#and I would eat it up ravenously. I'm laughably easy. I just want more of these characters haha

[vaguely-concerned]

This is a really interesting panel with the developers at Summerfall studios, giving some cool insight into how the process of making the game worked! it helped me put some words to the thing I maybe loved the most about Stray Gods -- the way that every single character in it feels very deeply loved, in all their messiness and struggles and stuckness, all the way from the writing to the art to the music. They're very different but all feel like they were somebody's favourite character, and it's nice to hear that that seems to be because it's basically true lol

Austin Wintory also has some great videos on his channel breaking down the nitty gritty of how on earth you make an interactive musical that works, as well as looking deeper at different songs and explaining things like why there're four official versions of the soundtrack (!)

[abirdandabeast]

I'm guilty, very guilty, but maybe if u don't kill me can make a RaeX story? He founds her with out his coustume and they talk. And then he saw her again with his mask, but beffore she calls the others mentions something of their last talk. He trusts her his identity...

Raven’s head pounded. She rolled over with a groan, clutching her hand to her forehead. What happened? 

Vague memories of a battle coursed through her mind, and she frowned. Must’ve gotten hit, she thought glumly. She struggled to sit up, when a firm hand gripped her shoulder. 

“Whoa, whoa, there, Birdie.” 

Raven froze. That wasn’t Cyborg’s voice. She cautiously glanced up, sucking in a sharp breath in shock. 

Her gaze was met with a bare torso, revealing a set of chiseled abs and an overall well toned body. Black, skin tight pants rode low on the guy’s hips, and upon looking up at his face, a very familiar skull-faced mask was pushed up just enough to show a strong jaw with a hint of five ‘o clock shadow. 

“Why don’t we lay back down?” he said. Raven obliged, her mind still processing this new information. She was with Red-X. How this had happened was beyond her, and she didn’t really know what to think. 

“You took a pretty nasty hit there, Birdie,” Red-X murmured. “Do you remember?” 

Raven shook her head, still trying to find her voice. The movement made her a bit dizzy, and she groaned. 

“Take it easy, now.”

She shot him a glare. “Why am I here?”

Red-X scoffed. “I save your life, and this is how you repay me? Gosh, Birdie, you really know how to break a man’s heart!” He clutched his bare chest dramatically, making her roll her eyes. 

“It’s Raven,” she snapped. 

“Yeah, yeah,” he muttered, waving his hand. “How’s your head?” 

Raven glowered at him. “Stop changing the subject.” 

Red-X sighed, reaching out and gently cupping her chin in his hand. “I’m not,” he said softly, leaning close as he examined her forehead. The intimacy of his actions startled her, and she felt her face grow hot. 

“Y-yes you are,” she stammered. She grabbed his wrist and pulled his hand away, narrowing her eyes. “Tell me why you brought me here?” 

Red-X sighed, and Raven was certain he was rolling his eyes beneath his mask. “Fine, Birdie. If you must know, you ran head first into that robber-group guy’s bat. You went down like a plank of wood. Then their arson buddy decided it was a perfect time to set the place ablaze, and your buddies lost you in the chaos.” He paused, flashing her a smirk. “Luckily for you, I was there to save the day.” 

Raven arched a brow. “You couldn’t just drop me off at the tower?” 

At this, Red-X laughed. “Yeah, right. Like I’m gonna get arrested for savin’ your skin. That’s not gonna happen. Sorry toots, you’re just gonna’ be stuck with me for awhile.” 

She rolled her eyes, heaving a sigh. Wonderful. This was exactly how she wanted to spend her morning. Or was it night? Raven blinked, scanning her surroundings for a clue. 

The room they were in was dark. The only window was small, with a thick, ratty curtain strung up over it. The only furniture in the room was the small, rickety cot she was currently laying in. The walls were void of decor, with only the chipping white paint as its cover. 

If Raven had to guess, she’d assume they were holed up in an abandoned building somewhere. Probably downtown. She wondered absently if this was his actual base, or just a temporary stop made especially for her. 

Her thoughts were interrupted by a damp rag being pressed to her forehead. Raven froze, blinking in surprise. Her gaze flicked up to Red-X, whose lips were pursed in concentration as he tended her injury. 

“I don’t think you need stitches, but I guess you can leave that decision up to Robo-boy,” he said absently. 

“His name is Cyborg,” Raven muttered, her face warm. It was strange; seeing a bad guy like him tending to her so gently. It was almost laughable, really. Still, Raven couldn’t help but feel…touched by his apparent kindness. 

Sure, he’d basically kidnapped her, but from the emotions he was giving off, he seemed to care about her well-being. Which was both strange and surprisingly sweet. 

“Sure it is,” Red-X said. He pulled back, admiring his work. “Good enough for now,” he muttered with a shrug. The thief rose from the cot, stalking over to the side and rummaging through a duffel bag on the floor. 

“Is this where you live?” Raven asked. Her question made him pause, and he shot her an inquisitive glance over his shoulder. 

“You really think I’m gonna answer that?” Amusement colored his voice, and Raven let out a huff. This only seemed to enlighten him more, and he chuckled softly. “The answer is no, m’dear,” Red-X said. 

Of course, there was a chance he was lying, but as Raven considered his pleasant emotions, she figured the chances were a bit slim. “Oh,” she said. She watched as he pulled a worn t-shirt from the bag and stepped back to the cot. 

“Yeah, I’ve got a nice penthouse downtown.” He slid the shirt over his head, a shit-eating grin plastered on his face. 

“Sure you do,” Raven muttered with a roll of her eyes. 

“Oh, don’t believe me? Gosh, you hurt me, Birdie.” 

“It’s Raven,” she said, “and no, I don’t. You’re a villain, remember?” 

“I’m not that bad,” he said. Raven merely gave him a flat look. 

“Aw, come on, Birdie. I saved your life! That counts for something, right?” 

Raven rolled her eyes again. “I think you’re exaggerating a bit,” she said. Of course, she had no real way of knowing, but Raven felt like her team would have saved her before things had gotten too bad. Still, Red-X did rescue her, so maybe he was right. 

A little bit, anyway. 

“Psh, nah. I totally saved your life.” 

Raven sighed. “That doesn’t mean I trust you.” 

At this, Red-X frowned. “Hmm. I suppose you’re right.” He paused for a moment, staring off into space. “Well, if it counts for anything, I trust you.” 

She furrowed her brows. He trusted her? How? He didn’t even know her! 

Red-X laughed, seeming to sense her bafflement. “Oh, Birdie, come on. I may be a bit of an annoyance, but you don’t see me as a threat. Seriously, have you ever seen me do anything but steal?” 

Raven blinked. No, she supposed she hadn’t. Actually, the Titans weren’t sure why he stole, for they could never track down the things he nabbed on any of the known black markets. And Robin knew quite a few. 

“See? I trust you, ‘cuz you don’t see me as that bad of a person. You won’t turn me in! At least, not right now.” There was a smirk on his lips, and as much as Raven hated to admit it, he was right.

She wasn’t going to turn him in. Not now. 

Though, if she caught him stealing anything, turning him in would be almost instinctive. 

“Here, I’ll prove it to ya’.” 

To Raven’s utter surprise, the thief tore off his mask, exposing his face. 

He was…handsome. Raven was captivated by his eyes; they were a bright blue, sparkling with mischief and sincerity. Dark, unruly hair stuck out in all directions, a direct result of wearing a full headed mask. There was a bolt of pale hair nestled with his bangs, falling a bit in his face. 

“Like what you see?” 

Raven shook herself, tearing her gaze away. This earned her a bark of laughter, and Red-X leaned close. “Don’t be shy, Birdie, I know I’m handsome.” He winked at her, before pushing off the cot. “Well, while I’m sure you’d love spending more time with me, I’ve got places to be.” 

She rolled her eyes. “Oh no. What shall I do on my own?” 

Red-X shot her a glare. “Ouch, Birdie.” He swiped his duffel bag from the ground, slinging it over his shoulder. “Here.” He tossed Raven her communicator. “Try not to move around too much. I’d hate for you to hurt yourself more.” 

And with that, Red-X vanished out the door. Raven waited awhile before turning on the communicator and calling Robin, those blue eyes forever burned into the back of her mind.

Whew. I know this isn’t exactly what you asked for, anon, but I needed some development between these two first. XD

And don’t feel guilty! We all have our guilty pleasure ships. Myself included. Some of you may know what that ship is…

Bonus cookies for whoever can guess, lol. Anyway, enjoy!

-mod vixensheart