#into saviors of the cultivation world

[ackerslut]

Absolutely fucking wild to me that in certain post canon fics authors will elevate one clan over the other. And I'm not talking about fics that are fun aus exploring different endings to MDZS, I'm talking about fics that directly bash Lotus Pier or the Cloud Recess in favor of saying that the other would protect Wei Wuxian from the big bad cultivation world.

Which doesn't make any sense because the entire POINT of the books (and cql, manhua, donghua, etc) is that the cultivation world is fucked up!! They all fucked up!! If your fav is someone who ISN'T Wei Wuxian the wen renments or mianmian then they are culpable to genocide, which (btw) is fine, you're allowed to have problematic favs but like. Girl what.

Idk it's just WILD to me when someone writes Lan Qiren as defensive of Wei Wuxian (less so when it's Jieng Cheng bc like. At least that makes KINDA sense) when these are characters who, as well as ideologically not even being in the same book as Wei Wuxian, literally labeled him as evil bc of #classism.

[detectivereads]

Manga Series Master List

Hi everyone, Ok I know If you go through this list a lot of these series has a 5/5 score. That's because these series are some of my favorite's series. I love these series a lot. I really wanted to share these series with others as well.

I do love My Hero Academia, SpyXFamily, One Piece and Komi Can't Communicate, I LOVE Case Closed.

Adventure:

Delicious in Dungeon/ Dungeon Meshi:

Delicious in Dungeon vol 1

Delicious in Dungeon vol 2

Delicious in Dungeon vol 3

Delicious in Dungeon vol 4

Toriko:

Toriko vol 1

Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun:

Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun vol 1

Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun vol 2

Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun vol 3

Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun vol 4

Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun vol 5

Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun vol 6

Romance:

Let's Buy the Land and Cultivate it in a Different World :

Let’s Buy the Land and Cultivate it in a Different World vol 1.

Let’s Buy the Land and Cultivate it in a Different World vol 2.

Let’s Buy the Land and Cultivate it in a Different World vol 3.

Let’s Buy the Land and Cultivate it in a Different World vol 4.

Let's Buy the Land and Cultivate it in a Different World vol 5.

The Invisible Man and His Soon-to-be Wife:

The Invisible Man and His Soon-to-be Wife vol 1

The Invisible Man and His Soon-to-be Wife vol 2

The Invisible Man and His Soon-to-be Wife vol 3

The Savior’s Book Café Story in Another World vol 1

Love's in Sight! Vol 1

Sign Of Affection vol 1

Short Series:

Giant Spider & Me

[mooncheese3]

DISCLAIMER: this version is different from the prev post on this au (vvv) in that this is the only incarnation of sj that ghost!yqy has encountered, and bingges dont keep popping up for a shizun. but yqy still goes down the simon petrikov route of self sacrifice for loved one(s)

ok so ghost!yqy in the modern world with reincarnated!sj

So. after pidw. yqy's physical body didnt survive, but his spirit Did. he failed sj so many times already, he's not going to fail him again, and through sheer determination and love and want he put himself back together (as hed always done)

him fixing himself wasnt really bc of his rational mind. if anything it was a glutteral, instinctual Need that really pushed him to mold himself into a being all over again. however bc his spirit is binded with xuansu's, on top of his spirit almost disappearing bc of how much scattered, bringing the pieces of himself together took a LOT of time

by the time he took form, sqq was long dead

not sure if he shouldve been the one to end lbg, but itd be kind of cool if that was the case

and so yqy, whose entire purpose is to protect sj, roams the world looking for his reincarnation

in the background apocalyptic shit happens that leads the world to abandon and/or forget about cultivation, which leads us to the modern world!!🥳

sj still has a hard-knock life on the streets and then with the qius--can u tell im a sucker for the history repeats itself trope. he doesnt remember anything, but he Does feel like someone is missing. like someone that Should be there Isnt. its a constant feeling in the back of his mind, but he always pushed it away to focus on the now.

like what happened in his first life, sj has enough of all the abuse and kills qjl. what Changes though is that yqy is finally--after thousands and hundreds of years--on time

yqy burns everything down.

sj isnt sure what to make of this malevolent being. no one else but him can see it, though people /can/ see when it moves things around. people have always mentioned to sj that they feel like someone's watching them, though when they look around no one is looking their way

it makes people leave him alone, which is honestly what sj prefers

its (he's?) his savior and he makes him feel safe, yes, but who knows when that wrath gets directed at himself. his head is screaming at the threat yqy poses while his instinct and soul tells him hes safest with yqy. for a long time sj walks on eggshells around yqy, sometimes trying to escape his presence

his attempts always fail, though. somehow.

he eventually starts to warm up to yqy. sj has a feeling that this...thing was always meant to be by his side (as illogical as that sounds). he no longer has that feeling of a missing presence, something he'd felt since he'd developed a consciousness as a very young child

sj even finds the ghost a bit endearing, in his infinite gentleness to contrast his terrifying, sharp form. he doesnt understand why the ghost is so protective over him (the ghost once almost flew into a destructive frenzy over everything except him when he and his team went to investigate a deep, unexplored ravine that appeared out of nowhere), but that was endearing too

— RAMBLES BC I FORGOT WHAT I WAS GONNA TYPE NEXT (ITS BEEN A FEW MONTHS SORRY) —

one day sj got tired of calling the ghost “the ghost”, so he decided to find him a name. the ghost seems to have an opinion on this, as his thick eyebrows turned downwards every time sj called/proposed to him a name to be referred to. the progress was non existent, so sj started spouting out random characters and then later on numbers. when sj gets to “qi”, the ghost very excitedly straightens up from its seemingly perpetual hunched posture.

“7?” sj snorts, finding it a little funny. who knows, perhaps spirits loose their marbles the longer they stay amongst the living. he watches “qi’s” eyes crease into happy crescents, the shadows seeping away from his form retreating back into himself. his form looks more solid: less blurry and more clearer at the edges.

“lao qi, you really are weird” sj says fondly, though is inwardly confused when lao qi seems to deflate a little. perhaps he didnt want to be reminded of his age?

"what, do you want to be called xiao qi?" qi's eyes twitch, as if weirded out. "thought so. qige?"

at this, qi's eyes widen into two happy suns, joyfully—on instinct—coming closer. but then stops himself a pace away, as if remembering himself

sj raises a brow, "youre far too old to be called qige; im many generations your junior, yknow? youre basically my grandfather's ancestor's ancestor"

qi's eyes droop into despondent half circles. sj carefully doesnt say any more, recognizing that it may be a more sensitive topic than he thought.

SORRY YUE QI </3333 BUT </333 ... ITS FOR THE GREATER GOOD

THAT I AM GOING TO EXPLAIN RIGHT NOW, BUT NOT VERY WELL DONE:

in canon, sqq and yqy are stuck in the past. it keeps them from growing as persons and as. brothers? friends? Potential Lovers. Yes.

in this au, it is especially so for yqy, who loses himself the more he clings to the past, his promise, and sj

when he first died, his soul was at risk of being destroyed, scattered pieces and all. but because he put himself back together, he Could reincarnate into his next life. its just that he refuses to.

had he allowed himself to move on and accept that things have passed, he would have been able to start over anew in the modern world; perhaps even changed the course fate seems to have set on them for the better Without his soul suffering for it

sj reminding him that hes from an era long gone serves as one of many instances that help him come to terms with. dying? moving on. Yes.

ON THE TOPIC OF YQY'S SOUL MOVING ON.

i was thinking just now How that would happen, esp when in this au yqy's soul is like. one wrong move away from self destruction, xuan su's still binded to him, yqy letting go of sj after roaming All Those Years? Very hard., its the modern world so supernatural cultuvation stuff is almost entirely out of the picture, sj is like 25 what would he know about these things, etcetc that sort of stuff

but then i was like. "WAIT A MINUTE. THIS IS AIRPLANES WORLD. TRUE LOVE IS TOTALLY A VIABLE SOLUTION"

so. True love is the solution. true love saves qige💗

and then in their next life its the ultra ultra modern futuristic au and theyre pilots of mega robots 💗 /hj

OH. AND. THIS IS THE SONG I GOT THE DIALOGUE (???) FROM

[evilhasnever]

Shower thoughts: we often talk about how JGY is LXC’s savior - he saved his life at great personal risk, and that is why lxc trusts him (and loves him) from the moment they meet.

But on the other side, what was that meeting like for meng yao?

The first contact meng yao had with the cultivation world was his father’s scorn at age 14 or so, being kicked out like a mongrel, being denied entry and respect. Being shown his pearl was trash and so was he, pretty much. 

After that, we don’t know what he did. The next time we see him he’s working a bookkeeping job, maligned by other workers. He is alone in the world.

Then, his second meeting with the cultivation world comes in the form of Lan Xichen. He saved him before knowing who he was, of course, but that doesn’t change who Lan Xichen will become to him. Someone who needs him, trusts him, appreciates him, respects him, supports him and likes him. Someone who does not question his dreams and aspirations, does not make fun of him. The pinnacle of cultivational gentry, now a friend. Wouldn’t that give you back some hope? Wouldn’t that make you think that maybe the world is not all rotten? (During Sunshot, Lan Xichen is literally described as a ray of hope for fighters and commoners alike, and I think this inspiring quality of his was always there, even at his worst.)

Not to get too maudlin, but I think Lan Xichen’s arrival may have saved meng yao too. Or at the very least, showed him a direction to follow in the future. There are honorable, good people out there like in the stories Meng Yao heard as a child (though, it turns out, they are an exception to the rule). I can imagine Meng Yao’s world view was turned upside down twice in rapid succession!

We know LXC was at his lowest point when they met, but so was meng yao! They met during one of the hardest times in their lives and found hope in each other. Furthermore: their meeting evidently reignited their mutual desire to fight for survival and for the betterment of the world - something they worked together on for the rest of their lives! Wow… xiyao  

[deathmetalunicorn1]

Hello how are you,

You said you follow a lot of series. What other series are you into? What series of manga do you have? And which series are you willing to experiment with?

I follow too many fandoms to count, from video games to books, manga, movies, and stuff in between to count them all. My newest series I've gotten into it Delicious in Dungeon, it's funny and well written, but I'm still new to that.

As far as the manga series I have:

-Record of Ragnarok

-Overlord

-My Hero Academia

-My Hero Academia: Vigilantes

-One Punch Man

-Komi Can't Communicate

-Tokyo Revengers

-Monster Musume

-Ancient Magus' Bride

-Let's Buy the Land and Cultivate it in Another World

-Hunting in Another World with my Elf Wife

-Flying Witch

-That Time I got Reincarnated into a Slime

-Demon Slayer

-XXX Holic

-XXX Holic Rei

-Cardcaptor Sakura

-Cardcaptor Sakura Clear Card

-I've been Killing Slimes for 300 Years and Maxed out my Level

-I was a Bottom-Tier Bureaucrat for 1500 Years and the Demon King Made me a Minister

-A Centaur's Life

-Machimaho: I Messed up and MAde the Wrong Person into a Magical Girl

-The Alchemist who Survived Now Dreams of a Quiet City Life

-Spy X Family

-Plus Sized Elf

-Plus Sized Elf Second Helping

-The Titan's Bride

-I'm not a Succubus

-Nurse Hitomi's Monster Infirmary

-Sailor Moon

-Ah My Goddess

-Otherworldly Izakaya Nobu

-You Like Me, not my Daughter?

-My Room is a Dungeon Rest Stop

-Me and My Brothers

-Ouran High School Host Club

-My Love Story

-Honey So Sweet

-Magic Knights Rayearth

-Thigh High

-Wish (by Clamp)

-Eyeshield 21

-Who Says Warriors can't be Babes?

-Giant Spider and Me

-I Married my Best Friend to Shut my Parents Up

-Manly Appetites

-Our Dining Table

-Saki the Succubus

-Saber Marionette J

-Miyuki-Chan in Wonderland

-Satan's Secretary

-Shirahime-Syo (by Clamp)

-My Girlfriend is a T-Rex

-Chobits

-Cyborg 009

-Saiyuki

-Saiyuki Reloaded

-Magi

-Love Hina

-Negima!

-Negima?! Neo

-Suppose a Kid from the Last Dungeon Boonies moved to a Starter Town

-No Need for Tenchi

-Sorcerer Hunters

-3x3 Eyes

-Street Fighter II

-Sakura Ganbaru!

-Street Fighter Alpha

-Street Fighter III Ryu Final

-Hetalia!

-High School of the Dead

-My Dress Up Darling

-The Way of the Househusband

-The Masterful Cat is Depressed Again Today

-Yakuza's Guide to Babysitting

-Beauty and the Feast

-My Senpai is Annoying

-A Man and his Cat

-In the Land of Leadale

-Drugstore in Another World

-Farming Life in Another World

-Bofuri

-Savior's Book Cafe Story in Another World

-Magic Artisan Dahlia Wilts No More

-I'm a Behemoth, an S-Ranked Monster, but Mistaken for a Cat, I live as an Elf Girl's Pet

-Wood Woof Story I told you to Turn me into a Pampered Pooch, not Fenrir!

-Cutie and the Beast

-Ms. Kozumi Loves Ramen Noodles

-If It's for my Daughter, I'd even Defeat a Demon Lord

-Reborn as a Polar Bear: The Legend of how I became a Forest Guardian

-Restaurant to Another World

-So I'm a Spider, So What?

-Kaiju Girl Caramelize

-She Professed Herself Pupil of the Wise Man

-Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear

-I Shall Survive Using Potions

-Reincarnated as a Sword

This one took me a while lol, but I have been collecting my series for over 20 years now so I guess that's understandable.

[lulu2992]

Exploration of the now-offline Far Cry 5 official websites

Part 10: Joseph Seed

Recovered content

At first (archive from July 13th, 2017), Joseph didn’t have a description on the American website. He was just called The Father.

THE FATHER JOSEPH SEED Check back soon to learn more about The Father.

On or before February 9th, 2018, the website changed and more information was added about him:

FATHER Joseph has been spoken to by God who has tasked him with saving as many souls as he can from the end of the world. But rather than choosing to harvest these souls through peace, The Father chose the most vicious forms of manipulation possible. Backed by his siblings, The Heralds, and an army of fanatics, The Father is quickly cultivating lost souls and preparing them for The Collapse. And leaving a lot of blood and bodies in his wake.

The video was the Story Trailer:

Further down on the page, there was another information box dedicated to Joseph:

LEADER OF THE PROJECT AT EDEN’S GATE JOSEPH SEED Joseph came from a small town in the deep south of Georgia. His life was listless until one morning when he heard a Voice whisper to him, telling him that the world was headed for a Great Collapse. The voice gave Joseph a single directive: “Save as many as you can. Whether they wish to be saved or not.” Joseph welcomed the poor, the disenfranchised, the wayward souls who had been left behind by society and formed The Project at Eden’s Gate and after a time, migrated from the south to Hope County to create their “New Eden”. Joseph is driven only by The Voice and the knowledge that he alone is humanity’s savior.

Finally, on or before March 27th, 2018, a trailer about him was added.

Here is the video in question:

The page existed at least until February 7th, 2020.

On the European website, there was no description or biography, only a quote: “I am your Father. And you are my Children.”

Commentary

We saw (in previous posts) that the Father used to be described as a “maniacal leader” who was “merciless and manipulative” in 2017. In 2018, the Voice, Its message, and Joseph’s commitment to It were finally mentioned, turning the predator who would terrorize and abuse everyone he apparently was in an early version of the story into the character he became in Far Cry 5: a man who believes he is on a mission and will stop at nothing to accomplish it. That doesn’t change or excuse the fact that Eden’s Gate’s methods are more than questionable, and the website still rightly says the harvesting of souls (so the Reaping) is a “vicious”, bloody, and not at all peaceful process, but at least their motivations are now clearly explained. In my opinion, aside from making him more human, mentioning his absolute certainty that he is on the right path also makes him seem even more dangerous as an antagonist. Over time, Joseph became a more compelling character, and I like that the archives of the website highlight this evolution.

Under the cut are all the available source files, saved directly from the website, of the images you see in the screenshots:

[masterqwertster]

Liliana Temult, what the fuck do you know that makes you NOT want your daughter to visit Ruidus's Core/ Predathos.

You're literally working to unleash that thing upon the world where she lives. You think that will save the world. So why the fuck do you think Imogen getting closer to your savior is a bad thing?

What do you know? (And why can't you give a proper fucking warning for once in your life?)

My main thought for her reasoning at this moment is that maybe Predathos fucking eats the Ruidusborn it can lure all the way to it. Matt described the feelings Imogen was getting as a womb that she wanted to return to at all costs. Tell me that doesn't sound like absorbing the power it's spat out back into itself (possibly after letting it be cultivated by the Ruidusborn).

Or maybe going to Predathos hiveminds the Ruidusborns who make it, but Liliana is also aware Ludinus plans to eat Predathos with a Super Quintessence Array and wants her daughter to not be eaten by her boss.

I dunno.

All I'm saying is: Liliana is one of Ludinus's top Ruidusborn Exaltants. She should know what's going on there, so what is she once again failing to communicate to Imogen?

[hopethroughscriptureministries]

Biblical Insights:

The Last Days

In these turbulent times, it's crucial to turn to the timeless wisdom of the Bible to understand how people will behave in the last days. Let's delve into the scriptures, particularly the King James Version (KJV), to glean insights into human behavior as prophesied in the Word of God.

2 Timothy 3:1-5: "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come." Here, Paul warns Timothy of the perilous times ahead. People will be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God.

Matthew 24:12: "And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold." Jesus Himself prophesied that as lawlessness increases, the love and compassion among people will diminish. In a world consumed by sin, empathy and kindness will become scarce commodities.

2 Peter 3:3-4: "Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation." Peter warns us that mockers will arise, questioning the promised return of Christ and indulging in their own desires rather than heeding the signs of the times.

Luke 21:34: "And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares." Jesus admonishes us to guard our hearts against indulgence, excess, and the distractions of this world, lest we be caught unprepared for His return.

As we reflect on these scriptures, let's consider how they apply to our lives today:

How can we cultivate a spirit of selflessness in a world that exalts selfish ambition?

Are we actively guarding our hearts against the influences of sin and worldliness?

In what ways can we show love and compassion in a society that often lacks both?

Are we living with an eternal perspective, mindful of the imminent return of Christ?

Let's pray: Heavenly Father, grant us the wisdom and discernment to navigate these last days with faith and conviction. Help us to embody the love and compassion of Christ in a world filled with darkness. Keep our hearts focused on Your promises, and may we eagerly await the glorious return of our Lord and Savior. In Jesus' name, Amen.

[aspiringwarriorlibrarian]

Team RWBY as also "bad protagonists" because they apparently don't affect the main plot or at least aren't constantly driving the main storyline forth at a nonstop pace. Yeah that also baffles me because "team RWBY don't affect the main plot" How? They are the main plot!

I think it's partly motivated by a mentality that they "don't do enough" or "don't do it correctly".

The kinds of things that Team RWBY tends to do are more about the value of small and partial victories, the resilience and healing needed to keep going in the face of relentless evil or failures by forming strong bonds with each other, and the willingness to lean on others and trust others to continue the fight when you've fallen down.

A running theme of most views like the original point was making seems to operate on the notion that the only valuable thing a protagonist should do is big, grandiose absolute victories that fix everything perfectly and put them as the big saviors whom all should respect and defer to.

In other words, a lot like how a lot of people seemed to think Adam and Ironwood would be.

But the series actively skewered and dissects this mentality, with those two being highlighted more and more overtime as being intensely self-righteous at best and downright monstrous because all they really care about is their own grandiose fantasies at the expense of others.

Hell, Ozpin, even if his own goals were better-intended, suffered from this issue for millennia, since his belief that he was the only one who could oppose Salem and fixation on the bigger picture meant that he constantly overlooked how his "perfect world order" was cracking and falling apart at the seams because of the numerous small failings and societal issues he considered to be less important than defeating Salem (whom was smart enough to recognize his bad habits and exploited it ruthlessly), and arguably to the point of overlooking the possibility that his entire quest set to him by his God was likely never intended to succeed in the first place, because his goal was fundamentally impossible.

RWBY is a story about the small victories, how they can inspire others to try their best, even if only a little bit, and how the little things can build and improve to truly enacting change, in ways that grandiose gestures and fixation on bigger glories can overlook, or outright actively harm. How much the small things we do to help others can snowball into bigger and more profound impacts because we as people remember to actually care about others, instead of seeing them as a stepping stone for "the main characters".

And more than anything, that justice and a better world is a living and breathing organism that needs to be cultivated and nurtured with care and compassion, acknowledging and addressing the warts and all of society and that the fight never ends no matter how much people might want a guaranteed "happily ever after". Not forced at gunpoint or by "purging the problems until they go away" by those who think everything should be solved by the egomaniacs with the biggest god complexes.

That's exactly it. This isn't a story where we find a giant superweapon or where we have a series of battles where some win and some lose. Salem is immortal, infinitely patient, and the game is rigged against them. The only way to win is to change the fundamental narrative of Remnant itself. It's a story about broadening your understanding, learning to get back up, accepting yourself. Which often leads to cool battles, yes, because the demons of human nature here occasionally have the form of literal demons you can shoot in the face.

[kujakumai]

the duality of performance and spectacle wrt Kaiba and Atem wherein Kaiba has built and cultivated an image with specificity and intent to suit his own interests and values and while plastering your face on blimps and TV screens to screaming crowds to validate your ego is not a good coping mechanism it’s definitely something he’s doing On Purpose and knows how to take the trench coat off at the end of the day and just hang out with Mokuba, meanwhile Atem is sort of just dropped into roleplaying the characters of “King” and “Yugi” and “World Savior” via happenstance and circumstances outside of his control and while he does them with gusto out of a confused lack of other options he is not the architect but the passive recipient of their expectations; wherein two characters are standing on the same stage but Kaiba spent years of dedicated effort building his own pedestal to climb and hiding all the spots where it is crumbling, and Atem cannot walk without someone placing a shiny ready-made one underneath him and so far he has never been allowed to jump down

[walkswithmyfather]

1 Corinthians 2:12-16. “What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, for, “Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.” (NIV)

“The Mind of Christ” — By In Touch Ministries:

“Choosing to align our thoughts with God's Word will move us toward the abundant life our Creator designed.”

“We all want to live happy, fulfilled lives, but what does that look like? The best life we could possibly live is the one our Creator has designed for us. He loves us and provides everything we need to become more like Him and achieve all He has planned. And the way we think is vitally important in this process.

Today’s passage teaches that believers have been given “the mind of Christ” (v. 16). This ability to align our thoughts with the Savior’s is a gift that we receive from God at salvation. However, the practice of it is our responsibility. If we are to experience the abundant life the Lord wants us to have, old thoughts that don’t agree with God’s Word must be replaced with His truth. As we learn from Him in this ongoing process, our lives will be completely changed.

Compare your thoughts, attitudes, and beliefs with biblical teachings. If they don’t match, reject those patterns of thinking and fill your mind with corresponding truths from Scripture instead. Since the Lord has empowered believers, let’s cultivate the mind of Christ within us.”

[ac3-silvers]

Is it weird for me to be worried about my latest hyperfixation/plot bunny?

Below the cut is an explaination.

Tl/dr: added a bunch of like pagan themes and my version of “western fantasy” and found family tropes and species bending to a Xianxia/Wuxia setting (MXTX triple fusion) and I’m worried people will find it problematic if I post it. All pagan stuff is also “weird” bc it’s my flavor of it and I add more bits when I write it for stories of any kind. Main guy mostly just acts as a dad and is always running around trying to avoid people who he doesn’t want to find him unless he needs to trade for certain things like fabric because everyone is suspicious of him and it gets worse when they learn he’s an “alternate type of cultivator” and actually foreign and stuff. Like, it’s HIM being assimilated and not the other way around even if he’s sharing like a couple crafts, what he grew up speaking and writing, some recipes and stuff you’d learn if you lived in the wilds and had an arborist-holistic doctor-type for a mom figure.

Edits: added more clarification, main concern is white savior and I’m doing as much as I can to avoid that bullshit but I’m still worried as fuck bc I don’t want to seem like an asshole or something.

Like, I tend to have phases for fandoms, sure, but I also have them for tropes/concepts I like to write.

So I’m in a MXTX/Danmei phase fandom wise, and I’m in a general “fix it before the shit can go south” phase, and now I’m layering on my paganism-in-everything phase once again and writing a “what if all MXTX novels are in the same world… and a very powerful druid-witch dude happens to stumble onto our favorite red-and-black boys and a (good number of) handful(s) of other fucked over kids… which activates his horrible, horrible dad instincts and he adopts every last one of them” thing.

It’s 3 chapters deep, has a bunch of random shit ranging from discussion of languages and their quirks, basic Irish lessons (bc teaching myself off and on for YEARS), pagan/wiccan shit (obviously), handicrafts, hunting, practical foraging and ultra-sustainable farming practices, how major religions stamp out smaller or “bad” ones…

It’s basically just what I write for my Og stuff but I’m not holding back at ALL and it’s MXTX. Main plot is MDZS but Binghe and Hua Cheng are the frustratingly ridiculous older brothers of the family that the dad-character is just sick and tired of listening to them pine and suspicious as hell about who they’re going after despite not wanting to even THINK about his boys being in romantic relationships with ANYONE.

Just… goofy happy but dramatic family shit and cute kids and teens bringing a shitload of foreign mythology and pagan culture and a hefty dash of my personal style of fantasy into the Xianxia/Wuxia world.

I just worry I might get flack for like destroying the culture and setting with… what I write about for the most part outside of like the vast majority of my fics.

Am I going nuts, or is this okay?

Edit for a clarification: I’m worried, as someone mentioned, of a white savior trope problem. I’m mainly trying to get out of that corner I seem to have driven myself in, but generally how it’s going so far is:

- cultivators are suspicious of foreign guy who’s apparently not just some weird merchant, this causes issues

- OC is more just trying to keep the kids he ends up running around with from doing stupid shit like pulling stupid stunts to be with people they declare their soul mates after like one brief interaction (and he fails a lot and gets all “I’m not mad I’m just disappointed. Now eat your dinner and go take a bath, you stink and are too thin again.”)

- major difference for whole setting is just some one off things here and there being introduced and made more common in a warped timeline (mostly just like fiber arts and some recipes and minor things that aren’t as obvious right off the bat like how ginkgo trees are in the same family as poison Ivy and stuff like that)

Generally the entire fic is just very done dad yelling at stupid teenagers for being stupid teenagers and having to dodge people who don’t like the weird wild man and judging him for not being able to read Chinese well and stuff.

Yet I’m still worried about white savior issues… because they’re an issue.

[mahiloo]

Mourning them

A Genshin Impact fanfiction.

Do not proceed any further if you dislike angst linked to one-sided love and major character death : mind the tags.

CW : major character death, angst for all ships mentioned, one-sided ZhongChi/TartaLi, ChiLumi, platonic ZhongVen, platonic VenLumi or one-sided VenLumi.

How long had it been, already? Perhaps a thousand of years? He had lost count of the time.

It had been so long since the cryo archon, the Tsaritsa, ruler of Snezhnaya had launched her attack against the Heavenly Principles. Against Celestia.

So many years had passed... since he died. Since she also died.

The earlier was a one-sided love.

The latter was a good friend as well as a hero loved by all.

Those were the thoughts circling in his mind as he made his way to her tomb. To pay her a visit.

Looking back on those shared moments with them, he closed his eyes and remembered a fond memory.

There he was, sitting at a table, an exquisite cup of tea in his hand, his eyes lingering on the ocean as the people of Liyue made their way through the harbor, on their way back to work, or off to lunch, sometimes stealing mixed glances, all in his direction.

His eyes thus following the looks, the corners of his mouth curled up in an amused smile.

"Ugh- Childe! Quit it already! Give it back! This is not funny!" The traveler wanted her voice to sound firm, but the genuine fun she was having translated in her voice, betraying her.

What was assumingly supposed to be a glare from her was directed to a copper-haired young man, a pair of light blue haired feathers jokingly adorning his hair instead of hers, as it usually would. He was tauntingly holding a most elegant rapier, seemingly fontainian, way up above her head.

"Would you just look at that! Now that's a gorgeous weapon you've got here, comrade! Don't you think so, mister Zhongli?"

This name's bearer let out a laugh before giving his answer:

"Hah, yes, most refined indeed. Despite Fontaine being a nation mostly known for its mechanics, its people's skills when it comes to weapons craftmanship knows no need to envy Inazuma's reputation in this domain..."

Despite Paimon and the two youth giving him frequent looks, proving their want to listen to the cultured man and respect his speech, the fact that the harbinger was still toying around with the blonde woman, holding her rapier above his head, basically making her dance around him, also counted as an evidence that his question was partly rhetorical.

Seeing them get along like this made him smile. But the attention that he was giving her... was hurting him. Deep down. He just wasn't aware of it yet.

Two years later, Lumine finally sided with the Fatui, after learning everything she needed to know about this world. According to her, it needed to be built anew. When Childe broke the news to him, claiming that they had yet another powerful card up their sleeve, his eyes were shining in a newfound light. One full of ambition. Full of determination. Full of pride. Full of hope.

Full of love.

That's when the Lord of Geo bitterly realized that his friends would probably die, that he would likely be obligated to face them in battle despite his now weakened might, that the retired archon realized his feelings for him. At long last, despite the wisdom that he had learnt to cultivate thanks to an old, already long departed friend of his.

Now in the present time, he opened back his eyes in a deep sigh, knowing that he was now at the place where the Traveler, Honorary Knight of Mondstadt, Savior of Liyue, Captain of Swordfish II, First Sage of Buer, Leader of the Revolution, Flame of the War, and Twelfth Fatui Harbinger rested.

Nonetheless, a peculiar sight presented itself to him.

Peculiar and eerie.

There she was, the beloved hero, curled up on her knees, putting a bouquet of windwheel asters on her own tomb.

After what felt like an eternity to him, he finally dared to speak:

"Lumine?"

Lumine suddenly turned her head in a surprised way.

His feet brought him closer to her, allowing him to look more carefully at her face.

Her eyes.

Her eyes were different.

Not a shade of gold.

Green.

Anemo green.

Just like the color of her front locks, tied in two braids.

He immediately understood who was sitting in front of him.

A sad smile appeared on 'her' face, causing Zhongli to lightly scoff in the same way.

"Hey there, blockhead... you know, short ginger hair is a curious look on you." Barbatos finally spoke.

[marshmallowprotection]

Hey It's my birthday next week and my aunt asked me what I wanted. But I didn't know the answer...

I would like to know how Seran and unknow would react if their MC said she didn't need anything for her birthday but he really wanted to give her something

GE Saeran doesn't know what he wants, either. Well, he knows he is in need of a day with you where he can do something new by right at your side to experience it for the first time. That's how he likes to plan his birthday! But, your birthday is another affair entirely!

He wouldn't want to do anything that would make you uncomfortable on your birthday. If you don't know what you want, that's all right, it's something you can figure out together. That is to say, he knows you better than you think he does, and he'll have a great understanding of if it's something where you would rather spend the day indoors or you would rather go outside and do something with him.

This is one of those situations where he would take all the time in the world to prepare things ahead of schedule. Even if you don't know what you want to do or what you want, he would have already played the guessing game 100 times in a row to figure out what you enjoy and what you don't enjoy. He would cultivate a day where you could do anything you wanted to do, and it would never once fall out of line with what you love.

He knows you like the back of his hand just as well as you know him and it's to his benefit.

Even if you don't want anything for your birthday, that doesn't change the fact that he would want to do something special. But special is such a broad category and it doesn't have to be the most lavish gift in the world to be important. If you would rather have an experience, he is more than happy to give you something of that variety than to give you something instead.

If you say you don't want anything, he might take that to mean that it would be more fruitful to do something together on that day instead of focusing on an arbitrary item. He loves experiences and if you're with him, then you probably enjoy them as well. So, just be on the lookout for a day coming soon when you get to experience all kinds of new things together, if not for the first time, then for the first time together.

Unknown doesn't celebrate his birthday.

Why in the world would he do that? Why would he celebrate a day that serves as a reminder of the reason why he wasn't supposed to be alive in the first place, and a day that serves as a reminder that he is trapped and his brother gets to live freely?

In fact, one of the only reasons why he ends up having any kind of celebration is because his savior puts one on for him. I can imagine she does so just to really remind him that if he wants his revenge he needs to remember why he's angry in the first place. If he has a huge reminder that burns like hell, he can't forget.

He isn't allowed the luxury of forgetting because his life is about being turned into a weapon for mass destruction against those his savior does not like. His birthday is not a happy affair. I don't imagine that you being his assistant would make that change for him. He wouldn't want to make a big fuss about his day and he wouldn't want to make one about yours, either.

Well, it's not like either of you can celebrate anything in this cult, anyway.

It's not like he can take you anywhere or give you anything special when he only has the ability to leave whenever it is something that has to do with his plans for revenge or what the Savior tells him to do. So if you had no idea what you wanted to do for your birthday, that's quite right with him, because there's nothing that's going to happen as far as he is concerned.

However, if it's to the point where he has softened up to you, I can promise you in no uncertain terms that he will bring you something sweet. It's not much, but when you're trapped in a place like that, the smallest act of kindness can feel like a landslide. It sure as hell isn't much but it's a testament to how much he's changing thanks to you being around him. Don't expect him to get all soft and mushy, but it goes to show there is a way to break through to him and this small act of kindness could be indicative of that.

[distort-opia]

Oh! oh! I would LOVE to see your recommendations of fics where batman/joker mourn each other, please!

Woo, okay! Thank you for your interest in my brainrot [finger guns]

I had to split this in three slightly different categories that... all encompass a form of grieving (even though in some of the following fics, Batman might be the one doing the murdering). I’ve not included the much darker variety of Joker-kills-Batman fics, which skew towards Dead Dove: Do Not Eat, because technically, Joker doesn’t do a lot of mourning in them. (But there are certainly some out there that’ll make you want to eat glass, haha.)

These are all set in the comics, or in the Arkham or Injustice games, because that’s my jam -- so it’s not a comprehensive rec list for this subject in all Batman-verses. Also, a big massive (obvious) warning for major character death and heavy angst; heed the tags for each fic, as always.

Batman kills Joker (but he’s already mourning):

+ I'll Tell You No Lies by TheMidnightOwl (multi-chapter, rated M, 29.5k words)

Earth-22. One mistake was all it took. In the months that pass after Bruce accidentally kills a hired gun, he must reevaluate his life, his methods, and his mission. He remembers everything the Joker has ever said to him, every taunt he ever made, every similarity they share, and this time he's listening. This time he gets the joke.

A fix-it of the origin of The Batman Who Laughs. Readable without having read any of the Dark Nights: Metal series, more details inside.

+ For the Court of the Crimson King by Cultivation (rated T, 8.5k words)

From Darkseid's brainwashing and the Mobius chair's torture, Batman is split from Bruce Wayne. Batman is loyal and in love with his master's grand vision for Apokolips. Bruce Wayne retains his identity— his humanity— and intends to regain control.

To ensure loyalty to Darkseid, Batman is given his first mission: destroy what’s left of Bruce Wayne.

This is no easy task; there isn’t much left to destroy. The only thing left he can grasp at Wayne would very much like to destroy himself.

+ friend, please by distortopia (rated M, 6.8k words)

Joker will not let a disease, of all things, do him in. He was always meant to die at the hands of the Bat. He hadn’t tortured him enough before; he had been holding back. But now he would present Bruce with an impossible, obvious choice: kill Joker before he killed the world.

Joker is dying:

+ Any Last Words? by gaily-daily (passionateartist) (not rated, 1.4k words)

“I don’t hold conversations with criminals.” Batman says without thinking. It’s instinct to shoot down any and all invitations Joker gives him by now. But Bruce needs to reel himself back. Barbara can't trace the call if he doesn't play along. So with that in mind, he gives a very deep sigh and opens his mouth. “How’s your day going?”

(prompt where person A is dying and calls person B and then carries on a normal conversation while they bleed out)

Either Batman or Joker are dead/missing:

+ Sooner Than You Think by DictionaryWrites (rated M, 1.2k words)

After the events of Arkham City, Bruce doesn't know what to do with himself, and secludes himself in the Batcave.

+ The Bitterest Joke by Dracze (rated T, 4,8k words)

Set during the “Mother Panic Gotham AD” comic.

Joker doesn’t handle grief very well.

+ The Clown by CaptainMarls (rated T, 700 words)

A criminal, dead by the hands of a savior.

After Superman kills the Joker, Batman tries to react and finds he has no idea how.

+ The Next Best Thing by Dracze (rated T, 5k words)

Set during "Injustice: Ground Zero" issue 6 (or Joker's chapter in the game).

You do not take away a Batman's Joker.

+ The Last Five Years by Dracze (rated T, 1.9k words)

Set somewhere around "Injustice: Gods Among US" Year Five, issues 10-14. Knowledge of the comics is not necessary to understand the fic if you know the game or the basic premise, but it will help.

Selina leaves the resistance. Alfred tries to comfort Bruce the way he usually does, only to discover that Bruce is already seeking comfort with someone else.

+ The Truth by freakedelic (rated T, 3.8k words)

Set during Injustice: Gods Among Us. Bruce refuses to break.

“There’s one last thing to try,” Diana says. Kal turns on her.

“Elaborate.”

She fingers the golden lasso always at her waist. “The most powerful breaker of men, my dear.” Her smile is all teeth. “The truth.”

+ Thursday In The Danger Room by Merixcil (rated T, 8.9k words)

Another death in another alleyway. Bruce isn't ready to do this all over again.

+ In Poor Taste by grumpyhedgehogs (rated G, 2.3k words)

The Batman has been presumed dead. Some people handle this news better than others.

+ this knife, like silence by distortopia (rated T, 4.5k words)

One day, Joker disappears. He leaves no trace behind -- not a clue, not a body, nothing. Not even an echo.

Bruce attempts to navigate life, After.

Here you go, anon! May your heart be broken in a tiny million pieces but in the most satisfying possible way; there are so many good writers in this fandom. And if you get to my own shamelessly self-recced fics on here... really hope you enjoy.

[just-venti-ng]

a sad memory for Cecilia?

(this one includes massive spoilers for the Sumeru archon quest for anyone who might not have played that yet lmfao)

The trip to Sumeru was an arduous one with the world now flipped upon its head by a threat they gave their all to quell as divine protectors of Teyvat.

Success meant everything and nothing at the same time as Barbatos finds his reasons for making the journey in the first place even more desolate than the tattered world around him.

They had won, but at what cost?

He teeters between these two ideals—wonder and gratitude.

Wonder, because perhaps total annihilation would've been the better end. Because then there'd be no more pain—no one left to cry out for a savior in the empty, broken streets of the land he'd cultivated like seeds now withering away.

Gratitude, because he knows deep down that his bard would've hated to see it end this way—would've hated for such suffering to continue with no cheerful reprise to this haunting elegy.

Barbatos pulls his white robe tightly around him with the bright memory of that young bard in his mind and moves on, limping along the path with his head down, hood up, and his wounds fruitlessly covered.

The pitstop he made at Windrise several hours earlier did what it could to stave off the corruption, but he didn't feel quite alone in his thoughts as he passed through Liyue, and he certainly doesn't feel much safer now as he treks onward through the rainforest.

Needless to say, he's not of sound body or mind to be going through with this. None of the remaining gods are, but... as one of the final few, this is far too important.

And it is only the first stop of many.

There is no designated resting place yet made for the archon he is visiting. In fact, the people likely don't even know their god has fallen trying to preserve it all just yet.

But the wind is quiet now. The leaves hardly rustle as he sends gales through the trees, and the sand hardly kicks up as zephyrs blow their way around the desert in search for her, his old friend.

The gods always realize when one of their own has fallen. Though he is greatly weakened from the war, he always knows when they've taken their last breath.

And so, tenderly, he pulls out a cecilia he had tucked away within the long shirtsleeve of his robe as he pauses at last somewhere between the forest and the desert. Any location will do, he knows, because the soil and sand he now walks on is in all of its entirety... her home. He knows she will be greatly remembered by the people here.

And greatly missed, too.

"I'd sing you a song of parting," he murmurs hoarsely, clutching at his side as he bends down to place the flower upon the ground. "But I'm not quite in shape enough to do so. I hope the sentiment behind a lone cecilia will be enough."

And then he laughs pitifully into the open air, a drop of salty rain not from the endless sky above now spilling onto the grains at his feet and clumping them up by his toes.

"Oh, of course it is, knowing you and your infinite insight," he whispers out shakily. "Rest well..."

"Greater Lord Rukkhadevata."

****

"Barbatos," addresses the dendro archon. He can see the weight of a question behind her emerald eyes—something pressing that must be eating her up inside. But there are more important matters to tend to first.

"No need to be so formal with me, Buer," he teases a little, taking a small bow. "For I am Venti, the best bard of the mortal realm! You needn't call me anything else."

"Well then, Venti," the archon corrects. "May I ask you something not as Buer, the God of Wisdom, but rather... as Nahida, your friend?"

"Only for an apple," he replies jokingly before softening, the sincerity in his eyes sparkling like morning dew on flower petals. "But since this is our first official meeting post-imprisonment, I'll answer anything you like for free. Though I'm surprised that, as the God of Wisdom, you'd want to hear it from me."

The girl puts her hands behind her back shyly. "While I have unlimited access to Irminsul for information on any topic I please, this isn't something I want to research," she explains, looking at her feet. "I wanted to ask a more... reliable source."

Venti's brow furrows with confusion he won't say aloud.

More reliable than Irminsul?

With a deep breath in and out, the archon asks her question.

"What kind of person was I to you predating the Cataclysm? And no, I don't need tales of any gallant deeds, or what kind of god I was, because I've heard plenty of those from my supporters," she clarifies before looking up at Venti with large eyes filled to the brim with a form of luck even she herself must not understand.

"What I'm asking is... who was I to you?"

And though she doesn't remember any of it—any of the grief, the sorrow he felt as he made his rounds searching for signs of life from the original seven, something, anything—he can only be grateful that through it all, he was wrong to pronounce her dead when he initially found no traces of her.

She's alive, he had thought with a warm exhale of relief when he heard the news of her return.

She's alive...