#i actually haven't played all of the old games yet

[flash-from-the-past]

Submachine 10: the Exit

[theclassiccosmic]

Ways to Please the Venus Signs 🔥All the Way to the Bedroom🔥

🛑 Disclaimer: 18+ only 🛑

Aries Venus or Venus in the 1st House - Be bold. Be forward as hell, then pull back. Tease to the point of edging until they seize it. If they truly want you, they will. Impulse control is not in their vocabulary.

Taurus Venus or Venus in the 2nd House - Linger on your touches or kisses. Play the long game by texting them sensual messages/photos. Something for them to admire before they can actually ravish you.

Gemini Venus or Venus in the 3rd House - Switch it up! Geminis love variety, so if you can be both submissive and dominating they'll eat that sh*t up. Also be up for trying new positions and/or toys. Oh and phone sex, they love that!

Cancer Venus or Venus in the 4th House - Might love to be babied or will be more giving to you in the bedroom. Romance is key here, they want the grand gestures almost every time. Not a fan of a quickie. Foreplay, foreplay, foreplay.

Leo Venus or Venus in the 5th House - if you haven't made it to the bedroom yet, then your Leo hasn't felt special enough to gift themselves to you. Lay on the praise. Leos love gifts and I wouldn't be wrong in saying, if you gifted them lingerie then they may "gift" you with a sexy little fashion show!

Virgo Venus or Venus in the 6th House - shower sex might be their thing. Getting dirty while getting clean. Or your Virgo Venus partner may truly appreciate you getting an STD test before y'all are intimate. Turn them on with sexy playlists while you lead them to the bedroom. Let them know they're safe to lose all control with you.

Libra Venus or Venus in the 7th House - can be a giver vs. receiver in the bedroom, but don't let that fool you. It's in your best interest to cater to them in the bedroom, too, for fear of resentment later. They are the sign of harmony, after all. Massages as foreplay might win you big points here!

Scorpio Venus or Venus in the 8th House - Before the bedroom, they'll want to feel that the sexual undercurrent is already there, so make sure there's lots of lusty eye contact while flirting. Maybe a nice playful butt grab before the deed. But once it's ON, get ready for a marathon! Scorpio Venus stay hor*y even after 1 orgasm (read: 2, 3, 4...). 🥵

Sagittarius Venus or Venus in the 9th House - Oral 😋 it's giving, "what that mouth do though?" Or how about a makeout sesh in the car that leads to a quickie in the backseat? Yes, please! Whatever it is always be direct and honest with them about what you like and don't like in the bedroom. You'll both find more pleasure that way.

Capricorn Venus or Venus in the 10th House - Show your "traditional" dominant side. Lead her to a room with your hand on the small of her back 🤤 Brush the hair away from their face before you kiss them orrrrr *gently* push their back against a wall as you initiate a kiss or intimacy. Think sex "scenes" from a book. They want you to lead (most of the time, at least 😉)

Aquarius Venus or Venus in the 11th House - you're going to have to be different to grab their attention and actually stimulate them mentally to the point of turn on. Let them teach you the ways they like to be touched, kissed or 👅-ed 🫠

Pisces Venus or Venus in the 12th House - do not, I repeat do not coax a Pisces Venus into the bed with you unless you plan to cuff up this sweet angel. After sleeping together (hell, probably during it too) a Pisces Venus will already be manifesting and visualizing your futures together, married and old and gray. Do not hit it and quit it with these babies. They'll make sure karma repays you. But if you are lucky enough to be coupled up with one, you can turn them on by letting them know that you aren't ever leaving their side. Pisces and Scorpio love that "merging into 1" kinda love 💞

[itoshiabi]

"I'm going to tell her about my identity myself"

I personally think by taking this step jinshi is clearly indicating that he's ready to take his relationship with Maomao to the next level. The flashbacks of his conversation with the old man and the empress actually clearifies it. He's not going to let anyone take Maomao away from him even if it means he has to make Maomao his consort for that. And since he's going to take that step, before that he wants Maomao to know his real identity. Telling her himself is not just about honesty, but about building a deeper connection and showing his seriousness about their future.

Also this is probably the first time I'm seeing Maomao "openly" worrying about Jinshi. Her feelings for Jinshi is gradually improving too. She doesn't find him annoying anymore lol.

When Maomao touched him—this small, unexpected gesture—it pierced straight through his carefully built defenses. He knew it's not the touch of someone trying to claim him, nor someone infatuated with his beauty. It's real. Thoughtful. And it meant everything to him. And that's why he blushed.

Jinshi's expression looks like this moment is something he's been waiting for—or something he didn't believe he deserved until now. His expression is calm on the surface, but there's a quiet vulnerability beneath it. It's like he's surrendering to whatever happens next, trusting Maomao completely. There's a silent question in his eyes "Are you really here for me?"

As for Maomao, she sees something in Jinshi's gaze that shocks her. His eyes aren't playful. They aren't teasing. They're not masking his true emotions behind flirtation or charm like he usually does. Instead, his expression is laid bare—calm, open, and completely vulnerable and for the first time, Maomao sees him. Not the flawless, untouchable beauty of the inner palace. Not the high-ranking, enigmatic figure others fawn over or fear. But the man behind all of that. And what she finds there shocks her.

The look in his eyes is intense—soft, yet piercing, like he's seeing only her in that moment. There's a deep tenderness, an unspoken confession lingering behind his gaze. His violet eyes reflect a quiet vulnerability, as if he's silently baring his soul without saying a word. It's the kind of look that speaks volumes: he treasures her more than anything, and there's a longing there, like he's afraid of losing her, but is still drawn closer despite that fear.

Also the shock in Maomao's eyes tells that she has realised the truth. For so long, she thought Jinshi was just toying with her—an aristocrat playing a game of amusement with the lowly, odd apothecary who caught his interest. She had convinced herself that his attention was fleeting, shallow, and rooted in curiosity or boredom. She thought she understood the rules of their dynamic, and she was comfortable in that belief. It was safer that way. But in this moment her mind reels, trying to process this new truth that turns her world upside down. It's written all over her face—the widening of her eyes, the subtle parting of her lips. Her heart is pounding because she realises the depth of Jinshi's feelings, and with that realisation comes the weight of what it means. He's not playing anymore. He never was.

It's all just my thoughts though, I haven't read the manga yet! But I'm really loving the fact how their relationship is progressing!

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Hello Miss Raven!!

I wanted to ask (but please feel free to dismiss this ask ajdgjags) about some info I have been seeing now that Book 7 is almost finished (maybe there's still a last chapter to tie everything together before Book 8?) about people saying that some characters have 'officially' aged one year.

I cannot play on the JP server and I have yet to reach Book 7, so I am not sure where that information comes from. But by that info, wouldn't that make (for example) the Leech brothers around 18 at the time of the Octavinelle Book or even fully 18 at the beginning of the Scarabia Book? Or even Ace, wouldn't he be already 17 by the beginning of the game, since Riddle is only one month older than him?

Wwwwww this game is messing with my perception of time. What I wonder is if that's referenced in any part of the main story.

I understand it's a very difficult question, so there's no need to answer this if you don't know, but I thought I would still ask since you are so insightful about this game <3 please take care of yourself and thank you if you end up answering this!!

Thank you for your question! It's a busy time right now since everyone's buzzing about the main story update, so I ask that you be patient with me as I comb through the pile of related asks 💦💦 I think there's probably one more book of this main story arc to go! We still have to tackle questions like Crowley's motives, Grim's OB, Yuu going home, the mystery of Mickey, and that May spelldrive/magift tournament against RSA. Book 7 even ended on this "To be Continued", so there's definitely more content to go.

Silver first mentions that his birthday is still "a little while away" in Cater's dream. In the final book 7 update, we skip forward to his actual birthday (May 15th). Malleus arranges a party on this very day, sending out invites which denote that date:

Then, at the actual party, Malleus asks, "Today is your 18th birthday, correct?" which Silver confirms.

Silver's character profile (released at the game's launch) states he is 17 years old. It is the same in both EN and JP.

Based on that, we can assume that all first years are 16, all second years are 17, and all (most) third years are 18 at the start of the school year in September. (UPDATE: Yana confirms in a recent tweet that the ages on everyone's profiles are the ages they are at when Yuu was summoned at the start of the school year.) However, because the main story spans all the way to May 15, several students and even staff would be one year older than what is currently stated in their profiles:

Jamil would be 18 (Sept 12)

Ace would be 17 (Sept 23)

Jack would be 17 (Oct 11)

Trey would be 19 (Oct 25)

Jade and Floyd would be 18 (Nov 5)

Trein would be 59 (Nov 19)

Rook would be 19 (Dec 2)

Idia would be 19 (Dec 18)

Lilia would be one year older than however old he currently is (no exact age on him, but assume 700 + 1) (Jan 1)

Malleus would be 178 (Jan 18; it’s said in Lilia’s dream (March) that he’s turned 178 this year)

Rollo would be 19 (Feb 2)

Cater would be 19 (Feb 4)

Azul would be 18 (Feb 24)

Sam would be 26 (Mar 4)

Sebek would be 17 (Mar 17)

Vil would be 19 (Apr 9)

Ruggie would be 18 (Apr 18)

Crewel would be 33 (Apr 20)

Epel would be 17 (May 6)

And, of course, Silver is now 18 (May 15)

The characters who haven't aged up yet are:

Fellow, still 26 (May 17)

Deuce, still 16 (Jun 3)

Kalim, still 17 (Jun 25)

Leona, still 20 (Jul 27)

Vargas, still 30 (Aug 4)

Ortho, still 16 (Aug 14)

Riddle, still 17 (Aug 24)

Hope that helps!

[velnna]

i’m ngl, i’m a big dnd nerd that was running out of high fantasy content to consume and then i stumbled upon your beloved comic. i just wanted to ask what your favorite worldbuilding decision is for utg and if you could pick dnd classes for any (all) of the characters, what they would be 👀

anyway, i hope you have so much good energy! all the good ideas and epiphanies and magnificent sketches to your heart’s desire ♥️

Oh yay thanks for reading! I hope you enjoy it ☺️

There's two major world things that I'm really happy with and helped a bunch of things click into place I think

One has to do with the magic system, or rather how magic works in that world on a sort of... molecular level? People who've seen me do worldbuilding for a while know I'm cheeky about deriving stuff from physics and loosely drawing parallels here and there, and for the under garden I ended up making it so that a lot of magic runs on wave function interference. Kinda. So the "natural" state of things has its own wave frequencies and magic comes from unnatural frequencies being added into the mix causing shit to go weird

By extension deciding this also made it easier to understand why or how some things can detect magic (they'd pick up on the weird frequencies) AND how it's possible to have magic blocking devices (they emit destructive frequencies that nullify it). Does it fully make sense on a physical level? Not necessarily but I get giddy when I can visualise magic mechanics like this hehe

The other decision was to simplify our lineup of humanoid species from the original DnD esque basis, but in a way that allows us to have basically any humanoid appearance you can think of through a ✨mutation✨ cheatcode. We have two "elf" subspecies (basically the dark elf-like ppl and everyone else, including "dwarf" looking folk, etc) and then a species that technically derives from them (and they're all genetically compatible) that's characterised by having abnormal, often insect-like traits. There's no real limit to their phenotypes since their origin is magical and random in nature, and since they can mix with "normal" elves the degree of bugness varies.

Which means i can have insect people, reptile people, horns or hooves or tails or wings galore without needing to come up with a full background for each of these variants >:)c

ANYHOO sorry I get carried away rambling about these things. Class-wise, I only have claims for some characters who... may be yet to make a full appearance in the comic, and would actually fight:

^ Monk??? Not my first claim but after playing an actual monk the ki system started making a lot of sense

^ Lil' sorcerer u_u probably with a subclass or two but sorcerer would hold up as he grows older

^ I think warlock would work for her well enough. Not a perfect fit but I can see it with some homebrew tweaking

^ Ranger makes sense I feel, she becomes one with the avalanches

^ Barbarian.... barbarian/druid???? Uncharted territory here

^ Warlock but you haven't seen much of it yet.... soon.... (I'm actually so excited for her)

^ This one's easy I just snatched her straight from an old DnD game anyway. That's my rogue artificer babygirl

Anyhoo hope you enjoyed this ramble

[mybelovedwoo]

yunho as boyfriend, please 🩷🩷

The long-awaited yunho boyfriend headcanon is here!!!

jeong yunho as your boyfriend - headcanon

headcanon, romance, fluff, smut

reader x bf!atz

wc. ~ 0.7k

an: i know this took soo long to write, but I actually had a really busy time since I last posted one of these TT but as summer is here now I'll hopefully have more time to write

you can request headcanons if you want to!! if you want to be tagged in any of my fics you can apply here <3

masterlist

- the funny golden retriever boyfriend, who never fails to make your mood better and to make you smile (it's his personal goal in his life, to make you the happiest, and he really does)

-just as to everyone, he is your sunshine, your happy pill, the reason you smile every single day

-he is also the  "college boyfriend" kind of vibe, who is the love of your life and will be your husband in the future

-he always texts you no matter what, if his phone is in his hands, then he's most definitely chatting with you. also if he can't say anything else, he'll send you memes (it's one of his love languages)

-loves treating you with gifts, would most definitely bring you flowers on date nights, but don't forget about the bag of snacks and chocolates he always brings you on the first day of your period (he even tracks it on his phone, so he can be prepared)

-he's a gamer boy, so it's no surprise he loves it when you make interest and ask about his game, not even talking about when you ask him if you can play with him

-lots of inside jokes

-he is a big act of service guy. absolutely loves cooking for you or making you coffee before you wake up in the morning

-he never lets you pay for anything, even if you beg him. he thinks it's a gesture he is supposed to do as your boyfriend (at least that's what his father taught him)

 -gets embarrassed very easily when you compliment him, he gets all shy and giggly, sometimes you do it on purpose, just to see his flustered face because it's the cutest

-he communicates problems so well, that you barely ever fight

-carpool karaoke dates, blasting your favorite music and don't care what other people think of you

-this man has endless energy, so he's never tired of doing anything for you or being with you. when you call him, he's right there just for you

-holding hands 24/7, even if it's too hot outside and your hands get all sweaty, he just doesn't care

-he loooves it when you pamper him, with kisses, or caress his back

-he asks for your opinion on everything, if you don't like something then he doesn't like it either. your opinion is the most valuable thing for him

-goofy nicknames that don't even make sense but you can't help but love it

-somehow always knows what you're thinking about. when you feel uncomfortable in a situation, he's right there for the rescue, tho you didn't give him any specific sign, he just knows you too well. or when you come home from work, you haven't spoken yet, but he knows by just looking at you that you had a bad day and ready to cuddle you all night long

-idk he gives off shy kisses vibes with lots of giggles, but when it's really intimate he just holds your face in his big ass hands

nsfw +18!!!

-okaay hear me out, he is probably a switch, but mostly a bottom. he just loves it when you take control, it's his favorite thing

-he would prefer the good old cowgirl position, but anything, where you're on top is his "favorite", at least that's what he says

-but there are times when his dominant side comes out and ohh boy, you are so blessed to experience it

-when he's in that mood, he just rails you with no mercy. he has to let out all the tension and there's no better place than in the bedroom

-he does magic with his long fingers, takes you to heaven then brings you right back to earth

-he likes doing it in a chair with you on top, of course, he likes the closeness and loves holding you during it

- sex with him is anything but boring, yeah it's really sweet with a lot of emotions, but it's also really passionate and sensual. he would recommend new positions and toys all the time, he likes experiencing

-for places, I think he's a traditional in-bed kind of guy, he likes to stay comfortable 

-holds your hand and whispers sweet nothings into your ears, he talks you through it (with a really low and raspy voice)

-you have sex max three times a week, especially after a date night it's an essential

-his libido is quite high since he's a dancer, he can go multiple rounds in one night

-he likes to cuddle after, holds you in his arms. after a couple of minutes, you both just fall asleep right there and then

taglist: @dinossaurz (you can message me if you want to be added or removed)

[baeddel]

tirade on pirating software. 1.7k words.

i recently read a post by someone who is anti-piracy (better: against making copies of software). they said that if you can't afford something you should wait for a sale or find a free alternative. and then they said that the only time that they find piracy (better: finding a copy online) acceptable is for games that are so old that you cannot buy them from a licensed vendor, but only from resellers, because in that case the developer doesn't get the money anyway.

i feel like i could make a sort of loophole argument in this framework, which is that i can watch ebay until the game is listed by a reseller, and then pirate it, because i'm no longer making a choice between paying the developer or not paying, but paying a reseller and not paying, and i've decided not paying a reseller is morally permissable.

but i think it can go a little further. they specified developer. i should pay the developer. even though i don't buy directly from the developer, but a licensed vendor. but the vendor's surcharge is not worth bringing up.

this is because we don't believe in following the law, exactly, and thus you should follow all copyright laws for that reason. it's because of, usually, one of two reasons: developers deserve to be compensated, or that we have a moral obligation to support the developer.

on the first view, the "just deserts argument", it's not clear to me that the moral obligation to not pirate is watertight in this case (when i said "pirate" before, i made a silly gesture, meant to indicate that i'll say that for brevity, but am not acquiescing). a developer deserves to be compensated for their work; but what do they deserve exactly?

does every developer deserve to become as rich from their game as Notch, and every time they don't there's been an injustice? you probably don't think that.

do they deserve some particular amount that we would say is 'fair'?—it isn't unjust if they do better (although you might think so, and complain about how much of the spotlight they take up compared to others just as deserving), but we only require that much success of them. this might be dependent on the kind of game that it is, for example, a better game deserves more success. if that's the case, then we've exonerated at least some pirates; so long as the developer is as successful on the market as they deserve to be, we've done nothing wrong.

you might say that it's wrong to pirate games that haven't yet reached the threshold of just success, because you place them in jeoprady of never achieving the success they deserve. further, you might say that this threshold is epistemologically unknowable to human beings (see: click), and therefore in practice you can never justify piracy, because you never know if a game has reached the threshold of justice. pirates, therefore, gamble with justice, and only Minos will pay their winnings.

i think this would be a good argument, except that i don't understand why i, as someone who wants to download a copy of the game, am the one who bears the moral responsibility. if the success of this developer is a matter of justice, then surely we all bear that responsibility, even people who don't play videogames. therefore we should all purchase and promote every game, and so forth.

this isn't what any anti-piracy advocate believes, even if they seem to take a deserts line. instead they restrict our obligations to participating in ordinary market mechanisms. the game is being sold as a commodity; therefore people should buy that commodity from a point of sale apporved by the producer, and so forth. it's taken for granted that the anarchy of the market is the right way to guarantee justice, and other possibilities are never explored. ultimately, the deserts argument naturalizes capitalist relations. once you remove these blinders, the mechanism for delivering justice it actually proposes seems obviously unreliable and unsatisfactory (in fact, i believe this criticism applies to all deserts arguments).

here i will quickly add my complaint against the second argument, that we should support the developer. the argument runs: if you like a developer, you should support their work by purchasing their products. i am a lot more sympathetic to this argument and so i won't spend much of the post attacking it. it's enough to say that it suffers from the same problem we just mentioned: why is participating in ordinary market mechanisms the best way to support the developer? capitalism is likewise naturalized by this case when it is advanced as a moral argument against piracy. therefore we can run the same argument: if we have a moral obligation to support game developers, then it's not clear to me why only potential players have that obligation, and so forth (but this time the criticism doesn't apply to all similar arguments, just this one).

however, it often isn't advanced that way, and as a pragmatic argument i tend to agree with it. in fact sometimes they actually have a case for participating in normal market mechanisms: DMC fans want you to buy DMC games because then Capcom will look at their sales figures and decide it's worth making another game. you could argue that they still have capitalist blinkers on because they only advocate you buy one copy, the one you'll play, which is how the game is sold. maybe they should be asking you to buy a hundred copies or whatever. but we don't want them to do that, LOL. and the feeling is usually that there are limits of what you can ask out of someone; when one DMC youtuber was spending quadruple digits on a DMC-themed gacha, his viewers expressed concern and encouraged him to stop. so cheers to DMC players.

in fact, there might be ethical reasons to only ask someone to purchase a copy of something in the normal way: when i try to get you to buy one of Xraftstar / Charity / Porpentine's games, i am doing it because i personally want my friend to succeed, and i want to see their art recognized. this is a kind of moral motivation, but it's the morality of rendering personal obligations; you are not likewise obligated. however, i of course feel there are limits on what i can ask of you, and so, unlike when i make donation posts for my friends who are struggling, i'm only comfortable encouraging you to purchase a copy of something i think will actually render a use-value to you (even if you could still obtain it in other ways and get the same use-value).

but anyway, why specify the developer in the first place? the work put in by the publisher, the developers and maintainers of the platform its sold on, the bandwidth of the payment processor, and so forth, all get left out of the question, even though they are all more or less necessary parts of the normal market mechanisms we're encouraging you to participate in.

i think it's obvious that the anti-piracy advocate of this kind doesn't actually want to advocate for participation in the market economy, like Bush during the recession. they want to be just by the developer because they see the developer as a fellow individual like themselves; they actually want to cut through the market alienation and simply do right by another person. therefore all of the other capitalists who make money off the sale—publisher, platform, payment processor—are just more big companies, perhaps even leeches we'd be better off without.

it's funny, because historically this view was used to support piracy when it came to music. you used to see a lot of charts like this:

how much of a CD goes to the label, manufacturers and distributors, to show how little really goes to an artist, to shut down people who said you should buy the CD to support them. there's a sort of naive anarchism underlying this: i want to help the individual who made the music i love, who needs manufacturers and distributors anyway?

in this kind of simple moral reasoning, resellers really get shafted. they're seen as scalpers, taking money without producing any value. no one says: 'make sure to support resellers!' thus we never ask who the individual behind all of the market alienation the resller is. whoever they are they don't deserve the money. then, when you are poor and struggling, and cannot afford to buy things for yourself, what do people tell you to do? sell your games, CDs...

but i don't want to be too sarcastic here, because there is nothing funny about this impulse to reach through market alienation and connect morally with another individual. it is the essence of emancipation. but hear my argument: purchasing commodities from them is an unsatisfactory way to realize it. it's true that you can certainly help someone by buying what they sell; many of us rely on this to a greater or lesser extent, and, pragmatically, i hope we'll all buy Nadia Nova's next game and put food in her belly. but systematically, not in this or that case, but as a general moral principle, the commodity form, the exchange of cash for things or copies of things—this is the very thing that reproduces these conditions of alienation in the first place. and these relations—their predictability as a feature of the market, or even their scarcity as a part of a volatile and impermanent system—is what habitually places the developer in a condition of alienation from their labour, coaxing them to give up their so-called intellectual "property", then forbidding them from using the games they made; or by seducing them into placing their music on a platform, then offering them increasingly small margins and less control; or to post their content (qua sex workers) on a paywall platform, which then imposes complex payout structures to keep them from claiming their earnings. and so forth. the desire to reach through all of the noise and support the individual is inevitably captured, redirected, and fed upon in as many ways as it can be, until the whole thing crashes down and the cycle starts again.

therefore, should you purchase or pirate the next game you want to play? Remember Ptahhotep: "The noble who sitteth before food divideth it as his soul moveth him; he giveth unto him that he would favour."

[vitaminseetarot]

Pick a Bird: Your Next Romantic Getaway 💞🦢

*･ﾟ✧Masterlist | *･ﾟ✧Ko-Fi

Hey y'all, welcome back to a new pick a card reading. This reading is all about a possible rendezvous you and your special date or partner will have during the most pleasant time of year. Why Pokémon? I am strongly tempted to do a series of nostalgia themed pick a card readings, from different games and series, and similar looking birds showed up in my 3D card deck, so why not start with the classic trio?

[*this future person refers to someone romantically special and significant in your life. This PAC is for anyone single or in a relationship, and also LGBT+ friendly.]

Pick which legendary bird Pokémon calls to you. You can also view the 3D bird cards below to choose your pile:

Pile 1 - Articuno / Blue Bird ❄ Pile 2 - Zapdos / Yellow Bird ⚡ Pile 3 - Moltres / Red Bird 🔥

Pile 1 - Articuno ��

3 of Swords, Queen of Cups, Knight of Swords, XII Hanged Man; 14 - Grace, Desert - Vision Quest, 30. Mimicry, Patterns - be your own witness, Forget-me-not - Rememberance

With your cards, I see your next romantic outing will feel sentimental and quaint. This pile is more focused on the depth of the connection that's made right away, so I'm seeing a date that is quiet and laid back. From the 3 of Swords, it looks like you haven't been crazy about the last few dates you were on, or of missed opportunities in the past. Your cards are saying to leave the previous experiences aside, since your date may actually relate to some of what you've gone through. You may also feel rather jaded about the dating scene in general, but this date will be like a breath of fresh air for you. Try going into this encounter with a forgiving, clean slate mindset, and they may be easier to approach and vise versa. I'm getting that there may be some awkward silences at the start, but to persist as it's merely a surface level freeze. Your next date may be a little on the shy side, perhaps just like you, and may just need some encouragement. If you're both shy, parallel play may be something you choose to do together to start. No matter what you choose to do, this date will be one to remember for years to come.

Your date is a sensitive soul with the Queen of Cups, yet erudite with the Knight of Swords. They possess a poetic mind yet are always down for a rousing trivia game. They enjoy being intellectually stimulated by the great books yet can't help themselves but fall into Youtube rabbit holes. A dumpster truck may roll by yet they see a song to compose in it. They have a bit of refinement in them, even if they prefer wearing plain clothing. But the scientific brain doesn't take away from their inner romantic heart, it just adds to their complexity. This person is very thoughtful and polite, I'm even seeing them bringing you a small wrapped gift on the first date! Moreover, they want to know what's going on in your world, so don't be surprised if they poke around with a few questions as they're eager to get to know you better. This person will likely let you be the one to decide where to go, as they appear to be fine with just hanging out and doing their own thing.

For date ideas, I'm seeing a lot of cafés in this pile, so it may start out as small and casual. Lunch or dinner may also likely be involved. Whether you go somewhere humble or sophisticated, it's also where you will feel more free to express yourself from the heart. The place does not seem to be as important in this pile as much as the nature of the conversations you will have. I'm getting My Dinner With Andre here, so when I say long conversations, I mean looong. You will find a reason to talk to them for potentially hours, so hopefully this café will stay open late for you two! If you are spiritual, they may be inclined to discuss those topics with you in depth. Otherwise, I'm seeing a lot of nostalgia here, and they'll likely be the same age as you, so you'll get to reminisce the good old days with them. You could talk about the same things over and over and neither of you will get bored. You may even find it within you to confess things to them that you normally wouldn't feel comfortable exchanging until after you've seen each other a few times. They just have a way of making you feel comfortable enough to open up more.

If you're feeling more active, you and your date may decide to do some sightseeing, especially if there are interesting monuments or statues that would make for breaking the ice with them. You two may stroll through flower gardens, picking up ice cream along the way, enjoying peaceful sunsets next to them before gazing up at the stars. I sense education is a strong theme here, so your date may actually take place at school or in a library, where you share a study session or extracurricular together, taking time out of practice to spend moments with each other. You may be drawn to art galleries or museums where you can quietly observe with your date. With Mimicry, I see your date could have very similar interests to yours, so creating a fun activity centered around that will gradually bring you two closer. They will bring out more cerebral and curious nature in you, and your conversations could spark new understanding and ways of perceiving things. They'll leave a strong emotional impression on you, and you them, that will stick long after the date is over. Something about the way they softly speak, especially to you, that leaves you begging for a little more. Cheers, pile 1!

Pile 2 - Zapdos ⚡

XIII Death, VII Chariot, 3 of Pentacles, XX Judgement; 26 - Joy, Mountain - Strength, 44. Scavenge, Insight - bright ideas are coming, Jonquil - Power

Okay, so this group is all about the great outdoors. I can't see your next romantic getaway being cooped up inside. I'm seeing a real getaway here, an emphasis on travel. New sights, new sounds. You want a date that isn't just good, it's transformative, where you feel different coming back home than you did when you left. That's a pretty tall order, but your date is adventurous enough to try. I feel like there's something you might have put on your bucket list to do someday, for example, and should your date find out what it is, they'll be very tempted to do it with you. Always wanted to visit a historic landmark or theme park but never had a reason to go before? They'll want to go through all the excitement with you, even if they've been at that very place a million times. If they're from another culture, they'll enjoy sharing their cuisine and expanding your taste palate. Seeing you light up with bliss will make them enjoy it like it's brand new, too.

This person is likely super energetic and a little intense, so don't expect them to sit still with a meal for too long. Eventually, they'll get itchy to find the next thing to tackle. Even if they seem distracted, they are 100% on board with having you there next to them for the ride. It's just that I'm picking up so much hyperactivity with your date in particular, so make sure you two find ways to stay preoccupied the whole date. The positive side of having the Chariot here is that they'll want to get you out there in the world without straying too far out of your comfort zone. They're ever shifting in moods but also emotionally aware of how important personal boundaries are. It's all about gentle encouragement here; this person will help you get out of your shell in a way that doesn't feel so overwhelming, so you feel safe enough to explore different things to do with them. They may seem a bit standoffish at first glance, but will quickly prove their nonjudgmental, compassionate voice. They will go at your pace and be patient with you as well as others (being nice to waiters is a green flag).

Enjoying nature seems to be the first choice when it comes to this pile, although for many reasons I don't really recommend hiking in the back woods as a first date option. A small local mini golf course may be a better option for nature lovers. I would suggest finding a place close by where you can enjoy scenic views in public, like a tourist stop where they have those lookout binoculars (not actually sure what those are called lol). Boardwalk piers are a sound choice as they offer food, ocean views, and fun in one place. I'm also picking up something about a scavenger hunt here, though it may be in the form of going out shopping for strange antiques. (An adult scavenger hunt sounds fun, ngl ;_;) You may also feel inclined to scavenge through haunted or abandoned places within reason. There is a desire to check out unusual places, like streets in town with unique graffiti displays or playing a murder mystery game. A few of you may be horror fans who want to get thrills through watching a movie or trying out an escape room.

Music is also showing up here, with the girl's harp in Joy and the angel's trumpet in Judgement. I'm getting that some of you would enjoy attending a music festival or rock show, maybe even at an underground venue. If you and your date both play music, your next getaway may involve sharing a deeper bond through composing and playing together. You may inspire each other creatively through this collaboration. This is somebody who could definitely get you into a band or genre you would have never tried before were it not for their influence. They may also talk you into singing karaoke or taking dance classes with them. If this isn't music it could be some other kind of art, but I'm getting that you'll feel the urge to create something with them, like spending a day at a local paintbar. If you're up for it, go for it! They'll bring out a more bold and confident side of you who isn't afraid to take a little chance to express their artistic voice, and they'll fall for whatever you show them. Even with all this noise and activity, there will still be plenty of spaces of silence for creating a peaceful connection with them. Rock on, pile 2!

Pile 3 - Moltres 🔥

10 of Cups, VIII Strength, XXI World, 5 of Swords; 6 - Freedom, Dreamtime - Creation, 3. Anticipation, Higher Ground - rise above the noise, Geranium - Virility

Your next lovely outing will be invigorating and filled with excitement. I'm seeing city lights and hearing laughter. With 5 of Swords, your romantic outing may start as a friend group but dwindle down over the night, creating a shared space for you and your date to connect. The two of you will eventually slip away from the pack and find your own fun thing to do together, even if that means having one drive the other home. A single humble little drive or intimate conversation by the bus stop could prove more titillating than having multiple dinner dates on the schedule. Some of you may choose to wander through the expanse of the cityscape, meandering through unseen parks and finding unique hole-in-the-wall boutiques in places you thought you knew. Your date will be drawn to your spontaneity and wanderlust, or they will find a way to bring those qualities out in you. On the spot, the two of you will find ideas for where to go next, and not one minute of the night will get dull.

What I like about this date is their openness toward you; with the Strength card, they are gonna be down for whatever you feel like doing and enjoy it as if it were their plans all along. Feeding pigeons at a business park? Sure! they'll say. Trying on random clothes they'd never wear in a million years? They'll do it if it means they can do it with you. They know these moments of serendipity open a new dimension of wonder and merriment as it does yours. Perhaps you've wanted to date someone who expands your horizons and lets your curiosity run wild. A movie and dinner isn't bad per se, but it's the random sequences in between that form stronger memories. You don't want to see what they look like dressed and planned for the occasion, but when they're at their most improvisational. A date filled with pleasant surprises and random moments of joy will bring healing when dating as a whole begins to feel scripted and rehearsed. Happiness doesn't wait for a happily ever after when it can come today, and your date will know that too.

I'm getting a lot of hints for theater in the Anticipation card, next to Dreamtime. A good date idea may start as a theater show. Theater offers more variety and chances of interaction with the audience. Take them to see Rocky Horror, make sure to bring toast. A concert may be equally as engaging for the two of you, especially one that has you two dancing and screaming the whole time. You may also look into outdoor theater, as the Freedom card suggests with its lush grassy fields. There may be some adrenaline seeking here, so you may go indoor rock climbing or go-kart racing. Axe throwing sounds scary, but it's easier than it looks and a lot of fun. If you're looking for a random place to go and they ask you for suggestions, try the park. You and your date may travel to a city for a day trip and then just decide to go to a park after visiting something else and discover an incredible monument or festivity out of nowhere. It may end up being the best part of the day. So you never know what you may find while walking about in the evening.

For other date suggestions, I'm seeing house parties and nightclubs, where you come with friends initially. Some of your friends may not be too crazy about you leaving them behind for a date, so make sure boundaries are established with your friends before going out so you're all on the same page. They may not be mad at you, just checking in on you to see you're okay and safe. Finally, sport games may be another area of interest for you and your next date, especially if you bring mitts with the intent on catching any stray baseballs. You two would be the kind of date that would make silly faces up on the screen at the games if you were featured, or at least your date dreams of it! If you're on the beach and you see a volleyball net, challenge them to a game as they would love to see your competitive side! Of all piles, this is the only one where I see unplanned and on-the-spot trips and activities being arranged. If this feels outside of your comfort zone, you may feel called to choose a different pile, but it could also be that your future date will bring out this carefree and spontaneous character in you. Stay safe and have lots of fun, pile 3!

This reading has not been evaluated by the FDA to diagnose, prevent, treat, or cure any disease or infection. Please ask your physician before going online.

2025, @VitaminseeTarot ™

[ebonysplendor]

Bruh review the new version of TKaTB bruh because WOWIEEEEEEEEE

I've found that I don't usually do whole reviews on the updated versions of the visual novels I've already written about...but I find it dope that this implies that you lowkey want my unhinged, scatterbrained story telling. Also, big preesh for keeping me straight lol, because, once again, I've been meaning to get around to playing the update, and I just haven't, which is extremely disrespectful. But anyways! I'm yappin' way too early...

TL;DR: HE HIT IT FROM THE BACK. I REPEAT. HE HIT IT FROM THE BACK! ... technically ... we need to have a serious discussion about this thing called "consent", though...

Game Link: https://fantasia-kittcat.itch.io/the-kid-at-the-back-demo

Notable Features: Yandere LI, Custom Pronouns, Self-Insert (first and last name), Two LIs, 1+ Hour Long Demo Spiciness: 2/5 or 8/5 -- Again, it depends on which version you get. If you get the regular degular free version, it'll be more innocent with some flirtiness here and there. If you pay for the NSFW version -- HIGHLY SUGGESTED by the way! -- it'll be way more sinful and the way that the Gods intended it to be. LI Red Flags: 4/5 or 7/5-- Breaking-and-entering, possessive, drugged us, lack of consent, but that "lack of consent" goes even farther in the NSFW version (yes, even farther than in the previous demo) ... but I still can fix him, ya know? Like, that's bae

Wanna know more? If you are not 18+, ABSOLUTELY NOT. You will NOT put this fantastic game in jeopardy, because you're some curious 14-year-old. I honestly don't even want you on my page...but let's be real, are you actually going to listen to me? I hope that you do...ANYWAYS. My 18+ crew, let's get into it!

Almost an entire month with no visual novel review? Nah, we absolutely cannot let that happen.

You know what else we can't let happen? My constant disrespect towards this visual novel. Once AGAIN, the dev(s) ate and left absolutely no crumbs. Like, damn, can you at least leave the plate? Like-- Okay, wait, no, stop. I don't want to get too far into that, because the yap sesh will get kicked off way too early, and I won't have anything for the actual review portion.

That being said, I have done a review of TKATB before, but I'm doing an update of...well, the update. That also being said, because I'm trying to avoid parroting myself too much, the review is going to flow differently. ALSO! Once again, thanks to the bestie, I was able to see the degeneracy LIVE AND IN 4K and biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitch~! Let me tell-- Wait, no, no, no, stop. Not yet. Later. We'll talk about that later...at least sorta.

Anyways, like always, I'll def try to make this as spoiler friendly as possible, especially since it's lowkey a different game at this point. Like, the dev(s) have added in extra SCENES. We have new CGs! Like...we've got CONTENT in this update, y'all!

Okay, for realsies now. Enough yappin'. Let's get into it, and y'all...there's a lot to get into.

So, effin' BOOM.

...Actually. Let's do this another way, because we already lowkey know the story. Again, if you don't, I made a review of it a few months back that will get you somewhat caught up. This time around, though, let's just talk and vibe. Enjoy some snacks or whatever, ya know?

Go ahead and pick; there's plenty. I've got me, like, three capri suns and some donut holes. Like, I'm really tryna get into this game convo with y'all because we're squad, ya know? So, let's get comfy while gettin' into it.

All right, so -- *big siiiiiiiiiiip* -- my husband Solivan Brugmansia, right? Let's discuss. Not about him being my husband or not, the game. Respectfully, check yourself. Anyways.

My Gods. that is bae right there. Like, gah damn...

For starters -- even though, I can totally fix him, and I want to make that very clear! My baby ain't do nothing entirely wrong! Like just- just give him to me. He is just a lil' traumatized and misunderstood; he is very capable of change. Like, I can fix him! I can! -- it's only fair to remind you that he is, uh, kind've batshit crazy. Now, the wild part is that I for realsies forgot that he is not entirely sane. Like, not even kidding about that.

This experience has been a sort of "Let me seep you into the madness" versus a "Let's make him insane off rip", and because it was like that, when he started doing typical yandere shit, there were -- specifically -- two different times that I experienced genuine shock. It was literally like, "Oh yeeeeeeah. This is a visual novel with a yandere love interest. Solivan's the yandere. He's not wrapped too tight. Ah, yes, I forgot about that factoid", ya know? The shit genuinely caught me off guard.

Anyways, still can't trust the orange juice, 10 is the magic number, and don't kiss Crowe...like ever lmao. You can dismiss the fuck out of that man, but he's lowkey a simp like Sol is, so as soon as you kiss him lmao...

Just remember that it's implied that Sol is, and has always been, keeping a close eye on you. Actually, let me back up a little. Let's talk more abo-- Oh, wait, do you need a refill? Okay, hold on for a second. Wait, are you good on snackies? You know what? I'll just grab everything, just in case.

...

Okay, now, let's talk more about the orange juice.

Never --

-- and I mean NEVER, trust the orange juice.

There was a moment that we got with Sol, and it was like, "...Aw :)", and then, he was like, "I made orange juice~!", and it was like, "...Aw :(". Like, lmaooooo, I thought we were past that, ya know? Like, I obviously like you! I have you at a 10! Why are you resorting to nonphysical violence? I mean, he got physical in other ways, but it wasn't violent, ya know what I'm sayin'~?

Now, the "10" thing that I keep bringing up.

This competition between them is more intense than I thought, bro, and Sol does not cope with failure well. You know how people will be like, "a win is a win"? Well, with Sol --

-- a loss is a loss, even if it's just by one point.

Remember that whole "Don't kiss Crowe" thing? I genuinely mean that. As tempting as it may be -- and believe me, it's tempting especially because...Crowe can really make a girl feel really, really... wanted, ya know?🫦... ANYWAYS -- DO NOT kiss that man, because that's the game point. Now, who's the actual winner in that scenario.... 👀🧃*dramatic siiiiiiiiiip*. I ain't gon' say it...but I'm just sayin' lmao.

Even though, I really ain't shit because...I willingly cheated on Sol with Crowe. WAIT. LET ME EXPLAIN WHY THOUGH.

This man, dear Gods, this man. I must stay focused... This man is the one that you SHOULD be dating. This is the one that all of your friends and your family really like and approve of. This is the healthy choice, but you don't choose him, because the one that you want is "dark and hot and tall and mysterious" and you're like, "but daddy, I love him!". Meanwhile, your friends are desperately trying to tell you about all the red flags with the other guy and are like "What is with you and toxic men?!". Then, when you defend your toxic crush, they shade you because they "should've saw it coming" when you had picked Sesshomaru and Sasuke over Inuyasha and Naruto.

...But, anyways, when I say that Crowe is Prince damned Charming? Babes... And then he let that hair loose????

Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaabes~!

As a side note, lol I wasn't pulling those descriptions (completely) out of my ass; that was the literal intention.

See? "Dark and mysterious" vs "Princely".

Anyways, Crowe's rizz game is...surprisingly strong? Like, I honestly don't know why I was so shocked, but I was shocked. Like, a girl was genuinely flustered, because what do you mean that "you knew that we were going stargazing but you didn't know the brightest start was going to be right in front of you" and "anything for me"? Not to mention that this man was putting flowers in our hair and carRYING US TO OUR APARTMENT IN THE RAIN? BARELY GRUNTING WHILE DOING SO??? Like, sir, please, don't do this. I have a husband...but it's like, shit, I won't tell if you won't at this point.

That's pretty much all the new stuff -- well, that I was willing to partially spoil for you. There's other stuff, but you definitely gotta see that live and in 4K, and trust me, you're gonna want to.

Once again...THE FATTEST EFFING SHOUTOUT TO WHOEVER SENT THAT ANON MESSAGE AS THEY HAVE PUSHED ME TO STAND ON BUSINESS ONCE MORE.

It is even more beautiful than I remember, and thanks to the bestie, I was able to see my husband in all of his glory LIVE and in 4K. Okay, but I was degenerate throughout this whole post, so let's just put a pause on that and actually review the game properly.

This is still a work of the Gods, and I honestly love the tweaks and additions that were made. From Brittany's personality being tweaked so it reads more as "I swear, I'm not mean; I'm just really bad at talking to people" to Crowe's scenario being way more in depth to getting some more CGs of my husband Sol. The art style is still damned IMMACULATE to look at, and the plot is STILL plotting. Also...he's cute, but I lowkey don't trust Crowe, because why are you so perfect? The dev(s) is/are writing the EFF out of these characters. Like, honestly? Continue to pop off.

I definitely plan to buy my own copy, and I HIGHLY suggest that you do the same. It's honestly just the spicy scenes, so it's not like "Ooh, extra lore!" or anything, but they are honestly so deserving of that monetary support. Not to mention, the NSFW version is what the Gods would have wanted.

Even though, I'm wondering if we'll ever explicitly know Sol's (and definitely Crowe's and Hyugo's[/Geo's]) background. Now, admittedly and as far as I know, this is really the only piece of "lore" that you'll miss if you don't get the NSFW version, because I'm certain that I'm not the only one that's noticed it, but just in case you haven't (and I'm cutting the heck out of this CG because it's very spicy, but I need you guys to see what I'm talking about).

What's up with these bruises? Like, you see that right? But it's not in the other picture, so it's like...? What the eff happened? Like, the reason why I say that is because the second picture happened BEFORE the first picture, so something happened to him, but what? I know that it's implied by some of the things that Sol says and how he responds to stuff and some of his mannerisms that he came from a pretty shitty background, but what exactly and is it ongoing?

But, then again, it's like duh it's ongoing, because he said that "it's the usual" that he deals with...uh...certain situations. Check this out though; in that same breath, he was like "every bruise is worth it". Like...what? That's not-- That's not a normal or healthy thought let alone something you'd actual verbalize. Like, I'm telling you, the dev(s) is/are murdering this visual novel thing. No wonder it's so easy to forget that Sol is a literal walking red flag. I'm more focused on the plot than whether or not he's gonna drug my food.

Also, also, also, I just want to yap really briefly about my favorite CG... screen... UI thingy...that I can't show you. Not because it's a spicy one but because, even though you can probably read between the lines, it'd be, what I feel is, a major spoiler. Just as a slight "pro" tip. That little green heart at the top right of your screen that turns blue when you hover over it?

It leads to that screen with the scale that shows your affinity level for Sol and Crowe. Just...check in on that thing a lot; you may see something interesting. When you do see that interesting thing...please, think of me ಥ‿ಥ Because next to the way that the affinity level is shown altogether, it was my absolute favorite thing about the update. That was done so beautifully. ...Damn, I want to show you all so badly ._.

Anyways, I think my yap session should end here. I've already said it a handful on times, but what's one more time? I highly, highly, HIGHLY recommend this game. It's so good, the art is amazing, the plot is plotting, and so much work and love has gone into this game, and it's STILL only in its demo phase. I suggest donating $5 to have (permanent) access to the NSFW version and/or telling the dev(s), "Hey! Really love your game! I was just wondering if you take human sacrifices? Would that expedite the full release? Anyways! You're doing great, sweetie! <3"; aggressively supportive validation is really the only way to go, because they really are doing more than a damned good job. You should honestly see it for yourself. Here, I'll put the direct link for ya.

I'm yapping again. I'm ending it for realsies now. The biggest preesh for hanging out with me today and getting this far. PLEASE, remember to drink water, don't be dumb, and hope to see you around~!

The Kid at the Back (DEMO)

[woso-dreamzzz]

Academy

Hardersson x Preteen!Reader

Part of The Big Adventures Universe

Summary: Your first academy session

Your first official day of academy training comes after Momma and Morsa have retired.

You've moved back to Sweden properly now with constant trips to Denmark as well. But, mainly, you're based in Sweden. Momma and Morsa have gone into coaching and sometimes commentating while you're left going to school and practicing.

You'd done a trial in the summer for Linköping FC and got in and now you're sitting in the car with Momma and Morsa psyching yourself up to go in.

You're eleven now - nearly twelve - and you open and close your hands into fists as you look over at the training centre. There's a group of similarly aged girls to you waiting outside, getting ticked in on the register as they stand in a clump.

"Do you need us to come up with you?" Morsa asks, also looking at the girls.

You shake your head. "No. No one else's parents are there." It's a lie, of course. You desperately want them to walk you up there but it'd be embarrassing so you're leaning away from the option.

Momma turns back in her seat and reaches her hand back to hold yours. "Hey," She says," It's only for a few hours. You go in. You listen. You do what they say and then we'll go and get takeout for dinner. Sound good?"

You nod, wiping your sweaty palms on your shorts. "Yeah."

"We love you," Morsa says," And if you hate it, you don't have to go back."

You slip out of the car and approach, rocking back and forth on the balls of your feet as you sign in. It doesn't take long for everybody else to arrive and soon you're all being brought inside and handed trainings shirts and stuff.

Then, names are being read out.

You're still young so roles like defence, midfield and forward are still fairly flexible but some people (like you) are already firmly in little boxes so you're easy to separate out.

But, most of your peers end up in a group in the middle because they either haven't chosen their roles or don't yet know what they'd be good at.

There's a fairly large group of forwards which Momma told you last night would happen. At your age, everyone wants to score a goal and most of these girls will end up as attacking midfielders before the year is up. Speaking of the midfield, they're a much smaller group than the self-proclaimed forwards and the defenders are even smaller.

You're the only goalkeeper, feeling a little awkward as you sit at a table all by yourself until the trainer comes.

He smiles at you. He's kind of got one of those old people smiles that Momma's dad has, all warmth and happiness.

You smile back.

"You know," He says, his voice barely above a whisper," I wasn't actually expecting any keepers today. Usually, everyone wants to score a goal."

"That's what my Momma says."

"Your Momma sounds very smart," He replies," Now..." He pulls out some sheets of paper. "I'm meant to explain all the ins and outs of everything. It's meant to take a while because we leave time for questions but, if you let me get through this all then I'm sure we'd have time to play a few rounds of noughts and crosses while everyone else finishes up. Sound good?"

You nod.

He's right, of course. Everyone else takes ages to explain everything but keeping is fairly straight forward and you're the only keeper here so there's not other people around to ask questions.

"Whoa there!" Morsa says as you crash into her at the end of training," You're all sweaty!"

She's right.

You are sweaty. Hair sticks to your forehead and your shirt to your skin. You're sure that you're all gross feeling but Morsa doesn't care as she hugs you back before ushering you into the car.

"How did it go?" Momma asks as she pulls out of the car park," Good? Bad?"

"Good!" You say, a grin splitting your face wide open.

"What did you do?" Morsa asks, turning in her seat to look at you.

"We played a little game," You answer, practically bouncing in excitement," So they could all see where we were at and the individual trainers laid out the plans for each week."

"Were there a lot of forwards?" Momma teases as she turns onto a road.

"Uh-huh. I was the only keeper though."

"That'll change," Morsa assures you," Those kids that haven't decided yet will end up cycling through everything. I'm sure one or two of them will be keepers."

"It's fine," You say," I'm not upset. I don't need other keepers."

Your mothers laugh softly.

"You still need to make friends," Momma says.

"I just want to train," You insist stubbornly.

"You can train and have friends too," Morsa puts in," In fact, I'd go so far as to say you need friends to train well. Promise me, princesse, that you'll make some friends."

You huff. "Fine," You say," I'll make friends."

"Good. Now, what did you want for dinner?"

[devdozes]

Scare ware ♥ !!

The bell above the shop door jingled as Phainon stepped inside, bracing himself for whatever horror you had concocted today. He hated horror. Absolutely despised it. And yet, here he was, like clockwork, visiting you every day in this creepy little shop filled with all things eerie.

"BOO!"

"HOLY—!" Phainon yelped, nearly tripping over his own feet as you jumped out from behind the counter wearing a grotesque, decayed mask. You cackled, doubling over in laughter as he clutched his chest like an old man suffering from a heart attack.

"You should’ve seen your face, Phai! Absolutely priceless!" you wheezed, removing the mask to reveal your mischievous grin.

Phainon pouted, crossing his arms. "One of these days, I swear you’re gonna scare the soul out of me. And then what? Huh? You gonna sell my ghost in this freak show of a shop?"

You gasped dramatically. "Ohhh, that’s actually a great idea! A real haunted shop!" Your eyes gleamed with excitement as you leaned in close, resting your elbows on the counter. "C'mon, Phai, let me scare you just a little more. You’re so fun to mess with."

"No thanks!" He immediately turned to leave, only for you to grab his wrist and tug him back inside.

"Aw, don’t go yet! You haven't even seen the new animatronic I set up!"

Phainon hesitated, wary. "...What animatronic?"

You smirked. "Turn around."

He did. And regretted it instantly. Standing right behind him was a life-sized, pale-faced doll with hollow eyes and a stitched-up grin.

"Nuh-uh! Nope!" Phainon spun back around, face pale. "You’re evil. You are actual, living, breathing evil."

You burst into laughter, wiping a tear from your eye. "And yet, you still come here every day. What does that say about you, Phai?"

"It says I have terrible decision-making skills!" he huffed, then sighed. "And maybe... just maybe, I like seeing you."

You blinked, caught off guard for a moment. Then your grin returned, tenfold. "Awww, does my little scaredy-cat have a crush on me?"

Phainon’s face turned red as he immediately grabbed a nearby stuffed ghost and chucked it at you. "Shut up!"

You caught it easily, laughing harder. "Ohhh, you’re too fun, Phainon. But don’t worry, you’ll get used to the spooky stuff eventually."

"Doubtful," he muttered. "But if enduring a daily heart attack means I get to spend time with you... then fine. Just don’t expect me to like it."

You beamed. "Deal! Now, about that animatronic—" can't wait to meet you..so join the animatronic family

"NO!" Phainon bolted for the door, leaving you laughing behind the counter, already planning your next trick for tomorrow.

The next day, Phainon entered the shop cautiously, eyes darting around like a security guard on Night 5 of a FNAF shift. "Alright, where is it? I know you’ve set up something."

You leaned lazily on the counter, smirking. "Oh, come on, Phai. You think I’d do the same trick twice?"

"Yes. Absolutely. 100%."

"Well, you’re right!" You grinned before flicking a switch under the counter.

The dim shop lights flickered, and an old speaker crackled to life with a distorted, robotic laugh. The life-sized animatronic from yesterday suddenly started moving, its head twitching in a way that was way too similar to Freddy Fazbear’s infamous glitchy movements.

Phainon let out a strangled yelp, backing away as the figure took a slow, jerky step forward. "NOPE! I AM NOT PLAYING THIS GAME."

"Aw, come on, security guard Phai!" you teased. "Survive 'til 6 AM!"

"I WILL NOT. I QUIT. I RESIGN."

Just as he turned to run, another animatronic—this one a decrepit rabbit with hollow, soulless eyes—dropped from the ceiling.

"WHY IS THERE A SPRINGTRAP?!" Phainon shrieked.

You wheezed, barely able to hold yourself together. "Oh my god—Phai, you scream just like a high school girl!"

"I AM NOT HERE TO BE JUMPSCARED!" Phainon scrambled for the door, slamming it open and nearly tripping over himself as he bolted outside.

You stood at the doorway, watching him flee down the street. "See you tomorrow, security guard Phai!" you called, cackling.

From down the street, you heard his exasperated yell: "I HATE THIS SHOP!"

You grinned. "And yet, you keep coming back~."

The next day, Phainon decided it was time for revenge. He had spent all night thinking of a way to finally turn the tables.

As he walked into the shop, he made sure to stay quiet, creeping toward the counter where you were sorting some eerie, old trinkets. Your back was turned. Perfect.

Phainon took a deep breath, summoned all the chaos he had, and suddenly grabbed your shoulders.

"BOO!" he shouted.

You flinched. Just slightly. Barely a twitch, but he saw it.

For a moment, there was silence. Then, Phainon burst out laughing. "OH MY GOD. I DID IT. I ACTUALLY SCARED YOU!"

You turned to face him, blinking in mild surprise. "Huh. Guess you did."

Phainon gasped. "That’s it?! No screaming? No dramatic flailing?"

You shrugged. "Well, you’re not exactly terrifying, Phai. You’re more like a really excitable golden retriever."

His jaw dropped. "Excuse me?! I am a terrifying force of nature!"

You just grinned, poking his chest. "Sure you are, scary boy. You gonna bark too?"

Phainon groaned, running his hands through his messy white hair. "Unbelievable. I finally get my revenge, and you downplay it like it was nothing."

You gave him a teasing pat on the head. "Nice try though. A for effort."

Phainon sighed dramatically, but a small smile tugged at his lips. "You’re impossible." You just smirked before blowing him a kiss and winking at him, "But you love me puppy boy :)"

I LOVE FNAF AND I HTOUGHT OF READER AS MIZUKI IN THIS FIC

[lonewolflupe]

I finished playing Republic Commando for the first time and have some thoughts to share (: Beware, there be spoilers!

Alright so first of all, I'm a fan, and I think I'm gonna be obsessed with the boys from Delta Squad. Mind you, I haven't read the RepComm books yet, but I have the fullest intention to do so (they're patiently waiting to be taken off their shelves).

To start with, I've really enjoyed picking up gaming again. I've been gaming (mostly Playstation) since I was about 10 years old, and it's always been one of my favourite hobbies, so I'd totally call myself a gamer. Due to adulting, I hadn't gamed for over a year. So picking up my controller to finally game again was such a good feeling <3

So I've seen a lot of art featuring Delta Squad here on Tumblr, so that obviously piqued my interest. Reason number one to finally play this game is definitely @deltasquadweek , because I needed some sort of reference to participate, and what better option than the source material?

Look at me rambling; I haven't even properly talked about the actual game yet. To be fair, I'm really bad with giving a substantiated opinion review-wise, and I'm really bad with analysing stuff. So this won't be a review or analysis, it will just be another Lupe ramble, I guess.

The Game™️

So the game was awesome! I know it just hit its 20 year anniversary, and it obviously has 2005 graphics, but that's alright and I can definitely look through it because I know it's from that year and it actually feels nostalgic (I used to play a lot of Star Wars Battlefront II during my childhood, which also released in 2005). The story was pretty cool, although it had some bigger time gaps with missions jumping through the Clone Wars. I wouldn't have minded more missions, but that's mainly because I would have liked to see more of the boys. (Also detail: I played on Medium difficulty, which was the default setting)

Geonosis was awesome, despite the Geonosians being swift and slimy buggers which were hard to kill in melee, because of them being so.. Swift and slimy. I love that this first mission was right at the start of the war, and now we know how much Delta Squad contributed to the war effort. The last level (the timed one; was this the infamous Belly of the Beast?) was pretty hard and it took me a few times to beat it, but I was super happy to get all four boys out of Geonosis alive.

The ghost ship/RAS Prosecutor mission was pretty scary at some points haha, gave me some Alien (1979) vibes, especially with the face hugging scavenger droids. I have mentioned before on my blog that I'm a wimp when it comes to the horror genre, but I made it out unharmed - again, like the boys. (Although those Trandoshans scared the kark out of me a few times; it had some good jump scares!)

Unfortunately the Trandoshans returned in the Kashyyyk mission, as was expected - but so did the Geonosians, which was a pretty unpleasant surprise. Especially because they kicked our shebs with their elite warriors when they appeared out of kriffing nowhere. How rude. I definitely struggled the most with the Kachirho Bridge mission, because those insufferable SBDs kept killing us. I found it ironically hilarious that the level was called 'A Bridge Too Far', my inner history nerd really appreciated that fact.

I wish I could say I got all boys out of Kashyyyk too, but everyone who played the game knows that doesn't happen. I knew Sev wouldn't make it out with his squad before starting the game, because I guess it's hard to stay away from spoilers for 20 years. It just.. The fact that I knew it would happen, didn't make it easier? Because now I've seen the boys, their personalities and their dynamics, so now it makes it harder. Boss' determination to get Sev out, Fixer's practical answer based on regulation, Scorch's devastation.. Kriff Yoda.

BUT one thing I learned from watching Game of Thrones is that if you don't see someone dying on screen, they don't have to be truly dead (and sometimes when they die on screen, they come back anyway). Right? Right?!?

(Kriff, I wish they'd made that sequel game)

Alright alright, happy thoughts, happy thoughts.. 🧘🏻‍♀️ Yes, Delta Squad! I'd just like to say: I love all of them, obviously. But Scorch is probably my favourite? Although Sev is just <333 And Boss, but.. I can't leave Fixer out now, can I??

I love how they all have their own strengths and skills, and I loved how the game made use if it through the commands feature. It worked pretty well (although I only figured out how to use it on PS4 after Geonosis) and it was a really fun way to move around with computer-controlled characters.

The Blorbos™️

Scorch is just so much fun, I had to laugh at almost every comment he made. I loved his enthusiasm and his dynamics with the others, especially with Sev <3 And Sev is just amazing, I fell for him the moment I heard him talk for the first time. I also love the bloody paint decoration on his armour and his hunter/predator vibe, especially with the sniping. Oh my <3 I loved how Fixer was totally different, maybe a bit more of a follower of the rules, but definitely not less badass because of it. And Boss.. Well I did fall for Sev's voice, but if you let Temuera Morrison voice a clone, you have my vote. And he was Boss alright, since the others had such respect for him and followed all his orders without a doubt.

I'm actually really looking forward to diving into some Delta Squad headcanons, and of course more art and hopefully some fics too! And I can't wait to start creating some Delta Squad content myself!

Alright, have a Commando Cookie if you made it this far 🍪 Count me in as a Republic Commando fan, I'm definitely gonna obsess about it more and more and it's gonna be my hyperfixation (RepComm) within a hyperfixation (TCW) within a hyperfixation (Star Wars). So I guess you'll be seeing me around simping over anything RepComm/Delta Squad (and hopefully the books next) 🫡

[shatcey]

Victor theories. Contradictions and links

This is probably the last part of my theories about Vivi before his route came out. Most likely, they have nothing to do with reality, which we will see pretty soon. I will kill someone if Cybird release someone from Vogel first. Do you hear that, Cybird? I'll buy tamagotchi and kill it!!!!! You don't want that, do you? Poor defenseless little creature…

When I read other theories and events about Vivi, I had some thoughts, but I haven't finished them, haven't put them together, and… I think it's finally time to do it properly.

I should probably add warnings. I'm mentioning the details of Alfons and Harrison's routes. And also provide fragments of events that had not yet been in the EN game (only in JP). And… a bit about Azel's route (but I'm warning you about this, and you can easily skip to the next part without reading).

There were many events with Vivi. I made a list when started preparing for this post… Not all of them contain anything that I can use within the described boundaries, but they all provide few or many hints. So… it took some time to check. I hope I didn't miss anything.

If so… remind me, and I'll make one more "last post"… it becomes an endless story.

His personality

@maladaptivedaydreamsx assumed that Victor isn't his real name, but was given to him because of Queen. I thought about that as well. As I mentioned here, Victor thinks of himself in quotation marks, as if it's not his real name, but a role he's playing. And that actually sounds pretty fitting. On the surface, he's a cheerful and positive, with a sweet, mama-type vibe. But when we read the stories from his perspective, he feels completely different. Very dark and even scary. His thoughts show how much he notices and thinks before making any decisions, how much of a calculating bastard he really is (lovingly). But is his cheerful side a role he's playing? Or is it just part of his personality? From the Bond story "The Other Side"

and kiss event...

Victor insists that this is just a part of him. And I'm inclined to believe.

There is a theory that Victor is actually immortal. @.reccyls mentioned this here last time. And this theory is possible. Not only because Victor is so determined to treat all the members of Crown and Kate like children. But also because of this Willy's remark from the 1st Victor's birthday

There are two possibilities that Willy could be hinting at.

The first… Vivi is a god. The God of death.

But… this may have a different meaning. Vivi is very closed to God or any other immortal being. Vivi often talks about death as a living creature. Perhaps the fact that he is a "constant companion of death" makes him a kind of expert in this matter.

And that's why I tend to think that the second option is closer to the truth. It's from the very beginning of the same 1st birthday.

Yes, Harry often says that Victor lies a lot, but I don't think that applies to this situation. The wording is very strange. He doesn't seem happy about this fact. Like… "I wish I had more time". Maybe it's just me.

Oh, I forgot about another option. Vivi could have been a god, but now he's a human. This explains why he's so annoyed by the fact that he needs to sleep. Hmmm… I like that option.

If assumed he's a very old and powerful being… who, despite this, has not lost interest in life as such and can still find joy in it (reminds of someone, right?). How did the Queen manage to get him as her aid? A contract? We have another Black butler?

And if everyone thinks of him as a very strong person, then no one will ever assume that he needs anything. No one ever considers him human. This thought crossed my mind when I talked about the Mirror event, but I decided not to voice it. But… what the hell… this is the last post, where else should I talk about it?

It was the same with Azel (if you haven't read his route and don't want spoilers, skip right to the next point). People didn't see him as a human being, they only asked for help, advice, and so on… In their eyes, he was only giving, after all, he is God. But… this is a rather selfish way of thinking. Even if a person seems completely independent and strong, and… perfect… this doesn't mean that he has nothing to wish. I can easily imagine Vivi in this concept. And that explains why he was so surprised when Kate said she liked helping him or taking care of him. This has never happened before.

But he doesn't have to be an immortal being for people to consider him inhuman. He succeeds in everything he does, and people may think that he doesn't need anyone's help.

His contradictions

Kate described him very accurately at a Drunk event, translated by @.reccyls.

I would also add that he takes care of the garden and himself (see how his hair is… it's a lot of work, you know) and it looks like he's sleeping normally. My baby Ally has dark circles under her eyes due to lack of sleep. But Vivi… there is no such thing. So… Yes, he really seems like the perfect person.

But behind every great accomplishment is a lot of hard work. We don't know what it is… he just has a habit of using every second of his life to the fullest, or… a kind of magic. But he really does a lot, and… I can understand why he wants to… relax sometimes. He can't admit it for some reason (pride or some restrictions) but he wants to anyway. And at the same Drunken event, he tricked Kate into putting his head in her lap and hugging her. As if he needed a reason for that. It feels like he's constantly preventing himself from doing what he wants to do. At the very end of Butler's event ("Your Hand, My Lady" translated by @.reccyls) Willy hints at this...

He's happy because Victor is FINALLY doing what he wants to do.

I got the impression that curse of the boys is a sick joke of fate. It is contrary to their true nature. Like a absolutely honest and straightforward Harrison have to lie because his curse forces him to do so. Or Ally, who wanted only one thing in life... to be remembered, and the curse did not allow him to got this. So I see the same contradiction in Victor's behavior… is his curse. He is literally obsessed with the idea of freedom. And the way he lives makes it seem like he's not free at all. And his desire to get something for himself sometimes is like getting some fresh air before he finds himself back in the dusty tunnels… He literally doesn't do ANYTHING for himself, he doesn't even ask others for anything. This is from the 2nd Cristmas event, translated by @.reccyls.

And this is from bond's story "About Freedom"

Despite the fact, he joked afterwards that he is as free as the wind. In this phrase, he said "I", not "you" or "people" in general. I'm sorry, Vivi, but I don't believe you're free. In fact, you've probably never been. That's why you dream about it. And it's a little sad.

Connections with the Queen

The bond between Vivi and the Queen is very strong and mysterious. He is absolutely devoted to her and literally does everything she says. But how long has he been doing this? Why does he feel like he belongs to her? As he told William at the very end of Butler event ("Your Hand, My Lady" translated by @.reccyls.

The first thing that comes to mind is the Black Butler. Sebas demonstrates absolute dedication without asking questions. And he is a demon who is devoted to man. Actually Vivi said at the first Christmas event (Wreck the halls) that he had made a deal with death…

Perhaps it has something to do with the Queen. I'm not saying that the Queen is the Death (we never know for sure), but the way he's devoted to her, and the way he convinced that the connection with death is not so easy to break, seems somehow similar. Indestructible.

@.velisle has posted a really huge post with facts and theories about Vivi… I added my thoughts here. There was a theory… That's the kid Victor talked about at the Secrets event…

...In fact, he is.

But there are two things that prevent me from thinking that way. The first… he doesn't know if the Queen could make them smiles. If he was that kid, he would know that.

And the second. If we assume that he is not a vampire or another magical creature that lives exceptionally long (or endless), then it is quite difficult to imagine. The calculation is simple. The game takes place around 1890. And the queen begins to rule in 1837. More than 50 years have passed since. And Victor looks like he's 40 at the most. So… He's NOT that kid, but… it could have been his parent or… an older sibling. Or… even someone related to Kate. I wouldn't be surprised if the developers link them so tightly.

@rou-luxe assumed that Victor made a promise to the Queen many years ago and continue fulfill it. It seems very correct, but at the same time not quite. No matter how much you like sticking to your promise, at some point you will feel tired or pressured to keep it. But here… he does it willingly, even with joy. So my idea… he is very grateful to the Queen. As if she had saved his life or given him a new life that he wouldn't have been able to get otherwise. This brings me back to my previous thought. That the Queen is not really human. But she is… at least the real Queen Victoria, who lived and died (which makes her a normal person). If it's just gratitude, then what exactly did she do for him to get him for a lifetime? This is… THE question!

Connections with Crown boys

We know that Vivi and Willy immediately clicked on the common desire to free people. The way we were shown Vivi's cursed ability (as I mentioned in a previous theory post) is somewhat similar to Willy's. I'll just add this part from the 1st birthday story.

We will not talk about that this is technically impossible to strangle yourself. Don't try to prove me wrong, check on Google.

The fact remains… Vivi orders the man to die or Death to take him away. But for some reason, his victim feels happy to follow this order.

It doesn't matter how, but the cursed ability of both of them (Victor and William) deprive a person of freedom. So… no wonder they understand each other so well, they literally went through the same struggles.

I don't think Vivi is particularly kind to Harry just because of his reaction (which is always so good). But also because he feels a little guilty about the death of Harry's father. He did not predict, did not find out, did not fix the problem in time. Yes, Vivi claims that he is not a kind, but rather an evil person, but he is a good teammate, he respects and helps all his partners. And he and Marco had a good team… From a distance, completely ignoring each other… but in the end, they really help each other a lot. So Vivi may feel guilty for missing something.

I didn't notice any special treatment for anyone else at the Crown. Well… Kate is an exception. But I would like to talk about her separately.

Connections with Kate

First the facts. Victor dragged Kate to the Crown because he thought it would help the boys. From his 1st birthday.

He said (will say) the same thing in the 1st anniversary (my summary). He thought she would change something. What does he think needs to be changed? He used a rather interesting phrase in 1st birthday...

Usually, when he said something like that, it's "succumb to your wickedness". Vivi often say that when he sends the boys to work. Did he assume that Kate would help them become better at their work? Is it related to work at all? Maybe about their course? Maybe it's about understanding themselves better? Or… about something completely different? But I tend to think he was looking for a way to combine them together.

They're all pretty strong and independent, they don't have much in common, they literally split into several groups, and he wanted to find a reason to unite them into one team. It's a very noble cause. He would probably reject such an idea as not fitting his wicked nature. Why do my favorite boys try to argue with me when I say good things about them? They're so weird.

But there's something he doesn't want her to know. Again from the 1st birthday...

It feels like he's afraid. It feels like he's been through something and doesn't want to make the same mistake again. Or he's constantly fighting… probably with his own curse… which forces him to do something to her (remember that his curse contradicts his essence). Vivi says something about it at the 1st Christmas event. This darkness demands that he stains her and whisks her away (I wrote about it here).

But his expectations of Kate really came true. She really brought change. And she even changed him. This is from his 2nd birthday story translated by @.reccyls.

It already looks like we're in the middle of his route. He feels that he is becoming less like an observer, he feels that he wants more for himself.

And now my assumptions, which, in fact, are based on nothing at all

The only thing we can be sure about is a kiss on the forehead. It was mentioned twice (I talked about it at the kiss event). The fact that Kate mentioned it twice means that developers are most likely to use it on one of the main routes. It could be Darius or someone we don't know about yet, but I think… that it's Victor. And it's not just his reaction to that kiss that makes me think so. But the DARK IF event.

I know it's an alternate world, but… the essence of the characters is the same, and it's quite interesting to imagine his main route through the prism of this event. Vivi's story hasn't been released yet, but in the second part of the event, there was a story for 95k points, and it's gorgeous. Translated by @.reccyls.

And this part is from a letter from this event. Not quite, but let's put it this way. Translated by @.reccyls.

The one and only. The soulmates. Actually, this theme is very strong at this event, and maybe I shouldn't even focus on it. But… for some reason, this concept seems very fitting for Vivi. The Vivi we know from Victorian London. And I really like to see this theme on at least one route in this game. Why not on Victor's, right?

So… my theory… Victor and Kate met when Kate was still a child. We haven't determined whether Victor is human or not, so I won't talk about him, but Kate was a child and witnessed something very bad. Something that could easily break the psyche for life. Victor solved the problem and kissed her on the forehead… and that's literally the only thing she remembers. It was probably just a short meeting, but for some reason they both remembered it. And now… after all these years, they meet again because they are destined to be together… I got goosebumps.

I think we should expect a second Tamamo route. With the "I want to be your friend so you won't be alone". They will work together, but this time she will help him with his work, and someone from his past will appear. Don't tell me he was a king as well… Thatever. And… so the hot scene will only be after the last avatar challenge (or even only in the epilogues).

Dark times are ahead... Patience to all of us.

@ethereal-blossom, Michelle, dear, I haven't found how to use your theories… my brain is burning up a bit after two days of thinking. But I'd like you to look at it. Maybe you could point out my mistakes or would like to add something. You know I'm always happy to read your thoughts.

The design of the spikelet on the dividers I took from Designed by Freepik

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🔝 𝕊𝕋𝔸ℝ𝕋 ℙ𝔸𝔾𝔼 🔝

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

[oh-koenig-my-koenig]

concert, part 1

part 1 here (cw: age gap)

👑 (king): can I come pick you up? Me: yeah, sure, I’m almost ready 👑 (king): good, be there in 10

I look down at his text, smiling to myself, then I get myself ready. Checking my makeup, checking if I have everything in my little bag. Then I wait for him, nervously tapping my foot, thinking about our interactions over the last week.

I haven't seen him since the bar, we've just been texting and my god. He isn’t the biggest texter, but he never fails to answer a single one of my messages. Setting a new standard for sure.

My first message he answered within five minutes, making it a deal and asking me for the details on the concert. And then I had to send him all of my favourite songs, not just by Lorna Shore, but all the bands I talked about that he didn’t yet know. We were just talking about all the topics we could think about.

Like I wanted to know what accent it was that laced through his words when talking English and he told me that he actually was from Austria. I’ve never met someone who was from this country, so naturally I was curious. Especially why he lived here then and didn’t go back to Austria for his leave, which he just answered with a simple “I don’t have anything to go back to.” I didn’t want to pry, so I left it at that.

And he asked me what I did for a living and all my little hobbies. I could talk about those all day long, so there was a lot of back and forth (maybe a little bit more back from me than it was forth from him). I still was curious about his job as well, but I was too afraid to be called nosy again.

By the third day I got confident enough to accompany my messages with pictures. And no, not that kind of pictures. I just snap moments during my day and just them to him. My morning coffee, some scenery from my commute, a screengrab from the game I’m playing in the evening. Because I want to show what’s going on during my day.

It’s nice. It feels nice to talk to him. And we’re still kind of shy, holding back, but some of the texts even get flirty. My favourite thing to do during last week was to call him old every chance I got. Just to get a rise out of him.

I can’t help but feel that the last message has a double entendre. Like I should be the one worrying about keeping up. With him.

The doorbell rings and I go to open my door. It swings open and I almost rear back when his hulking figure towers over me. My god, I have forgotten how huge he is. I mean, I only saw it once when he got up from the table.

He's wearing the same worn leatherjacket and a shirt underneath. A Lorna Shore shirt. He got it right on time for the concert. I know because he sent me a picture when the package arrived.

"Hi.", I say looking up at him.

"Hi yourself.", he answers with a smile. "Looking good."

"Thanks.", I say as I do a little twirl for him, my skirt swaying while I do the turn. When I land on my two feet again, my DocMartens stomping onto the floor, I see his gaze wander up my body.

His lids are hooded, his mouth is slightly opened and I can see the row of strong teeth blink through. Our eyes meet and I feel a zap of excitement running down my spine. It just got harder to breathe. Because he looks at me like I would taste good. It’s actually making me a bit nervous. And I don’t think anybody ever looked at me like that.

“What?”, I throw in his direction, swaying from one foot to the other.

"Nothing…” is all he says, shaking his head. But it doesn’t feel like nothing. “Come on, let's get going. You have the tickets?", he asks.

I point at the little bag clasped to my belt. "Got everything in here." He nods and gestures me to exit the flat. I do so and lock the door behind me, following him down to the street where his car is parked.

It’s a Mercedes G-wagon. A fucking G-wagon. I don’t know which car I suspected, but I guess not this one. Although it makes sense when I see him right next to it. The kind of military look of the car, the colour (black, of course), it being quite an expensive brand, but also an older model, judging from the wear on the outside. Also a spacious enough car for a big man like him.

He stops at the passenger side and opens the door for me. And I can't help but melt a little. The gentlemanly gesture with him looking just like he looks. The big stature, the worn leatherjacket with the tattooed hands showing, the slight aura of danger around him that makes much more sense since I know he’s a soldier, that part of him not fully vanishing even when he’s on leave. The timid smile he gives me when I thank him for holding the door open for me emphasizing the contrast between his hard looking exterior and the softer core.

He waits for me to climb up into the seat, shutting the door for me and going around the car, to the driver's side. I snuggle into the leather of the car seat and look around a bit. His scent engulfs me, a warm, manly note, and I suppress a sigh. This man is just too much, and I'm going to a concert with him.

He gets in and starts the car which also turns on the sound system and a flurry of guitar sounds, drums and the distinguished voice of Chuck Schuldiner blasts from the speakers. I recognize the song instantly. "Oh, I love Spirit Crusher. The whole album actually."

He grins at me. "I thought so, that's why I put it on." He hands me the CD sleeve. "I bought this when I was like... maybe 16 or 17?"

"Oh my god, really?", I exclaim, inspecting the case. I turn to him pointing at the release date on the back, a mischievous grin forming on my lips. "That's the year I was born."

He sighs and rolls his eyes, snatching the CD case from me. "Yeah, yeah, we've already established that I'm old, ancient even." I bite back a laugh, doing a bad job at it. He leans forward, inching closer to my face. “Now what’s so funny, huh?”

I shake my head still grinning. “Nothing.” I pause for effect. “Old man.”, I add teasingly.

His gaze is burning into me. “Uh-huh, ain’t that right.” The slightly threatening undertone is not lost on me and it makes me shift in my seat.

He doesn’t say anything else, just pulls out of the parking space, and drives us to the concert location. The atmosphere gets a little bit more relaxed when he asks me about how work has been today (because we haven’t texted about that yet). I go on a rant because work really has been kicking my ass lately and my boss keeps getting on my nerves. So the car ride to the venue is filled with me explaining all of the details of what’s going on which would’ve have been too much to type out.

I’m still complaining about my boss’s antics when we enter the tall concert building. I show our tickets to the security guys at the entrance and they check us for stuff that you can’t bring into the venue. Well, they check me without hesitation, the security lady patting me down and taking a look into the little bag I have with me.

The security guy that has the pleasure of checking him hesitates for more than just a bit and I can see the little grin on König’s face as he’s towering over him, almost a head taller, and looking the most intimidating I’ve seen him yet.

“Don’t worry, he doesn't bite.”, I joke with the security guard who rolls his eyes, but finally goes to pat down the big guy.

König’s grin turns mischievous, looking down at him while he’s being checked. “Only if asked to.”, he says, glancing at me. And then he fucking winks. And I almost trip over my own feet. I steady myself, going down the stairs, taking a deep breath to calm myself down. Because that planted an image in my head I wasn’t ready for.

He catches up to me. “I’ll drop my jacket off and then we can get a beer?”, he suggests and I nod, following his lead. His hand drops to the small of my back, guiding me as we maneuver through the crowds of people. And I try to ignore how this light touch is making me feel.

We get in line at the bar and something I wanted to talk to him about burns at the tip of my tongue. Especially now that I’ve seen the expression on his face when somebody pushes past me, accidently brushing against me.

“Can you promise me something?”, I ask, putting on my nicest face to heighten the chances of him agreeing to it.

His lips curl into a sly smile when he sees the way I’m looking at him. “That depends on what you want me to promise.”

“Please don't stomp on any of the people if they bump into me.”, I tell him.

“Hm, I don't know if I can promise that.”, he answers with an honest tone in his voice, but the mischief in his eyes is telling a different story. “I have to look out for my concert companion, don’t I?”

“Well, can you at least leave them in one piece? I wanna leave the concert a free woman and not an accomplice to murder.”, I explain, not even taking myself seriously.

He laughs. “I think, we can arrange that.” He playfully nudges me with his arm and I almost topple over because I didn’t expect that. An “Oh shit” drops from his lips while his hands reach for my waist to steady me, and my first reaction is to hold onto him. His arm to be exact. My fingers grab onto his lower arms and I can feel the strong cords of muscle beneath my fingertips. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to-“, he says.

I shake my head, interrupting him. “Don’t apologize, it takes more to break me.” Which sounds completely wrong and dirty in my mind, now that I think about it. But the sentence already left my lips. He doesn’t say anything, but I can feel his heated gaze on me, even when I don’t look up at him, still holding onto his arm when we reach the front of the line. Ordering beers that he pays for, just like we agreed to. I snatch up the two glasses and head to a quieter corner.

König isn't a big talker, although he seems more relaxed now, so it's still mostly me yapping about stuff that comes to my mind while we wait for the concert to start, him asking questions in between, nodding along, listening, and sipping his beer.

"I'm sorry, I feel like I’m talking too much.", I finally interrupt myself, smiling up at him apologetically.

He shakes his head. "No, it's fine, don't worry about it. I like hearing you talk." And his words make me blush and actually shut up for a brief moment where I can just smile into my beer and bask in the compliment.

“I think they’re starting soon, you want to go in?”, he asks me, smiling down at me.

“Yes, we can do that.”, I nod and we make our way into the hall. It’s already packed, but with König it’s easy because the crowd parts, looking up at the tall man when he passes. We find a spot that’s more in the back of the room, so he doesn’t obstruct the view of too many people.

I stand right in front of him, looking up at him, to see him scanning the people around us, observing every little bit that’s going on. His arm wraps around my waist, in theory a small little gesture. But his touch makes me light up, his fingertips softly digging into my hips. His fingers stroking ever so slightly, skimming over the fabric of my skirt, seemingly not even thinking about it. And I take the chance to lean myself against him, feigning the same innocence as he does.

Suddenly, the symphonic part of 'Welcome Back, O’ Sleeping Dreamer' starts playing over the speaker and the concert begins. I smile up at him and jump up and down all excited, pulling at his shirt to get his reaction. He laughs, even though I don’t hear the sound because the whole room erupts in cheers and shouts, only getting louder when the band comes on stage and the drums and guitars set in.

I get the impression that he’s enjoying it as well and the smile on my face gets even wider when he starts headbanging with the crowd. And it makes me happy to see him like that. The music sweeps me up and carries me away and I start to move with the harsh sounds blasting from the speakers.

What I don't know or see is the way he's looking at me when I scream the lyrics from the top of my lungs. How mesmerized he seems when I jump and mosh to the next song, dancing without a care in the world. How my wild and energetic euphoria of being at a concert infects him, even if he's still being a bit self-conscious.

It's been a long time since he actually has been to a concert. And he hasn't been all too sure why he even offered to go with me other than seizing the opportunity to see me again. But right now, standing in the crowd experiencing the thrill of live music once again, he remembers why he enjoyed it so much when he was younger.

to be continued - the concert is not over yet!

part 3 or more stuff in the Masterlist

[asofspades]

Okay, this is the first part of the shared item analysis for the LU boys, in going to be bringing research that includes not only the existence of the same item either by direct name or function on different games, but also I bring insights into where they're found or how they're obtained when I think it's relevant.

Starting off with the boomerangs, now, Legend (Alttp, OoS), Hyrule (LOZ1) and Four (MC) all have magic boomerangs, they're literally named "Magic Boomerang", while their designs don't look too similar to one another I think we can still consider them to either be Four's magic boomerang changing over time or just the Tingles continued making magic boomerang across the ages (that's how you obtain it in MC).

However, I've noticed (acting like I haven't been in the known since I first played Wind Waker at 15) that Wind's boomerang is quite literally the same as Four's, which makes me think that it might actually be Four's magic boomerang that got to Wind. Here's Four's magic boomerang (MC) and Wind's boomerang (WW):

If you know me you know I think Wind inherited a lot of stuff from Four that he doesn't know about and that he just assumed it was from the Hero of Time because they're called stuff like "Hero's bow" "Hero's Shield" and they only know about time due to how impactful he was for their timeline, yet Four was in fact a hero too, and he comes way before Time so I guess his stories were lost with old Hyrule but some of his items stayed.

Now that we've cracked this conection between Four and Wind, let me make it even clearer with some more examples of items and a little extra fact:

The mirror shield from MC is the exact same you get in Wind Waker, in fact, Hyrule Encyclopedia uses the sprite from Wind Waker for both of them when they want to avoid using the pixelated sprite from Minish Cap, which means Wind currently has in possession Four's mirror shield. Here's both shields in game:

Another thing they share is the small shield, at the begining of the adventure in Minish Cap, Zelda wins Link a small shield, now, in Wind Waker grandma gives Link a shield they keep in their House that belonged to "a hero" (Hero's shield), we all assumed it was the Hero of Time, but actually it has the same design as Four's small shield. Now, I think Wind is actually using the lobster detail shield from Phantom Hourglass in Linked Universe, which is very similar to the small shield, however we can't deny that Wind has inherited a fair share of stuff from four and we're not fully done here yet. Here are the small shield and hero shield from left to right:

Now, another interesting connection I've found between Wind and Four is the bows, in MC you start with a regular bow and upgrade to a Light Bow that shoots light arrows, and if we follow the design it's the same one used in Four swords Adventure by Four but it's also the same as the Hero's bow Wind uses in Wind Waker, which means that he got Four's bow as well and not only that, but the fact that is was a light bow might have helped Wind channel his light energy into it to use it as a light bow as well as a regular bow. Here are the bows for MC and WW:

Now I'm bringing you another item of Four that wind inherited, his Smith's Sword, when you start out the adventure in MC, link's grandpa gives him the sword he made for he winner of the sword tournament, and obviously as the story progresses you switch it for the white sword that ends up becoming the Four Sword. However, it's not out of character to think that Four would've kept that sword like a treasure, it accompanied him at the very beginning of his first adventure and it was made by his grandpa. And now to get to the point, in Wind Waker you're also given a sword by Orca when you start out your adventure, along with he Hero's shield, which is called the Hero's Sword. They're remarkably similar, enough for me to think they're the same and they were kept, wether it is familial bonds that tie Four and Wind or just a family deciding to pay respect and keep the weapons of a previous hero, I like both options. Here's the swords for a side by side comparison:

From left to right: Smith's Sword (MC) Hero's Sword (WW)

And last but not least, this is just a little thing I've noticed but the second link with the most relation to the wind element, using the Ocarina of Wind and having a sword made out of the element of wind among others and a part if him that is the closest to a personalisation of said element, is Four. I just find it cool that they share that connection and frankly offensive that no one else has made it before and there's no fics about it that I know of🥲.

[lucy90712]

Ruben Dias fluff!! Any thing you want, I trust you

Having kids is the most stressful and rewarding thing I've ever done but I wouldn't have it any other way. The biggest downside is that Ruben doesn't get to be around as much as he's like to as he's always got training or matches but when he's around he always spends every second helping me or playing with our oldest son Milo even if he's tired he treasures every second he gets to spend at home with us. 

Since I gave birth to our daughter Ruben has barely been home he got a couple of days off training and then it's been all go since. There has been matches every weekend and then champions league during the week so he's hardly been home which makes life difficult. Caring for a newborn and entertaining a two year old on little to no sleep is exhausting but Ruben helps where he can and he even gets his brother to come over when he's not around which is a great help. 

This weekend Ruben finally has a few days off after such a packed schedule Pep gave all the players a couple days off training to rest and recuperate ready for the next run of games. Rest isn't a thing in our household right now but I don't think Ruben minds he just wants to be home and actually spend time with the kids. I know he feels awful that he hasn't got to bond with our daughter Alice as much as he'd want to as he's not here during the day when she's awake and looking around but I always send him pictures and videos so he feels like he's involved too. 

Just like every morning I expected to be woken up at the crack of dawn by a toddler screaming in the baby monitor and a newborn crying right next to my head. When I woke up and saw that it was nearly 9am I freaked out and then when I saw that the baby wasn't in her bassinet I nearly had a panic attack. That's when my sensible brain took over my mum brain and I realised that Ruben also wasn't in bed next to be so he must have Alice and that made me feel so much better. After I calmed down I got out of bed and headed downstairs where I could already hear the chaos which is weirdly nice to hear. When I finally made it downstairs I saw Ruben in the kitchen holding Alice while trying to make pancakes and with Milo at his feet. I took Alice from him quickly so he could focus on breakfast but before I knew it I was also holding Milo as he's definitely a mama's boy and he doesn't like to leave my side when I'm around. 

"Thank you for letting me sleep in you didn't have to do that I know you're tired too" I said 

"You don't have to thank me I know you don't get much sleep and you need it to deal with those two I get to sleep when I’m away for matches so it's only fair that you get to have a lay in" he said 

"Well I still appreciate it I feel like a new woman now" I laughed 

"Good and I've got breakfast all ready for you" Ruben said while handing me a plate of pancakes 

We ate breakfast as a family or our version of eating as a family which is taking a bite of our own food every few minutes after having to cut bits up for Milo and sometimes having to feed it to him when he refuses to eat. Then more often than not Alice seems to sense when I'm eating and all of a sudden wants feeding so I have to eat with just one hand. Ruben had managed to get Milo to eat all of his pancakes while I still had a mostly full plate as I was feeding Alice so Ruben switched his attention to me and cut my pancakes and fed them to me like the perfect husband he is. 

To spend some quality time together Ruben suggested we go to the park and seeing as I've got him to help me I had no reason to disagree. He took care of getting Milo ready while I got Alice ready and we made it out the house as a family of four for the first time which sounds crazy as Alice is three weeks old now but Ruben's been around so little we haven't had the chance to go anywhere all together yet. Leaving the house is never easy but eventually we got out the house with me having Alice in the carrier and pushing the stroller while Milo walked as he refused to get in the stroller. 

The walk to the park isn't a long one so we got there pretty quickly and when we did Milo took off and made a beeline straight for the slide as he loves going down the slide. Ruben followed close behind while I found somewhere to sit with Alice as she was due a feed before she naps again. Watching Ruben play with Milo made me a little emotional hearing Milo laughing as Ruben chased him around the park is exactly how I pictured parenthood there is no better sound than hearing your child laughing it always fills my heart with joy. Milo can be difficult at times which I think comes down to missing his dad but I couldn't care less about that when I get to see the two of them happy and playing together. 

"Mama come play" Milo said as he ran over to me 

"I would love to play with you buddy but mama's still recovering I can push you on the swing if you'd like though" I said 

"Yeah let's go mama" he said running off again 

I gave Alice to Ruben so I could push Milo on the swing which he thoroughly enjoyed he wanted to go higher and higher until I physically couldn't push him any higher. As he was swinging Ruben started to pull faces at him from across the park which only made him laugh more. This is exactly why I think Ruben is the best dad he has always been so great since the moment Milo was born our kids just love to be around him as he always makes them happy. It wasn't long before Milo wanted to get out of the swing so I got him out and he dragged me off to the rest of the play equipment which I wasn't going to go on as I'm only just three weeks post partum but I just can't say no to him. We climbed up the climbing wall and ran around the little castle type thing it brings you to before going down the slide which was more than enough for me. 

We stayed at the park for a while longer until Milo had run out of energy and climbed into the stroller himself. Ruben took the stroller which now also had Alice in too and held my hand as we walked back home. Both kids fell asleep in the stroller so Ruben and I kept walking even when we went past the house so they'd known stay asleep and we could have some peace. We decided to walk into town and got some fresh bread and other things to make lunch when we got back home. As soon as the stroller stopped Milo woke up and wanted to get out so Ruben unbuckled him and off he went to play with his toys. 

Our afternoon started out much the same as our morning with us trying to get Milo to sit still long enough to eat lunch and then we went straight back to playing. As a family we all played with Milo's trucks and cars in the little world he's created where they all have a role. The things kids come up with is just fascinating their little minds are so creative. Before Milo was born Ruben and I spent countless evenings wondering what kind of personality he would develop but I would've never predicted that he'd be such a character he's always making me laugh with the things he comes out with but he's also such a kind little boy he always thinks about me and his sister. 

After a long day of running around and playing the kids were definitely tired and of course right after dinner Milo cuddled up to my side and fell asleep while Alice slept on my chest and Ruben had his arm around my waist as I leant against his shoulder. We took a few moments to just relax and enjoy the calm as that doesn't happen often. Eventually Ruben picked up Milo and took him to bed and I was going to put Alice in her bassinet and grab the baby monitor but he told me to stay put and he'd do it and I wasn't going to argue. He did exactly what he promised and then he came back to bring me upstairs as he'd started to run me a bath. 

I enjoyed my bath very much it was so relaxing I could feel the tension in my muscles that had built up over the last few weeks just disappear in the warm water. When I got out Ruben had pyjamas ready for me on the bed which I changed into and joined him in bed. He pulled me into his arms and started to press kisses all over my face which I've missed so much as I either sleep alone while Ruben is away or we don't get a moments peace as Alice has always been fussy at night. Tonight everything was quiet and it was amazing Ruben and I could enjoy some quality time together which we haven't had in a couple months. 

"I don't know how you deal with this all day everyday I'm exhausted" Ruben said 

"You get used to it some days they are calmer than others I think Milo was just excited you were around" I said 

"I'm sorry I haven't been here more I know the kids miss me but I can tell you miss me too even if you want say it" he said 

"It's ok I know why you aren't around it's not like you're out with friends while I'm here with two kids and yeah I miss having you here but that's selfish so I don't mention it" I admitted 

"Its not selfish you're allowed to feel like that and wish things were different I understand that things are hard and you'd like me to be around to help more that's not selfish I promise" he said 

"Everything is worth it though when we get moments like today and when Milo gets to watch you play on tv the hard moments don't matter anymore" I said

"I can't wait for Alice to come to her first game even if she doesn't remember I still remember when you first brought Milo along that was up there with one of the best days of my life" Ruben said 

"Maybe once we've both had our six week check up I'll bring her along to a game but we'll need to get her some little ear defenders" I said

"Of course but remember if you aren't ready you don't have to stick to that I'd much rather wait until you'll actually have a good time as it's supposed to be a good memory for all of us" he said 

We talked for a bit longer before Ruben turned a movie on and I knocked out within a few minutes as I didn't realise how tired I was but I fell asleep feeling completely happy and fulfilled.