#world of light is fun but i think it's story is VERY weak

[supbreak20]

I wanna see you and eway and whoever runs Jawsum and Taku's blogs to make Smash fics now

If we did that you already know I would do everything in my power to include all the small niche references I can for the lore goblins

[kryllia]

A Kingdom of Ash and Cold

Yandere north prince x princess reader

Art from pinterest

The inspiration for this story was a character from character.ai but before I finished writing this story I managed to lose the chat and now I can't find who created the character.

You had once been a princess of the South, heir to a kingdom known for its wealth, beauty, and diplomacy. Unlike the North, which thrived on war and conquest, your people valued peace. Your father, the king, had always believed that treaties and alliances were stronger than swords. But he had been wrong.

Felix, the war prince of the North, had proven that with fire and blood.

He attacked without warning. Rumors had spread that your kingdom held untold riches, that its lands were fertile and untouched by war. But more than anything, it was said that the South was weak. And Felix despised weakness.

He marched his armies through your lands like a storm, tearing through defenses with terrifying precision. Your knights fought bravely, but against Felix—who had spent his entire life mastering the art of war—they stood no chance.

Within weeks, your kingdom fell. Your father was slain in battle, your people either killed or enslaved. The grand palace that had once been filled with music and laughter now stood in ruins, a silent graveyard of the past.

And you—once a beloved princess—were now nothing more than a prisoner in the heart of the enemy’s castle.

Three days had passed since your capture.

The cold stone walls of your cell were suffocating. You had been stripped of your royal gowns, left in a simple dress meant for prisoners. The only light came from a small barred window, just enough to remind you that the world outside still existed.

Then, the heavy doors creaked open.

A man stepped inside, his very presence commanding the space. Even without his armor, he looked every bit the war prince the world feared. His golden hair gleamed in the dim torchlight, his sharp blue eyes holding an unsettling intensity.

Felix.

Your body tensed as he walked closer, his movements slow and deliberate, as if he enjoyed watching you squirm.

Then, he smirked. "You look cute in this cell, princess."

You didn’t respond.

Felix tilted his head, amused by your silence. "I expected you to beg for mercy by now. Most do."

You clenched your fists. You would never give him that satisfaction.

He chuckled, a low, dangerous sound. "I like that fire in your eyes. It makes this more fun."

Then, his smirk faded, replaced by something darker. "I’ve decided." He stepped even closer, so close you could feel his warmth. "You will be my wife. The Queen of the North."

The words struck you like a blade.

Marriage?

You had expected execution, imprisonment—anything but this.

Felix watched your reaction closely, his eyes gleaming with something unreadable. "I won’t force you to love me," he said, almost mockingly. "But you will be mine. One way or another."

And just like that, he turned and left, locking the door behind him.

That was when the whisper came.

"Pst... Princess."

Your head snapped up.

A guard stood near your cell. Not a Northern soldier—but a knight of the South. One of the few survivors.

"Tonight, you will run."

Your breath caught in your throat.

"Run, before it’s too late."

It's midnight the time of escape. The plan was simple: slip through the castle's hidden passageways and escape into the night. You knew Felix wouldn’t let you go easily, but if there was even a chance of freedom, you had to take it.

Night fell, and the soldier returned. With a silent nod, he unlocked your cell, gesturing for you to follow.

Every step was agonizingly slow. The castle was a maze of stone and shadows, but the soldier knew the way.

You were close. The exit was just ahead. Freedom—

"Where do you think you’re going?"

Your body froze.

Felix stood at the top of the staircase, his piercing blue eyes filled with cold fury.

The soldier drew his sword, stepping protectively in front of you. "Run, Princess!"

But you couldn’t move.

Felix moved first.

With terrifying speed, he descended the stairs, his blade flashing in the moonlight. The soldier swung, but Felix was faster.

The sound of steel meeting flesh filled the air. The soldier staggered back, blood spilling from his wound.

"No—" you gasped.

The knight collapsed. His body hit the floor, lifeless.

Felix stood over him, his sword dripping red. He turned to you, breathing heavily, his expression unreadable.

"You tried to leave me." His voice was eerily calm.

You took a step back, but it was useless. He was on you in an instant, his fingers gripping your wrist like a vice.

"I was being patient," he murmured. "I wanted you to want me. But now..." His grip tightened. "Now, you’ve forced my hand."

His other hand cupped your cheek, his thumb brushing over your lips. His touch was almost gentle—almost.

"You are mine, Princess. And I do not let go of what is mine."

Two days after death of solider the North Kingdom gathered in celebration.

Felix had won the war. And now, he had claimed his prize.

You stood at the grand altar, dressed in the most exquisite Northern wedding gown. Gold and silver embroidery adorned the fabric, delicate jewels woven into every thread. But none of it felt real.

Felix stood beside you, his regal presence impossible to ignore. His golden hair framed his sharp, aristocratic features, and his blue eyes never left you—not even for a second.

You were his obsession.

Among the crowd were the last survivors of the South. They watched in silence, their faces etched with sorrow. They had lost everything, and now, they were forced to witness their princess being bound to the man who had destroyed them.

The priest spoke, but you barely heard his words.

Your mind drifted back to the soldier. The man who had died for you. The man who had given you a chance at freedom.

And then, the final words cut through your thoughts.

"The groom may kiss the bride."

Your breath caught in your throat.

Felix turned to you, his expression filled with an unsettling mix of triumph and desire.

He cupped your face, his fingers possessive against your skin. And then, he kissed you.

It wasn’t soft.

It wasn’t gentle.

It was desperate. Hungry. Filled with a madness that made your blood run cold.

The crowd erupted into cheers, but all you could hear was the sound of your own heart pounding.

Felix pulled away, his smirk returning. His eyes locked onto yours, victorious.

"Now, my love," he whispered, "you will never escape me again."

And in that moment, as the weight of your new reality settled over you, you knew—

He was right.

You were his.

Forever.

[starcurtain]

More Phaidei Fics I Want to Read

1. Obligatory "fish out of water" fic (mostly AU because the timeline would probably not match canon, but we do what we want here!), taking place after Mydei and the Kremnoans first make it to Okhema. Okhema is already harsh on outsiders, let alone on a conquering "barbarian" tribe infamous for bringing strife to so many other city states. Mydei doesn't know the local customs at all, and while he doesn't care the slightest about how these pathetic Okhemans see him, the trouble he keeps getting into is affecting the reputations of innocent Kremnoans too. He's got to find a way to blend in, at least enough to stop costing his fellows any chance of finding paid work... Too bad the only person who is willing (and has time) to help is Phainon (who isn't native to Okhema either but done a much better job of learning to get along with the locals). The guy thinks he's the Titans' gift to Amphoreus just because he beat Mydei in a duel once. It was only once! And why does it matter whether we eat standing up or lying down? What are you laughing at, Savior Complex?! Or, tl;dr: The culture clash comedy one where Phainon and Mydei teach each other entirely opposing sets of manners, and come to learn a lot more about one another in the process.

2. Also obligatory omegaverse where Mydei is an omega born with a unique constitution: he's built like an alpha, snarls like an alpha, and dominates his opponents like an alpha. He even smells like an alpha, especially when he's in heat, so the only people who ever figured out his secondary gender were his doctor and his parents, all of whom are dead now. The whole world thinks Mydei is an alpha, and his reputation as an indomitable warrior prince pretty much hinges on people continuing to believe that. The problem is, Mydei wouldn't actually mind getting to live an omega's life, at least the part about finding a mate and starting a family. Only, who in the world would want him for a mate? Any alpha hunting for an actual omega would never think to look in Mydei's direction, betas would just be confused, and even those few alphas who are attracted to other alphas would only end up disappointed after discovering Mydei isn't one. He's nobody's ideal partner, and he'd mostly made peace with that--until Phainon. Until that upstart alpha from the middle of nowhere knocked Mydei down in a brutal spar and then pulled him up with the gentlest hand, and suddenly it mattered that no one would ever want Mydei. It mattered a lot. (Of course, the long and short of it is that Mydei is the man of Phainon's dreams, and after a series of setbacks and miscommunications and lots of silly angst, they'll find their way to a happy ending.)

3. After discovering Mydei's weakness for sweets and cute things like pink pomegranate juice, Phainon decides to engage in a bit of light-hearted teasing: He starts sending Mydei exceedingly adorable gifts and fancy candies under the guise of a "secret admirer." The joke is on Phainon, however, when it turns out Mydei finds the gifts quite charming and is determined to discover the identity of the mysterious gift giver. A reasonable person would quickly give up on the joke to avoid getting caught, but Phainon has always been weak to chasing thrills--and maybe this whole thing about being Mydei's "secret admirer" isn't too far off after all... (The real joke is that Mydei, realizing immediately who the gifts were from, invented an entire "hunting my admirer down" story just for the fun of watching Phainon squirm--and, well, because keeping the whole thing going, being showered with attention by his rival, doesn't feel too bad at all.)

4. The opposite fic: The one where Mydei's completely mismatched online personality accidentally catfishes Phainon and causes some very silly drama. Mydei's (anonymous) teletweet account is full of cutesy chimera kitten memes, aesthetic pictures of food, heart emojis, and overly punctuated (with exclamation points) recaps of shopping trips in Okhema's market... Can anyone blame Phainon for thinking this is the account of a cute girl who is refreshingly earnest about her love for chubby seals and pink milk tea? But as Phainon becomes closer and closer to "Fig Stew" online, things get more and more complicated--because he's also been getting closer and closer to his real world companion Mydeimos lately. Both Fig and Mydei are wonderful, and Phainon can barely bear the thought of losing either of them in his life. Trying to get closer to them both would be way too dishonest, but choosing one over the other... What should he do? Meanwhile, Mydei is in trouble. He wasn't planning to set up some secret identity or anything; it's not his fault Phainon mistook him for a girl online! There's nothing weird about dudes posting sparkling kitten gifs, godsdammit!! But now the charade's gone on way too long to come clean, especially since Phainon seems so invested, and... well, can you blame Mydei for not wanting to give up on the closest thing to a relationship he's ever managed to start? tl;dr: Online mistaken identity hijinks fic.

5. The required-in-every-fandom time travel fic (with bonus fake dating)! Through an outpouring of Oronyx's power, Mydei and Phainon end up in the bodies of their future selves, who, it turns out, have not only managed to end Amphoreus' war and revive Castrum Kremnos, but... appear to have also... gotten married?!! Now Mydei and Phainon have to not only find out exactly how their future selves managed to save the world (so they can accomplish the same task) then look for a way back to their own time--they've got to do all of that while also pretending to be a happily wedded pair of rulers to avoid raising everyone's suspicions. This would be a whole lot easier if either of them knew the first thing about being actual kings... or about relationships. The slightest slip up could create ripple effects that change the entire timeline permanently, but--no matter how nerve-wracking it might be to admit, after seeing the future in store for them together--there's nothing Phainon (and Mydei) won't do to make sure things go exactly as they should.

[bubbles-for-all-of-us]

Pretty like the wind

Previous chapter / Next chapter

a/n part nine! Sorry, for the wait y'all, life is a bit all over the place and my shoulder is killing me. But please do enjoy!💨✨ Once again thank you so much for all the love. ✨🤍🫧

warning: kids, past trauma, blood, mention of puking, wounds, Illyrian camps.

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Azriel had no idea why this was the first thought that struck him after his knees bucked for the very first time. Time. Time and how much he hated it now. How greedy he was for a chance at getting more. Somewhere deep within, he had a feeling that you two were timeless. You had to be. You lingered around him. Azriel felt you even when you weren't around. As if his senses had been affected by your presence that much. Then came the emotions. Your emotions. He felt it through himself. But all that time, he pushed the thought of it away. Because it couldn't be. There was no way, and Azriel couldn't open up his heart one more time. Could face the weakness.

The spymaster knew it after the kiss. It struck him so fast and deep that his lungs had forgotten how to welcome the air. He had searched your features after. With the hope of catching a glimpse of the same knowledge. The realization. But there was nothing there. The bond that snapped for Azriel didn't snap into place for you. When you two walked into his mother's house hand in hand, he wondered why there was no dread in his chest. Why wasn't he scared or nervous about the fact that you had no idea? But the spymaster found the answer fairly quickly. You were his, in your own way. Not how most mates were, but you two were heading there slowly. Other things were clouding your mind. The new place. The fact that the kids had to face a whole different world now. So much worry, so much stress. No wonder something so delicate would slip your senses.

So Azriel had opted to hold you for the night. Make you smile while he spun Zofie around. "Higher", she screeched, her cheeks pink from the laughter. Axel stepped up to pull at your hands as well. Spinning long into the night. And then the two little ones had fallen asleep while Cordelia was telling everyone a story about how Azriel had nearly burned the house down while trying to bake cookies for the very first time. Azrie had carried them both upstairs to his bedroom. Carefully cradling them against his chest. Tucked them in before he turned to go downstairs, only to find you leaning against the doorframe. The glow in your eyes was enough to make Azriel light up with happiness himself.

"They had fun", you muttered, right as a yawn slid past your lips. "They are out cold", Azriel had laughed, his eyes darting to the sprawled-out children. "Did you have fun?", however the spymaster's attention was almost immediately back on you. You stepped closer, lowering yourself to his lap. It had felt so natural and right. Azriel's hand slipped to cradle your lower back. You only hummed in response, brushing your fingers over his lips softly before leaning in to kiss him once more. Oh, how Azriel felt as if he was on fire from the amount of emotion bubbling within him.

Odd as it was, he even went as far as thinking that this could be his forever. That he wouldn't have to face his cold and empty apartment ever again. Every time he would come home, there would be laughter. Little feet running around. He would never have to know how cold and suffocating a night could be. Wouldn't have to drown in darkness. "Can I hold you?", he had asked, nuzzling his head into the crook of your neck. Daring to go as far as to kiss your collarbones ever so slightly. He felt the laughter rippling through you even before he heard it, "You are holding me, silly". Azriel snicked himself before he lifted his gaze. "Through the night", he specified. Something completely different chimed in your eyes. There was that heartbeat that you took to make up your mind. Even if Azriel was sure that he knew the answer, "Yeah, yeah, you can", you muttered quietly, and so he did. Holding you as close as he could without making it weird between the two of you. All he could feel was you. The way you felt pressed against his chest. He just held you. Running his fingers slowly through your hair. He held you until his mind finally stopped rushing.

The sounds that left Azriel as he tore through the group of males were out of this world. His mind swirling with the memories you two shared. Gone was his rational thinking. The need to keep at least one of them alive for later use. Those thoughts were so long gone. So overthrown by the intensity of losing you, all Azriel could think and do was eliminate anything and everything that might cause you any more harm. His shadows worked almost on their own as they crawled all around the males, seeping deeper within them and making them choke on the darkness. Their veins turning black. Azriel moved in ways he had never moved before. Crossing the distance between you two in heartbeats.

The crimson that painted your hands and chest made Azriel's stomach twirl. Then his arms were on you. Holding you up. He was torn between clasping his hand over your throat and your hands. The fuckers only nicked the delicate skin on your neck, thankfully. Azriel had eaten through their souls before they could do any mire harm. He watched your frightened eyes before his sanity clicked back into place.

"Slow your heartbeat", Azriel's broad frame covered the bodies left behind him. "Azriel", you mumbled his name so quietly. As if it was the only thing left on your mind. He wasn't sure if you were horrified by him or if your pale skin was mainly caused by the blood loss alone. "Y/N, slow it down", each word seeped through the spymaster's gritted teeth. You trembled in his grip. Your vision slowly growing blurry. The coldness of the wind made you sway. You tried to plunge back into your inner self. Tried. Only to be met with a steel wall. The venom. Whatever was twirling in your bloodstream now was blocking your powers. "I can't", you whined. The only thing you could focus on now was the steady stream of blood dripping from your wrist. Azriel cupped your face between his hands. He felt that initial flinch coming from you, making him grumble deeply. "Focus on me", Azriel muttered, reaching to pour the strength and adrenaline he felt through the barely simmering bond. Your eyes flickered immediately. You swallowed the first two gulps of air greedily. Azriel felt it rather than saw it. The way the thudding of your heart grew deeper. You watched him through it all. "Good job, sweetheart. Now hold on, okay, hold on for me", you let out a sigh at the spymaster's words. Blinking once. Twice. Before your own body got too heavy. Azriel was quick to catch you. Wrapping you up in his embrace, he winnowed you to the only place and person he could think of at the given moment.

Scorching pain pulled you out of your slumber. Ripping you out of the dull thudding of your heart. You jerked up, trying to sit up, right as the most painful sob echoed. For a moment, you weren't even sure if it was you who was screaming. Just the pressure of hands on your shoulders quickly pulled you down. The hands felt like fire. Whatever was touching you was hotter than the flames of death. You tried to move from beneath it. Get away from the suffocating pain.

"Keep her still for me, boy", a female's voice rang around you. From where you couldn't tell, there was too much fuzziness all around you. You felt something sharp twisting in your palm, making you roar in response. As you tried to pull your body away, shrink into yourself. "Bloody hell, where is she getting her strength from", a male's voice filled the room. Male. Males. Panic ripped through you. Had they gotten to you? But Azriel was there? Or was he? Was it just your imagination? You tried to withdraw from the grip unknown hands seemed to have on you.

You wanted to tell them to let you go. You didn't know anything. What you did that night was pure self-defense. You had to. But all you could do was shriek. Drown in pain. Until a blanket of coldness was drawn over you, "You're safe", the voice called right in your ear now. You trembled. "Madja needs to pull the iron out of your palms, love", a cold hand ran over your forehead. Love. Azriel. You tried to blink. Rip your eyelids apart but to no avail. Then there stood a moment of silence before Azriel spoke again, "Open that side of the bond that you called to me from", back was the soldierly tone. A man who knew rules and regulations "Direct all the pain you feel to it; I'll take what I can from you", you wanted to protest. You had to. You didn't want him to feel your pain, but the moment the scorching misery shot through you, subconsciously you grasped the bond with both hands as you roared into it. Azriel only gritted his jaw harder. He knew what he felt was only a fraction of the pain that you felt, but that alone made his knees buck.

"Do it faster", the spymaster barked out, snarling at the healer, who was already moving quicker than he had ever seen her before. Cassian grumbled a warning from beside Azriel. The general had been holding onto your hand ever since Azriel had lowered you onto the medicine table. Trying to keep it steady so Madja could do her thing easier. Your back arched off the table as you choked on another sob. Azriel leaned closer. The mere need to hold you down like this made him sick. Let alone watch you suffer. Oh, how he wished he could pull the bastards from their deathbeds and slowly kill them all over again. Azriel leaned closer to you, nuzzling closer to your shoulder. He was way past caring that you were drenched in sweat from the fever or that you still had crusted blood all over you.

He quickly plucked all of his emotions out one by one. Shoving them down the unbreakable walls deep within his head, Azriel had to be a sea of calmness for you. He had to turn into that gentle breeze that cooled one down on a hot summer day. He had to suppress the agony, change it, and mold it into something that would soothe. The spymaster placed a loving kiss on the side of your head, right as you cried out once again. His shadows slowly brushed across your skin, delicate and cooling the aches. He continued to kiss your tears away until the moment your body sagged. Till he could swear you had muttered his name. Till the sound of the iron arrows hitting the tray filled the room.

"You're in charge", Azriel said bluntly, continuing to wipe his bloody hands. The room had been quiet for over an hour. Cassian had practically dragged Azriel out so the shadowsinger could clean himself up. He hadn't realized how much filth was on him until he saw his reflection in the mirror. "Aj, aj, captain", Cassian saluted. Azriel knew that out of the three of them, Cassian used humor to cope with whatever stressors surrounded him. There was no male beside him and Rhys that Azriel would ever trust with his woman. His whole world...

"I'll look after her; if a hair falls off her head, you can sit me down on a dagger", Azriel huffed at Cassian's remark. Even if his chest felt too hollow, your screaming still echoed in his brain. It felt good to have at least one thing Azriel was familiar with around. The spymaster stepped closer to the bed you were carefully tucked into. Brushing a strand of hair away from your face. The fever had dropped the moment the iron was out. But it left an unconscious body behind. "She might sleep for days; might wake up in a couple of minutes", Madja said as she bandaged your hands up. You didn't wake up. Too worn out from all that had happened.

"I'll just go see them for a bit. Make sure they...", Azriel turned back to Cassian, who stood right behind him with a knowing look on his face. "Don't rush it. Stinkers need you. I've got your girl", with a tap on Azriel's shoulder, Cassian turned to pull himself a chair. His girl. The words lingered. Azriel wondered if you would roll your eyes at that. Would you scowl? You were mad at him after all. He had upset you in a way. Now all he wondered about as he spared you one last glance was whether it would all have been different if you hadn't been upset.

Only when Azriel was standing right outside his mother's door did he realize just how tired he was. He knew he had a family to lean on. He knew that Rhys had promised to take care of the interrogations in the camp. Find out who planned this. Who ordered this. Who targeted you. He had Cassian looking after you; his brother was mind tap away if something changed, but it was still not enough. Azriel needed to see the two sets of deep golden eyes. He needed to feel their wild and young heartbeats to ground himself fully. Know that the second half of his family was safe and sound.

"Azriel", the sound of that high-pitched voice, made the coldest that surrounded the shadowsinger melt away almost instantly. The pitter-patter of the tiny feet rushing was enough to make him let out a sigh. But that blissful delight was cut off almost immediately. A firm grip. A tug. And the girl was left standing in place. "No, stay back", Axel pulled her back, and Azriel had never seen a look like this on him. Not an ounce of love or adoration. Pure steal. Anger. As if the little boy had been crushed.

"Axel", Azriel tried to call out softly, but the boy only tugged on Zofie harder. The poor girl looked up at her brother with her big eyes. "Don't come close", the boy said, pointing a warning finger at the spymaster. He had no weapon. Azriel could easily march to him, but he knew that if a line like that was crossed in a delicate moment like this, he would end up losing them forever. "Bud, why...", Azriel tried once more but, even more frustration bubbled, "You hurt YN! She said you weren't one of us. So back away", Axel's words ripped at Azriel's soul. Not one of us. But he was. He wanted to give it all to you all. He...

"Darling", Cordelia gently placed a hand on Axel's back, "We all make mistakes, and whatever happened must have been a misunderstanding". Azriel met his mother's gaze. It was warm and loving, but it was hard to ignore the questioning plea. "Where's Y/N?", Zofie asked, shifting the atmosphere in the room, "I want to see her". Her voice was so small and trembling. Azriel went stone still. How do you tell the kids that their guardian is lying unconscious after an assassination? Someone had tried to kill her. "Yeah, where is she?", Axel pressed.

"She's... She's seeing a healer", the kids stilled instantly. Axel's hand drooped. The sight alone could kill Azriel, hence why he added quickly, "I'll take you to her as soon as I can". The kids just watched him. Zofie tugged on Axel's hand firmly, and the boy instantly furrowed his broken wings out. Wrapping one around the girl, as he pulled her into his arms. He shouldn't have to. Both of them should be far away from all of this pain. From needing to be strong like this. From needing to be so grown up.

"Why don't you two go check on the soup for me?", It's Cordelia who gently pressed a loving kiss on Axel's head. "You both worked hard on it. Y/N will love to have some". Leave it to his mom to mop through his mess, Azriel thought. Leave it to her to provide a distraction for a moment. Azriel tore his head up, trying to fight the angry tears as the kids slowly turned away from him.

"Azriel...", the gentle sound of that loving voice was enough to make a choked-out sob slip past the male's lips. Azriel never cried. He just didn't. And if he did, he always cried in the presence of his mother. "Sweet boy, look at me", Cordelia's soft voice was followed by her palms guiding her son's head down, so he would meet her gaze. "I fucked it", Azriel choked out, "I just went and did it again". Cordelia shook her head quickly, "Oh, my boy, I'm sure it's not all...", but Azriel pulled away abruptly. "She didn't want to see me, and now the kids...", his breathing was becoming rigid. He couldn't lose you all. He couldn't picture a word where you all weren't linked in some way. The idea of never... "They are kids, and they are scared", Cordelia tugged firmly onto Azriel's shirt. She could tell that he was spiraling, and she was not going to let him stroll down that path once again. "Axel is scared, as is Zofie, but they do not hate you", she gripped his chin tenderly, "They need you, son".

Azriel leaned to rest his head on his mother's shoulder for a moment, bathing in the comfort of her, just like when he was a boy. "She's my...", and Azriel couldn't bring himself to say it out loud. Not until he had spoken those words to you first. But Cordelia only smiled up at him, cupping his cheek. "Oh, I know. I had a feeling. Call it mother's instinct", she bit her lip, shaking her head softly. "Now you listen to me. I said it to her, and I will say it to you. You were meant to find one another", Cordelia tapped her hands against Azriel's chest a couple of times. "Whatever happened has to be a misunderstanding. And you, my boy, will find a way to make it right once again," she said, turning and padding towards the kitchen.

Azriel sat by your bed for what felt like years afterward. Double-checking the way your chest fell and rose back up. Adjusting the blanket. Refilling the water in the glass beside your bed. Madja said that your hands might not even scar, considering that you had healing magic running through your body. The bandaged palms were a cruel reminder of how much Azriel had failed to protect you. Yet it didn't come close to the red mark on your neck. The cut on your delicate skin there made him want to pull a bucket out and hurl. If he had been even a second more late... but he made himself look. He looked until all he could see were your scars.

"Was it a lie?", the words made Azriel jump slightly, head-turning straight to your partly opened eyes. He quickly hurried to lean closer. "What", he muttered. Azriel was trying to grasp just what you were referring to. "Was this all", you ask, looking down at yourself and then back at Azriel, "Was it a lie?". And mother, the fact that your voice was so weak made Azriel want to scream from the rooftops.

"No,", he said, shaking his head quickly. But would a word so simple ever be enough? "Did you just need a distraction?", And then it hit him. It hit him so hard that if he could, he would slap himself. The way he jumped up for Elain and the way they embraced. He was banished to the sanctuary because he was perusing that woman, and back at the dinner, he pushed you aside to once again reach for someone who would never be his. And he didn't even want her to be his. Because now he knew what he he truly wanted.

"I fucking lo-like you; none of it was a lie", Azriel hated the way his voice had risen. It was way too stern. Way too demanding. He wanted to reach for you, but the look on your face said it all. "I don't want to accept it", and these six words disarmed Azriel so quickly that he had to lean against the chair for a heartbeat. He saw the way your eyes filled up with tears as you tried to keep your breathing steady. "That's okay", Azriel said bluntly, as if all of this hadn't just shattered him completely. If his heart wasn't breaking because of these words. What were they taught back then? Wasn't there a story about a male gone mad because his mate had refused his love? Had suppressed the bond so hard?

"I... This just doesn't feel right, I need...", but Azriel quickly lifted his hand, silencing you. "There's no rush. I can wait. I'll wait for you however long it takes, and if you never want it, it's okay", he blurted out, shaking his head as he moved to grab the door handle. You shook your head in return, clearly trying to reach for him. Make him stay. Make him properly listen. "Azriel", you breathed out, trying to catch his attention, but all he did was back away. Azriel muttered a quiet, "It's okay" before he disappeared into the dark hallway. Turning away. Leaving you alone. Wanting nothing more than to drown his own heart.

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Taglist: @naturakaashi @hoemadegrace @just-m-2 @thereadinggremlin

[utilitycaster]

What do you mean (from your latest post) that you think that many actual play failures are failures of ambition?

Usually, when an actual play show doesn't click for me, it's because the GM or players aimed very high or tried to push the boundaries (of the medium or system) and it didn't quite land right. It's a pretty new medium, and while I've been very openly disparaging of how much many writers in the AP space focus overmuch on novelty over consistent quality, I do think these failures are important! I think it's good to play with what the medium can be! I just think that sometimes, it does indeed fail.

Examples off the top of my head:

Too much plot for allotted length: EXU Prime was fun to watch but I think this plot really needed to be a 16-20 episode season, not an 8 episode one, which meant that we never really learned Myr'atta's motivation or the deal with Ted until years later in the real world despite that being the core plot. Similar issues have come up with various D20 seasons; I think running a one- or two- session story isn't too hard to do, or running a longform campaign isn't too hard to do, but 8 or 10 or 20 episodes can be really difficult to plan for properly, and a lot of people overfill.

Trying to bend the system too far: I wrote a long-ass post I cannot find about this for a few D20 seasons as well (notably Neverafter) and I've fallen off of WBN for a few reasons but in part because it really increasingly feels like D&D is the wrong system - the classes of D&D support the worldbuilding, but the pace and style and magic system of D&D increasingly feel like they and the narrative are in conflict.

Trying to fit in An Important Message: the infamous Rusty Quill Gaming Everything Changes [now make a monumental decision we have not once explored in 7 real world years of telling this story, in the last half of the last episode] is a big one here. This is not unique to AP (this is why Battlestar Galactica's ending is widely panned) but I think the nature of actual play makes it more likely because to some extent you as the GM must relinquish a good degree of control.

Not realizing what you need to plan for: ultimately, in my opinion, the failure of Campaign 3. I don't think the problem is that Matt wanted to bring everything together across multiple campaigns; I don't think this is a cheap setup with a pre-determined outcome (though I could be proven wrong); I think the problem is that there needed to be a much more stringent character creation process and on-rails early plot to actually get from point A to point B in a way that felt natural within the story.

Trying to break production value records while neglecting story: With the caveat that I hated nearly every second of the hour of Kollok I watched, I have yet to see a review that talks about anything it does other than how good the production values are (*whisper* they're not even that good). Burrow's End had some really good aesthetic/filming choices and some really not good ones on top of having a story I found weak; the season of Candela Obscura I thought had the strongest story had no split-screen film edits. This could just be that my AP introduction was TAZ Balance followed by simultaneous C1 and early C2, but like...I've heard incredible actual play with no music and no fancy lighting and no sound effects and no official character art, and I've watched some heavily produced stuff that had the plot of a fucking Ed Wood movie and was utterly joyless to boot. Story first; accessibility production values (clean and clear sound, transcripts, making all speakers visible if you're a filmed production) second; anything else should ONLY come after that.

[the-monkey-ruler]

If you were given the opportunity to adapt "Journey to the West" into a movie, how would you adapt it? (No necesariamente tiene que ser el libro completo, puede ser un capítulo en particular o lo que quieras).

Oooo I actually thought about this before! It was a while ago but it was so much fun to think! I will say would would do a full-on adaptation with every single arc with every arc counting!

Again I would love it to be 2D with that stretch kind of animation, I think that allowing it to be more stylized would allow designs to be more creative and expressive overall. I would also say to make it more “adult” in that there is blood and death, similar to how Samurai Jack or Lupin the 111 Part 5 is treated with being watched for a younger audience but like in no way is it just for kids either or holds back on the violence.

I would still love it to be a completely character-driven series spanning 14 years, with explored relationships and realistic development. I would still lean into a comedic tone, but still balance serious elements, with the characters treating even the most serious situations with a sense of humor. I would love to see them face challenges and lose the battle not because they are weak but rather because of their lack of cooperation. They start off as dysfunctional and at odds with each other but as the journey continues we see all five pilgrims learn how to work together and become a team. Despite initial disagreements, they eventually come together to overcome their foes, recognizing the importance of relying on each other. Very found family trope which I eat up like candy. Also a like of highlighting quiet moments between scenes, such as cooking and cleaning camp sights, and filler episodes focusing on flashbacks of characters like Bajie, Wujing, and Bailong, who feel depressed and lose their sense of self due to their new positions. I would love to show each season changing cause this is FOURTEEN YEARS and how that could be shown with changing seasons in the background.

Would still love entire character arcs for each character. Bajie once being a Marshall instead becomes a lazy pig on earth and falls into a state of depression and acts on whim, seeking fleeting joy. Throughout his journey, he proves he is a capable fighter and starts caring for others and despite being a jerk, Bajie cares in his own rough way and starts showing that while he isn't perfect he always tries to get better. Wujing, initially soft-spoken and quick to rage, initially avoids speaking due to his fear of being blamed for a single mistake. However, as he sees his brothers' loudness and brashness, he starts to see that he isn't judged for every mistake. He learns that ribbing isn't punishment, and he can relax around new people who are also screw-ups. This experience helps Wujing build self-confidence and stand up for himself without being a doormat to others. BaiLong starts off as a standoff member who doesn't speak much but he is still expressive and aggressive, like in that horse in Tangled. He sees himself as responsible for keeping Sanzang safe and is often in guard dog mode. Despite lacking scales or horns, BaiLong is treated like a brother and the pilgrims provide him with support he never got from his bio family. He is not a trained soldier but he comes to see himself as part of the group as they all have their strengths and weaknesses.

I would like Sanzang to be seen as inexperienced in the real world. He has lived in a monastery his entire life but is sheltered from other kingdoms. Sanzang sees corruption in the palace and is given a sign by Gaunyin to make a real change without politics or face-saving. The story should follow Xuanzang's Pilgrimage, where Sanzang sneaks out of Tang without the Emperor's approval, finding it worth it. But he is arrogant and believes he has everything figured out because he got to the highest level of monk in his kingdom quickly. When he meets his new disciples, he is forced to see how people with different paths of life than him have different points of view and how this challenges his own thinking. He starts to be humbled and starts to learn just as much from his disciples as they learn from him. Would love to explore Sanzang's emotional disconnect from his family trauma, including his father's resurrection and mother's suicide. Despite kidnappings, he becomes more open with his journeymates, demonstrating empathy for the stress of new responsibilities. Also, a physical transformation from his 20s to his 40s would be a concise choice as he would be the only mortal in the group, showcasing his growth and transformation throughout his journey.

But of course, I would have Wukong completely leaning into his ex-warlord persona, characterized by arrogance, cockiness, and a tendency to threaten with violence. He is charming, charismatic, and funniest, giving people a chance to walk away. His expressive and cartoonish reactions showcase his range of emotions. However, Wukong's excess of power harms the environment and people around him, leading Sanzang to push for less violent means. The use of 2D animation would showcase Wukong's creativity and innovation, capturing the audience's imagination and understanding of his power. Wukong's strength is evident in his diverse powers, but he needs to be more considerate and rely on Bajie and Wujing for protection. He learns how to acknowledge them as equals and recognizes that being the strongest person doesn't automatically make him right. In a long-running series, Wukong should gradually come to understand that he has a team and a different brotherhood compared to his past. This would be particularly interesting in the Demon Bull King episode. Wukong realizes he also was kinda sheltered in his own world, as he was surrounded by more yes-men than equals. His past brotherhood allowed him to demonstrate destructive behavior, leading to a spiral of self-sabotage. Wukong focuses on growing empathy for others, a skill that is difficult to learn. He struggles physically, mentally, and emotionally in situations, questioning his decisions. This constant battle with himself is particularly evident during a pilgrimage, where he must become dedicated to his mission and become a deity.

Wukong realizes that his power doesn't make him superior, and he needs humility, also parading Sanzang's own journey. He acknowledges that his teammates, including Bajie, Wujing, Sanzang, and BaiLong, have something to offer, even if it's not immediate strength. He starts to accept his limitations and recognizes that others can do what he can't. He hasn't realized his faults and is starting to rely on others, especially in a new group that sees him as a fellow Pilgrim. This newfound equality allows him to see himself as just like anyone else, trying his best. I would love a focus on the interaction between the five characters to maintain balance. More scenes where the initial gruff attitude changes over time, affecting the entire group or the group as a whole. This approach may seem extreme, but they believe it would be suitable for the show.

BUT AS FOR ARCS

General Yin 寅將軍- 1st Month. The first demon we see against Sanzang, would love to see Sanzang having to see his two guards sacrificing themselves for him and how that guilt carries with him for the rest of the journey. Also maybe adding a connection with Sanzang and a fear of Tigers for late down with Wukong being connected to Tigers and Sanzang being turned into a Tiger

Sanzang found Wukong right after maybe a 2nd Month. Really enjoy the idea that Sanzang chooses to help Wukong without knowing that he is disciple but just cause he trusted Wukong when he said he needed help. A clear sign of his naive nature but also how Wukong relied on that nature to save himself in the first place.

I think they get Bailong much later, maybe in the 4th or 5th month. Would love to see how Wukong and Sanzang interact on their own but also to have Bailong join to showcase Wukong's power. Would also love Sanzang poking a lil fun at Wukong saying that he could defeat dragons but he can't this one.

Jinchi Elder 金池长老 - 6th Month. would love to see how this would highlight Wukong's initial bloodlust and how he chooses to escalate situations to harm others. He didn't have to burn down a whole monetary down but he did because he WANTED to.

Black Wind King 黑風怪 - 6th Month. Same with how Wukong sees another Yao in the same situation as him with the headband and how even someone EXACTLY in the same situation as him and he still thinks Black Wind should die and how this could be a lesson in how he needs to learn to empathize. He was given mercy to try again and how so should other yao as well.

They find Bajie about 8 Months into the journey. I like to think that Wukong and Sanzang had a lot of time to themselves and that the change in the dynamics with Bajie.

Yellow Wind Demon 黃風怪 - 9 Month. This first Wukong ever gets HURT like he is BLIND. He never relied on someone before and now he has to trust Bajie the man he just fought in the last arc. It is kinda a moment he really gets scared and also Bajie shows the first signs that he does care enough not to leave Wukong for dead.

Wujing is picked up around the 11th month, nearly a year into the journey for Wukong and Sanzang but they get him after a huge miscommunication.

Great Zhenyuan Immortal 鎮元大仙 - 1st Year. First group crime together. Kinda Wukong wanted to rebel but also tried to connect with Bajie and Wujing similar to how he did with his brotherhood. He has to see that the dynamics aren't the same and struggle with seeing them as 'equals' rather than 'underlings. Would also love Zhenyaun bringing up his friendship with the Golden Cicida a lot more and how Sanzang feels about his past reincarnations.

White Bone Demon 白骨精 - 1.5 Year. CHANGE IN MORALS. Sanzang rather than fighting for not believe Wukong that White Bone Demon isn't a demon, he is more arguing that she hasn't hurt them and that Wukong shouldn't hurt anyone, human or yao, for what they MIGHT do. And Wukong KNOWS she is about to do something considering that up to this point, Wukong has killed more humans than demons on the journey Sanzang has his doubts. Bajie also acted on this point as more trying to get back at Wukong for the Fake-Gao situation but didn't think this would lead to banishment. Wukong tries and succeeds in resurrecting his home and sees that one of his past sworn brothers the Jaio Demon King sacrificed himself to keep his monkeys safe.

Yellow Robe Demon 黃袍怪 - 1.5 Year. The main change is that the wife does love Yellow Robe but also knows he is in the wrong and wants to go back to her family, also her kids don't die from the 2010 series. A lot of Bajie has to humble himself and see that he can't do this alone either and how Bailong and Wujing are gone. Sanzang is turned into a tiger but also him being hunted by humans. He sees what it's like to not be believed when Yellow Robe changes him and how this affects him greatly on the journey. Would love a reunion with Sanzang acknowledging that he shouldn't have sent Wukong away but he can't give up the idea that one should see the best in people and how he should have seen that in Wukong too.

Golden Horned King 金角大王 and Silver Horned King 銀角大王- 2nd Year. the first time the gang is back together and things are still tense but Wukong trying to lighten the mood while Sanzang trying to have a 'serious talk' all while demons are trying to capture him. Kinda more light-hearted but genuine trying is seen. Kinda like it just increases with how it goes from the Horned Kings, to their Mother, and then to the Great Fox King and it just escalates more and more to parallel how Wukong would rather just keep running from the Talk than sit down and talk to Sanzang until the end.

Lion-Lynx Demon 獅猁怪 - 2.5 Year. The fake Sanzang arc but also Wukong asking the fillet to be used to see who is real. Kinda a big show of trust but also a slow understanding of Sanzang and Wukong in how similar they are in their dedication, and willingness to put themselves in pain for each other. Also Wukong being outed as never eating humans cause he has healing powers and Wujing and Bajie poking fun at him for lying.

Red Boy 紅孩兒 - 3rd Year. Wukong OVERJOYED seeing a connection to his past. He thought that he could be an uncle to Red Boy but became heartbroken when he found out he was never mentioned to the kid and in fact he never heard of Bull King's Brotherhood, like it never existed. Makes Wukong have to reevaluate his past friendships and whether he cares more about them than they care about him. E.I. he was more used for protection than pure friendship. Asks Guanyin to show the kid mercy and Red Boy gets to be friends with Longnu and Muzha. Wukong still wants to have a connection with Red Boy but he more upset that he sees so much in himself in Red Boy, acting like his actions don't have consequences. Also love the Bajie/Wujing saving Wukong scene with Bajie giving him CPR and refusing to think someone like Wukong would die like that.

Black River Demon 鼉龍 - 3.5 Year. BAILONG ARC! I need Bailong fighting his cousin since this was more of a Wujing arc. But just how Bailong's own older brother comes to arrest the Black River Demon and we see how cold his family treats Bailong, pretending he is not even there, and how the pilgrims make an effort to show how they appreciate Bailong like his bio family never could. I would like to think Wujing conforming to him as this was originally more his arc since he was fighting underwater but more Wujing stepping up as the brother that Bailong never had.

Tiger Strength Great Immortal 虎力大仙, Elk Strength Great Immortal 鹿力大仙, and Antelope Strength Great Immortal 羊力大仙 - 4th Year. MY FAVORITE arc. Pure comedy just Wukong, Bajie, and Wujing coming together for the first time to bully/heckle another group of three together. Nothing brings people together like a common enemy and these three make sure to win every challenge with over-the-top enthusiasm. Makes Sanzang learn how to unwind a bit and come to laugh along with the hijinks. But really just need these three to have a great time committing crimes and Sanzang being non the wiser like "my pilgrims would never." Oh they would.

Spiritual Touch 靈感大王 - 4.5 Year. A more quiet episode of Sanzang seeing a village with his family name, maybe a Sanzang flashback to his mother's death and how he couldn't connect with his father. Sanzang wanted a family so bad but even when he got them back he couldn't make up for years of growing up without them and that he feel more close with Fa Ming as his caretaker. Also, Bajie trying to help with his perfect joke "Sink To The Bottom" and how he used to be a Water god. This would be a great time to have a flashback to Bajie's human past and he misses being a deity and how useless he feels in his new body. Heavy on the backstory and less on the demon.

Single Horned Rhinoceros King 獨角兕大王 - 5th Year. Bajie THOUGHT he was HELPING cause Sanzang was freezing by leaving the circle. I would love to see Wukong REALLY struggling as he loses to this guy at least five times, almost having a mental breakdown cause he even loses entire armies, heavenly armies that trusted him, and how he flashbacks to losing his monkeys against heaven. Takes a lot out of him and in the end he sees it is that the Rhino King does have the SAME weapon the Diamon snare that defeated him in the first place.

Ruler of Women's Country 女兒國國王 and Scorpion Demon ��子精 - 5.5 Year. I am not a fan of this being seen as a romance but more a Queen abusing her power to trap someone against their will. Poor Sanzang has been kidnapped by demons before but this is his first time being kidnapped by a human and he has to fight himself with how humans can commit horrid deeds as well which changes his worldview. Bajie, Wujing, and Wukong really become protective as women keep trying to harness Sanzang. Would love to see Wujing getting more confident and maybe touching on his own backstory at this point. Almost I'm a fan of 1996 Bajie where he is more of a romantic and he feels uncomfortable being seen as "just a piece of meat" when the women want them just because they are men.

Six Eared Macaque 六耳獼猴 - 6th Year (perfect for this being nearly the halfway point in the journey to show the balance starting to change) Kinda seeing Wukong regress to his more violent tendencies due to the Queen in the previous arc. Kills bandits without mercy and shows them proudly to Sanzang cause "humans can be evil as well" and Sanzang still wants to hold on that anyone can change for the better. Wukong on the other hand still stands that if people don't want to change then they shouldn't be given the choice. This leads to the banishment BUT THEN Wukong being FORCED to face a version of himself that never wanted to change as well. Would he still go on the journey for the wrong reasons? Would he have lost all his empathy for even his own monkeys? Did the Six Ears deserve mercy like he was once given? A lot of self-reflecting on Wukong's part on what it means to forgive others but also to forgive yourself and I think the REAL turning point in Wukong's character development from someone forced on the journey to someone who wants to be there for his own sake. Sanzang and he might never see eye to eye but Sanzang starts to realize while he can see the best in others he can't be naive to the point of putting himself in danger and Wukong starts to accept that others deserve mercy like he was given as well.

Princess Iron Fan 鐵扇公主 and Bull Demon King 牛魔王 - 6.5 Year. HUGE ARC. The first arc which Wukong really comes to terms with his own changes as a person from a warlord to a pilgrim. Another this is about seven years into the journey as well. Wukong thought he could visit an old friend but Iron Fan is pissed as him and Wukong went to see Bull King himself but sees that it is very one-sided. Bull King USED to be a genuine friend but has moved on and had a family, seeing Wukong only as someone that he used to know and Wukong has to face that he lost a dear friend not by death but because they are two different people that have grown apart. Bajie and Wujing really step up to give Wukong backup, both in a fight but also in emotional support as while they don't know Wukong's old friends they want to show their support by being his friends now. Wukong used to be alone but he isn't anymore. Wukong mourns the loss of their friendship and asks Nezha to go easy on him. Iron Fan herself moves on to work on her own cultivation but ends on a small friendship between Wukong and Iron Fan.

Wansheng Princess 萬聖公主 and Nine-Headed Demon 九頭蟲 - 7th Year. Another huge Bailong arc and how he had his falling out with his family. I do enjoy the 1987 take that Bailong's fiance left him for the Nine Headed Demon and think this is another way that the pilgrims can be there for him as they fight the demons. Wansheng tries to get back on Bailong's side when she sees Nine Heads is losing but Bailong respects himself enough now to reject her and go back to his new friends who were there for him. Would also love Erlang and Wukong to have a moment to talk about how Erlang spared his family instead of doing the Nine Generations Punishment and how he is thankful hence why they are sworn brothers. I adore Erlang and Wukong's similarities and how Wukong is still going to do what HE wants but he is aware that he is trying to find out what truly needs now in his life.

The Tree Spirits - 7.5 Year. I really loved this as a quiet arc again with Sanzang just having a great time with Tree Spirits who kidnapped him who wanted to talk poetry. All the while Wujing, Bajie, Wujing, and Bailong are losing their shits trying to look for him. More comedic than anything and allows Sanzang to interact with yao that is not violent. Would like to keep out the end where they try to force Sanzang to get married and Wukong to kill them all again. Just that they get to escape and Wukong warns Sanzang that they could have killed him. But Sanzang reassures Wukong that he wasn't in danger, that people can be powerful but that doesn't make them bad and uses Wukong himself to make that point.

Yellow Brows Great King 黃眉大王 - 8th Year. Would love to see Yellow Brows kinda like how he is in Black Myth, someone delusional that he is right and deserves to be Buddha while running what is practically a cult. Still holds a grudge against the Golden Cicada and tries to take over the journey to one-up him. Makes Wukong kinda look at this guy and see a lil bit of himself, someone who always thought he was right and uses his might to enforce it. But Wukong knows that his own arrogance leads to his downfall.

Python Demon 蟒蛇精 - 8.3 Year. Just more of a joke demon, does not speak but they get to have hijinks trying to chase her and pin her down. Would love Bajie and Wukong trying to get her pinned down and leads to wukong being eaten and he has to grow to escape and just gets all over Bajie that he hates this part of the job.

Sai Tai Sui / Great King Jupiter's Rival 賽太歲 - 8.7 Year. huge on comedy, this is Wukong pretending to be a doctor, and Bajie, Wujing, and Bailong are being absolutely hilarious by playing along. Wukong actually has no idea what is wrong with the guy just finds out that he misses his wife and instead spends his time fucking around and seeing how much outrageous stuff he can get away with in the meantime. Also Wujing and Bajie being 'nurses' who just follow along to make the situation far more silly. They make this poor king eat medicine from dragon piss and snot the demon doesn't even really matter, just these four being bafoons.

Spider Demons 蜘蛛精 and Hundred-Eyed Demon Lord 百眼魔君 - 9th Year. Sanzang just trying to do something on his own to show that he isn't useless but of course leads to him being kidnapped. Kinda hits him hard how much he can't even get water/food by himself and hits his self-esteem. Would love to see Wukong kinda having another mental breakdown seeing his friends poisoned and how he really comes to care for them even to the point of panic. Kinda like the 1999 take where the sisters don't die in the end and Wukong spares them as long as they promise to change their ways after seeing how Hundred Eyes betrayed them.

Azure Lion 青毛獅子, Yellow Toothed Elephan t黃牙老象, and lden Winged Great Peng 金翅大鵬雕 - 9.5 Year. pure comedy. There are serious moments are this would be the first three-on-three since the Daoist arc but would love to see all of them fighting together side by side in a huge epic fight. These SHOULD be serious demons and they can be but this illusion is kinda shattered when Wukong first meets them by entering their army, lying about commands, going into their cave, and beating the crap out of Azure Lion from the inside out. Like Wikong defeats these guys practically single-handedly and Sanzang has to ASK Wukong to let them go. Sadly does lead to them coming back but does end with a big battle. Also, the Million Demon Kingdom that I love would to be fully explored.

White Deer Spirit 白鹿精 and White-Faced Vixen Spirit 白面狐狸精 - 10th Year. Another comedy as Wukong pretends to be Sanzang moments but would love to see how a yao family White Deer being an adopted father to White Fox and how she dies because of his plans. It would start more silly but gets serious when we really see how White Deer cared for his daughter but at the same point, they tried to kill like 10,000 babies so that would have been worse.

Lady Earth Flow 地涌夫人 - 10.5 Year. Big fan of the idea that Earth Flow was really in love with Sanzang due to his past life from the 2010 series. However, that love is one-sided and she is too blind to her own desires to see what he really wants. Really more exploring how Sanzang always feels overshadowed by the Golden Cicada but the pilgrims reassure him that he was chosen for who he is, not because he was someone else and how they are on this journey with Sanzang, not the Golden Cicada.

Ruler of the Kingdom of Miefa 滅法國 - 11th Year. Another good example of how humans can be horrible is that this king wants all monks to be killed. Treated with more humor as Wukong SHAVES the entire kingdom's heads but I do think that this would be a good point in which Sanzang can confront the king himself in how this king took out his rage on innocents and has reached a point where he understands misplacing rage. A good balance of how the King has to be accountable and also shows how Wukong is able to start solving issues without violence.

King of the Southern Hill 南山大王 - 11.5 Year. This one is a comedy arc but more tired with tragedy as well. The leopard demon here convinces Wukong, Bajie, and Wujing that Sanzang has died, leading to the three to have a funeral for Sanzang and cry over his body. Again leads to some good moments to show how the gang cares for each other but also cuts to Sanzang hoping that his friends come get him too. Kinda have a moment where the King thinks that once the pilgrims 'mourn' they will leave but they don't know about the 6 phase of grief REVENGE! Of course, all three of them try to kill the King for Sanzang but instead, this leads to the gang just being overjoyed that Sanzang is not dead. Also Wukong still 100% wanting to kill this leopard demon for tricking him.

Prefect of Phoenix-Immortal - 12th Year. This was a kinda a more dramatic arc where a kingdom insults the good on accident and how they are punished with drought. I am taking a lot from the 1987 series in how Wukong was insulted on behalf of the people, seeing that their punishment was unfit for the crime, and how his empathy has been able to grow for him to become seen as a hero for the people. Also would love to see how Wujing really related to the people and how his own punishment left him uncertain and insecure over himself but how he was able to overcome these challenges despite what he has become.

Tawny Lion Demon 黃獅精 and Grand Saint of Nine Spirits 九靈元聖 - 12.5 Year. This one was the most interesting as this wasn't one where Sanzang gets kidnapped but rather the weapons were taken. I would change that the lions don't have to die but rather more of a comedy arc of the Nine Spirits trying to ground up his grandkids when he had a good relationship with the neighboring kingdom. This is a good example of yao and humans able to live in together without conflict and how Nine Spirits fears that his grandkids have ruined this peace. And of course, Wukong, Bajie, and Wujing use silly stunts to try to get their shit back. Also touching more on the pilgrim's own disciples the three princes and maybe even giving them names. I would just like to think that these three princes do always keep their teachings to heart.

King of Cold Protection 辟寒大王, King of Heat Protection 辟暑大王, and King of Dust Protection辟塵大王 - 13th Year. This one is something where I would LOVE Sanzang just being done with being kidnapped. Like he is not phased. He even warns the three to let him go because it as been 14 years and he really doesn't want to end this with these poor guys getting their butts whooped by his overpowering disciples. Kinda comedy but really would enjoy a good battle three on three again.

Jade Rabbit 玉兔精 - 13.5 Year. this one plays more on the 1999 series where the Rabbit is clear she wants to do this cause she hates the real Princess. It is actually nothing personal against Sanzang but just HE HAPPENS to be the one she chooses to marry. More of a mystery of where the real princess is but the gang finds her to get the Jade Rabbit arrested and Sanzang can get free of a forced marriage again.

Squire Kou - 14th Year. This one I think is the perfect arc to really end on, paralleling the first 6 bandits that Wukong fought. He could have killed the family that imprisoned them, but instead, he uses his power to freeze the bandits, get them back, convince the family that their relative's ghost is haunting them, go to Hell to get his spirit back and save the day with hurting a single human. He does an entire arc using his varieties of powers, wit, and intelligence to get out of this, a vast difference from the pure fighting warlord he used to be. I think this would be an arc heavy in symbolism and references to the first bandits they fought and Sanang SEEING the change in Wukong.

Great White Turtle 大白龜 - Of course, they make it to the end but of course, there is one last thing. I think Sanzang lost his cool and had his own breakdown at 'ruining' the scriptures something he spent so long to get but the gang trying to tell him that people make mistakes and that doesn't define them. And that maybe an imperfect world needs imperfect scriptures more than perfect ones because people need to doubt and learn for themselves. Just like Sanzang did. In the end Xiyouji is a story of hope and I think that Sanzang sees that even if things ain't perfect that doesn't make them any less valuable or wonderful and how that sentiment is seen with the new family he has found.

[dunedragon]

I love the world building! So theirs more?

OH BOY IS THERE but that is like paragraphs and paragraphs.

Let's see... if I was to handle a whole Vampire!Hub AU fic from scratch...

I'd probably start with vampire physiology. I'm more inclined to take a scifi than fantasy approach, and toss out the "transforming into bats, sleeping in coffins, and hanging upside down" bits.

There are many species, particularly insects, that will mimic the appearance of their prey so that they can live parasitically among them. Taking this direction, I would be inclined to say that Vampires are not human, but entirely dependent on preying off human populations and thus have evolved a sort of mimicry. They look human but have unique internal organs to feed, vocalize, prey, etc.

With this in mind, Vampires would live, age, and die like any living species would, rather than being an undead immortal presence in the world.

On that note, I think there are a handful of fun vampire quirks that could carry over, sensitivity to sun is always a favorite. They can get bad burns under direct sunlight, and since they are naturally nocturnal hunters, their eyes are weak to strong light (especially UV.) Drinking blood is a must, of course, a healthy vampire drinks their own body weight in blood each month. They are stronger than most humans, but mostly by the virtue of most humans lead a sedimentary lifestyle and vampires are predators. They are naturally silent walkers, and perhaps this is the cause for the rumor that they cannot be spotted in mirrors, though the truth is that they are just good blending into their surroundings. They may even subconsciously mimic the movement of things in the wind around them when standing idle. They are allergic to garlic, but its just really really bad hay fever allergies. Nothing more pathetic than seeing a vampire reduced to sniffling, sneezing, watery-eyed tired mess bundled under blankets because someone had garlic powder on them.

There's also the fact that, with enough blood, they have regenerative abilities and can regrow limbs. This comes into play later.

I like to imagine they would also be very instinctual. There could be several reasons for this; Vampires don't tend to raise young and that they manifest from dead human bodies through a process scientists still don't quite understand, but it helps them immediately grasp a sense of independence the moment they wake with a ravenous hunger. (On that note, this probably creates a universal pressure to cremate bodies, and that there is a weighty horror if someone goes missing without a proper burial.) This also comes with its own set of quirks; a strong prey drive, unique vocalizations, extremely territorial, and innate understand of "pack dynamics." (a pack of vampires are called a 'Thrall' and the head vampire is known as a "Lord.")

Perhaps I could even throw in a reference to the usual "Victorian vampire manor" that a lot of stories take place in and say that Vampires are naturally attracted to opulence. They like shiny things and will often give a pack Lord offerings of the things they collect from their prey. This can manifest in many character design ways depending on what is available in a particular thrall's territory.

On that note, they are very very territorial, not just against other vampires but humans as well. They tend to have huge disdain for governing systems and often go out of their way cause problems in local areas. That, added with the fact vampires can kill 1-2 humans a month per vampire, a healthy thrall of them in an area can be a huge problem.

This would also add pressure to vampire populations. Larger packs are more noticeable to the public eye, so if a thrall grows too big (or an upstart is eyeing the Lord's position too much) its common for vampires to get cast out from a territory.

That is where Dr. Hikari comes in. In this universe, he is a vampire researcher working for SciLabs in the cloudy/foggy city of Dentech. Because of it's natural weather, its a magnet for vampires, and the need to combat them is high. He is tasked with researching their biology and finding a way to manufacture a weapon against them. This isn't a new move on the human's part, they've been trying to do this for decades, but it's work and the government pays these companies well for having departments dedicated to research. It feeds his family and offers hope to the future of mankind, there's not much to complain about aside from the long work hours.

Everything changes when his son dies. Or perhaps, it's more like, everything changes when his son lives. In a move of intense grief and desperation, he uses vampire blood along with other reagents to attempt to use vampire regenerative abilities to resurrect his son… and in the process creates a new vampire.

Undoubtedly, he is probably horrified by what he did, but the event shifts his world views. Dr. Hikari and his family keep Hub a secret as he begins a side project alongside his work to try and find a way to create synthetic blood with the hopes that perhaps without the need to prey on humans, vampires and humans can coexist. Having a cooperative vampire around as his son also opens his eyes to parts of their physiology and behavior that scientists never really considered before; after all, anything that wont help in their eradication or control isn't worth learning.

All isn't well, however, Hub still needs to eat. At first it is done entirely by Dr. Hikari offering himself, but overtime it is clear that Hub is not eating enough and Dr. Hikari is growing weaker and more anemic, as well as struggling under the work load of two projects. Even with his best friend and coworker Famous helping him. The major worry to come from this is that the hungrier Hub gets, the harder it is for him to control his prey drive. Hub doesn't WANT to do the things his instincts drive him to do, but its not entirely within his control.

Insert the chaos goblin, hope seeker, and the kid who cant stay out of trouble, Lan Hikari, who can see (along with his mother) that this situation is not going well. Someone is going to die, either by overwork and anemia, or by Hub losing control. Lan decides to be 'helpful' and offer his own blood to his brother. This goes surprisingly well, though neither of them realize it right away, since drinking the blood of his genetic twin seems to do wonders for his health.

Of course, they vow not to tell their father about this because he had forbade it. Hub continues to drink his father's blood when offered but drinks a lot less of it. Someone is going to notice eventually when his health begins to improve, Hub's health also seems to be improving, and there's only one explanation: he's getting his blood from elsewhere and 'dear god I hope hes not going on night hunts.'

And thus there are adventures of the two going around and getting into trouble with humans and vampires. I think an 'opulent' kind of character like Regal makes a perfect main vampire antagonist, while Wiley makes a wonderful main human antagonist. There are a dozen ways to slip in other characters between vampire territories and human groups with their own goals.

As a final note, Hub definitely views his family unit as his "thrall" and is very protective/territorial with them. When his dad comes home from work he often finds shiny rocks Hub collected throughout the week left on his home office desk. (This also means that on an average day, Haruka wrestles with Hub's new 'dragon hoarding' tendencies as he keeps bringing shiny rocks or bits n bobs into the house.)

[itsblasttothepast]

Mind to share your personal favourite fics involving Checo regardless of what pairing?

Oh, I have a lot! I'll start with three with different pairings, and then I'll keep the recs coming.

But I have to say that writing Checo is hard, because he's perceived as clueless and naive, mostly because he keeps thinking in interviews how to answer things in english since isn't his native language and he learned as he raced (and the social media isn't his thing either); also he tends to keep quiet around chatty people, like Max, Nico or Daniel.

He is so different when he's with people close to him, or speaking spanish. Checo is sarcastic and have a very weird and dark sense of humor, but he's not a pushover, which some fics put him like he's all weak and endure all kind of shitty things.

Anyway, I'm picky with my Checo fics, so my selection probably varies from crack and humor to fluff and weirdness with a touch of angst. Hopefully you'll like some of them!

First rec: CHESTAPPEN (Checo/Max)

This is just light and fun, Checo is a little oblivious, but I've learned to live with that (he is a little spazzy).

Second rec: CHEWIS (Checo/Lewis)

This fic also has the particularity of having me intrigued by the comments, as someone said 'I know everyone just went crazy over the ig stories, they really decided to set fire to the world and their pr teams', so I went crazy looking into their IGs just to realize aeons later that the person meant that IN THE FIC, not in real life. Felt so stupid, so naturally I loved the fic even more.

Third rec: HULKENREZ (Checo/Nico)

There's something wrong in the universe because there's so few Hulkenrez stories, but they're SO GOOD, and they hardly receive love. Honestly, choosing a Hulkenrez fic was hard, I have a few favorites, but I'll continue with the fic rec, just because I'm crazy and I need to have my Stefon meme to describe them, sorry!

Also, for some reason Nico is a marshmallow in most of the stories, and Checo is all bitchy... pretty accurate, actually, Checo did most of the bitching when they were teammates.

So anon, hopefully these fics will be of your liking, but I'll keep recomending, I have many saved.

[ladylucksrogue]

I was going to wait til Monday to post a bit of this, you know for mental health Monday but I decided to roll with it now.

I don’t post a lot of real life things here because this tends to be my little fandom safe space where I love posting my fandom messiness and thirsting over clones and posting my fanfic.  But I have noticed a lot of peeps that I interact with are going through a rough patch.  Post Holiday blues, January blues…something.  It’s rough out there, especially in the real world.

Went through a bit of a slump myself.  Prior to the holidays, I did up my writing plan for all my WIPs.  It was very…ambitious for lack of a better word.  Like damn, I know I can write a lot in a session but we’re talking like a fic a day and that…just hasn’t happened.  So, when I missed a couple days of writing, I was hard on myself.  I hold myself to impossible standards sometimes and forget to give myself space.  

I was pretty hungover on January 1st, the wine got to me a bit more than usual and I just wasn’t feeling writing at all, though I did push myself to write a few words.  I was able to post my New Years story a couple days later but I remember posting and thinking this is shit.  This isn’t your usual, though it’s not terrible in retrospect.  I just…it got to me.  So instead of following my crazy plan I focused on some drabbles and doing Whumpuary, which is thankfully every other day, so it gives me a bit of space.  I have been working on my next installment of my fix-it, which the first scene is light hearted and it’s been fun but slow going.

Had a bit of an epiphany a couple days ago, because of a comment someone said.  And it sent me into a bit of a tail spin.  An angry tailspin that my hubby had to catch the brunt of.  He is fabulous though and just rolls with it, lets me rant and knows that I’ll feel better for it.  Someone in our extended friends group cracked a joke about me not working yet and how I’m just enjoying sitting around at home.  It was meant to be light hearted but it hit wrong on so many levels.

I lost my job last year due to a company restructuring.  It was sudden and I was really angry at the circumstances of it.  And more importantly, because it was the second job I had lost in two years to no fault of my own.  But I still gave myself the fault in all of it.  There was a time where I really struggled to hold down a job for a variety of reasons after I got out of the military, and every time something like this happens, it digs up a bunch of stuff from then…

But the fact of the matter is, since losing my job a lot has happened healthwise and I am actually on disability.  As of right now, I can’t work.  It’s something that has been a long time coming and the timing just happened to work out.  At the same time, people who know react one of two ways, oh but you’re fine, you don’t look sick, why can’t you work, or they start on some BS about must be nice, etc.  I won’t even start on the whole who is deserving and mooching off the government stuff, because I will just make myself upset.

It isn’t nice.  For someone who has worked all their life, I would much rather go to work every day than sit at home.  Weird but true.  And I feel doubt and second guess this and wonder if I can go to work and all this is just me being weak, etc.

Comments like that from people don’t help at all.  And then it happened, the moment of clarity…because usually I’m fine on most days.  And then I was working on a scene, got up to make myself some coffee and I had a moment.  There was a sound in my apartment, no clue what it was, but it set something off in my head and for a good moment, I had this really disorienting moment of not really knowing where I was, like half in a memory and half in the present and trying to sort it.  It’s happened before.  I have PTSD, an autoimmune condition, and a whole list of things, so the amount of times something has gone wrong suddenly is long.  But I’m standing there at my kettle like nearly going into a panic attack and managed to calm myself down and sort what happened.  Had this happened at work, I would have had to go sit somewhere for a bit, wasting work time to pull myself out of it and then pretend to be productive for the rest of the day.  Because, in the immediate aftermath of this, after I calmed down, I was dizzy and exhausted and just done.  No energy left.

And the fact that I was home allowed me to go take a nap for a couple hours and reset so to speak, which is probably the best and most effective way I have found in dealing with a PTSD attack.  It works for me personally better than any med they have given me.  Can’t do that working.  Not to mention, if someone is next to you when stuff like this happens, most people are not willing to understand.  You are immediately judged and ostracized (in my experience) because you do not fit into society’s mold.  

But after all this, it made me realize that I need to give myself a bit of grace.  To allow myself moments to feel bad.  To focus on myself and be accepting.  I think it is a big part of self-care we all forget.  Like even people that don’t have medical conditions or diagnoses need to remember.  We all cannot be perfect and productive always.  Sometimes we need a break.  We need to allow ourselves that.

Especially during this time of year, when stress is high and people are frustrated.  We just all need to give ourselves a pat on the back, take things a day at a time and practice a little acceptance.  Like if we finish that chapter or art or whatever in a day, that is fantastic.  On other days we might not do much of anything, and that is ok too.

This is in no way a message saying I am taking a break btw, so no worries! To those who follow my writing, I am here and writing, just on my own time. So at times, I'll probably post a bunch at once and other times, it'll be a bit slow going. Also, keep asks and interactions coming, absolutely keeps me sane and happy to keep interacting!

[terapsina]

#2 for the book worm ask game!

(ask game)

2. Favorite fantasy book(s).

(Eeeeexcellent, I do love fantasy books. Though how I'm gonna narrow it to only a few I've got no idea. Okay. I'm going to remove the very obvious choices like Lord of the Rings (though it is one of my faves)).

---

Monstrous Regiment. I love the entire Discworld series (especially The Witches) but I've also got a huge soft spot in my heart for Terry Pratchett's take on 'a girl dresses like a boy to go to war' (and thinks of everything except some spare socks in- erm... the right place). Along with Polly, the squad consists of a vampire, a troll, an Igor, a religious fanatic and two very, very close "friends" (and yes, the official summary put the friends in quotes too). And everyone has their own secret.

I love basically everything about this book and I can't tell you guys any of it because it would spoil all the fun.

The Goblin Emperor. This one's a story filled with light. Maia the half goblin son of the elven Emperor was never supposed to take the throne (or to ever even be at court. because racism). And then everyone ahead of him dies in a single "accident" and suddenly he's the new Emperor. Maia is a good person, and a kind one, and despite everything that gets thrown at him he keeps hold of that understanding of right and wrong and refuses to bend.

(I have to mention that the language of the writing is kinda hard to get into in the beginning, and the characters's have very complicated and long names, but once you get into it it really did enhance the story for me).

Good Omens. An Angel and a Demon try to stop the apocalypse and instead lose the Antichrist. I've loved that book for like a decade now and if I don't put it on a list of my faves that list would be a lie.

The King of Attolia. Third in The Queen's Thief series and my favorite one out of all of them. I've always enjoyed Outsider POV in fics. And here is a book that just... proves why. We've got Eugenides and Irene, the Thief and the Queen, and we know them from the two previous books. And adore them. But the story isn't from their POV, it's from the POV of Costis, a Queen's guard who's suddenly gotten assigned to the King. The useless, weak, undeserving king that as far as Costis is concerned doesn't deserve to even kiss the Queen's boots. And it's hilarious to read the story from the eyes of someone who knows so much less than us. And so satisfying, as he begins to understand.

(I recommend the whole series and am personally glad to have read them in the published order but Megan Whalen Turner has stated that she wrote them in a way that allows you to jump in at any point you want).

The Raven Tower. The story is from the viewpoint of a sentient, omniscient rock whose name is Strength and Patience of the Hill and it is the GREATEST THING EVER. The gods are real and must be very careful with their words, because if they speak a lie the reality will alter to make that lie the truth but if the lie is bigger than the power of the god... well. Inspired by Hamlet.

(the book also has a trans man as the main character; the other main character? The sentient rock is the narrator but the largest part of the story focuses on Eolo).

A Natural History of Dragons. The first book from The Memoirs of Lady Trent (and honestly it would probably be more honest to say that every single book from this series fits the category of fave but I'm putting up the first here because this isn't a series where you should skip ahead). The book focuses on the life of Isabella as narrated by her older self. This is the story how a Scirland lady bucked all tradition and became a world renowned expert on the Natural History of Dragons.

(this series has a piece of my heart and always will).

---

(and finally, here's some more of my favorite fantasy books that I also adore and would totally ramble about but I got tired of typing).

[cerastes]

What are some of the greatest/most impressive feats of strength in Arknights’s story?

Taking the overall narrative and worldbuilding into account, I believe the most effective aspect of Arknights' narrative is that they managed to make Terra feel like a breathing, living world and setting instead of a vehicle for the point-of-view character to exist in and act upon. This is specially remarkable for a mobile gacha game, as settings in these tend to be exactly that sort of vehicle instead of world that give any hints of existing when outside the player's immediately vision. The way I like to think about it is, "if a tree fell somewhere in this setting while my intended point-of-view or self-insert character isn't there to see it, did it make a sound?”. In Arknights, Girls' Frontline and SIGH Epic Seven (credit where it's due), the answer feels like a yes to me, whereas in every other game of this kind, it feels like a no, if you know what I mean.

This is intrinsically tied to the cast of characters: It is an inevitability that games where a guiding principle is to release an immense number of characters throughout its lifetime will have characters that will never have any relevance whatsoever besides existing as a minor piece in the world, and Arknights is not immune to this. Even other works of a different base nature and with a much smaller casts will be victims to this: In Trails of Cold Steel, for example, you have a pretty big cast of playable characters, some of which are very well developed and have a lot of screentime and development, and others who are Gaius Worzel. However, this leads to two aspects of Arknights as a narrative and as a game telling a story and fleshing out a world that I appreciate:

The first is that those characters that do get used, are for the overwhelming majority fun and interesting to see and accompany throughout their narrative, and rarely for me, I include the usual point-of-view character in this, Doctor. I tend to have a pretty big dislike, if not disdain, for characters you're meant to self-insert into, I sincerely cannot stand them. Doctor definitely has a big of a self-insert nature to them, but there's also a lot of the Doctor that is actually pre-established, such as them being a weirdo, tending to be very effective but also causing troublesome aftermaths that others then have to clean up, and being particularly good at bonding with assassins and underworld types, among other things. More importantly, Doctor is not present in most side-stories. This is fantastic and leads to the second aspect I appreciate.

This second aspect is that the cast has legs to stand on without needing the protagonist or POV character. You'd think this is a problem mostly limited to gacha games due to their usually flimsy narratives and structures, right? Except, this is actually a huge problem in pretty much every corner of narrative art! I can think of countless comics, manga, cartoons, anime, light novels, novels, and much more, eastern and western, that just tend to have worlds and casts that center entirely around the protagonist, for the protagonist. Whether it be a US author writing out their post-apocalyptic hoarder fantasy or a Japanese author detailing the trials and tribulations of a relatable nobody that a myriad of girls want to have sex with, and even some other pieces of art perhaps not so comically easy to make fun of, it's a consistent aspect of them that the protagonist is the center of the universe, both in terms of events and what the rest of cast thinks about, talks about, and takes action upon. Obviously, this results, in my opinion, in weak worlds and weak casts that have no legs to stand on. I appreciate that even without Doctor around, Arknights does a good job of having protagonists of their own little stories in the side stories: Olivia Silence is a joy to follow when she takes the lead in a Rhine Lab story, Kroos has been one of my favorite characters to be able to experience events through with the Sui stories, Skadi and the Abyssal Hunters are exciting to watch in Abyssal Hunter stories, and the latest event as of the writing of this post filled me inspiration, seeing Reed star in a character piece that tells us more about someone so immensely reticent to open up. It's by having interesting world events occurring throughout Terra that don't have the input of Doctor, and thus lets us see more and more of this huge cast of characters taking the lead that I think is a fascinating experience for me as a reader that keeps things fresh. It's even allowed me to come to appreciate characters I initially didn't care about, such as Bagpipe and Magallan, and see, in most games of this nature, if I don't care about a character frame one, it's probably going to stay that way because, well, if I didn't care about what their limited assortment of pre-cooked lines had to sell me on, then I'm likely not going to care about that character likely not showing me a new aspect of themselves impactful enough to change my mind in an event they'll likely just be an accessory to.

It's upon this base that I think Arknights stays interesting and fresh: A solid foundation that I can agree with and that keeps things dynamic and interesting. Specific events and story beats that I think are interesting are a natural result of these baseline aspects, but it all traces back to the cradle, to these baseline aspects that facilitate those cool narratives in the first place.

[pinkkop]

This week's recap is brought to you by Baabin crying on the stairs with his headband over his eyes in Gelboys #Mood.

Also I only have 4 shows in my spreadsheet for next week which is a little sad.

QL Recap for Week 10

The 3rd of March to the 9th of March

🇹🇭 Gelboys

Episode 6 of 7 || Watching on: iQiYi, Saturday

This show is just blowing me away! I love the plot and the cinematography and the characters! They just feels messy and impulsive and full of feelings in a perfect teenager way which makes it easier to witness them make questionable decisions again and again with very little open honest communication. This show is just chewy in the best way that keeps me glued to the screen all through the episodes.

🇹🇭 Perfect 10 Liners

Episode 21 of 24 || Watching on: Youtube, Sunday

Oh I just love Fai and Wine! They're going to get in their own way even if they've already indirectly confessed to each other, multiple times on Fai's part. I'm really enjoying their part of this show and I'm so ready to see them figure it all out.

🇹🇭 Secret Relationships

Episode 6 of 8 || Watching on: Gagaoolala, Wednesday

This is a whole new level of toxic and love triangle. Is there even a word for when it's 3 people vying for one person's attention? Is it simply a love square? I'm rooting for the toxic4toxic pairing even if I would be up for toxic polyamory. Also who the fuck makes a deal with their rival to not pursue the person you both like but instead pretend to date each? Absolutely bonkers and I'm enjoying the drama immensely.

🇹🇭 ThamePo Heart That Skips a Beat

Episode 13 of 13 || Watching on: Youtube, Friday

This had a very satisfying ending and it's definitely not unthinkable that I'll re-watch this in the future.

Est and William have great chemistry and the band dynamic was a fun part of the show. I do think that the overall quality of the plot and the shows message got a little lost in the promotional aspect of the show because this show was clearly both a BL and promotion of LYKN (RL MARS). It seemed like the first handful of episodes were spent on introducing the members of the band and the band member characters weren't really allowed to have any negative qualities. Like any actions they took that seemed to work against our mains was given positive motives. Another thing is that since the show was to some extent a promotion of LYKN, Oner was basically the fictional embodiment of GMMTV which meant the show couldn't fully cast Oner and Miss Pemika in a negative light which frustrated me so much. It felt weird every time the show tried to cast Miss Pemika and her actions in a positive light because in MARS' story she was the clear villain even if she did all the right things for the company. It was like the show spent 90% of the time showing how much of a bad guy she was in MARS' and Po's story but once in a while the show did some fucked up version of 'No Homo!' but instead it was 'No Bad guy!'.

🇹🇭 Reverse with Me

Episode 6 of 8 || Watching on: iQiYi, Wednesday

This show is sadly getting overshadowed this week because even if I'm enjoying it, a bunch of the other shows are just on a whole 'nother level. Not sure where we're going with this show but I'm along for the ride even though I'm kinda hoping our second pairing end up being the best of friends instead of lovers.

🇹🇭 The Boy Next World

Episode 10 of 10 || Watching on: iQiYi, Sunday

I wasn't completely satisfied with this ending but I can't quite explain what I would have liked differently or what I didn't like.

I feel like maybe MeMindY is more used to making their usual 12 episode shows but haven't quite figured out how to plan their plot for shorter shows. I was similarly feeling kinda off at the end of Love Sea so that's my best guess. I feel like MeMindY always deliver on production quality and actor pairings but their weak point has always been the plot. Where most of their shows have wild plots, they usually add small detours and addendums along the way of the 12 episodes which means it doesn't detract from the overall plot about the main characters which is usually solid. With these shorter shows I feel like I'm maybe missing some meat or just some exposition because they don't have time to dive into too much. Like they could have easily spent more time in this show on Ozone and the mom and Jin's powers and the reasons behind what lead Cir to stalking Phu and why he kept doing it. I think I just wanted more.

🇹🇭 FC Soldout

Episode 8 of 8 || Watching on: Grey, Friday

This kept being cute until the end and it definitely hit the spot as a pulp. It had enough going for itself in terms of charm and heart and humor that I didn't mind horribly when the lower production quality shone through.

That's it for this week!!

For links and airing schedule check out World of BL (Only for BLs)

[skyloftsword]

Why Tears of the Kingdom is the Breath of the Wild I was hoping for

Alright, so before I get into my rant. I really like Breath of the Wild. It's a very fun game and the events of 100 years ago are super interesting. It just... unfortunately let me down after Skyward Sword in two aspects that I personally feel Tears of the Kingdom succeeded at for me. Story and dungeons. Also please don't tell me to watch a Youtuber on why TotK is worse than nuclear war. I make my own opinions and my take on TotK is very unlikely to change. I have done 6 playthroughs and still feel this way. Spoiler warning.

Okay, so my issue with Breath of the Wild's story is how it feels like a mess at times. The memories don't even try to tell anything coherent outside of the final few. Some of them even need journals for any payoff as well. This system also limited the Champions from getting any development or character arcs. It took until Tears for me to appreciate them because Hyrule was still grateful for them. Revali's bow being treasured by Teba, Riju prays to Lady Urbosa in her diary, Mipha got Mipha's Court and Sidon's entire character arc was about how her death still haunts him and he doesn't want that to happen ever again. Daruk... got lights added to his statue's eyes I guess. Anyways, Tears' equivalent to them is the Neo Sages. Tulin, Riju, Sidon and Yunobo. They each get their own arc and you can tell how much they have grown since Breath of the Wild. What makes them better here is that they actually are relevant for more than just the Divine Beast boarding segments. Sidon deals with fear of losing his beloved Yona just like how he lost Mipha 105ish years ago, yet Yona and Link bring him to his senses. Riju goes from being stressed out about how she's too weak to defend Gerudo Town from the Gibdos with her aim, but Link returning reassures her. Tulin goes from being arrogant and thinking he can do anything all by himself to realizing that charging ahead all on his own is a bad idea and that working as a team is the best way to do things. Yunobo goes from being a manipulated crack dealer to being cowardly again for a bit to becoming courageous and willing to fight to defend Hyrule. These arcs help me appreciate the characters a LOT more. The Old Sages intentionally aren't fully fleshed out characters and its fine because they're barely on screen (their names are Ruto, Darunia, Nabooru and possibly just Medoh for the Rito Sage). Ganondorf being an actual character really helps as well. He wants to use the godlike power of the Secret Stones to his advantage to achieve total rule of the world (in the English localization at least). Rauru and Sonia are wonderful characters that actually try to help Zelda achieve her goal of returning to her time (nice opposition of Rhoam forcing her to achieve her light powers and being harsh towards her). Unlike the events of 100 years ago, the memories/Tears in this game actually focus on telling what led to the Imprisoning War in a specific order. The events in the memories and Tears also are all relevant and side stuff was pushed to the Stone Monument side adventure. Unfortunately the game is less linear than Breath (which honestly should be the other way around and is a massive storytelling issue), however Impa at least alludes to the order of the Tears when you go to the Forgotten Temple after the first one. The Fifth Sage quest is also an incredible questline that did what BotW should have done. It showed the Imprisoning War and how Ganondorf shouldn't be taken lightly. I seriously feel let down not seeing Link and Zelda fight the Calamity and losing. Also thank god you don't have to do an absurdly tedious backtrack quest to unlock the Camera, Tears, the Champion Leathers and the Kohga fight.

Onto the dungeons. I don't get why people switched up on the Divine Beasts in a positive way. They have a great gimmick and the "fights" are cool but that's it. The puzzles are... fine I guess? The visuals are cookie cutter and so are the bosses in every aspect except gameplay (and are basically just the Calamity split into 1/4). Tears' Temples are legitimately the most enjoyable dungeons in the series for me. The atmosphere, music, puzzles having a large amount of solutions, etc. Not to mention the boss fights actually being unique and very fun this time (BotW had some bangers too like Koshia and Thunderblight) and have unique fight themes that are so, so, so good. Seized Construct might be my favorite non-final battle boss theme for me. Also the pre-dungeon segments actually feeling like dungeons for 4/5 of them really helped make me like them more. Both games also have great and bad Shrines. TotK has far less bad ones and has a much better vibe with it's Shrines.

Anyways, ramble over. Thanks for reading. The only reason I made this post was because I was pissed off due to personal reasons. I love these games and this series so please don't take this as me hating BotW.

[superman-the-secret-third-thing]

Superman Powers Hot Take

I'm going to say something potentially very brave.

I think Superman is more fun lower powered.

I know that Clark being super powerful is often the point of his stories- but I think things get more interesting when he's not light speed etc. I know drama can exist without physical conflict- but team ups are better when he's not clearly better than the rest of his team.

In addition to this- I don't think he should have Super-intelligence, that's the domain of Batman. I think what he should have is what I call being dumb...faster. Like he's average intelligence, but he's able to speed up his thoughts. Even an average man can work out defusing a bomb if he has all the time in the world.

I'm talking like My Adventures with Superman level strength- not busted, but not weak either, y'know?

[grumpymiika]

♡ TW: Yandere, light gore

♡ I wrote this story in collaboration with DanStar!!

On a sunny morning, you eagerly prepared yourself, brimming with excitement, ready to enjoy an entire day at the amusement park.

You had spent countless hours crafting the perfect day, determined to make the most of your long-overdue day off. The anticipation was palpable—how long had it been since you last took time for yourself? Always burdened with obligations, today was a rare exception.

Sliding into your car, you turned the key and started the engine, heading toward "Dream Park." Upon arrival, you were struck by the sheer grandeur of the place. It felt surreal, as if you’d stepped into a dream. Since your youth, you had loved amusement parks, though opportunities to visit had been few and far between. Today promised to be extraordinary—or so it seemed.

Without delay, you dashed toward the Ferris wheel. Riding one had always been your dream, yet life’s circumstances had never allowed it. If only you had known what awaited you, you might have reconsidered stepping into that cabin.

The queue was long, much longer than you anticipated. Why were so many people here on a Monday? You’d specifically chosen this day to avoid the crowds. What a disappointment!

Lost in thought, you felt a tap on your shoulder. Turning, you were met with a man whose smile was both wide and unsettling, his deep brown eyes piercing straight through you. He was stunning—too stunning. His hypnotic gaze lingered on you, and you felt your heart falter under its weight.

“Uh… Hello?” you stammered, suddenly self-conscious. You had spent far too long gawking at him, forgetting to act like a normal human being.

“Hi… Uh, do you need something?” Your voice was soft, barely audible yet clear enough for him to hear.

“I don’t have anyone to ride with, and you seem to be in the same situation. Could we share a cabin? I’m not fond of being alone.”

“Of course!” you blurted out before thinking. It was painfully obvious that you had a weakness for attractive men, especially ones with such perfect features. His smile broadened—if that were even possible. That smile… You failed to notice the veiled malice behind it, mistaking it for friendliness.

Finally, it was your turn. The two of you entered the cabin, taking in the breathtaking, picturesque view as the Ferris wheel ascended.

Your joy was uncontainable; you looked like a child with a brand-new toy. What you didn’t notice, however, were his eyes—those deep brown eyes fixated solely on you. The scenery held no interest for him; only you filled his vision. He had chosen you, and he had no intention of letting you go. After all, wasn’t this your fault? Who told you to accept a stranger’s invitation?

As the seconds passed and the Ferris wheel climbed higher, the vibrant, colorful lights held your attention. You turned briefly to glance at the man sharing your cabin. His unwavering gaze still rested on you, his smile fixed. What was he thinking? That unnerving silence hung thick in the air, almost deafening.

A cold shiver ran down your spine as you felt an icy touch on your hand. Startled, you looked down to find his hand resting on yours. His eyes now gleamed with an intensity that bordered on sinister, his smile widening in a way that exuded chaotic, twisted affection. His dilated pupils seemed to pierce through your very soul.

Snapping yourself out of this trance, you closed your eyes tightly, counting to five. When you opened them again, he was gazing out the window, his expression calm. The sound of the cabin door opening was a welcome relief—it was time to leave. Thank heavens… But what was that sensation? And what had just transpired?

You hurriedly exited the cabin, unease gnawing at you. What did he want? What was his name? As you wandered the park, your eyes darted around, searching for solace. Nearly stumbling, your breath grew shallow and labored. The world around you felt like it was collapsing; the fun had vanished, leaving only dread and aversion in its wake.

“Please… Someone…” you whispered into the noisy void, your voice drowned out by the cacophony of the park. Just as you were about to collapse, a familiar figure caught you. His broad smile greeted you like an ominous shadow. Those captivating brown eyes now filled you with unease.

“You have no idea how long I’ve waited for this moment,” he said, breathless and flushed. With a swift motion, he grabbed your wrist and dragged you toward a car.

Too weak to resist, you found yourself at his mercy. In your most vulnerable state, he had emerged as your personal nightmare. He shoved you into the car with brutal force, your head striking the doorframe. Before you could even process what was happening, he climbed into the driver’s seat and started the engine.

Throughout the drive, you stared blankly at the car’s ceiling, unable to move. The foreign smells of the car filled your senses, and the light outside gradually faded, giving way to darkness.

After what felt like an eternity, clarity returned, though only faintly. Your hand fumbled for the door lock, and with a click, the door swung open. You tumbled out onto the ground, your body stiff.

For a brief moment, you lay there, gazing at the tranquil sky, watching the trees sway gently in the breeze. Then reality struck, and you scrambled to your feet, running as fast as your legs could carry you.

But you weren’t alone. Footsteps pounded behind you, growing closer with every breathless stride. The dark sky and faint moonlight made it difficult to see ahead, yet the thought of returning to your family spurred you onward.

Your breathing grew shallow and ragged, but you refused to stop. Then came a deafening sound, cutting through the silence of the forest—a gunshot. Pain seared through your leg, and you crumpled to the ground like prey felled by a hunter’s bullet.

The chase had ended.

He approached your fallen body, his footsteps slow and deliberate. The agony in your leg was overwhelming, a burning torment unlike anything you had ever experienced. Tears streamed down your face, unbidden.

What a tragic tableau—a helpless figure sprawled on the forest floor, a madman standing over her with a smoking gun.

Terribly sweet, isn’t it? At least to him, it was. For months, he had been watching you, pursuing you. A quiet, solitary man, he had never expected to fall so deeply—or obsessively—for someone. If such twisted infatuation could even be called love.

You’re in quite the predicament now. But don’t worry; he’ll take care of you. Not that you have a choice.

[otakween]

Digimon Data Squad (Savers) - Episode 40

Woohoo! 40 episodes 🥳 I see the light at the end of the tunnel now.

Once again, this episode was boring in the first half and then got exciting towards the end. I just kinda zone out during the battle sequences and this was mostly that.

Also, I unfortunately was spoiled for the reveal of Yggdrasil's identity by MAL, but I'm not mad cuz I probably should have figured that one out myself 😅

Notes:

Craniummon totally looks like he was inspired by Skeletor from He-Man crossed with Zurg from Toy Story. I like his cool Q-tip sword

(Are those pig tails?)

Gotsumon is back for comic relief reasons. Honestly, most of the scenes with him weren't that funny but I liked his voice. (I noticed he used the uber polite "watakushi" pronoun)

I laughed like an 8 year old when Masaru confused the Japanese word for "den" with "butt." I think what sold the joke was everyone's understated reaction and correcting him.

There doesn't seem to be any acknowledgment in this version of Digimon that digimon were created by humans. Like the digimon want humans dead and kinda see them as like colonizers or something, but surely "digital monsters" would not even exist if not for humans, the inventors of computers? I'm not saying digimon can't be against their own maker, but it feels like they're acting like the whole digital world is completely organic and unrelated to humans or something. Like, can we get an origins lore dump for the Savers AU please?

Why does Masaru's dad have a robot voice filter in the dub? I guess they wanted him to sound more ~digital~

Wait so...Masaru's dad was Yggdrasil all along? There wasn't a Yggdrasil before he showed up? What about Yggdrasil in the X-Evolution movie? I need answers!

Masaru punching a sword was pretty silly (the fact that it worked so well was even sillier).

Very fun seeing all the royal knights finally assemble. It's kinda like Frontier DLC or something haha. UlforceVeedramon is a new one. I like the colors and the cape but the head design is underwhelming.

I like how we get exactly one (1) memory between little Masaru and his dad before the reveal. That felt kinda weak. I guess they didn't do a lot of planning ahead when writing this show because they could have built this up better with more flashbacks in previous episodes. Betrayals are less devastating when you barely know someone. All that being said, the memory was pretty adorable and so was baby!Masaru's high pitched voice.

Masaru's dad is wearing a weird full body leotard thing. Looks goofy as heck.

What in the deus ex machina was that final scene!? A pretty crazy looking digimon saved them, but it kind of went by too quick for me to absorb the design. I'll wait til next episode to get into it. The out of nowhere of it all was unintentionally funny though.