Character Lore - Tumblr Posts
GT 2023 Day 11: Demonic + Day 12: Haunted
Isn't it irony how I come from a Christian family yet some of my OC lore has stuff to do with religious trauma, Yokai, Witchcraft (all stories for another day) and Demons?
With that aside, I'm feeling nice tonight so just take some quick OC explanations;
Chad (left) - Definitely-normal-guy (actually a demon) who lives at the local haunted street in a currently unnamed town, befriends someone (on the right) to help them uncover secrets about said town. Described as a very laid-back but snarky guy.
Richie (Right) - Superstituous human male who unintentionally lures in the presence of many entities who reside in and outside of his (unnamed) hometown. Described as a spunky, confident and kind, though socially awkward, guy.
Character stories may not be final so I might add some changes in the future if I choose. Both characters belong to me!
The 4.2 livestream was fucking insane and I'm going to talk about it. SPOILERS FOR GENSHIN IMPACT 4.2 LIVESTREAM FOR THOSE WHO HAVEN'T SEEN IT YET!
Okay, so as I already speculated, Focalors is playing pretend. The livestream tells us that when an NPC(?) asks why Furina deceived them.
WHICH IS A GOOD FUCKING QUESTION- what reason does furina have to be a liar? And from what it seems, Neuvillette isn't involved in this "play"
We know Furina will go on trial- Neuvillette seems very upset and recalls something. Could he be recalling more of the prophecy? Could he be recalling something from 500 years ago?? I NEED ANSWERS I AM FUCKINH IMPATIENT.
"You are a devious one, Focalors" - Neuvillette, which is why I stated that it's safe to assume he had no part in Furina's lies- maybe he just played a role in Focalors' drama, but clearly he was not aware.
"Everyone's dead" "...papa what should I do"
WHO THE FUCK IS PAPA? Neuvi are you a dad? However- I don't recognize the voice of the character saying "Papa". Is it Furina? Navia?.....does Neuvi have a dad ?? The more I think about it the more I think Navia is saying it (Taylor's version) /j for all
AND THEN WE GET TO MEETING CHILDE'S MASTER? BRO SHE'S FINE AS FUCK. From her words it smells like she planned out this prophecy or she has a major part in it- especially since we're hopefully meeting her. I hope to fuck she's playable...she is hot. I have so many questions with this live stream, so much lore to get into. I never focused on genshin lore this seriously but because Fontaine is based off of France and I speak french I have an obligated strong interest in this nation's lore.
So what exactly are my thoughts? My theories are that there are three hydro archons, Furina...the oratrice, and Furina. In her gameplay you can see her outfits swap from white to black and vice versa. I think her white clothing is her archon abilities and her archon self present, and her black clothing is her original self- just a girl who has to act as the nation's all knowing God. It sounds weird for the oratrice to be an "Archon", but hear me out.
The oratrice probably holds some of the archon's power or consciousness, which is why trials need to happen in order for it to gain power. It has a mind of it's own, how? Is the gnosis there? In my mind, 1/3 of the hydro archon is there.
Another reason to why I think there are 3 archons is because at Lynette's lvl up material's boss, the robots dancing: There are 3 thrones that the archon would sit on. Why 3 specifically? RAHH I HOPE WE GET ANSWERS DURING THESE ARCHON QUESTS I NEED TO KNOW THIS SHIT!! ALSO! I will be pulling for c6 Furina on NA servers :) So I will def. post for that! And when I play the archon quest, hopefully that'll get me to write and draw. I need to....be given the LORE!
...No pressure to answer if you are not comfortable with it, but can I ask what you mean by "by pure technicality" on the bingo card?
~Connie @lovenpeace-pkmn
Actually, it's kinda funny how it happened.
Soooooo years ago when I was attending Pokemon Academy I applied for an innocent seeming entry-level job. It was a janitorial position at a casino...
.........that turned out to be owned by Team Rocket.
They were trying to expand their territory over here in Illona, but got busted (there are rumors the local evil team "Team Night" tipped them off). I and everyone else at the casino was questioned, because apparently Team Rocket listed all the casino employees as members of the organization. So TECHNICALLY I was, as far as Team Rocket was concerned, a low ranking member.
Luckily since I wasn't even aware of any of the illegal activities, I was free to go, but apparently some of the other casino workers were in on it???
Edit: Adding a tag in case failing to do so makes you miss it
@lovenpeace-pkmn
Why do you want to become a gym leader? You mentioned it’s because there aren’t many in your region, but are there any other reasons or do you feel like it’s your responsibility to fill the role if you can?
Sorry, my answer is going to be boring.
It's a good job. Relatively stable, too. Gym Leaders are highly respected, typically well paid and who doesn't want to be able to make a living off of Pokemon battling? Sure, I'll have to shell out money when I lose, but gym leaders generally make more than they lose. Wouldn't you want a job like that?
I know I wouldn't be RICH or anything like that (hence why many gym leaders have a second job) but it beats what I'm making now, and is more enjoyable overall. And if it ends up not paying my bills, I can pick up another gig on the side.
The whole thing would be an upgrade from my current job both in pay and enjoyment.
Sorry if that doesn't sound particularly soulful or inspiring.
Is this a bad time to mention I found out that the Illona Gym League I just joined is practically owned an evil team?
Alarming things are happening on my dashboard
How do you keep getting hired by evil teams 💀💀💀
I DON'T KNOW!
Though in this case it's less "hired" and more "it turns out the mob had the Pokemon League on their payroll all along"
And uh...the mob also owns the Police, the local politicians, the casinos, a bunch of really nice restaurants, and allegedly the contest hall (that last one's a rumor).
They just decided they're powerful enough to stop hiding it
Kinda explains a lot, actually. Especially why their leader just got selected as the gym leader in Ventosa.
Luckily from what I understand, the gym leaders themselves aren't actually part of the Team, but supposedly Luciano recruits through the gyms...and doesn't make offers you can refuse.
Also, Team Night thankfully doesn't really steal rare Pokemon like some other teams. They prefer to breed Pokemon for their needs. They mostly smuggle rare items
I'll explain more of what I know in a separate post.
I wouldn’t worry about it there’ll probably some kid rolling around that’ll beat you and then proceed to take down the whole team. In any case, is there anyone trying to stop them? Like the international police or… uh… I guess more kids.
That sounds great, but it would actually suck big time if that happens. The problem is, Team Night, while criminal, is generally viewed in a favorable light due to the fact they keep the other, worse evil teams out of Illona.
Remember how I talked about accidentally getting hired to work at a Team Rocket Casino? Team Night got rid if them, and it wasn't the first time. Luciano's team is tailored to take down Giovanni if needed.
When Team Plasma tried to spread their influence here, Team Night drove them out. When ex-Team Flare grunts tried to flee to here, Team Night sought them out and kept them from trying anything.
They also keep out less well known teams like Team Burrow, Team Rust, Team Nuclear, and others. A LOT of teams have tried to come over here.
If Team Night gets taken down, we're actually MORE screwed, because several teams will take their place.
...Also they outright refuse to fight kids.
Good news: I'm officially Illona's first Dark Type Gym Leader!
Concerning news: There were waiting for me in my new gym
....Is he trying to recruit me or flirt with me?
Character Lore: Smiley
Trigger warning: Suicide, abuse, neglect, alcohol abuse, murder. Its not like horrific but I have no idea how the average person feels about such topic so I’m warning anyway
Twenty six years before Ash fell through the veil in the cardboard house, a girl named Hailey lived in its parallel.
Hailey was afflicted with horrible luck from birth, her mother dying during childbirth, and her father being a piece of shit.
Neglected since infancy, its a miracle she made it to the age of six, where she entered the first grade having missed kindergarten.
She was severely behind her peers in academics and social skills, getting bullied quite a bit for this.
Bitter and alone, she met her first and only friend. The silhouette of the small girl grinned up at her from the pavement.
Smiley outlasted the average imaginary friend, with Hailey insisting they were real until the age of eleven, when she learned that lying was the best route to staying out of trouble. She stopped talking about Smiley, but not to them. The two still maintained a close friendship.
Around this time, Hailey’s anger issues began to alienate her from others. She eventually learned that relying on anyone else was not the best idea.
And so this was life for five years, until the fateful day when Hailey was sixteen. Her father was home and angry and drunk out of his mind. He hit her, throwing her across the room. At this point something finally snapped in the girl’s head. She took a kitchen streakknife and stabbed her father with it.
(God that sounded like a creepy pasta murder, I will show myself into the bucket of tacks I belong in for writing those last two sentences)
Horrified, she turned the blade on herself, ignoring her friend’s pleas, and she took her life via her wrists, hence why Smiley wears those red leather cuffs
Two dying people and a a crumbling figment of the imagination must have been of interest for a younger deity who had crossed into the “real world” that night, intent on seeing it for themself.
The veil had thinned to such a degree allowing Smiley to stumble over, their last look at the world behind was of Hailey’s dying body.
Over their time there, a gateway had begun to root itself in the house, long known by neighborhood children as haunted. The “real world” house had fallen into disrepair, no one daring touch the place where such a tragedy occurred. On the other side of the gateway, through the veil, a broken home of cardboard and sadness had built itself, with Smiley still lingering on the other end, playing the children’s games of pretend she and Hailey used to play.
Fun facts about the character
•Hailey and Smiley had one stuffed rabbit growing up, and after a few years in the cardboard house, it appeared there too
• Camilla and Smiley are like sisters, Camilla taking her under her wing
• There is a long running dislike between Smiley and Clover, nobody knows why and they refuse to explain
•Smiley is the first character introduced in the dream world
•They love tea, especially fruity ones, by any of them are great
•While relatively small, they grow about an inch in early morning sunlight or late afternoon sunlight
•Their original voice made me lose mine for like a day it was super raspy
Im not even sure this will stay the same because I dont know if it’s allowed to be depicted in a cartoon
• Smiley used to always smile, hence their name. They gained the ability to frown and stuff upon moving to the Othwrworld
For a bit more info about each character:
Madeir is very nice and optimistic: often forgetting the harsher realities of the world and becoming sad as a result. She hates "bad" people, and loves baking. Her name is a pun on the dessert "Madeira". She is the resident fan-fic author of the group and absolutely has a thriving troll-tumblr blog. Incapable of hating people or truly being angry. Hype-man and cheerleader. Witch of heart.
Minnax is a major fucking nerd pretending to be cool and evil. He cosplays as his favourite word search mascot and spends all his time solving puzzles and telling riddles to his friends. He tries his hardest to act like an "evil villan", but he does not at all have the guts for it. Declared himself as Madeir's rival in an attempt to seem more evil. Thief of void.
Monoce has been briefly mentioned before in Pelagi's post, but I'm properly going to talk about her here! She's obsessed with winning, being number one, and generally being better than others: she is competitive as all hell and a cocky bastard who thinks she can fistfight god and win. She has a generally very short temper and hates being insulted (even though she insults others every chance she gets), and only Pelagi can insult her without her blowing up. She likes appearing as the lone-wolf and avoids connecting with others. Seer of hope.
Ranhya is the brains of the group and also mostly responsible for the plot. She has a habit of being stupidly cryptic and indirect; basically only ever answering in questions and never showing her emotions. Her speciality lies in psychology and personality, and she can be quite manipulative when she wants to be. Although she lacks empathy, she still cares for her friends and is the main one trying to fix things: she doesn't let her mistakes go easily. Do not get on her bad-side. Mage of mind.
Here's some more troll ocs with designs I'm happy with! Top left is Madeir Papato, top right is Minnax Verdzi, bottom left is Monoce Kerosz, and bottom right is Ranhya Aldeba!
I still have more, but I'm only posting these four for now since I don't think I'll change their designs at all.
Imagine an alien sharing a cool human fact they just learned like ”hey guys did you know that the silvery markings on humans actually aren’t true stripes? They’re called stretch marks, they happen when the human is growing fast enough to actually outgrow their skin, which is apparently something that just fucking happens to almost all of them at some point of their life.”
and another one is like ”wait so you’re saying humans don’t have stripes.”
”actually they do, but the stripes are invisible. There’s genetic code that’d give them stripes but they’re just the same colour as the rest of the skin. So the visible stripes are not real stripes and the real stripes are invisible.”
”I swear if you tell me one more weird human thing today I’m beating your ass.”
I did this little thing
Not going to tag which is which since it night =w=;
Issac, My OC
This ^^^ is Issac, son of MOTS. (Mother Of The Sea) He washed up on shore one day, with no memory of anything besides his name. Sometimes, when he can hear the shore in the distance, he has these weird dreams where he's underwater... and he feels like he's being hugged.. and there's a bright yellow light above him... he doesn't even remember what his own mother looks like... pity... (MOTS is a anglerfish deity, angler-mommy)
family photo, 1905
I bring to the table: art!! I've been in a decent lil funk lately, but here's some of the art I did today!!! I've been working on drawing more accurate portrayals of black individuals (do tell me if that's not the right way to phrase that, I genuinely don't know what anything is tbch) but here they are!
the first was my "practice" for a second larger peice (the second photo) where I was originally gonna make her hair look like either the ocean or the sky or smth, I'm not rlly remembering what I wanted to do w it, but I settled as using it in Oetn's lore
so right outside of the city you have,, a forest. so in that forest there is a THRIVING ecosystem - you have larger creatures like your masked (or whatever, none of these rlly have a name barring a few in particular, so these names aren't set in stone so you'll see em change eventually but for now I'm using descriptors as names), which is not rlly a species but a fungi! if you aren't properly prepared for the woods, you will get lost, and you will, in fact, get "masked" which is like, the fungi creating a "mask" and controlling you as a hive mind. the fungi does not go outside of the forest, thankfully. it doesn't seem to want to, which is weird, coz, y'know,,, it's a fungi, but fair enough ig. so it's not necessarily transferrable - if you're not in the forest, you're not getting infected but once youre inside, you're fair game.
and the way it does this is by convincing you that life will be better, that it has a lot to offer, don't you miss a sense of community?? (it often markets to merchants because they're rlly the only ones who go into the forest and come back safely - most merchants are kinda seperate from any community in particular which is why sometimes you will find a merchant or two with their masks (I'll draw the masks n stuff when I get up tomorrow, I reckon)) but I digress, so you have this one - the masked/infected, whatever.
and then you have the pjuvju, the krvr, creatures like that, the gatherers of the community, and I thought I had my concept art for them but it seems like I don't have it here, it will be posted later w the masks
uh and then you have creatures like the second and third photos! clever bastards - they, much like Melje's species - are ambushing predators; they lie in wait til something weak and tasty comes along and they drag it into the "bush", aka it's body and they devour it! they're easy to miss as they do look like ground covering or shrubbery! they are NOT a type of golem tho, as they are living breathing things that grow as they age. they look like bush,,, because they steal twigs and moss to look like bush.
anyways, that's all for my rambling about the ecosystem of Oetn (for now! keep your eyes peeled coz I adore writing about it)
OKAY!! I typed up some character lore for Lennon and Dimitri, but it was so long I had to break it into separate posts. 1/2
This story follows the friendship of Lennon and Dimitri as they take the world head on, trying to make music together. The story is based in Cambridge/Somerville Massachusetts in 2009.
Lennon McManus (born June 21, 1986) is the son of a retired rockstar. Len feels like he's living in his dad's shadow and has a lot to live up to. He swears that he'll be a better musician than his dad ever was. Lennon wants nothing to do with his dad, even going as far to change his last name so he won't be associated with him.
Lennon is an extremely talented musician, spending most of his time learning new instruments (or playing Call of Duty and Mortal Kombat). Lennon really doesn't even need anyone else to be in his band, he could literally just do the whole thing himself, but he falls short when it comes to writing lyrics. He thinks his lyrics suck, (and they kind of do). A lot of that comes from insecurity, he doesn't feel he's had enough life experience to write interesting lyrics.
Lennon dropped out of high school during his sophomore year. Education is kind of a sore topic for Lennon. He didn't care about school, but the dude lives down the street from Harvard University and there are so many great colleges in the Boston area. As he gets older, he'll always wonder what could've been if he put more effort in and finished high school.
While hanging out in the area, or walking through Harvard Yard, sometimes he'll be stopped by tourists asking for directions. He lives in the area so of course he knows where everything is, but will instead reply, "Do I look like I attend school here???!" while gesturing to his dirty band tee and ripped jeans. It's a bit upsetting when this happens.
Lennon's kind of lazy and gross and only cares about things he's interested in doing. Lennon's really just a little gremlin. At 23, he stills lives at home with his father in Somerville, MA. He can't drive despite being gifted a car for his 16th birthday, (his father is kind of rich) it's just been sitting in the driveway the whole time.
Check out the post about Dimitri here
Oc lore! 2/2 Check out the post on Lennon here
This story follows the friendship of Lennon and Dimitri as they take the world head on, trying to make music together. The story is based in Cambridge/Somerville Massachusetts in 2009.
Dimitri Wretzky (born October 3 1983) studied law at Boston University. After college, he didn't do anything with his degree and moved to Somerville, MA with his girlfriend Meg. (Don't worry about her, she's not relevant AT ALL... they break up before the comic starts). He's the type of person who constantly needs attention and is almost never without a girlfriend or boyfriend. (He's Bi).
Dimitri grew up in Lowell, MA and attended a Catholic high school, Unlike Lennon, Dimitri has a pretty decent relationship with his parents.
He's super smart, book smart and emotionally smart. He is a talented writer and poet and great at marketing himself and bringing ideas to life. He's big into punk and hardcore music, (though his parents think this means he only really listens to Green Day). Dimitri picked up the bass guitar cause he thought it'd be the easiest to learn... it was not easy. Lennon tries to help him out a lot and he's supposed to improve throughout the comic. While Lennon really cares about the music, Dimitri's just hyped up to be in a band and live that kind of life.
Dimitri believes nothing is accidental and everything he does has purpose. Everything has a reason behind it, even if he has to look a little deeper to find it's meaning.
Dimitri's world is shook when he meets Oli LaBlanc by accident one day. (I'm not gonna get too much into Oli right now, but just know he's a photographer/videographer and graphic designer from NY who is living in the Boston area for work)
The two hit it off right away and become quick friends... Maybe even more...
In a group of friends, Dimitri would probably be called the mom friend. He's kind and caring and his emotional intelligence gets him far. People love Dimitri for his friendly and upbeat demeanor and think he's the best looking of the group. He's the type of dude that could really get anything he wants out of life. Unfortunately, Dimitri has a streak of self sabotage.
Dimitri often puts others before him. His main priority is making sure his friends are happy and doing well, especially his best friend Lennon. The two of them work really well together, they're like perfect fitting but opposite puzzle pieces. They're two dudes you probably wouldn't expect to be friends by appearance alone.
Dimitri also picks up crochet at one point... But that's getting into spoiler territory. Heheheh
Oc lore! 2/2 Check out the post on Lennon here
This story follows the friendship of Lennon and Dimitri as they take the world head on, trying to make music together. The story is based in Cambridge/Somerville Massachusetts in 2009.
Dimitri Wretzky (born October 3 1983) studied law at Boston University. After college, he didn't do anything with his degree and moved to Somerville, MA with his girlfriend Meg. (Don't worry about her, she's not relevant AT ALL... they break up before the comic starts). He's the type of person who constantly needs attention and is almost never without a girlfriend or boyfriend. (He's Bi).
Dimitri grew up in Lowell, MA and attended a Catholic high school, Unlike Lennon, Dimitri has a pretty decent relationship with his parents.
He's super smart, book smart and emotionally smart. He is a talented writer and poet and great at marketing himself and bringing ideas to life. He's big into punk and hardcore music, (though his parents think this means he only really listens to Green Day). Dimitri picked up the bass guitar cause he thought it'd be the easiest to learn... it was not easy. Lennon tries to help him out a lot and he's supposed to improve throughout the comic. While Lennon really cares about the music, Dimitri's just hyped up to be in a band and live that kind of life.
Dimitri believes nothing is accidental and everything he does has purpose. Everything has a reason behind it, even if he has to look a little deeper to find it's meaning.
Dimitri's world is shook when he meets Oli LaBlanc by accident one day. (I'm not gonna get too much into Oli right now, but just know he's a photographer/videographer and graphic designer from NY who is living in the Boston area for work)
The two hit it off right away and become quick friends... Maybe even more...
In a group of friends, Dimitri would probably be called the mom friend. He's kind and caring and his emotional intelligence gets him far. People love Dimitri for his friendly and upbeat demeanor and think he's the best looking of the group. He's the type of dude that could really get anything he wants out of life. Unfortunately, Dimitri has a streak of self sabotage.
Dimitri often puts others before him. His main priority is making sure his friends are happy and doing well, especially his best friend Lennon. The two of them work really well together, they're like perfect fitting but opposite puzzle pieces. They're two dudes you probably wouldn't expect to be friends by appearance alone.
Dimitri also picks up crochet at one point... But that's getting into spoiler territory. Heheheh
OKAY!! I typed up some character lore for Lennon and Dimitri, but it was so long I had to break it into separate posts. 1/2
This story follows the friendship of Lennon and Dimitri as they take the world head on, trying to make music together. The story is based in Cambridge/Somerville Massachusetts in 2009.
Lennon McManus (born June 21, 1986) is the son of a retired rockstar. Len feels like he's living in his dad's shadow and has a lot to live up to. He swears that he'll be a better musician than his dad ever was. Lennon wants nothing to do with his dad, even going as far to change his last name so he won't be associated with him.
Lennon is an extremely talented musician, spending most of his time learning new instruments (or playing Call of Duty and Mortal Kombat). Lennon really doesn't even need anyone else to be in his band, he could literally just do the whole thing himself, but he falls short when it comes to writing lyrics. He thinks his lyrics suck, (and they kind of do). A lot of that comes from insecurity, he doesn't feel he's had enough life experience to write interesting lyrics.
Lennon dropped out of high school during his sophomore year. Education is kind of a sore topic for Lennon. He didn't care about school, but the dude lives down the street from Harvard University and there are so many great colleges in the Boston area. As he gets older, he'll always wonder what could've been if he put more effort in and finished high school.
While hanging out in the area, or walking through Harvard Yard, sometimes he'll be stopped by tourists asking for directions. He lives in the area so of course he knows where everything is, but will instead reply, "Do I look like I attend school here???!" while gesturing to his dirty band tee and ripped jeans. It's a bit upsetting when this happens.
Lennon's kind of lazy and gross and only cares about things he's interested in doing. Lennon's really just a little gremlin. At 23, he stills lives at home with his father in Somerville, MA. He can't drive despite being gifted a car for his 16th birthday, (his father is kind of rich) it's just been sitting in the driveway the whole time.
Check out the post about Dimitri here
THE PAST LIVES OF HAESEOL KIM
⌗ ︙ A DESTINY WOVEN FROM ABOVE
➛ The love was there. It didn't change anything. It didn't save anyone. There were just too many forces against it, but what matters is that the love was there.
TRIGGER WARNING: violence, death, famine, sickness, murder, blood etc.
"Your heart and my heart are very, very old friends."
### TALE: TEARS OF THE MOON
In a small but thriving village that lay in the land of Mamic—long before it was known as a Kingdom—there lived a girl named Yueliang. She came from a humble and happy home, the second eldest daughter of a blacksmith father and a seamstress mother. Her older brother was the assistant to the village's head doctor. Despite this modest upbringing, Yueliang always knew she was different.
Her grandmother, Han-Yi, now old and blind, had sensed it the night Yueliang was born during a violent storm. "You are a Yang, child," Han-Yi had whispered one day, squeezing Yueliang's small hand. Back then, Han-Yi wasn’t blind, and they often walked together to the river during the day. "It is your destiny to fight the other half. The Yin." Yueliang, with the curiosity of a child, had many questions, but Han-Yi either hushed her or brushed them aside.
From that moment, Han-Yi began training Yueliang in secret. She taught her all she knew about Mana, guiding her toward realizing her untapped potential, despite their limited resources. It was essential, Han-Yi emphasized, that Yueliang's powers remain hidden. "You are the Yin's mortal enemy," Han-Yi would say, gripping her shoulders tightly, her voice laced with fear. "The only one capable of defeating them. If they knew you existed, they would stop at nothing to kill you. Fate doesn't care if you wanted this or not. You must fight. Destroying the Yin is the only way to bring peace."
The summer Yueliang turned sixteen, her brother died from a spreading illness that had come from another town. His body, like the others, had to be burned to prevent the sickness from spreading further. Yueliang had never seen her mother so devastated, unable to even bring him home for a proper funeral. Three years later, Han-Yi lost her sight.
One night, as Yueliang’s mother brushed and braided her hair with trembling hands, Yueliang asked softly, "Mother... would you be sad if I was gone?" The village had just sent a merchant’s daughter with black hair as a bride to the Emperor, though everyone knew she was a sacrifice to appease a monstrous demon rumored to live in the mountains.
Her mother's voice shook as she answered, "Of course, my dear. Your father and I would be so sad without you. You are our whole world." Yueliang sensed that her mother understood the dangerous path that lay before her daughter.
Yueliang turned and smiled, linking her pinkie finger with her mother's. "Then I'll become so strong that no one will have to be sad anymore. I’ll find a way to change this world for the better." From that day, Yueliang vowed to embrace the one thing that could change her fate and save everyone: love.
Yueliang continued living in her village, growing in her magical abilities. She learned to channel, manipulate, and balance her Mana into forms of light, mastering the art of healing. Despite her grandmother’s warnings, Yueliang often used her powers to help the sick and injured, believing it was her duty to aid those in need, like her brother once did.
Tragedy struck when Han-Yi fell gravely ill. As her grandmother lay on her deathbed, she beckoned Yueliang closer and squeezed her hand. "Do you know why I lost my sight, child?" she asked weakly.
"N-No," Yueliang stammered, her eyes brimming with tears.
"Because I saw what awaited you in the future and chose to change its course." Han-Yi slipped a hairpin into Yueliang’s hand, crafted from magical stones found in the caves. The pin was gold, adorned with a jeweled white flower. Han-Yi leaned in and whispered her final words into Yueliang's ear.
Years passed, and Yueliang was now twenty-three. She wore the hairpin her grandmother had given her, dressed in garments fit for an imperial concubine—the same attire the merchant’s daughter had worn before being sent as a sacrifice. Yueliang had volunteered herself in place of a younger girl with black hair and porcelain skin, knowing she could not let the child be sent to die.
As she ascended the mountain, Yueliang could still hear the desperate cries of her parents, begging her to come back. She knew they would never forgive her, but she hoped they would one day understand why she had to face her destined enemy, the Yin.
Yueliang’s enemy was a man named Zhongyuan, a monstrous figure and tyrant. He was feared for his madness and bloodshed and for the black-haired girls he had slain. When Yueliang finally stood before him, she fought to keep her fear at bay. She knew she had to offer something that would appeal to him more than death.
“Help me end this eternal cycle of Yin and Yang and create an era of peace,” she proposed.
For six years, Yueliang and Zhongyuan moved from enemies to allies to lovers. Yueliang immersed herself in Zhongyuan’s vast library, learning more about Mana and refining her combat skills. Over time, Zhongyuan’s cruel nature softened under Yueliang’s influence. He became more insightful and empathetic, the hatred that had once fueled his actions slowly diminishing in the light of Yueliang’s love.
Yueliang’s unwavering kindness and her desire to heal and help others deeply touched Zhongyuan. He saw in her a genuine wish to change the world, a dream she couldn't achieve without his help. They fought together, laughed together, and learned together, convinced that their love had broken the eternal curse of their fated battle.
But fate, relentless and unforgiving, had other plans.
One fateful day, Yueliang fell under a powerful spell, becoming a puppet in her own body, compelled to harm the man she loved. Zhongyuan's blood was on her hands, her radiant arrow piercing his heart and lung. Yueliang cradled him as he bled out, tears streaming down her face as she begged him not to leave, desperate to find a way to save him.
Zhongyuan, struggling to breathe, tried to wipe away her tears. “Yueliang…” he whispered, his voice weak. He had seen her give everything, never asking for anything in return, not even from him. In his final moments, he wanted to give her something that was truly hers.
“My love. My pain. Even my very last breath, all of it is yours.”
After that day, Yueliang disappeared. It is rumored that Zhongyuan was buried in an unmarked grave beneath the large tree where Yueliang’s arrow struck him—the same tree where they had professed their love to one another three years prior. Some say that Yueliang visits the tree, praying for Zhongyuan’s peace in the afterlife and hoping they will be reunited in the next life and all the ones to follow.
"The mind forgets but the heart will always remember. And what is the heart's memory but love itself." - Twan Eg Tan.
### TALE: THE SIYO & THREE BROTHERS
Centuries passed, and the cycle repeated with the arrival of the Siyo Goddess and The Great Sun.
Long ago, the three brothers, known as The Three Great Spirits, waged a fierce war over control of the world, spreading destruction and chaos. In their father’s desperation, Hae-Ri Jin, the Siyo Goddess, was sent to bring peace. She was the embodiment of water, the calm to their fiery spirits. To save them from their rage, she made the ultimate sacrifice: offering her blood to Tae-Mu Ryeong, the eldest and strongest, while giving her eyes and hands to the other two brothers. Yet their greed overcame them, and they tore her apart in their thirst for more.
As punishment, their father, the Almighty God, cursed them all. Tae-Mu Ryeong, the Great Sun Spirit, was doomed to endure an eternal thirst—no drink, no food, no life force could ever satisfy him. The curse was unyielding, and God spoke these words to seal the fates of his three sons: "The one Siyo that offers up their life for your agony shall become the master of your pain. Their sacrifice shall bind you to them, and you will carry their mark until your final breath."
"I've loved you all my life, even before we met. Part of it wasn't even you. It was the promise of you." - Li-Young Lee.
### TALE: THE STORY OF BAYAN & DHAN (Elixir Of The Sun - Manhwa)
The Dark Siyo, those with black hair, carried the true legacy of the Goddess, though the world had forgotten their worth. Over the centuries, the Silver Siyo rose in prominence, imposters who had cannibalized the original Siyo to gain their powerful healing abilities through consuming their blood. The Dark Siyo, seen as powerless, were cast out and shunned.
Among them was Bayan, a woman whose fate seemed sealed from birth. Her mother, Rangbi, had once been a revered shaman, known for her foresight and wisdom, before her pregnancy with Bayan made her an outcast. Rangbi, blind from the sacrifice of her sight to forge divination orbs for Bayan (made from her blood), was eventually poisoned by the village elders, dying in her daughter's arms. Yet despite Bayan's vow of revenge, it was Rangbi's final wish that her daughter escape to a future beyond the village.
Bayan was sent to the court of Emperor Dhan, the current descendant of Tae-Mu Ryeong, cursed with an insatiable bloodlust. Every concubine brought to him met the same fate—slaughtered by his thirst. Yet when Dhan tasted Bayan’s blood, it soothed the madness within him. Her blood, unlike the others, was a balm to his eternal thirst. In time, Bayan became more than just a concubine. Dhan saw in her the same calming force that Hae-Ri Jin had been for his ancestor.
Their connection deepened, and Dhan began to groom Bayan to be his Hae-Gae, his guardian, his Empress. He taught her to write, allowed her to read official doctrines, and shared the intricacies of ruling the empire. Bayan, once worthless in the eyes of her people, became essential to Dhan, both for his survival and his heart.
But even as their bond grew, Dhan was unaware of the prophecy’s full weight. He did not know that Bayan’s ultimate sacrifice was the only way to break the curse that tormented him. That moment came when poisoned ceremonial wine sent Dhan into a violent blood rage. In his madness, he attacked Bayan.
Despite the agony, Bayan did not run. She embraced him, letting him sink his teeth into her, tearing at her neck as he drank her blood. She endured his violence, knowing that her sacrifice would be the key to his salvation. As her body grew cold in his arms, Dhan’s madness ebbed, leaving him alone with the horror of what he had done.
Dhan wept over Bayan’s body, bloodied and lifeless in his embrace. He pulled out the divination orbs she had carried, swallowing one himself and placing the other in her mouth, urging her to swallow even in death. The prophecy was fulfilled—Bayan’s sacrifice had made her the master of his pain. The curse was broken, their souls bound together in life and beyond.
But instead of dying, Bayan survived, saved by the child she unknowingly carried, the life within her rekindling her strength. Dhan and Bayan were now forever bound—in thought, in emotion, in pain, in love. His suffering was hers, his joys and sorrows intertwined with hers. Everything that was his—his love, his pain, even his final breath—belonged to her.
---
Years passed, and after they both lived long lives, Dhan and Bayan found themselves at the threshold of the afterlife. The weight of time had come for them, their bodies old, but their bond unbroken.
As they stood together in the quiet of the afterlife, Bayan wrapped her arms around him
"Does Your Majesty wish to meet again in our next lives?" she asked softly, her voice carrying the weight of eternity.
Dhan chuckled, leaning into her embrace. “Of course. Were you considering abandoning me?”
Bayan smiled, resting her head against his chest. “No. When the time comes, I'll be your master once more.” Her voice was steady, filled with promise. “Your love. Your pain. Even your very last breath, please give them all to me.”
Dhan held her closer, a warmth spreading through him even in the stillness of the afterlife. "They are all yours, Bayan."
"And when you asked me how long for I have been in love with you, I realized I didn't know the answer. After all those years I just stopped counting, because my love for you seems timeless."- Jhon Grisham
### THE MODERN ERA: THE SHAMAN & THE PRODIGY
In every life, Haeseol and Tae-Jun have been bound by fate, their connection always marked by blood and sacrifice. From ancient enemies-turned-lovers like Yueliang and Zhongyuan, to the tragic romance of Hae-Ri Jin slain by the Tae-Mu-Ryeong that inevitably led to the violence of Bayan giving her life to save Dhan from his madness -- the weight of their shared history follows them. In this life, their bond is reignited when Tae-Jun nearly dies and Haeseol, harboring a secret, saves him once again.
Haeseol Kim, revered as a shaman, is the center of her community's devotion. Raised under her grandmother’s teachings, she is seen as a living deity, often surrounded by gifts and admiration. But her serene public image masks a dark truth: she is not entirely human. Born of a human hybrid, chiropteran queen, Haeseol’s blood is vampiric, passed down from her birth mother. It’s this very blood that saves Tae-Jun when he is fatally injured. In doing so, she transforms him into her chevalier —a protector forever bound to her through blood.
This transformation is not just physical—it ties Tae-Jun to her in every possible way. He becomes hyper-aware of her presence, able to feel her emotions, hear her heartbeat, and sense her every need. His life is tethered to hers, and Haeseol's vampiric hunger can now only be sated by his blood. Though it brings him unimaginable power, Tae-Jun’s new existence is suffused with the weight of eternal servitude, echoing the tragedies of their past lives where love was inseparable from loss.
Yet, this time around, their relationship is fraught with complications. Tae-Jun Park, once a feared and arrogant taekwondo prodigy, has spent his life bullying others into submission. Known for his prodigious martial arts skills, Tae-Jun's reputation is as imposing as his strength. But while others shy away from his aggressive nature, Haeseol stands firm. She hates bullies with a passion and has never hesitated to confront Tae-Jun head-on, calling him out on his behavior. In her eyes, he embodies everything she detests.
Their rivalry is constant, with Tae-Jun antagonizing her whenever he can, pushing her buttons just to see her reaction. Haeseol, on the other hand, refuses to back down, often matching his intensity with her own sharp wit and disdain. Despite their clashes, there’s an unspoken recognition between them—something neither can fully deny. While Tae-Jun exudes arrogance, secretly, he respects Haeseol’s strength and resilience. She’s the only one who stands up to him, and somewhere in the midst of their bickering, he can’t help but admire her.
For Haeseol, dealing with Tae-Jun is infuriating. His arrogance grates on her, but at the same time, she sees glimpses of the person buried underneath the bravado—a fighter, yes, but also someone trapped by the expectations of his family and the weight of their legacy. Tae-Jun, too, carries his own burdens, constantly striving to step out of his parents' shadow, yearning for recognition on his own terms. His pushy attitude, though frustrating, is part of a deeper struggle for validation.
Their dynamic is an odd balance of frenemies, with both of them unwilling to admit that despite everything, they do care for each other in their own way. Tae-Jun may be an insufferable bully, but he also values Haeseol’s opinion more than anyone else’s, even if he won’t admit it. And Haeseol, for all her dislike of his behavior, can't deny that Tae-Jun has a deeper role in her life, one that goes beyond their present-day squabbles.
Bound now by the chiropteran blood and their shared past, their connection has never been more intense. Tae-Jun’s transformation may have made him Haeseol’s protector, but in truth, he’s always been drawn to her, whether as an adversary or something more. Their relationship, born of rivalry and sustained by centuries of intertwined lives, is now a fragile balance between confrontation and undeniable destiny. Whether they can break free from the cycle of blood and sacrifice that has followed them for lifetimes remains uncertain, but in this life, they stand a chance at forging something new—if they can ever stop arguing long enough to realize it.