#these ones are technically dark brown shhhhh

[aperfecta-rt]

black cats best cats- i do not make the rules (and yes, i am biased, i have two)

[phoenixtakaramono]

Character Design Thoughts for Shen Yuan & Airplane Shooting Towards the Sky in ‘The Untold Tale’

(This is a Follow Up to This Post)

Hello, @averydrearydiana! Loved reading through your tags! I’m excited that you’re excited! Since I’m also seeing comments on AO3 speculating about how our transmigrators are going to appear as in The Untold Tale, I might as well give my current thoughts and have this archived on tumblr for future reference.

A fun fact about TUT is that a lot of the imagery in the story is inspired by Chinese PVs and popular C-dramas and literature. Since TUT is conceived as a lovestory to SVSSS, one element that I’d wanted to incorporate is playful attempts at satirical genre deconstruction. With that comes with me playfully poking fun at some clichés or things I’ve noticed in Chinese works.

Shen Yuan’s Celestial Design

Before I talk about his mortal appearance, I have to give a lil context about his celestial design in the story. We already know what he looks like as the celestial fortuneteller in TUT’s cover art that I’ve already posted on tumblr. As everyone knows, I was heavily inspired by this Chinese PV:

(TUT ch1 - Excerpt)

Among the things I’ve noticed are the fictional characters with white hair. We have a whole subculture of fans liking male character designs with white hair in anime and animation. Taking that a step further, they’ve even shown up in C-dramas, i.e. Teng She from Love and Redemption (technically more blond than platinum white, but shhhhh, just let me have this), Dong Hua Dijun from Eternal Love of Dream aka Three Lives Three Worlds, Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms (rest assured, I’m aware of the source material’s controversy, but let’s not get into that here), etc. One of the tags for TUT is Opposites Attract. Luo Binghe’s color coordination is aligned with black and red mostly. Now, visually speaking, what’s the opposite of that?

The yin yang symbol.

Fun fact, besides black vs white, green (SY) is the complementary color of red (LBG) on the color wheel. Now taking everything I’ve said, to take it even one step further, my thought process at the time was, “why not go the extra mile then and just have SY be albino? Within context of the Heavenly Realm, that character design makes sense.” TUT is me subtly riffing off what I can (for the good ol’ meta humor), but making the content come across as a legitimate story experience. As Protagonist A and Protagonist B, LBG and SY have to look visually striking together. With all that said, let’s talk about....

(In reference to the original tumblr post)

Shen Yuan (Mortal)

I’ll keep some elements of his albinism from his celestial form (light sensitivity and pale skin mostly), but SY’s mortal form is essentially SY pre-transmigration but within context of the xianxia genre.

For his appearance, let’s just keep this Author’s Note^ and TUT’s summary in the back of our brains. This is the fanvid I was originally inspired by for SY’s mortal appearance:

(TUT Summary - Excerpt)

For what he wears, I’m currently feeling very heavily inspired by this PV:

His mortal appearance wouldn’t be considered as “strange” or “otherworldly” compared to the “ethereal fairy-like beauty” SY retains in the Heavenly Realm, but as a side-effect of the 【PROTAGONIST��S HALO】 and his +20 CHARISMA stat, he would still be considered attractive to people even when he takes on a mortal appearance. (Mainly, I like the idea of Bing gē taking large shots of vinegar seeing SY turning heads no matter which appearance SY takes on, and Luo Binghe glaring at these “insects” for even “daring to lay their unworthy eyes on his fated person.” The thought of it just makes me laugh.)

What I mean by how SY’s mortal form being very much based on how SY appeared pre-transmigration but in the xianxia genre context, I mean he’ll have his dark hair (but longer), a “scholarly air” (as a nod to his novelist background), dark eyes, and even his glasses technically (the divine monocle mentioned in ch3, which is also a subtle nod to Sha Po Lang and a riff on men wearing monocles in other Chinese works andit’salsoforeshadowingbutshhhh).

(TUT ch3 - Excerpt)

Shen Yuan originally was an author in his forties pre-transmigration, so I like the idea him having a mature air about him in the Cultivation World as well. So for both our Protagonist B’s celestial and mortal appearances, the idea is that you can look at him and immediately recognize him as a protagonist of the danmei setting. My only two prerequisites are that his appearance screams “hello, I’m Protagonist B” and that he appears in “scholarly” attire.

Airplane Shooting Towards the Sky (Mortal)

Keeping in mind the original tumblr post where I wrote my thoughts on who I’m transmigrating him as, currently I’m thinking it’s a combination of these two PVs for his mortal form:

As a nod to him being a successful novelist, I wanted him to also appear scholarly. A scholarly crown prince, if you will. For his attire, imagine all the C-drama clothing you’ve seen actors wear in period dramas, and you already have a good idea already of the direction I’m heading down.

As the prince of the cannon fodder emperor, I very much like the idea of Airplane perhaps having a baby face and brown hair (as a small nod to fanon!SQH from SVSSS) but with a great body (a huge source of inspiration are clothing worn by Prince Yu and Prince Jing of the three princes from the C-drama Nirvana in Fire). Since Airplane will also be able to select his Character Creation stats like Shen Yuan had, one thing I’m fairly certain is that he will max out his CONSTITUTION—because “game logic” and not wanting to die. (For those who don’t know, the CON stat in tabletop RPs essentially indicates a person’s overall health, wellbeing, and vigor checks...so him maxing it out is equivalent to him being as invulnerable as a cockroach. A high CON means overall healthiness, which means your character probably is full of energy and vitality, can heal rapidly, and will rarely get sick—if ever. Low CON usually means a higher susceptibility to sickness and disease, wounds that fester and linger, and a general fatigue would haunt you, etc.) Like how SY zeroed in on his CHA, Airplane would have prioritized +20 CON (+5 modifier), especially knowing the fate that’d await him as a prince and the vicious environment that is expected for palace intrigue plots (the harem is a big factor, with concubines and consorts and even the empress sabotaging each other—just to win the favor of one man). Against poison or whatnot which is a cliché in palace intrigue plots, rather than relying on luck, you typically stand a better chance of passing the CON check if you have a high modifier aiding your checks. He’s basically become impervious to illnesses, most poisons (probably being able to spring back quickly), and is considered the healthiest prince in all the mortal imperial line. <- This could be taken both seriously and humorously simultaneously.

Airplane Shooting Towards the Sky (Deity/ Celestial)

For Xiàng Tiān Dà Fēijī’s “actual divine body” that is currently asleep and won’t be awakened until Airplane completes his mortal trial to “regain his cultivation powers,” the face should obviously be similar but, as Xiàng Tiān Dà Fēijī, he would appear regal and dignified as a god of this world:

Imagine something along the lines of mortal Airplane as the man on the right, celestial Shen Yuan in the center, and deity/ celestial Airplane as the man on the left. I envision a respectable appearance that would knock the air out of Mobei jūn and make him recognize Airplane despite any visual dissimilarities, and in a way we have the Four Beauties of China: Luo Binghe, Shen Yuan, Mobei jūn, and Xiàng Tiān Dà Fēijī.

I will say I currently have an idea of making Airplane have “golden” eyes in both his celestial and mortal forms. (Spoiler alert: in my notes, I’d written down to give Airplane yellow eyes as an Easter egg to Yanxi Palace, I believe, where there was an episode where someone of the imperial harem schemed against the empress and almost had the newborn baby killed because that and the yellow skin was an inauspicious omen. We later find out through a timely intervention that the true reason was due to jaundice—because of the diet/ pregnancy cravings she ate for a period of time which resulted in her son’s symptoms. With Airplane’s high CON and another trope I’m bringing in which’ll have to do with the Medicine King’s Valley/ Valley of the Medicine King, his yellow eyes are the only side effect that lingered from that traumatic event which would have killed him had they gotten away with their scheme. A lot of palace dramas have to do with the vicious harem plots, so this would potentially be one such example.) The reason being that this is the identifying marker for MBJ to clue in that they’re the same man he will have loved. And I think that has romantic potential.

Misc.

Now addressing the other tags, yes, essentially speaking, Mobei jūn might just very well experience his very own Big Damn Reunion trope that Bing mèi had suffered from SVSSS. Poor MBJ. He’s in a tumultuous ride of his own with him considering Airplane as his own fated person, hahaha. But for the Moshang dynamic, I want him—a demon—to find himself taken with Airplane in his mortal guise—and subsequently his true celestial appearance once he finds out. I very much also want SY to jokingly snark to his fellow transmigrator-and-writing-colleague about him getting in a relationship with his own “creation” (MBJ). And Airplane would jokingly snark back about SY “ruining his ‘first son’ as well” (LBG). If you can read between the lines of that, then kudos. I’m glad to hear you’re looking forward to the palace intrigue.

I’m especially very happy to hear you’re looking forward to the descriptions! I personally love worldbuilding in the stories I consume I’m an interior designer and realtor irl, so I’m glad my love of house details and landscape, etc shows in TUT. For the pseudohistorical vibe, in the Mortal Realm, I will be referencing the Forbidden City of our Chinese history and a couple popular period C-dramas. Take the settings of period C-dramas like Ruyi’s Royal Love in the Palace, Yanxi Palace, and Nirvana in Fire as examples for what will be awaiting us when we finally meet Airplane in his mortal body. In the Heavenly Realm, the descriptions will be heavily referencing shows that contain aesthetics such as those of Ashes of Love, Love and Redemption, and Eternal Dream.

Take this with a grain of salt just in case I change my mind later on, but in the chapter when we meet Airplane for the first time, I probably won’t say which character he is in the first scene. I’ll give plenty of hints in the first scene so that you all can make your guesses before the big reveal, but I’m fairly confident you all or most of you will be able to pinpoint who he is among the cannon fodders. We’ll meet the emperor, who is discussing with his sons about the matter regarding the approaching calamity that is Luo Binghe. Then when we transition into the second scene, we’ll know exactly which “royal prince OC” it is that our beloved Airplane has transmigrated into, hahaha.

(*Keep in mind, for everything written above, some details are subject to change. Nothing is official until it appears in the story, or I’ve actually drawn my ideas out and posted online to both my tumblr and twitter. These are just my current thoughts.)

A goal of mine for TUT is to make the story widely accessible, meaning it doesn’t matter if the reader is new to the SVSSS fandom or aren’t familiar with the Easter egg references or meta jokes or subtext or even the Chinese culture, or even if English is not their first language. Having knowledge beforehand might help someone notice more hidden details in TUT, yes, but it is a humble wish of this writer for her esteemed readers to be able to dive into the story and get the enjoyable feeling like they’re reading a genuine danmei novel. It really makes me smile whenever I hear feedback that I am able to emulate that experience.

Very exciting developments indeed are in store!

[profitinaecho]

Echo Appreciation Day 2: A Missing Scene

Liz had asked Max to keep Diego entertained while she was at work for a few hours- with the promise of doing a certain sex act that was usually off limits if he helped her. He definitely would have helped her anyway, but that was definitely a bonus. Walking into the Wild Pony flanked by Diego, Max pauses when he sees Kyle sitting by himself cradling a whiskey at the bartop.

“What are the odds…” Max mumbles to himself, going over to his friend and clapping him on the back. “What’s up man? Have you met Diego?”

“The ex fiance?” Kyle’s brown eyes bug out comically, before remembering his manners and holding his hand out to Diego. “Nice to meet you.”

Diego shakes the shorter latino man's hands, his eyes crinkling in amusement. “You were her first boyfriend, Kyle.”

“That’s me.” Kyle affirms, realizing they are standing in size order- Diego, to Max then himself. “Do yall want to join me or would that be weird?”

“Not any weirder than us hanging out to begin with.” Max shrugs. He is secure in his relationship with Liz. He knows she loves him, but do all her exes have to have eight pack abs and be so damn attractive? The only thing they all seem to have in common is dark hair and dark eyes. Otherwise the three of them are so different- just like the role they played in Liz’s life story.

“What on earth would we have to talk about?” Diego smirks playfully, plopping down to the right of Kyle, while Max takes the seat on Kyle’s other side on the bar top. He is truly a mountain of a man and if Max were into that sort of thing, he could see where Diego would be the epitome of male perfection. It only makes him slightly insecure. Really.

Coming around the corner from the staff room, Maria sees Liz’s past and future relationships all sitting in a row and pauses a moment in surprise. Composing herself, she brings over a bottle of tequila. “You guys look like you could use this. Don’t worry, tequila is keto” Maria comments, setting down the entire bottle of wells tequila and three shot glasses in front of them. She is just glad that Michael isn’t here right now because he would be giving his big brother hell.

After they each take a shot of the cheap but cooled tequila, Diego asks, “Do you think she actually loved you or just thought it was what was expected of her?”

Kyle sputters on the shot he just took then coughs. Liz Ortecho puts him in more weird situations than anyone on earth- and she wasn’t even one of the aliens. “Uh. We were only together in high school. I think she enjoyed the protection and popularity of being with me because I played football and she got to wear my letter jacket. She just did it because it was safe. I was the training wheels before she started her life. Good thing too, because it would have been awkward if we had gotten married then found out I was her sister’s half brother.” Kyle shakes his head then takes the lime Max offers him to chase his shot.

Kyle pours himself another shot and takes it, while Max claps him on the back comfortingly. They both know that if Max had ever been brave enough to make a move in high school, Kyle would have been out of the picture. Kyle was just the one brave enough to make a move and had always felt comfortable to her. Rosa and her father had never liked him though- first because he was a douche in high school, and then because Arturo knew Max was the one for his youngest daughter. Max and Diego both follow with a second shot of their own. It’s been over a decade and Max isn’t bitter any more, but it is always weird seeing someone you know has touched your girlfriend. Kyle was her first, but Max will be her last. They are her past loves and he is her forever.

“You guys aren’t technically related. Liz checked your DNA.” Max hiccups. He’s always been a lightweight and two shots of tequila in a short period of time almost has him at his limit.

“She probably checked all of our DNA to see if we were genetically compatible to have children with.” Diego pipes up. He takes another shot, then smiles dreamily. “She always came up with the most genius experiments. Things no one would ever think of, with far reaching implications. She was determined to get a Nobel Prize.”

“She still will someday.” Max says proudly. He just hopes it isn’t using alien DNA that gets her there. He doesn’t need that kind of exposure for himself and his family.

Kyle pours them all another shot and jubilantly exclaims, “Cheers!” Standing up wobbly on the bottom rungs of his bar stool, Kyle reaches across the bar to grab 3 limes for them. “Woo!” He exclaims, popping a lime in his mouth to suck on and handing the other two men one as well.

“Liz always put the lab over everything. Me. Sex. Feelings. To this day, I don’t know if she said yes because she was sleep deprived and the ring was shiny or if she actually loved me.” Diego sighs dramatically, pouring himself another shot. Max is losing track of what shot number they are on and knows he needs to slow down if he is going to be driving. Based on the number of limes in front of each of them, he will probably be calling an uber.

“Really? We have quickies before she leaves usually.” Max tries not to be smug that he finally has something Diego doesn’t have- Liz’s love and attention. Maria gasps on the other side of the bar as she walks by. Max’s tongue is starting to get loose and as one of Liz’s best friends, it is Maria’s job to rein him in. “Shhhh! Liz can’t know we’re talking about her. She’s scary when she’s mad.”

“Hey, Max? Can I see your keys?” Maria asks innocently, taking the set of keys he offers her with the little cowboy alien on them. She will see how drunk they are when they are done but is prepared to call all three of them an Uber- or Liz.

Maria pulls out her phone and quickly texts Liz.

Maria: You might want to come get your boys.

Liz: Max and Diego? Why? Is Max doing karaoke again?

Maria: Nope. Worse.

Maria snaps a photo of all three men with empty shot glasses in front of them and an almost empty bottle of tequila. Max is leaning on Kyle to stay up and Diego is red eyed and crying. She quickly sends it to Liz.

Liz: OMG. I can leave in 30 if you keep them distracted. Why is Kyle there too? All they have in common is me.

Maria: He was here first trying to find a liquor with no carbs. On it, girl.

“We would have been married by now, you know.” Diego sniffs, wiping a tear from his eye. “I don’t know why I’m crying. She was just so perfect.”

“She’s not perfect. She has flaws. It’s a facade to make her feel worthy of love. But I love her anyway, easily.” Max stares off dreamily thinking about his first kiss with Liz.

“Dude. I’ve heard this story already.” Kyle rolls his eyes. “The sunlight was perfect and you laid it all out and she kissed you.”

While the men are distracted, Maria refills their tequila bottle with water. “Shots?” She asks, refilling all their glasses with water.

“This tequila tastes funny.” Diego sniffs it, then shrugs and takes the shot of water.

“I bought Liz a ring! It’s on hold at the jewelry store until I manage to get her ring size without waking her up.” Max blurts out, gesturing with his finger how he tries to tie something on her finger.

“She’s a size 5 aaaaaand one half.” Diego informs him helpfully.

“Thanks dude!” Max pulls out his phone and tries to text something under the bartop. Forgetting how to spell, he gives up and drops his head on Kyle’s shoulder. He feels sleepy.

————————-

At Liz’s voice, Max picks his head up off Kyle’s shoulder and beams at her. “Babe! I was jus tinking about you an you’re here!”

Liz shakes her head. “I sure am. Did you boys have fun talking about me?”

“She knows!” Diego looks around wide eyed. “How does she always know?”

Kyle hiccups, blinking at Liz. “She’s psychic.”

“‘Member what we all talked about? Shhhhh” Max puts his fingers to his lips and nods conspiratorially at his girlfriend's exes.

“Maria is the psychic. I just can’t imagine you men would have anything else in common to talk about.” Liz is trying to stay firm, but all three of them are a mess and she will definitely never forget the way they look right now. She is a little nervous about what they talked about but knows Max loves her unconditionally and isn’t too concerned. “Nobody is going to puke right? I’ll drop y’all off at home. Come on.”

“Their home, not ours right?” Max asks worriedly. He’s just gotten used to the idea of hanging with her past, he isn’t sure he can handle them in his house yet.

“Yes, babe.” Liz reassures him.

“And I get shotgun.” Max takes off for Liz’s car, bumping into a table on his way out and then slamming into the door.

Shaking her head, Liz rounds up the other two men and follows him. Nobody better puke in her car.

[timeoutforthee]

More Guardian Angel!Remy

“So be mean and get drunk? That’s what you my guardian angel is encouraging?”

“Yes. Be mean, get drunk, punch homophobes.”

Taglist: @scrapbookofsketches, @thekeytohappiness-is-you, @khadij-al-kubra, @beautifully-terribly

TW: one homophobic slur, slight violence, and drinking

Disclaimer: I don’t really know what I’m doing, but this story just keeps getting longer. So. Also this chapter was inspired by this amazing post by @awkward-turtle-patton

“You did what?”

“Oh my God, it’s totally not a big deal. The kid wanted proof. I lowered my sunglasses. Big deal.”

“Yes big deal! Very big deal!” Nate sighs and rubs his temples, “Remy, why are you like this?”

“Um, better question, why are you such a buzzkill?”

“Because I take my job seriously, Remy, unlike you-”

“Oh, just because I want my charges to work for their success instead of rearranging everything around them so that everything falls into their lap-”

“I don’t want my charges to suffer, Remy!”

“So instead you’ve just created waves and waves of self-entitled dickheads-”

“I should have gotten Virgil-”

“For fuck’s sake, it’s been 22 years, let it go-”

“If I had, he would have been a respected intern in an office right now-”

“He would have given up art, Nate!”

“So?!”

“If you would get your head out of your own ass-”

“Well at least my ass has wings!”

And, okay, rude. He definitely didn’t have to go there. Remy purses his lips, and even with the sunglasses, Nate can feel the glare behind them.

A guardian got their wings when they significantly changed the outcome of their charge’s life. Nate had made it his mission, as a guardian angel, to rearrange their lives until they had the most power possible. Remy was more focused on happiness, and honestly, who knew their own happiness better than the human? That’s why he stayed back and let them have most of the control. It’s also why he still didn’t have his wings yet.

Which he wasn’t bitter about. At all.

“Fine,” he said, “I’ll go back and check on Virgil.”

^

Virgil was going to be okay.

That was a mantra he had repeated to himself since day one, and now he had a guardian angel to confirm it. Which should, in theory, be comforting. Except he had found out that his guardian angel was kind of a mess, which was fitting, really, and Virgil couldn’t really judge. Still, maybe he should, like, pray or something and request a switch. Could he do that? He really should have asked more questions. Did it even matter who it was? How could he trust that a random guy could have his destiny all planned out?

Remy told him to trust fate. Until yesterday, he didn’t even believe in fate. He believed in choices and consequences. He made the wrong choice by studying art, and he was suffering as his consequence.

He gripped his beer a little tighter. He didn’t know why his co-workers had asked him to come out tonight. He didn’t particularly like any of them, and he had a feeling they didn’t really like him, either. But his choices for the night were either sulking in the bar or sulking at home. And he was getting really tired of his mother fluttering around him like he was a directionless teenager again. He was a directionless twenty two year old, thank you very much.

He tipped his bottle back and tried to change his line of thinking.

I’ve come a long way. Just to end up in the same place- I have friends. Who haven’t called- I have professors on my side, professors who believe in me. Too bad you’re disappointing them-

The bartender sat a glass filled with dark brown liquid in front of him. He furrowed his eyebrows.

“What’s this?”

“Black Russian,” the bartender replied, then he pointed, “From that guy.”

Virgil turned. There, lounging on a chair across from the bar, was Remy. His glasses were still in place, but his Starbucks cup was replaced with a wine glass.

He looked back at the bar. He needed some stupid angel magic to get him out of this mess. He needed to know why destiny put him back here. He needed something.

Remy didn’t offer him anything, except for this. A very, very human way to forget.

What the hell?

Virgil twisted in his seat, raising the glass. Remy raised his in response.

“Here’s to you, Remy,” then he downed it.

^

Oooooh, he was dead. Nate was absolutely going to kill him.

But, like, honestly? Worth it.

Virgil did not get drunk often. He was always so carefully guarded, and having all those walls come crumbling down in the blink of an eye was not something he actually wanted to do. Most of the time.

“It’s bullshit, if another entitled angry white man comes into the God damn store and asks me why ‘is card isn’ working I’mma scream. Sir, I am paid to take your money, my degree is in art how the everlovin’ fuck should I know the inner workin’s of a GAS PUMP?!” Virgil slurred as he stood on top of the bar.

The patrons were starting to become uncomfortable. Mainly because they were entitled, angry white men who definitely have told off someone in customer service at least once. The bartenders, however, seemed to be entertained, and were hesitant to yank him down.

Okay, also Remy had, like, a little bit of influence.

“And you know what else I hate?”

“Virgil, maybe you should-”

“Shhh!” Virgil said, raising a finger to his lips to cut off a co-worker, “I hate when pregnant mothers come in and buy cigarettes. Like, it’s 2018, are we still doing this? And like, fine, I guess you do you, but fucking secondhand smoke issa thing.”

Virgil trailed off as he stared in wonder at the ceiling. Remy noticed that the song in the background was changing. “I LOVE this song!”

Virgil slowly started swaying to the music. Remy clapped a hand over his mouth. He was so, so dead, but his human was having fun, and didn’t he deserve that?

However, it was brought to a halt when someone shouted “Fag!” at him from across the bar.

Virgil stopped and narrowed his eyes. He scanned the crowd until he landed on the guy, some rando with a trucker hat. He jumped off, with far more grace than he really should have, and stalked over to him.

As he got closer, the guy started to second guess if that was exactly a good idea. Virgil may have been lanky, but he was currently towering over him with a fire burning behind his eyes. They stared at each other for brief moment before Virgil swung and decked him. Between the punch and the surprise, the guy fell off the stool he was sitting on.

“Yes!” Remy cried, standing up. He technically should be against violence, but honestly? He was against homophobia more. Punch more homophobes, 2k18.

The bartenders headed over to kick Virgil out, but he just waved them off with a slurred “‘m goin’, ‘m goin’.”

His guardian angel followed him out, finding him sprawled on a patch of grass.

“V, honey? You good?”

“Mmmmhmmm. I’m stargazing,” he said, pronouncing his words carefully. Remy glanced up. Whoa. He had never really been on Earth at night time. He didn’t know the stars looked this beautiful. Pausing briefly, he laid down next to his human.

“Remy?”

“Hm?”

“I’m gonna regret this tomorrow, aren’t I?”

“Oh, honey, I don’t need to look into the future to see that.”

“D’you look into my future a lot?”

Remy sighs, “Kinda. I have a few charges, and they all have multiple outcomes based on life choices that they make everyday. I can’t look into every choice or option you have, especially since I know I probably won’t step in. But I always look at the major ones.”

“Thas a lotta big words fer you,” Virgil says, still staring at the sky.

“I’ve been around for centuries, doll, I can speak as fancy as I want to. I just don’t want to.”

“Why not?”

“Oh my God, you sound like my coworkers. Like honestly? It’s not that deep. I talk like this because I want to. I drink Starbucks because I want to. I wear these sunglasses because I want to,” he pauses, “I may be an angel, but I’m not above enjoying humanity.”

“Y’know, I bet if I was sober, that’d be real deep.”

“I literally said it wasn’t that deep-”

“Shhhhh,” Virgil says, bringing a finger to Remy’s lips.

Okay. Maybe he should have cut Virgil off a little bit earlier.

Suddenly Virgil is moving his arms so that he’s hugging Remy to him. He lays his head on his shoulder.

“V? You good?”

“I don’ get hugs anymore, leave me ‘lone,” Virgil says, “So, how does the angel thing...work?”

“Okay, first, you have to be more specific. Second, work is boring and I don’t wanna talk about it.”

“D’you like it?”

Remy pauses, let’s silence hang in the air for a bit.

“Yes,” because he does. He doesn’t like some of his coworkers’ snide remarks or judginess. But he likes seeing humans rise to the occasion, likes seeing all the twists and turns their life could take, likes to see where they ultimately choose to go.

Virgil nods, his cheek rubbing against Remy’s shoulder. Actually, now that they’re cuddling, Remy can’t remember the last time someone hugged him. He reaches over and brushes a few purple locks off of Virgil’s forehead.

“Don’t do that, I’ll fall asleep…”

“Honey, I’ve seen your sleeping habits. You need it.”

“Ruuuuuuuuude,” Virgil says, then, “Why’re you here?”

“My boss was worried you wouldn’t be able to handle seeing an angel. It’s a lot for humans, sometimes.”

“Tell your boss I am a-ok.”

Remy laughs, “Considering the circumstances, I think he’ll have some other things to say.”

“Whaaaaat? You mean you’re not supposed to get drunk with your clients?”

“Okay, the only one drunk here is you, I was kicked out before the party started-”

“Wait, wait, wait-d’you make my coworkers invite me out tonight?”

“Nope, that was all them. I know you’ll find this shocking, but people like you, Virgil.”

“But I do not like them,” Virgil blinks, “Do they have tragic backstories? Should I be nicer?”

“You’re already nice-”

“Thanks, I have anxiety.”

“Uh, yeah, I’ve noticed. But honestly, you should try and get a liiiiittle bit meaner. Like, your comebacks are iconic, and it’s truly tragic I’m the only one that’s heard them.”

“So be mean and get drunk? That’s what you my guardian angel is encouraging?”

“Yes. Be mean, get drunk, punch homophobes.”

Virgil laughs.

“And, like, for realsies? Your co-workers have been through some stuff, but mostly, they’re just a result of living in this place. Call it a small town curse.”

Virgil nods, then quietly says, “Remy?”

“Yeah?”

“Am I gonna end up like them?”

“I already told you, V, there are bigger things in store for you.”

“I know,” Virgil yawns, “But I don’t believe you.”

“I’m not surprised,” Remy says. He glances down. Virgil is resting his head on his shoulder with his eyes closed. Remy sighs. He needs to give the kid some tiny spark of hope, enough to encourage him but minor enough that he doesn’t change the outcome of his life.

No pressure.

[ladynonsense]

Clanless (Bloodbound AU) Chapter 2 | The Vampire

Catch up on part 1 here

Warnings: Violence, blood, death, salty language

Chloe woke up surrounded by inky black darkness. She tried to sit up in bed but her head smacked against a hard surface instead.

What the...

She reached out in all directions, feeling out her surroundings, and started to panic as she realized she was stuck in a wood box. She felt a fury rise in her like she’d never felt before, animal instinct overtaking her rational mind completely.

A scream erupted from her throat, but she didn’t feel in control of her own voice. Her limbs thrashed wildly, and the wood box shattered from the force, splinters flying everywhere. She squinted her eyes shut against the relatively bright light of the cell she found herself in.

I feel...wrong.

She sat on the floor, staring at her own hands, trying to piece together what had happened. Her new job...The Baron...him attacking her in his office...sucking her blood.

Well that can’t be right...pull it together Chloe. He might be a creep but it’s not like he’s a vampire or something. He must have drugged me.

Panic started to set in again as she looked around at her cell, trying to see a way out of her predicament. She felt her self control slipping away...more screaming...more thrashing...pounding on the bars with impossible strength, bending them but not nearly enough to escape.

“Shhhhh.” She heard a voice quietly shushing her and looked around to find the source of it. She spotted a dark figure at the end of the long corridor - how can I even hear him from so far away? - and in the darkness she could just barely make out his finger moving to his lips, gesturing for her to keep quiet. A second later she heard heavy footsteps approaching from the other direction, walking down stairs from the sound of it.

A long, lean figure rounded the corner, and Chloe breathed a sigh of relief to see that it wasn’t The Baron. The tall man gave her a broad smile that made her skin crawl.

“You’re awake,” he said without emotion, “The Baron will be most pleased to hear that you’ve survived the day.”

“What...” he turned and walked away, ignoring her. Desperate, she called after him. “Wait! I’m so thirsty! I need water!”

“It’s not water you need.” The mysterious man from the end of the hallway was suddenly just outside her cell. He pulled out a few small tools and went to work on the lock.

“What do you mean by that? Who are you?” He ignored her as he worked at picking the lock. “Hey...why are you helping me? What’s happening?”

He looked up at her with a smirk as the lock clicked open. “We’re leaving; that’s what’s happening.” He slid the door open and took her hand, leading her back into the dim hallway.

Footsteps. The two of them both stopped dead in their tracks as they heard at least two people approaching from the same direction they were trying to flee. “Try to stay calm,” the man whispered to Chloe. “You need to avoid losing control, OK?”

Chloe nodded, trying to choke down her own panic. Everything felt so intense, yet unreal - I must still be a little drugged up.

He let go of her hand and stepped forward, unsheathing the katana he carried on his back as he walked stealthily towards the footsteps. Chloe held her breath, terrified to see where this was going.

As soon as The Baron’s men came into view, one of them lost his head, a fountain of blood taking its place as his body crumpled to the floor. The other turned to run but was cut down after a single step, the katana plunged through his heart. The mysterious man turned back to Chloe, saying nothing, holding out his hand to her.

She stepped towards him but then froze as she looked at his face. His eyes were glowing red, just like...

She turned on her heel and sprinted in the other direction, moving faster than she’d ever run before. Immediately she hit a dead end and turned around to see the man already caught up to her. His hand covered her mouth as she tried to scream, and in her panic she bit into the soft flesh of his palm. He flinched as her fangs pierced his skin...

Wait, what...

She looked back to his face and his eyes looked normal again, gentle and deep brown. He gave her a sad smile. “I need you to trust me,” he said quietly, looking her in the eye. “Just trust me and I’ll get you out of here, OK?”

Chloe just nodded, wondering how long this nightmare was going to last before she woke up. He nodded back at her and took her hand again, pulling her along with him as they ran down the hallway, up several flights of stairs, and through a hidden exit out into the alley behind The Shrike.

“Wait, those creepy cells were just below the bar?” Chloe asked incredulously.

The man nodded. “The Baron likes to keep his people close. We have to get away from here; he’ll come looking for you and his men any minute.”

“Where can I go? He knows my address.”

“You can come with me, for now. Let’s go.” He took off at a run again, and Chloe followed, cutting through dark alleys and keeping to the shadows as she ran further than she ever dreamed she was capable of.

When they arrived at the safe house, Chloe frowned at it skeptically. It was a condemned apartment building that looked like it was getting dangerously close to collapsing completely.

“It’s just temporary. We need to keep you hidden until The Baron gives up on finding you,” the man explained.

“And why is The Baron hunting me?” Chloe asked, that panicky feeling welling up inside her again. Panic and something else...hunger. She was so hungry.

The man frowned. “It’s going to be a lot to take in. Let’s get settled in first and I’ll explain as much as I can. I’m guessing you’re hungry?”

She nodded emphatically as she followed him into the building. “I’m starving, but I can’t think of anything I want to eat. I think I’ve been drugged.”

A few other people were milling about the building, and the man waved at them as he headed towards a small refrigerator running off of a generator in the corner. He reached into the fridge and produced...

“A bag of blood??” Chloe stared at his outstretched hand, dumbstruck. “Why do you...why do I want that? I want that!” She took it from him and tore into it with her teeth, eagerly sucking down the thick liquid inside, moaning with pleasure as it ran down her throat.

“That felt...so good.” The man smiled at her and she felt herself feeling oddly predatory, suddenly very aware of his handsome face, his muscular body, how badly she wanted to just...

“Hey,” he interrupted her train of thought, “So I’m sure you have a million questions.”

“I’m a vampire,” Chloe said simply, having accepted the obvious as the blood had poured down her throat. “That’s...certainly an interesting development. So what are you? Some sort of vampire hunter?”

“What?” he said, taken aback. “No, I'm a vampire like you. But it’s a little more complicated than that.”

“More complicated than my boss turning me into a vampire and locking me in a cell in the basement?”

“Well, yes, unfortunately. But for starters, I guess I should introduce myself. I’m Jax Matsuo.” He held out his hand and she shook it. A tingle of electricity passed between them as their skin touched, making Chloe gasp and pull away. Jax laughed softly.

“Yeah, everything’s going to feel a little more intense now. You’ll get used to it.”

“Right...” she replied, flustered by the intensity of his touch.

“...you were about to tell me your name?”

“Yes! Of course, I’m sorry. I’m Chloe.”

“Hey, Chloe. So here’s the deal, in a nutshell: your boss is a powerful vampire, but he’s supposed to play by the rules and not turn any more humans.”

“OK, sure, that seems...incredibly insane, but go on. Clearly he’s breaking that rule.”

“Yes. He’s been turning his staff and his inner circle. But because they’re not welcome in any of the clans...”

“The what?”

“The uh, vampire clans. Stay with me here.”

“OK, secret vampire clans. Got it.”

“So because they - because you - are not welcome in their clans, you aren’t technically allowed to exist.”

“Excuse me? Says fucking who?”

“Yeah, that’s...pretty much my feelings on the matter too. All of us here are in the same boat. None of us wanted this, and now we’re all in hiding, just trying to stay alive. I’m sorry I don’t have better news for you.” He looked truly pained as he apologized, looking away from her.

“OK so...we’re definitely going to bring this asshole and his clan buddies down, right?”

Jax looked at her with a grin. “Oh, I like you.”

That predatory urge was building in her chest again, stronger than her fear or confusion or anything else in her mind. She licked her lips as she leaned towards Jax, pressing her lips to his...

“Oh fuck!” she exclaimed suddenly, pulling away.

“Are you OK? Chloe, stop --”

She was already on her feet, headed for the door. “He knows where I live, Jax!”

“Yes, that’s why you’re here with me.”

Chloe shook her head, tears starting to well up in her eyes.

“Lily!”

[whyseokjinwhenyoucansuccjin]

Tag You're It!

I've been tagged by the almighty @donotrustducks my sweet and amazing Senpai 🙏🙌 (even though I'm older shhhhh) I didn't know who to tag so I'm tagging @joonpiper @xespanyeol @squishy-smiles (please don't let me flop ya'll) :') I'm joking you don't have to do this.

THE LAST

•Drink: Lemonade

•Phone call: My mom

•Text message: “( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) *slides into them DMs*" (because I'm a weird person)

•Song you listened to: One Love by Monsta X

•Time you cried: 11/14- Happy Tears fortunately although I was close 12/01

HAVE YOU EVER

•Dated someone twice: No

•Kissed someone and regretted it: Yes

•Been cheated on: No

•Lost someone special: Yes

•Been depressed: Yes

•Gotten drunk and thrown up: No

3 FAVORITE COLORS

•Red, Green, Black

IN THE LAST YEAR HAVE YOU

•Made new friends: Yes !! ♥

•Fallen out of love: Um...no?

•Laughed until you cried: I didn't until the first time yesterday

•Found out someone was talking about you: Hmm...I'm not sure actually but I don't think so

•Met someone who changed you: I did 😁

•Found out who your friends are: Sure??? People who accept my dumbness? :')

•Kissed someone on your Facebook list: Uhhhh technically yes?

•How many Facebook friends do you know in real life: Almost all of them, I think maybe 10 I don't but I met them on other social media

•Do you have any pets: Does my stand up hello kitty plushie count?

•Do you want to change your name: Well my last one yes.

•What did you do for your last birthday: I WENT TO GO SEE MONSTA X FAM! HELL YEAH! I EVEN MET THEM AND SHOOK THEIR HAND AND TOOK A PIC WITH THEM AND THEY EVEN CALLED MY MOM MOTHER IN LAW AND--

It was a good day :') plus the tickets were actually affordable. Monsta X are kings of affordability. I honestly feel like I underpaid for my experience and I almost don't even want to go see anyone else 😂 but I know I must.

•What time did you wake up: ummm 1:23 p.m. :)

•What were you doing at midnight last night: Reading

•Name something you can’t wait for: End of my exams, second graduation, the end of my prepations for med school where they all tell me I'm too stupid to be a doctor so I can cry, get it over with and then either go into Forensics or Sociology :')

•What are you listening to right now: Awake- BTS's Jin because Jinsta and Christmas is upon us fam (what are ya'll getting me for Jinsta though--)

•Have you ever talked to a person named tom: No actually--

•Something that is getting on your nerves: Humanity :) not everyone obviously 🙄 but it's getting to a good percentage

•Most visited website: Youtube

•Hair colour: Right now it's a dark brown (looks black) with burgundy streaks

•Long or short hair: Um long? It's more medium but meh

•Do you have a crush on someone: Does Kim Seokjin count?

•What do you like about yourself: umm I like.....I like....uhhhhh....I dunno :( I'm a potato so I don't like much about myself...um I like my imagination? I think it's very cool. I can think up a lot of things. I have a whole world inside my head. Multiple ones actually.

•Blood type: O+.....I think.

•Nickname: Online I go by Jammie ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) because I stole Jimin's jams. I mean he never had any in the first place. Whoops--

•Relationship status: Single

•Zodiac: Cancer

•Pronouns: She/Her.

•Favourite tv show: Supernatural

•Tattoos: None

•Right or left handed: I'm ambidextrous but I prefer my right hand

•Surgery: None....yet :') we'll see this new year yay!

•Sport: is dancing a sport? 🤔

•Vacation: Take me anywhere and everywhere

•Pair of shoes: Sneakers

•Eating: Sweettarts 🤗

•Drinking: Cranberry Juice

•I’m about to: Hmm I might free write for a bit

•Waiting for: Christmas!!

•Want: To fulfill my tumblr username 🙏 lmao no Shownu, JB, Minseok, or Sehun will do just as well.....

Kidding kidding! Um...hmm I want the people I love and care about to be happy and healthy mentally and physically 😊

•Get married: Not right now 0_o

•Career: Something that would let me travel. I really want to be a doctor and biomedical researcher however.....we'll see fam :)

WHICH IS BETTER

•Hugs or kisses: Hugs

•Lips or eyes: I don't know-- both? Although maybe I look at eyes first.

•Shorter or taller: Taller

•Older or younger: Older

•Nice arms or nice stomach: Don’t really care?? •_•

•Hook up or relationship: I’m more of a relationship type person I guess

•Troublemaker or hesitant: Hesitant

•Kissed a stranger: No

•Drank hard liquor: Yes

•Lost glasses/contact lenses: I hate my contact lenses so I'd rather lose those than my glasses but I don't wear either so-- •_•

•Turned someone down: Yep

•Sex on the first date: Nope

•Broken someone’s heart: Um....I'm not even sure fam •_• my luck with guys is.....complicated

•Had your heart broken: Not really

•Been arrested: No

•Cried when someone died: Yes

•Fallen for a friend: Ummmm well you see--

DO YOU BELIEVE IN

•Yourself: BWAHAHAHAHA Oh wait you're serious?

•Miracles: Hmm I kinda half do, half don't at this point in life

•Love at first sight: Most definitely, have you seen fine ass Kim Seokjin? My heart fell for him before my brain realized it

•Santa Claus: No I haven't since I was a little kid unfortunately. :( but I do believe in spreading Christmas cheer 😁

•Kiss on the first date: If the moment is right sure.

[yeolkisses]

Get To Know Me Tag

tagged by @heonseoks & Lainey on @looking-for-my-seoulmate, thanks guys <333

Rules: Answer these 92 statements and tag 10 people.

THE LAST:

1. Drink: watermelon lemonade 2. Phone call: erm...my grandma, I think 3. Text message: from Morgan, my cousin/friend: “never mind everything is fine now” which was inaccurate because that was at 12:45 and I stayed up until fucking 5 a.m. that night 4. Song you listened to: I’m listening to Making Christmas rn from The Nightmare Before Christmas soundtrack, that counts for “last”, right? 5. Time you cried: like an hour ago because I’m a weak fluffball

HAVE YOU:

6. Dated someone twice: never dated before, my dude 7. Kissed someone and regretted it: never kissed 8. Been cheated on: nopeeeee 9. Lost someone special: yeah 10. Been depressed: no. I’m a ball of emotions so I usually roll on to another emotion before things get too serious 11. Gotten drunk and thrown up: nope. goodness gracious I’m boring af

LIST 3 FAVORITE COLORS:

12-14: blue, purple, light gray

IN THE LAST YEAR HAVE YOU:

15. Made new friends: mmhmm 16. Fallen out of love: I didn’t count it as love. 17. Laughed until you cried: yep 18. Found out someone was talking about you: yeah 19. Met someone who changed you: not technically met them but yeah quite a few people have changed me. I’m like clay, easily changed 20. Found out who your friends are: YES. 21. Kissed someone on your Facebook list: never been kissed so no

GENERAL:

22. How many of your Facebook friends do you know in real life: all because they’re only peeps from my family. I only had a Facebook when I was younger for the games so I don’t really use it now 23. Do you have any pets: a dumb chocolate lab named Charlie, a potbelly pig named Daisy, a squadron of chickens... 24. Do you want to change your name: not really?? Idk what I’ll do when I get married though, it only goes with so many things 25. What did you do for your last Birthday: went to Skywalk with a couple friends then chilled at my house with them (they made me watch Titanic and I almost threw myself off the deck) 26. What time did you wake up: 8:30ish, my dad knocked on my door and told me breakfast was ready 27. What were you doing at midnight last night: talking with Lainey about who knows what...I’m amazing I stayed awake though because I was running on 4 hours of sleep and proceeded to stay awake for another hour 28. Name something you can’t wait for: finding the love of my life  my birthday MY BABIES COMEBACK (my priorities are questionable...) 29. When was the last time you saw your mom: half an hour ago? I’m cooped up in my room and I think she’s sleeping on the couch 30. What is one thing you wish you could change in your life: one thing?? uhhh...myself. Because that way I can change multiple things about myself (organization skills, procrastination issues, etc.) but still be changing one thing: ME. 31. What are you listening right now: Lose It by Oh Wonder and fuck now I need to write a song fic god I’m cringey 32. Have you ever talked to a person named Tom: does Tommy count? He’s a ginger kid I’ve known since preschool 33. Something that is getting on your nerves: my procrastination mosquito bites 34. Most visited Website: tumblr probably.

LOST QUESTIONS.

35. Mole/s: I think there’s one on my back idk 36. Mark/s: I have several birthmarks and little freckle things 37. Childhood dream: to be a doctor 38. Hair Color: blackish to dark brown with blue highlights in the front (subject to change) 39. Long or short hair: long. It was longer a month ago, before it was trimmed... -_- 40. Do you have a crush on someone: Chanyeol Luhan 40+ celebrities not currently although I know a cute guy who I may like, eventually 41. What do you like about yourself: my height? 42. Piercings: 2 (one on each ear) 43. Bloodtype: IDK...I’m lame 44. Nickname: mermaid/Ari/Goose 45. Relationship status: happily?? single. or married to a plant. LONELY. 46. Zodiac: leo 47. Pronouns: she/her 48. Favorite TV Show: The TV is dominated by my brother so I don’t watch much but I like Chopped, Food Network Star, We Bare Bears, The Voice, Dance Moms... 49. Tattoos: no thank you 50. Right or left hand: right 51. Surgery: never 52. Hair dyed in different color: blue highlights 53. Sport: the closest I’ve come to a sport is karate 55. Vacation:  I want to visit a lotttt of places (realistically I never will but dreams are nice) 56. Pair of trainers: ...?

MORE GENERAL:

57. Eating Currently: nothing 58. Drinking currently: watermelon lemonade 59. I’m about to: answer the next question 61. Waiting for: a lot of things. 62. Want: a lot of things (I’m needy okay) 63. Get married: I’d like to, someday. Once I find someone who’s not a total douche bag who miraculously likes me 64. Career: I’m leaning towards neurosurgeon, but definitely in the medical field

WHICH IS BETTER

65. Hugs or kisses: never experienced a kiss so :D 66. Lips or eyes: eyes are pretty but they creep me the fuck out so lips I guess 

67. Shorter or taller: taller, pleaseee. I hate towering over people and need someone to tower over me (even a couple inches is good)

68. Older or younger: older

70. Nice arms or nice stomach: I don’t particularly care?? Depends on the meaning of nice...healthy, please. I don’t want just a skeleton. Although someone who can carry my fatness would be nice.

71. Sensitive or loud: Sensitively loud

72. Hook up or relationship: Relationship

73. Troublemaker or hesitant: I dunno.

HAVE YOU EVER:

74. Kissed a stranger: lmao what’s a kiss

75. Drank hard liquor: nopeee I’m clean

76. Lost glasses/contact lenses: sunglasses, yeah.

77. Turned someone down: lolllll nope mate. Please push someone nice and handsome in my direction.

78. Sex in the first date: what’s a date. Also I’m young so no thanks. I’d like to keep up my image as the perfect picture of youth and innocence

79. Broken someone’s heart: how about no. at least not to my knowledge.

80. Had your heart broken: I have no heart. I wouldn’t say so, no.

81. Been arrested: Shhhhh... no.

82. Cried when someone died: Yeah

83. Fallen for a friend: hahahahahhahahaha....yeah I did, once. ;-; RIP.

DO YOU BELIEVE IN:

84. Yourself: not always

85. Miracles: Yep

86. Love at first sight: Love has more factors to it than just superficial stuff, so no

87. Santa Claus: when i was a young warthog child

88. Kiss in the first date: I mean...you can kiss my hand? That’d be okay, I guess. Cheek kiss? Possibly. Idk, a lot of this depends on the person. but no lips please and thank you good night

89. Angels: mmhmm

OTHER:

90. Current best friends’ names: Sarah, Renee, Morgan, Lainey

91. Eyecolor: blackkkkkk very dark brown

92. Favorite movie: I can’t choose? Princess Bride is always great.

I tag @stfurenee @exo-af @mini-minhyuk @johnlock-saranghae @jai-dragon @causekpop @yeolhighness @galaxyexolover ... only if anyone wants to