A little late to the party, but have some Liu Zhigang/Daybreak Guild lock screens to celebrate his release in Solo Leveling: Arise!
I wanted to be fancy, and made both Chinese (Traditional) and English lock screens for him. They should be one-to-one for translations, barring the music player lock screens, since I chose two separate songs for him. Props to anyone who recognizes the songs I used by the way. I think they turned out rather well! Also, he needs more titles, because tell me why I had to use his "Leader" trait in lieu of an actual epitaph.
Anyway, enjoy! I might end up doing more of these for the other canon characters, so if anyone has an opinion on who should be next, let me know.
↓Translations below ↓
Translations:
(Left → right)
Daybreak Guild
Liu Zhigang
(Up → down)
Seven Star Hunter
Dawnblade
Leader
Chinese song name is "Lonely Warrior" by Eason Chan.
(P.S. There were be additional writing posted later, when I have the time to tag it. )
I feel like Thomas and Pomeranians have a lot in common. Besides the visual similarity, I can't help but feel like their personalities are a bit similar too. Sure, he would probably have a few guard dogs, like a German Shepard or a Doberman, but his most precious one would be a Pomeranian that would go almost everywhere with him. That Pom would definitely rule over the other dogs in the house and at the guild.
So if he were to have a pet, I'm pretty sure it would a Pomeranian.
TLDR: Thomas should be allowed to have a Pom, as a treat. I just adore the visual contrast of the two.
I can imagine him finding the Pom as a scruffy, abandoned dog in a alley on a rainy day. Thomas would probably see a bit of his younger self in the yippy pup, baring her teeth at anyone and anything that draws too close. Yes, the dog would probably be female, which only endears Thomas to the stray even more.
Despite her tiny size, her attitude is larger than life, and she would probably attempt to challenge Thomas by circling and barking at him. Thomas would find it adorable and scoop the dirty pup up.
The dog would definitely be wary of him, since Thomas is far bigger than other humans, but Thomas would take care and follow the advice of the vets and other specialists to get her to open up. It would take a lot of effort on his part to get the Pom to relax around him.
But to Thomas, it's worth the effort. He sees too much of his younger self in the dog, and in a way, he's always pitied the strays in the neighbourhood he grew up in. For him, it's a way to try and heal his younger self and protect something for once. The Pom is small and delicate, and Thomas has to constantly remind himself to be gentle around her. It's a test of control and restraint, which Thomas views as a form of training.
I think Thomas is softer than portrayed in canon, especially in private. He probably adores animals, especially small, fluffy ones, but was hesitant to keep one out of fear. This one, though, is a street dog so she's different.
Once the Pom opens up, she melts around Thomas, and is wary to most that are not frequently around him. Laura and Lucas would definitely get a free pass. She would let Thomas pet and hold her, and she would fit in one hand.
Thomas would probably name her something simple and cheesy, like Sunny.
Sunny would be spoiled beyond belief, but she still follows Thomas' commands perfectly. She would be incredibly well-trained, but still act cute around Thomas for his praise and attention. She would obey Laura and Lucas, but she wouldn't beg for their affection.
After Thomas awakens, he has to relearn control and restraint, as he adjusts to his new strength. Unfortunately for Sunny, Thomas has to place her in a boarding kennel until he can trust himself around her again. Sunny is understandably broken-hearted, thinking she's been abandoned. She would be in despair, and would refuse to eat.
This news would push Thomas to master his new skills and abilities faster. To the surprise of everyone, Thomas manages to get a handle on his mana within two weeks, allowing both of them to reunite. Sunny would be torn between being distant and being affectionate.
On one hand, she's upset Thomas left her. On the other, she's excited to be with him again. It takes one well-placed bribe of treats to earn Sunny's forgiveness, leaving Thomas to wonder if he could forgive someone that easily too. Pets often take after their owners, after all.
After the mana advent is stabilized internationally, Thomas would definitely attend official events, like the International Guild Conference, with Sunny in hand, to the annoyance and exasperation of everyone else. Sunny would yip and bark at all the other hunters, from the comfort of Thomas' shoulders or hand. Thomas would only laugh, when others would ask him to settle her down, and he would definitely glare and punch anyone who suggests he muzzle her. Out of concern, he wouldn't let Sunny down on the ground, unless he is in an enclosed room, out of fear that other hunters would trample or harm her. The safest place she could be is right next to him. Sunny is on top of the world when she's with Thomas.
Thomas would never let his dog appear at these events without looking the part. He would go all out, adorning the pup in fine materials and gems, her collar a work of art itself. I don't think he's the type to dress his dogs up, but she would have a tracker, a chip, and a comfortable yet luxurious collar. Brands would be vying to dress the dog up to promote themselves.
It would add another layer of hilarity if Sunny also awakens, and it would suit Thomas in a way. Of course that man of all people would have an awakened dog. Thomas finds out she's awakened before the Kamish Raid, when he comes home with minor injuries due to his recklessness and testing his limits during an A-rank gate outbreak.
Sunny laps at his injuries out of worry, and when she places a paw on his arm, Thomas feels a rush of mana from the small dog.
Sunny awakens as a healer, who is able to cast her magic by placing her paw on the injury. The Pom's value increases overnight, and it also brings up the question of whether there are other awakened animals out there. Her intelligence would remain the same level of a dog, and Thomas has to train her to heal on command, through some trial and error.
The image of Thomas holding up the Pom to the huge magic power detector in the Bureau would be cute. She would definitely become a star overnight, and a temporary unofficial mascot of the Bureau.
It isn't until after the Kamish Raid, that Sunny becomes the official mascot of the Scavengers Guild, much to the disappointment of the Bureau employees.
Despite pressure from the Bureau, Thomas would refuse to let Sunny on the battlefield during the Kamish Raid. His instincts tell him that this gate is different in a dangerous way. He leaves Sunny behind in a control room, with a Bureau employee. Sunny is forced to watch her owner fight through cameras.
Midway through, she would escape from the room, and rush to the battlefield, forcing her little legs to get to Thomas in time. The employee would be scrambling to catch her, but Sunny is still a hunter. She outruns them all.
When she arrives, she begins healing every hunter in sight, as she sniffs out Thomas' scent through the smoke and blood. She is focused solely on finding him, weaving through the injured and thoughtlessly casting as she goes.
Thomas is surprised to see her there, immediately bringing her up to rest on his shoulder. Antoine would say that this is no place for a pup; Zhigang would find the situation amusing, asking if the dog will slow Thomas down; and Reed would scoff, saying like owner like pet.
Thomas can feel that Sunny drained at least two thirds of her mana on her way over, but she is also quickly recovering it. The heat of the battlefield causes her to pant heavily. Thomas resolves to settle this raid quickly before it causes her unrepairable damage. He can't send her away now, so the safest place is with these S-Rankers.
Unlike before, where he was joking around with Zhigang, Thomas gets serious, and asks Reed what his plan was. For once, he is willing to listen if Reed's plan can end this fight quickly. Sunny takes priority above all. It takes Reed back by surprise, when he realizes that Thomas is capable of taking things seriously; he just chooses not to.
When Reed finishes explaining his plan, Thomas agrees, and immediately orders the healed hunters to retreat. Without Sunny, they would have died, proving they aren't able to help the five hunters during this fight. They begrudgingly retreat. The fact that Thomas has agreed to Reed's plan means the other three fall in line too.
It's also then that Sunny receives a blessing from the Rulers, allowing her to cast powerful support magic. Thomas opts to leave Sunny in Antoine's hands, knowing the man will do his best to protect the pup. Before the four main attackers leave the two healers behind, Sunny casts her support magic, amplifying and strengthening them with a sharp yip.
Reed's plan goes off without much of a hitch, meaning they are able to take down Kamish with significantly fewer causalities than in canon, thanks to Sunny's magic. Reed has to acknowledge that maybe Thomas isn't as bad as he previously thought.
Then Thomas spots a Bureau drone surveying the area from above, and gestures for it to come down. He picks up Sunny from Antoine, and proudly holds her over Kamish's corpse, as though she had slain the dragon herself. The pup's tongue lolls out as she tries to look at her owner. Upon hearing Thomas laugh, Sunny brightens up, tail wagging and happily panting.
"Take a pic!" Thomas hollers, causing the drone to dutifully lower and capture the sight. In the background, the other three of four hunters react: Reed is sighing and face palming, Zhigang has his arms crossed and is grinning at Thomas' antics, and Antoine smiles fondly and loosely, the aftermath temporarily forgotten.
For now, it's enough that a man and his dog celebrate their victory together.
A/N: Wow, this got away from me. It was supposed to a headcanon post, not a drabble! Anyway, I couldn't write Siddharth since I don't know enough about them, but I had to acknowledge them anyway. This definitely wasn't an excuse to write Thomas being cute, nope. It was very self-indulgent though haha.
Older lock and home screens for an old fave, Zod Exarion from "A Returner's Magic Should Be Special". Proud of how these came out, which is why I'm sharing them~
Still one of my favourite webtoons/manhwas to date, and definitely one of my comfort reads.
“Wow, you’re a disaster. You’re lucky you’re my favorite disaster.”
Summary: Thomas has gotten into another fight, and you have been called in as a last resort to deal with your boyfriend.
Ship: Thomas Andre x Fem!Reader, Thomas Andre x You
Tags: SFW, fluff, kissing, established relationship, canon-typical violence, property damage, reader is a mage-type hunter, thomas loves fighting, second person POV
Word count: 1361 words
You were in a coffee shop when you received a panicked call from a member of your boyfriend’s guild. All you got from the call was that the Bureau’s state-of-art gym was a mess, and somehow, your boyfriend and Christopher Reed were involved.
Sighing, you grabbed your coffee, briskly walking out of the building. Slipping into your car, you pulled up Laura’s number, and called her while you started up the engine.
She picked up on the first ring, showing just why she was your favorite. “What’s the problem?” And straight to the point as always.
“Hey, Laura, it’s me. I got a call that Thomas and Christopher are fighting again?”
Laura sighed, the exasperation clear through the line. “Do you know where?”
“The Bureau.”
“...This is the third time this month. I fear the repair bill.”
You laughed. “Me too, Laura, me too. Guess we gotta work our guildmaster harder, then. Meet you there?”
“Of course. Drive safe.”
“Take care as well.”
You hung up the phone and pulled out of the parking space, muscle memory directing you to the Bureau’s address. Once you arrived, you could partially see the destruction.
The Bureau of Hunters’ gyms were located near the back, but even from the main entrance, you could see a cloud of dust hanging in the air, accompanied by the distinct sound of combat. The mana you felt was both familiar and intense in nature.
As you approached, the security guards recognized you and straightened up, speaking quickly into their radios to announce your arrival. Almost on cue, you saw the Vice Director, Michael, rush out to greet you.
You raised your hand, dismissing any formalities. “Where are they?”
“In the second gym.” Michael hurriedly matched your pace. “The Director was…observing them when their sparring match got a little…”
“Out of hand? That seems to be the norm these days. With those two anyway.” You shook your head, as the both of you made your way through the building quickly. “Laura is on her way. Please bill any repairs to the Scavenger Guild.”
Michael’s shoulder’s sagged in relief, though he tried to quickly hide it. Clearing his throat, he thanked you.
It seemed that the Bureau was getting tired of covering the bills being caused by their S-Ranks, you mused. Not that you were surprised, with how much your boyfriend loved to fight.
Before long, you reached the observation deck overlooking the second gym. The Director, David Brennan, stood there, looking pained at the damage being caused. He leaned against the railing, hands gripping the metal as though holding on for dear life.
You glanced down at the floor, witnessing flashes of red and gold below, the two hunters moving too quickly for an unawakened to follow. Luckily, you had no trouble distinguishing where your boyfriend was.
As you settled next to Brennan, you finally took in the full scope of the damage. One external wall had been fully demolished, the only evidence of its existence were the crushed concrete and metal littering the outside. The edges of the remaining wall were unstable, threatening to bring part of the ceiling down with it. The rafters and lights were almost all broken, a few flickering as if announcing their pitiful presence.
The sprinkler system seemed to have gone off at one point, as you noticed the water stains on the once-pristine gym floor. Reed’s attacks must have triggered the system and erased nearly all evidence of it going off.
Distantly, you heard Thomas laugh and Reed cursing him out.
“How long have they been at it?” Your question startled Brennan.
Clearing his throat and standing up to compose himself, he answered, “Since two hours ago.”
You sighed, “Didn’t I tell you to call me if it looked like Thomas was going to fight him? What will you do if two of our country’s S-Ranks are out of commission due to a petty argument?”
Dave had the decency to look ashamed. “My apologies. I did not expect the two to run into each other. It seems the fight, err, sparring match was triggered when Mr. Reed taunted Guildmaster Andre by insinuating that he was incapable of appreciating the finer things in life.”
“A rather detailed report there. Should I assume you were in the room when it started?”
“...A correct assumption.”
“Well, I suppose I should break it up now, lest the repair bill increases.” You climbed onto the railing, crouching down and preparing to leap off. “Pardon me, Director.”
You jumped off the railing, landing squarely in the middle of their fight. Both fighters momentarily paused, looking to see who interrupted them. Raising both hands, you threw up a telekinetic shield in front of both hunters, a silent warning to stop their attacks.
“Well, boys, as fun as I am sure this has been, I gotta cut it short now. Back off, or I throw you through that hole over there.”
Reed acknowledged your presence, gently touching down on the ground. “Finally! Control your damn dog!” He gestured rudely at Thomas.
You twitched at the comment, as Thomas loudly protested the description. “Hey! I’m not a dog! I’m at least a lion!”
Irritation was quickly replaced with exasperation. “That’s what you’re taking issue with, babe?” You asked him in disbelief, turning partially to face him.
“What? I’m not wrong! Anyway, I’m not done with him!” Thomas adjusted his stance, moving as though he was prepared to charge the fire mage.
Reed immediately propelled himself upward, preparing to avoid it and to counterattack. You could feel him getting ready to throw another spell at your tank.
Rolling your eyes, you ordered, “Reed, get the hell out of here while I’m still playing nice.” You leviated a few pieces of rubble from the ground to make your point, directing them at him.
Reed narrowed his eyes at you, about to argue with your command, until he met your gaze. It was one that spoke of intense internal pain if he even tried to attack Thomas again. With a reluctant nod, he swiftly pulled back, moving to land next to Brennan on the observation deck, and dispelling his transformation.
Thomas whined when he saw Reed retreat, moving into a neutral stance. “Didya have to ruin my fun?”
“If that’s your idea of fun, Thomas, we are having words once we get back.”
“Aw…”
Thomas cancelled his transformation, approaching you with a wide grin, pout having faded. “But if fighting people means getting you to pick me up, I gotta do it more often.”
You could practically feel the pain radiating off the Bureau staff and the other hunters at his comment. Smiling, you patted his bare chest in acknowledgement, “You could just call me, you know.”
“Where’s the fun in that?” Thomas whined as he moved to embrace you, stopped only by your firm hand. “I love watching you use magic.”
“No. Shower first, you dusty idiot. I’m not letting you get my clothes dirty. And thanks, but the fun is in not having an astronomical repair bill to deal with at the end of the month.”
Thomas opened his mouth to retort, only to be cut off by the sound of the external wall finally failing and caving in. He moved to shield you from the shockwave, which was causing the dust and debris to fly your way.
Once it stopped, you stepped away from his protective embrace to stare up at him. “Was that your doing?”
Thomas smiled sheepishly, “I might’ve thrown Reed a little too hard?”
A fond laugh bubbled its way up from your lungs, much to the despair of the Director and Vice Director. You could hear Laura’s high heels on the hallway floor as she made her way over, beginning to inquire about the bill and the extent of the damages.
With an adoring grin, you cupped Thomas’ face and brought him down, closer to you. “Wow, you’re a disaster. You’re lucky you’re my favorite disaster.”
You planted a soft kiss on his lips, and felt him smile against you. Thomas wrapped his arm around your waist, much to your faint annoyance. But, you wouldn’t have him any other way.
A/N: I find it funny how it's canon in Solo Leveling: Arise that Reed despises Thomas. They make for an entertaining pair. Reader would find Thomas' habit of fighting other hunters endearing, since she knows he's just trying to burn off energy; she's just tired of the property damage and PR mess. Thomas absolutely knew Reed was taunting him, he just wants another hunter to fight against (play with). Also, Laura is the best.
