#dead in the water (ooc)

[happypeachsludgeflower]

A new calamity has arisen from Mount Tonglu a few centuries after Xie Lian’s third ascension and begins to wreak havoc across the coastline. Legends say he lives in the darkest abyss of the ocean, Deep Abyss Crashing Waves has caused tsunamis along any land that touches his borders and drowns anything unfortunate enough to cross into his domain. Eerily similar to another calamity in different waters.

Shi Qingxuan, still in the mortal realm after cultivating for centuries, hears rumors of this calamity and grows concerned for his estranged friend He Xuan. What if the new calamity challenges Black Water for dominance over the waters?? What if He Xuan is in danger?? Shi Qingxuan sets out to check on his once friend, once something more? He knows heaven will surely send someone to get the ghost under control or disperse it. Xie Lian at the very least won’t ignore it, and his husband will go with him. So someone will take care of it, surely.

…but it couldn’t hurt to check? Right??

The closer he gets though, the more… unsettled he is. Something is off. Something… feels wrong. But he is going near a new volatile calamities territory, so that’s fine.

It’s completely fine. Nothing odd here.

He continues on hoping he’ll eventually run into a familiar face though, hoping at some point he’ll recognize a heavenly official descended to answer prayers. It really does feel wrong after all. Surely someone is coming.

But the further he goes, the closer he gets to the shoreline, the more unsettled he feels. There’s something in the air, a connection perhaps, that lingers in the salt brushing against his skin with soft caresses.

Something familiar. Something alien. Something that’s somehow both. Something wrong.

Shi Qingxuan stops at the beach just between the border of Black Water and Deep Abyss and stares out across the rippling surface. The two oceans seemed at war with each other even here, at the place where two waters meet. Shi Qingxuan had been heading for He Xuan, for his friend, but something seems to have drawn him here to a crossroad instead. Shi Qingxuan’s eyes linger on the turbulent murky blue waters of Deep Abyss’s domain.

Something is calling him. Something… familiar.

Shi Qingxuan furrows his brow and stares at the choppy waves lapping at his feet. But wait… when did he get close enough for it to touch him? He doesn’t know. That should be concerning probably, but a foggy sense of detachment has settled over him and he can’t bring himself to care.

He bends down and dips a hand into the divide of waters and watches mesmerized as the water ripples around the intrusion and pools into his palm, glittering as it does like shards of moonlight caught in his caress.

“Qingxuan.” A crooning whisper brushes against Shi Qingxuan’s ear, freezing Shi Qingxuan where he’s knelt. His breath catches. The water trickles out of his hand as tremors pass through him.

That voice. He knows that voice. It can’t be. It can’t— it

“—Ge?” Shi Qingxuan breathes, a choked sound escaping from his lips. He jerks back, stumbling from the waters edge and whirls around. But… nothing. There’s nothing. It’s just an eerily silent beach.

Shi Qingxuan rubs at his chest, heart pounding. There’s nothing. He’s not here. Shi Wudu isn’t here. Shi Wudu died hundreds of years ago.

Shi Qingxuan buries his face in his hands and takes a deep, shaky breath. It’s just the new calamity, the new Ghost King, getting to him. Deep Abyss is just playing with his head.

A hand slides slowly along Shi Qingxuan’s shoulder blades, freezing him in place once more, and wraps around his chest possessivly, hugging him close. “Qingxuan,” the voice murmurs in a lilting tone. “You came. Good,” it says, “I can save you now.”

A chill rolls down Shi Qingxuan’s spine. The voice is wrong. “…Ge?” he whispers with a tremor.

A ghostly pale hand reaches up and caresses his cheek. “Qingxuan can be saved now. He can come home. He can be safe. You’ll come home, won’t you Qingxuan?”

Shi Qingxuan shudders. “Da-ge?” he chokes out. “Da-ge, what?”

“You’ll come home with gege, won’t you Qingxuan??” his brothers voice whispers. “I can keep you safe there.” The ghost king tugs Shi Qingxuan backwards towards the water. “You’ll come home with gege? Won’t you?” It doesn’t sound like a question.

It sounds wrong. He sounds wrong. Shi Wudu sounds wrong. Shi Qingxuan struggles against the hold the calamity has on him, but that only makes Deep Abyss tighten his grip. The ghost sounds like his brother, but it doesn’t. His brother doesn’t sound like that. He doesn’t sound wrong. Something is wrong.

“Da-ge let me go,” Shi Qingxuan demands a shaky, distressed laugh spilling from him as he pulls against his brother’s iron grip. “Da-ge,” he gasp as pain pricks his side. Shi Qingxuan shudders as a clawed hand digs into his skin, gouging the flesh in its hold. “Da-ge please,” he begs, between quick, shuttered breaths, “You’re hurting me.”

“Be good Qingxuan,” the calamity rasps against his cheek, “We’re going home now.”

Cold water splashes against Shi Qingxuan legs as he’s dragged into the ocean. He struggles, fingers trembling as he tries to tear his brother’s fingers from his flesh. “Da-ge, da-ge.” He yanks at the bloodied claws and kicks back against what he thinks is his brother’s shin. “That’s not home. It’s not home.”

The arms encasing him tighten like a manacle to a prison wall, crushing him against his brother’s chest. “Da-ge, let me go,” he pleads.

“No.”

The water’s deeper now, coming to his waist, angrily dragging icy daggers into his sides, tugging at his robes, yanking him further and further into its depths. Shi Qingxuan jerks in his brother’s hold, stumbling backwards, and shoves his elbow back into the ghosts stomach channeling as much qi as he can muster. “No, no, no,” he shudders out a panicked cry, thrashing in his chains. Water cuts into his chest and clawing higher and higher towards his neck. “Let me go,” he begs, eyes wild as he fights against his brother’s fists, reaching towards the shoreline. “Da-ge.”

The ghost king growls and tightens his grip. “We’re going home,” he snarls, “Where you’ll be safe.”

Water tears at Shi Qingxuan’s throat, ripping at his cheeks, kissing at his trembling lips. A mouthful of salt water is inhaled on his next breath and Shi Qingxuan chokes as he spits it out, hacking and spluttering.

“HE-XIONG,” he shrieks coughing and writhing against his prison as the inky water envelops him completely, locking him in its merciless grave.

Part 2, pending

[quackity1999]

In my experience, Las Nevadas is more than just a city. it’s a stage, a test, and a trap all at once. The players may change, but the game stays the same. And as long as the lights stay on, there will always be someone willing to bet everything they have.

Never look desperate. Desperation is blood in the water. If you lose big at the casino, laugh it off. If someone powerful snubs you, act like you don’t care. If you want something—access, status, revenge—get it quietly. The second people see you scrambling, you’re done.

Las Nevadas is a performance. A high-wire act where every glance, every deal, every drink poured means something.

And at the center of it all, there sits a husk in a silk shirt, gold in its teeth, wings heavy with a past it won’t acknowledge. He is evidence that you don't play the game. No, no. You become it. And that is when you are well and truly lost.

sounds like you've fallen out of love with her. the lights are warmer than the snow coating the rooftops, y'know. you'll be back before you realise.

[bigidiotenergytm]

Yo quick question, what are some songs/pieces of music that help you get into Posey Voice?

therefore i am - billie eilish beg - vana necromancin dancin - bear ghost

not too much off the top of my head, but those are def my go-tos whenever i'm drawing him <3

[dirtytransmasc]

concept, cause the dynamics at play would be super interesting:

when Tuk and Neytiri are sucked into the hold of the Seadragon, what if Spider, unwilling to watch another one of this baby siblings, nor his siblings mother (despite everything cause he's a good kid), die without doing anything, jumps in after them?

they're now stuck in a flooding ship, spider knows his way around to a decent extent, they're all tired, they're all scared, they're all hurting. they have to depend on each other for survival.

Neytiri has to not only trust Spider, but has to follow his lead, has to trust him to guide her around a demon ship, has to untrust not only her own life, but the life of her youngest child to this boy.

Maybe they're separated, they have to find one another (my personal favorite scenario is that Tuk and Spider are together and he has to try and find her/guide Neytiri to him)

Spider taking Neytiri and Tuk's arms so they aren't separated by stray currents and raging waters (a parallel to "Sully's stick together"). Spider talking them through the breath holds he learned as a kid in case his mask malfunctioned before bringing them through the depths of the submerged ship (parallel to Jake and Lo'ak)

anyway. I just can't stop thinking about it. think about it.

Neytiri is faced with the fact that Spider jumped in after her and Tuk. he came for them, he put himself in danger to save them, to save her daughter. even after what she did to him. even after she held a knife to him, after she cut him, after she intended to kill him even after Kiri was released. he still jumped to her aid, even if he could have stayed with Kiri above deck where he was safe, he could have just aided Tuk and left her behind, but he didn't.

and there's so many ways to play with it and the aftermath. like.

Spider dragging both Tuk and Neytiri up the surface, trying his best to keep the trio afloat (namely Neytiri who was much less adjusted to the water and is exhausted by the night they've had) as they hope and pray to be reunited with the rest of their family.

maybe the stress gets to them and Spider just starts apologizing. I should have fought them harder. I shouldn't have let Lo'ak and Neteyam try and leave with me, I would have been fine. I should have seen it coming, should have taken it myself. it should have been me. my baby brother shouldn't be dead.

maybe he becomes partly delirious as he too gives into exhaustion, the big brother in him being the only part of him left coherent, so he takes Tuk close, whispering prrnen tsmuke [baby sister] over and over into her braids, assuring himself that she's safe and unharmed. he keeps praying to the Great Mother for his siblings to return to him unharmed. maybe he keeps asking where they are, if they're safe as his awareness fades and his memory weakens. all of his siblings. asking if Neteyam is ok, only to remember he's gone the second the words leave his tongue.

Jake and Lo'ak finding them when they come up with Payakan, both worse for wear, exhausted, clinging to one another, the only thing keeping their heads above water being spiders life vest, Tuk cradled between them. what a sight.

Neytiri watching as Spider looks over each of his siblings, taking them close, holding onto them as if they will be ripped away from him. the realization that he would die before he let that happen again hitting her like a ton of bricks the second she sees the look in his eyes.

a peace being made between the two in the wake of this event. spider silently claiming the role of big brother (he always was, but he had to pretend he wasn't. with Neteyam gone, he can't pretend he's not anymore), Neytiri silently agreeing.

idk man. it would be interesting.

[cloudhymn]

" i curse you with sleep " ( at 2am, after i'd been awake since 5am the previous day, and had been out gallivanting in so many energy-consumptive ways ) has got to be one of the most offensive things moss has ever said to me /j

[xiii-e]

//ooc posting: I NEED to find more fun/silly things to do with my two they are Not meant to be all agony all the time I swear- I just have a penchant for the dramatic and they're a little in the torment nexus o(-< but on god they will Have Fun too

[amischiefofmuses]

[killerlittlerejects]

On the bright side! With the whole “fun” Ben age debate, I decided to make an AU where the twelve year old Ben exists, known as Benjamin, and my Ben takes one look at him like “…this is mine now.”

He always wanted a little brother lol, he’s so protective. They bond over video games, ofc, and Ben teaches him all the tips and tricks. And Benny easily bonds with Sally cause they’re both ghost kids, it’s cute.

[talentforlying]

somehow, listening to one piece music while writing constantine feels...apt.

[lemonboynotcavetown]

Gold Dumortiere.

Are you alright?? What happened? Why in trees name did you think that was a good idea? I told you it was a bad plan! I am do not have the words to describe how angry and worried I am in this moment I swear. You are lucky you are alive! Do you realise how badly at a disadvantage you were? I thought you knew better!

- @pyrare-dumortierite-tpc

I swear, we had a good plan. We thought it would go better..

At least we didn't die..?

[capsized-captain]

Minamitsu used to have a boyfriend when she was alive. They sailed on the same vessel together for years, eventually forming a close relationship with each other. The two of them ended up sinking in the same sea, but only Minamitsu's soul lingered due to the vast amounts of anguish and anger she had been feeling at the time of her death.

For years after their deaths, she kept her boyfriend's body. She even kept it with her after Byakuren found and recruited her. It took a lot of convincing for her to finally bury it and move on.

[bcdwclves]

“oh no, dawntrail has one of the writers of Sorrow of Werlyt on its writing team, it’s obviously going to be a bad expansion because of ONE writer—“

DONT CARE. GO MY G-WARRIOR.

[raytm]

anyway, ahem.

[piningpercussionist]

whoop. I fucking. Passed out. Discovered just how sleepy alcohol makes me-- jdjfkdhdf

I did get another ask so I will be answering that shortly! Once I pull myself back together. Ty to the person who sent it <3 my apologies, I suffer from Sleepy Bitch Disease

[killerlittlerejects]

Do Liu and Ben have a ship name yet? Because if they don’t, may I suggest HomicidalDrown?

[fishermcn]

@vulpesse asked: 🤝 :)

a chance bargain struck that ill-omened night; yet back to back they fight till the dying light // accepting.

i.) bargaining with strange beings has always been warned against and scolded where sam comes from. but after saving his life from drowned men, undead risen under the command of a being sam personally offended, sam did just that. in exchange for dwelling in her forest and thus under her protection, sam offered her the sea-bitten souls of those who hunt him for her to consume... and eventually his own.

ii.) sam doesn't hunt in her forest. he's always grumbing and muttering something about the animals that live there being "too damn smart" for trapping, yet never seems to try terribly hard to wise up, preferring to fish instead. as a result most of the traps he's set around her forest are for people, meant to hold them until ahri arrives.

iii.) on occasion, sam ventures out to the villages that border the forest, returning often with things he needs for his traps or just to tinker with... and if his slips one of her foxes, hayan, the occasional piece of jerky or biscuit that's his business. so too do certain things "appear" in ahri's abode, perhaps a ribbon or a bell that could've easily fit in a pocket. sam denies any involvement, naturally.