#blessed trope

[fluffypotatey]

cannot believe that i am considering writing hangster fics because their hanahaki aus are too small for my standards

[soyochii]

No grave can hold my body down, I'll crawl home to you. 🦋🏮

[hualianschild]

[color-beyond-lines]

Shout out to Unknown for demonstrating that serious injuries do have long-term affects on your body and your mind.

There isn’t an episode that goes by where we aren’t reminded of everything Qian has gone through to get to where he is. And it’s not just from flashbacks. It’s in the scars that remain on his body. The nightmares that haunt his sleep. In his interactions with women. His fierce protectiveness of his family. Qian’s triggers and responses to them make sense and don’t just appear out of the blue for dramatic effect.

So much of the emotional and physical trauma that Qian has experienced continues to impact his daily life in a way that makes him feel less like a character with a tragic backstory and more like an actual person with lived experience.

[rottenaero]

AO3

Part 1

Part 3

Part 5

Part four of roommates idea

The officer clicked his pen again, signaling he took to long to answer. Steve faced him again, “Sorry I- Shit. Eddie he wasn't- he wouldn't do this shit. He's afraid of fucking dogs. Not even the real big ones either, he definitely wouldn't kill someone. He cries when he watches Bambi and gore freaks him out.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes! I'm absolutely-fucking-positive! He looks all tough and shit but he's not, he's just scared. Fuck that sounds- so bad but- God why don't you believe me and Wayne?”

The officer sighs, ”Eddie sold drugs, did drugs, it's entirely possible he had to many and did something…Not entirely in his regular character.”

Steve bit his lip, “He wouldn’t.”

-

Steve sat in the family video, he's been distant since the shift started and Robin couldn’t understand why.

That was, until the TV showed the news of a Hawkins student dying. Did he somehow know?

Not much later, Max and Dustin came in yelling about phones, and were quick to start using them.

Steve didn’t even seem shocked when they talked about Eddie being accused. When they finally got a lead about a ‘Reefer Rick’, his eyes lit up.

“I know where he is.”

-

“Hello?”

Steve looked around the boathouse, “What a dump.”

His eyes landed on tarp covering a boat, “Eddie?"

“Eddie, are you here?"

Now, Steve wasn't an expert, but that tarp looked a lot like it just moved, and if it wasn’t Eddie then-

He grabbed an oar that was leaning against the wall, and began poking it.

“What are you doing?”

“It moved.”

“So take the tarp off!”

Steve gave Dustin an incredulous look.

“If you're so brave, why don’t you take the tarp off!”

It was silent for a moment, then-

“…Steve?”

The man in question let out a relieved sigh, and smiled. “Eds!”

Steve drops the oar, a resounding clatter banging off the walls as he flings the tarp off the boat.

And there he is, Eddie Munson in all his glory, sitting in a fetal position and clutching a broken bottle to his chest like a lifeline.

As soon as he seemed to see Steve, he quickly threw the bottle to the side and stands up to step out the boat.

“Steve, thank fuck.”

Eddie engulfs him in a hug, pressing his face into his neck.

Steve bites his lip, “Hey, hey its okay.”

Steve slid them down carefully, positioning his back against a column. It was a bit awkward, with them being similar height, but he made it work.

“She- I didn’t kill her! I don’t, she started fucking floating. Then her limbs snapped, god Stevie, please you gotta believe me.”

He looked over to the party, Robin’s eyebrows were pinched, Max was darting her eyes between the two, and Dustin looked like he was about to say something.

Finally, he gathered the courage. “ Eddie, we believe you. What you saw, it’s been happening for years. Well, not this particularly but the supernatural.”

Eddie peeked his head out, “ What do you mean?”

Dustin crouches down awkwardly, hands together. “Theres another world. Its kind of like this one, but its terrifying. There are things there. Its called the upside down. We’ve been fighting it since 1983 when Will went missing.“

Steve feels him tense. “ ‘We?’ ‘Fighting?’, How do you fight an invisible force?”

“Demogorgons, demodogs, government people, russians. We’ve had to face them for years. Steve and I were there in 1983, Max in 1984, and Robin just joined in last year with the Russians and the mall.”

Eddie’s eyes widened, and he turned his head slightly to face Steve. “ Is that why you were so beat up last year?”

Steve shrugged, “ Yeah. Pretty much.”

Eddie burrowed his head into his neck again. “ Jesus H. Christ.”

“Look, we’re here to help you Eds, that murder in the trailer? They were asking me questions, they think its you. Wouldn’t let up on the idea no matter how much I insisted it wasn’t.”

Eddie looked at Steve with a mix of fear and gratitude, “What do we do? Can’t exactly waltz up and tell them it’s supernatural.”

Steve hummed, “We need to figure out what happened to that Chrissy, and clear your name.”

Max stepped forward, “We’ll help you, Eddie. We’ve faced worse than this.”

Eddie nodded, “Okay. Shit, we’re really doing this..”

Robin glanced around, “Not to interrupt or anything, but maybe we should do the whole story? Like, you guys didn’t even mention the super power girl, and shes like major isn’t she?”

The long haired metalhead nodded, giving Steve a squeeze before letting go and standing.

He turned to face Robin a grimace on his face, “ Right, yeah, full story. Super power girl, sure.”

Steve patted his shoulder, when did he even get up, and after a second, bumped him with his hip.

“Buckle up, Eds. This is gonna take a while.”

Tag-list

@bxlthazar @i-have-three-feelings

[fairsweetlonging]

the thing that sets apart hua cheng from most other devotee/worshipper-type relationships in other media is that hua cheng would actually throw himself on his knees and crawl across the floor if xie lian wanted to, he would demean himself without shame because shame comes from the perception that you have done something wrong or foolish in another's eyes, and hua cheng would never see his god's will as either, nor care for anyone's else's opinion

[the-bloody-sadist]

Working on the next HC undress, but for now, I had a WuLian idea 🚶‍♂️calamity Xie Lian making Wu Ming take off his mask….🧍‍♂️forcing him to show his wounds after a battle….🧎‍♂️AUUHHHH

[whump-in-the-closet]

Top 5 whump tropes to subvert?

oh

oh

anon you read literature critically and are a blessing on this good earth

i’m rubbing my hands together like an excited cricket

cinnamon roll whumpee. i just think having a whumpee who’s flawed and has messed up in the past adds some nuance to the story. yes, they’re still being hurt but they’re a person and not just a victim who’s never harmed a fly in their life. it’s less about having pity for a character and more about sympathizing or relating to them.

caretaker as a lover or significant other. the caretaker is almost always someone who has skin in the game, but why does romantic love have to be the deepest affiliation with whumpee? you’re telling me that a decent person wouldn’t help out another fellow person but walk by them? strangers as caretakers adds so much to the story, or even antagonists/villains to caretakers. there’s just more depth.

hero is actually evil. Or superhero is evil. it’s a fun trope, but if you read almost any hero/villain story, hero will end up being the one to capture the villain. I rather the conflict not be as black and white but more intrapersonal— between hero and sidekick or villain and supervillain, where neither are in the right and both are caught up with blackmailing/backstabbing the other.

solitary confinement. this one i just like to twist a little by having a one way glass and having it on public display. or by making it a white room. solitary confinement doesn’t exactly do wonders on the human mind but white room torture fucks them up so much worse

whumpee kidnapped because they’re important. cool. but what if they’re kidnapped because their friend is important. There’s more emotional weight with this. How much does their friend care for them and what if they don’t? what will wjumper do to get their attention? it’s just. a lot of suffering and guilt.

[rejectedfables]

Lacking any spelled out canon reason for Feng Xin's fear of women, I can only infer that after nearly 800 years of being accidentally known as "Mr Huge Cock, God of Massive Dicks" and having to suffer through how NOT NORMAL people get when they sexualize strangers to the point of dehumanization, as well as being bombarded with sexual prayers he didn't agree to or want to recieve, that all of that has resulted in cumulative trauma in a way that nobody considers legitimate and everybody seems to think is funny

[horsegirlwarcrimes]

It is always funny to me the silly tropey reveal of hua cheng's true form after all his insistence about being ugly being... a normal handsome man with an eyepatch LMAO

BUT lowkey I also kind of love it. I love that he is so horrified for Xie Lian to see him as he truly is, not because his true form is actually literally monstrous, but because he saw himself as an ugly monster long before he become a ghost king. It's just really beautiful that he receives Xie Lian's love and appreciation and benediction for like... a normal person being self conscious about his appearance in a very normal way. Hua Cheng doesn't feel ugly because he is inhuman, he feels ugly because of his humanity

[lancelitttle]

I love how bitchy San Lang/Hua Cheng gets with literally everyone who isn't Xie Lian

[hannibal-is-my-comfort-show]

[doki-doki-imagines]

You never show your face to him during intimate moments.

Bachira Meguru:

-No way he is okay with this, he needs to see your eyes to understand what is going on.

-They are also the first trait that pulled him to you, so covering them ruins all the fun.

-“Ohi, what’s wrong?”

-There is no way Bachira will let this topic go, he’ll cage you under him and he’ll stare until you break.

-Bachira can be pretty intimidating when he wants.

-So you break, you tell him you don’t want to see his disgusted face when he’ll look at your body, how you are scared shitless of your low appeal, and…damn you can’t talk anymore between sobs.

-Bachira treats you with the delicacy that only someone in love could have. He is still caging you under him, but his expression is much softer like his embrace.

-“You can be so dumb at times. Don’t know how those thoughts got into that silly head of yours, but I’ll make sure to push them all away”

Rin Itoshi: -Why do you always hide your face, why do you always turn the other way around, why, why, why

-So Rin thinks he is the problem, you don’t want to look at him because you are disgusted by him, maybe you prefer to think of someone else…

- As often happen Rin's green monster crawls under his skin, ready to vomit venom on you at the first sign of hiding.

-But this time, when you cover your eyes for the nth time Rin notices something new; are your lips trembling? Are you gonna cry? Is he so disgusting?

-So with his usual gentlemanly ways, he grips your wrist to push your arms out of the way and whispers “What the hell is wrong with you”

-The atmosphere is so tense you think it is gonna kill you soon if you don’t spill your insecurity and that’s what you do, chest heavy, but trying to maintain at least a bit of dignity

-“Never heard such dumb shit ever in my life”

-If the situation wasn’t so dramatic, you have kneed his kidney.

-So you think to be the problem…this change the entire situation! He doesn’t know how to deal with this situation anyway, but he feels relieved!

-A little less relieved when he looks at your face, eyes watery and ugly pout.

-Rin for sure doesn’t know how to express himself with words, so he’ll do it physically. Will it take more time? Probably, but it is the easiest way for him while trying to make you understand how pure shit those intrusive thoughts are.

Oliver Aiku:

-With a guy like Oliver the issue came out way sooner than with the others guys.

-And for you, the issue got even worse since it was way easier to imagine him going with someone else if you aren’t good enough.

-With someone else, Oliver wouldn’t have given two fucks in all honesty.

-But he is serious about you?? So he at least wants to try, he doesn’t want to give up so easily.

-It was during a normal indoor date that Oliver asked you about this.

-You were watching a film together, your head lying on his chest, his arm around your waist, so it was easy to stop your probable runaway.

-And he was so good at making you relax. It’s not like it was easy to talk about the topic, but at least Oliver put you at ease.

-But his ass is burnt. Do you trust him so little? Damn it hurts. He jokes about it with you, laughs even, but the pain is real.

-Oliver will try anything in his capabilities to make you understand that more often than not brains can come out with fucked up shit that aren’t true.

-But now you also have to demonstrate you trust him; it still stings you know?

[my-name-is-markus-with-a-k]

Just wanted to share Markus' entry in TV tropes. "Guy moves like a cat and hits like a truck" has lived rent free in my mind since I first read it years ago.

Part 2 in the reblogs.

[nootcatt]

TGCF and the Literary Tropes

Okay so this is a long text post, but its something I've been through and discussing a lot.

I’ve mentioned this before, but let me say it more clearly: in my opinion, there’s no such thing as being “doomed by the narrative” in Heaven Official’s Blessing (TGCF) by MXTX. It’s an important distinction because it sets MXTX’s storytelling apart from other narratives where characters are often victims of fate with no real agency. MXTX understands probability, and does not operate by the ‘but what if!’.

For those unfamiliar with the term, “doomed by the narrative” refers to a trope where a character’s fate is sealed or predetermined by the structure of the story itself. Essentially, it means that no matter what the character does—regardless of their actions, intentions, or desires—the plot is already designed to lead them toward an inevitable downfall, failure, or tragic end. It’s a form of narrative determinism, where the story traps a character in an inescapable fate. This idea is commonly seen in tragedies or stories centered around themes of fate and destiny, where even the audience often feels that sense of looming disaster, even if the character does not.

While TGCF is a novel rich with themes of fate and destiny, it doesn’t employ the “doomed by the narrative” trope. Instead, the story revolves around other different ideas, such as “you reap what you sow.” In TGCF, the characters—especially the gods—face the consequences of their own actions. From the Banyue Arc to the final arc, we consistently see this pattern. No character suffers without reason, and no fate is forced upon them by the structure of the story itself. Their actions, choices, and motivations directly shape their outcomes.

In TGCF, fate is not something manipulated by MXTX to move the plot forward or force a tragic conclusion. She doesn’t kill off characters just because it serves the story or because she’s trying to make a point about destiny. Instead, fate in TGCF functions more like an ecosystem—a natural cycle where actions have consequences. It’s a world where what goes around comes around, and every character is accountable for the decisions they make.

Consider the Blackwater Arc (FengShui Di Arc) as an example. Many have discussed this before, so it’s not something you have never come across. It’s a key moment in understanding how fate operates in TGCF. Shi Wudu is faced with an impossible moral dilemma, a classic “trolley problem.” He has to choose between sacrificing the life of a stranger and their family or allowing his beloved younger brother, Shi Qingxuan, to die a death more tragic than anyone can imagine. For Shi Wudu, this is not a simple decision; he has dedicated his entire life to protecting his brother. Older brothers are like parents, to their younger siblings. Shi Wudu does not regret making the decision he did. In the end, he makes the choice to switch the tracks, saving his brother at the cost of another’s life and family.

As the arc unfolds, we see that Shi Wudu must also face the consequences of his decision. He is driven mad by the end of the arc, and his punishment is both brutal and symbolic—his head is ripped off, an echo of the price he paid for his brother’s safety. Shi Wudu made a choice that could be viewed as understandable or even noble, but he also committed a grave wrong. And in the world of TGCF, he reaps what he sowed. Even in his final moments, He Xuan gives Shi Wudu a choice, he can still reverse the tracks and fix it, or die at the hands of the person he chose over him, and Shi Wudu stands by his decision, telling Shi Qingxuan, “Gege will go ahead and wait for you.” He does not regret his sacrifice. He is killed for it. His end is a form of cosmic justice. Despite the tragedy, there’s no sense that he was doomed from the start—his downfall is the direct result of his own actions.

This principle also applies to He Xuan. “But He Xuan suffered so much; he deserved his revenge.” That’s the point. He Xuan’s story is not one of a man doomed by fate, but rather a man consumed by revenge. He Xuan, who endured unimaginable suffering and betrayal, chose to devote his existence to vengeance. He had already avenged his suffering by killing the people responsible—he became a Ghost King, devoured the Jinx Demon, and infiltrated heaven. He gained power, status, and acceptance among the Heavenly Officials. Shi Wudu changed his fate so that he could no longer ascend? Here he is, a god (and an elemental god, instead of a civil god like he would have been if his fate hadn’t been switched). He could have lived peacefully, yet his obsession with revenge defined every move he made.

Even when He Xuan had achieved everything he should have wanted—status, wealth, respect—he couldn’t let go. His fixation on vengeance led him to destroy the very peace he could have had. By the end of the arc, when Shi Wudu asks if he’s happy, He Xuan’s answer is a hollow “yes,” fueled by the sight of Shi Wudu’s suffering. But as Shi Wudu points out, this revenge has changed nothing. Shi Qingxuan, despite the tragedies, had lived a better, fuller life than He Xuan. Shi Wudu’s words break He Xuan, driving him into a final fit of rage where he decapitates Shi Wudu and refuses to let Shi Qingxuan die, just to prevent the brothers from reuniting in death. What does he get in the end? Nothing, but the head of Shi Wudu and a life time of brooding in the nether water manor.This act of spite is not the work of a man doomed by narrative fate—it’s the result of He Xuan’s choices, driven by his inability to let go of vengeance.

In conclusion, TGCF does not operate on the idea that its characters are “doomed by the narrative.” MXTX creates a world where actions have consequences, where fate is shaped by the decisions characters make, and where justice—whether deserved or tragic—is always a direct result of their choices. The characters in TGCF are not trapped by an unavoidable destiny but by the weight of their own actions. It’s a powerful form of storytelling that places responsibility on the characters themselves, rather than the structure of the story.

[tisajest]

Reverse Robins AU but the adoption order stays the same

Bruce had been Batman for around 2 decades when he witnessed the Graysons fall. He takes in little 8-year-old Dick Grayson and they become Batman & Robin a couple of months later.

Jason still tried to steal the Batmobile’s tires, but this time Dick is there with Bruce. And Dick immediately goes: friend?! Because who’s cooler than an older boy who has the audacity to steal your dad’s crime-fighting tires? Bruce doesn’t immediately take him in but he does adopt him soon after nonetheless. A year later, Batman gains a new sidekick partner.

Tim still puts together the Bats’ IDs by recognizing Robin’s quadruple somersault. He keeps this info to himself but his father’s death breaks something in him and he becomes reckless and directionless. He’s saved by one of the Bats, maybe little 11 year old Robin, and he just blurts out his name. He tells him how he was at the Graysons’ last show, how he and his parents were such huge fans. Bruce shows up but it’s too late, Dick’s already attached to his new big brother.

This teenager is obviously a threat, he knows their secret identities, but Bruce can see a bit of himself in the lost young man in front of him. He’s around the same age he was when he made the choice that changed his life forever. And having two young boys in his life, two young heroes, he can’t help but want to help Tim. It doesn’t hurt that the kid’s obviously smart and in good shape. A year later, Batman gains another partner.

Damian was never sent to Bruce, he stayed with the League. Eventually, he and Talia killed Ra’s. He becomes Talia’s right-hand but he doesn’t want it. He’s so disinterested in his own life and Talia, for all her flaws, loves her son. She tells him to leave, to “find himself or whatever it is young people do” and so Damian does. He leaves Nanda Parbat at ~18 and travels.

Damian has many skills, but he feels he’s best at killing people, so it doesn’t take long for him to take up contracts. Traveling’s fun and all but he grew restless. He does this for years, he makes a name for himself outside of being an Al’Ghul. And he’s visited Gotham, of course he has, but he doesn’t long for Bruce’s approval. He isn’t a child, he isn’t good person, and he isn’t a Wayne. Bruce means nothing to him, not really he doesn’t think Bruce would ever want him.

So, he keeps an ear out for news regarding the Bats. He visits Gotham every time he learns of a new child but he never allows himself to be noticed. One day, he hears whispers of the Wayne children being in Ethiopia of all places and he can’t help but seek them out. He gets there in time to put the Joker down permanently and prevent any lasting damage to any of them. They’re all taken by this mysterious savior to varying degrees (Tim’s the most cautious), but Dick is especially enthusiastic.

They manage to distract Damian long time enough for Bruce to get there. The long await meeting occurs and Damian decides fuck it, might as well let his father know about him. Bruce has more than enough children to fuss over and he’s an adult with his own life completely separate from Bruce, no need to make a big deal out of it. It is a big deal and Bruce is in shock and infuriated and heartbroken about his very much adult son being kept from him all this time.

As much as Bruce begs, Damian doesn’t go back to Gotham with them. Regardless, he keeps up his occasional visits and stays out of sight. Surprisingly, or maybe not, Dick is the first to find him out. And Dick, amazing human bean that he is, grows on Damian with time and interactions. He’s impressed by this child his father took in and he can’t help but want to teach him a few moves. Bruce wasn’t as oblivious to these meetings as he made himself seem, but he knows Damian isn’t interested in Bruce being his father. He’s hoping he can bridge this gap between them with Dick.

It works.