#Really love this game! I love the world and all the characters

[uncleasriel]

As I am garbage who dwells in that moribund space between D&D and nerdery, I'd like to add my own $0.02 for raprecommendations.

Every nerdling in the mid 200s who watched Samurai Champloo knows Nujabes was good, but if you weren't in that in that magical moment, let me share this secret for you. Technically he was more lo-fi hip-hop than proper rap, but when he rhymes, it's nicely melodic and soothing.

Feather is arguably his most rap-like piece and it's Really Quite Nice.

As well, the criminally underrated Dominik Omega is also a rapper who has both nerd cred and good lyricism. I first uncovered him through the 2010s (entirely forgettable) Game of Thrones concept album, with his track Arya's Prayer being just about the only thing on it worth a damn. It found it a shame that he's not been better well known, because he was the only guy on that disc I recall who'd actually read the books, and (in a time of White Nerd Rap of the 2010s) it was a delight to have someone who could convey the passionate anger of the character with a clear understanding of how to use the art form to convey the character's ethos even tomy wonderbread backside.

Arya's Prayer was my introduction to his work, a little atypical of his output, but if you know anything about GoT it's cleanly "yes, this man knows why people like this character and brings it out loud and clear."

I also feel I would be incomplete without referencing the beloved Nerd Icon that was MF Doom. His love of superheroes, rap and sharp lyrics put him in a league of his own, and the use of sampling to borrow from older pulp media and re-mix it into something that is uniquely his own cannot be underestimated. His One Beer is considered a classic, but the track All Caps from Madvillain is a great introduction his his delightfully layered Supervillain Rap Persona and gives a demonstration of lyrically dense work that also has an awesome msuic video that sells his whole schtick in one go.

My tastes rap tastes are generally underdeveloped, and more than one person has pointed out that I tend to like hip-hop over rap, so if I'm committing a crime against the art form, I apologize. I am not seasoned in the fine world of rap, and like vaguegrant the guy I RBed from, I need to expand my horizons more.

Okay now that you guys have liked Lil Nas X, Megan thee Stallion, Kendrick Lamar AND Doechii. Surely you can listen to rap now. Surely you see the merits of the genre. Surely.

[reflectionsofacreator]

[takes a long drink from my Arizona iced tea] so like one of the central themes for FFXV is like, growing up, sure. You know that, I know that, whatever. Coming of age, coming into your own, taking the mantle of king, whatever you wanna call it. Cool, awesome, we love a good coming of age story!

But I find the sub theme of that one to be probably the most fascinating? By and large, all the chocobros have to deal with the fallout of being lied to by the adult figures in their lives, and it's the most prevalent with Noctis and Gladio. Don't get me wrong, there's a lot of it in Ignis and Prompto too, but the particularly insidious way that Noctis and especially Gladio were lied to sometimes gets me.

See I don't even really think it was actually all that intentional. Not really a conscious act by Regis and Clarus, or the society around them? More like... I dunno, the lies that you get told by your parents as a little kid and you grow up to realize that the world is a lot different than you thought.

That being said, Noctis was absolutely lied to by his father; both about the nature of the King of Light and the idea that he'd succeed Regis as reigning monarch. Regis did it out of love, knowing that Noctis would die young, and reasoned that Noctis should get to have a relatively normal life, but it was still a lie. Gladio, likewise, was lied to by his father and Regis, told that he would be the next monarch's Shield, that he would fulfill a role that's got a pretty set expectation in their society.

See, Gladio expects Noctis to act a certain way, to act as King, and he gets increasingly frustrated when Noctis doesn't, or can't live up to that. He's not precisely wrong to expect it either, given their roles and their statues, and knowing that they're taking the throne during a full blown war. The problem is that Noctis was never taught how to be the thing that Gladio was told Noctis was going to be? And that's what causes friction with them all the time. It's fascinating, watching it play out and realizing the underlying issues with their relationships actually have very little to do with them as people and instead because of what they were told to expect from each other.

Gladio is also his own kettle of fish that I don't think the narrative is quite self aware enough to articulate properly, or even get into. Gladio falls into the trap of toxic masculinity very often -- struggling to articulate his feelings, expressing most of his feelings as anger, picking fights rather than talking about what's going on, using his strength as both a character aspect and bonus, etc. The list goes on. There's also the fact that he's sort of portrayed as a bit of a womanizer and the masculine ideal; tall, rugged, strong, etc which plays into all of that. XV plays him very straight (and straight) with these concepts, and just sort of ... expects it to be fine? Which is at odds with how the other three bros interact and are more emotionally available towards each other, leaving Gladio as one of the weaker bros in canon.

It kind of sucks too, because like, there's so much to unpack with him? His DLC is about wanting to have the strength to protect Noctis on the surface, but really when you look at it... you could also argue that the DLC is about Gladio's fears that he'll end up as dead as his dad did (ha, try that for alliteration) and the crushing weight of failure. Gladio has every right to fear his mortality, fear the fact that he is, nominally, the first in line on the battlefield and the the last defense for Noctis. If Noctis is to die, they will go through him first, and that's! Scary! But the game doesn't really get into that, hardly at all, and it makes picking up the pieces for Gladio kind of frustrating. Out of all the bros, he's the one I have to dig the most to find any kind of depth despite being prime real estate for it.

Anyways Gladio and Noctis' dynamic is fascinating if you actually start to unpack it, especially because it's built on the lies that their fathers fed them as children (that they themselves also bought into). I'd go so far to argue that between the two pairs, Noct/Gladio is in much more of a dire need to sit down and actually hash out what they are to each other, outside of their king/shield dynamic. Noct/Iggy certainly has shades of that, but Ignis has decided that they are friends and that he will defy fate if he must, let the world burn if he must, to save Noct's life. That has some depth beyond king/retainer that they're presented as. Noct/Gladio are sort of just... falling into the king/shield dynamic because they're expected to, and it sort of hampers their relationship and their communication.

I'm gonna scramble them both like eggs, probably into an omelette. They make me Think you know

[rottenraccoons]

Hello, I just bought Obscura and I've been LOVING it, the characters are SO compelling and nuanced, and I love the balance of player autonomy and Vesper's characterisation. Lovingly spinning Fran and Oleander in my brain microwave. Also the ART! The ATMOSPHERE! I haven't played many VNs before - are there any that you or the other the raccoons would recommend/that might fall into an 'if you enjoyed Obscura, you might also enjoy...' category? (Obscura will always be my fave though ofc.) Tysm!! <3

Thank you so much, nonny!

The world of visual novels is vast and extremely exciting, we're so glad you're looking to dive a little deeper into it! I think we'd be very silly if we didn't include Touchstarved as our first recommendation, as it has a similar premise to us of a cursed protagonist going to a dangerous place and meeting untrustworthy men while searching for a cure. A lot of fans of Obscura are also fans of Touchstarved, to the point it's kind of funny seeing the overlap.

And here's some bullet point recommendations from my (Violet's) own library. These all have at least some elements in common with Obscura, at least from my perspective.

Ballads at Midnight by @synstoria

Ebon Light by @underbliss

Pitstop in Purgatory (and the rest of @tymedust's games!)

The Good People (Na Daoine Maithe) (releasing episodically) by @moiraimyths

The works of CONCRETEPARASITE @concreteparasite

Lake of Voices by @gb-patch

Love and Country by @guhuhugames (makes some unconventional choices re: branches and endings, but I think they make it work really well!)

Not a specific recommendation so much as a possible lead, but I'd suggest looking at the games featured in last year's Storyteller's Festival (which is over, but the page still shows participating games) and see what piques your interest there. This year's Storyteller's Festival is also coming soon, and there should be a lot of very cool narrative-focused games to try there, too.

But as much as I try, I haven't played every game! So I think it would be extremely cool for anyone who has a "if you like OBSCURA you might like X" recommendation to add it.

[maacbrem]

The level of tension Brennan is able to build in so little time and then maintain is both impressive and deeply distressing. Some Divergence episode one/character thoughts:

Erro!! Sad old mapmaker dragonborn who I love immediately. “Give and take and take and take…” A man who’s too tired for optimism but appreciates it in others instead of miring them in his own darkness. Liam once again bringing that ‘irrevocably changed by loss and being so brave about it (or am I)’ energy to the table and I’m THRIVING.

Nia is so good, there’s an edge to her but she so obviously wants to choose gentleness - but the kind of gentleness that sends a dying man off to rest, sweet but not saccharine. Is this really Celia’s first time playing? They’re doing amazing and I want them in more games immediately.

Crokas is my son in real life actually, I raised him and keep him in my pocket and feed him little treats. Monitor lizard carrying the kids on his back is such a good visual I’m weeping. I think dragonborns should nuzzle as a show of affection and also nothing bad should happen to any of them except that bronze asshole. Alex kills it with the creature sounds and physicality (I need to revisit la by night at some point…). Imagine making eye contact with a lightning strike and making it laugh.

Garen’s introduction set him up to be the naysayer, the pessimist, broken and tired, but the moment it became an option he wanted nothing more than to look for survivors and rebuild. He believes that there will be a future worth living, one worth fighting for, even after the end of the world. He got exactly one (two?) good rolls all night and we’re all very proud of Matt.

Fiedra is the hardest to read, but I was immediately obsessed with her crew and the dynamic she had with that guard. The dice undermined her but she seems to be a sharp, capable person who figured out how to assert control over her life while a prisoner, if only in small ways. I want to know where she came from and what she wants beyond pure survival - I want to know if she can even conceive of something beyond survival. The RP chemistry between Jasmine and Brennan makes me want to see her play in a more light-hearted game with him, they’re a great match in terms of humour from the little bit we got to see.

[randomthefox]

Absolutely my favorite cutscene in the entire game. There's so much to MICRO ANALYZE about it! My favorite thing to do ^^

Why Shadow. You look like you've seen a ghost.

The way he looks at her when he recognizes it's her. It's just so perfect. He's in total disbelief. It has been twenty years since ShTH, twenty years since he moved on from all that pain and trauma. And now she's back, staring him in the face. He doesn't know HOW to feel about it.

The way he fucking BACKS AWAY FROM HER when she runs up to hug him! He isn't HAPPY about this reunion, he's SCARED of it. Scared that it's perhaps some kind of trick that he shouldn't trust as really happening. Scared of letting down his emotional barriers and accepting it as a real event, and being hurt by that vulnerability. Scared of losing her all over again. The way they conveyed his emotional state of mind via his expressions and body language is SUPERB.

This could have been SO EASY to fuck up. It would have been so easy for them to have some trite bullshit hokey reunion where Shadow goes "Maria ='D " and tearfully embraces her, oh pinch me this must be a dream! (You know, like what they did in fucking Archie)

Golly, you know, if you were to tell me that the person who wrote this piece of trash garbage stupid idiot comic book was also the same person who wrote Shadow Generations, I would be forced to conclude that you didn't know what the fuck you were talking about. Because it couldn't be more clear that the HACK FRAUD MORON who wrote this stupid comic clearly didn't have anything to do with the creative decisions that went into this video game literally whatsoever at all.

anyway....

"Huh, well, she hasn't tried to stab me yet, so I guess this isn't some kind of Sonic Omens boss fight hallucination..."

You can see Shadow starting to accept that this is really happening at the very least, although his emotions are clearly still very mixed up about it.

Once again, absolutely perfect reaction. The way his pupils fucking dilate at the sight of Gerald. And again he steps back. His feelings are probably very similar to how he reacted upon seeing Maria, but probably some extra emotional conflict thrown in because of the whole "Gerald brainwashed me and tried to turn me into an instrument of revenge to destroy the world" as well. Imagine the last thing your father ever did was try to stab you to death with a knife, and then all of a sudden you were thrown back in time to the first time he ever changed your diapers. It'd probably give you some fucked up internal emotional conflict.

Let's focus on the look on Shadow's face. You can see the gears turning in his head. This threw him for a loop for sure, he doesn't know how to feel. He's disoriented. But then

he locks in.

Shadow ain't no dummy. He's been paying attention to all the levels up until this point. Hell he just ran into Black Doom earlier. Obviously this is some time travel shenanigans. What's great about this is that it's all internalized, this is just his inner monologue. It provides insight into what his thought process is at every other time too. We so rarely are given telepathic insight into the characters internal thoughts like this. Shadow is having this kind of inner problem recognition to problem solving analysis all the time, we just aren't usually privy to it.

He goes from looking at Biblically Accurate Black Doom in the sky, to glancing towards Maria when she starts talking to him, then glancing away from her as he tries to think about how he should respond. He doesn't want to tell the truth just yet. He doesn't want to let on about how he's really feeling. Perhaps he's trying to think back about what he was like back when living on the ARK, and get back into that kind of personality? Or perhaps he doesn't particularly care, and has just shifted into Mission Mode moreso than anything else.

Hehe, I love his little gestures. "I'm fine. *waves his hands around like a power ranger* we'll ALL be FINE!" He's so animated. You can really tell how much he's off his game because of this encounter. I'm inclined to think he's trying too hard and laying it on too thick because he's putting on a bit of a performance right here for Maria's sake. Which is why Gerald is able to get a hunch that maybe this isn't HIS Shadow after all.

Best cutscene in the game, I fucking love it.

[melercies]

pairing(s): thanos x (gender-neutral) reader (squid game + post-squid game)

warning(s): mature/suggestive themes & parts, deaths (thanos & reader separately), violence/threats, psychological manipulation, my best interpretation of the character and lowercase usage intended.

author's note: THANOS HEADCANONS, i love him so much, it's not even funny anymore along with nam-gyu. correction. love and hate them. that's one thing for sure. please let me know if i missed anything! likes, reblogs, and comments are highly appreciated!

when it comes to thanos, love isn't gentle. it’s fire and chaos, something hungry and relentless. he doesn’t do soft confessions or sweet nothings. love, for him, is about claiming—staking his place in your life so deeply that you can’t imagine a world without him in it.

his version of affection is intense, overwhelming, and sometimes, suffocating. he likes knowing that you’re his, that when you look around the dormitory filled with desperate, terrified people, you don’t see safety in anyone else but him.

he thrives in the chaos of the games. he's loud, unpredictable, and somehow, dangerously charming—always knowing how to manipulate people into doing what he wants. but when it comes to you? there’s an unsettling sincerity beneath all his usual antics. you’re not just another pawn to him. you’re something he refuses to lose.

he makes sure you stick by his side. “you’re safer with me,” he’d say, slinging an arm around your shoulder, fingers digging in just enough to make you feel his grip. “ain’t no one touching you when i’m around.”

if someone so much as looks at you wrong, he makes sure they regret it. he plays it off like a joke, but there’s a deadly edge to his words. “oh, don’t worry about them. they won’t be a problem anymore.” and sure enough, they don’t make it past the next round or you see them keeping their distance.

he steals extra food for you—sometimes by force, sometimes by sheer charisma. but he won’t just hand it over for free. he likes watching you work for it or he expects something from you in return. “c’mon, babe, say please,” he teases, dangling a piece of bread in front of your lips. if you refuse, he shrugs and takes a bite himself, grinning. “suit yourself.”

thanos dangles the piece of bread just out of your reach, his smirk wide and infuriating. "y'know," he drawls, tapping it against his chin like he's thinking, "i was just gonna ask for a little 'please,' but now i think i want something a little sweeter."

you narrow your eyes. "screw you."

he chuckles, all amusement and mischief, before leaning in, his voice dropping to a murmur. "tempting, babe, but let’s start smaller." his eyes flicker down to your lips, then back up. "how ‘bout a kiss?"

your stomach twists—not just from hunger but from the way he’s looking at you, like he already knows your answer. you clench your fists. "not happening."

thanos gasps dramatically, placing a hand over his chest like you wounded him. "oof. that one actually hurt." then, he clicks his tongue. "guess you don’t want the bread that bad, huh?"

you scowl as he pops a bite into his mouth, chewing slowly, savoring it.

"fucking asshole," you mutter under your breath.

he grins. "c’mon. it’s just a little peck—what, afraid you’ll like it?"

you glare at him, refusing to take the bait and give the satisfaction. "i’d rather starve."

he hums, amused. "dramatic. I like that." then, with zero warning, he leans closer, his breath warm against your ear as he whispers, "but I think I’d like it better if you got on your knees and earned it."

your breath catches, and your face burns. "you’re disgusting!"

thanos barks out a laugh, tilting his head. "ohhh, sweetheart, if you think that’s bad, you should hear what I really wanna say." he pops the last of the bread into his mouth, licking his fingers before smirking. "mmm. that could’ve been yours."

you swear under your breath, turning to storm off, but before you can, he grabs your wrist, stopping you. his grin softens—just slightly. "relax, sweetheart. i’ll bring you something tomorrow." then, he leans in just enough to make your heart skip. "but you’re gonna have to make it worth my while."

and just like that, he releases you, strutting off, leaving you hot with frustration—and maybe something else that makes you question yourself.

nights in the sleeping quarters are tense. you never know when someone might try to take you out in your sleep. but thanos? he sleeps like a king. always somehow finding a way to make himself comfortable, stretching out like he owns the place. but you? he keeps you close. “wouldn’t want you wandering off,” he mutters, an arm draped lazily over your waist, pulling you in. “or worse, someone trying to snatch you up.”

he practically thrives off getting under your skin. when the stress of the games starts getting to you, he leans in, lips brushing against your ear. “relax, sweetheart. you’re wound up so tight,” he purrs. “you need me to help you unwind?”

and damn it, he knows exactly what he’s doing. the teasing, the touches, the way his eyes stay locked onto you like you’re the only thing worth looking at. it’s infuriating how much he enjoys watching you squirm under his gaze.

the air in the dormitory was thick with tension, bodies pressed into cramped spaces, the weight of survival hanging heavy over everyone's heads. but none of that matters—not when thanos has you cornered against the cold metal frame of your bunk, his arm braced beside your head, blocking any escape.

damn him.

he's too close, leaning in just enough that you can the warmth of his breath against your cheek. his fingers ghost along your wrist, barely touching, just enough to make you hyper-aware of every movement. his lips curl into that lazy smirk of his, like he already knows how this is going to play out.

"y’know," he murmurs, voice dropping just low enough that only you can hear, "you really don’t hide it well."

your brows furrow. "hide what?"

his eyes flick down to your lips for just a second before snapping back up to meet your gaze, sharp and calculating. "how much you like this."

your breath hitches.

he chuckles as he takes notice, the sound deep, teasing—like he’s enjoying this more than he should. of course he is. he lives for moments like these, where he can get under your skin, make you second-guess yourself. it’s a game to him. one he’s all too good at playing.

"you can act tough all you want," he muses, fingers trailing higher, skimming the inside of your wrist. his touch is light, barely there, but it still sends a shiver up your spine. his grin widens. he notices. "but I see right through you, sweetheart."

you glare, trying to push him back, but he doesn’t budge. if anything, he leans in even closer, his forehead nearly brushing yours. his free hand skims down your waist, just slow enough to be deliberate, before stopping right at the hem of your uniform.

"you’re such a pain in the ass," you mutter, voice tighter than you’d like.

he laughs, tilting his head, fingers curling slightly against your hip. "yeah? and yet, you never stop running into me."

his tone is smug. it's infuriating. he’s enjoying this. the way you shift under his touch, the way your pulse jumps when his lips hover just near your ear—never quite touching, but just enough to make you want to close the distance yourself.

but that’s the game.

and just when you think he might actually push further, just when you’re bracing yourself for the inevitable—he pulls back. steps away like nothing happened, leaving you standing there, heat rising to your cheeks, pulse hammering in your ears.

"you should get some sleep," he muses, stretching his arms behind his head. his voice is casual, like he didn’t just toy with you, like he didn’t just leave you on edge. "big day tomorrow."

you exhale sharply, forcing yourself to glare, but it only makes his smirk widen as he turns back towards nam-gyu whose verbally fighting with se-mi as gyeong-su and min-su watch quietly.

bastard.

if you survive, but he doesn't? at first, it doesn't feel real. the games end, the money is in your hands, and yet, it feels hollow. you're supposed to feel free. instead, all you can think about is him.

thanos, with his wild energy and relentless teasing. thanos, who could make you laugh even when you were both inches from death. thanos, whose cocky grin never faltered—even when he should have been afraid. his absence follows you like a shadow.

you find yourself scanning through crowds, expecting to see that familiar smirk, or that effortless confidence that made him impossible to ignore. but he's not there. he never will be.

you still hear him sometimes. in the quiet moments. "c'mon, you know i'd make this more fun. don't tell me you're getting boring without me." you tell yourself it's just your imagination. your mind is just tricking you to believe he's still with you. just the lingering echos of someone who burned too brightly, too chaotically, to last. and yet, some part you doesn't want to let go.

an article of clothing, a shirt or jacket of his—is still in your closet. You don’t wear it, but you don’t get rid of it either. You tell yourself it’s just another piece of the past, but deep down, you know the truth. it's proof that, for a little while, he was real. that you were real.

and some nights, when the silence becomes unbearable, you slip it on and close your eyes.

if he survives, but you don't? at first, he laughs. a short, bitter sound emitting from his lips, like he's trying to convince himself that it's all just a bad joke once he hears your player number being announced or you're laying in front of him motionlessly. "nah, they're not gone. they're just screwing with me, right?"

but when no sarcastic response comes, no exasperated sigh, no teasing remark to fill the space or your presence showing up anywhere, the reality starts to sink in. and it burns.

thanos doesn't do grief. not the way most people do. he drinks too much. fights too much. spends money like it's an illusion—because, to him, it might as well be. the prize means nothing without you there to roll your eyes at his ridiculous spending habits or call him an idiot when he does something reckless.

your absence is a wound he refuses to acknowledge, but it festers beneath the surface. occasionally, he finds himself turning, expecting you to be there, leaning against the wall with that unimpressed look. but there's nothing. just the crushing weight of the silence.

if he had the chance to trade places with you? some nights, he thinks he would. but instead, he lives. because even if you're gone, he knows you wouldn't want him to waste it. and maybe, just maybe, living is his own twisted way of keeping you close.

he never talks about you. not to anyone. not even when he's alone. because if he does, it makes it real. and if it's real, then that means he lost. and thanos hates losing.

but when no one's around, when the liquor stops working and the noise in his head refuses to quiet down, he’ll pull out something of yours—something small, something insignificant, something only you would know the importance of.

and for a brief moment, he lets himself remember. then, just as quickly, he shoves it away. because memories don't change reality. and reality is that you're gone. and he's still here. alone.

[fangdokja]

Not really a request, but just a thought to share with you! (If that’s alright?)

Imagine Yandere! Demon King having to resort to “granting” his darling immortality, having realized that her lifespan was impeccably fleeting compared to his and demonkind. And seeing how unruly, ferocious, and self-reliant she was throughout their entire time together (or more like her captivity), he went through the trouble of binding her to him in body and soul by turning her into a succubus.

With this, she would be forced to rely on him during “feeding hours”, leaving her utterly helpless as she refuses to “feed” on other people.

Not only would this bring her closer to him, but also the fact that she’s under his dominion now as a demoness.

— Random Anon

WARNING: Semi-formal rambling and formatting. Includes Library Recommendations (nsfw + sfw).

If you guys want Reader lore? (low-key surprised people asking for Reader lore in some series) Well... I already have it all prepared. It's coming next week. Not all of Reader lore yet, but enough to tell you that Reader is not as helpless against even the Yandere! Love Interests, as one might believe:

We have four new characters coming up. And these guys are part of the top tier powerhouses, even compared to Yandere! Demon King. Most likely stronger actually. Actually maybe the strongest four man lineup in the entire series. And personally, I like these guys best. Though, unsure if I'll give them more screentime than one chapter. There's reason for that, but we'll see.

I also have four more new characters alongside these guys, but I haven't finished writing for them as of the moment.

WHY IS THIS SERIES SO POPULAR. adnljdsddsgawfuishas. Is it really 'cause it's otome isekai???? or something else hahaha. I was literally just writing about myself 😭 I DID NOT MEAN TO MAKE THIS INTO AN ACTUAL SERIES.

OK, now onto the ASK + Library Recommendations (sfw + nsfw).

Nice to meet you, Random Anon :)) I'm glad you're comfortable enough to speak with me about your thoughts. Don't worry, it's fine. I'm glad you're willing and open to share ideas or thought dumps.

Also, out of topic, but I like how you guys are picking "names" and not just emojis haha. Actually, for me, I prefer you guys picking actual names of your choosing. I don't want to constrain the name picking, so feel free to name yourselves anything, when asking anonymously. It'll also help me identify you better. Just make sure it aligns with the blog RULES and Tumblr guidelines.

Ok, this is a thought. But, even in dark humor content and especially in world building. Logic and reality is a must here. I heavily dislike making non-canon lore, it's basically me writing fanfiction on my own work. I can do it, but I heavily prefer canon works only. It's also in my RULES. I will always prefer transparency and honesty, so I will be honest in my answer here. I am aware what you gave is a thought dump and an imagine-scenario, so not necessarily canon. Just sharing thoughts. But, I will expand on the reality of who Reader is.

Reader doesn't just have basic intelligence, nor a dead inside personality when it comes to romance. Canonically speaking, Reader can in fact take on the love interests. So, why does Reader rely on wit, the romance system, and no-powers-mode?

Well, that will come in the next extension of the series. Yes, I'm officially making these into a Headcanons Series. This one:

Yandere! Otome Game

♡ Characters Included. Yandere! Crown Prince, Archduke, Supreme Mage, Demon King, War Hero, Master Thief, Enemy Spy, Demon Assassin

Drabbles

How do you escape a yandere harem? Asking for a very distressed friend (me).

How to Turn ‘Till Death Do Us Part’ Into a Very Literal Situation.

"Romance is a garbage genre, but if I have to play, I might as well do it on easy mode."

The love interests were bad. The backup plans are worse.

One of them wants to marry you. The other wants to make sure he never does.

Headcanons 1 : How to Survive a Reverse Harem (You Don’t) (General)

I hate it here.

Why am I saying this? Because based on the timeline of the current story with Reader officially escaping and in hiding. It's practically an impossibility for any of the Yandere! Love Interests to try capturing and doing whatever they want with Reader. Yes, impossible.

And even if there was a slim chance of capture even before the escape. Let me tell you know.

No. It's impossible.

Why am I so sure? Well, you'll know why once the new characters come out.

In actuality, all my Reader characters have lore. I just don't give it away so freely, compared to yandere lore. Why? Well, I focus mostly on yandere content for one. The other is because all my Readers are meant to have enigmatic backgrounds. No, I did not just make this because I want you all to feel more in-depth self-insert or something.

The Reader characters have actual lore in fact, all of the characters I make do. I just don't say it outright, because spoilers obviously.

I wouldn't be a psychological horror-thriller author, if I gave things away so easily. I decided to give some crumbs because of the effort Random Anon put into this message. I want you to know, Random Anon, that I appreciate you having the courage to do this, being comfortable with me, and giving me a message of substance. So, thank you.

And, it's why I'm taking this seriously, even if it may disagree with yours or others' thoughts. These crumbs are canon information on the series and characters.

Ok, I rambled a lot. But, to clarify the following:

It's impossible for Yandere! Demon King to turn Reader into a demoness. Considering it's still very early into the series, and unlike my novellas, this is still a lighthearted dark humor series. As of the moment, there will be no permanent and explicit horror factors yet. Why? Characters are still being introduced. Did you really think I'd stop at eight? haha.

Anyways. Yes, later on, it can be changed. But not now.

The Veteran Readers and those who have read my novellas, should know how I write. Take a dip and see how I actually write my horror content. Like this one, newly uploaded as well. It's not even novella length, it's also a headcanons series, if that's what you're used to:

Yandere! Author

Headcanons 1 : Fate’s Final Draft (General)

He’s the hero in his own story… and you’re his latest toy.

🔞"You like happy endings? Too bad. I don’t write those."

I recommend reading Part 2, if you want to see how I write my actual horror content.

Anyways. I'm saying this now. If you honestly think I'll write vanilla yandere content, then I'm sorry, I don't. What I mean is that ALL the Yandere! Love Interests are still part of my yandere collection. Hence, they'll do way more than just controlled feeding and monitoring lifestyles. Especially the demon race, for example.

Or, rather, the stronger they are, the more dangerous they become.

These are the kind of yanderes I generally write: Dom + Top + Older + Sadistic + Red / Black Flag Yanderes

Nor do I hold back in writing horror content.

What you gave is basically the barebones part of yandere content. Trust me when I say, Yandere! Demon King is going to do a lot worse than just isolate and force feed you. In fact, I would even say, he would NOT turn Reader into a demoness. Why? Well, let's just say, he's not as kind and collected as he seems. And I'm not talking about him simply being an emotional mess.

Would Yandere! Demon King grant Reader immortality. No, he wouldn't. Not only is it illogical for him in his eyes, but he has better plans than simply turning Reader into a doll or servant.

Not to mention, yeah, I mentioned Yandere! Demon King can be emotionally unstable. But, I don't mean in simply losing his cool and patience; thus losing his sense of rationality, then acting reckless and stupid. Or losing himself in rage and emotional turmoil. It's something better.

Also, for non-human races. Here, to give you New Readers an idea on how I write them. Read the Sukuna part if you want to know:

Novella 1 : Dominate Me, Daddy. (Brat Tamer)

🔞Will you scream? Or will you beg? (Bakugo Katsuki, Yoichi Isagi, Ryōmen Sukuna, Rex Lapis, Sunday)

I know some of you New Readers came here for dark humor, and lighthearted comedy. But. Let me tell you now, once I write actual "true yandere" content. Well, it's not for the faint of heart.

I only made the dark humor content because I was mindblocked on horror content. It's basically idea generation to me, so I can exercise my brain for erotic horror.

The true yanderes I make are hard doms + top + older + unapologetic + sadistic + does not need darling's validation + will hurt the darling + may kill the darling + truly confident in themselves.

They do not care nor need the darling's permission, validation, feelings, etc. to take what they want. They're not weaklings like that. As individuals, they are strong in their own right. Including mentality.

Yes, this also includes the yanderes in the drabbles.

Do you want to know the ONLY yanderes that won't physically hurt you? It's these guys:

Yandere! Royal Guards

Drabbles

Royal Duties: looking pretty, sitting still, watching your guards destroy the kingdom.

You got isekai’d. Now three murder machines think your blank stares are divine wisdom.

And, that's because they're engineered to protect you, not harm you. These yanderes are the only canon yanderes that will never hurt you physically. They're the ones who will protect you with their lives. Aside from them? Nothing. No one. Every single yandere in my library will hurt and may kill you. Yes. Even if they may not seem like it, even if it's dark humor content, even if they look ridiculous and dramatic.

And you know the good thing about being a psychological horror-thriller author?

No one can tell what happens next.

❤︎ Fang Dokja's Books.

♡ Book 1. A Heart Devoured (AHD): A Dark Yandere Anthology ♡ Book 2. Forbidden Fruits (FF): Intimate Obsessions, Unhinged Desires. ♡ Book 3. World Ablaze (WA) : For You, I'd Burn the World. ♡ Book 4 [you are here]. Whispers in the Dark (WITD): Subtle Devotion, Lingering Shadows. ♡ Book 5. Ink & Insight (I&I): From Dead Dove to Daydreams. ♡ Library MASTERPOST 1. The Librarian’s Ledger: A Map to The Library of Forbidden Texts.

♡ Disclaimer. Not all stories are included in the masterpost due to Tumblr’s link limitations. However, most long-form stories can be found here. If you're searching for a specific yandere or theme, this guide will help you navigate The Library of Forbidden Texts. Proceed with caution—these tales explore obsession, madness, and devotion in their rawest forms.

[tartarusknight]

All right the idea is that Eddie's famous but not because he's a singer. He tried it, but it didn't work out. He got a little popularity but mostly because a few people tied his music to dnd. So he stopped trying to make it with his band. Instead he shifted to doing videos. Those videos were of him and hellfire playing d&d and surprisingly it gets famous. Like critical role famous. His channel is filled with sessions, talks about his ideas he had the party deal with, what he found helpful when dming, creating different kinds of characters so it always fits you, and some music that was more bard core than heavy metal, although heavy metal did poke through at times.

The kids are all a part of it too. Some have more popular side jobs, but for the most part they're all just there to play. And hang out together, talking about shit they loved. Steve obviously gets dragged in but he doesn't play for years and years. He kind of helps them with the business aspect of it, making it into their own brand and shit. Because although he didn't want to admit it, he did have the knowledge of all that shit from his dad. He doesn't hate it when it's for his friends anyways. It's not a terrible corporate job he's just working with his friends.

So while the party, even Robin, are doing their thing, playing games and talking shit, Steve does the more behind the scene shit. And it goes really well for years. But then Eddie and Steve start dating. It's not obvious at first. People hadn't really ever even seen Steve except for random videos where he's in the background. But on Eddie's side, he isn't subtle about having a partner. It goes all over the internet and people are trying to figure out who Eddie's partner is. They all know it's a man because Eddie is out to the world. But they don't know who.

They don't even really know who runs the accounts. And that is a huge question that starts popping up for everybody. They start wondering if, maybe, the reason Eddie doesn't have any shown interest in anyone is because the person that runs the account stops that from happening. Then one day Eddie gets control of their accounts and the first ever video of Steve is posted from their account. It's of Steve with headphones on editing a video while singing out loud to a Sabrina Carpenter song, Slim Pickins. With the caption "should I be offended???" and people go crazy.

After that Steve brought into more videos usually by one of the kids instead of Eddie, who was under strict rules not to make every single video about his relationship. But the kids would still drag Steve in from where he was behind the cameras or where he was trying to figure out an issue. And everyone is feral for any sign of Steve. He quickly gains the love of most of the fan base, except for the few that have for some reason been under the belief that they would one day have a shot with Eddie. But most of the people are just happy for him and the relationship. And one day Eddie gets his own tike tok account and the first video is a behind the scenes video of Steve. He's bent over one of the chairs for their DND sessions, replacing one of the legs. Eddie just zooms in on Steve's muscles flexing as he twists the bolt back into place. And it broke their fan base for like a week

[rahuratna]

Oh wow! Granted, I'm new to BG3 fanfic, but this was the first take on this concept I've actually read, where Astarion comes across someone he's known from the life he had before vampirism.

I truly appreciate when OC's/reader characters are so well developed and fleshed out. The description of their relationship before just hit me with this wave of nostalgia for young love. Ah. The sweet headiness of late nights, shared secrets and stolen afternoons. Imagining Astarion in this way just adds more pathos to his character, because in-game we don't get a lot of information on his early life. This somehow adds to the reader's perception of just how much he's lost, in terms of the life he should have had.

I love the banter you set up between them, the way they fall so easily into it. I'm always hooked when a writer gets a characters voice RIGHT and that's definitely what you've achieved with Astarion here. He's charming, facetious, mocking ... right up until she starts singing and, oh boy, I can almost here that crack in his voice that occurs when he's being earnest and he asks her to come into the light.

He forgot to kiss her goodbye on the night he was murdered. 😭😭 Please. Why.

And when they escape and she examines his face, well, that part hit hard too, because she actually has memories of him to COMPARE this to.

All in all, I really like these two as a couple already. Your Tav/Reader is smart, fully connected to the world around her, well-rounded and very distinct in her personality and link to Astarion. She also seems hella fun, while still having a level head, and a great deal of maturity that comes from experience, a really good foil for Astarion.

I will absolutely be reading the next chapters when I get a chance! So I'm adding that to my reblog tags here, so I can find it again!

Songbird in a Cage

Spawn Astarion x Female! Reader Oneshot (4k)

Summary: You've been thrown in jail, and its there that you meet a dear old friend of yours. This first part can stand alone, but the second will be 18+ fair warning.

@clericblood and I have been going insane in our dm's over writing ideas, and this one we just went nuts over. Here is their fic! :) Hope you enjoy both!

Part Two

Things are only getting worse each day in Baldur’s Gate. People are disappearing. Murders in broad daylight. Enver Gortash suspiciously rising to power, and his Steel Watch becoming a menace to society. You’ve even heard rumors of a mind flayer or two being seen in the sewers, and in the old windmill outside of town. People are becoming restless, and even trying to flee the city, but most choose to ignore it all.

Not you. 

You’ve always had a knack for music. You’ve been playing songs in the winding streets of the Gate for years. You even still perform at the Elfsong Tavern some nights. You decide to turn to the peoples’ ear with sweet unsuspecting melodies about the corruption and dangers happening beneath their noses. At first, it seemed to be working. The right people are noticing, and word is spreading about the odd goings on. And, you’ve been able to make a bit of coin in doing so. The Elfsong and its patrons have always been good to you. 

Now, there’s talk in the streets about a small band of adventurers that have caused quite a stir. Among them, a pale man with white hair who killed a clown at the circus in Rivington. Some people say it was a provoked attack, some say he lashed out after a bad joke on his own behalf… But when the fighting was over, some claim the body of the clown had transformed into a grotesque monster. You have to giggle to yourself about the whole thing. 

It stirs a memory of an old friend you had years and years ago. Another man who also had white hair, and too had a hatred for clowns. You’d teased him about it mercilessly back then. Even  dressed up as one, makeup and all, just to get a rise out of him one night. How he screamed and how you laughed, clutching your sides after jumping around a corner and spooking him half to death. 

That was over two hundred years ago, and you couldn’t believe it had been so long since you’d last seen your friend… He’d died tragically, too young. He’d been practicing law, and was murdered, you always suspected, by a mob he’d been at trial with but there was never any final pinned cause. 

He always came to the Elfsong on nights you were performing, said your voice was like a siren song luring him there. He’d drink, listen to you sing, and try to forget about the mountains of paperwork waiting for him back at his office. You were both so young, and naive; gods how you missed him, even now. 

This troupe, however, is gaining attention, and you are thoroughly intrigued. You start to sing songs about the group, calling them the Heroes of The Gate, here to save the city from the rising horrors.

‘These heroes though fearless be

Must also be cunning and witty

Though their actions bring some glee

Others find them quite shitty’ 

“Eh… could be better. I’ll work on it later.” You tuck your small notebook away in your coat pocket, and walk home from the park. You always did your best writing there. 

It’s only a few days of your little performances in the square when the Flaming Fist gets word of your little musings and performances, and you’re abruptly taken to Wyrm Rock Prison- quite a harsh punishment for someone just singing songs…

———

“What am I even in for? You can’t do this, I’ve done nothing wrong!” You demand, as your shackles are let loose, and you’re thrown into a damp stone-wall cell. The only light comes from the torches lining the edges of the cell block, but even with the small bit of glow, you can see illuminated beady eyes staring back at you from the edges of the darkness. 

Oh gods, you shiver. Rats. 

“That’s what they all say… ‘Let me out, I’m innocent!’ Or, ‘please I’ve got a family!’ But I know your type, troublemaker. You’re trying to cause unrest amongst our citizens.”

“I was just singing songs! You have no grounds to keep me here!” You plead through the bars, gripping them with both hands, if only you could pry them apart. 

“Tell that to the Archduke Gortash- the order to put you in here came directly from him. Now, shut it! Or I’ll cut out your little tongue, see how well you sing after that.” The guard snarls and turns on his heel. 

‘How the hells did my songs reach him? I must be more famous than I thought… Though, I should have made a fair bit more coin if that was the case.’

Alone, you retreat back into the far corner of your cell. Curling your knees up to your chest, you rest your head and softly hum to yourself to try and calm your racing thoughts. Surely you won’t be in here for long… right? That’s what you tell yourself anyway. You try to block out the sounds of small scurrying feet and hushed squeaking. 

———

The loud clanging of metal on metal wakes you with a start. Your mind scrambling as your heart jumps in your chest, pounding painfully against your ribs. 

“Meal time.” Through a small gap on the floor, one of the guards pushes a plate of bread and a cup of water towards you. 

Food… Your stomach twists and you leap towards the plate, snatching the bread and chewing greedily. It’s impossible to tell how long you’ve been down here- there’s no sunlight to indicate the passing of time. They give you water every couple of hours, but measly scraps of food- once a day. Maybe… when they remember. 

“Please, sir, what day is it? How long have I been down here?” You beg the guard.

“You’ve been here for five days. You have another twenty-five before you can leave,” he leans on the bars and gives you a look. “but, I could always arrange for you to be let out earlier, on account of good behavior.” He gives you a greasy sort of smile and a wink. He looks like he hasn’t seen a bath in weeks. Smells it too.

You’re not desperate enough to have any sort of ‘arrangements’ with a man that smells like he fucks mud covered pigs and likes it. 

“I’ll take my twenty-five days, thanks.” You sneer.

———

At every meal, (can you even call a simple roll of bread a meal?) you ask the guard what day it is. 

And on day thirteen, you hear them bringing another prisoner down into the depths. You feel your stomach drop and your neck grows hot and slick. What if they put that person in here with you? What if they’re a murderer? What if they’re a lunatic and they try to hurt you? You silently pray that they stay the hell away from you. 

You busy yourself with humming a tune from your childhood, and you feed a few of the rats some crumbs you’d saved from your last ‘meal’. Though terrified of them at first, they’ve grown to be your only friends down here. One even brought you three hair pins, like it was trying to thank you in its own rat way. Sweet little thing. 

Whoever is joining you down here is putting up quite the fight. Feet scraping against the stone floor, voices shouting, and a slew of curses exchanging between it all. They throw him into the cell across from yours, and you try not to be nosy by staring. But gods help you, you were never one for subtlety. Even with your elven eyes, the dark down here is unforgiving. That, and because of your lack of sleep and other basic needs, you can barely see into the other end of the cell. It’s a man, definitely. You only heard men shouting at one another when they brought him in.

When the two guards finally shove him in and lock his own gate, you turn your head and ignore them, hoping they forget you’re here and don’t bother you. At least for a while. That filthy flirtatious guard has come to you twice more since the first time, each time smelling more foul and rancid. Really, does he have something against bathing? 

A few minutes after the guards have left the man to rot down here, your eyes wander across the way, just to try and sneak a look at your new ‘housemate’. 

“What are you staring at?” His voice growls, making you jump a little. 

“Sorry… I’ve been alone down here for nearly a fortnight. The guards and rats aren’t much for company or conversation.”

“I see.” He sighs. “How long?”

“What?”

“How long do you have to be down here?”

“A month.”

“You’re halfway, you’ll be fine.” He snorts, dismissing your agony and loneliness with a wave of his hand. You can barely see his face, but not enough to make out any distinguishable features. His eyes though, they’re almost glowing in this awful dim. 

“How long do you have?” You ask softly. 

“Five years, but I suspect I’ll be out much sooner, should my friends actually gather the brains to help me.” 

A long moment passes by before you try to fill the awful silence permeating the air. 

“There’s rats down here by the way. They’re mostly harmless but I’d be wary and sleep with your shoes on. Had one nibble my toe the first night I slept.” You offer, in the hopes of making more conversation.

“Hah! This isn’t my first time being locked up with only rats for company.” He scoffs, and you almost think you recognize something in his voice. Like a memory of a dream- foggy but still… there. 

“Frequent prison cells do you?” 

“In a way…” 

Well that’s awfully vague. 

“What are you in for anyway?” He asks. 

You clear your throat before boldly telling him, “Singing…”

He barks out a short laugh. “…Singing? Come off it.”

“Well, that’s not the full extent but that’s what it comes down to.”

“A songbird in a cage…” He teases, and again there’s a flicker of something you recognize. 

“What were you singing about, little bird?”

“I, uh, I was singing about the times. The unrest, the Steel Watch, Gortash- I was trying to get the truth out, without getting into trouble.” 

“And that worked out very well for you, didn’t it?” His reply drips with sarcasm. 

“What about you? What are you in for?” You ask. 

“I threatened a few people, illegally snuck into the city with my companions, and I killed a clown.”

“I heard about that, that was you?” 

“I see my fame precedes me. Yes, that was me.” He chuckles dryly. Gods, why does his laugh sound so familiar? “So, you’re a performer, then?”

“Yes. I sing at the Elfsong some nights, if you’ve ever been there. I’d recommend it, if you haven’t.”

“Mm. I know it, it’s a uh, old haunt of mine.” 

The guard comes back and gives you your second ration of water for the day. A small silver cup with enough water to just wet your throat, and not a drop more, and hells- how you ached for more. 

Hours pass, and boredom burrows deep into your skull. You fiddle with the laces on your boots, tying and untying different knots over, and over again. As you do so, you hum to yourself, faintly, so as not to disturb your new neighbor. 

“I know that song…” His voice echoes across the way. “It’s an old elven tune from the Heartlands.”

“It is. You have quite the ear.” You remark, looking up.

“Will you sing it for me?” He asks softly. Never one to shy away from a crowd, you clear your throat and sing out loud the words.

‘For even in death will I find you,

I’ll kiss your cheek and sigh,

Had time been kinder to us,

I would have never said goodbye

You danced in the grass,

I sat under a tree,

You took my hand, 

and said dance with me

How I wish to dance with you now,

And hold you close to me,

I’d never let you go,

If only, if only’

Your voice echoes off the stone walls, and only the slow drip of water is your applause. 

“Sorry, my voice is a bit rusty-”

“Come into the light, please..” He urges, softly desperate.

You look across to his cell. There he stands against the bars, his face pressed between them. The man you fell in love with over two hundred years ago. The same white mop of curls, the same devastatingly beautiful face you could never forget. His eyes searching for you in the darkness.

“Astarion?” Your heart leaps to your throat. 

Your legs move before you do, standing and propelling you to your own cell bars. You press against them and stare out. 

It is him. 

Have you gone mad? Are you dreaming?

“It’s you…” He breathes. 

“H-how? You’re dead! You died!” Your eyes prick with tears and your throat closes up. How can this be happening?

“I did..” He replies sheepishly. 

“But then how-?” Surely this can’t be real.. Can it?

“I… I fear that might take some explaining.”

“Well, it’s not like we’re going anywhere…” 

————

He tells you everything, starting from the very beginning, when your lives were torn apart so abruptly. How he was beaten, left to die in the streets. He was on his way home after watching you perform. You had a few hours left in your set at the Elfsong, and needed the money from performing. You’d told him to hurry on ahead and you’d meet him at his townhome. 

He recounts how he’d forgotten to kiss you goodbye that night, and he’d regretted it every night since. Centuries had passed, and the fact he didn’t kiss you goodbye, that has stuck around in his skull like a blood stain on a white shirt. Your heart shatters hearing him speak about how he’d met his demise. It’s like he’s died all over again… 

He takes small pauses to swallow, steadying his voice; when he continues, he tells you about how he was turned, how he was kept in Cazador Szarr’s estate, locked up and beaten, and kept alive by feeding on rats of all things. It takes every ounce of courage he has to tell you about the people he lured back, but his voice reveals the pain he’s carried all this time. The shame, the guilt, the utter self loathing. The hatred he carries for himself and his master. 

Stretching your arm out from between the bars, you reach for him and he immediately does the same. Your fingertips brush against one another, just enough to feel his cool touch. 

He’s real. This is all real.

He lets his arm fall and you stare at one another. The silence between you two saying more than words could at the moment. Gods, how your heart aches to hold him, to kiss his face and feel his arms wrapped around you again. 

“Why didn’t you ever come find me after you were turned?” Your voice quivers, and heat burns your eyes as you try to keep your own emotions in check. 

“I was so afraid that I would hurt you. I… I didn’t want to find anyone from my life before. I was dead to you all, and I thought that was better than coming back as a monster.”

“You’re not a monster.” You choke, a tear spilling down your cheek. “I missed you so much…” You whisper, the tears now threatening to drown you. 

“I… I missed you too. Every single day, I’ve missed you.” His own voice is soft, but still dry. “There isn’t much I remember from my mortal years, but you… I remember how I loved you.”

“Can I ask you something?”  

“I’m sure you have many questions. So, yes, go ahead.” He smiles softly. 

“How come we never crossed paths over the last two hundred years? I mean, I never left the city. And if you’ve been here, well, and in the Szarr estate... Surely, we would have seen each other just once?”

“I kept to the shadows, and the seedier places of the Gate. Being a spawn, I couldn’t go out in the sunlight. Though, now with my tadpole, that has changed-” 

“Wait, tadpole?” You ask puzzled. 

“Oh, yes. I didn’t get to that bit. You believe me with everything I’ve explained thus far, yes?” He asks with a snarky grin. 

“I do. Why is this next part just utterly insane?”

“Well... Yes, actually.” He replies. “About five months ago I was captured by mind flayers and infected with an illithid parasite- a tadpole. This has interrupted the connection between myself and Cazador, and has broken some of the vampire rules for me. For the first time in so long, I am living. Truly living.”

“It's true then- the illithid invasion is real.. Hah! Wait- how have you not grown tentacles yet and become a squidface?” You ask, trying to wrap your head around it all. 

“One of my friends, another person that was captured, she has a prism that has been protecting us all from changing.” He explains his entire journey here, through the Emerald Grove and the Goblin camp. Then the Underdark, going through the Shar temple, fighting against shadows and an Orthon. Shadowlands, Rethwin Town, the Harpers... All of it. Up until arriving in the Gate and being thrown in jail. It takes hours, but you don’t care in the least. Hearing him, his voice again. You could listen to him read out of one of his old law school textbooks, and you wouldn’t care about the boredom. 

“We need to get you out of here then, if you really are going to save Faerun.” You smile at him, and sigh, “Any ideas of how we can do so?”

He sighs in reply, and he looks up, contemplating an escape plan. “If I had something small, I could pick the lock. But-” he looks around his small cell. “I have nothing. Anything over there, darling?”

“Would a hair pin work?” You ask, sliding the few pins from your hair, allowing your bun to fall out and drop around your shoulders. You pass them through the bars to him,his log fingers just barely able to snag it from your own. 

“Yes, that’s perfect.” He takes it and puts it in his pocket. “I’ll start after the guard comes by next.”

“Makes sense... How did you learn how to pick locks anyway?” 

“When you’re locked in chains as frequently as I have been, you learn by necessity.” He retorts. “I’ve been doing all of the talking. What have you been getting up to all these long years?”

“Oh, nothing exciting. I still perform at the Elfsong most nights, and in the square too. I live in my own house, I have a cat. I’ve actually had twelve cats over the last two hundred years...” 

“Twelve??” He laughs. “Any other loved ones in your life, or are they all pets?” 

“If what you’re asking is ‘do I have anyone else in my life’ the answer is no, not as of late.” You snark with a half smile and raised brow. Though so much has changed for both of you, it feels so good to be talking to him again; instead of talking to his headstone and pretending he could hear you. 

“That truly baffles me. How has no one swept you off your feet and smuggled off with you away from all of this?”

“Oh, others tried but I never really clicked with anyone over the years.” You reply casually. It’s a half truth. You certainly have loved many other people since you and Astarion were together, and you almost married one of them. But, something inside your heart never let go of him. You could call it sentimentality or hells, even puppy love, but you truly never did find someone else that understood you and loved you the way he did. 

“But, what about you? Did you ever find true love?” You ask and you hate yourself for even doing so, but you hate waiting for his answer even more.

“No.” He shakes his head. “No, I didn’t. I had many ‘lovers’ but even calling them that is too generous. Dalliance is probably more accurate.”

“I see..” You nod, a bit of relief filling your heart. 

“How often do the guards come by?” He asks, trying to look down the corridor. 

“Not too often, when they remember anyway. But, what do we do if we can actually escape? We can’t-”

“Done.” He pushes on his gate and it swings open, and he immediately sets to work on your side. Your heart races in your chest as you watch his nimble fingers push and fidget with the lock. Standing just on the other side of the bars, you catch the faintest hint of citrus and herbs. He still has that same smell to him, and now your heart races for different reasons entirely. Memories and old feelings come rushing back to the surface, bubbling and spilling over the sides like a pot of water left on the stovetop. When your own door finally opens with a screech, your heart drops to your stomach. 

“Shit, that was too loud!” You panic. Astarion grabs you by the arms, pulling you from your cell. He twists one of the gold bands from his fingers and places it on your own index finger. 

“This is an enchanted ring, it has an invisibility spell in it, it doesn’t last very long, so I need you to stay right by my side, and don’t make a noise.” He holds your hands so delicately and you nod your understanding. “That’s my girl.” He gives you that same wicked grin you had once fallen in love with, only now it’s much sharper you notice. He moves your thumb over the ring and makes you squeeze it against your finger, instantly making your hand vanish before your eyes. You look down at where your feet should be, and there’s nothing. Astarion follows suit and dissolves into the air. You feel his cold hand pull you to his side and you shuffle on tiptoe down the hall, careful as to not make a single noise. It's not a particularly wide corridor, and when the guard passes you, Astarion pushes you against the wall, and presses his own body to yours, so as to give the other man a wide berth to walk around the two of you. 

This is so weird... I can feel his breath on my face, but he’s just gone.

The second the guard passes the two of you, he snakes his arm around your back and continues to usher you out of the prison. Past two snoozing guards and around the ajar front gate, softly padding up the steps, and then finally out into the warm afternoon sun. He doesn’t stop though, not till you two are hidden away in a side alley near the Flophouse. You feel him guide you to the back of the small building, and push you against the wall. You let out a sigh as the spell wears off seconds before his own does. 

His face is much closer to your own than you would have expected, so much so that you’re sharing the same air as you try to catch your breath. The two of you can’t stay here though, you’re still far too close to the prison, and surely they will come after you any moment now. That doesn’t stop you from letting your eyes drink in his face. He’s still just as handsome as you remembered him to be. But there’s dark circles under his now crimson eyes, and his face no longer holds the lively pink it used to. Despite the circumstance, you can’t help thinking about his lips, and how much you want to kiss him. 

“We need to keep moving.” You murmur, inches away from his face looking down at you. 

“Always the sensible one.” He grins. He clears his throat and steps away from you. “Sorry, I forgot myself for a second there. But you’re right we, uh, we should keep moving.”

“We can hide out at my house for the night, and then we’ll figure out how to get you reunited with your friends.” You smile at him. 

“Lead the way, darling.”

Borders by @thecutestgrotto

Thanks for reading! - Tilly <3

[iamlostsomewhereinthegarden]

A Valentine's Day with them

A Valentine's Day with some of my favorite characters

A Valentine's Day with Ryou is filled with running and hiding away from his fangirls who want a date with him after school, giggling all the while as you’re holding hands because it feels like a romance story where you guys are running away from everyone else in the world to pursue your secret love. Later it’s spent at a cute nerdy cafe where couples get a discount on their meals and a special monster world figurines of a couple meant to stay together forever. It ends with you gifting Ryou cream puffs you made for him for the special day and heading over to his apartment and playing a short specialized monster world campaign Ryou made for you as a Valentine's gift.

A Valentine's Day with Souya is filled with going to all the local ramen shops and benefiting from the Valentine’s discounts. But if you think that’s all it’s not! Souya stepping out of his comfort zone made you chocolates while you made him a cute stuffy for his bed that you’ll see later on in the future when you guys move in together (“You still have that old thing? Of course I do, it’s something you made for me and gave to me for Valentine’s day!”). It ends with sneaking into Souya’s room -because your parents don’t approve of delinquents so you guys can’t go to your house- but you can’t let Nahoya know you guys are there or else you’ll never hear the end of it! And still waking up with y’all faces covered in marker and teasing from Nahoya because that’s just how he is but you’re happy you got to spend the night with your adorable angry boyfriend.

A Valentine’s Day with Shikamaru is filled with you two not being able to meet up until late into the evening and that’s because you guys have plans for the day but it’ll take most of the day to do. So Shikamaru spends the day at Ino’s house doing his best to make some chocolates for you, and while they aren’t the best they’re made with love and make you cry because the lazy bum put in work for Valentine’s day. You on the other hand was preparing the best stay at home lazy date one could ever ask for, and surprisingly it takes a lot of work but you got it done and welcomed him home to the cutests but laziest and most loving Valentine’s day ever.

A Valentine's Day with Neji is weird at first because he really wants to do a lot for you so the normally stoic man is doing the most to show that he loves you! All while looking like a tomato and like he’s about to pass out lmao. Though after stopping him from being weird and letting him know that all he has to do with you is just chill and spend time with you on this special day calms down and you guys have the best and still most romantic Valentine’s day ever for the two of you.

A Valentine’s Day with Kalim is a crazy private party with just you two but filled with gifts sent to one another and cutesy Valentines themed meals to the heart's content. As a poor student that can’t buy much you end up being creative and gifting a bunch of adorable homemade crafts that Kalim does is best to preserve forever. Kalim's gifts to you were a bunch of expensive gifts but after being with you for a while still has a lot of meaning because as much as he can’t help spending money like crazy he does understand what to give to make you happy. The day is spent having fun and being stupid kids while enjoying the day that Kalim ordered.

A Valentine’s Day with Idia is spent in his room playing a bunch of romance and otome games together for fun, and not even the good ones the dumb silly ones like the one with the horses and the one with the pigeons and some of those games that can be played fast and in one sitting like “A Date with Death”, “The Kid at The Back”. You guys order some food and find some kitties to pet and hold onto and enjoy the day. For two anime obsessed gamers in love it’s a great way to spend a day like today.

A Valentine’s Day with Leviathan is different than what you would think, you might think you’d spend the whole day inside but why would you guys be if there are so many anime Valentine’s events today?!?! The day is spent going from event to event ranting and being crazy fans over the animes, games, mangas and manhwas and getting limited/special items along with signatures especially since you guys are a couple. What more could two anime geeks want?

A Valentine’s Day with Tamaki is spent inside ordering a bunch of Valentine's food and having an at home date then watching some romcom movies. And let me tell you, while Tamaki may struggle in public or in many situations he’s steeled himself for this moment in order to show you how much he loves you and cares for you. It’s a day that the Pro-Hero makes sure to take off just for you and if at the end of the night he ends up being dominant with his quirk making the night very fun (especially with his tentacles and maybe even a horse coc-) that’s for you guys to know! Unless you want to spill the beans to Neijire, Mirio, Fatgum and Kirishima, though Tamaki would prefer you not to for the sake of his health.

A Valentine’s Day with Feitan is a surprise because each year he somehow does something different, the first year you guys celebrated it was the severed head of someone who kept harassing you, which though it freaked you out you understood that he was trying and at least you never had to deal with them again! Another couple years later after learning and realizing that body parts wasn’t the best item to give to your spouse and the only reason you loved them was because it was Feitan who did/gave it to you his present was a bunch of the prettiest and most expensive jewelry he could get his hands on that you could only wear once the hype about finding them died down but were amazing! This year while you got him a new amazing and pristine sword that he could use which he really loved and appreciated he somehow got you dinner reservations at an expensive and top notch restaurant and even went with you wearing a suit and actually having manners. To say that this Valentine’s day was amazing would be putting it lightly and you were definitely happy that you were with the man that you’re with despite his quirks.

Hope you enjoyed that was all written within an hour because I had a Spanish composition to write, plus a busy af university day and had to scrap my original idea that I spent whole last night working on instead of studying for said Spanish composition. I really wanted to do more but time is running out for the day and I still have more homework to do lol!

Tags: @kisakis-boyfriend

[jayvikstolemyheart]

I’m trying to organise my thoughts in dungeons and dragons au inspired by @noodles-and-tea but it’s taking too long so I’m just doing the important jayvik part here:

Basically, Viktor the DM is running a campaign that is basically the story of arcane. Jayce is one of the players. Arcane!Viktor is an NPC that was designed to be a twist villain. Starting off as a harmless looking ally for Arcane!Jayce (and a way to help Arcane!Jayce get out of his failed charisma check in front of the council). Arcane!Viktor would eventually use the hextech to create the glorious evolution and be the final boss.

(Viktor may or may not be subconsciously projecting himself onto Arcane!Viktor.)

Viktor miscalculated how into the roleplaying Jayce would be. How quickly Jayce would make Arcane!Jayce go ‘This is OUR dream now. Viktor’s MY partner’. Viktor takes pride in his storytelling so he alters the plan a bit. Make the inevitable fallout be based on outside factors. Arcane!Viktor starts to get sicker. Piltover’s society focuses on Arcane!Jayce more, which creates a divide between PC and NPC.

But Jayce never gives up on his NPC friend. Even when Arcane!Jayce fails his insight rolls and gets manipulated by everyone and can’t tell when Arcane!Viktor is keeping secrets from him. Jayce, and thus Arcane!Jayce never gives up on his partner.

Viktor is furious by how Jayce’s roleplaying is ruining the plot line he planned, but he wants to stay faithful to Arcane!Viktor’s character (remember that projecting I mentioned before?). So as a last ditch effort, he decided that an NPC he introduced for a different character’s story: Arcane!Ambessa for Mel’s pc. Arcane!Viktor was already dying, but Jinx’s pc provides the perfect way to kill off the character with a bang.

A literal bang.

Viktor has that sadistic DM glee when he leaves that session on a cliffhanger. And the feeling returns when he opens the next session and describes what Arcane!Jayce sees slowly revealing all the chaos before finally revealing Arcane!Viktor on the floor.

Jayce is devastated and that reaches his character as well. Arcane!Jayce tries some CPR, takes of the clothes and sees the shimmer/hexcore corruption, but still keeps going.

Jayce rolls well enough to get the heart beating again, which annoys Viktor but he makes clear that Arcane!Viktor’s spine is broken, he’s on death saving throws with disadvantage cuz he’s already ill. This is the end.

But then Jayce does the unthinkable. He asks “Our lab is still in the building right? Where the Hexcore is?”

And Viktor has to watch as Arcane!Jayce uses his homebrewing against him. Viktor has to move on to the next scene so he can take some time to figure out what the HELL to do next.

But this NPC is Viktor’s subconscious right? And Viktor has a lot of self-hate. Specifically for his body but he’s going to use that self-hate to create this villain and watch everyone attack the representation of Viktor’s self-hatred. And no, Viktor is not in therapy even though he should be. He claims he has enough medical conditions to deal with then do any mental health stuff.

So the campaign goes through the events of season 2. Jayce and Ekko’s player characters have to disappear because the real people won’t be able to attend the next few sessions. Jayce will tell anyone who will listen how worried he is for his NPC friend. And Viktor plots.

Viktor finally arranges things to convince both in-game and out-game Jayce that Arcane!Viktor had to be killed. By using the love of the character against him. By showing how Arcane!Viktor will be met with a fate worse than death, along with dooming the rest of the world if nothing is done. Jayce losses hope over saving Arcane!Viktor. Real Viktor refuses to analyse how that makes him feel.

And then it’s near the end of the final battle. While the road was complicated, Viktor finally got the final boss he planned for in the beginning. Unfortunately it’s looking like a TPK for his players but Viktor’s really in the zone. Plus Ekko’s got that broken homebrew z-drive, so it will probably be fine, Viktor reasons.

Then Jayce says; “Look we’re running out of options. Maybe… can I try and reach out to Viktor one more time?”

No one’s really confident but they don’t have a choice. Ekko even uses the help action. And by that, I mean he throws the Z-drive into the Machine Herald’s face to buy Arcane!Jayce more time to talk.

And Jayce makes his speech. We all know it. Nearly everyone at the table is near tears, including Viktor.

“Why do you persist?” Arcane!Viktor asks, but it’s a question from the real Viktor as well.

“Because I promised you.” “Also, I reach out to hug him, and I’m hoping he can read my mind and see the future Vik that I saw.”

Viktor doesn’t even make Jayce roll any charisma checks by the end. He’s so touched by the speech (again refusing to analyse his feelings). He still takes his DMing seriously though and says that Arcane!Jayce must leave or he will perish, and Arcane!Viktor will stay and sacrifice himself to release everyone.

“WHAT?!” Jayce cries from the table, “You mean after everything Viktor still has to die?!”

“He played with powerful forces Jayce.” Viktor explains. “The least he could do is fix his mistakes.”

Jayce furrows his brow. “If that’s really how it is… then my character is staying with him.”

“Pardon?”

“You heard me. They made hextech together. They should finish this together. My character will say that straight to his face.”

“Wait, what?” Jinx comes out from the bathroom. “Jayce is your character dying right now?”

And so Viktor ‘s twist villain who was meant to break everyone’s hearts and be easy to hate, dies trying to reverse his mistakes knowing that he is loved, and has always been loved by the partner that’s right there be his side.

Afterwards Jayce tells Viktor that is DMing broke his heart. Viktor just laughs and pretends that Jayce just didn’t a witness a deep part of Viktor’s psyche and gave it so much kindness and love.

[kosmicdream]

decided to type up my FFAK characters sexualities/preferences.. honestly i dont know why. just felt like it. probably forgot a few characters but i tried to include as many as possible!

FFAK characters sexualities

Knife - gay. Strictly a top because he’s often sex repulsed and needs to be in as much control as possible. Also pretty HARDCORE monogamous because of his jealousy and control issues. 

Simon - bisexual, except only romantically attracted to men. He does enjoy dominant/mean women though. He’s a switch and actually leans more into being a top, but enjoys challenging tops so he is dominated. For Knife, he was very dedicated to being a submissive as part of his loyalty to him. 

Fork - closetted bisexual, he’s also a switch but is more of a service top as he is desperate for praise. 

Crimson - crimson is a genderfuck so its hard to put labels on her for anything. Generally considers themselves as a lesbian of all things but actually gets crushes quite often on men. A switch, but leans top for most scenarios. It depends on the personality. If Crimsons close with a person and deeply romantically involved, he’s usually the submissive instead. 

Dylan - bisexual and a sub/brat. Generally prefers women, but it never lasts long because shes actually way worse with women than she is with men because of her attitude. Most men aren’t worth her time, even if shes also not worth most people’s time either.. 

Aeschylus - He sees no gender. Generally a top, somehow. He’s more of a submissive in other aspects of a relationship than in the bedroom. 

Antony - gay. Bottom. However, he is basically married to a woman (Celadon) for magical tax evasion (trying to dominate the world) 

Celadon #1 - lesbian and a top. Crimson's the one exception to this for preferences since Crimson is a lot of things at once..

Celadon #2 - a top-leaning switch, not attracted to any gender in particular so probably IDs more with pansexual. 

Celadon #3/Galore - a bottom. Actually had more of a preference to men, but is more pansexual at this point in her life. Probably would only top as a service kind of way and generally very vanilla.

Evil Mother - as long as she is the top, a hole is a hole!

Good Leadman - bisexual, bottom, into muscles or very cute, androgynous people. enjoys being taken care of so he's kind of vanilla.

Locket - bisexual, but leans towards men because he has a difficult relationship with women and guilt associated with his sister. Generally a top, just because he likes teasing people. He definitely gets crushes on strangers very fast.

Key - bisexual, bratty bottom. She enjoys having a harem of boys at her disposal to order around, however.

Mirror - has no preference, in some ways is somewhat asexual. But she loves to be able to control anyone around her, so she likes to play the game of sex and WIN.

Nail - gay, but he is very lax about it cuz its like whatever.. He is generally into men that are bad for him and he finds repulsive. Strictly a top unless money is involved. (for Mop's case, anyway)

Paper - mostly a lesbian, but in the world of worms there’s a lot of genderfuckery around so that gives some wiggle room on that aspect. Generally a bottom unless the personality is right, then shes a doting top. Still deeply attached to Crimson even after all this time.

Penelope - straight, but actually leans towards being a top! She likes to be the boss of the bedroom, unless the guy is very confident then she might indulge in being a pillow princess, but usually that annoys her because they don't know what they're doing or try too hard to be like the macho guy. Rome was her first, but since their break up she's had other boyfriends or flings.. Currently in a new relationship with an older man.

Cash Leadman - pansexual and a top. If she tries bottoming its like someone giving you a thumbs up and giving you a round of applause when you finish, she doesn’t really get much out of it herself. Despite being pretty casual with sex, she pretty much friend zones everyone in the world. Simon, while also just being her friend, is probably the closest thing to a committed relationship besides her husband.

Randall - gay. A bottom? He doesnt really know yet. He’s still a virgin after all. Plus, Aeschylus just gave him a vagina...!?!?

Rome - straight. He doesnt know what tops and bottoms means even if antony has tried to explain it to him before. He’s a PROUD ally though, gay & trans rights!!!!!!

Steal - says he’s straight but.. He also is desperate for any kind of affection.. so it probably wouldn't take much convincing. he definitely has a kink for robots as well.

Rowan - bisexual and also poly. I probably could list poly for some other characters above, but this was specifically pretty important to him specifically.

Pluto - HATES women because of trauma involving dylan torturing him. Pretty much just loves his king and ducky. That's it. Top because he is STRONG and must prove his strength to everyone.

Jacket - as long as he can torture them, he doesn’t care about the gender of his victims. If they don't have a hole he'll make one.. 100% sadist (what a shocker)

Destroy - lesbian, not sure of her preferences. Work keeps her out of the dating world so she actually is a bit inexperienced, which she's a bit ashamed about..

Dr Atropa - asexual but deeply in love with Priam. It is mostly a devotion of faith rather than romance, but she is in love with him too. Their relationship is kind of ambiguously D/S coded as well. Definately the submissive in this dynamic.

Priam - has gotten bored of sex, but he used to be pansexual. Top still though, no question about it.

Dollop - NO preference and finds almost any person sexy, especially if they are very unique in some way. Very flexible with positions. LOVES horses too much which used to really be a turn off for Fork.

Helix - hasn’t had enough experience to really know his gender or his sexual preferences, he has a crush on fork however. 

King Aldebaran - when he was alive, he was deeply in love with Rowan. That was really the only person important to him, besides himself of course. He was very attracted to himself for sure.

Canary (amnesia) - Doesn’t really know his preferences or gender, and kind of doesn’t care at all about them? He has a crush on Rome and Locket, however.

King Canary (original) - he was pretty self centered, but he wished for his father’s approval and also had a sexual fixation on good leadmen. Used everyone else as a tool. 100% pillow princess, however. Wasn’t interested in doing ANY of the work. 

King Lucid - sex repulsed, actually found this frustrating as his role as a king worm - which usually causes worms around you to be sexually charged from the pheromones. His sex repulsion came from a fear of being eaten, which is also quite a worm-like activity when it comes to sex. If he had lived long enough, maybe he would have found someone he could trust- but that never happened in his lifetime.

Lauma - bisexual and a switch through and through. Actually was genderfluid, just didn’t realize it in her lifetime. Was HARDCORE poly in the way where wanting all her partners to also be poly. Always trying to advance the polycule agenda!!!!

Laima - bisexual and a top, although she enjoyed dievas taking the lead sometimes, which made her very flustered when he did. He was the only person to get that kind of reaction out of her, however.

Dievas - closetted bisexual and generally a bottom. He was always nervous about his performance, but Laima helped give him confidence. He was deeply romantic and tender to the point where it probably was nauseating for most people, but Laima adored it.

Velns - bisexual and a switch. He never got to explore his bisexuality outside of when his wife wanted to experiment “being a boy” which he thought was awesome and fun. He was pretty DTF with whatever idea she had and also liked to spoil and surprise her back. He didn’t think too much about anything beyond that. LOVES boobs.

Mouse - gay. Bottom? Very boring and basic. Although he is open to romance with the right partner even if its outside his usual preferences. He had a girlfriend once, they held hands. 

Chain - lesbian but is also like ANY HOLES A HOLE horny levels. Shes a 500 year old virgin.

Aunt K - lesbian but is pretty resigned to never having any kind of attention in that way. It doesn't bother her as much as it used to.

Mr Boot - he was straight but.. Mirror changed his mind. He is a bottom and not very romantically inclined, mostly from being so old and jaded.

Mr Apple - he only had one relationship, can you guess with who? (it was knife) That did not end well. Since then, he’s more concerned about other things. Mirror has tried to fuck him before though. 

Rembrandt - he’s kinda pan, i guess. He hasn’t had a lot of relationships in his life, but he was very attracted to Ted. 

Rock - straight? He was comfortable with himself until Rem made that complicated. Bottom

Rem - is a robot, but he was deeply gay for Rock. That didn’t work out well, however.

Slate - Slate is old and tired.. He’s like, generally straight in the way that he barely pursues anything so its safer to just assume that. He and Cuddle had some history, however. BOTTOM for sure

Cuddle - a top for sure. besides that, gender is kind of whatever for both categories. Not into serious stuff or too much romance, he has ghosted so many people who wanted more from him.

[b0tsbby]

I realized I never actually shared this here but for the Drakengard fans, a while ago I was cooking up a Drakengard 3 au inspired by another artist who I genuinely can’t find anymore. Such doubled as a swap au cause Knives as a protag really did and still kinda does interest me.

The whole concept was kinda exploring things from a plant perspective and like, the world REALLY being bad…like bad…and if you’ve watched that 6-7 hour video on Drakenier lore on YouTube you’d KNOW, that canonically there’s constantly different timelines that sometimes converge or diverge so I can make a lot of executive decisions like the watcher’s cult and the flower and what not.

In the instance of Rem project Seeds, in this medieval setting is a lot more like the Cult of Watchers with slightly different intentions like weapon research and mana extraction. They really do weirdly praise the Black Flower though, despite honestly hurting it. After migrating from the city, Rem is very curious about its existence and how it can help with the constant war and environmental crisis befalling Midgard, but is actually more interested in the stars. She’s a scholar at heart and is one to question a lot so I mean, forgive her for falling into the clutches of a cult, it’s a very drab time to be alive. She did her best.

On the topic of Zazie I know we already have Accord as someone who is canonically everywhere all at once as a recorder, but I thought in this au Zazie would really fit that role. They aren’t an android like her though, and are closer to the magical side of the spectrum where dragons and intoners are, just a lil higher. Pure black and a coat felt like a fitting design choice considering they’d be the most enigmatic as the unreliable narrator.

So funny but I actually started with Elendira cause she kinda deserves to be a Drakenier character idk?😭😭 From the style to her personality she’d just do very well in that setting! That said I have the most fun with her in this au cause she’s a breath of fresh air from the melodrama and gives, very little fucks? Her goals are very simple: to live and not simply exist, and to have her own dragon…naturally. It is Vash who takes her in in this au…but that only makes her quote unquote ‘worse’ because she deeply can not comprehend his values. That said, as much as she hates him she respects him. She only barely respects Knives if she does at all.

And on the most important little duo we have the twins who are, Intoners. The only two there is. Like I said Knives is the protagonist and his goal is simply to kill his brother. That’s it. (“They don’t even know how deep this is gonna go” I say in the shadows). I pretty obviously related him to Zero for this design. And just like Zero, he’s a pretty unconventional and bitchy protagonist and the whole question of ethics was already out the window 20 min ago. Have some plant twins as little tiny guys cause I never figured a design out for Vash as a heroic antagonist.

While I consider this au abandoned I re listened to that 7 hour Drakenier lore video and kinda fell in love with it again. I also have Meryl, LR and Legato literally sitting there cause they’re practically almost finished designs. You can ask about drakengard lore anytime but for the love of god never play that game series (it’s peak). Genuinely don’t touch it (best worst games in history, actual art pieces). I have a whole lore doc and a 1000+ one shot on Elendira based on the Drakengard 3 novellas I don’t know what to do with it please someone tell me what to do with it.

[acourtofthought]

Every couple is different and has their different origin stories, but I think if every couple across the SJM universe were told from first meeting “hey this guy… this girl… that’s your mate. See ya and have a nice day” they would all have similar reactions to how we see Elain and Lucien.

Rhys and Feyre are different as Rhys knew before even meeting her…

But if Cassian and Nesta were told from their first meeting they’d be pissed.

Aelin and Rowan- ha!

Bryce and Hunt- they’d both punch the person

All would be in complete disbelief and upset/disappointed. So I don’t like the takes that Elaine and Lucien hate each other and both want it broken.

We’ve been in Lucien’s head and know how he feels about Elaine and the curiosity there. We’ve yet to be in Elaine’s head. We know she doesn’t want a mate period (Nesta said the same thing).

For fans to think they’re not end game and we will not explore their bond at least a little? Come on now. It’s pretty much an arranged marriage trope taken to the next level. Let the simmering tension commence!

Without a doubt. And Rhys / Cassian knowing / suspecting that Feyre and Nesta were their mates wasn't ever an issue because in canon, the fae in the ACOTAR world typically cherish mating bonds and look at them as something sacred. It's the same reason we had Lucien showing loyalty to Elain from the very moment their bond snapped even though he hadn't officially met her. But if any other SJM FMC was made immediately aware of their bond, especially those who were human or half human? They would have rioted. I mean we kind of saw Nesta do that exact thing when she was drawn to Cassian from the first moment she met him. But let's throw out a hypothetical. Do most readers think Rhys and Feyre are right for one another? I'm not even saying they have to like Feyre or they have to like Rhys, but are they well matched? I think they are, I can't imagine either one with anyone else. Now say you're one of the people who do like Feysand together, you think they compliment each other well and you can't imagine them without the other. Now let's say Feyre did find out about her bond from the very start. Does that mean we'd suddenly feel Rhys and Feyre were a poor fit? Do you think readers would now say, "Never mind! They don't match because they knew about their bond from the start!" I doubt anyone who likes Feysand would ever say that which proves the beginning really doesn't matter so long as the end product is the same and that's two people who were destined to be the other half of their soul finding their way to each other. It is no different for Elain and Lucien. Yes they have had a rocky start and yes they've got more to deal with having the knowledge of their bond from the start (as well as her being in love with someone else and him believing he already had and lost a mate) but that doesn't make them less perfect for one another. Sarah actively drew parallels for them once she realized they would be mates and that only compounded the unintentional parallels she already had for them in book 1, those unintentional ones being exactly why Elain ended up surprising her and Lucien as being the one for him.

Sarah did not go on this 4 / 5 book journey with Elucien only to let all the buildup and anticipation of "What will she do about her bond?" "What will their first real on page conversation look like now that she's out of her depressed state??" fizzle out. She's invested way too much time creating their storyline (to the point that so many characters have spoken about / thought about their bond - Hybern, Eris, Cassian, Feyre, Nesta, Amren, Madja, Az, Jurian, Rhys) not to explore it in their book.

Elucien is the tea and everyone is waiting to find out what they're going to do.

[ephemeralinstance]

Lavellan in Veilguard

The scenes with the Solas-romancing Lavellan in Veilguard are, for me, one of the writing highlights of the game. Of course there are limitations with her being an NPC, but I think that subject to the constraints of the structure of the game, the writer did a really great job of a very difficult piece of writing - creating a depiction of the character that fits with thousands of different versions of Lavellan.

First of all, Lavellan's dialogue is elegant and lyrical, matching the cadence in which Solas speaks and thus showing how in-tune they are even after all these years. One thing I loved about Inquisition was that the language was often really beautiful, so I enjoyed seeing that kind of poetic language return here, and I think the writer understood and captured the heart of what a lot of people loved about the Solas romance - the poetry and beauty of it.

In addition, we get a range of different emotions. Lavellan expresses sadness ('He meant that much'), passion ('You've felt the power of that mind'), anger ('He left me to clean up his mess'), self-doubt ('Am I the prideful one?'). Whatever reaction you personally envision your character as having, you can find it represented in what she says here. I know some people wished Lavellan could have more of an angry confrontation with Solas, but that probably wouldn't have been possible without just allowing us to directly control Lavellan; I think the writer achieved a good compromise by showing us her anger and hurt in this conversation. 

At the same time, she's shown to be mature, self-aware, and reflective. We see her questioning herself, asking 'Am I the prideful one, imagining his broken heart so I'd never have to face my folly?' Lavellan isn't deluded; she's not romanticizing what happened. If she chooses to go with him, it's clear that she isn't naive or being manipulated. She's making this choice in a fully aware, thoughtful manner. And although Lavellan loves Solas deeply, he isn't her first priority. It's important that when Rook asks her if she'd be willing to leave with Solas, she states, 'No. We have to save the world first.' We're shown very clearly that she has a life outside of Solas, and she prioritizes her duty to the people of Thedas: only once her task is done is she able to put herself first, and finally choose her own desires over her duty for once. It's also impressive how clearly she understands Solas, as evident in her speculation that he's left clues because part of him wants to be stopped. I particularly liked the fact that she's shown to have a deeper understanding of him than Rook, as seen in their exchange about 'lies of the heart.' Rook just sees one superficial version of Solas as 'god of lies,' whereas Lavellan understands that although Solas did lie to her, at a deeper level he isn't good at concealing what he really feels. Lavellan absolutely knows and understand Solas' flaws and the 'bad' side of him that Rook has seen, but she also knows a different side of him that no one else has seen. If Lavellan chooses to go with him, it's because she understands him completely: she sees all the good and all the bad in him, and she chooses him anyway.

Finally, sometimes I see people critiquing Lavellan for being passive or not having much going on apart from her connection with Solas. Now first off, this clearly isn't true, since she spends the whole game mustering the armies of the south and sending detailed missives about her military operations - no one in Thedas has more going on than this woman! 

But also, it's important to keep in mind that Lavellan isn't supposed to be a fully-fleshed out character: she's specifically left vague enough so that you can fill in the details with your own Lavellan. For example, we're not told much about what she's been up to in the last ten years, but of course that's not because she's done nothing but pine for Solas: it's simply left unspecified so it can be compatible with different headcanons. Lavellan is specifically written to allow us to fill in the details, and the measure of success is not whether she comes off as a fully-developed character to people who don't have their own Solas-romancing Lavellan (honestly, those people shouldn't even be commenting, this writing isn't for them); the measure of success is whether she works as a stand-in for all of our individual versions of Lavellan. And although of course it's never going to be possible to please everyone, I think the writer did a great job within the limitations of what was possible in the plot.

[yubellia]

Tales of a traveling Creator…. „Am I an author now?…“

Imagine that we, the creator, finally made it back home. Back home to Teyvat that is. „Because this is where you belong, your grace!~“…. Yeah… great.

Actually, life is pretty sweet. Sure, there are certain things we don‘t have in Teyvat but… we can look past that. Mostly.

The characters don‘t know that for us, all of this was a game. Literally a video game. And there were many others too.

Now imagine how it must feel to never see your favorite show or cartoon again. How it feels to never play your favorite games again. (Especially if you know that a series would get a new game or season soon…. Gosh the horror!)

One day, you notice how your memories of these things start to fade. You forget the name of a character. Small things. But it’s scary enough to make you do something. You do the next best thing.

„Somebody bring me empty notebooks and writing tools! Hurry!“ Your always loyal followers almost run over each other to get what you requested.

And so starts the time period of none stop writing. Really. You carry notebooks everywhere. You start to write down the plot of your favorite games, shows, movies. You name it.

Until one day, because it had to happen, someone asked you where this enthusiasm came from. You and some of the other archons were having tea and snacks in inazuma. Ei insisted that you had to come for a visit again. Zhongli, your loyal shield („shield for what?“ „better be safe than sorry.“), Nahida was there too. Naturally considering that she is pretty much your daughter. Ei brought Miko with her and that’s when it happened.

„Your grace? I heard you always carry these notebooks around these days. Would you be willing to share your thoughts with us? Hm?~“

Zhongli gave Miko a slightly stern look but you shook it off. „sure. Why not. You see, i noticed that i started to forget certain things. Books I read in the other world.“ (you had to think on how to put this.) „stage plays I saw, songs and the adventures I had in…. Other worlds.“ „you visited other worlds too? Like the traveler?“ „yes. I did. Just like with the traveler or you guys, I used…. ‚Vessels‘ and guided them through their adventures. And i started writing things down so that I won‘t forget.“ You showed them a picture. „I even used my powers to create images of the characters.“

Miko‘s ears started to twitch. „Oh my…. Would you mind if… I took a look at that?“

„Sure…. But wait. Not this one. Here. This story is finished.“

You take another notebook from your pocket and hand it over. Miko promises to take very good care of it and the others look on in jealousy.

That was a few weeks ago. You continued. You did everything you could. Even create pages with character sheets and detailed descriptions.

One day, there is a long line in front of a book store. You could hear the owner talk about the newest story.

„Witness the the tale of a chosen hero in a distant world! A fight between good and evil. An innocent child chosen by destiny and the gods! One of their graces many vessels in another realm. This is The legend of Zelda. Ocarina of Time.“

For a moment, you just stood there with your mouth slightly open… „Miko…. Why? Zhongli can you believe it?….. Zhongli?“

You didn’t get an answer because instead of next to you, Zhongli was waiting in line for a copy of the book…..

„Oh hello your grace! The people of Inazuma and Teyvat as a whole love the adventure of the young hero and the princess…. When I read it, I just new it would be a hit.“

You didn’t have it in you to be surprised when Miko showed up. Oh and Zhongli returned with a copy of the book soon after that.

„So… I am an author now?“

„Well, it would be a shame to keep you loyal readers hanging no? Also, I heard some people discuss the criteria for becoming someone worthy of your guidance.“

„Well fortunately Link and Zelda have enough adventures. And i visited enough worlds…..“

Once Zhongli is next to you again, you grab his sleeve and pull him away before others see you.

(Heaven forbid I tell them about Kingdom hearts. The legend of Zelda has enough lore to keep them busy.)