#plot journey

[enchantingepics]

Story Prompt 37

In a realm far away, where castles touched the sky and rivers whispered ancient tales, there lived a ruler with a swagger that echoed through the kingdom. He wasn't born to a royal lineage, yet destiny had a peculiar sense of humor, bestowing upon him a crown that sat more comfortably than any noble bloodline.

One day, as the sun bathed the land in golden hues, the self-proclaimed king strolled through the market square. Merchants paused, and peasants hushed their conversations, feeling the confident aura that surrounded him.

His eyes caught a glimpse of a maiden with a twinkle in her eye, wearing a gown adorned with shimmering fabrics. The king, undeterred by social norms, approached her with a grin that could charm the grumpiest dragon.

"Ever danced with a king?" he quipped, extending a hand.

The princess, startled yet intrigued, hesitated before accepting the unconventional invitation. As they twirled and laughed, the kingdom watched in awe. The king's charisma was infectious, transcending the boundaries of royalty and commonality.

As the day unfolded, the unlikely pair embarked on a series of adventures, from crashing the royal ball to scaling the castle walls just for the thrill of it. The king's unorthodox approach to life and love shook the foundations of the traditional kingdom.

In the quiet moments, when the moon hung low, the king shared his philosophy with the princess. "Forget about titles and crowns," he said, staring at the stars. "Life's about seizing the moment, not waiting for someone to validate your existence."

The princess, initially resistant to the king's audacious ways, found herself captivated by the liberating spirit that enveloped him. Their escapades continued, challenging the norms and rewriting the narrative of their world.

[keferon]

Monster hunter au part 11 (final? I think?)

Did you want to see Drift in a nurse costume?......ahahahahha

Orion: God himself couldn't stop him.

Meanwhile, Ratchet walking into God's room: Polish your glasses and get your robotic liver ready, I've got drinks to share and a great story to tell

Previous

[ruporas]

trigunned the hades or hadesed the trigun (id in alt)

[technically-human]

Bisexual crisis Crystal edition

[incoming-wormhole]

the temptation to make stargate rings to go on my wheelchair wheels for Basingstoke is so high rn....

[ifellintothestyx]

It will never not be funny to me that in Thousand Autumns, Shen Qiao is just the one normal, reasonable person while everyone else is living in a classic Wuxia drama

Basically every book conversation is just this:

Yu Ai: I had to poison you because you disagreed with everything I said, so I deemed you an incapable and naive sect leader! You would bring Mt. Xuandu to ruin!

Shen Qiao: I'm sorry, "had" to? We could've talked things out, y'know, like how normal people settle disagreements, but no, poison was clearly the only option left. You "had" to poison me. Right.

---

Yan Wushi: You and I are diametrically opposed. You are weak and undeserving of my attention. You fail to live up to my expectations and bring shame upon your master's legacy. Why would I need a friend like you so presume?

Shen Qiao: I didn't say you needed one, just that that's what I call you. You literally followed me around for months, ate with me, sparred with me, saved my life, and opened my eyes to the outside world... What on earth did you want me to call you that wouldn't be rude?

(Honestly knowing YWS's melodramatic ass, SQ probably just went through a mental list of statuses you could give to someone based on their proximity, realized that YWS is very much an outlier and also very much particular about his titles and general importance, picked "friend" as the safest option.)

---

Chen Gong: You look down on me because I'm from poor origins and never had the background or pedigree that you did so you disdain my methods!

Shen Qiao: ... You are holding. A child. Hostage. Literally every time I've met you you're doing something that doesn't agree with my morals and endangering human life. I genuinely do not care about your background, you just happen to be doing something I don't agree with and also tends to end up becoming my problem.

(No really, CG has like such a massive unrequited hatred for SQ while SQ is just lamenting that they somehow always end up meeting at the worst times in the worst places)

---

Half of the characters: Look how lowly you've become! From sect leader to boy toy! Everyone point and laugh!

Shen Qiao: Harsh but true, I suppose. Oh well, I should get back to what I'm doing.

[ginpotts]

DOCTOR WHO: THE NINTH DOCTOR ADVENTURES Big Finish Presents ✧ STAR-CROSSED ✧ 2024

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

"What do you mean their name isn't Beef?"

(for @moondal514)

[deikshen]

I started writing something new because I'm not in control of my life :B

In front of him, the boy who introduced himself as Shen Liangqing and who looks identical to Shen Qingqiu (except for his eyes: they are dark, intense, and his eyebrows are straighter than arched and thicker, a form that makes his elegant face more handsome in a fierce than haughty way) smiles with a sweet, false innocence. Oh, he has dimples, something that frames his youthful beauty as something wilder than just elegant neatness.

“Suppose this master believes you” Shen Qingqiu says, letting out an exasperated sigh. He feels cornered; is obviously the one with the most power in the situation just because no teenager—with the exception of the Protagonist of course—would have more power than an Immortal Master, even with the Without-a-cure in his veins. But… he feels unexpectedly weak. The boy smiles like a very sly cat, and that makes him even more uncomfortable for reasons Shen Qingqiu can't understand. “Wouldn’t Liangqing be changing his own future by telling this master all this? Wouldn’t it be risky for Liangqing?”

The boy blinks with a sweet, false innocence. His eyes widen, just a little exaggeratedly, in a clearly theatrical manner. Shen Qingqiu can see the shadow of something familiar there before his heart constricts enough for that to look away, barely breathing.

Or, Shen Qingqiu wakes up on a normal day almost three years after being forced to throw Luo Binghe into the Abyss, and finds a teenager knocking on his door. A teenager who tells him that he is his son, that he comes from the future, and that his only goal is to avoid as much of his suffering as possible. And he insists a lot that Luo Binghe does not hate him.

This young boy may be from the future, but what the hell is that!! Of course Luo Binghe hates him!! He's destined to hate him, to exact revenge for all the humiliations of his youth and turn Shen Qingqiu into a human stick!! ... Boy, why are you banging your face on the table? Are you okay...?

[literaryvein-reblogs]

The 17 Stages of the Hero’s Journey

In The Hero With a Thousand Faces, Joseph Campell breaks up the hero’s journey, also known as the monomyth, into 17 distinct steps:

The call to adventure: Something, or someone, interrupts the hero’s ordinary life to present a problem, threat, or opportunity.

Refusal of the call: Overcome by their fear and insecurities, the hero initially hesitates to embark on this journey.

Supernatural aid: A mentor figure gives the hero the tools and inspiration they need to accept the call to adventure.

Crossing the threshold: The hero embarks on their quest.

Belly of the whale: The hero crosses the point of no return and encounters their first major obstacle.

The road of trials: The hero undergoes a series of tests or ordeals to begin their transformation. Often, the hero fails at least one of these tests.

The meeting with the goddess: The hero meets one or more allies, who pick them up and help them continue their journey.

Woman as temptress: The hero is tempted to abandon or stray from their quest. Traditionally, this temptation is a love interest, but it can manifest itself in other forms, including fame or wealth.

Atonement with the father: The hero confronts the reason for their journey, facing their doubts and fears and the powers that rule their life. This is a major turning point in the story: every prior step has brought the hero here, and every step forward stems from this moment.

Apotheosis: As a result of this confrontation, the hero gains a profound understanding of their purpose or skill. Armed with this new ability, the hero prepares for the most difficult part of the adventure.

The ultimate boon: The hero achieves the goal they set out to accomplish, fulfilling the call that inspired their journey in the first place.

Refusal of the return: If the hero’s journey has been victorious, they may be reluctant to return to the ordinary world of their prior life.

The magic flight: The hero must escape with the object of their quest, evading those who would reclaim it.

Rescue from without: Mirroring the meeting with the goddess, the hero receives help from a guide or rescuer in order to make it home.

The crossing of the return threshold: The hero makes a successful return to the ordinary world.

Master of two worlds: We see the hero achieve a balance between who they were before their journey and who they are now. Often, this means balancing the material world with the spiritual enlightenment he’s gained.

Freedom to live: We leave the hero at peace with their life.

Source ⚜ More: Notes & References ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs

[beannoss]

Goddamn y'all I have so many Yor thoughts I don't know if I'll ever be able to order them all but, there are two I'm turning over and over in my head after the most recent manga chapter. (Manga spoilers!)

1. Much of Yor's backstory has so far actually been shown through Yuri's thoughts and flashbacks (It's of course also his backstory, but centring Yor here as she is a main character to his secondary.) To be blunt, in the hands of a lesser storyteller, I would think that was just the standard erasure/undervaluing of a woman character's perspectives/telling her own story. But this is Endo and nothing he's done has indicated that as a remote possibility. So I've been thinking a lot recently what it means as a deliberate narrative choice for Yor, an obfuscation of the devastation truth of Yor's backstory. I think we all already know it's going to be heartbreaking and harrowing, but through Yuri's eyes, Yor was cheerful and constant for him throughout. But through Yor's? In Yor's own words? From Yor's perspective? Taking over as primary guardian and breadwinner at ~12 years old? Responsible for a ~5 year old's life?! How terrifying. How challenging. We know, in the at least, how isolating.

(Chapter 91 is one of my favourite Yor chapters, and I think it's a keystone for understanding her. I believe it's the first time she's spoken directly about her childhood experience (although still at a distance), it demonstrates and reiterates her moral centre outside her assassination paradigm, and shows how good she is at bringing people together.)

To that end...

2. Yor's story is partly about how life with the Forgers is empowering her to make her world larger. Where it was once just her and Yuri and her work, now she has a secure home life, a husband who encourages her in herself and in developing other relationships, and a daughter who thrills at who Yor is. I keep thinking about how she said to Melinda in chapter 108 that she doesn't have any hobbies and is envious of Melinda pursuing her own: I'm so hopeful that one of the next things for Yor is developing a hobby that she pursues for the love of it. Not because she needs to do it for work, or because she fears her marriage will end, or out of any other sort of stressor or panic or obligation. But just because she likes flowers and wants to learn flower arranging. Or she's strong and loves sculpture as an art form, and learning when to chip away at granite gently and when to whack it with an enormous hammer will make her feel more comfortable with her own physical strength and her own mind. Or she's always wanted to scale a mountain and wouldn't you know, there's a mountaineering club in Berlint that accepts women into its membership? Yor is learning how big the world really is, how lovely it can be, that she is a part of it and that the people in it welcome her when she opens herself to them, and it's so beautiful.

[enchantingepics]

Story Prompt 40

In a dimly lit room with the soft hum of music in the background, she sat at her vanity, her mascara wand poised for action. The night had started with a blink, but it was the push she received earlier that fueled her fiery determination. Her eyeliner was a chaotic swirl, a reflection of her emotions.

As she whipped away the makeup mishap, her mind raced, concocting a revenge plan like a mad scientist brewing an elixir. She had to teach the pusher a lesson they wouldn't forget. A sly grin crept across her face as the perfect scheme unfolded in her thoughts.

The next day, she found herself at a local cafe, strategically seated near a bulletin board cluttered with event flyers. A devious sparkle in her eyes, she "accidentally" bumped into the unsuspecting pusher, sending them sprawling. Seizing the opportunity, she deftly slipped a fake event flyer into their bag.

A few days later, the pusher excitedly arrived at the address on the flyer, expecting to attend a grand masquerade ball. To their bewilderment, they found themselves in the middle of a quirky costume party for pets. Amidst dogs dressed as superheroes and cats in tutus, the pusher stood, a picture of confusion.

[coldflash-corner]

Speaking of Barry being able to read Leonard Snart scarily well, imagine that Barry notices how Snart reacts to people Barry knows, and files that away in his opinions of that person

Barry is in the cortex with someone he finds kind of annoying but harmless, Snart walks in for Definitely-Not-Flirting-While-Doing-Business Reasons, and starts lowkey acting like this guy is an Immediate Threat that he's trying to act cool around to not set him off. And Barry immediately knocks like 5 points off of the "how much do i trust this guy" ranking. Subtly starts telling him less things, looks into what he's doing on the downlow, treats him as potentially suspicious And turns out... The guy does have bad intentions

Leonard comes in and meets some of Barry's new friends/coworkers, and clearly seems to mark one of them as more trustworthy/less of a threat than everyone else. And when Barry needs help or someone to confide in, he goes to that person over everyone else

Barry comes in to Saints and Sinners and sees a regular he's run into before, but hasn't seen interact with Snart. He thought the guy might be pretty cool. But today he walks into them talking, and Immediately sees that Snart is closed off, jumpy, does NOT like that guy in his space. And Barry immediately takes cues off of that, turns the guy down when he later asks to have drinks together next time Barry drops by Saints

If Snart seems unnerved by someone Barry knows, Barry trusts his instincts. Even if Leonard never says anything to Barry out loud, he still takes note of that. If Snart likes someone, or just thinks they're reliable, Barry will trust that instinct.

Even if Snart doesn't say his feelings out loud, Barry trusts him so innately that he will listen to Snart's instincts when it's clear he's feeling a type of way

[heartstopperthoughts]

Anyone who’s been saying that Nick and Charlie are too sexually pure like “oh they’re teenage boys, they’d be having a lot of sex” has clearly never read the novella

[muzsmocsing]

Liushen is probably my favorite ship in svsss (right after Tianlang-jun x his hot wife + an ao3 account). But if I'm being honest with myself, while their feelings for each other are decently plausible in canon, the chances of them ever getting together even if Luo Binghe wasn't in the picture would be close to zero. Why? Because they are both so oblivious and in denial about everything I can only imagine their courtship looking like this:

[bunabi]

Yknow what's really crazy

Expedition 33 does my absolute most hated trope of all time so well it finally clicked for me and now I'm inspired to give stories with similar twists a second chance