#ungaikyō

[briefbestiary]

A mirror whose reflection is distorted with the reflections of the many evil spirits that have been reflected on its surface over its many years. If one were to look in, they might see a monstrous version of themself.

[evoblue]

II. the mirror.

Leaving the way she came is no longer an option. She had tried to retrace her steps beneath the red torii but the staircase no longer led back to the city; instead, it appeared to be swallowed by never-ending darkness. Unwilling to risk getting lost in the dark, Blue has no choice but to keep moving forward.

She does her best to avoid drawing attention to herself as she ventures closer to the stalls, hoping to find a way back to the 'normal' world somewhere beyond. With her right palm pressed to her chest, she wills her pounding heart to calm down. She's not sure what beings accompany her in these streets, but she's wise enough to know that they are likely not human. What if they can sense her apprehension?

Suddenly overcome by unease, she looks up to see a large ornate mirror floating a few feet away from her. Its glass is marred with a few cracks and waves of smoke swirling just beneath its dark and tainted surface. What the hell?

Something within her tells her to look away, but the mirror seems to beckon her with a siren song, compelling her to walk closer. Beneath her gaze, the surface shifts to reveal a darkened silhouette; a spectral vision of a girl whose soul and life were long lost — a haunted, monstrous version of herself in a white burial kimono. Her. Dead.

The way you're supposed to be.

As the raspy words are projected into her mind, she gasps and takes an immediate step back. The smoke beneath the surface suddenly materializes outside of it, forming tendrils that reach toward her like arms. Sheer panic overcomes her, a fear for her life she has never felt before.

She bolts without looking back, not caring where she's running, her only goal to get as far away from the mirror as possible.

[yoku-yukihime]

Mirror revealing dark intentions ~ Kagamitari Eizou

Shes a tsukumogami of a cursed mirror. the mirror behind her is her body that she has to like. Pretty much drag with her everywhere. she came to be around the time of touhou 14 but was late to the uprising of the tools orchestrated by Raiko

Shes a kind hearted youkai, but she has her mischievous side too. She can't help but play pranks on those that look at her mirror, reflected twisted versions of those who stare She is observant, but not the brightest.

Her ability is vague on purpose, she COULD outright reflect the concept of evil with her mirror, but she could also just show someones evil within them with a reflection. or it could be her harmless pranks where she makes someones reflection look like a demon.

She is inspired by the Ungaikyō yokai!

During the plot of the incident shes a part of, shes an innocent bystander who happened to fall under the influence of a powerful demoness. The protagonists beat her up to bring her to her senses.

[swampstew]

Roronoa Zoro, O-67 ~ Mirror Sex

Summary: Drabble of kinky mirror sex with Zoro - who is technically posessing the mirror. Is inside the mirror? Is the mirror? Instructions unclear, but reader fucks a mirror.

Warnings: Spicy, female reader implies, Zoro is an Ungaikyō (I was originally going to do poltergeist Zoro but I learned so much about Yokai and Tsukumogami and since Zoro would be from Japan irl per Oda, I wanted to pay respect to his heritage as best I can while writing what I write, jokey summary aside that's just my personality. I'm doing it in the same way I used Scottish lore for the Killer (and Eustass Kid) fic on Monday), Reader is technically kidnapped and it might be dubious consent if you look at it a certain way. Idk adding the tags to not scare or harm. Word Count: 646

Zoro as an Ungaikyō

You didn’t know where the mirror came from, just that it stood at your doorstep the day after you moved into your new place. It looked cleaned and cared for, and the standing mirror’s ornate frame was unlike anything you’d ever seen before. Of a metal you couldn’t hope to identify. Free is free – you placed it in the corner of your bedroom next to your walk-in closet and didn’t think much about it for a few months.

You weren’t sure if you looked amazing because of the lighting or angles or what, but that mirror had you feeling yourself. You used it more than your bathroom vanity, favorite compact, or the large circular mirror hanging on the wall next to your front door so you could spot check before leaving your place. You LOVED your mirror. You once got drunk and self-pitied after a bad date and kissed your mirror just off to the side. You never wiped it off.

Then HE showed up. A few nights after the kiss mark. You had tried to sleep but were restless and horny with no one to do anything about it. So you grabbed your trusty vibrator. You heard a deep voice encouraging you, giving you hints and ideas. At first it scared you, but you didn’t find the source of the voice (even after inspecting for spyware, peepholes, hackings, and had your place raided by the cops twice) and then you decided to let it enable you. It went on for a month before he finally showed his face in the reflection of the mirror. When you were brave enough to demand he make himself known.

His name was Zoro. He said his soul gained consciousness inside the mirror after over a century of being trapped inside it. Unable to leave. He said he didn’t know how he came to be at your doorstep, and that he had no recollection of the previous owner as he had gained consciousness a month after you found. He was fucking gorgeous – tall, ripped body, scars over his body and face, three dangling earrings from one earlobe. Why the appearance? He said it felt right. And you couldn’t argue, the sight alone nearly made you drool. Especially when you developed a mutual relationship. He didn’t have to hide anymore, and you didn’t need to be disappointed by fuckboys.

Your bond cemented when you saw his cock. That he was able to get aroused and release like a mere mortal man. You made yourself cream and rubbed it against the reflective surface.

For months you fucked that mirror. Being able to work from home and not having a social life, and giving up on dating, meant you were able to cum for days straight. You went as far as attaching a life-size ejaculating dildo to the glass surface. You laid it on the floor and rode him until you were a crying, sweaty mess – gushing over your reflections. Fake cum ran from between your legs, his cum spraying his delicious abs.

“I wish you were on this side, so I could fuck you and feel that warmth for myself. Bury deep into you and cum like I’ve wanted since the first time you showed me your beautiful pussy.”

It was then you realized that the ornate frame was actually three swords intertwined and bound to the mirror on around the edges. He said if you really loved him, really wanted to feel his cock push into your tight and welcoming cunt, that all you had to do was let each blade lick your blood. Like giving yourself a paper cut. You trembled, naked and hungry for him. You followed his instruction.

Zoro never once mentioned the part about being able to trap you inside the mirror with him. And you weren’t his only plaything on his side.

19 tiles to go, 18 calls made so far.

[beautifulbizarremagazine]

“This yokai is based on an old Chinese myth. The Japanese version tells of a haunted mirror, belonging to the category of tsukumogami (objects that receive a soul one hundred years after their creation), which shows demons reflected in its surface. People who gaze in an ungaikyō will see themselves transformed into the monstrous version of themselves.” A mindblowing ink drawing on paper by the @m.anuelaschiano. #beautifulbizarre #manuelaschiano #drawink #inkonpaper #inkdrawing #mythology #story #demon #detail #creativity #inspiration #artist https://www.instagram.com/p/Cn_1k82IA1a/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[window-view-orion]

(Correction post)

From the Kayla X "Legendary Spirits" blind box figure collection:

Her name is Painting.

"The bronze mirror can always reveal the truth" - that she is representing the yokai ungaikyō! The ungaikyō is a bronze mirror which reflects the true form of spirits disguised as humans, and if a human looks into it they'll see themselves in a monstrous form.

According to yokai.com, if you take water that was used to reflect the light of the full moon, and use it to paint the image of a yokai onto a mirror, the yokai will then inhabit the mirror. That seems to be what Painting here is doing!

On the other hand, her Chinese name translated as "painted skin", and the wound on her head in the description mentions this explicitly as well. That led me to a Chinese short story from 1740, about a demon disguising itself as a young woman by literally wearing the painted skin of a beautiful woman as a sort of suit. Perhaps the wound on the back of Painting's head is also meant to represent a seam of sorts for a painted skin suit? The only other mythological reference I could think of would be to the futakuchi-onna, a woman with a second, ravenous mouth on the back of her head, and though it's cool, it's clearly not what's happening here.

Painting is one of my favorites of the set. I wish I knew precisely what the wound on her head is referencing, if anything. Maybe it's just part of what the mirror is reflecting, along with the branch-like crack across her face. Though as always I'm delighted by all the cool places my research on these figures is taking me. I'm learning quite a bit!

Sources:

[eternalstretchofmuses]

Another character from my project for ya! Arralarra, an ungaikyō. Arralarra is the one who created Friend! Arralarra's ability is to create monsters out of the reflection of one's soul. Title: "A Mirror Fit for a Queen"

[the-elites]

"A reflection? So, you're kinda like a Ungaikyō?"

° [Flandre tilting her head to the side, before looking around.]

"Do you have anyone else here? Like a family member, friend or caretaker?"

° [Flan asked as she tapped on a mirror, before stepping back, opening her palm at the mirror, then clenching her hand into a fist, causing the mirror to shatter immediately.]

What if I just, have my TTIT! Flandre meet Antag :)

That would be fun :)

[loveoaths]

VERSE TAG DROP: YUKI HAKU.

❛ VERSE: IN THE BELLY OF THE SNAKE  /  ( otogakure verse. )

❛ VERSE: YOU WERE A HILT; NOW YOU’RE BLOOD-GILT  /  ( akatsuki au. )

❛ VERSE: WHEN FORCED TO STAND STILL YOU MIGHT AS WELL GROW ROOTS / ( konoha-bound. )

❛ ARC: SURVEILLANCE.

❛ VERSE: PUSHING DAISIES  / ( edo tensei ever after. )

❛ ARC: UNGAIKYŌ.

❛ VERSE: VIRTUELESS MARTYR / ( kirigakure’s elite. )

❛ VERSE: IF THERE IS A PATH YET UNTRODDEN IT IS YOURS / ( legendary swordsman. )

[the-illiterate-pirate]

Because I'm so so so in love with my LS fic idea but can't find the motivation to actually WRITE IT, here's some headcanons and imagines for tha boys in the AU. I'm still trying to think of good plot for this so it'll probably still be a long while :((

I....got too into this I think. But I had fun. This is cut for length

Okay so a while ago I had this idea; basically Reader is found hurt and La Squadra nurses them back to health, but after they wake up again they're still forced blind because of wounds. La Squadra doesn't want Reader knowing they're yokai untill they're sure that they won't freak out. And until then LS is forced to act as humans and hide their true forms. This doesn't go as smoothly as they hope.

I feel like I'm leaving out a lot of things 😭

Here's.... This, it talks about what kind of yokai and spirits they all are

Formaggio- Kitsune (fox spirit)

You get manga-colors Maggi

He was the second to last one to join Risotto

Formaggio's true form is that of an average orange fox, and he can use telepathy to speak to others. But he thinks his human form is more comfortable. In that form, he still has his tails and ears but can speak normally. In the beginning of his relationship with Reader, he used his magic to hide those features, same as the rest of his group.

Fox boy Formaggio fox boy Formaggio

How many tails a Kitsune has shows how wise or powerful the spirit is, Formaggio has three tails

Of course, being a fox spirit (and being Formaggio) he's incredibly teasing towards Reader

It's unknown, even to La Squadra, how old Formaggio actually is. He feigns hurt whenever you ask

You can see the tips of his ears growing gold, though. So he must be an older spirit.

Once, after encountering some hunters in the forest, seeing their dogs made Formaggio so freaked out, he reverted back to his real form and ran away back to camp. Illuso and Melone still won't let him live it down.

He's a baby for head scratches, and always melts under your hands. If you're ever trying to sweet talk him into something, that's the best way to go.

"Lets" you pamper him and his tails, but be careful getting too close to their bases, it gets him feeling frisky

Still thinks he's hot shit

He's always getting into spats with Illuso

"You know, Kitsune are said to be great and faithful guardians, and even greater lovers~" He shoots you a hot look

"Is that why the farmer down the mountain is always hitting you with his broom?"

Illuso cackles from across the bonfire

Speaking of farmers, his ears and tails are all nicked up from all of the traps he's set off in the past :(

He wears a hakama, one that divides in the legs. They're a dirty, almost beige color, with darker orange robes underneath. He keeps the sleeves longer than normal so he can hide his arms in them all sneaky like

He still has his animalistic tendencies, and on more than one occasion you've had him "gift" you a dead rabbit or bird he hunted himself

He always asks for head pats as a thanks

He's not allowed near the kitchen during dinner because he might just end up feeding you raw meat

Amazing cuddler btw, just look out for the tails. They WILL try to tickle you. But they do give you nice cushioning

Illuso- Ungaikyō (haunted mirror)

Joined before Formaggio

Upon reaching a hundred years of age, an Ungaikyo develops a soul and becomes a yokai, they grow a consciousness and are able to leave their mirror freely

In his mirror, Illuso can only be seen as a form of smoke with blood red eyes from an angle. If you were to stand in front of his mirror, you'd only see yourself with a more demonic form.

Out of his mirror, Illuso looks like just Illuso, but with a pair of horns at his temples

He wears gaudy gold jewelry he found in abandoned houses throughout his years. He spends literal minutes taking it off before bed. His favorite jewelry are these bejeweled chains he can decorate his horns with.

It should be obvious that he was very upset when he had to hide his horns away from you, and couldn't decorate them for some time

His has normal human skin, but his horns are slightly purple

He wears a black haori with royal purple sleeves over a white kimono (it still has that stupid quilt design like his normal outfit does)

Unlike the rest of the Squad, he's the only yokai without an earthly body. Everyone else was born on earth, whereas Illuso basically "spawned" one day, and his "body" is technically just an illusion

He feels like he's there, but he could just poof at any moment

Illuso is one of the cleanest yokai in the group, second only to Pros. He doesn't berate anyone on not being clean like he does, but his tent is noticably the best organized and cleaned

He doesn't need to eat. If he gets tired, he only needs to go back into his mirror.

If he doesn't get to his tent in time he just kind of... Dissipates into smoke. You'll get to see him later

He can sleep, but it doesn't give him much of a benefit. He does like spooning with you, though, but he's very cold.

Same with food, it doesn't fill him up, except rice is an exception

Alcohol does effect him, on the other hand. And he's a light weight.

He tries to get you to sit in his lap so he can feed you, even after your eyes healed and you could feed yourself

Has a strange connection to the crows and ravens on the mountain, sometimes they'll bring him shiny things, and he gets overjoyed.

Sometimes gifts you these shiny things.

He has a personal favorite crow he even introduced to you.

His name is Banshee, and he can even caw out human words

Illuso also taught him to say curses, of course

Pesci- Garappa

Was the last to join the Squadra with Prosciutto

Garappa are a regional corruption of the Kappa, but we don't care much for the regional part right now

They share similarities to the Kappa, but Garappa are much slimmer and have longer limbs than their counterpart. They're also shyer and more elusive than the other

In Pesci's case he's more sturdy and muscular than a normal Garappa

Squishy belly

I believe in chubby Pesci supremacy

You know that big tuft of hair Pesci has? When it gets wet, it kind of falls into a fan around his head and looks pretty similar to the pictures of Garappa and Kappa. You can also see the water dish on top of his head, normally hidden in his hair

To keep hydrated away from his river, he drinks a lot of water from his canteen.

Most of the team (save from Risotto and Prosciutto) tease him about only being half yokai. They even trick him into bowing so he looses the water in his dish. He goes rigged, and can't move, and has even gotten close to dying before. It normally falls to you to help fix him again because the others can't be bothered to do it

He was actually smitten with you before you even ever spoke to him. He first fell in love with your innocent appearance, and fell even deeper in love once he really got to know you.

Once you got your sight back, he always wore a hannya mask so you couldn't see his face, even in his human form, because he was scared you would find him disgusting and ugly. You were quick to shut that down

Pesci, being part of a creature with a history of assaulting women, was terrified you'd hate him after finding out he was a Garappa.

He was so relieved when you didn't freak out!!

He still doesn't like showing you his true form, though

In his human form, he looses the webbing between his fingers and toes, along with his shell. But he still has his water dish on his head and carries a fishy smell

He also wears forest green robes along with a darker grey hakama. Over it he wears his sleeveless long coat in the colder months.

Pesci will let you wear it, if you ask. And he thinks it's very cute on you.

His main job is the hunting and fishing. He does most of the cooking for you too, because he's the only omnivore in the group.

He looves cucumbers, and even has a small patch growing near the river.

He only ever eats fish and vegetables

Also loves sumo wrestling, and is pretty good at it along with hand to hand fighting.

Despite always bring picked on, it was him who got the first shot with Reader. He's still a bit proud of that fact

You sleep with him in bed the most out of the group. He kept you in his tent while you healed and you never really left

Should also mention he fares well with medicine and healing, and is very gentle with you while he patches up any wounds you have.

Doesn't tease you a lot, and is really the target of YOUR teasing. It doesn't matter how many kisses you've shared, he'll always go red in the face.

Shockingly, he's quick to choose violence if he ever thinks your in danger. Afterwards he'll apologize if he scared or hurt you.

I love Pesc Pesc

Prosciutto- Jorōgumo (🕷️)

Hehehe whore spider

While he and Pesci aren't related in this AU, Pros did take him under his "leg" as a sort of half brother role. They found each other a few years before officially joining Risotto and his group.

Possibly the eldest of the group, at 526 year old

He also has the most forms, with four different shapes he can take

this

He can change from a normal sized golden orb-weaver spider, a bigger orb-weaver, a more grotesque mash of spider and human (which he dislikes changing into), a human form with four arms (and four tiddies, can't forget that) and eight eyes

He's probably the worst with magic, and he has a hard time concealing his extra eyes and arms. It was a problem before, but now he doesn't care. And you seem to like them anyway

He likes to carry you around in one pair of arms and do tricks with the others.

His dominant pair of eyes are normal in color, but the others share better similarities to Grateful Dead's eyes 👀, with full on green sclera and yellow irises

He wears a simple yukata with the same color and design as his suit in the series, and of course his usual pendant.

When he has both pairs of arms out he just goes topless and ties the extra robes around his torso

Tries to help with dinner, he's also a carnivore but he has more sense than Melone or Formaggio

You can find him relaxing near the fire with his kiseru pipe, he tries to stay away from you while doing so

He's closest to Risotto. Very close... He acts like a second father to the group and is a high voice of reason

On the topic of food, he and Risotto share meals. And by meals I mean human bodies. They wouldn't hurt a pure soul and only eat the offerings from the village down the mountain. Risotto sucks the body free of blood and Prosciutto eats the meat.

In his earlier years he would actually use his body to get prey, like a true Jorōgumo. But after being forced from his clan he grew out of those habits.

He's pretty and he knows it, even in his worst forms. He uses it against you

Out of his spider form his webbing shoots from under his nails. He uses his webbing frequently. It's pretty strong, and he's even made hammocks for everyone to use around the forest.

There's a cave off from the camp that he use to use like a nest but after you came along he started using it less and less. Now it's basically a breeding ground for his spider friends

Yes he communicates with the spiders on the mountain, no matter the species. Unlike Illuso he doesn't play favorites and speaks to them all equally. He's asked them to not hurt you

Every once in a while you can find a stray arachnid on your shoulder or robes. You're never truly sure if it's him or a friend

Yes he can and will use his webbing during sexy times don't ask

Melone- Uwabami- great serpent

Joined after Sorbet and Gelato

I really wanted to make Melone a Tsuchinoko, or a hammer child, because the idea of him being a little stumpy snake thing that rolled and jumped around everywhere was hilarious. But I decided that'd make for a very wonky looking naga

Melone's true form is that of a large snake scaling near sixteen feet or five meters, but he enjoys slithering around in a form that has a human torso and a snakes tail

His canines are sharper than normal, and his tongue is longer than a normal human's, that should've been your first clue he wasn't human after he shoved it down your throat the first time. Somehow you didn't realize

He's very interested in your human feet and legs. Even before your eyes healed he was always offering massages and check ups to give them his undivided attention.

Melone likes to just squeeze you with his whole body in hugs. He thinks you're just sooo cute and sooo small

If you're ever sharing a tent with him he really wraps around you entirely at night since he's cold blooded

And you're the perfect heat sorce~

He really can't do anything on his own if it's too cold

Always asks Ghiaccio to heat up the river so he "doesn't get hypothermia

Yokai can't get hypothermia

I can't remember how often snakes shed but let's just say cause he's a big boy he does it like ever month or two. He normally asks Risotto or Ghia to help

Strangely, he has a better bond with Ghiaccio than anyone else, despite Ghiaccio being so cold (literally and figuratively)

For someone who eats almost twice their own weight at each meal, he's very slim and has a smaller figure. That's a fast metabolism for you ig

During the colder seasons he hides away in a cave away from the base and hibernates for a long while :( after meeting you he decided he wanted to create a concoction that'll help with that

He's a bit of an alchemist. Like Pesci, he's a good healer. But while Pesci is more physical and herbal, Melone uses actual medicines and potions he's made himself

He's also better book smart, since he's one of the only yokai who can read.

Similar to Prosciutto, he was kicked out of his kind's clan because of his views. This was because Melone wanted to experience true love rather than fuck anything that moved and hope for offspring.

That does not mean he doesn't want to fuck YOU

But he wants it to be consensual and after some time together

Was completely on board with having a human wife, and was the second one to fall in love with you at first sight. Before you even knew about the arrangement he was always so touchy with you.

All in all compared to the rest Melone and Formaggio are tied for being the most lovey. Melone would positively die if you crawled into his lap and asked him to read you anything

Oops almost forgot–

He wears his usual eye mask but it's visible that the eye underneath is shut, and probably damaged. He hasn't told you anything about it yet :(

His clothing of choice is a one-sleeved kimono with the same coloring and patterns his outfit has. The right arm has been torn off, probably by himself, and partially shows off his chest a little. Sometimes he'll wear a sleeveless haori with it as well

He drops the kimono and only wears the haori in his "naga" form

"But I'd better prefer wearing nothing at all with you around." He licks his lips

It's been a while since these yokai have seen a live human woman, and they're horny. Can you blame them too much

He's also the only one who wears gloves. It's probably to conceal his cold hands and the scales growing on the back of his palms

Ghiaccio- Wani (sea monster)

Ghiaccio can control water, to an extent. He isn't as powerful as his elders who can control entire oceans or rivers, but he's made rivers run dry and has made it rain before, to try and impress you. He can freeze over the water or set it to boiling points as well and just about everything in between

He can also control the weather.

To an extent

He was the first to find and join Risotto

He's the youngest in the group. Maybe not by years, as Pesci is only 23, but mentally he's about 19

Rather than looking like a serpent monster, he looks more dragon, because I said so. And he has antlers rather than horns. They shed once every three years, and come back slightly bigger

He has the second largest pair of horns out of the group, second to Sorbet and Gelato who's are pretty similar in size. Ghiaccio's are still relatively small though

They get in the way a bit

In his truest form, he's a HUGE teal dragon with snow white antlers, and takes up soooo much space like THIS

Nowadays you spend every full moon keeping him company and offering him sake, despite him not being able to drink it in his dragon form.

Unlike the group, he relies on markings and magic runes to keep his human form. He looks really tatted up. You just thought he liked tattoos at first

He has those really cool marks under his eyes and around his nose and chin and forehead and yeah I like that a little

He needs help adding them to his body, and normally asks Melone since he's so flexible

Reptiles need to help other reptiles 🤝

They last for about a month, but fade around the new moon, where Ghiaccio leaves camp for three days before coming back, to replenish his energy

Unlike Melone, Wani don't need to hibernate. And he enjoys the snow and cold

He likes making "slush balls" in the winter, which are snowballs doused with berry juice. They're pretty good!

He's decently warm, but has terrible circulation in his hands.

He tries to keep his claws trimmed. For your sake

Ghiaccio is the only one who wears actual pants, they're black. Over it, he wears pale blue robes that are almost white

The only yokai that wears actual shoes, everyone else either go barefooted or has sandals

They're red dyed cloth boots

He had the "fuzzy eye" sickness that keeps him from seeing properly, and it makes him irritated

When he's bored he'll ask Melone to read to him, since he has a nice reading voice.

Being in the sun for too long gives him a headache, him and Risotto spend a lot of their days inside or hiding in the trees shadows. They're both much more active at night

He's also a big baby for head scritches

Just having your fingers in his curls is a blessed feeling

There's an theory going around the camp that he's actually a runaway prince, son of the Wani king deep in the sea, but Ghiaccio shuts them up quick about it. He's never denied the idea...

He likes Pesci's fish, and it's the only food he'll wait for to cook

He really wants to take you to the ocean some day

Risotto- Shiki (corpse demon)

I absolutely stole this idea from the anime

Watch Shiki, it's my favorite thriller

I couldn't find any good vampiric yokai but I'm unoriginal and wanted Risotto to be connected with blood

The leader of La Squadra

He burns in the sunlight, and even using magic to seem more human the sun gives him headaches and hurts his eyes

He stole some glasses off of a corpse a few years ago and have them to Ghiaccio, which seemed to cure his fuzzy eye sickness

Like I've stated before, he only eats when the village offers sacrifices. They're never pure or innocent, and are almost always people with tainted souls like thieves or murderers

Shiki normally feed once ever night, and can feed from the same host for multiple nights. But because Risotto doesn't have anywhere to store his feeding bags (and because he doesn't want to worry about accidentally creating a new Shiki) he just sucks them dry all at once, and that normally keeps him fed for a few weeks

Even if a Shiki doesn't normally kill you with one feeding, he wouldn't dream of asking you for your blood because of how sick it could make you. No matter how sweet you smell, he fights those urges

Being so big and strong, Risotto is afraid of hurting you by simply... Being in your presence. So he tends to come off as aloof from a distance

It'll take a lot of tempting from Reader to get to know him better

Despite fears, he's actually a very soft man. One of his darkest desires is to just hold you close for a long while but he doesn't want anyone to think of him as a softie

Is literally a walking corpse, don't expect him to be warm

He doesn't talk much, even before death he was as silent as a graveyard

His love language is gifting. He'll offer you pretty flowers he's found patrolling the mountain, or sake or soaps he finds searching abandoned buildings, anything he thinks you'll like.

In his eyes, you and the rest of his pack always come before himself. He's very selfless, and it sometimes gets him into trouble

Risotto was quick to accept the idea of a wife, for his pack members, but didn't entertained the thought that you would like him as well. He was the last one to truly accept his feelings for you, but he's happy be did

He's closest to Prosciutto. Very close....

Aside from super strength and senses, he's skilled with a katana

He was buried in his samurai outfit, a grey hakama (divided at the legs) and a cole black haori. He didn't wear robes under them, and has two straps crossing over his bare chest. This is what he wears after death too, and takes extra care to keep them clean after so long

In his life before he died, Risotto was a trained samurai, and was a close guard to a very important clan leader. He won't say who

I'd say he's a little over a hundred years old

Has a tattoo sleeve on his left arm that he keeps covered

Doesn't see the point in eating human food if he just needs to drink blood, but he joins the group at the fire every night

Risotto cares very deeply for his family, as he calls them secretly

Sorbet and Gelato- Oni

Boyfriends who sneak out of hell together stay together

They're the ones who found Reader, and were the ones to ask Risotto to keep you as their wife

The pair joined Risotto and Ghiaccio after seeing what a handful the little Wani was and decided they wanted to help

Sorbet comes off as uncaring, but he really loves his wife just as much as his husband

Gelato is perfectly happy with his relationship with Sorbet. But he really wanted someone new to dote on, that's where you come in

Hhhhhh poly Sorlato

They're very open about their love, and don't care who's watching

Their fangs do get in the way of their smooching, but they work around it

It's messy

They're normal oni colors, Sorbet is a shade of dark blue that's almost black and Gelato is red. Of course, they hide this with magic and give themselves human skin once Reader can finally see

Gelato's horns are sharper with a serrated curve to the longer ones, with two smaller ones between them. Sorbet's have a more noticeable curl to them (like a ram's) but are more blunt from use. They both have two pairs of horns

Gelato wears an army green kimono with a tan haori over it

Sorbet wears a light blue yukata with a darker hakama. Sometimes you'll see him wearing Gelato's haori.

It's actually his, but Gelato wears it more than him and gets pouty when Sorbet won't let him wear it

They have a matching set of earrings on opposite ears

Scratch Prosciutto being the eldest, Gelato and Sorbet are tied at nearing 600

They were much more sadistic before meeting Risotto, but have since then chilled down

They're actually omnivores, like Pesci, but they'd much rather eat raw meat than vegetables

They live pretty similar to regular oni, with their shared tent decorated wall to floor with animal pelts, so you didn't get to see it until after discovering they were oni

They swear up and down it's comfier then a futon

Gelato's favorite seat is Sorbet's lap. But he's willing to share with you if it makes you happy

Other times he'll sit you down in HIS lap while still on Sorbet's

Like a triple layer cake

Shockingly, Gelato, Melone, and Risotto are the only ones who can read. Sorbet didn't get the chance in his past life to learn, and asks Gelato to read to him before bed most nights

Gelato's voice is pretty scratchy and hard to listen to, but to Sorbet it's practically music

They fashioned "wedding rings" for each other from bones, they're just simple ringlets but to the two oni they mean the sun and moon

They don't have any special powers like the rest but they know their ways around clubs

Gelato is the fastest out of the two, and Sorbet is the best tracker and hunter. They both have an incredible sense of smell

Basically don't get on their bad side and you'll be safe. Until they're ready to tease you

If I think of anything else I'll probably add on to this, for now I think all this word vomit is good. If you has any questions or anything let me know! I'll be glad to answer

[evoblue]

re: dead girl walking

As you all know, Blue is based on the beta concept for the unused female trainer in RBY, which is often forgotten, unknown, or simply considered a 'dead girl' in creepypasta. I've tried to incorporate these concepts into my portrayal and that's how I ended up in the 'dead girl walking' concept.

In almost every universe except this one, Blue is dead. This is why people don't know or forget her, etc. In a way, it's a curse that haunts her in every lifetime. Her life in this universe is the longest she's ever lived because, even though she's had plenty of near-death experiences, she somehow manages to make it out alive, whether by her own merit or by the grace of some other entity's help. This is why, when she sees her reflection in the ungaikyō, she sees herself as dead and it's also why the demonic entities in the spirit world are trying to reclaim her. To the universe, she's living on borrowed time.

She's unaware of this but this connection to death affects how certain pokémon perceive her. Fairy-type pokémon find her unusually interesting, and she's able to forge incredibly strong bonds with ghost-type pokémon like her Ceruledge. Her Gengar, BooFace, would be able to pinpoint her presence from halfway across the world and materialize beside her if he had to. Nieva, her Froslass, was drawn to her presence when Blue was climbing Mt. Coronet toward Snowpoint City, and is the only reason why Blue survived the avalanche there that should have claimed her life.

The following is a growing list of people, places, and pokémon that have either attempted or succeeded to kill Blue in this and other lifetimes:

Old abandoned well in the grounds of the Aozaki mansion, drowned

Team Rocket grunts in Silph Tower, succumbed to broken neck or other injuries*

Whirl Islands, drowned*

Car accident with Red and Green during a road trip, succumbed to injuries

Mt. Silver Avalanche, buried alive*

Sinnoh Route 217 avalanche, buried alive*

Plane ride en route to Kalos, plane crashed into the ocean

Ex-lover, stabbed in murder-suicide

Village Bridge Bannette, attempted suffocation and live burial, failed*

Hoard of ravenous demonic creatures, failed*

Mt. Silver Haunter, shadow claws and poison, failed*

Most of these (marked with *) have happened in this lifetime. Almost all of them have succeeded in killing her in other lifetimes. Sometimes, people close to her will have nightmares in which she dies; these are reflections of past or future realities that have or will come to pass in some lifetime.

[inventors-fair]

Next of Kin: Tribal Uncommon Runners-Up ~

Our runners-up this week are @industrialsalad, @jsands84, and @piccadilly-blue. 

You know, there’s always some overlap between runners-up and judge picks. Should the runners-up be extended? We do three on principle but you know, I might expand it just because sometimes it’s hard to narrow it down when we have strong weeks like this. Anyway, back to the grind.

@industrialsalad​ — Tsukomogami of the Mirror

Moonfolk, also a Kamigawa staple! I still didn’t play much with Moonfolk—man, I bought a lot of Kamigawa as a kid but never really played with the cards, I think I was just kind of a weeb in high school—had a weird mechanical side but I think that having the cost reduction (with their land-returning abilities) and the ability-doubling here is a substantially clever arrangement. The tapping helps to avoid too many crazy...cost... ... I’m just now noticing that you forgot power and toughness, oh my God. Well, uh, that’s a strength of the card! The flavor of a mirror-spirit as an artifact creature with this strong of a mechanical tie made me entirely overlook a VERY important part of the card. Props to you AND shame on you. My main criticism was going to be that there aren’t enough triggered abilities of Moonfolk (and the one that’s there ain’t worth it) and that activated would have been tighter, but now I have something even more legit. So yeah! This is your one and only slap on the wrist before I start scrutinizing more. (Thank you for the Japanese folklore lesson, btw, and making me also learn about ungaikyō. This is why I loved OG Kamigawa block.)

~

@jsands84​ — Lambholt Farmers

I really do love your cards’ simple excellence, I gotta say. There’s a lot of love in your submissions and I appreciate seeing them because I know I’ll always be able to dig into their thoughtfulness. This card is bonkers good and suggests a shell that, while not extensively supported yet, is one of the ways in which plains really do come alive in this game. The peasants have their power, being sent off to till the fields if your enemy has more resources, which limits the landcycling and yet helps with the control factor. Gotta get the knights and warriors. The fact that you can use these peasants is really striking, just right in the heart of their identity, and I find that this card is almost more of an artistic endeavor. Obviously the card is good and it requires a more thoughtful process that gets creatures off their board potential and yeah maybe white doesn’t always want to do that, but it makes you consider the role of Peasants as a chosen card type and why it’s not just Human, why it has to be narrower, why this was a choice to make. I commend this card for its choice of narrative. If I can overthink it, I’mma post about it.

~

@piccadilly-blue​ — Imperial Guard Captain

And here we are again with a super cool, super flavorful design that still has impact on the board. It seems so obvious, you know? The legendary makes your samurai vigilant. They’re protecting their leader. Bam. Board-wise, it encourages you to have focus on legendary cards like in Dominaria draft but with a slight tribal focus. Awesome. Promos don’t usually have flavor text but this guy is all direct and cool and cold and I get him. I feel the steel. You made a card that gives me anticipatory chills! It’s not causing a direct emotional response, but it doesn’t have to. It’s reliant on a trope, soldier-protecting-leader, and it does that job exactly well. Man, maybe I’m just in a Kamigawa mood, but let’s be honest, these cards strike very human chords, you know? It’s a hot contender because of how well it works with the mechanics in a simple Samurai shell, and not a winner partially because, well, I gotta narrow it down, and partially because “gains” is for “until end of turn” effects and “have” for static effects, see Tobita, Master of Winds.

Let’s get some more commentary on the road! Will be working on that today.

@abelzumi​

[clonepa]

give me

Ungaikyō is a possessed mirror that reflects monsters and the images of all the things and people its reflected before. it can bend and change the shape of anything and make anything it wishes to appear. people who look into these mirrors see twisted monstrous versions of themselves relfected back at them. it can also be used to trap spirits as well.

(also what it pictured is not a possessed mirror just a normal one, but often the mirrors possessed looked like the one in the image)

[industriallyinsecure]

Is Illuso able to leave the mirror in the monster au? I need to know how bad I would've fucked up if I were to write "bitch" in lipstick backwards onto his mirror after he annoyed me to the high heavens and back...

Ungaikyō Illuso can only leave the mirror on certain nights (Samhain, All Hallows’ Eve, Full moons), but that doesn’t mean he can’t bring you into the mirror. Safest bet is to stay inside a dark room without any lights/reflections.

[nxtheromoved]

Comparing the characters in Little Nightmares to yōkai and other mythical / folklore creatures, a completely unnecessary and self-indulgent post that purely exists for myself. Nothing is a one-to-one comparison, just what they remind me of most.

Alphabetical order. Cut for length.

Dark Six - Six’s living shadow, a Kage-onna projected by her latent powers

Flesh Walls in the Signal Tower - Hyakume (one or possibly multiple) grown so big that they merged with their environment

Glitching Remains -  Notabariko, with influences from the Kage-onna folklore

Leeches - they’re just big leeches

Living Hands -  Akateko, but a very “Addams Family” version

Mirror Monster - an unknown creature trapped in an Ungaikyō

Nomes -  Amefuri Kozō, mostly because of their proclivity for hats that cover their faces and their shy natures

Shadow Kids - similar to the Glitching Remains, I relate them most to Notabariko, but with more influence from the Kage-onna folklore than the Remains, as the remains seem more modern and technologically-influenced

Shoe Monster - could be a variety of things since we never see it, but I would say Kagewani (translates to “shadow crocodile or shark”), which is a term originally used to describe most unknown sea monsters; they are rarely seen and snap up their victims quietly

Six - half-Kijo, per my heacanons

The Bullies - Hinnagami, minus the wish-granting abilities

The Doctor -  closest I can say are Tenjō Kudari and Tsurube Otoshi, though only in very vague concept-based relation

The Granny - Onibaba, with Ame-onna influences

The Hunter - this one is very western, possibly influenced by the Texas Chainsaw Massacre movies tbh

The Janitor - I’m unsure, honestly he just reminds me of Dr. Finkelstein

The Lady - Kijo, with strong influences from the Kage-onna mythos

The North Wind - Enenra

The Patients - I have no clue

The Teacher - Rokurokubi

The Thin Man - very western, reminds me of Slender Man or the horror version of the Crooked Man

The Twin Chefs - I’m unsure tbh

The Viewers -  Nopperabō

[heavensenthearty]

The Addition of Zutara: ATLA Season 5 (Part 3)

Season 4

Season 5 (Part 1)

Season 5 (Part 2)

The group would keep traveling through the Earth Kingdom, encountering some people from past adventures, amongst them a certain village boy named Lee. (Remember him?)

“We shouldn’t have come here.”

– Zuko to Katara after spotting Lee and the latter frowning at the former.

Zuko would explain to Katara what happened between him and Lee, and Katara would help him confront the demons from his past.

“Is she your girlfriend?”

– Lee after reconciling with Zuko with Katara’s help, much to the embarrassment of them both.

Then they would encounter good old friend Haru yet again, and Haru and Katara would resume their friendship, to Zuko’s slight distaste (*cough* jealousy *cough, cough*)

Zuko: “Where’s Katara?”

Sokka: “She went with Haru to do… something about visiting his father’s new earthbending academy in town or something.”

Zuko: [Frowns slightly] “Oh…”

Toph: [Nudges at his side] “Don’t be jealous, Sparky.”

Zuko: [Surprised] “Wha… What?! What would I be jealous of?!”

I know the show has the tradition for the characters to give the stink-eye to the object of their jealousy, but that’s not really a healthy message, so I just envision Zuko to be jealous but basically let Katara live her life because he and Katara are just friends, and he knows it. Katara’s life is none of his business.

Besides, he has motives to thank Haru, he’s the one that will tell them about a Forgetful Valley-like forest on the Earth Kingdom, where fugitives that didn’t want to be found went to hide. (Again, illogical plot-point in the comics. If there was a whole valley where spirits inhabited in the Fire Nation, why was the majority of the country so indifferent towards the Spirit World?!) The place was dangerous, and it was said to be occupied by mean spirits… But hey, these kids have the Avatar, so they are even!

This Forgetful Valley-like location is one of the things that I would like of this season, because I imagine all the spirits living in there could be based on creatures and spirits from the real Asian folklore.

Imagine – just IMAGINE – what it would have been like if ATLA had featured the Japanese/Chinese folklore Four Divine Monsters: Byakko, the White Tiger of Air and Storm. Suzaku, the Phoenix of Fire. Seiryu, the Blue Dragon of Water. Genbu, the Turtle/Snake of Earth.

Imagine all the shenanigans our heroes would get involved in with spirits like Ashimagari (the spirit which entangles the legs of travelers), or Uma-no-ashi (a horse's leg which dangles from a tree and kicks passersby), or Uwan (a spirit named for the sound it shouts when surprising people), or Mononoke (any mischevious spirit and troublesome creature/entity of uncertain origin.)

Imagine all the amazing episodes we could have gotten with spirits inspired by Kappa (a famous water monster with a water-filled head and a love of cucumbers), or Nurikabe (a ghostly wall that traps a traveler at night), or Ōkami (a powerful wolf spirit that either takes your life or protects it depending on the actions one does in his or her life, (I know it resembles the comics’ one, but I doubt they made the enough research to make the reference)), or Ungaikyō (a possessed mirror).

I actually thought one of the beloved filler episodes could feature a spirit inspired by the Konaki-jiji (a yokai that disguises itself as an abandoned baby then cries until someone picks it up) and the Kawaakago (a river spirit that pretends to be a crying baby and then yanks the legs of the people that comes to look for it into its river). The Kawaakago is said to do such a thing as a prank, and I imagine a fictional fusion of this two spirits could present itself to our heroes and presenting itself as a baby, and then Katara would pick it up, and then… c’mon, the joke tells itself.

After picking the supposed baby up, Katara would refuse to leave it alone in the forest, and they would keep it with them. During the following days, they would start noticing somebody is playing bad pranks at them… This is a perfect moment for detective Momo to take action!

(Imagine it: a whole episode having Momo as the hero and showing him as a significant, active member of Team Avatar.)

Momo would be the one that discovered the deceitful spirit eating the Team’s food and damaging their clothes. The group would confront the spirit, but this would leave Katara depressed because her quick trusting got them into trouble yet again.

Zuko: “It’s not all your fault, Katara. How were we supposed to suspect from a baby?”

Aang: “Yeah, that spirit is meant to trick passersby. And he has been doing so for the past thousand years, he’s really good at it.”

– Both Aang and Zuko consoling Katara.

Remember what I said about her confronting this part of her personality? This is what I meant.

Continuing their search they would encounter good old enemy Koh, after encountering a spirit portal in the forest.

Katara: “This must be why the fugitives were never seen again. They escaped into the Spirit World.”

Aang: “And they probably were punished by the spirits for doing so.”

– Katara and Aang after the group crossed through the portal.

Thinking that Ursa could have crossed to the Spirit World, who’s the spirit that’s aware about what happens in the Spirit and Human World again? Oh, yeah, that’s right.

Koh: And who are these that accompany you today, Avatar? [Snaking between Sokka and Toph] Presents for me?

Aang: These are my friends, and we all have some questions to ask you.

Koh: Your friends. More precious people for you. [Moving to Katara] What a beautiful, young lady you are. [Changing to Ummi’s face] You would combine perfectly with the face of yet another person your Avatar friend loved in his past life.

[Side cut to Aang standing next to them looking straight ahead with his expressionless face. Front close-up to Katara’s face, then to Koh’s]

Koh: On the other hand… [looking sideways and moving to Zuko] What an interesting face the one that we got here… [Camera focuses on Zuko’s face as Koh circles and examines him] You remind me of someone.

Zuko: Really? Who?

Koh: Various people, actually. One of them is another one of your friend’s past lives, the other is some reckless barbarian that came to a trip to the Spirit World. The other… [Walking away] I’m not sure. I lost the chance to add her face to my collection, so I prefer not to remember.

Zuko: Her face?

Koh: A human woman’s. She mentioned she had to hide from something. Or was it someone?

Aang: Can you tell us more about her?

Koh: [Climbing through the walls and stretching his body so his head can hang upside-down next to Zuko’s] Your eyes are a little like hers. [Circling and trapping Zuko, facing him] You look exactly like three people I didn’t have the chance to add to my collection, I wonder if the fourth time’s the charm.

[Camera focuses on the rest of the group looking sideways to their direction. Close-up to Azula’s face at Zuko’s side.]

Zuko: Why did you lose the chance to take her face?

Koh: She actually wanted me to take it, she didn’t even try to resist it, like I said, she was hiding. But there was something in her, some sadness that made her face truly inexpressive. She said… she had to leave someone behind, too.

[Zuko gulps, cut to his clenched fist. Take on Azula’s face looking at him, struggling to not make any facial expression. Scene expands to take the rest of the group looking at them.]

Zuko: Is there anything else you can tell us about her?

Koh: No. [Steps away.]

Aang: [Bowing] Thanks, Koh. You have been very helpful.

Koh: It’s always my pleasure, Avatar.

[The group exits Koh’s cave and take a heavy breath of relief when they are out.]

Sokka: Okay. That was creepy.

After it all, I imagine things would take a turn like this:

Azula: “Why are you doing this for me? You hate me. And I can’t say the feeling is not mutual.”

[Katara gives her a look of significance before exiting the tent.]

Katara: “You should take some rest, even with the poison out of your body, it might leave your system a little weak.”

Azula: “I am not weak –!” [Cut off mid-sentence when Katara leaves her alone.]

– Azula when Katara’s taking care of her after she infects herself with an herbal poison.

“I think there’s something wrong with this search.”

– Aang to Toph about the search they are making.

Aang keeps having his visions about Ursa, about her past and the things that she went through when she ran away, and they become vivid and scary, leaving him to believe there’s something really wrong with this adventure.

Meanwhile, for yet another one of the filler episodes, we would get a glance at how things are going in the Fire Nation without Zuko. Surprisingly the country hasn’t ignite itself on fire:

[Mai gets into the Fire Palace courtyard, where Ty Lee is practicing her flips and acrobatic moves. Ty Lee moves around the roofs walking with her hands, making cartwheels and lands on the floor again with a pirouette. Mai applauds her.]

Mai: “I’ve always wondered how do you do that.”

Ty Lee: “It’s just something that comes naturally to me.”

[Ty Lee retrocedes making some more cartwheels. Take on her bare hands as she takes impulse from the floor and effortlessly pushes herself up for her to land on a second-floor window-frame.]

I know it’s not very obvious without an actual image sequence, but this was my try to give a hint that Ty Lee is actually an untrained airbender capable of pushing herself from the ground to land on a rooftop as we have seen her do so. It’s my way to include Aaron’s idea of making her of airbender heritage.

“You think I’m a good leader? Everybody always thinks that I’m… well… dumb.”

– Ty Lee to Mai expressing her insecurities.

“I want to be a warrior. But I also want to keep being who I am. And I wish all the girls could also be more themselves, too.”

– Ty Lee to Mai explaining her inner conflict over the Kyoshi Warriors rules and her persona.

“Hey, I got it! Why don’t you introduce more fighting styles to the Kyoshi Warriors?”

– Mai offering an idea to Ty Lee’s dilemma.

Precisely, Ty Lee would introduce chi-blocking to the Kyoshi Warriors and Mai would introduce them to knife-throwing. The Warriors would make small subdivisions for each to specialize on each fighting style and let the Warriors to be more original. Teaching and letting herself be heard, Ty Lee would overcome her insecurities about not being good enough.

Ty Lee: [humbly] “And thanks for helping me…” [Excitedly] “That was so fun!”

[Runs to hug Mai, but overjoyed she accidentally shoots a strong air current through the palm of her hands that hits a jar and makes it crash against a wall. Both Mai and Ty Lee stare at it, shocked.]

Back to Team Avatar, people! This is their show!

Crossing the valley, The GAang+Azula would find a mysterious town at the other side of the Earth Kingdom that apparently, like Kyoshi Island, decided to maintain themselves afar from the war. Katara would meet and befriend a kind priestess woman named Miya, but Katara would still be unsure if she should trust people so quickly after everything that has happened to her because of it.

“I trust you.”

– Zuko reassuring Katara that he will always trust her judgement.

Katara’s new friend, Miya, would show them around the devotedly religious town and their deities, especially the Great Spirit Zhenzhen (a spirit that I imagine to be inspired by both the Japanese goddess Kichijōten, the one that embodies happiness, fertility, and beauty; and Bixia, the Chinese goddess of fertility.)

I would have made a sketch for her design but… yeah. But it would be respectful for the culture for it to somewhat maintain itself loyal to the image of the original goddesses. Besides, I really like Bixia’s images:

Anyways, the whole place would be charged with a strange, strong spirit presence that would affect Aang badly and make his visions to turn stronger and more aggressive. When the group finds a secret passage on the towns main shrine, that are the entrance to some underground ruins that they find clues have been occupied by humans recently, Aang’s spirit capacity would reach its peak level and cause him to finally lash out at Zuko that this search that they are doing is wrong, there is something that is telling Aang that Ursa shall not be found.

“We are disturbing a balance between the Spirit and the Human World that shall not be disturbed!”

– Aang yelling at Zuko.

Aang would try to convince the others that he is right but – and this is what I mean with Katara being supportive to Zuko for bringing him closure – she would tell Aang that they should still do this for Zuko.

Katara: “Aang, maybe if we could all just talk about this…”

Aang: [Angrily] You can’t possibly be on his side on this! [Points to Zuko, who is frowning at him.]

Katara: “There are no ‘sides’, we are all a team.”

Aang: [Turns to Sokka] “Sokka, you’re with me on this, aren’t you?”

Sokka: [Hesitantly] I don’t know, I mean, we did agree to help Zuko with this…

Aang: [Turns to Toph, frowning] “Toph?”

Toph: “C’mon, we have gotten so far already and…”

Aang: “Okay, fine, I get it. You all choose him.”

Katara: “Aang, we are not choosing anybody.”

Aang: [Sarcastically] “Yeah. Right. Like you should talk.”

Katara: [Offended] “What is that supposed to mean?”

Aang: [Insolently] “Nothing. Forget it.”

Zuko: [Angrily] “Don’t talk to her like that!”

Aang: [Defiantly] “Or what?!”

Sokka: [Stepping between the two of them] “Okay, calm down! Geez, what has gotten into you two?”

Zuko: “Ask him!”

[Aang turns back with his arms crossed.]

Zuko: “Thanks for me backing up with Aang.”

Katara: “Don’t even mention it. And it wasn’t his intention to lash out that way, I think the energy of this place truly is affecting him.”

Zuko: “You think he was right about us doing something wrong with this search?”

Katara: “I don’t know, I’m not really an expert in spiritual matters.”

[Zuko looks down pensively and Katara nudges him at his arm.]

Katara: “Hey, what’s wrong?”

Zuko: “Nothing, it’s just… what if we don’t find her? Or… what if we do find her, but it isn’t the way I always imagined it to be?”

Katara: [Grabbing his hand] “Zuko, you have been awaiting for this moment all of your life. Even with everything that might happen, it’ll still be what you need to find the inner peace that you are looking for. Remember when you helped me get closure for my mother? This is the same.”

Zuko: Thank you, Katara.

[They both look at each other in the eye, still holding hands.]

Katara: I’m glad that we are friends, Zuko.

Zuko: I’m glad that we are friends, too.

[Katara comes close and they kiss.

Camera shows Aang listening to them yet again, his hands leaving burn marks on the wall he’s using for hiding.]

To not make this longer than what it already is, let’s say the season’s conflict would solve itself when the group has a confrontation with some of the Great Spirits that adored by the town, and the faith of their believers alimented the spirits power so they stood close to the village. One of those spirits would be inspired by Onryō (the Japanese vengeful ghost formed from powerful feelings like rage or sorrow) and Osakabe (an old yōkai woman which resides in Himeji Castle and who can read and manipulate hearts.) And if it can read and manipulate hearts to make them vengeful then…

Sokka: [Shocked] “Fed by feelings of rage? Well, you should watch your back, Zuko.”

Toph: “I don’t think it is him the one that it is planning to use.”

[All the group turns to look the direction she’s pointing to, to see both Aang and Azula clutching to their chests and seemingly in great pain.

Aang opens his eyes in finds himself alone in a dark space.]

Omniscient voice: “It hurts, right?”

[Scene circles to show Azula alone in a similar dark space]

Omniscient voice: “Being alone.”

[Circles to Aang again.]

Omniscient voice:

“Being poorly loved.”

Back to the ruins where our heroes where attacked by the Spirit, Aang’s body (seemingly in Avatar State) and Azula’s body would be attacking the rest of the group, who were trying to reach out for them.

“Aang!”

– Katara before Aang shot a big current of fire multiple directions and Zuko saved her.

Back in the dark place…

Aang: “Where am I? Where are my friends?”

Omniscient voice: “You don’t recognize it?” [Scene circles to Azula] “We are inside of your heart.”

As the fight continuous in the Human Realm, the inside of Aang and Azula’s hearts would be…

Aang: “How can this be the inside of my heart? It is too… dark.”

Omniscient voice: “Exactly. Dark like your emotions, dark like your sadness for being [goes back to Azula] rejected by someone you loved.���

Azula: “That is plain ridiculous! I don’t feel sadness. I don’t feel anything.”

Omniscient voice: “Oh, that’s the power of your pain. It has left you feeling numb.”

[Back to Aang.]

Aang: “I haven’t been rejected by anyone and much less by the people that I love.”

Omniscient voice: “But that is not the way you feel, is it? I can sense your bitter jealousy densely.

[Close-up to Aang’s distressed and shocked face. Take back to the Human Realm where Aang is shooting blasts of fire at Sokka and Suki, then a tornado at Toph and Katara and finally a giant rock at Zuko. Back to the inside of Aang’s heart.]

Aang: “I…”

Omniscient voice: “There’s no need to feel ashamed, you’re in your right. You deserve love. [Back to Azula.] What is it that’s wrong with you, right? Why can’t you be loved like everybody else is?”

[Back to the Human World, the group runs and hides behind a wall, before Azula starts shooting blasts of blue fire at it.

On the inside of Azula’s heart, Azula is crying.]

Omniscient voice: “What is it? It’s not the others fault, it’s yours, and you know it. You don’t believe yourself worthy to be loved.

[Back to Aang.]

Aang: “But I…”

Omniscient voice: “You deserve that love, you earned it, it’s yours by right, how dare the others not love you like you deserve.”

Aang: “No! I…”

Again, for not making this long, the Spirit would continue to try to manipulate Aang and Azula’s hearts as their conscience-less bodies attacked the rest of Team Avatar. Eventually, they both would find their way back to their bodies.

“It’s… not… me.”

– Aang trying to communicate with his friends, struggling to command his body to not attack them.

“Zuko… Zuko, help me!”

– Azula’s inner breakdown makes her body to call out for Zuko’s help.

Aang and Azula finally safe, they would all find out the Spirit was trying to protect the Great Spirit Zhenzhen who had been using The GAang’s new friend Miya as a human vessel to preach and bring consciousness to the human’s about nature’s life, because over the years the human’s had become negligent of the nature’s health and they treated the plants and creatures of creation poorly, making Zhezhen to lose her power.

Turns out, as the Spirit of fertility and beauty, Zhenzhen’s vessel, Miya, was Ursa all along but Zhenzhen manipulated her facial features to make them different to her original face. Since Ursa was the daughter of a master herbalist, she knew a lot about plant life and respected it so Zhenzhen decided to use her as a host and a method to bring back the concern for natural life to humans.

Realizing what his mother’s needed for, Zuko would think about the greater good, and – painfully – let it all go.

Zuko: [Sadly] You were right about the balance between the worlds. [Walks back.]

Aang: [Looking at Zuko leaving, and then looking down] No, I wasn’t. [Steps ahead] Lady Zhenzhen, I am the Avatar that disappeared for a hundred years, the humans’ neglecting of the spirits is my responsibility, not this woman that you hold as a vessel for yourself. Like a true Avatar, I want to be that bridge between the Spirit and the Human World and preach the recognition and respect the Great Spirits like you deserve, but it’s not fair that others carry with my faults and the tasks that are meant for me. If you can only free this woman, [bowing] I’d consider it a huge act of mercy.

Lady Zhenzen: I’d like to show my mercy to you, but the years that you turned your back on both Worlds has made me very distrustful of you. I’m sorry, but I can’t let go of this vessel, in order for me to continue my legacy.

[Aang looks defeated. Katara steps in.]

Katara: Lady Zhenzhen, you are the spirit of fertility, right?

Lady Zhenzen: Of course.

Katara: You love all the things that you have created and that you have given birth to.

Lady Zhenzhen: Absolutely.

Katara:

“The woman that you’re holding is a mother that gave birth to two lives as well. She created something and she loved her creation, and now you’re keeping her away from it… For us, humans, mothers are the greatest representations of fertility. And love. Your greatest representations.”

Convinced by Katara and Aang, Zhenzhen would let go of Ursa, under the condition that Aang kept his promise of being a true bridge between spirits and humans.

Finally with things cooled down and Zuko finally happily reunited with his mother, everybody would have time to talk about the things they have to talk.

Aang: “I thought about you, you know?”

Katara: “What?”

Aang: “When the spirit trapped me inside my heart. It tried to manipulate me saying I wasn’t loved the way I wanted to be, but I thought about you and I could fight it.”

Katara: [Hesitantly] “Aang…”

Aang: “But it wasn’t just you the one that I thought about. I also thought about Sokka, Toph, Suki… and Zuko. I thought about all of my friends and the people that I care about. The spirit thought that… Because you didn’t return my feelings for you… it tried to make me believe that I was unloved. And that I should resent the ones that didn’t love me back the way I deserved. But now I know that kind of love is not something that you can feel yourself entitled to, and that if you care so much about others, you have to let them follow their own path, and make their own choices. Besides, at the end of the day, it just matters that they care about you, too.”

- Inspired by this post by @theadamantdaughter​

Azula: “Your friends are nice.”

[Zuko looks at her, shocked.]

Azula: “But you probably already knew that.”

Zuko: “Yeah, they are good.”

Azula: “When we get back to the Fire Nation… and I go back to the institution…”

Zuko: [Surprised] “You will go back to the institution?”

Azula: [Calmly] “I said that I would, didn’t I?... But you will come to visit me then… Right?”

Zuko: “Of course.”

[Katara and Zuko both sigh relieved together.]

Katara: “Well, this has been a few intense days.”

Zuko: “You could say that again.”

Katara: “I talked to Aang earlier.”

Zuko: “And I talked to Azula.”

Katara: “They both seem fine after what happened.”

Zuko: “I suppose, but Azula is a bit… different.”

Katara: “Different like how?”

Zuko: “I don’t know, I’ve never seen her so… calm.”

Katara: “Maybe it is what happens after a spirit tries to manipulate your heart.”

Zuko: “I suppose. She wants me to visit her when she gets back to the institution.”

Katara: “Alright… That’s strange for her.”

Zuko: “She said she wanted to get better.”

Katara: “And you believe her?”

Zuko: “I don’t know. I told you I’ve never seen her like this.”

Katara: “Well, watching her get better certainly would be something worth witnessing.”

Zuko: [Smiling] “Yeah, I know.”

Katara: “Speaking about getting better, remember what I told you about not knowing what I wanted to do in the future?”

Zuko: [Turns to look at her] “Yeah.”

Katara: “I think I finally figured it out. What I want… what I’ve always wanted… is to help others and create a better world for everyone. Especially for the countries and towns that have suffered the most because of the war.”

Zuko: “Sounds like you. But what does that mean? You do are going to get back to the Southern Water Tribe?”

Katara: “I don’t know. I want to help the Tribe the most that I can, but I’ve been thinking that the best way for that would be recovering what we have lost for the Hundred Year War, and I don’t know how to bring it back.”

Zuko: [Think for a moment] “Hey, I got it! What about if we make a political alliance?”

Katara: “What?”

Zuko: “You and I. You could be an Ambassador from the Water Tribe and the two of us could arrange things for the Tribe to regain its political power and the resources they have lost. It’s the Fire Nation’s fault that they lost it in the first place.”

Katara: [Thinking] “Mmmm…”

Zuko: “We could take things slow.”

[Take on their hands one next to each other’s. Zuko’s reaches for hers, hesitates, and then rests his hand over hers.]

“I wonder how are things back home. I wonder if something has changed.”

– Aang, when they are all returning back home.

Oh, a lot of things have changed Aang! You’ll see them in the coming-soon outline for Season 6…