#~ Lu be avoiding punishment

[theofficialpresidentofmars]

thinking about how avatar legends implies that Lu Ten was on his way to figuring out that the Fire Nation were the bad guys pre unfortunate demise, so naturally here’s an AU where Lu Ten gets it together sometime before he dies during the siege of Ba Sing Se, does something about it, consequently survives, and how it would affect the rest of the world.

Lu Ten had always been a people person, a skill which served him well as the future crown prince and made him a favourite in the court, and a skill that led to him realising that the way that the Fire Nation treated other people as a whole was not something he could stand to be a part of anymore. He’d always been sheltered from the brunt of it, he suspected in part due to his duty as a prince not being one that involves seeing the worst of what your nation has to offer, and just as equally due to his own father trying to preserve his innocence at best, and trying to deliberately avoid sparking his natural curiosity at worst. He’d worked his way up in the military by his own hand as a result, in order to get his answers on the frontlines himself- and what he’d found wasn’t pretty. The Siege of Ba Sing Se has torn families apart, seen cultural history razed to ashes, and has in no way done anything to spread the peace and prosperity of his nation with the innocent people of the Earth Kingdom. It had confirmed all his worst fears about the Fire Nation, and about his own father. Lu Ten knew there was truth to be found, and truth he did find- a truth he could not stand by and idly ignore.

And so Lu Ten challenged his father, on the five hundred and fiftieth day of the siege. It was not a rallying call for action, or a public spectacle, rather a series of raised concerns in the enclosed space of a tented war meeting. But it was a challenge in the eyes of the seated officers, it was a challenge by Fire Nation law- he had undermined his own father’s authority, challenged his honour, and there was only one way to settle these sorts of things. If Iroh wanted to keep the respect of his men, he would have to fight his own son, and win, in Agni Kai.

Neither of them wanted this. Iroh offered Lu Ten the first strike. Lu Ten refused, and when Iroh persisted, refused to fight at all. Although Lu Ten would not surrender, it would be the easiest victory in Fire Nation history.

Iroh could not bring himself to harm his son, but if he let Lu Ten go without any punishment, he would lose the respect of his men. He asked, then commanded Lu Ten to surrender, to accept that his father was right. But Lu Ten simply refused, over and over. An hour went by without a single flame. Eventually, Iroh realised that even in stalling, he was losing. He did not like what he had to do, but his son was grown. He had forced his hand, and he could not be allowed to think that he was exempt from his duty as a citizen due to his status.

Iroh sent out a burst of flame. It would have been ridiculously easy to avoid, or to block, and then Lu Ten would have fought back enough for his defeat to not ridicule Iroh.

But Lu Ten simply let it wash over him, let it touch upon and burn his skin. It hurt, but it reinforced a further truth within his mind- his father would choose his nation over his own son. That was the last thing he’d needed to know.

Iroh was able to call a defeat there and then, a punishment enacted, a warning that Lu Ten would be further reprimanded later. But when he reached his son’s tent hours after, he found it only empty- of both the firebender and his belongings. Lu Ten had disappeared, and as the next morning made evidently clear, deserted.

…

Only days later, Iroh returned to the Fire Nation in disgrace. The Siege of Ba Sing Se had been on a downwards slide, but the Agni Kai had damaged morale, and had publicly humiliated the Dragon of the West, causing the Fire Lord to order a strategic retreat. The once-great General had been made an example of by his traitorous son, and had brought shame upon their entire bloodline as a result.

When Iroh’s younger brother suggested a change in the order of succession not long after, Fire Lord Azulon was a little more open to the possibility. Ozai was made the Crown Prince, and Ursa was there to see it. Iroh did not grieve his son, nor chase him over the world in a spiritually enlightening journey of self-discovery. Instead, he closed off and hardened up after his failure, much to the dismay of Ursa and the young prince Zuko.

Lu Ten became the Fire Nation’s most wanted criminal, but seemed to disappear off the face of the planet entirely. No one could catch him, no one could ever seem to see him. Some joked he’d gone and found the Avatar. But it was made clear that he no longer had a home to return to.

…

Sozin’s Comet was close approaching, and it was time for a new era. A new Fire Lord was crowned, after the old one perished peacefully in his sleep. The Fire Lady went missing, although not many noticed, as she’d appeared in the public eye less and less.

The new crown prince of the Fire Nation found himself in a war meeting, and as some things never change, was unable to stop himself from standing up for what he believed in.

Zuko consequently found himself in an Agni Kai arena, facing his father. Under different circumstances this might have gone some other way, but Zuko had heard about his cousin. He’d heard what had happened, how even though his father had tried not to hurt him, he’d come away burned, disgraced, and had almost toppled the entire royal family as a result. He’d heard how Lu Ten had refused to fight, and how his own nation wanted him dead for it.

Zuko knew he was not as widely beloved as Lu Ten, and he knew that his father was not afraid to hurt him, not if it taught him a lesson. So even though everything inside him screamed this is wrong, this is cruel, this is unfair, don’t fight him, don’t let yourself become a part of this, Zuko did not back down. He knew that his father could not and did not expect him to win. He knew that his father wanted to publicly demonstrate that his will as the Fire Lord was correct, and as such, he would receive the least punishment if he helped to show this. Defeating a child who did not fight- that was not a display of strength. Zuko was expected to fight for his honour, and he was expected to lose, but the honour was in the act of fighting, not winning.

Zuko rose, and accepted his opponent. He swallowed his every instinct, and took the first strike, a weak and pitiful thing. Zuko fought, and some part deep within himself was irrevocably changed as a result.

He lost, but his father did not banish him, did not brand him. He was dishonoured, but he was allowed to stay, allowed to learn from his ‘mistake’ in the sanctity of the palace walls, surrounded by tutors and teachers appointed by the Fire Lord.

Zuko did in fact learn something. He learnt to sit down, and shut up.

It didn’t matter what he thought. He was too young to understand the scale that the Fire Nation operated at, too inexperienced to understand the weight of the sacrifices his people made for him. And he was clearly alone in whatever he’d thought before, as no one had stood up for him in the arena, no one had offered to take his place, or spoken up for him. That was just how things were done, and Zuko was alone.

His father had been angry with him after the battle: not that he’d fought, but that he’d fought weakly. That was going to have to be the first thing remedied. If Zuko were to be the crown prince, it would not do to have Agni’s chosen be outshined by even his own younger sister.

His mother was not there to protect him. His uncle was busy with his own things. His cousin had left him, had run away, never to return.

The new firebending teachers were ruthless, painful, and effective. If he disappointed them even slightly, the price to pay was high.

Zuko learnt how to suppress his emotions, and in turn, himself. It worked.

…

Lu Ten had learnt how to fend for himself during his time in the military, and had been able to live off the land, travelling from Earth Kingdom village to village for the better part of three years, before he heard of the Avatar’s re-emergence.

Wasn’t that something.

He’d spent much of his time helping people, both through hands on work that his youth, strength, and fitness allowed him to take on beyond most people in needs’ own capabilities, and through very small scale political and charity work where his charm managed to set things right. Nothing that could draw too much attention to himself though, as he knew the bounty on his head was high. He’d been working his way down through the continent, and had managed to avoid any dangerous confrontation with his homeland so far.

Then the Avatar arrived, and Lu Ten was no longer the Fire Nation’s most wanted. Lu Ten himself was greatly pleased at the news, and hoped that it might herald the end of the war. He also hoped to one day meet the spirit, but had no plans of his own to seek him out.

That was, until he heard the word of his capture, by none other than the newly-promoted Admiral Zhao. The Avatar had been apprehended, and was being held in Pohuai Stronghold.

Pohuai Stronghold? That’s not too far from here.

And so it happened that armed with a single sword, an Earth Kingdom theatre mask he’d spontaneously picked up from a street vendor after being reminded of a game his young cousins used to play that involved sneaking around (Zuko, although you’d probably disagree with me for doing this, this one’s for you), and a dream, the former prince of the Fire Nation met the Avatar in the highest cell of the fortress, and then again properly after a successful escape.

…

“Ha. Azula, come have a look at this.”

His sister walked up to him and snatched the letter out of his hands. “This is a correspondence from Admiral Zhao saying that the Avatar is no longer in holding at Pohuai Stronghold. What’s funny about that?”

“Read the details. He was broken out by a single man wearing a Dark Water Spirit mask. Can you imagine?”

Azula sighed. “I can, actually. That sounds like just the kind of stupid thing that you would do. In fact, if it weren’t impossible for you to have traveled that distance in the time since it happened, you would be my first suspect.”

He laughed again. “I’m flattered, although I’m not stupid enough to break into a highly armoured Fire Nation prison with only a sword.”

The eye roll of serious doubt he received in response was almost audible.

“I would have brought two swords.”

“Idiot.” Azula read the rest of the letter. “Either way, this isn’t something to laugh about. We’ve lost the Avatar, who if you’ve forgotten, could bring an end to our whole civilisation.”

That did sort of kill the mood a little bit. She was right, as always.

“… But it’s a little funny that it happened to Zhao, of all people.”

“That guy is such a kiss-ass.”

“Trying to get in the Fire Lord’s good graces when he can’t even defend a fortress from a single lowly peasant in a play-mask?”

“They’ll make anyone an admiral these days,” Zuko agreed, and they both smiled, united by their hatred of a common enemy.

There was a moment of quiet that followed, and they both took turns reading the letter again.

“I should hope our ground forces in the area are at least competent enough to find and apprehend the criminal shortly,” Azula decided.

“Yeah.”

“Maybe we should push for an execution. It would send a message to those would-be ‘heroes’ looking to harbour the Avatar.”

Zuko sighed. “Probably for the best.”

…

this is only just the beginning. I have more planned. Lu Ten bonding with team Avatar, Iroh having a later-in-life come around to being wrong. Azula and Zuko being sent on missions together, and Zuko WILL be forcibly kidnapped, separated, and taken under someone’s wing whether he likes it or not (he won’t). Silly things happen, but at the end of the day, it’s all towards the same goal.

And even in this different universe, some things won’t change. And some things that seem to have changed already will right themselves with time.

[iwritenarrativesandstuff]

Episodes 6 and 7 (Doudou story) in season 1 really has some of my favourite Cheng Xiaoshi moments he's just such an absolute delight in it

Despite wanting to take a break after the earthquake dive and having just delivered harsh words to Doudou's father due to his own feelings of helplessness, the next scene shows him immediately looking up information on the missing boy (<-and really, this tells you mostly everything you need to know about him. augh my heart)

Still upset with Lu Guang. Still trusts him implicitly (<-this tells you the rest of what you need to know about him. man.)

Freezes like a deer caught in headlights when some guy just happens to look at him, then, to avoid being seen, hurriedly ducks around the nearest corner, presses himself against the wall, and shuts his own eyes (???). This is immediately after he was told not to act suspicious. He can also still obviously be seen (what the hell is wrong with him)

Freezes AGAIN in front of Qiao Ling and Xu Shanshan and just. Stares at them in a panic for several moments (my guy. my dude. why are you like this)

Uppercuts the trafficker via sheer trained instinct and the power of being jumpscared - while still in a kid's body. Everyone is shocked, including him (ghjdhfk)

Plays on the trafficker's superstitious nature by claiming to be her ancestor come to punish her unless she works to atone, thereby freaking her out and securing Doudou's safety for the next three years (sir that was the funniest thing you could've done. I laughed so hard. that's brilliant.)

[brokenxanas-ooc-zone]

/February28th wrapup post

alright! So the majority of that arc has been taken care of now

it's been a lot of fun having people nudge Silas fate around, and through the collective effort of everyone, the bad ending was avoided.

Major props to everyone involved, Lus, Beedrill, Mylah and Shilo maybe THE MVP's for getting Silas on this path.

SUMMARY OF ARC

Silas learns of a parade on February 28, 2025 and uses the evidence he collected 7 years ago to construct a video to ruin chief of police, Victoria Heralds, entire career.

He is caught, and murdered the same day, Victoria later impersonates him to locate his allies before she herself is put under house arrest. A funeral is held leaving to Silas to be buried.

During all of these events, Azelf (who goes by A) has been sending cryptic messages, trying to guide people to make Silas want to live, so that he might finally be a suitable Chosen.

Once Silas is buried, Azelf joins Silas other alters and together they all escape the tomb.

CONCEPT ART

way back last February(2024) and stuff is when I first started designing the different guys, whimsy vengeance, willpower and Deduction. WHIMSY was the hardest one for me to design.

and this one, relates to one of the scrapped ideas that I had while brainstorming this arc (as well as a "flower" design I mentioned on discord) as well as some images of Ozzy

SCRAPPED IDEAS

so one of the ideas was that after Silas passed away, Ozzy would be the one to get his blog for a little bit until Silas was revived. The main reason this was scrapped was that I am NOT good at playing kids and much less a grieving one

another idea that got scrapped was really digging into the idea that Silas would have been stuck reliving the moment of his death, that would have been a punishment he once would have thought suitable but after all the talk of fighting to survive it didn't make sense anymore.

At one point, I was going to make sprites for Silas (Similar to ghost trick) but that animation took up every single minute of every day.

Also there is a version of the story where Silas went out of his way to kill Victoria, but I couldn't think of a way he could do it very easily, especially since he had the goal of escaping.

another one was Azelf claiming Silas body for it's own use, since its own body was deteriorating. the idea didn't vibe with me so I decided to go to referencing the biggest piece of inspiration to Silas as a whole

INSPIRATIONS

Disco Elysium plays a massive part in Silas story, from the artstyle I used to depict his alters to the entirety of the reason Silas is a cop in general to the overall theme of like, redemption and regret. in my (still) incomplete play-through back in 2023 I came to love like the melancholy feeling of the game and that's when I first got glimpses of this arc.

Metal Gear Solid. If it made any sense at all, Victoria and Silas would have had a fist fight to the death to finally rid each other of themselves. Metal Gear is a highly influential series to me, with my favorite in the series being both 2 and Peace Walker. The way I depict Azelf is entirely based off of the ending sequence of Metal Gear Solid 2 with Azelf even directly quoting some of the lines in this video, as well as a quote from (EPILEPSY WARNING)Ben 10 Alien Force.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

I appreciate everyone in this community, I would not have been inspired to have worked as hard as I have on this arc without the people I have met making it very very worth it. Silas next big character thing will be in July and although it will have lasting impressions on how he is as a individual, it will not nearly be as dramatic at this arc you can NOT make me make another animation again.

Here are the playlists associated with this arc.

Escape from the parade!

March 3rd (funeral playlist)

Silas Playlist.

I look forward to what the future has in store, have a good night y'all!

alsSO THE SLASH IS ON PURPOSE IT'S A URL

[hyxsn]

LINK CLICK YINGDU ARC SPOILERS AHEAD!

.

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i dont like how qiao ling and xiao li died in ep 1 of yingdu chapter. not bcs i like them and i dont want them to die, but bcs it doesnt make sense.

lu guang has been going to the past to save cheng xiaoshi. not qiao ling, not xiao li, not others. its seen at the end of season 2 that lu guang is referring to one person only and its definitely cheng xiaoshi.

but i think theres a reason why qiao ling and everyone else died at the beginning of ep 1, and why they decided to display this:

After changing the timeline, lu guang got a punishment from Vein. Vein's punishment is killing qiao ling, xiao li, and more maybe. but i think qiao ling etc arent supposed to die to Vein's hands. they're supposed to die in idk the future (old age or smth else), but definitely not through Vein.

it might also be the reason why lu guang is focused on cheng xiaoshi— bcs avoiding cheng xiaoshi's death is the main cause lu guang and ppl around him keep getting these misfortunes. so lu guang is afraid of cheng xiaoshi dying, and also the "punishment" he will get from finding a way to keep him alive.

so i dont think qiao ling etc's death are death nodes that r supposed to happen. they just happened bcs cxs and lg changed the tl and vein got angry. and this def makes a lot more sense, it feels more cxs-focused like how the story is presented to be, and id be satisfied with this explanation for their deaths.

what do u think? also does this make sense my english is detoriorating hehee

[breyito]

@zukaangweek

Day 4: Free Day

Everything is Lost AU

After weeks of building trust, feeding him and nursing his always present wounds from interrogation, Zuko begins to care really deeply for this slightly older boy; so powerful and yet so helpless. The almost man that greets him with a smile, even when he'd bleeding. Who is funny, and kind and treats him with soft touches and lovely words.

At the same time, the reality of the world, and how the people outside the Palace are affected by the war becomes more and more clear. It is not something he can ignore any longer.

Zuko is a Prince, he has a duty. And he loves his family.

He just also loves Aang.

After weeks trapped in this newest version of hell, Aang takes every bit of kindness he can get. Zuko is shy, stubborn, and beautifully gentle. He's starving for affection and quick to return it. So soft, with that core of steel. He's also the nephew of his sworn enemy, a favourite of the Main Royal Family. He is allowed things few others would even consider...and Aang needs that.

He grows to love Zuko. He wants to protect him from his father's cruelty and his sister's machinations and build a future together.

Aang just has to save the world first.

The first thing Zuko does to defy his family is teaching Aang how to reach his inner flame, to keep warm as the nights grow colder. Then, he gets the keys to free him from the chain on the walls while he's visiting, so Aang can keep training. He comforts the Monk when things get too difficult, feeds him when it's necessary.

He helps plan out and execute an escape for him and his friends on the Day of the Black Sun. He even manages to find him an earthbending teacher to go with them, the best in the world (who just happens to be his betrothed).

But things get difficult when they are spotted getting Appa, and Zuko stalls by fighting the guards. They manage to get on the Sky Bison and are taking off when arrows come flying. They hit Zuko.

He lets go and falls.

The red ones are Zuko's, the orange ones Aang's.

This AU won't leave me alone, I swear. And we're not even at the middle!

A couple of interesting things, just because I want to dive into them later:

-Ozai is a spy. He wants the throne so very badly he's working with King Bumi to "stop" the Fire Nation.

-Omashu is the last stronghold of the Earth Kingdom because King Bumi managed to create metalbending and reinforced everything in the city. (There's also an academy, so the weapongry doesn't work that well.)

-Ozai punishes Zuko in the same way as cannon. Iroh is furious because he did it without permission. He kicks Ozai out of the Royal Family and line of sucession and orders his arrest (Ozai manages to escape.)

-Zuko, for weeks, gives Katara more water than she ought to have, and walks her through waterbending scrolls that he found in the library (those end up packed with their supplies).

-Toph is Zuko's betrothed cause the Beigfons are not stupid. Lu Ten chose her for him, since they are both so shy and calm and quiet.

-Sokka gets assigned to the stables, since he's the only one Appa lets near (they don't kill Appa simply to avoid an Avatar State).

Feel free to ask me more! Right now those are the Main things.

[radiaurapple]

Lucid Dreams of New Orleans: Chapter 3

CHAPTER SUMMARY: IN WHICH Lucifer makes a choice he is likely to regret.

The last time Lucifer saw his father, he was granted a fragment of His divine power — a punishment in the guise of a blessing — that he might serve as steward of the wayward souls cast down into Hell. It is a cruel gift, designed to ensure that he will always be haunted by his mistakes; Lucifer has endured the past seven thousand years by avoiding its use at all costs. But in the aftermath of the fight with Adam, Alastor's worsening injury threatens the foundations of his daughter's dream. Lucifer does what any good father would do: he uses his long-forgotten power to deliver Alastor's soul from the brink of destruction. In turn, knowing Alastor — with all his sins, past lives, and heartbreaks — teaches Lucifer a little more about what it means to be human.

[AO3 LINK]

Hi! here's the latest chapter of my radioapple fic!! things are gettin crazy!! Im very excited about this chapter so I attempted a drawing to accompany it as well ❤️ As always next chapter will be posted in 1 week. 📻🍎

Chapter preview below!

Charlie is still a little girl on the night of the first extermination. When the screaming starts, Lucifer is in her room, curled around her tiny body, his wings a cocoon around them –– he sings softly in her ear, even as she cries and bangs her tiny fists against his chest. 

“Daddy,” she sobs. “Help them –– please!”

I can’t, he doesn’t say. She hasn’t learned, yet, that there are no correct moves in this game –– that he is a pawn locked in Heaven’s trap, always three steps behind. 

It is Lilith who oversees the exterminations. In those years, she often returns with a scrape or two from an angelic weapon. These are a joy to heal –– her soul is made of Lucifer’s most treasured memories. It feels less like a curse, then, to crawl into her arms –– to press his forehead to hers and dive back into Eden. 

When he touches her, it is easy to forget that Eden was an age ago.

When Charlie is thirteen, the Exorcists arrive six hours early; the denizens of Hell are unprepared, still out drinking to their own impending doom. It is a massacre. 

When the rift opens, he is at Lu Lu World with Charlie. He brought her there to cheer her up before the extermination. The Exorcists swarm the park in seconds — Lucifer pulls Charlie against his chest to whisk her away, but not before she catches sight of a ticket-taker with an angelic arrow in his heart.

She struggles in Lucifer’s grip, her hand outstretched, as if there were anything she could do — and then they both dissolve in a red shimmer of light. 

They materialize in the parlor.

Charlie snarls — her horns sprout from her forehead. “Let me go!” she yells.

Lucifer releases her instantly. She stumbles forward; Lucifer reaches out a hand to steady her, but she rounds on him and bats it away. 

“I can’t believe you!” She says. “I know you heal Mom when she comes back from the exterminations. If I had that power, I’d be out there right now, trying to save as many lives as I could. They’re our people, dad!” 

Lucifer frowns, removes his hat, and runs a hand through his hair. “Come on, Charlie. You know I can’t do that.”

Charlie squares her shoulders in defiance. “Why not?” 

Lucifer sighs. He crosses into the dining room and sits at the table. He’s tempted to tell her the entire truth –– but of the host of indignities that come with his sentence, the worst has always been explaining each punishment to his daughter. Her naïve confusion when she learned he once lived in Heaven still haunts his nightmares. 

He drops his head in his hands. 

Charlie’s soft footsteps –– she pulls out the chair next to his and sits down.

Lucifer sighs and settles for a partial truth. “You and I are very alike,” he says. “It is sometimes more natural for us to … care.” 

Charlie’s hand lands on Lucifer’s back. He looks up at her.

“One day you’ll understand that caring is part of our punishment here,” Lucifer says. “The more you care for these sinners, the more it hurts.”

[AO3 LINK]

[the-monkey-ruler]

The Monkey King 2 (2016) 西游记之孙悟空三打白骨精

Director: Zheng Baorui Screenwriter: Ran Ping / Ran Jinan / Wen Ning Starring: Aaron Kwok / Gong Li / Feng Shaofeng / Xiao Shenyang / Luo Ziyi / Fei Xiang / Kelly Chen / Ngawang Rinchen / Peng Yu / Cheng Dong / Liu Chutian / Yu Xin / Wei Lu / Qi Xier / Mu Qi Miya / Zhang Zimu Genre: Comedy / Action / Fantasy Country/Region of Production: Mainland China/Hong Kong, China Language: Mandarin Chinese Date: 2016-02-08 (Mainland China) / 2024-09-14 (Re-release in Mainland China) Duration: 120 minutes Also known as: Journey to the West: Havoc in Heaven Sequel / Journey to the West: Three Strikes of Bone Demons / Three Strikes of Bone Demons / 西遊記之三打白骨精 / 西游记之大闹天宫续集 / 西游记之三打白骨精 / 三打白骨精 IMDb: tt4591310 Type: Retelling

Summary:

500 years after Sun Wukong's (Aaron Kwok) imprisonment under the Five Fingers Mountain, a young Buddhist monk Tang Sanzang (Feng Shaofeng) sets out for a journey to the Thunder Monastery in India to collect Buddha's scriptures. When he is attacked by a tiger, he is forced to free Wukong and the Monkey King learns that he has to protect the monk throughout the journey, because the Bodhisattva Guanyin ensured he would be bound by an enchanted circlet that can cause him pain whenever Tang Sanzang chants a certain sutra. Soon the duo meet Zhu Bajie (Xiaoshenyang), a lustful pig demon, and Sha Wujing (Him Law), a djinn-like monk. He fights a dragon, defeats it and transforms it into a horse as his mount.

The company travel to the Yun Hai Xi Kingdom, a land terrorized by the White Bone Demon (Gong Li) who has been eating people in order to extend her unnatural life and avoid the Wheel of Reincarnation. As the demoness learns about Sanzang, she decides to eat him in order to stop her reincarnation cycle and achieve everlasting demonhood. She takes the appearance of an old woman and lures the group into a cottage in the woods. To prevent Wukong from using his truth-seeking eyes to see through her disguise immediately, she throws tainted dust into his eyes that clouds his sight. Then while her disguised minions keep Wukong, Bajie and Wujing occupied, the demoness tells Sanzang a story about how she was forced to marry as a young girl, and when her village suffered famine, the people blamed her for it, even calling her an evil demon, and attempted to kill her as a sacrifice to the gods. As Tang comforts the old lady, she attempts to kill him, but is stopped by Wukong. The demoness escapes before Wukong can deal the killing blow and leaves the dead body of the old lady behind. Sanzang and the others don't believe Wukong that all the women he murdered were demons, and blame him for killing the innocent. Sanzang punishes Wukong by chanting the sutra and causing the circlet to tighten painfully on his head. Afterwards, Sanzang climbs to the top of a mountain where Wukong is sulking. Sanzang tells Wukong he thinks they are both very alike, for they both only trust what their own eyes sees. But together, they are better able to discern the truth. This is why they were all chosen to be on this journey together.

The group arrives to the kingdom's capital and the King (Fei Xiang) throws a feast for them, begging Sanzang to exorcise the bloodthirsty demoness from their land. Suddenly Lady White appears and demands the monk, but he offers her his help in enlightenment instead. She tells Wukong that they are both very alike, and tries to persuade Wukong to let her devour the monk, but he deceives her instead and a fight ensues. During the chaos, the King's guards kidnap Sanzang. It is revealed that it's actually been the King kidnapping and killing the children in a desperate attempt to cure himself of a cursed disease by drinking their blood. He tries to kill Sanzang, but Wukong arrives and saves the monk and the surviving children as well. All of the group are celebrated as heroes, but as a little girl approaches Sanzang, Wukong beats her and her mother to death as well, because his truth-seeking eyes perceive both were possessed by the White Bone Demon. In a fit of anger and disbelief, Tang banishes Wukong away. As soon as Wukong leaves, Sanzang gets kidnapped by the demoness.

In the demoness' lair, the White Bone Demon gives Sanzang a day to convince her to give up her evil ways and embrace nonviolence and enlightenment as the true path to immortality. She reveals to him the story she had told him earlier was true, recounting her previous life as a mortal. Right before Sanzang's time is up, he is saved by Wukong at the last minute. Wukong, Bajie and Wujing fight the White Bone Demon and her army and finally defeat her, with Wukong mortally wounding her. The Buddha comes down from the Heavens to collect the defeated demoness' soul and banish it to oblivion but Sanzang pleads Buddha to grant her mercy and give Sanzang one last chance to save her soul from destruction. Buddha tells him that he would have to lead her on the path herself, meaning he would have to sacrifice his own life. The monk begs the demoness to show remorse and accept the Wheel of Reincarnation, but the White Bone Demon would rather die as a broken tainted soul in Sanzang's body instead of returning to the Wheel of Reincarnation. Saddened, Tang begs Wukong to kill him, too. The Monkey King refuses at first, but Sanzang explains how he used to think he just had to recite Buddha's teachings to convince people to become good. Now he understands he must also lead by example and do good in order to convince people. Sanzang had to do this for his own journey towards enlightenment. Wukong finally understands the monk's desire to help the demoness change her fate, and tearfully agrees, promising Sanzang to wait for his return. Wukong brings his staff down and Sanzang's body is changed into a statue. In return Sanzang says if he gets a chance to do so in his next life, he would be glad to be Wukong's master again. Because of Sanzang's sacrifice, he succeeds in leading the demoness to her next reincarnation, freeing her of her pain and hatred.

Some time later, Wukong and his friends still wait for the return of the monk, but continue their journey to the Thunder Monastery. Wukong rides on Sanzang's horse with Sanzang's statue strapped to his back. From Heaven, Guanyin drops a bead of water from her magic vase that falls to earth and hits right at Sanzang's hand. The surface cracks, revealing a human finger underneath.

Source: https://movie.douban.com/subject/25827963/

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_A7XSayGf04

[grrrlsoverdramas]

Ok, so let's say that at the end of the world, I decided to spend my free time watching Chinese historical family intrigue romance (there's gotta be a specific name for this genre but idk it) dramas. The point of this is brain rot, but one must pretend one's avoidance mechanics are purposefuly, thus:

The reason I enjoy watching these dramas is multi-fold. I'm chasing the high from Minglan, still. I appreciate a formula; particularly, I love a formula that includes revenge, tragic love triangles, competenance porn, and an emphasis on rationality/logic being hot. I love the way that period dramas, particularly in a highly censored environment, are such an explicit from of building national identity and morality. What does this society want to say about itself? What does its desires reveal?

So, in order to pretend there's some point to this, my brain is pattern-finding within this hyperfixation. So I'll start from the beginning.

The Double (dir. Bai Yun Mo, Lu Hao Ji Ji, Ma Shi Ge, aired 2024) Watched: June/July 2024 *Technically in the beforetimes, I may need to rewatch Overall: Dessert

Concept follow-through: ★★★★☆ (would have loved a bit more confusion re:is this bitch a ghost?, but it was good)

Coherency: ★★☆☆☆ (look, lots of stuff just happens, and that's fine with me)

Romance: ★★★★★★★★ (made for each other!! unhinged!!! if they can't be together, everyone SHOULD die, ok??)

Vibes: ★★★★★★ (unmatched, if sometimes a little schticky)

Bad guys and their conspiracy: ★★★★☆ (Cartoonish, but love that the princess royal had like a pretty fair reason for being that way, and acting was unparalleled tbh, so I will forgive)

Family and Villain Comeuppance: ★★★★☆ (wasn't able to match the vibes I fear)

Reverse Harem Factor: ★★★★★★ (Like he is jealous of how badly she wants her ex-husband dead!!!!! this is what I came to this party for)

Weird ancient-times focus? I don't remember

Is there a plastic surgeon in these ancient times? Not really in a big way, but there is obvious digital skin smoothing technology so that's dumb

Acting: ★★★★★★ (amazing, theatrical, here for the drama)

Ending: JAIL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Moral of the story? The military is good, don't trust foreign nations, women aren't made for governance, but also this show kinda just fucks

Blossom (dir. Zeng Qing Wie, aired 2024) Watched: Dec. 2024 Overall: Good meal

Concept follow-through: ★★★☆☆ (fine, but pretty crazy how much she can remember/figure out about the "future" given the context of her first life)

Coherency: ★★★★☆

Romance: ★★★★★ (5 star chemistry, 5 star destiny nonsense, 5 star tension, 5 stars!)

Vibes: ★★★☆☆ boring

Bad guys and their conspiracy: ★★★★☆ (appreciated that different bad guys had different motivations, not everyone was just traitors to be traitors, especially appreciated the whole dad/bro situation of ml as being fairly unique; fl's family was a bit uninspired by comparison)

Family/villain Comeuppance: ★★★★☆ (esp. her former husband and her sister -- they are largely emotionally exonerated but still reach a just punishment, and they're still stupid! I was so mad/sad her sister died but also like.... it was fair; the emperor was too plot device-y though)

Reverse Harem Factor: ★★☆☆☆ (Provided us with one excellent scene; the second ml is mostly pointless in this regard but I greatly appreciate that he's like... also a mastermind and a bit of a villain, so he is a good character/foil, just not a good love triangle leg)

Weird ancient time focus? Agricultural development of tubers to overcome climate-related disasters

Acting: ★★★★☆ (main leads doing their jobs, others are inconsistent)

Is there a plastic surgeon in these ancient times: Yes, FL could never exist in the past and her make up makes that obvious

Ending: ★★★☆☆ boring

Moral of the story? men shouldn't cheat on their wives they should listen to them, murder of innocents for government reform is fine but murder of the powerful for personal glory is not, hot people should get to live

[runn1ngn0se]

R Corp Reindeer Hong Lu Kit

This is a pretty interesting kits cause Limbus kit design has been moving towards a trend of making IDs and EGOs that harm themselves (LCE Faust and Yi Sang) or teammates (Fell Bullet Yi Sang Thoracalgia Ryoshu) and this is the first example we’ve had of this in a Charge team.

Mind Whip S2 is the only skill that actually consumes Charge Count, but you need enough Charge Potency to not hit teammates with it, so it’s likely you’ll have to hit a few teammates in order to spend enough Count to get his Potency past the friendly fire threshold.

I do think this is a cool idea not just in following this new design philosophy of “your Sinners should be dying and cycling out throughout a battle”, but because it does more with the R Corp Reindeer’s friendly fire gimmick. For Reindeer Ishmael the charge threshold was just a noob trap to punish you for mashing Win Rate early on, but once you know how to avoid it then it becomes a non issue. With Reindeer Hong Lu some amount of friendly fire is always a requirement.

Overall, should be a fun mix-up for Charge teams. I will spend my shard boxes on this.

RIP W Corp Hong Lu, you were a neat Charge support at best.

[mangionebabymama]

Can you describe what you think the type of parent Luigi would be? I think from the information out there and what is speculated. I think he would like to have his kids into a good education but not to the point where it’s too serious. Like I’ve heard the private school he went to was ofc good in education but way too uptight about little things like there suit being wrinkled.

And how it always bothered him when his mom pointed out little things that aren’t proper like him using utensils not accordingly. I honestly see him either having a good amount of kids like 4 max or only having one child lmaooo plus this man reads lots of books so the different perspectives like how being a strenuous overbearing parent wouldn’t be beneficial (sorry if this is weird lmaooo)

In developmental psychology, there’s 4 main parenting styles:

Authoritarian — focus on obedience, more punishment over discipline

Authoritative — creates positive relationships, enforces rules

Permissive — don’t enforce rules, “kids will be kids” mentality

Uninvolved — provides little guidance, nurturing, or attention

He’d definitely be an authoritative parent, for sure. I know he would probably go on tangents, with pleasure, about how authoritarian and uninvolved parents are psychologically detrimental to not only their own children, but to their self-images as individuals, and would theorize how their parenting style ultimately reflects to the form of parenthood that were exposed to as a child, and how that goes hand in hand with the nature vs. nurture debate. Though I’m sure he’d enforce rules, to instill the understanding of what’s good and what’s bad within morals and ethics, I could see that he’s mimicking the idea of being a bit permissive at times, where he believes that kids will be kids, and that they are naturally curious and interested in everything that they come across in their universe, and the only way they’ll learn is by interacting with the world around them. But he would never be the permissive parent, in which he’d overindulges as a parent to avoid conflict and has low expectations of his children, not ever holding them accountable and seeing their capability to grow and do better when they make mistakes.

I think, too, without a doubt that he’d want his kids to have a good education, like any parent would, especially if he has the privileges and opportunity to lend that to them and give them that, like he did. But at the same time, I could see him also setting his kid(s) down one day, and asking them how they really feel about school—that is, if they attended a private school—and if they feel that it’s fulfilling them, that it’s making them feel happy, and that they’re having a chance of just enjoying being a kid. Because if they were feeling like they had to grow up quick, he’d feel terrible and would not want to not give his children their space of being able to be a kid, all because of the excuse of the sacrifice of making them have formal schooling.

I have some explanations behind why he’d either just want one kid, or like four, as you said:

One child — avoids sibling rivalry and competition; being fulfilled and content with just a smaller family overall, having that minimalist lifestyle already and focusing more on quality over quantity; reducing carbon footprint (because we know Lu knows about the science of it all); making sure that he has a strong bond with his child and can focus all of his time dedicated to him and them and their upbringing and overall development

Four children — obviously, wanting a big family, as he comes from a big family; the benefits of sibling relationships and support and how they provide companionship and support and be a source of learning and play

[transuncletaylor]

I'm thinking about why it looked like Zuko didn't have any friends growing up and why he either was with his mother or with his sister's friends, or even playing by himself.

I tried finding information on this, while Azula went to the Royal Fire Academy for Girls where she met Mai and Ty Lee, there's no information if there was a Royal Fire Academy for Boys, let alone if Zuko went.

But what if there was, but Zuko wasn't allowed to go or socialize with other kids as punishment by Ozai? Zuko was always berated and ridiculed by his father for lacking in his skills and training, so it could be that having time to play and socialize with kids was a reward for Azula for excelling and far exceeding her peers. He might have only gotten time to spend with Ursa, Iroh, Lu Ten, or Azula outside of studies and training at Ursa's insistence or Iroh taking Zuko away for tea when he could.

Ozai was totally ashamed of him the moment he was born, saying Zuko lacked the spark in his eyes that is common for firebended, so he could have also kept him locked up in the palace for fear that he would bring shame to the Royal family by not being a prodigy like Azula and making a fool of himself if he was in a more public area like a school. It would have been embarrassing for the prince to not be the top student.

(He's also definitely autistic and the few boys his age he would have tried to play with might have thought he was weird and avoided him on top of it all 😢)

[a-fantasy-lover-surfing-the-net]

Feud Ep 15-23 thoughts

- I understand where both of our leads come from. I can't say either one of them is wrong for believing in what they should do. However, I feel the conflict between them about following the heavenly order leads to them becoming "enemies" because of external force. Because Bai Jiusi wants them to not break rules because of 1) his belief and 2) the punishment that they will have to endure. And Hua Ruyue wants to break the rules when mortals are being harmed and she cannot bear to not help them when she has the ability to do so. I feel if they fought purely for their opposing views on whether immortals should interfere in mortal affairs then it would be more impactful to viewers. But by involving a third party (the defenders of the heavenly order i.e. the heavenly emissary) it makes the story prone to the classic drama misunderstandings and gives the writers an easy target to use to direct the characters' anger towards rather than letting the characters make their own decisions having to deal with the consequences that follow. I'll probably make a lengthy post regarding this later.

- I think why Hua Ruyue feels so betrayed is because they made a promise to each other that they would be together and have each other's back throughout this love tribulation and then he abandoned her there telling her what she did was wrong. We didn't see much of their interactions and dynamic before and during the tribulation which is a big flaw in the writing that makes the viewers less invested in them as a couple. Bai Lu's acting was the only thing that made me sympathize with Ruyue. Also, it was obvious that Jiusi is only doing this to take the punishment on behalf of Ruyue. But it rankles me that they don't discuss their issues in depth. If you want to be together you need to have the hard talks, you can't just avoid them. You're thousands of years old, act like it. I get that you're both new to relationships but you guys have been living together for decades. It doesn't feel like you have based on your behaviors tho.

- Meng Changqin you may have been the catalyst of the conflict between these immortals but you're a great guy and I like his spirit and determination.

- Zhang Suan, shouldn't you ingest the cure pill and keep yourself alive before gallavanting off to find her? KEEP YOURSELF ALIVE LONG ENOUGH TO MEET HER.

- I want to form a Ling'er protection squad and I want to cheer her on from the sides. Love her.

- Love how Meng Chu so bewildered by the truth that elders put on an act of opposing his choice of partner and also that all the outer disciples were more powerful than the elites. I wonder if he's related to Changqin.

- They finally started to discuss their differences but at this point I don't think it'll make much difference. Their points were thought provoking tho... I'll give them that.

- I don't think Bai Jiusi knows how to live as a mortal or even understand their mindset.

- She gets attached very easily while he maintains distance with people.

- Finally, Zhang Suan went to get his cure pill.

- Bai Jiusi really has one track mind i.e. be with Hua Ruyue at all times even if she stabs me or actively plots my demise.

- In the illusion apart from Lin Tao and his mother (through whom she showed her experience), she also tried to convey her point view through Lin Fan especially the destiny debate.

- For a second, I really believed that Li Mo also was a spy. Can't be too sure of anything in this drama.

- I really don't know how they can ever be together even if she forgives him which is also unlikely to happen.

- Long Yuan just looking at him is rage-inducing. It seems to me that he has a personal grudge with Hua Ruyue.

- I appreciate the lighthearted moments of respite in between the seriousness.

- Ruyue don't give Zhang Suan any crumbs for him to rest his hopes up on if you're not intending to be with him.

- How many symbolisms are they going to give them? Not only are they Yin and Yang, they're fire and ice and can sense each other since they came into existence !!!

- Not going to lie ep 23 made me bawl my eyes out.

- What did he do that makes her want to kill him then ?!?!

- Have to commend Bai Lu and Zeng Shunxi's acting. It was top notch !

Personal blurb-

My personal life became very hectic and I could barely make time to see the episodes. I've posted my thoughts of these episodes that I watched a few days ago. Now I'll be watching the rest. Can't believe they dropped the last 4 eps just when I managed to make time to catch up on the rest of the episodes. I have many ideas for rant posts that hopefully I manage to write and post.

[stiricidewrites]

All the Things We’ll Leave Behind: ch 41, pt 6

Previously

~

“My parent’s employer asked that I be sent along to help their son,” Lu Ming scoffed, sending a withering stare jzxun’s way.

The other alpha had yet to notice Lu Ming had joined their group, and lwj stepped between the two. The more time jzxun wasted looking for Lu Ming, the better. Why? No particular reason. He had no doubt the man would force his army of followers to give up a member from their own groups to take Lu Ming’s place, but inconveniencing the man was quite enjoyable.

Lu Ming seemed to realize what he was doing, a smile tugging at his face. “I can’t say I’m doing a particularly good job of helping him.”

“I dunno,” jzxuan laughed, nudging Lu Ming with his shoulder in an oddly affectionate move, “I think the fact that you’re avoiding him is helping him not get murdered by you.”

“Oh yeah~” lqy laughed as she slathered lwj’s offered sunscreen onto her shoulders, face and chest before passing it along to the next person. “I saw you in that first challenge. You totally wanted to drown him.”

“Or bonk him over the head with one of the items,” jzxuan added.

“You’re totally doing him a favour by staying away from him.”

“He is a very unpleasant man….” Tian Han said, tucking himself between lqy and jzxuan so to better avoid the man’s attention as well. “What will happen if he comes over here?”

“Nothing,” lwj said resolutely. In terms of power in this event, he and jzxuan far outreached jzxun.

Neither Madam Yu nor cym would dare try to break up their already bonding group of five, especially not with his brother-in-law around as well. It would be one thing if Madam Yu could promise any switched teammates would perform just as well as whichever ones jzxun wanted to steal, but that would never happen and nmj would know it. He wasn’t an idiot—he’d seen just as well as anyone else how jzxun’s followers were throwing challenges to let him win—or at least do better; the man was practically incapable of winning any challenges, even with the extra help. Half of his followers weren’t even being subtle about letting him win, nor was the man himself being subtle about ordering them to do so.

“Just like nothing will happen if we leave,” he said, sounding more confident than he actually was.

The reality, however, was that if Madam Yu wanted to punish them for leaving, that was fine. It would be inconvenient for several of them, but he was sure all five of them would leave Lotus Pier with little complaint, and cym would go with her son. He didn’t think Madam Yu would risk any of that, not when the courting event as a whole was already turning into a disaster that needed the few reasonable alphas in it to remain, in order to guarantee it not fall apart entirely.

[the-archlich]

In the Romance, it's stated that Guan Yu left behind three main commanders--Mi Feng, Fu Shiren, and Pan Jun--to block Wu so he could attack Fan. Fu Shiren and Mi Feng are well known, but can you tell us about the third guy, Pan Jun? All the Romance says of him is that he's kind of a jerk and that Guan Yu should have left a different officer (it names Zhao Lei in particular) to block Wu instead.

Let's review everyone here.

SGZ 45.4 tells us that Shi Ren (Junyi) was from Guangyang. He was assigned to guard Gong'an under Guan Yu but betrayed him to Sun Quan. Guan Yu's biography (SGZ 36.1) concurs with this. It inserts the character 傅 in front of his name (leading to the misnomer Fushi Ren). SGZ 2 and SGZ 54.3 both agree with SGZ 45, so we can conclude that the character 傅 is a corruption or an error.

Mi Fang was the brother of Mi Zhu (SGZ 38.2). Their sister was married to Liu Bei before he fled to Jing province. At the time of the Fan campaign, Mi Fang was the head of Nan canton, with his headquarters at Jiangling (which he shared with Guan Yu). His family had a reputation for being skilled at the horse and bow, and he successfully helped suppress a revolt after defecting to Wu, so he was not without some talents.

Pan Jun was by far the most important and interesting of these men. His biography (SGZ 61.1) is a bit on the longer side.

Pan Jun was from Wuling in the unfashionable part of Jing. He distinguished himself as a scholar when he was young and became a military adviser in Jiangxia (where he would have served Huang Zu. He was later made magistrate of Xiangyang, making him a figure of substantial note at Liu Biao's court. When Liu Bei took over, Pan Jun became one his advisers. During the campaign for Yi province, Pan Jun was left in Jing to manage the province's affairs.

Pan Jun initially refused to serve Sun Quan when he annexed Jing but changed his mind after receiving a personal visit. He subsequently advised Sun Quan in securing the territory. When Sun Quan took the imperial title, Pan Jun was made one of the Nine Ministers. Eventually he became Minister of Ceremonies (which Wu appears to have treated as the chief of the Excellencies), a title he retained for the rest of his life.

The most notable exploit of Pan Jun's career was a campaign in the 230s. Over the course of several years he subdued the various tribes of western Jing, bringing the territory firmly under Sun Quan's control. Many of Wu's future commanders first saw serious campaigning during this episode.

However, Pan Jun and Sun Quan started to fall out later in life. Sun Quan began listening to corrupt officials and Pan Jun had no patience for that. Back when he was just a military advisor he had executed the corrupt chief of Shaxian. He wrote repeated letters to Sun Quan warning him about the unscrupulous officials at his court but to no avail. A particularly powerful official, Lu Yi, tried to have Pan Jun ousted but failed.

Eventually Pan Jun got fed up with being nice. He traveled to Jianye attempting to simply murder Lu Yi himself and face the consequences. However, Lu Yi avoided the meeting. Soon, the officials were able to prevail upon Sun Quan to punish Lu Yi, who was duly executed. Nevertheless, the rift between Sun Quan and his advisers never fully healed, and Pan Jun himself died not long after this.

[coffeestainedcamera]

Anyways, time to obsessively theory-craft while waiting on ep 3! Heavy spoilers, obv!

Okay, so I'm not sure Lu Guang is in the clear yet. We had that poster where only Cheng Xiaoshi and Qiao Ling are wearing black formal clothes, but he isn't. Almost like they might be attending his funeral? Not too sure if this was part of the misdirection about his death before the air date, though. But then again, the crew sure loves emotionally devastating us viewers, so they might very well kill him off and have a season about Cheng Xiaoshi and Qiao Ling trying to save him. Our girl is in the know about the photo time travel and the superpowered killer now, so it'd not be surprising for her to be a co-lead. And we did have that ending sequence where she's the mission control, even though Lu Guang normally serves in that role.

I'm still not entirely sure that the killer will be responsible for offing him, though. They're in this for fun, so I think that they'd love to keep toying with the most powerful opponents they've gone up against yet. I do suspect they'll try to steal Lu Guang's powers, if they weren't bluffing about the matter in the season 1 finale. From there, I think that fate will be the other main villain, as he previously told Cheng Xiaoshi that death is an unchangeable node. So maybe if the killer doesn't want to end him, the universe will keep setting up bad ends to prevent a time paradox. Maybe it's punishment for potentially trying to save Cheng Xiaoshi from death in the other timeline. Not too sure how many times he lost him before the current timeline, but it'd explain the aggressive protectiveness. And maybe this talk of him being too mature for his age is a hint that he's been time traveling a while now.

Additional items of interest about the killer:

They say their powers are photo-related too, and we do see the Officer die after that lawyer steals a photo of him. Not lying about possession, then.

Most likely pushed him off the roof, and the manner of death overall reminds me of Emma. It's a clear taunt to the leads.

The last person who held the photo was the creepy kid, although it'd be a little too unsubtle. Maybe the crew is misdirecting us again?

The killer's manner of speaking in the russian subs for the post-stabbing confrontation is very informal. The vocab used is more likely to be used in a conversation between friends than acquaintances. They use ты/informal you with Cheng Xiaoshi upon an early meeting, which can be considered impolite/overfamiliar. It fits with their "do you wanna be friends with me, and only me?" schtick.

This stalker-ish moment is why I'm not completely discounting the possibility that they may off Lu Guang. He's an obstacle to Cheng Xiaoshi's attention, but offing him would make him mad. For preserving this "friendship", they might not do it.

It's very interesting that the russian subs for the main confrontation scene avoided gendered conjugations of words (and s1 has not back-added them, so I don't really have a comparison point). Can't comment on how faithful this is to the original voiceovers, but this ambiguity is very interesting indeed. Definitely preserves the feeling of basically anyone being a suspect for now.

Anyways, there's still a ton of missing puzzle pieces so uh. That's about it. Oh, and quick explainer of my understanding of the misdirection around Lu Guang's "death":

Two guys in critical condition at around the same time

Both go into the operating room

We begin cutting between these concurrent events, like when we had that scene of luring the killer to the photo studio

We never see their faces, and both are in bad enough condition that either could flatline

The killer didn't go at Lu Guang's throat at any point, so he shouldn't have the neck injuries

The man getting defibbed has neck injuries, therefore it's someone else

But of course, I was too shocked in the moment to think of any of this lol.

[grayintogreen]

WIP WEDNESDAY

Hello gang! I am about 8k into what's going to be a MASSIVE chapter, so I'm not too far in yet, but I'm getting there! In the meantime, here's a preview:

-

Beau chewed on her thumbnail as she stared at her board in the library, now laden with new observations that seemed sporadic and random and yet definitely seemed to be becoming more and more like the Pattern that Lucien had sketched out that one day. The new addition of Nerida alongside her connection to Alder Allard and their connection to Jayne put a lot more into perspective, but it still didn’t explain any connection to the Somnovem.

She scribbled a note about the abyssal anchors on a small gap on the board and tapped her chalk-dusted fingers on the amulet around her neck.

“What d’you think, Lu?”

Lucien’s voice in her head sounded miserable- it had been awhile since he’d been trapped in the gem, so she couldn’t blame him for it, though she suspected it went much deeper than that. He’d just been hit with a massive onslaught of new information and none of it made any damn sense.

”I think someone wanted me to hurt and I can’t imagine why.”

“The way you talk about the Somnovem and how they act around you-“ she could feel Lucien flinch, “- maybe you were always being groomed for this.”

”I think that much is obvious, Beauregard.”

“I’m just saying… There’s your Somnovem connection. These people, for whatever reason, wanted you to be driven to become the Nonagon. The question is why you and why do they have so much skin in the Somnovem’s game.”

”Excellent questions, both, aye.”

He wasn’t going to be any further help in this. She found herself irritated by it, even knowing that wasn’t fair. It was easier to be annoyed at him for not being helpful with what could finally crack the secrets to this fucking ordeal and save himself and Molly than it was to focus on the real elephant in the room.

Tomorrow they would be headed to Kamordah.

She wanted nothing more to throw herself into her work and let it consume her utterly until she was nothing but facts and figures and puzzles to be sorted out. If her head was buzzing with information then maybe once they arrived in her old stomping grounds, she would have a shield worthy of catching whatever barbs her dad wanted to throw her way. She could keep herself focused on what mattered and ignore what didn’t, because Thoreau Lionett didn’t matter.

Right.

Family mattered- that was the tragedy of having family. The fucker had done the unthinkable and sold her to the Cobalt Soul and somehow weaseled out of punishment for it and as much as she wanted to be able to hold her head high and walk into his house and laugh in his face about how stupid he was to think someone wouldn’t have clocked him, she knew better. That he was clocked was a lucky break and he still got away with it. Even seeing him embarrassed and disgraced wouldn’t derail the truth.

And yet he mattered. She wanted to find something in him that proved he’d realized his mistake and was willing to apologize. It was a thought that was going to get her hurt and she knew it and that was why she wanted to do everything in her power to avoid thinking about it.

The chalk snapped between her fingers and Beau stared at it with all the confusion of a child that had only just learned it had the capacity for destruction. She let the pieces fall to the floor, uselessly and ran a hand down her face without consideration for the dust on her fingers and exhaled. “It feels like we’re just chasin’ our tails.”

Two hundred pounds of Blink Dog materialized out of thin air and hip-checked her onto the ground. She hollered as she fell, trying to catch herself, but only ended up in a defensive crouch as Rock began to assault her with kisses and whining. Her protests only seemed to make him more enthusiastic about licking her to death.

Yasha’s heavy footfalls preceded her suddenly yanking him off by his collar and cooing at him in Sylvan until he became a rigid obedient and model dog, albeit one panting and smiling like Beau was the greatest thing in the world in his eyes. She shot him a smile and rubbed the dog spit off her face with the back of her hand. “Hey, buddy.”

Rock whined, pawed the ground in a little dance that toed the line between wanting to be obedient and wanting to leap onto her again. He looked to Yasha for permission and she placed a hand on his head and rubbed the soft velvet of his big ears. “Shh shhh it’s okay.” She dipped her head, apologetically, at Beau. “Sorry.”

“Nah, don’t be. I think he knows when I’m stressed.” To show no hard feelings, she cupped Rock’s muzzle in her hands and rubbed the thin fur around his face. In return, he licked the last of the chalk dust off her nose. “You should get him one of those emotional support dog vests.”

“He’s been really good with the Clays,” Yasha shrugged. “He wore Clarabelle out.”

Beau moved her scritches to Rock’s chest and his tail thumped excitedly on the ground. “Caduceus’s family seems… Nice, right?”

Yasha cocked her head to the side the same way a puppy might. “Yeah, I think so. They’re, um… Not like him? I guess he’s dad is a little bit.” She frowned deeper. “I dunno what I was expecting.”

“A bunch of Caduceus clones, all of them, like, spouting insightful shit and being wise and perceptive and, like, self-righteous in a way that’s almost charming?”

“Maybe.”

“Families contain multitudes, I guess.” She winced, realizing that in trying to talk about Caduceus’s family, she’d opened the door to talk about her own. Desperately, she fumbled for a change in subject and landed on someone else’s bullshit instead. “Hey, speaking of that… Lucien, when you were in the Run, did you, uh… Talk to Ophelia?”

Lucien’s sigh filled her head the same way smoke fills an empty room. ”No. I had better things to do.”

“Like pining for us?”

”I wasn’t pining. I was bored.”

“But are you?” Yasha piped up. “Gonna talk to her, I mean.”

He fell silent again for a long moment. ”When I have something to say to that woman, then perhaps. She left me behind because someone offered her a better deal than bein’ my mother. I feel like despite it all, I managed a better deal than bein’ her son. We don’t owe each other anything. She’s not worth all the hate I’ve got in my black heart for others. She was just as much a pawn in this game as I was. I don’t have to forgive her for it, but I recognize that whether fate or gods or nightmares have surrounded me my entire life, they would have pushed her out, eventually, had she stayed. Obviously, I inherited her survival instincts.”

Beau could only dream of being that practical about her family. Never before had she considered she might be jealous of fucking Lucien. She blew out a long breath that made a pbblt sound against her lips. “Not to use you as a hot potato, Lu, but I’m gonna pass you off to somebody else for a tick, so I can have some alone time with my girl.”

“Well, at least you’re being polite about it,” Lucien deadpanned. ”I wanted to talk to Cree anyway.”

“You got it, boss,” she deadpanned right back.