#i don't know if i even really captured it but like. i feel like the CORE of my annoyance here. is the arrogance.

[shinski-chan]

❛❛𝚖𝚊𝚛𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚖𝚢 𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚢❞

synopsis: it was one of those spontaneous events where your friends invited you to have some fun, not knowing that one of your guy friends was jungwon's ex-best friend, making him lightheartedly jealous and pushing him to mark his territory.

paring: jungwon x gn!reader

word count: 1.3k

notes: fluff, playful and possessive!jungwon, teasing, placing hickey, lighthearted jealousy, childish, whiny!jungwon, suggestive

the sound of the loud music was echoing in the four corners of the place. the smell of alcohol in the place, filled with smoke from different cigarettes.

while you sat there with your group of friends, laughing together at a joke, one of your friends cracked.

this event was a spontaneous one, like how one of your friends invited the group to have some fun at the very moment, and you weren't able to tell the deets to your boyfriend, and all he knows is that you're going out with friends.

work has been eating you up lately, and events like this were one of the ways to unwind and just enjoy living your life like a decent human being.

the place was filled with laughter, and you raised a glass to take a quick selfie for your instagram story, making sure the glowing lights were captured. just as soon as you tapped the click button, your friend leaned a bit, throwing a peace sign and making sure he was captured in the frame.

on the other hand, jungwon was all alone in the house... done with his busy schedule and is now lounging on the couch, aimlessly scrolling through his phone, when suddenly a notification from his instagram appeared.

as soon as he saw your name on top of the screen, he immediately clicked the notification, and in a snap, his once relaxed posture now turns stiff when he sees the guy next to you.

"wait... isn't it..." he mumbled between his breaths, his head tilting and his brows curled with a mix of emotion.

he squinted his eyes, hovering his phone closer to his face, closely examining the guy, checking if it was really him. his jaw clenched as he confirmed that it was really him, his ex-best friend.

before he even knew it, his fingers were aggressively tapping the keyboard, sending you a message.

"you didn't tell me you had a guy with you."

his eyes blinked twice, his index finger tapping the sides of his phone, waiting for your response. once he received none, he immediately called.

you felt how your phone vibrated. you glanced over your phone, casting the caller name of your boyfriend, but you didn't bother to answer, deciding to text him later.

with jungwon's persistence, he called and called and called again. before you could even turn your phone into silent mode, a text flashed on the screen.

"you better be heading home."

reading the text he sent, you immediately feel the heat of his annoyance radiating. you glanced at the time before giving him a text.

"i'll be home by 12,"

after tapping the send button, you spent the next few hours chitchatting and catching up with the latest news.

by the time you walked into your apartment, you were greeted by an eerie silence. the air was too thick, and it felt a little suffocating.

you saw jungwon sitting on the couch, his arms crossed, moped around like a child who didn't get what he wanted.

"you ignored my calls," he said, his tone sharp and cold. if his stares could kill, you'll be lying on the floor already.

you raised a brow before settling your bag beside him. "it was so loud in the bar,"

"yeah right, with him," his voice laced with irritation, making your brows curled in confusion.

"what are you talking about?" you asked, plopping yourself beside his figure.

"nuh uh, don't play dumb, love. i know you know who am i referring to," he said, squinting his eyes.

"do you even know that guy? do you have any idea who he is?" he asked, ambushing you with questions.

you sighed, finally knowing what he was actually talking about.

"jungwon-"

"no no, no, let me finish," he said, grumping like a child.

you heavily sighed, walking out of the area and walking your way towards your shared room, knowing that he's unstoppable at this moment.

"you don't know who that guy is! he's the perfect example of those main characters in those cringeworthy stories—you know, the rich and rude guy who felt like every girl was head over heels with him," he continuously said, going after you.

you bit your lips, trying not to laugh, but he wasn't done.

"that guy? he's a human embodiment of a red flag. he's manipulative, self-centered. i couldn't forget those times when he always had to brag about everything! like, 'oh, jungwon what's your score? oh, i did better than you,'" he says, his voice dripping with mockery as he tried to imitate some 'back in the day' situation.

"it sounded like you weren't still over with your high school shits," you said, turning around to face him.

"don't change the subject!" he snapped, putting his index finger on your lips.

"he's a changed man," you said, and with that being said, he ran his fingers through his hair.

"A CHANGED MAN? HOW COULD YOU SAY THAT!" he exclaimed. "you never knew that guy, i swear..." he said, slumping his shoulder in disbelief.

"baby-"

"I will never forget that one time he ghosted me when i was being vulnerable! and now all of a sudden, he'll come back, and the worst part was this a kind of reunion i wasn't invited to?" he continued to yap, and it felt like he's never running out of words at this state.

"love-"

"no, seriously, love. tell me, did he badmouth me? was he trying to be a saint? what did he talk about-"

"yang jungwon!" you shouted, pinched his nose, and gave him a quick peck on his lips. "You're overreacting," you said. you couldn't help but to feel irritated with all of the rants he kept throwing at you.

"oh, you know i am definitely not!" he defended as he frowned. "do you even know how much i hated that guy???" he asked as he stomped his feet on the floor like a whiny little child.

you couldn't help but to smile; he was all worked up, and there's nothing more exhilarating than seeing him act jealous like this.

"you're jealous," you teased, couldn't hide the grin on your lips.

"no, i'm not," he grumbled, but his red ears speak louder than his words. "i'm just being protective!" he pouted.

"same thing," you shortly said, and as you were about to turn your back at him, he pulled you closer and wrapped you around his arms tight.

"no it's not," he insisted, his voice now calmer and softer. "the point of all of these is that i don't trust him, and i don't wanna see you hanging around him," he said, carrying you on to the bed.

"you ain't gonna do anything about it," you teased, brushing off stray strands of his hair.

"glad you mentioned that," he says, burying his face to your neck. "yah, what are you trying to do?" you asked, gently placing your hand on his head.

your heart starts to skip a beat.

"marking my territory," he shortly said, and as soon as he said those words, you felt his lips press against your skin.

"won-"

"shh," he whispered, his voice low.

the heat of his mouth sends a shiver down to your spine as his kiss starts to deepen, leaving a mark on your neck.

"baby,"

he paused a little, giving you a little more time to process what he just did, and after a few seconds, he placed a soft kiss from your neck up to your lips.

"there," he says as he slightly pulls back, admiring the mark he just left. the mark was visible against your skin, and a smirk started to form from his lips, clearly satisfied with his work of art. "now, everyone will know who you belong to, especially him," he added, making you chuckle.

"you're ridiculous," you said, gently brushing his hair.

"i know," he admitted, shifting your positions, now you're laying on top of him. he wrapped his arms around you and said, "i love you,"

"silly, i love you more..."

©shinskichan

[opalcicle]

If They Call Me a Slut, You Know it Might be Worth it for Once

Ch. 11 - No Rest

I start getting ready to relax before my stream, climbing out of my clothes into a big sleep shirt. There's a knocking on my door.. Did I forget something in Charlie's car?

"I'm sorry- I just- I needed to-" he grabs me by the face, kissing me so forcefully our noses knock together. He doesn't stop, hands finding their way down my body. Suddenly he's got me pinned to the inside of my door. His teeth tug on my lips until I let out a soft whine and his kisses travel down to my neck, biting harshly at my skin.

"Charlie!" I call out when he bites in a little too hard.

A low moan, almost a whine escapes his mouth as he makes himself stop. "Fuck, I want-" he cuts himself off again, hands squeezing me hard. One is holding my leg up around his hip, the other pushing my wrist to the door. He's pressed into me and I can feel his cock on my abdomen.

Slowly, carefully, I reach over and click door locked.

He's on his knees in one breaths' time, sliding my leg up over his shoulder. Charlie buries his face in my cunt, making me whimper again. His tounge moves fast, licking at my entrance, pressing in. I'm still tender from a few days ago, but the intensity of the moment captures me completely. He groans hungrily with each movement. I don't even have time to get used to the sensation before he pulls away, standing and taking his long, throbbing erection out. I'm pinned again as he moves back in to kiss me, the taste of my pussy on his lips. One leg is lifted, returning to it's spot around him, and I feel him pressing his cock to the sore entrance between my legs. He pushes in quickly and we both make desperate gasps. I wrap my arms over his shoulder as he lifts me off the ground, both legs now around his waist. My back presses against the door and he thrust in again. His fingers press and grab at my ass while he rocks in and out of me. I'm dizzy, in shock from the suddenness, but it feels so fucking good.

"Mmm- Char- leee, fuck!" I moan out loud, and as he pounds me against my door it creaks and rattles. Hopefully the neighbors aren't in the hallway.

"I'm going to fuck you forever," he growls the words into my ear. It sounds like a threat, and I take it as a promise. The sex is so much more frantic than last time. It's scary, and hot as hell. If this man really wants to make me his, this is exactly how to do it.

His thrusts stop and his cock slips out. The break in rhythm is too sudden and I groan in protest. I feel myself being carried away and I hold on tight. Charlie takes me into my kitchen and sets me down. I try to take a step toward him, but he grabs my arm and turns me toward the counter. Holding my forearm tightly, he presses my face down into the counter top, bending me over. It's only seconds before I feel him pressing against me. Charlie rams his dick in so hard I stumble. I don't even have time to steady myself, he just steps forward and pushes his cock back in. He is more careful this time, but only a little. Using my free arm to keep me balanced, pressed up onto my tiptoes I feel an orgasm building too fast.

"Cha- ah ah ah! Oh fu- uh- uh-! Char- lie!!!" My cries are cut off everytime his hips hit me. He realizes I'm getting close and let's my arm go, grabbing the sensitive spots on my hips and pulling me back with each thrust inside. My mind forgets everything but the sensations he's giving me, and pleasure shakes me as my body goes tense. I feel my pussy grip him tight and hear him make the most heavenly groans. The world around me fades for a moment, and I don't know exactly when it happens, but when I come down I've sunk to my knees.

Before I come completely back to reality, Charlie pulls me backwards, moving me to the middle of the floor. "Good girl," he whispers as he strokes my hair.

I gaze up at him, eyes lingering on the erection above me, and then move to his face. His expression sends a shiver through me. It's a mix between desperate and smug. I feel clit pulsing and slip my fingers between my legs. My eyes flick back to his cock, and I lick my lips.

"You want a taste?"

I sit up on my knees and open my mouth. My eyes close, expecting to choke on his cock, but instead I feel it slap the side of my face. When I peek again he's holding his erection, slowly stroking it. I whimper like a mutt begging for scraps. Charlie teases the head past my lips, rubbing precum up my cheek and over my nose. I open my mouth wider in response. There's a slapping sound on my face again as his hand travels down his shaft and lets go, springing his cock towards me. This time I'm ready, grabbing him by the dick, and leaning forward to take him in my mouth.

"Ohgodfuck!" He gasps out a bundle of words all mixed together. Charlie grabs the back of my head, pulling me towards him roughly.

The eager sounds I make with my mouthful are barely audible under Charlie's loud moans. I can tell he's holding back, and grab him by the back of his thighs, pulling him deeper in.

He practically screams, "OH GOD!" tilting his head back and gripping my hair. He fucks my face faster, and faster, and I feel his legs start to buckle when he steps back, panting as his cock leaves my mouth. He'd gotten close, but stopped.

I cough, tears and drool running down my face.

Charlie joins me on the floor, pulling his shirt off to wipe my eyes and mouth. I take the opportunity to run my hands over his chest.

"You-" I cough again, then give myself a second to breath, "you look like a Greek fucking god, Charlie,"

He laughs, and threads his arms under mine to pull us both up.

"I wanted you to cum," I pout.

He helps me get steady on my feet before getting a glass down from my cabinet. "Not a chance, I'm going to breed you," he's turned away, getting me a glass of water, and sounding so damn nonchalant.

"You- you're-" I stammer, and when he turns back my mouth is hanging open. I'm stunned.

He hands me the water, "drink,"

I comply, unable to wrap my brain around any thought. When I finish, he takes the glass from me and sets it down. He turns to me and pushes me into the counter with a hard kiss. I suddenly feel his hand between my legs, fingers slipping inside and curling. I break the kiss with a gasp.

"You get so wet for me, babe," he whispers into my neck, "like you were made for me,"

I whimper at his words and he starts to finger me slowly. He holds me up with his other arm around my waist. My body melts into him. I'm already tired but I know he needs me. My thoughts drift while he sends little pulses of pleasure up through my body.

My hand lazily travels down to his cock, brushing against it before wrapping around. Still slick from my saliva, it doesn't take much effort for me to stroke it back and forth, back and forth. Charlie's breath catches and his hips start to press forward when my hand nears the base of his cock.

His palm presses on my mound and I rub against it in time with his thrusts. I shift my body so as he slides through my hand his cock rubs against my abdomen. Lips find lips, and his tounge finds its way into my mouth. I whine and my grip tightens. His moans send vibrations through my head and our pace builds. Again I feel an orgasm approaching. My legs tremble and my whines grow urgent. It's building so slowly until Charlie's fingers pick up the pace.

"Cum for me," he demands as our kiss breaks for just a breath.

I'm close- so close- searching for the moment that sends me over.

Charlie kisses down my neck and I bury my face into his shoulder. "What's the matter, babe? Can't finish?" His voice drips with sarcasm as he teases me.

My face gets hot fast, and I mumble nothing-protests into his skin.

"Aww, my little slut can't make it there?" I hear the smirk in his words and my body tenses. "Oh you like that?" His teasing continues, "you like being my little slut?"

I'm embarrassed. Frantic whimpers leave my mouth and I can feel the myself about to cum.

"Poor, little slut," he ends the sentence in a sharp bite on my skin.

I scream out, whining into him as my abdomen tightens and I go completely tense. Each time I relax another wave of blinding, white hot sensations stab through me. It's almost too intense. I feel like I've lost time, my head swirling as I remember the world around me. Trying to speak, babbles of nonsense escape from my mouth.

Charlie holds me in a tight embrace, preventing me from falling to the floor again. "Good girl," he whispers as his soft kisses find my cheek.

I giggle, sounding like I've lost my mind. I definitely have.

After I've had a moment to breath, Charlie leads me to my bed, sitting me on the edge and crouching in front of me.

"You're so damn cute," he murmurs sweetly, "let's get you cleaned up a little," He spreads my legs open and pulls my large sleep shirt up so he can get a good look, "Oh baby, you're drenched," and licks his flat tounge up my inner thigh.

A sharp exhale escapes me and I lean back to steady myself. Charlie grabs me by the front of my shirt, pulling me back to him. Looking for something else to hold me steady while he licks away at my thighs, I grab onto his hair.

"You're kind of a legs guy, aren't you?" I manage to tease between uneven breaths.

"How'd you know?" The no shit, really? kind of tone in his voice makes me pout. I try to retaliate by squeezing my legs around his face. The guttural groan he makes between them tells me it had the opposite effect. I giggle as he pushes my legs apart again, continuing to move his tounge closer and closer to my core. When he does, his tounge presses slowly, licking bottom to top. As it flicks past my clit I squeal, grabbing him harder by the hair. I'm growing wetter and wetter. I don't think he's going to be able to lick me clean. A few passes later, his tounge circles my clit again.

I tense, "nnng!" My sounds are shaky. I know I'm going to reach the point of overwhelm soon, and more than anything I want to last long enough for him to fulfill his promise of breeding me. My hands release from his hair, unclenching and resting on the bed. "Charlie, this is a lot- I want- you said-," I'm having trouble asking for him to fuck me again, to cum inside me.

"What is it?" He asks with encouragement. While I find my words he rests his head on my leg.

"Its- it's okay," I stutter.

He groans slightly as he lifts himself back up to sit beside me. His arm finds its way around my waist and he pulls me in so I'm leaning on his shoulder, "tell me," he whispers as he runs his fingers through my hair.

"You said you want to- that you were gonna," I feel my face flushing, and my voice gets quieter as I speak. I lean in close, and almost whispering I say, "Charlie you promised you were gonna breed me. I want your cum so bad. But we're tired, and I-"

He cuts me off with a passionate kiss. Catching his breath again, he softly muses, "Never too tired to make you mine,"

My heart flutters and jumps. I kiss him again. "I need you so bad. Please..." I whine softly.

Charlie takes me by the hand and we climb to the middle of the bed. I help him out of his jeans. His kisses are tender, travelling over my neck and jaw. He straddles me, cock tapping on my tummy while he pulls my shirt over my head. When it reaches my wrists he grabs tightly, wrapping the shirt around them like make-shift cuffs. He tries my wrists together with an expert swiftness. I watch with wide eyes until my bound arms drop back over my head.

"Good," the sweetness in his voice hides something instinctual that seeps through. He places pillows under my back, raising up my hips. "Now you're ready to make my babies,"

God damn, this is hot. I didn't know Charlie had a breeding kink. I didn't know I'd want him to claim me like this. The part of my logical brain that remembered I couldn't get pregnant was shut down and I was ready for him to fill me. On his knees his cock lines up perfectly with my raised pelvis. Charlie runs his hand over my hips, waist, and abdomen. It feels like he's stalling and I groan in impatience.

"Just wait, babe," he smiles over me. "I need one more thing,"

"Anything, Charlie," I smile back, though by body is burning for him.

"Tell me how much you want it," his eyes meet mine with a devilish gaze.

"Oh babe, so bad," I start as he teases his cock on my pussy.

"How bad?" His eyes are closed, head tilted to the side, like he's listening intently for the right words.

"So, so bad. I want to feel you inside me, I want to feel your cum seeping in," I test to see what he's looking for with the description.

Charlie makes a little hum that sounds like satisfaction. The head of his dick presses just inside of me, "Yeah?"

I take a quick breath, trying to decide on what to say. "I want, I want you to-" I'm uncertain with my words, about to tell him something new. "Charlie, babe, please make me a mommy,"

His resolve breaks and he sinks into me with a gasp of surprise and excitement. Though he's trying to, he can't hide what my words did to him.

His reaction spurs me on as the feeling of his hard cock presses against my insides. With intention, my next words come out desperate, "Fuck a baby into me?"

"Nnn!" His eyes are squeezed tight and his hips buck forward automatically. On instinct Charlie pulls me closer by the hips, fucking as deep as he can with each movement. Even through his wild desire, he starts out slow, pausing each time he hits my cervix.

I groan in pain and pleasure with each thrust, clenching tight around him. My bound wrists strain against the shirt holding them together. I want to grab him, to pull him close. It's no use, he's tied a good knot.

"You're gon' have my kids," he mumbles between grunts and tense breaths. He picks up the pace but still takes a half second to hold his dick in me with each thrust. I try to find his rhythm in my head, but it leaves me frantic and whining, unable to prepare.

"Pleeeease!" I cry, and he responds by moving faster.

His body is so tense, and I can tell he's trying to fight his orgasm, to last longer.

"Please cum in me, Charlie!" I cry out, "Breed me! Make me a mommy!"

My whined words push him past control and somehow he slams into me even faster. When he cums he rams his cock as deep as it goes, his body shaking against mine.

"Ohh fuck, that was.. that... You're .. holy fuck," he mumbles, keeping his cock inside to fulfill his fantasy.

"Charlie?" I ask as he catches his breath. Making my words sweet I continue after a breath, "Come here. Please?"

A huge grin of satisfaction is plastered over his face. He slips out of me and places himself next to me on the bed, pulling me over to rest my head in his chest. I squeeze at the movement, unable to balance myself with my bound wrists. Charlie pulls the knot apart with one hand and I wrap around him in an instant.

Purring in a daze I ask him, "Can you set some alarms? I stream at seven,"

"Of course," he kisses my forehead and hugs me close to him, "Of course, baby,"

[kwamiwayzz]

Class of '09 Fic Rec List

(Art by Phrogpole on Twitter)

I created a doc sometime ago that included fic recs outside of Jecka/Nicole, but it ended up getting to a point where I started adding fics for pairings that I haven't read (or if I'll even read). It started feeling less honest, and I didn't want to bullshit it. So, now I'm creating this to include any fics I've read that I enjoyed or thought were good/well-written.

General:

Nicole-Fucking-Yu by VirginiaBurke - A fic that starts off similarly to the games, but Nicole is half-Asian. As someone who follows the Wasian Nicole headcanon pretty hard, this was such fun read. Unfortunately, it's incomplete, and I'm not sure if the author plans on updating it or finishing it. It's an interesting character study as well since Nicole's added minority status puts an extra layer to how she interacts with others and how others interact with her.

Solemates by Queen_Bae - Formatting issues aside, I think for the author’s first fic, this had some of the best characterization of Nicole that balances between maintaining her cluster B behavior with some of her more sympathetic traits. It also manages to merge two routes from Flip Side in a satisfying way that makes the canon version feel more like fanfiction than this one.

Life’s Like This by nutal - For people who just played Flip Side and were devastated by that one ending where Jecka left Nicole hanging, this is for you. The dialogue of Jecka trying to convince Nicole not to off herself was pretty funny and sweet. It's also considered a friendship fic which was why I didn't include this in my previous Jeckole fic rec lists.

Aricole:

I Won’t Lose (You) by ThaneOfVainglory - It's a Dead Dove fic in the sense that the themes and abuse are very heavy here. This is a canon divergent fic where Nicole tries to convince Ari to keep dating her after the counselor gave Ari the unintentional revelation that she was in an abusive relationship. Don't expect any happy endings for any character here, including Nicole, because the whole atmosphere of this fic hones in very closely on how vile Nicole can be. Personally, it may not be my favorite version of her, but reading the descent of their relationship was so interesting. If you're looking for a dark fic, especially an Aricole one, this one is for you.

Fishing For Love by ThaneOfVainglory - Ari and Nicole go on a fishing trip with Ari's dad. As usual, Nicole is an asshole here. What's new? But I think what I liked about this fic was how the codependency was written, even if it was only stated (not exactly shown) when Nicole was talking to Ari's dad. Despite Nicole being demeaning to Ari, Ari doesn't mind it (to an extent; or maybe she continues to gaslight herself, who knows). She's trying to work shit out in her fucked up brain, but the thought of being alone terrifies her to no end.

In Sickness And In Health by ThaneOfVainglory - I mostly thought the way the Aricole dynamic was written was pretty interesting. Ari falls ill, and it's the one time Nicole thinks to herself if she actually cares about her through all the abuse.

Off Target by Progman - The dynamic here is as fucked up and toxic as it gets for Aricole. Maybe not to the same degree as how ThaneOfVainglory writes them, but close enough.

Emicole:

Ecstasy by uxugxrl - As someone who doesn't really read a lot of Emily/Nicole, this fic captured Emily's unmedicated BPD brain pretty well (at least in my opinion). Emily worships the ground Nicole walks on, yet won't hesitate to slice her if she as so much seems to be looking down on her.

[randomly--accessed--memories]

@storm-ismyusername

I think I'm leaning toward "The Lost Signal Ending" if we're gonna be fancy about it.

Definitely. Alastor can't stand not being able to communicate, and writing takes too long given how much he likes to talk, so sign language would be his best option. It's infuriating for him when someone doesn't know it and they're stuck at an impasse though.

Oh, he loathes them. This is one incident that Vox is never going to forget. He wants revenge, but right now his priority is helping Alastor recover. He struggles to retain details about the Vees themselves due to the directive that bans him from remembering them, but the fact that they hurt Alastor is burned into his mind. They aren't really individuals in his mind, just two halves of the same entity: the enemy.

The Vees definitely aren't satisfied (maybe if they finish the job and kill him, they'll feel better! Right? Right??), but they don't really have time to grapple with the morality of their actions. A full-on war has broken out amongst all the different overlords due to this development, and that's taking up most of their brain space. Their "plan" for this scenario has also gone screwy because whenever they pictured themselves successfully capturing Alastor, they assumed Vox would be safely in their care. They might've taken him too when they snatched Alastor (Vox would not react well to waking up in his old "prison" and hearing the sound of Alastor in pain over their shared frequency), but Charlie sure as hell wasn't going to leave him behind when she came to rescue Al. Knowing that Vox is out there, tending to Alastor's wounds, with his loyalty to him increased ten-fold... it's worrying, to say the least.

Husk doesn't know what to do. He isn't 100% sure whether Alastor still has the power to keep him here, but his gut's telling him to run while he can. He doesn't want to end up dying for Alastor of all people, but he can't abandon the rest of the hotel crew in good conscience. Husk knows he's not going to be able to convince Charlie to just throw Alastor to the wolves, so it feels "abandon your friends" and "possibly die for the person who's kept you enslaved for the past twenty years" are his only options. In terms of how he feels about Alastor as an individual though... I'm can't decide if Husk is mature enough to pity him or bitter enough to think Al got what was coming to him. Maybe both.

Vaggie's just disoriented at first. The truth about Vox and Niffty hadn't come out yet, so she had no idea why Angel's boss and his business partner abducted Alastor to torture him live on the air (or how they'd even accomplished such a thing since Alastor had been hiding the injury from his fight with Adam for the past several weeks/months). She was actually scared for him and felt real empathy when she saw the state he was in, as well as the effect it had on Vox and Niffty. And then she found out why this all happened. Vaggie feels like a fool for ever letting herself care about Alastor's wellbeing and is grappling with all the same stuff she has to deal with under normal circumstances when the truth is revealed. There might be a conflict between her and Charlie where the shock of the situation makes Charlie double-down and refuse to believe that this was all in retaliation for something Alastor did to Vox, while Vaggie struggles to make her accept reality. Could probably do something interesting with Vaggie and the whole "eye for an eye" thing, given how this is all taking place after she chose not to take revenge on Lute...

Um... this whole situation is... a lot, to say the least. They're relieved to have their dad back, but that relief doesn't last long. No matter what they do, they can't get Vox to calm down– he's beside himself with panic and grief and fury– and he flees back to the hotel with Alastor at the first opportunity. He might not even recognize them when he sees them, they've been apart for so long.

Fineas was 100% on board with the Vees revenge plan from the start. He didn't take part in it, but there's no doubt in his mind that it was deserved. Ondine went in when the Vees first captured Alastor and tried to get him to explain why he did all this. He may or may not have given her a truthful answer. Either way, she was so disgusted that she walked off and left him to his fate. She genuinely thought the Vees were going to kill him and might start having second thoughts when he escapes, though. The kid versions are basically the same, just slightly less involved.

The Vees don’t truly believe they’ll ever be able to accomplish this, but they’ve agreed that if they ever manage to capture Alastor (and are confident they can keep him from escaping), they want to put him through exactly what he did to Vox, and more. Days of torture, broadcasted live on television+livestream for all of Hell to see, until he completely snaps. They don’t know what he did to Vox to rewire his brain, but if they can, they’ll do their best to use their own methods of mental manipulation to humiliate him in the same way before finally killing him.

They’ve also promised each other that if they’re ever able to do this, no matter what Vox says or does, they won’t relent until the job is done. He can hate them all he wants; they’re taking revenge on his behalf whether he wants them to or not.

[caeslxys]

Something I think is extremely interesting thematically when it comes to connecting what Downfall and the ideas it tackled to the overarching narrative of campaign three is that the things Downfall made a point to showcase of Aeor—Cassida, Hallis, the visual of an aeormaton proposing to her partner, the specific and intentional decision to shed light on a far from insignificant amount of the population being civilians or refugees—is that it plays in perfect parallel across from what is happening (and, really, has been happening) to the ruidusborn on Exandria in present.

Bear with me for a moment. Aeor is ultimately a city that was collectively punished for the decisions of its leadership. We could (and, judging by the amount of discourse around this particular topic already, probably will) argue about what the Gods’ motivation for all of this was—whether it be that they could not, in the end, bear to kill their siblings or that they were terrified at the prospect of mortality—for me it is a very healthy dose of both—but for this I am much more interested in the latter. They were scared. That, really, is the driving force behind both this arc and their role in c3 as a whole.

Why I point this out is: It is far more interesting to me, especially as we go back to Bells Hells this week, to dissect the Gods and their decisions not purely on sympathetic motivation alone but as beings in the highest seat of power in the highest social class in Exandria.

So, having established that the Gods (in relation to mortals) are more a higher social class than anything we could compare to our real life understanding of divinity and that Aeor was eviscerated largely because of their fear—what is the difference between those innocents in Aeor caught in the trappings of their autocratic government leadership and a divine war on the ground, and those of the ruidusborn being manipulated both by Ludinus and by the very thing that inspired such visceral fear in the Gods to start with. I would argue very little.

I think of Cassida, doing what she genuinely thought was right and good and would save people, her son, and the object of her worship—and how that did not matter enough to any of them to spare her because of the fear they held at the very concept of mortality. I think of Liliana and Imogen, one of which we know begged for the gods to help her or send her a sign for years on years, and how every single one of their largest struggles could have been avoided had the gods loved them, their supposed children, as much as they feared what they could be. I think of how the thing that did save Imogen, in the end, was a woman who herself existed in direct defiance of the gods will. I think of that young boy, sixteen years old, that Laudna exalted on Ruidus.

I think it’s completely fair to judge Aeor’s overall society as deeply corrupt—it was!—but its leadership and police force are not a reflection of every one of its citizens. Similarly, it is fair to judge the Ruby Vanguard as corrupt—it is!—but its multiple heads of leadership and even the god-eater further are not a reflection of every one of its members.

Notably, and what I think the Hells will latch onto, this did not matter to the Gods. It did not matter that Cassida was trying to help. She was still too much of a risk. Will it matter, what Imogen does? Will it matter, if that young boy is in the blast radius when they decide to take no further chances?

I’ve seen a lot of people say that the Hells will side with the gods and I don’t think I agree. Especially as Imogen has been scolded and villainized over and over for daring to try and save her mother—who herself has been seen by some as an irredeemable evil in spite of her drive being the exact same—her family—but when it’s the Gods it’s justified? When it’s the Gods, it’s sympathetic? Too sympathetic to criticize further than “they’re family”?

I obviously do not think the Gods should die or be eaten or what have you, and I certainly don’t agree with Ludinus (though I find him much more compelling than just a variation of hubris wizard), but when talking about the Gods in Aeor and in present it isn’t really at all about their motivation or their family. It can’t be. Too many people, including our active protagonists, lives have been effected for it to be as cut and dry as “they’re family”. These are your children. They are your family, too.

[shepscapades]

shep I was talking to my brother about dbhc xisuma as one does and mentioned that ask about not being able to puzzle xisuma's face together mentally and my brother joked that the reason you put the spoiler bars and such on his face is cause you cant draw his whole face yet 😂

anyway I might have talked his ear off about dbhc idk tho lmao

LMAOO NOOOO!!! MY SECRET FINALLY IS OUT!!! /silly

[sysig]

Moving out of concept art and into what’s Actually Done! Showcased here are a couple expressions for both pets so far with their dialogue balloons - mostly pulled from NPC references, but I did get a screenshot of my pet in-game using it in reply, not just in Kinzchat! So cute <3

They’re both introducing themselves here with the names I’ve given them, but I really wanted the process to be as Webkinz-like as possible, with a few extras :)

Which started with being able to pick pet pronouns! Thinking about it now, Webkinz doesn’t ask for player pronouns, does it? :0 But I wanted that to be an option too! It was...something of a process to go from one set of adjustable pronouns to three, especially as I haven’t played with any Ghosts that give you the option to assign both the character(s)’ and player’s pronouns! I had to give it a fair bit of thought of what to check against and how to not have them interfere with or overwrite each other (which did happen early on lol), but I got it! Only took a couple hours of frustrated-sleepily hammering away haha

These screenshots were taken pretty much back-to-back - the only thing changed here is what shell is being used, and shell-checking has come in soooo clutch here ahh, thank goodness ♥ Many and big thank-yous again to @cherryistired​​ for helping me troubleshoot menu shell-switching! Exactly what I needed, am very grateful :D

My original concept sketch of this process was perhaps a little overconfident in what I could accomplish for my first time playing in code lol; I have seen custom pronoun-setting though! And I think I probably could do that, but multiple pronouns... Again, I think I could, but... The name of the game was limiting my scope (lol) to see how many Different things I could implement in short order, so I’ll gladly take my three sets of pronouns and pet names vs. player name and go haha

It’s also a bit funny to look back on this little Diamond - I really haven’t drawn her much! Kind of loosely following Webkinz’ style, her face looks especially silly I think haha

I’ve also got my main menu balloon looking rather fabulous imo ✨ Technically there’s two - More and Back - and most of the features are Very Much in the Coming Soon To A Ghost Near You phase lol, but they’re all {bracketed} up to be filled in as I get their assets made :D There’s still a few placeholder pieces here and there - especially since I haven’t gotten to inter-Ghost communication just yet. Everything in its own time!

I ended up having a lot-a lot of fun with naming and renaming, I went a little silly with Just How Many reactions the pets could have to their names haha

They’ll refuse to be named after any of the Hosts directly, and they’ll give you a side-eye if the name is Close To but not Quite a match haha

The mischievous expression has gotten an awful lot of use already! Although I’ll probably change the “Nu-uh!” expression to something else once I have an alternative that fits better - I need that gradient-to-mad expression set so bad!

And although they won’t accept NPC names, you can name yourself after a Host, and they’ll react! :D There really is so much flexibility for Easter Eggs like this ahh, it’s fun!

All told, I ended up playing the most in Bootend, Menu, Nameteach (hgh), and String, although I’m realizing now that maybe a lot of the stuff I put in String belongs in Word...? It’s all been OnFunctions anyhow, and it’s organized in a way that makes sense to me but is perhaps not as intended lol - nothing says I can’t go back in and move some stuff around, as long as it continues to function properly haha. I’ve kept my error log neat and tidy!! As many times as I’ve broken something, I’ve fixed it thereafter! :D It’s a very satisfying process ♪

[mercymaker]

i'm rereading lilac and gold again and my goddddddddd

@sorceresssundries i am going to eat my own fucking hands i am SO EMO about them

[salty-software-engineer]

Man I just finished Babel and I was excited to read discussions online because there's so much going on in it with so many little things and just....angry white people. Everywhere. Truly a dead dove moment.

[imminent-danger-came]

Lowkey. Do really hate sp*cynoodles

[marshbarks]

this is smth thats not gonna make sense to most ppl who follow me but 'm Thinking again so tag rambly

[moe-broey]

Why did I start like three other projects when I was already working on a big project when I just got hit with the autism exhaustion beam (requires. At least One Full Day just dead in bed, and then some more Taking It Easy time after)

[unproduciblesmackdown]

omgg lol [guy who won't stop going "more like scapeGOATED" voice] now hold! on!! lmao [same guy just saw encanto voice] Hold on!!!

[willow-p012]

Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka is basically exactly how I feel as someone with chronic pain but no diagnosis

[front-facing-pokemon]

[ratstuckinamarble]

the rat is SICK? :( poor poor rat.....

stay snuggly and stay warm <3

Oh my goodness how are you this adorable T-T I don't even know what to say...

I want to glue this to my heart. May not help me get well sooner but it sure is making me so happy ๑ï

Thank you, truly.

I'll try my best to stay snuggly and warm, though I could never reach the comfort of your drawing. In the meantime, you stay cozy and safe too <3