#the chaos of both characters fused into one being

[wispballs]

someone needs to fuse dobson and morris into one character actually

[talisetekt]

Time to release this AU idea I’ve been cooking!

The Fear AU is an AU where characters embody their greatest fears. The point of the AU is largely for character analysis, but also to create a narrative of embracing one’s fears and accepting it as part of your identity. Perhaps you could even overcome it by accepting it as part of who you are, but others may have an unhealthy coping mechanism…

More info about Sonic and Knuckles specifically under the cut!

Sonic has a fear of water and showing vulnerability both emotionally and physically.

He’s mostly made out of water which is held together by chaos energy. The only parts of him that aren’t fully made out of different solutions of water are his bones. You can kind of see them, but his organs mess with the light refraction. Additionally, it doesn’t take much force for his surface tension to break and for his body to dissolve. He can control the water that makes up his body, however, so it’s easy for him to piece himself back together again.

Knuckles’ fears relate to the death of his species and culture. He also fears the consequences of not fulfilling his responsibilities… yet also subconsciously the prospect of having to do the same thing for the rest of his life.

Therefore, he’s a walking echidna skeleton with shards of the Master Emerald fused to him. The shards are a reminder of his failures, yet are permanently connected to him. (Fans like to think he’s scared of ghosts too, so that’s incorporated by him being undead)

[thatidiotsuds]

Simon "Ghost" Riley x Fem Reader

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or images used in this work, nor do I claim any rights to them.

Warnings ⚠️: None, maybe grammatical and spelling errors 😅

Authors Note: hey! kittredge here! I wrote this fic based on the song "Hard to Love by Lee Brice" I'll link the song down below. Hope you guys like it and let me know if you guys have a request.

Hard To Love

Simon Riley, known to most as "Ghost," had always struggled with trust. His mantra, "the people you love can hurt you the most," shaped his interactions and made relationships complicated. He had grown accustomed to solitude, and working alone became his signature.

Once you get used to being alone, it becomes an addiction. Yet, there were moments when Simon would catch glimpses of others—friends and partners laughing over a barbecue, sharing stories, and enjoying each other's company. He would be lying if he said he didn’t yearn for that connection sometimes. Shaking his head, he would look away, he couldn't let anyone hurt him again because he trusted someone....even family could betray you and it hurts but it also makes you stronger, muttering to himself, "Let’s get back to work," before diving back into his tasks.

Then one day, everything changed when he met you. From the start, there was an undeniable tension between you two, thick enough to slice with a knife. You were a light in his shadowy world, your bubbly aura shining even in the most serious situations for a person in this kind of work field. It was obvious you loved your job,When the medics hesitated to approach him, intimidated by his fierce demeanor, you stepped forward without a second thought.

No matter how many times he threatened to push you away or sent you off, you always found your way back to him. He would make insensitive comments, testing your patience, but you would respond with a hopeful smile, reminding him that there was still light in the darkness. When he pretended to be busy, you would leave a cup of coffee on his desk, a small gesture that made him feel guilty yet endeared him to you even more.

You both shared a penchant for drinking, and there were nights when you found yourselves slumped on the couch, nursing terrible hangovers. Simon was a short fuse, a wrecking ball crashing into the walls he had built around his heart. But you could read him like an open book, the only one who could talk sense into him during his fits of rage without raising your voice or getting striked on the face.

You were his soft spot, the one person who saw through the tough exterior to the man beneath.

"I can be insensitive," he would admit, his voice low and rough. "I have a tendency to focus on what I need, and sometimes I drink too much. I don’t know why you stay with me." He said bring up the topic as you two talked under the moonlight as you both took the first watch during a mission.

You would smile softly, your eyes filled with understanding. "Because I see you, Simon. The real you. And I know you’re worth it."

He would shake his head, a mix of frustration and admiration swirling within him. "I’m hard to love, you know. I don’t make it easy."

"But I love you anyway," you would reply, your voice steady and sincere. "You don’t have to be perfect for me to care."

Simon often felt like a wrecking ball, crashing into your heart, leaving chaos in his wake. Yet, you were like a Sunday morning—full of grace and warmth, a reminder of everything he wished he could be.

"You’ve given me a million second chances," he would say, his voice barely above a whisper. "And I don’t want to take you for granted."

He knew he was hard to love, but your unwavering support made him believe he could be better. "I don’t deserve it, I'm not a good man and you can see that..." he would confess, "but I love that you love me good."

In those moments, Simon realized that maybe, just maybe, he could learn to let someone in. And as he looked at you, he felt a flicker of hope—a chance to be more than just a ghost in the shadows.

[eternal-moss]

Good Lord I cannot stop Simonposting

Anyway. The Golbetty shrine. Is incredibly messed up and delightfully feels like the sort of thing someone would construct after comprehending the god of chaos.

It’s clearly not Simon’s first time doing the ritual in vain (we’ve already seen him try many times in the montage at the end of the show to get her back, including consulting the Cosmic Owl and Prismo), so there’s holes in the wall that correspond to Golb’s symbols. The Enchiridion is also there, which was the main source of power for summoning elder gods like the Litch (used to resurrect himself) Golb (used by Magic Man and Betty) and (attempt to) time travel (by Betty). But before the apocalypse, the Enchiridion was owned by Simon himself, and both him and Betty studied it. So it has the twofold power of being a very strong magic battery and has the emotional link to Petrigrof.

The empty bottles and whatever those terrifying lamprey looking things are in a makeshift statue, harbouring a cleaner looking idol (which he probably created himself) out of clay. Making a statue of a god at least twice? Does that mean that even if one gets broken or damaged he has the other one? Or does it make the rituals stronger?

We know that Simon knew a bit about Golb before the apocalypse- in the final episode of the main series we have a flashback of him and Betty, where he says “I keep seeing reference to this mysterious entity that embodies chaos” and “his presence is felt in every crevice where chaos lurks”. To which Betty replies “well it’s a good thing he isn’t here then.”

She sacrificed herself to keep him safe and away from the god of chaos and madness, by fusing her soul with his. Golb being this sort of god means that he’s probably the originator of MMS (Magic, Madness and Sadness) which is a canonical condition where insane/depressed characters will have a higher propensity to magic, and magic users are more prone to bouts of mania, amnesia and depression.

The crown was basically a catalyst of MMS, which caused Simon to have unnatural elemental powers (unlike the elementals which don’t experience default MMS) as well as effecting his body and mind.

Betty is pretty much the only character to have ‘diagnosed’ MMS, recognising it in most magic users, and in Simon, hoping to undo its effects on him. Her theory is proven correct in the episode ‘Betty’ by Bella Noche undoing all the magic in Wizard City and the effects of the crown are nullified, and retracts its influence from Simon, causing him to become ‘normal again’ and regain his clarity and memories.

Grief is shown to be a strong natural catalyst to MMS, which also happened to Magic Man (after his wife Margles was ‘taken by Golb’ which still has an unclear meaning, she definitely didn’t fuse like Betty, although wishing her back at Prismo’s did the exact same thing as Simon wishing Betty back which is really unusual), and Betty herself after the ‘You Forgot Your Floaties’ episode (which by the way is like one of the best episodes in the show).

Betty’s whole motive was to save Simon and free him from madness, which she did at the cost of her soul. But now, ironically, Simon’s grief is causing him to develop it again, which is how he channels the Golb rituals (like how Betty and magic man did) and also probably how the Fionnaverse portal even opened up in the first place.

Something about about Simon having panic attacks in his house and just generally getting triggered by a lot of stuff (Ice, the books he wrote as Ice King, etc) but then gently stroking the clay idol he made of the god of madness because that’s his wife is just heart breaking

Look at that expression :( it’s longing followed by guilt because he knows this is exactly what she would never want him to do.

[ray-nintendo]

maybe one of my favorite fun facts is that, technically speaking, luigi could win basically any of those "if these two video game characters fought each other to kill at their theoretical most powerful, who would win" and for most match ups it's not even close

there's a storied history of mario and luigi just having an insane skill set throughout the series, Especially in the spinoffs, but you don't even have to get into all of that to prove the point

and that's because of one game in particular

super paper mario is a storyline in which reality itself is slowly collapsing, entire worlds being completely unmade into absolute nothingness. and mario (along with peach and bowser) is the chosen hero in an ancient prophesy that says that they will undo this with the power of the pure hearts.

However. there exists in that game a Dark prophesy, one that says The Man In Green is the perfect vessel for the chaos heart. an ancient artifact that, while we don't know the full scope of it's powers, apparently has the ability to both destroy all worlds (all realities) and create infinite new ones

something that nearly happened when luigi was fused with it into This Thang

in the context of the game itself luigi was being mind controlled. but Theoretically if we're saying that this is luigi at his most powerful (fused with the chaos heart), with the caveat that he Must want to kill his opponent (luigi is a pure soul who would never hurt somebody if it wasn't self defense or for the greater good), then he could simply unmake reality in that instance and create a new one

[dysfunctional-doodle]

Yeah, both Mikey and Donnie didn't get much character in the movie. Makes me sad when those 2 don't get much screen time 😔

Do you have some head cannons for each of the 2007 turtles? There isn't much to go on, so I it's hard to think of any

Yeah, I don’t have many hcs. I do think it’s canon (I don’t know if it was ever confirmed) that the 2007 movie is actually the turtles from the 90’s movies, as hinted though a lot of background details. But that could also be just Easter eggs but I like to think it’s true.

A few rough hcs:

1. Mikey got hurt quite badly sometimes when doing the birthday parties, but no one noticed/he didn’t tell anyone due to the strained relationships in the family. As a result he’s gotten very good at lying and makeup/skin painting due to hiding his bruises. It’s a habit that has unfortunately stuck after the movie - Leo realises this after he tries to walk off getting punted off a building.

2. Raph was suffering from depression due to Leo’s departure. This was why, unless he was beating people up at night (an unhealthy outlet) he was in bed all day and unresponsive. Also this was why he was so closed off to everyone, especially Donnie.

3. Donnie has insomnia which can go on for days. He first got the tech job to do the night shifts and try and shut off his brain. Without stimuli and patrolling, it only got worse, hence his own short fuse towards Raph

4. Every night Mikey waits for Raph to return, trying to stay awake all night. He sleeps in snatches in the afternoon/early evening after the parties are over, wanting to stay up late and make sure Raph comes back and isn’t hurt

5. Donnie also has major issues with burnout that Mikey can help fix

6. Leo has mild OCD, hence why he doesn’t like change that much. His training helped with this, but he has to work on his anxieties all over again when he comes back to New York and his brothers have new and developed skills and fighting styles

7. These boys turtle pile. They also love water and basking. Over the 2 years Leo is gone they don’t do this as it feels wrong to do it without him

8. When the dust settles and a year or so has passed since the movie, Leo invites his brothers to go to the jungle he trained in and spend a month there to work on their skills and to have a nice holiday. Not what many class as a vacation but they actually thrive in the environment. Leo misses the jungle and it was a large part of him, so he wants to share its importance with his brothers.

9. Raph is VERY protective of his brothers. After the movie and his fallout with Leo, this is turned up to the extreme until they all ambush him and get him to relax. Turtle piles.

10. Mikey is one of those people that can eat literal nuclear waste and be fine. He has an iron stomach

11. As I always say, Mikey has ADHD

12. Mikey is also very bad at directions and maps. He can navigate by remembering landmarks and have a rough idea of the direction he came from, but he gets too distracted and wanders off. As a kid, Splinter had to put one of those long leads on him when he went to the surface.

13. The PB&J mischief duo is real. Both of them like chaos too much and form alliances against Raph and Leo

14. Raph is very very scarred. He has a habit of jumping in front of weapons and getting into fights too often

15. Leo has a specific cleaning routine for his katana he does everyday without fail. He will not class training as being finished until he has done this.

16. Leo is a terrible driver. Mikey is actually very good

17. Mikey is good at ventriloquism. He totally doesn’t exploit this talent in the lair

That’s all I can think of for now!

[lucyav13]

Mr. L

He is a major antagonist and eventually becomes the game's final boss, Super Dimentio by fusing with Dimentio and the Chaos Heart. Before turning evil, Luigi tries to stop Count Bleck from using the Chaos Heart; however, after being trapped in Castle Bleck, Luigi gets brainwashed by Nastasia, ultimately turning him into Mr. L.

Mr. L is very cocky and is always praising up himself, a stark contrast to the chicken-hearted, reluctantly brave Luigi. He thinks highly of himself and is not slow to reveal it, often trying to openly annoy other in-game characters. He has a belief in his often-boasted-of abilities, as he is very shocked at his failures as their series begins. He is very daring, and as such reveals an attraction to Princess Peach and jealousy of Mario's jumping ability. (But if he jumps better than Mario)

Mr. L has two catchphrases: "L-ater," which he continuously proclaims when exiting , and "Have at you!", his battle cry.

He also has a knack for nicknaming, referring to Mario as "Mr. Jumpsallthetime," Peach as "Ms. Alwaysgetskidnapped," or Bowser as "Mr. Getsfoiledallthetimebytheredguywiththemoustache" during their first confrontation; this may imply that he still retains some of his memory from when he was Luigi, as he subconsciously recognizes who Mario, Peach, and Bowser are. He also nicknames himself "the Green Thunder".

However, Mr. L has some skills that Luigi does not, or merely has not yet shown, namely his inventiveness. Though Luigi has been known that he used his abilities in previous games, his mechanical skills haven't been consistently shown to match that of Mr. L. Mr. L has the intelligence to build, upgrade, and pilot his own robot, which he calls Brobot, throughout the course of the story pioneering the art he refers to as brobotics.

Mr. L strongly resembles Luigi, though he is dressed in a black jumpsuit that strangely retains his former overalls' large buttons. He also wears a green bandana around his neck. His cap has a black background and reversed "L" instead of the normal white background and normal "L". Over his face is a black mask which seems to effectively hide his identity; this mask makes his eyes and eyebrows appear white. His gloves and shoes are dark gray. Mr. L, unlike standard Luigi, is shown to have a belt.

It is implied several times that Luigi is the "man in green", referenced in both the Light Prognosticus and the Dark Prognosticus. Both of these two books state that this man in green and his affiliations will determine which prophecy is true. As such, it can be taken that, if Luigi were to have stayed Mr. L throughout the course of the game, the Dark Prognosticus would have been fulfilled and all worlds would be destroyed, making the end of Luigi's hypnotizing and evil ways integral to Super Paper Mario. Dimentio additionally states that the Dark Prognosticus mentions Luigi as the ideal host for the Chaos Heart.

In the final battle, with help from Count Bleck and his minions, the heroes are able to summon the to destroy Dimentio and the Chaos Heart, bring back Luigi and finally erasing his hypnosis and brainwashing.

Additional information:

Catch card:

HP Max: 40

Attack: 3

Defense:

Score: 200

Card description: So...who's this mysterious Mr. L character? Is this what the Prognosticus foretold?

Tattle: That's Mr. L. This new hire of Count Bleck's a real mystery man... Max HP is 40. Attack is 3. He uses his high jump as a weapon... And that powered-up super jump is quite...super... He has no other outstanding features of note. And why does he remind me so much of Mario...?

Quotes:

"Oh, me? Just one of Count Bleck's more promising minions. The Green Thunder... MR. L!"

"Just because you're in red doesn't mean you're strong. Have at you!"

"Ooh, the evil king of all charlatans! Do I look scared? Have at you!"

"No one's coming to save you this time, dearest princess! Have at you!"

"Hey, Mr. Jumpsallthetime! NOW we'll see who's the better jumper!"

"Hey, Mr. Getsfoiledallthetimebytheredguywiththemustache! I'll foil your FACE!"

"Hey, Ms. Pink n' Frilly! Try not to get kidnapped before I defeat you! Have at you!"

"Hey, Ms. Alwayskidnapped! I'll kidnap your FACE!"

"I uh... got to go deflavorize the Brobot's uh... Flavorizer."

"Hey there, butterball!"

"Hey, King Incompetent! I'm gonna hatch an evil plan on your FACE! Have at you!"

"I was just scouting him, dear. Next time, he will be mine!"

"But Brobot craves his daily smash! I can't just loiter here! There's no action!"

"L-ater!" - Mr. L

"Looks like your Pure Heart thing got broken. I guess Pure Hearts can't handle the end of the world. Heh. Whatever, I'll swipe it just for kicks."

"Meet my new friend... BROBOT L-TYPE!"

"Not a funny joke, Dimentio... If I wanted to laugh, your face is inspiration enough!"

"Dimentio... No..."

Fun facts about him:

Mr. L's mustache as black whereas Luigi's artwork gives him a brown mustache. In game, however, both forms' mustaches are brown.

Mr. L shares many similarities with Lord Crump from Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, in that both of them are arrogant underlings of their games' primary antagonists, both command massive mechanical creations as well as updated versions of them, and both of them don disguises that are fairly easy to see through by the player, so much so that Mario's partners often lampshade it.

Mr. L's self-given nickname could be a reference to Luigi's Thunderhand ability from Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga.

Shadoo's first form (Dark Luigi) looks identical to Mr. L instead of normal Luigi.

(A/N): I don't have any theories about him, although of course I would accept some suggestions =)

[cienie-isengardu]

Bi-Han and Shang Tsung - sidenotes

I’m not done with my research for any bits of Bi-Han & Shang Tsung’s relationship through the years, as I’m pretty sure the lore & game mechanics have much more to offer about those two characters. However, as I'm not a player myself, finding proper sources will take much more time and energy than previously needed, so in meanwhile I'm sharing my random observations and notes about Sub-Zero and Shang Tsung.

POWER and FREEDOM

Some time ago I made a post about reputation vs reality of Shang Tsung and Bi-Han's life situations - how despite being praised for being cunning and strong, both either fulfilled high expectations of their masters or would be killed/harshly punished for failure.

Thinking more about that, alternative timeline’s Shang Tsung and Bi-Han/Noob share an additional trait - patience to bid their time. Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath is the best proof of Shang Tsung’s dedication to seize the power and with it, freeing himself from the servitude (enslavement) he was stuck in for centuries. Bi-Han as Noob Saibot also had his own goal of ascending to power and with that, getting out of control of others:

Mortal Kombat 9's BIO:

"Noob Saibot's origins are unknown, but he is likely a revenant: a fallen warrior resurrected by the Netherrealm sorcerer Quan Chi to fulfill a dark objective. Noob has been assigned to aid Shao Kahn in his acquisition of Earthrealm. A faithful servant and a recent addition to the Brotherhood of Shadow, he will obey his master, Quan Chi, and complete his mission. But he is biding his time. Noob Saibot has a dark objective of his own.

Mortal Kombat 9's ENDING:

"Quan Chi should never have resurrected Noob Saibot. Nor should he have enhanced his power to defeat Shao Kahn. The revenant he created had broken free of his control. Noob had secretly formed an "understanding" with a cleric from the realm of Chaos and opened for him a portal to the Netherrealm. Shinnok, Quan Chi and the Brotherhood of Shadow were unprepared as the forces of Chaos overwhelmed them, leaving the Underworld severely weakened. Satisfied with his work, the cleric, Havik, returned to the realm of Chaos. Noob Saibot remained to seize control of the Netherrealm."

Mortal Kombat 11's BIO:

"Shadow of the Netherrealm. In life, Noob Saibot was known as Sub-Zero. Unjustly murdered by Scorpion, he was resurrected by Quan Chi and granted power over darkness, but as Quan Chi’s slave. Now, Quan Chi is dead. Noob Saibot is finally free to reclaim the honor that was stolen from him."

Mortal Kombat 11's ENDING:

"Kronika said I would lead the New Era's deadliest clan. But she made such promises to many. She could never keep them all. So I betrayed her, before she could betray me. When Kronika's sands fused with my shadows, my ambitions grew. Why be a ruler of mortals, when I could rule destiny itself? Mortals resisted, but could not stop, my blanketing history in cold, endless night. All is dark. All are shadows. I have had many names. Now I am become Death, destroyer of worlds."

Furthermore, MK1’s Bi-Han fits this scheme too (although he lacks the patience), as for him power and freedom are tightly tied to each other, as one can’t exist without the other. Personally I think this is a very neat detail when it comes to those two characters, as they seem to operate on a similar mindset.

Additionally, MK11 and MK1 Shang Tsungs share the same key word: INFLUENCE.

MK11!Noob had RECOGNITION while MK1!Bi-Han has POWER,

however the BIO itself imply that this version of Bi-Han too wants recognition for himself and his clan:

Under his leadership, the Lin Kuei will come out of the shadows and fight for its place as one of Earthrealm's great nations

which is pretty shame NRS pick “power” for Sub-Zero's key word.

SELLERS

MK1’s Shang Tsung is stated to be skilled seller (though why, I have no idea):

"Shang Tsung grew up in Outworld's backwaters. Too lazy for hard labor and too shifty for honest work, he eked out a living selling quack cures and fake magic. Though his wares were useless, Shang Tsung's easy charm always closed the deal. Shang Tsung was resigned to to this hardscrabble life. But then one day a mysterious stranger came, promising to make Shang Tsung a powerful sorcerer. Though suspicious of the offer, it was one he couldn't refuse."

The old card game presented Sub-Zero to be the best seller out of three ninja characters:

Friendship With an amazing sales pitch, Sub-Zero convinces his befuddled opponent to purchase a Sub-Zero doll.

For comparison, below is Reptile and Scorpion cards

SIMILAR GEAR - sharp edged metal protection of fingers

MK11's Shang Tsung

MK11 Noob Saibot

Dark Sub-Zero (Order of Darkness)

MK1: Khaos Reigns - Noob Saibot

MK: Onslaught (comics & game)

MK1's ANIMALITY in which Noob Saibot is alligator and Shang Tsung a cobra. Thus spiritual animals of both are reptilian. (In contrast, Bi-Han as Sub-Zero has a mammoth as his spiritual animal).

At the same there are some vital differences between Shang Tsung and Bi-Han.

For one, Shang Tsung is openly interested into technology. Magic is his main domain, but he does not look down on technology and may even adapt it for his own plans. Perhaps in the cloning process itself. We have various timelines' intro dialogues and MK11's Krypt to support his interest:

MK1

Shang Tsung: Once you are dead, I'll study that armor at my leisure. Sektor: What does a sorcerer know of engineering?

MK11

Shang Tsung: Perhaps technology is superior to magic. Terminator: Magic is an artificial construct. Shang Tsung: You’re not from around here, are you?

MK11 Krypt*

Shang Tsung: Sorcery isn't my only vocation. I'm also an inventor. While a modest endeavor, this forge is my finest. It can transmute collected items into new items you might find more useful

[* quote taken from MK wiki]

In previous timelines, Bi-Han did not utilize technology

[...] The Sub-Zero you saw killed was my older brother. He was stubborn in many ways. Refused to utilize modern technology on his missions.

but he was capable of using it (as seen with Noob Saibot and Cyber Smoke). In new era, Bi-Han will praise Sektor's technological genius

[...] but trafficking in such strong magic would surely draw Liu Kang’s attention. Sektor advised me that we avoid detection by building our army using science, not sorcery. We’ve invested much time in this endeavor, and we are beginning to see results. Once again proving the depths of Sektor’s genius.

and won't mind Lin Kuei using technology to gain additional advantage, yet he himself won't use any power suit (as was seen during Khaos Reigns).

The second difference is based on how Titan Shang Tsung and Dark Sub-Zero "solved" the problem of reincarnated characters. As in, Dark Sub-Zero made others part of his clan (Lin Kuei blood) while Titan Shang Tsung treats them as his minions.

And the last difference that catched my attention is how Dark Sub-Zero from Invasion would refuse to yield, even when given a chance to surrender

In contrast, Shang Tsung from Invasion Season #7, tried to run away once his invasion has failed and life was in danger

which makes me think Bi-Han, at least in the oldest timelines, is much more reconciled with death than Shang Tsung who will do anything to stay alive (begging to be spared, for example). Which makes sense, as Sub-Zero was an assassin so being killed was a much more probable outcome for him, than for Shang Tsung who could hire people to do his dirty job for him.

[idofemtanyl]

I love love love the scene with I-No and Happy Chaos driving and how well their simple conversation talks about their character and communicates their wants and needs. I love I-No's boredom of the simple pleasure of the drive and mentioning that she can simply teleport. And I love Happy Chaos's insistence that the drive is as important as the destination. I love how it reflects in their fighting styles. I-No quickly ends fights, at the start of Strives story mode she's faced with guards and quickly vanquished them to get to her goal. And at the end when she fuses with Happy Chaos after being confronted by Sol she sets up a situation where she can't lose, She wants results and only results, She wants you to say "That's bullshit" because it is, she's not trying to be entertaining she's trying to win. Compared to Happy Chaos's need to create a story, in the scene where he's being chased by Anji, Sol, Chipp, and Jack-O he can easily end the fight, he can easily kill Sol there and win, but he fires a maximum of like 5 bullets, he says one liners, he monologs about his view of the world while standing on the back of a moving vehicle. I love their parallels so much and it really makes me appreciate them both a lot more.

[clarebear-0925]

The Holy Trinity of Fear-Entity Based Media

HELLO! i am returning to elaborate on this subject because i've been thinking about it for literal WEEKS ever since i made the connection while starting TMA.

So, let's explore this venn diagram in more depth, shall we?

(Apologies for the length of this post but I have MANY thoughts. I know it's long, but please hear me out lol)

First, I want to talk about the world-building similarities since they're what I first noticed and spurred this entire thing.

Imagine the following explanation in terms of the venn diagram above.

Chainsawman:

A Japanese action/horror manga

A universe where fear-based entities (called "devils") exist. Each devil correlates to the fear of a specific concept (with infinite possibilities ranging from tomatoes to the future). They are the embodiment of the fear their name represents.

Each devil thus has its own special abilities and 'theming' associated with its name.

The existences and power levels of the devils fluctuate based on what the the populace is afraid of at the time and how scared they are. They survive and feed off of human's fear.

The devils exist in another 'place' (Hell) that is separate but linked to the our world. However, they can manifest in the real world to attack and spread further fear (and if they die there, they are sent back to Hell in a weakened state). It is currently unknown as to how devils cross over from Hell.

However, the devils CAN in fact permanently die- if they are forgotten entirely by humanity (and thus run out of fear to exist/feed on)

There are a few special types of devils: 1. Primal fears, which embody ancient instinctual fears (darkness, falling) and 2. the Four Horsemen: (Control/manipulation, war, famine, and death), the most powerful of the devils.

There are also many ways that humans can serve, be linked to, and be embodiments of these devils. Beings known as "fiends" (corpses possessed by devils), cases of devil transformations (humans who make contracts with devils and are transformed into monsters to do their bidding) and "hybrids" (humans and devils fused). However each way results in great personal cost/change, like the loss of humanity.

The existence of these devils is a common, well-known fact of society, and one of the main causes of death in this world.

There is a governmental agency tasked with combating devil attacks. The main leader we interact with is a character who manipulates the protagonist throughout the entire series to help them achieve their vision for the world. They are revealed to secretly be one of the devils the characters were supposed to be fighting, and is heavily associated with eye imagery.

Ordem Paranormal

A Brazilian live-streamed horror TTRPG (table-top roleplaying game)

(Disclaimer: for this one, I have only had the chance to watch OPQ and Cellbit's onstream explanations of the lore, so I tried to supplement with the wiki as best I could without getting too spoiled. If I got anything wrong or you think I missed anything, please tell me! I'd love to get your guy's insight on this)

A universe where there are 5 elements (Death, Energy/Chaos, Blood, Knowledge, and Fear) that exist in a place separate but linked to our world known as "the Other Side."

Each element is associated with different monsters, abilities, and general characteristics. Death is associated with distortions in the passage of time, spirals, and an ultimate end. Blood is the element of intense emotions, both positive and negative. Knowledge is the element of discovering, knowing, recording. It wants to preserve balance between the elements since it likes reality as it is. Energy/Chaos is unpredictability, unreality, and transformation. It mostly serves its own entertainment. Fear is the most mysterious- it is the source of all paranormal and has existed since the dawn of humanity- it is of the unknown and the infinite.

Individuals can connect to and form pacts with each of these entities (except for Fear). They gain different supernatural abilities depending on which, but all result in great personal cost and change- usually becoming less and less human in a variety of ways.

The barrier between the two worlds can be weakened through fear. Cultists take advantage of this and attempt to perform rituals that would break the membrane and bring these entities over to our world.

These elements can also just manifest into our world in a variety of different ways, like monsters, paintings, artifacts, etc.

Tthere are independent organizations around the globe who work to prevent these rituals and maintain order. However, the existence of this "other side" and the entities is not known by the wider public.

The organization we follow is headed by an elderly character who has dedicated every single aspect of their life to fighting these elements, stopping these rituals, and maintaining the balance. However he is willing to form connections with those around him, and violence isn't always his first option.

The Magnus Archives

A British horror/tragedy podcast

A universe where entities known as "the fears" or "the dread powers" exist next to our world (separate but linked). Each entity is the embodiment of a different fear that the humans (and animals) of earth feel.

The fears are typically broad (covering multiple specific fears under a wider category) and when manifesting can blend into one another. A good analogy to explain it is the color wheel.

The single entity known as fear has been around since the beginning of the world. However, as humanity developed more complex thought, they split off into different aspects (though they are still in some ways linked).

At the time of the series there are 15 entities (a full list here). The existences and power levels of the entities fluctuate based on what the the populace is afraid of at the time and how scared they are. They survive and feed off of human's fear.

The entities can permanently die, but only if the organisms of the world did too, as there would be no more fear left for them to consume.

These fears can manifest in our world as a number of different paranormal happenings, from monsters to books. They manifest in order to cause fear to feed themselves.

Most of the entities are near mindless- they simply operate to feed, with little to no future planning (with the exception of The Spider, the fear of control and manipulation, whose entire thing is future planning.)

Individuals can connect to and form pacts with each of these entities to become individuals known as Avatars. They gain different supernatural abilities depending on which fear they connect too, but all result in great personal cost, change, and the overall loss of humanity.

Followers of the same fear often gather to form cults. When a fear gains enough power, its avatars usually attempt to perform various rituals that would manifest their entity in our world. This would result in our world transforming into a hellscape of fear for that entity to gorge itself on. (There are also two fears that do not attempt rituals as they prefer reality the way it is. )

We follow an independent organization tasked with recording and categorizing the encounters of individuals with these paranormal events. The two leaders we interact with the most are

A Character who manipulates the protagonist throughout the entire series to help them achieve their vision for the world. They are revealed to secretly be one of the Avatars the characters were supposed to be fighting, and is heavily associated with eye imagery.

An elderly character who has dedicated every single aspect of their life to fighting these entities, stopping these rituals, and maintaining the balance. (However she is unwilling to become attached to those around her, and will ruthlessly do whatever it takes to accomplish her goals.)

Ok, so if you read through these explanations you can hopefully see many of the connections that I drew. The TLDR is: these three pieces of media all feature fear-powered entities that exist in a world separate but connected to our own, but can manifest here in a variety of ways and each have their own unique theming/powers. People can form pacts and become connected to these entities and gain supernatural abilities, but that often results in the loss of their humanity. Rituals are performed by the people connected to these entities in order to manifest them more into our world. Finally, all three stories are centered around the members of an organization tasked with dealing with these entities in some way.

(Also, if you combine the world-building of CSM and OP, it basically results in the world-building of TMA, which is that thought that originally inspired this post)

However, these are just baseline world-building connections. When I first posted about the idea of this venn diagram, I got some tags from @wasabi-ribs proposing a connection between the very themes of these shows in a way I hadn't even thought about.

While I don't feel as though I can accurately speak to the themes of Ordem as much as the other two, I was doing some research (*cough* scrolling tumblr) and saw this post from @just-an-enby-lemon.

And honestly, that sounds pretty damn similar to what I consider to be the main themes of CSM and TMA, aka:

Love and connection alone can't save you, but that doesn't mean they are unimportant, especially in a world full of so much fear, trauma and loss of control and perhaps even your humanity.

Also, the general questioning of what exactly it means to be human, and my age old favorite of the indomitable human spirit even in the face of unfathomnable horror and tragedy.

What is the conclusion or point of this post? I'm not entirely sure. But I wanted to acknowledge the beauty in how such different mediums can be used by people of three completely different cultures to discuss eerily similar themes of humanity and connection (and also very spooky fear entities).

Thank you so much for reading this far and please feel free to add onto this post with anything you think I missed or got wrong. I love talking about the connections between my favorite pieces of media with people! :)

(Also, apologies if this came across as incoherent or rambly in any way, turns out it’s a lot harder to explain this in a concise way in writing than to just have the thoughts floating around in your head lol)

[veveisveryuncool]

so, i was wondering about that mirror AU. first off i wanna say, i really like the designs. but i did have a few questions.

So first off, for Magolor, you say he's basically blind but it looks like he has an eye in his mouth like the original soul version. Is that not an eye or am I just going crazy?

Secondly, You mentioned how Adeline is the most normal of them. So are all the characters basically insane and if so, how would you say they rank on the sanity scale?

And finally, and I just have to ask this being a fan of both these characters, but you mentioned that Magolor has someone to help guide him, being blind. Is there by any chance that this seeing-eye jester you mentioned happens to be Marx?

ohhh hi!! tysm for asking about this! i'm really glad people took an interest in those mirror world counterparts, it means a lot :]]

ok, to start, i'm gonna talk about adeleine and sanity :D (since the two magolor questions tie in with each other and bc i like talking about her)

here is the "sanity" scale! i put this in quotes because they are all a little bit insane in their own ways <3

adeleine is the "most normal" here, not because she is mentally sane, but because she basically lives the same life she had pre-DL3 (living alone in cloudy parks, surrounded by her living discarded WIPs, having various temper tantrums). obviously, she still plays a role in the mirror-world version of 64:CS, but she let the whole "shiver star oh my god. earth is dead. humans are gone and i'm the only one left" thing completely take over her psyche. she stays up in the clouds, desperately trying to remember life on earth, and maybe– just maybe, convince herself that she's not alone.

magolor is doing surprisingly okay here?? like, sure he barely managed to scrape his way out of purgatory, and now has the remains of his wrongdoings etched into his body, but he's taking it like a champ 👍👍 he denies what happened to him was his fault (even when it totally was), and because of it, his AD experience was ramped up to 11. he feels no remorse for his betrayal, and instead no longer fights kirby simply because he gave up trying. he's also got the whole..eye and crown thing going on. so.

elfilin is next, with him basically being confined to the Pickle Jar. he's trapped in his own mind (forever wandering the isolated isles) and just kinda floats there, waiting for something to save him from an eternity of chaos. i put him above adeleine because of the situation that leads him there in the first place. since the initial splitting of elfilis/elfilin was a lot more messy, it means that they're stuck in a yin-yang scenario. instead of completely good, elfilin is mostly good, and that sliver of darkness increased his susceptibility to fecto forgo, drawing him to lab discovera. the beast pack captures him and tries to fuse him with forgo, but because of the discordance, it's taking a lot longer. the "good" part of elfilin hangs on, trapped in his dreams and slowly losing his grip, which is represented by his constant crying of the blood cell-like orbs from chaos elfilis' fight.

ribbon is. not doing so hot here. not only is she on the verge of breaking (mentally and physically), she has essentially isolated herself to complete an impossible mission. since the crystal was smashed into thousands upon thousands of pieces, she'll likely spend the rest of her life searching for each shard. she wallows in guilt and self-depreciation (even though it's not her fault!!), and is also fighting off dark matter possession at any given point. her will is strong, but how long can she last?

okay!! magolor time!!

magolor's seeing-eye jester is indeed marx! (though he will kill you if you call him that) while mirror-marx is even less of a good choice to befriend than normal marx, their friendship still upholds :]

while yeah, magolor does have a huge-ass eye in his mouth, it's not him that's doing the seeing. the visual information goes straight to the master crown, if this makes sense.

the master crown's power has dulled, now forming a symbiotic relationship with him. magolor provides the crown with a body to host, and the crown's magic allows him survive AD, basic perception (he's not gonna run into a tree anytime soon, but can't read or see faces), and a huge ego boost.

[ceejaykayess]

SMTV:V Vengeance Route Minor Late Game Spoilers (and some minor Creation True Neutral spoilers)

I've been playing SMTV:V for the last month and finally got to put it down yesterday finishing all six routes after initially only wanting to do the True Neutral ending then grab both (or just one depending on how satisfied I felt) Vengeance endings. I liked it enough that I'm honestly kinda sick of it.

But a certain series of conversations in Taito with a certain character pushed me to make a post to push out a message to the sea of souls.

To start, let's bring up the original release of SMTV in 2021. Now, while plenty of people praised the gameplay, the game's story was near universally reviled, or at best ignored. The biggest symptom of this was the lacking, if not outright shitty, characterisation of our cast. The player was, ultimately, left with no real reason to care about any of these chumps on a personal basis outside of maybe Tao and Aogami (and Ichiro, but his shit went wack super hard so it kinda evened out), and could only really care about them in terms of what they think the game wanted from them. Comparatively, the demons in the game got much more of a spotlight, being almost entirely who you got sidequests from, as well as who you interact with the most, not even in a gameplay sense but in a cutscene one too. Bumping into Fionn over the course of the story was cool, and him eventually accepting you as his king was a nice conclusion. Amanozako, annoying she may be, turned out to, at least conceptually, be pretty interesting in her relationship to the protagonist. Plenty of the demons you met had strong personalities that, when combined with their gameplay styles, left a strong impression on the player, and made them more important to (You) as a person than the "main characters".

So, along comes the True Neutral ending of the game, the closest to a "definitive" ending in terms of gameplay experience, with the secret final boss showing off his chops as probably the hardest non-superboss. And in this ending, you... create a world for humanity alone. Which means you... get rid of all of the gods and demons plaguing your world, made more or less certain by absorbing the secret final boss' Knowledge. The gods and demons you've spent upwards of 50 hours running around for, fighting with, fusing, studying, refining, even just watching.

Even your partner, Aogami, who's the only reason you're still alive.

And people were... not exactly hot on it. Generally people thought all the endings weren't great, and none of them actually felt like they fit their supposed alignment, with Neutral and Chaos seeming mixed in their placement and Law being the most tame it's ever been since the franchise's inception, if the wiki didn't lie to me. Made for great angsty fanfiction at least, but... not exactly a lot to go around.

Now, this brings me to the alignment rep for Neutrality, Shohei Yakumo, and his Life, Nuwa. Nuwa herself wasn't too much of a character, as much as she was a couple pretty good lines and an attempted line of communication between you and Yakumo. Yakumo is the real star of the show here, and... what a star he was.

I don't think anybody liked this guy. Hell, I'm not sure anyone likes this guy even after Vengeance's addendums. He shows up, starts shit, accomplished nothing we actually see or that actually matters, then dies. In the Neutral routes, he dies to fucking Ichiro and Abdiel, like fuck off. His plan, with Nuwa, is to destroy the Throne of Creation, which will make it impossible for a new God to remake the world or rule over humanity (in this way at least, allegedly, but no secret final boss so maybe actually). When we attempt it, we get the Neutral ending, generally accepted as the worst ending, and even to me actively read like the bad ending to the story. The protagonist even has the same evil little smile on his face as when he uses Profaned Land.

Of course, when you fulfill certain conditions (read: have certain fusion recipes visibly unlocked in the World of Shadows) Nuwa will stroll up to you at some point and tell you that the original plan was to make a world for humanity alone, but that they didn't go with it for... some reason. That's the True Neutral ending. Out of universe, a boggling decision to make, and in-universe, one that actively tears at out protagonist's heart.

This leads me to the point of the post: In Vengeance route, we are given, implicitly, the reason why Yakumo and Nuwa did not approach the Throne with the idea of using it to make a world just for humans. It is because, in spite of Yakumo being the victims of demons, his parents slaughtered by a man whose will was weak enough to be possessed by them and resenting demons, as a teenager demons were the only friends he really had. Between him and a fellow in Jouin that tells us about his files, we know he often spoke with things nobody else saw and called them his friends, said that he was never really alone. He is described actively as a contradiction. Demons took everything from him. Demons were all he had. He hates demons. He loves demons. He wants to create a world without demons. He can't bring himself to follow through on that ideal and settles for a much shittier compromise: ultimately keeping the status quo and making sure nobody can really change it. Neutral is the bad end; it's the White Ending of SMTV.

But, don't you think all of that sounds a little familiar? Lost things precious to him because of demons, yet in a sense has demons as his closest companions. Wanting to make a world for humanity alone, yet crushed by the weight of erasing those he holds dear. A contradictory person, when you look at him all up.

Hey wait, that's just our protagonist.

That's right, I think they accidentally made Yakumo a strong mirror to the protagonist, as reflected metatextually by the True Neutral route. It is in this way, then, that I find it striking that the Vengeance route, the one praised for making the characters actual characters, and where you can actually say the MC became friends with his classmates and alignment reps, is the route where you can't choose to abandon demons. (Saying that, I have seen some people compare Vengeance Law to True Neutral in removing all demons, I'm not sure about that actually but I dunno) Instead, it's in the Creation route, where you don't make particularly deep bonds at all with your fellow humans, where demons are those most important, most interesting to you, that you can choose to destroy them.

And all of that made me think of Yakumo as incredibly interesting, actually. Nuwa said, in the diverging cutscene between Neutral and True Neutral, that maybe we could do what they (Nuwa and Yakumo) couldn't. In 2021, that would be read as finishing the fight they lost. But now, it reads like this: "You and Yakumo are incredibly similar people. But Yakumo can't pull the trigger on his ideals. I know you can, though. You won't betray yourself." Which is wild to say to a 17 year old God who probably has a history of flip-flopping on who he thinks is right at any given moment, but hey.

[swappetf11]

Serious Method Acting

In the seclusion of a vast, desolate set replicating a distant alien world, Ethan Clarke, a dedicated actor of a slight build, was tackling the role of a lifetime. Despite his height of 5 feet 5 inches, he was to portray Azogar, a formidable 7-foot superhuman-animal hybrid, in a highly anticipated film series. The transformation required each day was intense—six hours to apply the makeup and prosthetics necessary for the role, and then another three to remove them after long filming days under a scorching 100-degree sun.

The suit he wore was a heavy, technological wonder, complete with animatronics for enhanced movement, but it was grueling to wear. Overwhelmed by the physical demands, Ethan found it increasingly difficult to endure the long days.

One morning, amidst the usual chaos of makeup and machinery, Maria, the chief makeup artist, leaned in close with a secretive proposition. Only she, her team, and the director were in on the discussion that followed. "Ethan, there’s a way to ease this burden," she whispered, her voice tinged with both excitement and concern. "A transformation potion—it’s experimental, but it could permanently turn you into Azogar for the duration of the filming."

Wearied by the relentless heat and confinement, Ethan hesitated but the promise of drastically reducing the filming schedule was too tempting. Finally, after a particularly punishing day on set, he agreed to undergo the transformation.

At dawn the next day, only the makeup team and the director were present to witness the event. Ethan drank the potion, a luminescent liquid that shimmered like liquid metal. Almost immediately, he felt a deep warmth flooding his body, signaling the start of his transformation.

The changes commenced with his spine, stretching and elongating with a series of sharp, resonating snaps. Ethan gasped as his body expanded, bones lengthening and muscles bulging outwards. The sensation was surreal, like being molded from the inside out. His feet and hands grew larger, his fingers elongating, and his face began to reshape itself—his jaw broadened, and his cheekbones shifted to accommodate the new structure of his skull.

As he grew taller, the suit—which had been pre-adjusted for this moment—began to fuse to his skin. The integration was seamless, with the prosthetics blending into his expanding frame, becoming part of his very being. The animatronics intertwined with his nervous system, allowing him instantaneous control over the suit's previously cumbersome mechanics.

Ethan felt his consciousness altering as well; his thoughts began to merge with Azogar's primal instincts. The human side of Ethan was receding, his memories and emotions gradually overshadowed by the character’s dominant traits.

An hour later, the transformation was complete. Ethan Clarke no longer sat in the makeup chair; instead, Azogar stood up, a perfect creature of power and primal fury, designed for survival on the harsh, alien terrain of the movie.

The crew watched in awe, the makeup artists and the director exchanging glances of both triumph and unease. They had achieved a cinematic marvel, but at the potential cost of their lead actor's identity.

As the filming progressed, Azogar was impeccable in every scene, the embodiment of the character's ferocity and agility. The days were indeed cut short, and the schedule was halved as promised. However, the crew could not help but feel a chill as they watched him—there was no trace of Ethan, only Azogar, who seemed more at home on the alien set than anywhere else.

When filming wrapped, the director and Maria faced the daunting task of determining whether the transformation could be reversed. They had succeeded in their cinematic goals, but the ethical weight of their decision lingered. Had they changed Ethan forever? Was there a way back for him, or had the potion irrevocably merged man and monster? As they pondered these questions, Azogar stood amidst the alien landscape, a figure of isolation, far removed from the human he once was.

As Azogar, Ethan inhabited a realm far from any human experience, both physically and mentally. The character, a 7-foot superhuman-animal hybrid, was designed to thrive in the harsh, alien environment of the movie set—a vast, rugged landscape mimicking an uninhabitable planet. Now fully transformed, Ethan's daily life was consumed by his new identity as Azogar, distancing him further from his humanity.

On Set as Azogar

Each day on set began at dawn. The early morning hours, usually meant for painstaking makeup and prosthetic applications, were now spent in solitude. Azogar roamed the set, his movements fluid and powerful, a stark contrast to Ethan's previous struggles in the cumbersome suit. His heightened senses, a side effect of the transformation, allowed him to hear the distant calls of the crew and smell the arid dust stirred by the wind. This sensory acuity helped him embody Azogar’s animalistic traits more authentically, enhancing his performance without the need for direction.

Interaction with the Crew

Interaction with the film crew was fundamentally altered. They approached Azogar with a mixture of professional curiosity and wary respect. Dialogue with Ethan, once easy and filled with camaraderie, was now conducted with Azogar's character in mind. The crew quickly learned that Azogar did not engage in small talk. His responses were succinct, often grunts or nods, and his focus remained intensely on the filming tasks. The director adapted by using simpler, more direct commands, which Azogar followed with unnerving precision.

Filming Scenes

Filming scenes with Azogar was remarkably efficient. His understanding of the physical demands of the role was innate; complex action sequences that would have taken hours to choreograph with Ethan were executed flawlessly in one take. His presence on camera was magnetic, each movement imbued with a primal grace that no amount of makeup and prosthetics could have achieved with Ethan. However, the emotional scenes presented challenges, as Azogar’s ability to convey subtle human emotions was limited, his expressions and reactions skewed towards the wild and instinctual.

Between Takes

Between takes, Azogar seldom rested in the way humans did. Instead, he patrolled the set perimeter, sometimes crouching in the shadows or observing the landscape, fully embodying the vigilant creature he was meant to portray. The crew set up a shaded area for him, where he could retreat from the relentless sun, but he rarely used it, preferring the stark authenticity of his environment.

Personal Reflections

In quiet moments, fragments of Ethan’s consciousness surfaced, causing Azogar moments of confusion and disorientation. These were brief flashes—memories of past roles, friends, and a life far less complicated than his existence as Azogar. Yet, these moments were fleeting. The potion had done its work too well, and Azogar's animalistic psyche quickly overpowered any remnants of Ethan's thoughts.

Conclusion of Filming

As filming neared its end, the crew began to feel a mix of relief and concern. Azogar had delivered a performance that would undoubtedly captivate audiences, but the cost was becoming increasingly apparent. The boundary between character and actor had not merely blurred—it had been obliterated. What remained was a creature magnificent and terrifying, far removed from the man who once played him. As the cameras rolled for the final scene, the questions about Ethan's fate loomed larger than the fictional world they had created. Could the man who was Ethan Clarke ever return, or had he been lost to the wild soul of Azogar forever?

[tossawary]

Some quotes and thoughts on the potentially fatal injuries of background characters due to Sha Hualing's invasion of Qiong Ding Peak. The text does not explicitly mention anyone dying except (I think) Elder Sky Hammer, every other character is just "injured" or "captured", but I think Shen Yuan just didn't get to see the full damage while he was focused on the plot and keeping relative control of the dangerous situation.

"Before the elegant, magnificent Qiong Ding Hall stood more than a hundred unknown individuals, roiling with demonic qi. The leader of this invasion was in fact a young girl who appeared to be more more than fifteen or sixteen.

Shen Qingqiu's heart thumped with excitement. She's appeared! She's finally appeared!"

Volume 1, Chapter 2, page 101.

Sha Hualing really showed up to Cang Qiong Mountain Sect with 100+ lackeys in tow! When Shen Qingqiu immediately counters "Disciple A" and "Disciple B" after leaving the Ling Xi caves, one of them says that the demons have "injured many of our sect siblings", but they don't mention anyone being killed. This bit a little later in this sequence on also seems to imply that somehow no one on Cang Qiong Mountain Sect has died yet:

"Parting her red lips, Sha Hualing elegantly suggested a method that seemed fair and just: "Why don't we each choose three representatives ad hold three matches?"

This suggestion was solid. For many years, the Human and Demon Realms had maintained an uneasy balance and had yet to drop the pretense of peace. Eliminating Sha Hualing and her mob wouldn't be impossible, but it would likely light a fuse. The demons definitely wouldn't let her death go unanswered, and it wouldn't be worth it if they stirred up an even greater conflict. On the other hand, simply letting them go would also generate trouble. They couldn't allow outsiders to come and go as they pleased from Qiong Ding Peak. By setting conditions and holding some matches, each teaching the other party a lesson or two, both parties could back down and save face. It would be the best way to handle this."

Volume 1, Chapter 2, pages 104-105.

There's a "no one has died yet, so maybe we can laugh this off still" vibe. This seems a little incredible to me! Perhaps the protocol in the face of an overwhelming force is to turn away and sound the alarm, because the bells are ringing loudly when Shen Qingqiu exits the cave. (Though a strange barrier set up is apparently preventing Qiong Ding from receiving support from other peaks.)

After the three matches, after Shen Qingqiu has been poisoned and Liu Qingge has shown up, the demons' retreat is described like this:

"Sha Hualing led her troops and fled while summoning a bolt of red gauze over her head, which she threw upward. Unfortunately, it simply couldn't block the fierce rain of sword glares. The red gauze was quickly pierced full of holes. On top of that, Cang Qiong Mountain Sect's disciples were hemming the demons in, so mot of the horde suffered great injuries or were captured. Only the small heart of the group that had kept near Sha Hualing managed to escape down the mountain, thoroughly battered and humiliated."

Volume 1, Chapter 2, page 131.

So, it sounds like a lot of the demons were killed as they fled. Some of those "great injuries" might have been fatal and I doubt that Cang Qiong intends to return "captured" demons to the Demon Realm. Sha Hualing is the only one they can't really kill, because she's important enough that her elimination could spark greater conflict.

My instinct is to think: "Oh, some Cang Qiong disciples definitely died here." If Elder Sky Hammer (with his poisoned weapon and poisoned armor) alone is any indication, these demons are here to kill people, and some cultivators may have been more than "injured" when demons showed up at the gates. There's a hundred of them! Here to cause chaos! Trying to be stealthy! (Just look at what happened at the Immortal Alliance Conference!) They probably got the drop on someone. Although I do hope that Qiong Ding has some security precautions that would allow most disciples in the demons' path to take shelter rather than engage.

Also, unless they can run from the Demon Realm to the Human Realm in a single day, or without stopping across several days (which is very possible in this world), these demons may have stopped somewhere to raid a human settlement for supplies or for fun. And I bet Sha Hualing and the remainder of her little army also caused damage on the way back to the Demon Realm, unless Cang Qiong cultivators chased them the whole way, and I hope that they did for the sake of any random people in Sha Hualing's path.

This incursion was likely far uglier than this fragment of the incident that Shen Yuan gets to see before he passes out due to the Without a Cure poison. Though I don't believe that anyone in the following chapter mentions any deaths on Cang Qiong's side, I feel like... a hundred demons invading (one of whom is wielding all of that poison) would have gotten someone on the way in.

[the-au-collector]

I've got to ask, what is the unusual/unique (in a good way) au you've come across (or cooked up yourself)?

Thanks for the ask!

I realize now you asked for one fic but uh--I kinda compiled a list of some of my favorite AUs instead. I've read a lot of fics, but to save your sanity I'll stick with my 3 main fandoms: Linked Universe, Kingdom Hearts, and Tales of the Abyss. I'll tag authors where I can, but some I just couldn't find anywhere 😭

This definitely isn't all of them but if I tried to compile every single AU I've loved, we'll be here all day.

Kingdom Hearts:

Familiars by @kutikue @letoasai- all the characters are witches and/or familiars. I've just started reading it but it seems good so far! Definitely one of a kind!

Runaway Wind by Pred1059 - Ven wakes up early. It gets very off the rails very quickly.

Vulpes to Dandelions by YumeTakato (deviantart profile)- An Ava is Sora's Mom AU as well as a Master of Master's Arc speculation series. This one also goes into alternate universes and other things that make it unique.

Linked Universe:

Links Assemble by @vicmillen (Victor_Millen on AO3)- Marvel fusion AU featuring Warriors as Captain America. It's in-the-works so seriously, go over to Vic's blog and check it out!

Townhouse AU by st0rmy - a really fun AU where all the Links end up living in the same townhouse together. Chaos ensues. Time is tired.

Tales of Courage from Across the Galaxy by @wizard-finix (CubanCracker62 on AO3) - Star Wars fusion. I'm currently reading it, but it's good so far! There's also some art for it too!

Linked Nexus AU by @zarvasace- Space AU. I've just started reading it but I can't wait to see where it goes.

Wing Bois AU by @breannasfluff - probbaly one of the most unique AUs in the fandom. The Links have wings and bird traits. It's also very fluffy!

Hero's Aspect AU by @tashacee - Wild gets stuck in the Hero's Aspect outfit. I'm currently trying to catch up on all 45 parts, but it's definitely one of the biggest AUs for Linked Universe.

Opera House AU by @bokettochild (FlamingIdiot on AO3) - modern AU but all the Links work in an opera house. It a very different and interesting setting for a modern AU. I also can't reccomend Ketto's fics enough to be honest.

Fierce Hero 9 by @crazylittlejester (Can_Opener on AO3)- Big Hero 6 but it's Linked Universe. It loosely follows the plot of the movie, but there are some huge, interesting differences between this and the movie.

Tales of the Abyss:

Bladework by @starcrossed-sky - probably the best "Asch joins the group" series out there. Lots of political intrigue. The characters are so well-written and the 2nd person POV is so unique! Definitely made me obsessed with 2nd person POV lol. Follows the plot of the game initially

Reflections by @darkangelmya - an AU where Asch decides to return to the manor instead of running away with Van. Asch is an overprotective brother and it's awesome! Also follows the plot of the game, probably the most religiously of all my other fic recs for this game

Troth by @daily-rayless (Rayless_Night on AO3) - A post-game Asch comes back too AU focused on Asch and Natalia's relationship. Very beautiful, Rayless is an amazing author!

As for stuff I've written... I have to say the more unique ones boil down to [obscure media I read when I was 13] fused with either Linked Universe or Kingdom Hearts 😅 So like, my Lockwood and Co Fusion or the Stravaganza fusion I'm thinking of making lol. I also have a lot of unfinished Kingdom Hearts fics from years ago, like a "Eraqus gets brought back to life but he's 16 again and has amnesia" fic and a "Brain ends up in the time of Days and changes things" fic.

As for serious fics... I can't not plug my passion projects, the Reconnect the Chain AU and Relinked AU. They're both Linked Universe fics where the Links reunite (though I'm planning Relinked to be a comic). They're AUs of each other, with Reconnect the Chain being an AU that boils down to "what if Relinked happend 10 years earlier minus all the kidnapping?" (AKA, it's my fluff outlet lol).

I yet again managed to write an essay but uh--enjoy the fic recs!

[son1c]

I'm new-ish to your blog. Haven't done much digging around. I only knew of your falling stars au so I'm really interested to learn about your other ones!

Could you give a quick rundown of each or tell us the tags for them for people to see them? /nf

#falling stars au: sonic attempts to catch shadow after they defeat the final hazard together at the end of sa2. because of this, the two of them fall to earth together. they both lose their memories and sonic, being a regular mobian and not some science experiment freak with alien bones, breaks his leg. the story is about the past, the present, and finding your identity, but mostly it's just about wacky adventures.

#sol sonic: sonic and blaze roleswap. sonic is the (reluctant) fire prince of the sol dimension and blaze is the speedy hero of mobius.

prime shadows (#prism, #bermuda, #halcyon): fun what-if about shadow getting spliced by the paradox prism.

new yoke shadow is called prism, and he's very young, because he was made by nine after the fox stole the (abandoned) plans for him from the chaos council.

no place shadow is called bermuda, he's a siren created by gerald, but instead of space, the ark was basically atlantis, and bermuda has a horrible grudge against all surface dwellers for raiding his home and killing maria (who was a mermaid).

boscage maze shadow is called halcyon, and he was made by gerald as a solution to the megafauna problem that's plaguing the earth and making it uninhabitable for humanity, and intends to keep his promise to maria and restore the earth regardless of thorn rose's opposition.

#project nova dlc: what if eggman experimented on sonic after he got captured in sonic forces? what if he got fused with one of the chaos emeralds and was a little bit evil about it? what if infinite slowly realized his quest for unlimited power was futile, and the pain will persist so long as he continues to chase after it and forsaking what's really important, the memory of his deceased squad? what if he had a character arc???