#yin answers anonymous

[yintsukareta]

So I see you're accepting request for the 100 follower event

So can I have a drabble of creator that love when people sleep on their lap.. honestly I Just love the idea when the character are tired and sleepy some of them deserve the best sleep and rest. Putting their head on my lap and brushing their hair or massage their head with albedo. Xiao. Jean. Thoma.( And childe if its not to much already) I swear some of them act like they're allergic to resting I would forcefully pull their head on my lap if that the lasting I do

note: OH MY GOD IM ALREADY IN LOVE WITH THIS PROMPT AHHHH 💕💕💕

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Creator's Comfort ft. Albedo, Xiao, Jean, Thoma, & Childe

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Albedo

"Albedoo" (name) groaned, feeling lonely and bored.

"Yes?" The blonde turned around to face them, he was just about to start on a new experiment.

"Can you lay on my lapp..." (name) yawned. Leaving your creator to do nothing could be highly disrespectful, they thought.

"I'm.." He paused, rethinking about their proposal. "I guess I can."

(name) lightened up immediately, untying Albedo's hair before letting him lay on their lap. They looked at him, who seemed comfortable, and gave a warm smile.

"If you want... You can do this more often." (name) teased.

"I'm not against that." Albedo replied, unaware it was only a tease.

"Alright then." They smiled, playing with his hair.

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Xiao

"Xiao, when was the last time you rested?" (name) asked, looking out to Dihua Marsh. The adeptus looked at them in slight confusion.

"I don't rest." Xiao simply said, looking back to the wetlands.

"You know, you should still rest even if you're an adeptus. I'm the Creator and yet I get tired too."

"I don't rest to protect what you've created." Xiao replied.

"Will you just rest already?" (name) looked at Xiao, so ready to drag him to a room and force him to sleep.

"I said that I-" But (name) wasn't having it. They took him by the wrist and forcefully dragged him to a room.

They sat down on the bed and laid his head down on their lap.

"Doesn't this feel nice?" (name) asked, stroking the young adeptus's hair.

"I... Guess.." Xiao reluctantly replied, to which (name) lightly giggled at his slightly embarrassed face.

"I'll wake you up in a bit, I promise." (name) smiled softly.

They didn't wake him up

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Jean

"Jean?" (name) called, opening the door.

"Oh, Welcome Your Grace." Jean replied, looking up from her piles of documents.

"Shouldn't you be resting? It's almost midnight." (name) said, approaching the blonde.

"I still have lots to do." Jean replied.

"I'm sure they'll understand if you just slept and put it off for now. If not, maybe I'll personally scold them." (name) said, leaning against her desk.

They act kind of like Lisa. Jean thought, then put the quill down. Muttering an 'alright'.

They sat on the sofa, patting their lap to sign her to lay on their lap.

Jean stood up, untying her hair, and put her head on their lap, sighing as she felt the stress of her work go away.

"Sleep well, Jean." (name) whispered, playing with her hair.

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Thoma

Thoma stretched, finally finished with cleaning the estate.

He was tired and pleased, seeing the estate tidied up was satisfying.

He walked to his room, taking off his headband. He opened the sliding door to be greeted by (name) waiting on the bed.

"Y-your Grace?" He called, gaining their attention.

"You finished cleaning, good job." (name) smiled.

"Thanks but.. What are you doing in my room?" Thoma asked, surprised and confused that their creator was waiting in his room. "If you were trying to find Milady or My Lo-"

"No, I was waiting for you." (name) said, which confused Thoma even more.

"Did you want to tell me something?" Thoma asked.

"I just wanted to rest with you Thoma." Thoma slightly blushed at their words. "Come, rest on my lap."

He obediently laid his head on their lap, relaxing himself.

"Rest well." (name) smiled, stroking his hair.

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Childe

Childe walked into the Headquarters with a yawn. Clearly exhaused from the mission he was assigned. He went to his and (name)'s room, wanting only to fall asleep in their arms.

He was greeted by (name)'s smile, energizing him a bit. "You're back." They said, walking over to the orange-haired man.

"You look tired." (name) frowned.

"Well, I guess I am. But all I'll need is your comfort and I'll be alright." Childe said with a soft smile. (name) lit up a bit and pulled him by the wrist, laying him on their lap.

They removed his mask and his shoulder piece and put it on the bedside table, moving a strand of his hair out of his face.

Childe talked about his day, how the clients were so annoying, how he wasn't able to fight as much as he expected he needed to. (name) sat there, stroking his face. Eventually he gave into his exhaustion and fell asleep.

"Good Night, dear." (name) whispered, planting a small kiss on his cheek.

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note: IM SORRY IT TOOK LONG I LOST MOTIVATION LIKE 6 TIMES DURING THIS

Masterlist

Do NOT repost my work without permission.

[foreverdreaming-oyasumi]

Anonymous asked: Not sure if you've written something similar to this but I love to farm friendship points and those that have max friendship will just be benched. I wonder how would the benched charas feel

note: posting this on my side blog because tumblr shadowbanned my main (@yintsukareta), also KLEE DOES 29K ITS ONLY BEEN LIKE 12 HOURS

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Navi (??)

-Normal = I can fully see it for them

-Italics = I can kind of see it for them

-Bold = In a way, I see it for them

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Sad, after all the time they spent with you. They were only to gain a small tag which they worked hard to customise, just to be benched.

Amber Arataki Itto Barbara Bennett Diluc Fischl Gorou Kaeya Kamisato Ayaka Klee Mona Razor Sucrose Tartaglia Thoma Venti

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Still grateful. They spent time with you and cherished every moment. They may be benched but they're glad.

Albedo Beidou Chongyun Diluc Ganyu Jean Kaedehara Kazuha Kamisato Ayato Kujou Sara Lisa Mona Ningguang Noelle Raiden Ei Sangonomiya Kokomi Shenhe Thoma Xiangling Xingqiu Xinyan Yanfei Yun Jin Zhongli

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Will not allow this. You're benching them?! They'll have you know that you made a mistake and you should keep them on your team all the time!

Arataki Itto Diona Eula Fischl Hu Tao Kaeya (Jokingly) Kamisato Ayato (Jokingly) Lisa (Jokingly) Raiden Ei Tartaglia (Half Jokingly) Thoma (Jokingly) Venti (Jokingly) Yae Miko (Jokingly)

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Doesn't really care. Cool I spent time with a strong god. They then neglected me, okay then.

Albedo Beidou Diona Diluc Hu Tao Kaedehara Kazuha Kamisato Ayato Lisa Qiqi Raiden Shogun (Ei) Rosaria Sayu Shenhe Xiao Xingqiu Yelan Zhongli

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Masterlist 2

Do NOT repost my work without permission.

[canisalbus]

One of these days a blog called felis atra is going to show up and fight your depressed dogs with their manic cats and it will be beautiful im just saying

.

[gainercrimsonartblog]

How does Yin realize they want to gain?

Pretty easily, really. Every so often Yin l completely changes how he looks, including body weight, so people don’t suspect that there’s an immortal being amongst them. So there have been times where he decided to have a body that was bigger, fatter generally. The more often he gave such appearances a try, the more he realized how much he liked it. So now he does it on the fly either while alone, or with his boyfriend, Nikos, around.

[sapphic-luthor]

are you and your gf just like supercorp in real life (i would imagine you like lena so her as ...kara)?

i’m not sure anyone can be quite as fucked up and perfect and horny as the supercorp dynamic irl but personality wise yeah she’s the sweet little puppy who genuinely believes in positivity in the world and i’m just trying to get through each day without telling a man to go fuck himself out loud

[writingwithcolor]

Running Commentary: What is “ok to do” in Mixed-Culture Supernatural Fiction?

Dear readers: 

Today we are trying something new. To give you some insight into our process in the Japanese moderator section, we are presenting our response in the form of running commentary to show you how we dissect and answer long asks. We hope this makes clear what points are useful and not useful when sending us a query. As always, this is for learning purposes, not callouts. Be prepared: this is a long one. 

To summarize: the asker is looking to create a comic drawn in Japanese manga style, and has provided a long summary of the story and worldbuilding which involves a mix of “reimagined” Japanese yokai mythos and cultural symbols from many other sources. They have questions with respect to cultural appropriation, coding etiquette, and “what is and isn’t ok.” 

Opening Comments

I know a common advice when it comes to the thing I am about to ask is to talk to people involved in __, but I struggle with opening up to strangers for reasons I'm uncomfortable explaining. 

Marika (M): This is already a red flag. If you want to engage with another culture without talking to people from that culture, then research is going to be very challenging. You won’t have members of that culture to guide you towards sources and perspectives they feel most accurately represents public opinion. If I were in your shoes, I might start with tackling my discomfort when engaging with other people, if only to improve my work. If you aren’t ready to engage with a culture and its people directly, then I think you should wait until you are. 

I should note, reaching out to the Japanese mod team at WWC does count as engagement, but WWC should not and cannot be the only point of contact because there is no single, legitimate cultural perspective. 

Rina (R): Also, you don’t need to “open up” to strangers or talk to them in person to get perspectives. Asking specific research questions anonymously to a forum or on social media requires very little vulnerability. You managed to do it here on WWC. So give it a try! 

Anyway, my question basically amounts to the what is and isn't ok [sic] in terms of depicting fantasy creatures and concepts outside of their respective culture.

R: So, the reason why we turn away rubber stamp questions by that ask “is XYZ okay?” is because “okay” & “not okay” 1) is vague and 2) creates a dichotomy where there isn’t one. 

When we say something is “not okay,” do we mean:

It’s offensive to the general majority of XYZ group? 

It’s contentious among people who ID in the group? 

It has a potential to be interpreted in a certain negative way, but may not be a red flag to everyone?

Insetad try asking:

What are the reasons this subject is offensive? 

What makes cultural appropriation bad? 

When might it be “okay” to intentionally discuss a difficult or controversial topic?

What is your reason for including something that may be interpreted as offensive and can it be sufficiently justified? 

What stereotypes or tropes might it be consistently identified as or associated with, and why? 

When might it be justified to bring up these tropes?

With That In Mind...

Let’s get into the rest of the ask below. 

…a story I've been working on in recent times is largely inspired off the Japanese yokai, and the setting is basically Earth in the far future, as far as when the next supercontinent may form. These yokai, although portrayed differently here, do retain their main characteristics [...] Included in this world are two goddesses of my own creation, primarily representing the sun and the moon. [...] There will be thirteen nations, named and based after the Chinese Zodiac, and the life force found in the living things in this world, called qi, comes in two forms that are always opposing each other but can never fully overpower the other, this being based off yin and yang. They're even directly named this; yin qi and yang qi.

M: This reads more like using Japanese and Chinese culture for the “aesthetics”, not the cultures themselves, which I personally feel falls under cultural appropriation. From a world-building/ coding standpoint, the actual use of concepts is workable, and, dare I say, typical, given how Chinese cosmology influences Japanese culture. However, naming a concept “yin qi” or “yang qi” is the equivalent of naming something “- charge” or “+ charge”, respectively. That you don’t seem aware of this tells me you are pretty early in your research phase. In that vein, we’ve covered translating terms and names from foreign languages in fantasy before. See the following article linked here for our recommendation against using RL terms outright but instead encouraging people to create their own conlangs. 

R: Worldbuilding-wise, I think you would have to figure out the chicken-or-egg of the zodiac nations. Did the nations come first, and the zodiac later as an origin folk story (which you would have to rewrite to serve the nation-building narrative)? Did the zodiac come first, and the nations named (most likely re-named) by a political entity? What is the justification? Otherwise, again, it’s a shoehorning of aesthetics. 

There is also a third, lesser known god based off of fox spirits and trickery and I imagined he's the patron deity of a family that honors and worships him, but his influence on them has transformed them into Kitsune-tsuki, which I depict as fox-like anthros. 

M: Not related to this ask directly, but I have jokingly ranted about how often non-Japanese people prefer using imagery related to kitsune-tsuki in Japanese coded world-building (link). This makes me feel the same level of petty irritation. See my troll answer below for a similar experience.

R: Same. It’s boring tbh. 

M: Troll Answer: I get that kitsune-tsuki are very sexy furries, but Japanese folklore has other sexy furries too! These underrepresented demographics also deserve recognition and appreciation!!

The plot of the story is this; modernization has left the goddesses neglected of their worship and forgotten, something that is necessary in this world to stop them from fighting each other. The Moon Goddess awakens first, punishing the humans by unleashing the yokai. Then the Sun Goddess wakes up to fight in humanity's defense…

M: This could feel rather like Shinto-like coding (Ex. the myth of Amaterasu and the Cave, or Tsukuyomi slaying Ukemochi), but something about this scenario feels a bit too binary in terms of themes of good v. evil, light v. dark to be Shinto. The plot also feels more Gaelic/ Nordic in influence for me as a person raised in a Japanese Buddhist and Hindu household. I imagine this dissonance could have been fixed with better guided research. 

…but their fighting has caused a perma-eclipse and this world is in danger of ending. The yokai have run rampant; some are loyal to the Moon Goddess, and some aren't, and it lies to the main characters to bring balance back to Midgard. Yeah... the name of this future Earth is Midgard. I debate changing it since it and some other things I will mention sorta feel out of place.

R: Marika, looks like you were right on the Gaelic/Nordic influence /j 

Also, worldbuilding question: if the Earth is in the far geologic future, how long has it been since modernization (19th-20th century)? Centuries? Millennia? How long has this fighting gone on for? What triggered the perma-eclipse, and why now? Why is this time depth necessary? 

One of the main characters in question is a humanoid woman with wolf features named Ling, and she is a descendant of the dynasty that had first ruled the one of the nations, particularly the one based off the dragon zodiac. She accidentally summons the other main character to this world as she's praying at a shrine, a humanoid with dragon features--I call them drakon--named Angelynn.

[on the names of characters] is it appropriating by not having the world entirely based on [Chinese, Japanese, and Indian] influence? it's a little weird to me how worldwide the creatures are referred to as yokai, implying a strong Japanese influence not unlike how it is today with Western culture being so dominant, yet there are still names like Keith and Kiara.

M: I will give you credit for recognizing you have unconsciously veered towards white-washing/ race-bending: either presenting European cultural influences (drakons, Angelynn, Keith, Kiara, Midgard) as default or utilizing general E. Asian cultural influences and aesthetics for a Western-style story (Ling, qi, Chinese zodiac, yokai). I agree with you that this creates a sense of cultural dissonance. At this point, I’d say you have a clear choice: write a Western-style high fantasy using a background with which you have more familiarity, or get some better guidance on research with East Asian cultures so you can code the story more effectively. 

The focus of this story is centered around meeting all these yokai and showing that there's more nuance to them than Ling believes, all while saving the world. But I worry if I'm appropriating these concepts and creatures by 1, drawing from more than one culture--I initially imagined that there would be a mix of Chinese, Japanese and Indian influence because according to a website I am getting the info on yokai from, the yokai in question already draw inspiration from or have been based on something in Chinese mythology or Hinduism [...]

R: Sure, some yokai have Chinese or Hindu parallels as that tends to happen with folk tales. But not all–some are unique to Japan, and some are more modern. Sometimes it’s very political–some people consider the Ainu Korpokkur as being a “Yokai of Japan” despite it belonging to the indigenous culture. It’s up to you to research, untangle, and understand these influences. 

The fact that you bring up that the Asian continent has seen a lot of cultural exchange is not a sufficient reason to randomly combine influences for the sake of visual appeal or “coolness.” That is appropriation. These influences must be understood in their historical context so that you know how/why certain things combined or morphed into another, and what makes sense to combine/morph. 

M: This also indicates that the character views the yokai as evil/inherently bad, which I would argue is not a typical stance for much Japanese folklore. Again, this shows a deficit in research. 

2, reimagining these yokai in a new context even though I have done the research on them, because one thing I kept seeing in regards to cultural appropriation is that it's bad to do that […]

R: Refer above to my note on “okay” and “not okay.” The thing with folklore and fairy tales is that every–and I mean every–folk tale is reinterpreted with every new iteration of it. Reimagining in a new context is what people do every time they pass on a story or tell a story with the same plot or characters. Do not think of folklore as an “original” that is altered and rebooted, but rather a living document that gets added to. Reimagining is not the inherent issue. HOW you reimagine something matters. 

So I suppose my question is...if someone were to do research upon the creature they want to use, given they are allowed to use it, and gained an understanding of what the creature or concept stood for, are they allowed to pick it apart and reimagine it? Alternatively, is it ok if it's explicitly pointed out that it is derivative of the original?

It has actually become my biggest fear that I may have internalized something that could both continue to do harm long after the fact and attract the wrong people to me work. I don't wanna let people down!

M: As Rina has noted several times, I think the problem is in trying to ID a set of specific variables and circumstances that make a thing “okay” or “not okay.” I want to recommend that you read my joking response about writing in secret rooms while wearing a disguise (Linked here). Who can you hurt if no one knows what you are doing? There’s a difference between creating for oneself and creating to share. 

You have internalized a message incorrectly, but not the one you cite. The goal of many recommendations against cultural appropriation is to avoid causing direct harm to people who have seen their cultures demeaned, discredited and devalued, especially in shared spaces. Assessing cultural engagement, whether we are talking about appropriation, appreciation or exchange is not a measure of personal virtue or a collection of commandment style do’s and don’t’s. Rather, I believe engaging with other cultures is the state of mind of acknowledging that when using these cultures’ in one’s own work, there is value in consulting members of that culture and giving credit where credit is due. This will be challenging if you are only comfortable engaging with all of these cultures in a distanced, minimal capacity. 

FWIW, I’ve written stories that probably will offend people from other cultures and backgrounds, but I don’t show them off. I don’t think writing these makes me a bad person, but I also don’t see the need to give unnecessary offense, so those stories are just for me, to be written and read in my own secret room. However, I’m not ashamed of having written them, and I’m also comfortable to “let people down” provided that my own shared work reflects my personal principles of what I consider to be sufficient research and engagement with other cultures,  As a creator, my work wouldn’t be mine if I didn’t first please myself. I think the trick to the creator role is deciding what to keep private, what to share and what constitutes sufficient engagement. 

P.S. 

We’ve referenced the need for research multiple times in this ask, and in some of the other asks that have gone up this week, so we thought this would be a good place to plug a beginner’s guide to academic research created by the mod team.. Look for it soon under WWC’s pinned posts!

[beauleifu]

Got two asks regarding similar concepts so I decided to answer both of them simultaneously. I would tag anonymous lmao but can't do that, so instead @zoomerinaboomercostume here's the idea! THIS IS FOR YOUUUUUU I hope you enjoy! :)))

R!Y/N: Redson's Y/N

M!Y/N: Mayor's Y/N

Mac!Y/N: Macaque's Y/N

MK!Y/N: MK's Y/N

H!Y/N: Huntsman's Y/N

YJ!Y/N: Yin & Jin's Y/N

N!Y/N: Nezha's Y/N

SW!Y/N: Sun Wukong's Y/N

Perspective is Y/N from Heartstrings, so Syntax's Y/N <3

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No one knows how it happened.

All you know is that you were simply ordering a tall glass of Shirley Temple when a group of strangers you swear you've met before stroll into the bar. A few hold their heads high, others are busy on their phones, or reading, or simply avoiding eye contact. Then one of them spots you sitting in the corner and points.

"Over there! (Y/N)!"

Startled, you rear back in your chair as the cluster of people who look strangely like you hustle over, a few grabbing unclaimed chairs along the way.

At the sudden intrusion, you all but throw your hands up in surrender. "Whoa whoa whoa-"

"Chill, (Y/N), we're friends," the confident one says. "I'm SW!Y/N."

"Um. Who??"

You just wanted a drink.

Any questions you may have are drowned out by everyone suddenly pulling up a chair (the sound of wood against the ground is very ear-grating - you catch a lot of customers wince). An aloof looking individual actually takes a swing from your drink.

The injustice has you finally coming back to reality, and you snatch your Shirly Temple away. "Hey! That's mine!"

"Don't you mean 'ours'?" They hum, eyebrow raising.

You gape, grip tight on the glass. "I-I don't-"

A hand lays gently upon your shoulder, and you swivel to face the confident looking stranger. They're wearing a wide smile, eyes sparkling.

"Don't worry, (Y/N), we'll catch you up," SW!Y/N says, winking.

Your eyes scan the mass of strangers, surprised that everyone managed to fit around the small table that was once all yours.

Ho boy.

~~~

"Huh."

SW!Y/N nods solemnly, but they're wearing a smile. "Yeah. Some of the people you see here have been through hell and back."

"No shit," you say, staring numbly at the glass in your hands; you swirl the liquid around for a moment before raising your eyes to meet so called M!Y/N. "So you're the one who has to deal with a crazed bone demon?"

They shrug. "It's not bad. He's really quite loving."

"Uh-huh. Suuuuure," someone called MK!Y/N snorts, making a cuckoo sign near their temple with a finger.

"And??"

"You ever think about how many times that lunatic has put my partner in danger? MK won't stop complaining about how creepy the Mayor is, and I think he's right," says MK!Y/N, expression hardening. "He's a nasty brute with two braincells and a hygiene problem."

M!Y/N presses their lips together. "He is not. Like your MK is any better."

You frown slightly, watching the two converse. SW!Y/N butts in eventually, joining MK!Y/N's side, as their parter, Sun Wukong, has beef with the Mayor as well.

It's . . . interesting.

You're getting to know a little bit about your interdimensional counterparts, the shards of you scattered into different timelines.

They're all . . . you. And it's fascinating.

R!Y/N and Mac!Y/N are deep in conversation at the end of the table, heads close together and a glass of tequila in each hand, both half empty. H!Y/N is berating the two, trying to take their drinks away with a deep scowl on their face. The interactions are surely attracting lots of attention, but thankfully the bar is mostly empty. Whoever remains are those too drunk to properly figure out why a bunch of strangers are gathered at a tiny table in the corner. And all of them look almost exactly the same.

There are some differences, though.

You notice that N!Y/N has a pretty glass lotus pin on their shirt, painted an elaborate shade of pink; R!Y/N is carrying a switchblade at their belt and a training staff hooked in the sash behind their back; SW!Y/N's wrists are adorned with two heavy gold bands, encrypted with cool designs.

Even Mac!Y/N seems to be wearing a red scarf similar to that of their partner's, a touching sentiment that Macaque probably finds adorable.

You have yet to meet the imposing figure, but thankfully Syntax loves to complain.

Y&J!Y/N doesn't seem to be wearing anything, until you got a glance at their lock screen and saw a photo of the two demons posing stupidly in a kitchen (like yours!), holding up their creation. They look so, so proud.

Even though whatever they made is charred black.

M!Y/N also seems to have a token of their partner; a simple silver choker with a blue rose in the center. And H!Y/N is wearing a thick jacket similar to Huntsman's, the inside made out of pelts. MK!Y/N has a red bow in their hair, embroidered with the same golden bands as on MK's headband.

Huh.

What do you have?

Absently, you finger the band around your wrist.

Looking down, you smile fondly at the friendship bracelet, your cheeks growing hot. You have enough.

"Okay, okay, CHILL. We don't NEED to know whoever's the best fighter!" R!Y/N is saying, arms held out for order. Then, they place one hand on their hip. "Clearly it is I, since I train the most."

Wow, they even have similar mannerisms to that of their partners.

N!Y/N rolls their eyes. "In your dreams, maybe."

"Well, it's not you! You sleep all day!"

Nezha's partner inhales sharply, clearly offended. Meeting R!Y/N's challenging glare, they huff. "Obviously not. I have work!"

"So do I!"

H!Y/N cocks a brow. "Um. We're all the same person. So we all work."

Everyone suddenly turns to look at you.

Weakly, you raise your half-empty Shirley Temple. "Hear, hear."

Your phrase is greeted with eerily similar grins of approval, and everyone automatically looks at SW!Y/N, who raises their hand to call the bartender. "Oi! We need drinks!"

"Fuck yes," Mac!Y/N hisses.

Y&JY/N stiffens. "Nah, no alcohol for you. You had an entire bottle just yesterday, dude."

"That was one time. We met like three days ago, you don't know me."

"I am you, dumbass," Y&J scoffs, arms folding.

Macaque's lover suddenly stands up, hands slapping down on the table before one of them points at the other. "HA! YOU SAID DUMBASS. Took you long enough to start insulting me, doll. If we're the same person, why do you dislike cursing so much?"

"Maybe because I'm surrounded by two innocent cinnamon rolls," says Y&JY/N, unamused.

H!Y/N leans forward, smirking. "You sure they're innocent?"

"Wha??"

"Huntsman told me once that he had a quarrel with those two brutes. And boy, they can come up with some pretty creative insults," they say, laughing wickedly.

R!Y/N joins in. "You sure you know your boys well enough, Y&JY/N?"

The defender looks around, gaping. "But- no, I- they'd never cuss, at least not in front of me. I mean, they have before-"

"Admit it, those two are bastards."

M!Y/N interrupts them with glasses shoved their way, filled with a fizzy liquid that's sharp to the nose. Mac!Y/N breaks into a wide grin - only to have their reaching hand swatted away by both H!Y/N and Y&JY/N. The two look at each other, perhaps surprised to discover that they agree in at least one thing; alcohol is bad.

Okay, you have to admit. You're curious.

When everyone has their drinks (ignoring the weirded-out gaze of the bartender), you lean forward.

"All right. So does anyone wanna tell me how they fell in love with versions of people that my partner seems to despise?" You ask, sipping absently from your glass.

SW!YN lifts a finger. "Also how those people fell in love with us."

"Yeah, 'cause we're sooo unlovable," R!Y/N jokes.

"I'll go first," SW!Y/N says, ignoring the other's sarcastic comment. Sighing, they gaze into their glass. "I met Sun Wukong through MK, who's my best friend. After taking part in a few training lessons with the Monkey King, he decided he saw something in me and wanted to pursue it. One thing led to another, and now he's waking me up at 3am because his lawyer found his location and is coming right that second to discuss some trivial issues. Fucker literally flew me out the window and I barely had enough time to get my things.

"But he's nice, a really good guy. When I was sick one time, he wouldn't leave my side. Thought that peaches would enhance the healing process and almost snuck me one of those immortal ones- " Several gasps rang around the table, and SW!Y/N snorts. "Yeah, why didn't I take it? Anyways. That's my monkey boy, I guess."

MK!Y/N smiles. "Funny how in your dimension, MK is your best friend, whereas in mine . . ."

"He's your lover, ooo, so romantic," Mac!/YN drawls.

The other whirls around to glare at the red-scarf wearing idiot. "Hey, MK is actually a pretty solid lover, okay? He can be romantic! I mean, taking me out on the roof was super sweet, so-"

"Yeah, Nezha did that with me, too," N!Y/N says with a smile.

Everyone is nodding, mumbling agreement.

You blink. "Me, too. Hey . . ." A thought strikes you, and you look to SW!Y/N for permission. "You think there are certain events in our dimensions that happen no matter what? I mean, there might be different people, but the event is still the same thing, same place, same time?"

This time, it's H!Y/N who hums thoughtfully. "That could be true. Like we're all following a similar path, but with slight coding alterations?"

"Like a choose your own adventure game?" You ask.

"Yeah, where different choices lead to different scenarios, but the places and events are somewhat similar."

At H!Y/N's indifferent shrug, you suddenly tilt your head, smiling.

"Since when did Huntsman's lover get so inquisitorial?"

They get the hint, raising an unamused eyebrow, arms crossed so tightly you're reminded of the brute hunter. "Working with Huntsman, I'm able to cross paths with Syntax more often than you think. Not your Syntax, but you get the idea."

Oh, you do.

"Macaque told me he met that tech nerd once," Mac!Y/N grunts, snatching a glass and taking a swing. "Said he was stupid."

"He's eating his words," you fire back defensively.

R!Y/N's face splits into a wicked grin. "Yeah, he must be, after Redson came back one time saying he beat the shit out of silly old Macaque. Shadow monkey couldn't last against my boyfriend's tech."

Mac!Y/N glares. "That hothead is a cheater."

"Pretty sure it cancels out when the opponent can literally use shadow magic."

M!Y/N frowns. "What about inheriting Lady Bone Demon's powers?"

Everyone suddenly falls quiet.

"Lady Bone Bitch is kinda local enemy number one in every dimension," Mac!Y/N sighs, setting their glass down with a small clink! of glass against wood. Then, they add as an afterthought; "Except yours, I guess."

N!Y/N's eyes lock onto Mayor's lover. "Yeah. Seems like you're the odd one out."

"Whaddya mean?" M!Y/N tilts their head, leaning sideways as the bartender comes to collect empty glasses and refills them. You catch SW!Y/N tip him generously and smile.

H!Y/N takes the floor, snatching the drink from Mac!Y/N's vice-like grip. They glare daggers in return.

"It means that you broke the train. Everyone here is enemies with Lady Bone Demon and anyone associated with her, including the Mayor. And here you are, befriending the demon - falling in love. And he returns the gesture? He loves you back?" They press, expression honestly curious. The table falls silent.

Mayor's partner nods with resignation. "Yeah."

"Well, it's certainly weird," Y&JY/N speculates, eyebrows raised. "But I'm pretty sure it doesn't matter."

N!Y/N frowns. "Does us all meeting here matter? Will it cause problems in our dimensions?"

"Nah, it shouldn't. Not if we don't tell our partners," SW!Y/N says.

You nod absently, about to finish off your Shirley Temple, which has for sure been spiked by an unidentified person. But then, noise reaches your ears. Like rain against concrete - but the drops are thick and heavy.

It's coming from outside.

Cold stiffens your spine. "Uh . . . none of you guys actually brought your partners here, did you? You left them in your own dimensions? This is important."

Everyone takes turns looking at each other, some standing.

Then, you're able to weed out the culprits.

N!Y/N, Y&JY/N, H!Y/N, and M!Y/N are all wearing guilty expressions (you almost miss the aw, shit look in H!Y/N's eyes).

"Guys. C'mon." Your voice is laced with exasperation and stress as you stand up quickly.

Y&JY/N is the first to cave, hands thrown up in surrender. "I-I couldn't just leave my boys at the apartment! They get lonely and how was I supposed to explain my absence?!"

"Nezha may have . . . given me no other choice," N!Y/N mumbles.

SW!Y/N's eyes widen. "Nezha, the twins, Huntsman, and the Mayor all in one place, alone? That can't be good."

"All right, out," you growl. "Out of my dimension, now!"

The cluster of (Y/N)'s are quick to disperse, fleeing the bar as quickly as possible, hurrying around out back to where the brawl is taking place. And you know it's a brawl, because you heard the grunts of pain from impact, like from a foot or something. And you know it's true because the (Y/N)'s in front of you suddenly stop at the back of the bar, eyes widening.

"Mayor!" M!Y/N shrieks, barreling forward, their eyes burning. "Lay off, assholes!"

You elbow your way past the crowd to the front, where you see alternate versions of Nezha, Huntsman, Yin, and Jin beating the absolute shit out of a de-powered Mayor, huddled on the rain-soaked ground.

"Who's winning?" Mac!Y/N calls from the back.

Damnit.

Syntax is waiting, and you're late.

You got a lot of explaining to do, curse your tired soul.

[thecrenellations]

okay, trying to go for at least one answer that’s funny because it’s extremely expected and one that’s funny because it’s unexpected???

2 3 6 12 21 25

these are the questions.

I think you succeeded, my anonymous inquisitor! (I laughed/smiled when I read the questions.)

2. Did you reread anything? What? YES, I DID! I was going to provide some numbers for this and got a little lost in the details, but half of the individual books I read this year were ones I've read before, I read some of those books (Lion Hunters) multiple times, and then I went and reread a bunch of the ones that were new to me, especially the Lymond Chronicles! The Game of Kings wins, I think. No, I know. I love rereading, and my favorite stories are the kind that make me love it more!

3. What were your top five books of the year? In alphabetical order, with an only-one-book-per-series restriction and my apologies to a few books I liked nearly as much or the same amount as these ones: The Game of Kings by Dorothy Dunnett, He Who Drowned the World by Shelley Parker-Chan, The Legend of Auntie Po by Shing Yin Khor, A Power Unbound by Freya Marske, and Stateless by Elizabeth Wein.

6. Was there anything you meant to read but never got to? I should have thought to split up my answers, but yes! I remembered a few of the nonfiction ones: The Power of Babel by John McWhorter, Ducks by Kate Beaton, Caring For Your Books by Michael Dirda, Karachi Vice by Samira Shackle, and a biography of John Gielgud

12. Any books that disappointed you? Certain aspects of the Lymond Chronicles, the new-reading highlight of my year, disappointed me in ways that I have also found deeply interesting to talk and think about, and I felt that Wild Maps for Curious Minds: 100 New Ways to See the Natural World did not quite deserve its title. Get wilder and more curious!

21. Did you participate in or watch any booklr, booktube, or book twitter drama? These questions are from 2019, so I suppose they predate booktok becoming a major thing! But I certainly watched Claire run around Schuler books and, dramatically, cause The Thief and Code Name Verity to sell out!

At @red-sea-itinerary, the capital of booklr, our polls have been very dramatic, and an author has weighed in. We should all remember Abreha's palace's water clock. Nearly everyone prefers coffee with Turunesh over kingship and no one thinks Medraut should have the latter. Birds. And Telemakos is taller than Lleu!!!

25. What reading goals do you have for next year? To get around to a few of those books in 6, to read more nonfiction (I think trying more via audiobook would help), to read more diversely in terms of authors (including time periods), and to read another series that's new to me! Maybe to help poke a certain loose book club into meeting again? To have fun and escape and think and learn. Reading was enough of a challenge during and after college that I still feel delighted and grateful that I've been reading regularly and finding new books I love. :)

[yintsukareta]

Congrats on getting 300 followers! Since I saw your event open, I hope this event request won't be a bother. (Luofu Arc spoilers?)

To my dearest Yuan

How have you've been? A few hundred passed since we've last met, I still vividly remember the day of my departure from the Luofu. Hopefully, you waste not all your time trapped beneath stacks of paper now that I've taken a travel through the distant stars.

By the way, a little birdie told me about your recent battles , something about an Emanator of Nanook wrecking havoc plus your annoyingly "no casualties except for me" mindset being involved AND also did not bother mentioning it to me? Seems my beloved Lion has forgotten to rid himself of that thought now he has become a General, just like when we were younger.

I swear, that habit just won't go. Looks like I'll have to come back to the Luofu and monitor you, Lady Fu must be very tired at dealing with shenanigans. But seriously you birdbrain, start taking care of yourself and no the impromptu naps aren't "self-care" Yuan. Just please, if I return back and find you injured by your sense of duty will I tenderly take care of you then have Starfall Reverie near your neck after like the old days.

Sincerely, [Reader]

(Note: I'm going back to the Luofu in a few days soon, Yanqing's complaints about your escapades are being increasingly long.)

(Note 2: I sent pictures and souvenirs from my latest travels with this, we can visit these places after you retire!)

(Info about "reader": Reader is JY's childhood best friend turned wife who's currently traveling to many worlds as an unofficial ambassador of the Luofu, just thought you might need that? I didn't put an official name to make this a bit inclusive ig)

Dear Reader,

I've been well, worry not about me. I'm doing the duties that I must as the General. The Luofu has been busy as of late, considering the events that have happened. Though, we're recovering well, thanks to the efforts of the Nameless.

As for the battles.. I guess nothing can get past you. What I do is all for the Luofu, and the people. I apologize for not telling you.. I just wish not to trouble you with these matters.

And don't worry, both Yanqing and Fu Xuan have been telling me the same about my self-care. So I've been trying my best to take care of myself. Though, it is hard to get myself to try a habit that I'm not used to. So I cannot tell whether it's beneficial to me or not.

But worry not your pretty little head that I'll be fine. I look forward to your return, 亲爱的.

Sincerely, Jing Yuan.

(Translation: "Dear/Darling" in Mandarin/Chinese)

[foreverdreaming-oyasumi]

ah i see what you mean! the tags in your other post didn't pop up so i was confused for a moment lol 😅 but yeah i def agree with you. and it seem majority of the fics are written for male characters, so i see how difficult it see to find one for the girls characters, especially for period pains. not only that, it's hard for those type of fics to receive attention 😔

i might as well write one myself, but im not the best at afab/amab tbh 😅

[visarcana]

Can this be a place to answer anonymous reviews publicly? Yes, it can. 

First of all, ShimmeringWaters, thank you so much for such a kind review... I went all giddy reading it. Hope this will somehow reach you and that the wait will not be as long.

The answer to the question is really easy this time, YES it is to be addressed in Book 2, I have this whole thing written around it that will span several chapters. Here’s a little taste:

You are too kind to me, Seeress. There is more you don’t know and more that I should have told you. It would certainly make you judge me more harshly.

This is Folken’s line in an already written scene. And I will indulge myself further and add this one from the same scene, cause I really like it:

I am just that kind of person. Someone who could become a hero only to his little brother.

It’s not tied to the first one btw, so no, he’s not a hero to his brother for cockblocking him (I am sorry but there’s no better term for it... or maybe NTRing would be a possibility). Also... *has an intrusive thought of Folken chanting “bros before hoes” righteously as he launches his operation*.

Anyway, the relationship between Folken and mostly Van but others, too, is something I will focus on a bit, so there’s more content coming. I was pleasantly surprised that you guys liked the Folken-Hitomi scene! I felt like it was a bit less... idk, over the top than the others last chapter, so people would see it as less interesting after all that happened? But NOTED. I think I see the pattern of most readers liking the  scenes when people are actually nice to each other. I’m in awe that you’re still reading if that’s the case. Also, Folken’s popularity is quite a silent force compared to other characters but I’m always happy when it comes up! He’s an intriguing fella and I guess quite an influence on my older!Van, too, whom I made a bit more stoic I guess than he necessarily may become (not this chapter though... this chapter, everybody went full bananas). And then, I enjoy Folken going a little bit bananas, too, so that should also be interesting. It’s sort of like the yin and yang, dropping a bit of one brother into the other and vice-versa, haha.

[gainercrimsonartblog]

Which of your OCs would drink a potion that doubles their weight? Which would drink multiple?

Just off the top of my head, here are the OCs who would do either.

Just one: Sally, Marx, Nicholas, Nikos, Myriam, Mel Agi, and Mal

Multiple: Adonis, Yin, Gloria, Nekuma, Richie, Frederick, and slime gal.

[yourfavisball]

they are balls

[yinstari]

I just came upon your greek mythology fanarts and I think they are very creative and beautiful! I really liked your design for Zeus and Hera in particular, and I’d love to see more of them (but only if you’re willing to draw more, and no rush because I don’t want to be pushy to artists)

“You see, I’m a feminist, I did give birth to my daughter all by myself”

Thank you so much for your kind words anon! In fact, I was feeling a little insecure about the designs so seeing that are people like you that likes them makes me a little bit more confident to keep drawing them :)

[perfectstevenau]

(For yin and Steven) are there any other personalities in there (gem people? Idk why to call them) in the area like pink Steven?

Yin: "Please don't call me that. I prefer Yin now."

Steven: "From what Yin's told me, it's just us three."

[rayveewrites]

How would the hermits react to the pride parades, celebrations etc? Not that I think they would look at them negatively, but more how would they react to the people who are negative towards it? (Sorry if it's confusing) -☯️

If you're asking how they'd react to a pride parade itself- they'd support it! They probably wouldn't straight-up participate directly, because this is a Human thing and it's not their right to interfere, but they'll happily sit on the roof and watch.

If you're asking how they'd respond to homophobes- probably along a range of 'giving them a very cold shoulder' to 'punching their teeth out', depending on the individual. The Players weren't some sort of infallible, perfect race. Bigotry sadly isn't a new thing. And the hermits are not afraid to let them know exactly what they think of them.