#moody yuan

[moodyyuan]

Night walk

Phone photography

[carrotkicks]

"yo shirase, these edibles ain't shi-"

[hiimawarish]

like passing notes in secrecy

s. jing yuan being as clingy as mimi is with you. cw. female/afab reader. fluff. established relationship (you've been married for a long time). jing yuan is whipped. he's also a menace. tw. none? not proofread (as usual). wc. 0.8k a/n. what can i say more than the brain rot this man causes me is endless? credits. dividers by @/cafekitsune.

Jing Yuan ponders, for a few seconds, how he got himself into this situation.

As he watches the scene unfold in front of his eyes—the sight of you laughing loudly as Mimi followed your every command—, he wonders if he has ever experienced peace as overwhelming as this. Odd, isn’t it? That one can feel such peace that it’s unsettling. Yet, he does. The fact that he can spend his day off here, merely watching you play with Mimi is proof enough that he has more than he deserves. 

A smile curves into his lips at that thought. If you were to listen to his thoughts, you’d already be lecturing him on his self-deprecation—on how everything that has happened is not his fault. It has been a long road, he realizes, but it’s been worth it. Even if you had yelled at him the moment he brought Mimi home with that absurd story about being a grimalkin cub, even if you had seemed rendered speechless by a mixture of surprise and concern when he appeared home with a baby Yanqing in his arms… It had been a long and arduous journey, still you remained by his side. Most of the time he feels like he does not deserve such consideration, but through the centuries you’ve managed to change his mind.

You’re stuck with me for life, you’d say, sticking your tongue out at him in that cute and playful expression he loves so much. For life. For eternity. Those were big words, and yet you’ve meant each and every of them.

“Come on, Mimi, I’m tired already!” He can hear you complain. The amused smile on his lips widens at that—you always try to tire Mimi out, but it always backfires. Jing Yuan can see Yanqing standing outside with you, and by the expression on the boy’s face, he knows he thinks the same. The lion had grown unusually attached to you over the years, and instead of settling down with you, it seemed to fill with an infinite amount of energy. “Stop! Stop!”

The lion did, in fact, not stop.

It chased you around the backyard again, and Jing Yuan watched you laugh. Your hair free, just like you liked it, messy from the wind and your play. Your cheeks have turned pink by now, the strain of keeping up with Mimi clear in your face and your heavy breathing. Yet, you still play with it. You allow Mimi to chase you, to tackle you down, to nuzzle into your neck, and to finally rest its head on your shoulder.

“I’ll bring you water,” Yanqing sighs, shaking his head as he disappears into the main house.

Jing Yuan watches him leave with a hint of amusement in his golden eyes—the boy is definitely acting like a teenager now, he realizes. Bothered and moody, and yet he would never deny you or him help. He seems exasperated as he walks away, and if the General paid enough attention, he could have listened to Yanqing wondering how his mother had gone crazy from playing with the lion. Instead, Jing Yuan is focused on you; the way your fingers lazily play with Mimi’s mane, how the lion almost purrs.

“Aren’t you two cozy, hm?” He says, as he finally approaches you.

You open your eyes lazily, lips curving naturally into a grin that could melt even the everwinter from Jarilo-VI.

“We’re resting,” You say. The moment your hand stops playing with Mimi’s mane, the lion reacts—it nudges your face, a clear demand for you to continue. “Well, Mimi is resting, and apparently I’m giving pets.”

“So it is a bad time to ask for my cuddles, hm?”

You can feel the rumble of laughter from within his chest as he tries his best to lay down on your other side, and now you’re trapped. Trapped between a giant cat and your husband. His laughter is contagious, though, and soon you’re laughing, too. His hand snakes around your waist, pulling you into his chest lazily. 

Mimi whines.

You laugh, again.

“Who would have thought the cub would be so jealous?” Jing Yuan complains, playing dumb.

“Mimi is anything but a cub now,” You nudge him softly, giggling when Mimi follows you, placing its head on your chest again, its mane tickling your neck. “And, for your information, it takes after you. You’re just as demanding, if not more.”

More laughter. You can feel it on your back as he holds you, his hand on your waist soft and gentle, tracing lazy figures on the fabric of your dress. 

“But I’m a general, darling mine.” He presses a lazy kiss to your neck. “Demanding is part of my job, wouldn’t you say?”

You elbow him, and you don’t miss the vibration of his laughter against your back. Sometimes, you think, your husband is insufferable.

If only the people of the Luofu knew that, within the four walls of your home, the Dozing General is better known as the Doting General.

more works.

©2023 hiimawarish do not translate, repost, copy, modify

[myfanfic-urfantrash]

Brain went brrr on Frienships headcanon and reminded me that packs are a Thing™ in A/B/O so now my brain is brainrotting about how our boys' Friendo (when they're close enough as friends, gender dynamics don't mean squat) decided to declare to their bestie that they're a pack mate/family now.

I'm all about wholesome A/B/O tbh, nothing screams fluff than just platonic friends looking out for each other having all the cuddles in the world in cozy nests and then Friendo being hit with a sudden thought before declaring thou shall be my pack mate to the boys—

I went crazy and added basically everyone I've written for which means March gets to be part of the boys :P

I love wholesome :3

cw: omegaverse

-------

Lying there in the comfort of their shared nest everything is calm and content. There's no where they'd rather be and if anything came up it better be important because there is no way they're leaving this comfort surrounded by warmth, their mixed scent, and their dear friend. Just as their eyes begin to droop they're startled awake by a sudden declaration: "Thou shall be my pack mate."

Blade

Is silent at first before he melts further into the nest. He's a little unsure how to feel but he doesn't feel bad about the situation and grunts in response when they ask him if he heard them. He does worry about the future and their reaction to his inevitable death but they reassure him they'll stick with him till the end as pack mates do.

He's a bit quieter with his declaration but he's just as happy to become pack mates with them. He actually starts purring though it's just as quiet as his declaration. The mara doesn't bother him for quite sometime after becoming pack mates with them and their presence only seems to ease his pain even more.

Jing Yuan

Pretends to be asleep after their declaration but is truly freaking out. Pack mates are serious business so he's honored to be considered as someone to be their pack mate. Once he's done teasing them or rather calmed down enough he responds to their declaration in equal measure including the odd way they said it.

Eventually does go to sleep because of how exciting and comfortable everything is. He pulls them into his chest and curls around them purring in contentment.

Welt

Snaps out of his sleepy daze so fast it's like he took an espresso shot. He looks at them in shock and amazement before he asks them if they're sure they want to become pack mates with him. Gives them the cutest smile once they reassure him that they want to become pack mates with him and he agrees to become their pack mate.

He watches over them like he used to but everyone can see he's glowing with pride and happiness after becoming their pack mate.

Luocha

Teases them for their odd phrasing but he's happy of course, who wouldn't be happy to become someones pack mate after all? He agrees to be their pack mate without fuss and considers taking them on a trip to celebrate if they're not busy. It's a little hard for him to fall to sleep after they've made their declarations because he feels energized from the news.

His expression doesn't show much but he seems even more delightful to be around after this like a flower that's been freshly watered.

Dr. Ratio

Tells them that they're already pack mates considering their shared nest and all the other stuff they've done together. He does agree to become pack mates with them though he's a bit moody about it considering he had to make it verbally known to them. Now that he's more awake he grabs his knitting materials and begins to knit with shaking hands. He's got to get his overwhelming positive feelings out somehow.

He doesn't change too much after this but he does give them more handmade gifts and goes a bit easier on them when they've got some difficulties they have trouble solving.

Sampo

He...never expected this that's for sure. He's overjoyed honestly but he's taken aback considering his whole "shady" lifestyle. He does agree to be their pack mate though with some flare of his own.

After this he's a little more open about himself though it doesn't seem like much to others it's quite a bit for him. Definitely looks out for them should they ever get themselves into trouble, even if it's trouble he'd normally avoid.

Dan Heng

Confused by their wording but he's happy he really is he's just still tense from his past where he knew he had a pack but things didn't end so well for them. A little reassurance goes a long way in easing his worries and he agrees to be their pack mate though he's still anxious.

Looks out for them much more diligently than before but he does ease up if they ask, he's just worried is all. Has a noticeable kick in his step from the joy he feels knowing he's got a pack.

Caelus

Has the biggest dumbest grin you could imagine when the words register in his brain. He's so glad that they've chosen him to be his pack mate and agrees without hesitation. It's hard for him to fall asleep and might want to burn off some energy because he's overwhelmed with joy.

Looks after his new pack mate with pride and a little hop in his step. Everyone can tell he's they're pack mate and how much it means to him.

March 7th

At first she questions them about their oddly archaic language before what they said kicks in. Practically screams from how excited and happy she is. Tackles her new pack mate and hugs them as tightly as she can without hurting them.

She's never had a pack mate before- at least as far as she can remember- so she's pretty excited and touched to be chosen as her best friends pack mate. After that she'll take a celebratory photo of them in their shared nest and declare right back that they're her pack mate as well.

[antimatterz]

when you're offline for a while

dan heng, gepard, blade, sampo, jing yuan x gn!reader

summary: it's been a couple of days since you last logged in, how are they taking it?

cw: fluff, humor, pining, self-aware au

enyo's note: inspired by an ask from a dear anon !

content under the cut | masterlist

dan heng

dan heng might think he doesn't show it, but it's painfully obvious for those who know him a little better. he's more quiet and retreats to the archive room even more than usual, heaves out sigh after sigh while he wonders where you are. as someone who was often online, it was weird for you to not log in for a couple of days. he won't admit it to anyone, but he misses the visits you always pay him during your online time and he misses going on trailblaze missions. when you finally come back online he is the first to approach you, playing it cool but you see the pout on his face and he fails to hide his puppy eyes as he asks you were you've been. he's secretly very happy to see you again.

gepard landau

he is so lost, trying to go on with his daily duties but in his mind constantly wondering where you are. he doesn't get it, you're literally always there and now you aren't? it makes him kind of insecure, too, as he starts thinking that it's because of him that you're no longer online. did he do something you didn't like? had he disappointed you in any way? when you log in again he is so happy to see you but also a bit reluctant to approach you, so please reassure him that you simply had been busy and that it had nothing to do with him! as soon as he's reassured, he'll happily greet you.

blade

really, he pretends not to care at all. maybe he doesn't, but only during the first few days. after that he starts getting impatient, getting moody and on-edge and snappy towards his fellow stellaron hunters. he acts like he's annoyed by your absence but in fact, he misses you and isn't sure what to do now that you aren't around him. it's funny how kafka can see right through him but he has no clue himself lol. blade has gotten so used to you being online all the time and he would not admit it yet but he grew fond of you – and it shows. when you log in again, he asks you where you've been, arms folded and demeanor quite grumpy ( yes, maybe he's jealous that something else got your priority, and not him ) but secretly he hides small smile, happy that you're back.

sampo koski

oh, this guy is so dramatic about it. he openly complains to everyone willing to listen about your sudden disappearance and spends a lot of time just sitting and waiting around, not knowing why you're suddenly not logging in again after being so active before. when you come back after a couple of days, he'll be even more dramatic as he welcomes you with a big ass speech about how he missed his beloved partner in crime and how boring it was without you. he's very extra with his words and touches and doesn't disappear from your sight. he doesn't leave you alone for a second and is sickingly sweet.

jing yuan

the general is pretty chill with it, though he can't help but wonder where you are. you always made sure to stop by his office every time you got the chance, and now you haven't been online for a couple of days. what occupies you? okay, he knows like no other what it's like to get a little extra busy sometimes and he simply assumes that's happening to you right now. so yeah, he waits patiently for your return, even though he secretly misses your presence. as you log in, he warmly greets you, hiding behind a calm smile how happy he is to see you. he instantly invites you to his office, where you update each other on what happened the past few days.

[jingsyuans]

More of the found family/baby au… the first time you go to Jing Yuan’s house, it’s out of sheer desperation. Usually your baby girl is quiet, but babies are unpredictable and moody and this day in particular, she wouldn’t calm down. No matter what you did, she wouldn’t stop crying. So you packed your things and hustled over to Jing Yuan’s residence, bouncing and shushing her the whole way.

He knows you’re at the gates before you can even announce yourself and ask the guards there to let you in. He’d heard the crying and already came down to meet you there, expression knitting into worry when he sees how out of sorts you look. Naturally he’d bring his arms forward, asking if you were alright while silently requesting to hold the baby. You hand her over to him carefully without another thought, grateful to give your arms a break, and —-

And she stops. Once she looks up at Jing Yuan as he holds her to his chest with a gentle shush, her big eyes blink in wonder and she stops crying. You can only stand there and stare in disbelief.

And then you start crying, completely breaking Jing Yuan out of his temporary fascination with your child as you start to cry out of pure relief and a little bit of frustration, too. He holds your baby in one arm and reaches out to you with the other, shushing you now instead of the baby. Cooing that you’re okay! Come inside, it’s okay, get some rest. (Postpartum hormones are no joke, by the way)

You practically knock out the second Jing Yuan leads you to his bed. Still holding your baby girl, he can only stand there, slightly rocking her in his arms- staring down at you with a reverent, gentle smile. Kisses the top of the baby’s head and sighs, accepting his new role as temporary caretaker for this moment as you catch up on your sleep.

(Jing Yuan strikes me as the guy who would hold a baby and do his job at the same time, flawlessly. Bouncing her on his lap and in his arm as he signs off papers, holds her on his hip as he moves around the house and cooks in the kitchen. She’d either be napping or watching everything he does with a childlike fascination.)

[aihaitahm]

what do they do when youre on your period and you have cramps.

with kafka, jing yuan, dan heng!

cw: reader is afab! but uses no pronouns! maybe suggestive

kafka

if you experience cramps, she would be your personal heating pad. she is so clingy and cute because she always wants to be with you. she massages with her warm hands on the painful area to relief the pain. babys you when you’re in pain.

not the best cook but she tries to make you soup and give you dark chocolate to make you feel better! she tells you to drink water and she always tells you shes proud of you for your little accomplishments!

provides you pads/tampons and if your horny, its nothing to be embarrassed about! its normal and she understands. she would gladly help u! she doesnt mind getting her hands dirty~ it does relieve cramps.

whenever she is gone for a mission, she gave you a heating pad that resembles her so that you still feel her company! except in her plushy form.

dan heng

at first, he would be a bit clueless on why you’re groaning and holding your lower abdomen however he would be deeply concerned to whats wrong.

then he figures it like oh! okay. he maybe a bit inexperienced but he would brew you tea that can relieve your period cramps. gives you healthy alternatives than just hypersugary sweets.

he’d give you his blanket and wrap you in a burrito. he would think you are so adorable and just hug you like a pillow. as long as you feel warm and comfortable he is happy.

would cook for you and carry you wherever you need to be. he may get flustered if march 7th starts teasing him for being so gentle.

if he needed more advice or to clear his understanding or prior knowledge to menstruation, he would ask himeko about it because he wants to help you. overall he is such a sweetheart<3

jing yuan

asks his assistants to bring his loved one pain relievers. would want to assist you and probably neglect some most of his work just to take care of you. he would be by your side and would hold you however you wanted.

kisses you all over your face and stomach. awwww he loves you so much even though you can be moody and be mean towards him. he gives you some chocolates or anything you want if you ask for it. he would ask his assistants to go as soon as he says so. whether it be a dessert from belobog or a book that youve been wanting to buy, you will receive it as soon as possible.

if he has to get back to work, he would let mimi cuddle and accompany you<3 by the time he gets back to you both, he gets jealous that you have gotten closer with the big feline and you started giving her more attention. would dramatically ask “how could you replace me so easily T_T” “do you still love me?” you just sighed and kissed him to shut up.

of course you welcome him back and to your surprise, he brought home some food that you said you were craving for earlier that week. you feel so lucky and thankful to have him.

[thegoldenavenger]

not gonna write this right now but!

svsss / lotr fusion au

proud immortal demon way is a grimdark fantasy story sorta like game of thrones/song of ice and fire which shen yuan hate read because he liked the protagonist and really wanted him to get a happy ending but, that, uh. DID NOT HAPPEN. EMPHATICALLY.

anyways, shen yuan transmigrates into a hobbit, waits for the plot to Happen, and when it doesn't for almost 10 years he realises he must have transmigrated to sometime before or after the plot happening and dives head first into being a hobbit. the food! the books! the gossip! yes, he'd love to get out an explore this fantastical world a bit more, but hobbits weren't very adventurous and shen yuan didn't want to stumble into the plot any more now than at first.

shang qinghua is his fellow transmigrated hobbit. once shen yuan realises this, he latches onto shang qinghua and they become somewhat antagonistic friends. shen yuan cherishes him! despite having written the novel, shang qinghua also does not know exactly where in the plot they are. the shire got very little mentioning in the original novels so they could really be at anytime at all except for the part where the shire gets burned down or what not.

this is all very well and good until someone knocks on shen yuan's door in the middle of the night and he opens it to find a strange, tall, extremely, tall, extremely beautiful, man who waltzes into his little hobbit hole like he owns it.

this is shen jiu, a wizard. who... knows? shen yuan? shen yuan does not know shen jiu. shen jiu does not seem to be worried about that. shen jiu, after making himself QUITE at home in shen yuan's little abode, gang presses shen yuan into a fun little quest. shen yuan is not quite sure how exactly he ends up on the trail towards a mountain to free it from a dragon but he is--in a word--excited.

a dragon? he's only read about them! in two worlds now! and he'll get to see one, and possibly more amazing creatures. he is accompanied by shen jiu of course, snappy and acerbic, stern and moody by turns, but obviously and intimidatingly powerful. he is also accompanied by ming fan, a relatively young dwarf who falls all over himself to impress shen jiu; ning yingying another excitable dwarf happy to be on this quest of some import; yue qi, a solemn but friendly man who falls over himself around shen jiu more than ming fan does; also like three to five more people i cant be bothered to squish in. this isn't about them!

anyways, it turns out that this is the prequel story--shen yuan only finds out when he returns from his adventures with an unbearable amount of treasure, to a shocked shire and an even more shocked shang qinghua who explains that Shen Jiu, whom shen yuan has grown a bit fond of in spite of himself, is actually Shen Qingqiu, the wicked wizard who set Luo Binghe on his path to becoming the dark and gritty protagonist in Proud Immortal Demon Way.

shen yuan boggles. surely not????? shen jiu is prickly, yes, but he didn't seem like the man the book described. shang qinghua shrugs, said this was a light hearted fantasy he wrote when he was younger and more idealistic but it is definitely the Same Dude.

but, shang qinghua says, they obviously aren't following the same plot since Shen Yuan was definitely not in shang qinghua's writing, and several things didn't happen or were changed. in any case, this prequel was decades prior to anything that occurred in the main novel so shen yuan delicately decides he probably doesn't need to worry about it.

he fingers the jade pendant he'd been given on his journey.

the pendant, of course, belongs to Luo Binghe. in Proud Immortal Demon Way Luo Binghe started the novel out as an orphaned halfling, without family or community, and barely the clothes on his back to his name. he struggled to survive on his own, his only treasure the jade pendant he'd always had since he was a baby. he could only imagine that his parents bequeathed it to him before they--died? probably. luo binghe had never known what happened to orphan him so thoroughly.

he'd stumbled into wardship with a powerful wizard who was meant to mentor him, however instead of nurturing luo binghe's relative youth (halflings aged much slower than men, a hearty thirty years was mere teenage years in comparison) he had set jealous eyes on luo binghe and made his life miserable. when he caught sight of luo binghe's pendant, he'd stolen it and with it released the other half of luo binghe's heritage.

su xiyan was a creature much like a hobbit, as these things go, but his father was a powerful demon (dark elf? listen i am not deep in the lotr lore but w/e the hell sauron is haha). the union wasn't meant to be, and when separated, tianlang-jun tried to raze the realms in fury, and almost managed it with his demon sword of power xin mo. however, he was defeated, xin mo shattered, and sealed under a mountain.

luo binghe's heritage was also suppressed. whatever su xiyan carried from her entanglement with tianlang-jun, resentment or pity or fear, she evidently cared enough for her child to try and give him a normal life free of a tainted ancestry. she gave him a pendant and set him adrift on the luo river where his tale of misery began.

when shen qingqiu removed the pendant, in the situation it happened in, luo binghe's powers and heritage manifested. shen qingqiu disavowed his newly unmasked disciple and abandoned him among the shadows of the badlands around mount doom.

embittered and adrift, luo binghe fought through what was tantamount to hell, laid claim on the throne his father left empty, commanded the wayward bands of orcs and goblins and other unsavory creatures, and worked on claiming or conquering all else. the realm of men never showed him any kindness at all, and so he would burn it all to the ground.

what started as a fairly interesting, if dark, coming of age story morphed into a grimdark grapple for power, politics, and sex. shen yuan, who had been charmed by the young luo binghe's enduring effort to find somewhere he belonged, became swept away with the darkened and awakened luo binghe's effort to create somewhere he belonged, without mercy if necessary.

however, somewhere during luo binghe's rise to power more and more of the plot threads were being dropped. luo binghe's cunning coups and strategic battles became more single note. at some point the adversaries became one dimensional, canon fodder. luo binghe's plans came to fruition with barely any struggle. as a power fantasy, shen yuan supposed it was fine-enough. one could, theoretically, turn their brain off and enjoy luo binghe's methodical scouring of the realm, conquering of power, and claiming of women. but everything shen yuan had started reading for, and had stayed for, was stripped away except for the protagonist himself.

in the end, the only place luo binghe could make for himself was a cold, lonely world empty of anyone luo binghe could turn to.

it was, perhaps, no wonder that shen yuan had frothed himself into such apoplectic fury he had died cursing the author's work.

the point is, though, that there was absolutely no way the cute youth shen yuan had encountered in the goblin caves had been luo binghe. the boy hadn't introduced himself, but when shen yuan was fleeing the wrath of the goblin king, the boy had given shen yuan his necklace.

"it will turn you invisible, so it can help you escape." the boy had said.

"what about you?" shen yuan had asked, reluctant to take the boy's only means of defense.

"it's fine!"

"but it's your treasure, isn't it?" shen yuan recalled the hours of commentary he had coaxed out of the boy as he'd been led through the dank tunnels trying to reunite with his wayward band of dwarves and wizards.

"it can help you now, i want you to take it!" the boy's eyes had been starry in the dark.

"but--" shen yuan was forced to hold the pendant as the boy shoved it into his hands. with reluctance, he settled it around his neck. "how will i return it?" he asked instead.

the boy had smiled at him, eyes wet with emotion. "i'm sure we'll meet again, shen yuan from the shire."

"okay then. i'll give it to you next time."

the pendant had turned him invisible and shen yuan was able to escape the goblins, somehow rescue his teammates, sneak into the dragon mountain, steal the treasures he'd been tasked to steal, liberate the mountain he'd been tasked to liberate, and even accomplished his own secret goal: save the dragon.

(you see, shen yuan loves creatures of all sorts, and he'd always sort of been sad when things like dragons had to be killed to save the day. didn't they also deserve to live in peace? so, when a snake like creature conspired with him to help relocate the dragon under the guise of burying it with melted gold, what could shen yuan do but agree? and the plan had worked! the mountain was liberated, the city nearby was freed from constant dragon-induced fear, his traveling companions were happy enough, and the dragon and presumably its snake-friend were safely living somewhere else probably.)

anyways, the boy can't have been luo binghe and the pendant cant be the pendant because the pendant never turned luo binghe invisible in the novels shen yuan read, and luo binghe would have never given it away! he'd reliably become berserk if the pendant had ever been in danger and of course the moment shen qingqiu had stolen it luo binghe had erupted into a coalescing tornado of unleashed power.

that did not happen when the starry-eyed, lonely, somewhat skittish but still kind and receptive young kid had given shen yuan the pendant. therefore, that kid wasn't luo binghe and this pendant is not The Pendant. there are probably a hundred sad orphans and a thousand more magical pendants in the wide million-word history of proud immortal demon way.

so when shang qinghua points at the pendant some years later and starts yelling hysterically, shen yuan has no idea why. shen jiu, who is visiting for shen yuan's birthday celebration, and quite used to shang qinghua's hysterics, offers to look over the pendant. shen yuan lets him, though if shang qinghua was awake he might get scolded for that. yes shen yuan knows shen jiu steals the pendant in the book! but! shang qinghua said it himself: shen yuan has already changed things! probably shen jiu won't steal from shen yuan! they're friends! also, this isn't the pendant so it's all a moot point.

this leaves shen yuan completely open when shen jiu does actually steal the pendant. he whisks it away, barely touching it, folding it into his billowing sleeves, eyes as flinty as shen yuan had ever seen them.

"i need to find out what this is," shen jiu explained, as shen yuan angrily stormed after him on his way out. "it feels-- hungry."

"i--" shen yuan is stopped when shen jiu whirls around and places his hands on shen yuan's shoulders.

"do you not trust me?"

shen yuan thought that was very unfair, as he had just determined to himself to trust that shen jiu wouldn't steal his pendant and the wizard had just gone and done that. but the look in shen jiu's eyes stayed shen yuan's tongue.

"do you think i would just take from you for no reason? have i not labored enough under your ceaseless expectations of me to have earned your trust in this?"

shen yuan carefully breathed out through his nose. "is it not the same question for me?" he asked, "do i not deserve an explanation? must i always sit here in the dark as though even the simplest of truths would make me suspicious of you. do you not trust me to listen?"

shen jiu seemed to struggle.

shang qinghua managed to recover, at this point, and catch up to them. he interjected, for once his tremulous tone evened into a sober enough inflection that even shen jiu listened. "It is exactly what you suspect! we can do whatever tests you need right here, in shen yuan's hearth, you needn't journey with it yourself."

shen jiu's eyes narrowed, and shen yuan cast confused glances at both his friends. even if it was luo binghe's pendant, wasn't it just a seal limiting binghe's power?

"you're not even touching it and can feel it whispering, can't you?" shang qinghua asked.

"what do you know of it?" shen jiu snarled, but his eyes betrayed a sort of fear shen yuan had never seen from his friend before.

"it won't do you any kindness to keep it, whatever you mean."

shen jiu, for a minute, looked as though he would ignore shang qinghua, but in the end the wizard closed his eyes and lifted the handkerchief covered pendant from where he had stashed it.

"it's heavy," shen jiu said, and dropped it into shen yuan's waiting palm.

it turns out the pendant is actually xin mo. "xin mo was actually uh, pretty fucked up? it corrupted tianlang-jun's mind, that's why he tried to destroy everything. su xiyan sealed its power into the pendant, but as luo binghe gets older and his heritage closer to awakening, xin mo grew more powerful." shang qinghua explained once shen jiu left ostensibly to research the predicament they were left in, but more realistically to recover from his brush with xin mo's corruptive influence. at least according to shang qinghua.

"but binghe didn't have the pendant when he started his conquest." shen yuan pointed out.

"no? he didn't need a hell-artifact trying to corrupt him. you read the story bro, his life sucked. he didn't need much of an excuse to get revenge."

"then why the pendant at all? isn't that too confusing? a macguffin you don't even use?"

"that was the point though!" shang qinghua was picking up enthusiasm now. "Luo Binghe had Xin Mo, the same thing that drove his father mad, but Luo Binghe could have resisted that. but being treated the way he was? his master undermining him and, ultimately abandoning him? magical artifacts don't make people into all of that," he said gesturing as if he could encompass all of luo binghe in his hand, "People make people into monsters quite enough on their own."

shen yuan bit his lip. that was, of course, why he'd stuck with reading pidw after all. he couldn't refute shang qinghua's words. watching luo binghe's slow descent into more and more anti-hero grimdarkness was enthralling because of how thouroughly the bright niavety had been beated out of him. shen yuan had wanted luo binghe to get his revenge, to get his power, and to create a place he could call home. he'd had plenty of the first two, but the latter had never come to fruition.

"wait! that was the point?" shen yuan asked, "but you never explained xin mo at all? or all this about the pendant! after shen qingqiu stole it, it might as well have disappeared! even after luo binghe captured him, the pendant wasn't brought up again. i had to bend over backwards to try and gather all of your loose plot threads! half the novel was just him winning another fight or finding another woman!"

"well, i mean, it was supposed to be the point. but ah, well i lost my notes and then--" he made a noise as shen yuan hit him. "But! I tried! Luo Binghe got a sword didn't he? after he captured shen qingqiu? that's xin mo! that's why he does all the fighting and fu-- uh, women. shen qingqiu couldn't destroy the pendant, and breaking it only released its true form. so luo binghe got his father's sword after all and it doesn't matter at all that he could resist it, because he didn't want to."

"why is shen jiu so worried about it anyways? i mean, i didn't feel anything." shen yuan looked skeptically at the drawer they had hidden the pendant.

"uhm, most people can though." shang qinghua said. "that's a lot of why luo binghe's life sucked so much? everytime someone was around him they felt xin mo."

shen yuan frowned, remembering the bright eyed youth from the caves. that had been luo binghe then? with his messy hair and messier clothes and dirt stained hands and feet. shen yuan, breathless from fear and running, had still not been able to resist the urge to wipe at the kid's face with his sleeve. people looked at that and what? felt compelled to be mean?

"most people are petty," shang qinghua said, correctly interpreting shen yuan's furrowing brow, "not everyone can be as peerless as the great peerless cucumber--"

"shut up." shen yuan frowned and crossed his arms. "you didn't answer my question! okay so, it has bad vibes. what about it? it's a pendant? i'm certainly not going to scour the realms. even if i wanted to, i could be squashed like a bug. who cares? why steal it from binghe?"

"because, if someone squashed you like a bug or stole it from binghe then it would eventually find someone who was powerful enough to scour the realms. i mean, even shen qingqiu wasn't immune to it! he thought taking it from binghe was the right choice, because he was worried someone stronger would take it, but obviously it wasn't. even with binghe's heritage being revealed, shen qingqiu ended up fracturing a lot of his connections while he held onto the pendant. he thought he was protecting the realms from it, but really he was just protecting it until binghe picked it up again. he practically laid the ground work for his own imprisonment with that. besides that, there are plenty of people who would think xin mo was a tool they could use for good. and they'd be wrong. so it's best to destroy it."

"but if binghe can resist it, and taking it from him is half of what makes him turn into you know, bing-ge, isn't it best just to give it back?"

shang qinghua boggled. "how did you come to that conclusion?"

"well, it's his treasure, and he wasn't doing anything wrong with it. you said yourself he could resist it! so isn't it best if the protagonist holds onto it? binghe's strong enough no one could take it..." well, besides the time someone had taken it.

a look came over shang qinghua that shen yuan couldn't identify. "i don't know. maybe he had such a tolerance because he built it up while it was in his posession all those years. but you've had it for like ten? twenty? years?"

Shen Yuan frowned. it wasn't that long for a hobbit, but it was incredibly long for the human shen yuan had been once.

"who knows how he'd react to it now! and absolutely no one is going to agree to just give an artifact of ancient evil to some kid no one knows!"

"he'd be almost thirty now, wouldn't he?" shen yuan said, almost without his own will putting together the timeline. in the novel, this is when luo binghe would be meeting shen qingqiu for the first time. thirty was too young for a hobbit to be on his own, never mind that shen yuan had been living by himself in both lives by the time he was 19.

"you are, frankly, impossible." shang qinghua gave up.

shen jiu came back in the middle of the night, as he was prone to doing, and whisks shen yuan and shang qinghua away on a journey to bring the pendant to a meeting of the realms in order to further discuss what to do with it.

"destroy it," shang qinghua murmered.

there were whispers of a dark power coalescing in the north at the bad lands bordering mount doom. orcs and goblins and other sort being organised and turned against the villages and townships close to the border, each raid pushing their powers further out.

"it's too early for binghe yet, isn't it?" shen yuan asked under his breath.

the worst of it. "they know the pendant is in the shire." shen jiu informed shen yuan and shang qinghua in the middle of throwing things into packs for travel.

"what? how?" shang qinghua quailed.

"who knew about the pendant? ming fan? yue qingyuan?" shen jiu asked, at once correctly inferring the only possible time shen yuan might have come across it.

"no--" shen yuan faltered. luo binghe had been the only other one to know, as he'd given it to him. but would luo binghe sell that information to the dark forces rising against them? or was he, indeed, the dark forces themselves?

shen jiu tsked. "it doesn't matter just now. we have to leave."

so they left, headed towards the cang qiong mountains where shen jiu hoped they could foist the responsibility of the pendant onto some other poor sucker.

[shadowcatzone]

hcq christmas romcom highlights probably:

-in the kitchen next to the dining room-

Dan feng, carrying a raw turkey to the kitchen backdoor, then opening the door "here, thanks for borrowing me the turkey."

On the other side of the door, ardens regia "sure, no problem. Hey... you didn't season it or anything right??"

Dan feng "no of course not."

Dan feng closing the door, opening a cupboard and pulling out a black foam box. Opening it up, putting the contents (a ready baked turkey and vegetables) on a baking tray [cue laughing track] and into the oven.

___

-living room/entry area-

Baiheng in a full santa suit, kicking the door open, bailu by her side [cue laughing track]

Jingliu, looking questioningly "what did you do?"

Baiheng opening her mouth to speak, "well," before being interrupted by bailu shouting (and jumping) "AUNTIE BAIHENG BEAT UP SANTA CLAUS!!!" [Cue laughing track]

___

-dining room next to the living room/entry area-

Everyone gathered at the table, eating the turkey. Dan feng looking around, then sighing loudly.

"DAN HENG! WILL YOU GRACE US WITH YOUR PRESENCE?" cue dan heng yelling "NO" downstairs.

"COME DOWNSTAIRS AND HAVE CHRISTMAS DINNER WITH YOUR FAMILY" cue something being thrown, then dan heng leaving his room and coming halfway down the stairs "i don't consider any of these people my family!" [Cue shocked gasps track] then dan heng looking around "how the hell are you even doing that??" While pointing somewhere at the sky.

Yingxing speaking up "looks like someone played too many video games. Typical dan heng." [Cue laughing track]

Dan heng, defeated, sitting down at the table, grumbling about the situation.

___

Bailu, tearing up "you love dan heng more than me!!" Cue yingxing picking her up, consoling her "no, no don't worry princess, we don't love dan heng more than you..." [cue aww track] yingxing, with bailu in his arms, turns his back to dan heng. Bailu has stopped crying, and is now sticking her tongue out at dan heng [cue laughing track]

___

-living room/entry area-

The doorbell ringing as dan heng sits at the table, head in his hands. Yingxing walks to the door, "i'll get it."

Yingxing opening the door to reveal a big bouquet of red spider lilies, behind them ren peeking out [cue ooh and whistling track] as ren and yingxing stare at each other for a solid minute.

Yingxing motioning for ren to come in before walking towards, and past dan heng "look, dan heng, your boyfriend is here." [Cue ooh and whistling track] "my wh- SHIT!" Dan heng jumping out of his seat.

Ren moves closer in moody lighting "out of five, three..." light turns cheerful and warm again "were free! So i bought you two dozen, and i saved like..." ren visibly thinking hard [cue laughing track] "...at least half, i think?" [Cue laughing and whistling track]

Dan feng, bringing a vase, hushing to dan heng "now if only he possessed enough common sense to bring something other than spider lilies." [Cue laughing track]

___

-living room-

Everyone unpacking presents, yingxing exclaiming "oh, bailu made all of her presents herself this year." [Cue aww track] Bailu, handing her presents to jing yuan, jingliu and baiheng, before moving to the side, revealing three shoddily packaged presents [cue laughing track] "that was supposed to be a surprise!!" Yingxing, sighing, "right. Sorry about that. Daddy is really bad at keeping secrets."

___

Dan heng opening his present to reveal a book "oh, thanks-" he turns the book and reads. The title is "a former lifes sin must be repaid in this one. Learn to pay the price, a self help book on repaying sins of the past" [cue howling laughter track] dan heng, looking at the book, then at dan feng "from you, i suppose?" "I know you have issues with this sort of thing." "Thanks." [Cue aww track] (and dan heng mumbling "in what way is this heartwarming and/or cute??")

___

Dan heng, hitting his head against a wall, with every hit speaking "i! Want! To! Leave!! I! want! To! Wake! Up!!" Baiheng saying "classic dan heng. Barely here and already wants to leave." [Cue laughing track], dan heng groans.

Ren chimes in "well, in that case, why don't we head to your room and... get comfortable." [Cue whistling track] "I changed my mind. I really want to celebrate christmas with them"

jing yuan joining in "typical. As soon as it gets physical the boy backs out. Wonder who he's got that from?" Yingxing answering "not from me. And..." looking over to dan feng, who points a kitchen knife at him "...probably from yubie or glaciator marum" [cue laughing track]

___

Dan heng sitting on the couch in rens arms seeming very tense, talking to dan feng. "This is basically a comedy. And where are my friends?" "Oh, you said they also went home for vacation." "Oh yeah? Then, what about yanqing? Didn't the general-" "yanqing spends this christmas with his mother," dan heng squints, looking confused "and don't call your uncle that. Ever since the divorce, he can't-" "stop, how many things did you change for the sake of this?" "...a handful." "You didn't even remember yanqing until it was too late to incorporate him, did you?" "...i don't like your tone, young man." [Cue ooh track] Dan heng trying to get up to physically fight dan feng, but ren wraps his arms around him and pulls him closer "don't go..." he mumbles, sleepily [cue aww track]

___

Dan heng, waking up in cold sweat. Leaving the archives before drinking three cups of coffee. "March, if i ever want to fall asleep again, slap me. As hard as you can." "Can i get that in writing?" "get me a piece of paper, sure."

The astral express having invited the stellaron hunters for christmas. Cue dan heng, in his sleep deprived downward spiral, trying to fight blade. And losing. And being dragged to his bed by the man the myth the legend the whatever is left of yingxing; blade.

"Three must pay the price-" "YES PLEASE end my suffering" "...is yinyue-jun okay???"

_____

Dan feng conjuring up an entire christmas comedy dinner from the 90s was inspired by my spiralling into insanity as well as SU episode "chille tid" (i think??) And many 90s tv shows with or without christmas specials.

Baiheng beat up santa. Santa was not harmed during the making of this.

[moodyyuan]

London revisit / 5

St Paul's Cathedral

Phone photography

[kiwicopia]

Matchup for: @imjustabeanie01

Fandoms: Bleach, Genshin Impact, Honkai Star Rail

Matches: Shuhei, Alhaitham, Jing Yuan

Your cold demeanor doesn't deter him, at least not once he gets to know you. Shuhei grows fond of your charismatic nature, oftentimes getting flustered when he's the target. Not a morning person? That's fine with him. He'll let you sleep in while he gets his morning activities finished, but he'll always find time in between to come and check on you. Social obliviousness isn't an issue with him since he's good at picking up cues, so don't worry. While he isn't sure how you'd enjoy spending such a special day with him, he'd do his best to make it sweet and memorable for you, all while being a flustered mess. He'll eventually voice his feelings at the end of the night, hoping you feel the same as he.

Alhaitham understands you all too well. He's not one to voice his own feelings as easily as others, despite it being more so him choosing not to, but he's glad there's another person similar to him in that aspect. He doesn't mind that you're moody at times, as he lives with Kaveh, so he knows how to go about it. It's okay if you don't love him right away, as relationships take time, and some take even longer than others to bloom. He's patient and will go at your pace of things, however, he would feel compelled to still do something on the special day everyone seems to celebrate. Perhaps a new manga you had your eyes on? Or a delicious dinner?

Jing Yuan is like a match made in the heavens. With an easygoing personality a majority of the time, he can get along quite well with just about anyone, and that definitely includes you. He likes that you're moody. Such expression of the human body with various emotions always makes him stop and smile before he asks about why you're feeling that way. He'll make his schedule around you as best he can, because once he found out that you weren't a morning person, well, that just meant he got an extended nap time with you. Jing Yuan will try and match your charisma with his own, sometimes trying to even outdo you to see if you get flustered or not. He's a tease and he knows it. As for what he'd have in mind on this special day, well, a walk around the city would be nice, right? Just you and him, walking around and enjoying the day together while he whispers sweet nothings the entire time.

[xochitai]

🌟9 people you'd like to know better🌟

Thank you for the tag @the-lightning-strikes-again! :D

Three ships: Jamil/Kalim, Allura/Lotor, Beidou/Ningguang

First ever ship? Earliest one I can remember is Ponyo's parents

Last song? Anyone Else - pvris [was listening to the radio while typing this so it kept changing lol]

Last film? A Haunting in Venice. Nice mystery, very pretty.

Currently reading: Scum Villain Self Saving System [finishing up volume 3]. I've been enjoying this series. Shen Yuan sure does end up in situations

Currently watching: The Apothecary Diaries. I've been going through my list of anime to watch and the last few haven't really clicked with me so I was a little worried starting this one, but I ended up liking it. Interested to see where the story goes!

Currently consuming: pop-tart

Currently craving: something crunchy

Tag 9 people! @amberitedragon, @sketchypique, @burgodee, @greenapplebling, @autistic-council-spectre, @genovianxprince, @vanilla-poisons, @moody-b1tch, @nomadicism

[skboba-stars]

Lookism OC

@akirayuri Meet Ryuu's teacher - the most chaotic person lol

Name :

Korean : Lee Jong-gyu

Birth Name : Tatsunari Santiago

English : Mickey Jung

Nickname : First Generation Queen, Haetae of Incheon, YAMI

Nationality : Korean

Ethnicity : Brazilian - Japanese

Gender : Female

Pronouns : (she/her)

Name Used : Lee Jong-gyu

Territory : Incheon

Age :

* Korean : 23 (2 years ahead) * American : 21

Height : 6'3.5"(193 cm)

Martial Arts :

- Taekwondo (ITF & WTF) - Capoeira - BJJ

Hair Color : Dark brown

Eye Color : Heterochromatic (one gray eye - one black eye)

Occupation(s) : college student (pursuing cognitive science and physiology masters) , webcomic creator, gym owner

Likes : iced coffee and ice cream, the smell of fried foods, cats, weights training, cycling, watching tournaments, motorcycles

Dislikes : those who are bigoted, her students' tendencies to get in trouble, the Choi family, her biological parents

Appearance : Yami-kwak is a young woman of above average height. She has a highly musculated and somewhat curvaceous physique with a body-fat percentage of about 18%. She usually puts gold highlights in her hair and wears golden eyeliner, which contrasts well with her tanned skin. She is heterochromatic and sometines wears dark green contacts, but usually sticks with her round, tinted spectacles with chains. She has a beauty mark on her cheek and long lower lashes.

She usually dressed in a business casual style or a more toned down and modernized gothic style for college. Usually for business meetings, she dresses in a three piece suit and heels - often with an unbuttoned shirt. In the gym itself she usually wears her dobok for taekwondo, abadas and a layered shirt for capoeira, or leggings paired with cropped shirts and long shorts for general training.

Yami also has three symmetrical piercings for her ears and no other body piercings. She does wear chained rings at times along with the occasional choker, but prefers to not wear jewelry much. She usually has her hair down or in a loose bun. She also has three tattoos : one silver and white dragon on her left forearm, a set of poetry in Japanese kanji alongside spider lilies of her right bicep, and a jaguar at the small of her back. She has a small scar on her chin.

Personality :

INTJ

Yami is a very moody individual that attempts to control herself through analyzing those around her. She can be quite blunt, but she prefers to be sarcastic and judgemental. However, towards those she cares for, she is incredibly protective.

Fighting Style(s) :

She uses mainly - if not only - capoeira and both forms of taekwondo - but Yami is much more naturally talented with her fists and in jiujutsu. As a result, she tries to only fight with her hands as her legs can cause too much damage. She also isn't afraid of fighting slightly dirty and ending a fight before she succumbs to her anger issues.

Aesthetic Board :

Relationships :

Family

Paternal Grandmother : Miela Santiago (alive - bussinesswoman)

Biological Father : Emery Santiago (alive - actor)

Biological Mother : Toshihito Nuihime (alive - royalty | professor)

Adoptive Mom #1 : Jung Sooeun (alive - doctor)

Adoptive Mom #2 : Kwak Hwaraon (alive - chef)

Adoptive step-sibling : Kwak Jiho (alive - student | trainee)

Friends

Taesoo Ma

DG

Jung Rui

Gun and Goo

The Numbered

Vinny Hong

Students

Ryuu Nakamura

Shen Yuan

Kwak Jiho

Lua Im

Seong Haru

Seong Taehoon

Background :

Yami was born between a member of the Japanese Imperial household and a Brazillian actor. She hadn't been raised by her parents for about 3 years when her mother's family found out and ordered her mother to leave them. After her parents separated, Yami was raised by her father and paternal grandmother for a year until her father was engaged. In order to keep up his image, her grandmother put her up for adoption when they left to visit one of her old friend in Korea.

Yami survived on the goodwill of strangers and stayed with a friend she made until she ran into a motorcycle one day on her way home. When she was sent to the hospital, the attending doctor decided to take her back home and take care of her. The doctor was married to an entertainment CEO, but she promptly divorced him after a month or so and got remarried in a year, taking Yami under her guardianship and adopting her. Charles pulled string for her to get adopted so she was in his debt and met Gun and Goo through this.

Yami then decided to go into training in martial arts, signing up for capoeira. She had been in taekwondo since she was 4 and she trains under Seong Hanseoo, eventually surpassing him in her senior year of high school. She attended Jeung-Roe Girls' School in the martial arts department and established the strongest gang in Incheon - the Silent Reapers.

She befriended Taesoo Ma and James Lee. When James came to fight her, she defeated him just barely and in turn, he spared her gang but her story never spread. She then went on to attend college and spread her gym branches around Seoul. She is currently working freelance and serving in the military.

[ao3feed-xicheng]

Growing Pains from Growing Family

by XichengLoverXX It had always been Jin Ling and Jiang Cheng, just the two of them, creating their own little inseparable family unit. Everyone else was less important. But after finding his usually grumpy uncle in the arms of one of the Jade twins of Gusu, happily being fed grapes by the Lan, Jin Ling knew things were about to change. It was no longer going to be just him and his uncle Jiang. But will their family change for the better or will it tear them apart? Join Jiang Cheng as he attempts to balance his growing romance at the same time as dealing with a moody and upset Jin Ling. In the end will sect leader Jiang be able to keep both the men he loves so dearly in his life? Words: 1230, Chapters: 1/67, Language: English Fandoms: 魔道祖师 - 墨香铜臭 | Módào Zǔshī - Mòxiāng Tóngxiù, 陈情令 | The Untamed (TV) Rating: Explicit Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Categories: M/M Characters: Lan Huan | Lan Xichen, Jiang Cheng | Jiang Wanyin, Jin Ling | Jin Rulan, Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian, Lan Yuan | Lan Sizhui Relationships: Jiang Cheng | Jiang Wanyin/Lan Huan | Lan Xichen, Jin Ling | Jin Rulan/Lan Yuan | Lan Sizhui, background Lán Zhàn | Lán Wàngjī/Wèi Yīng | Wèi Wúxiàn - Relationship, Jiang Cheng | Jiang Wanyin & Jin Ling | Jin Rulan Additional Tags: Blood, Blood and Injury, Almost death (But it's in a flashback so they're fine), Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian cuts off another man's dick, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Gay Sex, Jealousy, Bottom Jiang Cheng | Jiang Wanyin/Top Lan Huan | Lan Xichen, No Mpreg (But mentions of wanting to become pregnant), Marriage via https://ift.tt/fYkCnlA

[thecreaturecodex]

Iridescent Naga

“Iridescent Naga” © Bad Moon Art Studio, by Tee Fu Yuan and Phantom. Accessed at the publisher’s gallery here

[Happy Pride Month!

Commissioned by @justicegundam82​. The iridescent naga first appeared in the 3.5 book Serpent Kingdoms, but was basically forgotten until getting converted to D&D 5e in the 3rd Party book Dragonix Monster Manual Expanded III. That’s where this art is from, which I quite like. The cobra hood is a nice touch, and I disliked the sort of feathery hair in the original piece--made it feel too much like a couatl. ]

Iridescent Naga CR 8 CG Aberration This serpentine creature has a brilliant rainbow of color along its scales, each of which shines like a mirror. They have a cobra-like hood growing from their nape.

Iridescent nagas are lovers of beauty and explorers of the world. They seek out places that match their aesthetic sense, particularly enjoying ruined cities and other places where nature has partially reclaimed the works of civilization. They grow bored relatively easily, and typically move on after a few weeks or months. They are friendly to creatures that they meet on their journeys, and often compare notes about where they have been, where they are going, and what they have seen.  Most travel alone, but some will occasionally form touring groups if they have similar interests, although such associations usually last for a few years at the longest.

An iridescent naga would much rather talk than fight, and if a confrontation is forced, they prefer to use nonlethal methods. By swaying back and forth with their hood raised, they can create hypnotic patterns, clouding the minds of their enemies and allowing them to implant a suggestion (usually to leave, apologize, or the like). If this fails, they attempt to debilitate opponents with their venomous bite, which induces a heavy sleep. They will use lethal force if pressed, or against creatures immune to poison or mind-influencing effects, but would much rather flee than fight to the death.

Iridescent nagas have a reputation for being somewhat moody, as they can switch from gregarious to withdrawn in an instant.  They make passing friends easily, but often avoid establishing lifelong relationships, as they value change and new experiences far more than familiarity and stability. Iridescent nagas tend to make poor parents, and lay their eggs in a safe place for the young to hatch and take care of themselves from birth. Of other nagas, they appreciate the dreaminess of dream and lunar nagas, think guardian nagas are stuffy and boring, and despise dark nagas with all of their being. Dark and iridescent nagas are well matched, both physically and magically, and both will employ mortals and monsters as cats-paws in their attempts to thwart and kill the other.

Iridescent Naga                CR 8 XP 4,800 CG Large aberration Init +9; Senses darkvision 60 ft., Perception +14 Defense AC 21, touch 14, flat-footed 16 (+5 Dex, +7 natural, –1 size) hp 85 (10d8+40) Fort +7, Ref +8, Will +10 Immune mind-influencing effects Offense Speed 40 ft. Melee bite +11 (3d4+2 plus poison) Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft. Special Attacks hypnotic sway Spells Known CL 7th, concentration +10 (+14 casting defensively) 3rd (5/day)—slow (DC 16), tongues 2nd (7/day)—eagle’s splendor, see invisibility, web (DC 15) 1st (7/day)—expeditious retreat, mage armor, magic missile, ray of enfeeblement (DC 14), unseen servant 0 (at will)—detect magic, light, mage hand, open/close, ray of frost, read magic, resistance Statistics Str 14, Dex 21, Con 18, Int 14, Wis 17, Cha 17 Base Atk +7; CMB +10; CMD 25 (can't be tripped) Feats Alertness, Combat Casting, Eschew MaterialsB, Improved Initiative, Persuasive, Weapon Finesse Skills Bluff +9, Diplomacy +11, Escape Artist +14, Intimidate +14, Knowledge (arcana) +11, Knowledge (nature) +8, Perception +14, Sense Motive +11, Spellcraft +11, Stealth +10 Languages Common, Infernal Ecology Environment temperate and warm forests Organization solitary or nest (2–4) Treasure standard Special Abilities Hypnotic Sway (Su) As a standard action, an iridescent naga can dance in place, reflecting the light from its scales in a mesmerizing pattern. Treat this as a hypnotism spell (Will DC 18) without a HD cap, that affects all creatures that can see the iridescent naga within 30 feet. A creature can avoid having to make saves against this ability as if it were a gaze attack, and an iridescent naga cannot use this ability in darkness. The save DC is Charisma based. Poison (Ex) Bite—injury; save Fort DC 19; frequency 1 round; effect sleep for 2d4 minutes; cure 1 save. Spells Iridescent nagas cast spells as 7th-level sorcerers. They do not gain any other benefits of the sorcerer class, such as bloodline abilities.

[xtruss]

©Getty Images/Peter Dazeley

How Russia Sanctions Sparked Global Revolt Against US Dollar

An increasing number of nations have been shunning the greenback in trade settlements

— 11 June, 2023 | RT | World News

The number of international agreements aimed at abandoning the US dollar in trade has been growing lately, signaling a global de-dollarization push in light of Washington’s aggressive foreign policy. RT explores the reverse side of the US sanctions policy and whether it threatens the hegemony of the dollar.

Why Is The US Weaponizing The Dollar?

Washington has been using the dollar’s dominance as a tool to preserve its global economic and geopolitical superiority while imposing numerous financial restrictions on countries which it perceives as violating US national interests.

What Underlies Those Actions?

The US accounts for some 20% of global economic output, but more than a half of world currency reserves are in dollars, and the bulk of cross-border transactions are carried out with the use of the currency. This helps the greenback maintain its leading position among the world’s reserve currencies.

Is Dollar Dominance Under Threat?

Economists, including US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, have been warning that unilateral sanctions imposed by Washington on nations across the globe will sooner or later undermine the hegemony of its currency. The managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Kristalina Georgieva, has also said that the dollar is gradually losing its top status. The warnings come in the wake of a multi-decade gradual decline in the dollar’s share of global central bank reserves. International rating agency Moody’s stated recently that deepening geopolitical tensions are among the issues that could threaten the greenback’s dominance. It added, however, that the currency’s role would persist for decades despite the challenges.

Are There Any Viable Alternatives?

Immediate replacement of the dollar is not likely, most economists believe. However, the Chinese yuan is often mentioned as the dollar’s major rival due to its growing share in international trade settlements, along with the expansion of the Chinese economy. At the same time, economists note the lack of transparency in China’s financial system and the fact that the yuan is not fully convertible. The Indian rupee has also been named as a contender. As for the euro and the Japanese yen, experts have raised doubts on their long-term future and stability due to economic issues in the EU and in Japan.

Could Sanctions On Russia Backfire On Dollar?

The unprecedented US-led sanctions freezing Moscow’s ability to use half of its reserves, as well as limiting the ability of Russian banks to conduct transactions via the SWIFT messaging system could have a boomerang effect, some analysts say. According to them, many countries, especially those in the crosshairs of restrictive US measures, have raised concerns that those measures could be used against them in the future and could impact the functioning of their economies.

Could BRICS Challenge The US Currency?

The status of the US dollar as the global kingpin could be challenged in time and under certain circumstances by the BRICS group of emerging countries, according to some experts, including the former chairman of Goldman Sachs, Jim O’Neill. The economic bloc, comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, has already outpaced the G7 in economic growth. Their push towards trade in national currencies and efforts to establish a joint payment network to cut reliance on the Western financial system, and particularly on the dollar, have been gaining traction.

What Happens If The Dollar Loses Its Reserve Status?

The dollar’s current status allows the US to run large deficits in terms of both international trade and government spending. Losing it could result in a subsequent decline in demand for the currency and a possible depreciation of its value which would require significant belt-tightening by Washington. Less access to capital, higher borrowing costs and lower stock market values could be among the side effects to threaten the US economy in that scenario.