#xuling

Here you go! Feel free to insert your MC on the other side! (There's a bit of ??? silhouette below, so I guess it's a bit spoiler?)

Is it the Permaculturist side or the Mechanical engineer side of me that gave me this strong urge to understand the fascinating water system/ landscaping here?! 😆

I personally see ??? being someone like Ironman or Batman.

This ask filled me with ideas of what TGER superhero AU would be like, lol 😆

Aeren : he'd be a hero with zero superpower abilities, only relying on his self-made super flexible prosthetic that can punch through walls, shoot out grappling wire, scratch your back, and fire a super ultra laser beam that'll blast the enemies to smithereens. Sadly he'd be quite an unpopular hero, as most look down on him for lacking supernatural abilities and dislike his abrasive attitude. And because of his impulsiveness and recklessness, he'd often leave too much property damage after battle, so people see him as more troublesome than helpful.

John : Would be Aeren's sidekick. It's unknown what his ability is, but it allows him to analyze situations and guides Aeren reaching the most efficient outcomes. And thanks to that, Aeren's performance has become way less destructive yet still as effective. This difference would be so noticeable by civilians, so after every battle, they would cheer John's name and thank him instead of Aeren lol 🤣

Xuling : She probably would be an anti hero, doing something illegal for a living or becoming affiliated with a villain organization. But when something like calamity level disaster threatens her peaceful day or people closest to her, she'd stop it by any means, either by helping the heroes, betraying the villains, helping both, or destroying both, all depends on the situation. Her ability would be producing special substances within her body, which can be extracted through her blood. So she can poison or heal people with it, or create an enhancement substance in her body to boost her own physical abilities.

Ezell : He'd be a vigilante. He dislikes how hero's work has become more performative, filled with people wasting their time acting like celebrities, obsessing over ranking, advertisement, and popularity instead of saving people. He'd spent most of his free time patrolling the city, catching criminal in the act, throwing them into nearest police station, then immediately moving on to hunt another one, and repeat. Because of that he'd have the highest record of villain captures than any heroes. His ability would be a peak human condition, possessing overwhelming physical and mental strength along with heightened senses. It's unknown what his weakness is, and it's rumored that he's actually the strongest being on earth, surpassing the number one hero and feared by villains more than any top-ranked heroes in the hero organization.

???: Heroes? Villains? They don't care about any of that. They just to stay at home in peace, playing video games, while having a passive income from the internet somehow. But they also have a hobby of creating random devices, from something simple like instant cheese maker to something more complicated like portable bioreactor. Most of their creation ended in failure though, as they end up doing something different instead of their intended function, so they'd toss them away into this secluded garbage bin behind their apartment, which actually is a hidden portal to the underground villain syndicate.

When their inventions enter the underground world, the villains are convinced they're receiving aids from some mysterious genius. They'd be very amazed at what the devices can do and use it for their own gain. Somehow none of them manage to track who created the devices, so they begin creating a villain title for them, turning them into this legendary inventor who supplies the villains with impossible weapons and devices. The hero organization would catch a wind of this, and label the inventor as dangerous supervillain.

Meanwhile the supervillain in question is oblivious to all of this, trying to create an instant ice cream machine that will inevitably fail and become a device that can freeze the planet into absolute zero.

From the most yearning to least : ??? > Xuling > Ezell >= Aeren

??? yearns for MC so much, it becomes obsession. At some point, they stopped caring about what label their relationship with MC is, whether it's friendship, partner, or soulmate, it doesn't matter as long as the two of them can stay together side by side.

Xuling comes next because she truly believes her future has no MC in it. She just want to make sure to cherish every moment they have together, getting herself involved in MC's life as much as she can in this limited time she has.

Ezell yearns quite deeply, especially once he starts getting to know MC. MC's presence brings so many changes in his life, allowing him to experience emotions he never thought he'd feel. MC would also occupy his mind very often. He'd space out occasionally (which on the outside looks like he's plotting someone's murder), but in reality he's just thinking about MC.

Aeren : Pretty much act like he's annoyed, but the truth is, forehead kisses are one of his weaknesses. If MC wants to kiss his forehead, he'd insist they only do it while he's sitting down or lying in bed, and to never do it without warning. Why? Because his knees would give out every time they do it. He doesn't want them to notice how shaky his legs become after the kiss, hence why odd, specific conditions.

Xuling : If MC kiss her forehead for the first time, she'd cry before she even realize it. That'd be the first time someone kiss her forehead after all. Once MC does it more often, she'd get better at holding back her tears, although every single kiss makes her feel like her soul is coming out from her body.

Ezell : It'd be a huge spoiler if I share his reaction here, so just wait until you get the chance to kiss his forehead for real in game, haha 🤣.

??? : They'd return the gesture, kissing MC's forehead with loud smooch noises. It might evolve into more kisses, with them kissing MC's cheek, nose, jaw, and neck because they can't help themself.

Aeren : He'd pretty much become suspicious of MC, as it'd feel like the calm before the storm. This unusual peace would disturb him, and he'd begin to constantly think about MC throughout the day, waiting for whatever prank they're planning, expecting them to suddenly jump out from the corner and sabotage his work. But then nothing of the sort happens, so he'd confront MC and ask them what are they playing this time. When MC tells him the truth that they're just afraid of ruining his work, he'd be genuinely touched, only for about two seconds, though, as he'd immediately accuse them that they're trying to lower his guard before pulling something weird. If MC insist that they really aren't planning anything, he'd then force them to stay obediently beside him during work, as a proof of their claim, he'd say. But it's pretty obvious he just want MC there.

Xuling : She'd quickly start to feel lonely as MC's presence always brighten her mood tremendously, even when they're being a menace. Without them around, she'd get bored more easily and might even treat her customer half-heartedly. She'd want MC to come back, but she can't possibly force them or ask them outright, so she'd come up with some excuse that can lure them to visit her store again, like saying she needs assistance since her hands have been sore lately, or that an imaginary customer is harassing her at work, literally creating any excuses she can think of to make MC stop avoiding her.

Ezell : He'd notice pretty quickly that MC has been avoiding him, especially when he's working. At first he'd assume that maybe MC couldn't handle seeing the way he deals with criminals, so he'd start capturing his target more carefully, using a more methodical and less violent method. Once he's gotten used to this new approach, he'd invite MC to accompany him again, reassuring them that he's changed how he works so they won't feel uncomfortable anymore. When MC admits that the violence isn't the problem here, that they're just trying not to disturb his work, he'd thank them for being so understanding, but then firmly tell them that they've never been a burden. If anything, their playful presence adds so much positivity in his gloomy, depressing routine, and he actually finds himself becoming more motivated whenever they're around.

Aeren : Would try to cope by making himself busy, throwing himself fully into work. And once he's finished for the day, he'd visit MC, tell them about everything that happened during the day, sharing funny stories or cracking joke even though MC couldn't give any response. MC's continuous silence would eventually hit him with hopelessness all over again, and then he'd murmur with a cracked voice, "Wake up, you stupid birdbrain", before holding MC's hand and fallen asleep next to them.

Xuling : She'd fake her grief with a smile on her face, acting normal in front of everyone. When she visits MC, she'd take care of them, clean their body, comb their hair, hum a soothing tune. She'd then try to wake them up using her newly developed medicine, only to once again watch it fail as MC shows no sign of waking up. But she would never give up, creating new medicine each day and testing it on MC in hope that one of them would finally bring them back.

Ezell : Would seek out every doctor in Ashenwing to treat MC, spending every penny he has to give MC the best care as possible. He'd work even harder, so that he could afford to keep MC in the best hospital, he said. But in reality, it's his subconscious trying to make himself as busy as possible to forget about the reality. This cause him to visit MC less and less, but when he finally does, he'd crumble instantly, holding their hand and crying next to them until he falls asleep.

???: They'd do everything they can, squeezing every knowledge they have that might give them the answer to wake MC up. But if none of their theories and inventions work, they'd reach their breaking point, and a new, dangerous solution would cross their mind : if MC can't go back to their side, then maybe it's them who should go to MC's side instead.

Aeren : When they do domestic things together, like cooking together, hanging the laundry, eating dinner side by side, etc. There'd be this thought in his mind that says, "Damn this is nice", and that he would never ever trade moments like these with anything else. Not that he'd ever admit it out loud, though.

Xuling : When MC places their trust in her, even for something trivial like asking her to buy the groceries or trusting them to look after the house when they're away. She'd remember how far the two of them have come together, and that how grateful she is that MC who once struggled to trust her, gave her the chance to stay by their side for so many years.

Ezell : Whenever MC spends time with him or showers him with affection. It'd remind him that at one point, he had almost given up of on the idea of ever finding love. Every little gesture from MC would remind him that it's them who showed him how fortunate it is to ever experience something so beautiful like this.