#tbh i thought it would have more votes

[bigbeanbear]

Ok the results are out: Rainbowmoth wins for the most preferred alternate ship name of Chaggie, followed by DivineIntervention and Varlie.

[dreamteamemojis]

.

[tonariofjananda]

This was my participation piece for the @yuriolympics2023 ‘s first prompt, “Memory.”✌️

The fic covers things that will happen in Season 3 (including a theory that I’m treating as 100% canon tbh, lol) so if you’re not caught up with the manga, please keep that in mind :)

[astrxealis]

fuuta is so interesting tbh

[mvth3r]

daryl doesn’t think he’s anything special. he never has. but to you? he’s everything.

or

5 times daryl feels your affection down to his core and the many 1 time he unconsciously returns the favor.

cw: 18+ MDNI, p-in-v, mention of injury, swearing, mostly fluff, 4283 words

a/n: this draft got the most votes in the poll, which was surprising tbh! next up medieval au, princess reader, forbidden romance?? hmmmm

one.

daryl hears you coming before he sees you. he knows it’s on purpose, so you don’t startle him (“and get an arrow in the tit or something, i don’t know!” you had explained, laughing). he’s long since taught you how to be quiet when walking over leaves and branches.

his eyes drifted in the direction of the noise, watching you melt out of the trees, water bottle in one hand and knife in the other. you had a bad habit of speeding through or ignoring your own duties in favor of tracking him out into the woods while he was hunting. the teasing looks from rick and carol when they saw the gates open in the evening, revealing the two of you instead of just him, were enough to have him blushing up to his ears, but he couldn’t find it in him to stop you. if anything, daryl found himself lingering closer to the prison when he was first setting out for the day and making his tracks a little easier for you to follow as he went on. he liked to think of it as a teaching moment, encouraging you to follow his lessons, but he knew what it really was.

he liked having you here with him, away from prying eyes and ears. daryl wasn’t big on pda, he’d never been, and you knew that, but you could be as affectionate as you wanted out here.

the smile that split you face when you saw daryl was blinding, creasing your eyes and cheeks, “hey, handsome.”

daryl felt his heart start to pound immediately in his chest and warmth radiate through his belly and down his limbs. he had the distant, bizarre thought that any walker for a few miles would probably be able to smell his blood as it rose rapidly to his face, coloring his cheeks and the tips of his ears.

he scoffed quietly to keep the words he really wanted to say from spilling unbidden from his throat as you caught up to him, instead deadpanning, “handsome? really?”

you hummed, raising a hand to card through his long bangs, eyes tender when they met his, “mhm, very handsome. don’t i tell you every day?”

you leaned up to press a sweet kiss to his lips, no longer than a moment. you hand drifted from his hair down to cup his jaw as you did, and daryl found himself leaning into your palm, his own hand coming up to grip your wrist loosely.

you pulled away with a smaller, more intimate smile, one that daryl had only ever seen directed at him. and, if you had felt the pounding of his heart through his shirt or seen the intensity of his flush, you didn’t say a word.

two.

daryl was distracted.

this council meeting was dragging on much longer than intended. what was initially supposed to be a quick conversation about planning a run to get supplies for judith and a few of the other kids had turned into a heated debate about possibly opening up the council to a few of the people from woodbury. he could understand why. there was still a stark divide between their group and the new people, but daryl had been content to sit back and let the situation mend itself, so long as it didn't escalate.

the discussion was split down the middle. or.. maybe there were more in favor of maintaining the current council? daryl couldn’t tell because he couldn’t focus and he couldn’t focus because every time he tried to lock in on the conversation, he could feel your fingers brush over his knuckles.

earlier, when the meeting started, you had sat yourself right next to daryl, reached under the table, and grabbed his hand where it was resting on his knee. no fanfare, no lovesick gazes, just your fingers intertwined with his calloused ones like they belonged there. which, he mused to himself, maybe they do.

and so there your hand had remained as the meeting went on. every so often, you would brush your fingers lightly over his knuckles, or give his fingers a squeeze if you happened to catch his eyes… which would lead to you chuckling quietly to yourself when his neutral expression would warm over with a blush.

the meeting had been going on for at least an hour. god.

“daryl, what do you think?”

glenn’s voice cut through daryl’s thoughts like a knife. he jerked a little, almost dislodging your hand when he looked across the table, meeting the expectant stares of the council.

“uhh,” he grunted eloquently, “‘bout bringin’ some of them folks on?”

hershel nodded expectantly, his voice thoughtful, “don’t you think we could afford their input? after all, this is their home now just as much as it is ours.”

your fingers brushed again over his knuckles and daryl willed himself not to lose focus. not to allow his mind to run on with thoughts about the softness of your fingers and how much he liked the feeling of your palm against his. how comfortable-

no.

daryl blinked and cleared his throat, “we don’ even have rick on the council right now, i’on think it’s a good idea.”

glenn nodded along with maggie and, reluctantly a moment later, hershel did too, though his mouth had settled into a thin frown.

daryl felt your hand squeeze his twice, taking it as a nonverbal ‘good job!’, and paused only a moment before squeezing back his own nonverbal ‘thank you’. he saw a small smile flit across your face out the corner of his eye.

before the debate could start up again, you were leaning forward and speaking up, saying, “alright, let’s table this for next time then. the run is already planned for the baby stuff, so—?”

hershel’s eyes swept across the table and he nodded, “meeting adjourned, i suppose.”

three.

the woods were clear as daryl looked out over the gate. he could see everything from the watchtower, as was intended, but for once the calm darkness was not a comfort.

instead, every moment that passed heightened the panic that had been swirling in his gut since earlier that evening.

it had been roughly fourteen hours since you had left on a run with glenn and maggie. there was a small gas station a little ways out that looked to be mostly untouched, and you had been pulled to fill in daryl’s usual slot since he was already slated to go hunting.

he was regretting it now, though, as he continued to watch the road leading up to the gate for any sign of maggie’s headlights.

while the general rule of thumb was to be back to the prison before dark, everyone knew that sometimes shit happens, whether it be walkers appearing at the worst possible time, or not being able to secure the haul. hell, shit happened more often than it didn't, as far as daryl was concerned.

maybe the haul had been much larger than the three of you had planned for, and you had to hide some of it away for a return trip.

maybe y'all had come across a herd large enough to block the car's path and had to find a way around it to get home without leading them back behind you.

maybe the gas station had been a bust all together and you’d gone further out in hopes of not returning empty handed.

the thoughts swimming through his mind sent daryl pacing across the small area of the watchtower. back and forth he went, eyes flashing over to the gate of the prison every few seconds.

“you’re gonna wear out your shoes like that.”

oh right. daryl isn’t even on watch, not officially at least. he’d joined carol a little after the sun went down and been up here ever since.

carol continues on despite his brooding silence, “they’re okay. something probably held them up, it happens.”

daryl turned to face carol, scrubbing a hand down his face. he opening his mouth to respond, but before he could, the sound of wheels crunching across gravel made him whip back around.

he barely registered that it was maggie’s car before he was yanking the floor hatch open and climbing down. rick, who’d been poking around the farm despite the late hour, unwilling to admit his own anxiety, was already pulling the gate open to let the car in.

daryl stopped further up the hill to meet you, and, as soon as you popped the lock on your door, he was tugging it open with one hand and reaching for you with the other.

you went willingly, a sheepish smile on your face as you let him turn you this way and that, checking for any injuries or bites, neither of which you had.

“sorry i’m late, handsome,” you whispered, “i didn’t mean to worry you.”

daryl grunted in response, resisting the urge to press himself against you and feel your heart beat against his skin. he understood that you were capable, and that you had lasted just as long in the apocalypse as he had, but he can't help but wonder if he'll ever get used to this, or if he'll spend any moment you aren't within his reach on the edge of a panic attack.

by then, rick had made his way up the hill to the car and was helping unload their findings from the boot. all things considered, the three of you had brought back a pretty decent amount of stuff.

“everyone alright?” rick questioned, eyes skirting over the contents of the trunk to scan the three of you instead. "what held y'all up?"

maggie shook her head with a smile, “nothing like that. we found a good bit at that gas station, but there was a map of a small trailer park a little ways away, and we thought it was better to go for it while we were right down the road.”

“and we had the space anyway. didn’t make sense to waste a second trip, but it took a little longer to search than we thought,” you added. you had turned to face the group and, under the cover of the dark, you leaned back just slightly into daryl’s side.

carol, who had followed daryl down from the watchtower, hummed, and rick nodded thoughtfully. they both followed behind maggie and glenn, grabbing as much as they could carry from the car and heading up to deposit it for sorting tomorrow.

now alone, daryl took a moment to breathe you in, but he was moving soon as well, heading for the trunk to grab what was left.

he didn’t notice you coming up next to him until he felt your fingers slipping into his pocket.

“found something for you,” you said quietly, standing at his side.

daryl patted his pocket, feeling the dented box of what he assumed to be cigarettes and looked over at you, brows furrowed in confusion.

“i noticed you ran out the other day,” you answered his unasked question, a small smile lifting your cheeks, “combed through every trailer looking for ‘em.”

with that, you turned away from him and back to the trunk.

daryl stood speechless, his heart building up to that rapid thrum he only seemed to feel in your presence.

you had brought something back for him. had spent the daylight rummaging through dirty trailers on the off chance that you’d find a pack of cigarettes to replace his empty one that he himself hadn't even bothered to go searching to replace.

he wanted to think he didn’t understand why you would do something like this, why you would care, but he did. he’d done the same for you, time and time again on the road, if only to see you smile. he understood exactly why.

“‘preciate it,” he grunted, thankful that the darkness surrounding you kept his blush from being too obvious.

you hummed in acknowledgment, and daryl could your small smile growing out the corner of his eye.

four.

having sex in the prison was no easy feat, mostly due to the lack of privacy. a sheet could only provide so much, and even then it did nothing for the noise echoing constantly off the concrete walls.

as far as most were concerned, maggie and glenn had found the best spot early on, making the most unused watchtower their designated private retreat, but you and daryl knew otherwise.

deep in the tombs, which were no longer a threat as they had long since been cleared and sealed, there were a few tucked away offices that had sat empty even after the woodbury residents had been moved in. noise didn’t escape the tombs, and no one ever just wandered in, especially not in the middle of the night, so despite the cell that you and daryl shared, you both much preferred spending your more intimate moments here.

well, daryl did. you weren’t picky, and could be quiet when you really tried, but it made daryl more comfortable.

he’d like to think it was just because he was wary of any listening ears, especially with all the children roaming around, but he knew the truth of his resolve.

daryl had never been a selfish man, and certainly not after the world fell. everything he had, everything he was, he would give to his family in a heartbeat.

but this.. this was just for him.

your body arched beautifully under his, legs falling open to accommodate his weight settling against you. daryl’s hand left your heat, fingers dripping with wetness, to squeeze your hips, using them to guide you as your moved against him.

you were already bare, both of you having stripped each other of your clothes between heated kisses while you stumbled in the office. you hadn’t even made it to the double-stacked cot in the corner, daryl instead pushing you firmly down on the dusty desk and leaning in to mouth at your neck.

you moaned under him now, a breathy sigh of his name, and the sound sent a shiver down daryl’s spine.

“needy girl,” he grunted teasingly, reaching down to grasp his hardness. he dragged the head of his cock up your slit, collecting your wetness and smearing it over your clit.

your head knocked back against the desk and a loud groan burst out of your throat. your knees tried to close around daryl’s waist as if to keep him away, but you arms came up to wrap around him, pulling him closer to your body, and he leaned into you willingly.

your voice trembled when you spoke into his ear, want dripping from every syllable, “please, baby. need you inside me so bad.”

and god, daryl wanted to make you beg for it. he wanted to wait until he could see the desperation in your eyes and then wait some more, but he couldn’t. not when you looked so pretty spread out beneath him and your hands were petting over his shoulders and neck just how he liked. he almost thought you were doing it on purpose, but he knew better. this was just you.

you couldn’t stay off him when he was in you, always tugging at his hair or rubbing his chest, hands scrabbling for any skin you could reach. it used to send him reeling, flustered and blushing bright, but now he looked forward to it. he could feel the want in your touches like physical imprints of your affection.

daryl pushed into your slowly, groaning deep in his chest. your slick walls felt heavenly around him, but daryl was more focused on you right now.

soft whimpers fell from your lips as your hands drifted over his sweat slicked skin. daryl’s thrusts were slow but purposeful, and he ignored your legs squeezing around his waist, trying to urge him to speed up.

“relax, peach,” he soothed, hands drifting up and down your sides in pace with his thrusts, “i’ma take care of you.”

“kiss, please,” you whispered, voice floating past daryl’s ear. he would have missed it if you weren’t pressed together like this.

daryl would not describe himself as a selfish man. he might have had his moments in the past, but now, with the dead walking and a prison full of survivors to protect, it was virtually out of the question.

but as he leaned down to press his lips to yours, feeling your hands finally make their way up into his long strands, daryl thought that he might be a possessive man.

he’d sooner spread you out deep in the woods than have you where anyone could see you like this or hear the noises you make.

no, daryl thought, tongue sliding in your mouth to tangle with yours, this would always be just for him.

five.

daryl came into awareness slowly and then all at once. he startled, trying to sit up, but a searing pain made itself known in his abdomen. the pain clouded his senses, blooming out across his torso and down his limbs. he flops uselessly, feeling like the wind has been knocked out of him.

hearing bits of voices above him, daryl wills himself to focus. he’s hurt, obviously, and it’s pretty fucking bad, but he’ll have to suck it up and figure out a way home if he’s in bad company.

the voices start to filter in. the volume makes his temples throb in rhythm with his abdomen and his heart as the situation starts to force adrenaline through his body.

“—harder! put more pressure on it!”

daryl relaxes just a bit. that’s rick. frantic, angry, but rick all the same.

“what the fuck do you think i’m doing?!” the other voice, higher, snarls in response, “just drive the damn truck!”

and daryl feels his body try to relax all together. he would recognize your voice in his sleep, and this milky haze of pain is no different. he can feel your hands pressing a wad of something soft into his abdomen.

he can hear your panicked breaths and feel the way your fingers flex continuously against his skin. whatever’s wrong with him must be bad, and it definitely hurts like hell, but daryl takes comfort in the weight of your body against his. you won’t let anything happen to him if you can help it, you’d sworn that fiercely, and if you can’t help it then he doesn’t think anyone could have.

daryl can just barely make out the creaking of the gate being pulled open over the sound of rick laying on the horn.

as they pull in, the gravel of the path rocks the truck and daryl feels the ache in his abdomen bloom again, distracting him from his thoughts, but here, knowing he’s safe and back with his family, he allows himself to drift away.

—

this time, when daryl comes into awareness, the first thing he feels is fingers carding through his hair, tugging gently as if to untangle a couple of knots and snarls.

without even opening his eyes he knows it’s you. he can feel the heat of your body settled next to him and smell the soap you like to bathe with. daryl leans towards you, chasing the warmth of your hand against his skin.

the bandages on his stomach are wrapped tight, but it’s more annoying than anything and the pain has finally, thankfully, subsided to a dull ache. daryl stretches on the cot, trying to loosen him limbs from their inactivity, but what he focuses on is your fingers immediately pulling away.

“daryl?” your voice prods quietly, “you awake?”

he opens his eyes slowly, squinting at the sunlight that streams through the bars of the cell. the privacy sheet isn’t down, actually there’s no sheet at all, daryl notes as he looks out. he must be in one of the cells near hershel’s.

“‘m up,” he grumbles, a cough working its way out of his throat. before he can attempt to clear the dryness, you’re standing to grab a bottle of water off some boxes stacked nearby and pressing it into his hand.

your fingers linger against his wrist as you pull away, but you’re resuming your previous position anyway, in a chair brought right up to his bedside.

daryl hasn’t sat up yet, staring instead at you as one of your hands return to his hair and the other rubs down his arm.

a few quiet moments pass before you speak again, head bowed and voice a little choked, “we almost lost you. i almost lost you.”

“didn’t though,” daryl croaks. he feels your grip tighten on his arm and just knows. knows that you’ve been sitting right here every moment that you could since he went down. knows that you probably haven’t had your hands off him. knows you’ve spent the time, however long it’s been, agonizing over what went wrong and how to keep it from happening ever again. he knows.

“i didn’t,” you agree with a barely restrained sniffle. you refuse to allow the tears beading your waterline to fall, but daryl sees them all the same.

oddly, he feels that familiar warmth blossom in his chest. he hates to see you upset, but to see your love, your heart laid so bare for him? daryl thinks he can finally understand the depth of your affections.

plus one.

to anybody who knew what to look for, it was obvious that you and daryl were.. something.

you remembered when the woodbury residents had really began to settle in, how they began to whisper about ‘the hunter and his lady’.

it had confused you at first. the group knew, of course, nothing could be kept a secret from them for too long, but for strangers? it was odd, given that you weren’t very public with your affections.

regardless, with an entire prison to secure and almost triple the amount of people to provide for, it was nothing to think too hard about. there was always something that needed to be done or something bigger to think about. you couldn't afford to think about it now.

eventually, though, you ended up mentioning it to carol, and the older woman had laughed, a teasing edge to her smile as she considered you.

“i think it has less to do with you and more with him, if i’m being honest,” she said.

“more to do with.. daryl?” you said slowly, raising an incredulous eyebrow, “nah, no way.”

carol hummed, her smile turning knowing, “just watch. he’s more affectionate than he gives himself credit for.”

you’d left the conversation feeling like carol had no idea what she was talking about. later that evening, though, when you were sitting with the group for dinner and daryl was sliding a couple pieces of meat from his plate to yours despite your multiple protests, you understood.

your face must have been the textbook picture of a lightbulb going off because carol sent you a wink from across the table, lips twitching like she was hiding a laugh.

it wasn’t that the woodbury residents were over analyzing the very minimal physical affection that passed between you and daryl in a day, no. instead they were observing his quieter, more unconscious actions.

they saw the way that daryl always took care to come and find you before leaving for a run, even if it meant holding everyone up a little.

and how every so often they could find daryl sharpening a knife that was far too small for him to be wielding safely while you sat nearby, watching with a grateful smile.

and how whenever you were in the same room, you always had his eye. daryl had been adamant about keeping you within his sights while you were on the road, and the habit hadn’t left him just because you were behind walls now.

even now, months later, the newer additions to the prison were starting to catch on quicker and quicker.

they overheard daryl talking to glenn about taking your place on the run later today because you’d overdone it in the sun earlier and he wanted you to get some rest.

they saw you gush excitedly every time daryl brought you back any kind of gift, whether it be a pretty rock that he thought you’d like, or your favorite animal to cook into the stew.

they watched him watch the road every time you left for a run, regardless of who was with you, and also saw him come back to be the first to greet you when you returned if he could help it.

daryl was a quiet lover and a private man if you didn’t know what to look for, but if you did, you’d see that his affections ran just as deep as yours.

your thoughts brought a sleep smile to your face as you stretched out on the cot in your shared cell, waiting for daryl to shut off the lantern on your makeshift nightstand in the corner.

you could barely make him out in the dark, but the weight of him settling in next to you sent you right into his arms, your head pillowed on his chest while his arms came up to wrap around your back.

you tilted your head up to place a small kiss to the bottom of his jaw, mumbling a quiet, “love you.”

daryl’s arms tightened around you momentarily before loosening again. you felt him lean down to press a kiss to your hair in turn.

just over the steady thumping of his heart against your ear, you could hear him whisper back, “love you too.”

[the-cat-and-the-birdie]

HC the only reason Miguel gave Hobie a watch in the first place is because he genuinely doesn't know what Punk is

Miguel most likely thinks Punk is just some really old Boomer style that Hobie is WAY too into.

Cause like let's be real, he's from 2099 - he probably can't tell a punk from a greaser from a grunge person from an emo. To Miguel

He probably looks at Hobie the way WE look at Noir.

He probably can't even understand Hobie.

Pop Quiz!! If you met someone from like 1915 RIGHT NOW would you know if they had electricity and phones and photos and radios yet? Were they still using telegraphs? Could women vote yet??

I don't know!!!!!! Couldn't tell ya!!!!!!

Now apply that to Hobie and Miguel

The thought of Hobie being able to reverse engineer his watch didn't even pass his mind cause Miguel's most likely like 'When are you from? 1978? I'm surprised you even know what a computer is. Did you all even have electricity then? Cars? Don't look at me like that - I'm a geneticist not a historian, Brown.'

All he knows is that in Hobies world cars don't fly and therefore he is Ancient and Old™️

We all see Noir as like an old geezer regardless of age but no one ever suggests that how Miguel sees Hobie vjhoohchvoh

Like Miguel completely disregarding Hobie cause he's like 'Hobie? That Boomer? Sure. His generation can't even send an email without downloading a virus. What the hell is he going to do? Put my calculations on a CD-ROM? A floppy-disc?? Lyla, be realistic.'

SO REAL. Cause let's be honest HOW ELSE IS HOBIES STORING ALL HIS DATA 😭😭 He has no SD cards!! Only these!! Floppy Disks!!!

Thousands upon thousands of these

Like what other explanation is there 😭😭 HUH??? Why else would Miguel disregard him so hard!!

Everytime Hobie talks instead of being like 'this snotnose kid-' Miguel's more like 'sure like imma take pointers on how to run a society from a fucking Boomer yeah right I saw what you all did to the economy'

Hobie probably be playing punk music and to Miguel it sounds like old show tunes coming out a vintage tin radio

Hobies music is so old it's 'classical' now 😔

Miguel has absolutely no idea what punk is and tbh???? He doesn't fucking care. Why? Cause that's some old people shit.

[speadrunner]

Who is (actually) the hottest Monsters & Girls character?

Link to poll: https://www.tumblr.com/idolomantises/745892368364060672

CW: This will be a long post;

(Note: this is completely for comical purposes, please don’t take this too seriously. I have all the respect in the world for @idolomantises and their work)

1. Sera

👍: Perhaps the titular character of the series, Sera is beautiful angel (literally) and is arguably the kindest character in the whole series

👎: I challenge you to draw this woman without screaming at yourself/into a pillow

2. Lili

👍: Endearing, welcoming, understanding, and can be very fun. Pretty much wears her heart on her sleeve with how open she is.

👎: Literally THE sexy character. It’s obvious why you picked her as the hottest, now go get better tastes.

3. Cheri

👍: She’s sooo soft omg. She’s so sweet you’ll have a sweet tooth just for her even if you don’t like sweets

👎: I will not talk ill of this lady because I literally cannot, but for all intents and purposes this is a contest to see who is the hottest, not the most wholesome. Sorry 🫡

4. Junior

👍: Blunt and cute, plus a goat. Cute goats are always an A+ character design. Where would we be without them tbh?

👎: Bluntness can lead to rudeness and or discomfort. Nothing super bad about Junior just prob not the best choice for this. Just sayin

5. Scylla

👍: Lord have mercy I understand where people are coming from. Hooo doggy what a woman.

👎: I can’t remember the exact post but I recall it being said that she bites your head off or something if you get too close or look at her weird. That’s no good

6. Ciel

👍: Easily one of my favorite designs. He’s definitely the prettiest boy of the entire cast

👎: One of those cases where he’s too good for you, ya know what I mean? He’s way out of your league I don’t make the rules

7. Catty

👍: Nya~ Very fashionable going off of recent appearances. Design hasn’t changed too much in comparison to others, meaning that

👎: I like dogs more, plus she’s not open with her thoughts and feelings, leading to awkward moments when she lets it all out

8: Luvart

👍: Big, beefy, strong, fire. Need I say more? She treats sex workers with respect for their profession and would be a completely package when you don’t consider…..

👎: …She has no qualms murking you just because and her greatest offense is being the arch rival of the best character a special someone

9: Adam

👍: Dude can become a dog for you to pet and is quite honest in most cases. Plus those scars look neat wouldn’t you say?

👎: Unless you are a - former angel now fallen, a TV show host, have a broken halo, while simultaneously sharing a name with a pizza company and a game tile, then you ain’t getting nothing.

10: Domino

👍: I can see why so many are stricken by this fella, he’s quite cute, quirky, and has an adorable way of being blunt

👎: (Domi- No hoes) He’s just not good enough. He seems so ideal at face value but he berates angels to the moon and back and for what? His fault for his own downfall.

With all that said, clearly the hottest character of Monsters and Girls - for appearance AND character - is obviously….

POWERS

LITERALLY PERFECTION IN ITS PUREST FORM! CHISELED LIKE A GREEK GOD(DESS), ROSE TO BE AN ANGEL - REJECTING HER DEMONIC ORIGINS, FOLKS IT JUST DOESNT. GET. BETTER!

A Vote For Powers Is A Vote For Truth, Love, And Happiness!! Vote For Powers in the Home Stretch Now!

[personne-reblogs]

AUTISTIC SWEEP

The shouts of the crowd are fading into white noise. 

The curtains are closing. 

The lights are dimming. 

The air still feels filled with static, though. 

This is a fight Donatello had known he couldn’t win, logically. The competition had been all fun and games, but this challenger was another story. No amount of support or hype could make up for such a gap; the bone deep certainty didn’t leave room for hard feelings. 

Struggling to catch his breath, battle shell against the wall, Donatello looks up from where he’s been getting some rest - not passed out rest, mind you. More like a beauty nap.

He lets out a genuine chuckle. 

Shigeo Kageyama is simply standing there, as he has been for most of the fight. 

“Sweet Marie Curie,” he puffs, keeping his voice level. The roar of the crowd hasn’t entirely died down, but he knows he is heard. “You don’t even have a scratch.”

The one they call Mob is giving him a stare. He still seems a little out of it. 

“You fought well,” he states calmly, and Donnie giggles. 

“Oh, please. I’ve been losing tournaments at home for as long as I can remember. You don’t need to feel sorry for me.”

At that, Mob flashes a grin. “I’m not sorry,” he says bluntly, coming over in lazy steps. “But it hasn’t been easy, either.”

He sits down, legs stretched out in front of him, and Donnie can now see that his breathing is a little heavy. He feels himself get cocky. 

“Well, I wasn’t about to just let you win. If I had to go down, might as well give ‘em a show, right?”

Mob sends him a sideway glance. “You really are all about dramatics.”

“What can I say?” Donnie sighs theatrically, proving his point. “This whole competition is about being swag. I could hardly disappoint.” 

“I don’t think you could," his opponent utters. “You’re very expressive.”

Donnie raises a perfectly drawn eyebrow. This is something he hasn’t often been told. He looks over to Mob, and the tension in the boy’s shoulders makes him hum in thought. 

“I don’t know who’s next, but you are going to crush them,” he provides. When Mob gives him a nonplussed glance, he goes on. “And even if you don’t, it’s still the last one. How good does that sound?”

“... it has been getting a bit much, to be honest.”

“Yeah, this is wild,” Donnie agrees. “Anyway, what are you gonna do with your trophy once you get it?”

Mob’s smile is a little shy, but he seems happy with the distraction. “I don’t know, actually. I don’t think I’ve ever gotten one. What would you do?”

“Well, you see, there was this one time I won the Lair Games…”

--------------------------

In the next room, a very proud sensei and three worried brothers are getting impatient. 

The student and the sibling don’t seem to care at the moment. 

The crowd is gone. 

The curtains are closed. 

The lights are off. 

For now, making small talk with a former rival is just enough.

--------------------------

EDIT: there is now a sequel!

YOOO IT'S BEEN SUCH A WILD RIDE

Disclaimer: I have never read/watched mp100 and I deeply apologize for making him probably very ooc. Just wanted to celebrate this beast of a match in my own way, which is wishing I could draw and deciding to heave words on a doc instead lol

CONGRATS ON MOB!! The final match between mp100 and undertale is gonna be soooo funny but I think Mob's gonna win this thing like it's nothing tbh (he has my vote at least)

@autismswagsummit thank you for reblogging all that Donnie propaganda, I genuinely think he never would've made it this far without the signal boost!

All my thanks to the Rise fandom for these past few days! You guys have made such powerful content and there's been so much hype I'm shocked. SHOCKED I TELL YOU

[littlejuicebox]

The other kind of kink.

Written as a giveaway prize for @chaoticgoodstuff! Hope you enjoy the final version posted here! <3

Pairing: Spawn Astarion x Female Tav

Summary: Astarion didn't quite know how to form a relationship with Tav after she rejected him at the tiefling party. But he begins to realize that perhaps he has other expertise that may be of use to the woman. Namely, curly hair care.

Word Count: 4K

Tags/Warnings: fluff, sweet astarion, brief mentions of astarion's trauma/past, lightly ooc astarion, idk what else it's mostly fluff tbh lol

-----

“So which path do you think we should take, soldier? Underdark or Mountain Pass? Either way, I’m ready to slash some baddies!” Karlach says, swinging her ax for show as the two warrior women chat while Gale finishes cooking dinner. 

It would be at least another hour and the women were starving.

“Hmm…” Tav murmurs, looking up at her tiefling friend from where she had been sharpening her great sword. It certainly needed a bit of attention, after slashing through so many goblins a few days ago, “I haven’t decided yet, any suggestions?” 

Karlach shrugs and shakes her head before turning to look at Astarion, where he is perched on a log, filing his nails, not more than a few feet away, “Oi! What do you reckon, Fangs? Underdark or Mountain Pass?”

The silver-haired elf glances up from his task momentarily, assessing Tav and Karlach, scarlet eyes narrowed in thought, “Both sound equally atrocious. But if the great Archdruid Halsin said the Underdark is the safer route – which I find impossible to believe – then, I suppose that is my vote. Work smarter, not harder and all that.”

Tav nods, considering the rogue’s suggestion, and with a final rub of whetstone on metal, sheaths her great sword as she says, “Astarion’s right. Underdark, it is.”

“Well of course I’m right, darling! Aren’t I always?” Astarion responds with a pleased little chuckle as he tucks away his nail file. 

Inside, his confidence glows at the small bit of validation from their camp leader. He’d felt as if her view of him may have changed after the very awkward encounter they’d had at the tiefling party a few days ago, when he’d drunkenly propositioned her and she’d adamantly refused. He’d thought their relationship – could he call it friendship? – all but ruined after that blunder. Apparently he’d somehow misread the signs, and she wasn’t looking for sex like every other individual he’d ever known. 

Astarion had considered their prior interactions dancing on the border of flirtatious, but Tav indicated she preferred to focus on their cause, not on intermingling with her campmates. He thought Tav a bit odd after that interaction, and admittedly felt a bit insulted in the moment. He was gorgeous, why wouldn’t she jump at the opportunity he dangled in front of her? 

But, in the soberness of the following morning, Astarion decided he could work within her parameters; he’d just have to find another way to secure her favoritism. In fact, in some ways he was thankful she rejected him. 

“Yeah, yeah, you’re a genius,” Tav responds with a laugh, rolling her eyes at the rogue as she stands and stretches, “Well, I’m off to clean up before dinner, if either of you care to join?”

Karlach waves her hand dismissively, “Nah! I’ll do that after dinner. But can I borrow your whetstone for my ax?”

Tav nods at the tiefling, watching as Karlach grabs the stone and walks off toward her tent, ax in hand, before turning to address her other campmate, “And what about you, Astarion?”

The silver-haired elf shrugs and nods; at this point he’s taking any opportunity he can to spend time with Tav. The more he’s with her and gets to know her, the closer she will get to him, and the more secure he will feel. 

Or at least, that’s his only Plan B. Since Plan A went up in flames. 

He crouches to gather his bathing supplies from his pack before coming closer to the warrior woman currently waiting for him, “I suppose I could do with a bit of a bath. It isn’t hair wash day, but–” 

“It isn’t hair wash day?” Tav interjects, her eyebrows furrowing at the vampire, “You don’t wash your hair every day? Isn’t that… gross?”

The rogue pauses and blinks at the woman, tilting his head just a fraction as he assesses her, “Darling, please tell me you are not washing your hair every day. I understand on the days we are soaked in blood and guts it is a necessity… but, certainly you haven’t washed your hair every single day for the past three days when we have done nothing apart from lounge in camp and prepare to move onto the next part of our journey… right?” 

Tav cocks her head to the side, mirroring Astarion’s bewildered expression as she asks, “Should I… not be?”

That explains quite a bit, Astarion thinks, as his eyes roam over the unruly curls springing from the crown of Tav’s head. He’d thought it was perhaps an odd stylistic choice, or she simply did not care about the state of her hair, but maybe it was merely ignorance. Perhaps no one ever showed her how to care for the red, curly locks cascading like a lion’s mane around her face.

A small wave of sympathy crosses Astarion’s heart; he internally smashes it down before the wave grows into a tsunami. Best to not care too much about this woman, she could turn into a mindflayer at any moment, after all. And then he’d have to slice her to ribbons, as previously agreed upon.

“Ah.. well, darling. It isn’t wrong, exactly,” He starts, his eyes shifting away from Tav’s face as he tries to delicately address the matter, “It’s just… with a hair texture like yours, you aren’t doing yourself any favors.”

Tav simply blinks in response, her expression vacant; she is not understanding Astarion’s meaning.

The rogue sighs and shakes his head slightly. Well, he at least tried to be delicate, but that did not seem to sink in. More direct, it is. 

A vague gesture to his friend’s red curls and then Astarion explains, “Your hair is dry, Tav. That is why it is difficult to maintain and why you’ve broken more than one comb trying to drag it through that unruly mane.”

A flicker of embarrassment crosses Tav’s face and the rogue groans. He doesn’t know how to navigate feelings and friendships; his relationships with his siblings had been much less work… not that he particularly enjoyed those relationships or cared if the other spawn liked him. But he wanted Tav to like him, if only for his own motives, of course. 

“It’s really… not all that bad, darling. But perhaps I could help you, give you a few pointers? I think your hair could be quite gorgeous – your best feature, even, given the proper care. It’s rare to see a natural redhead like you, it already captures a lot of attention… let’s make it something awe-inspiring.” Astarion says, gently, his hand coming out to tug at one frizzy curl as he tries to smooth over the insult he just threw at his campmate. 

But, hells, someone had to tell her eventually. Even his siblings wouldn’t let him walk around with such unruly locks. 

“O-oh, sure, okay,” Tav agrees, still trying to overcome the embarrassment as her own hand comes to rake through her hair and gets caught in a nest of tangles, instead. She grimaces; Astarion had a point, it seemed, “Do I need to bring anything special?”

“Let me go back to my tent and grab my hair washing supplies, I’ll meet you down by the river in a bit, hm?” Astarion responds with a small smile before turning back toward his tent and disappearing within the shelter to rummage through his vast collection of shampoos, oils, perfumes, and soaps.

Tav merely hums in agreement and then heads in the opposite direction, toward the camp-designated bathing spot, towel in hand. As she’s walking, she pulls a curl in front of her eyes and examines it with a new perspective. Gods, it really was dry.

*

When Astarion makes his way to the river, he finds Tav waist-deep in the rushing water, still in her smallclothes and soaping her arms. Her back is turned to him, and the sun is catching her hair in a flattering light. Autumnal colors of red, orange, burgundy, and wine dance around her crown in the form of spiraled locks, and the elf cannot help but admire the natural beauty bestowed upon the woman.

Her hair was a gorgeous tone, reminiscent of the warmth of a fire or a deep, satisfying vintage wine. But it wasn’t just Tav’s hair that was attractive… she really was quite striking. With the woman unaware of his presence, Astarion took a quick moment to admire the rippling muscles in her back and the strong, lithe arms she used to carry her greatsword.

No one with working eyes — or eye, perhaps, —  could deny that Tav was attractive. After all, there was a reason Astarion had chosen to proposition her over the others in the first place. 

But, sex or not, the woman certainly seemed to favor him, which meant more than once since their journey began, she’d sliced clean through an enemy at his back, and fed him servings of her own blood. 

So now, it was his turn to repay her somehow, some way. And if Tav didn’t accept his physical talents, well, then at least she would accept this. 

“Hello, darling,” Astarion calls, causing the woman to turn and acknowledge him with a small smile and wave. He quickly places his bathing kit on the river bank and undresses to just his briefs before tentatively placing a foot in the water. It was warm enough to be tolerable, so the rogue shrugged and grabbed his wooden comb and conditioner before sinking into the water and wading toward his campmate. 

“Alright, now, get down into the water,” The elf directs as he shakes the small bottle of conditioner in his hands, prepping the contents.

“But I thought you said I’m not supposed to wash my hair every–” Tav begins, eyebrows furrowed in confusion as she eyes the bottle, before the displeased glare from Astarion causes the question to die on her lips. 

“Do you want my help, or do you want to continue to look like a sheep desperately in need of shearing, darling?” Astarion asks with a soft sigh as he pops the top of the bottle open and gives it a whiff, “Just bend down and trust me. Oh and here, hold these for a moment.”

Tav grabs the comb and bottle she’s offered and then does what she’s asked. When she’s shoulder-deep in the water, she feels Astarion’s hand guiding her to tip her head back. She follows the directive and is soon greeted by the vision of Astarion’s face hovering above hers, scarlet eyes intensely concentrated as he drags his hand through her curls.

“Your hair texture is a bit different from mine…” He muses idly, as he works to fully saturate the thick locks of hair on his companion’s head with water, “But this conditioner should work, for now. We’ll have to find something better suited to you, when the opportunity allows.” 

Astarion takes the comb from Tav’s hand without a word and uses the tool and his own fingers to work out some of the ever-present knots in the woman’s hair. She watches him for a moment before closing her eyes and simply allowing Astarion to work at the task. Before long, the elf is gently guiding her head back up, into a straight position, and trading the comb for the bottle.

“Close your eyes,” He directs, and Tav obliges again as the vampire places a generous amount of rosemary-scented conditioner in his hand. Then he gives the bottle back to Tav, rubs his hands together, and begins to work the creamy liquid through her hair, starting at the ends and slowly wandering up toward her scalp. About midway through he’s reaching for the bottle again, “Who knew your hair was this thick? You’re about to use up all of my favorite conditioner, darling.” 

Tav frowns slightly at this comment, trying to turn and face Astarion before he quickly redirects her head with a soft click of his tongue, “I’m sorry… I can buy you more when we run into our next merchant.”

“Oh, it’s no matter. I stole this bottle anyway– I’m sure I can steal another along the way,” Astarion says with a slight dismissive flip of his hand, “Besides, I think you need it far more than I do, right now.” 

His fingers trail up to the crown of her head as he speaks, and Tav’s eyes flutter closed once again as Astarion begins to massage the product into her roots. He moves in sections, parting her hair every few inches and attentively working the conditioner into her scalp. The sensation was quite enjoyable; if the water were a bit warmer, Tav might have fallen asleep under Astarion’s gentle, methodical touch. 

Far too quickly for her liking, Astarion completes the task and gently pats her shoulder to signal he’s done for now. He grabs his comb and what little remains of his favorite hair product from the woman. 

“You need to let that sit for a few minutes, at least, little sheep.” Astarion directs before wading back to the river bank and dropping his supplies with the rest of his things. Tav watches as he grabs his own bar of soap and begins to bathe himself.

“How did you learn about all this?” The woman calls to the rogue as she wades through the water, mostly for something to do as she waits. 

Astarion hums as he considers the question; there is a pause in the conversation as he drops his bar of soap back along the bank and uses his hand to rinse the soapy remnants along his body. Tav cannot help but follow his fingers as they graze along his chest and arms, dispersing droplets of water that drizzle down the lines of his abs and back into the river. 

“I wish I could tell you how I learned, but I can’t recall…” He murmurs, his voice sounding a bit far away as he thinks, “It feels like something ingrained in me like speaking Elvish or the ability to read, for instance; someone must have taught me… I suppose one of my parents, or someone else in my family.”

A small look of sadness flits across Tav’s face but she quickly hides it before her companion notices, knowing that Astarion will balk at anything resembling pity. She often forgets how little memory he has of his past before Cazador, how much he’d endured until now, and how much of himself he’d lost in the process of it all. He was so good at pretending to be normal and happy-go-lucky… but then, they were quite alike in that aspect, weren’t they? It was easier to be the unbothered goofball than to be anything that resembled fragility, wasn’t it? 

Tav chooses to not respond to his answer, knowing nothing she says can truly make his situation better, and instead grabs a conditioner-covered curl, “Can I rinse this now?” 

Astarion nods as he climbs out of the water and begins gathering his own things, “Yes, go rinse it out – make sure there’s none of that left in your hair, and then come find me back at camp for the next part. I’m going back — it’s growing a bit cold.”

“Next part?” Tav responds with a soft whine, watching as Astarion towels himself off, “There’s more?”

“Darling, if you want your hair to look even close to as good as mine, there is a lot of work involved. Now hurry up, so we can be done before Gale is ready to feed you whatever disastrous concoction he’s made tonight,” Astarion says, his tone a bit joking as he begins slipping into a new set of camp clothes.

The woman groans and obeys the rogue’s directions, turning away as Astarion strips off his undergarments to replace them with new ones, and wading once again toward the deeper water. Tav dunks herself down into the river and begins running her fingers through spirals of hair, massaging out any slippery residue she finds along the way. With the amount of hair she had, it took several minutes, and by the time she was finished, Astarion was already gone. The sun was just beginning to kiss the earth in its descent toward night.

Tav quickly toweled herself off and dressed. Then she wrapped her hair up in the towel, twisting it around her locks in a turban-like fashion before collecting her belongings and making the short journey back to camp.

*

“There you are, darling,” Astarion calls as he catches sight of Tav, before patting a stump near his tent, “Come over here so I can finish defining your curls.” 

Tav furrows her eyebrows in confusion, because she has no idea what Astarion means, but she’s learned to simply shut up and go along with whatever he says for this entire endeavor. As she comes closer, she notices the elf has laid out even more supplies for her hair.

Did it really require all of this?

She sighs and takes a seat. Astarion immediately sets to work, placing a dollop of some sort of creamy pomade-like mixture in his hand and working it through her hair again. After that, he begins sectioning her hair into pieces, directing Tav every once and a while to hold this or that piece as he combs through her locks. 

“Ouch–” Tav hisses as the elf seems to be pulling at the base of her scalp. She moves to jerk away and Astarion huffs impatiently behind her, one of his hands coming to press against her forehead and prevent her movements. 

“Darling, for gods sakes, hold still.There isn’t beauty without a bit of pain, and honestly, for such a warrior, you’re being a wimp,” he chastises before continuing on with the task.

“What are you doing?” Tav asks through a sharp intake of breath, scrunching her eyes closed as she tries to endure the uncomfortable sensation of her hair being repeatedly tugged at the root. 

“Defining your curls, dear. I’m twisting them around my finger, see?” Astarion responds before coming in front of her and pulling a piece so he can demonstrate the process. Tav watches with a mixture of interest and confusion as he continues, “This will help all your curls to look more uniform. But seeing as you’ve done very little to your hair in all this time, I suppose it would make sense that you’re a bit tender-headed. I promise I am trying to be gentle.” 

Tav grimaces as Astarion continues his task, letting out little squeaks of pain that the rogue pointedly ignores. Eventually, Karlach comes over to return the whetstone she borrowed. The tiefling lingers to chat, which distracts Tav just enough to mostly forget about the pain in her scalp. When Astarion announces he’s done, the woman is genuinely surprised and moves to touch her hair; she is met with a quick swat from the elf.

“Ah-ah!” He admonishes before grabbing a bottle and spraying her hair with another rosemary scented product, “You can’t touch it until it’s completely dry.” 

“Why the hell not?” Tav groans again, suddenly growing impatient. Her stomach growls, and she sighs as she realizes she is also growing hangry. 

“You’ll undo all my hard work! Just wait.” Astarion responds as he stows away all his beauty products, “And anyway, it looks like Gale is just about done with dinner. We can go sit by the fire as you eat and that will dry your hair faster.”

*

Dinner was… acceptable. Gale did the best he could with the two rabbits Astarion hunted that morning, a handful of potatoes, one onion, and a couple of carrots. They did not have the luxury of seasonings most of the time, so it was quite typical for the nightly stews to taste gamey… tonight was no exception. 

Astarion takes a few drinks from Tav’s wrist after she finishes dinner. Once he retracts his fangs from her flesh, he lifts his hand to gently feel her curls. After a moment assessing his creation, he grins at the woman and says, “They’re finally dry, darling. Took long enough, hm? Now, let’s get you in front of a mirror so you can see my masterpiece.” 

Tav is flabbergasted by what she sees in the mirror. For the first time in… well, ever, her hair looks like it belongs to one of the beautiful maidens in an oil painting. Her hand comes up to gently touch the soft, spiraled locks and confirm that this perfect head of hair is, in fact, on her head and not somebody else's. 

“What do you think?” Astarion prompts, his voice containing the smallest bits of apprehension as he lifts a hand to fuss with Tav’s hair, placing it just so.

“It’s great,” Tav responds, her face breaking into a wide smile that causes the tension in Astarion’s shoulders to dissipate, “Thank you… really.” 

Astarion smiles and nods, suddenly unsure how to respond to the genuine gratitude in Tav’s voice. So instead he chuckles a bit and rolls his eyes before saying, “What on earth would you do without me?”

“Continue to look like a sheep in need of shearing, I guess,” Tav jokes, sticking her tongue out as she gently bumps her elbow into Astarion’s rib in jest, “That was mean, by the way.”

“I prefer honest, darling,” Astarion quips with a small chuckle, his fingers still fussing with the woman’s curls, “And anyway, you no longer look like a little sheep. You look beautiful.” 

Tav is not used to being called beautiful. Strong or brave, perhaps, but beautiful… never. Until now. The compliment catches her off guard and her eyes widen for just a moment. The elf notices her shock and his brows crinkle as he pauses the primping to analyze the woman’s face. 

“Certainly you know you’re beautiful…” The rogue continues, his hands starting to work at the curls again, “I’m sure I’m not the only–”

Astarion trails off when Tav shakes her head from side to side as her face begins to blush, the shade of her skin suddenly resembling the shade of her hair. Her voice is quiet, and crackling with a bit of emotion as she says, “No one says that. They just call me strong, or brave… or fierce.”

The elf tilts his head to the side as his eyes roam across Tav’s face once again. How interesting, he thought, to be lauded for things apart from your beauty. He’d never experienced such a thing, himself… though he thinks he would like to. But it almost appeared as if Tav had the reverse experience to his. 

“Well… surely you can be strong and beautiful, hm?” Astarion asks with a raised eyebrow, trying once again to smooth out the awkwardness he felt creeping between them, though he didn’t exactly know why it often felt like that. He moves to affectionately tug another lock of Tav’s hair and smiles playfully, “And with hair like this, dear, no one can deny your beauty. It would be an insult to my skills, frankly.” 

Tav snorts a laugh at this, eliciting a genuine, fang-filled grin from the rogue. Then he produces a bandana from his pocket and flourishes it in front of the woman, “Now let’s get your hair wrapped up. I’m exhausted and I want to go to bed, but I will not allow you to ruin my masterpiece overnight with all your thrashing about in your bedroll. You’re quite noisy, you know? And you snore.”

“I do not!” Tav protests as Astarion clicks his tongue at her and shakes his head, all while bundling her curls into the bandana and deftly tying a knot to keep it all in place. 

“You’re a terrible liar, dear, I’m surprised your nose isn’t growing this instant,” The elf murmurs, his finger coming to affectionately boop the woman’s nose before he bids goodnight and wanders back to his tent for bed.

Tav rubs her own nose as she yawns and heads back to her own tent, on the other side of camp. She tucks herself into her bedroll and smiles as she stares up at the canvas ceiling of her shelter. Someone really said she was beautiful; a small giggle escapes her lips as she thinks about it. 

Before long, Tav falls asleep. And for the first time in a while, she sleeps peacefully, without any thrashing about or snoring. Perhaps it was because her hair – and her heart – were both impeccably well-taken care of tonight. 

[ekstatic-130]

MORE II!!!!

Ok so firstly, I'm so sorry on posting a lot- the hype is too much (i really hope it's not too much) Secondly, I've had a silly thought that sent shivers down my spine earlier today so, what if the permanent death of the contestants was one of the final 2? Here are my reasonings; - Brian confirmed that a loved character WILL be killed off. - He said WE could have prevented us. And who are we? the voters. - Now you see, us voters could've voted knife out early. or suitcase to let her be 'set free' - also suitcase and knife are quite loved tbh I think the perma death will be suitcase OR knifewho have to sacrifice themselves for the rest. cobs might make them choose; them, or the contestants?... Suitcase might volunteer because she wants to escape the mentallity they've put her through. Knife might save suitcase, and ask her to live or smth after all in the end.... There has to be a winner. One winner. Other ones i thought of would be Mepad, who dies protecting taco/mephone/the contestants. Taco herself dying for pickle/mic or to redeem herself. (this one seems the most likely) OR it could be mephone, who dies to pay for all the trauma and suffering he had caused...

chat if someone dies it wont be so pogchamp Begging that no one will actually die and brian has been lying to us

(quick doodle because i didnt post art a-)

[atlasofthestaars]

[MK X READER] New Era - Chapter .012

first part | previous part | next part

NOTE: TBH a while ago I considered putting titles for these chapters but then I realized I am pretty, pretty bad at titles. Would you guys want titles anyways?? For convenience I would still probably have the numbers be the main thing to click on but for AO3 and the top of the page it would be labeled???

I broke down the votes on tumblr for the poll combining the votes of the tumblr poll and here :D! Here’s a link: here

I know links are not. really usable on ao3 though so I’ll copy and paste the breakdown in the bottom note.

The tldr version is: 1) Johnny 2) Bi-han 3) Liu Kang 4) Tomas 5) Raiden 6) Kenshi 7) Kuai Liang 8) Kung Lao

I’ll reveal what these votes are being used for when we get to the part when this was important LMAO <3 ty all for voting!!

FROM THE EYES OF ONE WHO TRIES TO FIGURE CERTAIN THINGS OUT

Today was the first day in a while that you did not awaken to see the sun.

Opening your eyes, it felt like a dream to awaken to a room lit up with the soft glow of the crystal lamp. For a moment, your heart raced. Your brain panicked at the unfamiliar feeling of waking up in a spot that wasn’t your room or the Wu Shi academy. Then, you felt a sense of calm fall over yourself as your brain remembered that you were simply in Outworld for the tournament.

You sat up, feeling your body slowly come to life. Joints popped, muscles stretched. You drowsily rubbed your eyes as you swung your legs over the side of the bed. After a deep inhale, you forced yourself to get up. A yawn left your lips as you walked over to the small closet you had unpacked your extra clothes into. You undressed, and as you did so you took a moment to pause as you noted the mirror hanging on the wall right next to the closet.

You hadn’t noticed it until now.

Swallowing your nerves, you turned so your back was to the mirror. You didn’t really have mirrors in the Fire Temple. You supposed it could have been chalked up to a lack of vanity of those living there, you never really questioned or cared. But all that mattered was that you rarely saw the mark on your back. 

It was a scar centered right between your shoulder blades. It was shaped as if someone had struck you with a leopard fist. Then, thin lines spread out from the mark in all directions, stopping conveniently just before it would be exposed with the clothes you wore. It was as if it were like veins and arteries and your scar was the heart. You let out a sigh as you reached back to trace the lines before gently brushing the main scar.

It felt rough compared to the rest of your skin, it was like comparing gravel to dirt. It was probably from the lack of care you put into it, but you had a feeling no matter how much care you would have put into it, nothing would cause it to get any less rough. The mark was notably lighter than the rest of your skin, the edges of it slightly pink before it faded into your regular skin color. 

No one knew you had these marks. At least, you assumed not, you’ve never shown anyone you had these. It took you long to find out you even had these marks. It was only until one night you had stayed over at Madam Bo’s and noticed the mirror she had hung in the guest room you had been staying in. You figured it wasn’t important to tell anyone, especially when you didn’t know the origin of it. It’d only serve to make you seem more suspicious.

Your fingers brushed the mark again. You’ve always assumed this was from your current life, before the memory loss. The last reminder of your past before it was all wiped away when you awoke in those fields near the Fire Temple. Your lips pulled downwards into a frown. You’ve never put much thought into who you were before you lost your memory.

Did anyone know or care who you used to be?

You huffed, knowing the answer. It was doubtful that anyone did. Maybe this wasn’t even from this life, maybe it was from your past life. You wouldn’t know from your memories, they never included details of scars or anything of the sort. You shifted your weight as you considered it. No, maybe it wasn’t, you concluded. You don’t know how you would even retain a scar from a past life.

You tore your eyes away from the mark and tugged your clothes on. It was too much to think about for something that was probably so insignificant. You turned to look at your back in the mirror once you were dressed again. 

It was concealed once more. Out of sight, out of mind.

Your stomach grumbled, reminding you that you needed fuel for today. Where would you even find food? You pondered over the food you could potentially get, and that’s under the assumption that you even had time to eat. You stood, staring at the door for a moment pondering over this new found dilemma before realizing you were wasting more time by thinking about it. You shook your head and walked out of your room.

Unlike your room, the rest of the palace was fairly open with windows and spots where the light could filter in. The palace felt like it was bathed in a soft glow of light. It felt almost like a dream to stand among the light. 

How lucky you were that you could be here to witness this majesty in person. You took a moment to close your eyes and just bask in the atmosphere of the palace. Just standing here made you feel regal. It made you consider how the palace looked on the outside, was it just as beautiful as it was on the inside? You felt like you understood why the royalty enjoyed lavishness, just a bit. Who wouldn’t enjoy waking up to this view?

The tapping of heels caught your attention, snapping you out of your reverie. Loud, commanding and with purpose. You turned to look over, down the hallway to see who the source was. You blinked as you recognized Princess Kitana walking down the hall. You stared for a moment, thinking of how funny it was that you encountered her again like this.

Your heartbeat got louder again, and you recognized the feeling. A memory? Again? As the world faded away you could only question why Outworld was unlocking so many memories for you. 

You opened your eyes to see a crowd of people around you. The faces of the people you saw felt hazy in your mind. You could vaguely recognize them, but it felt all too peculiar. Glancing to your right, you noted how you were once again standing next to Raiden and Liu Kang. It seems you were by their side more often than you had expected.

“Are you alright, Lord Raiden?” The words fell from your lips as you watched the uneasy look on the thunder god’s face. You saw him raise a hand to his head and your eyebrows raised. You crossed your arms and glanced to Liu Kang and noted his own worried look. 

“Strange visions.” Raiden muttered, his gaze looking off into the distance. You heard the little crackle of glass. Raiden grabbed his amulet, something that made your stomach twist and turn at the sight, and you all saw the fractured glass. 

“Your amulet!” Liu Kang exclaimed. Your breath hitched upon seeing the cracks. 

“It is nothing.” Raiden dismissed, though you could hear the hint of worry that lingered in his tone. “The tournament begins.” He continued, turning his gaze to the front as he placed the amulet back upon his chest. Liu Kang followed his example, turning his attention to the proceedings. Your gaze, however, stayed on Raiden for a few moments more.

A pit of dread formed in your stomach. Father would have probably called Raiden out on his lies. Should you follow in his footsteps? You shifted your weight from one foot to the other. Perhaps not, he was closer to the god than you were. Taking one last glance at the cracked amulet, you took in a deep breath. Then, you turned your attention to the front.

Monks walked in from the left and right sides before the fighting arena. From behind them, you spotted the Outworlders walking in. An old man, a tarkatan, and two Edenians. You blinked as you locked eyes with the Edenian dressed in blue.

Princess Kitana. 

Your eyes narrowed, giving her a challenging glare. The princess, in return, seemed to steel her own resolve.

No matter what this tournament throws at you, be it princesses, tarkatans, or sorcerers, you were determined to help Earthrealm win.

“Is something interesting, Earthrealmer?” Kitana inquired, snapping you out of your rather short memory. A perfect eyebrow raised as she came to a few feet away from you. You blinked, mulling over the sudden question before you realized that she must have found it odd that you were staring. You forgot you even were staring, too lost in thought.

“I was just thinking about how I encountered you again in this hallway, odd isn’t it?” You replied, lying. There was a moment where Kitana returned the stare, her face showcasing she was a bit perplexed by your answer. Perhaps she wasn’t ready for the answer you provided. It was rather mundane and casual. Were you performing a faux pas by being too casual with royalty?

“I wouldn’t consider it so odd, I take this route all the time.” Kitana replied, entertaining your conversation. You felt relief flood through you after her words, realizing you had not tarnished both your and Earthrealm’s reputation. That, and she had not caught on to your lie. A small, polite smile appeared on her face, the very same one she had shown you yesterday. It was all too perfect, too practiced in your opinion, but you would rather see that smile than a disapproving look. “Would you like to accompany me to the Great Hall?”

“It would be an honor.” You replied, sending her a smile of your own. Yours was less practiced, just a bit more honest. You, after all, didn’t have as much practice with sending polite smiles as the princess did. You only could hope it was enough for her. She nodded, seeming to be pleased by your response. You joined her side, a familiar feeling for something you had only done once.

Though the memory was short, your mind raced with the small details you remembered. This wasn’t your first tournament. You had fought in at least one other before in your past life. Though from the memory it seemed much, much more severe. Then, there was the other detail that was immediately nagging at you. The amulet. 

Liu Kang had called it Raiden’s amulet. Was it mere coincidence that in this life he wielded the very same amulet? You chewed on your cheek as you mulled over the question. Liu Kang had mentioned how Raiden had been a natural with it. Had that been simply a statement of skill, or was it a tease of how he actually used to wield lightning and had an amulet like that?

No. That was impossible. Liu Kang was simply a demigod, how would he know anything of a past life? He had even speculated that your visions were of another world, not of a past life. 

You were just overthinking it, surely. And yet, even with this confirmation in your head, the dread building inside you did not abate. You couldn’t tell if it was due to the fact that you didn’t even believe your own thoughts or that other nagging feeling you couldn’t quite place.

“How confident are you in your student?” Kitana inquired, peering over to you, breaking you away from your thoughts. Her eyes scanned you, as if she could glean how well the training went from your attitude alone. Or maybe, she was trying to analyze that pondering look you had. Her lips pursed. You smiled at the inquiry, feeling a surge of pride. You pushed the thoughts you had away, trying to lift your spirits.

“I’m very confident in Raiden.” You replied, hands clasped behind your back. Both from the pride you held in Raiden and the position, your back straightened a bit more. “He was a lovely student. He was very diligent in his training and very receptive to feedback. Not to mention, he was very adaptive.” You sang his praises, knowing very well that you and the others would have to hype Raiden up since he was far too humble.

“I see.” Kitana hummed, seeming to mull over your words as if it were like a fine wine which needed a review. “I hope we can see if he lives up to your expectations, then.” She commented. Not necessarily antagonizing, but you could sense the challenge within her words. You nodded, not taking the slight rivalry personally. It only made sense.

“I can assure you that he will.” You countered, indulging a bit in the challenge. An eyebrow raised at your words and a glimmer appeared in her eyes. It reminded you of the very same look she sent Johnny Cage last night, it was pure amusement. You smiled a bit wider, holding back a chuckle. “I would not underestimate him despite what his humble nature may lead you to believe.”

“We shall see.” The princess spoke after a beat. “I hope your high praises weren’t for naught.” She told you as the two of you arrived to the Great Hall. Her words hung in the air, though polite you could tell she was still very much rooting for the downfall of Raiden. Again, understandable, but you did have to commend Kitana for her attempt to be cordial. 

The two of you had arrived rather early, so only a few people were around. Not only that, but it seemed that most seemed to be milling about trying to shake off the drowsiness that clung to them like a wet blanket. Had it not been for the conversation with the princess, you felt like you also would suffer from the same condition. With a nod, Kitana walked off, leaving you to your own devices.

“I see you have become somewhat familiar with princess Kitana.” Liu Kang spoke as you walked over. For the moment, your small group composed of the fire god himself, you, and the two former farmhands. You nodded at his comment before letting your gaze drift across the group.

Liu Kang, as usual, was pristine. After all these years you had no idea whether the fire god even slept or not, and if he did, you’ve never seen it. He always seemed ready and prepared. You couldn’t deny that you were at least a little envious of it. Raiden was prim and proper too. Not too surprising, considering how he was rather diligent in his routine. You could sense the nerves radiating from him though, and you had a sense that his nerves were the main cause of his alertness. Kung Lao, on the other hand, seemed to still have a few traces of drowsiness left.

“I wouldn’t consider it as me becoming more familiar with her.” You corrected the fire god, crossing your arms. You pursed your lips as you considered what you would call it. “She just entertained some conversation, I’m certain she was simply being polite rather than actual interest.” You said, shrugging. You didn’t mention how she was probably more interested in the way you were lost in thought around her. Liu Kang’s eyebrow arched at your statement, but he seemed to not continue his line of thought.

A member of the royal house staff walked by, offering some breakfast styled hors d'oeuvres to you. You smiled and grabbed some for the group. You offered the small portions to the group. Both Liu Kang and Raiden refused. Luckily for you, Kung Lao was more than eager to eat the portions you didn’t want. It seems he’s not as tired as you thought.

As you bit into the food, you felt a bit better and your worries melted away for now. There was still that annoying nagging voice whispering in the back of your head trying to make you remember something, but now it was much more quiet. It was like you placed a tarp over it, muffling it’s presence.

Maybe you were just hungry and over exaggerating everything while you were famished. The voice, faintly, yelled at you that you weren’t, but you kicked it away. You would have time to think about it later. You didn’t want to worry others by being oddly distant during the tournament. You wouldn’t know how to excuse yourself properly.

Soon enough, Kenshi joined your side. It seemed he took the extra time to make himself presentable as you could not see a hint of sleepiness from him. You nodded towards him and pointed out the hors d'oeuvres to him. He nodded to you in acknowledgement before slinking off to grab some for himself before he rejoined the group.

“Feeling better?” Kenshi inquired, peering over to you. His voice was discreet, trying not to clue in the others on your conversation. You looked at him, raising your eyebrows as you tried to interpret his question. When you continued to stare at him, he let out a small sigh. “Your headaches yesterday.” He told you, and you let out a small “oh” at the realization. “You seemed better at the banquet yesterday.”

“I am feeling better, I suppose I just took the whole interrealm travel worse than the rest of you.” You said, which was not entirely wrong. It was a little ironic though, you reflected, how you a supposed Edenian struggled the most in Outworld. You paused for a moment as your mind lingered on his last comment. He had noticed how you were at the banquet yesterday? Last you recalled, he had been eating at an entirely different table. The attention he had paid to you made you feel…touched. Your smile grew just a bit more. “Thank you for worrying.”

“It’s nothing.” Kenshi dismissed, nodding. His lips curled into a soft smile before it fell as he set his eyes upon something just past you. Raising an eyebrow, you turned to look at who or what had caused him to lose his little smile. 

Ah. Johnny Cage.

“Man, I know we woke up early at the Wu Shi, but did we really have to wake up at the crack of dawn for this?” Johnny said as he joined your little group. You watched as he expertly snatched a few breakfast hors d'oeuvres from a passing staff member. He shouted out a causal thank you before turning to the group. “A man like me needs some beauty sleep, you know.” He complained before popping some food into his mouth.

“Empress Sindel would like the tournament fights to happen earlier in the day so the rest of the day is free for you all to explore and mingle with others.” Liu Kang explained, eyeing Johnny Cage. His hands folded together neatly. “I too, encourage the rest of you to explore Sun Do and its wonders. Just remember to not get too drawn in.” 

“Got it, chief.” Johnny Cage nodded, though his eyes were clearly somewhere else already. You sighed and sent him a glare to get him back in line. “Hey, I’ve been sticking to my word, teach!” His hands flew up into the air. “I’m allowed to admire the merchandise, aren’t I?” 

“I think you’re doing more than just admiring, Johnny.” Raiden pointed out, looking over to Johnny. The rest of the group seemed to agree, leading to the actor rolling his eyes. 

“Everybody’s a critic…” The American mumbled as he sulkily turned away from you guys. You let out a small laugh as you pat his back to comfort him. You received a pout in return, though you could tell that his pout was more so on the playful side.

After a bit more of a wait, the princesses made their entrance with the Empress. Much like before, the crowd parted to allow them to cross. Silence hung in the air so their footsteps were more pronounced. Once they took their seats and got settled, Sindel stood up once more.

“Welcome back to the tournament.” Sindel announced, her arms spread with a cordial smile on her lips. You watched as Raiden stepped up to the front of the crowd, singling himself out. “You proved to fight well yesterday, young man.” The Empress said, turning her attention to look at Raiden. You watched as her eyes narrowed just slightly. “Let’s see if you can continue to impress.” She sat down and crossed her legs. “General Shao, whom have you chosen as our next competitor?” 

“Your Majesty,” The General began, walking out from the side. Your lips pressed together as you focused your attention on the man. You still felt uneasy around him, it was the mixture of unsettling memories and the attitude he showcased yesterday before the fight. “I have chosen Reiko, my second in command.”

From the hallway, you spotted a figure emerging. The man, who you assumed was Reiko, marched forth. He looked more like he was going into war rather than into a friendly tournament. You wondered silently if that was the attitude of all the soldiers in Outworld or if it was just him. You recognized him as the man who stuck to General Shao’s side during the banquet last night. 

“As a boy, Reiko was orphaned during the Katallah War.” General Shao announced as Reiko continued forward. “Though captured, his spirit remained unbroken. He scratched, clawed, and survived. After the war, I took him in. Molded him into the perfect soldier. Few others are as well versed in the ways of war.” 

Your eyes went back to General Shao and you had to restrain yourself from raising your eyebrows. General Shao didn’t strike you as the type of person to take someone in, nevermind even being the fatherly type. Your eyes returned back to Reiko as you wondered if he had a fine childhood after being taken in.

He certainly seemed like a hardened soldier now.

Coming to a stop a few feet away from Raiden, Reiko turned away from him. Instead of greeting his opponent, he began to shadowbox, demonstrating his forms and skills. And here you thought Johnny was flashy. Raiden did not appear to be cowed by the little show which was a relief to you. After a spinning kick, the man finally turned to face Earthrealm’s champion.

“In whose army have you served?” Reiko interrogated, staring Raiden down. An attitude of being unimpressed rolled off of him in waves. You crossed your arms at this, narrowing your eyes just a bit. You could tell he did not take your student seriously, not even in the slightest. “In what wars have you fought?”

“I have done neither.” The former farmhand admitted, his softer tone contrasting with the second in command’s harsher one.

“Then you are woefully unprepared, Earthrealmer.” Reiko sneered. He lifted a hand to point directly at his opponent. “This will be your last battlefield.” He declared. A mutual understanding seemed to be in order as both of the men settled into fighting stances. Reiko bounced in his with a sense of barely restrained energy while Raiden was much calmer, much like how you had taught him.

Sindel called out for the fight to begin, leading Reiko to charge forward. His strikes were fast and aggressive, you could tell from the intensity behind them he was aiming to end this quickly and brutally. You were suddenly grateful for the training you had given Raiden as you watched him anticipate this and go more defensively.

You winced as you watched Raiden, at one point, get grabbed by the soldier and slammed into the ground. You had to admit, Reiko was ruthless and knew how to use his strength well. He was a grappler, something that you hadn’t trained your students well against. You could only hope that Liu Kang taught him good counters.

Still, despite the initial worry, Reiko seemed to lose steam against Raiden’s defensive tactics. This allowed the champion to gain the upper hand, turning the tide and turning the momentum of the battle against the soldier. It didn’t take very long after that occurred for Raiden to emerge victorious. 

“Felled by a simple farmer.” Raiden spoke as the soldier laid defeated upon the ground. Your lips curled upwards at the small taunt. Reiko deserved that for underestimating the man. The electric user turned around to face the Empress and bowed. You watched as General Shao huffed upon seeing his second in command fail.

“Congratulations on another victory, young man.” Sindel commended, though you could sense an underlying sense of irritation behind her words. It seems she thought that Reiko would be capable of conquering Raiden. She stood and addressed the crowd this time. “We shall adjourn once more at first light tomorrow.” 

Much like yesterday, the crowd dispersed quickly. Though this time, you could see how a few more people lingered just a touch longer to stare and whisper about Raiden. It seemed he was making waves already.

“And that’s another victory under your belt, Thunder Lad!” Johnny celebrated as the champion rejoined your group. Though he had a smile that told you he was grateful for cheers, you could have sworn you saw a flash of irritation at the nickname. You let out a silent chuckle at it. You recalled him mentioning how he hated that name, but you didn’t think it was that bad.

“Indeed, you are doing well.” Liu Kang spoke, nodding. “Many seem to be pleased at the display of strength you are showing.” A pleased smile was upon the fire god’s lips. Looking at the group, he gestured to the hallway. “The day is free for you all to explore and mingle with others. Although not a banquet, Empress Sindel will be offering dinner once more tonight.”

You all nod, looking towards each other and beginning to discuss their various plans. Then, you felt a hand settle on your shoulder. You look over to see Liu Kang looking at you. The same pleased smile was present on his lips, though you could sense something else lingering there.

“May we speak privately first?” Liu Kang inquired. Your eyebrows raised. As the question processed in your head, you felt a small sense of dread begin to build. He didn’t appear to be upset or overly serious, but the idea that Liu Kang needed to ask you to speak privately made you worry. What could he possibly need from you?

“Certainly.” You reply after perhaps a bit too long of a silence. You and Liu Kang waved to the group before walking off towards the outside exit. You both made your way towards a quaint bench in the garden outside. It was quiet here, peaceful. You swallowed your nerves as you sat down next to the fire god. You put on your best smile, hoping it was not obviously nervous. “What did you wish to discuss?”

“I just wanted to check if you were feeling alright, first.” Liu Kang responded, a gentle look on his face. You nodded, and it seemed that the god was pleased by the response. “Good, I didn’t get a chance to ask you after you went to get air yesterday.” You remembered that clearly, mostly because you had been only slightly avoiding him. You didn’t want to make too much of a fuss, but then again, here you were. It did feel nice to know that the fire god had still wished to check up on you.

“I’m alright, Lord Liu Kang.” You replied, your hands folding together as you relaxed just a touch more. “Is that all you wished to ask?” You inquired, tilting your head to the side just a bit. You had a feeling it wasn’t, seeing how he wished to speak privately. You doubted he would ask to speak alone if it were just that.

“No.” He said, confirming your suspicions. You straightened up a bit more, bracing yourself for the other question he was about to send your way. You saw him pause for a moment as he looked at you, observing your reaction. He leaned in a tiny bit more and his voice dropped to a whisper. “I wanted to ask again, are you having visions again?”

You hated how your body betrayed your thoughts. Immediately you stiffened up and you were certain your face contorted into a look of nerves and shock. You looked away as you forced yourself to relax, looking over the peaceful garden. You had basically given away the answer by body language alone, so you figured there was no point in lying about it this time.

“I am.” You confirmed, still not looking at Liu Kang. You were, for the time being, afraid of looking at him. You don’t know how many of your guarded secrets you’d let out if you told him. “It’s mostly memories of a different looking Outworld.” Your fingers drummed on your knee as you stared straight ahead, looking at the wonders of the garden. “It’s so…jarring.”

“I see.” Liu Kang said after a moment, seeming to take in your words. Before he could speak again, you decided to cut him off.

“Do you think an Outworld like that exists, one that is filled with more bloodshed and tyranny, or is it simply visions?” You inquired, testing the waters a bit. Maybe, just maybe if he thought so too, you wouldn’t be thought of as crazy if you did tell him. You turned your head just slightly to see his reaction. 

He was deep in thought, his lips just slightly pursed as he seemed to mull over your words. His eyebrows were furrowed the tiniest bit. After a moment, he shook his head, and your heart sank. 

“It is…unlikely.” Liu Kang spoke, the last word hanging in the air. You looked away from the god, closing your eyes. Perhaps you were truly alone in thinking that a past life existed that you lived. His hand covered yours in a comforting motion. You took in a deep breath, feeling your insides churn. Liu Kang probably misinterpreted your expression of unease from your visions. “Do not fret, that Outworld does not exist.”

Anymore, you finished in your head.

“I know.” You said, uncertain whether your words were lies or not. Were you just being crazy by believing that you were seeing a past life? Not even Liu Kang thought it had existed. Still, despite your uncertainty you felt the comfort of his hand. His hand squeezed yours gently, as if trying to anchor you.

“I am sorry that you are plagued with these visions. If I could, I would remove them from you.” Liu Kang told you, his words feeling like a soothing balm. Even though his words were meant to be comforting, a stupid part of you whispered in your head telling you that you didn’t want that. You couldn’t be getting these memories for no reason.

You’d figure out the reason alone if you needed to.

“Thank you for the sentiment.” You told him, opening your eyes and sending him your best smile. He smiled back, his smile much warmer than yours. You envied it, how could he look like the sun? You could feel your smile grow a little more, and you felt your face heat up for a reason you didn’t quite understand at the moment. You just felt warm. It wasn’t too odd, you supposed, seeing as Liu Kang was the fire god, so you pushed the odd, light feeling away. “Is that all you wanted to talk about?” You asked after doing just that. 

“Yes.” Liu kang told you with that same smile. After one last squeeze he released your hand. He stood up, seeming to be content after your small conversation. “I will let you explore Sun Do now, it is truly a prosperous place.” He nodded at you, looking at you fondly for one more moment before walking off. You sat there a moment longer, letting the conversation sink in a bit more.

You sighed as you leaned forward and rested your forearms on your thighs. You folded your hands and pressed them against your forehead, closing your eyes. You didn’t know what to make of the conversation you just had. The memories…visions…whatever they were, they didn’t feel fake. They felt too lived in, too real. 

Perhaps a past life was beyond comprehension for even a god. You doubted Liu Kang would lie to you if it were real, especially about something you’ve had for so long and was so important to you. As you continued to sit there deep in thought, you barely registered the footsteps that was headed your way until you noticed a shadow fall upon you.

“There you are, I’ve been looking for you.” You blinked as you registered the man standing in front of you as Rain. You sent him a perplexed look, but nodded to indicate he should go on. A friendly smile appeared on his face. “You were very intrigued by the prospect of the Imperial Academy, yes?” He inquired, and you slowly nodded. “Would you like to accompany me to see it tomorrow after the fight?” 

“I would be delighted.” You said without even thinking. A grin appeared on your face and for a moment you forgot about your worries, too excited over the idea of seeing a school full of magic. Your answer seemed to please the High Mage, and he nodded with satisfaction.

“Good. Perhaps you may learn a bit to further your own abilities.” He said.

“I suppose if there was a place to help learn my limits and how to push them, it would be a school dedicated to magic.” You said, nodded. The smile on Rain’s face remained. It was quite nice how you found someone who seemed enthusiastic over magic. 

“I shall see you tomorrow then.” He told you. Then, after that moment, he disappeared into the gardens. You were left feeling a bit happier. You let out a small sigh as you got up from the bench. You’ve had enough of sitting out here for now. That, and you supposed today would be a good start to finding gifts for the Lin Kuei trio.

You walked back to the Great Hall, intending to go to Sun Do through the entrance. You stepped in only to be surprised to see Raiden still standing there. He appeared to be milling about. Once he spotted you, the former farmhand seemed to light up and made a beeline for you.

“You’re still here?” You remarked. Your eyebrows raised as you scanned Raiden, trying to perceive the reason why he stuck around before he spoke. You watched as his smile turned just a tad more shy and there was just a barely perceptible dusting of pink along his cheeks. 

“Yes.” Raiden confirmed, nodding. He seemed to pause for a moment to consider his words. His head tilted downwards, his hat brim obscuring his face. Then, another moment passed before he lifted his head to show his face which seemed a touch more confident. “I wanted to wait for you to go see if you would like to go explore Sun Do together.” 

“You didn’t have to wait for me.” You replied, laughing a bit in surprise. You crossed your arms as you looked at the man. You were touched at the fact that he had wanted to wait for you. “I’d be honored to accompany the Earthrealm champion, though.” You told him, teasing him just a little bit. The smile on his face only seemed to get brighter at your words. “Maybe you can even help me.”

“With what?” Raiden inquired, now walking by your side. You both made your way down the hallway side by side. 

“I planned on buying some gifts for Bi-Han, Tomas, and Kuai Liang.” You explained, and in turn the farmhand nodded. “It’s not everyday that one gets to travel to Outworld, after all, and since they didn’t get to come I figured it would be nice to give them some gifts.” 

“Why don’t the Lin Kuei participate?” Raiden asked, a thoughtful look on his face. Your steps faltered for a moment as you considered his question. Why didn’t they participate, you tilted your head, considering the question. You’ve never quite thought about it.

“I guess I don’t know.” You replied after your little moment. Your footsteps resumed at their pace. “It has probably something to do with the tournament rules, I suppose.” You carded a hand through your hair. “I’ve never really questioned it.”

How much else have you never questioned? There was so much you’ve never really taken into account. Maybe you should start questioning things. It wasn’t good to be ignorant, after all.

Sun Do was still as pretty as ever. Banners, lanterns, and other decor lined the streets. Music filled the air and many of the citizens laughed and danced along the streets. Vendors shouted out their wares, and you listened in to see if any of it would be of use to you. You grinned as you passed by them all.

“It’s very lively out here.” You mused as you turned to look back at Raiden after a while of walking. To your surprise, he was gone. You stopped and scanned the crowd to look for him, but he was nowhere to be seen. Frowning you made your way to the side to see if you could find him better. After a few minutes of searching, you sighed as you failed to see him.

“May I help you?” A voice asked. Stiffening up, you turned to see a Naknadan woman standing within the store. She peered at you with wide eyes as she put away various weapons with her arms. At first, you were about to dismiss it, then you looked closer at the store. It was a weapons shop. You took a moment to look around, then noted the collection of karambits lined along the wall.

“Ah, yes.” You said as you eyed the collection. You stepped forward to get a closer look, observing the fine craftsmanship that went into every single one. It was then that you found it. A karambit with the blade a silver white. On the handle were intricate designs etched into almost akin to smoke. It was as long as Tomas’ personal karambit too, so he wouldn’t have to adapt. The safety ring was gold. “How much is this one?” You inquired, gesturing to the blade.

She told you the price, giving you a sunny smile. You reached into your bag, grabbing the money that Liu Kang had given you prior to the trip. She peered at you curiously, inquiring what the blade was for. Enthusiastically, you told her that the blade was a gift for a friend.

“Would you like for me to engrave something on it? I can engrave it upon the safety ring.” The lady asked. You lit up at the idea, smiling. With one arm, she plucked the blade from the wall and placed it upon a table. Then with a few other of her arms, she grabbed various tools from another table nearby. “What would you like?”

“Have strength, Tomas. From,” You spoke your name. The Naknadan woman nodded. Using another arm, she grabbed some glasses and placed it upon her face. You watched with awe as she precisely engraved the message you had said onto the ring. Then, she delicately placed into a velvet lined box to which she wrapped up and handed to you. “Thank you.”

“I hope whoever you gift that to will enjoy it.”

“I’m certain he will.” You said, turning to exit the shop. To your delight, you spotted Raiden standing outside the shop, looking puzzled and searching around the crowd. Making sure to keep your footsteps light, you snuck up upon the man. With a small smirk you placed a hand upon his shoulder, making him jump. “It seems I have a knack for sneaking up on you.”

“Yes…Yes you do.” Raiden said as he recovered from the little scare you had provided. You let out a laugh, squeezing his shoulder. After his recovery, he peered at the box you held in your hand. “Where did you wander off to?” 

“Well, after I noticed I had lost you in the crowd, I stepped to the side to try and look for you.” You told him before turning your head to look back at the shop you had stepped out of. “I happened to step inside there and happened to find a gift for Tomas.” You explained, lifting up the box and showing it off.

“I suppose that us splitting up was a good thing, then.” Raiden mused as he looked curiously at the box you held. He sent you a bright smile. “Would you like to continue to tour around Sun Do?” He asked you, and you nodded in return. You took your hand away from his shoulder and put away the box. As you turned back, you saw Raiden looking at you before he cleared his throat and turning away.

“What’s on your mind?” You asked. raising an eyebrow at the odd way he had reacted. 

“Oh, well…” Raiden trailed off, still looking away before he looked at you once more, forcing himself to look you in the eye. Then, gently, he took your hand. For a moment, you wondered if he used his amulet on accident, because you felt electricity surge through your veins. In your surprise, your face heated up. “I thought it’d be best if we held hands, just so we don’t get separated again.”

“I guess that’s pretty smart.” You said, still feeling your face flush at the unexpected contact. You looked away, from him as you cleared your own throat. Surely he must have accidentally used his amulet, that’s why you were feeling so odd. It’s not like you haven’t held anyone else’s hand, so why did this feel so…different? You felt his hand squeeze yours softly as he tugged at it. 

“Then let’s go.”

The rest of the day exploring Sun Do was quite fun. Despite all of the exploring you did all afternoon, there was still plenty left to discover. You decided you would have to spend a few more days to check it all out, especially since you had not found gifts to give both Bi-Han and Kuai Liang just yet. There were plenty of things you could have given them, surely, but it didn’t feel right.

Dinner went quite well as well. The food, though not as bountiful as the banquet, was still quite delicious. You had witnessed Kung Lao in action, he devoured enough for multiple men alone. That night, you returned back to your room quite satisfied. 

It wasn’t until later when you crept back out into the dead of night. Tanya, once more, assisted you to the Hanging Gardens in a dutiful way. With a raised eyebrow, she inquired whether you always stayed up this late, or was it just the travel? With a friendly smile, you admitted that you struggled going to sleep. With a satisfied hum, she nodded and let you roam the garden in peace.

“I’m glad you can remember our little arrangement. I would have been quite disappointed to have missed out on hearing another one of your entertaining stories.” Mileena remarked as she noticed you walking over. She sat on the same bench that you had sat on yesterday. With a smile, you noted how this evening she did not seem upset as she was yesterday. 

For a moment, you wondered what had happened to her that made her so upset. Then, you remembered that it was out of line to ask her that sort of question. 

“I would hate to disappoint you.” You replied as you took a seat beside her. You tilted your head up to observe the sea of stars above. The sky was so clear here, and you didn’t think you could get over the view. It was just so…beautiful. After basking in the sight, you turned to look at the princess with a smile. “Was there a particular story you would like to hear about?” You asked, mentally trying to remember all the sorts of movies your students had shown you.

“Do you have any stories of royalty?” Mileena inquired after a few short moments of thought. You hummed, closing your eyes as you thought through the movies you had seen. What story was worthy enough of a princess who was to be the empress one day? You tilted your head as your fingers drummed upon your knee.

“Well, perhaps this one will suffice…”

Mileena was very taken in by the story you told her. She listened carefully at your retelling, only stopping you here and there to ask for clarification. You supposed it was fair, since there were some cultural differences you forgot to account for at times. Still, it was pleasing to see the princess be so enraptured by the story.

“You are quite the storyteller.” The princess remarked as you finished your tale. You grinned, pleased as one should be when complimented by royalty. “Tell me, where did you hear these stories from?” She asked, she leaned just a touch closer to you, but she still kept a considerable distance from you on the bench. 

“In Earthrealm there are many other storytellers, I enjoy listening to their own tales that they share. They tell them far and wide, allowing for others to hear their stories as well.” You explained, not certain how to explain movies to the princess. “I only pass on their tales, just as they would have wished for.”

“I see.” Mileena took in your words, nodding. “Perhaps in the next tournament Earthrealm hosts I shall be able to listen to these stories from the other storytellers you speak of.” She said, seeming to be intrigued by your explanation.

“Johnny Cage, one of the ones here with the rest of us, knows many stories himself.” You told her. You held back a laugh at the face the princess made upon the name Johnny Cage. You wondered what he must have said to make her react that way. 

“I prefer listening to you much more than…him.” She admitted, her nose still scrunched up at the mention of the actor. She stood, stretching before looking back over to you. “Your stories continue to entertain, Earthrealmer. I would enjoy listening to you again.”

“And I would be honored to tell more of them to you, princess.” You told her, feeling quite pleased by the fact that your retelling of movies was enough to entertain royalty. “Would you like to meet back here tomorrow night?”

“Yes, that would be preferable.” Mileena confirmed, nodding. She sent you one last smile, one that was more genuine than the ones you’ve seen from her when she had to present herself as princess. “Sleep well, Earthrealmer.” She told you, then disappeared off into the night.

“Sleep well as well, princess.” You called out to her, taking a few more moments to sit in the gardens. You sighed as you thought of the things you’ve learned and experienced today. Outworld was proving to be more than you had initially expected.

What would await for you tomorrow?

part thirteen

tagged - @bonezisded @lollipopin @simpxinnie @zhivaxo @koisuko

[mortalityplays]

wrt my recent posts about learning to steal, withholding rent, loudly telling politicians you won't vote for them etc. there is one common thread that is really worth internalising: in any situation where you're being coerced to accept terms that are detrimental to you, it's worth asking "okay, what if I didn't". coercive forces tend to rely on overwhelming you before you ask that question, because often the answer is that the other party will have to do a lot more legwork at their own expense. and they really really don't want to have to do that.

unfair rent terms: okay, what if I said no? I would have to move in about six months. you would have to fully refit and refurbish this apartment I've been living in without incident for six years, and either fix the problems I'm complaining about anyway or find a new tenant who doesn't mind paying more for them.

extortionate prices: what if I just took it? okay, so I might get caught. that would suck in a contextually variable range of ways. but it relies on the underpaid staff at this retail outlet caring enough to pursue me and then going through with pressing charges. it's case by case, but sometimes it's worth the gamble.

awful political policies: what if I refused to vote? a party I don't like might take power, but tbh I don't like any of them and there's very little daylight between their manifestos. meanwhile, your poll numbers are dropping. you're no longer assured of victory. you're losing footholds you thought were safe. you're not the winning horse any more, so fewer financial interests are betting on you. better start looking electable again fast, dickhead.

obviously these are all highly situational examples but my point is it's worth assessing for yourself what the risk/reward of not caving is. what will it cost the person exerting pressure on you? often, more than you're led to believe.

[lilislegacy]

I actually have my own little head cannons about percy and annabeth's own family, and I'm gonna share them for no reason other than being annoying <3

Percy and Annabeth have lived in unstable homes throughout their childhood; I truly believe that they got married in their early twenties after college

Annabeth hyphenated her last name! She becomes "Annabeth Chase-Jackson" because she loves the Jacksons and is a part of their family while also keeping her last name because she's THE Annabeth chase and it's iconic

I think that they always wanted kids together, but it was always a thought for the future, even when they got married and were busy with their careers

So yes, their first kid was a total surprise, but a very happy one

They were the first of the hoo group to have a kid

Their first kid's a boy (ik unpopular opinion), with blonde hair and green eyes.

I always imagined they'd named their kids something both unique and greek, with maybe a middle name after a lost hero? Giving the first name of a lost hero sounds painful, and also defeats the whole purpose of Sally naming Percy after the only greek hero with a happy ending. An example I like is Amycus Charlie Jackson. idk tho, something more normal makes sense too.

Amycus would probably be a stereotypical angel first child tbh

Because they had their first kid so early on, I think their second would be a couple years later, I think around 4.

They'd have a girl next, Daphne Zoe Jackson, with Percy's raven hair and Annabeth's gray eyes. She'd be a little more troublesome lol, but in a loving way!

I honestly think 2 kids are good enough but my heart says they'd have 3. He'd be a surprise baby, and on the younger end of the hoo group's kids (if not the youngest). I haven't thought of much characterization for him yet, but he'd get Sally's blue eyes for sure.

And they live a great life in New York, I'm sorry but they aren't moving to New Rome! Especially Percy, he's a New Yorker through and through

Annabeth works from home from time to time as an architect, mostly to spend more time with her kids, especially when they're babies.

Percy has a pretty chill job doing something in marine biology or marine vet, so he's there for the kids plenty too

Sally babysits the few times both of them are busy

Ya that's their perfect domestic life in my head hehehe >:)

thanks for the ask @littlesillyfilly!

i love all of these!!! super cute! i shall go through each one

1. same! some people think they don’t get married, but i hate the reasons why most people think that. as demigods, percy and annabeth didn’t grow up in a stable family setting. i think they would want that stability, and to do normal stereotypical couple things, because they crave as much normalcy as they can get.

2. another vote for the hyphenated name! that seems to be people’s favorite option

3. yes absolutely. they always have wanted kids. it’s not even a question in my mind

4. i agree, for some reason i’ve always had the hc that their first kid is either a total shock, or it takes a really really long time for them get pregnant. it’s one or the other 😂

5. completed agreed. honestly? i dont even know if many of their friends would have kids. i mean, frank and hazel, together or not, probably would i think, albeit much later than percy and annabeth. but i don’t know if i see anyone else having kids. i think its not super common amongst demigods, especially greek ones

6. absolutely 1000% agreed. i have always thought and said that their first is a boy with curly blonde hair and sea green eyes.

7. agreed! i like them doing a mix of things when it comes to names. and this is so funny because i always have liked the name charlie (after beckendorf) for one of their kids! it’s in my percabeth baby names list LOL. so i think i like their second son being named charlie, and then i have a girl name for their daughter that i love.

8. oh absolutely. first babies seem to always be so precious and sweet and easy. that’s how they get you. then the second one comes and all hell breaks loose

9. i agree that their second kid would come a few years later. they would need a hot minute to adjust. having kids as a demigod would be hard i think, but once they get the hang of it, they want more!

10. i absolutely agree that their next kid has percy’s black hair and annabeth’s grey eyes! personally, i always imagined it being another boy though. he is their charlie in my mind.

11. yeah, i think they would originally plan on 2 kids, but end up having three (if not 4🤭). and in my mind, number 3 is their girl! i’ve always imagined her with wavy blonde hair and blue eyes with a bit of green in them.

12. you are team percabeth living in new york? ok ok i like it. idk personally i feel like they would start out in new rome, for safety reasons. also having a community of demigod friends and family would probably be very comforting for them. but i definitely see them ending up in new york again! percy is absolutely a new yorker through and through!

13. aww annabeth being able to work sometimes at home would be cute. i can see that!

14. can i just say im so glad people are getting on board with percy becoming an aquatic/marine vet?? i’ve always been so alone in that thought, so seeing other people like it and agree with it makes me so happy!! he’d be sooo good at it! but yes, it’s a chill job so he can be around for the kids a lot.

15. sally and paul would love babysitting. 100%

i loved all of these so much and agree with nearly everything!! thank you for these!!

[astrxealis]

do some people really think he's not sorry at all

[poisonpercy]

Ok just finished the 3rd episode of the show. From a completely outside perspective without comparing it to the books, it’s a fine episode. The writing does fall flat imo, and it doesn’t keep my attention. It’s also still very hard to see what’s happening when it’s supposed to be dark. When will Hollywood let dark scenes be visible again?

Ok, now for more specific thoughts:

The scene with the Oracle sucked in my opinion. Idk it just seemed so much more grander in the book. The scene in the show lacked the mystic and off putting nature of the Oracle, so it kinda just didn’t work for me. I did like that they remembered that Gabe was the voice of the Oracle in tlt, so that was nice

How Percy chooses his quest mates in the show is different in the show than in the books. This isn’t a bad thing, but I do miss Annabeth volunteering herself to be Percy’s 3rd quest mate like she does in the books. Idk I just think it really showed her eagerness to prove herself and get a quest. The show scene doesn’t do that, but I’m not mad at the change

The interaction between Grover and Percy when Percy tells Grover he was chosen to go on the quest was so cute. I love those 2 boys. Besties for life

Percy telling Luke that he thinks the drachmas are from Chuck E. Cheese was hilarious

With Luke in mind, I love how manipulative he is. Like he is so nice, but it’s because he has ulterior motives. I do like that his manipulation is not overt, so you don’t know that he’s the one that ultimately betrays Percy

I personally didn’t find the “she met a pine cone’s fate” line that Percy said funny. It honestly came off kind of rude. It’s definitely something that Percy would say in ttc when Thalia and him are beefing, but not when he finds out about her death. Percy is supposed to be kind and empathetic, and he shows so much sympathy for Thalia and her fate when he hears her story in the book. Idk just felt like that line was ooc during this moment in time

Grover’s song was so cute and funny, it had me cracking up fr

Percy trying to get all of them to vote throughout the episode is hilarious. My boy just wants to have a say in things

Annabeth grabbing all that candy was perfect. It really shows she’s just a 12 year old girl that didn’t get to experience the joys of childhood (also, I feel like overall that the show is forgetting that Annabeth is not a stoic character. Like she very much acts her age. I hope the writers let Annabeth have more personality in later episodes)

I miss the book fight sequence with the furies on the bus. It was so chaotic and there was so much tension. Percy steering the bus and crashing it and the bus exploding was perfect, and I’m sad that they got rid of that in the show. The fight scene in the show was just so underwhelming. I feel like those should be the knock out moments of the episodes but they breeze past them so fast and give no tension. It just falls flat (curse you Mickey Mouse!! I know it’s your fault!)

I do appreciate that Grover keeps trying to diffuse the fights between Annabeth and Percy. They are both his friends, and he can see why they keep butting heads. If only the 2 would listen to him

I do miss how the trio finds Auntie Em’s in the book. Like Annabeth and Percy were dumbass 1 and 2 that followed their stomachs while Grover freaked the fuck out. That was so fun. The show had Grover find and follow the smell instead which is fine, but the og scene was better imo

That being said, they guessed that it was Medusa way too quickly in the show. I like the mystery of Auntie Em’s identity in the book better tbh

“I definitely trust my mom” <- Percy exceeds the momma’s boy standards

I don’t mind the change to Medusa’s character. I actually really enjoyed her (the actresses voice is so gorgeous and calming). I like how she’s like “we’re not our parents until we choose to be them.” It really sets up the ultimate direction of the series imo

Regarding the fight scene with Medusa, it sucked. To begin with, you can hardly see what’s happening bc it’s so dark. Also there was no tension or chaos. It kind of just happened? I also didn’t like that Medusa was killed when Annabeth’s cap was on her. I know it’s because Disney probably thought the death would have been too graphic or whatever, but I would have liked to see what happened

It was cool that Percy used Medusa’s head to kill Alecto

I felt so many emotions when Grover said “He’s not like the others. He doesn’t look afraid” about his Uncle Ferdinand

The beginnings of Percy’s and Annabeth’s friendship is so good. Annabeth not taking the deal with Alecto to give Percy over and killing her sister. Percy not taking Medusa’s offer to get rid of Annabeth and Grover so he can save his mother. It’s perfect. They’re going to become each other’s chosen person and they don’t even know it yet

LMM as Hermes jump scare. Still not a fan of the Hermes casting

Anyways, overall the show just isn’t working for me. I do appreciate Walker, Leah, and Aryan because they are perfect. They are honestly doing such a great job! The writers, however, are not. I’m trying so hard to think of this show as its own entity so I can enjoy it more, but I haven’t been able to so far. Despite that, I am excited to see where the show ends up going (even if I end up not liking it)

[accio-victuuri]

Bojunyixiao’s Weibo night 2023/2024 🎉🎉

can you believe we’re here again. no matter how problematic sina weibo is as a platform, their awards night is a day cpfs look forward to because our boys will be attending. even if we know they won’t interact or anything, the fact that they get to attend the same event is enough for us.

i will just include the recap for the past years on here, the 2019/2020 being very short cause i feel like that has been widely speculated and talked about already. then 2021 and 2022. this post will discuss the event and stuff that happened + some commentary + cpn clownery. enjoy!!!!!

I. CPFs team building and showing strength

It would not be fair to exclude this feat that cpfs achieved with the free tickets for Weibo night. Even if we had no idea if both of them will attend, cpfs tried to grab tickets just in case it happens so we will be prepared. In the first round, we surprised all other fan groups with how we dominated and it set the rhythm for the next rounds. Trust cpfs to set the trend and make other fandoms “wake up”. lol. They can say what they want about cpfs but we all know that part of the hate is because they do not understand why we’re still here. They don’t get why we are this strong and a happy group.

My favorite thing that happened was when the top profile photos spelled out BJYXSZD + heart with a mole. It doesn’t stop there tho, the next week/round, we still dominated so Sina Weibo tried to save face by doing some tactics to suppress us. Nevertheless, every week, more of us got tickets because of the help of our little turtle fandom.

There were also efforts to get top comments on Weibo Night posts but I won’t get into that anymore cause we usually do that. But the thought of showing strength “online” as what the boys advertised is sweet.

Years later, we are still as strong as ever and shall remain that way. and that’s all thanks to each and every turtle out there who chooses positivity & makes sure our community remains a safe space.

II. The anticipation and announcements

It’s safe to say that this year, XZ is a sure attendee cause he always tops the voting at this event. However, some were still not sure cause he did not attend other public events last year like 10c starlight or NYE events cause he is busy with filming his projects. On 1/10 evening tho, a rather unsavory rumor made it on HS which was a signal that weibo night was getting desperate and wanted some noise for their event. lol. maybe there are other parties involved, but the intent is the same. I will also just mention the issue that happened on 1/9 with Chunzhen and them withdrawing lottery tickets supposedly won by certain fans. But the next day, Weibo lottery decided to honor the win and gave the tickets. I have no reaction to this tbh, and that’s why i didn’t talk about this separately and at length on my blog. It’s the brand / fandom that i have nothing to do with’s issue. As a turtle, we all know how CZ is with certain things so i’m not surprised that this happened. LOL.

I honestly feel for XZ, he is out there working hard and minding his own business but people and circumstances keep dragging him into irrelevant incidents.

As for WYB, everyone thought he wasn’t gonna attend. This is the same energy as last year. People are busier with grabbing tickets for his SDC6 finals and completely ignored weibo night ( as they should ). There was still some hope tho, cause if you think about it, he attended a lot of platform events. Tencent, IQIYI, GQ MOTY and 2 NYE shows. So why not Weibo Night? I have said it before, but one thing that I loved about WYB attending multiple events by the end of last year was it’s a show of his position and professionalism in the industry. He can go anywhere and be welcomed — he has good relations with almost everyone and that is important in their industry.

I know he is not fond of public events, but i’d like to think he says yes because of his professional relationship with these platforms/companies. I was never a fan of when people flex that their fave “will not go to xx because they did something to him etc.” LOL. That’s not how any industry works. You can’t burn bridges and I’m happy that WYB doesn’t do that. It’s also a testament of how much of a good boy he is 🤍

Anyway, back to the timeline. On 1/10, Weibo announced some winners and the boys are on there. I guess One & Only winning was a clue that WYB will go. Then a so/o account gave a tip that WYB will announce his attendance to an event on 1/11 @ 13:00. So by the evening of 1/10, it was mostly confirmed that WYB will be going.

The next day, 1/11, Weibo Night account started posting emoji clues for the remaining celebrities to be added in their guest lineup. A few hours later, both the boys announced their attendance. What’s different this time tho is aside from the usual copy-paste caption, there is a reminder for everyone to not do any fan activities at the venue. more details was also added in the comment. I guess they don’t want a repeat of what happened last year with the crowds. It caused a delay & cancellation of the red carpet. Both XZS and YBO reposted with more guidelines to follow like no gatherings and light signs etc.

i know weibo dictated the posting time but the 13 kadian is sending me! yizhan! 🫶🏼

The BJYX ST mods also sent out a message to not do any offline support.

There are more fandom drama after the announcement with other groups but i won’t add that here anymore cause it will only rot our brain. && it’s so much better to focus on the boys!

III. Pre show discussion

On the eve of Weibo Night, GG attended an awards show and it gave us some sweet candy. The most interesting to me is the choice of Alexander McQueen and the first two celebrities tagged by the brand on their weibo in 2024. This is giving me Dsquared vibes. Also how it almost mirrors the wedding-ish vibes they had last Weibo night. I know we as cpfs are somehow programmed to seeing connections but honestly, they don’t make it hard.

Late at night too, Weibo started showing opening screens of attendees and of course they didn’t put them in the same group/frame. This is understandable cause they wouldn’t put the top male celebrities together and knowing how both their fandoms hate each other. Also, how the grouping went, WYB’s was more of the “movie group”. That won’t stop me from being a bit better tho. lol. Cause if they can’t put them in the same frame like that, there is just no way they will be on the same stage or even sat remotely close to each other.

A photo from inside the venue also showed the projected commercial on stage is WYB & Chunzhen 😂😂😂😂😂

I can just imagine XZ smiling when he sees.

There were also talks of the both of them being on the second row. XZ was already seated way before the ceremony started, and their names are so close but cpfs were anticipating since WYB was not inside yet. We were all waiting to see if it will happen. WYB is supposedly next to YZ but then we see that Jackson sat there. We joked that he should stay there so WYB’s place will be taken and he will have no choice but to sit next to XZ 😂😂😂

IV. Red Carpet shenanigans

🟢 WYB’s red carpet walk

I honestly didn’t get the whole look tho when some people pointed out that it’s the glam version of what he wears when he plays golf — i kinda got it. For his past platform events like GQ, IQIYI & 10C, his red carpet were really casual. I guess that’s what he wants — to be comfortable walking the carpet. There were also some praising him for going against the norm. Well, I have to say tho that his face really stood out. Minimal to no make up look. He was so handsome! 🫶🏼

🔴 XZ’s red carpet walk

I love his outfit! It’s black but still got that something special to make him stand out. &&& I honestly love the hair! I thought I would cry because of how short it is now but it suits him. I mean, he looks gorgeous in anything but you know what I mean ☺️

CPN: XZ signed his name beside/very close to WYB. granted, there are so many signatures there but i’m wondering if he recognized his husband’s signature. lol. In this simple way, they can be next to each other!

V. Weibo night links

XIAO ZHAN

Photoshoot for red carpet look

Photoshoot for second outfit

Xiao Zhan winning Outstanding Actor of the Year

WANG YIBO

Photoshoot for red carpet look // Photoshoot BTS video

Yibo winning popular filmmaker of the year

Yibo-Official post for Weibo Night

* This is incomplete cause we still don’t have ( at the moment of posting ), the BTS for XZS photoshoot + their photos while receiving the awards.

VI. THE SUGAR RUSH 🍭🍬

• WYB’s personal post of him and the caption. The freakin caption. Look, i know that WYB’s brand is all about being the “cool guy” so maybe that’s why he said in the caption that he likes the HS about him. But the thing is, it’s totally out of character. How many events did he attend with him going so high up the HS with much more interesting tags but he chose this? Also, he really needed to do so that he used his own account??? For a couple of years now, yibo-official is the one that posts for him when he is at an event. So the speculation is this one is personal and amused him so much, seeing that their HS for the same event they are both at matched! Also, when WYB posted that, CPFs flooded the top comments! Understandably so. 💛

• The signed photos which i’m not sure about. I actually saw someone post that earlier and people were clowning about how it can’t be real.

But then, an account posted a giveaway with all the other attendees and it included the couple photo. I’m putting this down as clownery, cause on their end there will always be deniability. The autographed photo was also deleted by the account a bit later, which is actually expected cause it will bring trouble. lol.

• XZS and YBO matching again! Look at how they arranged the photos. How a few of the snaps are not in theme with the rest. Nothing new here!

• The same song and dance of them missing to see each other. As soon as XZ was gone, WYB came in to sit down. Good thing he had Jackson to talk too a bit and he was gone again after 10 mins! Hopefully they could spend time together backstage away from the cameras. 📷

People are pointing out that XZ was checking his phone lol. probably checking if WYB is giving him a signal to leave so they can do their usual operation. These two! Honestly!

• Not really CPN, but a similarity. In the red carpet, both of them didn’t do the “activities” that others were supposed to. If you watched the red carpet, there is a point where they have to choose something from a wall with numbers. there is also a choice to take a photo from one of the “themes” by they both bypassed it. I was rolling my eyes cause a WYB anti was trying to make a big deal out of it, but then XZ did the exact same thing. Some people just don’t understand how celebrities like them operate. Not to say that they are above everyone else, it’s just that they do things differently.

• ZSWW fake rumor account posted at 19:21. At this time the red carpet was already finished. It doesn’t say who is saying which line. I’m interpreting this incident to be something that happened today backstage 🤡🤡🤡

"A kiss, a kiss...

"Oh, okay, let's talk about it later when we get back.”

"There will be a surprise when I go back 😏”

"What?"

“You'll know when you go back”

Then they posted again, at 21:05 with a much longer one but it doesn’t seem be pertaining to today’s events.

• There is a photo/video of XZ talking to Huang Bo! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! and now we’re thinking about how they haven’t cooperated with each other but seem familiar. Yes, we don’t know all their relationship and friends off camera but my mind immediately went to the SDC 3 clowning. That’s most likely when they became close. lol.

• Heaven’s choice cause WYB was sat at #23 ( Love Zhan )

• This time, both of them left the venue after they received their awards. XZ didn’t stay like he did the previous years. Good for them! It’s better to spend time together 🤍 I know that most of us expected what happened today, them not being in the same place at the same time. Tho some may see that in a negative way, I actually see this as an example of trying to keep their private life separate from the public. Tho a big part of their lives are on camera and that’s how they met. I think what they are doing is really to reserve the time they have & are seen together in private. Maybe some can’t see it that way and will be frustrated but at the end of the day, we have to respect their choice.

• XZ’s 2nd outfit is by Balmain! He tends to wear this at events that they both attend 🥹🥹🥹

• It’s now XZ’s turn to see the cpf headband light signs! Lol. I hope he saw it. We all know that he is near sighted sooooo….

====

If there are post event CPNs, i will do a separate discussion. See you in the next Weibo Night! ✌🏼