cansofsoda - Tumblr blog

cansofsoda · 2 months ago

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i got inspired by this post and drew snake demon sy!! im actually really happy with how he came out

(i hope he doesnt look too much like zzl lol)

Shen Yuan is a young demon prince from a rather unimportant kingdom; actually, his kingdom and his race of humanoid demon-snakes are actually so unimportant and unimpressive that not even Emperor Luo Binghe had been interested in getting the lands, or control of the kingdom... Or any of the princes! Of course they are loyal to the Emperor and serve under him, but... Luo Binghe hadn't tried anything!! Not even once!!!

Not that Shen Yuan is offended, though, the Emperor's HUGE harem is a crazy thing... He doesn't really want to be there nor anything like that. But it can't be a little hurt in his pride that the kingdom he grew up in and adores is so uninteresting to someone like the Emperor.

However, the final straw comes when Luo Binghe marries an Eastern Bird Demon Princess. Yes, she may be pretty as a painted doll, but the Eastern Bird Demons have shitty behavior! They are less interesting than Demon Snakes, much more flattering and fragile, conflictive and above all hypocritical! They don't even have their own venom or are capable of hunting their own prey!! They were just tasteless birds with huge tits and wings that shouldn't allow them to fly because of their anatomical inaccuracy!

"If you're so upset with Junshang's marriage decisions, why don't you marry him?" his younger sister says one day, fed up with Shen Yuan's ramblings. And Shen Yuan thinks, well, it's not a bad idea. Even if his sister didn't mean it at all...

But Shen Yuan KNOWS that he really needs to get the Emperor's attention before he just walks up and says "we have to get married, Junshang, because I find it disrespectful for you to marry with all the boring demons in the realms except my type. Which just happens to be me and not my older brothers or younger sister. I'm the only one willing to fix this."

... No, he would be dead before he even said Junshang correctly. So Shen Yuan must... Conquer the Emperor's heart!

Well, considering the huge harem, it's not a difficult task apparently. He will only have to pay for some rumors and stories of how some wives got to that place, prepare lots of court gifts and organize a big engagement party. After all Shen Yuan is very persistent and, above all, patient. He will obtain the Emperor's hand in marriage, and prove that his kingdom is not some insignificant little thing that can't even get the Emperor's attention!!

...

And one day, Luo Binghe starts to be attacked with stranges gifts.

They arrive at his office by confused royal assistants. And those gifts are the rarest and most expensive ones: swords made of crystal bone of an abyssal creature of the rarest kind, flowers with letters which explain all the effects on the cultivation of mixed-blood creatures, venom from a mythical beast thought to be extinct that can be consumed and used as a spice in recipes (which was accompanied by long letters containing strange cooking recipes that Luo Binghe had never heard of, and a more personal letter claiming that it would keep the Emperor entertained, since his mysterious penpal had heard that he enjoyed cooking).

The gifts keep coming, but they get stranger and stranger each time.

Crowns and hair jewelry of reverse reef corals, hairbrushes of mythical blue jade? Handmade perfume floral and exquisite that gave him peace just by smelling it? The essence of a flower that a single drop mixed with dry powder would work as the longest lasting eye paint?

Even silver scales of some demon presented with rubies and diamonds in the embroidery of a... wedding robe??? Exactly being the emperor's measurements????

Someone is... courting Luo Binghe? With useful and exquisite gifts, letters full of excessive details of someone erudite and chaotic, all with that strange air of mystery and power behind it? The servants who leave the gifts are mysterious, pale-featured and somewhat serpentine; Luo Binghe finds it strange to think that this kingdom is behind all this. Why would they do this if after of all, is the kingdom from which his cousin comes? Why would a kingdom that Luo Binghe is already a blood ally with want to deepen an alliance?

But that doesn't take away the absolute surprise that Luo Binghe feels with every gift, the way that every day he wait for something, even if it is a detail, a flower, a letter, anything. Luo Binghe, the Emperor of the Three Realms... is being courted for the first time.

He had courted all of his wives effortlessly some and with ease others. They had, of course, exchanged gifts with him in addition to the pleasures of their company… but none had even attempted to return the courtship. Luo Binghe had never considered it an offense, of course; before being an Emperor, he was a nobody. Now that he was an Emperor, he was just taking from the world what was his.

Being courted was not something Luo Binghe had given much thought to. Now, however, he is being courted by some anonymous suitor seeking his attention, and Luo Binghe doesn't understand why or how the hell he no longer has his future spouse at his desk, probably leaning on it, so Luo Binghe can lavish his attentions to thanks for every detail.

If it was his turn to be the sweet maiden who is courted and pays with his body and attentions, at that moment, even if he doesn't know who the hell his suitor is, Luo Binghe is definitely very interested.

#svsss #svsss au #svsss ideas #mxtx svsss #scum villain's self saving system #scumbag system #bingyuan #luo binghe #shen yuan #original luo binghe #demon shen yuan #pidw luo binghe #pidw #snake demon shen yuan #svss art #svss fanart

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cansofsoda · 3 months ago

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𝐑𝐈𝐏𝐓𝐈𝐃𝐄: 𝐭𝐰𝐨 - 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡

The sun shone through the windows of the lighthouse kitchen. The kitchen was bathed in warm yellow light, making Guppy’s already shiny coat look even shinier. She was lying at your feet, looking up at you with pleading eyes as you ate your breakfast—it was as if you starved her, given how desperate she was for food.

“Idiot dog,” you murmured affectionately with a slight roll of your eyes. You huffed a soft, amused sound under your breath and threw her a piece of crust, which she gobbled up greedily. She barely chewed before swallowing the piece of bread you had so generously offered. “You’re going to choke one day, and I’m not going to be the one to save you.”

Was it a little pathetic to be talking to your dog like she understood you? Sure, but it wasn’t like other people didn’t do it. Everyone talked to their pets, and if they said they didn’t, they were lying. Besides, talking to Guppy like she understood you helped quell the lonely hole in your heart. And she was a good listener, which was a plus.

You chewed and swallowed the last mouthful of your breakfast before rising to your feet and making your way towards the sink, your steps light and lazy. There wasn’t much to do in your mundane life. The beached shark and the visitor four days ago—Leau, was it?—had been something to break up the monotonous routine that was your life, and now that they were gone, it was back to boring complacency. Sometimes you wished you had a housemate—lighthousemate?

You stuck your plate and utensils into the sink and ran the water, the remnants of your breakfast washing away under the water and the circular motion of the sponge as you cleaned the plate. You looked out of the window as you turned the sink off and reached for a hand towel to dry the plate off, looking out towards the sky. A small frown graced your lips at the sight of distant storm clouds. It was going to be a high tide tonight, then.

You placed your dishes in their rightful place and turned around, leaning against the kitchen counter and looking down at Guppy. She perked up when she noticed you were looking at her, her ears swiveling towards you. She was probably hoping for more scraps. You cocked your head to the side and grinned at her, raising the pitch of your voice and making her tail wag happily, “Wanna go for a walk?”

Immediately, Guppy leaped to her feet and bounded towards the door, her tongue lolling out of her mouth. You shook your head in amusement and reached out to turn the door handle, opening the door for her and watching as she darted out of the lighthouse and onto the sands of the beach. You followed after her, closing the door to your home behind you and locking it, just in case.

The sand was slightly cold against the bottoms of your feet, likely because of the oncoming storm. The weather wasn’t as warm as it had been the previous days, but that was alright. The rain brought a high tide, and the high tide washed away any gunk on the shore, like jellyfish or seaweed. It was good for the beach.

Already, the smell of petrichor reached your nose. The rain would be coming sooner than you thought. You might have to cut Guppy’s walk a little short so you could do what was necessary for the lighthouse. Guppy wouldn’t mind, the gorgeous thing, since she got out on the beach pretty much every day. You sighed softly to yourself as you made a mental list of the things you’d need to do in preparation for the rain. With that list in mind, you sped up into a jog and chased after Guppy.

Guppy bounded happily across the sands, her golden coat blending in with the golden sands. The wind was picking up, lashing against your bare legs, making your skin itch. You sped your jog up into a run, making Guppy speed up in turn, aiming to tire her out so she wouldn’t complain about not being able to go outside later when it was raining. She barked joyfully, the sound lost in the wind as she bolted further away from you, further down along the beach. You felt a grin curling up at your mouth as you ran along the sands, probably kicking sand up behind you as you went. Your feet sank into the soft ground with each stride of your legs.

You could see Guppy’s head in the distance as it swiveled to the side, something you couldn’t see catching her attention. Her body veered to the right, towards the flat rocks dotted around in the surf. You weren’t worried; Guppy was a smart dog, and she’d been on the beach ever since she was a puppy. She’d stay away from anything dangerous, whether it was the water or any animals like crabs or jellyfish. You shook your head in amused exasperation and followed her path, allowing the dog to lead the human in an ironic twist of fate.

You saw Guppy slowing down when she reached the flat rocks, her steps becoming more ginger as she stepped through the shallow water surrounding the rocks, watching her step. Good dog. Her tail wagged faster as she sniffed around at whatever caught her attention—something behind one of the rocks, leaving whatever it was out of view. You ran over to follow her, being careful not to cut your bare feet on some of the sharper surfaces of the rocks. You walked through the ankle-deep water to collect Guppy, catching sight of whatever it was that caught her attention. There was a man sitting on the rocks with a hermit crab wandering across his hand.

He was pretty, you noticed, before internally scolding yourself. He had deep brown skin and dark black hair, unruly around his head and shoulders like he had just gone swimming. Some of his unruly curly hair was covering one of his eyes, which were a pretty hazel color that looked almost gold against his brown skin. He was skinny, with wiry arms and legs, but not so skinny that it was concerning. He was hunched over on his seat on the rock, watching as Guppy sniffed at him.

He was also completely naked.

You made a surprised little choked sound at the man’s nakedness, and he turned half-lidded eyes in your direction with a curious tilt of his head. You instinctively looked away from his naked frame with an awkward cough under your breath, feeling a warmth burning in your ears. “Sorry,” you managed to say without choking on your words. “She’s mine, sorry for bothering you.”

You gestured towards Guppy without looking at the skinny man. It wasn’t illegal to be nude on your beach, but it was rare to see anyone naked—it was rare to see anyone at all. It surprised you, is all. You looked at the man’s face and pointedly avoided looking at any other part of him, watching as he blinked slowly at you. “It’s fine… She just sniffed me…”

The man spoke in a slow, sleepy kind of drawl. His voice was somewhat high-pitched. It was nice. Guppy barked as if in agreement, running around the man’s long legs with excitement, her butt wiggling with how hard her tail was wagging.

“Ah, good, good,” you quirked your lips into a smile and tried not to let your eyes drift to the man’s pretty collarbones. It’s rude to stare. It’s rude to stare. You whistled and Guppy came over to jump up at you, to which you clicked your tongue and ordered, “No jumping.” She knew better than to jump. Guppy’s ears drooped as you scolded her, but you held firm, placing your hands on your hips. She huffed and sat. “Good girl.”

You reached down to pat her head and looked up to find that the stranger was looking at you, blinking slowly every now and then. He looked like he might fall asleep. You watched as the hermit crab walked across the man’s slender hand and made its way up his arm, probably tickling the man’s inner elbow as it went. You cleared your throat. “Is it alright if I ask what you’re doing here? The beach doesn’t get many visitors, that’s all. Especially when the water is cold.”

Well, except for Leau, but he was an outlier. The hermit crab man grunted softly in acknowledgment, offering a small shrug of his narrow shoulders. “I like crabs,” he mumbled, turning to watch the hermit crab on his arm. You could see that. “And I like looking at seashells and stuff.”

“Ah, I see,” you smiled more genuinely now, nodding your head as you watched the man allow the hermit crab to crawl onto the palm of his hand before lowering the crab back down to the wet sands. The hermit crab dug into the sand before disappearing into the hole it had dug. The man watched it go with that same slow little blink. “Yeah, this beach is pretty good for those things since no one really comes here. Makes the animals less afraid to come out, you know?”

The man nodded in agreement, fidgeting absentmindedly with a damp strand of his curly hair. Guppy whined at your feet, and you remembered that rain was going to come soon, possibly a storm. You looked towards the horizon and caught a glimpse of dark, rolling clouds in the distance. You gave Guppy a short two-note whistle that sent her walking back towards the lighthouse, as you had trained her to do when you whistled like that.

“How long do you plan on staying?” you asked.

The man tilted his head up towards your direction, making his hair fall away from his forehead, showing both of his eyes instead of just one. His feet shuffled in the wet sand for a moment, and he toyed absentmindedly with his own knuckles. “I was going to stay for a bit long, probably… Maybe for a couple more hours. Probably.”

You frowned slightly, and the man noticed your expression, a curious lilt appearing on his mouth. You shifted your weight slightly between your feet, rubbing absentmindedly at the back of your neck as you watched the large waves building in the distance. “If you’re planning on staying, I wouldn’t stay near the flat rocks. There’s a storm coming, so the tide will rise pretty high and you might get caught in it. Honestly, I probably wouldn’t stand on the beach, just in case.”

The man huffed softly as if he found you amusing, for reasons you couldn’t understand, but he nodded his head in agreement and rose to his feet. You stared a little bit harder at the clouds as the very naked man stood up. You saw him using his hand to cover his crotch in your peripheral vision, and only then did you return your attention to the stranger. He blinked down at his own body as if only just noticing that he wasn’t wearing any clothes. Did he… not come here with clothes or a towel? You didn’t see a bag or anything. Surely he didn’t come here naked, right?

“Did you come here by car?” you asked, unable to help yourself. Your loneliness made you nosy. The man just stared blankly at you, so you took that as a solid no. Brilliant. The man came here completely naked by foot with no belongings. It’s a miracle he didn’t get arrested for walking around completely bare. You sighed softly through your nose and internally groaned at yourself and your loneliness. “Alright, well, I don’t want you to get arrested for streaking, so… Did you want to come back to the lighthouse with me for now? Just until the storm is over.”

The naked man stared at you for several long seconds. You were beginning to feel a little bit awkward. You popped your lips to fill the silence, which seemed to snap the man out of his stupor.

“Sure… Thanks. That’d be nice, I guess…”

You smiled at the man and nodded your head. “Cool,” you said, tucking your hands away into the pockets of your pants. You gestured with your head towards the direction of your lighthouse, expecting the man to follow after you—hopefully behind you so you wouldn’t have to stare at bare ass as you walked with him. You weren’t overly keen to stare at his cheeks. “You can watch me do the lighthouse stuff, if you’d like.”

The man shrugged and you started off towards the lighthouse, hearing the other man’s footsteps behind you as he walked. For someone with such a slight frame, he walked with a heavy set and a slight limp, if you were hearing it correctly. Maybe he hurt himself or something—quite frankly, it was none of your business, and you didn’t think he’d take kindly to you asking invasive questions. Although he did seem kind of like the type who didn’t care about much of anything, with his slow blinks and equally slow shrugs.

You fidgeted absentmindedly with your fingers where your hands were tucked into your pocket, walking along the beach with the naked man in tow. Guppy was pacing impatiently outside the lighthouse door in the distance, eager to get back inside even though her walk was cut short today. She probably knew it was going to storm or rain soon, too. Guppy hated the rain—it made her thick, shiny coat weighed down and heavy. She barked loudly at you when she spotted you and the stranger coming towards the lighthouse.

You glanced at the man in your peripheral, still not wanting to catch sight of anything private, before looking away again. You kicked a rock out of your way as you walked. “I’m [name], by the way. The lighthouse is mine.”

You heard the man make another grunting sound of acknowledgment when you speak. He’s quiet for a long moment, prompting you to think you were annoying him. Eventually he mumbled a quiet, “Aishiv.”

You smiled privately to yourself when the man- Aishiv- introduced himself back to you. That was a pretty name, Aishiv. Unique, too. “Nice to meet you,” you smiled warmly at him, turning your head slightly to make eye contact with hazel eyes. Aishiv blinked, and then ducked his head with a nod, his curls covering his forehead and his eyes, like he’s hiding from you. He nodded. “Your name is pretty.”

Comfortable silence fell between the two of you as you walked the rest of the length of the sands, climbing up the steps to your lighthouse door. Guppy barked impatiently and you rolled your eyes at her ridiculousness, fishing your keys out of your pocket and unlocking the door. Guppy immediately burst inside, knocking her head against the shoe rack in her eagerness to get inside. She didn't even yelp, thick-skulled as she was. You shook your head and gestured for the stranger to step inside your home, feeling less awkward about it than you thought you would feel.

Aishiv stepped inside and looked around, leaving you to follow behind him, unable to help getting an eyeful of bare ass. You cleared your throat and looked away, stepping around him and scratching at your head while you felt your face burning. Aishiv watched as you walked around him with a mild quirk of one of his dark eyebrows. You gestured towards the door that led to your bedroom and bathroom with one hand. “Did you want some pants? Or maybe a towel?”

“Oh…” Aishiv mumbled, remembering his nakedness. He blinked down at himself and you did your very, very best not to follow his gaze below the belt. You felt the corner of your mouth twitching slightly when Aishiv’s eyes traveled slowly back upwards to meet your eyes. “Yes, please… If it’s not too much trouble, I’ll have a towel.”

“Oh, no, not at all,” you waved off Aishiv’s concern quickly, smiling pleasantly at him. It was your way of saying if this man doesn’t cover up in the next minute I’m going to have a stroke. You walked further into your house towards the laundry, opening up the linen closet and pulling a fluffy towel out from within the closet. You handed the towel over to Aishiv and focused your attention elsewhere while he wrapped the towel firmly around his narrow waist, tucking it in to prevent it from falling. “There we go.”

The sound of thunder rumbling in the distance caught your attention and you clicked your tongue when you realized you had been distracted from your duties. Guppy heard the thunder, too, whining pathetically and tucking herself in between Aishiv’s legs like he’d protect her from the thunder. Aishiv blinked down at her and slowly pat her head. Pat pat. Traitorous dog, running to a stranger instead of towards you. You huffed quietly under your breath.

“Alright, I need to do some things with the lighthouse before the storm hits,” you told Aishiv, mentally running through your list of chores. You quirked an eyebrow questioningly at him, placing a hand on your hip. “Did you want to watch, or no?”

Aishiv pauses for a moment, looking between Guppy and you a couple of times before eventually deciding, “No, that’s alright.” He patted Guppy’s head once more, much to her delight. “I can stay with your dog... I don’t think she likes thunder.”

You nodded and sighed to yourself, getting Aishiv situated in your lounge room with the TV on so he wouldn’t be bored to death looking after your dopey dog. As soon as Aishiv was siting, Guppy curled up on his lap and tucked her face away, avoiding your stink eye. Normally she was more than happy to tag along while you did chores- not today. You knew very well that Guppy wasn’t afraid of thunder or storms whatsoever, the little shit. She was just using it as an excuse to get pats from a stranger. You look at Aishiv, turning away from your traitor dog. “I’ll be back.”

When you first moved into the lighthouse and started caring for it, it took you ages to do all the chores necessary to prepare for a storm. You fumbled around and forgot to do many things. Now, though, caring for the lighthouse comes as second nature, and it takes you almost no time at all to do all the chores. Check and secure equipment, activate fog signals, check everything is waterproof and airtight, check on the electricity, ensure communication equipment is operating, and gather supplies in an easy-to-access spot just in case things go badly. It took you less than an hour, leaving you plenty of time to cook lunch for yourself and for the stranger on your couch.

You made your way downstairs towards the house part of the lighthouse, greeted by Guppy who has miraculously recovered from her uncharacteristic bout of astraphobia. Her tongue lolled out of her mouth as she panted excitedly, fluffy tail wagging back and forth. Unable to help yourself, you quickly forgot about her abandoning you and patted her on the head as you made your way towards the living room. “Hey, did you want lunch?”

Aishiv didn’t answer. You peered into the living room to find him sitting slumped on your couch and fast asleep, chin buried into his clavicle. You felt your lips twitch at the sight, and you shook your head at the absurdity of a stranger falling asleep on a couch in a lighthouse. You grabbed the blanket folded over the back of the couch and carefully draped it over Aishiv, doing your best to not wake him up. You very, very gently turned him so he was laying on his side rather than sleeping sitting up. Aishiv didn’t stir one bit, even as you placed a pillow beneath his head so he wouldn’t wake up with a sore neck. He looked comfortable, lips parted in sleep as he breathed in and out of his mouth.

You realized he would probably find it incredibly creepy to find you gently fluffing up his pillow if he was to wake up right now, and took a purposeful step away from him. You sighed to yourself and ignored the way Guppy was looking at you judgmentally. Instead, you looked down at her and made your way to the kitchen, keeping your voice low. “What’s for lunch today, hm?”

------- OCEAN FACTS -------

The ocean produces more than 70% of the Earth's oxygen.

------- OTHER CHAPTERS -------

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Glossary/Pronunciation/Info

------- READ ON ao3 ------- RIPTIDE (12134 words) by parasiticsoda Chapters: 5/? Fandom: No Fandom, Original Work, mythology and folklore - Fandom Rating: Explicit Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Original Male Character/Reader, Reader/Everyone, Original Character(s)/Reader Characters: Reader, You, Original Characters, Original Male Character(s) Additional Tags: Drama & Romance, Mermaids, Merfolk, Mermen, Reader-Insert, Original Character(s), Major Original Character(s), Light Angst, Polyamory, Polyamorous Character, Explicit Sexual Content, Human/Monster Romance Summary:

— 𝐈𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐯𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐧

Four years ago, after the death of his grandmother, [Name] [L/Name] inherited a lighthouse on the banks of a little beach. Since then, [Name] has lived the lonely life of a lighthouse keeper. After helping a beached shark back into the ocean, [Name]'s life becomes much less lonely when a pod of mermen take an interest in him.

Now, [Name] bonds with these mermen while simultaneously trying to keep their existence hidden from the public. Oh why couldn't he live a normal life for one?

— 𝐦!𝐯𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐱 𝐦!𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 — 𝐦𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬

------- READ ON WATTPAD -------

------- READ ON QUOTEV -------

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cansofsoda · 3 months ago

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𝐑𝐈𝐏𝐓𝐈𝐃𝐄: 𝐨𝐧𝐞 - 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝

Walking on the shore of the beach as the sun set was one of your favorite activities.

The feeling of warm sand beneath your bare feet as you walked along the beach was a pleasant one, and a nostalgic one. When the tide rolled in over your feet, you sighed softly at cold water against your skin, washing away the sand that gathered on your skin, even though more sand clung to your skin as you took another step.

Guppy was bounding along the shore ahead of you, spraying sand everywhere as she ran along the wet sand, barking joyfully and occasionally snapping her teeth at water that splashed over the sand. She ran along the beach, accidentally giving several seagulls heart attacks. You shook your head in amusement as you watched her play.

The sun was setting over the water of the ocean, painting the sky in a beautiful array of colours, pinks and blues and purples, the limited amount of clouds in the sky making it all the more pretty. You truly loved living on the beach and seeing such beautiful sights everyday.

You lifted the camera around your neck and pointed it towards the sky, looking at the camera screen and smiling as you captured the ocean with the colours of the sunset reflecting on the ocean water. You had many photos like that, which you posted onto the beach website in hopes of attracting more visitors. It usually didn’t work, but, oh well. There was no harm in trying.

You lowered your camera once more, leaving it to hang around his neck as he continued to walk down the beach, following behind Guppy. The black labrador turned her head to check you were still there, her tongue lolling out of her mouth as she gave you a “boof.”

You rolled your eyes at the dog, your lips curling up with amusement. Guppy is a dopey dog, but she’s incredibly sweet and loyal, too. You sped up slightly as you chased the dog, speeding up into a light jog that made sand kick up underneath your feet.

Guppy’s tail wagged wildly when she spotted you chasing after her, water droplets falling from her fur. She would need a bath tonight, you noted, shuddering at the thought of the salt in her shiny coat. You shook your head and set off in a sprint, making Guppy bark with delight as your hand teasingly grazed her flank, as if playing tag with a human instead of a dog. You grimaced at the feeling of wet further under your fingers.

Guppy woofed again, speeding up and leaving you in the dust- sand- as she raced down the beach. A small huff of laughter left your lips as you watched her run away, imprints of her paws left in the golden sand. You weren’t worried about her going too far. She knew when to come back to you.

You slowed back down to a relaxed stroll, your gaze sliding over towards the ocean, watching as the tide rolled over onto the beach. Sea foam washed against your feet before being sucked back into the ocean. The sun sparkled off of the waves, making the water seem like beautiful glittering sapphires.

You sighed softly through your nose, inhaling and exhaling, the smell of the ocean filling your nose. When you had first moved into the lighthouse, the overwhelming smell of salt water had made you wrinkle your nose. Now, though, you appreciate the pleasant smell that comes from the sea. You tuck your hands away in your pockets as you admire the shore.

Something caught your eye. A vague shape on the shore that made you squint your eyes in confusion. It was not a rock, and it was definitely not a jellyfish that washed up in the waves. You frowned faintly and walked over towards it, before you realized that it was a whole ass shark. A shark.

This had never happened before. Plenty of creatures had become beached on the sand, sure, but normally things like jellyfish, the occasional fish, or the incredibly rare turtle washed up on the sands, not sharks. The thing is thrashing around desperately, gills flapping as it struggles for air. It was an incredibly upsetting sight. You loved sharks, and seeing one beached made you frown.

You stepped closer to the shark. Poor thing. You crouched down a safe distance away from the animal, your expression twisting with sympathy. Unlike with other animals that washed up on your beach, like turtles, you couldn’t exactly push the shark back in the water. You would probably lose a hand or some fingers.

You bit your bottom lip anxiously, looking over to where Guppy was waiting for you a while on the sand, her wagging tail slowing down as she tilted her head in confusion. She was clearly confused why you weren’t following after her anymore. You sighed softly through your nose and looked back towards the writhing shark.

You imagined the shark as a loved pet. If Guppy was beached, you would want someone to save her, regardless of the danger. Sure, it was a ridiculous comparison considering Guppy was not a shark with huge teeth, but still. You shook your head at your own ridiculousness, standing up from your crouched position.

Heart beating so hard in your chest your shirt moved with it, you stuck your shoed foot out towards the back of the shark, and nudged it. The shark squirmed furiously, jaws chomping, as you rolled it over onto its back. It couldn’t reach you with its teeth, and the moment it was laying on its back against the stand, it went completely still. Good. Fuck me, that was terrifying.

You stared at the now still shark, the animal in a dozed off state. You internally thanked your parents for the knowledge of tonic immobility, and that when sharks were turned on their backs, they were instantly subdued. You swallowed harshly, a hissing breath leaving your mouth as you stepped closer and held onto the shark’s tail.

Being incredibly careful to keep the animal on its back, you dragged it back to the shore, and into the shallow water. You dragged the shark out until the water started to reach your waist. You were shaking, fingers trembling where they held onto the shark’s tail, Moment of truth- you might die, but you had to let the shark go.

With an inward squeal of terror, you flipped the shark back onto its stomach in the water, before bolting out of the water back onto the sands. Luckily, the shark seemed disorientated from being turned onto its back, so it was too slow to try and chase you through the water and bite you. You reached the sands with ease, your heart in your throat and adrenaline in your veins.

You sighed anxiously and leaned over, your hands on your knees, swallowing down the urge to vomit anxiously. You turned your eyes back to the water, and watched as the shark swam off, away from the shallow sands. Holy hell. Holy hell. I just saved a shark from dying. I just touched a shark! Without getting my arm ripped off!

A relieved breath of air left your lungs, and you stood up straight once more, turning your face up towards the sky. You blinked at the clouds for a moment, trying to will your body into relaxation. The sound of paws bounding against wet sand met your ears, and you looked down to see Guppy running up to you, tongue lolling out of her mouth as she looked up at you.

She rubbed herself against your legs, and you grimaced slightly at the feeling of wet fur against your skin, but a smile curled at your lips. You ruffled the fur of her head, making her tail wag happily. You gave her a pat on the bum and waved her off to continue running down the length of the beach. She barked excitedly. You shook your head affectionately, warmth filling your chest, easing the anxiety from touching a shark.

You shoved your hands into your pockets and continued your walk along the beach, feeling the wet sand shift beneath the weight of your feet. As you walked, your eyes slid automatically back towards the ocean, where the shark had swam off to. You felt proud of yourself for saving the beached shark- everyone knew sharks needed all the help they could get after the Jaws incident.

You stared out at the sea. Your mind drifted to the various other sea creatures beneath the waves, some of them safe, others hunted by humans. You knew some of it was necessary, like fishing for people to eat, but there was so much unnecessary violence towards the creatures as well. The shark fin epidemic sprang to your mind, and you shook your head.

You wished you could do something. At least your parents were working towards the rehabilitation of endangered sea creatures.

With a soft sigh, you turned away from the view of the ocean to continue your walk along the beach, and promptly smacked your face into a solid chest. You blinked for a moment, your face smooshed into a rather nice pair of pecs, before you realized what happened and you took a step back with an apologetic look on your face. “I’m so sorry.”

You looked up at the man you bumped into and- holy shit. The man was perhaps one of the hottest men you had ever seen in person. He was tall, almost ridiculously so, and very muscly. His hair was long, falling down to his waist, his hair a black blue colour that could not be natural. His eyes were the bluest blue eyes you have ever seen, slightly narrow and curtained with long dark eyelashes.

He smiled somewhat stiffly in response to your apology, scratching awkwardly at strong nose. The movement made the silver bangles on his wrist jangle and clank against one another. “Don’t worry about it,” he said, an accent you couldn’t recognize clinging to his words. “I was in your way.”

You felt a customer service pulling up at your lips, and you couldn’t help the way your eyes flickered down to the man’s bare torso. His shoulders were broad and strong, and his waist was narrow. He had a swimmer’s build, and you couldn’t help but wonder if he was a pool swimmer or if he was a surfer. Maybe a deep sea diver? If he was a surfer it would explain why he was on your beach. His left bicep had a cool tattoo that looked like blue scales.

You cleared your throat as you realized you were staring, and your gaze flickered back up towards the man’s blue blue eyes. You tilted your head slightly as you smiled and waved a dismissive hand in response to the man’s words. “No, no. You weren’t in the way at all, I should have been looking.”

The man’s stiff smile relaxed slightly into a more genuine one at your words, lips quirked upwards, making a dimple in his cheek stand out. Jesus, this man could not be real. He looked like he had stepped out of an underwear ad. You offered the man a more genuine smile, too, although you knew it still had a tinge of customer service to it.

You blinked slightly as you realized you had never seen this man around before. A new person. A new person on your beach! You stood up slightly straighter at the realization that there was a new visitor on your beach. “Can I ask where you’re from?” you asked curiously. “I’ve never seen you around before. And this beach doesn’t get many visitors.”

“Ah,” the man said in response, dipping his head forward in a respectful nod. The movement was strangely elegant, making his long hair sway slightly. He shifted his weight between his feet as he smiled down at you. “I moved into the area recently. I figured I could check out the beach.” The man stuck his hand out. “My name is Leau."

“Low?” you repeated, testing out the pronunciation of his name. At his nod, you smiled warmly and reached out, grasping his hand in a firm handshake. You withdrew your hand and Leau did the same, lowering them back down to his sides. “It’s really nice to meet you, and to see a new face on the beach. I’m [Name].”

The man’s smile widened, lips pulling up and making his teeth flash. His canines were unusually sharp, you noticed. Hm. “It’s nice to meet you, too, [Name.]”

You smiled at the man for a moment longer, before a loud bark reached your ears, and you turned your head to where Guppy was waiting impatiently for you. You chuckled softly and shook your head, meeting Leau’s eyes. “I’m going to continue my walk. It was really nice to meet you.”

“You too,” Leau replied, his voice warm and low in his throat. It was a very pleasant sound. “See you around, [Name.]”

You nodded your head in agreement, turning away to follow after Guppy, speeding up into a light jog to catch up to the dog. She ran back over to you and ran circles around your feet before sprinting off again. For a moment, you turned your head back around to look back at Leau, only to find he was gone. How on Earth did he manage to get away so fast?

You shrugged slightly, and continued your pleasant walk along the beach, thinking nothing of it.

🌊

Deep beneath the ocean, a man with long dark hair, the bluest blue eyes, and an equally blue fish tail swam through the water as he returned to the Pacific kingdom. Leau’s mind was on the peculiar human he had met on the beach, with the kind smile. He bit his lip as he swam into the castle, tail beating behind him and webbed fingers propelling him faster.

Leau had been on the beach after he noticed the beached shark, intending to save the creature and put it back where it belonged. But the human- [Name], he recalled- had been faster. Despite [Name]’s clear terror at touching a shark and dragging it back into the ocean, he had saved the shark. Curious.

Leau swam through the castle hallway until he reached a particular room, peeking his head into the open cavern and wrapping his knuckles against the rock. The merman within the room snapped his head up to meet Leau’s eyes at the sound of the knock, blue eyes meeting purple. Leau dipped his head respectfully, lifting his hands to sign, "Kjav."

Kjav (kya-ahv) cocked his head curiously at Leau the, his white hair flowing around him within the water. He swam closer towards Leau, his face twisting with curiosity. The string of pearls around Kjav’s forehead marked Kjav’s status as the Prince of the Pacific. The prince lifted his hands to sign, too. “Leau. How are you?”

“I’m well, thank you,” Leau responded with soft smile. Leau swam into the prince’s room, air bubbles bubbling up as he moved. Kjav barely blinked at the increased proximity- he and Leau had been friends for many years, after all, despite the difference in status. “I wanted to speak to you about something I saw on the surface.”

Kjav’s white eyebrows rose on his forehead and he blinked his periwinkle purple eyes at Leau curiously. He made a follow me gesture and swam over towards his kelp bed, sitting down and folding his pale purple tail beneath him. Leau followed suit, sitting on the kelp bed beside the prince. Kjav nodded his head. “Yes? What did you see?”

Leau bent and stretched out his fingers, feeling his joints crack slightly, before he began to sign. “I went onto one of the beaches, intending to save a beached shark.” Leau paused slightly as Kjav’s eyebrows twitched at the mention of a beach, before continuing. “But I saw something peculiar. A human.”

Kjav’s eyebrows furrowed slightly, his lips twisting slightly. His chest expanding as he breathed in, his gills opening and closing. He nodded his hand and waved. “Proceed.”

“Yes,” Leau nodded his head, his own gills opening and closing as he sighed slightly. “Well. The human was peculiar. Unlike the others, the human pulled the shark back into the water, despite the danger. I thought it was very brave. And very unusual.”

Kjav’s eyebrows raised once more in surprise. He made a gesture with his hands that meant curiosity, and then a gesture that expressed confusion. “I see. That is quite peculiar. A human saving a shark?”

Leau nodded slightly, straightening up on the kelp bed as Kjav listened and responded to his feelings and words. Leau scratched at the back of his neck with his claws, a small smile curling at his lips. “I was hoping I could get permission to observe this human more?”

Kjav’s jaw shifted slightly as he processed the request, and Leau tried not to get too hopeful. It was, after all, very dangerous for merfolk to appear before humans, even in human form. Merfolk had been hunted for a long time before their existence was forgotten about, not that Kjav or Leau had been alive in those years.

Finally, Kjav nodded his assent. “Yes, you may,” Kjav permitted. “But be careful. And do not tell my parents. You know they would never approve.”

Leau felt a wide smile spread across his lips, and his tail fins flicked with excitement. He made a happy gesture with his hand, which caused Kjav’s expression to soften slightly, his jaw no longer shifting anxiously. Kjav smiled slightly and continued. “It will be good, I think, to study humans more. Beneficial to us.”

Leau nodded his head in agreement, getting up from the kelp bed and swimming over towards the open cavern. He turned back to face Kjav, using his webbed hands to keep himself afloat by the door. “Thank you, Kjav,” he said. “I’ll go tell our friends.”

Leau turned to swim out, but paused as Kjav called out to him. “Leau?”

Leau met Kjav’s eyes, blinking curiously. Kjav’s expression was slightly worried, his lips pursed slightly. “Be careful."

------- OCEAN FACTS -------

The largest ocean on Earth is the Pacific Ocean! The Pacific Ocean covers about 30% of the Earth's surface.

------- OTHER CHAPTERS -------

Prologue

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Glossary/Pronunciation/Info

Now, [Name] bonds with these mermen while simultaneously trying to keep their existence hidden from the public. Oh why couldn't he live a normal life for one?

— 𝐦!𝐯𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐱 𝐦!𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 — 𝐦𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬

------- READ ON WATTPAD -------

------- READ ON QUOTEV -------

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cansofsoda · 3 months ago

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𝐑𝐈𝐏𝐓𝐈𝐃𝐄: 𝐳𝐞𝐫𝐨 - 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐮𝐞

Many years ago, when piracy still ran rampant, it was common for pirates to kidnap women and hold them captive on their boats. When they no longer had use for these women, they would tie their ankles together and throw them overboard the boat.

And thus the mermaid was born. After being thrown into the ocean to drown, these women transformed, their tied together legs becoming large scaled tails that resemble the tails of fish, gills forming in their necks, their fingers becoming webbed. As more women, and some men, were thrown overboard, the mermaid kingdom grew larger and larger.

Steadily, merfolk filled the ocean, building underwater kingdoms and cities and living in luxury beneath the sea. They separated into different oceans, building their own groups. Some of them lived in peace, while others sought revenge for the pirates that had thrown them overboard and treated them unkindly.

But as the merfolk advanced, so did the humans. They no longer used spears and poorly built wooden boats, welding metals and using weapons that shot out danger at unimaginable speeds. And, of course, they started to hunt down merfolk. So merfolk were forced to hide within the depths of the ocean, never surfacing, and they became myths. Long lost legends.

But, it has been so many years since the calamity, since the hunting of merfolk. Humans have practically forgotten about the existence of merfolk, except for the occasional imaginative child or conspiracy theorist. And the merfolk are becoming curious- how much has the human world changed, after so many years? Have they evolved, too, like the merfolk have?

And as curious beings do, they begin to explore, poking their heads above the surface of the ocean to observe the humans. Their boats have become more advanced. Some humans hunt fish, sharks and other sea creatures. Some venture into the ocean to look at the wonders of the sea, using flashy machines to capture what is called ‘photos.’ Some of them dive down to swim with the sharks.

Some humans are putrid things. Spilling oil into the ocean and leaving a valley of dead sea creatures in their wake. The merfolk are particularly displeased with the amount of things the humans leave in the ocean, the metals, plastic, and other materials that choke the animals and destroy reefs.

But sometimes there are good humans, too. Some that travel out on their boats to pick up hurt sea creatures and help them- untangling things from around their throats, cleaning their feathers of the disgusting oil. Some humans on boats who punish those that hunt sharks for their fins and throw them back into the ocean. Shouty, loud humans who stand on beaches and shout for the end of ocean damages.

The merfolk have mixed opinions about humans. Some of them bristle and snarl, baring their teeth at the mention of the land creatures, baying for blood and punishment for what the humans are doing to their oceans. Other merfolk stand up for the few humans who do good. But no matter how much they may disagree, they all agree that they wish humans would look after the ocean better.

Perhaps then the merfolk would show themselves again.

🌊

When you were a child, you were often sent over to your grandmother’s lighthouse to be babysat. Your parents were busy people, marine biologists who traversed the world and the oceans to pursue their dreams of exploring the immense depths of the sea. So they often left you at your grandmother’s lighthouse.

It wasn’t like you minded. In fact, you often waited for the days where you could visit your grandmother and stay in her awesome lighthouse- honestly, what child wouldn’t get excited by sleeping in an actual lighthouse? Of course you missed your parents when they were gone, but your grandmother held a special place in your heart. She was a wonderful woman.

Despite her aging body, she always made time for. She indulged your silly childish requests, like playing make pretend or hide and seek, and she often told you stories of her life, as well as stories of the lighthouse. Your grandmother lived a crazy life, but that was to be expected since she was the daughter of a lighthouse keeper’s, lighthouse keeper’s son.

She would tell you stories of fishermen searching for refuge after being lost at sea, helping sea creatures who washed up on the shore back into the ocean, of the importance of the lighthouse. She would also tell you fantastical stories of mermaids or sea monsters to make your childish imagination run wild, and would indulge you when you insisted on going mermaid hunting, though you never found any.

Sometimes, when you were hunkered down in bed, your grandmother pulling your blankets up to your chin, she would tell stories of merfolk. Of how they came to be (although the story kept changing as you gradually became old enough to understand the implications of her words), and of their homes beneath the waves.

You would always listen with wide, attentive eyes, desperately trying not to fall asleep so you could hear more stories of the merfolk. When you did fall asleep, you often dreamed of growing a tail and swimming in the ocean alongside sharks and dolphins.

She also had many treasures she had collected from the shore of the beach. Interesting shells that she would turn into art pieces, like necklaces or picture frames. She would pick up lost wedding rings and search for ages in hopes of finding the owner. She would often find messages in bottles, and she would show each letter to you.

She had left all of her treasures to you, along with the lighthouse, when her age finally caught up to her and she passed away. It was a peaceful passing, and her will was incredibly thorough. There was no question that you would be the new owner of the lighthouse, not your parents, not your cousins, yours.

Three years ago, you moved into the lighthouse, keeping your grandmother’s interior decorating while also adding your own flare. The lighthouse has always been your home, and now you own it. Over the four years that the lighthouse has been in your name, and the three years that you have been living there, you’ve become content.

Content with your new home, and your new job as the lighthouse keeper. It’s not an overwhelming amount of money, but your parents send you money every now and then, and if it’s really necessary, your grandmother left you a frankly immense fortune. The view of the beach and the ocean from your bedroom is beautiful, and you never become bored with your life. So yes, you’re content.

But you are also incredibly lonely. The beach you live on is a quiet one, too small for tourists and too dangerous for surfers. You rarely get visitors, and when you do it’s typically a delivery man or perhaps a tourist wanting a photograph of your light house. All of your friends live ages away from you, and your parents are still travelling the depths of the ocean. The only ones around to keep you company are the pesky seagulls that insist on attempting to steal your lunch.

You have one singular other living breathing creature that keeps your company. Your dog, Guppy, a dopey black labrador that bounds among the sands and snaps her teeth at the waves. You adore the stupid dog, no matter how much of an idiot she is, but unfortunately she can’t speak English. You don’t have anyone to talk to, other than the very occasional calls with your parents.

Sometimes, when you lay awake at night in your bedroom, staring up at the roof, you consider giving the lighthouse up. Perhaps if you moved to the city, or even a town, you would be less mind-numbingly lonely. You could make some friends, send Guppy to a puppy daycare, and maybe get a degree in something you enjoyed.

Every time the thought entered your head, you pushed it away just as quickly. The lighthouse was your entire life. You adored it, and you adored the beach life. You liked helping beached animals or capturing tangled up birds to free them. You would not give up your grandmother’s lighthouse, even if someone offered you a million dollars for it- it was your home.

You just wished that you had some company that wasn’t a dog.

Sometimes, when you were feeling particularly alone, you would imagine someone else living in your lighthouse with you. Sometimes a friend, sometimes a lover- anyone to provide with a listening ear and a chatty mouth. Someone who would play board games with you or curl up next to you on the couch as you watched shitty movies about merfolk or something else that made you laugh.

Sometimes you can’t fight the sting of tears in your eyes as you curl up in your bed, miserably hugging a pillow to your chest and praying that one day, someone would come along and cure your loneliness, removing the depressed, heavy feeling in your chest when you saw people with their friends on social media or hanging out together at your beach.

It’s just.. Miserable. Your grandmother is gone, and your friends are so far away. Your parents are busy with their jobs and you just- you just.. Keep living. Every day, you keep living, looking after the beach and the lighthouse and playing with Guppy. You’re doing the best you can.

But.. god, you wish there was someone, anyone, by your side.

🌊

Fate is a mysterious concept.

Many people believe in some sort of fate- believing in star crossed destinies, manifesting good things, praying to gods, the idea of crystal energy. And some people do not believe in fate, choosing to follow their own pathways in the world.

Perhaps fate exists. Perhaps it does not. But the world works in mysterious ways regardless of whether or not destiny, and prayers, and manifestation work.

Something is changing. The stars are shining brighter and the moon looks fuller. The trees dance and sing in time with the cheerful breeze. The ocean ripples and crashes in on itself, as if it is jumping for joy as it feels the change in the world.

Something is changing.

And the world can only hope that this change is a good one.

------- OCEAN FACTS -------

There is an approximate 5.25 trillion pieces of rubbish/trash currently in our oceans. That is approximately 5243 billion more pieces of trash in the ocean than people on Earth. Please do not litter and add to this astounding number of rubbish within our oceans.

------- OTHER CHAPTERS -------

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Glossary/Pronunication/Info

------- READ ON ao3 -------

RIPTIDE (12134 words) by parasiticsoda Chapters: 5/? Fandom: No Fandom, Original Work, mythology and folklore - Fandom Rating: Explicit Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Original Male Character/Reader, Reader/Everyone, Original Character(s)/Reader Characters: Reader, You, Original Characters, Original Male Character(s) Additional Tags: Drama & Romance, Mermaids, Merfolk, Mermen, Reader-Insert, Original Character(s), Major Original Character(s), Light Angst, Polyamory, Polyamorous Character, Explicit Sexual Content, Human/Monster Romance Summary:

Now, [Name] bonds with these mermen while simultaneously trying to keep their existence hidden from the public. Oh why couldn't he live a normal life for one?

— 𝐦!𝐯𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐱 𝐦!𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 — 𝐦𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬

------- READ ON WATTPAD -------

------- READ ON QUOTEV -------

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cansofsoda · 4 months ago

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i want to do crazy things to this old man bro. CRAZY THINGS. one-hundred-year-old virgin... mhm, oh yeah. can you imagine how sensitive this little loser is? i can. the answer is VERY. if maidservant kim (my queen) doesn't want him i'll take him

#alchemy of souls #master lee #master lee alchemy of souls #lee cheol #lee cheol alchemy of souls

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cansofsoda · 4 months ago

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oh bingge you make me so sad :(

Two times, Luo Binghe?

#svsss #bingqiu #svss fanart #im frothing at the mouth this animation is so yummy i love it #nom nom nom

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cansofsoda · 4 months ago

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grrrrrrr too many good svss imagines on tumblr, want to write too many things

... No, he would be dead before he even said Junshang correctly. So Shen Yuan must... Conquer the Emperor's heart!

...

And one day, Luo Binghe starts to be attacked with stranges gifts.

The gifts keep coming, but they get stranger and stranger each time.

Even silver scales of some demon presented with rubies and diamonds in the embroidery of a... wedding robe??? Exactly being the emperor's measurements????

Being courted was not something Luo Binghe had given much thought to. Now, however, he is being courted by some anonymous person seeking his attention, and Luo Binghe doesn't understand why or how the hell he no longer has his future spouse at his desk, probably leaning on it, so Luo Binghe can lavish his attentions to thanks for every detail.

If it was his turn to be the sweet maiden who is courted and pays with his body and attentions, at that moment, even if he doesn't know who the hell his courter is, Luo Binghe is definitely very interested.

#svsss #svsss au #svsss ideas #mxtx svsss #scum villain's self saving system #scumbag system #bingyuan #luo binghe #shen yuan #original luo binghe

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