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ghouldtime · 6 days

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Ghost'ed

Been thinking about literal Ghost! Ghost. Maybe it's playing too many ghost hunting games or watching too many shows but I cannot stop thinking about it. You also cannot convince me this man wouldn't be a restless spirit. His entire life is troubled and I don't see him going down in a peaceful way or leaving until he feels the job is done - and likely ending up trapped as a result

I wrote this at work so sorry in advance for any typos or slip ups!

💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀

Ghost hunting wasn’t exactly what most people would list in "Top ten relaxing hobbies" - but it's not like you were most people. You were simply you. The same you who thought spending your time speculating about spooky specters was one of the best ways to pass by those few stretches of free time that could be all too fleeting in the hellscape known as adulthood.

The stares that followed you when you announced paranormal investigation as a hobby was something you knew all too well. After all, telling someone you’re a ghost hunter only stood as a slightly more socially acceptable version of telling them you believed in bigfoot (you did, but that’s beside the point). The dozens of cheesy TV shows certainly popularized it but they did little to help with the perception of it.

When the face of popular ghost hunting media was full of grown men who screamed like a squirrel high on helium at every little thump of a house settling, it did little to help what people automatically thought of when they heard of your unique hobby. Plenty still turned their noses up, scoffed slightly as they rolled their eyes and sneered, “Aren’t you too old to be doing that?”

Or worse. They gave a tight-lipped smile, nodded, and crinkled their eyes as they said, "Oh, interesting." While the tension in their body told of holding back laughter or wanting to bolt right on out of there, far far away from you.

Quite frankly, you didn't care what they said anymore as it was your life to live, not theirs. You’d seen enough to know without a fraction of a doubt that there was more beyond the veil of life itself, hiding just out of sight. The hundreds of hours you spent wandering dark hallways and dilapidated ruins with nothing but your flashlight and ghost box proved otherwise. At least it proved it to you.

Proving it to others was a horse of another color. Skeptics who spit their criticism loud enough to deafen even the most positive prevalent of voices in the community were a dime a dozen. Unfortunately, their existence was as certain as the sky is blue. Skepticism was apart of human nature, after all. They would always exist as long as the day and night kept up their eternal dance.

Convincing them was a fruitless effort. You'd sooner be able to convince hippos to fly than you'd convince them of the truth you knew. Trying to get everyone to agree, to acknowledge the paranormal, was hopeless and something you certainly weren't going to waste your life on no matter what they called your or what they said.

As far as you were concerned, being paid to sit in the dark alone and find evidence of life beyond the grimy waters of death itself was a pretty sweet gig. The naysayers could seethe in their own jealousy all they wanted because at the end of the day, you’re getting paid to do what you love. That they never could take away from you.

They'd never be able to have the same thrill that you did as you took on another case, ready to see even more of what the phantasmal realm had to offer.

Anticipation, nervousness, and excitement rolled together in a palpable energy you hid beneath a calmer exterior every time you took a job. There always would be that wonder there, the question of what exactly you might find dangling just out of reach, the hope that maybe, just maybe you might see even more than you already have. Another chance to investigate meant yet another night spent lurking in the shadows, tirelessly trying to find more evidence of the great world beyond the grave and its inhabitants. Tonight certainly would be no different.

An older couple quite reluctantly booked an appointment for a standard investigation after mysterious things that they really could not explain, no matter how they went about it, happened time and time again. They'd tried to ignore it, they said, but it only got worse.

Footsteps that echoed through the house at first in a gentle patter had become confident strides. When they went to look, no one was there. Doors that used to slowly creak open, as if blown by the wind, instead started to rattle the frame with force as they opened or slammed in the middle of the night. The husband looked particularly miffed when he groused about the TV going on at odd hours of the night, while his wife seemed more concerned about the possibility of someone having broken in and the fact that it kept doubling in intensity as time went on. The list went on and on about their complaints ranging from things being moved around to always finding a light turned on in a room in the middle of the night. There most certainly was something going on if all of what they were saying was true.

The glaring parade of red flags that easily would send others running for the hills lured you in. Like a dog with a scent, you weren't going to drop the trail, oh no. You were there to sink your teeth and claws in and not let go. Come hell, heaven, or high water - nothing would stopping you.

True to your title, you were a paranormal investigator which warranted a lot more work and professionalism than the standard ghost hunters you saw on TV who couldn't tell the difference between a gust of wind and a ghost. Your job was to research, conduct a proper paranormal investigation, and provide your evidence - or lack of, if it was truly devoid of haunting. But here hardly sounded like it.

Taking your time and reassuring them that you were, indeed, a professional, you went over all the usual questions with them: when did this start, how old is your house, any history of deaths in it, have you acquired any new items recently, do you have any items that were second hand or antique, any family heirlooms in the house, was it in any particular location, etc etc.

Every angle had to be considered, especially the mundane. Plenty of times, people just had a poorly constructed house, deeply held superstitions, and a touch of paranoia to make for a perfect combination of nothing happening at all. That didn’t seem to be the case here, however. While none of their answers pointed in a clear direction of what it might be, it still all pointed to signs of something unworldly happening. But that's what you were there for. To determine if there actually was a ghost, why it was there, and maybe who it was (if things went well and it felt like cooperating).

You bid them a good night as they headed off with family friends in a beat up convertible, chattering away without a care in the world as if they didn’t have a paranormal parasite problem. At least they were going to go enjoy their night by having an evening out instead of breathing down your neck like some of those who hired you. Locking the door, you trudged in with your gear and began the initial inspection with practiced ease.

A haunting in a house as young and modern as theirs was quite unusual. Open, airy rooms completed with white, sleek, almost eye-hurtingly clean interiors made up the entirety of the house. Even as night crawled higher and higher into the sky, pulling its dark cloak over the land, the house stayed bright. Nothing about it said haunted or caught your eye. The scariest thing there was likely the heating bill.

As far as your research showed, there hadn't been a death in it or on the land. The owners also seemed quite appalled at the idea of antiques (go figure) so that went right out the window, too. Normally there might be some stashed somewhere that they weren't thinking about, like the attic, but this house didn’t even have that. No basement, no attic, no creepy graveyard in the back; it was a normal, suburban house that shouldn’t have anything going on.

Perusing the house at a leisurely pace, you browsed each and every room with a thorough consciousness of finding something, anything, that could possibly have started it. Yet you turned up empty handed. Everything was as pure and alabaster as the marble countertops and the expensive sleek metal furniture.

Oh well, not every job would be easy. And not every haunted house was obligated to look run-down and rustic. Some ghosts just had more upper class tastes - or were unfortunate enough to be stuck in an eyesore like this. Maybe a ghost would add some actual personality to their home...

Seeing as they'd said there wasn't exactly a rhyme or reason as to where things would happen, you decided a central room was your best bet. The living room was open enough for everything and an easy place any spirits could find. It had plenty of room for your equipment and the open layout meant you had a great vantage point for the whole house.

Preparing your gear came as naturally as breathing to you, the tasks you've done dozens of times over were a matter of habit. Moving through the motions was your second nature as you worked, not batting an eye as you checked batteries and strategically stationed your gear. It only took a matter of minutes to have your cameras, light system, motion activated interactable objects, ghost box, and the rest of your fancy gadgets set up all around the room.

Placed on the coffee table was your heaviest piece of equipment - your modified spirit box that you had made some special adjustments to just to make sure your results were as accurate as possible. The broken antenna and attached amp weren't standard, nor were the noise reducers, but they stood as a testament to why you were a professional and why you kept getting called out to different places. You knew how to get results and tuned every tiny thing to your needs. There was no room for error or doubt alike in an already uncertain field.

Double checking everything was ready to go once more once more, you plunged the room into somewhat true darkness as you drew the curtains shut and pressed the button on the spirit box, causing it to crackle to life. Speeding through the static of radio stations, it scanned the many frequencies in a blur, far too fast for any natural noise to come through. The whirring of it evened out into a constant, muffled background noise that you’d spent countless hours listening to. Its familiar hum lulled you into a relaxed state, your heart as steady as your calm breaths despite the slight buzz of familiar adrenaline you always felt when you first started. A small beep signaled the successful activation of the digital thermometer as you walked around in a slow, even pace, checking all around.

Taking a deep breath, you began as you always had. In a confident, but even tone you called out, “Is there anyone with me right now?”

....

........

Silence.

The static of the spirit box continued to filter through in its usual constant churning hum of white noise. Typical. Many supernatural beings wouldn't want to interact, especially not at first. You don't blame them. If a stranger barged into your house and demanded if you were there, pestering you with questions as threw their belongings around, you'd not want to answer them either. That wasn’t even considering that many were so unused to people hearing them or trying to talk to them, not at them. They didn't exactly register on the same frequency that humans did most of the time.

Walking around the room, your boots echoed on the tile flooring. Your footsteps ricocheted off of the high ceilings, amplified by the lofty ceiling and wonderful acoustics this house apparently had. Keeping your attention ever shifting, you kept alert for signs of anything happening. Looking too long in the dark and expecting things to happen would only yield false results and cause paranoia. You knew far better than to do that.

Nothing lit up, nothing beeped, nothing changed. There was conclusively nothing happening for the first few, long minutes as everything kept at an unwavering constant. Visiting each room, you rechecked their temperatures and tried to find anything amiss or out of place. Yet all seemed well, still, and normal.

Only when you crossed the hallway back into the living room after a quick visit to the bedrooms did your hair stand on end. A chill ran down your spine, the once warm air now holding the barest bite of cold on the edge. Holding up the thermometer, you narrowed your eyes at the steady decrease. While it wasn't quite freezing, it kept dropping and dropping. Numbers ticked lower and lower, your hair stood further on end as a small shiver ran through you as the chill dipped lower and lower. Bingo. First sign of activity of the night. It wasn’t much but it was plenty to know that something was happening here.

Despite the crisp chill, nothing else shifted in the room. Silence prevailed behind the distant drone of your equipment; mainly the comforting, steady typical static of the spirit box. Even the appliances seemed to have gone quiet, exchanging their usual low thrumming rhythm for a break that suspended them in a noiseless limbo.

Your shifting movements echoed far louder than you would have liked as you paced around the room, looking for something new, anything. An actual tangible reaction you could record would be just what you needed but so far, the haunt was holding out. “What is your name?” You asked, keeping your voice as steady as you can as you tried to switch it up.

Continual feedback from the spirit box sounded as steady as can be. Still, there was no voice trying to get through it. The fabricated noise reigned supreme as it did its job, whirring away. Pressing your lips into a thin line, the smallest hint of a frown tugged at your lips as disappointment flickered through you. Okay, that's fine. It usually took a few tries anyways.

A faint, sparkling crackle escaped from it as you heard one, tiny word in a rumbling timbre. One, single word that halted you mid step, your head snapping towards the machine.

“Ghost.”

Doing a double take, a grin split across your face as your heart jumped with joy. A response! A true, actual response. Not that it exactly answered your question but it meant something was listening.

There was something here!

Nearly tripping over your own feet, you scampered over to your beloved machine. Your eyes fixated on the glowing orange screen, gleaming with glee.

“W-what’s your name?” You repeat a bit louder unable to hide the excited tremble in your voice or hands, figuring the ghost likely didn't hear you right.

Static white noise continued for a few seconds, the little x in the corner flashed once, twice, before it lit up solidly.

“Ghost.”

The smile you held dropped only for a fraction of a second before you cleared your throat. Well, maybe your slight stutter and excitement got in the way. You did talk fast when excited, after all. Taking a deep breath, undeterred as can be, you repeated in a far steadier voice, “What is your name?”

This time you made sure to enunciate every single syllable, speaking clear and confidently into the air.

One flashing X glowed in the corner of the screen. Another flash. A third. Fourth. Fifth.

Yet again, the deep voice came a bit louder and rougher this time. A thick Mancunian accent that barely picked up through the filter didn't dull the single word you were trying to avoid, “Ghost.”

Okay. Your brows furrowed deeper, your nose wrinkling slightly as your heart sank. The minor disappointment couldn't be kept off of your face as you really had hoped to hear something else. Approach one clearly isn't working.

Maybe he didn't speak English. Or maybe he wasn't sure that he was dead. Whatever. There was a ghost and he was answering, that's what mattered, you reminded yourself forcefully until the smile came back to your face and the smallest bit of a headache dissipated. Focus on that. Not on the slight annoyance you felt and the agitated twitch of your fingers.

Exhaling, you pursed your lips. Your grip retightened on your flashlight as you racked through questions in your mind, trying to find something that it would have to answer differently too.

“Can you do something?”

Hopeful, your eyes trailed around the room, praying that maybe the ghost would do something like interact with the many objects scattered about, or even the motion sensors.

Nothing happened for a few long moments, silence once again prevailing in the otherwise empty house.

Orange light flashed from the spirit box as the X lit up again, only for a second before the dreaded word repeated itself.

“Ghost.”

Before you could ask what that even meant, or curse it out for that matter, the spirit box and your flashlight shut off, plunging you into true darkness. The flashlight nearly flew from your hands in surprise as you flinched instinctually, your heart leaping into your throat. Frantically flickering the button of your trusty tool did nothing as you desperately tried to turn on your one source of light with the only way you knew how - only to be met with the continual sight of empty, non-shining bulbs.

Curses spilled from your lips in all the languages you knew as you fumbled for a battery pack, only to find them missing. What? But you swore that they were right there -- ugh, nevermind. This just wasn't going to be your night.

The initial panic subsided as the chill left the air, the residual regular warmth of the house sinking into the room as if blown in by a lazy breeze. Your hair still stood on end as you walked around with cautious, hesitant steps, having given up on the flashlight. There wasn't coming back from that.

It's only when you approached the spirit box, trying to turn it on to no avail, that you realized what he meant. You asked him to do something and he obliged.

He ghosted you.

God fucking damn it.

As you glared at the air in frustration, threw your hands up and personally cursed the fiend, you could've sworn you heard a resonating chuckle behind you as breath brushed against the nape of your neck in a way that sent shivers down your spine for a whole new reason.

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one-flower-one-sword · 6 months

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Sending virtual hugs! 🌸

I’m wondering about your thoughts on Xie Lian and how he views Hua Cheng and the Gambling Den.

He expressed to Hua Cheng his concerns about how dangerous it is, and let it go when he understood that he and Hua Cheng have differing views on the matter.

It makes me wonder how things would have unfolded if the man who gambled to have his competitors die or give his daughter’s life and marriage if he lost, had been able to complete his bet without interruption. Like how much is Hua Cheng involved in something like that?

Would that man simply have walked away with the luck he needed to get what he wanted? I can’t see Hua Cheng actively hunting down and killing those people.

But I can see him allowing the man the luck needed to make his desires come true - so not actively engaging but not interfering with the man’s terrible decisions - kind of like with how he dealt with He Xuan.

I’m not completely sold on that thought though…😅 your thoughts?

Thank you! 🌸

And thank you for your ask! I love talking about Ghost City :3

I've thought about similar things regarding the Gambler's Den, but ultimately, I think it's on purpose that we don't find out for sure and are left to wonder. Especially since, at this point in the story, both the reader and Xie Lian are still slowly uncovering who Hua Cheng is as a person.

When we look at this scene after everything is revealed, I think it's quite clear from the mockingly derisive way he talks to him that Hua Cheng did not like that guy, and I wonder if he would even have taken that second bet if Xie Lian and the others hadn't been there - he seems to have a pretty good understanding of Lang Qianqiu's character when be talks about him with Xie Lian later, so I can see him use that second bet as a lure to make Lang Qianqiu cause a commotion. Because then Hua Cheng gets to "discover" that Xie Lian and the others are there, which means he has a reason to invite Xie Lian to Paradise Manor, which is necessary to make that whole "have them rescue 'Ming Yi' so that He Xuan's cover isn't blown" plan work.

As an aside, though of course Hua Cheng is always happy when he gets to spend time with Xie Lian, I think he must have deeply hated deceiving him like this. It speaks to how much he values his arrangement with He Xuan and how vital the information He Xuan provides is to him - which is proven when right after this, the whole Fang Xin reveal happens. Without He Xuan monitoring what's happening in heaven and relaying the information to him, Hua Cheng wouldn't have known that Xie Lian got locked inside his palace and couldn't have come to rescue him.

Back to the topic at hand though. I think it's worth looking at the actual dialog when Xie Lian and Hua Cheng discuss the den because there's so much in there:

After some hesitation, Xie Lian spoke up again. "San Lang, it may be out of line for me, but I still have to say it. That Gambler's Den of yours is incredibly dangerous. Won't it blow up in your face one day?"

A place that allowed the betting of sons and daughters and people's lives, granting wishes for others' sudden deaths - it was dreadfully sinful. Never mind a little brawl; if one day the bets got out of hand, the Heavenly Realm wouldn't be able to stay on the sidelines.

Hua Cheng gave him a look.

"Your Highness, did you ask Lang Qianqiu why he had to jump into that mess?"

Xie Lian was slightly taken aback, not quite understanding the intent of the question.

Hua Cheng continued, "I bet he must have told you that if he didn't do it, no one else would."

He was amazingly on the mark, obviously having seen through Lang Qianqiu.

"That's indeed what he said." Xie Lian admitted.

"Then I'm the complete opposite," Hua Cheng said. "If I don't control a place like this, then someone else will. I'd rather that person be me."

Xie Lian knew when to back down, and he nodded. "I understand."

It seemed, although Hua Cheng was the sentimental sort, he also cared more about control and power than Xie Lian realized.

It's fascinating that it we look at what Xie Lian actually says and thinks here, what he mainly seems to be worried about is what would happen to Hua Cheng and his friendship with Hua Cheng should Jun Wu be given reason to actively start going against him. Which is also what Xie Lian worries about during this entire mission - what will happen if it turns out Hua Cheng is involved with a heavenly official's disappearance and heaven retaliates, what will happen if he's not involved and Xie Lian has destroyed their friendship by deceiving him. It doesn't matter to Xie Lian that Hua Cheng is a Ghost King and that they're technically on opposite sides - he's decided based on his own experiences and judgment that Hua Cheng is a good person and a good friend, and he's already at this point very protective of him. Especially since he's not unaware that the heavenly realm in general and Jun Wu in particular do not share his opinion on Hua Cheng, and the political implications thereof:

Jun Wu turned around. "Tell me, what kind of extraordinary character did you engage with when you descended this time?"

Xie Lian raised his hand. "My Lord, I swear I did nothing. Just, one day by chance, I encountered an interesting young man on the road, and we spent some time together. I didn't think much of it."

Ju Wu nodded. "Chance encounter, young man, Supreme Ghost King. Xianle, surely you are aware what the consequences would be if Ming Guang was to question you further and you confessed to this in front of the other officials? No one would believe you."

"Xianle knows," Xie Lian replied woefully. "So, I'm grateful for My Lord's timely intervention. My Lord, you're not actually going to interrogate me, are you? I wouldn't collude with the Ghost Realm. These are absurd concerns."

"Naturally, I know you would not intentionally collude with the Ghost Realm," Jun Wu said.

"I'm grateful for My Lord's trust," Xie Lian replied.

Xie Lian is definitely stretching the truth here with the "I didn't think much of it" part, given that by the end of his investigation in Banyue, he damn well knew that the "interesting young man" was Supreme Ghost King Hua Cheng, and then he kept spending time with him regardless. He's very careful about protecting their friendship by downplaying it and being vague, and further than that, he's very careful about protecting Hua Cheng. We've already seen this earlier when Pei Ming was interrogating him - Xie Lian even pretended not to know who that "red-clothed young man" was because he rightfully deduced that Pei Ming would try to use Hua Cheng as a scapegoat to get Xiao Pei off the hook. Then when Pei Ming does try to pin the whole thing on Hua Cheng, Xie Lian immediately speaks up in his defense:

"General Pei, let's keep things clear and separate. Let's not talk about whether the young man I traveled with was Hua Cheng or not. At the very least, even if he was indeed Hua Cheng, that has nothing to do with what General Pei Junior has done. A Supreme Ghost King might have the worst possible name on people's tongues, but not everything can be blamed on him."

I find it very telling that the reason Xie Lian is being so carefully vague is less so he himself won't get into trouble and more that he's very aware that if Hua Cheng gets wrongfully accused, no one will question it simply because of who and what Hua Cheng is. And it's that kind of injustice and prejudice that Xie Lian will always stand up against. At this point he still completely trusts Jun Wu, but when it comes to Hua Cheng, Xie Lian not only disagrees but actively disobeys, though he's careful about how much of that he shows in front of Jun Wu:

Jun Wu shook his head. "I should not comment on the friends you make, but I will say this: Be careful of Hua Cheng."

Hearing this, Xie Lian bowed his head slightly, keeping his eyes down and saying nothing. He should've responded with "Yes, My Lord," as he should have been able to say yes with ease by that point. Yet, for some reason, he really didn't want to say that particular "yes".

Hua Cheng likewise also understands his and Xie Lian's respective positions and is careful not to endanger Xie Lian. Like here, when he explains why he put up somewhat of an act of not knowing Xie Lian because there were other heavenly officials present:

"Since gege is here, why not come in? We haven't been apart for that long, so don't be a stranger to San Lang."

At his beckoning, Xie Lian let down the beaded curtain. "Earlier in the Gambler's Den, it was San Lang who pretended not to recognize me."

Hua Cheng approached and stopped at Xie Lian's side. "Lang Qianqiu was there too, so if I didn't put on an act, I'd be giving gege trouble."

Or here when he's content to be accused of having maliciously kidnapped Xie Lian if that means Xie Lian won't be suspected of resisting his arrest and made to look guilty:

Xie Lian finally understood. Shi Qingxuan could see that Hua Cheng had no ill intent, but on the surface, they had to pretend that Hua Cheng had only barged into the Heavens to collect his due. It would prevent gossip from those how might suggest that Xie Lian had maliciously and intentionally absconded. Hua Cheng understood Shi Qingxuan's intent and had played along. However, Xie Lian didn't want to go this route.

"All right, stop acting. He only came to the Heavens to save me. San Lang had good intentions, so why conceal them?"

Hua Cheng does this to protect Xie Lian, but Xie Lian likewise wants to protect him. This has ended up quite long-winded, but I wanted to look for more evidence of why I think that Xie Lian mainly brought up the Gambler's Den because he's worried that the bets could end up endangering Hua Cheng himself.

Hua Cheng sincerely thanks Xie Lian for his concern, but makes it clear that he doesn’t quite agree, and I think it's worth looking into why that is.

I've seen Hua Cheng be described as completely amoral by fans, but I don't think that's how the text actually portrays him. He certainly can be quite critical and cynical with his views on both humans and gods, but his reasoning for establishing and keeping the den isn't "I don't care what happens there" or "I want places like this to exist for my own gain". He is, at least from his perspective and based on his experiences, simply being grimly realistic about how if he forbids these kinds of bets, the people who want to conduct them will simply move underground and do their gambling in secret. So not only will these bets happen either way, someone else will eventually take control of such a place, and Hua Cheng doesn't trust that such a person wouldn't take advantage of it.

Hua Cheng isn't amoral, he just has his own perspective on morality and justice. He's also not passive and uncaring in the face of what he perceives as wrong and unjust, but he doesn't really talk about that openly unless prompted. Like here during the Black Water arc, when they discuss the scroll with (supposedly) the names of victims of the Reverend of Empty Words:

Xie Lian turned to Hua Cheng. "San Lang, you said it's full of outrageous mistakes. How so?"

Hua Cheng scooted over to him, they were now sitting much closer than before. Hua Cheng pointed at a few names. "These are wrong."

Xie Lian looked at the names closely; all of them were known to be lawless, malevolently evil tyrants. "How do you know?"

"Because I killed them," Hua Cheng said.

Hua Cheng deeply hates people who abuse the power they wield, to the point that he personally acts against them. I think this ties in well with his reasoning about the Gambler's Den. I don't think there's anything in the text that suggests Xie Lian is upset to realize that Hua Cheng cares more about power and control than he'd thought, just surprised - until he comes to Ghost City, Xie Lian has mostly been around the very laid-back "San Lang", and this is the first time he's encountered Hua Cheng in his own territory, where he's a Ghost King ruling over the largest settlement within the ghost realm.

Also Xie Lian doesn't know this yet, but given everything we later learn about Hua Cheng's past, I think it's quite obvious that Hua Cheng's preoccupation with the power and control he wields, as well as his contempt for those who abuse theirs, is rooted deeply in the trauma he's gone through. Control in particular is a huge thing for him for several reasons, one of the main ones being that as a child, he was repeatedly punished for things outside his control, and he internalized that pattern to the point where he now punishes himself for things outside his control, as is shown repeatedly when he decides he's failed Xie Lian in some way. But I'm going to go into more detail about this in my Hua Cheng + trauma responses meta.

Lastly, I think it's important to keep in mind that the text makes clear that even when Xie Lian and Hua Cheng disagree, rather than a point of conflict it's actually proof of how strong and healthy their relationship is. I've sometimes seen fans (not you) portray their relationship as Xie Lian being irritated with Hua Cheng's attitude towards others, having him either be somewhat grudgingly resigned to it or actively trying to change Hua Cheng's behavior. But when we actually look at the text, we realize that nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, the opposite is the case - Xie Lian is incredibly protective of him and repeatedly gets defensive when others judge and blame Hua Cheng. I'm gonna examine that in more detail in my hualian meta though, so for now, I hope this turned out a satisfying answer!

#answered asks #silver-cyn #hua cheng #xie lian #hualian #ghost city

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idontcaboose · 8 months

Text

Dp x Shazam/Dc prompt

Danny is now ghost king after the reborn 7 deadly sins caused the world to be

A) destroyed, causing Danny to universe hop

B) scarred, only amity is destroyed/forgotten. where Danny went to live in the Infinite Realms only to come back years/decades/centuries later to enjoy the living realm again

The sins are back, and Danny feels obligated to keep what happened last time from happening again. At least he has the Champion of Magic to assist this time.

Disclaimer: I know that the Shazam comics have the sins as a regular rogue, but not what they do or how they are portrayed. Just woke up from a weird dream, and this prompt hit me like a truck.

For those who want to use my sleep addled thoughts on the Sins Danny faced for maximum angst, here you go:

Let me know your thoughts on who would be who, Dp or Shazam/DC world.

Maddie Fenton - Pride

Pretty self-explanatory, Maddie was always proud of what she did, even when it obviously was detrimental to others.

Jack Fenton - Sloth / Pride

Jack could be either, another half of Maddie or as Sloth. Sloth in the way all of the inventions either never worked or never worked right. He never took the time to make anything correctly or safely. By taking shortcuts or planning just enough to make it functional (and most of the time, not even that) makes me feel Sloth would work for him.

Vlad - Envy

This one is also pretty self-explanatory, he envies the Fentons for having what he does not. We have all seen the extremes he wnt to for that. *side eyes Dan and Dani*

Sam - Greed

Sam wants to be needed, noticed, and validated. She got Danny killed for a picture and did it again when she wished for her not to know them and realised she was a 'nobody' without Danny. For all she is against corporate greed, greed does not always mean monetary wealth. She is greedy for any attention and has gone to extreme lengths to gain it.

Jazz - Gluttony

Jazz, much like Sam, wants validation and attention, but her way is more wanting to feast on family ties. She craves for any attention she can garner from her parents and Danny. I feel the saying "A glutton for punishment" fits Jazz a little too well for her to not be an aspect of gluttony. Gluttony does not always mean food.

Dani - Lust

LUST DOES NOT ALWAYS MEAN SEX.

Now that the PSA is out of the way, Dani is defined by the word Wonderlust. She lusts after the life she never got to live, and is willing to leave the people who helped her to chase that dream.

Dan - Wrath

I feel this one is also pretty self-explanatory. Dan destroyed the entire planet in his rage. If that isn't the textbook definition, then I will eat my hat.

Now, I know I left Tucker and Valerie out of the list, but if I had to replace or choose a sin for each:

Tucker - Sloth / Pride

Tucker does good and is helpful, but he is rarely the one spearheading anything. He usually has to have either Danny or Sam push him into action, and even then, it is met with grumbled annoyance. I feel like Jack is a better Sloth.

Tucker has his vision of himself and isn't afraid to show it, even if it makes others uncomfortable. A lot of times where Tucker instigates a problem, it's because he is overconfident in his vision, and being a reincarnation did not help with that. Yet, again this feels a little weak compared to Maddie, but I don't feel like Tucker would represent any other sins to detrimental levels.

Valerie - Pride / Wrath

Valerie, before and after she became the Red Huntress, had always been prideful. To the point where after she fell off the A-lister pedestal, she hunted down the one responsible with extreme prejudice. She would kill for that back and went to the extreme to do so. As with Tucker, I don't feel like Valerie truly fits like the others above.

#dp x dc #dp x shazam #dpxdc #I woke up at 3am with this #Why is this in my brain #I just imagine the flashbacks Danny gets with his PTSD from this #Sorry for this Danny #my first prompt

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gmanwhore · 1 month

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I am. Sooooo normal about these guys rn so all of my Nightmare Mode characters backstories! (+ One of my OCs)

TW for child abuse, child experimentation (Lilith and Anazareth), gross imagery including worms (Nyogtha), mentions of sexualization of a minor (for Yan Luo), parent death (for Bryn), self harm as manipulation (Abducius) and grievous injuries to children (for Teutates)

Xezbet: Xezbet was once a human, back in medieval times. He often dressed up as a monk to swindle people out of their money, or to hide from authorities. Once people started catching wind of what he was doing, some people stared a rumour that he was a devil worshipper, but he was really just some guy. He was eventually executed for trying to cheat a knight out of his money. His ghost wandered for thousands of years before he managed to sneak into the Palace of the Nightmares and he just lives here now.

Drugia: Drugia started out her existence in hell with no knowledge of where she came from. She left very quickly, almost immediately starting by causing nightmares in young children, challenging herself to create more disturbing and concerning dreams, driving people to insanity. She ended up joining the Nightmares so she could relax, and not have to worry about anyone attempting to hunt her down. It is widely speculated that she is one of Ishtar's children, but she doesn't know.

Exael and Barbatos: Both of them started out as bounty hunters and assassins, making money and getting shelter in exchange for capturing or killing targets. Barbatos obviously did most of the tracking while traps and dispatching was up to Exael. Neither of them take pleasure in their jobs, but there is a sense of pride there. They both ended up becoming indebted to the King of Death and made to stay at the Palace of Nightmares.

Abducius: Abducius says he was born a human, and while that is technically the truth there is far more to the story. He's truly a poltergeist that took over someone else's body. He's always desperate for attention and to have eyes on him, hence the horrific ways he has mutilated himself and others. He attests he used to be a circus performer, someone who swallowed swords and juggled fire. Really, he worked in a textile factory making machines. He died in a workplace accident, but since no one remembered him, that angered him. Hence his nature as a ghost.

Lilith and Anazareth: Lilith and Anazareth are two parts of the same soul, just given different bodies. Lilith's body was originally empty, the soul inside it killed by the twins parents (who were also both witches) so it could house their second daughter. Really, they only split their daughter in two to prove they could. Lilith and Anazareth grew up knowing everything about each other, and they still do. Neither of them were actually...people to their parents. Since they were children their parents used them as lab rats for their new spells, or to test the limits of their bodies, minds and souls. All of their magical knowledge came from their parents.

Chaugnar: Chaugnar was born in a far different place than he later was summoned to. He was actually rather average where he lived, having a base knowledge of how to connect to the spirit world but as he wasn't an oracle or priestess he had to use his own forms of divination. Still, this was supported by his parents because any connection to any other realm was sacred and important. Later in his adulthood he was summoned to the Palace of the Nightmares by Anazareth to help them forge their "circuit".

Nyogtha: Nyogtha was a corpse up until about fifty years ago when a group of worms infested her body and began to move it. She doesn't remember her life alive because...she's the worms now. The worms have always been worms. Just very smart worms. They keep their body preserved with...I actually don't know, they probably got someone to enchant the body.

Zoth: Zoth was born to a noble family within the Court of Death (Yan Luo's family's court), and this was expected to take on his father's role from a young age. He has trained to be a ritual guide his whole life, and he does a damned good job of it. He can recite any chant needed from memory, he can direct a whole ceremony by himself and perform every single role. This came at the expense of really any friends, so he took any companionship he could get when he got older. He holds no grudge against his parents but I think he should. There is a reason he wears a collar.

Shub: Shub was born from the ground eons ago, back in the days when humans were gaining sentience. She is tied to their knowledge and wisdom. Many people regard her as the snake in the Garden of Eden, but according to her that didn't happen, she just happened to see a human and talked to her for a bit and helped start the beginning of humanity's thirst to know. She's also been the one to keep humanity humble. For every innovation, Shub will cause a drought and wipe put fertile crop land. For every step forward, Shub will make their fruit rot on the vine to remind them they are at nature's mercy. She loves her job though, and is actually the founding member of the Horsemen entirely because of her purpose in life.

Yog: Yog is the son of a fairy queen, a merry god of death, and a demon. He lived in his mother's kingdom for years but realized he didn't fit in with his brothers and moved to the Palace of the Nightmares. He just kinda lives there now.

Quachil: Quachil and her parents were cast out of heaven after her parents were found causing pain and suffering to mortals. Her parents fell all the way to the pits of hell, but Quachil somehow managed to land right in he middle of the courtyard to the Palace of the Nightmares. She was found by Ishtar who was with Yog at the time, and they both adopted her. Once Ishtar tried to divorce Yog, however, Yan Luo removed Ishtar's custody rights out of spite meaning Quachil had to live with her father. She prefers not to talk about that experience. She eventually does go back to live with her mother, though.

Yan Luo: Yan Luo was the only child of the King of Death. He was expecting a son and was very displeased to see Yan Luo born a woman. Her early life was full of learning how to one day be a queen, and that her life was to be dedicated to finding a husband and having a child first, then being a cold and controlling ruler. As she grew, her father's constant comments about her made her grow to detest her body and how it looked, and cause her to see her role as a curse. Once she ascended to the title of Princess of Death (the Palace of the Nightmares and being a Horseman has always been seen as a training ritual for the Wang Diyu family) she realized just how inexperienced and put of her depth she was compared to the other Horsemen, which caused her to lash out. He is getting better though.

Orcus: Orcus was just summoned one day. He's also a ghost like Abducius is, and he steals people's bodies. He also just straight up steals people's skin. He doesn't remember his life and a human and he doesn't care.

Ishtar: Ishtar was also born out of the ground a few months after Shub. She acts as a partner to Shub, helping her cause famines to keep the humans in check as well as creating new illnesses and types of creatures at torment them. She delights in creation, of course. A new illness means a new cure, a new romantic poem about a love one passing away dramatically...each pest a new source of innovation, a new story born from how bad they want to be rid of them. She doesn't have Shub's disdain for human vices, however, in fact she often partakes in them. Ishtar loves to play. She has also had many, many, many children...but hasn't been able to keep a single one as each disappears from her womb before birth. This sadness usually causes her to make a new species of insect or strain of illness.

Teutates: Teutates was born for the battlefield. The second he could walk his father had him in a uniform, training with soldiers much bigger than him. His mother attempted to take him away, but Ah Puch kidnapped him back so he could continue training. By his teen years he could take down a full grown man and was a general in his father's army. He didn't like the gruelling training and the pressure he was under, but he felt he had no other choice. He began wearing his gas mask and uniform all the time after his father forced him into a battlefield wearing nothing but civilian clothes and a mine activated in front of him, burning up most of the front of his body. After this, Ah Puch began getting her "pets" (usually dopples) to keep her company. This started a cycle during her horseman days where she would get a new pet in spring and by fall accidentally kill it during her rage blindness.

Ah Puch: Despite saying he loved leading an army, he got tired of it pretty much as soon as he became a Horseman. He's actually the only Horseman to not have a parent who was one or just have been one from the start. Really, he had worked his way up the ranks in the army before the former War took a shine to him and basically put Ah Puch under his protection, affording him all the best he could offer before his retirement. Ah Puch then realized war was not as fun when you aren't being praised for every single thing you do, so as soon as he had a child he began training the kid to take his place so he could retire a hero.

Dagda: Dagda was Yan Luo's first attempt at having a child. She made his body, then had Xezbet put a soul into him. She then realized after he woke up for the first time she really didn't want a child, so put him in a field to "guard" and sort of...left him there. Since he had just come into existence he didn't try and follow her, thinking this was a normal thing, and he was a scarecrow after all! Eventually Shub was out and brought him back, and Izanami offered to let him live with her. He now holds a bit of a grudge against Yan Luo, but normally doesn't talk to her.

Izanami: Izanami died years and years ago after her husband poisoned her so she wouldn't find out he was cheating on her. She then turned around and ripped off his face when he was sleeping. She has a dedication to warping the faces of liars so everyone knows what they are. She was eventually summoned by Anazareth completely accidentally, and decided that the Palace of the Nightmares is not a bad place to live, so she stayed.

Bryn: Bryn is a doppleganger, and dopplegangers in the Nightmare Realm are a species of mammal that can steal people's appearances. The Nightmares regard them as pests who eat humans they could be using for rituals or their own food. Dopples also live in colonies, though these ones are much smaller than in the real world. Bryn lived in a colony with his mother when it was raided, and his entire colony killed. He was only spared because he can't run out of blood, so he was given to Yog as a pet. He lived with Yog and later Abducius and Zoth as well for years before Teutates kind of stole him.

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gilbirda · 2 years

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Ok so what about a Indiana Jones kind of Jazz?

After a decade or so ghost king Danny and the rest of team phantom successfully manage bring some real order and stability to the ghost zone. That is when Jazz begins to feel out of place. Almost her entire life has been dedicated to looking out for and raising Danny but he has outgrown her. She is proud of him but it still leaves her feeling lonely as Sam and Tucker were always Danny's friends and she really didn't have close friends of her own.

Jazz decides to try and focus on her mortal life and gets a doctorate maybe even becoming a professor. It is personally fulfilling but she still feels empty and adrift now that she has to live for herself and not focus on raising and helping Danny.

So, hoping to feel helpful and useful once again she starts to hunt down ghostly artifacts in the mortal realm and returns them to the ghost zone. Her time off from teaching is spent traveling the world finding and liberating these lost ghostly artifacts.

Cue her crossing paths with the outlaws during one of her Indiana Jones adventures. Maybe the all caste or untitled had something from the infinite realms which causes Jason and the outlaws to encounter her. She seems nice but really a university professor shouldn't be meddling with these things as it is too dangerous.

Jason and the others after seeing Jazz use her liminal strength and amazon fighting abilities (thank you pandora) to wipe the floor with a bunch of baddies: "So you're a teacher?"

Jazz with her sunshine smile and laugh: "Part time."

Also imagine them all being bruised and battered facing some great big intimidating final boss kind of entity and Jazz just lets out an exhausted sigh and shoots it with an ecto-weapon that immediately sends it back to the GZ without a fight.

Huh I feel like I kinda got carried away with this lol

Anyway just Jazz eventually finding a place to call home with the outlaws. Just a group of friends that love each other (romantic or platonic) and do their best to help each other through life

First of all, I have to confess I've never seen a Indiana Jones movie. It's ingrained in pop culture enough that I can follow this post, so we cool.

I've seen some "artifact recovery" plotline going around and I love it!!!

Honestly It tracks that maybe Jazz started because her brother was in danger or something, maybe a dangerous royal relic was stolen and she was the closest and she had the skills to do it.

And then she likes it a bit too much? Accidental adventure turns into her passion!

I love the Outlaws! I'm weak to Roy and Kory version, so I'll go with them.

They would clash SO MUCH! Both parties insisting that they got it, they don't need help, the other don't know the forces they are dealing with-

And BAM!

Forced to work together! (I'm also weak to meet ugly hehe)

They see Jazz body slam someone and charge with a shield or something and Roy looks at Jason and says "Maybe we DO need an amazon in the team?" and Jazz like "What the hell are you talking about? I'm not an Amazon, I'm a professor."

Kory: "I thought professors were stuffy old men with a big belly?"

Jazz: "Sadly, you have just described my boss."

jjsjsjsjjs I LOVE THIS.

Found family shenanigans, maybe OT4 (I'm WEAK), they are just---- I love them.

Thanks for the ask!!!

#gil answers #danny phantom #batman dc #dp x dc #dpxdc #dc x dp #dp crossover #the outlaws

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illarian-rambling · 3 months

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I heard ghost ship in space and came running :)

So I’m not 100% certain how your cast fits into the ghost ship unless I’m vastly misunderstanding what you mean by ghost ship but I’m here to ask questions all the same because I love characters. Here goes:

I’m going to assume at least some of the characters are either from or end up forming a spaceship crew (feel free to ignore this if not) so I’m curious what roles they end up playing (like who’s the captain, the mechanic, the helm officer, etc)? What ways do they suit those roles and what ways do they really not suit those roles?

What’s their goal? Do they all agree on it? I feel like going out into the death void that is Illarian space isn’t something you do unless you have a plan of what you want

How do they react to the unique challenges of space? Like I love space, but the tiny living quarters, lack of natural light or nature of any kind, spending time in a small environment with the same five people, rationing, knowledge that any minor damage to your ship could kill you… it’s not for the faint of heart. Are they used to it? How do they cope (or not)?

I hope some of these help the brainstorming :)

This helps so much, thank you!

So, by ghost ship, I mean the characters for this are gonna be ghosts. Essentially, the vague idea is that some mages on Illaros found out that there's this 'mysterious wall' at the edge of their solar system, and they want to launch a ship into space to check it out while also investigating some of the other planets along the way because yay first space travel! However, technology hasn't progressed to space suit level. The ship is actually just a wooden ship with a runic engine that they're teleporting into space via a teleportation rune etched on basically a manhole cover they managed to launch up there by putting it on top of a well with a bomb at the bottom. They know they don't have the means for survival up there, so what do they do? They go to a Chosen priest and ask them to summon up some ghosts.

At this point, the gods have a vested interest in this mission. A few ghosts might be small enough to slip past End unnoticed and find out if there's anything else in the universe. But they don't want to give up their best and brightest on what's likely a suicide mission, so they pick some screw-ups with a few skills to send instead, promising them a better place in the afterlife should they succeed. Some divine magic allows the ghosts to be bound to the ship and off the mission goes!

The thing about all these fuckers being dead though, is that they don't need a lot of traditional ship stuff. Especially since it's a magic ship that mostly flies by itself. I've got five crew members planned out, each with a role.

Faalgun Falani is the captain. He was a renowned Flying City pilot until his gambling addiction got him fired and eventually beaten to death. He's an uptight sort who tries to adhere to a code of honor, even though he often slips up. Out of all of the crew, he knows the most about space and the other planets, as the Flying City travels between planets frequently. I think he really wants to get into his religion's heaven to prove that he's not a total failure. Maybe he's got family or a lover there too? Who knows!

Nyda Burningrock is an astronomer who died about 400 years before the story takes place. She's Nabafyrian and has a bit of a complex about not being an adept fighter in such a martial culture, despite her rough and tumble nature. She was actually the first to theorize that the 'stars' move under their own power more than what's accounted for by gravity and the rotation of the planet, and she found a way to predict those movements, but unfortunately, she didn't write anything down or cite any sources. Her end came when she decided to travel to the realm of the Fair Folk to observe the sky there. She lasted about 15 minutes before getting hunted for sport by a fae lord.

Kaulakri Placeholdersurname is gonna be a sort of foil for Nyda, I think. She's a halawemavish selkie and the ship's cartographer, as well as a natural historian. She has beef with Nyda because mapmakers have been trying to replicate Nyda's method of predicting the unpredictable movements of Illari stars for centuries, but again, Nyda wrote literally nothing down. Kaulakri, on the other hand, writes everything down. She's neat and orderly and unfortunately wasn't able to get her comprehensive map of the world's ocean currents organized in time before she died of a random stomach bug.

Pashananath (Pash for short) is the ship's negotiator, for if they encounter any life beyond the wall of End. He's one of the Fair Folk and grew up in the Hive (a vast compound city ruled by a powerful fae demigod). His Contribution (an important concept for fae) was music. He was quite the musician, but due to his faculty for languages, he also worked as a honeytongue - essentially a smooth-talker/jester for hire in Fair Folk society. He died very young for one of the Fair Folk when another fae decided to kill him for playing a pitchy song. Pash isn't too mad about this (fae morals are weird), even if the rest of the crew things he should be.

And finally, there's Anarac. The scientists didn't ask for him, but the gods sent him anyways. No one knows what his specialty is because he never talks. He's the longest dead out of all of them and is one of the extinct Araunian people.

With such a cast, I'm hoping there'll be a good deal of tension. I don't think they actually know much about End (besides Anarac), except that the Chosen who summoned them said it's dangerous, so they arent worried about it nearly as much as they should be. I'm hoping that Nyda and Kaulakri can have a fun rivalry, while Pash might be the son figure Anarac needs, and leading these people to success will help Faalgun stop thinking he's a failure.

I'll probably structure it more episodically, with fun stuff happening at each planet they stop to explore. I have no idea what's gonna happen when they reach End's blockade, but I guess I can figure that out later. I think the main environmental problem for a ship full of dead people would be that if they get too far from the ship, they start to lose their ability to stay corporeal, then they just fade away.

Lmk if you have any more questions or suggestions! I think this really helped me with getting things straight in my mind, so thanks a ton <3

#writing #writerscommunity #writblr #my ocs #new wip who dis

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mermaidchan05 · 7 months

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Vesuvia Weekly: "We're going to Disney World!"

(Insert "When You Wish Upon a Star" audio here)

I guess this one kinda looks like the "explaining our world to the M6" prompt if you squint?

Yeah I don't know how to explain the real world to people in the real world, so... imagine a scenario where the M6 has somehow been transported to our world, and then introduced to movies. And upon being introduced to Disney movies specifically, clearly the next step is a trip to Disney World. Here's some headcanon bullets for how I think a trip with the four main LI's I write for and their loves would go!

Julian (and Damian)

Julian is living.

Seriously this is one of the best days of his life.

He knows theater magic, and he just stepped onto the world's biggest interactive stage.

It's extra magical with Damian there.

Thanks to Damian (who is a gamer at heart), Julian now knows as much about computers as he possibly can, so “this ride goes this way because of a computer command” makes perfect sense to him and it is wonderful.

He was very nervous about going on the Haunted Mansion at first, and if he had just gone unprepared he would have hated it. But he had Damian by his side, and Damian has all the behind-the-scenes information. He’s talking Julian through every single trick and story concept, and it is fascinating.

Julian is entranced by the Pepper’s Ghost effect now and he’s going to try it out the second he gets home.

Get this man on Pirates of the Caribbean, stat!

Julian sees Flynn Rider in the parade and starts rambling about whether or not he could pull off a part like that.

(oh no now everyone is going to be introduced to the idea of cosplay...)

Asra (and Meleia)

Best day of their life Part 2: Electric Boogaloo

Asra practically needs one of those child leash backpacks he is looking at everything.

There is so much to see and so much to do and everything is beautiful and fascinating and you walk down the street and end up in an entirely different world...

It's practically as fun as exploring the Magical Realms. And here he has sights and activities and food that he's never even dreamed of.

But the best part for him is just reveling in Meleia’s joy.

Meleia loves Disney. She loves Disney World. And she adores sharing all of her favorite rides and shows and restaurants with Asra.

And Asra loves seeing her so happy. The two of them are basically wrapped up in an endless feedback loop of childlike wonder and whimsy and it’s incredible.

While they see the benefit of skipping the lines, Asra can also thoroughly enjoy just interacting with all the fun queues. Catch them almost stalling the line to spot every single one of Tinkerbell’s hiding spots and play with his own shadow in the Peter Pan’s Flight queue.

(Since it's his favorite Disney movie according to the og devs) Asra absolutely goes on a hunt for every single possible piece of Emperor’s New Groove merchandise he can find. Comes out with a surprising amount of it despite no one else actually seeing anything. Where did this come from, Asra?

Collects those little plushies with magnets that can sit on your shoulder. Has a new Shoulder Buddy for every day of the trip.

Nadia (featuring a brief appearence by Portia and Chimalus)

Nadia is the Ultimate Planner

She loves puzzles, she knows all about how to organize people, and the gang just dropped the world’s biggest organization puzzle right in front of her.

She is on it.

There’s a long list of things that everyone wants to see? And they have a limited time to do it all? No problem.

She did the research. She found the best possible times to get everything done. And now she has a color-coded schedule, complete with contingency plans.

She could have just done one of those fancy VIP tour things, but this is much more fun.

She knows exactly how to Navigate the parks despite never being there before.

Disney World has a gift shop practically around every corner. This is the perfect place to spoil all of her friends.

She will find a way to secretly buy things for everyone. Sometimes even while they are all exploring the same store.

Gets the perfect fancy dining reservations.

Absolutely sets aside time for people to break off into smaller groups.

Since she knows that Chimalus doesn't do loud noises, and Portia desperately wants to see the fireworks, Nadia would absolutely book one of those fancy Dinner and Fireworks experiences where you can admire the show from a safer distance while also enjoying delicious food.

She makes several mental notes for the next Masquerade. New goal: Outdo Disney. If anyone can pull it off, it's Nadia.

Portia (featuring a brief mention of Chimalus)

One might think Portia would be the second person you’d want to give a child leash-backpack to, but no.

She’s not going anywhere without "dragging" as many people alongside her as she can.

In a beautiful world where the original Fastpass system is still in place (because it was scientifically proven to be the Best One) Portia is the one running to the kiosks to get The Perfect Fastpass.

This girl has never been on a trip like this, but she has still somehow mastered the art of the Disney World Mom Bag.

Ponchos for the rain? In there. Bandaids? Covered. Snacks and water bottles? Oh, absolutely.

She even brought ear protection for Chimalus, so nothing could stop them from enjoying every experience.

Absolutely cries over the fireworks.

She has also discovered the joy of a camera. She will find time to take the best possible pictures of everyone, and no one knows how she pulls it off.

For Portia, this isn’t just a place where all those fun new movies she’s just learned about comes to life, it’s the place where some of her favorite childhood stories are actually real. And she loves it.

Has about a million ideas for writing her own books when she gets home. Chimalus highly encourages this and can't wait to read what she comes up with.

#vesuvia weekly #educate the m6 #(okay only kinda sorta but still maybe it counts lol)#fun with headcanons #finally my knowledge of disney world comes in handy lol

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jiangwanyinscatmom · 1 year

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So I was reading this manhwa 'who made me a princess', idk if you know about it so brief description of it is a modern girl transmigrated into a book after her death, and its a princess who is disliked by her emperor/king? (forgot title) father and was eventually executed, anyway what i was trying to get at is that to show how terrible the father was there was entire scene where he killed all the concubines in cold blood after his wife's death (in webcomic there is no reason or readdressing of this fact afterwards, idk about the novel) so some of the fans were discussing that to show he changed as the comic was trying to portray, how powerful it would have been if he bowed down in front of those he killed, if he at least tried to make up for it. And idk looking at that discussion made me think if an attempt at post canon jiang cheng redemption (idk man maybe jiang yanlis ghost came to haunt him or some other reason where he tries i guess, maybe an older jin ling who is now stable in his position as the jin leader is the one who breakdowns and yells how much of a murderer/blood jiang cheng has of innocents on his hands after being approached by some poor family member of someone jiang cheng killed, the person is an old grandmother who asks 'my grandson was taken by sect leader jiang as a disciple he hasnt been back since, i hope he is well' and poor woman doesnt know the kids been tortured and killed and so jin ling says unless you apologize to them, unless you at least try to face your actions, dont call me your nephew again/i wont call you my uncle) jin ling (and just to be safe he tells wei wuxian all about the dates when they are going in case something goes wrong cause he trusts wei wuxian to help if things go south with jiang cheng) goes with him to prevent jiang cheng from lashing out if the families dont want to do shit with him, and to make sure he tells the truth of it and maybe its a finally wake up call for jiang cheng, because any time he even thinks of blaming wei wuxian he remembers how much of a clown he is ALA the temple scene and has no other choice but to face his actions if he wants to keep a relationship with jin ling. What are your thoughts on it?

I do think, in regards to Jin Ling and Jiang Cheng's relationship, his love for his nephew is to show that it isn't too late to show in actions, his own dedication to someone. Admittedly, I do not think Jin Ling has the heart to disown or think his uncle is a monster, as many do reasonably view him as readers. As he had said with his narration:

Somehow, there didn’t seem to be anyone he could blame or anyone he could hate. Wei Wuxian, Jin Guangyao, Wen Ning—he should hold every one of them responsible for his parents’ deaths. He had good reason to loathe each of them. But they all seemed like they’d had their reasons, and it left him unable to hate them.

But if he didn’t hate them, who could he hate? Had he deserved to lose both parents at such a young age? Was this how he would be forced to live—unable to seek revenge on his enemies, but also unable to loathe them without qualms?

He couldn’t take this lying down. He couldn’t help but feel aggrieved. How he yearned to perish with them and be done with it!

For many I don't think they see as Jiang Cheng being served enough of his own retribution. But not all of it is always putting someone in the worst possible situations to be reaped. The world of "demonic cultivation" is the realm of Xue Yang, not of Wei Wuxian, and is something that has been in underground existence even before Wei Wuxian. But don't know if Jin Ling would technically by these stories, as everyone has their reasons. It's about the healing over anything else that he eventually tries to grow with and become less ignorant through. This is already seen as he chooses night hunts with Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji mentoring with no mention of Jiang Cheng kicking up a fuss. It is a very small thing, but small things are all that can be used to achieve a better world and life. Jin Ling, I feel at least, does not want anything to do with further condemnation that will only cycle a hate that will not be satisfied unless you as a person decide to move on from it.

Jin Ling does know what his uncle is like, horribleness and all, but, love is also trying to stay with them and having the fortitude to stay with that person to hope they can be for the better. Jiang Cheng, will never be kind or fully capable of initiating remorse, but his actions are enough for Jin Ling to comfortably and finally be allowed to flourish, without the weight of self-doubt. Support, in that, is really what Jin Ling needs over wanting further condemnations for those that he loves and cares for.

A lesson ironically learned from Wei Wuxian a man he stated to hate so much, yet learned to love.

#mdzs #mo dao zu shi #jin ling #the end of the book is meant for healing and care #a turn of what made the characters that grew up in condemnation and rumors dealt with #the younger generation has the chance to choose to let that go #forgiveness and support is always harder to offer than retributions

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libraryofxaviersring · 3 months

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Last Reads of June

Full Review below ✨

𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐂𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐑𝐨𝐬𝐞 by Rebecca Zanetti

Information is power, and those who control it live like gods. In my world, billionaires play deadly games of insult and influence where magic is the dirtiest weapon of all. Here, even a powerful princess can be swallowed by the darkest of shadows . . . My name is Alana Beaumont, and due to a recent tragedy, I’m the sole heir to Aquarius Social, a family business being systematically dismantled by an unseen enemy. My father’s solution is to give me in marriage and create a coalition with a competing family, so I’m torn between my thirst for revenge and my duty. Now I just have a week to finish my hunt before the wedding. There’s nothing like an assassination attempt to cut short the best of plans—even worse is my unwanted rescue by Thorn Beathach, the Beast whose social media empire is driving Aquarius under. The richest, most ruthless of them all, he protects his realm with an iron rule: no one sees his face. When he shows himself to me, I know he’ll never let me go. Adam may think he can lock me in his castle forever, but I’m not the docile Beauty he expects. If the Beast wants to tie me up, I’m going to take pleasure from every minute of it . . .and we’ll just see who ends up shackled.

Release Date: June 25, 2024 Date Read and Review (Goodreads): June 24, 2024

Ratings: 2⭐

I'm definitely excited and hoping to like this novel, considering a mutual of mine in booksta did enjoy this novel, so it added to my expectations.

I'm not gonna lie, the first half was enjoyable, the writing really gave this thrilling and suspenseful kind of atmosphere in my opinion so I was hoping that the momentum would continue in the later chapters until the end.

However, it didn’t turn out like that. It ended up quite dragging and flat for me. The characters became tedious, and I really didn't like the developments going on, especially the romance. This is another case of trope and concept that's not executed well, in my opinion.

Overall, it did quite fall flat for me. I was really hoping that it wouldn't turn out like that.

Thank you, Headline Eternal and author Rebecca Zanetti, for the e-arc opportunity.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫 by Marni Mann

A scorching hot, he-falls-first, touch-her-and-die, billionaire romance from USA Today best-selling author Marni Mann … The first time I saw her, I wanted her. The second time I saw her, I knew she had to be mine. Beautiful blonde hair. Cornflower-blue eyes. Body to die for. All things I knew I couldn’t live without. But after one night, she ghosted me, leaving me desperate for another taste. I was usually the one to walk out the door before the morning light came. This time, it was her, but not without becoming my obsession in the process. Lily was a mystery. She had a past shrouded in secrets she was unwilling to divulge. She was running from something, and I was determined to find out what it was. And once I did, I’d do anything to protect her. They called me the sinner for a reason. Because I wouldn’t hesitate to burn down the world or cross any line to save her.

Release Date: June 27, 2024 Date Read: June 23, 2024 Date Reviewed (Goodreads): July 2, 2024

This is my first time reading from the author and I would say I had my expectations quite set a little bit high considering there's a bunch of 5 and 4⭐️ ratings so I'm quite excited about it.

The synopsis, although not to my liking on how it was presented, piqued my interest. I'm quite drawn to the obsessive and touch her and die trope so you see, once again, I had expectations.

Long story short, it felt flat. I don't mind a love at first sight or lust at first sight trope as long as it's written well, but unfortunately, the writing here wasn't something or something that endeared me.

It was pretty disappointing, considering the plot really had potential if just the writing did execute well and utilises the trope in a better light as well as the characters.

Overall, I didn't like it. I really wanted to like this, but I just couldn't.

Thank you, Valentines Pr and author Marni Mann, for the e-arc opportunity ♡

A Dream of Blood and Magic by Olivia Boothe

DNF at 55% 1.5⭐️

Don't get me wrong, the premise sounds intriguing, and I had high hopes for it. But it was just so boring for me. I couldn't take another page from it, and it feels like I will be in a slump if I forced it.

Thank you, Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the e-arc opportunity.

You Belong With Me by Mhairi McFarlene

1.5 ⭐️

I knew I should have just DNF this, but my guilt and conscience is so strong since I just DNFed a book.

Long story short, the novel is EMPTY AND EXCRUCIATINGLY PAINFUL TO READ.

The characters aren't likeable at all. I couldn't connect to them and the romance.

The concept is waste, and I feel like the author jusy wrote this for the sake of writing without passion because that's what I feel when reading this.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the e-arc opportunity.

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#the sinner #one cursed rose #arc review #netgalleyarcs #romance books #jlreadsreviews #book reviews #booklr #bibliophile #booksbooksbooks #book blog #bookish #bookworm #new books #new release #romance novel #summer romance

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honestmouse20 · 1 year

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Random ninjago hcs, go!

Mistake isn't dead! she was badly injured in her fight with Garmadon in Hunted but used Oni trickery (shapeshifting) to assume a new identity deep within the city. The only person who knows she's still alive is Lloyd. He found her on accident while walking down the street and was able to sense that it was her

more of an Au but I hc that either just after the Garmadon comics or Just before Crystalized, Garmadon was sent back in time to just after he died in Possession. Mostly it was the universe or FSM showing him his son and how much he needed him/loved him. But the kicker was that he could only watch. He was like a ghost. No one could see or hear him so he just watched Lloyd go through All the Posession shit and how much he'd missed Sensei Garmadon. It's the inciting incident that makes Garmadon go to Vinny and try to learn how to be good again

Kai absolutly has a scrapbook/photo album that he's always working on. It's massive and one of the ones where you can add more and more pages to. It's filled with photos and keepsakes of the team. He started a little after Lloyd was aged up by putting the first pictures they took together as a team into the album. But now it's huge and there may or may not be tear tracks on some of Nya's pictures bc he'd flip through them after Seabound (He thinks the other ninja don't know about it but they all do and they think it's super sweet)

Lloyd can sing! He's actually pretty good and he loves a lot of the same music as Cole. So they'll put music on sometimes and just jam out. The first time he started singing really loud in the car the others just stopped and stared bc they had no idea he was so good at it. Nowdays (DR) he's Always humming and singing to hismelf to pass the time and as a way to remember the members of his family they still havn't found

more on Garmadon bc he's my favorite sorry

While he was imprisoned in the Cursed Realm, he was able to sort of extend his senses and watch over Lloyd. He saw everything that was happening but was unable to help. It's probably only possible bc of his father being FSM and shit but it's a super useful thing bc it helps pass the time yk. He Knows he's going to spend eternity in there; you don't die in the Cursed Realm. You just turn into a ghost once you're relased. So he knew he would never get to live again. But he was okay with that bc his son was OKAY and happy and protected by his friends.

But then Morro shows up and I bet the reason Garmadon is the ony one fully chained rather than just in a little cell like Chen and Clouse, is because he raised absolute Hell to try and get to Lloyd. And he nearly Did. He nearly became the first person to escape on his own. But the Preimenent caught on and nearly destroyed him before she chained him so tightly that he could never escape. She made sure he was too weak to put up a fight liek that again. Tho i think if given a few months Garmadon would have been able to escape. Thats why he looks Like That when Lloyd sees him at the end of Possession

Garmadon also Knew that the Preimenent was going to be destroyed and was actually at peace when he went to the Departed Realm.

A part of him (the good part) remained in that realm for a long time, even after Harumi brought back the Oni part of him. But through time and his Oni part's hard work, he's slowly beginnign to re-merge his seperate selves. It's not really a conscious thing but it is happening.

#ninjago #d rambles #i can expand on all of these if you guys want #i just wanted ot put out some of my favorite hcs bc yee

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josnhoes · 1 year

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Aunty, I like hearing from you because I like you, alright? Anyways, I never watched Danny phantom growing up. My parents thought it was demonic... but yeah. I'm happy it brings you joy. What is the series even about? Sincerely, a wolf.

The series focuses on Danny Fenton a boy who has Ghost hunting mad scientist for parents. His parents built a portal into the 'ghost dimension' (also known as the infinite realms) but the portal doesn't work.

Danny's friends Sam (goth girl social activist and ultra recycled vegetarian) and Tucker (tech nerd who is a carnivor) want to explore the parent's lab (which is in the basement of Danny's home) and while doing so see the portal. Sam convinces Danny to go into the inactive portal and pose for a picture.

While in the portal he trips on some wires and hits the internal on button and the portal activates with him inside. Which essentially kills Danny. But due to the flood of ectoplasm rather then staying dead he comes back. He is now half Ghost, something they call a halfa (dumb name I know) and with it comes a bunch of powers and a ghost form he can take at anytime. It's Danny but inverted colors.

Now that the portal is working a bunch of Ghost start slipping out of it into the mortal plane and after they attack his friends Danny takes it upon himself to become a ghost hunting vigilante with a catch and release into the ghost zone policy.

The show focuses on Danny and his friends lives as Danny learns to control his powers, juggle his school life, family life, and trying to keep his vigilante self secret. Which is a struggle because his parents are unknowingly hunting him in his other form. While most of their inventions don't work on occasionally they make something that does; those things *can* hurt him. But he can usually manage safely with the help of his friends and later his older sister who stumbles on the secret.

The show is a lot of shenanigans and as the series continues gets more complex. Like when the government issues an anti-eco acts (all Ghost and ghost like being Aka liminals are classified as not human and to be hunted down and experimented on) and an introduction of the ghost investigation ward. Or as everyone calls them the guys in white. Because they wear full white suits and act like the men in black rip offs. Though MiB doesn't exist there.

He also has a cast of regularly returning villains, some of which slowly kinda become friends but still fight him and cause chaos.

Then there is Vlad Masters which is a *huge* plot point that I can expand on but the tldr is he was friends with Danny's parents in collage and a smaller but similar accident happened to him as Dany just not as serious. He's obsessed with Danny's mom (Maddie) and hates his Dad (Jack) and plans to steal Maddie from Jack. But he plans on using Fanny and Jaz to do is by winning them over. The fact he too is a halfa is revealed and he and Danny fight. Vlad becomes obsessed with the idea of becoming Danny's new father for a few reasons: they are the only two beings like them to exist, scorn Jack, and with Danny's help win his mother and sister over. When Danny refuses he starts trying to kill Jack and Danny struggles to fight him off and again keep his identity a secret.

Meanwhile Danny's parents have *no* clue about what Vlad is thinking, planning, and doing so they continue to treat him like a close family friend. Much to Danny's pain.

There is sooo much more but those are some of the major plot points which is impressive for such a short series.

#wolfanon

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n1kolaiz · 3 years

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The Six Realms

Okay, so I was pretty close to giving up on writing analyses but I'm back LMFAO plus I see we're close to 100 followers and I just want to thank you guys for being so very supportive <3

Alright, I'm not sure if anyone's ever written about this, but if an analysis like this exists, please do let me know because I'm kind of curious as to what other people think about this, too!

Remember that time Fukuchi spoke about bringing "about the five signs of an angel's death"?

I read a little bit more about it, and as a minor content warning: this analysis will focus on a few religious aspects (Buddhism + Hinduism). So if I get any of the facts wrong, firstly: I do not mean any disrespect to either religion, and secondly: please do correct me if I interpret anything in the wrong way.

Spoilers for BSD chapter 90 onwards + BEAST!AU under the cut!

So I'll start by talking about the Decay of Angels. As we all know, the members include Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Nikolai Gogol, Sigma, and Bram Stoker, and their leader, Fukuchi Ochi. After Fyodor's arrest, the Decay of Angels came into light with Nikolai murdering four government officials in a week. These murders symbolise the Buddhist cycle of existence, or otherwise known as samsara: the cycle of life, death, and rebirth.

"We are the Decay of Angels—hiding here as terrorists, a 'murder association', five people who will announce the demise of the celestial world."

Nikolai Gogol, chapter 57

Samsara is described to be a concept beyond human understanding. According to Hinduism, samsara is the physical world where every being has its soul trapped into a physical vessel. The Hindus believe that everything has a soul, and due to a soul's attachment to desire, it is forced into a deathless cycle of being born, dying, and reincarnating into a different body. In Buddhism, the ultimate way to break free from this cycle is by obtaining nirvana.

Nirvana is a Sanskrit word for the goal of the Buddhist path: enlightenment or awakening. In Pali, the language of some of the earliest Buddhist texts, the word is nibbana; in both languages it means "extinction" (like a lamp or flame) or "cessation." It refers to the extinction of greed, ill will, and delusion in the mind, the three poisons that perpetuate suffering. Nirvana is what the Buddha achieved on the night of his enlightenment: he became completely free from the three poisons. Everything he taught for the rest of his life was aimed at helping others to arrive at that same freedom.

- TRICYCLE'S definition of nirvana

As Fukuchi mentions in the panel above, there are six different realms of existence. These realms represent every possible state of existence, but one cannot live in a specific realm forever. Depending on whether or not one's past actions were morally good or bad, an individual is born into one of these realms. Basically, the controlling factor of which realm a person is born into is dependent on their respective karma. The realms are separated into two categories: the hellish ones and the heavenly ones.

The Deva Realm: where beings are rewarded for the good deeds they have done. This realm is void of anything unpleasant. It is basically paradise— empty of unfulfilled desires, any form of suffering, and fears of every kind. Religious individuals, however, do not seek to be born into this realm since its attitude is more or less carefree.

The Asura Realm: where demigods are admitted. Asuras are driven by greed and envy, and may come in conflict with human beings since they are quite similar. They are powerful beings, but quarrel with each other quite a bit, making this realm quite undesirable to be reborn into.

The Animal Realm: where beings are given the form of an animal (you probably guessed that lol). Individuals here don't actually have good karma to take pride in, but rather, they are born into this realm to work off their bad karma (by being slaughtered, hunted, or forced to work, etc). Being born into this realm forces one to atone for their past sins by living out their life as an animal.

The Hell Realm: where one is punished for their evil actions. The most merciless of realms, where one pays for their transgressions through pure suffering, methods of which include: dismemberment, starvation, and psychological/physical torture. However, once a person's term is fulfilled in this realm, they are presumably promised to be reborn into a higher state.

The Preta Realm: similar to the hell realm, in which beings pay for their past sins (specifically: greed and stinginess) by having to survive through hunger and thirst. This realm is also known as the 'ghost realm,' because some pretas are psychologically tortured by being forced to live in places their past selves have lived in. They are invisible to human beings living at that time, which pushes them to face the depths of despair and loneliness. Your typical horror movie, really.

The Human Realm: the only realm where one's actions determine their future. The status (social ranking, physical wellbeing, and so on) of a human being in this realm is determined by their past actions, but due to the fact that a person has their own conscience to differentiate good morals from bad, the actions they commit in this realm have the power to determine which realm they are sent to next.

Okay, so now that I've got that out of the way, let's shift our focus to the Book. Very little is known about the Book, but the basic fundamentals of how it works is that whatever is written in the book will come into existence only if its contents follow the rules of karma. In addition to that, only a few sentences can be written into a single page of the Book, and it must follow the current narrative of the story.

If I'm not wrong, the first time the Book was mentioned was by Fitzgerald, who wanted it to resurrect his deceased daughter in hopes of restoring his wife's mental health. The next time the Book is brought up is when Fyodor's intentions to possess it are divulged; his goal was to decimate the global population of ability-users. And now, the current arc has the Book as its central focus, with a single page in Fukuchi's possession.

[ BEAST!AU spoilers ]

The Book acts as the central point of multiverses, with each character's lives differing from universe to universe.

Dazai committing suicide in this alternate universe stands in sharp contrast with how he decided to start up a new life in the main universe.

Oda staying alive to act as a mentor to Akutagawa in the ADA differs from how Oda uses his death to prompt Dazai to "be on the side that saves people."

And of course, the way Atsushi and Akutagawa have their positions switched in the two universes depicts how different their lives would be if they were given the chance to be mentored by different people— these are just a few examples of how the Book houses an endless amount of possibilities.

[ end of BEAST!AU spoilers ]

Hypothetically speaking, this kind of reminds me of the differing realms I mentioned before, where suffering is promised in some realms, and better things are granted in the rest, depending on one's karma, or the deeds they've done in their past lives. In this scenario, perhaps one's past life can be understood as one's current life in a different universe. That's just a personal opinion though. Take it as you will.

side note: Keep in mind that the person who is more or less impervious to the Book's effect is Dazai, with his nullification ability. I wouldn't want to propose any theories in this aspect (I don't believe I'm fully fact-checked ;_;), but I could use Dazai as a raw example of how your choices affect your future. If Dazai had decided to stay in the Port Mafia after Oda's death, or if he even decided to go through with his suicidal fixations, life would've been different for him in the root universe (obviously, ryley) I mean, you could basically understand that from how he ended up in the BEAST au, but imagine if he really did slip up in his decision-making in any of the universes.

Many analysts have proposed that he went MIA (early in his life) from the main universe for a while to figure out how the BEAST universe worked, whilst having the Book to his advantage. Perhaps his actions were guided? I'm not saying he's all-knowing, but he's sure as hell smart. I'm not sure if Kafka was trying to highlight the concept of karma when it comes to Dazai, but if he is, then I suppose you could say that Dazai is pretty much unaffected by the rules of karma, existing as the centerpiece of all the multiverses. No Longer Human is the namesake of his ability, but the book talks about disqualification from societal norms and generally, the world. I was talking about it with a friend, and they reminded me that Yozo (the main protagonist) was pretty strong in his views against society. Like he didn't speak out of total defeat, he spoke out of defense. If there was anything Dazai actually lost to, it was his guilt— "Living itself is a source of sin."

Then again, that's my personal interpretation since everyone has their unique perspective of his writings. In terms of the actual adaptation, you could translate the word 'disqualification' to 'insusceptibilty' when if it came to the Book's effects on Dazai? This side note is becoming really long lmao anyways I'll link a few theories which afflicted me with brainrot down below.

Another thing before I wrap up, the name 'Decay of Angels' stemmed from Yukio Mishima's book entitled 'The Decay of An Angel.' This is the final novel to the author's tetralogy: 'The Sea of Fertility.' The main protagonist, Honda, meets a person he believes to be a reincarnation of his friend, Kiyoaki, who takes the form of a young teenage boy named Tōru. The last novel of this series enhances Mishima's dominant themes of the series as a whole:

the decay of courtly tradition in Japan

the essence and value of Buddhist philosophy and aesthetics

Mishima’s apocalyptic vision of the modern era

Again, this could be referred to what Fukuchi goes on to say:

Some people view the concept of samsara optimistically, justifying it by saying that perhaps each individual is given a second (third, fourth, fifth, who knows) chance to refine their actions in order to be birthed into a better realm, with their karma being the independent variable.

On the other hand, other people, specifically the Hindus, view the cycle of existence as some sort of plague. To them, the flow of life and being forced to endure the suffering of mere existence in any form was somewhat frowned down upon. Some Hindus viewed samsara as a trap. Besides, having one's soul being limited to a physical body for the rest of eternity was not very appealing, especially since where they ended up at depended on the karmic value their past actions surmounted.

Even so, particular types of Buddhists don't seek nirvana, but instead, like the Hindus, they make an effort to be good people of society, building up their good deeds to increase the likelihood of being reborn into one of the better realms.

As mentioned before, the Deva Realm was the home of angels, the most carefree, gratified beings to exist. Fukuchi describes these angels as the people who don't get their hands dirty, the people who act as the puppeteers of society: politicians.

In terms of parallels, angels were the most fortunate and powerful, but they didn't have anyone ruling over them. A lack of supervision would lead to the abuse of power, which is what I believe Fukuchi was referring to. Deeming himself the Decay of Angels, he sought to prove himself as the 'sign of death that falls on the nation's greed.'

A few fun facts (okay, not really) about Yukio Mishima: he committed seppuku (ritual suicide by disembowelment) on the day he held a speech to voice out his unpopular political beliefs to the public. Mishima deeply treasured traditions and opposed the modern mindset the nation was advancing forward to adapt eventually. In his last book, The Decay of an Angel, he spoke about the five signs which complete the death of an angel:

Here are the five greater signs: the once-immaculate robes are soiled, the flowers in the flowery crown fade and fall, sweat pours from the armpits, a fetid stench envelops the body, the angel is no longer happy in its proper place.

The Decay of an Angel, p.53

The reviews about this series I've read so far describe Mishima's works to be quite complex; his writings demanded a lot of time to deconstruct and understand. They were highly symbolic, and he was pretty obsessed with death and the 'spiritual barrenness of the modern world.' I think you could attach a few strings from here to the mindsets of the DOA members. Of course, this parallel is completely abstract, but I'll go on rambling anyway:

He should have armed them with the foreknowledge that would keep them from flinging themselves after their destinies, take away their wings, keep them from soaring, make them march in step with the crowd. The world does not approve of flying. Wings are dangerous weapons. They invite self-destruction before they can be used. If he had brought Isao to terms with the fools, then he could have pretended that he knew nothing of wings.

The Decay of an Angel, p.113

I suppose you could resonate Nikolai with that excerpt. As much as Fukuchi takes the lead in this whole murder association, I'd like to believe that each member of the DOA plays an equally interesting part in whatever movement they're trying to execute. Fyodor feels it is his god-sent purpose to cleanse the world of its sins, his motto being, "Let the hand of God guide you." Sigma doesn't know where he belongs, since his origination comes from a page in the Book, and is fueled by the desperation to find a reason to live. Bram holds one of the most powerful abilities which is counted to be one of the "Top Ten Calamities to Destroy the World."

What I mean to say is that the DOA members are incredibly powerful, and they're not your ordinary antagonists (or I'm just biased). It's not just overthrowing authorities, mass genocide, and world domination— you could say that each individual is trying to utilize their purposes to their fullest expenditures, and the way they're trying to assert their plan into action is a little more passive-aggressive (framing the Agency, having a convo with a suicidal dude in jail, etc). They're the gray area between evil and good. As they framed the good guys for their own crimes, they're trying to conquer the bad guys for exploiting the innocent as they please.

This post would definitely age well if all hell breaks loose in the current arc (as if it didn't) and Kafka doesn't give us a happy ending.

That's all I have to say for now I guess! Thank you for reading, and once again, if anyone else something they wanna share, feel free to do so <3

sources (tryna follow Q's example ^_^) :

the six realms

samsara

the decay of angels

beast!au

the book

the sea of fertility

yukio mishima

theory: dazai’s emotional/mental state in beast!au

q’s theory: dazai being the protector of the book

theory: beast!dazai and the book

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canismaxim-games · 2 years

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So what is ro reaction towards mc who become blood thirsty and the only thing in his mind is pack who killed his kid suffer worst way possible The kind killing them is mercy

OOO very interesting :3c because the world is not made of black and white choices, and a lot of the RO's live in a morally grey area The Detective:

The detective saw the case notes, saw the pictures of the crime scene, so when MC reveals that they only want the pack killed, to suffer in the worst way possible, Detective can't blame them. They may not agree with it internally, but they're not going to stop MC. The detective would turn a blind eye, only asking MC to be discreet about it... not that the RPD would actually care. When supernatural's end up dead... the cases tend to go cold faster than dipping something in liquid nitrogen.

The Hunter:

Hunter is all for making those bastards pay. In their home realm, if someone murders someone you're close to, you have full right to enact revenge, an eye for an eye after all. It's why they're a bounty hunter in the mortal plane. There are monsters among men and supernaturals alike, monsters that need to be *taken care of*. Honestly, they'd offer to help track the pack down, set up elaborate traps, even tranq the pack members and take them somewhere very secluded for MC. Their only request is that MC keeps the bloodthirst for those who truly deserve it.

The Burglar:

The burglar is not new to bloodthirst and revenge, they may not have had the urge in a while, but they aren't unfamiliar to it. They'd use their contacts and resources to help track the pack down one by one, offering to MC to invite said member to their club so MC could have an uninterrupted *chat* with them. After all, their club is meant for people to have their fair share of blood, their employees will spray the room down afterwards no questions asked. The Burglar would also comfort mc afterwards if needed, assuring them that they did the right thing, that no one else was looking for those bastards so MC was only doing what they needed to, to make sure justice was enacted.

The Loner:

They feel like they don't have a right to comment on what MC does in this situation. After all, it would be hypocritical if they told MC to not act on their instincts. They wouldn't think less of MC though, they understand more than most. They know all too well the pain of losing everything, how the flames of revenge will consume you if you do nothing to control them... The most they might say is, "It... may not be as fulfilling as you think... just be careful MC. Please..."

The Ghost:

The ghost has to stay away from emotions like that personally. If they allow themself to feed into the flames of revenge and anger they risk turning into a poltergeist, and they're terrified of that. They would apologize to mc about not being able to help them track the pack down. They've seen the nightmares, how MC wakes up pale and clammy, the tears that stain their cheeks as they call for a child no longer there. Ghost doesn't agree with needless killing, but they can't find it in themself to be mad at an MC who wants their revenge. They just hope that this revenge might calm MC's nightmares down and not make new ones for them to relive every night...

Your Spouse:

Spouse would smile sadly upon seeing MC seething for revenge, for the taste of blood from those who killed their child, and place their hand on MC's shoulder, "Surely you're not going to leave me out of this hunt?" Their own wolfish instincts have been craving justice, revenge against those that almost took everything from them. They may not deal the final blow, but lets just say they need to vent some anger.

#werewolf noir #werewolf noir asks #werewolf noir ros

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arrow-ace · 2 years

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wait omg give us a rundown on all your AUs they all look incredibly intriguing

Omg hello 👀

I'll try to keep these synopses fairly brief since their's so many but I hope they're enough to peak your interest. Also under the cut so I don't bother anyone randomly scrolling:

→ Covenheads Shipkids AU : What it says on the tin. It follows the local boiling Isles equivalent of a beauty pageant kid who grew up and lost her fame - Satine Vernworth - and how she and her friends cause chaos around the castle.

→ Silver Rebel AU : Luz goes full robin hood mode and becomes a parallel/rival to the Golden Guard - complete with black cape, blue accents and silvery grey mask

→ One Gold Survivor AU : The Grimwalker before Hunter survived by pretending to be dead and sneaking out of the pit of failures. He's been hiding in the shadows for years, but is has no choice but to reveal himself when an injury forces him to ask for help, shenanigans ensue

→ Belos' Circus AU : Belos is a clown, literally and figuratively. That's it that's the au. (Not really but still)

→ [generic corruption au name here] AU : What it says on the tin, get ready for inky black sludge, zombie apocalypse tropes and soul-crushing angst

→ Grim Walking Ghosts AU : Hunter discovers that he's being haunted — by an army of ghosts who look exactly like him. Very inspired by BBC's Ghosrs if you've ever seen that

→ The Owl Planet AU : Sci-fi themed AU - Luz stumbles onto a space pod being controlled by a tiny mechanical owl after it stole her favourite novel about a girl who gets abducted by aliens, and the rest is history.

→ A Weeping Heart AU : Huntlow hanahaki AU bc I hate myself </3 based on the fact that weeping willow tree flowers are pretty. Also changed around some of the hanahaki lore bc the original is a bit ick imo

→ One Realm AU : Au inspired by The Incredibles lol, witches are supers and Belos is jealous little shit.

→ Detective Luz is on the case! AU : Based entirely on my love for detective novels and the mlp episode Rarity Investigates. Eda is being framed for crimes against the emperor, and while she's definitely commited a whole lot of other crimes, Luz is determined to prove that she's innocent from this particular one.

→ Obligatory Warrior Cats AU, Obligatory Wings of Fire AU, Hunger Games crack taken seriously AU : I'm just gonna group these three together because they're quite similar. Angst, violent, and cool lore stuff galore

→ Phillip's TimeLoop AU : In an attempt to get back home, Belos gets himself stuck living the same day over and over (the day Luz comes to the Isles) and the Collector is the only other person who's aware this is happening. Will having all the time in the world force Belos to become a better person, or will he double down on his evil ways in the mundanity and insanity?

→ Obligatory Avian AU : Witches have wings and that's about it. Inspired by that one Barbie movie with the fairies and suprisingly realistic depiction of disability until the end.

→ The Lost Grimwalker AU : Hunter ends up the human realm sometime before the series starts and is unable to get back home. He is raised as Luz' brother and wants nothing more than to return to Belos in the Demon Realm, but when he finally returns he sees things from a wild witches perspective and is hunted down by the new Golden Guard who sounds and acts an awful lot like him...

→ Castle Cats AU : Castle Cats is this video game about an army of rebel cats trying to fight away the Evil Pugomancer and their army of dogs. This is just a toh version of that lol. Belos is a dog but devices everyone into thinking he's just a weird looking cat

→ Dos Belos AU : Caleb survives and becomes the 2nd emperor of the boiling Isles, the two brothers playing the same persona and giving the residents of the isles the impression that their leader is a shapeshifting, omniscient teleporter who's scary af.

→ Castle Buddies AU : Hunter and The Collector are friends. That's it that's the au (not really but I'm still working things out)

→ Let's play the Luz and King Game AU : My take on what would've happened if Collector Luz became a thing, King suggests that they play a game he had played with Luz and the Collector takes it a bit more literally then expected.

And that's all of them! I hope that's interesting! :D

Number of AUs focusing on Hunter and/or other golden guards - 6. I think I have a problem... or a blorbo?

#The owl house #Toh #The owl house spoilers #Toh spoilers #Arrow speaks #I am NOT tagging all of them #→ Arrow's AUs #There. That's the tag for all of them now.

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