Conceptualizing Tomo as the Raiden Shogun during the Archon War [Raiden Shogun Tomo AU]
From my non-romance fanfic about Raiden Shogun-Tomo and his pet bunny Kazuha here, these are my character-building notes that didn't really get to see the light of day.
Archon War candidate of Narukami â and eventual victor
During the Archon Wars, Tomo of Narukami island proved himself not only as a candidate for his country's shogunate government, but also as a candidate for one of the seven Archon seats.
As Archon War-era Inazuman archipelago is not unified, other candidates for the Archon seat also heralding from the Inazuman archipelago include Orobaxi of Watatsumi island and Kapatcir of Tsurumi-Seirai isles.
Tomo of Narukami is proactive about consolidating his power and rule, for the sake of uniting the separate island-states into one single country â the future Inazuma. To advance his interests, he allied together with the strongest candidate of the Guili region, Rex Lapis.
Eventually, victory is awarded to these two formidable friends.
Thousand Faces, Hundred Eyes, Ten Hearts, One Truth
This is Shogun-Tomo's epithet.
The numbers were selected for to be symmetrical, balanced, referencing the numerology & symbology of 1, for power, independence and leadership, as well as to represent a divine entity who considers themselves a supreme being. A little bit arrogant, but also totally justified at his power level.
1000 Faces: Shogun-Tomo is said to own a thousand porcelain mask in his personal collection, and that he will grant wishes to a thousand lucky individuals in a year. Will you be one of those thousand?
It's quite true that he owns a thousand porcelain masks or somewhere thereabout - there's too many for him to actually count. He prefers not to repeat masks (except for his favorite ones), and he also sometimes likes to leave his masks in places that he's visited (which turn into electroculus over time), which means there's always a reason to make new, inspired masks.
Besides making these masks as an expression of creativity, the masks also enable him to roam his nation in incognito mode with his second-truest face - the face of a young man, ronin-like, mid-length straw hair, lilac-grey eyes, that accompanies the mortal body he dons.
His true face is the one that he was born with, which is the face of a kitsune spirit.
100 Eyes: Shogun-Tomo is said to have a hundred eyes to watch over all notable areas and persons of interests on Narukami island.
In battle, the Raiden Shogun's form is often accompanied by glowing purple ball lightning, either concentrated on his back or homing in on his enemies on the field.
Outside of battle, the Raiden Shogun employs the use of kemono yokai - various mythical animals - to be his eyes and ears throughout Narukami island. He's been known to inhabit crows, cows, beavers, cats, dogs and foxes.
Writer's note: This is inspired by the recurring "eye" motifs in Genshin â the electroculus, the Omnipresent Statue, and Raiden Shogun's E skill, which results in a hovering eye acting on behalf of the active character to deal damage, said to be a "piece of her euthymia".
10 Hearts: Shogun-Tomo is said to have ten hearts for his ten great loves: Narukami, Inazumans, art, song, dance, wine, battle, blade, fox, rabbit.
Or perhaps this number refers to ten beloved acquaintances, friends through blood and song, ranging from the divine to the yokai.
Or perhaps this number refers to ten lovers, beautiful of body, of mind, and of character.
Or perhaps this number had simply been made up by the folklore storytellers, so as to believe that their god had within him the capacity to love them ordinary mortals.
1 Truth: Shogun-Tomo is said to have a single truth: the hitotachi, a bladework that will bare open the heart.
Widely regarded as Shogun-Tomo's signature, the hitotachi simultaneously strikes awe and fear in the hearts of those who see it.
Despite the reputation of the hitotachi, - or perhaps because it is simply that powerful, Shogun-Tomo doesn't seem too keen on using it often. He is a brilliant warrior, and can just as easily emerge victorious without having to unsheathe the hitotachi.
In fact, the truth is much more humbling. Shogun-Tomo is dissatisfied with his hitotachi. The only person he's consulted this issue with is Rex Lapis. A martial god, political ally and sparring partner, Rex Lapis has suggested that the hitotachi in its present state lacks foundation, as its wielder's ambition is as ordinary as that of mortal rulers. This could very well be a fatal flaw for an Archon candidate - how can one presume to be a part of the ruling divinity if their ambition doesn't dare to shake the heavens?
Shogun-Tomo gives much thought to this, and believes that he should one day obtain the answer after he has travelled and witnessed as many things of Teyvat as possible. Indeed, the hitotachi is shaping up to be more than just a singular slash - but rather a whole set of motions that define a very distinctive bladework style, as Shogun-Tomo will eventually come to wield it.
Philosopher of the Narukami nation
Shogun-Tomo believes in Elegance: The beauty of nature's elements is inimitable. Shogun-Tomo is naturally confident, and has an unwavering belief in his ideals and his ways. He does not need to take the path of others before him; for he is on his way of attaining a level that they have not. Though they compete against each other, the other Archon candidates may become friends and allies. Though he is a great warrior, sometimes the killing blow is not a slash, but rather a parry.
Shogun-Tomo believes in Transience: Lightning cannot be caught. The beauty of living things is often most apparent during the period of precious time known as "youth". As their ruler, he feels melancholy on their behalf, that they should experience a state of such goodness only to ultimately lose it for ever. This is why Shogun-Tomo prefers to conceal his face when dealing with these other living things â he would rather not remind them that for him, in fact, youth can be eternal.
Shogun-Tomo believes in Light: The greatest light of all is hope. Even as a godling, Shogun-Tomo has never once doubted the truth behind this axiom. As a man relentless pursuing after his many goals, dreams and ambitions, light is something that he effortlessly summons from the ether; that he brings forth by his own merit and abilities; that he makes happen by his resolve and willpower. He believes that by pursuing enough singular instances of light at a rate quick enough, he can construct a eternal and undying light forever.
Personality traits and interests headcanons
- Animal lover [canon]
- Curious & adventurous, like Kazuha [canon]
- Creative and inspired, appreciative of the beauty of the world = his philosophy
- Passionate about martial arts and the art of the battle, such as musou no hitotachi [canon]
- Great sense of humor, thunderous roaring laughter
- Generally quite tolerant and generous with his energy and time
- Sharp judgement, decisive in execution, like lightning
- Respected by people for his physical power, and generally high intelligence in nation-ruling and governnance
- Loved by people for providing abundance through the lands
- Feared by his people, for they know not his face, and they see the war rampage that he causes against the other Archon seat contestants
- Highly selective with his inner circle
- Strives to keep a work-life balance between play and divine duties
An affinity for animals, especially the kitsune
Shogun-Tomo's original form is that of a humble kitsune spirit. When he ascended to Archon, this entire species of animal was also elevated to sacred and protected status in the country.
Hair: Perfection, dual colored, layered, wintery and firey like hot blood in the cold snows
Body: Top-notch mountain god killing machine, buffer than his skinny face makes him look
Power level: Godly among gods, nothing can defeat him except himself
Rizz level: Irreverent, infallible, always has a sixth sense for his girl
Intelligence level: Not the smartest but always the tireless problem solver. Can and will cheat
Personality flaws: One-track minded romantic, massive sore loser about his girlfriend dying
Personality pros: He loves his dear ones so hard that he will sacrifice the world for them
Is he okay in present time? He's achieved some measure of peace with his regrets, but at the same time he's the type to never truly forgive himself for his regrets
Chances of him ensuring your survivability: 99.9%. The 0.1% represents the yet-unrevealed elder gods (like his father) that might best him yet
Chances of him going crazy if you die: 100%
Did this character challenge the actor's acting?: No, far too easy for Lee Dong Wook
Did this character's wardrobe challenge the actor's beauty?: Yes, not pictured here is a flaming barbie pink robe that made him look more androgynous than Lee Yeon deserves
Is he foxy enough? Only when he rizzes, eats, or showers with his rubber duckies; the rest of the time he's just plain godly
Overall ranking: 3.9 stars out of 5, earning points because of the unforgettable quality costume design, losing points because this god is too ridiculously overpowered to be believed
Lee Rang from Tales of the Nine Tailed đŠ
Who is he: The younger half-blood brother of the most powerful fox spirit mountain god in his country
When was this photo taken: After he slaughtered an entire village in cold blood, and before his elder brother stabs him for it
Face: Chubby apple cheeks, big puppy eyes, hopeful little smile (not pictured)
Hair: This red-tinted bushy ponytail look is criminally underrated
Body: Skinner than the robes or cheeks will have you believe. Lean and muscular
Power level: Not very powerful due to the human blood mixed in, but highly resourceful with his weapons and magic
Rizz level: He's either dense and suspicious or flirtatious and insincere
Intelligence level: Cunning, sly, does things on the sneak, but needs help cleaning up his messes
Personality flaws: He loves his big brother the most in the world. Century-long abandonment issues, massive chip on the shoulder, violent
Personality pros: He loves his big brother the most in the world. Very prone to being influenced, and can be shaped to be a better person with just a little faith
Is he okay in present time? He's released himself from judgement and still loves his big brother the most in the world
Chances of him ensuring your survivability: 78%, take your chances before Lee Yeon arrives
Chances of him going crazy if you die: 100%
Did this character challenge the actor's acting?: Yes, Lee Rang's entire elder brother complex is mapped and explored from seasons 1 to 2
Did this character's wardrobe challenge the actor's beauty?: Yes, challenged with a good number of different hair styles and different time periods. Not all faces can handle this task
Is he foxy enough: Very foxy, two-faced, bites when provoked, bites when unprovoked, temperamental, anger issues, hopeless romantic
Overall ranking: 4.4 stars out of 5, more like a fox than his pure-blooded elder brother and given a lot of plot time to explore the breadth of a foxy personality
Tushan Jing from Lost You Forever đŠ
Who is he: The human-society-integrated descendent of a great ancient fox spirit (Lee Yeon???!!) and heir of a wealthy family
When was this photo taken: When he was doing the thankless job of plotting for his friends (not himself!) to rise to power
Is he okay in present time? He's not very okay but he very likely will be okay because he has a survivor mentality
Chances of him ensuring your survivability: 66%, but rest assured that he will fight tooth and nail to ensure your survivability
Chances of him going crazy if you die: 200% he will die with you
Did this character challenge the actor's acting?: Not really, this is a typical character archetype, but anyway his actor's career is just beginning
Did this character's wardrobe challenge the actor's beauty?: Yes, it's restricting, too "clean" of an image for a fox. Deng Wei's IRL style and presence actually seems to out-fox Tushan Jing
Is he foxy enough: Hopeless romantic, emotionally sensitive, highly sentimental, bites where it hurts and when you least expect it
Overall ranking: 4.6 stars out of 5, if you're gonna date a fox don't expect it to be all roses and rainbows. Scored high for being a bundle of human-shaped domesticated fox traits, lost some for having more human problems than foxy problems
(Honarary Fox) Li Lianhua from Mysterious Lotus Casebook đŠâ
Is he a fox? No, he's just often accused for being an âold foxy bastardâ and even leaned into it by naming his pet dog âlittle vixenâ
Who is he: The rebranded alter ego of the former Greatest Hero In The World
When was this photo taken: When he was feeling pleased with himself
Face: Fierce frown, wicked smirk, apologetic nose taps
Hair: Pay attention to the hair ornament he wears which are symbols of a lotus flowerâs life cycle from seed to decay, which is used as a metaphor for his own lifespan in the drama
Body: Looks ill, always ready to cough blood, but also, tough, mega-strong and supremely flexible waist
Power level: At 10% of his power reserve, Li Lianhua can fight anybody, anything, and win
Rizz level: Good at articulation, poor at communication, natural luck with girls
Intelligence level: The smartest detective and most talented doctor on the jianghu
Personality pros: Always changing himself for the better except for his biggest complexes (such as regarding commitment), generous and mostly forgiving
Is he okay in present time? Re-joined the canon of jianghu mysteries with his biggest and final vanishing act
Chances of him ensuring your survivability: 101%, the extra 1% comes from his self-sacrifice to ensure your survivability
Chances of him going crazy if you die: 50% or less. Heâll keep his sanity to enact revenge, mourn you appropriately and then move on
Did this character challenge the actor's acting?: Yes, nuanced relationships between friends, lovers, bros, and incredibly demanding martial arts sequences
Did this character's wardrobe challenge the actor's beauty?: Not the most challenging, but wide-ranging, varied in color, and certainly exquisitely produced
Is he foxy enough: Had domesticating foxes been a thing in ancient China, his friends are sure to have found some way to have him permanently leashed. Not very foxy in the romance department but certainly keeps the metaphor alive in all other regards
Overall ranking: 4.1 stars out of 5, not a fox by blood but definitely a fox at heart
Always Number One In Somebodyâs Heart â the foxes taking the undisputed position as:
Most Inconceivably Powerful: Lee Yeon (fantasy powers) and Li Lianhua (martial arts)
Most Unlucky Wretched Soul: Lee Rang
Would Make The Nicest Husband: Tushan Jing
Would Make The Fussiest Husband: Lee Yeon
Most Luck With Girls: Li Lianhua
Worst Luck With Girls: Tushan Jing is in the fiercest love rectangle ever
Most âBros Over Hoesâ: Li Lianhua
Most Afraid Of His Past: All
Most âthis mountain is my mountainâ (territorial): Lee Yeon
Least âthis mountain is my mountainâ (can share his things): Li Lianhua
Most Likely To Ask You Out First: Lee Yeon
Most Likely To Ask You Out Second: Tushan Jing
Will Never Ask: Lee Rang
Not Interested In Asking You Out: Li Lianhua
Most Willing To Break Hearts: Li Lianhua
Takes Most Time To Get Ready: Lee Yeon
Most Willing To Cross-Dress: Li Lianhua
Most Gullible: Lee Rang
Most Likely To Cry: Lee Rang
Most Ready To Bleed: Li Lianhua
Most Willing To Be Little Spoon: Lee Yeon
Most Likely To Drive Safely: Tushan Jing
Most Likely To Drive Successfully On Difficult Terrain: Li Lianhua
Most Likely To Wreck His Car: Lee Yeon
Most Deserving To Have His Driving License Revoked: Lee Rang
Friendliest With Other Animals: Tushan Jing
Most Likely To Spend Money: Lee Yeon
Most Likely To Spend Money On You: Tushan Jing
Unlikely To Spend Money On You: Lee Rang
Hordes Money: Li Lianhua
Quickest To Offend Someone Deliberately: Lee Rang
Quickest To Offend Someone Unintentionally: Lee Yeon
Sure To Offend Someone Eventually: Li Lianhua
Will Never Offend Others At All: Tushan Jing
Most Likely To Lie Because Itâs Funny: Lee Rang
Most Likely To Get Frustrated About Lying: Lee Yeon
Most Unhappy About Lying: Tushan Jing
Most Likely To Lie, Period: Li Lianhua
Foxes pending release and initial impressions:
Yang Mi's Hong Hong (Red Moon Pact): Definitely looks like she has a liking for human blood
Zhang Yunlong's Hong Ye (Love in Pavilion): Old man with graying hair and some kind of twisted perspective on parenting
Cheng Yi's Fugui (Sword and Beloved): Platinum blonde prince with severe daddy issues thanks to the above
Zhang Lingheâs Hua Cheng (fingers crossed that this will eventually air): Another honorary fox, probably the biggest one in size on this list
Masterpost of my Honkai Star Rail twitter fics [all mpreg]:
//**NSFW Content//** đ This will be constantly updated! Enjoy, vote on twitter, and prayer-hands that these will eventually grow into a full fic. Thereâs also gonna be some additional writing notes here that didnât make it to twitter.Â
I surprise myself also to find that all of these are mpreg...
Renheng: Molt đâïžđđ„
[Torture, canon references, mpreg, selfpreg] Blade (Serpent) kidnaps and tortures Dan Heng to âdeathâ with slow-acting poison â though for the immortal Dragon, âdeathâ is meaningless. As Dan Hengâs current body starts to die, and all his senses rot away, his new core and vessel forms inside his belly. The curse of reincarnation ensures that he will never be able to escape from his kidnapper.Â
Read here.
Jingren: Hateful bonded ABO sex đđ °ïžđ Ÿïž
[Omegaverse, hate fuck, cyberpunk] Part 1: Blade hates the alpha that heâs bonded with, but his body certainly doesnât give a (forgive the pun) fuck.Â
Read Part 1Â here.
Part 2: Jing Yuan has gotten his most wretched omega pregnant â except that the baby is not his.Â
Read Part 2 here.
Part 3 preview: After getting Blade pregnant, JY promptly vanishes from the face of the planet, not to be seen again until exactly nine months later. In his absence, Blade has plotted his murder every single day. When JY finally reappears, he loses his battle of wits to his hormonal instincts, and throws himself on his alpha instead of the blade in his hands. On the birthing chair, the baby that comes out is most definitely not his.Â
Sunturine: Angels Make Angels đȘœđŒđ»đȘœ
[Torture, canon references] Sunday, an elite angel, buys mediocre angel Aventurine to be his pet project. First, he tweezes Aventurineâs bad feathers out so that he may grow good ones. Second, he messes with his mind so that he is conditioned to love pain. When these two requisites are completed, he then alters Aventurineâs genitalia so that he can bear him a perfect baby.
Read here.
Galladay + Gallarine: Another đ«x2
Aromantic and asexual Sunday enlists his employee Gallagher to impregnate him in order to avoid jail time. Months later he meets Gallagherâs equally pregnant husband Aventurine.
Li Xian X Tan Jianci: Samoyed fool attaching himself to a pretty thing? â Unexpectedly Shippable Pairs from Hi6 [1/2]
See for yourself though:
Tan Jianci picks up on and imitates Li Xian's body language
This moment is the first (12-min mark) in n number of times Tan Jianci crosses his legs in response to Li Xian. I know you're thinking, for eff's sake Yang Di's legs are crossed too. But Yang Di doesn't cross his legs like this:
Full body maneuver to cross his legs and face him (and then look visibly awkward about it) while also forming a shape with his body. (24-min mark)
What shape?
Heart shape (23-min mark)
As objectively as possible, I think this is body language for "I'm listening" and "I'm interested in you" respectively.
Leaning in and it's mutual (17-min mark)
Leaning in so hard that he stands up in order to get fully into and block everything else from his line of sight (18-min mark)
How badly does this man need attention?
Tan Jianci arching his waist and back (attentive and self-conscious) (24-min mark)
Looking enraptured by his deduction (23-min mark)
Shooting a look at the poor sod Tan Jianci is accusing (23-min mark)
Listening with the entire left side of his head as Tan Jianci argues (23-min mark)
Man abruptly accused; wife appropriately astonished.
Tbh this one is probably the most damning to me. This is about 10 minutes after the very first gif and at this point in time Tan Jianci's body language has ripened (24-min mark). The gifs taken in this window contain his most exaggerated postures and behaviors.
Also, the first gif was the only time he crossed his right leg. All other times, he crosses his left leg so that he can slant towards Li Xian.
Next, here are some wide-angle shots of their conjoined body language:
Tan Jianci has uncrossed and is re-crossing his legs yet again (21-min mark)
Really though, why is Li XIan the only one who's slanting his body away from the scene of action (25-min mark)
It's like they're at a theatre watching a funny show together (25-min mark)
Lastly Tan Jianci normally man-spreads when he sits, but this time he's decided to make quite the exception.
In conclusion:
Dog-cat dynamic
Dog is a samoyed: easy to fool, easily attached
Cat notices he's being watched and is preening
And if I'm gonna guess what the hell was really going on:
Li Xian really really really wants to befriend Tan Jianci
Tan Jianci finds Li Xian quite attractive
Both their charms have worked on each other
There's more. I didn't gif the other instances of Li Xian bodily grabbing him, following him around, sitting next to him, and doing everything he can to grab Tan Jianci's attention, because you can watch them subbed in the main episode on youtube here:
Main episode (must watch for Li Xian's pursuit of his... goal)
Bonus content (where I grabbed these gifs from)
Bonus content II (must watch to see them throw water in each other's faces)
To my incredible surprise, I wasn't alone in this deluded observation! Searching "Li Xian Tan Jianci" on bilibili yielded 8 CP-angle vides from the top 15, all using material scraped from this exact Hi6 episode. That's more than 50%, and this variety TV episode is their first televised appearance together ever.
Also, it's personally shocking to me that this is actually the third rarepair from hell I unwittingly caught (like a brain disease) from hi6. The other two are less niche but definitely not any less cute:
Wang Hedi x Yang Zi (naughty kid X teacher's pet dynamic. I'll gif this)
Qin Xiaoqian x Meng Ziyi (class clown X popular girly who actually digs clown humor)
I feel like I've just discovered treasure from the bottom of the pacific ocean from swimming in a hole that nobody will ever even think to look in.
Romance versus love, fantasy, xianxia, drama, politics
No better place than here to admit that I initially thought this would be a trashy especially because I have very little patience for romance dramas. But I have to swallow my words now because I was wrong.
Tong Hua is the original author and also scriptwriter for this drama; this lady kept a very close eye on the adaptation throughout. The show was directed by female director Qin Zhen, and with both of them in the car it's no wonder this drama feels different than the romances shot by male directors.
The Plot: The plot is romance, literally, filled with romantic tropes and whatnot; but the not-so-subtle meta is that it's also a meditation on love and romance, through characters and plot developments that debate heartily on the topic. The plot is also about the roles of men, women and "love" in the traditional, patriarchal Chinese society that is the setting. This is overall an intelligent story that endeavors to go beyond just fulfilling romantic notions.
Xiao Yao: Leading lady Xiao Yao is a 300+ year old princess, sharp, resourceful and wiser because of her traumas. In her life, she has been subject to torture and assassination, would rather take a reckless shot at the great unknown than wait away in the deathliness of peace, and has an intimate understanding of men, women and the things in-between, having also lived a good chunk of her life as a man.
Xiao Yao's greatest love is freedom. She loves freedom so much that she would rather have both her legs be broken (ironically) than reconcile with her dearly beloved brother and father â because she knew that meant walking headfirst into the gilded bird cage of stature and politics.
She values freedom of the mind and spirit if she can't have freedom of will and being, and only demands that her husband will have her as his one and only wife. It's a very tall ask in this game of politics. For comparison, her father pulled it off at the cost of devastating war.
Xiao Yao believes in love, but she doesn't believe in romance. She gives and receives love freely, and even on occasion unconditionally â but having learnt that emotional damage is far worse than physical ones, she guards her heart carefully to spare herself from the kind of pain that romantic love will cause.
Ultimately however, Xiao Yao knows that even that stance is one of self-denial.
Cang Xuan: Xiao Yao's brother (or cousin, if you wanna be technical). Interestingly, he's not popular in Chinese and International fandoms for the same reason â exactly like Xiao Yao, he's rational to the point that it's a double-edged blade, and he had unknowingly, intentionally, caused Xiao Yao to suffer immense pain in the beginning.
I wouldn't so much as blame Cang Xuan for that as I would consider it to be a visible metaphor of the kind of self-sabotage that Cang Xuan and Xiao Yao do to themselves when they only consider love for its utility.
Because this is a show about multiple love interests, the argument of "but he was first" works best in Cang Xuan's favor. The two of them are childhood best friends and swore an oath on the deaths of their family members to never be without the other.
With an emotional baggage shaped like Cang Xuan, you miss the point if you only fixate on the boundaries that he can operate in under "romance". He notices his own feelings for her exceed that of brother and sister, but as clinical as he is with romance, marriages and other women, he suspects that the relationship he has with Xiao Yao by birthright is the truest one in the sense of "love".
Does it have to entail her hand in marriage to give or receive her love? Will he not always be by her side through thick and thin, even after her "romantic" matches disappoint her time and again?
Will he still feel so self-assured even after Xiao Yao embarks on her newly married life with her future husband?
Xiao Yao loves him enough to give up her greatest love of freedom of him. She knows that Cang Xuan will always be there for her, and deeply understands that this status quo is the best way to maintain the longevity of their love for each other.
Tushan Jing/Ye Shiqi: Shiqi is the purest form of romantic love + pure mutual companionship that Xiao Yao has ever experienced, full stop and past tense. At the very beginning, Shiqi was just a servant and she was simply his savior. If he could live life exactly as he wanted, he would live it as a love-blind idiot and doting malewife, penniless, besotted and happy.
I can't quite say that he loved Xiao Yao irrespective of her gender, given that he guesses rather quickly as to her true gender.
Regardless, due to his upbringing and trauma, Shiqi is (initially) generous with his heart and kindness, not minding if he's being taken advantaged of, or shamelessly used for money â his love language is acts of service, and he can't think of anyone he'll rather love than the equally kind-hearted stranger who saved his life when they didn't have to.
However, Shiqi is indeed a dream, and he is too good to exist for real. His full identity is Tushan Jing, whose emotional baggage is as large as his soft heart. On one hand, Jing cannot bring himself to sever toxic family members even when it sabotages himself and his relationship with Xiao Yao; on the other hand, both Xiao Yao and him are dependent on his full identity as Tushan Jing to advance their respective interests of: supporting Cang Xuan's bid for the throne; and marrying Princess Jiuyao with all the socio-political razzmatazz befitting her stature.
Because of this, he's guilty of betraying Xiao Yao's heart severely, time and again. The fox does in fact bite.
One of the most scathing commentary I saw about Jing in the Chinese fandom was that Xiang Liu spent 37 years saving Xiao Yao's life, while Jing spent the same amount of time lying down (in a coma).
I'm not sure if or how this metaphor will bite back later in S2, but Xiao Yao's favorite childhood toy/Chekov's gun is a nine-tailed fox tail. Her evil torturer who knew the truth about her birthright is also a nine-tailed fox. Tushan Jing himself is the descendent of nine-tailed fox.
Fangfeng Bei/Xiang Liu: I almost wanted to write Fangfeng Bei separately given that all the other guys (except Cang Xuan I think?) all said something remarkable: that they think Fang Fengbei is the best man for Xiao Yao. Even I thought that was cheap dialogue thrown in to artificially lend weight to "Team Bei", and I am on Team Bae.
I eventually realized that they said that because they are all clever people, and know that Fangfeng Bei epitomizes freedom (the character for "wind" is in his name), and also that while they might compete for her heart, freedom is what Xiao Yao yearns most painfully after.
Probably this is why Xiang Liu is allergic to saying goodbyes, preferring instead to come and go like the wind does â silently.
Interestingly, Fangfeng Bei also has another recurring metaphor, this one vis-Ă -vis our good cousin Cang Xuan. Cang Xuan's most tried and trusted strategy of handling whatever life throws at him is to "not hope", and thus not have to bear the brunt of disappointment.
Fangfeng Bei is obsessed with hope. He says hope is the lie that keeps people going. He is the de facto commander of an army that's been defeated for centuries. In the underground fighting ring he mocks Xiao Yao for her shabby encouragement attempt, but is the one to give the fighter real hope by sharing about his own real survival story. Four decades later, he pretends not to care when the fighter finally earns his freedom, but is pleased to see Xiao Yao gift the fighter priceless resources. When he was still pretending to be a different person than Xiang Liu he taunts her, over and over again, "Who do you hope for me to be?" and "What do you hope for me to say?"
Xiang Liu is massively popular in the Chinese fandom as the OTP for Xiao Yao (contrasted against Jing's popularity on tumblr). An interesting tidbit is that the drama team made character social medial accounts for them on Weibo, and these are their follower counts at this point of time in writing:
Xiao Yao: 485k
Xiang Liu: 461k
Cang Xuan: 384k
Tushan Jing: 378k
Countless other literature have been written, and countless fights have been had over how much Xiang Liu has done for Xiao Yao in the name of true love. I will say that in contrast to Jing, who desperately attempts to blur the boundary between himself and his idealized self (i.e. Ye Shiqi); Xiang Liu endorses the idea of Fang Fengbei within limits, and personally cuts off Xiao Yao's wishful daydreams before they can gain any kind of traction. This is one part (of many) where the two of them are similar, because transacting within the confines of terms and conditions is what makes them comfortable.
He can't forgive her for breaching his lines where he drew them. She said "If I'd been the one to save you, I'll let you be Fangfeng Bei forever. Free and without burdens or worries."
She can't forgive him either for breaching her lines where she drew them. She told him "You're not the kind of man that any woman should dream of". She had already dreamt of him a long long time ago.
Let's just conclude for now that Xiang Liu has incredible finesse at snaking back and forth across enemy lines.
My Guess as to What "Lost You Forever" means for S2: I've always wondered why so many Chinese drama claim variants of "love" and "longing" in their English translated titles when the Chinese words are so much more vividly metaphorical about other things (I'm talking about "A Journey To Love" for äžćż”ć łć±± and "Love And Redemption" for çç).
That being said, "Lost You Forever" is a pretty straightforward and semi-direct translation of âéżçžæ". The translation of the original novel title is actually much closer, "Miss You Forever". The drama title dramatizes it.
/**SPOILER WARNING/**
Xiang Liu dies, and Xiao Yao ends up with Tushan Jing.
Pretty much all the Chinese fans know this. They're familiar with the novel (and on-set leaks) and know that the drama will be faithful. The actors have also divulged this while doing press and promotions since they shot the entire story in one go. Xiao Yao's actress Yang Zi and Xiang Liu's actor Tan Jianci both tend to get teary-eyed or choked up whenever they address Xiang Liu's fate. Yang Zi describes her story with Tushan Jing as "the official pairing", and her relationship with Xiang Liu as "æéŸćčł", which is hard to translate because it's three little words that encompasses a broad and vague feeling. It means any or all of the following:
The one that got away (see: the Katy Perry song)
The one I can't ever let go of (see: the Pink song "Who Knew")
The one that I wasn't willing to lose (see: Li Xiangyi in Mysterious Lotus Casebook)
Some tragedies will imprint upon the heart more deeply than some loves ever will.
The titular characters are Xiao Yao and Xiang Liu. They made indelible impacts on each other's souls and are destined to lose each other "forever".
[Translation] No more shipwars, fans agree that Xiaoyao should just have a harem
/**SPOILER WARNING FOR SEASON TWO/**
Just for laughs, I translated the funniest comments from a fan-made commentary video.
"Spare tire" is a slang and insult, in this context it refers to the guy (usually second male lead) that gives/sacrifices/contributes a lot in his pursuit of the female lead, but doesn't win her romantically in the end
[SPOILER WARNING] Based on the ending of the novel (that this drama is adapted from) Jing is 100% undoubtedly the male lead, and Xiang Liu is actually the spare tire. But the fan's argument had a solid landing because Jing's personality and behavior is like that of a spare tire (especially given all the L's he's taken from his family); whereas Xiang Liu's personality is bossy, domineering and self-assured
Lol just realized I used wife and husband interchangeably in my translation. The meaning still holds though
In traditional Chinese harems, the first wife should be "generous" knowing that their partner will likely have more wives in the future. If they're not able to be even a little bit generous, and cannot tolerate having other bitches around, then they're just fucking with themselves and absolutely wouldn't survive the long eternity that is their marriage. Hence the votes for Jing
(This is what Xiaoyao was explaning to Ah Nian â she would have to come to terms with this if she wants to marry Cang Xuan)
In a harem, even though the first wife/husband should be generous, they usually... aren't. They can't stop their partner from marrying more, so usually they just unhappily take the L and be insufferable every way that they can. So as first wives are notoriously temperamental, hence Xiangliu's nominations
Police drama, murder mystery, detective, bromance, forensic artist, art
4.0/5
The premise: Genius painter Shen Yi's talent is one in 13 billion â he can look at a child's photo and draw them aged-up; he can look at a man's photo and draw him as a child. The plot happens when Shen Yi unknowingly paints the real-time age of the country's top detective â and in doing so, gives the detective's identity over to assassins, and ends up causing his killing.
Seven years later, Shen Yi joins the police force with his detective partner Du Cheng to uncover the mystery behind the murder he had a hand in.
This drama offers everything along the spectrum from comfort to chills, such as a mature cat-dog bromance, an immense appreciation for art-making and forensic artistry techniques, as well as an arsenal of chilly murder stories pulled from real-life cases. But what makes this drama a cut above all that is the art of its cinematography, and how deeply the director appreciates the beauty in his characters, in his stories, and in the lives they depicted:
Beauty in the eye of the beholder
A dignified end
"Women understand women. Women protect women."
Seeking out death
You can watch the whole series officially on Youtube with English subtitles here. Season 2 will begin filming this March!
[Translation] Translating my favorite moments from Shapolang
/*SPOILER WARNING*/
This is my prep work for future fic-writing.
Gu Yun suddenly goes, "Shall I leave the army to Chang Geng in the future?"
Shen Yi is stupefied. "Just how badly do you want him dead?"
From the look on his face, Shen Yi is very much taking pleasure in his suffering. Gu Yun reaches for the back of head and shoves him face-down into the blankets; then he drifts away listlessly, thinking it might be time to hang himself with a waistband of sorts.
Gu Yun knows the human heart all too well â he knows the more you avoid some things, the more heinously taboo it becomes; like what happens when poison reaches the bone â in far too deep to be removed. So it's with that logic in mind that he decides to show Chang Geng all he has to show â it's just his body after all, what else is there to it?
"If I were born a decade earlier..." Chang Geng suddenly starts.
Liao Ran's eyelid twitches.
Word by heavy word, Chang Geng finishes his sentence: "This world would be a different one."
And he never would ever let Gu Yun go.
Gu Yun does feel that he has the bigger responsibility in this whole affair, and for that he even feels guilty. Under ordinary circumstances, Chang Geng never would have gotten this close to him were if not for his unspoken approval. And even if he hadn't had enough wits to react on the spot back then, thereby leading to their "accident", he still should not have procrastinated... and allowed things to get to their present state.
"That's why..." Gu Yun could only utter those two words. His voice is cracked beyond recognition, and it was physically taxing for him to clear his throat enough to finish the sentence. "So that's why you prescribed him tranquilizers."
(T/N: I find it so interesting that ćźç„èŻ is translated as "tranquilizers" in the fandom. It's not the first thing I would have thought of, but it's quite fitting for the wild wolf analogy and is a very chilling word to see.)
At the end of his flute performance, an extremely self-satisfied Gu Yun turns around with a face full of expectations and prompts him. "Wasn't that just lovely?"
"..." Chang Geng hesitates not for a short period of time, and in the end answers sincerely. "It invigorates one's spirit and... will definitely keep our enemies at bay."
Chang Geng couldn't resist any longer. He leans down and plugs Gu Yun's lips with his own.
"My general," his thinks, heart at once sweetened and sorrowed. "Throughout history, how many have been able to shed their armors and retire in one piece from the battlefield? What was that promise for, if none other than to break my heart?"
Unlike the parting kiss on the city wall all those years ago, this one contained much less desperate passion. All of a sudden, a section of Gu Yun's armored heart caves inwards, revealing its softest and most vulnerable underbelly. It's this heart that thinks, "From here on, this person is mine."
That look in Chang Geng's eyes, that expression â Shen Yi's eyes are blinded, and he gravely regrets stepping foot in the manor at this time. Gu Yun, for his part, is just as mute â his waist was pained simply from hearing the word "Stepfather".
Gu Yun wipes the salt from his mouth, reeling from the accusation at being called an "animal". He felt so grievously misunderstood that he could do no more than sit mutely in his corner, unable to plead his own case.
As he chewed on the salted yellow fish, a thought occurs to Gu Yun and he puts half of it in Shen Yi bowl. "How about you finish up dinner and get going soon? You were born with eyes, surely with them you can see how busy he is from having worked so hard all day long. Don't impose here."
An insulted Shen Yi very nearly chokes on the damned salted yellow fish bone. He retaliates lowly, "I come all this way here to play counsellor to your worries, and this is how you thank me? Gu Zixi, you would rather lust for sex than be loyal to our friendship â so this is what they mean when they say time reveals all colors!"
Gu Yun hasn't even gotten the last syllable out of his mouth when he feels a sudden warm wetness on the side of his neck. It's Chang Geng â taking advantage of the present chaos to lick a strip across Gu Yun's skin.
Through the cacophony, he could hear that low voice murmuring right inside his ear. "It's fairly romantic to die for love in this manner, wouldn't you say?"
Gu Yun is speechless.
(My favorite #2)
Perhaps the most unpredictable thing in this world is not the ill intents of one's enemies, but the heart of one's lover â oftentimes sincere, yet still, at times â fleeting.
Chang Geng pleads, "Zixi..."
"There's no need for Zixi," Gu Yun responds evenly. "You may continue addressing me as 'Stepfather'."
Chang Geng smiles without shame, and kisses him with the intent to please. This is something he'd recently discovered â that Gu Yun likes these sticky little kisses, a kind of light pressure between lips. And if he tops this off by staring at him with a careful and attentive expression afterwards, then Gu Yun will say "yes" to just about anything he asks for.
(My favorite #1)
As he said this, there is an almost imperceptible furrow between his brows, his expression practically bleak. Chang Geng has only ever seen this expression one other time, and it was during that new year's eve when they were aboard the Yuan. The Gu Yun of then had toasted three cups of wine to a legion of departed souls, his face etched with this exact same stinging loneliness â as though not even the combined might of all the lanterns in the city could bring him into light.
Chang Geng's eyes flash, and seeing that no one on the cart was paying them any mind, offers in a tantalizingly low voice, "Let me again tonight and I'll show you the blueprint for the railroad."
Horse whip in hand, Gu Yun leans back. "Let you? How many times have I let you? You've used your injuries as an excuse countless of times and you've never let me have my way. Forget it."
Liao Ran raises his eyes to meet his gaze.
Chang Geng's expression is inscrutable. "Ask Chen Qingxu for all the Gu Zixi secrets she's been keeping from me."
(My favorite #3)
Chang Geng's grip tightens as he holds Gu Yun almost protectively. For the first time in his heart, there's none of the dependency he feels towards his little stepfather, and none of the desire he feels towards his beloved. Instead, he feels as though he's cradling a young and delicate child in his arms.
In all the time he's spent ruminating on impossible what-ifs and what-could-have-beens, Chang Geng often tried to imagine what their relationship would have been like had he been been born ten, or even twenty years earlier.
And today, on the bitingly cold frontlines of the Jiangbei warfront, the missing time that he yearned so wretchedly for shrinks to a few tiny inches, left to the dust as he crosses those decades in a single step.
From head to toe, Gu Yun's body is soft everywhere. There seemed to be an invisible wound on his chest, aching dully at the lighest of efforts. He fumbles around blindly by his side, finding his monocle glasses with some fluster. "Let me..."
His head lowered, Chang Geng ignores him. He gently grips Gu Yun's wrist and pushes it back down.
(My favorite #4)
Chang Geng takes the blade and leaves.
To show that he had most definitely kept his word, and had not even so much as tip-toed past the flap of his tent, Gu Yun stood by the entrance as he waited for Chang Geng. He didn't care for any of the blood, sweat or dirt and immediately pulled him into an embrace.
It's only now that Chang Geng feels that bone-deep fatigue. Wobbling ever so slightly, he grasps Gu Yun by the waist and mutters into his ear: "I'm never letting you fight another battle again."
In his ear, Chang Geng whines "pitifully": "I don't have any money to give you. My man took all of it and spent it on wine and women. Why don't you take my body instead?"
His accent is impressive for having spent those few months between the two camps â though Gu Yun doesn't know from whence exactly he'd picked up this wet, nasally cadence from. The syllables for "my man" were especially exaggerated, drawled so petulantly long that it seeped deep into Gu Yun's ears and sent a shiver running straight down his spine. He's hapless against the guiles of a beauty like this one, and can only hand over everything as demanded.
But without any avenue to share his joy, the Yan King could only satisfy himself in secret guilty pleasure. After sending Miss Chen away, he crept back to the manor at night, and wrote a letter to Gu Yun from his room. He didn't post it, and instead tucked it under Gu Yun's pillow when the words had dried.
That still wasn't gratifying enough. Retrieving his treasure trove containing all of Gu Yun's letters, he laid on the bed and re-read every single one of them until each and every last handwritten character and turn of phrase was freshly etched into his brain. With all that in mind, his next move was to craft a "reply" from Gu Yun by imitating his love's handwriting and prose to the letter. His one-man performance only felt deserving then.
In an instant, the General's tent falls quiet â while Gu Yun alone was silenced out of fear, the others were shocked speechless to see the "new emperor" mentioned in the letter standing right here in the flesh.
Only a man like Shen Yi would break an ice this thick. "... Don't even think of blaming me for delivering the message slow."
Why S2 of Tale of the Nine Tailed is better than S1 [Review]
This review is NOT spoiler-free.
If youâre watching Season 2, youâre watching it for the brothers.Â
Between sometimes shabby action sequences (see: multiple dangerous characters ganging up on the heroes while their burdens stand slightly towards the side, watching in horror, very much still within reach of danger, neither helping themselves nor helping the hero... What is this, an excuse for plot to happen?) and occasionally dropping the ball on characterisations (see: the strongest mountain god, well-lived and well-experienced, cunning and resourceful, shrieking helplessly for minutes of airtime in confused desperation as her lackey dances with death... What is this, filler content?) â the reason why youâre tuning into the show episode after episode is for the brothers, and how Lee Yeonâs second chance with Lee Rang explores surprising and touching sides of their persons and relationships. Is Lee Yeon anymore than a Lover/Loser Boy whoâs stronger than any other creature on the planet? Yes, he is. Has Lee Rang always loved his brother through everything? Yes, he has. Their actors play off their genuine connection with one another and give this fantasy show powerful doses of real emotion when you least expect it. The show did itself a massive favor by removing their reliance on a-dime-a-dozen romance stereotypes and letting the siblingâs bond to take center-stage. Definitely an unexpected and surprising shift from Season 1âČs priorities.Â
Other kinds of love than romance
Romance is this writing teamâs weak spot. Lee Rangâs mermaid love interest Yeo-hee had an interesting characterisation going for her â she acts soft-spoken and demure in order to be attractive, but has a much rougher and pettier actual personality that is genuinely appealing to Lee Rang â but then they fumble the bag in the final episodes and reduced her to a run of the mill damsel-in-distress (literally silenced, she shows up, gets hurt, and is saved). It was an unfortunate viewing experience to see the depth of the character flattened in this manner, though to be fair, this seems to be a fatal flaw that the writing team has also afflicted onto several other characters.Â
Itâs also strange in a meta sense, because where they miss the mark on romance the same team is somehow able to depict familial love, found family, loyalty, platonic love, unrequited love, love from a distance, ungrateful and painful love with nuances, all of which were further buoyed by the capabilities of the acting cast. Are there different writers for different characters, or...?Â
They fleshed out a world of living gods and mythsÂ
Without the anchor of a romantic love interest, mystery and intrigue is what drives season 2âČs story. More airtime has been allocated to the lore of these god and their powers, as well as to the diverse lesser beings from the vast canon of Koreaâs traditional myths. Instead of Lee Yeon winning every single fight because of his Main Character Armor, we now understand what being a mountain god entails, and how different styles of rule and abilities result in different advantages for the various top gods. Instead of, again, being the most powerful character Just Because heâs the protagonist, we also got to see him at his self-induced rock bottom. Lee Yeon gets humanized by his peers and flaws, and proves beyond a doubt that heâs what makes the show â and not his fatalistic pining for his one true love.Â
Planting lots of seeds for season 3Â
Many, many seeds were planted (runaway OG god, blinded Grandma, too much of the past with Lee Rang being changed for the future to remain the same?, heavily under-used Joseon-era genre/wardrobe/theme) for a potential third season, so to say the production team is hopeful for a new show is an understatement. The success of that definitely depends on whether the writers can remember to define their story to their strengths.Â
//**NSFW Content//** đ This will be constantly updated! Enjoy, vote on twitter, and prayer-hands that these will eventually grow into a full fic.
From this list it actually looks like my favorite character to play with is Zhongli, because I can ship him with just about anybody.
I welcome opinions and ideas, letâs chat especially if you feel like your brainworm can help me develop these into proper fics.Â
Wrioney: Beast Slayer đșâïž assassin x werewolf, ABO, mpreg
Lyney is sent to assassinate the fearsome werewolf Wriothesley, who lives in the Fortress of Meropide. Its been months and he's still yet to complete his mission. No one in the outside world knows that he's fallen pregnant with the Duke's children...
Read here.
Wrioney: Blue Ribbon đđ whore x sailor, ABO, angst [Part 1]
Lyney is sailor Wriothesley's favorite whore, so naturally he doesn't believe that his feelings for Wrio is anything more than physical lust.
But when Wrio disappears on his next voyage for good, he learns that he had been lying to himself after all.
Read here.
Wrioney: Hook, line and sinker đŁđ [Part 2]
After Wriothesley dies on an expedition, a pregnant Lyney is at his witâs end, searching desperately for a substitute alpha to look after him and his unborn child.
But his burgeoning stomach just wonât behaveâŠ
Read here.
Zhonglette & Wriolette: Exes reunite and fuck in boyfriend's office as cuckolded current BF watches đ·đŒ
They drink cum, milk and more cum to their millennia friendship as Wriothesley watches.
Read here.
Zhongzhu: Celestia separates lovers, but snakes and dragons will win, mpreg đȘ»đż
Morax's and Baizhu are forcibly separated by Celestia. But though they have imprisoned Morax, Baizhu is still growing his child in his belly â a demigod that will surely be the undoing of them all. One night, they send a white snake to eat his unborn child.
Read Part 1 and vote for the direction of Part 2 here.
Zhongzhu: Imperial harem full of liars, mpreg đ€°đ«đ«â
Imagine an ancient Chinese imperial harem with Emperor Zhongli, Empress Ningguang, favored Concubine Xiao and Physician Baizhu.Â
Both Empress and Concubine are lying since one is infertile and the other is a male. They rely extensively on Physician Baizhu to convey their rhetoric to Emperor Zhongli.Â
The talented and capable Physician Baizhu not only manages to carry out both lies for them, he also promises that the nation will have receive two healthy babies, to one of which the throne will go.Â
How does he do it? Read here.
Zhongxiao: War God Zhongli X God Slayer Xiao đșđč
In the warring era, the god of gems sends Alatus after the god of stone. He is the assassinâs blade, and not the assassin â a truth that he will only discover after Morax laughs at his failure, imprisons him in his study, and fucks him to the ground.Â
Diluc is a young and disillusioned soldier. In the day, he faces off against his most fearsome rival on the battlefield, a foe that heâs almost certain to lose his life to. At night, he seeks out his lover, a beautiful Romeo that is his only source of solace in the living hell that has become his life.
He does not yet know that his worst rival and his dearest lover are the one and same person.
Read excerpt here.
Chiluc (+ a side of Kaebedo): Genshin Impact X White Lotus Season 2 challenge đ
The story follows Diluc, pampered trophy wife, who adores his high-earning husband yet at the same time loathes his abject lack of work-life balance. All sorts of domestic disputes in their relationship however is bandaged endlessly by mind-blowing and back-breaking sex. While on a romantic vacation to the most beautiful resort in all of Sicily, Diluc is beyond appalled to find that theyâre neighboring with his half-assed step-brother Kaeya and his suspiciously beautiful partner, albedo.Â
Read Part 1 | Part 2 |
Zhongxiao: Bird-watching & Bird-watcher  đ€
Xiao shapeshifts into differently colored finches so that he can discreetly watch Zhongliâs vago mundo life. Unfortunately for Xiao, Zhongli has known about him all along.Â
Read here.Â
Read excerpt here.
Zhongxiao: Broke college studentâs egg-laying side hustle đđđł oviposition, mpreg
Bird-spirit Xiao (actually heâs a hen) makes money on the side during college through surrogacy. He gestates and provides clutches for his wealthy clients. He takes a job for the mysterious Mr. Zhongli, thinking him to be a snake spirit.Â
Mr. Zhongli lied, he is in fact a dragon spirit. Xiao will only find out when the single dragon egg cracks inside his womb.
Zhongli shows Neuvilette how to enjoy the acquired taste of enslaved phoenix (huang) demons like the humans do. Neuvilette watches his friendâs intoxication with an emerald, pearly nectar-producing bird Xiao, and slowly learns.
Alhaitham, the world's best neurosurgeon, and Cyno, his gynaecologist husband, take advantage of the ultrasound in Cyno's clinic to scan his stomach as they fuck. They discover something growing inside him...
Dan Heng x all the boys in the yard đđ€±đ€ đ [Twitter fic voting game] [mpreg]
[Paused] I have might turn this into a full-length fic depending on how much twitter can enable my creative impulses.Â
Now updated with a âPath of Omegaverseâ section.Â
Part 1 Gepard/Dan Heng + implied Blade/Dan Heng đđ€
Nipple play
Gepard gets sent to costume designer Dan Hengâs studio for a fitting.Â
As per Servalâs commission, Dan Heng is making Gepard an exquisite man bikini. His design is underground and iconic, it involves sewing a custom-molded engorged-nipple 3D relief into the tiny silk triangle cloths (non-water absorbent, do not swim in this bikini).Â
Poll results: Dan Heng wasnât wearing any underwear as he serviced Gepard because 78% of people voted that Blade doesnât like him to wear underwear period.Â
Read more on twitter for now.Â
Part 2Â Blade/Dan Heng while Gepard watches đȘ
VoyeurismÂ
The thread unravels. Gepard comes back for a 2nd fitting after his dramatic experience with Dan Heng the previous week, but ends up walking into the co-owner fucking Dan Heng behind the counter.Â
He just sits and watches and listens and tries to fight off his hard-on. The knowledge that Dan Heng is much more affected with that co-owner as compared to when he was with Gepard fills him with some type of jealousy. Â
Read more and VOTE on twitter for now: Dan Hengâs stomach is slightly swollen from food? Todayâs Blade? Or last weekâs Gepard? Â
Part 3 Gepard/Dan Heng â mans finally getting his turn đđ€
Sexual attractionÂ
Gepard finally gets what he came for: that furry white bra and a slicked-up hole. On Dan Hengâs studio chair, he lowers his chest like a cow and dicks up the wanton stylist.Â
Read more on twitter for now.Â
++Path of OmegaverseÂ
Part 4 (Continuation)Â
Sex continues in style, but Dan Heng shocks Gepard when he asks him to knock him up right as heâs about to cum.Â
To be written.Â
Part 5 Dan Hengâs proposition to GepardÂ
Dan Heng explains, in excruciating detail, exactly what he needs from the shell-shocked Gepard. The other owner of the parlor, who is also his partner, is an infertile alpha. However, their sexual habits (daily) has made life really hard for the fertile omega such as Dan Heng himself. âAnd Blade is possessiveâ, he added, as though that clarified things. âYou like me,â he says to Gepard. âWe can make a baby together. And Blade wants to own me. It all works out.âÂ
Anyways this is the second time Gepard has cummed inside him. For all he knows, his baby is already a week old.Â
Is it?Â
- Yes, exactly as Dan Heng has schemedÂ
- Actually itâs Blade by some miracleÂ
- No, Dan Heng is crazyÂ
Part 6 Dan Heng/Jing Yuan â the ex is a different kind of trouble Â
Itâs strange for Gepard to be part of Dan Hengâs life this way, but at the same time he wouldnât have it any other way. He now spends half his time at the parlor. which is how he was there to witness when Dan Hengâs hot biker ex shows up. âYou look just as I remember,â the white-haired man purrs. âYou should visit more often.â Gepard finds out that this man is Jing Yuan â Dan Hengâs legally and still-wedded husband. He had been on the run from him all this time.
Dan Heng comes clean. He loved Jing Yuan deeply (and probably still does), but being with him was the equivalent of being with both Gepard and Blade at the same time, double penetration and all. It is the sex drive of a man squared, as well as semen in great abundance. âHe tortured me,â Dan Heng explains. âI was pregnant for every single day that we were together. I got so tired of having his children... 6 in three years, I told myself I was done.â
Gepard listens mutely, waiting for a chance to ask why then had Dan Heng begged for impregnation months ago. âMaybe I got used to it after all,â Dan Heng continues his story. âBecause... I missed this. Having something in me.âÂ
Dan Heng as impregnated by his legally-wedded husband:Â
- Singleton, twins, triplets
- Twins, twins, twins
- SextupletsÂ
Part 7 Having the baby with the other guy Blade/Dan Heng/GepardÂ
So then shouldnât he have just gone back to Jing Yuan?Â
The three of them are gathered around the same leather chair that started it all, except that today itâs been transformed into a birthing chair, and Dan Heng is getting ready to have his seventh child. Blade is on his left side, holding onto his balled left fist and chin. âI like the aesthetic of you being my pregnant little omega,â heâs saying. âBut Iâm not ready to be a father.âÂ
On his right side is Gepard, holding onto Dan Hengâs balled right fist and stomach. He waits for Blade to finally makes his excuse to leave the room â and then says to Dan Heng: âWeâre leaving. Iâm taking you and the baby with me.âÂ
âYouâre so cute,â Dan Heng tells him. âBut we will... Never... Outrun them.âÂ
Does Gepardâs plan succeed?Â
- Yes, heâs The Daddy
- No, heâs 2nd fiddle to Blade
- No, heâs 3rd fiddle to Jing YuanÂ
Part 8 Happily ever after?Â
Dan Heng:Â
- Elopes successfully with Gepard and their first child. The plan is to have more in due time
- Is retrieved by Jing Yuan. The family needs him and his true alpha wants âan army of childrenâÂ
- Returns to that triangular relationship with Gepard & Blade: Pregnant by G, committed to Blade, and sharing the responsibility of the kidsÂ
- Fucks off and finds another man for love, sex and babiesÂ
Other writing headcanons:Â
-#renheng Dan Hengâs body is covered in numerous tattoos. Almost all of them are red spider lilies. All red spider lilies are tattooed by Blade.Â
- Twin flowers on left & right side of pelvis, bulbous in shape and not fully bloomed. They twist and conjoin in the center, pointing downwards in a V-shape. It is the artistâs interpretation of ovaries and vagina, and expresses his perspective (or wish) for his GalateaÂ
- #geheng Gepard is too sweet and nice to do anything untoward to Dan Heng. His libido might have different thoughtsÂ
++Path of OmegaverseÂ
- Dan Heng is (still) bonded to Jing Yuan. Blade has attempted to overwrite it with his tattoos and daily dose of semen. Gepardâs attempt to overwrite it comes just as close, since he impregnates Dan Heng and sates his omega desires Â
- Dan Heng is deeply attracted to and slightly fearful of Jing Yuan. Their bond is true and strong. He mostly tolerates Blade as a hot nuisance and a great fuck. And he finds Gepard and his baby blue eyes adorableÂ
- Dan Heng excels at ergonomic nipple-wear design because he breastfeeds. He wears what he designsÂ
I changed out of this one because I thought Alhaitham has a little more restraint than beastality.Â
This work contains adult content. If you proceed, you have agreed that you are willing to see such content.
âOne more?â He asks. He's not expecting to hear a "no" (nor is he intending to take a "no), but he had to ask. It took two to tango, andâÂ
With a snarl, Alhaitham flips them over. Cyno finds himself facing the spine of the couch, on his hands and knees. The pose that they are currently in couldnât be any more obvious, especially when Alhaitham pulls his hips backwards, bumping his hot, tented groin into the seams of Cynoâs shorts, already sweat slicked from the exercise thus far. âYouâre having twins, you said?â He whispers into Cynoâs other ear. âPush, then.â
He only had one hand for the belly massage this time, since his other hand is grasped in Cynoâ two hands, gripped white for support. His motions are faster this time round, much more confident as he is of Cynoâs tolerance. Cynoâs stomach drops out from him like a half-moon. Dendro cores donât have weight, yet they must still obey some sort of gravity, for his ballooning belly is swaying like a pendulum, urged on by Alhaithamâs impatience. When Cyno got to the same size as before â more than sufficient, one might argue â he pauses and simply strokes his stomach without a word.Â
Unfortunately, that feeling of tranquility wasnât shared by Cyno, who was feeling hot, sweaty and heavy. âBabyâs here,â he announces, and pops his belly. Alhaitham sinks teeth into the back of his shoulder, and rocks him to the time of the coreâs contractions. Liquid water shoots out of Cynoâs midsection this time, staining the cushions in droplets. Alhaitham swears in his favorite desert tongue âkingâs sand fucked up my assâ â and together they jointly collapse into a heap on the couch. The feeling is familiar, even though they werenât fucking, and neither of them had experienced an orgasm; they now felt like they did.
#chiluc lovechild question: IF Diluc could get pregnant how would Childe react
1. With irreverent horniness
2. With solemn concern
3. A mixture of both, somehowÂ
Vote on twitter here or tell me your thoughts in comments...Â
So I wrote it here.
As to why Iâm asking this, well, Iâm doing community research for my latest obsessive writing project:Â
Romance, angst, established relationship, relationship study, marriage, love child (girl), love child (boy), angst, hurt/comfort, character study, post-main story, parenthood, domestic, bickering, existential crisis, mpreg (???), childbirth, dream vs reality, stimulated reality, parallels, crisis of faith, sci-fi inspiredÂ
Hereâs another thread of polls related to hypothetical chiluc love children. Some answers are already out:Â
1. 81% of respondents felt that chiluc are more likely to have a daughter over a son, which is a sentiment I agree with. The two of them have a âspoil my perfect little princessâ vibe to themÂ
2. 62.5% of respondents felt that chiluc are most likely to adopt, which is well noted. Unfortunately this is a sentiment I cannot help myself but disagree with (see tags above). An equal amount of respondents chose âSurrogateâ, âPregnantâ and âGift from godsâ.Â
2(i) For those that answered âGift from godsâ were you thinking of Barbatos or???Â
3. 90% of respondents like the lovechild name âDianaâ over âAndriusâ. This is not an either-or question, just a subjective preference question. As to why these names, stay tuned when the fic is published to find outÂ
4. More people thought that Childe would be addressed by his kids as âDadaâ rather than âBabaâ. âDadaâ does sound somewhat close to âTartagliaâ Â
5. [In-progress] If chiluc had to deal with a baby that needed nursing but they had no pacifiers or powder milk on hand, which one is better suited to offer his own chest for the baby?Â
King Deshret/Aether: Golden Ratio fic (Hermaphrodite Angel AU) - Summary of Tweets
Link to fic, chapter 1 of 3Â
Link to Hermaphrodite Angel AU write-upÂ
This is Master post that will be constantly updated with every new brain fart I mean plot bunny tweet that I release on the internet. Itâll contain spoilers or shall I say previews of the future chapters, is subject to change, and will also contain some post-mortem reflection.Â
Tweet Bunnies RecapÂ
#1 Original idea + Deshret/Alhaitham characterization:Â
Dark and nsfw #alhaither alhaitham, a king both then (deshret) and now, persistently rubbing aether's stomach and murmuring "You are the most important thing in my life." Is he talking about their love or his lover? Neither. He cares only that the child in the womb [1/2]
Post-mortem/fun fact: In my most OG idea, the subject of this obsession was actually Cyno because of his forebear, Kasala. Alhaitham was going to lose his mind after sitting on the throne, which would then lead to this sequence of eventsÂ
#2 Follow-up + preview of chapter 1Â
NSFW #alhaither Alhaitham = Al-Ahmar, the king captures, claims and breeds a demigod offspring by his golden angel bride #mpreg: Every meeting is calculated, and there is no such thing as chance. The King's astronomer's charted the path of the brightest star in the sky [1/4]
Post-mortem/fun fact: The fic was written already, I tweeted this to generate interestÂ
#3 Fic published but I deleted the original tweet with terrifying ease by accident đ See replacement tweet in #6 belowÂ
#4 Some truth on Aetherâs side of story + preview of chapter 2Â
#Alhaither golden angel concubine breeding AU [sequel]: Present life, history repeats
Invisible phermones, visible beauty - as a divine vessel, Aetherâs body has the biological ability to arouse and magnetize. In both lifetimes, Alhaitham has always been conquered [1/6]
Post-mortem: Not sure if I still want those specific candidates as Aetherâs other partners, still plotting this.Â
#5 Doctorâs report of 2nd pregnancy + vote for your choice of doctor
NSFW #alhaither / #aetherharem hermaphrodite angel concubine mpreg AU [sequel]: Present life, second chanceÂ
No doctor has ever attended to Aetherâs pregnancy, but if the had had one, this is what the reports would have said: [0/9]
Post mortem: Dotorre and Tighnari tied for top doctorâs choice! I think this field (celestial/alien bodies & obstetrics) is more Dotorre but tone of voice is more Tighnari. Donât know enough about Baizhu to judge if Iâm being honest.
#6 Replacement âFic Publishedâ tweet if youâll like to give it traction + preview of chapter 2
ăGolden Ratioă#alhaither fic, mpreg, dark, viewer discretion advised - - Alhaitham is King Deshret theoryÂ
- Aether is a hermaphrodite angel, captured by the king for biological slavery
- 3 chaptersÂ
- [preview in next tweet on chpt 2]Â
-Â http://archiveofourown.org/works/43077789
#7 Two more truths, part 1: Morax - Aether active as celestial concubine of other partners (or âSunsâ) throughout Teyvatian historyÂ
I have written two different WIPs using this character bio, one crack (featuring all the ikemen) and one dark (with the honor going to Alhaitham), so I thought I might as well put these notes down for reference.Â
Superior biologyÂ
Aeons are the strongest conquerors in the universe, in no small part due to the direction of their evolution. Their bodies and minds are biologically adapted to facilitate inter-racial breeding, ensuring that either themselves or their progeny can habituate and colonize new homes away from homes. They are a romantic and fecund race of immortal beings.Â
- Malleable body. Aether can mold his body to take on a female, male or intersex appearance, from head to toe, face to genitalia. These are cosmetic decisions that donât impact the internal constitution of his biologyÂ
- Polyamorous. Aeons believe that all Teyvatian mortals are deserving of their affections. The concept of exclusivity is rather foreign to them. With a curious and benevolent personality, itâs incredibly easy for Aether to feel attraction towards numerous potential mates, and often all at once Â
- Feathered wings. Soft and hollow cartilage that is easily damaged, a very vulnerable body part. Can be hidden away if the situation demands for it. Alhaitham might have deliberately injured them to keep him grounded. The heavenly principles tore off his wings as punishment for falling in love with a Teyvatian mortal
- Golden vessel. Gold aura, essence, eyes, color of blood (ichor), color of shimmer in tears (star dust), color of sexual fluids, all of which are a manifestation of his solar constitutionÂ
- Fair, thin skin. Sensitive to physical touch, easily reddens/bruises/scratches you name it, and stays so for long. Easy to mark, and appears delicate. However, most partners know/believe that heâs far hardier than he appears because of his divinity, so barely any (save for Thoma) would bother to be gentle with him
- Red womb. When impregnated, his stretched stomach skin is peach colored. Under certain light conditions, such as at certain times of days by Teyvatian celestial bodies or in an artificial environment, his skin can become slightly transparent, rendering the developing child briefly visible. The image of this red womb is visceral, grotesque, and has captured many the imagination of poets and painters in Teyvat whoâve had the fortune of witnessing a pregnant Aether. The red color is unique to Aether.Â
- Singing belly. The description stems from Aranara folklore about âbearings of⊠strong treesâ that âsing in the bellyâ. The alleged song of his stomach is not audible to most humans, but other elemental creatures can recognize the tune, and thus will worship the pregnant aeon with reverence. The Aranara in particular like to adorn his pregnant form with flowers. Whatever emerges from the aeonâs womb will be a boon for Teyvat [canon reference]
- Self lubricating. Aether produces hormonal fluids that sexually stimulates his partners and eases their penetration into him. His fluids taste sweet, tangy, and are addictiveÂ
- Mating pheromones. Aether produces invisible pheromones that arouses and keeps his partners full attention on him throughout the course of his pregnancy. The pheromones encourages constant insemination (to optimize the chances of reproduction) and triggers in his partnerâs the instinct to protect Aether and their unborn child. The pheromones are addictiveÂ
- High order multiples. Due to the unique laws of attractions for aeons, itâs possible for Aether to be carrying offspring at different stages of growth from multiple partners at any given time, for there is ample space in his womb for everyone.Â
Womb tattooÂ
- âWombâ. The earliest indicator of a successful pregnancy is the appearance of a womb tattoo on his lower abdomen. The tattoo appears in gossamer script, and is especially reflective under light of the moon. Written in the oldest language of the universe, the ideogrammatic characters represent the shape and location of his ovaries and vagina, and signal that his uterus has been activated.Â
-Â âElementalâ. The first womb tattoo is eventually replaced by a sign that corresponds to the elemental signature of Aetherâs partner. Itâs a large tattoo the size and half of a manâs palm. It glows unpredictably as an indicator of the demigod childâs developing consciousness even still inside the divine womb.Â
The womb tattoo will cycle through the different elemental signs if Aether has been impregnated by multiple partners at once.Â
Eugenical offspring
Celestial DNA from Aether, meaning star dust, divinity, and immortality
+
Physical traits (except for eye and blood color) from the other father
=
Stella Fortuna. Aether will birth a human-looking baby, but it only appears as a conventional human offspring on a superficial level. In actuality, this is a capsule of divine essence from Aether to the other parent. The capsule will cry and wail for the first hour before eventually falling into lasting silent sleep. Within the next 24 hours, the capsule will dissolve and return to the universe (beyond) as a star in the sky.Â
Both phenomena are easily interpreted as infant death. However, the released essence is in fact a divine blessing that will significantly strengthen or empower Aetherâs partner, and this is whatâs known as a âstella fortunaâ. Aether is able to bear his partner a maximum of 6 stella fortunas in the course of their relationship. [canon reference]
It is possible to stop the child from transforming into stella fortuna and have it retain its form as a human offspring, and thereafter complete the life and death process of mortals. To do so, the child must be nursed by Aetherâs milk in the first hour.Â
If this Dream Diluc is like a Ken doll then my Childe has got to be like Bob the Builder. One sits back and looks pretty, while the other works his ass off to serve him.Â
