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theresattrpgforthat · 9 days

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Hi! This request was easier to search for, so I see you’ve recommended Hearts of Wulin and Ten Thousand Days for the Sword. Do you have any other wuxia or xianxia game recs?

Have a good day!

THEME: Wuxia Games.

Hello friend, I'm certainly not an expert, but after reaching out to some more knowledgeable folks, I think I have a few!

Jiangshi: Blood in the Banquet Hall, by Wet Ink Games.

This is a collaborative, storytelling RPG about a Chinese family making their living by running a restaurant in one of America’s Chinatowns, circa 1920. Despite societal backlash and anti-Chinese laws, they have turned a profit and their quality of life has recently improved.

Night, however, brings a new terror.

Players take on the roles of members of the Chinese family (mostly from Guangdong province), spanning three generations, who face threats of jiangshi (hopping vampires) at night and racism by day. It has players balancing the responsibility of maintaining their family business with protecting themselves and their community from the dreaded Jiangshi. This is primarily a game about storytelling. Combat is limited, but horror, drama and sometimes comedy are the primary vehicles for driving the game forward.

This game draws quite a bit from boardgaming elements, so I think this one is best played around a physical table, especially since it requires a custom deck of cards. You’ll use these cards to represent the demands of running a restaurant in the day, as well as fighting of a vampire at night. This game is probably on the borders of what I think is considered wuxia, but if you have a horror lover in your group, this might be worth checking out.

Exalted, by Onyx Path Games.

This is the tale of a forgotten age before the seas were bent, when the world was flat and floated atop a sea of chaos. This is the tale of a decadent empire raised up on the bones of the fallen Golden Age, whose splendor it faintly echoed but could not match. This is a tale of primal frontiers, of the restless dead, of jeweled cities ruled openly by spirits in defiance of Heaven’s law. This is a tale of glorious heroes blessed by the gods, and of their passions and the wars they waged in the final era of legends.

Exalted has a number of different sources, only one of which feels close to wuxia, but the stories are certainly expected to give you long, sweeping epics and larger-than-life characters. There are many different kinds of Exalted, including Solars, Lunars, and Dragon-Blooded. Since I’m not a wuxia connoisseur myself, I’m not entirely sure how close Exalted comes to hitting the mark - I’m mostly recommending it because it came up connected to some other wuxia fantasy games when I was doing some searching.

Jiang Hu, by wum1ng.

Jiang Hu is a role-playing game for the wuxia genre. Drawing inspiration from wuxia novels written by luminaries such as Jin Yong and Gu Long, the Feng Yun comics from Ma Rong Chen and the multitude of wuxia movies and television series, this game brings the world of dashing swordsmen, warrior monks, brawling beggars and high-flying stunts to your tabletop.

Players take on the role of Martial Artists fighting against various threats to the lands of Jiang Hu, ranging from evil sect leaders who have mastered forbidden secret martial arts techniques to megalomaniacs seeking to take over the Imperial Throne by force and the blood of countless innocents.

The Worlds Without Number series by Kevin Crawford has its praises sung by many people, especially folks in the OSR scene, and that is the bones that this game is built on. Your character is built from quite a list of skills, which are differentiated between Combat and Non-Combat. You also have a number of secondary attributes, for things such as Armour Class, Evasion, and Luck, as well as a dedicated space on your character sheet for weapons and martial arts. Expect combat to to take up a bulk of your time!

When you roll for your character background, you also get a significant life event that is expected to shape your character’s past, such as having a loved one murdered, or falling into serious debt. Out of all of the games listed here, I think this game is the closest to D&D, what with the “packages” of skills, items and abilities attached to each background.

The Oath, by brushmen.

"We seek not to be born on the same day, but hope to die on the same day." And with such an oath, Yong, Li, and Ming swore loyalty to each other.

When earthly desires tempt them, and devotions threaten to tear them apart, with or without a hand from uncaring fate…

will their oath endure?

The Oath is a collaborative storytelling game for one Game Moderator and three players.

This is meant to be a one-shot, which borrows the Entanglements system from Hearts of Wulin and the character Keys and Tags from Lady Blackbird. Since this game comes with characters already pre-written, it would probably be very good for groups who have very little time, or who want an easy on-ramp to games or the wuxia genre. I like the fact that the Keys give you prompts and directions for your character’s behaviour; it’s strong statement on how the author interprets the genre, but it still gives you, the player, a choice on what elements of your character will be emphasized, and what elements will take up the background.

brushmen also has another wuxia Lady Blackbird hack called The Escort, about recovering from a violent robbery, this one for four players and one GM.

Four Swords, by ehronlime.

This is a tabletop roleplaying game about being young heroes in a wuxia story, made for the #AsianMartialArtsJam.

You start with your First Sword, which you use to challenge other heroes and villains and strive for mastery.

You will then gain three more Swords: the Second a sword of great pride and regret, the Third a sword of mastery and expression, and the Fourth a sword which is no sword.

You will also struggle between the obligations put upon your by others and what you truly desire from the life of a wandering hero.

Four Swords really zeroes in on the combat mastery part of wuxia fantasy. Your characters will grow into mastery, and battle with rigid codes and rules that structure the world you live in. The game is very descriptive, leaving you with only 4 abilities that are meant to broadly encompass what you are able to do. The game encourages characters to interfere with each-other using a mechanic called Vows, and levelling up gives you access to different techniques, which reinforce the competence of your characters as well as the rigid guidelines by which they might improve.

This game was made for the Asian Martial Arts by Asian Creators Game Jam, so you might find some more wuxi-themed games there!

Blades of the Immortals, by Jagganoth.

Blades of the Immortals is a tabletop roleplaying game inspired by xiānxiá. It uses the Forged in the Dark rules engine developed by John Harper, as seen in games like Blades in the Dark and Beam Saber.

In Blades of the Immortals, you will take on the roles of cultivators, striving for your own ambitions, for the glory of your sect, and for the ultimate prize — immortality. You'll viciously struggle for scarce resources, compete for the patronage of powerful and influential teachers, gather allies to your banner, and scheme against your enemies. Your cultivators will wield mystical treasures and supernatural spell-arts, mastering the very laws of the cosmos as their weapons, as they become entangled in centuries-long vendettas between deathless wizard-kings.

This game is solidly focused on supernatural abilities and grand increases in strength. You choose from one of 9 different playbooks, and collaboratively create a faction that binds you all together. The sources listed as inspirations for this game include (but are not limited to) Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, Forge of Destiny, Aspiring to the Immortal Path, and Journey to the West.

Compared to other Blades hacks, this game reduces the standard number of action ratings, ties character growth to a change in your character’s beliefs, and separates your gear from your playbook. Characters can also level up through Realms, which increases your effectiveness and upgrades your inventory.

Mist-Robed Gate, by Shreyas & Elizabeth Sampat.

There are some things that we value more than life.

There are things we're willing to scheme and cry and fight and die for.

That's what wuxia cinema is about— fighting and dying for the things we care about. That's what Mist-Robed Gate is about.

Mist-Robed Gate comes with a full list of movie recommendations, but includes Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and House of Flying Daggers as key influences. I really like the fact that a key mechanic of this game includes stabbing your character sheet with a knife.

Players create factions first, and then take turns creating characters that represent those factions, with elements that represent the hero’s distinctive personality and style. Players also create the different locations that will serve as the stage for your scenes. Play happens over a series of scenes, as their characters push and pull against each-other, sometimes even making terrible demands (which is where the Knife comes in). If you want a game that has a lot of politics in the terms of actions having large ramifications over big groups of people, and if you want a game that is extremely dramatic, you might want to check out Mist-Robed Gate.

#tabletop games #indie ttrpgs #game recommendations #dnd #asks #wuxia #xianxia

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baby-jaguar · 6 months

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Part 1: Meeting Simon Riley

Western AU; Mail Order Spouse Trope!

WC: 3,224 CW: None

AN: Sorry this took so long! I wanted to have a good amount of writing as I cycle through everyone's beginnings, plus, 3k seems like a good starting point to get us settled in. Would love to hear your thoughts and comments. I hope ye enjoy <3

Please see the following for the explanation and precursors to the scene!

Introduction, Biography

————

Going home a bit late in the night and dodging your now passed-out parents, you quietly and quickly got set to writing your correspondence letter to him. After deliberation of not wanting to scare him away, you leave out the main reason why you had even looked at the ad in the first place. You described yourself, and your work ethic, trying to resonate with the little amount of words placed in his ad. You included your hopes, wants, and wishes for the future, before sealing the letter up and placing it in the mail the next morning.

When you received a letter back from him, it felt ethereal that he had taken the time to scrawl out a response in the interest of yourself.

The letters were sparse but you poured your heart out to Simon and sent a picture of yourself. During the weeks of waiting and reading the correspondence, you set an image of the man in your head. Granted, Simon declined to send you a picture of himself and stated that the image of him in the ad was sufficient and promised his word that he speaks in truth about himself… Even though he wore a bandana that covered half of his face- nor did he give any reason as to why.

Through the letters, he described himself as a respectful man, one who is more stoic and reserved to the locals, but feels that he has plenty of love to give. He wants to provide for and protect you, with a desire to start a family, of some sort at least, soon. It was a rough to attempt to hide the letters, write them, and send them out with full secrecy. But after a wait of a full month, cutting it far too close to when the politician would be arriving back, Simon finally invited you to the new frontier as he proposed to you in correspondence.

From the moment you read his words of invitation, you packed two small bags of your most favorite, and fondest items. Acting as if nothing was wrong during this time under your parent's eyes, you head to bed, feigning innocence while figuring out just how to get out.

Simon, ever the gentleman, had given you $25 for the long train ride and sleeping car that you would need to make it to him. With the money and the amount you had slowly held back from giving to your parents from your job, you were determined to leave and start a new life.

In the dead of the eve before the politician's carriage would be arriving at his manor, you left through your bedroom window, managing to even steal a bottle of your father's finest whiskey as a present for Simon.

The journey took a week by train, lucky enough that you lived on the outskirts of a city that had a transcontinental train station- a hub for many people who were excited and looking to head West, wherever the train tracks ended. Your stops were along Topeka and Santa Fe before you had to find a different line that diverged from Albuquerque towards El Paso, before heading into the Arizona Territory.

When departing the train, you hopped into a stagecoach and using the last of Simons's money, ready for the final and short journey to find his estate. Watching the land and people pass by through the small window, you take in the surroundings of your new life that is finally within a breath's reach. Towards the end of the town, you spot a house that is on the expanse of desert plains; a secluded but well-sized house made of wood and stone masonry sits atop a hill, the Arizona sunset shining down as a gold beacon of heaven.

Once there and stepping out of the stagecoach with your belongings, you find yourself in front of the property when your eyes are drawn to him.

On the porch stands a tall and rugged man with a sturdy frame of muscles, evident in his build. The clothes he adorns are tight fitting and dirty, conclusive that he had just been working within his forge; dirtied denim jeans, an off-white long-sleeve shirt, clean where a smock would hang on his front.

A black bandana covers the bottom of his face while a black cowboy hat adorns his head, leaving the sliver of skin from the ridge of his nose to his mid-forehead to be shown.

As the stagecoach pulls away back into town, eyes are locked between you two for a long moment before he finally pushes off the pillar of his porch. A low and appreciative whistle escapes from underneath his bandana, accompanying the thuds of his footsteps walking down his porch stairs to you.

“Well, I’ll be damned... Please tell me you're who I think you are…” He simpers out, eyes trailing over your form. The sound of his voice strikes a flame to your heart, a match sufficiently lit as you hear the low and resonating tone- it’s enough to send a tremor through your lungs.

Swallowing, and a nod of your head, “If you’re Simon then yes, I’m who you’d be expecting.” You smile shyly as you watch him take a few strides to stand in front of you.

As he draws closer, his deep brown iris' make themselves apparent, a crinkle around the edge of his eyes makes you believe he’s smirking. "You got it right, darlin'. I'm Simon, but most folks around here call me Ghost. Pleased to finally meet you, sweetheart." His voice is deep and resonant, carrying a hint of gravel, as he extends his calloused hand towards you in greeting.

His touch is firm, your smaller and slightly softer hands a comparison of the lives you’ve lived. As you take his hand and give it a firm shake, Simon's grip tightens for a moment, his gaze locked with yours.

There's a spark of recognition in his eyes as if he appreciates your strength.

"Reckon I lucked out with you, that picture you sent didn’t do a damn justice." He chuckles softly, eyes lingering on your form before meeting your gaze once more. "Come on, let's get you settled in. There's plenty to see 'round here." He gestures towards the house, hand outstretched for you to take after grabbing one of your bags.

“Thank you, and I could say the same ‘bout you, sir. Was nervous when you didn’t send me any photos but now I can put my worries away.” You smile, intrigued and slightly apprehensive as you now place your hand in his, granting him the reigns to hold the fate of your new life.

While he leads you up the stairs of your new home, you take a curious glance up to his figure before trailing up to his eyes that are uncovered.

He hums at your comment, "I reckon I wanted to leave a little mystery for ya, darlin'." He gives you a playful wink before leading you up the porch steps and into the house.

“Would you prefer I call you Ghost, sir?” You ask after a moment of thought, moving to follow him into the house as he opens the door while your eyes flick back to take in his profile. He gives a light chuckle as he closes the door behind you, the interior of the home having a bit of style and small added luxuries in its design.

Once inside, you're greeted by a cozy and rustic interior; The living room is adorned with wood furnishings and a stone fireplace that crackles with warmth. The dining room is off to the left side, and straight in front of the door is a hallway that leads to doors at the end. He walked towards the living room, the scent of freshly cut wood fills the air, mingling with the lingering aroma of metal from the forge out back that carries through the house.

He leads you out of the entryway and into the main living area of the house. The rustic charm of the place is evident, with wooden beams on the ceiling and a large stone fireplace dominating one wall. The room is warm and cozy, with a worn leather sofa and a few mismatched chairs arranged around a rough-hewn coffee table.

Simon turns to face you, his eyes softening as he considers your question. "You can call me Ghost if you like. It's what most folks 'round here call me. It’s grown to be natural, y’know?" He pauses, a considerate expression crossing his face. "But if you prefer Simon, that's fine too. Whatever makes you comfortable, darlin'."

He steps closer, his hand reaching out to gently brush a strand of your hair back. "You've traveled a long way to be here. I appreciate that, and I want you to feel at home. This here is your home now too."

Upturning your chin as he moves his fingers to lightly trace your face, your eyes close for a long moment before opening back up to him.

“Thank you for inviting me out here- taking the chance on me. I do owe you my life.” You add, feeling a bit bold in the way you elude to something but brush it off as a docile sense of gratitude while his hand falls to his side.

“I’m excited to be in our home, please let me know if I’m ever a bother for you, sir.” You include, shifting the conversation back to the present and a prospective thought.

You don’t notice the way his eyes stop to stare into your own for a moment, as he flags the previous sentence to come back to later.

"You ain't ever gonna be a bother to me, honey. Quite the opposite, actually." A hint of desire mixed with light amusement, his gaze flickering to your lips before returning to your eyes. "I've been alone for too long, and I'm eager to have you by my side. To share this home, this life, and everything else that comes with it."

He takes a step back, gaze still locked with yours. "Now, how about I show you to your room, first? There's more to see, and want you settled in.” The movement of his arm to gesture to the house accompanies his deep rumble, and as your eyes gaze toward the bedroom hallway, you can't help but feel the heat rise to your cheeks.

With a nod of your head, feeling almost absent-minded while your thoughts race with scenarios, you move to pick up your bags. “Lead the way, please.” You answer with a warm smile, trying to convey your warm innocence in the moment.

From the crinkle around his eyes, Simon's lips curl into a small, satisfied smile as he watches you gather your bags. "Alright then, follow me." He says before moving to swoop a handle of your bag out from yours, then placing your free hand into his.

Turning to look back, his eyes wander over you again, before stopping in front of a door to the right side of the hallway; Opening the door, he ushers you in with a hand to the small of your back.

Stepping in, you face a window that overlooks the grassy planes of the desert. To the right of the room, a small cot is pushed against the wall, a wooden nightstand on its left side. To the left of the room, was a closet and desk. The room was a little decorated, giving off an inviting feel, and you can sense that in a rugged and manly way, he tried his best for you.

"Here we are... Your room." He drawls out from the doorway before settling his right shoulder against it. His eyes, which you don't see as you survey the room, take in your body language and facial expressions, looking for any sign of displeasure.

To his surprise, you're ecstatic.

The reality of even the minimal amount of effort and having a room that was not falling apart, or dirty, and had a bed off of the ground via a wrought iron bed frame was an extreme luxury compared to your previous home.

Walking over to the window with a smile and bright eyes that reflect in the orange sunset, your jaw drops at how peaceful and comforting it is to be in something that is now considered yours.

“This is… this is much more than I could have ever asked for, Simon.” You say while taking a step to turn around, dropping your bag down by the closet before turning back towards him. “Thank you, this is incredibly sweet of you to do this.” The pull of your cheeks is evidence enough that you must look like a fool at how hard you smile, but the look in Simon’s eyes in response is worth it.

His face- eyes, light up as he sees the reaction, a warm feeling coming over him as your excitement melts his heart, and he lets a light huff escape. "’s no problem... But, I did have a question to ask you first before anything else..." He spoke softly, arms crossed in front of him as he waited for your acknowledgment, his deep brown eyes holding a depth to them.

Clearing his throat, he looks as if deciding between something. A moment later, he pushes off the door frame and walks towards you, still leaving some distance.

"Now, I will always respect your independence and autonomy, but as a man and your husband, I expect some things of you, and I'll make it known..." He let out a sigh before continuing.

“Since we're living together and going to be newlyweds, there are a few expectations I have for us, and I want to ask you how you feel about those expectations." He asked quietly, his tone remaining calm, and you begin to figure that in his way, this is Simon acting soft in nature.

You nod once, giving him the signal to continue while remaining quiet, hands laced together in front of your lap as you watch him with rapt attention.

"I am not forcing you to agree to them. But I do expect that you will spend time with me, that you will not lie to me, and that you will be monogamous to me. I want our communication to be open and straightforward, none of that tip-toeing around each other." He paused, his tone serious for a moment as he wanted it to get across. He smiled after his words as he turned. "Any questions?"

Oh.

That’s it?

You expected something a tad more… unjust and harsh from a man who comes off as intimidating as Simon, the man known as Ghost amongst the town. But, there was one question you had in response to what he expected of you; monogamy.

“Just one, If you don’t mind me askin’” Your voice comes out smooth and sweet, more soft and timid than you’d like to present yourself in a situation worth garnering the level of respect entrusted to each other. “Will you remain monogamous to me, or do you spend time with others?”

With a huff and shake of his head, he pushes the fabric of his bandana away by a small amount of air from his mouth.

"No... I will only be monogamous to you. You're the one I decided to marry, and I intend to make this marriage work." He spoke firmly. "And I do not spend time with others... I can promise you that you're the only one I need.”

There is a pause in his answer as he takes a step closer, head now looking down at you while his hand glides up to land underneath your jaw, taking you by slight surprise as he holds it with his large and rough fingers.

“Does that address your concerns?" He ends the question with a deep and more serious tone- his voice makes your mind bring up what his mouth looks like while saying it.

The sound that escapes you is classically embarrassing, showing how much you are not the experienced one in this scenario. You swallow before answering. “It does… and I agree to these expectations.” You reply before taking a deeper inhale- the scent of fire, ash, and an unfamiliar smell of what could be his musk mixed with metal, one that vaguely reminds you of blood.

“May I ask something, sir? It may be rude to ask if right now but since we are setting boundaries I’d like to know.” The moment of closeness is something you hope will shield you from any backlash from asking what you’re curious about.

"You may, there is nothing you could say that would be taken offensively." He spoke softly, looking at you as his eyes traveled over your face; he looks over the ridges, pores, and even seeing a few small scars here and there along your soft skin.

Your eyes are drawn to his face similarly: the pores that seem dirty from the day of work he had, scars that are random in placement but more than a small amount litter his forehead, and the top of his cheekbones that flow underneath the bandana. “May I ask why you wear the mask, or at least, will you be wearing it around me if I am to be your spouse soon?”

Your eyes find the telling features that his jaw is ticked, and a rush of anxiety flushes through as your stomach drops in fear that this was not supposed to be asked.

He drops the hold of your jaw, looking down with a nod of his head as if he was expecting the question. Taking his own deep breath and looking back up, his tone is surprisingly gentle, not allowing any shame to come out of him.

"I am afraid my appearance is a bit.. unsettling... I will remove it in our bedroom while we sleep and make love, but... I am not one to show it off as I do find people make too many assumptions." He spoke truthfully.

You can’t control the movement of your eyebrows furrowing up in confusion. Unsettling…? Is that his own belief or was he told that? You want to diffuse the situation before you make it more uncomfortable, yet your mouth works faster than your mind.

“You can deny me the answer, but, may I ask what happened?” You surprise yourself while talking with a level voice, social context be damned.

He stays silent as he thinks on whether or not to answer, his face shifting slightly to show some emotions. You curse yourself the longer the silence ticks by.

"I had a... scar left by an incident a while back... And it's one thing I like to keep private until I am able to completely trust someone." He spoke, a shrug of his shoulders makes his clothes rustle as he dismisses his answer and wanting to leave it behind.

Clearing his throat, he tips his head towards you and the cowboy hat obscures the visibility of his eyes for a moment. “Well then, I’ll let you get settled in darlin’. Call for me when you’re finished.” He states resoundingly, and with that, he turns to exit from your room and back down the hallway.

#cod mw2 #task force 141 #call of duty #simon riley ghost #simon riley #simon ghost x reader #simon ghost riley x reader #simon ghost riley #ghost mw2 #ghost cod #blacksmith ghost #WAUMOST #call of duty modern warfare #simon riley x you #simon riley x reader #ghost x reader #ghost simon riley #lieutenant ghost

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posletsvet · 8 months

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Something about the stories of Trigun & Hadestown

Something about the story of Orpheus and Eurydice being retold for generations. Something about the story of Trigun getting to be told in three different versions (four, if you consider that there are two mangas).

Something about red flowers being the key symbol in Hadestown, with Orpheus singing dead trees to life and bloom in a gesture of undying hope. Something about Rem's sacrifice turning the blossom of a red geranium into a symbol of determination and kindness.

Something about the lost gentleness and bliss of spring. Something about the lost paradise of the once prosperous Earth, which forced the mankind to eplore the frontiers of distant galaxies.

Something about the souls of the dead in Hadestown living with their heads bent down, silenced by their own fear and indifference. Something about the people of Gunsmoke doing the same, believing there's no other choice but to succumb to violence and afraid to raise their voices and speak out against it.

Something about both stories commenting upon how humanity is sacrificed for the sake of survival.

Something about Hades, the King of the Mine, being crippled and blinded by his greed and loneliness and despair and jealousy untill he can't see nor recognise anything other than the needs of the Underworld, but really just his own. Something about Knives being driven by the fear he hides deep within himself, only caring about Vash and their sisters and claiming it's the good of the plantkind that he aspires to achieve, but in actuality just nurturing his own old hurt.

Something about them both loving to the point of obsession and suffocating the ones they love with how they portray what is best for them.

Something about Persephone being blinded by a river of wine, living in an Oblivion and trying to drown her sorrow in alcohol. Something about Vash's issues with alcoholism deteriorating upon the realisation that him going to confront Knives is a march made towards ruin and despair, his goals as good as suicidal.

Something about the Fates always singing in the back of your mind, defining the outlines of people's lives. Something about Knives and Vash's sisters in a hive mind deciding on the fate of humanity in relation to their kind at the end of the story.

Something about each of the two narratives showing how life and love endures, even in trying times.

Something about hunger and biting the hand that feeds because you're starving for more. Something about taking what you can get and making the most of it. Something about the people of No Man's Land pushing the plants to their physical limit and sentencing them to agony of the last run because they see no other option.

Something about 'What you gonna do when the chips are down, / Now that the chips are down?' Something about the pods of the project SEEDS crash-landing on a barren and desolate planet.

Something about the chorus singing 'Cast your eyes to heaven / You get a knife in the back!/ Nobody's righteous, / Nobody's proud, / Nobody's innocent'. Something about how Wolfwood dies the instant he finally commits to Vash's ideals, for the first time in his life choosing to believe.

Something about Orpheus teaching Eurydice that there's still hope for the better. Something about Wolfwood starting to regain his trust in humanity through Vash.

Something about Orpheus being capable of seeing how the world could be, in spite of the way that it was. Something about Vash stubbornly refusing to stop believing there's inherent goodness in every person's soul.

Something about how Eurydice is destined to die in each telling of the myth because the story is non-existent without Orpheus' loss of her. Something about how Wolfwood is doomed by the narrative, being a dead man walking since the very beginning.

Something about Orpheus leading his one true love out of Hell. Something about Wolfwood leading Vash in instead, guiding him to his end.

Something about Orpheus singing 'Wait for me!' on his way down under the ground. Something about Vash rushing to that smoking ruin which the Hopeland Orphanage became in order to help Wolfwood, fearing that he's late.

Something about Orpheus looking back. Something about Vash bringing his century-and-a-half long run from every and all attachments to a hault and finally stopping to look at the person before him, for the first time in his life allowing himself to believe in a future spent together with someone.

Something about Orpheus losing Eurydice the moment he turns to cast a glance behind him. Something about how the next thing Vash learns after admitting that he wants to spend his tomorrows with Wolfwood by his side is that Wolfwood is dying.

Something about Orpheus reaching the end of the road out of the Underworld all alone. Something about Vash ending his journey the same way.

Something about knowing how the story ends and still beginning to sing it again, as if it might turn out this time. Something about how 'far from here, in a distant time and place, the same song of humanity... still sang'.

Something about love. Something about grief. Something about tragedies.

Something about how, after all, we're still singing.

There's something profoundly meaningful to be said about all this, and maybe some day I will be insightful and witty enough to put my scrambled thoughts into neatly-organised, clear-cut sentences, but for now it will be like that.

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lxthz · 1 month

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In the dimly lit saloon of Dusty Ridge, Yone sat at the worn wooden bar, his gaze fixed on the amber liquid swirling in his glass. The flickering lanterns cast dancing shadows across the room, adding to the rugged charm of the Western frontier. As he contemplated his next move, the creak of the swinging doors drew his attention. In walked M/n, a figure clad in the attire of a seasoned traveler, his steps carrying the confidence of one who had seen their fair share of the world.

"Well, look who sauntered into our little piece of heaven. Fancy a drink, stranger?" Yone grunted, his tone gruff but not unkind, as he gestured to the empty stool beside him.

"Much obliged, partner," M/n replied with a soft smile, his voice carrying a hint of innocence as he settled onto the worn seat.

"Name's M/n. What's got you camped out in this here saloon, friend?" he inquired, his eyes alight with curiosity, though there was a sharpness beneath the facade.

"Yone. Just takin' a breather from the chaos out there," Yone explained, his voice gravelly with years of experience in the unforgiving wilderness.

Conversation flowed freely between them, punctuated by the clinking of glasses and the occasional burst of laughter from nearby patrons. They shared tales of their adventures, swapping stories of narrow escapes and chance encounters, finding common ground in the shared experience of life on the frontier.

"Ever had one of them days where everythin' just feels like it's spinnin' outta control?" M/n mused, his eyes twinkling with hidden knowledge.

Yone grunted in agreement, a flicker of recognition crossing his weathered features. "More times than I care to admit. But somehow, sittin' here with you, it all seems to fade away."

As the night wore on, the whiskey flowed freely, loosening their tongues and emboldening them to speak their truths. Yone opened up about his past, sharing tales of lost loves and broken dreams, while M/n listened intently, his facade slipping ever so slightly to reveal a shrewd understanding of the world.

"Sometimes, I wonder if I'll ever find my place in this world," Yone admitted, his voice tinged with a hint of vulnerability.

"We're all just drifters on this dusty trail, Yone. But maybe, just maybe, our paths were meant to cross for a reason," M/n replied, his words imbued with a quiet wisdom that belied his innocent demeanor.

And when Yone finally mustered the courage to confess his feelings, the air between them crackled with anticipation, charged with the possibility of something more.

"I ain't never felt this way about anyone before, partner," Yone confessed, his heart laid bare before the stranger who had somehow become so much more.

M/n's eyes widened in surprise, but then a knowing smile tugged at the corners of his lips. "Well, ain't that somethin'. Reckon I feel the same."

In that moment, beneath the soft glow of the lanterns and the watchful gaze of the stars, Yone and M/n found themselves drawn together by a bond that defied explanation. They laughed, they cried, they shared stories until the early hours of the morning, their connection deepening with each passing moment.

As the night began to wane and the first light of dawn peeked over the horizon, they both knew that their time together was fleeting. With a bittersweet farewell, they parted ways, each carrying with them the memory of that fateful night in the dusty saloon of Dusty Ridge, and the hope that perhaps, somewhere down the line, their paths would cross again. But for now, they were just two souls navigating the vast expanse of the Wild West, finding solace and companionship in the unlikeliest of places. Yet, the memory of their encounter lingered like the echo of a distant melody, promising the possibility of a future reunion amidst the untamed wilderness of the frontier.

As Yone ventured back into the wilderness, his thoughts lingered on M/n. He found himself reminiscing about their conversations, the laughter they shared, and the connection he felt with the mysterious traveler. But amidst the solitude of the open plains, he couldn't shake the feeling of longing that gnawed at his heart.

Meanwhile, M/n continued on his journey, the memory of Yone's gruff yet endearing demeanor still fresh in his mind. He found himself retracing their conversations, savoring each moment shared in that dusty saloon. Despite his outward innocence, M/n carried with him a wealth of experience and insight, a fact that seemed to draw Yone to him like a moth to a flame.

Days turned into weeks, and weeks into months, but neither Yone nor M/n could shake the memory of their encounter. Though they traveled separate paths, their thoughts often drifted back to that fateful night in Dusty Ridge, where two souls found solace and companionship amidst the chaos of the Wild West.

And as fate would have it, their paths did cross again, in the most unexpected of places. Amidst a bustling town on the outskirts of the frontier, Yone and M/n found themselves face to face once more. The reunion was like something out of a storybook, filled with laughter, tears, and the promise of a future yet to be written.

From that day forward, Yone and M/n journeyed together, their bond stronger than ever before. Through trials and tribulations, victories and defeats, they stood by each other's side, facing whatever challenges the frontier threw their way.

And though their adventures were many, the memory of that fateful night in Dusty Ridge remained etched in their hearts forevermore, a reminder of the unbreakable bond forged between two souls on the wild Western frontier.

══════════════════════════════════════

Word Count: 1,017

#male reader #fluff #xmalereader #x male reader #yone #yone league of legends #league of legends x reader #x reader #league of legends #gay

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caspercryptid · 2 months

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For Wyll requests: I'm a huuuuuuuuge fan of Bladeweave (Wyll / Gale). Maybe Gale teaching Wyll some magic? Gale and Wyll arguing (respectfully, civilly, and charmingly but maybe straining just a bit behind their gentlemanly exteriors) over cooking duties (because they both WANT to cook - but then some kind of accident or something happens and it turns cute, soft, and a little romantic (almost as if realizing there's an attraction there or something) Wyll protecting Gale from some attack or another (maybe by a goblin or something?)? Wyll sharing one of his monster-hunting stories and Gale is absolutely riveted and fascinated and asking questions? Drunk Gale and drunk Wyll at the tiefling party being silly (maybe a little sad at some points), maybe sharing a kiss, and then passing out next to each other (maybe in their arms?) Wyll helping Gale through a painful moment regarding his Netherese orb condition? Gale helping Wyll feel better about his new transformation? (Maybe a little awkward at some points, a little flirty, but also making sure Wyll knows that his appearance hasn't changed who he is or how he sees Wyll) I could go all day with these ideas. I'm actually working on a Bladeweave fanfiction myself. :D

Hey beloved, it'd be really cool if you followed up and sent the rest of these i didn't do as separate asks, because i love them, but I prefer to do my prompt fills individually ♡♡♡

That being said. Here's cooking 🍳 ft. My tav, Marjorie.

Psssssst to everyone else, Wyll requests are open. I haven't finished the game tho so be nice

--------------

“It’s really no trouble,” Wyll is saying, his hands firmly on the handles of the pot.

“No, no, you’ve worked so hard today,” Gale counters, tone almost pleading, grabbing the lip, white-knuckled.

“You’ve worked so hard today,” Wyll counters, “and you were injured-”

He is realizing, distantly, that this is ridiculous. He can’t take the credit for that realization, unfortunately, that accolade has to be granted to Astarion and Maj, and really, mostly to Maj. Astarion was really doing a very good job of keeping a straight face as he watched Wyll and Gale argue, only the glint in his eye betraying that he was even paying attention at all. Maj, however, is laughing. Not a little chuckle or fond giggle, full scale shoulders shaking tears streaming down her face hysterics, and clocking that (he was always on the lookout for signs of distress) had finally made Wyll take a full inventory of the position he’s in.

He is standing with his feet apart, toes turned in to improve his balance, braced on the ground. His hands are on the handles of the pot. And Gale is no longer just trying to sneak it out of his hands- Gale is leaning backwards pulling on it to the degree that Wyll is certain if he let go Gale would go flying, the pot after him, on a collision course with his face.

For a second, he’s tempted to. It would serve Gale right, being so obstinate, and it would make Maj laugh, and heaven knows they all needed a laugh after everything they’ve been through. But Gale had been injured today, and Shadowheart had barely patched him up, and if Wyll was the cause of his wounds reopening...well. He would actually feel rather bad about it.

He tries to shift forwards, to releasing some of the force on the pot without letting it go, seeing if he can trick Gale into steadying himself, and it seems to work, Gale shuffling in place to get his feet underneath him, even as he’s continuing to give some impassioned defense Wyll was absolutely not listening to.

“—Really, cooking is the least I can offer the camp, you’ve saved my hide, you’ve saved everyone’s hide, you’re the blade of the frontiers, hero of the sword coast, you’re really very impressive—”

Wyll squints at him, and Gale cuts off, like he’s just now hearing himself, but he gives Wyll a wide confident grin. The silence extends as Wyll tries to figure out what the hell to say to that, and then Maj takes pity on them.

“Is there some kind of warlock-wizard feud I'm unaware of where you can’t share a pot?” She says. “I know what ingredients we have, it’s going to be stew again.”

Wyll considers that. He was going to make stew.

“I have yeast,” Gale counters, almost sulky. “I was going to make bread.”

“Great!” Maj chirps, “that’ll go well with the stew.”

Gale looks at him, He looks at Gale. Gale grins, a little sheepish, and lets go of the pot.

Wyll snorts, and then something clicks. Gale had spent an undue amount of time checking over the kitchens and cabinets in abandoned homes. He must have finally found what he was looking for.

“—I do miss good bread,” he offers, and Gale lights up.

“As do I. I should have known you’d understand, I know it doesn’t travel well but the crumb of—”

As Wyll listens to him ramble, he starts to quietly build a meal plan in his head. Maybe he could share the cooking responsibilities. Since it made Gale happy. And, well. A happy wizard was an effective wizard. That’s definitely the only reason.

He can hear Astarion and Maj whispering, and turns his back on them as he hears the clink of gold and a bet being taken.

He doesn’t want to know. He has stew to make.

#wyll ravengard #bg3 #bg3 Wyll #bladeweave #Wyll x Gale #gale x wyll #gale dekarios #gale of waterdeep #casper's haunted fic tag

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tidalbronze · 7 days

Text

ARCHFALCON VANGUARD (Archie!!) 🦅⚡️🏹

Wings of heaven, storm-wielding guardian to the ruins of Luzon’s ocean frontier 🌊 Finally got some time to redesign Archie as proof of concept for a new Arrows look, so I can start rolling out new mecha art soon with renewed confidence 😤

#tidaldrawings #art #illustration #arrows to their heaven #oc #archie #archfalcon vanguard #sff #mecha #mech

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sewmice · 2 months

Note

Hai as a decently new utapri fan I wanted to ask your opinion on how new fans should get into utapri after finishing the anime. Should they play through the otomes games or maybe try listening to the Masterpiece shows instead?

Welcome to Utapri! I hope you're enjoying the ride so far! And as someone who has been here for 12 years, welcome to Utapri hell, this is your life now! (with love of course)

Since the Masterpiece shows are all alternate universes/acting, it doesn't technically matter? So the real question is, do you like the idol side or the romance side more? Idol side, go for the masterpiece shows. Romance go for the games. And honestly switch around as you please. Just get to SOME game knowledge at some point because that's where you really learn about the boys after all. Personally it's best to know at least a little from everything.

Also the next most important thing will be whether you know Japanese or not. Because currently the anime, movies, and Starish special are the only things available in English. So what you can enjoy is more limited. Shining Live was in English for it's lifespan, and has some archives out there. Live Emotion we can only hope will have an English version but we do not know currently.

Now my answer to assist gets real long so gonna put it under a cut for everyone's sanity.

If you know Japanese, absolutely go enjoy the otome games, all of which have updated ports on the Switch! The release order and thus suggested order would be Repeat, Amazing Aria and Sweet Serenade, Debut, All Star, and finally All Star After Secret. And one day we'll have Dolce Vita.

If you want Quartet Night, while you meet them in Debut, their routes start with All Star. Ringo and Ryuuya have routes in Sweet Serenade and All Star if you're looking for them. Mitsuo in Amazing Aria is well....you'll see.

If you don't know Japanese, I still suggest looking into the games, but your options are more limited. ShiningWonderland has a fantastic crew pushing out translations. They're working on Repeat for Starish and All Star for QN currently. Couple of the routes are finished for at least one ending and others seem to be nearing completion. But I can't speak for that team past that. They are all wonderful people though!

If you don't mind getting a shortened, not amazing experience. There are some old summaries floating around from Breadmasterlee. Those, plus some friends who could understand enough, were how I learned parts of the games back in the day. Not the preferred experience though.

You could also technically struggle your way through with like Google Lens translation? Definitely not recommended though.

As for the masterpiece shows, again if you know Japanese, just enjoy them. If you wanna know what order they released in, the sets were as follows: Masquerade Mirage, Tenka Muteki no Shinobimichi, and Joker Trap Bloody Shadows, Pirates of the Frontier, Every Buddy!, and Polaris Lost Alice, Trios, and The Forest of Lycoris Dreaming of OZ, Never Again Neverland, and Faust Last Cantata

I know that next to last set, the Shining Masterpiece Shows, have translations by Kanasmusings. You can also find translations for some other dramas there, and subtitles for a majority of the stage plays (you will need your own file or DVD/BD).

The most recent Dramatic Masterpiece Shows seem to be works in progress at the moment. I know utapri-translations-uuuu is working on Heavens! And the CDs can be found in my masterlist.

The older ones I don't know off the top of my head if translations exist at all.

There are also Discord servers amongst the community, some public and some private, with resources and amazing people. But I'm not sure on how appropriate it would be to post the public ones. They don't allow piracy so as much as I push buying legally, uh, understandably linking from my blog publicly feels wrong. You can very likely find said discords via the Twitter fandom. Or talk to me in DMs.

This is a lot of info I know. Trying to cover as many bases as I can off the top of my head! Enjoy Utapri!

#uta no prince sama #utapri

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multifandomxreader · 1 year

Note

Reader x sunato banda

Maybe where the reader was also a murderer in the real world and when he/she gets to the frontier he/she meets sunato who he/she gets along really well with and they're like a powerful couple of psychopaths and they play this prisoner game together (forgot the name).

Sorry if there are any mistakes, I used google translate :/

You don't have to do this if you don't want to :)

Sunato Banda x gn reader

I found it very interesting to write this, just know that I do not condone the behavior of the characters, this is just fiction. I hope you enjoy it!

TW: typical violence, death... let me know if there's anything else

You ravished in it, the death and despair of the borderlands. In the old world you could barely contain your rage, your true self. But here you could just do whatever you wanted, it was heaven.

It was just another regular game,even though the levels had increased, there was nothing you couldn’t handle. You were one of the firsts to arrive and waited in the central guardroom, analysing everyone, enjoying their fear. The person that caught your eye was the last one to arrive. "Difficulty, Jack of Hearts." You smirked, heart games were the ones you enjoyed the most. So much chaos, so much killing. The voice explained the rules but you couldn’t keep your eyes off the mysterious guy, he had a dark aura surrounding him and it pulled you in. The game started, most joined together in groups but you waited a bit longer to observe the intriguing stranger. The second the guy in the grey sweater came up to him you became suspicious, there might have been a bit of jealousy too.

“Let’s be friends” You quirked your eyebrow at that and knew you would have to get rid of grey sweater somehow. Joining the biggest group was to smartest thing to do and your only option since there wasn’t really anyone to trust. The first round was over and nobody got eliminated, a pity. Things got a bit more interesting when a hot-tempered guy threw his ‘buddy’ on the ground. Banda, you read his name on the board, knelt down besides the smaller man and told him to lie to the bully. You started to like him more and more, you just hoped he wasn’t the Jack of Hearts so you would have a chance to survive this game together.

More rounds passed and more people died. People were freaking out and lying to eachother, you on the other hand were enjoying it. You could even snack while watching the mayhem. You felt that Banda was enjoying it too. You were now certain Matsushita was the Jack of Hearts. He was following around Banda like a lapdog and it was pissing you off, a shame you weren’t allowed to kill.

You wanted to get to know Banda but Matsushita barely left his side, the only interaction you had was staring, intense staring. There were only five other people left and you felt the ending of the game approach. You finally took your shot and followed Banda into the bathroom. “You’ve been staring at me, if I didn’t know better I would think you were the Jack of Hearts.” You chuckled, taking a step closer to him. “But you do know better, we both do. That’s why we’re still alive.” He smiled knowingly. “Why are you participating in the games in this land? Until now, I’ve never been in a land as beautiful as this one.” You were surprised by his sudden question but answered surely “This land strips us down to our true forms, hunters, and prey. Unlike the old world where hunters like us would get punished for just being what nature wants us to be.” “I think you and I might be very similar.” He whispered while his hand caressed your cheek and neck. “I”m glad we found in each other an equal, trustworthy partner, perfect for this game.” He nodded “Let’s make this world ours.” You smirked “First, we’ll have to find out more about it. Why don’t we nicely ask Matsushita?”

The final reveal. Only Banda, Chishiya, Matsushita, and you were left. Fear crept into his eyes when he realized what you wanted. You threw the Jack into his cell, and Banda took out his tools. “What are you going to do to me?!” Matsushita panicked. “One doesn’t often get the chance to have a nice long conversation with a citizen.” You answered, “You’ll tell us everything you know about this land.” Banda started with a razor and every move he made turned you on more, you helped when he handed you a knife, and together you got to know more about your soon-to-be kingdom. Sadly your intel offed himself after just an hour. You could have watched Banda’s art for hours more but you knew you would see more in the future.

The game ended and you won. High on victory and in ecstasy, you pulled him in for a kiss. He returned it with the same force, your tongue slipped passed his lips and you had to pull back to breathe. Foreheads touching, hands enlocked “Let’s take over this world, together.” “Together.”

#banda sunato #banda sunato x reader #banda sunato x gn reader #alice in borderland #alice in borderland x reader #alice in borderland x gn reader #aib season 2 #aib spoilers #aib x reader #aib x gn reader #blood tw #tw blood #tw knife #knife tw #tw violence #tw violent thoughts

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sonyasimscc · 1 year

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journeythroughjourneytothewest · 7 months

Text

Chapter 14 Recap: Mind monkey returns to the Right; the Six Robbers vanish from sight.

Though both Tripitaka and Boqin are driven to fear by the voice, the assembled houseboys state confidently that it “must be the old ape in that stone box beneath the mountain who is shouting.” Boqin agrees, and then explains to a perplexed Tang Sanzang that though the mountain is currently known as the “Mountain of Two Frontiers,” it was once known as the “Mountain of Five Phases.” Boqin states that he had further heard from his elders that the mountain had long ago “fell from Heaven with a divine monkey clamped beneath it,” and that this monkey had “lasted from that time until now, surviving both cold and hunger.” Boqin then suggests that they go see what the monkey is shouting about, and Tripitaka reluctantly agrees.

The two and the horse don’t have to travel long before they encounter a stone box that does indeed contain a sentient monkey currently covered in dirt and greenery. Said monkey greets Tang Sanzang as “master,” and states that he’ll protect the monk on the way to the Westward Heaven. He then asks Tripitaka if he is indeed the scripture pilgrim and, having that confirmed, reveals himself to be “the Great Sage, Equal to Heaven…who greatly disturbed the Heavenly Palace five hundred years ago.” He also claims that he is now sworn to protect the scripture pilgrim, and that he is willing to become Tang Sanzang’s disciple.

Tripitaka is delighted at this turn of events, but isn’t sure how he can free the monkey from the stone box. The Great Sage tells Tang Sanzang that it’s an easy task, and that all he has to do is remove a tag with golden letters on the top of the mountain. Boqin and Tripitaka make their way up together, and upon seeing the seal Xuanzang prays to the Buddha to only let the monk remove the seal if the monkey’s speaking the truth. He then removes the tag easily, and it blows away, with the prison guard of the Great Sage also letting Tripitaka know that the seal is being returned to the Buddha.

After going back to Sun Wukong and letting the monkey know that his imprisonment is over, the delighted simian tells Tripitaka that he should “walk away from here so that I can come out.” The group of humans then retreat some five or six miles, but Sun Wukong yells at them to go further. Finally, after they had left the mountain entirely, “at once came a crash so loud that it was as if the mountain was cracking and the earth splitting wide open.” The next second a completely naked Great Sage is bowing in front of Tang Sanzang, thanking Boqin for “shaving the grass from my face,” and goes off to get the luggage in order. We’re also informed that Sun Wukong’s time as the BanHorsePlague gave him such authority over all equines that “the horses of this world inevitably would fear him when they saw him.” The monkey also informs the monk that he already has a religious name in “Sun Wukong,” and Tripitaka gives him the nickname “Pilgrim Sun.”

Boqin, now seeing Tang Sanzang is protected by “an excellent disciple,” makes his leave. The “stark naked” monkey and the monk continue on the journey west, Sun Wukong carrying the luggage, Tripitaka on his horse. They are soon menaced by a tiger which Pilgrim Sun takes on with delight, pulling out his as-you-will cudgel from his ear and giving big cat such a ferocious blow that he “caused its brain to burst out like ten thousand red petals of peach blossoms, and the teeth to fly out like so many pieces of white jade.” Tang Sanzang immediately falls off his horse in fear at this display of strength, noting that it had taken Boqin all day to defeat a tiger whereas Sun Wukong had reduced the tiger “to pulp with one blow of his rod.” An unperturbed Pilgrim Sun asks Tripitaka to sit down for awhile, and proceeds to make himself a loincloth from the tiger’s skin.

As they continue their travels, Tang Sanzang asks Sun Wukong a litany of questions about his cudgel and about his abilities, which the monkey is only too eager to boast of. Tripitaka is “more relieved than ever” upon hearing that his new disciple and his new guardian possesses “boundless ways of transformation” and ways to protect him, and the two continue travelling and chatting until sunset.

They find shelter for the night after some difficulty, with an elderly man who opened a door they knocked on being left “panic-stricken by the hideous appearance of Pilgrim,” but who is soon mollified upon seeing “the handsome features of Tripitaka.” Monk and disciple are soon invited in, and Sun Wukong relates how he had seen the old man when he was a child collecting vegetables and firewood. The old man, for his own part, recounts how his great-grandfather had told him about how when “this mountain dropped from the sky, it had a divine ape clamped underneath it.” Tripitaka and the old man also discover that they are from the same clan as they both have the secular family name “Chen.” Sun Wukong then asks “Old Chen” for some boiled water so that he and his new shifu can clean themselves; old monkey in particular hadn’t taken a bath “for five hundred years.” Pilgrim Sun further requests a needle and some thread from Old Chen after the bath, which he uses to properly stitch his tiger skin. Wearing that and one of Tripitaka’s shirts which the monk had left out specifically for the monkey, Sun Wukong “paraded in front of his master,” and Tang Sanzang compliments him, saying that his disciple now truly looks like a pilgrim.

Pilgrim Sun and Tripitaka are back on the road the next morning, continuing the journey west. Soon enough the seasons change, and early winter is upon them. It is then that master and disciple are suddenly accosted by six bandits, who demand that they leave their horse and bag behind. Tang Sanzang is terrified enough to fall from his horse. Sun Wukong, however, calls this robbery a trifling matter, and that the bandits are “just some people coming to give us clothes and a travel allowance.” The monkey then nonchalantly lets the bandits hack away at him about eighty times before deciding that “it’s about time for old Monkey to take out his needle for a little entertainment.” He then proceeds to “beat every one of them to death, stripped them of their clothes, and seized their valuables.” He brings these spoils back to Tang Sanzang, smiling broadly.

Tripitaka, for his own part, is horrified by his disciple’s actions and soundly reprimands him. Confused, Sun Wukong notes that if he hadn’t killed the bandits, “they would have killed you!” Tang Sanzang, however, is adamant that “As a priest, I would rather die than practice violence.” Pilgrim Sun then states that “when I, old Monkey, was king on the Flower-Fruit Mountain five hundred years ago, I killed I don’t know how many people. I would not have been a Great Sage, Equal to Heaven, if I had lived by what you are saying.” Tang Sanzang retorts that “It’s precisely because you had neither scruples nor self-control…that you had to undergo this ordeal of five hundred years,” and that because even after entering the fold of Buddhism the monkey insisted “on practicing violence and indulge in the taking of life as before, you are not worthy to be a monk, nor can you got to the Western Heaven. You’re wicked! You’re just too wicked!”

This monkey, so the story next informs us, “had never in all his life been able to tolerate scolding.” And so he flies off, leaving Tripitaka to “set off sadly to the West.” The lonesome monk doesn’t travel long before he meets an old woman holding “a silk garment and a cap with a floral design.” He tells her about his mission and about Sun Wukong’s spat at her questioning, and she gives him the garment and cap, claiming that they used to belong to her son who “had been a monk for only three days when unfortunately he died.” She also gives Tang Sanzang a spell called “True Words for Controlling the Mind, or the Tight-Fillet Spell.” She tells the monk that when Pilgrim Sun returns he must give the monkey the garment and the cap, and then recite the spell silently “if he again refuses to obey…He will not dare do violence or leave your again.” Tripitaka thanks the old woman, who transforms into a shaft of golden light and vanishes towards the east. It is then Tang Sanzang realizes that he was speaking with the Bohisattva Guanyin.”

Sun Wukong, for his own part, heads straight to the Water Crystal Palace of the Dragon King of the Eastern ocean. The two kings start chatting, with Pilgrim Sun telling the dragon about his refusal to listen to the monk and his desire to go back to his mountain, having only stopped by the palace “to come visit you and ask for a cup of tea.” While the Dragon King indulges the monkey, he soon tells him that if he is “unwilling to exercise diligence or to accept instruction, you will remain a bogus immortal after all.” Sun Wukong does soon agree to go back, even running into Bodhisattva Guanyin on his way. Once he reunites with Tang Sanzang, Pilgrim Sun moves to get his shifu food from a bag, and sees the silk shirt and flower cap. Tripitaka tells the monkey that he may wear the fine garments if they fit. An eager Sun Wukong tries them on, and no sooner had he put on the cap than Tang Sanzang started reciting the Tight-Fillet Spell.

The monk “went through the recitation several times without ceasing, and the pain was so intense that Pilgrim was rolling on the ground, his hands gripping the flower cap.” When he touches his head again, Sun Wukong finds that “it was tightly bound by a thin metal band; it could be neither pulled off nor ripped apart, for it had, as it were, taken root on his head.” It can’t even be removed with the as-you-will cudgel. And Tripitaka doesn’t give Pilgrim much time to try, and this time goes through the recitation of the spell until it was “so painful that [Sun Wukong] did cartwheels and somersaults. His face and even his ears turned red, his eyes bulged, and his body grew weak.” The monkey promises to obey the monk if only he stops the recitation. Yet right afterwards he tries to kill Tang Sanzang, and after he’s brough to heel a second time expresses a wish to beat the Bodhisattva Guanyin up. Yet soon after, “Pilgrim gave up all thoughts of disobedience or rebellion.” Whether he will keep with this new mentality is a question that will have to be left for the next chapter.

#jtjttw chapter recap #xiyouji #journey to the west #jttw #sun wukong #monkey king #tang sanzang #return of the king #and subsequent humbling of the kind

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onevolon · 5 months

Text

my love for you is infinite - part15

Santiago Garcia x afab!reader(Darcy)

note: pride and prejudice (2005) but with triple frontier boys because why not lol

word count: 1218

warnings: finally the funny scene happens

you can also read it on ao3.

part14 - part16 - masterlist

Santiago and Francisco are out shopping with their mother and brothers. Their housekeeper, Mrs. Hill, comes out of the butcher’s shop.

“Did you hear the news, madam? Mr. Bingley is returning to Netherfield.”

Santiago glances at Francisco. He drops his eyes.

“ Mr. Bingley?”

Mrs. Hill indicates a woman in the butcher's shop.

“ Mrs. Nichols is ordering a haunch of pork, for she expects him tomorrow.”

“ Tomorrow?”Mrs. Bennet says “Not that I care about it. Mr. Bingley is nothing to us and I'm sure I never want to see him again. No, we shall not mention a word about it. Is it quite certain he is coming?”

“ Yes, madam. I believe he is alone, his sister remains in town.”

“ Hm. Why he thinks we should be interested, I have no idea. Come along, boys.”

Their mother goes into the draper's shop. Francisco pauses at the threshold.

“ It's all right, Santiago. I'm just glad that he comes alone, because then we shall see less of him. Not that I'm afraid of myself, but I dread other people's remarks.”

He gives a brave smile but Santiago is not convinced. They go into the shop.

***

Tom is practicing his scales. Francisco and Santiago are sitting at their work with their mother. William rushes in.

“ He is here! He is here, he's at the door! Mr. Bingley!”

“ Oh my goodness! Everybody behave naturally.”

Francisco completely freezes. Everybody else goes into a fluster.

“ Whatever you do, do not appear -overbearing.”

William looks out through a window.

“ Look. There's someone with him. Miss… what's-her-name. The pompous one from before.”

Santiago looks through the window at Darcy, his heart leaps to his mouth.

“ Miss Darcy indeed! The very insolence of it. What does he think of coming here?”

Santiago returns to his seat, Mrs. Bennet hurries over to Francisco and pinches his cheeks.

“ Mama!”

“ Stop that racket Tom and sit down! Find yourself some work! Oh Lord. I shall have a seizure, I'm sure I shall.”

They sit there, frozen, pretending to sew. The drawing room door opens and Mrs. Hill shows in the two. They bow. Bingley smiles warmly at Francisco, who blushes. Santiago glances at Darcy. Her face is strained. Mrs. Bennet is all smiles for Bingley. She ignores Darcy.

“ How very glad we are to see you, Mr. Bingley! There are a great many changes since you went away. Miss Lucas is married and settled. And one of my own sons too, you will have seen it in the papers though it was not put in as it ought to have been. Very short, nothing about his family.”

“ I did hear of it, and offer my congratulations.”

“ - but it's very hard to have my Ben taken away from me. Mr. Wickham has been transferred to Newcastle, where ever that is. Thank heaven he has some friends.”

Mrs. Bennet shoots a frosty glance at Miss Darcy. This is more than Santiago can bear so “ Do you hope to stay long in the country, Mr. Bingley?” He says.

“ Just a few weeks. For the shooting.”

“ When you have killed all your own birds, Mr. Bingley, I beg you will come here and shoot as many as you please.” Mrs. Bennet adds.

“ Thank you”

“ - Mr. Bennet will be vastly happy to oblige you, and will save all the best of the coveys for you.”

“ Excellent.”

“ Are you well, Miss Darcy?” Santiago asks.

“ Quite well, thank you.”

“ Well, I hope the weather stays fine, for your sport.”

“ I return to town tomorrow.”

“ So soon? “

“ My Francisco looks well, does he not?” Mrs. Bennet interferes.

Mr. Bingley stands up abruptly.

“He does indeed. Well, I must be going, I suppose. Darcy…”

Darcy cannot quite believe it. He gives Bingley a harsh stare, Bingley has not completed his task.

“ It was very pleasant to see you all again. Santiago, Francisco…”

Bingley can almost not bear to look Francisco in the eye as he acknowledges them all very briefly and bolts for the door. Mrs. Bennet fusses around him.

“ You must come again. For when you were in town last winter you promised to take a family dinner with us. I have not forgot you see. At least three courses.”

Bingley and Darcy take their leave, leaving the Bennets sitting in silence all looking at once another. William is fit to burst out laughing, Santiago and Francisco horrified by the awkward visit.

***

Bingley is pacing backwards and forwards in despair muttering to himself. Darcy looks at him in extreme frustration.

“ What were you thinking of?”

It's as if Bingley has not heard. He keeps pacing up and down.

***

The family is now spread around the room. William's at the window. Francisco and Santiago are sat close on a sofa. Mrs. Bennett muttering things like "most peculiar" to anyone who'll listen. Tom plinking out a dreary arpeggio or two.

“ Well, I'm glad that's over. We can now meet as indifferent acquaintances.” Francisco says.

“ Oh yes?” Santiago adds, laughing.

“ You cannot think me so weak as to be in danger now.”

“ I think you are in great danger of making him as much in love with you as ever.”

“ I'm sorry, though, that he came with Miss Darcy.”

“ Don't say that.”

“ Why ever not?”

Santiago looks at his brother in anguish.

“ Oh Francisco, I have been so blind.”

“ What do you mean?”

The doorbell rings.

“ It is him! He's back. He's come again.” William exclaims.

***

Everyone has regained the same positions. They hear Bingley's voice at the door and he comes, for once, absolutely in control of his facial coloring.

“ I know this is all very untoward, but I would like to request the privilege of speaking to Mr. Francisco.”

They all look at him. He stands his ground, takes another deep breath and continues steadily.

“ -alone.”

“ Everybody to the kitchen. Immediately. Except you, Francisco, of course. Oh, Mr. Bingley. It is so good to see you again so soon.”

She ushers everyone out, not before squeezing Francisco's hand. Now Francisco and Bingley are alone.

“ First. I have to tell you that I have been an unmitigated and comprehensive ass.”

Francisco starts to speak but Bingley steps towards him and he stops.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Bennet, William, Tom and Mr. Bennet are all jostling for a position at the door in order to overhear events inside.

“ Ssssshhh!”

Santiago is apart from his family. He cannot bear to be there. He walks down the corridor and out of the house into the garden. Through a window he sees Bingley on one knee. He walks away from the house.

Bingley looks at Francisco, desperately worried. A pause.

“ Yes. A hundred times - yes.”

Mrs. Bennet and the boys throw open the double doors to the drawing room and come crashing in. Bingley and Francisco beam at them.

“ Thank the Lord for that. I thought it would never happen.”

Santiago is sits under a tree. It seems the only sensible thing to do.

Darcy looks down at Longbourn to their house.

#santiago garcia #triple frontier #frankie morales #ben miller #santiago garcia x reader #tom davis #will miller #triple frontier fanfic #oscar isaac characters #oscar isaac fic #oscar isaac fanfiction #oscar isaac #onevolon fic #oscar isaac hernandez estrada

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