#I should definitely play the find the word games more often! It makes me open my original WIPs occasionally!

[radiowrites]

Find the Word Game

I was tagged by @theprissythumbelina for the Find the Word Game, and I finally dragged up my WIPs to see if they have any connections! (psa to everyone, I love being tagged, even when I forget to actually play the games lol)

The words are: craft, exclude, marsh, and fuss.

There were only two word connections on nano2022, so I pulled up nano2023 - the first time I've actually opened that file since November lmao. No "Marsh" unfortunately. They are in a very dry area haha

Craft: It smelled very, very clean in there, and there were no lights and no windows. She reached her hand out and felt around, and immediately came to an edge, it felt like folded craft paper.

Exclude: “So if you come over here, I had brought out a few options for you,” Pete said, throwing out an arm for her companion to follow. She could tell she was being excluded and tried not to be bothered.

Fuss: The car was stopped, and she realized they were in the parking lot of a big box store, not quite loitering, though probably at enough risk if someone wanted to throw up a fuss.

[stuffeddeer]

Hello I’m new here, I just couldn’t help but notices how lovely you write. So I have little request for you.

Can I request Nikolai and any characters you want reaction when their s/o hides stuff between her breasts?

omg welcome just my drunk friend! tysm!!!! i love nikolai im on it 🫡 and dazai ofc..

has: no pronouns used but mention of boobs and bras, also one (1) use of the word tits. is that worthy of a warning? probably not. but Nikolai says it in a weird way bc he’s the worst so just in case 🤞🏻

You knock feverishly on Nikolai’s door. Fuck, where did you leave your key? You’d already made it back to your apartment when you realized it wasn’t in your pockets. The last place you were was Nikolai’s, so if he didn’t have it you aren’t sure who would.

“Nikolai, you dick,” you mutter under your breath. That asshole is definitely still awake, so why wasn’t he answering the door?

The knocking ceases as Nikolai swings the door open, hair unbraided and eyes glimmering. “Missed me that badly?” He leans forward, bending down slightly to maneuver his face just above yours. “You could’ve called, y’know.”

“Yeah, well,” you shrug. “I need to come in.”

“Pushy!~” He pouts, crossing his arms and standing up straight. “Not even gonna say hello?”

A groan passes your lips, too frustrated at your missing key to play his games. “You didn’t.” You pause momentarily. It’s less frustration and more so anxiety that makes your skin crawl and your tone snippy. “Sorry, I just lost my key. I’m worried I dropped it on the street walking home.”

Eyes lighting up, you would’ve sworn Nikolai beamed down at you with two mismatched flashlights. “You need your key, you say? And what if I told you I could procure it for you?”

Your shoulders slump down, relaxing. He’s being an asshole, sure, but at least you know he has it. “Please, Nikolai?”

“Mm… You gotta promise not to be mad when I retrieve it. Especially since I’ll be your savior, you know!” He puffs out his chest, already proud before he has even produced the key.

“I promise, I’ll be eternally grateful as long as I can find that key.”

Nikolai’s warm and ungloved hand slips under your loose shirt collar, digging beneath your bra and in between your breasts. You freeze, even with the warmth of his hand on you. Before you can chew him out for the random grope, the jester pulls your apartment key from in between, flashing both it and a wolfish grin to you.

You say nothing for a moment, just staring slack jawed at your key. Had you really..?

“You dropped it in there before you left,” he shrugs before dropping the key back in between your breasts, not bothering to hand it to you properly. “And I just stare at your tits all the time, so I noticed.”

With a gentle smack to his bicep, you fish the key out once more and let out a sigh of relief. “Thank god; I thought I was going to have to change my locks!”

“You still should - I have, like, several copies of your apartment key littered around my apartment,” Nikolai smiles once more.

You don’t even bother replying, just turning around and leaving his place for the second time that night, your apartment key in hand.

Dazai would start hiding things in there too. He tosses a pen your way before heading out on a mission, one where he knows you can’t bring a bag along, just to watch as you stuff it in between your breasts. You’d sigh resignedly, used to his actions by this point and having long given up arguing or telling him off.

When on said mission, he’d find any and every reason that one might need a pen and turn to you expectantly, waiting for you to pull it out and hold it out for him. It’s always so warm after, heated up from its time nestled between where he’d like to be stashed away.

You’d complain after he asks for the pen for the nth time, telling him if he needs to use it so often he can get one himself! Those words were meant to tell him to bring/carry his own pen, but he’d grinned before taking that as meaning he could jam his hand down your shirt to reach for it himself.

“What? You told me to grab it myself…”

[woooyeahbaby]

Genshin men with a streamer s/o

characters: alhaitham, diluc, itto, tighnari, zhongli

warnings: mentions of stream viewers being inappropriate towards reader, diluc is veeery slightly ooc, i accidentally used the words stream/streaming like waaay too much lmao, gender neutral reader i think i tried my absolute best to keep gender and stuff out of it. if i forgot any warnings pls let me know!

Alhaitham

you never really told him, because you never felt the need to, plus you assumed he would’ve found out somehow. whether it was through the internet, or your setup in the room you two “never” used. you were surprised to realize that he only found out when he was reading and he heard you yelling at your chat. he came into the room, observed the situation, and left with no questions asked. it was kind of funny.

alhaitham never really bothers you while you’re streaming, after the last few times he heard you talking to your chat or gaming, he understood your schedule of streams and didn’t want to interrupt. but there was one time where he brought you a meal, and he didn’t show his face but he spoke three words and your chat went absolutely wild.

“BOYFRIEND REVEAL?” “pls say that’s your brother..” “OMG SHOW” and other things related to him filled the chat, which kind of made you uncomfortable at first but once you learned to ignore it, it was fine. after that, you told him and it kind of encouraged him to bring you more things during streams…

sometimes, you’d call alhaitham to your little “streaming room”, as you’d both call it, to ask him a question that was a large debate in your chat. because of how smart he is, he’d quickly reply with the correct answer. however, if it was just an opinion, he wouldn’t quite bother answering and he’d usually just leave the room.

if you have some obsessive viewers, or people asking for your onlyfans or something like that, if you tell him (or if he sees one of them while he’s secretly stalking your stream) he’ll immediately mute/ban them. oh yeah, he’s definitely a chat moderator for you, i forgot to mention. you offered it to him, and he didn’t mind the idea, so he downloaded the streaming service and boom, he moderates your chat now!

Diluc

he actually helped you start your streaming career! not to say that he’s tech savvy or anything, he just let you create the account and such, then advertised it everywhere. hell, he even told kaeya to watch your streams. diluc is very supportive of you!

he doesn’t quite understand it, both the concept of just watching someone play videogames or react to youtube videos live, but you’re his partner, so he’s fine with whatever makes you happy.

the only times he interrupts your stream is when he’s saying goodbye/goodnight or if he’s bringing you something. diluc knows how often you stream, both from memory and from your voice in the room next to him. your followers find his voice really attractive, and they definitely let you know that every time they hear him speak. sometimes you need to remind them to calm down, or you’ll tell them it makes you uncomfortable.

diluc occasionally comes into the room to see what you’re streaming, knowing full well he could just open the app but why do that when you’re right there? he’ll watch you game, or if you’re doing react content he’ll react with you!

weird people in chat? he tries his best to ignore them, but after the stream he’ll ask if you noticed what they were saying. he’ll be a little embarrassed that it made him so annoyed, but what else should he do? you’ll reassure him that the people that comment that type of stuff usually get banned or muted, and he’ll be somewhat okay with that information.

Itto

let’s be honest, he’d probably be a streamer too. but let’s do this in the case he isn’t a streamer. he’d be so happy for you! he’d be like diluc and advertise your account absolutely everywhere, it’s really sweet.

itto would pretty much be in all of your streams, whether he’s in the background watching whatever you’re doing or if he’s playing the game you’re streaming with you. but obviously, if you don’t want him to be he’ll leave you alone.. aka watch your stream on his phone and cheer you on in the chat. if you notice his chats, you’ll say hi and you’ll definitely hear him shout “YAY!!” from the other room, it’s cute.

your chat kind of makes fun of him for how accidentally stupid he can be, like for example if he asks a dumb question about the game you’re playing you’ll answer him sweetly to distract him from the rude chats. “what does he mean, ‘lol why would he even ask that of course the enemies are red’?” “don’t worry about it, they’re just being mean.”

if he sees somebody being disrespectful in your chat, such as being inappropriate or just being rude to you, he’ll either publicly shame them or just point them out to your moderators to mute/ban them. he’ll kiss your cheek every time he sees one of them, feeling bad that you have those types of viewers.

Tighnari

being an outdoorsy type of guy, tighnari somewhat dislikes the thought of going live for a couple hours and only playing videogames or reacting to videos for people to watch. he doesn’t understand it too much, but.. as long as it makes you happy, he can’t hate it.

he doesn’t show up in your streams much, the only time he ever will is when he’s bringing you food or if he’s just checking on you to see if you’ll be going to bed soon. he memorized when you usually stream, so he tries to get everything he needs from you before you get on your pc.

if you’re a little too loud when you’re gaming or whatever you’re doing, he’ll knock on the door or the wall to tell you that he’s a little bothered. chat will sometimes say “oh he must be fun at parties”, not realizing just how sensitive his ears are. you usually ignore those comments, knowing that if tighnari were to hear you talking about that, he’d be extremely sassy to your audience (you may or may not have experienced this once before).

your chat will definitely talk about how nerdy he is once they know more about him, which you aren’t even sure how they did that considering he rarely comes into the stream and rarely uses social media.. but when they do make fun of his dorky personality, it’s very lighthearted. plus.. they’re not wrong.

if someone is being rude in your chat, or inappropriate, he wouldn’t really know, because like i said he doesn’t check in too often. but if he somehow found out, he would sass the hell out of them. it’s funny, honestly. all you can do while he does this is just sit there and laugh until he’s done, then he’ll give you a little goodbye wave and leave the room. you know he feels proud of himself after that.

Zhongli

oh peepaw.. he doesn’t know aaanything about it. he’s been around all this time and doesn’t know anything about streaming. but he must support you in some way, right? he’ll ask hu tao about it, seeing if she knows about it at all, just so he can be a little more educated on your career.

be prepared for horrible backseat gaming. “oh no, watch out for the enemy!” “zhongli.. that’s my character..” zhongli is trying his absolute best to help you while you stream, sitting by your side and trying not to get dizzy as he watches your screen. it’s cute, and definitely sweet, you can’t deny it. you know he just wants to be involved with what makes you happy, but you can’t help but cringe sometimes.

if- i mean, when your chat is thirsting over him, it’s most definitely over his voice. perhaps it’s his face and such, but usually just his voice. he isn’t ugly at all, and your audience realizes, but daaamn will they go wild for this man’s voice! once he realizes, he’ll be very flustered, and try to talk less.

but if your viewers are being rude to you? ohh, no. he couldn’t care less if they were rude to him, but you? the love of his life? absolutely not! he’ll either ask you if there’s some way to have them banned, or he’d use all of his technology knowledge to privately message them and threaten them.

[miltonbarbie]

Hajime, Nagito, Kokichi and Shuichi Reacting to falling on top of their crush!

Hajime:

Hajime wasn't a clumsy guy, but hiyoko decided to pull a prank that she thought was funny and tripped Hajime while laughing like the girlboss she is. You were walking by and that's when it happened. Hajime tried to maintain his balance but ended up tripping and falling. ON TOP OF YOU.

Ohmygodohmygod he was internally freaking out and wanted to disapear. He stared at you underneath him and he blushed like crazy. He quickly apologized and helped you up while walking away as fast as he could. He wasn't getting over this anytime soon.

Nagito:

It was just a matter of his luck cycle. He was in the hallway trying to find Chiaki because he wanted to play video games with her, and Chiaki has A LOT.

You were running really fast because you forgot your phone in the girls washroom, and you bumped into nagito. You fell down and nagito tried to help you get up, but ended up falling on top of you instead. You got really flustered and Nagito stared at you in suprise, he definitely had some dirty thoughts in his head LMAO he chuckled a bit and got up, pulling you up with him. Apologizing and blaming it on his luck.

"Ahaha! Sorry Y/n. It's just my dumb luck again. Besides, garbage like shouldn't do stuff like that anyway. I'm so stupid.." He rubbed the back of his head while smiling at you. You apologized really quickly and patted his shoulder as another apology before speed-walking to the bathroom to get your phone.

Kokichi:

Kokichi was running obviously, while chasing Kiibo and asking him "Robophobic" questions. Kiibo ran past you while Kokichi tripped on his shoelace and fell down, you tumbling down beneath him.

He groaned before opening his eyes and seeing you down with him. He smirked and started to make dirty jokes.

"Oh~ Y/n-chan what a coincidence! I never knew you'd look so vulnerable beneath me. If only it could've been somewhere more ... Private.." He giggled, and you squealed with an extremely blushy face before pushing him away and putting your hands on your face.

"K-kokichi don't say stuff like that!!"

He found your blushy face really cute.. Maybe he should pin you down more often .. ;)

Shuichi:

Poor boy, he was just trying to read a book until he bumped into you. You fell while he tried to catch you but he still had his book in his hand, you grabbed his collar and accidently brought him on top of you.

His two hands on the side of the floor, with you in the middle. He started blushing really hard after realizing what was going on. He wanted to crawl into a hole and never come out. He was stammering, stuttering and couldn't even form words together. You just froze with him on top of you, you two completely malfunctioning (Was that Robophobic?). Shuichi got off of you and extended his hand out to you while his other hand was pulling his hat down to cover his face. You grabbed his hand and he pulled you up so you could regain your balance. You and him apologized at the same time while walking away really awkwardly.

Kokichi saw the whole thing.

[nerdallwritey]

✨ writing interview tag game!!! ✨

Gonna go ahead and thank @busy-baker and @khywren for tagging me :) I'm very late to filling this out, but I wanted to really dedicate some attention to it!

I'm a yapper, I apologize in advance.

When did you start writing?

I started writing when I was in elementary school, I think. I know my fourth grade yearbook said I wanted to be an author when I grew up, and that's only KIND OF changed, I still want to write for a living, but for TV instead of novels (though I'm not opposed to that, should I ever have the right idea for one). I remember going to my friend's house after school all that time and using her mom's laptop to open a blank Word doc and just start writing. We wrote tons of stuff that we never finished, but I'd give ANYTHING to read some of it again, if only for a laugh. The only story I remember was about four teens being stranded on an island - we called it "Castaway." No clue what became of that, but our main characters were always based on ourselves 😂 I didn't start writing fanfiction until 2022 and only started posting this past June!

Are there different themes or genres that you enjoy reading than what you write?

Hmm, that's a good question. I typically stick with what I like - romance, fantasy, silly - but it's fun to throw nonfiction in there every once in a while. Not sure how well I'd do at writing non-fiction without embellishing or getting narrative (even though I like reading those kinds of books as well). But yeah, usually I like to stick with what I know and enjoy most! It's also the best way to learn and improve; by reading a ton within the genre you love to write.

Is there a writer you want to emulate or get compared to often?

I don't......think so? I've always been told by English teachers and professors that I have a very strong voice in my writing, which I always interpreted as being unique. As corny as it sounds, I'm not trying to sound like anyone but myself. At the end of the day, I'm writing for my own enjoyment and am happy you guys found me along the way!

Can you tell me a bit about your writing space?

I don't have a dedicated writing space, but I often find myself writing either on my couch or in bed. Weirdly (or not that weirdly, considering most of us have day jobs) I write the best at night and I have to be alone so that I'm not distracted. Usually I'll find a song and play that on repeat while I'm writing (For Cheeks All Flushed, it was Resolve (Dark) from Fire Emblem Fates, and for Awfully Fond of You it was Climactic Return from Danganronpa 2). The music typically has nothing to do with the vibe of what I'm writing, I just need some sort of constant noise that won't distract me, hence why it's usually video game music with no words.

What's your most effective way to muster up a muse?

That's tough. The first idea I published on tumblr was the result of me making myself laugh when I was trying to fall asleep (If EYE were being propositioned by Astarion, my ass would probably be like "wait, what? Me? ME?! Why?"), but the others I've posted have come from just seeing where my brain takes me as I'm writing, known as the "flying by the seat of your pants" method. I have a pretty good sense of these characters by now so I think I know what they'd be up to at this point. Outside of fanfiction, it's really tough - I'll start with a small idea and then keep sitting on it until it's something I think I can write down. I'm definitely more of a planner when it comes to stuff outside of fics 😅 I guess my short answer is: No idea. It just happens. Someone please help me.

are there any recurring themes in your writing? do they surprise you?

OHHH this is gonna say a lot about me, but something I've noticed in my original scripts and even my first fic is that most of the time, my main character is deeply lonely (I'M FINE GUYS, I'm surrounded by friends and loved ones but I have Some Trauma there). It doesn't really surprise me, considering I know WHY I've felt those things, but it's still like.......yikes. Lol. Also humor. Gotta laugh it off, right? RIGHT?

what is your reason for writing?

To be honest, it's a good outlet for me. I went to school for screenwriting and my goal has always been to make people laugh and bring them joy - It's always been that way. I think if I weren't able to get my thoughts and feelings out on paper every once in a while, I might explode. It's also just fun and I like doing it! Piggybacking off of what Khy said in their post, BG3 has been a HUGE outlet for me creatively. The game is full and beautiful and complex, but there are still gaps that I want to fill in and roads I want to explore. What would happen if the player were given THIS option? How would this character react to THIS situation? It's been a blast and I've never felt this way in a fandom before. It's awesome!

Is there any specific comment or type of comment you find particularly motivating?

ANY comment makes my day. The fact that you took the time to read and put thoughts together to let me know how you felt about it is HUGE! It's such a good confidence boost (I second guess myself A LOT) and it always lifts my mood no matter where I am. I always love when people agree with my interpretation of Astarion's idiot tendencies 😂

how do you want to be thought about by your readers?

Hopefully as someone approachable. I'm a big dumb dummy and I love to chat/fan girl. If I can be someone to brighten their day with something silly that I wrote, that's all I need :)

what do you feel is your greatest strength as a writer?

Definitely my banter. I've always been a fan of quick snappy quips and have experience in sketch writing/performing improv, so it comes very easily for me when I need it to. I make myself laugh with it, so it's always really nice to hear that others like it too.

how do you feel about your own writing?

I really started writing as a way of entertaining myself, so the fact that it's able to entertain others is GREAT, but I am very self conscious about it at the same time. I know my interpretation of Astarion is goofier than most, I know I rely heavily on dialogue rather than scene descriptions and inner monologues, and I get very in my head about those things. My stuff has found its proper audience and I'm very grateful for that, but there's always the nagging thought of "this could be better," or "they wouldn't say this," etc etc. That's something I'll likely always struggle with. BUT! I always have fun when I'm writing and hopefully that comes through. I've become less of a perfectionist after posting my first fic, that's for sure.

when you write, are you influenced by what others might enjoy reading, or do you write purely for yourself, or a mix of both?

Aside from requests, where I'm trying very hard to make sure I get whatever it is right for the person who requested it, I'm usually writing for myself. I'm definitely writing what I think will be enjoyable, but it's usually what I personally would like to read. That's what I've been taught! Write what you know and write what you want to read! I'm so unbelievably grateful that you guys find it entertaining as well. My fave thing to do is slip inside jokes in for myself/my beta (calling Astarion "ass," turning to someone and saying "did you know those people?" after talking to a group of people you know very well, etc etc).

No pressure tagging: @maladaptive-menace, and @arzen9 (I know you're not a fic writer, but still!) - I think everyone else I know has been tagged 😅

[bloody-bee-tea]

Happy New Year

Happy New Year, may it be filled with everything we hope and wish for <3

Suguru hasn’t stopped staring at Satoru since the moment he sat down on his bed and even though Satoru loves having his entire attention on him, he can’t deny that it’s starting to make him uncomfortable.

“What?” he snaps out when Suguru simply won’t look away. “Do I have something on my face?”

“No,” Suguru gives back and finally looks away to sit down next to Satoru.

“Then what is it? You’ve seen me before, so quit your staring,” Satoru says, more biting than is really necessary and he knows he could have played it off as a joke, could have made this into a funny thing like he so often does but something about Suguru’s stare is getting to him.

“I just thought you’d be out by now,” Suguru says with a shrug and now it’s Satoru’s turn to stare at him.

“Out? Where would I go?”

“It’s the New Year’s Eve,” Suguru mutters. “Out partying I guess. I mean, even Shoko went out.”

“So?”

“So why didn’t you?”

“Why didn’t you?” Satoru shoots back, because sure, partying might seem right up Satoru’s alley—except for the alcohol—but Suguru hasn’t gone out either.

Satoru doesn’t understand why he’s the one being interrogated like that.

“I don’t like the huge parties,” Suguru says with a sigh, slinging his arms around his legs and resting his chin on his knee. “But you do.”

Satoru opens his mouth to say the obvious reason why he stayed here, at the school, but he snaps his mouth shut before a word can come out.

Satoru never knows what will be too much when it comes to Suguru, never knows when he’ll be too much for him and he’s scared to find out, scared to lose him.

But he promised himself that he would be honest about his feelings should he find him in his dorm and so he kinda has to say it now.

“But you don’t,” he gives back, mimicking Suguru’s position but he makes sure to sit close enough to press their shoulders together. “You don’t like going out. You once said that it’s all too much during big events, right? So I thought I’d keep you company here.”

It’s not really what Satoru wanted to say, what he wanted to confess, but he guesses this is better than nothing and most definitely a start.

Satoru still feels Suguru freeze at his side, just for a moment, but with how close they are sitting it’s hard to miss and his heart beats fast in his chest. If even this can make Suguru react like that, Satoru doesn’t even want to know how he’s going to act should he ever find the courage to tell him about his feelings.

“I see,” Suguru breathes out and then leans more heavily against Satoru. “Thank you, then,” he goes on, tilting his head slightly so Satoru can see the smile curling his mouth and warmth floods Satoru along with an acute sense of relief. It wasn’t too much.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” he grumbles out, which makes Suguru laugh for real and thankfully things go back to normal, after that.

They get some take out food, they get snacks, they watch movies and play games and egg each other on, just like they always do, at least right until it’s getting close to midnight.

Because then Suguru gets pensive again.

“You—didn’t have many New Year’s celebrations away from your family, right?” he eventually asks, just when Satoru was about to demand to know what was going on again.

“Right,” Satoru slowly answers, because he doesn’t know what Suguru is aiming for.

“So you don’t know the most prominent tradition, correct?”

Satoru narrows his eyes at Suguru, wrecks his brain in the meantime to figure out what Suguru might mean, but he can’t come up with anything.

“Isn’t it just this? I thought all the traditions go into Christmas.”

“Yeah, thought so,” Suguru breathes out, keeping a close eye on the watch.

Less than three minutes.

“Suguru, what are you talking about?” Satoru demands to know, but Suguru doesn’t answer him, simply wrings his hands in his lap, avoiding eye contact with Satoru. “Is it—something bad?” Satoru eventually asks, when it’s clear that he’s not going to get an answer from Suguru, which makes him flinch.

“No?” Even Suguru doesn’t sound sure of his answer.

“Sounds convincing,” Satoru grumbles, crossing his arms in front of his chest. “Fine, keep your secrets. I’ll just ask Shoko tomorrow, maybe she can explain to me what’s going on then.”

“No!” Suguru blurts out, before he seems to get himself back under control. “Just—don’t ask her,” he adds and hides his face in his hands. “She’s going to laugh at me so hard.”

Satoru isn’t sure if he was meant to hear that last part, but it only makes things more confusing to him and he doesn’t like it.

“I can—do you want me to leave?” Satoru asks because it’s the only thing he can think of to offer.

Midnight is right around the corner—maybe half a minute left—but if he leaves right now Suguru can celebrate the New Year alone and doesn’t have to worry about any strange traditions.

Satoru wouldn’t like it, but he’d do it, for Suguru.

“Absolutely not,” Suguru decidedly says, a new resolve to his voice and he doesn’t hesitate to reach out to snatch Satoru’s sleeve in his hand. “Don’t leave.” He quickly eyes the clock. “But also don’t punch me in the face, I guess?” he whispers and then every conscious thought leaves Satoru’s brain because Suguru is leaning forward, his eyes fluttering shut.

Satoru has never been kissed before but he has consumed enough media to know what’s going to happen. It doesn’t help him though, because Suguru being this close—and moving closer still—freezes him right to the spot.

It feels as if the world around explodes around Satoru when Suguru’s lips meet his—it surely has nothing to do with the fireworks going off everywhere—but it’s also enough to finally make Satoru remember himself and he manages to kiss back before Suguru moves away again.

“Happy New Year,” Suguru breathes out as he moves away and Satoru’s heart plummets in his chest.

“This is—the tradition?” he croaks out, beyond disappointed and actually kind of hurt, but he somehow manages to plaster a smile to his face. “Interesting.” It’s the only thing he can think of to say at the moment and he doesn’t miss the way Suguru avoids looking at him.

“It’s—yes.”

So it doesn’t mean anything. It doesn’t mean anything at all to Suguru, even though it means the world to Satoru. Great. That’s just great.

“But it’s not—” Suguru cuts himself off, a look of pure frustration on his face. “But that’s not really it, Satoru,” he finally says, meeting Satoru’s eyes again.

Satoru knows that look; it’s the one Suguru always wears right before they go into a fight and Satoru wonders what could possibly put that look on his face right now.

“It is the tradition, yes,” Suguru repeats, as he reaches out for Satoru’s hand again. Instead of reaching for the sleeve, though, he tangles their fingers together. “But I also just wanted to do that. I have wanted to do that for a while, actually, you know.”

“You—wanted to kiss me,” Satoru unsurely gives back, though he doesn’t fail to squeeze Suguru’s hand.

“Yes.” Suguru takes a deep breath before he goes on. “I wanted to do that way before, because I’m in love with you. I’m just—a coward, I guess.”

Relieved laughter bubbles up in Satoru’s throat though he chokes it back. Suguru is going to misunderstand if he should laugh now, he just knows it, and Satoru can’t have that.

“Just like I am,” Satoru gives back and shuffles closer to Suguru. “I wanted to keep you company, because I’d rather spend every minute of every day with you than going out to party. Because I’m in love with you, too.”

His words clearly catch Suguru off guard because he keeps blinking at him in shock.

“I didn’t really expect that,” Suguru finally admits and he lets out a little laugh. “I was prepared for you to tell me to fuck off.”

“Same,” Satoru easily gives back, dropping his head to Suguru’s shoulder. “I was prepared for you to avoid me. I thought it would all be too much.”

“It’s never too much,” Suguru tells him as he takes his hand back. Before Satoru can mourn the loss, Suguru brings his arms up around Satoru and hugs him close. “It’s never enough, with you.”

Satoru slings his arms around Suguru’s middle in turn and squeezes him tightly.

“Happy New Year, Suguru,” Satoru whispers, his lips brushing against Suguru’s throat and he goes warm all over when he feels Suguru pressing a kiss to his head.

“Happy New Year, Satoru.”

And it really can’t be anything but, with a start like this.

[derekscorner]

DmC: Devil's Tangent and Reboots Cry

I found a few shockingly new reviews of the failed reboot this week and it spurred an itch in my mind. I decided to replay the definitive edition to see how I felt about it five years after my last post about the reboot. Now a full 10+ years since the original release.

And what can I say? A lot has been said about this er "venture" over the years and a whole slew has been revealed thanks to youtubers doing full dives into it's dev cycle.

The youtuber Foxcade has an amazing series on it.

Of all the things you'll discover the most valuable one to me is the hilarious "gay cowboy" presentation and the push by Capcom themselves to make the game as different as possible.

That doesn't absolve the fans nor devs of our immature behavior at the time. (I won't deny being a petty bitch back then) But it is worth noting that Capcom was amidst it's poor decision to appeal to western audiences back then. To an excessive amount.

In essence, Ninja Theory were being told to make it different which pissed off fans which then fed into the petty back and worth between everyone involved.

The sad part is that you see a glimpse of something interesting in some of the concept art. Just like at these early drafts for Donte and Kat:

A drastic shift even here but you can see a bit of the old series bleeding through. I find it a shame we'll never truly know what ideas for the world and story were built around these early ideas.

But maybe you're not like me and like to ponder what-ifs. Perhaps you're someone who was disappointed with the gameplay. A fair criticism the initial released had.

It's hard to put into words just how fun classic DMC is but if you've played DMC1, DMC3, DMC4 or DMC5 you know what I'm talking about.

In fact, making this in a post DMC5 world makes the contrast stronger. A few small aspects of this reboot was used in DMC5 but more importantly DMC5 is the peak of the classic gamemplay.

It's skill ceiling is even higher than before yet it's skill floor low enough for anyone.

The reboot lacked even the most basic DMC features like the lock-on. It was also far easier with a style system that cared about damage dealt over style.

I could go further into it but there's no real need too due to the definitive edition existing. If you're morbidly curious about the reboot just trust me and play that definitive version if possible.

It has a turbo mode and it adds a hardcore mode that shifts several gameplay mechanics to be like classic DMC. It also adds a lock-on but I find the lock-on hard to use personally.

DMC has so much of it's button space ate up thanks to the angel-demon mode mechanic that I find lock-on hard to use properly unless I just forwent the other weapons as much as I can.

Even with button mapping it's an issue I found my skill suffering from.

Another wholly personal issue I have is with the weapon doors. The game will force you to use a weapon and it's built for you to swap often but I prefer certain ones so having to constantly swap to open pathways or affect the environment annoys me.

I'd also like to say the definitive edition's greatest change was making the colored enemies susceptible to every weapon. This is true, any weapon can damage now. Though, they chose to make colored enemies only stunned by the proper weapon.

It's a half fix to a problem that'd have been best removed entirely. Colored weapons, in any game mind you, is a horrible idea that should never be done.

I don't want to talk you out of trying it if you have access to the definitive edition. It does do a lot more right than I can put into words but these are gripes I do have about it personally.

But even this is minor. Even now, five years later, I find the biggest offense of the reboot was the characters.

Character Assassination in Motion

Many would say that story is the biggest offense and to an extent I agree. It's overly edgy to the point of giving you second hand embarrassment. Dante swears like that kid in middle school that just learned they could.

And do we really need that seen of two demons fucking? The definitive edition removed Vergil's fedora yet they don't remove this? What was even the intention here? To tell me that Mundus fucks?

He's a demon king, nowhere near human, you could tell me he has hundreds of demon whores or that he sweats out spawn. Anything but that scene...

You could argue the same for the opening cinematic as well but now that I'm on a Mundus rant let's focus on that.

Hell runs on Debt I guess?

Mundus had a larger background role in classic DMC but a small on-screen presence. He's meant to show just how amazing classic Sparda's rebellion and victory was. He's also a good first villain for Dante to defeat in the classic universe.

What I mean to say is that I do not consider this reboot Mundus a character assassination per say but I am very confused by the character direction.

The game outright confirms he's immortal thanks to his hell gate. His power as a demon king, while less impressive than classic, is still worth note in this universe.

He's the one either creating Limbo or holding it over the human world since it collapses with the hell gate sealed and Mundus dead. He is a powerful being by all rights of measure to the point that I do not know why he's ruling the human world through debt and deceit.

Yes, yes, I know it's due to the "fight the man" message. One they effectively stole from the film 'They Live'. But even beyond that it just makes him seem so silly.

He has no reason to do this. He could rule the human world through might alone and honestly have an easier time doing so. It makes him feel less imposing to be honest.

He's practically silly between his paradigm of rule and cringy lines.

El Donté will never die

Truth be told I actually grow less offended by ol Donté as time goes on. I do not consider him well written and a good portion of the game is his awful one liners falling flat.

HE'S the kid from middle school that curses like he just discovered he could. But both five years ago and now I do see what they were attempting to do.

Donté has a subtle (somewhat poorly done) character arc. His swing in personality begins once he regains his memories but I do not see that change alone as bad. It's quite believable for a personality to shift with a new flux of memories to dictate your actions.

You will notice him curse less as the story progresses as he takes the mission more seriously. He believes in Vergil's perceived goal more than Vergil himself.

They also attempt to tie his attachment to humanity through his connection to Kat but I don't think they sell it quite as well as they had hoped. It's blatant he cares about Kat yes but they more share a hatred of demons than they display a deepening affection for humanity.

Caring for one human is not the same as caring for every human.

I would also argue that Donté actually had this underlining quality of compassion. The game does not showcase or build upon it but I did notice in that one scene the definitive edition added right after they rescue Kat.

The twins are arguing about Vergil's actions and the lives lost in Mundus' rampage. Vergil rights it off as a sin for him to bear but what caught my attention was when Donté says:

"you have no right to decide the fate of so many"

That right there showed me a semblance of a core aspect of classic Dante. A semblance that should've had more focus to sell this Dante. You don't have to just redo classic Dante if you wish to reboot but I would argue that compassion for people needs to be present.

You even come across Phineas, a demon. It feels a bit odd for Donté, out of character even, yet he does show some level of compassion by aiding Phineas.

It wasn't for purely altruistic reasons but it is worthy of note.

Of course, you may find this whole scene somewhat out of character for Donté or at least I do. Donté has no reason to hate his father like classic Dante did in his youth yet just being compared to him bothered Donté in this scene.

This is the only time Donté shows a dislike for being cared to his father based on the fact that Sparda was a demon. If anything, this Donté should has more positive or amical feelings about Sparda than his counter part given his sacrifice.

This also circles back into the sparing of Phineas. If Donté hates demons that much to reject comparisons to his father then his compassion should've have shown through in aiding him.

Although, I guess you can chalk that up to his character arc and its attempt to show some level of change.

Donté has a compelling characteristic hidden under all the cringe as it were. I'd even go as far as to say that this Dante did have potential by the end of the game.

Had he the opportunity to expand in a sequel he may have very well become a Donté worth praise. He'll never replace the whacky woo hoo pizza man but that doesn't mean the didn't have potential at all.

Heck, you could've even repurposed classic Sparda's legend for Donté. He's fundamentally not human yet feels a compassion for them.

The game tries to give him these human moments but he is not human. He could've been this universe's dark knight Sparda and we could've seen what aspects of humanity he adopts.

A "monster wishing to be human" as it were.

Spells in a spray can

Given that she's a new character entirely I can't really call her character assassinated but I also can't really say that much about her.

She's meant to tie Donté to humanity but rather than shows him growing a fondness for humanity she is just a love interest instead.

I do not consider her a bad character I just wish they did something a bit more with her. For example, in the prequel comic, in the Vergil DLC, or even in her own self explained backstory is a few interesting plot ploints.

Her step father was pedo demon piece of shit. The trauma of that awakened her ability to do astral projection. In the classic series humans were only shown to have magic in relation to demons.

But Kat shows that in this universe humans can have innate supernatural abilities. She's even capable of using spells that Vergil taught her going as far as to reinvent them into spray paint.

That's fucking interesting to me. Guns do little against demons but what if you had humans mixing that with the occult like Kat? There's ideas there. Potential!

I also find her dynamic with Vergil interesting. She's the closest any version of Vergil has shown to caring about someone not his kin...which is a bold statement to make given that classic Vergil has a son but you know what I mean.

It's blatant that her faith in Vergil is solid and perhaps more but more interesting is that Vergil seems to hold a fondness for her. Both in that aforementioned comic and even in his DLC.

She appears in his personal dlc hell because she's important enough to. What is that backstory? If she had to be a love interest show me that one.

A bit of a Fan Fic here

All that said there is one thing I would've personally changed. I'd love to see the things I listed above but if I could make one change to the story as is I would have likely killed Kat off here. ^

Or rather "partly". She can phase into Limbo so I would've had her ghost guide the twins and her final death would be with Limbo's collapse and Mundus' death.

Granting her a peaceful send off knowing that her efforts paid off.

I have no real reason for this change and given this change, her canon story, and the potential she could have I would honestly rather discard it all to see the potential she had that I listed above.

I added this because it's an intrusive thought I've had since I first played it in 2013 and it was a quick break away for me before we tackle-OH NO IT'S VERGIL!

The storm that is petering

Of all the characters the reboot used this is by far the one that's an outright character assassination. What was done to Vergil is a true travesty.

While Donté has some potential for growth his twin had every core aspect of Vergil ruined. This new Vergil has no codes of honor, he uses a gun to shoot a pregnant woman, let's her realize the baby is dead, then shoots her too.

"But she was a demon-" SHUSH. That doesn't change what is happening in this scene. Nothing about that scene is okay and it wouldn't be regardless of who did it.

Vergil being the one to pull the trigger was just the worst pick.

This isn't even the only issue. Yes it's the biggest one you can mention but a lot of the things that made classic Vergil cool or loved are just gone.

He uses a gun, he uses said gun for a cowardly act, he barely fights and when he does he's thrown aside fast by Mundus, and his overall master planner portrayal seems like a miss on the mark of what Vergil is perceived to be.

Classic Vergil is the type to visit libraries or read poetry, sure but he is by no means some master schemer. DMC3 is a clear testament to that.

Vergil is apathetic to humans, this is also true. Between the Temen-ni-gru and the Qliphoth classic Vergil indirectly killed millions of people spanning over several cities.

However, he does not view them as something to coddle. The reboot Vergil's desire to rule men seems odd due to this comparison and as a reboot of that old Vergil the comparison has to be made.

While Donté was raised in an orphanage and ran away due to demons, new Vergil was raised by rich human parents. A fact that I think they added solely due to how classic Vergil portrayed himself.

He just feels...weak by comparison. Both in mind and in body.

Donté even jokes about being the stronger twin. A fact of the duo that his dlc story presses on. It can be annoying since it basically boils down too "this is what classic Vergil did but lesser" at the end of the day.

They try to align him closer to that classic template in the DLC but it doesn't really sell the character shift.

If anything both main and dlc story open up a lot of questions that don't get answered. Such as;

"how did Vergil regain his memories?"

"At what point did he decide replace Mundus vs simply destroying him?"

"How come Vergil knows of the myth of the nephilim yet doesn't seem to know they were once a full race?"

"What reason does motivates him to coddle humanity?"

"Why is he so weak when he's had his powers longer?"

"How does he feel about Kat?"

Among other questions. Reboot Vergil does what the classic did worse yet the things about him that I'd like to know are never addressed.

The worst part is that I want to know. Despite how bad that hostage scene is, despite how lack luster he feels as a villain, I want to know these things because knowing them could've helped him step out of classic Vergil's shadow.

The more disassociated he is with classic Vergil he is the better a chance he'd have at being a better character in his own right.

A wasted Opportunity

Worse yet, I simply dislike his heel turn in mission 20. Yes, yes you can argue that there's signs of his nature throughout the story but there's a stark difference between that and the twins falling out.

Reboot Vergil shows that he's willing to do things to defeat Mundus that Donté won't but none of them indicated plans to take his place. At best, the only foreshadowing to that was Phineas' words to Donté earlier in the game. The whole "but who will replace him?" scene.

If anything I find this a huge wasted opportunity. The reboot is the only time we've seen an extended glimpse of the twins cooperating for a common goal. DMC3 had one mission and DMC5 has a great family drama it resolves but the reboot is the only time we've seen the twins be brothers.

You even see the biggest change to Vergil in this dynamic since Donté is the only person that Vergil seems to truly care for. He did not want to fight Donté, he didn't mind to leave him be and pursue his own goals, and most of the dlc's story is about Vergil letting go of that attachment.

The positives and negatives that come with it.

It's entirely a personal take but I do genuinely wish they had kept the twins allies in this universe had it continued.

Vergil's heel turn is out of nowhere yet it was added because DMC fans expect the twins to battle. But adding it solely because that's what the "old universe" did was such a waste of an idea.

Especially when the whole dev and marketing campaign went out of it's way to piss fans off. Conceding here just felt...I dont even know how to word it.

If they truly wanted to start anew or diverge from the classic universe then this was the best way they could've done it. Showing us a world in which the sons of Sparda are allies rather than enemies.

Ones pursuit of power pulling them forward while the others compassion keeping them from crossing boundaries they shouldn't.

Perhaps the twins could've helped humanity fend off the now revealed demons. Maybe they could've sought the missing angels or searched for more info about the first nephilim race.

There was so much there....oh well.

The Loreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

I have no good transition, I've been writing for two hours, but screw it. I want to end this on the lore and world building. I don't have nearly as much to rant about with it but I think we all agree that this was the reboots biggest interesting hook.

The Classic DMC universe was described as being in two parts, the human world and the demonic one. Angels and gods are mentioned, some demons even having light or holy themes, but for the most part you can infer that these were merely demons ancient humans worshipped.

(it was described in the DMC4 special edition developer interviews I think)

In the reboot universe angels do exist yet we never see them. We also do not know how aligned this lore is to Judeo-Christian mythology either.

Does God exist in this universe? Are angels and demons merely waring races? Were they originally one race? These are things we don't know but things that you'll ask at least once.

Because Mundus rules the human world through debt and Limbo to mask the demonic presence from humanity.

It'll make you question were the angels are. Did they abandon humanity or did they even care to begin with?

How do the angels feel about nephilim? How can nephilim even exist as a race at one point if the angel and demon races are in constant war?

A rare circumstance is easy to imagine but for the nephilim to exist as a race at one point in time means they had numbers enough to be called so. Meaning there had to be a multitude of demons and angels to spawn them (presumably) willingly.

The demon Phineas also seemed to lament the nephilim's extinction so was that fear of them solely with Mundus? Better yet, how did he wipe them out when they're a race that supposedly rivaled demons in power?

Due to worldbuilding you could literally do anything here. Mundus was controlling the human world and information for a long time meaning angels, gods, and other things as humans in that world know them are possibly lies.

In turn, due to that same worldbuilding, you want to know why a whole ass race of beings antagonistic to demons are absent.

This world had potential to be built upon and it was abandoned. I will grant you, I would definitely prefer to keep the classic series even now but I won't deny the lore of this universe interests me.

I'll never get those answers and if given an option I will choose DMC6 over a DmC:DMC2 but still....WHERE THE F*CK ARE THE ANGELS????

Conclusion

My mind is fried now so I'll stop. The point is that this world had potential but it's use of classic characters and story just didn't do it any favors.

The fact that it's definitive edition is limited to PS4 and Xbox may also be hampering any future this story could've had.

You will also notice that I rarely mentioned new characters like Phineas or Mundus' demon whore but that's because they're new. They were "just there" to me or passable. The biggest issue I have with this reboot is how it characterized it's cast from the classic series.

If you've played this recently then do let me know what you thought. I'm gonna rest now, three hour write, no rough draft, just post. Bye~

======

My other DMC Tangents: https://derekscorner.tumblr.com/tagged/dmctangent

[micah-write]

Leasebound fans don't try to twist people's word challenge impossible:

Since I'm not a fan of childish behavior I'll protect the blog safety from unwarranted hate by blocking out the username and I'll address the points here because I realized that doing my critique at 3 am didn't help me having a very straight to the point vocabulary and some of my points where very broad so I apologize for any misunderstandings that could've happened

1: attacking someone critique because you don't agree doesn't make it less a critique , actually if you actually read it all properly you would realize I praise that rusty does well because I believe in her potential to improve the comic , despite art being inherently political I wish to bring a neutral stance on the comic , hence why I only critique the political aspects when they're relevant (making a black woman the violent one was a relevant point , transphobia , antisemitism where also relevant points)

2: actually I would like to have the vision of genuine leasebound fan , because while I do understand what you may like most of your appreciation stem from your similar political stance wich is fueled by hate , for a movement so protective of lgbtq rights (minus the qt obviously) wich is litteraly to love who you want I find it hypocritical to be close minded to anything else .

3: I don't think you could make some good , if your definition of doing some good is making fun of me , ridiculing my critique simply because you don't like the points I'm bringing all you want to do is "fix" me wich is a gross fantasy to have . The idea of "fixing" someone is legitimately rooted into grooming someone , you want to establish a confiance relationship and then abusive of it and completely brainwash the person into thinking completely like you . This is gross

4: I don't think that women defending themselves is racist or violent , I find it racist and violent to depict the only woman of colors and ethnic traits as angry and violent , I find it violent to depict the only black butch women assaulting a stereotype of a trans woman who wasn't doing anything warranting that violence . If they did legitimately violent thing I would've agreed that she should defend herself because someone identity doesn't influence their acts . Its not because someone is trans that they're inherently violent or inherently docile

5: actually I love seeing women defend themselves, I'm a huge fan of magical girls and I find great happiness in seeing them succeed against the enemies (wich are often guys)

I hope that this will clear out some points, I hate to use childish tactics to bait way older adults into acting their own age but sometimes you have to play the other side game to gain their attention. I do not wish any hostility upon anyone and if any terfs or leasebound enjoyers wish to talk civilly and calmly about leasebound I'm more than open for that

[thegreatyin]

~ ✧ ~ COMMISSION INFORMATION ~ ✧ ~

Hello! I’m Yin, he/she/they, and welcome to my part of the hellsite, except with a lot more angels and monsters running amok. I’m primarily a hobbyist artist and writer, though I do aspire to get a proper job in either (or both!) professions someday. I’m a big fan of video games, cartoons, and just generally all that cringe fail nerdy stuff. If you want a more detailed introduction including nitty-gritty boundary information, links to and information about personal projects, and what few other social medias I have, you can find all of that stuff just below the cut. You don't have to read all of it, but it's all there if you want to see it.

Don't be afraid to tell me if I need to warn (or be reminded to warn) for triggering content, I am always happy to do so!

~ ✧ ~

~ Do not interact: ~

The title of this section is a joke. I don't actually have a DNI. What I will lay down is a before you follow:

• I am not comfortable with sharing my personal information on any public social media! Please respect this. I am comfortable disclosing that I am professionally diagnosed with autism and ADHD, and identify... somewhere on the LGBTQ spectrum in both orientation and gender. I'm still trying to figure out where, mind you, but definitely somewhere!!

• I am very violently queer and use the word very liberally as a form of self-identification. If this is a serious, major problem for you, I'd recommend you just block this blog and move on.

• This blog is a SFW space and, while I may reblog or post the occasional dirty or suggestive joke, I tend to avoid any and all truly explicit content. Blogs of any caliber are welcome to interact, just be aware my own space will always remain PG-13 at worst. This rule varies when it comes to artistic nudity- generally I will avoid reblogging it here, but if I ever do so it will be tagged appropriately.

• My official stance on any and all shipping discourse is that I prefer to not get personally engaged and keep my own opinions to myself. While I do have personal takes, viewpoints, and to an extent a clearly-defined side on the whole thing, I am not privy to publicly sharing any of these and will ignore any and all inquiries about the topic. I would greatly prefer to be treated as a neutral or otherwise outside party by both sides of the debate, because I do not wish to get involved in any discourse, and earnestly request that everyone respect that to the best of their ability. I'm just a simple hobbit in my own corner of the internet, and boy am I not willing to carry the ring to Mordor anytime soon.

• I write and draw what I want to write and draw. I am an insufferable multishipper and a majority of my works deal with incredibly heavy and graphic topics. These will always be tagged and properly warned for. I will never drop something violent or gory on anyone's dashboards without the appropriate content warnings and disclaimers. As stated near the top of this post, if I ever forget anything, please feel free to remind me about it!!! Other's comfort will always take priority over my own hubris.

• I greatly enjoy eldritch/biblical angel aesthetics and religious horror themes, and they play a prominent role in a good chunk of my personal works. Similarly; body horror, existential dread, various kinds of abuse, struggles with nihilism, and mental health issues of all kinds are either common or at the very least notably existent in virtually all settings I create. If any of this makes you uncomfortable, I would earnestly recommend blocking most of the tags relating to my work.

• This should go without saying, but this blog is open to all sorts of identities and peoples regardless of origin. Short of literally being a crime, I am happy to let people identify however they wish. If you disagree with this statement, please be aware that I block liberally and I block often.

~ ✧ ~

~ Personal Projects and Settings ~

Acts, Promises, and Faith (commonly abbreviated to "APF"): My main ongoing original fiction project, with a clearly defined cast and setting and (almost!) a clearly defined overarching plot. Set on an artificially magic-infused planet known simply as Mimue, it follows a catgirl shapeshifter as she struggles to deal with love, loss, the baby(?) eldritch spider that crashed through her roof last night, and the most powerful person to ever exist taking a personal interest in her journey to bring that spider home. The main story is not currently published, and will likely not be for years, but I do hope to make it into a webcomic someday. Or a book. Or a game. Or just... something.

Outside of the main protagonist quartet, the setting as a whole has an abundance of side characters (and not so side characters), most of which feature in some shape or form in the official stories I have published on Ao3! These side stories also contain major insights into the lore and overall status of the world at large, and I always have ideas in the back of my mind for how I can make more stuff like this in the future. Just make sure to read the content warnings on all published works, and know that none of those were published in anything close to chronological order 👉😎👉

It is also important to note that you should treat all of those aforementioned stories as you would expanded universe material for an already-existing show or franchise- with the incredibly notable exception of one reoccurring character in particular, a majority of the cast given focus in the Ao3 fics do not star or otherwise provide a major role in the plot as it's written right now. I'm essentially constructing this universe backwards by first introducing everyone to Glup Shitto instead of Luke Skywalker. But that's okay, because now you can have both as your blorbos in the end! Everyone wins!

I am always accepting asks and inquiries about this world, because I love it to death and I love my blorbos to death and Rigel is my favorite character I've ever made ever.

Overall genre: Urban... ish fantasy character drama, leaning slightly towards low fantasy in general. The technology level in most of the world is equivalent to America in the early 60s, and magic originates from an outside force/gift in this setting, but is also pretty much seamlessly integrated into society by the modern day. While the story and themes are closer to darker melodrama than light-hearted action adventure, the world is distinctly not grimdark and the plot is mainly motivated by and through character actions and beliefs throughout the narrative.

Notable Content Warnings: Depression, allusions to suicide, drowning, burning alive, occasional gore, PTSD and C-PTSD, unreality and hallucinations from the prospective of the primary protagonist, body horror

Main Tag: #apf for general content, #apf info for more specific information about the world (these posts are not up-to-date most of the time, upfront worldbuilding questions are always preferred!)

Where to read it?: The APF anthology collection on Ao3 currently contains every published story I've ever written in ideal reading order! You definitely don't have to follow it in the slightest, it's just a suggestion due to how many fics there actually are. This setting also has its very own discord server, but for security reasons if anyone wants to enter it they'll have to DM me personally. Go on, give it a shot, I certainly won't mind!

~ ✧ ~

"Above": A work-in-progress name for a mostly sandbox (no clearly defined plot) setting about various gods, angels, and demons getting up to mischief across time and space. Dramatically darker in setting and tone than APF, and far less grounded to boot.

The world of "Above" is currently split between two eras- the "past" era, where a newly-born Seraph named Reguel tries their best to follow the wishes of their god, and the "present" era, where the King of Demons campaigns to end a millennium of torment from his cruel patron deity. At its core, it's a science fantasy setting that ends up focusing 99% of its attention on the duo of god-created fantasy races and very little on the already scarce sci-fi elements. Outside of lore about the gods and their creations, the rest of the world is merely a backdrop to demon and angel tomfoolery. To this effect, the actual "main cast" features funny jesters, friendly demon kings that use emoticons every five sentences, murderous malewives intensely in love with their giant goth girlfriends, and one (1) very sexy butler. Truly, some treats for everyone to enjoy.

Also, demons in this setting are floating mood ring space cannibals. That's really just something you have to experience for yourself to understand.

While there is an ongoing askblog based on this world, the events of that blog are not strictly canonical and will probably never be declared as such for spoiler-related reasons I cannot get into... but I'm also not saying the blog isn't canon. Just like APF, I'm always happy to receive and answer asks about this setting, so feel free to send any when you feel like it!

Overall Genre: The past era is a fantastical tragedy, while the present era is largely a nobledark adventure story. The world of the past is seen only through the eyes of an unreliable narrator, while the present is told through many different perspectives across many different species and locations.

Notable Content Warnings: Everything in the book. Psychosis, self harm, cannibalism, gore, dissociation, suicidal thoughts, PTSD, C-PTSD, parental abuse, parental neglect, abusive relationships... this is a dead dove setting, through and through, and it does not pull its punches. Particularly in the past era, but the whole world in general is a dove actively dying inside a paper bag.

Main Tag: #above.

Where to read it?: As this is largely a sandbox freeform setting, there's far fewer defined ways to access information about the setting and lore. The most notable proper story is God Have Mercy on Them, God Have Mercy on Me, a work-in-progress epic set in the past era that describes Reguel's early life and the choices that led them to where (and who) they are today. It has an absurdly slow update schedule because I write in my free time and it's insanely long, but many of its twists and turns are truly something else. One day I will finish it, and on that day it will be my magnum fucking opus. Probably. Maybe. Who knows, really.

The other option is @xx-hail2theking-xx, a currently ongoing roleplay blog centered around King Paimak and his merry band of cannibals. Unlike all other blogs I've managed in the past, it has a clearly defined act structure and is planned to end after a certain point, but that point is still far off. You don't necessarily need to read through the entire blog to jump into the plot at this point in time, but it certainly wouldn't hurt!

Also I've worked on it for like a year and made a bunch of art and writing just for it and it's kind of just my homemade self-imposed summer art project now. In a wacky demon sort of way.

~ ✧ ~

The Omniverse: Technically not just my project, but deserves to be included here anyway! This is a set of Undertale Multiverse roleplay blogs I participate in during my off time, although currently they're on indefinite hiatus due to unfortunate life and scheduling reasons.

The simplest way to explain the overarching plot- the very loose, very improv-based plot- of both blogs I run is essentially that there are two concurrent stories running back-to-back. In one, a recovering drug addict struggles with terrifying concepts like "having morals" and "caring about people", while in other the self-proclaimed King of Darkness and Everything Evil has to contest with a madman that wants to wipe out all of reality and build it anew and has already done so once before.

Oh, and the recoverer is the brother of the King's spouse. There's a truckload of complicated roleplay lore associated with each and every character from this setting, and it's almost impossible for me to single-handedly cover it all- especially considering I don't own half of the major cast.

Nothing is currently being done with them right now, but rest assured at any given moment I am rotating Caeru in my mind like a rotisserie chicken.

Overall Genre: Darkly comedic character introspection drama, and grimdark action adventure with a heavy focus on worldbuilding and characters.

Notable Content Warnings: Addiction, drug abuse, excessive violence, PTSD, C-PTSD, self harm, suicidal tendencies and thoughts... okay, maybe this one is kind of a dying dove too.

Main Tag: #rp stuff dwbi for primarily general RP content, while #hag for Hood and Greylu's verse in particular (the King of Darkness' verse)

Where to read it?: @official-saltbag and @darkness-regins respectively, however the quality of my old (and I do mean old) writing found on these blogs is inconsistent and contains many plot points and characterization choices I'm not sure hold up well today. While I hold no lingering resentment or specific apprehension about the blogs in general, I would much rather someone read my current work if they are genuinely interested in my writing style... and also they both completely lack a chrono tag, so good luck properly reading through them without a saintly amount of patience.

~ ✧ ~

Mistakes, Curses, and Mockeries: APF's semi-sequel, but only in the sense that Deltarune is technically a sequel to Undertale. Set in the same world and continuity as APF, but decades into the future- with a completely separate cast and story structure to boot.

One year after the death of his family at the hands of a mysterious robotic "red devil", a young noble named Equuleus comes to the horrifying realization that he's stuck in a year-spanning timeloop. And in every loop, no matter what, widespread disaster and chaos runs rampant by year's end. Potentially at the very same hands that led his family to ruin.

And thus Leus makes a vow; Force a future where everybody lives, or die trying.

...naturally, it turns out "die trying" can be taken very literally in this exact scenario. Things only spiral from there.

Overall Genre: Fantasy mystery adventures, with a touch of character drama and time shenanigans for spice. Steampunk-magitek-medieval-fantasy mixing pot of a setting with the occasional downright cyperpunk jumpscare. Keeps threatening to become a psychological horror and I keep having to bat it with a stick so it chills the heck out already. (It is doing the exact opposite of chilling the heck out.)

Notable Content Warnings: Major character death, dehumanization, dissociation, existential terror about forgetting everything that you are, insufferable nihilists, potentially even more insufferable fatalists, colonialism

Main Tag: #mcm.

Where to read it?: well first you get a shovel and second you start applying it directly to my skull to get the brain out for advanced noclip telepathy strats... is what I'd usually say, but there's actually a singular fic set in this setting now! I know, I'm shocked too.

~ ✧ ~

~ Contact information / socials ~

Tumblr is and will forever be my main social media platform, and I rarely consistently maintain accounts on other sites. You can, however, nonetheless find me below:

• @TheGreatWritingYin on Ao3

• @luminxlumina on Twitter

• @TheGreatYin on Cohost

• @TheGreatYin on Artfight

• @TheGreatFrostingWind on Flight Rising

• @TheGreatYin on Pixel Cat's End

• @Yinsie on Fallen London

• ...and that's literally just it!

If you successfully scrolled and read to the bottom of this, congratulations! Have a celebratory cookie. (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ 🍪

[doodle17]

🏳️‍🌈, 🏳️‍⚧️, 🧸, 👻, 🎶, 👽, 💤, 🦾, 💝, 🫂, 💔, 🪢, 📓, 👗, 🔪, 🌟, 🥇, 🍫, 🎭, ❤️‍🔥, 💄, 🖕, 😺, 😬, 😭, 😶, Pooter

LOOOONG ass post below, lots of reading. I have like- 2 more of these for other characters in my drafts rn. Yall gonna be reading a shit ton 😭

Your welcome/I'm so sorry

I think Raz is Bisexual

I think Raz is Cis Male (I should probably tell yall now that, unless canonically stated otherwise, I usually consider characters being Cis)

Raz was a wild child! He was always running around and getting into things he wasn't supposed to.

I think after getting over his fear of Hydrophobia, he'd probably be afraid of thinhs in water. I think he'd be a submechaniphobic or something like that. Can't say I blame him. *shudders*

I think he'd like rock songs similar to "be my girl" by the Jets or "You're gonna go far kid" by Offspring. I also think he likes songs like "Groove is in the Heart" by Dee-lite or "September" by Earth Wind and Fire (courtesy of Milla)

He opens bottles with his teeth. He was surprised to find out not everyone did, and how people freaked out and asked his his teeth were okay.

Sleep walks if he has caffeine before bed. (I've shared this one a lot but I just love it ok it's one of my fav hc)

Hmmm.... I don't think I have any disability hc for ol Razzle

I think Raz's love language is being openly, in use of a better word, honest. Like- once he's warmed up to someone he will say anything that's on his mind about them.

pretty loyal buddy! He'll stay up late with you, play video games with you, he'll sit patiently and listen to you ramble about your interests, listening happily.

Not sure if this is really angsty, but, he was pretty prone to nightmares a few days after the whole Maligula incident. He had to be comforted by his mom and sister for a while.

HUGE smugglers. All of them. Raz is not left out of the snuggle piles.

Idk if this counts as a hobby, but he likes making his own comics! He's usually scribbling in a notebook with pens and crayons.

I think the clothes Sasha gives him in 2 are the same clothes he ran away in. Why else would he have clothes small enough to fit a young boy? They shrunk in the washer? We all know Sasha is to smart to make a mistake like that.

WILL fight ANYONE. Always ready to throw hands, whether that be for a dare, to defend one of his friends, or just for fun.

Wants be grown up already! He can't wait until he's an adult and be able to go even "cooler" missions! (Little does he know it's a lot more paperwork than spy stuff)

Acrobatics, Hydrokenisis, especially making those two work together.

This kid has a stomach of IRON. He can eat ANYTHING. Not that he likes everything he eats, but he can definitely eat it.

He lies about his authority/ what he's allowed to do quite often. "Oh yeah! They let me do this all the time!" "Of COURSE they gave me permission to do this!"

(This is more for my older ver of Raz) He LOVES resting his head on Lilis chest like pillow, and vice versa. He loves it when they're just resting there, and she's reading stuff from old comics, newspapers or paperwork, making fun of it or commentary. He likes the way her voice sounds, how warm she is, hearing her calming heartbeat... when she lays on his chest, she likes it because "its f*cking cold"

His hair is actually (kind of) curly! But he uses Dions hair gel or a hair straightener.

He WILL let you know he is mad. Trust me.

Hes definitely been a lot softer on animals than he used to be. I believe it's because he befriended Harold.

idrk, I have stories I made up of stuff but Idk if they count as Hcs exactly lol

Not exactly the worst thing, but, when he and Lili stopped dating for like- 7 years and they barely interacted the whole time.

[crystallinestars]

Thanks for the clarification and don't worry about your replies getting long, it's very interesting to read :)

Yeaah everything you described is the number 1 reason I avoid any outside sources (especially on social media) for any game, book, etc. like the plague, because more often than not it's just fanservice 101, and I do not believe that everything a creator says or posts should be taken as the Word Of God, especially if they like to play the ambiguity game. Mihoyo is particularly guilty of this, what with their tendency to rinse and repeat the "write characters as pairs of sorts" tactic, for lack of a better way to define it. I feel like it's not as bad in HSR than in Genshin though (especially in Sumeru), or at least I was really glad to see that the characters interact with a lot of different people without having their discussions circle back to their designated foil / pair. But I guess it's also true that the louder voices in fandoms may have made my perception slightly biased concerning this whole topic 😅

Anyway, thank you for entertaining my rants, it gave me a lot to think about! I'd like to say that I truly enjoy how articulate you are in the way you write, and also thank you for how kind you've been 😌

The articulate one here is you, Anon! When I saw how thorough and eloquent you were, I was like "Damn, I better step up my game" haha.

Avoiding outside sources for your favorite piece of media is a very smart thing to do, and I hope I can also be like you one day. The urge to delete all my social media accounts keeps growing, and perhaps one day I'll finally abandon everything and have some peace of mind.

The writing characters as pairs thing Mihoyo does is definitely a leading cause for the ship wars. It wasn't as blatant in Fontaine, but Sumeru was the absolute worst culprit of this 💀 (I will forever be salty about how they introduced Kaveh to the player and Traveler). Certain pairs are so glued to each other, that past the AQ, you won't find a single event or character cameo where one isn't seen with the other or doesn't talk about the other in some way.

HSR doesn't have character foils to the same extent Genshin does, but they're also very guilty of blatantly pairing certain characters together, and sometimes not even in a wholesome way. In Penacony, the Trailblazer uses the Dreampeek phone to spy on Bronya's dream, and the writers really thought it was a good idea to have the Trailblazer go "Oh yeah, Bronya and Seele are getting it on 🤤" and then get mad when they realize the girls aren't. Like, seriously? We're really going down this path?

That's not even getting into other pairings they do that are stuck in this limbo of ambiguity all for the sake of fanservice to appeal to certain subgroups of people, yet wanting to keep it vague enough to keep those not into the ships still interested in the characters. It's a scummy tactic that I despise heavily, though I can understand they do it because it makes money.

For all the amazing games Mihoyo puts out, I have lost respect for them as a company because their blatant pandering makes me feel alienated as a player. I may write for Genshin and HSR, but that's just a way for me to cope with this alienation. I impatiently await the day when I can say goodbye to both games without feeling like I'll miss the open world exploration and pretty characters.

Anyway, sorry for ranting again. My followers are probably sick of me discussing this topic, but I want to use the opportunity to get some things off my chest. Thank you for indulging me, Anon, you've been very pleasant to talk to, as well 😊

[axolotlsupremacyowo]

The Return of Find the Word!

Hi! So, I'm bored and definitely need sleep, but can't. So! What better use of my time than to have this game make a little comeback! So yep! We're going with round two of find the word! This is gonna be super fun, I can tell already! Keep note tho, these snippets are gonna be from my newest works.

As for who I'm tagging? Hmmm! Well, that'll be my lovely besties! @mikaharuka @tsunderewatermelon @kayedium-writes @mrsmungus @bleepbloopbotz @sliebman10 @aislinnstanaka @hylianjo @justanotherpersonwhowrites @oceangirl24 @precambrian-sea-pancake @udaberriwrites @lena-hills and of course, open tag!

So, let's get on with this shall we?

Words for me!

expression, finger, gradual, breakfast, sympathetic

Words for you!

outlook, talkative, intensify, exchange, twist

Now! Here come all the snippets!

Expression (Momo's Ace Attorney Flufftober, Chapter 9)

Edgeworth nodded again and then ran back up the stairs, and a few minutes later he had come back fully changed and with bags. Bags, plural, specifically three big backpacks filled to the brim with whatever Edgeworth felt was “necessary”. Edgeworth carefully laid out the bags on the floor, looking up to Phoenix, who was staring down at the bags with a dumbfounded expression on his face. Surely Edgeworth was joking, right? When Phoenix saw the serious expression on Edgeworth’s face, he realized that he wasn’t joking.

Finger (The Things I Notice)

The first thing Klavier noticed was the adorable habit Apollo had whenever he was thinking. Whenever Apollo was deep in thought, he would press his index finger to the bridge of his nose. It was a habit that Apollo did even when they weren’t in the courtroom, like whenever Klavier would give Apollo a nonsensical riddle. It was a small thing really, something that he should have not noticed, but he did. Klavier watched as Apollo did that same habit in the courtroom.

Gradual (Hearts upon Hearts)

Pretty early on in their relationship, Alex had told Sebastian that he wanted to improve on the more intellectual things like reading, puzzles and games like chess and sudoku. Sebastian, confused at first, had suggested that he go to Maru instead, though he quickly caved when Alex had explained to him that he felt more comfortable with having Sebastian help him out first. After much insisting, Sebastian eventually agreed to help him. And so very often when time they spent time with each other, they often engaged in an intellectual activity like reading or puzzles for at least a few minutes. It was challenging at first, it really was. But slowly and gradually, Alex got better at understanding the books that he read and playing the games that he played. It was as though he was cleaning up the cobwebs in his mind, and he found himself delighted by this. Eventually, Alex was able to beat Sebastian at least once in most of the games they played. However, there was one game he had yet to beat Alex in. And that was chess.

Breakfast (Momo's Ace Attorney Flufftober, Chapter 9)

Phoenix Wright did not get up early this often, he had woken up early so infrequently that Trucy usually had to wake him for him to make breakfast. This time though, he had woken up early, a lot earlier than everyone in his house. He had woken up four in the morning, placing a chaste kiss on his sleeping husband’s forehead before he went downstairs to make preparations. He made food, packed bags, readied maps, and other various activities. Once he was done, Phoenix looked outside at the window, sunlight filtering through the windows. He smiled, the weather was warm, which meant that they could do what he had planned for them to do for weeks. They were going camping today.

Sympathetic (Ace Attorney: Maya Fey, Chapter 16)

“Tell me, then. What’s wrong?” Phoenix asked. (There’s no use trying to hide it from him…) Maya sighed. “Alright…It’s just…This is my first Christmas without Mia, first of many that is. I’m…bummed about it. I realized it this morning and I’ve been bummed since.” “Oh…Maya…” Phoenix said, giving her a sympathetic look. “I’m…I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize.” “It’s okay, Nick…” “…You know, if it’ll cheer you up, the Wrights and Naruhodos are always gonna be there for you.” Phoenix said, a small reassuring smile on his face. “We’ll be here, through thick and thin, sickness and health, and in the courtroom and detention center.” Maya giggled, starting to feel better. “Thanks Nick, I appreciate it.”

[steampunk-swift-arrow]

Fanfic: F-it! Un-Tom King's Your Riddler!

(Since AO3 has been down due to attacks, here's a fic that I wrote a while back and just haven't posted yet)

Summery: I really hated Tom King’s Riddler origin story so I wrote my own. Skips over the actual origin and just talks about the current time. Somewhat hurt/comfort

Warnings: mentions of cancer, chemotherapy, and fear of death.

Characters: Riddler and Batman

Word count: 2090

“Hey, my daughter really liked that last one,” the guard bringing him lunch informed him. “‘What’s got a bottom at its top?’ She’s been running around saying it and shouting out ‘Legs’, real cute.”

Edward was a flight risk, his cell was never allowed to be opened. It felt demeaning to sit at the door and then pull in the tray of food like an animal. “I thought the cleverness of that one might resonate with some people,” he commented. “She sounds like a smart little girl.”

“She is,” the guard was more than happy to talk about his daughter for a minute. A proud father. Edward was a little envious. “Got any others like that? Y’know, dirty but like kid-dirty. She loves a good fart joke.”

“I can’t say that any springs to mind but I’ll think on it,” Edward told him. “I don’t have much else to do right now.”

~-~-~

“A straightjacket? Really? Commissioner Gordon, I feel I should remind you that I have a history of escaping those, in case you actually expect that to work, I don’t want to disappoint you,” Edward said as he eyed the white jacket. Why was it always white? Was it really too much for them to make straight jackets in colors?

Arkham put him in one often enough he was pretty sure they owed him a fully customized one, green with purple accents and an actual challenge to escape. Maybe he’d have it made and sent to them for next time.

As much as he was annoyed with the jacket, at least it wasn’t a tranq gun or knock-out drugs.

“We’ll start with rubber bullets,” Gordon said.

“That won’t be necessary, I have no intention of fighting you,” Edward assured him. “I’d very much like to talk to Batman, if you’d be so kind as to call him.”

Gordon paused and seemed to study him for a second. “I’ll call him if you agree to wear the straightjacket,” he bargained.

Edward sighed. He really didn’t want to let someone get close enough to put that on him, not right now, but there wasn’t an actual choice. “I accept your terms,” he agreed.

He was definitely going to be late for his appointment and he desperately needed it.

~-~-~

It wasn’t fair. The treatment was supposed to help him but it left him feeling just as tired, if not more tired, than when it started. It took every fiber of strength that he had, more than he thought he even possessed, to try to hide the pain and fatigue he was going through. He didn’t want to appear weak in front of Batman. He’d even over-done it on the green makeup so that it would hide the bags under his eyes.

He was idly playing basketball when he heard the tell-tale woosh of a cape off to the side of the court. Batman had arrived.

“Gordon said you wanted to talk with me,” Batman said, unmoving from the shadow he’d found.

Edward let the ball roll back over to him and picked it up. “I did, I do,” he answered. “I-...” he stopped, finding himself unable to say what he wanted -no, needed- to say.

“If you’re at a loss for words, it must be something big,” Batman stated.

“Something like that,” Edward muttered, playing with the ball again. He didn’t feel that he had the strength to throw it but he could still dribble it or just hold it.

“I was also told that after Gordon called me the first time and asked me to meet you here, you escaped with a desperation he’d never seen in you or anyone before,” Batman continued. “He said it was like your life was at stake. You’ve been behaving oddly well according to the guards at Arkham. I’m told you normally drive them crazy with mind games or escape your cell just to mess with them, but you haven’t at all during your last stay.”

“I’ve told a few riddles,” Edward shrugged. “One of the guards said his daughter’s been getting into them, I made up some for her.”

“Making up riddles for a kid is not the same as your usual brand of crazy.”

“I suppose not. Can we move this conversation over to the benches?”

His body felt like he was about to drop over, he was glad Batman followed him to the benches so he could sit down and get the pain to lessen.

“There’s no easy way to put this and not many people to ask how to, but…” Edward paused and sighed. “I’m quitting the whole crime thing.”

Batman seemed surprised by that.

“It was fun, telling riddles to lead you to my next crime, throwing obstacles in your path to slow you down but knowing you would still be right behind me, knowing that any person who was involved was safe because you wouldn’t let them be hurt, the priceless items I stole, and of course the attention of media, it was all fun.”

“But you’re quitting?”

“It’s been losing its charm, the pattern has become a rut. I can’t… I don’t want to fall into a rut like that.”

Batman was quiet for a second. “You’re in pain,” he observed. Even resting, the pain was catching up with him, he had as good a chance of not getting caught by Batman as he had of escaping the pain. “What’s wrong? Are you sick?”

“Yes,” Edward admitted. “And not just in my usual way. A good therapist can’t help with this, not that there are any of those in this city. Thankfully we have several dozen hospitals, I was able to find help in one of them but I’m not sure it’s working.”

Just rip off the bandaid and say it. Quick and painless. It doesn’t have to be drawn out.

“I… I have cancer,” Edward said, finally telling someone about it for the first time. “Stage three, it’s not looking all that promising.”

He didn’t even need to look at Batman to know that he moved closer, he felt his presence next to him on the bench in an instant.

“It’s hard to get treatment and be a super criminal, I suppose,” Batman muttered. “That’s why you decided to quit and wanted to see me, right?” he checked.

“Part of it, yes,” Edward answered. “Look, the doctors said it doesn’t look good, they told me to get my affairs in order. Easiest task I’ve ever done, I don’t have loved ones to call, I know the police are just waiting to seize everything I have and lock it all away in an evidence locker, no one would really care if I died… except for maybe you and the daughter of a guard at Arkham. If anything else, I figure you were the most fun to interact with so if I had to tell anyone, it might as well be you.”

“I had a friend growing up, he lost his mother to cancer, we drifted apart over the years but I vividly remember the struggle she went through before passing, I wouldn’t wish it upon anyone in the entire world, no matter who they are or what they’ve done.”

“I’m not a good person, I always figured I’d die from someone getting revenge, from pissing off another rogue or a hero who doesn’t have a no-kill policy, something that would be quick and deserved. But this… this is nothing like that. It’s slow, it allows for time to tie up loose ends, and while it’s slowly breaking down my body, it’s killing my mind. Even if I wanted to continue to be a criminal, I literally can’t. I tried to do a crossword while in chemo today and just couldn’t do it. Some rogues can do the spontaneous criminal work but that’s just not who I am…”

“As much as I want to see you give up being a criminal, I want it to be because you decide to try a different path in life, not like this,” Batman said.

“I know I always said I didn’t care about death, that if I died I’d finally solve the greatest riddle of all but…” Edward trailed off as he tried hard not to start crying. “I… I’m scared.”

“I know. I’ve faced death enough times myself to know the feeling. But you can relax because you’re not dying.”

“How can you be so confident?”

“Because if you die, who’s going to provide me with the challenge that you think I need? Who’s going to take your place? The Joker? Jokes and riddles are similar but not that similar.  You said yourself, you’re not a good person, but you could be. Remember how you were a private investigator for a while?”

“I have a near perfect memory, or at least I did before the cancer, of course I remember.”

“That just proves you could be a good person. You never killed anyone, scared them mostly but you said you knew I’d save them.”

“I’m really not sure what you’re trying to say anymore.”

“You’re not dying because I won’t let that happen,” Batman said. “I know some of the best doctors in the world and out of it, I know people who can literally do magic, you’re not going to die. After you beat cancer, which you will, we can talk about the whole quitting thing again.”

“You seem awfully confident,” Edward said with a slight hum. “Just in case you’re wrong, can I ask for a small favor? I promise to take it to my grave.”

“What is it?”

“I’ve had a hunch for years and I want to know if I’m right. Who are you under the mask?”

Batman was still for a minute, long enough Edward figured he was probably waiting for him to start talking about something else and move away from the identity thing. To his surprise, Batman simply pulled the mask away like it was the hood of a jacket.

“I was right,” Edward uttered in shock. “You’re Bruce Wayne.”

“You figured it out before, I figured the likelihood of you getting it right the second time was high enough I can just tell you. Besides, I know you’re not going to do anything with the information.”

“Because I’m dying.”

“No, because what good is a riddle that everyone knows the answer to?”

“I suppose that’s also a good point,” Edward hummed.

“Edward,” Bruce began. Without the cowl, he sounded completely different, like his voice and mannerisms were also part of his mask. “I know you think no one would care if you died but you’re wrong, there are people who care about you, I care about you, and I’m going to prove it to you.”

~-~-~

In the months that followed that, both men researched as much as they could to find any form of a cure, the cancer continued to get worse.

During that time, Edward had put together collections of his riddles into books and published them: ‘1,001 Riddles for Young Geniuses’ and ‘the Riddler’s best Riddles’. He signed a copy of the first one and sent it to the guard for his daughter, he didn’t see anyone’s reactions but he was told by Bruce that they were thrilled.

Bruce walked into the hospital room where Edward was currently reading a book while doing chemo, an IV tube hooked into his arm and slowly releasing the medication. In order to keep a low profile, Bruce had put on a ‘disguise’, mainly glasses and an outfit he wouldn’t normally wear in public.

“That’s your idea of a disguise?” Edward asked with a slight laugh.

“Don’t knock it, it’s actually a really good one, I learned it from a friend of mine,” Bruce said. “Clark used to confuse people all the time whenever he lost his glasses, you’d be surprised how big a difference they can make.”

“I highly doubt people are actually going to fall for-”

A nurse walked in to check on something and paused, looking straight at Bruce. “Hello, who might you be?” she asked.

“A friend,” Bruce answered. “Just wanted to come see how my friend’s doing. You’ll need a ride home after this, right?”

“Uh, yeah, actually,” Edward agreed. “Thanks.”

“No problem,” Bruce waited until the nurse left and they were alone again. “I think I found a cure.”

“There’s no cure, I’ve been looking.”

“You’ve been looking at the records of scientists, I went beyond that,” Bruce corrected him. “Have you ever heard of the Lazarus Pit?”

[okwonyo]

you not saying i love you back.

ᙏ̤̫ 엔하이픈 ♡ femreader & fluff established relationship + cw. not-proofread skinship kissing petnames 0.7k | ( bookshelf )

heeseung would be baffled, mouth agape as he notices you didn't say it back. staring at nothing in but the darkness of the bedroom he shares with you, he'd a wait a few seconds to make sure you are not going to say it back. “hey,” he'd exclaim in a pouty way and emphasis on the last three words, “i said, i love you..” anyone would be able to hear the smile in your voice as you'd answer, “me too” and he'd keep going, “no, say it properly”— he wouldn't leave you alone before you finally answer: “i love you too”

jongseong would be a tad surprised at the beginning, pondering about all his today actions— wondering if he'd might have done something wrong, something that could've have made you mad. but, with the way you'd be sitting on his laps as you'd play ‘cat&soup’, this option would go as quick as it come. “princess,” he'd call you, and too invested in your game you'd just hum, “i love you” not even looking up from your virtual cats, you'd answer with a “i love you too, baby” he'd smile at that.

jaeyun would not be afraid to tell you to say it back, immediately. well, not with his words at first— he'd just stare at you, mouth formed into a frown and puppy eyes staring right into your eyes. you'd find it quite funny, so you'd just stare at him back with your arms crossed under your chest. “c'mon,” he'd whine and you'd laugh at his misery, “say it back, please” if you feel like being a little mean, you'd respond “hmm, should i?” as you bring your finger to your chin, acting as if you're thinking about anything else but the fact your boyfriend is really cute right now. you'd say it back, after he'd beg a little more..

sunghoon would be a bit worried, especially since he isn't the type to use words very often— he is more of a acts of love guy. but, his worry would go quickly, he wouldn't really mind after a few minutes. he knows you love him so if you don't say it back this time, it's okay. you'd feel bad after, so you'd come to him and lean your head on his shoulder as he'd do a daily task, “i love you too, hoon” it would be a lie if he denied the fact his heart warmed at your words (he'd give you a kiss on your forehead after)

sunoo would be beyond offended, hand dramatically put on his heart as he'd step back with his eyes and mouth wide opened. maybe his left eye would even twitch a little, “i am giving you one last chance, i said: i love you” and you'd just stare at him, trying so hard to not laugh you'd end up snorting. snorting— he wouldn't let that slide. he'd give you the silent treatment, immediately, he'd go sit on the couch with his arms crossed and he'd make sure to wipe his head to the side you are not when you come join him. his play wouldn't last long though, it'd take a few ‘i love you’ from you added to some puppy eyes and he'd giggle like an idiot.

jungwon would find this really amusing, he'd take it as a challenge to make it say it back. to be frank, usually, he'd get worried that he did something wrong and that you might be mad at him or feeling blue. but, even though he'd be a little bit worried at the beginning, with the way you'd blush as soon as those three words leave his mouth, his worries wouldn't last long. is definitely the type that would repeat himself until you finally give in. “ahh, i knew you loved me” he'd say when he succeed.

riki would hear his heart breaking, immediately. and i say it again, immediately. please, don't do that to him— he'd act like he doesn't mind but he would start overthinking so much. but he wouldn't distance himself or anything, he'd become extremely clingy. he tends to get clingy when he needs reassurance, and you know it. therefore, when you'd notice that he is following you everywhere and snuggling around you, you'd say it back “i love you too” and he'd smile.

wanted to this for a while— also the reason can be for fun or because you just didn't hear it ><

taglist open! @manooffline @ibsysbsfsunsbs @nwjws @lilriswife4life @alaezasmystery235 @teddywonss @tyussday @cholexc @flickqr @yuviqik @wvnrqs @strawberrywonz @y-ves @isawritesss @filmofhybe @ikeucakes @gweoriz @yunabi436 @ashtxrie @soul-is-a-strange-kid @jaelaxies @jwonsluvr nets@k-films @kflixnet @/k-labels

[archduchessgortash]

Thank you for your kind words. Truly.

When we consider how progress-focused Gortash's objectives are, one could also propose that if he remains psychologically stagnant or regresses in a story in which he is resurrected following the events of the game, it might just be the opposite of canon-compliant. Something to think about...

One item of note regarding canon compliance is how it is, to an extent, self-defined. It's nearly impossible not to cherry-pick. For example, I read a post suggesting that Durge should be played as a male character. It had many in-game references and lore notes to support it. Much of the fandom refers to the white dragonborn cis-gender sorcerer Durge as 'canon Durge,' yet I very pointedly, even in one of my own fic descriptions, which includes him, refer to him as default. Why? Because he's not actually canon. What is canon is that the Dark Urge is a fully customizable protagonist, excepting only their background. That is the only choice that the player can not change, making it the only truly canonical aspect of Durge. They can even be renamed. What is also canon is that the spell Disguise Self exists in the game, rendering Durge's appearance in any and all promotional materials irrelevant.

With regard to Astarion, I do see how redeeming him could be seen as more difficult than doing the same with Gortash. We don't see him exhibiting the casual cruelty and delight in suffering that Astarion often does. For Gortash to display behaviors indicative of pleasure at the suffering of others, he seems to require that they have harmed him first. He laughs pretty maniacally about Orin's death, but we know she's harmed him and intended him harm. Karlach has to threaten his life before he threatens hers.

The thing about redemption is that if there's a will, there's a way. Is it feasible that under the right circumstances, Gortash could summon the will to become my definition of a better man? I think he has it in him. If I had never seen that spark in him, this particular fixation would not have arisen. And... now I want to play Dragon's Dogma again. 🤦‍♀️

While it is true that one might conclude, in compiling every moment of Gortash that we can experience as players and every piece of data on him within the game, we might not find sufficient evidence to support the idea that his morals are even remotely similar to our own, with what we are given, the picture is... less than complete. If there was nothing about Gortash that was left open to nuance and interpretation, he simply wouldn't be interesting to me. His writing in-game invites me to investigate his morals and motives. He's mentioned in all acts of the game, but our interactions with him when we finally come face-to-face are staggeringly limited. We are not provided the opportunity to get to know him, which only further sparks my curiosity. The man obsessed with controlling brains makes me want to dissect his. Metaphorically, of course. It is probably one of the reasons I like him as much as I do.

Also... I will happily read your dissertation. 😃

Unpopular Opinion

An 'evil power couple ruling Toril together' ending for Durge and Gortash is a horrible idea, and I'm glad that it doesn't happen in Baldur's Gate 3. If it ever did, it would not be a happy ending for either of them.

If that's your kink... cool. It's such a popular ask in the fandom that I'm sure someone already wrote it months and months ago.

My kink is redemption, but hardly anyone seems to want that for Gortash, and it makes me sad. I really think it should have been an option.

Here's why I don't want Durge and Gortash ruling Toril:

Durge and Gortash have both been abused, manipulated, and treated like complete shit by their families, their caregivers, and their gods. Bane's treatment of Gortash isn't exactly clear except that he tortures his soul for failure even though Gortash did everything he possibly could to succeed in the Absolute plot. By the time we meet him in-game, Gortash has become as bad, if not worse, than his abusers. Pre-tadpole Durge was a piece of work, too, although Sceleritas does mention that they struggled to stay the course that Bhaal had set them upon even before their lobotomy.

We know that one of the themes in Baldur's Gate 3 revolves around cycles of abuse. Even when the victim-turned-abuser isn't arguably 'as bad' as the one who hurt them, if they choose the same sort of path, they lose everything they were ever really fighting for: themselves.

I know Ascended Astarion stans will stomp their feet and say he hasn't become Cazador 2.0. To them, I say: 'You're right. He hasn't... yet.' However, he has eternity now and a delusional slave of his very own to bring out the worst in him. There's a reason that spawn Astarion mentions how he felt everything he'd learned since meeting his new friend/partner slipping away when he thanks them for stopping his ascension. Because that is what ascension does to him. Astarion loses. Cazador wins. Even dead, he has won. That the fandom doesn't get that boggles my mind.

Some fans like the idea of evil Durge and Gortash taking out Bhaal and Bane, becoming gods themselves. In my opinion, this is so much worse. Killing or torturing their abusers as revenge isn't 'finally showing them' or proving their strength. It is, in fact, a mirror of their abuser's own weakness manifested in their victim. Gortash has already crossed this line. Dravo Flymm is effectively dead, animated only by his tadpole. This is another reason I wish Karlach had the option to forgive Gortash--not for him--but for her.

Gortash intellectualized his own abuse so hard that he actually thinks he was helping Karlach by giving her to Zariel. He has not truly dealt with anything that was done to him. He projects it onto the people around him and makes his own problems into everyone else's. I believe this is why there's no ending in which he survives. That, and running out of time and money to do him and Wyll justice with their storylines.

I don't like Durge and Gortash becoming worse together. A history of abuse does not excuse its continuation. I don't want to watch them be overtaken by their own weakness, to weep as I gaze upon the manifestation of their inescapable cowardice.

I want to see them win, but my definition of winning is not ruling. My definition of winning is choosing to no longer emulate their abusers, to become what tiny glimpses into their back stories show us they once had the potential to be.

The idea of Durge and Gortash enslaving the world and ruling it brings to mind a line from one of my all-time favorite songs: Veteran of the Psychic Wars by Blue Öyster Cult.

'Did I hear you say that THIS is victory?!'

Well... it is. Just not theirs.

Repeating the cycle of abuse is nothing short of ensuring the legacy of the abuser.

Like I said... I want Durge and Gortash to win.

[mall-0-ry]

Hello! i'd liked to make another request, and i'm sorry that i kept on sending one! it's because you're the most active creator here.. soo0-- Can i request for 1st year scenario reactiom, of learning that MC/YUU/YN is dating their Housewarden

It’s alright to send requests! i do not really mind! i hope that this work that i did would be alright for you!

- GENDER NEUTRAL READER!

FIRST YEARS REACTION UPON FINDING OUT THAT MC/YUU/Y/N IS DATING THEIR HOUSE WARDEN.

ACE TRAPPOLA:

- He was shocked.

- How did he found out? well, he was trying to apologize for the trouble he caused, by bringing riddle a tart.

- He knocked at the door only to not get any answer, so he opened it and went inside.

- There he saw, You and Riddle Cuddling, while telling him how much you love him.

- He was too shocked to even move an inch.

- but he was too dumb to even keep quiet.

- So he, Shouted “ EW! “

after that, He was collared and was made to do a 6000 words apology, for barging in the room and making a ruckus.

- 100% told Deuce, unconsciously because he was complaining about the collar.

- “ Just because i found them cuddling and being lovey dovey, doesn’t mean he have to collar me! “

- in the end, he’s Very supportive, but he would still tease you and riddle!

Deuce Spade:

- Found out, because Ace was complaining, and had slipped the secret.

- asked you if it’s true.

- told him that it’s true, and was very happy that you found someone.

- Supportive Baby.

- promises to keep the secret.

- would definitely keep up his word.

- would bonk ace hard on the head, for teasing you two.

- while trying his best not to laugh.

- Makes sure that you won’t get into any trouble, because of Grim and Ace’s constant brawls. (maybe a little of his too.)

- “ The House-warden is looking for you, Y/N! “

- super supportive.

- like very.

- Have i mentioned about being supportive?

JACK HOWL:

- He knew.

- He already knew.

- At first, he was slightly shocked.

- He found you and Leona cuddling at the Botanical garden, when he was looking for you. so he put in the pieces that you two are together.

- Was told by Leona to protect you from trouble.

- so he’s often roped into “Trouble” that Ace, Deuce and grim dragged you into.

- He’s very supportive, but won’t show it.

- he’s one of the supportive Babies.

- “ you should go find Dorm-head leona, now “

EPEL FELMIER:

- He found out, he was shocked.

- He didn’t think that his House-warden would lower his standards *sobs* Just kidding~

- part of the supportive babies.

- Genuinely happy!

- why?

- because Vil has been directing his attention towards you and would often teach you about Makeup and etc.

- He’s as free as a bird!

- HOORAY!

- His happiness only lasted for a few seconds before Vil spotted him, and asked him to join.

- He could not refuse!

- very sad.

- gave a wonky smile before accepting.

- Vil told him his smile is ugly.

- he made it even more uglier

- He was then taken by rook, who Vil summoned to put an eye on him.

- He was slightly happy!

- Slightly teases you about your Relationship with Vil.

- Would often come by Ramshackle to give you the makeup kit vil bought for you, and some skin care products.

- Loves the thought that you wouldn’t be single and complaining.

ORTHO SHROUD:

- He was RoBotiCallY HapPy!

- Made a calendar reminder about your monthly Anniversary with Idia.

- calls you Big Sister/Brother

- doesn’t want to call you Sister/Brother in law.

- Would be the one bringing you gifts, that’s from idia.

- doesn’t mind being an Errand boy for Gifts.

- VERY SUPPORTIVE.

- supportive baby.

- hugs you every time he sees you in the hall.

- “ Big brother wants to play this game with you! you should stop by!”

SEBEK ZIGVOLT:

- WHAT?!? a MAGICLESS HUMAN IS DATING THE ALL MIGHTY OGOSH— MALLEUS SAMA?!?

- stalks you.

- still cannot accept.

- Still also cannot accept.

- Lowkey found you and Malleus cute together.

- Came to conclusion that

- If Malleus Sama is happy with you, then it’s alright.

- starts to slowly support your relationship.

- still would stalk you.

- screams at anybody who would come up to you to flirt.

- “ YOU SHALL NOT FLIRT WITH SOMEONE’S SIGNIFICANT OTHER! YOU LOWLY BEAST! MALLEUS SAMA WOULD BE ENRAGED!”

- Made the whole campus know about your relationship with the Dragon fae.

- was proud about it.

- got a scolding by lilia.