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Winter's Wind, the Guardian of the North by JustHereForBookmarks
Fandoms: Game of Thrones (TV), A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms
24 Oct 2020
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Summary
The North will not surrender peacefully to Aegon Targaryen and his sisters. Torrhen Stark suggests an alternative. One that is too tempting to refuse.
(yes, I know that this summary is suggestive, but this story is quite tame on that front.)
Bookmarked by the17thmuse
25 Nov 2024
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“Just one more time I’ll say it, beast. Tell me your name.”
Arlen peered from the arrow to Ramsay. “No.”
Ramsay didn’t hear defiance often. It paused his arrow’s release.
“And why not? It’s only polite. Mine for yours. Why not tell me the name of the great guardian of the North?”
Arlen’s voice was softer than the running stream. “You won’t live long enough to use it.”
There was a silence in the clearing. Ramsay was fascinated by the man’s words, barely registering that the man had begun to remove his clothes. He took off his trousers and tunic, even his smallclothes, standing completely nude. He had multiple scars. Ramsay took them in. They were beautiful.
That was his one regret. His playthings rarely lived long enough to show their scars. Perhaps after this beast was dead and his lord father proceeded with their plans, he could keep a pet. A young Stark boy or girl to carve to his liking.
He was so lost to his fantasies. Only by a great effort, could he return his focus to the scarred nude man by the stream. The man was now looking at him.
“I don’t like your eyes,” the beast said quietly.
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“Do you intend to seek Rex Lapis’ wisdom?” Ms. Yu asked, her voice turning a touch reverential as her God’s name left her lips. “If so, I hope you’ll find what you wish for… Honestly, a wooden sculpture of Rex Lapis from you would be a sight to behold!”
“Ah, you flatter me,” he said, “but admittedly I did come at this time of the year to catch a glimpse of Rex Lapis. I’m very curious about the legends surrounding him, Liyue and the Adepti… Would you know how could I learn more?”
“A guide is the best option to learn more about local history,” she said, pensively. “Ah! I know whom you should ask for,” — a lilting laugh followed her words, though Ajax was oblivious to her fun — “No one is better suited than him!”
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or, Ajax of Morepesok, esteemed toymaker, meets and befriends Zhongli, a consultant from Wangsheng Funeral Parlor- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 6,421
- Chapters:
- 1/1
- Collections:
- 1
- Comments:
- 26
- Kudos:
- 238
- Bookmarks:
- 44
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- 1,339
Bookmarked by the17thmuse
20 Nov 2024
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After their previous conversation lulled into silence, Zhongli sighed. “Pardon my curiosity,” he said, “but how did you discover your passion?”
“Oh?”
“We’ve spent some time together, and I can’t help but notice how passionate you’re about your job. It makes me curious.”
“I told you how, as a kid, I dreamt of my big adventure. One day, after an argument with Father, I fled home with nothing but a bag of bread, a knife and a short-sword stolen from Father. I didn’t go far… I tried to elude the wild animals living in the snowy forest, but there was this wolf pack that managed to track me down and… that’s when I saw them, an ephemeral figure scared the wolves away, saving me.”
He turned to look at Zhongli, a brittle smile on his face.
“I was lost, and I didn’t know where to go. I kept walking to keep warm, trying to walk back towards home… The only thing keeping me sane was thinking of the apparition that saved me. I couldn’t think of anything else, so I started to carve it. I didn’t want to forget them… my hands were freezing and I was awful with a knife. Honestly, I’m surprised I didn’t cut one of my fingers off…”
“What happened then?” Zhongli asked, softly. Just as gently, he pulled Ajax closer, wrapping an arm around the small of his back.
“I found my way back. My mother and sisters were looking for me. Aah, I got into a load of trouble, but I just… I still couldn’t stop thinking of my savior. I got grounded for running away and ending up in trouble, and I was also sick, so I’d lots of time to spend in my room and think. Only more than thinking, I kept carving their likeness into small chopped pieces of wood that my younger sister sneaked into my room for me. Oh, Tonia has always been my number one fan. Without her support, I don’t know if I’d have kept trying…”
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首发老福特，修一下搬过来
巨量私设注意
Bookmarked by the17thmuse
19 Nov 2024
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His twin brother, Messmer, already had the most terrifying army in the Golden Order before he gained the reputation—or rather the infamy—of the Impaler.
No one would doubt this. In his army, the soldiers and knights have the same cruelty and fighting power as their master, and they have the Fire of Messmer that even ordinary soldiers can use. His army not only has the noble descended Fire Knights, but also soldiers who once belonged to Lord Godfrey, and the Black Knights who once served the "Black Blade" Maliketh.
The two armies that were not directly under Messmer did not think that he was more worthy of loyalty compared to their former master, especially the black knights who originally served the Black Blade. Their original master represented the death of the demigods, but they were asked to condescend to serve a demigod.
But that was an era where strength was respected.
The warmth of that contest still lingers today. Even a hundred years after Queen Marika banned any mention of Messmer, there is still a legend of a red-haired spearman single-handedly killing his way through an entire order of knights.
Godwin was there when the legend was born. He watched Messmer face the black knights who were ready for battle and raise his hand to draw his spear.
The first strike repelled the besieging black knights, the second strike charged into the enemy formation, and the third strike went straight for the Commander Andreas.
The spear did not strike, and he retracted his spear, using it to stabilize his deformed and hunched body. There were fallen black knights under his feet, and Andreas was deeply shocked in front of him.
After a moment, Andreas came back to his senses from the shock, looked at his future master for two seconds, then knelt down to Messmer and swore his loyalty from then on.
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The laws of Soul Society forbid the imprisonment of an unbonded Submissive. Aizen Sousuke happens to be exactly that; a submissive so powerful, determined and clever, that no one can ever imagine having an upper hand with him.
Faced with the dilemma, Central 46 and the rest of the Soul Society do what they do the best: they throw their problem at the face -literally- of a Shinigami substitute.
dom!Ichigo X sub!Aizen, dom/sub AU
Series
- Part 1 of Constellations
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 36,935
- Chapters:
- 24/24
- Comments:
- 227
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- 841
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- 160
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- 17,012
Bookmarked by the17thmuse
16 Nov 2024
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Ichigo swallowed thickly. What was it like? It was Hell, Ichigo thought. The moment when the perfect hypnosis shattered, all there was left was what Sousuke had been hiding for all of his life. The secrets, the emotions that Sousuke had to live with, bearing them inside. Enduring the fear all alone, not letting one soul see the depth of him. Protecting himself, so that he could survive the cruel world.
They made me watch my mother get slowly beaten to death. Do you know how long it took her to die? Seven hours and thirty eight minutes.
Ichigo felt like crying. Even after almost ten years, Ichigo could never forget that day. How his mother’s motionless body felt heavy, how her warm blood soaked his clothes, how the rain washed away his tears and wind concealed his wails. Ichigo’s nightmare hadn’t changed one bit, even after he faced off more powerful and fearful enemies.
He cried every time he remembered that day for ten years.
And Sousuke had to endure the same pain for centuries. Alone.
At least to Ichigo, family and friends were there to support him. He had a shoulder to cry on, a life he had to carry on to make his mother proud.
But Sousuke concealed everything about his past. He went through it all alone, hatred and vengeance and fear fueling him in the way. To him, every soul that wasn’t himself was a threat and an enemy.
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Aizen's true motivation was absolute control. Having power was not enough; it was essential to shape beings, manipulate lives, to create something that was entirely a product of his own will.
Yet, as his cold eyes observed her, a shadow of disappointment clouded his thoughts. She was not perfect.
"No... not perfect," he thought, a silent whisper laced with subtle bitterness. Hinamori had indeed been shaped, but not from the beginning. Her mind and heart had already been touched before he intervened, formed by other hands. She was an incomplete vessel, a useful tool, but limited.
Perfection... True perfection would be something he had crafted from birth, something pure and malleable, like clay in the hands of a sculptor. A life that he could shape in every detail, free from external influences, without prior marks. A life that existed solely to serve his design, breathing only to fulfill his will.
A child.
Series
Bookmarked by the17thmuse
12 Nov 2024
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Aizen never imagined that his greatest downfall would be something so... simple. Pregnancy. Something he had studied clinically, from a distance, as part of a larger plan, but which now enveloped him in ways he had never foreseen. He found himself repeating, almost like a desperate mantra: “I’ve become foolish. Completely foolish.”
And, indeed, he was.
Everything seemed out of control, not in practical terms, but in something far more intimate—his mind. He, who was always known for his relentless rationality, his ability to foresee and manipulate every situation, now found himself at the mercy of erratic emotions and confusing thoughts. He had “pregnancy brain”—a term he had dismissed when studying it, but which now seemed to summarize his situation with painful accuracy.
He forgot things. He, Sousuke Aizen, who always knew everything, now found himself staring at papers for minutes before realizing he didn’t remember what he was supposed to be reviewing. And it wasn’t just that. There were moments when his mind wandered, distracted by absurdly mundane thoughts. Little everyday details that had never interested him now occupied his mind for hours. Like the flowers, for example. “Will the child like flowers?” he thought, only to scold himself for wasting time on something so trivial.
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"Everyone has their rightful placeth. Thou wouldst do well to learneth yours,"
said Messmer.
He wasn't threatening or mocking you, he was simply explaining to you the way of the world.
As if you didn't know.The corners of your lips turned upwards into a bitter smile. “And where would my place be? Ten feet below the ground, one assumes?”
After the tarnished did Messmer a great favor a fragile truce formed between the two. Will the Tarnished be able to leverage this to their advantage, or will this tenuous alliance burn in the flames of their ambitions?
Bookmarked by the17thmuse
04 Nov 2024
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Mending Rune of the Green Eye
Used to restore the fractured Elden Ring when brandished by the Elden Lord.The Green Star, that enormous floating eye, has no will of its own. It does not command, nor does it judge. It simply observes, content to watch the unfolding of events across the cosmos, waiting for the end of all things. Whatever grand purpose its followers thought they were fulfilling was nothing more than the reflection of their own desires.
If there must be an outer god who ushers in a new order, then let it be this one. A god that would nerve force its will upon the people living in the Lands between.
A thrill of joy swept through you as you realized what just happened.
He did it. Messmer actually did it!Startling back to reality, you remembered him and fell to your knees at his side. Messmer lay motionless on the floor, his serpent curled limply beside him. You carefully turned him onto his side, worry tightening your chest as you touched his face. Was he… dead? You knew a life was often sacrificed to forge a mending rune, and a sinking dread told you he might be no different.
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简介：
法环已然破碎，秩序混乱不堪，交界地未曾诞生太阳，巨大的蛇衔起独眼环绕世界。
如今伪日已经濒临破碎，梅瑟莫踏上了前往冥界的觐见之路......
葛梅，神话AU 环学理解，内容是种太阳【简略】
生光：月球西边缘和太阳西边缘相“内切”的时刻叫生光，是日全食的结束。
复圆：生光后大约一小时，月球西边缘和太阳东边缘相“接触”时叫做复圆，日食结束。
Bookmarked by the17thmuse
04 Nov 2024
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This is the story of the man who brought the sun to the borderland. At the end of the hero's adventure, he stayed in the dark underworld. The prince of the sun, who knew life and was completely dead, lived in the eternal nameless city. His queen was a red-haired snake. Life originated from the roots of the tree and returned to the roots. Any god who knew the name of the nameless city kept it secret. People also called it the place where the dead were buried.
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整理了一下法环DLC“穿刺者”梅瑟莫支线任务的攻略，有想推这个支线的朋友可以作为参考
Bookmarked by the17thmuse
02 Nov 2024
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Mother, please listen to me. I am about to commit a sin. I will burn your golden tree with fire. The ashes of the tree will drift away, burying the world and its reflection.
...After that, new life will sprout -
Death is not the end, nor is the abyss. “In the cycle of life, there is always hope.” Someone told me this truth.
...Then, I hereby swear: All life, all souls, next we will enter the era of recovery──Follow the law of hope and begin a thousand-year journey.
All living beings, open your arms and receive the flame. Let the fire burn the withered body and the tired soul. Burn the eternal gold that protects life, imprisons life, and remains unchanged.
Let all that was once prosperous and now decayed be purified in the fire. From the ashes of all things, new shoots will be born.
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The Tarnished Shall Soon Return by Holyshitfuck
Fandoms: Elden Ring (Video Game), Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree
27 Oct 2024
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Miquella severely underestimate how bad things can get when he fight the Aspiring Lord of the Old Order
aka
This Tarnished got 3 phasesBookmarked by the17thmuse
28 Oct 2024
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Thiollier was not a confrontational man, not really. When chips went down, he would fight the best he could, as far as he could. But in any other situation, he would always seek non-direct path when confronted by enemies. He would rather sneak around, putting people to sleep, and leave without causing permanent harm to those in his way. This was partly due to his belief that he was thick as two planks and as weak as a kitten, but partly also because Thiollier dislike harming people, even if said people would wish to behead his kind.
That’s why Thiollier couldn’t stomach it when he saw just how murderous Messmer was. Any Inquisitors in his way, he would either stab them, throw his spear at them, impale them on the ground, burn them, and even directly tear their horns from their face. It was a true display of savagery that was near unforgettable. Part of him almost dare to Ask Messmer if really need his soldiers and furnace golems, when he alone could cause so much damage to this tower, even if said tower was the shadow of its former self.
Meanwhile Sir Ansbach was watching Messmer’s performance critically. Even with the added weight of a giant corpse, the demigod remains agile in his steps and his fiery spears strike true. Indeed, while Malekith was well known as the death of demigods, Messmer was not far behind him in prowess. Aside from Godwyn, no demigods could be his match, none except for maybe Malenia and Radahn. Godwyn and Messmer both were strong without the aid of Great Rune, it was atrocious. Ansbach didn’t know much about the ancient history, but those that he knew paint it that Marika was fearful of his serpentine son, afraid that he would undo her centuries of hard work and even vanquish his golden son, hence the banishment.
The demigod himself was not even focusing half of the time. Several Divine Beast Warrior might annoy him, but it only take him some effort to skewer and roast them in his dark flame.
“Vile creatures” Messmer murmured. He was still thinking about the Divine Gate behind him. Messmer was true son of Marika, despite his base nature, he was still a true numen-born. As such, like his forefathers, he was cursed with harmonious flesh, capable of melding with others. In his case, he was cursed to meld with the serpent, Queen Marika the Eternal’s sins, and it took all his efforts and Marika’s seals to not let the fusion be complete. His numen flesh meant that when he arrived at the grotesque monument of Hornsent’s depravity, he could still sense the remnant thoughts of those petrified flesh. Given time, he could even devour them into himself, becoming one with the maddening cacophony of suffering and anguish, still audible to him despite the long time passing between Marika’s ascension and this current age.
He had heard about his mother talking about the Divine Gate once, whispering to him of Hornsent’s most insane projects, and told him to close his heart to their suffering, for they would never open their hearts to the Shamans. He remembered the outrage he felt at the thought that entire villages died, turned into jars, and being dumped into the so-called sacred spiral tower for the sake of Hornsent. That outrage was nothing compared to what he felt right now. His faith in his mission that had waned since his realization of Marika’s abandonment, was renewed greatly.
He had heard from Rellana and his fire knights about how Hornsent thought those who could manifest beast-like characteristics were considered divine, closer to the crucibles than any other since birth. How he wanted to just break the seal and become the serpent that burn them until nothing left even for ravens to peck on this world.
“Not yet… not yet” Messmer soothe himself. After his deal with the Tarnished was fulfilled, he could still come back here and finish his holy work, for now he just need to bury his cursed half sibling. Messmer picked up the pace, slaying everything in his way,and made his way down to Belurat, where he would remind the hornsent of his terror.
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A clean slate, with your own face on. by llamallamaduck
Fandoms: Naruto (Anime & Manga), Batman - All Media Types
15 Oct 2024
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Summary
Fugaku doesn’t know how it happened, why it happened or who, precisely, is to blame, but he knows it started when the Hatake heir, all of three years old at the time, decided to become a detective. Everything else snowballed from there.
Or
How Detective Inspector Uchiha Fugaku kept his head firmly down, worked his cases, minded his business, and changed the course of the Elemental Nations for the better.
Series
- Part 15 of Set in Naruto-verse
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 17,502
- Chapters:
- 6/6
- Collections:
- 7
- Comments:
- 370
- Kudos:
- 1,887
- Bookmarks:
- 641
- Hits:
- 15,404
Bookmarked by the17thmuse
13 Oct 2024
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“So, we’re here,” Sakumo finishes. “Because of you. Isn’t life funny like that?”
Fugaku meets his eyes. Whooo, boy. Someone, somewhere is going to have to do something about that and—He looks at Orochimaru-sama. No, nope. Both of the men sitting in front of him are nursing hideous cases of betrayal and heartbreak. That sort of thing festers. Someone needs to do something about that, and it can’t be him, because he’s an Uchiha, and Uchiha go mad and die from broken hearts.
That’s the thing about blind, foundational love, he thinks. When it shatters, it takes everything else with it. Sakumo spent his life cultivating a maniacal love for Konohagakure, got his heart broken for the trouble, and now—Now there’s not one soul on earth whose prediction Fugaku could trust about where Sakumo will end up. He might fill the void with hatred with which to sharpen all those jagged edges, or he could drown it and himself with despair. He could, if he’s very lucky, find a way to move on and rebuild. Stranger things have happened.
“I don’t know that there’s anything funny about this,” he says, and means it. “Anything at all.”
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It used to be easy to figure out who was the good guy and who was the bad guy.
Now, Callum has his doubts. Aaravos visits him in his dreams, and the more he hears, the less he knows. Their conversations are far from the subtle whispers Aaravos apparently relied on, yet Aaravos almost seems to relish each one. What Callum thought was a one sided power dynamic turns into much more, including a bargain Callum can't refuse.
After his release, Aaravos's plans involve more people than just Callum, and before Callum knows it, he's swept up with his least favorite people in the world: Viren and Claudia, alongside the rest of their little group, repressing his doubt that his worst enemies can change.
Yet, as Callum learns new magic and unravels the truth of each of his companions, the world is on high alert as every nation faces what Aaravos's return means. Perhaps Aaravos isn't the only one with surprises lurking inside.
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 145,032
- Chapters:
- 36/?
- Comments:
- 1,049
- Kudos:
- 1,480
- Bookmarks:
- 193
- Hits:
- 47,243
Bookmarked by the17thmuse
11 Oct 2024
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“What did it cost?” asked Callum.
Aaravos smiled, bittersweet. “I don’t regret it. I won’t feel the cost for a very long time. Too long for even me to conceptualize. I may never feel it, actually.”
“Tell me.”
“The years came off my own lifespan.”
Silence hung over the gathering. Viren alone was unsurprised.
Aaravos continued on, “You see why it had to be me? I had the skill, arcanum, and near immortal fortitude for saving him. It was designed so lovers could stay together, so our feelings had to be roughly mutual. Even so, our situation is unique. Viren doesn’t owe it to me to stay. That isn’t what I wanted it to feel like.”
Viren looked at Aaravos over Claudia’s head. “I want to stay. We’ll work together.”
Aaravos nodded. “We’ll work together.”
It was a mess, in Callum’s opinion.
But a mess they were willing to work on.
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Summary
他是最优秀的骑士首席，但也只是骑士而已。除了忠诚的追随和生死与共的陪伴之外，他还能如何为主君分忧呢？
——
*新任艾尔登之王出外征战时，怀孕的王后梅瑟莫找来他的首席骑士库德分享快乐的故事。
*褪大梅前提下的库梅（以及褪大梅），少量圣战期间all梅设定提及。
*梅瑟莫全程蛇尾人身！注意！
*孕期性行为，泌乳描写，蛇产卵与卡蛋情节。Bookmarked by the17thmuse
06 Oct 2024
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"Be nice to Kood." He said seriously, "The Fire Knights have accompanied me through countless years and have long been a part of my flesh and blood. If you want to do anything to them, you might as well come at me."
"They are all part of you, except me." The Tarnished One bit Messmer's finger gently, "I really want to chop them into pieces and make raw meatballs to see if you enjoy eating them."
Messmer sighed: "If that happens, you will still be the one who is jealous."
The Tarnished One's eyes widened, and he was speechless for a moment.
Messmer asked: "There are so many people around me, but you are the only one who has nothing to do with me. In terms of seniority, you can only start as a new recruit in my legion. Do you admit it?"
The Tarnished One's teeth were nearly broken.
Messmer asked again, "Who is my husband now?"
"Me!"
“Who is the father of my child?”
"Me!"
"Then what are you not satisfied with?" Messmer continued, "Kood and the others should be crying out 'unfair' in their dreams. It's miserable enough for the knights who can't defend their lord, and you, the winner, want to settle accounts with them again?"
The Tarnished One blinked his eyes, and suddenly felt confused. The water in the bathroom must be too hot, making him dizzy, and making him feel that what Messmer said seemed to make sense... right? No? ... right???
"Besides." Messmer raised his arm with some effort and gently touched the wound on the side of the faded man's neck that he had bitten himself. "I dare to make the most favorable decision for myself, isn't it because I am sure that you love me?" He raised his eyes, his eyelashes were wet with moisture, "Do you want to shatter this belief that you have built with great difficulty with your own hands?"
The Tarnished One was completely speechless.
Messmer kissed the wound and whispered in his ear: "Now, what should you say to your wife who has worked so hard to give birth to your children?"
"...Thank you?" The Tarnished One almost bit his tongue.
"Louder," Messmer put his arm around his neck, "I'm about to fall asleep."
The Tarnished One could only say "thank you" in a clear voice, and then kissed Messmer so hard that he couldn't breathe.
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Tags
Summary
王装死完结篇，本该如此，总之算是告一段落的篇章
总之因为某些事被蟹师打至跪地写了一些拉灯后续，在铲了敬请期待
这本会二刷，具体见noteSeries
- Part 16 of 老头环
- Part 5 of Echo of Millenia
Bookmarked by the17thmuse
06 Oct 2024
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"What about when you die? Do your responsibilities and obligations only apply when you are alive?"
"I'd like to, but I can't. Or you can turn me into spirit ashes or something after I'm gone." He spread his hands to Messmer, showing his body to the passing crowd.
The god lowered his eyes, as if he was looking at him with his golden pupil, and said in a low voice: "Your soul will not be able to enter the cycle of life."
"Just make it into special spirit ashes. Even though the soul has dissipated, I think at least the body will still have the instinct to fight."
"Ring the bell when you need to fight?"
The Tarnished One smiled and shrugged. "Yes, if you don't want to see my face, you can make it into a doll or something like that. It's just a shell that carries my battle memories and experience. There's no need for fancy decorations. But at least leave me a set of heavy armor. This way I'll live a little longer."
"There are no more spirit tuners here," Messmer reminded him.
The Faded One smiled and said, "As the descendant of the most powerful spirit tuner in the Lands Between, you should know what to do, right?"
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Summary
Sephiroth was a good SOLDIER. He was always on time, he did what he was told, and without complaining. Even when Glenn and the others defected, Sephiroth didn't even let out a single grumble.
How, then, could this single bubbly ghost make him leave it all behind?Meanwhile, Cloud Strife is running. Like he always does.
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 226,761
- Chapters:
- 39/39
- Comments:
- 1,837
- Kudos:
- 836
- Bookmarks:
- 189
- Hits:
- 29,254
Bookmarked by the17thmuse
01 Oct 2024
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“Cloud?”
“Yeah?”
He wasn’t sure what to expect. He wasn’t sure what Sephiroth was thinking, either. Truthfully, he brought him here to make a point. A point about regret, about guilt. He wasn’t sure if it was made in the end, but he definitely didn’t expect the question that came out of those trembling lips right after.
“Can you hold me again, please?”
Sephiroth. Asking to be held. He forced himself to smile, and it was easier than it usually was. “Sure. Come here.”
The moment his arms spread, Sephiroth rushed into them, his own coming up and hugging Cloud’s neck. “I never wanted to be a hero,” he said, his whole chest heaving as he spoke. “I just wanted to learn more about my mother and live a normal life.”
Cloud sighed, holding him a little tighter.
No wonder Aerith sent him here. This was Sephiroth, the son of Calamity, and he was confessing his want for normalcy through sobbing tears while pleading for a damn hug.
“Her name wasn’t even Jenova,” he wailed. “Did she even look like the picture Professor Hojo gave me?”
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Summary
An Astrologer Tarnished, tired of killing, quits the Lands Between to pursue Miquella's dream of a better world. After an act of empathy that may be her undoing, she finds herself a captive of the Shadowkeep and the Serpent Lord that rules it.
A monster story.
Bookmarked by the17thmuse
23 Sep 2024
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He narrowed his eye at her, snapping harshly, “What brought thee to these Lands of Umbra?”
She stared at him, her lips paused open, fighting over the truth until finally she admitted,
“Love.”
Messmer laughed out loud; a bitter, mirthless sound, “Thou wilt not find it here.” The Tarnished narrowed her eyes at him. “Perhaps. I imagine you burned a great deal of that down too."
The corner of his lip turned in so many layers of emotion he could barely divide them, “Take thee caution," he threatened. The Tarnished stood unmoved from her place where she had paused just inside the door, not daring a step forward since they had closed behind her. After several full minutes of silence, he relented, hissing a deep, strained sigh.
Gathering himself through his exhaustion, he stalked towards the great pale chair before him; its golden leaves long turned to dust. The Astrologer's eyes followed Messmer closely as he strode nearer to her end of the hall. His gait was graceful yet stiff. Studied, she observed. He forced purpose into his steps to sleight the eye away from the pain beneath his flesh. She watched the way he shifted his weight unevenly as he walked; he moved as if every step were upon broken glass, yet he’d learned to live through the agony of his afflicted body.
Even a dozen feet away he towered from above, nearly twice the length of her. She set her eye on his left shoulder beneath his sash, wincing in pity. For all his height, he was thin and malformed in the spine and shoulder, his arms and chest forced forward at a sickened angle. She could see he worked to hold himself straight as he walked, limping ever so slightly towards the bend he concealed in his spine. Shorn of his armor and layers of mantle, she saw now he was partly hunchbacked where his serpents pierced his body, their ever moving bodies disappearing into the pleats sewn carefully in his clothes. Her heart sank. The babe at Marika's breast, she recalled, was depicted flawlessly. She wondered if he had commissioned the statue himself.
“Continue,” he ordered stiffly, picking up a ewer of wine to inspect the contents he’d dressed inside. Messmer felt her eyes travel him. He did not see her expression, and turned his mind away from his serpents so he would not have the look on her face in his mind. Even after countless years, it never not hurt. Let them stare, he once told his mother after a particularly disastrous court in Leyndell, You will be their beauty. I will play the beast. He felt her watch as he took a set of iron tongs from the table.
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Summary
In defiance of death. In defiance of light. In defiance of space. In defiance of time. Void: potential without limit. To recreate. To undo the mistakes of the past. To alter the course of history. To rewrite the past, there is no cost too great.
Tell me you will live through this and I will die for you.
Through trick of void or twist of fate, the Hollow Knight is sent back to the beginning, to a time when Hallownest had yet to fall. To save themselves. To change their own destiny. And perhaps to grant Hallownest a kinder fate as well...
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Bookmarked by the17thmuse
20 Sep 2024
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“You called them Knight of Deepnest,” Hornet said, rubbing one eye. She looked groggy. She probably did sleep most of the trip. No wonder the bag was so heavy.
“We did. You are siblings?”
“We are,” Hornet chirped.
“I was not given to understand that the Beast had more than one offspring,” Paradoxa commented quietly. She did not come down from the thrones, and they wondered if it was because the injuries she had were yet to heal. Though it had been over a month, without molting, some injuries simply took a very long time to recover from – even with the aid of natural resources like hot springs.
Not for them, though. The only lasting injuries they’d ever possessed were ones that were self-inflicted… and the scar from where she’d nearly burst straight out of their body. The rest had healed over quite nicely, truth be told.
“We have the same father,” Hornet explained, climbing out of the bag. Doing so revealed how fragile her carapace yet was and one of the lords knelt down to help her, as if in instinct. Children did tend to inspire that in others. Hornet took her hand, gingerly, not knowing that the Mantis Lords were naturally the enemy of her people, and she continued, “But my mother is fond of them too.”
“The same father. The King?” Coronata asked, looking their way. They did not respond. They didn’t need to, though, for she continued, “The exiles speak of you as a messenger of the royal house but I did not dare believe that you actually were … let alone the King’s offspring. He has never spoken of any heirs.”
That was because they were not his heir. They were not his child. The Pure Vessel might one day be accepted enough to gain that title, but they never would.
Their father was dead in a nightmare of his own creation.
The reminder stung.
-
Commander by happywalrider
Fandoms: Elden Ring (Video Game), Shadow of the Erdtree - Fandom
19 Sep 2024
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Summary
Messmer finds himself continuing a rather florid love affair with his closest friend and commander, Gaius.
Bookmarked by the17thmuse
19 Sep 2024
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Messmer had not turned his back on Gaius, despite his kind being detested. An Albinauric, his legs failing to work. He had tamed instead a wild boar as a mount, the creature of such great size, it was a wonder Gaius tamed it at all. Messmer admired him for his prowess in battle, and his genuine adoration for Messmer and his men. The Hornsent were no friend of Gaius, seeing as their persecution spread also to the Albinaurics. Gaius was not seen as a human, nor Hornsent. But rather as an abomination, not much unlike Messmer himself.
Messmer had fashioned him prosthetics for his legs. Gaius was a man of great height and weight, rippled muscles of war and training held him firm and prideful. He seldom used the prosthetics, as he gimped terribly with them as he adjusted to his own weight, like a child learning to take its first steps. But he wore them on nights when Messmer summoned him. If only just to make it to his quarters.
"A great boar," said Messmer, donned in his armor from head to feet. Gaius always found it silly how exposed Messmer left himself. He was a tall, slender man with muscles enough to wield his spear, but still lithe, like a dancer. His back arched, he still loomed a great, tall being.
"You mock me, friend." Gaius grinned. "And my boar."
"Mock thee I do not," countered Messmer, "instead I pride thee on thine battle prowess. It seemeth. . . unorthodox. As is thine use of gravity."
"You admire me," said Gaius, "you may say it."
"Mayeth I?" Messmer chuckled, surprised at the smile that pulled at his lips. He could not remember the last time he had smiled. But his friend and loyal commander could pull it from him.
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Summary
Ajax.
Agent.
Tartaglia.
Childe....Mother.
As someone who has gone through so many things and hardships, one would've thought he'd be able to handle this new phase of his life. But when Zhongli momentarily leaves their home for a business trip in Sumeru, Childe realizes just how terrifying everything is. Especially when he is an incapable mother and the Adepti is ready to rip him away from his child.
.
(the turbulence beneath the calm water is always the most dangerous.)
Series
- Part 1 of the port, the sea, and the sun
Bookmarked by the17thmuse
15 Sep 2024
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“We might not see eye-to-eye, Master Childe but my wariness of you stems from the fact that you are still a Harbinger who is loyal to Snezhnaya Archon and nothing more than that.” Xiao unexpectedly says. “As Master’s Yaksha, I am wary of your loyalty to Tsaritsa, but I never harbor any ill-intent or any further disapproval of you, Master Childe.” He quietly explains. “If anything, I want you to be well and healthy for Master and Young Master’s sake.” The Yaksha adds as he puts the tray beside him. “Would you like me to fetch Master, Master Childe?”
“No.” He immediately says. “I might be a failure of a mother, but the least I can do is to let Zhongli work in peace until his return.”
“As you wish, but please tell me if you need Master, Master Childe.” Xiao responds. “And in my opinion, you have been trying your best too, Master Childe and Young Master will always need his mother, so please take care of yourself.”
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“Ekaterina, I want to go. Here, in Liyue.”
It is then that Ekaterina bursts into tears, and it is the first time he has seen her cry, and it makes him feel terrible.
In which Childe tries to say goodbye to the god that does not love him.
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Bookmarked by the17thmuse
13 Sep 2024
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“You are very ill, harbinger,” Baizhu says. “You have the hanahaki disease.”
“I’ve never heard of it.” Childe despairs at how wheezy he sounds.
“I would expect so,” Baizhu continues, “because it is very ancient and very rare. Although we are still unsure of the specific conditions in which it thrives, there hasn’t been a case in several hundred years.”
“Please elaborate.”
“It is said to be a disease of the soul. When one falls utterly, almost traumatically in love — a love that is so vast and destructive it can break you. And it will, if it is unrequited. If it remains unrequited.”
Between the incessant and growing scratchiness in his throat and the muddled state of his mind, Childe can barely begin to understand Baizhu’s words.
“Harbinger, if there is someone you love so much, now is the time to tell them.”
---
It seems only natural that Childe should fall victim to such a strange ailment.
He has always known, always been told, that there was something not right about him.
According to Baizhu, the only cure was to have the other party — Zhongli, Rex Lapis — reciprocate his feelings.
If not, Childe would slowly asphyxiate to death.
If the confession of his feelings was not reciprocated, Childe would immediately asphyxiate.
The battle was long lost before it had been fought, and Childe found himself laughing at the irony of everything as he lay languidly in his bed, staring at the blurry ceiling of his apartment.
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“Will you kill me?” he found himself asking.
“No,” came the immediate reply. “I only kill those that is required of my job, and those that deserve it.”
“Will you, though? And can you make it quick? I don’t want it to hurt for too long – I just want it over with.”~
Bennett gets separated from his adventuring party, gets kidnapped by Fatui defects turned mercenaries, and gets rescued by a rogue warrior. They journey from the heights of Qingce to the boarders of Liyue Harbor, and along the way discover that there is more to this world than the loneliness they feel, and what it means to be home.
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Bookmarked by the17thmuse
12 Sep 2024
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“And I get it, Mr. Zhongli was only following the orders of his archon, but so was Ajax. None of it was a lie to him – going out to dinners and lunches and watching operas, and listening to Zhongli’s lectures. Except then apparently it was all just a lie – since Zhongli practically dropped him after the incident. Can you imagine that? Being friends with someone you genuinely liked, and found out in the end you were only friends because you were a convenient scapegoat for his grand plan?
“Did you know Ajax was willing to let it slide? He stayed in Liyue Harbor even after everyone hated him and got accused of being the one responsible for stirring trouble. But he endured that, if it meant he could keep Zhongli as a friend. And now imagine after all that, he still got tossed aside. He only left after he got reassigned.
“I’ll tell you – it sucks. It sucks being the one left behind. Being the one hated for a reason that you didn’t even know better. It sucks to know that the genuine friendship you were offering is tossed in your face like it doesn’t matter – because you weren’t useful anymore. So yeah, he got rid of the ridiculously expensive chopsticks eventually.
“Because who’d want the constant reminder of the man who you thought loved you back and discarded you when you weren’t part of his plans anymore?”
Bennett felt like he was projecting in the last bit there, but he was genuinely frustrated at how people looked at Ajax. He wanted them to know – if even a fraction – of the hurt that Ajax must’ve felt being in that situation. Even though there were no mini-second silences, he knows everyone heard him, even Xiaobo who was sitting at a distance.
“He…loved him?” Xingqiu asked quietly.
“I thought it was obvious,” Bennett asked drily, “you guys mentioned everyone knew of them. They were literally dating in the open. Ajax was paying.”
“And Zhongli promptly forgot about him after everything,” Hu Tao sighed, theatrically shaking her head, “yeah, I’d toss the chopsticks too, after all that. It’s why I never blamed Childe after everything. I may not have had a direct hand in everything, but Zhongli is my consultant, and therefore my responsibility.”
“Ajax loved Liyue Harbor. He loved everything about it. He would sometimes tell me about this inane fact about gems or minerals or some outdated tea brewing practice, and I could tell it was love for Liyue and its culture.”
“It was also probably his love for Zhongli,” Hu Tao smiled, “but I suppose that matters little now. Master Childe is now back in the Harbor, and apparently he’s moved on. He’s certainly making new friends, though I suppose no new romances.”