#blank and mute mc

[rosescries]

help it's been over a year since I've been here- all I saw was wet cat mc and buff mc before I left. hopefully you guys don't mind if I bring up a different type of mc from tsm, blank and mute mc. mc who pretty much has little to zero reaction to anything done to them. oh edge grips onto their arm a little too tightly? doesn't matter, they just keep making eye-contact with him until he lets go and off they go to tend to themselves and go about their day. but the plot twist is that mc is mute but they're never given the chance to sign out anything so they just...give up on communication. why bother communicating if they refuse to even listen? imagine if it's because Taylor never even mentioned them being mute tho. sorry for the long ask tho-

Oh, it's been a bit since wet cat and buff mc were brought up. Though I have no clue when that actually was.

Not a whole lot would change? They'd think it's a bit weird she's not reacting, but she's still listening so..... okay? They not really looking for a reaction out of her, they mainly just wanted her to stop doing the things they thought she was doing i.e. making a lot of messes, bringing strangers into the house (which they weren't actually caught all that often), and bothering Taylor. Otherwise they left her alone and she left them alone.

Mutt would tell them she's mute pretty early on, basically as soon as he learned she was, and they'd believe him. Despite her "reputation" there's no reason to fake being mute, so why wouldn't they believe it?

[pampushky]

Teaser: My Name Is Brutus (And My Name Means Heavy)

Alpha! Lando Norris/Omega! Lauda! Reader

oooo what's this?? me dropping a juicy little teaser of probably one of my favorite things I've written??

so. this is basically an ABO au with a race engineer & lauda mc, with the wonderful trope of enemies to lovers thrown in, as you will soon see from the scene I'm releasing a bit early.

other things about the fic: slow, and i mean fucking slow, burn. exploration of what disabilities would look like in the ABO world (especially centered around the sense of smell and how that could be considered a disability if someone doesn't have one in a world where most things are communicated by smell), societal pressures about what the ideal alpha/omega/beta should look like to the rest of the world which leads to Lando making assumptions about MC's secondary gender/sex, mentions of past emotional & mental abuse, PTSD, scarring, and worries about self-worth. Oh. and obvious hurt/comfort. But again, and I cannot emphasize this enough. Slow. Fucking. Burn.

uhhh i guess i'll do a tag list too for this so. tell me if you wanna be on that.

“I do have… issues, with the way you run things here,” you scratch your claw into the wood of the table, a low rumble in your throat. The scent blockers you have on are distracting to Lando. He wonders, briefly, what your scent is like, when it’s not so medicinal. “You need more discipline. Less media. It makes you seem… soft.”

“Soft?” Lando leans forward, tilting his head. You look back at him with your constantly blank stare, a slight frown on your lips, icy eyes that challenge even the Lauda death stare. “What do you mean?” You hesitate, looking to Zak and Andrea, who both gesture for you to continue. You then look at Oscar, who bites his lip and makes eye contact with you, and shrugs softly, as if permitting you to say whatever you were about to say.

“....you will take offense to what I’m about to say, I’m warning you.”

“Please, I’ll be fine,” Lando waves it off, grinning lazily. His nose twitches. The heavily medicinal smell of your scent blockers is getting to him. Do you truly need to cover your scent that much? Are you worried that he’ll act aggressively because you’re also an Alpha?

“.... no. You won’t. I’ve seen your interviews.” You say dryly, and fold your arms. Lando balks. 

“I beg you pardon?”

“You don’t take criticism well.”

“I take it just fine!” Lando shoots back, feeling himself starting to get frustrated. Why did you have to wear them? Even if you are an Alpha, the medication provided by the FIA should be more than enough to keep anyone’s tempers from flaring.

“Then you won’t throw a hissy fit when I list out all my problems with the way you work?” 

Your tone is icy. Even. Perfectly calculated. 

“Oh, you know I want to hear about your issues with me,” Lando slams his hands down onto the table, and you just raise an eyebrow at him. He’s down to his undershirt, his fireproofs hanging at his waist as you stare at him. “So say it! Don’t hold back!”

Andrea just massages his temples as Zak looks like he wants to be anywhere else. 

“Only if you don’t throw a tantrum when I’m right.” You state, examining your nails from where you sit, as though this is boring for you. Monotonous and icy-calm. 

Lando hates your voice. Specifically how robotic and monotone it sounds. What little he knows about you— which is as much as the rest of the world, with how private the Lauda family is— is that you apparently have some vocal chord and brain damage. Nothing substantial enough to impede your thought process or the way you speak to make you mute, but enough to have caused the monotonous way you talk. A small enough problem that Lando doesn’t feel like a total dick for what he’s about to say.

“Oh, just fucking say it, you robotic bitch!”

That gets your attention. You pause, slowly bring your hand down, and look at him. With the classic, terrifying Lauda glare. Your eyes pierce his soul, and for a second, just a second, Lando considers apologizing. Tucking his tail between his legs, his ears folded back. But then, he remembers who he is, and he meets your glare with his own, lips drawn back to bare his teeth....

[ikemen-trifecta]

Obey Me! Mammon x Selectively Mute Reader - Part 3

link to part 4:

🎗Part 3🎗

　You returned to class once you heard the bell ring, eyes probably red and raw from crying. You were thankful for that boy keeping things confidential, though. Luke, however, noticed your face right away and commented on it.

　I’ve been having a rough first day.

　“What happened? What can I do to help?” he insisted.

　I met someone who was really chill, so it’s okay.

　“YO, MC! Where’d ya go?!” yelled Mammon, pulling the classroom door open. Luke rolled his eyes.

　“Well, it’s definitely not that guy you met.”

　“Listen, MC. I’m sorry for freaking you out. How can I make it up to you?”

　I just want to go home, you confessed. The angel and demon looked at each other.

　“Alright; we’re going to the roof!” Mammon announced suddenly.

　“You can’t go to the roof! It’s time for class!” Luke protested.

　“What’re ya gonna do about it, Fido?”

　“Who are you calling--” But he was already pulling you out the door and up the stairs. You passed the sleepy boy you’d met earlier.

　“Hi, Belphie! Bye, Belphie!”

　When you two had made it to the rooftop, you took out your notebook.

　You know him?

　“‘Course. He’s my youngest brother.” He contemplated. “Wait. You don’t know my brothers. Can I borrow your notebook?” You didn’t feel completely comfortable parting with your only source of communication, but you complied.

　He drew little doodles with labels on a blank page. “This is Lucifer, my older brother. This is me. This is Leviathan…”

　After he was done, you took back the book.

　So Lucifer is your brother??

　“Yeah,” he said exasperatedly, “He’s always on our asses about something or other. He’s got a soft spot for his hound, Cerberus, though.”

　Isn’t Cerberus a three-headed dog in Greek mythology?

　“Pffft. No. Who told you that?”

　Books and school.

　“Human schools are weird.” He sat back, leaning on his hands. “Well, school is just weird in general. I’d rather be out spending time with my Goldie,” he said wistfully.

　Who’s Goldie?

　“She’s my one true love. My beloved credit card!” He clasped his hands together. You stared at him with a deadpan expressionー moreso than what you’d already been looking like. He didn’t notice, though.

　“Luci stole her away, though,” he declared ruefully, “and has yet to give her back!”

　Why’d he take it?

　“I may have borrowed money from my brothers and have yet to return it…”

　You two conversed until school ended.

[starlightandetherealshadows]

Hello! Feel free to ignore this, but I wanted to give my two cents about the MC's initial personality while playing. Now, this may be blunt, but at first, I was incredibly disappointed. Usually, I tend to play stoic/quiet MCs who don't lash or speak out, and it seemed to be quite the opposite to the distrusting and stoic mc in the game. However, I was thinking extremely hard about this, and I actually get why the MC was so outspoken, especially when V literally pointed a gun at them. Stoic and stubborn MC, from what I saw in the prologue, could easily be more nonchalant *before* the alien invasion, but that, obviously, changed. When C found them and brought them to the hideout, I didn't take into account that MC was in a vulnerable position, and I only focused on the part that MC hadn't interacted with another person in years. So, yeah, of course, MC may be overwhelmed, but their not gonna let people (V *cough*) walk all over them. I guess the thing was that I was so used to stoic MCs in IFs just standing on the sidelines and observing, but that is obviously not that kind of IF. The thing that had gotten to me the most, however, was the second-hand embarrassment of MC actually talking back to V after he blatantly insults them because I could never😭 I guess what I am trying to say is that even though I was seriously taken aback, none of the characters (including MC) are not gonna be 2-dimensional (as you have stated multiple times), and it has definitely grown on me, even if the MC was a little more of a fire-cracker than I expected. I am really looking forward to seeing where you take this story, and I will absolutely be eating it up because even if I might have to be tossing my phone across the room occasionally (bc my second-hand embarrassment is so easily triggered😭😭), I cannot get enough of your writing and characters!! I hope this made sense because I was just rambling about my take on if you are willing to make the MC a little more stoic or have some mute choices, which I am not against, but at the end of the day, I will still be reading the fuck out of Memento Mori! Have a good day/night!!! MWAH💋

Hi sunshine!

I appreciate your super-thorough analysis of both MC's personality and also your initial/developing reaction to it!

Just wanna offer some perspective on why I'm writing MC the way I am (you've already nailed a lot of the points but this is gonna be a succinct explanation from my head hehe)

MC is ultimately a fully fledged character in Memento Mori. While writing, I have about six different MC's in my head, each with distinct personalities, motives, and reactions to events. As I'm writing Ch. 2 in particular, I'm using these characters to influence the choices available and the stat checks necessary for certain actions. MC was never going to be a self insert. I love a good self insert sometimes, but it doesn't work with this if!

What makes characters feel realistic and multi-dimensional to me is their ability to break out of their different archetypes. We all know the ones like The Mean Girl or the Shy Kid or the Comic Relief. We can use your Stoic!MC example. Do we as humans act the same exact way every single day with every single event and interaction? No, we don't. Because we are complex, muli-faceted individuals that can have conflicting thought and actions, or opinions. What makes a character feel flat is when they are only given like 3 personality traits and stick to those regardless of what happens around them in the story.

So in Memento Mori, your Stoic!MC will have moments where they're outspoken and opinionated. The Charming!MC will lose their cool and lash out rather than smooth talk. The Friendly!MC will snap at someone without thinking. We aren't perfect, neither is MC, and I think that adds dimension to what can easily be a very blank slate kind of character. This isn't exclusive to MC, either! Veronica/Vincent will be nice to you sometimes for seemingly no reason. Zero will have moments where he is not okay and rejects your comfort when he reads it as pity. Cecelia/Chase will not always be the bouncy comic relief that uses humor to make everyone smile.

To add insult to MC's injury, like you mentioned in your ask, they are suffering from extreme amounts of PTSD and trauma. They have lost everyone and everything, they're a young adult living in complete isolation for two years. They're starving, they're injured, they hate themselves and being alive. It's going to take them a while to feel like themselves. In the span of one day, they've been nearly killed by a monster, then they're covered in blood guts and sweat when they meet C, then C brings them to meet 6 other people (including two aliens) and now they're going on this extensive journey with complete strangers, while that very morning they were contemplating ending it all. it's a lot.

By the time MC meets V, they are already at their limit of dealing with bullshit so V pointing a gun at them was never going to fly. V insulting them was a no-go either. Now, in the future, MC can ignore V more often because they'll be less on edge than when they were all first introduced. Once they have time to process, then they can react what is most familiar and comfortable for them. It will take time.

I laughed when you called MC a firecracker! I'd say they're more...unpredictable as a character when they're under high stress. As time goes on, they'll adjust and mellow out in some ways, but right now? MC has had ENOUGH with feeling like shit all the time.

I'm really glad you were a bit embarrassed by MC talking back to V because that was my goal AHDSEWLKMFRLK it's supposed to feel a bit uncomfortable. It's MC trying to clap back on someone when they have lost most of their social skills. It made ME cringe while writing it. Like oof MC, just ignore them???!!!

I'll definitely be adding some more options to be a bit more stoic or selectively mute in chapter 2, and as for chapter 1, I think more options to stay silent while talking to Cecelia/Chase or when they're speaking with Delphine/V could be good too. I'll see how it flows!

You'll see at the beginning of Ch.2 that MC already feels a tiny bit better. Nothing much but at least they aren't alone anymore, and they have a hot shower and some real food. So small wins for MC!

I think that's all I wanted to say for now!!! Thank you again for your message, my friend!!! I'm glad you're liking my writing and my characters, it does mean a lot to have your support!! <3

[the12thnightproject]

Chapter 6: The Negotiation … Setting the terms of the working agreement between Katsu and Mitsuhide goes about as well as one would expect.

Mitsuhide x OC; Hideyoshi x MC (Mai)

All Chapters Archived on Ao3 

Logline - With Mai, Hideyoshi, and Aki missing, Mitsuhide and Katsuko reluctantly team up. Disguised as a merchant and his concubine, can they outsmart the man known as the God of Deceit?

“Calm down, Brat – you’ll find me a most accommodating employer as long as you behave appropriately.” After brushing his finger across my wrist one more time, Mitsuhide finally let go and retreated to his desk. “Shall we discuss our terms?”

I presumed that was rhetorical and stayed mute. I also presumed that “our” meant “my.”

“I do not want the headache of keeping you a physical prisoner here, nor do I want to waste precious time hunting you down if-” he flicked a quick glance at my face, “-when you escape. Therefore, let’s agree on this – if you help me find Mai and Hideyoshi, I’ll return the favor and help you find Akihira.”

Ugh. I didn’t want to work with him… but he was probably right that we’d have more success if we pooled our resources. “Even if he’s not with them, even if we find your friends first, you’ll continue to search for Aki.”

“Even if.” He nodded at the shogi board that was sitting on the corner of the desk. It was a reminder that he and Aki were friends of a sort and had known each other for several years. “I expect the same of you. If we locate Akihira first, you will continue to help me.”

“Of course.” I’m a professional. If I agree to something, I stick to it. Sure, I’ll happily lie if necessary, and successfully at that. But if I make a promise, I keep it. Hm, speaking of professional… “We should write up a contract.”

“I hesitate to put anything in writing that I wouldn’t want anyone unauthorized to see.” He tapped the top of the desk. “After all, some sneak thieves can pick locks.”

Oh, enough with the locks.

However, it might be worth it if he thought that I knew how to pick locks, and thus not bother to lock things. “I would feel more comfortable with a written contract, but if you’re really that concerned, we could write it in code.” That awarded me a single raised eyebrow. Hm, could I put, ‘please teach me the single eyebrow raise’ into the contract? “I’m the only person who knows all Aki’s codes, so it’s safe.”

“All of his codes?” He unearthed a blank scroll of paper and patted the cushion at his side. “So be it.”

With a shade rattle of doom echoing in my ears, and an odd anticipatory feeling coursing through my veins, I moved to sit next to him. Why does it seem like I’m making a contract with the Devil? After a quick conference we decided to use the code that he normally used to correspond with Aki and got to work laying out the terms of our agreement.

The first rule, the quid pro quo of helping each other find our missing friends was the easiest. After that, things devolved rather quickly…

“I don’t see why we cannot have equal say in everything. It’s not like I’m planning to boss you around.” Internally, I saw the point of having one person – Mitsuhide – be in charge. But his attitude made me want to protest everything. Besides, if I appeared to give way on the things that I was prepared to accept, then hopefully, he would be accommodating when I ran across a deal-breaker and wouldn’t budge.

“Were you and Aki equal partners?” The look he gave me dared me to lie.

“No. But Aki is my father.” At least Mitsuhide thought he was, and I wasn’t about to disabuse him of that right now. “And you are not.” I had always trusted Aki (more or less). This one, I did not, would not, could not, trust. “I only want to have a say in things.”

He placed one finger on the side of my jaw, turning my head to face him, forcing me to look into those amber-gold eyes. I had the impulse to hold my breath. No. He would notice that. Natural breathing. Ha! Like that’s possible.

His voice was low, and clear, and all the teasing and amusing was stripped from the tone. “I have been doing this kind of work long enough to know that some decisions need to be made in an instant. Orders need to be followed without question or people could die. Is that quite clear?”

I nodded.

“Good.” We stared at each other for a moment, until he let his hand drift back to his side.

That weird prickly feeling returned. I felt off balance, needing to pull back some control. “When we’re in our disguises, or when we are in an urgent situation, you may be in charge.” I managed to infuse that with an unspoken ‘I’m doing this because I want to and not because you say so’ tone to my voice. “When we are here, in private, at our leisure, I will do what I want. And I want my own room.”

“As long as when we are in public, you dress as I say, act as my concubine, and follow my orders to the letter.” He watched over my shoulder as I wrote that down. “When we are alone in this building, if we are not actively working, you may happily ignore me.” He sighed.  “I shall endeavor to live with the loneliness.”

“And my own room? I will not in truth be your bedmate.” I shouldn’t have needed to spell that out, but better to do so now and avoid an awkward conversation later. If this place didn’t have a second bedroom, I supposed I would have to bunk in this not terribly private office.

“A bed technically is not required. You might be surprised at what can be accomplished against a wall, or … on a desk.” He ran his fingers along the smooth lacquer of the desk. The sound his nails made as they slithered across skittered down my spine.

He was teasing again… I think.

Not interested in either kabedon or desk-a-don. “Well, what is life without a little unsolved mystery?”

“What would you say if I pointed out that our charade requires that we be able to act as if we’ve enjoyed certain intimacies?” Before I could move myself out of reach, he tangled his hands in my ponytail, leaning closer as if he meant to kiss me. He smiled, gazing at into my eyes as if I were the most precious person on earth. “Lovers… have a specific look to them. They smile and flush when exchanging glances. Intimate touches when they believe no one is watching.” He let go of my hair, and his hand stroked my cheek before his expression and attitude returned to the more familiar amused condescension.  

“I can pretend.” I can pretend as well as you just did.  “In any case, people saw you buy me. Noone would be surprised if I look like I hate you.” Something evil inside me made me add.  “I doubt you’re unfamiliar with the concept of ‘faking it.’” Before he could react to that … in fact, afraid that he would indeed react because I had probably gone too far there, I hurried to write, “no sex.”

He lifted the brush out of my hand, carefully dipped it in ink, and added, “unless she begs.”

“Are you crazy? That’s horrible!” I snatched the brush back and marked out his words with thick dark lines.

“You certain display a lot of confidence for one so young.” He tapped his finger on his lip, drawing my attention to it again. “I promise you, if would not be ‘horrible.’ While it is true that I am renowned as a torturer, what people don’t understand is that one can torture with pleasure as easily as with pain. If I put my mind to it, I could have you on this desk, desperate for me. You would most certainly beg… and eventually discover that ‘horrible’ would be the very last word you would use to describe the experience.”

He'd done nothing but speak. That’s all he had done. He hadn’t touched me at all. Yet I felt a jolt of … revulsion, yes, revulsion, it had to be that, all through me.

Ok Jareth-with-better-teeth, dial it down a few hundred degrees.

“Well, thanks for that warning – but that wasn’t what I meant. Begging is demeaning. It’s …” Gross, but he wouldn’t understand that word. “If, in the, completely improbable case that I decide, I decide that I want to sleep with you, I will inform you of that fact.”

“Inform me.” There went the eyebrow.

“Well, how would you like it if I told you that I would only sleep with you if you begged me?” I could almost picture the look on his face if I said that. It would probably be similar to how he was looking at me right now. Snarkily amused.

“Point taken.” He took the brush and wrote, Intimacies in private will only occur upon mutual renegotiation. “Does that meet with your approval?”

I had a feeling he was just humoring me, but I had gotten what I wanted so I let that go. “It will do.”

In any case, the chances of my wanting to renegotiate that particular item basically lived in the category that also contained airborne pork and figure skating in hell, so it probably didn’t matter all that much anyway.

Once again, my brain inserted a shade rattle of doom into my thoughts.

The rest of our contract was less fraught with disagreement. I mean, it wasn’t completely peaceful by any means, as he seemed determined to tease me into agreement, but in general, his requests were as reasonable as mine (or as unreasonable – I refused to be the only one responsible for cooking and cleaning) and after concluding the negotiation, he’d guided me to the top floor where I would indeed have a room of my own. “Kyubei has been sleeping in here, but as I’ve sent him back to Azuchi to pretend to be me, no one will be using it anyway.”

I filed away the information that he and Kyubei regularly swapped places as potentially useful. I supposed that explained why Mitsuhide was wearing that long dark wig. When he and Kyubei stood next to each other, they did look pretty similar.

“Does this meet with your exacting approval?”

It took me a moment to realize he was talking about the room, and not his current hairdo, so I spared a glance around to check it out (not that I believe he would have cared at all if I didn’t like it… the room or the wig). It was on the small side, but with a fair amount of neatly built in shelving. The color scheme was rather grim, though. The red and black lacquered panels from the hallway had continued into this room, and a trifold screen depicted a wood carving of a yokai transforming from a basket into a snake. “Interesting décor. Did you pick out the furnishings yourself?” That screen at the very least, was going to need to be turned to face the wall.

“The prior owner, who found it necessary to vacate the premises urgently, sold it to me, furnishings included.” He lit a lantern for me, an act that added sinister shadows to the room. “It does not reflect my taste. Nor does that brown atrocity you’re currently wearing.”

Ugh, yeah, the brown kimono was a relic picked out by Fume, who had never warmed to me (and that’s a kind way of describing it). I brushed away some of the day’s dust from the front of it. “It is impolite to comment on a lady’s attire. This charming outfit fits the role of Kaya the maid, whose unfortunate displacement in the war led to her appearance in the slave market.”

“The alias, you may keep. Kaya.” He gave the brown kimono another judgmental glance. “The clothing must go. ‘Kyubei’ the merchant,” he pointed to himself, “prefers his playthings in silks, hrm, yes, pink, pale green, and lavender.”

Ugh, why does it have to be pink? Pink… and my least favorite nickname. I was trying to figure out which battle to choose when he preempted me.

“No argument? Good. Be ready just past sunrise tomorrow. We need to remedy the deficiencies in your wardrobe.” With a mocking bow, he left me standing in the middle of the room.

“I hate pink!” Too late. He was gone. I would have to revisit that debate tomorrow.

Even if I had to wear the dreaded pink when ‘Kaya’ was in public with Mitsuhide, there should still be an opportunity or two for me to investigate Sakai in my ‘Katsu’ disguise. At least, I hoped so. Mitsuhide couldn’t demand all of my time. Unfortunately, I had left all of my personal items at Francisco’s and I couldn’t count on him to bring them to me (or… find Mitsuhide’s townhouse again).

So, as soon as I could be certain (or relatively certain… or… ok, I guesstimated) that Mitushide was tucked into his own bed for the night, I climbed out the window of ‘my’ room, scampered up to the roof, and hurried the few streets over to land on top Francisco’s machiya. The front door would likely be bolted shut at this hour, but why use a door when a window will do?

Francisco apparently didn’t sense my entry (probably because he was snoring loud enough to muffle anything short of an explosion), and rather than bother to wake him up, I simply retrieved my clothing and weapons from his office. I wasted no time returning to the identity where I felt the most me. Between the boy’s kimono and hakima pants, my sword, and my archery equipment, I felt almost fortified enough to deal with Mitsuhide (not that I planned on shooting him if he annoyed me – but it’s good to have options).  Unfortunately, the brown kimono, as ugly as it was, might still be a useful disguise at some point, so I stuffed it back into my pack.

More important than the Katsu disguise, and admittedly the reason I had snuck out of Mitsuhide’s house, was Aki’s letter to me. I unlocked Francisco’s desk and retrieved it, and after a moment’s consideration, liberated some of my money too. Though I wanted to sit down and read the letter right away, I only had an hour or so before Mitsuhide’s prescribed ‘be ready at sunrise,’ and another visit to make. So, I retraced my steps past the still snoring Francisco, and in moments was making my way across the rooftops to Shojumaru’s warehouse.

Though dawn was only hinting at the horizon, the building was already a hub of activity, with sailors hauling crates inside. From my perch on the roof across the street, I could see young Hiko darting about, looking like he was directing the workers to stack the boxes, while a white-haired man dressed in rich gold and brown silks was inspecting the boxes themselves.

He was clearly in charge – was this then, the merchant Shojumaru?

The angle of the roof to the street wasn’t sharp enough to allow viewing of what was in the crates. Most were only carried by one man, so they couldn’t be too terribly heavy. Fabric, maybe Chinese silk or Indian cotton, seemed to be the most likely contents. At least today then, no one was importing Nanban weapons.

I considered climbing down and introducing myself, using Hiko as a facilitator, but decided to observe Shojumaru from afar first. If I wanted to ingratiate myself with him, it would be good to have an idea of how he personally operated. The sailors who were bringing in the goods treated him with deference, though he kept a healthy amount of personal space between them. He was more overtly affectionate toward Hiko, treating the boy to a rare, and seemingly genuine smile. The only time I noticed him becoming at all uncomfortable was when a poorly balanced crate fell off a cart, landing a puddle with a splat.

A spray of watery mud was flung out in a circle, splashing everyone in the vicinity. When the mud hit Shojumaru, he froze and a look of revulsion crossed his face. He whipped out a hand towel and scrubbed at his cheek and clothing.

After brushing off his clothing, Shojumaru tossed the hand towel to Hiko, and disappeared inside the building, which pretty much ended any plan I might have had to casually encounter him and Hiko in the street. I supposed I could go in and simply introduce myself, but someone just doused in mud was unlikely to be in the friendliest mood. Then again, people who are upset tend to reveal more about themselves. Still, it wasn’t great timing, and…

Timing.

Crap. I needed to Cinderella myself back to the townhouse before my “master” woke and found me gone. With a few regretful thoughts about the less than successful morning, I turned, and hurriedly retraced my steps, zipping across the rooftops as if I were a vampire and the sun would turn me to ash.

But even though I managed to return before the sun had fully risen… Mitsuhide was indeed waiting for me when I climbed back through the window.

Speaking of vampires…

Mitsuhide lay on my futon, his arms folded across his chest, almost in a vampiric pose… hm, if he were a vampire, it would explain a lot.

Without opening his eyes, he said, “Good morning, Brat. Did you have a fruitful morning ramble?”

He didn’t sound angry. The second thing I hate about Mitsuhide. He never gets angry at me when I expect him to.

@bestbryn @mllorei @tele86 @lyds323 @selenacosmic @akitsuneswife

[squerunit]

was just reading another of those shojo manga where the divorced parents of MC and heroine marries each other and now the two dating/exes/friends with feelings teens have to live together under one roof and the drama and thought like...

why is it always the kiddos? I wanna see the parent's POV! Imagine you're this 45yo salaryman whose wife died or divorced and now have to raise your one and only son alone, dedicating your life to him in a way you never thought possible before and be there for him so much that suddenly, you realize how time has passed and not a single of its seconds spent on you so you're like, alright, that's fine but there's that yearning for romance, to have a peer you wish you can talk to in equal setting, the nostalgia of having warmth by your bedside and seeing someone smile at you as the first thing you see in the morning...

of course, you won't try to justify why it's that co-worker/senior/boss of yours that keeps filling the blank default of those fantasies! That's improper!! you know better than to confuse respect with adoration!!!

anyway, that doesn't matter! You're out of the dating pool anyway, with the age and your son, and them being so professional with their job (ah, always so impeccable!) there's no way they're interested. What's fun this week is hearing that your teenage son asking if you're busy this weekend because his girlfriend's parents wants to meet you for dinner, to celebrate their graduation! How exciting! You've always wanted to meet the parents who raises such a lovely young lady, even though events never seems to align before, but now there's no excuse!

So you make sure that your weekend is clear(getting a weird look from your co-worker but also, encouragement for having plans that isn't resting at home. that might or may not make you blush and floaty for the rest of the worktime), dress up in a way that feels like a faraway muscle memory from time long time ago. even if you're not the one going to date today there's no way that you can embarrass your son! with the best fit you have in your decade old wardrobe, you and your son walks into the restaurant and gets escorted to the seat when-

"Oh."

that familiar voice.. it can't be?

"That's.. huh??"

Oh no. That is.. what?! what are they doing here?? they look so good though dressing up like that... sitting with your son's girlfriend..??? Now that you look at the two, the similarity is so uncanny. How did you missed this?!

once their eyes finish taking count of the situation (since surely it can't be you that they're looking at!!), you see their surprised face turn into a smile you never seen before and instantly, all of the world fades and shatters, you can't tell if its the sounds fading or your heart racing that mutes it all. "Oh it's really you! What a small world!"

It really is. you say, holding back the flood of emotions that's border on embarrassment and mortification(and heartbreak). It really, really is :'D

[gloryseized]

9. why were you drawn to each one of your characters?

Ask Meme: Multimuse Meme!

ohhhh this is a fun question!

Link -- I think it was back in 2017, right around when botw first came out that I ran across some artwork exploring the idea of Link being mute and I thought that character idea was so cool! Exploring both how a character could be powerful but then have the 'weakness' of not being able to speak was fascinating to me, and also empowering. Not only was it a new way (to me) to explore a relatively well-known character and a new challenge as a writer, but placing someone who didn't speak specifically into a fantasy setting I thought was very cool too. So when I decided to take the plunge to make this blog, I decided to throw this guy in there after he'd been rotating in my head for years.

Akira -- Again, there's some heavy influence of fanart and fanfiction that helped to inspire/maintain interest in this character. I was intrigued by his story, how he gets thrown into all the nonsense--how he somehow knows the right choices to make while also clearly flying by the seat of his pants. And similar to Link, we get basically a blank canvas for Persona 5 MC, and I thought it would be fun to see what I could bring to the table for this muse given the things that are locked into canon. It's a sandbox with the walls where I know how far to go and then all the toys inside to play with ^.^

Will -- I love Will. I see a lot of myself in Will's character and I didn't want to write him for the longest time because I write his significant other Nico who (still) has me by the throat and will not set me free ever. But because I made the multi, I decided to throw Will in too.

Marinette -- I recently got the husband to start watching this show together after I took a break sometime during season 1/2 when it was first airing. And we were immediately hooked. I don't tend to find myself drawn to female muses, so I wanted to see if I could try my hand at writing Marinette. I definitely vibe with a lot of her insecurities, and taking the step back to write them has been nice to get an outside perspective.

Mimir -- I do love an old wise muse, especially an old wise muse that's been through a lot like Mimir has. I love all the nuggets that are dropped about his history in the different stories he tells, but I also love his characterization and support he gives to the main characters in gow 2018/ragnarok.

Duck -- She is baby. (This sentence was the first thing I wrote to reply to this meme before anything else.) Princess Tutu is an anime that deeply influenced how I think of stories and hope and earning happy endings. I loved Duck in the entire show and any chance to write her here as been a treat.

[fictionfixations]

this disturbing nightmare i had at one point

i dont think i ever talked about it because it really fucked me up like holy shit what the hell

but then i just found it while doing something else. remembered it happened. and anyway its kind of interesting? one of the few nightmares with games or references to it (there was one of me building a bridge in mc creative and then i fell. or this weird field trip roller coaster fnaf nightmare). annd i typed it down

SO. its like two months old btw. i kind of still remember it but also not really

cough cough

-------

i had a very disturbing nightmare?? it was basically about this whole horror game

but i think it mightve been bleeding into reality?

and the last thing i remember is so basically the (PROBABLY tw warning)

we were trying to hide but like. something something, and i think we accidentally triggered the phone? so it was just constantly ringing. so we were goin to die soon. i just hear screams. i have my own phone, i type nonsense into it (keyboard smash), realize 'wait shit im gonna die' and quickly deleted it nad typed in 911. ring ring. theres a voice. its like. 'i SweAR i diDNt CheAT' and like 'DONT [blank. blank. i dont. remember . and i dont wnat to??]' and it was. terrifying. and i muted my phone.. and then me the character i was playing as screamed as they were dying. think the kind of horrifying scream from one of those terrifying vhs horror series. i think i called like. my. actual lover though? the other person we play as who was too late to save us. and. i. it. was very. disturbing. for some reason trying to leave the game browser brought me to like a really old roblox? and iwas trying to navigate to discord. ..because i wanted to share my experience there, my horror experience where i was on like a walk or something and being chased and hunted and something something. headbang.

i think my mind just got increasingly annoyed. because i kept wanting to go to discord to talk about it (whether about the game, the dream, or the 'real experience' i have no fucking clue) i remember having that urge. to. get. up. but i wasnt actually awake. so i just got increasingly confused and lost and panicked because i was trying to leave but i couldnt??

rereading this the 'type nonsense' probably doenst make sense. clarification: im viewing this as both as playing a game and also 'holy shit tHATS ME'. i was like 'fuck im dead anyway'. had that realization of 'wait shit I'M gonna die???' and did a last ditch effort to call 911. i knew though. we were. gonna die anyway though?? i had like this inventory thing i was messing around with while figuring it out and resigned to my character's death [honestly. it was probably some sort of weird time loop thing idfk except only i am aware. and i forget half the time]

--------------

honestly. it was so confusing and horrifying. that maybe ill take this and write it into something for character angsty times

[haltnook]

YET ANOTHER

shitty movie idea:

the main character is constantly wearing headphones. they seem to basically be completely out of reality, and they just move with whatever the action is. they don't speak, but act like any other protagonist. the movie has constant music, but nothing out of the ordinary

at the end of the movie, someone is doing a big speech, finishing it with a big genticulation towards the mc.

the mc blinks twice, grabbing one of the headphone speakers and moving it away from their ear. all music cuts off, and they look at the other person with a blank expression.

"I'm sorry, could you repeat that?"

They aren't deaf or mute. They were just listening to music - the same music that played in the movie.

[longtimenospooning-luci]

Namjoon:

Updated 01/14/24

Out of the Woods - @angelicyoongie

Promising Jihyo that you were going to stay away from your writing for one weekend had been easy in theory, but much harder to actually do once you reached the little cabin the woods. To make matters worse, the only thing that rivals your inability to keep promises is your terrible luck – and after a particularly bad choice leads you to get lost in the mountains, you suppose that it’s only karma that you end up face to face with a wolf that looks ready to rip your throat out.

Black Silk - @bangtanfancamp

Mafia Arranged Marriage AU with whipped Joon and cute shy Reader.

Ruin Me - @borathae

He knew that wearing this shirt would be a good idea…

Forever Rain - @ddaenggtan

Being dead isn’t anything exciting. Just a lot of walking the same halls of the same apartment day after day after day. Things change when the new tenant arrives, though. Kim Namjoon isn’t anything you could have expected; not the way he’s so careful and gentle with his plants because he breaks so many other things, not the way his friends joke that he’s psychic because you refuse to let him get in the face one time, and certainly not the way he comes home after literal months spent moving things away from table edges for him and announces that he knows he’s being haunted and he has some questions for you.

Begin Again - @jamaisjoons

It’s been three months since Namjoon broke up with you, so what happens when you’re at a mutual friend’s wedding and he wants you back?

Russian Roulette - @jimlingss

Blanks and a bullet - it will only take one to die and one chance to live.

La Vie en Bonsai - @jungshookz

Selectively Mute MC with cute clumsy neighbor Joon, featuring MC's best friend Yoongi. Fluff overload!

Please Don't Die - @justcallmenikki7

I think I’m in love with you and that scares me half to death.

Needy - ^^

your boyfriends alter ego loves your attention and affection, something that was a little different from Namjoon.

Trust Me - ^^

Namjoon wants you to trust him, because you are the only good thing that has happened to him and he cannot lose you. 

Till Death Do Us Part - @justimajin

Mafia arranged marriage AU featuring Boss Joon and enemy gang heiress MC with a twist!

There Was a Bug - @kimnjss

you and joon have been best friends for years, unexpectedly his feelings start to grow more than platonic. deciding to keep this to him, joon stays as your best friend and roommate. things are going fine, until one night you’re forced to sleep in his room.

Kakistocracy - @kpopfanfictrash

Political Satire AU featuring Senior Aides MC and Joon of the opposing parties.

Secrets - ^^

Spy/assassin AU featuring exes to lovers trope!

Drunk in Love - ^^

Friends to lovers au!

Never Alone - @kpoptart216

Aaaaanngggssstttttt with a fluffy(?) ending

Dangerous Game - @lachimolala7

Bodyguard Joon and Idol MC, super cute F2L

Bonsai - @leefics

where a bonsai plant brings you and your husband closer together.

In Too Deep - @luxekook

you had always grown up being told tales of terrible jobs with tyrannical bosses. but now, you’re left to wonder why you hadn’t heard more tragic stories of all-too-wonderful jobs with all-too-beautiful bosses… did falling for your boss only lead to heartbreak and a two weeks’ notice? or could it yield the possibility of romance?

This Can't Be - @mirahuyooo

Four years and it all came to this. (Absolute fluff, read if you want a pick-me-up)

Come back Home - ^^

Even as a fight ensues, all Namjoon wants is for you to come back home.

Silence - @monochromaticinsignias

Being a famous idol in the country of Korea has pros and cons, and he used to think that there were more of the good ones than those of the latter. Having a loving girl by his side made him all the more happy in spite of the struggles around each and every corner. He can’t be lucky enough. But this time, it looks like as if it’s the other way around.

Edge of Tonight - @park-jimin-isnt-real

A part of him died that night. A larger part died when they couldn’t find you, and over the years whatever was left of him grew cold and hard. It was that ice inside him that got their gang to the top, that gave them power, and money, and all the things a normal mafioso would be more than satisfied with. But none of it meant anything to Namjoon. All Namjoon wanted was you back in his arms. That was the underlying motive in everything he did. For the past ten years, Namjoon built himself an empire, just so he could find the reason his heart beat.

The Bodyguard - @rmnamjoons

Ambassador daughter reader and bodyguard Namjoon in an insane cross-Europe chase with dangerous kidnappers on their heels.

Castaways - ^^

Sassy MC and Joon get washed overboard on a cruise with their mutual friends. Landing ashore an island full of romance.

Embrace - ^^

Cuddly snuggles with best friend Joon that leads to more.

The Truth Untold - ^^

Best friend Joon saving MC from her toxic relationship, leading to a healing new love.

Roomies with Joonie - @sahmfanficbts

Roomies with Joonie Series (PhD candidates KNJ and Y/N)

Ambidextrous - @softlyjiminie

soulmates were a common thing in this world, yours could hear the thoughts in your head. the only way to know when you’ve met him, is to hear that one keyword.

Dangerous Situation after an Argument - @thebangtancloud

exactly what the title says, i love this series, perfect angst!

You're No Longer Alone - ^^

God hears you when you ask him to make you feel less lonely.

Spoils of Fortune (Patreon Exclusive) - @untaemedqueen

Neurosurgeon!Namjoon x Spoiled Brat!Reader, Arranged Marriage, Strangers to Lovers!AU, Angst, Fluff, Smut.

Post Blue - @writtenwhalien

He knows you do it on purpose, getting under his skin with your obstinate attitude and willful ways, but he also knows why — you’re wary of life, and you’re silently calling for someone to make you feel protected from its cruelties.

Guilty - @xjoonchildx (Absolute Fav!!!!!)

as the man at the top, kim namjoon has almost everything he wants. almost. could a familiar face from the past change his future?

Close Call - ^^ Drabble to Guilty

when a noise wakes you in the middle of the night, you find your husband in a bad way.

[kookieswan]

Red Light - White Walls

Nightmare!Hoseok x Psychologist!Reader

Word Count: 1.1k

Genre: Horror AU, Monster AU, Psychological horror, a bit angsty, odd fluff lol.

Warnings: Talk of killing and blood. It should be noted that this story will contain themes of horror/psychological horror and also explore obsessive behaviors and codependency. Many characters are morally gray. Please be warned!

Summary: Seokjin’s been away for a while, and it makes him wonder just how much he’s missed. Yoongi, thankfully, is surprisingly loose lipped.

Notes: No MC or Hoseok, but we get to see Yoongi and Seokjin interact. Again with a different pov, I hope everyone likes it! This takes place the night of “The Happiest of Trails.”

This is the 15th part of the Red Light series. Find the Masterlist here ♥️

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Seokjin hasn’t been doing much else beside staring at the blank white walls of his cell since he returned. Things haven’t been nearly as eventful as he hoped they’d be, the usual whispers much quieter than normal. Sadly, it seems as though he’s jumped from one dazzling hell to another.

The Nightmare slides his eyes over the the larger rooms door as it clinks, two guards wrangling in a rowdy Yoongi. He snarls the whole way to his cell, snapping his teeth and hissing almost like a cat. There’s not much he can do like this though, arms trapped in a straight jacket, feet chained together. It’s more than comical, but Seokjin refrains from laughing. It’s a passing thought, but it’s a bit puzzling to not see Jungkook here instead.

They push him in roughly, causing the man to nearly rip over his own feet. He yells obscenities out as the guards lock his cell back up, clearly more seasoned than the newer workers around here. They leave without a word, slamming the door shut behind them and leaving the locks to echo out through the room like a ghost.

“So.” Yoongi’s deep voice crackles over from his cell after a few quiet minutes, throat seeming to be raw. It’s surprises Seokjin, enough to make him glance up at the other Nightmare full on. He looks a little banged up, standing in the middle of his cell with his head cocked to one side, face void of any telling emotion.

“So…?” It’s unusual for Yoongi to want to talk willingly, but then again, Seokjin has been away for some time now. Things around here can change in a second flat, something the Nightmare had learned the hard way. Yoongi sways a bit, nose wrinkling up before he finally looks away. Seokjin readjusts himself, spreading his legs out against the pale flooring.

“How was it down there?” It makes Seokjin giggle to himself as he taps his feet against the floor, the uncertainty in Yoongi’s voice new. Always so sure of himself, hearing the small stutter has a smirk playing on the side older Nightmares lips. Not being able to resist himself, he coos out his words like he’s speaking to a baby.

“Aww, is Yoonie concerned about me?” The shorter Nightmares face twists up in disgust, scrunching as he observes where Seokjin sits on the floor of his cell. Said man just smiles back, playing with the sleeve of his jumpsuit, enjoying its inky color much more than the medical grade white that surrounds him. He can’t see it, but he allows his hair to shift from black to pink slowly for some comfort.

“Hell no. I’m just curious.” An unbelievably muted reaction, this time something Seokjin really wasn’t expecting. Yoongi’s always had a decent temper, but something has changed. The question is what, but Seokjin will find out in time. He always does.

“Curious because you think you’ll be going next?” Sometimes he wishes he were Hoseok, it would make situations like this easier. Alas, asking his roommate straight out is the only way he’s going to get any answers right away. Yoongi doesn’t say anything but his eye widen, continuing to stare at Seokjin till the older gives up and sighs as the pipes in the ceiling wail.

“I won’t lie to you, it wasn’t very pleasant. The things they did to me just to see if I would recover… Heh.” It was terrible. Horrible even, but it’s behind him and he refuses to dwell on the last weeks. It was for a good cause after all; he’d do just about anything for Namjoon, including going on a killing spree. It was even a little fun if he had to say so.

Yoongi’s legs finally give out then, likely fro exhaustion, causing him to plop down on the floor. He looks unsettled, eyes blinking aggressively as he works through his own thoughts. Seokjin watches on with morbid curiosity, unsure of how the other Nightmare will handle the information.

“I suppose I should cool it on my pretty art projects then. A pity, I loved seeing Jungkookies reactions… Always so beautiful…” It comes out cheerful, but Seokjin wouldn’t expect anything less when Jungkook is involved. It’s almost cute, how taken Yoongi seems to be by the guard. That’s why he had purposefully spared Jungkook when he let loose, walking right past the bloody guard and going on to the next.

It makes him think of the most recent break out attempt, the one he sadly missed out on. Seokjin has limited knowledge on it, but he knows enough. Enough to have more questions than answers, leaving him more than a little annoyed. One thing that’s caught his attention though, however…

“They don’t like her, the new psychologist. Either that, or they seem to like her a little too much.” Yoongi stares back at him, face unreadable at first. Then, it spreads into an easy smile, one full of teeth that somehow glares brighter than the walls around them. It makes his eyes hurt.

“She’s lasted longer than I thought she would, longer than any psychologist. I don’t mind her; she’s the only one that hasn’t told me to leave Jungkookie alone.” All the other psychologists had disliked Yoongi’s interest in Jungkook. Seokjin would always return to his cell with a whining Yoongi on the other side, the nightmare throwing a fit every damn time. This new one though… She’s odd.

“She does seem rather tolerant of our choices. I don’t believe she knows everything though. They’re keeping secrets from her, leaving her in the dark. It’s not wise of them.” Seokjin knows a lot, has been around a long time. From what he’s seen and heard so far, she’s very inquisitive. Maybe a bit too much, enough to get her in trouble. But maybe, just maybe, she could help him, intentionally or not.

“I don’t suppose you have any updated info on Joon for me?” It doesn’t hurt to ask, even if Yoongi’s been cooped up in isolation for days, the guards like to gossip like old women. He shakes his head however, blinking sluggishly back at the other Nightmare.

“I don’t. He didn’t cause any trouble when I unlocked the doors and he stayed put from what I heard which wasn’t completely surprising after what happened.” After what happened… It makes the rage boil in Seokjin’s insides again, but he does his best to contain it. Tilting his head back, he squints at the white ceiling, then closes his eyes to fade back into the comfort of darkness.

“… I’ll fix him. I don’t how I’ll do it yet, but I’m going to fix him.”

[reilliane]

Remedy ★ Alatus

— ★ Scry: Ecliptic Umbra + Alatus — ★ Genre: Romance + Fluff & Angst — ★ Concept: Facing the hardships together is a better remedy than shouldering them alone. — ★ Words: 2.3k A/N: It's my first time writing a stoic, kind of aloof MC, so this is a wonderful challenge to write >:)) I'm pleased with the results though~

The origin and stories of Yakshas aren’t known in the city of Liyue, long has their fame dwindled, lost in the interest of the general public but the scholarly.

Still, even if a minor few are aware of such existence, they know very little of the warriors who, up until now—are fighting an eternal war.

War against gods who know no rest and peace, retaining their wickedness even when they have long since seeped under the earth. But such is foreseen—they never truly die, after all.

And throughout the centuries, Yakshas carry their purging, all whilst burdened by karmic debt until they too, succumb to their suffering. One by one.

Until no one but two remains.

He’s always been the oddest out of the group, that Alatus. His story is nothing new to you; coming out of a wretched god’s manipulation, only to serve Rex Lapis.

His only purpose is to serve and yet—how can he be so optimistic, still?

You don’t understand it, really.

Or more like you fail to see the beauty in things after the scarring war and pivotal karma you’ve been subjected to.

But it’s normal, no? Can people blame you for being reclusive when you’ve already dawned upon the true horrors this world has to offer?

Ah, not like you care for others’ opinions.

“You’ve cleared this area before I can even arrive… as expected of the Frostborne,”

You sense him coming before you see him appear in the middle of the battleground at Guyun Stone Forest, a location that’s active of evil’s influx.

Turning your eyes away from the fellow Adeptus, you glance at your worn catalyst.

Its splendor has waned throughout the years, leaving a dull luster behind the shards of noctilucous decorating the weapon’s body. Maybe you should refine them… this grimoire is a gift, after all.

“You really went all out,” you see the man trek around the remains of Cryo, thoroughly conducting his observation, “No longer can I detect a speck of evil… looks like Guyun won’t be visited for a while.”

He pipes up and you roll your eyes with a muted scoff. He’s annoying…

Not passing him a glance or any of your attention unless it’s important, you dematerialize the weapon and pinch the space in between your eyebrows.

It’s getting unbearable, again… this karma.

It always acts up whenever you quell the curses of the deities that try to break free.

Looks like you’re going to need more of the medicine you’ve been learning to brew to last another night without tipping over to insanity.

“Hey, [Name],”

Moving your stare to fixate on him, you see the Yaksha looking at the bright moon past the mouth of the cave housing Guyun’s domain. He’s smiling again.

“You don’t visit Wangshu Inn that much, anymore. It gets a little lonely sometimes, so, will you—”

“No thanks.”

Your swift response only drives him to chuckle, looking at you with a gleam of bemusement in his chartreuse eyes.

“You don’t hold back, do you? And here I thought we’ve bonded over the eons. You’re still sharp.”

He lifts his hands in joking surrender at the narrowing of your stare, the smile in his face not once dropping as his shoulders vibrate along with his snickers.

It’s unbelievable how he’s able to find mirth in little, trivial things. You’re getting peeved by the second.

Alatus just doesn’t break.

He wears that stupid grin of his everywhere, parading around as if he doesn’t have nightmares clawing the depths of his psyche and demons whispering for him to go insane.

He humors the musings of mortals, and albeit caged in yet another contract, remains a free spirit.

Anger is a foreign emotion to him—hell, you haven’t even seen him frown for once in thousands of years. The most he can do is a blank face.

Why does he do that? You click your tongue when the Conqueror goes off on another talking tangent.

Why can’t he be mad at this accursed world for everything it’s done to him? No one is going to blame him.

You don’t think you’ll ever understand this man. Why he feels like hiding his immense suffering under a damned smile is a necessity.

“Rarely do we see one another outside of joint exorcisms, [Name]… last time I saw you was almost a year back.”

You’re too holed up in your thoughts to notice the drooping of his jubilant tone, a subtle change to one of longing that you remain oblivious to.

“As it should be, unless you want to stir up chaos. Us Yakshas can’t stay put in one place for too long—our karma may accumulate, and you know what comes afterward.”

He lowers his head at this, obviously aware of what you’re trying to say.

Madness will take hold, the beholder may lose themselves to the clutch of mania… and wreak ruin. Like how the Yaksha of Geo has fallen to it and thus slain one of their comrades bearing the element of Hydro.

It is too risky to have karma play its part once more, especially now that there are only two of you remaining. Bosacius’ status remains unclear… but from someone who got out of a grueling war, you’ve come to assume the worst.

Sighing, you shake your head, trying to keep your voice firm as you state, “An encore must not play out, for the betterment of both of us.”

The isolation, the loneliness—of course it burns.

Of course it hurts, but the risk is too high for you to bet. That is why, until you are able to perfect a healing concoction, you must remain vigilant.

Gambling with too high of a risk is the same as putting your life on the line.

“That doesn’t mean we can’t try,” he whispers, stepping closer to you. “Can we?”

Yet this man is more than willing to throw himself away regardless of the risk.

Again with this endeavor of his. You mull, attempting not to stare in the depths of his emerald eyes—ones that speak so longingly of his want to entwine his life with yours.

You thought he’d stopped wishing for something impossible when you turned him down after the Archon War, but you thought wrong, it seems.

Pushing down the sentiment of relief and opting to stare at him with furrowed brows, you ask him with a voice of genuine wonder.

“It’s been centuries. Why do you try so much, Alatus?”

When the Yaksha in question notes that you don’t shy away from his approaching figure, he reaches for your hand—holding it in his own.

His gloved hands, though calloused and firm from millenniums of slaughter… are surprisingly gentle.

He whispers his sincere response in the breeze carried by the night air.

“Is it wrong to want you by my side?”

The hitching of your breath doesn’t go unnoticed, to your chagrin, but he doesn’t comment on it. Other than that, you’re plenty aware that he has also taken note of the way your hand twitched in his.

He’s always been good at reading your bodily cues.

“Also… I could ask you the same thing,” he starts fiddling with your fingers, “Why are you trying so hard to distance yourself from me?”

Don’t say it, Alatus.

You purse your lips. The truth you shy away from—if he mentions it, you may cave in, you may fall deeper. And you may imperil both of you.

Don’t say it…

But he does.

“What hinders you from accepting what we mutually desire?”

You vanish, leaving only a wisp of black and a frosty rain of snowflakes—and there, Alatus stands underneath the moon once again, alone. His chest is hollow, but there is a smile on his face.

There is a faint pain, but why must he dwell on it when he knows that his feelings are well reciprocated?

It’s safe to say that you openly distanced yourself further after that confrontation several moons ago. You don’t shirk away from your duties even if the hammering guilt persists, telling you to take the chance for once.

A chance to be happy.

But you don’t let the whisper of greed get to you—it’s what led to your doom eons ago, if not for Morax rescuing you from it. The stakes are too much to play with.

Even if it feels like this opportunity with Alatus is different—in a sense that you truly will be happy—you can’t, you can’t jeopardize anything.

You’ve put up with silencing your own want for centuries, who’s there to say that you won’t be able to do it again?

‘Ironic that you do this to prevent yourselves from being hurt, but you’re hurting him more this way.’

Speaks your guilty conscience one night as you send a rain of freezing swords and spears down the creature that has manifested out of the land’s lingering curses.

You’re thankful that you’ve gotten rid of the curse as swiftly as possible. If your damned sense of moral continues to trip you down the guilty lane, you would’ve suffered more injuries than necessary.

That said, you didn’t quite get out of this battle scot-free compared to usual…

You hiss at the trail of blood that drips from your temple.

Getting distracted in the middle of a battle is a rarity, but you suppose that you can’t avoid it now that this distraction ropes in the very being of a fellow Yaksha.

Speaking of him… you haven’t seen nor felt any remnants of his Anemo in his usual battlegrounds. Is he doing alri—

You slap your cheek, ignoring how you may have done it a little too hard, but the sting is much needed. Being carried away is not on the agenda tonight.

For centuries, you’ve gone without thinking much of what your avoidance does to the green-eyed Adeptus, you can do it again.

But, as you trek away from the battered and dry grounds of Cuijue Slope, the weight in your chest gets heavier—and so does the shame that’s been hanging in your mind for a long time.

‘Isn’t it hypocritical for you to turn against something you want in the first place? Especially when you share the same wish as he does.’

Groaning in resignation, you run your fingers through your tresses. You’d think your conscience would’ve perished in the tides of unforgiving war, but that’s far from being true.

Thus, with bitterness—yet eager, though you refuse to acknowledge that—you change the direction of your journey, setting the destination to the one place you know him to be in.

Wangshu Inn.

It’s late in the night when you step foot in the architecture, months after your last visit. Thankfully, there are few people, so you could care less about striding in without hiding away.

The woman behind the desk, Verr Goldet, looks surprised to see you—and, to be honest, you can’t believe that you’re standing there yourself. But alas.

She knows you not to be a conversationist unlike the other Yaksha, so all she does is say her greetings before nodding her head towards the upper balcony.

With a grunt of recognition, you walk up the wooden stairs, trying not to let frost cover the ground as a reaction to your nervousness.

It’s ludicrous, you mull as you enter the balcony. But here I am.

Looking for the man who has been triumphantly plaguing both your mind and heart. He’s nowhere to be seen, however.

The temperature is oddly low, like an abundance of Yin is suffocating the air and you stagger with a choked gasp. This is…

It reeks of miasma and karma, you note with a harsh click of the tongue. And mine is reacting to it.

This is what you fear the most, but you can’t bring yourself to leave, not when you now know that he’s emanating such powerful waves of karmic debt.

If he keeps this up at this rate then- then there is a possibility that he may lose himself.

With adroit maneuvers, you’re up on the roof of the inn, eyes flitting back and forth to search for—there!

Alatus is visibly writhing in pain, eyes scrunched shut and cold sweat trailing down his exposed skin.

His hold on the thick branches of the tree he’s situated at is desperate as if he’s doing his best to stave off the urge to succumb to the darkness.

He pants, heaving breath after breath amid the torments of his karma. Heavens, it’s unbearable. Too much, it feels like it’s gotten worse and—

His alertness comes into play when he feels an incoming presence, but before he can do anything, his head is being tipped back and some kind of liquid is entering his mouth.

“You’re such a fool,” you grumble, pulling the empty bottle away and letting him cough in bewilderment, “Rex Lapis provides us medicine for a reason,”

It takes Alatus several moments to register the fact that he isn’t dreaming, but very much awake when he sees you sitting next to him with a glare that can rival an angered Archon.

Ah, he realizes, the pain has lessened a lot.

Relieved, he rests his forehead on his hand, taking the time to collect his bearings and breath more properly before providing an answer.

“I... ran out of it.”

He hears a scoff.

“And you think the best way to get around such adversity is to be silent about it? You talk big about trying, yet you keep to yourself. You’re infuriating, you know that?”

Not expecting the insult to come in a straightforward manner after a show of vulnerability, Alatus jolts in his place, mildly offended.

“Hey—”

But that sentiment disperses into the wind when he sees your eyes brimming with an angry layer of tears. Silence captures him whole as you spat.

“How could you smile your days away pretending that nothing’s wrong? No one is asking you to hide it away, you’re free to get angry—yet you don’t let such emotions consume you.”

You choose to drop the bottle onto the floor lest it shatters in your hand, and you divert your stare elsewhere.

With coiled fists, you continue. “You’re hurting, aren’t you? So why do you have to act that everything’s fine when it’s not?”

There’s no answer for a long minute—or perhaps it’s even more, you’re not sure. But you don’t care, you said what has been troubling you for so long.

This is a point of no return.

In truth, you assume that he’s gotten tired of your snappiness, and you feel more than inclined to depart that instant to save what’s left of your pride—but the hand on your wrist stops you from leaving.

Slow in your pace, you bring your eyes to meet his, though reluctant because this is it- there's no going back. The second you hear his answer, you know, you know you'll give in.

“It’s easy to be distracted when you’re still here, alive, with me. Stand by me, [Name]."

Expression soft, chartreuse eyes genuine, Alatus is smiling, as always.

And that sight, along with the answer alone are enough to spill your tears and for your stubborn walls to crumble once and for all.

Centuries after holding it back, you finally allow your heart to flutter.

"... I will."

bonus: MC's titles are: Frostborne Beast | Subduer of Curses

bonus short (fluffy scene :D)

a/n: aaaaahhhhHHH don't you just love it when two equally broken people find solace in one another ajdnuiwaehfhuiwa please even if it's Alatus give him a hUG-

@cherryflushz @e7t3 @scarlet-halos @lordbugs @nebulaera @koi-chairowo @uwu-dreams

𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭'𝐬 𝐒𝐜𝐫𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐆𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬

[kayoi1234]

Wait no, let’s talk about that overblot stuff all them kids go under, and what that means for our magic-less player insert. [AKA watch me Make Shit Up]

(A lot of this was inspired by the asks and responses on @pinkpruneclodwolf and their theory crafting about overblot MC makes a lot more sense so go read all their stuff first then come back here)

Anyways, I want to say it start slows? Like maybe in the ending few episodes of Chapter 7, which won’t be released until the heat death of the universe but I digress. But the corruption has to be slow. The player would get clues about it, but it’s almost...non-consequential? It stuff you could easily brush off. Stuff that in the long run, you would have seen coming but it’s not of any concern.

Our Yuu wears gloves. There are little black fingerprints on surfaces. There are ink stains in places that don’t make sense. It’s nothing too worrying. You’d barely notice it.

And then, a twist, probably. They can’t get back. They can get back. It’s all a hodgepodge of emotions, and Grimm explodes into that overblot cat monster from the beginning of the game, hungry and angry and unable to see reason. And where’s Yuu in all of this?

Oh that’s easy. They’re dead! Strings cut and threads snapped, bleeding ink and blot from their body. Because Yuu is an outsider, ultimately, and in an area that is so completely soaked in magic that it’s impossible for their body hasn’t absorbed any number of the ambient magic and blot that hangs over this school like a fog.

But their body isn’t made for magic - hell, it’s not made for any of these foreign substances that are saturated in magic is safe for them. It’s like radiation at this point - small doses is fine, but they’ve been wandering an non-wasteland version of a magic Fallout for who knows how long. (Timelines get a bit weird here. I’d like to say 1 year at minimum but who knows).

Their body is more blot then human. They’re just very good at hiding it. But Grimm consumes blot, so he would consume Yuu too. Doesn’t have to be literal. Can be spiritual or mental. I’m not picky. Grim consumes and leaves a husk and a corpse behind.

And the thing is - the funniest part about this is Yuu is still a blank slate for the purpose of the player. It’s so laughably easy to simply project anyone and anything on them. In-universe, the students and staff of NRC have already done that. Project what they think Yuu is like, and not who they actually are. The little mute magic-less kid that saves people from overblots. Responsible and funny and over all good.

But no, look! They’re moving, like a marionette on strings. Blot takes it’s own form after all.  It’s all very easy for it to reanimate the dead, to mirror what people think of Yuu.

Yuu’s the supervisor after all. They’re smart and strong and dependable. They could never fall so they’re fine! They’re fine because they’re the supervisor! They were meant to save them!

(Isn’t it easy, for blot to possess the body of a dead teenager and for their soul and mind be consumed by the monster the teenager used to be a student with. It’s always GrimmYuu. You could never separate them.

Not really, anyways.)

But this is all just a fantasy, and this game will probably pull some Friendship Superpower or whatever, but just. What if man.

[herotome]

Awww the ROs really get affected by her leaving for a while! Follow-up ask for sweetness, what about when she finally returns to them?

Other than a big ol hug (assuming MC isn't touch-averse) and being glued to her side for the better part of a week?!

Warden: Bought flowers like a fucking dork (his words) along with some fancy chocolate stored in the communal fridge; he feels like he's following a script, but he's at a loss and doesn't know how else to welcome a loved one home. He'll blank and promptly forget about these purchases when he finally sees MC again - big relief, breakout smile, flowers thumping unceremoniously on the ground as he reaches for MC and by all accounts does not plan to ever let go.

Griffin: Increasingly constant phonecalls and delightedly needling messages wanting to know how many more minutes, how far away, and how are you doing? --during which Griffin will muse at length about renting a gaudy plane banner, or launching fireworks to welcome MC back. MC can never quite be sure if he's joking. In person, Griffin will open her arms wide with surprisingly muted, genuine joy, quietly mumbling that she hopes MC had a good trip. And then they go outside, and Griffin pulls out the keys to a goddamn limosine.

Mia: She'll have made friends with half the airport (or...bus stop?? etc) by the time MC finds her - she's just had so much nervous bubbling energy and can't quite keep it to herself, had to gush about MC to anyone who will listen. MC gets a lot of smiling, knowing looks from total strangers, as a result. Also, Mia brought takeout from MC's favorite place. Or cooked her favorite meal.

Dart: Waiting outside with the engine running, ready to get MC home as fast as possible so they can relax and snuggle. Rest comes first, the heartfelt reunion can bleed out of them over time. He's patient.

Jade: Man, she may have made a PowerPoint presentation about how much she misses and loves MC LOL. If it's cold, she's also knitted a scarf; it'll have some mistakes in it, but the material has been carefully selected to be soft and warm. She'll ask if MC wants to do something or go somewhere special, and will be a LOT more amiable to new experiences than usual.

[vilkalizer]

Is Persona good? It's always looked a bit too weeby and harem-y for me to enjoy, and I fell off Trails of Coldsteel partly for those same reasons.

It really depends. I do think the social bits are fun and engaging, but modern Persona (i'm not the right person to ask about 1 and 2) is pretty haremy, so if that's a turnoff then you probably won't like it much. (But the romance is also generally optional so you can avoid it if you want.) As for weeby, it is made and set in Japan so... it's Japanese? I don't think that makes it weeby, but the translations kind of are (they deliberately keep all the senpai-kuns intact). Honestly, going by what i've seen of Cold Steel (a let's play of the first game and a bit of the second), the social aspect is probably better there because the protagonist at least speaks and has (some kind of) a personality whereas Persona goes hard on blank slate. (But then, i do feel like i am more rabid in my dislike for the mute player self-insert type of protagonist than the average person...)

Some people are no doubt going to get real mad at me for saying it, but P3 is the best one by a fair margin, not only due to its atmosphere but even more so because it was made before they decided they need to spend every single moment kissing the player's ass, and so the other characters have a lot more agency and time to themselves and each other, and have arcs and resolutions where the mc may not even be involved at all. There's a bit where one of them just get mad at the mc for really petty reasons and won't talk to him for a while, and sometimes people will tell you they can't dungeon crawl tonight because they have a life outside it. It just feels so much more like the rest of the world exists outside the protagonist's field of gravity. Plus, you get a dog! As a party member!! ...The weakness of course being that it's the oldest and has the least qol improvements, and also, it was made before they implemented a choice between romantic and friendly relationships, which means all the girls will fall for the mc if he keeps talking to them. You can of course avoid it, but since talking to people also provides gameplay benefits... it's a little obnoxious.

Gameplay wise, Persona is amazing. They have snappy, satisfying, rewarding gameplay where you at least need to pay a little bit of attention in order to succeed. Gamers™ will tell you it's super hard and such, but it really only is if your only experience with rpgs is "hold X until you hear the victory fanfare" ones. (Unless you go for the highest difficulties, but, well, in that case you're asking for it.) Persona gameplay is generally fair and you can mostly do to enemies anything that they can do to you, and building your personas to do exactly that is a lot of fun.

Soundtracks and presentation are over all great, and very unique for rpgs.

If the social aspect is the part that turns you off but the rest sounds appealing, then you should definitely check out mainline Shin Megami Tensei, which focuses way harder on the gameplay and doesn't do the whole life sim bit at all, but basically has all the other good shit from Persona.

[the-kingshound]

Ros reaction to Mc coming back covered in blood and a blank look. Like they locked emotions away?

Arthur, Evaine, Yniol, Morien.

Gwyar:

As they turn the corner into another hallway, Gwyar brushes their hands against their arms, seeking the warmth the friction provides. They are wearing their thick, winter robes, very appropriate seeing the current weather.

Without coming to a stop, they let their gaze wonder through the castle's windows. Outside, snow is falling on the streets and roofs of Camelot, covering everything in a beautiful but freezing white coat.

Gwyar braces themselves against the cold, then they exit the castle through a secondary door. The have to bear the freezing cold only for a couple of minutes until they reach the stables. There, the heat of the animals provides a nice kind of shelter, one that Gwyar particularly enjoys in the rigid winter of Camelot.

There are other servants intent on taking care of the horses and Gwyar greets them all by name before going to the box to the far right.

Unsurprisingly, theirs and Arthur's mare are pratically cuddling with eachother. When the pair spots them, the King's horse nuzzles against Gwyar's.

Gwyar can't repress a small smile at the sight "aw, look at you. All lovely and cozy."

Since Arthur has probably already been here to feed them - he can't resist two pairs of pleading eyes for treats - Gwyar sets on brushing them both. When they finish and they head towars the entrance to refill their water bucket, they hear the muted sound of hooves approaching.

They join another stable worker to greet the rider, but when they open the stable doors, they both freeze. There, dismounted with the rein gripped in their hand and their horse at their side, is the royal consort.

You take a few slow steps into the stable, freeing the visual on the snow painted red behind you, when you previously stood. Half of your face is painted crimson and your eyes have never been this lifeless.

In the time of a few moments, most of the servants in the room have stilled as well. They know, rationally, that you wouldn't do anything to them - in fact you've always put yourself to their level in any way - but the dark blood on your clothes is a somewhat sombering realization of the length you'd go for your kingdom.

Gwyar is also terrified, but for an entirely different reason. They reach out but you are cold to the touch and they shiver. Then, your eyes are fixed in theirs, devoid of any sparkle of emotion.

"It had to be done, my shanek*."

The use of such and affectionate term with a voice so cold hits Gwyar physically - they can feel the pain in their chest like their heart was being wrongly twisted. They swallow the knot in their throat, but their voice is wet, pleading, wen they speak.

"Not like this, MC."

Your blank stare is the only answer they get. But Gwyar knows you're there, you are only lost. And so they grasp your hand wet with blood and they gently lead you with them to find yourself again.

Shanek* = star