#xin's goons

[xinandhisgoons]

Does anyone want to be a beta reader for me

[xinandhisgoons]

Shit I don't have any bust doodles of Ken on my laptop but her little wooden pendant was her brother's before her Tragic Backstory happened!!

Jeez I need to share the photo album from my phone this picture is LOW quality damn

Does your OC wear any pieces of jewelry that they inherited?

[sidecharactersdomatter]

Thoughts I had during TGCF S2 Ep 11

The last two reactions took a while, since I was doing a lot of sketching and writing a one shot after listing to the latest Epic livestream on Ytube now let’s get to it!

-Innocent children outside of the palace were spared from the Banquet’s massacre

-It’s the same elderly man from Ep 9!

-You know this Ep’s gonna be awesome once the animation’s upped it’s ante

-The CGI background effect!

-It’s the outer wall of Ba Sing se from ATLA Book 2 Earth, (subtle worldbuilding spoilers from The Scrap Immortal and the Avatar)

-Barren land outside of the wall…

-Hua Cheng’s wraith butterfly

-*takes a really deep inhale* HAAAAAAAH!  It’s the same butterfly from 5 Eps earlier who landed on Xie Lian’s palm as the others swarmed towards FX and MQ!  *Gasps again* He must’ve landed on XL’s hand because of the length he went to locate him in Yong’An’s area.  So if he failed to find him, the butterfly was exhausted, and since he was tired, he rested on Xie Lian’s hand

(I had to slip this in)

-Through the eyes of a butterfly

-It’s a tunnel!

-It’s the secret tunnel from ATLA Book 2

-Lang Qianqiu and Mengyou!

-He’s staked Fang Xin into his tomb

-The reason Qianqiu never removed Fang Xin’s mask is because he never knew who he was behind it all is life…

-What was that coffin cover made out of?!

-Back to Yong’An to finish grieving and keeping the kingdom in tact

-Getting staked in a stone coffin is a whole lot worse than being trapped in a Iceberg for a century

-The blood is spreading like vines and branches

-How long was he in that coffin???

-I can see why people in the fandom wrote fics about his recovery from the Yong’An crypt.

-Another intense and long cold opening

-“SAD CHILD!!!” still got chills from the last episode 

-Damn

-“NO!  It’s my fault!  Everything is my fault and I’ve only made it worse!” There’s that raw emotion

-Still want dessert after the delivery last episode.  Great!  Now I’m craving egg custard tarts and red bean buns, dim sum dessert!!!

-Hua Cheng took accountability for his actions

-He sat down next to him!

-“You did good” that’s exactly what I need to hear right now

-There’s always a cost

-Howard is still eating it up in the next ep!!!

-Comfort him!

-History’s still repeating to this day…

-Lian Cheng Ci’s playing again!

-It was no one’s fault!

-He finally removed his mask!

-XL had a chance to end An Le right there

-Thank you HC!

-No XL you’re not a worthless insect, I actually see you as more of an adorable rodent and so does Hua Cheng

-He destroyed the weeping statue!

-It took him that long to stop his breakdown???

-“As you wish” has James Cheek read the Princess Bride?

-Ghosts and Humans are fleeing the mountains

-And Qi Rong’s goons easily folded under Hua Cheng’s thumb

-Did anybody else hear Broadway from Gargoyles in the large purple goon? Kictor and Stitch said he sounded like Patrick Star

-Let’s just say Hua Cheng always does his homework right

-Aww the animation when Xie Lian caught up to the Crimson Rain

-Hong Jue once more!!! YEAH!!!

-They’re outside the mountain!

-His small laugh!

-“Idolizing someone for afar is understandable, but once you get close, when you really get to know them, that perfect image of them you made will shatter.  When that happens it just hurts.”  That is a really good and inspirational quote

-“For some the mere existence of a certain person in this world is hope.” Another great quote!

-“San Lang, who are you?” He said it so softly!!!

-“Don’t tease!” Oh yes he will~!

-He’s starting to realize!!!

-Whoever did this season’s soundtrack really deserves a raise

-They got cut off!

-Hi Qingxuan

-She’s so slay

-Hi Feng Xin

-Just imagine a montage of Qingxuan and FX trying to role the right number to XL’s location

-The way he summoned his arrow!

-It’s a standoff!!

-XL’s facepalm!

-HC just tugged his sleeve again!

-What’s she doing?

-Are they acting?

-The eye contact!

-He’s talking about Ming Yi

-You got that right on the rescuing, he carried XL off in style!

-Literally how you send an email and update in the online message board

-“She gets it” that means they’ve bonded

-QX gets close and FX moves like 6 feet back

-She knows his weakness

-And FX’s frantically waving his hand 

-The snap!

-*Qianqiu has left the chat*

-I know who the minor official is

-Even FX dissed Qi Rong

-It took him that long to realize???

-The family ties are really something, Qingxuan

-That anime spiral on the thumb!

-Hua Cheng roasted Feng Xin

-He is egging him on

-Hua Cheng roasted Heaven again

-Another standoff!

-Aiaigasa!  It’s Aiaigasa people!!!

-And Qingxuan casually backs up

-IT’S RAINING WET KETCHUP!!!

-Really weird weather they had tonight

-Now XL giggled!!!  It added 3 more years to my lifespan!

-FX looks like he got a bowl of marinara tossed over him

-Qingxuan it’s not a mop!!!  It’s a cultivator whisk!  It took me a long time to realize it when I bought the first novel

-You two aren’t helping!

-Have you seen HC help fix up your temple?

-He knows him so well!

One more Ep left!

[kitty-kei]

Fiery Familiarity - Part 1

here’s part 1! this is some more world-building groundwork, establishing the reader's place in the gaang! i'll be posting part 2 soon and it'll be more exciting i promise lol. pls read the prologue to better understand the story

words: ~1k

prologue | part 2 | part 3 | part 4

Ever since you left the Fire Nation, you’d been having a bit of a hard time adjusting. Having become so used to the life of luxury you once knew, it was hard to survive. You had long since ditched your old clothing, opting for more muted, inconspicuous tones. You hopped from town to town, helping transport resources in order to further your journey. Eventually, you reached a far-off Earth Nation town, by the name of Gaoling, seeking refuge there. You learned to fend for yourself, taking odd jobs to pay for your meals.

You survived on your own for 5 years before meeting the Avatar. You had to get scrappy to keep up with the changing times. Life wasn’t always kind to children, even in Earth Kingdom cities. There was still a war going on, after all. In those years, you managed to earn yourself plenty of scars, including a nasty one on your face. It spanned from the left side of your chin all the way up to the bridge of your nose. It puts a damper on possible jobs when you look like you’re trouble just waiting to happen.

That’s how you ended up getting roped into helping Xin Fu with his underground fight ring. It was tedious, but it was all you had. Until you met “The Blind Bandit” who you soon came to know as Toph. She was an abrasive girl, but you could tell she was no weaker than anyone else despite her blindness. Then, somewhere along the line, the Avatar had found her, begging her to come be his earthbending teacher. 

Late one night, after watching Toph fight Xin Fu and his goons, you decided to follow her, and the Avatar, back to her home. 

“Of course it doesn’t change the way I feel about you, Toph. It's made me realize something.”

You saw Toph's head lift, milky eyes full of hope, “It has?”

“Yes. I've let you have far too much freedom. From now on you'll be cared for and guarded twenty-four hours a day.” You could feel your heart drop, the tension in the room so painful you couldn’t bare to hear more. You watched as a lone tear slipped down Toph’s face.

You waited until she had returned to her room before sneaking to her balcony. You slipped behind her guards, knocking them out as quietly as possible. You cracked open the door, “Toph? Toph, are you there?”

“Y/n? What are you doing here, you’re going to get caught.”

“Hurry, we don’t have much time. I’ve knocked out the guards but it won’t be long until more come. I’m getting you to the Avatar, even if it’s the last thing I do. I’d sooner get arrested than watch you rot here. You deserve your freedom, Toph.”

Toph smiled, “Well then, what are we waiting for?”

 Once you caught up with Aang, Toph insisted you come with them. The others had agreed, saying that any friend of Toph’s was a friend of theirs. So you’d begun your long journey. Appa’s shedding had brought you not only an unexpected visit from Azula, but also the knowledge that Zuko had been chasing after them for so long now. Hearing the stories you told of what he had done… Your heart ached. Not only for them, but for Zuko. A boy so sweet who had been so swiftly corrupted by his family's twisted perception of right and wrong, of their “victory”. 

You knew from then on that you couldn’t share your past with them, not truly.

You traveled on through the desert, where you lost Appa. You all watched as Aang spiraled, throwing himself deeper into despair. So you traveled to Ba Sing Se, where you searched for that loveable beast. But when you finally got him back, things crashed and burned once again. 

Azula, the coup, the Dai Li, it was all happening so fast. You had decided to go with Aang to rescue Katara, knowing that Zuko would be there. Suddenly, you were very thankful that you left the Fire Nation before you had the chance to meet Iroh. He was a kind, wise old man, but you couldn’t risk being recognized. Listening to his advice for Aang gave you hope that not all firebenders were bad. 

Arriving in the cavern was breathtaking for more than one reason. Not only were the crystals gorgeous, but seeing Zuko all grown up… It made your heart soar and crash simultaneously. You had heard the whispers of the banished prince, outcast by his own father in search of a long-lost enemy. You just hadn’t seen him until now.

Your voice tumbled in a whisper before you could stop it, “Oh Zuko…” His once youthful face was now so tired, so worn down. His left eye was scarred into a permanent squint, the burn spreading over his ear. You could feel your heart twist in your chest. He used to be so full of life, even with his awkward disposition. He was just a child. To think that his own father would do this to him…

Watching him side with Azula was almost as painful as seeing how far he had fallen over the years. After seeing the look of hope on Katara’s face when she thought he had changed, watching her face contort into horror when he attacked. Watching him stand by as Azula killed Aang… You couldn’t bare to meet his eyes as you left with Katara, praying that Iroh would be alright. You knew Azula wouldn’t show him any mercy, family or not.

[fallloverfic]

TGCF donghua Season 2, Episode 10 thoughts

This episode T-T T-T T-T T-T. Spoilers for the show and the book below. CW reference to suicide.

The dude being racist to An Le looks vaguely like a love child of Feng Xin and Nie Mingjue (the donghua version) roflmao. Animators have made little references to The Scum Villain's Self Saving System this season so I would not be surprised if someone snuck in a reference to the Mo Dao Zu Shi donghua, too lol And this is similar enough to at least one Meng Yao + Nie Mingjue scene that I can see why they'd do it here.

So the Xianle goons licking their lips is because, I imagine, whatever was in that pouch Qi Rong brought An Le infected them or maybe it was these actual soldiers or something. Makes it less mmm... Strange. Having seen recordings of an attempted assault on a principal government building with government officials inside and what bloodthirsty folks bent on literal murder of said officials get up to around that, I mean I guess it's not that..... strange......

Someone here let me know that the servant/friend is the same official from S02E01 who ran past Xie Lian to help Lang Qianqiu, which makes sense! I totally forgot he showed up then and wondered after S02E07 if he was An Le acting funny (though by the end of S02E09 he is clearly not). He does show up in the novel in that S02E01 scene, but he's not named so far as I can tell, and I don't think we see him in Yong'an flashbacks like we do here. It's neat to see the development of this side character, and how some officials reward people who support them in life (besides Xie Lian and Yin Yu).

Xie Lian seeing the guy nervously looking for Lang Qianqiu and then being like: -sigh- young love is such a trial. You should spend more time studying the blade!

Oh shit, we get a preview of Xie Lian's parents' suicide. Wow. Will we get the donghua that far please T-T

I'm just in love with Fangxin's cape. It's so beautiful trailing behind him.

I'm sorry but An Le screaming in the same way Nakahara Chuuya does whenever he's mid-Corruption in Bungo Stray Dogs made me laugh so hard roflmao Unexpected (and likely unintentional) cameo lol

Imma keep saying it, the animation in this episode is really good. The fight scene is wonderful. When they go back to Qi Rong cackling is good. The show is just pretty.

Qi Rong: "Why is everyone here so fond of crying!"

This man is tired. Can't you do a little mass murder and gloating in peace? Honestly. Hard times.

Qi Rong: "You want your parents? I haven't gone asking for mine yet!"

Aw Qi Rong, babe...

Qi Rong got anime slashed. Who could have foreseen??? /end sarcasm

Xie Lian having a sad moment about Qi Rong, thinking he died. I'm wondering what the crying scene is from, or if that's something new. Qi Rong did cry I think in one flashback (I think where he's complaining about something) but this looked sadder? And less "spoiled".

Xie Lian sadly reaching out for Lang Qianqiu T-T

Xie Lian: "Is the truth so important? . . . What's the use of him knowing that? If I killed a few less people, would that make my reasons more justified?"

I really do love this so much. Just... sometimes the truth isn't important. Sometimes the truth is more painful/results in a worse outcome. Being bluntly honest isn't always the answer. You could argue that Xie Lian sacrificing himself isn't the answer either, and it's better overall that Lang Qianqiu knows things, but I love how this story brings up this idea, that maybe ignorance was better. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, and Xie Lian did still intentionally murder two people, as part of a cover-up.

Also, "You'd rather be right than be loved," is something I think about a lot from personal experience. It's not Hua Cheng's intention, but this kind of thinking can lead down that path so easily.

Hua Cheng really feeling that "fucked around and found out" part of this whole thing. Like I don't necessarily disagree with his goal here, and Xie Lian's plan is kind of well... imperfect (to put it lightly). But I do think this is a nice moment of Hua Cheng realizing that yes, he is Xie Lian's #1 fan, he is Xie Lian's strongest believer, and Xie Lian clearly cares deeply for him in return, but this does not mean that Hua Cheng understands Xie Lian perfectly, or knows all his thoughts (does Hua Cheng know a lot about him? Yes. But Xie Lian hides a lot of what he thinks, and has done so throughout his life). When thinking about Hua Cheng, I often think of Sosuke Aizen's line in Bleach chapter 170: "Admiration is the state furthest from understanding."

Unlike other people, Hua Cheng sets himself apart by not forcing his views on Xie Lian or trying to get Xie Lian to change to suit him, and he's realizing, "Oh shit, I fucked up with that here, didn't I," because in his quest for justice, to protect Xie Lian, he did just what he hates other people doing (to an extent, it's not nearly as bad as other folks). One thing I love so much about their relationship is how much they listen to each other, and learn from each other, and how Hua Cheng tries to see Xie Lian in ways other people don't. Even here, he's seeing Xie Lian (I really love that they focused so much on Hua Cheng's expressions here, even if he's not visually doing as much as Xie Lian, it's the little clear signs of upset that mean so much). He's not interrupting Xie Lian, he's not arguing his case (though to be fair, he already mostly has). He's trying to learn and be better. They recover from this because of that. And I love that about them.

Xie Lian: "I deserve whatever punishment I get and I can't die anyway. So why not put all the blame on me?"

T-T Crying in the club, folks. This man...

Xie Lian realizing he's being mean to Hua Cheng and apologizing got me T-T He's so scared of himself and what he's capable of - and incapable of, given all his work to try and save lives and mend old anger has come to naught, and he can't fix it. He always doubts himself before others. The scars of Bai Wuxiang are all over this episode, and Xie Lian himself, figuratively and literally. All this episode I cry T-T

Xie Lian's Chinese voice actor has done such a good job. Everyone is amazing (Qi Rong's VA doing amazing), but dang, he is phenomenal this episode. You can really feel Xie Lian's desperation and sorrow.

All in all the subs were also better this episode! They still call Qi Rong the "Green Immor" for some reason, but outside maybe one slightly awkward sentence, I think it was okay! But that doesn't necessarily mean anything cause they've been good and then got worse again lol

An excellent episode. Truly phenomenal. I think one of my favorites, particularly for this ending bit with Xie Lian and Hua Cheng talking to each other.

Other episode thoughts for season 2 (didn't start till episode 3):

S02E03

S02E04

S02E05

S02E06

S02E07

S02E08

S02E09

S02E10 (you are here)

S02E11

S02E12

[xinandhisgoons]

"I guess this is where we part. Good luck."

Writers, reblog this with the last sentence you wrote from your WIP

[andro-dino]

uwaaa how about some little tidbits with ezekial and luther.... like once ezekial pulls up and luther's life turns upside down how does he cope with it

OH ive been thinking about this too but how many aus do you have revolving around your ocs ??? im curious :3

SHEKEL. I AM LOOKING AT YOU WITH VERY BIG AUTISTIC EYES.

I’m going to answer the second question first bc it’s shorter I think. I actually don’t have like a ton of aus as a whole. Juno’s got the most variations though bc I’m insane about digivalen <3 For them I’ve got

- shogunswap (where juno stays part of the main gang)

- shogunswap (where Juno’s with DNA instead)

- mermaid au

And I could’ve sworn I had another one but I can’t remember it at the moment.

EDIT: I REMEMBERED!!! MANGA JUNO! Idk if that really counts as like an au au but manga compliant juno and anime compliant juno are very different so I count it. That also brings up manga Victoria as an au for her too, since anime compliant Victoria dies while Sakyo’s still young while manga Victoria’s still kicking 🫡

The other that immediately comes to mind is Ezekial and Luther au where Luther’s family is actually completely fine and normal and nothing goes wrong and everyone’s fine. That one’s uuuunrealistiiiic :]

When I was younger I was super into Undertale aus though and I had an underfell version of my main ocs at the time where they were all just edgy and mean and sad. fun times <3

OH YK I did just remember I do have mfb wakfu au from when I was rewatching wakfu. Juno was an eniripsa, Axyl’s an eliatrope, and then bc of that I have two different Wakfu Essi’s. Alone, I can definitely see her as an iop, but in wakfu lore, all eliatrope’s have a shapeshifting dragon sibling who come from the same egg as them, so that also opens the door for dragon essi (I actually have doodled eliatrope Axyl and dragon essi before I’ll have to find those when I get home.) For the other characters, feca kite and eight for sure, sacrier chao xin (I also have sacrier Chao Xin somewhere I will also be finding those later), and I never fully settled on a species for the garcias but ecaflips were the main option in my head.

Then for Ezekial and Luther. smile :)

Luther is a whole mess of emotions when Ezekial shows back up. When his goons essentially “capture” Ezekial while he’s snooping around, the bring him to Luther, who looks down on Ezekial very intensely and very coldly. Their entire first interaction there is completely cold on Luther’s end. Ezekial is ECSTATIC to finally see him again but Luther is really intent on keeping up his professional demeanor. At first, he’s willing to let Ezekial go unharmed and just leave it at that, but when Ezekial refuses to go, Luther tries to be a little bit more “convincing,” and in that moment is especially trying to emphasize (both to Ezekial and to himself) that he’s a different person that he once was and isn’t so merciful. Even then, Ezekial persists, and the more he pushes, the more Luther finds himself enraged for reasons he can’t quite understand. Luther has a reputation for usually being able to prevent his own hands from getting dirty, but he can’t help but shut Ezekial’s whole speech about how he knows that “his best friend is still in there somewhere” down with a firm kick to the gut from his own boot. This is not the last time something like this will happen, and it’s notable that Ezekial is the only person who’s ever been able to rile Luther up enough that other people see him lose his temper and put his hands on someone. It’s notable also that it’s not just rage behind Luther’s eyes, but a deep unsteadiness and what could be considered fear.

Luther from there on out decides to keep Ezekial “prisoner” basically, not necessarily because he wants him around but because he knows Ezekial can cause problems for him if left to his own devices and wants to keep an eye on him. That is how The Problems start and continue to develop into A Plot :]

There is actually one scenario I’ve thought A LOT about because it’s a really important scene for these two. Maybe the first night Ezekial is there, maybe not, but it’s still relatively early into them being reunited, Luther lets Ezekial into his room one night. Ezekial is there kind of awkwardly twiddling his thumbs while Luther showers ((((((IN A SEPERATE ROOM)))))) ((((((LUTHER HAS A BATHROOM ATTACHED TO HIS BEDROOM)))))) ((((((EZEKIAL IS AWKWARDLY SITTING AROUND IN LUTHER’S BEDROOM WHEN THIS HAPPENS))))), notably the most unsupervised Luther has left him at this point, and when Luther comes out, he still barely acknowledges Ezekial but instead walks past him onto the balcony. He leaves the door open, a silent invitation, as Ezekial follows him out and finds Luther lighting a cigarette, leaning against the railing. Ezekial stiffly copies the action and the two sit in a tense (well, tense for Ezekial at least) silence before Luther is the one to start the conversation and the two just. Talk. It’s the most vulnerable Luther has left himself in front of Ezekial and the closest thing Ezekial’s gotten to feeling like he’s connecting to the real Luther again. When this conversation is over, they’ll go back to how it was before, but it’ll stay in both of their minds, and it definitely won’t be the last of its kind despite that.

This is like, fairly old art that I don’t like anymore, but I did kinda draw out part of this scene.

[dramaticviolincrescendo]

Thanks for the tag, @4typercent ! 😁

Share the first lines of ten of your most recent fanfics, then tag ten people! If you’ve written less than ten, don’t be shy and share anyway.

I haven’t done much writing lately and no longer write for one of the fandoms in my most recent ten, so here’s my most recent six!

~*~

Imparting (The Untamed/CQL)

“Jiujiu!”

“Stop shouting. And when did you abandon proper manners? Didn’t I teach you better than that?”

Jin Ling skidded to a halt next to where Jiang Wanyin was standing, hands behind his back and staring out over the river. So much for a bit of peace and quiet after an afternoon spent training a group of enthusiastic yet underwhelming young archers. Leveling his nephew with an unrelentingly stern, disapproving glower, he watched in satisfaction as the latter’s lip curled like he had eaten a bad lotus seed and he brought his arms up in a hurried but appropriate bow.

~*~

Kiss the God (TGCF)

“Why exactly are you coming to me for this instead of your goons?”

“I told you—He Xuan and Yin Yu have their jobs.”

“And you don’t think someone closer to your quarry would be of more use in this situation?”

“You know that useless trash he calls friends wouldn’t help. Not with this.”

“Indeed.”

“So? Will you do it, or do I have to kill you and find someone else?”

“Oh, I’ll do it. But you’ll owe me for this.”

“…Fine.”

~*~

Loyal Companions (TGCF)

Spending multiple lifetimes walking the earth had taught Xie Lian many things about the three realms and all the creatures that inhabited them. Despite that, it never ceased to amaze him that Mu Qing’s eyes somehow managed to remain lodged in his head when he seemed so desperate to roll them right out into the dirt.

~*~

Mixed Company (TGCF)

“He probably forgot to charge his phone. Again,” Feng Xin groused as he followed Mu Qing up the four goddamn flights of stairs leading to Xie Lian’s apartment. The latter huffed, his nose practically and predictably in the air.

“First the communication array, now this… Some things never change.”

~*~

A Promise Kept (TGCF)

“He’s here.”

Perfect, thought Hua Cheng without bothering to reply through his private communication array. It wasn’t as though his informant expected a response anyway. He didn’t warrant one either. There was far more important business to be conducted now that he could be sure that one Crown Prince of Xianle was indeed present at this year’s Mid-Autumn Festival celebration in the heavens.

Hua Cheng wished his god didn’t have to participate in such a farce. The useless trash up there did love dragging all and sundry into their boring, self-aggrandizing formalities, though, didn’t they? How disgusting.

~*~

A Steadfast Retainer (TGCF)

There was laughter and chatter on the Grand Avenue of Divine Might today. It wasn’t the kind or even impartial sort, though. Instead, it was the type that had once and was again pushing Feng Xin to the verge of violence: snickering and ridicule.

Targeted snickering and ridicule that made a long dormant beast within him stir in displeasure.

~*~

So…I actually haven’t recently talked to anybody who writes fics 😅 Uh… @glon-morski , you still out there? And anybody else who sees this can feel free!

[xinandhisgoons]

Cracking down and getting to work writing about the goons for the first time in forever and Google Docs has the nerve to tell me I've misspelled the name of my own made up country.

No, Google, I'm talking about the fictional oppressive Brixinad Empire, sometimes simply called Brixinad, I am not talking about the real life Britain!!!

[xinandhisgoons]

Except that when I’m the one writing that trope then actually it’s cool fun and sexy

[circlique]

Art dump! I draw way too much stuff about our DND sessions but don’t post half of it. Brief descriptions below.

1. Reiker: Formerly a non-bender who gained the power of firebending after having it granted to him by a dragon spirit for a heroic act. Prior to the incident that resulted in him becoming a bender, he was actually a part of Juno’s band of vigilante chiblockers. He now runs a training camp in the Earth Kingdom for all aspiring athletes of any skill level, bender or non-bender, believing anyone should have the chance to bring out the best in themselves.

2. Laminar: A former pirate and a bloodbender, she has been hanging around Reiker’s training camp to practice and to recruit for her and her husband, Xin Li’s...“cause.” This “cause” seems to have something to do with spreading their doctrine of utilizing all skills available to a bender--even the taboo ones--and that no bender should fear what they could be capable of. Possibly related is that she also appears to be planning some kind of attack on the Northern Water Tribe, as she believes Klo to be an illegitimate leader.

3. Toshiko: After Kelsang’s close call earlier in the campaign, I began toying with a concept for a chiblocker as a backup character. A few weeks ago I mentioned the concept to the DM and he helped me flesh her out more and RP’d a bit of her backstory with me. The concept basically boiled down to “Kate Bishop, but for Juno instead of Hawkeye.” She grew up as Fire Nation nobility, but as a non-bender knew her eventual fate was most likely to be married off as some dude’s trophy wife. She decided to take fate into her own hands, and, inspired by the stories of a non-bending vigilante folk hero named Juno, began trying to tackle petty crime in her own neighborhood. One day, she got in way over her head tailing a crime boss who was having secret dealings with her mom. While running from his goons, she accidentally stumbled upon...Juno’s ACTUAL Fire Nation training/recruiting compound in an old warehouse. Toshiko managed to blend in well enough with the chiblockers (mostly just sparring convincingly with Reiker, a fellow new recruit) until the danger passed, and then begged Juno to let her stay. Juno is not a fan of “raising children,” but Juno eventually gave Toshiko her “test” and she passed well enough.

4. Maika, probably frustrated that Kelsang is astral projecting, and thus she cannot actually smack him like she wants to.

5. A sneak peek at the big bad, Dai Lee.

6. A sneak peek at Panggu’s final form.

7. a) Maika vaguely annoyed at Juno, almost certainly in a different time. b) Klo c) Syntagma and Flamer cooking up some kind of scam and roping Kelsang into it, while Chai Li looks on with concern in the background.

[agentgrange]

And by the way. Just because Xin / Djinn / Lloigor are archons of the Demiurge god worshipped by the K'n-yan totally-not-nephilim doesn't mean the rest of you Outer God fuckers are safe from my weird Philip K. Dick gnostic mythology world building.

I see you Shub Niggurath / Shupnikkurat with your Knights Templar goons you tricked into worshipping you "ironicly" as Baphomet instead of Abraxas like a Dark Age version of frog memes warping into Kek cults. (In mythos anyway. Baphomet was historically most likely created as a "fairy tale version" amalgam of the Islamic faith and eastern European paganism as a sort of parody deity for Templar rites there's zero evidence of the Sabbatic Goat actually being a part of it until the 1800s in occult pseudohistory.)

And I see *you* Yog-Sothoth, a literal, actual symbol of corruption of the kabbalist Spheres of Qliphoth written by Typhonian OTO member Kenneth Grant.

All of this really lends itself well to having the Outer Gods be amorphous representations of core hermetic archetypes constantly being mantled, reshaped, and occasionally crystalizing in the material world rather than goo'y alien tentacle kaijus. They aren't the FunkoPop IP creatures that you've seen a hundred times, they're the alien Commedia dell'arte archetype gods that our cold uncaring universe keeps spitting out as the same characters with a thousand faces.

[shoezuki]

watching BBH play genshin is the most hilarious thing. DUDE JUST STARTED W H A L I N G

and like got Bennett, Noelle Xing Qiu C2, Xin Yan and Bei Dou- rainslasher too.

someone help him-

-curry.

YOOOOOOO BBH GOON OFFFFFFFF FUCK YEAAAAAAA GOOD FOR HIM

[h3artf3ltint3nt]

Kexin looks over at him when he speaks, only to her, and she nods. "I won't," she says, just as softly. She was a little young when Huaisang and Mingjue's father died, but she'd heard plenty of whispers that Wen Ruohan had killed him. And Dà-gē believed it, which made it easy for her to believe as well. If there had been any doubt previously, it was gone by now. And he had easily gotten away with it too, thanks to his power. So whatever happened here? If it turned out as bad as she feared, well there's no doubt that they would get away with that too. The Wen clan members had yet to get to her to take Xin Yi, so at the thought, her grip on the saber tightens to the point that her knuckles start turning white. "A-Sang, I really wish we could go home. I have a bad feeling about this," she whispers, noting that she has never wanted Mingjue, or even her parents for that matter, more in her life.

There's an undercurrent of resentment that echoes beneath her fear as Wen Chao's goons reach them to confiscate their sabers. She's even more reluctant to part with Xin Yi now. It would leave them defenseless, which was even more terrifying. She glances over at Huaisang who seems to hand over his saber quickly and obediently. So despite every nerve of her body fighting against it, she slowly releases her hold on her saber, but not before glaring daggers and hoping for a curse on the man who takes it. It may be a tad dramatic to feel as such, but she does genuinely feel like she's giving up a part of herself as they take the blades away. She swallows hard and subconsciously squeezes Huaisang's hand lightly. This wasn't going to go well for any of them...

cont. from here with @h3artf3ltint3nt

Huaisang is not a brave person. Not when it comes to things like pain and death. Not in the way his brother is, or many of his peers. Though seeing one of the Nie disciples being so ruthlessly attacked, getting his core melted, by Wen Zhuliu, both terrified and angered him. How dared they hurt a Nie? Of course he doesn't speak up. Doesn't show his anger. Instead he lets nothing but fear be visible, which isn't hard since he is indeed terrified as well.

Having noticed his shimei's reaction, he quickly grabs her hand, squeezing it. It's rare to see her scared, but he doesn't blame her. Getting your core melted is every cultivator's worst nightmare. Except Huaisang's. Not that he wants it to happen to him, but it's also not his worst nightmare.

He nods in reply. "Wens have no honour. Don't forget that," he replies, voice so low that Kexin is the only one able to hear him. Never trust anything any of them say. Wen Ruohan had killed his father and now, a disciple just for speaking up. Yes, Mingjue would've punished such brazenness too, but it would've been something like laps or cleaning the stables, not something like this. They had to get out of here. All of them.

[missturtleduck]

The Girls of Ba Sing Se - (Sokka x f!Reader) Pt. 3

Part Two│Part Four

“The road to Ba Sing Se would be long, but at least she had the sky.”

TW: Mentions of blood

Dressing in some less formal attire, flowing pants and a comfortable top, Y/N was finally clean of Avatar soup. She shuddered, bundling her clothes into the wash basket at the end of her bed. The night sky was calmer than the evening meal had been, the serene blanket of starlight seemingly wrong compared to the chaos that had ensued. It was pleasant, at least, to be bathed in moonlight, looking up at a million tiny lights.

Serenity came crashing down as Kuai leapt up, front paws on the window. He barked with a vicious disposition, startling Y/N; Kuai was nothing but a dopey, kind dog. Following the menacing gaze of the dog outside of the slobbered-on window, she felt her eyes widen. Without slipping on her shoes, nor pinning her hair, Y/N stumbled out of her room, grasping her bō staff as she flew down the corridor, Kuai on her heels.

A half-asleep guard sat at the doorway of the house; she tapped him hard enough to startle him. “Alert the guards and Master Yu. Mistress Toph and the Avatar are in grave danger.”

Before he could respond, Y/N was already sprinting out of the doorway, the grass cold against her bare feet. Two metal cages, each containing one child, and a myriad of earthbending wrestlers stood in her way. She planted herself on the spot, rooted as unmoving as any earthbending master.

“How uncouth,” Y/N scoffed, raising her staff. “Kidnapping children? Over a money dispute? Utterly pitiful.”

“Y/N!” Toph exclaimed, grabbing at the metal bars on the cage to pull herself into view; she was okay.

Xin Fu, host of Earth Rumble V, opened his mouth to speak, but his goons beat him to it. The Hippo charged Y/N, with little consideration to the environment around them. Rather than immediately knocking her out with earthbending, he went for brute force. Interesting, she thought, as she countered his charge with swiftly placed jabs of her bō. He was massive, far bigger than her, so all she could do was counter and counter again, waiting for the right moment of weakness to strike. She furrowed her brows as he brought rocks to his mouth and began chewing, but when they began to spray like shrapnel she reacted, shielding herself with her staff.

A single rock deflected, knocking him on the head. The Hippo, despite his size and strength, looked like a child for a moment, eyes watering as he had been outsmarted. Y/N grinned, and then instantly regretted grinning; his entire face flushed a vengeful red and he charged her once more. A quick slide to the ground and she was behind him, leaping onto his back and pulling her staff tight over his throat. Face scrunched up with effort, Y/N needed only a few moments more to incapacitate him. But he was quicker.

Dirt did not taste great, Y/N realised, as the Hippo flipped her face first onto the grass, freeing himself from her hold. As he moved to finish her off, Kuai stepped over her, snarling at the earthbender. Spitting blood onto the ground, she gently pulled the dog towards her, not wanting to risk his life.

“Hippo!” Xin Fu looked more annoyed than mad, as if she had been a distraction. “You idiot! Get the cages and go!”

He looked between Y/N and his boss. Mouth full of blood and arms strained in effort of keeping Kuai back, she prayed to the spirits that he decided to do as he was told, despite that meaning Toph’s life for hers.

She didn’t know when they left, not really. Kuai whined for what seemed to be hours, curled up on her bare feet, preventing any chance of catching the cold in her lungs. Pinned into the grass under her bō staff was a scroll, likely left as a ransom note. Y/N kicked herself mentally. She knew how to beat them all, but she couldn’t expose herself like that. Resigned to a weapon and the strength of her body, she needed to learn – to adapt.

“Y/N!”

Y/N turned her head to be met with Poppy, knelt down in the grass, status be damned. Tenderly, she dabbed the blood off of her mouth with a handkerchief, and she didn’t even mind the coddling. With as much respect as she could muster, Y/N moved away from the matriarch, stumbling to her feet – and putting her hand out to prevent anyone from helping her. She bowed as low as she could before her ribs ached with the effort. Her eyes didn’t leave the ground.

“Sir, I have failed you, and your household,” Y/N said, her tone solemn as she addressed Lao. “I sincerely apologise, and I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me.”

“Get up, Y/N, or you’ll only hurt yourself more.”

It took more effort to stop her jaw going slack than it did rising from her bow. 

“Yes, sir.”

Lao looked at her, eyes sincere. “You did more for my daughter just now than any of my guards. You owe us nothing.”

Nodding, tears pricked her eyes. They were from the pain. That’s what she told herself.

“Whoever took Aang and Toph left this note,” The boy, Sokka, said, handing the scroll to Katara and the staff it was pinned under to Y/N.

“’If you want to see your daughter again, bring five hundred gold pieces to the arena.’ It’s signed by Xin Fu and The Boulder.”

“I can’t believe it,” Sokka muttered, taking the scroll back to examine in. “I have The Boulder’s autograph!”

Dumbfounded, Y/N stared at him, having taken Poppy’s handkerchief and nursing her split lip. He had sunk to his knees in dramatic fashion, clutching the scroll to his chest. “I really hope you’re kidding.”

He smiled, suddenly quite sheepish, but nevertheless pocketing the scroll. The comic relief, Y/N realised. There had to be one in a group, though she was wondering, bemused, whether the flying lemur was the true holder of that role. 

The healer of the group, Katara, approached her, bending water towards her in a tendril, almost an extension of her arm. “Keep still.”

Y/N did as she was told. There was something about Katara that let Y/N know that she wouldn’t get away with not doing as she was told. The girl, no matter how young, reminded her of her mother. Sure, the girl had skin darker than her mother’s and had blue eyes rather than the brown she also possessed, but it was her demeanour and kind face that seemed overly maternal. It was unlike Poppy, who was too much of a lady to also act as a mother to Toph, only having moments of motherly love, but something new that she hadn’t experienced since her mother sent her away to be with the Beifongs three years ago.

The water from the pouch hooked on the side of her hip was brought up to her mouth in a bubble. It was soothing, distracting from the bizarre sensation of her lip healing, the wound closing, scabbing over, and disappearing as if it had never happened. Pulling away, the water no longer glowed with the soft blue light, but was tinged with the coppery red of her blood. Regardless, Y/N felt better than ever, not only her lip healed but the dizziness and shock of being flipped dissipating.

“Thank you,” Y/N grinned, fingers brushing tenderly over her lips, as if searching for the imaginary scar that should’ve been there if not for Katara’s healing skills. “I hope we won’t need your healing skills anytime soon.”

Her lips quirked into a gracious smile, small but still there. “Well, you’ll have me and Sokka this time- “

“Yeah!” He interjected, putting his hands on his hips and a grin on his face. “I am the best warrior from my village after all.”

Lao cleared his throat. Breaking the conversation between the teenagers. “Myself and Master Yu will also be accompanying.”

“Sir, I don’t think- “

“She is my daughter, Y/N,” Lao said, cutting her off sharply. “You cannot stop me.”

With that, the five of them set off, Y/N leaving Kuai with Poppy as they left; she would not risk the life of their dog, rather risking herself over him. The adults followed the teens to where the tournaments were taking place, reliant on Master Yu to open up the arena for them. It struck Y/N how the night now seemed far less serene, but more menacing. The dark was all consuming, the moon vanishing behind the clouds, and Y/N wished someone would spark a flame and illuminate their path.

The arena was far dingier looking than Y/N had realised when she had first ventured in there. Maybe it was just her heart pounding in her chest, so hard she could hear it in her ears, that made her so much more susceptible to her surroundings. A laugh, however, bubbled to her throat as she heard Toph inside.

“Why don’t you come up here, so I can smack that grin off your face?”

Lao leaned forward, as if to run into the ring, only stopped by Y/N’s staff. “Toph!”

“Here’s your money,” Sokka called out to the kidnappers, chucking the bag of gold onto the ground. “Now let them go.”

Master Yu, frown on his face, pushed the bag across the ground, the tremors shifting it to the middle of the arena. Xin Fu gestured vaguely, picking up the bag and immediately surveying its contents. A great groan of metal filled the tense silence as Toph’s cage was lowered from its place suspended high into the air. As she stepped out the cage, Toph made her way to them, grasping onto Y/N’s arm.

“Thank you,” She whispered, not two words that were often heard out of her mouth. “I didn’t realise my etiquette teacher could kick butt.”

Y/N felt herself grow a little soft. “No, but your friend can.”

All of the wrestlers suddenly came to their boss’ side as Y/N realised something; they weren’t letting the Avatar go. She furrowed her brows, watching as Lao tugged his daughter away. They were so ready to leave him – Aang, supposed saviour of the world. The pleading of Katara filled her ears as she watched the Beifongs leave, Toph’s hand still out as if expecting her to come with them. Yes, she was loyal to the Beifongs – to her friend – but she couldn’t just leave the Avatar to be handed over to Ozai. It was wrong.

“Toph,” She said finally, silencing everyone in the arena. “Help them.”

Lao span on his heels. “Y/N, you are overstepping now. My daughter is helpless! She is delicate- “

“Toph, please. You can help them.”

“How dare you. How dare you insult my daughter in this way. You make a mockery of her blindness, her disability- “

“Toph, help a friend.”

“She cannot help you!”

The silence that permeated the air was thick, almost choking Y/N as she stood her ground; she was the helpless one, not Toph. They had stopped walking now, and she could see Toph considering, stood silently, clutching the hand of her seething father. A beaming grin came to her face as she watched the girl rip her hand away, her face steely.

“Yes, I can.”

Moving to the middle of the ring, she brushed Y/N’s arm as she passed – a friendly gesture. Even as they all moved to assist her, to beat the baddies, Toph stopped everyone with just a move of her hands and a few words. Finally, Y/N thought. Finally, her father would see the power she possessed. Toph Beifong was more than a doll, more than a lady of society. She was the most powerful earthbender they had ever seen.

In fluid motions, pillars of stone raised from the ground, sending her opponents flying. The ground bent to her will like clay; waves of rock flowed under her command, washing away the men as easily as a tide on the shore. One by one, they fell like cards, knocked over by a breeze.

“She is the greatest earthbender I have ever seen,” Master Yu gasped, echoing everyone’s thoughts.

As the arena quietened, Lao turned to Y/N. “You are no longer welcome in our home. You will have your belongings sent to your mother, but you are never to return to our home.”

Barking out an astonished laugh, Y/N stared at him. He was serious. Staff in hand, she bowed sarcastically. Not looking at him again, she walked to where Toph stood, her proud victory soured by her father. The hug the earthbender enveloped her in was so tight, almost knocking the air out of her lungs.

“Good for you,” Y/N whispered to no one but her, ruffling her hair out of its formal hairstyle.

The night sky. It all came back to that for Y/N it seemed. With only her staff and the clothes on her back, she began to walk the only way she could. The road to Ba Sing Se would be long, but at least she had the sky. From the clouds, the moon appeared in all its beauty. It seemed to bless her with its soft light, brightening the path ahead as if granting her luck on her journey. At least she had the sky and its beautiful moon.

As the winds picked up, it became more bitter. She was alone now, she reasoned with herself, as she pulled out her palm. Atop it glowed a single flame, a subdued orange illuminating her face. It granted her more warmth than her breath alone.

“Y/N!”

She extinguished the flame. Looking around, she saw no one.

“Up here!”

The moon was now blocked out by the sight of a flying bison. Astonished, Y/N’s eyes were transfixed on the sky. “Toph?”

She cackled, leaning over the side of the creature, the wind brushing her face in a way she had probably never experienced. “This is a kidnapping!”

Slowly, the creature lowered itself to the point she could leap on. Slipping backwards slightly, she nearly took a stumble, only to yanked forwards by two strong arms into an equally strong chest. Toph laughed again at the sound of the commotion, punching Y/N’s arm as she scooted backwards from Sokka.

Maybe the moon had indeed blessed her journey.

TAGLIST: @lunariasilver​

[johannepetereric]

New skits:

Tricking the poor sap into treating you by accepting their date offer and doing date shit in return (“Chao Xin the poor sap” tag XD)

“it’s more fun to get discounts if you send your goons to play fetch than going as a rich kid”