#Also I started Piofiore!

[giggly-squiggily]

Me: I finished season 4 of Bungo Stray Dogs! Now I have the rest of my weekend to-

Responsable Side Of Squiggily's Brain: Finally do those errands you keep putting off, get back on a proper sleep schedule, and catch up on the half-dozen animes you're halfway through?

Me: *staring in simp at the various pretty love interests in Piofiore* Huh what?

[sexysilverstrider]

my preference for a dating sim is that romance is its key theme. it is the core of the game. romance is 100% applied in a physical and verbal sense. the plot also has perfect chemistry with the romantic genre. there is kissing. there is confession of love. and if its catered to a mature audience there is fucking. i love romance with angst but i enjoy comedy romance too. and the comedy still has to balance out with the serious/dark tones of the game. i love dating sim that specifically highlights romantic love as the main idea.

[elinciarune]

One thing that caught my attention in Piofiore is how the power dynamics play into the character choices, and how some characters are actually more privileged than the others yet due to how the political situation is set up, they don’t see that. And they perceive they have the right to do whatever they want because they see that they were wronged.

Like, Yang and Orlok, they are actually the most disadvantaged out of the lot, for different reasons. Yet they are the ones being framed as the ‘disrupters’ (also for different reasons XD). While Dante (and the Falzone) as well as Gilbert (the Visconti), they are morally ‘superior’ regardless of them actually being moral or not. This automatically gives Dante and Gilbert (and to a lesser extent Nicola) the ‘right’ to set the rules of who deserves to feel wronged and who deserves ‘rights’.

Yang is a horrible mafia boss but so are Dante and Gilbert, it is just that they are more organised and have a rules based system that makes them more ‘acceptable’ as they are natives to Burlone and have strong control over it. Yang and the Lao Shu were always at a disadvantage as they are the foreigners and to have some form of control in this new environment, their approach was more on the overt side. But at the end of the day, all families are criminals through and through.

Where Orlok comes in is the fact although he is part of the church which is politically the more superior out of them all, he was from the beginning groomed as a mere tool, so even in the church’s system, he is ‘inferior’. Then as he starts to break out of the systematic programming he underwent, and began to form his own goals and identity, this clashed with burlone’s mafia system. He became this ‘annoying’ outlier that has disrupted the order of things, and as such was targeted for just merely trying to go his own way. But how I see it is that Gilbert and Dante saw him as someone who does not have the right to actually go on his life even when they both knew very well that he is much less privileged than them and has been a victim of the church. Because with how the dynamics at place are set up, Gilbert and to a greater extent Dante, saw themselves as the ‘victims’ when they are far from being ones.

I feel Nicola understands this more than the other two as he is kind of also in a less privileged position, and he wanted to free Dante from this messed up system imo in part because he understands that this set up is toxic.

[the-himawari-otome]

[Piofiore: Episodio 1926] Character Drama CD Vol. 3 Orlok Translation

Track 3: Heute ist die beste Zei.

Summary: Orlok realizes what this growing feeling inside of him means...

Translated by ear so it might not be 100% accurate.

･ﾟ･:,｡★ translation under the cut ★,｡･:･ﾟ

*sfx: door closes*

“Meow”

—Ah. I’m home. So you were awake. I’ll get his food ready. You keep Notte company, alright?

*sfx: walks over*

“Meow, meow”

Here. From today on, this will be your plate. The two of us chose it together.

*sfx: places plate down*

“Meow”

Mm, it looks like he likes it for now. Is the food good?

“Meow, meow, meow”

Hm? Ah, are you saying you want to share your food with us?

“Meow”

Um, Notte. I’m happy, but she and I already ate so don’t worry. Eat up, okay? I also bought some toys, so let’s all play together later.

Hm? What’s wrong?

Eh? Ahh, I guess you’re right. It feels like he’s gotten bigger than when he first arrived. Kittens sure grow fast. I feel like his fur became a bit nicer too. It’s pitch black and beautiful. Plus, I think he’s gotten cuter since the beginning.

Hm? Why are you smiling? I’m a doting parent? Ngh, I don’t think so though…

“Meow… meow”

Ah, Notte climbed on your lap again. He’s been doing that a lot lately, huh? I suppose he likes it?

“Meow”

It looks like he feels good getting pet. It’s a bit unfair. I mean, I…

Eh? Ah—no, you don’t have to pat my head. Ah, it’s not that I don’t want you to… it’s just, I’ll get more and more spoiled…

Ngh, well… just a little then…

Mm, that feels nice. I really love your hands.

It’s because you held my hands—it’s because you didn’t shake off my hands—that I’m here right now. You have no idea how many times these hands which are smaller than mine have saved me.

Ehe, thank you. I’ve had my fill. Now if only Notte would get off your lap, it would be perfect—.

“Meow”

*sfx: licks*

Ah—t-t-that’s not allowed! Ngh…

“Meow”

Notte, no licking her mouth.

“Meow”

Nope, no can do. After all, she’s my girlfriend. I’m the only one allowed to do those things—err, n-no. You should mind too. The mouth isn’t okay, even if it’s Notte. I don’t care if it’s childish. I want to do these things properly.

I-I’m not pouting.

“Meow”

Hm, Notte? *Sigh* he looks kind of sleepy. Even though we were discussing something important. Geez.

“Meow”

Ngh, I got it. I’ll take you to your bed, okay?

*sfx: walks away and comes back*

*Sigh*. Notte’s not fair. I’m always putting in tons of effort to hold back.

Ah, what I’m holding back on is probably different than what you’re thinking.

Huh? Well, that’s… at first, I was just happy holding your hand. My chest felt warm and fuzzy. I thought, ah, I want to protect this person—no, I will protect them. I was satisfied just being able to be by your side. That alone was enough. Even so, when I kissed you for the first time, my chest became all hot. My feelings of love for you grew more and more. I wonder when it started… the feeling that simply kissing you wasn’t enough grew larger. What should I do? What do I want to do? I wasn’t sure.

Before we came to England, back when I was working in Lienz, the shopkeeper did a lot to help us out, right? At that time, I had the opportunity to ask about a-a lot of things. And so… I feel like I came to understand what these feelings of mine meant.

—But how you feel is even more important, so…! I… don’t know how to put this. Up until now, there have been times where I kissed you whenever I wanted, wasn’t there? Even if it troubled you, you didn’t stop me. Because of that, I thought that you would definitely spoil me and forgive me, and I was sure that you… also felt good when you kissed me… since you loved me. So what I want to do now… is… w-what comes after that. If you don’t want to, then we won’t.

*sfx: hugs*

Ah, h-huh? You surprised me by hugging me so suddenly. You’re kind of like Notte.

Ehe, how cute.

Hey, when you’re hugging me like this, I don’t feel as nervous as I did before. However… now, my heart races much more than before.

I want to treasure you. I love you the most in the entire world. That’s why…

That’s why…

*sfx: kiss*

Let’s… do… what comes after kissing.

---

[DO NOT USE OR REPOST MY WORK W/O PERMISSION, THANK YOU]

[rjthirsty]

Introducing RJ!

Hi, y'all. I'm RJ. On this blog you'll find an extreme thirst for 2D men, my abnormal life, art I enjoy, and my writing. I also reblog anything I'm interested in. #SorryNotSorry, you get all my love in one place. This is an adult blog, so expect everything to be M-rated and higher.

About me

I go by RJ Mercy on Twitch, Blusky, itch.io, and ko-fi. On Ao3 and tumblr, I'm RJ Thirsty. Get it? I thought it was funny.

I'm the creator and lead writer for Doki Doki Digest. All related socials can be found on my carrd.

I'm just your neurospicy NB aromantic friend who thirsts, streams, and writes fanfic and other otome-related content.

I'm chronically ill, which I forget new people don't know. Sometimes I'll talk about it because it's part of my life, but it's very normal for me to be sick. Four years and counting.

I play mainly otome games. I play mainly on mobile, but also on Switch and PC.

I'm obsessed with the Ikemen Series.

If you're interested in what's in the mind of a simp, I'm pretty friendly, but lacking in conversational skills, so asks are perfect for me.

If you like what I do, send me a ko-fi. I've started a membership system on there, and commissions are available through kofi.

Tags

#rjthirsty fanfic - my fanfics, drabbles, and headcanons

#rjthirsty characters - my OCs + ideas

#rjhyperfixate - my screenshots about otome

#commission - my commission pieces

#rjthirsty deceit and decay - A Gilbert-centric (IkePri) dark fic (In Progress)

#rjthirsty ikepri au - An AU with gender changes (1 complete, 1 in progress)

#ikepri abc - The alphabet with 1 prince a month (Chevalier in progress)

Masterlists & Fanfic Under Cut

Ikemen Prince Fanfic Master List

Deceit and Decay Masterlist linked in picture.

IkePri ABC Masterlist linked in picture.

Ikemen Princess Masterlist linked in picture.

Other Writing

The Loss of Youth (Kasey [oc] - IkePri) - Mature, DD:DNE, CW = Lots!

Flashes in Time (Kasey-centric [oc] - IkePri) - A Series of Drabbles, Angst

Kasey's Hobby (Roderic/Kasey [oc] - IkePri) - NSFW

Perfect Distraction (Okazaki/AFAB!Reader - Collar x Malice) - NSFW Commission

A Man Only You Know (Yanagi/AFAB!Reader - Collar x Malice) - NSFW Commission

Drowning in Desire (Nicola/AFAB!Reader - Piofiore) - Mature Commission

Bouquet of Obsession (Nicola/Lili - Piofiore) - NSFW Commission

Shackled to You (Nicola/Lili - Piofiore) - NSFW Commission

Pegging Morax Headcanon (Morax/AFAB!Reader - WHB) - NSFW Commission

Currently Playing & Completed

Ikemen Prince - All Main Routes - Chevalier Sequel - Leon Sequel-DNF - Yves Sequel

Ikemen Sengoku - All Main Routes (Except Keiji) - Nobunaga & Hideyoshi Eternal - Hideyoshi Sequel - Masamune Eternal

Ikemen Villains - William & Elbert Main Routes - Alfons Mad Love

All dividers used in fics come from @cafekitsune

Art, if not credited, comes from official art owned by @cyikemen

Banners are edited by me.

[jules-9-7-1]

Hello everyone,

I wanted to ask if there's a way to download audio only from YouTube videos.

An awesome otome reader YouTuber, Spacey Sims, got hit with multiple copyright strikes on a video game she completed some time ago. VOLTAGE, I think? But the copyright strikes were on all of the videos all in one night.

I'm bad at summarizing so here is a screenshot of her community tab notification.

My point is, besides hoping against all hope that YouTube doesn't take away her channel, I want to download the videos, or at least the audio, so I can still finish the videos.

At least within the 30 days before an internet connection is required again.

Can I convert the videos or audio to mp4, etc onto a USB stick or flash drive?

Should I try contacting the Wayback machine to try to preserve them?

Is there a way to voice to YouTube not to take down her channel?

She has been on YouTube for 8 plus years and started with playing Sims. Eventually reading otome games in her own voices. There are so many awesome games but the ones I want to save/download are:

Code Realize Guardian of Rebirth

Code Realize: Future Blessings

Code Realize: Winter

Virche Evermore

Cafe Enchante

Birushana Genpei

Olympia Soiree

Amnesia Memories and the fandiscs

Piofiore and the fandisk

Hakuoki (the Vita versions)

Radiant Tale (she was playing the fandisk but it is not complete)

She also provides so much commentary that it feels like you are discussing the video game with a friend.

If there's nothing else to do but hope and watch my favorites, I wanted to post this so anyone else who loves her videos have time to watch.

[xcerizex]

Lovebrush Chronicles: Godheim Review

_________________________________________

My very long, informal, and definitely biased review. This will contain minor spoilers for the Godheim arc only so take caution. This review is also only limited to the Godheim series so there will be no overall thoughts on the game itself. I followed Otome Kitten's format and I really hope it helps out any beginners to LBC.

____________________________________

ART:

I found the art very pretty and was extremely glad to see that they did not skip out on giving us CGs either! The sprites all looked good, but I personally have some issues with Lars' outfit (the orange did not look good on you sweetie 💀).

Not all CGs are drawn by the same artist however, which may be off putting for some. The total count number of proper CG's for each route (not including common route) boils down to around 4-5, so that also may be a pet peeve for some.

On another note, there are also mini CG's which appear as small boxes, whether you consider it as an actual CG is up to you. Personally, I enjoyed the roles they played towards aiding the narrative.

Unrelated note, I'm banging on the floor crying and wondering who the hell did Ayn's CGs (the one where he was cleaning his sword was my absolute favorite 😍) and why didn't they come back.

MUSIC:

If there's one aspect of the game that I shall praise to the ends of the earth, it's the music.

Colour me shocked when I listened to the intricate and deep soundtracks for the first time, they just took my breath away! There were many gorgeous orchestral scores that depicted the fantasy setting perfectly. Not to mention the battle ost's which had more effort put into them than necessary.

My personal favorite OST's would be the "River's End", and "Starry Sky", which plays the same tune as the OP song you hear when you log onto the game. It's honestly so iconic. 😭👌

Opening theme:

VOICE ACTING:

I was absolutely flummoxed by the stacked japanese voice cast, which all included extremely famous seiyuus from the otome industry:

1. Ayn Alwyn

[JP VA: KENN]: Shelby Snail (Cupid Parasite), Yukimaro (9R.I.P), Limbo (Bustfellows)

2. Alkaid McGrath

[JP VA: Tachibana Shinnosuke]: Seiya (9R.I.P), Henri (Piofiore), Rafayel (Love and Deepspace)

3. Lars Rorschach

[JP VA: Junichi Suwabe]: Artem (Tears of Themis), Van Helsing (Code: Realize), Sukuna (Jujutsu Kaisen)

4. Clarence Clayden

[JP VA: Kosuke Toriumi]: Rei Mukuni (CollarXMalice), Ichiya (Variable Barricade), Chojiro (Nightshade)

5. Cael Anselm

[JP VA: Daisuke Hirakawa]: Saint Germain (Code: Realize), Tower Overlord (Psychedelica of the Ashen Hawk), Lucas Proust (Virche Evermore)

COMMON ROUTE:

To my delight, the pacing was done very well. Nothing was dragged out and the introduction to the overall plot of the game was well established minus a certain plot point which definitely could have benefited better by being introduced in the common route itself.

I didn't really expect it to turn out as dark as it did however. The common route + modern prologue took me around a total estimation of more than 4 hours but in reality the prologue itself shouldn't take that long at all.

ROUTE ORDER:

Once you've completed the common route, you are given the option to start either Ayn's or Alkaid's route. After you've completed both, Lars' route is unlocked. And once you've finished all three routes, Clarence's route unlocks as the grand finale.

This was my personal playthrough and I wouldn't have changed it if given the chance. I believe it had the best flow of story progression. Though that was mainly because I wouldn't have enjoyed Alkaid's route as much if I'd played Ayn's first:

Alkaid = Ayn = Lars = Clarence

____________________________________

AYN ALWYN:

- Crown Prince of Godheim

- Tsundere

- Sweet tooth ❤️

Ayn is Lars's cousin, but you soon find out that there is not a hint of familial love between them. He shows up as a mysterious figure during the common route and portrays a conflicting character, making the heroine unsure of his standing. While he appears blunt and crude, he is a determined young man who's sworn vengeance, and with an unexpected love for sweets.

Ayn's route in my opinion had the best consistent pacing as well as romance. I did find the romance somewhat abrupt early in the story, but the strong chemistry between him and the heroine more than made up for it! 🥰 It was just so enjoyable to watch them banter with one another and watching them just click.

I enjoyed the storyline for this route a lot and I think it had something to do with the fact that Ayn's route provided a different perspective in comparison to the others. In this route, we learn more about the the political situation surrounding Godheim and the royal family.

I also loved Ayn as a character, and not unexpectedly became my oshi ❤️.I do think a lot of people will enjoy him as a love interest. His route also has a wee bit of spice 👀, so for y'all thirsty gamers be sure to savor it slowly, as it's the only bit of spice we're getting here lmao. I did find some of his actions, mostly in the bad ends, to be OOC, but I easily brushed it off seeing as how much I liked him.

ALKAID MCGRATH:

- Member of the Noventrate

- Good, sweet boi

- Tea

Devoted and caring, Alkaid is the mage assigned to guard the heroine during her stay in Godheim. He's always expressing his concern for the heroine and will do anything to help her, even if it means betraying his mission.

Alkaid is the character who the heroine interacts the most during the common route. His romance with the heroine was sweet, even if it did feel way over the top in it's initial stages when I first played it. But once I got to learn more about him, I realized that he truly just wanted the best for the heroine, romantic feelings aside. 🥺

The route was fine. But I personally wasn't the biggest fan of the direction (?) it took on halfway. Some parts of it felt irrational to me and didn't really feel like it had any real relevance to its own story.

On another note, Alkaid is such a dreamy man. 😩 I adore just how respectful of a man he is in general (women respect juice, bottoms up!), and it was so sweet how attentive he was in making sure the heroine was always out of harm's way. I guess you could say he was someone akin to a hero in fairytales.

LARS RORSCHACH:

- Emperor of Godheim

- Good at combing hair 🥰

- That chest doe 👀

Known as the "Tyrant Emperor" from the heroine's manga, he immediately sweeps her off her feet, claiming her as his bride the moment she first arrived at Godheim. While his initial impression was flirty and playful, he lives up to his name as a cold-blooded tyrant. For some aspects at least.

His route focused more on the Silver Knight, which was the main (and wrong) reason why I enjoyed his route so much! 😆 On that note, I think that the writers had a bone to pick with Lars. They just had to force him to share the spotlight with an intriguing side character lmfao. The route itself was paced and executed well for the majority, but the quality of the writing towards the end was slightly skewered.

But to be honest, I quite enjoyed Lars a lot as a character, rather than a love interest. It was interesting to see the conditions surrounding his birth as a tyrant and his motivations for his questionable actions.

That's not to say that the romance wasn't enjoyable. I actually quite liked the relationship between him and the heroine. I found some moments they shared together really sweet. I also adored the development of Lars' feelings, and you can see just how important the heroine's existence was to him at the end of the route.

Though I guess I would have found the romance more believable if the heroine articulated her feelings for Lars more. I found it difficult to see the romance from her side. In short, the romance wasn't it's strongest point.

Clarence Clayden:

- Godheim's Archmage

- Get the tissues

- I've never been the same since...

Clarence has somewhat poised himself as an antagonist, only giving leeway in Lars' route. Distant and cold, he is stubborn in wanting to use the heroine for his goal and is willing to sacrifice anything to achieve it.

This route was an emotional rollercoaster. It broke me down, dumped my heart 6ft underground, trampled on its grave, and then some. It left me broken for a whole week for real goodness gracious...😭

This route can probably considered the "True Route", seeing as how it tackles the problem straight on unlike in other routes. The pacing slows down a little bit for a few chapters, but once it picked itself back up, it picked up HARD.

Now let's get to the romance. Out of all routes, some may say it had the least sugary romance, and a part of me agrees. But do igaf? No! ❤️Clarence turned out to be such a longingly sweet character and despite all the harm and pain he's done, I have no qualms in forgiving him and wanting to love him with all my heart🥺, as does the heroine.

I honestly don't want to say too much as it may ruin the experience. I went into this route completely blind and boy was I glad. All I can say that this route was the most popular out of all the routes for good reason. Got me playing up to 2 am with no regrets.😆😭

CAEL ANSELM:

- The Silver Knight

- The bias wrecker

- The sus

- He ruined me...

He is known in Godheim as the Silver Knight as well as the leader of the Rebellion. Decisive and apathetic, the heroine is unable to affect him emotionally in any form.🤡

Cael does not have an actual route, but a personal story, labeled as Expedition from his POV which may serve as an epilogue to the Godheim series. In his story, any unanswered questions are explained here, as well as the many actions he took that did not make it on screen.

If this wasn't a review I'd spend one whole section brainrotting about him so be grateful I'm trying to keep this short. 😅 Cael is a surprisingly interesting character by nature and it was very liberating to finally get a glimpse of his true feelings and thoughts throughout the heroine's journey in Godheim.

I'm scared to say more in case it may ruin any surprises. In my opinion, I enjoyed his story a LOT! It definitely made me feel depressed and empty in its own way and it hurts my heart to see that he never got a route of his own for reasons I won't get into right now. Absolutely amazing and one of my favorite parts of the Godheim series!

_________________________________________

TRUE EPILOGUE:

Once you've finished all routes, the game will give you the option to choose one "True Ending", wherein you choose one of the boys to have a happily ever after with and by your own accord.

"One can only paint a world in which they believe in." 🥰

Please note that you can only choose one boy at a time. Your choice will then give you a Pictura based on which boy you choose.

To change your "True Ending", buy the Diadem from the shop to change your choice. You will not receive a different Pictura however.

I think the best thing about these endings were the music.😆 Each soundtrack was unique to each character and drop dead gorgeous to listen to. 😩

HEROINE (LITTLE PAINTER):

- Cheeky

- Anonymous manga author

- Needs a therapist (rly tho)

Despite China's strange attempts at creating self-insert heroines by leaving them nameless, the Little Painter was far from a blank slate! She's extremely relatable when it comes to her reactions and actions. Often times I would react a certain way to something an LI said or did, only for her to do the same thing! 🤣 I guess that could also count as a self-insert personality.

But if there's one thing I admire her greatly for, it would be her drive and determination to save Godheim. Her journey was far from easy and I doubt I could ever stay sane the way she did. Tbh, I didn't like the fact that her sufferings were never truly addressed properly, or rather, professionally ig?

I also found her quick adaptation and flexibility to her new environment extremely impressive. That goes the same to the way she wielded her powers for the first time. And how she grew stronger to go head to toe with even Clarence in his own route! You👏 Go👏Get👏 Em👏 Girl!

That said, she's not perfect. Some people found her to pushy and annoying though I personally found it okay. I was really glad how she didn't force herself to tolerate any crap and got that anger out rightfully.😆 (Asmoran deserved it...)

_________________________________________

Final Thoughts:

I have enjoyed my journey immensely! The whole premise and setting drew me in, and I was surprised with the impressive narration which absolutely pummeled me to the ground (mostly on Clarence's route and no I'm not shutting up abt that).

The localization was also really superb? Yes it had a few typos + mistakes here and there, but they really pulled out all the stops when it came to making the dialogue natural and relatable. Not to mention a few large words that even I don't understand. 😂

It's not without it's imperfections of course. There are definitely some issues with the writing. And if you're looking for heavy romance or even fluff, Godheim is not the place to go to. 😅

Playing the Godheim arc took me about a week-ish, considering I had to level up and such. It may be a tedious process for some, but for me, it was an iron gate which I violently shook every day, screaming for the next chapter.

All in all, it's definitely worth playing! You don't lose much anyway considering it's free, so just give it a try. You can always drop it if you don't like it. My rating for this game is also very much biased and should not be taken seriously:

8/10

[travellingarmy]

Is it possible to ask for a part 2 of that Riddle Roseheart x reader you made The Queen’s Favourite Rose? It was SO good!

║Riddle Rosehearts║ The Queen’s Favourite Rose 2

Reader: Female (tying to previous request)

Warning(s): None

You do not need to read part 1 to understand. Part 1 here.

This takes place during the Magift tournament. Slight changes to canon.

All rights reserved. Do not steal/copy and paste and upload it anywhere.

—

“Maaan, this sucks..” Deuce grumbles. A small, dark cloud looms over his hunched posture that drags his body to keep walking. The sun was well high above everybody’s head and beaming at them with a bright glow when the Magift tournament had already been half-way through completion.

Right now, there was an intermission so anyone who needed to use the restroom or grab a bite, righrt now is the perfect time to do so. The next part of the games are the semifinals with Diasomnia taking the lead (and most likely the trophy for this season yet again, especially since the only worthy competition- Savanaclaw- is out of the picture).

“I always thought that he was a sore loser,” he says out loud, not caring if there were people eyeing him. “Still not married; they’re just engaged,” Yuu corrects and this makes Ace give a ‘are-you-kidding-me?’ stare with a raised brow. “Geez, what is he doing making her wait that long? If I was him, I'd be already married.”

“Ace, shh..! If Riddle heard you, he’ll off your head,” Yuu said, putting a finger over their mouth, creating the shushing gesture. “What, I only said what is obvious—“

“Ah!” Deuce- who was busy moping around by himself just moments before- suddenly shouts which made Ace also shout. “What the heck? What is it this time?” Deuce remained in an upright, uptight posture now with his back still facing his friends. Ace brows furrows and points at the bluenette. “You can’t just scare the crap outta me and not say anything, you know!”

Then, in a blink of a second, he was right up in the Ace’s face which startled him. “He isn’t married, right?” Deuce puts both hands on the ginger’s shoulders. “Yeeeah..?” He answers awkwardly and looks side to side to avoid direct eye contact.

Deuce’s face lights up and a wide grin appears on his face. “Do you know what that means!?” He shakes his friend roughly, making his head jerk back and forth and making him dizzy. “I still have a chance!”

This made Ace snapped back, eyes wide and looking at his friend as if he was crazy— well, he clearly is at this point. “Woah, woah, that’s where we stop right there! Do you wanna be a homewrecker!?” It was now his turn to put a hand on his shoulder to stop him from shaking him. “What I said was a joke and he’s been betrothed to her for so long! Don’t do this man.”

The words he spew were honest and the cruellest truth that Deuce had ever heard, Deuce goes back to sulking and creating a gloom cloud once more. Ace clicks his tongue at the pitiful sight of someone who he considered a comrade. He was thinking of how much of a loser Deuce was being right now, After a prolonged stare at this sorry state of a man with a face all contorted, he walks up to him and kick him on his behind. “Stop sulking and c’mon— the games are ‘boutta start. I heard it’s Diasomnia and Piofiore going next. Heh, can’t wait to see how strong they are.”

Ace couldn’t deny that Riddle’s fiancée is a beauty but he isn’t going to ruin the happiness and safe haven for Riddle. After all, you were the few people to ever make him be able to relax and even let a laugh or two.

—

“My rose, why don’t you take a rest? You must be tired..” Riddle’s hands were intertwined with yours and watches as you merrily bounced with each step you took beside him. “It’s alright, Riddle, I’m completely fine.

“And if I take a rest, then we’ll waste the day because of me.. I want you to have fun and all that and create memories with me since it’s not often we get to meet up,” was your answer to his proposal. Ever the caring one, that’s one of the many things he loves about you. If he was any younger (even just 2 years younger), he would be adamant to have you sit down while he makes you tea. But, it should have been much earlier than that for him to realize that you are very stubborn. Very. “Mn. If that is your wish, my rose, but please tell me whenever you feel tired.”

A small force tugs at the corner of his lips upwards. “So, what do you wish to do?” He tilts his head to the side all the while looking at your side profile. When you both were younger, he would always avoid looking at you like this, too embarrassed whenever he catches himself staring and then you, who merely smiles at him. He also quite believed that he would be shamed for looking at you the way he did.

However, that is not the case anymore and anyone staring can just be envious of how lucky he is. He will happily tell the world how much he adores you if he could so this public display of affection was nothing worth being embarrassed about. He 100% believes that no love is purer than a man treasuring the love of his life and treating her with so much care; this was love at its prime. He loves you and that’s a fact.

“I do want to try some of the games they’ve put up!” You answer eagerly. You have been eyeing at the stalls while you were heading to the coliseum and you find that each stalls were eye-catching in its own way. The school has really pulled all strings to make this year a good one.

“If that is what you wish for, my rose.” Riddle agrees and walks up to a game stall that he had been eyeing the moment you said that you wanted to try the games.

“Just one round, kind sir,” Riddle tells the man behind the stall and places the right amount of madol on the counter. In front of him was a toy gun that could still shoot, though not actual bullets— just some corks that were shaped to be like one. He turns his body to face you, “Which prize do you want, my love?”

You were carefully eyeing the prizes that were hanging on the wall behind the stall keeper until your eyes landed on a big plush (not overly humongous that would be impossible to carry, just a 20cm plush that’s huggable). It was a pink fox that had a white sakura flower on its forehead, situated perfectly between the eyes. The eyes were shut and looked like it was sleeping.

“Hoho, you want the grand prize, do you?” The stall keep looks from the plush to Riddle. “You can get the grand prize by simply hitting the bullseye 3 times,” he said, giving Riddle the loaded gun of exactly 3 bullets. “Of course, if you lose, you can try again but your progress resets.”

One thing that all these game stalls had in common was that they were all rigged someway or another. Riddle knew this, but he was confident that he would win. This is a game with precision, after all. “The gun is imbued with a spell that will deactivate the holder’s magic,” the man adds.

“Very well then, that is quite alright.” Riddle holds the shotgun-like toy. It had no sight which would prove to be challenging to many.

At first glance, Riddle appears to be a delicate boy who is frail in body and weak in physical strength. For the most part, that is true, but he has his wits to cover where he can not achieve. He puts his theory into practice rather than going into things blindly.

He brought the gun close to his face and closed one eye to better his aim. The world around him suddenly felt still as he drowns out the noise with him standing in the middle on a platform of water. He was the single drop of water that would make the water ripple. He is the first cause.

Inhaling a sharp breath, he pulls the trigger and then again and then one more for the last time. All three made a small ‘pop’ sound as he hit all bullseye of the three targets.

The machine sounded, bringing attention that there is a winner at the stall. The stall keeper was shocked— his mouth hung well close to the ground and his eyes unnervingly large.

You were amazed as well, too speechless to say anything at first. “Oh wow, Riddle! I didn’t know you were so good at guns!” You exclaim with a smile on your face after the period of surprise has passed. Your eyes followed his movements as he accepted the desired plush from the man.

Riddle approaches you with the fox, all red in the face out what you assumed to be out of self awareness. “Ah.. N-no, I’m not.. It’s because of the times I had to cast my unique magic..” He corrects, eyes wandering to something on the ground to the side. He gently pushes the fox forward to you which you happily took and hug.

“Still, you looked very handsome just now!” You giggled, bringing the plush closer to you. He chuckles and a soft pink tints his face when he takes his hand to hold yours.

It was all for you, he wanted to say, but he thought it to be too shallow; he wanted to express his love for you, to convey what his heart desires. He wanted to impress you and prove to you that he is someone capable and reliable so should you need anything, you can always come to him. He hopefully wants you to think that he would be worthy of a husband for you. He believes that he is not yet worthy of the receiving end of your affection, but he is grateful that he is and no one else.

“What shall we do next, my rose?”

~♡~

[mythicamagic]

have you played Love and Deepspace and what is your review on it??

Hello! Yes I have. It's sitting in my homescreen right now on my phone.

I think my opinions on it might be quite mixed or controversial? So just bare that in mind before reading.

I've played a looot of otomes. I think I started playing them in 2009. I can very much say that LADS is a unique experience. It's not like anything I've ever played before in terms of graphics, cinematography and interaction with your fictional boyfriends.

The Great:

I think the interface and design is really nice in certain aspects (the combat is a bit iffy). This is a very pretty game imo. Also can I just say, having a customisable MC is really great! I like that you can change not just her skintone but her voice settings as well. I also just- LOVE the 4 and 5 star cards content. They hold some examples of lovely scenarios written with care, and some good ole fanservice to boot as a treat. Whoever does the lighting for the 5* cards does a marvellous job, as the animations really feel 'alive' sometimes. Great direction with using the MC as the POV so the 'camera' swings or moves closer according to how she's reacting. Love that.

The LIs:

I think having a varied cast is important in otomes but a common vibe or theme can often be shared between their contrasting personalities. For Piofiore its mafia/crime lords and domestic life, for Cafe Enchante cosy coffeeshop vibes. With Love and Deepspace I'd say its cosy vibes mixed with action, mixed with angst. The cast supports this, with all of them having serious or sweet sides. I am definitely not drawn to some of them, but that's okay! I think anyone going in new should know they won't like everyone and that's common for otome. What I find uninteresting might be wonderful to someone else and vice versa. I will say Sylus took the spot as my favourite and he has a very different vibe to the others even when he's doing cosy domestic stuff. I very much enjoy his scenes and how dynamic they feel (also its really nice the whole cast is in their twenties)

The Bad:

The worst casualty in Love and Deepspace is...the main story. I can't overstate how much of a confusing, poorly written and badly executed mess the main story is. In terms of setup, establishing lore, world building and stakes, it somewhat limps from one chapter to another. Scenes can begin and end abruptly with plot threads seemingly dropped. Secrets can often be intriguing, yes- but by continually withholding answers the game can get a bit frustrating. As a new player with no knowledge of the game, I didn't understand why Rafayel kept referring to himself as a fish during the crane game and kitty card mini games. It was like they were referencing something that hadn't happened yet in game, so I was like - okay, I'll wait. I'm sure it'll be explained (spoilers: it was not explained).

Essentially if you want backstory and context to the boys you NEED their cards to unlock their content, and I'm not a huge fan of that. I think the main story should still at least give you a bit more to work with about the boys. (This is especially bad when the lore is locked behind gacha luck). And I get that the whole story is space/time themed but sincerely I did not know the world of Love and Deepspace was capable of casual space travel until I read Sylus' anecdote story. This is not good worldbuilding. Sure it throws loads of terminology at you but you'll have to read the notes yourself to understand what they are. It's a lot of telling and not showing. For an example of how this could've been done: Cowboy Bebop is about bounty hunters in space. It has scenes of them...in space. You're telling me someone as rich as Sylus, who offers MC to go on his motorbike, yacht, and private jet, wouldn't offer her a circle around the planet in his spaceship? Idk it feels like a lot of worldbuilding details have been overlooked.

There is also the issue of voice acting. This can again come down to personal preference but in general I always give English Dubs a fair chance, and enjoy many of them. Voice acting has come a long way since the wooden performances of older animes and games. That said, many of the boys, especially in the earlier chapters and content sound extremely flat. This goes double for the NPCs (who can be laughably bad). It's not even a matter of 'oh this person is just reading lines with no emotion' no the inflections in their voice are off- the context of what they're supposed to be emoting to can feel a million miles off base. I barely felt like they were in the scene with me. That said - this was likely a voice direction issue, because more recent content allows the boys to sound more relaxed and involved in the scene. Sylus' English VA knocks it out of the park in his performance though and I really appreciate how much he embraced that role. A lot of people could get embarrassed having to voice ASMR type content but he got fully immersed so 10/10 for that. I haven't tried any other languages apart from Japanese but c'mon, we know the Japanese VAs are like celebrities over there and will crush any role so no notes there except they're all great.

TLDR:

With all that said I do not hate the game, I really enjoy it! (I wouldn't have ranted so much here if I didn't care) I just wish certain aspects were tightened up more for storytelling purposes. It feels a bit jarring when some aspects of the game are SUPER polished but then easy mistakes are made. So I'd say if you're interested in playing - to just embrace the fluff and spicy fanservice. Treat it as your main meal as I do. If you end up enjoying the main story and combat then that's a bonus! I really hope this game continues to be successful because their recent content and chapter has been super intriguing - and in general its just nice to have an otome reach the spot of 3rd highest grossing mobile game during some months (below the giants like Genshin and HSR)

[wri0thesley]

nat now you have me curious! what are your favorite games?

my favourite game franchise is soul calibur!! i am sure it is a surprise to absolutely nobody who has ever met me that i looove raphael. i have loved soul calibur since i was about seven playing soul blade against my grandma on her playstation (she was a voldo main and i was usually playing sophitia or seong mi-na, if you’re curious dhfhuj).

i have also played a lot of overwatch in my time fhfhgh. i got into overwatch through reader-insert fic actually! i think the fan work and fan ideas for ovw are infinitely better than whatever is actually going on. i have also played a lot of dead or alive (i love a fighting game, as mentioned!). i was also a really big fan for a while of those rpgmaker pixel horrors (ib, mad father, the witch’s house etc!).

i like otome games too but i don’t exactly have a ‘favourite’ but i’ve really enjoyed nameless, dandelion wishes and amnesia! i should pick up my switch again bc i started playing piofiore about a year and a half ago and have still only done one playthrough fbfvgbjj

[risukadarlin]

[piofiore no banshou] vol. 4: henri - track one

1; midi

masterpost

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[00:05] Oh, I’ll carry that.

You can leave the heavy lifting to me.

You can open that package instead.

I think we’ve finished unpacking now.

We only brought the essentials, so it wasn’t too bad at all, thankfully.

This is our new home.

The table.

The sofa.

The curtains.

And the bed.

I prepared the basics for us, but we can replace them if you find something you like.

It’s a bit smaller than your old room but I didn’t think a huge room would be any better.

You still seem worried whenever I’m not by your side.

That’s not it?

So… You just like being spoiled?

Don’t hide your face.

Look at me.

[01:18] You look good with your hair tied up too.

Of course, it looks just as good down.

You must be tired after such a long journey.

Even if we did stop at a hotel halfway, it doesn’t change the fact we took a longer route.

I’m sorry for pushing you so hard.

But… I’m glad we could leave some flowers for the children…

We haven’t seen them since I left everything with that person, after all.

Back then, my priority was protecting you.

I knew we couldn’t stay in that place for too long, so I even left the burial to someone else.

I know better than anyone that graves mean nothing to the dead, but…

I hoped it might bring them some salvation.

I pray they rest in peace.

Let’s go back one day.

We can’t go regularly.

But we should go again soon.

Oh, that’s right.

What should we do this afternoon?

There are still a few things we need to sort out but you can stay here and rest if you’re too tired…

Really?

Then let’s go out together.

We need things for the kitchen first.

We have a fridge but it’s empty right now.

Shopping is important but we’ve just arrived.

Shall we take a look around Bordeaux?

What do you think?

I’m glad you’re finally able to be open about how you feel.

You’re so cute.

Let’s have lunch first. We can find a cafe nearby.

Then we can look around the town for a bit.

We can buy the basics just before we come home.

Let’s buy the rest tomorrow and explore a bit more if we still have time after that.

Let’s go then!

                                                                                                                      ✿

[03:56] How was the food?

I’m glad it was to your taste.

The food here is quite different from where we just came from.

Lyon is famous for dishes made with tripe.

Its development was driven by the production of silk, so there are a lot of labourers living there.

So, they devised a way of making cheap ingredients taste delicious.

Bordeaux, on the other hand, flourished due to trade.

It’s also especially famous for its wine.

They use bordelaise sauce with meat and fish alike. It’s made with red wine.

It’s a lot more simple than other places we’ve lived.

Though, there is the famous Lamprey à la Bordelaise. 

I don’t think I’d like it very much.

I’ll try to find a restaurant that you’ll like.

When our affairs are a bit more in order, I want us to go on a long, relaxed date.

You always make cafe au lait at home. I’ve even started drinking it when we leave the house now.

You’re looking out for me, aren’t you? I know I don’t eat very much.

You think it’s better than me just drinking espresso, don’t you?

I know hot milk is better for the stomach but I just can’t bring myself to like it.

I’m sure you know that already, though.

Anyway, we’re in an entirely new city. Is there anything you’d like to know?

I’ll tell you anything I know.

Oh, that building you can see over there is the Grand Théâtre.

Bordeaux has been a seat of the government twice in the past.

During that time, it was used as the National Assembly for the French Parliament.

Let’s go to the Opera again soon.

I’m sure they’ll show one you enjoy soon.

Is there anything else?

[06:20] You want to know why I chose to move here?

Do you remember last year, we went to Bled in Slovenia during Christmas?

When I asked you where else you wanted to go, you gave a few options.

Bavaria in Germany.

The capital of music, Vienna.

And then, Bordeaux.

You said you wanted to see the Port of the Moon at night.

Obviously, I wanted to grant one of your wishes.

But this place is very convenient for me, too.

The population is large enough and the transportation system is rather varied.

There’s a railway and boats. 

We have options if something happens.

It’s also on the West coast of France, which is ideal.

I wanted to put some distance between us and Germany, considering the state of things there.

The church is still looking for you, even now.

I don’t think they’ll be able to find us easily, but apparently he put some rather troublesome traps in place before he died.

You don’t need to worry, we’re well hidden.

All this moving from city to city is just an extra precaution.

Until a while ago, I planned to allow karma to hit me with open arms.

I believed I deserved to be punished for my crimes.

If I really thought I’d one day be forgiven for what I did, I never would have plotted revenge.

But… I never planned to involve you. Any of you.

I thought I could protect you by locking you in that small house.

But it wasn’t enough.

That’s why I won’t ever let them be one step ahead of us again.

I don’t plan to hold back against anyone who tries to interrupt our life.

Obviously, it would be best if they never found us at all.

Don’t you think?

[09:01] Are you ready to go?

What do you want to see first?

Bordeaux Cathedral? It’s around 10 minutes from here.

We can see a few sights as we walk over.

                                                                                                                      ✿

[09:24] Bordeaux Cathedral, or the Primatial Cathedral of St Andrew, was built in the 11th century.

Well, the foundations were. They’ve been adding to it ever since.

You can see the spire from anywhere in the city.

You could even say it’s the building that best represents Bordeaux.

It was once used for the wedding of the King of France.

It’s also famous for the sculptures of the Biblical Day of Judgement.

There really are a lot of people.

Come here.

It’s a famous sightseeing spot. It can’t be helped.

Stay close to me.

I don’t want you to leave my side.

Okay?

Good. Let’s go inside, then.

I’m sure you’ll love the inside just as much as the outside.

[10:41] Isn’t it bright?

Most big, historical churches end up being quite gloomy inside.

But here… It looks like the entire inside is shining white.

I don’t believe in God, but I think you look beautiful in this Cathedral.

It reminds me of Burlone.

I remember once, you looked after me in the church, right after I’d been hit.

I was shocked; you said exactly the kind of thing my sister would have said.

Oh. I never really told you about what kind of a person my sister was, did I?

Let me think… 

Chloe was bright and sociable. She didn’t get shy around anyone.

When we were with the Falzone, she spent more time surrounded by adults than with me.

It was hard, at times.

But I never blamed her for it.

She was desperate to make a place for us in that mansion.

And now I know that love makes us do crazy things.

Where do you want to go after we finish exploring here?

Maybe we should go somewhere where we can see the entire city?

Ah, before that, you should pray while we’re here.

I’ll wait for you.

                                                                                                                      ✿

[12:54] I knew you’d like The Grosse Cloche.

Can you see the Garonne River from here? It’s shaped like a crescent moon.

It’s almost blinding in the evening sun.

I can see why they call it the Port of the Moon.

So, how is it? Do you think you’ll like it here?

I’m glad.

There is just one thing weighing on my mind.

Bordeaux is a university city.

I saw a lot of men today who are the same age as you.

I know it might sound childish but a lot of them were looking at you.

If I wasn’t here, they’d most definitely try to talk to you.

I’m a bit worried.

Your shoulder?

Oh, yes… I was holding you close to me all day.

Especially in front of the cathedral and when we were in crowds.

I barely even thought about it myself.

I mean… I can certainly think of a reason why.

You said it before yourself, didn’t you?

I need to practise touching you.

It was probably because of that.

Now, I can’t relax if I’m not touching you.

It’s that time already?

I did plan on eating out tonight but maybe we should relax at home instead.

We should buy a bottle of wine and toast to our new lives.

[giggly-squiggily]

👀👋🏻💖,,,

[propertyofkylar]

HI HI!!!! it makes me happy you remember me hehehe

yess I love all three so much. the brainrot is still ongoing lol, I’m rotating these boys through my brain like we’re in a microwave. and AKAZA SUCH A GOOD CHOICE….I’m so normal about Everyone from that game….

so I loved the vibes of the three you recommended, so I tried to go for either dark stuff with plot or lighthearted fluffy funny stuff, preferably with spice in both. and I settled on piofiore, collar x malice, virche evermore, and I was gonna leave it at that but then I also bought sympathy kiss because fluff + some steam….already started collar x malice and obsessed with my beloved boyfailure Mineo!

GOOD LUCK WITH 9RIP I’VE SEEN THAT ONE AROUND AND IT LOOKS CUTE <33

the brainrot is so real 😭😭😭😭

okay i LOVE piofiore so excellent choice. cxm is on my to play list n i wanna play it soon so i really gotta get back in the swing of things…

sympathy kiss is so good!!! i got so hyperfixated on it when it came out i forgor to take my meds for several days…some of the best boys of all time in that game imo

im such a flop 😭😭😭 haven’t even finished one route in 9rip. That will change tonight i swear to it

[arthotsglasses]

Olympia Soiree Office Room

So, yk that project I planned like a year ago about making otome environments in 3D and intractable?

After a year of my game dev college program and a load of extra knowledge from Youtube and Twitch, I made it happen. Here is my first room built out of sooo many more to go, but damn I'm finally good enough to start doing this!

Here is a video of me running around in play mode (using wasd and mouse) in Unreal Engine 5:

Comparison photo: original Olympia Soiree Switch screenshot (left), my Unreal screenshot (right)

Modelling process: Modelled and UV unwrapped in Blender, textures painted in Substance Painter:

Exported texture maps (in order of textures, normals, OcculsionRoughnessMetalic, and emissive):

TO WATCH ALL THIS HAPPEN, CHECK OUT MY TWITCH CHANNEL! THANK YOU

Now, rambles as usual:

Jesus Christ that took long and lot of work... even had to get a new pc cuz old one couldn't handle Unreal5 and Substance paint, had to upgrade...

Had to learn sooo many new things, before this I only knew how to model 3D objects. I had to learn how to UV unwrap, entire process of Substance Painter, and Unreal Engine 5.

In modelling, I had to learn the low to high poly workflow, and edge shading settings. That's the only new stuff I learned.

UV Unwrapping learning wasn't too difficult cuz the UVs didn't have to be perfect. Substance was gonna be good enough to handle them. Textile density and all that is still new and I'm still trash haha but it did the job for now.

Substance Paint tho.... had to learn all from importing low poly mesh, baking the high poly into texture maps, how to paint, masking, allllll of that, and finally export to get the 4 textures above.

Unreal 5 intro was a solid few days of pain. Starting from navigating the interface, dealing with importing meshes, textures and making them into materials, landscape & foliage generation (that I didn't use for this project yet), lighting settings, colliders, bit of blueprint.... yep but thank god I knew some Unity so it wasn't terrible.

SO... ik a lot of things still need work and missing. The books on the shelf are unfortunate cuz they weren't properly baked in Substance Painter. Some little props like books and stuff are not yet made either. There's a lot of weird edges and shading issues on the model. The lighting and stuff still needs a bit of work as well, it's not right on yet.

But,,, damn I'm soooo happy for what I was able to achieve, I didn't think I could do it this early! When I played it in the engine for the first time, it felt soooo real, I felt like I was in the game universe. I'm very excited to keep making more, and getting better with this stuff!

In the far future, I'll export it as an exe so you guys can try it out as well!

Next up in future again is probably rooms in comte's mansion, Sakamaki's house rooms, some piofiore rooms, and continuing with Olympia Soiree. Those interiors seem the easiest to start with.

comment to be tagged in future updates of this project!

tagging:@pettyval @h34rt1lly @dark-frosted-heart @vampiresruinlives @h34rt1lly @bespectacledbun

also if any has any questions or suggestions plz feel free to comment or dm me! Any feedback is appreciated!

[the-travelling-witch]

so this is the last time i'm making a post like this bc honestly i don't want to encourage (what i assume to be one person) sending multiple asks, when i've expressed on multiple occasions that im much more comfortable with packing all of it into one ask

i know that sounds so rude of me and if it had been a one time thing i wouldn't have said anything but apparently it's affecting me to a point where i'd rather close anon asks + i feel like if i already express my boundaries i’d also like them to be met, i think that's fair considering it's my blog

i read through the post i made last year when a similar thing happened and i closed anon asks and honestly a lot of it is still applicable rn, so i'll reblog it after this as a reminder (though it can always be found in my rules)

anyway into the last anon asks i got before closing them

[re: this ask]

yes, i said what i said, heizou (in this au) has always had them, as i’ve said here and on his aesthetic page

well i can see why people would call it purple (bc of ei, inazuma, electro etc) but i think in that regard it’s even more important that it’s a different shade; but yeah, it probably looked more purple(ish) during his fatui days since his outfit had more purples and reds in it (i know the ask wasn’t that serious but i love reading into stuff okay ㅠㅠ)

[re: this au]

first of all, i hope your eye is okay!!

i really like the au and want to keep writing for it bit by bit as inspo gets to me; also i personally like hades a lot, the aesthetic and vibe are totally up my alley + i like the roguelite gameplay a lot, so it depends a lot on if you like that kind of stuff (if you do, i think it’s a good choice)

[re: this post]

yeah i studied it for like 7 years!!

[re: this post]

well i wouldn’t necessarily tag the yandere label on (all of) them, i don’t think it fits in this case; but yeah if the love interests wouldn’t want to make you look into the games they would not be doing their jobs lol ㅠㅠ

on that note, i’ve wanted to pick up piofiore again recently but haven’t gotten around to it yet (it’s a console game, so ikemen games are more accessible and also technically free to play, piofiore isn’t)

i honestly don’t know when season 2 started bc i wasn’t really fixating on bllk for a while, but you can clearly tell that they’re straining their animators, so i’d personally say reading the manga is the better choice atm (also bc my favourite menace is currently still manga only jshsh)

but, once again, i’m dragging people into fandoms with me, the marketing expert strikes again :]

[rjthirsty]

Shackled to You

Nicola/Lili (Piofiore)

Words: 3.2k

Tags: Dubcon, Smut, Smut, Smut, Yandere!Nicola, Possessiveness

Nicola rounded the corner in the hallway, feeling more disquieted as his search for Liliana continued to produce no results. She was meant to be here at the family mansion, yet she wasn’t in any of her typical locations-- any of the locations in which he had approved her to spend time, the places where she wouldn’t be disturbed by any other men. She was absent from her bedroom, the sitting room she would read in was empty, the kitchen devoid of anyone at all. Panic started to claw at his thoughts.

Perhaps she left…

No. Not possible.

Nicola attempted to squash that line of thinking before it had the chance to grow. She wouldn’t leave, and even if she did… He came to a stop, his mind turning over the possibilities of what to do if that were the case. Alternate plans upon plans upon contingencies were cycling through his head, some of them leading to particularly dark scenarios– only in the most dire and unlikely cases, of course.

With his eyes out of focus, and the shadow of gloom growing around him, movement from outside the window caught his attention. The sunshine filtered into the room, lighting up the floor and pane like it was calling to him, beckoning Nicola to return to the present; outside the window he saw the woman he was looking for. Lili was bathed in shining splendor, the spring weather brightening her features, more beautiful to Nicola than the flowering garden she was standing in.

The strategies he was concocting faded to the back of his mind, while the corners of his mouth quirked upwards from his unintentional frown. And like it was in response to his own feeling of relief, Lili also smiled, though she wasn’t looking towards the mansion at Nicola like he was looking at her. That’s when Nicola noticed– she wasn’t alone.

His face fell, and his footsteps echoed through the empty room as he hurried towards the back garden. Whoever it was that earned her smile would regret infringing on his love. He was in a foul mood already, and that person just volunteered to take the brunt of his discontent.

Nicola stepped out of the mansion onto a beautifully mosaiced walkway in the courtyard. Neatly manicured hedges lined the walls that gave way to smaller shrubbery dotted with budding flowers, and eventually into a well-cultivated variety of decorative perennials that kept the garden lively all year while the annuals bloomed into season when the weather was right. His leather shoes clicked against the stone, heralding his arrival before he had the chance to confront Liliana and the man that was overstepping his place.

However, once the two were in sight, his steps slowed and a cold pang lanced his chest. His cousin - Dante - was the only other person with Liliana. They were a respectable distance apart, and surely Dante wouldn’t be attempting to court his lover, but they were also alone in the gardens and Nicola didn’t like when anyone was alone with his love - even Dante.

For a moment, he hesitated. Dante meant the world to him, but Liliana had quickly grown to be as important, if not more - a thought he hadn’t really put time into considering seeing as how he never imagined he’d have to measure the two. But now he wondered just who he should be disappointed with.

Could it be both? That must be it.

Nicola placed a placid smile on lips and called out to announce himself. “Cara mia, I was looking for you. You’re not at all where I expected you to be.”

Dante and Lili turned towards him, and while one of them brightened to see him, the other looked on with cool indifference.

“Nicola! I didn’t expect you to be home this early in the day.” Lili moved to join him halfway to where she had been standing, wrapping her arms around him in a greeting that eased the pain in his chest.

He placed a hand on her back, almost protectively, as he kept his eyes on his cousin. “I’m glad to see you, Dante, it saves me the effort of locating you as well.”

“Has there been a development?” Dante asked.

“You could say so. Though I don’t want my sweetheart to have to hear business details.” Despite the pleasant way he looked and the musical lilt to his voice, there was a sharpness to Nicola’s words and movements. He brought a hand up to cup the back of Lili’s head as he turned to press a soft kiss to the side of her forehead - it was purposeful and punctuated with a pointed look at Dante. Nicola might have been smiling, but his eyes were not.

“Come by my office later.”

“Of course.” Nicola kept his words short. Lili turned in his arms, letting him lock her next to him in a loose embrace. “Now if you will excuse us, I need a moment with my love.”

Dante gave a non-committal noise, his eyes shifting from Nicola to Lili, and Nicola struggled to keep his smile. His eyes darkened and he stepped around her, putting himself between them, rather than letting her stay in front of Dante. Reaching back, he clamped a hand on Lili’s arm, and with steps that betrayed his agitation, quickly escorted Lili towards the walls of the large estate - but not the main doorway to the courtyard.

Dante gave a sigh as Nicola dragged Liliana off. He’d have to have Leo check up on her later, but it was probably best if he put some distance between himself and Liliana for a while.

Lili struggled to keep up with Nicola’s long and hasty strides. “Nicola?” He didn’t even look at her as he pulled her along and her heart began hammering wildly. “Wait, you’re going too fast.”

“Just bear with it, my love. We’ll stop soon enough.” His voice was still as sweet as ever, but his actions were anything but.

He wove through another stoned-off flower bed, and Lili realized he was taking her down a path between the bushes she hadn’t seen before. It looked like some sort of maintenance route for the gardeners to manage the foliage, with the way it was hidden and how it brought them down a side of the mansion between two sets of walls.

Once they crossed the corner of the house, and shade enveloped them in gloom from the two buildings they were nestled between, Nicola stopped and turned on her. Liliana barely had time to catch her breath before Nicola backed her against the wall, setting a hand near her head to cage her in. She looked up at him, her eyes wide and questioning. She could feel the cold stone through her dress, and it leeched the warm early summer heat from her body.

She didn’t dare take her eyes off him. She drew in short breaths, trying to calm her racing heart. He stared back at her, whatever thoughts were running through his head was a mystery to her, but she could see the way they were spinning him up. She knew this look of his, though never to this extreme. It was a precursor to those times he clung to her, where he held her so tightly that it hurt, when he whispered his love and devotion over and over again as if he was trying to convince her and himself.

Nicola felt that darkness rising in him as he stared down at Lili. He kept that part of him smothered down in the depths of himself– he struggled to keep it below the surface, despite it always being there, despite it always being a part of him. His love had always been tainted, but he tried his best to keep it at bay. There were times, though, times when those inky tendrils wove their way into his actions, and he questioned the validity of his feelings and his mind.

Now was one of those times.

Now he had let that darkness shackle her.

He had let it take hold and he pulled her into a place that mirrored the murkiness that lurked within him.

No more than a foot away the sun shone and the world continued on bright and beautiful. But here in this alley, it was cold and silent and just the two of them, where no one else could get to her.

“I was surprised to see you with Dante.” Nicola’s voice sounded hollow to his ears, but he knew that he could lie convincingly without even thinking about it, and he was sure Lili had no idea what was hidden behind his words.

I found you with another man. Am I not enough?

“I ran into him when taking a walk.” Liliana answered, trying to keep her voice even and calm.

“Does that happen often? My love, I worry about you. What if it was someone else you ran into?” Nicola smiled, his free hand moved under Lili’s chin, fingertips delicately holding it angled so she continued to look up at him.

There was a large number of men who moved about the family house. Men who weren’t as upstanding as his cousin. Men who wouldn’t bat an eye at committing heinous acts to fulfill their own desires. She was his. And even then, he knew there were some men who would still be tempted.

You’re too beautiful. You’re too pure.

“No, it doesn’t. I’m alone most of my day, besides the maids and you. The whole house gives me a wide berth, Nicola.” Lili knew he was the one keeping others away, and she had allowed it because she didn’t need anyone but him.

“But not Dante.” Nicola added, his smile taking on an edge that reminded Liliana of the blade of a knife.

“No… not Dante.” She admitted. There was no point in lying about it, or trying to be deceptive. She had never lied to him before, and she had never felt she had a reason to.

She was aware of how he felt about his cousin, knowing that he had pledged himself to work his best for him since they were children, even before he became Cappo and Nicola became his Underboss. But since that relationship was built on years of trust, she hadn’t thought it would be a problem to have one person in this large house that she could occasionally converse with. She hadn’t expected Nicola to let his possessiveness interfere with his bond with his family. 

It appeared she was wrong.

“Cara mia, my love, my sweetheart.” Nicola recited each pet name like poetry, his voice dropping lower and dripping with honey. “How do I show you how much I need you? How do I prove to you I love you most?”

Nicola thought he had done everything to make her happy. To tell her that she was special and loved. If she needed anything, he would give it to her. She wanted for nothing, he made sure of that. He poured affection on her day in and day out. He took care of her in ways no one else would be able to.

“You already do.” Lili raised her hand to gently touch his face. “Nicola, I know you love me. And I love you.”

Then why? Why did you test me?

Nicola wrapped his fingers around Liliana’s wrist, moving her away from his face and pinning her hand against the stucco stone.

“Nicola?”

He dipped in and covered her mouth with his, cutting her off before she could say anything else. He felt Lili open her mouth and he thrust his tongue inside it. He delved deep into her, his lips moving against hers, his tongue twining and wrestling with hers. He tried to pour all his love into the kiss, stretching it out and refusing to pull away even when she gave hints that she wanted a chance to breathe. He was drowning in her, and he wanted her to drown in him, too.

A noise rose from Lili’s throat, heady and groaning, and Nicola felt himself growing stiff. She was his. She was all he needed. And every part of her fell under that black desire, her voice, her thoughts, her eyes, her body…

“Mnnmph,” Liliana tried to pull away again, but there was nowhere for her to go. She was pushed against the wall, pinned there by one wrist, and closed off on the other side by Nicola’s hand. His kissing was relentless, and she was getting dizzy. She needed air and felt her knees becoming unsteady.

Finally he broke away from her mouth and she gasped and gulped in air, panting heavily. But Nicola didn’t seem to be done with her and his lips moved from hers to her chin, then her jaw, then he nudged her head aside with his nose and licked and sucked on her neck.

“Wait, Nicola.”

He could hear her words, but they were weak and belied her need. It didn’t matter what she said, he knew she wouldn’t deny him. He knew she wanted him as much as he wanted her. If she didn’t, she wouldn’t put herself in this position. She wouldn’t test the depths of his love. She wouldn’t participate in events that asked him to prove himself.

“Hnngh, Nicola– wait.”

He nipped at her neck, then wound his tongue over the spot to caress it in apology. Holding her wrist tight to the wall, he moved his other hand down to roughly brush his hand up her thigh, hiking her skirt up.

“Haaah, please, Nicola.”

No one would see them here, she didn’t need to worry. They were alone. Sure it wasn’t the most romantic place to prove their love for each other, but it would just be between them.

Nicola pressed his knee between Lili’s legs, holding her skirt in place. He tugged at his trousers, loosening his pants to pull himself free. Releasing her wrist, he scooped her up where her ass met her thighs, and lifted her to his waist, using the wall to support her back. Lili’s hands moved to her skirt, and she pushed it down to cover her exposed panties. She didn’t seem to understand that despite being outside, this was just as private as the back of a car, or even her own room.

His hand moved between her legs, a finger hooking the side of her underwear to pull the fabric from her sex. With his forearm, he knocked her wadded skirt clenched between her fists away, and without any attempt to lubricate her cunt, he plunged into her entrance with his cock. It was rough and tight and took some effort to push and nudge himself in completely. The sounds that Liliana made hastened his thrusts, further fueling his lustful love for her.

She clutched at his chest, holding onto his coat, her eyes squeezed shut as she whimpered. And once Nicola was inside her, he paused, taking a moment to look at his love. Her face was flushed and her eyelashes glistened with tears, and he thought she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. Tenderly, he kissed her eyes, wetting his lips with the moisture on her lashes.

When he pulled back, she cracked her eyes at him - they wavered behind a misty veil.

“Nicola…” she whispered hoarsely.

He liked the way his name sounded on her lips.

“I’ve got you, my love. I won’t let you go.” He assured her, pressing a loving kiss to her forehead before he rested his own forehead on hers.

Her cunt had adjusted to him, no longer fighting his size, and Nicola slowly began to pump into her. The wall made it easy to hold Lili steady, only needing to support her weight with his body while he used the concrete for leverage.

Words of affection and adoration drifted from his lips, bubbling up from the churning pool of his bottomless love.

“I love you.”

“I need you.”

“I would do anything for you.”

The saccharin promises poured out of him as he rocked into her. Soon, Lili was quietly moaning along. Her voice sounded like a blissful sigh, hitching each time he bottomed out on a thrust.

“You’re my love.”

“You’re my life.”

“I can’t live without you.”

Nicola continued to whisper, not caring if he could be heard above Lili’s own moaning. He didn’t need her to hear his heart, she just had to feel his love. That’s what it meant to him when he pledged himself to her, when he was stroking his cock inside her. He’d make her feel every part of him and he would feel every part of her. He’d give her so much pleasure and joy that she would never doubt him again.

He would treat her like a queen.

He would use her.

He would be the only one in her life.

He would fill every need and desire she ever had.

He would shackle her to him.

He wouldn’t let her leave.

As Liliana became more vocal, Nicola sank further into the darkness inside himself. If he could only share it with her, if he could taint her too, she might understand.

He slapped his pelvis against hers, pounding and pumping and orchestrating her symphony of pleasurable moans. Her cunt throbbed around him, and he knew he was getting close to coming with the way his groin tightened. It felt like a knot of pressure was building and bundling below his dick, at the very base of his core.

Almost as if acknowledging the sensation gave it permission to release, Nicola felt a need to push deeper and thrust harder. He rammed into Lili, spilling his seed inside her. Claiming her with his cum. Making her his fully.

No other man would penetrate her. No other man would see these faces that she made while they made love. No other man would hear the sweet sounds she sang for him.

Nicola sagged onto Lili, leaning on her for support as he caught his breath.

Lili sucked in heaving mouthfuls of air. Nicola’s weight made it more difficult to breathe, but not to the point that she felt like she was being crushed. Timidly, she wiggled her hands free from his coat and swept them up to his cheeks. With a gentle pull, she brought his face up to look him in the eyes, and surprisingly, Nicola followed her lead without contest. She gazed into his eyes, trying to see the man she loved within them.

When he had first pulled her into the alley, his eyes were cloudy and dark, not at all the eyes she was used to seeing. Sometimes they got stormy, but never that dark and tumultuous. Now, however, they had cleared somewhat. He still looked distant, and a darkness lingered in his eyes foretelling stormy weather, but at least there was a piece of the man she knew still in there.

“Lili,” he said as they gazed at each other. “I will love you completely if you allow me to.”

She nodded slightly.

In reality, she knew she no longer had a choice in it. Nicola was going to love her completely whether she allowed it or not. He would love her fully, utterly, and devotedly. He would fill her life with him until there was no room for anyone else. And while she knew her love would never be as deep as his bottomless fount, and she would never know the full darkness of the shadows that loomed within him, she knew she had already drowned within his heart.