#dancerliuposting

Liu is on the Aromantic/Asexual spectrum.

I ship him with Aki!!

Great Potoo birds are nocturnal, and Liu's sleep schedule is quite. Awful.

His best friends are Dmitri and Lotus!! He's like a weird cryptid cousin to them <3

╰─•𖣂•─ link to post -- also contains blank templates for this chart!!

Liu works part-time as a tour guide at a museum.

He loooves learning about the past

He's an Unbothered King; almost nothing annoys or fazes him.

Lake from Crush Crush is his cousin!!

He's pretty active!! Which makes sense because he lives alone in the middle of nowhere; he can't exactly afford to be lazy. He occasionally joins Kelby for morning jogs and accepts his invites to go skiing or swimming!!

Liu comes off as an aloof "cool guy" -- but when you get to know him, it's like... Gosh you are SO weird. Who are you.

His coffee order disgusts Dmitri and Lotus. Liu is generally capable of consuming things that aren't normally consumed (e.g. spoonfuls of pure wasabi; acrylic paint; cinnamon)

He has a tic that involves waggling his head whenever he feels whimsical.

Liu's love language is gift-giving and acts of service. If someone wants to be friends with him, he'll reciprocate by ominously leaving artworks at their door, or offering to paint something for them (he painted murals on Nimh's fence!!)

He has 0 idea how to operate any kind of tech. And he's never seen a movie before. Anon once tried to ask about his favourite movie, and Liu responded with like. A stage play from the early 1900's.

Eli likes to keep him in business by commissioning artworks of himself, like paintings or marble statues. This jumpscares Iro whenever she visits Eli and sees some new bs decorating his walls.

Demigods of Camp Jupiter

Volks (pup of Lupa - wolf guardian of Rome/legacy of Bellona - goddess of warfare)

Anon (legacy of Vulcan - god of the forge)

Dmitri (son of Bacchus - god of revelry/madness)

Ichiban (son of Thalia - muse of comedy)

Sven (son of Discordia - goddess of chaos)

Cashew (son of Juventas - goddess of youth)

Logan (son of Veritas - goddess of truth)

Ace (son of Mercury - messenger god)

Mac (son of Mars - god of war)

Misc:

Altered Characters - Stirling (Vampire, son of Ourania - muse of astronomy), Reece (Clear-Sighted Mortal, Oracle), Xianyun (implied demigod, unknown ancestry)

Unchanged characters? - Seth, Aki, Haru, Fuyu, Itharion,

^ or rather, characters idk what to do with :') I don't even know where Merryweather might go slsjsl

Terminology:

Legacy (Volks, Anon) - a second/further descendant of a god. Where demigods are the children of gods, Legacies like Anon could be the grandchild, great-grandchild, or further descendant of Vulcan for all we know. The same can be said about Volks and Bellona. Legacies typically reside in Camp Jupiter.

Thoughts about a ffffew characters' placements

Because most of these were organised by Vibes but also. I still have thoughts.

Volks - legacy of Bellona, goddess of war

I had to make him a Legacy just because I liked his lil bit of lore where his mum was implied to be present in his life (despite being a busy woman) and. Yk. Gods/goddesses can't exactly Do That, so his mum couldn't be a goddess. SURE his dad could be a god, but. Eh. Thankfully being a resident of Camp Jupiter means I can further play into Volks' wolf theme by having him interact with the goddess Lupa.

Eli - child of Iris, goddess of rainbows

Honestly I was going to make him a child of Dionysus, but I had to take Iro into consideration as well. So. Rainbows, yk? I ended up liking this more than Dionysus anyway SKSKlsks

Anon - legacy of Vulcan, god of the forge

Another Legacy!! I figured since Anon is so tech-oriented (something inherently incompatible with being a demigod) then the resources/safety of Camp Jupiter would make sense for him to comfortably tinker with that stuff. Also Nina!! She's still his sister in this AU. Her intense and orderly conduct would fit in with Camp Jupiter's methodology. They're at home here.

Stirling - Vampire/son of Ourania, muse of astronomy

Hmmm, interesting. I haven't looked into the Greek Mythological equivalent of vampires, so this one is DEFINITELY still a work-in-progress. I have thought, though: Stirling as a former camper of Camp Half-Blood, son of Ourania, who was sent on a prophecy-bound quest and never returned. He was cursed by something. He turned into something else, something beyond mortal and yet touched by death. Something something... yeah!!

Scale - son of Hecate, goddess of crossroads

Oooh this one was interesting because I chose Hecate for lore reasons rather than technical reasons. Hecate is generally a mysterious cloak-and-dagger deity whose children are the subject of heaaaavy suspicion in Camp Half-Blood due to her shifting loyalties afaik, which adds to Scale's isolation.

Sven - son of Discordia, goddess of chaos

I just thought this would be interesting because Sven is like. All Over The Place -- but he's also very particular about specific things. Like, that was genuinely my entire thought process. That's all.

Cole - son of Nemesis, goddess of vengeance/balance

Children of Nemesis can Hold A Grudge. And Ayeka is Cole's sister in this AU so I need to think anout her too sksjsk. This placement feels pretty apropos with how far their jealousy is capable of pushing them.

Poe - son of Apollo, god of light/poetry/knowledge

Omg... dark-palette goth boy being the child of Apollo?? No way?? -- Okay genuinely though, godly parentage does NOT equal a demigod's entire character and identity, so like. I'm letting myself have fun here. In the series, children of Apollo tend to take on at least one of Apollo's many domains (Michael and Kayla = archery, Will = healing, Austin = music) -- so. Poe gets Poetry. Naturally. And honestly I think Poe's dry humour would fit well with Rick Riordan's writing style, but I digress.

Logan - son of Veritas, goddess of truth

Truth is a huuuuge virtue, and. So is Logan, to be fair. He's also a huge virtue skshsksj. He doesn't have a malicious bone in his body and you can just. Trust that.

Reece - Clear-Sighted Mortal/Oracle

I'm. Unsure about this one actually. I'm 100% going to change this one, since I haven't paid attention to Reece in a while so I don't have anything to say about him :') -- I DO want him to have some semblance of inherent supernatural/divine abilities, but I also want him to be more than just. A camper.

The Kitsune Boys

I'm at a loss here LMAO -- I considered keeping them as Kitsune, but also. If we're strictly talking about Greek/Roman mythology here, then I want to incorporate them into that theme somehow?? Here were my ideas:

Fuyu - Legacy of Calliope, muse of epic poetry.

Haru - Legacy of Hedone, goddess of joy and pleasure.

Aki - Legacy of Dolus, god of trickery.

^^ Now, they can STILL be kitsune even with this ancestry, as long as one of their parents is a kitsune. But. Hm. That might overcomplicate things... Maybe they were each bestowed with additional blessings from the gods that made them more "divine" in nature than the average demigod? Like maybe from the Anemoi (the gods of the four winds/seasons) And. And maybe they were cursed to be lost in the Lair of The Lotus Eaters for 200 years to explain their big age... hm. Much to ponder.

Seth (and Xianyun and Itharion honestly)

??? Yeah I have NNNO idea what to do with them :')

Albert - son of Athena, goddess of wisdom

Because... because the owl thing. Oh and, I think Albert would've fit in better at Camp Jupiter, especially because residents of Camp Jupiter are far more likely to live longer and have a future, which would make Albert's age make sense, but. We know how weird they are about "Minerva" somehow having children, so they might have ostracised him if he tried. I like to think it was partly spite that helped Albert reach his age.

Extra (OC x Canon business/Crush Crush):

Leave it to me to make everything about LiuAki and Vannabel, sighhh

Liu (OC) - son of Clio, muse of history

Because. Yeah. Muses are like the divine mothers of art/science/literature and. Liu's whole Thing is art. So his parent HAD to be a Muse. And Liu gravitates towards subjects relating to history as well! So. There's that!!

Vanna (OC) - daughter of Apollo, god of light/poetry/knowledge

O dear lordy, she's Poe's half-sibling in this AU LMAOO -- that should add a fun new dynamic to their friendship since they'll be living in the same cabin. Her gimmick is writing, ofc, and I imagine she'll live at Camp Half-Blood full-time instead of simply staying over the summer, like most demigods. She is nnnot a fighter, so she'll have to learn some things about healing and crafts if she wants to pull her weight around camp.

Bonnibel - legacy of Edesia, goddess of nourishment

It's rare for two full-siblings to have the same godly parent, since that would mean a god would've had to visit the same mortal and have more children with them, which they scarcely do. (So that means Cole&Ayeka and Eli&Iro are considered rare!!)

However, he didn't really know where to start on that. A lot of his self-taught skills grew from humiliating failures, and there are lots of things he still doesn't know how to do (he insists on paying for everything with cash, as he doesn't know how to use his cards and is too embarrassed to ask people) -- he also had to learn how to navigate friendships the hard way, learning from experience how certain behaviours can really hurt people around him.

Akihiro was a hyper lil kid!! Fastest in his class, a lil demon in P.E., "talking back" at teachers and asking questions about things they've just explained. Some kids rolled their eyes whenever he spoke up. Teachers weren't surprised to find him in detentions.

But after accumulating a bunch of moral wounds from failed friendships by the time he reached high school, he mellowed out a bit. Or rather, he started suppressing himself, a method that he considered to be "safe" after reflecting on all the times he acted shamefully. There are times when his excitement and passion would shine through the cracks, but most of the time, he comes off as awkward but well-meaning guy who's still getting a hang of social etiquette, even though his residual pride kind of hinders that journey from time to time.

He absolutely treasures his friends though. He still suppresses himself around them, but he's working towards opening up in time. He loooves lots of things!! Akihiro has favorite bands, hobbies that he wants to try, subjects he wants to study, clubs he wants to join -- but he feels uneasy "being himself" while he still lives with his parents, and thus he mostly keeps his interests to himself. He expresses himself in small ways though, like dyeing his hair (though making sure not to go TOO crazy) and crafting pins and badges and stuff in his room!!

In creating his "Aki" persona, he wanted to incorporate his childhood silliness into a safe space where no real people would be affected by him, but would still allow him to vicariously goof around and cause chaos to his heart's content. He misses his more-outgoing childhood self, and he's still trying to find his place in the world as a university student, so he always envies/admires "whimsical"-type characters who are freely silly and passionate about what they love doing. Enter Liu, stage left.

Districts:

Luxury -- Elle, Dorian, Juliet, Basil, Bella

Masonry -- Luna, Scale, Grace, Lilianna, Ranma, Harris

Technology -- Anon, Nina, Ruri, Mio, Theo, Ichiban, Sven, Harris

Fishing -- Kelby, Iro, Eli, Ace, Kira, Shelly, Cali, Lake, Liu (OC),

Power -- Eva, Brie, Nico, Ferris, Sofia,

Transportation -- Reece, Nova, Ace, Cassie, Felix, Polly, Honey

Lumber -- Garret, Logan, Sawyer, Volks, Jaxon,

Textiles -- Poe, Myx, Charlotte, Kiyomi

Grain -- Nimh, Mac, Dmitri, Lotus,

Livestock -- Mallory, William, Cole, Ayeka, Vanna (OC), Generica † (died July 22 at 18 y/o), Rosa

Agriculture -- Cashew, Peanut, Bonnibel, Marybelle, Babybelle

Mining -- Quill, Shibuki, Claudia, Felix,

╰─•𖣂•─ (Note -- I sorted these characters mostly based on initial vibes or by random)

╰─•𖣂•─ (Oh and. My OC's are just in there for fun!! They're a non-canon part of this AU)

The Capitol:

Government -- Thelima (President), Fumi Zweihänder, Vellatrix, Desdemona, Miss Desirée

Gamemakers -- Fumi Zweihänder, Vellatrix, Stirling, Sirina, Odango, Alfie, Boss, Pamu,

District Escorts -- Fuyu (District 1), Aki (District 4), Seth (District 5), Suzu (District 7), Lustat (District 10), Haru (District 11),

Stylists -- Darya (District 2), Fabian (District 4), Xianyun (District 10), Esper (District 12)

Others -- Ginger (Avox), Wasabi (Avox), Willow, Alpha (Hunger Games Interviewer),

Defectors/Rebels -- Fumi Zweihänder, Stirling, Fuyu, Haru, Aki, Suzu, Xianyun, Darya, Esper, Lustat, Alfie

Avoxes -- Ginger (Capitol), Wasabi (Capitol), Lake (District 4), Nova (District 6), Poe (District 8), Felix (District 12)

╰─•𖣂•─ An "Avox" is a person (can be from the Districts or the Capitol) captured by the government and rendered mute by having their tongues cut out, now functioning as slaves/civil servants after a period of being tortured to strip away their sense of self.

[REDACTED]

Qpernikiss, Natsu (Expunged), Loola, Itharion, Leo, Moonbeam, Mortha, Sephia, Liz

(^^ Almost all of these characters' placements are subject to change!!)

Headcanons established:

Cole and Ayeka are siblings

Anon and Nina are siblings

Cashew is related to the Valentines

Bonus: Vanna x Bonnibel and Liu x Aki will somehow exist. I'm making sure of it.

Adjustments:

The timeline adheres with BB/CC, excluding the semantics from Hush Hush

In canon, only one girl and one boy are Reaped from each District -- in this AU, two people are Reaped from each District without regard for their gender, and anyone identifying outside of the gender binary will be treated as such. This also means that a girl may Volunteer for a boy, or vice versa. (<- Implementing this change just to make up for the disproportionate ratio of CC/BB characters)

Past Victors:

38th Games -- Dorian Reed (District 1, 17 years old)

39th Games -- Marybelle (District 11, 15 years old)

40th Games -- Shibuki (District 12, 13 years old)

41st Games -- Bonnibel (District 11, 14 years old)

42nd Games -- Nina (District 3, 17 years old)

43rd Games -- Volks (District 7, 15 years old)

44th Games -- Kelby (District 4, 15 years old)

45th Games -- Sawyer (District 7, 17 years old)

46th Games -- Babybelle (District 11, 15 years old)

47th Games -- Iro (District 4, 16 years old)

48th Games -- Scale (District 2, 16 years old)

49th Games -- Cole (District 10, 18 years old)

Others of note:

25th Hunger Games -- Saji Kawase (District 4, 19 years old)

26th Hunger Games -- Honey (District 6, 16 years old)

36th Hunger Games -- Rosa (District 10, 16 years old)

37th Hunger Games -- Luna (District 2, 14 years old)

By the 50th Hunger Games, all the characters should be in-line with their ages in their respective canon games!! In case anyone notices that the Victor's ages seem like they don't really match up with that timeline -- the Reaping takes place on July 4 so I had to account for whether their birthdays came before/after that day aaaargh

Trivia:

The Valentine sisters are practically famous for their victories. They use their wealth gained from the Games to help the people of their district and keep their black market up and running.

District 11 has the highest armed Peacekeeper presence, mostly to monitor its residents and ensure they don't keep any of the crops for themselves, and to monitor the Valentine Sisters and their cousins (Peanut and Cashew) -- even the most minor offenses are punishable by public execution.

Cole hid it well, but he was LIVID that he got Reaped when he did. Only children from the ages 12 - 18 are eligible for the Games, so if he survived the Reaping just this one more time, he never would've had to worry about the Games again.

^ Cole is one of the most popular Tributes/Victors amongst the Capitol audience for his intelligence and charisma. Those in the Districts are more skeptical of him, since District 2 is close with the Capitol and they wonder if he'll eventually be used as a mouthpiece for them.

^^ Cole was one of many tributes seen as "desirable" within the Capitol and thus became a target of potential trafficking, wherein he would be forced to sell his body to the highest bidder, or else his loved ones would be killed. So far, Cole has managed to stall this process.

The Valentine Sisters were also subjected to this pressure, as was Shibuki, Volks, Kelby, Sawyer, and Scale,

It's theorised that Nina bartered with the overseer of her District's Reaping procedure to ensure that she got chosen instead of Anon, as he was caught with contraband earlier that year, and consequently the Capitol would have rigged his name into the upcoming pool of Tributes.

There were notable tensions between Dorian Reed and his Capitol Escort, Fuyu. Despite their mutual attempts to maintain appearances in front of the cameras, it was clear they did not get along. Dorian's performance and subsequent victory in the arena was a disturbing sight to behold, and people wonder how Fuyu might've contributed to this.

^ No one else knows, but Dorian's heinous display and utter brutality in his Games was what drove Fuyu into further disillusionment, and led him to quietly join the Rebels as an important set of insider eyes.

Despite the Hunger Games serving as a reminder of the Dark Days (the uprising of the Districts against the Capitol which led to the Games' creation) -- bringing up the names QPernikiss, Natsu, and Itharion will very likely result in punishment.

Lake was taken and turned into an Avox for her "degenerate art" that was Anti-Hunger-Games and therefore Anti-Capitol in nature, thereby deemed an act of treason. She was dragged away from District 4 at sixteen years old. By far she's the most "obedient" Avox due to the threat of having her hands cut off if she dared to pick up any kind of artistic implement again, whether it was a fountain pen or a stick of charcoal.

Nova was captured from District 6 by the Capitol and turned into an Avox from repeated misdemeanours that involved graffiti, sneaking into prohibited areas, and backtalking Peacekeepers, even after two "warnings" where she was shot in the arm and leg after being caught sneaking over an electric fence past curfew.

Felix was turned into an Avox the moment he publicly questioned/defied the Capitol's ideology and the Hunger Games as a whole -- he was confident that the people of District 12 would back him up, but he stood alone.

Poe was turned into an Avox because of his repeated attempts to access forbidden literature through District 8's black market. Like the other Avoxes, he can now only communicate through timid nodding or hand gestures -- although occasionally, the people he serves might be kind enough to lend him a journal or scrap of paper to convey his thoughts or write poems.

^ Whenever he's caught, he's dragged into a room of Jabberjays (genetically-engineered birds that mimic human speech) and forced to listen to them rewind his cries and wails from his torture for an hour. This is likely the same punishment for other Avoxes.

More to be added soon!!

I don't have the guts to ACTUALLY commit to subjecting characters into forced prostitution :')

About Liu

So, Liu is on the aroace spectrum and he's an overall distant character. This can probably be attributed to his upbringing (his isolation, not his asexuality sksjsk), since his father spent most of his time overseas and his mother spent most of her time bedridden at the hospital. Thus, Liu lived with his cousin, Lake, for as long as he could remember.

Lake's parents are canonically of the opinion that making art isn't a real job -- which sucked for Lake, and it also sucked for Liu, BUT Liu had always been a quiet kid who kept to himself. Not out of shyness or some kind of resentment, but. He simply liked being alone. So he flew under the radar with his aunt and uncle. Interestingly, he never harboured any resentment towards his parents, but nor did he miss them too much either. It was this odd sense of detachment with an entirely neutral flavour. And with his aunt/uncle expressing their opinion of art as a career, that gave him a real reason to keep quiet about his aspirations. They weren't bad caretakers by any means!! They encouraged Lake's fine art skills as a hobby and did what they could to raise Liu like he was one of their own, but like. Yk. With art being such a huge part of Lake's identity, it was a hard blow on her. And her parents seemed to clash with Liu's whimsy in general, so Liu figured he'd simply keep his head down and stay out of trouble.

He spent pretty much all his time alone. Liu has this mindset of "I don't necessarily seek companionship, but people can come to me if they want." -- if someone ever expresses interest in getting to know him or being his friend, Liu is usually totally cool with it, and in turn, he'll make an effort to maintain the friendship. Otherwise, he's just cruising along on his lonesome. By the time he was old enough for a job, he started working a few jobs and selling his art, saving up to move out in time for university and live on his own.

^^^^^ all of this makes him seem like a lonely character, but. He genuinely likes this way of living. And he IS technically lonely. He doesn't like explaining himself to people (his whole mindset of letting people gravitate towards him on their own, instead of making the first move to reach out). But he truly doesn't feel lonely. Now that he's not reliant on his aunt and uncle anymore, he's perfectly comfortable with trolling them by occasionally mailing silly sculptures and paintings of things like. A toad wearing a tophat and riding on a two-legged horse, or something. Not even out of malicious intent, he just thinks it's funny.

But with all this being said, he's still on his own. He lives alone out in the middle of nowhere, and given that he never spent much time in different social circles and talking to people in general, his self-reflection skills are a tad rusty. All of this made it a lil harder to navigate his asexuality when he finally came face-to-face with someone who expressed their interest in him with a more. Intimate context.

Enter Aki, stage left.

FINALLY we're onto LiuAki

It's a whole bit in my LiuAki fic that Aki always returns to the exact same spot in the park and sets up the exact same net trap over and over again. The first time he did it, he met Liu -- a Manimal who was tranformed into a potoo bird and got tangled up in the trap when he tried to find Marshmallow.

But. Liu was Not Bothered. He got trapped and couldn't move, so he genuinely went "oh well" and simply fell asleep in the net until Aki found him. And when he woke up, he wasn't even offended or embarrassed. He just. He just went "Oh hi :D" and this annoyed Aki a bit sksksjsks -- "You mean to tell me... after all that effort, I caught the smallest, goofiest prey ever, who could only give me the most underwhelming reaction to a glorious trap? :/"

Ofc they got to know each other in time. Aki started to find Liu's dreamy disposition amusing and elected him as his very own sidekick (in his mind, at least. He forgot to declare this promotion aloud)

Aki found him cute in the same way you'd find a puppy dog cute: Liu was a lil cushion-sized bird who simply Could Not be thrown off-guard, and was never annoyed at anything Aki did to him whatsoever, no matter how weird or over-the-top his pranks were. Liu actually found the attempts to be charming in a way sksjsk -- no one's ever been this invested in him before, even if it started with Aki simply trying to get a reaction out of him. Aki kind of respected it!! And it did great things to his ego when Liu eventually came by with a painting of a certain fox that he made with his very own hands talons. They officially became friends from then on.

So like -- it was super convenient that Liu appeared to be a pushover who went along with Aki's jokes and tricks. At the same time, Liu's blasé demeanour always had Aki coming back to try out new things and see if he can get SOME kind of reaction out of Liu that wasn't "Oooh, this is a nice surprise!" or "Oh wow, that just happened :P" -- because??? Who DOES that?? Aki just replaced Liu's bed with a cake replica and THAT was all he had to say??

Basically, LiuAki individually have VERY similar capacities for chaos and silliness. The difference is -- for Aki, it shows plain as day in the way he moves and operates. For Liu, most of the silliness is happening in his head or in his artworks.

And Aki's motives are just. Pretty impudent at first, because they started off as a way to get a reaction out of Liu. Kind of treating him like he was an experiment. He was lucky that Liu didn't mind, because ohhh lord you don't meet someone with that kind of patience every day. And it's not that Liu has to put EFFORT in tolerating Aki, it's just. Liu has kind of detached himself from material things, so he doesn't think it's so bad when Aki messes with him like that. His "go with the flow" mindset runs deep.

Aki starts to mellow out when Liu expresses appreciation for him in "little" gestures like drawing Aki on café napkins, or talking about "[this thing] reminded me of you," or inviting him to go and search for cool-looking pebbles together. Just something about a really simple friendship, yk? Eventually, Aki began to mess with Liu as a way to make them both laugh, instead of a way to one-up him. It was mostly Aki who laughed, but it was always a bonus when Liu appreciated his work too.

When Liu partially transforms, Aki is hit with the "oh no he's hot" beam for comedic purposes (and because Aki's attraction to Marshmallow starts budding even BEFORE the Hybrid stage, so I thought this would be in-line with his usual reaction), but also. Oh wow. Here come the complications.

I think when Aki develops a crush, he doesn't get shy. That weird, warm, giddy feeling bubbling up in his chest and getting him all jittery -- I actually think he'd find it rejuvenating in a way. He'll bounce between teasing and playing coy, and shouting his affections from the rooftops. Whatever suits his fancy and his energy at that moment. It's exhilirating and gets him even more pumped up. And it helps that Liu only seems endeared by him scurrying around all excitably.

Their dynamic changes: Aki starts trying to impress Liu, he gets all clingy at times, and he starts offering grand gestures -- but also he does smaller things, such as offering to hold Liu's coffee as they leave the Queen Bean Coffee House, or talking about his home lands, or leaving random things at his door like pebbles, leaves, and sticks that Liu can make sculptures out of.

As for Liu, he finds himself caring more for Aki in a way that feels "deeper" than anything he's experienced before. Liu is actually quite introspective since he's spent so long in his own head, but most of the time, he isn't equipped with the words to express himself. He's mostly been riding off vibes thus far. But Liu continues exploring his budding affections in quiet things like -- sculpting Aki's face in clay, collecting orange leaves that remind him of a certain someone, or. Or taking naps. Because thinking about Aki too long makes him feel warm, which then makes him sleepy LMAO

Aki loooves to scheme and dream big. Meanwhile Liu is a "what you see is what you get" type of guy -- Aki has to get used to taking a step back and letting things move at their own pace with minimal interference, and Liu has to get used to opening up a little more if he wants to figure himself out -- And he DOES want to figure himself out, because by this point, his affection for Aki also started turning into something palpable that's becoming hard to ignore. But he just needs a lil time to navigate it.

And. Aki is actually okay with this, methinks! His emotional intelligence is sooo much keener than the other clan leaders give him credit for. Liu very clearly likes him, but. In a very specific way that seems hard to describe. And this is obvious to Aki in the way that Liu tries sooo hard to explain his feelings and fumbles, and Aki's heart kind of goes "squeee" because he sees the effort anyway; Liu is a man of little words, but he's trying so hard in moments like these.

By this point in their friendship though, Aki has total confidence in Liu and sees through his actions that the affection is THERE. It's not wholly platonic nor romantic but it's something that mashes them together into a third inexplainable amalgamation of a thing. But Liu doesn't need to explain himself, because Aki's starting to get it, and he's always been good at waiting anyway.

So he figured he can wait for Liu to catch up with his own feelings while Aki lingers in the background in case he's needed. This way, Aki gets used to handling someone's heart with more care and taking things at face value instead of jumping ahead into something he's not ready for. And Liu gets used to being more "present" and looking inward to actually. Yk. Get to know himself and what he wants!! And sometimes they have to take a moment to talk things out ykyk. It helps to orally put things into words!!

^ because since Liu spent so much time alone, his mind kind of. Gradually drifted away from reality a bit and consequently let his imagination run freely. Almost like maladaptive daydreaming. Like, he gets surprised when people acknowledge him as a human being who exists. It's part of why he's so accepting of Utterly Outrageous things, because they're pretty on-par with what normally happens in his head; he's got one foot in his imagination at all times. (But also he's just silly enough to accept Aki's whimsy by default)

So again, Liu is a very "go with the flow" type of character while Aki likes to take the lead and be in control of things (his penchant for recruiting sidekicks; calling "dibs" on the player; his general desire to be someone that people look up to) -- so now they have to switch things up and Aki has to take the backseat for a lil bit, while Liu has to let himself act on his feelings and actively pursue Aki in turn. Because yk. Reciprocation and compromise is important.

But at this point I'm just repeating myself so. Anyway.

When Liu starts openly returning Aki's affections, his mind is kind of on autopilot when he does. He has No Idea what he's doing, he's simply putting all his trust in his body and his feelings. And Aki likes that he's doing this!! In his mind, he already KNOWS Liu feels sooo so strongly about him, so he's letting Liu come to him instead of the other way around -- because Aki already knows how he feels. He knows he likes Liu. And if Liu ever thinks he feels the same way, then Aki is glad to meet him in the middle.

And when they finally DO meet in the middle -- AAARGH Aki is so damn happy you have no idea. He's clingy and cuddly and loud about his feelings -- Liu is sitting off to the side, quietly chuckling and simply basking in the warmth that he feels and still can't fully explain. His affections aren't necessarily "shy" by any means, but like. They definitely manifest in a far quieter form than Aki's.

It's kind of funny because other people will see them together and be like. "Oh, wonderful. Liu can keep a tight hold on that fox." -- and then Liu is happily watching Aki go Apeshit and zoom around the place and cause problems.

Honestly, a surefire way to properly upset Liu is to destroy one of his artworks. Aki knows this. He doesn't want to do that. He likes Liu's art and he'd hate to make him sad like that, aaaargh... Cole on the other hand... listen, if he's willing to commit arson at a LIBRARY, I won't put it past him to do something Like This to someone too. And since Liu knows Marshmallow for the simple reason of being a Manimal...

Oh, and Aki knows full well about Liu's iffy relationship with romance and sex. He totally gets it. He doesn't relate, of course, but he gets it. He's completely willing to help guide Liu through the motions and let him see how he feels about it all.

I think this ship will automatically be bittersweet for the simple fact that it's a Mortal/Spirit pairing. I wouldn't be surprised if Aki has had crushes before (especially since he already thought Marshmallow was attractive before the Awkward Besties stage) but I imagine those crushes were fellow kitsune or other beings with more compatible lifespans. Liu seems sooo delicate and transient in comparison.

Aki would have to put more consideration into his "reckless optimism" if he doesn't want the prospect of Liu's future to wreck him. Naturally, he wants to do something about it. But he HAS to reel himself in. He's always doing that when it comes to things that matter to him.

“If you have any problems with the other kitsune, tell me at once! I won't let them harm a hair on your head! Even if I have to restart the Clan Wars and be cursed again! I will- *ahem*. Excuse me. Got a bit worked up there.”

Liu isn't scared of death. This is one of those moments where his complacency annoys Aki -- because Aki can't really understand it... and it also makes him feel a lil useless; small part of Aki is just. Angry at himself. Because there isn't anything he can do about it. This allows for my Reincarnation AU to exist!! But I digress.

Aki already has enough respect for Fuyu's acting talents to acknowledge them -- I totally feel like Aki is just someone who enjoys things that are fun to watch/look at!! Liu's artworks are another show of that. And also, Aki would have another deeper level of appreciation for Liu's art because they're a tangible, longer-lasting form of Liu. There's a bit of himself in every piece he's made. As such, Aki would want to treasure those pieces and probably hoard them all so that he has something to remember Liu by. Even though Liu isn't going away for a good while sksksskjs... but anyway Liu is (obviously) okay with handing everything over to Aki if anything happens to him.

^^ And maybe Aki clings onto this thought for some comfort. He has Liu right now. And afterwards, he'll have his artworks. He'll have physical proof that the moments they shared together did in fact happen. Plus, Aki doesn't want to grieve for someone who's still here, he doesn't want to stand around and mope and become this hardened, jaded thing who doesn't know love and kindness (ehem, Fuyu. Or at least, Aki's perception of Fuyu) -- thus, he's going to keep enjoying the little things so that he'll have no regrets in the future.

Bedroom Stuff (obvious NSFW warning!!)

I thought about this one slsjslsk -- oh and please excuse my prudish language!! It's just sex. I'm trying to get used to talking about it DIRECTLY instead of using buzzwords, but. Sure Dancer, sure!! Give us nothing, girl!!

So -- submissive service top Liu. Power bottom Aki. The first time they Do It, Liu is the one laying on his back with Aki straddling him. Liu is breathless, overwhelemed, Aki's making sure Liu is okay as he lowers himself. They kiss, and it's proving to be a lil bit of comfort. They let go at the same time, and Aki is like. Super clingy. All that Liu can say is "Oh wow..." but he seems okay and all is fine!!

Then Aki wakes up in the middle of the night and Liu's back is turned to him. He must be asleep, huh? Then Aki hears the sniffling. Liu is crying. Liu is crying??? -- Aki goes into panic mode like "Ohhh no nonono" and poor Liu is like "Wait, you're awake?" and now Aki is. Afraid to touch him. Meanwhile Liu is repeatedly assuring him that he's okay!! He just. That was his First Time and he had NO idea what he was expecting, so it was all pretty overwhelming. That's all. He's promising Aki that he had a good time. Aki is unconvinced and pouting for a while, then he accepts it. He hugs Liu. Everything's okay now.

They would nnnnot get spicy very often. In my head, I can genuinely only name 2 times they do: There's first time, obviously, and then the second time when Liu approaches Aki and asks if he can try taking the lead this time. To this, Aki goes "...Whoa" and he agrees!! Liu is a super sweet partner methinks and Aki is totally happy to let him explore.

(I thought it was really sweet that Aki gets SUUUPER steamy but he'll tell you to bop him on the head if you're not Into It, yk? Aargh...)

LiuAki AUs (mild NSFW warning!!)

Grim | Spicy | Mature | Angsty | Bittersweet | Wholesome

Pre-war LiuAki (Reincarnation AU) - [Bittersweet]

Liu is actually a mix of two discontinued OCs -- one of whom was an artist OC, and the other OC had Liu's personality. The name has Chinese roots but Liu himself is Swedish and his name is pronounced "Luu" because I genuinely took his name from Jeff The Killer's brother I am NOT joking with you guys ohhh lord the humiliation,,

But. For this AU I decided to bring back Liu Fei (柳飛) -- Aki's sweetheart before the Clan Wars. I like to think Liu just comes back in different forms (genders, ethnic backgrounds, etc.) but their name stays more or less consistently "Liu" and their appearance is about the same too. It's like. All the different Hatsune Mikus.

Vampiric Aki x Spirit Hunter Liu - [Spicy]

I explore the "vampiric kitsune" element more in this AU (and in the more "modernised" version of vampirism). LiuAki are both morally dubious because yk, Aki is going around draining people's life forces -- and Liu, a Spirit Hunter, absolutely Knows all of this but he simply chooses not to stop Aki because of the odd sexual tension in their encounters that they're both fully entertaining. Aki would sneak in through Liu's window at night and then they'd. Yk.

Their trysts are perfectly wholesome to them though. Sometimes Aki's teeth are deep in Liu's neck, and Liu's fingers are brushing over the handle of his weapon just over the edge of the bed -- and that sensation of "Who's gonna take the first shot?" is kind of. Thrilling to them, even though they know they're not going to kill each other. Maybe. Aki always asks before taking blood though. Liu is the only one who gets to tell him what to do.

Shinigami Aki x Terminally Ill Liu - [Angsty]

In which mischievous Shinigami Aki grows attached to this lonely hermit who's waiting to die. I wanna say this AU leans towards bittersweet since these two meet long before Liu dies -- basically Aki is the shinigami assigned to escort his soul when the time comes for him to pass, but. Aki thought Liu was interesting enough to make him reveal himself beforehand. And his companionship really did make things more bearable for Liu so that he was able to pass without regrets.

Aki x Living Statue Liu - [Bittersweet]

In which Liu is technically immortal because he was sculpted from granite by a spirit, and they breathed life into him. The only way he dies is if he breaks, but. That won't happen because this AU was meant to be a way for LiuAki to spend their lives together sksjsj

Sadly I wonder if Aki might be a lil more neurotic about keeping Liu safe, since. Yk. Human bodies can be suuuuper resilient, but granite is another story. Like yes, it's granite. But also. If Liu falls wrong and shatters, he's gone. (He's fully mobile btw -- with joints and posable limbs. He's just. Made of granite)

Medieval Fantasy LiuAki (Beauty and The Beast AU) - [Wholesome]

This pretty much goes the same as Beauty and The Beast -- only, Aki isn't as much hardened and ill-tempered, as he is simply mischief-loving but extremely obstinate and insensitive.

And I lied. There's a lot more stuff happening in this AU outside of the Beauty and The Beast element. I also combined it with The Little Mermaid, Tangled, Peter Pan, and Cinderella. It's just. Fairytale LiuAki methinks, with GRATUITOUS application of tropes and clichés to make me happy sksksk

Yandere Aki x Liu - [Grim]

Oh dear. Aki's potential as a yandere is interesting because he's got that pushy/clingy aspect, the pride and ego, and the callousness that managed to NOT cross any serious lines in canon. I wouldn't put it past Yandere!Aki to believe he has some kind of ownership over Liu, but also feel super frustrated at how he preens so much at any sliver of attention from Liu. Like. Aki is meant to be the one in control. But also, yes my love of course I'll do This Inconsequential Thing for you that's causing me to war with my own body in ways I cannot describe. It makes him want to keep Liu in a box.

Yandere LiuAki - [Spicy]

An interesting alternative to Yandere Aki x Liu -- just because I wanted to explore the comedic subtext of Yandere x Yandere. Liu as a yandere would probably be a little more extreme, since he never knew he was capable of feeling such a way for someone, and all of a sudden, BAM. All his artworks are of Aki. There's a shrine of Aki in his cottage. And Liu's social ineptitude is turned up a lil bit because this time, since he actively ignores everyone else after meeting Aki. And Yandere!Aki is eating all of this up. Liu doesn't get the chance to thoroughly navigate his headspace, so he's stuck in this obsession of his. Not that Aki minds. He's happy to indulge Liu, and vice versa. It's kind of. Sad, though. Because this is Liu's response to the slightest bit of positive attention which he seldom received growing up. He's more susceptible to manipulation this way too. Of course, on the surface it just looks like two people who are Unhealthily Obsessed with each other on several levels (including carnal)

Cheshire!Aki x Alice!Liu (Alice in Wonderland AU) - [Wholesome]

One thing that Liu Marshall and Alice Liddell have in common is their wiiiild imagination and creativity. Liu is definitely capable of handling Wonderland's existence with the same insouciance as Alice. And Aki -- he likes to mess around at inappropriate times, like a certain cat. Luckily for him, "We're All Mad Here," including Liu. He can tolerate Aki's Chaotic Neutral nature, and Aki would definitely warm up to the hero of Wonderland.

Oh and. Haru is the Mad Hatter, Fuyu is the White Queen (king), and Suzu is the White Rabbit.

Capitol Aki x District 4 Liu (Hunger Games AU) - [Mature]

So, Liu was lucky enough to survive every Reaping and never be picked for the Hunger Games. But he's friends with both of the Tributes/Victors of District 4. As such, he was there to bid farewell to them in their respective years, and Aki met him both times. Liu once asked Aki if he knew anything about his cousin who went missing, a girl named Lake -- who was actually kidnapped by the Capitol and had her tongue cut out.

Aki, being part of the secret Rebel faction moving against the Capitol, was disgusted by this, and an odd sense of protectiveness started within him that extended to both Liu and Lake. He was glad when Liu joined the Rebels too. Grrr I can't say much else but I like this AU hehe

Mortal!Aki x Spirit!Liu (Swap AU) - [Bittersweet]

Liu is Swedish -- so I'll make him a Näcken, (or a "nixie") a water spirit that takes the form of beautiful young man who plays an instrument (typically a violin) and lures people to their deaths.

Aki is just. A guy. Obviously all the Kitsune boys will be Modern Human Dudes in this AU but the essence is the same. The automatic angst of Mortal/Spirit pairings is still there though, just. Executed differently this time ofc.

Mortal!Aki x Liu (Yokai Hunters AU) - [Wholesome]

Technically Buzzfeed Unsolved -- Liu is the amused skeptic and Aki is the excitable believer. A lot of their treks are full of banter that really adds to their vlogs. Aki can go "Whoaa did you see that?!" and Liu will say "I did. That was just a bat." then Aki will scoff like "No!! You fool, use your eyes!!" to which Liu will go "Heheh of course, I'm sorry :P" AARGH they're so silly...

Aki x Spirit!Liu (Pre-war AU) - [Mature]

Liu is a Näcken again, one that wanders all the way to a rocky tidepools in Aki's homelands and makes himself comfortable. Aki sees this gorgeous dude with a slightly malicious aura to him and he's curious!! But also he's like... "How did you wind up all the way here??" to which Liu is like. "Idk :P" -- and the AU starts off being silly with LiuAki developing their friendship and budding feelings, but tensions rise when the Clan Wars inevitably approach.

And I headcanon that the clan leaders were kind of blasted to different parts of the country (or the world mayhaps) the moment they were cursed -- so LiuAki spend a long time searching for each other.

Mortal!Aki x Liu (Dark Fairytale AU) - [Grim]

The Kitsune boys here are a dysfunctional band of three mortal men who hunt evil spirits by trade. Lotsss of traditional fairytale themes, but the violence and body horror elements are turned up.

Aki meets Liu when the latter is set to be burned at the stake, for accusations of being the water spirit who's been drowning sailors and fishermen. Aki, having enough experience to immediately tell that Liu is in fact human, releases him. Liu assists the Kitsune Boys in their current long-term hunting mission and LiuAki grow closer along the way. They just. Have to get through the Horrors first.

Street Performers LiuAki [Bittersweet]

Liu who paints/draws live and sells his artworks on the streets. Aki who performs magic shows on the streets. Liu who sees this lively performer and is curious enough about him to paint him on a whim. Liu who approaches Aki with a painting of him like "Hi, I made this for you :)) I did it on my own accord so I won't make you pay up" -- and Aki is like. WOAH!! And then shenanigans ensue. Aki is still a kitsune in this AU heheh.

Reverse LiuAki [Bittersweet]

Aki-centric, since Liu is a fictional character in this universe where Akihiro is a university student who created Aki as his online sona. Aargh Akihiro is precious to me, he's so tired :')

Narnia LiuAki AU [Mature]