they fought God (whom he killed, lol).

NOW. THESE ARE ALL JUST EXAMPLES OF HOW *I* LIKE TO PLAY CHARACTERS!! For me personally, I enjoy playing a character who has built-in conflict either with the world, the story, or the other players. I’m only able to play characters like this because my friend group are all really cool and we all know that conflict is not bad - it’s fiction and we’re just roleplaying! If I didn’t trust my GMs and fellow players as much as I do, I probably wouldn’t have felt comfortable enough playing some of these concepts.

I don’t think you need to know every little thing about a tabletop character, and in fact, not knowing some things and leaving it up to the GM and story to flesh out is an easy way to help you get more invested in both your character AND the story your GM is telling! Tabletops are a collaborative storytelling experience, so if you’ve already plotted out your character’s whole story, there won’t be much participation from other players or your GM. Figure out what your character wants, and let your roleplaying and GM slowly put all the other pieces in place over the course of your campaign!

But the TL:DR about how I make tabletop OCs is that I just... try to give them a goal, an ideal, or a personality that is in direct conflict with some aspect of the game we’re playing. I don’t want the character to be undermining the whole game, because that’s really crappy to do to your GM, but I have to have something for my character to grow through or change. I like giving them built-in character arc starters, lol. I haven’t played a game where my character has gotten along with every other player character and NPC over the entire campaign since my very FIRST game, lol!

Also, if you’re having trouble, why not ask your GM what they think? Again, tabletops are collaborative! Don’t be afraid to talk ideas out with your GM for your character.

A final note about playing in specifically oneshot games (i.e. games that are not long campaigns but are meant to be played in one or two sittings). Personally, I always just retrofit an OC I already have to play in oneshots! When I make a new character for a long campaign, it usually takes me two or three sessions to find their voice and figure out how to roleplay them. If the game you’re playing is only one session, I find it easier to jump right in and get the most out of your character and the game when you’re playing a character you already know pretty well! I’ve played characters from my webcomic quite a few times, and it’s always a lot more fun for me than figuring out a new character on the fly!

SO UH, IN CONCLUSION... sorry if this is mad unhelpfu!! My personal processes are unique to me! but that's the point - no one person will have the exact answer that works for you! You have to keep trying until you figure it out for yourself! Good luck! Keep creating! <3