#but most of them don't quite fit what I have in mind for my MC or OCs

[misc-obeyme]

We need a character customization option in the game, seriously, it's a bit offensive to me to not be able to get my character designed.

Ok, I understand the artists' fandom out there who can do it, but what about those who aren't talented like that? Even if I asked my artist friend to draw my MC for me, it probably wouldn't work since I can't just keep asking them every day for my fanart or whatever. seriously, I think we should let the dev's know about this issue.

Well, it would be nice to have a character maker in the game. I love that kinda thing, let me design a lil cutie because I can't draw one myself!

Buuuut it'd take a LOT of work to add something like that to the game and at this point, I don't wanna add anything to their list. I mean, look how long it's taking for us to be able to date the three newbies! I just don't trust them not to take forever. Plus can you imagine if they decided to do it 3D model style? I can handle those for the little short WW situations, but much more than that and I'd be like this is not worth it lol.

However, I totally agree that it would be a nice feature to have! One can always commission artists to draw their MCs but man if I don't get nervous thinking about doing that... I do have one amazing art piece of my MC (you can see it in their profile~) because the artist was kind enough to offer to draw them for me (I basically lost my mind over it too lol).

Anyway, your desire is totally valid and I too would love such an option! For now, though, I fear picrews shall have to suffice~

[always-just-red]

Hi! Hope you're having a good day!

Just found your blog yesterday and read Onychinus' Finest. I've been STARVED of Kieran and Luke fics, not enough people appreciate them, so I come with a request! (Most of what I'll say is totally optional. I believe in the author's creative vision overall so if something doesn't fit feel free to change and adapt whatever you'd like.)

Either hunter or assassin MC, where they're at a mission, and they're ambushed. One of the twins gets hurt protecting her, maybe even taken, and she just goes on a rampage to get him back. They've never quite seen her so protective and yet so vengeful. She might go by herself? When Sylus wants to plan ahead properly since his own miscalculations lead them to get attacked in the first place. The twins are loyal to him, the other brother won't go without his permission despise his brother being missing or hurt. I'm just picturing her finding a broken mask, half of it missing (she's never seen their faces before.)

Happy ending. 🥺 Just fluffy you know? I want the twins melting into her, one with gratitude for finding his brother and the other just with disbelief and affection that she's do all this for him.

Special mention to any heads on her lap like overgrown puppies, just holding her close. They're sweet boys I think, especially if their guard and masks are finally down.

You can take this as platonic or romantic, she could be with Sylus and still have grown to really care and look out for the twins, or she could love them. (I don't know which ones angstier)

Thank you for even considering this even if you decide it's not worth your time!

AAAAAAA HEY!! You had such a vision for this and it was so fun to work with-- I hope it's everything you imagined! You've always been so so so supportive and kind, so I low-key went all-out on this, that's half the reason it took so long. 😭😭 Think this is my longest fic so far oh my gosh? Love it though, all the action scenes took me RIGHT back to my Assassin's Creed fanfic writing days haha Anyway! This is set in the same canon as the last fic because I loved that dynamic ngl. Not a direct sequel though!

Beneath The Mask

Luke and Kieran x Reader 🎭

Summary: Sylus and Kieran are useless, as always, so you take matters into your own hands

Genre: angst + fluff + ACTION!! *karate chops*

Warnings/Additional tags: f!reader, nonMC!reader, platonic Sylus x reader, swearing, descriptions of violence, injury, broken bones, killing (don't @ reader, she wants her man back!!), but also some humour 😌

| Word count: 4.6k | Masterlist | Opt-in to my taglist here!

Disclaimer: Characters belong to Love and Deepspace. All work is my own, so please don't repost or plagiarise!

Sometimes, you think you’re the only member of Onychinus who isn’t completely out of their mind.

You’d think it was Sylus, your indomitable leader. Smiles-with-a-knife-at-his-throat Sylus. Has-the-situation-completely-in-hand Sylus. It used to inspire you: that crimson gaze of his, always alight with a fire that’s never, ever, quite out of control.

How does he do it? You’d wonder in awe, like a wide-eyed child enthralled by a magic trick.

How does he do it? You’re wiser, now. You know it’s a lie, now, but you still can’t see through it. It’s driving you mad.

You watch as the man works away at a large, glass monitor, his fingers gliding across the screen with their usual grace. You get glimpses: names, faces, contacts. He’s testing the cords of his network— an intricate web— and he’s hoping someone’s caught something he can sink his teeth into.

He’s been at this for two hours, ever since you dragged yourselves back here with your tails between your legs. There’s a gash on his forehead that hasn’t yet healed, and the blood is still drying, dark on his face. Has he thought to heal it? Or— there’s a smudge on his finger— does he like his guilt a little warmer to the touch?

“We need an order, boss,” you seethe, because you’re tired of standing beside him, unacknowledged.

“You have your order.” He types out a message. Dismisses another. “Wait.”

“I meant an order that isn’t complete bullshit.”

He shoots you a glance, his eyes embers of warning. “Careful, sweetie. You forget yourself.”

Your fists ball. “Oh, spare me.”

“What would you have me do?” he mutters, gaze returning to the screen. He isn’t rising to the challenge, or should you say— stooping to it. He’s so goddamn noble.

“They have Luke, Sylus.”

“I know.”

“So let’s fucking do something! Let’s go back, let’s get him. They caught us off-guard last time, that’s all. They got their hands on some Ever tech, so what? We know that, now. They don’t stand a chance if we just—”

“Charge in there, guns blazing?” Sylus finishes for you, lips curled in derision.

It sounds stupid out loud, and he wants you to hear it. You do; you don’t care. “We don’t need all of this,” you beseech, your hand waving over the monitor. “We have you, boss.”

“Me?” he chuckles, and it’s so, so bitter.

Is that the guilt you’ve been looking for? It isn’t enough. His eyes are still pools of calm— spilt blood, unreciprocated. How does he do it?

“We have to do something,” you say limply. “Please, I can’t… I can’t do this, Sylus. All this nothing. Tell me what to do. I’ll go back alone if I have to. Just say the word and I’ll—”

“Look at this,” he interrupts, stepping away from the screen so that you can take his place before it.

It’s an order, even if it isn’t the one you want. You roll your eyes as you obey, and you begin to scour the intel he’s gathered. Eyewitness accounts, rumours, surveillance footage— some courtesy of Mephisto— and it’s all centred around two things. One: the aspiring new gang you’d set out to dismantle earlier, and two: a link to Ever. A solid link to Ever. 

“They didn’t steal Ever’s tech,” you release on a sigh of understanding. “They’re working together.”

“Mmm.” Sylus’s hand clears the screen before you. “We should have known. I should have known.”

Your mind is so caught-up by the revelation that you almost miss the confession.

“This was my mistake,” he continues, watching you. “And you are all my responsibility. Believe me…” He taps the screen and live surveillance footage springs up: an outside view of the compound you’d raided earlier. “I want to burn that place to the ground as much as you do.”

But… “No collateral damage,” you murmur, eyeing the guards on patrol.

“No collateral damage,” Sylus nods. “Do you trust me?”

“I trust you, boss.”

And maybe he is burning with just as much anger. Maybe the fear is making his heart drum, and the guilt making his skin crawl. It’s the same, old trick, isn’t it? Done to death:

The mask without a mask— just where does he hide all that?

Maybe he doesn’t.

There’s only so much faith you can have in something you can’t see.

…

Clink.

You slot a bullet into the magazine of your pistol, then follow it up with another. Clink. Then another. Clink. You’ve never relished this quiet— not like Sylus does. To him it’s an art. To you: a chore. You glance about the armoury, and you’ve never resented your shelves of options quite like this before. Antiques. Prototypes. So many means of dealing death.

You’ve never seen the beauty in it, but a shot through the heart means something different to Sylus than it does to the rest of you. It can be intimate. Symbolic. He can die for something, someone, and he can do it over, and over, and over again. How poetic.

You holster your loaded weapon, then reach for another.

“What’re you doing?”

The voice makes you jump. “Gods, Kieran. You want a bullet through your head?”

“No.” He misses the meaning of your words. “Why— wanna shoot me?”

“Right now?” you ask cynically.  

He laughs like he hasn’t got a care in the world. Liar. You’ve finished loading the second gun so you slide it across the table to him wordlessly. The beak of his mask lowers as he regards it; he doesn’t pick it up.

“You’re being weird,” he says after a moment. “It’s cool. I like it.”

You roll your eyes, wandering over to a rack of weapon attachments. There are different sights. Silencers. (Is that how you want to play this? Quiet?) “I’m going back for Luke,” you state as you muse it over. “You want in, or not?”

The rest is implied: Sylus doesn’t know. He isn’t coming. All of that’s evident from the fact that you’re here, rifling through his precious collection, and not ensnared in the tendrils of his Evol somewhere. A toddler could connect the dots. Kieran will get there. Give him a minute.

It takes half a minute. “I’m sorry,” he mumbles. An ambiguous apology.

“It’s fine, Kieran.” He was never going to come with you. “I can do this alone. I can—”

A weight lands on you, tackling you into the weapons rack, and you land on the floor amongst the attachments you’d just been perusing so calmly. The weight stays on you, pinning you: hands are on your wrists, twisting you around. “Kieran!” you protest.

The man pulls away, leaving you slumped in your new, uncomfortable seat.

“Wha—” You try to stand up but you’re jolted back; your wrist is fixed to something. You turn your head, eyes widening as they fall on the pair of handcuffs you’ve been restrained with. They’re padded— lined with a soft, velvety material. “Where the hell did you get these?”

“Boss’s room. Luke and I had a bet,” Kieran shrugs, now towering over you.

“You win?”

“Heh. Yeah.”

You’re still trying to squeeze your hand out of the cuffs. You pry at them. Twist and wriggle your fingers— none of it’s any use. You glance up at Kieran, admitting defeat with a sigh. He brushes his hands together in a ‘job well done’ sort of gesture, his eyes fixed on you, well— you have to imagine they are.

Instead of windows to the soul you’re faced with red-glass imitations, impossible to read, and you’re tired of all the guessing.  

“How do you do it?” you ask with a quiet desperation. “How do you act like everything’s fine?”

“Boss will come up with a plan,” the twin says simply, like he hasn’t really thought about it.

“And what if it takes too long? What if we’re too late? I mean… think of all the shit he knows, Kieran. Everything about us, about boss— it’s priceless. Do you really think they’re holding back?”

Kieran huffs. “You worried he’ll snitch or something?”

“I’m worried they’re hurting him!” you snap. “What the hell is wrong with you!? He’s your brother! He could be dead and you’re acting like, like..”

Your voice trails off as you gaze up at him hopelessly. There’s nothing to see— no tension in his body, no harsher rise and fall to his chest, betraying a nervous, racing heart. All the usual signs are missing. He isn’t shifting on his feet like he does when he’s anxious. Is he that good at pretending, or…

Does he really not care?

You shake your head, looking down at the floor; you’re so sick of red eyes. He’s crazy. Sylus is crazy.

There’s nothing for it, then.

“You know what?” you chuckle dryly, under your breath. “Maybe you’re right. This isn’t all bad, I mean… when’s the last time you and I had any one-to-one time, huh?”

Kieran is silent. He lowers himself slowly until he’s crouched before you— forearms resting on his knees. His head tilts inquisitively: Go on.

“Maybe,” you lilt, “this is an opportunity.” You’re practically whispering, and the man leans in, not wanting to miss a word. Your free hand reaches for a horn of his hood and you use it to pull him closer; he doesn’t even resist. “How about we…” you speak into his ear, “go look through Luke’s stuff?”

Kieran draws back, those false eyes meeting yours with an intensity that makes you think, for a second, that you’ve gone too far.

“You’re the best,” he breathes out, suddenly fiddling with the handcuffs, slotting the key into the lock. “Just… the absolute best.”  

Got him.

The cuff springs open and you’re on top of him, tackling him to the ground and pinning his arms by the side of his head before he can think to stop you. “Oh,” he grumbles, going still beneath you, and it sounds like his eyes are narrowing, “you’re not the best. You’re sneaky.”

His compliance lasts all of a second, and then he’s fighting back— using his strength to throw you off balance and wrench his wrists free. He rolls on top of you, trapping you just as effectively as you’d done him, and he laughs like a child, having ever so much fun.

With a grunt of effort, you manage to push him aside. You turn onto your stomach, scrabbling away as you look for space, opportunity, and— if you’re being honest— something you can throw at him. A hand connects with your shoulder and you thrust your elbow backwards on instinct. It hits something hard.

“Ah, shit! Wait, wait, wait… time out.”

You freeze instantly.

Kieran’s voice is different; it’s acquired a clarity that tells you his mask his away from his face. Don’t move. You stare down at the floor with a patience that’s almost sacred. He’s taking a while, though…

“You ok?” you ask.

“Yeah.” His voice is different again, like he’s holding his nose. “Nosebleed.”

“Oh. Sorry.”

“It’s cool.”

You sit up with your legs crossed while you wait, but your eyes are still trained downwards. You can hear Kieran’s breath, a little ways behind you— so much clearer without the mask— and the intimacy is always sobering. Realising he’s vulnerable, knowable, and all you have to do is turn around. 

He doesn’t rush, though: doesn’t scramble to pull the mask back down, or insist you keep looking away. The silence, the stillness— all of it is trust.

There’s movement in the corner of your eye; he’s set the mask down on the ground while he bleeds.

“I’m worried too,” he admits softly, and you’re not sure what’s more foreign: his voice, unhindered, or the honesty it carries. You don’t want to scare either away, so you do nothing. There’s more: “I can’t leave boss, though. Who else has he got?”

“The hunter?”

“Nah,” he dismisses. “She’s hot stuff, y’know? A lot of players in that game.” He taps at his mask idly. “Heard one of them’s a doctor.”

You’re quiet again. Thinking.

“Boss always has our back,” Kieran asserts. “We have to look out for him too… That’s the job, right?”

He’s not really asking you; you came to this late, after all. It was their job long before it was yours.

You’ve nothing to do but look at your hands and listen, biding your time. The passing seconds are still restless, useless, but the sensation slips when you feel hands on your waist, pulling you back. Kieran’s arms wrap around you. His chin settles on your shoulder, and you close your eyes.

“Stay,” he says. “Please?”

His pain is harder to sit with than your own. Minutes ago, this was something you wanted. Now it’s just another wound you don’t know how to stitch up; too deep, too late.

You let your head rest against his, but you don’t say a word.

…

This was easier when you were relying on Mephisto’s guidance and not hazy, disjointed memories. The last time you were here you were running, Kieran at your side and Sylus not far ahead. You weren’t thinking about what corners you turned or what directions you travelled; you were thinking about everything behind you. Shouts. Gunshots. The subtler rush of your leader’s Evol, still crackling, still faltering, courtesy of whatever technology your attackers had managed to appropriate.

It all happened so quickly.

Every corridor feels longer, now. Each moment— slow. Your body is aching. You’ve lost count of how many encounters you’ve had, but there’s a new bruise or scrape for every body in your wake. None of it has been easy. You ran out of bullets just getting inside this damn place, and the rest has been messier: up-close and personal.

You’re catching your breath, so you toe the rifle of your last adversary, lying a short way from their limp, open hand. They never got a chance to use it, and you were lucky; it would have been loud. Every guard in this run-down labyrinth is looking for you. The last thing you need is to send out a homing beacon.

Glance around. Try to work out your bearings.

This was once a police station. Old-world. Eroded beyond recognition, almost. These places were the first to fall victim to the backwards evolution of the N109 Zone. The bones are the same, but the skin is different. Every wall is scrawled with anti-Association sentiments.

It makes you smile, despite everything.

Your footsteps are deliberately quiet as you carry on down the corridor, turning into the next room— you’ve been tackling them one-by-one. There’s a narrower corridor before the room opens out, and then…

Cells.

A short line of them— five in total. Your heart wants to beat faster with hope, but your mind is holding it back: insisting this is wrong. It seems abandoned. Forgotten. You walk by the first cell, and then the second. Nothing. The third. Nothing.

There’s a sound behind you, and you almost don’t hear it. You spin, only to find a hand wrapped around your throat, tight and unforgiving. A guard thrusts you up against the red-brick column that divides two cells, and you’d cry out in pain, but there’s no breath to carry it. Your eyes water. You try to prise the hand away, and it’s desperation that possesses you— not skill or experience.

You kick out and hit nothing, but the second time, you catch the man’s shin. He shouts, his grip failing just enough for you to slip your fingers beneath his. A few seconds of advantage. You grasp his wrist, using your other hand to wrench his forefinger backwards— crack. He staggers with a cry and then you’re dodging his frenzied attempts to recapture you: weaving behind him, seizing the back of his neck. Your foot trips his. He’s teetering, off-balance, and you use the momentum to crash his head against a bar of the cell.

Metal rings out. Flesh splits.

The guard crumples at your feet and you almost go down with him. Your lungs are pulling for so much air that it makes your throat sting. Adrenaline laps your limbs, celebrating in sheer, ecstatic disbelief; you’re alive.

Someone wolf-whistles and you swear you feel everything stop.

Your gaze shoots up, lit by hope, but it’s quickly snuffed out. A young man is watching you from the fourth cell, his arms threaded through the bars. There’s a shameless grin as his eyes flit over you. All of you.

“Fuck off,” you sneer as you step over the guard. You turn to leave.

“Rude.”

Your eyes go wide. You spin back. “Luke?”

The man cocks his head like you’ve asked a trick question. “... Yeah?” It takes a drawn-out moment of you staring at him, motionless, for him to recognise your confusion. “Oh, right. Here—” he draws up his hood and the horns are missing, so he emulates them with pointed fingers— “this help?”

You lunge forwards, trapping him in a hug through the bars of his cell; you barely notice the separation. He chuckles as he hugs you back: “Miss me?”

“Yeah,” you exhale in relief, even though he was definitely setting you up for a joke. You break away from him, forcing yourself to look at anything but his face. Gods, his face. Pretend you don’t already want to look again. “Are you hurt?” you ask. “Did they—”

“Nope!” he interrupts with what sounds like a smile. “I told them everything.”

You glance up; you can’t help it.

He winks at you. “I lied. Glad you got here before they figured that out, though. Sheesh, that would not have been fun.” His hands wrap around the bars. “Can you get me out of here?” He tugs at them. “Pleeease?”

Right. “Yeah.” You glance around. You just need to find the—

“Key’s with the dead guy,” Luke says. “What a jerk, huh?”

It still feels like there are hands on your throat. “Totally.” You wander over to the body, bending down to rummage through the man’s pockets. After a brief search, you produce the key.

Luke slow claps. “My hero.”

You laugh softly as you return to the cell, unlocking the door and pushing it open. The twin strides through, giving a little bow as he passes, then stretches his arms like he’s just been set free from a much smaller cage.

“So…” He speaks in a sing-song sort of voice, sniffing the air like it’s sweeter. “Where’re boss and Kieran?”

“Um. Home?”

Luke narrows his eyes at you— vaguely resembling the slits of his missing mask. “You went rogue?”

You wince. “I did go rogue.”

You’re still being studied warily. Luke has raised an eyebrow and it’s so starkly expressive; is this a look he gives you often? You have a feeling it is. Then he shrugs and it’s gone. “That’s hot,” he quips. He crouches down beside the dead guard, lifting the body and puppeteering one of the arms to wave at you. “Look— this is gonna be you when boss finds out.”

You cross your arms. Luke laughs, dropping the man back down with a thud. “Just you and me then?” he clarifies, holding a hand out to you.

Are you supposed to know what to do with it? “You and me,” you confirm. Your hand goes out too.  

Luke slaps it gently one way, then another. He entangles your fingers. Pulls back. Does a few more slaps in sporadic directions, and— is this a secret handshake? You don’t have a secret handshake.

“Nice,” he beams once the ritual is complete. “Let’s go, let's go!”

…

Luke is hanging close to the wall across from you, waiting— listening— as you both brace yourselves behind the turn of yet another corridor of the rival base. He sneaks glances around the corner.

“Anyone there?” you whisper.

He shakes his head, but he doesn’t look at you. He doesn’t press on, either, because it’s odd; you’d both thought you’d heard something. This isn’t your usual strategy— playing it safe. You don’t think you’ve ever seen Luke err on the side of caution, but he’s concentrating, even closing his eyes so he can listen harder.

You take advantage of the moment in a way you shouldn’t: letting your gaze linger on his face. Even with his hood up— shadows lowered like a veil— he’s still a stranger to you. You want to know him; you know him already. He’s been smiling at your jokes forever, but tell him one now, and it’ll be the first time.

His eyes open, meeting yours. Could he sense you watching? He grins, poking his tongue out at you.

“Stop it.”

“You stop it,” he retorts. The coast must be clear, for he comes away from the wall and rounds the corner with a spring in his gait.

You sigh as you stand to follow him. One less-enthusiastic step forward, and something snakes around your ankle. Your gaze drops like a stone, but it isn’t fast enough. You’re hauled into the air, voice failing, vision swimming as the world flips upside-down and you’re strung up from the ceiling. “Luke!” you manage in warning.

Are those his footsteps, coming back? You’re facing the wrong way and you try to lift the lower half of your body so you can reach for your ankle, but you’re already exhausted. Your muscles burn. After a few, futile inches, you give up, going limp.

There are footsteps behind you. “Oh, hey boss!” Luke exclaims.

Shit. Shit, shit, shit.

An unwitting pendulum: you can’t keep your body from turning, ever so slowly, until you’re staring the right way down the corridor. You can’t see much of it, though.

Sylus is in front of you, so close that you can almost feel the heat of his eyes.

“Hey, boss,” you echo reluctantly.

He says nothing, and behind him, Luke slides a gloating finger across his own throat: you’re dead! And you’re turning, still. Sylus lifts a hand to the top of your head and swivels you back to him. “What happened to that trust of yours, sweetie? Hmm?”

You half-laugh, nervous. He doesn’t seem quite as amused.

Releasing your head, he steps back with a huff of disappointment as you start a slow rotation once more. He taps a finger to his chin pensively, like you’re a masterpiece he’s convinced might be a forgery, now that he’s looking more closely. “Reckless little thing, aren’t you?” he tuts.

There’s maybe a smile, but it’s short-lived; the dark rope around your ankle whips you into the air. You shriek with shock as you lose all bearings, all vision, all sense of reality. You’re falling.

Someone catches you.

“My reckless little thing,” Luke grins, jostling you into a more secure position in his arms. “Mine.”

You want to protest, but your breath is gone.

“You can’t afford her,” Sylus speaks over his shoulder; he’s already taken the lead in guiding you out of here. Mephisto squawks somewhere up ahead, appearing in a cloud of smoke and feathers.

Luke gives a defensive hmph as he holds you a tighter. Then he smiles down at you, and though it’s new, you know it’s far from the first time, and even further from the last.

…

“Are we really doing this?” you ask Sylus sceptically.

“Lighten up, sweetie.” He clicks his fingers.

Not far from you, currently oblivious to your presence, Kieran stands at the door of your leader’s study, still waiting for an order. The air above him changes: it swirls with a dark, scarlet mist. Luke drops out of it, landing straight on his twin’s back.

“What the—” Kieran splutters, but his brother’s arms are over his shoulders, around his neck. “Get off!” he squeaks out.

“No way. I was a prisoner,” Luke chortles. “You have to be super nice to me. Carry me everywhere. Boss said so.”

“He did not!”

And with those words, Kieran flips his other half the rest of the way over his shoulder; Luke lands on the ground with an unceremonious splat. All four limbs are sprawled. “Ow!” he whines.

Sylus has already strode the rest of the way into the room. “Play nice,” he scolds as he steps over Luke, then passes by Kieran.

“Yes, boss!” they chime, stilling obediently as the older man disappears into his study. The moment the doors close behind him, Kieran throws himself down. He wrestles with Luke, both of them laughing and rolling around as they try to hurt each-other.

It makes you think of those old, vintage cartoons you used to see on TV. You can just picture the cloud of dust, the colourful stars and shapes flying with every traded punch. Idiots.

You leave them to it, slinging yourself down on a couch and closing your eyes. Gods, you want to sleep. There’s blood dried to your hands and face, but you’ll shower later. There are grazes and cuts still bleeding, but you’ll tend to them later. Everything can wait.

The room has gone quiet. Too quiet; you open your eyes.

Luke and Kieran stand in front of you ominously, their figures symmetrical. The illusion of reflection is broken by Luke’s absent mask, but his eyes are just as unreadable.

“What?” you cave.

“You went rogue,” Kieran states, and his brother is nodding gravely, like this is a very serious infraction.

You smile. “I did go rogue.” More shameless than last time. “I got a free pass, though. Luke said it was hot.”

Kieran’s mask turns to face his twin, slow and resentful. Luke shrugs. “What? It was.”

There’s an impasse: long enough to make you think they’re having some kind of secret discussion. Both twins look at you. You smile sheepishly. You don’t think you’ll ever really know the entirety of what goes on in those heads, but it’s for the best. You value your sanity.

“You went rogue,” Kieran carries on, as if his speech had never been interrupted, and his authority not just completely undercut. He moves closer, slinking down beside you, and Luke plays the part of his mirror image. “There will have to be a… punishment.”

The word is elongated for effect, and it’s remarkably similar to Kieran’s ‘ghost voice’— which you know, thanks to the time he roped you into that ‘the base is haunted!’ prank. (Sylus did not, in fact, fall for it.)

“Bring it,” you murmur, closing your eyes again. “I just stormed a whole enemy base single-handed. I think I can handle the two of—”

Your voice meanders to a stop as Kieran nuzzles against you. His mask is off; you feel the soft of his face and the bridge of his nose. His breath is light on your neck. You smile, slipping deeper into your seat and then his embrace as his arms go around you. He’s warm. Really warm.

There’s a weight— Luke’s head on your lap— and he hugs you too, arms lower around your waist. His breath tickles your stomach. You hum in contentment, running your hands through his hair. 

He's safe. You're all safe.

They were never going to say thank you; it’s not in their nature. Their language isn't superficial. It isn’t words spoken aloud or feelings worn on the face— it can’t be. A smile is too easily read by the rest of the world, but a smile behind a mask? It’s private. Reserved only for those who’ve learnt to hear it in your voice, or see it in the way your body relaxes when you hold someone you care for.

A language of tiny, intimate details.

Kieran has never nestled his face quite so closely against you. You don’t think you’ve ever known Luke go so long without talking.

[eaglet-if]

Орлёнок Demo Release

Finally, the demo is here! It's not exactly January anymore, but better late than never, right?

You can play it right here!

I also made a post on the CoG forums, if you want to check it out: Link

Features include:

Meeting your family! And getting bullied.

Getting executed!

Rising from the dead!

Celebrating life by slaughtering some rebels!

(Being extremely miserable!)

Feedback:

This is, quite obviously, a work in progress. It is made available so that you, the reader, can give feedback that improves the game.

So, while you can - and should - obviously tell me whatever you want, a specific list of what I need most in terms of feedback can be found here:

Language. English is not my first language (actually, not even my second one), and I mostly read non-fiction academic works when I read in English, so my writing is certainly not at the level it should be. If you have any concrete issues, please tell me, and I'll try to learn how it can be improved.

Spelling. I don't expect much in the way of outright errors, but I do know that I mix up British and American English all the time. The intended style is American English, so please point out spellings that are wrong in that regard.

Inconsistencies. There are a lot of variations between scenes, and I'd like to make the story as immersive as possible; so, if a phrasing, a character's behaviour etc. feel like they don't fit into the choices you previously made, please tell me. In detail, if possible, otherwise I won't be able to amend it.

Sensory descriptions. AuDHD makes my brain process sensations, including visual impressions, very differently, which means I often end up forgetting those exist. Please tell me about scenes that lack description in that regard. (My first grade elementary school report card called my writing 'efficient and devoid of feelings', and I'd very much like to move past that.)

Technical problems. The code should be pretty solid, but with how complicated it is, it'd be weird if there weren't at least some problems. If you find them, please try to include as much detail as possible when telling me about it. (CS Quicktest and Randomtest are not usable due to the complexity of the code, lol.)

You liking the story. I remain thoroughly convinced that I am a worthless person who isn't able to, nor deserves to create anything, and currently my only motivation to continue this project is derived from pure stubbornness. So, if you, for some reason, actually like this demo, please tell me. It won't change my mind about how bad I think it is, but it will force me to continue in order to avoid being even more of a disappointment.

Additions. If I like your idea, I'll probably add it right away; if I'm unsure, I'll do a poll. You can get me to do almost anything if you say you're sad if I don't do it.

Formatting. Although I try to playtest as much as possible, it's not that easy with how many variations there are, and in VS Code it's sometimes hard to see how well or badly readable text passages actually are.

CWs/TWs (v0.0.1):

Graphic violence and gore

Attempted sexual assault (against the player, avoidable, f!MC only; also against an NPC if massacre route is chosen (is dealt with quickly))

Suicide attempt (by the player, avoidable; f!MC only)

Loss of loved ones

Massacre of civilians and/or PoWs (avoidable)

General misery

(please let me know if you think this needs additions)

As of yet unfinished content:

Autistic variations do not exist yet for the latter part of the demo

Only one of three locations for taking a walk available for now

Tooltips are incomplete

Asexual is not available yet, as it requires a lot of additional scene variation text

Special (psychopath) routes are missing from some scenes as they were added late in development

Choices that are locked and marked as (WIP) are unfinished

Interaction routes for Semyon/Selena, Mikhail/Marina and Leon/Leah. They are top priority for the first set of updates

It is recommended that you play this with a stable state of mind. If you choose the suffering paths because it's relatable and/or as a coping strategy, please make sure you have support available and avoid triggering yourself too much.

The whole point of this game (apart from the dress-up part) is that, no matter how bad things get, you shouldn't stop fighting. It's your enemies who deserve destruction, not you.

Please keep in mind that I am both literally insane and pretty reasonable, so: if there is anything you find grossly offensive, don't assume I meant anything bad by it. Just explain to me why you think it shouldn't exist, and if I am convinced, I will amend it.

[thegamingcatmom]

Guess who? Spoiler: me, its me and I come with a question(s) bc it is 3am and my mind can't shut up (:

So I think this was mentioned previously in another ask or post but I don't remember if it went much into detail. My question is about mates and separation. It is said (dont remember if canon said something about it) that vampires have a hard time being away from their mates and I would like to go deeper into this, know your thoughts on the matter.

Like, how bad it is? How long can they stay away from their mate? Is it minutes, hours, days? Is it painful, like physically? What do they feel, like I think despair, anxiety? Are there vampires who have a better time than others?

And finally how each sister individually is regarding this 'separation' situation? How clingy are they, if they are that is? How do they handle it? Do they call a lot? Text? (They know what phones are right? Ancient creatures they are :p)

Thanks as always for the answers❤️ (this is so long and i probs forgot something but i cant think so im gonna try to sleep xD)

Hiii! <3

Totally relatable! 3am has, unfortunately, become the time my brain works on overdrive as well. Which means I usually have to quit when I feel like I'm making actual progress, because I do need to sleep at some point. 😭

Right so, I think vampires defo have a hard time being away from their mates. I don't think it's actual pain in the sense of being "physical," but I reckon it very much feels like that for them.

I also think that, just like us humans, they have different ways of dealing with that pain. Some seek the company of their other coven members, some prefer to be alone, some (try to) play it cool and don't let anything show, and so on.

With that said, how long they´re able to stay away also varies and depends on multiple factors, I´d say. It´s not just their own personality and their way of dealing with things that plays into it, but also the cause of the separation. I think the latter plays a rather big part, actually. Like, if it´s for a "good" cause then it might be a lot easier for them to endure, I imagine.

...Y´know, this kinda reminds me of Carmen and El and the things I have planned for them in The Sisters, because separation might actually become a recurring theme for them (we see a snippet of that in the upcoming chapter.) I haven´t quite decided yet how far I wanna take it, but your ask kinda makes me wanna explore how Carmen might cope with a possible long-term separation. 💔🥺

As for what they´re feeling when separated from their mate:

JOKES ASIDE THOUGH-

Truly mated/bonded vampires (thinking of James and Victoria here cause I have my doubts about those two) are like fitting puzzle pieces, shaped to align perfectly with the other. If one breaks away, you won´t have a complete picture. Other puzzle pieces might fit with some force, but it will always result in a crooked picture because it´s just not meant to be.

With that said:

I think it´s agony. Like a part of you is missing. A big part. Like, half your body, to be precise.

As for the sisters:

(yes, they do know what phones are, lmao)

(...valid question though)

Tanya would probably cope best. Or, well, she´d be the most convincing at pretending she´s alright. She´s a leader and, in my head, that´s like its "own" personality. If the situation calls for it, a switch is flipped in her head - topdog leader mode activated.

Ofc, the separation from her mate is more of a personal challenge and probably her biggest one yet. Also because it´s one she´s never had to face before meeting MC. But I still think she would handle it a lot better than her sisters...at least on the outside. Like I said, it´s like a switch being flipped, a "mental shield," if you will. She will put on a brave face, act like nothing´s out of the ordinary. She will do her damn best to function, because that´s what she always does in times of hardship. It´s what leaders do.

It might not be the healthiest way to cope with things, but it´s what she knows and feels comfortable with.

…Besides, you can bet your ass there´ll be at least 50 calls, 30 FaceTimes, and 250 messages per day.

A good leader always stays on top of things.

Kate is a lot softer than she lets on, so I think she´d actually struggle the most with being separated from her mate. She would probs try and avoid her family for the most part. As a former warrior, the last thing she wants is to be seen as "weak." Like with Tanya, it´s not the healthiest way to cope with it, but there´s still this thinking that feelings get you killed on the battlefield, y´know? There´s just some things and habits we can´t shake, no matter how hard we try. Kate being reluctant to show any kind of "weakness" in front of others is one such habit. She´s gotten a lot better at allowing and showing those feelings since meeting MC for sure, but when MC´s gone? I imagine she´d be quick to fall back into that spiral.

So yeah, you´ll probs find her in the woods, sparring with the trees or smt to get her mind off things, to distract herself from the immense distress she´s feeling over her mate being gone.

As for contacting her mate:

Hm...I´m actually torn on that one. On one hand, you have the battle-hardened warrior who refuses to show feelings. On the other hand, you have the moonstruck sap who turns into mush the moment her mate is involved in any shape or form.

With that said:

Kate would struggle with exactly that, lol. Like, it´s a constant inner battle between who she was and who she has become since meeting MC. So I can imagine her sitting somewhere, glaring at her phone, doing her best to keep herself from typing in those damn numbers or writing out that stupid message because warriors don´t show "weakness."

...She caves, eventually. And both she and MC are damn glad she did, that lovable dork.

Irina would cope better than Kate, but her struggles would still be more obvious because she doesn´t usually hide her feelings like Kate does. On the contrary, she pretty much wears her heart on her sleeve, which is also why she´s the only one (out of the sisters) who feels 100% comfortable with confiding in others about how she feels. She usually goes to Carmen when she seeks comfort or guidance, like pretty much everyone else in the coven, lol. So, when it comes to dealing with that pain, I´d say Irina defo has the healthiest way of doing it.

She also has the healthiest call/message count btw, lmao. She´s not as overbearing as Tanya (nobody is, lel), and also not as stone-faced as Kate. She gives a quick call or leaves a heartfelt message here and there, just checking in, y´know? Sometimes they´re short and sweet, other times they´re literal novels in which she proclaims her undying love over and over and over and over and over and-

...I mean, there are times where she just...she gets carried away a bit, which usually ends with her dropping everything to go and seek out her mate.

...Her mate, who went to the supermarket for a quick errand.

I mean, listen-

In the end, I think it all comes down to why the sisters have been separated from MC. They´ll probs cope a lot better if they know the separation is short-lived.

...Or maybe not, lol. *points to Irina*

.

.

.

Thanks a lot for your ask! Always stoked when those pop up in my inbox. 💋

#keepthethirstalive #keepthedenalisalive

[tales-of-wocdes]

I’ll be honest, while it make make sense for the MC’s recovery, as an adult reader I’d be pretty uncomfortable reading about a child being put in diapers and/or soiling themself in detail. It’d be a huge turnoff for me and I don’t think I would continue to read. Just in general my personal preference as a reader is to lean away from anything that infantilizes the MC more. On one hand, I recognize that their circumstances would mean they’re not on a typical developmental pathway compared to other 7-8 year olds. On the other hand, I think your writing already does an excellent job of capturing that while still doing justice to the MC’s age. They feel like a traumatized 7-8 year old who’s immature and confused because of what happened to them, not a 3 year old, is what I’m saying. I guess just personally I think a diaper or pacifier would sort of ruin that characterization for me, I’d much rather prefer the MC to gain some agency by learning how to navigate the bathroom on their own via wheelchair or rely on more age-appropriate toys for comfort. That said, these are just all my own thoughts as a single reader. Obviously other readers disagree with these preferences, and ultimately I respect that it’s your choice as the author to have final say about what does/doesn’t go. My point isn’t to try to threaten you with a loss of readership— I just want to express my own perspective and ultimately it’s your choice to make! I am really invested in this story and quite enjoy your writing, so I also trust that you know what’s best for your work.

Thank you for these thoughts. I appreciate it. This is valuable feedback and info about reader preferences, even if it is just one person :D I have a feeling you are hardly alone here.

The long post queue allows me time to think, but I don't really go back and edit my answers which are the immediate thoughts most of the time :D That would take a lot of extra time. This however, I think I will let jump the queue because I did say I would get back to you all on this and I think it is better addressed earlier on. And for me it has been several days.

I am willing to consider all suggestions, and appreciate receiving them (at least so far :D) but ultimately it is up to me to decide what I believe to be appropriate or what fits. I retain the right to always change my mind and thoughts mature over time. And here, I agree with you. A pacifier or diapers is not something I see happening in the story, even as an optional extra. Why? Because as you said, MC is immature and very confused but 7-8 years old.

Something to fiddle with? Yes, that could happen. Some kind of chewing necklace? Perhaps. I have been googling and indeed such things are available for older children and even adults. Sensory necklaces/toys I think they are called. For example in the shape of just a tube, or something that look vaguely like a fang. Age appropriate toys? Absolutely. Cool magical toys? Even better. I would be happy to hear ideas about those.

A "gift" from a totally out of touch "grandpa" that thinks giving a child something like a magical suit of armor is a good thing? That gets confiscated by Havard due to property damage? Absolutely... I wonder if there is a way to write random events... I'll look into it. This is btw, something I came up with just now. It is not something I have planned.

A "bathroom arc"? No. After a brief bit of thinking, I don't really want to write it at all so I won't. And I have a feeling that many people would not like reading it if I did force myself to do that. A comment in passing about odd bathrooms are for MC? Sure, that sounds fine to me, but leaving the gritty grimy reality-checks for something else is probably better.

This is all basically flavor text, which is one of the better aspects of interactive fiction but does not need to have a significant effect on the plot :D I want to accommodate reader preferences and offer up a pretty good level of choice, but there is still an overall direction I want to go.

[666writingcafe]

A Deal With Death

This week has proven that the demon brothers are completely hopeless without MC. According to them, things started out okay, but then a couple of them got in a fight, resulting in a significant part of the House of Lamentation getting flooded and everyone having to sleep in the living room.

During their visits, MC makes sure I communicate their exasperation to them, and I can't say I blame them. I mean, I'd expect seven grown men to be able to take care of themselves, but apparently not.

Today's been quiet, though. Other than Barbatos occasionally poking his head in, no one's stopped by their room today. In order to pass the time, I've been telling MC stories about me and my older sister Candy. They're amused for the most part, so hopefully I'm helping them take their mind off their current predicament, even if it's only for a few moments.

Just when I finish recounting one of many traps that have backfired on me, someone softly knocks on the door.

"It's unlocked!" I holler. The door remains shut for about a minute before slowly opening, creaking as it reveals the one brother who has yet to visit MC.

"I have food," Lucifer murmurs, lifting up a to-go bag high enough for me to see. "I wasn't sure what the state of things were, so I brought enough for the three of us."

"I'm surprised your brothers haven't kept you updated," I reply as he walks over and sits in the chair on the other side of MC's bed. He shrugs.

"After the third day, I told them to not tell me anything unless Zephyr woke up." He reaches in the bag and hands me a plastic container and utensils. I'm pleasantly surprised to find it contains stewed zombie dragon liver. It's a fairly popular dish in reaper cuisine.

"I figured you'd like that better than the demon food you've been forced to eat during your stay here," Lucifer explains softly. "I myself am still getting used to it." I take a bite. It's not the best I've ever had, but it's pretty decent. The fact that someone went out of their way to get something I might like is the important thing.

Lucifer pulls out his plastic container and sets the bag off to the side. After a few minutes of silent eating, he states,

"You must think I'm a horrible person." Thankfully, I've swallowed my food before he said that, because I would have choked otherwise.

"No, of course not! Whatever gave you that idea?"

"The fact that I didn't stop through earlier."

"From what I've heard, you've had your hands full." Lucifer sighs.

"That's an understatement."

"So, give yourself a break. I seriously doubt Zephyr's the type of person to give you grief for not showing up sooner."

Exactly. Quit beating yourself up.

His eyes widen as he looks over at MC. Is he able to hear them?

I know you're stressed. This is a very scary situation, and you've had to remain strong for your brothers. Solomon and Barbatos have been working really hard to figure out a way to wake me up, so hopefully we don't have to deal with this much longer.

Lucifer turns away so that I don't see his face, but I still catch him rubbing his eyes.

I'm a little surprised it's taken this long for their mental connection to manifest itself. Then again, MC may have blocked it on purpose in order to avoid suspicion. I know I didn't believe them when they first told me that they were Lucifer's heir to the Ring of Light. It's only after extensive research that I accepted it to be true. For one, there's no one in the Devildom good enough to create a perfect counterfeit of that, and the ring MC gave to me for safekeeping fits every description of it to a tee. And then there's the fact that it glows whenever they expend a lot of magical energy. There's only a handful of rings that link themselves to people that way, the Ring of Light being one of them.

"You okay?" I ask him once he faces me again.

"I'll be fine. I just have a lot on my mind at the moment." He momentarily resumes eating, but just as quickly he stops, staring directly at me.

"Can you keep a secret?"

"Of course. That's part of my job." I've learned long ago to not question people when they request my services, especially if they're in positions of power. "Do we need to step outside?" Lucifer glances over at MC, appearing deep in thought.

"That won't be necessary. Some of it relates to Zephyr, so it wouldn't be right of me to exclude them."

Your secret is safe with me.

He softly smiles, emphasizing just how tired he is. He probably hasn't gotten much sleep, poor thing. I'll have to make him some of my special tea when we're done here.

"It has to do with my sister. I gave up my freedom to ensure that she could live a full human life. It was either that or permanent death, and I love her too much to have her die unnecessarily." He takes off one of his gloves, revealing Diavolo's mark boldly seared on the top of his hand.

"Does it hurt?"

"Sometimes. He hasn't used its power a whole lot. Only to get me to relax when I'm overly agitated, and only after he's exhausted all other options." Interesting. I know plenty of demons that would abuse that kind of power. Then again, the prince hasn't exactly played by those rules, has he?

"But that's neither here nor there," he continues, putting the glove back on. "Initially, I thought that all of Lilith's soul went into her human body, but it appears as though it's split in half."

"That can happen," I tell him. "Magic has a tendency to separate from the soul when it transfers from one body to the next. Sometimes that magic ends up in an object, but most of the time it just kinda floats, waiting for the most compatible soul to latch itself onto."

"Does it have to be a fresh soul?"

"Not necessarily, although that's the most common method of transference."

"Does the soul also have to be floating in the air, or can it be inside someone?"

"There have been times when magical energy enters the soul while it's in a body, but that's very rare."

"But not impossible."

"No, not impossible." Where is he going with this?

"This might seem far-fetched, and maybe my grief is making me see things that aren't really there, but I feel like part of Lilith's soul has made its way inside Zephyr."

Shit, shit, shit. How the fuck am I suppose to dig my way out of this? Solomon told me that Barbatos, Diavolo, and I are the only ones that are allowed to know MC's full backstory. If Lucifer found out the truth...

"Merely asking out of curiosity, what makes you say that?"

"Have you ever seen a demon produce white energy?"

"Well, no, but--"

"And then there's the time where I glanced at Zephyr's face, and they looked exactly like her."

The energy is left over from my days as a human. That was one of the only things the organization couldn't change. I'd have ended up dead otherwise. As for your sister, it probably is your mind playing tricks on you. Grief can be rather cruel sometimes.

Damn. Solomon's never been able to lie that well. I'm not surprised that Lucifer buys it. If I didn't know better, I would have as well.

"You know, one of the last things she ever told me was that someday I'd meet someone that I loved so deeply that I'd be willing to throw everything away for them, and then I'd finally understand how she felt," Lucifer recalls. "At the time, I dismissed it as immature angst, but now I think she was actually telling my future." He takes MC's hand and wraps it with both of his.

"The truth is, I miss you, Zephyr. It's lonely without you around. Please, wake up." Suddenly, MC's surrounded by a bright, white light that forces me to close my eyes. Even then, I can still see it. It lasts slightly longer than a flash would, and I open my eyes just in time to witness MC quickly sitting up, gasping for air.

Taglist: @lost-in-time-wanderer, @fuzztacular, @dianedancer18, @sweetbrier2908, @flare-love, @completelyshatteredbrokenmschf, @thunderlightning351, @l3v1chan, @anxious-chick, @5mary5, @expressionless-fr, @tenkobitch, @interconnectedmatrix

[shai-manahan]

Hollowed Minds Progress Update 1/02/24

Hi! I hope you're all having a good year so far! I planned to post this last night but I was too anxious over having to return to work lmfao (with the holidays being over and all). Anyway, I know it's been a year since my last update; believe me, I'm upset about it, too, and I'm trying to make up for that.

To be completely honest, aside from my health, one thing that's been stopping me from progressing steadily was my attempts at improving the way I write. I was struggling to find my own style the entire year, experimenting over and over (sometimes without rest, like an idiot), and I know that probably sounds stupid, but writing as a craft is so special to me that I want to be better at it.

It did backfire, though. A lot. Mostly because I couldn't maintain a balance between this and irl stuff.

The thing is, I plan to write trad novels and short stories in the future. I plan to go back to writing screenplays, too. I don't think I'll ever stop making IFs, but there are things I want to write about that I can never do through this medium (and the same is true vice versa). This is also why I tend to keep editing HM while trying to push through with newer updates; this is the only way I can learn more about what I wish to do in the future. This is my chance to practice and experiment, before I get anything published and make the kind of impression I aim to make.

And I think I finally found the style I love to use the most this time.

I feel ready now to post progress updates regularly at least every two weeks (this one doesn't count). I was ashamed of my slow progress for quite a while, but I know I can start moving forward again. I'm also just eager to show you the story I've always wanted to share, and that'd never happen unless I push myself so :').

You're free to ask for progress in case I miss doing this btw, just. don't be an ass about it lmao. And feel free to send asks as well!

So far, this is what I'm trying to improve for the posted demo:

conciseness

strengthening the settings and the descriptions involving them

revising a few dialogues that do not fit the characters at all

readability and making some details clearer

overall pacing of ch2's first part

the nightmare scenes

reassessment of which variations would be most important to the plot and MC's characterization.

everything else I cannot think of right now

I think I'll dedicate a week or two into finishing whatever needs to be cleaned up so there'll be less game-breaking bugs that might happen for the new content. But after that 👀

That's all for tonight!

P.S. recently bought a lampshade and damn. this is definitely much better for my eyes when I write.

[once-in-a-blood-moon]

Obey Me Boys as Tarot/Oracle Decks I Own

Is this stupid? Yes. Am I doing it anyway? Absolutely.

To make a long story short, I have a problem and I compulsively buy tarot and oracle cards, so I have...quite a few. So, I was looking at them and thought, "which ones would fit the characters?" And now look where we are! :) I do have exactly fifteen decks and had planned originally to assign decks to the new side characters as well, but I, A. got tired and B. couldn't find one that fit Mephisto, so I just scrapped that idea altogether. Anyways, here's what literally nobody asked for!

Disclaimer! I did pick out cards that I thought matched the characters as well, based on both meaning and look. I'm not going into detail on all of the cards either...because I will ramble forever. I'm did my best to keep these as brief as possible!

Lucifer - Archangel Animal Oracle Deck

Okay, so this could've been a great deck for Simeon or Raphael, but out of what I had, this fit Lucifer the best! It ties back to his origins of being a seraphim. I did pick a card or two that have Archangel Micheal and Raphael in them, and they do fit Lucifer in needing to let others in and to not let pride get in the way of being dependent on others.

Mammon - The Illustrated Crystallary Oracle Deck

Mostly picked this one due to the fact that crystals can be expensive and high-dollar, which Mammon would be into and exploit (and he has). If not him, this one might've gone to Solomon, but I had a better one for him >:) I picked Mammon's cards based off his greed and his love for the MC...and which crystals would cost a pretty penny.

Leviathan - Mystical Manga Tarot Deck

My tried and true deck. It was either this one or my Skyrim tarot deck, so I went with this one. It felt more him to me. I picked the Seven of Cups, the Hanged Man, the Hermit, and the Nine of Swords for Levi. In some cases, the Seven of Cups gives me feelings of envy for choices that may seem out of reach or wanting it all when you have to pick and choose, so I went with it.

Satan - The Language of Flowers Oracle Deck

This is the best I had for Satan, but I feel like he'd be quite knowledgable on flower language. I had several other cards that I had in mind for him as well, namely Action - the Venus Fly Trap, but I wanted to keep the number of cards to four, so... Also, when I first started using this deck, it took a lot of warming up to, (it was shy...if you can believe that or not), which is how Satan is in both games, not shy just...needs to get used to people before opening up.

Asmodeus - Romantic Tarot Deck

This is the pairing that kicked off this idea. This deck is new, my mom gifted it to me for Easter! She's a sweetie. And I kept think about how Asmo would adore the art and vintage depictions in the cards. Since the cards aren't labeled, I picked the Lovers, the Two of Cups, the Empress, and the Three of Swords. Most of these are "romantic" in nature, or with the Empress, embodies confidence and embracing femininity. Three of Swords because of how dramatic and tragic love and can be, and I'm sure Asmo has had his fair share :(

Beelzebub - Moonology Manifestations Oracle Deck

This is my second Moonology deck, my other-half, if you will. (Another gift from my mom:)) I really don't have much to say about this deck for Beel, but I figured it would be fun to assign the twins with these decks. The cards were picked based on his feelings of guilt of his past from the Celestial War.

Belphegor - Moonology Oracle Deck

My first Moonology deck! I think this was the first oracle deck I ever got, so it has a special place in my heart. I obviously had to give this one to Belphie since his theme revolves around the moon and space. Notice in both Beel's and Belphie's I picked one Gemini card each, hehe...

Diavolo - Dragon Wisdom Oracle Deck

Considering Dia's demon form is draconic (dra-ICONIC! Heh, anyone?), this seemed right. I'm less familiar with this deck since it's not one of the primary ones I use, but it was fun to go through it again like it was new, lol. There was another card I almost picked for him, Initiation. But I thought these ones fit best.

Barbatos - Celtic Healing Oracle Deck

Once again, this is one of those scenarios where this was the best I had for Barb. There's a strange energy to these cards, mysterious and timeless almost, a little spooky. Kinda reminds me of him in some way. I'm the least familiar with this deck as it's relatively new and I haven't really used it yet, so apologies for lack of substance with this one.

Simeon - The Field Tarot

This was a gift from a friend of mine. It was theirs originally, but they so thoughtfully handed it down to me, and I use it quite a lot! This deck felt very mellow and light compared to my other ones. Very minimalist, so I thought it fit Simeon's vibe. To note: the Perspective card is this deck's Hanged Man. The Three of Cups reminded me of the og Purgatory Hall gang.

Solomon - Oceanic Tarot Deck

Based on his love for marine life and his...past with the ocean, how could I resist! Also, didn't mean for two of the cards I picked to be king and queen of the same suit, but I thought they fit his personality and way of living. The suit cards are pretty basic, featuring some marine life behind the pictures and whatnot without having too much imagery.

Luke - Tiny Tarot Deck

Come on...I had to. I put it in my hand so you could really get the perspective of how small it is. It's cute! I didn't pull any of the cards out since the box struggles to hold them in and I'm afraid of getting them everywhere, but they are your standard Rider-Waite-Smith deck! I probably would've picked the Sun or the Six of Cups for him, something along the lines of youth and vibrancy. (MY GOD, MY VEINS LOOK LIKE A STAR WTH?? I just noticed that, omg) Well...that's new...

[chrystalwynd]

This is one of the first stories I ever wrote. Chrystal Heights was a work-in-progress at the time, so it’s not really mentioned here. I’m not sure how well it holds up- it’s got a lot more inner-reflection than my typical story- but it’s short enough that I’ve decided to post it here.

Political Necessity

words: 2900

mc mf body-swap

      The smartly dressed doorman touched the brim of his cap with one gloved hand, then turned and opened the door for me. I strode past him with a polite nod but didn't stop to speak. All the doorman saw was an attractive high-level socialite and that's all I wanted him to see. I could have stopped briefly to chat to solidify the image in his head, but that would have been a mistake. Doormen in these posh settings were trained to recognize my type and I couldn't afford that. That is to say, my client couldn't afford that.

      Not that I knew who my client was. I only knew him as "Roger". That Roger had money was a given, since even an hour of my time runs two thousand dollars. Roger had reserved me for four hours. Roger hadn't seen me yet, but I fit his modest list of his requests, the most important one being the ability to remain discreet. That meant Roger was either a television evangelist or governor of the state. Since I was given a code word to get through security, that suggested a high-level politician.

      My modest heels click-clacked over the polished marble tile floor. Moments after I gave the code word I was escorted to a private keyed elevator. The ride up was so smooth it seemed the elevator was barely moving. Then the doors slid open to reveal an opulent setting of casual good taste.

      I stepped out of the elevator and glanced around, unsure of what to do next. I had expected to be met by a servant but possibly my client didn't wish anyone else to know of my visit. Then a door opened and "Roger" entered the room.

      Roger gave me a moment to digest his identity. Then he said, "Follow me," and he turned around, disappearing back through the doorway.

      I walked to the door and followed Roger down a short hallway. My mind whirled. Roger wasn't just any politician. My presence was taking on a whole new significance.

      We entered a den. He took a seat in a comfortable looking recliner and indicated a sofa with a nod of his head. I sat down and waited.

      "You know who I am," he said.

      Hell, yes, I knew who he was. Possibly the next president of the United States. I felt a little out of my league, but only a little. I didn't let any of that show on my face as I nodded and said, "Of course. You're Roger."

      He smiled briefly, without real humor. "Yes. And you're called Jade."

      I smiled. "Yes. Because of the color my eyes." That was what I told clients, anyway. Those from my agency said the name was a reflection of my personality. They consider me jaded just because I don't believe in love. Or honest politicians. Or the Easter bunny.

      "They're lovely," he said, almost clinically.

      "Thank you," I said. "And, I should add, that who you are outside the bedroom doesn't concern me."

      "Thank you for that, but the fact remains that I am who I am. For this reason and others, I must again emphasize the need for discretion." He mused briefly. "You are rated 7 stars on the Pharaoh's Club website and you reportedly do not maintain social media accounts. You come highly recommended by the Governor of...well, the governor of another state. This all speaks very highly of you, of course, but there may come a time beyond tonight when you feel that it could be quite lucrative to break our confidence, although not for the reasons you may think. So I must ask you again...are you prepared to offer full discretion for...whatever may occur this evening?"

      I laced my fingers together and placed them on my lap. My eyes held his and I simply said, "Yes."

      He nodded and said, "Thank you." He paused for a moment, apparently contemplating his next words. Then he stood up. "I would also like to make sure we are in agreement about your service. You are here with the understanding that your body is mine for the next four hours; within reason, of course. I guarantee you will suffer no physical injury or permanent markings of any kind while you are in my service. Do you have any...restrictions...I should be aware of?" He looked at me intently.

      I mulled over that for a moment, then shook my head. "I don't do pain and, ah, bathroom activities are out, but otherwise, my body is yours. And, of course, no permanent markings."

      Roger nodded again. "Excellent." He poured two glasses of wine, handing me one. "My situation is unique, beyond what you know. As you may or may not know, my wife was crippled in a tragic accident in her early twenties."

      Something had been tickling my memory and suddenly I knew what it was. Roger's wife was in a wheelchair. So she couldn't perform and he wanted to get some, so he hired a prostitute. He might not be husband of the year, but it was understandable. "Yes, I know. I am sorry."

      He waved off my condolences. "Thank you, but unnecessary. The service I am going to ask you to provide has always been performed in previous years by a close friend of my wife's. Unfortunately, this friend passed away two years ago."

      I nodded again. He was trying to justify cheating on his wife, perhaps to himself as well as to me. It was wasted on me, however. It wasn't my concern.

      Then he said, "But today is Susan's birthday. I can get her anything she wants, of course, but what she desires requires...a third party. Yourself, in this instance."

      I wasn't expecting this. Apparently he was hiring my services for his wife, not himself. Interesting. I wondered briefly what I could do for his wife that he couldn't, then put it out of my mind. It wasn't my concern. "That's fine, Roger. Perhaps I could meet your wife?"

      Roger nodded. "Yes, it's time. Follow me, please."

      I stood up and followed Roger to what I assumed was the bedroom. It was a well-lit room, very expansive, with a sectioned plate window offering an incredible view of the bay. The furniture was modern and comfortable, and everything was spaced in such a way that a wheelchair could easily move through the room.

      Then I saw Susan. She sat in a high-backed modern wheelchair, electric if the various wires and electronics were any indication. She had to be her early forties, but despite being crippled for nearly twenty years she had retained her attractiveness. It was immediately obvious why I had been selected as well. With our similarities in hair color and body type, Susan and I could have passed for mother and daughter. I must have resembled Susan from twenty years earlier.

      "Susan has very little voluntary movement available to her, outside of some slight head motions and the fingers of her right hand, which she uses to guide her wheelchair," said Roger, standing next to me.

      My eyes instinctively moved to Susan's. Like me, she had deep green eyes. Fascinating eyes. In fact, I was having trouble breaking eye contact. After a moment, I realized I couldn't break eye contact at all.

      I felt a tickling at the back of my head, then a very strange sensation of my head filling with liquid. My eyes widened slightly as I realized the liquid was actually a presence. Susan's presence. I fought the invasion with panicky desperation. The sensation of Susan's presence didn't disappear, but it seemed to stop filling my mind.

      Please said a woman's voice inside my head. Please!

      I struggled to keep the liquid from filling my mind further. "No!" I said to the voice in my head.

      Please! said Susan's voice. You promised!

      I stood my ground, breathing heavily, not able to move but keeping the presence at bay. Roger stood beside me, but did not say anything. He seemed to be waiting to see what the outcome would be.

      Please! said Susan's voice once more. I just want to make love to my husband!

      And then it clicked.

      I stood frozen for several moments as my mind wrestled with indecision. Could I really do this? Roger should have told me. Okay, he really couldn't have, but still. Loss of control...bad. I'd be trapped in my own body. The thought made me shudder. Trapped in my own body like...

      ...like Susan.

      I forced myself to relax, my breathing less ragged. I felt my heartbeat gradually slow down. Then I took a deep breath, steeled myself and eased my mental controls. I felt a surge of grateful exaltation as Susan's mind fully integrated into my own. I couldn't "read" her thoughts, or her mine, but I sensed we shared control of my body. I let my mental presence shrink further until Susan had nearly full control of my body.

      It was a very strange experience when my body suddenly began moving on its own, responding to Susan's thoughts rather than mine. I found myself turning and placing my hands on Roger's cheeks. "Hi, honey," I said, looking into his eyes. Then I pressed my lips to his for a kiss.

      Roger was stiff and unyielding at first, obviously trying to adjust his thinking. Then he relaxed and eased into the kiss. Finally, he pulled back. "Susan? It's really...you?"

      I said, "In the flesh, baby. Well, Jade's flesh. Isn't she gorgeous?"

      Roger smiled at that. "Not as beautiful as you, sweetheart."

      Mentally I rolled my eyes. It sounded like a bad love scene. Alright, so it was sweet in a way, but still, come on! But hey, it was Roger's money, and if he wanted to spend eight grand on an act of "love", he was welcome to it.

      My hands slid my dress off over my head, then slipped off my panties and bra. Roger finished undressing as well and looked over my body with those calculating eyes. Then he smiled.

      "We made an excellent choice, dear," he said.

      I said, "Yes, we did! She looks just like I did at her age. Just before...well, you know."

      Roger took my hand. "It's your birthday, sweetheart. Let's not dwell on that now."

      I smiled. "Good point, hun. Oh! Let's see what I can do in this body!" Then I dropped to my knees in front of the naked Roger. I wrapped my fingers around his cock and then slid my tongue along his already thickening shaft.

      I felt Roger's hands on my bare shoulders as I slid my mouth over his hardening cock. Soon my lips were sliding up and down his shaft with enthusiastic energy.

      All this effort in the name of love was cloying to me, but one thing I do know about is blowjobs. Susan may have desired Roger with a love higher than the mountains and wider than the sea, but she didn't know shit about blowjobs. And if her man was going to spend eight grand on her for her birthday, the least she could do was say "thank you" the right way, and this wasn't cutting it. I expanded my presence just slightly, enough to take control of my mouth back from Susan. Then I tapped into my oral knowledge and put it to work through my lips.

I don't know if Roger understood what had happened, but the effect on him was electrifying. He came to life suddenly, his hands grasping my bare shoulders with urgency. My now tightly-wrapped lips slid up and down his hard shaft, my tongue sliding over the sensitive underside of his cock. Roger's breath quickly grew ragged and his balls were swelling in my hand.

      "Honey," he said, "It's...it's too good...I'm going to..."

I tried to pause but Susan had control of my head, and my head continued to stroke my mouth up and down that hard shaft. Moments later Roger groaned and I retracted my presence from my mouth enough to let Susan have the experience of swallowing her husband's load. She did so enthusiastically, not missing a drop, and I felt my belly filling with Roger's cum.

      I couldn't read Susan's thoughts, but I sensed her excited feelings of achievement. I was actually touched. Being able to provide this kind of pleasure for her husband was giving her happiness beyond measure. She truly cared for Roger in a way I couldn't begin to understand. It made me wonder if there was maybe something to this love stuff.

      Roger sat down on the bed to recover. I let Susan have nearly full control then and she and Roger chatted about little things, just basking in each other's company. Then Roger lay me down and began to kiss my breasts. He did this until my body was squirming. Then he kissed down my bare belly until he got to my pussy. I could feel Susan's tentative excitement as Roger smiled. Then Roger began to use a surprisingly skilled tongue on my clit.

      Susan's presence in my mind became a heated thing. I was used to heated sensations coming from my clit but Susan hadn't experienced anything like it in at least two years, and she was going crazy with overwhelming need. I left her to it, however, as I had an idea of my own I wanted to try.

      Although Susan was occupying my body, there was a thread of consciousness linking my mind to her body. I followed that thread to Susan's body and let myself integrate into her form, leaving only a small trace of my consciousness in my own body.

      There was a sudden disconcerting shift in vision. Suddenly I could see myself laying on my back, knees spread, bare feet on Roger's shoulders. I could see Roger licking between my legs, a very intense expression on his face. I could see my hands in my hair, my lips parted as I began to moan, the beginnings of a devastating orgasm obvious. Except it wasn't me. Right then it was Susan.

I realized I couldn't move. My mind screamed at my useless legs to move, to stand up, but it was like trying to knock over a wall by throwing a glass of water at it. The side of my neck itched. It was maddening. My chin was wet with drool. My back ached because I was leaning slightly to the side and my ass had slid away from the back of my wheelchair. My arms were dead weight. With exhausting effort I was able to move the fingers on my right hand slightly, and I felt overwhelming triumph when I did so.

      I felt suffocated. I wanted to scream at the top of my lungs. I was scared.

      And then I saw Roger lifting his face from between my legs. Strong Roger. A man who felt deeply and believed in love. And did things for love.

      Come back, said Susan's voice. You can't stay there.

      "How do you stand it?" I asked.

      I stand it because I have to, said Susan, And because I couldn't bear to leave him. Now come back.

      I followed Susan back to my own body. Only then did it occur to me that Susan could have pulled fully into my body, taking over completely and leaving me trapped in her useless body. I shivered at the implications. And suddenly I realized why Roger had insisted on complete discretion. It wasn't his career he was worried about. It was his wife's life.

      As I filed back into my head I suddenly realized I was getting laid. Alright, alright, making love. Roger was on top of me, stroking his once-again hard cock into my pussy with gusto. In fact, he was pounding me silly. I was wriggling and bucking in heated response, and Susan didn't need my help this time. It occurred to me that, in a strange way, Roger was celebrating his love for his wife at this moment, and he had earned it. Roger was actually one of the most moral people I had ever met, and this merging of our bodies was a reward of sorts for his unending and sacrificing love.

      Cloying? Yes. But when Susan trembled and then exploded into orgasm, she wasn't alone.

      The dual orgasm was undoubtedly beyond anything Roger had experienced before, and it caused him to groan and begin filling me- and Susan- with his hot cum. Too soon we were spent, and I wrapped my arms around him and just let Susan enjoy his closeness.

      Afterwards I stood and began getting dressed. Roger and Susan had said their goodbyes, so to speak, and Susan had returned to her body. I actually felt a sense of loss, though I was glad to have full control back.

      I slipped on my heels, then looked over at Susan. I walked over and circled behind her chair, then adjusted her body so her back was straight and her ass was closer the back of the chair. Then I dried her chin.

      Her eyes closed for a slow blink of gratitude. I kissed her cheek.

      "Thank you," said Roger.

      "You're welcome," I said. I meant it.

***

      Roger paid me in cash.

      "I can't write a check or transfer a sum like this to your account. I hope you understand. I will provide you with a bodyguard and a chauffeured ride home," he said.

      I nodded. I held a briefcase with ten thousand dollars in cash. Roger had included a tip for exemplary service. A sound business move.

      "Same time next year?" I asked.

      Roger smiled. "We may have a Washington address at this time next year."

      "I'll pay my own way," I said, "And I won't take the train."

Roger chuckled. I shook his hand and made my way towards the keyed elevator. I knew who I was voting for in the next election.

THE END

[foxwitchaine]

Which is your most loved character in Miraculous Ladybug?

Buckle up, buddy, it's gonna be a while. Or not, given how the showrunners treat the cast. Let's just say that before Season 3 aired (cough, Chameleon, cough) I was rather indifferent to most of the cast. But now that it's been about five seasons going on six, I've got a better understanding of who (read: what the writers want) the characters are. All the pomp and circumstance aside, let's get to it

1.) Marinette Dupain-Cheng

I'm cheating a little, I know. But girlie gets so much crap thrown at her in the show, I just had to give her a little love. Never mind the fact the writers seem to have it out for her just for existing (which is a whole other can of worms I won't touch). Matter of the fact is, I see myself a lot in Marinette. I too stress myself out by overthinking the simplest things and need my partner Rafe to help bring me down to earth. I think Marinette is an excellent protagonist who is treated unfairly by both the fandom at times and the writers. But mostly the writers.

At the same time, though, I won't sugarcoat her flaws. Flaws are what makes characters feel human. No, they don't need to do things that sink them to unlikable levels (the stalking allegations towards Marinette by the fandom). But little mistakes like talking before thinking, missing the mood of the room, not always checking the time, things like that we do every day. What I can't wrap my head around is why the writers have given her Qrow Branwen levels of bad luck in her everyday life. It's very Wattpad-levels of writing skill (I say this knowing full well I've published The Wolves in the Woods on Wattpad).

Marinette deserves better than what the writers have done to her.

2.) Luka Couffaine

I won't lie. I was rather lukewarm to Luka when he was first introduced. He didn't quite make an impression on me when he first debuted. However, in light of the recent red flags shown by the canon love interest Adrien, he's unironically proven himself to be a better match for Marinette. It might just be me personally, but I'm not fond of overly aggressive suitors. I like men (yes, men; age myself, why don't I) who treat their women with respect. Which includes taking "no" for an answer. Luka is a strange case where the secondary love interest fits the MC better than the canon love interest. And for that, I place the blame entirely on the writing team.

Because seriously. How do you make a secondary love interest match your heroine better than the official one? It's mind-boggling.

And again, thanks to the writing of the show, Luka's personality is pretty much a blank slate. What little there is, the fandom has pretty much turned into a better character than what we see on the show. I find it very telling overall that the fandom prefers Luka over Adrien when it comes to matching Marinette with someone.

3.) Juleka Couffaine

Yet another one who was done so dirty by the writers. Juleka, alongside Rose, is one of the few classmates who I don't like reading about in salt fics since, like most of Bustier's class, she's not inherently a bad kid. She, like so many of the other female teenagers in the show, get the short end of the stick in terms of writing (I can't be the only one seeing a pattern here). I find Juleka's aspiration to be a model despite her shyness to be a very compelling storyline... in the right hands, given what we saw in Reflektdoll. Again, had it not been for Alya wrecking things, we could have seen a plot where Juleka got to come out of her shell on her own. It's a pretty logical next step after overcoming her photo curse in Reflekta, but the writing team is allergic to writing compelling female characters.

I also really love her relationship with her brother Luka. But then again, I'm a sucker for well-written sibling love.

What many writers, not just in Miraculous Ladybug, miss is that male-female relationships don't always have to be romantic. More often than not, you can write a really compelling male-female relationship without going the romance route. Like best friends, siblings from another mother, heck even adult friendships.

There were so many ways they could've handled Juleka's character instead of what they did.

4.) Kagami Tsurugi

Speaking of patterns I've noticed...

Jokes aside, Kagami is another one done dirty by the writers. And it all boils down to the fact she was literally created to be Adrien's substitute girlfriend. I wish I was kidding. I can feel the bile in my throat as I write this out. Kagami ties with Marinette on "most screwed over by the writers" alongside Chloe, but I'd rather see them be friends and ditch Adrien altogether.

Why can't female love rivals be friends instead of bitter enemies. But then again, female rivalries tend to be rather nasty in real life, too. See how many women competed against each other for the position of queen in olden times. Or queen consort. Whatever position of power there was available to women at the time. Or whatever accomplishment there was to be had. Anyways, this isn't the first time girls have been pitted against each other for a guy in fiction, and it unfortunately may not be the last.

Just like Marinette, Kagami deserved better than what the writers did to her.

5.) Nathalie Sancoeur

She's an icon. What can I say? Nonsensical "romance" with Gabriel aside, Nathalie's one of the few female characters who stands out from the Miraculous Ladybug cast without the aid of a man. I know. Very telling, isn't it. Not just her design, but her personality, too. I find Nathalie to be more of a charismatic villain than Gabriel, tellingly enough. It's not just how she helps him commit acts of evil. But how she's very cool and level-headed in what she does. Even her kinder acts, such as convincing Gabriel to let Adrien attend school (wow, not doing yourself many favors, Gabe) are met with cool indifference.

If that's not a recipe for an iconic villainess, I don't know what is. But like everything else, she was butchered by the writing team.

Seriously. Do they have something against strong women or something? I've never seen a supposed girl power show treat their female characters with such contempt before. Even allegedly problematic shows like Puella Magi Madoka Magica didn't have this problem (I say allegedly because it's subject to opinions I might not share).

Honorable Mentions

None this time, because MLB has very few actually likable characters.

[barbwritesstuff]

Anon who was asking about increasing powers yesterday. I feel like its not so much not being able to choose freely that feels frustrating, as it is the current requirements for gaining powers. I don't mind having restrictions on being able to learn powers in concept, and I think having them be tied to the world and your characters actions/choices is a pretty neat idea, I just think the current implementation just isn't quite clicking with me. The chapter 1 choices are somewhat better as I see the logic behind them. And while it's definitely a bit sad I can't always pick the combo of starting stat boost and background content I feel would best fit my character, it's not the biggest issue, not really that much of a bother. Chapter 5 is really the where I have my issue. Basically, while I can see why allying with the relevant trainer would enable a character to increase a power they wouldn't necessarily be naturally inclined to, I think I'm failing to see the other half of the requirement, which is why a character who is more inclined to one of the powers couldn't improve that power on their own, so the requirement ends up feeling somewhat arbitrary. There's also the element where it feels like another way the game is skewed in favor of less reluctant characters, since a reluctant character is far more likely to not make any alliances, and then just not get to increase a power in Chapter 5.

But knowing that I'm not totally locked out of path of the beast forever for not choosing to be a criminal or ally with Illya does make it somewhat less annoying, so thanks for the info.

I understand where you're coming from, but I'm not going to change my mind on this. Five years for a vampire to develop a new power is quick. If most vampires were doing that every 5 years, they'd be gods by the time they're 50.

But that's not the case. Lawrence Blackwell was 200ish when he fought the werewolves and he was only just able to give shadows form.

MC doesn't realise this, but if they have even one power by 5, they're a very impressive fledgling. Having two powers by that age is incredibly unusual and the only way I can see that happening is via rigorous training.

I also don't think reluctant vampires can't be allies and/or train with other vampires. You don't have to like being a vampire, or kill, or anything to get any of these allies. You just have to tell them that you'll stick up for them in court.

That said, I get it. Iliya is a bit of a prick when you first meet him, being a criminal isn't an easy pill to swallow, and I understand not wanting to engage in even the lowest level of politics... which means you will have to wait a little while longer to get super strength.

All that said, you don't actually need powers to play the game. I was even thinking of putting an achievement in for players who finish the game powerless.

Powers are get out of jail free cards and/or things that'll activate useful hints or flavour texts.

You'll end up in more sticky situations without powers (and the end game will be harder) but it's still totally doable.

Other choices matter more when it comes to actually changing the story. For example, what tribute you decide will pretty much determine the next couple of chapters.

I hope all of that makes sense. 💙

[hydn-jpg]

Hi, it's your secret pal! I'm curious - what is your favorite aspect from each of your pairings? How would you describe them, what draws them to each other? Feel free to ramble, I'd love to get to know more about them!

hi hello!! i'm so sorry i couldn't answer earlier, there's been several losses in my family (not my immediate family but very close relatives) and it was kind of a lot so i wasn't able to go online for a while ,, i know this is probably not very helpful anymore at this point but i will try to answer it still!

i'm not good at writing and i don't really think about them much outside of reading their books and drawing them so for the most part, my mcs and their lis closely follow their 'canon' stories and personalities ,, but i will try to describe some thoughts i've had abt them!

trystan x noel

i've always been a sucker for the kind of dynamic they have, where one is really flirty and charming and the other is a gruff, no nonsense person (i'm sure there's a name for this dynamic but i can't think of it rn,,). i also love the forced proximity they had at first, with noel reluctantly letting trystan work with him but thawing and warming up to him over time!

i definitely love their interactions most in book 1 and kinda wish they stayed in that sort of dynamic for a bit longer (in fact, i would've liked if book 1 was just them flirting back and forth, and for the actual romance to start in book 2 haha). i liked book 2 but it felt a bit rushed and some parts were kinda weird to me. haven't read book 3 or the proposal book yet and idk if i want to lol

i think trystan was fascinated and attracted to noel right off the bat. noel's gruff and sarcastic demeanor is refreshing and dare i say, sexy to him :3c the attraction might be superficial at first, but over time he starts to notice noel's little quirks (like how his handwriting is complete chicken scratch, unreadable to everyone but himself and ruby somehow, or how he pouts when deep in thought, something noel himself doesn't realize he does). at first, he finds them amusing. but then that amusement became fondness and that fondness became something more, and things kinda just snowballed from there!

i don't think noel thought much of trystan until a lot later (at least, a little bit later than in the books). he was hot, sure, but he was also kinda annoying, too talkative and entirely too flirty. but i like to think that trystan's "annoying" traits are also what eventually draws noel to him, like his talkativeness(?), his chatter, his voice — the same one that used to annoy him when they first worked together on the sonja case becoming the balm to soothe his nerves as they get closer to each other. does that make sense?? idk lol. he pretends to be annoyed but he secretly doesn't mind it. maybe even finds it endearing, not that he'd admit it at this stage haha

noel doesn't just fall. he plummets, even though he's reluctant to acknowledge it at first. but when he does, he's all in for him <3

i think they definitely fit into the 'he fell first, he fell harder' trope!

i don't see their dynamic changing much after they get together. their banter stays the same, but you could definitely tell that it's also become more affectionate! they're also more open and vulnerable with each other, but i think that's kind of a given haha. i see them cooking together pretty often too! noel's a great cook, and trystan is always eager to help out :D

in my personal canon, noel and trystan wouldn't get married (although i do have a wip of trystan proposing... but that's a joke post haha). maybe i'm projecting but they just don't seem like marriage-type people. i see them being common law partners instead!

oh also! noel is bisexual but has never been in a committed relationship with a guy until trystan. by the start of book 1 he hasn't been in a relationship in quite a while (idk if i want to make it canon or not yet but his last relationship probably didn't end very well) so falling for trystan was kind of scary for him, but with trystan's help he was able to warm up to it quickly c:

cas x jiwon

immortal desires was one of those books that i kinda scoffed at when i first saw the cover but it ended up being my second favourite book after crimes!! i love cas (and gabe but this is not abt them), he's the classic bad boy with a secret heart of gold trope c: maybe cas is the real golden boy all along haha

cas was interested in jiwon bc he was new in town, a fresh face. that was it, until he noticed that gabe was clearly interested in him. then it became a game of sorts – whenever gabe was near the new guy, he made it his personal mission to invade their space. so he hung around jiwon mostly to get under gabe's skin (though he had to admit, jiwon's witty comebacks and sharp remarks made it all the more enjoyable), but the more they were together, the more he genuinely enjoyed jiwon's company. eventually he wasn't there to annoy gabe anymore, he's there bc he wanted to be.

he loves that jiwon doesn't take his shit. he stands his ground where others would cower or straight up ignore him.

i think what jiwon likes most abt cas is that despite how he (tries to) act, he's really just a big softie and also kind of a dork :3c that's it lol. cas isn't as subtle as he thinks he is, and jiwon sees right through his bad boy facade (in fact, he thinks cas is kinda terrible at the whole bad boy thing. like, "oh i just gave you my jacket bc if i don't you'd freeze to death and i don't wanna deal with that" ?? please). cas is cas, and that's why jiwon loves him <3

lucky x woojin

they're a newer pairing so i haven't had many thoughts about them but i think of them as having a playful, teasing relationship (the teasing mostly on lucky's part haha)

idk how to explain this but in the nicest way possible, i think of woojin as a bit of a cringefail loser. idk why. but i do think that's part of what makes him so endearing to lucky! he's cute, but in the loser kind of way, if that makes sense

he probably already had a crush on her growing up, whenever she and destiny and the rest of the gang would hang out at their home he would always try to find an excuse to talk to her, or try to impress her by doing something probably dumb (i'm thinking somewhere along the lines of young rhett and link hijinks), much to destiny's ire and to lucky's amusement

other than that, i think of lucky as being the more dominant one in the relationship (not necessarily in just a sexual way, but like in general).

i think that's all i could think of them rn ;; i haven't actually finished reading terrorfest yet so it's a bit difficult for me, a (mostly) canon enjoyer, to visualize what they'll be like at this point. but i will try to write more about them when i finish reading!

(also ik what could happen to lucky if your points with her aren't high enough(?), so that's definitely an alternate route i'm interested in exploring!)

__

again i'm sorry if this wasn't very helpful! i feel like i didn't really answer your question ;;; ik you said feel free to ramble but i literally wrote out my train of thought so it's kinda all over the place haha

[misc-obeyme]

Hi. It's me, Lucifer's gay awakening. [don't kill me]

Okay but like, how are you doing as of late? :D

I have once again came back from the depths to share thee ideas from thy mind after a few hours of agony (studying).

When I listen to the song "Angel of Music" from the Phantom of the Opera, I automatically think of Lucifer. I don't know how, I don't know why. It's probably because of how much I see Lucifer in the phantom, and how I just imagine MC directly calling him for help like — recalling the time where people still prayed to him as one of the most respected angels in the Celestial Realm.

With the lines:

Angel of Music, guide and guardian Grant to me your glory (who is this angel?)

Like: what if the person you weren't praying to wasn't an angel, yet still treated you like such? I know it's a stretch, but the brothers angelic tendencies are still present amidst their years of being demons. Like, you're asking, who is this angel? When in fact it was never one to begin with.

Tell me if you want to know more about this since I'm still thinking and trying to explain my other ideas on this ;v; And again, stay safe and healthy whenever and wherever you are :DDD

Bonus: I see Satan as Raoul and that's my HC for his fake name whenever he pretends to blend in with the human realm.

- 🎹

Hey there, 🎹 anon! I'm doing pretty good! I hope you've been doing well!

Oh, yes. Phantom of the Opera was one of my hyperfixations back when I was like... in middle school ahaha let us not discuss how long ago that was. I read the book as an adult and I was like what is all this?? It was good, but very different.

Anyway, Angel of Music is a very interesting comparison for Lucifer. I mean, this is the part where Christine still thinks her benefactor is nice and therefore thinks of him as an angel or at least as someone who will help and protect her. Only to find out later he's a guy who lives and writes operas in the sewers. And then he kidnaps her. Hang on, is the Phantom yandere? I kinda feel like he fits that archetype?? OOooor I'm just crazy which is also possible.

Moving on!

I would say the big difference between Lucifer and the Phantom is that Lucifer actually was an angel at one point. And I think an argument could be made that he is still partly an angel. Certainly demons who are fallen angels seem to be distinctly different from demons who aren't. As evidenced by the vampire event, where only fallen angels were afflicted with the curse or whatever. That means there must be something intrinsically different about them, right?

And like... Lucifer also plays the piano. Not quite as dramatic as a big ole organ perhaps, but still relevant.

But you know, musically inclined, kinda evil, deeply tormented, they got all that going on.

Also Satan as Raoul is everything to me lol!

[cadybear420]

Cadybear's MC Wardrobes: Jo Hunter, ILITW. Featuring some edits by me!

How this series goes: With each book, for a MC I'm invested in, I'll assess each of their in-game outfits. How much do I like or dislike the outfit? Is this something that suits my MC's style, or does it make me go "My MC would NOT wear/own this"? And for the outfits that my MC would not wear or own, how would I alter or replace them? I'm not going to use screenshots from the actual game because I can't be arsed. Also I want to use the different sprite expressions to express how my MC would feel about each outfit.

I like to think this is a good opportunity to elaborate on my MCs' dress styles, and show off some edits :D

Now it's time to give the spotlight to the wardrobe of a different MC from Evie! Let's see how the outfts of ILITW live up to her standards!

Ch 1: Pajamas

I like them, they suit her. Tank top and sweatpants are perfect for her.

Verdict: Part of Jo's wardrobe. Keep it as is.

Ch 1: "Paint it Black" Premium Starter Casual Outfit

This outfit is pretty stylish. But for Jo, it's probably a bit too much, as much as she loves a good rebellious look. Plus she would noooooot like that short skirt. With very very few exceptions, I don't think she'd care for dresses or skirts unless they were maxi or floor length and fairly loose.

Verdict: Not quite a part of Jo's wardrobe. Maybe save some of the jewelry pieces, but ditch the rest.

Ch 1: "Da Bomb" Free Starter Outfit

Sooooooo PB has this terrible habit that I really hate where whenever they give the f!version of a GOC character (usually MC) an outfit with a cool/tough-looking jacket, they almost always have to pair it with a crop top. Looking at you: Cas Harlow, ID MC, Channing Lowe, TH:M MC (double offender), HSS:CA MC, KND MC (even though she's genderlocked but still), Kaine Bell. I mean, it's pretty par for the course for GOC character outfits in general, but it's especially annoying in this particular case.

I wouldn't mind it so much if they did the same to the m!versions, but of course they don't because "wimin must show skin beecuze wimin sexee, must be sexee because wimin, but mehn can not show off thighs or hips or tummi beecuze mehn being sexee in ways that aren't about muscles and strength is ghey, har de har har har".

I know I already bitch about this issue a lot, but I bring it up because you can expect me to de-croptopify each of these sort of outfits whenever they come up.

Of the four starter outfits, this is the overall style I find the most fitting to Jo's character in the ILITW timeline: a tough but chill "cool guy". Luckily. not only does the cropped part not really show in the dialogue window, but I also don't have to spend diamonds on it. So I can in good faith use the outfit in the game.

Verdict: Only partly in Jo's wardrobe. Alter by lengthening the top, then use as her default casual outfit for ILITW.

Here's the outfit in Jo's style. This is her official casual outfit for ILITW.

Ch 1: "Sweater Weather" Free Starter Outfit

It's a decent outfit, but again, Jo does not like skirts that are higher than maxi-length and are form-fitting.

Even that aside, the overall style isn't quite for her.

Verdict: Not quite a part of Jo's wardrobe. Save the belt, but ditch the rest.

Ch 1: "Rock N' Roll High School" Starter Outfit

Everything about this one is awesome (the shirts especially), except for the short shorts. I think the tights do improve the look, but still, it's just not her thing. Guess PB decided if they couldn't have a croptoppified tough f!outfit, they'll make it shortshortsified instead lul.

Verdict: Only partly in Jo's wardrobe. Alter by replacing the shorts and tights (and save for ILB/ILW).

Here's what this outfit would look more like in Jo's style. This is what I think would be her casual outfit in ILB and ILW.

Ch 8: "All That Glitters" Premium Outfit for Britney's Party

The dress fabric? Very nice. The heart choker necklace? Cute, though it's not quite Jo's favorite style... but she probably wouldn't be against wearing it. The purse addition? It looks very stylish, and is a very unique touch for a Choices outfit too. The dress length? Ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...

Verdict: Only partly in Jo's wardrobe. Alter by turning the dress into a top and adding pants.

This is how the outfit would look in Jo's style. Though I think she'd also be fine with going to the party in her regular clothes like everyone else does.

Ch 12: "Lovely in Lace" Premium Homecoming Dress

Definitely not for her at all.

Verdict: Jo would not own this. Ditch it.

Ch 12: "Coming Up Roses" Premium Homecoming Dress

God I love that shade of pink. I think Jo would like it too. I do think the net-looking thing around the chest is a bit odd, but overall it's a neat dress. And it meets Jo's skirt criteria perfectly.

However, it feels a lot more like a prom dress rather than a homecoming dress. I'm gonna headcanon she wears this for senior prom. With also maybe a little addition...

Verdict: Part of Jo's wardrobe. Keep it as is (but save it for prom headcanons, and maybe add some form of blazer to it).

Although she wouldn't mind the dress as it is, she'd prefer it with a blazer. She likes wearing formal/suit jackets over long dresses.

Ch 12: "Casual-Tee" Free Homecoming Outfit

Apparently some people found this ugly. IDK why. I quite like this style of top, and I find it fairly fitting to Jo's preferred style for homecoming.

Verdict: Part of Jo's wardrobe. Keep it as is, and use as her official homecoming outfit.

BONUS ROUND: Unused Underwear

Definitely one of the better f!underwears PB has given us. Personally I like it, but Jo on the other hand isn't really a panties girl.

Verdict: Only partly in Jo's wardrobe. Alter by replacing the panties.

Here's the underwear in Jo's style.

ILB: Stealthy Hoodie

Unlike Evie's 2 outfits in HSS:CA, I don't think it's worth it to make a new post just for this one outfit Jo wears in ILB.

Anyways, I like this outfit, it's cool. Looks very cozy.

Verdict: Part of Jo's wardrobe. Keep it as is.

[disaster-magician]

Step 2 mc ramblings woo!! Um, some things about mcs feeling anxiety, depression, insecurity, and rebellion, but I don't think there's anything too heavy! I promise all of them feel better and do have SOME happy moments in step 2 haha

Here's their step 1 ramblings below if you'd like to check that out as well! 😊

Nova Grace "Gracie" Woods. They are questioning their gender and use They/She pronouns. Sprite is slightly edited to give her a second lobe piercing and make the headband go behind their bangs bc that bothered the shit outta me. (Check out my pinned post to see the absolutely perfect full body refs of her I commed from Sunny 🫶🏾💕)

She hides a lot of herself that they fear are childish, only really feeling able to be themselves around Tama and Qiu. She still enjoys cartoons and has a special interest in space, but has taken up band(Percussion! What loud instruments for someone so quiet, who would have guessed?) and writing as well as still being an avid reader. They've done a complete 180 on scary things as well, now loving horror movies and games. Those things frighten her much less than they did as a kid now that she's dealt with the way scarier world of high school and trying to fit in.

Her Qiu has long hair with both accessories, and Tama has short hair with the headband!

Still as shy and nervous as ever, Nova goes through life insecure and sure she's being judged on a scale she can't see. She's too short and too heavy, it's weird that they prefer ASL and writing notes over talking, embarrassing that she still likes "kid" shows(her favorite show of all time is Gravity Falls and they love that they live in Oregon too! They'd gladly dress up as Dipper with Tama as Mabel if that wasn't for babies...) and stuffed animals, her different colored eyes are freakish, and they're covered in acne. All these insecurities sometimes leave her overwhelmed, and she needs to run to her safe space in the forest to hide.

She and Tama are still best friends, they've gotten official bracelets that say so and everything! If nothing else, those two can always count on each other for comfort and friendship. As for Qiu... well, as a teenager they've realized just why they always made her heart beat faster. She's got it bad, and isn't quite sure what to do about it. Not confess, that's for sure. They can't stand the idea of losing Qiu as a friend and can't bring herself to consider there's even a chance they might just like her back. Hopefully they'll learn that it's okay to express her feelings and interests, and not to be so harsh on herself.

I haven't decided yet if I'll keep her as bffs and crushes with Tammy, change it so she's bffs with Qiu at this time, or have her be best friends with neither and keep it neutral on the friendship side. Oh, also I'm headcanoning that Tammy's ribbon is cranberry and Beck's headband is gold and glittery so they can have accessories in each other's hair colors <3

Annabeth "Beck" Hyyde. She only uses She/Her, but is fine with all terms. She hasn't put a label on her gender as of now.

Her Autumn has short hair with the earrings and Tammy has the long braid with the ribbon!

Beck is still that happy, energetic person she's always been, now just a whole foot taller(she's like, 5'10. If very tall was a height option I would pick that for her) and with double the hair(I imagine that it grows freakishly fast, probably down to her hips or something when it's down). She's also started to prefer going by Beck rather than Annabeth to most. Qiu sometimes calls her by her first name while Tamarack and her Mamá only use Annabeth. She will very quickly shut it down if anyone but Tammy tries to call her Annie though. That's reserved for favorite best friends only.

She still hasn't quite figured out that she has a crush on Tamarack yet, just knowing that she finds her more amazing than most and her heart always beats faster when they're together. It would take a miracle for this sweet, oblivious kid to realize her feelings at this age. At the very least, she needs someone to spell it out for her. Or maybe if a certain glittery haired neighbor confessed first..?

She's joined the high school soccer team and already stands out as an incredible and talented player. It makes sense, she's only been practicing since before she walk as her Mamá likes to say! Her athleticism, bright personality, and unique looks have made her kind of popular already, even if she doesn't realize it. She tries to be kind and open to everyone, but her two neighbors will always come first.

She knows Tammy and Autumn are having a hard time right now, and will always make time for them to listen to their rants or to distract them with something fun. Their problems are much bigger than her own after all, her issues are just small things like struggling to maintain Cs in school and still forgetting words in english sometimes(and maaaaybe she has a problem with her Mamá dating if that turns out to be true...), she can push through and stay upbeat and happy for everyone! If she doesn't, who will?

The class clown, a jokester, whatever you want to call him, Eli always has a joke or bad pun ready to make people laugh and lighten the mood. He's leaning in hard to his comic relief role and will drop everything to help others if need be. He's stopped caring about rules and being polite like he did as a kid, adults don't know anything anyway.

Elijah "Eli" Anderson. He still identifies as a boy and uses He/Him, but has started to question if that's completely right

His Qiu has long hair with the choker and Tam has the long braid with no accessories!

He cares about his best friend Qiu and Tam the most, though. He's spent hours trying to cheer them up when they're feeling bad and thinking about what he can do to help. His reckless altruism concerns his Ma, but trying to talk to him about it has only led to arguments and points of tension that he doesn't know how to heal. Why can't she see that he just wants to make others happy?? He's frustrated that they don't see eye to eye with this and it's lead to frequent arguments, even though he desperately wishes to get along with the only family he has.

He doesn't care about school anymore, or really anything he used to. Everything is so boring in this little town, he just can't bring himself to care or do anything most days. The only thing that seems to make him happy these days is playing video games, but it's not like he can do that for a living. Whatever, that's a problem for future Eli. He'd prefer to focus on others anyway, the happiness of his friends is much more important to him than his own.

Cass is...temperamental these days, to put it nicely. She responds with huffs or sarcastic responses almost exclusively, and good luck trying to get her to say anything nice about this stupid hellhole town. She's always been a little ornery and rebellious, but lately she seems almost nightmarish in her demeanor.

Cassiopeia "Cass" Aoki-Jones. She still identifies as a girl and exclusively uses She/Her. She's decided that "Cassie" is too babyish and will snap at anyone who still calls her that.

Currently, her Qiu has short hair with the choker and Tee has short hair with no accessories! Honestly, for her playthrough I'll probably let past choices determine the neighbor's looks.

She hates this small town more than ever. She hates her stupid mother who dragged her here. She hates school and skips as often as she can without getting caught, and is completely checked out when she is there. She hates her bright blue hair and insists on dyeing it different colors instead. She hates most of the adults too, with the exception of Mr. Yusuf. Even that relationship is pretty rocky, and she herself doesn't know what has to happen to make it a good day for her.

The only things that seem to make her smile anymore are ballet and practicing guitar, and she puts more effort into that than anything else. She's getting pretty good at them too, if she does say so herself! (Opal has noticed her starting to bake in secret, and that seems to make her happy too. She doesn't dare bring it up though, afraid that mentioning it will make her stop and lose that bit of joy.) Most days, she just locks herself in her room and practices or does nothing but avoid the world.

As angry as she feels at the world, spending time with Qiu or Tee does bring her some peace. She feels relieved that she has someone to talk with about gender stuff, or to complain about complicated parent relationships. Or to just talk about how hard being a teenager is. Cass can recognize now that her feelings towards both of them is something a little different than friendship, but doesn't dare bring it up. What if saying mushy stuff like that makes them hate her? No, it would be better to just not say anything so that she can keep their friendship, one of the few good things in her otherwise miserable life. Just another thing she'll keep bottled inside, good plan Cass.

[666writingcafe]

Exam Prep, Part One

Barbatos

"Your professor has informed me that lately you have been struggling with the lab portion of your seductive speechcraft class," I calmly tell MC, who sighs.

"I can block advances just fine, but actually trying to seduce someone is proving to be quite difficult," they explain. "I don't feel like I'm sounding genuine, if that makes sense. I mean, I never had that much luck with it in the human world, and it seems like I've not had to work super hard here, which still baffles me, but that's a topic for another day." Interesting. I didn't realize they were that introspective. Most humans aren't.

"If it's any consolation, you're doing better than some other demons."

"Like Levi?" I allow myself to smirk, amused by their observation.

"Exactly. Leviathan either can't bring himself to seduce anyone at all, or he pulls from existing media and provides out-of-context lines that don't fit the person he's talking to. From what I've heard, you at least are trying to be original. We--your professor and I--just think that there's room for improvement."

"Of course."

"So, for today's session, I want you to try to seduce me." Of course, that's the moment Diavolo decides to walk past the room MC and I are in. My back may be turned to him, but I can still sense his energy.

You may watch, but do not disturb us.

Understood.

"What?" MC asks, appearing both confused and terrified.

"I am one of the oldest and most powerful demons in the Devildom. If you can manage to produce some sort of effect on me, then you'll pass your exam with flying colors."

"But I don't know that much about you."

"A demon never has a lot of information on a particular human when they first encounter one, but they can use past experiences and context clues in order to be successful."

"I see." In order to ease their nerves, I kindly smile at them.

"Just try the best you can." MC closes their eyes and begins one of the breathing exercises that I taught them.

Why are you doing this? Diavolo just can't resist the urge, can he?

Their power is heavily tied to their emotions.

That isn't what I'm talking about, Barbatos.

Would you rather I have them seduce you, Young Master? Silence. Excellent.

MC opens their eyes, and immediately something seems different about them.

"You do so much for Lord Diavolo, the brothers, and the Devildom at large," they state. "Any other person would have gone insane from the sheer amount of responsibility, and yet you stand here before me with a cool, calm demeanor."

"Practice," I respond.

"You have most people fooled into believing that this life is easy for you, but not me. I know that you work a thankless job that forces you to put everyone before yourself." They're glowing, which isn't entirely unusual for them, but the color's different this time. It's not completely white like it normally is.

"Deep down, you want someone to take care of you. You have been forced to hold yourself up for so long, and you are utterly exhausted. You feel completely alone, like there's not a single soul in the entire universe that would want to take the time to get to know who you truly are." As they step closer to me, I can see spots of pink mixed in with their white light. I don't know how, but I think they've managed to tap into a portion of Asmodeus's power.

"I want to help you, not because I want anything in return, but because I care deeply about you. You deserve to have someone love you unconditionally." MC gently grabs my hand and leans closer to me. "All I ask of you is to let me in. Allow me to grow closer to you, Barbatos."

One might expect MC to take the opportunity to kiss me, but instead they remain still, staring into my eyes. My heart begins beating faster, and I find it harder to focus on my surroundings. In this moment, I finally understand why everyone seems so enamored with MC. I don't even have a pact with them, and yet my mind is begging them to give me an order to follow.

As MC steps back, the glow emanating from them begins dissipating. They're returning to normal.

Why can't I?

"Barbatos? Are you alright?" Shit. I'm on duty. They're not supposed to see me in this condition.

"You'll do just fine, MC." My voice sounds hoarse, and I have no idea why.

Someone's caught feelings.

I would appreciate it if you didn't tease me, Young Master.

But I'm not wrong.

That is irrelevant.